Back to the drudge of the work week. But, hey, at least you have a couple of nice musical options this evening...
The Apples in Stereo, Fol Chen and The Crash That Took Me at The Granada Theater
The fact that Denver's Apples in Stereo features Dallas' own John Dufilho on drums is just another reason to like the band's clever take on indie pop. For almost 20 years, Robert Schneider has led some form of the Apples as the band continues its goal of becoming The Beach Boys. But wait: Travellers in Space and Time, the band's most recent effort (and the first with Dufilho on board) forgoes the harmonic pop approach almost entirely. Instead, we find Schneider and crew sounding like ELO playing disco. And, before you go running for the exits, check out the sweetness of "Nobody But You" or the Dufilho-sung "Floating in Space" and hear the sound of a band challenging its borders. And, speaking of dance hall oddities, Los Angeles' Fol Chen is in a league of its own. Veiled in secrecy, about the only thing we know about Samuel Bing and crew is that they make (very) weird indie songs that you can (somehow) dance to.
Tyler Hilton, Josiah Leming and Dion Roy at The Loft
Sure Tyler Hilton is from Palm Springs and looks real pretty. But anyone who plays Elvis in a movie is alright by me. And besides his work in the film Walk The Line, Tyler's mix of pop and Americana strikes me as authentic. Same goes for Josiah Leming. Although some may know him via his short stint on American Idol way back in 2008, Leming is actually a cat from the wrong side of the tracks that traveled the country at the tender age of 17 in search of his musical muse. Leming's debut full length, Come On Kid, hit the streets in September and is not a bad slab of overly earnest pop rock.
Nonpoint, Atom Smash, Shining Silence and Shund at Trees
Quite the potent quadruple-bill happening at Trees, with Fort Lauderdale's Nonpoint headlining a show that might possibly end tomorrow morning. Led by Elias Soriano, Nonpoint has been around for the better part of a decade and plays alternative metal with flash and spirit if not a lot of originality. Also hailing from Florida is Atom Smash, a less conventional post-grunge band that has the sense of humor to call its debut full-length Love is in The Missile. That sounds like a Van Halen album, but the actual sound of Atom Smash ends up more solidly in Stone Temple Pilots territory. Fort Worth's Shining Silence adds a nice homegrown slice of brooding metal to this already bloated line up. Good luck to those who go to work early.
Hormones at The Libertine
Part of the Libertine's new, free Monday night concert series.
