Plenty to do this weekend, folks, so much that I'm having (again) to split it up somewhat... Here's the best & brightest hopes for this here Friday, March 13th evening, for all those inclined to brave the abruptly chilly weather:

Forests (album release)/Co-Pilot/Robert Ellis/Golden Cities @ The Mink ($5; 9PM)
I'm not real familiar with Forests, for whom tonight's show'll apparently be an album release, but I'm a big fan of two of the other bands playing, Co-Pilot and Golden Cities, both of whom fall easily on the "atmospheric gorgeousness" end of the spectrum. They each aim their guitars skyward, although Co-Pilot, as the name suggests, aims more for the stars, spacegaze-style, while Golden Cities, to my ears, is more about floating way up there in the clouds, getting buffeted by the storms and currents. (Keep in mind, btw, that this is all my own interpretation, and has nada to do with what the bands themselves think, eh?) Anyway, both are good, good, good. As in, "really, you should freakin' see 'em" good. What little I've heard of Forests has been similarly (and quite nicely) atmospheric, swirly and trance-inducing, so I'm guessing middle-man Robert Ellis will be the mid-show breath of air, his gentle country-folk picking and Fleet Foxes-esque softness cutting through the squalls of distorted/delayed guitar feedback.

Ian McLagan/ Ragged Hearts @ The Continental Club
I've seriously got no choice but to mention this show & point people fervently towards it -- Ian McLagan's been in or played keys for the Faces, the Stones, Dyan, Billy Bragg, & Springsteen, among tons of others, but has resided up in Austin for the past several years, honing his bluesy rock craft with his own Bump Band. It's pretty freaking cool to have him next door; take advantage while you can, y'all. And plus, local folks Ragged Hearts are dang good themselves, melding LA-style rawk with a surprisingly heavy country influence, coming off at times like glam-rockers Cinderella in their Long Cold Winter era (and yes, I mean that as a compliment). If you want an early dose of Mr. McLagan, by the by, you can check him out free at 5:30PM over at Cactus Music, but honestly, I'd hold out for the full Continental show, myself. (And hey, then you can also meander on over to The Mink, too...)

Jonathan Coulton/Paul and Storm @ House of Blues
I dunno Paul and Storm, sorry, but I'll admit that I do enjoy the geek-humor of Jonathan Coulton -- my brother forced "Code Monkey" on me a few years ago, and the fucking thing's stuck in my head since, even though I don't toil in the dreaded code dungeons myself (I only write about the product that comes out of 'em, lucky me). It's surprisingly funny, sweet, power pop-savvy stuff, although I have no clue how well it translates to someplace as big as the HoB. And yeah, part of the reason I like him is because he's a dork like me; sue me. I mean, how can I not like somebody who can come up with a line like, "Isn't enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?"

Don't Fight It, featuring Dave Wrangler, Piss Heavy, & Young Squaddy @ Boondocks
This one gets a mention 'cause I was highly impressed with Young Squaddy's DJ skills last week at Walter's; he spins some good shit, and does it well.

Honorable Mentions:
Riverboat Gamblers/Fired For Walking/Dickey Hands @ Rudyard's
Independent Film Festival, featuring Southern Backtones, Orange Is In, & Stateside Stereo @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Rebirth Brass Band @ Warehouse Live
Giant Battle Monster/Sarah and Octopus/We The Granada/Sunrise and Ammunition @ 7018 South Oak (Dickinson; 6PM, free!)

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Public Service Announcements, Things To Do

gaijin || Link || E-mail || 0 comments