Yr Weekend, Pt. 1: The Tontons + Basses Loaded + Blackmarket Syndicate + Thee Armada + More

Running around getting Christmas presents & whatnot (while avoiding the mass insanity of places like Target or Wal-Mart, thankfully), so I’m going to have to make this one pretty short. Here’s the first part of what sounds good to me in the next couple of turkey-fueled days:

The Tontons/The Julys/Finnegan/Prairie Cadets/Love Field @ Avant Garden (8PM)
This one’s a tie for the coolest thing going tonight, in my book, partly because The Tontons don’t play here all that often these days (since Asli now goes to school in NYC) and partly because I swear, swear, swear I’m going to get out to the the Prairie Cadets at some point soon. Plus, I hear The Julys, Finnegan, and Love Field are all worth seeing.

Basses Loaded/Springfield Riots/Nosaprise @ Mango’s
And here’s Tie Show #2, a mixed bag featuring a reunion of all-bass supergroup Basses Loaded, the warm, beautifully bitter retro-pop of Springfield Riots, and the smart, indie-level rhymes of Nosaprise. I cringe to admit that I never got to see BL when they were around previously, but they sound pretty awesome (and the band includes Benjamin Wesley, who rules on any instrument).

Hometown Throwdown III, featuring Blackmarket Syndicate, Cancer, The Drafted, & Molotov Compromise @ Walter’s
Another band who doesn’t seem to play ’round here real often lately is Blackmarket Syndicate (aka Deathbed Repentance), which is a shame, because they do an awesomely cool Social Distortion-esque melodic streetpunk sort of thing.

Thee Armada/Floorbound @ Warehouse Live
Sneer if you want, but the boys in Thee Armada know their way around some fine, fine hooks and throw quite a few amidst their post-emo snarky rock. They’ll be playing their new album (The New You, I think?) in its entirety, apparently, so if that sounds good to you, well, you know where to go.

Left of the Dial 10th Anniversary Party @ The Mink
Never read this near-legendary punk(?) mag, but I’ve heard enough about them over the years to make this 10th anniversary party sound good, bands or no bands.

Runners-Up:
Puscifer @ Jones Hall
Ryan Scroggins & the Trenchtown Texans/Pistoleros de Tejas @ The Backroom (The Mink)
Carolyn Wonderland/Little Brother Project/Hamilton Loomis @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
Car Stereo Wars/GRRRL Parts @ Boondocks