IT List: Friday 4/7/6
I have an extremely horrible hangover today. Like, one of the worst ever. So I'm not in the best mood right now, and I can't even begin to think about joining in on some of the conversations going on in the comment threads. Hopefully I'll be feeling a little bit better later on today so that I can enjoy some of the night's activities. Here we go:
1. The Books (Hailey's): Probably one of the most interesting and innovative experimental groups in the United States, The Books use tape loops and samples of old commercials and pretty much anything they can find to put together strange, atmospheric pieces that often don't end up being "songs" in the traditional sense. Don't know how all of this will translate live, but I'm willing to go find out for myself. Here is a pretty good article about them in this week's observer.
2. The Chapters/Pegasus Now/Druggist (The Cavern): A lot of people have been bitching about the Cavern around here lately, and we must agree that the sound often sucks over there. Not sure if its the room, the sound guy, or what, but they've gotta get that shit straight. Anyway, Pegasus Now is the current Observer-approved Dallas buzz band, and as much as we want to tell you that they suck, they don't. They are actually pretty good. The live show we caught a couple weeks ago wasn't absolutely amazing or anything, but it was pretty solid. I'm sure we'll be checking them out again. The Chapters are one of those Echo and the Bunnymen new wave kind of bands that you hear everywhere, but they sound much better and a little bit different than most of those, and are probably worth seeing too. Their singer sounds a lot like Peter Murphy. Opener Druggist doesn't sound like anything too special.
3. Prayer for Animals are opening for Blackheart Society tonight at Darkside Lounge for Blackheart's CD release party.
Oh, and it looks like the Wall of Sound Festival got a little press in Pitchfork today. Like we said before, unless people are getting screwed over or something, we don't see how having a music festival that gets national attention and features mostly good bands can really be a PROBLEM for DFWd. Do you?
1. The Books (Hailey's): Probably one of the most interesting and innovative experimental groups in the United States, The Books use tape loops and samples of old commercials and pretty much anything they can find to put together strange, atmospheric pieces that often don't end up being "songs" in the traditional sense. Don't know how all of this will translate live, but I'm willing to go find out for myself. Here is a pretty good article about them in this week's observer.
2. The Chapters/Pegasus Now/Druggist (The Cavern): A lot of people have been bitching about the Cavern around here lately, and we must agree that the sound often sucks over there. Not sure if its the room, the sound guy, or what, but they've gotta get that shit straight. Anyway, Pegasus Now is the current Observer-approved Dallas buzz band, and as much as we want to tell you that they suck, they don't. They are actually pretty good. The live show we caught a couple weeks ago wasn't absolutely amazing or anything, but it was pretty solid. I'm sure we'll be checking them out again. The Chapters are one of those Echo and the Bunnymen new wave kind of bands that you hear everywhere, but they sound much better and a little bit different than most of those, and are probably worth seeing too. Their singer sounds a lot like Peter Murphy. Opener Druggist doesn't sound like anything too special.
3. Prayer for Animals are opening for Blackheart Society tonight at Darkside Lounge for Blackheart's CD release party.
Oh, and it looks like the Wall of Sound Festival got a little press in Pitchfork today. Like we said before, unless people are getting screwed over or something, we don't see how having a music festival that gets national attention and features mostly good bands can really be a PROBLEM for DFWd. Do you?
posted by stonedranger at 3:54 PM
45 Comments:
The Books! Now why aren't they playing at WOS? There must be a conspiracy.
Please... lets not start this WOS argument here.. some douch bag from Denton is going to attack everyone for liking music that isn't made by banging toasters together while dressed like a 15th century french nobleman... please spare me that conversation
I love you, anonymous.
or some douche bag from Dallas?
i love all anonymouses
the books should be a great show!
thank you! right on!
(to the 15th century nobleman statement)
I have ended it! Hooray for me!
Thank you, Andrea. I like your blog too! It's cool. I do what I can... I am the "anonymous defender of the DALLAS music scene" as well as a guy who is tired of seeing beards.
they also bang waffle irons together while making pancakes. and their drummer has a wicked drumming set up with some old pots and pans. And the bass player, get this, he plays a hand mixer run through a vacuum cleaner. i think they're opening for the band behind the dumpster at hastings.
i have really just about had my fill of all of these Dallas douche bags. You all talk about how the only thing people from Denton do is just talk shit about Dallas, but about 80% of what is being said in this blog is Dallas kids bashing Denton. Go see the books tonight, I promise you wont be shunned away just because you live in Dallas.
i just want my beard to grow out a bit longer so i can cross lake lewisville without getting shot
For the love of god, don't bring beards into this. what did the beards ever do to hurt you???
savages..
Come on. We all know Denton kids talk about Dallas kids and Dallas kids talk about Denton kids. Let us not deny it and seem like fools. But, you have to realize, there are more good bands that come from Dallas than from Denton, SO of course people are going to have more to say. Many bands from Denton are very off the wall and "artsy" if you will. And what everyone seems to forget is "artsy" is called "artsy" because it didn't quite make it to art. But please don't get me wrong. I go to shows in Denton and I completely enjoy myself (at least there is parking). I LOVE Daron Beck, Warren Jackson Hearne, and The Undoing of David Wright. You have to be choosy in Denton, otherwise you might end up watching "STOMP" when thinking you were actually going to see a band. Dallas has a lot of bands that NO ONE comes to see. How can you have an opinion if you haven't seen the band at least twice???(bands progress) Also, I honestly really don't care what anyone says about Wanz, we all know he is talented and has been long before most of us had an amp. Brotha got soul. Mazinga has had a bit of trouble, but umm...DOES ANYONE REMEMBER "THE FALKON" for god's sake??? Oh wait, out of the ashes is "THE BLACK ARM BAND" mother fucker. Let's rock out to something that really deserves to be called ROCK music. My list of awesome Dallas bands doesn't just include Wanz and his many endeavors. We have "SILK STOCKING" which is completely amazing. The "TAH DAHS" and "THE HAPPY BULLETS" are great and fun. "JACK WITH ONE EYE" is a long name but also completely amazing. I'm sure I'm leaving some people out, but I can't sit here and blog all day. Gotta go!
hey, leave my beard out of this...
dude, where did you see people banging toasters together dressed as french noblemen in denton, I must see this.
music isn't what you look like, it's the music you produce.
oh, and "artsy" is a term made up by people that don't understand art. shhhs
ps. I don't know where people are hearing junk noise in denton, but I'd seriously love to know what band sounds like "stomp"
ART: Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature.
ARTSY: not art.
p.s. I am not cold enough to name name's of the countless "junk noise" I hear coming from both Denton and Dallas.
go ahead, humor me. anonymous.
Again, not that cold. I will say, at least they are trying to do something. Whether it be shit or not, at least they are doing something to counteract the radio.
"not that cold?" dude, you are posting anonymously. go ahead. be cold.
Whether I post anonymously or not, it will still be posted. I'm not into calling people out on a bad note. So again, not that cold.
jamo makes good sound! denton sound/noise/experimental is amazing and i can say all of this objectively because i live in iraq...
If the new bands were good, maybe they could step in instead of getting bashed by people who know what music is. If has been=old, I'll listen to someone older if they have some good tunes. If new bands=good, I will more than graciously listen. But, all new bands aren't good, and if you are a has been, at least there is/was something there worth my while.
denton and iraq have a special relationship, thank you iraq.
Much love brother Jamo
i hope all the bands mentioned in this "it list" had great shows friday night!
yeah, did anyone go to any of the shows? Any thoughts?
MS5 WRITES:
last night i went and checked out the show at the cavern with pegasus now, the chapters and the druggist.
the druggist and the chapters had decent shows. the opener, druggist, seemed like a bunch of likeable guys who need some development in the songwriting department. i wasn't really into the headliner, the chpaters. they had a good performance, but i'm kind of stail on the whole joy division / echo and the bunnymen derived sound.
pegasus now definitely had command of the lion's share of the crowd even though they played 2nd out of the 3. I had a chance to see them before, and last night i was impressed that they seemingly played an entirely different set than the one i saw a few weeks ago.
you can tell they struggle with the cavern's small stage and mediocre sound system. they have six members who play like 7 - 9 different instruments and they can loud at times. they looked very cramped for space and you could tell it affected their performance at certain points, but there were other moments where they completely blew me away. nothing groundbreaking, but still hard to compare. very solid. i'm curious to see them on a bigger stage with a better PA.....
you would think with there expensive drinks they could buy a bigger PA.
i wish we had a small venue similar to hailey's in dallas.....
our small venue options here are just plain sad.
true dat.
sorry to hear the PFA show didn't go as well as you wanted.
Thanks. It's cool. I didn't mean anything against the sound guys as people, because they weren't assholes. Blackheart played the best set I've heard from them in awhile. Can't say the same for The Envoy. I guess I'm not down with their particular brand of "scarf rock". They dress like N*Sync gone emo and they seem to be ripping off a number of bands quite noticably. And THOSE bands aren't very memorable either. They actually brought the biggest crowd of the night. A bunch of people that dress like they are auditioning for the band itself. I think The Envoy is breeding these hipsters somewhere.
It was still a fun night as usual at Darkside. We are playing there this next Sat. w/ Smile Smile. I got my fingers crossed for a better show.
Peace
BB
Tsk Tsk. It's really bad form to talk noise about bands you play with or do things like make fun of them at the show you're playing together. It's not only rude but unprofessional and from what I know you guys are just starting out. Acting like you're better than someone just because you don't like what they're doing musically is pretty self centered and makes your band look jealous because they had a bigger crowd or whatever. Leave the shit talking for the practice room, you never know who can help you in the scene and who can hurt you. This isn't meant to be a mean response in any way. Theres just a lot of "bully-ism" and a loss of manners and we must remember that we are all humans outside of being in a band. Bands are not for making yourself feel better than others. I'm not in The Envoy nor have I heard them. It just looks bad when bands do this sort of thing and even worse when they're on the bill with a band and they start pulling that shit onstage before or after the band plays. Etiquette. Theres a time and place for everything.
Well,
I made the mistake of attending the same show- more money I'll never get back- and had the misfortune of seeing the your band, Prayers for idiots. What happened to the day when you had to have a little talent and skill to form a band? I'm not saying that any of the other bands were "special" and I'm not saying that you suck- you do- but I guess that I'm not really into your brand of shit rock.
Actually, you guys look like you cobbled together a generic member from every failed Indie band that has ever wasted perfectly good silence with their horrible wanking. You know, the musicians that should have stayed in their bedrooms along with their old N Sync posters- I'll bet it hurt when mom threw that away didn't it.
By the way, this is the second time that I've seen this band, although they had a different name before- It's always bad when you suck so hard that you have to change your name to trick people into coming to see you. Oh yeah, they were wearing scarves, fringe shirts and cheesy sunglasses- so add hypocrite to your list of offenses.
I think that this calls for a Webster’s Dictionary moment. Today's word is practice. Maybe you guys should look that up. And maybe you should pray for a little talent while you’re at it.
What's better:
a. "scarf rock" band that brings people out to a show. end of story.
OR
b. "scarf rock" band thats doesn't bring people out to the show but feels the need to cry about it in a blog forum where he thinks he appears to be "ballsy"
c. none of the above
But hurt feelings is just part of the fun around here!
I should have made this clear before I wrote anything on this blog: I DO NOT SPEAK FOR MY BAND.
I, Brent, write my OWN observations and I'm not doing it as promotional footwork for my band. Any comments I make are a product of my own neurosis and should not be taken as Prayer For Animals agenda.
Whoo!
That feels better! Good to finally admit that!
PS PRAYER FOR ANIMALS PLAYING AT DARKSIDE LOUNGE SATURDAY APRIL 15TH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GODDAMN IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT!!!!!
[i love this blog more than my family.]
Dear buffalo brent. If you don't want to represent your band, then you should have probably tried to remain anonymous. You could have given your opinion about the envoy anonymously. Of course your band is going to be represented by your opinions. Do you think people are going to differentiate you from the rest of the band? People will simply see your name or see you at a club and think, "Assholes". Take it from me. I've posted shit anonymously (elsewhere) and later been found out to have written it. And my band paid the price for it. I probably should have tried harder. Maybe you don't give a shit what people think and you're simply being "honest". Well, be ready when everyone else's "honesty" comes right back at you. People justify a lot of shittiness by "just being honest." If your band suffers because you don't want to shut up then you deserve it. If you want to not suffer from stating your opinions then I suggest you start a band called buffalo brent that features just you. I wish you could see how unattractive it is to post a comment like the disclaimer you posted and then see you exclaim about the show you're having. I think, "Man, there's the show with those assholes. Wait, it's just that one guy. Never mind, fuck 'em all." Too bad. I'd really like to see Teenage Symphony.
I can't win. I hear what you are saying and I agree and trust me, I didn't expect all this and that was naiive. I'm not a mean guy and don't what to be considered such, especially not the rest of my band.
Many apologies,
Brent
also:
the envoy (influences listed on web page)
Doors
New Order
Explosions in the Sky
My Bloody Valentine
Your myspace page:
Doors
New Order
Explosions in the Sky
My Bloody Valentine
"...and they seem to be ripping off a number of bands quite noticably. And THOSE bands aren't very memorable either."
I agree with you. It's nice of you to apologize.
P.S. After seeing their page, I was torn about defending them.
A noble defense all the same sir (or ma'm). It's always good to have a devil's advocate.
We just need to remember that there are enough really shitty bands around town to destroy us all. We need to be watching eachother's back. It will be benifitial to everyone in the end.
we shot jr is a very scary place to blog...
but, really FUN to read!!
conficious say: "Band that sounds bad, sounds bad, you cannot polish a turd."
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