“It was mellow until about 5 minutes ago,” said a man to my left, mid-jostle, as the wide floor of Antone’s became a no-moving zone late last night. The spectacular Americana Music Association SXSW showcase had been rolling since 8 p.m., with expert sets from Jim Lauderdale, Elizabeth Cook, and Hayes Carll, plus special guests Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller — all of whom deserve posts of their own. But when the clock struck 11, the walls began to split at their seams as half of Austin packed in to see the debut of the Court Yard Hounds, a.k.a. Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks.

It’s the most anyone’s really seen of the sisters since Taking the Long Way swept the Grammys in 2007; the pair said they’ve embarked on the project after getting restless waiting for third Chick Natalie Maines to be ready to run again. Their self-titled debut doesn’t hit stores until May 4, but when Robison and Maguire took the stage in front of a five-piece band, flashed calm, confident smiles, and began the harmony-soaked “Delight (Something New Under the Sun)” without ceremony, their music already felt broken in, and the room swelled with attentive joy. “We only have an hour, so we’re going to try and get as much music in as we can,” said Robison. Besides a quick San Antonio joke later on, it was almost all the talking she’d do. READ FULL STORY »