Abe Vigoda | Sydney Confirm | Talbot Tagora | Cosmic Cocks (The Cavern)
Though it was obvious that Abe Vigoda had been moving into a musically more beauteous direction for sometime now, it is still surprising that they went from the rough, West Coast, art/punk ghetto of Olfactory aand Not Not Fun to the much more austere and refined world of Bella Union.* I guess they used enough reverb effects to finally catch the Cocteau Twins attention all the way across the Atlantic. They love that shit over there. It actually makes perfect sense in a lot of ways, and Abe Vigoda has managed to stay consistently interesting by continuing to tweak their sound, something I can't necessarily say for a couple of their over-hyped peers. Fellow Smell-scene, tour-mates Talbot Tagora might be the real surprise here; even with the rather tossed-off, Thurston Moore-like apathy of the vocals, the crumbling and splintering guitar crunch of the backing tracks saves everything. Recommended.

Soundclash with Royal Highnuss | Tomb | Blixaboy (Zubar)
Ever since Wanz got played on the BBC, his name is starting to pop up on torrent sites and he even has a Youtube tribute video made by a fan. That's how you know things are "happening." And to think his bar mitzvah wasn't even that long ago.

Minsk | Hawk VS Dove | Four Days To Burn | Blood OV (The Lounge)
When I saw that Minsk is from Chicago/Peoria, it reminded of something I had been thinking about lately: When exactly did all of the 90's math rockers from that area all evolve into doom metal-heads? This music is still somehow imbued with the same highbrow noodling, or at least long, exhausting passages and various other sonic signifiers that mark bands of both genres as distant descendents of psych-rock. It's worth noting that everyone involved loves aluminum guitars, no matter their superficial differences (IE counting quickly versus rocking slowly). I've heard of Minsk described as "Neurosis with everything cool stripped away," and they do certainly sound like something that would fit in on Neurot Records, heavy on the mood with clearly enunciated and literate lyrical content. This quick comparison could possibly be selling the group slightly short however, and it's probably worth it to see and hear how true that is, at least to catch the devastating Blood Ov. This is another in a flurry of shows by extremely new local booking player, Mouthbreather Productions.

Monks Of Saturnalia | Yells At Eels (Sandaga Market located at 1325 East Levee Street, Dallas)

Little Birds | Kory And The Komrades | Burnt Sienna Trio (Rubber Gloves): I've long thought that Brooke Opie is as capable a singer as most SSW's around here, if not more so. I wonder why she isn't more known. Experimental banjo trio Burnt Sienna opens.

Dance Your Face Off (Fallout Lounge)

*Major points lost for misspelling Psychedelic Furs name on the Bella Union site.