PREVIEWS // Jan. 17, 2013

Tino and Jose: Never to Old To Rock and Roll.                    Or, Mariachi

The Continental Club is known for hosting the occasional oddity, but it's doubtful patrons of the Main Street venue have encountered a duo quite like Tino and Jose. A wacky pair of older guys who are very serious working musicians, they cover rock and roll songs mariachi style. It sounds like a kitschy novelty -- and in some senses it is -- but these guys absolutely wail on classics like Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman."

PREVIEWS // Jan. 11, 2013

Turntables and Classic Vinyl Separate New York Deejay Jonathan Toubin From the Rest

If the New York cool cat behind the turntables at Fitzgerald's Saturday night looks familiar, chances are he is. Now a noted figure in hip circles in New York City and nationally, Toubin is a former Houstonian who played in bands like Noodle and Cheezus here in the Eighties before setting out into the larger world. He also began his deejay career working at local station KTSB when he was a student at UH.

PREVIEWS // Jan. 11, 2013

Los Skarnales and Jungle Rockers Testosterone Tidal Wave Hits Continental Club

Testosterone alert! Consider yourself warned: Friday night's bill at Continental Club featuring local giants Los Skarnales and the recently reformed Jungle Rockers from Austin should be a full scale guitar world war of machismo, greased-back hair, tight pants and leather jackets. Every rock star pose ever attempted on the planet will likely be in evidence.

One of Houston's longest running, most revered, and supremely atomic bands, Los Skarnales have survived so long because they just don't do it like anyone else. Steeped in ska, cumbia, and rockabilly, Felipe Galvan and his eastside vatos try to Continental Club jump over the rafters from the first note of any performance, exploding onto stages like prisoners being released from solitary confinement. And if a fight breaks out, well, then there's going to be a fight.

PREVIEWS // Jan. 09, 2013

Wordsmith Ramsay Midwood At Under The Volcano Tonight.

If the word anti-rock star did not already exist, it would need to be invented for Austin's Ramsay Midwood. His guitar is a cracked, scuffed duct-taped relic that looks like it fell down a cliff with Hank Williams Jr. Midwood prefers to keep his caveman mane partially hidden by an assortment of cheap gimme baseball hats worn backward or, in winter, even the odd Russian fur hat with those awkward, freaky, never-sexy ear flaps. He probably last shaved in the middle of the last decade, and most of his wardrobe seems to date back to his days of picking crops in France.