1.) Marc Ford is doing Americana right. It’s melodic and dynamic rather than boring or so self-serious it makes you want to smash the nearest acoustic guitar you can find. The former lead guitarist for the Black Crowes has just put out a spectacular new album, Holy Ghost, and is on tour with son Elijah Ford and singer-songwriter Jesse Aycock. The caravan hits Fort Worth tonight (Thursday) at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3005 Morton St., 817-332-3344).
Admission is $10.
2.) The new and improved Cosmic Trigger is here. The Fort Worth quartet hasn’t completely lost its sense of stonerific fun and wild abandon, but frontman Tyrel Choat feels there’s a lot more going on in the new material to appeal to a lot more ears. “I’m more proud of these two songs than anything I’ve ever recorded,” he said, referring to “Voltaire” and “Catharsis,” to be released as a 7-inch at a party tomorrow night (Friday) at Lola’s Saloon (2736 W. 6th St., 817-877-0666) with The Effinays, The Raven Charter, and Eyes of Oort.
The songs will appear on an upcoming full-length to be recorded in December, once again in Dallas with producer and Wo-Fat guitarist Kent Stump. “Kent Stump was the dude,” Choat said, “and, to me and the style of music we play, there are no better recordings than Wo-Fat and [Dallas rockers] Mothership, and they’re right down in Dallas.”
“This is just a taste,” Choat said. “What’s coming will probably put us over the top.”
Admission is $8.
3.) Mike Doughty is an underground pop legend. The former frontman for ’90s giants Soul Coughing is into just about every style of music, and his unique approach to hybridizing genres is on full, colorful display on his new album, Stellar Motel. His current tour brings him to Fort Worth tonight (Thursday), specifically to Lola’s Saloon (2736 W. 6th St., 817-877-0666), where he’ll also take requests, suggestions, tips, phone numbers, you name it, inserted into a “question jar” from concertgoers. Wonder if Doughty’s ever seen Denton great Paul Slavens write entire songs off the top of his head from fictional titles scribbled out on bevnaps and placed on his keyboard.
Admission is $17.
4.) One of the coolest touring shows I’ve seen over the past couple of months was at The Boiled Owl (909 W. Magnolia Ave., Near Southside, 817-920-9616), when this crazy, skinny kid from Baltimore who was apparently on tour did this electro-punk thing –– just him, a microphone, and a laptop –– and was all up in people’s grills the whole time and not just because the Owl doesn’t have a stage-stage, just an area on the floor. He was really feelin’ the love. Or the awkward laughter, as the case may have been. On Friday, another electro-punk act but one that seems to be a lot less, uh, aggressive and psychosexual, Austin’s Knifight, will take the “stage” at the Owl with Fort Worth chillwavers Tidals and two acts I’ve never heard of: Beach Priest and Moth Face.
No cover!
5.) Quaker City Night Hawks are back, and it’s about damn time. These loud and greasy Fort Worth cats take the stage at Shipping & Receiving (201 S. Calhoun St., 817-343-6393) on Friday with Fort Worth smart-country boys Patriot, Dallas/Fort Worth Southern-gothic rockers Dove Hunter, and San Francisco’s Lee Gallagher & The Hallelujah.
Admission is $5.
And don’t forget the stuff we’ve already written about: Goldd with Bummer Vacation, Blackstone Rangers, SuperSonic Lips, Tidals, and Yung Wave tonight (Thursday) at The Where House, and on Saturday, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s eighth annual Modern ’til Midnight, featuring marquee local musicians and bands (White Denim, Burning Hotels, Quaker City Night Hawks, Pinkish Black, Son of Stan) performing ’80s rock and pop classics.
