FFW – the FPH Music Preview for February 17 – 23

By Ramon LP4

Show of the Week

Unwed Sailor

with
Warbler PL
Giant Cloud
Co-Pilot

@ The Mink

Monday 21 February

OK, so this week I have to give it up to Seattle’s Johnathon Ford who has been making some lovely melodic instrumental rock music for over a decade. While you have a lot of indie rock instrumental bands that exclusively abuse the soft-loud dynamic, Ford marks his trade with lovely and intricate small melodies that have more going for them that just a big long crescendo. It’s solid stuff that’s worth your time even on a Monday night.

Now for the rest of the week

Thursday 17 February

Broken Social Scene, Zeus @ Warehouse Live – Canadian Indie rockers. You know what that means – a million band members. What is it with Canadians and collectives? Anyhow, it’s good indie rock and who knows who the hell is in the band this time around.

Tapes ‘N Tapes, Oberhofer @ Fitzgerald’s – Bouncy indie poppers from Minneapolis drop in town to pimp their latest album, Outside. I haven’t heard the full record but the one track I’ve heard, Freak Out, is a lot of fun.

The Cutters (tour kickoff), The Mahas, Full Rainbows, The Examples @ The Mink– Bill Fool tells me that The Cutters “Jon from the Monocles, Jeff from Muhammadali (7″ this fall on Cutthroat) and Brian from Talk Sick Brats (7″ this summer) plus 2 cats I see around town a lot.” He also says they are very Ramones-y. Sounds good to me!

Friday 18 February

The Wheel Workers (CD release), The Orbans, Featherface @ Walter’s – Local indie rockers with diverse instrumentation drop a new one at Walter’s.

Clandestine @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – If you do Celtic music in Texas, do you call it Celt-Tex or Tex-Celt?

Krullur, H.R.A., Talk Sick Brats @ Rudyard’s –Gulf Coast Hardcore at Rudz. I just want to really say how jealous I am of someone naming a band Krullur!!

Fistful of Soul @ The Mink –DJs fool! Get your dance on!

The Pretty Reckless @ House of Blues (Bronze Peacock Room) – Band featuring that Gossip Girl actress. Not horrible, not great, but there are sure to be some creepy old dudes in the crowd.

Soul Track Mind @ Cactus Music (5:30PM) –I can’t say I’m particularly impressed with what I’ve heard but hey free St. Arnolds!!!!

Ya Ya Boom, Shoulder Voices @ Super Happy Fun Land –Albuquerque band with some interesting ideas, not sure about the vocals so much but it might be interesting live.

Kendrick Lamar, School Boy Q, Sore Losers, Mookie Jones, DJ Mr. Rogers @ Warehouse Live – Compton rapper, Kendrick Lamar, leads this hip hop line-up.

Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys/Zwee @ The Continental Club - American roots music, western swing, rockabilly, and traditional country, California’s Big Sandy plays it all.

Saturday 19 February

Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck –2/3rds of the Texas power trio, The Flatlanders.

Black Congress @ Walter’s – Expect to be brutalized by one of Houston’s best bands.

Chase Hamblin, Al Staehely, Mitch Jacobs @ The Continental Club –Local paisley rocker, Chase Hamblin leads this bill.

Young Girls, Art Institute, Knifight, Papaya @ The Mink – Young Girls is probably one of the most talked about indie pop bands in Houston right now. This will be a good chance to check them out if you have not already.

Steady Boy Showcase, featuring Al Staehely, Mitch Jacobs, & Chase Hamblin @ Cactus Music (1PM) – Yay free St Arnold’s today as well!!!

Jarrod Gorbel, Atlantic, Pacific, Benjamin Wesley @ Fitzgerald’s –You may know singer songwriter by his old moniker The Honorary Title. The Brooklynite just released a new EP this week.

Blaggards @ Molly Maguires – Houston’s favorite stout Irish rockers.

HYPE!/GRRRL Parts 2-Year Anniversary, featuring Johan, GRRRL Parts, Glasnost, Mad Bass, Best Legs, Psychedelic Sex Panther, & Stagger Lee @ The Mink – Woo! Congratulations on two years of awesome tunes.

Espantapajaros @ Cactus Music (3PM) –Three time Houston Press nominees for Best Latin Contemporary….aaaaaaand free St. Arnold’s.

Robyn, Diamond Rings, Natalia Kills @ Warehouse Live – Swedish dance pop queen if you’re into that kind of stuff.

The Pinker Tones, The Live Lights, Yppah @ Fitzgerald’s – Any band that does a song about Sexy Robots and follows it up with a video like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u0RfDlYQKw ) is OK in my book.

Los Amigos Invisibles, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave. @ House of Blues – Latin Grammy winning rock band from Caracas, Venezuela.

Underworld’s 12th Annual Gothic Beauty Pageant, featuring Scarlett St. Vitus, Lady Spleen, DJ Mina, DJ vvJames, DJ Larry Rainwater, The Dead Bang, DJ Mirage, DJ Ms. Fluzee, & DJ Bret @ Numbers – Not hatin’ but just saying I have a weird urge to drive by Numbers and shout “Woo! Gothapalooza 2011!”

Jeff Coffin & the Mu-tet, Neck & Neck @ Last Concert Café –Apparently three-time Grammy winning saxophonist Coffin replaced the late LeRoi Moore in the Dave Matthews Band. So, I guess have at it DMB fans.

Sunday 20 February

The Caroline Sessions, featuring Prairie Cadets & Reckless Endeavor @ Caroline Collective (2-5PM) –An early show with Indie folksters Prairie Cadets.

Gorilla Battle of the Bands Finals, featuring Good Timing, Hot Dog Handgrenade, When Men Become Gods, Caney Creek Heroes, Lone Star Hippie, Dear Believer, Sky Lounge, Xatarus, Dirty, Amp Head, Eustace, & 11:11 @ Fitzgerald’s (3:30pm) /
Gorilla Takeover, featuring Legion, Drowning Gabriel, Altered Deception, Saints Of Impurity, Avalene, The Karma Kollective, Shone, Eli, Out Feet First, All About Nothing, & Corey Campbell & The Booty Watchers @ Fitzgerald’s (3:30pm) – Hey remember that big national band that broke big because of one of these gorilla showcases? Yeah, me neither.

Miranda Cosgrove, Greyson Chance @ House of Blues –Attention all 8-year-olds: Nickelodeon in the house.

Tuesday 22 February

Eluveitie, 3 Inches of Blood, Holy Grail, System Divide, Carry the Storm @ Warehouse Live –OK…Ummmmm it’s like metal with hurdygurdy, bagpipes, and a lot of flutes. I mean look, is the music good? I’m not gonna answer that. Is it so damn ridiculous that this will not bore you? I would say all signs point to yes. I mean where else will you hear Gaulish lyrics?

Wednesday 23 February

Lucero, Robert Ellis @ Fitzgerald’s – Memphis’ Lucero’s country, rock, and punk flavored music have made fans with critics and a growing army of fans and with good reason. The band has enough southern grit and catchy songs to hook even the most cynical rock and roll burn out. Bonus points – Robert Ellis opens.