THIS SHARK WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT
The endless music feeding frenzy!

Fuck it! This is like a Bataan Death March! We are overwhelmed with good shows that we don’t know where to start! I feel like a drowning man with all these solid shows so let’s just go down the list here….

BADASS SHOW #1

Friday August 1st

Sharks and Sailors (CD release)
with UME, The Jonx, and DJ Under Warranty
@ Walter’s on Washington

Yes, that’s right, the clever lass and laddies at Sharks and Sailors chose Shark Week to release their Builds Brand New CD. If you are like me, this is seemed like way too long between releases - nigh 3 years (2.5 years to be exact). Thankfully, it’s worth the wait and the band has done a wonderful job of using the studio to expand their sound, songcraft, and interplay into realms the first EP would have never suggested. Required! As if this weren’t enough to seal the deal, Houston Ex-pats Ume will be playing. Essential! If you’ve read my columns by now you know that I think Lauren’s guitar skills make her as deadly as Itto Ogami. Enough said! Then, they have the nerve to throw in The Jonx who throw out great melodic hooks then juxtapose them with jarring rhythms and dissonance - one of the most painfully great bands this city’s ever heard. Imperative! Bonus DJ Under Warranty is none other than ADR of Skyline Network! Requisite! See you there!

BAD ASS SHOW #2

Saturday and Sunday, August 2nd & 3rd

Secret Saturday Shows Festival,
featuring
Guitars, You(Genious), Hearts of Animals, Teenage Kicks, the Monocles, Cory Derden, Listen Listen, Elaine Greer, News on the March, Airon Paul Dugas, the McKenzies, Evak 1, Lazyhorse, UME, the Mathletes, Nosaprise, Giant Princess, the TonTons, Sew What, Lenny Briscoe,the Gold Sounds,Dunnocks Ill Advisory, Like Yeah,CoPilot,Perseph One, Awake, Bigfoot and the Bear, Ledaswan, Robert Ellis, Paris Falss, and more
@ The Shady Tavern
This is a killer show that will make the Houston Press Music Awards showcase look wimp-ass in comparison. First you have a shit load of bands but unlike the HPMA showcase (who we do love so don’t take this badly) there’s none of that crappy stuff (like bands who look to the Buzz for musical inspiration). No, my friends, this is an all-beef Kosher dog compared to the mystery meat filler you can find at the HPMAs. Umm…OK, well maybe that’s a bad analogy as they will be serving vegan food but you get the point. Two days of non-stop incredible music that sticks a finger in the eye of any writer that thinks Houston doesn’t have shit going on and that its music is second rate. Consider this the final nail in that line’s coffin! Kudos Secret Saturday Shows!

BAD ASS SHOW #3

Sunday August 3rd

Hell City Kings, The Trian Woodburns, and Whiskey River Revival
Benefitting Texas Children’s Hospital
@ Rudyard’s

This is the kind of story we love to hear. Given that Hell City Kings guitarist (and Born Liars bassist) Bill Fool may be the personification of Rock and Roll excess, you may ask how does the hard drinking/hard rockin’ master fit-in with a benefit for Texas Children’s Hospital? Well, in case you were not aware, Bill is also a proud daddy who just dodged a scary bullet. Picture this, here you are a with your newborn and you find out that your child has a heart defect that will require surgery. Not only do you have to deal with the fact of your newborn is going under the knife but then the massive bills that will follow loom on the horizon. (Let’s face it Rock and Roll rarely pays the bills.) But here’s where the story takes a wild and unexpected good turn. At the 11th hour the doctors check the wee Fool and, miracle of miracles and to the doctor’s amazement, the condition disappeares. Somehow the heart fixed itself and the surgery was canceled. So, given that the benefit was already set-up, Bill simply changed the benefactor to the Texas Children’s Hospital and we can all shout “Hooray!”

ALSO THIS WEEK
EVEN MORE BAD ASS SHOWS

Friday August 1st

Leave Your Genre at the Door!, featuring
The Ton Tons, Perseph 1 & Andacc, Hueman, Kam, Evak 1, The Television Skies, Satin Hooks, Lower Life Form, Babel Fishh, Two Star Symphony, Peekaboo Theory, B.B. Aeroplane, & Dirty Dez
@ Fitzgerald’s ($10; 7PM)
A shit-load of many of the finest Houston bands because we just don’t have enough going on this week. Ton Tons, Perseph1, Kam Satin Hooks, babel Fish, Two StarSymph…Oh get it over with and just kill me!

Saturday, August 2nd

Cop Warmth, B L A C K I E, The Delta Block, Cheney Youth, PWI
@ Francisco’s (basement)
Fransisco’s? As in The rehearsal studio at McKinney? Neat!

Giant Princess, B L A C K I E
@ Notsuoh
If You are not dead from day one of the Secret Saturday Fest and can handle Jim Pertle’s acerbic wit, here you go! Neatness!

Data vs. Data, Flowers to Hide, Wicked Poseur
@ Rudyard’s
Alternately, if you are still up for more music after hours and want to avoid downtown, eat some great food, and catch some sweet jams this may be your option.

Texas Ska Fest, featuring
Los Skarnales, LosP2, 2Ten11, La Dona F, The Failed Attempt, Molotov Compromise, & The Pocket
@ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
If you can handle day one of Secret Saturday Fest and can still dance to this, you are unstoppable!

Soul Blues Festival, featuring
Betty Wright, Bobby Bland, Willie Clayton, & more
@ Arena Theatre
Bobby Bland’s 1961 album Two Steps from the Blues is Houston R&B; gold and if you’ve never heard him sing Cry, Cry, Cry I suggest you do so. Damn that’s good stuff!

Sunday, August 3rd

Despise You, Naw Dude, Pretty Little Flower, Chocolate Crucifix, Satannabis
@ The White Swan
I don’t know much about the first two acts listed but PLF, Chocolate Crucifix and Satannabis are worthy of anyone’s hard earned money! UPDATE! Chocolate Crucifix will be bringing Smarties!

Monday, August 4th

The McKenzies/Earnie Banks
@ Boondocks
Woohoo, indie pop thine last name is Mckenzie!

Wednesday, August 6

Valient Thorr (in-store)
@ Cactus Music (5:30PM)
HOLY SHIT! MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED!

Valient Thorr. Early Man, Skeleton Witch, Golden Axe
@ Rudyards
Just found out about this. My head just exploded again!

Thursday August 7th

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Balaclavas (LP release), The Wiggins
@ Walter’s on Washington (8PM, $10)
BLACLAVAS LP RELEASE ALERT! Yes, I already bought my copy of Inferno at Sound Ex last week! The CD is it’s wimpy little brother by comparison. God Vinyl sounds sweet! Go! Buy! Rock!

The Points, American Sharks (Record Release), The Monocles
@ Rudyard’s
This show was looking pretty bad ass but now I find out it’s going to be an American Sharks release as well? Awesome!

Recession Thursday
featuring,
Guitars, The Annoysters, and more
@ Numbers
More details on this week’s Omar fest this Thursday!