By Defensive Listening, Nite Maus, and Frank Phosphate.
FRIDAY
Sleep Whale | Dust Congress | Geistheistler | New Science Projects | Emil Rapstine (Rubber Gloves): As Rubber Gloves Free Week pushes on with the intensity of a first-time mother, the lineup for today looks like a nice complement to a good southern afternoon. Sleep Whale, previously known as Mom, is an always engaging opener. Even my mother--yeah, I know--liked them...she'll be sad they changed their moniker. It was pretty catchy.
Dust Congress, which boasts members who have dipped their fingers in The Baptist Generals', Jandek's, and Shearwater's puddings, is probably my favorite item on the list, and one that I'd like to catch.
The tempo picks up a bit with New Science Projects, who unfortunately rely on a bit of the Oberst-ian, emotionally overwrought approach, though their live show could be redeeming.
The bill also features noise-improv act, Geistheistler and a solo set from Emil Rapstine. How can Emil be in two places at once? I guess now I've seen it all.(NM)
The Angelus | Tre Orsi | The Hope Trust (Double Wide): These bands all sound fine, are populated by able musicians, and usually put on good shows. They also all kind of sound like serious, respectable, guitar-rock bands, with shades of groups past; one act respectively mining from the Swans' latter and prettier, era, and the following pulling from either the epic "Cortez The Killer," or folksy "Comes A Time" side of Neil Young. I have seem them all enough to never really need to seek them out on purpose again. They're all the pride of the North Texas local music media and who they keep being proud of, again and again. So, hurrah. The Double Wide's regular crowd kind of turns me off of anything going on there anyway. But good luck to Angelus band members to getting from Fair Park to Denton in one swift car ride (See Above). (NM)
I hadn't heard Tre Orsi's cover of "Insomnia" until today. Excellently subdued version. (DL)
Black Fridays featuring Unit One and Disqo Disco (Fallout Lounge) New weekly at The Fallout which features all the Waves; Cold, Dark, and of course, New. Also classic Industrial, Goth, and Post Disco. For a generously comprehensive overview of what will be playing, download this mix featuring everyone from Xymox, The Cure, and the one-original-song-discography-powerhouse, Q Lazzarus.(DL)
Screening: "Amercian Hardcore"/"Valley Girl" (1919 Hemphill) "American Hardcore" Starts at 7 PM, 30 Minute Blue Sky Soda break, and then "Valley Girl."(DL)
Absu | Solitude Aeturnus | Averse Sefira | Hod | Violent Intentions (Ridglea Theater): Plano Black Metal legends Absu play a rescheduled show that was originally supposed to be at Trees. Yet another group that is more known outside of DWF than they are around town. Is it any wonder? Dallas is a place where you get writers who are more into the "Seven Habits of Highly Successful Manager's" than anything involving artists or musicians, writing about music. Them's the breaks. (DL)
Group Exhibition: "Character Building" with work by Rick Fuentes/Daniel Bennett/Jessica Fuentes/Eddie Burrell/Thomas PH/David Degrand/Emily Donjuan/Matt Hogan/Diana Urbino/Billy "chickenbilly" Hayes (The Firehouse Gallery located at 4147 Meadowbrook Dr in Fort Worth) Musical performances by Yanari, Pff(f)t!, and Hentai Improvising Orchestra.
Leatherwood | Daniel Folmer | The Bad Press | Giggle Party | Reinventing Jude | The Hand Combine | Young & Brave | Rio Rasco | The River Mouth | Western Giants | Hard Times | Lazy Native | Manned Missiles | Yeah Def (The Schoolhouse): DayBowBow.net's host or “teacher,” as the flier for its upcoming show states, has done a good job of educating the public on a large number of relatively unknown bands. The site has featured daily listings this past week with some brief artist bios for Saturday's gargantuan all-day house show. The eclectic shindig promises a bizarre mix of bands, which is cool, I guess, for a quasi-inaugural show. Not quite sure why the theme has to be Fight Night and not something with a slightly more positive tinge to it, but I'm always supportive of a new DIY venue and hopefully over time it will find its niche, 'cause this show is going to be all over the place.
I saw Giggle Party at one of their first shows and they annoyed the shit out of me beyond belief. Matching outfits, unison singing and high energy were harshing my mellow. Surprisingly a month or two later I viewed a really slick and humorous video for one of their songs and apparently ended up liking it. Their hyperactive indie pop sounds like it has been polished to the bone with sugar, coming across as a hybrid of Apples in Stereo and Frank Zappa, sprinkled with a little Gary Glitter singalong pomp. A band certainly worth checking out for its healthy sense of humor.
Leatherwood recall a Fairport Convention-esque British folk rock group who seem to be able to book a good amount of shows in the area. Not much that sets them apart from their ilk, but what is there is solid. Definitely worth checking out for you die-hard folkies if MATAS is too out there for you.
And of course it wouldn’t be a party in Denton without Yeah Def behind the MacBook. This fool is everywhere and has a potent talent for getting people moving. His sets are never my cup of tea but you've got to give the guy credit for putting in the hours. One time he even managed to play an hour worth of songs featuring "heaven" in the title, which is surely a talent in itself. Much like Giggle Party, don't take yourself seriously and hype yourself out the wazoo to ensure a guaranteed recipe for musical success.
Sorry to be a little uncreative today, but here's a little copy 'n' paste: "The Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas present LAUNCH with an opening reception and third-anniversary celebration at the CADD Art Lab on Thursday, July 16, 5-8 pm. This exhibition showcases art by current and recently graduated studio art graduate students from Master of Fine Arts programs located in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denton area. MFA graduate students featured include Adrian Aguirre, Julie Barnofski, Angel Cabrales, Todd Camplin, Gabriel Dawe, Kelly Flynn, Nate Glaspie, Timothy Harding, Elizabeth Higgins, Mona Kasra, Kyle Kondas, Jung Eun Lee, Tom Leininger, Mike Mazurek, and Sarah Williams."
Tactile Richland College Brazos Gallery Opens Thursday, Sept. 3, noon - 1 pm Through October 9. (972) 238-6339 featuring work by David Connolly, Paul Greco, and Harmony Padgett
DUDE: I just realized after writing all the below that this opening happened today at noon. Agh. Anyway...
I really wish I could see more of Harmony Padgett's stuff. She seems to have no web presence at all, but the thumbnails you can see on a few of the gallery sites (#1, #2, #3) look pretty interesting. Check out David Connolly's stuff linked above (also, the featured image, titled Pattern #3).
Lazy, lazy: "Using an idiosyncratic and highly individualized lyrical language of biomorphic abstraction, self-taught Czech artist Anna Zemánková (1908–1986) made drawings of striking originality and beauty. Zemánková, a Prague housewife who suffered from chronic depression, began making her richly abstracted unfolding floral-like compositions in 1960, at the age of fifty-two. She often executed her drawings while in a trancelike state, and her works appear to undergo anorganic transformation on the paper, resulting in graceful, fantastic flower/star/leaf shapes."
Hey, is anyone going to Scion Garage Fest? Is this lame or cool? I know it has a lot of everyone's favorite bands, but SCION garage fest? Not exactly subtle with the sponsorship there, unfortunately. I understand that sponsors are an oft-accepted part of most festivals (except for the successfully anti-corporate All Tomorrow's Parties), but this is the one of the most crass things I've seen in a while.
Elliott Levin Trio | The Tidbits (Phoenix Project located at 406 Haskell Ave. in Dallas) Philadelphia's Elliot Levin is a published poet, as well as a prolific saxophonist that has recorded for ESP, and studied under Cecil Taylor; that alone is reason enough to attend this performance. Throw in the fact that he'll be backed by what is arguably the best rhythm section in the state, The Gonzalez Brothers, and this show seems even more essential.
I should take this time to also mention a new recording that The Gonzalez brothers are featured on, "The Great Bydgoszcz Concert," a live recording with trumpeter/father Dennis Gonzalez's Yells At Eels, along with Lisbon, Portugal resident Rodrigo Amado on saxophone. The release is from a live show in Poland, recorded in March of last year. More info here.
Nervous Curtains | Florene | Phantastes | Lychgate (Rubber Gloves): I saw Lychgate a few times and always liked their muscular, death-drone, as it lacked the intellectual pose that can be off-putting about some multi-member acts that exist in the realm of largely formless psych music. After catching Lychgate a couple of times recently, I found that they have added a new arsenal of sonically dynamic qualities to their material that have really opened up their entire set, making it even more intriguing. The quiets are even quieter, not really building up, but making the loudness even more jarring and allowing for an explosive finale when the climactic conclusion is drawn. Throw in the wild, synth-driven antics of Phantastes, as well as Florene, and Nervous Curtains, and you have one of the darker, and more avant-leaning shows of Free Week.
Elvis Costello (Nokia) I'm normally an Elvis Costello detractor, but can you believe that the top ticket to see Collective Soul tonight is about six bucks more than the top ticket to this show? That's ridiculous, even to a guy like me, who thinks that Elvis Costello's finest moment was co-writing Paul McCartney's last Top 40 hit, "My Brave Face," which is featured above. This song has nothing going for it; terrible production, embarrassingly self-referential lyrics, and an over the top refrain that sounds like it was recorded in a crowded baseball stadium. And yet, I find this track irresistible. The sophistication of the daringly ornate verse that builds up to the chorus in particular makes this a Youtube favorite, much to the dismay of everyone else around me. Costello is touring with a mostly acoustic band, and is playing in a more reserved manner than you might expect from this so-called "aging punk rocker." Expect some Merle Haggard and Velvet Underground covers. Might be the highlights for me, since the chances of him rocking the aforementioned hit are slim.
it list : tuesday and introducing our two new writers
I'm proud to announce a couple of new clever nicknames for you all to admire, have secret crushes on, and of course, spend your pathetic weekends obsessively trying to figure out their identities. They are Frank Phospate and Nite Maus, and I hope you are as thrilled as I am to read some writing that is not me or Stoned Ranger. Ok, here we go:
Rival Gang | RTB2 | Drink To Victory | Violent Squid (Rubber Gloves) Another solid, diverse show at Rubber Gloves tonight, as free week marches on into its second day. Tonight is a great opportunity to see some bands that don't play outside of the DIY scene too often, whether by choice or otherwise. Ty Stamp, the grand master behind Violent Squid is always a curiosity piece. His live shows are not known for their consistency; every performance is a unique entity with a rotating cast of performers, instruments, and ideas. One thing you can count on is that the boundaries of what a live musical performance can be will be pushed. Ty has an eye for picking top notch people who know how to play off one another. Whether it is one person or an entire choir of avant-wunderkinds, you can expect a mind-melting experience.
To counter the previously mentioned free form artiness, you can expect a kick in the ass by Drink to Victory’s straight ahead punk rawk sound. If history repeats itself, all of the band members should be shirtless by the end of the set, a little something they throw in for the ladies I guess.
Fresh off the heels of their Observer "Best Of" something-or-other win, duo RTB2 will offer a nice calm between the Drink to Victory/Rival Gang storm. RTB2 usually get stuck playing with the same group of artists, limiting the reach that they deserve. This should be a great opportunity to be heard by a different crowd.
Last but not least, we have the Denton sex-pot trio, Rival Gang. The group draws a line in the sand early in their performance. You can choose to step across, or be a boring lame-o and go to the bar waiting for the “real music” to happen. Those of you that choose to stick around are in store for one of the more exciting bands around town these days. The chaotic nature of the music is an obvious pairing for a D.I.Y. setting, but works surprisingly well at a venue with a real PA and an unsuspecting audience. I was lucky enough to catch Rival Gang at, of all places, Dan's Silverleaf; the facial reactions of audience members that night was priceless. The music is messy, some times out of tune, perverse, abrasive and confusing. What good Rock n’ Roll should be. Unfortunately this will be the last time to catch RG for awhile so don't miss it. (FP)
Fruit Bats (Free Show Good Records followed by an appearance at The Loft) The Fruit Bats' latest release's popularity is as confusing to me as Fleet Foxes' moment in the spotlight last Fall. They're bands which are charming enough, listenable enough, poppy enough. And uninteresting enough to be one more forgettable addition to a club that really doesn't need more members (the Sub Pop club?).
I'm really trying to understand when inoffensive and unobtrusive music became the hottest commodity. Put out anything that sounds remotely like The Shins and you'll get a slobberfest over it. I mean, don't you remember that one scene in "Garden State?" Wasn't that just the cutest?
The only compliment I can give "The Ruminant Band" is that it might hold a spot in the always-great "Which albums can I give mom at Christmas?" list. I mean, Fleet Foxes was even sold out at the local Barnes and Noble last December (gasp). It's a harsh world out there, and to be making money with music is honestly kind of impressive.
If you do want to check them out, they'll be playing an in-store at Good Records tonight at 7pm. I'm sure they'll be super nice and perfectly adequate. (NM)
90's Night With Yeah Def and Ian Bangs (Hailey's) All I ever hear about in Denton is how this night is nearing capacity. You know what that means. Time to strictly enforce more of a Downtown Dallas dress-code at Hailey's. NO HOODIES, NO CUTOFFS, NO SANDALS, NO BAGGY JEANS. YOU GOT THAT? BIZ CAJ ONLY, BABY. (DL)
Disqo Disco (Fallout Lounge) Tonight's guest is Big J.
I was introduced to New Zealand guitarist Roy Montgomery some time in the mid 90s when my high school chemistry teacher made a tape for me with two of the songs from this record, "Strand" and "Dissong." There was a lot of great shit on the tape, like Pierre Henry, Silver Apples, Scenic, Painkiller, Naked City, and a few others that I can't readily recall, but the Dissolve songs stuck out immediately to me and, nearly a decade and a half later, I still listen to this record fairly frequently.
Dissolve, a project with fellow New Zealand guitarist Chris Heaphy, is but one of many groups that Montgomery has been associated with. In 1981 his first band, the Pin Group, released the first single on New Zealand's famous (and currently, like, super hip) Flying Nun label, even though the Clean are often credited as having done this with their debut, "Tally Ho." He went on to be a member of Dadamah, who released a couple of singles and the fucking fantastic record "This is not a Dream" in the early 90s on Majora, all of which saw a compiled cd release on Kranky. As a solo artist he has released several singles and a handful of excellent full length albums, with the highlight probably being 1996's Temple IV. His collaboration with Bardo Pond, Hash Jar Tempo, was also well received, despite being one of the worst named bands ever.
I am a fan of damn near everything that I've heard regarding Montgomery's lengthy discography, but this record, along with the aforementioned Dadamah and Temple IV albums, is definitely among my favorites. It's not very often that an album with two guitarists, no other instruments and very little in the way of vocals can keep me (or many others) interested throughout, but this one has done it for me time and time again and I only hope that it can do the same for some of you as well.
