Upcoming Denton concerts - April 2009

by Josh Hogan of My Denton Music

This is one of those shows to get excited about people! It has been about two years since Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights burst onto the scene with their soulful debut album, Hot Trottin' and in the time since its release, the band has created quite a name for itself. It should be a party when they make their way back to Denton on April 11 to play the Boiler Room. Take some aching Texas Blues mixed with festival style jam band, throw in a bit of soul and top it off with a shot of whisky. The result is Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights.

Listen for "Gypsy Woman" - The band's first single off their debut album is one of the catchiest songs you will hear.

Two bands that are burning up the blogosphere right now are making their way through Denton at Hailey's Club on April 11. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and Vivian Girls are two, slightly off-center, groups that have been heating up via the internet for some time now. Both have a very interesting and unique sound.

Ariel Pink has been recording music since the late 1990's and he is still true to the same style of music from which he began. He and his band (Haunted Graffiti) employ a low-fi, noise pop sound that has gained much chatter around the country lately. They are wrapping up their US tour later this month with a performance at the Coachella festival before a massive European stretch over the Summer. Their live show has been described as slightly chaotic pop, with a heavy dose of 80's flavor. So in other words, they should fit right in at Hailey's

Saturday's should be pretty interesting. Two bands that are all over the music blogs of the world right now will be making their much-anticipated Denton debut. All indications point to the night going one of two ways. It is either going to be an epic performance with loads of energy and excitement, or a complete disaster. Risky I know, but worth checking out never the less.

Absolute nonsensical lunacy, unabashed craziness, and ridiculous songs played to perfection are what you should expect for Electric Six's performance at The Boiler Room on April 16. You should remember this band, if not by their any of their outrageously catchy tunes released in the past few years, then by their 2003 hit single "Danger! High Voltage," which is near the top of the list of great party rock anthems. Since then, Electric Six has put out four albums, including 2007's I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master which boasts some very attractive and frankly underrated stuff, such as "Riding On The White Train" and "Down at McDonnelzzz," a song that glorifies the golden arches like never before. Their music sounds like a mix between the synth kings that ruled the 1980's and the rock gods of the 1970's, but with a lyrical styling all their own. You wont hear anything quite like Electric Six anywhere else, they are truly one of a kind.

They will be in town to promote their fifth studio album, appropriately named Flashy>, which is a perfect word to describe the overall aura of this group. So come out to the Boiler Room to check them out. It will be pure dirty sexy rock and roll just the way you like it!

Listen for "Transatlantic Flight" from Flashy - it is a blackened story book love tale about a doomed airplane ride. Never mind the absurdity when you notice everyone in the room dancing to the lyrics "everybody's dead" and "use my body as a flotation device"!