Lisa Morales, Austin360 Artist of the Month for February 2018. Rodolfo Gonzalez for American-Statesman
OUT THIS WEEK
Lisa Morales, “Luna Negra and the Daughter of the Sun.” Morales, our Austin360 Artist of the Month for February, brought in some of Austin’s best musicians to help make her second solo album, including Charlie Sexton, Adrian Quesada, David Garza and Michael Ramos, who produced. Unlike her 2012 solo debut “Beautiful Mistake,” which featured songs all in English, Morales returns here to the bilingual approach that has long served her family duo Sisters Morales well. We’ll have more on Morales in Friday’s American-Statesman and on mystatesman.com. In the meantime, catch her Austin360 Facebook Live session at noon today (Thursday); it will remain viewable after the live broadcast as well. Release show Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at One-2-One Bar. Here’s the track “Avalanche,” a duet with the late Jimmy LaFave:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxq5qTQ-xcU&w=492&h=307]
Mike & the Moonpies, “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose.” Five albums into their run as one of Austin’s best country bands of the past decade, Mike Harmeier and his bandmates sound self-assured, revved-up and ready on “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose,” which features nine Harmeier originals plus a swingin’ take on fellow Austin songwriter Jonathan Terrell’s “The Last Time.” The pedal steel runs come fast and furious on the one-two opening punch of “Road Crew” and “Might Be Wrong,” but Harmeier slows things down and spotlights his vocal chops on the easygoing title track and the sad-eyed waltz “The Worst Thing” (which features a cameo by Mickey Raphael, Willie Nelson’s longtime harmonica ace). Best of all is “Beaches of Biloxi,” a midtempo number with an instantly memorable melody that recalls the best of 1970s country-folk-rock. Playing Feb. 17 at ABGB and Feb. 21 at Waterloo Records. Here’s the band’s video for the opening track, “Road Crew”:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZz98uKPAm4&w=492&h=307]
Various artists, “The Stacks: Songs from the Oasis.” More than a dozen Austin acts, including My Education, Mobley, Belcurve and the Midnight Stroll, contributed to this compliation of 1980s covers that benefits Kids in a New Groove, a local nonprofit helping foster care children get music lessons and mentorship. Here’s Booher’s take on Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”:
Big Fix, self-titled EP. Debut release from the local indie-rock band fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist Nathan Harlan, with bandmates Steven Six, Emily Shirley, Jason Lewis and Chris Peters. Release show Feb. 3 at Townsend.
COMING SOON
- FEB. 9: Wild Child, “Expectations” (Dualtone), release show Feb. 10 at Empire.
- FEB. 9: Curtis Roush, “Cosmic Campfire Music” (Modern Outsider), in-store Feb. 8 at Waterloo Records.
- FEB. 9: Abhi the Nomad, “Marbled” (Tommy Boy).
- FEB. 9: Jerry David DeCicca, “Time the Teacher” (Impossible Ark), release show Feb. 10 at Beerland.
- FEB. 9: Wade Bowen, “Solid Ground.”
- FEB. 9: Hovvdy, “Cranberry,” release show Feb. 9 at Barracuda.
- FEB. 9: Jeff Bryant, “Sleeping With the Lights On.”
- FEB. 16: Loma, self-titled (Sub Pop).
- FEB. 22: Arielle LaGuette, “Settle For You” EP, release show Feb. 22 at Stubb’s indoor.
- FEB. 23: Shawn Colvin, “The Starlighter” (Amazon).
- FEB. 24: Wilson Marks, “Peregrine,” release show Feb. 24 at Cactus Cafe.
- FEBRUARY: Sharks in the Deep End, EP.
- MARCH 2: Sue Foley, “The Ice Queen” (Stony Plain).
- MARCH 9: Uncle Walt’s Band, “Anthology: Those Boys From Carolina, They Sure Could Sing” (Omnivore).
- MARCH 16: Caroline Says, “No Fool Like an Old Fool” (Western Vinyl).
- MARCH 23: Erika Wennerstrom, “Sweet Unknown” (Partisan).
- MARCH 23: Johnny Chops & the Razors, self-titled.
- MARCH 30: Holy Wave, “Adult Fear” (Reverb Appreciation Society).
- APRIL 13: Wood & Wire, “North of Despair” (Blue Corn).
- APRIL 13: Josh T. Pearson, “The Straight Hits!” (Mute).
- APRIL 14: Andy Macintyre, “Melomania” EP, release show April 14 at Antone’s.
- APRIL 20: Ty Richards, “Welcome to Flat Earth.”
- APRIL 20: Arkansas Dave, self-titled (Big Indie).
- APRIL 27: Mobley, “Fresh Lies, Vol. 1.”
- MAY 4: Shakey Graves, “Can’t Wake Up” (Dualtone).