Maybe someone who lives in Austin can help me figure out what my latest biblical plague is. There are these tiny black bugs that bite, and they are hanging out in my living room. I don't think they are bed bugs, because they fly. I hate to use my Deep Woods® bug spray just to be at peace on the couch, but that's what I am doing. You know, before I moved to Austin, I was diligent about checking out the heat to see if I could deal with it, but I didn't think about the bugs. They are something. So is the allergen count. There is simply always something blooming here. And I don't even have allergies! So that's why it's good to go out!

Well, I did make it out last Wednesday night to the Ghost Room on West 4th Street in Austin. Funny thing about that place. Until I went inside, I thought I hadn't been there, but on some late night pub crawls during bygone SXSWs, I recall seeing amazing stuff in that space! This evening was a KGSR Listening Party for two acts on New West Records: Ponderosa, and the Old 97's! A great twin bill. Ponderosa is a brand new band out of Atlanta whose music lives in a similar Southern Rock pocket to Truth & Salvage Co. They recall the Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Faces, Black Crowes; you know, the stuff that feels good! Their debut album Moonlight Revival is due out this January, but check out a taste of it with "Old Gin Road," which is available as a single right now on iTunes. Ponderosa (shortened to 'Rosa,' if you please) heads up to the CMJ Music Marathon in New York for a gig at Arlene's Grocery on Saturday.

Then there is master Alt. Country outfit, the Old 97's. Their new CD, The Grand Theatre, Volume One came out a week ago, and they celebrated its release in their home state of Texas. This is their eighth studio record, for which they recorded over two dozen brand new songs. So they broke it into two parts, with the second volume coming in 2011. Rhett Miller did the preponderance of writing for the album while on tour abroad in 2009. He and band mates Murry Hammond, Ken Bethea and Philip Peeples, craft this new CD retaining their classic sound while bringing a Garage-Rock-meets-60's-British-Invasion flavor.

Free Download from the Old 97's (right-click to save)

Rhett Miller wrote the title track in the dressing room of Leeds, England's Grand Theatre. Enjoy this free download of that song, and take a look at their video, which previews the album and gets up close with Rhett talking about the project.

- Jessie Scott