Sunday, January 31, 2010

Monday Morning Rock




SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK


TUE: Sondre Lerche (House of Blues)
WED: The Residents (Granada Theater)
WED: Stress Ape/Ascites/Jason Aldy & Justin Talley/Black Santa/Carbon and Water/Screamin’ Fetus (Wasted Words Collective)
WED: Timbaland (House of Blues)
THU: Babar/Final Club/Portrait of St. Anthony (Rubber Gloves)
FRI: Yellow Crystal Star/ Jonathan Horne/Unprotected Sex/ Rakasan, Colossi/Millinarl Expunger (Wasted Words Collective
SAT: Alec Ounsworth (Hailey's)
SAT: The English Beat/Fishbone (Granada)
SAT: Madchester: A Celebration of Music from Manchester with Telegram Sam/Gabriel/DJ G (Fallout Lounge)

Friday, January 29, 2010

Weekender


Sorry this is late guys, going through a divorce right now which takes up alot of my spare time. I believe your beloved Ranger of Stone will be on later to write something brilliant or just delete the little I did write. Needless to say, powerhouse weekend after a couple clunkers. (FP)

Friday

The Great Tyrant/Mark Growden/Orange Coax (Lola's Sixth)

Boom Boom Box (Barley House)

The Sword/Woodgrain (Rubber Gloves)

ANS/Unit 21/Bleach Boys/Wiccans (1919 Hemphill)

Dear Human/PVC Street Gang/Sore Losers/Curvette (Dan's Silverleaf)

Mount Righteous/The England Ram-a-band/Hard Times (The Cavern)

Saturday

Henati Improvising Orchestra/Harry Has a Head Like a Ping Pong Ball/Ohm (1919 Hemphill)

Neon Indian/Ishi/ Fizzy Dino Pop/Phantastes/Florene/Vulgar Fashion/Peopleodian/Monastery (Hailey's)

Shut the fuck up you know you like Pyschic Chasms. Along with Palomo and co you get a stellar group of local acts, crash course in some of the best stuff going on right now. Just hope there isn't a photo booth because those things really kill the mood for me (FP)

Yo La Tengo/Times New Viking (Granada)

Yo La Tengo is one of the longest running and most consistent American indie rock groups ever. Not a bad album in their catalog, personal favorites being Fakebook and I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Yes some of them might sound similar but that sound is so sweet. I never really got into Times New Viking but godspeed to them for hitting the "big time".

Girls/Magic Kids/Smith Westerns (House of Blues)

Why can't we have a Stubb's? One of the few things to envy about Austin . (FP)

Giggle Party (Kettle Art)

All the Day Holiday/Kinch/The City Lives (Rubber Gloves)

Ryan Thomas Becker/Spooky Folk/The Early Birds/Rabbits on Fire (Marlboro House)

Malboro House? What the hell Dallas last week we have church shows now house venues sponsored by Phillip Morris. Seriously though what's the deal on this place.(FP)

Thursday, January 28, 2010

It List: Thursday

Alright, there really isn't much to recommend going on this evening, and in fact, I couldn't really find anything funny to make fun of either. I mean, there's this fucking adult contempo Tom Waits bro playing in Ft. Worth tonight, but whatever. I don't have the energy right now and you can probably make up your own jokes about him if you want to. Also, this and this happened recently, in case you didn't know. And its 80'sNight@Haileys, like usual. See you tomorrow, friends!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

It List: Wednesday


I got so caught up in watching this video, that I posted this list even later than I usually do.

You know what's hilarious? It's 2010 and people are still writing about how Oak Cliff can maybe be like the new Austin, and Denton can perhaps be like the new Athens. Why the fuck can't Oak Cliff just be Oak Cliff and Denton just be Denton? That should be good enough for everyone, geez. People have been saying that sort of thing for quite some time, and I wouldn't hold my breath.

Also, the new iPad looks awesome and you little nerdy, anti-Apple, "hacktivists" are only making me like it more.


The Fiery Furnaces/Drug Rug (The Lounge): The Fiery Furnaces are one of those acts that seem to be in a constant struggle between concept and song; I've heard firsthand from the recording engineers that have worked with the group that they will take an idea and flesh it out through various strategies and experimenting and rerecording until the original piece is completely unrecognizable. I think that this has always made Fiery Furnaces generally more interesting than your average indie-pop group, even if some of their concepts aren't particularly successful, and sometimes even over the course of an entire record. But I respect that. I would rather be confused and somewhat disappointed as opposed to simply bored any day. The advantage of such a labored-over creative process is that in yielding such wildly different results from track-to-track, the duo is also just as likely to write songs that end up being absolutely memorable and even beautiful, which has obviously held the attention of the run-of-the-mill pop fan as well as assholes like me for quite some time now. "Benton Harbor Blues" is one of the few songs I've ever heard about a place that perfectly captured the feeling of being there. Okay, except for maybe "Werewolves Of London," but that's one of the worst songs of all time. The creepy reverb-pop of Drug Rug sounds like an excellent opener, but I've wasted too much time and can't really get into that this evening. See you there.

Screening: The AAV Club presents: "Hell's Bell's - The Dangers of Rock 'N' Roll," "Devil Worship - Exposing Satan s Underground" (Geraldo Rivera Special), Trick or Treat (1986) w/ Gene Simmons & Ozzy Osbourne (Tradewinds located at
2843 W Davis St, in Dallas)
: From what I gather not only does this seem like it will be an ongoing event, but it looks like Tradewinds in Oak Cliff is the place to be in the OC, especially until the various projects that are supposed to open there are finally up and running, and probably even after that. This looks like a related little trio of 80's gems, when rock music was experiencing a renaissance of fear; every suicide and case of Juvenile delinquency was blamed on Satan-obsessed metal or Wendy O. Williams' breasts. I almost get kind of misty-eyed for the faded memories of panicked adults all around me when I think back to those wonderful times. Looks like Kara Howell and Tommyboy have a big hand in this, so I would put money on it being worth your time since they might be the single most tasteful representatives of their respective genders. They "get it," and you don't. Know what I mean? Event is free.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

It List : Tuesday / Not New Music Tuesday

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm going to be filling in for Twins Cheeks the weeks he is unable to do Not New Music Tuesday. But first the it list...

90's Night w/Yeahdef (Hailey's)

Electric Vengeance, Hood Rat, Tattered Flag, King Ivy, Hogbat
(1919 Hemphill)

Hood Rat AND Hogbat on the same bill!

and now...

Not New Music Tuesday:


Mayo Thompson - Corky's Debt to his Father (Texas Revolution 1970/Drag City 2008)


This is my first NNMT so it is important I come out with guns blazing. After much deliberation, I offer for your critical review Mayo's Thompson's 1970 sexually charged weirdo folk masterpiece Corky's Debt to his Father. In my opinion this album is the epitome of avant garde folk rock. If you are only familiar with Mayo's work with the legendary and still prolific Red Krayola, then this album may come as a shock to you. For his only solo album Mayo traded in the free form art rock of Parable of Arable Land for a much more direct singer songwriter style. This is probably his most accessible work, but those familiar with the Krayola know that isn't saying much.

It is the authenticity in the weirdness that makes this album so special to me. The album was recorded around the time of his marriage and is like a demented love letter to his new wife. "I held your little breast in my hand and I kept my eyes on your knee" may not be the most romantic lyric ever, but the focus of Mayo's affection, no matter how creepy, comes from a honest place. Where a boring person would write a song comparing his love to a flower, Mayo compares her to a shoe with it's tongue hanging out. Popular music has the tendency to over simplify the communication of lovers and Mayo does his best not to fall into that trap. Every song on here is a love song, even though they may not seem like it on the surface or even after repeated listens. Mayo is able to achieve here what the Beatles could never do. That is merge the conceptualization of Glass Onion with the emotional directness of I Want to Hold Your Hand. It has been done since then, but for 1970 it is pretty shocking.

The music is sparse and serves as a gentle yet creepy back drop for Mayo's sexual laments. This is not to say it easy listening of course. There are bizarre time signatures and chord progressions that come out of no where. All of these bits come together to make one of the most singular albums in American music. This is Mayo's album, there is no way it could be mistaken as any one else.

I recently saw a BBC documentary over the history of Rough Trade and it of course featured Mayo, who worked as a sort of in house producer for the outfit. There amidst all the limey accents is Mayo with the thickest Texas drawl I have ever heard. It gave me a little bit of that Texas pride I sometimes forget exists.

Download Here

Monday, January 25, 2010

It List: Monday

Wow, there aren't a lot of worthwhile shows going on tonight, but there sure seems to be quite a bit of talk in the comments section of the most recent Weekender post concerning the merits of this year's NX35 festival. I was considering writing about it all today, but before I did, I realized that I really hadn't examined the line up in as much detail as I'd like to, and I haven't even listened to the festival's flagship act, the Flaming Lips, in several years, so I think I'm going to do a little more research before I join the debate, even though a quick glance at the Dallas/Denton acts I'm familiar with doesn't look incredibly promising aside from a few highlights. I never expect to like most of the bands at a festival anyway, and I'm not even going to be in Texas when it takes place, so don't expect much of a forceful response from me. Oh, and "making Johnny Iskander look like fucking Tony Wilson" is funny no matter what your opinion is of any of the people involved in this debate.

Monday Morning Rock



SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK

WED: The Fiery Furnaces/Drug Rug (the Lounge)
FRI: The Great Tyrant/Mark Growden/Orange Coax (Lola's Sixth)
FRI: ANS/Unit 21/Wiccans/Bleach Boys (1919 Hemphill)
SAT: Yo La Tengo/Times New Viking (Granada)
SAT: Neon Indian/Ishi/Phantastes/Vulgar Fashion/Florene/Peopleodian/Monastary (Hailey's)
SAT: Hentai Improvising Orchestra/Ohm/surprise guest (1919 Hemphill)
SAT: Malleveler/True Widow/Big Fiction (Doublewide)

Friday, January 22, 2010

Weekender


FRIDAY (photo by Kimberly Beal)

Agnostic Front/Death by Stereo/The Hellions (Trees)

The Cribs/Adam Green/The Dead Trees (Granada): Judge me if you like, but I was a big fan of The Moldy Peaches during there brief stint as forerunners of the early 2000's anti-folk movement. Moldy Peaches are of course no longer around. The female half, Kimya Dawson, has stuck with the lazy folk thing, fairly successfully, and had a baby etc, and admittedly her career I haven't cared much about following. Adam Green on the other hand turned out to be a unique and talented songwriter/performer. In the recent years Green has transformed himself from ragtag gutter troubadour to ragtag 60's showman à la Lee Hazelwood or Scott Walker. He spins personal yarns of casual drug use, weirdo girlfriends and youthful regret all with a great sense of humor and short running time. Sounds like familiar territory I know, but Green's humor, bravado and respect for all things sleazy chic has molded him into a timeless act.

Johhny Marr is one of my favorite guitarists of all time, which is one of the reasons why I have avoided listening to The Cribs. Anyone heard the newest album and the first with Marr as an offical member? Trip report please. (FP)

Soular Power with Colab/Wanz Dover (Fallout Lounge)

Billinghams's Defense System/Hot Flash/Cool Out (The Basement at Plush, located at 1400 Main St.): This party is a Haiti benefit.

Yeah Def Presents Aight Yo! #9 (Rubber Gloves): I have a feeling this event contains rapping and or beats. Might I suggest that Yeah Def or one of his minions record one of these shows and post the highlights of this "freestyle fellowship" on his site or something. I am interested to hear what some of these producers/performers have to bring, but I don't want to sit there for four hours waiting for something good to happen. (FP)

The Slack/The Dave Little Meltdown (Sons of Hermann Hall)

Shapes Stars Make!/Caterpillars/ Monastery (Double Wide): I am guessing the unnecessary exclamation point at the end of Shapes Stars Make! symbolizes the unnecessary sound of their music. Post-rock at it's finest folks, plus regurgitated bits of Galaxie 500, Appleseed Cast, Sigur Ros... you get the picture. I'm sure the music gets them laid pretty good but doesn't serve much purpose beyond that. It looks as though they signed to a label somewhere else so congrats to them. Apologies go out to Monastery whose show posting I used a few days ago to pontificate on neo-folk music. If you dudes will email me some music to frankphosphate@gmail.com I'll look over your stuff and maybe ask you some questions. Of course anyone is welcome at anytime to do that. (FP)

Titan Moon/Rad Wolf (Lola's Stockyard)

SATURDAY

Kill The Client/Kallya/Fighting Chance/Melora (Reno's Chop Shop)

Shiny Around the Edges/Drink to Victory/Kampfgrounds/Piccline (Hailey's)

This Old House/Peligro!/Spooky Folk (Rubber Gloves)


SUNDAY

Jonathan Richman (Rubber Gloves): Much is made of Jonathan Richman and his influence on the punk rock founders, his time spent crashing on The Factory's couch or his role in There's Something About Mary. Of course there are tons of things to admire about him, but he has always held a special place in my heart for the role he played in my teenage years. I was pretty straight-edge in high school. Not because I listened to Minor Threat or anything, but because I was an uptight dork. Anytime those cool kids I surrounded myself with were trying to pass me the dutchie or inject that smack into my vein, I would think back to that first Modern Lover's album and reassure myself that it was OK to be straight. Of course I eventually got into drugs and never looked back, but thank you Richman for keeping me clear-headed and out of jail during my teens. If you haven't seen Richman play in the past ten or so years, he looks and acts like someone half his age. What an awesome guy. I tried to talk to him one time after a show about working with John Cale and he was way more interested in finding a vegan omelet than reliving the old days. We all still have a lot we can learn from him. (FP)


Little Birds/Lala Gray/The Beaten Sea/The Republic Of Texas (Victor House located at 5123 Victor St. in Dallas)

Art List

It's midway through Jeff Kleinsmith's glorious month of residency at the Nakatomi Invitational. He was nice enough to sit down with us for some hard-hitting questions while providing some bone-crushing answers. Mr. Kleinsmith is one of Seattle's most innovative designers - besides being the long-time art director for Sub Pop Records, Kleinsmith is a celebrated freelance designer and has produced a plethora of concert posters and art packages for a multitude of bands.

RICHARDSON HEIGHTS: What is your work environment like? Location, lighting, material, extent of mess, presence of kids and/or dogs?

JEFF KLEINSMITH: I actually have two work environments; one at Sub Pop and one at home. I'm not always able to get creative work done at Sub Pop so I bring files home and work at a table I've set up in my rather large living room. I like to be in the family mix rather than sequestered in the basement, as I just feel like I'm not really "home from work yet". I can watch TV and talk to my wife and kids and still get stuff done. The Sub Pop office is great. It's set up with everything I need and more. The space is way away from the clutch of cubicles and business offices and overlooks a bustling bus stop. The heat/air tubes didn't make it this far so it is either HOT or COLD and I never turn on the lights. I prefer cold and dark and I'd say it is that way 80% of the year.

RH: Do you have any rituals you go through before starting work?

JK: I think I just panic. Especially if it's something I really want to do. There's a lot of anger, pain, resentment, tears while I try to figure what the fuck I'm doing. Then it goes one of two ways: 1. I make it through the pain with an actual good idea, executed well or, 2. I pray that the job is either canceled or there is some big tragedy that allows me a decent enough excuse to get out of doing it.

I look through a lot of books. Even though I know there is so much more on the web, I just like turning my chair around to the table behind me a looking through books and magazines. Even if I don't see anything that's particularly influential, I feel like it gets me thinking.

RH: What are your favorite tools? Software, hardware, weird input devices, pencils, paper?

JK: It used to be my analog photocopier but they stopped making parts and toner for it. So, it's really a legal pad, mechanical pencil, scanner, Mac, Illustrator, and Photoshop. That's pretty much it. I use a light table, waxer, tape, and a ruler from time to time but not like the old days.

RH: Have you developed any particularly unique technique in your design work that you'd be willing to talk about?

JK: Not really. I mean, I collage a lot more than I draw so I just collect and scan thousands of things and clean them up in Photoshop or with a pen and Xacto knife. Then I just start playing around until something happens. (Very technical, huh?) I mean. I have a concept and a sketch but I don't like to get too detailed/specific in the sketching stage because I love what happens when you just start messing around. In fact I intentionally pull back at that stage. You discover these relationships between images and, if all is going well creatively, it all just sorta comes together. I don't mean to sound like a hippie but, you know, it's way more fun for me to stumble upon a great thing than sketch it all out initially. I guess it's the same thing but at different stages in the process.

RH: Can you talk a little bit about your process in designing this month's Invitational set for Nakatomi?

JK: See number 2 and 4. Heh. I loved doing this one and it came together pretty easily. One of those successes in my book. It felt good from start to finish.

RH: What is the process like in designing artwork for a band? Do you work directly with them, or are you truly given the role of "art director"?

JK: The bands are a different deal altogether. They aren't signing to Sub Pop because of who is in the art department they are signing for a whole host of other reasons. The fact that we in the art department have a long track record of generally making nice stuff and are easy to work with is a plus when considering what label to sign with but not a major concern. After they sign we are hooked up with the band as a resource in a way. Most often we are in an art director/layout/advice-giver role. They bring in loose pieces and ideas and we kind just put it together for them. We might caution them against putting type in that part of the photo and sometimes we suggest using the other painting they sent as the cover. That kind of thing. Making sure that their big box of stuff translates into a nice looking piece. The other scenarios are them telling us exactly what to do, or doing the art themselves, or letting us have free reign to design whatever we want. When I have free reign I love to try to work with illustrators/painters. I've worked with some pretty awesome illustrators over my 16 years here and the end result ranks as some of my favorite packages.

RH: How do you know when a unit of work is finished?

JK: Ahh, well I'm either sick of it, the deadline has arrived, or I instinctively know that I peaked in the process and won't be making anything better.

RH: Can you talk about any particularly interesting/exciting work you have lined up for 2010?

JK: 2010 is looking good so far. There are exciting things brewing at Sub Pop generally, and in the art department specifically. I have a bunch of posters on my slate. Better than dumb ol' 2009.

[cross-posted from The Stuff]

FRIDAY, January 22, 2010

Years of Living Dangerously
(faculty show)
Visual Arts Building of the University Of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75083
January 22 : 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Channeling Other Worlds
Valton Tyler
Valley House Gallery
6616 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75254
January 22 : 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

SATURDAY, January 23, 2010

On the Road
Greg Miller
Artspace III
111 Hampton St., Ft. Worth, TX 7610

Image courtesy of Jeff Kleinsmith and Nakatomi, Inc

Thursday, January 21, 2010

It List : Thursday




Corporate Park/Dos Jackulites/Betdat/Lars Larsen/DJ G (Rubber Gloves): This show is being billed as a "very rare all hardware Live-Pa electronic music event". OK.
Chicago's Dos Jackulites synth approach is rooted more in the chiller side of the analogues as opposed to the local players more dissonant work. I'm not sure if Lars will be performing or just doing the visual presentation along with Lychgate's Jonah Lange. I hope we get to see a performance because Lars always brings interesting theatrics to the stage. Even if you are not a gear head, this should be an interesting night of aural and visual delights. And of course it is always great to see DJG on a Thursday night. Speaking of Lychgate, was anyone else a little bored during their performance last Saturday night? Interested in others thoughts on that project.

Iskra/Doom Siren/Vorvadoss/Rotnudus (Phoenix Project): I'm not even going to pretend like I can offer a reasonable opinion on this line up because obviously it is not my forte. I have seen Vorvadoss a couple of times and enjoyed myself. They incorporate enough prog-art elements to keep me entertained.



Eddie Izzard (American Airlines Center): Unlike most comedians who tend to focus on the absurdity of organized religion (Lenny Bruce, David Cross, Bill Hicks), Eddie Izzard has always been able to poke fun while not being too big of an asshole toward the believers. I wish more people would dress as the opposite sex, gender lines are soooo 20th century. I haven't heard much of his new material, but let's hope his spotty film career and failed television series hasn't killed his sense of humor. Unfortunately I can't think of a worst place for this event to take a place at, other than a church of course.

Baconator/Collick/High Anxities (1919 Hemphill)












ADD:


Billingham's Defense System/Schwa (Fallout Lounge)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

It List: Wednesday

First of all, we've added two MP3s Ga'an shared with us to our interview post, and you can download them directly below this post. Shows tonight:


The Skuds/Akkolyte/Man the Conveyors/Life Erased (Phoenix Project): I love it when decent hardcore/grindcore/gutter shows come through town and Akkolyte is still the best band of the bunch. Not feeling much of what the Skuds do, which seems to be more or less by the book yet effective, but Man the Conveyors sound fairly brutal.

Sydney Confirm/Piles (Cavern)

The Ish with Classixx (Ghostbar): Ok, so Classixx are probably pictured in the dictionary next to "hipster remix broz," and their work on tracks from Major Lazer and Yacht would be the attached MP3s for the entry if said dictionary happened to be online. Most of the stuff I've heard from them over the past year or so has been more or less workman-like and solid, and I'm sure you could probably have a pretty good time at this if you're the kind of person who would even consider going in the first place, not that there's anything wrong with it. Seriously. It's just that I've wondered lately where this entire scene and aesthetic is going to go from here-- it just seems that the actual output from this crowd, whether it be music or fashion or whatever, kind of stopped being interesting a while back, and I feel like its been a couple years now since any of these Hollywood hipster scene bros have done anything very compelling, artistically or otherwise. I'm not really attacking anyone in Dallas who's involved with these shows, either, because I'm no longer there and don't have personal knowledge concerning how these parties go down, but at the risk of sounding trite, I feel like Fergie really captures what I want to say about this stuff: so 2000 and late.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ga'an (Chicago)

Apparently, according to the other members of the band, this interview was conducted, unknown to us at the time, with Jason Sublette, who is now the former bass player of Ga'an. The other members of the band plan to continue making music as Ga'an without Jason Sublette, and just wanted to clarify in case there was any confusion. The link below has been switched to their new Myspace, and we're going to be talking to the rest of the band soon concerning their new music and plans for the future as a group. Sorry for the confusion.--SR

I'm going to be writing more about Chicago from now on. This is an interview with a band from Chicago (Ga'an shared two MP3s with us and we've added them below):



Since we're new to covering the city, we'd like to get a little bit of background information on the band: your names, how long you've been together, and previous and other current projects you guys are and/or have been involved with aside from Ga'an.

Jeremiah Fisher, Seth Sher, Jason Sublette, Lindasy Powell. Jeremy and Seth helped out in Panicsville, and Oakeater. Seth did that load thing. We've all been in bands, here and there.

Could you briefly discuss how Ga'an came to be a band, and what it was about the project that made you want to pursue it in the first place?

The core of the band came together about 4 years ago as vigilante. Vigilante was louder, and more chaotic, a real mess. It was heavy on the noise side of some sort of "noise rock/prog" thing, a real beast. One third of the band, Jason/Bass/Keys, moved to St. Louis, the remaining two thirds of Vigilante helped form Oakeater. Roughly 2 years ago all of the thirds converged on the windy city, reforming Vigilante as Ga'an. Our inspiration was to try our hand at making the sort of music we were digging from old prog records, and 70's horror soundtracks. As best as we could filter it, and reform it in our own way, that is.

The music I've heard on your self titled cassette sounds like it has very little to do with Western music at all, much less pop or rock n roll, other than small traces of things here and there. Can you tell us about some of the music that inspires your group collectively, and what it was about the sound you eventually ended up developing that made you want to play this kind of music in the first place? Essentially, what attracts you to the sounds you make?

Rock and pop have little to add to our deep pool of influences. Collectively things that have influenced us have always been sounds and music that are somewhat on the fringe. Prog and Krautrock, for sure, but what are the difficult albums, what are the dark, strange bands from these genres? That's one thing for sure. There is a sort of drone, minimal side of things as well that comes out, naturally, perhaps. The attraction is certainly giving sound and shape to these dark things lurking behind the veil.

On the flip side of the coin, can you talk about some of the more traditional rock/prog/electronic music that might have inspired you when crafting Ga'an's music? I've read your mentions of groups like US Maple and Chicago no wave stuff in previous interviews.

Kultivator. Goblin. Grand Funk? Classic rock and Prog, Metal, all sorts of stuff. Yeah, Chicago music has also shaped some of our sound, for better or for worse.

In what ways better AND worse, would you say?

Well on the plus side of things, a lot of great music has come out of chicago, and we sort of grew up listening to it in one form or another. One the minus side, well we don't want to be labeled as a sounding like we are from Chicago, or anything close to ugh, postrock, or "chicago sound."

I really enjoy the way your self titled cassette sounds-- sort of hazy and dense, but much clearer and less gimmicky than what many people think of as "lo fi" these days. Can you tell us about how you went about recording it and some of the equipment/techniques you employed to get the sound you got?

We recorded digitally, then mixed down to VHS tape, no shit. After that it was mastered digitally, and then put back on to cassette tape. So the recordings bounced back and forth between the analog and digital realms a few times. As far as equipment used, nothing incredibly out of the ordinary. We weren't honestly trying to go for any certain sound, maybe just some forgotten tape...

Do you find it difficult to replicate this sound live, or are you even interested in sounding like your records in a live setting?

Our concern at the time was making the recording sound like our songs live! There are so many factors when playing live you have to take into account... It takes a hell of a long time to set up 5 synthesizers, that's for sure.

Ok, so are you happy with your records' ability to capture some of the energy and/or experience of your live shows?

Yes, and no, as it can just get to a point of being some sort of weird loop. Trying to have the recordings have the energy of playing live, but alternatively trying to play the songs live the way they were recorded. It's not necessarily (impossible), it's just not always going to happen. There needs to be some sort of balance between the two. Whether we pulled that off is debatable.

Some of the press I've read on Ga'an has been very heavy with metaphors involving shamans, ritualistic sounds and vague notions of spiritualism in general, I suppose because your name, according to one article, comes from the name of an Apache ritual dance. Does any of this stuff interested you as a group and does it have any impact on or importance in relation to how you go about developing your music?

We admire peoples and cultures who are, and were, more in touch with nature, and spirituality in general, but it's not like we're sitting around a room pouring over some ancient texts to get ideas. It's bullshit. It's more about certain sounds, choir sounds, chanting, or repetitions...

Is this in part because you feel too detached from such cultures to truly parallel these kind of mystic or spiritual experiences, or are you simply not interested in them, at least when it comes to Ga'an's music?

To say that we are some how attached to these cultures would be arrogant, or perhaps misguided. We simply wanted to convey some elements of it in our music. We certainly are interested in various forms of human spirituality, but it may be more of an afterthought than the music implies.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite new bands and venues in Chicago right now?

The Mopery is a great venue, the Viaduct Theatre, also there is a great new spacerock/CCR mutation of a band called "ET Habit" that we are excited about.

How do you think the contemporary underground music scene in Chicago compares to what its been like in the recent past?

It's all the same people, just in new bands! No, really, new ideas get circulated through, it's exciting to see it first hand.

Could you please list all of Ga'an's releases so far, and tell us about any new releases you have coming up any time soon, and any shows you might be playing in the Chicago area in the near future?

So far there are 2 cassette tapes, one is the proper studio recording, the other is our "jam" tape, just edited down improv. Nothing new as of now, the band is in flux.


"Blackened Phasium" (download)

"Vultures of the Horn II" (download)

Photo by Miles Raymer, Chicago Reader

Labels:

It List: Tuesday


One of the reasons we've always been anonymous is because we felt that content, above all else, was more important than the individual personalities of the people writing it. Has it annoyed us when people try to figure out our identities? Sure it has. That's mostly old news anyways, and I'm trying to ask a larger, and rather hypocritical question here: Isn't the "Why Denton Sucks" Twitter intriguing, and wouldn't you like to know who writes it? I go back-and-forth between thinking that it's a pretty lighthearted local celebrity roast, to wondering if maybe it's just the sounding board for the petty and personal grievances of someone who goes out every night in the 940. I can relate since I've been accused of both, but I've mostly tried to avoid the personal digs, as have most of the contributors here. But still, it sure would be interesting to find out who's behind it all. I now leave it to you: the mature, educated, and refined comment-posters of We Shot JR to share your thoughts and ideas with me...

Disqo Disco (Fallout Lounge)

Monday, January 18, 2010

It List: Monday

Not a lot going on tonight that I can see, other than Cool Out, but stay tuned for more, including a new feature and an announcement....

Monday Morning Rock



WED: The Skuds/Akkolyte/Man the Conveyors/Life Erased (Phoenix Project)
WED: Sydney Confirm (Cavern)
THR: Corporate Park/Dos Jackulites/Betdat/Lars Larsen/DJ G (Rubber Gloves)
THR: Eddie Izzard (American Airlines Center)
THR: Iskra/Doom Siren/Vorvadoss/Rotnudus (Phoenix Project)
THR: Baconator/Collick/Hight Anxities (1919 Hemphill)
THR: Dexter Romweber Duo (Good Records)
FRI: Agnostic Front/Death by Stereo/The Hellions (Trees)
SAT: Shiny Around the Edges/Drink to Victory/Kampfgrounds/Piccline (Hailey's)
SUN: Jonathan Richman (Rubber Gloves)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Quick Update: martin Iles 3 on Sunday

Pretty busy Sunday with the extra day off and all, but we wanted to give you guys a quick reminder of what Martin Iles is up to tonight, because it looks good (Dan's Sliverleaf, 1030PM):


JUMPING
Osamu Tezuka, 1984 (6 min.)

Anime pioneer Osamu Tezuka’s short film shows the world from the point of view of a bouncing ball (or jumping child). Each jump of the camera goes higher, each landing is a visual surprise (i.e, a city setting, a jungle, the ocean floor, a battle field in wartime, the depths of Hell, etc.). Jumping won the Grand Prize at the 1984 Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films.


GOD DAMN RELIGION
Richard Bishop, 2008 (30 min.)

“This film is a diabolical experiment in hypnotic mind control—a phantasmagoric presentation of demonic and divine imagery, meticulously assembled and designed to put the viewer into an altered state of darkened awareness. Includes original music from ‘Elektronika Demonika’, as well as unreleased material... Contains some strong sexual content. Not for the weak-minded, faint of heart, or those suffering from occasional seizures.”


IGGY POP LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO
TARGET VIDEO, 1981 (60 min.)

“This concert film captures the former Stooges front man performing in San Francisco during a 1981 tour. Although the tour was in support of the album Party, Pop serves up songs a dozen songs that draw from every era of his career. The set list includes "T.V. Eye," "Lust for Life," "Some Weird Sin," and "Bang Bang." His backing band includes such famous faces as Clem Burke and Carlos Alomar.” - Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Friday, January 15, 2010

Weekender

Busy weekend, so lets get started (all written by FP):

edit: but before we get started if you haven't donated to help people in Haiti and you have the ability to do so please do it. If you don't you are really lame and shouldn't be an American. Here is a link so you can put your conscience at ease click here to donate and be a great person (FP)


FRIDAY

Geronimo/ Fight Pretty/ Ghost Town Electric/ Big Fiction/Decades (1919 Hemphill)

Tes La Rok/Mundo/Royal Highnuss/gWorm and Jimmy B (Green Elephant)

Red Hot Poker/Spring Break '89/Andre the Giant's Bowel/Record Hop/1670am (Rubber Gloves)

This is a going away bash night for Denton awesome person Colin Carter. If you might be in the group who do not know this dude but still want to come out tonight with out feeling awkward, here are some highlights from his Denton time line posted on the Rubber Gloves website.

1993: pushed down the stairs by Don Bonneville; pretends he’s part of the prank instead of the recipient of said assault
2002: spends most of the year depressed in the RGRS office listening to Lambchop and playing solitaire
2006: no-call no-show to his temporary job that was actually a pretty good opportunity; spends the rest of the year sort of looking for a job (read: sitting in the green recliner)
Sounds like a cool guy to me.

Now I have to warn you there is a cloud of mystery around this performance. We are being led to believe that some fantastic local acts have been booked for the show under mysterious alter ego stage names. This could be a big rouse or it could yield a pretty big payoff, especially seeing as how it is a free show. The one confirmed name that we all can recognize is of course Record Hop, which is a good start. Seeing as how cool this guy obviously is to have a party hosted in his name, I'm sure the insiders say this will be one hell of a show.
(FP)



The Paper Chase/True Widow/Boom Boom Box (Sons of Hermann Hall)

Haven't had a chance to check out Boom Boom Box or True Widow and I want to really bad. Not enough to go to a Paper Chase show of course but still looking forward to it guys. (FP)

Broken Teeth 1 Year Anniversary Bash featuring Jubilee/Select/Prince Will/Mike Townsend/Merritt/Anna Love/Red Eye (Zubar)

Looks like a good place to do some boogieing tonight. If someone could please tell me what the proper attire to a thing like this would be I might go. (FP)

Sarah Jaffe/Robert Gomez/Seryn (St. David's Episcopal Church, Denton)

Seems to be a fitting bill to have in a church. Still kind of weird to have to go into a church for any reason. Please forgive my ignorance but is this some kind of hipster church that host shows or just an ironically named bar? (FP)

RTB2/Luna Matto/PVC Street Gang/New Fumes (Cavern)


SATURDAY

Drug Mountatin/Lychgate/Marriage Material (Rubber Gloves)

This is the record release for Drug Mountain's debut LP. If you haven't caught them lately you might not know that Zanzibar Snail member and poster art guru Nevada Hill is now on the roster. Nevada's strong avant garde background and aesthetic brings a new dynamic to the very, very brutal sound of the original line up. It sounds amazing. Will be nice to see them finally in a proper venue. We'll see if Lychgate have learned any new tricks on the road after their recent tour. Should be harsh. (FP)

RTB2/Luna Matto/PVC Street Gang/Come on Go With Us (Hailey's)


Doug Burr/ The Fox and The Bird (All Good Cafe)

I was so pissed cause SR got to write about Baruch because I had been really excited about releasing some negative energy out there into the blog-o-sphere. But I got over it. I feel much better about being here now recommending something in the same ballpark but a little more...honest? I caught The Fox and the Bird on the same bill as the aforementioned Scribe and was really captivated by The Fox's performance. It is no frills group centered folk music. It may be totally unoffensive but the craftsmanship and simplicity of the music was very effective. The band members all share duties which keeps the music varied just enough and the performance more exciting than the standard folk outfits. It's not exactly plucked straight from the mountains, but there is an authenticity in the music that comes from somewhere. My guess is that they love the type of the music they play so the play it the best they can. I have a feeling if you are going to see Doug Burr at the All Good Cafe you are already quite familiar with The Fox and the Bird. But for those of you thinking about skipping that opening band for your favorite new faux-folk artist next time you go out, try to make the extra effort and see Fox and the Bird. I bet you will like it. (FP)


Younger Sons/Forgetting Max Fischer/Monastery/Balance Problems (J&J's)

Up until recently I was always confused by all the indie folk jokes concerning Denton I see in the comments here. I guess I just haven't been going to them because they sure are there. I don't know what to make of this all. I really like folk music. All types of folk music. Yet I really don't like whiny pretentious music, which is what most of the stuff the kids are playing these days seem to sound like.

SUNDAY


Fight Amp/Big Fiction/Dark Forces (The Lounge)

We all learned yesterday from our Local Q&A section that Dark Forces contains a member from new Denton band Final Club. So here is an opportunity for you Dallas folk to get a taste of what all the Denton kids are talking about.


No Idea Festival w/Chris Cogburn/Jesse Kudler/Screwed Anthologies/Remi Alvarez/ Aaron Gonzalez/ Stefan Gonzalez (Phoenix Project):

I caught this in Fort Worth last year at Lola's and really enjoyed myself. Similar to this year, the show was a diverse and educational experience. One of the things that really added to it was the shows taking place in a bar in downtown Fort Worth. The show was originally suppose to be at the other Lola's venue but fell through for some reason so it was relocated to the bar. It was really interesting to be in a room with just as many people completely unenthusiastic by the music as the ones that are totally digging it. The patrons staring at the Cowboys game completely bewildered as to why these outsiders are enraptured by these weirdos making funny noises. And of course it went both ways. Honestly I can't blame the hapless sports fans. A touring experimental noise festival isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. But for those who are into this type of thing, which I'm sure you are, this is a great opportunity to see local artist work with noted artist from far and wide. Hopefully this more appropriate venue will get a large draw out because it is a pretty cool deal. Along with the collaboration aspect, it's also a great way to see some other regional music that you might not have the opportunity to other wise. (FP)

Teenage Cool Kids/ Bad Sports/ Follow That Bird/ Dikes of Holland/ Tre Orsi (Rubber Gloves)

Solid lineup especially for a Sunday night. Doesn't everyone have Monday off? Should be fun.

Goodie Mob/Special Guest (House Of Blues)

Local q&a : Final Club

It must be refreshing for Brendon and Austin, one half of Denton's latest musical upstarts Final Club, to play a show that is not in their basement. Now this may seem like a simple deduction, but my friends, this is no ordinary basement. That is unless for the past couple of months your basement has been bleeping brightly on the radar of both the indie cultural elite and, unfortunately, the Denton County Sheriff's dept. In case you are not in the know, I am speaking of The Lion's Den, one of Denton's latest and most notorious house venues, and also the place Brendon and Austin's call home. Along with buds and band mates Bryan and Anthony, Denton's latest DIY impresarios are making a stab at the other side of the microphone.

The band is called Final Club and they have recently been featured on some bills which have produced some pretty large draws-- both shows played this past week saw around 150 people. Undoubtedly a great way to get the feet wet. But is the water too deep? I had a chance to see Final Club last night at Rubber Gloves and I'll throw out some thoughts later. But for now let's get to the interview.

Frank Phosphate: How did the show Wednesday come about?

Final Club: I know the guys from Weekly Tape Deck pretty well, so I've sent them demos of the songs from the EP, some shitty demos of us practicing in my basement. But the guys really liked it and they had this date set for Rubber Gloves. We're also good friends with Wild Harem, the band from Austin that is also on the bill. So it'll be a fun night.

How was the show at Dan's?

The show at Dan's couldn't have gone better. I know Joey (Yeahdef) and he knew I was starting a band, so he asked us to play a show at Dan's. We really lucked out by getting to play our first shows at the best venues in town (with some great bands too). Anyway, Joey had promoted the show as a show for new acts around Denton, and I guess that's how most people found out about it. So we opened the show at about 10:40 and by 10:45 it was sold out. Most of us were really nervous about playing to a 150 person crowd the very first time we went on stage, but the set went fine and earned us compliments from a lot of people whom I respect as musicians.

Are members involved in any other projects?

Brendon, who sings and plays guitar, also plays in the local party-punk band Dark Forces. They're a lot of fun. And our drummer Anthony plays in the River Mouth, also great. We're playing a show with the River Mouth at Hailey's next month, so Anthony gets to pull double duty that night.

Is the EP all songs you have played live?

The Hot Gaze EP is everything we've played live up to this point. Six songs, runs about 20 minutes. We're working on some new stuff, but we all wanted the live show to really catch people's attention. There are some other people who we'd like to record some new songs with.

How long have you been "together"?

Well, Brendon and I started playing together right about when we moved into the Lions Den together. I think he came up to my room and saw I had a guitar and a keyboard and realized that I could play music. So we jammed a couple times and it clicked. I guess you could say we've been together for about five months.

The demos we have heard so far have all been instrumentals. How are the vocals being handled on the EP?

There are vocals on the EP, yes. Brendon sang at the shows too. The lyrics and vocals are usually one of the last things written in our songs, just kind of happens that way.

What kind of guitars/equipment are you using?

We really don't have that much gear, which makes hauling our shit from place to place a lot easier. We all play Fender guitars. I use quite a bit of delay on my guitar, and Bryan uses a fuzz pedal on his bass sometimes. Other than that, no effects are used other than how weird we can make our amps sound naturally.

Do you guys smoke weed?

Yes. We also encourage it.

What demographic are you reaching for here?

See the question above.

You claim the Lion Den as your home. Show there soon maybe?

Brendon and I live at the Lions Den, and the band uses the basement as its practice space. We actually recorded the Hot Gaze EP on the ground floor of my house. So it's definitely home for us. We'd love to have more shows here, but the Denton Police Department (namely one very rude officer) crippled us financially after the last two shows we had. Such a sad thing because the place is honestly the ideal spot for having a house show. Maybe a daytime show in the spring, we've talked about that.

How is it being a new band in the area?

It really feels fantastic to be in a new band, at least for me. I played in bands in high school, but quit playing music a couple years ago. So it's a lot of fun to be doing something I enjoy. And it also helps that people are liking it. I love playing with these guys and this band sounds exactly how we all wanted it to.

Nobody in the area sound like you guys, where does your influences come from and how did your music become what it is?

As for influences, it's really hard to pinpoint one particular artist or group or album that all four of us totally geek out on. Bryan and Anthony listen to a lot harder stuff than I do, but anything that is loud we all usually loud. Personally in my guitar playing, I'm influenced a lot by stuff like My Bloody Valentine, Deerhunter, the Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Like I said: loud. The sound pretty much came about naturally. I'm not a very technical guitar player, so I've always used delay to beef up my tone. But yeah, this is just the way we wanted to sound.

How do you think said sound fits in with other acts in the area?

We don't really sound like any other bands I know of around here. But the shows we've played and the ones we have lined up next month are with a lot of very different bands, so hopefully we'll kind of find our niche in Denton.

Your set last night was very tight and well rehearsed. Have you just been focusing strictly on these six songs or is there other material you are working on that you scrapped or intended for polish later?

We've played the six songs from the EP a shit ton, so the sets have gone really well. And recording also helped us solidify the songs. We're working on some new stuff, but we wanted to make sure the first two shows were on point.

There was a decent size crowd last night. What has been the general reactions from people hearing your music for the first time?

Everyone I've played the music for or I've seen at one of our shows seems to like our sound. At the first show, I looked to my left and two of the guys from Record Hop were maybe five feet away from me. And those guys know their shit on guitar. They approached me after our set and liked it. Best compliment ever. And the crowds have been nice too, we've got a lot of friends in Denton who would come to our shows even if we weren't any good.

How do you feel about being photographed on stage?

Being photographed on stage...they're usually not great photos. But whatever, publicity is publicity.

What is the best and worst thing you can see happening to the band right now?

Best thing that could happen for us would be to join Young Money after Lil Wayne gets out of jail. Odds are against us. Worst case scenario, our gear starts falling apart and we can't play anymore. Weird question.
-----

As I mentioned in the interview, FC's sound is rather unique in the current wave of guitar centered music being made. The music has a hazy feel to it, but the drums and guitars are very structured and direct despite the apparent haze they might have been created in. Their sound is familiar and the roots can be found in the bands they mentioned. Unlike certain acts such as Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Final Club seem to be exploring new ground as opposed to polishing the established diamonds. At the moment the music can be a bit one note, but the hints of directions to come can be found underneath the mighty distortion. The result is a breath of fresh air in the local music scene. But as I am sure the guys know, the air isn't stagnant here.

I was hesitant opening the interview with the Lion's Den anecdote, fearful of being that person at the party who believes preferences must come prefaced with a credibility rap sheet. Given that this is a tight knit community, one could be led to believe that this group has a pre-installed fan based which they would in turn cater to, hungry for a taste of life on the other side. But after seeing the performance last night, any misgivings I may have had about why these guys are in the game were quickly dispelled.

The band had a great chemistry on stage, not just amongst the band members but with the friendly audience in attendance that night as well. It was obvious that these guys have some fans already, and you would have needed two butterfly nets to catch all the in jokes that were flying around the room. Not all audiences are going to be as friendly, but I think Final Club will easily win any patron over with their heavy but easy to digest brand of indie rock. All four are natural performers, each one bringing something unique, and what they have brought to the table so far, especially this early on, is pretty impressive. I am excited to see what the future has in store.

Thanks to Final Club for taking the time to answer my questions and giving us the music to share. And thanks for making me feel a little better about getting high before writing this.


Final Club - Last World

Final Club - Wizard Wells

Labels:

Thursday, January 14, 2010

It List: Thursday

Super Suckers/Blacklist Royals/The Phuss/Last of the Interceptors (Rubber Gloves): Can someone please kill this terrible band already? Well, I don't mean that I really want them to be killed, but the only reason any of us have ever heard of them is because they picked the perfect time to move to Seattle (1989) and joke their way on to Subpop back when the concept of rock n roll "authenticity" often meant "ability to act like an idiot." It was a stupid concept anyway. Take terrible rockabilly, mix it with pop punk and grunge and there you have it: something that I can't believe anyone needs to hear more of in 2010. Can anyone think of a worse early Sub Pop signing?

Baruch the Scribe/ Robert Gomez/ The Fox and The Bird/Glen Farris (Syc House, 816 W. Sycamore): Denton's Baruch the Scribe is "tasteful." There's nothing shitty about their music. There's nothing "bad" about it, so to speak. They write "real" songs and "know how to play their instruments" and sing well. They sound like they might even have a chance to "succeed" one day. That's pretty cool, good for them. They sometimes sound like the Kinks and the Faces, and sometimes stuff like Joanna Newsom and other garbage I don't care about. However, more than anything else, they sound like they're influenced by the Rushmore soundtrack, or just the idea of the Rushmore soundtrack (see Kinks, Faces above). And I don't even mean the music really, either, but rather the lifestyle and badges of honor that go along with being into stuff like this-- essentially, this is faux bookish, nerd chic, quirky "indie" cool thats trying desperately to establish some kind of emotional experience with the listener but ultimately feels more than a bit empty and calculated, an attempt to be something rather than do something. "Weird" for its own sake, but never truly experimental. Cute and cuddly but "smart" and a little "dark." This stuff sounds like the kind of music that some marketing executive would think is supposed to soundtrack my "quirky" life, and although it could be me that's empty and jaded, the experience of listening to this band sort of feels like watching a rerun on television-- I'm only half paying attention, but I'm still getting annoyed.

80's Night with Yeahdef (Hailey's): Did Yeahdef buy Hailey's or something? Here's to hoping that this works out for all parties involved, and I'd really like to see Yeahdef's setlist from this evening-- not because I think its gonna suck or be super amazing or something, but simply because I'm interested in what kind of 80's music is enjoyed by people who weren't even alive in the 80's. And I don't mean that as some kind of insult either, because although I'm considerably older than most of the people who will be at Hailey's tonight, I'm still not old enough to have "been there," so it really doesn't count. And besides, people who "actually lived it MAN" usually suck.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Art List

THURSDAY, January 14, 2010

Themes and Variations
David Bates
Dunn and Brown Contemporary Gallery
5020 Tracy Street, Dallas, TX 75205
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The artwork of David Bates is flat-out amazing, and he's possibly the best thing we have from Dallas so far. I've kind of yacked about him before, but haven't been able to find too much to talk about from online research. And having started his career before the series of tubes was created, he doesn't even have an Inter-net World Wide Web page. Anyway, here's a collection of some of the better links at which to see his work: here and here and here. And maybe read this Dallas Morning News article about his Hurricane Katrina series. And/or maybe go to this show opening Thursday night.

FRIDAY, January 15, 2010

What Came First?
Minmyo Kim
Alex Leme
Decorazon Gallery
417 N. Bishop Avenue, Dallas, TX 75208
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Surprise! An artist statement that doesn't suck is tied to Minmyo Kim's half of the show: "We Can Fly compels the viewer to reexamine life by facing the unavoidable death and provides the viewer with the opportunity to be reborn through the virtual experience of death. In our life-affirming society, death is something that we avoid to talk about. This work asks people to face the death rather than fear and realize that life is short, but worth it to challenge our selves to be free."

The other half of this What came first? show is a creepily-intimate look at eggs by Brazilian photographer Alex Leme. While we're on the subject of un-sucking artist statements, Mr. Leme managed to pull it off, too, here. I think it's just the way he writes frankly instead of bullshitly, even though he still kind of states the obvious by saying photography is "an examination of the world around me". Check out the series set in a public library on his site, title Literary Ghosts.

SATURDAY, January 16, 2010

EXPO 2010 Juried Show
500X Gallery
500 Expositon Avenue, Dallas, TX 75226
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Let us know if you or someone you know is in the this one. [update from Billy Zinser via email - he'll be in the show plus Rachel Cox. Feel free to add any more in the comments section.]

Arrivals and Departures
John Pomara
Barry Whistler Gallery
2909 Canton Street, Suite B, Dallas, TX 75226
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Common Ground
Eddie Castro and Miguel Donjuan
Kettle Art Gallery
2714 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75226
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Live
J. D. Miller
[show details]
Samuel Lynne Galleries
1105 Dragon Street, Dallas, TX 75207
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

The amount of paint used by JD Miller and Phil Romano (yes, the restaurant guy) makes me slightly uncomfortable. Maybe they're trying to corner the cadmium market?

PS: You might be interested in this article from a few months back about the stage curtain at the new Winspear theater downtown, designed by Guillermo Kuitca.

PPS: Also, if you haven't heard about this yet, they're going to build a park over Woodall Rogers Freeway in downtown to create a unified arts district connected to Uptown. Totally amazing!

Image not really courtesy of David Bates, woodcut titled "Full Moon" (2006).

It List: Wednesday

Last minute list here due to a little mix-up. Looks like some pretty good options no matter where you are in DFW tonight.

Wild Harem/The Spooks/Final Club (Rubber Gloves)

Zebras/Naxat/A Smile Full of Ale (1919 Hemphill)

Cocky Americans/Follow That Bird/Dikes Of Holland (The Cavern)

Jay Reatard Dead At 29

More info here and here.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

It List: Tuesday


Not much going on tonight other than Disqo Disco at Fallout, but we're working on some content as we speak and you'll see it pretty soon....

Monday, January 11, 2010

It List: Monday




AA Bondy/Amy Cook (Lola's)

Paul Slavens (Dan's)

Bass Ass Jazz Night (Amsterdam)

Cool Out Mondays (Cavern)

add: Spaced Out w/Teamwork and guest DJ G (Haileys)

Monday Morning Rock



SHOWS OF NOTE:

WED: Wild Harem/The Spooks/Final Club (Rubber Gloves)
WED: Zebras/ Orange Coax/ A Smile Full of Ale (1919 Hemphill)
WED: Cocky Americans/Follow That Bird/Dikes Of Holland (The Cavern)
THU: Super Suckers/Blacklist Royals/The Phuss/Last of the Interceptors (Rubber Gloves)
THU: Baruch the Scribe/ Robert Gomez/ The Fox and The Bird (Syc House)
FRI: Broken Teeth 1 Year Anniversary Bash featuring Jubilee/Select/Prince Will/Mike Townsend/Merrit/Lanna Love/Redeye (Zubar)
FRI: RTB2/Luna Matto/PVC Street Gang/New Fumes (Cavern)
FRI: Red Hot Poker/Spring Break '89/Andre the Giant's Bowel/Record Hop/1620am (Rubber Gloves)
FRI: Tes La Rok/Mundo/Royal Highnuss/gWorm and Jimmy B (Green Elephant)
FRI: Geronimo/ Fight Pretty/ Ghost Town Electric/ Big Fiction/ Decades (1919 Hemphill)
SAT: Drug Mountatin/Lychgate/Marriage Material/Akkolyte (Rubber Gloves)
SAT: RTB2/Luna Matto/PVC Street Gang/Come on Go With Us (Hailey's)
SAT: Doug Burr/ The Fox and The Bird (All Good Cafe)
SAT: Younger Sons/ Forgetting Max Fischer/Monastery/Balance Problems (J&J's)
SUN: Teenage Cool Kids/ Bad Sports/ Follow That Bird/ Dikes of Holland/ Tre Orsi (Rubber Gloves)
SUN: No Idea Festival w/ Chris Cogburn/Jesse Cudler/Screwed Anthologies/ Remi Alvarez/ Aaron Gonzalez/ Stefan Gonzalez (Phoenix Project)
SUN: Fight Amp/Big Fiction/Dark Forces (The Lounge)

Friday, January 08, 2010

Weekender

Almost completely written by SR.

FRIDAY


Fizzy Dino Pop/Darktown Strutters/Sore Losers (City Tavern): It's easy to lose track of some of the things going on in your old stomping grounds when you move away to a new city, but one thing that certainly hasn't escaped my attention is the rising acclaim of Darktown Strutters-- it seems that the group's name keeps popping up more and more on Twitter and in conversations with friends in the area (especially when I came back to visit for the holidays) and on nationally respected MP3 websites, and such pleasantly surprising developments are quite welcome around WSJR HQ. Of course, the new level of attention doesn't surprise me because I didn't think the band was good, quite the contrary-- we were saying whatever we could about them within days of first hearing their material-- but it does surprise me simply because the group's sound seemed at first like it would be a bit inaccessible to a lot of people who weren't quite familiar with where the band was coming from. However, taking a listen to their music for the first time in a little while has sort of made me realize that I was probably over-thinking all this stuff before-- these songs are infinitely easy to love, and Darktown Strutters seem to get better and better every time I encounter them. In fact, I think its safe to say that they are easily one of the most interesting and impressive new groups in Texas, and I'm glad that a lot of new people, both in and outside of Texas, have started to take notice over the past few months.

Joe Nice/Soy Capaz/Distinct/Dragon Man (Plush Basement): For those not keeping tabs, Baltimore's Joe Nice is one of the key figures in the American dubstep scene, and was in fact one of the first DJs in the country to start regularly playing the bass heavy music on the East Coast (right around the same time that our own underappreciated Jason Mundo started doing it), and for fans of underground dance music, not just dubstep, his appearance in Dallas is a big deal indeed. Sounds like there's a pretty serious after-party going down in celebration of this show as well, and if you were smart you'd check out both, because we hear Joe might spin at both spots.

Joe Nice After Party with Bassick/Blixaboy/DubtillDawn/Travis Elliot (711 Elm St., Dallas): Starts around 2am and goes all night.

Dear Human/A Smile Full of Ale/The Colossi/EPDAGR (J&Js)

Mount Righteous/Giggle Party/Mr. Troll (Andy's): As I've always said, Mr. Troll has a great and honest voice, and that's what counts when it comes to singer-songwriters. I don't know why the Grapevine/Lake Dallas music scene has a weird allegiance to Andy's that stretches back to the early 00's, but that's just the way it is. "Stubbornbanites?" " Stubburbanites?" I just named the Mount Righteous live album. You're welcome. (DL)

Riddlore/MC Homeless/DJ Sober (Phoenix Project): Oh great, a "socially conscious" rapper... why do people always do stuff like this so wrong? And MC Homeless? Are you serious with that shit? Did you get kicked out of the dorms or something?

Astro Funk Vinyl Party with Wanz Dover/Gabriel/Jonathan Graham (Fallout Lounge)


SATURDAY

Kampfgrounds/Peopleodian/Final Club (Dan's Silverleaf): Thanks Kamprgrounds for cheering me up a little bit after having to endure listening to that MC Homeless bro. And Peopleodian sounds like they might be kinda good but I couldn't really tell from the seven seconds of material on their Myspace page.... and trust me, that's usually more than enough to know. (SR)

I just want to add that I received a tip that this Yeah Def curated event at Dan's(!) is Final Club's first show, and the epic instrumental tracks on their page are very promising. They sound like payoff and climax passages plucked randomly from the collective catalog of several "buildup rock"-style groups, but without the boring part where you have to wait eight or nine minutes before the drums even kick in. The guitar effects are used tastefully, and though I usually despise anything "tasteful," everything sounds like it's just the right amount here. I don't know if these tracks will remain vocal-free but we'll see; as it stands, they seem like they could stand up on their own. (DL)


Violent Squid/Curvette/My Empty Phantom/Will E. Lee (Hailey's)

Damaged Goods/Uzoy/Jabee/Gallerycat/Hero/DJ Fishr Pryce (The Lounge)

Boats/Stoned Men/Sabertooth Snatch/Collick (Rubber Gloves): Boats are a slightly endearing pop punk group that pulls from all the classic punk influences that are popping into your head right now.

The Watchers/Joey Lawrence Gets A Coke Problem/Colossi/Medicine Buddha/A Smile Full Of Ale/Steel Hook Prostheses/Welby (Good Records): Once upon a time I never would have imagined such a show taking place at Good Records; in some ways it almost seems downright cruel, and in the event that a high schooler comes in wanting to buy Passion Pit or Phoenix, accompanied by a parent out for the new Tom Petty live record, well, both dad and lad (or mum and lass) are in for a shock. This is a noise/improv/experimental/whatever you want to call it show. We've been over this and I'm sure you don't need another "writer" stumbling through those thorny and controversial genre labels. Though some of it might actually appeal to the teen willing to give it a shot, mom and dad are probably a no-go. Though I do see middle-aged folks at these shows all the time, they probably aren't your parents. Remember Mothers Against Noise? That was fake, right? A Smile Full Of Ale is probably the most accessible act here, which isn't a bad thing; his music tends to be more structured, and he takes the one-man-band approach to a place seldom attempted. The other artists will feature everything from completely formless oscillations to calculated aggressiveness and tortured obliteration, sonic destructiveness etc. Just go to this. I like shows at Good Records and I hate being bored, so this is the perfect mix. I promise no photo booths are involved. (DL)

SUNDAY