ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Battles, by Kingsley Flood Battles is the sound of a band hitting stride. Kingsley Flood have always delivered rock solid songs and performances. Their latest release, however, packages their most potent songwriting to date with some equally powerful arrangements. There’s a real edge to the songs across this release. The title […]
Monday Morning Video: The Gourds with Rhett Miller
Did everyone hear that David Bowie has a new album coming out this year? Well, this ain’t him. It’s Austin’s favorite sons the Gourds (joined by Rhett Miller) performing the Bowie-penned “All the Young Dudes.”
Bill Mallonee – Live House Concert
To say that Bill Mallonee is prolific in his songwriting is an understatement. Between traditional releases and online releases, he has recorded 50 albums. Based in Athens, he came on the scene in the late 80’s as the front man for the Vigilantes of Love, but has primarily been a solo-act for the better part […]
Skinny Molly – Haywire Riot
Welcome to 1978. Hardworking, hard rocking Skinny Molly’s new release, Haywire Riot, is an unabashed throwback in the tradition of southern rock bands Molly Hatchet and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Led by frontman Mike Estes, a member of latter-day iterations of Lynyrd Skynyrd since the mid-1990s, the band was intended as a fun diversion but Estes said it became his […]
Monday Morning Video: A Vintage Performance by the Band
Now this is a find. Here’s a four-song set by the Band, captured during a performance in Pittsburgh, PA back in November 1970. The set list includes: “Time to Kill,” “The Weight,” “This Wheel’s on Fire” and “Up on Cripple Creek.” Mighty fine.
Carrie Rodriguez – Give Me All You Got
I’ll get straight to the point here. Â Carrie Rodriguez has finally captured the energy, or spirit, or je ne sais quoi, or whatever you want to call it, of seeing her live, on a record. Â I’ve enjoyed Carrie’s previous records. Â But they tended to be sort of introspective. Â Go to a live show, though, and […]
Jeff’s Favorite Records of 2012
1. Robert Francis – Strangers in the First Place After his major-label debut in 2009, I thought Robert Francis would be my little secret no longer. But strangely, neither 2009’s Warner release Before Nightfall or this year’s vanguard release Strangers in the First Place brought the kind of attention that I thought. This hasn’t dulled […]
Monday Morning Video: Townes Van Zandt
Best of 2012, Tom’s Picks
Best Album of 2012 THE RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, The Wolf You Feed Austin by way of Denton, these cats can rock. Pour some rock, punk, soul, and twang into the cauldron and you’ll summon THe Riverboat Gamblers. These guys are what the Kinks would sound like if they returned as zombies. The Wolf You Feed is […]
Monday Morning Video: Patty Griffin and Robert Plant
Patty Griffin and Robert Plant (billed as “Her Driver”) played a pair of intimate shows a few weeks ago at Austin’s Continental Club. The occasion was for a pair of fundraisers. The first show for Austin musician Michael Fracasso, an Austin musician who was injured in an auto accident while on tour. The second show […]