It List: Wednesday

Written Mostly by FP

Hey there-- Although you might doubt us, I wanted to let everyone know that we're working on a bunch of different things these days, including the expansion of the site that I alluded to in a post several weeks ago. We don't see any of this being implemented until some time in January, but the good news for now is that we do have quite a bit planned for our year end coverage this month, including a boat load of local album reviews that we didn't get around to this year, which is pretty much all of them. Anyway, we have received a lot of your CDs and album download links over the past few months, but if you haven't sent us your album yet and would like it reviewed (or you think we might have lost track of your original submission), please email your download link to weshotjr@gmail.com and clearly label the album title, artist name and any additional information you would like us to have (album art would be nice). If you send your album to us, we're going to try as hard as we possibly can to include it in our year end coverage, which will start popping up here in the next week or two. Thanks. (SR)

Ishi/Yeah Def/Fizzy Dino Pop/Kashioboy/Sore Losers/Whoa! Coder (Hailey's): So you say you're sick of all that country folk Americana bullshit that seems so ubiquitous these days? Well, I wouldn't expect to see too many classical acoustic guitars tonight at Hailey's, and you might even encounter some ethnic diversity (Whoa!). This show is serving as a release party for Fizzy Dino Pop's latest E.P. which I am assuming will be available there for purchase. FDP mastermind Avery Williamson has recently gone from screaming over his music to having very lovely female vocals compliment his sugary brand of electro-pop. Although I'm sure some of his old school fans might be disappointed, I think it sounds pretty nice. Speaking of semantics, is it really J-Pop if it is conceived and recorded in In Texas? There are plenty of acts in the area and nation wide working in the same sonic realm, but I don't think I have heard the term thrown around to describe domestic artists. Seems like calling Deerhoof J-indie or something.

Kashioboy has been creating 8-bit music for the past couple years but just recently began incorporating live vocals and musical ideas beyond reworking Koji Kondo tunes. Kashioboy main man Chris still uses the "8 bit" sound (most of his music is composed on modified Nintendo Gameboys and DSs) but his songs have progressed into more main stream territory. Check I Must Say or Tortues on his Myspace for example. I have heard a thousand 8 bit covers but still got a little chill down my neck when hearing this re-imagining for the first time the other day.

This will be my first time to see Ishi play live. For some reason I don't seem to frequent the same establishments as these guys, but none the less, I have been curious as to what all the hub bub is bout. Preliminary listening reveals the same hazy quality of the sound that is all the rage now, but without any kind of stamp or personality to make it stand out. Their music definitely caters to the Peter, Bjorn and John crowd. Coming off as dreamy and unoffensive, I would not be afraid to book them for my daughter's birthday party at all. Perhaps some grand personality will emerge on the stage that catch me off guard, but for now, I can't tell if the banality of their Myspace page is an attempt to be kitschy, ironic, streamlined, or if they're just boring people. Listening to the music on said page, I'm gonna guess the latter. Luckily they play last so I can leave if it blows.

Dallas hip-hop duo Sore Losers are also on the lineup and taking a quick spin of the stuff on their site makes it seem like the show should be a lot of fun. Much better than the once a year rap CD I buy from the dudes hustling outside of the gas station I buy smokes at on my way into Dallas. Great night all around, we'll see how Ishi fairs, but to top it all of it's free so it sounds pretty appetizing to me.(FP)

The ISH with Mikey Rodge/Killtron (Ghostbar)