Image from MySpace

The Dirty Hearts CD Release
Saturday, July 26
Emo's (603 Red River St)
Lounge, Doors @8, Show @ 10 p.m., $6, All Ages
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What’s the Deal: When you think of the sound that a band called The Dirty Hearts would make, it’s probably a near-exact fit for the actual music coming from this Austin foursome. It’s a little gritty, grey, fun and forceful. These gritty, energetic rock and rollers are having the release party for their latest album, Pigs, at Emo’s Lounge Saturday with special guests The Secret Weapons, Murdocks and Sally Crewe and The Sudden Moves. It’s the second full-length for the group helmed by Frankie Medina and Calida, full of songs that range from garagey roughness to an indie rock creep-out to fast-paced, out right rock.

“Alone” is one of the tracks on the new album worthy of note. It’s a great mix of several rock genres with some '90s indie in there, some distorted and dancey garage and even a touch of fast-paced, big rock pomp.

Something Interesting: The Dirty Hearts played a song with James Brown’s widow, Tommie Rae, on Andy Dick’s radio show.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Record Store” and “Pigs”

The Dirty Hearts MySpace
The Dirty Hearts Official

Photo by Taylor McKnight from flickr

What's the Deal: Just how much commotion can one man with an acoustic guitar, a woman on violin and occasional help from a man named Pascaloo playing the ukulele make? Enough to grab the attention of the Guinness-drinking, folk-punker elite that would otherwise be listening to their copies of Against Me ’s Reinventing Axl Rose. The group – Chris Johnston and Hannah Jones – is from Bloomington, Indiana, which is also where Johnston began his label Plan-It-X Records. The group always plays their songs about riding bikes, healthy food, stealing and anything in between 100% acoustic with no amps or mics. It opens it up for a more communal vibe with no electric currents or machinery between the music and the fans, and not to mention it makes traveling and sound checks a whole lot simpler.

On their split with Andrew Jackson Jihad in 2007 one of the standout tracks is “The Moon Will Rise.” It has a folky, Neutral Milk kind of feel to it with a flurry of strums, the hum of violin strings and a chorus that begs all to sing to it, while Johnston calls for everyone to unplug TVs, not buy anything today and go out and fall in love. It starts off with the line, “We must turn into monsters in the moonlight if we ever plan to fight against our many enemies.” And, they just might be right.

Something Interesting: Plan-It-X Records actually released an early Against Me EP called Crime As Forgiven By.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Homesick” and “The Devil and My Family”

Ghost Mice MySpace
Plan-It-X Records Official