Sparrowbox, the tongue-in-cheek experimental punk and psychedelic outfit led by Gerard Dirkx, former frontman of legendary Dallas 70’s new wave band The Telefones, is taking mockery to new heights.
In a recent email, Dirkx states that the Dallas Times Herald (which, y'know, folded in '91) “just published” a poll on The Greatest All-Time Dallas/Ft. Worth Rock Artists. According to Dirkx, the list:
We always appreciate it when visual artists and musicians collaborate, whether it’s by putting on a big event like Art Conspiracy, by holding a concert in a gallery or museum or by complementing live music with interesting visuals.
But we don’t want to overlook the smaller ways in which visual artists and musicians work together--or even the visual artwork created by the musicians themselves. That’s why we plan to start highlighting show flyers in this space.
The inaugural entry is the poster for Saturday’s Dark Meat in-store at Good Records. It was designed by 17-year-old Alex Revier, who has also created promotional artwork for Lion Dog Records and Land Mammals.
We’re not claiming to be art critics by any stretch of the imagination, but we certainly enjoy the child-like quality of the characters, the bright colors and the attention paid to the little details--like floating eyeballs and insects. --Jesse Hughey
Fresh off the release of Tiger Moth’s fantastic debut EP, guitarist Glenn Jackson is getting into the nightclub business.
“Deep Ellum is about to turn around,” says Jackson, who along with business partner Albert Magallon are about to reopen the Darkside Lounge.
“The new name will simply be The Lounge on Elm Street. We are getting in cheap and going for it with our fingers crossed.”
Jackson has some previous industry-related experience as the co-owner of three different record stores. He’ll need his business sense and a lot of luck to make things work in the once-vital downtown locale. Yet Jackson is emphatically optimistic: “The DART rail opens soon and there is a ton of new loft development happening close by.”
As far as booking goes, Jackson promises a more varied selection of performers.
“I plan on having a mixture of DJs and bands with crossing genres,” says Jackson, who was in the middle of repairing and repainting the venue as we spoke. “It’s in the early stages, but we should be open by late July.”
If Jackson has as much success with his bar as he has had with Tiger Moth, Deep Ellum should have a new club worth frequenting. --Darryl Smyers
Bonus mp3: Tiger Moth -- "You Gotta"
Caught up with American Werewolf Academy frontman Aaron Thedford after hearing word that his power pop act was heading to The Echo Lab this weekend to record some tracks for its next record.
"We're finishing it up" he says, before cautiously continuing, "...hopefully. We have a couple more things to record. It seems like it's taken a long time to do this, but when we're in there, we're working."
But it sounds like Thedford, drummer Tony Harper and bassist Jake Barnhart think they're close to finishing things up. The plan, Thedford says, is to finish recording and mixing the album by the end of next week, and then to ship the record off for mastering soon after. The hope is that the next AWA record--the first in two-and-a-half years--will be ready for release by late summer.
"We're all kind of tired of dicking around on this," Thedford says. "It makes it seem like we're working on an opus. In reality, it's just pop music." --Pete Freedman
Maybe a month and a half or two months ago--I'm blanking at the moment--back when Shibboleth was still doing its month-long artist-in-residence thing at Club Dada, I found myself at the Deep Ellum club on a Thursday night, asking club co-owner Amanda Newman some questions for an article I was writing at the time.
But it was pretty tough for either of us to stay focused.
A lot was going on: Two-thirds of Shibboleth was on stage (one of the guys, not sure which, had taken the night off) performing Ennio Morricone covers; a car had broken down in front of Dada and Amanda kept running in and out of the bar to assist the men in trouble; and a small crowd sat by the stage, marveling at Shibboleth's skill set. But most distracting were the actions of the seven-year-old-or-so daughter of one of the guys having car trouble. Amanda had let her in the bar and given her a soda or something so she could be distracted from having to wait for car help. And the little girl--more so than anyone else in the place--was in love with Shibboleth. And she was vocal about it, too.
"What's your band's name?" she'd ask between songs.
"You guys are awesome," she'd say in a tone somewhere between awe and matter of fact.
Denton’s had a big week. So, for this edition of Aural Ambush we drove from our Dallas office all the way to Denton’s town square. Our mission: to find out what people think about New York-based Japanther’s poppy-punk track “$100 Cover” off its 2007 album Skuffed Up My Huffy.
Want more of the song? Download it:
Bonus mp3: Japanther -- "$100 Cover"
And catch Japanther playing this Sunday at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in Denton with The Pharmacy and Naxat. Doors open at 9 p.m. -- Chelsea Ide and Daniel Rodrigue
Songstresses Alicia Keys and Jordin Sparks took advantage of the acoustics at Nokia Theater last night. DC-9 photographer Michael Insuaste hit up the show and snapped up-close pictures of both ladies for your viewing pleasure -- especially those who went to the show but were stuck in the back. -- Chelsea Ide
"Spice-alicious?" Um, no. The Old 97’s are no longer--how you say?--“spice-alicious.”
After more of the Hammond vs. Old 97’s Great Album Discussion of 2008, we decided that, when it comes to the band many of us around here grew up loving, we do, in fact, agree with the sentiment of this god-forsaken Chili’s commercial that wouldn’t die: We do want our babies back.
As in, our Hitchhike to Rhome and Too Far to Care babies. See, Rhett knew what he was talking about when he sang this saucy gem way back when:
Sorry to get it stuck back in your head...but if I have to have an earworm, you do, too. --Merritt Martin
Just in case you haven't yet had your fill of the Old 97's and the guys' non-stop whirlwind promotion for Blame It On Gravity yet, you can catch the 97's performing for free at Victory Plaza tonight at 6.
And, in case you're salivating for more Old 97's news, well, OK, here's two more tidbits, courtesy of guitarist Ken Bethea:
First: It's a little uncertain as to whether the 97's will also be performing from the player's bench during tonight's game, as was originally the word on the street. Apparently, the band had some issues playing that amp-less space during a previous performance at the AAC ("It's not as fun as it would seem," Bethea says) and the guy's have to be in Houston by tomorrow morning, anyway...
Second: Come Sunday, the 97's will be out in L.A., shooting a music video for "Dance With Me." The director: Keven McAlester, who Robert just updated you on this past weekend. Weird how stuff like this works out, huh? --Pete Freedman
If you have eyes, you'll notice something about the page in which we interview Rhett Miller about the new Old 97's record, Blame It On Gravity in this week's paper. Like, specifically, how we included a sidebar review of Murry Hammond's I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm On My Way.
Wasn't 'cause we didn't have space in our "Playlist" section (we did). And it wasn't just 'cause Murry's in the 97's (although, obviously, he is; he plays bass and adds vocals). We did so because--how do I put this?--well, we liked his new record more than the we did 97's' new one...and I say "we" because that's not just me talking; that's pretty much the whole music staff here.
The 97's' record is...OK. It's got a few decent tracks on it, most of which I highlighted in the article. But it's just not what we'd hoped for. It's not very rocking. It's not very sexy. In a nutshell: It's not as good as the 97's' past works.
Hammond's disc, meanwhile, has taken us completely by surprise. Yes, it focuses on God a lot, and, yes, there's a lot of songs about trains on the disc, too. But it's just a really, really good record. See for yourself.
Bonus mp3: Murry Hammond -- "Lost At Sea"
The track kills, folks. --Pete Freedman
Spoke with Dallas's own hip-hop sensation Lil Wil last week about his upcoming album for a story that'll come out in our print edition in a few weeks (right before his Asylum Records-released debut Dolla$, TX drops on June 3). So, yeah, look forward to that.
Wil's an interesting guy; he's unassuming to an extent but, mostly, he's incredibly excited about the prospects of his future--and for the future successes of other Dallas hip-hop artists, too, something he believes his current status can only help.
He has a point; the video for his first single, "My Dougie," has made it onto BET and MTV Jams and the song itself has earned airplay on radio stations across the South. And, yes, his album and his hit single reference Dallas quite a bit. So it's kinda tough to see a downside to it all at this point, actually.
In case you haven't heard it yet, here's the song--which, yes, is yours to download for free.
Bonus mp3: Lil Wil -- "My Dougie (Radio Mix)"
He's fresh. --Pete Freedman
If past Art Conspiracies are any indication, we can rest assured that the 2008 version of the arts and music charity event will be one of the best of the year in Dallas.
The biggest unknown right now (aside from those minor details, like who performs and where it’s held) is which organization the annual charity concert and art auction will benefit. That’s great news for local arts-related non-profits, as the co-conspirators are accepting applications to be the beneficiary of the fourth installment of the event.
The first Art Conspiracy, in 2005, raised more than $10,000 for the Paul Simon-created Children’s Health Fund, with the money earmarked for children displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The 2006 Art Con raised money for La Reunion, an Oak Cliff arts residency. Last year’s version, which benefited arts and music programming at St. Anthony's Community Center, featured performances by Sarah Jaffe, Red Monroe, Kristy Kruger and DJ sets from Select and Stephen Ruiz. But the highlight just might have been the rowdy auctioning of more than 100 works of art created by some of Dallas’ premier artists.
Application to become the charity helped by this year's event--available on the Art Con home page--is open to any Dallas-area non-profit organization that offers “creative programming, usually in the form of art or music.”
Best get moving, though, as they’re due this Friday --Jesse Hughey
In my daily YouTube trolling I discovered a zillion (OK, it was more like 12) videos one person posted from the May 12 Simple Plan show at the Palladium. Who knew Simple Plan fans were so hardcore about their love? Well, get a taste of YouTube user CatyMc was all about with his or her video of Simple Plan playing "I'll Do Anything." -- Chelsea Ide
It's free. Starts at 8. Doors at 7.
Then read my interview with Rhett Miller about the new disc in the Observer tomorrow. --Pete Freedman
Quirky Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsyth is taking the idea behind CD release parties to new heights...or lows, depending on your perspective.
Sure, it’s understandable for a band from our metroplex to play release shows in Dallas, Ft. Worth and Denton because they might want to help out fans who might be strapped for gas cash. But, what's really the motivation for Forsyth behind this move? Forsyth (his band, the Asylum Street Spankers, is renowned for its warped take on Americana) is throwing release parties for his new solo disc, Unrepentant Schizophrenic Americana, in pretty much every city throughout the state.
The first release party is in Austin at Antone’s on May 16th.
Then it’s off to San Antonio for a party there the next evening.
Dallas’ Granada Theater hosts a Forsyth party on the 23rd.
Parties in Houston and at the famous Gruene Hall close out the month.
Talk about a false sense of exclusivity. Projected out to its illogical extreme, every tour to promote a new disc can claim each stop on the road as a CD release party. --Darryl Smyers
