Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: American Sharks + The Tron Sack + Free Radicals + The Willy Collins Band + Adam Bricks + Second Lovers + White Ghost Shivers + Lera Lynn + More

As most of you hopefully know, it’s now the weekend — Friday, January 23rd, to be exact — and while I’m getting a late start tonight (as pretty much always), there’s still some excellent shows going on:

American Sharks/From Beyond/Tron Sack/Moonrazor @ Fitzgerald’s
First up, there’s a big-ass pile of rock going on up at Fitzgerald’s. Not only are cool, cool doom-y metal dudes {From Beyond} playing for what I think is the first time in a while, but so is The Tron Sack, aka the synth/stoner-metal side project of the dudes from College Station’s Ex-Optimists, who are great at pretty much whatever they do.

And then, of course, there’s Houston-gone-Austin band American Sharks, who’ve been gathering steam lately in the press and embarking on some holy-shit-they’re-playing-where? tours to places like Australia(!). They deserve it, too; the band’s heavy, semi-sludgy, rough-edged-yet-dramatic rawk stacks up nicely against folks like Red Fang, Early Man, or even Queens of the Stone Age, and that ain’t nothing to sneeze at.

Free Radicals (album release)/DJ Joey Flaco/David The 45 King/DJ Palmer/Tony Badd/Marley “The Poet”/Los Ladrones @ Fitzgerald’s
This weekend’s a weekend for album release shows, it seems, and here’s the first, with longtime jazz/funk gang {Free Radicals} releasing new album Freedom of Movement. I have yet to hear it, but based on past Free Rads releases, odds are good that it’s packed full of awesome, funky goodness.

Oh, and the show’s not just about the music — there’ll be performances by the band, obviously, and some other musical-type folks like Tony Badd and DJs playing some rare funk albums, but there’s also going to be a one-on-one breakdance battle hosted by the Havikoro Crew. If you want more than that out of a show, then there is no hope for you; give up now.

The Willy Collins Band (CD release)/Adam Bricks/The Naked Maja/Second Lovers @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
And here’s the second album release of the night, this time for {The Willy Collins Band}‘s new full-length Departures. I’ll admit that I’m not real familiar with the band, but I truly like frontman Willy Collins‘ voice, which is deep but clear, with a delivery that makes me think of Steve Earle at his best and most thoughtful, and songs that are quiet and somber. The music is Americana, to be sure, but not strictly on the country/folk side of things, instead shifting smoothly over to a New Orleans-y sound or even to something further away, almost gypsy-sounding.

Plus, they’re playing with two of my other favorite Americana-folk people/bands, {Adam Bricks} and {Second Lovers}. The former plays sharp-edged but warm, remarkably clever, urban folk, the kind I rarely seem to hear much anymore, while the other grabs hold of the whole realm of folk-pop and revs it up into a joyful, rootsy roar. They’ve got some new music coming out soon themselves, I’m told, so be sure to keep an eye out.

Lera Lynn/White Ghost Shivers @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Lastly, the Mucky Duck has a cool bill going tonight, with quirky, out-of-time troubadours White Ghost Shivers opening — a band I like quite a bit, and believe me when I say they seriously sound like they fell through a hole in the universe from an early 1900s Vaudeville show. For her part, headliner Lera Lynn is much more straightforwardly country-folk-pop, gentle and mournful with some nice steel guitars and a wonderfully evocative voice; think Neko Case on a serious downswing, and you’ll be close.

Runners-Up:
The Witherees/Kelly Doyle Trio/Dancing With Wolves/Grand Antler Teeth @ The Alley Kat
The Grizzly Band/Jason Bancroft & the Wealthy Beggars/JT Haberstat/Mike Weibe @ Rudyard’s
Straight Line Stitch/Bellusira/Dead Horse Trauma/Pitbulls and Parolees @ BFE Rock Club
The Derailers/John Egan @ The Continental Club
Wolfgang Gartner/Surain/LeerX @ Stereo Live
House Party, featuring GRRRL Parts & DJ Angieliste @ Avant Garden
Karma to Burn/Sierra/Gallion/The Dirty Seeds @ Mango’s
Elektrified 13, featuring Shwann, Poe Junior, Wes Walz, Seb & Valko, & more @ Limelight (2401 San Jacinto)