A busy, busy Thursday evening tonight as the weekend cranks up a day early. SXSW crossover travel is certainly adding to our own scene's musical hustle and bustle...
Liz Phair and THe BAcksliders at the Granada Theater
Exile to Guyville, Liz Phair's 1993 debut, was ranked by Rolling Stone
magazine as one of the top 500 albums of all time, and Guyville does deserve
such accolades. Problem is, most of her releases after that were lame
attempts at selling out -- that didn't sell, oddly enough. Of course, Phair blames it all
on evil major label record companies. And, certainly, the labels deserve a
lot of the blame for trying to sanitize Phair's natural rebelliousness.
In any case, once free of her label, Phair issued the strangest record
of her career, last year's Funstyle. Featuring absurd attempts at
rapping (along with some solid power pop), Funstyle at least made Phair
sound compelling for the first time in a long while.
Dawes, Deer Tick and Middle Brother at Club Dada
Quite probably the best trio of bands in one venue happens tonight at
Dada, even though one act is actually a mixture of members from the
other two. Brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith lead Dawes, a nice
folk/rock quartet out of Los Angeles. A lot weirder is the
indie/alt-country of Rhode Island's Deer Tick, a five-piece led by the
oftentimes warped and wonderful John McCauley. And starting things off
tonight will be Middle Brothers, a supergroup of sorts that features
Taylor Goldsmith, John McCauley and Matt Vasquez from the band Delta
Spirit. Middle Brother's music is, as you may have guessed, a little
harder than Dawes and a little softer than Deer Tick. Is it just right?
You be the judge.
Helmet, Saint Vitas, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, The Atlas Moth and Turbid North at the South Side Music Hall
Eight bands? Even with doors opening at 5, lord knows when Helmet (who is
co-headlining this tour with doom metal legends Saint Vitus) will hit
the stage. It's uncertain whether or not your standard metal heads have
such patience, but if they do possess such fortitude, they will
ultimately be rewarded. Helmet's Page Hamilton is writing some of the
best songs of his career as evidenced by the group's 2010 effort, Seeing
Eye Dog.
The Appleseed Cast, Muscle Worship and Mansion at The Loft
If the endless bill of metal happening downstairs in the South Side
Music Hall isn't your cup of tea, just head up the stairs into The Loft
to catch the heady indie rock of The Appleseed Cast. The band is about
to issue a new EP and many wonder if they will return to the
song-oriented material of 2006's Peregrine or the more free form,
instrumental approach of 2009's Sagarmatha. Either way, this unique
outfit plays thoughtful music for folks who have grown too old for emo.
David Lindley and Jim Suhler at the Kessler Theater
Best known for his work with Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon, David
Lindley is one of rock's most underrated guitarists. He can play
just about any stringed instrument, and his work with Ry Cooder is
especially rewarding. Those wanting to hear Lindley in his absolute
prime should search out the three albums from El Rayo X, the band
Lindley lead in the early '80s. Local guitar legend Jim Suhler opens
what should be a brilliant display of musicianship.
