Yr. Weekend, Pt. 2: The Suffers + The Ex-Optimists + Action Frank + Pre-Holiday Slaughter + The Blistering Speeds + More

It’s Saturday, December 22nd, now, and yours truly’s just having a quiet night at home, savoring Modern Society giving the middle finger to those pesky Mayans and their goofy prophecies and introducing the 8-year-old to Doctor Who. Been that kind of weekend already, y’know?

But there’s still some great stuff going on; here’s my list for tonight:

The Suffers/The Bandulus/Wilroy Black and The Boss @ The Continental Club
The biggie of the night, due in large part to {The Suffers}, who are one of the best damn reggae/rocksteady bands you’re likely to ever hear/see. I seriously, seriously like everything I’ve heard from these folks so far, and word is that they’re showing off some new music from their forthcoming EP. Vocalist Kam Franklin, in particular, is a star, and the rest of the band are damn talented musicians, a few of whom, at least (like drummer Patrick Kelly), have put in time in Houston’s up-and-down ska scene over the years.

I’m not familiar with Austin band The Bandulus, unfortunately (beyond first hearing their name and wondering what the fuck that was about), although I’ve heard good things. Then there’s newcomers {Wilroy Black and The Boss}, which is another H-town ska/reggae/soul outfit that’s got a distinguished pedigree, sharing members with both The Bandulus and The Suffers, as well as folks like Sound Patrol, {The Handsomes}, & The I*Gents. Never heard ’em, but they sound promising…

The Ex-Optimists/The Bad Drugs/Hollywood_Roadkill @ Ponde Rosa
Just heard about this one, barely a few minutes ago, and I’m still not all that clear on where the hell the Ponde Rosa/Ponderosa/Ponde rosa is, but the show sounds damn cool, even still. College Station band The Ex-Optimists are very cool, totally throwing back towards mid-’90s indie-rock, with lots of droney melodies, Sonic Youth-ish guitars, and Dinosaur Jr. fuzz. I’ve heard the 7″ they put out earlier this year, and I like it a hell of a lot — check out the review over here, then make plans to head over to the Ponde Rosa (assuming you know where it is) after whatever other show you’re primarily headed out to see.

Pre-Holiday Slaughter, featuring Future Blondes, Skullcaster, How I Quit Crack, RU-486, Richard Ramirez, The Whitehorse, DJ Sanyo, DJ Kyocera, DJ Princessa Talibana, & NIGHTatNOON @ Mango’s
And over at Mango’s, there’s a full raft of noisy squallers playing, including {Future Blondes}, whom I like quite a bit, and some truly classic folks like {Richard Ramirez}; I’m not all that up on most of these folks, but if you’re into noise, experimental music, or all-out weirdness, well, this is for you…

Action Frank/The Blistering Speeds/B Side @ Super Happy Fun Land
Finally, up at Super Happy Fun Land tonight is a nice bill, with locals {Action Frank} & Austin-dwellers The Blistering Speeds. The former play ’90s-ish, snarling, Cali-style pop-punk/hardcore a la early Green Day, NOFX, or Pennywise, with Billie Joe-esque vocals over tight, head-snapping rhythms and nicely rough-yet-melodic guitars. If you are/were into pop-punk at all, these guys are right up your alley, and they do it damn well.

The latter, on the other hand, make me think more of thoughtful, dronier indie-rockers like Silkworm or Archers of Loaf or alternative icons The Pixies, with lots of sharp-edged guitars, odd arrangements, and head-nodding tempos, and I’m liking it a whole hell of a lot. Get on over to SHFL before it’s too late, y’all.

Runners-Up:
Los Lonely Boys/Alejandro Escovedo @ House of Blues
The Boulevard Nights/The Dead Revolt/Tim Qualls Band/Days Drive @ Fitzgerald’s
Cedric Burnside @ Last Concert Cafe
Anti-Christ Mass XIV, featuring Perdition Temple, Blasphemic Cruelty, Funeral Rites, Hod, Blaspherian, Demoniacal Genuflection, Burial Shroud, & Legion @ Walter’s
Martin Burniston’s 22nd Annual Christmas Singalong @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
D.R.U.M. @ Irie Daquiri (4812 Almeda)
The El Birthday Metalfest II, featuring Sanctus Bellum Sanctuary, Sanctus Bellum Sanctus, Sanctus Bellum, Cauldron, Owl Witch, & H.R.A. @ Rudyard’s