How about some music to drown out all the talking? This is basically a list of links, but there's so much going on this weekend. You'd think people are gearing up for SXSW or something.
FRIDAY
In the first of a two-night celebration of new CD Farewell Republica, Dallas rock band Airline plays an in-store at Good Records at 7. Note to the band: I like the three songs on your Myspace, especially the one with the subtle keyboard and not-so-subtle twang. I'd love to hear the whole CD.
Matchbox 20 and Alanis are at Nokia, for those of you who thought Blockbuster Rockfest was the best weekend of your life. Look at me, takin' it back!
Fort Worth's Goodwin is releasing new CD 2 at the Ridglea Theater, with help from friends the Backsliders, Sunday Drive and more.
If you're up at midnight, go to the KNON studios (5953 Maple Ave) for a live broadcast with performances by Wanz Dover and the great electronic collective Mission Giant (pictured above). More info here.
For the suburban peeps: Agave Azul in Carrollton starts its first salsa night, with lessons and a salsa DJ. I went to Agave Azul before it moved to downtown Carrollton, and the place has FAB margaritas.
DJ Riz holds it down at 2505, with Bollywood, bhangra and hip-hop. (What ever happened to 2505, anyway?)
I''m moving this weekend, but part of me wants to forget cleaning and go to Kitchen 1924 instead. Just learned that the Lakewood restaurant has brought back their hangover brunch, on Sundays from noon to 3. Listen to the menu items:
The back of Dave Chapelle's head. I wasn't quick enough to get the front. He was super nice to everyone, by the way. He took pictures with people and shook hands. He seemed like a very humble guy.
I’m exhausted this morning, but it’s totally worth it, because last night was probably the most fun at Ghostbar I’ve ever had. I thought: “I’ll probably just stay an hour.” We got there at 10:30, left at 1:30 and the party was STILL going on.
The crowd was as diverse as I’d ever seen at Ghostbar. A lot of guys wore T-shirts and hoodies, and a lotta girls wore jeans. SA-RA, a producer on Erykah’s album, wore silver jazz shoes and a Shriner’s hat on his head.
Instead of the usual DJ booth, they’d set up a stage at the far end of the bar. A roped-off VIP area sat behind it, where Dave Chapelle — he walked right past us! — and Biz Markie and Talib Kweli mingled. Paul Levatino, the marketing manager at Badu World and Control FreaQ records, was in there too. So was Nayrok, Erykah’s sister, decked out in white from head-to-toe. I heard a man compliment her as she walked by, and she offered a courteous "thank you" and kept walking.
I'm hitting Lower Greenville on Friday night and I want to spend the least amount of money possible. My guidelines: No more than $2.50 for a beer, or a cheap pitcher (maybe $6 or $8? I am so lost when it comes to pitcher prices) that we can split between three or four people.
Anyone have recommendations of where I should go? I was thinking about starting at Ships. (Pic of the bar above.) But a few friends have also mentioned Service Bar and 75 cent pool at the Winedale.
There's the Cavern, too, but I'm not sure if the beer is cheap there on Friday nights.
A new friend asked me that this weekend, and I confessed I hadn’t. Wrote about the dive bar for a New Year’s Eve roundup a few months ago, but I haven’t been since they moved in January. (Pic of the sign being moved above.) They were at Ross and Hall — now they’re at Bryan and Fitzhugh, catty-corner from Jimmy’s.
Stopped by last night for a beer, and I really like the new spot. It’s less gritty than the old one, but that also means (yay!) it’s cleaner and more open. There’s still too much neon inside, which is charming in a dive-y way. They’ve also got pool, Golden Tee and Big Buck Hunter. Sam Adams White and Blue Moon are among the beers on tap.
Unlike the old spot, they don’t sell food. But they will let you bring it in from outside. We got sandwiches from Jimmy’s and our very nice bartender supplied plates and paper “dinner napkins.” (Real napkins, not the cocktail kind.) Cost for two Miller Lites and a Sam Adams White: $8.50.
I could have stayed longer, but household errands called. Next time we'll try to stay for karaoke.
The problem with print Q&As is that you're often forced to cut out good answers because they are too long or because there's not enough room for a big, gorgeous photo. Still, Erykah Badu is a pretty damn good talker, and I didn't want you to think that what you saw in print was all there was. So after the jump, for your reading pleasure, is the uncut phone convo.
Looks like Q-Tip won't make it to Erykah Badu's Ghostbar party after all. Just got a call from Erykah's people saying that Tip has had a death in his family and just can't make it here in time. We wish him the best and hope to see him here down the line. Biz Markie will take over hosting duties, and there might be a few other surprise guests. So worry not -- Ghostbar is still be the place to be on Wednesday. As for tomorrow, House of Blues. As for tonight late, Bill's Records. This week is an Erykahpalooza. Look for an interview with Miss Badu in tomorrow's Quick.
Did anyone catch Atlanta band the Black Lips at the Loft last night? Me didn't, because of live Oscar blogging. But I did make it to the Good Records in-store performance earlier in the day, as did scads of fans and scenesters. Although the guys were an hour late, they were quickly forgiven after rolling up in their big white van and taking to the stage. They played an acoustic-ish 20-minute set that included faves "Bad Kids," "How Do You Tell A Child Someone Has Died" and parting shot "It Feels Alright." The band members are a bit emotionally removed while playing their songs, and I'm pretty sure that's why I like them so much. They act like children and play like men, but still don't take themselves seriously.
I ran into, among others, local booking pro John Iskander, who was videotaping the performance for his blog (closing song embedded above). Go there to check out several more videos he's taken and find out about the killer slate of shows he has lined up for the next few weeks.
I think I told you that I recently started doing a nightlife segment with Channel 8 — it’s for a new show called Young Street, and it airs Sundays at 5 p.m.
We hit up Mambo Cafe, Lift and Minc this past weekend. (The segments will run in March.) Here’s how it went:
Hubby and I stopped by Cork this weekend — it’s the “interactive” retail store and wine bar, next to Grimaldi’s pizza. Friends of ours went a few weeks ago and came back with mixed reactions. One called it the Starbucks of wine bars.
I liked the place. Here's how it works: You walk in and buy a gift card, which is rechargeable, and can hold any limit you want. We put $20. Then you walk to the various wine stations set up along the wall, each with maybe six or seven bottles. Touch screens let you select a wine and learn more about it. Then if you want a taste — or a glass, or a bottle — you swipe your card.
If you start noticing local bands popping up weekly on Gordon Keith's Saturday night talk show on WFAA-TV (Channel 8), just know that it's no accident. Producers of the show have asked for Quick's help finding local acts to perform. Our little partnership began on Saturday with this performance from Black Tie Dynasty, which Gordon introduced as one of the biggest crowd-drawing bands in town. He's right about that, and the fact that so many fans keep coming back probably has a little something to do with dynamic lead singer Cory Watson. Watson even breaks out his signature back-and-forth hip movement at the end of the song ("I Like U") -- really, it's a must-see. Next week's guest is soulful rock band Odis -- go here to find out how to attend Thursday's taping. And if you're too busy drinking in bars on Saturday nights to watch television, keep track of the musical performances here.
Organizer Mwanza Dover seemed giddy toward the end of the successful first night of his revived Melodica fest in Expo Park. He sported a huge smile at Sloppyworld during the set by U.K. electronic artist Pete Kemper, a.k.a. Spectrum. Kemper stood on stage alone with his equipment, creating loopy, dreamy pieces (helped along by abstract projected visual aid) that put some in a trance and others under a sleep spell. I was somewhere in between the two groups, sitting in my Sloppyworld school desk against the wall. But it was after 1 a.m., and it had been a full night of music up to that point:
9:55 p.m.: Caught the last few songs of the outdoor set of Denton's History at Our Disposal in the patio of Amsterdam Bar. The band's midtempo, menacing electro-rock set included an instrumental song inspired by what the band members described as a daydream about Denton musician George Neal being chased by an oversized housecat. And that's ... pretty much what it sounded like.
10:25 p.m.: Dover's band the Frenz started its set at Sloppyworld a bit late, but it was worth the wait. The music kept the sizable all-ages crowd guessing, first with a hard-driving rock instrumental, then with a techno club-banger smothered in guitar and later with a trippy jazz piece featuring controlled and highly impressive vocals by Dover. What I dug were the live drums and the fact that you sort of had to search out the song structures underneath the layers of noise. Something you have to see live to really grasp.
11 p.m.: Fallout Lounge must have been a bit behind schedule, because when I got there to see Florene, Dallas electro-pop group Sydney Confirm was starting to play. Fallout is a long, skinny bar, and the band was set up near the door, so it was damn near impossible to see any of the members with such a large crowd of dancing, drunken hipsters in the way. But that was the real show anyway. They couldn't get enough of Sydney Confirm's trashy-but-hella-catchy dance numbers. I'll have to see this band again when I can actually see it.
Midnight: Denton rock act Raised by Tigers seemed conventional compared to other acts I saw, but that's not a knock. Melodic, guitar-heavy songs made the ever-growing crowd at Avenue Arts very happy, causing a group of girls with painted faces to dance uncontrollably. OK, maybe they were a little drunk, but the music helped. And Avenue Arts is perhaps the most comfortable venue of the fest, with plenty of space for the musicians to move around and get into what they're doing.
12:30 a.m.: Elder statesmen of electronica Simeon (of Silver Apples) blew several minds at Sloppyworld by simply manipulating the knobs and handles of his custom synthesizer. As Dover had promised, it was not-of-this-world, or as I told a friend, "insanely weird."
1:10 a.m.: This brings us back to where I started, half-dreaming to the trippy set of Spectrum at Sloppyworld. Sadly, I didn't end up staying for closer Light Bright Highway, but I might be able to catch that act today at the all-ages barbecue at Club Dada. Music starts at 5 p.m., both inside and out.
The weather's supposed to be nice this weekend. Perhaps this means a girl can actually wear a little dress when she goes out, instead of the same dumb old jeans.
Here's what we got:
TONIGHT
Hunter already had this, but it's my pick for tonight too, so I'm mentioning it anyway: Philly's Dev 79, The Party, Hot Flash, Keith P and Prince William are are Minc. Not a whole lot going on elsewhere besides the usual weeklies... I plan to gorge myself on burgers at Village Burger Bar and then go to sleep. Gotta get up early and PACK. (Did I mention I'm moving downtown?)
This weekend's Melodica '08 is a big source of discussion and excitement. For me, otherlocalmediatypes, even Pitchfork. So all I can really do at this point is give you the schedules and hope you show up. I mean, what else are you gonna do, stand outside the sold-out House of Blues and hope to catch pieces of Dylan songs whenever someone cracks open the door? Believe me -- I tried it last night and it doesn't work.
So here are the Melodica '08 skeds (with things I ree-healy wanna see in bold), followed by what's going on everywhere else in the next post. Happy reading.
MINC (indoors): Royal Highnuss & Dragonman - 9 p.m.; The Party dudes - 10:30; Keith P - 12:15; Dev 79 - 1 a.m.
MINC (outdoors): Prince William - 11 p.m.; Schwa and Killtronix - midnight
AMSTERDAM BAR: Jack With One Eye - 8 p.m., History at Our Disposal - 9; Jetscreamer - 10; Happy Bullets - 11; [Record Hop was supposed to close but half the band has the flu and had to cancel, according to member Scott Porter's post on Denton Rock City]
I've decided to start putting our weekly Local Tracks features up on the blog, since some people can't be bothered to find their nearest intersection and pick up a paper (you know who you be). Friday, we do a little something called "Tale of the Tune," which takes a song by a local artist and tries to find out about the inspiration behind it. There's no better song to explore than Bridges and Blinking Lights' "Lazy Susan." Read on...
TALE OF THE TUNE
Band: Denton's Bridges & Blinking Lights
Song: "Lazy Susan," from latest album Standing on the Same Stick
The inspiration: The band kicked around the song for a few years before figuring out lyrics for it. "Finally, one day it just kind of clicked," says singer/guitarist Jake Wilganowski. "It ended up being a big song about relationships, love, break-ups, being alone, sex, time-passing ... all of that."
The result: "Lazy Susan" is a drawn-out, Southern-rock- influenced jam whose final section is such a huge payoff that you'll never forget it after the first listen. Anyone who loves the movie Almost Famous will immediately think of the line "and the guitar sound is ... incendiary!" "Susan" is the high point of any B&BL show – the guys even bring out a box full of shakers so that fans can help keep the beat.
In their own words: Says Wilganowski, "It goes all over the place, including some super rocking parts, but I like the chorus because it sort of rolls off the tongue. The title comes from the circular feel of the song, the lyrics keep coming back around."
Listen to it: Stream at the band's MySpace. Look for a "Lazy Susan" video to be posted online soon.
See them live: April 18 at Rubber Gloves in Denton.
If you haven't already voted in the first round of our band-battle bracket, please do. I've heard some complaints here and there about having to register and then enter your e-mail addy every time you vote in a matchup, but think of it this way: You can use the experience to work on your cutting, pasting and clicking coordination. Think of it as a poor man's "Brain Age."
Anyway, here are a few of the matchups in the first round that captured my imagination while voting:
Smile Smile vs. Travis Hopper: I adore both these pop-friendly acts, so there'll be a tear shed however it turns out.
Sean Kirkpatrick vs. Tree Wave: I'd almost rather see these two collaborate than do battle. That could be mind-blowin'.
Ghosthustler vs. Laura Palmer: Undeniable dance grooves against nerd-a-licious shock folk. Turnout = highly unpredictable.
St. Vincent vs. the Theater Fire: The blank stare on her album cover could put her capable competitors in a trance, but they do greatly outnumber her.
Black Tie Dynasty vs. Hendrick: Depends on how many swooning female fans go to our battle site. It's a tossup.
Doug Burr vs. Pleasant Grove: I. Just. Can't. Decide.
You''ll probably see some of the biggest Melodica crowds at Minc during this weekend's fest (Read more about Melodica here). The DJ culture is one of the truly thriving parts of the larger Dallas music scene. Part of the credit goes to locals like The Party guys and Stereo on Strike, but it's also about their contemporaries from other places that they sometimes help bring here.
A few more locals and visitors who'll spin inside and outside:
DEV79 (also playing the all-ages Dada show on Sunday): Futuristic, beat-centric takes on anthemic hip-hop. Based in Philadelphia.
[a]pendics shuffle: Minimalist house from L.A. (also with history in Austin).
Hot Flash (Schwa and Killtronix): Like the Party guys, these Dallas DJs will empoly everything in their racks to get a booty shakin'.
Prince William: From Dallas. "DIRTY HOUSE, DIRTY SOUTH, DIRTY ANYTHANG"
Willie Trimmer of Dallas crew 12-inch Pimps: Focus is house, but he's versatile.
Hope that helps a little. Don't spend your whole night in one place, though. Roam around.
Mr. Dallas talked yesterday about the next wave of downtown nightspots, and it turns out most are coming this summer. (Maybe.)
First on deck is Joyce, the champagne lounge on San Jacinto. (I've tried to find this place while driving down Pearl, by the way, and I have no idea where it is.) It's now scheduled for March.
Noir Bar at the Joule is supposed to come in "early summer," and Canvas at One Arts Plaza, late may or June. Victor Tango on Henderson -- I know that's not downtown, but it's still been eagerly anticipated -- is looking at summer too.
Barcadia, the new 80's arcade game joint on Henderson and Ross, should be open in three weeks, says owner Julie Campbell. Look for it next to Cafe San Miguel.
Where you've seen him: Mondays @ Rack Daddy's in North Arlington, Tuesdays @ Shade on Greenville Ave, and Saturday Afternoons @ MetroPark inside Northpark Mall.
Genre: Hip Hop, House, Funk, Alternative, Downtempo
Equipment: Technics 1200 Turntables, Pioneer DJM600 Mixer, and Serato Scratch Live
Current favorite track:The Magic Dragon (whole album) artist: Caia
Most requested track, if you take requests: I hate taking requests!
Memorable DJ Booth Moment: Without a doubt, NYE 08. It was 10 minutes till midnight and i had to get on the mic and tell everyone they had to leave the building because the party was being shut down.
Dream gig: Having Dj Jazzy Jeff open up for me at some random bar in Barcelona.
Dallas DJs are.... working hard to keep good music on the scene, so when you go out to a bar/club and you hear good tunes support it to the fullest so it dosen't go away. PEACE
Press release about a midnight CD release party at Bill's Records follows after the jump. (I'm on deadline right now, but I'll have another Melodica band preview for you later tonight.)
The place opened in October, on the stretch of Greenville near Whole Foods, kind of across the street from Zubar. They just got their liquor license about a month ago, so now you can finally get beer there, too. On the weekends they’re open until 4 a.m. They serve pizza by-the-slice 'til then; the regular kitchen, which also churns out apps and sandwiches, closes around midnight on weekends.
The website doesn’t mention any events or specials, but a calendar posted in the front window shows they’ve got a movie night once a week, and a DJ playing (I think) on Thursdays.
The pic above -- isn't it luscious? -- isn't from the Pizza Co. It's from Don Panza, an Argentinean place in Oak Cliff that I just officially added to my list of places to try. Now if only we can somehow convince Oak Cliff to stop being dry...
Obar, the oldest underground lounge downtown (I believe it recently celebrated four years), was recently named one of the Top 100 spots in the country by Nightclub & Bar magazine.
This is a trade pub, with an insanely busy website, but it's surely pretty good news to owner Tim McEneny. Every time I've gone the place has been consistent: Danceable music, strong drinks, and never super-packed to the point where you're getting drinks spilled on your outfit.
Others you might have heard of that made the list — Mercy Wine Bar in Addison, Ghostbar in Vegas (not here), Tao and Tabu in Vegas, Pink Elephant in NYC. The full list is here.
The good news is that I have two shows to recommend. The bad news is that they are both for the same band. Take some time to explore the gorgeousness that is Austin's Balmorhea (above) before you head to Good Records for a free in-store at 6 p.m. Then, if you like what you hear there, follow the acoustic act up to Denton where it'll play Rubber Gloves with another Austin soundscape act, Bexar Bexar, and Denton freak-folkster Bryce Isbell. Be careful out there, you.
We continue our previews of acts playing this weekend's Melodica Festival.
Yesterday it was Light Bright Highway; today we have another band that made a mark on the Denton music scene in the '90s. Sub Oslo (above) began in 1996 playing live instrumental dub reggae, which emphasizes traditional rhythms but adds in effects and reverb. With the lack of vocals, their music lets you focus more on the beats 'n' basslines. Sub Oslo is now in Austin, but it's no stranger to Melodica, having played earlier fests years ago. You may be skurred, but give it a chance. Like Light Bright, you have to give it a lot more than the standard three minutes before you judge.
Sub Oslo plays Melodica on Saturday at Sloppyworld.
Also on that night's bill are Great Tyrant, an experimental Fort Worth band that organizer Mwanza Dover said he thought of early on when starting to book the festival; Mission Giant, an insanely creative electronic group from Denton; Faux Fox; Mundo and MC Lifted; and the "Melodica Mystery Band," which Dover says is top-secret and exciting.
Thoth, the subterranean club at Main and Field, is now two months old. I finally know how to pronounce the name: It’s “Tote,” as in “Wanna go to Thoth?” “Totes!”
It’s run by Tim Tremoni, formerly of Drama Room on Knox/Henderson. (Now Wish.) The 12 Inch Pimps recently started DJ-ing at Thoth on Fridays; Eddie Black, a veteran Dallas DJ, has Saturdays. There isn’t any type of “list” door policy, which is unusual for downtown clubs. It’s also free to get in.
I went when they first opened and the place was empty -- it was also freezing outside that night, so maybe that was why. I decided to stop by a few Saturdays ago to see how the place was coming along. I've been in desperate need of column fodder lately, because in the winter Dallasites tend to stay home and nothing new is opening.
Luckily for my column, and for Tim, the place was pretty packed.
He’ll be at the M Bar in Plano this Saturday. The Industry Inc. is bringing him in -- they've done regular events at the M Bar for about two years now.
I caught Biz last time he was here, in October at Reflection in Addison. (What is it with Biz only performing in the suburbs?) It was a great show. Lots of New Jack hits from the late 80's and 90's. And of course, plenty of old-school hip-hop. It's worth the drive if you can swing it.
Read all about local DJ and musician Mwanza Dover's plans for this weekend's Melodica Festival. Before you click, though, I should admit a little mistake in print version of the story and tell you that 3-day passes are $25, not $35. That's a hell of a deal for dozens of local and international underground acts, folks. Get 'em now. Another artist preview coming later today.
It was just last week that I was ramblin' about new Ghosthustler song "Only Me to Trust," and now the Denton boys have another hawt new track up on MySpace. Not sure what specifically about "Someone Else's Ride" reminds me of those musical montages in '80s movies, but it does.
The new song is the A-Side for a 12-inch that Ghosthustler will be releasing at South by Southwest. Expect to hear much more about that when we get closer to the date. Until then, make your own musical montage. Be sure to cut in shots of you running on a treadmill. That symbolizes progress. I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Every Sunday, local musicians gather for a jam session at Gezellig, hosted by Jason Michael of the soul and funk band Jones. Dallas' Dustin Morris is a frequent contributor, and Jason often hops onstage to sing along.
It's cool to see the impromptu collaborations among artists of various genres. And yes, they play covers, but trust me - one group's "Comfortably Numb" didn't even make me think of Pink Floyd.
A flier on Jones' Myspace promises "You'll never hear the same song twice." It's a testament to the music being played that on a night of the week when people sometimes don't feel like going out, Gezellig is full and rockin'.
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You''ll probably see some of the biggest Melodica crowds at Minc during this weekend's fest (Read more about Melodica 
