Dallas Music Blog

What's that Ruckus?

​Besides the great (but unheralded) Volebeats, Detroit hasn't exactly become known as a haven for Americana music. Frontier Ruckus hopes to change that.

Formed in 2003 by Matthew Milia and David Winston Jones, the band didn't get around to releasing a proper debut until 2008. The Orion Songbook proved to be well worth the wait, though, as songs like "Animals Need Animals" and "The Deep-Yard Dream" showed Milia to be a songwriter of exceptional skill.

Now expanded to a sextet, Milia and crew create a very atmospheric take on traditional folk and bluegrass. Musical saw, trumpet and melodica float in and out of the mix as Milia slowly weaves his rural tales in his soft, reedy voice.

Frontier Ruckus' newest opus, Way Upstate and The Crippled Summer, Pt. 1, is due out any day now and promises to be more of the high quality folk-rock that fans of Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch have come to expect.

Jim Lauderdale

​The last time alt-country godfather Jim Lauderdale was in town, he came as part of Elvis Costello's touring band. Tonight's appearance at AllGood Cafe will be quite a bit more intimate.

Getting a chance to hear Lauderdale up close and personal should make for a special evening, as his Americana credentials are legendary: Beginning as a backing vocalist for Dwight Yoakum and Carlene Carter, Lauderdale went on to write hits for George Strait, the Dixie Chicks and Patty Loveless. As if that wasn't enough, Lauderdale's own albums have been critically acclaimed since the early '90s. His most recent effort, 2008's The Bluegrass Diaries, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. But his best record may well be 2003's Headed for the Hills.

In any case, Lauderdale's a true old-school country singer, mixing the grit of Johnny Cash with the croon of George Jones. And his songwriting chops are simply unparalleled in contemporary country music.

He's that good, folks. And, as such, tonight's show is a great chance to catch a legend.

​It takes quite a bit of country/folk chutzpah to take on a song as legendary as Dolly Parton's "Jolene," but that's exactly what Mindy Smith, a 37-year-old singer/songwriter from Long Island, did in 2003. Smith's version of the song appeared on the Parton tribute record Because I'm a Woman.

Seems Dolly herself caught wind of the recording and was so impressed with Smith's version that Parton added her own vocals to a new mix of the song, and that's the version that ended up on Smith's debut album One Moment More.

Since then, Smith has stayed busy, releasing three more records, including Stupid Love, which came out this summer. Love may well be Smith's high-water mark and the album's "Highs and Lows" is certainly one of the best Americana releases of the year. Furthermore, Smith has the ability to mix in a bit of pop and even some alternative rock into her rootsy tales of surviving the times.

Fans of Norah Jones and Alison Krauss would do well to venture down to the West Side this evening for a taste of Mindy Smith at House of Blues. Even with her recent disclosure of having obsessive-compulsive disorder, Smith's star is definitely on the rise.

Except no, not really.

​Sorry if things have been a little slow around here this afternoon--just preparing this week's no doubt delightful dead tree edition of DC9 at Night is all. Don't fret: Things should pick up plenty tomorrow with a couple of mp3s, giveaways and kickass videos to share with the faithful.

In the meantime, a reminder: With it being the first Monday of the month and all, that means I'll be donning my Playlister P cap and heading off to The Libertine tonight to spin the best in local music as part of my monthly there called The Local Hang. Things kick off at right around 10 p.m. and go until close.

On tonight's playlist (along with much, much more) are new tracks from Damaged Good$, Sleep Whale, Abacus, The Lash Outs, The Crash That Took Me, Seryn and others--plus plenty of other favorites, both relatively new and blatantly, um, not. Should make for a good time--at least as good as last month's debut attempt, which, really, was quite a blast. Well, for me at least.

And, and not that I'm not already swimming in albums already, but if you've got something you know you want heard, feel free to pass it along my way and I'll see what I can do about making sure it gets played (maybe)--if not at tonight's event then perhaps at one down the line.

See you there, yeah?

​Listen: We know this is a busy weekend. Lots to do--and only so much candy to consume in order to sugar-rush yourself through it all. 

But this still deserves your attention: At 7 p.m. tonight at the Barry Whistler Gallery (located at 2909-B Canton Street in Deep Ellum), long-time local music icon Bucks Burnett will host the opening of a new exhibit called, simply enough, Eight Track Tapes: The Bucks Burnett Collection. And included in the exhibit, which is being promoted as the first-ever such display? That should be quite obvious, given the title: Over 20 years worth of Burnett's personal collection of eight-track tapes--including rare finds like Rutles, Beatles, Elvis Presley and led Zeppelin box sets. The event will also be filmed as part of a 17-years-in-the-making documentary Burnett is creating called, quite hilariously, Spinal Tape.

But most interesting? The fact that this is just the start of Burnett's eight-track crusade. In 2010, Burnett plans on opening an entire museum dedicated to the cause of keeping alive the memory of this passed-over means of music listening. That's good news--especially since this particular  exhibit, which launched last night, is scheduled to close rather quickly. As in, tomorrow night.

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​Recently reunited Australian powerhouse hard rock act Wolfmother is in town tonight, performing a show with Heartless Bastards and the thenewno2 at the House of Blues.

But, before that, something out of the ordinary: To further promote the release of the band's new album, Cosmic Egg, the Aussies will be stopping by the Best Buy near the Midway exit on the LBJ Freeway (located 4255 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway) where it will perform a low-key, acoustic in-store gig at 6 p.m.

Jonathan Cargill

The ghosts of Will Johnson and Jason Molina.

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Jello Biafra

​Two weeks ago, it was Marky Ramone who visited with Richard Hunter on Hunter's afternoon radio show on KMNY-1360 AM. Today's it's punk icon Jello Biafra who graces our area airwaves at 4:30 this afternoon, spewing forth his seemingly endless (but still funny) diatribes against corporate America.

Biafra, the former Dead Kennedys frontman, is in town to perform with his new band Jello Biafra & the Guantanamo School of Medicine at the Prophet Bar tonight.

Back in the day, Biafra performed with Hunter's band Killbilly, as well as campaigning on Hunter's behalf when he ran for mayor of Fort Worth in the mid '90s. Few can forget the time when Biafra himself ran for mayor of his native San Francisco with a platform that included banning all cars from downtown and insisting that business people wear clown outfits to work.

On today's show, expect Hunter to ask Biafra about his punk rock legacy, as well as Biafra's extensive involvement with the Green Political Party. Should be another fascinating conversation that ought to be heard by a lot more people...

Erica Fellicella

You can stand under Kruger's umbrella... ella... ella... ey.

​One of my favorite local singer/songwriters, Kristy Kruger, just send along an email detailing a cool event happening this coming Monday at Opening Bell Coffee: The Third Annual Dia de Los Muertos Music Festival. Since his death in Iraq, Kristy Kruger has thrown this event in honor of her brother, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Kruger.

And this year's event looks to feature a stellar line up of local talent. So far, Salim Nourallah, The Beaten Sea and Robert Gomez are all confirmed to play Of course, Kruger will perform as well--and, from the rough demos I've been lucky enough to hear, some of Kristy's new songs are her best ever. Those familiar with her work will know that such is high praise.

There will be no cover charge, but there is a suggested donation of $10 at the door, as well as a silent art auction with all proceeds going to the Fisher House, a charity which cares for wounded Veterans.

Eric Kruger's death occurred on November 2, 2006 on the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muetos, a holiday where folks celebrate the lives of those who have passed on. Being the trooper that she is, Kristy set up this show in 2007 and has made her way back in town from endless touring to make certain the show happens each year.

It's a good cause, and features some great musicians. There is absolutely nothing that will keep me from honoring Kristy's brother come Monday evening...

Straylight Run

​Despite the cold and wet weather, the fine folks at The Prophet Bar are offering up a crowded and fairly consistent line-up of moppy rockers to hopefully not add to your rainy day blues.

On tonight's bill are Straylight Run, Dangerous Summer, Mansions, Brian Bonz and David Melillo. Former Taking Back Sunday member John Nolan leads Straylight Run and his band has built a solid following around the country with its straight-forward, indie rock. Straylight Run is quite capable of surprising folks--just as they did by covering Dylan's "With God on Our Side" on an early EP.

Any band that takes its name from a Hemingway novel can't be all bad, either, and Dangerous Summer is no exemption. This spry quartet from Maryland channels everyone from U2 to Explosions in the Sky while still coming across appropriately emo.

Add in the more sedate, singer/songwriter sounds of Manisons, Brian Bonz and David Melillo, and you have a bill that not only begins at around 8 p.m., but offers the best variety for the buck.

Especially on this particular Monday evening.

​Yesterday over on Unfair Park, Robert posted quite the coup of an interview--a sit-down with Sir Anthony Daniels, or, as you and I know him best C-3PO.

The peg? Tonight's Star Wars: In Concert affair out at Cowboys Stadium, which, as we all know, hasn't had the best of fortune when it comes to the sound set-up of its other music affairs.

In total, the video lasts 9 minutes and 39 seconds. But if you're really short on time, just head on over to the post, skip ahead to the 9:15 mark, and check out this exchange in regards to one sort-of cosmic coincidence about tonight's affair:

Wilonsky: "Y'know, they don't call it The Death Star for nothing..."
C-3PO: "Do they call it The Death Star?"
Wilonsky: "They do."
C-3PO: "... wow... wow."

It's priceless, really.

Lou Barlow

​We're all pretty excited around here--and rightfully so, I'd say--about the Built to Spill/Dinosaur Jr. show at the Granada Theater this evening. No doubt you are, too.

I just hope you have your tickets already--over the weekend, we'd heard sales to the show had already reached 900 tickets. So you can pretty much rest assured that the 1,100-capacity room at the Granada will be sold out tonight.

So, then, for those who might end up left out, this should come as a nice little treat: At 6 p.m. today, Dino Jr. member Lou Barlow--who'll be playing two sets at the Granada this evening, including an opening set under his own name, and backed by The Missing Men--will play a third set, this one a free in-store performance at Good Records. Most widely regarded for his work in Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, it should be noted that Barlow has also released a whopping 11 full-length solo albums since 1990.

Which, surely, makes the whole three sets in one night thing a little less daunting a task...

Glenn Tilbrook

​Former Squeeze frontman Glen Tilbrook makes a rather rare local appearance this evening at the Prophet Bar. And even though the choice of venue is kind of odd, getting to hear Tilbrook sing those new wave/pop confections from his Squeeze days will still be intriguing.

Of course, such Squeeze standards as "Pulling Muscles From a Shell," "Cool for Cats" and "Up the Junction" won't be the only items to be heard tonight. Tilbrook's latest solo album, Pandemonium Ensues, is a pretty damn solid affair--with bizarre guest appearances by Johnny Depp (on the cool "Too Close to the Sun") and Vanessa Paradis, who also happens to be Depp's wife.

Supposedly, Tilbrook and his Squeeze co-leader Chris Difford are already recording a new Squeeze effort for release next year. If it's half as good as Tilbrook's recent stuff, the commercial fortunes look favorable.

In any case, Tilbrook's excellent singing and guitar playing should be worth the trek to Deep Ellum this evening.

​It's crappy out right now, but this weekend is supposed to be mostly sunny and cool. In other words, perfect camping weather.

Which is good news for the punk and metal bands and their fans making the hour-and-a-half drive out to Emory this weekend for the third annual No Thanks Fest for two days of natural beauty and unnaturally heavy music beginning at 8 p.m. Friday.

Along with Dallas bands like Vorvadoss, Violent Messiah and Division Of Power, a few regional touring bands will perform. Tulsa thrashers Bring Down The Hammer scream pro-Labor anthems over breakneck riffing with most songs skidding to a stop well before the 1-minute mark. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Stull from Lawrence, KS, which strings heavy, sludgy riffs into 9-minute epics with growled, distorted vocals. Also using the Cookie Monster vocal technique is Tucson death metal act Serows.

The festival is free, though donations to the touring acts are encouraged. The Phoenix Project Collective will even be providing free vegan food--which should leave you with that much more dough to share with the bands.

Pete Freedman

Erykah Badu andThe Cannabinoids rehearse in front of television cameras. Footage from last night's rehearsal and tonight's performance are expected to be used for a TV show down the line.

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A funny scene from last night's Universal Rehearsal Studios-housed run-through for tonight's Red Bull Soundclash event at Victory Plaza featuring Erykah Badu, The Cannanoids and Shiny Toy Guns: Shiny Toy Guns vocalist Sisely Treasure had just helped Badu run through the lyrics and vocal intonations of STG's "Ghost Town," which Badu and the Cannabinoids were preparing for tonight's show and had retreated to a chair off stage when Badu, quite suddenly, whipped her head around to address Treasure again.

"We've got a lot in common vocally!" Badu smiled. "You must be from Texas, huh?"

Treasure shook her head: "Uh, no."

Badu: "Well, you've been here a while, huh?"

Just a week, actually, since Shiny Toy Guns flew into town to prepare for the Red Bull event. "Actually, I'm from L.A."

Badu frowned. "L.A.?"

"Well," Treasure offered, "half our band is from Oklahoma..."

Well, yeah. Hence the reason behind tongiht's event being billed as part of Texas/OU weekend. Shiny Toy Guns is from Oklahoma (kinda). Badu and The Cannabinoids are from Texas. Just lke the football teams playing at the Cotton Bowl tomorrow.

Had Badu not gotten the memo?

​The Arlington Info Shop's Grand Opening tomorrow proves that Dallas isn't the only North Texas city with music-loving bicycle activists.

The community venue's opening fete includes performances from an eclectic array of experimental acts--all donating their time--all day Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Performers include The Decency Project, Wu Fru De Lu Vs. Space Dragon Killah (which played at the Phoenix Project recently and turned out to be a cookware-based percussion duo rather than the Wu-Tang off-shoot the name might suggest), New Fumes and more.

Info Shop director Eleonor Hernandez describes the space as a community venue and resource for UTA students with a focus on bicycling, including a bike co-op. Volunteers will assemble "Frankenbikes" from donated bikes and parts, and loan the finished bikes to students on a weekly basis. Other efforts will include yoga classes, a lending library and outreaches to the community such as participating in the Food Not Bombs movement. Hernandez says the new Cowboys Stadium was one impetus for the shop, as she and organizers want don't want Arlington to forget about small local businesses.

Saturday's Grand Opening will be a family-friendly event, she says, and will also include a "Burgers For Bikes" trade-in with support from Steakway and art from artists representing a wide variety of media.

(Despite what the poster says, Zanzibar Snails and Blunt Force Crew will not perform due to scheduling conflicts.)

Slowride

​Well, it's 6:27 p.m.--or three hours and 33 minutes before the secret reunion show we mentioned earlier today on Twitter is set to begin--which means we can now break the silence we promised the band and announce that, at 10 o'clock this evening, Slowride will play a reunion show at Elm Street Tattoo.

Slowride, long a favorite area post-punk outfit, released its last album in February 2006, and shortly thereafter broke up after a move to Massachusetts.

Upon returning to Dallas, the trio moved on to different endeavors: frontman Dan Phillips formed True Widow; bassist Rob Marchant joined The Riverboat Gamblers; and drummer Steve Visneau, well, he became a photographer, sometimes even shooting for us (see his work in this year's Best Of issue).

Not sure why we had to keep it secret till now, to be honest--maybe because Elm Street Tattoo just doesn't hold that big of a crowd? Dunno. Either way, we'll be there. Hope to see you there, too.

​More big news from Mike Snider today--this time about an upcoming string of shows scheduled between Christmas and New Year's Eve at Sons of Hermann Hall.

In short: Longtime favorite local alt-country outfit the Old 97's has been booked to play four consecutive nights at the Deep Ellum ballroom, from December 27 through December 30. Like this past summer's tour from the band (although not the case here in Dallas), all four nights will be presented as an "An Evening With..." affair, with Murry Hammond and Rhett Miller both performing opening solo sets each night before 97's take the stage.

Should make for quite the event--especially, says Snider, considering that when the band did four nights in Hoboken earlier this year, it didn't repeat any of its songs except for the last one each night. Unfortunately, Snider says he can't just yet confirm that the same will be the case when the band holds its Sons residency. But you'd have to think the 97's would do something like that here, too, right? We'll let you know if we hear any confirmation on that front...

Regardless, $26 advance tickets go on sale tomorrow, available for purchase online via Front Gate Tickets and in person around town at both Good Records and Bill's Records. Meanwhile, tickets purchased at the door, if available, will cost $30.

​Those without plans for this Wednesday evening might want to think about heading to Denton to catch the Seattle-based The Blakes at Hailey's. For one, there's not too many acts channeling influences like The Who and The Kinks these days, and, two, The Blakes mix in enough of The Stooges to make things loud(er) and interesting.

The band's latest record, Souvenir, is filled with clever hooks and fulfills the promise the band first displayed on Little Whispers, its debut EP from 2005. It helps, of course, that frontman Garnet Keim has a voice that's equal parts candy and unfiltered cigarettes--and that dichotomy brings out the best in songs such as "Basket" and "So Easy."

Hailing from Seattle, this trio doesn't carry around any of the rainy gloom or grungy history commonly associated with that city. Instead, it's power chords played sort of softly, and songs with beats instead of just pulses.

Both Fort Worth's Chatterton and Denton's The Daily Beat add some flair to an already fine plate of music.

Mark Fuentes

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​For all the losers like me who are not going to the Death Star in Arlington to catch U2 and Muse tonight (or, for that matter, either the Alice Cooper show at the Palladium or the Maxwell/Common show at the AAC), there are a few out-of-town artists who dare show their faces in our area the same night as Bono and crew.

One of them is Denver's Death Hickey Blues, which stops by Poor David's Pub this evening. Formed in early 2008 as a collaborative side project for guitarists Samuel Pritchett and Nasir Malik, the band has gone through several incarnations before settling on its current format as a quintet. With a variety of different players, the band has hopped from genre to genre with an uncommon ease, but the current sound features stronger alternative-rock, pop and Americana influences. Currently, the group is putting together its first full-length album, expected in the spring of 2010. Both the single "The Rain is Gone" and the Raleigh St. EP are available on itunes.

On the Fort Worth side of town is La Dispute, a five-piece band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. This acts hits 1919 Hemphill this evening. La Dispute's first full-length album, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, is a screaming mess of a record, perfectly suited for any disaffected Cowtown teen.

So, it seems, there is life outside of U2. A least a little.

Dead Prez

​Back in May, we told you about the greatness that is the weekly, Wednesday night, R.C. Williams-led Prophet Bar jam sessions, where local hip-hop and funk musicians gather to create beats on the fly, sometimes with the help of touring acts like Bun B and Raheem DeVaughn.

Still haven't ventured out to the event yet, though? Well, maybe this will inspire you: On Wednesday, October 21, R.C. Williams and crew will be joined by longtime favorite underground hip-hop luminaries Dead Prez.

Pretty sure they don't do advance sales to the weekly jam, so if you want in on this one, be sure to get to the Prophet Bar early...

​Surely, a good number of you are already aware of this--after all, it was announced in an ad in this week's dead tree edition of DC9 (page 48 to be specific). But, then again, seeing as how few of our regular DC9 readers seem to realize that we produce some fairly extensive coverage of the local music scene outside of what appears here on the blog, here's another head's up: On New Year's Eve, the Toadies will be headlining a bill at Trees that also includes Dia de Los Toadies vets The Boom Boom Box and Dove Hunter.

Tickets for the event will set you back a cool $40, and are available for purchase right here. Even with the high price of admission, I'd recommend picking one of these suckers up ASAP if it's up your alley, as this is sure to be a quick sell.

Anyway, now that the news is out of the way, feel free to argue and bicker in the comments about whether or not this validates Trees' re-opening in your mind. As if you weren't going to do so without my permission...

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The guys in Denton's Shaolin Death Squad have been together the better part of a decade, wearing those funny masks and dispensing their own brand of melodic, progressive metal and offbeat, Asian philosophy.

Sure, it's a mini Gwar rip-off--and also cheesy as hell--but I'd rather a metal band flash a little cheese than wallow in demonic pretensions or the morose seriousness that seems to inflict most metal acts these days.

Meanwhile, Dallas' own The Better Death has a brand new, 6 song EP to promote, and these boys add a more structured brand of noise to this evening's fray.

Completing the Asian/death motif is Ninja Academy. Based out of Los Angeles, this clever instrumental duo may make it worth your while to get to the club early. Again, the cheese factor is high (Indo-Ninja plays bass and Outdo-Ninja is on drums), but the glorious racket these two create borders on genius.

This bill looks interesting enough that I may even take my kid. Seriously!

​ There's a lot going on tonight, I know. But if I may do a little self-promotion here and offer up one more suggestion for you to keep among your night-crawling options this evening: Starting at 10 p.m., I'll be holding up shop at The Libertine, taking over the PA system for the night and playing a selection of what I feel is the best that DFW has to offer music-wise--both new and old, and of all genres--until closing time.

It's the first in a new first-Monday-of-every-month residency I'll be hosting at the the favorite Lower Greenville haunt, in yet one more attempt to bring the local music gospel directly to the people.

But more than that, it really should be a good time. And, if the friends I've tested my material out on in recent weeks are any proof, it'll be a little surprising, too; there's a lot of good stuff music being created around here that people just aren't yet familiar with. That's all understandable enough; it can be tough keeping up with the national scene, let alone the local one, while maintaining the nine-to-five. I get it. I really do. But realize this, too: It's my job to keep up on this stuff.

So, please, stop on by--either instead of heading to one of the many shows happening tonight or after. Either way, I think you'll end up finding a few new local songs to enjoy--and more than a couple new tracks that you'll be shocked to find out are produced by local talents. For good measure, I'll keep track of the songs I'm playing and post a list for you all to check out tomorrow.

Oh, and one more thing: We're tentatively calling this thing "The Local Hang with Playlister P." Yes, Playlister P is me. And, no, I won't respond to any other name. Not tonight at least. Or maybe I will. Come test me--as I test you on your local music IQ.

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In an odd quirk of scheduling, four major national acts bless our area's venues, offering up an incredibly hectic start to the music week begins this evening. Besides Sunny Day Real Estate at the Granada, Rob Thomas at Nokia and Artic Monkeys at the Palladium, you can also catch Jack White's newest supergroup, The Dead Weather, at the House of Blues this evening.

This time around, White's cohorts in crime include Alison Mosshart (of The Kills and Discount), Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (of The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes). Now, I know it seems like White forms a supergroup just about every weekend, but this newest creation succeeds more on Mosshart's vocal chutzpah than on White's blues riffing. Horehound, The Dead Weather's fine debut came out this past July and songs such as "No Hassle Night", "Hang You From the Heavens" and "Treat Me Like Your Mother" are better than a lot of stuff slumming on those now ancient White Stripes albums. [Editor's note: For real. Later today, we'll have a review of the Dead Weather's mind-blowing ACL set.]

Oh, and if none of those four music options suits your tastes, but you still want to check out a live show? Well, there's still more: A great alt-country band with local ties (and the subject of this week's upcoming DC9 in SPACE epidosde), Hymns plays tonight at the City Tavern along with The O's.

Whew! Why can't every Monday be like this?

Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers.

Although Stephen Kellogg can be a bit overly earnest for his own good, he and his band, The Sixers, are quite capable of creating a version of heartland rock that would make John Mellencamp proud. Although most of band members hail from Northampton, Massachusetts, the sound they produce is of a more rootsy vibe, as if the band were from Kansas or even Dallas.

The band's album Glassjaw Boxer was honored as one of the top five albums of 2007 in USA Today and, even considering the peculiarities of some critics, such was a well deserved bit of kudos. Songs like "Sweet Sophia" and "Cabin in the Woods" ring true like Dave Matthews pnly wishes he could. The recently issued The Bear is more problematic, but it still features a cool combination of spit and shine.

Billy Talent. Not a man, but a band.

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The award-winning Canadian quartet Billy Talent has been around (under one moniker or another) since 1993. In all that time, though, the band has only managed to release three proper albums, making one wonder just how hard is it to make a punk rock record.

There is no denying the band's success, especially in its native country. Both Billy Talent I and Billy Talent II went multi-platinum and the Billy Talent III (creative chaps, aren't they?) was released this summer and is well on its way to doing the same--all of which is really rather odd, considering the punk of Billy Talent takes its cues from the likes of Fugazi, not exactly a band with tremendous commercial success. Perhaps our northern neighbors just have a wee bit more musical taste than us?

Anyhow, Billy Talent has had the same four members since the band's inception, so tonight's show is as much a testament to the group's survival skills as it is a splendid chance to wear your leather jacket out in order to catch some punchy punk rock.

Also making things interesting tonight is the addition of Florida's Poison the Well to the bill. Jeffrey Moreira and crew take the traditional elements of post-punk and twist them in all sorts of interesting, metalcore ways. Songs such as "Botchla" and "Letter Thing" should thrill folks who dig tempo changes as much as they do cheap beer...

Hayes Carll

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Those with a little time on their hands tonight--y'know, those who aren't already planning on attending either Blink-182 at Superpages.com Center, Pink at the American Airlines Center, Ra Ra Riot at the Granada, Nobunny up at Mable Peabody's in Denton, Every Time I Die at the House of Blues, our own Best of Dallas party at Trees, or even our weekly DC9 in SPACE taping at, uh, SPACE--might do well spending in Cowtown, catching singer-songwriter Hayes Carll performing at 8.0 Restaurant and Bar.

One of the most talented songwriters in the state--and that's saying something--Carll's 2008 album, Trouble in Mind, made our sister paper the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll's top albums list that year (coming in at No. 60), and Carll also that year's poll's top songs list ("She Left Me For Jesus" came in at No. 36). But what's really remarkable about Carll is his varied and dedicated following. Normally, a song like "Jesus," would offend the more religiously inclined country listener--but one look at the usual crowd at a Carll show finds folks from all persuasions, including the traditional country fans. Perhaps like John Prine,  Carll has the ability to transcend the easy associations and subversively hit his target without folks realizing he's poking fun at them.

In any case, fans of astute and witty songwriting should really consider spending this evening in Cowtown.