As resident pop music defender around here I am going to reserve any final judgment toward Sextape until after tonight's performance. I know SR totally shat on them and my initial listen didn't blow me away but sometimes this stuff works better live anyway. I will admit this style of electro-pop seems to have hit a wall in the past year or two (or with Yellow Magic Orchestra) but I hope Sextape has enough there to hold my attention, or more importantly get my assshaking. Tonight will be the first time newly appointed FUR member Gray St. Germain Gideon (Ghosthustler, Cosmic Cat Nip) will take the stage alongside founding member Bryce Isbell and I believe they will be playing all new material they collaborated on. I enjoyed FUR's last release Witches. The album is full of crisp - you might even say lovely - abstract sound collages that hold their own as songs as well as apart of the bigger album. The songs were definitely lacking in some direction though which hopefully will have been discovered with the aide of another like minded artist with a stronger structural approach like Gideon. I think that dude wrote the music for a song about parking lots or something? Lovelife seem to be very influenced by Neon Indian and Elliot Smith in equal measure, like an electro-Daniel Folmer. God help us.
Gun Outfit played a solid set this week even if the majority of the crowd was just waiting around to hear some big booty jams. The vocal male/female vocal interplay is similar to that found in The Aislers Set or Yo La Tengo. The delivery is reminiscent to The Silver Jews minus the clever wordplay. This is some solid indie rock that sounds pretty far removed from what is chic these days. Have no idea about the rest of the line-up, no information listed anywhere. Do they not want people to go to this show?
After all the talk about Denton's Sextape in the comments section the other day, as well as a discussion I had with another WSJR writer today at our virtual HQ, I felt like I had to take a listen so that I could tell all you people what to think about them before you catch one of the many shows they'll be playing around town over the next few weeks. It makes perfect sense that Sextape features one of the founders of the once infamous (and now dormant) We Made Out Once, because their music can best be described as an appropriate soundtrack for posing in Denton party pictures-- it's poppy, "stylish" electro produced by purportedly good looking people with the kind of hipster fashion sense that almost guarantees glowing coverage in the "hey me too guys" pages of the Dallas Observer's music section.
The group's sound is fairly standard as these things go-- taking cues from many of the better known hip electro groups of the decade, including Crystal Castles, Peaches, Ladytron, Sally Shapiro and Glass Candy among others, the group's music is a competent and polished amalgamation of all these sounds, and for what it is, it's fairly solid, if a little bit heavy on neon and nostalgia.
But that doesn't mean it's any good. In fact, I had planned on ranting about Sextape-- how they're late to the party by many years, how we've heard all of this before, how their tracks seem like empty, vacant fashion music for people who don't really give a shit about music anyway, but what would be the point in that? To do all of that would be to operate from the position that I'm somehow supposed to enjoy this music but don't, and thats just not the case-- at the end of the day, this music just wasn't made for me, and it doesn't seem to be asking for critical approval or underground credibility, but rather for mass appeal and cool points, so what do I care? Would I rant if Drake or Lady Gaga released a shitty single? Of course not, I don't give a shit. If some dance pop song comes off as calculated and overly reliant on image and gimmick, would I get offended? Not at all, its just par for the course, and you can either accept it or not. I suppose the only thing that listening to Sextape did for me was make me way less curious about Sextape-- we've heard this stuff over and over again, and its neither offensive (as some of the commentators here have stated) nor amazing (as I'm sure a lot of UNT freshman will soon be lead to believe). Instead, its just easily digestible pop utilizing techniques and influences that have pervaded the mainstream for years, leaving lots of room for accessibility but very little for surprise. This is music that borrows from borrowers and comes across as more "bottle service" than substantive, and thats fine. Again, Sextape does what it does, and I can see the appeal-- I guess the only thing that bothers me is the fact that I felt the need to address this group at all.
Julian Lynch | Sundress | Soft Healer | Goldilocks and The Rock (J&J's) Solid show at J&Js tonight sponsored by local website WeDentondoit, which apparently has some sort of lose affiliation with Spune Productions (sharing staff members or something to that effect). Anyway, Madison, WI based Julian Lynch is an artist I've been paying attention to for a while now, ever since he made an appearance on the free compilation from Underwater Peoples last year. Now, after releasing a rather underrated record on Olde English Spelling Bee, "indie rock" seems to be catching up with Julian Lynch, who's fresh off a "Best New Music" review in Pitchfork yesterday. Lynch's music is a bit difficult to describe since it pulls from such a wide array of influences (from funk to cool jazz to psychedelic rock to ambient and a lot in between), but it's probably safe to say that Lynch's work can be classified as hazy and dreamlike, with the charm and warmth of lo-fi bedroom recordings and an ear for soothing pop gems that sort of seems to embody the new approach to psychedelic that seems to have emerged in recent years. The great thing about Lynch is his ability to hit all of these notes at the same time, remaining equally appealing to fans of "chill wave" as well as more abstract groups like Blues Control and Sun Araw. The work feels isolated and submerged, but its humanity shines through, which is truly a rare thing in American underground music these days.
Adam Arcuragi | The County Lines | The England Ramaband | Hard Times (Rubber Gloves) Adam Arcuragi has the approval of both Paste Magazine and NPR, so stay as far away as possible.
Gun Outfit hail from Boca Roton and are being supported tonight by two solid local openers. We'll see how line-up changes affect Final Club's live performance. I couldn't find out too much about Gun Outfit with their meager 76 Myspace friends. They did just release a single on PPM Records whose roster includes Abe Vigoda, Wavves and Mika Miko among others. Quite the indie hit parade is it not? I expect we will hear more from them in the future so be sure to check out this show tonight, then 4 months from now you can say you remember way back when.
It looks like other countries are starting to run out of band names too. I do tip my hat to performers like The Horse Museum that come from far away lands like Canada to perform at places like The Hydrant.
This is a CD release show for Ishi's new album Through the Trees. How about someone send us a copy and I'll review it. I'll probably end up buying a copy tonight anyways because that is just how much I love local music you guys.
Hey remember when I said I was going to review that Sundress album? Well, I have determined at this stage is my analytical career I am having trouble pontificating on works that I have find, for lack of a better word, mediocre. I am working on it though.
I like Museum Creatures alot. Just the kind of abstract pop cacophony that gets my blood boiling. Fans of Max Tundra, Múm or Tigerbeat 6 artist should keep these guys on your radar.
Another CD release this weekend, this time J.Paul Slaven's 'Alphabet Girls Volume I'. I have heard nothing from the new album so far but I am sure it is pretty wacky and original, things we have come to expect from one of the more eccentric acts in the neighborhood. Regardless of his music, Slaven will forever be number one in my book for his job hosting 90.1 at Night which got me through many tough weekends in the past. I can't pick up that new station in my pent house so I haven't heard it since the move. Hope it is still good; I miss it.
B3 | The Adventures Of... | K.MC | John Stewart (Hailey's)
I could not find any information on any of these artist, maybe a little help Yeah Def? The tag line for this show is Flinch Face : Bands that are Shocking so I am expecting some extreme violence metal or some sort of Donny and Marie type incest act. I mean really what is shocking these days?
Dead Meadow and Sans Soleil share alot of the same attributes that I don't like but alot of other people seem to love. Femme Fest (Phoenix Project) Sunday
This weekend Dallas's Phoenix Project will be putting on Femme Fest, a two day festival focusing on the fairest of all sexes. I sat down for a few questions with Jessica, member of Phoenix Collective and also one of many presenters you will encounter this weekend. -FP
What is the concept behind Femme Fest?
Femme Fest is designed to show respect for the female artists/musicians within our community. We hope to empower and encourage women to pursue their dreams of success, whatever they may be. How does this festival coincide with the Phoenix Project mission?
This is about diversity and community, bringing progressive groups together for one common mission, radical change in our East Dallas community through cooperation, trust and solidarity.
In addition to musicians there will be workshops, speakers and other informative treats on the program. How has organizing this compared to one of the more traditional shows that PP puts on?
This has certainly put my organizational and promoting skills to the test. I have literally been eating, breathing and sleeping Femme Fest for the past month. It has taken so many people and groups coming together to makes this happen. Special thanks to Clandestine Project and Chris for helping us out with shirts. Spiral Diner for helping us out with promotion and food for the event. The Labyrinth for their generous donations, Mercy for Animals for their promotion help and Recycle Revolution for donating recycling receptacles.
What do you want the audience to take away from Femme Fest?
That there are many options available as to how you want to live your life.. You create your own reality. Life does not have to be a constant struggle. Through perseverance, family and community we can all find ways to live and work together to create sustainability within our communities and families. We hope men and women alike will feel empowered by the experience this weekend and that they will take that home with them and spread within their own community , workplaces and schools.
Can you tell us a little about DIY birth control?
Here is the intro to the workshop which is the one I will personally be presenting...
Since the 1960’s, when birth control pills were first introduced, millions of women worldwide have taken them, believing they were safe and effective for contraception. Unfortunately, that’s only a half-truth. Birth control pills are indeed very effective at contraception. But the downside is they’re extremely hazardous. Since the introduction of the Pill, there’s been an explosion of women’s diseases and maladies in a scope never experienced before in the history of medicine, including migraine headaches, pms, breast cancer, heart disease, strokes, anxiety disorders, blood clots, high blood pressure, uterine cancer, depression, the list goes on and on.
Accounts of herbal birth control were first described by Hippocrates over 2,000 years ago. Native women of both North and South America made use of more than 200 plants, roots and other medicines as means of birth control.
Controlling women's ability to decide when and how many children are conceived is an historical type of economic control. After the plague in Europe, the Church, which was by far the largest land owner and tax collector, had lost a huge majority of its indentured servants. The feudal system was lost due to great decline in population. The church categorically set out to abolish any means of controlling birth rates to regain its income in the form of serfs. The Church Inquisitors proclaimed, "no one is more dangerous and harmful than the midwives," the wise women that understood how to stop pregnancy and ease the pains of childbirth. They knew methods of abortions as well as contraceptive herbs. The knowledge was passed from woman to woman as men did not treat women. The witch hunts virtually wiped out the knowledge.
I will be going into a detailed examination of the woman's cycle, providing women with basic forgotten knowledge of how their body's work and also providing information on herbal birth control options. The focus is to empower women by helping them realize that their ability to produce life is not a handicap that needs to be controlled with harmful pharmaceuticals. With the right information it is a blessing that we can control and regulate.
Soular Power with Wanz Dover (the Cavern) Wanz will be spinning dub, soul, afrobeat and more at this bi-weekly event.
Delmore Pilcrow | Sir Name and the Janes (The Hydrant) I know DL said something about this yesterday, but whats with all the stupid fucking band names in Denton lately? I don't even want to find out what Sir Name and the Janes is, much less watch them play.
(In an effort to keep Dick Insulator off the street we sent him/her one of the numerous albums submitted to us for review that we haven't had time to get to. You can catch The Caterpillars live tomorrow night at The Door-FP)
This was a handoff. Someone at the office got handed a case. It smelled bad. They could tell it was dirty work. It got slid across the desk to me. Goddammit. I sat on this for the better part of a month and a half. Resented it. Knew it had to be done. It’s okay, girls. Dick’s on it.
The thing is, they asked for it. Caterpillars are ready for the mainstream. They have their Sonic Bids account. They can’t wait for your venue to give them an opportunity for which their paid monies have qualified them. Maybe this will help land them a choice spot at Boiler Room for next year’s NX35 Wank-Around Conferette. They have an artist bio, lyrics, and carefully chosen, standard issue press pictures. They even spent the big bucks on “legendary” producer “Ed Rose”. Caterpillars are begging you to make them the next big thing from the “legendary” Frisco scene, though they fail to make a convincing argument.
It could be said that their songs themselves are an argument. On the opener “One Thousand Times Before,” I thought perhaps the argument was in favor of nature. Lots of really earthy, yet otherworldly descriptive similes. You’ve got your full moons, whispery winds, waves of the ocean, light and fire both lingering; it’s like a fucking bowl of Lucky Charms. Unfortunately, these amount to no real point. From what this reporter can gather, these analogies only serve to help the listener understand that the narrator (Christopher Robinson) was right, and “she” was wrong. That bitch. CR did indicate that he had plans to overcome his non-specific struggle. These ambitions are further (vaguely) outlined with an allusion to “the looming day’s adventure.” I hope it went well. She can’t wait around forever. Or can she? It should be clear at this point to discerning readers that there is nothing new or original here, and therefore I can imagine some people liking it.
The puzzling lyrics and sophomoric insight continue throughout the record. On the second track, CR expresses his death wish. He regrets this boldness immediately, and in the next line admits that, underneath a “Lifetime of Pretense”, he merely wishes to escape people talkin’ that BS. CR feels like a “trapped form in a corporate world” and any number (five, so far) of repetitive, trite breakdowns have not managed to liberate him from his existential bondage. This reporter finds it more than unfortunate that CR admits abandoning a time-honored method of escapism: getting high. Let this EP serve as a reminder to everyone about the potential merits of recreational drug use by musicians. But Dick, tell a brotha how it sound like. Caterpillars fall somewhere between Linkin Park and Brand New, given that they make extensive use of electronic shtick, woeful angst, and uninspiring song structures.
Stylistically speaking, it took until about track 4 for me to realize that the subtle atmospheric electro-ambience was not merely a defining characteristic, it seems an unhealthy fixation. This reminds me of a debate between myself and one ||| on the comments boards last week. What happens when you have glossy, meaningless, use of both sequencing AND guitars? Well, this EP is a prime example. I found their guitar licks to be full of shimmer, glimmer, delay, and safety. Quite similar to The Apple seed Cast, in fact (see legendary producer “Ed Rose”). However, it failed to instill the same kind of longing and 9th grade faux nostalgia which “The ‘Cast” seem to be content with dishing out, years ago, and now re-issuing to get more royalties and tour dates. Drums and bass seem to serve the purpose of just being there like the shit Goldilocks thought was just right. No one will notice. That’s the idea. Then the hungry critics come home, notice that all the mediocre shit has been gobbled up, and proceed to wreck shop.
If you like the guitar stylee put forth by many of today’s rock millionaires, pointless but not utterly terrible vocals, all in front of a mild-porridge rhythm section, Caterpillars might be for you. If overly serious ballads and untapped youthful energy get your box wet, you might want to check out handsome white boy Christopher Robinson and his Caterpillars. Dick, however, has discovered that the lyrics actually contain the antidote for this Caterpillar’s venom:
“I almost fell to the ruined/ But then I learned to cover my ears”
I apologize for not doing an Art List the last two weeks, but I've been extremely busy making IT directors' wildest data center virtualization dreams come with a major beta software release signifying the end of about eight months of my work life. There wasn't much going on really, except Nevada Hill's goings on, as documented by Defensive Listening. But there's more going on this weekend. See for yourself.
Smiling at the Ceiling | Mouse Fire | Peopleodian (Hailey's) I had no idea that Peopleodian had a member of Boy Division, and that their music sounded anything like it does. Their minimal synth-pop was not what I was expecting at all, and perhaps, it's just their name that always throws (or turns) me off. WHAT IS WITH THAT NAME?!
more ariel pink recordings with the gonzalez family to be released
As we have previously mentioned, Ariel Pink recorded more music in Mesquite-based Klearlight Studios than has seen the light of day on both his new record, Before Today as well as the Shits And Giggles LP.
His newest limited-quantity EP, simply titled, Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz will be released on 12-inch vinyl on July 9th. Added Pizzazz ,of course features local father and sons virtuosos, Aaron, Stefan, and Dennis Gonzalez, as well as production by Vas Deferens Organization. The first track from the Before Today record, "Hot Body Rub," will be featured on the EP in its entirety. More information available on the always wonderful Mutant Sounds blog, and I can't wait to hear more of this excellent collaboration.
As some of you may already know in addition to my critical musings here at WSJR I am also an active member in the Friday Night Lights fan fiction community. Most of the time these two sides of the complex coin that is Frank Phosphate rarely crossover, but Passion Pit did make an appearance in a little side story I threw together a couple of months ago. So instead of going into great depth about why I think Passion Pit are lame I will just let the scene play out for you. In case you are somehow unfamiliar with the dynamic and groundbreaking television drama Friday Night Lights let me briefly describe the two characters in the following passage. Matt Saracen is the quarterback with a heart of gold and tough family life, after high school he pursues his dreams of being an artist in Chicago. Julie, Matt's girlfriend AND the coach's daughter, is a smart young girl with a big heart and a good head on her shoulders, she is often ahead of the rest of her classmates in terms of style and the arts. In the following scene Julie has come to visit Matt in Chicago and they are out for a night on the town...
The marquee above the theater pulsates with hallogenic fever as Julie drags a playfully hesitant Matt into the bar. "Why are we goin' to this stupid show anyways?" Matt inquires in his Texas drawl. Julie often dragged Matt to shows that he had no interest in seeing, he was more into things like Led Zepplin and Death Cab for Cutie. Julie insist that Matt will love this band, she read an article about them in Jane magazine and Julie's Habitat for Humanity co-worker Linda said they were the best new band around. As the couple enter the club they are surrounded by hip young twenty somethings swaying back and forth in no particular rhythm to the music. Skinny Jeans, skinnier t-shirts and knit sweaters are all the fashions of the night. Matt's face begins to sour as he pays closer attention to the music coming from the band on stage. Julie points to the stage and exclaims "That's them! That's Passion Pit! I can tell by their beards"
Matt drops his chin to chest and lets out a sigh. "Julie" Matt begins to giggle "You can't tell me that you are going to deny the derivative nature of this bland indie pop rock trite, I mean this is almost as bad as The Postal Service" Julie snarls at Matt as she continues to bob her head to the music, more out of pride than genuine enjoyment. "and these airy synths sound like something from a bad Prince cover band. I mean I understand that this geeky euro sounding indie dance music is all the rage, and don't get me wrong I do dig some of it. Like Hot Chip, that stuff is really good and has an original sound." Matt looks around at the crowd, "How can these people even pretend to dance to this beat? Cut Copy. It sounds like second rate Cut Copy as well."
Even though Julie hates to admit defeat, she realizes that she must fess up to the undeniable truth. "You're right Matt, that is the last time I take music advise from Linda!" They both have a good laugh as they walk out on to the cold Chicago streets. "Oh hey" Matt suddenly interjects "My friend is playing a solo acoustic singer songwriter set at a coffee shop, wanna go to that?" Julie nods as they embrace and skip down the street.
Really nice line-up here with DJ sets by Shane English. Two acts on this show, Dharma and Cold Mold, that I have not had a chance to catch live yet. I don't know too much about either but Austin's Dharma sound like the love child of Florene and Darktown Strutters while Cold Mold share the dark and jittery guitar/vocal assault similar to Marriage Material. The duo features Anna Wingfield from Colour Club and Bobby Missile from Attractive and Popular.
