The weird guard takes the stage again tonight, as the Gourds bring their astonishing versatility to the Tex-Mex mile, Threadgill’s South tonight, 9/23. Old Mad Joy, their 10th studio album overall and their debut on the Vanguard label, was born in Woodstock but still Gourds-like by the grace of God. Also playing FREE in-store @ Waterloo, 5pm. Shiner keg attends. One way or the other, send ’em off on tour in style, they won’t be back until December at the Paramount. 

Thirty-odd musicians. An array of instruments. One definitive sound. The Minor Mishap Marching Band notably grabs avant-garde styling by the brass, punctuating it with vivid percussion and whimsical woodwinds. On Saturday, September 24^th, Mishap will be releasing their debut album Minor Mishap at Antone’s along with “Atarilectrorock” band Pong. Mishap performed at the first annual Honk! TX street band festival held in March, proving that their bark really is as big as their bite.  They push the envelope of street performers, holding a gypsy-Brechtian sway in their steps and the sound and coordination of a big band that would make Lalo Schifrin proud. Tickets to the CD release party are $10.00, which is a small price to pay for the theatrical sounds and entertainment that The Minor Mishap Marching Band has in store.  Be there early for doors at 9:30 PM, grab a drink and a prime location, and watch Mishap’s magical chaos unravel before your eyes starting at 10:00 PM!

–Whitney LeFevre

The highly highly anticipated new one from Quiet Company is finally arriving…and so it’s time to party. The bearded and un-bearded alike will meet in a fiery joyous cavalcade this coming weekend for the release of We Are All Where We Belong, at ND/501 Studios, 9/30. QC will be accompanied by Black Books, Whitman, and the Saints of Valory; they’re also planning what sounds like a killer acoustic release party the night before, 9/29, with many many superb guest stars. Check their site for full info + make plans…

Suzanna Choffel has been pretty busy lately. With the release of her sophomore album Steady Eye, Shaky Bow, consistent touring and promotional schedules, and an upcoming performance at ACL, her hard work and dedication is paying off.  Growing up in Barton Oaks, the Austin native has been playing music since a teenager and regularly performed and frequented the Broken Spoke and the Saxon Pub. 

Naming a variety of genres as influences, Suzanna feels that her love for folk, classic rock and even hip-hop have played a vital role in her music. “When I did my first album, I was more inspired by folk, but I was still so in to hip-hop. Steady Eye is a little more pop, r & b and funk.  I feel like I moved away from folk [with this album] because I went more electric.” While a song like “Archer” holds jazz and hip-hop undertones in its swaying percussion, lively keys, and rolling brass sections, “Hold of the Night” showcases a late 60s classic pop sound found in both the vocal and guitar arrangements.

Suzanna will be taking on and lighting up ACL at the Austin Venues stage at 2:30 PM on Sunday, September 18^th. Meet up with her when she heads over to the Waterloo Autograph Tent after her show at 3:45 PM.

–Whitney LeFevre

 One of the more talked about new bands coming out of Austin, Cowboy and Indian will be performing at Austin City Limits this Saturday, September 17^th.

Initially a power duo, Jesse Plemons (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jazz Mills (vocals, headdress extraordinaire) met up with Leopold and His Fiction frontman Daniel James (vocals, guitar, keys) in the spring of 2010. Since their debut, musicians Stephanie Hunt (vocals), Peder Gilham (bass, vocals) and Dorian Colbert (drums) have contributed to the current lineup.

Carrying ‘70s rock influences enveloped in lush acoustics and Native American war paint, Cowboy and Indian combines eclectic folk compositions with a sense of Americana storytelling.  “Troubled Tracks,” one of several songs that comprise their soon set to release full-length album, submerges the listener in sultry, pre-war blues melodies and pushes spacious harmonies to the forefront. As far as their live shows, there is a constant, reassuring ebb and flow to the set lists and members alike. “We have never had one show exactly the same [as another],” says Jazz. “The set changes according to which band members are at the show. It keeps both us and the audience guessing.”  If you’re going, make sure to catch Cowboy and Indian as they take the Austin Ventures stage at 1:00 PM.

–Whitney LeFevre

Echotone is back home! The doc about the Red River music scene + its collision with Austin’s runaway population growth just enjoyed a run in NYC (where they received this glowing review in the Village Voice) and is now playing nightly all week (10pm) @ Alamo South Lamar. Your chance to see Black Joe Lewis, Bill Baird, Belaire, Dana Falconberry and more of our favorites projected large. Basically: if you read the Deli Austin, this is a must see. 

The Octopus Project is coming home…they have long done their part to keep Austin weird, and they’ll be sure to make your weekend just slightly weirder. They play Emo’s this Saturday, 9/10. November dates in San Antonio, Houston + Dallas. But first, the proper Austin show…now get on out. 

Lineup is out for the Pecan Street Festival 9/24 + 9/25, headlined by Nakia, Tortilla Factory, Leatherbag and more. Full lineup below…also includes something called The Lego Experience Tour, which, I mean, you had me at Lego. 

SATURDAY, September 24th 2011
MAIN STAGE 
NOON RoadHouse Rockers 
1:00PM Moving Blues 
2:00PM Stupid Drama 
3:00PM The Day Tripper Band 
4:00PM Deuce Coupe 
5:00PM Hard Proof Afrobeat 
6:00PM The Boxing Lesson 
7:00PM That Damned Band 
8:00PM Tortilla Factory 

TRINITY STAGE 
NOON Residual Kid 
1:00PM Erin Ivey 
2:00PM Ariel Abshire 
3:00PM Jaimee Harris 
4:00PM Western Ghost House 
5:00PM Dead Black Hearts 
6:00PM BK & MR E 
7:00PM MoTel Aviv 
8:00PM The Shears 

RED RIVER STAGE 
NOON Diverse City Dance 
1:00PM Majestic Revelation 
2:00PM Little Radar 
3:00PM Mazel Tov Kocktail Hour 
4:00PM Javi Garcia and the Cold Cold Ground
5:00PM Haun’s Mill 
6:00PM Wild Child 
7:00PM The Rajamani Ensemble 
8:00PM Digital Antique   

SUNDAY, September 25th 2011
MAIN STAGE    
NOON  Huerta Culture    
1:00PM  El Tule    
2:00PM  Son De Rey    
3:00PM  Maneja Beto    
4:00PM  Suns of Orpheus    
5:00PM  Cowboy Donley
6:00PM  NAKIA

TRINITY STAGE    
NOON    Melissa Fair    
1:00PM   Lux Divon    
2:00PM   EMCravens    
3:00PM   Thieving Birds    
4:00PM   The Sour Notes    
5:00PM   New Roman Times    
6:00PM   Ringo Deathstarr

RED RIVER STAGE    
NOON    White Leaf    
1:00PM  Butcher Slim    
2:00PM  The River Has Many Voices 
3:00PM  Andy Barham & the Good Prevails
4:00PM  Zest of Yore    
5:00PM  Elevated Lines    

6:00PM  Leatherbag  

Longtime Deli Austin favorites Wiretree are releasing their latest full-length Make Up on 9/6 + celebrating that release with an in-store @ Waterloo (FREE, always free, and usually with a keg of Shiner) this Thursday 8/25 + this Saturday 8/27 the official release @ Skinny’s Ballroom in the company of San Saba County. Make Up already earned a pretty stellar 9 out of 10 from Blurt + we’ll be expecting more rave reviews…

It’s Sunday night. People gathered at the foot of the stage and on the upper deck to listen to Sarah Jaffe sing on her last show of the Centro-matic’s Northeast tour. Her set, thought short, didn’t lack power. Rather each note leaving the stage was redolent with meaningful inflection and nuance, particularly during “Clementine,” Jaffe’s current single receiving favorable attention from media and radio, and in “Nurture it,” a duet sung with Will Johnson of the Centro-matics.
All of the details–from the small crescendo following key lyrics, to the strident strumming and the guttural belly sung during refrains–created a layered performance that truly could not be repeated. Her ability to make each show memorable is what makes Jaffe great.  There are hundreds of Youtube clips of her performances, many of them are of the same song. However, each rendition is different. Maybe the riffs are faster, her guitar strings looser but there’s always something to pull you in and to keep you singing along.

How many sons of Pentecostal evangelical ministers do you know grow up to headline arena tours? I can only think of three, Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followhill of the critically acclaimed southern rock group Kings of Leon.  In 1999, The brothers along with cousin Matthew Followhill formed the band in Tennessee and produced the EP Holy Roller Novocaine four years later. Fast forward to the summer of 2009 when it seemed nobody could get in the car without hearing Caleb’s throaty growl in the ubiquitous Sex on Fire.  Watch KOL conquer stages and models (congrats to Caleb and Lily) in Talihina Sky, a documentary featuring unseen footage and interviews charting the band’s growth from modest beginnings in the Bible Belt to their very own MTV Cribs episode. The film airs on Showtime  August 21, 2011, 10 pm EST.