Record-Release Roundup

O.B. alt-rock quartet Pretty Too Bad will release their debut full-length, Balloons, at the Casbah on Friday, April 1.

April 2, nu-wavers the Very will launch The Discovery (Aural Gravy) with a release party at the Ruby Room. “The album contains new versions of songs from our 2010 demo,” says singer-guitarist Phil Inzunza, “remade with our new bassist Diana Death and remixed by Anthony Ridenhour at Cabana Studio.”

Famous former neighbor Gary Heffern is visiting from Finland for an April 3 Penetrators reunion, after which the Casbah hosts his April 6 release party for Gary Heffern and Beautiful People. Aside from an opening set by reunited punks Cardiac Kidz, Heff will be supported by hometown heroes from Tell-Tale Hearts, the Shambles, Mystery Machine, Gravedigger V, Crawdaddys, and the Loons.

Lounge lover Carl Durant will bring a full band for his Last Place EP release at Lestat’s on April 8, with funnyman Rob Deez playing an opening set.

On Record Store Day, April 16, Sugar Hill Records will issue deluxe vinyl editions of three Nickel Creek albums. Included are digitally remastered versions of their self-titled debut, the Grammy-winning This Side, and their final Sugar Hill effort Why Should the Fire Die?

Indie trip-hoppers Vokab Company’s Quit Sleep CD-release party is scheduled for April 22 at the Belly Up.

Epic Records will attempt rebooting the underachievers of Augustana on April 26 with a self-titled third album, recorded in L.A. with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones). A national support tour ends in San Diego on June 17.

Ilan Rubin’s band New Regime releases Speak Through the White Noise on April 26, with all the tunes written, sung, and played by the Nine Inch Nails drummer.

Podunk Nowhere launches Stay Warm-Hearted on April 28 at the Tin Can Ale House; the event also features the new Podunk-Heavy Guilt crossover band the Black Sands. According to singer Heather Marie Janiga, “The Lovebirds [Lindsay White and Veronica May] will join Podunk Nowhere on stage to sing harmonies, plus we’ll have a Heavy Guilt acoustic set and other surprise collaborations.”

Also due in April are new releases from Ristband (Balancing Act, with new songs and a Yardbirds cover), electronic psych-pop trio Range Rover (Mind), limited-edition vinyl from Writer (Miss Mermaid), and a full-length from Scott Mercado, aka Manuok.