Wednesday Picks & Sleepers

Wednesday Sleepers

DON LEADY Y LOS CADILLOS: As an original LeRoi Brother, Leady helped define the strong roots rock scene in Austin. In the Tailgators, he fused Fabulous Thunderbird-style blues with hardscrabble swamp-rock that made the trio enormously popular. In recent years, he's gone jazzier with Alamo Suite, but retained the big guitar sound he mastered long ago. Whatever the musical configuration, Leady's stellar credentials make him worth a listen. (Ruta Maya, 8pm) -- Margaret Moser

THE SPIDERS: The Lord said, "Let there be rock!" And it was good. He said, "Let there be a band from San Marcos, who shall be called the Spiders, and let them bring down the very heavens themselves in the name of rock!" And it was very good. If, as per the wall-crawlers' debut, Sex Is Thicker Than Blood, fine uncut rock of this caliber is thicker than both. (Room 710, 8pm) -- Christopher Gray

KID BISCUIT & HIS BISCUIT BOYZ: He's Biscuit! The love child of Zack de la Rocha and Willie Nelson, Kid Biscuit is West Campus' No. 1 politically conscious pimp. Whether he's skewering Taco Cabana, high tech carpetbaggers, or Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, this is one B-boy who got an A in civics class. Yuppies go home! (Lucy's, 8pm) -- Christopher Gray

VH1'S BANDS ON THE RUN: "Four unsigned bands compete for a shot at stardom." That's the billing VH1 is giving its new reality show, Bands on the Run, a cross between Survivor and Behind the Music that premieres April 1. VH1 has brought these four up-and-coming acts with radio-friendly sounds together for a night. Of regional interest is Ft. Worth's Flickerstick, known for their energetic live shows. Also: San Diego's Soulcracker, L.A.'s Harlow, and NYC's Josh Dodes Band. (Stubb's, 9pm-1am) -- Michael Chamy

LIZZY BORDEN: Forty more whacks? Seeing how Lizzy Borden's return -- after what, 10 years? -- Deal With the Devil kicks off with tracks like "There Will Be Blood Tonight" and "Hell Is for Heroes," it's safe to assume that the band hasn't strayed too far from the formula that made 1985's Love You to Pieces an essential part of any anthology of American metal. (Back Room, 9pm) -- Michael Bertin

DAVY JONES: No, not that Davy Jones. When the Monkees played the Erwin Center, however, this Davy Jones was onstage at the Electric Lounge that night playing "I'm a Believer" with the Diamond Smugglers. Prior to his work with the Neil Diamond parodists, Jones was best known for his work with legendary Austin cowpunks the Hickoids, and before that, self-described "poor man's ZZ Top," the Ideals. A welcome return after a long break. (Hole in the Wall, 9pm) -- Ken Lieck

JAMES HYLAND: There's a reason Central Texans are good at Steve Earle grit -- they invented it. James Hyland is the latest Austin shitkicker to get the local roadhouses all scuffed up, his local debut Place I Call Home just itching to be played at a real honky-tonk like the world-famous Broken Spoke. (Broken Spoke, 9pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

PERFORATED HEAD: From the opening notes of "Whirlpool" on its Maybe I'm Mayonnaise EP, NYC's Perforated Head sounds like a throwback to bands like That Dog! and Letters to Cleo. Of course that's not too far a throwback (six years?), besides, and it falls by the wayside once Tim Lott starts singing because, well, he's not a girl. (Buffalo Billiards, 9pm) -- Michael Bertin

WONTONS: Peek-a-Boo's great white-shirted hope in a post-Kiss Offs world, the Wontons can get a co-ed to disrobe faster than a Comp Lit major quoting Gabriel García-Márquez. I haven't seen this personally, but have thought it many times at their shows, except when I'm thinking, "Damn! Was it this cool to be mod in the Sixties?" (Downstairs at the Loft, 9pm) -- Christopher Gray

ARCHIE BUNKER: For those who cannot be rocked hard enough, the Dallas area's Archie Bunker unleashes one of those full-on assaults of downtuned guitars in a liquefying orgy of sound and fury. Their debut, Lucky 13, came out on Brainticket Records, home to like-minded bands such as Las Cruces and Sorcerer. Are you ready to rock? I said, "Are You Ready to Rock!?!" (Atomic Cafe, 9pm) -- Michael Bertin

NEAL KASSANOFF: No matter where he rests the acoustic on his knee, local singer-songwriter Neal Kasanoff manages to make you feel like you're at NYC's Bottom Line, soaking up edgy, sometimes morose chapters of Richard Thompson. Underappreciated to be sure, Kassanoff's stylings are never underwritten. (Azucar, 9pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

PLEASANT GROVE: A fitting name for this Dallas staple, because Pleasant Grove is nothing if not pleasant, though they often transcend said adjective. Their eponymous debut on Dallas' Last Beat features strummy, introspective pop songs with ample room to breathe, filling the air at times with strategic flourishes of distortion. (Iron Cactus, 9pm) -- Michael Chamy

I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER: Beginning in Athens, Ga., before moving to New York City, IATWTC played their first-ever gig last SXSW. That show was understandably a bit shaky, but the band -- who recorded their Kindercore debut Out of the Loop on a laptop -- has been busy making new music by combining sampled loops, organic beats, and lilting vocals. (Emo's Jr., 9:30pm) -- David Lynch

BABOON: These Denton-bred sci-fi noise-punk freaks released material on Grass and BMG subsidiary Wind-Up before self-releasing 1999's superlative We Sing and Play. Despite their predilections toward the incendiary, Baboon has always been careful not to crush the emotional vulnerabilities that lie beneath. They've also appeared on Walker, Texas Ranger, which must count for something. (Iron Cactus, 10pm) -- Greg Beets

EPSTEIN'S MOTHER: This Vegas-based fourpiece sports one of the better names of this year's festival, indeed inspired by the running Welcome Back Kotter gag whereby the Sweathog of the same name would try to get out of work by bringing a note signed "Epstein's Mother." As for their music, it's tailor-made for markets that love bands like Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20. (Lucy's, 10pm) -- Michael Bertin

THE PISTOLEROS: This Tempe, Ariz., fivepiece does for Americana what regional counterparts like the Gin Blossoms once did for college-radio guitar pop. The follow-up to their 1998 Hollywood Records album Hang Onto Nothing is a self-titled, self-released effort. (Opal Divine's Freehouse, 10pm) -- Michael Bertin

SUPERZERO: Rock & roll, in whatever language -- English, Spanish, Japanese -- lives and dies by the riff/hook, and Matamoros, Mexico's Superzero nails one to the cross with "H.D.P.," the last song on their locally recorded and Stuart Sullivan-produced Mujeres, Amor y Alcohol. "Hijo de puta! Hijo de puta! Hijo de puta!" (Buffalo Billiards, 10pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

PRIMORDIAL UNDERMIND: Guitarist/vocalist Eric Arn has been a fixture in the psych-rock underground for more than a decade, migrating to Austin a year ago with a new/old lineup of Primordial Undermind. These veterans of the Terrastock festival have released a pair of albums on Australia's Camera Obscura label and have another one in the can. Their psilocybic constructs of sound are adorned with everything from Arn's guitar freakouts to pulsating electronics, flute, and violin. (Buffalo Club, 10pm) -- Michael Chamy

ICELANDIC: Albuquerque pop-punk trio Icelandic plays unvarnished emotive indie noise perfect for the broken-hearts club. The rough, raw edges of their 2000 debut, The Young Mr. Palomar (Heard in the Dark) lend the band's tales of woe lived-in credence. Austinites may remember guitarist/vocalist Chuck Jurich from his stint as bassist for recently departed pop-punk troupe Stretford. (Maggie Mae's, 10pm) -- Greg Beets

LOVE SUPREME: Last year at this time, the lads in Love Supreme decided to make their divine presence known with baby-band Brit-pop. A year of toiling in local clubs hasn't made them any humbler, but then they haven't been sitting around on their bums now, 'ave they? Tighter, snottier, more melodic, Noah & Co. are gear. (Hole in the Wall, 10pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

MAX STALLING: This Dallas singer-songwriter's second release, Wide Afternoon, rose to No. 3 on the Gavin Americana chart and stayed in the Top 10 for nine weeks. The Washington Post wrote: "Stalling composes delicate images of life on the road and lets his musical compadres give the songs amiable honky-tonk momentum." (Broken Spoke, 10pm) -- Jim Caligiuri

LAZY SUNDAY DREAM: If this Amsterdam band's new album Soulages on Munich Records has a familiar flair, well, that's Lone Star compadres the Gourds playing on three tracks. Frontman/harp player Jan Van Doorn pays homage to a variety of American influences with his foursome; his interpretations are Euro-rootsy with a blues-rock curve, or what he calls "hi-fi country." (Opal Divine's Freehouse, 11pm) -- Margaret Moser

TEDDY MORGAN: After one critically acclaimed release on HighTone, Austin's Teddy Morgan has decided to release Crashing Down on his own. It's another set of twangy rock and funky blues with Morgan's stellar guitar-play front and center. Blues Access has proclaimed, "from sugar-and-spice vocals to stinging guitar solos, Teddy Morgan delivers the goods." (Speakeasy, 11pm) -- Jim Caligiuri

PATRICIA VONNE: You don't hear many Chicanas donning the bolero hat and busting out modern country with the snap of a whip, but Patricia Vonne took her San Antonio soul to NYC and showed 'em that hermano and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez isn't the only one in la familia con attitude. (Broken Spoke, 11pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

DOE MONTOYA: A rock & roll alpha female à la Janis, PJ Harvey, or Boss Hog's Cristina Martinez, El Paso native Doe Montoya commands the stage like a rutting tigress. Fronting Austin's fractured blues fourpiece Go Juice, she works it like her husky-throated wail is going out of style -- which of course it never will. (Waterloo Brewing Upstairs, 11pm) -- Christopher Gray

54 SECONDS: Led by Spencer Gibb -- of those Gibbs -- Austin's 54 Seconds is a moody, shifty-eyed affair, with guitars that wail and moan while their tattooed frontman confronts his internal demons. Gibb's got some songs, and a sound, a few more hooks are all that's needed. The band's Speakeasy residency continues to be one of the better weekly gigs in town. (Momo's, 11pm) -- Raoul Hernandez

KAPSIZE: Austin musician Ben Dickey, formerly of the New Cuba, is now Kapsize. The songs on last year's debut, The Gift, were intensely personal, quietly rendered songs about the pains and embarrassments of coming of age. (Ritz Lounge, 11pm) -- Christopher Hess

CHOMSKY: Okay, Alyssa Milano is hot, but if you want to phone home, why not linger on hold with Chomsky's A Few Possible Selections for the Soundtrack of Your Life? Discuss: Is "Song for Girls" about the concealed handgun law or a quick grope in a pickup truck? If the Mavericks are winning, can a Metroplex band crack MTV? (The Drink on 6th, 11pm) -- Christopher Gray

DRESSY BESSY: This Denver band, specializing in the angel-food-cake flavor of pop songwriting, shares personnel with the Apples in Stereo. They're already big in the Powerpuff Girls' home of Townsville, by virtue of a song about bubbles on the recent PPG compilation. They could well cross over from the cartoon world to the real one with California, their latest EP on the up-and-coming Kindercore label. (Emo's Jr., 11pm) -- Phil West

THE COFFEE SERGEANTS: Cary Bowman & Co. have been making understated, tuneful music locally as the Coffee Sergeants for better than a decade, and it continues to roast up well. Despite the name, their decaffeinated brew is melodic and atmospheric. It rocks, but not hard enough to give you a case of Mr. Coffee Nerves. (Downstairs at the Loft, midnight) -- Ken Lieck

MARYANN PRICE AND SLIM RICHEY: The coy, sexy vocals of Maryann Price graced Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks years back for some of their most delightfully arch recordings. Etched in Swing finds her having a go at some jazz standards; it's as wry and romantic as a gin fizz, and smooth as a cat purring contentedly in your lap. (Empanada Parlour, midnight) -- Jerry Renshaw

SOLAR COASTER: Swervedriver with fewer slowdowns, or a Hüsker Dü derivative with a slight affinity for indie-rock atonality. Either way, the North Carolina trio comes on fast and hard, only with a little élan instead of pure muscle. (Room 710, midnight) -- Michael Bertin

PUNCHY: It's a Midwestern rock thing, albeit from Austin. Sounding like members of the Uncle Tupelo family tree, Punchy is a little bit country and a little bit rock & roll, fronted by a songwriter who may also have a thing for the Clash and Mott the Hoople. They've released Just My Type on Pinch Hit Records. (Lucy's, midnight) -- Mindy LaBernz

DOG FASHION DISCO: If Marilyn Manson is an exercise in bad taste, D.C.'s Dog Fashion Disco is a freakin' triathlon shock-troopers are bound to love. The savvy, politician-baiting quintet combines the testosterone-heavy thrash of Korn with the morbid ghoul-rock imagery of 45 Grave and Christian Death. Their latest, Anarchists of Good Taste (Spitfire), features heartwarmers like "A Corpse Is a Corpse" and "Pour Some Urine on Me." (Back Room, midnight) -- Greg Beets

DEAD & GONE: Before Nü Metal soiled its first diaper, Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label crawled into the gutter and booted out some scary, post-punk metalheads. This bisexual East Bay Area lot are back for the second year in a row -- hopefully with something as unrepentant as their previous release, God Loves Everyone But You. (Emo's, midnight) -- Raoul Hernandez

PINWHEEL: Out of the garage and into the mainstream. The Long Beach fourpiece wants desperately to be a mid-Eighties Minneapolis band, but instead of direct post-punk descendants, they sound more like poppier progeny of safer bands like Foo Fighters and Everclear. (Lucy's, 1am) -- Michael Bertin

WAN SANTO CONDO: Last year, these local post-grunge rockers' Paul Leary-produced demos led to a short fling with RCA-distributed Kneeling Elephant. The affair failed to yield an album, but allowed them to tour with Ben Harper, The The, and Tenacious D. Just in time for another round of buzz, they've signed on manager Ted Gardner (Tool, Jane's Addiction) and are in discussions to play both the Reading and Leeds festivals in August. (Buffalo Billiards, 1am) -- Andy Langer

HUG: The guys in Hug got a lotta gall. This potty-mouthed local trio (Devo fronted by Ron Jeremy), known for shows at local punk joints that look and sound like a thrift-store explosion, just serviced the press with an edited Radio Red EEPEE. Like, what's a Hug tune without profanity?!? Don't go soft on us now, boys. (Red Eyed Fly, 1am) -- Raoul Hernandez

BRENDA KAHN: Since her 1990 debut Goldfish Don't Talk Back, New Yorker Kahn has crossed folk comfort with punk disgust in plain-text truths with only the thinnest veil over her ire. Her latest, Blue on Blue, sports a pair of dislocated locals: ex-Morningwood drummer Kim Powell and former Ging'breadmen Henry Guiterrez. (Waterloo Brewing Upstairs, 1am) -- Michael Bertin

FENCE CUTTERS: What started as a Sunday afternoon bluegrass jam at Lovejoy's has turned into something altogether different. Jumping from earnest if messy acoustic roots to raucous electric rock, as demonstrated in a batch of quality tunes on their '99 release Extended Play, Austin's own Fence Cutters have developed from a band started in a bar to a bona fide bar band. (Waterloo Brewing Co., 1am) -- Christopher Hess