Not able to make it down to Austin and the sad demise of Couch by Couchwest has left a hole in your heart the size of the Lone Star State? Wipe those salty ol' tears away, because the Basement East is giving us a chance to bid farewell to a couple choice locals, at the same time helping them with gas money for the long drive toward the border. Read up on the groups below and make a stop by The Beast this Thursday (03.10) to see it all go down.

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ELEL

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times—ELEL is one of the most promising groups we can name. Their live show is a blast, every release is polished to perfection, and the music is so upbeat and catchy that we're convinced "el-el" must be the sound it makes when joy claps.

Soft Bodies

Remember reading all about the debut EP from Soft Bodies all the way back in January? We dug it then, we dig it now, and we highly recommend you check out their textured, easygoing electronic vibes live.

KiND

KiND's Eunoia is a trip through varying expressions of electronic music from modern, dance-y numbers to more pensive tracks that get you nodding along all the same, but more like you're examining a black-and-white photo in a gallery exhibit.

The Gills

These guys have been keeping info about their debut LP locked down tight, but everything we've heard so far points to a thick stew of varying alt, punk, and hard rock influences that goes down easy and should keep you full for a good long while.

(On the other hand, if you are planning on being at SXSW, now's the best time to start planning by taking a peek at the Deli Magazine's preview coverage. Once you get there, don't forget to check out our Stompbox Exhibit and Synth Space events, both of which are free and will give you a shot to try out some real fancy gear. Also keep an eye out for the Deli SXSW print edition, which can help you out as an invaluable guide around town, some reading material for when you're waiting on a show to start, and in emergency situations, a little life-saving protection from the Texas sun.)

Sometimes, it seems like EVERYTHING happens in ONE night. My Facebook is blowing up, show flyers are all over the place and with only a few hours to go, my decision-making anxiety is at an all-time high. It's very possible that I'm not the only one, so here's a basic breakdown of all the awesomeness that will be happening all over our fair city tonight:

The JAG Album Release Party
"Pondermental Wonderment In Hypocricity"
Palaver Thursday at FooBAR
9:00 pm
$5
w/ Bantam Foxes, The Mumzees and Uzi

The best of underground East Nashville are coming out to play. Prepare to get weird.

Tesla Rossa EP Release Show
"Heat Bath"
The Basement East
8:30 pm
$10
w/ The Beech Benders, Milktooth, Becca Mancari and Luella

The most eclectic bill of the night, with everything from indie to beach to folk rock. And you can ONLY get the EP at this show or one of their gigs on tour, so grab 'em while they last.

Miller Made Music Presents: The Gills
Exit/In
8:00 pm
$5
w/ Lauren Strange and Behold the Brave

Fancy yourself a heat-seeker? This lineup miiiight burn your eyebrows off.

Give the bands a listen, and choose wisely...                   -Caroline Bowman

 Nashville's The Gills have been upping the ante in the pop rock game. They're gutsy and dynamic and... really good.

Between touring, preparing to release a new album (any time now!) and keeping hometown fans happy, frontmant Jesse Wheeler made a little time to answer a few questions for us.

1. If you were a pizza, what would you be topped with?

        Pepperoni, Pineapples, Jalapeños 

2. Looks like you've been doing a lot of touring lately. Any DREAM GIG locations? 

        Yes, we dig The West Coast and Australia for sure.  

3. If you could invite 5 people, living or dead, to your beach party (since you're originally from Pensacola,) who would they be? 

        Andy Warhol, Snoop Dogg (Lion??), Chris Farley, John F. Kennedy, and Robin Williams 

4. How excited are you about releasing the new record?!?! 

        So stoked. Can't wait for all of our friends to sip this juice.

5. Heard any good jokes lately? 

        We take this very seriously. And personally I have no time for jokes

Two Boots Pizza is throwing the fourth grade class party of your dreams, but with booze!

Last night at our show featuring Milktooth, The Gills, and Vinyl Thief, Apple Road and The Deli Nashville teamed up to give you the chance to tell us your thoughts about the Nashville music scene and take over the blog for a day! With the ballots tallied, we give you... The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present... Take Over the Press!

In our category for "Favorite Local Artist," we had an overwhelming number of fans vote for Vinyl Thief, The Gills, and Milktooth, which is both expected and deserved. (Shout out to The JAG, who also had an solid turnout!) But the full list is impressive and spot-on, so check out which favorites are hitting radars throughout the local music scene:

The Gills
Milktooth
Vinyl Thief
The Future
Colorfeels
Thunderbitch
The JAG
Nudity
Billy Swayze
Vanessa Barbee
Kaby
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes
The Features
Peter Terry & the City Profits
Justin Kalk Orchestra
Natural Blonde
Johnny Velvet & the Scares
Cherub
*repeat repeat
Kink Ador
The Young International