PREDICTION: SOMEWHERE TODAY THE BLAGGARDS WILL BE PLAYING

You know what is one of our favorite books here in the office? If you said How the Irish Saved Civilization, then you, good friend, have a psychic gift similar to the person our chief editor met last night who guessed his birthday five minutes after meeting her. He's still freaked out by it. He tells us he'll get out from under the bed soon. MEANWHILE! Being a civilization-saving people is no easy burden, and therefore when we celebrate our most famous non-Bono countryman, it's somewhat sad but true that many of the songs sung to not extol the virtues of remaining on the wagon.

And this St. Patty's day is neigh an exception. For the love of the County Claire, we beseech you to check out one bit of music or another brought to you by lovable local lads who may or may not be of the finest stock on the planet (note - just a friendly reminder to all you goolge calendar users out there: you can have our show list appear as a layer on your schedule. Click here to add it. How civilization saving).

So Many Dynamos, Blarney Back the Guns, Something Fierce, Gentleman Auction House @ Boondocks
Pitchfork, in their recount of SXSW happenings noted that "Very few bands manage to put on a spazzy, high-energy live show and still have great songs (think Brainiac and the Dismemberment Plan), and So Many Dynamos are one of them." But many of us already knew that. So be sure to catch them before they become a bunch of designer-jeans wearing sell out jerks like Bring Back the Guns, who stopped taking our phone calls ever since they were on some Oprah-hosted reality show last night with Tony Hawk. SK8 OR DIE! There is no feed for us to fawn over Something Fierce of Gentleman Auction house (currently on tour with the Dynamos. Also, this show is free.

Birds of Avalon, Monotonix, Dark Meat, Sharks and Sailors @ The Mink
OH MAN OH MAN! Monotonix was blowin up at SXSW like our IRA!! (Our retirement account, not the terrorist group. jerk). We seriously got alot of good feedback about this band over the weekend, and it won't be long before the abuzz about them means they'll never come to Texas again. Also, Sharks and Sailors just posted some pretty BA new tracks on their MySpace - a surprising departure from what they've done in the past that works unicorns on us.

Little Claw, Tyvek, The Wiggins @ Jet Lounge
Really? All three of these shows are tonight? Wait a sec, we need to put something in here.



Ah there it is. Doesn't really make us feel any better about it. What can be done. Oh well. Seriously Jet Lounge on a Monday sounds like a nice respite from the Orangemen for real. Party call me.

PS: The Blaggards are playing in Austin today. BOO!

BASSES STOLEN: BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS AXE

Well crap. Melissa Lonchambon (Sharks and Sailors) had her 1962 Fender Jazz Reissue stolen from Francisco's last week. If you are the gear shopping type, please keep you eye out for it, serial number V097058. If you or anyone you know has ever stolen gear, fuck you and die.

SHARKS AND SAILOR ROCK SO HEAVY THEY MAKE BABIES POP OUT!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to AL of Sharks and Sailors, whose is now the proud pappa of a baby boy, Jonas. Just moments after their show last night, Jonas' mommy Jessica told Al that the time was now, and not five weeks into the future as so called 'Doctors' had predicted. And so, in the only recorded instance ever where it was not a dick move to ditch out on tearing down your rig and skipping the headlining band, the duo sped off with Pillar-Toppling haste to ye olde hospital. Though showing up to the party a bit early, you'll be stoked to know that baby Jonas is "healthy as a horse" and clocks in at 6 lbs. Post your big-ups to the new family on this thread at Hands Up. Yusss.

VIDEO: SHARKS AND SAILORS IN THE STUDIO

OH HEAVY OF HEAVIES! Sharks and Sailors, a band on the ballot for 'Best Indie' in this year's Houston Press Music Awards, put together an admittedly silly little video of some time they spent in Dead City Sound working on their next album. Granted, on the surface, there is something less than metal about the smiling face of smashable bassist Melissa Lonchambon (herself a Press nominee for Best Bassist) spinning around the studio. But peep the crusher at the end, as S&S drops a snippet of 'In the Sandbox', just one of the tracks on their forthcoming, which should be out this winter. Aces.



You can catch Sharks and Sailors playing tonight at the Proletariat, rounding out a bill headlined by Parts and Labor and also including Satin Hooks and the impossible to google L.A.W.S. (ex-Gay Marriage). Seven Bucks. Cheap. CHA CHING!

PHOTOS: BATTLES / PONYTAIL / SHARKS AND SAILORS

Some ACES photos that our friend Elissa Brown took at Saturday night's show with Battles, Ponytail and Sharks and Sailors. Peep the entire set here. Big thanks with Elissa for sharing with us so we could share with you.

BATTLES


PONYTAIL


SHARKS AND SAILORS




UPDATE: Looks like Melissa from Sharks and Sailors took some pictures of Battles as well. You can view her snapshots here.

DUMB QUESTIONS/SMART ANSWERS: SHARKS AND SAILORS

Every Thursday, we subject someone in a band the brings the pain to the most asinine music-journalism 101 questions we can think of and post their responses. This week, we are relieved to have the completely non-potty mouthed responses of Sharks and Sailors bassist and hater of her own press photo, Melissa Lonchambon. LET ER RIP:

What's your favorite record lately?
The last few records I picked up were Panda Bear - Person Pitch, Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem, and the new Blonde Redhead. So I've been jammin those the most the last couple weeks.

Is there a Houston band who you've been digging lately?
Blades is one of my favorite Houston bands. I'm a sucker for catchy math-esque instrumental rock. Also, Golden Axe, Jana Hunter, Sinews, and Listen, Listen.



What's your secret Houston place?
I don't think I really have a secret Houston place. My neighborhood is kind of a secret Houston place because it's inside the loop and near downtown, but somehow feels completely on the outskirts sometimes. It hasn't been overrun by townhomes and Starbucks yet and the Shell station is the 'hotspot'.

What's the best thing you have spent money on in the last year?
The best thing was a mac laptop.

What is the best thing you got for free in the last year?
A new job.

Is there a touring act you are looking forward to seeing?
Maserati in June. Again with the being a total sucker for instrumental bands. Battles. I might make it to Austin to see Blonde Redhead, too. Also, does anyone have an extra Police ticket? Wanna take me?

Is there a question you wish we would have asked, and what would the response be?
I wish you would have asked me about the Indie Rock Tackle Club and if you could join it. And I would say the first rule is no one talks about the indie rock tackle club…

What do the Sharks and Sailors have going on right now?
We're in the middle of recording an album at Dead City Sound. Which, by the way, is a great place to record. I highly recommend it. Especially if you don't like trash cans. So yeah, we're pretty excited about the record. And excited to write a slew of new songs in the next few months. We're also doing some globe-trotting in June, including a date in Corpus Christi, TX. So if anyone is down for a beach trip, bring it on!

Still plotting your path through the wilds of this weekend? Consider a route that takes you through Walter's on Friday night, where Sharks and Sailors are on the bill with The Appleseed Cast and The Life and Times. Also, yr being silly if you haven't yet caughed up the FREE to download their first ep from last.fm.

BECAUSE WE WERE BORED: Episode #1

Are podcasts lame? Prolly. Are they the product of people with as much time as ego on their hands? likely. Which is why The Skyline Network is pleased to announce our occasional podcast series, Because We Were Bored. We have no idea how this stuff works, so just download it below and pretend like you got it from the iTunes store or something.

Click here to download

In this episode of BWWB, we're taking a look at that whole 'bands in outer-space' thing we talked about a little bit ago. Here's what you'll hear excerpts of and asinine commentary on:

Hemyah - A Silent Visit
Margot - T Minus 120
By The End of Tonight - Setting Sail in April
Blades - Thickass Cable
Tambersauro - One Picture Frame and One Half of a Picture
Storms Threaten to Destroy - Intelligent Ape
Sharks and Sailors - Topple the Pillar
The Nautical Mile - The Air Over
Antarctica Starts Here - Shannon
Co-Pilot - Low Earth Orbit

WEEK IN REVIEW: Other News

A Summary of our Other News links from last week.

• Matt Brownlie: RE: PHILLIP GLASS - HOUSTON IS RETARDED
• NonAlignment Pact on Sharks & Sailors, My Education and Red Swallows
• Billy Gibbons on next Queens of the Stone Age LP
• KTRU Battle of the Bands Tonight
• BUMMER: Visa Issues Force Jesu to Cancel Houston Appearence
• VIDEO: Something Fierce Live @ Beerland
• New Exhibition at Museum of Printing History Features Local Show Playbills
• Paris Falls Unveil New Track "Shelter"
• FREE: Sharks and Sailors' new EP
• Stream: Smoke Eaters playing Gouge Away
• DJ Claire Taylor Opines about KTRU

MASH-UP: SHARKS & SAILORS VS. DEICIDE

Ok, not really, but if you take a close listen to the new demo tracks on Sharks and Sailors MySpace Page, you can hear a Deicide cover band rocking out in the room next door. Seriously. Add to these nine other demos they have recently recorded in their Francisco's practice space and you might think “Gee – that’s a whole album.” You are correct sir! According to guitarist Mike Rollin they plan to lock themselves and no ladders in Chris Ryan’s Dead City Sound studio in late March to (finally) put out a full length.

Catch Sharks and Sailors’ mix of metal, rocks falling on your head, crashing waves, falling drawbridges, viking homecoming parades and adroit melodies live tomorrow night along with Red Sparrows and My Education at Walter’s on Washington. They'll also be on 91.7FM KTRU around six that night and have been very coy up to the present about perhaps debuting a new track on the air. Trixy Hobbits.

PS: The Sharks and Sailors EP is now available as a free download:
MP3: Sharks and Sailors - Battle
MP3: Sharks and Sailors - Topple the Pillar
MP3: Sharks and Sailors - Skin Like Iron

Week in Review: Other News

A Summary of our Other News postings from last week.

• Miss the Contingency as Fugazi? They're playing that set 2/18 at Rudz
• Free Sporatics CDrs at their Shows this Week
• Hell City Kings: Tonight is our Last Show For a While
• Turkeys/Act of God Show Moved to PJ's
• Houstonist Weekend Mardi Gras Picks
• Handstamp Seeks Reader Rodeo Reviews
• John Nova Lomax and Daniel Mee Talk about Indie Rock
• Milli Vanilli film to be made
• SNEAK PEAK: Rough Mixes of New Tracks by The Kimonos
• YUSS! Beyonce is SI's Swimsuit Issue Cover Model
• Houstonist Announces Light Rail Pub Crawl
• HoustonSoReal Covers the Bun B Style Wars Screening and Afterparty
• The Wiggins/RUA MINX, The Sporatics, others Saturday Night @ Notsuoh
• Boo Goo Doo Boom Offers Helpful Valentine's Day Mix
• Mourge City and The Contingency Wish You a Very Jugend Valentines
• Red Star of the Solar Federation Discuss Desire to Become More Radio Friendly
• Hosuton Press Unveils Mixtape Series that Includes no Houston Bands
• Houston Punk Archives Review Spikefest
• Sharks and Sailors/My Education/Red Sparrows 2/21 @ Walters

Katrina Relief - Yet More Updates

Some more stuff has been annouced in the way of benefits and ways to get invovled. Plus, the flyer for the Can's For Keg Cups party.

Katrina Benefit September 10th and 11th @ Numbers
2 Days of music with 16 bands, including: Arthur Yoria, Bring Back the Guns, Sharks & Sailors, Spain Colored Orange, Heist at Hand, Inner Lights (Jon Sparrow) + More.

All Ages. Live bands Saturday & all day Sunday.
$8 per event - $12.00 for 2 day pass.

7 pm - 2 am Saturday, September 10
3 pm - 10 pm Sunday, September 11

Donations of clothing, canned goods, and toiletries also welcome.
All donations and bar profits will benefit The McCormick Tribune Foundation Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and the American Red Cross.

NOAH: Project SHONOF
(repost)A group of Houston musicians led by prominent pianist Paul English, vocalists Gigi Hill and Tianna Hall, Johan Keus and others have formed a group called "NOAH" (New Orleans and Houston) whose mission is to reach out and support the displaced New Orleans musicians by providing them with housing, venues in which to perform, instrument replacement, etc. The project is named: SHONOF (pronounced “sho’nuff”: Safe Harbor for Our New Orleans Friends). Primary goals are:

1. To contact New Orleans musicians, wherever they are, and let them know there is a support group in Houston ready to help them, provide housing, get gigs, etc.

2. To line up apartments, rooms, etc. for these people to live in until they can get on their feet.

3. To organize an instrument clearing house whereby the musicians can get access to needed instruments in order to perform and make a living.

4. To urge local venues--clubs, restaurants, hotels, etc.--to expand their use of live musicians.

5. To organize and hold benefit concerts featuring the New Orleans musicians, supplemented by the best of Houston musicians, to raise money to help the musicians and the project.

6. To share their current gigs with the New Orleans musicians, either by adding a player or two to their performing group or by relinquishing an entire gig.

Contact Info:
Gigi Hill
(713) 503-3518
gigi@noahleans.org
www.noahleans.org