New Bibio more rocky than I remember

I've missed Bibio almost as much as I've missed Caribou, for my fix of lo-fi, looped psychedelia. But this track definitely tides me over a bit. In fact, it's satisfying my Beta Band cravings too. 

The new track is surprising in that it features prominent vocals and less of a patched-together sound. The song is less of Bibio's usual experimentation with textures and spaciness and more of a cohesive rock/songwriting experience. 

Maybe Bibio's upcoming album (projected for May) will consist of more tracks like this: rock songs as assembled by a very non-rock artist. I guess we will know in May.

Listen here.

Minus the Bear plus a little Caribou

Even though I'm not going, and I really do wish I was, Minus the Bear will be playing the House of Blues this Friday with Wisconsin musician Paul Thorn. I saw Minus the Bear last year in Boston and they are phenomenal. Lots of cool lighting, excellent stage presence, and some of the most amazing tap-lead guitar playing I've ever seen in my life. The band's new LP "Omni" came out on the 27th of April and can be purchased on the iTunes music store. Local indie-rockers and Summer Fest performers, Caddywhompus, will be playing Super Happy Fun Land Friday night. Omatai will be at Walter's that night too.

Saturday will be particularly kick ass with electronic musicians Toro Y Moi and Caribou coming to Warehouse Live. Caribou is the stage name of Canadian artist, Daniel V. Snaith, hailing from Ontario Canada; he takes various live samples he's recorded himself and arranges them into beautiful symphonies sometimes throwing in spacey, ethereal, vocals.
His latest album, Swim, was released in April.

Post-grunge rockers, one of the few really good bands in the genre, Blue October will be playing a show at the Sam Houston Race Track on Saturday. Toad the Wet Sprocket are playing the House of Blues on Saturday night and even though I originally believed that they kind of fell off the face of the earth when grunge eventually died, Houston will get a visit, at the scout bar, from nineties-rockers, Candlebox. Styx, Kansas, and Foreigner will be coming to the Woodlands Saturday night even before their usual appearances at the fall Arrowfest and Sunday we'll get to hear the sultry tones of R&B legend, Al Green. That's a pretty damn good showing for a single weekend: there's something for everyone.

-- Jack Daniel Betz