Norton Records Benefit

Last month, Norton Records’ warehouse, which sits in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, was flooded during Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed much of their inventory. This is sad news for fans of the obscure punk/surf/R&B/soul label, founded by Billy Miller and former Cramps drummer Miriam Linna in 1986, which is…

Rush – American Airlines Center – 11/28/12

Rush American Airlines Center Wednesday, November 28 Last night at the American Airlines Center, which was filmed for a future DVD release, Canadian trio Rush took some bold chances by not playing a predictable set. They gave staples like “Limelight,” “Working Man” and “Freewill” a rest. Matter of fact, the…

Old Crow Medicine Show

Carry Me Back, Old Crow Medicine Show’s comeback record after a yearlong hiatus, is also a return to the raw, freewheeling style of their early days. The former New York City subway buskers are at their best when they’re telling a story that may bear the sound of the old…

Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette’s 1965 single “Let Me Down Easy” was the song that should have put the Detroit singer in the ranks of the Supremes and Marvin Gaye. LaVette’s fame came later in life, however, namely as she’s re-emerged in the last decade or so. Her 2005 covers album, I’ve Got…

Dethklok

Dethklok is the world’s most violent metal band. In fact, the band’s music is so savage, fans have to sign “pain waivers” just to enter the concert venue, or suffer the wrath of the Klokateers, the band’s loyal servants. Nathan Explosion (vocals), Skwisgaar Skwigelf (lead guitar), Toki Wartooth (rhythm guitar),…

On the Eve

Home by Hovercraft were nominated in our Best None of the Above category in this year’s Observer music awards, and this reminds us why. The group’s new musical, On the Eve, tells the trippy tale of Marie Antoinette, time travel and hot air balloons. One description paints it thusly: “With…

Away From the Numbers

Texas Theatre’s been racking up some impressive DJ nights, including their latest monthly venture, Ladies Stay Crazy, which I encourage ladies to attend and get crazy at. Saturday night, however, Gabe Mendoza and special guest DJ Jake Schrock provide you with a psych/soul/proto-punk soundtrack. When good musical taste is involved,…

CD Source’s 19th Anniversary/Black Friday Party

Even though it’s not located in the trendiest of areas and the staff can lean a bit on the eccentric side, CD Source is still one hell of a music store. Case in point: The store’s annual Black Friday celebration once again features a killer lineup of local talent performing…

The Band Does Denton

On Thanksgiving 1976, The Band performed The Last Waltz, their final concert at the time, and delivered a star-studded affair to an adoring audience, changing the meaning of the holiday for thousands of fans. The Day After Thanksgiving 2012, a star-studded cast of Denton musicians will play a tribute set…

Joe Budden

Jersey’s Joe Budden will be promoting the upcoming release of his new mixtape, A Loose Quarter, due out the day after Thanksgiving. Budden also recently announced that his new album, No Love Lost, is slated for release January 22. As he slowly leaks tracks and details on the Internet, we…

Boan, Assacre, Thug Decay, Betdat

This electronic lineup makes good use of the Golden Triangle’s dark pull. Houston’s Boan, which features Mariana Saldana, formerly of Tense and Medio Mutante, and José Cota (Medio Mutante) headline the night, along with Austin’s one-man storm front Assacre, and Thug Decay, which is one half of ATX synth duo…

Trae Tha Truth, Z-Ro, Snow Tha Product

Houston’s Trae Tha Truth and Z-Ro reunited as their early Aughts rap duo ABN (Assholes By Nature) in their hometown late last year. Now, they’re bringing it on the road, and they’ll be pulling from 2003’s self-titled and 2008’s It Is What It Is, the latter of which contains possibly…

Deftones, Scars on Broadway – Palladium Ballroom – 11/14/12

Deftones, Scars on Broadway Palladium Ballroom Wednesday, November 14 California’s Deftones have become one of America’s great rock exports. Band leader Chino Moreno and the rest of the seasoned crew returned from a triumphant set of dates in South America just in time to land in Texas, celebrate the release…

The Sea and Cake

Chicago’s electro-jazz group The Sea and Cake have been around, in many forms, since the mid-’90s. The band just released its airy 10th LP, Runner, a companion album to its 2011 release, The Moonlight Butterfly. The album’s single, “Harps,” focuses more on the band’s tendency to gravitate toward ambient, electronic…

Shiny Around the Edges

Check out our Q&A with SATE’s Jenny and Michael Seman this week, as they talk about the new sound of their latest album, The Night Is a Disco. Eccotone and Forever Home open up the night at Macaroni Island, the deliciously named new house-show venue in Denton…

Rock Lottery 11

The Rock Lottery concept first came from Good/Bad Art Collective’s Benefit and Music Programming Coordinator Chris Weber, and has a simple yet creative premise. Twenty-five hand-picked musicians are organized into five bands through a lottery-based selection, then released to practice at different locations for exactly 12 hours before returning to…

Danksgiving with Devin the Dude

We’ve lost track of how many times Houston marijuana connoisseur Devin the Dude has gotten us high this year. As Thanksgiving approaches, he’s playing a special holiday show, and there will no doubt be special guests helping us get blunted. Fellow H-Towner Le$ jumps on as well, and Yeahdef provides…

Mary J. Blige

We just witnessed the glory of Ms. Lauryn Hill a few weeks ago, and now another ’90s R&B counterpart resurfaces. For those of us who took Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album My Life as scripture, 2011’s My Life II … The Journey Continues (Act 1) kept Blige in the loop,…