Spring Westheimer Block Party Lineup

Houston-
We are really looking forward to the March 28th Westheimer Block Party and have been burning the midnight oil to bring you a legit arts and music festival. We have expanded the evening portion by hosting multiple national artists at multiple venues. The day event is free as always and you can see 100+ great, local and regional bands for FREE.
However, the sooperdooper-clutchtastic-aces-boss-batshitcrazy-whips-kick you in the pancreas-tight evening portion of the event which hosts nationals paired with local greats will require a wristband. So, in an effort to avoid slight sticker shock we would like to explain our motives and intentions: We hope to snowball the block party into a legitimate arts and music festival and marquee event for the city. Ambitious? Yes. Risky? Yes? But we have an undying faith in this city, our community, and the potential for big, wonderful things to happen. We are exceedingly proud of the lineup we have put together and are stoked about Valient Thorr, St.Vincent, Devin the Dude, HEALTH, The Show is the Rainbow,Belaire and the many other bands lined up for the spring festival. So folks, you have our solemn promise that if we can make this happen together, we will give this city the real festival we have always dreamed of.

CLICK HERE FOR EVENING PRESALE for:

St. Vincent
Valient Thorr
Devin the Dude
The Show is the Rainbow
HEALTH
Belaire
Pictureplane
Daniel Francis Doyle
Homopolice
The Eastern Sea
Fat Tony
The Riff Tiffs
Factory Party
Wild Mocassins
GhostTown Electric
American Fangs
Windsor Drive
Cee Plus

City Council member and Mayoral candidate Peter Brown accidentally walks in FPH office

Tim Dorsey, Omar Afra, Peter Brown, Jacob Calle, and Shelby Hohl

So we are sitting in the office working on the Spring Block Party lineup this evening when, lo and behold, City Council member and mayoral candidate Peter Brown walks in thinking it was the Gay -Lesbian-Transgender Caucus office as we are located in the same building. After offering up that I am Lebanese, not Lesbian, we quizzed the mayoral-hopeful about his policies, views on street closure for the WestFest, his hopes for the city, and union-printing rules. He even agreed to take a picture. The jury is still out on this guy but I kinda like him. He did not seem to mind the stench of NagChampa, bad weed, and Tim Dorsey. He smelled nice himself.

Rudyard's puts FPH in french-fry utopia

Ok, we kinda gave Rudz a hard time in our last 'Worst of Houston' about the meager amount of french fries we thought they gave with the sooper-dooper amazing burgers. Well, FPH staffer Shelby went today and there were so many fries the box would not shut. Good on ya Rudz. We salute you. We honor thine face. We shall go to battle for thee.

THAT’S OK

Another week, another chance to make it happen, so let’s see what’s happening this week. (DO IT!)

(PS - This is dedicated to those folks who feel like some bands don't get the attention they deserve.)

KTRU Tonight: The Mathletes

The Mathletes commence on KTRU 91.7 around 8 PM tonight.

TWO REVIEW TUESDAY

Two albums. A few words.

Wild Wild Life

Was there some bizarre supernatural fluke that made you miss the Wild Moccasins CD release?

Well, see what you missed and by all means tell me what possibly kept you away in the comments.

Muzak John's Chinese New Year Party at SHFL!? Tonight? (1/26)

Ok, we are not sure what the deal is with Super Happy Fun Land but this shindig may well indeed be the tell-tale sign that doors will 'officially and legitimately' open soon. Well, anyways, they will be celebrating the Year of the Ox with noise-veteran Muzak John, Organ Failure, and Thuy Lihn.
8PM
3801 Polk

Early Reminder: Iraqi Artists in Exile Closing Reception Saturday the 31st

Join us for a final closing reception for the much-acclaimed Iraqi Artists in Exile exhibit at the Station Museum for Contemporary Art. Proceeds to benefit the Houston Palestine Film Festival who will be unveiling their film line-up for 2009.

Reception with food cooked by Arab mothers and fathers, music by an amazing Oud player, and Arab-style tea and coffee provided by the fabulous NAAP-Houston.
Event is FREE but donations are asked for food, drink, and solidarity.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards Gaza relief efforts.

'Aces' review of Wild Mocassin's Microsopic Metronomes by Skyline folk

Heard the clutch new record by the masters of happy-town Wild Moccassins? Our comrades in arms at the Skyline Network have a superb review for you. We are also stoked about the cover art by the sooper-talented Eli Brumbaugh. Their CD release at Walter's went off without a hitch and they sold out the joint. I see only shiny-happy things in these kids future. Good on all of you folks.

HEY. LISTEN UP! January 21 - January 27

This is where I invite you to check out what's going on in the coming week. This week with a super clever Red House Painters reference!(DO IT.)

Les Boom at Numbers Tonight

Les Boom! That's french motherfuckers!

For the love of God: Wait for the Solo.

Meet the new Boss, same as....?

Ok, I voted for the guy in the interests of avoiding another 8 years of Bush via McCain; effectively accepting a slap in the face as opposed to getting shot in the nuts. But I can't say I am happy with Obama's Inauguration Speech, with his silence during the massacres in Gaza, and his shitty cabinet choices. His speech was more of the same 'we will defeat you' and 'it's gonna be a long road ahead'..Well, maybe I am quickly disenchanted. What do you think?

Wild Moccassins on KTRU Tonight

photo by Grant Hickey

The spunky kids from Wild Moccasins will be performing songs from their new album Microscopic Metronomes and discussing their January 23rd CD release. From what I have heard, the tunes are brilliantly recorded and oozing with poppy goodness. Starts at 8PM.

The MLK we never hear.

Save the date: FPH Issue 100 Celebranza w/Monotonix, State Radio February 7th

Come help us celebrate Free Press Houston's 100th Issue and 6 Year Anniversary on February 7th at Numbers. We have an incredible musical lineup including Monotonix, State Radio, The Tontons, American Fangs, Rebelution, and The Fucking Transmissions as well as a massive projected artshow of all the great FPH covers and artwork over the last 100 issues, free shirts and schwag, free tix to upcoming concerts, and an unveiling of the amazing lineup for this Spring's Westheimer Block Party. Doors open at 9 and it's all ages.

Houston's Most Hated Glasnost Remix Contest

Our dance-aficionado friends at Houston's Most Hated are hosting a remix contest for local 'synth dark-horse' Glastnost. HMH has posted audio stems on their page and all the various rules and regulations to the contest (27 of them). Either way, we love this clutch experiment and hope to see more interactive shit like this. Check HMH for more details.

Obnoxious self-serving reminder: Come to Numbers Saturday Night

Adieu.

Laterz folks!(Link).

Food Not Bombs 'evicted' from 'public' property

posted by Omar
Food not Bombs has a simple yet brilliant idea: serve free, vegetarian food to the hungry and homeless. They do so on public property and clearly violate no laws. Then why do they keep getting harassed by HPD and forced to change locations? Beats me , but Nick from FNB had this to say:
"

Houston Food Not Bombs has been harassed by cops before and has been hassled by the library before. Last night, for the first time in a year and half, the Downtown Public Library (contact them at ContactHPL@cityofhouston.net) decided to ask us to go elsewhere, this time by sending out the HPD.

Supervisor Pribilski was not stating that any law was being broken, but spoke on behalf of the "Public" Library, that they would like us to go away.

This type of NIMBY oppression of the rights of the homeless has been a constant theme for FNB, causing us to move several times over the years, until reaching our current location at the Downtown "Public" Library.

The HPD officers took down the ID information of volunteers to fill out a report. When I denied my ID, Pribilski threatened to tow my car if I did not. They asked us to find another place to go, not realizing, of course, that wherever we go, they would be sent out eventually to ask us to go elsewhere.

Several people that were there to eat were very supportive, thanking us for risking such confrontations to feed them. One said he hadn't eaten in three days."

Well, I urge you to write the Library folks and let them know your displeasure if you wish. I will.

Little Joe at Boondocks Tonight (and all other Tuesdays)

To be honest I have never caught Lil' Joe Washington at Boondock's for his weekly gig but I plan on it tonight. Joe is about 68 years old now and ya gotta ask yourself how he can still do it. 'Hard-livin' is an understatement here. I remember getting shit-pieced with this guy when I was 17 in front of the Blue Iguana, same building where the Proletariat stood. I am 30 now. My back hurts. Little Joe is still slaying.

21+up
Boondocks
starts whenever Joe shows up

More terrorists in Gaza.

Good thing the IDF is attacking all these scary terrorists in Gaza before they come attack us here. I am even more glad my US tax dollars underwrite these actions. Thanks guys!

Israelis rain white phosphorous bombs over Gaza

Mel Frykberg
Courtesy of Electronicintifada.net
RAMALLAH (IPS) - "There is no doubt that Israel is using phosphorous bombs over Gaza. Israel is flagrantly violating the Fourth Geneva Convention," says Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza.

"This is not the first time we have documented Israel using this kind of prohibited weapon against Gaza's civilian population," Sourani told IPS on phone from Gaza.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirmed Sourani's assessment in a statement it released on Friday. Its researchers said they had seen "multiple air-bursts of artillery-fired white phosphorous over Gaza City."

"I've been on the border for the last few days watching the Israeli artillery firing white phosphorus shells into refugee camps," Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at HRW told France TV channel 24.

Ann Sophie Bonefeld from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem was more cautious. "We haven't been able to confirm if Israel is using phosphorous bombs in Gaza," she told IPS.

Chiara Stefanini, spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Jerusalem told IPS, "We have no evidence of phosphorous being used at this point in time. It is still too early to comment."

Terrifying pictures released by Israeli military planes of white clouds blanketing the skies of Gaza have filled the screens of Al-Jazeera television every night.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev was unable to tell Al-Jazeera whether the Israeli army were using this controversial weapon, and referred the network to Israeli army spokeswoman Major Avital Leibovitch during an interview Sunday.

"We don't discuss what weapons we use," Leibovitch told Al-Jazeera. "But I can assure you we do not use any weapons that are prohibited by international law. There are other nations that use phosphorous bombs, and we have the right not to comment on this," she added.

Britain and the United States used phosphorous bombs in Iraq, particularly during the Fallujah campaign.

The Geneva Treaty of 1980 stipulates that white phosphorus should not be used as a weapon of war in civilian areas, but there is no blanket ban under international law on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination.

This is not the first time Israel has been accused of using phosphorous bombs in crowded civilian areas in Gaza. Several years ago, doctors in Gaza reported seeing strange wounds on those injured during attacks by Israeli drones, which constantly monitor Gaza from the air.

The wounds consisted of many small holes, often invisible to X-rays, and burns caused by heat so intense that many required amputation because of the extensive burning.

Habas al-Wahid, head of emergency at the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza City told journalists then that in several cases the legs of the injured were sliced from their bodies "as if a saw was used to cut through the bone." But there was no evidence of ordinary metal shrapnel in or near the wounds.

At al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, spokesman Juma Saka said that on examination of the wounds, the doctors had found a powder on the victims' bodies and in their internal organs. The microscopic particles turned out to be carbon and tungsten.

"The powder was like microscopic shrapnel, and this is likely what caused the injuries," Saka said.

Following the claims of the Gaza doctors, an investigating team of Italian journalists from the television channel Rai News 24 took samples of the soil back to Italy.

Carmela Vaccaio, a doctor at the University of Parma, examined the samples and found a high concentration of carbon, as well as copper, aluminum and tungsten, whose presence she considered unusual.

She said in her report that "these findings could be in line with the hypothesis that the weapon in question was a dense inert metal explosive or DIME."

According to military experts, DIME is a carbon-encased missile that shatters on impact into minuscule splinters. On impact it sets off an explosive that shoots blades of energy-charged, heavy metal tungsten alloy (HMTA) powder, such as cobalt and nickel or iron, with a carbon fiber casing.

This turns to dust on impact, as it loses inertia very quickly due to air resistance, burning and destroying everything within a four-meter range, as opposed to shrapnel which results from the fragmentation of a metal casing.

The metal is designated "inert" because it is not involved in the blast, and not because it is chemically or biologically inert.

Israel was also accused of using phosphorous against civilian targets in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. It initially denied the charge, but finally confirmed it following investigation by the same team of Italian journalists, and in the face of overwhelming evidence.

"While the international community might be horrified by the use of phosphorous, this is overlooking the issue that hundreds of half-ton bombs are being dropped on Gaza on civilian targets on a daily basis," Sourani told IPS.

Gaza's death toll has risen to over 900, while nearly 4,000 Palestinians have been wounded. The UN reports that half of the deaths are civilian, and half of the civilian casualties are women and children.

One million Gazans are currently living without electricity, and some 750,000 without water, according to UN estimates. Gaza has a population of about 1.5 million.

Saturday Folks. Saturday. The McKenzies, CeePlus, Southern Backtones, Marry Me, more.

Saturday January 17th is gonna be real_ass_clutch. Why? Because Free Press Houston loves local music. So much in fact we obsess over it. We like money too and that's why we have made this value packed 'bundle' of bands. We also like the Montrose and building a bacterial resistance so we are having this thing at Numbers. Why don't you go? Tim Dorsey will be there. And you know what that means: Young ladies. Hank from Southern Backtones will not be wearing panties. Fat Tony has promised us to give hot stone massages to every other lady in the house. Jordan from Marry Me is, well, he has scabies. But Cee Plus will be boxing female HPD in the parking lot. So it's gonna be eventful to say the least. There are even rumors that there will be toilet paper in the bathrooms. Don't hold me to it but it's at least possible.

Tonight: Worst of Houston Issue Release Party w/ Sideshow Tramps, Come See My Dead person, and the gorgeous Robert Ellis. No shit.

Come celebrate the release of the Annual FPH Worst of Houston Issue with us on January 9th with the Sideshow Tramps , Come See My Dead Person, and Robert Ellis. If you have not heard Robert Ellis, this kid is a phenom singer songwriter guitar player, plus he smoking hot with long dark locks and bedroom eyes. Now, I am not gay but If I was down for some man love, he would be the one no doubt. Anyways, It's at Helios (AvantGarden) and it kicks off at 9PM. Also, bring a blank T-Shirt and we will print a Worst of Houston shirt for ya gratis!

411 Westheimer
Starts at 9
8 Bux
All ages

Save the date: Next Block Party March 28th.

photo by Pixeltopia

Hey Kids- The next Westheimer Block Party is Saturday March 28th and we have
some serious tricks up our sleeve. Expect some clutch_ass_clutch surprises....

Review - New Year's Eve at Indie Houston World Headquarters

Where were you New year's Eve? Well, if you weren't at Indie Houston Wolrd Headquarters in the museum district, you were at the wrong party. Find out why in the music section. (link)

Worst of Houston 2008

"Houston isn't really a city; it's just a big machine for administering the interests of petroleum conglomerates." -M.Martin

Illustrations Tim Dorsey

Here we are again: Another January and another Worst of Houston. So let us clarify our intentions with this feature. We wish not to denigrate our fair city but to lift it up by shining a light on Houston’s most putrid aspects in the hopes that we can work together to eradicate them. Fair enough? Well, read on and let us know.

This Week's Music Preview - January 02, 2009

Dude, I'm still trying to recover from New Year's Eve over at Indie Houston world headquarters and you want me to type up a preview for this week? Welllllllll, OK...but I'll make it brief. (link)

FPH 2009 Events!

Happy New Year' folks! We have a fat-grip of events in store for you kids this year starting Friday January 9th at Helios with our Worst of Houston Issue Release Party featuring the Sideshow Tramps and Come See My Dead Person. Should be more than clutch. Round that out with a great 8 band show at Numbers January 17th with The McKenzies, Southern Backtones, Fat Tony and More, and our 100th Issue Celebranza February 7th featuring Monotonix, State Radio, and more. Also, we have some massive tricks up our sleeve for the the next Westheimer Block Party on March 28th which will feature a half-dozen national acts; one in particular we are soo excited about that I nearly sharted me pants yesterday. We have left a clue. Anyways, Happy New Year again and best wishes.

This Month In The Free Press - Something Fierce

Steven Garcia and Niki Seven of the formidable punk-poppers Something Fierce are two of the most loquacious interviewees I've ever encountered. Sadly, that meant we had to leave a lot of pretty amusing stuff on the cutting room floor like when I asked them if they were comfortable being called Pop-Punk and Steven went into a long explanation as to why Punk-Pop was more appropriate and Niki agreed adding "It's more like nerd punk .. punks that can get down with Elvis Costello." Find out what didn't end up on the cutting room floor in the music section. (Link)