Austin Town Hall

So tomorrow is the big day.  You don’t think that $100 NYE party sounds worth it.  Downtown scares you.  Maybe you don’t even really care about a midnight makeout session and just want to party.  Here are 3 parties that combine good music, cheap covers, and swanky locals.  Have a happy new year and we’ll catch up with you on Friday with our free week guide.

Beauty Bar – Your favorite old hipster kid hangout features DJ Mel inside along with The Strange Boys, Dans La Lune, The Ugly Beats, The Boxing Lesson, and Petals outside.  Not sure on a cover charge, but drink prices should be the same as always.  Beauty Bar tends to get overly crowded on nights like these so don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Mohawk – The Transmission run venue features indie karaoke and DJ sets by Car Stereo(Wars) all night long.  Cover is only $5 with drink specials and a midnight champagne toast.

Spider House – Not usually known as a live music venue, Spider House brings you music from The Strange Attractors, Wine & Revolution, and a few other local acts.  Cover is only $10 with champagne all night for the same price.

These are only a few options and I’m sure you’ve got some crazy party going on and your mom’s house.  Drop us a line if you’ve got a hot tip.

German band Diego has just released their album overseas, and I’m not quite sure if it will ever make it to our shores. That is quite a disappointment, as this band is one of the more enjoyable listens that has come across my ears this week. It’s part Editors, part Ian Curtis. Wait, aren’t those the same thing? 

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Download: Diego – Fan City [MP3]

A Whole slew of music related happenings went down during the week of our holiday vacation.  Here’s a quick rundown with some links to find your way:

Black Keys front man Dan Aurbach has a new song from his solo debut streaming over on Stereogum.  How is this not The Black Keys again?

Daytrotter brings us more oustanding live sets from Noah & The Whale and Annuals.

Download a free EP from Bug Lung Baby on the RCRD LBL website.

Elvis Perkins is streaming new tunes from his new album due out this spring.

WOXY is offering a double album of free digital downloads featuring some of the best performances in their studio this year.

Download a free Ragged Claws EP from the band’s website.

Marc Mallman has a best of 1998-2008 compilation availabe to download from his website.

The Black Lips gave us new song “Starting Over” from their 2009 album 200 Million Thousand.  Get it below.

Lastly, our friends The Hood Internet created this tasty little mash up featuring Fleet Foxes vs. Beyonce.  Yeah, that’s how they roll.

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Download: Black Lips – Starting Over [MP3]

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Download: The Hood Internet – Single Foxes (Put A Wood On It) [MP3]

We here at Austin Town Hall have decided to take some time off this holiday season to drink hot coco and listen to Sufjan Steven’s Christmas box set.  We hope everyone has a very, merry Christmas and we’ll see you again in 2009.

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Download: Bing Crosby – Mele Kalikimaka

If your Christmas plans are looking bleak, why not spend the holiday watching the incredibly weird Flaming Lips film Christmas on Mars. The Alamo Drafthouse downtown is bringing you the film with viewing times of 9:40pm for Christmas Eve and 7:20pm/9:40pm on Christmas day.  Sounds like my holiday plans have just been made!  Check the Drafthouse website for tickets and a trailer for the film.

Austin band Whitman would like to wish you & yours a Merry Christmas!  As a token of their appreciation, here’s a demo of a little ditty they’ve been working on called “Hangover Holiday”.  The track is sure to spice up any holiday party or cure that too much eggnog hangover.  Not just for Christmas, it promises to be the gift that keeps on giving the whole year round.  You can also catch the band and their new holiday hit on January 3rd during free week at Mohawk.  They’ll be playing along with Riverboat Gamblers, Harlem, and some other yet to be named bands. We’ll give you more details about free week in Austin soon.  Have a safe and happy holiday.

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Download: Whitman – Hangover Holiday [MP3]

If you keep up with French dance music duo Justice, you know that the band recently created a documentary entitled Across the Universe.  If you’re not wanting to poney up the money for the DVD, local blog The Famousish are teaming up with Austin bar Black & Tan to bring you a free screening of the film.  The fun gets started at 11:30pm Saturday night with DJ sets to follow at 12:30.  Check out a trailer for the DVD to make your decision that much easier.

A promising new Austin band, The Great Nostalgic, are gettin’ down at The Beauty Bar on Saturday evening and it might just be worth your time.  Being so new to the Austin scene, you might not know that the band’s debut LP, currently in the works, was recorded by Erik Wofford(Black Angels/Octopus Project) and features guest vocals by Pink Nasty.  They’ll be playing Saturday evening in support of DJ Go Go Garcia.  The Beauty Bar website says things will get going around 9pm and go on till 2am so make a night of it!

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Download: The Great Nostalgic – County Line [MP3]