ARTIST / "Song" / Recording

Set 1 - Matt to the rescue:

While I was stranded post-storm on the barely moving sidewalk called I-35, Matt was kind enough to extemporize the first 15 minutes of Around the Town Sounds this week.

TANK ENGINE / song title not available / Pursuit of Leisure
Shortly after arriving in Austin (apparently from Chicago) in the fall of 2006, Tank Engine recorded this intriguing alternative pop/rock e.p. with an original slant, captivating even to my freeway-adled brain as I crept down I-35 toward the studio today with the start of "my" show wafting o'er the air waves.
Gig info: The band plays February 7 at Red 7, 9 pm.

ST 37 / song title(s?) not available / And Then What
Matt finished up his set (as I dashed into the studio) with one or more trippy instrumentals from the new ST 37 vinyl introduced to you just last week on Around the Town Sounds.
Gig info: There will be a second record release performance by the band, this one at End of an Ear record store on Saturday. A CD version will be released at a later date.

Set 2 - Favorite Austin albums of 2006 - several American roots genres (country, Americana, gospel):

Last week we did Part 1 of my retrospective of some favorite Austin-related recordings released in 2006. Here is the second and final installment.

THE TEXAS SAPPHIRES / "Dirty Me, Dirty Me (I'm Disgusted with Myself)" / Valley So Steep
This raw Texas country suited for sweaty honkytonks, not CMT, is a Favorite Country recording of 2006.
Consistently releasing strong recordings in this genre, including 2006, are the Derailers (Soldiers of Love) and Dale Watson (Whiskey or God).
Gig info: The band plays Wednesday, February 28 at Central Market Westgate, 6:30 pm.

BUTCH HANCOCK / "Cast the Devils Out" / War and Peace
Deep and subtle ruminations on - what else - war and peace herald the return of Butch Hancock as a solo artist (although this is one of two tracks on the CD that also feature the vocals of his Flatlanders cohorts, Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore).
There were many other strong contenders in the category of Favorite Americana recording of 2006 including the Rust Tones (Tales from the Bar), Adam Ehrens (Adam Ehrens), Green Mountain Grass (Both Sides of the Mountain), the Ginn Sisters (Blood Oranges), and Hundred Year Flood (Blue Angel).

DON WALSER & THE KRONOS QUARTET / "Casting My Lasso" / The Gospel According to Austin Vol. 5
In the category of Favorite Gospel Recording, I'm happy to have a 2006-released track to play to honor the memory of the recently-and-dearly departed Don Walser. This is a previously unreleased track from Walser's collaboration with the world-renowned chamber strings of the Kronos Quartet live in concert at Bass Concert Hall in 1999 at the height of his popularity. It comes from a CD featuring tunes from numerous Austin area acts including Carolyn Wonderland, Dale Watson, W.C. Clark, Papa Mali, the Kyle Family, the Grassy Knoll Boys, and the Bells of Joy.
The Bells of Joy released their own gospel CD in 2006, The Original Bells of Joy with Friends, which could have just as easily been crowned Favorite Gospel release of 2006.

Set 3 - Favorite Austin albums of 2006 - resurrections and retrospectives:

GLASS EYE / "My Dog is Dead" / Every Woman's Fantasy
Favorite recording in the Resurrected Act category goes to alt-pop/rock band Glass Eye which released their first new material in years on an album of old unreleased tracks, older unreleased tracks with additional new parts, and a couple of newly-recorded songs, such as this one.

DANIEL JOHNSTON / "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievances" / Welcome to My World - the Music of Daniel Johnston
Considering that the previous track, "My Dog is Dead," was sung by K. McCarty, who released a full album of Daniel Johnston songs on her Dead Dog's Eyeball album, it's only fitting that the next tune on my show should come from my Favorite Artist Retrospective of 2006, this compilation of highlights mostly from the home-made cassettes of the early years of Daniel's career.
Gig info: The next booking listed at his website is David Bowie's "Highline" Festival in New York City in May.

Set 4 - Favorite Austin albums of 2006 - jazz, guest artist, movie soundtrack, live album:

PARIS 49 / "Johnny, Tu Nes Pas un Ange" / Paris '49
Steeped in the early to mid-20th Century nostalgia of French cabarets, this tip-of-the-hat to Django Reinhardt's gypsy jazz is a Favorite Jazz recording of 2006.
Of equal interest in this category is a member of Paris 49, David Chenu, who's quintet's reflective, mainstream chamber jazz returned in their 2006 release, Two. Also, Elias Haslanger released a worthy contender in his first release in years, Dream Story.
Gig info: Paris 49 can be found regularly on Thursday nights, including tonight, from 10 pm to 1 am in the art gallery upstairs from the Continental Club, and Mondays, 6:30-8:30 pm, in the Continental Club proper.

LILA DOWNS / "La Cama de Piedra" / La Cantina
By creating a category for Favorite Guest Appearance by an Austin Area Artist, I have an excuse to slip Michael Ramos (and the modern new twists on Mexican traditions being forged by him, Lila Downs, and others) into two categories of favorites. Last week I played from his latest Charanga Cakewalk CD, Chicano Zen, which was my Favorite World/Ethnic Music album from Austin in 2006. Michael also contributed accordion, keys, music programming, and some arranging on tracks from Lila Downs' latest release, sampled here in a traditional number co-arranged by Michael.
Another song I really liked from 2006 featuring a guest appearance by an Austin area artist was the last track on Robin Hitchcock's Ole! Tarantula where Ian McLagan contributed organ.
Gig info: If you caught last Thursday's Tonight Show music segment, you glimpsed Michael Ramos at the keyboards backing San Angelo's Los Lonely Boys.

GRAHAM REYNOLDS, GOLDEN ARM TRIO, OTHERS / "Little Blue Flowers" / A Scanner Darkly - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
One of my favorite albums of 2006 was my designation for Favorite Movie Soundtrack album, this tour de force by Austin composer and club musician Graham Reynolds (and, frankly, it's the only album released in 2006 in this category as far as I'm aware).
Gig info: Graham will be in New York City tomorrow through the 23rd performing his original organ and piano score as he accompanies Austin's Salvage Vanguard Theater's original stage production of a radio-style sci-fi serial, "The Intergalactic Nemesis."

WILL TAYLOR & STRINGS ATTACHED WITH FRIENDS / "Revolution Number 9" & "Goodnight" / White
This recording from Strings Attached's concert of the entire Beatles' "white album" (with the help of dozens of their best musical friends) is my Favorite Live recording of 2006. There are actually at least 3 versions. The track played today is from the complete version of one of two concerts performed one summer night in '06. There is also a complete recording of the second peformance from the same night, and there is a "best of" recording taking highlights from the two concerts, which may currently be the only commercially available version.
Some other strong live albums from 2006 were Grupo Fantasma Live and Band of Heathens' Live from Momo's.
Gig info: You can catch Will Taylor & Strings Attached in concert backing Guy Forsyth on February 9, 7:30 and 10:00 pm shows, at St. David's Episcopal Church downtown. More information is available at www.stringsattached.org.

Set 5 - Favorite Austin albums of 2006 - blues/r&b, funk/urban, alternative pop/rock:

SUE FOLEY / "Change Your Mind" / New Used Cars
Canadian Sue Foley became an internationally-recognized blueswoman during her tenure in Austin, and her gift for singing, songwriting, and playing guitar in the blues and r&b styles is well-represented on my Favorite Blues/R&b recording of 2006.
Another top local recording in this category for 2006 is Dialtone Records' album of older south Texas bluesmen, Texas Southside Kings, which includes several past and present Austinites.
Gig info: Sue is working in Ft. Lauderdale this month, and she'll be touring in Central Europe for a couple of weeks at the end of January and beginning of February.

BRUCE HUGHES / "Halo" / Bluebird
This is really a hybrid album and could just as easily have been vying for Favorite Alternative Pop/Rock recording, but Bruce Hughes (best-known as a bassist in various Bob Schneider projects) often imbues his playing and singing with a funky, urban style that seems dear to his heart, as found in many tracks on my Favorite Funk/Urban-flavored recording of 2006, including this song.
You may also want to check out the jazzy funk of Gnappy's Unloaded and the smooth, commercial urban r&b and funk of FUNKtional Family from the large, communal ensemble Unified Tribe.
Gig info: Since Bruce is in Bob Schneider's band, you can check myspace.com/bobschneider for upcoming gigs, which appear to resume in the Austin area this coming March.

AM SYNDICATE / "Hear! Hear!" / Empire
In a category filled with much amazing music from Austin in 2006, I chose to play from AM Syndicate's Empire as a Favorite Alternative Pop/Rock recording for 2006. The original, intricate arrangements of rock and string instruments is a highlight of their work, which features as one of its two main songwriters a non-songwriting member of the well-respected Rhythm of Black Lines which still occasionally performs.
Some of my other favorite alt pop/rock recordings of 2006 came from Tacks, the Boy Disaster (Oh, Beatrice), Shearwater (Palo Santo), Brothers and Sisters (Brothers and Sisters), Voxtrot (Voxtrot e.p., #004 on the Cult Hero label), Cat Scientist (Cicada), the Argives (Nothing Better Beginning), Black Before Red (Belgrave to Kings Circle), the Lovely Sparrows (Pulling up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint), and Many Birthdays (Days of Beat / Days of Hollow).
Gig info: AM Syndicate plays on the 26th on Fox Channel 7 (7 am), the 27th at Ruta Maya (4:30 pm) as part of Austin Rock 'n Romp, and that night at the Parish (9 pm).

Set 6 - Favorite Austin albums of 2006 - re-issue:

KENNY DORHAM / "Trompeta Toccata" / Trompeta Toccata
Recorded in 1964, this straight ahead Blue Note session may have been the last recorded session as bandleader for this respected member of the New York jazz community who got his trumpet training in the public schools of Austin, and it is my selection for Favorite Re-issue of 2006.
Other noteworthy re-issues of the year came from Spoon (Telephono / Soft Effects, originally released in 1996 and 1997) and Starcrost (Starcrost, funky jazz fusion with vocals, originally released in 1976).