Almost completely written by SR.

FRIDAY

Fizzy Dino Pop | Darktown Strutters | Sore Losers (City Tavern)
It's easy to lose track of some of the things going on in your old stomping grounds when you move away to a new city, but one thing that certainly hasn't escaped my attention is the rising acclaim of Darktown Strutters-- it seems that the group's name keeps popping up more and more on Twitter and in conversations with friends in the area (especially when I came back to visit for the holidays) and on nationally respected MP3 websites, and such pleasantly surprising developments are quite welcome around WSJR HQ. Of course, the new level of attention doesn't surprise me because I didn't think the band was good, quite the contrary-- we were saying whatever we could about them within days of first hearing their material-- but it does surprise me simply because the group's sound seemed at first like it would be a bit inaccessible to a lot of people who weren't quite familiar with where the band was coming from. However, taking a listen to their music for the first time in a little while has sort of made me realize that I was probably over-thinking all this stuff before-- these songs are infinitely easy to love, and Darktown Strutters seem to get better and better every time I encounter them. In fact, I think its safe to say that they are easily one of the most interesting and impressive new groups in Texas, and I'm glad that a lot of new people, both in and outside of Texas, have started to take notice over the past few months.

Joe Nice | Soy Capaz | Distinct | Dragon Man (Plush Basement)
For those not keeping tabs, Baltimore's Joe Nice is one of the key figures in the American dubstep scene, and was in fact one of the first DJs in the country to start regularly playing the bass heavy music on the East Coast (right around the same time that our own underappreciated Jason Mundo started doing it), and for fans of underground dance music, not just dubstep, his appearance in Dallas is a big deal indeed. Sounds like there's a pretty serious after-party going down in celebration of this show as well, and if you were smart you'd check out both, because we hear Joe might spin at both spots.

Joe Nice After Party with Bassick | Blixaboy | DubtillDawn/Travis Elliot (711 Elm St., Dallas)
Starts around 2am and goes all night.

Dear Human | A Smile Full of Ale | The Colossi | EPDAGR (J&Js)

Mount Righteous | Giggle Party | Mr. Troll (Andy's)
As I've always said, Mr. Troll has a great and honest voice, and that's what counts when it comes to singer-songwriters. I don't know why the Grapevine/Lake Dallas music scene has a weird allegiance to Andy's that stretches back to the early 00's, but that's just the way it is. "Stubbornbanites?" " Stubburbanites?" I just named the Mount Righteous live album. You're welcome. (DL)

Riddlore | MC Homeless | DJ Sober (Phoenix Project)
Oh great, a "socially conscious" rapper... why do people always do stuff like this so wrong? And MC Homeless? Are you serious with that shit? Did you get kicked out of the dorms or something?

Astro Funk Vinyl Party with Wanz Dover | Gabriel | Jonathan Graham (Fallout Lounge)

SATURDAY

Kampfgrounds | Peopleodian | Final Club (Dan's Silverleaf)
Thanks Kamprgrounds for cheering me up a little bit after having to endure listening to that MC Homeless bro. And Peopleodian sounds like they might be kinda good but I couldn't really tell from the seven seconds of material on their Myspace page.... and trust me, that's usually more than enough to know. (SR)

I just want to add that I received a tip that this Yeah Def curated event at Dan's(!) is Final Club's first show, and the epic instrumental tracks on their page are very promising. They sound like payoff and climax passages plucked randomly from the collective catalog of several "buildup rock"-style groups, but without the boring part where you have to wait eight or nine minutes before the drums even kick in. The guitar effects are used tastefully, and though I usually despise anything "tasteful," everything sounds like it's just the right amount here. I don't know if these tracks will remain vocal-free but we'll see; as it stands, they seem like they could stand up on their own. (DL)

Violent Squid | Curvette | My Empty Phantom | Will E. Lee (Hailey's)

Damaged Goods | Uzoy | Jabee | Gallerycat | Hero/DJ Fishr Pryce (The Lounge)

Boats | Stoned Men | Sabertooth Snatch | Collick (Rubber Gloves)
Boats are a slightly endearing pop punk group that pulls from all the classic punk influences that are popping into your head right now.

The Watchers | Joey Lawrence Gets A Coke Problem | Colossi | Medicine Buddha | A Smile Full Of Ale | Steel Hook Prostheses | Welby (Good Records)
Once upon a time I never would have imagined such a show taking place at Good Records; in some ways it almost seems downright cruel, and in the event that a high schooler comes in wanting to buy Passion Pit or Phoenix, accompanied by a parent out for the new Tom Petty live record, well, both dad and lad (or mum and lass) are in for a shock. This is a noise/improv/experimental/whatever you want to call it show. We've been over this and I'm sure you don't need another "writer" stumbling through those thorny and controversial genre labels. Though some of it might actually appeal to the teen willing to give it a shot, mom and dad are probably a no-go. Though I do see middle-aged folks at these shows all the time, they probably aren't your parents. Remember Mothers Against Noise? That was fake, right? A Smile Full Of Ale is probably the most accessible act here, which isn't a bad thing; his music tends to be more structured, and he takes the one-man-band approach to a place seldom attempted. The other artists will feature everything from completely formless oscillations to calculated aggressiveness and tortured obliteration, sonic destructiveness etc. Just go to this. I like shows at Good Records and I hate being bored, so this is the perfect mix. I promise no photo booths are involved. (DL)

SUNDAY