What’s the Deal: Hospital Ships is a musical project led by Jordan Geiger, songwriter for Minus Story and trumpet player for Shearwater, enhanced by a large group of frequent and occasional musical collaborators and live players including members of Shearwater like Kevin Schneider, Thor Harris, and even Jonathan Meiburg. Geiger’s cozy bedroom pop is based in Lawrence, Kansas. more ›

With this year’s edition of SXSW all but ready to consume your very soul, spare a moment, or one evening rather, for talented local outfit The Happen-Ins. The band celebrates the release its self-titled debut full-length tonight at the Scoot Inn. Chock-full of irrepressible rock ‘n’ roll jams that shine a light on decades past, the album showcases the tight-knit unit’s ability to effortlessly blend R&B grooves and Americana grit with great results. This impressive release contains a fair share of instantly memorable bar-room stompers as well as introspective country-folk ditties you can hang your hat on. “Just The Way It Always Was” and its clap-along chorus, the infectious riff and vocal interplay from “Be Yer Fool,” and the pedal steel soul of “Bashful” are just a handful of the many, many highlights. more ›

On Thursday though, the entertainment on offer at Beerland is all local -- enjoy agreeable blues-pop from The Happen-Ins, brooding post-punk from Dirty Dancing, and stirring indie-rock from TV Torso. The WOXY DJs will also be on hand, spinning choice tunes, no doubt. Matt Oliver from TV Torso was kind enough to answer some questions for us over email earlier this week, complete with a plethora of guiding Gmail emoticons, which, according to him, “pretty much say anything way better than I ever could.” more ›

Music was a big part of Doug Sahm’s life from a very early age -- he was just 11 when he not only released his first album but also had the honor of performing with the one and only Hank Williams. His esteemed career included a plethora of stellar recordings as a solo artist and with the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados, guaranteeing his legendary status in Texas’ music history. Sahm passed away in 1999. more ›