Followed By Static | Little Teeth (Hot Box Pizza located at 214 E Hickory in Denton) Pretty sure this is the same Little Teeth I saw play in an Austin backyard last year, and their challenging music, specifically the vocals, should make for a pretty interesting time at this pizza place this evening. Show is free and starts at 7 PM. (DL)
Blues Control | Silver Shampoo | Darktown Strutters | Fungi Girls | Wild In The Streets (Mable Peabody's): Stellar line-up tonight at one of my favorite places to see a show in the Metroplex (despite the fact that the last time I was there, I was almost beat up by a very angry woman who thought I cut in front of her in the bar line.) The first time I remember Brooklyn's Blues Control coming through town (and I could be wrong about this) was at a house show in March of 2008, on the same night WSJR was hosting Times New Viking, Psychedelic Horseshit and Wax Museums at the sadly defunct Strawberry Fields. I remember simultaneously loving our show AND feeling disappointed that I had to miss a group that I had just started getting excited about after spending a couple months with every Blues Control recording I could get my hands on. For those who have yet to dive into their work, Blues Control is a group that is rather difficult to define outside of a few descriptors-- loop-based, psychedelic, atmospheric, repetitive, avant-garde; but bands like this can't really be contained by such descriptions, because at the end of the day, this kind of loosely structured, hypnotic material usually becomes highly personal for any listener who's willing to let it in. Furthermore, the group seems to change quite a bit from release to release-- whereas early material such as 2007's Puff reveled in stoner drones, their latest release on Siltbreeze, Local Flavor, seems to explore everything from lo-fi roots rock (complete with an appearance from Kurt Vile) to traditional avant garde, all with the kind of wild, primitive aesthetic found on the Angus MacLise records reissued by Siltbreeze in the late 90's. This is adventurous, new psychedelic music that's difficult to define but easy to listen to. Highly recommended, especially considering the all around excellent line up of local openers-- be sure to catch Denton's Silver Shampoo while you can, because they don't play out often and they aren't to be missed by anyone with an interest in catchy proto-punk. (SR)
Written mostly by Frank Phosphate with some help by DL.
FRIDAY Hidden Cameras | Gentleman Reg | The O's (Hailey's) It's a pretty shitty time to be a gay person in America. Somehow it was decided that civil rights issues are something to be voted on by the public at large. On one side of the argument, we have testimonials from couples unable to receive perks made easily available to their hetero counterparts, civil rights experts explaining the social/historical significance of limiting civil rights, and even economists promoting the fiscal advantages of allowing people to marry whom they want. While defending for the other team there is Carrie Prejean. How is that team winning? Like a beacon of light amidst the darkness of ignorance, Friday at Hailey's will feature a solid night of musical entertainment from a queer-friendly lineup.
The Hidden Cameras have made a name for themselves the past few years for incorporating social issues and raunchy Vaselines-style sexuality into a genre dominated by whiny sweater-clad boys and girls. Whereas most baroque pop is meant to be played on winter mornings or late at night while crying over boxes of forgotten love letters, the Cameras are successful in incorporating a communal joviality into a typically morose medium. While politics play a role in their music, it will in no way alienate people just looking to hear some lighthearted, sexually mischievous indie-pop.
Unfortunately the band can sound a little too much like (cringe) Barenaked Ladies sometimes, but with a much darker and better sense of humor and purpose. Like The Polyphonic Spree, the Cameras have a lot of cooks in the kitchen, which can make for a diverse but inconsistent dining experience. Live however, The Hidden Cameras are pretty amazing. The band has a great time on stage, mixing theatrics and parlor tricks to create a nice interactive performance. If you have had a rough week this show will definitely put a smile on your face. (FP)
Atomic Party With DJ G | Blixaboy (Fallout Lounge)
Chinese Stars | The Phuss | Sensitive Hearts (The Cavern): Members of Six Finger Satellite and Arab On Radar should make for a great show in theory and I'm sure they are great live, but I always wish the music would push just as hard as those acts whenever I hear a Chinese Stars song on community college radio. (DL)
Senora De Las Sambras | Church of the Apocalypse | Ascites | Mind Hunter | Small Talk | Wu Fru De Lu | Rakasan | Stress | A Fail Assosciation | In Girum Imus Nocte (Phoenix Project): This is a great lineup and further exemplifies Phoenix Project's commitment to host groups that fall outside of up-and-down-the-fretboard punk rock. Reduced ticket price if you bring a book. I have seen half of these artists at houses in Denton, but it's very comforting to see Dallas being invaded by the noise creeps. Note: Lychgate had to cancel due to illness. (DL)
Aight Yo #8: Lego The Mic (Rubber Gloves) Described by curator Yeah Def as a "freestyle fellowship," this night of hip hop will feature local producers and MC's in an orgy of beats and metaphors. There are not many opportunities to hear local hip hop this side of Lake Lewisville, so it sounds like a great oppertuinty to check out some original stuff. I also hear that anyone who feels the rhythm can jump on stage and do a little free styling themselves. This will probably be pretty funny once the night progress and drinks are consumed. And it is free. (FP)
Featuring tracks by former Dallas resident Kyle Humphries AKA Kylebeats, who is kind of the DFW version of Rodney Lemay if you didn't know. (DL)
SATURDAY
Wax Museums | Uptown Bums | Occult Detective Club (Lions Den, Denton) And the award for hardest working band in Denton this week goes to, maniacal punk rock drum roll please....Uptown Bums! I caught the performance on Monday night with Video, and they put on a very solid show as always, with the two bands complimenting each other very nicely. Seeing as how Video shares members with Wax Museum, I am excited to see some of that same energy at this show. This will mark the last show of the year for Wax Museums, so keep that in mind while making your Saturday night plans. I haven't had a chance to check out a show at Lions Den yet, looking forward to it. (FP)
The Slow Burners | Brass Bed | Yellow Fever (Hailey's): Solid and diverse show for The Slow Burner's record release for their new album, This is Why We Fight. Slow Burners features members of Little Grizzly and RTB2. Front-man and songwriter George Neal is known for his energetic live performances, which helps to bring to life the boot stomping roots folk the band creates. Austin's Yellow Fever add a nice, subdued flavor to the mix with their female-fronted indie pop. (FP)
Peter Bjorn and John | El Perro Del Mar (House of Blues) I am very proud of the fact that I have never seen a show at the Target of music venues, House of Blues. The stories I have heard of the place makes this house show jumper stay far away. Snobbery aside, there just hasn't been anything to tempt me over there. So the big question: Does the Peter Bjorn and John show have what it takes to drag me out to the dreaded HOB? Of course not!
Peter Bjorn and John have everything going for them. They came in at just the right time and with just the right song to make it big in the world of commercially viable indie-pop. I'm glad that "Young Folks" happened; it was a solid song that you don't mind hearing over and over again, as apposed to most top 40 "indie" records that briefly make a splash upon the scene. But I was disappointed that the rest of the work I heard from them didn't really "pop" to me. Their music isn't bad or unpleasant, it just lacks the originality and personality to make it work past the single format.
The new album attempts to breach new ground by a taking a decidedly darker turn into the folk/synth-pop realm. This would be great if it still didn't all sound like the background music for a Volkswagen commercial. If you are looking for some new dark synth pop might I suggest you save your money on the overpriced tickets, parking and beer and instead go purchase the new release from Cold Cave, Love Comes Close, released last week on Matador. It's great. I bet there will be a lot more attractive young people at HOB as opposed to your room though, so the choice is yours. (FP)
Regina Spektor (Nokia Theater) I know I'm really supposed to hate Regina Spektor, but I just don't. She kind of sounds like a more Billboard-friendly Joanna Newsom mixed with the cocky tendency to do revisionist versions of classic songs on piano; something that many piano players and keyboardists tend to do, and I'm thinking of everyone from Tori Amos to Sean Kirkpatrick. Some people pull it off beautifully, some don't. Spektor is somewhere in the middle. Even though I know this is pretty much music for children, I don't mind it that much.
Car Stereo Wars | Mikey Rodge (The Cavern) I didn't realize that the Car Stereo Wars mastermind, Chris Rose, had moved to Brooklyn. He just played Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin last weekend, so that might explain why he's still in town. He was once one of the most known well-known DJ's in Texas, climbing to the top during the mashup craze. On a somewhat related note, it looks like there is no Top Notch tonight, since Sober is out of town.
Dethklok | Mastodon | High on Fire | Converge (House of Blues) Pretty tough show at The HOB, but having so many big names on the bill practically makes that an inevitability. Most of these metal and hardcore acts have, at one time or another, done some impressive things, but I can't completely vouch for any of them at this point. High On Fire would be the group I would have the most confidence in as far as withstanding the effects of time on a band's intimidation factor, however, they had to completely ruin it by selling Koozies that say "Get Wasted" on their music page. Converge were once the flagship exception for people who couldn't stand metalcore, however that reputation seems to have dwindled over the past couple of records. I can not believe they have been together for almost twenty years. That's more than enough time for those black hoodies to have faded to grey by now.
Schwassanova featuring Schwa and Genova (Ghostbar)
Cheap Time | Uptown Bums | Bad Sports (J&Js) Cheap Time is technically the one touring act here, a Tennessee garage rock band that once included members of Be Your Own Pet, however that isn't really reflected in their music and is largely irrelevant now. Cheap Time attempts more than one style of songwriting, which is not always the case with these acts and there are certainly a number of them that take a twisted amount of pride in their one-dimensionality. Thankfully they are not one of them, and there are little hints of glam and even New Wave sprinkled throughout.
I hope we don't see less of Bad Sports now that founding member Orvilee Neely is living in Austin, but I don't blame him for moving. Denton is one of the few places in Texas where you can't get a decent meal even when the sun is still out.
Karl Blau | LAKE (5123 Victor St in Dallas) There is some talk about this being one of the best East Dallas house shows of '09, and I would have to agree. Karl Blau is extremely prolific and often embarks on sonic and aesthetic territory in his vast body of work that many of his contemporaries shy away from, even collaborators like The Microphones. Just to give you an idea of how many of Blau's records are floating around out there, here is a link to some, but not all of his releases. His newest record is entitled Zebra, and is said to be inspired by African music. Though that's not immediately apparent, most of the textured pop I have heard from Blau lately is very enjoyable, delivered in a voice that isn't suffering from the emotional anemia that a lot of current indie vocalists are plagued by. The last time I had a chance to catch Blau live was at our SXSW show last year, and he was great then, so I expect no less from him tonight. Recommended. Fellow Washingtonian co-conspirators LAKE also perform.
Fuck Buttons | Growing (Hailey's) Fuck Buttons, or F*ck Buttons as you might see them referred to frequently, are grabbing at the torch for the electronic shoegaze set. M83 were towing the line there for awhile for electro-gazers, but to the dismay of most (me not included), Gonzalez has taken a much more pop oriented turned with M83's recent work. There is no "Frank and Jessie" to be found on Button's latest, or would they ever be mistaken for pop music. I wasn't a fan of Street Horrsing, a little too "post-rock" for my tastes, but their latest breaches some new sonic territory that transports it out of the snooze-fest most experimental finds itself in. Tarot Sport features the same basic structure of the debut, but with a new focus coming off like Metal Machine Music by way of Pet Shop Boys. How this will translate to the live setting is any one's guess; I have a feeling that it will probably be boring. It seems that most ten minute songs magically turn into 15 minutes songs once they hit the stage. If you are on enough drugs it shouldn't matter, plus it is always fun to hear multiple people say "fuck" randomly in public. (FP)
Crystal Antlers | The Uptown Bums | Video (Rubber Gloves) I avoided the Crystal Antlers debut EP, because it was produced by the same guy that produced Mars Volta and I am admittedly closed-minded in that way. Since their new full-length is self-produced, something I admire in a band, not to mention reading some positive non-blog press, I finally decided to give it a go, and was surprised to find some Nugget-y prog-lite ditties. Nothing groundbreaking in their sound, but above average songwriting and clever organ riffs helps it rise above. The band seem more interested in making solid songs, as opposed to adhering to current trends. Nice! What really makes this a super great show are local openers Uptown Bums and Video, so a solid night of rawk. (FP)
I can't remember if I've already posted this video or if I've just watched it a lot, but let me know if I have and I'll post something else I wanted to post. One of my favorite Beat Happening songs:
SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK
MON: Fuck Buttons/Growing (Hailey's) MON: Crystal Antlers/The Uptown Bums (Rubber Gloves) MON: An Albatross/All Leather (the Lounge) TUE: Karl Blau/Lake (5123 Victor St, Dallas) WED: Dethklok/Mastodon/High on Fire/Converge (House of Blues) WED: Uptown Bums/Cheap Time/Bad Sports (J&Js) THU: Son Volt/Peter Bruntnell (Granada Theater) FRI: Hidden Cameras/Gentleman Reg/The O's (Hailey's) FRI: Chinese Stars/Ishi/Sensitive Hearts (The Cavern) FRI: Lychgate/Church of the Apocalypse/Ascites/Mind Hunter/Small Talk/Wu Fru De Lu/Rakasan/Stress/A Fail Assosciation/In Girum Imus Nocte (Phoenix Project) SAT: Wax Museums/Uptown Bums/Occult Detective Club (Lions Den, Denton) SAT: The Slow Burners/Brass Bed/Fergus and Geronimo/Yellow Fever (Hailey's) SAT: Peter Bjorn and John/El Perro Del Mar (House of Blues)
So, Fun Fun Fun Fest is upon us and I've been doing some thinking this week about the lineup and the average local music listener's response to it. Time and time again I hear people bringing up the same acts, generally the most current ones that tour constantly, with little to no attention paid to the once-in-a-lifetime performances, such as Death, or at least once-in-a-decade sets by The Jesus Lizard or The Pharcyde. What sets this festival apart from most, is that the event has real booking talent behind it, Graham Williams, who used to book for Emo's, but now runs his own Transmission Entertainment. It was specifically at Emo's that I remember noticing that Williams had a reputation for shrewdly delivering impeccable bills in Austin week after week, while many of us in Dallas sat around scratching our heads wondering why the hell nobody can put together shows that both draw and don't suck around here. It was especially for the fact that he did it on such a large scale and through traditional means. So in a lot of ways, it's no surprise that FFF Fest seems to satisfy the intensely competing interests of the elitist record collector, the aging cynical punk rocker, and even the brightly colored teenage fashionista indie brat. No small feat. Maybe I'll see you there. (DL) FRIDAY
Destroyer | Sarah Jaffe | RTB2 (Granada): Destroyer? This silly, overrated verbose motherfucker has to be one of the most annoying artists to ever receive accolades in underground music. I've never heard a single Destroyer song that I haven't despised. Sowwy. (SR)
Nick Catchdubs/The Party with Nature | Select | Sober (The Loft)
HEALTH | Times New Viking | Teenage Cool Kids | The Axemen (The Lounge): I was skeptical about some of the new Health record until I heard it live. I'm skeptical no longer. I've seen this band literally 15 times it feels like, and I haven't grown sick of them.
Dallas Videofest Screening: R.E.M.: This Is Not A Show (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station)
Dallas Videofest Screening: Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth featuring rare footage of 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Archies, Bay City Rollers and more (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station)
Kettle Art is doing a "Portfolio Review" show this weekend. It's a great little artist-run gallery in Deep Ellum. Gallery assistant Michelle McLaughlin was nice enough to sit down with WeShotJr for some hard-hitting art opinions. About her role in the gallery, she says, "no one really has a role, we make it fun and it works."
Richardson Heights: Why is Kettle Art hosting this juried show?
Michelle McLaughlin: We wanted to do something we haven't done before that would bring in new artists and give opportunity for individuals to get professional feedback on their work.
RH: Can you talk about one or two of your favorites pieces that are included?
MM: There are many pieces that I really like, it would be very difficult to choose favorites.
RH: Judiciously played. So, Kettle Art is described as "the little Deep Ellum gallery that could" -- how are things going as one of the last cultural oases in the area?
MM: It's going very well. We feel a lot of love from the community and from our local artists and we do our best to give it right back.
FRIDAY
Portfolio Review Kettle Art 2714 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75226 November 6 : 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Nathan Beach Evita Cortez Rob Polivka Andy's Backroom Gallery 1411 Las Jardines, Arlington, TX 76013 November 6 : 8:00 - 11:00 PM
For the ultimate DIY art gallery experience, come see this guy's gallery, literally in the back room at his house in Arlington.
nI had better just go ahead and throw this up, since the hour is growing much too late for it to be relevant. I'm glad that there is a show at Jupiter House, and they should have more there. It's not my favorite coffee in the world, but it has certainly always given me a pleasant enough environment to kill time when I'm in Denton, or at the very least, somewhere to hide and eat a muffin when I'm having a panic attack at Hailey's.
Disqo Disco (Fallout Lounge) Tonight's guest is Mikey Rodge.
Le Loup | Jacob Metcalf (The Cavern) From a recent interview with Tiny Mix Tapes when front-man Sam Sitkoff was asked which of his favorite albums represented a cohesive statement:
TMT:What are some of the albums you think fall into that category?
Sitkoff:SMiLE by Brian Wilson is one of the main ones for me. Yellow House by Grizzly Bear. Pretty much everything Sufjan Stevens does. Animal Collective is probably the band that most consistently impresses me in that way. And of course In the Aeroplane Over the Sea."
Does anyone else find it weird that Yellow House is included like it's some timelessly classic and hugely seminal work, not to mention the fact that most of his answers were very contemporary and popular artists? That record was a big deal when it came out, and maybe it will eventually come out in a deluxe edition with seven extra discs worth of demos, but it might be a little early to tell. At different points in history, people considered Source Tags And Codes, Is This It?, The Shape Of Punk To Come, and August And Everything After to be really important records too, but I don't know if they're aging as well as some thought they would. Anyways, I'll give this guy credit for being so upfront about his influences, since a lot of bands will tell you how they're influenced by Blind Willie McTell and Guru Guru when their music sounds exactly like Coldplay, but Le Loup is definitely more similar to Animal Collective than anything else mentioned. So again, points for being honest.
Note: Nurses canceled this show and so obviously won't be appearing at Good Records either.
Whoa, it took me the majority of today to get situated, sorry about that. Hey, what's up with this Olivia Newton John version of "If Not For You" smoking the Dylan original and the cover by Harrison? Craziness. Anyways, I was really pleased that I found this 45 at Recycled recently. Also, this is much better than a lot of similar sounding yet modern, lightweight indie pop. Listen for the great solo that is way too high in the mix around the 1:37 mark. Olivia's terrible gyrations along to said solo make it all the better.
Pelican | Black Cobra | Struck by Lightning (The Granada) You have to be careful with groups like Pelican and Black Cobra. Sometimes it can sound impressively epic, but on weaker moments can come off like Creed played at the wrong tape-speed. Pelican seems to avoid such dubious territory, but occasionally I'll be caught off-guard by the lame riffs of a similar band.
Pete Freedman (The Libertine): Watch out, Cool Out. Serious competition across the street tonight.
SHOWS OF NOTE THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK
TUE: Nurses (Good Records) WED: Sleep Whale/Power Animal (Jupiter House) WED: Benefit Show for Brain Tumor Society Walk featuring music by John Pedigo of The O's, Tim O'Brien Of The Dogkickers and Laura Harrell of Romp Almighty plus Silent Auction (The Libertine) WED: In Defence/Ramming Speed/Dark Forces/Collick (Lion's Den located at 622 N. Austin St. in Denton) WED: Alela Diane/Marissa Nadler/Bosque Brown (The Modern Fort Worth) THU: Half-Handed Cloud/Little Birds/Younger Sons (Dan's Silverleaf) THU: Russian Circles/Red Sparowes/Young Widows/Coliseum (Rubber Gloves) FRI: Melt Banana/Kaboom/Ssion (Hailey's) FRI: Underground Railroad To Candyland/Genius Party/Collick/Hats And Statues (1919 Hemphill) FRI: The Great Tyrant/Embers/Vorvadoss (Lola's) FRI: Destroyer/Sarah Jaffe/RTB2 (Granada) FRI: The Lovemakers/DJ Sober/They Were Stars (Rubber Gloves) FRI: Royal Bangs/Beauxregard/Land Mammals (The Cavern) FRI: Christ On Parade/Seraphim/Reviver/Division Of Power/Raging Boner/Life Erased (Phoenix Project) FRI: Nick Catchdubs/The Party with Nature/Select/Sober (The Loft) FRI: Health/Times New Viking/Teenage Cool Kids/The Axemen (The Lounge) FRI:Dallas Videofest Screening:R.E.M.: This Is Not A Show (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station) SAT: Many Arms/Schnaack/Great Tyrant/Orange Coax (Phoenix Project) SAT: Away From The Numbers with Telegram Sam & DJ Gabriel (Fallout Lounge) SAT: The Crash That Took Me/Gaffney/True Widow/Stereo Is A Lie (Sons of Hermann Hall) SAT: Atlas Sound/Broadcast/Selmanaires (Hailey's) SUN: GWAR/Job For A Cowboy/The Red Chord (The Door) SUN: Ssion/Ishi/Fizzy Dino Pop (The Cavern) SUN: Snoop Dogg/Method Man/Red Man (House Of Blues) SUN: Dallas Videofest Screening: Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth featuring rare footage of 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Archies, Bay City Rollers and more (Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station)
