One of my fave Austin bands of the moment... The Tiny Tin Hearts

On the advice of a fellow Austinite whose musical taste I trust (you know who you are!), I went to check out The Tiny Tin Hearts last Friday night at Emo's. Got there in time to see Silver Pines open - In my opinion, interesting but not magical. The Tiny Tin Hearts, on the other hand, were fun, unique, and tinged with a little magic as well.

Eight musicians with a combination of instruments - a trombone, keyboard, french horn, bass, violin, cello, and guitar, and drum kit along with the occasional banjo, trumpet, and lap steel - came together to create orchestral pop sometimes infused with bluegrass to remind listeners they're from Austin. Exuberant and charming with a magnetic pull, I was drawn in from the first song.

Their next few shows are at Thunderbird Coffee with Alameda Drive (Jan 30th) and Momo's with Warren Hood opening (Feb 7th). They are a must-see live!

A couple of great music websites

If you're looking for alternatives to iTunes and you're not yet familiar with Amie Street, I highly recommend it. An independent music download website with a tiered pricing system (from free to $0.98) and over 1 million songs, they've got a great selection and always suggest music that is new to me and dead-on with my taste. If you sign up for their emails, you'll get free mp3's every so often, too. Do it!

Another great site is RCRD LBL. This site is a varied network of different blogs and record labels with content that is managed and updated by their team of editors and partner labels every day. They've got a ton of free music on here and it's a great place to discover artists you might not be familiar with yet. Just like with Amie Street, if you sign up for their e-newsletter, you'll get free mp3's delivered right to your inbox.

Check them out before they get purchased by some huge conglomerate!!!

Peace, Love, and Music~

The Just Desserts & Kathleen Edwards shows

Had a great night of music last night that started with Austin’s The Just Desserts at Central Market Westgate. The phrase “only in Austin” is seriously overused, but in this case, I have to indulge. Only in Austin would one of the best money-for-the-artist/free-for-the-audience music venues in town be a grocery store!

The Just Desserts are a fun multi-instrumental band (with one of those instruments being an accordion!) that has the flavor of an Italian wedding or a French bistro – except it’s a French bistro filled with Austin hippies. Central Market is a great place to grab some dinner and check out great local bands, especially since they actually pay the bands a decent rate.



After Central Market, I headed to a sold-out show at Continental Club to check out one of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters, Kathleen Edwards. She is magical – and not only because she’s beautiful and just foul-mouthed enough to be endearing, but because her voice is unique and striking and layered over life-weary lyrics. Her songs are simple yet memorable – and she manages to make you feel like she could be your sister or your best friend. I’m incredibly attached to all of her albums - they're extremely listenable but still have depth and beauty.

Free tracks from Deer Tick re-release

Enjoy three free tracks from Deer Tick's November re-issue. The Rhode Island band has evolved and expanded since 2007, when John McCauley III wrote and recorded this album, playing every instrument. Dennis Ryan (drums) and Chris Ryan (bass) now round out the "rock, country, blues, grunge, and cosmic experience."

Deer Tick
"Art Isn't Real (City of Sin)" (mp3)
from "War Elephant"
(Partisan Records)
"Standing at the Threshold" (mp3)
from "War Elephant"
"Long Time" (mp3)
from "War Elephant"

Buy at Partisan Records Store
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album