Total disclosure: I sat here for a good half an hour trying to write this post in a countrified dialect and, despite growing up around cowboys and Skoal, it was horrible and you wouldn’t have even gotten to the part about how great the line up is, and I probably would have gotten hate mail. Moving on!

This Wednesday, 24 February, Elaine Layabout brings the 10th installment of her Hella Hipster Hoedown, this month taking place at Echo Curio. Admission is $5, doors at 8. There’s also free cornbread, apparently (and Echo Curio is BYOB). This may or may not be enough to entice you, but have a look at the line up if you don’t believe that this show is worth your time:

One great thing about being a music snob is being that “early adopter” when it comes to musicians. I’m a luddite and illiterate, so I’m never the first to know about or embrace anything else. Trust me, I’m aware that everyone hates a know it all music snob* but I feel like, maybe, that pain is lessened by having been the first on my block to get all weird in my room to the world’s sexiest elf, Joanna Newsom. And now I have that super obnoxious pleasure of talking about how it’s so, you know, inspiring to see someone with such an original sound to mature so much, &c. But it’s true! This song is seven minute of a vaguely twangy, impressive vision streaming for free in anticipation of her next album, Have One on Me, due out 23 February, 2010.

ANYWAY, it’s called “Good Intentions Paving Company”, and you can check it out via the Drag City website. This song makes me want to go invite the desert skyline of my childhood over to my super fey castle/ranch.

*Until they need a Cyrano de Mixtape!

Spaceland - Princeton, Castledoor and LANME (Los Angeles New Music Ensemble)

If you’ll allow me a moment of sincerity – tomorrow will be Castledoor’s last show. This is wildly disappointing news that I received as I typed this post. If you’ve never been present to sing along to what may be the best song about being a fan of a band (Fifth Tambourine), you might want to consider attending.

The Echo - Useless Keys with Free Energy and BoxViolet.

Silverlake Lounge - Gamble House, Regrets and Brunettes, Fort Wife.

The Bootleg Theater - Red Arrow Messenger with Damn Sons (whose next show is another supporting spot for Seaspin’s March residency at SLL)  and United by Sound.

Despite being a huge fan of RAM, I have yet to be able to attend their residency. When asked what the shows were like this month, I was told very vaguely (and awesomely) that the shows involve “lasers. And comedy. But, really, lasers.” Sounds dangerous(ly exciting)!

ANYWAY, I’m not sure how many more times I can say it, but all these shows are free – and not in the “it’s a free country” way, but in the “no one’s gonna make you pay to attend”, which is super appealing and now you have no reason not to go.

*They’re still going on, right?