Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: Featherface + New York City Queens + Snow Patrol + Guilt Party + The Suffers + More

Looking like a crazy, crazy evening tonight, Friday, May 18th, and a damn good one, besides. In the interest of getting this online quickly, though, I’ll skip the chitchat and get right to it:

Featherface (album release)/New York City Queens/Ben Godfrey (listenlisten)/Mojo Stone @ Fitzgerald’s
The big winner of tonight, at least for me. I’ve been utterly amazed & stunned by {Featherface} ever since they exploded onto the scene here, practically bursting with their bright/hazy psych-pop tunes, shy-kid grins, and effortless hooks. They are really, truly one of the best bands Houston’s got going right now, and given the current crop, that’s saying something.

Tonight, btw, is the long-awaited release of the band’s first full-length, Actual Magic (which is perfect album title, I have to say). I haven’t heard it yet, unfortunately (the CDs themselves got delayed), but if you hit the show tonight, the band promises to give away digital copies of the album to anybody who wants one & is savvy enough to bring along a flashdrive (no, seriously).

As an added bonus, the FF boys are playing with both Ben Godfrey, who’s been doing a lot of solo stuff away from {listenlisten} lately, and excellent, excellent youngsters {New York City Queens}, whom I seriously owe a review. (Ack. Sorry?) Get on up there tonight…

Snow Patrol/Gary Go @ Bayou Music Center (formerly Verizon Wireless Theater)
I was up-and-down on Snow Patrol for a long, long, long time, honestly; beyond “Starfighter Pilot,” of 1998’s Songs for Polarbears, everything I’d heard from the band just kind of sailed past me, making me shrug and say, “yeah, yeah — bargain-basement Blur mixed with Doves; big deal.”

That changed last year, when a blog somewhere (don’t remember which one, sorry) pointed me towards “Run,” from the band’s 2004 release, Final Straw. Unlike the other stuff I’d heard, the song just grabbed hold of me and refused to let go, to the point where I seriously can’t skip ahead when it comes up on my iPod. Damn you, Snow Patrol; I don’t know how you did it, but you got a hold on me.

Criaturas/Guilt Party/White Crime/Versklaven/Crime Wave @ Walter’s (1120 Naylor; $7)
Punk, punk, punk, and more punk. {Guilt Party} holds you down while {White Crime} and {Crime Wave} take turns kicking you in the head ’til you stop twitching.

Debauche/The Suffers/The Failed Attempt/DJ Simmer Down @ Mango’s
Ooh, nice. As noted previously, I’m not entirely sure which show’s going to actually happen tonight at Mango’s, this one of the {Second Lovers} show below; either way, it’ll be cool, but I’m kinda-sorta pulling for {The Suffers}, I have to say. It’s been too, too long since I’ve heard/seen a truly great rocksteady/ska band ({The Suspects} notwithstanding), and I’m glad to see, hell, they still make ’em.

Dave Matthews Band/Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Okay, so I only wanted to call this one out to be clear about it: sorry, Dave Matthews Band & fans, but I am not a fan. Just never did it for me, and the overplaying of DMB’s music back in my college years made it pretty damn irritating, even, after a while.

I am a fan, however, of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (although not so much of one that I’d pay to see DMB just so I could see Sharpe & co.), so kudos to Dave Matthews (or his booking people, whichever) for having darn good taste in opening acts. If you’re already going to the show, get there early for these guys.

Runners-Up:
Phonte/9th Wonder/Rapsody/Median/The Niceguys @ Warehouse Live
Second Lovers/excuseMesir/Fox and Cats @ Mango’s
Sunrise and Ammunition/Mannequin Mishap/Yello Echo/Silence on Hold @ The Mink
He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister/Whiskey Shivers/Shakey Graves @ Fitzgerald’s
Slave to the Beat, featuring Ceeplus Bad Knives, Mr. Castillo, & Scorpio @ Boondocks
Prom Night, featuring Disco Expressions & Picture Book @ The Continental Club (prom attire req’d)
The Hookers/The Swinging Dicks/Hammercocks/Chelsea Hotel @ Rudyard’s
Broken Dream Boat/The Goonies/King Louie’s Missing Monuments @ Super Happy Fun Land