Drifter
Best Rock/Pop
One of the freshest and most invigorating (relatively) new bands,
Drifter combines dew-drenched Southern rock with minty-fresh '70s pop in its
own original
style. Craig Feazel and Paul Beebe share vocal and guitar duties, while bassist-keyboardist
Cullen "Monkey" Evans and drummer Chris Laurents provide a steady rhythm section.
Their recent release, Lottery Bar, was like an Altoid to the mouth of Houston music, featuring great melodies, catchy choruses and commercial appeal without sounding wimpy. Extra kudos for their songs about healthy relationships between the sexes. -- B.R.
BAR Houston, 7 p.m.
Drop Trio
Best Jazz, Best Guitarist (Marc Reczek), Best Keyboardist (Ian Varley)
Houston isn't the greatest city in the world for live jazz, but folks like Drop Trio are out to change that. They don't really fit in with the avant-garde, the martini sippers or the purists; they're more for the young cats who like their jazz a bit funked up with lots of energy. Drop Trio is anchored by a rhythm section tighter than the Texas education budget and a Rhodes keyboard that gets pushed to its limits on every cut. Think Medeski Martin and Wood, without their lame DJ, and then add in some elements of bayou funk and acid-tinged San Francisco hipness, and you're close to describing the sound of their instrumental jams. -- M.S.
M Bar, 8 p.m.
D.R.U.M.
Best World Music
The cats in D.R.U.M. work harder at entertaining crowds than Jimy Williams works the Astros bullpen. D.R.U.M. lives by the cardinal rules every band should follow: Always keep working. Don't whine. Don't bitch. Don't kvetch. Just take your ass out to some venue and play. In town, you can find them headlining at the Last Concert Cafe, where they perform "Global Fusions" on the first Friday of every month. -- C.D.L.
Dean's Credit Clothing, 9 p.m.
Dubtex
Best New Act
This punky-funky-hip-hoppity collective comes from a diverse
array of backgrounds, both ethnically and musically, but they all have one thing
in common. No one
in this band is afraid to push the limits of any genre, and while their sound
definitely leans mostly into the realm of reggae, you'll hear elements of electro,
rock, turntablism, rap, funk, blues, ska and Afro-beat too. Their beats are
fresh, the songs are conscious and fun at the same time, and they feature one
of the best MCs on the circuit in Houston today. Perseph-1 could give any rapper
a run for his or her money on any given day. -- M.S.
St. Pete's Dancing Marlin, 4 p.m.
Dune*TX
Best Guitarist (Chris Sacco)
Most bands sound better recorded, where sound effects and computer tricks can
gussy up even the most horrendous musician. But garage band Dune*TX sounds best
live and close up. Okay, maybe not too close up, as the Dune*TX amps have only
one setting: deafening. Last year's Goldenarm was their best album to
date and promises even better things yet to come. -- O.F.A.
Barcode, 8 p.m.
The El Orbits
Best Cover Band
They're loungey. They're groovy. They're just a little loony. But the El Orbits have cornered the niche on bingo games bands with a wide variety of covers. Pop standards, Tin Pan Alley, jazz, blues, even '70s soft rock are all in their repertoire, as documented on last year's Live in Houston, Texas. Drummer-singer David Beebe, bassist Paul Beebe, keyboardist the Dazzling Pete Gray and guitarist Jim Henkel show sincere reverence for the material rather than jokey, Gen-X irony. But they don't take themselves too seriously, despite a stolid fashion sense on par with Agent Smith from The Matrix. When they sing the theme from The Love Boat, you'll wish that Isaac was pouring you a tall cool one and giving moustache-grooming tips. -- B.R.
Hard Rock Cafe, 5 p.m.
John Evans Band
Best C&W, Best Roots Rock/Rockabilly, Best Male Vocalist, Local Musician of the Year
Last year's top winner in this contest, Evans is a Buddy Holly-looking tall drink of water with a lean and mean sound. His band plays the sort of honky-tonk your mama warned you about -- rocking and razor-sharp, thumping and rough-and-tumble -- and Evans's commanding stage presence and sturdy baritone are the perfect accompaniment. Off stage, Evans is producing a soon-to-be-released tribute to Willie Nelson that will come out on Best Local Label nominee Compadre Records in September. -- J.N.L.
St. Pete's Dancing Marlin, 9 p.m.
