You Voted and We Listened! Our next open mic night will be this Tuesday, April 19th, 2016 featuring The Smiths. So bring your friends and lets celebrate the joy of The Smiths together! The entire show will be live streamed on our official YouTube channel as well. FB event page here. Houston music lovers join together to create their own renditions of the The Smiths. Wonky Power Records is a music…
Listen to the exclusive new Bang Bangz single via Free Press Houston below! http://www.freepresshouston.com/bang-bangz-debut-exclusive-new-single-young-boy/ “Like all things with this band, the track is almost the complete opposite while still retaining the group’s core sound. The dual vocals coupled with synths is still there, but there’s a louder guitar track and a heavier beat with “Young…
Thank you for all for supporting and participating our open mic nights! We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue these fun nights with you. We’ve seen a lot of talented musicians hop on our stage and we’ve seen strangers get together to make beautiful renditions. Our next one will feature Nirvana on Tuesday, April 5th from 6pm-11pm. Please join us! Here’s the facebook event page.…
Your spring break is finally around the corner and we understand you wanna have fun. We had the privilege of bringing one of the biggest musical acts in South America this past August and they sold out the entire Walters Downtown venue. Their eclectic style of psychedelic cumbia was a exciting mixture of native rhythms, latin roots, salsa, and electronica. If you were at Walters that night then…
Support Your Music Culture At Our Spring Social: a day full of music and good vibes in the East End.
Wonky Power Spring Social, a day full of music and good vibes in the East End this Saturday. An outdoor stage that will host 12 incredible performers from noon till midnight! Complimentary drinks from Topo Chico Mineral Water and Buffalo Bayou Brew before 2pm. Music starts at noon and Music lovers join together. Invite all of your friends and family to celebrate the Houston live music culture.…
This past Saturday, the 20th of February, I travelled to Houston for an event hosted by Wonky Power Records called The American Showdown. In addition to being good friends with the members of Handsomebeast, one of the performing acts, I have been a follower of both Muddy Belle and Satellite D’Homme (two of the others) for some time now; and Rex Hudson, the opener, provided just the right blend of mellow notes and engaging melodies for an introduction to what would be one of the best live shows I’ve seen this year.
Walter’s Downtown was the venue, and a fitting one, at that. The building itself is a simple warehouse connected to an equally simple record shop, but the barebones nature provided an apt contrast to the warm, inviting one of the sizable turnout. Bands turned up early for soundcheck and setup, but also to mingle with the fans. Many of those who came out were friends of the acts, but I got the impression there was rather more to the dynamic besides. The vibe at Walter’s was one of devotion to supporting local musicians in a local scene growing with steady, undeniable momentum.
On to the showcase: Rex Hudson’s music is based discernibly in chillwave. The set featured a blend of electro groove and beach rock that gets the crowd loose without asking too much energy of them early on, which was fortunate, because each of the powerhouse acts to come would require an abundance of exactly that.
Next came Muddy Belle, a band which brings out the best of the old blues/Southern rock sound with a new twist and unparalleled degree of technical skill and showmanship. The drummer and frontman, Jerry “Junior” Gonzalez, leads the pack, who are dressed in all black shirts, slacks, skinny ties and wayfarers. The quartet are bathed in blue light, giving the effect of a stage underwater, hosting men who’ve been around the musical block.
Ben Rowe shreds on the guitar like I’ve never seen, switching from tasteful riffs and harmonies to peerless solos which succeed in being elaborate without indulgence. Phil “Bassman” Pep lights up with inexhaustible energy, jumping around and rocking the bass like he’s got it and knows it. And the percussionist/backing vocalist, Moskie, slides around in a black hat such that his supporting role becomes an integral one. After the rousing set comes the headliner, Handsomebeast — one word! — my personal favorite band in Texas, and arguably the best in Houston. They take the stage by storm, dressed in everything from a train conductor’s outfit (yes, acid washed denim overalls, whistle and all), to a Native American poncho vest (no shirt underneath), and all black ensemble branded with golden roses that looks like something MC Hammer would’ve crashed a wedding in.
They open with Bill Murray, a track on their forthcoming album which leaves everyone sort of baffled, taken aback. The song features every member collectively chanting its title between verses, coupled with an onslaught of old school funk and futuristic rock. Nobody really knew what they just saw or heard, but they knew it was good. It was a bold start, to say the least. It’s beyond apparent that Handsomebeast has put in their 10,000 hours. The muscle memory with which Peewee Ruiz (lead guitar) plays every chord, along with that of Nick Serena’s lead vocals and Jacob Rodriguez’s bass means that they can dance all hell on stage with manic confidence, popping collars, flailing hair, and stomping around like the Chili Peppers circa Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The Beast showcased its technical skill with a degree of wackiness and bliss that ensures they will be making waves in the coming months. Satellite D’Homme, the final act, are a band just as hard to classify as they are not to immediately love. It behooves me as a fashion junkie to shout out their collective style from the start. Wil Wayne, the frontman, walks up on stage in a get-up that merges Andre 3000’s crisp swag with the colorful variety of a Bollywood film star’s (take my word for it, because that’s the only way it can be described). Oh, the man’s singing and rapping can bring down the house, too. Satellite’s music is ridiculously catchy, boasting irresistible pop hooks with a sound that is soulful in spite of not being soul music. Their guitarists, Mario Rodriguez and Alan Garza, join the drummer, Adrian Graniel, in playing the sharp, frenetic style of early 2000’s indie rock. Gio Chamba — who is their bassist, a renowned Houston solo act pioneering “Digital Cumbia”, and a phenomenal human being — provides a grooved heartbeat for the set throughout. Everyone excels in their vocal duties individually and in harmonies. They are a sight to behold. After the last set, people flock to the merch tables to purchase CD’s, t-shirts, stickers and the like. I couldn’t resist buying a Muddy Belle EP, and there was none of the usual apprehension in spending money at a gig. I found myself wanting to support these artists, not only because they put on a truly epic show, but because it’s so obvious how much they care about their craft and love sharing it. Too, it’s important to recognize that, while every band commanded the spotlight, they also shouted out the others in an effort to bolster morale.
The Houston love was strong at Walter’s that night; and that’s refreshing to see in an industry which can often be elitist, exclusionary, even cutthroat. Experiences like The American Showdown can’t really be replaced in their unique sense of community and devotion to the arts. I can only hope that Wonky Power continues to create and foster the sort of ingenuity I saw that night. Austin has long claimed the title of Live Music Capital of the World, and it may very well be, but H-Town is making a case for itself as the freshest, grittiest new addition to the Texas scene, one that can hang with the best of them.
Check out more from Wonky Power Records and the artists at:
https://soundcloud.com/squincyjones http://wonkypower.com http://www.handsomebeast.com http://www.muddybelle.com http://wonkypower.com/artists/satellite-dhomme/ http://wonkypower.com/artists/rexhudson/
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Muddy Belle
Squincy Jones
Crowd
Satellite D’Homme
Satellite D’Homme
Rex Hudson
Muddy Belle
Handsomebeast
Handsomebeast
Muddy Belle
Article written by V. Andre Mikhail
The American Showdown: Somethin’s Brewin’ in Houston. H-Town is making a case for itself as the freshest, grittiest new addition to the Texas music scene, one that can hang with the best of them. This past Saturday, the 20th of February, I travelled to Houston for an event hosted by Wonky Power Records called The American Showdown.
This is long overdue and now we need an American Showdown. Get your rest and then put on your dancing shoes because tomorrow evening we are having ourselves a showdown with the most ruthless artists in Houston,TX. Pre-sale tickets are available here: http://www.stubwire.com/t/2wnssgui Check out the two video messages left from the artists below:…
Join us for our Super Secret Shows which we are holding at The Nightingale Room (308 Main St. Houston,TX) starting tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 16th at 8pm, music at 9pm. Our Super Secret Shows will be free and will have secret guest performances. Spread the word and thank you for supporting our music culture! Tuesday, February 16th 8pm Tuesday, February 23rd 8pm
Houston music lovers join together to create their own renditions of the Red Hot Chili Peppers We hope you can all join us tonight for our third open mic with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
By The Way, An Update of Our Open Mic Night and Events Red Hot Chili Peppers have won our Golden Open Mic ballot! It was a close tie between David Bowie and the Peppers at 52-50.
We’ve had a lot of fun at our last two open mic nights with Radiohead and The Strokes. We are now going to give our fans the opportunity to vote for the next open mic nights. Choose your favorites from our poll and we will announce the top 4 fan picks by tomorrow (Tuesday, February 2nd. 5pm). Our upcoming open mic night series will continue on Wednesday, February 10th at 6pm and it will streamed…
The alluring, dream-pop quartet is performing a special set at Aloft Hotel in Houston,TX tonight to kick off the Platformit Media second season premiere. You can RSVP here and the event will be filmed. The event is free when you RSVP and it starts at 7:30pm with XELA coffee roasters and a panel discussion beginning at 8:10pm with guest speakers: Carlos Paz Jr – Principal and Co-Founder of Bridge…
Our second Open Mic Night series continues tomorrow evening, Tuesday, January 26th from 6pm-10:30m with The Strokes. Sign up begins at 6:30pm. Come out and perform your favorite Strokes songs by yourself or with a band. Or bring your friends and enjoy live Strokes covers. Our stage will have a mark bass amplifier, 2 guitar amplifiers, 2 vocal microphones, 4 piece drum kit. $5 entry. BYOB for 21+.…
We will see all of your beautiful faces tonight! We want to thank you for supporting your Houston musicians and artists! Starting 12pm to 4pm CT you can use coupon code: WONKYPOWER when you buy tickets here: http://www.stubwire.com/t/uj5cjmaf Doors open at 8pm at Walters Downtown (1120 Naylor St. Houston,TX) Tickets will also be available at the front box office at $10.00 All Ages. Schedule is…
We will begin the new year with a music bash! Saturday, January 16th at Walters Downtown Houston,TX. We are giving away 5 pairs of tickets for the concert which will also include our ‘Early Ears’ Music Compilation album, More info below. Join us for good times and badass music. Support your locals and good karma will come to you. Pre-sale tickets are $7 right now here or $10 at the door. Read…
You can now stream the new George West record titled ‘Silverio’ A special 9 song album available on iTunes, Spotify, and more. Click the image above to listen on iTunes or Stream on Spotify here. Below are 2 of our latest releases with Gio Chamba and Rex Hudson. Enjoy! #newmusicmonday #georgewest
