MON: Liars/Colourmusic (Lola's) MON: Efterklang/Slaraffenland/Mom (Hailey's) TUE: Capsule/Furnace/Trifle Tower/Hide and Secret (715 Panhandle) WED: Police/Elvis Costello (Starplex) THU: Mark Sultan/The Lash Outs/Bad Sports (Rubber Gloves) THU: Lymbyc System (Lola's) FRI: Strawberry Fields' Denton Deluxe Vol. 1 with Nouns Group/Fight Bite/J Gray/Florene/Verulf/Violent Squid/Peach Street Gang/RTB2 (Rubber Gloves) FRI: Age of Disinformation (Bath House Cultural Center) SAT: Ladyhawk/Neva Denova/Thrift Store Cowboys (Hailey's) SAT: Skate Jam with the Party, Tommy Boy and DJ Lisa Monet (Red Bird Skate Land) SAT: Strawberry Fields' Denton Deluxe 2 with Kaboom/Street Hassle/Deep Snapper/Eat Avery's Bones/Delphi/Zanzibar Snails/The International (Rubber Gloves) SUN: The Kills/Dax Riggs (House of Blues)
I almost just had to not publish anything today due to a personal energency of sorts. So below you've got links accompanied by less than my best work (bunch of one liners), and if you complain about it, then I hate you. Sorry. Ill try to add to this if I can later today (and be sure to check out some of the new Mp3s we posted in the MP3 section.)
FRIDAY
Dark Meat | Quiet Hooves | The Great Tyrant (Lola's) Strange bill tonight in Ft. Worth, as Vice Records' Dark Meat is joined by Great Tyrant, a band they couldn't sound any LESS like. Not that this is a bad thing necessarily, just strange. I've been completely underwhelmed by everything I've heard from Dark Meat, so maybe Spune added one of my favorite local live bands, Great Tyrant, in a specific attempt to get me to come to this show. Probs.
Executrix | The Heartstring Stranglers | Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (Exploding House) Exploding House is turning into quite a nice little development for the music scene in Ft. Worth. This is the first of two solid show's they'll be hosting this weekend, and although it requires a drive to Ft. Worth, the guys at Exploding House are making it harder and harder to avoid.
Cardinals | Dirty Water Disease | Doyen | Mom (802 Massey St., Denton) Birthday house party with kegs. Translation: show up early. Apparently Cardinals is Geistheistler.
Baptist Generals | Dust Congress (Cafe Rembrant, 703 McKinney Ave.) This is an Art Prostitute after party. I'm not sure if it's invite only or not, but it doesn't matter to me because I'm always invited to everything.
Radiohead | Liars (Starplex) Yes, I'm fucking calling it Starplex from now on. I'm not going to allow my teenage memories of Lollapalooza 95 to be clouded by some website I've never even been to.
Japanther | The Pharmacy | Naxat (Rubber Gloves) Uh, yes you should go to this show. Just heard some great new stuff by Japanther too.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Granada) This is a private show that requires an RSVP, which you can send to management@granadatheater.com I believe the show is free, and I don't believe I remember any BRMC songs other than that one that kinda sounds like a Brian Jonestown Massacre song mixed with a Jesus and Mary Chain song. You know the one, right?
Over the past few weeks, we've received several inquiries from people both in and out of town concerning Denton's Pyramids, a band that has recently signed to Hydra Head Records (home to Boris, Isis, Torche, and Big Business, among others) and collaborated with the legendary Blus Aus Nord. The group's dreamy, relatively formless wall of ambient reverb and drone has been compared to the likes of Jesu and My Bloody Valentine, and the two tracks on their Myspace page are both quite striking, existing in that delicate balance between the heavy and the celestial. So yes, they have this great record deal, they've already been covered in Pitchfork, and their songs are actually pretty good, but the funny thing about all this is that no one in the local "scene" seems to know anything about them. Who are these dudes? Why don't they play shows? How did they get a record deal? Well, we decided that since we are pretty much the coolest people in town, we'd just ask them ourselves. We sent Pyramids an email full of questions, and they were nice enough to answer some of them. I didn't say they were all very informative answers, but answers all the same. Here is our exchange:
1. The main question everyone is asking about you guys: who are you? where did you come from? A lot of people suggest that Pyramids couldn't possibly be from Denton because it's such a small town and most people seem relatively unfamiliar with you. So could you tell me your names, and where you are from, and why you might be relatively unknown in the area?
We fell from the sky. Half of the band is currently in l.a., but I run the joint out of North Texas. There is something in the water in Denton...
2. How did you end up on Hydra Head?
We are kindred spirits.
3. A lot of people mention things like "shoegaze," and Justin Broadrick and drone and Earth when talking about your music. Could you tell us about what influences you musically? I hear more gentle things in your sound like Atlas Sound and Animal Collective and stuff like that a bit too.
Aside from Blut Aus Nord and Cocteau Twins, the other artists on our remix disc really make up the founding fathers of our sound. It is such a mind blowing situation to be in, collaborating with every single musician that reflects the reasons why music controls our very beings. Toby Driver, JK Broadrick, the extremely underrated Blut Aus Nord, lovesliescrushing, Campbell Kneale, and of course the true genius behind the sound of this record James Plotkin.
4. Have you played out in the area any time recently? Do you plan to any time soon?
We have never played and are not sure if and when we will, but if the situation is absolutely right, then it just may.
5. How did you hook up with Blut Aus Nord?
They are one of the three best bands of all time and probably the most underrated. We are just really respectful fans and Vindsval enjoyed our music, so we collaborated.
6. What are your plans for the immediate future?
We have a follow up album already in the works that is just as epic, with a slew of collaborators to make it just as fun. This will be a Hydra Head release as well, though we don't know when.
Nothing really going on except for 80's Night at Hailey's and Disqo Disco at Fallout. Oh, and I can't wholeheartedly recommend but I can tell you that Reverend Horton Heatand Nashville Pussy are playing House Of Blues for free. Sometimes free is really expensive.
ADD: House Of Dang and And/Or Gallery present Summer Smackdown 2 featuring "Raiders Of The Lost Arc: The Adaptation." I've seen this and it's incredible: a group of youngsters spent a good chunk of their childhood recreating a micro budget version of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" scene for scene. Watching them grow up on camera as well as their dedication is as moving as it is hilarious. BYOB and BYOLC (lawn chair).
Check out the Goss Michael opening today, and the Martin Puryear if you haven't yet- it's closing the 18th.
TODAY
Tim Noble and Sue Webster (Goss-Michael) Interesting stuff with neon lights- I'm pretty excited about this one.
ADD: Summer Smackdown Movie Night: Part 2 (And/Or House of Dang Party Yard) How could I forget! I'm not sure if you can count Indiana Jones: The Adaption as art, but it will sure be a hell of a good time.
FRIDAY
24-Hour Video Race (Magnolia) The race starts at 11:59 a.m. It is too late to register, but you can see the entries next weekend.
SATURDAY
Nothing Moments (Public Trust) Another opening from our friends at Public Trust. I think I've heard rumors of an after-party?
Mutators | Modern Creatures | Gravity Propulsion System (Club Dada) I know a weeknight in Deep Ellum probably sounds like a Friday night in the library (albeit a very violent one) to most of you, but this certainly a reason to find your library card and make the trip. Vancouver's Mutators just got done playing the Smell in Los Angeles with Abe Vigoda, and you can certainly hear how they fit right in over there-- noisy, aggressive stuff that takes west coast hardcore's sloppy brattiness and combines it with an undercurrent of arty no wave and experimental, harsh post punk influences, all the while spitting it out with an overt nod to pop that makes it all even better. Their recorded material basically exploded in my headphones a few minutes ago, and I'm starting to think I'm going to HAVE to see this live. Modern Creatures are equally bratty and almost as appealing, with a bit more of an early 90's Olympia influence and more of a melodic, structured approach. Gravity Propulsion System, who will apparently be touring with Health for a bit this summer, are worth showing up early for too, showcasing a wide variety of sounds and influences from pop leaning hardcore to early industrial. This looks to be a fantastic show all around, and props to Parade of Flesh for one of their more solid bills. Highly recommended.
Taxi Fare (Zubar) Was really impressed with the big crowd Nature had out there last week. This thing is more fun than you'd ever guess, especially if you're talented enough to groove to dancehall. Give it a shot.
Retribution Gospel Choir | RTB2 | Daniel Folmer (The Cavern) Retribution Gospel Choir features Alan Sparhawk of Low, and this band sounds enough like his former group that you might feel compelled enough to check this out if you're a big fan. Unfortunately it resembles Low's last record more than their earlier and superiorly mopey phase. They mix in some borderline experimental instrumental passages of distorted bass and drums with dub textures. I'd give this at least one shot live, though it sounds as though Mimi Parker's vocals will be missed.
Ecstatic Sunshine | CEX | Schwa | Disqo Disco (Kettle Art, 8-11pm) Great show on an otherwise normal Monday night. Ecstatic Sunshine has been getting attention all over the place recently for their exceedingly pleasant drone pieces that always seem to be loud, noisy and messy yet comforting and almost gentle in their form and presentation. You can tell they're from Baltimore based on the obvious Wham City influence the band seems to carry in both style and substance (in addition to their friendship with Dan Deacon), but it seems to be the specifically Baltimoresque joy that gives their material a boost to set it apart from similar acts. This is post rock and noise and glitchy electronica and a lot of other things, but it really doesn't fall in line with any particular style enough to permit such a label. I just spent the past five minutes reading articles that compared them to LaMonte Young AND Crystal Castles, if that gives you any indication. Come early for the strange and exciting glitch hop of CEX too. The name kind of reminds me of that band Everyone Gets Laid from PCU, which is pure bonus points.
The Hard Lessons | Tiger Moth | Austin Brown (The Cavern) Ok, the Hard Lessons are a totally gay rip off of that one "Stacy's Mom" band (what is that, Nada Surf or some bullshit?), and they lose even more points for writing songs that lecture us about "plastic" people and how dumb the "scene" is. Uh, dudes, have you heard your own band? In other news, Dallas' Tiger Moth are much more interesting and tolerable, even if this isn't saying a whole hell of a lot. Their stuff reminds me of bits and pieces of a lot of different things you've heard before, including Spoon, White Stripes, Kings of Leon, T. Rex, and even stuff like Guns N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots. The songs are catchy enough and well written for sure, and if any of the aforementioned influences appeal to you, you'll probably enjoy this quite a bit. If not, then I wouldn't bother. I wouldn't be surprised at all if these guys start drawing bigger, pub crawlin' Greenville crowds in the near future based on this polished and forceful guitar rock sound. I'm just not sure if I'll be part of that crowd.
