THE LIGHT ALUMINUM
1.20 6PM
The music of The Light Aluminum lands somewhere in the intersection between country, blues, and blue eyed soul filtered through a grimy garage blender. At the end of their first gig in June of this year one fan described the show as "if Lou Reed was backed by The Band." Another said "sort of like The Rolling Stones covering Randy Newman."
Sure, why not? That's as good as any other way of putting it.
The most important thing you need to know is this. Yes, they're doing it this way on purpose, it's supposed to sound like that.
So who are these guys?
The band is fronted by Adoniram Lipton, longtime singer and songwriter for the now retired Slowtrain in Austin TX. Despite moderate success with that group (some stuff on TV and Film... notably Sons Of Anarchy, The Pitch, and a movie starring the dude from that Silicon Valley show), Adoniram felt that today's dark times called for something a bit, well... lighter.
Slowtrain called itself "music you'd play in cold weather" and that was an apt description. Following that same line of thinking, The Light Aluminum is supposed to be music you would play outside. Or maybe in a barn in the Catskills. It's not garage rock. It's not country. Is it barn rock?
So here's the deal... put down your phone, shut off your laptop, turn off whatever device is displaying this text for you. Walk out your door and stand alongside other humans and listen to music played by still more humans.
You might just find something you thought you'd forgotten. You might find something you were afraid was lost. You might look around the room and see someone who doesn't act like you or look like you or think like you and say... "hey, people aren't so bad after all."
Don't worry, your secret is safe. Just don't forget to tip your bartender!
THE LONESOME HEROES
1.20 8PM
The Lonesome Heroes have spent nearly two decades as Austin’s country, indie rock and Americana blending stalwarts. Although their forthcoming release Seasons Change draws heavily from years of well-traveled experience and an ever growing list of collaborators, frontman and primary songwriter Rich Russell has a more laid back view on this album and perhaps the band’s legacy as a whole - “Life keeps happening and seasons change.”
Controlling their own destiny as best they can, the group continue to tack on tour dates like there’s no tomorrow. The Western Mountain states remain a favorite but locales such as Australia are not beyond reach, where the Heroes had 40 days of playing around the continent and made an appearance at the Dashville Skyline music festival in 2015. Their latest run of shows is supporting John R. Miller in Texas this October.
In addition to Seasons Change, five acclaimed albums make up an entirely self-released catalog. Hometown NPR-affiliate KUTX has praised tracks such as “Cloak & Dagger” from 2022’s Rise & Fall to featuring Seasons Change single “Summertime Breeze” on an Austin Music Minute segment in August of this year. Elsewhere “Steel” from 2015’s Can’t Stand Still earned Top Tune Download of the Day at Los Angeles’ KCRW and “Placebo Sun” from Seasons Change premiered on Wyoming Public Radio over the summer. Other placements include “Western Style Saloons,” also on Can’t Stand Still, on Netflix’s Bloodline and “Something Reckless,” from 2012’s Daydream Western on ABC’s Nashville in 2013.
Russell plans to bring a configuration of the group he’s led since relocating to Austin from Brooklyn in 2006 to Folk Alliance International in 2024 and to continue to fill his calendar.
The Lonesome Heroes are:
Rich Russell - Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Sarah Millenary - Violin & Vocals
Brandon Gonzales - Electric Bass & Vocals
Emily Underwood - Vibraphone, Keys, Percussion, & Vocals
Braden Guess - Electric Guitar, Wurlitzer, Piano, & Organ
Ben Gallaway - Drums, Percussion, & Harmony Vocals
Gary Newcomb - Electric Guitar & Vocals