Space and the City
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LUNCH TIME LISTENING: TONIGHT AT THE MINK
Jan 14th
The Pharmacy, in what will be the final pastoral band-photo setting of their career.
So, this past year, for both Halloween and Election night, Seattle’s The Pharmacy took time off from tour and spent the days in New Orleans. And, they enjoyed themselves so much that they decided to move there, which we think is pretty bad ass, cause usually people move from the South to Seattle and not the other way around. We have to say that we spent Halloween and Election Day in Tulsa and Las Vegas respectively, and there is zero danger that we will move to either of those cities. (Full Disclosure: Nawlins is the city in which our dreaded Master Chief Editor In Recession adr was born. He has a tattoo of the star and crescent police logo on his arm that he just loves. Ask him about it.) And, like many smart people that have the Big Easy in their sights, they’re coming to Houston tonight for a big bill show at The Mink.
Adieu, Adieu, the closer from the latest full length Choose Your Own Adventure, runs straight through the playful pop ball room, and would be good for folks that enjoy getting the visceral speed and fury of foot tapping along to something like the Fountains of Wayne mixed in with the pleasurably bombastic orchestration of ELO. Check it out, along with other tracks from this album and others from their catalog on their MySpace.
Guitars get all dressed up to to celebrate living in a wasteland.
Guitars, an H-Town act on the bill that features members of The Monocles, Lenny Briscoe and Alarma, has got to have the most annoying band name ever. Don’t believe me? First off, you and a friend have a race where one of you tries to locate a webpage of Guitars using Google and the other does the same with Groceries (the band that became Bring Back the Guns, who are back in the studio practicing again, btw, which we are super stoked about). Yeah, add Houston to your search term if you want, it’s a super big help believe us. Winner gets to stop doing frustrating Google searches first. Secondly, the ducking band name is plural, but because it’s a singular noun, you have to constantly dick with your sentence structure to avoid writing dippy things like “Guitars is playing tonight.” But whatever.
The band, which reminds us of a rather nice take on Television-esque post-punk and Velvet Underground-ish pre-punk, unfortunately describes themselves as “the standard bearers for the heart and soul of American music” and then later make a comment about “the barren landscape otherwise known as Houston’s independent music scene” which you may have noticed is something we spend a rather large amount of time apparently wasting our time writing about. Perhaps that is why we are being such dicks. Also, we’re going to go ahead and presume that they don’t include their other bands in this calculation of collective output as crap. Hyperbole set aside (bands: please get someone else to write your bio and especially not someone that will describe you as “the best” or “the most promising”), the music is def worth a listen, and a surprising departure from any of the acts this well of souls draws from. We dug “Waiting for A Good Time” the most, but like all three of the tracks they have on their MySpace, and are looking forward to hearing more polished versions of them.
Three other bands are slated for the stage this evening, Seattletonians The Raggedy Annes, Lake Charles’ Magnolia Sons and Local 2 News You Can Use punk junkers Teenage Kicks. Starts at 8pm and costs $8. The Backroom at the Mink is, unfortunately, 21+.
THIEVES PILLAGE THE SKYLINE NETWORK’S HUMMERZINE; LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND BUT A STACK OF LOCAL CDS
Jan 12th
This space once housed a fold-up 42" LCD TV.
MENACING HEARTLESS MONSTERS! Saturday night, the entire staff of The Skyline Network was enjoying a cocktail or two at our beloved neighborhood Big Star Bar, when we decided that the prudent thing to do was to catch a ride and leave our tasteful Hummerzine parked there overnight so that our chauffeur and co-pilot might partake in the festivities. Following an excellent lunch the next early afternoon, we returned to find our front passenger window destroyed, and many contents of the vehicle missing, including the radio and our irreplaceable 60GB iPod Photo (yes, we were one of the clowns that bought that brick during the six days or so while it was available). Along with that loot, our garage door opener, and lord knows how many half eaten kolaches, the pirates of 19th street made off with a stack of CDs including Luna’s The Days of our Nights, Bewitched, Penthouse and Pup Tent, Austin up-and comers Future Clouds and Radar’s Peoria, Queen’s Classic Queen Volume 1 and most tragically of all, The Best of George Jones: 1955-1967.
CDs deemed not as good as Luna, Queen or George Jones
HOWEVER, oh those needing a CSIsh clue as to who the perpetrators might be, they are decidedly not fans of sustainable living or local music, as they left the following stack of CDs beneath a disheveled pile of of those poly-fiber grocery bags that fill up your back seat instead of a landfill:
- Graustark – Live Demonstration Field Recordings
- Over Sea, Under Stone – Five Songs are Not Enough
- Ghormeh Sabzi – Cockroach Graveyard CDr
- Sprawl – America is Dying of Wetnurse
- Circuit Slomo – Unreleased demos CDr
- Anya Marina – Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II
Now, that last one isn’t local, so we’re guessing it wasn’t their thing, but otherwise, we kid you not: the thieves took Luna, Queen, Future Clouds and Radar and George Jones, and left behind every single local recording. We’re not sure if that’s an indictment of the criminal’s tastes or of the reputation of local music generally, but either way we simply cannot stop laughing our asses off at it. In the meantime, we have self organized a benefit to cover our costs, the lineup and cover for which we will announce as soon as our insurance adjuster calls us back with our deductible amount. Atleast one member of Black Congress can has visually indicated a strong desire to consider playing. Complete information on the benefit found here.
Big thanks to DRG who gave us all a life home that evening, and especially to eternal friend of the Skyline Carrie Murphy who waited with us at the scene of the crime for the nearly three hours it took for the police to arrive. We should also stop here and thank HPD officers Martinez and Floe for not giving us a ticket for our foolishly expired window stickers. In closing, this is not meant as a warning about leaving your car at a bar when you’ve had too much to drink. Many will testify to the fact that the minor cost and inconvenience we are/will experience is nothing compared to a DUI. Be smart and safe out there. We love you.
SATURDAY SECRET SHOWS SADLY STOPPED BY SHADY SEXIST!
Jan 12th
Perennial SSS performers Mlee Marie (Hearts of Animals), Elaine Greer and Sabra Laval
SQUALOR! According to a post on the Hands Up Houston message board, the weekly Saturday Secret Shows have come to sudden end. Citing that “you can only handle so much of a sexist asshole,” the SSS organizers lay the blame squarely at the feet of their former-venue’s owner, the Shady Tavern. So, as a weekly event, it seems to be all over. Kaput. No mas. However, the Saturday Secret Show will live on as a more occasional event, with the mysterious organizer pledging an announcement of something soon. And though it may be a typo, the mysterious mysterion of mystery claims that “the bands will be announced, the venue will not.” Uh. Nevermind.
Though of late we have been unable to crowd out the avalanche of things that keep us busy on a given Saturday afternoon in order to catch all or part, for the better part of the year we greatly enjoyed the endeavor and are sorry to see it go. However, it may have been inevitable given that Walnut Creek (of Onion Creek ownership) has absolutely exploded and is attempting to douche-ify Big Star in the process. Surely the proximate Tavern could not be far behind. We wish the organizers well in all their future stuff, and if you wish to be informed of what form that will take, be sure to get on their email list (see the HUH post above). Dayparty.
ATTN THIS WEEKEND: YOU’RE A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK ‘N ROLL
Jan 9th
FRIDAY
If you’re a fan of the kind of things like Vinyl Ranch, Wednesday nights at Big Star Bar, most of Dusti Rhodes’ outfits and 97.1 FM, then tonight is your night. Except that you have to choose. Where’s the morton’s salt girl? The Derailers have a set going at Goode’s Armadillo Palace, which is the building next to Goode Co. BBQ on Kirby. Yes, you can enjoy ribs, brisket and all the trimmings for dinner and then walk across the street to catch their set.
Junior Brown
Hardly seems fair to everyone else, frankly. Perennial favorite, Austin redeemer, master of the Guit-Steel and Dukes of Hazard-remake narrator Junior Brown brings his timeless take on country to the Mucky Duck of all places – be sure not to dance. Why not The Continental, may you ask? Well, because fellow keep it weirders The Gourds are headlining there this evening, along with Molly and the Ringwalds. Not enough choices for ya? Local Western Swing queen Miss Leslie will be playing with her Juke Jointers at Aubrey’s.
Let’s say you’re looking for an act that picks the cat-gut, but leans more towards the bluegrass and old timey breakout of things. Well, turns out you too are strikin it rich thanks to the good folks over at the Free Press, who are having a party to celebrate their 2008 Worst of Houston Issue. The Sideshow Tramps are at the top of that bill, along with Come See My Dead Person and Robert Ellis. It’s taking place at Avante Garden, and if you bring a T-Shirt they’ll have a screen on hand to create you own, handmade, Worst of Houston souvenir. Could be worse.
Also
Hunger Project Benefit, featuring Sybil, Skyblue72, The Tiles, & Gina Chavez @ Walter’s on Washington
UPDATE: Tha F%cking Transmissions are playing a warehouse party, 2010 Commerce tonight. Starts at 9 and there is free beer.
SATURDAY
As always, your Saturday can get it started right with the Secret Show, which kicks off at 2pm at the Shady Tavern on 20th in the Heights. Just up the street from Cedar Creek and around the corner from Big Star Bar, this once lonely outpost of the North is now right in the middle of the hotness. The Tavern has beer and wine and offers setups, so bring a bottle of your favorite. There’s food most weeks, hot off the grill, and the bands usually number about three and play until five. Maybe Mr. Secret will make an appearance in the comments and give us some clues as to who is playing.
Taste of Garlic
Tonight is definitely your night of rock and roll, with Broken Note Records stars Taste of Garlic coming together for a rare outing. They’ll be at Rudyard’s with Southern danger-core rockers World’s Most Dangerous and the Train Woodburns. Over at Fitz, where one might gererally expect Taste to be playing, Come See My Dead Person plays a second night in a row alongside alt-rockers The Courtesy Clerks and barrio punks Vatos Locos. Meanwhile, over at Warehouse Live Pasadena Napalm Division, a thrash metal outfit featuring members of DRI and Deadhorse will do their best to melt any remaining faces after openers Whorehound. Over at the Continental, Spain Colored Orange warms up the crowd for Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township.
And certainly not to be overlooked, Pretty Little Flower (or PLF, which we were told they sometimes have to go by due to grinders not realizing how hardcore flowers can be) celebrates 10 years of Grind this evening with a show over at the White Swan including Dissent, Battle Rifle, and a band who’s logo we are having trouble deciphering, but we think is called 26 Beers.
Don’t feel the rock? Danse the night away over at Numbers, where Danseparc this month features their take on the best of 2008. Something Else? The Staff at the House of Blues is having a talent show. C’mon – you know you’re tempted.
SPAIN COLORED ORANGE SET LP RELEASE DATE! FINALLY! ALLEGEDLY!
Jan 8th
WELL LA DE DAH! Long the butt end of ours and no doubt others’ 713 Democracy jokes, at long last Spain Colored Orange’s first full length, Sneaky Like A Villain, has a release date. February 9th is the date when the entire city will be rewarded with a free can of Dr. Skipper, compliments of Rudyard’s. Joax. The band appears to have finally worked out their issues with former label Lucid, and are an official member of the Shout It Out Loud roster. Though the album has been out for some time, tracks have snuck out both on their MySpace, and in commercials for Olay Skin Care and a short film promoting the new 2010 Mustang. We prefer skincare:
Barring any further lineup changes between press time and Saturday, Spain Colored Orange will be opening things up at the Continental Club for Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township. Party, and congratulations guys, it’s about time.
