Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: The Wild Moccasins + The Tontons + Art Institute + The Dead Revolt + More

Dang. I’d originally planned to get a lot more posting & reviewing & whatnot done this week, since I’ve been off the whole damn time, but family stuff’s intervened, like sleepover trips to Surfside or last-of-the-year visits to the Children’s Museum, and that plus frantic last-minute errands has had me wiped out.

But hey, there’s still a lot going on this weekend, starting tonight, Fri., December 23rd. Here goes:

Yip Deceiver/The Wild Moccasins/The Tontons @ Rudyard’s
Here’s the big one of the night; I love, love, love {The Wild Moccasins} in all their shiny-yet-sharp indie-pop glory, and the rough-edged, psychedelia-tinged soul of {The Tontons} is pretty awesome, too. It’s a little odd to think about these folks playing Rudyard’s, honestly, but heck, I love the place, too — can’t beat it for a measly $5.

The Shadow/Art Institute/Modok/Johnny Hootrock @ Fitzgerald’s
Okay, so you might be able to beat it; it’s a pretty close fight between these top three, I have to say. Those {Art Institute} guys playing up at Fitz are great, in a smart, aware-of-their-influences, old-school punk kind of way (think SST, not Fat Wreck), and they’re a lot of fun live, to boot. They’re very neat, seriously, and I mean that in the best possible way.

The Tyburn Jig/A Sundae Drive/Zipperneck/The Dead Revolt @ The Mink (free!)
Dang, and this is a good, good, good one, too, with three of the most promising bands in town right now doing their thing (I’ve only heard a little bit of {Zipperneck}, sorry); {A Sundae Drive} are extremely cool, riding a great Pixies/Seam-esque drone that’s fuzzy and sharp at the same time. Then there’s {The Tyburn Jig}, who play Western-tinged surf-rock with vocals that drift somewhere between Johnny Cash & Nick Cave, and {The Dead Revolt}, who I still need to check out but whom SCR contributor Jason Smith has fallen for in a big way — see the interview with ’em over here.

Runners-Up:
This Is…Radio Clash! Part 2, featuring Los Skarnales, Los Gritos, The Suffers, & Mariachis del Infierno @ Fitzgerald’s
Fashion Show, featuring Shina Rae, Silence On Hold, Kill The Rhythm, Think 182, & Dirty & Nasty @ Jet Lounge
The Beans @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
The Octanes/Little Joe Washington @ The Continental Club
Slave To The Beat: Reprogram Holiday Party, featuring Ceeplus Bad Knives, Mr. Castillo, & Hit it or Quit it @ Boondocks