August brings a big month of music to Houston. A lot of local bands release albums this month and a lot of touring acts come through town.

Highlights of this week include the Bodog Battle of the Bands at The Meridian. This is actually happening once a week all month long, so visit The Meridian’s website for more information. Apparently, the winner (it’s a nationwide contest) wins $1M and a recording contract.

Performing on Monday in Houston are: Clay Seasons, Abasia, Electric Daze, Mooney Monday, Planet Caravan, Metalloyd, Decybel, Erase The Virus, Living With Last, & 2nd Hand Solution. On Tuesday, the contest (oh, “battle”) features My Own I, Neopocracy, Still Borne, Stringer, Sun Of Sultans, Ghosts Of The Living, Cuervo, & Avenel.

Bring earplugs…

On Friday night, Tody Castillo and band play at Rudyard’s.

On Thursday night at Rudyard’s Lanky hosts his Listen Up Ya’ll sessions with musicians Dave Doobinin and Krista Hartman. This will be a good night of music, so come check it out.

Also on Thursday, the always impressive Austin Collins plays at the Mucky Duck. His album, Something Better is incredible.

On Saturday night (8.5.06), Julin makes her 2006 debut with Volatil and Josh Zulu at Tea Leaf (2410 Bay Area Blvd. — corner of Bay Area Blvd. and Space Center.

My Education — whose new album, Moody Dipper, is reviewed at Space City Rock — plays with Houston’s own Sharks and Sailors and The Linus Pauling Quartet at The Proletariat on Saturday night. This will undoubtedly be a packed show, so get there early.

Other shows this week include:

Tonight (Monday, 7.31.06)

Wildebeest/The Bluebirds/Rabbit Haven/Hussy Hicks @ Super Happy Fun Land
Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys/The Ghost Stories/The Unzipped @ Rudyard’s

Tuesday, 8.1.06

A+ Setup/Antarctica Starts Here/Bizzart/New Orleans is a Dead Museum @ Super Happy Fun Land
Best Nite of My Life @ The Proletariat
Sugar Bayou @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck

Wednesday, 8.2.06

Shadows Fall/Poison The Well/It Dies Today/Suffocation/Still Remains @ The Meridian
Pretty Thigh/Motion Turns It On/Copwarmth/The Wiggins/S.C.U.M. @ The Proletariat
Vast/Gravity Euphonic/Beyond Hope/Pale @ The Engine Room
Jurassic 5/X-Clan @ Warehouse Live
Rosematter/Mile High School/Los Descondidos @ Super Happy Fun Land

Thursday, 8.3.06

Grand Color Crayon/Numbers Like Dinosaurs @ Super Happy Fun Land
Rockbox!, featuring DJ Trainwreck & Damon @ The Proletariat
Idgy Vaughn/Hayes Carll @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
The Warriors/Nodes of Ranvier/Inked in Blood/Society’s Finest/School Girl Knife Fight @ Java Jazz Coffeehouse (Spring)
Torque @ Sam’s Boat (Stafford)

Friday, 8.4.06

Tody Castillo @ Rudyard’s
The Nautical Mile/Notes From Underground/Tambersauro/Fra Pandolf @ Super Happy Fun Land
Austin Collins @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Willie B and the Silverbacks @ Sansone’s (14144 Westheimer)

Saturday, 8.5.06

My Education/Sharks and Sailors/The Linus Pauling Quartet @ The Proletariat
A Black Lux/This Song is a Mess but so am I @ Super Happy Fun Land
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers/Trey Anastasio @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Mr. Lewis & The Funeral 5/Dead Roses @ Rudyard’s
The Watermarks/PLiD @ The Mink (3718 Main, a couple of doors down from The Continental Club)
The Accident Experiment/Vallejo/Dirty Wormz/Erase The Virus/Deus Machina @ The Meridian
Boot Camp Clik @ Walter’s on Washington
Guy Forsyth/Porterdavis @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Torque @ Sherlock’s (W. Gray)
Euge Grove & Down 2 the Bone @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Bad Habit @ Sansone’s (14144 Westheimer)

Sunday, 8.6.06

Korn/Deftones/Stone Sour/Dir en Grey/Flyleaf @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Say Hi to Your Mom/Program @ The Proletariat
Brujeria/Pinhed/Adumus/Images of Violence/Lycophile/Burnt Face Jack/Blood Void @ The Meridian
Duncan Sheik/Vienna Teng @ Warehouse Live
Cry Blood Apache/The Strange Boys @ Super Happy Fun Land
The Bittersweets @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Maysa & the Yellowjackets @ Verizon Wireless Theater

Come out and support local music.

Advance warning: On Tuesday (8.8.06), one of Houston’s best and brightest new(er) acts, The Dimes, host a CD release show at Super Happy Fun Land in the Heights. Happy happy joy joy. Their new 6-sing EP will be available.

Thanks to all of the people who came downtown yesterday for the 2006 Houston Press Music Awards showcase. It was great to see the streets full of people and the clubs blasting local music. too bad it’s not this way all of the time… (more on the showcase later)