Notes and News

New Horsepowers Album Soon … -ish

Horsepowers is wrapping up their debut album with an aim to have it out at the end of summer. The last day of summer is on Sun, Sep 20, so be sure to ask them where the new record is if it hasn’t materialized by then! I kid, mostly, though listener enthusiasm is the fuel additive that keeps a local band’s engine running at peak performance, and I’m sure the band would be stoked about their fans bugging them about it.

But you should also hope this album drops around that time because the songs’ lyrics, layers of angsty, arpeggiated jazz chords, and gorgeous, worn-out amplifier crunch are already making me anticipate that wistful, stretched-thin feeling that accompanies every afternoon between the end of September and whenever it gets cold again, when the angle of the sun seems to resign itself to its late-October fate, but it’s still fucking hot outside and the distance from the front door to the mailbox feels like a slog to the end of the Earth. Horsepowers’ debut sounds like the argument with yourself that launches that journey, despite a landscape of sunbaked, seasonal despair and the rock-bottom expectation that the mailbox is just full of bills and credit card offers. Very uplifting stuff! Especially if you like Pavement, Comets on Fire, or contemplating how everything started versus how it’s going now.

Heavy Riffage for Those in Need

Werewolf Victim Revival is dropping their debut album, Panoramic Kill Scene, on Sat, Jul 18, with a show at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW), along with prog-metallists Caddis and heavy shoegazers Dream Deleter. Proceeds from the door will go to the two people who lost their home and belongings when their house, located just up the block from Gusto’s Burgers + More on West Magnolia Avenue, burned down. Every little bit helps, and your charity will be rewarded with a lot of face-melting, mind-expanding riffage.

Heatstroke Alert

One of the coolest things to get in August: a week-long pass to Heatstroke. Presented by KXT and held at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, 817-367-9798) on Sat-Sat, Aug 1-8, Heatstroke is a festival showcasing all-local lineups. For $44 ($35 plus a $9.95 service charge), you get entrance to a week of shows, starting with a bill on Aug 1 anchored by greasy, bluesy, loud, long-running Fort Worth rhythm-rockers Quaker City Nighthawks.

I love this. Each night sounds like a fun hang, and I count six bands in that list that I have never seen, so that’s pretty cool. Heatstroke seems like a great time for local musicians to go see one another’s bands and have some beers about it. Here’s the full lineup:

Sat, Aug 1: Quaker City Night Hawks, Christian Carlos Carvajal, Desert Folk

Tue, Aug 4: $2 Tuesday with Oatmeal Pizza, The Bikini Whales

Wed, Aug 5: Hen & The Cocks, Heavy Petal, The Infamists

Thu, Aug 6: Phantomelo, Ayden Trammell & The 40 Stories, Primo Danger

Fri, Aug 7: J. Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed, Sheprador, special guest

Sat, Aug 8: Meach Pango, Cut Throat Finches, Cherry Mantis, Ryker Hall

Travails with Charley

Fun fact: My original draft of this column included nearly 600 words about Charley Crockett, piling on to the heap of shade — including from Editor-in-Chief Anthony Mariani — that the Texas-born, New Orleans-and-elsewhere-bred busker-turned-cowboy-themed singer-songwriter found himself beneath after defiantly defending his decision to boot Satan-loving doo-wop duo Twin Temple from two opening slots on his upcoming tour. For several days, Crockett doubled down (as he is often wont to do) on his ideals and whatnot, then on Tuesday morning, when I went to see what he was “and another thing”-ing about (to flesh out my screed with the freshest update), I discovered he’d wiped his Instagram account. While his bio line still says he is “On the Hallelujah Trail,” he no longer has any content posted. Draw your own conclusions, I guess. Though I was pretty high on my own supply over some zingers about ol’ Charley — we get it, dude, you are as real as a fencepost made of petrified wood — I am going to err on the side of not kicking a man when he’s down. You had a rough week, Charley, but I hope you’re OK.