8/6/09 - Barcelona, Meese, Seabird, Interval

...at the Prophet Bar. solo.


Interval (formerly Soundelux) was up first. 3-man band straight outta Plano - keys, guitar, drums. Extremely ordinary, I thought. Fairly unoriginal & uninspiring. Not a great voice on the lead. Sorry.
Seabird (Kentucky) was up next. 4-man band, with lead on keys, wearing the obligatory funky piano-pop hat (what's up with that, anyways?). Somewhat reedy voice on lead, not my fav. Vocals overpowered by the band, which played too many notes (i'm kidding - it might've just been the mix, but it all seemed very muddy). Once again, nothing overly exciting or original. 'Course, I might've been biased by the fact that i saw that almost all of their upcoming gigs are in churches. ;)
Meese (Denver) - very similar in style to Seabird, but with better vocals. and no hat.
To expound just a bit further - those last two bands are the kind that inspire the 20-year-old- girlfriends-of-band-members-in-the-audience to constantly link their arms together and sway back and forth whilst singing along. Not that there's anything wrong with that. i'm not sure why that diminishes my opinion of the bands, but it do.

Headlining was Barcelona (Seattle). Easily the best band of the night. 3-man band - keys, guitar, drums. Definite Coldpay and Death Cab territory. The difference between them and the other bands that night? The outstanding vocals of the lead - an amazing voice with incredible range and emotion, complemented wonderfully by some inspired harmonies from the guitar player. Great energy and passion from this band. These guys prove you don't need a large band to really crank out some amazing tunes - sometimes, simpler is better.
Mad props to the Prophet Bar for getting started at 8 and done at 11:15 (four bands!) - definitely helped reduce the number of times i fell asleep in meetings the next day.

8/1/09 - Nervous Curtains, Silk Stocking, True Widow

after a long dry spell (going on vacation, answering various booty calls and what-not (kidding!!)), i headed to hailey's for another gutterth show. was joined by Cherry Pie, who graciously agreed to accompany me so I wouldn't be the oldest person in the place. :)

True Widow started things out. I'd been looking forward to hearing them, what with all the good press they've received lately, but oh my gawd, was i disappointed. "Plodding" was the word that kept coming to my mind. CP's much-more-colorful description was "Molasses". Very one-note, repetitive, dreary, retro - a bit like Low on steroids. I guess that's what "slow-core" is supposed to be, but damn, i'd call it "bore-core" (nyuck). Kept waiting for the next song to impress me, or at least be different, but it never happened. Not sure what i'm missing...
Silk Stocking was up next. Not sure what happened here, either - saw them a while ago and really dug it, but i could swear their entire sound has been revamped. I couldn't take it - seemed like there was a concerted effort to make every song as difficult to listen to as possible. Mercifully, it was a short set.
thanks be to gawd that Nervous Curtains was there to save the evening, along with my music-picking reputation in CP's eyes. Sean, Ian and Robert once again impressed with their amazing combination of piano, synths, and drums. Absolutely loved the new one, All Yesterday's Parties (now playing on their myspace page), which Sean described as "Scott Walker meets Phil Spector", while CP insisted it was a tango. Once again - really loved Robert's drumwork. Sean says their CD will be coming out in 6 months or so - can't wait for that. really hope it gets the kind of attention it deserves. anyways - a great set, as usual.
yea, The Great Tyrant was up after that, but the approximately 20 seconds i heard of their set a few months ago was enough to last me a lifetime, so we split.

7/10/09 - the pAper chAse, MATAS, Tre Orsi

...at Dan's.

Tre Orsi was up first. three-man band (thus the name, eh?). pretty good at what they were doin, but nothing overly memorable. my friend the cougar thought the drummer was very good, but probably just cuz she thot he was cute.
Matthew and the Arrogant Sea was up next and guess what - i thought they were awesome. 'magine that (see below for all the rave reviews). nice stop-down in the middle for a solo song by Matthew - beautiful stuff.
the pAper chAse headlined. wow, what a performance. loved it even more than the granada show a few weeks back. my gawd, those guys write some really unique, head-bobbin', hard-rockin' songs. john congleton is a mad-man on stage, flailing around, expectorating at every turn, laying hands on the crowd (there are demons to be exorcised, you know), etc. What an amazing, high-energy set. i will be buying that cd.

7/2/09 - Astronautilis, Matthew Gray Delves into the Humanity Pools with the Six Foot Saucer Pot People, Hello Lover

...at Rubber Gloves.

Hello Lover opened. man, i really dug this band. sorta retro, sorta glossy 80's rock, which isn't really my thing, but these guys made me a believer. the lead singer looked like a cross between Dee Snider and Right Said Fred (that's not supposed to be an insult - he was very entertaining to watch, i thot). really impressive guitar work, too - well above average. anyways, a very enjoyable set - i look forward to catching them again soon.
Matthew Gray, Delves into the Humanity Pools with the Six Foot Saucer Pot People (no, i am not making that up), was up next. kind of a lower-key version of Matthew and the Arrogant Sea, with keys and upright bass instead of electric guitars. what can i say - i pretty much love everything Matthew Gray is involved with, including this band. that is one talented dude. very nice set.

Astronautilis headlined. what an incredibly talented performer. just like at his performance a few weeks ago at the granada, i was amazed by his passion, quick wit, intelligence, singing ability, and energy. i'd have to say this performance was even better, due to the intimate setting and familiarity with the crowd. awesome.

6/26/09 - The Felons, Lovie, Taylor Davis

...at Club Dada.

Taylor Davis opened. solo acoustic set. nice voice with great range. well-written songs, impressive guitar work. enjoyed it.

Lovie was up next. i've been wanting to hear this band live for quite a while now, and i was very happy that i finally got the chance. and i was very pleasantly surprised - i guess i was expecting sappy bubble-gum pop, but wow - this band can truly rock. very talented group of musicians, really nice collection of catchy, guitar-driven tunes with awesome vocals, harmonies, and keys, all really well executed (despite the sweltering climate). k, so i've made it clear, right? these ladies are fantastic musicians, etc.? cuz i can't write this without mentioning it - these girls are freakin' HOT. there's just somethin about women rockin' out in pigtails, ponytails, short plaid skirts, muscle tees, and knee socks. nice. (sue me - i'm a guy. with a pulse).
The Felons headlined - it was their CD release show (finally!). You know how much i love the felons, so i won't blather on. it was an awesome set, as usual. very cool to see an expanded line-up for the first few songs. these guys have truly come a long way in the last couple of years. a very talented group. the CD is amazing, in my opinion - well worth the wait. check it out.

6/25/09 - Starlight Mints, Evangelicals, MATAS

...at the Granada. the Les Savy Fan showed, too.

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea opened. Awesome, as usual. You know I love this band, so I'm gonna refrain from repeating myself. See the (seemingly hundreds of) MATAS write-ups below if you wanna know more...
Evangelicals, from Norman, OK, were up next, and i'll be damned if i didn't i fall in love. there's not a whole lot on their myspace, so i didn't really know what to expect, and i was totally caught by surprise as song after song blew me away. a number of times i thought, wow, they really sound like James, both musically and vocally. other times there was a definite radiohead feel. whatever the influence, after every song i found myself thinking, holy shit, these guys are phenomenal. check them out if you get the chance.
Starlight Mints, also from Norman, headlined. i'm not the biggest Mints fan (that would be tk), but i was pleasantly surprised how much i enjoyed their set. while i find their recorded material not exactly to my taste, their live show was quirky, high-energy, catchy and ultimately a lot of fun. good stuff.

6/10/09 - Dear and the Headlights, Dirty Sweet

headed to the Door on wednesday night to catch the greatness of Dear and the Headlights. got there in time to just miss Stavely's set, which pissed me off to no end - been tryin for years to catch them again. anywho...

Dirty Sweet, from San Diego, was the first band i saw. lotsa long-hairs on stage. some pretty decent bluesy southern rock, a la Black Crowes. not my kind of thing, but thot they did it pretty well.
headlining was the awesomeness of Dear and the Headlights, from Arizona, touring in support of their new album 'Drunk Like Bible Times'. saw these guys almost 2 years ago in denton and loved 'em. and my gawd, what an awesome, super-high-energy performance wednesday night. Ian's voice can come across as a bit whiney on the cd, but live, it works so well at capturing the emotion and energy of their songs. loved singing along with the old songs, loved the new ones. truly a fantastic set, definitely worth the trip.

6/9/09 - Little Joy, The Present, Queens

a tuesday night at club dada:

first up was Queens, from Brooklyn. One dude on instruments (guitar, keys, effects), and one on drums. these guys are somehow associated with Animal Collective, which was blatantly obvious. my summary - this is what Panda Bear would sound like, if he was doped up on Dramamine, and sang like a 12 year-old girl. blech.
next up was The Present, also from NYC, and also associated with Animal Collective. three people, lots of knob-twiddling. my summary - this is what Panda Bear would sound like, if he SUCKED.
last up was Little Joy, from all over. unusual group of folks, including Strokes' drummer Fabrizio Moretti, Brazilian Rodrigo Amarante, and Binki Shapiro from LA (tho Moretti isn't along for this tour). don't know if it was because I knew about Moretti's Strokes connection, but a decent number of their songs sounded very Strokes-like (at least, the poppier ones). loved Rodrigo's deep, crooning voice, and Binki's soothing harmonies as well. a very nice collection of sweet, catchy pop tunes.

6/6/09 - Brutal Juice, The Boom Boom Box, The Phuss, Spitfire Tumbleweeds, Daily Beats

headed to dan's for the annual BBQ bash.


first up was The Daily Beat. pretty decent punk, tho fairly average (except for the sweet lookin' gal on keys, who was above average ;). anyways, nice job.


next up was Spitfire Tumbleweeds, and my gawd, was i blown away. i normally don't get too excited about their kind of stuff (southern rock/alt-country/americana), but their gritty, rockin' performance made me a believer. seemed like there were as many guys on stage as in the audience. very talented group. never heard scott porter (of Record Hop fame) sing, but damn, was he good. loved the multi-part harmonies, too. can't wait to catch these guys again soon.

next up was the Phuss, filling in for Dead Twins (nuts!). two guys, one on guitar, one on drums. some pretty hard-rockin', bluesy stuff.

next up was The Boom Boom Box, featuring remnants of Baboon, Ghostcar, and Pleasant Grove. totally fell in love with this band. hard to describe - kinda dark, trippy, brooding, but super-catchy indie rock. opened with Shivers (see the myspace page), which absolutely kicked my ass. 'twas funny to see the lead singer from Baboon still obsessed with bunching his pants up around his package. anyways, i was enthralled - will definitely look to catch them again soon - they might be headed towards the top of my "local favorites" list.

last up was the legendary Brutal Juice, at the end of a short reunion tour. some pretty hardcore metal, even approaching death-metal at times. not exactly my cup o' tea, but the energy up on stage and in the room was amazing. 'twas cool to see people at a show in denton (or anywhere, for that matter) actually moving. fun stuff.

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.

5/23/09 - The Octopus Project, This Will Destroy You, Ume

headed to yet another show at the granada, which is quickly becoming my favorite venue (alas, what's happened to you, club dada?)...

i could not believe the crowd at this show - absolutely packed. never seen it so full. maybe because it was all-ages? dono, but it was great to see a full house in dallas for once.

Ume was up first. i've seen these guys a few times now, and i swear they get better every time. they totally brought down the house with their ass-kicking, high-energy, snarling but very catchy brand of guitar rock, with Lauren at her whirling-dervish finest (how the hell does she still manage to play, as she thrashes about like a woman possessed?). truly awesome. probably the highlight of the evening for me.

This Will Destroy You was up next. 5-piece post-rock instrumental band. they definitely have the whole ambient, dark, atmospheric, epic Explosions-in-the-Sky vibe down pat. they are very good at what they do, but to me, all the songs started to sound the same after a while (at one point i actually asked my date, isn't this the first song they played? and i was only half-kidding). i've said it before - if you're gonna make a go of it as an instrumental outfit, you've really gotta have something special, and you've really gotta work hard at mixin' things up to keep it fresh (see below for inspiration...). kudos to the drummer, whose energy was the only thing keepin the crowd awake (kidding!)

The Octopus Project headlined, and they were awesome. what a blast they were to watch - tons of interaction with the crowd, lots of cuttin' up and general goofiness - i loved it, and you could tell they loved what they were doin, too. super-high-energy performance with beautiful theremin solos, very cool electronic beats, all layered with aggressive guitar riffs and keys. and what an extremely talented bunch, too - seemed like everyone played every instrument on the stage at some point. this is the kind of band you watch and say, goddam, i'd give my left nut to be in a band like that - how much fun would that be? don't miss this band if you can help it...

5/16/09 - The Dears, Great Northern, Eulogies

this was an example of a show that i really thought i would get into, but ended up falling fairly flat...

Eulogies, from LA, was up first. four-piece band, fairly straight-forward indie guitar pop, pretty low-key, pleasant tunes. well written and well executed, but they all started sounding the same after a bit...

Great Northern, also from LA, were up next. Again - pretty standard indie pop, although with a harder and darker edge than Eulogies. Nice sharing of vocal duties between male and female leads. Dono what it was, I usually get into that kind of stuff, but it just failed to grab me. Maybe a tad too earnest? Dono. Still, I'd give them another chance if they came thru town again.

headlining was The Dears, from Montreal. I wasn't overly enthralled with what i'd heard on myspace and youtube, but they are supposedly known for putting on a great live show, so i took the gamble. things started out really well, with the lead leaning up against the sound booth at the back of the room with a wireless mic, singing a beautiful, nearly acapella song (using a recorded track only - no band on the stage at this point). people started catching on as he walked towards the stage, and he was soon surrounded by the crowd as he crooned soulfully into the mic. eventually, the band came out on stage and added their voices to finish the song. 'twas a very cool moment. unfortunately, for me, that was the highlight of the show. don't get me wrong, they played a very solid set of sometimes-poppy, sometimes-lush-and-ethereal, but always heart-felt tunes, but i just kept waiting for the next song to really grab me, and it just never happened. nothing they did had the kind of spark of that first song (at least, to me). however, there were many hardcore fans there who left fully satisfied, so...

5/9/09 - The Paper Chase, Astronautilis, Valina

holy shit, what an amazing night at the granada. i'm starting to fall in love with that place, despite the high cover charges and expensive drinks. that sound system is amazing.


Valina was up first. they hail from Austria, and have played with the Paper Chase in Europe. And oh my gawd, were they fantastic. I mean, that was one of the best sets I have seen in a long, long time (and i've seen my share). I loved it. Very unique song structures, absolutely amazing drum work, had elements of hardcore metal, noise-rock and math-rock. Some songs almost sounded a bit like Austrian folk songs (or at least, what I think those would sound like). Wonderfully complex, beautiful stuff. Ended up buying both the EP and the CD. Gave 'em every last dollar i had on me - you gotta support those touring bands.

Astronautilis continued the greatness. Never seen him before, even though he comes thru quite a bit. Phenomenally talented dude, and funny/smart as hell. I knew he was a rapper, but i didn't realize how much more to his music there was. What a fantastic, emotion-filled growl of a voice - sounded very Tom Waits-like sometimes. Armed with only a laptop, he'd kick off a track, then sing, rap and flail around the stage much like a televangelist in a religious fury. It was an awesome spectacle - i could not take my eyes off him. an incredible, emotional, high-energy performance. I vowed that night to never miss another one of his shows, if i could help it. woulda bought his new CD, if i hadn't given all my cash to Valina.

The Paper Chase capped off the night with an amazing set full of their brand of slightly off-kilter, strangely structured but very catchy and highly entertaining tunes. energetic frontman John Congleton did not disappoint (at least, me), flailing around the stage (lots of flailing that night), punctuating many of his lines with his trademark expectoration (sure hope he doesn't have swine flu). thought the keyboard playing and vocals by sean were great (but you knew I'd say that). anyways, it was an awesome set to finish off an awesome night.

5/8/09 - Guns 4 Roses, Green Manalishi

headed to the LBG to check out my buddy's new GNR tribute band. knuckles came with, and joe the boy toy showed up, too.

Green Manalishi opened, offering up a nice collection of southern rock covers. I didn't recognize most of the songs, which is great, being as how I am generally not a fan of covers. Anyways, thot they were pretty talented.

Guns 4 Roses headlined. I'm not exactly a big GNR fan (k, not even a little one), but these guys put on quite a show. full costumes, authentic guitars (so i'm told), and everything. the frontman definitely had the whole axl rose thing down, flailin' about just like you see in the videos. anyways, they put on a very solid two-hour show, fully satisfying all the hard-core GNR fans in the place.

5/4/09 - Paul Slavens

Finally caught the legendary Paul Slavens weekly show at Dan's on a Monday night, thanks to the swine flu (long story). If you've never seen this show, it's a must-do, at least once. Paul and a very talented group of musicians take (usually extremely inappropriate) song title suggestions (along with donations) from the audience, and come up with a completely improvised and fully-created song. Very impressive to behold, and very funny. Check it out.

5/2/09 - Pinebox Serenade, The Heelers, The Furrows

ended up at dan's in denton, with the two aforementioned cougars. fun times for all...

somehow forgot my camera, so no crappy pics. you're welcome.


The Furrows from Mississippi were up first. Some very cool bluesy, soulful southern rock. Dug the voice on the lead. Very good, really enjoyed it.


The Heelers were up next, and I thought they were great as well. Similar to The Furrows' style, maybe a bit more country. Good stuff.


Pinebox Serenade headlined. Very large group of very talented individuals. Some very nice folky, blue-grassy tunes.