FRIDAY
The Pons (CD release), Davie “Fathands” Graves, Sad Gorilla, Elaine Greer, Buxton and Paleo @ 1816 Calumet
Austin’s The Pons cited “Low, The Wedding Present, XTC, Galaxie 500 and AC Newman” as their influences in an interview they did with indiehouston.org this week. Kicks! That very same website has put together an all star line up of the 713′s own for their record release party, all kicking off at 6 in the PM for an equally paltry $6. There’s said to be a keg for the 21+ crowd. Party.

Vinyl Ranch @ Leon’s Lounge
Our favorite monthly record spinnin’ boot scoot always has both the hottest shit-kickin classics from back in the country day and all the most roper-tastic single ladies (put a ring on em’). But this month, there’s even more goin on in the game, as they unleash “From the Ladle to the Grave”, their first ever vegetarian chili cook off. That’s right, you can honky tonk with a frito pie in hand well past midnight. YES. 10pm-2am. Free.

Andy McWilliams and the Aboveground Pools, Free Radicals @ Notsuoh
Scattered Pages multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer (and former builder of amps, and sometime builder of effects pedals, and possessor of excellence in denim jackets) presumably brings the decidedly non-shoegaze sounds of his 2008 Shoegaze EP to the stage, a track from which made an appearance on our annual SKYLINE 50 (and eventually we will get off our asses and review the whole thing).

UPDATE: Robert Ellis, Chase Hamblin, Benjamin Wesley @ Avante Garden
Just got the word on this one. As always, you owe it to yourself to check out Ben’s solo set, and Robert Ellis has been burning up the buzz charts. Party. Music starts at nine.

The Appleseed Cast, Golden Cities, The Hungry Villagers @ Rudyard’s
Heh. I bet you are wondering “Gee, why did they review the Golden Cities record when this show wasn’t until this week, rather than post it today and help tie it to their show?” Yeah, we’re wondering that too.

ALSO
Mission Control, featuring Mic Skills (CD release), DJ Remix, & more @ The Mink
Bob’s Birthday Bash, featuring L.A. Guns, Low Man’s Joe, & Laidlaw @ The Meridian
Fredster, El Jeffe, Gracie Chavez @ Boondocks

SATURDAY
SHAMELESS PLUG: The Skyline Network’s ADR will be playing records at the Walker Twin’s 30th birthday sillybration over at the Big Star bar. Every dumb party song you hope to god isn’t going to be played will be played. Twice.

Tody Castillo @ Cactus Records
This is a little later than most of Cactus’ in-stores and is alleged to involve artwork or photography involving dead rock stars, and of course fee beer. Though there is nothing about it on the Cactus website/MySpace, we’ve been assured by someone playing that this is, in fact, happening. Party

The Western Civilization, The Pons, Your Kisses Cause Crashes, Guitars @ Rudyard’s
Dear Rachel of the Western Civilization. I know in the past we’ve kind of gone on and on about how you are the most attractive piece of telecaster playing womanhood we’ve ever seen. In retrospect, that seems somewhat sexist, so we would like to let you know that we think you are the most smoking piece of telecaster playing humanity that we have ever seen with the possible exception of young Harrison Ford, though we don’t think we’ve ever seen him with a guitar so it’s chill. We also hear that the Western Civilization is hard at work on a new album, which is rather thrilling to us and we are more than a little annoyed that we will be unable to attend this show due to superstar DJ priorities and therefore may miss the performance of some new materials. This has happened rather frequently as of late, and so we hope you will finish your record soon. <3. The Pons stick around for a second day of Houston shows and are joined by fellow 512ers Your Kisses Cause Crashes. Guitars, featuring members of Monocles, Alarma and Lenny Briscoe opens.

Dirty Honey, featuring Brett Koshkin & DJ High C @ Boondocks
You know how you know when you hate yourself and want to die? Cause you keep missing the most Dasheeki Saddlesoap monthly soul records dance party in the city. Or atleast we think that’s whats wrong with us. Man. Bummber. Free. Starts at 10pm.

Free Press Houston Issue 100 Celebranza, featuring Monotonix, State Radio, The Tontons, American Fangs, Tha Fucking Transmissions, & Rebelution @ Numbers
Congrats on 100 issues, and for continuing to put together lineups that inspire us to check out bands we’ve never heard of before. Doors at 8. All Ages. $12.

Also
Paris Falls, Spain Colored Orange, Al-Shire and the Henchmen, You(genious) @ Walter’s on Washington
Rehab, Erase The Virus, Come See My Dead Person @ The Scout Bar

Artist's impression of this weekend.

STEP RIGHT UP TO THE PLEASUREDOME! Oh man. We love that painting. Oh man. We totally were going to sell one of The Skyline Network’s most extreme party call me executive corporate jets and then buy it, but it turns out that it’s not for sale and that sort of thing is frowned upon. But oh man, the guy who painted it has got to have the most epic name ever: Hieronymus Bosch. We used to know a guy who had a snake named that. Should we ever need an Arabian Steed, we’re totally calling it the same thing. This weekend has lots of everything. Hardcore bands. CD release shows. Old favorites playing their first shows in forever. New bands. Bands with new names. Day Shows. Night Shows. Shows in the cities. Shows in the burbs. Shows at Mexican restaurants. We’re totally overwhelmed. Let’s take a crack at it.

FRIDAY
Wild Moccasins @ Cactus Records
SHITYEAHTURDAY COMES A DAY EARLY! Cactus in-stores means 1) Starts at 5:50: HAPPY HOUR SHOW  2)FREE BEER 3)Record Shopping

Fucked Up, Iron Age, The Jonbenét and Black Congress @ Walter’s on Washington
Canadian darlings of whichever wave of hardcore we are currently in the middle of bring their non-1:30 of hate approach to the 713. Fucked Up is a great band for people that find the energy and grit of 80s hardcore endearing, but enjoy things that are a bit more nuanced, teased out and, well, smarter. Rumors abound that The Jonbenet doesn’t have too many more shows under their belt, so catch em while the catching is good. Black Congress will also, finally, but putting out a recording at this show. It’s on cassette. So begineth the next format revision war. (Also, just to clarify, because he has been making the joke pretty much to anyone that would listen, The Skyline’s ADR is not actually in Black Congress, though he continues to attempt to convince the band that he should be).

T.S.O.L., Black President, Bark Hard, Blackmarket Syndicate @ The Meridian
Looking for some slightly more conventional hardcore? You can’t get much more back-to-the-source than TSOL (True Sounds of Liberty – gawd we love how Hardcore bands sound so much TUFFER when they switch to acronyms), who got together way back in 1978 in Huntington Beach, CA. Though over the years, TSOL slowly evolved into a band with no original members and a noticible slide into metal, this lineup includes all surviving original members hopefully rocking their goth/horror-core referencing flavor of hardcore’s exciting first round in he pit.

Hell City Kings, American Fangs (EP release), Arcane Flowers and The Back Alley Sluts @ Rudyard’s
Hell City Kings (H.C.K.?) and American Fang especially are just straight up hard rocking bands that don’t need any of that hyphenated balloney. Combining elements of punk, glam and whiskey, both are acts that are going to make it especially difficult for you to remain at your table munching on French Fries and sipping on a small batch pint. “Duke,” from the ‘Fangs EP that comes out tonight is already in the running for The 2009 Skyline 50.

Tax the Wolf, Wearehalfnelson, Ellypseas @ Aztekas
Remember when there used to be that Shu Latif DJed dance party at Azteka’s called Cherry Bomb? And when The Gossip played there and The Red and White? It seemed like Westheimer might finally be getting an eatery-based venue to be the next Oven. Well, we’re not really sure what happened, but there hasn’t been much going on there in the years that followed. Tax the Wolf (who used to be called Wolves at the Door) have put a stop to that putting a stop to things. They just put out a live EP (free on their MySpace), and we’re far too tired to take a crack at what their sound is other to say other than the songs have lots of great rushing Brooklyn guitars without being particularly derivative, and totally hit us like a cup of coffee when they occasionally veer crazily into prog rock territory. (Note that the poster for this show originally said Gold Sounds were playing too, which, unfortunately, was a mis-communication. Turns out they are working on a new album and can’t make it. So that’s kinda good news).

Come See My Dead Person, Wino Vino @ Last Concert Cafe
A big ass band with violins, mandolin, banjos, guitars and all the fixings, Come See my Dead Person is a solid up and comer for people who enjoy refreshing takes on Americana like those done locally by Sideshow Tramps or Listen Listen or, more famously, by Bruce Springsteen on that one CD that still rules us so hard, but with a good dose of horror-swing murder balladry thrown in there. Horror-swing. That’s our new favorite genre.

Drop Trio @ Avant Garden
Though they used to be a weekly fixture here in the city, as Houston Calling pointed out, they haven’t been around much lately. If you’re into the idea of seeing some live jazz, but haven’t before and don’t really know where to begin, this would definitely be our recommendation as their approach is both accessible and interesting. They are most assuredly not the ‘smooth’ kind of stuff you hear on 95.7 FM (The Wave).

Dremnt The End, The Last Place You Look, Awaken From Falling @ The Scout Bar
We’ve been told that The Last Place You Look completely packed out Warehouse Live last weekend for their CD release show. If you’re down south (or looking to make the drive) and are BIG UPS on screamo, this is the show for you.

SATURDAY
Secret Shows Presents: The Mathletes, Sings, Time Machine Veterans, Guitars, Sew What and Sad Gorila
As previously reported, the weekly Saturday Secret Show at the Shady Tavern is no more, but true to his word organizer Broman has transformed the event into a secret of a different kind, where the bands are known but the location itself cloaked in mystery. That is, unless you email secretsaturdayshows@gmail.com to get the time and place. Pretty good lineup, and though we have to rush through this to go get some donuts before we are due in the office, we can tell you that this is (we thing) the first outing for TIme Machine Veterans, which includes members of By the End of Tonight, Buxton, News on the March, Wild Moccasins, Young Mammals, Giant Princess and the Mathletes. Oh, and a guy named Ike who somehow made it into this blue ribbon indie supergoup based on this own merits, so he must be a pretty kickass dude. This is an early show, and featured BBQ! So email em for the info NOW.

MV & EE, The Linus Pauling Quartet, Wols @ Rudyard’s
MV&EE’s music combines Appalachian folk, Indian ragas, and post-psychedelic experimentalism. It’s a duo at the core that collaborates with an ever-expanding group of musicians to create a sound even their wiki page describes as ‘drugged’. One of those members was J Mascis. Nuff said. Linus Pauling Quartet combines old dudes, heavy psychedelicia, and not playing a very often. Wols hasn’t played a show since their last gig at the Proletariat, due to creative core Ayme being overseas. Last time out she was joined by Mlee Marie (Hearts of Animals) and Will Adams (The Ka-Nives) as her backing band and it was absolutely excellence in freak folk.

Sugar Hill Gang, Whodini, Slick Rick, MC Lyte, & Kurtis Blow @ Arena Theatre
Like we need to tell you why this show is crucial to your being human. If Black Sheep or Big Daddy Kane was on this bill we’d have to tell everyone else playing tonight SBT.

Ume (CD release), Bring Back the Guns, Woozyhelmet @ Walter’s
The reviews that have been trickling in for former 713ers Ume’s newest joint have been practically glowing, and we have little doubt considering how they’ve taken a sound that was already pretty awesome and done SOMETHING to it to make their most recent batch of Houston excursions among the best show’s we can ever remember them putting on. Bring Back the Guns haven’t done a set since the first half of last year, and considering that bassist Shaggy is about to go participate in a NASA bedrest study, don’t look for there to be another chance to catch them for a while. The wooz opens. It says it right up there.

Hank The Destruction Moose, Drawback, The Flood, Rusted Shut, Nancy Silva Project, Focusyn @ Fitzgerald’s
Thurston Moore <3 RUSTED SHUT.

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY
The Caprolites, BLACKIE, sIngs, Trainwreck Albania, Giant Princess, Cop Warmth, The Sporatics @ Omar’s House (5109 Eula Ave., Pasadena)
Pasadena Day Show! DO IT! Starts at 2pm. Special One Time Only Reunion by The Sporatics.  BYOB. Nachos provided.

ANGELS AND MINISTERS OF GRACE DEFEND US FROM THIS EPIC EVENT!

HOLY CALAMITY! BEATS OF INSANITY! ARE YOU READY FOR THIS! Like adding a mustache to your dasheeki, the folks over at the Free Press have taken the delicious pizza that is their twice annual Westheimer Block Party and have sprinkled a metric ton of fresh grated awesome on top. Stoked. And things are a brewin, here’s a quote from organizer (and Free Press editor) Mr. Omar:

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.

Now, snowballing anything other than snow takes time, effort and most of all money. But how to bring in income from something that has had, traditionally, being free near the core of it’s whipsistentialism? You do it by being smart, which is what the Free Press has done. They’ve kept the day part of the event free, so you still can have big bonanza fun in the sun for $0, but then they’ve added an impressive lineup of evening acts, playing at different venues, that will require (and are worth, in our calculation) buying a wristband to see. Peep the lineup:

Advance wristband sales have already started, get them online here. We’re sure we’ll have lots more to say about this in the run up to the event, including how our efforts to move a conflicting wedding will go. YUS.

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.

Ahh. Much better.

FRIDAY
Toys For Tots Benefit with pretty much every band that was nominated for a Sammy @ The Mink
So yeah, originally our awards party was going to be Friday night, but we ended up having to change it because an obscene percentage of the good folks up for an award were already slated to play this gig (they thought of the children, we thought of the party – our bad). The show is $10, or you can bring a toy. Don’t be a cheapskate a pick something up at the dollar store. Go get one of those little awesome action figure things at Sig’s Lagoon – kids love that stuff and they you also get to goto Sig’s. If you’re having trouble reading the flyer, the acts playing are The Riff Tiffs, BLACKIE, American Sharks, Elaine Greer, Paleo, Giant Princess, Buxton, Death by Texas, Brett Taylor, News on the March, Wicked Poseur and Wild Moccasins. We’re told this is going to be done upstairs/downstairs style (a la Hootenanny) so there won’t be too many luls in the performance. Doors at 8pm, 21+

Something Fierce CD Release show w/Teenage Kicks @ Walter’s
Both of these bands are up for a Sammy as well (in the Favorite Punks category. Ooooh, Fight! Fight!) We’ve heard a few snippets of SF’s new full length and it goes without saying that it’s going to be a great record. You’ll definitely want to go to this show so you can pick up a vinyl copy of their previously online-only Modern Girl ep. Teenage Kicks never disappoint either.

ALSO:

• Ume, Linus Pauling Quartet and Red Leaves @ Rudyards (free)
• Battle Rifle, Chocolate Crucifix, Assholes and DJ Bill Fool @ Leon’s Lounge (free)

SATURDAY
SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES SAMMIES

ALSO

• Free Press Christmas Party featuring Satin Hooks, The Eastern Sea, Piano Vines, Nick Greer, Ozeal & The Eulypians, Chase Hamblin and Female Demand @ Avant Garden
• Reprogram Multimedia Christmas Party featuring Spain Colored Orange, The Factory Party, BLACKIE, plus DJs Richard Henry, Yppah, Jeffery Mac, Paramour, Damon Allen, J. Calero, Dan Castillo and Ceeplus Bad Knives @ Bootleg Studios (2301 Commerce)
• Come See My Dead Person, Two Star Symphony and Whorehound @ Rudyards
• The Caprolites, The Trian Woodburns, & Novox @ PJs Sports Bar

SUNDAY
Trills the Season Toy Drive ’08, featuring Nosaprise, Lower Life Form, Spain Colored Orange, The Mathletes plus DJs Dayta and License to Trill @ Boondocks