FRIDAY

X-tra Spesh w/Testarossa (Fallout Lounge)

Funk Fridays with Big J/We Are Dark Clouds/Oleg B (Molly Maguire’s): It’s nice to talk to someone as unabashedly happy with what he does in music and where he plays as Jason Abbott, AKA Big J.  You send the guy a message asking about his fairly new event, “Funk Robot Fridays” at Molly Maguire’s (formerly The Tipperary Inn), and he responds with “The crowd is absolutely beautiful,” claims the food is “the best on earth,” and adds, “It’s one of the best places that I can say I’ve had the privilege to DJ,” in reference to the still young establishment, which sits at the hot cross streets of Live Oak and Skillman.

He went on to boast that he feels like he plays what the crowd wants “95 percent of the time,” but says the audience requests range from the danceable soul of Roy Ayers to the early hip hop of Kurtis Blow in the few instances where outside input is given.  I don’t know about beautiful, but it does sound like a smart crowd.  I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about checking out yet another event regularly held at a Dallas area Irish Pub, but I think Big J’s enthusiasm may have won me over.

The Hope Trust/Matthew And The Arrogant Sea/Baruch The Scribe/Ben Rodriguez (Dan’s Silverleaf): After checking out the lineup for The Hope Trust, I realized that it included the Dallas Observer’s Andy Odom.  Had no idea.  Through no fault of their own, The Hope Trust were nominated for a Dallas Observer music award last year, though they did not win.  Odom has written articles about Seryn, The 35 Conferette, and listed The Beaten Sea as one of his top ten picks for 2010.  Here you can see The Hope Trust performing at the KXT Studios, where their new album is also streaming ahead of its release on Tuesday.  The band’s PR is handled by publicist Lyndsay Knecht Milne’s Go Figure Skate company.  Milne handles press releases for 35 Conferette, but I usually try to read them filtered through someone else since her style can be a little heavy on facts about the Grammys and that can be somewhat grating.  I’m not necessarily like other music writers in town.  I admit it.  I couldn’t care less about The Grammys and I probably won’t have a review of the newest Justin Bieber vehicle, or tell you what dietary restrictions a reality show star had at some Super Bowl after-party.  Lo siento.

Now, Milne is also a writer, and once wrote this amusingly loaded progress report on The Observer‘s Pete Freedman for NBC DFW back in 2009. Look, I’m not implying that anyone gets any special treatment because of all of these connections.  I have certainly been criticized for my own associations over the years and as a sometimes musician I sympathize with the fact that you get mixed up with adversaries and friends of all stripes by having any involvement in music or art whatsoever.  It’s a fairly tired topic.  But it’s just that on the rare occasion when I’m perceived as talking out of turn about any of these entities, word gets around fast.  So I don’t mean to go off on some overzealous rant about how it’s ultimately a powerful little cabal that runs everything around the DFW scene, lest I sound like the James Carville of music listings.  Actually, I wouldn’t mind that title.  All I’m saying is that it must be pretty easy for some of these folks to get each other on the phone.

As for the music featured on The Hope Trust’s upcoming record, Light Can’t Escape, which I have so conveniently been streaming LIVE as I type this thanks to KXT, it’s an improvement over the blander, less moody work the group has put out in the past.  After hearing Hope Trust several times over the years, I probably couldn’t have really told you what was different about them from other acts employing similar tactics.  Now it’s obvious what sets them apart, and that’s a step forward.

The new album has some especially inspired production; a tight, dry 70′s drum sound that marked many sad and wonderful records from that time period is on every tarck.  It’s an almost claustrophobic feel, one that embellishes the intimacy of every other instrument while it also creates an extended illusion of sonic expanse. It’s also probably the most effective thing about the new record.  The weakest moments are when it leans too far into “Jesus, Etc.” territory, or sounds more like Spoon or Interpol when the group is attempting to come off as heavy as the artists that influenced everyone I just mentioned.  Of course, as far as the people that this record is being pushed to are concerned, accusing a band of sounding like any of those acts isn’t exactly a problem.  It’s as if a goal has been met or a dream has been realized.

The Hope Trust have made a record that is better than one would expect.  One that will satisfy its old fans (though they are almost impossible to disappoint), and probably earn them a few new ones.  Maybe more than a few.  This band is entirely capable of earning a really strong local fan-base and opening up any number of huge shows that will roll through Dallas soon.  And by strong local fan-base, I mean people that wear baseball caps on the weekends, never sleep on couches, have mortgage-backed securities, and don’t always trouble themselves to go watch a band play a tiny club on a weeknight.  That’s a loyal, desirable, and tough-to-reach demographic.  The fact that Hope Trust is capable of capturing that particular kind of attention can’t be overlooked.  No matter what kind of company they keep.

Reverend Horton Heat/Von Ehrics/Doubledowns (House Of Blues)

Carnevale Of Creatures (Sons Of Hermann Hall): This is a steampunk-themed event and that is literally all I have to say about it for those in the know.  For those that don’t know, a steampunk is kind of like a Juggalo that’s obsessed with Jules Verne.

The O’s/The Orbans/Binary Sunrise/Scott Riegel/Ryan Thomas Becker (Club Dada): Stacked bill of local favorites in further celebrating the new The O’s new release, Between The Two, so named because they did everything with just the two of them.  These guys sure want a lot of credit for that it seems.  Doesn’t that guy from Neon Indian record much of his music with little help?  And he goes to Helsinki with a ton of equipment to boot.  Didn’t Stevie Wonder make an entire record by himself with obvious hindrances?  Didn’t Jack White make an entire career off of playing with just a drummer that everyone agreed couldn’t drum?  Actually, now that she’s gone, so went the last interesting thing about Jack White, except for his occasional teaming up with far greater music legends, but that’s another story.

All, I’m saying is you’re two grown men, and I would hope that making a record with your friend would be pretty easy, especially when you seem so fond of each other, and it’s a story that has really won over many in The Metroplex. These guys are like The Smothers Brothers of Lakewoodcore or something.

Alexi Delano/Molecule/Vegenaut (Boiler Room): Presented by Sounds Like…

A.J. Croce/Nicholas Altobelli/Heather McCready (Kessler Theater): Son of the late, great Jim Croce, who has followed his father’s chosen career path, albeit with far more jazzier results than the often melancholic work that made his father a 70′s folk pop staple.

SATURDAY

Akkolyte/Life Erased/Embolization/Enemies Of Inertia/Wiccans (Phoenix Project): Akkolyte has had a long list of near-misses over the course of its career, which started in the late 90′s, when founding member Stefan Gonzalez was only in middle school.  This benefit event hopes to put away the memory of some of those past debacles with a powerful lineup of some of the area’s finest hardcore acts.

Spooky Folk/Soviet/The Lindales/Roy Robertson (The Lindale House located at 201 McKamy Blvd in Denton)

Lumberjack Fest featuring Spitfire Tumbleweeds/RTB2/Deep Snapper/Birth To Burial (Dan’s Silverleaf):

Lennon Page/Sound Switch/Mr. Troll/Mike Freiley (Bill’s Records): I’m mainly recommending this show to highlight Mr. Troll, who is an unsung talent in Dallas and whose performances are lovely for their genuine delivery and lack of pretense.

Now is a good time to mention that Bill’s has an upcoming rock show, the first I have heard of there since sometime in the 90′s.  It will take place on Thursday, February 24th and feature Kampfgrounds, Shakedown Alley, and the brand new Terminator 2.  I actually saw Terminator 2 in Denton earlier this week, and I could not believe it was one of the act’s first shows.  Featuring four fifteen-inch speakers of dirty bass, enraged vocals, and some tough drumming, they are one of the most confident and intimidatingly solid acts that have recently formed.

Light Fantastic/Here Holy Spain/Darstar/Rocket Arm/Able Youth/Redsean (Annex House): The fact that Light Fantastic is headlining is what you might consider the dark side of DIY house culture.  Simply having a house doesn’t mean that the shows are good.  But that’s simultaneously their saving grace: they don’t really have to be good because hanging out at house parties is pretty fun.  Remember The Swiss House?  Legendary, right?  Yeah, it helped everyone to overlook the fact that The Swiss often had some pretty boring acts sprinkled throughout the duration of its existence.

The Light Fantastic would need a lot of explaining for me to understand the appeal.  Perhaps this is an amazingly conceptual art project supposed to time warp you back to 2002 and the joke is on me.  Never mind, I figured it out.  This is a super-group with members of Red Animal War and Doosu, and though those acts were very professional and very of their time, they don’t exactly make me miss having to see them open up for whomever I was actually there to see at Club Clearview.  The post-hardcore/emocore era (and in Doosu’s case, the “alternative” era) ended for natural causes, and the longevity of other styles of punk is most likely due to the fact that they are less glossy and overwrought.  This is why you have to be extra careful when you continue to make music over extended periods of time, the tendency is to stop broadening your scope of artistic interest and the music doesn’t always evolve.  Apparently, that’s exactly what some people want, and if you do, then this is the place to be.

An Evening with Paul Slavens (Pastime Tavern): I’m not sure if this would offend Paul Slavens, and I hope it doesn’t, but one of the only acts that come to mind in the tiny world of foul-mouthed, on-the-spot music-making marathons is The Frogs.

Sarah Jaffe/Bosque Brown (Wyly Theatre): Check out our own Liz Johnstone’s write-up on Frontburner here.

The Boom Boom Box/Orange Peel Sunshine/Les Americans (Double Wide)

Rigor Mortis/Creeper/Primordius/Rabid Flesh Eaters (Rail Club): Rigor Mortis is a long-running thrash band that was notably on the soundtrack to the must-see Penelope Spheeris documentary The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, with the catchy sing-along track, “Foaming At The Mouth” (sample lyric: I will chew/all your flesh/into bits).  They have  impressively toured with Neourosis, and members have played in both Gwar and Ministry. According to a bio found on Pegasus News, the band has had some occasional altercations at shows which they don’t seem to be very bothered by.  I found this passage pretty informative: “The band built a reputation as the most insane band in Dallas/Ft. Worth with all-out brawls a common occurrence at their shows. They were the first metal band in Dallas to crossover into the punk scene and be accepted, but not without a fight or two!“  Rock on.

The Sword/Garuda/Eagle Claw (Granada Theater): With the exception of Garuda, and maybe even they would agree with me, it would be much more metal of you to go see Rigor Mortis play at The Rail Club, than watch an indie metal band at The Granada.  I saw Eyehategod at the Rail Club recently, and I couldn’t believe what a perfect setting it was.  I forgot metal-heads could actually still be intimidating.

Goldilocks & The Rock/Glen Farris/Matthew Gray (The Hydrant): Free local beer from Armadillo Ale Works.  The Hyrdrant has a bar opening up and one wonders impact that will have on the establishment’s show culture, which has always bubbled under the surface thus far.

Cygnus/Sextape/T0MMYL33J0N3Z/Mikey Rodge (Houston St.): The online flier for this show simply says Houston St.  That’s in Denton.  Just go there and drive around until you find it.  That’s what I do.

“Fall In Love at Fallout” with Blake Ward/Gallery Cat (Fallout Lounge): First they want you to make Valentine’s plans at Hailey’s on 80′s Night and now this?  Fallout.  Really.  I like Fallout and that doesn’t come without consequence. Even 21-year olds make fun of me for admitting such a thing.  I just find these “love themed” events at the most anti-love places I know just a little…uncomfortable.

SUNDAY

Cygnus/Blixaboy/R9 (Arcade Bar): One of the last area performances for the usually masked Cygnus AKA Phillip Washington, for whom the theme of his local career was the one that plagues so many area artists that play challenging or “other” music, an old verse that says “no prophet is welcome in his hometown.” Well, maybe in some parts of his hometown. It seems like I often ended up seeing him open up for rock acts or hanging out at rock shows, but it’s easy to infer based on the overseas attention that Cygnus has received that he would receive a warmer welcome in London than Fort Worth.

Cygnus, however, has decided that a move to Los Angeles would be better suited to the style of music he makes, and that he feels he is “growing asymmetrical to the environment here,” when I asked about his impending departure for a possibly more accepting music environment.  Not that Dallas is all bad.

“I love Dallas and I always will miss how easy going things are, but I will not miss how hard it is to get people together here…” Washington says. He definitely echoes the complaints of many Metroplex ex-pats who eventually went elsewhere.  Mentioning that specifically where he’ll relocate will include a “heavy concentration of people” interested in his current music, he sums it up simply, “I just wanna be on the scene of the crime” but also added cautiously, “Hopefully it is fertile ground.”  Indeed.

Cygnus says his new work will basically be electro funk and techno but with a “heavy experimental side, and lots of ambience.”  He also plans on a hip hop collaboration that fuses cyberpunk, Bay Area rhythms, and metaphysical lyrics.  “It’s impossible to explain,” he says, “you’ll just have to hear it when it comes out.”  We’ll be listening, Dallas resident or not.

Jonathan Richman (Rubber Gloves): Richman is about to be sixty years old, and I just noticed that he has released five albums since 2001′s late period classic, Her Mystery Not Of High Heels and Eye Shadow.  I probably own every other one of those records, just to check in that Jonathan is still doing quality work, and he almost always is.  The habit of singing in multiple languages he developed with 1993′s Spanish-only Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! seemed to have a resurrection-like effect on his material. Some of his most heartfelt singing is (admirably) in French, Spanish, or Italian. As I’ve said before, he’s always a pleasure live, and one of the few shows I would wholeheartedly recommend for a Valentine’s Date or even something you wouldn’t feel bad taking your mom along to. Hey, bring Mom and your girlfriend or boyfriend along like some nut-jobs I know sometimes do on dates.  Takes all kinds.

Image: Cygnus.  Photo by Sally Glass.