What a difference Josh Howard makes, huh? Like you've probably heard a thousand times already, the Mavs are undefeated this year when Howard scores 20 or more, and he was certainly a huge factor in last night's game. And although I'm glad the Mavs won and everything, I certainly don't feel that great about this series so far. Yes, we won last night and probably should have won game 1, and yes, the Mavs seemed to have figured out how to better guard Steve Nash in game 2. But it seems like the Suns are still controlling the pace of this series, and that we have basically been forced to play their game. Thats not good. I think the Mavs are going to have a very rough time in Phoenix if they don't turn it up on defense and show more of the toughness and attitude that we saw against San Antonio. I still think its our series to lose, but the Suns are playing us much tougher than I expected. We'll see what happens Sunday I guess.

ESPN's Marc Stein on game 2: Link

A few things to do tonight:

1. The Theater Fire CD release party will be going on at Metrognome tonight.

2. Pretty Girls Make Graves really suck. We shouldn't have to tell you that. But, reputable sources tell us that Derek Fudesco, their bass player or something, spins a pretty good DJ set. We might not gamble on it otherwise, but he will be spinning with DJ G at the Cavern tonight after the Gypsy Tea Room show, with G going on at 10 and keeping the party going all night. Our guess is that Fudesco will be going on around 1. Its five bucks (or free with the Pretty Girls ticket) and should be the best thing going in Big D after what will hopefully be a big win for the Mavericks. Its a must win anyway.

Oh, and a band we really like, the Joggers (they sould a bit like the Fall), will be opeing for PGMG at Gypsy tonight, along with Giant Drag (who are sort of ok), who is also playing at Good Records in like 10 minutes.

Sorry for the crappy list, but we're having Blogger problems.

I'm not really sure why Chris Garver isn't at least five times more popular than he already is, and I'm not even the kind of person that would typically listen to the kind of music he plays. In fact, singer-songwriters (particularly local ones) are almost always a pretty hard pill to swallow for me, considering the sheer volume of cheese that is typically involved in their horribly "personal" lyrics and guitar strumming that is often overly derivative of shit I can't stand anyway. All the "feelings" and country boy posturing and lame sophomore lit major chicks that eat it up might be partially to blame for my hostility, but usually the music that these Urban Outfitted James Taylors produce is bad enough to warrant outright rejection on its own. In fact, singer-songwriters are already the butts of so many jokes that its pretty cliche to even mention it. I only feel compelled to do so in order to drive home a point: even people that share my sentiments will likely enjoy Chris Garver's brand of lonely folk. Of course, I wouldn't lump him in with all the starbucks charlatans anyway, but I know that people are often skeptical of a guy from Denton with an acoustic guitar.

Chris Garver has been in various bands since the age of 12 (including a noise/ punk/ Sabbathesque band called Sockday that once got some airplay on Mike Watt's radio show), but has been focusing on writing, recording and performing his solo material since he was 17. His major influences include Bob Dylan, Captain Beefheart and Daniel Johnston among others, and he believes that the practice of songwriting is often modeled (sometimes poorly, he hints) after a pattern he sees in Catcher In the Rye: at least one word in every sentence (or line) is or should be written to stick out, meant to draw a reader (or in this case a listener) in repeatedly. And its good that he talked to us about his lyrics, because unlike the vast majority of songwriters in Denton and Dallas, he actually knows how to write them. You won't find any jokey Beck lines here, nor any mimicked Dave Berman sarcasm (that can really only be pulled of by Dave Berman) or crybaby suburban emo. Instead, his lyrics are dark, literate and often a bit sad without being too much to chew. He paints impressionistic portraits in his songs that are often emotional, sometimes humorous and always a bit nervous, maintaining a lightness and unpredictability that will surely keep most listeners interested. In other words, there is a lot to draw you in.

His music, vocals and recording style also separate him a good deal from his peers. On the MP3s below, you'll hear many of the traditional elements of country influenced front porch folk, with vibrant, textured picking and bits of mean fucking harmonica tossed in. You'll also hear a clear Freewheelin' influence and a voice that quivers like Jeff Tweedy and cracks like Daniel Johnston but retains a healthy range, demonstrating that the Chris Garver's unique vocal quirks are an effective stylistic choice rather than a shortcoming. And while we're not sure whether his lo-fi recording style is a product of choice or necessity, we're leaning more towards the former, as the portable 4-track in the bathroom echoes add to the sense of mystery that is present throughout the songs that we've listened to. Rarely in the local scene do we encounter a folk singer that we can even tolerate, much less enjoy. But Chris Garver's songs are warm, dark and strange enough to get our attention and warrant repeat listens. And with his scheduled performances with Current Leaves and Strategies of Beauty coming up, we think he might be able to draw you in too.

Below are links to 3 MP3s from Chris' website, including "The Southfork Luncheon Blues," which he has dedicated to us. See how inspiring we can be?

http://chrisgarver.com/mpthrees/Chris_Garver-00-Wasp_in_the_House.mp3

http://chrisgarver.com/mpthrees/Chris-Garver-00-The_Southfork_Luncheon_Blues.mp3

http://chrisgarver.com/mpthrees/Chris_Garver-07-Little_Bijou.mp3

1. Strange Boys | Eat Avery's Bones | Chief Death Rage (Double Wide)
I don't know how we forgot this show the first time through. You know the first two, and for those not in the know, CDR is the sludgey stoner rock side project of shane and aaron from Undoing. And oh yeah, they really fucking kick ass.

2. Zoo (Upstairs at the Cavern)
Like we told ya bitches last week, this is one of two reasons to go out in Dallas on a Thursday. Great selection of all kinds of videos, with concentration on cult classics, dance, and nu metal. Just kidding. Go see what everyone is talking about this week. You won't be able to figure out how the fuck this guy comes up with his playlist, but you will love seeing something like Black Sabbath, !!!, Janes Addiction and something you've never even heard of back to back to back to back.

3. Dj G's 80's Night (Hailey's-Denton)

4. Everything Looks Better Upside Down | Emperor X | Black Lights (Metrognome- Ft. Worth)


5. Hip Hop Night (Slip Inn)
The other reason to go out on a Thursday, but this one is for those dancin' fools.

Saturday night's Liars show at the Gypsy Tea Room is probably the most highly anticipated show so far this year around WSJR HQ, and due to that excitement (and the fact that the Obvserver does not appear to have done a feature on the band that has put out 2006's best record so far) we decided to ask, um, I don't know what to call him these days... I guess "lead singer" Angus Andrew some questions about the band via email. Sounds like they have some interesting plans for after their tour, and its the first I've heard of it. Anyway, here are the results:

There is a lot of talk around our town about how bad local music is, and how difficult it is for good artists and musicians to make it in the Dallas area due to a variety of things: lack of a talent pool, lack of good venues, media, etc. You have had the experience of living and working as musicians in two international art/music hotspots: Berlin and Brooklyn. How do you think those surroundings have affected your music, and how would you imagine your music might be affected by living in a place like Dallas?

We base many of our living decisions on financial and practical terms. Berlin is not only super cheap but nicely positioned geographically for touring in Europe. We are quite an insular band in that we dont really require much social support - so as long as the place is cheap then i think we could make anything happen there.. As for Dallas, It really is necessary to have some people in the community who enjoy putting on fun shows in strange places..Promoters can make a "scene" happen by becoming excited about local bands and shows.

It seems that you guys also had the experience of being lumped in, at least at the beginning of your career, with a certain sound or scene, namely the New York dancepunk scene. What kind of effect did that labeling have on your approach to music? What was your initial reaction to it?

Initially it was a little difficult to swallow, having your music pigeonholed so readily. But we began to learn that really we were very lucky to be wrapped up in the NY scene and it allowed us the opportunity to further develop our ideas with the audience. Its funny to look back at that time and imagine if we stayed there and continued with same type of music.

We hear that you like to focus on noise and improv during live shows. What will you be concentrating on for this tour? Songs that you have recorded, new songs, improv?

When we tour we like to play new material because it keeps the evening fun and challenging for us. In turn i think this makes its way to the audience who sometimes enjoy wathcing us make mistakes like normal human beings.

What are some noteworthy records that you've been listening to lately? Anything new?

Deerhunter, System of a Down, Oneida, T-rex, Rhiana, Pink, GoGoGoAirheart.

Have you spent much or any time in texas in your lives? Do you have any impressions of our state?

On our first tour i was caught reliving myself in a paddock by a policeman. He got very mad and called all his mates with dogs to search our van. He told me that in Australia they may pee anywhere they want but not in Texas! Anyway, i was really scared cause we did have some weed with us but the silly police dog hounds didnt sniff it out!!Generally i guess im a bit frightened onf the lone star state for reasons im sure we're all familiar with.

We see that visual art is a big part of what you're interested in, considering the bonus disk that was released with your new album. What visual artists do you take inspiration from? What excites you about combining images with your music?

The exciting part is picking up a brand new medium and trying to learn new tools to express with. Video is fun cheap and easy so we took up the challenge of further expanding our palettes. Wew get inspired a lot by modern day pop culture. Hot dogs, reality TV, bad movies, good books. For us the opportunity to combine our music with viuals we made as a band is much more enticing than paying someone heaps of money to make a clip with a hot girl in a clean room that doesnt relate to the band at all.

Do you have any plans for the band in the immediate future, after the tour?

Back to Work. We hope to make a narrative film that incorporates a bonus disc of music. Our plan is to shoot it in Argentina record it in Australia.

We're really looking forward to this show. The brilliance of Drums Not Dead becomes more and more apparent with every listen. Oh, and part of the reason that we really didn't ask them much about recording their new album is because it was already covered in a great Pitchfork interview that you can read here.

I'm sure that many of you will be out and about watching the Mavs game somewhere, getting drunk and watching our boys wipe the floor with Steve Nash. Hey, if Finley should get boos so should Nash, right? But after the game, you might want to check out:

1. The Party w/ DJ Nature (Rubber Gloves)
Nature is finally picking up some steam as far as crowds and attention around town. And its about damn time. Go listen to him spin the most creative yet simply fucking danceable set in DFWd.

2. Court & Spark | Brothers and Sisters | Pink Nasty (The Cavern)
C&S and Brothers and Sisters might not be blowing anyones minds with how fucking "out there" they are, but I'd be lying if I told you that both bands weren't really good at what they do: namely, 60's folk influenced country indie pop. San Francisco's Court & Spark play a fairly quiet, sleepy folk pop that seems to rock at just the right moments and wander off on gentle instrumental sunshine haze trips at others. Austin's Brothers and Sisters remind me of a poppier Son Volt, and really seem to have command over the trad country songwriting palette with just enough "indie" to appeal O.C. kids and a few indie snobs too. And I'm not quite sure that I get all the local/regional buzz surrounding Pink Nasty. Her music isn't bad I suppose: pretty run of the mill indie twang pop, which is fine and sometimes great if done right. And sometimes she does it right, and its great. But for the most part, I hate "jokey" lyrics, and she's full of them. I know I won't fret if the Mavs game causes me to miss her set, but maybe she's better live. Overall, I bet this will be a pretty good show.

I've been a huge fan of the anonymous multimedia art collective/rock band Lansing-Dreiden for quite a while now, and have spent a little bit of time in my life wondering why so many people (including Pitchfork until this week) think they suck. I'm hoping that the positive Pitchfork review finally makes it o.k. for some people to give this band a listen. To me, they've created a perfectly dreamy haze that combines the best elements of 60's psychedelic pop, 80's synth pop and streamlined Silver Apples meets Kraftwerk electro to produce a sound that is certainly derivative but wholly original at the same time. Their new album The Dividing Island is fantastic, and although I don't think any of it quite reaches the level of their previous EP A Sectioned Beam, it is probably the most compelling synth stuff you'll hear this year. I've posted one track from the new album, along with my personal favorite from the aforementioned EP. You should listen to both to get a good feel for the band, because the two tracks sound fairly different. Check out their website too to see some of the visual art that the band produces collectively.

"Our Next Breath" (from the new album) MP3

"Locks in Shadows" (from A Sectioned Beam) MP3

It seems that people are finally starting to catch on to the coolness of Wanz's Lost Generation upstairs at the Cavern, and tonight should be an especially fun party. The details, from the mouth of the beast:

"Who wants to Dance? I'm gonna do the overview of Dance punk before it's out of vogue. James Chance, The Rapture, P.I.L., Moving Units, Gang of Four, Bush Tetras, Hot Chip, Liquid Liquid, DFA, The Pop Group, The Fall, Dance Disater Movement, Mathematiques Moderne, Undoing of David Wright, Out Hud, Radio 4, Atari Teenage Riot, Suicide, The Liars, Bloc Party, Maximum Joy and so on and so forth. It's good to be home. Come out and say Hi......."

As long as he cuts Radio 4 off of that list, sounds like it will be a good ass time.

Oh yeah, I think Ice Cube is playing somewhere tonight too. Guess mama cooked the breakfast with no hog.