We're happy to report that there have been a couple additions to our previously-announced Texas Takeover Party which happens on Thursday (10/18) at Rebel NYC(251 W. 30th St.) as part of next week's CMJ Festival.

Headlining the night (1 AM) will be Houston's Grandfather Child. The band, who are signed to New West Records, count Robert Ellis as a member. He, who has appeared on BV many times, just happens to be playing a solo set right before them too. You can download both sides of Grandfather Child's "Waiting For You" single at the top of this post.

Grandfather Child are also playing a day party at Lulu's in Greenpoint on Friday (10/19) afternoon, and, later that night, the New West showcase at The Living Room(11:30 PM) with Sydney Wayser, Kalen Nash, White Violet, Ponderosa, and Wolf Ram Heart. All Grandfather Child dates, including a December run that brings them back to NYC, are listed below.

Additionally, Austin's Technicolor Hearts will now open the party at 6 PM (get ready for a long night!). The band will also play Pete's Candy Store later that same night (10 PM). You can stream their most recent EP below, and check out lots of live pictures of them on BV Austin.

Check out this new interactive music video for Robert Ellis's song "Friends Like Those". Please help share with all your friends! (must view in Chrome browser) http://www.friendslikethose.com/

John Hiatt performing "Have a Little Faith".

View the full article at FOX Business.

Check out The Whigs performing "Waiting," the first single of their new album 'Enjoy The Company.'

Athens, GA is a renowned wellspring of great music, from R.E.M. & The B-52′s to the Elephant 6 collective and garage rockers The Whigs can justly be considered a part of it. The band is out with their 4th studio album Enjoy The Company and this video for “The Waiting” is a good sample of the crunchy garage-y goodness in store for you there.

Read the full article and watch the video at MTV U. 

John Hiatt, “Mystic Pinball” (New West Records)

Some performers can sound good singing a grocery list, and it turns out John Hiatt is one of them.

“Eggs,” Hiatt warbles on the “Fargo”-esque “Wood Chipper.” ‘’Hamburger meat. Bread. Funyuns.”

Fans hungry for fresh Hiatt will be well satisfied by “Mystic Pinball,” his 21st album. When he’s not contrasting mundane shopping to murder, he offers tuneful observations on addiction, gratitude, faith, doubt and love gone right or (mostly) wrong.

It only takes one listen to any Corb Lund album to know the guy is witty and whip-smart. The salty Albertan who studied jazz in Edmonton before joining metal band the Smalls, also has a good sense of history and a strong respect for the land and people who work it, whether ranchers, farmers, or roughnecks on a drilling rig. 

Lund's latest album on New West, Cabin Fever, hit the streets August 14 and has gotten rave reviews in Washington Post and other national publications. Meanwhile, it has raced up the charts to become the No. 1 record in Canada. No, not the No. 1 Americana record, the No. 1 record period.

Featuring a funny co-write with Hayes Carll and produced by Steve Christensen and John Evans, the album actually has plenty of Houston connections even though it was recorded in Edmonton.

With a huge number of Canadians residing in Houston due to their connection to the oil and gas business, Lund's Houston gigs may be the largest recurring gatherings of beer-guzzling Canucks in the area. He steps out of the Mucky Duck into the rowdier confines of the Firehouse Saloon for his first Houston gig in a while.

We caught up with him over the phone last week at the AMA convention in Nashville. 

Somewhere on a two lane state road where speed limits are a suggestion, about 150 miles from Phoenix and 300 miles from Albuquerque, "We're Alright Now," the leadoff track to John Hiatt's 23rd album, Mystic Pinball, is blasting through my car. Each time I try to let the album play through onto the second song, I can't help but hit the repeat button -- over and over again. It's not long until I've memorized the first few verses and the chorus.

The Americana Music Festival deserves a big shout-out this year for striking a near-perfect balance between showcasing longtime favorites as well as the genre’s rising talent. Nashville hosts a lot of outstanding music all year long, but the talent in town last week was undeniably special. Here are 10 of our favorite moments from the festival that took place Wednesday through Saturday (Sept. 12-16)

Robert Ellis at Cannery Ballroom

Ellis’ debut album Photographs showed a talent for thoughtful songwriting, and his set Friday night proved he’s also a confident performer. Working with a full band — mostly buddies he’s been working with for years — he dared to play one new song live for the very first time. It’s a love letter to his hometown called “Houston,” and since he’s recently decided to move to Nashville, it was vividly sad yet thankful at the same time. That song, like many of Ellis’ others, shows a great deal of reverence for classic country. — Chris Parton

Buddy Miller and Lee Ann Womack at Mercy Lounge

After leading the house band at the Americana Music Association awards show at the Ryman, Miller played a Saturday night set of duets with Womack at Mercy Lounge. After putting out a call for requests of duets, they lit up a nine-song set for a packed house of appreciative fans. Each song seemed to generate a louder response than the previous one, but there seemed to be just a little something special on their version of Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty‘s classic “After the Fire Is Gone.” — Will Hodge

You could call Buddy Miller the “Americana Maestro,” though that title could also go to Miller’s friend, Jim Lauderdale, who MC’d the Americana Music Association’s awards show on Wednesday night.