And... still no mention of the amazing Ours show at House of Blues on Saturday night.

'Cause everybody knows that Dallas Observer music lovers can't live without reading about all of the has-beens and manufactured little kid bands who rolled through town this weekend.

Spencer, do you have any idea at all who is reading this newspaper?

The Peter Murphy show was awesome. Very cool that you got my video off YouTube. Glad it is going to some good use out there. Also I wanna see the picture you guys took of my girlfriend and I before the concert if possible.

Thx

J

go back and check some old mid to late 80's soul asylum. and while we're talking about has-beens maybe we can talk about when deep ellum was cool and you could go see decadent dub team spare everyone to death.

I dunno what "Liles" is talking about. I read this rag religiously and was really bummed to have missed the Peter Murphy concert. At least I got to see a bit of it here. Quit yer bitchin'.

Um, The Ours? As in, ClearChannel's favorite band? You serious?

Sorry, I meant Ours. Before someone else corrects me. :)

A friend of mine wanted me and the Mrs. to go with him to see Peter Murphy. But, we say him open up for NIN a couple of years ago and he sucked bigtime. Which was unfortunate for the Mrs. because she really likes him and was super-disappointed.

So, basically, we didn't go.

Jon, watch the clip of your heroes Soul Asylum playing their one hit in the parking lot next to Spaghetti Warehouse. Look at the people who make up the very sparse crowd. No one is paying attention to the band. Oblivious people carrying on conversations, walking away from the stage, etc... that's what you're defending?

Please. If that's what you call rock and roll, then you're just as oblivious as they are. That's what it's come to for Soul Asylum - playing in parking lots for people who have no idea who they are. At least they've got you. Were you holding up a lighter or your cell phone?

Lucy, Peter Murphy has been through town a dozen times, and each time it has been at a smaller venue than the previous time before. Sure, it was interesting back in 1986, but in 2008? He's like a parody of himself.

And how would you know if Ours was Clear Channel's favorite band unless you were completely in tune with whatever Clear Channel likes? I've never heard Ours on the radio once. Not one time. I have seen them, however, and their show is never less than extraordinary. The show Saturday was no exception. Their new album was produced by Rick Rubin and released on his label. Does Peter Murphy even have a new album out? Or is he still coasting on Bauhaus?

My original post was actually meant to reference the Observer's ridiculous preoccupation with Teen Beat crap like the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, but apparently some of you like your rock stars to be your grandparent's age as well. That's cool.

Get out there and vote for John McCain while you're at it.

i think someone's bitter about not getting the music editor's job.

Forgive me, Liles, but I don't see what John McCain has to do with Soul Asylum, Peter Murphy or the Jonas Brothers...except that, like McCain, they'd all make for interesting Green Screen Challenges a la the Colbert Report.

I know it's a free country, but i really can't stand this "Liles" fella. I have no idea who he is, but i guess he doesn't have a real job or his real job is to constantly slam The Dallas Observer. If you don't like the articles, then why do you read them?

I am 30 and went to the Peter Murphy concert on Sat. It was amazing. Yes, the man is 51 (19 years yonger than my grandparents) but he can put on one great, non stop show. He only played 2 Bauhaus songs, by the way. A great rendidtion of Trent Rezner's Hurt and Joy Divisions Dance to the Radio.

I've never heard of Ours before, so I have no comment there. From all the comments I've read that Mr. Liles has posted, he has a very narrow selection of music that he likes. I personnaly can't take anything he writes seriously.

Thousands of people stopped reading the Dallas Observer music section altogether when Zac Crain left, because the general consensus is that, since then, the coverage has been misguided, ill-informed, poorly written and generally lacking in good taste.

Excuse me for having the courage of my convictions. Some people work for a paycheck and that's it. (While other brave souls hide behind screen names and anonymous posts to take their ignorant personal potshots.) I would have taken the music editor job for free.

There is a distinct difference between being bitter and being disgusted. Since you're apparently on board with reading about (and listening to) shit like the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato or whatever is left of Soul Asylum, I'll just assume that you'll never know what that difference is.

Liles:

Let me clear a few things up, hopefully to help explain matters.

1) Zac Crain, your apparent litmus test here for all that is holy in Dallas music criticism, was never faced with the task of blogging about the local music scene on top of writing and editing the weekly music section. Far as I can tell, since the bulk of your comments are about our blog and not our print section, it seems that it's our blog that you take issue with from time to time. Still, I wonder if you know what a blog's purpose is. Also, I wonder if you've ever read the type of things Crain blogs about at his current gig. I'm guessing that, if you take a look, you'll see that he, too, tends to blog about the esoteric things that people in the community are talking about. That's what blogging is: bringing up some talking points, pointing out items of interest and breaking news (but only really when we can't wait until the print edition to do so). The fact that you can't seem to distinguish between our print product and our online content (read your first comment--you say it right there), proves that you don't really get what the point of this page is. Anyway, point is: One does not necessarily equal the other. Here, we bringing things up, often lightheartedly, in an attempt to start a conversation about those items. Our print edition is generally where we talk about shows you NEED to see this week. Just sayin'.

2) For what it's worth, I will absolutely defend the fact that, over the past three weeks, we've written four posts (out of 85 total) about Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Unlike Ours, though, Lovato is a Dallas product and she's had a hugely successful summer. That, I'll have you remember, is the exact same point you've made time and time again when defending Forever the Sickest Kids. What's the difference, Jeff? Nothing, except that Lovato is actually a legitimate superstar in the tween ranks, while FTSK, for all their success, still remains just another act among the glut of emo pop-punk bands enjoying moderate success across the country right now. Also: We ran a cover story on Lovato and we like to keep our readers updated on the goings-on of interesting subjects they may have heard about from us first.

3) Lastly, I'm really sorry I wasn't able to do anything with Ours, even after you personally emailed me about their upcoming show. Problem is, we have deadlines and, 'cause of that, we like to assign our stories well in advance when we can. So it becomes tough to squeeze in something like a show preview--especially when it's a band with a sound that I can't get behind or vouch for (as is the case here, no offense)--into our coverage at the last minute. And, sorry, Jeff, but the fact that you posted a comment to Ours' Myspace singing their praises (and that it's still the third highest on up there) means you're not really objective on this matter in the first place.

I do appreciate the feedback, though.

No worries, Pete.

I don't normally listen to bands who sound like Ours, either... then I watched them tear the roof off of the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles and realized they really are something special. Anybody who has ever seen them play live knows exactly what I'm talking about.

It's one thing to go a Jonas Brothers show and see little kids screaming and crying because they can't get any closer to the stage, and then quite another to see a band like Ours, where adults in the audience are crying because the music effects them on a profoundly emotional level.

I imagine Merritt probably felt the same way when she went to see Radiohead or Tom Waits. It's been a really long time since I've seen an artist who can pull something like that off. Ours did that this past weekend and it was a little disheartening to see that you guys would rather blog about Soul Asylum playing in a parking lot instead.

Oh well. So be it.

For all of you who don't know who Liles is, well let's just say he is one the founders and promoters in some of the biggest events, shows, and bands to pass through Dallas, Tx.
You people obviously don't give credit where due..This man has paid his dues and he has the biggest selection of musical taste of anyone I've ever met..This man was and is responsible for bringing some of the biggest acts, smallest acts or any one who deserved a shot to play in our city of Dallas..
What he has done for Deep Ellum and the Dallas music scene is unquestionably one of the main reasons our Dallas native musicians and bands rise to the fore front and become the catalist which metal, blues, and rock-roll are measured. I know personally many bands he is reaponsible for taking and giving them the big break they deserve... Hell I remember when the OBSERVER was for grown ups, about future bands, you know the undiscovered ones that had trully great musical talent..Not this garbage you print about the child bands and old washed ups who bring in the big bucks.. That's what the Observer has become about, the almighty dollar. If it weren't for people like Liles who has dedicated his life to music especially Dallas, you wouldn't even have a job. You guys can't take any criticism ?
Maybe you should go write for L.A. where everything is fake. .
Here in Texas we are real and let you know about it brother..Liles' he's as real as it gets...

Ours is not a band worthy of all this discussion. And sadly, Soul Asylum no longer is as well. And if I ever at a show "where adults in the audience are crying because the music effects them on a profoundly emotional level," I am gonna get the hell out of there as fast as my inebriated legs can carry me. Back to my house to listen to "Hang Time," possibly Soul Asylum's best effort. I know you Liles, hung out with you in the days of the Peyote Cowboys. You know your history, but you just sound overly venomous these days with a big case of "good old days syndrome," praising the editorial talent of Zac Crain but complaining about covering bands who might have members the same age as you! Did you see the Gang of Four a few years back at Gypsy or Paul Westerberg? Those forty somethings were still vital and deserved the press (Wilonsky did a full feature on Gang of Four). Good music is just that. I don't care if it's Van Morrison (who is still the man) or a new local act like Airline. Editorial decisions have to made and coverage should not be limited to pocket bands, nor should such bands be excluded from print or blog or whatever. Bottom line, Liles, drink a beer, and find some fond memories listening to Decadent Dub Team, Lithium Christmas and the Buck Pets.

To those who don't know who Jeff Liles is; In the mid 80's through the early 90's he was a very prominent figure in the DFW music scene. He pushed national attention towards local bands such as the Buck Pets, Rigor Mortis the New Bohemians, Three on a Hill, Pop Poppins, Course of Empire, the Reverend Horton Heat as well as his own DDT / Cottonmouth TX. He also worked a talent buyer/ promoter for venues such as Theater Gallery, Clearview, the Hard Rock, the Longhorn Ballroom, Club Dada and Trees where he booked the legendary Nirvana show.

Since those days he's been busy working between Dallas and Los Angeles and doing things such as last years 'Anti-Social Butterfly' release and supporting this effort on the 2007 Warped tour. He still makes it a point to get get behind bands he likes such as The Spores and Ours too. Since he's returned to Dallas he's been putting in countless hours on the myspace page 'A History of Dallas Music'. In all he's very passionate about our music scene and has a solid background of doing so beyond 99.9 percent of anyone else this town has ever known. Show a little respect for your elders.

This has nothing to do with respect. I’m going to assume that reference was pointed at me because I stated my age. I wrote that I had no Idea who Liles is. I still don't. Great that he supports the music seen, in his own way, I would like to add. I wanted to point out that I am a daily reader of the online music section of the Observer and I'm getting tired of reading nothing but negative remarks by him. It really starts to piss you off as a reader. I don't care what goes on behind the scenes of The Observer or who is writing what. I for one don't care about the Jonas Brothers or Soul Asylum, but that doesn't mean that someone else doesn't enjoy the update. It sounds like I'm not the only one that thinks Liles is coming off as a little resentful. Age does not necessarily make you wiser and I'll give respect were respect is due. It would be nice if Liles would spend some more time updating his myspace page.

First off, I'm not coming at this from a place of anger or from a sense of reverence for the past. You can read that into it if you like, but you'd be missing the point.

Music is the most important thing in the world to me.

Everybody has something they are passionate about. For some people, it's sports or art or literature or alcohol. Some might be inclined to think that our sole purpose as human beings is to start a family, go to a job, cash a paycheck and save your money for a family vacation.

That ain't me.

I tend think that we live for these fleeting moments of joy, these sacred and rare occurrences that stay with us forever.

From what I've experienced personally, music has always been a part of that equation. Without it, I wouldn't be here.

So, you wonder, what does that have to do with this thread? I'll tell you. This past weekend, I had two of those absolutely transcendental, illuminating experiences that I will always cherish forever - Friday at the Mount Righteous show at Space Gallery, and Saturday at the Ours show at House of Blues.

They were the kind of experiences that I will remember for as long as I live.

To come to this blog on Monday and read an item about Soul Asylum, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Peter Murphy (written by an intern, obviously) was very disappointing. Most disheartening was the very last line: "And that was your weekend."

No, Spencer, that was YOUR weekend. You might have spent your weekend standing around in a parking lot with Soul Asylum (or maybe you phoned the whole item in with clips you gathered from YouTube), but I went out and saw two bands who touched people in a way you may never understand.

Remember that week after Radiohead played here? Remember the dozens and dozens of people who wrote in sharing that collective euphoria that brought us all together? I felt that at Space Gallery on Friday, and at the Ours show on Saturday night.

All I want is for all of us to be able to feel that way every weekend. If that makes me an asshole, I can deal with that. I'm not a CEO, politician, football coach or military officer. I'lI get along just fine without respect.

I just want the music writers at the Observer to always treat this subject matter in a matter that doesn't reduce it to gimmicky pop culture bullshit. The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato may effect their fans in that way, but is the Observer readership demographic really 12 year old kids?

Or, y'know, we could just stop blowing this out of proportion.

We collect Youtube videos from the past weekend (or week) that have to do with music in Dallas and we post them on the blog every Monday. These aren't videos we shoot, they're simply videos uploaded by others. It's a segment aimed to show what people in Dallas think highly enough about to post to Youtube. It's a social commentary, if anything.

Mostly, though, it's really not this big of a deal. You're reading way too much into it, starting an argument out of nothing, just for argument's sake.

And that--not because of your age, or out of a lack of respect--is why people are arguing with you here.

Everyone else seems to understand the point of this otherwise simple post.

Pete, your new item about the show last night at Club Dada was great. Perfect, in fact. Set the bar there and keep looking upwards. We really don't need the Observer to scrounge around on YouTube or MySpace on our behalf.

What is about arguing or discourse that makes you so uncomfortable? People argue about sports all day long on The Ticket and nobody gives it a second thought.

I'd like to think that we can talk about music the same way folks on The Ticket talk about the Cowboys. Why are you so defensive?

None of us own the Truth, we all experience it from different perspectives.

I'm just answering the questions you're posing, Jeff. And, really, I'd say I'm being more dismissive than defensive. But that's just my perspective.

All I'm trying to do is get us to move on. But by posting your comment about the Dada item here, in this thread, you're showcasing a blatant unwillingness to do the same. So, clearly, I'm not making any progress in this discourse.

Oh well, your prerogative. The last word's yours if you want it.

Someone tell Kyle to shut up already. Oh wait...wrong blog.

If you don't want people to be defensive, Liles, why do you make such aggressive, antagonizing comments? The very first one you made was mean. You could have stopped with the first line about the lack of Ours coverage, and left it as criticism without the attack.

I'd pay more attention and respect you more if barbs weren't attached to your musings.

a great soul asylum song from way back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEKJTYRp26E

where are all the pics from Peter Murphy? there was a photographer from Observer. Why do Jonas Brothers have a slideshow? lol

and p.s. does the guy that wrote the blog on Peter Murphy really not know who Bela Legosi is? incredible!
;D

I can't believe that I have Liles back. But I do. He is right on the money with his criticism of the Observer's music coverage. I realized long ago that the only value that the Observer adds to my week as far as music goes is a fairly comprehensive listing of upcoming concerts. Hell, I cant even thank the music staff for that. Those props belong to the sales department for selling those handy venue ads that list their upcoming shows.

I hope the jet stream never blows the smug clouds from San Francisco and George Clooney's Oscar speech towards Dallas. If they combine with that giant smug cloud over Maple street we are doomed.

Jon is defending:

Made to be Broken
While You Were Out
Hang Time
...And the Horse They Rode In On

Four Soul Asylum albums released between '86 and '90 that stand up to anything released by their Minneapolis contemporaries, the great Replacements and even greater Husker Du.

Soul Asylum were way past their creative prime when everyone else started to take notice with the Grave Dancers' Union album in '92.

No band with a back catalog as excellent as theirs deserves to be called "One Hit Wonders" just because few people at the time had the prescience to recognize what a fantastic band they were. The public's bad taste isn't the band's fault.

The term "One Hit Wonder" should be reserved for bands like Sponge and Cake and that sort of garbage.

Exactly.