Got a brief email a week or so ago from Mike Fuller, ex-lead singer/guitarist of back-n-the-day H-town power-pop band The Sperlings, with some pretty neat news:

The Sperlings are being resurrected from the dead.
All four members

Mike Fuller
Carl Sandin
Rob Smith
Bruce Stone

Will be working on new material for release at the end of the year.

Very cool. For those who missed the band the first time out, trust me when I say that they were damn entertaining. They were a bit of an anomaly at a time when Houston's scene seemed torn between proto-emo, pop-punk, ska, and the occasional noise/indie band; rather than get heavy or throw on a ton of horns, the Sperlings wore their love of full-on power-pop on their sleeves, channeling Cheap Trick, Big Star, & The Kinks with insane sincerity.

The guitars were downright fiery, esp. on 1997's excellent Sea of Sarcasm, the vocals were sweet and earnest, and the melodies drilled right into your (well, my) brain. To top it all off, the four guys in the band were the nicest, friendliest, most down-to-earth guys you could hope to meet, with no rockstar egos in sight. Every time I saw 'em play, they were unfailingly cool. They always felt, though, like they were a bit out-of-sync with the rest of what was going on in Houston at the time; they never really seemed to get their due.

The band started out a little hit-and-miss, I'll admit (I was kinda "eh" on Glidepath to Normalcy, I'm afraid), but after Sarcasm and Green Manilow, they looked poised to do some really great things. Life in the H-town scene and the pull of real-life adulthood took hold, though, and the band imploded right around when Green Manilow came out; drummer James headed off to law school, while the other guys kept at the musical stuff.

Fuller and bassist/vocalist Carl Sandin went on to do solo things, while lead guitarist Rob Smith dumped the guitar in favor of keys and went on to the ill-fated (but brilliant) Japanic and solo techno-noise deal LOW.Z.

Anyway, this little bit of news just plain makes me smile. Keep your eyes out for more; I'm seriously curious to see what these guys come up with after close to a decade off doing their own things. (BTW, the band's old website does still exist, but it seems a little weird these days; no sign of any Myspace presence just yet, but heck, it'll probably happen soon...)

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Public Service Announcements, Things To Hear

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Got this one courtesy of the good people at Nasty Little Man, and I find myself liking the song & wanting to hear it repeatedly, so I figured it was only just to post it to this here site. Sounds to me like "Chemtrails" is Beck finally making the full transformation from alt-rock hero into '60s psych-rock icon -- if this sounds like anything recent, it's Spiritualized, albeit with more jazzy drums. I love the wild, live-wire-sounding guitars after the false fadeout, in particular; they come off like some long-lost gem from the vault of sadly-departed Robert Quine. Stuff like this almost makes me forget Beck's a Scientologist. Enjoy...

Labels: Entertainobabble, Free Stuff, Musical Crap, Things To Download, Things To Hear

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Meant to post this earlier, but eh, shit happens, and so... Seeing as how that whole Muxtape thing is so damn neat, it only makes sense that the Houston Press's John Lomax would be into it, too. I missed his "African diaspora" muxtape, sadly, but the one he put up this past week is damn cool, focusing on -- yeah, you guessed it -- cool H-town people.

As mux/mixtapes go, while Lomax says the tracks are all from this decade, this one feels like a bit of a trip down Memory Lane; there're a recent tracks, like the one from The Scattered Pages, but I'm digging the Panic In Detroit, Jug O' Lightnin', and The Westbury Squares, in particular, and those bands all broke up (I'm pretty sure they did, at least) a while ago. Man, "The Anti Chorus" really, truly makes me miss The Squares; I feel like I never really gave those folks their due while they were around, but now they sound fine, fine, fine.

Anyway, check it out quick, before it gets replaced w/this week's(?) installment...

Labels: Cool Web Junk, Musical Crap, Things To Download, Things To Hear

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Okay, so I was a bit confused about this one -- I'd thought today's Record Store Day thing I'd been hearing about from the Cactus Music crew was just something at their happy little store, but noooo...apparently it's North America-wide, if not further. Turns out lots of indie music stores all across the country are throwing wide their doors today and having all kinds of fun & entertaining stuff going on, as a sort of show of indie-store solidarity. Neat, if you ask me...

I can't speak for other stores, but the party's starting over at Cactus, it sounds like. They've got live music from the reportedly-excellent South Austin Jug Band starting at noon (er, right now, that is?), followed by James McMurtry at 3PM, (free?) beer from St. Arnold's, a bunch of new releases (like Jason Isbell's Live at Twist & Shout), free pizza from 1-3PM, a vinyl listening party from 4-7PM, and tons of unspecified freebies (I'm guessing things like stickers, buttons, & label samplers). Plus, you can enter to win a Red Hot Chili Peppers skateboard, autographed stuff, and maybe even a guitar. Hot damn...

So, there you go -- it's a beautiful damn day, so get on out & head over to Shepherd Plaza to enjoy some music and support one of the few true bastions of independent music left in this city (while you're at it, head on over to Sound Exchange, Soundwaves, & Vinal Edge, too; I dunno if they're "celebrating" the day, as well, but you've gotta spread the love, right?). Cactus (the new Cactus, that is) is housed at 2110 Portsmouth, around the corner from Freebirds & Amy's and across the street from all the horseshoe(?)-throwers at The Stag's Head. I swear, as soon as the freakin' lawn guy shows up ("I'll be there in 20 minutes!" was an hour and a half ago...argh), me and The Munchkin will be making our way over there for some big-ass Freebirds burritos & some cool music stuff.

Also On: Just in case you thought the brilliantly-conceived Secret Saturday Show thing had died an untimely death, take heart. I have it on relatively good authority that Austin/Houston dweller Thane Matcek (Sad Like Crazy/ex-All Transistor/ex-Linoleum Experiment/etc.) will be over at The Shady Tavern in the Heights (it's at 1206 W. 20th St.) this afternoon with his newest musical project, band The Judas Bear.

It's gonna be really freakin' cool, people, trust me -- I've been a fan of both Matcek and collaborator Mark's (Richardson, I think?) work for years now, and pretty much everything they touch is strange but good. And is "J.D." J.D. Tucker from Over Sea Under Stone/Lenny Briscoe? Even better...

Lomax over @ the Houston Press recently profiled "Sit Shiva", one of The J.B.'s neatest songs, so I'd highly recommend checking out the song and/or the band themselves up at the Tavern this afternoon. I dunno today's lineup for sure, but per normal SSS operation, DJs start up at noon while the bands play from 2-5PM. And hey, it's free-free-free (as is the Cactus Record Store Day thing, btw), so you can't beat that.

Labels: Musical Crap, Public Service Announcements, Things To Do, Things To Hear, Things To See

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Ladies & gentlepeeps, I give you, the first-ever super-official, fancy-shmancy SCR Muxtape, for your enjoyment and the hopeful elevation of the bands included therein. Gape in awe at its Houston-swelled glory.

Yeah, yeah -- I know they're likely a fad and are being slapped up left & right, but I swear to God, the muxtape thing is exactly what I've been looking for. I've wanted to do some kind of mixtape-type thing of all local H-town bands I love for a loooooong while now, and had toyed w/both putting up the MP3s themselves and creating our own SCR podcasts. Neither of which worked, the former because the prospect of tracking down & emailing every goddamn band whose song I wanted to post made me feel physically ill and the latter because I'm too inherently lazy to figure out how the hell to do a podcast.

The muxtape idea, on the other hand, appeals to me because it's so ludicrously simple, lets me put songs I love by bands I love up there without fearing I'm ripping food from their mouths (or that they're gonna grab me off the street someday and give me a beatdown, whichever), I can randomly stumble across cool music other people have up on their muxtapes, and I can update my own whenever the heck I want.

Which is the plan, by the by -- the Space City Rock Muxtape will evolve, if you will, as I add & remove songs over the next however long it lives. Songs will be both new & old; freshness doesn't matter, as long as I like 'em (as evidenced by the inclusion of Celindine in the current 'tape). Plugging the songs in there last night, I found myself wishing there wasn't a 12-song limit; I've already got a list a page long of songs to include in future updates. I'll post about 'em here when the songs change, and you can also subscribe to the RSS feed here & be updated automatically when stuff changes.

Anyway, here's the mix as of the moment, in playlist order:

1. Teenage Kicks - "Bound For Glory"
2. Stadium - "Nine Twelve Twenty-One"
3. The Jonx - "Cashews"
4. Celindine - "No Crest"
5. Co-Pilot - "Low Earth Orbit"
6. Piano Vines - "Sun King"
7. The Gold Sounds - "College Radio"
8. Fatal Flying Guilloteens - "Reveal The Rats"
9. While You Were Gone - "Thief"
10. Alkari - "The Code"
11. Paris Falls - "Hazard Street Bridge"
12. The Church of Philadelphia - "This Time Around"

(If you happen to be in a band whose song(s) I've got on the muxtape, btw, and you don't want to be on there for whatever reason, just email me at "gaijin" at "spacecityrock dot com" and I'll get it off there asap. Don't want no hasslin' from The Man, y'all.)

Labels: Admin Stuff, Cool Web Junk, Musical Crap, Things To Hear

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UPDATE: And...poof, the tickets are gone. Damn, that didn't take long at all. Congrats to winner JD!

Yep, slam poet/rapper/artiste extraordinaire Saul Williams will be in town this next Tuesday, April 1st over at Warehouse Live -- with the utterly awesome Dragons of Zynth, I've heard, although they weren't on the venue's Website the last time I checked -- and all signs point to it being utterly badass. I'll grant that some of his stuff gets a little long-winded & navel-gazer-y, but 95% of the time, I'm impressed as hell with what the guy does. At the very least, he's unique in a musical realm where how many times you've gotten your stupid ass shot apparently matters more to the music-purchasing public than how good you actually are.

Lucky for you, SCR has in its possession (well, virtually) two free tickets/guestlist spots to give away to the first person who emails us. Just send a quick note to "gaijin" at "spacecityrock dot com" with the Subject line "Give me the tickets, and nobody gets hurt!", and you'll be on the list over at the Warehouse the night of the show. The email I get first wins. Then you just show up & enjoy the free-flowing, beat-heavy poetry/hip-hop/rock/whatever. Capisce?

In case you're uncertain, here's the video for Williams' version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (yep, that one), off his latest, the Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust (which is, btw, one of the best album titles ever, hands down). Enjoy...

And since I'm in a Youtubing mood, here's the video for my favorite Williams track ever, his "Coded Language" collab with DJ Krust -- it's long, but Krust's beats are fucking awesome and it gets nicely intense when Williams starts spitting out names:

Labels: Free Stuff, Musical Crap, Things To Do, Things To Hear, Things To See

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Yeah, yeah, I know it's from back in 2005 or so, but homeboy Marc brought it to my attention recently, and now I feel completely and utterly compelled to post it here: Robbie Fulks' "Fountains of Wayne Hotline". The first time I listened to the song (sorry, Marc, it took a while for the iPod to hit it), I nearly drove into another car, I was laughing so hard.

Like the title says, it's the perfect, perfect little piece of satire/tribute ever, in that it's both poking at FoW with a sharp stick and a brilliant example of how well the shiny-sweet pop goodness the band comes up with works and a subtle in-joke for anybody even vaguely familiar with Tech Support. Holy shit, is it good.

(To Mr. Fulks/Whomever It May Concern: In the unlikely event that you ever come across our humble site, please don't sue my broke ass. I've got to keep my little girl in broccoli and hot dogs, and only a cruel, heartless person would take away a four-year-old's hot dog, right? You're a damn genius, and I swear I post this track strictly out of love and to bring it back to the attention of our 15-sec-of-fame world. I will remove it im-freakin'-mediately if asked.)

Labels: Cool Web Junk, Musical Crap, Things To Hear

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This week's killing me, I swear. In addition to needing to tend to the work & home life, I feel awash in the head-high tide of SXSW sideswipes with which our fair city's currently being blessed -- tonight, for example, what would otherwise have been a humdrum, nothing-goin'-on Tuesday night is instead filled to overflowing with awesome-sounding shows. I've already ranted/raved about tonight's Jonah Matranga and Parts & Labor shows, but there's also Anathallo/By the End of Tonight @ Walter's, Flogging Molly @ Warehouse Live, Von Iva/Pash/Wicked Poseur/Lenny Briscoe @ Rudz, The Cribs/Ra Ra Riot/Jeffrey Lewis @ The Engine Room, NYC-dwellin' country boys The Weight @ somebody's house at 1601 Castle Ct., thedeathset/Ponytail/These Are Powers @ Boondocks, & Warhammer 48K/Cop Warmth/Wallbangers @ The White Swan. phew. And those are just the ones that stick in my head; there's more out there.

There's also this little gem of a show -- tonight the misleadingly-named Canada (they're from Detroit; way to play off the current wave of Canadahype, y'all), The Cotton Jones Basket Ride, and Houston's own The Right Villanous John Hall will all be doing their thing over on the campus of my own alma mater, Rice U., playing at the beloved Willy's Pub, smack-dab under the Student Center.

Now, for one thing, it's nice to see Willy's alive & well; the last time I saw it, it was in ashes after a drunk asshole burned the fucking place down in a fit of stupid, alcoholic vindictiveness. Up to that point, it had been a cool place to hang out w/friends, watch somebody play guitar, or do dumb (yet non-destructive, mind you) college student crap. I think I first saw fabled Houston math-prog-rock trio Dyn@mutt, who were like The Jonx but were totally at the wrong time and the members of which are now scattered as far afield as New Zealand, SF, and Austin, down in the basement. Heck, once, long, long ago, I even played Willy's, meandering in my craptacular way through the Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm" for our college's Talent Night (Team fuckin' Wiess...). Good times, good times.

Anyway. It makes my soul's frown turn upside down just a wee bit to know that the place has not only survived but is once again hosting musical events. And luckily for the audience-to-be this evening, the bands tonight are much better than yours truly (no Pumpkins covers, I don't think). Headliners Canada are gentle-but-smart, sweet, ensemble-ish indie-folk-pop, kind of like a less-morose Winterpills or a much (much) mellower Okkervil River. You can check out "Hexenhaus", "Record Function", & "Beige Station Wagon", all off their 2006 full-length, This Cursed House.

Before they hit the stage, though, there's also The Cotton Jones Basket Ride, who're grooving and kinda old-timey-sounding, with a bit of '60s haze swirling over the proceedings; interesting stuff, even if it's not entirely my thing. Check out "Had Not A Body", from 2007's Paranoid Cocoon.

And first but certainly not least, The Right Villanous John Hall opens the show with their quirky, twitchy, oddly '70s-sounding pop-rock. To these ears, at least, their debut EP (which I, uh, desperately need to write a damn review of...sorry, you guys? I suck...) come off like a snarkier, brainier Semisonic, with Tony Goddess of Papas Fritas on vocals and a bunch of theater nerds providing the music. No MP3s to swipe for your iPod, sorry -- you'll just have to listen via the Myspace link above.

(Disclosure time: yes, valiant SCR scribe Andrew P. plays in The Right Villanous John Hall, and yes, they know they missed the "i" in "Villanous"; it's intentional genius, people, get with it.)

The details: the show'll start at 6PM, a mere 3 hrs. from this posting, and will run 'til 9PM or so, which means that you (yes, you!) will be able to go here and then go hit one'a them other million shows in town. Oh, and it'll be free, daddy, free, which is the best price. Not sure how Willy's is pulling that off, honestly, since Canada & TCJBR are both touring bands with (several) mouths to feed, but the pub calendar says tonight's a "Jones School Live Music Event," which may mean that some kind MBA candidate/prof has agreed to underwrite the whole dang shebang out of the goodness of their hearts. That, my friends, means you're morally obligated to go. Right?

Radio, Radio: Speaking of things Rice-related, by the way, if you honestly just can't get down to the tree-lined boulevards of the University in time for The Rock Show, you can instead listen in tonight on KTRU's Local Show, where DJ Ian has cool, cool local kids The Wild Moccasins playing starting at 8PM. It won't be like seeing the show down at Willy's, but at least you'll feel some level of connectedness to the university. Kinda.

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Random Rambling, Things To Do, Things To Hear

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Mentioned these folks already, but I was able to snag a couple of MP3s today & listen to 'em while I wait for the Phone Company Man to show up & make my telephone all better, and now I feel much more knowledgeable about Boston's The Motion Sick and qualified to say that, yeah, they're pretty dang good.

Which is cool, 'cause they happen to be playing this very evening up at Boondocks with local space-gazers Antarctica Starts Here -- who are themselves excellent and whom I need to hear more from. I'd figured both bands were kinda in the shoegaze/space-rock vein, but that's not strictly the case; The Motion Sick are more of a straight-ahead indie-pop kind of thing, w/plenty of sarcastic sweetness & smiling melodies. But hey, there's nothing wrong with mixing up styles, if you ask me...

Anyway, here're links to the couple of Motion Sick MP3s I've run across: "30 Lives" & "Jean-Paul". Enjoy, and if you're not already planning to be at Yo La Tengo/My Morning Jacket, The Slits/This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Nicole Atkins, Back Door Slam, Municipal Waste, & the other bazillion bands playing tonight (what the hell? isn't it a Monday?), head on over to Boondocks...

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Things To Download, Things To Hear

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This reunion thing is getting really, really old. For example, I honestly, I just can't get excited over the "ha-ha, just kidding!" Pavement maybe-reunion that's being bandied about; the band was interesting while they were around the first time, but that doesn't mean I still give a crap about seeing 'em play live. Most of the "iconic" bands I'd really like to see reunite can't because, well, one of the key band members (Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer) is dead. So I'm out of luck, there.

Besides, I'm stunned on a weekly basis by the wealth of amazing music growing & seething right here under our H-town feet, often totally unnoticed. To paraphrase a very wise person over on the Hands Up board, I'd much rather see one of the many, many excellent bands here in town than shell out an insane amount of cash to see somebody rehash their greatest hits from a decade-plus ago. Time to move on and do something new, people.

So here's to badass local music; long may it blare. And while I'm raving about it, I wanted to point to a few folks who've got some excellent (relatively) new stuff up online for all to hear & gape at in awe:

georgia's horse: I was seriously starting to think this band didn't really exist. They promised to release an album last year, Mammoth, that I was never able to find/buy, and then I heard nada about 'em for a long, long time. Turns out that they've been working on a new-new album, Weather Codes, and they've got some great new songs up on their Myspace page. "Strep Throat," in particular, sucks me in (partly because I spent a large chunk of my life getting monthly shots to avoid getting that particular ailment and, uh, dying from it), but I'm also liking "The Bullet Sinks," "Thistlebomb," and the posted-to-their-blog-only "6" (not sure if that's the real title).

The more I hear from these folks, the more they remind me of Beth Gibbons' Out of Season project; the music's dense and spooky, full of floating strings, warbling, eerie voices, and percussive, menacing acoustic guitars. If there is any justice in the world, I'll stumble across a treasure trove of these people's recordings within the next two days or so. (If it doesn't happen, I'm just going to assume the gods hate me and go from there.)

Teenage Kicks: After hearing their installment in the Grey Ghost CD-R series, I was a teeny bit skeptical about these guys, I'll admit; I liked some of what I heard, but man, was it raw and rough. Having recently visited their Myspace and listened to new(?) tracks "Electric Girl," "Bound for Glory," "Art School," and "Another Night," though, I'm now drooling like a freakin' fanboy for their hopefully-forthcoming next release. These three guys play old-school power-pop, the kind you find on those Rhino D.I.Y. releases, all reminiscent of folks like The Undertones (which, given the band's name: duh), The Boys (damn, I need to hear "Brickfield Nights" again), Joe Jackson, & The Buzzcocks. It's poignant and sharp-edged at the same time, earnestly sincere and un-ironic while being smart-assed, and that strikes me as being damned difficult to do.

Something Fierce: I really just can't say enough about how great this band is. Like Teenage Kicks, Something Fierce harks back to an era before irony and self-reference overwhelmed every goddamn thing, and tracks like "Have Your Kids And Eat Them Too" grab hold of that old, tired punk-rock cliché and drag it forcibly out into the harsh light '00s so it can pump its fist in the air once again. There's a snarling energy behind the songs, and a whip-smart sense of timing, to boot. And looking at their Myspace site reminds me, actually, that I really need to somehow get a hold of their new-ish "Modern Girl"/"Why Can't I" 7" -- I heard the demo version of "Modern Girl" a while back and liked it, but the polished, New Wave-tinged release version blows it out of the water.

Piano Vines: Yeah, yeah. I know I've babbled a few times recently about this fine, fine band of gentle indie-popsters; fuck it, I can't help it. They're just that good, I swear. And now here's further evidence, again courtesy of the band's Myspace -- the swelling, dreampop-ish "The Life of Walter Price," which makes me think of The Sundays and The Jesus and Mary Chain, both at the same time. Holy fuck, these folks are good. While I do indeed love the loud stuff (see above), it does my soul good to see/hear somebody that doesn't need to blaze, full-volume, to make good music.

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Things To Hear

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So, if you happen to not be able to escape from the house this evening to check out the NOFX/Latch Key Kids show, the Wiggins/Aunt Dracula show, or the Aiden/Schoolyard Heroes show (or, heck, even if you can get out of the house), all is not lost. Simply turn on that trusty stereo and point the tuner at 91.7 FM at around 8PM tonight to catch the awesome power of Paris Falls live on the air on KTRU's "Local Show," hosted by bi-cityite Ian Varley.

Paris Falls are honestly one of the coolest, most intriguing bands around these days, with Raymond Brown's blues-belter howl, those dirty-but-not-too-distorted guitars, and longtime scenester (and ex-Jinkie) Mike Deleon solidly behind the drum kit; I've been inexcusably sitting on their out-this-week second full-length, Vol. II, which they'll be debuting at Boondocks on February 28th with friend Jason Puffer DJing. Tune in for the radio show, then go see 'em play live. You have my solemn word that this will be good.

(Oh, and apparently the Local Show will have promising young'uns The Wild Moccasins two weeks from tonight, and the ever-excellent Papermoons two weeks after that. Guess you know what your Tuesday nights are gonna be about for the forseeable future, don't you?)

Labels: H-Town News, Musical Crap, Things To Do, Things To Hear

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I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've been out of the loop on the whole Secret Saturday Shows deal for the past month or two -- while I dearly love the idea, it gets a little hard to plug something where the participants are meant to be a surprise each week, y'know? "Hey, everybody, come see this great weekly show...um...except that we can't tell you who's playing!" You get my meaning; love it, but it's somewhat difficult to promote. Normally the most I can tell you is that it's at The Shady Tavern up in the Heights (1206 W. 20th), some bands will be playing, and they'll be playing from 2-5PM. Anything more, and you've gotta go see for yourself.

This week, though, a well-placed insider has leaked the news that this week's installment of SSS will include one of the more promising bands I've heard of late, Alkari, who do a nicely melodic-but-still-defiant pop-rock thing that brings to mind The Flaming Lips and Lucero-esque roots rock in equal parts (well, at least to me). Oh, and the vocals remind me in a cool way of the Archers of Loaf's Eric Bachmann, and that's never a bad thing. I'm sure I've said it before, but I'm still bowled over by Myspace tracks "The Code" and "If I Could," and "Quality" ain't bad, either -- haven't seen the band play live yet, but I'm going to have to soon. (Hrm. Maybe I can somehow drag the wife & munchkin out tomorrow afternoon; the wee one does like "rock songs"...)

Said insider has also let it be known that Dentonites Oso Closo will also be playing, after which they'll head over to another semi-secret deal, Paadzzi's, which is technically Alkari's rehearsal space but is also where the band puts on shows every once in a while. I've got no clue where the place actually is, other than it's somewhere up on the northwest side of town -- if you want directions to the place, you've got to become the "venue"'s Myspace friend. The Paadzzi's show'll start at 8PM, and Oso Closo will be playing with Kenny Bernal, The Soarce, and Low Man's Joe (no Alkari, unfortunately). Should be good.

While I'm at it, don't forget that this Saturday is also the Free Press 5th Anniversary Show, which should also be really good. Ramon's got the details up here, and you've really gotta go if you can. Reasons why? How 'bout: Piano Vines are incredible; I hear Studemont Project are great (even if they screwed me when I tried to buy their CD); Ceeplus is a hell of a DJ, and The Sideshow Tramps are quite the party people; and the Free Press is an awesomely cool paper I don't get to read nearly as often as I'd like.

Granted, you may not even get the chance to see the Free Press show, since the bands playing at Rudyard's tonight (Fri., 2/22, for those without calendars) will be so fucking heavy the bar is likely to collapse into a gigantic sinkhole, trapping about half of Houston's music scene beneath large chunks of rubble. I dunno Potbelly except by name, but Kvalla play some badass, heavy-as-hell metal that makes you feel as if you were drinking flagons of mead with Odin and the rest of the Aesir (or something), and I was very impressed by Awake's gloomy, tidal-wave-like dirges when I caught 'em last weekend; they're kinda like Earth and kinda like Arbouretum, both of which are good things to get compared to. Oh, and I think the fact that not one but two Jonx side project bands are playing back-to-back in one night (drummer Danny is in Kvalla, while bassist Trey is in Awake) may well cause the universe to implode. Just so you're prepared if that happens, instead of the whole sinkhole thing.

You have many, many options this weekend -- these are but three. If you wanted to go see Cobra Starship on Saturday, by the way, you missed the boat, 'cause it's sold out. From where I'm sitting, though, you're in luck; wouldn't you much rather see some fine-quality bands like the ones mentioned above than pay way too much money to see a half-assed joke band nobody's gonna remember a decade from now? Consider yourself fortunate.

Labels: H-Town News, Things To Do, Things To Hear

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Crap, crap, crap. Not only did I miss out on the "official" Hearts of Animals 7" release this Tues., but I blew it Wed. night w/Sharks and Sailors opening for Dead Meadow, and with Grant Hart on Thurs. at the Continental Club, and with CEX and Satin Hooks last night. Damn.

Sorry, y'all -- my bosses at the day-job have decided I'm responsible enough to run my own projects, which is nice & all, but which means that my time for occasional slacking & taking a "blog-break" at lunchtime has dropped to about zero. My work days the past few weeks have been run-run-run, as soon as I get in the door. Not that I mind working, of course; heck, I like my job quite a bit, and I work with good people. It's been a big step up from past gigs at places like The Big Red H & Exxon, so I don't wanna mess it up, y'know?

Anyway, there's a lot going on in the not-too-distant future. On top of the about-to-happen stuff, I feel compelled to mention the following, even though they're not happening immediately:

• Parts & Labor returning to town on 3/11 to give yours truly yet another chance to get off his ass and bask in their noise-rock glory (I'm sure that's the sole reason they came back through, right?)
• Times New Viking & Great Lakes Myth Society are making SXSW-ish stops on 3/16 (at The Mink & Super Happy Fun Land, respectively)
• The bound-to-be-incredible Gogol Bordello is finally coming to H-town on 3/18 (at The Meridian)
• Slam poet/rapper Saul Williams and Dragons of Zynth are at Warehouse Live 4/1
• Say Anything hit Warehouse Live 4/8
• Mae comes to town again (missed 'em last time, but I heard from friends that the show was great) 4/16 at the Meridian
• And to cap it all off -- dum-da-de-dum -- Cat Power will be at Warehouse Live 4/22. Which I've absolutely, totally got to see.

On the downside, some of the upcoming shows seem a little confused -- are The Slits playing both at Numbers on 3/10 and at Fitz on 3/11 -- and Lorene Drive apparently cancelled their show at the Meridian next weekend. Ah, well. Here's what is still on that looks good to me:

Sat., February 16:
Co-Pilot/Awake/Ringo Deathstarr/For That Day @ Walter's on Washington
Arthur Yoria/Bear Colony/Dignan/Buxton @ The Backroom (The Mink)
Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics (CD release)/Tribal Lillies Belly Dancers/Opie Hendrix @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
Spain Colored Orange/The Drawing Board/Paris Falls @ Rudyard's
Argh. This one hurts. I've been wanting to see space-rock heroes Co-Pilot for a looooong time now -- they don't play out real often, these days -- but at the same time I love accomplished popster Arthur Yoria & nu-country act Buxton, have heard excellent things about Bear Colony (which includes members of Unwed Sailor & Lovedrug, if you're into either of them), like what I've heard of Carrie Ann Buchanan's countrified folk, dig psych-poppers Spain Colored Orange, and have been dying to see the uncategorizable Paris Falls. What's a boy to do? I think, sadly, that this one may come down to a coin toss...

Know Your Idols, featuring Bad Brains (by Eye Against), Jimi Hendrix (by Amplified Heat), Kiss (by Hell City Kings), Mötley Crüe (by American Terrorists), Black Sabbath (by Dead End Lake), Iron Maiden (by Until Dawn), Mötörhead (by The Drunks), David Bowie (by Morgue City), At the Drive-In (by Jalambo Chispa), Melvins (by Whorehound), Tears for Fears (by Mechanical Boy), & Adolescents (by Dicky Hands) @ The Meridian
Yeah, you know the deal -- all your favorite local people (in this case, mostly the heaviest of the heavy) fulfilling their rockstar dreams by pretending to be the people they idolized as young'uns. When it works (see: Panic in Detroit playing as Jawbox @ the Hootenanny a short while back), it can pretty damn awesome. And if it's not, well, hopefully it's at least funny.

Benefit Concert for Josh Shupak, featuring Perry Thomas, Patti Sullivan, April Kelly, Tom Tranchilla, & Brock Rodarte @ Mainstreet Crossing (111 West Main St., Tomball; 8PM, $20 suggested donation)
This one breaks my heart -- more info up here...

Sherwood/The Matches/The Higher/We Shot The Moon/Barely Blind @ Javajazz Coffee House (Spring)
Despite the glut of similar bands -- and the fact that they were the first band on the Myspace record label, which is just plain weird -- I actually really like Sherwood. See the review here, if you care. And local boys Barely Blind are pretty great; hopefully there'll be a review of their EP up here sometime soon.

Sun., February 17:
Death Before Dishonor/Die Young/Grave Robbers/Bottomfeeder @ Walter's on Washington ($10; 8PM)
I don't know most of these folks, but Die Young are pretty cool. All hardcore, I think, and there ain't nothin' wrong w/that.

Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics/Fahl and Folk @ Last Concert Cafe
Yep, a second dose of Carrie Ann, in case you didn't catch her the night before...

The Delta Block @ Notsuoh
I'm afraid I don't know a lot about these folks, but they've been nicely persistent in their emails, and they sound like they could be darn good. Give 'em a shot, if you dare.

Mon., February 18:
Sabra Laval/The Wild Moccasins @ Boondocks
Sabra Laval has one of the best, most distinctive voices you're going to hear at a club 'round these parts, period -- she's husky and melancholy and dark without being mopey. And plus, I like what I've heard of the Wild Moccasins...

Calabi Yau @ i.am.we.commUNITY House (819 Land Grant, Richmond)
Tambersauro/Calabi Yau/Eat Grapes/Hear You Me @ Notsuoh
The people behind the i.am.we.commUNITY thing, Teri & Rich, are pretty great -- I honestly don't know where they get the energy to do all the stuff they seem to be into. Monday they're bringing in a band I've heard really good stuff about, Calabi Yau, for not one but two shows; the first is at their house out in Richmond @ 3PM, and then the second's up in downtown at Notsuoh @ 9PM. Whichever (or both) you check out, it should be damn cool.

The Riot Before/O Pioneers!!!/Altus/The American Sharks/Molotov Compromise @ The White Swan
Dunno most of these people, but I keep meaning to check out O Pioneers!!!, and American Sharks are an especially promising local punk band. Worth a shot, definitely.

Fri., February 22:
30footFALL/Latch Key Kids/Dig Dug @ The Backroom (The Mink)
Yes! This show is like stepping back to 1998, I swear. This marks the first appearance of the long-dead-and-buried Latch Key Kids since their late-'90s heyday, and damn, it's about time. Seriously, back then they were one of the best of the crop of Cali-style, speedy pop-punk bands floating around this city. Then there's 30footFALL, who thankfully keep reuniting on occasion to prove that they're still one of the best punk bands Houston's ever produced (they've been having a harder time of it lately, what with Butch being off at school on the East Coast), and Dig Dug, one of my personal fave bands from the proto-emo scene we had once upon a long time ago. I actually bought a record player so I could listen to their first 7" comp on Act Your Age. Good times...

Awake/Kvalla/Potbelly @ Rudyard's
Whoa. Never heard Awake or Potbelly, but Kvalla (which happens to include Danny from The Jonx/Houston Press/etc. on drums) play good, LOUD, sludgy, heavy-as-fuck metal in the vein of Mastodon or Isis. The one time I've seen 'em so far, my ears were ringing even with the earplugs in. Take that as a recommendation.

The Mighty Orq (CD release)/Tody Castillo/James Reese Band @ The Meridian (Red Room)
Ah, Tody. This guy's such a good, good songwriter that I got all embarrassed and starstruck when I spotted him at Rudyard's recently; I dearly wanted to (re-)introduce myself and pester him about his upcoming album, but felt like a big fanboy dork for even thinking about it. Seriously, he makes me want to burn all those old notebooks of half-written songs, 'cause there's now way they could ever compare.

HBC New Membership Showcase, featuring The Rising, DML Cartel, Sovern, Silenced Within, & Cell 13 @ Fitzdown
Not real familiar w/any of these folks, sadly, but this is an HBC show, and the Houston Band Coalition people truly have their hearts in the right place -- they've served as a union of sorts for some woefully under-appreciated rock bands (well, mostly rock bands) for, what?, almost a decade now? Has it been that long? Man...

Hero & Rad/GT Garza & V-Zilla/Mic Skillz/Pay La V & Roco/Remix/License 2 Thrill @ Fitzgerald's
No, I dunno a lot of these, but I have heard Mic Skillz, and he's damn good.

Sat., February 23:
Free Press 5 Year Anniversary Clutch-time Scheizzer, featuring Sideshow Tramps, Studemont Project, Ceeplus Bad Knives, Piano Vines, H-Town Zillionaires, & The Free Press Houston Clutch-time Orchestra @ Super Happy Fun Land ($8)
I really, truly, truly love the Free Press -- after watching a half-dozen or so similar attempts at a truly alternative newspaper die slow, painful deaths or overextend and crash (not naming anybody else, mind you, but I think the print version of SCR qualifies for the first category), I admire the hell out the FP crew for not only sticking it out but getting better and better each issue. They're who I wish I wrote for, if I, er, wrote for anything other than this here e-zine these days. Kudos, you folks, on hitting the five-year mark, and here's hoping you'll be around for five years more. (Oh, and there're some really good people playing the anniversary show, esp. my faves Piano Vines, who could literally sing the phonebook and make it sound amazing.)

Sun., February 24:
Jucifer @ Super Happy Fun Land
This one boggles my mind. Granted, I haven't seen the new SHFL yet, but if it's anything like the old, having Jucifer on the stage there is going to be like 10 lbs. of Rock in a 5-lb. bag.

The Gunshy/Mustangs and Madras/Come See My Dead Person/This Year's Tiger @ The Backroom (The Mink)
Yes, I am a sucker for freaky band names, and this show's got more than its fair share. Plus, This Year's Tiger rock.

Mon., February 25:
Joe Lally/Edie Sedgwick @ Walter's on Washington
I'm not really a fan of Edie Sedgwick, I must admit, but I figure, hey, what are the odds of us Houstonians getting to see incredible bassist Joe Lally (ex-Fugazi/ex-Decahedron/Ataxia) play here again any time soon?

Brand Nubian/Connie Price & The Keystrokes/Cosmo Baker @ Warehouse Live
Wow. I honestly hadn't realized Brand Nubian were still around -- I can't for the life of me remember anything they did, but I remember liking them back in the day, all the same...

Tues., February 26:
NOFX/No Use For A Name/The Flatliners/Latch Key Kids/The Hates @ Warehouse Live
And here we've got the second re-appearance of legendary locals the Latch Key Kids, plus big-time punk rockers NOFX -- who, oddly enough, impress me more & more as they get older -- No Use For A Name, & The Flatliners. As an added bonus, apparently fellow local punk icons The Hates (who've been doing it for longer than any of the other bands on the bill, actually) are playing an after-show deal. Here's your punk fix for the next three months, y'all.

Catfish Haven/The Redwalls @ Rudyard's
Okay, so does anybody know if this show's actually happening? The label people emailed to tell me to get on out & see it, but Rudz's calendar lists "Comedy with Carolyn Agnew". What gives? I'm not up on Catfish Haven, sorry, but I really liked The Redwalls' last album, so I don't wanna show up to hear some cool retro-'60s/'70s power-pop and instead get subjected to stand-up comedy. (Nothing against stand-up or Ms. Agnew, mind you, but I generally like to be prepared for that sort of thing, y'know?)

Aiden/Schoolyard Heroes/Farewell To Freeway @ The Meridian
Yeah, yeah -- I know they wear more makeup than Poison used to and apparently think they're vampires or something, but I swear, Aiden's latest album is actually really good. Trust me on this one. And I hear the Schoolyard Heroes disc is pretty decent, too.

Aunt Dracula/The Wiggins/Wicked Poseur/Bully Pulpit @ The Backroom (The Mink)
Now, with this one, the question seems to be not whether it's happening but where. I saw Aunt Dracula listed as playing both at The Mink and at Super Happy Fun Land. Anybody know which it is? Dunno a thing about them, by the way -- I'd go to catch the ever-weird Wiggins and Wicked Poseur, myself.

Thurs., February 28:
Paris Falls @ Boondocks
I dearly, dearly, dearly need to include these folks on the Featured Bands page, 'cause they're a bona fide local gem. Rock, raw and simple, with some classic-rock touches, a lot of emotion, and cool-ass organ sounds. (And to any PF people who read this, I promise that I will get a review up of Vol. II, and soon...)

Homeless Benefit, featuring Free Radicals, Peekaboo Theory, & Audio in the Pregap @ Notsuoh (all ages, free; bring old clothing/non-perishable food items)
Not sure if this one's still happening, either -- it's no longer listed on Notsuoh's Myspace page -- but I sure hope it is, 'cause it's a good cause and a good lineup. Love the Free Radicals, heard good things about Peekaboo Theory, and AitP are good people.

Fri., February 29:
Too $hort/K Notch & BLB/Bama Boyz @ The Meridian
Holy crap. All those memories of high school come flooding back... Make all the wisecracks you want, but Too $hort seriously paved the way for everybody from Snoop Dogg to NWA to Ludacris. Not sure what he's like now, but I remember listening to his tapes back when I was a kid and being blown away.

Thee Armada/The Finalist/Dremnt The End/The American Masquerade/Great American Actors @ Fitzgerald's
If Stadium were playing, this would literally be my absolute-perfect dream post-emo rock show. Thee Armada are great, I like the songs I've heard by The Finalist, The American Masquerade are excellent, and Great American Actors sound promising.

The Western Civilization/Papermoons/Another Run @ Walter's on Washington
Oooh, and another good one. I've been dearly missing The Western Civ lately, seeing as they got back from touring not long before the holidays, and adding the excellent, excellent Papermoons and Another Run, whose CD I really need to take another listen to, makes it even better. Between this show & the Fitz one above, this evening you've got your choice of some of the best bands in town.

Treehouse Project/Slivered (CD release)/Hearts Fail @ Rudyard's
Not a clue on Treehouse Project, but I've been meaning to check out Slivered for a while now -- frontguy Robin's been a friend since his Hayflick Limit days, and he's darn good at what he does.

The Last Starfighter/The Aerial Second/Breath of the Dying/Unchaste Entities @ Javajazz Coffee House (Spring)
I have to say, those kids in the northern 'burbs have it pretty good. Not only do they get some of the better touring hardcore bands stopping only in their 'hood and skipping Houston proper entirely, but they've got excellent locals like The Last Starfighter playing regularly. I've heard good things about Aerial Second, to boot...

Labels: Public Service Announcements, Things To Do, Things To Hear

gaijin || Link || E-mail || 1 comments

Dang, two updates in a week; must be on a roll (okay, technically the last update was for stuff that went up last week, but still...). This time out we've got a brand-spankin'-new interview with La Porte's own Buxton, who'll be releasing their 2nd full-length -- as we've mentioned here before -- this coming Saturday, January 19th at Walter's on Washington, with Papermoons, By the End of Tonight, & Ghost Mountain. (That's tomorrow, btw, for those who have yet to update their calendars for the new year.) SCR writer Pedro was able to track the band down & wrangle some answers out of 'em, and reading the article I know that I, at least, feel enlightened as to the sonic possibilities of the mandolin, among other things. It's gonna be a good, good show, seriously.

And speaking of shows, Super-Duper Rock Godz Foo Fighters are coming through town this next Tuesday, January 22nd, over at the Toyota Center mondorena in downtown, playing with the ever-awesome Jimmy Eat World and Against Me!, who I know mostly by reputation. In advance of that, therefore, we've got a just-in-the-nick review of their latest album, released late last year, so read & listen & whatnot. I'm pretty psyched about the show, myself, partly because I will hopefully (cross fingers) be there to report on the goings-on; keep an eye out for that in a week or so, barring any unforeseen complications with tickets and such.

And yes, there's more. A little further off, on Saturday, February 2nd, Deer Park-livin' garage-rockers The Gold Sounds will be playing down at The Forum in La Porte...home, again, of the aforementioned Buxton. And The Forum is apparently run by Sergio of Buxton's parents. How's that for tying-in to the tie-in? Yeesh... Anyway, we've got a review up of Gold Sounds' new EP, too, and it is downright awesome, honest. I could listen to "Blow My Head to the Floor" and "College Radio" over and over again for days on end. (Well, if I weren't also weirdly compelled to keep shuffling between the Foo Fighters & Stadium's Change of plans, we're coming home in my car stereo, that is.)

Oh, but we're not done yet, no. We reviewed Beantown band The Beatings a while back and were fairly impressed, so they sent along the solo CD of the band's singer/songwriter/guitarist guy, Eldridge Rodriguez (I keep wanting to call him "Edilberto Rodriguez," dammit, after an old boss of mine). Check out the review of that one here, along with reviews of stuff by Denelian, Liars, and P.A.F. (the latter of which, incidentally, is connected to a guy up in Chicago named Kyle Bruckmann who I knew somewhat back in college; we're all connected, I tell you...it's a conspiracy...agh, my brain hurts...). Here's the whole pile for this go-round:

Interviews: Buxton.

Reviews: Foo Fighters; The Gold Sounds; Eldridge Rodriguez; Denelian; Liars; & P.A.F..

Keep watching the skies, folks.

Labels: Interviews, Reviews, Things To Do, Things To Hear

gaijin || Link || E-mail || 0 comments

Well, after last year's ridiculously good bumper crop of local releases, I'd kind of wondered what 2008 would bring -- I feared it'd be a quiet year, relatively, with everybody touring on past CDs & 7"s & such, and no new stuff out 'til later on. What the hell am I gonna do without new stuff from the billion or so excellent bands making music in this city?

Looks like I needn't have worried. We're only just halfway or so through the first month of '08, and I've already heard & seen evidence of a veritable flood of H-town releases coming our way. Here's a quick glance at the ones I've heard about, at least, for bands I like -- if anybody knows of others, hey, feel free to mention/plug 'em in the Comments. And just so nobody gets their feelings hurt, I want to make clear that these are not in order of preference/coolness/whatever, but just in the order they generally popped into my little head. Here goes:

While You Were Gone, Heavy Lies The Crown:
Been waiting for this one for a while now -- WYWG hit it somewhat big at the Houston Press Awards a year or two back & then mostly dropped off the radar, which is a damn shame, because they're one of the best emo-ish rock bands going in this smoggy city. There're some heavy Christian undertones, for sure (take this lyric from "Sinner," for example: "I am a merchant / and I sell good news"), but with rock this lushly gorgeous and emotive, eh, I'm down with it. Besides, they're so damn earnest I just have to respect it, y'know? I have yet to see 'em play live, but reports compare 'em to Austin's Cruiserweight, which makes some sense, and vocalist/pianist Misty Gray has some of the baddest-ass soft-post-punk vocals out there today (and no, I'm not talking about just within SE Texas).

Anyway, everything I've heard so far off upcoming EP Heavy Lies The Crown is great, great stuff -- esp. "Thief," which is just plain heartbreaking in an almost Eisley-ish way -- so keep an eye out for it. The release date's 1/25, and the band'll be playing their CD release show that night at Fuel Cyber Cafe up in Humble. You can pick up the new EP there and enter a contest to snag 2 tix to see Emery & As Cities Burn in Feb., to boot.

Buxton, A Family Light:
Yep, LaPorte's favorite sons are back with their second full-length, A Family Light, which is a jangly, jaunty-yet-sad, countrified affair that tramps deeper into the backwoods than the previous one, Red Follows Red, ever did. It's good, oddly familiar, old-timey, "warm"-sounding music that brings to mind The Elected, The Mendoza Line, Iron and Wine (the faster bits, at least), or Murder by Death (no, really; check out "Blood On The Streets"). I've heard some of the band's earlier stuff, too, but I think I like the new stuff better, believe it or not -- they sound like they're really coming into their own.

The release show for this one's on 1/19 at Walter's on Washington, with excellent fellow locals By the End of Tonight and Papermoons and a fourth band, Ghost Mountain, about which I know nada. Oh, and if you hit the show you not only get a free copy of the new album, but you also get a copy of Red Follows Red & an EP the band, uh, never got around to actually releasing. Can't beat that, damn...

The American Masquerade, Unveiled:
Haven't yet heard all of Unveiled, but I've been waiting for this disc since first hearing about these guys over on The Skyline Network. Following a name change (or two? can't remember...), the Masquerade released this one, although I can't tell for sure when it was released (dammit, people, this is what those Myspace blogs're for). If there was a release show, I missed it, unfortunately, but I'm happy to see these songs hit the light of day, even still. Unveiled is interesting, entertaining stuff, in the vein of The Killers and Interpol -- and despite what you might think, I don't mean that as a slam. I enjoy both bands, personally, and the Masquerade boys acquit themselves admirably here in the same general camp of retro-'80s, glam-y, dramatic, electronified pop-rock. No clue where you can pick it up, sadly, but I'd bet you can contact the band via Myspace and snag a copy (or hell, just catch a show).

Hearts of Animals, 7":
I wish-wish-wish I knew more about this one, but here's what I do know: HoA will apparently be putting out its third "real" release (counting the two Grey Ghost EPs Ms. Mlee's done to date), a real-live 7", on Dull Knife Recs in early-to-mid February. I dunno what songs'll be on it, but going by her previous work, it's bound to be goooooood. Seriously. There's a release show already planned for Feb. 12th over at Rudyard's, with Hearts of Animals, Nat Baldwin of Dirty Projectors fame, & somebody I've never heard of before called Whiskey Priest. So here's what you need to do, in order (trust me, I'm a technical writer, so I know these things): 1) Go to show. 2) Listen. 3) Pick up jaw. 4) Fumble frantically for cash to buy record. 5) Go home and put new record on stereo. 6) Pick up jaw second time.

On top of that, the last time I saw Hearts of Animals play, Mlee said that there'd be a new "release" coming out this spring, which would seem logically to be the aforementioned record, but when I asked if it'd be an actual CD, she said "yes." So maybe -- hopefully -- this means that there's an honest-to-Jeebus album in the works? Dunno. In the loudness of Rudz, maybe she didn't hear what I asked and just smiled and said "yes" so I'd get lost. But hey, I can hope...

Something Fierce/The Monocles, Modern Girl/The Monocles:
Yep, I've babbled about this a bit about Something Fierce & The Monocles before now, but I've got a little correcting to do, I'm afraid. For some damn reason, I saw "record release" on the note about last Friday's show w/both bands and assumed it was a split record with the two of 'em. Turns out that's not the case -- the two bands are out on tour together, yes, but they're putting out two different records, one for each. Which is badass, obviously; hell, we've already reviewed the dang Monocles disc here. I swear, I've got no clue where I got the idea that there was one record and it was a split w/both bands...weird. Sorry for the confusion, y'all.

At any rate, I can tell you for absolute-freakin'-sure that both records are excellent, and since you're unable to get your old-school pop-punk fix for the duration of the "Teenage Mustache" tour (I think they're somewhere in Georgia as I type this), do yourself a favor and head on over to SoundEx or Vinal Edge and grab two pieces of cool-ass vinyl to tide yourself over. Cool?

Rustler, Shark Week:
Hot damn. Not too long after the release of their great-great-great debut EP threw me into a gleeful spiral of prog-and-not metal worship, apparently the three Big Easy transplants in Rustler are hard at work on their second release, to be entitled Shark Week. Which, weirdly enough, fits pretty much perfectly with the band's jazzy/crazed take on instro-metal -- I mean, seriously, why the hell aren't Rustler scoring Discovery Channel specials? It works for the Dub Trio, right? Anyway. No sign of the new tracks yet, but I'm awaiting the new disc with bated breath nonetheless.

Tody Castillo:
This one's been in a the works for a while now -- sounds like Tody underestimated how long it'd take to put together the followup to his awesome debut CD from a few years back -- he says it'll most likely be out in March/April of '08. I haven't heard it yet, but David from Houston Calling apparently has, and he says it's gonna be good. Keep yr fingers crossed.

Sharks and Sailors:
Dunno the details on this, but per ADR over at Skyline, the new S&S album's all done & ready to go -- it just needs to be mastered. Damn cool.

Balaclavas, Balaclavas/Inferno:
Not really "new" releases, no, but according to Ramon at Free Press Houston, the band's re-releasing its two self-released EPs on vinyl on Phonographic Arts/Compound Recordings. Good to hear...

Mantis, namas te:
Okay, so this one's got me totally confused, but what the hey... I really like what I've heard of these guys, kind of a cool, bluesy, pseudo-classic rock thing, but I'm a little at a loss for details on what looks like an upcoming release, namas te, which their Website says will be both the band's first full-length and nine free tracks for absolute free. I'm guessing they're planning on a strictly digital release, but I can't tell, 'cause that's all the info there is. Gonna have to keep an eye out for that one.

Labels: H-Town News, Public Service Announcements, Things To Get, Things To Hear

gaijin || Link || E-mail || 0 comments

Awesome, awesome... This coming Friday, January 11th, at Walter's on Washington, local old-school punk kids Something Fierce -- who happen to be one of my absolute-favorite bands in town these days, honest -- are heading out on tour (for the first time? not sure...) with fellow badass rockers The Monocles (whose debut 7" is a fine, fine release), tearing up the country from here to hell & back. They're also doing this show, at least, with Shreveport's The Hoodlum Circus and fellow locals This Year's Tiger; I dunno a thing about the former, but I've heard the latter are pretty good, too...

To make things even better, I hear the show's also a release party of sorts for a brand-new split-7" featuring both bands. I dunno what songs're on there, but if the Fiercies' "demo" of "Where You Going" (check their Myspace) -- which is like a flashback to England in the late '70s, minus the economic depression -- is one of 'em, I've got to get me a copy.

Anyway, come on out if you can. And if you happen to not be here in the Houston area, you can also check out these guys/girl at venues across the country; they'll be blasting their way through Georgia, SCarolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, & Louisiana before returning triumphantly to their smoggy, sweaty-in-January home. Oh, and it's the "Teenage Mustache Tour". Yes.

Labels: H-Town News, Public Service Announcements, Things To Do, Things To Hear

gaijin || Link || E-mail || 0 comments

Jee-sus 'effin Kee-rist, it's been a hell of a couple of weeks. Yours truly has been hammered by multiple deadlines in advance of the coming days off (all next week! woo!), and as a result I'm just now managing to climb out from under my work-imposed rock to discover, holy crap, there's been a lot going on. Rather than post individually about each & everything thing, though (the prospect of which makes me break out in a cold sweat), I'm gonna try to hit as many as I can in one big catch-all post before I attempt to make it out to the 2nd annual Suspects reunion show tonight. Here goes...

• Latch Key Kids Reunion!: A little birdie emailed to let us here at SCR know that longtime local hardcore heroes the Latch Key Kids are planning to reunite, at least temporarily, & play one or more shows this coming February. That's all I've got on that one, unfortunately, but keep an eye out -- these guys were part of the whole early-to-mid-'90s pop-punk/hc scene, and they were pretty great while they were around. More details if/when I get 'em. I smell the scent of reunion in the air; hell, even Toho Ehio's apparently playing again in Feb...

• Butch @ Secret Saturday!: And speaking of blasts from the past, not only will 30footFALL be doing their traditional Punk-Mas show on December 25th up at Fitzgerald's (with Brian's Johnson & The World's Most Dangerous Band), but I hear frontman Butch will also be playing his own solo stuff -- which is apparently not to be confused w/30fF's music -- this coming Saturday at the Secret Saturday Shows deal. Which will, obviously, be very cool. Damn, gotta love those little birds passing out info like that. (Check the SSS Myspace, linked above, for the where/when/how.)

• Sad Like Crazy Back Together: Yes, it's true -- expat Houstonian indie-rock champs Sad Like Crazy have reformed, praise be to the gods, and are playing again. Better yet, they're playing here, at The Proletariat, on January 5th. Oh, and per their Myspace page, they're also writing & recording new songs. Hell, yes. Thanks, Santa! This beats the hell out of the power-washer I asked for...

• The Skyline Network Lists Every Piece of Good H-Town Music Made This Year: Holy shit, y'all. Due to my head being down all week, I've been totally missing out on The Skyline Network's "The Skyline 50" -- ADR has just finished listing off his fave 50 Houston-made songs of the past year, covering the gamut from The Western Civilization to Linus Pauling Quartet to By the End of Tonight to Arthur Yoria to The Tenspeeds. And damn, is it cool. I'm feeling the need to print the whole thing out & then go hit SoundEx yet again this weekend to pick up the stuff I've missed. Go, read, now: Part One; Part Two; Part Three; Part Fo