8/20/10 - Analog Rebellion, Archeology, Land Mammals, Young and Brave

At Hailey's.

Young & Brave (Denton) - Pretty standard country-tinged pop. Chick on keys. Hair-band-era holey jeans on lead. Chick-led songs better. Nice harmonies. Set went on forever.

Land Mammals (Denton) - Truly awesome. Reminded me a lot of Ella Minnow (one of my favs). Lead singer a cross between brad pitt & rivers cuomo. Hot chick on guitar. Keyboard dude on twice his normal dose of Ritalin, pretty sure. Vocals unusual but they work. Unusually structured songs. Dug it. A lot.

Archeology (Portland) - Hmmm. Great harmonies, but i couldn't shake the 'we're-really-a-praise-band-but-we-like-to-pretend-we're-not' feeling. Axl Rose bandana on acoustic guitar player, long-haired jeezus lookalike lead. Very earnest. Felt artificial, tho it was catchy. Analog Rebellion (Aledo) - Truly awesome. Two guys plus laptop. Amazing guitar work.
Vocals a lot like Death Cab at times. Sometimes soaring & anthemic, sometimes just plain kick-ass rock. Loved it. Wanted to buy the CD from Daniel afterwards, but he couldn't drag himself away from the potential groupie long enough. Next time, then.

8/8/10 - Spooky Folk, Dark Dark Dark, The Fox and the Bird, Jeremy Buller

At Hailey's.

Jeremy Buller (Denton) - solo acoustic. Don't really remember, sorry. The Fox & the Bird (Denton). Appropriate number of banjos, mandolins, violins, acoustic guitars. Chilling multi-part harmonies. Nice bells. Dug it. Dark Dark Dark (Minneapolis) - Oh my. What an amazing performance. Can be best described as sad accordion music, tho "haunting, beautiful, moving, soaring, & spine-tingling" also apply. Definitely heard a Leonard Cohen influence. Fell deeply in love with this band. Bought both CDs and a t-shirt, & gave them all the cash I had on me. Absolutely magical. Spooky Folk (Denton) - seen them a few times now - great stuff, always a good time. Favorite couplet: "I was born on the bible belt. Give me something sharp so i can kill myself". Preach on, brudda.

7/17/10 - DOMA showcase

Better late then never, eh?

Twas glad this year's shindig was in the deepest of ellums - so much better than past showcases, held in douchebag central (otw known as lower Greenville).

First - Secret Machines. LOVE the SM, and not just cuz they popped my live music cherry (ouch!) back in 2006 at the lizard lounge. Howevers, this wasn't quite the same SM, being as how both Curtis brothers weren't in attendance. Twas either that, or the fact that my balls were in danger of melting, but I just didn't enjoy their set like I thot I would, despite the super-drunk/hot chicks dirty dancing wif each other just outside the (penitentiary-like) fence. Oh well, on to the next......which was The O's. Meh. Still don't get. But I admit - I hear the effing banjo, I have a hard time taking a band seriously. Just my bias, don't judge me!! Went to Trees to catch FUR, being as how I wanted to try out some new bands, & not just hear the same-o same-o. Curtain opened to reveal two dudes huddled behind two laptops. Me & my intrepid companion laughed heartily, then split. No fanks.

Went to the roof of The Bone & caught Nervous Curtains. Nuff said, u know I love the NC. Awesome, as always. Then off to the Door to catch Air Review. Another meh. Decent, but over-rated. Dime-a-dozen, in my opinion. Back to Trees to see Ishi, who I've been waiting to see a second time for a while now. Heard 2 songs and was done. Just not in the mood, especially since I knew MATAS was playing just down the street. So - back to the door, to once again get blown away by MATAS' genius. Just can't get enough of them, it seems. Then back to Trees for Mount Righteous. Fun! Last was Spooky Folk, back on top of the Bone (snicker). Great fun, lotsa exuberant dancing & such. Awesome cap to the evening.

6/29/10 - Julian Lynch, Sundress, Soft Healer

Wedentondoit shindig at JnJ's. Actually started at 8, praise jeebus, but that means i missed Goldilocks and the Rock, who seem to be in bed wif WDDI, that's for sure.

Soft Healer (Austin). Dug it, but had a hard time figuring it out. Guitar confused me, at one point i wrote "surf punk?". Enjoyed multi-instrumentalist -part-time sax, mouth organ (oh yeah, i said it), keys. Sundress (Denton). Sweet baby jeezus, what an awesome experience this was. Sitting 10 feet from this band, totally enveloped by their sound -what can I say - 'twas orgasmic. Definitely some phenomenal songwriting going on here, with some awesome vocals, but the ethereal guitar playing (second pic) sets them apart. A cross between early radiohead, Travis, and a less-strident Muse - enough to make any serious music fan cream his/her pants. Absolutely phenomenal. Probably my favorite local band at the moment.

Julian Lynch (New Jersey, Wisconsin). Very interesting. Have to admit - you see a guy tuning up his clarinet before his set, you think "not a good sign". then he starts tuning his BASS clarinet, and you think "well, at least i'll get to bed early". But no - this was some some hauntingly beautiful stuff. Just one guy with wind instruments (some unidentifiable), a table full of pedals and such, a droning backing track, and amazing talent. Truly mesmerizing. No way was I leaving early.

6/25/10 - Sundress, The Clouds are Ghosts, Land Mammals, Retro Run

Retro Run (Denton). Walked in half-way thru their set, to hear Vampire Weekend cover. Next two i didn't like. to top it off, they somehow felt themselves worthy of not one, but TWO encores. for the effing opener? uh, no. not how it works. get off the stage.

The Clouds are Ghosts (Austin). Shoulda dug this band, but didn't. Violin, keys, etc. Felt it was over-produced, trying too hard. facebook post said somethin about individuation or some rot. check it.
Land Mammals (Denton). Loved it. Supremely individuated, says facebook.
Sundress (Denton). Truly awesome. Funny - just that morning, i had heard an amazing song on KXT and jotted down the time, so i could look it up later to see who it was. Never got around to it, but i heard it again that night - twas Sundress' Dream Curl. How cool to hear it live.

6/14/10 - Good Old War, Yukon Blonde, Audra Mae

Audra Mae (LA). Whoa - beautiful stuff. Great voice. coulda done without the Joplin cover, but that's just me.
Yukon Blonde (Vancouver). Really dug these guys, too. Kindof an amped-up Fleet Foxes.
Good Old War (Philly). OMFG, words cannot describe how much I love this band. First time I saw them, I described it as a religious experience, and this time, I was fully converted, full-immersion baptism and all. Amazing, amazing folky tunes with spine-tingling harmonies. and the whole band puts out this "everything's all right, yes, everything's fine" vibe that just fills your heart with joy. did the usual come-down-into-the-audience maneuver, and ended up right in front of me, which completely capped off the evening for me. truly a wonderful experience (despite the super-drunk chick who kept trying to get me to dance with her. Um, no).

6/11/10 - Bravo Max, The Wild Complete, Gray the New Black

Gray, the New Black (Dallas). 3-man band. oh, no - definitely not my thang. no, no, no. Iphone says "crappy bluesy hendrix guitar shit", and you can't argue with the iphone, can you? no, you cannot. grateful that they reminded me that i'd forgotten my earplugs in the car, tho. So there's that (thanks, boys!). The Wild Complete (Flagstaff). Awesome folky rock. Loved the accordion. Go check out My Bird on their myspace page - superific. plus which, it's good to see Ringo bangin' on the ol' skins again. Very political band. Over-payed for the CD and t-shirt, hoping to help them afford a REAL bass drum, which they really need. Poor Ringo.Bravo, Max (Dallas). Enjoyed it, but damn - 5 guitars? really? felt sorry for the guitar player in the back, frantically strumming, with no evidence of his existence coming out of the speakers. Loved the clarinet (say WHAT?) & accordion. Good stuff.

5/29/10 - Curvette, Quiet Company, Holy Fiction, Goldilocks and the Rock

Goldilocks and the Rock (Denton). Just two dudes, one on geetar, one on drums. Guitar/vocalist couldn't bear to face the audience, it seemed, something that always seems to annoy me. Plus which, he was auto-tuning the SHIT out of his vocals (despite Jay-Z declaring it dead and all), and I couldn't figure out if that was some sort of hyper-ironic statement that i was missing, or what. Bizarro, is what it was.

Holy Fiction (Houston). Been too long, folks. Iphone says "decent". Sorry.
Quiet Company (Austin). Always had a soft spot for QC, despite their endless and annoying myspace pestering. Good stuff.
Curvette (Denton). Truth be told, i slept thru most of their set, so i'll refrain from offering an opinion.

6/5/10 - Friendo, Nervous Curtains, George Quartz

...at the Lounge.

George Quartz (Dallas?). This dude was formerly the frontman of Faux Fox, and if you can't figure that out from watching him, you just haven't been paying attention. Very similar in style to FF, and you know that's not my thing, but i'll be damned if i wasn't intrigued & entertained by his digitized nonsense and in-your-face stage presence. Entertaining for sure, i'll say that. Plus, it's nice to see that Tom Cruise has finally come out, and has a solid side gig between movie projects.
Nervous Curtains (Dallas). You know i love it. Bought me the CD and the t-shirt.

Friendo (Calgary). Yea, wasn't knocked out by these guys, but it's good to see the Donger still workin' after all these years. Also in their favor - the 'Most Awesomest Jorts Ever' award. Congrats!

5/31/10 - Plants and Animals, Lost in the Trees, Lazy Native

...at Hailey's. The Les Savy Fan made it out, too, being as how he's a big Plants and Animals fan.


Lazy Native (Denton). Hmm, yea, they were OK. Everyone trying WAY to hard to sell it, tho, especially the Tambourine Man. Too funny.

Lost in the Trees (Chapel Hill). Oh my effin gawd, these guys were INCREDIBLE. One of the best sets I've seen in a long time. After their first song, the LSF texts me, "how great is this?", and i reply "fucking. AWESOME. worth the trip alone". three - count 'em, three strings on stage - two cellos and a violin, plus a part-time accordion/french horn (nice!)/xylophone, and tuba. Unfuckingbelievable. Amazingly moving chamber folk rock, with spine-tingling vocals from the accordion player. came down into the audience for their last few songs - always an awesome move, in my opinion, and i'm not just saying that cuz i happened to hold the xylophone for one of the songs :). Bought both the CD and a t-shirt afterwards. Amazing, amazing stuff. Not to be missed. Plants and Animals (Montreal) headlined. Totally fucking awesome.

5/26/10 - Clem Snide, Heligoats, MATAS

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (Denton). Awesome, as usual. Seemed like they changed up the set from the last time i saw 'em - more of the old-style, folky MATAS, with less of the new-style rock-based stuff i've heard lately. Maybe they tailored the set to the Clem Snide crowd? Whatever - i loved it. The Heligoats (Washington). Saw these guys back in February and fell in love. "Quirky, catchy, smart, funny" is how i described them. This set confirmed my opinion (and love). Absolute genius. Chris once again had hilarious preambles for many of his songs (I'd repeat them here, but they're all of the 'you had to be there' variety). Fantastic set.

Clem Snide (Nashville). I dono - couldn't really connect with these guys. Wanted to - there was some really pretty stuff, with some great harmonies, but it just didn't happen. Probly just a touch too country for me.

5/15/10 - Nico Vega, Red Leaves, Ella Minnow

...at Hailey's. Knuckles came with, since Nico Vega met the Knuckles Criteria: hard(ish) rock, hot lead singer (female).

Ella Minnow (Denton). You know I loves me some Ella Minnow, and this show was no exception. My iphone notes: "Suddenly added 3 female singers, one wif hands planted firmly in pockets, one oh-so-sexy wif holes in her pantyhose, one wif hands planted firmly at her sides, all of them looking horribly uncomfortable, but doing a nice job. Love this band. Jeezus Christ. Fuckin orgasmic. So in love. "Red Leaves (Austin). They're billed as an experimental pop band, but i saw nothing experimental, 'cept for the fact that they kept switching out lead singing duties 'tween the dude and the gal and the drummer, which doesn't quite meet my criteria for "experimental". Perty good, tho not overly compelling to me. Bass player workin extry hard to sell it. Nico Vega (LA). Outrageous, high-energy, ass-kicking. Really put it all out there. Whirling dervish lead, sometimes heard Janis, sometimes heard Bjork. Knuckles says maybe his fav band ever. Drummer wore ripped black t-shirt last seen in Flashdance. Guitar player wore Hendrix curls & eye makeup. Awesome stuff.

5/13/10 - Foe Destroyer, Smile Smile

again, at Lochrann's in Frisco, gawd bless Mr Spune. The Les Savy Fan showed, too, and unleashed his considerable charms on the helpless suburban female crowd. Look out.

Smile Smile was up first. Really enjoyed it, great stuff. Was shocked by how many songs of theirs i seemed to know. Only advice? Quit with the whole 'we-used-to-be-boyfren/girlfren, but we broke up and now we just verbally pick at each other during our set, isn't that funny?' thing. it's tired. i heard that shtick two years ago, and it just seems forced now. your music is good enough without it. just my two cents, which ain't worth even that.
Foe Destroyer headlined. former members of Oso Closo, i understand. Kept thinkin Weezer, but probly cuz of all of the BC glasses on display. 'twas OK.

5/7/10 - MATAS, Oh Lewis

Oh Lewis (Denton). Sure, some fine and dandy guitar pop rock. Kinda blah - nothing overly distinguishable.
Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (Denton). Sheer genius. Love the new stuff. Can't wait for the new album. Have to admit - I missed hearing Pretty Purple Top Hat.Yea, so OK, it was a Centromatic show, but for a number of undisclosable reasons (u know, life and all that shite), i wasn't up to staying. maybe if they hadn't taken the Longest Set Change in History, i woulda stayed, but they did, so i didn't.

4/24/10 - The Hope Trust, Fate Lions, Red 100s, Jacob Metcalf

Jacob Metcalf (denton). Very nice. Great violin (was that really a giant tattoo on her face?). Suitcase as bass drum - cool. Wonderful harmonies from the drummer. Nice clarinet (don't say THAT too often). only advice? skip the part where you bring yer friends up on stage to play/shake the popsicle sticks. very distracting, and it wasn't making any sound i could hear. really enjoyed the set. easily the highlight of the evening for me.
Red 100s (Denton). Ugh - not my thing at all. 3-man bluesy hendrix-like guitar rock. Good at what they were doin, just not for me.

Fate Lions (Denton?). Don't remember much. The note i wrote on my iphone - "Ugh. Completely ordinary."The Hope Trust (Denton). Ya, sure, some nice americana-tinged pop.