Yr. Weekend, Pt. 2: listenlisten (LP release) + Two Star Symphony + Bright Men of Learning + The Tyburn Jig + Sabra Laval + More

Day #2 of the weekend, Sat., December 4th, and damn, it’s a busy one… Can’t talk about all of it, unfortunately, but I’ll hit the highlights, below:

listenlisten (LP release)/Two Star Symphony/sIngs @ The Mink
Been waiting on this one a while, ever since first listening to {listenlisten}‘s stellar new release, simply entitled dog — it’s a fine, fine album, although it’s not a lot like their previous one, Hymns From Rhodesia. This time out, the listenlisten guys keep it lower-key, stepping back from the nebulous Past in which they’ve made their home ’til now and into the Present, with all the trials and tribulations that entails. And musically, they come off as close kin to Lonesome Crowded West-era Modest Mouse more than anything else… Check the full review here.

The LL boys have lined up some very cool openers, too, like cool post-emo indie-rock ensemble {sIngs} and avant-garde classicists {Two Star Symphony}. Oh, and if that ain’t enough, there’s also a fucking knife thrower. Yes, really. Now, that’s an entertaining evening, right there: murky, gloomy, baroque folk plus foreboding strings plus quirky, dark rawk plus flying steel blades.

Au Revoir…Tod Bailey’s Final Houston Show, featuring Bright Men of Learning & The Leo Trio @ 2500 Summer St. (Studio 1D; 7-11PM)
And yet another flees town, someday(?) to return… Not a musician this time, mind you, but an artist, Tod Bailey, who’ll be forsaking H-town and living in Paris for a while. High-five to him on that (although I’m not sure I’d want to move there in the winter, but hey), but it’s sad to see the guy go — he’s done some intriguing paintings, and Houston needs all the art it can get.

Of course, there’s got to be a cool musical sendoff when a painter heads off to seek their artistic fortune in freaking Paris, so that’s what this is right here. The party’ll be at 2500 Summer St., also known as “the workshop of that guy who makes the giant heads.” Should be hard to miss, right there. And you shouldn’t, because local badass country-tinged indie-rockers {Bright Men of Learning} will be playing & bidding farewell to Mr. Bailey; saw BMOL at the LP release for Fired, their latest, and holy hot-damn, were they good…

The Tyburn Jig/Black Queen Speaks @ Rudyard’s
I really, truly like {The Tyburn Jig}; I do. There are a lot of talented acts in this town, but this one is pretty damn unique, combining Nick Cave-like vocals with Out-West spaghetti Western instrumentation and tales of woe that sound like they could’ve been written by Cormac McCarthy. They’ve got some new songs up on Ye Olde Myspace, too, so hopefully there’s a (second?) full-length on its way.

Espantapajaros (EP release)/La Sien/Sabra Laval @ Walter’s
Congrats to {Espantapajaros} for the EP release show; I haven’t heard Following the Star yet, unfortunately, but what I’ve been able to hear online has been pretty darn neat, in a classic rock-bred kind of way. And hey, not only is the band officially releasing the EP, but they’re also releasing a video for one of the songs on there, “Where Do You Go.”

To be honest, though, what really intrigued me about this show was the fact that Sabra Laval is opening. The former Houstonian bowled a lot of people over with her smoky, moody folk-pop before she left town for the Dallas ‘hood; it’s excellent to see her playing down here once again.

Runners-Up:
The Good Music Co./Art Institute/The Mild Mannered @ Bohemeo’s (8:30PM; $5)
The Jingle Ball, featuring Eyes Burn Electric, Deep Ella, Mothers Anthem, Dev Electric, & Suite 709 @ Fitzgerald’s
listenlisten @ Cactus Music (3PM)
Clandestine @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Texas Massacre 9, featuring ESG, COD, Chucky The Killa, PLF, Anal Punishment, Mike Ro, Guerilla Piss, D-Risha, Diezel Black, Gods of Death Screw, Unda Estimated, Big Mike, Conflikto, & Calyo Cutt Dogg @ The White Swan (7PM-2AM)
Blaggards @ Molly Maguire’s
For Want Of/Diving/football etc. @ Vinyl Junkie
Welcome 2 Trillstep Mixtape Release Party, featuring Michael 5000 Watts, Badbwoy BMC, Suma, TDBZ, Vandal Heart, Surreal, Intager, Mr. Smith, Rob Bass, Thurs 1, Nick Beatdown, Da Dubbler, Yppah, [on hiatus], DJ Nine, Mad Turtle, Rob Mozell, SDC, Super Dave, J oddio, Trebble Hook, Mr. Kaotik, & more @ Kryptonite (709 Franklin; 10PM-4AM)
The Canvas Waiting/Castle Lights/Life As Lions/Keiko @ Fitzgerald’s