Dallas Music Blog

Norah Jones popped up on The Colbert Report last night, as promised, and talked to Colbert about the supposed change in direction of her new album The Fall, one Robert really couldn't find too much of in his review of this disc in this week's paper. Stream ahead to the third segment--or right around 13 minutes in--to see her sit-down interview with Stephen, in which she discusses, among other things, drug use (kinda) and potentially starting a barbershop metal quartet with Colbert (maybe).

Then stick around for the final segment of the show, in which Jones performs "Young Blood," the new track that others have described as "driving." Yeah, with your grandmother, maybe, even if it's still an enjoyable ride...

​Even if you're not a regular reader of its dripping-with-sarcasm content, visiting the oh-so-self-aware Hipster Runoff today is a must for any local music fan, as famed HR webmaster Carles has taken two local products, St. Vincent and Neon Indian, and, more specifically, their fanbases, to task today.

First, in the site's round-up of CMJ '09, Carles tackles the question of "What's Next 4 Chillwave Artists?" and describes Alan Palomo and Co. as "very cross-over-able," while maintaining surprise that the group actually manages to "look like a band." Which is something, I guess.

But it's the second Dallas-related post of the day that's the true gem: In a post called "Indie Bro Obsession & the Objectification of Female Indie Alt Celeb Musicians," Carles focuses specifically on lonely male indie rock fans' obsessions with St. Vincent, while posting two Youtube clips that prove his point, the first of which finds a man going a bit too far in professing his love for Dallas native Annie Clark, and the second of which finds the same person (I think) dancing around naked to Neon Indian's "Terminally Chill." They're pretty over-the-top and unbelievable. And yet they're pretty spot-on at the same time. Either way: Well worth the reads and views, if only so you can see how I spend my Saturday nights how embarrassing some people's lives are.

Update: Speaking of being obsessed with St. Vincent, we'd be remiss not to remind you that her shared (with tourmate Andrew Bird) Austin City Limits episode airs at 10 p.m. tonight on KERA.

No, it's not exactly new--came out back in early July, actually. Still, I somewhat regret not including it in my overly exhaustive coverage of all the "Ice Cream Paint Job" remixes, covers and parodies. Not sure which I'd classify this one as, though...

Over on his Sportatorium blog this morning, Observer sports columnist Richie Whitt checks in with the head of the Texas Rangers' in-game entertainment, Chuck Morgan. Uh, why care? Well, 'cause of this: Morgan's the guy who runs the music at the Ballpark, and he helps the players decide what songs they're going to come up to bat or approach the pitching mound to. And today, Morgan's been kind enough to provide Richie with a list of players and the songs to which they enter the game. 

It's a pretty interesting list, too: Third-baseman Michael Young comes out to, well, pretty much anything by the Beastie Boys; shortstop Elvis Andruws comes out to Pitbull's new big single "You Know You Want Me"; and young pitching sensation Derek Holland walks out to Kanye West's "Welcome to Heartbreak".

The most surprising song choice: pitcher Darren O'Day walking out to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face."

But, surely, the best choice of all: catcher Taylor Teagarden walks up to the plate while Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job" plays. In a semi-related note, Teagarden is now my favorite Ranger.

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Hope you're not yet sick of the smash summer single "Ice Cream Paint Job" from Dallas' own Dorrough (that's him in the above photo). Because, if you were, well, you're out of luck, friend.

In recent weeks, Dorrough's breakthrough single has seen the man from Lancaster getting all sorts of attention--and all kinds, too, in the forms of remixes, covers and even, yup, some parodies.

(He's even popped up on the most recent remix for The New Boyz's "You're A Jerk," the song at the forefront of Los Angeles' new dance-hop scene, Jerking, which our sister paper in LA says is currently jostling with the D-Town Boogie for nationwide supremecy.)

Anyway, after the jump, a far more in-depth breakdown than probably necessary of all the attention sent Mr. D-O-Double-R's way.

Jonathan Cook, as seen on ABC News/Twitter.

​I admit, this is about as tangential as local music coverage can get, but it's still kinda funny: Last night, in an ABC News story about the issues Twitter and Facebook faced yesterday as a result of cyber attacks that may or may not be related to the ongoing conflict between Georgia and Russia, the news organization, in a shot showing its viewing public what a Twitter feed looks like, flashed an image of a tweet from Forever the Sickest Kids frontman Jonathan Cook.

Which, far as I can tell, means one of two things: A) ABC News intentionally showed Cook's feed as a commentary on the interactivity between mall punk bands and their fans, which is pretty unlikely, or B) someone in the ABC News department follows Cook on Twiiter, which is pretty hilarious.

That is all.

I'd say that congratulations are certainly in order for Denton's Bowling for Soup this week. Why? Well, quite a few reasons actually. For one, the band's tenth studio release, Sorry For Partyin', is getting prepped for release on Jive Records. And, secondly, the band's already debuted the first single from the upcoming disc, a track called "My Wena," which already has a video (see above) and will be available for download starting next Tuesday.

But, lastly and most importantly, the guys deserve some sort of recognition for having the, uh, balls to take a one-bit joke about genitalia and turn it into an almost three-minute song--and then someone convince the geniuses at the label that it'd be a good idea to release that as a first single.

So, yeah: Keep on keeping on, major labels. You'll right this whole "industry going down the drain" ship eventually...

Why, yes, that is the Dallas-born, Thomas Jefferson High School-educated Marvin Lee Aday (aka Meat Loaf) in the above clip, singing out his love for A1 steak sauce. It's part of a new ad campaign where, no joke, A1 is asking people sing their favorite love songs to their, uh, beef.

There's about a million jokes in there. Do me proud, commenters.

(Hat tip.)

Still pretty cute...even as a puppet.

Oh, Westlake. You so crazy!

With the recent emergence of Asher Roth coupled with the return of Eminem, it was only a matter of time before features like this one, which chronicles the history of white rap artists, started popping up around the Internet.

This "White Men Can't Rap?" feature in particular takes a look at 20 white rappers, starting with the Beastie Boys and runs all the way up to Roth--but it manages to touch on two Dallasites in the process. One's pretty obvious: Vanilla Ice gets predicatably thrown through the ringer for his "stilted rhymes, cheesy image and presumptive tough-guy image."

But the other? Well, let's just say this: I had no idea there was so much MC 900 Ft. Jesus hate out there...

While they're at it--you know, demanding unpaid royalties and compensation and all--Dallas production duo Play-N-Skillz might wanna take to task a certain plumber by the name of Mario, too.

Hopefully not, though, because this five minute and 25 second medley of contemporary hip-hop hits converted to 8-bit blips and bleeps, which includes the Play-N-Skillz-produced Chamillionaire track "Ridin'," is pretty awesome. Check it out.

No doubt your Today in Music News item's forthcoming. But till then, this bonus video from last night's so-so 30 Rock season ender, where, as Pete has pointed out a few times, a certain Old 97 made a cameo alongside the likes of Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Michael McDonald, Moby, Mary J. Blige, Clay Aiken, two-thirds of the Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Earle, Adam Levine and on and on. (Also guesting was another former local, Norah Jones. So, bonus.) Those who need the whole set-up to this rather outdated parody can watch the entire episode here; suffice it to say, Alec Baldwin's newfound dad, Alan Alda, needs a kidney, and what passes for hilarity on a show usually noted for its hilarity except in this instance ensues. Enjoy.

, which, within it, mentions that a Rockwall man purchased the plaster impressions of Tiny Tim's top and bottom teeth on eBay earlier this week from a seller in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Even more odd? He paid the full $1,500 buy-it-now price for the molds when, at the end of the auction, the highest bid was set at $200.

Just a bizarre story all-around, especially this part, in which the man who sold the teeth explains how he came to acquire them in the first place:

Boulin travelled via bus to Minnesota to attend Tiny Tim's funeral. On a second trip to visit Tiny Tim's widow in early 1997, Boulin received the dental moldings.

"She was going to throw them out," said Blouin. "I just packed them in my bag and brought them back to Massachusetts."

Now that's a novelty item with bite, huh? (Sorry, but the jokes write themselves, really.)

It was about a month ago that the upcoming Man Man show at The Lounge on Elm Street on Friday, April 24, was first announced and a lucky DC9 reader won a pair of tickets to the show.

Well, today, the band has released a new video for its song "Rabbit Hands," featuring the delightful talents of Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and Knocked Up's Charlyne Yi and Martin Starr. There's no real local tie here, aside from the fact that the show's coming up, but, what the hell, it's a funny video. Check it out.

(Hat tip.)

These kind folks have put Warr's wardrobe out to pasture.

If you spot blogger and former Club Dada owner Amanda Warr (the local music supporter formerly known as Amanda Newman) around town sporting a fresh, new look in the coming weeks, well, you can thank/blame local Americana outfit Eastwood for the switch.

Warr was ambushed last night by the people behind TLC's What Not To Wear at an Eastwood gig at Jack's Backyard. Frontburner's got the low-down of how it all went down, courtesy Eastwood frontman Kevin Minihan.

Update: A Friend of DC9 checks in to clear things up a tad. Eastwood wasn't behind the surprise so much as just another part of it: Warr's husband and fellow bloggers were the ones who nominated her for the makeover; Eastwood just happened to be playing the gig--a charity event for The Bridge homeless center--as Warr was ambushed.

If you don't go to tonight's Tapes 'N Tapes show, Clell Tickle might sneak into your apartment tomorrow to give you a Columbian necktie. 

I mean, he probably won't, but taking that chance is your call.

Vinnie Paul Abbott's at it again, folks. About half a year after the Pantera, Hellyeah and DamagePlan drummer put his oven up for sale on eBay, Abbott (as seen above) is now selling an old Motorola Startrac--his first cellphone, actually, which was given to him by his brother, the late, great Dimebag Darrell.

Blabbermouth, per usual, is all over this already--and the comments, as always, are a hell of a read.

Oh, and by the way, you too can bid on the out-of-service phone, too. Right here, in fact. If, that is, you've got $405 to burn. That's where the bidding in the auction (over five days left!) currently stands...

As noted earlier today on City of Ate, yesterday marked 74 years since Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Miss., and to mark the occasion, Chuy's locations around Texas paid him the honor of hiring impersonators, handing out cake and inviting diners to dress like him.

Elvis impersonator Michael Wroughton, who says he's been doing Elvis for 15 years, ran the show at the Tex Mex restaurant's Dallas location Thursday night, working a mixed room of Elvis enthusiasts and folks who'd come for the salsa.

Check out more shots of the King in action in our slideshow here.

Unfair Park just informed readers about a new reason to party: your daughter's first period! No, seriously. Apparently, advertisements for menarche party planning have been spotted on at least one SUV in town. The idea, according to Menarche Parties 'R Us, is to "Create a life time of memories for your daughter by hosting a menarche party for her.  A menarche party can make this time easier and more meaningful for both the young lady beginning menstruation and her parents."

But what's a party without music? After the jump, you'll find our suggested play list.

A cover that seems created to cause migraines. I suppose this shit's supposed to be a comment on our modern condition or something. If so, spare me.

I stumbled across this the other day on Youtube, and, yep, that's right; it's the Portland Trailblazers' rookies, earlier this year, being hazed somewhat by the veteran players on the team and being forced to dance to Them GSpot Boyz's "Stanky Legg" at a preseason scrimmage. I kid you not.

Perhaps the hip-hop artists around town who are putting a lot of stock in the NBA's clout in the hip-hop world are on to something...

In any event, since we're talking Dallas hip-hop and the NBA already, head on over to Tum Tum's Myspace page and check out his new track, "NBA Ballin". --Pete Freedman

10. "Backdoor Santa," Clarence Carter
Believe it or not, Carter had a career before "Strokin'".