Serial Killa: The Best of The Week
Snoop Dogg. Photo: Courtesy of Artist
This week you’ll have a couple of nights where the options might be too difficult to decide how to spend your time with legendary acts like Snoop Dogg, Cannibal Corpse and Daniel Johnston rolling through the H this week. Houston, here’s where to spend the next seven days.
Wednesday you can kick it off over at the ballroom at Warehouse Live for the death metal assault of New York’s Cannibal Corpse. The five-piece has been around close to thirty years and if you’re a fan, then this is a good chance to catch them. Their latest album, 2024’s A Skeletal Domain, is their strongest in recent years and their live show is always worth making it out for. This appearance is part of The Summer Slaughter Tour and honestly the event features too many bands to attempt to list. There’s also local sets from the industrial metal of Houston’s Agamemnon, who bring their proggy goodness on every time they drop a set, and their album Agamemnon from earlier this year is pretty damn impressive. The thrash of Houston’s Filthy Young Impalers will be on hand as well. There entire list of acts are available here with SLEEPERDRONE opening things up at 2:30, the show is all ages, and with doors at 2 pm, the all-day affair has tickets between $29.50 and $35.
You might not like metal at all, and if you don’t, then you should head to Walters to catch the laid back indie rock of New York’s Big Eater. Big Eater makes chilled vibe indie rock that seems about as low-key as music can get nowadays, though last year’s In Between proved that such easy going songs can still be worth checking out. The lo-fi indie punk of Houston’s Ruiners will be on as direct support, and I’d be lying if I said that you shouldn’t catch them. Like a mix of Drive Like Jehu energy mixed with Jawbreaker intensity, this three-piece not only brings it live, but this year’s Wasted Years is pretty on point. Houston’s Moth Wings will bring their energy to open the show with doors at 8 pm and $10 at the door.
Lee “Scratch” Perry. Photo: Pitpony
Thursday there’s the chance to catch a once-in-a-lifetime set over at Fitzgerald’s when The Secret Group brings the legendary sounds of Lee “Scratch” Perry to town. Perry has worked on countless projects with the likes of Bob Marley, the Clash, the Mad Professor, and many more. His magnum opus was the 1976 album, Super Ape where Perry brought the dub sound to a wider audience. In celebration of the album’s 40th anniversary, Perry will perform the album in its entirety for a one time only event. There’s no word of direct support or openers, but that could change. The all ages event has doors at 6 pm and tickets between $22 and $25.
Satellite Bar will host the 50s rock inspired craziness of New Zealand’s Labretta Suede & the Motel 6. Backed by her band, Suede is known for sexy outfits and a full frontal show that’s closer to a burlesque event than a rock show. Her latest release, 2024’s Dirty & Dumb, is a mix of rockabilly and sultry rock. The sleaze rock of Houston’s Killer Hearts will be on hand as direct support and probably melt faces with their intensity, while the old school Houston sounds of Poor Dumb Bastards will go on beforehand. The legendary Houston based psychobilly of The Flamin’ Hellcats will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and a TBA cover.
Lemuria. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Walters will host the always entertaining emo pop sounds of New York’s Lemuria. There’s something so endearing about this band’s catchy and melodic indie rock that’s hard to ignore. Like a version of Superchunk with sweeter female vocals, their last album was 2024’s The Distance Is So Big and they’re pretty amazing in a live setting. The indie pop of Illinois’ Looming will be on hand as direct support. Complete with interesting and haunting vocals, last year’s full length, Nailbiter, is a strong release, as are the singles they’ve dropped as of late including this year’s “Tried and True.” The indie post punk jams of Michigan’s The Reptilian will also be on the bill, and the alt bedroom rock of Houston’s stellar sounding and underrated Middlechild will perform prior. The intense screamy goodness of Mouthing will also be there, while the amazingly beautiful indie rock of Cool Moon will open things up. Don’t sleep on this band by any means as their August 2024 Demo from last year are a mix of gorgeous vocals and indie fuzz that’s hard to deny. The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.
Over at Nightingale Room you can catch the catchy indie rock of Houston’s Vodi. Possibly one of the more sonically live bands in town going today, Vodi takes the chill vibes of their recordings and “turns them up to 11” in a live setting. Their latest single, “Notice” has a catchy nature that’s hard to ignore, and now with Austin from Buxton and Hailey from Dollie Barnes, they have a sounds that you can’t deny. The atmospheric indie rock of Houston/Galveston’s El Lago will be on as support and openers, and if you’ve never heard their single “Tell Me How It Ends” it’s pretty amazeballs. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.
Houston alt rockers Another Run will be helping to open the upstairs room at new venue, White Oak Music Hall. After waiting what seems like forever for the bright and shiney new venue to open its doors, it seems that the time has finally come for the large scale project to be ready for the public. Another Run will headline the evening after a strong year that saw them perform at FPSF, as well as releasing a new track, “700 Days.” One of the most engaging acts to come from Austin since Roger Sellers moved there from Houston, Mobley will be on as direct support. Mobley drops R&B and hip hop inspired tunes that are sprinkled with electro pop sensibilities. His latest release, this year’s EP Some Other Country, is packed full of catchy tunes with plenty of snap and his live sets are just as impressive. California rock noir duo, The Peach Kings will also be on the bill while the ambient electronica of Houston’s Kay Weathers will bring her release Songs For Lucy to life as opener. The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and it’s FREE with RSVP.
Ruby The Rabbitfoot. Photo: Alan Larson
Friday you could get going over at Walters when they host the always entertaining sounds of Georgia’s Ruby The Rabbitfoot. I’ve never known how to describe her music other than to say that it’s like if you put singer songwriter poetry to an electro pop sound, she’s what you’d get. Her new album Divorce Party is easily her best to date, and her live sets are always worth making it out for. Technically, the indie electro pop of Houston’s Children of Pop will headline the show with a set following Ruby. The synth pop of Houston’s Camera Cult will go on before Ruby, while the dance sounds of The Radio Broadcast will open things up. The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and tickets between $7 and $10.
Fitzgerald’s will be bringing the rock when Lake Jackson’s Drive The Sky brings their alt rock sound to the iconic club. Though they’re not really my thing, the fact that indie emo band Valens will be on the bill as well is enough reason to attend. Away from the fact that the band has a steady stream of solid releases, most recently being the Split EP with Finger Guns, or last year’s The Trouble Of Finding Out, or the fact that they’re one of the most underrated bands in town; you should focus on the fact that they’re killer live. The indie rock of Houston’s Empty Shells will bring their powerful live set to the bill as well, while the alt rock of Houston’s Mannequin On The Moon will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $7 cover.
Rose Ette. Photo: Osman Paul Galindo
White Oak Music Hall downstairs will host the sultry neo-psych sounds of Austin’s The Black Angels. Though these guys have only been around under fifteen years, they’ve always sounded like they were sent here from fifty years ago. Their live shows are always a trip and their last release, Clear Lake Forest from two years ago, is pretty stellar. The electro indie pop of Houston’s Telephantom will be on as direct support, while the bedroom pop meets indie rock of Rose Ette will open things up. If you haven’t caught Rose Ette yet then this is your chance, and if I haven’t said it enough, last year’s Jungle is an insanely solid album. The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and tickets between $20 and $24.
House of Blues will host the electro soul pop of -Us. Over in the foundation room. In the past year, this guys has gone from have a slow jam type of live set to a highly energized one. The last three times I’ve caught him play, I’ve been impressed with how far he’s come as a writer and a performer. He’ll have the electropop of Houston’s Whale Bones on beforehand, while the soulful R&B of Corbin Dallas will open the all ages show with doors at 5 pm, but disregard that because the music doesn’t start until 8 pm for the 100% FREE show.
You can grab some funny over at Midtown Bar & Grill when the Haywire team presents the stand up of comic Martha Kelly. Best known for her character on the FX series Baskets, Kelly has wowed audiences all over the US and Canada, and has become known as a pretty funny comic. Austin’s hilarious Kerri Lendo will go on beforehand, with sets from Nick Meriwether and Austin’s M.K. Paulsen on hand to open things up. It’s 21 & up, the doors are at 10 pm, and the cover is $10.
If that’s not your thing, then you could head to Boondocks for another edition of Blackout. Alongside the sets from the original crew of Leckie, Hyro, Ape Drums, and Act Badd will be a headlining set from Jamaica’s Silent Addy. Now a resident of Miami, the dancehall DJ is known to make feet move whenever he performs. The 21 & up show is 100% FREE with RSVP, or $3 after 11 pm with doors at 10 pm.
AF The Naysayer. Photo: Bands In Town
On Saturday you could begin at Raven Tower for the Heat.Wav show featuring the instrumental hip hop of NOLA’s AF the Naysayer. For a good while this guy has been rolling through town and dropping epic sets, and if you’ve never seen him then this is your chance. A set from Denver’s CRL CRRLL will also be on hand as well as an always entertaining set from Houston’s Dayta. Hiram will also bring his fun and groove heavy jams as well as the high energy digital cumbia of Gio Chamba who will go on prior. Louisiana turned Houston transplant and female producer GrimmBleak will also be on the bill, while the soulful sounds of Corbin Dallas will open the 100% FREE all ages show with doors at 5 pm.
If you’d rather shop the wares of local artisans, then you could swing by Discovery Green for another edition of the open air market known as Green Flea By Night. The all ages and FREE event gets going around 6 pm, and a live set from Houston’s Jason Bancroft and the Wealthy Beggars will be on hand as well to bring their Americana sound to life. The music starts at 7 pm and everything ends around 10 pm.
Out at the Woodlands Pavilion, you can get your hip hop fix when rap legend Snoop Dogg co-headlines a set with Wiz Khalifa. I don’t need to oversell Snoop as the man’s resume speaks for itself, and while Wiz’ last album wasn’t so strong, his live sets are always worth making it out for. Kevin Gates, Jhene Aiko, Casey Veggies, and DJ Drama will all be on hand as openers for the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $26 and $70.75.
I love Daniel Johnston’s music so much that I’ll tell you that his make-up show for the cancelled House Party Comedy show will be at Axelrad. This is not the venue for this show, but if you were unaware, Johnston inspired the likes of Kurt Cobain, he has a documentary about him called The Devil and Daniel Johnston, and his albums like Hi, How Are You and Yip Jump Music are critically acclaimed the world over. The doors are at 6:30 pm, Johnston is set to perform at 8:30, and any other details are available here.
Pitter Patter. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Walters will host the album release party for Houston’s Pitter Patter. Playing drums to electronics, this guy puts on a pretty impressive live set all by himself, and as always, his set should be worth checking out. FLCON FCKER will be on as direct support, while the synth pop darkness of Denton’s Felt & Fur will go on before. Dragarm will open the all ages show with an appearance from the Tripatorium and much more. The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and a $10 cover.
Over at Satellite Bar, Austin’s The Eastern Sea will return for a night filled with their indie rock jams. Last year the indie pop five-piece dropped the pretty stellar album The Witness, and their live shows are always closer to a party than a musical performance. They’ll have the always endearing and lush sounds of Houston’s Dollie Barnes on as direct support. Barnes just dropped the first single from her upcoming album with “Taking All Day,” and if you’ve somehow missed her and her band perform, then you’ve been missing out on one of the best acts Houston has to offer. The indie rock of Houston’s Alex Riddle will open the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets for $10.
Young Girls. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Upstairs at White Oak Music Hall you can get your groove on with the Austin/Houston electro pop of Night Drive. The duo makes the kind of tunes that seem to get feet moving, their most recent being last year’s single “Easy To Lie.” The electronica mixed with live instrumentation of Houston’s Bang Bangz will be on hand as direct support, and the amazing and high energy of Houston’s Young Girls will open things up, and bring their stellar new album Party Blood to life. The all ages show has doors at 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.
Sunday you can start off at Deep End Records for their Horchata Market. Tons of art, a DJ set from Life Begins at Midnight, and $2 Lone Stars will be on hand alongside actual horchata some food, and much more. The details are here, it’s all ages, and the 100% FREE event starts at noon and ends around 4 pm.
The White Oak Music Hall Lawn will host a set from Austin’s Explosions in the Sky. The post rock four-piece used to be quite the live show to catch, but since they’ve spent the last five years doing soundtrack stuff, I have no idea if their live show is still as stellar as it once was. Their new album, this year’s The Wilderness, is pretty good, but also pretty ambient and almost sleepy, so be prepared for that. They’ll have the post rock of Canada’s Preoccupations on as direct support for the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets for $25.
Flynt Flossy. Photo: Turquoise Jeep
Walters will have the hip hop of Turquoise Jeep’s Flynt Flossy. While he’s known for the track “Treat Me Like A Pirate,” Flossy just dropped a pretty strong album with this year’s F. Floss InternatioKnown. The psych blues rock sounds of Houston’s Space Villains* will be on as direct support to bring their trippy jams to life, while the strong mic skills of MC Genesis Blu will rock the mic beforehand. DJ Baby Roo will open the all ages show with a foot moving set as opener with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $13 and $15.
Monday you can head over to Warehouse Live to catch the hip hop of WIFISFUNERAL in the studio. The Palm Beach rapper is riding high after the success of his latest, this year’s Black Heart Revenge, and his live shows are rumored to be nuts. Ski Mask The Slump God will be on as direct support while Danny Towers will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.
The Atomic Bitchwax. Photo: TPR
Tuesday you can get your stoner rock fix over at White Oak Music Hall upstairs when The Atomic Bitchwax stops by to perform. I’d hope that you would’ve seen these guys before, but if you haven’t then this is your chance. Their latest release, last year’s Gravitron is as heavy and sludgy as you expect, and their shows are always worth making it out for. Ohio stoner rock four piece Lo-Pan will be on as direct support, while the throwback sounds of Memphis’ Dirty Streets will go on prior with their seventies sounds. The Satanic Overlords of Rock N’ Roll will bring their crazed energy to the bill as openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $15.
That’s about all that’s happening around town. No matter what you decide, please do so in the safest manner possible, for everyone’s sake.
