Gah... there's a bunch of shit going on. Again.Thanks a lot, fun.   And almost everyone who works for this blog is M.I.A. at the moment, so let's see what I can do to impress you today (Check out show calendar for even more)

FRIDAY

Cult Ritual | Wiccans | Big Blow | Four Days to Burn (Bike House)
 Should be another rowdy ass show at Bike House tonight, with Florida's Cult Ritual bringing some skuzzy, ultra-violent hardcore that has helped the band start to really build a name for themselves amongst the DIY punk community.  Fans of groups like Sex Vid and Crass will certainly be into this.  Locals Wiccans are another highlight here, featuring members of Wax Museums and Orange Coax, among others.  Bike House is turning into one of the better places to see a show in the area, and I'm really glad its repin' my hood.  I'm pretty sure that shows at the Bike House usually start around 7 or 8 PM.

Percolator with A. One | Select | Prince William | Keith P | Jason Mundo (Zubar)
 New monthly serves as a virtual who's who of some of the best DJs in Dallas, with A One and Select manning the front room and Keith P and Prince William in the back with guest Jason Mundo, a line up that has all the makings for a diverse night full of party anthems AND shit you probably haven't heard before.  I really can't imagine a better place to dance tonight.... or to try to get laid or do drugs or whatever it is you do.  JK drugz r 4 jerkz yall 4real

Bob Log III | Willem Maker | El Paso Hot Button (Club Dada)
 A trio of one man bands with different sounds and very solid reputations.  

Venison Whirled | Xathax | Goat | Lychgate | Ashes | Casey Duncan (Wasted Words)
 Another fantastic harsh noise show at Arlington's Wasted Words, a DIY venue that has been hosting some of the most challenging and quality acts you'll find anywhere in the area.  

Tame Tame and Quiet | Woozyhelmet | Record Hop (Sunshine Bar, Arlington)
 This is a send off show for Tame Tame and Quiet's Pat Ferguson, who will be deployed to Afghanistan some time in the very near future.  If you're into Tame Tame at all, then I'd stop by and check them out because this will be your last chance to see them for a while at least.  Good luck to Pat, and we'll all hope for his safe return home.

Social with Females | Yeah Def (The Cavern)

The Silent Way | Zero Harmony | Smile Full of Ale (1919 Hemphill)

SATURDAY

Pat Mahoney | Hercules and Love Affair DJ set (Lizard Lounge)
 DFA's Hercules and Love Affair put out my favorite record of 2008-- sort of a love letter to obscure disco and early house, the full length just seemed to come out at exactly the right time while featuring exactly the right front person, Antony Hegarty, singing lead on some of the album's best tracks.  What was so impressive about the group's self titled debut was not just the great production values, songwriting and performances, but the obvious crate digging instincts and historical knowledge of the group's founder Andy Butler, and I imagine that his eclectic taste and ear for great tracks will shine through in his DJ sets, which I imagine, just like his records, will be heavy on disco and Chicago house, which will be a welcome change at the Lizard Lounge, a Dallas club known for hosting both the best and the worst of dance music.  Headliner Pat Mahoney is LCD Soundsystem's amazing live drummer, and although he might not get a lot of credit, he is the driving force behind the band's incredible live shows.  A rare and extremely exciting bill for house fans that I wouldn't recommend missing.  

Melissa's Deluxe Prom Party with PVC Street Gang | Keith P | Anthony Social | Blake Ward (the Cavern)

Vigilante Presents:  DJ Fishrpryce | Lionheart | jack Rabbit James | Dustin Cavazos | Ty City | 8 Bit Cynics | Astronautalis (the Lounge)

Har Herrar | New Science Projects | Slow Burners (Chat Room)

Ghostcar | Jack with One Eye (Amsterdam)

Robert Gomez | Bosque Brown | John Brown | Matthew Gray (Lola' 6th)

Record Hop | Raised by Tigers | Jason Reimer | Criminal Shift (Hailey's)
 Tame Tame and Quiet's Pat Ferguson is also a member of Raised by Tigers, so stop by and check them out too if you're a fan, because again, I don't suppose you'll get to see them for quite a while.  

SUNDAY

We're really excited about getting the rare chance to see a DJ set from LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney and the excellent Hercules and Love Affair at the Lizard Lounge this Saturday night, and our friends at Prototype Industries Full Access were nice enough to hook us up with three pairs of tickets for the show. If you'd like to win a pair, please email weshotjrtix@yahoo.com with "Hercules and Love Affair" as the subject and your full name in the email body before 6PM tonight. We'll choose winners at random. Good luck!

Those of you who feel like taking a break from fighting over dance parties and stuff should take a look at this excellent article about the current state of our private health care system and what can be done about it. A lot of the article centers around the nation's most expensive city for health care, McAllen, TX. Go figure, right? Anyway, shows (and be sure to see our post about Big J's excellent new single with Flying Lotus here)

Forfeit | Powertrip | Negaduck | Division of Power | Electric Vengeance | Scoff (1919 Hemphill)

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea | Western Giants | This Old House | Kirby Brown (The Lounge)

Top Notch Thursdays with Sober (The Cavern)

80's Night with DJ G (Hailey's)

Peter and the Wolf (Bee's Manor, 306 Texas St. Denton)
Apparently a somewhat "secret" show we found out about just at the last second here. Not sure what time it starts but I'd guess 8 or 9 if you wanted to be safe.

Wild in the Streets (Amsterdam Bar)
There is something very appealing about the idea of Wild in The Streets happening at the Amsterdam these days. Seems like the perfect setting.

El Tocadiscos is out on tour with "Echoes" (the Pink Floyd cover band).

Weekend Event

D Art Slam
Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31
Presented by D Magazine

Friday, May 29th: 11 - 7
Saturday, May 30th: 11 - 7
Sunday, May 31st: 11 - 4

"D Magazine and the Fashion Institute Gallery are holding the first annual D Art Slam at f.i.g.'s light-filled space. This three-day event will attract thousands of local art buyers looking to purchase original art for both personal and corporate collections. Local artists can apply now to exhibit and sell their drawings, paintings, and photography alongside more than 125 other local artists."

Thursday, May 28

ART SOCIAL
CADD Art Lab
with Stephen Lapthisophon and Diane McGurren
Thursday, May 28, 7 pm

Diane McGurren's real nice.

Richard Patterson
Goss-Michael Foundation
artist's wikipedia entry
Closing reception Thursday, May 28, 6-8 pm (rsvp to lindsey@gossmichaelfoundation.org)

Friday, May 29

Nothin'
(but see D Art Slam above)

Saturday, May 30

The Beat Goes On: Southern California 1965 to Present
Barry Whistler Gallery
Exhibition discussion with Frances Colpitt Saturday, May 30, 3 pm

Viewfinder: New Images by Texas Artists
Dallas Contemporary
Yen-Hua Lee reception Saturday, May 30, 2-4 pm;
Artist talk at 2:30 pm

Ayman Alamoudi: The Bio-Digital...
Centraltrak
Opens Saturday, May 30, 6-8 pm

Past, Present & Future
F6 Gallery
Saturday, May 30, 7-11 pm

Sam Scott (Santa Fe, NM)
HCG Gallery
artist's site
Opens Saturday, May 30, 5-8 pm

I'm pretty impressed by Sam Scott's stuff -- take a look at the portfolio on his site.

Sunday, May 31

Found Magazine's Denim & Diamonds Tour
The Public Trust
Sunday, May 31, show @ 8 pm ($5)

Monday, June 1

America Works
Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden
Panel Discussion Monday, June 1, 6:30 pm - RSVP required (email gallery@valleyhouse.com)

Image courtesy of Sam Scott

Not a whole hell of a lot going on today, but I figured I'd give you guys something, at least-- for Happy Mondays fans who have yet to see it, I'd highly recommend checking out the 2004 Shaun Ryder documentary entitled The Ecstacy and the Agony, which you can watch for free on Youtube in six parts starting here (find the other parts in the related videos section on the side). Although it's five years old, I hadn't ever seen it until the other day, and I have to admit that the feeling of a colossal train wreck that pervades throughout the film is highly entertaining and will likely further your enjoyment of the band, even if it makes you question their intelligence even more than you did before. Oh, it's kinda depressing too, in case you hadn't figured that out. Anyway, here are a few things:

Detour: Dead Twins | JT Mudd (the Cavern)
I don't know about Mudd's art work, and I'm having trouble with these goddamn Myspace flash players, so I can't tell you what Dead Twins sound like. It doesn't look good though. :( Maybe one of our rare witty commentators can tell us in the comments!

Left of the Dial with DJG (Rubber Gloves)

Spectrum - Forever Alien (1997, Space Age)

Last week somebody posted a comment stating the Ghost album that was featured on nnmt was their favorite album back in 1997. This got me thinking about what my favorite album was in 1997. I narrowed the choices down to music that was current at the time and Spectrum's Forever Alien won the decision, with the most likely runner-up being Chokebore's A Taste for Bitters.

Armed with an arsenal of vintage synths that included a Serge modular, an Oxford OSCar, and an EMS VCS3 (duh!) among others, Pete 'Sonic Boom' Kember drove the more song-oriented of his two post-Spacemen 3 projects down a slightly different path than those explored on the three previous Spectrum albums. While the simple melodies and rhythms that comprise nearly all of Kember's work as Spectrum are certainly present on this release, lending an air of familiarity to fans, it's the depth of the production distances this record from the group's previous releases. Layers upon layers of analog noises ensure new discoveries with each subsequent listening and give new meaning to the term 'druggy' as it applies to music.

The Virgins (The Loft)
I seriously have no idea how people can actually stomach being in the "music business." Honestly, hats off to them, even the total shitheads, because it has to be grueling to say the least. Running this blog over the past three and a half years has given me a taste, just a very small taste, of what the "biz" is like: putting on concerts, releasing records, interacting with publicists and agents and other record labels, dealing with the media, encountering the interworkings of the internet hype machine on a daily basis, etc. etc., the list goes on. And frankly, one of the main things I've taken away from this experience thus far is how numbing it can be, and how easily the business side of things can suck the life and joy out of music itself, turning even the most enthusiastic fans into a total cynics who start having a hard time getting enthusiastic about new music at all.

Unfortunately, the Virgins are a band that seem to have been created by and for the establishment that has fostered this climate, and what is particularly troubling about all this is that their music isn't even that terrible, pedestrian "mainstream" garbage that so many of us purport to loathe. According to those who call the shots, this is supposed to be the GOOD music, ya hear? This is "stylish," "thoughtful" "indie" rock for people with "good taste" and college degrees and urban lifestyles and impeccable fashion sense, and you're supposed to be eating it up because you're a trendy, discerning consumer who knows what's "cool." When I listen to the Virgins' god awful, oversexed derivative slop, the kind of stuff that Vice Magazine isn't even decadent enough to get behind, and when I see that this music is being made by four LES altrbro tools who appear to be little more than a boy band for college students who've heard a Serge Gainsbourg record, it just reminds me of the 1,000 plus times I've wanted to quit writing this blog just to escape the PR emails about what a QT the Virgins' lead singer is and how it was IMPOSSIBLE to get into Piano's when they played there and how their new album is this amazing new post-punk take on T.Rex or whatever the fuck this band is supposed to sound like this week. Luckily, however, I gave up on the Stereogums and Brooklyn Vegans of the world a long time ago, and I found that ignoring this crap is the only way I can still enjoy being involved in music on any level, especially writing about it. See? I just produced a couple decent sized paragraphs about a group of clowns that don't deserve any of our attention. IT REALLY WORKS!

90's Night With guest DJ Astronautalis (Hailey's)

Disqo Disco (Fallout Lounge)

Taylor Phillips, one of the Etc. Etc. organizers of Saturday's RIOT party, sent us this email explaining what happened with the police on Saturday (we'll add a bit more to this later on)

There are people who have big ideas and leave these ideas inside their head, never to be seen to completion. Then there are people who dream big and make every effort to see their dreams come to reality. As the Etc, Etc! girls, we chose to fall into the latter category of people. We see the incredible potential for various groups, styles, and types of people to all come together for the single purpose of having a good time. Every different group of people contains amazing individuals who, we feel, deserve the right and opportunity to meet and connect with one another. We also desire to promote talented musicians, artists, photographers, etc who deserve attention for their abilities. One of the best ways for this to happen is in the social setting that is known as a “party.”

Last Saturday, Etc, Etc! decided to create an event on a large scale that would bring people from different groups around Dallas together for an evening of pure fun. When coming up for the concept behind our party, the theme “RIOT” was derived mainly from breaking our limits within the social ties that have been placed around each different group. It was an opportunity for people who would otherwise never venture to the same bars, shows, restaurants, and other sources of entertainment to come together and experience something out of the ordinary. The more publicity this party received, the more the buzz of the party quickly spread around Dallas in many different groups of people.

Our intentions were never to undermine authority, nor to ignore laws that have been set in place. We truly wanted to bring people together in a setting out of the norm in order to have a good time and put on display our talented friends in whom we have so much faith. We contacted numerous companies, authorities, and people with history of event planning to ensure that we had everything lined up in a legitimate manner. We even brought in a team of TABC Certified bartenders to distribute the alcohol. Time and time again we received recognition for our efforts and encouragement behind the idea.

We received zero red flags of warning to what might occur. So we blazed on even harder and the attention to our event grew more and more. As a result, we were able to obtain donated alcohol from various sources, thus allowing us to charge a minimal entry donation to pay DJs, bands, workers, warehouse rent, and pay for cups, mixers, toilet paper, sound equipment, and so many other little “things.” The companies who supported the event were just as excited about our concepts as we were.

The party began at 11:00PM and at exactly 11:50PM a thick crowd of Dallas police officers and TABC officials burst into the warehouse and, without explaining what laws we had broken, immediately began to “seize” all of the alcohol. (By “seizing” the alcohol, we mean to say that everyone with a badge simply started pouring bottle after bottle out on the streets.) We approached the angry TABC officials (we were not approached by them) and were immediately escorted to a back room. Before anything was explained to us as to what we’d done wrong, they simply started pouring out the alcohol and began threatening to send us to jail.

During the hour and half it took them to pour out all the thousands of dollars of donated alcohol, the TABC officials revealed several key things about this invasion. One of which was that some anonymous person had literally mailed one of our flyers to the TABC in an attempt to sabotage the party. The TABC had planned on “busting” this party at least four days prior to the event. Instead of making a simple phone call to let us know that we were illegally throwing this party, the TABC and Dallas Police force found it necessary to bring dozens of authorities and spend time destroying alcohol. Our contact information is posted everywhere, a simple phone call could have avoided this entire catastrophe. They did not issue any tickets nor were any of us fined for throwing the party. We received only a “warning.” Everyone involved in this party lost a TON of money, even the DPD and TABC. They wasted their time and our time pouring out all of the alcohol bottle by bottle when they just could have called us. We tried desperately to reason with them and even offered to return all the money to the already 150 people in attendance and allow everyone else in for free, if they would just let us keep the alcohol. They refused saying that “the damage has already been done.”

The TABC and DPD changed their minds several times about this party saying at first that if we had contacted them before hand, they would have worked with us to legally throw this party, and then later changed their statements to say that there was no way they would have worked with us to make this party happen the way we had intended it to happen. We would have liked to think that with over sixty murders in this city and the prostitutes soliciting right outside the warehouse, the police would have better things to do on a Saturday night than smash thousands of jello shots.

The day after the warehouse party, we researched the laws that the TABC said we had broken and found that there literally is NO way parties can be thrown legally in Dallas if there is ANY exchange of money. Even house parties who have a keg are not legally allowed to request money towards the keg. Even when your hairdresser gives you a free glass of wine, it is considered illegal. Any event that provides alcohol and asks for some type of “donation,” even if it does not go towards the cost of alcohol is illegal. This could have happened to anyone in Dallas. We believe that we were targeted and that this bust was ultimately a power trip. The TABC laws are very much up for interpretation by the figures of authority and can be twisted any way the authorities see fit.

Basically, because there was SO much buzz about this party, the cops decided to make an example out of us. (Good job Dallas!) When the DPD and TABC finally left, we heard word that there were a lot of people that still wanted to come to the warehouse and party. Even though we couldn’t pay anyone to DJ, the DJs still wanted to play the tracks they had prepared. So we spread the word as quickly and effectively that the party was now free and BYOB. We were incredibly shocked when a enormously supportive 300 people showed up and partied with us.

We would like to encourage everyone to read, learn, and question these laws. We are so thankful that no further legal action is being carried against Etc, Etc! but we would encourage every single one of you to protect yourselves. As far as the future of Etc, Etc! we will continue to do what we love doing. Our success with this party was not completely experienced but we did receive a glimpse of our talents as party throwers and are excited to see how our next party develops.