Whether it's mainstream rock/pop designed to appeal to consumers or folk songs and traditions that have lasted for hundreds of years, static rhythm and tonality are always present in popular music. That leads to the question, though: how are common denominators such as static rhythm or tonality relatable to the majority of people in a culture?... (Ikue Mori & Zeena Parkins perform as Phantom Orchard Sunday, April 26th at Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex (2201 Preston). $13 general admission, $10 students, under 18 free; 8PM.) [more] || [Michelle Yom] || [04/25/09]

It was the one song that got me hooked; I'll admit it. I accidentally heard "Le Kick," arguably the crowning moment off H-town quintet American Fangs' self-titled debut EP, while meandering around online, and once it slammed in, as full-force and in-your-face as the song's title suggests, I couldn't pull away... (American Fangs is playing 4/24/09 at Mango's, with The Manichean & Heptic Skeptic, and 5/8/09 at Fitzgerald's, with Dremnt The End, The 71's, Female Demand, & A Dream Asleep.) [more] || [Jeremy Hart] || [04/24/09]

The inclement weather has passed, and people are outside congregating in the front of the venue, indistinctly chattering with hands in their pockets. Angst-ridden and stoked, they wait in line for the main feature: Silverstein at the House of Blues. The Canadian band was a hit at The Meridian last year, and today they come bearing a gift, their fourth album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, hot off the presses... [more] || [Rafael Rivas] || [04/19/09]

Most experienced audiences of improvised music in Houston have witnessed performers trying out new sounds on stage, treating their sonic tools with curiosity or even playing without any real intention. Incidences like this seem to happen a lot in Houston, where improvising musicians have no pressure to conform to a movement, as there is really none. With that said, it's always nice when master musicians from out of town come and play... (The Ab Baars Trio and Ken Vandermark play Saturday, April 11th at Talento Bilingue de Houston (333 South Jensen Dr.); $13 general, $10 students, under 18 free, 8PM.) [more] || [Michelle Yom] || [04/10/09]

For a musician that's been making music since the mid-'70s, that fact that Paul Weller has never fully caught on in America is a shame. The singer's distinguished and varied career is full of political punk anthems and soulful pop gems that continue to influence new crops of British musicians. This night's concert shows why the nearly 51-year-old is still able to maintain a dedicated following... [more] || [David A. Cobb] || [04/27/09]