Dethklok | Mastodon | High on Fire | Converge (House of Blues) Pretty tough show at The HOB, but having so many big names on the bill practically makes that an inevitability. Most of these metal and hardcore acts have, at one time or another, done some impressive things, but I can't completely vouch for any of them at this point. High On Fire would be the group I would have the most confidence in as far as withstanding the effects of time on a band's intimidation factor, however, they had to completely ruin it by selling Koozies that say "Get Wasted" on their music page. Converge were once the flagship exception for people who couldn't stand metalcore, however that reputation seems to have dwindled over the past couple of records. I can not believe they have been together for almost twenty years. That's more than enough time for those black hoodies to have faded to grey by now.
Schwassanova featuring Schwa and Genova (Ghostbar)
Cheap Time | Uptown Bums | Bad Sports (J&Js) Cheap Time is technically the one touring act here, a Tennessee garage rock band that once included members of Be Your Own Pet, however that isn't really reflected in their music and is largely irrelevant now. Cheap Time attempts more than one style of songwriting, which is not always the case with these acts and there are certainly a number of them that take a twisted amount of pride in their one-dimensionality. Thankfully they are not one of them, and there are little hints of glam and even New Wave sprinkled throughout.
I hope we don't see less of Bad Sports now that founding member Orvilee Neely is living in Austin, but I don't blame him for moving. Denton is one of the few places in Texas where you can't get a decent meal even when the sun is still out.
Karl Blau | LAKE (5123 Victor St in Dallas) There is some talk about this being one of the best East Dallas house shows of '09, and I would have to agree. Karl Blau is extremely prolific and often embarks on sonic and aesthetic territory in his vast body of work that many of his contemporaries shy away from, even collaborators like The Microphones. Just to give you an idea of how many of Blau's records are floating around out there, here is a link to some, but not all of his releases. His newest record is entitled Zebra, and is said to be inspired by African music. Though that's not immediately apparent, most of the textured pop I have heard from Blau lately is very enjoyable, delivered in a voice that isn't suffering from the emotional anemia that a lot of current indie vocalists are plagued by. The last time I had a chance to catch Blau live was at our SXSW show last year, and he was great then, so I expect no less from him tonight. Recommended. Fellow Washingtonian co-conspirators LAKE also perform.
Fuck Buttons | Growing (Hailey's) Fuck Buttons, or F*ck Buttons as you might see them referred to frequently, are grabbing at the torch for the electronic shoegaze set. M83 were towing the line there for awhile for electro-gazers, but to the dismay of most (me not included), Gonzalez has taken a much more pop oriented turned with M83's recent work. There is no "Frank and Jessie" to be found on Button's latest, or would they ever be mistaken for pop music. I wasn't a fan of Street Horrsing, a little too "post-rock" for my tastes, but their latest breaches some new sonic territory that transports it out of the snooze-fest most experimental finds itself in. Tarot Sport features the same basic structure of the debut, but with a new focus coming off like Metal Machine Music by way of Pet Shop Boys. How this will translate to the live setting is any one's guess; I have a feeling that it will probably be boring. It seems that most ten minute songs magically turn into 15 minutes songs once they hit the stage. If you are on enough drugs it shouldn't matter, plus it is always fun to hear multiple people say "fuck" randomly in public. (FP)
Crystal Antlers | The Uptown Bums | Video (Rubber Gloves) I avoided the Crystal Antlers debut EP, because it was produced by the same guy that produced Mars Volta and I am admittedly closed-minded in that way. Since their new full-length is self-produced, something I admire in a band, not to mention reading some positive non-blog press, I finally decided to give it a go, and was surprised to find some Nugget-y prog-lite ditties. Nothing groundbreaking in their sound, but above average songwriting and clever organ riffs helps it rise above. The band seem more interested in making solid songs, as opposed to adhering to current trends. Nice! What really makes this a super great show are local openers Uptown Bums and Video, so a solid night of rawk. (FP)
I can't remember if I've already posted this video or if I've just watched it a lot, but let me know if I have and I'll post something else I wanted to post. One of my favorite Beat Happening songs:
SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK
MON: Fuck Buttons/Growing (Hailey's) MON: Crystal Antlers/The Uptown Bums (Rubber Gloves) MON: An Albatross/All Leather (the Lounge) TUE: Karl Blau/Lake (5123 Victor St, Dallas) WED: Dethklok/Mastodon/High on Fire/Converge (House of Blues) WED: Uptown Bums/Cheap Time/Bad Sports (J&Js) THU: Son Volt/Peter Bruntnell (Granada Theater) FRI: Hidden Cameras/Gentleman Reg/The O's (Hailey's) FRI: Chinese Stars/Ishi/Sensitive Hearts (The Cavern) FRI: Lychgate/Church of the Apocalypse/Ascites/Mind Hunter/Small Talk/Wu Fru De Lu/Rakasan/Stress/A Fail Assosciation/In Girum Imus Nocte (Phoenix Project) SAT: Wax Museums/Uptown Bums/Occult Detective Club (Lions Den, Denton) SAT: The Slow Burners/Brass Bed/Fergus and Geronimo/Yellow Fever (Hailey's) SAT: Peter Bjorn and John/El Perro Del Mar (House of Blues)
So, Fun Fun Fun Fest is upon us and I've been doing some thinking this week about the lineup and the average local music listener's response to it. Time and time again I hear people bringing up the same acts, generally the most current ones that tour constantly, with little to no attention paid to the once-in-a-lifetime performances, such as Death, or at least once-in-a-decade sets by The Jesus Lizard or The Pharcyde. What sets this festival apart from most, is that the event has real booking talent behind it, Graham Williams, who used to book for Emo's, but now runs his own Transmission Entertainment. It was specifically at Emo's that I remember noticing that Williams had a reputation for shrewdly delivering impeccable bills in Austin week after week, while many of us in Dallas sat around scratching our heads wondering why the hell nobody can put together shows that both draw and don't suck around here. It was especially for the fact that he did it on such a large scale and through traditional means. So in a lot of ways, it's no surprise that FFF Fest seems to satisfy the intensely competing interests of the elitist record collector, the aging cynical punk rocker, and even the brightly colored teenage fashionista indie brat. No small feat. Maybe I'll see you there. (DL) FRIDAY
Destroyer | Sarah Jaffe | RTB2 (Granada): Destroyer? This silly, overrated verbose motherfucker has to be one of the most annoying artists to ever receive accolades in underground music. I've never heard a single Destroyer song that I haven't despised. Sowwy. (SR)
Nick Catchdubs/The Party with Nature | Select | Sober (The Loft)
HEALTH | Times New Viking | Teenage Cool Kids | The Axemen (The Lounge): I was skeptical about some of the new Health record until I heard it live. I'm skeptical no longer. I've seen this band literally 15 times it feels like, and I haven't grown sick of them.
Dallas Videofest Screening: R.E.M.: This Is Not A Show (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station)
Dallas Videofest Screening: Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth featuring rare footage of 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Archies, Bay City Rollers and more (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station)
Kettle Art is doing a "Portfolio Review" show this weekend. It's a great little artist-run gallery in Deep Ellum. Gallery assistant Michelle McLaughlin was nice enough to sit down with WeShotJr for some hard-hitting art opinions. About her role in the gallery, she says, "no one really has a role, we make it fun and it works."
Richardson Heights: Why is Kettle Art hosting this juried show?
Michelle McLaughlin: We wanted to do something we haven't done before that would bring in new artists and give opportunity for individuals to get professional feedback on their work.
RH: Can you talk about one or two of your favorites pieces that are included?
MM: There are many pieces that I really like, it would be very difficult to choose favorites.
RH: Judiciously played. So, Kettle Art is described as "the little Deep Ellum gallery that could" -- how are things going as one of the last cultural oases in the area?
MM: It's going very well. We feel a lot of love from the community and from our local artists and we do our best to give it right back.
FRIDAY
Portfolio Review Kettle Art 2714 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75226 November 6 : 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Nathan Beach Evita Cortez Rob Polivka Andy's Backroom Gallery 1411 Las Jardines, Arlington, TX 76013 November 6 : 8:00 - 11:00 PM
For the ultimate DIY art gallery experience, come see this guy's gallery, literally in the back room at his house in Arlington.
nI had better just go ahead and throw this up, since the hour is growing much too late for it to be relevant. I'm glad that there is a show at Jupiter House, and they should have more there. It's not my favorite coffee in the world, but it has certainly always given me a pleasant enough environment to kill time when I'm in Denton, or at the very least, somewhere to hide and eat a muffin when I'm having a panic attack at Hailey's.
