It's a great day for Rangers fans and a crappy one for Cowboys fans. Fortunately, there are at least a couple musical offerings this evening that seem bound to either continue your euphoria or ease you out of the doldrums...
Deftones, Eightfourseven at The Palladium Ballroom
Since the band's
inception in 1988, Sacramento's Deftones has evolved into a complex
musical unit while still holding true to its punk and rap-metal roots.
Although Chino Moreno and crew have only released six proper albums in the
span of nearly 22 years, the stylistic growth from 1995's Adrenaline to
the recently released Diamond Eyes is pretty remarkable. The fact that
the Deftones have also maintained a high level of popularity while
incorporating numerous influences speaks well for the continued
relevance of the band. Eightfourseven, also out of Sacramento, features a
much more synth-heavy sound that requires a bit more patience on the
part of the listener. However, given time, the band's charm eventually
comes through.
White Denim, Elf Power and PVC Street Gang at The Loft
The
unique brand of noise that emits from Austin's White Denim has made the
band critical favorites since its beginning in 2006. More recently, the band added a second guitarist and released Last Day of Summer, a
stopgap collection of leftovers in lieu of the band's yet-unfinished
third effort. Interestingly, Summer contains some of White Denim's best
work, including the downright lovely "Light Light Light" and the nifty,
almost pop sound of "Home Together." Athens' Elf Power has been around since
2004, releasing 14 albums that basically define the term "indie rock."
Mixing neo-psychedelia with low-fi pop, Andrew Rieger deserves credit
for keeping things together while his band has always been relegated to
opening band status. Speaking of opening bands, Denton's clever PVC
Street Gang gets things going this evening. Chris McGaha leads this
joyfully bizarre combo in all the right directions.
Casey Thompson at Adair's
Fort
Worth's Casey Thompson is a top-notch singer-songwriter who doesn't
mind plying his craft on the more traditional side of the alt-country
spectrum. Influenced by such legendary country tunesmiths as George
Strait, Ernest Tubb and Billy Joe Shaver, Thompson keeps thing smart and
simple on the recently released Feel at Home. Songs like "Who Needs
Mexico" and "Tennessee Memories" are earnest and hummable offerings that
never stray too close to overreaching significance.
