Weekender

FRIDAY

Frog Eyes/Evangelicals/White Hinterland (Club Dada): The first in a series of upcoming shows that might do a bit to help put Club Dada back on the map as a relevant venue that people actually give a shit about. The highlight of this show for me will be the chance to hear some of the solid new Evanglicals album in a live setting. I believe they and Best Fwends were the first two bands I ever interviewed for this blog, and two years later, both are finally starting to become "cool." I win again.

Goth Valentine's Day with Night Game Cult/Phantastes/Return of the Crud (Cool Beans): Hmm... interesting line up. I'm really excited about the first two bands, have no idea what the third band is, and, well, the fourth one is that Admiral David V dude. Phantastes is a project from Shane English and Lars Larsen, and it's honestly quite unlike anything else I know of in the metroplex. Taking early 80's European industrial electronic influences as a starting point, the group throws in bits of avant industrial noise a la Cabaret Voltaire and various other early electro (we're talking Suicide, not Moby) and Detroit touchstones such as Cybotron to create tough yet mesmerizing synth/drum machine grooves that are quite easy to get lost in. I'm also happy that Night Game is back with a brand new batch of songs that show continued growth in whatever, uh, vision its namesake has. A lot of the stuff currently on the Night Game myspace page is all over the place, from quiet and apparently sincere covers ("The Velvet Underground's "Jesus") to minimal synth/dance tracks like "This Party is Fucking Over" that often come off as John Maus reinterpretations of Daniel Johnston songs. A few tracks inspired by whimsical New Romantic influenced dream pop add another special touch to the arsenal. All of it is pretty great if you want to know the truth. And finally, everyone's favorite real AND fake commenter, Dave Virden, is, well, uh, is playing this show too, mkay?

Teenage Cool Kids/Vacation/Boats (715 Panhandle): Vacation is a group that doesn't have any music on their Myspace page (I hear they are a pop band of some sort), and Boats is a Sacramento garage/punk power pop combo that has been gaining a bit of buzz within hardcore circles in various locales recently, and if you're into that kind of thing, I think you'll find that they are more than worth checking out, especially for a grand total of zero dollars at a great house venue.

Joan of Arc/Tame...Tame and Quiet/Yellow Fever (Lola's): No telling what kind of show Joan Of Arc will put on, it all depends on the current lineup. They have never exactly floored me with what seems like mostly conventional song-craft and a forced, anemic experimentalism lightly drizzled over the pouty post-emo end result. Something tells me they still have a significant following if some of those closet old school Cap'n Jazz fans can leave the dance floor long enough to watch a boring rock show. Yellow Fever's lack of pretense and enigmatic influences have made them one of the most intriguing pop groups in recent memory. Too sophisticated to truly be considered twee, and yet too precious for some fans of the noisier acts they often play with, I hope the group finds their deserved niche high above the polluted sea of pop song-writing that they dominate. I haven't heard much out of Tame...Tame And Quiet lately and wonder if they have new material.


Dust Congress/New Science Projects/The Heartstring Stranglers/Parata (J&Js): This is the CD release show for New Science Projects. Haven't heard the new disc yet, but I'm sure we'll get our hands on a copy some time soon.

First Class Uptown Friday with Select (Zubar)

R9/DJ G (Rubber Gloves): These guys will be playing a lot of dark late 70's stuff, goth, and 80's industrial in celebration of Friday the 13th.

SATURDAY

Night Game Cult/Darktown Strutters/Life Functions Terminated/Voyant (J&Js): We already talked about Night Game in this post, and DL's write up on Darktown Strutters last week probably helped explain why we're excited to hear more from what sounds like a potentially great band. Life Functions Terminated is a new solo project from Shane English featuring his new homemade synth, and Voyant is one of Andrew Michael's many interesting projects.

Skarp/Akkolyte/Blood OV/Burn the Witness (Red Blood Club): Skarp is a grindcore act on the venerable Alternative Tentacles, a label that will hurt your brain if you try to really fathom how long they've been around. Thirty years next year! Skarp apparently impressed label owner Jello Biafra enough in an opening slot for the Melvins that he invited them on board. They sound like a decent enough grind band, and they'll have their work cut out for them sharing the stage with Oak Cliff's Akkolyte.

Strange Boys/Coathangers/Wax Museums (Club Dada)

Cats and Dogs Benefit (Rubber Gloves): Sheesh. What did you think, I was going to list this whole fucking line up with all the links and stuff? Forget about it. Click the link for a line up that inclues highlights Record Hop as a headliner. starts at noon.

Fight Bite (Space Studio): I believe this art show starts promptly at 8pm with music at 10pm, and maybe, since it's in Dallas at like a "real" venue or something, Pete Freedman will take a break from Forever the Sickest Kids and check them out. We can only hope so for the sake of Fight Bite's career.

Hot Flash with guest DJ Genova (Fallout Lounge): You know the deal with these-- eclectic DJ sets covering everything from blog house to 70's funk to crunk. Usually pretty fun.

Balmorhea/Mom/Hotel Hotel/Geistheistler (Hailey's): Austin's Balmorhea is actually becoming one of the more nationally buzzed about groups hailing from our vastly overrated neighbor to the south, and although their sprawling instrumental pieces are well constructed and somewhat interesting at times, I just can't say that it really inspires me to drive 35 miles. And I still have yet to hear Geistheistler, so it would be nice if a Dentonite who actually knows what they're talking about would leave a comment explaining their sound to us. And I have to say that I was a defender of Pitchfork long after it was cool to be, but I really just can't read that shit anymore. I mean, look at this review. I'm no Lester Bands, I know, but could you at least tell me what ONE of the songs on an album sounds like without making me want to kill myself for caring enough to find out? Thanks guys!

Jukebox the Ghost/Via Audio/Verulf (Swiss House): Depending on the weather conditions on a given night at Swiss House, it seems that the majority of people who attend events there simply pay five bucks to hang out in the back and drink keg beer. This isn't a bad thing at all, but rather an indication that no matter who is playing, most Swiss House regulars will show up and have a good time. The two touring bands on this bill are fairly boring to me, personally, but when you look at the online press they've received and the fairly impressive venues they'll be playing on their current tour, it becomes apparent that a lot of people disagree with me. Basically, they are both competent indie pop bands that actually just sound like "indie rock" in a "know it when you hear it" sense.... you know, Wolf Parade covering Maroon Five songs and shit. However, Jukebox the Ghost didn't really piss me off when I listened to them the other day, so I'll probably go and hang out or whatever.

Screening of The Holy Mountain (4-7pm, at Alton House, 1005 W. Hickory, Denton): Free.

SUNDAY

Chicago/The Doobie Brothers (Starplex)

Rilo Kiley/Thao/Benji Hughes (Palladium): Is sighing effective as a communication tool if you have to spell it out phonetically?