52 Austin CD Reviews in 52 Weeks

9/9/10 - This project has been completed. Thanks to all of the bands who submitted such amazing Austin music. I technically reviewed 55 CDs in 53 weeks (I took a week off for a spiritual retreat at what would have been week 50). I'm very proud of this collection and I hope you have discovered some of the amazing music Austin has to offer by reading these reviews.

I'm still reviewing CDs so please reach out if you'd like me to take a listen to yours. Contact information is at the bottom of the page.  - Sean Claes

52 AUSTIN CD REVIEWS IN 52 WEEKS 

9/11/09 - 9/9/10

By Sean Claes

Week 1 - Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers (9/11/09)
Week 2 - Uncle Lucius (9/17/09)
Week 3 - Oak Is Keeping (9/24/09)
Week 4 - porterdavis (10/1/09)
Week 5 - Del Castillo (10/8/09)
Week 6 - Love At War (10/15/09)
Week 7 - David Ducharme-Jones (10/22/09)
Week 8 - Darling New Neighbors (10/29/09)
Week 9 - Jeff Lofton Quartet (11/5/09)
Week 10 - john Arthur martinez (11/12/09)
Week 11 - Dertybird (11/19/09)
Week 12 - Sam Baker (11/26/09)
Week 13 - Butcherwhite (12/3/09)
Week 14 - Flatcar Rattlers (12/10/09)
Week 15 - The Soldier Thread (12/17/09)
Week 16 - The Jeremy Miller Band (12/24/09)
Week 17 - The Belleville Outfit (12/31/09)
Week 18 - Adrian and the Sickness (1/7/10)
Week 19 - George Palmer Macias (1/14/10)
Week 20 - Tom Gillam (1/21/10)
Week 21 - Ratarue (1/28/10)
Week 22a - A Good Rogering - EP (2/4/10)
Week 22b - Fulton Read EP (2/4/10)
Week 23 - Powderburn (2/11/10)
Week 24 - Ray Wylie Hubbard (2/18/10)
Week 25 - Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom (2/25/10)
Week 26 - Eleven Fingered Charlie (3/4/10)
Week 27 - The Clouds Are Ghosts (3/11/10)
Week 28 - Reckless Kelly (3/18/10)
Week 29 - Broken Teeth (3/26/10)
Week 30 - Brandon Rhyder (4/1/10)
Week 31 - One-Eyed Doll (4/8/10)
Week 32 - Shelli Coe (4/15/10)
Week 33 - Lennon's Song (4/22/10)
Week 34 - SuperLiteBike (4/29/10)
Week 35a - Kyle Park (EP) (5/6/10)
Week 35b - DC Bloom (EP) (5/6/10)
Week 36 - The Banner Year (5/13/10)
Week 37 - Righteous Brisket (5/20/10)
Week 38 - Terri Hendrix (5/27/10)
Week 39 - Allison Thrash (6/3/10)
Week 40 - The Standouts (6/10/10)
Week 41 - Dave Madden (6/17/10)
Week 42 - Indofin (6/24/10)
Week 43 - Paula Held (7/1/10)
Week 44 - The Mother Truckers (7/9/10)
Week 45 - Trashy and the Kid (7/15/10)
Week 46 - Alejandro Escovedo (7/22/10)
Week 47 - Ugly Elephant (7/30/10)
Week 48 - 3 Kisses (8/5/10)
Week 49 - Bobby Bookout (8/11/10)
Week 50a - Woolgather (8/25/10)
Week 50b - Emily Shirley (8/25/10)
Week 51 - Tin Can Phone (9/1/10)
Week 52 - Deadman (9/9/10)




The Project:
I've been writing CD reviews for over 10 years. I've written for INsite Magazine, Texas Music, Southwest Blues, Austin Daze, and a host of other magazines and sites.

I was told by someone that I like every band in the world. This isn't true. There's a ton of music I've heard that I'll never write about. I don't believe in writing negative press. I prefer to only talk about and write about bands that have a sound I can get into.

Well, it's now September 2009 and I think I'm going to issue myself a little challenge. From September 2009 to September 2010, I am going to review an Austin-based band's CD a week. I will publish it here on my blog and at month's end will run it in INsite Magazine. If any other website is interested in publishing my reviews online, please let me know.

What I need:
- A plethora of Austin bands to send me their music.
It must be:
1. Released after March 2009
2. Professionally done (no burns, no electronic mp3s)
3. Accompanied by a bio
4. By an Austin band

Send it to:
INsite Magazine
c/o Sean Claes
5401 S FM 1626 STE 170-436
Kyle, Texas 78640

- Any kind words about bands I review in my blog will be great. Please let bands know you're reading about them. Any negative posts will be deleted. You are entitled to your opinion... and I won't argue with you...but I run this blog.

(The CDs I don't review will go into a box that I'll offer other INsite CD reviewers and/or give away at INsite-hosted events.

Why am I doing this?
1. I want to see if I can do it. A CD review a week is a tall order, if you take into consideration that I only review CDs I like. It'll likely take me 3-4 CDs to find one I deem reviewable.

2. Austin is always in the fight for their title as the "Live Music Capital of the World" and I want to help prove it right. There is A LOT of good music in Austin, a lot that people aren't hearing about. I want to help the scene. I am a writer. So, I'll write.

3. My personal motto is "It's all about the free stuff." But my mission in life is to help good people become better known. So, personally, I'm hoping to get a lot of free music, and as a writer, I'm going to do my duty to let everyone I can know about some of the great folks who play great music in and from Austin. It's like the best of both worlds (not the Hannah version.. more like the Van Hagar version).

So... I've gotten the first one written. I will post it tomorrow, then I'll post a new CD review each Thursday until September 2010.

Feel free to follow me to track my progress.
E-mail me at sean@insiteaustin.com with any questions.

Thanks for reading. I hope you discover a few new bands this way. I know I will.
- Sean Claes