Ryan Gosling went to Fun Fun Fun Fest. Could he be at SXSW? A girl can dream!

There’s something about the annual South by Southwest music, film and nerd festivals. To quote Agent Smith from the Matrix, “It’s the smell.” Ok, it’s only partially the smell. Mostly, it’s the smell of music! HO HO!

Once again, we will take our caravan of anti-hipsters up 290 and/or 71 — depending on if you prefer the Dairy Queen in Giddings or Hruska’s in Ellinger…mmmm, Hruska’s — to our state capital in March to play during the annual festival and claim glory in the form of Home Slice Pizza.

We’ve played this particular showcase twice in the past and it has always been fun. The showcase itself is at Guero’s, which is pretty good Tex Mex, but even better Tex ROCK! What?

Assuming it doesn’t rain — with the way the drought has been the last year, there’s a better chance of a wildfire breaking out on South Congress (or in our pants…HEY OH!) than a thunderstorm — we’ll be on that outdoor stage on at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 17. (underlined and bolded because this whole post makes no sense and we want you to have the details about this actual show that is happening) Not a bad time slot either.

There are a bazillion (actual number) bands playing over that weeks worth of events. One we want to see is The Akabane Vulgers on Strong Bypass, a Japanese all-girl band that, in the photo below, look like something out of The Ring. A co-worker of mine, when seeing the photo, simply asked, “Why do they look all wet?” We don’t know. Maybe for Ryan Gosling…ahem.

Also, the name sounds like an American movie title translated into Japanese and back into English. It’s like The Tourist came back after translation as Putrefaction Jolly Rancher, which totally makes sense.

Anyway, while you’re in Austin catching The Akabane Vulgers on Strong Bypass, be sure to swing by Guero’s, have a taco and watch some live ass kicking rock and roll. Konichiwa.

Anyway, we’re back, baby, and this weekend we are participating in a very special Blossom benefit concert along with 49 other great local bands. For the last two months plus, I’ve (Jeff) been filling in for Houston Press Music Editor Chris Gray editing the Rocks Off blog because Chris had a heart attack. It’s frankly a miracle the guy survived, but he’s doing GREAT and will soon be back working.

Even with insurance, his medical bills are mounting and he needs help. Chris is a friend and a guy who has done a tremendous amount for the local music scene over the years. He deserves our respect. He certainly has mine.

This benefit isn’t some lame three or four bands jamming for nickels. This is a full blown day-long party featuring some of the best bands in Houston, a MOUNTAIN of killer silent auction items (hands off that signed Steve Earle poster or I’ll cut a bitch!) and a performance by Houston native and alt-country ass kicker Hayes Carll.

We’re going on a 4 p.m. on the Continental Club stage, but the whole thing starts at 10 a.m. with breakfast with the Allen Oldies Band. Carll is on two slots after us and the whole thing is gonna kick freaking ass.

You can get more information on the whole deal here and here. Even if you can’t go, please consider donating to the cause, which you can do on the website.

See you at the show!!!

Everyone who comes to Rudz Saturday gets a free American Apparel model! (or something else, like an STD)

This Saturday, we’ll be in the center of hipsterdom (in Houston, anyway), the fab-u-lous, crime-free Montrose at the venerable pub, Rudyard’s (2010 Waugh Drive) with the very talented Lee Alexander and awesome singer/songwriter, Shelia Swift.

Lee goes on around 10pm followed by us at around 11:30 and Shelia at around 12:45.

Look, we know you’re old and that you like to have your supper around 5pm, watch Matlock and then catch the Carson monologue before heading off to your trundle bed, but sometimes you just have to sacrifice for the greater good. So, pop a few Geritol, drink a cup of that black sludge you call coffee and pedal your ancient booty down to the ‘Trose to hear some ass-kicking live music.

You might want to throw a few Viagra into your mashed potatoes too, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Here’s the Facebook invite if you are on one of those new fangled social network thingys. See you there, Methuselah (look it up).

Just like Usher, when we saw this, we were like OH MY GAWD!

We go on at noon right before fellow Houstonian, Tody Castillo, and play a typically brief thirty-minute set. Should be fun. You should go.

In addition, Houston is often host to what are normally referred to as “overflow” shows. Bands from around the country visiting Austin during SXSW want to play other locales in our fine state and Houston sometimes qualifies. The end result is a couple weeks of really weird band names playing at venues that normally host puppet shows or blues bands or puppets that play the blues, which is probably the most awesome thing of all.

One of the more well organized variety of overflow shows is the South by Due East (get it?) festival run by lovable and funk-tastic New Jack Hippie Guy Schwartz. Guy has always been good to the band and invites us each year without fail to perform at the show held at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar in the kickass Houston Heights (represent the 008, what WHAT?).

This year, we’ll be there at 8pm on Sunday, March 13. It should make for an excellent warm up for the trip to Austin and the SXDE is always well run, so come out and enjoy a Sunday funday in the hood, yo.

And don’t forget…the legit will make you lactate…lactate…

In short, we’re playing Last Concert Cafe, that bastion of all things Mexican food and hippietastic, next Friday, February 18 with Governor’s Chair. We go on around 9:30pm and play for probably 45 minutes or so. Since you were deprived of our awesomeness last week, this is your chance to find peace and solace in the arms of guitars so loud, they’ll melt your soul.

That might be an overstatement, but you won’t know unless you show up!

Get the details on our show page, right freaking now!

Houston's Ice-tastrophe 2011: A Mother Nature Joint (dramatization)

Please don’t weep as your tears will turn to ice and, also, we’ll be playing again in two weeks at Last Concert Cafe and in a month at Rudyard’s.

So, buck up there, little buddies, and hunker down tonight. Sure, there won’t be ice on the roads like last night, but who cares? If you can’t be out partying with us, you may as well stay home and get yo freak on. What WHAT?

Fat guy in a little boat...yeah, we went there.

We’re back…

Did you miss us? Aw, you’re cute.

After much weeping, wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth (mostly by George as he’s a real gnasher), we have managed to emerge from the ashes like a burning phoenix riding a Harley Davidson powered by jet fuel and covered in…wait, what was I saying?

Anyway, we’ve got a new drummer – Joe Earthman. He’s been playing around town for years and has been a drummer here as well (ba dum dum), which is good since that’s a key ingredient to playing drums. You might have seen him with the Allen Oldies Band or Governor’s Chair or just hanging around being pimp because that’s how he rolls.

We’ve been rehearsing like mad fools the last couple months and, just like that, have lined up a butt-ton of gigs including our second appearance at the Live Music Records South by Southwest showcase. You’ll find us hunkered amongst the hipsters trying to avoid catching the disease that causes the sufferer to wear guyliner and skinny jeans. Shudder.

Next up is Bohemeo’s this Friday. It’s supposed to snow – this is HOUSTON, God, not Buffalo! – but that won’t stop us. Like postal workers, we aren’t deterred by weather and we always pack heat. Ahem. It’s an early show, so don’t go get hammered and show up around 10 demanding to hear rock and roll and claiming anyone who plays earlier than that is a pussy. We can’t take you anywhere!

After that, a show at Last Concert, then back to Rudyard’s and a stop at the South by Due East festival here in Houston before heading northwest to Austin. We’re busy, people!

We’d love to see you out at a show or two or all of them. You’re so damn dedicated and we love you for it. Come here, you. Give us a hug!

By the way, if you aren’t a fan on Facebook or don’t follow us on Twitter, my GOD man, what is wrong with you. Do it! Do it! DOOOO EEEEET!

We’ll be back on stage this Saturday, May 15 at Rudyards, 2010 Waugh Dr. in the Montrose area of Houston. This will be our first full-band gig since March 2009 and our first with new drummer, Mando Perez. This is also the first time we have played Rudyards’ since May 2008, a few hours after this performance at the Houston Art Car Parade. We will be debuting five new songs and playing some old favorites from our first two CDs.

DON’T FORGET…Everyone who comes through the door will get a *FREE* copy of our first CD, Another Lame Semi-Tragedy. Pete Simple will open. Hope y’all can make it out.

Jeff and I were asked to play our new song Someone Came To Help Me by the folks at LifeGift of Houston. The group was celebrating it’s second annual “Donate Life Month” event. The rain held off long enough for us to do the song for transplant patients, donor families and other dignitaries who gathered at the Texas Medical Center (TMC) Commons. Tomorrow (Friday, April 16) George and Chris will do the same thing for a similar event sponsored by The Methodist Hospital Transplant Center.

The full-band track is available on iTunes, Rhapsody and other various digital download sites.

SXSW is so nuts. It’s a really interesting thing to see streets closed down and so many musicians pushing gear around.

George, Chris and I all got to Austin Friday. Chris and I shared a room both nights we were there, so we hung out early evening in Austin getting some pizza at Home Slice and eventually making our way to Jo’s Coffee where we met George and caught the set by the Jayhawks. It was a simple acoustic set, but they were phenomenal.

Chris and I bailed on Alejandro Escovedo in favor of the Arc Angels right on Town Lake. We did hear Escovedo warm up on a George Jones song we had stuck in our heads the rest of the weekend. I refuse to name it for fear it may end up back in there. Arc Angels were fantastic as usual. Doyle Brammel Jr. is such a ridiculous musician although it was interesting that bassist Tommy Shannon was not with them on this gig. He and drummer Chris Layton form one of the best and most underrated rock rhythm sections (Double Trouble) of all time.

We were pretty burnt by the time that was over and decided to make our way back to the hotel and crash.

On Saturday, Chris and I headed down to Guero’s around noon. We people watched. I can personally say I girl watched – everyone else in the band is married, so they would NEVER eyeball another woman…ahem – and sweet hairy monkeys of fire there were some hot women in Austin, but I digress.

We caught a couple of bands before us – all from Houston – and then went on right around 1:30pm. It was nice to see some of our friends in the audience! The band before us was acoustic and at SXSW, you really have to be loud to draw people into a venue – or onto a big open patio like where we played next door to Guero’s. Once we got started, the place started to fill up and we got a really warm reception from the crowd.

We did out 40 minutes or so, including a ridiculously awesome long guitar solo at the end of Suzanna to close out the set. We hope to have some audio and video available soon.

After the show, Chris, his wife and I went back to the hotel to drop off gear and get some lunch. We had an excellent lunch at Kerbey Lane. If you’ve never been, go. It’s teh awesome. I don’t remember our waitresses name, but she was great too.

Once we got back down to South Congress, we split up and I headed down to 6th Street while Chris stayed back to catch a few bands on Congress including Fastball. I wandered around on 6th and 5th for a number of hours, hanging out with some friends from Houston.

I also caught the set of an excellent pop/rock band from Baton Rouge called We Landed on the Moon. I had exchanged emails with the guitarist last year and he sent me their music. I took a bunch of pictures and talked with him afterwards about exchanging some gigs, so hopefully you’ll see them on a bill with us sometime this summer.

My friends and I went back to Kerbey Lane for late night breakfast – yum – and then it was off to bed.

Overall, a really fun and productive weekend for the band and for us as individuals. We hope to be back and playing even more shows next year. Oh, and you can catch some of my photos from the weekend here. Enjoy!