XL Music

Recommended Music: The Weary Boys, the Hit Space, more

Thursday, January 11, 2007

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

The Weary Boys. Is this the best band in Austin? All I know is that when it's playing its brand of homegrown outlaw country — half Cali roots and half Austin cool — it's pretty tough to think about anything else. And the band's steadfast refusal to do anything but release its own albums, book its own tours, play Angola State Penitentiary multiple times and generally handle its business for more than six years makes it one of this town's most punk rock acts. The band plays two nights to record a live album at the Continental Club. 1315 S. Congress Ave. 441-2444. — Joe Gross

SATURDAY

The Hit Space. Today's question: Whatever happened to Carrie Clark? The former Sixteen Deluxe frontgal did time with a handful of bands and projects, the most recent of which was the Pretty Please. These days, she's throwing down with Don Clark, Jeff Copas and Joel Ossar in the Hit Space, which heads directly back to her indie rock roots: two guitars, bass, drums finding the catchy sweet spot between strummy (rather than over-driven) Velvet Underground and that straight-up pop-rock solo album Debbie Harry never got around to making. '(Verb),' the band's new EP, is available from Bunkhaus Records. With headliner Fivehead, Scott Adair and the Otters at Trophy's. 2008 S. Congress Ave. 447-0969. — Joe Gross

SATURDAY

The Lovely Sparrows. There's so much of the stuff around these days that it's easy to think that precious, complicated pop is the hobgoblin of little minds. But the members of this Austin act put their backs into it, remembering that the most important part of the indie pop equation is the song, complete with a decent bridge and melodies that actually have structure. (I feel like that engineer yelling at Adrianna's band in the first season of 'the Sopranos': 'You got no choruses!') Their new EP, 'Pulling Up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint,' shows a world of bearded, soft-focus promise. This early show kicks off at 5 p.m.; also playing are Buster, Mark David Ashworth and Real Live Tigers. Epoch Coffee. 221 W. North Loop Blvd. 454-EPOC. — Joe Gross

WEDNESDAY

A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Would you believe that one of the hotter indie-dork genres of 2007 is 'mutant Eastern European folk music'? And yet, here we are, with bands such as Beirut and bunch leading the change back in time. Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost, who also plays with the aforementioned Beirut, sure do love Balkan and Turkish gypsy music, even going so far as recording parts of the 'The Way the Wind Blows' in Romania. No kidding. Expect mournful strings, brass and accordions straight outta the old country. Emo's Lounge. Sixth and Red River streets. 477-EMOS. — Joe Gross