#b) 2012-ish punk acts

[vedajuno]

got tagged by @sludgenaut to post albums that compose the shambling monolith of me so make sure you vote for my favorite :)

[koinodancesite]

“Koko Ni Iruze!”

Release date: Oct. 30, 2002

Oricon Weekly placement: 1st

B-side: “Jun Lover”

Members: Ai Kago, Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, Mokoto Ogawa, Mari Yaguchi, Natsumi Abe, Nozomi Tsuji, Rika Ishikawa, Risa Niigaki

It didn’t take very long for Morning Musume to return from a mid-tempo R&B cut to a party-rock anthem, and “Koko Ni Iruze!” is the most physically demanding single from the group yet. The drums pound a hell of a fill, and the brass powers the beat almost in a ska style.

“If I was asked to dance and sing this song now, I’ll probably answer ‘no way,’” Mari Yaguchi said about the single in 2012. She notes a shift in approach in “Koko Ni Iruze!” with her sensing the music moving away from a focus on cuteness and sexiness -- qualities to get the men’s attention -- to instead present a more boyish and “punk-ish” image for the women to like.

You can observe just how fitting the music of “Koko Ni Iruze!” for a male-fronted band by seeing Tsunku cover the single for his solo shows. The song sounds like an output by a typical ‘00s rock act in the hands of the producer and his live band, not only from the ska-punk sound but also its earnest aphorisms that filters through Tsunku as its vocalist: “spread the wings of dreams/ break through/ break through yourself,” the chorus goes, embodying bro-rock sappiness as much as idol-pop optimism.

While the music sounds impossibly cheerful, “Koko Ni Iruze!” captures a spirit who’s burdened with a chip on her shoulder. The ending rally cry rings with a dissonance in tone: “We are all lonely boys and girls,” the group shouts despite the brass loudly pumping behind them. The title literally screams “I’m here!” to fight against fading into insignificance. It’s a self-affirming song as it is a self-development one.

This being a Morning Musume song, the obstacles seem simple to understand and the problems feel easy to fix. That self-assured ease come from the diction of the lyrics. “Shiranai koto toka hajimeruto/ cho-fuan na kao surujan,” (when you start something you don’t know much about/ you make a super unsure face) the song opens, that end suffix positing the reaction to the feared unknown like an obvious fact. “Koko Ni Iruze!” as a whole goes down smoothly thanks to Tsunku scrubbing any pretense of doubt in the lyrics, including that declarative title that allows no space for anyone to say otherwise.

[6]

[atlszine]

The Used

Description: Formed all the way back in 2001, The Used started out as just “Used”, as friends claimed they felt when band members ignored them to focus on the band. In the nearly 17 years since, they’ve released 7 albums: The Used, In Love and Death, Lies for the Liars, Shallow Believer, Artwork, Vulnerable, Imaginary Enemy, and The Canyon. Their track, “The Taste of Ink”, off their self-titled album, is their most streamed, but they also have many other popular tracks.

Why They’re Like My Chemical Romance: Especially in their earlier albums, The Used has a similar punk rock influence and a similar semi-heavy style to My Chemical Romance. The two have often been associated, having toured together and even collaborated on a cover of Queen’s “Under Pressure”. Though the two bands parted with bad blood, the association remains, and if you like MCR’s earlier works, you’ll certainly enjoy The Used as well.

Track Recommendations: The Taste of Ink, Kissing You Goodbye, I Caught Fire, All That I’ve Got, Pretty Handsome Awkward

Palaye Royale

Description: Formed in 2008 as Kropp Circle but changing in 2011 to the often-misspelled Palaye Royale, Palaye is a band made up of three brothers. They were the first unsigned band to win MTV’s Music March Madness Awards. They have released one EP, The Ends Beginning, and one album, Boom Boom Room (Side A). They are hoping to release another album, Boom Boom Room (Side B), in 2018. Their most popular track is “Mr. Doctor Man.” Catch them at Vans Warped Tour this summer!

Why They’re Like My Chemical Romance: Though Palaye has their own special 80s inspired-glam rock style, they have drawn numerous comparisons to MCR, including Classic Rock describing them as “crashing from My Chemical Romance-influenced rock to New York  Dolls-ish punk via dashes of Stones-y blues.” They also have received attention through their cover of My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers.”

Track Recommendations: Mr. Doctor Man, Don’t Feel Quite Right, Ma Chérie, Warhol, Get Higher

Creeper

Description: Creeper was formed only four years ago in Southhampton, England. So far, they have released three EPs as well as an album, Eternity, in Your Arms, that debuted at number 18 on the UK charts. They have been often described as a “horror punk band.” Their song “Hiding With Boys” is their most streamed Spotify track, followed by their single “Misery.”

Why They’re Like My Chemical Romance: The lead singer Will Gould has a distinctive voice that reminds me a lot of MCR somehow, and the horror punk aesthetic they tend to go for is reminiscent of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade. They’ve got a similar style, drawing inspiration from similar influences. They also participated in Rock Sound’s covers of The Black Parade, covering “This Is How I Disappear”.

Track Recommendations: Misery, Hiding With Boys, Black Rain, Honeymoon Suite, Winona Forever

PUP

Description: The band’s name stands for “Pathetic Use of Potential”, but the band was originally called Topanga. Though they formed recently in 2013, they have released two albums, PUP and The Dream Is Over. They have played a number of bigger festivals in the past few years. Their top track on Spotify is “DVP”, off their 2016 album The Dream Is Over.

Why They’re Like My Chemical Romance: They have a similar punk-inspired feel to their music that’s reminiscent of older MCR albums. Vocalist Stefan Babcock also has an emotive vocal style, similar to Gerard Way’s. PUP has also toured with former MCR member Frank Iero, suggesting that they have similar styles.

Track Recommendations: Pine Point, DVP, Reservoir, Guilt Trip, Doubts

Envy on the Coast

Description: Formed in 2003 in Long Island, New York, Envy on the Coast were active from 2003-2010, broke up, and then reformed in 2016. They are still active to this day. Over the course of their career, they released two albums: Lucy Gray in 2007 and Lowcountry in 2009. Their top Spotify track is “Like I Do”, off their 2009 album, Lowcountry.

Why They’re Like My Chemical Romance: Their genre has been described using a variety of words similar to those used for My Chemical Romance, such as emo, post-hardcore, and alternative rock. They’ve also got the emotive vocal style. In addition, they’ve been associated with a variety of acts that are similar to My Chemical Romance, including Taking Back Sunday, who they toured with often.

Track Recommendations: Clean of You, Sugar Skulls, Like I Do, Head First in the River, Virginia Girls

Bands Formed By Former Members of MCR: 

Frank Iero & the Patience/frnkiero and the cellabration

After the breakup of MCR, Frank Iero, former rhythm guitarist, set out on his own and created some great solo music. It’s more reminiscent of MCR’s early work and draws more inspiration from punk and hardcore, but it’s definitely worth checking out. 

Track Recommendations: Oceans, Blood Infections, Joyriding, Tragician, Weighted

LeATHERMØUTH 

During 2007-2010, Frank Iero took on hardcore/post-hardcore band LeATHERMØUTH as his side project. The music is a little harder than MCR’s, but if that’s your thing, definitely give it a listen!

Track Recommendations: Leviathan, Bodysnatchers 4 Ever, 5th Period Massacre, I Am Going to Kill the President, Sunsets Are for Mugging

Death Spells

Another side project of Frank Iero’s (as well as James Dewees’, a former that was originally started in 2012 while MCR was still recording, Death Spells is an interesting electronic punk band that has been described by many as music that could be played at a gothic rave. If this sounds like your thing, give em a listen. 

Track Recommendations: where are my fucking pills?, hell all-american, fantastic bastards, end of life, diluted

Electric Century

Formed by former bassist Mikey Way and David Debiak after MCR disbanded, Electric Century is a rock/indie group that releases genuinely enjoyable music - a little more poppy than MCR, but still great.

Track Recommendations: I Lied, Let You Get Away, Hey Lacey, Right There, Hail the Saints

In addition, Ray Toro and Gerard Way have released great solo music that you should definitely give a listen! Frank Iero also has more bands, including pre-MCR Pencey Prep. 

[sinceileftyoublog]

Live Picks: 2/16-2/22

Brockhampton

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Here are our live picks for the week ahead, starting with the weekend and ending just before the next one!

2/16: Little Big Town & Kacey Musgraves, Allstate Arena

It’s hard for non- or casual country fans to remember that Alabama’s Little Big Town were around before they were singing about girl crushes on the Grammy Awards. Sure, their breakout and by my ears best album Pain Killer skyrocketed them into the mainstream, but they released five albums before then and have been around since the late 90′s. Though live they certainly play hits from Pain Killer and last year’s even more popular The Breakers, they often throw bones to fans that have been with them since even before 2012′s Tornado, especially when playing songs like Southern anthem “Boondocks”.

A woman deserving of a headlining slot, Texas country star Kacey Musgraves is the second of three acts on this tour (she’ll be opening for Harry Styles in June). She’s released two really good studio albums (2015′s Pageant Material landed in our top 40 albums of that year) and one surprisingly good Christmas album, and she’s planning to release a new record, Golden Hour, early this year. Expect to hear plenty of new songs during her set.

Breakout Texas country band Midland opens.

2/17 & 2/18: Oh Sees, Empty Bottle

Music Frozen Dancing, the Empty Bottle’s annual free winter outdoor concert, always seems to nab a great lineup, and this year’s no different, mostly due to the headliners: Oh Sees/OCS (formerly known as Thee Oh Sees and about a million different other names), whose devoted fan base makes sure they sell out every Chicago show. Memory of a Cut Off Head, their latest album as OCS, is a little different from their raucous punk and sounds like the band’s early stages. It’s a 60′s-indebted, mostly acoustic psychedelic collection of songs from founding member John Dwyer and former member Brigid Dawson. (It notably features horn arrangements and saxophone from Mikal Cronin.) Just before Memory but also released in 2017 came their first album as Oh Sees, their supposed new moniker for the near future, Orc, which is more consistent with the pummeling sound they’ve been known for over the past 10 or so years. (It notably features co-production from Cronin buddy Ty Segall). Live, though, they could play literally anything from their 20+ album discography, even new songs, considering the rate at which they put out music. Of their recent records, I’m a fan of 2016′s A Weird Exits as well as 2009′s Help, 2011′s Carrion Crawler/The Dream, 2013′s Floating Coffin, and 2015′s Mutilator Defeated At Last. And for a nice document of what they sound like live, check out their stellar Live in San Francisco album from a couple years back. Like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, they’re simply nonstop in their distorted riffing, chaotic drumming, and yelping.

Co-headlining Music Frozen Dancing are Detroit electropunks ADULT. Rounding out the lineup are Brooklyn rockers B Boys, DJ Taye of local footwork behemoth Teklife, and local hardcore band C.H.E.W.

The band is also playing a Music Frozen Dancing after party, a ticketed (and already sold out, of course) club show at the Bottle itself. Opening the show are local noise rockers Rash and garage punks Skip Church.

2/18 & 2/19: BROCKHAMPTON, House of Blues

They call themselves the world’s first Internet boy band, but that’s misleading in more ways than one. BROCKHAMPTON aren’t the first boy band to benefit from the viral tendencies of the web, for one. More importantly, they’re not what you think of when you think boy band. A giant hip-hop, pop, and R & B collective, the band is more freewheeling and prolific than heavily and carefully curated, releasing three albums in 2017, culminating in SATURATION III, the most realized of the three that found a way to be experimental, catchy, and cohesive. Their fourth studio album, Team Effort, is set to be released this year, but you can expect them to perform SATURATION songs almost entirely. 

2/20: Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Riviera

At this point, pretty much anybody who vaguely pays attention to guitar music knows about Robert Plant’s full-fledged transition from classic rocker to old folk fogey--Raising Sand, his collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, won them Album of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards. But lesser known and just as solid are Plant’s two albums with his new-ish band The Sensational Space Shifters, 2014′s Lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar and last year’s Carry Fire, which allowed Plant to bend beyond the traditions of rock, bluegrass, or folk, incorporating elements of Arabic and North African influence into his arsenal. Luckily, however, for Zeppelin fans, Plant tends to mix beloved rock radio classics in with his newer material, overall making for a set that exudes old school songwriting, familiarity, and warmth whether you’ve heard the new songs or not.

Sensational Space Shifters band member and English folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman opens with a solo set.

2/21: Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, SPACE

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn are both prominent musicians in their own name, two of the most proficient banjo players ever, Washburn’s clawhammer composition skills unrivaled, just like Fleck’s technical prowess. Together, the two are more than just husband and wife--they’re natural musical collaborators, having released two albums and an EP of both traditional and original material. They’ll be playing two shows Wednesday at SPACE, but if you miss that, you can catch them at two more shows next Saturday at Old Town School of Folk Music.

2/21: Adam Torres, Empty Bottle

Singer-songwriter and former Southeast Engine member Adam Torres finally released Pearls To Swine two years ago, 10 years after self-releasing cult classic Nostra Nova. He’s a folk singer with an otherworldly voice, his ability to reach high notes and wail with yearning rivaling Jeff Buckley, and his band--consisting of violinist Aisha Burns, bassist/pianist/Molly Burch collaborator Dailey Tolliver, and Swans percussionist Thor Harris. Thankfully, it didn’t take Torres long to reach the follow-up to Pearls; granted, it was a 4-song EP recorded at the same time, entitled I Came To Sing The Song. But it felt different, its songs notably more insular than the expansive, epic Pearls. I can only imagine a Torres live set achieves both ends admirably.

Indie pop band Wild Pink co-headline. Rock band Minor Characters opens.

2/22: Architects, House of Blues

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a tour named after a non-album single, but Brighton metalcore band Architects are doing it anyway. Their “Doomsday” tour, named after, yes, a non-album single that followed their 2016 album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, the heaviest, darkest, and perhaps best album the band has ever released. They know it, too; in recent live sets, the band has heavily favored that record, even in favor of recent beloved releases like Lost Forever // Lost Together and Daybreaker.

Hardcore punks Stick To Your Guns and Counterparts open.

2/22: Shame, Schubas

Songs of Praise is the debut album from London post-punks Shame that came out just a month ago and is already seeming like it’s going to be one of the best debuts of the year. The band tackles serious subjects with dark humor over pummeling guitars and drums and, when they feel like it, melodies that could rival peak Britpop.

Pittsburgh post-punk revivalists The Gotobeds open.

2/22: Four Year Strong, Concord Music Hall

Worcester pop punk band Four Year Strong just released Some of You Will Like This, Some of You Won't, a collection of unplugged rarities. For hardcore fans, it was perhaps welcome. But for casual fans and in comparison to their Go Down in History EP and especially raw 2015 self-titled record, the latter of which was produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, it came across as too soft and tender for a band who proved to be so good at eliciting sore neck headbanging. Lucky for us, live, the band who has been playing 2007 album Rise or Die Trying in full every night should bring the same level of energy they had 10 years younger to a co-headlining set at Concord Music Hall.

Gainesville ska punks Less Than Jake co-headline. Pop punk bands Direct Hit! and Bearings open. 

[houstonlocalus-blog]

Chain of Keys: The Best of The Week

PJ Harvey. Photo: Maria Mochnacz

  Well, we certainly have a ton of options to choose from this week. Alongside a ton of offerings from local acts, legends like PJ Harvey and Pixies will be here as well as the likes of Little Dragon, A Perfect Circle and Xavier Wulf. Houston, here’s where to spend your paycheck this week.

  On Wednesday you can get started with LA punk pop cult rock heroes, Redd Kross upstairs at White Oak Music Hall.  While these guys were never commercially huge, that doesn’t mean that their entertaining style and subversive act shouldn’t go unnoticed.  They’re here in support of their latest album, 2012��s Researching The Blues, and they’re a trip to see play live.  Houston’s The Satanic Overlords of Rock N Roll will bring their beer fueled punk energy on as direct support while the tongue in cheek punk of The Cops will open things up for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and has tickets between $12 and $17.

  Little Simz. Photo: Wired PR

  In the studio at Warehouse Live, California’s Ab-Soul will bring his hip hop jams to life. This guy is kind of the king of the slow boil with tracks that seem to drip like honey.  His latest, Do What Thou Wilt from last year has critical acclaim, with hints of grime that change up his game. England’s hottest new MC, Little Simz will bring her mic skills on as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and with tickets between $23 and $28.

  River Oaks Theatre will host a screening of the feature documentary, “I Am Battle Comic” alongside a Q&A session.  The film, covers comics like Houston’s Slade Ham who perform for the troops in war torn countries, and features sets and interviews with comics George Lopez, George Wallace, Tammy Pescatelli and Slade Ham.  The event will be hosted by Outlaw Dave, and he will moderate the Q&A as well.  The one night only event will donate the proceeds to Militaryfamilies.org.  The doors are at 7 pm with tickets for $15.

  Oddisee. Photo: Shore Fire Media

  Over at Walter’s, the hip hop of Brooklyn’s Oddisee will be on full display, backed by the live band Good Company.  Oddisee has been gaining traction in the hip hop world with albums that hit deep within like they should, alongside crazed live sets.  His latest release, this year’s The Iceberg is a mix of jazz, hard beats, gospel and R&B soul that’s pretty amazing.  The rock and soul of DC born and UK transplant, Oliver St. Louis will be on as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and with tickets between $15 and $17.

  Thursday you could head to House of Blues for the popular prog fusion of New York’s Coheed and Cambria.  Here in support of last year’s celebrated The Color Before The Sun, these guys bring their game when they play live.  Massachusetts’ The Dear Hunter will be on as direct support and opener for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $35 and $59.

  Red House. Photo: Dinolion

  The opening night of Red House will take place from the team at Dinolion at an undisclosed location.  The ultra secretive and immersive performance, should be nothing if not intriguing and engaging, as it’s being put on by a small group of very talented people.  Principal dance from Houston Ballet, music from Black Kite and LIMB, and lots of mystery surround these shows. There’s more information here for the 17 & up show with doors at 7:45 pm or 10:45 pm and tickets for $35. The show runs through the weekend with a super limited amount of tickets available.

  LA’s Dengue Fever will bring their blend of psych and Cambodian rock to Walter’s.  Known for a crazy live show, this six piece makes groovy tunes, and their newest album The Deepest Lake from 2015 is a trip.  The gorgeous pedal steel of Will Van Horn will be on as direct support and opener on the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.

  Little Dragon. Photo: IB Kamara

  Downstairs at White Oak Music Hall, Swedish electro pop four piece Little Dragon will make their return to town.  Always full of fun and life when they play live, their set was pretty refreshing last year at Day For Night.  They usually sell out wherever they play, and their latest Season High is pretty hard to resist.  The hip hop of DC’s Goldlink will be on as direct support while LA’s Kronika will open things up at the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $35.

  If you’re a fan of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, then you might want to check out Whitney at The Secret Group.  The folk pop duo made up of Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek will bring their chill vibes from last year’s Light Upon The Lake to life.  The alt pop of LA’s Golden Daze will go on beforehand and Houston’s Deep Cuts will bring their indie rock sounds on as openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $15.

  Tifa Tittlywinks of Dem Damn Dames. Photo: Penland Pinups

  On Friday you could start off at Numbers with the ladies of Dem Damn Dames for their Naked Nerds VS. Dirty Dorks show.  The theme show is where this Houston burlesque troupe shines, and this Nerdlesque show is a great example of that.  The battle of the ages will feature the Dames themselves alongside performances from San Antonio’s Kristi Waters, Austin’s Layna D’Luna, Houston’s Honey Moonpie and many more.  Judged by a crew that includes Houston comic Ryan Thauburn and radio personality Kyle King, the show should be worth making it out for.  The show has doors at 7 pm, it’s 18 & up, and there are tickets between $15 and $30, and they include entry into Classic Numbers which follows the show.  

  The final show over at Insomnia before they move to the East side, will see a solo art exhibition from Honeybones called Dizzy Spells in Dreamland.  If you’ve never seen the art of Honeybones, you’ve been missing out.  One of the most exciting new artists in Houston, this show should be pretty awesome.  There’s also beer from Eureka Heights Brewing and a food truck from Muiishi Makaritos.  The all ages show gets going around 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

  You can get your laugh on at the Improv when Deon Cole brings his hilarious brand of humor to the club.  Cole is best known for his role on the hit TV show Black-Ish, though his time on CONAN was pretty hilarious, and he’s a seasoned comic as well.  The 18 & up shows don’t mention which two Houston comics will be feature act and host, but the tickets are between $25 and $37, with shows through the weekend with varying door times.  This show has doors at 7 pm and 9 pm.

  A Perfect Circle. Photo: Speakeasy PR

  If you were planning to catch A Perfect Circle out at Smart Financial Center, the show has since sold out.  If you’re already attending, the doors are at 8 pm.

  Over at Walter’s, the first of several Wonky Power curated shows will take place with a headlining set from Tax The Wolf.  The Houston band that melding together psych and prog with ease is back and should drop something at some point this year, while their live shows are still as mesmerizing as when they released Hold The Sun.  The indie pop of Mind Shrine will go on prior while the bluesy psych of Mantra Love will go on beforehand.  The intriguing electro rock of JERK will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.

  Jealous Creatures. Photo: Daniel Jackson

  You can get all of the loud rock motors running at Satellite Bar when Bryan’s The Ex-Optimists swing by to perform. There’s something about this band that’s hard not to love. Complete with one of the loudest live sets you can see, their latest 7” release Bee Corpse Thousand features a killer new song and covers of the Guided By Voices classics, “Drinker’s Peace,” and “14 Cheerleader Coldfront.”  The new wave tinged indie rock of Houston’s Jealous Creatures will go on beforehand while the tight straightforward rock of Brand New Hearts will perform prior.  Slow Future will get things going for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a TBA cover.

  Over at Rudyard’s you can catch Houston’s The Guillotines for their album release party.  While it’s been a long time coming, the band has as rich of a history as any leather punk band could have, and their sets are always full of plenty of antics.  The glitter punk of Dallas’ Scary Cherry & the Bang Bangs will be on as direct support while the punk metal mixture of Houston’s The Unconvicted will open the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm with a $6 cover.

  Saturday you could start off at Walter’s for Bushfest.  No, it’s not an homage to that crappy British nineties alt rock band, but rather a collection of artists under one roof.  Sets from GRRRL Parts, Dillon Trimm, Brumes, Devil Killing Moth and more will perform alongside comedy sets from Britt Vasicek, Katie McGee and more.  The all ages festival gets going with doors at 6 pm and tickets for $10.  There’s much more happening there with all of the information here.

  Twin Peaks. Photo: Red Light Management

  The Secret Group will host Chicago garage indie rockers, Twin Peaks.  These guys have made quite the name for themselves as an act worth making it out for with crazy live shows.  Their latest release, Down in Heaven from last year mixes multiple rock genres, and should sound amazing live.  The indie grunge of Nashville’s Chrome Pony will be on as direct support while things get opened by the psych pop of Chicago’s Post Animal.  The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $15 and $17.

  Down at Scout Bar you could get all of your industrial rock fix when the industrial pop of Chicago’s Stabbing Westward performs.  You know you’ve made an impression when Wesley Willis writes a song about you, and at one time, these guys were huge with their song “Save Yourself.”  They’ll be here supporting it appears nothing, as their last album was over fifteen years ago.  Houston industrial mainstays, The Hunger will be on as direct support with Hindsight on beforehand.  The female fronted hard rock of Black Market Tragedy will open the 18 & up show with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $13.

  Revention Music Center will have a special performance from England’s PJ Harvey.  While the nineties had plenty of female performers worth seeing, few have stood the test of time like Harvey, and with a stellar live show and her new album The Hope Six Demolition Project, this is one of those sets you don’t want to miss.  There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change.  The doors are at 7:30 pm and tickets are between $35 and $79.50.

  Tee Vee. Photo: John Allen Stephens

  Civic TV will host the album release from Houston’s Tee Vee.  Armed with only demos until now, Tee Vee has played Day For Night while getting on some killer shows in between.  The dark electronica of MIEARS will be on hand as direct support while a solo set from Andrew Lee will get the night going.  The all ages event has doors at 8 pm and the all ages show is BYOB with a $5 cover.

  D&W Lounge will have the album release from Houston’s Bernie Pink.  I’m not sure if I conveyed this when I debuted their album Fiesta Elementary, but this band makes psych music that sounds like it was recorded in an insane asylum.  Seriously, they’re one of the most intriguing new Houston bands going, and their live shows are a trip.  popeNQM will be on as direct support while the experimental punk of Houston’s Black Lodge will go on prior.  The experimental sounds of Austin’s Ballerino will also be on the bill and Houston’s Lagmind will open the 100% FREE show with doors at 8 pm.

  On Sunday you could head to 8th Wonder Brewery for the Crawfish & Brews show.  Honestly, I hate crawfish and the sight and sound of others eating them, so it says a lot about this show, as it’s headlined by NOLA’s DJ Mannie Fresh.  Possibly one of the greatest to step behind the decks, Fresh is an act everyone should see at least once.  The indie rock of The Bright Light Social Hour will also be on the bill, as will Bombon and Havoc Wagon.  DAYTA will get things going as only he can for the all ages event with doors at noon and tickets between $15 and $40.

  Pixies. Photo: Travis Shinn

  Of course, I’d guess many over you will be on the lawn at White Oak Music Hall to enjoy a set from Boston indie rockers, Pixies.  It occurs to me that most Pixies “fans” really just want the band to remake Surfer Rosa, which is asking a lot.  The fact is, their last two albums Indie Cindy and last year’s Head Carrier are both pretty solid, and their live shows are always on point.  The indie pop of New York’s Public Access TV will be on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with gates at 6 pm and with tickets between $42.50 and $49.

  Revention Music Center will host the return of the massively popular rapper, Lil’ Wayne.  I shouldn’t have to sell this show, or Wayne, as you know his resume and catalog.  His latest release, “No Frauds” with Drake and Nicki Minaj is as lit as his other works, and his live shows are always intense.  There’s no word of support or openers, which should change for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $60 and $65.

  In the studio at Warehouse Live, Tennessee’s Xavier Wulf will bring his hype and crazed rap to life.  Wulf has been popping off over the past year, his live shows are intense, and his latest drop Project X from 2015 is pretty legit.  Houston’s TheRealFlexGod will be on as direct support while Riven, RichBrokeDudez, Blvackempiiire will all go on prior.  High Elements will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm with tickets between $29 and $33.

  Trey Anastasio. Photo: Red Light Management

  If you’d rather marvel in some great guitar work, you could head to House of Blues to catch a solo set from Trey Anastasio.  Known as leader of the group Phish, Anastasio is a pretty strong player, and his latest release Paper Wheels from two years ago is pretty chill while still being groovy.  There’s no word of support or openers, though that could change.  The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets for $42.

  Tuesday out at the Woodlands Pavilion, you could catch the return of Kings of Leon.  Boy, these guys have really blown up.  I caught them once at a now defunct club here in town, and they were pretty amazing, plus their new album Walls is sonic and lush.  The noise rock of Atlanta’s Deerhunter will be on hand as direct support and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats will open the all ages show with gates at 6 pm and tickets between $32.50 and $89.50.

  You could swing by The Secret Group for Neo Benshi 31.  Presented by Bootown, this show that’s like a miniature Mystery Science Theater 3000, is pretty hilarious.  Featuring comics and the like reading monologues over video clips, it’s a show you need to check out if you want to get your laugh on.  The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and a measly $5 cover.  

  That’s about all that’s happening this week.  No matter what you decide to do, please be mindful of everyone else and remember that a safe way home is what’s best for everyone.

Chain of Keys: The Best of The Week this is a repost