Favorite Live Band: Wild Moccasins
Special Comment by Keith Olbermann: If you are looking for consistency in energy and acumen at a live performance; when you want to be able to go to a show and know what you’re getting yourself into, the Wild Moccasins do have few peers, that’s what makes them the least worst people in the world. However, consider the perspective that perhaps performance with a greater deal of uncertainty at the front end can ultimately result in a different (and some might argue fuller) sense of satisfaction at what you see and hear mister President. Bands that consider their recordings as starting points, rather than scriptures, can just as easily soar as they can utterly disappoint, but on the whole we appreciate those that dare with the boundaries of their writing, their performing and even their own membership. For that reason, though we cannot disagree with a perspective on this category that put the Wild Moccasins on top, thats why in our special comment the leastest worstest is for Indian Jewelry.

Favorite Band in the Studio: Buxton
Special Comment by serious cat: Though cost can be a limiting factor (though real talk: it’s cheaper than you think at several places in town. Good places), one thing that the studio grants the performer is the ability to add depth and nuance to songs they have honed in the practice space and on the stage. Even if, as a band, you’re looking for a stripped down sound that provides no additional instrumentation or layering, the studio affords opportunity. When we listen through local records, one band in particular strikes us as having used the studio to extend their songs into new sonic spaces beyond where they exist live. Their recordings have consistently added complimenting guitars and pet sounds their solid straight-up performances. So while A Family Light is a fantastic recording in production, composition and execution, we cast our vote for the Papermoons.

Band that Blew up the 713: B L A C K I E
Special Comment by those two guys that own Suit Mart: At Suit Mart, we Dare to Compare. Men’s pleated khakis, Mervyn’s price is $23.99, at Suit Mart just fifteen bucks! If you had told us a year ago that a rapper from La Porte would be the band that would have garnered the most votes from The Skyline Network’s readers , we would have been all “Hooded Leather Jackets: Burlington Coat Factory Price $119.99, Suit Mart Price, $229.99!” Cause that’s like crazy! We’re the home of the 2-fer for crying out loud in a loafer. Suit Mart. Awesome!

Most Unfortunate Breakup: The Fatal Flying Guilloteens
Special Comment by Bert Shipley: the “un” in front of this must be a typo because, to be honest this shit’s been 11 years in the making. I mean, hey at least they finally accomplished something, breaking up. Great job guys.
p.s. you owe me $30 for an oil change on my old van.

[Editor's Special Comment: a member of the FFG swears to us that they have not, in fact, broken up and that shows will happen again soon.  In light of this, and in light of learning that Powerhouse actually has kicked the can, we reserve the right to change the results of this election and declare POWERHOUSE the winners.]

Favorite Punks: Something Fierce
Special Comment by Joe Walsh: Sometimes I can’t help the feeling that I’m living a life of illusion. And oh, why can’t we let it be and see through the hole in this wall of confusion. I just can’t help the feeling, i’m living a life of illusion. Pow! Right between the eyes, Oh, how nature loves her little surprises. Wow! It all seems so logical now. It’s just one of her better disguises and it comes with no warning. Nature loves her little surprises, continual crisis. Hey, don’t you know it’s a waste of your day, caught up in endless solutions that have no meaning, just another hunch based upon jumping conclusions. Caught up in endless solutions, backed up against a wall of confusion living a life of illusion.  Oh yeah, and because I know you are curious, yes, I am a tattoo on someone’s bicep.

Favorite Popsters: Wild Moccasins
Special Comment by The Lollypop Guild: Weeeeeee represent, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, and in the name of the Lollypop Guiiiiiiiiiiild, we wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land.

Favorite Rockers: American Sharks
Special Comment by the judges panel of American Idols and the Fonz:

Favorite WTFers: The Wiggins
Special Comment by Black Leather Jesus: WTF?

Loudest: The Jonbenet
Special Comment by Nancy Grace: Now, I’m not pretending to be anything but a crime victim who went to law school and tried a lot of cases. You know, part of what the problem is is that you and people like you are blinded by celebrity, when the truth of the matter is if everyone just carried a little Jonbenet locket around their necks and opened it when they needed to make a racket and scare off the bad people, all of this, including my own show, could be avoided. Actually, scrub that, nobody carry around the Jonbenet.

Quietest : Elaine Greer
Special Comment by Roger Taylor’s Roto Toms: Hi, it’s me, Roger Taylor’s Roto Toms. He’s the drummer from Queen and I’m those hella 80’s sounding high pitched tom drums that generally do not have a place on a respectable individual’s drum set. I mean, you literally have to be the drummer for Queen and responsible for something like the epic drum break ¾ way through ‘Fat Bottom Girls’ to get away with having me on your kit. So yeah, like Elaine, most of the time I’m pretty quiet. There isn’t really much occasion to use me at most moments, and so you don’t get to hear my forceful, distinct and yet muted percussiveness very often. But when you do, man, do I rule.

Favorite Solo Performer: Elaine Greer
Special Comment by Dick Valentine (Electric Six): SOLO!

Favorite 7” Record: The Monocles/News on the March Halloween Party Split
Special Comment by a delicious Dairy Queen Banana Split: Sup. Banana Split here. You know, all the time people are like “Damn Banana Split, why you such a contradiction? How you got fruit in there and it’s not even chopped up? How come you get to be the only sundae that has a topping that you might also slice up and put on your breakfast cereal.” And I’m like “Say, why so serious? Don’t you know that contrast is all the rage? Things that shouldn’t work together almost always do. It’s like Pigs and Frogs man, Pigs and Frogs”

Favorite Full Length Record: Buxton – A Family Light
Special Comment by the official Skyline Network iPod: We enjoy you so much, that it took too much of the wonder, beauty and fun out of you to ever do a proper review. We simply loose ourselves in the pure aural attainment. Them’s the breaks, and here’s to hoping your upcoming 7” is totally in the same vein. Unless you want a review.

Favorite EP: Wild Moccasins – Diamonds for Constellations
Special Comment by Chrystler and GM: HEY! This was a Grey Ghost release right? So you ended up only selling 13 of them. Well, we know a thing or two about only being able to sell a few of a product, and let me tell you, you can still make a living at it. Granted, yours was a quality product and is something that people actually want to own, but trust us when we say there’s no need for you to do a second pressing. That’s right, congressional bailout. Just take our advice and don’t fly your corporate jet down there when you go begging for gear funds. Phew, those senators are a helluva tough room. Gotta jet, gonna go camping in our Pontiac Aztek. Check ya later!

Favorite Artwork: B L A C K I E – Wilderness in North America
Special Comment by The Big Star Bar Fire Pit: Dearest BLACKIE. I am sorry that, during the climax of my own flickering and flaming, members of the band Black Congress felt compelled to feed your Sammy Awards to me. I am a primitive animal, nay even more instinct, and I cannot help but ingest what is placed in my roaring belly. It is my understanding that the aforementioned often go into fits of rage and engage in feats of strength upon learning that any other act has appropriated the colorful adjective in their nomer, which is why they are banned from all Black Crowes concert for eternity. May we suggest this be settled the only way gentlemen should settle things in these turbulent times: A Battle of the Bands in the parking lot of the Heights Sporting Club.

Favorite H-Town Label: Mia Kat and Dull Knife (tie)
Special Comment by Bono: You know, I really wanted to start my own label one day called These City Walls Will Crumble Beneath the Debt Forgiving Weight of these Glasses. However, it turns out that it’s not really a cake walk to whittle down which bands you want to put out and then the whole production process, to say nothing of sales and marketing and a big TRYING TO THROW MY ARMS AROUND THE WORLD to these labels cause like that’s a lot of work and I think it will be easier to get Zanzibar out from under their IMF loan.PS – Can I look like Lou Reed soon?

Favorite Happy Hour Bar: Poison Girl
Special Comment by John McLaughlin: On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represents no mathematical possibility of it occurring and 10 being complete metaphysical certainty of coming to be, we would have to state that this answer is… 10! CORRECT!

Favorite Nite Time Bar: Rudyard’s
Special Comment by Jim Lehrer: Welcome to News Hour I’m Jim Lehrer. Our top stories tonight: readers of The Skyline Network vote Rudyard’s Pub their Favorite Nite Time Bar. In Pakistan, the government of Yousaf Raza Gilani faced new questions about its ability to rule effectively when it was revealed that he has an extremely similar last name to former NY mayor and recent Republican presidential contender Rudolph P. Giuliani. And in Houston, Rudyard’s British Pub took the opportunity of a mild freezing rain to raise the price of Lone Star to six dollars a bottle.

Favorite Venue: Walter’s on Washington
Special Comment by Coach Lohan Springer: Wow. I never thought I would live to see the day when this was actually the correct answer.

Favorite Local Festival: Westheimer Block Party
Special Comment by Perry Ferrell: Shit. Man. Yeah, this was kind of what I was going for. My bad to everyone who has paid $8 for a bottle of water at Lollapalooza or missed Lush while they were waiting in line in shit up their ankles to take a piss.

Dawn Dipple – Two Star Symphony
Love and Other Demons (Self Released)
Most of Demons is a superb specter, a chamber quartet of violins, cello and viola that covers the sounds of monsters stealing into the rooms of children afright under their covers. “Dawn Dipple” especially is pure fear. Horror of an old man’s memories, on a park bench alone in his garden, collar turned up to the cold spending too many moments trying to remember if the leaves on his crepe myrtles turned so decayed a pallet of peach and pink last December. Losing his key, locked out of his home, scaling a fence he cannot survive a fall from. Teetering flat footed on the presipice, a thin sail of might-have been at the mercy of winds and the pull of Issac’s apple. Horror.

Don’t Tell Me, I Know – Born Liars
Don’t Tell Me, I Know 7″ (Ditchwater Records)
We know it’s only rock and roll – but we like it. We love rock and roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, baby. We wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day. Everybody’s talking bout that new sound, funny – it’s still rock and roll to us. We wanna rock. ROCK OF AGES. Even if there are a million rock-related chicklets that pulse-pound a horse to death with a stomp of the kick pedal, we’ll still never get tired of straight-up straight-on straight-through rock anthems.

Fear the CIA – No Talk
Invade Iran 7″ (Rescued from Life/Psychowolf/AG82 Records)
When we were kids, we used to watch hella episodes of the Cosby Show, and had a distinct memory of Cliff’s character having a nickname from his days as a track and field athlete: Combustable Huxtable. We imagined his lanky form rushing so quickly around the track that his feet literally burst into flames. It gave us an enduring chuckle, and was a visual image that carried us through much the poor decision making later in his career. Dear lord, is Leonard really using special meats acquired from a gypsy to fight an evil vegetarian overlord? Feet on fire. Another pudding commercial? Feet on fire. Do kids really say the darnedest things, or are they just kinda annoying? Feet on fire. Recently, a whiskeyed night fever caused us to dream out a supposed Leonard VII in which, finally, his feet did indeed catch on fire. There he was, dancing around a castle made of legos and occasionally high-kicking a mischievous intelligence goon while “Fear the CIA” played in the background. Go Leonard, Go!

Feed the Ghost – The Wiggins
Feed the Ghost 7″ (Dull Knife Records)
There’s a distance to The Wiggins. Be it the ubiquity of Jonny Reeves’ darkened spectacles, the fact that he enjoys the company of no others in his retinue of rock, the sheer performance volume that necessitates a spectator’s distance, or even the affectation of his voice – there is always something that is keeping you apart from the man, the music and the performance. “Feed the Ghost” sounds of another time (maybe past, maybe future), but certainly not the one you’re experiencing it in. And yet, it feels completely of this place. A town that relishes in the bizarre; that birthed to the world the world its Jandek and Daniel Johnson and Rusted Shut and Pain Teens and Indian Jewelry and Jana Hunter and Richard Ramirez and Insect Warfare and DJ Screw. What’s surprising is only that The Wiggins sometimes seem like a smaller fish in this pond than they should be. Feed the Ghost may seem otherworldly and distant to others, but it sounds like the very heart of home to us.

Follow the Sun – Papermoons
New Tales (Team Science Records)
There aren’t enough good songs about giving in to love anymore. Thank blog for the Papermoons and this slow tempest of a temptress that has us roaring west towards mountains and the purples and pinks and reds of a dusty sunset with the windows down shouting GIVE INTO LOVE in blissful unknowingly ironic aping of a behavior we’re probably too chicken shit to even attempt again but fuck the torpedoes we’re no Hesseian steppenwolf and are living in this moment like it’s the last and dear God please put a stalled semi into our path so we can die with this smile on our face and these perfectly interwoven gentle three guitar parts and midas drums in our ears. We give in. To Love. This song is so beautiful that it shifts our whole aesthetic and makes us feel like whores with hotels for hearts.

Genocide – Teenage Kicks
Aesthetic vs Substance (Self Released)
This is a teenage anthem, though best we we can tell it isn’t about Darfur or the Eastern Congo or north Niger or any other people or place in the hells of Africa specifically (just the teenage nation. Teenajistan?). It’s not that we think Teenage Kicks can’t or shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of punks who melded social consciousness into catchy riffs. But frankly, it’s just as well in this case because we would totally feel Simpson guilty if we were all “Yeah Yeah Rock Rock Dance Dance” and this song was about the use of rape as a military tactic or something horrific like that.

GG249 – Alkari
Kubli Khan (Self Released)
This one time we flew across the rockies to San Francisco (hiss) to hang out with a friend and check out this band that was playing one of their first US shows after having developed a small but growing following in their native London. Their CD had come out stateside and in the time between when we booked the ticket and arrived at the box office, the show had sold out and their first single was catching on like wildfire. It was catchy, popy modern rock that reminded us why we were never so terribly turned off by even the weakest parts of the U2 catalog. So yeah, we were there for Coldplay’s second stateside performance cause we’ve always had a soft spot for music that was done for its own sake and who gives a damn if it sounds too conventional to most people and like we care if it accidentally becomes popular. Oh, btw, this sounds nothing like Coldplay.

Holy Cow – Papermoons
New Tales (Team Science Records)
You know, in spite of the fact that the bulk of the Papermoons catalog (especially our favorites) have a distinct gleam of melancholy, we really don’t get bummed out when we listen to them. In fact, though songs like this couldn’t find a major chord with a tone tube and James Love’s presumably perfect pitch, we’re decidedly Guy Smiley the whole time these notes ring out and glisten like dew on the leaf pile. Even when that sad as dead ducks harmonica cuts a roman candle across the pond moments after hearing “All we are now is past tense”, we still can’t help but smile a knowing smile. Someone has taken a great universality, distilled it down to a paste, made a candle out of it, and put it there for us to enjoy its flickering. How can you not love that?

Hornless Unicorn Anthem – The Mathletes
#$@% You and Your Cool (Asaurus Records)
It’s certainly not possible to label any one Mathletes song as typical, regardless of whether you are talking about music in general or their catalog in particular. Channeling the best of Elvis Costello on this outing (which means, by default, the fantastic Radio Radio keyboard vibe as well), we’re taken along at a hard gallop for the tale of, surprise, a hornless Unicorn. Full of earnest goof that charms the wizard cloak right off of you, we’re just way too into this song to throw it in the pigeon coop of poor man’s indie rock ‘Dick in the Box.’ Yeah, it’s funny as hell and quite possibly the only thing that could make it better might be a video featuring Justin Timberlake as the Unicorn, but this is more than gimmickry. It’s wickedcry.

I Heard You’re Having a Baby – Jenny Westbury
Jenny French and the Pelican Wrench (All Star Power Up Records)
Most of Pelican Wrench is Jenny along with a guitar, miniature or otherwise. For this ditty, her own coos, chants and ba ba dahs providing the instrument track, more choir than barbershop. Actually, not barbershop at all. Its lovely, haunting, celebratory, endearing and evocative of the more layered approach she is taking with the new recordings that have been showing up on her MySpace since her recent move to the great Northeast. Perhaps people move away to do their best work in places new and strange, but it’s good to hear the root of it play out with simple, fragile grace in bedrooms and quiet spaces here at home.

FRIDAY
HEALTH, BLACKIE, The McKenzies, The Wiggins, Female Demand, Rusted Shut, the Krinkies @ Notsuoh
The original Health show, from Wednesday, was cancelled due to the rain. But Health stuck around and is now headlining a lumber length bill combining that show with the Rusted Shut event that Notsuoh already had going on. The event kicks off at 8pm and we are assured by the promoter (Mr. Free Press Hisself) that HEALTH will go on before 11:20. So. There you go.

Pierced Arrows, Rustler, Motion Turns it On @ Rudyards
Pierced Arrows hail FROM THE GREAT NORTHWEST and carry for the sound and some of the members of underground favs Dead Moon (so says their MySpace, anyways). Strong as they may be as an incentive to go, lookie right below – RUSTLER is back after an extended break, warming things up with their SCIENCE of instrumental. MTIO!

Mechanical Boy (CD release), Thee Armada, The Last Place You Look, Velora, The Tastydactyls @ Fitzgerald’s
You know, we were all stoked to post the video for Thee Armada’s “Rock Shock and Load”, but it’s been removed from YouTube due to a Copyright Violation?! which just totally makes our morning a whirl of suck because there’s something about that thing that just makes us really happy.

ALSO:
Ben Folds @ Warehouse Live

SATURDAY
Cold War Kids @ Warehouse Live
Everytime we hear this band name we think of Red Dawn and WOLVERINES and then get lost in our thoughts trying to figure out what the name of that mini-series was where some part of the country was part of the Soviet Union but we were so young when we saw it we don’t even know if it might actually just be something we made up or it could have even been a book and this entire last sentence is IMPOSSIBLE to Google. Oh yeah, this band is great too.

Underworld’s Halloween Bash, featuring Asmodeus X, Phase Theory, Negative Impact (CD release), & The Dead Bang @ Numbers
Oh man, everyone should do one Goth-related thing a year, even if it’s as pedestrian as sitting around for an entire evening blaring the crap out of your Bauhaus records or breaking out that terrible Cleopatra Records boxed set you bought for that girl sophomore year of college but never got the nerve to give her because, let’s face it, she was so Goth and you were so square but in retrospect she really wasn’t, it was just that she had a crush on one of the guys in Stabbing Westward. Going to a Goth Halloween party at Numbers (where one of the bands has a record release, no less) is kind of like crushing all those things together and mainlining them with a Steampunk syringe.

ALSO
Herman’s Hermits and The Triumphs @ Stafford Centre
Ladyheat, Electric Attitude, Elaine Greer @ Notsuoh
Spain Colored Orange, Program, Paris Falls @ Rudyard’s
The Horrorpops, Beat Union, 7 Shot Screamers @ The Meridian
Locksley, Hymns @ The Jet Lounge

SUNDAY
Workshop Houston Benefit, featuring Japanther, Killer Dreamer, The American Sharks, The Mathletes, Grrrl Parts, & Fat Tony @ Caroline Collective
We can’t say enough about this bill, or this cause. These are the folks that do Third Ward Bikes, and as if a great touring outfit, a rawkus house party band, and the act with the best entry in the Scene Wikki wasn’t enough, remember that Fat Tony won best underground rapper and the Houston Press Music Awards this year. There’s also a craft fair. Gets started at 4pm. All the details are on the Caroline Collective website.

Rabid Rabbit, A Thousand Cranes @ Walter’s
Rabit Rabbit is described as “ex Electric Set” which is like saying “fellow travelers of Indian Jewelry” which is like saying “this could totally rule.” A Thousand Cranes will drone your mind.

ALSO
Polysics, Jaguar Love and Black Gold @ The Meridian
Crime in Stereo, Polar Bear Club, Broadway Calls, The Swellers @ The Mink
The Offsping @ Verizon Wireless
Rick Springfield @ House of Blues

In 2007, Jana Hunter sent us a video-phone clip of Health playing some club during the middle of the day at SXSW. Too big to be offloaded, it sat trapped forever in a tiny screen with tinny speakers – but even in so safe and small a place, Health freaked us out. We weren’t sure if our phone was going to destroy itself every time we watched it. Sadly, that phone was destroyed in a fit of rage, and the video is lost to eternity. Not so for this decidedly Koyaanisqatsiesque take on the lead-off from their 2007 album self-titled release.

Health share the stage at Numbers with far too big an opening act lineup that includes atleast BLACKIE, The McKenzies, The Wiggins and Female Demand.

If the fact that they have songs called “Ghost Dick” and “Butt Song” aren’t enough reason for you to go see Spring’s Letters to Voltron at the Mink, maybe this video for “The Clap Came Back” will change your mind. Or perhaps not. Man of one million projects Broman is also on the bill.

We always dug pretty hard on Death From Above 1979 and the fact that they broke up after one album always annoyed the Pringles out of us. We seem to remember it being something about Creative Differences®, which makes sense considering one of them went on to do this MSTRKRFT thing. They (he?) play tonight at Warehouse Live.

ALSO THIS EVENING:
Catch the tailgate Golden Country Sounds of DJ EL PASO at Big Star Bar this and every Wednesday beginning around 9pm or so. Round em up.

Death by Texas, Clory, Lisa’s Sons and Giant Battle Monster all get together at the White Swan to wish Lisa’s Sons a big good luck on their latest tour.

And JUST IN TIME, as this weekend is so packed full of awesome stuff, kinda like this gal’s place except not gross. YO DJ PUMP THIS PARTY:

DAY 14 (FRIDAY)
Final Fridays Film Screening Featuring Wild Moccasins and the Presidential Debate @ Caroline Collective
IKE isn’t just a thumb splitter because he forced us to fly home on a hamster powered plane from San Angelo at the last minute, he also got in the way of some good new places and plans that were just building momentum. Caroline Collective is one of these, and had only recently opened her doors before being shuttered for two weeks without the glorious ‘lect. Fortunately, it’s just in time for their presumably monthly Final Friday series, where we all sit rapt and watch Jay “Wizard Hat” Merritt and Miles “Meyhem” Mayhem debate which is the best Final Fantasy game. NO NO! J!K! It’s a band and a series of short films, this month by Michael Rodrguez and the increasingly ubiquitous boys and girl of Wild Moccasins (we think they are all 21 now, or are just getting better at getting into bars). Just for fun, once the sound and the fury is done, the CC is going to be showing the Presidential Debate afterwards. Remember when “Maverick” didn’t mean “Douchebag”? Good Times. Oh, also, beer is apparently included in the cover.
Doors at 6pm, band at 7. $5.

Fired For Walking EP Release Show with Bright Men of Learning, Novox and Mr. Castillo @ Rudyards
We haven’t quite put all the pieces into place on our review of F4W’s nu-grunge halter skelter but we can tell you this – it sounds good roaring down the freeway with the windows open (oh yeah, did we tell you that the air-conditioner died in our Hummerzine? WEAK). The Matlockian Bright Men of Learning, whose collective membership owns three Honda Fits, a Ford Focus and a Flower Company, are also on the bill, no doubt now bummed that the rescinded curfew will mean they go on second at Midnight. Also in the lineup are Novox and Mr Dan Castillo on the decks who, prodigiously enough, was the pen behind artwork for THREE shows this evening. We told you a lot was going on.

Boy, Listen Listen, Lenny Briscoe @ The House of Booze (901 Eleanor)
In spite of being named the House of Booze, this is a BYOB house party, and it gets started at 8pm. The updated Americana of Listen Listen is finally starting to create some waves with folks, so be sure to check them out here (or at their free show Monday at Boondocks). Lenny Briscoe sounds about as opposite of that as you can imagine, with raging guitars and biting lyrics, so you should be able to guess who’s playing from up the street. We have no idea who Boy is or what they we’re going to go ahead and speculate that this is some kind of GUITARS side project.

Sideshow Tramps, News on the March @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar
If DEGB keeps having good shows like this (on a night without a thousand conflicts) we might just have to add it to the NORTH OF WASHINGTON GOLDEN TRAPEZOID OF YUSS-NESS. This is an excellent pairing and should be a hell of a good romp. Ladies: be sure to take a gallon of gasoline to wash off the leering by the regulars.

Spiritualized and Grande Ole Party @ The Meridian
We gonna say just three things about this:
1) The decline in quality of Spiritualized records since Ladies and Gentlemen was completely reversed by their recent A&E, which we would jam more, were it not so dark in here.
2) Royal Albert Hall is our favorite live album of all time.
3) WHY TONIGHT?!

ALSO:
Ben Kweller, Whitley @ Walter’s on Washington
Bodywerk ft. Grrrl Parts (some kind of DJ thing) @ Boondocks
The Fratellis, Electric Touch, The Airborne Toxicity Event @ Warehouse Live

DAY 15 (SATURDAY)
Jalapeno Pancake Relief Party with the Allen Oldies Band @ The Continental Club
As of press time, we can’t confirm what this is relief for, but if we could all use something right now, it might just be some hot fresh flapjacks – even if that hot is also in the muy caliente category. This is apparently something that’s usually reserved for SXSW. Err, whatever. 10am. Family friendly, we are told.

Saturday Secret Show @ The Shady Tavern
We really thought we had a note from these guys, but perhaps we just dreamed it cause we cannot find it anywhere. Yes, we dream about this weekly event, which just got a Best of Houston nod from the Press. As far as we know, this is happening. As always, free, with a few bands and plenty of cold suds. 2pm

Lo-Fi No-Brow Folk Show featuring The Wiggins, Hearts of Animals, & Benjamin Wesley @ ArtStorm
Another Ike Reschedule, this is an opening reception for “folk art inspired works by Jon Read and Glen Gips.” Party. Oh – there’s also bands, including perennial favs The Wiggins (SAY MAN – WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND YOUR 7”?), Hearts of Animals (SAY MAN – WE HEARD YOU HAVE A RECORD COMING OUT – WHY NO HEADS UP?) and Benjamin Wesley (Basses Loaded). If you haven’t checked out Mr Wesley on the solo tip yet (sometimes under the name Strings and Fingers), you really should. Fresh and tite for real. Someone described it as ‘smart’. Totally apt. 7-10pm.

ALSO
Poor Dumb Bastards @ Rudyards
The Party (some sort of DJ thing) @ Boondocks

DAY 16 (SUNDAY)
Houston Band Coalition Red Cross Benefit @ Hard Rock Café
OK – we ALWAYS make fun of the Houston Band Coalition because of the fact that bands have to be sponsored by another member and try out to join. We still think this is dumber than a Moosehunter, but hell – we’ll recommend almost any fundraiser , especially one for the Red Cross. This is one of their audition showcases, so go cheer on your favorite(?). Fourteen bands will be playing, half inside, half out. Starts at 2pm.