It's been a couple months since we served up a live performance video from out at El Sibil, but the release of lalagray's Devil's Nest earlier this month inspired us to get back in the game, if only intermittently for now.

Pete's called the album "a confident collection of alternately cutesy pop jaunts and haunting, near-apocalyptic ballads," and, as on the record, it's hard to miss Ashley Myrick's charm in the video above, whether she's sitting behind the keyboard or chatting on the bench outside. This is a much simpler, stripped-down offering compared to the orchestra backing she had at her release show at La Grange, where she was joined all at once by nearly all the musicians who played on her album.

Once she's safely out of the way of falling set pieces, Myrick shares a few stories about how her album came together, from its start during her studio time with the rest of The Beaten Sea. And, while it's no "Hot Dog World," she does branch out a fair bit on one song here--which told us (before we edited it out) was at least partly a reference to the musical stylings of one David Schwimmer.

Enjoy.

We're pretty much swamped here at DC9 HQ these days, working out some final DOMAXXII plans and whatnot (more announcements coming soon!), which is, well, a good thing, really.

But, unfortunately, it means a temporary re-organization of some of our priorities. And, with that, some news: We're gonna be holding off on our regular DC9 Live tapings for the time being--at least until the DOMAs wrap up.

Sucks, I know. But all that does however allow us to move ahead with this post--something we've been meaning to get to for some time. Since launching this concept back in early May of 2009 as DC9 in SPACE with True Widow (see above), we've produced 47 clips with (mostly) locals artists, all of whom are well deserving of the little added spotlight. It's been a long, strange trip, to borrow the old cliche, but, certainly, one worth the extra time investment.

We didn't really know what we were doing with the first one. Just invited the band over to Hal Samples' place to film a performance. We learned some lessons along the way--and even came up with a general format to follow by the time we filmed our second one (featuring Doug Burr)--a format we've been following ever since.

So without further adieu, join us after the jump for a trip back through our 15 favorite clips from these 47 efforts--not including the first, which, in retrospect, served as something entirely different from the rest and, really, deserves its own placement at the very top.

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Former Polycorns frontman Caleb Ian Campbell rolled through our El Sibil studios in Oak Cliff last week for a taping our recurring video series, DC9 Live at El Sibil. And he brought with him a new-ish sound and even a few friends--members of Denton acts Babar and El Sibil vets Dear Human, who, starting with this performance, will now serve as Campbell's live backing band at shows.

It was quite the intimate offering, too, as you can see in the clip above. See, Campbell and his new bandmates set up a tent of bedsheets under which to play their set.

Don't take that as a distraction intended to draw your attention away from Campbell's music, though; it's not. Though slower-paced than his Polycorns work, Campbell's new material allures just the same, just more deliberately paced and more melodically. Oh, like you're surprised? Dude's from a musical family; his brother's the frontman for another fine local act, Orange Peel Sunshine. Still need more reasons to watch? OK: Campbell also just wrapped the recording of his debut release, and he worked with some big area names on it, too: Robert Gomez recorded the disc; Sarah Jaffe even guests on the album for a duet.

The disc's still a ways off from its release, though. So, in the meantime, check the above clip. And enjoy.

Pete's got plenty to say about Dustin Cavazos in this week's paper--so do yourself a favor and check out his take on the Oak Cliff hip-hop artist's upward trajectory of late. Check out this week's video from El Sibil, though, to hear it all direct from Cavazos--between cuts from his live performance.

His production work, and his role as half of Scuba Team Go has something to do with his rise, but the release of his first full-length, I Think In The Shower, I Dream On My Bike (which, incidentally, he hand-delivered to fans who pre-ordered) is a major boost. As he told us during last week's live session, the album showcases Cavazos' earnest writing about his upbringing and his Waxahachie roots, set against simple beats. He'll explain a little about that album name in the video too--as you might imagine, it's a pretty straightforward story.

The first thing you'll notice about the video, though, is the unique backing band he's playing with: a handful of young musicians from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. If you made it to Cavazos' release show, that setup will be familiar--a stripped-down instrumental sound, but bigger too with the full eight-piece band backing him up.

Can call them country if you really want, but don't expect The Orbans to agree. The description might have fit better with these guys' past incarnations--as the Lifters and Thief--but even with a slide guitar and a banjo behind him, frontman Peter Black says no way is next month's When We Were Wild a country record.

The four guys have been playing together for about two years in their current incarnation, but when they get together on June 18 at Lola's on 6th in Fort Worth, they'll be celebrating their first full-length release.

With a little help from the burgers and beer, we lured the Orbans to Oak Cliff last week for a live session and the requisite interview. Then we made bassist Cliff Wright man the grill. While the sun set, the burgers sizzled and something ominously rustled in the trees, the band recounted their time recording live in Austin, and the days they spent cooped up in a Los Angeles studio to get their 16-song production just right. You'll hear pieces of three of those tracks in the video above, plus the quiet number "Darlin My Dreams" in its entirety.

Last week, after two weeks off, we returned to the regular filming of our weekly DC9 Live at El SIbil series, welcoming in Denton math-rock outfit Dear Human into the fold. It was quite the time, too, as our crew and group of fans that gathered at the space all sat around trying to figure out the complicated time structures behind the band's sound.

But, for Dear Human's members, all of whom have been playing within the math-rock genre for some time now, staying on point with the ever-changing time structures of their songs has almost become a second-nature thing. As you'll hear the band explain in the above clip, it's just kind of "what happens" when they write and play their material together.

And, though the band also jokes in this week's clip that they suffer for their music, it's clear they get a kick out of it. And, in turn, there's definitely an alluring quality to the songs they produce. Give the above clip a watch, and I think you'll agree.

In the meantime, if you're free tonight, come on by our El Sibil studios (122 E. 5th St. in Oak Cliff) for this evening's taping. Tonight, we welcome The Orbans into the mix. The band will be performing an all-acoustic set for us, too. Should be a good time. Things will get rolling a little after 7 o'clock. See you there.

Alright, everyone: No more jokes or discussions about Spooky Folk's name--especially now that the band's explained its origins in the clip above, the 15th installment of our DC9 Live at El Sibil series.

We tend to agree: It's original idea--an accidental Marilyn Manson reference--probably wouldn't have been too fitting for the band's brand of college rock. That's not to say the band's show isn't brimming with energy--it definitely is. And, last Wednesday night, when the band stopped by our Oak Cliff location to take part in our weekly taping session, it sure made for a good time.

The word's out on this act, it seems: Fans from all over the Metroplex showed to this performance. You'll see the crowds in the first half of the clip. Not the second, though--that was filmed up on the roof of our filming spot, with only the band, myself and videographer Jason Whitbeck watching. So be sure to check the above clip for the performances debut--something even the dozens of people who made it out to Oak Cliff last week didn't see. It's well worth the watch--not to mention the chance to see one of the area's more promising new acts in its element.

No taping tonight--or next week, for that matter, now that I think of it. We're taking a few weeks off--not forever, don't worry--and then we'll be back. Considering that this is the 42nd clip we've offered up since debuting our DC9 in Space series back on May 7, 2009, I think it's well-deserved. Granted, I'm completely biased, but whatever.

Old fans of Baruch the Scribe might be surprised by what they hear in this week's video, shot last Wednesday out at El Sibil. As frontman Judson Valdez explains, his band flat-out doesn't do acoustic sets anymore. Why? Well, Valdez has filled in his project with three new faces since last summer, and they've taken a strong turn away from the earthy landscape Baruch used to live by. As Travis Oliver ventures to say above, it's "a little more rock and roll."

Our DC9 Live at El Sibil series just keeps trucking along, don't it? Sure does. And, as such, last week, we welcomed Denton's The Timeline Post in to film the 14th episode in the ongoing series.

Not exactly the chattiest band, I'll admit. But that's fair enough: The once-upon-a-time Sulphur Springs-based band seems to prefer that its songs do the talking. Want more? OK: In one of the few reveals the band did allow in the short interview above, frontman Bryon Mantooth admits that the band's catalog is largely centered around skepticism. Of what, exactly? "Of God," Mantooth says. With song titles like "Wedding Bell Murders" and "Kill The Girl," though, I'm thinking Mantooth's skeptical of some other stuff as well, but I won't argue with him. Or with the appeal of the band's latest release, Slow Descent, a visceral, in-your-face release filled with more than its share of angst and volume.

Watch the above clip and you'll see what I mean.

Oh, and feel free to stop by El Sibil (122 E. 5th St. in Oak Cliff) this evening as we welcome in yet another area talent for a taping. Starts at 7 p.m. and, as always, it's free to attend.

Jimmy Menkena knows as well as anyone how satisfying it can be to let loose screaming and just wail on the guitar onstage. By the time he moved to Dallas in 2006, he'd already done that, in a past life in a skate punk band in New York.