Yeah, so chances are if you're going to SXSW this year like we are, you probably aren't going to see local bands that play around here all the time. But we figured we would post when and where some of the Dallas/Ft Worth/Denton bands are playing anyway, just in case you wanted to go show your support or something dumb like that.

One exception: I think there is a good chance that we'll be seeing Midlake on Wed. They'll probably play mostly new stuff, and if the rest of it is anything like the recently leaked "Roscoe," it should be as good or better than any other show going on that night. By the way, this list is not complete, as it does not include dumb local crap that no one reading this blog will care about, or stuff that we've never heard of before and can't really recommend. Whoomp here it is:

WED

Midlake (Fox and Hound) midnight
Strange Boys (Velvet Spade) 9pm
Pilotdrift (Dirty Dog Bar) 10pm
Baboon (spiro's) 11pm
Crushed Stars (latitude 30) 8pm

THURS

Happy Bullets (Karma Lounge) midnight
Money Waters (Back Room) 8:45 (we weren't sure if anyone cares about local hip hop, so we decided to include it, even though we haven't heard much of it)

FRI

Best Fwends (latitude 30) 11pm
Centro-matic (Maggie Mae's) 1am
Pikahsso (Club One 15) 11pm (again, we really don't know about this one either)

SAT

The Theater Fire (Latitude 30) 10pm
Bosque Brown (Buffalo Billiards) 11pm
Salim Nourallah (Habana Calle 6) 8pm

Not that all these bands are totally bitchin' or anything, they just seem like the best that is being offered by DFWd this year. Beli dat.

Going out on a week night can be a bitch, especially if you have to get up in the morning. But if there is a reason to go out on any night Sun-Wed (Thursday really is the weekend, isn't it?), it is The Lost Generation w/ DJ Mwanza at the Cavern on Tuesday nights. There is no cover, and you'll be treated to one of the most eclectic mixes in the metroplex. Look at the list to the left: he really does play all of that stuff, and the guy obviously knows his shit. Give it a try. Even if you don't know anything about some of these genres, you'll hear something you like.

1. Van Morrison is playing at Nokia Theater (a crap venue) for like $8,000 ( a crap price), but I just wanted to say how much I love Van Morrison. I will NEVER get sick of that guy.

2. There will be a Yeah Yeah Yeah's listening party at the Cavern tonight at 10pm. Their new album Gold Lion will be played. We haven't heard it yet , but I'm not going to promise that it will be good. It might be worth listening to tonight before you buy it, because if it sucks you can save your money for more important things like white belts at Urban Outfitters or something.

Seeing Ariel Pink at SXSW last year was a less than thrilling experience. He played with a band that he obviously hadn't been playing with for long (or maybe just met that day), most of the set was improvised, and the performance was sloppy to say the least. It was mainly disappointing because I was expecting a lot, even if the humor of seeing him be extremely difficult at an industry showcase wasn't lost on me or most of the audience.

So it was with some apprehension that I trucked on up to Denton (again) on Saturday to see him (again). Saying I made the right choice is probably something of an understatement, because I can't imagine that there has been a more unique concert experience in DFWd in the past couple of months... at least. Despite some sound problems (I know, I'm starting to sound like a broken record around here), the show was captivating from the start. Pink was alone on stage throughout most of the set, and was accompanied by some homemade videos that were very well done in that K Records DIY kind of way, complete with sock puppets and camcorder footage of trees, etc. Pink stuck to his previously recorded material, and it was pleasantly surprising to hear how well he performed it live. Most of the time when someone says, " this sounds just like the record," at a concert, it doesn't really mean a whole lot. But the fact that Ariel Pink can replicate the feel, not to mention the structure and sound of his recordings is quite an achievement considering how random much of his stuff is. And although his songs all have a meditative, trance inducing quality to them, the underlying pop structure of his music was clearly discernible throughout the set, making it that much easier to loose yourself in the hazy loneliness of his music. There is a certain sadness that pervades in his songs, and that aspect of his work was communicated just as effectively as the goofiness that makes Ariel Pink a pleasant listen.

The show sort of took a turn for the worst when he started to improvise with a local band that he had hooked up with earlier in the day, but his humorous free form lyrics made even that part tolerable, although I could have done without it. Ariel Pink is an epic and talented songwriter that uses his music to not only convey ideas that seem to exist only on a subconscious level, but also to make it a little more difficult for the audience to comprehend just what those ideas are. And trying to figure it all out is part of his appeal.

So I had no internet for most of the day yesterday after 5pm, and then this morning when I got it back, Blogspot was down. Thanks a lot God! Needless to say I didn't have time to do any updates. Back to normal later today.

Yeah. Two big games in one week and two subpar performances. I was pretty excited about this team, but this week they have demonstrated that they still have a long way to go before they can play with the likes of San Antonio and Phoenix.

There is no It List tonight by the way, so maybe you should vote for the J.R. awards, or read a book, or do whatever it is you do when you aren't totally rocking the fuck out.

Oh, and I'll have a review of last night's Ariel Pink show a little later tonight.



Oh, and don't forget to listen to Frequency Down with Frank on KNTU 88.1 tonight at 10pm.

Once again there is some good stuff going on tonight, and most of it isn't in Dallas. Shocked? We're not.

1. Ariel Pink/Belong (Hailey's Denton)
If you haven't heard Ariel Pink before, you should really give him a listen. It is like perfect pop music being played in the apartment next door. You can hear it but you can barely make out any of the details, even though you can tell that there are details and that they are good. A truly unique artist. His live shows are known to be hit or miss, so you might not love what you see tonight. But you'll sure remember it. Belong is a strange noise band.

2. Strange Boys | Cry Blood Apache | Blonde Girls | Eat Avery's Bones- Metrognome Collective (1518 E. Lancaster Ft. Worth)
An exciting DIY music venue/art space in Fort Worth featuring a show by a couple promising local bands and another good one from Austin. It is BYOB and five bucks. The EAB people suggest you get there around 11 to see their set.

3. DJ G (Avenue Arts 825 Exposition Ave)
Dj G will go on at midnight or so. The last time we went to one of these Melissa parties, Dj G played a great set of rare disco, house, and a bunch of other stuff we've never heard before. It was pretty fantastic. Hopefully it will be the same tonight. He'll supposedly be spinning till 4, so this could be a great after hours spot tonight. Its $8 and BYOB.

Blah. Not a lot going on tonight. This would be the place to post big house party info if you've got it.

Mi and l'au are playing at the Cavern tonight for $6. And while we like their quiet folksy stuff on record, we weren't all that captivated by their live performance in Denton opening for Akron Family. Maybe its because they told us to be quiet like the people in New York were. In response, someone yelled out "welcome to Texas." I liked that. But a pretty interesting band that might be worth seeing if you aren't looking to rock out tonight. Other than that, make your own damn fun tonight.

EDIT: And how could I forget that Strange Boys are playing a show with Cry Blood Apache at Avenue Arts tonight. its 5 bucks. And since the place doesn't have a real sound system, lets hope they bring enough shit to play loud.