Well, nothing really. A recent look at my bank statement revealed that I had spent twenty bucks in one day on corporate coffee. Look, no matter who is elected president, I really need to learn to be less of an asshole. Know what I mean?
But it looks like Texas liberals actually have a say in something this year. Can't wait. And by the way, the primaries are open in our state, meaning that as long as you're a registered voter, you can go to your polling place on March 4th and ask for the primary ballot for either party.
Dead Meadow | Black Mountain | Blood on the Wall (Granada) Dead Meadow is one of those bands that you probably either love or hate, depending on how much pot you smoke. Of course, an affection for Sabbath, Blue Cheer and stoner rock goes a long way towards pushing you to the former, as Dead Meadow has presented a fairly consistent discography of the aforementioned sounds over the past several years. Their live shows ( I've somehow managed to see several over the years) are a bit hit or miss in my experience, and you often get both in the same set. The molasses slow blues based sludge can often be powerful and compelling, but long songs and longer solos often seem to creep into their sets, making patience a necessary virture for the second half of the show. All that being said, the band has become somewhat iconic over the years in certain circles, and if you're into this kind of guitar based psyche rock, you probably can't go wrong with these dudes, dude. Black Mountain could perhaps be described in a similar manner, but they're noticeably more accessible to the general public, focusing on more pop and even folk-tinged psyche oriented material while perhaps trimming down some of the fat the DM indulges in at times (check "Tyrants" on their Myspace for a little taste of this). And they really seem to like Zep, too. I'm personally a bigger fan of BM side project Pink Mountaintops than I am of Black Mountain itself, but I hear a pretty decent live experience here. And finally, Blood on the Wall have been compared to grunge influenced, early DGC era Sonic Youth, and I guess I can see that. It's also by far the worst era of Sonic Youth, ps. In fact, I think I'd rather listen to BOW's first record than Dirty. Don't reject me.
Also, Cool out at the Cavern. Cool Out dudes have a little treat for you that we'll be posting a little later as well.
MON: Dead Meadow/Black Mountain/Blood on the Walls (Granada) FRI: It's What We Get/Wild in the Streets/Craig Welch (Hailey's) FRI: The Paper Chase/Micah Hinson/Shiny Around the Edges (Sons of Hermann Hall) SAT: Xrin Arms/Yatagarasu/PSOAS/Mistress (House of Tinnitus) SAT: The Party/Hot Flash/Cool Out (Club Dada) SAT: Free Will Hip Hop Benefit with Schwa, Select, and several local MCs (Green Elephant) SUN: No Age (Good Records- FREE) SUN: Liars/No Age/Select (Hailey's)
Sort of a thin weekend quantity-wise, but the quality is certainly there:
FRIDAY
Daniel Francis Doyle | Koji Kondo | Angry Businessmen | Nouns Group (Strawberry Fields) Not sure of the order of bands for this show, but I hear things will get started around 8 or 9 o'clock. An excellent line up all around, and I couldn't think of a better place than Strawberry Fields to see these groups. Set order and/or more specifc time slots would be nice in the comments or something. the one two punch of Angry Businessmen and KK is always worth seeing, especially when you consider that it often takes a total of 30 minutes to catch them both.
Akkolyte | The Great Tyrant | Loop 12 (Sloppyworld) Probably one of the most impressive all local line-ups to play Dallas proper in weeks, or maybe even months. Akkolyte is honestly one of my favorite local live bands right now, bringing a punishing grindcore intensity that hardly sounds like it could be coming from just two people--short blasts of some of the most complex and explosive grind you'll hear anywhere, and certainly one of the heaviest live sets in the area. Seriously, theirs is the set to catch tonight if you're pissed off. Trust me. The Great Tyrant has been a favorite around here for a long time, as you probably know, and Loop 12 recently became a new favorite after seeing their performance at And/Or Gallery a couple weeks ago. You might be inclined to call them "noise" at first listen, but if you take a moment to process what is going on during one of their sets, you can reach below the harsh metallic sounds and find truly hypnotic yet surprising rhythms underneath, making it easier to focus on what it is they seem to be trying to accomplish. Any fan of experimental electronic music should take note of these guys, because they are truly the real deal. We might just have more on them very soon.
Late Night Party: Keith P | It's What We Get | Wanz Dover (Sloppyworld) Kicking off at 1am (following the show above) and continuing until 3 or 4, this should be an excellent display of some great local DJs in just the right kind of environment. If you haven't already, I'd really suggest scrolling down just a bit and downloading Keith P's latest edition of Bass Music, because its mix of grime, garage and dub is very unique for this area and not to be missed. It's What We Get are pretty young dudes, by the way, but you wouldn't know it dancing to one of their sets: a knowledgeable mix of classically influential electronic/disco and all of the new shit that you've never heard before. Only dorks like me would think about it, of course, because their sets are nothing but good times.
Will Johnson | Sarah Jaffe (Dan's Sliverleaf) I honestly haven't heard much of Will Johnson's solo material, but shit, I'm guessing that most of the people who are considering going to this show already know where they stand. Rumor has it that Johnson may again perform with Jandek some time in the near future, and judging by their performance in Ft. Worth last summer, it'll be more than worth checking out. We'll keep you posted on all that stuff.
SATURDAY
Hands Up! The Party with Dayta and Cokni O'Dire (The Loft) Check the interview with Dayta here. And Cokni O'Dire apparently has a pretty interesting history that I didn't know anything about until just now.
Valentine's Party (House of Dang) Running from 6 to 930, this Valentine's party will also serve as the launch for HOD's new spring collection. Free booze will be provided as usual, and this will be a great way to kick off your night of, well, whatever it is you do. I usually just ride around shinin'.
Stereo on Strike with Robert Taylor (Fallout Lounge) A benefit for the Melodica Festival, which in case you forgot, is being funded entirely by two individuals. If you're the kind of person who DOESN'T enjoy seeing Red Stripe posters and bullshit all over the place at events like SXSW, then I'd suggest checking out one of these Melodica benefit shows. Not only will it be fun, but it will help make Dallas' first true underground music festival in years even better.
SUNDAY
Nothin' so far other than Liquid Courage at Zubar with Wanz and Red Eye, where they play mostly vinyl sets of everything from new Berlin minimal to old school house. Check back with us over the weekend.
Be sure to check out some SXSW info from Stonedranger in our News Section...
Nina Nastasia | Burnt Sienna Trio | Tre Orsi (Lola's) This is the first show I'll probably see at Lola's due to a lineup that features some of the stronger songwriters that I know of, whether they be local or national acts. Nina Nastasia has had a very consistent track record, largely as a result of her willingness to take chances with the concept and backing foundations of her painfully candid and stark songs. She incorporates everything from musical saw, string parts, and abstract drumming in ways that you're not used to hearing from your average singer-songwriter, or at least the kind that get out of bed and into a studio. The surrounding framework never feels forced and instead embellishes the referenced desperation apparent in the lyrics. Her songs stand up to various interpretations whether with a full band, throat singers, accompanied by only a drummer, or by herself. Burntsienna Trio's mix of banjos, blues, guyliner, and The Kinks are an excellent opening choice, as well as the tough yet expansive crunch and chime of Tre Orsi.
Open Minds and Open Mic (1919 Hemphill) This open mic is from 8 to 9:30 and will feature Fort Worth Weekly writer, Jarid Manos who is the Executive Director of the Great Plains Restoration Council and just authored his first book.
Deep Snapper | The Demigs | The Cut*Off | Grassfight (Rubber Gloves) This is a benefit for the FMLA of Denton, a group dedicated to gender issue awareness. Deep Snapper will most likely be performing material from their forthcoming release and Grassfight recetly finished an album that they should send to us for review if they haven't already. It's taken us a long time to figure out how to use a PO Box.
Of course, the usual Taxi Fare (Zubar) and It's What We Get (Hailey's) are happening this evening, but if you head over to Rubber Gloves you can check out Gordon and the Whale's screening of In Bruges, starting at 9pm. The event will include free food, Dj sets, contests, etc. I haven't seen In Bruges, and I really don't know much about it, but you can rest easy knowing that it's free. Give it a shot.
UPDATE: Sorry, the film apparently won't be screened at Rubber Gloves tonight, but uh, free food and other things will still be there.
We're happy to present the second edition of Keith P's ongoing mix series, Bass Music Vol. 2. The first installment saw Keith jump way ahead of the curve locally with an impressive mix of fidget, old school house, distorted French acid disco, and just about everything else that was receiving critical praise and underground buzz at the time. The best part? Aside from the choice track selection, the mix demonstrated that Keith is the real deal: a truly skilled DJ who knows how to control a dance floor with precision.
Bass Music Vol. 2 is quite different from its predecessor in both track selection and vibe, but its just as enjoyable, and in many ways, probably even more interesting. On this mix, Keith shifts his focus back to his musical roots, with grime, UK garage, and dubstep front and center. Great tracks from Wiley, Arman Van Helden, Switch and Drop the Lime all stand out, but to be honest, I had never heard most of these tracks before, and the surprises were what really grabbed me the first time I listened to this mix (the exclusive Starkey track in particular stands out). The whole affair is dark and filthy all the way through, but the balance between interesting, experimental electronic sounds and four on the floor dance accessibility is what makes this mix great. Basically, this is a party mix that also happens to be great on headphones at home. Click here for the tracklist, and click below for the download. Enjoy!
