The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of June 6, 2024

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT
CRAPPY AND SO SO POSTERS FOR GREAT SHOWS

Saturday, June 7
The Guilty Hearts/Born Liars/The Welfare Mothers
@ Rudyard's
I know what you are thinking. What the hell does that poster have to do with any of the bands playing? I honestly have no clue. So far, this is my pick for poster least likely to convey anything about the bands playing. If I sound a little irked about the poster it's because this show is just too goddamn good a bill. Jeez, LA's Guilty Hearts play a dirty bluesy rock and roll that will make even the most cynical bastard dance his ass off. Listen to "Turn it Off" on their myspace with its raw guitar, dirty vocals, and distorto farfisa. I dare you to try to fight the urge to move your ass! Damn that's good stuff. What can I say about Born Liars that we didn't say in our recent article - they are the shit. They are a band that brings the mother fucking party. All you "fucks with beards" get off your ass and catch the real deal. The new 7" rips (don't be fooled by that crappy MP3 compression on their myspace) and live your ears will bleed, your ass will shake, and and you will lose 10 pounds just from the sweat they generate in an audience. The Welfare Mothers may have dumb names like Smash Gordon on their Myspace but don't be fooled - it's Houston rock royalty with ex-members of Sugar Shack and the Mirrors. They rip it up and they also have a brutally good single. "Long Brown Hair" has been wearing out my needle for the last few week and, with its sweet guitar and snotty vocals infecting my brain, it's reached the point where I found myself humming the riff at the check-out line to everyone's annoyance. So don't try to figure out what the fuck two axe wielding cardinals have to do with one of the best garage line-ups you could imagine, just go and thank me later.

Friday, June 6
French Kicks/Frightened Rabbit/Young Mammals
@ Walter's on Washington
OK this poster isn't so much crappy as it is uninspired. Soso usually does great stuff on posters that totally blows me away and gets my attention but his one just is...well...so so which is a shame again as it's such a lovely line up. New York, Glasgow, and Houston all bring their take on indie pop making for a night of swirling melodies, raucous energetic drums, and lovely guitar work. I'm still trying to figure out if the Wikipedia entry in the French Kicks is a joke or not. "Garage?" "...heavily influenced by the hardcore scene?" What the hell is that? I haven't heard their early stuff so maybe there is some basis for that categorization but at the very least that's not who they are now. Dig the opening track off the new album. It's sweet indie pop with clean shimmering guitar, a poppy shuffle of drums, and clean swooning vocals. The Kicks will move you, sure, but you just won't find yourself in a pit. They are a perfect compliment to opener Young Mammals who stand up against any national or international indie pop band. Cley Miller is one of Houston's best guitarists with a great sense of melody and tone and Iram Guerrero is as known for his loud and powerful drumming as he is for his playful performance. Filling in the middle are Glasgow's Frightened Rabbit whose pop may not grab you on the first listen but a few spins of the 7" Be Less Rude and you'll be convinced. The song has a drive and emotion in both vocals and instrumentation that is somehow both understated and urgent. Lovely stuff. This should be a lovely night too.

ALSO THIS WEEK

Friday, June 6

The Scattered Pages / The Literary Greats
@ The Continental Club
The Scattered Pages - Houston folkie popsters - return for their first show in what seems like ages. Rootsy locals the Literary Greats open.

The Watermarks/Slivered/Flowers to Hide
@ Rudyard's
If I'm not mistaken Flowers to Hide is doing some kind of record release this evening. Expect lots of 80's/90's Brit pop guitars. Speaking of 80's Brit pop The Watermarks met Will Sargeant of Echo and the Bunnymen at a show and he gave them a thumbs-up on their synths.

Cave Reverend
@ Notsuoh
Freaky Psychedelic Blues at it's best.


Saturday, June 7

Dirty Honey, featuring Brett Koshkin
@ Boondocks
Dusty obscure booty shakin' Soul and Funk 45s is the theme. Hell yeah, the lowly 45 gets some love. Right on DJs! OK but if you balk and play an LP or a CD I'm gonna be horribly disappointed. And if you whip out a goddamn IPOD you are so on my shit list.

Secret Saturday Show
@ the Shady Tavern (2-5pm Free)
Come on down for a free musical surprise.


Sunday, June 8

The Carrots/The Wiggins/Stove Blow
@ The Mink (9PM)
The Carrots do this 60's girl group thing. I know people who've seen them and thought they were great live. (shrug) OK but the big deal here is the ever brilliant Wiggins. Shit take that Johnny song; it takes this cool 60s thing and totally twists it into this fucked up beast. That's why I shrug at the Carrots - they take pop music tropes and mimic them while the Wiggins takes them and turns them into something unique and fresh. Fuck cute and lazy. Give me innovation and wit any day! Long live the Wiggins!


Monday, June 9

The Cure / 65daysofstatic
@ Toyota Center
Yes, Robert Smith looks a little sillier in his make up as he ages but the old songs still ring sweet and it's a pretty good show for an arena show.

Teenage Cool Kids/O Pioneers!!!/Fire Team Charlie
@ The White Swan
Place your bets folks. On this side of the ring, from Denton, indie popsters TCK and, from West Houston, the spastic "Is that guy going to pass out by the end of the set" Oh Pioneers. The bookies have their money on Eric and The Papermoons.


Tuesday, June 10

RZA/Zeale 32
@ Warehouse Live
Woo! Dang! It's the RZA.


Thursday, June 12

Mates of State/ Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears / Headlights
@ Warehouse Live
Jeez am I the only one that found the newest Mates of States video atrocious? People jazzercizing in animal masks? Sorry but no! Mercifully I heard Get Better long before I saw the video and totally dug its lush arrangement and harmonies. I have to admit this is a band who, when I first heard them, I thought would only hold my interest for one album but here we are and they keep making music that as fresh as that first time you heard them.

The Western Civilization / Via Audio / Jukebox The Ghost
@ XO Bar & Lounge (2611 San Jacinto; 8PM, free)
The Western Civ writes and arranges some pretty songs that I don't usually associate with Skateboards and Vans footwear but clearly someone at The Warped Tour does as they were asked to play one of the stages on the Tour's next Houston pit stop. Congrats. If you want to see them away from the boiling hot Houston sun this may be a better option and it's free.

Recession Thursdays, featuring
The Delta Block, Basses Loaded, The Fucking Transmissions, Satin Hooks, & Shina Rae
@ Numbers
Yes, it's another lovely Thursday of Houston's best bands thrown by you know who. This is actually why I moved the preview to Fridays. This way I can devote Thursday's column to a shamelessly biased hype for each Thursday's show so as to be fair to the other shows in the week but briefly Basses Loaded, Fucking Transmissions, and Satin Hooks all get the Dio metal sign from me.