Album Review: Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh

On the piano-driven interlude “Agitation” off of Erykah Badu’s new album New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh, she sings “Going through a thang now/Finna pull this thang out/but it’s against the law…”.  When hearing this, one’s mind immediately goes to Badu’s recent video in which she strips naked on the streets of downtown Dallas and pretends to be shot at the very spot JFK was assassinated 47 years ago.  The video not only got her a $500 citation from the Dallas Police Department, but it also garnered world-wide attention and made her the music story of the week.  While I’m sure the video is an artistic statement about the artist bearing her soul to the world, or about how we must all cast off the shackles of convention in order to find true freedom, it’s also a brilliant piece of marketing.

And, any publicity is good publicity, right?  Well, that depends on whether or not the product can back it up and prove to be a worthy pay off.

Return of the Ankh comes after a couple of difficult albums from Badu.  2003’s World Wide Underground seemed more interested in ideas than songs, and even though it’s ten tracks spanned upwards of fifty minutes, it was promoted as an E.P so as not to confuse her audience that this was some serious statement.  2008’s New Amerykah Pt. 1: 4th World War was more accessible with its harder beats and deeper pockets, but its grittier tone and hard-hitting political messages were still a far cry from her single-laden debut Baduizm.

But, does Return of the Ankh match the hype?  Yes, mostly.  In fact, at times, it matches her best work.  “Window Seat”, for which the offending video was made, is a taylor-made hit single reminiscent of “On and On”, and “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” is a funky groove that adds a bit of Badu’s patented levity to the record in the same vein as “Tyrone”.  Her sense of humor also shines on the 11-minute finale, “Out My Mind, Just In Time” as her calls to a lover turn to cries of self-pity: “I’d lie for you/and cry for you…Poor Badu/uuuuhhhhhOOOOOOOO!”.

Other tunes, like “Umm Hmm” and “Love” provide excellent filler material; in fact, the album never seems to drag, it just coasts along on Badu’s charm and air-right arrangements.

While Badu’s eccentricities shine through at times, it’s not always to the benefit of the music.  On the aforementioned final piece’s second movement and in “Fall In Love (Your Funeral)”, the rhythm is scrambled by a rambling bass or a kick that plays too far ahead of the beat.  In both cases, the effect ruins the listeners ability to sink into the pocket, and to be honest, creates an overall feeling of anxiety.  As smooth as she can be at times, Badu doesn’t always seem interested in making her listeners comfortable.

While I don’t know if it’s a tag she ever put upon herself, Badu has always been thrown into the “neo-soul” camp.  The very name suggests referencing the past as accurately as possible as the goal, not necessarily innovating.  To this end, Return of the Ankh is a success; it sounds very much like other good soul/R&B albums, including her own best work.  So successful, in fact, that it would have been a hit even without Badu dropping her panties in public.

Sherilyn Segrest: Into The Light

Art is as much about personal discovery as it is personal expression.  Fort Worth singer/songwriter Sherilyn Segrest knows this as much as anyone.  She’s mostly remembered as part of the band Deadman, where she supported frontman Steven Collins in music and in life.  But after their marriage broke up, Segrest found herself alone in the spotlight for the first time.  That exciting fresh start in her personal life didn’t necessarily carry over to her artistic life.

“I really loved Deadman’s music,” Segrest says, “but that was not an environment in which I was writing songs.”  She was, however, a vital part of the band’s sound.  Her sultry-yet-spooky backing vocals and Lanois-laced keys and omnichord set the band’s tone as much as Steven’s brooding and spiritually tinged lyrics.  But, she lacked the confidence to contribute anything more to Deadman.  “I was unsure of myself or that I had anything to add in a world so full of songs,” She says.  “I lacked the confidence and encouragement to write.”

Sherilyn left the band, the recording studio and coffee shop they had opened in Central Texas, and the marriage, and returned to North Texas to start over.  She found an apartment, “the type one lives in when [one] goes through a divorce,” and began working on songs.  Although she would sometimes practice the songs on the grand piano in her building’s lobby, she was still too nervous to branch out further than that.  “I felt immensely shy about reconnecting with the Dallas music scene after my divorce,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I had any musician friends left.”

She had no problem making new friends, though.  She was soon approached by Fort Worth’s Telegraph Canyon, and ended up playing keyboards for them for a year.  That year was instrumental in Segrest regaining her confidence and being reminded of how much she missed performing.  This new-found confidence also led to continued growth as a songwriter.  “I was starting over in so many ways in my life in those days, and I found for the first time that songwriting filled me with such joy and satisfaction,” she says.  After leaving Telegraph Canyon, the next step was to record.  “I knew for me to connect with music,” she says, “I really want to explore the songs I had been writing on my own.”

According to all involved, the studio experience couldn’t have gone better. “Recording went very much how i think classic sessions went,” says drummer Grady Sandlin. “Some things were still uneasy or unfinished-sounding at rehearsal. Once we started rolling and listening back, discussing parts with [producer Justin Collins], it really started to groove…It was effortless.” Collins concurs: “She’s no stranger to the [studio] environment…Even though I hadn’t worked with Sherilyn before, the atmosphere during the session was completely relaxed.”

The result is her new E.P., Through The Night.  It’s also the result of her re-entering the North Texas music community.  Recorded at the notable Denton studio Echo Lab and featuring Sandlin’s RTB2 cohort Ryan Thomas Becker, it’s a powerful record that serves a southern-fried helping of Emmylou Harris-style Americana mixed with Nina Simone-infused soul.

While only five songs, Through The Night is a thorough document of Segrest’s new life.  The E.P. begins with “Saddest Song”, a ballad about how music might serve as therapy, how “the pen could help me heal/that somehow it would seem less real”, but ultimately, “those words just made me cry”.  “Marilee” is similarly about a woman looking for meaning, a “spark she can’t replace”, while the singer pleads with with Marilee to stay so she could help Marilee through her troubled time.

There are more hopeful, uplifting parts of the record as well.  “Because Of You” is a rollicking, soulful tune about finding hope and direction, and “West Wind” finds the singer guided by an unseen force moving through her life.  The finale, “Comfort Me”, is a call to the healing power of music, of Melody, to make one whole again.

Ultimately, this album acknowledges Good, and strives to connect, or re-connect, to it.  It’s an oblation in thanksgiving, that “Because of You” the singer’s spirit is revived.  Music is the sanctifying element on Through The Night, the source of grace and renewal that can take a broken person and make her whole again.

And Sherilyn insists that she is renewed.  She has journeyed though a period of isolation and self-doubt and emerged all the stronger for it.  “These days,” she says, “I’m feeling strong and so much more sure.”  As her calendar fills up with gigs and Through The Night racks up accolades, the future is nothing if not bright. “This is where I am now,” Segrest says, “on the other side of a dark night, awake and ready to start a new day.”

Kevin Roden: Thinking, Drinking, and Fighting for the Good

This article originally appeared on MyDentonMusic.

You won’t see Kevin Roden headlining any of the local venues. While he occasionally drums (and is secretly an incredible keyboardist), his “scene” is more far-reaching than any one particular clique.

Roden has been the long-time host of “Drink and Think”, a regular discussion group that addresses philosophical and cultural issues by examining modern topics. He is also the curator of ThinkDenton.com, a website that covers local news from NX35 to upcoming elections. He even hosts house concerts by local and national artists, one of which provided the first public announcement of the NX35 Flaming Lips concert.

While this website is called MyDentonMusic, we know there is much more to this scene than the music. There is a unique community and culture that allows such an artistically-minded scene to not just exist, but to flourish. MDM recently contacted Kevin Roden to discuss this unique community, to learn more about his various projects, and to get his views on local events.

MyDentonMusic: Where did the idea of Drink and Think come from, and how long have you been doing them?

Kevin Roden: When I was living in Bruce Hall as a college student, my roommate and I started a weekly discussion event called “The Thought Forum”.  We’d buy pizzas and invite all the “lobby lizards”, as we called them – these were the folks who would hang out in the Bruce lobby for hours on end with seemingly no motivation to do anything else, but who always seemed to have an opinion on everything.  We would pose a question on topics such as religion, philosophy, and the meaning of life and let the discussion go from there.
Upon graduation, this idea morphed into a forum open for anyone who was interested in reading some good literature and discussing over a meal.  This is where I realized the benefits of combining alcohol with conversation – and I mean that in a serious way.  Drinking is inherently a social activity and it has a tendency to bring people together.  Practically speaking, it loosens people up to discuss and explore ideas.  Philosophically speaking, any proper discussion ought to be aimed at drawing the individual into the divine realm of thought, where beauty and goodness is discovered.  There is an aesthetic drive underlying good conversation, and the aesthetics of fine drink is absolutely necessary for tapping into this.  This is why [my wife] Emily and I insist on providing beer and wine free of charge for our guests – it is our charitable contribution to the cultural thinking of Denton.  But I digress…
Drink and Think took its current form when we lived on Fry Street and began inviting grad student friends and professors – this was back in 2001.  Since we bought our house on Texas Street in 2005, the space allowed for our vision to expand.

MDM: What are some recent topics of Drink and Think?

KR: We did a series on politics during the Fall 2008 Presidential Election, all leading up to a raucous election night party.  From that we went into less controversial topics like the existence of God and the meaning of life.  Last fall we were fortunate to host Mayor Burroughs and former city councilman Mike Cochran in a discussion on what it means to be Denton.  In October we had a great discussion on the place of the arts in our life and culture, which happened to be the thrust behind the NX35 discussion on “Is Midlake Better than Miley Cyrus?”

MDM: You seem to use a Drink and Think topic as lure to get to bigger questions.  Do you find that attendees are surprised by the nature of the conversations and the turns they take?

KR: You’re on to me…  We live in a soundbyte culture where our opinions about the most meaningful of topics can generally be boiled down to a bumper sticker on the back of a car.  So much in our culture is blocking our ability to apply serious reflection to enduring human questions: TV, the political rhetoric of our day, the internet, etc.  So I will often tap into this with outrageous sounding topics that will catch someone’s attention – I want people to be interested and brought to the table.  This is also the realm of our opinions and, though it is not the ultimate goal to stay there, it is certainly a good starting point to exploring many of these questions.  Sometimes people are surprised or perhaps disappointed (“I was hoping for a real fight over the question of Midlake and Miley,” someone expressed to me after the NX35 discussion).  But because it is so rare when people can gather in social settings with a beer in hand and be challenged to think about big ideas, I find most people see it as refreshing and needed.
MDM: Why are these big ideas important?

KR: These bigger questions are important precisely because our answers to them are fundamental to the way we view the world.  In a very real sense, most of us already have “answers” to these questions in the form of opinions that we have picked up along the way.  Any educated, cultured person (of the type that all these artsy hipster folks in town pretend to be) spends serious time reflecting on these questions – it’s a life-long pursuit.  Any great work of art, literature, music, religion, societal movement, and even governments have these big questions at the heart of them.  If I haven’t been turned on to the big questions, I will not know how to make sense of the history of art or music, I will not know what to look for in a religion, I won’t be able to judge the merits of a social crusader (and definitely won’t become one myself), and I’ll fall for any form of government that comes my way.  So yes, I guess they are kind of important.  I wish we could channel all the hipster culture in town who pride themselves in appearing cultured into making them really cultured – we could changed the world.  How did I get on to this hipster topic?

MDM: You serve on the Denton Historic Landmark Commission, and are working closely with debates leading up to local elections.  What made you want to get involved with local politics?

KR: I’ve always been a political junky and watch CNN and MSNBC like its my ESPN – I know the players, the rules, the moves, and love the drama.  I’ve typically been bored with local politics because it rarely pricks at our sense of justice in the way that national politics does.  But as I began to grew roots in town, bought a house, and had a kid, I started to realize that what the walk was like on the way to the downtown square was perhaps more important to the development of my daughter’s soul than anything happening in Washington.  By that I mean I began to see questions like this as important: are her surroundings filled with beauty or chaos and why does this matter?  How can she see her mom and dad pursuing justice for the less fortunate in our own neighborhood?  What sort of educational environment will she grow up in?  Can she safely ride her bike to and from the park?  I began to realize that local issues are the most important to our everyday life – the role of city politics all of sudden became interesting to me and I wanted to educate myself and get involved for the betterment of the community.
MDM: Tell me about Interviews in the Attic.

KR: We are cursed with a single news source in town.  Denton RC does a good job, but they are limited.  I felt that the Denton citizenry needed an opportunity to explore city life and issues in a more comprehensive and in-depth way that can’t be conveyed in a short newspaper article.  At the same time, I wanted to utilize new media, in this case video and the internet, in order to reach a more younger demographic in town.  There is so much passion, talent, and creativity among this demographic and it is my goal to get them informed and involved so that our great city can gain from what they have to offer.  So I’ve marched all the current city council candidates up to my restored attic for a little Q and A.  We’ll see where it goes from here.

MDM: Between the election, downtown development, etc., what is the biggest issue/challenge facing Denton?

KR: The biggest challenge by far is the economy.  We are projected to have a 4-5 million dollar a year revenue shortfall each year for the next few years.  That means that there are going to have to be cuts and there are going to have to be creative ideas of drawing good businesses into town.  The downtown area plan along with the coming DCTA train from Dallas is about to attract a lot of interest in development in Denton – that is good.  Our city will need to figure out how to do this in a way that enhances and doesn’t detract from our cultural and historic assets.  We don’t need to tear down any more Fry Streets or Rayzor Ranches to make this happen.

MDM: On ThinkDenton.com, you write about the decline of the newspaper being caused, in part, by an over-dependence of syndicated content and an abandonment of local coverage.  Do you think this is a cause, or a symptom, of independent media sources (like ThinkDenton.com and MyDentonMusic.com), and do you think these additional resources add clutter or clarity to the greater conversation over local issues?

KR: Worldwide, there’s a lot of clutter clogging the internet and the user has difficulty wading through the mess and knowing what is reputable.
In a local setting, however, these independent sources are invaluable.  People know me and my reputation will either be an asset or liability to how people view thinkdenton.com.  I love that I can walk into a bar and talk to someone who read something on the site.  I even love that I can walk into that same bar and someone can ball me out for saying something they disagree with – it’s the beauty of local accountability.  I want to get the city thinking and it’s my hope that thinkdenton.com can begin to change the level of discourse and involvement in these issues.  I also don’t have the “burden” of constraining myself to journalistic style or etiquette.  I can freely conjecture – this is good because sometimes a gut reaction to a story is really insightful, but typical journalists must refrain.  Consequently, their coverage can appear dry and unimportant.  The national media has the benefit of having blogs and cable show pundits to explore and vet these gut reactions and they can ultimately follow their leads.

MDM: You’re also somewhat involved with the local music scene. What are some of the events and shows you’ve hosted at your home?

KR: To name a few: Doug Burr, This Old House, Seryn, the Hope Trust, Darcy, The Heartstring Stranglers.  On national level, I hosted a great David Bazan show a couple years back.  Soon I’ll be hosting Will Johnson and Anders Parker to my living room.  Does Danny Masterson count?  He wasn’t there as DJ Momjeans, but he did take a lot of my money in a poker game in my own house!

MDM: You have an article on ThinkDenton.com about NX35 and “The Needed Virtue It Displays”.  Now that there have been two successful NX35 Conferettes, do you still feel the same, and what would you say is the biggest contribution/success that came from it?

KR: I just got out of an interview with the mayor and he only had wonderful things to say about how important NX35 and our music scene is for the town.  What I was hoping to convey from that article is that great works like this can come from ordinary citizens dreaming big and working hard, all for the sake of making Denton a better place to live.  I think great works inspire other great works, so to me the example of someone pulling something of this magnitude off inspires everyone to perhaps do the same.

MDM: What is the unifying theme for you that ties together your participation in local government and your participation and support of something seemingly unrelated like NX35 or the local arts and music scene?

KR: The intellectual and cultural life of Denton is our most important asset as a city – it can’t be fabricated or created.  Plano can’t wake up tomorrow and decide to be a cultural leader in North Texas, it’s simply not in its soil and it’s not in its soul.  I’d encourage everyone to read Brian Daskam’s proposed fight between CS Lewis and Richard Florida on this very topic on thinkdenton.com because I think he could say it much better than I.  But in short, when you have something this beautiful and this precious, yet also this fragile, it’s worth protecting and it’s worth fighting for in a town facing significant growth and change.

ODYSSEY Call It Quits. Sorta.

Denton space-folkies ODYSSEY are calling it quits.  Sorta.  The news spread via Twitter and Facebook with announcements of a “Final Show” to take place on April 1st at Rubber Gloves.

But, while most bands cite personality conflicts or artistic differences when discussing their demise, ODYSSEY’s reason isn’t quite as serious, or permanent.

“There were never any problems or differences as far as us 5 go,” says singer Ryan McAdams; “I couldn’t think of any other people that I would rather play with more.”  But, if it’s not a personnel issue, why call it quits? “[We] couldn’t get the copywrite for ODYSSEY”, admitted guitarist Kennon Talley.

This is the second time the band has run into legal issues with its name.  Just weeks ago, they had to change their name from This Old House after being contacted by representatives who, Talley says, “let us know they were aware of us”.  They chose ODYSSEY as the new name to avoid legal action, but are now having to drop ODYSSEY for similar reasons.  ”We were approached by several individuals about both names that we were using,” confirms McAdams.

While ODYSSEY may be finished as a band name, the musicians aren’t finished with each other.  This move is as much about a young band still finding it’s identity as it is about legal issues.

“As far as This Old House and ODYSSEY go, thats all over with. As far as the band members Drew, Michael, Kennon and Jim and I go, we are not done,” says McAdams. “I think us 5 have become very comfortable playing with each other but no longer are creating the same music that This Old House was associated with.”

Considering they’ve only been together for about one year, this growth is to be expected.  But, rest assured, we haven’t heard the last of this group, whatever their name is.  Talley says, “The plan is to play the last few shows we have booked as ODYSSEY, take a break to record, then come back under a different name and release the recordings.”

Sunday at NX35: How NOT to Build a Bill

Photos by Bryan Schultze.

There’s a generally accepted method for constructing a concert bill.  You normally want to start with a small, obscure, or lesser band and build from there, with each subsequent band getting better, bigger, and more popular.  Anticipation will build, until the headliner finally takes the stage to the audience’s screams of adoration and release.

At least, that’s how it should go.  Unfortunately, the final night of NX35 found Hailey’s with a fundamentally flawed bill.

Austin’s Follow That Bird! started the night with a bang.  The power trio immediately had the growing audience’s attention thanks to their good songs and singer/guitarist Lauren Green’s Chrissie Hynde-cum-PJ Harvey vocals.  It’s amazing that someone so tiny can produce such a powerful and commanding sound.  Along with a more-than-competent rhythm section – Tiffanie Lanmon on drums and Mitchell Tellstrom on bass – Green powered through a riveting set that pulled from their e.p. and 10” vinyl release, and their track from last year’s Casual Victim Pile compilation.  They should be back in Denton in June to play with Tre Orsi. You should be there to see them.

After the rousing start, the night ran into some turbulence.  Pomegranates, from Cincinnati, OH, were next.  It’s not that Pomegranates were bad; on the contrary, they’re a pretty good band, and well represent good ol’ indie guitar pop.  When a band fits into a particular genre so thoroughly, though, it takes a band’s ideas lift it above the other bands in that genre; it can’t be done through a band’s sound.  Pomegranates haven’t the ideas to lift them above most other indie-guitar-pop bands; they’re good, if not particularly memorable.

If Pomegranates provided Sunday’s set a couple of bumps, Jookabox grabbed the emergency brake and pulled as hard as they could.  They provided tons of pulsating, droning drums, and lots of grating keyboards, too.  Oh, and they had tons of effects on their vocals, which was incredibly annoying 25 years ago when the Butthole Surfers did it.  It still is.  Too bad they couldn’t mix in a song or two.

So, what should have been a gradual ramping up of anticipation for the headliners turned into a chore.  It was especially frustrating to see the endless stream of texts and tweets describing the apparently life-changing set The Middle East was putting on over at Dan’s.  Finally, though, The Walkmen took the stage to a packed house, leaving 70+ people in line outside of Hailey’s.

The Walkmen’s set was mostly a subdued affair.  Playing mostly songs from 2008’s You & Me, like “On The Water” and “In The New Year”, along with 3-4 brand new, and pretty similar-sounding, songs that which were to be recorded with The Paper Chase’s John Congleton the following day.  Of course, some fan favorites were thrown in as well, like “The Rat”, to get the energy flowing at times.  But, considering their recording the next day, and the fact that they didn’t bother to bring any merchandise with them, indicated that perhaps they weren’t entirely invested in their show at Hailey’s.  No matter, it was still a solid performance, which brought to a close a rather uneven night.

NX35 Review: Hogpig at RGRS

Photos by Bryan Schultze.

Hogpig played Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios Saturday as part of NX35, their second recent reunion show in the past few months.  Although they broke up a couple of years ago, they hardly missed a beat as they ripped through their 40-minute-long set.

Hogpig started with “Heatcar,” the first track off 2007’s Hold Back the Curse, and didn’t look back.  They played almost every song from their two releases, Curse and 2003’s Le Porc Du Porc.  The ebbs and flows of the brilliant riffs caused screams and fist pumps in some, but other could only laugh in disbelief at the incredible display.

The highlight of their set was “F*ck You, Mike Love”, in which singer/bassist Ian Johnson put Beach Boy Mike Love in his place, announcing that “We like you, Carl Wilson. We like you Dennis Wilson.  We like you Al Jardine. We like you, Glen Campbell. But F*CK YOU MIKE LOVE!”  It took Hogpig to say what we’re all thinking.

Drummer Colin Carter was the real star, completely owning what writer Joe Carducci calls “Heavy”.  He laid down a foundation that would make John Bonham proud, punishing the kick so hard the the pedal broke after only one song, causing a pause while another could be found.

It’s a shame this could be their final show ever, as they serve as a perfect palate-cleanser to wash away the artifice of some of the more heavy-handed or forced bands in the scene.

Yes, The Flaming Lips Really Played Denton, TX: An Off-The-Cuff Reaction Masquerading as Journalism

This piece originally appeared in MyDentonMusic.

If you’re reading a write-up of the NX35 Flaming Lips/Midlake/Stardeath and the White Dwarfs show in MyDentonMusic, you were probably there. But, for the sake of posterity, and because we have to write something about it, here’s an off-the-cuff run-down:

- The North Texas Fairgrounds were not filled to capacity and probably didn’t reach the attendance estimates (official numbers aren’t available yet), but there were easily 10,000 people there. There’s no way this could have happened on Hickory St. as originally planned. Was it the “set-back” many thought when the move from the Square to the Fairgrounds was announced? No way in hell.

- Stardeath and the White Dwarf were pretty good. They sound a LOT like The Flaming Lips. They opened and closed their set with covers (Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf” and Madonna’s “Borderline”, respectively) and played material from their debut album, The Birth, which has a cover that looks a LOT like a cover to a Flaming Lips album. Oh, and singer Dennis Coyne is the nephew of the Lips’ Wayne Coyne. Note to young bands: if possible, become related to a rock star. It’s good for your career.

- Yeah, Midlake is good. For many Dentonites, it was their first time to see the band, even though they’ve been around almost 10 years now. For others, it had been a long time. Either way, it was long overdue, as they’re simply fantastic. Hopefully, they have another “homecoming” show in them when their touring for The Courage of Others winds down.

- Most of the songs in Midlake’s set were augmented from the originals. This usually just meant longer intros. But other times, the changes were much more dramatic. “Roscoe” became more guitar driven, instead of piano driven. “Young Bride” featured a droning harpsichord introduction. “Head Home” was turned into a blistering rocker.

- Every note Midlake played embarrassed Pitchfork more and more.

- The Flaming Lips are good. To paraphrase an old saying about the Grateful Dead, there’s NOTHING like a Flaming Lips show.

- Instead of animal costumes, the Lips had people dressed as dinosaurs, inflatable characters, and, apparently, extras from Yo Gabba Gabba.

- Despite some hiccups, Wayne Coyne simply would not let the evening be a downer. It like he was trying to will it to be. He seemed as dedicated to the spirit of NX35, to what it means to Denton as anyone, although he has no reason to. His spirit and sincerity is inspiring.

- The Lips have a lot in common with NX35 Keynote Speaker Steve Albini. Both have made a living off of fringe philosophies and world views where most others couldn’t. For Albini, it’s a purely authentic punk/D.I.Y ethic that has permeated every facet of his personal and professional life. For the Lips, it’s the particularly psychedelic, Dionysian rock-and-roll fantasy where true freedom and happiness resides in tossing off civilized humanity and fully embracing pleasure, frivolity, and self-expression. Oh, and if you want a neon-green Flaming Lips hoody, it’ll set you back $45.

- In a recent article in the Dallas Observer, the trials, tribulations, and near collapse of the Conferette are outlined in surprising detail. Evidently, it was a minor miracle that the show happened at all. In fact, according to an unnamed source, Lips management said during deliberations that money isn’t an issue, but that more general concerns still exist: “Wayne just doesn’t want to show up and have the power not turn on.” The power shut off twice during the Flaming Lips set.

The most important part of this whole thing is that it happened. NX35 organizers had a vision, and fought with every fiber of their collective beings to make sure it came to fruition, and it did. And it was a success; it worked. Nothing can take that away.

NX35 Day One

It’s finally here.  After months of planning and meetings, worrying and hand-wringing, NX35 has arrived.  After two successful and well-attended afternoon panels about the Arts in DFW and how to distribute one’s music and a brief, random rain storm, it was time for music.

With too many options from which to choose, this writer decided to begin NX35’s first evening at Rubber Gloves to see Tulsa, OK’s Native Lights.  The band, which features members of Ester Drang and Unwed Sailor, began at an odd time for Rubber Gloves: right when they were scheduled to.

The crowd, which began at about 20, steadily grew as Native Lights worked through their powerful set of melodic vocals and screamingly beautiful guitar-work.  Their material is an interesting blend of mid-tempo Built to Spill mixed with mid-90’s Radiohead, with a little Jesus and Mary Chain thrown in, and their performance was rock-solid.

Afterwards, it was time to hit Jupiter House for Sabra Laval, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that place more full of people.  Sabra was backed by a full band including some main-stay’s of the Denton scene like Baptist Generals’ Ryan Williams on bass and Delmore Pilcrow’s Taylor Sims.  Laval set showcased her moody, yet sultry, blend of folk and chamber pop that mixed equal parts Cat Power and Mazzy Star.

When I saw Sleep Whale at Jupiter House a few months ago, I was surprised how well it worked as a music venue.  Of course, there was about 100 fewer people in the place that night as opposed to last night’s NX35 showcase.  Laval’s music was no match for the chattering crowds congregating around the coffee bar, who distracted from what was an otherwise moving set.

After leaving the crowds at Jupiter House, it was time to get to Dan’s Silverleaf for RTB2 and Carrie Rodriguez.  RTB2’s set marked a return to the very site of their previous NX35 showcase and source of their new live album, In People.  The two-some opened with the epic “When Hammer Hits Stone”, complete with trade-mark jumps and bends that send singer/guitarist Ryan Thomas Becker’s glasses flying.

RTB2 has firmly established themselves as not only the hardest working group in the area, but also one of the best live acts.  Their power lies in how riveting a performance only two people can produce.  Becker has all the elements of a successful performer and artist: power, talent, charisma, and complete lack of predictability.  It’s impossible to take your eyes off of him as he sings, tussles his hair, tugs at his shirt, dances to his solos – all of which is a legitimate reaction of the artist to his art without one shred of artifice.

Dan’s was completely full by the time alt-country songstress Carrie Rodriguez took the stage.  This was one set I was particularly looking forward to, as it was her first trip to Denton, and it appeared that many in attendance were just as excited to see her.  She and her razor-sharp band played for over an hour-and-a-half, and never missed a note.  In fact, that was part of the problem with her set: good enough songs, plenty of talent, but something was missing.

Rodriguez is obviously pulling from other artists like Lucinda Williams and Spyboy-era Emmylou Harris.  In fact, Rodriguez covered Lucinda at one point in her set.  However, Rodriguez lacks the grittiness, the authenticity, of those artists.  Her set was very good, but perhaps too good, too polished.  And while it could be said that she’s just well-rehearsed or road-tested, an inherent authenticity overrides those elements.  They still shine through in artists like Lucinda Williams or Emmylou Harris; it doesn’t shine though with Carrie Rodriguez.

Day Two of NX35 promises more great discussions and more great music.  Artists like Sleep Whale, Sarah Jaffe, Record Hop, and many more are on tap.

Review: Western Giants – Long Live the Live Long Day

This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in the NX35 blog.

One usually shouldn’t judge a book, or an album, by its cover. But, in the case of Western Giants, it’s appropriate. Their artwork acts as a window into each release, revealing a little of what’s to be found inside. For example, the cover of their self-titled debut EP shows an abandoned slab overcome by weeds and neglect, and is as grounded, purposeful, and rough-around-the-edges as the music.

The cover for their new EP, Long Live the Live Long Day, shows an aerial view of a desolate mountain range. It creates a freer, cleaner, yet more isolated, tone for the new collection. Western Giants have penned four songs for this EP just as free, expansive, and open stylistically as the cover image suggests.

Long Live the Live Long Day strips the country-rock conventions of the previous EP in favor for more atmospheric instrumentation and wide-open arrangements that resemble movements more than the standard verse-chorus-verse format. Songs like the title track and “Once We Reach the Other Side” feature Jordan Stephens’ moving Rhodes work and overall hushed delivery, while the second track and the climax of “Park” take the band as close to rock as they get. Throughout, the band sounds like they could be playing your living room, and Kennon Talley’s thin but inviting voice sings like he’s whispering secrets right in your ear.

This different approach finds Western Giants moving enticingly close to other Denton sister bands like ODYSSEY (formerly This Old House) and Seryn, with whom they’ve shared members. These foggy lines shouldn’t imply a lack of identity, but it is interesting that the longer the individual musicians steep, the more the flavors seem to blend. Still, Western Giants show plenty of promise.

The Western Giants’ CD Release show will be Sunday, March 14, 2010, and will offer special artwork for NX35.

Backward/Forward with Sarah Jaffe

“Can I get you guys anything?” The Green House waitress has stopped at our table with  an unusual degree of purpose.  Sarah Jaffe glances over at me with her shocking blue-green eyes, “I’m good. You?”  “No, I’m good.”  The waitress then kneels down and looks at Sarah like she’s been reunited with a long-lost love.  “I’m a really big fan of your music”, she gushes.

It was interesting to witness this because Sarah had just finished telling me about seeing her friends in Midlake in a new light after watching the reaction of their fans overseas.  Like a twist in some Antonioni film, what to her are just friends are so much more in the eyes of others.  I had a similar reaction watching the exchange between Sarah and the waitress.

Jaffe should get used to these types of exchanges, if she’s not already.  After years of playing locally to growing audiences and acclaim, she’s about to celebrate the release of a full-length album, Suburban Nature, and just returned to Denton from a European tour opening for Midlake.  In a couple of weeks, she leaves again on another tour opening for Norah Jones.  Sarah recently sat down with me to discuss these events, and how she got here.

Andy Odom:  Where are you from originally?

Sarah Jaffe: My dad was a basketball coach, so until I was 7 we moved around a lot.  All over the Brownwood area.  I’m not sure if you know where that is; but there’s just a lot of small towns, near the Stephenville area.  My family moved to Red Oak when I was about 7 or 8, and we lived there until I graduated high school.  My parents still live there.   So, when people ask, I usually just say Red Oak.

Do you know where that is?  It’s, like, right before you get to Waxahachie.  When we moved there, there was just a Sonic and a bunch of land.  But, it’s a growing suburb.  Waxahachie is one of my favorite little towns.  The downtown area is a lot like Denton.

AO:  Did you have a musical household growing up?

SJ: My mom has a really pretty alto voice, and she always sang in the church choir.  My dad played the banjo before I was born, and he has a love for bluegrass and celtic music.  I grew up hearing a lot of folk music from my dad, and singing in the choir with my mom.  My love for music probably came from my mom’s side of the family.  My cousins sang, and at any kind of family get-together there was always a guitar.

AO:  So it was just always around…

SJ:  Yeah, yeah, there was always a record playing, and always some underground…adoration of music someplace.

AO:  Was there ever a single moment where it clicked, like “This is it! This is what I want to do!”, or was it a natural progression considering your family?

SJ:  I have no recollection of this, but my parents had a friend from Chile, oddly enough, named Jaime, and when I was three they took me out there and I don’t know what was going on in my three-year-old brain, but the same day I started asking to not wear pink and get high-tops was the same day I also started asking for musical instruments.  (Laughs)

I started asking for little guitars, violins with plastic strings…I got my first real guitar when I was 10.  Anything that was going on musically like music at church or some school event, I wanted to be a part of it.  It was some internal thing that clicked.  I was an awkward child, I think, and that was my thing.  It made me feel comfortable.

AO: Tell me about your new album you’re about to release.

SJ:  Well, it’s been…I think it’s been three years since I released the E.P. (Even Born Again).  Shortly thereafter, not even a full year, I recorded the full-length.  So, it wasn’t the recording that took so long, it was a number of things, finances.  Some of those songs are old.  Like, I wrote or recorded them when I was 17 or 18.  So, I wanted to clean my slate.  I very much wanted to get these songs out before I move on mentally to write more songs.  That was the foundation of the record.  I wanted to bring my old mindset to the songs and get them out.  We recorded them in a week-and-a-half, and mastered it a couple months later.

But, it I wanted to find the wherewithal to do it right.  The E.P. was a good introduction regionally, but I wanted something that could be a national release, and that I could tour with for a year.  So, things are falling into place with going on the road with Midlake and going out with Norah.  It’s working out pretty well.

All those months and months of frustration, I was just trying to fight impulse.  I think it worked in my favor to have that slow progression.  It’s been a blessing in disguise, i think.  I’m glad I didn’t just drop the ball and go home! (Laughs)  And I wanted to do that.  I had this record sitting in my lap for a year.  But, it’s good to have a modest, hard-working label.  I’m glad to be where I am.

AO:  How did the tour with Midlake come about?

SJ:  Actually, shortly after the E.P. a couple of years ago, McKenzie (Smith, Midlake) mentioned taking me out in passing.  They were still working on their record, and I was still honing what I was doing.  When their record came out, it was when mine was just starting to be written about, and I was at Dan’s one night with them expressing my frustration, and how I wanted to get out on the road.  Eric (Pulido, Midlake) said that they all really wanted to take me out.  I had just met Kirtland Records, and that really pushed them to release the album.  After that, it was all about confirmation and it became really real that I was going to tour with one of my favorite bands!

AO:  And do you feel the tour was successful?

SJ:  You know, it was weird.  I know you know them too, but having known them in Denton, but Pulido and McKenzie are like brothers.  They’re buddies.  But in London, they reach celebrity status, ya know?  People are very much in awe of them, and for good reason.  They’re very talented.  But, they’re Denton, you know?  But it was nice to see them how other people see them.

AO:  What was the reaction to your sets?

SJ:  For the most part? (Laughs) There were a couple of weird shows, but I think that was mostly my perception.

AO:  It usually is, though, isn’t it?  (laughs)

SJ: (laughs) Yeah, where you feel like, “You hate me!”  But afterwards, they tell you they liked it, but you still think, “You’ve been giving me a weird look the entire time! What the hell?”  I think overall it was a success.  They welcomed me.  I don’t want to say the crowds are different;  I think people are pretty much the same.  But, there’s a lot of respect.  I think that has to do with the crowd that Midlake brings in; they listen to music.   They were there to see Midlake, and here was their friend opening for them, so they gave me a chance.  It was everything I could ask for for a first European tour.

AO:  I thought you had been over there before!

SJ:  You know, I played the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, but I never went outside of London.

AO:  You know, I remember a couple of years ago you, Robert Gomez, and Baptist Generals played a house show…

SJ: Yes!  On Thomas Street?

AO: Yeah…

SJ: You were there?

AO: Yeah…

SJ:  You know, to this day, that is my absolute favorite show.  I had just moved to Denton six months before, and it was just so charming.  The whole show was so charming.  And, I remember it was so fucking hot!  And all 80 of you were packed in tight. And the fact that it was my house, and all my friends were there, and it was so hot, and everyone was jumping on the trampoline!  But, everyone was so quiet when we  played, it was perfect.

AO:  Well, there was a special guest there that night too.

SJ:  Yes, Miss Norah Jones was there, sitting in the crowd and blending in.  That was the first time I met her.

AO:  Now, is there any connection to that and the upcoming tour?

SJ:  Well, I’m sure it was an introduction.  Robert and Melanie Gomez were friends of hers from her UNT days.  I hung out with her and Melanie afterwards.  She’s just…she’s very much like Midlake to me, just down to earth and doing what she loves.  She’s just a cool girl.  But, I do remember jumping on the trampoline with her and sending a picture to my parents, like, “How many fucking times do you get to jump on a trampoline with Norah Jones?”  But, things are circular like that.  I never would have thought I’d be opening a few shows for her.

AO:  And how did that finally come about?

SJ:  Through Melanie, actually.  She was in Switzerland and Norah went down to ski with her – hard life, right?  So they went skiing, and Melanie played her my new record and Norah mentioned taking me out for a few shows.

When I was in Berlin, I got a call from Melanie about it, then five minutes later I get a text from Norah asking if I would do it.  Internally, I freaked out for about five minutes, then I returned her text: “Yes, very much!”

AO: You mentioned the new record being something you could tour for a year or two.  After the shows with Norah, what’s next?

SJ:  I’m not really sure.  The digital release is April 6th, and the physical release is May 18th, so I think the plan is to be touring around that time and probably a couple months afterwards.  I’d like to tour on-and-off for the next year to support both the album and the E.P.  That’s what I want for that.  I don’t know who I’ll go with, but I do want to take Seryn for a few of those dates.

Then, I’d like to work on the next record.  I’d love to just go down to Marfa and track for a few weeks.  I’m just not creatively able to think that far ahead, because I’m still very much focused on getting this record out there.