10 Pairs of Free Ticket to tonight's Helmet, Totimoshi, Burning Brides, Sharks and Sailors show at the Meridean.

Update: All Gone! Thanks for Playing!

Hey readers,

Somehow the Free Press put me in charge of giving away 10 pairs of tickets to tonight's show. If yr interested e-mail me at hellokitty2399 at gmail dot com and leave me your phone number as well as yr name.

I'll be coordinating with the Meridian in the early afternoon and will let the lucky 10 people know ASAP.

PS DON'T FORGET SHARKS AND SAILORS STARTS AT 8:30pm SO DON'T BE LATE.

For more information on the show go to:The Meridean's Event's Page

Thanks to the Meridean folks, you guys are swell. ; )

Montrose Crawl this Halloween Wednesday

We know that Montrose and Halloween are meant for each other - all they need is a few drinks to bring them together. That’s where the Montrose Crawl comes in!

The Montrose Crawl aims to make Halloween a signature night in Montrose by combining a traditional pub crawl with the spirit of trick-or-treating. All Montrose Crawl participants are asked to dress in costume and to assemble at Agora, 1712 Westheimer, between 7 and 8 o’clock on Halloween Night. From there, the Montrose Crawl will make its way down Westheimer with stops at several of Montrose’s finest bars: Poison Girl, Slider’s, Boondocks, and Catbird’s. Costumed Crawlers will enjoy drink specials and Halloween activities at many of the bars, and the Montrose Crawl will award prizes for best costumes during the evening.

There is no cost to join the Montrose Crawl, and the participating bars will not require covers or drink minimums. There are no tickets to buy or reservations to make. The Montrose Crawl is open to everyone of drinking age, and all adults are encouraged to attend and to help create a new
Houston tradition.

More details are available at www.montrosecrawl.com.

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - October 25th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

Last week's Thee Freed debut was a mixed bag especially given the fact that Mlee was racing in from the airport but some special props to Gina S. for filling in on a moment's notice. Bonus though was Indian Jewelry - back in fine form. This week circumstances are such that, as you will note by the limited number of red asterisks below, I won't be getting out much yet there are some kick ass shows going on and you should consider attending them. Drum roll Please...

This Week's Halloween Spotlight

Wednesday October 31st
Fatal Flying Guilloteens (CD Release), American Sharks, 47 Miles of Barbwire, MV + EE
@ The Proletariat
The Guilloteens have been at this for so long that by now they are an institution. (Hey remember back when they would play at the original Emo's in Houston and they still didn't have a bassist? Yeah, they've been at it that long.) Expect the usual hijinks. I went to their Halloween show last year but this year I lost the coin toss to my more lovely half. Nevertheless if you want to come home at 2am drenched in beer, spit, and sweat this is your show.

It's an interesting juxtaposition of having them play with the quieter indie hippie folk of MV + EE but you guys are eclectic enough to handle it right? Oh yeah and American Sharks put on a solid rock and roll show so that's worth a look-see too. Honestly, I don't know diddly about the other band.


Also This Week...

Friday 10/26/2007
Indian Jewelry, A Pink Cloud, The Wiggins, Vaarg, Balaklavas, Cop Warmth, and Satannabis
@ The White Swan
Dear Indian Jewelry you are playing so much that you've almost become ubiquitous in this column. But seriously, this will be a pretty awesome show even if I lost the coin toss. Indian Jewelry are sure to be amazing. A Pink Cloud's textural genius should leave nobody unimpressed. The Wiggins are a force unto themselves. Vaarg (black metal with corpse paint) features Mlee of Hearts of Animals. Cop Warmth will bring their chaos. Balaklavas are so good that they are going to be spotlighted in the next few months. Honestly I don't know shit about Satannibis but their name is Satannibis. In other words, you have nothing better to do!! GO!

Saturday 10/27/2007
Lick Lick, Cat Scientists, Three Fantastic
@ Rudyards
Matt Kelly (whom you may have seen fronting Sprawl a few weeks back) returns with his newest band Lick Lick. Though he and fellow band member and significant other, Marianti, no longer live in Houston, they are still hometown kids in my eyes. Any band that has a song titled "Impricationist!" you know has to have something going for it and, oh shit, did I mention they have a Leslie speaker and aren't ashamed to use it!

Saturday 10/27/2007
Over Sea Under Stone (CD release), Dunnock, and Guests
@ The Proletariat
What the hell? This just popped on my radar. I was kind surprised as I hadn't heard anything about Over Sea and Under Stones CD Release. Coolness. Bring on the shiny new plastic!

Tuesday 10/30/2007
Jay Reatard, Something Fierce, The Wax Museums, The Takes
@ The Proletariat
Yes it's a Tuesday but this should get your garage mojo workin' Something Fierce alone should be worth the day after hangover.


By the way, I often refer to Space City Rock's unrivaled live music calendar . You should check them out at http://www.spacecityrock.com/

Skate the Circle

This Friday night the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Inside the Circle, a docu on break dancing that points the lens at b-boy culture and dance crews. This is no longer a street corner or underground scene but a movement phenomenon with fans and practitioners worldwide.
Director Marcy Garriott is a Houston native and will lead a Q&A after the film. Inside the Circle's Associate Producer Mario Jaramillo designed the Free Press Houston website. How cool is that?
The film premiered earlier this year to acclaim at the SXSW Film Festival. Screenings unwind Friday, October 26 at 7 and 9:30 pm at the MFA's Brown Auditorium.

The Cost of Sanctuary

New law to deny emergency funds to sanctuary cities that harbor illegal immigrants

Hit you with the Stomach Bug

Well, It seems as though Houston has been hit with a monster case of the stomach flu and I have been kicked in the teeth by it along with several family members, friends, pets, etc.. After a day of just feeling like horse shit, I stopped digesting my food until it ran over my esophagus and subsequently turned into a barf-fest. Nice. Unfortunately, a good child-hood friends wedding was last night and I had to make it. So, I chugged nearly half a bottle of pepto bismol and my lady friend and I begrudgingly made it to the shindig at the Marathon Oil Building ( a project my late father worked on decades ago.) I found my self escaping conversation many times to find empty patches where I could fart. Nonetheless, the thick pink concoction allowed me to have a few alcoholic drinks, eat the 'prime rib', and even indulge in several deep fried crab cakes. Now if I could only shit.....

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - October 18th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

Did last week kick your ass as much as it did mine?

Street Festival. Hope you got out last week because it was fucking blast. The Block Party was frikkin brilliant. Next year I need to work out a way to marathon it and make it through all 9+ hours. Shout out and love to all the people behind the scenes who made it work. I think by now the Block Party has grown enough into its own thing where I'd hope it can be appreciated on it's own merits. For too long it has lived under the critical comparisons of it's inspiration - the old Westheimer Street Festival. Sure the crowds, snakes, and the ladies at QTs taunting the passers-by was a lovely thing but I think people forget how utterly commercial the thing seemed to get in it's last few years with shitty beer sponsors and the like. That's not to disrespect it but as the old Street festival got bigger and spent a lot of its energy fighting obnoxious yuppies it did become less and less special. Meanwhile, the bloc party is still in it's youth and still growing which makes it scrappy and exciting - just like out little rag here. All I'm sayin' is let it go; bury the street fest already and enjoy the bloc party on its own merits.

Oh and while were talking about the past, kudos to the Julie Grob and JR Delgado on the Axiom reunion - I haven't been in a club with so few people under 35 like...well...ever! It was like a punk rock VA hall at Fitzgeralds. OK enough with the self deprecating humor - it really was a blast. I missed Friday night due to other commitments but Saturday was still awesome for the few bands I saw Bayou Pigs, Turmoil in the Toybox (for whom I was honored to run projections)*, and Cave Reverend were joyously chaotic. I wish I could have seen more but again too many thing going on last week. Mercifully, I did get to see Sprawl rip it up at Rudyards on Sunday which was simply incredible (see bad camera phone picture). Well I could go on and on about last week but this weekend is upon us.

This week ain't much better in the feast or famine that is Houston as it seems all the shit is going down tonight and tomorrow giving you some pretty hard choices of how to spend your money and your time.



This Week's Spotlight

-Friday October 19th
*Magic Markers, Indian Jewelry, Cop Warmth, and Thee Freed
@ The Backroom (through and behind The Mink)

Ok, so I know that I spotlighted an Indian Jewelry show just two weeks ago. Sure that would normally make me bump the spotlight but one thing has me excited about this show - Thee Freed. Will Freed - that's Will eating some nasty-ass breakfast as photographed by Will Adams - brings out his newest band to suffer from his limited but brilliant attention span (expect this one to break up within 6 months like all his other previous bands) has the amazing talents of Mlee Marie of Hearts of Animals and Jeff Williams of Black Snakes and Kangaroo. This is not to take away anything from the brilliance of Magic Markers, the spastic energy of Cop Warmth, or the chaotic pulse of Indian Jewelry (admittedly the show at Rudz blew but that's the only time I've ever seen them put on a bad show). All I'm saying is that I have high expectations for this local supergroup.

Also This Week

Thursday October 18th
Rusted Shut and Alarma
@ Walters

This show just popped-up out of nowhere. Rusted Shut are always a sure bet for loud chaotic insanity and Alarma is a band I've been wanting to see again after I saw them play a sloppy improvised pre-debut debut show a mere 2 weeks into the band's life. This should prove to be a fun show.

Thursday October 18th
Golden Axe and Satin Hooks
@ Boondocks

Another "where the fuck did this come from" show. Golden Axe ripped it up at the Block Party (as always) and tonight should prove no different. If you have not taken in the metal stylings of guitarist Warren Hatfield you are sorely missing out on one of the most dynamic combinations of musicianship and performance to hit these parts since Lauren Larson of Ume fame moved to Austin - the guy's simply incredible. The Hooks meanwhile always put on amazing shows. Kerry may not play any solos but I love his rhythm guitar work and with Nick on drums and Lucas on Bass... it's just fucking sweet.


Friday October 19th
*Qui, Dizzy Pilot, Rustler
@ Walters

David Yow's new band comes to Houston. I haven't heard a note from them yet but I'm definitely looking forward to it. Plus Dizzy Pilot - who I think are making this a CD release show - and Rustler will make for an awesome opening line-up. Oh how I hate club hopping!!!!


Thursday October 18th
Caribou
@ The Engine Room

Thought I'd mention it even if it's not local but I really dig the new Caribou LP and it would be interesting to see how this headphone extravaganza of an album will translate live. Don't come crying to me about how nobody told you about this show.

Block Party Photos

See em' all..

Review: Halo 3, Even the zealots can't stop this one

By Tyler Barber


Prelude
It's 3:30 in the morning and I've just spent the last hour pulling clips of the night's online matches to share with my friends. I've captured snapshots of perfectly executed sniper shots, slow-motion films of me running over my friends in a Warthog, and even did a small piece of me betraying my own teammate in what I would best describe as an act of irresistible treason. I know they'll probably retaliate, and I kinda hope they do. (Note: I captured all the screens for this review in the Saved Films feature.)

Click here to read the full review, (scroll down).

Brutal Legend Trailer: Tim Schafer awesomates awesomeness with Jack Black voicing lead

By Tyler Barber



No, you probably didn't play the critically acclaimed Psychonaughts, but something tells me that casting Jack Black as the game's protagonist ensures that many of you will play Schafer's latest, Brutal Legend.

The trailer is all CG, but from what I can tell, they're hitting all the sweet spots: babes, copious blood, demons, hell, machine-gun-toting hot-rods, axes that chop and axes that shred. Glaze that with a rich-glaze over-the-top hair-metal and you've got a cult classic.

So check out the trailer, provided for you by the good folks at gamevideos.com (check em out, tons of exclusive vids), and let us know what you think.

RAWK!

Chron on the Block Party

Wow. Good reviews from the Chron. I guess this means we can rescind our fatwa against them.

'Food Porn'

I just had to share this. The good folks at Hardee's have debuted a breakfast taco with 1000 calories and 60 grams of fat. God Bless America. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based advocate for nutrition and health, calls food like this Food Porn. I could not agree more except I can't seem to download this damn taco no matter how hard I try.

Thanks Houston!

This past Saturday's Westheimer Block Party was so friggin' clutch, we thought it was appropriate to thank several of the hooligans and space-cakes who made it possible:

Thanks you:
All the talented bands and artists that sooo graciously threw down, Gabe Cavasos, Frank Zweeback, Brittany Bly, the White Wizard, Tyler Barber, Joe from Novice, Space City Backline, Timmy T., Jeff Storm, M.Martin, Evan D., Amy, Andrea, the Whorthingtons, Sherby, Paulski, Aztec Rental, Tha Fucking Transmissions...

No Thanks:
HPD, City of Houston, CenterPoint Energy, that kid that stayed in the dunk tank for over 5 hours splashing folks, yuppie neighborhood fucks...


Next Block Party in March! If God wills it.....

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - October 11th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-
This Week we have two big events worthy of your consideration in our spotlight; The Westheimer Block Party and The Axiom reunion Show.

This Week's Double Spotlight


-Saturday October 13th
*Westheimer Block Party
(Too many Bands to name just click on this Stage Guide)

Oh what you thought we weren't going to toot our own horn? C'mon we're allowed.

Yes, it's another 9 hours feast of music highlighting some of Houston's best and brightest. You have your favorites and I have mine but since you aren't writing this you'll just have to deal with one man's list. Here's what I'd recommend piling on your plate. At the Avante Garden stage I'd look to get me a serving of Balaclavas and Free Radicals. At the Mango's stage I'll make sure to add some Bases Loaded, Bully Pulpit, John Muzak and Rusted Shut. Then at the Numbers stage you can chase Rustler Hearts of Animals. Eugenious, and Cop Warmth with a shot of Dead Roses, Sideshow Tramps, and Golden Axe. Cap that off with DJ's at La Strada and all in all a fine meal. Now you know of course how much this is going to set you back? Nothin' baby. That's how we roll here at the Free Press.


-Friday & Saturday October 12-13th
*Axiom 20th Anniversary Reunion
@ Fitzgerald's
(Too many Bands to name just see the poster or see the link above)


A friend recently said to me "At first I thought having the Axiom reunion show at Fitzgerald's was idiotic but then I it hit me how utterly appropriate it was!" Yes, the little building on McKinney, which along with the Pik-N-Pak, gave shelter to the punk and indie bands back in the late 80's and early 90's will have seen 20 years since J.R. Delgado opened it's doors. Everyone has their favorite Axiom story [one of mine concludes with a guy named Kenny walking out naked on mushrooms onto McKinney as two officers in a patrol car slowwwwly come to a stop, take one look at Kenny, look at each other, think better of it, and slowwwly drive off.] The line-up is a pretty sweet list of some of the Axiom's most acclaimed graduates like Sprawl, De Schmog, Academy Black, Sad Pygmy, Cave Reverend, Turmoil in the Toybox, and Grinding Teeth.

Now, I know what you are thinking. Aren't some of these bands more in third season Shatner shape than the young sprites they once were? Maybe, we'll see when we get there but I bumped into Matt Kelly as he was walking into Rudz from a 5 hour rehearsal. 5 Hours!! Meanwhile De Schmog had usurped control of the Bright Men of Learning rehearsal space. Hell, De Schmog is going to have Dianne on vocals! Dianne! That alone is worth the ticket price!

Also This Week

-Sunday October 14th
*Sprawl, Lick Lick, Free Radicals
@ Rudyard's

In case you are in jail, travelling on Friday, or if you want to get your "Big Ass Jewel" on a second time, Sprawl will be playing a second show at Rudyad's this Sunday night with Lick Lick and Free Radicals. I need say no more.


Not local but worth mentioning this week:


-Friday October 12th
Roky Ericson
@ The Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival

That's right Roky Erickson. Conroe. Cajun Catfish. Get the Van kids!!!!!



- Tuesday October 16th
*Holly GoLightly and the Brokeoffs.
@ Rudyard's (11pm after Comedy)

OK it's not a local show but all you Headcotees devotees are likely pretty excited about this one so I thought I'd mention it.


-Thursday October 11th
*Jesu
@ Walters
For more info see Superunison

Also in the not local category though you'll likely see a bunch of local peeps here. So just throwing that out there for your information.

Westheimer Block Party Commercial

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - October 4th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

This week I'm pretty slammed so you'll have to pardon my brief descriptions and first draft quality here but these all promise to be good shows featuring great local bands.

This Week's Spotlight
Friday October 5th
*Numbers,Indian Jewelry, and Hearts of Animals
@ Rudyards

Indian Jewelry put on some wonderful live shows. Sure their last release on Monitor is pretty sweet but live is where it's at with IJ. Last time I saw them at Walters it was a unique and engaging ritual of sound and smoke and this should prove to be just as cool a show. Meanwhile Hearts of Animals does some excellent low-fi one woman indie pop. HOA is so cool we're going to be doing a piece on her in December. Yeah, that's it...I'm going to Rudz to do prep for the article! Oh the suffering I have to go through to bring you guys the best in local music...Guinness, Stella, and Shiner will be there with me.


Also This Week

Thursday October 4th
Octopus Project, Bring Back the Guns, and Satin Hooks
@ Numbers

Yes Octopus Project is pretty cool and all but the reason I'm psyched about this show tonight is that it's also BBTG's record release! Hell yes! I've been playing the Cd endlessly since I heard it- it's meticulously well crafted stuff and I love it. We'll be spotlighting them in November but in the meantime the Houston Press has a nice piece by Chris Grey on BBTG this week. Satin Hooks will open up the night and it's worth NOT missing their set - they put on one of the best rock performances of any band in town. Sadly I can't make it due to other commitments but you guys should go!


Saturday (3-6pm) October 6th
The Gowns, A Pink Cloud, and Blades
@ Valhalla at Rice University
See KTRU for more details

Yes the very Blades that we covered this very month. Hot Dang!!! Their EPs have been good but still to really dig this band you have to see them live. Here is your chance. Plus on the same bill is one of our favorite experimental/noise acts, a Pink Cloud. Did I mention it's free? Hell yeah! It's a party!


Wednesday October 10th
Brimstone Howl, Something Fierce, Monocles, Alarma
@ The Proletariat

I saw the three locals at Rudz a while back and it was a blast. Something Fierce do the pop punk thing brilliantly and their new 7" is killer. The Monocles channel classic garage rock while Alarma is some of the most bad ass sloppy shit I've heard in ages. Should be fun and I hear the headliner is killer too

“Sing out Louise!” SingStar: Pop, Rocks!, Amped & ‘80s Reviewed

By Jody Worthington


It was about 10 o’clock on a Friday night when the pizza guy showed up. Only - we didn’t hear him. His feeble knocks were completely inaudible over the thumping bass of “I’m a Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, the spastic jumping-slash-booty-dancing and the piercing, sporadic shrieks we tried to pass off as “singing.”

For singers, non-singers, gamers and non-gamers, SingStar karaoke for the PlayStation 2 brings about a revolution within two venerated, cult-ish pasttimes: videogames and karaoke.

Read the full review...

Halo Short Film by Director Neil Blomkamp

By Tyler Barber




Though I got my copy of Halo 3 early, I didn't have enough time with the game to write an in-depth review for the most recent issue of the Free Press Houston (October, Issue 84). I figured this live-action video short from director Neil Blomkamp would help you through the long wait till our next issue.

Read on...

2024, A Deep Sea Odyssey: BioShock Reviewed

By Tyler Barber


Every five or six years a videogame is made that is avowed by gamers, game developers, and gaming critics as a beacon of the progression of videogames as both an art and a respectable form of entertainment. Enter BioShock; a rich adventure carefully crafted to provide both ominous moral, and gameplay decisions.

"Is not a man entitled to profit from the sweat of his brow?" asks Andrew Ryan, the megalomaniacal dictator of the maritime-metropolis ironically named Rapture. You find yourself struggling to answer these philosophical questions minutes after your plane crashes in the Mid-Atlantic where you made your way down to a sunken city. Built leagues beneath the ocean's surface, Rapture was a product of idealists and elitists looking to forge a utopia where science, industry and art are unconstrained by authority — genetic engineering becomes as common place as buying a new television. However, a macabre of irony is eerily present when you are introduced to Rapture with cryptic warnings splashed in blood across beautifully detailed Art-Deco walls. Bellicose scavengers roam Rapture searching for Adam, the genetic currency needed to splice genes into superhuman powers called Plasmids. Unfortunately, the side-effects of gene splicing disfigured, and lead to the eventual demise of both Rapture and its residents. All that is left is the ravaged skeleton of a city buckling under the weight of the encroaching sea.

Read the full review...