So the following letter has been circulating around Myspace today, we're not sure who it is addressed to but we know who its from... a little band called The Ravens:

"THEE RAVENS HAVE DECIDED THAT DALLAS IS THE LAST PLACE WE WANT TO PLAY >>>>>>LACK OF ATTENDANCE AT OUR SHOWS HAS LED US TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE PLAYED OUT IN DALLAS>>>>>>>>SOOOOOOOOOO AFTER THE DOUBLEWIDE SHOW WE WILL BE PLAYING OUT OF TOWN EXCLUSIVELY >>>>>>>>SO ALL YOU FUCKERS THAT WANT US TO PLAY YOUR BENIFITS>>>>>YOUR PRIVATE PARTY'S>>>>>>YOUR LOLLIPOP SHOPS>>>>>>>>DONT CALL US >>>>>>WE DO YOU GUYS THAT FAVORS OF PLAYING YOUR EVENTS SO WE CAN GET YOU OUT TO OUR SHOWS WHEN IT IS A REGULAR NITE NOT JUST WHEN IT BENIFITS YOU LAME FUCKERS>>>>>>>IM SURE YOU GUYS KNOW WHO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT>>>>>>>>TO ALL FRIENDS WHO DO COME TO OUR SHOWS>>>>>>>YOU GUYS ROCK >>>>WE WILL BE COMING OUT WITH A NEW RECORD HOPEFULLY BY SUMMER TIME >>>>>>>>>AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT US WILL BE THANKED IN THE LINER NOTES>>>>>>>SO DULL-ASS DALLAS KISS OUR ASS >>>>>WE WONT MISS YA>>>>>JOHNNY RAVEN"

So Dallas is pretty lame a lot of the time, we can agree with that. But the problem for this band in particular might be the fact that they sound like a bunch of Elvis impersonators playing at a Wal-Mart shareholders meeting in the "Ballroom" at the Little Rock Hilton. I think we can safely say that we don't need another "Nuggets" band running around Dallas with their sunglasses on after dark pretending that they didn't get beat up in high school. Maybe when they hit the road they can get a gig opening up for Cherry Poppin Daddies or something. Not that we're trying to "support the local scene, dude," we're just trying to NOT support annoying music.

We're copying and pasting this update about the girl who got beat up in Deep Ellum the other night. No, it wasn't by one of those assclowns in the rented Hummer with t.v.s in the back and neon lights on the bottom that drive up and down Elm street looking for meth, but rather the people that are supposed to be protecting us from those guys... la policia. Hey jerk offs, aren't you supposed to be working on making this NOT the worst city for crime in the United States (which it has been for a couple years)? Once we get all the rollerskates out of Dallas, freedom will be on the march! Heres the post:

"Date: Jan 16, 2006 3:16 PM Subject: Update on ACD Derby Girl (Muff-Michelle) & Police Brutality Body: FWD: For all those concerned, Michelle is doing as well as expected and has contacted her lawyers. When she gets more info from her lawyers, she will then contact witnesses. Due to the number of people that witnessed the incident, there are many, many different accounts of the story, and some of these accounts have been misconstrued. It's in Michelle's best interest for the different stories to stop, but for the pictures to keep circulating. Once again, when she's heard from her lawyers, we can then proceed to see if it will be beneficial to post an accurate description of the incident. Michelle can not express her gratitude enough for everyone who has stepped up for her defense and brought awareness to her issue. Please repost THIS bulletin so everyone knows the current status of Michelle's situation.

Thank you all for your help,Christina and Samantha"

HERE IS ONE OF THE FEW LINKS THAT ACTUALLY STILL HAS THE PICTURES UP:

http://nocon.darkflame.net/fukthedallaspolice |

1. Record Hop (10pm Dan's Silverleaf Denton-free!)
We like Record Hop because they have a quality lead singer, and they are loud as fuck... which is something we need from time to time. They are going to be playing some new material tonight, followed by a live improv session with Paul Slavens. What else are you gonna do on MLK day?

(Also, later today we will have another edition of our Bestest list, as well as more local news and updates on some new things we will be doing with the site in the coming days.)

This record was big for all of us here at JR this year because it was a perfect example of the right thing at the right time. Heres what I mean: since about 2001 when the White Stripes and Strokes broke out and everyone you knew started wearing ironic AC/DC shirts and tight pants, it has been sharp, angular post-punk and garage rock ruling the day. Of course, this sound has given way somewhat to indiedance-whatever you call it, some Gang of Four bands, and whatever they are calling Devendra Banhart and Six Organs of Admittance these days (is it still freak folk?), but until this year there hadn't been many high profile indie records released that could be classified as psychedelic (aside form Dungen, which technically was released in 2004). Now hold on there you say, Serena Maneesh doesn't sound like Love or 13th Floor Elevators or early Pink Floyd. True, they really don't sound like these bands, although they are indirectly influenced by them in several ways. These influences certainly can be heard throughout the record in songs like "candelighted," but are indirect in the sense that SM is actually influenced by a slightly more recent set of bands that borrowed liberally from the spacey walls of sound flowing out of San Francisco in the mid 60's: shoegaze.

Yes, this is a band whose closest point of reference is NOT The Sonics, Velvet Underground, Suicide, or Krautrock like so many others that we read about these days, but rather Slowdive, Ride, Chapterhouse, and dare I say My Bloody Valentine (no one thats heard it can tell me that "Un Deux" doesn't remind you of Loveless at least a little bit). However, SM avoids the two pitfalls that many of the late 80's/early 90's shoegazers succumbed to: 1) sloppy use of noise, and 2) constant recycling of the same song structure. This is certainly a dreampop record in some spots and a loud jam freak out in others, but SM uses their walls of noise effectively and avoid monotony by knowing when to turn it up, turn it down, speed it up and slow it down. This record is not a plane of dreampop but rather hills and valleys of blues riffing, quiet reflection, reverb, distortion and anticipation, all constantly running together, building up, breaking down, and building back up again to create what is essentially at the end of the day a pop record that seems to have nothing to do with pop when broken down into small parts. Try an experiment: listen to "Sapphire Eyes High" first and then opener "Drain Cosmetics," followed by the most obvious shoegaze song on the record, "Un Deux." You'll probably like all three songs, but they will sound like they have nothing to do with one another, and might not even be performed by the same band. Then listen to all the songs on the record in order, and you'll start to realize that they all have consistent themes, and after a while you might not be able to tell some of them apart... but in a good way.

Basically, this is an "album" in the classic sense of the word, meant to be listened to as a whole. Of course, all the songs are quite listenable on their own, but that misses the point. Take 45 minutes, you busybody, and sit down and listen to an album. You'll thank us, we'll thank Serena Maneesh, and then we'll all get back to that A Frames cd or whatever. Not that we have a problem with post-punk (in fact we love a lot of it), its just nice to know that once we do get sick of it, there will be smart, talented bands out there ready to fill our ears with the complete opposite of Q and Not U.

-JR

Not much doin' tonight unless you live in Denton or feel like driving to Denton. We hear this Wild in the Streets thing is pretty good, and that they play old mod, soul, and garage stuff. If anyone goes, send us an email and tell us how it is... it is tonight at Hailey's, by the way, in case you can't read cream colored letters...



A little more to come today.

Heres a non Myspace link to those pictures of that girl getting slammed into the ground by Dallas' finest the other night: http://www.livejournal.com/users/cyberina/518280.html

So last night we became converted believers in the Undoing of David Wright. We had seen them once quite a while back in Denton, and thought hmm.... decent, but kind of gimmicky. Actually we weren't sure what to think. Last night however, we saw a band that was musically tight as fuck, playing complex guitar riffs and thumping bass lines in odd times all while flailing around the stage like corpses that had just been given an electric shock. Their lead singer has obviously studied his David Bowie stage presence guide, but musically they reminded us more of some of the no-wave New York post punk groups from the early 70's, particularly James Chance and the Contortions( here). People have been rediscovering the Contortions for the past couple of years, as well as Suicide, DNA, Lydia Lunch and the rest of the late 70's experimental noise bands that came out of the lower East Side. These guys have obviously done their homework , which is not to say that they really sound like any of those bands (they don't), but rather just have a similar feel, particularly the vocals, which is something unique in the Dallas area seeing as how most peoples idea of post punk around here seems to be Interpol and the Smiths.

You also can't avoid the prog rock influence that seems to be creeping throughout. Spoken word interludes about Sea Captains and other tall tales were heard throughout the set, and come on, you can't tell me you didn't hear some Yes riffs in there from time to time. Why am I talking to you? Well, I'm guessing that some of you were there last night, considering the fairly large crowd that came out. Actually, there were more people inside the Double Wide stage area last night than we have ever seen, and many in the front were dancing nonfucking stop throughout the set (which as the band pointed out is a rarity in Dallas, even if it was mostly Denton kids.) Whatever their influences, Undoing of David Wright are a great band, and they make people dance. Every goddamn song they played last night was catchy, and aside from some equipment problems, the guys didn't seem to miss a note, while also putting on a hell of a stage show with their charismatic and androgynous lead singer that seems to understand the concept of lyrical phrasing more than just about any singer in the Denton/Dallas area as a centerpiece.

Strange Boys also played a strong set to a large crowd, culminating with a finale in which Undoing, Eat Avery's Bones, and Attractive and Popular joined them onstage. A pretty nice Saturday night in Dallas.

(Oh, by the way, people have been emailing us and asking where our goddamn Bestest of 2005 list is. We're going to do two more entries today, as well as the "It" list later on.)

This is something someone sent us a link to in an email. We won't try to stop them on their way out of town as they begin their quest for world domination... just as long as they don't screw that 13 year old girl out of her songwriting royalties.

We don't wanna get personal in this little battle (that was never the intent since we don't know any of them personally, and don't want to assume anything and make an ass out of u and me), so we'll just say that we certainly don't agree on music, but we do wish those guys the best on their road to whatever. Bon voyage, dudes!