As most of you know, we typically don't post things on weekends, but we were fortunate enough to get a brief email interview with Vivian Girls, and since they just responded to it a couple hours ago, we figured it would be a good idea to post it before their show this evening with Ariel Pink and Fight Bite at Hailey's.
As we noted in the Weekender yesterday, Vivian Girls have certainly received a lot of critical acclaim and a tremendous amount of hip buzz over the past year, but unlike a lot of similarly positioned groups, their work truly stands out and lives up to the hype as much as any group can be expected to these days. We wanted a chance to talk with them about their newfound success, their musical influences, and a variety of other things. Here is our brief discussion:
Can you start off by telling our readers who you are and where you're from and something interesting about each of you personally?
We are Cassie, Katy, and Ali. Katy and I are from Ridgewood, NJ, and Ali is from Toms River, NJ, but we call Brooklyn our home base now. Katy used to steal forks from every diner she ate at. Ali is fluent in German and lived in Germany for 6 months. I chip my front tooth all the time.
When you first got together and started rehearsing as Vivian Girls, what kind of music did you start making, and how did it evolve into what you currently sound like? Were you aware that you all had decent singing voices that sounded good together? Did you intend to use this asset or was it discovered by happy accident?
Our first songs were "All The Time," "No" and "Never See Me Again." We wanted to make music in that vein - short, fast, melodic punk songs. It still sounds kind of like that but I think our songwriting is a little more diverse now, that was a natural evolution. We intended to have harmonies from the beginning. We could all "sing" and thought it would be a waste to be in a band with three girl singers and not utilize that.
People obviously talk a lot about 60s girl group pop and C86 and stuff like that when they talk about your influences, but I always read you guys citing the Wipers and Nirvana and various garage influences and stuff like that. What do you find yourselves listening to as individuals, and what were some of the important bands you guys shared in common starting out?
When we started playing music we were inspired by riot grrrl, unsurprisingly. When we started playing music in Vivian Girls we were mainly inspired by the Wipers, also by Dead Moon and 80's hardcore. However, as individuals, we have pretty wack tastes in music. I really like soft rock from the 70's and 80's. Katy only listens to modern Top 40 radio. Ali is really into pop punk and emo.
So obviously you guys have gone through some pretty big changes as a band since the band started in early 2007... what are some of the best things about your success, and what are some of the worst?
The best things are meeting rad people and getting to travel everywhere. The worst part is seeing sexism in action. I don't think we thought much about it until we started reading things like "One of them is hot, the other two are ugly" and "Why do girls think that just because they're pretty they can pick up instruments and be in a band?"
Do you still get to play house shows and DIY venues much anymore? Is that something you enjoy? I remember last time you came through town you played at Exploding House in Ft. Worth, and now of course you're playing at one of the larger "indie" venues in North Texas. It's not Carnegie Hall, but its certainly a change in scenery for you.
We like playing shows in all different kinds of venues. House shows are some of the funnest shows we play and we still play them every so often, and I think we will continue doing that no matter what.
I was doing some research and I caught the series of "uncensored interviews" you guys did last year. Obviously you caused some online blog comment controversy over your statements regarding "normal people" hanging out at TGI Friday's and stuff. People responded with a lot of hate and this kind of uniquely American "populist" rhetoric about how snobby you were, etc. Why do you think this made people so angry, and why did you feel the need to apologize for contrasting a particular subculture with mainstream culture? And whats up with all these self identified "normal" people getting pissed off? I bet people didn't get mad at Mike Judge for making basically the same critique in Office Space.
I think that with that interview, instead of thinking "They're making a joke that we can laugh at together" (which is what we actually were doing) people thought "They're attacking me." The way the blogs made it seem was that we hate anyone with a job, which is not the way we feel at all.
Tell us about some of the things you guys are interested in outside of the band and music.
Katy's into Hulu-ing, video games, and the internet. I like doing art when I'm not busy with music or the band, I also like cooking and collecting junk. Ali's interested in comedy and hanging out with her parents.
I know you live in Brooklyn. How long have you lived there? Does it still seem to have the vibrant underground culture it once did? As an occasional visitor over the years, I have seen Williamsburg change quite a bit, and there seem to be a lot more idiots walking the streets than there used to be. Is Brooklyn's "counter culture epicenter" status annoying? Is it taking something away from the place itself? I asked Japanther this question once and I think they got mad at me.
That's because Japanther are huge jerks. But to answer the question, I have lived in Brooklyn for almost 5 years. There have been a lot of changes, but the scene is so strong right now that it doesn't really matter. The culture is just as vibrant, now it's just in different zip codes and not as close to the main strip. Which is fine.
How has your tour with Ariel Pink been so far? Do you think his music was an important catalyst for this kind of revived "lo fi" aesthetic that has become so popular over the past year or two?
I'm sure it was. I've been a huge Ariel Pink fan for years, so this tour is basically a dream come true. It's a lot like summer camp. We get along with the guys in Haunted Graffiti really well and it's gonna be really sad when the time comes that we don't hang out every night.
Do you find it strange that the kind of music you make has come to be so in vogue lately, basically replacing blog house and nu rave and music that has nothing to do with what you do as the "next big thing" or whatever you want to call it amongst culture and music media types? Seems like the music press has really done a 180 in that respect.
Yeah, I do find it strange. Then again, popular music always goes in waves (pardon the pun) between being super-produced and not-as-produced. Maybe 2008 was just one of those years that people tired of slick production.
Any good tour stories?
In New Orleans we all went to a strip club with Haunted Graffiti and one member of the party was really, really into getting lap dances!
How was SXSW for you this year? Do you generally enjoy playing in Texas? You can say no if you want to.
We love Austin, but SXSW was a little too much this year. We played 18 shows, which was something like 10 shows too many. Some of the shows were great though, we played a house party for my birthday party and people were crowd surfing and I chipped my tooth on the mic!
Finally, what are your plans for releasing a second full length? Do you guys have anything else exciting coming up in the next few months either with Vivian Girls or another project?
We recorded our second album, Everything Goes Wrong, last month. It's gonna come out in September and we're all really excited about it. I think we're gonna have a few 7"s come out in the next few months too.
Check our show calendar for more shows, and read this (written by SR and DL)
FRIDAY
Morrissey | Courteeners (Palladium) I was lucky enough to get a free wrist band at SXSW a couple of years ago, and everyone tried to talk me out of seeing Morrissey. As a lowly wristband-holder, I was told that it wasn't even worth trying to get in. I walked from one side of downtown to the other, stood in line for awhile, and eventually walked in, right up front with a crowd that was shall we say...enthused. When the opening chords of late-period classic "First Of The Gang To Die" came crashing over us, all the congestion and commotion of the festival seemed to evaporate. After watching so many unkempt and scraggly-themed affairs, this was truly a show, and one of the best arguments you'll ever witness for good old fashioned, show business: A guy that knows how to actually perform, sing, and dress. And undress. And dress again. I think he changes his shirt twelve times or something, but the best part was the crowd fighting over the designer apparel he had carelessly tossed into the audience, for a full fifteen minutes, until it was torn to shreds. I've made this comparison for years, but Morrissey really is the closest thing to a British Sinatra. Even as he ages, releasing album after album of sometimes highly questionable material, his personality is so overwhelmingly captivating that he saves even the blandest of songs. One thing he will never lose is the crown for song titles. From the newer, "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," and "Because Of My Poor Education," to my all-time favorite, "There's A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends." There are none better.
Klever & Craze | The Party (the Loft) Klever and Craze are back in Dallas again for what will likely end up functioning as a Morrissey after party since admission to this is free with a Morrissey ticket stub. This show will actually be taking place at a room inside Gilley's, which is next door to the Loft and the Palladium, due to problems with the Loft's floor that many of you might have originally noticed at that girl talk show in 2007 where the floors were shaking and pulsating up and down. Will probably be a pretty crazy party.
Radio UTD Prom Party with Boogie Boarder | Bark Bark Bark | Snakes Say Hiss (Galaxy Rooms @ UTD) Radio UTD put this line up of out of town bands together for students and non students alike-- free with a student ID and $5 or the rest of ya. Boogie Boarder play that kind of spastic, odd tempo, high energy post-punk influence stuff that the kids love to dance to, while Snakes Say Hiss are kind of a pop punk and hip hop influenced synth dominated group that sounds a lot like some of the more popular chiptune groups and will appeal to fans of bands like the Death Set, although I think they are actually a bit more interesting than that group in some respects.
SAS with Select and Schwa (Zubar) Spinning lots of old school house, hip hop, funk and disco. It's free and its in the back room.
Ariel Pink | Vivian Girls | Fight Bite (Hailey's) We've talked several times on here about the roll of the dice you take when you see Ariel Pink play live-- he's either really brilliant or mainly there to fuck around, depending on the kind of night you catch him on. For many people, however, the real "buzz" of this show will be Vivian Girls, the Brooklyn based "noise pop" group that actually lives up to their billing-- with influences ranging from the Wipers to The Vaselines to the Byrds to 60's girl groups to surf rock, last year's self titled debut was one of the few absolute gems that was completely worthy of pretty much all they hype it received in the "indie" music press and blogosphere-- single "Where do you Run" is honestly about as perfect as they come. Like you didn't already know, this show is highly recommended.
Giggle Party | Top Secret Robot Alliance | Yeah Def | Five Easy Pieces | Big J | Short Attention Span Theater (Handsome Kitten, 824 Exposition Ave. ste. 8) The first event at this DIY space in Dallas' Exposition Park kind of makes me wonder why there aren't several more spots like this in this comparatively inexpensive neighborhood full of lofts and gallery spaces. Excited to see what kinds of events this place hosts in the future, but they're getting off to a pretty solid start.
Nervebreakers | Spector 45 (Club Dada) The Nervebreakers reunion show is understandably a big deal to anyone that's interested in local music history, and they are one of the few bright spots in the "few and far between" list of great Dallas bands. It makes sense that their beginnings are rooted in the 60's garage and 70's proto-punk era, as they are extremely early in the Dallas punk time-line. Their recordings are definitely on the quirkier, pre-hardcore side of punk rock, and they are worth investigating, especially if you consider that there are thousands of bands trying to sound like this right now. Reunion shows are a risky endeavor, but I wouldn't mind checking out one of the only bands that played a key role in making Dallas music a less embarrassing conversation that it might have been without them.
The Granada has hooked us up with two pairs of tickets to see Brian Jonestown Massacre this coming Monday, April 13th, and if you want to win a pair, email us at weshotjrtix@yahoo.com any time before 5PM today with the band's name as the subject and your full name in the Email body. Good luck! And remember, no matter what has happened to this band over the years, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Joel's band (which we forced you to watch earlier this year).
Stereo Total | Leslie and the Lys | Sydney Confirm (Granada) Stereo Total sort of remind me of eating at a mall food court. They've been around a long time, so they're reliable, and they've got a lot of different stuff, much of which is good-- you know... pizza, Chinese food, burgers, stuff like that. You like all that stuff, so why not go somewhere where you can have your choice? Stereo Total is similar-- lots of credible influences, everything from 60's pop to Serge Gainsbourg to garage punk to synth pop and many other fashionable reference points, most of which you probably like. All of it is pretty good, but much like a mall food court, most of it is mildly satisfying most of the time, yet almost always far from great. It seems that a lot of Stereo Total's material from their decade plus existence has been decently enjoyable, yet never ground breaking or even all that exciting. Again, there is nothing wrong with what they do, but it seems that stylistic variety and cool points for exotic tastes take precedence over quality with this group, and much like Sabarro's or Panda Express, experiencing them might be a temporarily pleasant but strangely, almost inexplicably underwhelming venture.
80's Night with DJG 5th Year Anniversary (Hailey's) Tonight is the 5th Anniversary of DJG's 80's Night at Hailey's, and whatever your opinion of 80's dance music, DJs, or anything else regarding local music, you have to admit that maintaining a residency anywhere in north Texas for five consecutive years is quite a feat, especially considering how popular the night has been for most of its existence. I would get to this one early, as I'm sure it'll be completely packed, and G will be giving away multiple pairs of free tickets to see Morrissey as well, so keep your ears out for those announcements throughout the night. Apparently only the first 75 people or so in the door will be eligible for the ticket raffle, yet another reason to get there early. Look, 80's night can be kind of a meat market, and if you're not in the mood, it can be a major beating, but DJG has been doing things the right way all along, regardless of the crowds, and he should certainly be congratulated for that.
Basement Hitter | Billy Billy/Freddy Schulze of Heartstring Stranglers | Spooky Folk | Manned Missiles | Hats and Statues | Daniel Folmer | RTB2 (J&Js Basement) Is this the first annual meeting of badly named local folk bands? Spooky Folk? Hats and Statues? What am I supposed to do with that shit? Actually, I heard quite a bit about Spooky Folk during NX35, where they got a high profile thumbs up from Chris Flemmons of the Baptist Generals, as well as this quote from one Dallas Observer music writer (I honestly can't remember which one)
"Without a doubt, Spooky Folk is one of the more remarkable acts playing around town."
Not sure what that says about the band, the newspaper or our "town," but all I can hear on their Myspace page is some solidly executed, paint by numbers "Indie Folk," complete with surrealist lyrics about nature, a quivering lead vocal and a general feeling of sadness that reminds me of, well, what the Baptist Generals were doing. A decade ago. Nothing wrong with it, but if this band is "remarkable," particularly in a town full of similar acts, we're in big trouble.
Breaking The Sound Barrier (Haley-Henman) 7-9 pm Featuring sound installations from Annie Davis, George Davis, Riyad El-Masri, Amalia Zelaya El-Masri, Jeff Hatch, KeLaine Kvale, Christopher R. Morgan, Rene Parnell, Morton Rachofsky, Marco Rubino, John Sadler, Silvia Thornton, and Cassandra Fink.
SUNDAY 94 Faces of Gordon Carver and Presidential Portraits of current and past by Ike E. Morgan (Webb Gallery)4-8pm A show featuring two amazing self-taught artists: Gordon Carver recently passed away, leaving behind 94 framed drawings of hairy faces. Ike E. Morgan's work has been up at Webb before- his portrait of the Clinton Family is a personal favorite of mine. This show will be up until June 28th, and Sarah Jaffe will be performing at the opening reception.
(This is the first appearance of a new feature in which we invite local artists to conduct interviews with other artists, sort of as a tribute to Interview Magazine. Today's not-as-unlikely-as-you-might-think installment features Fight Bite's Leanne Macomber interviewing Infernus of Gorgoroth.)
Being from Texas is a lot like being from Norway, in one respect: If you take guitar lessons as a kid in either place, there is a 99% chance that you will learn Slayer before you have time to figure out who Kurt Cobain was. Having Viking or cowboy blood, you might also ceremonially burn Yngwie Malmsteen (Swedish Chivalry Metalist) instructional videos in your back yard (after hurling your guitar out of your bedroom window).
Safe to say that by the time your instructor teaches you about the tritone interval (the precise moment he starts offering you shoulder rubs and complimenting you on your developing figure), you will well be aware that Norway = Black Metal.
I don't think I need to explain what Black Metal sounds, looks, or thinks like, but I'll say that it makes even the most threatening and ominous gangster rap sound like a two-month old being baptized in a mega church. For anyone who's interested in spikes, inverted pentagrams, cathedral torching, and corpse-paint, Gorgoroth is a musically rich introduction and is certainly a defining example of the genre.
Gorgoroth was formed by guitarist, vocalist, and composer Infernus in the year 1992. Their first release, 'A Sorcery Written in Blood,' was bad ass, and was followed by more bad ass-ness. If you don't like the concept of 'Sexual Bloodgargling,' I don't think we should have to live on the same planet.
Gorgoroth has seen more than a half a dozen line-up changes, but Infernus has been there every step of the way. Semi-recently, former singer Ghaal and bassist King ov Hell tried to kick Infernus out of the band and keep the hard-earned name. Thankfully, Infernus had Satan on his side, along with a copyright lawyer or two.
So this is when I was invited to do a telephone interview. I'm guessing the folks at We Shot JR might have thought it would be funny for a pansy like me to converse with a man who looks like he sharpens his teeth with the bones of orphans and moisturizes with afterbirth.
Long story short: We exchanged many an "Alo?" and he sounded very nice, but the technical difficulties were too many. We ended up having to finish through e-mail. I didn't get to ask him if I could come house sit next time he goes on tour... but i do have 96 minutes remaining on my phone card...
Thank you for taking my questions.
No problem. Sorry for the bad connection. Was driving from Oslo to Bergen passing an area with loads of tunnels. But enough about such excuses. I am honestly a bit more fond of doing e-mailers. So it is no problem for me. Thank you.
Growing up what sparked your interest in music? What were some of your early attempts like?
Mh, not much to talk about, honestly. Before I started Gorgoroth back in 1992, I could barely even play guitar. It is difficult to point out some specific things which sparked my interest in music. That has been there for as long as I can remember.
Of all the places you've been and all that you've seen, what were some of your most memorable experiences?
That's not such an easy question either. I am generally fond of traveling and seeing new places, so I try to get a lot of that done when I have the time to do other things than directly metal music related work. Thus I have seen a lot of places, but I find it difficult to decide which is the most memorable of them. In terms of touring with a bunch of drunks on a bus, desecrating not only the places we have visited but also more or less our own self-esteem and reputation, I have for sure seen some memorable stuff as well. But tour stories belong where they should be: on the bus together with companions, not in the media.
What unexpected influences do you have? Sounds or concepts that don't directly manifest themselves in your music?
Hehe, are you giving me the chance to fall into the trap of a thousand other black metal musicians, who use and abuse every opportunity to build a set of hopeless myths around themselves as soon as they get to hear the word "radio" or "tv?" My influences should be apparent to some, and to others they are not. The ones who don't get connected with it directly, go listen to something else. I don't need you.
Were you at all surprised when you learned that King and Ghaal were trying to force you out of the band that you created?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I was. I mean, I knew there was something going on, and I knew for quite some while that the cooperation could not continue much longer. But that they would try to do what they did - no, it caught me a bit by surprise, I must admit. Then again, there are methods for dealing with such. And I applied them. Nice try, though!
I'm sure you were relieved when the verdict came, ruling in your favor. Do you have a renewed sense of energy? A new direction?
Energy levels are more or less high all the time. And this did not in fact affect me a lot. It meant a whole load of work and some attorney bills that had to be dealt with. Strictly speaking, that should not have been necessary. But some people now and then have to learn it the hard way, it seems. Me including. Now, I am of course relieved. I am happy, though not surprised to have it confirmed that I was right, and I was right all the time. This is a victory of reason and it is a victory for the music business as well, as it creates some sort of predictability in the market, making it clear that some 7th generation bass-player cannot come and claim the name and logo of a band he did not start. No matter what legitimizations he might come up with and present to the public. As for in what direction it will now continue: it will be coming down the same road I intended it to, when I first started the band, years before those two ex-members were invited into the band in the first place. We are going to continue writing, producing and performing Satan's music and we are going to do that for another 17 years or more.
How did you decide Gorgoroth's new line up? You've enlisted some familiar faces. Is it all coming together as you had planned?
Taking the mess back in 2007 into consideration, more or less everything has gone according to the plans since then. It gave me the chance to do a certain clean-up operation simultaneously as the legal proceedings went on. Most people I trusted and worked with until then, passed the test. But some others did not. Perhaps, I should recommend other bands to put this to practice as well? Seriously, it gave me the chance to get to work with some rather splendid guys that I had really wanted to work with for years. And as I already knew the co-operation with the two ex-members was on its way to hell, in retrospect the only thing I could have done without was actually their petty attempt to run off with the name and the logo.
When you set out on a new record do you always have a finial vision in mind or is it ever a visceral experience?
It is a bit of both. On the upcoming album I had all the music ready. And I spent some months with the drummer/co-producer, Tomas Asklund, arranging it. But nevertheless, the rest of the guys will undoubtedly put their mark on the product as well, in a way which only they are able to. There was a reason why I chose to work with exactly those guys. So this is in no way a solo-project or some weird black metal dictatorship of a band co-operation, and the last amount of work hasn't been done yet. As far as our schedules say, we will be done with the mix on June 26th, and by then it will be clear whether everything comes along according to a final vision or not.
Of all the diverse groups and musicians you've worked with over the years, which has been your favorite collaboration?
Difficult to say. I have been touring with a lot of different musicians and bands, both bigger and smaller acts. I can at least say I am very happy with the collaboration we had with 1349 on the European tours of 2004 and 2005. We have also been touring with bands such as Krisiun and Dissection as well, which were also very good and professional experiences for me.
You're 2004 Krakow show has become legendary. Where did the visual ideas come from?
From somewhere inside my head, perhaps?
The physical form of Satan has been described in many texts and has been represented in all sorts of extremes throughout graphic art and film; are there particular descriptions or images that satisfy your idea of Satan's form?
Yes.
You have described yourself as a Gnostic Satanist. Can you elaborate a bit?
Indeed I can. I regard myself as a man of God. I live in a universe where humanism and so-called atheism in all their forms appear as meaningless and void. I do believe in God, a demiurge, and a vehicle to fulfill and take me to where I belong. And that is Satan. He represents to me a striving towards complete goodness and truth. He is my direct line and my yes and my no.
I have a band with no name. Would you do us the honor of making up a name for us?
No, but I can give you good advice on the road: as soon as you make that up yourself, be sure to tell future members whose creation it is, in case they later on should fail to understand that. Remember that, and you will be a fool for a day, max.
Thank you for your time. You are such a celebrated musician and figure!
Thank you as well. And again, sorry for the bad connection on the phone that other day. Best regards!
I have to be very brief today, but we will have some more stuff for you tonight. Does the title of the album pictured here remind anyone else of a lost Boz Scaggs record or something? Bands are so weird.
Great Lake Swimmers | Matthew And The Arrogant Sea | Kate Maki (Hailey's): I was looking through our archives to see what we've said about Great Lake Swimmers, and actually found nothing, except that they were on the Good Records' Top 20 for about four consecutive weeks in 2006. Hope that tells you what you need to know.
The Life And Times | Trebuchet | Dead Twins (Rubber Gloves) Not to say anything about The Life And Times' music, but the bio on their page has provided excellent entertainment for me today. Will someone decipher the following gem?:
It's also [a record] that heavily scratches that rock itch, ahem, but doesn't drown you in Gee Whiz Factor bullshit.
Please, somebody, anybody, tell me what the fuck that means. I'm begging you. Oh, and the bafflement I felt reading the bio actually kind of sums up what I think about their music. A final word to bio writers everywhere: Never type simply "Floyd" without the "Pink."
ADD: Wanz Dover is tonight's "Get Fucked" guest, along with the usual lineup of Mikey Rodge, Killtron, and Whack-A-Tone (Fallout Lounge)
Before we begin, one more thank you to Gordon And The Whale for helping us out with seats for last night's Tyson preview. The film was excellent, and I'm looking forward to an interview they've conducted with director James Toback that's going to be showing up on their website sometime next week.
Here Holy Spain (Good Records) This is a free in-store celebrating the Dallas group's new release. Starts at 7 PM, and there's a keg just in case you didn't give up beer for Lent.
Disqo Disco | Dani Deahl (Fallout Lounge) Tonight's guest is Chicago-based DJ, Dani Deahl. Deahl is fairly active in other aspects of music besides performing, moonlighting as a journalist for publications such as URB and BPM, which means I've probably read her work at SR's house without even realizing it. She also releases music through her own electro imprint, Calamity Jane, which is a subsidiary of beloved 20 year old House label, Strictly Rhythm.
Wow, procrastination must be the hardest habit to break. I've known that I was going to write about this particular record since I started doing this damn column, yet here I am typing away Monday night, during the NCAA title game.
Q: Why Big Science this week? A: My lovely daughter is having her first birthday on Thursday (YAY!!) and this is the first album that she really seemed to react to/enjoy, so I'm doing this for her, even though she will never remember it.
I've always enjoyed Anderson's work as a guilty pleasure, but listening to this album 8 million times over the course of three or four months made me appreciate it even more. This album was released to showcase the highlights of her eight hour performance art piece "United States Live," which must have been a beating to sit through. When condensed to just under 40 minutes, eight of which are taken up by the UK #2 hit 'O Superman,' this thing works pretty damn well.
--Before anyone comments "I can't believe you didn't say anything about her and Lou Reed..." Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed were married last year. So I guess she has a penis.
Off With Their Heads | Kids of Cons | Raging Boner | Division of Power (1919 Hemphill) Not that I have fun dissing shows at 1919 Hemphill or anything, because I don't, but if you're into any of the local supporting acts and plan on checking them out tonight, I would go ahead and leave after they play, because Off with their Heads remind me of some fairly embarrassing mid 90's pop punk band who probably opened for Rancid on their "Ruby Soho" tour or whatever. I just never need to hear this kind of music again I don't think.... sowwy. Anyway, Division of Power is probably the highlight here if you can take political punk, and Raging Boner doesn't sound half bad either.
As many of you probably already know, Ariel Pink will be playing with Vivian Girls and Fight Bite at Hailey's this Saturday, April 11th, and Spune Productions was nice enough to give us a pair of tickets to the show to give away to you.... you know the drill-- email weshotjrtix@yahoo.com any time between now and Wednesday at Noon with "Ariel Pink" as the subject line and your full name in the email body. Good luck losers!
We're definitely getting a dose of icons lately. Leonard Cohen last Friday, Morrissey this Friday, and tonight, Iron Mike Tyson. James Toback's new documentary of the controversial fighter, simply titled "Tyson," has been extremely well-received, with positive reviews and standing ovations at the various festivals in which it has been shown. I have admittedly been looking forward to seeing this film for over a year, and will finally get the chance tonight, thanks to Gordon And The Whale. They are presenting a preview screening at The Magnolia tonight, and you can get in for free by printing out the Facebook invite here. Film to start at 7:30, but you should arrive extra early due to limited seating.
PS-For those of you who think it's terrible to be promoting a film about such a flawed character, most likely the same crowd that sips Cabernet while intellectualizing Capturing The Friedmans or Chicken Hawk, look, just give me a break already.
Leonard Cohen (Nokia Theater) Leonard Cohen is the king of songwriters that get by on personality above all else, and yet what separates him from much lesser poets is that a good chunk of his material is actually worth revisiting on a regular basis.
Though much of his early work can seem like smokey-voiced variations on "To Ramona," the majority of it is excellent, especially on tracks like "The Partisan," where he took traditional European folk music and made it uniquely his own. The song sounds much less dated than most acoustic guitar songs recorded in 1968. Cohen's evolution of sound kept him relevant, for instance, not sounding like he was trying too hard by using synths in the 80's. In addition to shrewd choices like working with (and getting threatened by) Phil Spector, having Allen Ginsberg (andDylan) sing backup on a track, etc., he also had the good fortune of ultimately being associated with such hip cultural milestones as "Pump Up The Volume," as well as being covered by everyone from Electrelane to Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, and John Cale. He's one of those undeniably "cool" icons that make for a tough argument for those claiming his coolness is overrated. Listen to how giddy TV and radio interviewers are in any old clip or recording if you don't believe me. It will be a privilege if I actually make it to this show.
Quintron and Miss Pussycat | Psychedelic Horseshit | Mo Brown (The Prophet Bar) We were stunned by the revelation of this show, finding out about its existence only in the past 48 hours, and wondering how such a good bill could end up at The Prophet Bar. There should be some type of warning, designation, or ranking that booking agents can check when placing a show, but, oh, well. Psychedelic Horseshit have a much-improved live show from what I'm told, and apparently it is more chaotic and noisy than ever. Quintron and Miss Pussycat have sort of evolved into their own brand judging by the number of superficial or maybe just casual music fans I hear referring to the events they've thrown in New Orleans over the years. The last time I remember being at a show they were apart of was Oops! (The Tour), an insane traveling lineup that included Lightning Bolt, Arab On Radar, and The Locust. Even though I can't even recall Quintron's set, that's the way I'd like to remember it if it means I might end up at tonight's venue.
Realicide | Yatagarasu | Lil Foot/No Music Plays in Hospitals (House of Tinnitus) Big show at House of Tinnitus tonight. Realicide is an astonishingly harsh hardcore/raw industrial/electronics group, influenced by everything from political American hardcore punk to Cabaret Voltaire, but with more emphasis on beats. It's really fantastic stuff that I hadn't had the pleasure of hearing until recently, but I'd highly recommend it if you're into any of the above genres.
Social with Females | Vega (the Cavern) Vega will be the guest DJ tonight at this new weekly DJ set.
Riverboat Gamblers | Record Hop | Hello Lover (Club Dada) So if you have the musical tastes of a 15 year old who just heard punk rock for the first time over Christmas Break when his mom got him a Best Buy gift card, then you might be totally into Riverboat Gamblers. Some of the stuff on their latest record isn't quite as terrible as their older work, but that isn't saying a whole lot... I don't know, there's just something really irritating about boring, polished mall punk like this when its marketed to the public as "dangerous" and "rockin" and "cool." Being able to predict every note a band is going to play before they play it? Fucking snooze fest if you ask me, energetic live show or no.
Uptown Fridays with Select (Zubar) Select plays a good deal of old school house and hip hop on Friday nights, and its free.
SATURDAY
Robyn Hitchcock and the The Venus 3 (Granada Theater) The legendary Robyn Hitchcock headlines at the Granada on a busy weekend for legends. After getting his start in the beloved Soft Boys, Hitchcock developed a very loyal following based on his solo work, which recalls everything from The Byrds to Bob Dylan to the Beatles to Pink Floyd, among others, with charmingly surreal lyrics and an obvious lean towards the softer, poppier side of classic psychedelia. Almost all of it is breezy, reflective, and immaculately crafted. On this tour, Hitchcock will be playing with his band the Venus 3, which includes Peter Buck of R.E.M.
SAS with Select and Schwa (Backroom of Zubar) Last month's first installment of SAS, which kind of served as an after party for the Cut Copy show at the Granada, was apparently pretty packed and quite a good time, and since it seems to be the only decent dance event happening in the city on Saturday, I would expect a similar crowd.
Dust Congress | Geistheistler /Piccline | Zanzibar Snails (Rubber Gloves) Dust Congress played an excellent set in the lead singer's home earlier this week, and you would not believe how much space a marimba takes up in a living room. I want to quickly add that Piccline includes members of Fra Pandolf, and I can't wait to hear them.
Before we get started, I'm going to do something a little out of the ordinary and post some tracks to download, something I've been meaning to do since yesterday. This is solo work from George Quartz of Faux Fox. Here they are:
Doug Burr | Matthew And The Arrogant Sea (Palace Theater Arts Center located at 300 South Main Street in Grapevine) Give credit to Spune for their increasingly bizarre show locales. Grapevine has spawned many a local musician, and tonight Doug Burr and MATAS are returning the favor and bringing it back to one of the area's most ridiculed suburbs. No shortage of strong opinions when it comes to these two acts, so tonight's show is either a smart pairing of two of the area's most noteworthy songwriters in an unexpected spot, or...a really long drive.
The Strange Boys | The King Bucks (Double Wide) I'm sure this show will be packed, due to the disparate but devoted followings of these two groups, though there might be more bleed-over than you would expect. I mean, it's safe to say that both groups openly love Ray Charles and other assorted icons of song, so it's equally safe to assume that your average Dallas music fan is probably not averse to either of these acts and their dedication to past traditions of popular music. In other words, DFW likes its country, garage rock, old fashioned rhythm and blues etc., and that will pretty much be covered in the course of only two sets, so what's not to like? I can see some Ticket fans perhaps being thrown off by Strange Boys frontman Ryan Sambol's rather high register, but that's about it. Oh, and I want to mention that The Strange Boys are going on an epic tour with Mika Miko and The Coathangers this summer, something that can only add to the momentum they have managed to build since moving to Austin.
80's Night With DJ G (Hailey's) Sun Club (Rubber Gloves)
