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Cover Story

Texas Platters

Pauline Reese Just Getting Started “I am full of surprises,” sings Pauline Reese on opener “Just Getting Started,” and the Austinite’s not kidding. Reese challenges Carrie Underwood for Nashville good looks, but she’s a crack Texas songwriter (“First Love”) in the tradition of Dolly Parton (“Beautiful Shame,” “Front Porch Sunday”) and spends half the year…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

New Mystery Girl Twist City A motorcycle engine revving the start of “Drop Dead Gorgeous” kicks New Mystery Girl’s old persona of Chrissy Flatt to the curb, and when the dust settles, Twist City spins with crunchy, roots-driven rock (“Staring Down,” “Dangerous Lines,” “Heard It All Before”), country-flavored roll (“Dandelion Roars,” “Pirate Radio”), and sweet…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

Emily Shirley Tiny Truths Each track on Emily Shirley’s five-song EP reveals a piece of her world, the local’s pensive indie pop weaving threads of melodic musings (“Taking the Sun,” “Earnest”) and personal quirk (“Flowers,” “Blueberry Song”). When she ponders, “I find the quiet hours hold the most truth” on “Quiet Hours,” the thought lingers…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

Brooklyn James Music From the Novel ‘The Boots My Mother Gave Me’ Brooklyn James’ twangy soundtrack to her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me does more than give a clever feminist twist to the title. Her songs serve as chapters themselves, underlining James’ deft ability as a storyteller and songwriter (“Moving On,” “It’s Not…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

The Octopus Project Hexadecagon (Peek-A-Boo) TOP’s fourth full-length finally feels like a real project, complete with extra credit. The local quartet shakes off the neon brain freeze of 2007’s Hello, Avalanche and stacks more ambitious experimentation into clear focus: 1970s prog whiffs (“A Phantasy”), fusionesque jazz (“Korakrit”). Turns out the beloved electro rockers just needed…

by Audra Schroeder

Texas Platters

Thrift Store Cowboys Light Fighter This Lubbock sextet matches perfectly with producer Craig Shumacher, known for his work with Calexico and Neko Case. A mix of indie rock and spaghetti Western sure to be dubbed alt.country in simpler times, Light Fighter comes alive with tunes of the Spanish Civil War and West Texas ghosts, demonstrating…

by Jim Caligiuri

Texas Platters

The Black Sun in the Day Moon at Night (Moon) Liner notes for the Black’s sophomore LP declare the disc “a combination of history remembered and history interpreted,” an apt rendering of this Austin quartet, which sidles through musical annotations as if they were flipping through racks of used vinyl. For their first full-length since…

by Doug Freeman

Texas Platters

Long Woodson Robyville (Robyville) For their second disc, Matthew J. Long and Gunter Woodson take the brave step of a concept album about a fictional West Texas town, Robyville, and the misfits that inhabit it. Although a mix of lackadaisical folk and shambling country, Robyville succeeds because the Austin-based duo has a keen sense of…

by Jim Caligiuri

Texas Platters

Murdocks Distortionist It took a few detours and roundabouts for Murdocks to find their sound, but when they ripped open the Turtles’ “Happy Together” at Ruta Maya’s 1967 Hoot Happening in 2007, the green light flashed. Pop – not necessarily of the 1960s variety – is where the local trio hangs its hat, and sophomore…

by Audra Schroeder

Texas Platters

Clay McClinton Livin’ Out Loud Following in the footsteps of his father, Delbert, Clay McClinton blends country and blues into a savory whole that seems particularly Texan. Unfortunately, Livin’ Out Loud, his third CD, doesn’t distinguish him from Delbert – right down to the raspy vox. The flamenco flavor of “Gone To Mexico” stands apart…

by Jim Caligiuri

Texas Platters

Hard Proof The task of any Afrobeat ensemble is to first prove that they’re well-versed in the classics and then bring something new to the conversation. Austin ninepiece Hard Proof Afrobeat does exactly that on a stirring self-titled debut that kick-starts with 30 seconds of hard funk fury and closes with a mournful jazz melody…

by Thomas Fawcett

Texas Platters

Rosehill White Lines and Stars (Cypress Creek) Hailing from Cypress, outside of Houston, Rosehill is the duo of Mitch McBain and Blake Myers. Co-produced by Radney Foster and Jay Clementi and recorded mostly in Nashville with top studio players, the pair’s debut possesses a standard “Texas music” sheen. Foster’s influence, the soaring melodies and jangling…

by Jim Caligiuri

Memorial for Oscar Brockett

A public memorial celebration for Oscar Brockett will be held Saturday, Dec. 11, at 4pm, in the B. Iden Payne Theatre, 23rd & San Jacinto, on the UT campus. A reception will follow in the Brockett Theatre and Winship Drama Building Atrium. Friends will have an opportunity to speak about Brockett at the reception. The…

by Chronicle Staff

Texas Platters

Old 97’s The Grand Theatre Volume One (New West) More than 15 years in, the Old 97’s haven’t lost a step. Concerned about releasing a double-disc set, The Grand Theatre Volume One anticipates its spring companion Volume Two as frisky as ever, mixing a Clash clamor with a two-step beat and gently exploring relationships real…

by Jim Caligiuri

Texas Platters

The Figurados Lesson Two Streamlining its name from 25 Smokin’ Figurados, this local duo lassos enough Texas mojo to imbue their roots-heavy power rock with tobacco-stained bravado (“My Situation,” “People of Earth,” “She Plays With Fire”). Gregg Kirk’s sly vocals lend Lesson Two a distinctive fire, while partner Tim Abbott’s “Drift To Sleep” settles into…

by Margaret Moser

Headlines

� City Council is facing a jam-packed agenda today, Nov. 18, voting whether to reimburse building costs for water/wastewater lines to the Formula One racing site (see “How Do You Formulate a Grand Prix?”), a $300 million appropriation for Water Treatment Plant No. 4 (construction site pictured above), designate Hyde Park a local historic district,…

by Chronicle Staff

Texas Platters

The Black & White Years Patterns If the Black and White Years’ eponymous 2008 debut was expertly indebted to its producer, Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison, then the local quartet unveils its own signature with follow-up Patterns. From the heavy, electro pulse and jabbing vox of intoxicating opening salvo “Up!,” B&WYs pound heavily on Yeasayer’s…

by Doug Freeman

Texas Platters

Eric Tessmer Green Diamond Eric Tessmer’s original blues-rock fairly stings from years of gigging at Antone’s, and that mojo resonates in every note of Green Diamond. There are plenty of ZZ Top-style crunchers (“Skin the Rabbit”) and Allman-like joys (“Taildragger”), but Tessmer pulls a few aces from his sleeve with pedal-to-the-metal rock (“Buttons & Threads”)…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

Master Blaster Sound System Ofttimes the credits s-p-e-l-l it out: “All songs written, recorded, mixed, chopped & produced by DJ Dus X Brian Ramos X Cecy Trevino.” The local trio’s five-song EP of “Cumbia Krunk” pulses like a big-screen TV in a Mexican cantina: Latinas start the trunk a-shakin’ (“Arikitan!”), chicos beat their … drums…

by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Platters

Spencer Thomas Gulf Coast Charms (Great Recordings) There’s a fine line where blues and soul become one and the same, and usually the words “Gulf Coast” are attached. Spencer Thomas – who’s recorded some of the best local blues this decade – is back, teamed with Michael Holt, Paul Orta, Little Ray Ybarra, and other…

by Margaret Moser

Off the Record

The fast and the furious: the sentencing of J Kapone, Steve Wertheimer’s Hot Rod Revolution, and ‘How to Tour in a Band or Whatever’

by Austin Powell

127 Hours

An unrelenting tour de force thanks to Simon Beaufoy’s clever script, Danny Boyle’s inspired direction, and James Franco’s amazing performance, 127 Hours is primarily an unforgettable examination of the human spirit under extreme duress.

by Marc Savlov

Texas Platters

Maneja Beto Escante Calling (Lengua Marron) Modernizing traditional building blocks – electrified Spanish-language organics – works wonders for this local “indie en Español” quintet, whose second full-length and third release overall blends a lively pastiche of texture and style. Big beats (opener “El Abrigo”) and big builds (“Panteón” hits a cruise control straight out of…

by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Platters

Patty Zumpe McGarrigle Band Heart of Man, Blood of Your Mother The genuinely timeless quality of this homespun recording is so reminiscent of Austin’s 1970s songwriters that it only lacks an Armadillo World Headquarters poster. If McGarrigle’s raspy, unmodulated vocals (“Doors Flying By”) contrast with the rustic, earnest songs, the bonus DVD What They Sayin’:…

by Margaret Moser

Today’s Special

This film about a young American taking over his family’s Indian restaurant is inspired by an Obie Award-winning play by The Daily Show With Jon Stewart‘s Aasif Mandvi.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

Texas Platters

Los Lonely Boys Keep on Giving: Acoustic Live! (Playing in Traffic) To keep pace with three studio discs beginning with LLB’s self-titled 2003 smash, this third live offering strains the San Angelo familial trio’s credibility from its opening “¿Que pasa, Colorado Springs?” Despite exquisite acoustic work from Henry Garza (“Oye Mamacita”) and his call-and-response with…

by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Platters

Soul Track Mind Ghost of Soul (Playing in Traffic) The presence of another brassy band on the bench occupied by Black Joe Lewis and T Bird & the Breaks is continued evidence of Austin’s first blues revival since the 1980s. Woodshedding at TC’s Lounge gives Ghost of Soul its tight spirit, bolstered by Donovan Keith’s…

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

Austin Piazzolla Quintet Libertango Nuevo tango from the quintet runs a blood red violin solo from James Anderson on the opening “Adiós Nonino” as Mike Maddux pushes/pulls accordion air and Jonathan Greer mediates on his piano. Seven Astor Piazzolla haunts and a pair of Greer originals, of which “Esquina Vals” layers movements and emotion with…

by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Platters

Carson Brock Signs The riffs ripping from Carson Brock’s debut CD, Signs, are indeed auspicious. Brock boasts near-royal bloodlines via vintage Eric Johnson bassist Kyle Brock, but the guitar muscle is pure Texas youth (“Are You Ready?,” “Serenity”). As a teenage guitarist, he surpasses his own blues-busting talents every few months, but the mostly original…

by Margaret Moser

Sibling Harmony

Tiffani and Britani Ginn may not look like they’re from Schulenberg on the cover of their new You Can’t Take a Bad Girl Home, but their harmonies tell a different tale

by Margaret Moser

Texas Platters

Agent Ribbons Chateau Crone (Antenna Farm) Whatever the title Chateau Crone suggests, transplanted local duo Agent Ribbons have fashioned a classic meet market. Their lush, girl group vocals twine dark allure from cabaret jaunt (“Oh La La!,” “Grey Gardens”) to the bottom rock of Cramps-meet-Beatles on “I’m Alright.” No one else is singing, “Catholic girls…

by Margaret Moser

Review: The Fabulous Ginn Sisters

You Can’t Take a Bad Girl Home (Lonesome Day) Lipstick noir doesn’t come any more tingly than titular lead-off “You Should’ve Known” (“you can’t take a bad girl home”), a midnight motorcycle ride of lust and regret. “So there goes your hope,” concludes the dreamy opener, “dirty as tailpipe smoke.” Dreams good and bad recur…

by Raoul Hernandez

Day Trips

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts hosts current-day musicians while the Woodstock museum keeps alive the spirit of the ’60s fest

by Gerald E. McLeod

Luv Doc Recommends: Extravagasm Fantasy Ball IX: East of Hedon

How about one last chance to party like a porn star before the wet blanket of holiday wholesomeness spoils all the fun? Sure, nothing makes you want to flick your tongue between your devil horns like the thought of a crisp, rosy-cheeked night of wassailing bundled up in cozy, androgynous winter layering, but somewhere in…

by The Luv Doc

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