Stay warm and prepare yourself for the shopping season by treating yourself to some new records. Here's what's new on the shelves at Waterloo and End of an Ear today: Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape (Interscope) Somewhere in between her modern day interpretation of Elvira Hancock and her shoulder-groping self-adoration is Gwen Stefani's music, though it might rightly be as glossy and desirable as it is because of co-writers (Neptunes, Rice-Oxley of Keane). Commercial......

FRIDAY [9] [music] Shellac, The New Year at Emo's (link) [music] Twilight Singers w. Mark Lanegan, Afterhours, Jeff Klein at The Parish Room (link) [music] The Late Fees at End of an Ear (6pm) (link) [music] Sons of Hercules, Jesus Christ Superfly (15th Anniversary!) at Beerland (link) [music/danceparty] Waxploitation! at Red's Scoot Inn (9:30pm) (link) [music] The Beer Garden Series presents South Austin Jug Band at Threadgill's World HQ (link) [dance] A Place to Land......

Nestled snugly between SXSW and Coachella is Wall Of Sound, a two-day festival at the Ridglea Theatre in Fort Worth. Its goal (stolen from their Myspace profile) is to "shed new light and exposure for emerging local and regional unsigned bands by giving them the opportunity to be showcased along with higher profile national artists on the same stage," and in the process bringing a "respected independent music and arts culture to the city......

Beginning this week, Austinist will be introducing several new columns written by various contributors. These columns will run the gammut from thoughts on television (which you have already come to love) to dating-related issues (coming Wednesday) and the like. These posts will be spoken in the first person singular by the individual contributors and do not represent the thoughts/opinions of Austinist as a whole. Today, we introduce "Truesday," from contributor Truecraig. In "Truesday," you......