Sorry this is late guys, going through a divorce right now which takes up alot of my spare time. I believe your beloved Ranger of Stone will be on later to write something brilliant or just delete the little I did write. Needless to say, powerhouse weekend after a couple clunkers. (FP)

Friday

The Great Tyrant | Mark Growden | Orange Coax (Lola's Sixth)

Boom Boom Box (Barley House)

The Sword | Woodgrain (Rubber Gloves)

ANS | Unit 21 | Bleach Boys | Wiccans (1919 Hemphill)

Dear Human | PVC Street Gang | Sore Losers | Curvette (Dan's Silverleaf)

Mount Righteous | The England Ram-a-band | Hard Times (The Cavern)

Saturday

Henati Improvising Orchestra | Harry Has a Head Like a Ping Pong Ball | Ohm (1919 Hemphill)

Neon Indian | Ishi | Fizzy Dino Pop | Phantastes | Florene | Vulgar Fashion | Peopleodian | Monastery (Hailey's)

Shut the fuck up you know you like Pyschic Chasms. Along with Palomo and co you get a stellar group of local acts, crash course in some of the best stuff going on right now. Just hope there isn't a photo booth because those things really kill the mood for me (FP)

Yo La Tengo | Times New Viking (Granada)

Yo La Tengo is one of the longest running and most consistent American indie rock groups ever. Not a bad album in their catalog, personal favorites being Fakebook and I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Yes some of them might sound similar but that sound is so sweet. I never really got into Times New Viking but godspeed to them for hitting the "big time".

Girls | Magic Kids | Smith Westerns (House of Blues)

Why can't we have a Stubb's? One of the few things to envy about Austin . (FP)

Giggle Party (Kettle Art)

All the Day Holiday | Kinch | The City Lives (Rubber Gloves)

Ryan Thomas Becker | Spooky Folk | The Early Birds | Rabbits on Fire (Marlboro House)

Malboro House? What the hell Dallas last week we have church shows now house venues sponsored by Phillip Morris. Seriously though what's the deal on this place.(FP)

Alright, there really isn't much to recommend going on this evening, and in fact, I couldn't really find anything funny to make fun of either. I mean, there's this fucking adult contempo Tom Waits bro playing in Ft. Worth tonight, but whatever. I don't have the energy right now and you can probably make up your own jokes about him if you want to. Also, this and this happened recently, in case you didn't know. And its 80'sNight@Haileys, like usual. See you tomorrow, friends!

I got so caught up in watching this video, that I posted this list even later than I usually do.

You know what's hilarious? It's 2010 and people are still writing about how Oak Cliff can maybe be like the new Austin, and Denton can perhaps be like the new Athens. Why the fuck can't Oak Cliff just be Oak Cliff and Denton just be Denton? That should be good enough for everyone, geez. People have been saying that sort of thing for quite some time, and I wouldn't hold my breath.

Also, the new iPad looks awesome and you little nerdy, anti-Apple, "hacktivists" are only making me like it more.

The Fiery Furnaces | Drug Rug (The Lounge)
The Fiery Furnaces are one of those acts that seem to be in a constant struggle between concept and song; I've heard firsthand from the recording engineers that have worked with the group that they will take an idea and flesh it out through various strategies and experimenting and rerecording until the original piece is completely unrecognizable. I think that this has always made Fiery Furnaces generally more interesting than your average indie-pop group, even if some of their concepts aren't particularly successful, and sometimes even over the course of an entire record. But I respect that. I would rather be confused and somewhat disappointed as opposed to simply bored any day. The advantage of such a labored-over creative process is that in yielding such wildly different results from track-to-track, the duo is also just as likely to write songs that end up being absolutely memorable and even beautiful, which has obviously held the attention of the run-of-the-mill pop fan as well as assholes like me for quite some time now. "Benton Harbor Blues" is one of the few songs I've ever heard about a place that perfectly captured the feeling of being there. Okay, except for maybe "Werewolves Of London," but that's one of the worst songs of all time. The creepy reverb-pop of Drug Rug sounds like an excellent opener, but I've wasted too much time and can't really get into that this evening. See you there.

Screening: The AAV Club presents: "Hell's Bell's - The Dangers of Rock 'N' Roll," "Devil Worship - Exposing Satan s Underground" (Geraldo Rivera Special), Trick or Treat (1986) w/ Gene Simmons & Ozzy Osbourne (Tradewinds located at
2843 W Davis St, in Dallas): From what I gather not only does this seem like it will be an ongoing event, but it looks like Tradewinds in Oak Cliff is the place to be in the OC, especially until the various projects that are supposed to open there are finally up and running, and probably even after that. This looks like a related little trio of 80's gems, when rock music was experiencing a renaissance of fear; every suicide and case of Juvenile delinquency was blamed on Satan-obsessed metal or Wendy O. Williams' breasts. I almost get kind of misty-eyed for the faded memories of panicked adults all around me when I think back to those wonderful times. Looks like Kara Howell and Tommyboy have a big hand in this, so I would put money on it being worth your time since they might be the single most tasteful representatives of their respective genders. They "get it," and you don't. Know what I mean? Event is free.

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm going to be filling in for Twins Cheeks the weeks he is unable to do Not New Music Tuesday. But first the it list...

90's Night w/Yeahdef (Hailey's)

Electric Vengeance, Hood Rat, Tattered Flag, King Ivy, Hogbat
(1919 Hemphill)

Hood Rat AND Hogbat on the same bill!

and now...

Not New Music Tuesday:

Mayo Thompson - Corky's Debt to his Father (Texas Revolution 1970/Drag City 2008)

This is my first NNMT so it is important I come out with guns blazing. After much deliberation, I offer for your critical review Mayo's Thompson's 1970 sexually charged weirdo folk masterpiece Corky's Debt to his Father. In my opinion this album is the epitome of avant garde folk rock. If you are only familiar with Mayo's work with the legendary and still prolific Red Krayola, then this album may come as a shock to you. For his only solo album Mayo traded in the free form art rock of Parable of Arable Land for a much more direct singer songwriter style. This is probably his most accessible work, but those familiar with the Krayola know that isn't saying much.

It is the authenticity in the weirdness that makes this album so special to me. The album was recorded around the time of his marriage and is like a demented love letter to his new wife. "I held your little breast in my hand and I kept my eyes on your knee" may not be the most romantic lyric ever, but the focus of Mayo's affection, no matter how creepy, comes from a honest place. Where a boring person would write a song comparing his love to a flower, Mayo compares her to a shoe with it's tongue hanging out. Popular music has the tendency to over simplify the communication of lovers and Mayo does his best not to fall into that trap. Every song on here is a love song, even though they may not seem like it on the surface or even after repeated listens. Mayo is able to achieve here what the Beatles could never do. That is merge the conceptualization of Glass Onion with the emotional directness of I Want to Hold Your Hand. It has been done since then, but for 1970 it is pretty shocking.

The music is sparse and serves as a gentle yet creepy back drop for Mayo's sexual laments. This is not to say it easy listening of course. There are bizarre time signatures and chord progressions that come out of no where. All of these bits come together to make one of the most singular albums in American music. This is Mayo's album, there is no way it could be mistaken as any one else.

I recently saw a BBC documentary over the history of Rough Trade and it of course featured Mayo, who worked as a sort of in house producer for the outfit. There amidst all the limey accents is Mayo with the thickest Texas drawl I have ever heard. It gave me a little bit of that Texas pride I sometimes forget exists.

Download Here

Wow, there aren't a lot of worthwhile shows going on tonight, but there sure seems to be quite a bit of talk in the comments section of the most recent Weekender post concerning the merits of this year's NX35 festival. I was considering writing about it all today, but before I did, I realized that I really hadn't examined the line up in as much detail as I'd like to, and I haven't even listened to the festival's flagship act, the Flaming Lips, in several years, so I think I'm going to do a little more research before I join the debate, even though a quick glance at the Dallas/Denton acts I'm familiar with doesn't look incredibly promising aside from a few highlights. I never expect to like most of the bands at a festival anyway, and I'm not even going to be in Texas when it takes place, so don't expect much of a forceful response from me. Oh, and "making Johnny Iskander look like fucking Tony Wilson" is funny no matter what your opinion is of any of the people involved in this debate.

SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK

WED: The Fiery Furnaces/Drug Rug (the Lounge)
FRI: The Great Tyrant/Mark Growden/Orange Coax (Lola's Sixth)
FRI: ANS/Unit 21/Wiccans/Bleach Boys (1919 Hemphill)
SAT: Yo La Tengo/Times New Viking (Granada)
SAT: Neon Indian/Ishi/Phantastes/Vulgar Fashion/Florene/Peopleodian/Monastary (Hailey's)
SAT: Hentai Improvising Orchestra/Ohm/surprise guest (1919 Hemphill)
SAT: Malleveler/True Widow/Big Fiction (Doublewide)

FRIDAY (photo by Kimberly Beal)

Agnostic Front | Death by Stereo | The Hellions (Trees)

The Cribs | Adam Green | The Dead Trees (Granada)
Judge me if you like, but I was a big fan of The Moldy Peaches during there brief stint as forerunners of the early 2000's anti-folk movement. Moldy Peaches are of course no longer around. The female half, Kimya Dawson, has stuck with the lazy folk thing, fairly successfully, and had a baby etc, and admittedly her career I haven't cared much about following. Adam Green on the other hand turned out to be a unique and talented songwriter/performer. In the recent years Green has transformed himself from ragtag gutter troubadour to ragtag 60's showman à la Lee Hazelwood or Scott Walker. He spins personal yarns of casual drug use, weirdo girlfriends and youthful regret all with a great sense of humor and short running time. Sounds like familiar territory I know, but Green's humor, bravado and respect for all things sleazy chic has molded him into a timeless act.

Johhny Marr is one of my favorite guitarists of all time, which is one of the reasons why I have avoided listening to The Cribs. Anyone heard the newest album and the first with Marr as an offical member? Trip report please. (FP)

Soular Power with Colab | Wanz Dover (Fallout Lounge)

Billinghams's Defense System | Hot Flash | Cool Out (The Basement at Plush, located at 1400 Main St.)
This party is a Haiti benefit.

Yeah Def Presents Aight Yo! #9 (Rubber Gloves)
I have a feeling this event contains rapping and or beats. Might I suggest that Yeah Def or one of his minions record one of these shows and post the highlights of this "freestyle fellowship" on his site or something. I am interested to hear what some of these producers/performers have to bring, but I don't want to sit there for four hours waiting for something good to happen. (FP)

The Slack | The Dave Little Meltdown (Sons of Hermann Hall)

Shapes Stars Make! | Caterpillars | Monastery (Double Wide)
I am guessing the unnecessary exclamation point at the end of Shapes Stars Make! symbolizes the unnecessary sound of their music. Post-rock at it's finest folks, plus regurgitated bits of Galaxie 500, Appleseed Cast, Sigur Ros... you get the picture. I'm sure the music gets them laid pretty good but doesn't serve much purpose beyond that. It looks as though they signed to a label somewhere else so congrats to them. Apologies go out to Monastery whose show posting I used a few days ago to pontificate on neo-folk music. If you dudes will email me some music to frankphosphate@gmail.com I'll look over your stuff and maybe ask you some questions. Of course anyone is welcome at anytime to do that. (FP)

Titan Moon | Rad Wolf (Lola's Stockyard)

SATURDAY

Kill The Client | Kallya/Fighting Chance | Melora (Reno's Chop Shop)

Shiny Around the Edges | Drink to Victory | Kampfgrounds | Piccline (Hailey's)

This Old House | Peligro! | Spooky Folk (Rubber Gloves)

SUNDAY

Jonathan Richman (Rubber Gloves)
Much is made of Jonathan Richman and his influence on the punk rock founders, his time spent crashing on The Factory's couch or his role in There's Something About Mary. Of course there are tons of things to admire about him, but he has always held a special place in my heart for the role he played in my teenage years. I was pretty straight-edge in high school. Not because I listened to Minor Threat or anything, but because I was an uptight dork. Anytime those cool kids I surrounded myself with were trying to pass me the dutchie or inject that smack into my vein, I would think back to that first Modern Lover's album and reassure myself that it was OK to be straight. Of course I eventually got into drugs and never looked back, but thank you Richman for keeping me clear-headed and out of jail during my teens. If you haven't seen Richman play in the past ten or so years, he looks and acts like someone half his age. What an awesome guy. I tried to talk to him one time after a show about working with John Cale and he was way more interested in finding a vegan omelet than reliving the old days. We all still have a lot we can learn from him. (FP)

Little Birds | Lala Gray | The Beaten Sea | The Republic Of Texas (Victor House located at 5123 Victor St. in Dallas)

It's midway through Jeff Kleinsmith's glorious month of residency at the Nakatomi Invitational. He was nice enough to sit down with us for some hard-hitting questions while providing some bone-crushing answers. Mr. Kleinsmith is one of Seattle's most innovative designers - besides being the long-time art director for Sub Pop Records, Kleinsmith is a celebrated freelance designer and has produced a plethora of concert posters and art packages for a multitude of bands.

RICHARDSON HEIGHTS: What is your work environment like? Location, lighting, material, extent of mess, presence of kids and/or dogs?

JEFF KLEINSMITH: I actually have two work environments; one at Sub Pop and one at home. I'm not always able to get creative work done at Sub Pop so I bring files home and work at a table I've set up in my rather large living room. I like to be in the family mix rather than sequestered in the basement, as I just feel like I'm not really "home from work yet". I can watch TV and talk to my wife and kids and still get stuff done. The Sub Pop office is great. It's set up with everything I need and more. The space is way away from the clutch of cubicles and business offices and overlooks a bustling bus stop. The heat/air tubes didn't make it this far so it is either HOT or COLD and I never turn on the lights. I prefer cold and dark and I'd say it is that way 80% of the year.

RH: Do you have any rituals you go through before starting work?

JK: I think I just panic. Especially if it's something I really want to do. There's a lot of anger, pain, resentment, tears while I try to figure what the fuck I'm doing. Then it goes one of two ways: 1. I make it through the pain with an actual good idea, executed well or, 2. I pray that the job is either canceled or there is some big tragedy that allows me a decent enough excuse to get out of doing it.

I look through a lot of books. Even though I know there is so much more on the web, I just like turning my chair around to the table behind me a looking through books and magazines. Even if I don't see anything that's particularly influential, I feel like it gets me thinking.

RH: What are your favorite tools? Software, hardware, weird input devices, pencils, paper?

JK: It used to be my analog photocopier but they stopped making parts and toner for it. So, it's really a legal pad, mechanical pencil, scanner, Mac, Illustrator, and Photoshop. That's pretty much it. I use a light table, waxer, tape, and a ruler from time to time but not like the old days.

RH: Have you developed any particularly unique technique in your design work that you'd be willing to talk about?

JK: Not really. I mean, I collage a lot more than I draw so I just collect and scan thousands of things and clean them up in Photoshop or with a pen and Xacto knife. Then I just start playing around until something happens. (Very technical, huh?) I mean. I have a concept and a sketch but I don't like to get too detailed/specific in the sketching stage because I love what happens when you just start messing around. In fact I intentionally pull back at that stage. You discover these relationships between images and, if all is going well creatively, it all just sorta comes together. I don't mean to sound like a hippie but, you know, it's way more fun for me to stumble upon a great thing than sketch it all out initially. I guess it's the same thing but at different stages in the process.

RH: Can you talk a little bit about your process in designing this month's Invitational set for Nakatomi?

JK: See number 2 and 4. Heh. I loved doing this one and it came together pretty easily. One of those successes in my book. It felt good from start to finish.

RH: What is the process like in designing artwork for a band? Do you work directly with them, or are you truly given the role of "art director"?

JK: The bands are a different deal altogether. They aren't signing to Sub Pop because of who is in the art department they are signing for a whole host of other reasons. The fact that we in the art department have a long track record of generally making nice stuff and are easy to work with is a plus when considering what label to sign with but not a major concern. After they sign we are hooked up with the band as a resource in a way. Most often we are in an art director/layout/advice-giver role. They bring in loose pieces and ideas and we kind just put it together for them. We might caution them against putting type in that part of the photo and sometimes we suggest using the other painting they sent as the cover. That kind of thing. Making sure that their big box of stuff translates into a nice looking piece. The other scenarios are them telling us exactly what to do, or doing the art themselves, or letting us have free reign to design whatever we want. When I have free reign I love to try to work with illustrators/painters. I've worked with some pretty awesome illustrators over my 16 years here and the end result ranks as some of my favorite packages.

RH: How do you know when a unit of work is finished?

JK: Ahh, well I'm either sick of it, the deadline has arrived, or I instinctively know that I peaked in the process and won't be making anything better.

RH: Can you talk about any particularly interesting/exciting work you have lined up for 2010?

JK: 2010 is looking good so far. There are exciting things brewing at Sub Pop generally, and in the art department specifically. I have a bunch of posters on my slate. Better than dumb ol' 2009.

[cross-posted from The Stuff]

FRIDAY, January 22, 2010

Years of Living Dangerously
(faculty show)
Visual Arts Building of the University Of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75083
January 22 : 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Channeling Other Worlds
Valton Tyler
Valley House Gallery
6616 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75254
January 22 : 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

SATURDAY, January 23, 2010

On the Road
Greg Miller
Artspace III
111 Hampton St., Ft. Worth, TX 7610

Image courtesy of Jeff Kleinsmith and Nakatomi, Inc