Your Weekend: Holy Freaking Crap, Y’all

I mean, what the hell? These next two weekends are so over-the-top insane it’s ridiculous; you (and me, too) have your hands full trying to decide where to go & what show to check out. Here’re my personal picks for the next couple of days:

Fri., May 8:
American Fangs/Dremnt The End/Fat Tony/The 71’s/A Dream Asleep/Female Demand @ Fitzdown
Yes, yes, yes. I’ve been listening frantically to American Fangs‘ self-titled EP for the past month or two, and I just can’t get the damn thing out of my head. Add to that the reports of off-the-hook live shows, and, well, I desperately need to check ’em out. This one’s my No. 1 choice for the night. Loud, punkish-but-not-punk rock with heavy-ass guitars, great vocals, and a streetwise attitude.

Carmen’s B-Day Show, featuring Mother’s Anthem, thelastplaceyoulook, The Vettes, betterLUCK, Another Run, Sleeping [with] Giants, & Adam Rodgers @ Fitzgerald’s
I dunno Carmen, no, but I’m more than happy to wish her a happy b-day for the chance to finally check out thelastplaceyoulook live, so I’m most likely going to be splitting my time tonight between Fitz (up and down), looks like. Their album, See the Light Inside You, is hands-down the best emo album I’ve heard in about a decade. And yes, that’s a good thing.

The Factory Party/Black Black Gold/Springfield Riots/Ceeplus Bad Knives/Glasnost/Mr. Castillo @ The Mink (9PM; free!)
Already talked a bit about this one, so check here for that. I’m gonna try to get here at some point tonight, too…

Dr. Know/The Chop Tops/Roots of Exile/The Ghost Storys @ Walter’s on Washington
The headliners for this one were supposed to be The Freeze, but they got switched out for SoCal old-school punks Dr. Know, which is no bad thing. Raw, loud, messy punk/hardcore along the lines of the Dead Kennedys; if that’s what you’re hoping for this evening, hey, you’re all set.

Runners-Up:
The Umoja Orchestra/Free Radicals/The Grass Skirts @ Super Happy Fun Land
The Flamin’ Hellcats/The Drunks @ Rudyard’s
The Manichean @ Cafe Brasil (10PM-12AM)
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth/Fat Tony/Marry Me @ Mango’s
Opposite Day/Full Service/Three Fantastic @ Dean’s Credit Clothing
D.R.U.M./Rattletree Marimba @ Last Concert Cafe
T Bird and the Breaks/Greyhounds @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Don’t Fight It, featuring Dave Wrangler, Piss Heavy, & Young Squaddy @ Boondocks
Zoso (Led Zeppelin tribute)/Ghost Town Electric @ House of Blues
John Evans @ Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (Galveston)
Blaggards @ Molly’s Pub (Conroe)

Sat., May 9:
The Born Liars/747/Secret Prostitutes/The Arcane Flowers @ Rudyard’s
Holy crap. Is the “747” that recorded “My Life Is a Rocket,” one of the best damn songs on the long-ago H-town Songs from the Icehouse comp? If so, well…holy crap, again. Does this mean Matthew Thurman‘s back in town? That’d be a great thing, if it’s the case. But if not, hey, The Born Liars are easily one of the best garage-rock bands in town right now, and I’m warming to The Arcane Flowers‘ dirty glam-rock sound, too. You can’t go wrong with this one.

The Small Sounds @ West Alabama Ice House (1919 W. Alabama; 4PM)
This right here is where you need to be in the mid-afternoon tomorrow: hanging at the West Alabama Ice House, beer in hand, friends nearby, chilling out and listening to the sweet, melancholy, countrified roots-rock sounds of The Small Sounds. The band was kind enough to send a few copies of last year’s debut CD, and it’s pretty damn great, especially songs like “Leave Virginia Girl” and “Mothers & Daughters”. I could listen to these guys all day, seriously.

Summerside Project/Jono Foley/Searching for Signal/Bows & Arrows/The Handshake @ Fitzdown
Been listening to the sweet, jangly, shy-boy pop of Searching for Signal quite a bit over the past few days (CD’s in the mail, hopefully), and I’m really digging it…

Sneaker Pimps USA, featuring Scarface, Young M.C., J Kapone, & Tha Fucking Transmissions @ Warehouse Live
Hot damn — I’ve been hearing quite a bit about Young M.C. lately, for some reason; glad to see he’s still alive & kicking. And, of course, local boys Tha Fucking Transmissions do a cool mashup of punkish rock and hip-hop vocals (courtesy of recent MTV denizen Cornbreadd).

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult/Subroutine @ Last Concert Cafe
Um. What the hell? My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult are still around? And they’re playing the urban hippie-haven that is the Last Concert Cafe? Wow.

Runners-Up:
Ghostland Observatory/The Watermarks @ The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park
Mechanical Boy/Room 101/Dirty N Nasty @ Mango’s
Karina Nistal/Tara Craig/Beth Kille/Soul Fixx @ Bohemeo’s
Brokencyde/Amber Pacific/Houston Calls/Farewell/Fight Fair @ Javajazz Coffee House (16300 Kuykendahl)
Escape Family Resource Center Fundraiser, featuring The Electricks, Perfect Pants, Six Guns, Evak1, & Lewee Regal @ Super Happy Fun Land
The Fox Derby (CD release)/Stoneside/Jacob Meador/Letters To Voltron @ Fitzgerald’s
Kreator/Exodus/Belphegor/Warbringer/Epicurean @ The Scout Bar (Clear Lake)
Chubby Checker & The Wildcats @ Grand 1894 Opera House (Galveston)
Come See My Dead Person/Vatos Locos/Halffnelson @ Pig Pen (La Marque; free!)

Sun., May 10:
Art Car Luncheon, featuring Robert Ellis @ The Orange Show
Not sure if this is strictly open to the public or for Art Car folk only, but if it is open to all, it’s well worth checking out. Ellis plays some fine, fine, melancholy country-folk with bit of a vocal resemblance to indie-folk darlings Fleet Foxes.

Runners-Up:
Kevin Devine/Sarah Jaffe/Miniature Tigers/Brian Bonz @ Warehouse Live
D.R.U.M. @ Discovery Green (3PM)
Fight Pretty/FEED/Leavers @ The Mink

Mon., May 11:
Future Blondes (last show!)/TENSE/Dead Roses/Breathless/DJ Coach Springer @ Mango’s (free!)
Yep, it’s the last show for Future Blondes, which is a damn shame, because they’ve got to be one of the most intriguing, er, bands in town. Go wish ’em well in any & all future endeavors…

Fake Problems/Born Anchor/Mass Of Men @ Walter’s on Washington
I’m not super-familiar w/Fake Problems, myself, but good folks Teri-Sue & Rich are big, big fans, and I trust their judgment, so yeah, I’m gonna say they’re good. And even if they’re not, locals Born Anchor are damned promising all by themselves.

Mothertone/Mantis @ Boondocks
Okay, so I have no idea what or who Mantis is — heard some of their songs a year or two ago and was mightily impressed, and then…poof. Nada. I have yet to see the album they’ve been promising would be out, and I’m dying to hear some more of their soulful, bluesy classic-rock revamp.

Runner-Up:
You(genious)/Fat Tony @ Caroline Collective