2/21/10 - We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bad Veins, Burning Hotels

...at Hailey's

The Burning Hotels opened. If it wasn't for their sheer greatness, I'd definitely be in danger of reaching Burning Hotels burn-out status, having now seen them 3 times in as many months. But they are great, so I enjoyed the set, as usual.

Bad Veins (Cincinnati) was up next, and I absolutely loved 'em. Two dudes on stage - guitar and drums, plus a good ol'-fashioned reel to reel, providing everything else. Dark, lush, fuzzy indie pop. Awesome. The Les Savy Fan's verdict: "they're like the Killers, if the Killers weren't douchebags". So there you go.

We Were Promised Jetpacks (Glasgow) headlined. No exaggeration - this was one of the best sets I've ever seen. Label-mates with another favorite band of mine - Frightened Rabbit - they explore the same anthemic territory, but add a more powerful, beefier edge. My gawd, that dude can belt it out and make you believe, ya know what I mean? Just a totally enveloping, emotionally draining yet satisfying experience (at least, for me). Did not want the set to end. Truly phenomenal.

2/20/10 - Paul Banks, The Young Republic, Lindsay Rae Spurlock

...at the Cavern.

Lindsay Rae Spurlock (Austin) opened. Loved her. Quirky, catchy piano pop, great voice, plus she's a hot. Great stuff.
The Young Republic (Tennessee) was up next. To my ear, it was completely ordinary bluegrass. Not that they weren't good at it - they were - but there was absolutely nothing distinguishable about it. My opinion only.

Postscript: I have been informed by an oh-so-courteous member of TYR that bluegrass is, in fact, NOT one of the genres they play. So screw me. Disregard my comments entirely - I obviously don't know enough about that side of the fence, or I just wasn't paying enough attention. They also sent me their new album, Balletesque, so I could listen to them in better surroundings, which I thought was super-cool of them.
Paul Banks and the Carousels headlined. Paul's first album (self-titled) is still one of my absolute favorites, and I always try to catch him when he comes to town. Loved him, as usual.

2/13/10 - The Heligoats, American Strange, Grassfight, Another Year Colder, John Lefler

...at The Lounge. Gonna try and keep this one short - got some catching up to do.

'Twas very depressing to see The Bone and my beloved Club Dada shuttered, but it was encouraging to see all the new restaurants and bars that have opened recently in Deep Ellum. Also took a trip to Kettle Art between sets, and was happy to see it packed. Anyways, back to the show...

John Lefler, of Dashboard Confessional fame, was up first. Solo w/ acoustic guitar/keys. Decent, but nothing overly compelling. Another Year Colder was up next. Ugh. Totally generic alt rock. Headed for the door when they covered Roxanne about 3-4 songs in. Kill me.

Grassfight was next. Loved it. Dark, anthemic, beautiful. Right up my alley. Highly recommended.

American Strange was next. Nope - not for me. Really don't care for the over-vibrato'd vocals the lead was throwin' out.

The Heligoats (Washington) headlined. Pure. Effing. Genius. Quirky, catchy, smart, funny. Loved it. Kept hearing early solo Paul Simon, but also heard some Johnny Cash-type arrangements (not the voice, tho I loved his voice). Lead entertained between songs with some very interesting stories, including one about his "nervous tic" that involves sliding around inside AC ducts covered in vegetable oil in order to eavesdrop on party conversations. (OK, so you had to be there). Anyways, really enjoyed the set. Fantastic stuff.

short rant: k, look - to the moron who's running the show - when you've got 5 bands to get in before 2AM, you've got to start before 9:30, and you've got to watch the clock, goddammit. Don't let some spare band go on and on (I'll let you guess which one i mean), so the goddam headliner goes on after 1:30, and has their fucking set cut short cuz you gotta shut down at 2. My gawd, that pissed me off - The Heligoats come all the way from Washington only to have their genius set cut short cuz some stupid-ass can't fucking tell time and do some simple math. unbelievable.

2/4/10 - Dust Congress, Daniel Folmer, New Science Projects, Ryan Thomas Becker

An all-Denton night at Trees. K, i will admit, i journeyed down to Trees mainly to see Matthew Gray's Writer, who i absolutely love, but who apparently canceled at the last minute, which disappointed me greatly, just sayin...

When I got there, Ryan Thomas Becker was playing, solo. K, make no mistake, RTB is a fucking genius, enough said. Sure, not quite as ass-kicking as when he's playing in RTB2, but still, such an amazing talent, he's a definite must-see. So do it. "My cannonball, my cannonball..." Next up was New Science Projects. My position on this dude is well documented, so I won't repeat myself. I'm afraid his uh, unique presentation is more suited to the intimate settings to be found in Denton. In the wide-open Deep Ellum venue in which he found himself, his style was mostly lost on the (scant) crowd. My opinion only, i assure you.

Next up was Daniel Folmer, who I've seen multiple times before. I remember nothing of his set, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, it was just one of those nights.

Same goes for Dust Congress, who I've enjoyed many times before.

1/30/10 - All the Day Holiday, Kinch, The City Lives

...at RGRS


The City Lives (OKC) - fantastic energy, infectious emo/powerpop, kind of a harder-edged Dashboard Confessional. Loved the harmonies. Fabulously talented group. Absolutely loved it. Kinch (Phoenix) - holy shite, was i surprised by this band. Didn't expect much, based on the myspace page (was expecting nerd-pop), but my gawd, what a show they put on. Super-high energy piano pop, very catchy, yet complex. Fantastic. Totally sucked me in. Didn't want the set to end. The two leads separated at birth from...each other.

All the Day Holiday (Cincinnati) headlined. Some really nice soaring, anthemic emo-ish pop. Funny, this is the band i came to see (saw 'em a while back at Club Dada and loved 'em), but they came in third that night. Not that they weren't good, they just somehow paled slightly in comparison to the first two bands. Still really enjoyed it, tho.

1/23/10 - This Old House, !Peligro!, Spooky Folk

Fantastic show at RGRS. 3 for 3:


Spooky Folk was up first, and omg, did i love Spooky Folk. Super-catchy, spirit-lifting, head-bobbing, smile-inducing folky rock. No way you can listen to it without experiencing a serious elevation in mood. Loved the violin (of course). Can't wait to catch them again. !Peligro! was up next, and I loved these guys as well. 3-man band, playing some smokin-hot bluesy rock. Perfect band name, if that tells you anything. Loved it.

This Old House headlined. Been dying to catch these guys again after hearing just a couple songs at a show back in May. And as I suspected, I fell in love with 'em from the very first song. Lush, ethereal, soothing, beautiful - very early-Radiohead, which is right in my wheelhouse. Gawd, I loved it. Definitely in contention to make my "favorite locals" list. Check 'em out.

1/21/10 - True Widow, Flashbulb Fires, River Mouth, Smoke and Feathers

...Thursday night at The Boiler Room.


First time ever at TBR. Really liked it. Great sound, great drink specials ($3 double wells?? Dear sweet baby jeezus, give me strength!).


First up was Smoke and Feathers (Austin). Totally blown away by these guys. 4-man band playing kick-yer-ass southern-style psychedelic rock. Not usually my thing, but they converted me. Thought the theremin was a nice touch. Enough hair on stage to outfit an entire cancer ward (whoa, that was kinda dark, wasn't it?). Anyways, really enjoyed the set, which was entirely too short (not sure what the sound guy was thinkin, only giving them 20 minutes. Just start earlier, for chrissakes. It ain't rocket science). Next up was The River Mouth (Denton). Very similar to Smoke and Feathers - dark, dingy, rockin', theremin-inclusive. Just a notch down from S&F, but I enjoyed them as well. Vocals not quite as strong as S&Fs either, but servicable.

Flashbulb Fires (Denver) was up next. Some very nice anthemic-style piano pop. Didn't really fit on this bill, though - their sensitive musings and laid-back style was a bit of a come-down after having your ass kicked for the previous two sets, and the crowd seemed to lose interest. As part of a more fitting line-up, though, i'm sure they would shine. I enjoyed it, anyways.

True Widow headlined. Saw these guys once before, and was nearly put into a coma. I listened to two songs Thursday night, felt my life force dwindling rapidly, and split before it was too late.

1/16/10 - RTB2, PVC Street Gang, Luna Matto, Come On Go With Us

...Saturday night at Hailey's.

Come On Go With Us (Mississippi) started things off. Absolutely loved these guys. Beautifully written southern-tinged piano pop. Awesome keyboard playing, even awesomer guitar playing. Loved the multi-part harmonies. Very Campaign-like, which is high praise indeed. Lead wore the stereotypical piano-player hat and skinny tie - always a giggle. Unfortunately, they were sold out of their full-length, so i bought the demo. Luna Matto was up next. Seven folks on stage. Very pleasant, laid-back, multi-layered acoustic pop tunes. Enjoyed it.

PVC Street Gang was next. Some pretty entertaining, straight-ahead, aggressive, screamy punk. Not exactly my thing, but they were definitely good at what they were doin.

RTB2 was up last. Loved it, as usual. Thanks be to gawd they didn't play their "slow set" like the last time i saw them. Saturday night's set was back to the usual ass-kicking, blistering, soulful, bluesy stuff i fell in love with all the previous times. One complaint - it seems like Hailey's is determined to always start the first band at 10, even if there's four on the bill. Which means the headliner gets cut short, cuz of the 2AM deadline. It definitely seemed to me like RTB2's set was shorter than usual. Just don't understand the thinking there.

1/9/10 - The Burning Hotels, Marquis of Vaudeville, They Were Stars, Companion

...at Trees. Yea, so their myspace page said "Burning Hotels/Cowboys watching party", so I headed down early so I could watch the game with the multitudes, only to be greeted by a crowd consisting entirely of Trees' staff members. So the five of us sat at the bar and stared at the TV together. Good times, good times.

At half-time, Companion got things started. Squeaky-clean christian emo. Not terrible, but not at all my fing, baby.

Threatening to out-number the audience, They Were Stars was up next. Upwards of 7 people on stage, if I counted right. Completely loved this band. Led by Collin Cable (of Collin Cable fame), they played an awesome set full of catchy, crunchy powerpop tunes. Really good stuff. Will definitely look to catch them again.

Next up was Marquis of Vaudeville, formerly known as Wonderfool, which means this was my second time to see them. Really dug these guys (again). Some very well done, spacey, psychedelic, glam-y rock. Very tight & very polished - you can tell these guys have been playing together for a while. Love the voice on the lead. Check 'em out, for realz.

Last up was The Burning Hotels, who I've seen and loved many times, including just weeks ago. So - "ditto".

1/1/10 - One Hundred Flowers, Writer, Cartographers

...at Hailey's. So the website says doors are at 8, and I wander in at 8:30 and stroll up to the bar, at which point the asshole bartender gets all pissy and rude cuz according to him, doors aren't til 9. When I explain that the website says 8, he looks at me (and everyone else that had come in) like we're idiots and huffs, "We'll open when we're ready, which is at 9". Well fuck you, asshole, how the fuck am i supposed to know that, all i have to go by is the goddam website, plus your door was open, so don't act like you're all put out cuz I show up early. No reason to be rude like that, so I either used the other barkeep to order, or if I had to use him, I stiffed him. Yea, you heard me.

Rant over. Happy New Year!

Cartographers (San Antonio) started things off. 6-man band: 3 guitars, 2 keyboards, plus drums. Meh, didn't really care for it. Pretty standard piano-pop. Might need to think about dropping a keyboard player, since it seemed like most songs were too heavy in that department, in my book.
Next up was Writer, the mercifully-renamed 'Matthew Gray, Delves into the Humanity Pools with the Six Foot Saucer Pot People'. So that would make them TAFKAMGDITHPWTSFSPP, which is a Prince reference, in case you're slow. Anyways, I've said it before - I love everything Matthew is involved in, and this band is no exception. Beautiful stuff. This was my second time to see them, and the only real change was that the bass player went from an upright bass to an electric. Oh, and the keyboard player and guitar player switched sides of the stage, which is neither relevant nor interesting, but since I get paid by the word, and I have a daughter going to art school in San Francisco, well you see how things can get out of hand? Anyways, really loved the set.

One Hundred Flowers (Austin) was up next. Very interesting band. Two guitars, two keys, drums. Have to say - for the first couple of songs, I was lost. At times, it almost sounded like the lead singer and the two backup singers were singing different songs (which is never a good thing). But then I started to listen carefully, and I realized there were some very interesting things going on in their songs. This is no verse-verse-chorus stuff, it is complex, and weird, and beautiful. Music that requires you to pay attention, but rewards you for doing so. Absolutely loved the two female voices layered over the lead's - haunting and goosebump-inducing. Really wonderful. Bought the EP, which is outstanding. Can't wait to catch them again.

P.S. If you actually believe I get paid, well, you can email me and I'll explain the Prince reference

11/19/09 - The Burning Hotels, Ishi, The Polycorns

…at Trees. Never thought I’d step foot in the new Trees, being as how the booker only seems to book the same crappy bands that used to play at Firewater, but the good folks at 102.1 The Edge (never thought I’d say THAT) sponsor a free local show every Thursday night at Trees, so’s I went. Thought the venue was pretty nice, with really great sound (bleeding from the ears is a definite possibility).

The Polycorns opened. Loooved the Polycorns. Three-man band, lead switching between guitar and keys. Very unique voice on lead – sometimes very Thom Yorke-ish, which I love. Very unique song structures, really dug it. Bought the CD, which in my estimation, suffers from over-production on the lead vocals, but is otherwise aces.

Ishi was second. These guys were a riot. Really only two "musicians" on stage – a guitar player (who had double-duty as the laptop clicker) and a drummer. Two singers rounded out the band – one gal in 70’s costume plus a dude who I swear is the sound guy at the cavern. Anywho, these guys have the whole electro-dance thing down pat. I deemed it "music that drunk people dance to". Very fun set, that’s for sure, including a cover of "Walk like an Egyptian", in which every hot chick in the audience was encouraged to hop on stage and well, walk like an egyptian. Good times. Not really what I usually go for, but it was damn fun, I can tell you. Wouldn’t hesitate to catch them again.

The Burning Hotels headlined, and goddam, are they good. I’ve loved these guys for a while now – they never fail to put on a great show. Very polished, very catchy tunes, great showmanship. You absolutely MUST check them out, if you haven’t already. Great stuff, indeed.

11/14/09 - Rufus Wainwright, Joan Wasser

…at Bass Performance Hall.

Joan Wasser opened. Meh, I wasn’t overly enamored of Ms. Wasser. Obviously a talented musician (guitar and piano), but neither her voice nor her songwriting really did anything for me.

Rufus was awesome, of course. Not quite as fun or bombastic as the full-band show at Nokia a couple years ago, but satisfying nonetheless. Gotta love Rufus. Yes - you do.

11/7/09 - Tribella, The Felons

…at Jack’s Backyard. My first time at this place, and I was impressed, for the most part. Really nice back patio, with tons of tables, chimineas and a pretty cool lookin stage. The only problem? I guess some of Jack’s neighbors ain’t exactly music fans, so they have to keep the volume set at "nursing home" level. And just after I complained to The Princess that The Felons weren’t loud enough, the owner came up and told Dave to take it down a notch. Hmmpf. Kind of a limitation on that place, as far as outdoor concerts go. I’m assuming the indoor ones don’t share that problem.

Anyways, The Felons started things off, and you know how I feel about them, so I won’t repeat myself. That night featured the debut of their fourth member on guitar. Sure, he’s no Fred, but I liked the additional guitar, which rounded out their sound quite nicely, and allowed them to rock out even more, at least before the owner went oldster on their ass. Really enjoyed the set, as usual. Tribella, from Austin, was up next. Three-gal band. Really liked what I heard - some very pretty, ethereal pop tunes. Beautiful voice on lead. Would definitely like to hear them again.
Fingerless Ghost was up next, but the Princess and I were freezing our t’s off, so we split before they started.

10/9/09 - Hymns, OK Sweetheart

...at Hailey's. Not a show I would normally pick, but my Denton Cougar friend has a thang for the greasy long-hairs in Hymns, and she asked me to come along and keep her from embarrassing herself. Was also accompanied by the Princess and her strip-club-loving friends.

OK Sweetheart (Denton/San Fran (?)) was up first. Not bad (like I said, this wasn't exactly my pick). Great voice, some pleasant little tunes. The Princess thought she sounded like Norah Jones.

Hymns were up next. Blech. I seemed to enjoy them the first time I saw them, but this time, I just wasn't into it - way too jangly and Beatles-retready. But what was even worse than the band was the crowd. My gawd, i've never seen a crowd so unresponsive and unsupportive. After the first song, where all the guys in the band really made an effort to crank up the energy in the room, there was almost no response from the crowd. The lead guitarist even jokingly made a comment, like "Come on, I only heard two people clapping for that one". And when he tried to get everyone clapping along during the next song - crickets. It was embarrassing. Not sure what the deal was - I've never seen that happen, anywhere. These guys must've bad-mouthed denton at some point, or impregnated the mayor's daughter their last time thru town. Bizarre.

We split after that.

10/4/09 - Colour Revolt, Winston Audio, Sad Accordions

...at Hailey's.

The Sad Accordions, from Austin, started things off. Really dug these guys. Lead had beard that would make denton proud. Voice a tiny bit on the reedy side, but still quite pleasing. Some really beautiful, haunting folk-rock songs. Reminded me of Telegraph Canyon at times (a HUGE compliment).
Winston Audio (Atlanta) were next. Did not like them at ALL. Seemed like very generic modern rock, something you might've heard at Firewater. One of the Oak Ridge Boys on keys, either Milli or Vanilli on guitar. That is all.
Colour Revolt (Mississippi) headlined. Was a little concerned at first, as the first few songs featured the lead screaming quite annoyingly at us, but they settled down after that, and filled the rest of the set with some really incredible songs. The biggest thing they've got going for them is the amazing two-part harmony goin' on between the two leads, including some awesome falsetto. VERY well done - just gorgeous. Would definitely like to catch them again sometime.

9/30/09 - The Airborne Toxic Event, Henry Clay People, Red Cortez

...at The House of Blues.

Red Cortez, from LA, opened up. Really enjoyed it. Sometimes very U2-like, but most songs were high-energy, bluesy garage-y rockin tunes. Very entertaining.
Next up was Henry Clay People, also from LA. Meh - not so much. Also very high-energy rock, but a little less melodic, less structured, and not as aurally pleasing as Red Cortez (at least, to me).
The Airborne Toxic Event headlined. My third time to see them. Gawd, I love this band. And what an absolutely killer live show. See here and here for prior write-ups, so I don't have to repeat myself. Amazing stuff.

9/23/09 - Ra Ra Riot, Maps & Atlases, Princeton

...at The Granada.

Princeton, from California, started things off. Pretty decent guitar pop, I suppose. Nothing overly exciting.
Maps & Atlases, from Chicago, were up next. Very very math-rocky. Lead had unique, nasally (but not at all annoying) voice. Amazing drummer. Two lead guitar players spent a LOT of time with both hands up on the neck, twiddling away, which annoyed me for some reason. Enjoyable set, even tho math rock ain't my thang.
Ra Ra Riot headlined. Love this band, and have since I discovered them back in '07 at Hailey's. Beautifully written orchestral pop. Still love what the violin and cello add to the sound. Only complaint - Wes seemed to be holding back a bit on the vocals, probably trying to save his voice for the long tour ahead. Can't really blame him, but it woulda been nice to hear him really belt it out, like the songs deserve. Anyways, other than that, it was a great set.