Weekend Plans: 5/11/12

For those wondering, there will be a playlist posted later today, even if it's nothing more than the playlist widget.  I felt it more important to update you on what local bands are playing this weekend.  So here it goes...

FRIDAY:
To Coda/Phoenix Hart/Velvet Guard (The Crown and Harp)
Phoenix kicks off the night at 10 PM with an acoustic set, and she has an intensely powerful set of pipes on her.    Her entire album, Save Love, is quite good, and the acoustic version of the title track really showcases what a great vocalist she is.  To Coda follows at 11, and as I've said about them before, the band is more talented than what might think for a teen rock group.  And their lead vocalist, Heather Darwin, is also a very powerful vocalist.  Velvet Guard ends the evening with their very intriguing blends of new wave (a la Joy Division) with more recent alt/indie bands (think Muse or The Killers), and in my opinion, this is the most under appreciated band in the metroplex right now.  Let's change that, okay?

Holy Moly/800 Mile Monday/Parallel Play/One Red Cent (LaGrange)

Is it or me, or does it seem that country music is figuring into the local music scene less prominently at the moment?  Perhaps it's just that Boys Named Sue aren't playing around as much anymore, and Eleven Hundred Springs is laying low until their next album is released.  For those craving country with a bawdy sense of humor, then you really need to check out Holy Moly.  Also, Parallel Play sports quite a sense of humor, though less bawdy, and more folk-rock.  Don't let that phrase fool you, as it's definitely high octane folk.

The Manifesto/The Wake of Man/They Cried Apollo/Altered States/Caterpillars (Liquid Lounge)

The real draws of this lineup are the first two acts on the lineup.  Caterpillars, featuring Christopher Robinson of Menkena, produce moody yet entrancing songs blending elements of psychedelia, new wave, and indie.  Whereas Caterpillars dabble in psychedelia, Altered States immerse themselves much deeper in the style, all while incorporating elements of progressive rock in the songs.

SATURDAY:

The Ultraviolet Rock Show For Cystic Fibrosis (Dada)

I believe this is their sixth year for doing this, and the fifth year I've attended.  For the first time ever, neither Lovie nor El Gato are on the lineup, although The Oxen (featuring Rebecca Dixon of Lovie and Kirk Dixon of El Gato) will perform.  Also on the lineup are Fate Lions, Salim Nourallah, Ryan Thomas Becker, and Dis Posable Music.  And of course there's the silent auction of art and other merchandise, with the night's profits from everything going towards the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Eleven Hundred Springs (Dan’s Silverleaf)

Okay, so maybe I spoke to soon about the band laying low...

The King Bucks (Adair’s)

The King Bucks play Adair's?  Wow, that never happens.

I've probably forgotten something.  Remind me in the comments section.