I Love Math’s highly anticipated album, Getting to the Point is Beside It, sits all hot’n'bothered’n'ready for your insatiable CD player. Tonight, please join me in celebration by settin’ up over at Barley House for a good ol’ fashioned listenin’-to partay.
Out of town? Too lazy to make the drive? That’s kinda okay cuz we’ll be streaming the whole shindig live here at The Fine Line. Expect the cameras to roll ’bout 7 pm. The chat room will be up and running too, in case youse got questions for the band or somethin’.
Getting To The Point Is Beside It
We all get tired and we all get weary. Sometimes what we need is something true-a good, honest document stripped of all falsehoods and petty trickery. I Love Math’s new album, Getting to the Point Is Beside It is one such thing.
“It’s amazing what kind of magic some people can make with only the most basic of ingredients,” says Mundane Sounds about front-man/guitarist John Dufilho’s songwriting.
Dufilho (also the front-man for the Deathray Davies and drummer of Apples in Stereo), says “Mostly, I wanted to write and record a very straightforward album. I wanted it simple, to the point, and didn’t want to hide behind effects pedals, distortion, studio tricks, or irony.”
Drummer Philip Peeples agrees, saying, “On this record, I really enjoyed keeping it simple, playing into the songs, not simply through them. Also, John and Jason are amazing drummers, something that’s never far from my mind.” Accordingly, the band’s unwritten rule of “keep it sparse” makes perfect sense alongside another I Love Math mantra: “no cymbals allowed.” Simplicity over all.
On the 12 song Getting to the Point, pedal steel soars out over guitars you’d expect from the best of old school country. But this is no retro trip; songs like “Josephine Street,” “Some Bridges,” and “Too Many Demons” wouldn’t be out of place on a mix-tape with contemporaries like Jon Brion, Belle & Sebastian, Jonathan Richman, and Yo La Tengo (Fakebook-era) as it would with vintage Kinks, and like-minded harmonizers Simon and Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers.
As The Deathray Davies continues to move forward, I Love Math comes on as its own animal. This is no side-project; Dufilho writes endlessly, so pulling off two full-time bands is almost second nature. Recorded with Salim Nourallah at Pleasantry Lane Studio,.Dufilho and his Dallas-based band-mates, bassist Jason Garner (The Deathray Davies, The Paper Chase), drummer Philip Peeples (Old 97′s), and keyboardist Andy Lester (The Deathray Davies, Slider Pines), have given us an organic yet cinematic piece of music. Songs like “These Paper Walls,” “Volcanic Ash,” and “Better Days” come off like a soundtrack to a great movie that was never made.
On Getting to the Point, I Love Math deliver something modern yet classic. Welcome this record into your life. Your soundtrack has never been better.
My first click over to this week’s Dallas Observer was a pleasing one. My new first read each week is Dave Sims’ new column, North of the Dial. Yeah, I’m somewhat biased cuz I’ve known and loved Dave for years, but I also really respect his writin’ abilities and I ain’t met a band from Denton yet, that I don’t like.
This week I was particularly pleased with Dave’s shout-out to those Gutterth boys. Michael and Brent are good folks, and they put on some hella shows that rival any best-of-the-best shows in DdFW….
…Michael Briggs, on the other hand, is the rare musician who thrives on all of it. Briggs and his friend Brent Frishman run Gutterth Productions, which, for the last two years, has put together more than 20 of the best Denton and Dallas billings with their Gutterth Live series. The events began as a thinly veiled scheme to allow Briggs’ band Malise to share the stage with The Paper Chase, whom he had admired for years. That show was a success, and it occurred to Briggs that instead of waiting on the whim of local venue calendars, he could arrange the concerts he wanted to see himself…Read
I have this thing about putting stickers on my car. Don’t want ‘em on there, won’t put ‘em on there…but for Gutterth I made an exception.
Take a gander at the show the boys have set up for next weekend…
I read it three times to make sure I was really reading what I was reading. Pete? Really? Lemme preface this by saying that I like Pete Freedman. I like him a lot. But he’s sort of put a burr in my britches (no, not Doug, getcher mind outta the gutter) with his entirely snarky and overly harsh review of an evening which I found quite divine. To each their own, I suppose, but this review just seems really…I dunno…below the belt or something.
Course I’m pretty defensive when it comes to Quick, and certainly Hunter Hauk. Those folks have all been real good to me, even forgiving. I was invited to be a panelist and a presenter for the event…so I guess I’m taking the review personally. I’ve also already admitted that, after the horror of being on stage to present, I basically proceeded to the backstage area Green Room with full intent to get sloshed. So I only know what I know…and I know it was a great event, tons of fun and a huge endeavor for Quick (ya know, they have a teeny-tiny staff). Hell, I was downright proud to have been a part of it.
I just don’t understand the pokes and jabs, Pete. I think we’ve got room for a couple of good music events (or awards) sponsored by the city’s media. Why not? It’s the only time this ol’ gal gets offered a free drink, and it’s fun to have so many musicians, of whom I am both friend and fan, in one room for an evening.
That friggin’ Palladium is downright cavernously humongous. Hell, I got lost behind the stage area. I thought the crowd seemed pretty filled-out, considering the size of the venue, and well attended for a Thursday night.
Jeffrey Liles is compiling a “History of Dallas Music,” thank goodness, and you can keep up here. Below are a few excerpts…the man is a freakin’ gift to this town…
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I made this page for a reason. It’s time to for the Dallas creative community to start owning our collective past, present and future.
We certainly aren’t suffering from a lack of talent. Our artists sell literally millions of recordings to people all over the world. Our musicians tour all over the place as bandleaders and hotshot hired guns. We’re everywhere… everywhere except home.
Fuck all that.
There is simply no reasonable excuse for the North Texas area to NOT have a signature profile as a progressive, economically viable music and art epicenter.
As crass as this might sound, I need to put this in terms of the only language a lot of the elitist motherfuckers understand – our creative people are makin’ money. For all these people who branded Dallas as a new money oil town – a glitzy and superficial fashion circle jerk – it’s time for you to step to the side and let our musicians, photographers and artists illustrate this life experience.
“A History of Dallas Music” is more than just that. It’s YOUR personal connection to the collective community – how YOU experienced it. If you are a fan, musician, artist, engineer, photographer, DJ, venue employee or hater, this is the place for you to own your contribution or experience within the context of who we really are.
I realize that one of the reasons the North Texas area doesn’t have a higher profile is mainly an issue of aesthetics. We’re all over the map stylistically. This has always been our blessed curse. Hopefully this page will help educate musicians and fans about artists who exist outside of their chosen genre.
Dallas is Pantera and Rigor Mortis. It’s Erykah Badu and Norah Jones. It’s Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ben Kweller and MC 900 Ft Jesus. The Toadies and 1100 Springs. Dallas is Roy Hargrove and Cafe Noir. Our musicians are playing in bands with artists like Fiona Apple, Seal, Air, Korn, Smashmouth and Bob Dylan.
We’re everywhere, all the time.
We’re more diverse than New York City and more original than Los Angeles. We’re more talented than Seattle and more country than Nashville.
Our people are nicer and certainly less egotistical than all of those places.
No longer will we collectively exist under the radar.
It’s finally time to own what has always been ours to begin with.
When I was growing up in the 70’s, there were killer music stores all over town.
I rode my bike up to Sound Town in the Promenade Center in Richardson to pay five bucks for a brand new vinyl copy of “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols”. I had no idea what “bollocks” meant. Didn’t know what anarchy or submission was either. Had literally had no idea at what they were screaming about, but I fucking loved it anyway. That album just came flying out of the speakers of my stereo.
I also remember meeting Van Halen at an in-store appearance at Disc Records in Valley View Mall. God I loved that place. They gave away free 7 inch singles of “You Really Got Me” b/w “Atomic Punk” that day. Van Halen had just released their first album and they were out on the road opening up for Journey. I actually won a jukebox in a promotion they had that afternoon at the store. It was too heavy to lift up the stairs to my house, so it sat in the garage until I sold it to Bill from Bill’s Records a couple of years later so I could go buy a bass guitar.
Robert Fripp did a great in-store performance at Peaches Records on Lemmon Avenue. He had just released the “Exposure” album, and he did this deal where he sat there on a stool playing along with tape loops. It was my birthday that day, and it was great to spend it with such a prog rock legend. That whole day was a trip. I might have been hallucinating, but Fripp was about four feet tall.
When I was really young I used to talk my parents into taking me to Melody Shop in NorthPark Mall every Saturday afternoon. I used to love to go there and play all of the electric guitars. They also used to sell sheet music there. Man I loved that place.
When McCord’s Music opened up in Valley View I actually talked my parents into buying me a drum set there. I took lessons for about a month and then gave up before turning to the guitar. A month or so later I bought an old white Gibson SG Jr. for $150 at Pete’s Pawn and Music in Garland and started learning a few chords. Think I got my first amp at Sears at Valley View.
I really dug that Sound Warehouse that was tucked away across the street from there in the corner of that strip mall at 635 and Preston Road. Such a great vibe in that store. It had a “California” look and feel to the interior. I think that may have been the first location for Sound Warehouse. There was another one a couple of miles away on Belt Live in Addison that was really cool as well. Used to ride my bike up there all the time too.
Arnold and Morgan Music and Charley’s Guitar Shop are both legendary. In a lot of ways I was too chickenshit to go in there. Those places were for the real pros, I was just a kid hacking away at “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin. It was a big deal for me just to walk in there and buy strings.
I really miss a lot of the smaller indie record stores. Record Gallery, Direct Hit, Last Beat Records, RPM, Pagan and VVV Records were all amazing in their own ways. I can’t tell you how many amazing records I bought at VVV over the years. Such an incredible store. Neal Caldwell and Mark Griffin were always so great to talk to. I would spend hours there in the side room listening to records that I just couldn’t afford.
As a teenager I lived a short bike ride away from the original Bill’s Records, back when there was still a Northwood Four Movie Theatre in the same shopping center. (Bagelstein’s Deli, which was next door, has now moved to the shopping center at Coit and Arapaho Road.)
Over the years, all of these stores influenced the musicians and DJs of Dallas in deeply profound ways. People would drive in from Oklahoma and Arkansas just to buy records at VVV, RPM, Metamorphisis and Bill’s Records. High school kids would save their lawn mowin’ money to buy their first guitars at Arnold and Morgan. Bands like P-Funk would sign autographs at Peaches. It seemed like every week something cool like that was happening in Dallas.
Ya gotta miss that shit.
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“More and more I can see, who I am, who I might be… how will you make your dreams come true?”
So few rock and roll songs manage to articulate revelation or personal discovery in a way that’s anything other than blatantly emo. This is different.
When it was released twenty years ago, “More and More” by The Buck Pets was one of those songs that just sent chills up your spine. Two minutes of sheer dissonance, kid. A wave of chaos, lead singer Andy Thompson above the fray asking “what’s the price for your slice of life?” This shit was heavy.
“More and More” was both massive and introspective at the same time. Chris Savage’s guitar solo is a writhing atonal feedback-drenched wall of noise, a black Gibson Les Paul screaming through an old Marshall half stack like an damaged F16 scorching the desert sky.
His melodic figure during the bridge wavers on a teetering high wire above the rest of the band; the wall of sonic anarchy that follows perfectly simulates the effect of biting down on tin foil. When Thompson comes back to finish the lyrics, Savage’s harmonic squall line just swims around all over the place.
The song is pure genius. After hearing it you realize that you’ve been holding your breath the whole time. It’s that dramatic and concise.
That’s what life is all about, isn’t it? How you’ll make your dreams come true?
Now, in retrospect, do you think Andy knew that twenty years later he would be running a general store in a small town in Virginia? Or that bassist Ian Beach would become a highly innovative chef? Where is Tony Alba these days anyway? I know that Chris Savage is in a band called Mic The Tiger, and I wanna check ’em out. It’s about time he got back out there and reclaims the style that he helped invent.
In a lot of ways, The Buck Pets were Deep Ellum’s first real Rock Stars. Barely out of high school, they signed with Island Records, toured with Jane’s Addiction and even opened for Neil Young in LA at a few arena shows.
They were easily my favorite band in town at the time. To this day, there have only been a handful of records that are as abrupt and beautiful as the Buck Pets debut album. Can you imagine if this record had been released the same year as Nirvana’s “Nevermind”?
This band would have been huge.
It should also be noted that David Bindler, who passed away three days ago, was one of the Buck Pets earliest and biggest supporters.
In The Los Angeles Times today, there appears a brief paid obituary without any further explanation; all it says is the name of the deceased, William David Bindler, along with Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries.
But there are plenty of folks living in Dallas who could fill in the copious blanks: After all, David was one of the first people any of us at Thomas Jefferson High School in the mid-1980s knew who was in a real band.
Back then he was the drummer in Da Nu Man, which would perform at the Theatre Gallery and 500 Cafe and Kool Vibes, and which, in October 1986, released the single “Sidestreets” on Russell Hobbs and Jeff Liles’ Deep Ellum Records. Later came Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! with no less than Nervebreaker Barry Kooda.
David died over the weekend of a bleeding ulcer, according to a mutual friend from T.J.; she says “it got the best of him,” simple as that. He was 41 and married, and he leaves behind a 17-year-old son.
For his part, yesterday Barry Kooda posted a video, available after the jump, Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! made at the State Fair of Texas many, many years ago.
Also, some of David’s former classmates from T.J., many of whom also grew up and moved away only to settle back in the old neighborhood, will gather on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Club Schmitz. Of course, all who knew David are welcome.
Last year, Denton electro-dance group Ghosthustler got mentions in Spin, on Pitchfork and on countless national blogs mere months after forming, mainly because of “Parking Lot Nights.”
The Pete Ohs-directed video for the song achieved viral status with its footage of a Nintendo Power Glove rhythmically punching random hipsters in the face. Clearly, Ghosthustler got off to a good start.
And while members Alan Palomo, Gray Gideon and Noah Jackson still have no immediate plans for a full-length album, they’ve kept fans and bloggers interested with live shows and single releases.
The trio’s newest songs, “Someone Else’s Ride” and “Only Me to Trust,” are on Ghosthustler’s first physical release, a limited 10-inch record released at last month’s South by Southwest.
The guys told us in a recent chat that they plan to put out more new tracks and remixes soon, and also will start thinking about tours in the U.S. and Europe. Here’s more….Read Dammit!
I was lucky enough to catch Ghosthustler live at Strawberry Fields a few weeks back and was hooked immediately. Infectious energy and brilliant tuneage…that’s it in a nutshell.
You can getcher Ghosthustler on tomorrow night, Friday, April 4th at The Cavern in Dallas.
…We feature the PPT folks in this paper a lot. But the reason is that Team SS is genuinely enamored with Picnic, Pikahsso and Tahiti’s talent and potential to create great stuff no matter what they’re doing. The fact that we like these dudes has nothing to do with the fact that they have crafted a classic.
Denglish sounds like very little else that has come from our fine city, yet it is a distinctively Dallas record. If it gets heard outside our region, it’ll get jocked all across the board…Read it all.
•Denton band Record Hop (who appeared on Quick’s cover a couple of days ago) will make copies of its new self-titled CD available next Thursday at its CD release show at Dan’s SilverLeaf in Denton. But those of us who saw the band’s official showcase at South by Southwest were lucky enough to grab a free copy, hot off the press. Check out the insane artwork by Nevada Hill, with individual lyric sheets inside that feature photos by Hop drummer Tony Wann. This is why you shouldn’t download albums…read the rest.
In case you forgotteded, Hunter also had a sweet interview with Record Hop and you should read it, lest your pals’ll think you all lame and sh*t.
‘Memember when I said Lesley towed-off Hunter? Go here for the splendid details.
Check out the interview with the always delightful Laura Palmer too.
Watch these previews for the latest development in our project “Dreamtown”, an independent documentary that makes the invisible visible by bringing social consciousness into the main stream, and delivers a raw and unbiased perspective. This is a glimpse at one of several surfacing products advocating social awareness through “Dreamtown”. My comrades are very busy with this one and I’m very proud of the results. Have a look!
Filmed and Directed by Hal Samples
Edited by Jeremy Bush
Music by Hendrick Visuaal.com
It took me about 2 hours 45 minutes to reach North Austin from Dallas yesterday. It took me 1 hour 13 minutes to get from North Austin to South Austin…sigh.
Pretty much the moment I hit town last night, the girl-child was calling about our dinner plans. I took the girl to Jovita’s, one of my favorite Austin hangs. It proved to be an interesting evening. There was this adorable tiny-little-just-turned-84-years-old lady there celebrating her day of birth. Celebrating with the most unusually quirky little crowd. Well…not exactly little…they were about 15 long and 5 deep. There were all these crazy, fancy professional cameras set up everywhere and the moment Sumner Erickson & The Texcentrics took the stage, this lil’ birthday gal hit the dance floor and was immediately surrounded by her motley crew, to form sort of a Woodstockesque dance-a-thon…they held hands, formed a circle and just sort of swayed slowly. Overheard conversations throughout the evening were priceless.
As I predicted in an earlier post, the girl-child was pretty much ready to dump me by 8 PM. That’s okay, she wanted (and did go) to go to the Obama rally, so for that, I can forgive being a dumpee.
I’m still sitting here awaiting for the girl-child to rise from her slumber. However, I think I’ll get out and see what the hell is happ’nin’ in Austin. There are several really great shows tonight, I’m still mulling over which one to attend…since I’ve already been informed that I can expect another big dump tonight….oh shutup, you know what I mean.
The Austin Chronicle has a pull-out of a partial list of showcasing acts for this years SXSW. This year I’m going badge and wristband free. I usually end up at non-official shows anyway, and my real draw to the festival is attending shows all day, then calling it a day before 10 PM. What can I say, I’m old.
“A Nation of Laws? (1968-71)” examines the Black Panthers’ rise in Chicago in 1968; and the Attica State Prison uprising in ’71. Included: comments by journalist Tom Wicker and former Panther Elaine Brown.
It was extremely powerful, tragic and educating, and I highly recommend watching it yourselves.
What to do tonight…what to do…
Almost There Records is throwin’ a Hoot Night tonight at the Continental Club with Honeypot, The Archibalds, Ripe, Ron Flynt, The Midgetmen, Matt Divine and a bunch more.
Moonlight Towers, Magnet School and Dead Twins are at Hole in the Wall. The Black Lips, The Strange Boys and White Denim are at Emo’s.
Other notables – Darryl Lee Rush is at Riley’s. Brave Combo at Jovita’s. South Austin Jug Band at Saxon Pub.
Look, I ain’t got much to toot my (very unused) horn about, ‘cept the young’un’s (girl and boy-child), and choosing some of the rightfriends. So I’ll always take full credit for Doug Burr. So what if he’s the most talented and gifted singer-songwriter in the world. Who cares if he’s worked his ass off gigging and promoting, even long after I was his band’s booking agent. Big deal that he tirelessly writes new and brilliant songs in the few hours that he can manage, outside of his wife, kids and full time job. I still want, and demand, full credit.
Having known Doug for nearly a decade, along with the fact that it was his voice and his music that urged me to even take a look at the live local music scene, nearly a decade ago…it comes as no long-overdue surprise when Doug gets national attention.He gets international attention too, ya know.
I do like it, though, when another fan jumps on the Dougie-wagon, and finds a wee bit of pride in our local talent…Pete Freedman done jumped…
…and there was Paste magazine’s placement of local folk singer Doug Burr within both the confines of its February compilation CD (with the song “Thing About Trouble”) and its pages (Burr was named in one of the magazine’s monthly “4 to Watch” musician features).
Hardly a bad way to kick off the year.
But was it coincidence? A matter of the national media finally picking up on something our locals have known for so long? Or was it that the local supporters of these artists were finally knocking down the right doors? …Read this silly.
…I’m mulling over the idea of making Pete Freedman my idea too. You know, full credit and all that stuff? Yeah, that’s what I might do…
“Come to My Senses” by Doug Burr
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Robert Wilonsky makes nice mention of Erykah Badu’s upcoming release, Nu Amerykah Part 1: The Fourth World War, and rightly so…I’ve heard nothing but greatness pertaining to this new album. Wilonsky shares newsworthy scoopage far and wide…go here…and here…and here.
For a long time—about three years—Erykah Badu figured maybe she was done making records. It started around the time she released Worldwide Underground in June 2003, which would have been one hell of a farewell: a gritty, fist-in-your-face EP populated by tracks that rambled on and on, some drenched in fuzz, others doused with fury. Nothing was coming; nothing was happening; nothing was everything when she sat down to write…just…something, damn it…She did. Oh how she did.
Yes, she has a date set at the House of Blues in Dallas on Tuesday, February 26th.Purchase tickets before they’s all gone.
Ssssshhhhhhhh. I’ve got a secret. On Monday, February 25th, there will be a super-secret-super-cool-super-fantastic event at a local record shop. There’s talk of it being an “old school” record release party, complete with Ms Badu present so’s we can get stuff signed and, quite frankly, bask in her brilliance. There will also be copies of a way-cool documentary available. As soon as I get the signal, you’ll get the signal.
Well it seems that Darryl Smyers is a better man than I. Regardless of my efforts to get Mark Olson’s “people” to confirm a video interview with the former Jayhawk, it just didn’t come to pass. But real-live-paid-pro-writers have no trouble gettin’ Olson on the horn…
Speaking from his tour bus just outside Seattle, Mark Olson sounds revitalized and downright giddy. Things are good at the moment for the former leader of the influential alt-country act The Jayhawks.
“I have a real interesting band,” Olson says of the group of musicians backing him on his current solo tour. “It seems like we’ve been playing every night since August.”…yeah…so…read it.
Hell, I’ll still track Mark down somehow, somewhere…
Thursday, February 21st Good Records
Mark Olson
6 PM
Thursday, February 21st AllGood Cafe
Todd Deathrage / Mark Olson
8 PM – $15.00
“Part of a documentary shot in NYC while Mark (founding member of The Jayhawks) was doing a residency at Mo Pitkins. “National Express” is a track from Mark’s new album on HackTone Records, ‘The Salvation Blues.’”
Texas gets a little luvin’ for this year’s PLUG awards, including our bestest blog around, Gorilla vs Bear. Way to go Chris, again!
More: Spoon – “Album of the Year” – “Artist of the Year” – “Song of the Year” The Underdog – “Indie Album of the Year” – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge) St. Vincent – “Best New Artist” – “Best Female Artist” – “Best Video” Okkervil River – “Indie Album of the Year” – “Artist of the Year” – The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar) Iron & Wine – “Americana Album of the Year” – The Shepard’s Dog (Sub Pop) Emo’s (Austin) – “Best Live Music Venue of the Year” Fun Fun Fun Fest, SXSW, Austin City Limits – all nominated for “Music Festival of the Year” Gorilla vs Bear – “Music Blog of the Year” Waterloo Records – “Record Store of the Year” The Adventure Club w/Josh Venable – “Specialty Show of the Year”
Speaking of Texas. Speaking of voting. Speakingg of music awards. Tomorrow is the deadline to place your vote for this year’s Austin Chronicle Music Poll Don’t just sit there, go vote!
My life, at present, is rife with turmoil…case in point, the below dishwasher doin’s this morning…
…but that’s for another place and time, eh? Actually, it ain’t all that bad, but when things do get a little crazy, I tend to have really really full-blown surround-sound-technicolor dreams.
My dreams have been crazy vivid this week. One in which I was told that I was pregnant, by my doctor…ahem…who turned out to be, Britney Spears. She was wearing a soft-pink Juicy Couture Terry Track Suit, and her hair had grown back about an inch-and-a-half with sort of a strawberry blond hue. Not too clear on the meaning behind this dream, but I can assure you, I ain’t pregnant…and I’m fairly certain Britney needs a doctor more than she might be a doctor.
Last night I had a dream about Carissa Byers. I have no idea why. In the dream she was throwing a lavish party to celebrate something of importance. She began to clink a small, shiny silver spoon against her champagne glass to hush the crowd and announce the big news…and I woke-up.
My dreams usually come back to me throughout the day, and I just remembered last night’s theatrical slumber, so I logged on to Carissa’s blog...
Daniel Miller is an exceptional, amazing and talented man and we are about to join forces outside of the mushy realm of Absolute Perfection and enter into the professional world. Together. We are launching exciting things on Valentines Day. It is our gift to Each other and our gift to You…there’s more.
hmmmm….
I dunno what those two crazy kids are cookin’ up, nor do I know why I had a sudden semi-psychic dream, but what I do know is that the video below really put me in an amazingly good mood. Thanks for that C & D.
“After All” by Sondra Lerche – Photos by Carissa Byers & Daniel Miller
Yesterday I concocted somewhat of an agreement with Rebecca Johnson, wife of the GREATJay Johnson. Jay’s got, yet another, song under his belt that is sure to go platinum. I’ve been asked to do some work with them, and since Jay is one of most brilliant singer/songwriters around, and I love them both dearly, I agreed. Plus, it’s income. I like income. I’ll spill more about all this scoop later, meantime I need a favor…
…in order to accomplish some of the work I’ve been asked to do, for pay, is that I need to invest in a decent camcorder. Here’s a bit of what I need:
~good video AND audio capability
~XLR ports to hook up mics and mixers
~Able to stream from camera to laptop for live video streaming
~relatively easy to use and/or learn to use
~easy editing and uploading to computer/internet
~decent in low light and/or capable to attach light
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s the gist now. If youse guys have any suggestions, send ‘em my way. I’ve researched to the point that my head is pounding and my eyes are crossed. Any help from you in-the-know types will be most appreciated. Time is of the essence…
I’m really excited about the relatively newly formed, The King Bucks. So’s Merritt. I freakin’ love her piece How to Be a Good Cover Band in this week’s Dallas Observer. I’ve had countless conversations on the subject, and even several nights banging my head against a brick wall thinking about the subject…
If you’d asked two years ago, I would have said that the only reason for a cover band to exist is to make money and watch the crazy shit that goes down at weddings, and that’s coming from someone who’s been in one. Yeah, I admit it—the Ronnie Dobbs Band could “rock your corporate event” with hits from Coldplay to Heart. We were never meant to write our own material or go any further than holiday parties at local venues. I also got total shit for being in a cover band. It’s a stigma. “You don’t do any original music?” “Oh God, you have to sing ‘Lights’ by Journey?!” Looking back now, those were fun times, but the jokes and snarking also turned me into a snob. Tribute nights are one thing, but professional cover bands became a whole new cancer for me….Read it fool!
Um. What? Merritt Martin shall never live down the cover band phase of her life. I won’t allow it. I just won’t. I can’t wait to see her in person so’s I can point and laugh and laugh and laugh…then I’ll shout out some requests…
…All that held until I ran into the King Bucks. Via covers and (gasp!) the occasional original tune, the King Bucks will take you (or me, specifically) back to Dad teaching how to pop a beer top, sitting in Granny’s kitchen at that cool metal table and insisting that brown cowboy boots needed to be worn with an Easter dress. Somehow those blasts aren’t as offensive when done with reverence for the original musicians such as Buck Owens (hence the name), the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Hank Thompson, David Allan Coe, Dylan and the like. As King Buck Chad Stockslager says, “It’s not a tribute to a band as much as a style or genre. It’s a time-honored sound…” For the love of Hank, Read – Read, I say!
My mom had these old Everly Brothers albums, like so old they were about a half-inch thick and weighed a good 2 lbs. each. I played them down to the grain. So Wednesdays at Barley House will be my new thang. Can’t wait ’til next week.
I’ve had January 19th circled on my calendar since I first heard about the above shindig a few weeks back. Jesse Hughey does a little raving too…here.
…But Bar of Soap managed to put together a lineup strong enough to inspire the hope that standing in a Dallas bar/laundry listening to local rock bands for 10 hours might actually be fun…
Goodwin performs at 4:15…I’m just sayin’…see ya there!
I can assure you that Jesse Hyde’s article, Gentrification Welcomed by Deep Ellum Artists is going to cause a stir. Perhaps that’s precisely what he was going for…or is it more an article about Brian Gibb? Dunno, but I like what Gianna had to add to the article…
…Gibb’s call for big-business development is at odds with the philosophy of the Deep Ellum Association, which is dedicated to preserving the historical buildings in the area. Gianna Madrini, president of the association, helped lure Gibb to Deep Ellum, and while she understands his frustration as a business owner, she says large scale redevelopment is not the answer.
“We’d like to see development within the context of this historic neighborhood,” Madrini says. “This is one of the last neighborhoods that represents what Dallas once was and what it really is. If you have a whole bunch of West Villages, everything looks the same.”
Madrini says what has been lost in the hand-wringing over the so-called death of Deep Ellum’s entertainment district is that the area has quietly become a place where people actually live, not just shop, eat and play. In a sense, it already is a West Village, with a bohemian rather than mass-produced commercial feel.
To maintain that, she says the city must do everything it can to preserve Deep Ellum’s historic buildings. Those buildings in and of themselves are an asset to the neighborhood and are one reason Deep Ellum has always been, and continues to be, an artist’s enclave.
“It’s true that we’ve lost a lot of entertainment, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that we now have more residents living here than ever before. We have 17 art galleries in Deep Ellum. It really is a mixed-use neighborhood.”
If the neighbor hood maintains its feel, Madrini says, more business owners like Gibb will come to the area and more residents will move there to live, all of which will increase foot traffic along streets like Commerce.
“The answer isn’t to tear down historic buildings and build parking lots. We’ve got to preserve what makes this city unique….”
I’m truly blessed to have friends in my life that I can use to live vicariously through their adventures. It’s an even bigger bonus when said friends are immensely talented photographers. Here’s a glimpse into the life of Hal Samples…’bout a week’s worth. What can I say, the guy simply cannot sit still.
You still have time to getcher holiday photos shot by Hal. All you gotta do is ask. Even I can afford it.
Families, Weddings, Christmas, Astronautalis, PPT, Wilonsky, Los Angeles, Spores, Horse Heads, Dirt Doctors, Tania, Girl Talk, Cash, Debras, Crums, Friends, Travels, Work, Apartments, Black Angels, Sergio, CK, Butts, Store Tags…etc…
So this positively delightful woman came into Space a couple of days ago. Hal was shooting her for some publication, can’t remember which, but I’ll tell you this, the woman deserves all the kind words any and all of us can muster up.
She was wearing her American Airlines uniform, which of course, got my attention as an ex-American Airlines uniform-wearin’-gal-me-own-self. She looked familiar. Her name was very familiar. But my wee-brain didn’t think much past the possibility of knowing her from flying. ‘Twas about midway through the shoot when I realized that we were in the presence of the great and legendary Yvonne Crum.
Yvonne Crum’s indefatigable nature and boundless energy make her a favorite among many non-profit organizations in Dallas. She has chaired most of the city’s major events and served on many boards as well.
She has lived most of her life in Texas. Graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in sociology and psychology, Yvonne set out to save the world. Having come from a broken home and mostly raising herself, she looked to teachers for her role models. However, perhaps relating too closely to some situations, Yvonne learned early on that she was not cut out to be a social worker as an occupation, but great at volunteering to help in any way she could.
She joined Braniff Airlines in 1964 and loved the job, which carried her to places that she’d never been and gave her the opportunity to do the things she wanted to do for her community. She is “still in the airline business”, having held positions as flight attendant, in-flight supervisor and flight attendant recruiter, but always going back to the air. Yvonne is a member of the Flight Attendants Hall of Fame…
… Yvonne has served on the boards of many organizations including KidneyTexas, whose annual fundraiser she has chaired, Leukemia Society of America, Dallas Summer Musicals, American Heart Association, Nexus Recovery Center, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Les Femmes du Monde and Dallas Museum of Art, to name a few…
This woman can light up the darkest of rooms, and it was an honor and a pleasure to meet her. Doing so shall forever make me strive to be a better person.
Today was a good day. To rank it 1 out of a possible 10, I’d have to give it a solid 20. Today I dined at AllGood Cafe with Reid, Hal, Hal’s friend Melissa(? – bad with names), and Kate Mackley. We arrived about 2:02. We learned today that on Mondays, AllGood closes at 2 PM. Thankfully, Mike was there and he allowed us to order and feast on AllGood’s delicious vittles.
Afterwards, Kate invited me into her car to listen to some tunes from the forthcoming Carter album. The album is brilliant. Glorious. Carter.
Then we all went up to SPACE to hang out, brain-storm and generally enjoy each other’s company. Carissa Byers was shooting a couple of adorable young un’s, one of whom skipped over and inquired as to the whereabouts of Cash. We pointed the 3-year old tot towards the direction in which he could find Cash. Once the boy positioned himself directly in front of the pooch, he pulled his trousers down to expose his baby smooth bottom, then pointed at said poo-hole for Cash to admire. That wasn’t the end of that, though. Once Cash had gotten an eyeful of little-boy-butt, the young child then faced forward and dropped his drawers so Cash could take a gander at the wee-wee too. I laughed until it hurt.
We have some pretty sweet things cookin’ up at SPACE, and from here on out, I’ll pretty much be a regular fixture ’round there.
Ya know, the holiday season is just around the corner. So if’n your bidness associates and/or company and/or family and/or friends are looking for the perfect SPACE for your holiday shenanigans, then drop me a line and we’ll fix ya right up. We have caterers, bands, and everything else to fit your extravaganza needs.
If you are an artist frustrated with the club scene, getting paid by club owners, not getting paid by club owners, whatever, then throw your own damn show at SPACE! We’ll work with your budget.
Lots more creamy goodness in the works, so stay tuned….
My friend Tiffany and I slither into our lightest tees conscious of the summer heat and head out to hear the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. But first a detour to my favorite boutique, p.45, located in the bohemian Bucktown neighborhood. While facing our directional challenges, we stumble across Quimby’s, an independent bookstore with an amazingly diverse collection of “zines.” These unusual, sometimes witty, handmade periodicals are everywhere in Chicago (which we dub “zineland”). I pick one up and spy a reference to Pitchfork Media, the indie-music focused company and festival sponsor that the zine’s author lists under “Things That Suck.” Not a good sign.
Tiffany and I locate my shop and grab brunch across the street at Feast. A gorgeous crowd is chowing down on pancakes. But what catches my eye, despite the chiseled hunk at the corner table, is a Bloody Mary. The tall glass of spicy, vodka-spiked tomato juice garnished with two bulging olives and a celery-salted rim is supreme. I might have stopped at one had I known we’d be guzzling cups of icy, locally brewed Goose Island beer at the festival. But hey, I’m on vacation.
Several Bloody Mary’s later, we cab it to Union Park arriving just in time to hear the second band, Chin Up Chin Up. The lyrics are barely intelligible over an insistent base strum and drum beat so Tiffany and I check out the craft bazaar before the next band takes the stage.
The craft tent, although shady, is stifling in the midday sun. People are milling next to racks of homemade tees and stacks of blank notebooks for sale. The crafty vendors in the music section have brought headphones and CD players. I pick up a group I vaguely remember hearing about, The M’s. Wow! I add them to my stash and score a bonus compilation from their label, Brilliante Records. Decibully has a catchy song about being dumped called “Rid of Me at Last.” I also pick up The Julius Airwave from Sick Room Records and get a freebie AM Syndicate with my purchase.
An announcer begins talking up Band of Horses and I grab Tiffany. She’s been roped into being my photographer so I need her to get close to the stage before the horde of head-bobbing fans engulfs the performer. Lead singer Ben Bridwell looks every bit his working class, South Carolina roots dressed in a well-bent baseball cap and worn army green polo. The band’s tribute to the Great Salt Lakes is heartfelt, if not particularly on key. I’m waiting to hear The Mountain Goats. They’ve got a new album out, “Get Lonely”, which is a mellower follow up to gifted lyricist John Darnielle’s record “The Sunset Tree”, on which he hashes out his relationship with an abusive stepfather. The acoustic duo belt out seeming love song lyrics, “They’re going to find intelligent life on the moon…and I will love you again…just like I used to.”
DJs spin in a smaller tent behind the bazaar. I check out 20 minutes of Destroyer on one of the two large stages before making my way through the sea of grass-hugging butts to hear French Canadian beat mixer Ghislain Poirier. His new record “Rebondir EP” is a techno-laden collection of mostly instrumental tracks (and one awesome Reggae-sounding mix “Pou Ki Sa Dub”) that is a departure from his preceding all-rap remixes. This should be the hot CD for every urban lounge.
Our ears and alcohol tolerance give out by the time we wonder over to where Art Brut is performing. While Brut’s appealing antics and Britishness make us giggle we decide to step; there’s no reentrance once your ticket is torn and we’ve been dreaming of our air-conditioned hotel room for the last half hour. Before hoping the L train back to Michigan Avenue we stop at the Flatstock 9 Poster Convention inside the festival gates. I buy a Modest Mouse concert poster and meet Jay Ryan, a rock poster artist who has worked with gallery and magazine Art Prostitute in my hometown of Dallas, Texas.
The next day, Sunday, we return like dummies without sunscreen to hear Tapes ‘n Tapes and Danielson. The awesome Yo La Tengo and Texas band Spoon play that night while we will be on a return flight to Dallas. Just when Tiffany dubs the whole affair “Cockrock-o-rama” due to the lack of indie girl bands, we see a throng amassing at the DJ tent. Moving closer to explore we are shocked to see a band of wild women completely dominating the stage.
The Brazilian discopunks who form the band CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy, Portuguese for I Tire of Being Sexy) sing in accented English funny lyrics like those of their new single “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above.” I had an Ahha! moment and I can tell you now why Pitchfork Media does not suck: it showcases great undiscovered talent outside of MySpace. Carpe Indie Pop!
Listen up all you way-cool-hip Indie kids! Tonight is another installment of Chris Cantallini’s (Gorilla vs Bear) magnificant new show on freakin’ Sirius Satellite Radio (I heard Chris and Stern are now golfing buddies).
Those crazy girls..er…boys…er…boy…er…girl…whomever, those folk(s) over at We Shot JR have been keeping me relatively entertained, as of late, with their matter-of-fact insight on the local music scene.
One little post that jumped out at me this afternoon was this little Q&A with my long-lost pal Chris Cantalini of Gorilla Vs Bear…my daughter’s…sigh…favorite music blog.
Gorilla vs. Bear’s Chris Cantalini seems to be a pretty busy guy these days. Not only does he run one of the most highly acclaimed “tastemaker” MP3 blogs in the U.S. right now, but he recently began hosting his own SIRIUS radio show with fellow bloggers Brooklyn Vegan and Productshop NYC. He also lives here in Dallas in case you didn’t know, which probably makes him, in terms of impact and influence on underground music, one of the most important figures to come out of the Dallas music scene in a very long time (although he obviously hasn’t had much competition over the past decade)…
Chris, along with Garrison Reid and Sam Machkovech have all been pretty instrumental (pun intended) in introducing me to some tremendously splendid indie bands – outside the local scene – and for that I thank them profusely.
I knew next to nothing about the local/regional music scene back when I started my original local music blog in 2002. So it’s taken me awhile to get to know the scene. Therefore, I enjoy it when other music lovers (I happen to trust) send me towards other great bands and artists from around the country and the world…cuz I ain’t got no time to go look fer ‘em myself. Plus occasionally I can sneak over to their blogs/sites and pick up some info, then make it my own here at The Fine Line…heh..heh..cough…
As one young man-about-town pointed out recently, yours truly is “the most non-hipster person to ever matter in the local scene,” (no truer words..blah…blah…blah…). Due to my PTAesque status, I’ve been reluctant to hit those fabulous way to cooler-than-this-old-broad Lollipop Shoppe extravaganzas. Thankfully, >Ms. Kate Mackley went. Here are photos to prove it…and a review forthcoming…I wish I still had my old Go-Go-boots…
These photos were taken on June 17th at The Double-Wide with the Dirty Novels, a damn fine band from New Mexico…
Things are revving up for the 2006 FW Weekly Music Awards, so I thought I’d toss out the list of nominees and add some sound so you can take a listen and decide on your votes.
NEW ARTIST
The Greater Good is probably the most commercial-sounding of this year’s nominees, but the fullness of their blue-eyed soul suggests there’s more to hear than a nicely coiffed radio band. High School Assembly features ex-Yellabelly bandmates Ryan Higgs and Jon Carney, and they can certainly sate a jones for cream-and-gravel pop, replete with droning guitars, ample drums, and angst-ridden vocals. Speaking of secondary education, The Backhands’ Brent Reiter and Jim Crye went to high school together, along with bandmates Ben Rhodes and Matt Thomas. Even though the band recently broke up, its reggae-and-pop-inflected groove-rock deserves kudos. The Burning Hotels seem to drink from the same well as earlier watershed acts The Clash, the Minutemen, and Gang of Four, to name a few. The buzz that broke out before the Hotels’ first gig was not just hype. Bands twice the Hotels’ age aren’t nearly as tight or able. The Fellow Americans, rising from the ashes of the Rio Grande Babies and with the addition of singer-songwriter Jeff Price, dip a little further into the rich garage-band legacy, with nicely structured punkish rock anthems. A little closer to the singer-song writer vein, The Joe K Experience’s Joe Kirkland regularly performs solo or with backing musicians, even though in the studio the young turk plays every instrument — and well. Lastly, Wonderful Façade is a folk-ish trio whose individual musicians have logged lotsa time on local stages. — Tom Urquhart
…and the nominees for “Best New Band”
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High School Assembly Listen to tuneage “The brainchild of former Yellabelly members Ryan Higgs and Jon Carney. Constucted in June of 2005. We spent many years of trying to decide if it was worth it. The songs are based on the trials of those years…”
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The Back Hands Listen to Tuneage “A four piece Groove and Melody rock band from Fort Worth Texas, the Backhands have a unique sound in that they mix rock with alt rock, pop, funk and even some reggae to come up with a sound all their own. Maybe it’s something in the Texas waters because Brent (vocals) and Jim (guitars) went to high school together as did Matt (bass) and Ben (drums). Playing in various bands with various styles helped the guys to appreciate all kinds of music and honed their individual talents as well.”
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The Burning Hotels Listen to tuneage “Of a new band whose recorded music I have heard but haven’t seen live, I would say The Burning Hotels may be one of town’s coolest bands period (new or not). Featuring Chance Morgan of The February Chorus along with Matt Moody and Wyatt Adams, the sound betrays a lot of early punk influences but isn’t bratty; it’s also thick but lighter than air, and complex in certain spots but never clever.” ~Hearsay – FW Weekly~
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The Fellow Americans Listen to tuneage “…The Fellow Americans, a new project by two former Babies, Matt Hickey (guitar) and Hal Welch (bass), plus two newcomers, drummer Caleb Dissmore and frontman and lyricist Jeff Price.
Yes, that Jeff Price, the tender-hearted singer-songwriter and younger brother of equally tender-hearted singer-songwriter John Price. The young one said that, while he enjoys listening to hard rock, he just never got into playing it until about a year ago, when he responded to a classified advertisement from Hickey and Welsh. “The ad said they wanted a singer for a ‘straight-ahead rock group,’” Price said. He called and landed an audition. “I was skeptical of the sound,” he said. “But once they started playing, my face turned serious…” ~Anthony Mariani – FW Weekly~
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The Joe K Experience Listen to tuneage “Joe Kirkland was born on June 9th , 1987 in Forth Worth, Texas . But Joe K is a different story. Joe K was born the very day someone put a guitar in his hands. From then on, it was nowhere but up. At 14 he was writing songs for a little garage/bedroom band, writing each part separately, from guitar to drums to keys. At 15 he found a love for the singer/songwriter, acoustic guitar route, and began to write notebooks and notebooks of songs. These songs slowly progressed, and became the mellow acoustic feel of Joe’s first full-length album, “Downtime Notebook,” completed at the age of 16. This album was recorded in two days at Patrick McGuire Recording studios in Arlington , Texas , with every instrument and vocal track laid down by Joe. Through this record, Joe K began playing local venues and worked on getting his music out to anyone that would lend an ear.”
Wonderful Facade Listen to tuneage “The Wonderful Facade began working together with four members. At that time Matt was the primary songwriter. However, eventually two of the members left. Trying to work with what they had, Matt and Amber began writing together. At this point, Amber was focused on the piano. Soon it became clear that the band needed Amber on the drums more than keys, although the new songs really required both. So the band went into their studio and recorded the keyboard parts along with drum loops to keep everything in time. With the addition of Tracy on bass and the help of an iPod, the three piece is continuing to play shows.”
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Greater Good Listen to Tuneage “Leave it to Lizard King Records (The Killers) founder and music industry trend-setter Martin Heath to find the next chapter of popular music. Ladies and Gentlemen…Greater Good! With grooving break beats; legendary melodies; lyrics that will break your heart and lift you up again; and their endearing Texas charm, they don’t need a platinum CD to make them starts, but it’s coming!”
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There’s one helluva shindig planned for June 25th spread all around Sundance Square with like 20 bands and voting boxes as far as the eye can see if you like doing things the old-fashioned with with a #2 and a paper ballot. Check this out too from last week’s issue.
Gosh it has to have been like 4-5 years ago that I first encountered Opie Hendrix. I was literally halfway out the door of Bill’s Records when he began to perform. Stopped me dead in my tracks, he sure did. I fell instantly in love…literally…I’ve been in love with him ever since. Heart-pounding-giggling-like-a-school-girl-takes-my-breath-away-head-over-heels in love.
After his overwhelmingly amazing performance that fated afternoon, I charged the steps (this was back before Bill built the stage and the artists performed on the steps leading up to the vinyl area), introduced myself, and the rest is history.
I spent one of the best nights of my life with Opie a couple of summers ago. He was down at Buck’s on the Brazos to perform at Raz on the Braz — got in late — hopped on my golf cart with his guitar strapped on and I drove him from campsite to campsite where he’d jump off the cart, perform a song or 2 and we’d move on down the road. This cat is one of the greatest performers ever! Rockabilly, twangy Country, rock-n-roll, blues, the boy does it all.
I’ve had the great pleasure of booking Opie a few times over the years, and I’ve been known to follow him around like a puppy-dog on more than one Dallas/Fort Worth tour. From the first album I ever heard, Smashed Hits to his follow-up splendid album, San Jacinto — I’ve yet to hear a song I didn’t love. You can get both albums in one if you click here.
Finally. FINALLY, after 2 or so years, Opie is ready to release the highly anticipated Chupacabra in just a matter of hours…yep, in the words of ol’ Opie hisownself, “I shit you not.” There’s a cherry on top too — another HUGE Fine Line fave, John Evans adds his voice to a song or two. So sweet.
If you’ll get off your stinkin’ ass and head over to Last Concert Cafe in Houston this Friday, June 16th, you can experience “Opie Hendrix’ Birthday Boogie and Big Boobie Blowout.” Trust me on this one kids — “blowout” is putting it mildly — and he’ll have copies of the new album for sale right then and there.
Mark your calendars and pack your bags cuz we’s road-trippin’ to Houston on June 29th for the release party of the official kind…
“It’s really hard for me to say just how much I like this album, and how much I dig Opie Hendrix. There’s really nothing wrong with it that I can find (except for one slow song that I just can’t abide). I’m already on record as saying that Opie’s nothing short of a Texas musical genius, and this CD just makes me believe that even more. He’s an awesome guitarist, and I love to hear him wail…” ~Buck James~
A couple of my particularly favorite Opie Hendrix tunes:
For a long time—about three years—
Speaking from his tour bus just outside Seattle, 
