5/30/09 - Little Black Dress, Stereo is a Lie, Colour Wheel

gonna make this quick, cuz i really didn't like this show

first up was Colour Wheel, from austin. lotsa guitars and one sax. hmm, not so sure about havin a saxophone in a rock band. anyways - didn't really grab me, found it very ordinary. next up was Stereo is a Lie, also from austin. again, nothing remarkable, except for the fact that their outfits were coordinated and all-black. how cuuute!

last up was Little Black Dress, the new band of Toby Pipes of Deep Blue Something and BPL fame. i saw LBD's last song at the Texas music showcase back in march and liked it (although i did comment about toby's wispy vocals). well, their last song must be their best, cuz man, i did not enjoy what i heard on saturday. and again, it was toby's vocals that bugged me the most. surely there's got to be someone else in the band who can belt it out. ok, maybe his vocals fit the kind of shoegazy feel their goin for, but it was drivin me crazy and i just wasn't diggin it. left early.

5/28/09 - Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, Western Giants, This Old House

headed to the Lounge on a Thursday night to catch MATAS, cuz you know i loves me some MATAS.

first band (at least, that I saw) was This Old House from Denton. Man, I loved these guys. the genre they list on myspace is folk/americana, but that's not what i heard. granted, i missed a good portion of their set, and maybe all the folk tunes are up front. what i heard was very reminiscent of early radiohead, which is a wonderful thing, in my opinion. loved the soothing voice on the lead & the awesomely ethereal guitar work. really great stuff. will need to see more of their set to really understand what they're about, and i hope to be able to do that soon.

next up was Western Giants, also from denton. these guys were more traditional folk rock (not that there's anything wrong with that). voice on lead not quite as pleasing or strong as Ryan's from This Old House. still, an enjoyable set. side note - i'd guess someone in those two bands has a girlfriend in a sorority or something, cuz goddam, the jailbait was everywhere (and they all left after Western Giants played).

last up was Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, who have GOT to be one of the best bands playing in this area right now. i swear, they get better and better and i fall more and more madly in love with them everytime i see them. now that i've (finally) bought the cd, i've learned most of the songs, and can sing along at the top of my lungs, much to the chagrin of those around me, i'm sure. tough shit, i say. my hippo-sized balloooooon!! think i may have heard a new song, too, and it was amazing. anyways - a fantastic set, as usual.