I realize that this is the third or fourth live recording that I've posted in a row, but there isn't much else to work with when it comes to Sonic's Rendezvous Band. During their five year existence, the band managed to record and release a lone 45, and conflict within the group limited that release to only one song, their signature tune (and a goddamn barn-burner if I've ever heard one) 'City Slang' in mono on one side and in stereo on the other. Thankfully several of their live shows have seen bootleg releases over the last 30 years and a few have even been released officially.
Sonic's Rendezvous Band was made up of Detroit scene veterans Scott Morgan, of The Rationals, on guitar, The Up's Gary Rasmussen on bass, former Stooges timekeeper Scott Asheton and the group's namesake, the late Fred 'Sonic' Smith, who cut his teeth as half of the MC5's monumental twin guitar attack. Smith and Morgan shared songwriting and singing duties. The fact that they rarely played outside of the Detroit area combined with a lack of recorded output and (half of) the band's undeniably legendary pedigree give the SRB the rare distinction of being a 'nearly forgotten supergroup.' I-94 Bar has an extensive history of the band with several first hand accounts from the surviving members and friends, including Deniz Tek, who is credited with taking the Detroit sound 'down under' as a founding member of Sydney's Radio Birdman.
The show featured here is actually disc 4 of Easy Action's SRB 6 disc set that was released in 2006. It is easily my favorite disc of the six, although it is an incomplete set. I'm pretty sure that a 2cd version of the entire show exists, but I haven't had any luck finding it. That small complaint aside, this recording is a defining example of a Rock and Roll band that REALLY has their shit together. I know that's a lame description, but big college words won't do this shit any justice-- just turn it up, push play and have a fucking great time!
Damn, we're busy today guys-- we're working on album reviews and a couple other things that we think you'll like. And its a good thing too, because other than Fat Tuesday with Yeahdef and Ian Bangsat Hailey's tonight, I'm not seeing a whole lot to do out there this evening. Guess its just a "bar" night.
I feel like every time I go to the Granada there are at least 25 to 30 members of the audience that stand out. They are in their late 30's or 40's and dressed a little too uptown for the event that is taking place. Everything is cool with these folks who traditionally travel in couples until the 4th or 5th song of any given artist set when they look at one another in complete ambivalence. "Jeez Paul I can't believe you spent 60 bucks on this Resident's...band" "Uh my bad Suzy, let's go to the Oyster Bar instead."
I guess people who are rich can throw around 60 dollars here and there with the promise of a tolerable night of music. Tonight I believe they will go home with a sense of money well spent because Nouvelle Vague are a hard band not to like. Sexy Bossa Nova interpretations of punk and new wave classics. The sultry jazzy beats transport Suzy to a bistro in France talking with her imaginary best friend Natalie Portman. Paul really digs hearing some of those underground songs from back in his TCU days. Totally inoffensive , but really fun music. What's not to like? Then again I also enjoyed this when it first came out so take what I say with a grain of salt.
MON: Nouvelle Vague (Granada) FRI: True Widow/On After Dark/Kijoto/Oh Lewis (Rubber Gloves) FRI: The Separation/Division of Power/Chest Pain/Lockstep/Collick (1919 Hemphill) FRI: This Old House/The River Mouth/Land Mammals/Final Club (Hailey's) SAT: Vulgar Fashion/Orange Coax/Corporate Park (Rubber Gloves) SAT: Hentai Improvising Orchestra/Yells at Eels/Aunt's Analog/Vexed UK (J&J's) SUN: We Were Promised Jetpacks (Hailey's) SUN: The Soundtrack of our Lives (Granada)
Look, I know it's not indie or art school, but I am really excited about going to the NBA All Star Game on Sunday. You can think I'm a sellout, or "not punk," or lame, or old or whatever, but I'm just going to enjoy myself and buy a fifty dollar pizza, because that's part of the fun. I like stupid things. I like buying a forty dollar seven inch, or going all the way to Europe just to watch a group of grumpy, middle-aged midwesterners play "noise rock," or even better: drive way too far to see some RISD co-ed dropouts bang on things and throw up with the synth keys taped down.
I like trying to go toe-to-toe with life and match its absurdity, every silly overpriced step of the way. I know this is annoying to many of you, especially my friends. Some of this is written as if it were being said by Mark Followill or Bob Ortegel or Norm Hitzges.
Did anyone watch NBC last night? Looks like SA's zippy little foreign-born player, Alan Palomo, was traded to New York. Already doing the rounds on the late night talk shows. Bummer. I wish he'd come back and run for fucking governor.
FRIDAY
Dennis Gonzalez Yells At Eels/Louis Moholo-Moholo/Scott Marsrow (Phoenix Project) Before I get into character here, I want to say that is a show well-worth your time; how often do you get to see a "South African Master Drummer" play in a punk space in Dallas? Get out in the slush and make your way there, starts at 8 PM. Admission is eight bucks, or five for members.
Joe Jack Talcum (The Dead Milkmen) | Lord Grunge | The Bassturd (Rubber Gloves) Space is the Place Opening Party with Darktown Stutters | DJ Wild in the Streets (Webb Gallery Waxahachie) Whoa, looks like we have a road game here, the first of a back-to-back for the Strutters, which sees them playing Fort Worth tomorrow. Back to backs are tough, and often the best you can hope for is a split. Some people have complained that the fast-rising duo has seen too many minutes of floor time, but who else are you going to run to light it up in a gametime situation with a legendary Texas All Star (artist Esther Pearl Watson) looking on? Smile Smile? No! No! No! No! Never! Never! No! Never!
Black Fridays (Fallout Lounge) Tonight's starting lineup includes Anthony Social, Keith P, Red Sean, Young Adult Fiction, and Shane English: the Spud Webb of the bass dunking contest.
Tropical House With Prince William | Dubbel Dutch (Tradewinds) Prince William has long been thought of as a "low post presence," and someone that can "bang on those boards." However, he's changing it up a little with some "Tropical House," which is obviously less boom-ey and explosive. He can do that. This game is waaay down south in Oak Cliff, so watch yourself, Frisco, you have a long drive home.
Retribution Gospel Choir | The Rainhorses | New Science Projects (The Cavern) I don't know anything about Retribution Gospel Choir or , but I hope they don't give NSP's Dale Jones anything but trash minutes. Kid's an embarrassment to North Texas Sports. This reminds me of a related act, the WNBA's Spooky Folk, and they're somehow a much better team, even while toiling endlessly in the D-league.
The English Beat | Fishbone (Granada) "Hey, Little Rich Girl" is such a classic stadium anthem that even troubled track star Amy Winehouse couldn't fuck it up. I'm not really into Skaball, but I listen to that song on a pretty regular basis.
SUNDAY
RJD2 | Kenan Bell | Happy Chichster (Hailey's): At some point in the nineties, the commissioner became very concerned that the league was becoming too "gangsta." So what do you know, the perfect solution: Squeaky clean players like RJD2 came onto the scene along with Team Definitive Jux and provided a safe alternative to the violent lifestyle being promoted in the game at the time. Unfortunately, this safe take on the game was never for me, and neither was the mandatory backpack dress code that the commissioner eventually enforced.
Baby Ruthless/Britni3/Isis (Campus Pub, located at 105 Ave. A in Denton)
Pointdexter/Moral Panic/Oneofus/DJ Metronome/Tomb (Retroplex located at 3001 Gaston C in Dallas)
Pearl Cup One Year Anniversary (The Pearl Cup, located at 1900 Henderson in Dallas)
Schedule/lineup:
4 PM: Bill Martin 5 PM: Sally Glass 6 PM: Jaimee Harris 7 PM: David Ramirez
Looks like the best thing happening this weekend is Esther Pearl Watson's show titled Space is the Place. This is the finest local primitive art I've seen in a while. This is at Webb Gallery in Waxahachie, right about here. The reception is from 7-10 PM tonight, Friday the 12th. The image to the right is called 1985 Garland, Texas.
The other thing deserving mention is the group show opening at CentralTrak: Transitive Pairing: Body Object featuring Sharon Odum, James Gilbert, Gary Cunningham, Gabriel Dawe, Russell Buchanan and Sunny Sliger, and another show called Undercover of Kristen Cochran's work. The opening is tomorrow night, Saturday the 13th, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. That's at 800 Exposition Avenue, Dallas, TX 75226. It's pretty impressive that curator Charissa Terranova can keep coming up with titles like Transitive Pairing: Body Object -- it sure sounds like it's packed with meaning.
And finally, Art List readers and new contributors Mr. and Mrs. Rushmore were nice enough to send in a review of the recent 500x opening. I actually started to edit this for typos and contextual errors, but I think the raw text adds to the charm (what are "hugh heifers"?). Plus I want to get back to enjoying the 2010 Snowpocalypse while "working from home".
Here it is...
Sheep, Sharks, and Nightlights---- Words, words, words--- Feb. 6-28
I like G Q, maybe esquire… i find gq a little more up on things than esquire, or maybe its that name… esquire… trying too hard to fit into something. maybe hugh heifers pocket… GQ is a way better of a name. Tim Best was the Esquire of this show, seemingly as good as GQ, but lagging on common sense, due ironically to having too much common sense. His photographs were printed and shot smartly. Tim Best is a smart artist, a vital thread in the fabric of a scene and makes spaces like the 500x thrive. punks like to go on about how these type are too manicured that they need some pain in the their life. Tim Best does ok.
notes(worthy?) on other artwork in the gallery: trinkets tacked on the wall magazine pictures from the 70's of mustached men with big members 'These here things make me glad' by:Matthew Clark and Kathy Webster: my girl and i walked into this room and she said 'this looks like something my cat made'
Flying Lotus has music like a stream that bubbles and flows in the valley of mars, you are looking at this one part and thats all you see, not the beginning of it, not the end. There is constant activity and evolution of life before you. Todd Camplin's work feels like this. This is a good thing. 15 50x38 inch ink on paper and 6 digital painted prints filling the entire upstairs floor of the 500x gallery. There are quiet, harmonious oranges, reds, blues and purples. It's a static picture realizing itself. at first view you wonder: is this improvised or specific design? He creates them by taking pieces from poems and greeting cards, putting them into the computer, printing out, re arranging, stenciling. deconstructing them. He told me he comes from a background in philosophy and read to much Derrida. i like that he said this. it reminds me of reading books by thinkers like him or ayn rand, where you become so engrossed in the philosophy that when you exit their world you have to slowly re integrate yourself back into your own. The concept of Todd's wordscapes is to take phrases out of their framework until they no longer have the connotations once given to them. He said this and accomplishes this. He has a strong grasp on the emotional and abstract intention of his work, every question i asked was answered clearly, its rare that an artist will be able to speak so articulately on the subject of themselves. Todd says the words he takes from poems are used because of the great significance they have to so many people and then from greeting cards because, altho they go from trivial sentiment they become pertinent to the individuals that receive them from loved ones and lovers. lifted out of their context he rebuilds them, the love and meaning being realized in a new form. This made me say i thought worship in church would have to change, that it had been processed to the point of being an origin less ritual. worship inevitably renewed in me because the soul is in it. This came to me after seeing Flying Lotus live some months ago. the bass frequencies moved thru the people in the room, i closed my eyes and felt the sounds, the music evoked the image of a thin unclothed woman with the deep black tone of african skin crawling towards me, she and I alone in the room, she reaches out and touches me with the tips of her fingers moving slowly over my clothes. After this. sitting in a church listening to a sermon that lacked reverence i felt as if Flying Lotus and physical bass frequencies represented the reconstruction of worship from the desert where it has dried up. Words, words, words evokes this same idea, being a work that reincarnates into galactic designs echoing over whole sheets of drawing paper. Todd Camplin succeeds in energizing the love back into the word.
There was a show scheduled tonight at 1919 Hemphill but it is canceled. Tradewinds event is also canceled. Please stay tuned through out the night to weshotjr.com for any further developments concerning show cancellations or impromptu snowball fights.
Dinner & B-Movie w/Video Rehab (Tradewinds, located at 2843 W Davis in Oak Cliff) Tonight's theme is the not-so-subtly titled "Yellow Fever," and an Indonesian horror film from 1981, Mystics In Bali, will be the main feature, as well as a 30 minute documentary on Indonesian horror films, trailers, and "best of" clips. There's also pizza and drinks involved, which I'm sure is good news to most of you.
House Of Tinnitus Presents "Fucked In The Basement" with Swamp Tease | Ancestral Diet | Taboo | Nite Shadez (J&J's Pizza) Pretty self explanatory: show is not at House Of Tinnitus, but presented by House Of Tinnitus, so don't go to House of Tinnitus; go to J&J's. At 8.
I couldn't track down any actual sounds for these acts, but Tinnitus has a better track record than pretty much any place around here, so I still recommend this confidently. Even if it's the worst thing ever, it's probably still awesome, know what I mean? One of these bands, Taboo, has been compared to Destroy All Monsters, which not only bodes well, but should be a life goal for anyone in just about any band.
Finally, I really love H.O.T. founder Rob Buttrum's description for the show, as always, but I was especially taken by the descriptive selling of his own Nite Shadez project, which involves "six tape decks, six televisions, one VCR, one reel to reel, two mics, two radios...total destruction etc.," but he finishes it off with "ARE YOU READY TO WATCH TV???" Why, yes. Yes, I am.
NBA ALL STAR EVENTS:
Tip Off with Roddy Beaubois (Lost Society, located at 2008 Greenville Ave.)
Welcome To Dallas Party With Jason Terry (Boardroom, located at 2990 Olive St in Dallas)
Our friends from Neon Indian called me today to make sure we received our monthly payola check, and after I told them that I was going to need some new scoops to keep their "buzz" going around these parts, they let me know that they will be playing live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this Thursday, February 11th at 11:35 on NBC. Keep buzzin', bros.
Not a whole lot going tonight, Fair to Midland got into a crash and need money for a tow truck or something so people are playing at the Boiler Room. Yeah Def needs people to party like it's the 90's. As for me? There is only one thing I need, and that is Not New Music Tuesday.
Henry's Dress Bust em Green Slumberland 1996 If you like... Pains of Being Pure at Heart, My Bloody Valentine, The Vaselines, Fergus & Geronimo, Final Club
If I wanted to I could fill every week here with a different release from Slumberland Records. Luckily Slumberland has done a great job of keeping their stuff in print. One album that is currently out of print, with the cheapest used copy going for around $100 on Amazon, would be Henry’s Dress’s full length Bust 'em Green. The album is just barely over twenty five minutes, but packs in enough distorted indie pop to satisfy any Jesus and Mary Chain junkie.
Henry’s Dress remind me of some of the local bands around that are playing quick, punchy guitar pop with a foundation in 60’s pop hooks and medleys. The songs here are barely produced, very raw and short. Adhering to my favorite kind of pop, the band juxtaposes the raw distorted clang of a barely tuned guitar with the naivete shout/spoken lyrics covering loneliness and love lorn depravity. Plus you can dance to it!
Henry's Dress broke up shortly after this album was released. Lead singer and guitarist Amy Linton went on directly to form another Slumberland great The Aislers Set. That project has a very similar sound, but more refined and thought out. Aisler's Set is definitely the better band but they do not match Henry's Dress when it comes to pure pop brutality.
Again the link will go down after a week so if you want it get it. This will make a perfect match for your Valentines night alone with Adrian Tomine comics and a bottle of Merlot.
ADD: Just wanted to add that Joseph D. Ketner II,is speaking in the auditorium at the The Fort Worth Modern. Ketner is the organizer of the highly anticipated Andy Warhol: The Last Decade exhibition that's opening this Sunday. Seating begins at 630 pm, so leave now. If you aren't lucky enough to be one of the first 250 guests, they will broadcast the lecture live at the always excellent Café Modern. -(DL)
I realized the other day that I've been to SXSW every year since 2003 (and a few before that as well), and literally every year, as I'm driving back to Dallas (I'm sure it'll happen flying home this time too), I tell myself "NEVER AGAIN," which is a phrase borrowed from the Jewish Defense League but is in this instance directed at institutions such as the "Fader Fort," the perenially overrated "Vice Party" and the bathrooms at Emo's.
No matter how crabby I get, however, I always go back for more each and every year, and for a good portion of the week, I manage to have a pretty great time. I imagine most of your attitudes about SXSW lie somewhere between mine and the overly excited fanboyisms you find on a lot of MP3 blogs, and I'd venture to say that the logistics of the whole thing are often the root of people's frustrations-- getting here and there, timing everything right and RSVPing to everything you might want to see.
Well here's something to make it all a little easier for you-- Just head over to our SXSW Day Party Map and start exploring. Eventually we'll have all of the unofficial SXSW parties, day AND night, listed on the map, complete with line ups, times, links to RSVP and more, and of course the location will be right there in front of you. You'll be also be able to create a schedule for yourself and send your RSVPs in all at once, thus reducing your party planning work load by quite a bit while allowing you to avoid a lot of the advertising and BS you'll see on other such lists. Anyway, thanks to Cliff Notes for putting this together, and check for constant updates over the next few weeks.
So, Zac Crain is writing about music again; that should be welcome news to a certain type of local music fan that misses his agenda-free stance and biting wit. D Magazine just launched a new blog called FrontRow that is billed as "A Daily Review Of The Dallas Arts," and it takes a straight-forward approach towards ranking the various disciplines with a stoplight color-coded judgment of either: Green (Go See It), Yellow (Worth A Shot), or Red (Don't Bother).
Crain's first order of business is to engage the readers as participants (which we highly encourage, of course), by asking them to do show reviews via Twitter, with the culled results posted on the blog the next day. Sounds fun.
Anyways, this was rather welcome news, as I was really starting to feel like the local media had just morphed into one giant and rather grotesque booking, promotions, and publicity entity for itself and the local narrative that they try desperately to espouse with their buddies in the biz. Of course, I have faith in you, dear readers. I know most of you are too smart to fall for that.
WED: H.O.T. Presents: Fucked in the Basement with Swamp Tease/Ancestral Diet/Taboo/Nite Shadez (J&J's Pizza) WED: Worn In Red/Decades/Dark Forces/Big Fiction (1919 Hemphill) THR: Stew!/Drink to Victory/Captain Incredible (Rubber Gloves) THR: Unfun/Stymie/No Heroes/Serious Business (1919 Hemphill) FRI: Nouvelle Vague/Shock of Pleasure/Chameleon Chamber Group (Granada) FRI: Joe Jack Talcum (The Dead Milkmen)/Lord Grunge/The Bassturd (Rubber Gloves) FRI: Retribution Gospel Choir/The Rainhorses/New Science Projects (The Cavern) SAT: True Widow/Great Tyrant/Darktown Strutters (The Chat Room) SAT: The English Beat/Fishbone (Granada) SUN: RJD2/Kenan Bell/Happy Chichster (Hailey's)
Pretty slow weekend, but thanks to FP for putting most of this together. Also want to give props to Cliff Notes for making some nice little design changes around here... there's more to come, so look out. Shows:
FRIDAY
ADD: Big J | Hot Britches (Plush Basement located at 1400 Main in Dallas) The seems to be the natural successor to replace the gaping nightlife void left by the shuttered Suite Basement. Austin's Hot Britches will be along to help out local favorite, Big J. -DL
Julie Dorion | Bowerbirds | Fox and the Bird: Julie Dorion's latest album is really good and hearkens back to her work with Eric's Trip. I wish I would have picked it up earlier because it probably would have made it on my best of the year list. I don't know who the hell the Bowerbirds or why they are headlining this show and not Julie. After listening to a sampling of their music, they sound rather bland and uninteresting, riding the Beach House train to indie successville. Maybe it's because they have one of those band Myspace pages where their faces are really big at the top with all the fancy graphics.
Thank you to the NX35 blog for calling us out on our hate of the local folk scene when mentioning the Fox and the Bird in one of their recent features. You might remember a couple of weeks ago when I completely eviscerated Fox and The Bird with such quotes as " I was really captivated by The Fox's performance" and I bet the band had trouble getting on stage after I said they are "more exciting than the standard folk outfits" We don't hate folk music, just boring insipid folk music. Astroblaque presents Soular Power (Fallout Lounge): Spinning dub, kraut, funk, garage, post punk, everything.
Buzzcocks, Martin Hannett, Joy Division, Stone Roses, FAC51, A Certain Ratio, Baggy Jeans, New Order, The Fall, So It Goes, Slaughter & the Dogs, The Smiths, Bez, Happy Mondays, Salford Lad's Club, Magazine, Devoto, The Factory, Ecstacy, Mike Pickering, Morrissey, James, Tony Wilson, 808 State, The Verve, Barney and Hooky, Monaco, Section 25, Voodoo Ray, The Charlatans UK, Acid House, Graeme Park, Electronic, Revenge, The Other Two, 24 Hour Party People, Quando Quango, Inspiral Carpets, The Durutti Column, The Chameleons, Warsaw, Ceremony, Shack Up, Greg Wilson's Funk Night, Black Grape, She's Lost Control, I Am the Resurrection, Ian Brown ,Mark E. Smith, Johnny Marr, and all things Manchester + Hacienda Classics!
