1. Stereolab/Sam Prekop/ Archer Prewitt (Nokia Theater) I think everyone I know has free tickets to this show. And its a good thing, because despite the fact that Stereolab and the Sea and Cake guys are old favorites here at We Shot J.R., there are some risk factors for this show: 1) its at Nokia; 2) the most recent Stereolab we've heard hasn't been very good; 3) and you have to drive to Grand Prarie. If none of those things bother you, then you'll probably have fun.
Man. Sometimes things sound a lot different on Myspace than they do in person. S-1 Committee is one of those bands. We really liked what we heard on Myspace: muffled, noisy, lo-fi sloppiness with soft vocals that you couldn't really understand. It was interesting and fairly catchy if nothing else. Live, however, the band seems to be a different proposition, as the vocals move front and center in the mix, creating an entirely different sound. For s-1 Committee, this is not a good thing.
Now, we don't think that you have to be a great singer to be a great singer, you just have to be interesting or compelling in some way. If you can't sing or write lyrics, fine. A lot of bands we love (Jesus and Mary Chain for example) can't do either. But damn it, if that is the case you've gotta hide it a little bit. Put some reverb on the vocals. Turn them down in the mix. Slur your words. Something. That is what the singer for S-1 should have done last night, because it was the vocals that really held them back. The lyrics were fairly immature, and delivered in a loud, cutesy and off-key manner that really didn't seem to go along at all with what the rest of the band was doing. The music was actually pretty good, and the band was able to capture much of what we liked about their Myspace songs live, which was probably a fairly difficult task. And we wouldn't have even minded the singing so much if we just didn't have to hear it so clearly. But we did, and as a result we were less than impressed with the show.
If these guys make some adjustments from a vocals standpoint, they could be really good band. Until then, however, we'll have to throw them in the "Wait and see" file.
1. The Shapes | S-1 Committee | Teenage Symphony (Rubber Gloves) Wow. We had never heard either S-1 or Teenage Symphony until today, and we really like both. S-1 has kind of a poppy Jesus and Mary Chainish meets Mercury Rev meets twee synth pop thing happening, and we're interested to hear how this translates live. Add the Shapes, a band we already like, and you've got the best show of the night.
Hey there people of Dallas. I know that getting you to try something different for your Hipster Does Dallas routine is difficult sometimes. You've got your "scene," and your "friends," and your "rock n' roll" that all the kids listen to. But let me ask you a question. When was the last time you had a really fun Thursday night?
I know what you're going to say. "I have a lot of fun going down to Expo Park every Thursday and listening to assholes sing dumb songs at karaoke." To which I say, "what are you, an idiot?"
Now that we have all that cleared up, let me ask you another question. Do you like late 80's/early 90's hip hop? If you answered no, grab your mouse, point it up to the top right hand corner of this screen and kindly leave my website. You can come back when you stop being dumb. But for those that do appreciate what is truly the golden age of hip hop, you might want to think about heading over to the Slip Inn next Thursday night for a taste of the old school.
And I know what you're thinking. Many of you probably know that Old School Hip Hop night is nothing new, and has in fact been happening at the Slip Inn for the past couple of years. Thats cool, because like our friend over at Themepark Experience said today, sometimes you just miss the boat. But last night was the first time we had attended, and let me tell you: we decided that it will be our new Thursday night hang out spot just about a minute after we walked through the door.
And I bet some of you are also thinking that nothing could be worse than a bunch of dorky hipsters dancing to JJ Fad. Well theres no need to worry, because Thursday nights at the Slip Inn are hipster free (and JJ Fad free), and goddamn did we need a break (not from JJ Fad). Yes, going to Old School Hip Hop night will require you to be around some different people. A few of them might even go to SMU (gasp!), and others might even be, get this, not white. But if you can get past your 80's retro xenophobia for one evening, you'll discover that the Slip Inn is the best thing going on Thursdays.
Here was our experience last night: we walk to the door and witness the tail end of a fight between bouncers and some jackass (which was kind of exciting), and then walk inside to a packed house dancing to a Leaders of the New School Song, which was immediately followed by a Black Sheep song (not the movie). Then some dude came up to us and said that he had bought four beers at once because he didn't want to go up to the bar again, and that since he now had to leave, he wanted to give us two of them. We said yes. Just about this time, two strangers started a conversation with us about matching socks and that episode of Seinfeld where George does the opposite of everything, at which point a song by Notorious B.I.G. came on. Then we danced.
As we kept drinking and dancing, we heard songs by Arrested Development, Chubb Rock, Digable Planets, Wu Tang Clan, and a bunch of other really cool shit that we had either heard long ago and forgotten about, or had never heard before at all. And it wasn't "ironic" or kitschy or whatever, it was just fun. Drinks were spilled, good looking people danced, bad looking people danced, and we didn't hear a single note of that krunk bullshit that has rendered American Hip Hop virtually dead to us. The mix was fantastic, and the people were nice. We stayed until closing, and were left wanting more. No skinny ties, no bad attitudes, and no bad music. Thats the kind of thing we need on Thursdays, and if you're adventurous enough to try the Slip Inn next Thursday, you'll realize that it is the kind of thing that you need too. Bele dat.
(oh, and check the Compact Disk logo on the Rob Base cover. Why don't they use that these days? And also, later today you will see the first post by a new writer on We Shot J.R. This person will be contributing from time to time because 1) the person is a good writer that you will like, and 2) we can't be everywhere at once every single night, and we thought this would help expand our coverage a little bit. Tell us what you think. And we'll tally up the We Shot J.R. Award votes this weekend, even though we didn't get as many votes as we wanted. We'll post those some time today or tomorrow as well.)
1. Tah Dahs | Pegasus Now | A Pacific Model (the Cavern) It has been a long time since we've seen the Tah Dahs play, and we're curious to hear what Pegasus Now has been working on as well. A Pacific Model seems like pretty traditional indie pop, but slightly more adventurous than most. Should be worth seeing. Word on the street is that Pacific is on at 10, Pegasus at 11 and Tah Dahs at 12. After you're done at the Cavern, stop by
2. Mile End (Fallout) with Dj Laureen. Its indie, britpop, rare 80's, electro, and other good stuff. They'll be playing some brand new Voxtrot tonight too.
1. The Party w/ DJ Nature (Rubber Gloves- Denton) If you haven't checked this shit out already, then don't talk to us. Nature will be passing out his second mix CD tonight. We'll have a track list later we think....
2. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (Gypsy Tea Room) Their new CD is fantastic, and we've never seen these guys live but we hear that they are pretty good. Who knows? Go late so that you miss Black Tie Dynasty.
Voot Cha Index used to have a problem. They used to be called... um, Belefonte. Before playing a scheduled Good Records instore show last year, they were apparently approached by that other band (not Harry) that has an "a" instead of an "e" in its name, and were asked to promptly come up with something else to call themselves. We're not sure exactly how that interaction went down (does Belafonte have lawyers?), but at the end of the day they came up with Voot Cha Index. We're also not sure what the name means (and didn't think to like, ask them or something), but we like it. Even if it happens to be a little harder to say.
Mouthful of a name or not, this young band from Plano seems to have as much potential as any band in Dallas County these days, and the difference between them and some of the other not quite ready for prime time players around here is that you will actually like their songs enough to root for them. The first incarnation of Voot Cha Index got together back in November of 2004 (when the band members were in high school) and started recording some songs at home. Pretty typical. But after they recorded a few new songs over several months in the Spring of 2005, they decided to take a sample down to C.J. Davis at Good Records. Two weeks later, he called them to tell them how much he liked their CD, and invited them to play the in store show that prompted their name change. Anyone that has ever been in a Dallas high school band before: how would you have liked to play a Good Records show that fast? Anyway, Davis called them again a couple months after the show and invited them to record and release a 7" for his new record label Pancakes for Mattie (again, this seems to have happened pretty damn fast). As a result, they recently entered the studio with Polyphonic Spreer Mark Pirro and came out with "The Talking House," a single that will be released by Davis' label some time in the next couple of months.
The band's songs certainly have that Elephant 6 (especially Beulah) sound that seems to be popular amongst Dallasites these days, but you can also hear a distinct touch of Galaxie 500 and Mercury Rev in their music, which the band effectively utilizes in a balancing act between the reverby lo-fi charm of the former and the fully arranged psychedelic pop of the latter. Add a little bit of power pop and distorted guitars into the mix, and you've got a young band that could very easily develop into indie pop stars. Seriously. The mp3s below are sort of rough, and Voot Cha Index themselves are pretty young, which might make them seem a little too cute and immature upon first listen. But play these Mp3s a couple more times, and you probably won't be able to tell me that : 1) the songs aren't good on their own merits, or 2) that you can't hear the talent and potential these guys have. And since their songwriting has developed this far at such an early stage, you've got to believe that we will be hearing bigger and better things from them in the near future. In a city starved for good music, that is a pretty refreshing development.
I bet bands like Radio 4, Chinese Stars and Moving Units are pretty pissed off about the success of We Are Scientists, who are playing tonight at The Granada (blah). While Franz Ferdinand sells millions of records and the Scientists are off getting their pictures taken in English phone booths and shit, commercial success seems to have passed by those other bands, who have been brushed off as little more than a passing fad. And I guess We Are Scientists are pretty decent (and much better than Radio 4 for example), though they really aren't doing anything new or innovative. Not that innovation really matters when you've got the songwriting chops, but the band doesn't seem to be quite there yet. All in all their debut is pretty solid, and I would recommend going to their show tonight if you're curious about all the hype and have a little money to burn (and you don't mind risking a shitty sound arrangement at the Granada). If you don't have the money, then I would suggest stopping by the Cavern for the Lost Generation with Wanz. There you will hear many of the bands that influenced many of the bands that influenced We Are Scientists, plus a lot of other rare shit that you won't see referenced on MTv2 or Spin. And the last time I checked, that is a good thing.
Heres the new Happy Bullets video for the song "Drinking on the Job." Its pretty strange. Someone pukes shredded paper or something, and we can't really figure out why. Actually, its a pretty funny video for one of the better songs off The Vice and Virtue Ministry. We're not sure how to post these video things, so if this works it could usher in a new era of video posting stupidity here at We Shot J.R. If it doesn't, we'll probably just act like those guys in PCU and give up or something. Here goes:
Tonight seems to be Dallas' little taste of the (mediocre) British (hipster band) Invasion, with The Subways playing at Gypsy and Nine Black Alps over at the Cavern with Giant Drag. Actually The Subways are pretty goddamn awful, while Nine Black Alps are just about as average as you can get for a hard rockin' Urban Outfitters band. At least they aren't a Strokes sound alike.
Anyway, I would suggest saving your money and checking out Good Records Good Mornings at the Cavern Upstairs. I promise you'll hear some good music, and contrary to what we thought before, its not just indie hits. Thats it and thats all.
Blogspot has fucked up once too many times for us (you get what you pay for I guess). And since we are moving to a new website anyway, we're going to try to speed up that process as much as possible so that we don't have to deal with this shit any more. It appears that this site will continue to be fucked for a while, so please be patient with us. We'll keep making posts on here, but it looks as though they might not come out right. Whatever. We'll try to get moved over to the new site within the next 7-10 days, but until then we'll keep posting on here and doing what we do, even though it will look more retarded than ever before!
Hopefully you're able to read the SXSW post below.
(the top picture is from the Flaming Lips show, and the bottom is Hot Chip. Both are blurry and a little bit crappy, but we did warn you that the We Shot Jr SXSW trip was going to be a little "low rent.")
Austin is full of a lot of things during SXSW, but it is mostly full of shit. The place is flocking with has-beens, never-weres and never-will bes, as well as industry jerkoffs, fan jerkoffs, scenester jerkoffs and people that seem to base their entire existence on Last Night's Party.com. The common thread that ties these arguments for abortion together is lying. Everyone is putting on a show, and no one is paying any attention because they're all putting one on too. Don't worry, we're not about to go on some long winded tirade about "keeping it real" or anything like that, its just that the atmosphere of SXSW can be really draining and a little bit alienating at times, even though we somehow managed to eat up just about every second of it without too much hassle. That is what free Red Bull and vodkas will do for you.
And really, the fact that anything is fun at SXSW is pretty amazing when you think about it. Long lines for everything (which often include badge wearers and members of My Chemical Romance trying to cut...twice), absolutely horrible opening bands, a lot of middle aged industry guys in Arctic Monkeys t-shirts, and one too many Keep Austin Weird shirts can really take the spring out of your step to say the least. Despite all of this, however, scattered moments of insane fun were had throughout the week, convincing us that yes, there is still a point to all of the bullshit. Our experience at the Midlake/Flaming Lips show is a pretty good example.... all the aforementioned annoyances were in full effect, but it really didn't matter too much when the Flaming Lips unleashed about 50 huge bouncing balls on our drunken heads and opened their set with a cover of "Bohemain Rhapsody," that drove everyone in the audience crazy with excitement. It was also great to hear some of Midlake's terrific new material, even if we weren't completely blown away with it like we expected to be (same goes for the new Flaming Lips stuff too.) Another amazing showcase we caught was Sound Team, who appear to have the same kind of rabid following in Austin that Undoing of David Wright has in Denton, except a little older and about ten times bigger. They put on a fantastic show, and you can be sure that we won't miss them the next time they come to town, because it will be really nice to see them play a show somewhere that isn't Buffalo Billiards.
The day shows provided a little break from the industry-related annoyances, but many replaced them with corporate sponsorship annoyances (no, I'm not going to sign up for Toyota's Mp3 of the month club... now gimme my free Shiner bitch!) Yet again however, many of the extrinsic problems faded away during great day show sets by the likes of Serena Maneesh, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Black Angels and Lady Sovereign. And the free beer at places like Club De Ville certainly helped pass the time between sets.
We should also note that a few of the bands that we really like didn't quite seem to be on top of their shit in Austin this week. Some played lackluster sets (Ariel Pink, Xiu Xiu) and some didn't even show up at all (Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beastie Boys). However, there were a couple of bands that were not only in the right place at the right time, but also took advantage of their luck by playing absolutely amazing sets. The best example we can think of is Hot Chip's performance at the Parish on Saturday. They killed with a couple of the better songs off their debut album, but what really got the crowd going was their new (and obviously DFA influenced) material. The line to get in was long, the place was packed, and the beer was overpriced, but I'll be goddamned if everyone in the audience wasn't dancing their asses off during the set and having a fantastic time. It was so good that it almost made the aforementioned issues a kind of bonus, like we had earned our spot at a show that was exciting and important enough to warrant such logistical confusion. Closer "Over and Over" (which we have posted on here before) absolutely brought the house down, bringing to an end a set that probably just about guaranteed Hot Chip "next big thing" status this year. Just wait until their new album comes out this summer.
The Hot Chip show seemed to be the perfect example of why SXSW can be such an exciting and sometimes important event. Yes, there was a lot to complain about, and yes there were more horrible Interpol rip-off bands than you could possibly count, but at certain moments the elements mixed together in just the right way to make it all (almost) worth it. The week was taxing (much of it due to self imposed hangovers), but the bottom line is that for what it is worth, there is no other event in the United States that provides equal access to pop rock's pulse, and there is certainly no other event in this state that provides access to great bands that might not otherwise cross the Texas border under any other circumstances. Even if you can think of a million better things to do than waiting in line to see the next-next-next Franz Ferdinand, SXSW is probably worth going to just for the stories.
Blogspot has been acting really weird for me the past few days, and I really haven't been able to post anything. Now it appears that shit is back to normal around here, and when I get home from Austin later this evening we will start our normal posts, and be back in full swing on Monday. Check back later tonight to find some new stuff. Thanks for your patience.
Telling our readers that they should ignore the Dallas Clear Channel Radio empire feels a little like telling a male SMU undergrad that he should idolize Alex P. Keaton. It is pretty well understood that commercial radio is and has been dead in Dallas for quit some time, and smart people hardly need to be reminded of it. Maybe it was never good, and maybe commercial radio as an outlet for artistic expression always has and always will fail. That is a discussion we could have all day, although most of us hardly seem to have the time or energy to do so.
That being said, building yourself a small FM transmitter and shouting all of this out on the airwaves in an East Dallas neighborhood is entirely different from simply having a discussion, and the fact that someone is doing just that on 102.5 FM on Thursday-Sunday nights actually gives us a good reason to talk about what we already know. My first encounter with Meat Radio came a couple months back when I happened to flip onto 102.5 FM while driving around in Lakewood. I was pretty amazed to hear a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah song on the radio, and was even more amazed to hear the rest of the album played right after it. Who or what the hell was doing this? Where are they doing it from? Why are they doing it? These were questions that I started asking myself, and have been curious about ever since.
Listening to Meat Radio on and off since that day has convinced me that it is important, and not because it is revolutionary in its mission or presentation. Rather, I think Meat Radio is important and exciting because it is NOT revolutionary. Pirate radio has been done before and will be done again. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and britpop and soul have been played on the radio before and will be played again. Political radio programs have been around for decades, and will likely be around for decades to come. The important thing about Meat Radio isn't how strange it is but rather how normal it seems, and how perfectly pleasant it is to listen to. From what we have gathered, a group of thoughtful people got together and built a transmitter and a small studio because they like playing records and are interested in developing some sense of community in a town that sorely needs it. Their desire to do these things shouldn't be a shock. What is shocking is that more people AREN'T doing this. What is shocking is that doing what they do is a federal offense, and that you couldn't possibly start such a station legally without millions of dollars and the requisite amount of government access that you need in order to satisfy the FCC. No, the importance of Meat Radio isn't really its content, but rather the conviction and the courage of the people behind it. And the fact that they seem to want to play good music and have good conversations rather than change the world in that Christian Slater cheese kind of way makes me admire the whole project even more, and prompts me to ask the ten million dollar question: How could something like this be illegal? I'll ask this question from time to time, but then quickly remember what I already know: the Clear Channels of the world have the money, lobbyists and influence to make sure that the government makes the world difficult for Meat Radios everywhere. Heres to hoping that they miss ours.
Tell us what Meat Radio is. How many people are involved, what is your studio like and how did you get your hands on an FM transmitter?
Meat Radio is community radio station broadcasting on 102.5 in East Dallas. We have a typical DJ setup with cd players, record players, a microphone and a hot line called the Meat Line to find out who the hell is listening. According to Myspace we are 145 deep. Visit freeradio.org and learn to build one or google "FM transmitter".
What inspired you to start Meat Radio?
Meat Radio was started because KZPS 92.5 played Led Zeppelin for the 4th billion time. I remember them announcing it and then continued with a Rock Block Weekend of CCR. Also I thought it would be great if local artist and djs had a smoke free environment to get there stuff heard. I was also inspired by WFMU in New Jersey and KBLT in L.A. The girl who started KBLT, Sue Carpenter, wrote a book called "40 Watts From Nowhere" which is worth reading. What is your mission for the station? Just to play good music, keep it interesting and support local artist & the community.
What are your general feelings about the state of commercial radio and companies like Clear Channel doing away with local play lists, etc.?
I could go on and on about this. Dallas radio is awful. Except for a few shows here and there, it's a wasteland of the overplayed and uninteresting. Which everyone knows. Nothing new there. Clear Channel & Viacom are businesses trying to generate as much profits as possible and get as many listeners as possible. When that's your motivation things like localism, community get thrown out the window.
What do you know about the FCC regulations that might affect your project, and are you afraid of encountering legal issues?
I've read up on the FCC and their tactics and weighed the risks and still think it's a worthy venture. It's not if we run into the FCC but when and we'll deal with that when we get there. The FCC & the NAB (National Broadcasters Association) are the real pirates. Companies like Clear Channel just took advantage of the situation that the FCC created. When the 1996 Telecommunications Act was passed it had major impact on radio. The '96 Act made two key changes: it eliminated the cap on the number of radio stations companies could own nationally, and it raised the limit on the number of stations that could be owned in local markets. So Big Radio just gobbled up as much radio space as possible eliminating locally focused radio.
What kind of music do you play, and what kinds do you want to play more of? Could you give us a schedule of current shows?
"This is Texas" starts our broadcasting on Thursday nights hosted by D. Cha Cha. She's really involved in the local music scene and knows as much about Dallas, Denton and Austin bands as anyone I know. She's plays all Texas artists and usually has guests from the scene to host with her. Grits N Gravy is the exploration of Rock and Roll from its earliest roots and its influences. They choose to focus more on the glory years of Rock and Roll (i.e. 1964 - 1975). Typically, they choose to feature an artist each week, which in the past has included Sam Cooke, Howlin' Wolf and more recently The Rolling Stones, but they always mix the featured artist's songs within a rotation of our own choosing that is usually knee deep in early blues, folk, country and gospel. Gabriel and Jeff always make a point to get right with Jesus within every broadcast to make up for all the sex, drugs and rock and roll that surrounds it. DinoPop! is on Sunday nights starting at 9pm hosted by Peter Pants Wiskers and DJ Meat. These guys are pop freaks. They focus on Power Pop, Garage and Brit pop from the 60's through the 90's. When there are no shows airing we have an eclectic play list that's made of a bit of everything from Blues to Italian Disco with some local guys thrown in. Sometimes the Human Rights Radio show Democracy Now! is broadcast.
Are you looking to expand your operations with more shows, a bigger broadcast area, working with more people, etc.?
Yeah I'd like to get more shows started. Some community information show would be nice or a Circus music show. We are only on Thur - Sun. as of now. The station doesn't make any money and everyone volunteers their own time.
Here is the question we ask everyone: what is your opinion of the current state of Dallas music?
I think there are some really good bands out there but don't have enough exposure for whatever reason. We hope to remedy that, a least for East Dallas. But we can't play you if we don't have your music. So send us your stuff at meatradio@gmail.com. We also like free cds.
Some say that Naughty By Nature's "Hip Hop Hooray" was one the best second single to be released in the past 15 years by any pop music artist that had previously been labeled a "one hit wonder." However, a good argument can be made that Color Me Badd's "I Adore Mi Amore" was equally successful.If you could have five minutes to write a witty comment about either, would you? No comment
Yeah, so this is the busiest Tuesday of the year here in good ol' DFWd, and you can start the day off at Good Records' free in-store:
Aloha 3pm Ill Ease 4pm Parts & Labor 5pm Skeletons and the Girl Faced Boys 6pm Saturday Looks Good to Me 7pm
And then you can go pay for some shit later tonight:
1. Thunderbirds are Now! | Serena Maneesh | Field Music (Hailey's Denton) Check our preview of this show on dconstruction if you want, but we can promise that this will be the best thing going in town tonight unless you like to cry yourself to sleep with Scottish music playing in the background or something.
2. Belle and Sebastian/ New Pornographers (Granada) Just kidding, we love B&S and might have made this #1 if it wasn't $32 and if it wasn't at the Granada, where the sound has been known to make my Discman sound like Carnegie fucking Hall. If they can get their shit together at Granada tonight, this will surely be a fantastic show. If not, then you might go home at the end of the night and cry yourself to sleep with Scottish music playing in the background or something. Do I really have to link these bands?
3. Ted Leo and The Pharmacists | The Duke Spirit | Aloha | Les Aus (Tea Room) Damn it. I really want to see Ted Leo live, but I guess I'll have to catch one of his 73 performances at SXSW this week. I've seen this guy twice, and he puts on a hell of a show, and pretty much manages to sing just like he does on his records... which is pretty impressive if you've never heard him. And the Duke Spirit kicks ass. So does Aloha. And so does Les Aus.
4. Skeletons and the Girl Faced Boys | Headlights | Metal Hearts (The Cavern) Get in free with your B&S ticket, or skip that and just pay five bucks to see this. Either way, Skeletons go on at midnight, and you'll want to be there for it because they are fantastic, unless you've decided to go home and cry yourself to sleep with... nevermind.
