Record Roundup

We didn't do a show list yesterday, because we were out enjoying nature. You should try it sometime.

A thing we did do was take a handful of CDs released by local bands this year and give them another listen to see if we liked them as much as we did when they were first released.

So here is our a-little-past, midyear review of some local releases that we're enjoying. (We're sticking mainly to the rock genre and providing extremely short reviews.)

Midlake -- The Trials of Van Occupanther
5 out 5 stars
Sonically perfect and lyrically introspective without falling into cliche confessional tangents. One of the best releases from a local band since Funland's The Funland Band or Bedhead's WhatFunLifeWas.

The Theater Fire -- Everybody Has a Dark Side
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
This still holds up after several repeat listens, due to strong songwriting by way of lyrics, instrumentation and masterful dynamic control.

The Drams -- Jubilee Drive
4 out of 5 stars
Brent Best's new project finds him exploring more expansive territory than the alt.country corner he's been constantly painted in. Swelling harmonies and fuzzy guitars make this album an enjoyable ride. Only drawbacks are that some songs carry on way too long, hitting their peaks too early.

The pAper chAse -- Now You Are One of Us
4 out of 5 stars
While not treading any new ground sound-wise, this is the most accessible album of their catalogue. Sean Kirkpatrick's piano is a key ingredient to John Congleton's extremely pliable songs, helping them stay centered when needed.

Ashburne Glen -- It's All Just a Dirty Game
4 out of 5 stars
A remarkable improvement from their first album in terms of production quality and confidence in songwriting. The album's sequencing is nearly perfect, providing the listener a ride through several emotions.

Current Leaves -- Pastense
4 out of 5 stars
A great disc that captures the best California country of the 1970s.

Blackheart Society -- Believe
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Sure, it meanders a bit, but that's what keeps the album interesting. A very good first E.P. that more than hints at guitarist/vocalist Ben Fleming's strength as a quality songwriter.

The Backsliders -- The Backsliders
3 out of 5 stars
Kim Pendleton's new project is more rock and swagger than anything she's done before. While her vocals are the standard top-notch quality that she's exhibited in the past, it's guitarist/vocalist Chris Bonner's contribution to the songs that keep them from sliding into the ho-hum variety.

Stellamaris -- Stellamaris
3 out of 5 stars
Solid songwriting that appeals more to the heart than then head. A promising E.P. that captures all the weepy elements of Brit-pop.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

Gris Gris/The Strange Boys/Cartright/Prayer for Animals all at Club Dada. Cover is $7, and it's may be 21+ (we still don't understand why Dada hasn't changed their policy to 17+ like every other club in the area). This is a solid show, not only for the genius that is Gris Gris, but for a chance to hear some great up-and-coming area bands, Prayer for Animals and Cartright, along with the always popular Strange Boys.

Lese Majesty and A Childlike Fear at the Metrognome Collective in Fort Worth. Cost is $5.

Rhett and Tim from the Happy Bullets host open mic at the Fallout Lounge in Expo Park in Dallas. Cost is free.

Last Picture Show plays at Adair's Saloon in Deep Ellum. Fans of Wilco's country side will like this band.

Saturday Show Suggestions

We're going to make it quick, which means no links.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

Blackpool Lights/The Working Title/Days Away at the Gypsy Tea Room (tea side). $8 cover.

Warren Jackson Hearne & the Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers/Jason Webley/Sabra at the DoubleWide. Cover is $5.

Baboon/Bobgoblin/The Dutch Treats/Until They Arrive at the Cavern.

Voot Cha Index at AllGood Cafe.

Super Love Attack/Goodness Snakes/RTB2 at Rubber Gloves in Denton.

Birth to Burial and Fire Don't Care at the Metrognome Collective in Ft. Worth.

Deathray Davies / The Drams at Sons of Hermann Hall.

The Journey and Def Leppard show is sold out. Sorry guys.

Friday is Upon Us

Just like last weekend, this one is full of shows suiting all types of tastes. Let's get on with the Friday listings.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

The Gobos/Man Factory/Lazer/Tha Bracelets all at Club Clearview in Dallas tonight. Cost is around $10.

The Shapes/The Mullens/The Ugly Beats all at the DoubleWide. Cost is $5. We're not very familiar with the Mullens or the Ugly Beats, but we like the Shapes.

Junior Brown and Eleven Hundred Springs at the Silverado Ranch in Irving. Cost is $20, which probably puts it out of the price range of most of our readers, we're guessing. However, if you can afford it, please, please check out Junior Brown. You'll come away a better person.

Ben Watt of Everything But the Girl will be DJing tonight at MINC with Dmarkus Lewis. Cost is upwards to $15.

Dragna/Four Forty/Wo Fat are all at the Bar of Soap in Expo Park. We believe the cost is free. Dragna has a bluesy-rock thing going on. Wo Fat has a fuzzed-out, Sabbath-esqe thing going on. We like both.

The Lemurs and The Deathray Davies play at the Barley House.

The Church plays at the Granada with Rob Dickinson of the Catherine Wheel. We're this close to making this our show of the night.

Look for more music listings on JR and The Fine Line.

Movers & Shakers: Will Dowdy and Taylor van Amburgh

Music scenes are much more than the bands; they consist of writers, photographers, booking agents, venues, etc. With this in mind, we're starting a new series of interviews that will cover the movers and shakers of the North Texas music area.

Twenty years ago (hell, even 10 years ago), if you missed seeing a band play, you were pretty much out of luck until the next time they came through town. Sure, someone may have filmed the show, but distribution of the video was sparse. You had to know someone who knew someone who had the tape. It was easier to just find a bootleg audio recording of the gig and be on your way.

Today, however, the bootleg audio is giving way to the on-the-spot video. This is due, of course, to the proliferation of the Internet and the upload and download speeds of the series of its tubes (thank you Senator Ted Stevens for making it all clear).

With several Web sites (most notably YouTube and Google Video), bands are able to promote themselves in a variety of ways, from standard music videos to interviews to live shows. And while we know there are others in the area filming bands, two people have recently been pushing their way through crowds at the clubs, getting good shots and editing together the action that makes you feel like you were there or at least make you wish you were.

Will Dowdy and Taylor van Amburgh are two younger filmmakers that love music almost as much as they love moviemaking. You may have seen them out at places such as Arts Avenue filming the Strange Boys are at the Cavern or DoubleWide filming any number of bands. They may get in your way while filming, but they're contibuting to the scene, documenting what may be vital moments for future generations (e.g., wouldn't it be nice to have a video of Edie Brickell's first drunken performance with the New Bohemians? If anyone has this, please let us know.).

Personally, since we don't get to see every show, we're happy that someone is out there filming the bands. Sure, it's not the same as being there, but it's better than missing out entirely. We'd like to thank Will and Taylor for agreeing to be interviewed.

Will Dowdy and Taylor van Amburgh

What prompted you to start filming bands (local and national) when they come through the area?

Will: Taylor and I were drunk one night at the DoubleWide. I think it was the Strange Boys with the Black Angels and maybe the Undoing of David Wright. We had one of those drunken conversations where you come up with all these ideas and everyone is all "Fuck yeah, dude... lets do it!" Usually you wake up the next morning with a headache and no idea why you were so excited about those things you'll never do, but we actually started doing it. And I think we're both still really excited about the possibilities. I also just think that a lot of the bands around here deserve to be documented.

Taylor: Mainly because I have a lot of fun doing it. I would like for people to see the garage/punk side of the Dallas/Denton music scene that is often overlooked or shunned. Anything I can do to get people to notice Dallas doesn't totally suck is well worth it. Gimme Shelter is a huge influence of mine. Actually the real reason is I get too drunk at shows and don't remember the bands I see. Filming the show keeps me from throwing things at the band and generally acting like a retard.

What is your setup? What equipment do you use? Are you satisfied with what you're using now, or are you looking to upgrade? What editing software do you use?

Will: I use a Cannon. I'm satisfied with it because it does what I want it to (I can put stuff on YouTube and I can make DVDs) but I wouldn't have a problem with trying out the latest camera with its hi-tech, hi-def and surround sound recording capabilities. Taylor will answer the editing software part because I don't edit; I just show up and try not to spill beer on my camera. The stuff that I do myself is just to get things on YouTube before the shows become ancient history. My "editing software" is whatever came with the CD that came with my camera.

Taylor: I've borrowed a Sony Hi-8 Digital Handy cam from a friend for the last eight months. I use Adobe Premier editing software. I badly need an upgrade in camera and need to stop mooching off my friend, who needs his camera back for building his copious collection of sex tapes and industrial excavation films.

What kind of film background do you have? Do you have a music background, as well?

Will: I have little to no film background. I've been doing photography for a while, and photography and video are both film-based media, but I'm pretty much learning how to use a video camera as we speak. As far as music goes, I play a bunch of instruments (I kick ass at the tambourine) and I like playing with people, but I don't know if that's called a background. I've just always been more obsessed with music than anything else (sports, girls, cars, etc.).

Taylor: I went to film school at the University of Oklahoma, which was about as useful as 2005 hockey tickets. I began filming shows about five years ago. I currently work as an assistant editor for a company in Las Colinas. I can't play an instrument to save my life, but plan on starting a three-piece hardcore (two guitars and Peruvian girl drummer with a double kick) band called The Heartattackackackackackacks in no less than three years. Well put out 11 copies of a 7-inch on purple vinyl, play two shows in Garland and then break up. It'll be a scream.

Are you planning on doing more with these videos than placing them on YouTube? Any plans for your own Web site or production company?

Will: I don't remember if I even knew about YouTube when Taylor and I started talking about our "project." My idea at the beginning was simple: We should film these bands because they are good. I feel like now we're in a sort of "collecting" phase, just sort of going to shows with a camera and getting some footage. There are a lot of possibilities for what we can do with the footage we have. I think a Web site factors into our (lack of a) little scheme very nicely. Unfortunately we don't have the privilege of doing it all anonymously (hard to use a camera with a mask on), and we don't like being called mean names. Oh ... what's a production company?

Taylor: YouTube is fine for now, although I recently figured out that the people at YouTube have legal rights to everything put on that site. This doesn't seem like a threat though, because I couldn't picture YouTube making millions of dollars off my documented SXSW trip, the Country Teasers, etc. Hopefully Will and I will improve the quality of these videos, in which case a Web site would be smarter. When I start making the big bucks and the Strange Boys sign to Capitol Records, making the footage I have golden, we'll think about starting a production company.

What is the most difficult thing to overcome when filming a band live?

Will: SOUND!!! The Undoing [of David Wright] sounds so awesome live and every video we have just doesn't get the sound out right. It's unfortunate, but it's something we're slowly figuring out. It's also really difficult to overcome the urge to pee when the band's in the middle of their set, and you're on your fifth beer ... you just have to really want that footage (or use a tripod, like I do a lot of the time).

Taylor: Probably the fact that I'm the dork with the camera that doesn't get to fully enjoy the show. Seriously, getting the sound to record to my satisfaction is a problem sometimes.

Are you available for hire for videos? Or is this mainly a hobby at the moment?

Will: You mean "hire" as in "Will gets paid"? That seems somewhat humorous to me right now ... but for real though, if anyone would like to pay me and Taylor (preferably in booze) to film them, I'm sure we'd be willing to do so (I don't care if it's a band or a Gothic tea party). And it is a hobby, but it's one we're somewhat serious about (not serious enough to stay sober for it, but close).

Taylor: We are available for hire, but again, at this point our work is not yet professional quality, so I would feel bad charging anyone. If someone actually took notice, appreciated the work we do, and asked if we would film their band, I would be more than happy to do that.

How do you decide on which shows you want to film?

Will: I basically decide which shows I want to film in the same way that someone else figures out which bands he wants to go see or which bar he's going to frequent. I go check stuff out, and I make sure to bring my camera ... even if I'm not expecting much out of the band(s) I'm seeing, you never know, so I just try to have a camera near at all times.

Taylor: I film bands that I enjoy, mainly garage bands, but I am completely open to all kinds of music (except neo-Nazi anthemic death skronk and generic indie-pop).

For Will's videos, visit his YouTube site here. Taylor's YouTube site is here. You may also contact them there for your own video needs.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities
(It's a Denton night.)

Mix Tapes & Baby Fights w/ Frank Hejl at Rubber Gloves. It's a half music, half comedy show from our understanding.

The Drams CD release party at Dan's Silverleaf.

Sean Kirkpatrick, Dirty Water Disease, Keating, and Cheyenne are all performing at J&J's Pizza. Show starts at 8 p.m., and it's free.

DJ G at Hailey's. 80s dance music. Good 80s dance music.

We're Spilling Our Guts

While we enjoy running this blog, we're not sure how much longer it will last, due partly to family issues (it's cliche to say, but yes, raising a child and working full time is hard work). Mainly though, we're just burned out on how serious all of you take things. There are times to be serious and committed to your work, and there are times when you should step back and look at the big picture and realize that people aren't really nailing you to the cross, they're just playing around with you in good fun.

An example case: DJ Tiger Bee. Yes, we're going to call you out on this, because you got all up in arms about our (tongue-in-cheek) comments about the mod scene. Please read it again. It was nothing but good-natured ribbing. You didn't read it that way, and your feelings got hurt. We apologize. Next time, we'll put a big banner before our sarcastic rants letting you know what to expect. Give us six months, and we'll be just as tired of the 1970s comeback, just as we're tired of 1980s retro bands. Even though we may not quite enjoy the mod sounds as much as you do, that doesn't stop us from attending your functions, Ms. Bee, and respecting your commitment to bringing something unique to Dallas. You may still find us at the Lollipop Shoppe dancing to the songs we like and drinking to the songs we don't.

When we started this blog, we lashed out against We Shot J.R. for appearing too elitist in his music recommendations and in the bands he profiled. Yes, we know it's his blog and he can do whatever the hell he wants to with it. (Still, we don't understand why he would list two bands on a bill and not the third on the same bill, even after he gave that band a 2 1/2-star review of their album). As we said several times, we really enjoy JR, and we think it's a great soapbox for the area. We just don't want it to become a strictly noise/avant/whatever-that's-not-standard-rock site. If the site really wants to promote good bands and artists in the area, then it should include them all, even if they are the standard 3- or 4-piece outfit. That site can really fill in the gap left by the snarky Dallas Observer writing if it wants. Please do. Please don't fall into the same hole that Robert Wilonsky dug when he was the DO music editor (and in which every other music editor has fallen into since him).

That was our point to starting the blog, to fill a void that was getting bigger and bigger on JR. For example, Max Stalling is a great songwriter. He has solid, strong songs and good lyrics. You won't find his shows listed on JR, because he's considered a country artist. Still, that shouldn't stop people from knowing about his shows, and maybe just one of you will step out of your safe circle and listen to something different. It just may help you with your own musical creations. (On a side note, maybe JR should get Taunto to write more, since Taunto appears to like the warm sounds of rock, e.g., his article about Rose County Fair and his recent review of the new Midlake album).

Currently, in Dallas we have Texas Gigs that lists everything under the sun every night; Cindy's Fine Line that talks about local music news, upcoming shows, etc.; JR, which covers mainly on-the-fringe bands; and the Dallas Observer, which only covers local pop/rock and rap. There are a few other sites that cover bluegrass and country and noise rock and other types of styles, so maybe this site isn't needed (we can see most of you nodding your heads yes).

Still, we enjoy conducting the interviews, and profiling bands and artists. Maybe that's what we'll keep doing, regularly or irregularly.

We've lived in this area a long time; we've been up and down the street more than once. We've seen a lot of bands come and go, and we've seen and heard a lot of people expressing their opinions like they're God. It's nothing new, and it won't ever stop. So, in the end, please stop taking yourselves so seriously. If someone doesn't like your function or your band or you in particular, move on. There will be someone out there that likes it. There will be someone out there that likes you. Remember, you're reading this on a blog. It's not the end of the world. Don't let someone else control your emotions.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

Clock Hand Strangle, Carey Wolff, and Glove box are all performing at the Metrognome Collective in Fort Worth. It's all ages and costs $5.

My Education, Wanz Dover, and Emil Rapstine play at the Cavern in Dallas. Cost is $5. My Education is expansive, classical, and atmospheric. You'll probably want to have a cocktail instead of a beer while you listen to them.

Interview: Chad Stockslager

Today, The Drams drop their debut album. For the unfamiliar, The Drams is Brent Best's new project. After his former band Slobberbone disbanded, he and two other Slobberbone members (guitarist Jess Barr and drummer Tony Harper) pulled in Keith Killoren and Chad Stockslager from Budapest One to play bass and keyboards, respectively.

Stockslager's presence in The Drams is overtly noticeable in a pleasant way. His vocal strength and spot-on harmonies compliment Best's gravelling vocals, while his keyboard melodies mix effortlessly with Barr's lead guitar, all creating a balanced, warm pop sound between gritty and smooth.

Stockslager emerged most prominently on the scene with the Dallas band Sons of Sound a few years ago and quickly made a name for himself as not only a precise musician, but also one that can improv with practically anyone on stage.

His style is more ragtime and saloon; however, he can adapt to any style of song presented to him, ranging from soft ballads to gospel to intricate classical pieces.

As part of our ongoing piano player interviews, Stockslager gladly answered our standard questions, and we thank him for that.

What is your music background? More specifically, how did you get started playing piano? Was it a relative or a band that led you to want to play music? If so, who?

I grew up singing harmony with my father. He was an Everly Brothers fanatic and that sound really stuck with me. My childhood was scored with old barber shop quartet songs, hillbilly standards and gospel. My grandmother played the piano and taught me my first songs. She loved to hear me play and that was what kept me at it.

How did you come about joining the Drams? Was Crooked Teeth your first band? We know you also play guitar. How come you've always stuck with piano in bands?

My first band, which was called The Shadows, came together in middle school. I played saxophone. We played instrumentals mostly: "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Yakkity Sax" ... stuff like that. Many other shortlived bands followed: Mr. Pouncy, Fathead, The Pinwheels, Trout Invasion, Carl's Donkey, Johnny's Pockets. Crooked Teeth was something special though. We lasted about five years and really believed in what we were doing. Sons of Sound came out of that group, and we thought we were really big stuff at that point! But, The Drams is something entirely different. We all feel so strongly about these songs and this particular sound that who wrote it does not even matter. No ego. No bullshit. That's pretty amazing considering how incredible these musicians are. Keith and I joined up as Slobberbone were winding down. There were all these great tunes, and I think Brent felt we could add to them so he let us hang around! I play keyboards because I love what they add to the mix. There's a stigma to keyboard players in loud rock n' roll bands, but some of my all time heros filled that spot.

What, in your opinion, constitutes a good song? Even if you like two radically different song styles, what is the one thing that they share in common?

Regardless of what kind of music it is, if a song tells a story in a compelling way, I'm sold. I also love good hooks and sad lyrics. Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again Naturally" is a masterpiece. It gets me every time!

Rumors about town tell of some solo material floating around. Will your solo songs ever get properly released? Are you more comfortable being a part of a band, or would you one day like to go solo?

I have some stuff that I've been sitting on for some time. It's mostly all primitive home recordings, but some of them I think have some possibilities. There is a suprising warmth that comes out of just tracking with a microphone in a tiny room. Really, one day if I have the chance to go in and record them properly, then I would consider doing something with them. But by then I'll probably be tired of them. Who knows? I do love playing in a band, but doing a solo thing some day could be fun.

Who are three musicians (living or dead) that you would like to play with and why?

Ray Charles would have been great. He is one of my biggest heros. It was his timing and the way he pulled you into a song that always gives me chills. Tom Petty is one of the great living American songwriters and would be a thrill to play with. He really carries the torch for the whole Dylan/Byrds/Beatles school of music, and I adore him for that. Paul McCartney is such a constant inspiration that I would be remiss to not mention him. Timeless songcraft, effortless musicianship and a keen eye for the perfect hook make him the best there is. I know some people think he is cheesy, but I defend him to the death. Not that he really needs it.

What advice do you have for bands and artists just starting out in the local music business?

It's cliche to say this, but it really is true. If you believe what you are doing to be a true representation of yourself and your talent, then nothing else matters. Don't plan on making any money because that rarely happens. Do it because you can't NOT do it. Stick to your guns and enjoy the ride!

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

The Drams play a record release show tonight at Tower Records in Dallas at 7:00 p.m. Cost is free.

Max Stalling will be playing some songs before the showing of the film The Range at the Granada Theater. Cost is $7.50, and doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Mwanza Dover will be hosting his weekly Lost Generation DJ set at the Cavern. We suggest you attend.

And in Fort Worth at the Metrognome Collective is the Kill Rock Stars tour with Southerly, Sarah Redddington, and Silas Worley.

Sick and Little Less Anonymous

Sorry, we're (okay, I'm) feeling sick today. The other half is out with the kid, and I don't feel too well. The Midlake show was great. More interviews later this week.

I'm going back to bed.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

Titanmoon/Clear Static/Under the Influence of Giants are all at the Gypsy Tea Room. Cost is $8. Titanmoom is similar to Keane, so if you like that style of Brit-pop, you'll like them.

News around town is that Rhett and Tim from the Happy Bullets are the new hosts for open mic night (Monday nights) at the Fallout Lounge in Expo Park. Go check it out.

Much to Do this Weekend

There are a lot of shows worthy of recommendation this weekend, so let's get to it. And sorry, no links today. Yes, we're slackers.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities
Friday, July 21



The DoubleWide plays host to part one of the Lost Generation Concert Series curated by Mwanza Dover tonight. As we stated yesterday, please try to catch Silk Stocking. Cost is $5.

Here's the lineup (with times).

8:30 - 9:00 The Friendz
9:15 - 9:45 Dutch Treats
10:00 - 10:30 Silk Stocking
10:45 - 11:30 Kidko
11:45 - 12:30 Unconscious Collective
12:45 - 1:30 Jetscreamer

DJ's in Bar:
DJ CeePee
DJ Wild Bull(wanza)
DJ G


Rahim Quazi/Five Times August/Doug Burr at Bend Studio. Cover is $12 and the show begins at 8 p.m.

Some guy named Ray Davies plays at the Gypsy Tea Room. It will cost you $27, and maybe he'll show you his bullet wound.

The Valentines and Sarah Donaldson perform at Standard & Pours at Southside Lamar at 8 p.m. for free.

Starlight Mints and Colour Music are at Hailey's in Denton. Cover is $12.

Voot Cha Index/Teenage Symphony/Hardin Sweaty and the Ready to Go/Chris Garver all perform at Rubber Gloves in Denton. Cost is $5.

Joe Ely and Brent Best perform at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton.

Saturday, July 22


On this night, part two of the Lost Generation Concert series takes place at the DoubleWide. Cost is still $5. Here's the lineup:

July 22nd
8:30 - 9:00 Ashburne Glen
9:15 - 9:45 Record Hop
10:00 - 10:30 Jack with One Eye
10:45 - 11:30 The Falkon
11:45 - 12:30 The Strange Boys
12:45 - 1:30 Pleasant Grove

DJ's in Bar:
Jason (The Smoke)
DJ Pandaflower and DJ Tigerbee (lollipop shoppe)
Laureen (Mile End)

The Gourds and The Bottle Rockets perform at the Granada Theater. Cost is $18.

Fishing for Comets/Jayson Bales and the Revival/Household Names/Handclaps and Harmonies perform for the Hero to Zero's Third Anniversary Benefit at Club Dada. Cover is $10.

The Tah-Dahs/The Arm/The Dirty Novels/Mat Jones are all at the Darkside Lounge. Cost is $6.

Lazer/Man Factory/Teenage Symphony/Blast at the Aardvark in Ft. Worth. Cost is $5.

Midlake CD release show with Robert Gomez at Hailey's in Denton. Cost is $10 and will be well worth it. The new Midlake album is one of the most important releases by a local band in the last 10 years. They'll be performing an in-store show earlier in the day at Good Records in Dallas.

Mt. Gigantic/Hardin Sweaty and the Ready to Go/Ooga Booga at the Cavern in Dallas. Cover is $6.

Sunday, July 23

Castanets/Phosphorescent/Shiny Around the Edges/Sarah Reddington at Rubber Gloves in Denton. Cost is $5. We are really, REALLY keen on Sarah Reddington, so we highly suggest you catch this show. Also, see JR's interview with Ray Raposa for more information Castanets.

Interview: Liz MacGowan

We first became aware of Liz MacGowan when she arrived on the area's music scene around three or four years ago with her band The Confessionals. With that band, she and her partner, Shawn Mauck, wrote some of the most intensive, aggressive, gritty, and loud music this town has seen in a long time (the band was known for giving the audience earplugs before each show). After the band broke up, Liz and Shawn began a a new project, Silk Stocking, where they combine a sometimes noisy single guitar with a piano. Liz's piano-playing style hits all the ranges from soft, Chopin-like movements to saloon waltzes to hard, bloody pounding on the keys. Her voice is most often compared to Tom Waits, but we hear some PJ Harvey, Diamanda Galas, and Nick Cave in her lyrical delivery.

Silk Stocking plays tomorrow night at the DoubleWide as part of the Lost Generation Summer Concert Series curated by Mwanza Dover. We suggest you go to this show, grab yourself a whisky, and lock yourself in a spot where you can witness one of the area's best bands and one of the area's most unique performers, who graciously agreed to let us interview her.

Interview with Liz MacGowan

What is your music background? More specifically, how did you get started playing piano? Was it a relative or a band that led you to want to play music? If so, who?

I come from a sort of poor man's background. There was never any money to take music lessons. I found out real quick that you could just play by ear. My mother's family were all country and western, Grand Ole Opry players. I would go round to my aunt's next door everyday and watch them play, then go bang on their instruments.

How did you come about forming Silk Stocking? What lead to the breakup of the Confessionals? Would you and Shawn ever think about having another band that included a bass player and a drummer?

The breakup of the Confessionals came slowly. We had so many different ideals, visions, and members. It became unpleasant. I think Shawn and I started tiring of the basic 4-piece rock thing and playing out and all that. We took some time away from it, then started making home recordings, which eventually led to Silk Stocking. Wanz Dover actually got us out and booked some good shows for us, so thanks Wanz. As far as adding members? Eh, I'm pretty content with things right now, but who knows? Percussion would be nice.

What, in your opinion, constitutes a good song? Even if you like two radically different song styles, what is the one thing that they share in common?

I like songs that are timeless. I want you to tell me something, I want a confession. I don't want your chop skills or how you're wearing your hair these days.

Who are three musicians (living or dead) that you would like to play with and why?

That's a tough question. There's so many...national and local: The Great Tyrant, Jack With One Eye, Mahalia Jackson, Bundle of Joy, the Falcon, Sean Kirkpatrick, Captain Beefheart, Reid Paley, Blind Boys of Alabama, Burnt Sienna Trio...go listen to these people!

You're repeatedly compared to Tom Waits. What are your thoughts about that? In other words, does it bother you that he appears to be the only touchstone you're compared with? Would you like others to notice more influences in your music and voice?

Yeah, this Tom Waits thing is annoying. Comparisions are annoying. But what can you do about it? It seems like a lot of musicians are being compared to him lately. Maybe he's just fashionable right now. I would like for people to see that I've been heavily influenced by gin and the singing homeless guy riding the bus with me everyday. By the way, I hear Waits really likes our stuff...wink, nudge.

Are there plans for a new CD anytime soon? If so, when?

Yes, soon, hopefully by the fall. We're in the final mixing stages.

What advice do you have for bands and artists just starting out in the local music business?

Be prepared to be poor. Play as much as you can. Don't settle on that guy that cancels practice for his girlfriend's cousin's big keg party. Watch out for that.

Bobby Ewing Recommended Nighttime Activities

Ghost of Monkshood, Colour Music, Ben Fleming, and The Freek Out all perform at the Cavern in Dallas. Cover is $6.

From Monument to Masses, This Will Destroy You, Sparrows Swarm and Sing, and In Dot Dat perform at Rubber Gloves in Denton. Cover is $6.

Wednesday, July 19

Yesterday, JR suggested a show that featured the band Sarah Reddington. We checked out their Myspace page, listened to their music, and promptly made it down for their set. JR was right on the money for this one. Sarah Reddington appeals to all the things you know we like best: solid song structures, good vocals, tight melodies, etc. They're definitely a band to keep an eye and ear on.

And this brings back memories of the late, great Orbit Room, where we saw countless shows including the Wedding Present, Apples in Stereo, and this band (and this show):



Some Nighttime Activities

There's really not much we see that we're excited about. If you want a rock show, though, go see The Dillinger Escape Plan with Dysrhythmia at the Gypsy Tea Room. Cost is $12.

Also, Dylan Sneed is performing at Club Dada with SmokeWagon 44 and Romp Almighty. Cover is $3, and there are $2 Lone Stars available for refreshments.

Tuesday's alright for hating

We know it's more fun to knock people down than to stand them up, so we understand the hostility. Nevertheless, we're carrying on. We'll still feature things that you think are "uncool" because all your friends say they are. Onward!

Some Nighttime Activities

Danava and Snow Foxxes are both from Portland and will be bringing the rock to the Cavern tonight. The cover is $6. Danava's music is rock tapping the Black Sabbath vein with some synth sounds thrown in to give it a retro prog sound. It's kind of 1970s sounding, so all you naysayers probably won't like it.

The Riverboat Gamblers will also be bringing their loud-ass rock/punk to the area tonight at Rubber Gloves in Denton. Cover is $12, and the support acts are Only Crime, Los Dry Heavers, and Wires on Fire. This looks to be a good show. I'm sure willdowdy would approve. Maybe he and his buddy, johnnyguitar, will film it.

The Format and Rainer Maria appear at the Gypsy Tea Room. Cover is $13; it's all ages; and doors open at 6 p.m. We really enjoy The Format's new album, so we recommend this show if you like good solid pop songs. Also, if you enjoy Queen, you'll like it, but then again, that's another 1970s reference...

Monday Discoveries

Every now and then, we like to troll through the hundreds of area bands on Myspace, seeking out anything new that catches our ears. Here a few artists and bands that we have just found and heard. We gladly pass them on for you to listen to.

ZOE: There's not much information on this page, but the songs (specifically "Love") speak volumes of the talent of ZOE. The style is very Brit-pop influenced, with some trippy space-rock parts thrown in to break up the sometimes overly sweet melodies. We're not sure if this is a band, a one-person operation, or someone putting up someone else's songs. We hope ZOE is for real, though, because we're very interested in hearing more.






Aaron and the Duster Six: Hailing from Frisco, this is another Brit-pop influenced band. While we don't really care for the name, that's neither here nor there when it comes to the music. The songs on their Myspace page are mainly acoustic in nature, highlighting the strong vocals that remind us of James Dean Bradfield from Manic Street Preachers. Fans of the more melancholic aspects of Travis, Keane, and the aforementioned Manic Street Preachers will like this band.


Flying Machine: Another Brit-pop influenced band (we must be on our latest British kick) that obviously listens to a lot of Muse. Apparently, these guys have been around awhile, touring Europe and Asia, as well as their hometown of Dallas. Yes, they're an "EDGE-friendly" band, and yes, some may call their sound "safe," but damn, they do have a couple of good rock songs that are loud, tight, and melodic.




Some Nighttime Activities

Go see Paul Slavens at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton. You'll enjoy it. We promise.

Or you could go to Bad Ass Jazz Night at the Amsterdam Coffeehaus in Dallas in Expo Park.

Did the 1970s suck or what?!

Three Things:

1) Some of you really hate the 1970s, or more pointed, the bands that made a lot of money recording and playing their songs during that time.

2) Some of you clearly don't know the definition of the phrase "tongue-in-cheek." Look it up. Apply it to some of our writing. Connect the two. Watch lightbulb go off over your head.

3) As we wrote once before, we admit to coming off a little strong at the start and railing WeShotJR. Then we listed some bands we like, and some readers bitched that we like the same bands as them. Listen, we'll say it again. We like well-crafted songs, good melodies, and lyrics that say more than "My baby does the hanky-panky." This is where JR and us will cross recommendations sometimes. They like good songs and bands, too. Sometimes our opinions about what defines "good" will be different, and that's okay. Just like stonedranger said over there, we don't want a blog war. We just want to be another source for your local musical entertainment needs.

Speaking of...

Some Nighttime Activities...man, there's a lot going on this weekend

Friday

CATS & DOGS: A Benefit for the Denton Humane Society featuring jetscreamer, Record Hop, Hogpig, and The Nizzardz at Rubber Gloves in Denton. It's only $6, and you'll be helping our kinder and gentler friends. As much as we'd like to say this will be show of the night, we're going to have to go with the following in that category.

Show of the Night
The Theater Fire/Warren Jackson Hearne and the Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers/Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang/W-Burn perform at the Cavern. Entry fee is $6.

Slaid Cleaves/Hayes Carll/Brian Keane are all at the Granada. We highly recommend Mr. Cleaves. Enough said.

Camera Obscura and Georgie James at the Gypsy Tea Room (tea room side). It's $12 to get in.

Blue Cheer and The Black Angels are at Hailey's. It costs $15, and DJ Wild in the Streets will be spinning between, before, and after the sets. Don't forget to take your drugs before you go, kids.

[DARYL] and Sparklepussy Barbie at the DoubleWide.

Boys Named Sue at Adairs in Dallas.

American Werewolf Academy and Team Evil at the Bar of Soap in Dallas. If Team Evil keeps it up, they may just find themselves listed in our Top 3 Best New Rock Bands in Dallas at the end of the year.

Get your art opening on the J. Michelle Martin-Coyne exhibit happening at Conduit Gallery from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. From the Web site: "Martin-Coyne's exhibition will include images of the live [Flaming Lips] performances as well as several stills from the Flaming Lips forthcoming science-fiction feature Christmas on Mars." DeeJay CeePee will be on hand playing records, as well.

There's also at art show at Road Agent Gallery from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. titled "Road Agent Ambush (Stand and Deliver: Your Money or Your Life)."

Saturday
Salim Nourallah/Chris Holt/Fishing for Comets/Boys Named Sue at Standard & Pours Coffee & Stocks (located at Southside Lamar) in Dallas. For $6, you can see what all the fuss is about surrounding Chris Holt and Salim Nourallah. But then again, their songs have a beginning, middle and end, so if you're scared of that, stay home and play your xBox, PS2, or whatever new gaming device has come out recently.

Live Wire (Mötley Crüe tribute band) at the Engine Room in Ft. Worth. We're serious.

Show of the Night
Prayer for Animals/Teenage Symphony/Haunting Oboe Music/Eat Avery's Bones at the Darkside Lounge in Dallas. Prayer for Animals' sound will appeal to your outer need to be hip and like things that are "experimental," while at the same time fulfilling your inner love for well-constructed songs that stick with you days after you leave the show. Cover is $6.

The Deathray Davies/The cut*off/Bobgoblin at the Wreck Room in Ft. Worth.

Las Munequitas de Muerte's Benefit for the Friends of the Family with Man Factory, The Pebble that Saved the World, Blackheart Society, and Art Howe. OMG! We mentioned Blackheart Society...this must really be their blog! Jesus, people.

Band Spotlight: Pegasus Now

We're starting to get a little tired of the 1960s mod/garage rock revival that seems to have taken over a number of souls in Dallas. From events like the Smoke and the Lollipop Shoppe to Vespa meet-ups and the "new Garage sounds" of the Strange Boys, the whole movement is becoming trite.

So, thank the heavens for the 1970s revival that's about to sweep Dallas. In a couple of weeks, every local paper and blog will be tripping over their tongues in praise of the new Midlake album, if they haven't already. Expect all your favorite 1970s musical heroes to be attached to the band's latest CD as influences on the band. Whatever, we don't care, as long as we don't have to hear one more mention of the word "mod" or "garage rock," at least for a little while.

Another band that drinks from the same Midlake water is Pegasus Now. We like them. We feel that they create solid foundations within their songs, which gives them room to spin melodies and capture moods, almost in an invisible fashion. There's nothing wrong with three chords and the truth, but there's something much more committed--for the artist and the listener--with a well-crafted song that at first seems so easy, but when broken down one notices how all the different parts work together effortlessly.

Pegasus Now can be squarely placed in 1978 and no one would bat an eye. They could tour with the Eagles, and fans would buy up all their t-shirts. They could be guest stars on "Starsky and Hutch" with Loggins & Messina and viewers wouldn't think anything was wrong with the picture.

But don't peg them as simply a throwback to good times and good sex. They clearly know their musical history, involving tactics inspired from other artists and movements such as Pavement, R&B, and shoegaze pop.

Pegasus Now, best new Dallas band of 2006? Maybe, but we're only halfway done with the year. There's still the hair-band-metal revival to come.

Some Nighttime Activities

Blackheart Society/Cartwright/Pegasus Now at the Cavern...as you can guess, we recommend this as show of the night. It's only $5, and we don't care what the Dallas Observer's Sam M. says, the show actually starts off STRONG with Blackheart Society throwing the first punch--even if they are a little "mod."

The Shondes and The (or is it Tha?) Bracelets at Rubber Gloves in Denton.

Electric Campfire Acoustic Jam at the Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas. Here's what it's about (from Texas Gigs): "Whether you are an accomplished musician, a front porch picker, or just bought your first instrument and want to see how it's done, come down to the Hall every Thursday. It's not an open mic night, it's just time to share a song and support one another."

Meredith Miller at All Good Cafe in Dallas.

Wednesday

Yeah, yeah, we're a little slow today. We spent all night yesterday pouring one out (or more specifically, dropping) for our good friend Syd Barrett.

Some Nighttime Activities

Hey, hey we're the...just Peter Tork of the Monkees along with Shoe Suede Blues at Poor David's Pub. Cost is $20, so we're guessing a lot of you won't be attending.

Dylan Sneed/Eastwood/Ken Bethea of the Old 97's perform at Club Dada. We believe this is part of the Indiekitten Goes Out West series, and she most of the time knows how to pick strong songwriters and artists to showcase. Tonight is no different. Dylan Sneed plays songs that are kind of folky and Bob Dylan-esqe, without all the preaching. His songs contain good melodies, which is almost always good in our opinion. You know, a little complexity in a song isn't a band thing, and Sneed realizes that. Eastwood has a Sorta Drams feel. Ken Bethea probably won't play any Old 97's stuff, so don't get your hopes up.

Cowboys & Indians bring their country sounds to the White Elephant Saloon.

Steely Dan and Michael McDonald are playing in Grand Prairie at the crappy venue that pretends to be a music facility.

For those of you still hanging on to your 1980s metal years, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society performs at the Granada Theater. Cost is $30. What? Does he think he's better than Peter Tork?

Shopping for girl jeans

Sometimes, we get tired of listing what's going on in our fair area, and today is one of those times (plus, there's not a lot to really suggest, besides DJ Mwanza's Lost Generation set at the Cavern, and the Chris Garver/Kristin Allen-Zito/Domenic Ferraro show at Club Dada, oh and the So Many Dynamos/Fishboy show at the Metrognome Collective in Ft. Worth).

Besides that, we're not too hot on any of the other artists playing here tonight. So, we leave you with this article. It's kind of about music, but more about fashion. It's especially aimed at you skinny guys.

Fashion trend sends young men to the other side of the store
Monday, July 10, 2006
JUSTIN ENGEL
FOR THE SAGINAW NEWS

A couple of months ago, Kris Birch decided it was time to buy himself some jeans.

Instead of heading to the men's section at Fashion Square Mall's Pac Sun, which he manages, the 20-year-old Essexville resident bought a pair of women's jeans.

And he felt no shame.

"It wasn't a big deal at all," Birch said. "You were seeing it around a lot already by then."

A fashion trend is directing young men -- early teens to early 20s -- toward the opposite side of the store, where they're buying girls' and women's pants.

Birch said he bought his pants to accommodate his bike-riding lifestyle. Women's jeans typically make for a tighter fit around the legs.

"It's not so baggy, so it

doesn't get caught in the chain," Birch said. "It makes it easier to flow. I have a lot of them now."

The fashion move started to gain momentum about six months ago, said Troy Darling, a 24-year-old store manager at Hollister in Fashion Square.

"It's a new punk rock sort of thing," said Darling, who lives in Saginaw. "We definitely see it a lot now."

Both local and national bands playing "emo-style" music -- a subgenre of hard-core punk rock -- began the fashion statement, he said, and the result trickled down to their fans and began catching on with the skateboarding crowd, too.

The fad spread so wide that Hollister manufacturers designed a new line of men's pants that fit like women's jeans. After the product sold well in larger markets across the country, they arrived for distribution at Fashion Square Mall's store two weeks ago.

Darling estimates his store sells around 10 pairs of women's pants to men per week.

Mister Poll, an online survey Web site, has measured the public's acceptance of the fashion trend. As of Friday,

45 percent of 2,131 male participants admitted they wore women's jeans, 20 percent answered, "No, but I want to"; 10 percent answered they never would; and the remaining 25 percent wouldn't sport them in public.

The Web site asked 1,102 female voters their thoughts on the chic fad.

While 16 percent didn't like the look, 58 percent answered, "They look great!" while 26 percent checked "I don't care."

When the online survey polled males with the same question, 62 percent of 2,220 voters answered "It's cool";

27 percent didn't have strong feelings one way or the other; and 11 percent didn't agree with the style.

Web users can cast their own votes at www.misterpoll.com/3315499445.html.

Aaron Hick of Breckenridge says the shopping movement is beginning to stretch beyond the punk rock culture.

"Some guys are starting to wear them for the sheer fact that they can't find their size in guy jeans," said Hick, a 22-year-old sales representative at American Eagle. "It goes hand in hand because you're seeing a lot of skinny people in (the punk scene)."

The growing popularity of the fad dissolved some of the initial awkwardness male customers experienced when purchasing female apparel.

"It was kind of weird at first," Darling said. "Now we're used to it."

Most men who buy the clothing hunt in packs, Hick said.

"You hardly see just one person coming in to buy (women's jeans)," he added. "They usually shop in groups."

For some Fashion Square clothing store employees, the new androgyny posed mathematical problems.

The fad left sales staffers such as 27-year-old Erin Hanley in an arithmetic bind: How do you convert a man's size 36 waistline into the single-digit measurement system that women use?

"After a while, I got experienced, though," said Saginaw resident Hanley, an assistant manager at Hot Topics. "More and more guys started doing it, so I got used to it."

Hanley, for one, is a fan of the fashion.

"A lot of the time, guys look better in them than girls do," she said.

Monday Monday

Hello, we hope you all had a good weekend. We did, and now that we're all rested, we're ready to hit the streets for more music and drinking. This night, however, looks to be a slow one. Still, here are some hearty recommendations for you people who go out on school nights.

Some Nighttime Activities

If it's still going on, visit the Fallout Lounge in Expo Park for open mic, where the always wonderful, slightly intimidating John Freeman plays host. We heard that if no one shows up to play, he just takes the mic and does his own thing. Is that true? Anyone?

Unwed Sailor/Comrade/Chao are at the Cavern tonight, where you'll be charged $6 to see them perform. Unwed Sailor describes themselves as ambient, progressive and experimental. Two of those descriptions always make us cringe, but really the band is quite harmless. Explosions in the Sky fans will enjoy this band. Comrade sounds promising. Here's what the Dallas Observer and Beautiful Room's Andrea Grimes says about Comrade:

Anyone who digs Pleasant Grove, Jeff Buckley, Red House Painters, Bedhead - and dare I say it? Coldplay or Keane! - is probably going to like this band. The songs are beautiful, the vocals are haunting, the piano work stays with you, and the arrangement and instrumentation is more than interesting enough to keep people from getting bored. If the Coldplay thing scares you, fear not piano-heavy pop. There's plenty of guitar and, I think, a horn of some kind.

Yeah, we think that sums it up nicely.

Paul Slavens performs at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton. Slavens is one of Dallas' most talented musicians. Catch him whenever you can.

Amsterdam Coffeehaus presents its Bad Ass Jazz Night. We've been a couple of times, and yes, it can get pretty bad ass in there. Cool Daddy.

Move on

Just like the Lord, we're resting today.

Slick Saturday

Thank you to all the people who wrote us and said they really enjoyed the Sean Kirkpatrick interview. We have more planned, so if you like interviews, please stick around. Since one of us plays piano and is a die-hard piano geek, you'll definitely see more coverage of piano players.

Did anyone catch Sean's show last night or any of the other shows mentioned? If so, please report.

Some Nighttime Activities
Up in Denton at the Secret Headquarters, you can listen to Man Factory and Super Love Attack from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Secret Headquarters is a BYOB venue that will cost you $3 to get into. Man Factory makes it work the price alone.

Speaking of BYOB, Arts Avenue in Expo Park in Dallas plays host to another event. This time it's Summer Soucial with DJs Jason Harris, Mwanza Dover, Marcus Prado, Wild in the Streets Lisa, and DJ G. We see something on this flyer about BBQ at midnight. We love barbeque, so this might be the place to go. The Strange Boys are playing. We still don't like their songs that much, but the barbeque should more than make up for it. Cover cost is $6.

Danielson is playing at Rubber Gloves in Denton. "Did I Step on Your Trumpet?" is a fantastic song, but the rest of the new album is kind of ho-hum. Pilotdrift (yawn) and Bring Back the Guns open. Cost=$10.

The Chemistry Set / Walker Lundee / Rose County Fair / Preston Grey are playing at the Cavern tonight. It's a $6 cover. Rose County Fair appears to show some promise, and we really like what we've heard on their Myspace page. Appparently the Chemistry Set is a big deal to a lot of people. Why? Yes, they have solid, well-worked out songs, but to us, that's just it. The songs are too worked out and lack life. It seems in their goal to be perfect, some of the soul has left their music. It's just all too slick. Slick is not always bad (see Poison), but...oh hell...we don't know where we're going with this at the moment. We'll go see them again and figure it out.

Other shows that look interesting:

Hillbilly Orchestra / Secret Devil Sign / Lowside / Texas Hippie Coalition at Clearview

Ray Wylie Hubbard / Lost Immigrants at the Granada Theater. Oh man, we love us some Ray Wylie Hubbard!

Mimir Chamber Music Festival at the Walsh Center for Performing Arts at TCU in Fort Worth at 7:30 p.m. If you like classical music, this is the place to go to this evening. You won't be disappointed; you'll come away a changed person; and all the other cliche critic lines.

Sean Kirkpatrick Interview

Tonight, one of our favorite songwriters performs at the Cavern. No, it's not Todd from Crushed Stars. It's Sean Kirkpatrick, normally found manhandling the keys for the pAper chAse.

Every now and then, you'll find him out and about performing solo, and when you do you become immediately aware that you're hearing something remarkable. What we like about his songs and his songwriting is the thought put into the nuances not only between movements within the song but also between the chords and melodies played simultaneously. He appears to have a knack for pushing the envelope without losing the ear of the common audience. His songs are usually darker in mood and caustic by way of Tom Waits, but he never becomes overtly morose.

Sean Kirkpatrick first became noticed in the area while drumming for the Rolling Stones-influenced The Dead Flowers in Denton. After their breakup, he fronted Maxine's Radiator, then joined The Falcon Project and Spoon. His latest project before joining the pAper chAse was The Signals, a band that we feel should have their album properly released.

We believe it's his experience playing with such a variety of band styles that lends to his strengths as a songwriter and musician (he has to be one of the top rock keyboard players in the area).

So, as our inaugural interview, please welcome Sean Kirkpatrick.

1) What is your music background? More specifically, how did you get started playing piano? We know you also play drums. Are those the only two instruments you play? Was it a relative or a band that led you to want to play music? If so, who?

My mom made me start taking piano lessons when I was eight. I hated it. I wanted to be in Boy Scouts instead, but I had no choice. I played drums in high school, because I hadn't yet figured out how piano could be an exciting rock and roll instrument. I am definitely not a drummer now. Haven't touched drums in years. I've given up guitar as well. I have no interest in any other instruments besides the piano. There's just way too much to explore on this instrument. Why divert my time and attention?

2) Throughout the years, you've played in several bands with each having separate identifiable sounds. Is this a conscious effort? In other words, did you feel that you accomplished all you could with Maxine's Radiator before moving on to the Signals and then on to the pAper chAse? Or was it outside forces that led you to these many, different bands?

Also I played with the Falcon Project for a long time between Maxine's Radiator and the Signals. I played with Spoon for about a year too. But to answer your question, there are so many factors that determine a band's sound...the times, changes in taste, maturity, the people I was playing with. In most cases, yes I felt like I had done all I could in that setting. Sometimes frustrations with line-up changes and people quitting or being in too many other bands caused me to give up on it. As far as the paper chase goes, I never planned on joining the band. I just wanted to tour Europe and they needed a piano player. Then we started working on the material for God Bless Your Black Heart, and I was like yeah this is pretty good. Think I'll stick around.

3) What, in your opinion, constitutes a good song? Even if you like two radically different song styles, what is the one thing that they share in common?

It makes you feel something. Whether it's acoustic singer-songwriter music or free noise, it doesn't really matter to me as long as it gives me an experience.

4) What do you plan to accomplish with your solo work? Is it a hobby for downtime between band gigs, or do you plan on releasing your songs via CD under your own name? How do you separate your solo ideas into ones kept for your own material and ones contributed to the pAper chAse?

I haven't thought too far ahead to be honest. I just enjoy writing songs, performing and recording. I'm starting some studio recordings over the next couple of months. Basically I'll just see where that goes. Maybe a label will wanna put it out. Maybe I'll burn copies for my friends, like I did with the Signals album.

I never have to worry about keeping my ideas separate from the paper chase's. John has a very distinct vocal and songwriting style. I come up with piano parts to compliment that and work in the context of the rest of the music. And certainly, being in the band has shaped and altered the way I play and the sort of intervals I prefer. But as a solo performer, I can be very free. I can improvise a lot more within the framework of my songs and find different tones that resonate well with my voice and whatever I might be singing about.

5) What advice do you have for bands and artists just starting out in the local music business?

Just find other people whose music you enjoy and make friends with them. I felt so isolated and thought no one would ever be into the music I was doing until the Argo opened in Denton and I started meeting all these other people who were into the same stuff I was into.

Some Nighttime Activities
Crushed Stars / Sean Kirkpatrick / New Science Projects will all be at the Cavern. As mentioned above, we feel that Sean Kirkpatrick is one of the strongest songwriters in the area, and he definitely warrants a stopping by the Cavern tonight. It's only $6, and you can listen to him and make it to the next show, which is...

At the DoubleWide, Blackheart Society / Snake Trap / Gorch Fock bring their own ideas of what rock music is to the masses. It appears that Blackheart Society is the oddball out on this lineup, but that doesn't matter to us because even if we don't much care for the noisy instrumentals of Snake Trap or the shredding eardrums assalt of Gorch Fock, we know we can always go to the main bar and have $1 PBRs until Blackheart takes the stage. The Blackheart Society is a talented bunch of musicians whose influences appear to pull them in several directions without losing their collective characteristic (Ben Fleming's Neil Young voice).

Shangai 5 brings their avant garde/jazz/whatever it's called to Terrilli's tonight.

When was the last time you went to Muddy Waters? For us, it's been a couple of years. Tonight, though, you can check out Grant Wiscour and the Infidels, a country act in the vein of Waylon Jennings.

SouthFM / The Greater Good perform at the Darkside Lounge. Now, we don't really care for SouthFM, but the Greater Good is actually...well...good. Nice pop/rock melodies along with some spot-on harmonies. They remind us a lot of the Fountains of Wayne.

Get your art on at Gachet Coffee Lounge, which will hold an art opening for George Lacy from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Counter Culture in Deep Ellum will have an art show for Richard Ross, he of the peas fame, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Both locations will provide free adult beverages, along with some delicious snacks.

Maybe "backlash" was the incorrect word to use, but it was the only one we could think of at the time. Just as reader willdowdy is giving us some tough love, we choose to do the same for We Shot JR (and other online/print publications). Yes, willdowdy, JR has written about some of the bands listed. However, the site used to write a lot more about them. Now, the site appears to be steering toward the indie-elite waters, and that is the primary reason this site was started. We do love JR; what we don't love is indie-snobbery. So, forget "backlash," and think "tough love."

Our ideal is to always place song over style, substance over show. And just like JR and other personal blogs, the opinions expressed are ours. If you have a constructive argument as to why we might be incorrect with an opinion, we'll listen. However, if all you can manage is "your taste in music sucks," please report back to first grade and start life over again. Thank you.

Some Nighttime Activities
Ever since Dirty Cha Cha took over booking, the DoubleWide tends to play host to either hard(er) rock or country-ish shows. And tonight is no different, with Lubbock's Thrift Store Cowboys and Athens, Ga.-based Sleepy Horses stopping by to lull you to drink more with their lingering country-tinged compositions. There's a $5 cover, and as always, $1 PBRs and $2 Lone Star. There's also Motley Crue in the jukebox if you need a picker-upper.

What Made Milwaukee Famous / Stock Market Crash / The Lord Henry / Organ Thief will all perform at the Gypsy Tea Room. The last time we saw WMMF, we were driven to the upstairs part of the Cavern. Maybe it was the live show, but their recorded songs have much more spark and carry just enough candy coating to make them bearable. Could they be Texas' version of The Knack? Get there early to catch Memphis' Organ Thief, who clearly should book a tour with Pegasus Now.

Ghostcar / The Ebb & Flow / Chao / Linea Triste all at The Cavern. All we'll say on this is if Chao performs behind a white sheet again, we're going to shit in our hands and throw it at it. If you don't want people to see you while you play, then don't play live; just put your CD on and stand around talk about how cool you are and how white belts are so last year. The other bands are cool and will appeal to your inner child.

Freddie Jones is performing at the Brooklyn Jazz Cafe. He's a little too smooth jazz for our jazz tastes, but some of you may like that. Don't worry, we still have you down for that Dave Koz CD for Christmas.

Bend Studio may or may not be doing their open mic night from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. As most open mic nights go, it can be a hit or miss, but Tania R. is a great host who most of the time knows when to tell the bad performers it's time to get off the stage ("Ummm...you actually don't have time for another song...we need to move on.")

First off, we're not quite sure why Blogger isn't giving us a title box. So, for now please deal with no titles.

Yes, yes, we're still moving things in, organizing the rooms, figuring out where to hang the velvet Elvis paintings, etc., but here is a little bit more about us.

As we've mentioned, our tastes will cross with We Shot JR, Dallas Observer, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc.; however, we're seeking to expose the bands that normally go under the radar because they aren't considered weird or artsy. We promise not to be as broad as Texas Gigs, but we're not going to limit ourselves to writing only about our friends' bands and hip-hop (re: Observer).

We're putting another voice out there because we believe that the North Texas area harbors some of the best bands in the nation and that most of them go unnoticed because they're not hitting you over the head with their experimental style. Most write good, solid songs that most hipsters find "boring," we admit, but we'd rather watch and listen to a band like Titanmoon with their Texas' Keane persona than two people playing "weird" music while reading out loud from a book on stage.

Indie music has hit that stage where a lot of the time, one band is trying to be more experimental or cutesy than the next one. And when that happens, more often than not, the craft of good songwriting gets lost in the mix.

"I think people often forget that while some of the more popular bands in Dallas right now (The Valentines, Deathray Davies, Belafonte, Chemistry Set, etc.) might have sounds that are more commercially viable than the Strategies gang, their chances of going very far outside of being cool on lower Greenville probably aren't very good," We Shot JR said. "Why? Well, its not so much that they're just completely terrible (which several of them are), but more because there are similar bands with very similar sounds in pretty much every large to mid sized city in the United States, and they're all fighting for that one Volkswagen commercial, or that one opening slot on the next Death Cab tour."

Our response to that is it's the same for those artsy bands that get written about. Look at any U.S. city (especially ones with several colleges in one area), and you'll find the same kind of experimental bands that come out of Denton. They're also fighting for a spot in the art band pool, which is just as crowded as the other, indie-size pool.

"And while the Dallas version of a watered down Strokes might not be much worse (and could be much better) than the Kansas City or Sacramento versions, it just seems that the competition to reach the markets they are aiming for is much tighter than that for the market that say, Notes from Undergound, Shiny Around the Edges or Eat Avery's Bones might be able to interest," We Shot JR continues. "In short, many of the Strategies groups (and a handful of other local acts) seem to offer something relatively unique, something that might actually catch a Matador rep off guard at SXSW next year. I guess that is why I thought Strategies was sort of a big deal."

What is the market for the Strategies gang? We can't figure out how tight the market is until we define it. Maybe Eat Avery's Bones wants to sign to a big label. Have you asked them? What, aren't they like 20 years old. Don't tell me they wouldn't be greatly tempted by big money. We're older than that, and we're still tempted by loads of cash, though that amount has gotten much higher. And is it really so terrible if say The Valentines want to "make it?"

In sum, local artists that we like at the moment include: Record Hop, Happy Bullets, Blackheart Society, Undoing of David Wright, Tah-Dahs, Hourly Radio and Doug Burr.

A few local artists we're still on the fence about: Titanmoon, the Valentines, the Angelus, Max Cady and Voot Cha Index

A few local artists that we think should hang it up: Chemistry Set, Golden Falcons, Bosque Brown, and Idi Amin.

More tomorrow.

Welcome to the We Shot JR backlash. That site's not even a year old, and we're already sick of their pretentiousness. If you're in a standard rock band, you're pretty much ignored on that site. Not here, though. We embrace melody, good song structures, and the standard set-up of guitar, bass and drums.

This is not to say that we don't like some experimenting in our music either, but we're not going to cream our jeans just because some guy can play two chords on an acoustic guitar and moan over them all the while keeping his shaggy hair over his eyes and looking morose. If you want to call that art, then we say it's the art equivalent of drawing a turkey using the outline of your hand.

We Shot JR appears to love this kind of stuff. We don't. We say it's bullshit. We're going to be the checks and balances on their suggestions.

Sure, our tastes may cross, but for the most part, we're going to be the rock to their art/noise/screamo crap.

We're going to champion what some call the middle ground, because in life it's usually only the extremes that get noticed. There are a ton of great bands in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denton that write good songs, have great vocals, and put on wonderful shows, but they're ignored because they're not "artsy" enough. Those bands, this is your home. Welcome.