Listen to the sweet, earnest indie rock of Tyler, TX band Eisley live Thursday, May 24, at South Texas College with The Myriad, and Vedera. I just discovered Eisley recently, but I’ve really fallen for the band’s delicate approach. They remind me a bit of Great Northern or The Sundays.

Eisley has a whopping 15 tracks available for streaming at their MySpace page, so give ‘em a listen and check out the video below for “Telescope Eyes.”

I just got wind that Mexican pop band Belanova will play McAllen’s Las Palmas club on Sunday, May 18. This is one show pop music fans won’t want to miss.

If you took Devo’s blips, added Mates of State’s endless optimism, a little Sonny and Cher sunburst and some no-nonsense Latin grooves, you’d have the makings for a pretty tasty Belanova milkshake. That’s a completely superficial summation of the band’s sound, but gimme a break. I just discovered them today.

You can find tons of Belanova eye candy on YouTube. Check out the band’s video for “Rosa Pastel.” It’s one of my fav so far …

It’s still early in the week, but we already have some local concert news for you. This week, Valley music fans can look forward to catching Texas country legend Pat Green, pop rockers forever the Sickest Kids, emo rockers Alesana and Blues on the hill in Harlingen. Check out our Events Calendar for more info and keep reading to find out a little more about these artists.

Alesana
Emo screamo band Alesana performs this Wednesday at South Texas college with, reportedly, The Chariot, SkyEatsAirplane, LoveHateHero, Our Last Night and others. Check out Alesana’s MySpace page to get a sampling of the band’s sound, which features lots of Gollum-esque screaming.

Pat Green
Texas music legend Pat Green performs Thursday at the Las Palmas Racetrack in Mission. PopMatters has an excellent interview with Green and you can learn more about him at his official Web site.

Forever the Sickest Kids
Pop rockers Forever the Sickest Kids return to the RGV on Sunday to play South Texas College with The Cab, Danger Radio, The Maine and Metro Station. Check out our photo gallery from their Spring Break show a few months back.

Belanova
Latin Grammy-nominated Mexican synth-pop band Belanova will take the stage at Las Palmas on Sunday in McAllen. Check out sound and video clips at the band’s official Web site.

And don’t forget, Blues on the Hill is Saturday at Harlingen’s McKelvey Park.

A post on Flyleaf’s MySpace page tells us that the alt-metal band will visit the Valley on March 21. Flyleaf will headline a show at Dodge Arena after it ends a long tour through Europe supporting Korn.

The Belton, Texas band has toured with Breaking Benjamin, 3 Doors Down, Disturbed , Stonesour and they played the main stage at the 2006 Family Values Tour. Their music has appeared in the recent movies “Live Free or Die Hard” and “Resident Evil: Extinction.” The band members, who say they are all of Christian faith, donated proceeds from sales of their “Music as a Weapon” EP to the international Christian relief organization World Vision.

Click here for Dodge Arena ticket info and check out Flyleaf’s video for “I’m So Sick” below.

Christmas is nearing, but there are still a few good concerts to catch this week in the Rio Grande Valley. Check out this quick list of some of the concerts showing up on my radar. Make sure to check out our events calendar to find out about more local events.

- There will be a benefit show for the RGV Food Bank at the Border Theater in Mission on Dec. 20 (that’s the flyer posted to the right) featuring some great acts, including The Apple in the Tree, They Mean Us, Melissa Carver and The Final Stretch.

- Amarillo country singer Kevin Fowler returns to the Valley on Dec. 20 at Graham Central Station.

- Graham Central Station also has Los Palominos performing on Dec. 21.

- Brownsville’s Chapa’s Bar hosts an indie dance night with Houston’s The Factory Party, Cosmogirl, The Citys and a new band from Austin called Trains to Holland on Dec. 21.

Tonight, McAllen’s Cine EL Rey will hold a celebration “in honor of the Virgin Mary” starting at 7 p.m. featuring local acts GoLightly Project, Brandon Garcia plus Brandy Bee Serrata, he daughter of tejano legend Jessy Serrata, and more.

The event will also feature dramatic plays and dancing. It’s only $10. Get more info on the event here.

The hugely popular Mexican pop band that has inspired more bad hairdos than good ones returns to the Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 15, 2008, according to the Dodge Arena Web site.

That’s right, RDB is coming back and you can catch ‘em for as little as … $62 bucks? Yikes! You think that’s high? The most expensive RBD tickets on TicketMaster are going for twice that amount. Still, I’m sure fans will pay up. I know some people who say these kids are bigger than the Beatles.

Get your tickets soon RBD fans. They’re on sale now and I’m sure they’ll sell out fast.

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Photo courtesy rbdus.com.

Dolores O’Riordan broke the rock ‘n’ roll rules Saturday night in McAllen.

Most singers who leave hugely popular bands to go solo usually distance themselves from their old material, but O’Riordan had no problem playing her former band’s hits for about 300 fans at Club Metropolis.

The former lead singer of The Cranberries performed a spirited set for local fans. The show was part of Hot Kiss 106.3’s Listener Lounge series. O’RiorDan was in town to promote her new solo album “Are You Listening,” but the exuberant Irish waif mostly stuck to the Cranberries canon on Saturday, mesmerizing close to 300 fans with acoustic versions of hits like “Linger” “Ode to My Family” and “Zombie.”

The singer-songwriter captivated the crowd with great songs, an endless smile and a generous spirit. I half expected her to come off as jaded or a bit worn out, but she was the exact opposite. She bounced her stringy body all over the stage and gave fans an amazing and intimate night of great pop they won’t soon forget. I know I won’t, especially since she ended the set with “Dreams,” one of my favorite Cranberries’ songs.

Links:
McAllen Concert Photo Gallery
O’Riordan’s official Web site
Get O’Riordan’s new album

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