MUSIC

Rudyard's presents The Squishees * Ghost Town Electric * Dead Mineral.

The Squishees – (pictured, Houston, TX ) Guitarist Erik Westfall, bassist Johnny Todd and drummer Jason Tortorice describe the band’s music as “an energetic mix of progressive punk-funk with an equal emphasis on offbeat lyricism and apocalyptic instrumentation.”

This music is virtuosic and ambitious, while retaining a visceral punch — and yet it’s almost anti-commerical in its bizarre and idiosyncratic approach. Such a mixture, to me, seems quintessentially Houstonian in its artistic isolation. The Squishees represent the gritty, organic, and unpredictable sprawl of our city as well as anyone. – Space City Rock

Ghost Town Electric – (Houston, TX ) This is the story of Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, who inadvertently and naively trusts the hedonistic, contemptuous and vain health club members, to the point of accidentally ending up in a vat of toxic waste. The devastating results then have a transmogrification effect, his alter ego is released, and the Toxic Avenger is born, to deadly and comical results. The local mop boy is now the local Superhero, the saviour of corruption, thuggish bullies and indifference.

Dead Mineral - (Houston, TX ) Formed in 2005 under the name Novox, Dead Mineral have been blasting Houston area bars and clubs with mostly instrumental dual guitar driven rock that wraps beauty inside searing noise. Members collectively hail from other Houston bands including Dry Nod, Sprawl, The Drunks, STOMA, The Keenlies, Run Trip and Fall, Rusted Shut, Project Grimm, Texas Guinness Lovers.