It List: Thursday

Ghost Mice/Benny Lenny/Hoop Dreamz/County Lines (1919 Hemphill): Ghostmice continued where Operation Cliff Clavin left off, but with a significant lineup change, then adding a random member in France, and dropping the electric guitar altogether for an acoustic, campfire-punk sound. Okay, so they didn't really continue where OCC left off at all, except that the music itself is structurally similar, with the same kind of unsubtle, childishly hyper vocals and heavily political and preachy lyrics found in so much pop-punk. I've always had a hard time with that particular vocal-style, but I'm sure the many that disagree with me will make this a good time at 1919 tonight. Hoop Dreamz has a very positive, melodic, 90's underground sound and features members of Teenage Cool Kids and Trifle Tower. Excellent job on limiting their cassette release to 23 copies, as a tribute to Air Jordan.

Billingham's Defense System/Van Damme Disco (Fallout Lounge)

Son Volt/Doug Burr (Dan's Silverleaf): So I'm listening to Son Volt's single, "The Picture," from their newest record, and as it starts I think, "Hey, some Motown-horns, better than I thought so far." Then some overly wordy and unwelcome line in the lyrics clumsily appears, in this case, "Bad air index on a flashing warning sign," and that's all I can really handle. I know it's important that Jay Farrar was in Uncle Tupelo, but I could have predicted that he would someday write a lyric like that about ten years ago. As soon as singer-songwriters hit forty, they always start getting upset about totally everyday shit. Let me guess, his next album will be about "the news" or how there's "nothing on television." Kidding aside, it will obviously be a lot more of an enjoyable experience to see Son Volt at Dan's Silverleaf than any of the big Dallas venues that they seem more likely to have played.

Top Notch Thursdays with Sober (The Cavern): I'm not sure if this is a weekly, but I'll take Sober at The Cavern over most things at The Cavern.

80's Night With DJ G (Hailey's)

UME/Record Hop/The League Of Fucking Decency (The Lounge): I have been curious to see The League Of Fucking Decency. They have these nerdy, obnoxious, group vocals that sound like Kustomized, with a similarly big guitar sound. But more importantly, where has Record Hop been lately?


Sun Club (Rubber Gloves): Tonight's guest is Wolf Versus Bear.

ADD:

Robert Bruce Weaver III/Warren Jackson Hearne/Will E. Lee (J & J's Pizza): This show reminds me of the famous Johnny Cash quote about his closet, "It's dark in there." Music at Ten.