The music portion of the SXSW festival doesn’t kick off until Wednesday but it’s almost as if we have our own SXSW taking place in Columbus tonight. Here’s what’s on tap:

• Scion Rock Fest – featuring 24 metal band at 4 different clubs (The Newport, Skullys, The Circus, Bernie’s). Headliners include Shrinebuilder, Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, and Brutal Truth. Band descriptions and schedule here.
• We Were Promised Jetpacks / Lonely Forest / Bear Hands @ The Summit
• Hockey / The Constellations / The Postelles @ Outland on Liberty
• Peasant / The Seedy Seeds / The Loyal Divide @ The Scarlet & Grey Cafe
• Set & Duets featuring Lydia Loveless @ Rumba Cafe
• Jenny Owens Young / Allison Weiss / Bess Rogers @ The Basement
• Outer Spacist / The Lindsay / Main St. Gospel @ Oldfield’s on High

Post any other shows of note in the comments.

We told you back in December that Loretta Lynn will be headlining the 6th annual Nelsonville Music Festival in Nelsonville, Ohio, May 14-16. Now the fest has added some more noteworthy acts, including The Swell Season, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (pictured above), Billy Joe Shaver and Man Man, adding to the already impressive lineup with Lynn, Todd Snider, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Southeast Engine, Michael Hurley, Detroit Cobras and Those Darlins.

Some Columbus acts added to the bill, too: Lydia Loveless, The Spikedrivers and The Alwood Sisters.

Weekend passes are $40 through Feb. 28, after which they’ll go up to $45. Single-day passes go on sale in April. You can order tickets here. Full lineup after the jump, with more acts to be announced later. (more…)

Lydia Loveless celebrates the release of The Only Man on Saturday night at Rumba Cafe. Micah Schnabel (Two Cow Garage), Todd May, and Akillis Green will also perform.

MP3: Girls Suck

It’s about time – along with a good contingent of Columbus music fans, I’ve been waiting on this debut by spitfire country-punk Lydia Loveless for what seems like years. And, as cliche as it sounds, the wait was worth it as The Only Man (Peloton Records) is a timeless collection of heart-weary tracks written by a 19-year-old well beyond her years.

Since the dawn of time, songwriters have been afforded the luxury of straddling the line between truth and fiction and it’s hard to tell just how much of Loveless’s real life she brings into her lyrics. If these songs are all true life testimonials, it’s a wonder Loveless isn’t in a mental institution or, worse, jail – maybe it’s the gift of song that is saving her soul.
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