 
Last updated:
7/03/2009 03:18:00 PM
Fri., July 3 - Vans Warped Tour 2009, featuring 3OH!3, A Day To Remember, A Skylit Drive, Aiden, Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag, Attack Attack, Bad Religion, Bayside, Big D and the Kids Table, Black Tide, Breathe Carolina, brokeNCYDE, Chiodos, Dance Gavin Dance, Dear And The Headlights, Escape The Fate, Gallows, Hit The Lights, I Set My Friends On Fire, In This Moment, Innerpartysystem, ivy league, Jeffree Star, Less Than Jake, LIGHTS, Longway, Madina Lake, Meg and Dia, Millionaires, Outernational, P.O.S., Red Car Wire, Saosin, Senses Fail, Shad, Shooter Jennings, Sing It Loud, Streetlight Manifesto, TAT, The A.K.A.s, The Architects, The Ataris, The Devil Wears Prada, The Maine, The White Tie Affair, There For Tomorrow, Therefore I Am, Thrice, TV/TV, Underoath, & VersaEmerge @ The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park
 Fri., July 3 - We the Granada/Daytes/Giant Battle Monster/Barkus, Sly, and the Golden Egg/Serum Fantis/TEF @ Super Happy Fun Land (8PM; $7)
Fri., July 3 - The Hates/Midnight Creeps/Impugned/M.O.T.O. @ Fitzdown
Fri., July 3 - James Hyland/Rosie Flores/Molly and the Ringwalds @ The Continental Club
Fri., July 3 - Versecity/Forsythe/Deadbolt Zen/ROTO @ Fitzgerald's
Fri., July 3 - The Belleville Outfit @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 3 - Demi Lovato/David Archuleta @ Reliant Arena
Fri., July 3 - El Gato Negrito @ Avant Garden
Fri., July 3 - Cosmic Gate @ Rich's
Fri., July 3 - Jazmine Sullivan/Ryan Leslie @ House of Blues
Fri., July 3 - La Diabla, featuring Cecille & Rainel Pino Band @ House of Blues
Fri., July 3 - Chelsea Hotel/The Ginslingers/The Wrist Slits/Dogz on Parole @ The Trash Bar Texas (313 1st St., Humble)
 Sat., July 4 - The Tontons/Caddywhompus/Giant Princess/Limb/sIngs/Brains for Dinner/Rainbows in Your Wildest Dreams @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., July 4 - 4th of July Punk Fest, featuring The Drafted, 13 Black Coffins, & more @ The White Swan
Sat., July 4 - Ty Segall/The Moonheart/Southern Backtones/Welfare Mothers @ Mango's
Sat., July 4 - Come See My Dead Person/EraseTheVirus/Digi Dancers/Morgue City/We Are Halfnelson/Flawlessly Inadequate/I.O.N. @ Numbers
Sat., July 4 - Happy 4th of July Party, featuring Dertybird, Wayward Sons, Miss Ruby Slippers, Grizzly, Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers, Buckshot, & Whiskey Boat @ The Continental Club
Sat., July 4 - 4th of July Extravaganza, featuring Robert Ellis, DJ Paramour, Holy Fiction, DJ No Fun, July's, & Psychedelic Sex Panther @ The Mink (7PM; $5)
Sat., July 4 - Cellcyst/Decimation Theory/Cavernous/Dreaming of June/The Goods/Chin Xaou Ti Won @ Warehouse Live
Sat., July 4 - Fourth of July Rock Fest/Star of Hope Benefit, featuring The Wonderland Avenue, Westborn, Sirens and Bombshells, Aberrant Lines, & Distant Lights @ Hard Rock Cafe (3PM; $5)
Sat., July 4 - Little Brother Project/Yoko Mono/For the Most Part @ Fitzdown
Sat., July 4 - Afternoon Picnic Matinee, featuring The Footsies @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., July 4 - Black Dog/Spiral Out @ Fitzgerald's
Sat., July 4 - Carl Hayn & The Holdouts @ Rudyard's
Sat., July 4 - Dirty Honey 2 Year Anniversary, featuring Brett Koshkin & more @ Boondocks
Sat., July 4 - Beyoncé @ Toyota Center
Sat., July 4 - The Rebel Crew @ Avant Garden
Sat., July 4 - Freedom Rings Concert 2009, featuring The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra @ Stafford Centre
Sun., July 5 - Werewolves/Soft Black/Yppah @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sun., July 5 - A Static Lullaby/Vanna/Asking Alexandria/Motionless In White/Tides of Man @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., July 5 - David Cook @ Moody Gardens (Galveston)
Mon., July 6 - No Talk/Secret Prostitutes/Loser Life @ The Mink
Mon., July 6 - Candlebox/Earshot @ House of Blues
Mon., July 6 - Peachcake!!!/Who Shot Mr. Burns/P.D.A. (CD release) @ Javajazz Coffee House
Mon., July 6 - The Octanes/Glover Gill @ The Continental Club
Tues., July 7 - The Howlies/The McKenzies/Springfield Riots @ The Mink
Tues., July 7 - Roman Candles/The Jokes/Timber!/Stove Blow/Good Night & Good Morning @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 7 - The Umbrella Man @ The Continental Club
Tues., July 7 - Paul Potts/Neal Boyd/Giorgia @ House of Blues
Tues., July 7 - Betty Soo @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Wed., July 8 - A Benefit Show for the Family of Dave Rask, featuring Sara Van Buskirk, Finnegan, Jim & The Toms, Black, Jacob Houck, Davey, The Gold Sounds, & Death By Texas @ Avant Garden (8PM; $5 suggested donation)
Wed., July 8 - Colt 45/Black Congress @ The Mink (9PM; free!)
Wed., July 8 - Extemp-o-rama, featuring a bunch of improv musicians @ Super Happy Fun Land
Wed., July 8 - Wayward Sons/Whiskey Boat @ The Continental Club
Thurs., July 9 - Young Mammals (tour kickoff)/Hamamatsu Tom and the Bareback Hell Stallions Band/Fat Tony/Ghormeh Sabzi @ Mango's
Thurs., July 9 - The Reaction/The Damen Austin Band/The Redgraves @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., July 9 - afton: push play, featuring Art Cardinal & more @ The Meridian
Thurs., July 9 - Moral Decline/The 13th Victim @ Rudyard's
Thurs., July 9 - Beetle @ The Continental Club
Thurs., July 9 - Brian McKnight @ Arena Theatre
Thurs., July 9 - Very Disco (Daft Punk tribute) @ House of Blues
Thurs., July 9 - I Am Ghost/LoveHateHero/Karate High School/Skyscrapers Walk Among Us/We Could Be Heroes @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., July 10 - News on the March/The Gills @ Mango's
Fri., July 10 - Electric Touch/Mechanical Boy/The 71's @ Warehouse Live
Fri., July 10 - Drop Dead Gorgeous/He Is Legend/Before Their Eyes/Eyes Set To Kill/Watchout! There's Ghosts @ Javajazz Coffee House
 Fri., July 10 - Arc Angels @ House of Blues
Fri., July 10 - Brains For Dinner/King Shanty/King Young/Young Militia/The Light of the Trinity @ Super Happy Fun Land
Fri., July 10 - Jamie Foxx @ Reliant Arena
Fri., July 10 - Molly and the Ringwalds @ The Continental Club
Fri., July 10 - Earth, Wind & Fire/Chicago @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (The Woodlands)
Fri., July 10 - Lee Alexander @ Rudyard's
Fri., July 10 - La Diabla, featuring Cecille & Rainel Pino Band @ House of Blues
Fri., July 10 - St. Cloud/The Clay Jeffery Band/Antioch Road Band/John Righton @ Fitzdown
Fri., July 10 - Bob Schneider @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 10 - Luke Olson @ Goode Company (20102 Northwest Freeway)
Sat., July 11 - Buxton (7" release)/Ghost Mountain @ Mango's
Sat., July 11 - Nava's Birthday Bash, featuring thelastplaceyoulook, Nothingmore, Deep Ella, Moving Atlas, Floorbound, & Aerial Second @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Sat., July 11 - The Really Really Free Market, featuring A Thousand Cranes & more @ Watershed Studios (5703 Cornish; 4-8PM)
Sat., July 11 - A-Trak/Rye Rye/Treasure Fingers @ Warehouse Live (Ballroom)
Sat., July 11 - The Robert Cray Band @ House of Blues
Sat., July 11 - Boney James @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Sat., July 11 - Pillow Queens/Pataphysics/Diagonals/Follow That Bird/Over the Hill/Slow Motion Rider/The Caprolites/Muhammid Ali @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., July 11 - Dan Dyer @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., July 11 - Love It To Death (Alice Cooper tribute)/Gene's Addiction (Kiss tribute) @ Fitzgerald's
Sat., July 11 - Fake Believe @ Rudyard's
Sat., July 11 - Eli Young Band/Carter Twins/The Jeff Boortz Band @ Sam Houston Race Park
Sat., July 11 - Red November/Vagabond/Nano Smash/The Motion Census @ Fitzdown
Sat., July 11 - Archaic 3/Bythetimeyoureadthis @ The Satellite Room (8PM)
Sat., July 11 - Every Avenue/Cash Cash/Valencia/The Morning Light/Sparks The Rescue/Furthest From The Star @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., July 11 - Rock A Cure, featuring Giant Battle Monster & more @ Clear Lake Park (Seabrook)
Sun., July 12 - Hollywood Black/Timbre @ The Mink (9PM; $5)
Sun., July 12 - Motion Turns It On/Budian/Sarah June/Hotel Hotel @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sun., July 12 - Grizzly @ House of Blues
Sun., July 12 - Theodore @ Notsuoh
Sun., July 12 - Swingfield Playboys @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., July 12 - Emarosa/Our Last Night/In Fear and Faith/I See Stars/Burden Of A Day/Broadway @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., July 12 - Coathangers/Dozal Brothers @ Mango's
Mon., July 13 - Bolt (AZ)/Abstract Artimus/The Delta Block/Sunken Teeth/Room 101 @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 14 - Pete Yorn @ The Meridian
Tues., July 14 - The Chop Tops @ Walter's on Washington
Tues., July 14 - Discovery Zone/Consuelo Is Dead/The Andrea Doria @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 14 - Giant Battle Monster @ Alvin Bowling Alley (Alvin)
Wed., July 15 - Neil Hamburger/Jacob Calle @ Mango's
Wed., July 15 - Clutch/Baroness/Lionize @ House of Blues
Wed., July 15 - Rook @ Walter's on Washington
Wed., July 15 - Ace Enders and a million different people/Person L/The Gay Blades/The Dangerous Summer/School Boy Humor @ Javajazz Coffee House
Wed., July 15 - Sirens N' Boots @ Avant Garden
Thurs., July 16 - Destroying Texas Fest 4, featuring Archgoat, Ceremony, Thornspawn, Blaspherian, & Golgotha @ Walter's on Washington
Thurs., July 16 - David Allan Coe/Resin Valley Boys @ House of Blues
Thurs., July 16 - Brown Shoe/James Price Band @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., July 16 - The Clay Jeffery Band @ Rudyard's
Thurs., July 16 - Bythetimeyoureadthis @ The Mink
Thurs., July 16 - Suzanna Choffel Band @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 17 - Poison The Well/Madball/Terror/Crime In Stereo/War of Ages/The Ghost Inside/Death Before Dishonor/Trapped Under Ice/This Is Hell/Aerial Second @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., July 17 - RX Bandits/Dredg/Zechs Marquise @ The Meridian
Fri., July 17 - The Flamin' Hellcats @ Rudyard's
Fri., July 17 - Austin Collins/The Small Sounds @ Firehouse Saloon
Fri., July 17 - 500 Megatons of Boogie/10-4 Elenor @ The Mink
Fri., July 17 - Patrice Pike/Skyblue 72/The Tiles/Radio One @ Warehouse Live
Fri., July 17 - Aerosmith/ZZ Top @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., July 17 - Vicarious Me/Freak Tent @ Super Happy Fun Land
Fri., July 17 - Jay Brannan/Katie Stuckey @ House of Blues
Fri., July 17 - The Distracted/The Blue Threads/The Raven Charter/Bayou Monster @ Fitzgerald's
Fri., July 17 - Ella Minnow @ Notsuoh
Fri., July 17 - Jimmy LaFave @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 17 - La Diabla, featuring Cecille & Rainel Pino Band @ House of Blues
Fri., July 17 - Malford Milligan/Greg Koch @ The Meridian (Red Room)
Fri., July 17 - The Radiators/Moe @ House of Blues
Fri., July 17 - Oridium/Jokers Deck/When Pandas Attack/Boyce Avenue @ Fitzdown
Fri., July 17 - Willie Colon Tributo a Hector Lavoe @ Arena Theater
Sat., July 18 - Rise Against/Rancid/Billy Talent @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Sat., July 18 - Fired For Walking/Linus Pauling Quartet/Novox @ Mango's
Sat., July 18 - Chase Frank/The Caprolites/Rapeworm @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., July 18 - Driver F/Unlikely Heroes/The Ride Home/Fingers Crossed/Tigerparty/A Kid Named Thompson @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., July 18 - D.R.U.M./Rattletree Marimba @ The Continental Club
Sat., July 18 - Los Skarnales/Flaco Jimenez/Brave Combo/Los Pistoleros of Texas @ Fitzgerald's
Sat., July 18 - I Am Mesmer/Opposite Day @ Rudyard's
Sat., July 18 - Sick Puppies/Hurt/Veer Union @ House of Blues
Sat., July 18 - New Kids On the Block/Jabbawokeez @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., July 18 - LSPS/The Crisis/She Craves/Product of Failure @ Fitzdown
Sat., July 18 - Shake Russell @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., July 18 - Cross Canadian Ragweed/Scooter Brown Band/Whisky River Revival @ Sam Houston Race Park
Sun., July 19 - Arsonists Get All The Girls/See You Next Tuesday/Fell Silent/Knives Exchanging Hands/Atillia/In the Storm/All the Way to the Bank/Antarctica @ Javajazz Coffee House (16300 Kuykendahl)
Sun., July 19 - Reckless Kelly @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., July 19 - The Fig Tree Blossoms/Who Shot Mr. Burns/Until We Got Caught/A Movie Scene/Always The Favorite @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sun., July 19 - Nat & Alex Wolff @ House of Blues
Mon., July 20 - The Ginslingers/The Arcane Flowers/Greatest Hits/Pretty Vanilla @ The Mink
Mon., July 20 - The Slow Poisoner @ Super Happy Fun Land
Mon., July 20 - Yourself and the Air/Thing One @ Notsuoh
Tues., July 21 - The Valley Arena @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 21 - And Then There Were None/Kill Paradise/Bradley Hathaway/A Goodnight Crisis/We Monumental @ Javajazz Coffee House
Tues., July 21 - Shawn Phillips @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Wed., July 22 - Coldplay/Kitty Daisy & Lewis/Amadou & Mariam @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (sold out)
Wed., July 22 - So Many Dynamos/Cast Spells/Woozyhelmet @ Mango's
Wed., July 22 - Fear Before/Oceana/Memphis May Fire/Of Machines/This Time Next Year @ Javajazz Coffee House
Wed., July 22 - Deceased/Hypochristians/Necrotic Void/Nibiru @ The White Swan
Wed., July 22 - Jason Wilber @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Wed., July 22 - Shining Through/Arcane Alchemy @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., July 23 - Jon Dee Graham/Beetle @ The Continental Club
Thurs., July 23 - Haste The Day/The Chariot/Sleeping Giant/Project 86/Oh Sleeper/Gwen Stacy/Agraceful/For Today/A Plea for Purging/Corpus Christi @ Javajazz Coffee House
Thurs., July 23 - Lucy Kaplansky @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 24 - Judas Priest/Whitesnake @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Fri., July 24 - 13 Black Coffins @ The White Swan
Fri., July 24 - Clandestine @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 24 - Dickey Hands/Outspoken Bean/Born Anchor/Skeleton Dick/Sitch @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Fri., July 24 - Heavy @ The Mink
Fri., July 24 - Krissi Minten/Fondue Monks/The Jeff Boortz Band @ House of Blues
Fri., July 24 - Shawn Sahm @ The Continental Club
Fri., July 24 - Rod Stewart @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., July 24 - Sunset Soundtrack/Devil Killing Moth @ Notsuoh
Fri., July 24 - Hey Monday/This Providence/Friday Night Boys/Stereo Skyline/The Bigger Lights @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., July 24 - The Official Texas Greek Picnic Pre-Party, featuring DJ Cee-Style, DJ Candlestick, & DJ Mr. Rogers @ Warehouse Live
Fri., July 24 - afton: push play, featuring Assertive Asphyxiation & more @ The Meridian
Fri., July 24 - Brains For Dinner/King Shanty/King Young/Young Militia/The Light of the Trinity @ Super Happy Fun Land
Fri., July 24 - Gerald Albright/Kirk Whalum @ Arena Theater
Sat., July 25 - Papermoons (tour kickoff)/Elaine Greer/Bison/Springfield Riots @ The Mink (9PM)
Sat., July 25 - Dead Audio Fest, featuring Black Leather Jesus, XDUGEF, Aphonic Curtains, Lychgate, Rubbish, Blacktransmission, Ashes, IS, Skonhet, Climax Denial, Custodian, The Annoysters, The Homopolice, Awen, Concrete Violin, RU-486, The Vomit Arsonist, Churner, Steel Hook Prostheses, Future Blondes, Infirmary, Ze'ro-Sum, Jason Crumer, Relay for Death, Rosemary Malign, Goat, Kai/ros, Tissa Mawartyassari, Serum Fantis, Sigulda, Peiste, TwoDeadSluts OneGoodFuck, Spider Labyrinth, Astrogenic Hallucinauting, Endless Blinding Sunshine, Human Cobras, The They, & Static Storm System vs. [M30W] @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., July 25 - Katie Stuckey and the Swagger/The Small Sounds @ Firehouse Saloon
Sat., July 25 - Dremt The End/Meriwether/Project H/Eldridge/Leaf @ Fitzgerald's
Sat., July 25 - The Secret Handshake/PlayRadioPlay!/Love You Long Time/Fight With Flash/Good Things Will Come @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., July 25 - The Fray/Jack's Mannequin/Meese @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., July 25 - Davy Knowles/Back Door Slam/Brandon Stanley/Andrew Karnavas @ Warehouse Live
Sat., July 25 - Terry Allen @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., July 25 - Dave Koz/Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues
Sat., July 25 - Skyrocket! The Continental Club
Sat., July 25 - Forever Like Red/Among The Silence/Severe The Sense/Bad Strip/Blue Means Go @ Fitzdown
Sat., July 25 - Amplified Heat @ Rudyard's
Sat., July 25 - Shake Some Action Dance Party @ Mango's
Sat., July 25 - Wynonna @ Arena Theater
Sat., July 25 - Vital (CD release) @ Hard Rock Cafe
Sat., July 25 - Peter Frampton @ Stafford Centre (Stafford)
 Sun., July 26 - Pterodactyl/Cop Warmth/Muhammid Ali/Motion Turns It On @ Mango's
Sun., July 26 - Trout Fishing In America @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., July 26 - 2009 Harmonica Rumble, featuring Jason Ricci & New Blood, Mojofromopolis, Steve Krase, & more @ Warehouse Live (afternoon show!)
Sun., July 26 - Day After The Dead Audio Music Fest, featuring Självhat, Solange Tutunji, House with Laughing Windows, Ascites, Lotus Bazooka, & Rusted Shut @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sun., July 26 - Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights @ Warehouse Live
Sun., July 26 - CKY/Graveyard/ASG @ The Meridian
Sun., July 26 - Stephen Jerzak/Breathe Electric/Romance On A Rocketship/Zac Seif/Chase Coy/Pacific Heir @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., July 26 - Greg Koch/Malford Milligan @ NiaMoves (508 Pecore)
Mon., July 27 - Reel Big Fish/The English Beat/The Supervillains @ Warehouse Live
Mon., July 27 - One Hundred Flowers @ Mango's
Mon., July 27 - Oicho Kabu/Know Nothing Party @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 28 - The Caution Children/Pianos Become The Teeth/Barkus, Sly, And The Golden Egg/Cassettes On Fire @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., July 28 - The United States Army Field Band & Soldiers' Chorus @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Wed., July 29 - Tan Dollar/Wonder Wheel @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., July 30 - Salim Nourallah/The Deathray Davies @ Rudyard's
Thurs., July 30 - The Suspects @ The Continental Club
Thurs., July 30 - Blacktop Gypsy @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 31 - Leave Your Genre at the Door One Year Anniversary, featuring Sound Patrol, The Pocket, Fat Tony, B Lnbsp;Anbsp;Cnbsp;Knbsp;Inbsp;E, The Mathletes, sIngs, Balls d33p, Babel Fishh, Electric Attitude, Satin Hooks, Perseph 1, Studemont Project, Buxton, Shina Rae, Female Demand, Ellypseas, & Brains for Dinner @ Fitzgerald's (up & down)
Fri., July 31 - Calm Blue Sea/Caddywhompus/Hot Talk @ Rudyard's
Fri., July 31 - London Girl/We Moderns/Guitars/Diet Cokeheads/O Pioneers!!! @ The Mink
Fri., July 31 - Asher Roth/Kid Cudi @ House of Blues
Fri., July 31 - August Burns Red/Blessthefall/All Shall Perish/IWrestledABearOnce/Beneath the Horizon @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., July 31 - Disco Expressions/Molly and the Ringwalds @ The Continental Club
Fri., July 31 - Mexicans at Night @ Super Happy Fun Land
Fri., July 31 - Orents Stirner @ Mango's
Fri., July 31 - Randy Weeks @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., July 31 - Cory Morrow @ Warehouse Live
Fri., July 31 - Trancend @ The Meridian
Fri., July 31 - 70's Soul Jam, featuring The Dramatics, The Stylistics, & Rose Royce @ Arena Theatre
Fri., July 31 - Burn Halo/American Fangs/Dine Alone @ Scout Bar (Clear Lake)
Sat., August 1 - ST37/Linus Pauling Quartet/Giant Princess @ Rudyard's
Sat., August 1 - Thee Armada (CD release)/Mechanical Boy/Windsor Drive/betterLUCK/Versecity/Jeffrey Taylor/Tony Oller/Otenki/One Day At A Time @ Warehouse Live
Sat., August 1 - Texas Ska Fest, featuring Hub City Stompers, Always Guilty, & more @ Fitzgerald's
Sat., August 1 - Mydolls/The Hickoids/Anarchitex/AK-47/Texas Biscuit Bombs @ The Mink (noon)
Sat., August 1 - Houston International Jazz Festival, featuring Grupo Niche @ Discovery Green
Sat., August 1 - Counting Crows/Michael Franti & Spearhead/Augustana @ Sam Houston Race Park
Sat., August 1 - Kiki Melendez' Hot Tamales @ House of Blues
Sat., August 1 - Guy Forsyth @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., August 1 - Sean Hannity Freedom Concert, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Daniels Band, Michael W. Smith, Lee Greenwood, & Oliver North @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., August 1 - Osirus @ Gary's Spot (Tomball)
Sun., August 2 - De La Soul/Rhythm Roots All Stars @ House of Blues
Sun., August 2 - Bob Dylan and His Band/Willie Nelson/John Mellencamp @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun., August 2 - DevilDriver/Emmure/Despised Icon/My Children My Bride/Veil of Maya/For the Fallen Dreams/Oceano/Periphery/Thy Will Be Done @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., August 2 - Houston International Jazz Festival, featuring Rachelle Ferrell @ Discovery Green
Sun., August 2 - Katy Perry @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Sat., August 4 - Atmosphere/Eyedea & Abilities/Attracted to Gods @ Warehouse Live
Tues., August 4 - Th' Legendary Shack Shakers/Bobby Bare Jr. @ Rudyard's
Tues., August 4 - The Cab/A Rocket To The Moon/The Summer Set/Eye Alaska/My Favorite Highway @ Warehouse Live
Tues., August 4 - Sam Bradley @ The Continental Club
Wed., August 5 - Wildcat Revival @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., August 6 - The Littlest Viking/They Mean Us/Perkasie/We Leave at Midnight/The Boxcar Bandits @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., August 6 - Generation Landslide @ Rudyard's
Thurs., August 6 - Dimitri's Rail/Michael Flores @ Hard Rock Cafe
Thurs., August 6 - Bob Schneider @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., August 7 - Method Man/Redman/Ghostface Killah @ House of Blues
Fri., August 7 - Mötley Crüe/Godsmack/Theory of a Deadman/Drowning Pool/Charm City Devils @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., August 7 - Floating Action/Generationals @ Super Happy Fun Land (late show!)
Fri., August 7 - White Rhino/Whorehound/Trian Woodburns @ Rudyard's
Fri., August 7 - Marco Antonio Solis/Pepe Aguilar @ Toyota Center
Fri.-Sat., August 7-8 - The Ornery Theatre @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., August 8 - Green Day/Franz Ferdinand @ Toyota Center
Sat., August 8 - Chris Isaak @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Sat., August 8 - Sisters Morales (en Espanol) @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., August 8 - Chris Hawkes/Bob Barney @ Rudyard's
Sat., August 8 - George Strait/Blake Shelton/Sugarland/Julianne Hough @ Reliant Stadium
Sat., August 8 - Bob Schneider/T Bird and the Breaks/Jeff Boortz Band @ Warehouse Live
Sat., August 8 - Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra @ House of Blues
Sat., August 8 - Badfish (A Tribute to Sublime)/Scotty Don't/Ryan Scroggins & the Trenchtown Texans @ Sam Houston Race Park
Sat., August 8 - KC and the Sunshine Band @ Stafford Centre
Sun., August 9 - Totally Wired, featuring Dean Dirg, Autistic Youth, & No Talk @ The Mink
Sun., August 9 - Hoodshock Fest 2009, featuring Liferuiner, Years Spent Cold, Through the Fire, Betrayal, & more @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., August 9 - A Love Like Pi/Asteria/Theatre Breaks Loose/Gabriel The Marine @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sun., August 9 - Hamilton Loomis @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Mon., August 10 - The Ornery Theatre @ Super Happy Fun Land
Wed., August 12 - Our Lady Peace @ House of Blues
Wed., August 12 - Four Year Strong/Set Your Goals/Polar Bear Club/Fireworks/Drive A @ Javajazz Coffee House
Thurs., August 13 - Avant/Mateo @ House of Blues
Thurs., August 13 - Thunderbolt Suit @ Rudyard's
Thurs., August 13 - Hat Talk @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., August 13 - Ricardo Ariona @ Toyota Center
Fri., August 14 - The Lonely H @ Rudyard's
Fri., August 14 - Mutating Meltdown/The Wiggins @ Mango's
Fri., August 14 - Corey Smith @ House of Blues
Fri., August 14 - Blue October/Switchfoot @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Fri., August 14 - The Honor Society @ House of Blues
Fri., August 14 - The Jonas Brothers/Jordin Sparks/Honor Society @ Toyota Center
Fri., August 14 - Daughtry @ Warehouse Live
Fri.-Sun., August 14-16 - Woodstock 40th Anniversary Party, featuring a bunch of folks @ Last Concert Cafe ($15/day or $35/weekend)
Sat., August 15 - Sleeping in the Aviary/The McKenzies/Murdocks @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., August 15 - Galactic Cowboys/Galea/Leaf @ Warehouse Live
Sat., August 15 - Chelsea Hotel @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Sat., August 15 - Cameo/SOS Band/One Way @ Arena Theater
Sat., August 15 - Back in Black (AC/DC tribute)/Tragedy (Bee Gees tribute) @ House of Blues
Sun., August 16 - Fear/Agent Orange/Total Chaos/D.I./The American Heist/Bark Hard/Blackmarket Syndicate/Room 101 @ The Meridian (2PM)
Sun., August 16 - Battle of the Bands, featuring Bythetimeyoureadthis & more @ Fitzgerald's
Sun., August 16 - Suffokate/Knights of the Abyss/Blind Witness/This Or The Apocalypse/Wretched/In The Storm @ Javajazz Coffee House
Mon., August 17 - The Focus Group/Falcon Buddies/Iji/Watercolor Paintings @ Super Happy Fun Land
Mon., August 17 - The Impulse Intl. (ex-Dirt Bike Annie) @ The Mink
Tues., August 18 - Xrin Arms @ Super Happy Fun Land
Wed., August 19 - Def Leppard/Poison/Cheap Trick @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Wed., August 19 - The Start/The Boxing Lesson/Osirus @ Rudyard's
Wed., August 19 - Head Trip Conception/Data Recovery @ Super Happy Fun Land
Thurs., August 20 - O Pioneers!!!/Andrew Jackson Jihad/Molotov Compromise @ Mango's
Thurs., August 20 - Wayward Sons @ Rudyard's
Thurs., August 20 - Babsonicos @ House of Blues
Fri., August 21 - Incubus/The Duke Spirit @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., August 21 - Rebirth Brass Band/Revivalists/Plump @ Warehouse Live
Fri., August 21 - Soul Rebels Brass Band/Evick @ The Meridian
Fri., August 21 - MacAdams @ Rudyard's
Fri., August 21 - Jack Saunders @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., August 21 - Tribute to Wayman Tisdale, featuring Norman Brown, Eric Darius, & Pieces of a Dream @ Arena Theater
Sat., August 22 - Dimefest III, featuring Mercenary X, Epic, Sounds Of A Solemn Mind, Necrofaith, Within Chaos, Powderburn, & A Dream Asleep @ The Meridian
Sat., August 22 - Donkey Punch @ Rudyard's
Sat., August 22 - Leo Party & Ukelele Festival, featuring a bunch of ukelele-playing bands? @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., August 22 - The Crush/We Could Be Heroes @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., August 22 - Sugar Ray/Fastball @ House of Blues
Sat., August 22 - Lil Wayne/Drake/Soulja Boy/Young Jeezy/Jeremih/Pleasure P @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun., August 23 - Blondie/Pat Benatar/The Donnas @ Arena Theater
Sun., August 23 - A Lull/Firs of Prey/The Ocean Floor @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tues., August 25 - Paul Thorn @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Wed., August 26 - Beto Cuevas @ House of Blues
Thurs., August 27 - Heart @ Arena Theatre
Thurs., August 27 - Ian McLagan @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., August 28 - Black Congress (7" release) @ Rudyard's
Fri., August 28 - Crosby, Stills and Nash @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., August 28 - Stray From The Path/Waverly Hills/Scoria/The Murder and the Harlot/Hematidrosis/Battle of Champions @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., August 28 - Ray Bonneville @ Anderson Fair
Fri., August 28 - Jimmy LaFave @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., August 29 - Sound of Seattle, featuring TEN (Pearl Jam tribute), Badmother (Soundgarden/Temple of the Dog tribute), & Facelift (Alice in Chains tribute) @ House of Blues
Sat., August 29 - Brains For Dinner @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sat., August 29 - Ray Wylie Hubbard @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., August 29 - Across the Water @ Anderson Fair
Sun., August 30 - Depeche Mode/Peter, Bjorn and John @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Mon., August 31 - Nebula/The Entrance Band @ Walter's on Washington
Tues., September 1 - Collective Soul/Black Stone Cherry @ House of Blues
Tues., September 1 - Radney Foster @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Thurs., September 3 - Rebelution/Outlaw Nation/Iration @ Warehouse Live
Thurs., September 3 - Rockapella @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., September 4 - Blood on the Dance Floor/Karate High School/Electric Valentine/Metroid @ Javajazz Coffee House
Fri., September 4 - Greg Trooper @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., September 5 - Paolo Nutini/Anya Marina @ Warehouse Live
Sat., September 5 - Forever The Sickest Kids/Sky Eats Airplane/Driver F/Thee Armada @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., September 5 - D12/Potluck @ House of Blues
Sat., September 5 - Gahenna Fest 2, featuring Forever The Sickest Kids & more @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sat., September 5 - Shake Russell @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., September 6 - The Cult @ House of Blues
Mon., September 7 - The Dandy Warhols/Spindrift @ Warehouse Live
Thurs., September 10 - Baskery @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., September 11 - Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley/Jimmy Wayne @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., September 12 - Electric Attitude/Deep Ella/Fake Believe/Alkari/Yokomono/The Watermarks/Neon Collars @ The Mink (6PM)
Sat., September 12 - Nickelback/Hinder/Papa Roach/Saving Abel @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., September 12 - Ray Bookbinder @ Anderson Fair
Mon., September 14 - Zing! @ Super Happy Fun Land
Wed., September 16 - Chickenfoot/Davy Knowles @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Wed., September 16 - Britney Spears @ Toyota Center
Fri., September 18 - Mötörhead/Nashville Pussy/Reverend Horton Heat @ Warehouse Live
Fri., September 18 - Druha Trava @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., September 19 - Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., September 19 - Lupillo Rivera @ House of Blues
Sat., September 19 - Guitars & Saxes, featuring Euge Groove, Jeff Golub, Jeff Lorber, & Jessy J @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Wed., September 23 - Experimental Dental School/El Paso Hot Button/Holy Fiction @ The Mink (9PM; $6)
Wed., September 23 - Mitchel Musso @ House of Blues
Thurs., September 24 - Pink @ Toyota Center
Thurs., September 24 - Corb Lund @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Thurs., September 24 - Blink 182/Fall Out Boy @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri., September 25 - Sugar Bayou @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., September 25 - Creed @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., September 26 - Psychedelic Furs/Happy Mondays @ House of Blues
Sat., September 26 - The Small Sounds @ Jet Lounge
Sat., September 26 - Marshall Ford @ Anderson Fair
Wed., September 30 - John Legend/Laura Izibor @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Thurs., October 1 - The Airborne Toxic Event @ House of Blues
Thurs., October 1 - Jonell Mosser @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri.-Sat., October 2-3 - Porterdavis (CD release) @ Anderson Fair
Sat., October 3 - The Dodos/The Ruby Suns @ The Orange Show
Sat., October 3 - Greencards @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., October 3 - Freddie Jackson/Howard Hewett @ Arena Theater
Mon., October 5 - Snow Patrol/Plain White T's @ Warehouse Live
Tues., October 6 - Kings of Leon/White Lies @ Toyota Center
Tues., October 6 - Sunny Day Real Estate/The Jealous Sound @ Warehouse Live
Fri., October 9 - Jimmy LaFave @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., October 10 - Die Young (final show!)/7 Generations/The Golden Age/Folsom @ Walter's on Washington
Sun., October 11 - Vicente Fernandez/Shaila Durcal @ Toyota Center
Wed., October 14 - U2/Muse @ Reliant Stadium
Wed., October 14 - Pinktober, featuring Gloriana @ Hard Rock Cafe
Fri., October 16 - Michelle Shocked @ Warehouse Live
Fri., October 16 - Terri Hendrix @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., October 17 - The Allman Brothers Band/Widespread Panic @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sat., October 17 - Guy Forsyth @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., October 17 - Mark Stuart/Stacey Earle @ Anderson Fair
Thurs., October 22 - Kady Malloy @ Hard Rock Cafe
Fri., October 23 - Dinosaur Jr./Built To Spill @ Warehouse Live
Fri., October 23 - Yo! MTV RapFest, featuring Naughty By Nature, 2 Live Crew, Big Daddy Kane, Tone Loc, Rob Base, & Ed Lover @ Arena Theatre
Fri., October 23 - Mat Kearney @ House of Blues
Sat., October 24 - 15th Annual Houston Women's Festival, featuring Sarah Bettens, Carrie Rodriguez, Blame Sally, & Ginger Leigh @ Jones Plaza
Sat., October 24 - Richard Gilewitz @ Anderson Fair
Thurs., October 29 - The Pogues @ House of Blues
Thurs., October 29 - Webb Wilder @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., October 30 - Mute Math @ Warehouse Live
Sat., October 31 - Owl City/The Scene Aesthetic/Brooke Waggoner @ Javajazz Coffee House
Sun., November 1 - David Wilcox @ NiaMoves (508 Pecore)
Sun., November 1 - Doobie Brothers @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Wed., November 4 - Igor and the Red Elvises @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Thurs., November 5 - Stryper/Flight Patterns @ House of Blues
Fri., November 6 - Moonspell/Samael/Book Of Black Earth/Secrets of the Moon @ Warehouse Live
Fri., November 6 - Austin Lounge Lizards @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., November 7 - Houston Music Festival, featuring Frankie Beverly & Maze, Teena Marie, & Babyface @ Reliant Arena
Sat., November 7 - Eric Taylor @ Anderson Fair
Thurs., November 12 - Seth Walker @ Warehouse Live
Sat., November 14 - Tom Russell @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., November 15 - Darrell Scott @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., November 20 - Slaid Cleaves @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., November 21 - Ruthie Foster @ House of Blues
Sat., November 21 - Caroline Herring @ Anderson Fair
Wed., November 25 - Band of Heathens @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Fri., November 27 - Jimmy LaFave @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sun., December 6 - Wine and Alchemy @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Sat., December 26 - Asylum Street Spankers @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
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H-TOWN MIXTAPE:
FEATURED BANDS: the last place you look [5/27/09]; The Born Liars [3/6/09]; The Mathletes [1/1/09]; The Tontons [12/23/08]
REVIEWS:
FEATURES:Paris Falls, Volume III [06/20/09]
I think Volume III works best when viewed as part of a bigger whole, right alongside Paris Falls' previous efforts, Vol. 1 and Vol. II. Going by the band's choice of titles for the three albums so far, it sure seems like they intended there to be some kind of progression, and even if they didn't, well, the theme definitely fits when Volume III rolls into view... (Paris Falls is playing their CD release party 6/20/09 at Mango's, along with Airon Paul Dugas & georgia's Horse.)
The Small Sounds, The Small Sounds [06/20/09]
Honestly, the greatest thing about the Small Sounds' self-titled debut has nothing to do with the guitars, the melodies, or even the words. It's just that the album possesses this amazing, gentle warmth -- listening to those jangly guitars swing and sway over vocalist/guitarist Holden Rushing's gravely melancholy voice... (The Small Sounds are playing 6/20/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with Elkart & The Literary Greats.)
Double Dagger, More [06/20/09]
Want some punk for the masses? Blasphemy! Go buy some Green Day if your stomach can't handle real punk. If you get tired of all the hate and madness, however, Double Dagger's More is much easily digestible. What you get, instead of the routine "I hate George Bush," "government oppression," is a rather comical commentary... (Double Dagger is playing 6/23/09 at Super Happy Fun Land, along with Black Congress & Muhammid Ali.)
Heartless Bastards, The Mountain [06/20/09]
The Heartless Bastards' third album, The Mountain, is a return of sorts for Erika Wennerstrom, the leader of the band. After breaking up with the bass player, the previous lineup dissolved, and she replaced them with the people that performed on the Bastards' original demo... (Heartless Bastards are playing 6/24/09 at Warehouse Live, along with Jenny Lewis.)
Eleni Mandell, Artificial Fire [06/20/09]
What's most exciting, and most maddening, about Eleni Mandell is that just when you think you've got her figured out, she spins off in a new direction. And yet, whether cranking out a roots-pop tour de force like 2004's Afternoon or offering up 2007's duskily noir Miracle Of Five, she's never lost her own identity...
Riverboat Gamblers, Underneath the Owl [06/20/09]
The Riverboat Gamblers' latest release for the Volcom label, Underneath the Owl, does well at providing die-hard fans with torrential vocals over quick, slappy guitars, but feels like a shallow push towards marketability -- although I doubt that was the Gamblers' intention...
Death is not a Joyride, The Human Zoo [06/20/09]
The Human Zoo is the first full-length album from Austin's Death is not a Joyride. Recorded by John Congleton of the Polyphonic Spree, it sounds like the dark mirror of that beacon of shiny happiness. The approach on The Human Zoo is highly experimental...
The War On Drugs, Barrel of Batteries EP [06/20/09]
You know when some bands will release an album and have tracks that are just a few seconds long, or maybe a minute long, of just instrumental music? Well, I normally really hate that and just delete them from my iTunes library. However, on The War on Drugs' recent Barrel of Batteries EP, I find myself actually liking that part...
Deleted Scenes, Birdseed Shirt [06/12/09]
You can't force yourself to like somebody; anybody who's been through middle school knows that sad little truth. Even if you're talking with somebody who's got all the same interests as you, somebody who's got the same background, somebody who likes the same things, there's no magic button you can press to instantly make the two of you friends. And that pretty much sums up how I feel about Deleted Scenes' Birdseed Shirt... (Deleted Scenes are playing 6/12/09 at Mango's, along with Young Mammals, News on the March, and Flowers to Hide.)
The Traditionist, Season to Season [06/12/09]
I love a good lyricist. Poets impress, but much of the time I find myself working at it to get a feeling or image from the words. Call me a simpleton, but that's why when I first read of The Traditionist, which advertises influences the likes of Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, I was expecting nothing more than gangly vocals over melodramatic lyrics...
Kylesa, Static Tensions [06/12/09]
Okay, so I do like Kylesa's Static Tensions, but I have to ask: what the hell does it add to your sound, really, to have two drummers? Especially if they're playing the same damn thing (or minute variations thereof)? I get the whole percussionist thing, believe me, and everybody knows dueling guitarists rule...
The Ax, Our Queen of Dirt [06/12/09]
The Ax make a lot more noise than you'd expect a two-piece band to make. On their first album, Our Queen of Dirt, they use a lot of overdubs to flesh out the sound. Their sound is different -- it's a combination of Unwound or Shellac, crossed with a Sonic Youth vibe. You wouldn't ordinarily put Sonic Youth in with that sort of band...
The Vaselines, Enter the Vaselines [06/12/09]
There are only a handful of bands (if that) that have more deluxe, post-career reissue albums than they do actual LPs -- and the Vaselines are one of them. The fact acts, if nothing else, as a testament to the true awesomeness and brevity of this kinky Scottish duo. Perhaps all of this is due to heavy endorsement by Cobain, who often touted the Vaselines as his "favorite band"...
Star Fucking Hipsters, Until We're Dead [06/12/09]
Star Fucking Hipsters are a classic punk band. Their songs rarely clock in over two minutes. Their live shows often involve a couple bottles of Jameson's and a ton of aggression. Their lyrics are politically charged, awakening calls for nonconformity and awareness to the pitfalls of greed and the fruitlessness of war...
Pontiak, Maker [06/07/09]
As the first raw, lava-lamp guitar chords of "Laywayed" rolled forth from my headphones, my first thought was that if this CD was about twice as long, it would be great to listen to it on acid. It wasn't long, however, before I was forced to reconsider. WARNING: Do not listen to Maker on LSD, magic mushrooms, or any other hallucinogenic substance. At least, not unless you can afford a new stereo... (Pontiak is playing 6/7/09 at The Mink, along with Ghost Town Electric & Cavernous.)
Joshua English, Kill For Sport [05/31/09]
When "Promised Land State Park," the first track on Kill For Sport, kicks in, with its fey keys, understated guitars, and brisk drumming, the album seems to be headed straight for Teenage Fanclub/Belle and Sebastian-esque pastoral pop. It's a feint, though, made apparent when Joshua English's vocals come in... (Joshua English is playing 5/31/09 at the i.am.we House (819 Land Grant Dr., Richmond), along with Justin Blumenstock, and 6/1/09 at Mango's.)
Framework, The Intellect of Apes [05/31/09]
I'm conflicted on The Intellect of Apes, the four-song debut EP from Hollywood Black bassist/vocalist Ben Ellis's Framework solo deal. And yeah, what it boils down to, at least for me, is the religion thing -- my heathen self just has a hard time getting past it... (Framework is playing 6/2/09 at The Mink, along with Western Giants, This Old House, sIngs, & Cedar Boy Bailey.)
Audrye Sessions, Audrye Sessions [05/28/09]
Do a little research into this band, and you'll find that they're quite popular with high school crowd, particularly girls. Will features in CosmoGirl and MTV2.com lead to the inevitable appearance on The Hills or the new Twilight soundtrack? Probably not, but all this buzz bodes well for the Oakland quartet, even if I'm a 26-year-old Asian male... (Audrye Sessions is playing 5/28/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with Manchester Orchestra, fun., & Winston Audio.)
Benjamin Wesley, Geschichte [05/22/09]
Where the hell do I start? Just to get 'em out of the way, let's hit the negatives (such as they are) with Benjamin Wesley's debut EP, Geschichte, first. For one, the disc sadly can't compare to seeing the guy live -- there's just no topping watching, open-mouthed, as Wesley nonchalantly plays bass, guitar, keys, and harmonica (and sings, obviously) all at the same freaking time... (Benjamin Wesley is playing 5/22/09 at Mango's, along with Spain Colored Orange.)
Queensryche, American Soldier [05/22/09]
The prospect of another concept album from Queensryche will most assuredly cause many a headbanger to roll their eyes. American Soldier, however, is a truly unique album in its subject matter and execution. For this album, lead singer/lyricist Geoff Tate conducted several interviews with veterans to get their perspective and stories... (Queensryche is playing 5/22/09 at House of Blues.)
City Light, Down The Pacific [05/14/09]
With Down The Pacific, City Light have something of a surprise-attack thing going on. When I first put it in the car stereo, nothing really clicked for me in a major way, and I yanked it back out after only a few songs. I instantly pegged the band's sound as a fuzzy, electronified variety of indie-pop, with half-sleepy vocals, snapping, sometimes-electronic drums... (City Light is playing 5/14/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with Her Space Holiday & Benjamin Wesley.)
listenlisten, Hymns From Rhodesia [05/14/09]
It'd be beyond easy to keep referring to listenlisten as "old-timey" in terms of their sound, but the more I hear, the more of a disservice that too-easy tag seems to me to be to this band. "Old-timey" feels like it connotes a fakeness, a sort of play-acting going on, like SCA dorks at RenFest bashing at one another with padded swords. There's none of that here... (listenlisten is playing 5/15/09 at Mango's, along with Robert Ellis & Buxton, and 5/16/09 at ArtStorm compilation release party at The Mink, along with a ton of other cool bands.)
O Pioneers!!!, Neon Creeps [05/14/09]
I can't think of a decent way to skirt around it, so I'm just going to say it: on their new full-length, Neon Creeps, art-punks O Pioneers!!! truly, seriously remind me of Braid. It's the distorted-yet-jangly guitars that (thankfully) never veer off into hardcore territory, the odd melodic structures within the songs... (O Pioneers!!! is playing 5/15/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with Ninja Gun, Mike Hale, This Year's Tiger, & Hobo Mouth.)
The Christmas Lights, Walk Like a Human [05/14/09]
Treading heavily on the previous footprints of late turn-of-the-century groups such as The Postal Service and contemporary Passion Pit, The Christmas Lights have released their debut record, Walk Like a Human. The record is a remnant of what was once a burgeoning electro-pop scene but which has since become so saturated with artists borrowing and lending that dividing lines are no longer clear...
Dead Man, Euphoria [05/14/09]
Euphoria is an apt title for the sophomore release from Swedish group Dead Man, and proof positive that the resourceful Swedes don't exist in camps of polar opposites -- the poptastic indie rock bubblegum kids versus the hairy, hoary death metal set. The two meet in the middle with Dead Man...
The Soldier Thread, Shapes [05/01/09]
The Soldier Thread may hail from Austin, but the music they make is far, far chillier than any warm Hill Country night could ever be. Rather, they're distant and detached, like stars in a Northern sky. The lush, atmospheric indie-rock this quintet makes is beautiful but remote, with lyrics that drip with bitter venom all smothered in the fey, Eisley-esque vocals of singer Patricia Lynn... (The Soldier Thread is playing 5/2/09 at Dean's Credit Clothing, along with Alpha Rev.)
One of the more intriguing artistic trends in recent years is the reconstitution of the debris of mainstream culture and industry into forms standing at a substantial distance from their original intent. From the sardonic collages of advertising and news broadcasts by Negativland to the recovery of plastic, paper, and other commercial would-be waste... (Atarimatt & great unwashed luminaries are playing 5/1/09 at Super Happy Fun Land, along with Pretty & Nice, The Dee Use, Tran Tran, & Female Demand.)
Winter Wallace, Winter Wallace [05/01/09]
Pre-emptive caveat time: the copy of Winter Wallace's self-titled EP that a friend handed off to me isn't technically her full four-song EP; so I don't entirely know what the whole thing sounds like, although I'm liking what I can hear... (Winter Wallace is playing 5/1/09 at Last Concert Cafe, along with Jacob Meador, The Beautiful Contributors, & Chad Strader.)
The Fresh & Onlys, The Fresh & Onlys [05/01/09]
Driven by many different muses, from an obvious fixation on the psychedelic occult to the ability to produce straightforward rock 'n roll, the Fresh & Onlys have provided yet another item to be added to the canon of West Coast psych rock. Drawing from the likes of the cultish Brian Jonestown Massacre and L.A.'s The Warlocks...
Obits, I Blame You [05/01/09]
Straight out of the hipster bowels of Brooklyn comes possibly the most unassuming yet rawest garage-rock crew you're likely to hear any time real soon. On I Blame You, Obits churn through twelve tracks' worth of driving, dark-as-hell rawk that's at turns drone-y and noisy but never too much of either one...
Mastodon, Crack The Skye [05/01/09]
It's a daunting task to follow up a classic breakthrough album. Many bands take the route of making a copy of what got them where they are. Or worse, making an album that they think people will like. Atlanta's Mastodon, fortunately, decided to make an album that they like...
Culturcide, Year One [05/01/09]
A full generation after the first release of Culturcide's Year One, I have the unfortunate ability of hindsight, with all my exposure to synth-powered sound, glam rock, garage rebellion, what-have-you. I can only put an album in the path of that train. If I could just turn back the clock...
Talk about a tailor-made release... Seeing as -- obviously -- the world naturally spins around yours truly, I'm halfway tempted to think these two bands, The Eastern Sea and News on the March, both of whom happen to be among my tip-top favorite things to listen to of the past year or so, heard I liked 'em both and decided to collaborate pretty much solely to make my day... (The Eastern Sea & News on the March are playing their 7" release show 4/18/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with The Tontons & Bolt.)
Lamb of God, Wrath [04/18/09]
Fucking Awesome. Those two simple words are the perfect description for Wrath, the new release from Lamb of God. Wrath is a return to form that allows the Richmond, Virginia, quintet to reclaim its crown as the new kings of metal... (Lamb of God is playing 4/24/09 at the Verizon Wireless Theater, along with As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, Municipal Waste, & God Forbid.)
Fever Ray, Fever Ray [04/18/09]
At the end of the day, I have to admit it's the accent that makes Fever Ray's self-titled debut so strangely, darkly alluring. Fever Ray everything-woman Karin Dreijer Andersson, who's made her name as half of oddball Swedish electro-pop duo The Knife, has that Scandinavian lilt to her high- (and low-, but I'll get to that) pitched voice and alien, decidedly non-English phrasing...
The Moondoggies, Don't Be A Stranger [04/18/09]
On Don't Be A Stranger, Seattle band The Moondoggies aim squarely at what The Byrds tried to do way, way back in the day -- grafting a psychedelic haziness onto subtle, rootsty folk/country. They take things a step or three further, though, by injecting a heavy dose of gospel-revival sound into the jangly guitars and psych-sounding organ...
The Gary, Chub [04/10/09]
On Chub, Austin band The Gary (none of the members of which, it should be said, are actually named, y'know, Gary) manage to take hold of three of my favorite elements of late-'90s indie-rock, the flat-sounding vocals and understated but still powerful guitars of all those dead-serious Touch and Go/Dischord bands from that era (think Arcwelder, Fugazi, and Silkworm, for three) and the warm, melody-leading bass of fellow Austinites Silver Scooter... (The Gary is playing 4/10/09 at Rudyard's, along with The Jonx.)
Many Birthdays, Emptiness Is Forever [04/10/09]
With the music market now offering paths that circumvent the mechanisms of the music industry entirely, bands have the option of sidestepping the dog-and-pony show of glossy 8x10s and vapid music videos. By the same token, it doesn't hurt to have some quirk, kink, or outright gimmick to prick up the overstimulated ears of Joe Bloglete... (Many Birthdays is playing 4/10/09 at Super Happy Fun Land, along with Perseph One, [Insert Credits], The Good Tryers, & Light.)
First thought: dumb, dumb, dumb name. Second thought: damn, this is good; why the hell didn't I listen to this before now? Tangential (and mostly inconsequential) third thought: what the heck's up with the weird-ass comic book? Put that last part aside, though, and focus on Thought #2, because it's the truth -- goofy name and unnecessarily quirky album art aside, L.A. band You Me & Iowa's The Adventures of You Me & Iowa is a non-stop gem of an indie-rock album...
Caught In Motion, On The Edge Of A Dream [04/10/09]
Popular bands always influence up-and-coming musicians. For every Radiohead or Coldplay, there's a Starsailor or South to counter them -- bands that make decent music but that don't quite reach similar levels of success, for whatever reasons. Portland-based musicians Banah Graf and Sam Krulewitch, recording under the moniker Caught In Motion, seem aware of the pitfalls of relying too much on their influences...
I have to admit, sometimes it's nice to not have to think too much about this stuff. I mean, c'mon -- this is Chicago wildman Andre Williams, the dirtiest, funkiest, nastiest soul singer you're ever in danger of mistaking for one of your grandpa's old-timer friends. He's a truly, truly raunchy dude, the original Dirty Old Man, and as evidenced by the grimy, funky soul of Can You Deal With It?, he ain't changing...
Grady, Y.U. So Shady? [04/03/09]
I've heard bands before that blur the line between Southern-fried rock and the blues -- hell, Stevie Ray Vaughan rode that line at times -- but few obliterate it as completely as Austin's Grady. They grab hold of a fistful of downhome Delta blues licks, drown 'em in cheap whiskey, the run 'em through Godzilla-sized amps they borrowed from Pantera... (Grady is playing 4/3/09 at The Continental Club, along with Two Hoots and a Holler & Molly and the Ringwalds.)
Working on a Dream may seem unfinished to many people. Bruce Springsteen has spent 40 years plumbing the depths for us; the hopeful, escapist youths of Born to Run and the prideful would-be laborers of Born in the U.S.A. spoke without metaphor to our struggle... (Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are playing 4/8/09 at the Toyota Center.)
Bolt, Bolt [04/03/09]
No, this wasn't what I was expecting to hear coming from a bunch of guys who've made their names playing raw, punkish garage-rock in bands like The Monocles and American Sharks. The guitars are thick and "round"-sounding and bluesy, the sound's warm and inviting... (Bolt is playing 4/18/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with News on the March, The Eastern Sea, & The Tontons.)
Future Clouds and Radar, Peoria [04/03/09]
In my book, Austin's Cotton Mather were one of the most sadly underrated bands of the late '90s; while good-but-not-great people like Fastball got the hype and the spotlight, Robert Harrison and company's absolute gem of a magnum opus, Kon Tiki, languished in obscurity. And that still feels downright criminal to me...
The Mother Truckers, Let's All Go To Bed [04/03/09]
This Austin, Texas-based band has brought a tinge of country, rock, and blues on their latest recording, Let's All Go To Bed, creating a pleasantly surprising sound even to a country novice. The album starts out with the rockin' "Dynamite," which finds dual vocalists Teal Collins and Josh Zeal trading off verses...
[CD/7" REVIEWS-MAY || CD/7" REVIEWS-APR. || CD/7" REVIEWS-MAR. || CD/7" REVIEWS-FEB. || REVIEWS ARCHIVE] 
Some bands -- one in a thousand, maybe -- are really, truly, absolutely impossible to resist. There's no real formula for it, no, but they hit this magical sweet spot where it's damned near required that you wear this goofy, wide-open, childlike grin on your face every time you hear that band play. The Wild Moccasins, well, they're that band... (The Wild Moccasins are playing their tour kickoff show Thursday, June 11th, at Mango's, along with Caddywhompus, B L A C K I E, & Urbane Guerrilla Sound System.) [more] || [Jeremy Hart] || [06/11/09]
What a difference a year makes. Just last summer, The All-American Rejects were performing in malls and taking upÊwee parts in films. Now they're headlining a tour that is to take them to 26 cities across the U.S and Europe. "We've been lucky enough to play every kind of room imaginable," say Mike Kennerty, the band's guitarist and backup vocalist... [more] || [Rafael Rivas] || [06/11/09]
We didn't make it to the show in time to see much of Black Joe Lewis. First, it was hard for us to get out the door that night. While waiting for the babysitter, our daughter began to get sick (ah, the joys of parenting). After putting her to sleep, we were finally able to get on the road... [more] || [Teri Sue Bailey] || [05/28/09]
I got the chance to hear some of Nico Vega's first full-length album they released earlier this year and was very impressed. Their heavy, melodic sound and in-your-face vocals had me pondering what kind of live performance they would give. With that kind of genre, it was going to be either sloppy or brilliant... [more] || [Quinn Alexander] || [05/28/09]
georgia's Horse. has always been somewhat of an enigma to me -- the "band," such as it is, has always seemed amorphous and unclear, maybe a collection of people and maybe the sole artistic vision of one. Whether it's one person or six, though, the music made in the band's name is awesomely dark and murky, "country" in the same way that The Cowboy Junkies are "country"... (georgia's Horse. is playing 5/24/09 at Super Happy Fun Land, along with Apple Miner Colony, Maco Terr, & Everyone Only, and also 6/20/09 at Mango's, along with Paris Falls & Airon Paul Dugas and the Religion.) [more] || [Jeremy Hart] || [05/24/09]
So it was Friday night and two of my favorite bands were playing at Fitzgerald's. The Vettes, a pop rock group out of New Orleans with a really great retro-synth-'80s feel, and the bad boys of Houston's underground, American Fangs. Now don't get me wrong, there were other notables there as well, but The Vettes and American Fangs were who I was there to see... [more] || [Dremaceo Giles] || [05/24/09]
Jandek surfaced at DiverseWorks last Sunday for an hour and five minutes of improv chamber music. This was as unlike any of his other music as his other music is to everyone else's music. There were no vocals. Jandek remained seated throughout, and may never have looked in the direction of the audience. He sparsely played an electric five-string bass guitar with a pick and slide... [more] || [Creg Lovett] || [05/11/09]
"It sure does smell in here." That was my prevailing thought while standing in a packed Verizon Wireless Theater, waiting for Lamb of God to take the stage. The legions of metalheads had packed the venue for the No Fear Energy Tour. The odor of two thousand metallic fans sweating out a sugar coma-inducing energy drink was way too prevalent... [more] || [Scott Whitt] || [05/11/09]
For a musician that's been making music since the mid-'70s, that fact that Paul Weller has never fully caught on in America is a shame. The singer's distinguished and varied career is full of political punk anthems and soulful pop gems that continue to influence new crops of British musicians. This night's concert shows why the nearly 51-year-old is still able to maintain a dedicated following... [more] || [David A. Cobb] || [04/27/09]
Whether it's mainstream rock/pop designed to appeal to consumers or folk songs and traditions that have lasted for hundreds of years, static rhythm and tonality are always present in popular music. That leads to the question, though: how are common denominators such as static rhythm or tonality relatable to the majority of people in a culture?... (Ikue Mori & Zeena Parkins perform as Phantom Orchard Sunday, April 26th at Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex (2201 Preston). $13 general admission, $10 students, under 18 free; 8PM.) [more] || [Michelle Yom] || [04/25/09]
It was the one song that got me hooked; I'll admit it. I accidentally heard "Le Kick," arguably the crowning moment off H-town quintet American Fangs' self-titled debut EP, while meandering around online, and once it slammed in, as full-force and in-your-face as the song's title suggests, I couldn't pull away... (American Fangs is playing 4/24/09 at Mango's, with The Manichean & Heptic Skeptic, and 5/8/09 at Fitzgerald's, with Dremnt The End, The 71's, Female Demand, & A Dream Asleep.) [more] || [Jeremy Hart] || [04/24/09]
The inclement weather has passed, and people are outside congregating in the front of the venue, indistinctly chattering with hands in their pockets. Angst-ridden and stoked, they wait in line for the main feature: Silverstein at the House of Blues. The Canadian band was a hit at The Meridian last year, and today they come bearing a gift, their fourth album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, hot off the presses... [more] || [Rafael Rivas] || [04/19/09]
Most experienced audiences of improvised music in Houston have witnessed performers trying out new sounds on stage, treating their sonic tools with curiosity or even playing without any real intention. Incidences like this seem to happen a lot in Houston, where improvising musicians have no pressure to conform to a movement, as there is really none. With that said, it's always nice when master musicians from out of town come and play... (The Ab Baars Trio and Ken Vandermark play Saturday, April 11th at Talento Bilingue de Houston (333 South Jensen Dr.); $13 general, $10 students, under 18 free, 8PM.) [more] || [Michelle Yom] || [04/10/09]
Nature invents no taxonomies. Rather, it is one of the primal impulses of man to transform seemingly chaotic masses of data into systems delineated by logic and easily maneuvered by reasonable associations of habitat and habit. It is no different in the biology of music, especially in the micro-minutiae classifications that obsess one of Providence's most peculiar specimens -- the Record Nerd... (Mi Ami plays at The Backroom at The Mink on Wednesday, March 4th, along with Thank You & Tambersauro; 9PM, $7.) [more] || [Thomas McLuhan] || [03/03/09]
Gifted song writers don't quit writing songs just because some people say that most of their hits are far behind them. Two of the founding members of classic rock group America, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, demonstrated that they are the epitome of that saying, bringing material both old and new to their sold-out performance last Saturday night at the Stafford Centre... [more] || [Bill Reed] || [2/26/09]
Maggie Nicols is a self-described musician, performer, community catalyst, teacher, dancer, singer of songs and sounds, improviser, composer, actor, and activist. With a background in theater and dance, she has incorporated coughing, multiphonics, ad-lib speech, tap dancing, and humorously laying across the stage wearing a t-shirt that says "Who's going to dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians?"... (Maggie Nicols is playing 2/15/09 at DiverseWorks, with Fred Frith & Susan Alcorn.) [more] || [Michelle Yom] || [02/09/09]
Looks like it's once again time for my annual Fishbone Show ReviewTM. Well, at least I thought it was an annual thing, but a quick SCR search reveals my last live show review for the 'Bone was back in 2000. I know I've seen them at least four times since then, so I must be slacking off as I creep toward my tenth year of Space City Rock-itude... [more] || [Mel House] || [02/09/09]
I think the last time I caught The Supersuckers live, they were playing with Jesse Dayton (of course) at Fitzgerald's. That was back in my "I'm in a silly punk band" period...which was a while ago (although I was still old enough to know better). At any rate, that was the last time I saw the "Greatest Rock n' Roll Band In the World" on stage, although I've kept up somewhat with their recorded output since... [more] || [Mel House] || [01/05/09]
It was Sunday evening and it was getting late. Another weekend was about to give way to a work week. But wasn't giving in yet. I decided to venture out anyway, into the cool, dark night to Houston's Washington Avenue while the rest of the city headed to bed. As I pulled up to Walter's on Washington, I couldn't believe how few cars were there. I was shocked... [more] || [Pedro] || [01/05/09]
Something Fierce fairly exploded onto the punk scene 'round these parts a year or three ago, stunning audiences and critics alike with the fiery, poppy, Britpunk-throwback brand of punk rock showcased on debut full-length Come For The Bastards. It's roaring, blazing stuff, yell-along catchy and melodic but still sharp as a switchblade; the songs these three kids come up with may be punk, but they're also surprisingly subtle, complex, and focused... [more] || [Jeremy Hart] || [12/11/08]
Mike Kinsella is a Chicago cult classic who has wooed indie audiences since 1989, providing lead guitar, drums, and vocals for bands including Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, and American Football. His uniquely acerbic, intelligent, and often self-deprecating social commentary in his latest project, Owen, has a fresh quality above other emo/indie one-guy-and-a-guitar acts... [more] || [Jessica Golden] || [11/24/08]
If it were a dog, the dog would live in a pink leather purse carried around by some actress or another being filmed by TMZ. If it were a color, the color would be in blinking neon on a sign outside a strip club that prides itself as classy. If it were a cereal, it would be warm Grape Nuts eaten by a man late for his tee-time at a country club in River Oaks... [more] || [Brandon Hernsberger] || [11/24/08]
Seattle. Heavy. Brutal. Think early Soundgarden. Think Tad. This is Akimbo. Three that sound like ten. All with sledgehammers. Sledgehammers pounding on large, jagged chunks of steel. Smashing this steel. Smashing it into something brutally beautiful. They can stretch this metal. They can make it move like taffy. Taffy made of rebar. Rebar that is bent and folded back on itself... [more] || [Andrew Perkins] || [10/30/08]
Blimey, mate! Last Saturday night at the Houston-area Stafford Centre was an incredible, retrofitted return to the musical influences that once resonated from the original British Invasion era in American rock music. Frontman Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits brought with him an entourage of fellow musicians to recapture moments from this previous mid-'60s style of pop-rock fare. The set list from the show reads like a veritable radio city menu of Anglophonic music from this pivotal period... [more] || [Bill Reed] || [10/27/08]
I had the distinct pleasure of visiting a Joe Bonamassa concert at the Stafford Centre in the Houston area last Saturday night. It was a fantastic exhibition of musicianship and high-spirited entertainment. They used to call him "Smokin' Joe," even though he has repeatedly expressed his dislike for that particular tag. Well, he may have successfully divorced himself from the nickname, but he sure hasn't quit smokin'. For those who haven't been keeping up with current events, Joe Bonamassa is still one of the most talented guitar virtuosos out there today... [more] || [Bill Reed] || [09/29/08]
Often I find myself bemoaning the number of bands skipping Houston on tours, and with a recent history of poor show turn-outs and the Two Gallants incident weighted against the city, I know this unfortunate trend isn't likely to change overnight. Even bands from our neighboring Austin seem to be giving us the cold shoulder from time to time, making me all the more grateful for a band like The Octopus Project, who in the last three years I have now seen four times right here in Houston... [more] || [Wes Buhler] || [09/26/08]
The Old 97's are easily one of my favorite bands. They sit safely within the cadre of acts in my music catalog whose albums I will buy no matter what and who I will pay to see live whenever they come even remotely close to where I live. In the past, I've been somewhat disappointed by this completist habit of mine (Pearl Jam's No Code and the Misfits' 25th Anniversary Tour come immediately to mind), but the 97's have never, ever, ever failed to rock my ass... [more] || [Mel House] || [08/26/08]
It's hard to write about a Tilly and the Wall show. Very hard. Because people will inevitably expect you to write about the tapping. Or about the balloons. Or about the exploding confetti. Or about the adoring (read: a wee bit crazy) fans who make cupcakes for the band and bring Silly String to shoot square in the face of unsuspecting music writers trying to sip a beverage. It's also hard to write about a Tilly and the Wall show because there's really nothing else like one, at least nothing I've ever seen... [more] || [Brandon Hernsberger] || [08/14/08]
Try saying this out loud: "Michale Graves, former lead singer of the Misfits, is playing an acoustic show at a church in Conroe." Shit, you got my attention. Of course I had some trepidation about checking this show out, but most of my fears were assuaged by the fact that Graves is a talented motherfucker. I pretty much knew going in that Mike would transcend the incongruity of the whole thing and put on a show worth driving through Thursday night white-flight traffic... [more] || [Mel House] || [08/14/08]
Frightened Rabbit is nothing if not sincere. The band members make music (written almost exclusively by lead singer Scott Hutchison) that rips on emotion, with lyrics like a helmet-less motorcycle ride headed straight for a brick wall covered with dying ivy (that used to smell like daisies). "I might not want you back but I want to kill him," "I am armed with the past and a will and a brick," and "Twist and whisper the wrong name / I don't care and nor do my ears / I need human heat," are but a small representation... [more] || [Brandon Hernsberger] || [07/30/08]
Houston is abuzz with talk about Chris Gray's recent article in the Houston Press on the city's diehard goth scene. Though some might say that the glory days are past, Saturday's Underworld show at Numbers should be a sufficient argument against our spooky kids' premature burial. The night was slated to be one of decadence and debauchery, in celebration of local corset-maker Kenny Arocha's birthday... [more] || [Jef With One F] || [07/19/08]
[LIVE REVIEWS-MAY || FEATURES-APR. || LIVE REVIEWS-APR. || FEATURES-MAR. || FEATURES-FEB. || LIVE REVIEWS-FEB. || FEATURES-DEC. || ARCHIVE]
PAST STUFF: Women, Women [03/18/09]
I'm not completely sure what to make of the intertwined, fuzzy (well, partly), messy knot of an album that is the self-titled debut of Calgary foursome Women. When it first starts, with the haunted voices, fucked-up guitars, and thwacking drums of too-short "Cameras," I feel like I'm staring down the barrel of a reinvented VU... (Women is playing 3/18/09 at Rudyard's, along with Crystal Stilts & Chase Hamblin.)
American Fangs, American Fangs EP [03/18/09]
How do you come up with what's bound to be one of the rawest, most crushingly addictive rock songs to come out of this just-started year? If you're American Fangs, you begin with a stomping, challenging rhythm and some guitar scrapes and throw on slurring, snarling, semi-threatening vocals... (American Fangs is playing 3/22/09 at RocBar, and also 3/28/09 at the Free Press Houston Westheimer Block Party, along with a ton of bands.)
Looking backwards from a musical landscape populated by plenty of heavy/soft dynamic shifts, fiery power-chord guitars, and yelled/sung melodies, it occurs to me now the thing that drew me to the whole emo thing wasn't really the music... (thelastplaceyoulook is playing 3/27/09 at Warehouse Live, along with Mothers Anthem, Lockehart, Mechanical Boy, Goodnight Goddess, & Another Run, and also 3/28/09 at the Free Press Houston Westheimer Block Party, along with a ton of bands.)
Those hoping for Electric Psychedelic Sitar Headswirlers Vol. 88 may not get exactly what they're looking for, but this is a fine release from Urck nonetheles. It's a two-CD (it was issued on vinyl a while back) set of avant-garde, traditional, psych and electronic sounds made primarily by Westerners on stuff like ouds...
Made in Mexico, Guerillaton [03/18/09]
On their second album, Guerillaton, Made in Mexico combines two styles you wouldn't think could possibly combine coherently, but they do -- namely, no-wave and reggaeton. And they make it work really well, in a highly original take on either genre...
Rahway, Snitches Get Stitches [03/18/09]
They always say to never judge a book by its cover. That's never been truer with the new CD by Rahway, Snitches Get Stitches. The cover looks like a Photoshop project that a band member did in school. Ten years ago. Don't let the generic graphics fool you, however...
The Favorites, Bright Nights, Bright Lights [03/06/09]
I'll admit that when it started, I was nervous. The bumping bass, the half-whispered (or half-muttered, maybe) vocals, the retro-sounding synths; it all made me wonder if Bright Nights, Bright Lights was headed straight into tepid, mid-'90s bland-rock territory. Then the killer, carved-into-my-brain hook came in, with its sing-song-y, smirking half-threat... (The Favorites are playing 3/6/09 at Rudyard's, along with betterLUCK & Esther Vonne & the Rottens.)
Scale The Summit, Carving Desert Canyons [03/06/09]
With Carving Desert Canyons, Scale The Summit does something few other instro-metal bands have been able to do, at least for me -- they've taken the long-reviled guitar-shredder motif, stripped it of all the jaded, post-ironic hipsterness, set it on fire, and aimed the burning ship straight at the heart of the sun. And that's a good thing from where I sit... (Scale The Summit is playing 5/2/09 at Javajazz Coffee House in Spring, along with Protest The Hero, Misery Signals, & The Number Twelve Looks Like You.)
The Coke Dares, Feelin' Up [03/06/09]
The Coke Dares feature the rhythm section from the Magnolia Electric Company, but their stuff is nothing like Jason Molina's -- this is stripped-down punk rock, along the lines of Buzzcocks or the Minutemen but with a catchy garage-rock streak. Their songs have that Minutemen terseness...
The Points, The Points [03/06/09]
I think I'm overthinking this. I've been wrestling with The Points' self-titled debut for way too long, trying to figure out something pithy to say about the Washington, DC, trio, and for the most part, I've got not much beyond, "They sound like the Ramones"...
Shark Speed, Sea Sick Music [03/06/09]
Provo, Utah-based band Shark Speed released their first full-length, independent album, Sea Sick Music, this month at a CD release show in Provo, where the band handed out the album free to all who attended. The band took out loans and scraped together the money necessary to travel to Arizona...
Golden Cities, Golden Cities [02/06/09]
It'd be way, way easy to lump Golden Cities in with the whole guitar-heavy, spacey-atmospherics crowd, tag them as Explosions in the Sky 2.0 (3.5?), and move on. I mean, there's a fair bit of doubled, echoey guitars on here, particularly on tracks like "The Beautiful Death of Immortality." To pigeonhole these guys like that, though, would be a major disservice... (Golden Cities is playing 2/6/09 at Rudyard's, along with The Appleseed Cast & The Hungry Villagers.)
Loney, Dear, Dear John [02/06/09]
Ever since I first heard "Airport Surroundings" on NPR's All Songs Considered back in December, I have not been able to get Loney, Dear out of my head. I waited patiently for almost two months to be able to have that particular song and others from the new album, Dear John, on my iPod and to be able to blast it as I walk through my college campus... (Loney, Dear is playing 2/10/09 at Rudyard's, along with News on the March & Alkari.)
P.O.S., Never Better [02/06/09]
I honestly didn't think he'd be able to pull it off. After 2006's mind-crushingly awesome Audition, with its paranoiac rhymes, punk-rock-ified beats, popcult-fueled riffs on suicide and revenge, and full-on angry-ass vibe, I figured nah, there was no way Minneapolis skate-rapper P.O.S. would be able to come anywhere near that high-water mark, much less beat it. I'm happy to say I was wrong...
Built By Snow, Mega [02/06/09]
Austin's Built By Snow's sophomore release Mega injects a quick dose of Atari-influenced nerd-pop. I get the feeling these kids spent more time in arcades than J.J. Cooney, but instead of Fear, their headphones were jammin' to The Cars and Cheap Trick while in battles with the Bishop... (Built By Snow is playing 2/14/09 at Walter's on Washington, along with The McKenzies, The Tontons, & The Mathletes.)
Maps of Norway, Die Off Songbird [02/06/09]
Minneapolis indie outfit Maps of Norway has released their second album, Die Off Songbird, touting somewhat elevated guitar ramblings and vocal presence over their first outing. Featuring ex-Vespertine Jeff Ball and Eric Hanson, ex-Unbelievable Jolly Machine Matt Helgeson, and newcomer Rebecca Leigh, the group has put together a close-dozen collection of new songs...
Joni Davis, A Bird's Heart [02/06/09]
There's a scene in H. G. Wells's The Time Machine where the Time Traveler pushes his machine millions of years into the future and sits on a beach under a dying red sun. There, he watches life itself begin to fade, like a person with terminal cancer slipping off bit by bit...
The Wild Moccasins, Microscopic Metronomes [01/20/09]
I'm envious. Honestly, that's what I am -- I mean, how can I not be? With their eagerly-anticipated Microscopic Metronomes EP, The Wild Moccasins have distilled the essence of what it's like to be young and wild and carefree, and I'll be damned if it doesn't make me feel real fucking old. Not mad at the band for that, mind you; listening to The Wild Moccasins is like opening the door to a stuffy, overheated room and letting in a rush of cool breeze... (The Wild Moccasins are playing their EP release show 1/23/09 at Walter's on Washington, with Teenage Kicks, Buxton, & DJ ADR.)
The Born Liars, Ragged Island [01/20/09]
After a lot of thought, I've realized that the thing I like the most about the Born Liars, what makes 'em stand out from the crowd of loud, punkish, garage-y rockers, is, well, that they've got heart. It sounds sappy, I know, but it's the truth; they're real, they're genuine, and there's no posing in sight... (The Born Liars are playing 3/20/09 at Rudyard's, with Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders.)
Talkdemonic, Eyes at Half Mast [01/20/09]
Eyes At Half Mast is the latest release from Portland, Oregon's Talkdemonic, originally a solo project, Talkdemonic blends hip-hop style beats with piano and viola, primarily, to achieve its unique sound. While the album is essentially an instrumental (sans a few backing chants here and there), the music holds your attention enough that you don't even notice...
Wilderness, (k)no(w)here [01/20/09]
It was like walking alone in the mind of a person tripping on acid while hallucinating on mushrooms. The guitar strummed, and it began; the sounds hit like a wave of colors smacking me in the face, waking me up to a new world. The drums followed soon after, and I realized I was falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, falling and screaming...
Dillinger Four, Civil War [01/20/09]
Minneapolis punk band Dillinger Four finally returns with their fourth album. Civil War is another slice of their Hüsker Dü-meets-Southern Califoria sound. If anyone was worried about the band's six-year break between albums, never fear -- Civil War shows them in fine form. It's packed with lots of great songs and energetic backing from the band...
Totimoshi, Milagrosa [01/20/09]
Bay Area band Totimoshi is a power trio not afraid to sound much bigger than their numbers. Milagrosa, Totimoshi's fifth album, is big, bombastic stuff. Jangly guitars mix well with a thumping bass and heavy, cymbal-driven drums. Slightly proggy vocal parts reminds me of David Bowie or Ian Anderson...
Followed By Static, Demo*lition [01/15/09]
Austin duo Followed By Static has been quietly gathering praise as their songs float through the music scene. The sound on their five-track Demo*lition EP may be rough, but their point of view is quite clear: they like airy, pretty guitars combined with a good amount of dirty... (Followed By Static is playing 1/15/09 at Walter's on Washington, with Nervous Curtains & Antarctica Starts Here.)
Although this show took place a while back now, it has taken me this long to wrap my head around why a band as talented and musically interesting as Manchester Orchestra would tour with a band as uninspiring as Say Anything. I still can't give you an answer -- so instead I'll just give you all the reasons why I think Manchester Orchestra's indie-rock sound and genuine potential deserves to play center stage when they tour with bands that quite simply suck... [more] || [Brigitte Zabak] || [07/19/08]
Sitting outside Walter's on Washington around 8:45 Friday night before last, someone asks my friend Sean and I, "do you think Her Space Holiday will be more electronic or acoustic tonight?", a question we could only shrug at. Having never seen Marc Bianchi's electro-pop act live before and having not read much about their shows, I wasn't sure how the songs would be presented. Would Bianchi have a full band behind him? Or would it be more of a one- or two-person setup, with him relying on samples and synths?... [more] || [Wes Buhler] || [07/11/08]
As I walked into an almost-empty Meridian, I wondered, "Am I at the right show? Is Black Mountain still playing tonight?" Then I remembered I was in Houston. And everyone was either recovering from SXSW or still there. As the opening bands came off-stage, the Meridian's small red room started to fill, but not enough to pack the house, which made for a great intimate setting. Faces started lighting up from the green glowing cube in the bass drum. When the first note was heard, bodies started to shake... [more] || [Dwayne Cathey] || [07/11/08]
Taking in a performance at The Orange Show is something everyone should experience. The bands that perform there are as eclectic as the venue itself. How many people can say "I caught Dengue Fever in the fish pond at The Orange Show," and not feel a little eclectic themselves? At The Orange Show, bands perform in a dry fish pond, while spectators watch from multiple levels of landings and some theater-style seating. The place is a maze of structures built with what looks like leftover building materials and pieces of farm equipment. Vibrant colors cover every inch of the handiwork... [more] || [Quinn Alexander] || [06/18/08]
Invention, Parable of the Surveyors [06/12/09]
Invention is from Seattle. Do "electronica" music, apparently. Beyond that, we know nothing about them -- nothing really online, no bios, nothing. In crafting their spacey, midrange-y music, Invention use compressed bass and guitar to create very synth-like sounds...
Like Bells, Like Bells [06/12/09]
Like Bells is a violin-led, mostly instrumental trio from Antioch, Ohio. The music on their self-titled debut is sort of a cross between Dirty Three and Mono, embracing quieter lyrical moments as well as some louder rock...
Post-rock quartet Guns Are For Kids may hail from Sydney, the sunny-side Harbour City of the Land Down Under, but the music on the band's latest release, the P.E.-ref-ing It Takes a Nation of Morons to Hold Us Back, sounds like it's just stumbled out of some scary-ass dive on NY's Lower East Side, pre-cleanup...
Noush Skaugen, Palomino [05/14/09]
So I pick up the case for Palomino; Noush (pronounced New-shh) Skaugen's first release, and on the front cover is a cute, naked girl posing with a guitar covering her goods. Nice...
Fair to Midland were discovered by System Of A Down singer Serj Tankian while on tour; apparently, their live shows are sick, with tons of chops and energy. The album reflects the chops but less of the energy, sort of how Jethro Tull never came across on their albums...
Zoe Scott, Beautiful To Be Alive [05/01/09]
Ooh, finally an album of inspirational lyrics created (according to the press release) during a "vision quest" in the Mojave desert -- the supposed endeavor highlighted in her song "Caves of Possibility," where she repeats that exact phrase countless times...
Starvin Hungry, Cold Burns [04/18/09]
Starvin Hungry's Cold Burns comes across less like an album of individual songs and more like one not-very-exciting song reworked a few times. Sure, it's okay to have a signature sound, but when everything remains at the same volume and tempo for almost forty minutes, there's a problem...
Mista White, From the Basement [04/18/09]
Mista White has been making a troublesome nuisance of himself in Houston since 1996. Since then, he has released albums, protested, spouted off, and otherwise bothered the people who have suits and pens and things like that...
Hail The Size, Side Two [04/10/09]
Side Two by Hail The Size is a comical, light-hearted take on dysfunctional relationships, explosive farts, and addiction. The whimsical and witty lyrics remind me a bit of Weird Al or even Flight of the Concords, but country music-style, if you can imagine...
Old Ghost, Hearts and Coffins EP [04/10/09]
Considering the band sounds just like him, Old Ghost should be glad Bob Dylan hasn't sued for copyright infringement. Okay, so they don't sound exactly like Bob, but unfortunately, that's because they're missing his songwriting ability...
Teith, Oak City [04/10/09]
You have to love that the band Teith explains that their name is pronounced "Keith," as in Carradine, Richards, and Sweat. Makes me laugh everytime. The Oak City EP is the re-release of the band's demo that made the MySpace rounds a while back....
Foreverinmotion, The Beautiful Unknown [04/03/09]
Looking for a new album to put on as you slowly drift to sleep? Or maybe you really wish Enya would one day pick up a guitar? If so, Foreverinmotion may be your next favorite band; even the cover art of the band's two albums look like the front of every Enya CD...
Stuck Mojo, The Great Revival [04/03/09]
It's insulting to think that one word could sum up an album. With the new CD from rap-metal pioneers Stuck Mojo, the one word is obvious: laughable. Decibel Magazine has already given The Great Revival the honorable distinction of being the first album of the New Year to earn a 0...
Various Artists, Happy Birthday To Me [04/03/09]
To celebrate its twenty-year anniversary, Sub Pop released a compilation album called Happy Birthday To Me, comprised mostly of tracks from 2008. Judging by the songs and the roster of artists...
Miss Autopsy, The Hill [03/18/09]
Miss Autopsy is the one-man experimental rock band of singer/guitarist Steve Beyerink and is most definitely an acquired taste. There is nothing that I like about this Chicago-based musician's third full-length release...
The Reel Banditos, Indochina [03/18/09]
The Reel Banditos are an instrumental trip-hop duo based in Hamburg. On Indochina, their second album, the Reel Banditos incorporate lots of unprocessed sounds in their material, from guitars to keyboards to all sorts of percussion...
Peel, Die in June [03/06/09]
Die in June is Norwegian boy-band rockers Peel's first release, and from the opening "Cutting Crew"-style keyboards, I knew this would be a chore...
Pretty & Nice, Get Young [03/06/09]
Here we go again. White boy falsetto vocals? Good! Extra dirty guitar riffs? Great! Drums played by a monkey on speed? Awesome! Add that together, and you have a 30-minute, 10-track, lo-fi dance-pop album that aims to please...
Warship, Supply and Depend [03/06/09]
What do you do when the big-name, influential as all get-out metalcore band you're doing time in crashes and burns? In the case of From Autumn To Ashes' Francis Mark and Rob Lauritsen, well, you get a chance to finally do that side project-type thing...
"Look at me I'm the next big thing," sings Crisis in Hollywood singer Adrian Snyder, and with his band's anticipated debut album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, he may be on his way...
The New Duncan Imperials, End of Phase One [02/06/09]
Long-running goofballs the New Duncan Imperials bring plenty of their inspired nonsense to their eigth album, End of Phase One. The band pilfers a multitude of styles, from garage to punk to '50s rock, and cuts it all with the silliness and catchiness of the Replacements...
I, Octopus/Metronome the City, Split EP [01/20/09]
I'm still a little bit confused about why these two totally separate groups chose to share one forty-minute-long EP divided into two über-lengthy tracks. The best way to express their relationship is to list their commonalities: both bands are from New Orleans, and both are marketed as being "experimental rock"...
Joetown, Pills and Ammo [01/20/09]
Loud (well, mostly), guitar-heavy, grunge-influenced rawk with vocals that swerve back and forth between Vince Neil, Chris Cornell, and Rob Zombie; that's Joetown (known to his 'rents, apparently, as Joe Delaney) all the way. And, surprisingly, I don't hate it...
Guns N' Roses vs. Metallica [01/03/09]
In 1988, while I was in high school, I received the Holy Grail from a friend of mine who prided himself on his collection of tapes: a copied 60-minute Memorex with Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction on one side and Metallica's Ride the Lightning on the other (at the end of RTL, there was also the last song from AC/DC's Back in Black, "Rock and Roll ain't Noise Pollution," making this tape probably the awesomest thing, since, well, awesome)...
Woozyhelmet, Get Down [01/03/09]
Dang. I've had a hard time getting a handle on this one; it makes some sense, though, since Woozyhelmet's Get Down is the latest by a band that has vexed me in the past, where live performances left me reeling and wondering what the hell just happened, unable to really pin 'em down. I can't put my finger on what was missing before, but I'll freely admit that the band's new stuff well and truly hits the mark...
Pale Young Gentlemen was founded in 2004 by brothers Michael and Matt Reisenauer, and has grown steadily over the last few years both in body count and musical range. Today, the critically acclaimed Wisconsinites travel as a seven-piece ensemble and make good use of a variety of instruments...
Seasick, Seasick [01/03/09]
As Frank Zappa & The Mothers so cryptically stated it in one of their early songs, "What would you do if the people you knew...were the plastic that melted and the chromium, too?" The only thing I can possibly imagine theoretically rising back up from the ashes of such a poetically offbeat dissolution just might be Brooklyn's own neo-psychedelic trio called Seasick...
Matt Duke, Kingdom Underground [01/03/09]
My cynical side wants to sneer at Matt Duke's Kingdom Underground, tossing it aside as just another Adult Alternative-ready singer-songwriter. Fortunately, that cynicism ends up being undermined by Duke himself, who happens to be an earnestly sweet/bitter pop-rock guy with a sensitive, unthreatening voice that can jump from Rob Thomas-y growl to Chris Carrabba-esque emo yelp...
On their debut album, Aperture For Departure, Strangers Die Every Day play instrumental chamber rock, reminiscent of Dirty Three with the rock feel of Papa M. The use of the violin and cello gives the group a distinct quality. They have a beautiful sound, which is pretty much given when you include strings, but their songs are also interesting...
It's almost impossible these days to classify bands -- what's the difference between hardcore and post-punk? The difference between emocore and plain old emo? Between grindcore and shit?...
Northern Liberties, Ghost Mind Electricity [01/03/09]
Northern Liberties has been around awhile, playing up and down the East Coast and only recently getting as far west as Dallas. Ghost Mind Electricity is interesting, strongly experimental post-punk...
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