Hell City Kings/Poor Dumb Bastards

Leave it to two of Houston's biggest punk-rock troublemakers to seed the weekend before SXSW with a pair of switchblade CD releases, each packing a Texas-size helping of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Friday at Mango's, Hell City Kings unveil their new Wolf EP, their first recording since new lead singer Josh Wolfe came aboard last year. As Wolfe howls, the Kings throw down more of their take-no-prisoners blitzkrieg bop not appreciably different from last year's Road to Damnation joyride — but then, why fool with a good thing?

Saturday at Rudz, Poor Dumb Bastards return from dormancy to release The Price of Rebellion, a choice punk platter that came at a heavy cost. Among the two-minute tales of questionable sexual decisions and plus-size lingerie fetishes, the Bastards are also mourning guitarist Hunter Ward, who passed away in 2007. The band took a year off before going back and completing Rebellion. But they kept the parts Ward had already recorded for the disc. "It was kind of eerie listening to him play and knowing we'd never see him again," singer Byron Dean wrote in the note he dropped off with an advance copy of the CD. "It gives a little more somber meaning to the song 'The Price of Rebellion.'" Yes, it does. Be careful out there this weekend, Houston... but have fun.