Tuesday SXSW Showcases

Carson McHone (Photo by Todd V. Wolfson)

Nine Mile Records

Austin imprint Nine Mile Records, celebrating 10 years, unloads an impressive local soundtrack to start SXSW. Patrick Sweany represents the only act outside Austin, the East Nashville-based songwriter bringing his unique bluesy and soulful roots sound to last year's perfectly eclectic seventh LP, Daytime Turned to Nighttime. Austin's sprawling, show-stopping soul outfit the Nightowls follows suit, blasting horns and grooves from last year's sophomore shot, Fame Sessions, while Uncle Lucius kicks out the Southern jams on The Light, the raucous local quartet's standout fourth LP of last year. Smooth and smart, they rip through keys and steel-backed roots stomps inflected with touches of Muscle Shoals. Two of Austin's top young songwriters cement the bill, with Ben Ballinger's dusky, weathered vocals matching his emotionally worn ballads in preparation for this year's follow-up to 2014 sophomore outing The State I'm In. That leaves Carson McHone as the bill's Loretta Lynn as demonstrated on last year's full-length introduction, Goodluck Man.