The inspiration: Says 25-year-old Davis, "It's about a 39-year-old lady that I am completely in love with. I wrote the song a few years ago after meeting her through a friend. ... The song is kind of about how she is way cooler than me, and I would keep it secret if she ever wanted to be my older lady, I guess."
The result: "Is It OK" is a toe-tappin', piano pop tune, accented by hand claps and tinkly bells. Davis' sweet-but-not-too-sweet vocals perfectly match the boy-meets-cougar theme of the song. The most tragic lyric: "I'm getting older every day/The calendar can't prove what I've seen."
In their own words: "As you can imagine, it didnt really work out. And I even made her cupcakes on Valentine's Day and left them on her doorstep. Oh well!"
Today's Liner Notes has an item about former PPT member Picnic, whose top-notch production skills are being put to good use on a few new projects. He's putting together a mix complilation for the upcoming Kixpo sneaker convention, he worked with Black Tie Dynasty on a track for its upcoming album, and then there's the one we're most excited about -- a duo album with fellow rapper Astronautalis. I don't feel at all uncomfortable calling both these guys creative geniuses, so this duo thing (which Picnic says will be called Max Moon) should be off-the-charts brilliant.
Wait, did I say "should be"? I meant "is," since we already have a taste of it for ya:
Max Moon, "Mr. Colorful":
(The other rapper on the song is a San Antonio artist, Cerebral Vortex.)
It pays to be on Denton singer-songwriter Robert Gomez's e-mail list (which you can sign up for by hitting his MySpace page and scrollin' down a little). Today, the e-faithful recieved a free MP3 of Gomez covering Baptist Generals song "Under a Cloud."
He sent it out to give folks something to chew on while they wait for his just-finished new album to come out. We're entering a period he calls "release-waiting-limbo."
Speaking of Denton musicians covering Denton music, there's a show on Saturday at Dan's SilverLeaf that's built around that very concept. Starhead, Ryan Thomas Becker, the Heelers, Brent Best and Deep Snapper will try out tunes by their Little D contemporaries. Sounds like good, clean American fun.
Former PPT member Picnic put his superb production skills on display and repped Dallas at a recent Red Bull-sponsored competition in Houston. He took third place at the June 25 event, dubbed Red Bull Big Tune. Judging from his enthusiastic presentation methods (above), we say he deserved the top prize! Down with H-Town!
I'm glad I caught Florene's set at Good Records early Saturday evening, because the guys say that may have been the last live show for a couple of months.
The experimental Denton duo put out a MySpace bulletin this morning announcing that it's taking a short break from performing live to finish a full-length record.
Our plan is to go up to beautiful Ruidoso, New Mexico and submerge ourselves in music and the beautiful nature around us. After that's complete the tracks will be off to be mastered somewhere and then it shall be shopped around to see if anyone cares to release it (let's cross our fingers!).
Members Gavin Guthrie and Aaron Mollet shouldn't have too much trouble finding someone to help with the release. These guys and their friends in Mom are among the most innovative, forward thinking musicians in North Texas. But one would be wrong to assume that Florene's music is just like Mom's because both make ambient, mostly lyric-less soundscapes.
Yeah, the two duos use a slew of keyboards, live instruments, effects pedals and other gadgets to achieve their sounds, but that's where the similarities end. While Mom creates foundations with acoustic guitar lines and found-sound samples, Florene works from menacing electro beats, adding in fuzzed-out electric guitar parts and haunting vocal notes. If Mom is earthy, Florene is from space.
Not that the people who are interested in such music need a lesson from me on Florene's sound. There were plenty of folks standing in Good Records' aisles yesterday who knew just what to expect, and seemed to dig every minute of it.
The biggest challenge for Florene might have been keeping things visually interesting. That would explain why, halfway into a song, Mollet suddenly smeared white paint all over his face. But they needn't try too many things like that (cool as face-paintin' might be), because just watching them make the music is interesting enough. I'd sign up for a tutorial in a heartbeat.
You might have missed the following morsels on the Quick site (and in print) this week, so ...
- Today's cover story was about the DJs of the Party (above), who are going Hollywood for their second-anniversary event tonight.
- There was another cover story earlier in the week on Beauxregard, a new-wave revivalist band that celebrates the release of its new EP at Hailey's this weekend.
- Liner Notes had items on the Theater Fire (about the forthcoming album), Doug Burr (about this weekend's Psalm song show) and the Tah-dahs' decision to call it quits.
- Speaking of the Theater Fire, I talked to member Don Feagin for a "Tale of the Tune" feature on new song "Uncle Wayne." (video above)
- I did a "Road Test" review of rock band Moving Atlas' new EP Elephant Gun.
- Skinny Fresh gave us the lowdown on the Texas Urban Music Summit in the Sure Shot.
- Ayo's got his priorities in check, including the Centro-matic show in Five to See Live.
- And for you movie freaks, I did a little side-by-side comparison piece on Wanted and Wall-E, both of which will sell out theaters today.
Just got a message from Denton country singer Doug Burr recapping his and his band's weekend trip to Tehuacana, where they went to record Burr's album of songs adapted from Psalms. Read more about the project here.
Sayeth Burr:
We recorded all basic band tracks beginning at 11 p.m. and ending shortly after the sun came up on the 21st. We tracked all the basic tracks live. We later realized we had practically made the whole record on the shortest night of the year. The next day as we were adding overdubs, we had an assist by a celebrity choir, including Josh Pearson, Emil Rapstein, Chelsea Callahan, a couple band members, and led by Steve Collins [of Deadman]. All expectations for this project -- by every one of us -- were exceeded.
If you want to hear the songs they recorded, you best show up at All Good Cafe on Saturday, where Burr and band will share a bill with the lovely Kristy Kruger.
Both Burr and Kruger received nominations for this year's Dallas Observer Music Awards, which were announced in today's edition of the alt-weekly paper. I'd point you to the rest of the nods online, but they don't seem to be posted just yet.
Eagle-eye Erin Rice over at TexasG-, er, Pegasus News just spotted a sad message posted by Will Kapinos of veteran Denton rock band Jetscreamer. Seems there'll be no more live shows and possibly no more band at all.
Key line in the bulletin from Kapinos: "If we're done for good, there's not gonna be any big bang blowout, no last show or anything, so don't even bother asking. That's how these things usually end: in ordinary ways, rather than extraordinary."
If it helps, the times I saw Jetscreamer play, the performances were extraordinary.
Well, we know that the Tah-dahs will disband after August. But here's some silver-lining goodness, thanks to our contributor Geoff Johnston, who talked to drummer James Porter on the phone a couple of days ago:
Their sophomore album -- the long-gestating, Stuart Sikes engineered follow-up to Le Fun -- will see release on or before their final show in August. Title TBD, but for a time the main contenders were Mein So Called Kampf and That's What She Said.
And, hey, there's a song up from the new album on the Tah-dahs' Myspace. It's called "Dallas" and has sort of a goodbye-letter vibe. Sniff.
When I was interviewing singer J. Quincy Romine (first name Jason but he goes by Quincy) for today's Quick story about Beauxregard, he mentioned a couple of times that he is obsessed with modern noir films. I think he name-dropped L.A. Confidential specifically. I don't know why I'm telling you this -- it's not like that tidbit really explains the title of new single "Queen Noir." But who cares? It's early. Here's the song.
Beauxregard, "Queen Noir":
If you like whatcha heard, see the band Saturday at Hailey's.
Not usually much goin' on Monday nights, but tonight presents a couple of new options. Something is in the air! Can you feel it?
-- Looks like the King Bucks are takin' a break from Barley and trying Adair's on for size. They'll be there tonight. 9 p.m. at 2624 Commerce St. No cover. 214-939-9900.
-- Gay bar JR's has been getting in on the local-music action lately. Tonight's bill features Tommy Hernandez and the Sweet Boys and Dan Paul. I'm a big fan of Tommy's 2007 solo CD Mimespeak, but this Sweet Boys thing sounds like it's more electro-dance than piano pop. There's no cover, but you're welcome to buy them sweet boys a drink! 3923 Cedar Springs Road. 214-559-0650.
Got any other ideas? Lesley's on vacay, so I'll try to get better at the nightclub stuff in the next few days.
UPDATE: Oh yeah, I forgot about Tom Waits at the Palladium. Isn't he that dude who wrote all those songs on that awesome Scarlett Johansson CD? ... I kid.
Music fans in Lubbock and Odessa are in for a rare treat next month: A live bill on which Dallas pop act Smile Smile opens for Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters. Smile Smile singer Ryan Hamilton told the MySpacians about the odd pairing on Friday, but I'd heard about it earlier last week from Kirtland Records' Tami Thomsen. She said the label set up the Billy Bob dates to give Hamilton and his bandmates exposure to a new set of fans. And, of course, they'll probably have some strange road stories to tell when they get home.
Just don't accept any vials of blood or get any tattoos, guys, because relationships with Billy Bob have been known to sour. More show details after the jump, in case you're a roadtripper/Astronaut Farmer enthusiast.
A healthy art- and music-loving crowd gathered at Sons of Hermann last night for Art Conspiracy's annual SEED benefit, a fund raiser with the purpose of helping the local organization obtain 501(3)c nonprofit status.
There wasn't a lull in the event; between music sets, live auctions raised hundreds of dollars for paintings and photography. And there was a silent auction in the back corner of the room for several Moleskine journals decorated and written in for the event by local artists. Some journals were filled with colorful art and drawings. Some had stream-of-consciousness prose. One artist tore pages from the inside and made a sculpture. I wanted all of them.
The diverse musical bill included sets from Spector 45 (actually, frontman Frankie Campagna had to perform solo because the band's bassist had a work conflict), Pet Hospital, Beauxregard and Matthew and the Arrogant Sea. Beauxregard's mix of new-wave moodiness and Bowie sass went over well. I'll have more about the band's new EP in Quick later this week.
And headliner Matthew and the Arrogant Sea brought a surprisingly upbeat folk-rock set, sporting double drummers (!!) and a jammed-out, dance-friendly segment. Seeing this Denton band flourish on stage makes the wait for forthcoming album Family Family Meets the Magic Christian that much more excruciating. But October's not that far away.
Blogstress Cindy Chaffin caught most of the music on video; check her site later for some tasty morsels.
You may have already heard this if you're a fan of Dallas pop trio the Tah-dahs. Seems frontman Roy Ivy and wife (also a beloved local singer) Laura Palmer are packin' up and leaving Dallas, putting an end to their musical careers in these parts.
After the jump, read Roy's MySpace bulletin. We'll have much more on this when the farewell show gets closer.
Allow me to direct your attention to a PopMatters interview with Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller, in which he tackles hot-button issues such as Star Wars vs. Star Trek.
Debut album The Southern Unknown, which will be available at Saturday's CD release show at Double Wide, should please the folks who love listening to classic rock stations but get tired of hearing the same ol' ish all the time.
Dove Hunter puts off just enough of that '70s vibe to seem familiar, but there's also something fresh about the songs. Hear for yourself:
If you watched the video I linked to this morning and dug it as much as I do, you ought to locate the cheapest gas around you and get enough to make it to Denton this evening. The soiled singer turning Dan's back porch upside down in that video is Dentonite Dale Jones, who performs as New Science Projects.
And in case you need some extra audio to help convince you, the Gutterth dudes (profiled recently on Cindy Chaffin's site) were kind enough to let me stream the first single off Crocodile, "Give Up and Die."
Above, you can watch the vid for Tahiti's new song featuring Pikahsso, called "Next 2 Me." The track was made available on iTunes earlier this week, according to Idol Records head honcho Erv Karwelis.
Expect the two to perform the song when they take the stage tonight at Double Wide. More weekend picks to come later.
And while I'm givin' love to other blogs, check out Cindy Chaffin's post. on tonight's an upcoming Deep Ellum town hall with the mayor. All the important info is there. It also looks as though Cindy has pulled her son into the blogging world; he offers some all-ages weekend picks here.
Here's a li'l bonus: After our coffee talk, I made Eric spill the beans (I hate myself right now) about Midlake's new album, which it's been recording in its studio near the Square in Denton.
Q: What does you guys' daily recording schedule look like?
A: People are there all day. We'll have shifts of a few of us working on something in the morning, and then [lead singer] Tim [Smith] will will do his vocals in the afternoon. And sometimes we're all in there if we're doing live tracking. It varies. But when we track something live, we have to do it at night because there aren't as many car sounds from outside.
Q: How does recording as a band compare to playing on stage for you?
A: The recording process can be a beating for us. Trying to create something better than the last time, and get these sounds we're going for. We're engineering it ourselves, so it's pressure to try and capture the magic sometimes.
Q: And what can we expect, musically, from the new one?
A: I think it's closer to the last album than that one was to the first. We've taken on a more British folk influence, whjch is a bit darker sometimes than maybe the American influences on Trials. Seeing that we're not done, though, it's hard to say how it will turn out. But Tim is still influenced by people like Jimmy Spheeris and Jethro Tull.
Q: What made you guys decide to stop recording in the old Midlake house and build a new studio?
A: We've always done it in one of our homes, and it became more difficult as we got older, because we'd moved to different places and some of us had started families. So we thought we needed a neutral location. The Panhandle House owns a complex in Denton, and they had an open space available there that they weren't using. So we offered up the idea of making the space our studio, and letting them have it as a B room whenever we were done. And they were into it.
Q: Do you feel you guys have settled into the new space?
A: It's a good vibe there. It's so much better than just walking into a living room. That got so old, to make two albums there and then have to live there too. [Laughs.]
Q: Has having the studio so close to the Square helped you become a bigger part of the Denton music community?
A: I think we're all cognizant of what's going on in Denton, and feeling more a part of Denton as we get older. There's definitely a sense of pride and an organic musical family that exists within the community. The people that are part of it have grown their bands together, and play on each other's stuff. You look at it and think, "This is a really cool thing, and I'm glad to be part of it."
Since I didn't have room to highlight a lot of weekend shows in today's Liner Notes:
TONIGHT
Club Dada: Looks as though Salim Nourallah is the resident artist at the double da this month. He's playing weekly starting with a gig tonight. Also on the bill are the Cut-Off (I listen to "Black Market Value" daily, but that's neither here nor there) and the Felons.
Double Wide: Wanz Dover will deliver minimalist techno as Blixaboy, and New York's The Rape Ape will add a little hip-hop flair to the night's mix.
Double Wide: Dallas band the Backsliders dropped their CD You're Welcome on Tuesday, and the players will introduce the new material to a crowd at this show. Good, poppy stuff.
Get up early and go to Allison V. Smith's yard sale. She has it every year with many friends, and there's always choice stuff. 6026 Goliad Ave.
Barley House: Ryan Thomas Becker and Grady Sandlin say goodbye to their old band, Sunday Drive, with one last set. Then they'll step into their new roles as bandmates of the great George Neal as the Slow Burners take the stage. This is must-see -- trust me.
Hailey's: Denton strikes again, with a homecoming show for Dust Congress. If you've never heard frontman Nick Foreman do his thing, check out the song "Lynx" on the MySpace. Uh-mazing.
That's all I can dig up for now. Fill me in, folks, if I missed somethin'.
The split is real, according to member Pikahsso, who was the first of the group to respond to my queries this morning. Pikahsso didn't want to lay out all the dirty details, but he provided a bit of insight into why he, Tahiti and Picnic will no longer operate as a trio.
"It's all love between us. There's no beef," the rapper said on the phone early this morning. "We all just have a whole lot of stuff jumpin' off. Picnic is pretty busy doing production for other artists. Tahiti and I will still perform together, but we both have solo stuff going, too.
"It was just getting to the point where we all wanted to do our own thing. Yeah, it's a nick in something we'd built up a lot lately with the Denglish album and everything we'd been doing. And it kinda caught me off guard," he said. "But nobody can put full blame on any one of us. Artists just need managers to help them through things like this, and we were relying too much on ourselves. You learn from it."
Member and man-behind-the-beats Picnic echoes Pikahsso's comments, but paints a less rosy picture of the situation.
"Over time with all of us, some resentment built up," Picnic said in a phone chat. "We -- mostly Tahiti and myself -- had some difference in opinion about the direction of the group. I have mad respect for both those guys, but I felt at some points that the respect wasn't returned.
"So I finally voiced my concerns, and while I expected them to be all, 'Let's talk it over,' they were basically like, 'We feel the same way.' So that was unfortunate. I didn't really want PPT to be done, but it is what it is."
Although Tahiti and Picnic have had a few unkind public words with each other of late in the DFW Hiphop thread, Tahiti was a lot more tight-lipped on the phone this afternoon. He did remember events differently than Picnic, though.
"He's making it seem like we had beef, but I saw him four times after our CD release show, and there was never a word said about him wanting to leave the group," Tahiti said. "We've actually still never talked about it to this day. Everything he did was relayed to me through Pikahsso."
The news of the split is shocking, not just when you think of the press coverage and fanfare welcoming Denglish's release in April, but when you consider the camaraderie and artistic vision the three members shared. These guys finished each other's sentences. When they weren't talking old-school music or brainstorming, they were always jokin' around. It was sometimes hard to keep up.
But Picnic says things started to sour between Tahiti and himself the week after Denglish came out.
"I busted my ass on that record, and wanted it to be something that we all could be proud of. But I just felt like I wasn't being included on some decisions and important discussions," he said.
"All respect to Tahiti -- I love what he does -- but I just don't know where his head is at. We haven't talked. I'm definitely open to talking, but it's all up in the air."
According to Pikahsso, the friendships aren't beyond repair. "I still talk to both of them all the time."
But does he hold out hope for a PPT reunion in the future?
"You never can say never. Anybody can be stubborn for a while. But, in case you haven't noticed, I like to rock. And any time I get a chance to rock, you know I'm gonna do it."
Pikahsso and Tahiti said they'll play the shows they'd already signed up to play as PPT before the split, but that nothing is certain after that.
Tahiti says he is just thankful for the time that PPT had to do what it did. "I'm 40 years old, and just the fact that I was able to do that is amazing. Rap is a young man's game.
"We were all individuals before PPT, and the group helped elevate us all. We definitely don't want that to go to waste."
Saturday will serve as the last hurrah for the current incarnation of Denton music-'n'-stuff store Strawberry Fields. After that, the owners will be moving out of the colorful West Oak building, and getting the new location next to Rubber Gloves ready for action.
But the sad part of this whole move thing is that we have to say goodbye to those fun-as-hell, all-day in-stores. The new digs just won't accommodate 'em. So the guys at SF are planning something epic for their last night of noisemakin'.
Starting at around 1 p.m. Saturday, several acts that have performed at the store before (or appeared on its very fine Denton Deluxe compilations) will play, hang out, drink beer and eat barbecue. Although the lineup doesn't appear to be completely set, it looks as though Daniel Folmer, New Science Projects, Fight Bite, Drink to Victory, Ella Minnow and Deep Snapper all have slots. (Sorry if some of these have dropped out -- I can't get anybody from SF on the damn phone)
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