It looks as though plans are in the works for some studio time next month to record a new single for release in the summer, and hopefully an entire album’s worth for a fall or winter release. Meanwhile, make plans to see Fire In the Kitchen perform tonight at The Blackheart, 86 Rainey St. It promises to be a lovely evening with the McMercy Family Band, Mangia Negra and a solo set by Little Brave on the bill. The music starts at 9 p.m. Recommended.

I call it a cross between giddy and gloom, perhaps not so much “giddy” as “lovelorn,” but definitely cheerful-sounding melodies. They’ve always created an elegant contrast between dancey electronic pop and rather darkened moods. Murdering Teeth is fueled by this mix, crossing surf rock sounds and upbeat rhythms with a sort of Joy Division/Jesus & Mary Chain-era melancholy.

Danceable melancholy? Sign me up. Don’t miss Borrisokane’s EP release show tonight at the gorgeous Austin Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St. Tonight is a very special occasion for a number of reasons. The first 100 attendees will receive a free copy of Murdering Teeth, and Borrisokane’s performance will include guest appearances by members of local bands Growl, Schmillion, and Knifight. The bill also includes performances by Black Books, who are about to embark on a big UK tour for the Dot To Dot Festival in Bristol, Manchester, and Nottingham, as well as a show at Roundhouse in London with The Flaming Lips; and Letting Up Despite Great Faults.

What a spectacular line-up, literally a triple bill from the heavens. Doors open at 8 p.m. Highly recommended.

Emily Bell’s debut album, In Technicolor, will be released on May 28th. On Saturday, she’ll be in Studio 1a playing live on KUTX. Be sure to listen in!

Fresh off the announcement that Lee will be performing at the upcoming ACL Fest with her band The Black Ties, Texas Music Matters’ David Brown caught up with her for a conversation.

But a follow-up to that promising debut was much harder to come by. Several versions were recorded and ultimately scrapped. Flemmons recently confided to Texas Music Matters that he didn’t want the Generals to turn into your typical indie rock band, and the sound he heard in his head became an obsession. So he kept chipping away at a collection of songs, snaring help from a number of Denton and Dallas area musicians, as well as producer Stuart Sikes (the White Stripes, Cat Power, the Walkmen). After nearly a decade of work, he was able to let go and press send on an email to Sub Pop that read, “New Baptist Generals Album.”

That retreat from the spotlight, that single-minded vision has ultimately paid off. Out May 21, Jackleg Devotional To The Heart is well worth the wait for the Baptist Generals’ cult fanbase. There’s a full electrified band accompanying Flemmons now, and he admits he’s still wary about all the corners that were smoothed out in his sound. Yet the record is a natural next step. The melodies are larger, the rhythms are crisper, and the Generals more that live up to their commander’s vision. First single “Dog That Bit You” draws from fellow Texan Roky Erickson’s psych-pop blueprint, kicking off the album with a bang. The ten years of pressure and self-doubt have created something that perhaps even Flemmons couldn’t have predicted: an absolute gem.

You can also hear a feature story on the Baptist Generals on this week’s episode of Texas Music Matters.

In this case, it marked the beginning of Boy + Kite. Songwriters Darvin Jones and Beth Puorro had sneaked into a spa just outside of Austin after hours one night. Their hot tub chats inspired a bevy of song ideas, which led to Jones and Puorro recording a three-song demo as a duo in November 2009. The following spring, they added bassist Giuseppe Ponti and drummer Chris Mietus, and the four began working on more tracks for their debut full-length release, Go Fly (2011). Now they have a new five-song EP, We Can Go Anywhere We Want, infectious and atmospheric pop-rock reminiscent of ‘90s bands that weren’t afraid to mix pop with experimental elements.

Boy + Kite is having their EP release show tonight at Holy Mountain, 617 E. 7th St., with Jonas Wilson of The White White Lights‘ side project The Plastic Habit, and a local pop band making their debut, Slomo Drags, featuring members of Cartographers, The Couch, and BOY. Doors open at 8 p.m. Recommended.