Good Things Are Happening In Texas

Many of my good friends from the great state of Texas have been creating some pretty noteworthy music as of late --and the best part is it is all free. This morning's post is dedicated to these friends.

Last year when Austin band The Unbearables called it quits, some members of the oversized collective decided they would stick together a keep making music. The resulting band was One Hundred Flowers, whose decision to nix instruments like saxophone, trumpet, and flute in lieu of more typical instruments like synthesizers and guitars migrated their sound away from the Sufjan Stevens end of the spectrum, but still has managed to keep a heavily lush, cinematic arrangements. Their debut album Mechanical Bride will be released in June, but until then folks can start to familiarize themselves with the band by downloading some free songs from the band's website.

While at SXSW we got to play a much buzzed about show on the Lamar pedestrian bridge, but Mount Righteous was not the only band Bill Murray caught that night. Fellow Texans The Numerators from Lubbock also beguiled his ghost-bustin' ass. I've seen their sister band One Wolf more times than I can count on one hand, but this was my first live Numerators experience. Not too shabby; In fact, I will argue that if they weren't so good Mr. Murray might not have decided to stick around for MR at all. They offered up their new Human Blanket EP this morning for free download here, or you can hit up Burgers records to get one of the limited edition cassettes. The word is getting out on The Numerators too, as our friends over at Weekly Tape Deck posted the video to their "City of Gold" video this morning as well. Catch them live over at The Schoolhouse on 4/18, should be fun.

It hasn't been talked about much yet, but Joey Kendall actually has two releases this week. His experimental electronic project Family Circuits has a new album called BERZERCKUITS that is available for free download here, or on limited edition mini-CD's for just $1. The CD's are playable in your computer, or according to my buddy Mason in some car CD players, although when I had last talked to him he had not tried to eject the disc yet.

Lastly our pal Ben Kweller (I use the term 'pal' loosely, but hey we've hugged before so I think it counts) participated in a challenge put forth by Esquire magazine to write a song that contains the phrase 'Somewhere in Mississippi'. His offering "It All Happened" is available as a free download for the next 24 hours. Looks like he's sticking with the whole country thing for the time being, but I suppose that is probably the easiest way to shoehorn that phrase into a lyric. I applaud Kweller for at least not copping out like some of the other contestants and titling his song "Somewhere in Mississippi" and using it over and over in the choruses.

MP3: One Hundred Flowers - Make Marx
MP3: The Numerators - GREEN
MP3: Family Circuits - SOUND 1

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Not New Music Tuesday: Big Dumb Face

Sure there are plenty of reviews out there for Big Dumb Face's album Duke Lion Fights The Terror (depending on your definition of plenty), but none are all that positive, serious, or written in the past nine years. But I for one think Duke Lion was an album released a decade ahead of its time, and therefore deserves a second chance of sorts.

Masterminded by Wes Borland in late 2000 during a brief departure from Limp Bizkit, Big Dumb Face probably got more attention than they otherwise would have for their eclectic mix of tunes due to his higher profile gig. Even still, the attention didn't last long.

The first time I owned this album I was 16 and had downloaded it illegally from Napster. In my immaturity I am somewhat ashamed to say that I was most attracted to tracks like "Penis Laser," which got a lot of spins in my '94 Mercury Tracer hatchback. Never having heard anything like it I mistook it for a Dr. Demento-style comedy record. While lyrics like "Spank it til it stinks" aren't necessarily Shakespearean poetry, they are evidence more of a band that isn't taking itself too seriously than one trying to be overtly humorous. What is often overlooked is that at the heart of these tunes is some pretty fantastic heavy riffs. With the aid of his drum machine, Borland was also responsible for one of the earliest couplings of electro and metal that I can think of.

Duke Lion, who Borland called "this idiot barbarian guy" is the central figure in this concept record, and is represented by a brilliantly quirky speed country track that drew far too many Ween comparisons a decade ago. In a largely misunderstood move, the rest of the tracks are sung by other monstrous characters in somewhat silly pitch-shifted voices. But this wasn't a case of being weird for weird's sake, the underlying genius here is that deep, gravely, evil voices could mimic the over growled delivery typical to most metal singers while simultaneously allowing every lyric --no matter how outlandish --to be clearly heard. And it just sounds cool.

But it also sounds different, which means that it is hard for a lot of mainstream critics to understand. In 2001, for instance, Kieran McCarthy from allmusic called the record "...an elaborately produced inside joke (or a joke that no one gets at all)," which was pretty much on target with all the mainstream reviews of the record I've been able to dig up. Perhaps this record just came out a decade ahead of its time. I feel so strongly about that idea that I just paid $10 to re-purchase it, and haven't regretted it for a second. Money well-spent. Go ahead, give Big Dumb Face a chance, you'll find Duke Lion Fights The Terror well worth your time.

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Album Preview: Sweet Apple - Love and Desperation

My first thought upon finding out about Sweet Apple: “J. Mascis has another new band? Awesome!” And it is.

Love and Desperation (available 4/20 via Tee Pee records) is more classic rock than any Dinosaur Jr. records, often entering the blues-and-heavy-rock territory of another guitar idol’s vehicle, Led Zeppelin, but J.’s signature is still on it. In fact, his distinct guitar hooks and vocals (though supporting rather than leading for this band) tend to momentarily confuse me into thinking I’m listening to an album from his main vehicle rather than a side project.

But that doesn’t mean Sweet Apple isn’t a great band unto itself. Dinosaur Jr. fans, nay all fans of good rock music, should look at Love and Desperation more as a welcome addition to their record collections than an unnecessary extra that only the most die-hard completists would buy.

The band formed after lead singer John Petkovic’s mother died, prompting a long drive that eventually ended at friend Dave Sweetapple’s house in Vermont. Mascis (who’s in Witch with Sweetapple) also showed up and instructed Petkovic (of Cobra Verde and formerly of Guided By Voices) to write some songs when he got back to Cleveland so they could start a band.

Although Sweet Apple was born from tragic circumstances, the music is upbeat, dance-y and addictively catchy, with a hard, sexy edge, thanks to Mascis’ killer drum beats and guitar riffs and Petkovic’s rock’n’roll swagger (which translates on the record but is a sight to see live ... as I describe in my live review for Daybowbow).

Love and Desperation is an apt title, as Petkovic’s lyrics revolve around love (with a good measure of lust thrown in) and the desperation that comes with desiring or losing it. And many of those lyrics are gems: I see the eyes in your tears (“Blindfold”), I’m a vampire without the fangs, but my tongue has a bite (“Somebody Else’s Problem”), I was drunk when I was six, a Marxist at 8. I fucked when I was 13, but baby I was born too late (“Flying Up the Mountain”).

It’s a solid, diverse record, making it difficult to choose favorites (and also making it difficult to turn off once I’ve started playing it). But there are a few standouts.

“Do You Remember”, the opening track, with Petkovic’s vocals in full, scratchy glory, Mascis blowing everyone away on guitar and, to add a power pop air to the rock, sweet keys, synth and Mascis’ understated harmonies. “I’ve Got a Feeling” is a pitch-perfect indie rocker, with a call-and-response setup that heavily features Mascis’ vocals, which is the main reason it’s at the top of my list. “Hold Me, I’m Dying”, manages to be vulnerable while still maintaining a raw, Stooges-esque edge. And “Somebody Else’s Problem” might be the most satisfying breakup song I’ve ever heard. Most of them involve some form of sappy regret, but this one is upbeat (complete with killer guitar hook) and expresses relief at being free: Now you’re somebody else’s problem / Thank god you ain’t mine / Cos I might be in jail by now / But killing you ain’t worth the time.

Love and Desperation, may not have been on my radar before I heard it, but it is destined for my Best of 2010 List (if I decide to make one of those).

MP3: Sweet Apple - Do You Remember

-Jesseca Bagherpour

Gogol Bordello Going Soft?

I was pretty excited to hear about Gogol Bordello's upcoming album; That is until I actually heard the first single. I hate to say the noted gypsy punks may be growing soft as of late. Yeah, they're still pretty gypsy, but now it's more of a gypsy samba than a gypsy punk, per se. The album version is slowed down from a 2007 demo version, and the electric guitars are pretty much relegated to playing upbeats on choruses. Sure, it's still a pretty enjoyable listen, but I still miss my drunken gypsy angst.

MP3: Gogol Bordello - Pala Tute

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The Guestlist w/ Sunnybrook

There comes a time in every younger sibling’s life when they must decide to either step out from the shadow of an older brother or sister, or risk being forever known as ______’s brother/sister. When Peyton Manning won the MVP of Super Bowl XLI it looked like Peyton’s little brother might never have that opportunity –that is until he did the very same thing exactly one year later. Last season those “Eli is Unstoppable” watch ads were some of the heaviest in rotation.

So was the case last year with Paul North, whose Sunnybrook project emerged as a critical favorite; But more importantly for Paul it meant he was no longer just Joel’s little brother. His brother, of course, co-founded acclaimed local electrocoustic outfit Sleep Whale.

We were offered a taste of Sunnybrook’s brand of folktronica towards the end of last year with the tracks “Willow Whale” and “Waving Hands” that were some of the year’s best. It’s no wonder really that such heavy hitters as Pitchfork and Gorilla vs. Bear were so high on the project. The debut full-length is expected the first part of this year via Lefse Records.


“My Top 5 Touring Destinations” by Sunnybrook

5. Sacramento - California

Good energy in this town; full of people wanting something new. Happy faces/warm hearts. Always worth the 'maybe' that you could meet Arnold on your journey.


4. Olympia - Washington

Unique atmosphère- rich history in abstract music. There's a looming darkness that's more inspiring then anything I've encountered.


3. Santa Barbara - California

Deliciously humorous smelly hippies crammed into too tiny of communes, copious amounts of either/or mentality; incredibly sustainable. Naked beach running is not frowned upon.


2. Malmo - Sweden

Bright sneaky people, very charming accents- willing to lead the way and find the adventure for you. You will be tagging along; illegal night clubs/after hours alcohol. Light instillations. Greatest public transportation although you should probably pay for your train ticket.


1. Castellón - Spain

Incredible food! Greatest reception of American artists in Europe. Networkable city layout; walking friendly. Dentists, pilots, lawyers --they party just like everyone else; except the hotel clerk.


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Mountain Stage on KXT 91.7

This program is featured on the new and most enjoyable radio station around the Golden Triangle of Dallas/Ft. Worth/Denton called KXT 91.7. Mountain Stage features live performances from many great well-known artists and some not so known, but very talented musicians as well. The live performances take place in the mountain state of West Virginia in front of a live audience. As I write this, there is an encore presentation of performances from the late Vic Chestnut, Crooked Fingers, Neko Case and a band I had never heard from southern California called Sonos.

Sonos is an Acapella group that sings renditions of songs from artists that they love and make them their own. The singers, using only their voices, have the drums, bass, guitar and other song elements ringing out from their mouths in a very eerie, yet beautifully soothing fashion. From the little time that I got to catch them on the program today, Sonos performed renditions of songs from groups such as Fleet Foxes to Rufus Wainwright. I was really impressed. They have an album that will be released soon. You must buy this record!

And if you have not heard any of the Mountain Stage performances, you can go to the KXT website and watch performances online. I recommend checking it out if you have not already. KXT is a light to the radio shadow that has hung over our town for quite a while. Support Local Music! Support KXT! *wink

www.kxt.org

-Cory Coleman [c]

Slow Club - Yeah, So

I've been listening to Slow Club's new Yeah, So record for several weeks now and embarrassingly it never occurred to me that the jangly folk duo were British. In fact, it was not until hearing them say things like "Is John About" when looking for a soundguy at SXSW in their heavy Brit accents that it finally dawned on me. But really they have that good old familiar American folk thing down so well it wasn't hard not to question their nationality in the first place.

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for groups with dual vocals, and the way the male/female timbres of the duo's collective voices blend so well, it is really what saves this album. While I've been ranting the last month about guitar/drum duos being a tired bit, Slow Club manages to eke out what it probably the last uncharted territory in this otherwise dying sub-genre.

And while the disc has its ups and downs --the ups being all the tracks featuring drums --the subject matter and sincerly upbeat delivery make this an album that is not hard to like. The childlike attitude and coyness in which a lifelong love relationship is looked upon in opener "When I Go" has a universal ability to endear itself to lovers of all stages of life/relationships. But perhaps the highest point on the disc is "It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful" which has a little bit of everything from these guys' repertoire. The album releases 3/30 on Moshi Moshi.

MP3: Slow Club - It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful

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Weezy Got That Office Muzik Y'all

Fact: bears eat beets --or in this case the stock beats of DJ Clockwork, who mixes Weezy's "Hustler Muzik" with that oh so familiar melodica-laden office theme song. No, there's not really much else to it --the whole thing appears to be slapped together with an MPC in a matter of minutes --but somehow it still just works. Music doesn't always have to be groundbreaking or earthshattering to be enjoyed, sometimes some simple mashup fun is what it takes to remind us that music is meant to make people happy, and imagining Michael Scott bobbing his head to this in the club does just that. And while it probably won't win him a Grammy, Clockwork has still put himself in pretty good contention for a coveted Dundee trophy.

MP3: Lil Wayne vs The Office Theme - Office Muzik (Clockwork edit)

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Bonus MP3: Mount Righteous - Eat Your Wife And Kiss The Barbecue

There will be a CD-release party/show for the new upcoming self-titled, John Congleton produced, Mount Righteous album April 3rd at Good Records. There will be free beer and a performance by the band (and special guest Drug Mountain). In the meantime, enjoy this free single for crowd favorite "Eat Your Wife And Kiss The Barbecue."

MP3: Mount Righteous - Eat Your Wife And Kiss The Barbecue

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Playing Catchup: SXSW 2010

Let me apologize for neglecting the SubEx world during the never ending cluster cuss that SXSW has evolved into. But before I write anything about South By I think an update is necessary on RPCgate glass-of-water-gate. As speculated, Gabe Saucedo did indeed mend a bridge with Mount Righteous bell player Kendall Smith with an apology song that included lyrics about teaming up to hate Fishboy together.

Other highlights included Fishboy performing solo acoustic versions of still in-progress songs from his upcoming album involving interwoven story lines of characters whose names coincidentally all begin with the letter “A”. Spooky Folk also wowed the School House’s living room crowd with a stirring album release show of sorts. I’m planning a full review in the near future, but for now I must say that “Bible Belt” with all its raucous grouped chorus vocals, is so my drunken fist-pumping jam at the moment.

And while I’m too thoroughly exhausted/hung-over to mention every detail of the festival, this year’s SXSW seemed a much bigger to do than in years past. On night one I attended a Javelin/Japanther/Andrew WK show that was perhaps the best I’ve been to –ever. Flaming Lips included. Javelin, one of the many electronic acts I’ve seen as of late, further proved to me that this genre is pretty much a joke when it comes to replicating their acts in a live setting. Japanther ramped things up a notch with their dual vocals –which were sung through telephones –getting the crowd so rowdy that one of my bandmates was actually concussed by an errant mosher.

Andrew WK has masterfully spent the last eight years brilliantly using psychology/marketing techniques to make his name so synonymous with the word/idea of partying that the mere mention of one almost always now conjures up references to the other. And the rowdy crowd that showed up to his set at Buffalo Billiards came fully expecting to party, in some cases even harder than they have ever before.The amount of crowd surfing, stage diving, and moshing that ensued during his set was like something I’ve only seen in 90’s movies. Extra stage hands were hired just to keep the stage speakers from falling into the audience. The set ended with 50+ dudes taking the moshing up onto the stage, with AWK being buried somewhere in their midst. I’ve never been so sore and exhausted after leaving a show before. Needless to say I was partied harder than ever before in my life. Even without the full beer poured on my head it was perhaps my greatest concert experience of all time.

Later on in the week I attended a house show where a band called Lazer Zeppelin, from Olympia, Washington, awed and confused me. In their favor, they had converted one of those bells the oil-change place uses to know you’ve pulled up into a hell of a cool sounding instrument. What I did find baffling, however, was their decision to have their album put out on laser disc and selling it at their merch booth. I mean, I understand selling cassettes and vinyls (which they also did) and how it’s a pretty clever idea –with their name also having the word ‘laser’ in it and all –but it makes no sense to sell something that most people will never be able to play. I mean, the last time I saw a laser disc player was in my 2nd grade science class, and I never knew anybody who had one for use in their homes.

Later that night I had the privilege in taking part in one of the legendary Lamar Pedestrian Bridge shows. So impressive that a rogue effort could bring so many drunken party goers to organize such a badass, illegal, public happening. And like the rest of this year’s festival, this year’s show at the pedestrian bridge was more massive as well, even attracting the likes of Bill Murray to join in the fun.

The last night of SXSW saw the Mount Righteous crew serving as Parry Gripp’s backing band for his ‘record setting’ attempt at having the most people singing his viral hit “Hamster On A Piano Eating Popcorn” at one time. Despite the blistering (and out of nowhere) cold, the night went about as expected, and I even managed to get my Nerf Herder CD autographed (true story).

Then came the drive back home, along an I-35 crowded with band vans and trailors, and exhausted festival goers. Despite the fact that the drive took a full two hours longer than normal, I was happy to have my new Spooky Folk album to make it breeze by.

Fishboy/Red Pony Clock/Mount Righteous Tonight at The School House

Most people in the are familiar with Fishboy's Nom EP, and more importantly with the track "Gabe Saucedo Hates My Guts." Saucedo, of course, being the frontman of California group (and Fishboy label-mate) Red Pony Clock. Last time I was in the same room as Mr. Saucedo he threw a glass of water from the stage which soaked my Mount Righteous bandmate Kendall Smith. It was immediately obvious he felt pretty guilty, as the water was initially intended for somebody else, and in this moment of guilt he suggested he might someday write a song about it to repair some of the damages.

Fast forward a few months to tonight, when the 3 acts (plus a few others) all come together to play The School House in Denton. Will RPC have a new Kendall song to unveil, or will it prove to be just a declaration made in a moment of haste? If it were a sincere promise, one would have to think tonight would be the perfect opportunity to debut it.

If not, at least it may provide just enough fuel for Smith to write a sequel to the popular Fishboy song.

Listen: Fishboy - Gabe Saucedo Hates My Guts

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The Future Music Model: There's No Such Thing As Selling Out

Several events have taken place in the past week that have lead me to believe that corporate sponsorships/partnerships are perhaps one such successful business model that may soon become the norm for musicians. During one of the panel discussions at NX35 this past week Pete Freedman probably put it best when he said that in today's music business climate "...there is no such thing as selling out anymore." Which got me thinking about several examples of how these partnerships have been manifesting themselves lately.

Area goldenboy Neon Indian, for example, just released a new single, "Sleep Paralysist" via Mountain Dew's record label, Green Label Sound, which was then offered as a free download on the corporate website. In this scenario the popular soda maker foots the bill so that Neon Indian is paid for their efforts, chalks it up to advertising dollars, and then fans get free music. Seems like a win, win, win, no?

Or consider OK Go, who previously had trouble getting their record label to allow fans to embed their videos on their personal blogs/websites. So what'd they do? State Farm throws their logo onto the band's most recent effort "This Too Shall Pass". I'm just guessing that it paid off (or at least went a long way towards paying off) the crew that assembled the massive Rube Goldberg machine, padded the record label's pocket, got more exposure for the band, and let fans put the video on their blogs. And I just used the phrase 'State Farm' in this paragraph twice. Sounds like more wins all around.

Also think about the partnership between NX35 and Camel cigarettes which allowed Saturday evening's Flaming Lips concert to be a free event. The cancer-stick maker got plenty of mileage out of the advertising, as not only did the controvery of their presence in the first place made it into several local news publications, but they also swiped many driver's licenses during the 4 days of the conferette, all of which most certainly ended up on their ever-growing mailing list. Big tobacco got it's money's worth in advertising, The Lips got their check, the city of Denton got lots of national spotlight, the festival got it's name on the map, and best of all a shitload of fans got to see what will perhaps be the greatest free live concert experience of their lives.

And like Wayne Coyne said during the Lip's set on Saturday, "..maybe in the next five years all concerts will be free like this one," which as far-fetched as that may sound at the moment very well could happen. And why not? Everyone wins.

MP3: Neon Indian - Sleep Paralysist

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NX35 2010: 4 Days, 4 Slideshows

What a long, strange, action-packed, overwhelming, exhausting, at times overwhelming, booze-filled, incredible musical journey these last 4 days at NX35 have been. The festival grew exponentially over last year's, and despite many aspects of mass disorganization, the biggest problems seemed to be too many venues at capacity. And if that's your main worry for a festival so young in its infancy, you must be doing something right. Our hats off to Chris Flemmons and the many committe members/venue owners/volunteers who all came together and help pull this massive undertaking off. We saw many interesting day panels, met many new friends, boozed it up pretty good with old ones, oh yeah, and saw some pretty damn great live music along the way. Great job Denton, see you again next year.






Words by Graves|Photos by Coleman

Giveaway: Runaways Prize Packs

The recent viewing of the trailer for that new Runaways movie by my wife and I started a discussion about how old Dakota Fanning had gotten since we had last seen her, with an aside about how attractive she'd become in the meantime. Then I remembered The Runaways was that band of punk chicks that featured Joan Jett and Lita Ford before either had made it big, and it only served to make me all the more interested to see Fanning strutting around as the lingerie-clad Cherie Currie on the big screen.

Later that same afternoon I followed a Twitter discussion between local music critics Pete Freedman of the Dallas Observer and Preston Jones about the movies merits. To sum it up that conversation, the movie is, perhaps, an excuse by the director to show scenes which involved Dakota Fanning (Currie) and Kristen Stewart (Jett) taking drugs and making out --which only made me even more intrigued.

But you may not have to wait until the movie's official release date to see how it all goes down, as we have to prize packs to give away. The first includes includes a tshirt, a poster from the film, a copy of Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway” by Cherie Currie and Tony O’Neill), a copy of "Joan Jet and the Blackhearts Greatest Hits" CD, a copy of the film's soundtrack,and Joan Jett's upcoming photobook with Todd Oldham. The second includes free tickets to a screening of the movie tomorrow, the 17th, at the Angelika in Dallas at 7:30 PM.

Email us at subservientexperiment@gmail.com for a chance to win. Good luck.

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LehtMoJoe's Remix From Hell

Fresh off of producing AnonymousCulture's The Intervention album we've been so high on as of late, Dallas producer LehtMoJoe decided to take on another popular local group --Pantera. While the new Anonymous material is some of the most polished and catchy fare he's put out in his young career, Leht proves on his Cowboys From Hell remix that putting his grimy electro spin on 90's rock classics really is more his bread and butter.

I never once listened to the Arlington band's 1990 classic and thought to myself that Phil Anselmo's scream could be any more primal until hearing him being given the full on dilophosaurus treatment by Leht. More than some of his other stuff, this one has dance party written all over it. Honestly in the middle section I forget I'm listening to a metal song at all until Dimebag's crunchy guitar tones come back in again at the end.

MP3: Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (LehtMoJoe Remix)
Album: LehtMoJoe - RemixONE (free DL)

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NX35 Recap: DAY TWO

Important lessons were learned on night two of NX35, for instance, one should not get too wrapped up in planning/mapping/making spreadsheets of your night in advance. As we have come to experience, even the best laid plans often tend to go astray, shows will run late, and venues will most certainly hit capacity.

As was the case last night at Andy’s-- where I was lucky enough to be playing –because it meant I was fortunate enough to bypass the line of eager fans nervously counting the number of people in front of them in line and desperately hoping to see that number of people exiting soon, and able to catch Spooky Folk’s set. I had heard great things about the guys before, but never heard them. I purposely didn’t hit up their MySpace beforehand so it would be a total surprise to me. And while I know it’s a cliché that’s been beaten into the ground already, I would like to say they were much more folk than spook. Seriously though, the band really had its shit together and thus had little difficulty winning over the “capacity crowd” at Andy’s with their drunken sideshow persona.

While I always love going to Andy’s shows I was a little surprised that they were considering capacity, but with the fire marshal dishing out tickets to several venues on day one it is understandable why the clubs were being a little stricter with capacity issues. My only other with the venue is how quiet their new sound guy keeps it in there. Nobody goes to fucking rock shows expecting to hear cd-quality audio, or expecting to be able to hold conversations with each other while standing a foot from the stage for that matter. Come on, crank that shit.

Fortunately for Woven Bones, Hailey’s didn’t seem to share either of those issues. The Austin trio, who will be back in town next week as part of Parade of Flesh’s ‘Bro Fest’, played to a room that was far from full –although everyone in town seemed to be trying to get into that HEALTH show at The Boiler Room, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the case at several venues. While Woven Bones wasn’t on my initial NX35 Google Doc plan of the night it is where I ended up nonetheless –and I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. Despite the fact they were basically a one-trick pony, one has to admit it was a hell of a trick at least. At times it was hard to distinguish between one song and the next, with only slight variations in drum beat (tempo is a variation right?) being the only clue. But seriously, with the reverb on every mic and amp cranked to 11 Woven Bones is more one of those acts that aims to create a sound/mood than intricately-crafted compositions, and that they are able to do quite well.

Other than an eardrum-busting set by Drug Mountain at the “anti-NX35” house show and a few songs of the Phuss’ set at the closed-down/re-opened bro bar Texas 8-Ball I wasn’t able to see as many bands as I did on night one, due to my playing obligations. But it was a great time milling about the square bumping into friends/bands/friends’ bands seemingly every few steps. On a side note, I also found parking in the square easier than it is during a typical weekend, so a big thank you to all the Denton locals who walked/biked to the shows so us out-of-towners could park. You guys win.

And with that we all anxiously await The Flaming Lips, while simultaneously wondering just how smoothly (or potentially chaotically) this whole thing goes down.

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Best Bets: NX35 Day 2

Sleep Whale – Andy’s – 122 N. Locust
HEALTH – The Boiler Room – 101 W. Hickory
Sarah Jaffe – Dan’s Silver Leaf – 103 Industrial
Indian Jewelry – Rubber Gloves – 411 E. Sycamore
Vexed UK – Rubber Gloves – 411 E. Sycamore
Whiskey Folk Ramblers – Sweet Water – 115 N. Elm
Here Holy Spain – Texas 8-Ball – 218 W. Oak

and *cough cough*

Mount Righteous – Andy’s – 122 N. Locust

MP3: HEALTH - In Heat (Javelin Remix)

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Slideshow: Opening Night of NX35 2010

As the sun started to set last night, the rain set in on Denton, TX. Things looked sour for the start of the 2010 NX35 Music Conferette. But quicker than you can say RTB2, the rain subsided, and the sun came back just long enough to show the little Denton Square and all of us fellow musicians hangin' on the patio over at Dan's Silverleaf the beautiful and complete rainbow it had made just for us. We all knew it was a sign of the beauty to follow this weekend.

For me, last night marked the beginning of a long, drunken, musical, magical weekend... And the hangover to support it. This opening night was not to be downsized, even for a Thursday evening. People walking all around you, laughter, lights and music from every corner could be seen and heard bouncing off of every historic brick of every rustic building of this little square. And though I could not attend every performance of the night, here are just a couple of the highlights of the opening night of NX35 2010. I assure you there will be more to follow! But don't just rely on the pictures. Come out and experience it for yourself. It will not disappoint.

- Cory Coleman [c]

NX35 Recap: DAY ONE

Shortly after the Thursday NX35 day panels had just ended, clubs began readying themselves for the hectic night to come, bands were getting ready to load in their gear, and the rain clouds rolled in. But it wasn’t the type of rain that would put even the slightest damper on the events to come, rather it was more of a pleasant little drizzle lasting just long enough to produce an immaculate double-rainbow over the Denton square. A sign from the gods that they would be looking favorably down on this year’s proceedings? A beautiful omen nonetheless (so much so the CW included a shot of it in the opening package of their 9PM news last night).

And the bands I was fortunate enough to catch on night one of the conferette seemed eager to deliver on this promise.

I got the night started at The Hydrant with Roy Robertson and his newly-formed electrical band. At times during his set I thought to myself the sounds emanating from that sparsely-crowded upstairs room were funky, jazz-like, a bit prog maybe, almost anything but the pure singer-songwriter sound I was anticipating. And despite the fact that Robertson announced this was the band’s first show together, they already showed loads of promise, and remain (for me at least) one of the most intriguing acts in town. After dismissing the rest of the band Robertson did finish his set with a couple of solo acoustic numbers.

Across the street, Justin “Har Herrar” Spike took the opposite approach, starting his set of with a pair of solo acoustic numbers before being joined by his band; County Lines bassist Adam Neese and Mount Righteous/Hard Times drummer Joey Kendall. His full band sound was more powerful and well-rehearsed than I expected, making the songs exponentially more catchy. “Energy,” and “Jay Walker” were standouts for me, but it is pretty hard to pick favorites. Spike just has such a gorgeous upper-register to his voice it’s hard not to appreciate.

I thought opting to catch Har Herrar’s set precluded me from seeing any Seryn, but word on the street (literally) was that the band had gotten a late start over at Sweetwater. I jogged over to catch the last part of their set and found a capacity crowd. I was told I was only allowed to stay if I was willing to squeeze in, which is how I ended up pressed up against a wall behind a large man. I had never seen Seryn before and was pretty blown away. The band’s sound is so refined, orchestrations so lush, arrangements so fully-embellished, that it was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that they are so newly-formed. Catching another Seryn show in an environment when I can actually see more than 2 members of the band and have adequate room to breathe is definitely on my short list of to-do’s.

Then it was back over to The Hydrant for my first A.M. Ramblers experience. Before their set, one of the band members joked that, “It feels weird to play a show without drinking,” before another member added, “but that doesn’t mean that we’re sober.” And despite the fact that the mic-situation wasn’t really working out for them, their acoustic sound was pretty boisterous as it was. I would definitely love to catch these guys in an environment where I could throw back several whiskey/coke mixtures and curse at all my fellow drunkards. [ed. Note: my blogmate Cory Coleman has exquisite vocals and tremendous skill hitting all those high harmonies with gusto]. After this I’m really looking forward to their new album, which will contain a song about a horse who’s name is Spook that I still can’t stop humming.

Even though I’ve never really understood local “supergroup” The Crash That Took Me, their set was a nice little cherry to the evening, and provided me just enough energy to make the drive back to the mid-cities. Although I won’t lie, I still don’t really ‘get’ them.

After day 1 I think I better understand the scheduling (and the importance of making a good plan before hand). There are just so many good bands playing at the same times it really is impossible to see every single one of them, although I did learn the importance of texting and tweeting to find out the best places to be. With these in my back pocket I should be all set to make day two even more a spectacular experience than the first.

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Big Changes In Store For Palladium Complex

Last week Mikey and I had the pleasure of having lunch with Nate Binford, who coordinates the publicity efforts at the Palladium complex. We were also had the privilege of a behind-the-scenes tour of the complex and it's many venues. The re-branding concept Binford and co. have planned for the complex's future are exciting to say the least. With their ability to accommodate bands that draw anywhere from a couple hundred people to a few thousand should create a lot more opportunities to bring touring acts of all sizes to town.

Sure it will be a little while before all of the planned changes have been fully carried out, but it will be fun to see the progress along the way. For me, I think the first such opportunity I foresee of checking out the progress will probably be Dr. Dog who drops by The Loft on April 30th.

I just got the group's new single, "Stranger" from their upcoming Shame, Shame record and it's quite the delight of harmonized vocals. The full record comes out April 6th, via Anti-Records.

MP3: Dr. Dog - Stranger

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Best Bets: NX35 Day 1

I spent last night looking at the lineups on the NX35 website, trying frustratingly to plan my day. There were bands I wanted to see at nearly every one, but nary a set time in sight --a fact that made it even more difficult to create my spreadsheet of bands/locations/times so I could see as many bands as possible. Nonetheless, here are my best bets for Thursday's NX35 Day 1.

Roy Robertson - Hydrant - 208 W. Oak
Har Herrar - Circa 77 - 225 W. Oak
A.M. Ramblers - Hydrant - 208 W. Oak
Andrew Tinker - Circa 77 - 225 W. Oak
Manned Missiles - Rubber Gloves - 411 E. Sycamore
Seryn - Sweetwater - 115 N. Elm

P.S. It is probably a good idea that all you Dentonites walk/ride your bike to the square if possible, so out-of-towners like myself can find parking. Hey, just sayin!

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What's In A Name: Corey Haim 1971-2010

I may not have know the man personally, or even been a fan of a single one of his movies or failed reality tv shows, but still the news of Corey Haim's death this morning from an apparent drug overdose was pretty jarring just the same. Honestly, though, it had less to do with the fact that a life was loss so tragically early and more to do with the fact that the world is short one less Corey.

I can't really explain it, but we Coreys (and Corys) are a closely knit group, probably more so than people with any other name. For some reason we just seem to flock together and bond. Just as Haim and Feldman became inseperable in the late 80's/early 90's, I too have collected several commrades based simply on the fact that we shared the same name. This also probably helps explain why 50% of the regular contributors to this blog share the Cory moniker.

It also is perhaps the reason I felt compelled to text my buddy Cory Armstrong at 7:30 this AM to break the news. His response? "It's a sad day for the Corys of the world" before adding, "We should get to leave work early today". And he was completely serious. Corys are like twins, all around the world when something bad happens to one of us the rest of us feel it. Cheesy? Of course, but it's a Cory thing, so you most likely don't understand.

That being said, if you run into one of your Cory friends today, just let them know you feel their pain. You should also probably buy them a beer.

MP3: Trent Wagler & Jay Lapp - Darlin' Cory
MP3: Gerard McMann - Cry, Little Sister (Theme From The Lost Boys)
MP3: Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night
MP3: Black Lips - Drugs

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Best Bets This New Release Tuesday

We may have opted to place the 'Subservient Album of the Week' designation on The Morning Benders and their brilliant new disc, but that doesn't mean the choice was an easy one. In maybe the hardest we've ever had to think about who should have the weekly honor, four albums (all released today) each would have made a worthy choice.

The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Rough Trade newbies The Morning Benders recently relocated from San Fransisco to New York. They also just released an album we consider an early contender for best of 2010. Sure it may sound a little premature, but we said the same thing about Get Guilty last January and look how that one turned out.

The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
This one has been on our radar for some time now. In regard to the album's first single, "Albatross," you may remember us saying that we've never surfed or taken acid but after listening to the track's brilliant psychedlic guitar and trippy Beach Boys vocal harmonies I think I somehow now what it must be like to have done both --simultaneously.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Brutalist Bricks
With the state of the indie scene the way it is today, where everyone seems to constantly be searching for new bands and new evolving sounds, it is always nice when one of the genre's forefathers releases a new album. All in all, another very solid effort from a band that reminds us how difficult it is to remain relevant for over a decade. Or at the very least we are comforted by the sense of stability their album serves up.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo
We've never been all that into BRMC before, but this new album has me questioning everything I ever believed about the San Fransisco neo-psychedelic blues-rockers. With the way they are taking dirty old blues formulas and making them cool, we can foresee some White Stripes comparisons being made with their new disc. We would argue, however, that BRMC is much less gimmicky than Jack White's duo, and more just in your face cool. Ya, we know we just fell back on using the word 'cool' twice to describe their sound, but all those grungy slide guitars are just plain, well, cool.

MP3: The Morning Benders - Excuses
MP3: The Besnard Lakes - Albatross
MP3: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Even Heroes Have to Die
MP3: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo

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MP3 of the Day: Dow Jonez - Don't Like Me

We've been telling you all year that 2010 is going to be big for DFW hip-hop, and recently Dallas emcee Dow Jonez sent us further proof of this statement. I first got turned on to the skilled emcee through SubEx fave AnonymousCulture who touts him as one of the area's best.

But while they may be protigees, Dow Jonez doesn't neccessarily subscribe to Anonymous' anti-smoking/drinking/cussing culture. Then again, maybe he's one of the artists Anonymous' "intervention" was intended for? Either way, Mr Jonez --who released his first LP in 2003 --has had plenty of time to hone his craft and polish his skills.

And according to some internet scuttlebutt, Jonez plans on releasing a new mixtape in the near future. You might say that unlike his namesake, this guy's stock is on the rise. Yeah, I went there.

MP3: Dow Jonez - Don't Like Me

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GIVEAWAY: Vinyl Copy of The Bird and The Bee's Hall and Oates Covers Album

It's a pretty well-documented fact that Daryl Hall is one of my all-time favorite songwriters. The fact that I believe John Oates brought little more to the table than one hell of a fabulous mustache has been just about as thoroughly documented. I mean think about it, not only did he write and produce most of their catalog, Hall played all the main keyboard riffs and sang lead on all the hits. Sure, Oates was the guitar player, but he wasn't even the lead guitarist, as that duty fell to G.E. Smith much of the time.

Regardless of what his actual contributions to the act were, or why Hall so graciously gave him half-credit for all he did, the duo did churn out a whole slew of smooth Yacht-Rock-approved hits. Which is why I immediately took notice when I saw the initial Tweet a few weeks ago about The Bird and The Bee's upcoming Interpreting The Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates album.

“Doing cover songs is always a challenge,” says Bird and the Bee multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin. “You want to add something new, to be a little bit different.” But not so different that the initial emotion of the song is compromised. “We could’ve gone in completely the opposite direction, and made happy songs sad, but we don’t want to. There’s a certain something about these songs that we love, and we wanted to keep that.”

That title also leads me to wonder if The Bird and The Bee have purposely left the door open to volumes of these cover albums.

Which brings us to, perhaps, the greatest news of all. The kind folks over at Filter have given us a VINYL copy of the record to pass along to one of our lucky readers. All you have to do is shoot us an email containing your favorite Hall and Oates lyrics. I'll be picking one at random at the end of the day.

Good luck!

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Sad Accordions Play Hailey's Tonight

Sure, they may be more moody guitars and melancholic keys, but if I weren't going to see The Boogie Nazis/Zlam Dunk tonight at Rubber Gloves, then I would definitely be down at Hailey's catching Austin mod-rockers Sad Accordions. Baruch the Scribe and This Old House open.

MP3: Sad Accordions - Sacrificial Chumpsucker Diatribe

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Saturday Non Sequitur & Bonus MP3's

Former slugger Cecil Fielder said he won't try to renew his relationship with his son, Prince, until the Milwaukee Brewers star treats him with more respect.

"He's going to talk to me like he's my son, not like I'm a man out on the street. I let him know, at the end of the day, if you ever talk to me like that again, you're going to see me in front of 40,000 people trying to get after you. That's just not how it's going to go down," Cecil said.


Rewind to 1992...


Here's the dialogue from Cecil Fielder and son, Prince Fielder's, McDonald's Commercial.


Announcer: Ceil Fielder at the plate, he looks hungry.

Announcer: Young Fielder on the mound.

Ceceil Fielder: (To his son, uncomfortably) I'm gonna take you deep.

Ceceil Fielder: (Angrily) C'mon! Pitch the ball!

Announcer: Fielder kicks and delievers. Struck him out!

Prince Fielder: (Running towards farther as he walks away) Dad! Where you going?

Ceceil Fielder: To McDonalds.

Prince Fielder: Sorry I struck you out.

Ceceil Fielder: That's allright son.



There you have it; McDonald's ruins families.

DONE.


MP3: Dark Mean - Dark Banjo
MP3: Benni Hemm Hemm - Retaliate
MP3: Damien Jurado - Arkansas
MP3: Hoquiam - Zombies of the Sea
MP3: Nada Surf - Electrocution
MP3: Oso Closo - Photograph
MP3: RJD2 - The Shining Path (Alan Wilkis Remix)

-Morrow

The Guestlist w/ Ryan Young

One of the very first things I ever wrote about back when SubEx was still in its infant stages was Austin musician Ryan Young. If I am remembering correctly, his catchy single "I Got Me A..." was my first official music submission way back when.

We still check back in with the talented guitarist from time to time, most recently last fall when we previewed his White Citrus album. While his tastes in music are all over the board --from his country, folk, blues, latin, and jazz styles found throughout his disc --the one thing that is never compromised is the extrememly high level of musicianship. To put it bluntly he's a guitar badass.

He's also got a pair of local gigs coming up, March 10 at The Aardvark & March 11 at The Barley House, which makes the time ripe for a Ryan Young Guestlist.



My first car was a Ford Explorer. Loved that car. A pretty basic automobile, but it had everything I needed. I feel very fortunate to even have had a car then, given my $0 income at the time (I was in high school). Anyways....the car had a radio and tape deck, but no CD player. Fine. No problem. I had a decent selection of tapes from my boombox days, so it was cool. I also loved to frequent Sound Warehouse, so I was prepared to add to my collection. I have great memories of driving around listening to these particular albums on cassette tape. Not to mention the first one I ever made with my band, the Stone Princes. We were honest and tried hard, and definitely wore our influences on our collective sleeves. Pearl Jam much anyone? Here are my five favorite Explorer cassette tapes.

"The Top 5 Cassette Tapes I Had In My First Car (Early 90's - Dallas, TX)" by Ryan Young


Stone Temple Pilots | Core

To this day, I haven't heard a better album opening than the way "Dead and Bloated" starts. Well, maybe one or two but still...this shit rocks. If it doesn't make you move, then you have no pulse and no soul.


Snoop Dogg | Doggystyle

What can I say. It was Richardson in the early 90's. Rap had made it to the suburbs. Thank God. Also, it is a great record.


Def Leppard | Hysteria

Ah, hair metal. I learned to play guitar from hair metal. Not ashamed to say that. Those guys can really play. And although I don't consider myself a shredder in any way, I do have quite the affinity for a killer guitar line. This tape was definitely a leftover from the boombox era, but I just couldn't part with it. Plus, who gets tired of blasting "Armageddon It" when you're 17? Not this guy.


Johnny Cash | Live at Folsom Prison

Time to get serious now. This man has a presence that is second to none. He absolutely commands your attention and was a master of his vocal delivery. This had a huge impact on me.


Buddy Holly | Greatest Hits

This was one of my dad's old tapes from his P.O.S. Oldsmobile. I have very fond memories of driving to the batting cages listening to the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, etc. Buddy Holly was probably my favorite of the bunch. Another master. It was like a songwriting class.

Bonus MP3: Ryan Young - I Got Me A...

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Album Review: Theodore - Hold You Like A Lover

I received a copy of this record… I guess a few months ago now, but never really gave it much of a chance until just recently. Released on Moon Jaw Records on Feb. 9th of this 2010, Hold You Like A Lover, by the St. Louis quartet Theodore, is full of well-versed and haunting melodies.

This is not just another cookie cutter “country-folk” group with songs about drinkin’ and ramblin’. Theodore’s latest attempt takes you on an interesting journey of Alt-Country and folk with even a hint of a North London style brass section; not unlike some sounds you would find on The Kinks greatness of a record “Muswell Hillbillies”, which in case you didn’t know, Muswell Hill resides in Northern London. There! Who says you don’t learn something everyday?

With droning, eerie harmonica wailings and a full album with lyrics of lies and desperation, it is a record that strangely comforts you, at least for 33 ½ minutes, on the notion that you might not ever find that feeling of home; she might never come back to you; everything will not always be alright… But right now it is.

- Cory Coleman [c]

illogical time concerns - Hydrocodone Digital 7"

We just downloaded the new Hydrocodone digital 7" from San Fran bedroom popsters illogical time concerns, and couldn't recommend it enough. While it's lo-fi enough to stay cool with the bedroom scene, it doesn't have that shitty so ultra-lo quality that makes it start to distort or become unlistenable -which makes me happy when listening to it on my hi-fi.

Though it is even more minimal than that Nurses disc we hyped every other week in 2009 --being basically just 2 voices and acoustic guitar-- there is a familiar quality to it nonetheless. The disc is available for free from the band's bandcamp page (or simply downloading the tracks below), which means you'll have to transfer it to cassette yourself --you know, if you're into that sort of thing.

MP3: illogical time concerns - City 6
MP3: illogical time concerns - City 2

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More Than You Could Ever Want To Know About SubEx

I have a good friend Laura, who aside from being a really badass photographer and graphic designer, also finds the time to keep up a pretty fine design blog. As part of her newest regular feature over there she has been interviewing local creative-types to find out what makes them tick/how they got where they are. Not really sure what qualifies us for this, but I am extremely flattered/honored to have been interviewed for this feature. Here's a link to the Q&A where you will probably find out more about SubEx than you probably ever really cared to know.

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Snack's The Name

I just had a discussion this morning about bands in the eighties setting themselves for one hit wonder territory from the get-go simply based on the names they chose for their band name/song title/album titles. Case in point, B. Bumble and the Stingers who's only hit was "Bumble Boogie". But I'll do you one better; The Weather Girls doing "It's Raining Men". And who could forget Spoon predecessors Talk Talk who's only hit and only well-selling album were both also named "Talk Talk".

Of course on the other hand you have cases like Wilco and with "Wilco The Song" from Wilco The Album, which proves that naming a song after yourself doesn't neccesarily have to be detrimental to your career. In their case though they didn't go down that road until late in their careers after they had established themselves as indie legends.

Anyway, I digress. I just got this new MP3 from North Texas-area band Old Snack. While they don't boast the most killer name I've ever heard, their first single "Dial M For Snack" is the type punk that you can also dance too. According to the band they are also working on a full-length. Hopefully for their sake opting to title their first single using a play on their band name proves to be more Wilco-like than, say, Big Country-like. Hey, just sayin'.

MP3: Old Snack - Dial M For Snack

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Fang Island Could Use Some Help

As you may remember we were pretty high on Rhode Island School of Design products Fang Island towards the end of last year. Heck, we even included a couple of their tracks on some CD-R's we gave our friends for Christmas. Their album --which is quite fantastic I might add --was released last week, and the band is currently playing a pretty extensive tour (which includes a slew of SXSW showcases both of the official and unofficial varieties*). Which is what made us even sorrier to read news of their new tour van getting jacked. Read an excerpt from the press release below, and consider buying some merch to help the fellas out.

Just days after Fang Island purchased a new van to transport the Brooklyn anthemic guitar quintet on a slew of U.S. tour dates starting this month, the vehicle was stolen. However, undeterred the eternally-optimistic band will continue with all upcoming tour dates and is attempting to raise funds for a replacement via its online merch outlet and "pay what you want" digital store. The band whose sound is described as "everyone high-fiving everyone" may want to add, "...except thieves."

*I just realized that one of the unofficial SXSW shows Fang Island is playing at just so happens to be a part of Parade of Flesh's all-day party on Saturday March 20th at Club Primos on the East Side. POF's John Iskander promises it will be a, "No badge, no rsvp and no non-sense" type of affair.

MP3: Fang Island - Daisy

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