What does it sound like when you record a 10 track album in 10 days in a haunted Denmark castle? In three words, dark and beautiful.  Danny Malone’s album, "Balloons," will dig up some raw emotions that are embedded so deeply they might have been hidden in your toenails. Each song was recorded in a different room and much of the drum sounds are Malone stomping or shutting the piano lid, a curious tactic to stir up all that emotional grit that has settled in all of us.  The first single Spiderlegs gives a slight reference to Danny’s hometown of Austin that perhaps only locals will catch. I’m not going to name names but Malone sure will in the song.  The finale track "Wait on me" will have you pushing the loop function and journeying through the whole record again.  "Balloons" is available now at www.dannymalone.com.

Jason Blum’s new album Radio Dial came out this past Tuesday.  While Jason calls Austin home now he has not been a stranger to seemingly everywhere.  Just like turning the radio dial each adjustment is like moving to a new town for Blum.  He has hints of all his former residences living in his songs such as New Mexico, West Texas, New York, New Orleans, Washington DC and even Beirut on his newest record.  You might say that Jason’s destiny was to become a musician.  Blum’s father was a singer songwriter also and the two would sit and make up words to music thus teaching Jason how to write songs from an early age.  You might recognize another familiar Austin voice on Radio Dial.  His friend, Kat Edmonson appears on the song Blooming in the Sun.  Although delayed slightly, the CD release party in Austin is set for April 19th at Strange Brew Lounge. – Courtney Pierce

There’s some music out that listens like poetry, and I’m not just talking about the lyrics. Hikes latest single “Trophy Lives” first two minutes is an instrumental of calculated guitars with no typical song structure, building and fading on its own. This isn’t a track you can listen to just once, and I’m sure the album will be the same. They’re dropping their new album tomorrow (which “Trophy Lives” is on). You can celebrate with them tomorrow night at their release party at Wardenclyffe. – Lucy Sherman

If you aren’t completely worn out from last week, be sure to check out Mike and the Moonpies before they leave the city. They’ll be performing at White Hourse tonight and at The Rattle Inn tomorrow before heading out of town for a hot second, stopping back for a quick show at Stubb’s Jr. on the 03.29, and then heading out again. These fellas, with their charming take on classic county, made it on our top 15 Austin bands in 2012. – Lucy Sherman

Damnation and hellfire, the just-out EP from Iron Felix (yes, another Texas-based trio) rumbles and tears and strikes fear in the hearts of mere mortals with it’s epic brand of rock heaviness; proving itself to be the best Heavy Rock Indie EP yet to grace 2013. 

Thumping in with metallic-ish rumble, "H-Hour Minus 30" builds on it’s solid fundamentals – bass + drums + guitar – to create an all-new instant-classic groove. And though that kicks us off in grand style, "The Puffhorse" drags you (willingly, we’d bet) into an excellent head-bobbingly-good thrash. The epic "Black Maria"’s nuclear-heavy groove is fiendishly addictive, and "March to the Sea"’s tight tom drums and iron-cable reverbed bass undergird some outstanding bluesy guitar work.

Really excellent compositions here: All instrumental, all the time, with the drummer not afraid to lead with his toms. And sure, we like to bellow along with our vocals like everyone else, but these tracks stand up on their own quite well without ’em.

It’s like you have no choice, really – Wave the white flag ya’ll, surrender to Iron Felix, and go get Red Flags.

–Scott Osborn

Everybody needs a helping hand every once in a while. Pay it forward, whydontcha:

Sorne is Kickstarting his next LP, with all sorts of prizes up for donated grabs. Check it out here.

Texas Microphone Massacre has, appropriately enough, a slate of zombie films to do. Which means they need zombies just like everybody else. Send an email here to sign up for some brain-eating fun. Who’s with me?!?

The good folks at WXWC are gearing up for their big 2 days (2/22/13 and 2/23/13), but are still shy a few hands. You should definitely jump in, meet some cool peeps, and get into some killer shows. Fire off an email thisaway.

On the fateful night of 2/1/13, Stumbledrunk was victimized by shameless thieves, who made away with a goodly chunk of their music-making gear. Nobody likes getting ripped off, so now we’re throwing a benefit to help those punkers get back to doing what they do best. Show up at Shine Studios on 2/22/13, give to the cause, and enjoy a great show.

Though Digital Antique has been labeled "instrumental indie rock", we’ll call BS on that after enjoying their latest, the succinctly-named, but richly-appointed, "II".

Sparkling with cinematastique-flavored instrumentation and gestures, it bears the "Soundtrack" tag with some degree of accuracy, though we’d more likely pigeon-hole this one in the "chill" genre – there’s some fine rockeresque instrumentation in there – then try to strip away the electronica connotation. Is there such a thing as Dramatic Chill? Probably not, but if so, Digital Antique would own it with "II".

East Cameron Folkcore has been gathering critical praise with their wide-open folk-based releases since day 1, busting out of the gate with "Sound & Fury", then raising the bar with last year’s "The Sun also Rises".  Though famously accused of "thoughtful protest songs", these 11 dudes and dudettes provide nothing if not a full sound; rich in melody, chordage, instrumentation, and lyrical content.  

So you’ll be happy to hear their latest, "FOR SALE", just out today, continues their fine tradition. From the gothic discontent of "Robin Hoods Rise" to the emotive "take me home" of "Salinger’s Dead" to the fiery conviction of "Enemy of the Times" and passionate unresolved resolution in "Director’s Cut", this collection ups the ante on what passes for Folk.   

East Cameron Folkcore create the kind of music that may seem strangely intimate on first listen, but it begs to be experienced in all its shaggy glory with hundreds of your closest, drunkest friends. Blues and punk got married, and we’re all invited.

Don’t miss the FOR SALE release party on February 8 at the Scottish Rite Theatre. But pick up the CD early so you can shout along.

The last day of January 2013 saw the David Thomas Jones "Comfort Creatures EP" release party form up at Holy Mountain, where Scan Hopper started it off right with a blazingly-good (albeit admittedly unrehearsed) set.

The tough task of following up that jam was left to uber-gigged Les RAV, who obliged (and then some) with Lauren Bruno’s matchless vocal chops; backed, improbably, by harp and violin.

David Thomas Jones played bass during these sets, but now shifted to center stage for this, the main attraction, with his Watch Out For Rockets crew.

At which point the alluded-to Cosmic Intervention took place, with his guitar alternately screeching sweet rock goodness and going insanely mute.

You would think that frustration would rule the day – Turns out Jones’ car gave up the ghost on the way to the show, thus confirming suspicions that Other Forces were working mischief – but Jones soldiered on, abiding in true Dudeist fashion, whipping his unruly guitar into submission whilest belting out his numbers with conviction.

All in all, put another notch on the David Thomas Jones belt – Fighting cosmic intervention for the sake of rock. And coming out on top, with an excellent show.

Maybe you don’t go there much, but we recommend a trip to Central Presbyterian Church tomorrow night at 8, where you can check out Chelsea Wolfe and Technicolor Hearts.  Heavenly music at a sacred venue, what’s not to like?  Find out more here.

Well, we can’t be everywhere at once, so good thing the good folks at T. Cannon pointed out the waaay cool Walker Lukens vid for "Dear Someone", a cut off his latest LP, "Devoted", due out April 2.

You may ask yourself: Howdidtheydothat?

"The film was provided by a company called The Impossible Project, a group of former Polaroid employees in the Netherlands who saved the last Polaroid production plant from being shut down and now produce film for vintage cameras that would otherwise have been obsolete. "

Check it:

The nexus of all great releases occurs next Tuesday, 2/5/13. Not only does the latest from Candi & The Strangers hit, but Ancient VVisdom‘s excellent "Deathlike" gets revealed.

Sure, this pic implies riotious screeching cacophonies, but now’s the time to practice that "don’t judge a book" adage and spin this sucker out – Mesmerizing textures, spun on unlikely instruments into metallic-flavored numbers that lock you in without bludgeoning you into submission.  Sharp, not blunt, with acoustic and synth treatments of darker themes, with vox seeping, not screeching; it’s still not without the occasional dip into the pool of thrashing axe.  Positively unique in a positive way, these guys may very well be the second coming of metal.  

Did we say we recommend it?  Two thumbs up.  Come Tuesday, favor yourself and your kin with some Ancient VVisdom.

–Scott Osborn

You know, it’s OK that Chesterfield‘s self-titled LP has been out for over 18 months and we’re just now listening – It’s got timeless qualities, both lyrically and compositionally, that give this one some seriously funky, get-on-the-good-foot legs.

Filled to the brim with head-bobbingly-good soul & funk numbers; powered by a rock-solid rhythm section and topped with spot-on horns that, we’re sure, even the Godfather of Soul would approve of; this release is proof positive that there’s some good funk still to be had in this town.  And Chesterfield’s got the bag.

—Scott Osborn