This Week In Austin: Part II, Weekend Edition

You already know what's happening until Thursday, so lets take a gander at what the weekend has to offer.

This weekend is hopping! I've got my favorites, but you decide what's worth your time. Friday at Emo's has the inside/outside for same price! Featuring Serena Maneesh, Magnolia Electric Company, and Xiu Xiu. If you want those thumping dance hall beats and incredible mixes, DJ Spooky is at Waterloo Park. And for that rockabilly side that is waiting to jump out, The Reverend Horton Heat, along with the Horrorpops, rock out at Stubb's.

The Reverend Horton Heat

If you want to get a little local on Friday, head down south to Trophy's and check out Grand Champeen, The Personals, and Just Guns. I did a blurb on Just Guns for the first part of the week. Check it out! There's another local show worth checking out, but that will be my local focus later on in the post.

On Saturday, the big name locals come out to play! Stubb's has folk-rock troubador Mason Jennings, along with Jennifer O'Connor and local bluegrass faves The Gourds. I implore you to check out their version of Gin and Juice on their MySpace page. Never thought that could cross musical boundaries, but it works! Trophy's has something interesting, billed as The Who Hoot Night. One can only imagine. If you watch CSI and sing along with the opening credits, you may have a shot. Finally, at Emo's, supported by Brothers & Sisters and Fishboy, is local hot, then not, then hot again, every critic's darling buzz band, Spoon. This show will probably sell out. But who knows, it's Austin, not much sells out in this town.

Spoon

Sunday is sparse, but it's Sunday. At La Zona Rosa is my not so favorite original local band, Live. Pray they play a lot from Throwing Copper and Mental Jewelry. Another DJ mxing it up, this time DJ Shadow makes Stubb's groove. And at Emo's Lounge, country singer Richard Buckner and Centro-Matic band member Will Johnson take the stage.

Hey, not a bad weekend. Now let me let you in on three Austin secrets (or not so secret if you heard of them before). Playing Mohawk on Friday night (and I hope to be there) is The Early Tapes, The Paper South, and The Mercers. The Early Tapes have a sound that is reminiscent of the psychedelic rock of the late 60s and early 70s. Compare them to another Austin band, The Black Angels, but a little less on the heavy guitar drone and more on the experimental side. In more of a modern vein, The Paper South draw upon a definite Death Cab vibe. Although a relatively new band, the members have been part of Winslow and American Analog Set in previous musical lives. The vocals are almost whisper soft, the guitars come out to play every once in a while, but mainly hang back with the vocals. I will quote them:

"The Paper South cut their brisk blasts of concise, atmospheric melodics with pockets of turbulence that develop so naturally its like the songs are playing the band."

The Mercers

Lastly, The Mercers play music they say is influenced by "cheap beer; big dreams; sad, sarcastic, pop burts". Another band that keeps the country influence by having a pedal steel, but much like Just Guns, it works in the rock world. And they must be doing something right, they got a blurb in the July issue of Esquire Magazine. Singer Peter Wagner sounds up the sound like this: "some kind of 80's british pop influenced indie rock with country tendencies." Whatever you want to call it, it is catchy and easy to get caught in the music.

Hell of a weekend ahead. I'll be at Mohawk (hopefully) on Friday. See me there!

Magnolia Electric Co. - Lonesome Valley
Xiu Xiu - I Love the Valley OH
Reverend Horton Heat - Liquor, Beer, Wine
Horrorpops - Miss Take
Grand Champeen - Raul Vela
The Personals - Forget Everything
Just Guns - The Subway Sleeps Tonight
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On
Borthers and Sisters - Breathing Lessons
Fishboy - Tree Star
Mason Jennings - Be Here Now
The Gourds - Bottle a Dime
Jennifer O'Connor - Today
Richard Buckner - Blue and Wonder
Will Johnson - Just to Know What You've Been Dreaming
DJ Shadow - Organ Donor
Live - White, Discussion
TheEarly Tapes - Betty and Thomas
The Paper South - Ready or Not
The Mercers - Sexy Youth

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