Yr Weekend, Pt. 2: LP4 + Thee Armada + De La Soul + Tontons + Texas Ska Fest + Counting Crows + More

Back again with part 2 of your SCR weekend rundown; here goes:

Sat., August 1:
ST37/Linus Pauling Quartet/Giant Princess @ Rudyard’s
First up, some full-on psych/stoner/garage-rock for your hot summer evening. I’m not all that familiar with Austin’s ST37, but I’m a biiiiig fan of H-town’s own Linus Pauling Quartet — not only does guitarist Ramon Medina make me feel like a big ol’ slacker on the writing front, but the guys play a cool, sludgy, heavy-ass brand of rock that’s psych without making me yawn or my head hurt. And openers Giant Princess are nicely raw and bluesy, like Jack White before he sold his soul (assuming there was such a time, that is).

Thee Armada (CD release)/ Mechanical Boy/Windsor Drive/ betterLUCK/ Versecity/ Jeffrey Taylor/Tony Oller/Otenki/One Day At A Time @ Warehouse Live (3PM)
Say what you want about post-emo kids Thee Armada — they definitely know how to craft a hook. Still need to hear new album Sweet Tease (for which this is a release show), but 2007’s The New You is a nice chunk of Jimmy Eat World-esque alternarock, with plenty of arena-heavy guitars and singalong melodies. If that’s your deal, this is probably where you’ll want to be tonight. Mechanical Boy are pretty darn good, too, in more of a swaggering, stadium-rock kind of way, and I like what I’ve heard from Versecity, Otenki, and Windsor Drive, on top of that. A crapload of bands, all starting at 3PM.

The Tontons @ Cactus Music (3:30-4:30PM; free!)
I can’t say enough good things about these folks — The Tontons occupy this strange, unique, intriguing place in the local scene, not really fitting in exactly with any particular segment of the scene, with their blend of soul, psych, and all-out rawk, but they’re so badass at it that, fuck, it just doesn’t matter. They’re so damn good that they’ve been embraced by pretty much everybody, it seems like, and that’s a good thing. Check ’em out today, for free, and maybe pick up a copy of their long-awaited new album — I hear it’s incredible.

Texas Ska Fest, featuring Hub City Stompers, Los Skarnales, Fixed Idea, Viernes 13, Molotov Compromise, Always Guilty, The Failed Attempt, & South Central Skankers @ Fitzgerald’s
I don’t care how old-man-ish I get, ska’s pretty much always going to hold a special little spot in my soul; it was one of those things that defined my life during college and one of the things that drew me to the H-town music scene in the first place (blame ex-Suspects Andy Hocker for that). And believe it or not, Los Skarnales have been around since I first started going to shows — they were always one of the coolest, most unique bands Houston had going, & I’m damned glad to see they’re playing again. Plus, out-of-towners Hub City Stompers are good, I’ve heard good things about South Central Skankers, and I like a lot of what I’ve heard of Always Guilty. So go, dance, enjoy yourself — that’s what ska’s for, at the end of the day.

Hot Punk City, featuring The Biscuit Bombs, Hickoids, Mydolls, AK-47, Anarchitex, DJ Sonic Reducer, & DJ Gina Miller @ The Mink (punk flea market/distro at noon; show at 8PM)
Already talked about this one, so I won’t bore you again — suffice it to say that this is looking like an epic, were-you-there-when? show.

These Little Nothings/ Guitars/ The Caprolites @ Notsuoh ($6)
Hrm. Not sure whether or not Guitars are still on for this show, since April‘s been so sick, but if not, Pasadena-dwellers The Caprolites sound interesting, and Minnesotans These Little Nothings do some nicely garage-y, slightly country-tinged pop, like ’60s surf-pop if it were interpreted by Sonic Youth. And hey, if Guitars do make it, then that’s a great bonus, right?

The Hates @ Gallery M Squared (339 West 19th)
I love never-say-die punk rockers The Hates in general, obviously, but the fact that this old-school, three decade-old trio is playing at an art gallery up in The Heights just cracks me up.

Counting Crows/Michael Franti & Spearhead/Augustana @ Sam Houston Race Park
Yeah, I know. Sue me — the first Counting Crows album was awful, but I was surprised to find that I really liked (and still like) the underrated Recovering the Satellites, the title track of which always comes off to me, at least, like a long-lost Hüsker Dü outtake. I can’t help but feel for Adam Duritz, too, considering the awful, awful backlash the band (and he, in particular) got hit with once the late ’90s were over; the guy sank into a deep depression, apparently, getting fat and unhealthy in the process. Which isn’t surprising, honestly — how crappy must it feel to go from platinum-selling highs to everybody hating you, for whatever reason?

Anyway, this is also well, well worth it for Michael Franti & Spearhead — the guy’s lyrics occasionally make me twitch, but he’s one of the least-compromising artists I’ve ever heard, going all the way back to the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy days.

Ian Moore/dUNETX @ The Continental Club
Houston International Jazz Festival, featuring Grupo Niche @ Discovery Green
Nacotheque/GRRRL Parts/The Live Lights @ Dean’s Credit Clothing

Sun., August 2:
De La Soul/Kenan Bell/Rhythm Roots All-Stars @ House of Blues
Holy crap. I still can’t believe De La Soul are back together & touring — these guys are bona-fide hip-hop legends, of a type that you just don’t see all that often these days.

DevilDriver/Emmure/Despised Icon/My Children My Bride/Veil of Maya/For the Fallen Dreams/Oceano/Periphery/Thy Will Be Done/Upon A Burning Body @ Numbers
Haven’t seen these guys live, but as far as metalcore goes, you could definitely do far, far worse than DevilDriver and Emmure — both are heavy and raw as hell. And what I’ve heard of Oceano has been pretty cool, too.

Bob Dylan and His Band/Willie Nelson/John Mellencamp @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Houston International Jazz Festival, featuring Rachelle Ferrell @ Discovery Green
H-Town Sneaker Summit, featuring DJ Cipher, Elroy Boogie, DJ Squincy Jones, Dayta, DJ Witnes, DJ Synapse, Carter & Dom Kennedy, DJ Oakcliff, & Kadoma @ The Meridian