(Contributions from SR and Wildcat, someone you'll hear more from soon)

Seems like a lot is going on this weekend as we enter into one of the best times of the year for music in the area. We'll have some SXSW stuff for you next week, but we really plan to focus on the day parties and free stuff more than any of the actual showcases since: 1) you can read about showcase stuff all over the place and 2) the free day shows and non-SXSW events taking place in Austin next week are usually ten times more fun than the actual showcases themselves. I've gone to SXSW for a number of years now, and each year I've been more and more inclined to forget the wrist band all together. This year, I'm doing it: no wristbands, just free stuff. And I bet I'm going to have as much or more fun that I've had in years previous. Anyway, here we go:

FRIDAY

Chief Death Rage | Nouns Group | Kaboom (Secret Headquarters)
A solid early show over at SHQ this evening featuring the sludgy CDR, one of our local favorites (who will also have the honor of opening for Dead Meadow next week), along with two other much talked about local groups whose performances will probably be more than worth the massive three dollar cover. I've never seen Nouns Group or Kaboom live, but I hear very good things. Certainly a must see up in Denton, especially considering that it starts early enough (first band at 830) to give you plenty of time to do something else after the show is over.

Baptist Generals | Shiny Around the Edges | Mom (Denton Arts Center)
Tonight, the Greater Denton Arts Council—GDAC—hosts a fundraising event that it has dubbed the Ultra Extra Arts Mix, which will include appearances by ShinyAround the Edges, Baptist Generals, and Mom. The GDAC uses its fundraising arm, The Arts Guild (link), to underwrite public arts programs and support area groups.It would appear that one product of such support is the GDAC operated Center for the Visual Arts at 207 S Bell Ave,which is where things will go down tonight from 7-11pm. Admission is $20 if you’re going solo, or $35 if you bring your date and/or mom. Between sets, you might enjoy perusing the hard and soft materials on display in the Materials: Hard and Soft exhibit in the Meadows gallery. Another reason to support GDAC? On tap for next week is an impressive partnership with University of NorthTexas College of Music to provide for the residency of Mario Davidovsky from 3/11 to 3/13. If you were a member of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (http://www.seamusonline.org | ), you’d know that Mario Davidovsky is a true golden oldie pioneer composer of electronic music. I think these days Davidovsky typically combines the sounds of live musicians with tapes of recorded music/sounds. Maybe the tape components can be thought of as embedded pre-recordings, since they’re played with live musicians as pre-recordings, and themselves are sometimes composed from various pieces of pre-recordedmaterial. For example, Davidovsky has composed by cutting and variably splicing magnetic tape containing previous recordings to create new recordings for which I have offered “embedded pre-recordings” as an example. At any rate, if that sounds like your cup of tea, then maybe you’d like to compare an Electronic Study piece with a recent Synchronism composition on this guy's page. There will be a performance of Davidovsky’s works at 8pm on Monday at the UNT College of Music, and if you’re still not convinced that the Ultra Extra Arts Mix is the culturally responsible way to spend your hard earned monies tonight, then maybe you should consider that according to GDAC, this is the first event “specifically targeted at the 25-45 year old arts lover,” featuring an atmosphere that’s “like a cool, hip, modern nightclub.” Incidentally, if you’re thinking of starting up one such cool, hip, modern nightclub yourself, maybe since the Gypsy is soon to bedefunct and all, you’d do well to check out some tips this guy. (by Wildcat)

Purple Crush (Zubar)
This band, coming through with the support of The Party's Sober and Select, has had a couple of impressive dance singles that have received a decent amount of play in clubs in the US, UK and France, and they really remind me a hell of a lot of the excellent I Am The World Trade Center, particularly with their cover of "Two of Hearts." You need to go ahead and listen to the song "Fire Wire" on the group's Myspace page to see what I mean. If you had any doubts about this show, I'm willing to bet that this song will change your mind with an instantly catchy verse that is quite unique for upbeat tongue in cheek art school dance pop from Brooklyn. This is a sure bet if you're looking to let lose this evening, and I'm sure the always fashionable, attractive and seemingly built in audience The Party has acquired over the past few months will be out in full force for this.

Raised by Tigers | Current Leaves | Medicine Window (Rubber Gloves)
Should be quite a good show tonight at Rubber Gloves, if not the most rockinest thing you've ever seen. Raised by Tiger's pleasant songs remind me a bit of early Sea and Cake (just a bit, mind you) and the softer side of post-britpop English indie and straightforward shoegaze. You guys know Current Leaves already, and the majority of loud rock that you'll hear at this thing will be provided by Medicine Window, whose tense, jagged, rhythmic post-hardcore songs will be a perfect way to start the evening.

Fishboy | Mermaid Police | Beauxregard (J&Js)
Give a listen to Belgium on Beauxregard's Myspace page. Pretty strange song, kinda good. I don't know if I really dig all the songs I've heard from them (one of them remind me of Elefant or however you spell it, who happen to be one of the worst bands ever), but this might be a good night to see what kind of band Beauxregard is since this is free and all.

The Happy Bullets are playing a free show at Good Records tonight at 7pm. I assume free beer is also on the bill.

SATURDAY

White Drugs | Warren Jackson Hearne | Liz McGowen (Secret Headquarters)
Shit, White Drugs really pack a fucking punch on record. Why they have yet to become wildly popular around town I don't quite understand, but I think its gonna happen sooner rather than later.

Baboon | Tame...Tame and Quiet | LaLaLand | Zoo video DJ (The Cavern)
Although I've never been the biggest Baboon fan of all time, people keep telling me that I need to check them out live, and this might be the time I try it, considering that the small Cavern setting might be the perfect place to see a loud rock show like this, especially since TTAQ will be opening. And if it gets too hectic downstairs, the always enjoyable Zoo will be happening upstairs.

And of course, that big ass North by Southwest thing will be going on over at the Bible Banger joint in Deep Ellum. Not really seeing anything on Saturday that does it for me, but you can catch the excellent Okkervil River on Sunday.

It was nice of them to particularly set aside one hundred bones for Comrade. I have yet to see any of that, though. I also still have no idea who was in charge at that festival.

-Jonathan from Comrade

nouns group-- best band name of the week? best band ever?!

yeah, the smiths is a pretty horrible fucking name too.

Nouns Group - worst band name of the week?

How about 11:08am's lineup for an Asshole Fest?

i agree

White Drugs rules.

Best hard rocking bands around right now:

White Drugs
Hogpig
Chief Death Rage
Record Hop
Nouns Group
Tre Orsi

ha you said nigger.

A more rocking local band than White Drug Addicts? Hmm.....how about The Undoing of David Wright. I think they pretty much eat most of the bands around here for breakfast. White Drugs is completely unoriginal, less-than-meciocre, two chord jock and roll for beer-guzzling shitheads to gaybash to. Boring....as....Hell. My 9 year old brother rocks harder than them. Seriously. You know things are going downhill when people start giving props to posers like white drugs. Suck it.

polyphonic niggers

last night polyphonic spree played to a meesly 100 people. it was pretty sparse.

"What Okkervil River should I check out?"

Don't Fall in Love with Everyone you See and Down the River of Broken Dreams are (imho) two of the best records of the 2000s. (The latter featuring a great duet w/ Daniel Johnston, more notable now that he's fashonable too)

BSB no so much, I say. For some reason it's found more ears, great for Okkervill, but the prior two records build their foundation.

No emo or tronics. Just kinda Neurtral Milk Hotel-ish with an alt-bluegrass fire and a songwriting style that's both literary and raw-throated intense. Superlative songs with fiery intensity.

They are the real deal.

Actually, The Super Asshole Fest could be one of the great shows of all time.

i'll second that white drugs fucking rocking

If you think the Angry Businessmen are assholes, you need to get out of the house more. Judging from the fact that you made a little list, you're probably the asshole.

angry businessmen are fuckin rad.

I'm anonmymous, but I second the "White Drugs are dicks" comment.

I LIKE EATING SHIT TOO

white drugs are the best straight ahead rock band in dallas or denton at this time. If you disagree give me some better examples.

the lead singer of the strange boys looks like he washes his face with diaper shit.

Because all of the guys in White Drugs are complete pricks. Even if their music was amazing, which it is FAR from being, I don't want to see them play because they're a bunch of ex frat-boy assholes. Attn. bands who are trying to use their prickdom and snobbery to "make it"....your time is over. There is no future in what you do. The kids of today want a little intelligence and kindness with their angst.

I have an idead....It's SUPER ASSHOLE FEST! WITH....

Farah Holly
The Strange Boys
White Drugs
The Faceless Werewolves
and
Angry Businessmen

Watch these idiots kiss ass straight to the top! Seriously....have you EVER seen a member of The Strange Boys smile? Never happened. Never will.

ellum onstage has a policy where they guarantee bands 100 dollars and then don't give it to them if not enough people show up. kind of defeats the purpose of giving a guarantee.

"What Okkervil River should I check out?"

I'd suggest Black Sheep Boy. The song Black is pretty great.

And yes, White Drugs, do bring the rock!

why the hell are the white drugs not getting more attention in this one horse town. All the bands last night were very good. SHQ seems to be booking really good bands lately.

how bad is a festival that can't even fill all of its time slots?

"i havent heard much publicity on this other than on this poony website so i hope they are paying these bands something"

From this, it looks like Comrade is getting paid $100: http://www.northbysouthwest.com/bands.html

What Okkervil River should I check out? I've listened to one song and it was a Big Star cover that made me want to find them and slice their throats out. So, I have a horrible image of the band. Why do you think they're good? Emotronics? Warble-voice look-at-me pain singing?

according to the website it is only 15 dollars at the door.

i havent heard much publicity on this other than on this poony website so i hope they are paying these bands something

not sure, but I bet its far more than its worth to see only one band you like.

"I love Okkervil but am really frightened by this Ellum Onstage thang and the other bands. Any insight?"

I love Okkervil too. Any idea how much it is for just the one day?

it's not music, but the D.E.E.P. Gallery walk is tonight with a culmination at Dada. free beer and wine at the galleries. (that should snag a few folks!)

shameless self promotion: you should check out my work at Revolution (part of the gallery walk)

Tonight! Saturday! The Opposites Attract! Kaboom! The Demigs! The Delta Lodge! Doors at 9! 3 dollars! Exclamation points!

!!
THE HOUSE HARKONNEN
THE TIMELINE POST

DOUBLE-WIDE
TONIGHT
!!

if you want to waste your time, go to that ellum thing, i already burned all my money so i wouldn't have a choice

I love Okkervil but am really frightened by this Ellum Onstage thang and the other bands. Any insight?

I've found this helpful.

http://www.showlistaustin.com/

tip sheet is helpful w/ the addresses but they are obviously WAY too concerned about who's sponsoring what. Maybe that's why they don't even have Strategies listed.

If anybody wants the Master List produced in-house by the Austin Chronicle, holla at m_chamy@excite.com

i'm so hungover right now

joey? is that you?

http://www.newmusictipsheet.com/sxswpartylist2007.pdf

IM SO DRUNK RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Joey Kendall was awesome tonight!
Good job mentioning it!

I'm going down to Austin next weekend and would love to know when some of these free parties are going on. Whichever ones any of you think are worth going to. Times and places. Amandacobra, your spreadsheet would be very helpful. Could you email it to metrognome@sbcglobal.net? Thanks. Oh yeah, and Tame..Tame with Baboon Saturday. Go.

WAIT! the show at 8th continent is free!! for real.

Angry Businessmen, Night Game Cult, Teenage Cool Kids, and Craig Welch at the Eighth Continent (731 Texas st. in Denton) Friday at 8 pm. $5!!

how sweet it is...

...more like the Upton Sinclair of local music blogs

I think chris in nouns group is a neerd cause he wears glasses

I'm really looking forward to SXSW, but I'm glad there are some good shows this weekend. I'm also doing the no wristband thing(as recommended by just about everyone I have talked to that has been there). This is my first year though.

Also good to hear about the mon and tuesday SHQ shows. I'm showing a friend around town, and we might have to do SHQ and try to fit in that astro-jazz thing, if they are still doing that this coming week.

would it?!?

Yeah, totally. I hope everybody will be sure to come check out some of the sxsw action we picked up next week. Our Monday show with BE/NON would be a great way to start out Dead Meadow Night.

Thank you for the Friday SHQ mention!

Thank you for the Friday SHQ mention!

yeah, well amandacobra... i was just fuckin' around. taking a breath or two before goin' back into the previous thread, it's a party, c'mon...

That's so weird because this will be my first year of no wristband too. But to compensate for my complete lack of wristband, I made an Excel spreadsheet of parties, times, locations and bands and color coded them in order of importance to me. I actually had to do one for my boss since he's on a panel and stuff. But yeah, nerds-ville.

BTW, the "Mess with Texas" party will be the best thing I've attended all year.

http://www.messwithtexasparty.thenewship.com/lineup.html

i'm gonna have to see your pass, please!!