By DL and Frank Phosphate

FRIDAY

Mary Anne Hobbs | Blixaboy | Pandai'a | Royal Highnuss | VJ S (eye) Plus Unified Minds | Gallery Cat | MC Astro | Bodega Brothas (Outside) (Green Elephant)
Pretty big catch for Dallas to have such a prominent figure of both Dubstep as well as the BBC here all the way from London. Hobbs played music by Wanz Dover's Blixaboy project on her influential show, which is what eventually led to this event, and it's good to see Dover getting his due after much hard work over the years. For more info, scroll down to the interview below conducted by Boston's DJ Pandai'a, who has written for San Francisco's Big Up, and I would like to thank her on behalf of We Shot JR for helping us out. (DL)

MVSCLZ | Survive | Darktown Strutters | | /Tense/ | | Tommyboy (The Cavern)
Perhaps one of the strongest lineups in '09, and one that nobody should overlook. This show includes some of the best acts from some of the best shows I've seen in the past two years, and is a who's who of some of the best underground acts in the state, hailing from Austin, Dallas, And Houston respectively.

You may have caught MVSCLZ at the now-legendary Swiss House sometime during the summer of last year, and they put on a really memorable show; obscuring their melodically brilliant vocal melodies behind Italo influenced rhythms and a ridiculous visual concept. No surprise since renowned Austin photographer and new media manipulator Ben Aqua is involved.

Houston's //TENSE// blew me away at the Kastle Of Luxurious Diamonds a few months ago, and had everyone really losing it to the mechanical throb of the duo's proto-industrial rhythms. I bought a copy of their CDR-release Memory at the show and it's often found in the cd player I am constantly made fun of for still using whenever I'm designated-driving some assholes home. //TENSE// also features the incredible lead vocalist Mariana Saldaña of Medio Mutante on keyboard and electronic drums, and her handling of the vocals towards the end of the set was a highlight.

Tommyboy did the visuals at that show, and he'll be DJ-ing tonight, which means that basically there won't be a single moment that's going to suck at The Cavern this evening. How often can you say that about any show, anywhere? Tommyboy was recently the focus of a very informative piece in Quick, which you can read here. Survive is the only group here, that I haven't seen live, but I'm looking forward to it after hearing them online a few times. (DL)

Bob Saget | Ryan Stout (House Of Blues)

Eyedea & Abilities | Themselves | Yeah Def (Hailey's)

Black Friday With Keith P (Fallout Lounge)

Americans In France | The Foot Patrol (Good Records)

Americans In France/h...n (The Lounge)

Kaboom | Dan Dockrill | White Drugs | Drink To Victory (Rubber Gloves)

Great rock 'n roll show tonight at Rubber Gloves. This is going to be the release shindig for Kaboom's new album, Blood. I am a big fan of their last album, the awesomely titled Bear Nation. There is no one in town doing the stuff that these guys do; short, chaotic and unclassifiable, Kaboom have formed a distinct and unrelenting sound that can only come from years of working and performing. Which makes sense since the dudes have been making music for ten plus years. I recently asked guitarist Chris Cowdrey about how the sound on their latest release compares to Bear Nation and he replied "I hate the old one. Didn't have any "dirt" in it. This one got it some dirt." Sounds good to me. Haven't had a chance to see White Drugs since SHQ days but I am sure they are just as loud and sludgy as ever. Not much to be said about Drink to Victory except that they know how to bring the pain/hardcore to the brain. I'm ready to rock. (FP)

PVC Street Gang | TV Torso | New Fumes | Cocky Americans (Project House)

SATURDAY

Hatebreed | Cannibal Corpse | Unearth | Born Of Osiris | Hate Eternal (The Door)
I'm sure I'm the thousandth idiot to make this statement, but I really wish Hatebeak was playing tonight. Cannibal Corpse will forever remind me of being stuck in this 70's Chevy family van with no AC on a trip to Oklahoma City that was so brutally hot and uncomfortable, it forced all the passengers to take their shirts off, and we just sat there sweating to death while blasting Cannibal Corpse. That's how Cannibal Corpse sounds best. The album art to 1998's Gallery Of Suicide has stood the test of time; still pretty repulsive. (DL)

Kid Sister | David Guetta | A Trak | DJ Dan | Dave Aude | Morgan Page | Optical | Kill The Noise | Black Sun Empire | Wes Walz | DJ Merritt | Jeremy Word | Willie Trimmer | DJ Titan (The Palladium)
Someone asked me if hipster hop was dead recently. I didn't know how to answer that. I saw fellow Chicago act, The Cool Kids, at Fun Fun Fun Fest recently, and they were surprisingly good live. Live hip hop, hipster or otherwise is pretty hit or miss. But you know what, most live music is miss and miss, so whatever. You're probably well aware that this part of the annual Meltdown Festival, due to the high level of promotion and always available and clean web links. I could use more of that in my research. I just wish someone could explain what "digital graffiti" is. (DL)