1.) Has anyone mentioned that chill electronic dance music is the new yacht rock? Most of the lyrics (if there are any) are lovey-dovey, and if you trade the turntables and synths for guitars and pianos, you’ve got early Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, right? Anyway, as with yacht rock, there’s a lot to like about pretty EDM outfits such as Flux Pavilion, Flight Facilities, and an act that’s playing the South Side Ballroom (1135 S. Lamar St., 800-745-3000) on Saturday, Adventure Club. The Montreal duo’s music is extremely laidback and very, very twee, with soft, soaring vocals and moody atmospherics. And, of course, drops.
I guess instead of “yacht” we should be saying “tricked-out Hyundai.”
AC will be joined at the ballroom by Dvbbs. Tickets are $40.
2.) Bobgoblin was Denton before Denton was cool. After forming in the early ’90s and, in 1997, releasing a major label album, The 12 Point Master Plan, the band played all over before soon changing its name to Adventures of Jet and not much later disbanding, playing only the occasional reunion show. In the mid 2000s, the band says, the political and economic environment “compelled [us] to return to the original Bobgoblin concept,” penning progressive-punk songs about “a number of issues, from class inequality to corporate invasiveness.” Bobgoblin has followed up on its last album, 2012’s Love Lost for Blood Lust, with a classic-arcade tribute EP.
Bobgoblin plays Lola’s Saloon (2736 W. 6th St., 817-877-0666) on Saturday with the Motorheadian Dallas/Fort Worth quartet The Dangits, Dallas’ The Lash Outs, and Fort Worth’s The Blank-Men, a very Bobgoblin-esque band in that its music is clean, full-bodied, and synth-happy but has a ragged punk heart. Cover is $8-10.
3.) When Andrew W.K. first came out, circa 2001, he was incredibly refreshing. Here was this big white guy with long hair making hard rock music fun again and only semi-ironically. Through columns and articles he soon began writing for various national and international publications, he also revealed the source of his musical inspiration, his credo: Basically, live every day to the fullest. Over the years, his recorded output slowed, probably due to some legal wrangling, but he never stopped touring. That he’s performing at the intimate Door (2513 Main St., 214-742-DOOR) on Saturday as part of the inaugural Party Madness 64 is a real treat.
Perhaps the festival’s other big draw is nerdcore rapper Mega Ran, who’s equally fun-loving and upbeat (but way nerdier). The bill also features The Protomen, Psychostick, Bit Brigade, Professor Shyguy, The Photo Atlas, Descendants Of Erdrick, and locals Urizen, Droidekka, Day Waster, and Gigaforce. There’ll also be a Mario Kart 64 tournament, cosplay contest, free-play arcade games, and comic, anime, and video game vendors. Tickets are $25-45.
4.) “And one of them isn’t even a real venue!” That’s what some whiner wrote on Facebook not long after we published the ballot for our 2014 Music Awards, in which Fred’s Texas Café (915 Currie St., 817-332-0083) was among the nominees for best venue. Though the Mr. Whiney Pants did not mention Tarrant County’s oldest ice house by name, we all knew who he was talking about. Indeed, Fred’s may not have the biggest or best sound system, and, yes, more people go there for the food than anything else. But how can you argue with the caliber of artists who either played Fred’s while on tour recently or who play there regularly? Black Flag’s Greg Ginn, Bobby Patterson & The Relatives, The Hickoids, Ed Hall, Rev. Horton Heat drummer Taz Bentley, Slobberbone, Eric McFadden, Dove Hunter, Stumptone, The Cush, True Widow’s Dan Phillips, Quaker City Night Hawks’ Sam Anderson and David Matsler, Foxtrot Uniform’s Kenny Uptain, RTB2, Guthrie Kennard, Leon Bridges, Nathan Brown, and Scott Copeland are just some of the huge underground acts from our backyard and beyond that have graced Fred’s comfy outdoor stage over the past few months. Not too shabby, me-thinks. (The Me-Thinks have also played there.)
And Friday, it’ll be more of the same: Throw Rag vocalist Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss, former bass player for The Circle Jerks, former musical director and lead guitarist/multi-instrumentalist for former Clash frontman Joe Strummer, and former multi-instrumentalist for former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland. Schloss and Wheeler have released one album together, 2010’s Walk Thee Invisible, an intoxicating blend of bluegrass, gospel, rockabilly, and just about every American folk genre in between. Two punk/rock legends in ye olde towne of cow? Fred’s is the place.
The best part? No cover. As usual.
5.) Macca is in town, playing Monday at American Airlines Center (2500 Victory Av., 800-745-3000). There will be the oldies, no doubt, but, if you’re lucky, there’ll also be some of his new stuff. A lot of it is, well, not half bad.
The video below, for his single “Queenie Eye,” from his most recent album, 2013’s New, will easily be the most annoying, cringe-inducing thing you see all day. Yes, Paul. You’re famous. We get it. (Or maybe he’s trying to say, “People born after 1990 have no idea who I am, so what we need to do, marketing team, is make a video with well-known celebrities to let everyone know that Paul McCartney is famous too, damnit!”)
Tickets are $29.50-253.75.
And don’t forget about Arts Goggle this Saturday and Friday on the Green on the Near Southside.
