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Codename: Rondo

Ghostland Observatory Codename: Rondo (Trashy Moped Recordings) With the possible exception of Timbuk 3, no Austin act has achieved as much with so little as Ghostland Observatory. Utilizing only programmed beats and a bare guitar/drums set-up, the local phenomenon has topped almost every major music festival in the U.S. and appeared on Austin City Limits…

by Austin Powell

Texas Platters

Delaney & Bonnie (Rhino Handmade) Blind Faith’s sole tour, 1969, birthed Derek & the Dominos after the supergroup’s axe grinder Eric Clapton spirited away the rhythm section from the opening act, L.A.’s Delaney & Bonnie, the West Coast equivalent of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Bonnie Bramblett had, in fact, been the first white…

by Raoul Hernandez

Hereafter

Clint Eastwood looks into the great beyond and sees dead people – lots of them, and chatty souls they are, too.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

Texas Platters

James Cotton Giant (Alligator) Harp and soul man James Cotton – born in the Delta and long a resident of deep South Austin – kindly dedicates his latest disc to the late Koko Taylor (1928-2009). Giant, which could refer to either Taylor or Cotton for all their historical blues relevance, reaps what the king of…

by Margaret Moser

Stone

Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, and Frances Conroy become tangled in a narrative web of deceit, religion, carnality, and incarceration.

by Kimberley Jones

Texas Platters

Little Joe Washington Houston Guitar Blues (Dialtone) “Monophonic” in headline-sized type on the back of Houston Guitar Blues only partly explains the magic atmospherics of this 80-year-old Third Ward bluesman’s 2009 release now issued on vinyl. The way the bass sucks in all the low tones then coats everything in ancient analog warmth defines classic…

by Raoul Hernandez

Texas Platters

Bill Baird Silence! (Autobus) Prolific local pop savant Bill Baird sure has a lot going on in his head, and latest effort Silence! pours some of the left brain out. While not completely a solo effort – Baird had several collaborators throughout – it’s definitely a storyboard affair, an experiment in textures and layers. The…

by Audra Schroeder

Texas Platters

Sleep Good Skyclimber (Autobus) Sleep Good’s 2007 EP, Far From the Sea, introduced then-17-year-old pop savant and onetime Sound Team member Will Patterson as a dreamer of beaches outside his bedroom. Since then, the project has swelled to a local quintet that’s issued a flurry of releases, most recently the cassette-only Jungle Box, and toured…

by Austin Powell

N-Secure

In this indie drama about affluent urban professionals in Memphis, an abusive and obsessive man makes life complicated for the women in his life.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

Texas Platters

Bruce James Soultet Yours, Mine, and the Truth Massaging the 88 and growling Tom Waits gravel, local piano man Bruce James leads his fivepiece Soultet on a smoky sojourn of classic soul that gives three sides of the story: Yours, Mine, and the Truth. Recorded live in an eight-hour session, the originals nod to Donny…

by Thomas Fawcett

Texas Platters

NickNack Dearly Departed (Crowd Control) Forget the club. This is hip-hop for meditation. The third opus from local turntable stalwart NickNack finds the producer crafting moody soundscapes with layers of samples and drum breaks. A dead ringer for RJD2, the militaristic march of “Scuff” and melancholic beauty of “Hurt You” and “Sight Unseen” set the…

by Thomas Fawcett

Texas Platters

Russell K. Shores LS 5 Austin bassman Russell K. Shores slaps and taps his way through a cool seven-song set of jazz-rock on a solo debut for serious jazz- and bass-heads. The local quintet gives “I Shot the Sheriff” a workout and takes a trip to Weather Report’s synth-laden “Teen Town.” The live bluesy closer,…

by Thomas Fawcett

Headlines

� City Council is off this week, meeting again on Oct. 28. On the draft agenda: Water Treatment Plant No. 4-related roadway improvements, policy recommendations pertaining to green roofs, several annexations of the Greenshores subdivision near Lake Austin, and more. � Speaking of WTP4: The water utility has recently touted a decision to change its…

by Chronicle Staff

Bayseas 7

It’s the ideal combo of delicious soul food and fresh, perfectly fried seafood

by Mick Vann

Arthouse Reopening Celebration Schedule

On Sunday, Oct. 24, Arthouse reopens the renovated Jones Center for Contemporary Art to the public with eight hours of activities, including a ribbon-cutting with the mayor, a talk with the renovation project architects, music and dance performances, art activities, and, naturally, the opportunity to explore the space and see the wealth of new exhibitions.…

by Robert Faires

Terror From the ‘Chronicle’ Classifieds!

Thomas Turner: I was at my dad’s neighbor’s house. He’s an old music fan from Chicago. I told him I was tired of playing alone and wanted to hook up with people to play with sometimes. He said: “Man, just open up the Chronicle and look in there! There’s always people looking for weird stuff.”…

by Margaret Moser

Luv Doc Recommends: Goblin Gayla

No, it’s not Halloween just yet, but it is the beginning of the Halloween season. That means there’s a crispness to the night air, but it’s not crispy enough to keep you from sweating like a Chilean miner (and going blind like one too) inside that homemade ape suit you got for a steal on…

by The Luv Doc

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