So far this year, it would be safe to say that Matthew Dear'sAsa Breedhas been one of the new records that I've listened to most. Combining influences that range from Talking Heads to New Order to Tropicalia to traditional Southern folk, it's a strange record to be sure, but one that over time reveals itself as an accessible and thoughtful selection of electronic pop songs. In anticipation of his show tonight with Mobius Bandand Treewaveat the Granada, we gave Matthew Dear a call so that we could talk to him about his new album, his various musical projects, and dance culture:
So I read that you grew up in Texas, is that right?
Yes I did, I grew up there until I was 16 and then I moved to Michigan.
Where?
San Antonio, just south of there actually. My dad lives in the Austin area now, and my mom is moving back to San Antonio, so I'm still very much a Texan.
Do you get to come back a lot?
Yeah, I try to come back once or twice a year to visit my father, and it's good to have a show there too, kind of kill two birds with one stone.
And I read that there is a song on your new album based on a true story about one of your ancestors being gunned down by a Texas Ranger?
Yeah, it's the last song on the album called "Vine to Vine." It's based on a story my dad told me about one of our relatives getting murdered by a Texas Ranger for their land. Back then, south Texas was pretty lawless.
So it was kind of more like a mafia hit than law enforcement?
Yeah, it sounds like it.
What made you want to write a song about that?
It's really one of the only songs I've ever written based on a story I've been told. It just kind of came to me, I just felt the need to put it down. It sounded like a great story, and I think I did it more for my family and my father than I did for myself. I already had a guitar loop that sounded like it would fit perfectly, and it just kind of work out naturally.
So the idea came together after you heard that guitar loop and put two and two together?
My mom had made a move from San Antonio to the Detroit area for a job when I was still in High School, and when I finished school, I went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor 40 miles west of Detroit, and around that time I met Sam Valenti who had an interest in starting a label and shared it with me, and we hit it off really well and became good friends, and about a year later he put out my first and Ghostly's first record in 1999, and we've been colleagues and really good friends ever since.
Do you play any role in the label these days?
Well its definitely Sam's thing, and although I interact with him from a musical standpoint, its his label for sure. If I find some people on the road that I really like, I can bring it to Sam and put in my two cents on what we should release, but it's definitely Sam's brainchild and he has the monetary investment and all that.
So what was the vision behind the label and what you guys were trying to do when you first started out?
Sam I think is still finding it, he's always finding it. He was an art history student so he's very much involved in the artistic end of things, not just sonically, but visually and the overall package that goes with it, which is always changing in his mind. In the beginning, we wanted it to be a dance music label, we wanted it to be a 12 inch DJ culture, but it quickly became more avant and different, and he wanted to cover all the aspects of what he thought electronic music should be. And what started off as my first 12 inch, a dance record, soon after was Tadd Mullinix's first record, which is more listening music or IDM as they were calling it back then. And from there the label just grew, and now we have bands like Skeletons, which is more like an art jazz band punk rock band and Spectral, which is still dance floor techno based.
I know you work under several different monikers, and I wonder if you could tell us a little about each one.
Yeah totally. Audion came about from my need to make really dance floor heavy techno, and at the time I was still doing dance music under my own name, but from that, I think I've evolved to where I want anything under my own name to be my eccentric experimental pop side, it's going to have words and be song based, and from now on, anything that's a dance record meant for the clubs is going to Audion. And False is a bit more subversive, dark, moody dance music.
Do you like working on one project more than the others, or is one more challenging?
No, definitely not, the good thing is that they represent different styles of living and working. This tour that we're doing under my own name right now is completely backwards from an Audion tour that I'd do in Europe. Right now we're at a rock club in Chapel Hill, NC, and dealing with rock venues, and singing and playing guitar and giving more of a performance set. And the crowd is totally different, they are more into standing and watching the show rather than dancing the night away at a club. In Europe, I play big festivals and big crowds that are more into techno and dancing and partying and I'm both of those people. I love going to a techno club late at night and dancing the night away, and I also love going to rock clubs and seeing my favorite bands play, so to choose one of those would be impossible, both of those characteristics are a part of my persona.
I find the differences between European and American audiences very interesting because electronic dance music is so much more a part of the mainstream culture there than it is here, and I wonder if you have any ideas on why that might be?< There are many factors that contribute to that. Europe in general is a lot more relaxed about many things that give dance music more room to breathe. Closing times for clubs are more open, you can have 24 hour clubs there that stay open until whenever they want, the laws aren't cracking down on them, they serve alcohol until they close, there is not cut off time. So it's a much later lifestyle out there. Regular people don't go out to dinner until 9 or 10, and stay out to dinner until midnight, they have really long late social hours all over Europe, Spain, Germany, that's just normal over there. But over here, a lot of people go to sleep by that time, your average family. So that definitely lends itself to a later night life. When someone stays out 50% longer than someone that lives in that states, that just adds to this desire for dancing and techno clubs to be open that late. Also, drug laws are a lot more relaxed over there, you can get away with it a little more, obviously in places like Amsterdam, so there are many reasons that people over there can soak up techno music, and it's not thought of as a bad thing over there, whereas here, techno has a bad association with drug use and illegal raves, and warehouse parties, and it's kind of been shunned by mass media and people in general.
It's interesting because it's a chicken and egg argument-- maybe if "rave" culture had been allowed to exist in a more open and legitimate manner in the United States, then maybe it wouldn't have become associated with a lot of the darker things that you mention.
Totally, I think that's right.
Well in American underground culture, there has definitely been an intermingling between dance culture and underground rock/punk/post-punk culture over the past few years. Do you think this is a fad, or are we catching up to Europe in the sense that dance music will play a more prominent role in our culture?
I definitely think rock musicians are embracing it more. You have groups like LCD Soundsystem and things like that, and I think the "indie" scene is gaining a respect or an understanding of the importance of electronic music and the history of our whole musical library, and I think that is cool. I think people are noticing that it's not just a rhythm in a sweaty club, but that there can be a lot of musical genius involved in it, and that there can be creativity within the form, so in that sense I think it's great. You can never tell what is going to happen, it's always shifting and changing, but it would be great if it got a bit more of a foothold and more respect from the music community.
Switching gears, I guess the story I've read is that Asa Breed is your "pop" record, and I was wondering if that is what you set out to make, or if it just ended up being that way, or if you agree with that sentiment at all.
I like to call it experimental pop music, and by pop I mean melodic, and there is nothing wrong with melodic music. Some of my favorite bands are inherently pop musicians, whether it's New Order, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Talking Heads, Radiohead, it's all based on catchy melodies and songs. So in that sense, I say it is pop, but I didn't set out to make it that way, it's just what I've been doing since I was a kid, messing around with songs and guitars, and it's just been a matter of time since I've been able to put it out on record. I started off with electronic music, but I've always continued to work on this stuff on the side, and I thought it was time to put all this stuff out under my name.
Did you find it challenging to work with more traditional pop songs, or did it seem natural?
It was a very natural change for me, I've been working on this album for almost four years, and some of the songs had been sitting around for that long, so for me it wasn't drastic at all, this has been in the back of my head all the time. I didn't make a decision to try something new, this is, to me, just what I do.
Could you tell me what your stage set up has been on this tour?
With the band we have a laptop, which is kind of the brains or skeleton of the music, and we have a live bass player and a live drummer, and I've stripped down the tracks to accommodate the musicians on stage, so it's kind of a mix of computer software and live music, and I do vocals with a backup vocalists, and I also play guitar. I think it has enough to keep people interesting live, but it has enough of the original songs to remind people of the album.
So on this tour, you're mixing live bands and laptop stuff, and on the album, you're mixing your electro and rock influences. What kind of music inspired you first as a listener?
Oh everything. I mean, when I was 8, I got into my brother's dance music records, a lot of new wave and experimental electro that really turned me on. I knew I liked anything synthetic sounding, I was really into samples and stuff even though I didn't know what they were, I was grabbed by that kind of music. But of course I also like country and folk and rock music. I've always been into all of these styles, and this album, to me, reflects my love of all the different angles you can take with modern music.
So I wanted to ask you about living in Detroit, because obviously there is the huge history of electronic music there. Do you feel that spirit in the city there, or has a lot of it gone away?
Well I actually just moved to New York, to Brooklyn, three months ago, it's a good time right now because I don't have children, and my wife and I both wanted to move there. But you most definitely feel that spirit in Detroit, it's there in small numbers. The people there are holding on to the electronic scene, and they really respect Detroit and the history involved there, and they know the history. It's not too big of a scene, but you can definitely feel it when you're there, and it was a really good time to be there and feel it, and do what I could do to contribute.
Any new projects in the works?
Yeah, I've got 10 to 12 new songs for a new record under my own name, and I have some new Audion remixes on the way, and some new Audion stuff that will come out next year.
Not a lot going on today other than the norm (Cool Out at the Cavern, Jazz at the Amsterdam), but I've been meaning to check out one of Bernard Wright's Monday night sets at Gezellig on Greenville. The Miles Davis connection is pretty interesting for sure (according to Gezellig's Myspace page, he played with Davis at some point during the 70's, although I don't know in what capacity), and aside from that, it might be a good way to start the evening (starts at 9pm) for those who plan to head to the Cavern.
TUE: Matthew Dear/Mobius Band/Treewave (Granada) TUE: Jesu/USSA/Wolves in Throneroom (Hailey's) TUE: Great Lake Swimmers/Arthur & Yu/Doug Burr (The Cavern) WED: Lazy Magnet/Work-Death/Superior Human Vomit/Yellow Crystal Star/Doug Ferguson (House of Tinnitus) SAT: Timbaland (Palladium--Free with RSVP, details to come) SAT: Birth to Burial/Medicine Window/Douche (Secret Headquarters)
Gowns | Glen Farris (Monkey Bar) The first of two good shows from Parade of Flesh this weekend-- Gowns is quite strange and highly intriguing to me, with quiet, slow and drained sounding songs
Jeff Samuel | Stereo on Strike (Minc) You may not know much about Jeff Samuel, but anyone interested in Chicago house or the contemporary electronica scene in Berlin should probably take note of this show, as Samuel has made a name for himself as a DJ and producer spinning at places like London's Fabric, Tokyo's Yellow, and Berlin's Panoramabar. And although he scores major points simply for being remixed by Ricardo Villalobos, his tracks are fantastic all on their own, ranging from jack house influenced stuff to more minimal blip stuff that is fashionable in his new home town of Berlin. Great DJs don't often attract great crowds in Dallas, but I hope this is an exception. Stereo on Strike will be spinning on the patio as well.
SATURDAY
Devendra Banhart | Jana Hunter (Granda Theater) I actually really like most of Devendra Banhart's music, but I can also see why the guy annoys people-- the goofy outfits, the cutie pie California hippie thing, etc. And although he certainly faulters a bit on his records (too many throw aways, too much goofing off), there are genuinely powerful moments on all of them, and his ability to jump from tropicalia to eerie English folk to cricket chirping Americana while maintaining a unique and readily identifiable sound throughout is quite impressive to me. He's made a couple great records, and I still listen to them quite a bit.
Strange Boys | Brimstone Howl | Sean Kirkpatrick (Pastime Tavern) Dallasites with good taste in rock music who ARENT into Devendra will probably show up here for what will probably be a roudy loud show hosted by Parade of Flesh. I didn't get a chance to see Brimstone Howl the last time they came through town, but I have always been really impressed with what I've heard from them, and seeing them at Pastime sounds like a good idea to me.
Infinity Crew 10 Year Anniversary with the Party (Nine Eyes) Art gallery party thing happening from 8 until midnight featuring The Partyspinning all evening and free catering and what not.
Rock Lottery 9 (Dan's Silverleaf) Most of you probably understand the concept of Rock Lottery at this point, and although I don't hold the event in the high esteem that so many others seem to, I would consider checking this out for sure, especially given the number of quality local musicians involved this year-- Shane English, Matt Burgess of Eat Avery's Bones, Megan Carroll of Nouns Group, and Mike Seman of Shiny Around the Edges just to name a few. Some very nice selections from the RL people this year. Could be interesting.
SUNDAY
Sonic Youth | Meat Puppets (House of Blues) Sonic Youth swings through town after an appearance at the legendary Marfa, and despite the high ticket price, if this ends up being anything like their last performance here in Dallas, then it will be a can't miss. I was a bit skeptical of their last show simply because I hadn't seen them play in like a decade and wasn't sure if they continued to pack the kind of punch that you'd expect. Damn, was I wrong. Mixing in the best of their most recent records with a lot of older favorites, Sonic Youth absolutely blew me away last time around. They played everything with the kind of precision and fire that most bands half their age can't even pretend to display, and although I've never been one of those "dude, got that new Sonic Youth Japanese import B side collection" dudes, that last show left no doubt about SY's place in the history of American experimental rock music.
Suishou no Fune | ST 37 | Rahdunes | Zanzibar Snails (Hailey's) It's too bad for us Dallas folks that this show is going on the same night as Sonic Youth, but Dentonites who don't feel like driving to Dallas AND paying a lot for concert tickets should consider checking this out. I admit that I don't know a great deal about Suishou no Fune, but considering the character of the band's ambient, dark psyche rock, perhaps their biography is better left a mystery. Very good stuff that comes off as challenging and hard to follow at first, but soon becomes hypnotic and starts to make a lot of sense just as you realize how good it is. Austin's long running ST37 is another band I didn't know much about, but their mixture of traditional psyche rock and American avant garde/noise is quite interesting... and of course, you'll probably get a preview of the new Zanzibar Snails release that I keep hearing so much about. Hopefully we'll get our copy soon and have a report for you.
Rock Lottery 10 (Dan's Silverleaf) Just wanted to add that Rock Lottery is hosting its second night and ten year anniversary party on Sunday. The event is hosted by John Freeman with Wanz Dover providing the music between acts. Participants include many heroes and villains of Rock Lottery's past including Sarah Alexander, George Quartz from Faux Fox, George Neal of Little Grizzly, Daron Beck of The Great Tyrant and Pointy Shoe Factory, Ashley Cromeens of Record Hop andRival Gang, Paul Slavens, and Tre Orsi'sMatt Barnhart. This looks to be the definitive version of this event and I actually want to go more than I have in previous years. All proceeds go to the Denton County African American Museum which opens in February, so this event is not the self congratulatory free-for-all that some have previously tagged it as (including myself), and I think more big shows would do well to benefit more than just the participants.-DL
The people from Granada and Ghostly International have hooked us up with a prize pack in anticipation of Matthew Dear's show with Mobius Band at the Granada next Tuesday, October 9th. If you want to win it, email weshotjrtix@yahoo.com any time between now and next Monday at noon with "Matthew Dear" as the subject line. The prize pack includes:
2 Tickets to the show at the Granada
Matthew Dear's latest album Asa Breed on CD and LP
We're working on some big stuff today (both personal and blog related), so you're getting the short stack:
Black Lips | The Selmanairies | DJ Wild in the Streets (Palladium Loft) I've never heard anyone saying anything that wasn't glowing about Black Lips' live show, and so far, Palladium Loft has not disappointed in the sound department, so I'd expect this one to be fantastic. Black Lips have put out some really fantastic garage punk/pop (what they've called "Flower Punk") over the past year, and I'm curious about their live show mainly because I want to see how some of their recorded material, which retains a lot of charm in my mind thanks to their production, will sound in a big loud live setting. Wild in the Streets is the perfect DJ to open this show too.
Kites/Russian Tsarlang/Judascow/Voyant/Dromez/Aunt's Analog (House of Tinnitus) The KITES/Russian Tsarlag show has been the big story in the local underground this week, not just for the homemade instruments and the unlikely noise/psych folk aesthetic but for the fact that many of us have waited all week for the artists to arrive after car trouble> in California botched Sunday's show. These things happens when you take on so many of life's responsibilities yourself (no Blackberry texts from the Billions Corporation), and I'm sure the show will be worth the wait. Judas Cow and Voyant in particular were both great on Sunday with two different takes on Power Electronics. Voyant are a little more on the digital side of things, but both acts concoct a truly frightening room-filling throb of manipulated static. If you want the links, scroll down to the weekend list.
Numbers | Faux Fox | Ghosthustler (Public Trust) This early show (things kick off at 8pm) provides a good example of Parade of Flesh'sknack for bringing good bands to town that are both critically acclaimed and a ton of fun.
secret headquarters to change into, um, something else
Just saw this post on Denton Rock Cityand thought I'd share it with you. Don't have time to analyze it at the moment, so for now I'll just repost it and tell you that we'll be sad to see the current incarnation of SHQ go (and remind you that DL has posted a new Violent Squid record review below)
We’ll start with a hearty THANK YOU. To you. To your friends. To your bands. To your blogs. To your dogs. To the locals that have helped us survive and promoted our dump. The list is long and you know who you are. Thank you all.(deep breath)
When we started this… thing… on June 1, 2006, well… We just had no clue what the hell we were doing. And frankly, some things never change. The SHQ experiment has been one of stress, insecurity, blind devotion, financial crisis, roller coaster morale, copious quantities of warm beer, getting stomped at HALO 2, and many other things. There are a lot more gray hairs these days. I mean, an ever-changing group of people who can’t even get a library book turned in on time trying to keep a place of “business” open?
Jeez… How the hell did we last this long? We have lost a shit ton of money. Hell, a lot of YOU have thrown WAY more money into this than what was probably reasonable. It’s been worth every penny to us. It has been worth the stress.Totally.Hopefully to you as well.It really has been the hardest thing we’ve ever been involved with in some ways. Trying to keep everybody happy and casual was the easy part. You folks turned the spot into something fun… We just unlocked the door.It has been a blast. We’ve made so many friends, seen the true spirit of community, hosted some damn fine musicians from all over the world, and got our stupid faces in the newspaper, which my mom thought was pretty cool.It is always a surprise when someone expresses their love and support to us. We never spent too much time trying to figure out what everything “meant”, we just tried to get there on time on a Friday night after working the 9 to 5.For a fake club run by drunks and known criminals, we did pretty solid. Solidish.
And now… everything is about to change for the better. Be advised… You have until December 31, 2007 to enjoy Secret Headquarters as she stands now. That’s three months of quality weekend shows… Plus a few extra here and there… That’s plenty of time to have a blast, plenty of time to use your new SHQ Buy 2 Get 2 Free Cards that a lot of you bought… We’re going to fill the calendar up and make sure that YOU realize just how much we love you and desire to properly thank you. And you KNOW we’re gonna throw a huge party at the last minute. A party of epic scope to go out in style.But, again, as of January 1, everything is going to be different… Except, that everything is sort of going to be the same. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but neither does SHQ.
Things to take into account as we let you know the “SHQ Era of Chaotic Late Loud Drunken Punk Shows” has to end: 1. Our landlords are WAY sick of us not paying rent on time. They have been so great with us, really, and fair is fair. They are not in the Hipster/Scenester/Beardo Charity business. 2. Construction has already started on the fancy expensive town-homes that will rise to block out the sun literally 10 feet from our noisy backdoor… In that field where you puke and piss? Yeah, right there. 3. Since we opened, several members of the, ahem, staff have had children and gotten day job promotions, and some of our bands are getting busy, and it’s true what they say about there not being enough hours in the day.We are now faced with the inevitable need and desire to either improve the spot or shut it down… And maaaaaaan were we close to just shutting it down. It felt like there was no choice.
Enter The Clandestine Project. Google it. Chris Lewellyn… The man with the plan. We went in with a loose vision. Chris is coming in with passion, a great heart, a dream, an actual plan, business sense, and ambition. Plus, he’s just a sweetheart. He’s been in the rock business for a long time, and has always been DIY/punk about it, and you probably have one of the shirts he’s made in your closet right now. Dude’s been around. Plus, he’s an animal lover, which is the most important shit in the world. He owns goats for fucks sake. Including a couple of those crazy Fainting Goats! We’ll tell you more about him later. For now, I’ll tell you what has been set in motion with us, the landlord, the city, and you. The strangest part about all of this is: It’s actually going to happen, and we’re already in motion. I’ll give you a couple of short versions for now, and flesh it out in the weeks ahead.
SHORTEST VERSION: Counter-culture mini-mall
SHORT VERSION: First of all, we’re gonna get a sign. I know. Crazy. We’re gutting the building. Walk in the Front Door that faces the street. On one side, a cool coffee bar. On the other side, an artisan shop with Texas goods. Past that, local vendors… Hair dressers, craft folks, tattoo artists… All local indie folks pursuing their vision. And it could be YOU. More than ever, with a little structure in place finally, we will be able to offer you a path to your “thing”. Holler at us, ya know? We’ll work it out. Past that, sound-proof rehearsal spots for your band. Contact us if you are interested. There are not too many of them, but they will be solid, cheap, and yours. The venue? Smaller in some ways. But more available to you. We’re gonna spiff it up a bit, and dampen the sound a bit, and you can do your art show, your play, your screening, your show… A real community space for the people of Denton to see the people of Denton. The shows will be fewer but the quality will rise. We’re fixing up the bathroom and moving the door. Hell, we may even throw a lock on that badboy! Good news for the pee-shy, right?A lot of the stuff in the front of the building will be good to go way before the end of the year. Some of the improvements will take some time. Some will wait until 2008. We’ll keep you posted.
So as we turn the corner/turn the page/float the keg, please know that SHQ isn’t going anywhere. A lot of the same people will be there to hold your hand through the transition. We are arriving at Phase II. Phase II is going to rule. There will be more for you. The spirit of Secret Headquarters will grow even stronger. It just won’t bleed money anymore. It will still be the perfect place to sample what Denton is about, and a compliment to our neighborhood, the East Denton Entertainment District… Dan’s Silverleaf, the new Rubber Gloves location, Eisley’s Hookah Lounge, Fuzzy Taco, Hailey’s and the Square just steps away. We are proud of what we have done. We are excited about the promise of the future. And we can’t wait to share it all with you.Thank you.
Violent Squid have made this the most taxing review I have ever attempted by far, and I've spent the entire Summer season (maybe even the end of Spring) torturing myself over finishing it. It seemed like a simple enough task at the outset, but the fact that they've released four albums since I started this review created a challenge that I just wasn't used to. If a band releases five cd's in about four months, which one do you review? By the time the third or fourth is out, does the first one become stale? The fact that Violent Squid is almost more of a loose collective (lead by Ty Stamp) than a band contributes to its ability to maximize output, but it also creates a certain amount of confusion in the scrawled artwork and credits for anyone attempting to decipher who has done what on each record. To make this easier on everyone, I chose a couple of my favorites to review (although I basically liked them all). Let's start off chronologically with their eponymous album:
Part I
Violent Squid (Self Titled) 3 1/2 Stars
For all I've been told about the VS project including just about every Denton resident on its roster at one time or another, for the most part the group's self titled CD is a surprisingly cohesive statement. This is due in part to the fact that at least four musicians make multiple appearances (on both discs), including Oswaldo Sinevil, David Young, Mike Forbes and of course, Ty Stamp (in addition to other collaborators both named and unnamed). When compared to a Violent Squid performance, which I've witnessed turn into a "fourth wall" demolition where the whole room seems to be crawling over one another out of time to the band, Violent Squid is a fairly calm and melodic collection of music.
The album begins with one of its strongest tracks, "Santa Claus, The Man On The Moon, Kraft Cheese, and Jesus." The track blends violin, viola, guitars and other instruments with an added layer of foggy fidelity that creates an unexpected depth to the music that can be found throughout the album. The electronic sounds and beats that fade in and out of the recording are expertly blended without disrupting the subdued mood set by the stringed instruments, and are followed by a handful of textured and hazy instrumentals that rely on layered overdub recording techniques and the sonic pushing and pulling of the mixing process. "Filtering the Night" is a track that is mostly Sinevil stabbing in staccato at a piano soundboard, accompanied by Ty on an unnamed instrument, and Forbes on sax.
Around the halfway mark there is a noticeable dip, with some dangerously jam band bass tones and drum beats followed by a tacked on rap track by a rapper named Montana, which actually isn't that bad. Wet with reverb on the vocals and live drums, the approach reminded me of Bill Lasswell prodigy and experimental rapper Sensational, a guy who gained notoriety for flowing to Stockhausen. I also mention Laswell since these back-to-back tracks are the only time the album seems to void its own charm and patchwork methodology by veering and stretching a little too hard for the eclecticism, which is something Laswell's been guilty of for decades. Of course this is more than made up for by the album's wonderfully catchy anomaly "Sassy Mink", an irresistible piece of psyche pop with an equally irresistible video to match. The track is pretty much all Ty on a computer program with added bass and guitar accompaniment, and the "Robots in the summertime" refrain is impossible to forget.
From there the album returns to its droning and melodic instrumental beginnings (with one track even breaking the eleven minute mark), and eventually disperses into snippets of throat clearing, single string plucks, sound effects and a fractured conversation featuring Sinevil responding to a friend's claim of being a writer with the proclamation, "There aren't any professionals, man." Whether it's true or not, there is something vaguely comforting in that statement, just as in Violent Squid's self titled album.
PART II
Violent Squid and Mike Forbes/Andrew Young/Stefan Gonzalez Trio Split LP: 5 Stars
This split ep features the work of at least six musicians, and though they all make excellent contributions, Mike Forbes tends to really dominate the cd. And this is a good thing. Even though he is obviously a great listener, and therefore a great player, he could easily overpower most acts he has ever collaborated with, lead, or sat in on, and his true talent ultimately might be that he chooses to be mericful.
The buildup on this cd is great and you could imagine how impressive this would be on vinyl with the shorter Violent Squid tracks on one side and the one long Forbes/Young/Gonzalez piece on side two, an arrangement similar to so many classic records. The playing on this album will make you long for an 180 gram version on Impulse or ESP to be sure, but the two dollar CDR is an improbable bargain (word around town is that Ed Priesner of The Fra House is working on a cassette only release of the trio's music). The first few tracks feature Forbes accompanied by prepared guitar, "singing bowl", upright bass, and even a washing machine. That should go over well with people who refer to experimental music as "toaster banging music," and unfortunately for said critics, this man playing his saxophone into a washing machine is better than most of the unsolicited MP3's collecting digital dust in the We Shot JR inbox after a generous attempted listen. Anyway, the rest of the VS portion consists of improvised instrumentals that lack the structure and melody found on the self-titled release but are full of equally enjoyable sounds and ideas just the same.
The Forbes/Young/Gonzalez piece "Event I" is everything I hoped for when I first heard that these three were starting as a trio, as I am a fan of their separate endeavors-- Young as a founder of 715 Panhandle's foray into Denton DIY as well as a participant in some impressive online recordings, Forbes as a collaborator with seemingly everybody, and Stefan Gonzalez, experimental prog rock (Unconscious Collective), brutal grindcore/ thrash (Akkolyte, Rat Salad) and jazz (Yells At Eels) drummer.
Since the recording is a snapshot of three musicians feeling out each other's technique and ability, the track starts off as a fairly calm affair, and the playing gives the impression of three cobras cautiously circling each other before deciding when to strike. At exactly the 7:22 mark, Mike Forbes charges in with notes so white hot and nuclear blast powerful that they practically blot out most other highlights in an entire year of DFW music. They are so fucking enraged and chaotic that they simply dwarf any kind of guitar noise from a pillar of amplifiers and all of the expensive distortion effects money can buy. I found it hard to believe this music was coming off a CDR. The following seconds in which the trio sort of just plinks, plunks, and taps together in an improvised meltdown is the work of three silent giants of local music. Why the fuck isn't this trio on the cover of Texas Monthly? Oh, well.
The Stefan Gonzalez solo where Forbes respectfully takes a step back before stuttering little shrieks off of the ends of every other roll is the kind of playing that makes you uncomfortable. The tension almost chokes the listener, and speaking of a different kind of choking, I actually almost welled up and lost a tear when I saw Forbes and Young play in the fucking basement of J & J's. Not exactly a place I expect to hear playing so beautiful that it's an almost emotional experience. Young's playing is not to be overlooked either-- he is as uniquely experimental as he is classically talented, and the ease with which he switches from bow to fingers is completely fluid and effortless.
It is a shame and a great loss to local music that Forbes and Young have since moved to Chicago in the time between the recording and this review. Chicago has a historically sympathetic music scene to Free Jazz players of this sort, and the one advantage of Forbes and Young's departure is saved for the musicians (rock and jazz alike) that are spared the chore of having to follow them.
Sally Glass has a bunch of new picture sets up, including some from the excellent !!! show on Monday. I was really impressed with their live performance, and The Field was great too.
Kind of thin tonight. We should have more for you to read this evening, so check back.
Taxi Fare With DJ Nature (Zubar) Hopefully they'll reschedule for Queen Majesty's unfortunate cancellation last week. Apparently, it was still a great set. And I can't stress this enough. Please check out one of the only blogs in our huge metropolitan area that actually knows something about the music it features. What a fucking concept.
Short Attention Span Theater presented by Strawberry Fields (Rubber Gloves) Free event.
The latest update on the KITES show is that it's Thursday night at Tinnitus. More on tomorrow's It List.
Jenny Hoyston's Paradise Island | The Hot As Shits | Adrienne Anemone (Rubber Gloves) Jenny Hoyston's ability as a performer will probably make up for the fact that her work in the heavily No Wave influenced Erase Errata is generally more interesting, especially rhythmically. Her solo project, Paradise Island, is definitely worth checking out, and her injection of more pop grounded structure doesn't completely eliminate the traces of skronk and squawk in her flagship band. The Hot As Shits however, are a hard rock band from Austin that has more in common with The Runaways than The Static. Adrienne Anemone is from The Tuna Helpers but her solo project is a little too Ren Faire for me.
NOTE: I want to add that the KITES and Russian Tsarlag show at House Of Tinnitus that was rescheduled for tonight, might be tomorrow night or even Thursday. We will let you know as soon as there is a definitive answer. What I saw of the opener acts on Sunday (including the excellent Aunt's Analog) have convinced me to make it to this no matter what.
!!! | The Field | The Party (Palladium Loft) Looking forward to what will probably be one hell of a live show at Palladium tonight. For those who haven't experienced it yet, The Field's From Here We Go Sublime, released earlier this year on Kompakt, is easily one of the most enjoyable electro/dance records to be released by anyone this year. It features enough four on the floor house influenced party vibe to keep people moving, but what makes the album really good is the Field's ability to keep the party going while infusing it with interesting textures and an un-Kompaktlike focus on emotions and melodies, making it a grim but hopeful sounding record that seems to serve as a memorable soundtrack to just about anything. It is one of the more noteworthy achievements in European techno this year to be sure, and it's a rare treat to have someone like The Field's Axel Willner in Dallas for a performance. I'm also looking forward to seeing !!! live for the first time. I've been a fan since the release of their debut single on Touch and Go (2003's "Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard"), and although I'm not sure that they've ever surpassed the greatness of that song, I've heard that their live show is can't miss, and I believe it.
Bad Religion | The Briggs | Gallows (House of Blues) Ah, Bad Religion. There was a time many moons ago when I thought they were one of the best bands on the face of the planet. Turns out, they aren't. And although I can't tell you one thing about what Bad Religion has been doing for the past 12 years, I can tell you that I've seen them live twice (both well past their "prime") and they were exceptional both times. You'd probably have to be a hardcore old school fan of the band's to care at this point, and Bad Religion probably can be blamed (indirectly) for the mall punk phenomenon, but in my mind, they've done enough to warrant a mention and some credit, because I'm guessing that for a few of you (like me), Bad Religion was one of the first bands that helped you be pissed off in a more intelligent fashion, and when you're a teenager, that's pretty important. And oh yeah, Suffer is still one of the five best American hardcore albums of the 1980s, and Bad Religion's early stuff really rules. Against the Grain is up there for me too.
Homeboys at the Granada have hooked us up with a pair of tickets to Devendra Banhart's show this Saturday with Jana Hunter. If you want them, email weshotjrtix@yahoo.com any time between now and 5pm Wednesday with "Devendra Banhart" as the subject line. A winner will be picked at random and notified by email.
Hang on to your hats people, because the Shock of Pleasurerevolution will NOT be televised:
LOCAL TOP 5
1. Shock of Pleasure - This is a Test 2. Shock of Pleasure - It's About Time 3. Mom - Little Brite 4. The Polyphonic Spree - Live from Austin, TX 5. Red Monroe - ¡Policia! ¡Policia!
OVERALL TOP 20
1. Shock of Pleasure - This is a Test 2. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog 3. Soundtrack - The Darjeeling Limited 4. Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature 5. Shock of Pleasure - It's About Time 6. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon 7. Mom - Little Brite 8. Tunng - Good Arrows 9. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War 10. Matt Pond PA - Last Light 11. The Polyphonic Spree - Live From Austin, TX 12. Red Monroe - ¡Policia! ¡Policia! 13. Akron/Family - Love is Simple (+DVD) 14. Angels of Light - We Are Him 15. Liars - Liars 16. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil 17. Film School - Hideout 18. Sir Richard Bishop - Polytheistic Fragments 19. Mono - Gone 20. Go! Team - Proof of Youth
