Show Preview: Sweet Spirit Residency @ the Blackheart (7/5 + Saturday in July)

1609879_544202789008542_1460629855_nFrom the ashes rises the phoenix…or something like that right?

Having one of your favorite bands break up is always a bummer, but sometimes you get lucky and end up with a new favorite cobbled from the pieces of the old. Saturday at the Blackheart two bands will stand as a reminder that great things can be built out of broken pieces.
July 5th at the Blackheart is the first of Sweet Spirit’s residency shows. Sweet Spirit was formed after the demise of local favorite powerhouse Bobby Jealously. Commandeered by the energetic front women Sabrina Ellis, Sweet Spirit is poised to absolutely destroy the Austin music scene. Sabrina Ellis’ melodies are immediately engaging, and combined with her clever pop lyrics have a way of latching onto the brains of listeners. Ellis is backed on stage by an equally talented band. Sweet Spirit is one of those rare finds where the entirety of the backing band is talented enough to each front one of their own groups, and with Ellis at the helm the sum is certainly greater than the parts. Sweet Spirit takes the inside stage at midnight every Saturday this month, so no there are no excuses to miss this band.

Another highlight of the night is sure to be Lӧwin. Fans of the now defunct the Couch already know what a vocal powerhouse Sara Houser is. In Lӧwin, Sara Houser takes the guitar heavy sounds of the Couch and condenses them into more focused, sculpted songs. There’s no fat or gristle on the recently released two tracks Lobo and Heave Ho. Lӧwin plays on the inside stage at 8:30, and if I could make a prediction that will be one sweaty, rockin’ room.

Click HERE to see other great acts on the bill.

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Bounce House Release Party @ Beerland (11.26)

bounceWe’ve got a nice little community starting to reemerge in Austin, and one of our city’s photographers has a a rad little band that’s popping up on our radar.  The band is called Bounce House, and they’ll be releasing their first EP titled Hottest Day of the Year.  It’s filled with five rad tunes of punk rock that give you that fine blend between of bounce (as in the title) and grit; I’m really happy for these dudes.  You’ll also have other Austin heavy-hitters like Bobby Jealousy and Basketball Shorts filling out the evening at Beerland, so expect to get your money’s worth…and pick up the EP while you’re at it!

ACL Spotlight: Early Bird Specials

When taking the first look at the ACL Schedule for each weekend, I tend to first see the conflicts in headliners. Luckily, we are fairly conflict free this year, we’ll get into that more soon enough. How about we take a look at a few of the artists put in the early spots? The cool morning grass, the wide expanses to roam and the vendors still relaxed before the dude-bro crush all add up to a child-like wonderment with the scale of the empty festival giving you the this all-for-me feeling. This year’s ATH Approved Early Bird Artists will create the soundtrack for your barefoot dance party.

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Austin Free Week: Monday Highlights

That’s right folks, Free Week is now more like Free Week and A Half.  I had a blast last week, catching favorite acts like Young Girls and Bad Sports, but we’ve got to soldier on.  Monday is a little tame on the scheduling, but don’t forget we’ve got to support our scene and the incredible artists in Austin doing their best to make it what it is for us all. Here’s my suggestions for your night.  Read more

Friday Show Round Up @ Austin, Texas

Man, there’s tons of good local acts doing their things all over the great city of Austin, so I just wanted to highlight a few of the must see acts…you can pick your favorite, or hop all about.

Deep Time w/ Hidden Ritual and Blackgum @ Mohawk  — $6 — Doors @ 9 PM

Calm Blue Sea opening for Ours @ Emos East — $15 — Doors @ 8 PM

Mother Falcon w/ Les Rav and Shakey Graves @ The Parish — $10 — Doors @ 8 PM

The Preservation w/ Bobby Jealousy and Major Major Major @ Frank — $6 — Doors @ 9:30 PM

Here’s a hit by Deep Time and Calm Blue Sea to get you in the mood:

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05-Homebody.mp3] [audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2-15-the-hunt-1.mp3]

Show Preview: Shivery Shakes @ 29th St. Ballroom (7/6)

Date 7/6/12
Location 29th street ballroom
Doors 9pm
Tickets FREE!

As you recover from your Fourth of July hangover, it’s a perfect time to check out some great local music at the 29th Street Ballroom on Friday around campus.  The show is stacked with many of our favorite local talents in the form of Shivery Shakes, Bobby Jealousy, Easy Tiger, Jason Ludwig, Bat’s Blood, Space Camps, Melissa Bryan, and Teenage News.  Seriously, if you want to see some of the best this town has to offer music wise, this is where you should be.  Do it.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Wait.mp3]

Download: Shivery Shakes – Wait [MP3]