ATX Spotlight: New Shawn David McMillen

sdm12XU had a solid day yesterday with some national press for Uniform (which you can read about HERE), but quietly they also unleashed this striking new tune from Shawn David McMillen.  It’s nearly six minutes of sprawled out electric roots rock, reveling in the soul of Texas summer nights.  One would think that it’s lack of brevity would make repeated listens difficult, but there’s a spirit in this song that’s undeniable, which inevitably forced me to press play at least a half-dozen times before I even touched this post.  It doesn’t hurt that his new album On the Clock with JJ & Mitch is a representation of his work with local heavy-hitters JJ Ruiz and Mitch Frazier (from such acts as Church Shoes & Trustees).  Look for the album on April 28th, if you’re into buying music.

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Austin Weekend Show Suggestions

austinThings are heating up here in Austin, with several really big shows coming up in the month of April.  But, before we get into the full swing of things, let’s take a look at what’s going on this weekend.  There’s definitely shows we expect you to attend, but we’ll let you be the judge of that.  Below you’ll find our suggestions for the musical weekend of April 4th-6th, including some great free gigs  See you out on the town, and don’t forget to support the bands buy buying something while you’re out. Read on for details… Read more

Friday’s Local Austin Gigs!

austin-skyline-mark-weaverWe’ve been working harder this year on being sure we get more coverage going, not just internationally, but locally as well.  With that in mind, I wanted to point out a couple of shows that are desperately seeking your attendance on Friday night, in case you didn’t have plans. These shows all offer a bit of different sounds, but each features some of our favorite local acts, so be sure to do your best to support our local scene.  Or, you could go see Widespread Panic.  Seems like an easy choice to me, but it’s your life! Here’s my suggestions on what to hit up:

Flesh Lights, Church Shoes, Sweat Lodge, Ghost Dance, John Schooley @ Hotel Vegas – Doors are at 9 PM – $6

Junior Prom, The Laughing, Migrant Kids @ Holy Mountain – Doors are at 8 PM – Cheap

Genuine Leather, Ponderosa, The Hereticks @ The Parish Underground – Doors are at 8 PM – Cheap

The Couch, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Major Major Major @ The Blackheart – Doors are 8 PM – FREE!

Here are some jams by Letting Up to get you in the mood.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Letting-Up-Despite-Great-Faults-Visions.mp3]