So everyone's favorite band to hate that they used to secretly love last December, the Arctic Monkeys, are playing a sold out show at the Granada tonight. Seriously, the backlash against these guys has gotten to the point where it is now fashionable to backlash against the backlash, which means that I must start a backlash against the backlash backlash so that I might sleep well tonight with the knowledge that I'm not out of touch. But actually, I just can't do it. I don't know why. After reading all the Monkeys hype, I was quite disappointed when I first heard them and learned that they were little more than a mix between Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines. Fine, I guess thats the right thing to say. But still, these kids are like 19, and if they lived in Dallas they would be one of the best local bands in this city. I don't know what that says. But what I do know is that the Arctic Monkeys seem like fairly normal, slightly immature, slightly clever lads that aren't even close to being the worst band that high school kids are listening to these days. Oh, and they are kinda ugly too, which makes me want to root for them even more. I don't know what stage of the backlash I'm at right now, but I wish people would give it a fucking rest about these guys and how "overhyped" they are. We get it, dude. You don't ever buy into trends. Heres a trophy.

Elsewhere, Lost Generation will be going on at the Cavern tonight. Here is the scoop from Wanz:

I am gonna try something new this week. The first and last hour of Lost Generation will be dedicated to the various new and old oddities that I like to play anyways. The middle 2 hours will be a giant megamix using ableton live. That mega mix will be for everyone that wants to get up dance a little. I scored a shit load(roughly 32 albums) of stuff off Soul Jazz records this week (including the new E.S.G.)and all kinds of new Dubstep and Grime stuff that I Plan to to do live(realtime) remixes and mashups with. Burial/The Rakes, Tom Vek/Celebration, Venetian snares/ MF Doom, Digital Mytsikz/The Chills, Ruff Sqwad/Mark Stewart and The Mafia, Wiley/Pop Group and many more will enter the Wanz Dover Mashup machine. I also have new stuff from J Spacemen(solo), Boards of Canada, Thom Yorke(solo), Camera Obscura, Scott walker, Robin Guthrie, Hot Chip and more. I will also ahave a surprise mini set from one of our Laptop Deathmatch guys. I have no more commitments to any bands so i am putting a lot more effort into these sets. Come out have a drink and say hi. Get lost at The Lost Generation. Where great music goes to be found.

Also, Berry | Super Love Attack | Bang Bang! @ Metrognome tonight. SLA reminds me of spacerock influenced late period Pixies. For some reason, I thought I didn't like Super Love Attack for a long time, but I guess I was thinking of some other band because I went and listened to them last night and really liked their stuff. Bet its good live shit too. Don't think I'm too crazy about Bang Bang! (they remind me of the Rogers Sisters, one of the worst bands on the planet), but this would be a good opportunity to catch Berry's strong indiepop if you didn't last night. Oh, and James apologized on some comment thread for making a comment about people not showing up to Metrognome shows. I wouldn't have apologized if I was booking so many badass bands at such a cool venue and no one was coming... so props to him for being nicer than me.

Oh, and Fishboy is playing at Art 6 in Denton tonight (424 Bryant St. @ Scripture). Starts at 9, bitches.

1. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
2. Vetiver - To Find Me Gone
3. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
4. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
5. Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
6. Starlight Mints - Drowaton
7. Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway
8. Wolfmother - Wolfmother
9. The Black Keys - Chulahoma
10. Figurines - Skeleton
11. Daedelus - Denies the Day's Demise
12. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
13. Various Artists - Anticon Label Sampler: 1999-2004
14. Dead Texan - Dead Texan
15. The Ditty Bops - Moon Over the Freeway
16. The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off
17. The Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
18. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
19. The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across the Land
20. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat

If you haven't heard it, you should check out that Vetiver record.

If you're one of the neo folkies around town, you might want to check out:

1. Sarah Reddington | Dusty Rhodes and the River Band | Cartright (Rubber Gloves-Denton)
Sarah Reddington plays pretty straightforward, summer breezy folk rock/country pop tunes that are actually quite warm and familiar sounding without ever getting cheesy or overly derivative. This is tough to pull off typically. Oh yeah, they have a good singer too.... another DFWd rarity. Dusty Rhodes is pretty good I suppose, but the fact that they are from Anaheim kinda makes me react in that "this Salsas made in New York City" kind of way. They're like a country Squirrel Nut Zippers or something, but better than that might make them sound. Probably worth checking out. Cartrights Cartright, and we're down.

2. Berry (J&Js Denton)
Small touring band that plays slightly noisy, slow, sleepy and melodic indie dreampop. If that makes you puke, then listen to their songs, because they will probably make you unpuke. And although I'm not sure how unpuking works, I am sure that you will think this band is good.

After many "threadjacks" and a bit of word of mouth hyperbole emanating from inside the Golden Triangle, the Secret Headquarters finally had its big opening night on Saturday. As you might already know, this place was started by the three-hydra-headed monster of Scott Porter from Record Hop, Cody Robinson from Medicine Window, and Rob Black, formerly (sigh) of Birth to Burial. I'd like to commend these gentlemen for not having any of their pet projects play on opening night, even though they were probably so overworked in preparation that performing was out of the question. SHQ is housed in the former Art Prostitute space, and it's nice to know that something worth talking about will still be going on within those walls. Let's hope that they will have something to discuss besides some dudes sitting around playing video games, because that would be downright tragic. The event featured three Denton bands who, despite sharing some of the same influences, coudn't have been more different.

Fra Pandolf was the first band to play, and they came out with a fairly convincing wash of guitar volume and intensity. Unfortunately, for all the noise they made, they played the least attended set of the night. I thought this was a shame, because I definitely enjoyed them the most out of the three bands. Fra Pandolf's sound was mostly distortion overlapping with washer and dryer tumbling rhythms. I felt this defied and even improved upon some of the anemic "shoegazer" bands they claim as influences. Rollerskate Skinny? It's almost shocking to see someone list that. The only comparable thing I can think of is Hot Rod,the spinoff of another 90's shoegaze casualty: The Drop Nineteens. It seems weird even bringing up some of these old Clinton Era groups... I feel like I should be jotting this down on a Newton Message Pad. Kidding about their influences aside, I thoroughly enjoyed their set. My only minor complaint would probably be that there were times when I wanted the vocals to push as hard as their devastating guitar attack.

Shiny around the Edges were a huge contrast to the openers. This duo held back piece by piece until there was nothing left but a lonely sorrowful voice. They referred to one song as "Song for Chris Flemmons to Sing" and I was really glad he wasn't there to sing it. They also had help from a guy who played Lap Steel as a guest. This was the best part of the set. One song just peeled back its layers until it was nothing but the female vocalist and the lap steel harmonizing together, and I would have really enjoyed a whole performance based around that. Shortly after their set started, the place was packed. It seemed very much like a couple of the times I witnessed Art Prostitute spilling out into the street during an event.

The grand and bombastic finale to this particular event was the melodramatic score provided by The Angelus, and the band really went all out to start their set. They had almost everything I've seen at Catholic funerals just short of smoke. Frontman Emil Rapstine was prowling back and forth ringing this big rusty bell to signal the first song, and I was scared shitless. What kind of creepy shit is that? The band obviously takes their music as serious as religion, and while we're on the topic, I want to mention that Emil's brother Xanderonce played Santa Claus (Xander Claus) on my favorite Christmas record of all time. I'm saving that review for a special Holiday piece, though. Anyways, The Angelus launched into their ominous set of songs shortly after the bell ringing, and they seemed to spend so much time building up that there were many moments in which the drummer appeared to be just itching to finally start playing. The Angelus brought a thick and morose atmosphere to the Secret Headquarters, and since theTah-Dahs are playing there soon, Lord knows it won't be the last time.

I really liked the feeling of being at a show here. I like the emphasis on the bands, not smelling like smoke, and pretty much everything that sets this place apart from spending time at a typical club. It's kind of a drag that they can't have bands play every night, but I know that the space is used for various other things, which likely makes my wish unrealistic. Besides, Denton is spoiled with too many good venues anyways. And a closing message to Scott: when you make a Mark Cuban sized promise to have the Mavs game on t.v., you should probably keep it. Seeing a bunch of embarrassed indie rockers hanging around a car radio and looking all worried was one of the saddest things I've ever seen in my life.

We're tired and hung over today, so this post will serve as the Sunday everything post. What can we say about last night's game that hasn't already been said? I don't know, but this was clearly yet another "best win in franchise history" in my opinion, which is pretty unreal considering that two of them have come in the past couple of weeks.

What a huge character builder. The Mavs came out in the second half and played like the kind of team that doesn't get worried about shit, such as being down by 19 points in western conference finals on the road. They showed the kind of confidence that teams like the 90's Bulls, 80's Lakers, and recent Spurs have shown. They knew they could take care of business, and they did it. And Tim Thomas looked like a jackass.

The finals are going to be unbelieveable, aren't they? Game 1 is gonna be Thursday in Dallas, and I say we let Shaq get his 40 points if we have to, because I don't think they will be able to stop our offense, or withstand our defense at every other position. And I'll be interested to see what Diop can do with Shaq. Maybe he'll step up even more than he already has. If not, we can let Damps pick up his six fouls and take it from there.

Good show tonight: Lymbyc System/This Will Destroy You/ Notes from Underground at Hailey's.

See you tomorrow.

Busy night tonight, and like many a Saturday evening, most of the action is in Denton. In addition to the Mavs game (7:30 tip), Nine Inch Nails is playing with Bauhaus and T.V. on the Radio at Smirnoff. And while I would normally go nuts for such a line up, its at fucking Smirnoff and it costs like $35. I guess paying out the ass is the only way you can see bands like NIN and Bauhaus these days. Oh well. I'm not going.

1. The Angelus | Shiny Around the Edges | Fra Pandolf (Secret Headquarters-Denton)
Gotta give props to Scott and the rest of the guys over at SHQ in Denton for putting together such a great grand opening line up. We probably don't have to explain to you what these bands sound like, so we won't other than to say that they are some of the best bands in the area. What we will tell you is that SHQ is located at 210 E. Hickory St. in Denton, its always BYOB, and always three dollars. And oh yeah, they start early... the first band goes on at 7, which will give you time to head over to one of the other great shows in lil d after. Scott also says that televisions will be tuned to the Mavs game in case you're into that sort of thing (and who isn't?)

2. The Great Tyrant | Mazinga II | Silk Stocking | Pegasus Now | You Are the Universe (Haileys-Denton)
Another great show... we've talked about all of these bands before other than the Great Tyrant, which is made up of some formers members of Yeti, etc. They sound pretty awesome to us, and we're sure they're gonna be good live. They remind me of a less difficult Sunn0))) with drums and other instruments that you can actually hear. But they are just as creepy. We've also caught URTU live and they are really interesting. Sometimes they record their live shows right on the spot and sell the CDs for a dollar after the show, which seems like a pretty great idea since I doubt any two performances are ever the same.

3. Strange Boys | Skullening | Eat Avery's Bones (The Eighth Continent- Denton)
More good bands at another really cool place to see a show. EAB is becoming one of our favorite local bands. The venue is located at 731 Texas St. in Denton. Oh, and check out Skullening's Myspace page. Nothing else sounds like them in this town. They remind me of Swell Maps with really bad attitudes and the same piercing fucking keyboards and guitars. They too will be great live, I'll bet ya.

4. Green Milk from the Planet Orange | White Denim (Metrognome- Ft. Worth): Holy crap. I would move this up the list if I wasn't too lazy to redo the entire thing. Japan's GMFTPO sounds fantastic... they call themselves "the new wave of progressive rock," and they just might be right. Go listen to their myspace page, and then think about the fact that they are playing in Midland tomorrow. I pray for their safety. And I don't know where this White Denim comes from, but I really like them, and I've never heard anything like them before. I doubt you have either. Metrognome is really kicking everyones asses when it comes to booking experimental shows.

Rock n roll Friday:

1. Current Leaves | The Backsliders | The Goodness Snakes/ Chris Garver (Rubber Gloves)
A lot of you probably know that WSJR and Current Leaves probably won't be planning any BBQ get-togethers any time soon, but we would have to be really petty fucks to not at least say that we like their music, because we do. They're playing with Chris Garver, who we might have a BBQ with, and The Backsliders, who we aren't sure what to think about. They do seem like they would put on a good, loud live show at least, and a Friday night of Rock n Roll at Rubber Gloves is usually a pretty good bet anyway. Should be fun. We haven't seen Chris Garver live yet, but if he plays as well in concert as he does on record, going early is advised.

2. Amplified Heat | Architects (DoubleWide)
Neither one of these bands are really our kind of thing typically, but again, this should be just a fun rock show for the Dallas folks. Austin's Amplified Heat has a pretty catchy punk influenced take on bluesy guitar rock, and Architects sound like a death metal version of Sonic youth. Or speed metal or whatever. We don't fucking know.

3. The excellent Tame Tame and Quiet are opening over at Metrognome tonight with the Tah Dahs and Jack with One Eye.

4. Our good friend Chris from Gorilla vs Bear will be spinning upstairs at the Cavern tonight with the Happy Bullets playing downstairs.