[Jonny Fritz writes] odes to simple lives, to small towns that have a Pizza Hut, teenage pregnancy, a big bad football team that everyone’s proud of, some deep fishing holes and not too much else. They are odes to the boredom that ravages people in those places sometimes. They are odes to twisted thoughts that can be argued to be just as much admissions of the heart and soul – that the heart and soul exist sound and strong – as songs and sentiments that are mistakenly taken to be those of endearing love. – Daytrotter.com

Friendly Savages is a young, up and coming folk/rock band based in Austin, TX. Since they got together a year and a half ago, the group has made big waves in the Austin music scene with their catchy melodies, haunting lyrics, and high-flying vocals. In mid 2012 they were called “Austin’s newest folk rock buzz band” by the Austin Chronicle.

Drawing on an eclectic musical background, Friendly Savages squeezes hints of Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Mumford & Sons and The Head and the Heart into their own special sound. Their show, filled with mandolin, violin, banjo, guitar,piano and accordion, hits crowds like a loving hammer. They are friendly. They are savages. They are Friendly Savages.

Most of the ’80s and half of the ’90s Jack played with Shake Russell – first as a bassist in his band and then for 6 or 7 years as a duo mate and lead guitarist, sharing the writing and singing. As a duo, Shake and Jack were a fixture in the Texas music scene and beyond, releasing several CDs together. Recording all those albums, he learned about and fell in love with the art of recording.

In 1996, Jack opened White Cat Recording in Houston. Since then, he’s split his time at the studio, performing solo or with a band, and has released four CDs of his own. He has also played in the bands of many of his favorite artists, such as Ray Wylie

Hubbard, Greg Trooper, Randy Weeks, Susan Gibson and Hayes Carl, while at the same time producing and recording dozens of titles in his studio for other songwriters.

2012 finds Jack Saunders releasing his fourth solo CD, A Real Good Place to Start, which is an ironic title, given his lengthy experience as a musician. Though Jack can reflect upon a long satisfying career in music, he is always looking forward to the future and a new batch of songs.

A Real Good Place to Start is just that – a real good place to start – again.

Who says CDs are dead? Not veteran drummer/bandleader Freddie “Steady” Krc. He just released three of ’em on his local SteadyBoy label, including Feedback-era Spirit bassist/vocalist Al Staehely’s Cadillac Cowboys EP. Backed by Krc’s Explosives, Staehely delivers a crunchy, blues-rock remake of the Spirit title track alongside “Crazy Like a Fox,” which was once covered by Keith Moon. The Krc-led Shakin’ Apostles just reissued their Nineties roots-rock debut, while singer-songwriter Emily Grace Berry channels Laurel Canyon through the Hill Country on her debut full-length, Canyon Music. Austinchronicle.com

The much anticipated new Phoenix album “Bankrupt” comes out on Tuesday 4/23! We will be playing it all day and you can come by and register to win an autograph vinyl test pressing of the album. The drawing will be held during the listening party!

While there are lots of bands dealing in either danceable rock or navel-gazing pop, few bands combine the two quite like Foals. On Holy Fire, the third album from the English band, the post-punk revival is given a newfound sense of depth, creating songs that are rhythmic enough to draw listeners, but hypnotic enough to leave listeners lost in their wide-open spaces. This combination of atmosphere and momentum find Foals growing out of the shadows of titans like the Talking Heads and into a spaced-out, dance-punk niche that’s all their own. Though a lot of the band’s charm comes from the delicate interplay between the guitars and keyboards, the real star of the album comes by way of the massive, stadium-ready “Inhaler,” which takes the sparkling, slow build used throughout the album and turns it on its ear with an eruption of massively fuzzy, Muse-esque guitars (and, to some extent, their bombast), creating one of the albums biggest and most rousing moments. Now that they’re three albums deep, it feels as if Foals have found a nice middle ground between funk and feeling, making Holy Fire an album that is just as likely to get a room moving as it is to send its inhabitants into a fit of introspective conversation. This kind of duality is something that’s hard to find, and it’s a quality that could take Foals a long way if they’re able to hold onto it. Allmusic.com

One reason Halestorm has developed the ability to sound completely self-assured and cohesive whether they’re tearing down the rafters or gently massaging a bruised psyche is because they’ve had plenty of time to hone their craft and celebrate their exceptional chemistry. Hale and her brother and drummer Arejay started the group more than a decade ago when she was 13 and he was just 10.

Halestorm’s determination paid off. Before long, they were playing local bars even though they were underage. They secured guitarist Joe Hottinger in 2003 and bassist Josh Smith in 2004, and in 2005, Halestorm signed a deal with Atlantic Records and released the live EP One and Done, which included an early version of fan favorite “It’s Not You.” The band continued to write, tour and record and in 2009 released their self-titled full-length album. Inspired by Halestorm’s exuberance and spirit, the band’s loyal legions rapidly grew. They became favorites at rock radio, highlights of music festivals and friends of the multitudes of groups they opened for or headlined with. Halestorm went on to sell more than 300,000 copies.

Join us Tuesday 4/9 5PM for a cool listening party to celebrate the new PARAMORE release “PARAMORE” All attendees will receive a swag bag with posters, stickers, buttons, and bracelets.

Most of the ’80s and half of the ’90s Jack played with Shake Russell – first as a bassist in his band and then for 6 or 7 years as a duo mate and lead guitarist, sharing the writing and singing. As a duo, Shake and Jack were a fixture in the Texas music scene and beyond, releasing several CDs together. Recording all those albums, he learned about and fell in love with the art of recording.

In 1996, Jack opened White Cat Recording in Houston. Since then, he’s split his time at the studio, performing solo or with a band, and has released four CDs of his own. He has also played in the bands of many of his favorite artists, such as Ray Wylie

Hubbard, Greg Trooper, Randy Weeks, Susan Gibson and Hayes Carl, while at the same time producing and recording dozens of titles in his studio for other songwriters.

2012 finds Jack Saunders releasing his fourth solo CD, A Real Good Place to Start, which is an ironic title, given his lengthy experience as a musician. Though Jack can reflect upon a long satisfying career in music, he is always looking forward to the future and a new batch of songs.

A Real Good Place to Start is just that – a real good place to start – again.