When you hear Merle Haggard, you might think of a sharp guitar riff and great old country voice. What some might not know is his music almost didn’t happen. After serving time in juvenile detention facilities, it wasn’t until he saw Johnny Cash in concert that he decided to straighten out his life. Most recently, he wrote a song for Hillary Clinton titled “Hillary.” He’s better known, however, for his 42 No. 1 country hits. Tonight he plays the Paramount. more at austin360.com

Despite hit-or-miss debut Broken Boy Soldiers, Jack White and the Raconteurs stormed Austin City Limits Music Fest 2006 like a seven-nation army, even firing off a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” The supergroup reloads Friday night (Saturday is sold out) with latest Consolers of the Lonely, a dynamic combination of Brendan Benson’s best melodramatic ballads and garage blues. Raleigh, N.C.-based retro-rockers Birds of Avalon fly first. – Austin Powell more at austinchronicle.com

Yes, these shows are separate tickets, but it’s clearly a good night to be at Emo’s. Inside you have the Dirtbombs, perhaps the very embodiment of smart, forward-thinking garage rock, playing with Kelley Stoltz and Black Joe Lewis. Outside, you have the Hold Steady, who simply can’t stay off the road with their brainy bar rock. The inside show is $14; the outside show is $18.

Man Man impressed my pants off.

a lot of cats are really bad with spelling and grammar but this Kristin one is pretty good.

via Austin Sound:
“What better band to get us ready for Halloween than Haunting Oboe Music. We’re not sure exactly how the oboe fits into the picture, but we’ll certainly give them haunting. A song like “Hawkins” (on their Myspace) with its alternating whispers and screams can get downright nightmarish as it contorts a mellow Explosions in the Sky vibe into schizo-emo frequencies. But the group is at their best when their exploding heavy At the Drive In guitars with some synth-grooves and blaring horns thrown in for an added cacophony.”