Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - Christmas Week Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight at least one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

RECAP

Wols Photo Courtesy John Van

Now I know what you are thinking. The big show last week was the big Texas Gone Garage festival, that's where the shit was going down. Well, I hate to break it to you but the world was brought to a halt down the ways at the Proletariat. Not by a bunch of guys soaked in sweat and beer playing rock and roll full of force and conviction but by four people doing something very simple - conversing. By this I mean a musical conversation where everyone is bouncing ideas, listening to everyone else, and adding to what is happening.

Wols is Amye McCarther who writes very skeletal songs with enough space where the players with whom she collaborates have ample room to move and express themselves and make her music their own. And what a backing band she assembled on Saturday: Mlee Suprean (Hearts of Animals), Will Adams (Black Snakes & Kangaroo), and Abe Houch (Hungry Villagers). The performance may have carried on for nearly an hour but it never felt that way simply because what was happening on stage was so engrossing. While Amye held the center with her vocals and guitar, the rest of the band was throwing ideas back and fourth. Abe would accompany with gorgeous acoustic guitarwork that was subtle and atmospheric, Will chose a more aggressive approach with his guitar that was the perfect compliment, and Mlee played everything from guitar to a cap gun.

The interplay for me recalled that same interactive thrill of Jason Bill-era Charalambides, where by all accounts the band should completely careen off the cliff but the band is connecting and interacting so well that they keep it together and ride it through triumphantly. It's thrilling stuff to watch when bands take chances like this. I'm not talking some guy hanging off a rafter in a tired rock trope of feigned risk and energy but the real thing where you take a chance that could leave you looking the fool on stage yet somehow you pull it off. It's pulled off only with great songwriting, excellent musicianship, and a band that can communicate intimately without any grandstanding and as a collective whole. Kudos to Amye and her band for pulling off what was easily the best show I've seen all year.

That's saying a hell of a lot given Mlee Marie's earlier acoustic performance where all of the bells and whistles that is Hearts of Animals are stripped away leaving her voice, her guitar, and her songs. It's the kind of performance that should have shut-up any naysayers who question her skills as a musician and performer. I said it earlier this week an I'll say it again these two women are making the most important music coming out of Houston hands-down.

The Mike Gunn

As for Texas Gone Garage, it was a huge success. I caught Sunday night which was excellent. Sew What was fine when she played by herself but her backing band, sadly, did her no favors. The Freed sounded much more cohesive than they did when I saw them at the Mink a while back. Hearts of Animals played another inspiring set which was all the more stunning given how many shows she's pulled off in a mere 3 days. The Mike Gunn reunion lived up to the hype with the band firing on all cylinders like I'd never seen them do even in their heyday and the crowd ate it up as much as the Sprawl crowd did back in October. The Mirrors reunion was as great with the crowd dancing, sweating, and drinking their way to the end of the night. Excellent!




THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT

*Saturday December 22 -
We Are the Hollow Men Art Show,
featuring Fatal Flying Guilloteens,
The Jonbenet, The Dimes,
Grant Olney and The Brokedown Gospel,
B, The Riff Tiffs and DJs Reverberation and Cee Plus Bad Knives
@ 1620 Keene Street Warehouse
(just N of downtown off Main; 8PM, $5/$7)

Well this is the one everyone is buzzing about and why not? The line up is nutters with great acts. Fatal Flying Guilloteens and the Jonbenet will bring the sweat and beer spit from the mouth. The Dimes will lay down the pop like Moses coming down from the mountain, Gran Olney will be dragging down 3/4th of Panic in Detroit with him, B will lay down the prog, and they even brought out those Riff Tiff kids. The stink of hipsters will heavy in the air, consider yourself warned.

(Note: I'm not sure which is the current line-up - the poster - which has been out for a while - or the listing on Space City Rock. You guys figure it out. Either way it's gonna be cool. )


Thursday December 20
Colour Revolt/ Buxton/ The Church of Philadelphia
@ Walter's on Washington
Mia Kat artist Buxton plays some lovely poppy stuff that you can't help but like. Whether it be the more sparse simple work of Hallelujah from the split they did with Oh Pioneers a while back or the fuller production of one of the newer songs like Flame the melodies always come through and swirl around your head like a swarm of very happy bees.

Thursday December 20
Austin Gibbs/ Bigfoot and the Bear/ Elaine Greer/ The Tontons
@ Super Happy Fun Land
Elaine Greer has been quietly making some lovely understated pop that highlight gorgeous melodies and simple yet effective arrangements that emphasize her lovely vocal delivery. Meanwhile, The Tontons have something seriously going on with vocalist Asli Omar where you think "Shit they are doing this whole bluesy 60's rock thing and getting away with it"! It's harder to pull off than she makes it looks!


Friday December 21
Free Press' Holiday Bash
Sideshow Tramps
@ Helios (Avant Garden)
Yeah it's our party and we'll drink if we want to. Sideshow Tramps bring their porch settin' beer howdown shit to Helios for all the good little boys and girls. Yes, there is a Santa Claus!


Saturday December 22
Secret Saturday Show
@ The Shady Tavern
(1206 W. 20th St.; 12-5PM, free!)
You know the score. Mystery bands, DJs, and it's free.


*Sunday December 23
Rick Smith Memorial Show
featuring Orouboros and Novox
@ Rudyard's
God Bless the Rick Smith and all that sail with her....er him. Not a week goes by where I don't hear his name uttered by someone still in shock over his untimely passing. It's crazy. Well, here is yet another chance to drink to his good name. It's been a while since I've seen Orouborus but if I recall correctly it was Bill Lamber behind the kit and Shawn and Carol Kelly among others improvising around his unhindered batterie - very cool. Novox also put on some lovely and expansive instrumental rock shows that are worth a Sunday night trip to the bar.

Spot The Local Music Curmudgeon - December 13th Edition

-A weekly blog where I highlight one show I definitely expect to attend (see *) and throw in a few more that I'd like to and might see given the money and the time.-

(Sorry no links at this time as I'm cranking this before I head to work - I'll add them later.)

RECAP

Well, circumstances were such that I didn't get out as much as I would have liked but the good news was that I was able to make my way to Sound Exchange last Friday where the Dimes told me about their having to change their name to some as yet undetermined name. No worries, as long as they get their follow-up album with all that cool new material they've been playing out sometime next year as promised they can call themselves Air Supply for all I care. Word of mouth had it that their set was, despite the ban, was indeed smoking. Despite my missing their set I was at least able to catch the Hearts of Animals set which only went to exemplify why Mlee Suprean's is such a singular and unrivaled talent. It's impressive to see a solo performer command a room like Mlee Suprean. It's nothing fancy - solid songwriting, great vocal phrasing, a brilliant ability to apply the tools at hand, and an ability to improvise when thrown a curve ball. She is very much in that very exclusive group of musicians who make any endeavor you do seem small and insignificant in comparison. If anyone had questions as to why she's been getting so much press this performance had all the answers. The crowd certainly ate it up.

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT

TEXAS GONE GARAGE
FRIDAY 14
SATURDAY 15
*SUNDAY 16
RUDYARD'S 21+
(with day shows at Walters - All Ages)
Too many Bands to list for more info see:
http://www.rudyards.com/TGG/

Ya gotta hand it to Travis of He Said She Said Productions - this is an impressive little festival highlighting three aspects of Texas Garage. Friday brings you the more traditionalist garage with firm roots in the 60s; the Ugly Beats sound like the 60's never ended and we still have scars from the last Born Liars, Monocles, Welfare Mothers show from a few weeks ago which played like the kind of teen party you used to throw when your parents left you alone in charge of the house. Saturday, the stage belongs to the more pop punk bands who are best exemplified by Something Fierce whose split 7" is hands down one of the best songs of 2007. Sunday night highlights the Texas Psych tradition with two notable reunions. First there is the Mirrors who, while channeling the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, have an organ fueled joy of their own and secondly there is The Mike Gunn whose psych sound is tuned to the looser definition of psych heralded in the UK's Ptolemaic Terrascope. Both bands haven't played in a while and this may likely be the only Mike Gunn show we will ever see in our lifetime. Oh yes and there is a band called Hearts of Animals also performing before the Mike Gunn whose brilliance you may have heard me go on endlessly about.

ALSO THIS WEEK

*Saturday December 15

Wols, The Wiggins, Terry Suprean, Wolf Explosion, Mlee Marie

@ The Proletariat

Were it not for Texas Gone Garage this would easily be my spotlight for the week particularly due to the fact that Wols head-honchess Amye is moving to the UK and this is likely your one chance to hear her music live. There is only one song posted on her myspace but I love how she uses a sparse arrangement to allow the song to breathe and take a life of its own. Given her bare bones solo work it will be fun to see how she translates her songs with a full band. Also, performing is Mlee Suprean in her acoustic Mlee Marie guise whose song "Broken Horse" has been cycling on my Itunes for the last week. Highly recommended.

*William Boone: A Man's House is His Coffin.

Friday, December 14

@ Domy Books

7 - 9pm

(Show runs through Friday, January 18)

Hey, William Boone isn't just all about LAWS he's also an artist. Come out to his art opening and see what else he does aside from scream and sweat in front of a microphone.

For more show listings I recommend you look at the calendar at Space City Rock

Full Disclosure: my band which will remain unnamed is playing at Texas Gone Garage. Normally I would by default not mention the show because of that but this is just too good a festival and the work behind putting together such an endeavor is deserved of my spotlighting it. I have engineered and performed on a few Mike Gunn albums.