Austin Sound

Sure, we know you’re a Grinch, that you’re already sick of the holidays, and that the new Bob Dylan Christmas album has killed the season with a weird mix of sad and horrifying. Still, it’s the holidays and we are all obligated to do one nice deed to atone for our debouched lifestyles the rest of the year. Luckily, the folks from Couch Professor Entertainment are making it easy on all of us by throwing their second annual Saggi Ball benefiting Toys For Tots. How easy? Bring $5 (and a toy!) to the Beauty Bar tonight and they’re going to provide some good tunes, and, ahem, complimentary Dripping Springs Vodka from 8pm - 10. Also, there will be a photo booth, charity black jack table, and a costume contest with prizes for Mister and Misses Ridiculous Santa and the Ugly Sweater Contest. Oh, and the music ain’t bad either. Locals Ripe and the Pons will be in on the action, along with the new Dallas group The Boom Boom Box, and triangulated-Denton act OK Sweatheart. If you haven’t heard OK Sweatheart, it’s the project of Erin Austin and features members from Midlake, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Via Audio, and The Polyphonic Spree (of course what band doesn’t have members of the Polyphonic Spree in it?). OK Sweatheart made it to the finals of this year’s Sound and Jury competition, and they’re pretty damn good. Check out the video for “You Let Me Down,” which won the Lennon Award in 2008. Where not exactly sure what kind of award that is, but we’re sure you can imagine. RSVP for tonight’s Saggi Ball here, and don’t forget your toy for a tot.

Perhaps the deepest scene in Austin right now is groups mining classic Sixties garage pop, an entire movement erupting here in central Texas that is putting a new twist on the sounds of the Kinks, Zombies, and, of course, Beatles. One of our favorite new bands in the mix is Ripe, the quartet delivering guitar bleeding tunes that bop and bend behind three talented songwriters and nasally vocal swoons. A touch of Brit-pop authenticity is even fed into their songs courtesy of Nic Armstrong, while Chris Branca and Jake Garcia, both of whom also play in the Love tribute band Forever Changes, lay down their own distinctive slant on the sound. The group is preparing a set of singles for release later this year, and you can get a taste below with Ripe’s contribution to the Almost There Turn 4 comp, “Holiday.” Or you can catch them live this Friday, August 22 at Room 710 with Grand Champeen, the Bellfuries, and Teen Sensations.

Act quickly this weekend, we’ve got a few surprises in store. Tonight (Friday), Simon Joyner is in town for the first time in 10 years, playing the Natrix Natrix House, an incredibly intimate venue for what should be an incredible performance. Saturday is a full bill at Hole in the Wall with soon-to-be-huge Hacienda and other local favorites. Then on Sunday, grab your best sleveless black t-shirt, it’s metal mania with Havoc Dose at Room 710.

Every year, Almost There Records puts out what is far and away the best local compilation (and we say that in regard even to own Sound Advice comps!). This Saturday, they will release Turn 4, another 22 tracks from local artists ranging from Ugly Beats and Lions to the Archibalds and Mike Nicolai, many exclusive to the comp. We had trouble choosing only two to offer up for download below, but decided to feature tracks from artists we haven’t covered here on Austin Sound before and that will be playing Saturday: Nic Armstrong’s excellent new garage rock project Ripe with the song “Holiday” and the raucous Good Times Crisis Band with the appropriately titled “Cyber Freee.” See the full track listing for the comp and Saturday’s lineup after the jump.