Pretty cool video for one of my favorite songs of the past few months:

Heartrapers | Fashion Police | How Hard | Fizzy Dino Pop (Rubber Gloves)
Heartrapers are a good live act even if their music can sometimes dip into the forced sonic eclecticism of Mike Patton influenced post-hardcore. Fashion Police is a drum and guitar duo featuring Alex Atchley of the modestly titled Alex Atchley Experience. Atchley is known for his electronic freak-outs but I've heard this is more straight up rock and roll. We'll see. How Hard are reminiscent of Guy Picciotto's song-writing, but that can be really hit and miss in the hands of less sophisticated bands than his. And Fizzy Dino Pop is yet another boy-and-his-synth act with confessional lyrics that can be really poppy or agonizingly screechy, with the latter being more enjoyable. It also sounds a little like Crystal Castles who seem to be everywhere these days.

Primordial Undermind | Ethereal Planes Indian | Oveo (J & J's Pizza)
Primordial Undermind takes the long way around each piece of music in the tradition of all great Psych bands. The guitar work can start off as muffled scratching before launching into crunchier riff-saturated passages. They also have some Eastern influenced Sandy Bull-like meditations. I've caught Oveo several times now and I appreciate the slowly twisting bend and snap of their sets that feature tape manipulation, low throbbing drum pounding, and oceans of distorted guitar wash. Differently intelligent and intelligently different each time. Ethereal Planes Indian is Austin's Brian C. Smith who has toured the US with his sparse textural drone work and played Tinnitus at the excellent Dead Echoes fest last fall.

If you're in Fort Worth you can drink free beer and a catch a movie @ Rahr & Sons Brewery , located at 701 Galveston Ave. (Pennsylvania Ave / Main St) @ 9PM. They're showing the 1979 classic, The Warriors which will start at 9:30PM. I thought this kind of shit only happened in Austin.

Norway's critically acclaimed Noxagt will be playing a show at House of Tinnitus on Sunday, March 18th starting at 9pm. The rest of the line up will be announced later this week, but does it matter? This is probably the biggest name to come through HOT so far, and I would suggest getting there early. Will be a great show.

Astro Jazz will be happening this evening at Pearl (corner of Pearl and Commerce downtown) from 8-11pm, meaning its early enough to swing by even if you're one of those lame people with a day job and shit. For those who don't know, Astro Jazz features members of Ghostcar and other local players performing experimental takes on standards and just about anything else they decide to put together. And oh yeah, if you haven't been to Pearl before, it is a lot cooler than its website would lead you to believe.

Neva Dug Disco will be happening at Minc Lounge tonight, where hip hop of all makes and models will be played.

Also, I recently got a chance to hear some of Robert Gomez' material for the first time, and I have to say I thought a lot of it was pretty solid. Nothing earth shattering or especially unique (influences such as early Blur, Doves and Elliot Smith come to mind upon first listen), but of all the potential hitmakers lurking around DFWd these days, I'm going to go ahead and suggest that this guy should be the one you get behind, if any. The songwriting is strong, the production is interesting enough, and it feels like Gomez is actually trying to do something worthwhile with his and everyone else's time, which is more than you can say for a lot of the other local acts that are supposed to "make it" some time soon. Anyway, he's playing at Dan's Silverleaf this evening, and I'd be interested to see what the live show is like.

Caught the Dr. Dog show at Gypsy last night, and although it didn't completely blow me away, I've gotta say that they are certainly a strong live band who are quite worth the cover charge. Some of the new stuff didn't quite get me right away like a lot of their older EP material, but maybe it will just take some time to grow on me. Of course, I might have been in a worse mood than usual after being forced to sit through What Made Milwaukee Famous, who could very well be the biggest hunk of shit I've seen in quite a while. During their set, my friend turned to me and asked "do you think these guys listen to a lot of Save Ferris?" That pretty much summed it up for me.

As for this evening...

There is always the Bad Ass Jazz Night at the Amsterdam, and for all you "indie" rockers out there:

The Shins | Viva Voce (Palladium Ballroom)
People love to hate on the Shins, and frankly I can see why, even if it probably isn't all their fault. You see, after that Garden State movie, the whole idea of the Shins changing anyone's life seemed a little silly, didn't it? All things considered, they are just about as safe and yuppie and, well, "indie" as you can get, and although it doesn't make them evil, they probably aren't going to change the life of anyone that actually gives a shit any time soon. That being said, they've made some enjoyable music throughout their career (and a few songs that are actually great), and although I took a listen to the new album and probably won't pick it up again, like, ever, I still don't think their show would be a bad time, even though I have heard that their live act leaves a bit to be desired. And I haven't been to that Palladium Ballroom place yet, but it kind of scares me a little bit.

Justin Timberlake | Pink (American Airlines Center)
This show is probably sold out or $100 a ticket or something, but I've gotta say that aside from the crappy venue and annoying opening act, I'd rather see a Justin Timberlake and Timbaland show than a Shins show any day of the week. After reading this review and several others discussing the performances that this guy puts on, I'd be willing to give it a try considering I've liked every solo single he's put out so far (although I might not have liked the Britney love song thing), and most of the things Timbaland does are at least interesting if nothing else. Think about how strange some of Timbaland's biggest hits have been over the past decade... rock n' roll hasn't charted with music that strange in decades.

OTHER MUSIC

1. Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone Temporary Residence
2. Peter Bjorn & John Writer's Block Almost Gold
3. Deerhoof Friend Opportunity Kill Rock Stars
4. Dr. Dog We All Belong Park the Van
5. Deerhunter Cryptograms Kranky
6. Dean & Britta Back Numbers Rounder/UMGD
7. Menomena Friend and Foe Barsuk
8. Beirut Lon Gisland Ba Da Bing/Chouette
9. The Shins Wincing the Night Away Sub Pop
10. Phil Cohran Malcolm X Memorial Katalyst
11. Of Montreal Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer Polyvinyl
12. Cornelius Sensuous Warner Japan
13. The Good, the Bad & the Queen s/t Parlophone
14. Elvis Perkins Ash Wednesday XL
15. Jesu Conqueror Hydrahead
16. Fujiya & Miyagi Transparent Things Deaf, Dumb & Blind
17. Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse Jagjaguwar
18. Soft Circle Full Bloom Eastern Developments
19. Annuals Be He Me Ace Fu
20. Marnie Stern In Advance of the Broken Arm Kill Rock Stars

That Soft Circle record is excellent if you haven't already heard it...

GOOD RECORDS

1. Dr. Dog - We All Belong
2. Beirut - Lon Gisland
3. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
4. Explosions In the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (2XCD)
5. Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust
6. Papercuts - Can't Go Back
7. Dean & Britta - Back Numbers
8. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
9. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
10. Field Music - Tones Of Town
11. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
12. Menomena - Friend and Foe
13. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
14. Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
15. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
16. St. Vincent - Paris is Burning
17. Black Lips - Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo
18. Jesu - The Conqueror
19. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
20. Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch

FRIDAY

Bobby Conn | Faux Fox | Laura Palmer (J & J's Pizza)
Somewhat big name for a fairly small venue, Bobby Conn might be a glam overload for the dingy confines of J & J's basement. Faux Fox is a perfect fit since both artists seem to inspire strong reactions from their fans and detractors alike. Though mostly well written and meticulously arranged, something about the kitsch of Bobby Conn's music can veer dangerously into Rocky Horror or Bat Out Of Hell territory so proceed with caution. Laura Palmer relies mostly on inside jokes reminiscent of Moldy Peaches projected through a monotone filter that implies she might not even find her own jokes funny. I certainly don't.

Sarah Reddington | George Neal | Daniel Folmer | Chris Garver | The New Science Projects (Rubber Gloves)
This Sarah Reddington CD release show is a "who's who" of local singer-songwriters. George Neal is the veteran in this lineup who earned his stripes in Little Grizzly and continues to draw praise for his current solo work. WSJR fave Chris Garver has continued to impress with his live backing band adding a charmingly unbalanced and rough-edged quality not found in his solo acoustic recordings. New Science Projects have employed hand shakers, trumpets and even audience participation to lend a certain uneasiness to the dark, Tom Waits-like growl of the material. Daniel Folmer is probably the most traditional sounding out of this bunch and of course Sarah Reddington will cap things off with or without animal face paint, but certainly with their light and lazy country rock.

Matthew Dear (Minc Lounge)
Micro House pioneer (though considerably less "micro" with his alter-ego, Audion) who also co-owns the Ghostly International label. Depending on which moniker he chooses to go by, this set could prove to be either withdrawn and minimal or dark and direct. Perhaps all of the above.

SATURDAY

Frenetic Love presents Electro-Acoustic Forum with Berckplage (Terry Horn) | Oveo | Wanz Dover | Sarah Ruth | Echo Toll | Nicholi Bobereus (House of Tinnitus)
This show is centered around a broad and loosely defined genre with a diverse cast of performers of various musical disciplines and approaches, from some who spend their time mostly in rock bands to music school intellectual heavyweights. It has been predicted that this will probably be a more laid-back affair than the usual intense volume workouts you might experience at Tinnitus. Electro-Acoustic music can basically mean anything but often includes found sounds, field recordings, electronic sound-scapes and many other ideas outside of the bass/drums/guitar realm. Since the sound samples on these artist pages are everything from lone voice manipulation to what sounds like a gamelan orchestra falling down a flight of metal stairs, the possibilities are endless. Highly recommended.

Maria Taylor | The Dust Congress | The Lemurs (Hailey's)
(Hailey's)
Maria Taylor is famous for being one half of Azure Ray. Her solo work naturally tends to sound more inward with less emphasis on the electronic flourishes that characterized that duo's output. It will certainly still appeal to sad photo majors in universities everywhere. The Dust Congress is also a solo artist working in a one-man band setup and utilizing accordion, banjo, guitar and kick drum to play his songs. Occasional marimba and musical saw work as bright spots to counter the epic sorrow of the music. The Lemurs, with their slightly distorted singing, standard pop rock and excellent taste in blazers and jeans would have been really good at selling Jettas circa 2002.

Totally Michael | I Want To Kill Every Human | Sydney Confirm | Galuc Dadu (1919 Hemphill)
Totally Michael's unbelievably happy electronic pop is so over the top he makes Best Fwends look like Simon and Garfunkel. Galuc Dadu has been compared to Japanther but their complex guitar work negates the comparison. I've not been able to completely figure out what they're going for and their songs are memorable so I'm pretty interested to see them. The song "Down The Hall" in particular is not like most of the pop music you hear locally. It's never bad to be unlike what you hear locally. Keyboard retro duo Sydney Confirm also play.

SUNDAY

Dr. Dog | What Made Milwaukee Famous (Gypsy Tea Room)
Dr. Dog continues to put out strong work with the release of their newest record, We All Belong, which they are touring extensively to promote. It seems like they were just here. The album pretty much continues where last year's Takers and Leavers EP left off. Though it's a little less immediate than some of their past music, it would be hard for any band to capture the magic of their first two full-lengths. Maybe I have to give it a few more listens. Dr. Dog's live show is a guaranteed joy since the band plays with a conviction missing from much of the cookie cutter performances of their peers. Note: Dr. Dog also perform an instore at Good Records Sunday at 3 PM. Free beer and barbecue, though I hope it's not from Spring Creek.

Documentary: Afropunk + performance by Roman Beats (1919 Hemphill@7PM-Free)
This award-winning documentary deals with the rarely explored issues surrounding identity and race relations in what tends to be a mostly white genre. Includes interviews with members of Bad Brains and The Dead Kennedys. Roman Beats is a local beatboxer that will be playing Hailey's, 1919 Hemphill, and Minc lounge all within a month's time. I mention this since I was amused at how these three establishments couldn't possibly be any more different from each other.