If you’re looking for a salty breath of oceanic tunes, grab your nearest sea creature and head on to The Hole in The Wall for a performance by Mermaid Blonde this Friday, June 3 (today!) at 10pm. This Austin-based band documents the “ill-fated voyages” of the sailing vessel with the melodies of trial and triumph. 

They will also be docking at Mohawk June 9 with Reverse X-rays, and Horse + Donkey. Come tip your hats in tribute to their farewell show. It’s going to be nautical.

–Jamie Hsu

Sleep Good, a local dreamtown band of four, took an opening stage at Emo’s last Saturday (5/28).  The band was originally formed with solo recordings by Will Patterson but has kicked up a few more members since. They released their most recent album, Strange Vacations, in December 2010 and is expecting to record this summer. Lucky for you, their collection of albums were recorded on a ½’’ 8 track tape machine. So pop in the 60s cassettes feel for a happy days in the clouds of jingles and dreams. Lead guitarist Willis McClung, quotes on Saturday, “Don’t mean to be bossy people, but let’s dance!”

–Jamie Hsu

This Friday (6/3) at Venue 222 you can be part of the inaugural Sunshine Fest, all to benefit the Health Alliance of Austin Musicians (superb organization) and Austin Music People, and to provide valuable exposure for Austin Sunshine Camps— a group that has made not just summer camps but many many more amazing programs available to disadvantaged youth in central Texas. Those are three excellent reasons to attend and that’s before we even get to the bands: The Black and White Years, who have a fine collection of Austin Music Awards, Suzanna Choffel, who just released her album Steady Eye, Shaky Bow to great acclaim, the always brilliant Bill Baird (aka Sunset, pictured above), Graham Wilkinson, Kalu James, and more. Go on now. 

First of all, let me admit that I am a fan; many many of my adolescent hours were spent listening with great intensity to, say, The Final Cut, or Animals, or (of course) The Wall. So I sat waiting for the show to begin (after Moving Matter), ready to pass harsh judgment on the whole tribute-to-Pink-Floyd idea…but they nailed it. The drama and the darkness and the power…it was a faithful, tremendously skillful tribute, right down to the "Stand still laddie" and other seemingly minor touches that were absolutely necessary to the overall effect. Even the vocals– often the downfall of a tribute effort– were spot on without being overdone. What can you say? Fantastic. 

Put together by The Electric Company as the final show at Seaholm, Which One’s Pink brought together many of the very best Austin musicians (full list of performers here) under the musical direction of Chris Maresh. All to benefit Anthropos Arts, a non-profit dedicated to making music education and opportunities available to underprivileged Austin youth. Floyd, dude, and a good cause, and even a giant flying pig. And all was right in the world. How was your weekend? 

Described as "neo-folk/demonic", Austin’s Ancient VVisdom has released their vid for VVorld of Flesh, and soon the album VVe’ve all been VVaiting for: the modestly titled debut A Godlike Inferno, coming out on Shinebox Records June 7th. 

White Denim‘s fourth or fifth full-length, depending on how you count, arrives today. It is named for the fourth letter of our alphabet, and sports a round shape, quite flat, and shiny. It will be encoded with pyschedelic garage blues punk madness, and will amplify you as you amplify it. It will function, in short, like a killer album from a talented band. You know what to do. 

The Beauty Bar has occupied 617 E. 7th St. for a full five years now…they are feeling justifiably festive, and so you get a FREE show, this Thursday 5/26, with Hottub down from Oakland and Zeale (above, in a photo by the incomparable Annie Ray) from right here in town. And that’s it. 

One of our resident award-gathering singer-songwriters, Suzanna Choffel, has a Memorial Day Weekend gig lined up a @ the One World Theater. Her newest, Steady Eye, Shaky Bow, has been getting serious love from KUT and will be getting its official release this upcoming Tuesday 5/24…you can also sneak in and see her at Boobapalooza (hmm, did we bury the lead?) this Sunday 5/22 @ The Saxon, and thereby help raise money for Ginger Leigh’s cancer treatment. Choffel earns those comparisons to Fiona Apple, Madeleine Peyroux, and the one-time Texan Norah Jones…but a little spikier, and more likely to be near a breakfast taco. What? We like her, is the point. Below is her often (511,705– but who’s counting?) viewed vid for "Raincloud". 

–photo by Todd Wolfson

Pachanga Fest fast approaches! This Saturday (5/21) at Fiesta Gardens. Headliners Ozomatli are joined this year by many hometown operators, like La Guerilla, Este Vato, Gina Chavez, Peligrosa All-Stars and many more. Full lineup here + head over to the Pachanga page for more details + to check out the new single from Maneja Beto. 

The Midgetmen are poised, prepped, scrubbed, fresh and ready to unleash their latest album Loud Enough upon the masses (that’s you). This Friday at the Mohawk they’ll be celebrating said release (as well as their 9th year together) along with San Saba County, The Pons, La Snacks, and more – full lineup below. 

On the outside stage–

11:00-12:00 The Midgetmen

10:00-10:45 La Snacks

09:00-09:45 San Saba County



On the inside stage–

01:00-01:45 The Sour Notes

12:00-12:45 Through The Trees

10:55-11:30 Shells

10:05-10:40 The Pons

09:15-09:50 The Blistering Speeds

Saturday, May 28th, Seaholm Power Plant will be given over to Which One’s Pink, a recreation of a Pink Floyd concert experience in a venue that seems to have been created specifically for such an event…pigs may fly! Walls may tumble! All we can say for certain is that some phenomenal local music talent is pitching in to help make it happen — including some surprise vocalists. There won’t be many more chances to catch an event at Seaholm, and there won’t be any more chances to catch one like this. As a fairly serious recovering Floyd geek, I’m a little excited. 

Like so many New Yorkers, Austin was a place I had heard of but never gave much thought to. I came here on tour with Fifth Nation, for SXSW, and was completely blown away. Every hipster across the country (or world) thinks NYC is the place to be- and maybe I’m just jaded because it’s my hometown, but I had to get out and meet some people that were more concerned with what they create than how they look on party blogs. Here in Austin, I found exactly what I was looking for: inspiration. The genre of music I create doesn’t fall into the category of Folk, and will not be what you think of when you hear the words “singer songwriter.” What I do is ukulele soul, but there’s no category for that… Check out the best new underground party in Austin, Monday nights at Beauty Bar from 10pm-2am, sponsored by Magic Hat. I will be performing every Monday in May (or at least for the next 3 weeks) before I return back east. Check my website www.fionasilver.com for updates, and more info.

(Ed.: this post taken from Fiona Silver’s post on our DIY Open Blog, check out other Open Blog posts in the Deli Kitchen.)