p>My guess is, if you caught the first Impala reunion show at Automatic Slim’s — a show they packed to the rafters — you’ve already made plans to go see them at the Hi-Tone Café on Saturday, February 15th. The Slim’s show came about after the boys sold one of their songs to George Clooney for use in his Chuck Barris biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. The show proved that this instrumental powerhouse has lost nothing during the eight or so years they’ve been MIA. Their surf-rock tunes (which, to be fair, owe more to the drag strip and spaghetti westerns than they do to the beach) are stark and dangerous. When they play that R&B, uncontrollable shaking is guaranteed. They’ll be joined by the Memphix DJs.
And speaking of the ‘Tone, they will be hosting a little Valentine’s Day party Friday, February 14th, with The Reigning Sound, The Chiselers, The Turnstiles, and La Paloma. Of the bunch, La Paloma is the group I’m most interested in at the moment. Don Rich-style Telecasters meet joyous garage pop in one of the more exciting roots-oriented bands I’ve heard in years. Their cover of Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” is a thing of beauty.
While I’d usually rather have nails driven into my eyes than listen to anything that even remotely resembles techno, there are exceptions. Heads hoping to get lost in the beat might want to visit Zinnie’s Full Moon Club Saturday, February 15th, to see techno grease-ball Grunt and his partner Deejay Record Player. Ancient beats (well, some are really ancient, some are just from the ’80s) mix with sometimes heady, sometimes hilarious samples. Over time, Grunt’s ambient meanderings actually begin to morph into something not entirely unlike pop. Nice trick. —Chris Davis
On Mouthful of Love, a four-song debut EP, out-of-towners Young Heart Attack mix ’60s garage-rock, ’80s metal, and ’90s indie rock with absolutely ferocious energy. They’ll be well-paired with local rock-and-roll believers The Joint Chiefs at the Hi-Tone Café Monday, February 17th.
Local rock fans somehow not lured to that Impala/Memphix pairing Saturday night have a couple of other sure shots to choose from: Lucero will be giving what has become their de facto monthly local show at Young Avenue Deli, with Dixie Dirt and The Looks. And The Subteens and The Bloodthirsty Lovers will join forces at the Lounge.
For something completely different, the annual Beale Street Zydeco Festival will be letting the good times roll Saturday as well, with Rosie Ledet at Rum Boogie Café and Geno Delafose at the New Daisy Theatre as highlights. n
—Chris Herrington