The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of June 13, 2024

THIS WEEK SPOTLIGHT
GET DOWN WITH DC/NAIROBI POP

Saturday, June 14
Extra Golden
@ The Orange Show
Oh man, I have had a rough week and the heat in Houston hasn't been particularly kind. So, I'm listening to Hera Ma Nono and it's exactly what I needed. Ahh, the clean African pop guitar lines and Opiyo Bilongo's gorgeous vocals go down like a tall iced glass of water with a lemon and a sprig of mint. It's music that's refreshing and rejuvenating. It makes sense given the group's casual formation and comeback from a tragic loss. It all starts with a dude from Washington DC (off doing his Doctoral thesis on Kenyan music) who meets up with a bad ass Benga band. They team up as a four piece (two from the band Golden and two from Orchestra Extra Solar Africa) and before you know it they have a pretty sweet little debut (Ok-Oyot System). The album does well, gets solid reviews, and then tragedy strikes as the original singer/guitarist (Otieno Jagwasi) succumbs to liver disease. The remaining members assume it's all over until they get a call to play a festival and they regroup with Opiyo Bilongo as the new singer and then proceed to crank out a new album. Kind of a whirlwind for a band that's only been around 4 years and that's not going into the story about the Kenyan police. But their shaggy dog story wouldn't matter if the music wasn't worth your time and in this case, even with the steep $15 ticket price, I'd say it is.


ALSO THIS WEEK

(Note: Due to that thing we call a day job this is a pretty quick and dirty list. Notice the exponentially shorter descriptions and lack of band links? So odds are I missed some cool show. So, make sure to check out some of the other fine blogs like Skyline and Space City Rock just to name two)

Friday, June 13

Riddle of Steel/Sharks and Sailors/Motion Turns It On
@ Walter's on Washington
"[Crom] is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, "What is the riddle of steel?" If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me. That's Crom, strong on his mountain!"

Thus spoke Conan and if you are going to quote that masterwork of American cinema you'd better deliver the goods. Unfortunately, St. Luis' Riddle of Steel would be hurled from Crom's mountain for the middling rock found on their myspace. As I am writing this the classic Sharks and Sailors dirge Topple The Pillar is playing on my headphones - truly a song pleasing to the battle strained ears of Conan's mountain god. Rickshaw also is a song so good that Crom himself would have fallen and wept between the triple assault from the bass, guitar, and drums. Truly this is a band worthy of a Robert E Howard. Crom's appreciation for fusion and prog is unknown though I could see him diggin' Miles Davis' Big Time. So, I'd say he'd be pretty much guaranteed to also dig Motion Turns it On who are wisely releasing a live album. Binding them in a studio should be punishable by death and if you don't believe me the check it out tomorrow. Their proggy jammy virtuosity is a sight to behold and any initial complaints I had of aimless pointless jamming have long ago vanished. The band is skilled enough to play excited circles around most bands but also smart enough to know they have to take you somewhere with each piece. So jump on in, I'm calling shotgun!

Guitars / Black Black Gold / Welfare Mothers / DJ Suzi Puke
@ River Oaks Theatre (12AM)
It's Friday the 13th; do you know where your garage fan is? The River Oaks theatre. Damn straight BBG kick it 60's style and the Mothers play it about 30 years later but it's all good. Bonus is Domokos of Pink Cloud fame will be DJing.

Lunafest, featuring
Wolves At The Door, All In Your Head, Heist at Hand, The McKenzies, The Television Skies, Yoko Mono, Zechs Marquise, & Thavius Beck
@ Warehouse Live
I don't know dick about Lunafbut I do know The McKenzies can rock the indie pop like nobodies business.

Saturday, June 14

Black Math Experiment (DVD filming)
@ The Backroom (The Mink)
Attention people who love to get in front of any camera! Black Math Experiment is shooting a DVD. Get your devil signs and your "Hi Moms" on.

Secret Saturday Show
@ the Shady Tavern (2-5pm Free)
Yo it's free, Holmes! Go!

Sunday June 15

Dysrhythmia / AWAKE / Act of God
@ Rudyards
This is so new that it's not even on the Rudz Calendar yet but Matt Brownlie got really excited about Act of God playing and I can vouch for Awake being amazing. So here's to adding last-minute shows!

Boats!/Teenage Kicks/The Takes /Carpolites
@ The Backroom (The Mink; 10PM)
Teenage Kicks and the Takes. Yes! I smell a poppy garage show! So, I'm gonna guess that the boats are not Yacht rock!


Monday, June 16

The Gold Sounds/Ladyheat
@ Boondocks
Gold Sounds really and truly killed me a few weeks ago at the Mink. I suggest you check them out.

Hollywood Blues/The Monocles
@ The Backroom (The Mink)
MONOCLES MONOCLES MONOCLES!!!!

Justin Townes Earle (in-store)
@ Cactus Music (6PM)
Get yr Free on!

Tuesday, June 17

Champion! / Sew What /Cory Derden /Lenny Briscoe
@ The White Swan
Acoustic favorite Sew What, the unstoppable Lenny Briscoe, and those weird plastic bottles of beer they serve at the white swan means I know where you should be on Tuesday.

Wednesday, June 18

The Roots/DJ Cipher
@ Warehouse Live
Yes we know you love your drummer and all but you know if ?uestlove asked to sit-in, you'd kick your drummer out like yesterdays garbage.

Brody's Militia / Humanicide / Dissent / PLF / Satannabis
@ The White Swan
If the Tuesday show was too mellow for your taste how about sweaty hardcore at the white swan tonight with those funky beers.

Thursday, June 19

Cryptacize / Black Snake and Kangaroo / Jenny Westbury
@ The Backroom (The Mink; 7PM)
The chaotic noise to be rendered from BS&K alone demand your being here. If that isn't enough note that this may be your last chance to see Jenny Westbury before she leaves for Seattle on her visionquest involving bears.

Eliza Gilkyson (in-store)
@ Cactus Music (6PM)
F to the R to the E to the E.

Recession Thursdays, featuring
The Ton Tons, Kam, Arthur Yoria, Elaine Greer, Snowshoe and Lewis, & Woozyhelmet
@ Numbers
Merr, in a way I'm glad I'm in Kentucky this week because I'd hate to have to choose between this and the show at the mink. (More deets on this one on Thursday)