Sometimes we like to kick little shout outs to the people who make all this possible-- the bands? Oh hell no, THE FANS! This week we're showing our appreciation for one of our most avid readers, the Dallas Observer's own Rodrigo Diaz. Why? Well we've never spoken with Rodrigo so we can't be 100% sure how often he reads WeShotJR, but we're pretty sure he must check out the site, at least from time to time, based on the two latest stories he's filed for the Observer.
You see, a couple weeks ago we posted a short story on Denton's White Drugs releasing a full length album on Amphetamine Reptile, and a few days after we did so, Rodrigo went ahead and did his own story on the exact same thing after reading our post (he basically admitted this in the comments section of his story). Was his article just a copy of our post? Well, not exactly. After all, he did make the shocking revelation that the band hadn't "technically signed" with the label, and instead had only come to some kind of agreement on releasing one full length and a couple of tracks on AmRep compilations (altough written or not, any agreement like this could be considered a contract of some kind and thus render the band "signed" with the label, even if they didn't literally pick up a pen). We kind of wish our pal Rodrigo would have let his readers know where he first got wind of this story, but its ok, we won't hold something like that against one of our fans.
Next, we did a short post last week previewing a performance from Italo Disco legend Alexander Robotnick, and several days later, Rodrigo did his very own post previewing the same show, this time adding an interview that was quite enjoyable to read. Again, Rodrigo didn't plagiarize us, but we're pretty sure that we must have served as an inspiration for him yet again, and we're very pround to be able to influence a writer for and thus the reporting of a paper with a large circulation like the Dallas Observer, even if we don't get credit for it.
So thanks for reading, Rodrigo, and keep up the good work! You're welcome to come work directly for us any time you like!
"Under a tight deadline, composer Laurie Spiegel slept in the labs of Bell Telephone while the final components for the Alles synthesizer were being completed. The final composition, commissioned by Bell and the Motion Picture Academy, is seen here in the only existing footage of the first real-time synthesizer being played."
“Based on Holling C. Holling’s beloved Caldecott-awarded children’s book, William Mason’s stunning film follows the adventures of a tiny, wood-carved canoe as it forges its own path from Lake Superior through the Great Lakes and down to the Atlantic Ocean. Buoyed by beautiful photography and a sense of true wonder about the sun, Earth, and water, the Academy Award–nominated Paddle to the Sea is an unforgettable tribute to the forces of the natural world, as well as a thrilling journey across the waves and rapids of North America.”
"Masks and outfits made of coconut husks, rice steamers, shredded rags and clanging bells transform participants of Thailand’s PHI TA KHON festival into ghosts, devils, demons, and spirits unleashed for a bacchanal. Outrageous wooden phalluses and plenty of rice whiskey heighten licentious behavior as MO LAM--Thai country groove music--blasts from makeshift bands in the back of pickup trucks… Described as ‘The Mardi Gras from Hell’ and ‘Thai Halloween" PHI TA KHON is a ghost festival that takes place every year in the Isan province of Northern Thailand."
Filmed on location by Robert Millis and Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) in June 2004.
Psychic Steel and Fielded are both visiting us from that great city of Chicago. Fielded sound like an Enyanized version of local favorites Fight Bite incorporating the same gloomy dream like pop-scapes but with more of a Renaissance Fair vibe than FB. While that may lead you to believe the sound is cheesy, the music still remains rather sophisticated yet down to Earth. Psychic Steel explores a more progressive take on the synthetic sound, more Moroder than Magnetic Fields. The band effectively breaks down the structures of some more popular indie music of today and deconstruct it almost to the point of critique. Think of The Residents covering The Beatles. Some of the songs can go on a little too long but the fresh approach more than makes up for it. Two out of town acts I have never heard before yesterday but both have me excited in the nether regions to see what their performances have in store. Orange Coax are fresh off their first second North American tour and I am sure they have some great battle scars which they will be more than happy to share as you buy a copy of their latest vinyl release. Happy Birthday to Dwelling of Doom Sergeant-at-Arms Natalie.
From Gallery Manager Scott Horn: "We hung Jonathan's new series last night and it is a BEAST! I mean this figuratively and literally; the work is visceral and engaging, and is also the biggest and heaviest set of art we've ever put on the wall. This piece in the photo was so big we had to keep it on the floor; come by and see for yourselves..."
Herb and Dorothy (film screening) Samuel Lynne Galleries 1105 Dragon Street, Dallas, TX 75207 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
A truly inspiring documentary about Herb and Dorothy Vogel: "He was a postal clerk. She was a librarian. With their modest means, the couple managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. Meet Herb and Dorothy Vogel, whose shared passion and disciplines and defied stereotypes and redefined what it means to be an art collector. 'You don't have to be a Rockefeller to collect art.'" More about the movie here.
New event location opening this week: "A new project space run by Karen Erxleben Weiner opens in Dallas, located at 3715 Parry Avenue between Exposition and Commerce! The Reading Room, through occasional readings, performances and installations, explores the many ways in which text and image interact. For the inaugural exhibition, a solo show of recent double portraits by Lanie DeLay are featured in the exhibition..."
Featured image used without permission of Lanie DeLay
Built to Spill | Finn Riggins | Telegraph Canyon (Granada) I've never been the kind of person to like or even be interested in something merely because its "local," which is probably why I've never really taken the time to sit down and listen to Telegraph Canyon. I mean, I'd heard them before today, but only briefly and passively, and frankly, they've left me largely indifferent over the years-- after all, they're an "Observer band," championed by people like Noah Bailey and Pete Freedman, which means they probably sound like some mixture of Arcade Fire and Wilco minus the prestige of actually being Wilco or Arcade Fire, right? Fair enough, but guilt by association doesn't always apply in music, and these guys deserve to be heard before I go shooting my mouth off any further, don't they? Well, I'm listening to them right now, and they actually DO sound a shitload like Arcade Fire and at least a little bit like Wilco (I promise I wrote that sentence before I listened), not to mention groups like Band of Horses (that one dude even looks like the other dude), My Morning Jacket and, uh, whats that one where they were tried to be like a southern version of the Strokes until they turned into a boyband? Oh yeah, Kings of Leon. But the older stuff, not the boy band stuff. There's also a song that sounds like Arcade Fire COVERING a Springsteen song, which could produce all kinds of post-modern angst if contemplated for too long. The thing is that although there seems to be hundreds of bands in North Texas doing this sort of folk/post-arcade fire/lil bit country indie rock sound, Telegraph Canyon is one of, if not the best of that bunch, and that fact becomes pretty clear after just a few minutes of listening to their music. I'm aware that the band has already been reviewed in Rolling Stone and received "Album of the Year" honors from almost every major media outlet in Dallas-Ft. Worth, but their music, although somewhat predictable and conveniently marketable, is quite proficient and not even close to being as boring as it might look on paper. Whether you disagree with me or not is up to you, but this little experiment sure beat having to come up with yet another thing to say about Built to Spill. Tonight is the Granada's 6th Anniversary celebration.
