So our 10th Annual Music Awards Festival has come and gone, and I’m still patting myself on the back for being in all the right places at the right times and catching some amazing performances –– and also kicking myself in the ass for missing some reportedly equally awesome sets, including The Hanna Barbarians’ 6 p.m. slot at Lola’s. Frontman Blake Parish was kind enough to text me afterward that his was the best performance of his young life, which is pretty big talk from a guy who gives everything he’s got to every Barbs show, and they play a lot. As if the Barbs aren’t busy enough, working on their follow-up to last year’s kickass album Syzygy, two of the guys in the band –– guitarists Alex Zobel and Kris Luther –– recently joined another group. Featuring two young and talented Fort Worth cats who’ve just returned from a two-year stint in Nashville, Joey Gorman and Jake Paleschic, The Longshots formed only in March but have already played several high-profile gigs, including a Cinco de Mayo event with headliners Whiskey Folk Ramblers and the annual Celebration of Life benefit last weekend at The Where House. The foursome –– Gorman on rhythm guitar and vocals, Zobel on lead guitar and vocals, Paleschic on bass, and Luther on drums –– have also laid down some tracks at Dreamy Soundz, a Near Southside analog-only recording studio helmed by Jennifer Rux, where Fungi Girls recorded their Pitchfork-approved album Some Easy Magic last year. (Dreamy Soundz is currently busy with a few other Fort Worth acts, most notably Year of the Bear, Solo Sol, Jake Paleschic & Patriot, and Fungi Girls drummer Skyler Salinas’ project, Vya Motel.) The Longshots came together organically. Zobel was helping Gorman fine-tune songs for a split recording with Paleschic when, Gorman said, everybody realized they should just start a band “with no writing head, to let the true rock ’n’ roll flow.” The Longshots’ debut album will be released on Dec. 12 (12/12/12), but until then, rough mixes of two songs are available at http://thelongshotstx.bandcamp.com/. The band’s next show is Thursday, Jul. 19, at The Where House (2510 Hemphill St., 817-913-7777) with Fungi Girls and Nashville’s D. Watusi, consisting of two employees of Jack White’s Third Man Records label. … Kevin Aldridge will celebrate the release of his debut solo record, The Viper Sessions, on Friday, Aug. 10, at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3005 Morton St., 817-332-3344) in the West 7th corridor with two spectacular, gritty Fort Worth rock ’n’ roll bands, Quaker City Night Hawks and The Apache 5. Aldridge recorded the album about a year ago with musical contributions from Fort Worthians-cum-Austinites Scott Davis and Kenny Smith, both formerly of beloved Fort Worth alt-country quartet Woodeye and currently of superstar Hayes Carll’s backing band. Other musical contributions were made by Don Cento and Adam Odor, who produced the record with Kevin Szymanski and Richard Dodd (Tom Petty’s Wildflowers). See ya there. … All the votes have been counted, and we will announce the winners of our 15th Annual Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards on Sunday at a private, nominees-only event at an undisclosed location. However, what would a Weekly event be without lots of hootin’ and a-hollerin’ (and a-drinkin’), so the entire world is invited to The Backyard at Capital Bar (3017 Morton St., 817-820-0049) in the West 7th corridor for the After-Party. Big Mike’s Box of Rock, Dazey Chain, and members of Quaker City Night Hawks, The Hanna Barbarians, Skeleton Coast, and more will perform. The show is free and starts at 7 p.m.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
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