Dallas Music Blog

After an almost year-long hiatus, The Party makes its triumphant return tonight at The Loft.

​Lots happening this weekend--a surprising amount, actually--so let's cut all semantics and jump right into the shows that need to be added to your weekend calendar considerations. First, some reminders of the shows we've already mentioned in this week's coverage.

Tonight's especially packed, with the show at The Lounge on Elm Street leading the way, featuring performances from HEALTH, Times New Viking, Teenage Cool Kids and Axemen. But it's not the only stellar show of the night. Right up there in contention with The Lounge's show is a show at (of all places) The Door in Forth Worth featuring Minus the Bear and The Antlers. And, lest we forget, there's also a performance from Destroyer tonight, with opening sets from Sarah Jaffe and, I just found out, RTB2. Meanwhile dance fans will no doubt pack the main room at the House of Blues for Deadmau5's set. So, yeah, tonight's pretty damn packed.

Saturday, meanwhile, boasts quite the lineup as well: There's The Crash That Took Me's CD release show with a support performance from True Widow, among others; out in Fort Worth, Lucero will bring its newly horns-infused sound to the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth; at The Loft, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros will bring its impossibly happy and catchy brand of the Laurel Canyon sound to Dallas; and things could possibly get out of control, meanwhile at the punk show with Off With Their Heads and others at The Lounge on Elm Street, what with its newly renewed liquor license and all. Just don't expect to see Atlas Sound at Hailey's in Denton on Saturday night--that show's been canceled.

Sunday sees a fine dance-party bill with Fizzy Dino Pop, Ishi and Ssion at The Cavern, all there to help the crowds dance their back-to-the-work-week blues away. And, also on Sunday, The Barley House will unveil its new all-local jukebox.

Oh, and all weekend long, just a couple hours south on I-35 is the Fun Fun Fun Fest, which features, Danzig, of Montreal, Yeasayer, The Cool Kids, The Jesus Lizard, Mission of Burma and many, many others. Check back here for coverage over the weekend; we've dispatched Jesse Hughey and Patrick Michels to keep tabs on the event for us.

Lastly, while it's not technically a weekend event, there's pretty much no chance that we'll be in the office early enough on Monday to remind you that the new KERA-owned, public, all-music station at KXT-91.7 FM launches at 7 a.m., so be sure to listen to that.

But there are actually a few more big shows worth your attention this weekend--including the reunion of one of the biggest DJ troupes this town has ever seen. Check that out, and more, after the jump.

Scott Squires

Fizzy Dino Pop

​For a few years now, Denton's Avery Williamson has been creating music under his Fizzy Dino Pop moniker, mostly existing in a computer-generated emo-core realm, combining eight-bit samples and sounds with angsty, often-screamed vocals for a sound that was certainly mind-boggling but also oddly tempting.

In a change of pace, though, Williamson's most recent works have a far more universal appeal--and a decidedly upped international flavor as well. Now joined by Kyoto-based vocalist Yuria Hashimoto, Fizzy Dino Pop's latest material is more J-pop in nature than anything else. And, by layering futuristic synths and electrodance beats underneath Hashimoto's soft vocals, it makes for an incredibly catchy, fun sound.

Others have noticed, among them the much-buzzing Neon Indian, which has commission a Fizzy Dino Pop remix of its blog hit "Deadbeat Summer," which should see its release in the coming weeks. Already, the duo's remix efforts have done wonders for local hip-hop act Sore Losers, whose already-catchy "Bizarre Celebrations" track was transformed by Fizzy Dino Pop into an irresistable elctro-dance track that ranks among the best local tracks we've heard in 2009. After the jump, enjoy a free download of that remix, courtesy of Williamson, plus two new tracks for download from Fizzy Dino Pop's upcoming EP release.

And be sure to catch Fizzy Dino Pop in a rare performance with Hashimoto on Sunday night at The Cavern, where the band will perform alongside Dallas' Ishi and Kansas City's Ssion.

​The Barley House has long been a hangout for local musicians. Beginning this weekend, it will be a hangout for their CDs as well.

At 8 p.m. Sunday, the SMU-area beer joint and venue will unveil the Home Grown Jukebox, which is the bar's original jukebox, except now featuring only local musicians. Even better, all proceeds from the machine will benefit the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation, which provides music scholarships and aims to help improve the education, skills and quality of life of area musicians.

Donated CDs so far include, naturally, Albrecht's solo CD, Sparrows and Sorta albums. Also featured are offerings from Deathray Davies, Deep Snapper, Baboon, Dixie Chicks, Tomorrowpeople, Polyphonic Spree, The Funland Band, Centro-matic, Danny Balis and many others. But the collection is far from exhaustive, so local musicians are encouraged to bring CDs to add to the jukebox.

Look out, Windmill Lounge--next year's Best Of Dallas Jukebox competition just got a whole lot more interesting.

​In this week's paper, Observer contributor Eric Grubbs takes a look at the path taken by The Crash That Took Me--one that's run through past area favorites [DARYL], Black Tie Dynasty and Macavity--to get to where it is today, a seven-piece piece on the brink of releasing its sophomore album.

In next week's paper, he'll review said actual disc, called Chlorine Colored Eyes. For now, just a short preview of his review:

In many ways, this record is a logical follow-up to the band's debut, Orchestrated Kaleidoscopes. And for the better, the now seven-piece sounds like a fully-fledged and fully-realized band.

And at the band's CD release show at Sons of Hermann Hall tomorrow night, where the band will be joined by True Widow, Stereo Is a Lie and Gaffney, fans will be given a free copy of the disc upon paying their $10 entrance fee. Not a bad deal.

But here's a better deal: The band's been kind enough to offer up two pairs of tickets to tomorrow night's gig--and with it, two free CDs--to a couple of DC9 readers. Could be you, too, if you're among the first two people to email me with "Chlorine Colored Eyes" in the subject line.

Even if you miss out on that freebie, though, this one's open to everyone. After the jump, check out the exclusive, temporary download the band has offered of the album's third track, "Through The Pattern and Out the Other Side."

Really can't say I'm the biggest fan of this rather bland singer-songwriter fare from local performer Tim Miller, but, man, if the above clip ain't slick. Posted to Youtube a couple months back and uploaded to Vimeo earlier today, the video for "Who I Am," which is apparently a hidden track on Miller's latest release, Adelaide, was co-directed by Josiah Williams and the man who contributed the animation to the cause, Chris Silvestre. Well done, fellas.

Tomorrow night at the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth, Memphis alt-country favorites Lucero stop on in for a performance as part of its tour in support of the recently released album, 1372 Overton Park. To a degree, the new release is a change of pace from the bar-rock fare the band's release in the past. For one, it's the band's major label debut, this release coming by way of Universal Motown Republic. And, maybe, in a way, that label's history's been an inspiration for the act, as 1372 Overton Park is certainly a more soul-driven affair, complete with horn sections and all.

Not sure how, if at all, that will affect the band's usual, drunken live performances, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow night. And one lucky reader can find out how for free, actually--thanks to the folks at Spune Productions who've kindly passed along a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's show. They're yours if you're the first person to shoot me an email with the words "Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

Caught up with Rhett Miller this morning over the phone--and overseas too, actually, as Miller's currently in the UK, out on tour as the opening act for Steve Earle. The bulk of the conversation focused largely on Miller's upcoming gig at the Grnada Theater on Saturday, November 14, as part of the annual CF Concert Series benefit show for Cystic Fibrosis research--an event we'll be giving away free passes to, starting on Monday. As for most of the conversation, well, let's save all that for next week's column space in the dead tree version of DC9.

For now, though, two nuggets worth sharing immediately: First, Miller confirmed that, when the Old 97's take up the band's late-December, four-night residency at Sons of Hermann Hall, it will be crafting unique set lists for each night, hitting all spots on its catalog, with as few repeats as possible from night to night. (When the band performed its residency in Hoboken, New Jersey, earlier this year, the only song it repeated each night was "Timebomb." Miller expects a similar scenario playing out at these upcoming shows.)

And, shortly after that residency, expect the 97's to remain in town a little bit longer. At this point, Miller says the band is planning on heading back to Salim Nourallah's Pleasantry Lane Studios in January to record its next release. Nourallah, you'll recall, recorded both the last Old 97's album and Miller's latest solo release.

In what's likely to be remembered as one of the best Dallas shows of '09, Los Angeles' Health and Ohio's Times New Viking will share a bill in town before heading off to Austin for Fun Fun Fun Fest. And, for each of these acts, 2009 has already been a good year.
For Times New Viking, 2009 has seen the band release its second post-Stiltbreeze Records album on Matador. Health, meanwhile, released Get Color as a follow-up to the band's brilliant 2007 self-titled debut. And since both bands' records have garnered enough positive reviews that they seem destined to pop up on many a best-albums-of-the-year list, it's fitting that the show would also feature a local act of the same caliber.
To help open the show, show promoter Parade of Flesh has booked Denton's Teenage Cool Kids, which has just returned to the region after a three-month international tour in support of Foreign Lands--the band's best work to date and a clear front-runner for best local release of 2009.
All three acts are known for their unforgettable, kinetic live shows, so the bill's already an explosive powder keg of a night even without adding Kiwi-pop/punk act Axemen.

Tough to argue with him on any of those fronts. Hell, we already named Foreign Lands out favorite local record of the year in our Best Of issue. And, as for Health? Well, check the above video, first and foremost. And, having seen this band live at the Monolith Festival earlier this year, I can comfortably say that Health's live show is every bit as visceral an experience as you'd expect. This is a show not to be missed, folks.

Which is why we send many thanks to the show's promoter, Parade of Flesh, for hooking one lucky ready up with a free pair of tickets to tonight's show. Could be you, too--if you're the first person to send me an email, starting right now, with the words "Health Care" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner!

Your daily dose of national music news for Friday, November 6, 2009...

• Even Jay-Z isn't cool enough for indie bands: MGMT said thanks, but no-thanks to a collaboration. At least he still has 30-something white dudes to lean on.
• Even though it's not even December yet, Amazon.com has named Neko Case's Middle Cyclone as the best album of '09.  Premature evaluator, much? I think there's a pill for that.
• What the what?!?! Aerosmith is thinking about replacing Steven Tyler?
  

As far as sheer design deliciousness goes, this poster is truly above and beyond...

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Beautifully designed by "the menchildren" Conor and Matt of Magnificent Beard, this poster begs to be framed and hung in any jet-setting rocket-scientist's den.

The extra tall orientation provides the vast expanse that a heavenly cross-section can hang in display. It's a great visual element juxtaposition, too, using the wood grain as the flesh of a lonely planet. And it's good to see that our solemn satellite remains intact, faithfully orbiting above, as well. Meanwhile, the phenomenal type handling of a retroactive serif font respectfully labels the piece without being a nuisance.

I really love this one folks. A poster like this done with such mastery and care ought to indicate the same sensibility in the performers it heralds.

And to be fair, I know the above link to the mysterious Magnificent Beard leads to something of a dead-end disappointment (in that, uh, there's just a splash page there and nothing more), but I was able to find this Flickr set of beardly magnificence, complete with a set of other gig posters.

Great stuff all around.

But that's not all this week. After the jump, some other honorable mentions...