Headlights Wildlife Preview

Reading that the new Headlights album was a "struggle" and that the band had scrapped their previous studio work on the album and started over again was a bit disheartening. Especially since the band was saying it was a darker album... I was a bit hesitant when listening to the new album.

While the album still employs similar sensibilities of Some Racing, Some Stopping it's still enough for fans of the group to easily latch onto the record. However, where Some Racing, Some Stopping had an upbeat, summer time feeling running throughout the album, Wildlife goes into the opposite direction as their fall album.

The album isn't a bummer, but, it's definitely a chillout album. Gone are the hopeful tones of dual singers Erin Fein and Tristan Wraight, replaced by mid-to-down-tempo numbers that reflect the difficult times they faced while recording Wildlife.

Again, that isn't to say the album is a downer. "I Don't Mind At All" and lead single "Get Going" reflect the tone of the album has the poppy sound you've come to expect from Headlights, the lyrics and vocals just don't sound too happy.

Headlight will play Denton's Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio November 19.

MP3: Headlights - Get Going

[pre-order album]

I'm Jumpin' On That Train

Yep, I'm a little late on this one, but, it's better late than never, right? At the pre-party last week at the Granada while I was talking to Cory (and his sweet 'stache) from SubEx RTB2 were the band playing when I walked into the place. I was immediately enthralled by their crunchy take on rock. They have the raw energy of Deadboy and The Elephantmen that will punch you in the gut and enough energy to give The Black Keys a run for their money, and they have the loud-quiet-loud thing down to where Frank Black would put down his sandwich long enough to take notice.

MP3: RTB2 - When Hammer Hits Stone

Yeah, They Local

When it comes to an artist who has been doin' work don't look anywhere other than Denton's Robert Gomez. The man seems like he's constantly working: record label owner, solo artist and trusty sideman to local musicians. Despite not being a household name he's been featured as NPR's "Song of The Day" and an instrumental version of his song "Hunting Song" was featured on David Byrne's website.

His new album Pine Sticks and Phosphorus has been in a steady rotation around here lately. He has a bit of the California late sixties folk sound, a little bit. It's not the straight up sound of The Mamas and The Papas, but the influence seems to be everywhere on the album. "On This Day" is just as sweet as it is joyful and haunting. It's indicative of what you find throughout his third album, dreamy indie-pop.

Gomez will play City Tavern in Dallas on July 11 as one of the stops on a nationwide tour.

[purchase album]

MP3: Robert Gomez - On This Day

School of Seven Bells In Denton!

I found out today that School of Seven Bells is finally coming to...Denton?  I really, really, really wish a promoter in Dallas would have brought SVIIB to Dallas, but, Denton seems to get more indie bands--so what can you do, no?  It really has more to do with that I don't want to drive all the way to Denton to see a show.  But, I've been wanting to see a show at Hailey's and I think this one may actually pop my lil' D cherry.  

6/3/09 - Denton, TX @ Hailey's

MP3:  School of Seven Bells - Chain

Live Spoon In Denton!!

It's a cold, cold day her in The D and days like this lend themselves to searching for random shiz on the world wide interweb. So, I found this little gem while looking for something else: Spoon bootleg from right here in the DdFW are circa 2002. It's a live taping of their show at September 10, 2002 at Rubber Gloves up north there in Denton. If I'm not mistaken this is pre-O.C., so, they were popular, but, not among the SMU crowd yet.

I'm a bigtime fan of this band, so, the best part for me is the one-two-three...four (!) punch of songs off Series of Sneaks that I've yet to hear the handfull of times I've seen them live.

You can get the show here, along with a boat load more from many, many artists.

Setlist:
1. Intro
2. Something To Look Forward To
3. Me & the Bean
4. Take A Walk
5. Lines in The Suit
6. 30 Gallon Tank
7. Metal Detektor
8. Utilitarian
9. Minor Tough
10. Everything Hits At Once
11. The Way We Get By
12. Paper Tiger
13. Someone Something
14. All The Pretty Girls Go To City
15. I Could See The Dude
16. Fitted Shirt
17. Anything You Want
18. Jonathon Fisk
19. Chicago At Night
20. Car Radio
21. Waiting For The Dude

I Don't Want To Get Off on a Rant Here...

How does Austin get two music festivals a year and the DFW metroplex gets nothing? Austin has the Fun Fun Fun Festival and the totally righteous Austin City Limits Festival.

Dallas, Denton and Ft. Worth all have good local bands. Can't a promoter somewhere find a way to encompass the best band of these three cities and get some major acts to throw a party? Last year Ft. Worth had the Wall of Sound Festival that was mad decent, but poorly attended. Can't they bring that festival closer to Dallas and Denton? I mean, if fucking Pryor, Oklahoma can get a festival why can the Metroplex? I mean surely we could have something to get the dude in the abover picture excited, right?

Please, someone take up this cause. I would, but, I don't be havin' no clout in the biz.

Mom

It seems as though Denton is really becoming the “Austin North” that Stillwater, OK claims to be with it’s rich Red Dirt sound. Considering Centro-Matic, Midlake and the recently disbanded Ghosthustler all have roots there that really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

But Mom, an electronic folk group from Little D, has one of the most soul stirring songs I’ve come across in quite a while. The group consists of Joel North and Bruce Blay, two UNT students. They use a lot of electronic equipment, sequencers, loops, samplers, to come up with their sound. It’s instrumental music you could give the parental units and you can both enjoy it. The Dallas Observer had a nice little piece on them recently, you can check it out here.

If you’re a fan of The Weepies or Wye Oak then you’ll like Mom.

Mom - Skipping Stones (mp3)