I Don't Like Mondays, But...

Do you need a little relief for a crappy Monday? And after all, is there any other kind of Monday? Yeah, I didn't think so either. Fortunately, this Monday has more going on than your average Monday.

Bill's Records is sure to be jumping Monday night. Erykah Badu is going to be hanging out at Bill's; I don't know yet whether or not she will be performing. C'mon, there's a stage for performance; let's put it to some good use. Even if she doesn't sing, the opportunity to meet Erykah (or even just be in the same room as her) is reason enough to go. Jeff Liles will also be on hand, handing out free DVD's of "The Last Record Store", his documentary on Bill's.

Barley House doesn't have Erykah Badu or Jeff Liles on hand, but they do have one of my new faves on hand. Tonite Tonite will be performing, and if you missed them when they opened up for Chomsky, then shame on you. It was my first opportunity to see them live, and their performance lived up to everything I expected of them. Also, the band is supposed to start playing at 9:30, so I would imagine the evening would wrap up early for those of you who have work the next day.

With events like these, it's almost enough to make a person like Mondays. Almost is the key word there.

The Battle is On!

Quick Magazine has just begun its second annual Battle of the Bands contest. If you didn’t participate last year, let me give you a summary of how it works. Artists are pitted against each other in a bracket style competition, and the readers vote on each of the match-ups. Whoever gets the most votes in its battle makes it to the next round. Go here to see all the rules, when each round begins and ends, and most importantly, go vote!


Below is a list of all the competitions in each bracket. For each competition, the artist highlighted is the one I voted for and felt was most deserving of the win. Whether or not you agree with my decisions, please go to the site and cast your ballots. The overall winner will be announced sometime after March 25th, once voting for the final round ends. That artist will join Dirty Dialect Click in their Hall of Fame. By the way, I admit my local hip-hop knowledge is lacking, but has that band done ANYTHING lately? It’s like they came out of nowhere, won the competition, and then disappeared as quickly as they emerged. I hope that doesn’t happen to this year’s winner.

Anyways, here are the artists, my picks, as well as a little editorializing from yours truly. I didn't feel like creating a link to each and every artist, but you can find the links for these artists when you vote.

Bracket 1:
Record Hop vs. Dust Congress
Odis vs. Johnny Lloyd Rollins
Mr. Lucci vs. Bridges and Blinking Lights
Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights vs. Lex Lu
Smile Smile vs. Travis Hopper
Tum Tum vs. Radiant
Sean Kirkpatrick vs. Tree Wave (Haven’t seen either live yet, but I hold a soft spot for the Atari 2600 era sound effects from Tree Wave)
The Crash That Took Me vs. Deaf Pedestrians

Bracket 2:
PPT vs. Denton County Revelators
Mr. Pookie vs. Calhoun
Sarah Jaffe vs. The New Frontiers
The Hourly Radio vs. Max Cady
Kottonmouth vs. THe BAcksliders (I'm sorry, but match up isn't even close... I'm 110% behind THe BAcksliders)
Red Monroe vs. Saboteur
The Slack vs. Playdough
Ghosthustler vs. Laura Palmer

Bracket 3:
Salim Nourallah vs. Florene (I think Florene shows a lot of promise, but they had the misfortune of being pitted against a true Dallas great. Better luck next time.)
Daniel Folmer vs. Shibboleth
Fishboy vs. Carmen Rodgers (I know I’m gonna get flack on this one… bring it on)
Headkrack vs. Green River Ordinance
The Drams vs. Steve Austin
Fair to Midland vs. Verbal Seed
The Paper Chase vs. Shanghai 5
St. Vincent vs. Theater Fire

Bracket 4:
Black Tie Dynasty vs. Hendrick
Mom vs. Muddy Waters
Robert Gomez vs. Dove Hunter
Big Tuck vs. Geno Young
Baboon vs. Thesis
Strange Fruit Project vs. Lovie
Doug Burr vs. Pleasant Grove (this was the hardest decision right here)
Midlake vs. Collin Herring

Again, I stress that you need to vote. Don’t assume your favorite local artist is safe. It never entered my mind that Sorta might lose the first round to a rap group I’d never even heard of. But that’s exactly what happened. This is why you need to go vote now… don’t wait.

Good Shows Tonight That Don’t Have Chomsky on the Lineup

Okay, so Chomsky isn’t the only band playing tonight. Granted, it might be another three years (or longer) before your next opportunity to see them play, but if that’s not your cup of tea, you’re a weirdo. But that’s enough of the smart remarks. Seriously, there are several other shows I’d love to see tonight. If I could clone myself, I’d check out these other shows.

Sara Donaldson, Van Risseghem (Opening Bell Coffee)
Is there anything Sara Donaldson cannot do? She’s a photographer, painter, she has a degree in marine biology, she teaches yoga, and she plays piano, guitar, and cello. All these activities keep Ms. Donaldson quite the busy woman, and that doesn’t leave her much time to perform. This is her first show since I’m not sure when. It’s not three years like Chomsky, but it’s still a long time. I can only hope this is the first of many more shows to come. By the way, Ms. Donaldson, when is your next album coming out? I’m impatiently waiting…

Freewill Benefit (The Green Elephant)
In January, rap group Neva Dug Disco lost one of their own. William Hunnicutt, aka Freewill, died of a heart attack, leaving behind family and friends. Perhaps saddest of all, his girlfriend was pregnant, and his child will never have the chance to know him. This show is a benefit to help his family. While there will be some tears shed I’m sure, I expect that this will also be a celebration of his life. After all, with PPT as one of the groups on the bill, fun is inevitable. I don’t know any the other rappers on the bill, as I admit my knowledge of the Dallas hip-hop scene is sorely lacking, but I suspect that if you want to get “schooled” on the local hip-hop scene, this is the perfect night to learn.

I Love Math, Marcus Striplin, Sarah Jaffe (Barley House)
My only complaint with last week’s show is the fact that most of the SMU crowd at Barley House was more interested in talking over Marcus Striplin’s solo set instead of listening to it. I’d be curious to see if they shut up for Sarah Jaffe. When I saw her party at Allgood Café last month, the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. That was in spite of the fact that I have never seen Allgood as packed as it was that night. So if you’re a SMU frat boy reading this (admittedly unlikely), if you’re not going to shut up, get the hell out of Barley House. This lineup deserves better than that.

Fishing For Comets (City Tavern)
Okay, so it hasn’t been eons since the last FFC show, this is not a benefit, and no one’s about to leave for New York City (like Mr. Striplin is doing), but if you’re in need of turning that frown upside down, there’s no better cure for being down than this band.

Great shows, but if you want to know where to find me, I’ll be at Double-Wide. Get there early; you don’t want to miss out on Tonite Tonite. Trust me on this one.

A Show Three Years in the Making

It was a fine Saturday night at Barley in April of the year 2005. One of my favorite Dallas bands of all time, Chomsky, took the stage. It was the usual mix of “punctual rock” as they call it, dancing in the audience, and guitar Glen Reynolds being, well, Glen. Neither I nor the band knew that this performance was to be their final show. As sad as it is to see a band end, it’s even worse when you don’t have a chance to get closure on the death of a band. Of course, none of the band members said that the band had broken up, only that the members were working on other projects. Glen Reynolds put out a solo CD (In Between Days), Don Cento and James Driscoll kept busy in Shibboleth, Matt Kellum has keep busy playing music, and lead singer Sean Halleck has not been seen out and about much.

You can only imagine my sheer joy when I discovered that the boys in Chomsky were doing a reunion show. The show goes down tonight at Double Wide, where they will be on the lineup sandwiched in between Tonite Tonite and The Crash That Took Me. That’s right, pay attention: Chomsky is NOT the headliner. They say they expect to go on around 10:30 or so, which probably means they’ll go on around 11:00-11:30. But that won’t be a problem for you, since every one of you reading this is going to make a point of being there to hear Tonite Tonite. I have been raving about this band simply based on their MySpace songs, and the interesting thing is that for most bands, the songs they post online pale in comparison to what the band sounds like live. If that’s the case here, then you cannot afford to stroll in just in time to hear Chomsky. Trust me; that would be a major mistake on your part that you would eventually regret.

So to recap: you all will be there in time for Tonite Tonite (if in doubt, get to Double-Wide too early and enjoy a few PBR’s), then you get to watch the all-mighty Chomsky reunite, and finally The Crash That Took Me will end your evening in rocking style.

Heartbreak, Dallas Style

Today is Valentine’s Day, and I’m not going to lie. I am not a fan of this holiday. I know there are many of you out there who share the same sentiment, so I’ve come up with a special Top 10 list for all of you. This is not a list of happy love songs to listen to with that special someone. Instead, I offer you a list of my favorite songs of heartbreak to ever come out of this fine city. While this list may not help you establish a romantic mood with your loved one, perhaps it will ring true to those who are having a difficult time finding the joy in today. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been dumped, betrayed, lost a loved one, separated from a loved one, or whatever other cruel trick fate can play on you. If you’re feeling the pain, then this Top 10 list is for you.

10. Airline, "Whatever It Is"
Although I am sincerely looking forward to the release of their full-length, Farewell Republica, their debut EP left me a little cold. However, I was advised by a friend to give this track another chance, and I'm glad I took the time. This is a nice, bittersweet little tune that I'm glad managed to break into my Top 10 list.
09. THe BAcksliders, "Pour Another Glass"
Between Kim Pendleton's gorgeously heartbreaking voice and the title, "Pour Another Glass", how could this song NOT chart?
08. The Chemistry Set, "Retreat"
I don't know which is more heartbreaking: this song, or the fact that The Chemistry Set is no more. Really, the latter is sadder, but this song is still plenty sad.
07. Fishing For Comets, "Lies"I believe I've said this before, but Camille's voice is like that best friend who knows exactly what to say to make you feel better. So even in this sad tale, with lines like "It's useless I suppose to hold on to something that's not there", it still feels like everything's going to be okay. But make no mistake, this is still a sad one here.
06. Pleasant Grove, "Nothing This Beautiful"
Pleasant Grove take the basic "boy meets girl, boy loses girl" song structure and turns it into a ten minute epic masterpiece. Genius. That's all I can say. Pure freakin' genius.
05. Sugarbomb, "Posterchild For Tragedy"
In their time, Sugarbomb got a reputation for being a great "party band" of sorts. However, this song hints to the fact that Sugarbomb could have been so much more had they only stayed together. The song is about, in Les' own words, "losing a loved one... permanently".
04. Kristy Kruger, "The Night You Never Came To Meet Me"
I almost put "This Is Now" in place of this song, but the same friend who convinced me to give Airline a second listen got me re-listening to this song, and it has now become one of my big faves off of the Songs from a Dead Man's Couch CD. A beautiful tale of a love that never quite happened.
03. Rahim Quazi, "Coffeebreak"
Sometimes the best songs are the simplest songs. The lyrics here are not filled with flowery words; there are no complex similes or metaphors here. So what does that leave? A bare bones song that cuts to the core of what heartbreak is.
02. Old 97's, "If My Heart Was A Car"
This may seem like a little of an upset here. I mean, I could do an entire heartbreak playlist centered exclusively around Old 97's tracks. It was hard to narrow it down to one, but I felt that there needed to be a song to represent the angrier side of heartbreak, and I could not have selected a better tune than this.
01. Sara Radle, "Get Used To Disappointment"Before leaving Dallas to become a Rental, Ms. Radle released You Can't Make Everyone Like You, an album filled with great pop melodies and sad lyrics. This album opener here tells the story of being afraid to fall in love, only to fall in love anyways and then receiving the heartbreak feared. Sara's vocals capture the sadness perfectly. Her voice when singing the final refrain, "Do you think we'll make it/Please tell me now I must now/Get used to disappointment/I'll just go" sounds like a woman who knows the feeling all too well. This right here is not only the best song about heartbreak to emerge from the area, I believe this song is an essential for anyone experiencing the sadness of love, whether in Dallas, Des Moines, or even Denmark. If you don't feel the heartbreak in the lyrics, then you have obviously never known true love.

There you go, Happy Valentine's Day. On the other hand, perhaps it's not so happy after listening to these songs. Oh well. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Vagina… Do I Have Your Attention?

The University of Texas at Dallas will be presenting The Vagina Monologues over the next three days. I know, you’re wondering why I am talking about a play on a website devoted to the local music scene. It seems to be a strange fit. One might even wonder if I’m simply mentioning the play for the mere opportunity to say the word “vagina” repeatedly.

Okay, I do confess that I enjoy the shock value of the repeated use of the V-word. I do, however, have a real purpose in bringing up the play, and yes, it does tie into the local music scene. First of all, Andrea Roberts of Happy Bullets has a part in the play. Second of all, the band Lovie is going to be the opener for all of the performances. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the money for the ticket sales will go to charities that help battered and abused women. Okay, the last one isn’t about the music scene, but it is an important cause, and the only thing I love more than local music is the ability to hear local music and support charity at the same time.

Oh, and speaking of Lovie, I’ve got some news that I’ll be breaking soon that involves Lovie. What is it, you ask? Patience, my young grasshoppers. All will be revealed in due time.

I Joined Inner City All-Stars… Sort Of

This past Saturday, I went to Gezellig to see Inner City All-Stars perform again. It was only my second time to see the band live, but I was immediately converted as a fan from that first show. It only made sense that I should go see them to celebrate their CD Release Party for Gotta Move On. I got at the club at about 9:30 and got the opportunity to chat with tuba player David Seip, as well as bandleader Calvin Sexton. Both are incredibly cool and friendly individuals. The band started their set at 10:00, and although the crowd at that time was smaller and less energized, the performance by the band was fully energized. I’ve made many mentions of how fun this band is, but during their first set, I really took the time to observe the band, and I must say that Calvin Sexton has managed to organize an excellent group of musicians together. More importantly, Mr. Sexton does an excellent job as band leader, running a musical ship that is always tight yet never so tight that the band loses its sense of joy. As a result, what the audience hears is a first rate jazz band that brings more fun to its set than any other jazz group I’ve seen.

The band took a short break before starting its second and “main” set. During this break, the band was getting prepared for its grand re-entrance to the club. For those not familiar with the band’s modus operandi, the band likes to enter the club from the front door, playing their music along the street as they enter the club. This is where my story gets more interesting. I was approached by David Seip about the opportunity to play bass drum with them as they marched down the street. There was only one problem with this theory: the band was not aware of how rhythmically challenged I am. Instead of bass drum, I opted to play A-Go-Go bell. So there I was, walking with Inner City All-Stars, playing A-Go-Go bell to their sweet, sweet music. The weather was slightly cool, I was more than slightly nervous still, yet at the same time the experience was a total rush. Some bands talk about audience participation, but this band takes it to the next level. How many other bands do you know that allow music bloggers to be a part of the band, even if only for about 10 minutes?

Once the band re-entered the club, the party was officially on. The crowd had grown, and more importantly, the crowd was alive and dancing. I regret that I did not stay for the entire show, but I had another show that I wanted to see. I do hope to get the opportunity to get the band, and very soon. If you have not seen this band live, rectify that situation immediately. If you don’t have their new CD yet, buy it. It may not be as intense as the live experience, but it’ll keep you from Jonesing too bad until their next show.

After “leaving” the band (in both senses of the word), I headed to Barley House, where I was lucky enough to catch the last half of Marcus Striplin’s solo set. My only complaint is that there were too many SMU frat boys and sorority girls chatting over his quietly gorgeous tunes. Other than that, it was a joy to hear him play, especially when he dug up one of my personal PG favorites, “We Made Our Way”. I got an opportunity to talk to him afterwards, and I got to talk to him about his move to NYC. He informed me that Pleasant Grove is not breaking up, but rather he is moving to the Big Apple in order to pursue his music career. Or to quote Mr. Striplin he’s “just runnin’ down a dream, man.”

Gratuitous Tom Petty references aside, I wish Marcus the best as he bids the city adieu. Be sure to attend Double-Wide on March 1st, as that will likely be one of the last Pleasant Grove shows we will see in these parts for awhile. I also got Marcus on record promising to play “Commander Whatever” at the Double-Wide show. I’m holding you to that, buddy.

Finally, I Love Math played. There’s not much to say. John Dufilho can do no wrong, so of course the set was fabulous. No word when the next I Love Math CD is coming out. C’mon guys, who do you think you are? Boston? It’s time to release the album now.

So here’s the recap: Inner City All Stars are phenomenal, I learned to play A-Go-Go bell and had fun doing it, Marcus Striplin sounds better when drunk frat boys shut up and listen, and I love I Love Math. Yeah, that about sums it up.

Another Saturday Night

Here's a quick look at some of the best choices for tonight:

Inner City All-Stars (Gezellig)
When the Dallas Observer held their Music Awards Showcase on Lower Greenville Avenue, there were plenty of great bands playing. Out of them all, however, the perfomance by Inner City All-Stars at Gezellig stood out as the best and the brightest. The band returns to the scene of the crime to celebrate the release of their CD, Gotta Move On. Be prepared to be moved, and be prepared to move your body. This will be a massive party!

I Love Math, Marcus Striplin, Handclaps and Harmonies (Barley House)
Last year did not give us many chances to see John Dufilho. He was quite busy drumming for Apples in Stereo, leaving little opportunity to play with either Deathray Davies or his other project, I Love Math. Mr. Dufilho is obviously making up for lost time, playing both this Saturday and next Saturday with I Love Math. Pleasant Grove lead singer Marcus Striplin is on the bill, as are Handclaps and Harmonies, whose Beach Boys and early Beatles influenced melodies will have you thinking the year is 1964. By the way, it's about damn time that the Barley House have a lineup this solid.

Spector 45 and guests (Club Dada)The show is free, and I'm not even sure if Frankie and the guys know who else they're playing with. Expect lots of drinking and mayhem. I mean that in a good way!

Stella Rose, The Frontier Brothers, Kirkland James, Grassfight (The Cavern)This lineup consists of two bands I haven't seen but really, really want to see (Frontier Brothers, Grassfight), one artist I know nothing about (Kirkland James), and Stella Rose, who I've only seen once and need to see again. Their sound is sort of like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, except heavier, and their drummer Matt Mabe is a monster behind the drum kit. Stella Rose doesn't play near enough Dallas shows; convince them to do otherwise.

Finally, I'd like to bring your attention to a show that is NOT happening tonight. Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights were supposed to be playing tonight at Hank's in McKinney. However, they had to cancel the show. They also were supposed to play at Coach Joe's a few weeks ago in Frisco, and that show was cancelled as well. Come on Johnny, show a little love to the northern parts of Dallas. I say you should hold a free show in McKinney or Frisco just to make up for that. Just kidding guys. Sort of.

Music and Causes

Okay, so with the defininte exception of the first show listed, the “causes” tend to be a little weak. The music is anything but weak, though, so find one of these shows to support.

The cut*off/The Demigs/Grassfight/Deep Snapper (Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio)
This show is being sponsored by the UNT-FMLA group, and while I’m not quite sure what “FMLA” stands for, the Rubber Gloves website says they are a group devoted to “raising gender issues on campus”. I think the specific purpose of this particular show is to raise awareness about domestic abuse, as would be suggested by the “Stop the Violence” phrase on the promotional poster for the show. As for the bands on the lineup, my love for The Cut*off and The Demigs is quite well documented. I’ve never seen Grassfight, but the stuff on their MySpace suggests this band has loads of promise. I don’t really know anything about Deep Snapper except that Demigs lead singer Chris Demiglio says they’re a great band. Hey, that’s enough in my book.

Backflap/Me And You/The LFD (Bar of Soap)Vulgarity and indecency has become a humongous fucking problem in our country. Shit, you can’t go anywhere without hearing assloads of profanity. Never fear mofo’s, The League of Fucking Decency (aka The LFD) are here to help this serious fucking problem. OK, on a semi-serious note here, this is a new band that needs your support. This is only their second show I believe, but these guys have a fresh sound and are quite funny. The LFD is the opener, and there’s never a cover at Bar of Soap, so if you can, catch their set which starts at 9:30.

Here are a few more shows that are worth your attention:

• Will Johnson/Sarah Jaffe (Double Wide)
  
• Blue Petal opening for the newly reunited Blue Mountain (Dan’s Silverleaf)
  
• The Orange/Analog Robot (The Cavern)
  

Why are those shows worthy? Cause I said so. That’s the cause. Get It? “Cause” I said so.

Okay, I get the hint; I’m giving up the dream of stand-up comedy.

A Night at Lola's

I go to more than my fair share of shows in the metroplex area, and I’ve seen many a good show. It’s rare, however, to have a lineup where all the acts are truly great. That holds especially true as the number of acts on a lineup increases. This makes the show I witnessed at Lola’s this past Saturday evening to be even more amazing. It’s not just that there were no weak links on the lineup; every one of the bands truly reached a level of greatness rarely seen. To have a lineup of this quality is almost unheard of.

The evening began with The Cush. For those of you who know your local music history, you’re aware that The Cush features members of the successful 90’s band Buck Jones. The Cush now calls Burlington, Vermont their home, which is our city’s loss. This band is a must listen for fans of such shoegaze bands as My Bloody Valentine and Lush. The Lush comparison holds especially true to me due to the dreamy, beautiful vocals provided by Gabrielle Douglas on several of their songs. I can only hope that The Cush will be willing to make the trip to Texas on a frequent basis; they would be a welcome addition to our music scene.

After The Cush came Telegraph Canyon. This was my first time to see the band as a whole, although I did have the opportunity to see Chris Johnson do a solo performance at Adair’s over a year ago. I could tell from that one performance that he was a first rate songwriter, and the band’s performance proved my original hypothesis correct. Not only is he a great songwriter, but he has gathered together a group of great musicians to back him up. If it’s another year before I get to see Chris and Telegraph Canyon again, then something is wrong… with me!

The next artist on the lineup, Doug Burr, is probably my favorite singer-songwriter at the moment. It is rare to hear an album that is as beautiful and emotionally intense as On Promenade, but Mr. Burr has succeeded in such a feat. His set was filled with great tunes from that album, including “Whippoorwill”, “Come To My Senses”, and “In The Garden”, a song that works even better live than on the album. And that is quite an accomplishment right there.

I had seen headliner Dove Hunter on previous occasions, and although I thought they were a good band, I felt that they would have a hard time following the incredible Doug Burr. While I enjoyed the first few songs they played, it wasn’t until they played “What Turns Inside” that I fully got the band. And when you get Dove Hunter, the moment is not a light bulb going off over your head. No, the moment is more like being struck by lightning, with the music being a sudden jolt to your system that electrifies you and energizes you. Their music not only demands attention, but commands it. Dove Hunter is a band that must be seen, and even if you’ve seen them before and didn’t “get it”, then keep going back until you do get it. Because once you understand the appeal of Dove Hunter, their music will be like a drug that you crave, where you don’t just want the music, you need it. All the band members are incredibly talented, but I have to give extra special props to drummer Quincy Holloway, who manages to pull of some of the most unique rhythms I’ve heard, and he does so with fierce intensity that makes me wonder if he was summoning the ghost of Keith Moon. Simply put, this man just may be the finest drummer in the metroplex. Dove Hunter concluded their set with encore song “Cyclone Stare”, and before the song ended, bassist Chad DeAtley threw his bass guitar against the drum set and later Quincy started kicking around his drum set in true rock n’ roll fashion. It was an incredible end to an incredible night, leaving me yearning for more music from these fine bands.

Donate Some Clothes, See Some Shows

This weekend is a crazy weekend filled with too many good shows for me to let another day go by without writing. Yes, this weekend is filled with great bands and shows, and I’m going to get to the shows shortly. However, there’s one show in particular that deserves your attention.



Pikahsso from the rap super-group PPT is having a birthday party at Space. Yes, he wants you to bring gifts. No, they’re not for him. He is asking you to bring coats, shoes, gloves, hats, and other articles of clothing to donate to the homeless. So you know that coat that’s hanging in the back of your closet? You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the one you haven’t worn in years that’s just collecting dust. Bring that and any other used articles of clothing to Space. You’ll be giving to a good cause while celebrating the birthday of a good man. Oh, and did I mention that there will be live music? Money Waters, The Boondox, Original Soul, DDC & Epix, and Romio No E will be playing, along with the one and only PPT. I’m sure they’ll be busting out a lot of stuff from the upcoming Denglish album, an album that I’m hoping will put Dallas on the hip-hop map. If anyone can do it, it’s these three guys.

Okay, now onto your other options for this Friday:

Boys Named Sue (Allgood Café)
If it’s the first Friday of the month, you can count on Boys Named Sue playing the “redneck Happy Hour” at Allgood Café. But you knew that already, didn’t you? If somehow you’ve never made it out, change that. You’ll be glad you did.

Somebody’s Darling (Sue Ellen’s)
From Boys Named Sue to the club Sue Ellen’s… quite a transition. I don’t hear about Sue Ellen’s hosting live music very often, but they’re starting the month with one of my favorite new bands, Somebody’s Darling, and wrapping it up with another fave of mine, Fishing For Comets. Perhaps this could be the start of a cool trend here.

Budapest One, The cut*off, Zest of Yore, The Scene Girls (Lola’s)
I could go on and on about the cut*off, about how they’re one of the best bands in Dallas, how I can’t wait until their CD Packaged Up for Beginners come out, and so on. Instead, I want to focus on Budapest One. Keith Killoren and Chad Stockslager have been so busy with both The Drams and The King Bucks that their original band, Budapest One, almost never plays anymore. Budapest One did play a benefit show in December, and I believe that was their first show since 2006. For those who missed it, now is your chance to redeem yourself.

Hard Night’s Day and… (Club Dada)
Here’s the thing: Hard Night’s Day is the only band I’m certain that’s playing at Dada tonight. Some sources say that Flat People are playing tonight; other sources that it will be Fruitcake-Superbeing. Who knows, maybe both are on the bill? Either way, I recommend both bands, so either way you’re in for a treat.

I don’t have the time to discuss Saturday at the moment, so check in tomorrow for your options Saturday evening.