The New Maps Play Tonight at Skinny’s Ballroom
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I confess, I didn’t know much about Austin trio The New Maps, and not much information was readily available about them. Even band photos were a bit scarce, until recently. There was simply a basic bio I found on their Facebook profile, but there was a quote in it that gave me pause: “The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.”
Wise words from The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Austin-based songwriter Michael Hill considers those words to live by.
Hill, whose own musical roots reach back to Denton, TX in the mid-90s as frontman for Marmalade, Mudville Nine, and 12lb. Test, formed The New Maps last spring with bassist Paul Grotevant (The 145s) and drummer Jeff Olson (Balmorhea), after the three played together one evening at the Hole In the Wall. In early January, they released their 11-track debut These Parts, featuring guest vocalist Kim Vance Baker doing some sweet harmonies with Hill. And in addition to their original material, The New Maps included a nod to Hill’s musical inspiration with their version of “Badlands,” a track from Springsteen’s fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Be sure to check out The New Maps at their show tonight at Skinny’s Ballroom, 115 San Jacinto. Their set starts at 9:30 p.m. A great way to shed the Monday blahs, at the perfect little spot. Recommended.
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