Weekend Roundup: Ani DiFranco, The Hives, The Krum Bums, New Monsoon, Ratatat

It was a good weekend for music in Dallas–if only because Pinback and The Silver Jews came through and were both pretty amazing (though not so amazing as to have their Dallas performances posted on Youtube just yet…)

So, no, we won’t be seeing them here.

But you will see Ani DiFranco, who came back through town promoting her new album by playing lots of happy songs. Just kidding. She’s just as funny/angry as always, I guess. Fun fact: Watching this video, it almost looks like she has mouse ears. Now, I don’t know that Ani would ever go so corporate as to sign an endorsement deal with Disney, but stranger things have happened…

The Hives were out and about earlier this week, and did some very good and exciting things onstage. Or so it appears…

Over at Reno’s Chop Shop, the Krum Bums were doing their best Jane Fonda imitations. Seriously, the guy with the giant Mohawk jumps so high, he must be burning off all the beer he’s drinking…

Compared to Mohawk guy, New Monsoon was just feeling mellow, man. Luckily, that’s kind of this groove-rock band’s thing. The guitarist livens things up with a guitar smile–oops I meant solo, though it’s kind of weird because when he smiles the guitar seems to smile…

Of course, if jam band’s aren’t really your thing, there’s always this super exciting beginning of the Ratatat show. They come on the way they say Gypsy Rose Lee used to–in that, pretty far into the song, everything’s still covered up proper. By the time the opening has ended and these guys stroll onto the set, the video ends…

…and that was your weekend. Well, more like your week, but whatever. —Dianna Wray