Yr. Weekend, Pt. 1: Giant Kitty + Only Beast + Miears + The Killers + Sucre + Lane 8 + More

Okay, folks — it’s that time again, Friday, January 26th, and it’s the first jam-packed evening of a jam-packed weekend of stuff, so I figured I’d better talk about it, at least briefly, before it’s upon us.

First up, though, an apology: for some reason, I could’ve sworn awesome doom-sludge-prog-metal folks {Omotai} were playing up at The Secret Group tonight, but apparently that’s not the case, and now I can’t even remember where the hell that came from (the Group is hosting some excellent-sounding comedy tonight, though, so there’s that…). Sigh. This is what happens when you get Old, kids — your mind just freaking goes and does whatever the fuck it wants, sometimes. Sorry about that, y’all.

Anyway, here are some shows that actually are happening tonight:

Giant Kitty (album release)/Only Beast/Miears/Nyx Laraye @ House of Blues
We start off with a one-two-three punch of awesome music over at the House of Blues, with the album release party for great local punks Giant Kitty‘s brand-new album, Rampage. They’re a pretty ridiculously awesome band, playing poppy punk rock that’s tough and political and pop-culture-savvy all at once, although the new album seriously veers more into the political side of things — can’t blame ’em for that, of course, given the asshat in the White House right now. “Pretty Little,” “Disorder Girl,” and “Barf City” are all standouts for me, at least at the moment, and “Chemtrails” hits way, waaaaay close to home for, um, certain friends of mine. It’s excellent; check it out if you can.

The show’s openers aren’t slouches, either — raw, furious rockers Only Beast are also playing, and I cannot recommend their live shows enough, seriously (and their self-titled album from back in the fall, too, which I’m ashamedly behind on reviewing…). Danielle Renee is one hell of a frontwoman (as is Giant Kitty’s Miriam Hakim, to boot). And then there’s Miears, the quasi-solo electro-pop project of Michelle Miears — as mentioned not long ago, I got to see her perform at FPSF last summer, and it was stellar. Get on out…

 

The Killers/Summer Moon/Amanda Brown @ Smart Financial Centre (Sugar Land)
Y’know, if you’d told me back when The Killers first emerged from the Vegas sands, all sleek poses and New Wave revivalism, that not only would the band survive and even thrive through three freaking Presidents but that they’d serve as the soundtrack to some of the pivotal moments of my life…well, I’d have snickered at you, no question.

And yet, that’s exactly what’s happened. I now look fondly back at 2004’s Hot Fuss as a freaking classic of its time or any other, “When We Were Young” and “Read My Mind,” from 2006 release Sam’s Town, make me think of my dear sweet wife, and “Human,” off 2008’s Day & Age, helped me bond with my nephew over music, the first time we were really able to make a connection in his teenage years. Through it all, Brandon Flowers and company would keep right on making music that’s catchy as hell, shiny like a futuristic dream we’ll never realize, and packed full of romantic idealism, a lot of which is really damn good.

Here’s the video for propulsive rocker “Run For Cover,” on new album Wonderful Wonderful, if you need some recent proof:

DK the Drummer/Sucré/Christopher Wray/David Sutton/Ahslei Mayadia @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Okay, so I’m honestly not sure who the heck is playing the show; there’re a bunch of people early on the bill, including Tightn’ Up‘s Ahslei Mayadia, but then Sucrés set apparently starts at 7:30PM, so…? I just dunno how they’re going to fit ’em all in.

Honestly, though, it’s Sucré I’m truly interested in — it’s the “band” of Stacy Dupree-King, formerly of baroque-indie-pop band Eisley, whom I’ve liked for many, many years at this point. DK the Drummer is her husband, Darren King, formerly of Mutemath and also kinda-sorta part of Sucré himself, it seems, on the production side. The music I’ve heard has been pretty incredible, melding Dupree-King’s fragile-but-not vocals with swooning, sweeping keys and impressive beats to create something that comes off like the child of Kate Bush and Jeremy Enigk.

Lane 8 @ Stereo Live
And last but not least, well, sometimes you just want to sit back in the dimly-lit club and chill, alone with just your thoughts for company. Lane 8 (aka Daniel Goldstein) makes the soundtrack for those kinds of moments, EDM that’s low-key and soft-spoken but still quietly busy down beneath the level of your conscious thoughts. It’s sweet and melodic, with banks of Zedd-/M83-esque synths, some great guest vocals from folks like Polica‘s Channy Leaneagh, and it’s damn near perfect in a crystalline, dancing-in-the-dark kind of way. I’m enjoying the hell out of new album Little by Little, which you can/should check out below:

Runners-Up:
Haunted Summer/Another Run/Anchor, The Mammoth @ White Oak Music Hall
Adan Jodorowsky/VODI/Nico/Elyze @ Axelrad
TXHC Fest 3, featuring Left Behind, I Am, Fatebringer, Life Cycles, Torture, Bitter Taste, & Sanity Slip @ Walter’s
Big Boi/The Cool Kids/Fatz Domino @ Warehouse Live
Los Skarnales/La Skandaloza/The Ugly Beats/The Sweet Hearts @ Fitzgerald’s
Paul Sanchez/Smith DeVille/Devil Killing Moth/Ricky Dee @ The Big Top
The Hayden Jones Trio/Will Csorba and Cameron Knowler/OG RHB @ Satellite Bar
Joe Ely/Terry Allen @ The Heights Theater
Fred Eaglesmith/Lisa Morales @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
4th Friday Night Market, featuring Del Toro Trio @ East End Street Market (2800 Navigation; 6-10PM)
The Urban Cowboy Reunion, featuring Mickey Gilley & Johnny Lee @ Redneck Country Club (Stafford)
Ronnie Milsap/T.G. Sheppard @ Stampede Houston (11925 Eastex Fwy.)