Late Summer Bummer Time: The Jonbenet + The Tontons + This Year’s Tiger

Damn. Why is it I get the feeling there’s some kind of weird, cruel Law of Conservation of Coolness applied to the Houston scene, where for every awesome new band that emerges (Grandfather Child, Springfield Riots, Ghost Mountain), another band has to fall by the wayside or implode (The McKenzies, the performing version of The Mathletes, Bring Back The Guns)? Nature, why must you torment me so?

I bring this up, sadly, because I’ve heard yet more distressing news about bands I really, truly like here in our fair city, on top of the recent McKenzies disintegration. Here goes:

The Jonbenét:
The biggest/worst news, probably (at least to me), is that raw-as-fuck noise-rock crew The Jonbenét will reportedly soon be no more — they’re playing their final show December 19th up at Walter’s (which will no longer be on Washington, by then), along with Austinites and fellow final-show-players At All Cost, who I don’t know, and O Pioneers!!! and Fight Pretty, both of whom are pretty great.

It’s a shame, really, because while I was kinda lukewarm on the guys the one time I caught ’em live (I blame Numbers), their recordings were always, always really freaking good. It makes me sad that they’re calling it a day, but it sounds like the guys will be keeping busy with new projects like Black Congress, Golden Snakes, Danzig/Misfits/Samhain tribute band Dannzig, & Bible. sigh.

The Tontons:
Okay, so apparently The Tontons really weren’t kidding when they warned that their most recent shows would be the last in a long time. Turns out frontwoman extraordinaire Asli is headed back off to college, this time on up to NYC. Ah, fuck.

Y’all, I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but how the hell are we ever going to get her back? I mean, when she went to Savannah, that was one thing — Texas beats Georgia, any day — but New York? We’re screwed, folks. I predict that rather than the Tontons re-emerging in January, as I’ve heard bandied about, that we don’t see them for a loooooooooong time. Dammit.

Oh, well. At least they’re not breaking up.

This Year’s Tiger:
A bit less well-known, but still getting me down, apparently edgy indie-rockers This Year’s Tiger are doing something similar, “taking a break” to chill out & find themselves a new drummer.

No details on when they’ll be back, but in the meantime they’ve dropped off the bill this coming Saturday, Sept. 5th at The Mink (although the show’s still worth it for Holy Fiction, I swear), as well as canceling their last couple of shows.

Oh, and if you happen to play drums & like what the TYT guys do, please do me a favor & drop them a line. They’re a good band; I really don’t want to see ’em fade away.