2011 Ramble Creek Day Party - 03/18/11

Perhaps my favorite day show from last year, the amazing folks at Ramble Creek Recording Studio will once again be providing a fantastic lineup for their 2011 day party. This year's show includes the talents of a diverse group of bands, including west Texas' own Thrift Store Cowboys and One Wolf. Last year's party was the model of a perfect SXSW day show -- great atmosphere, great music, and great people. See the schedule below and see you there!

The Ashes (Austin, TX) - 12:15pm
One Wolf (Athens, GA/Lubbock, TX) - 12:55
The Georgian Company (Austin, TX) - 1:25pm
Collin Herring (Austin, TX) - 2:05pm
Thrift Store Cowboys (Lubbock, TX) - 2:40pm
Graham Weber (Austin, TX) - 3:25pm
Seryn (Denton, TX) - 4:00pm
Brian Martin (Hot Springs, AR) - 4:55pm
Monahans (Austin, TX) 5:30pm
Telegraph Canyon (Ft Worth, TX) - 6:15pm

Find all the information you need about the show at the Facebook Event Page.

Show poster by Greg Vanderpool.

Thrift Store Cowboys/Driftwood Singers - show preview, 1/7/11

As anyone who has seen this blog has no doubt heard me drag on about, the live music offerings in Midland/Odessa at times leave a bit to be desired, especially after one moves here after living within walking distance of multiple venues bringing in national touring acts. That said, we still get good shows here every so often.

Friday, January 7th, will feature a great lineup of local and national bands at the Pine Box in Midland, TX (510 S. Big Spring St., Midland, TX 79702). Normally a hardcore/metal venue, the Pine Box also occasionally brings in acts outside of those genres, with this show being a perfect example.

Headlining the show will be Los Angeles, CA, americana/folk touring act The Driftwood Singers. This band brings a sound from a different time, reminiscent of the type of band you might have expected to tour across West Texas during the Dust Bowl. I honestly can't find a ton of information about them, but they have gotten some attention from the well-regarded Captain's Dead blog. They also have a digital EP for sale on Bandcamp, where you can also stream most of their songs. As little rain as we've had, you could almost say they are coming back through during another dust bowl, with the primary difference being that in the first Dust Bowl people weren't still leaving their sprinklers on all night.




































Second, a band that I talk about frequently, Lubbock based indie/roots band Thrift Store Cowboys will share the stage. TSC toured the country from September through November in 2010 in support of their amazing new record Light Fighter, so it's nice to be able to catch them back here in West Texas. The band hasn't played Midland/Odessa in some time, so hopefully a few folks still know who they are around here.



















The line-up also features locals Jackson's Lost Cause and Asher Noel. I must admit I appreciate a show like this because I wasn't familiar with either of these artists, but am liking what I hear from them online so far. Who knew that Odessa had anything other than metal bands? I assumed it must, but I didn't really know where they were hiding out.

Jackson's Lost Cause brings a blues influenced rock to the lineup. Check out "If I Could Hide You In My Memories" on his Myspace.







































Asher Noel is an act that one listens to and has an initial thought of "this guy lives in Odessa?" I mean this in a good way, because the songs are well written, but also somewhat off the beaten path with electronic sounds thrown into the mix. Definitely looking forward to hearing him perform live.


























The show starts early, at 7:30 PM, so don't miss out by getting there late. Cover charge is $7, and the show is all ages. Spread the word - we need to support great local shows like this one!

Windfarm 2010 All-America Music Team

In an attempt at doing something other than a traditional "best of 2010" list, I've taken a bit of a different route, and instead, listed my favorite albums in the form of an All-America Team. What you'll find are not necessarily the best musicians at every position, but players from my favorite albums of the year broken out by position. Thus, many great musicians get ignored, although my main concern was including at least someone from each of my favorite albums this year.

Yes, I also know some of these are a stretch, but I couldn't just have 14 first team vocals, so there are a few picks that aren't necessarily full time on the instrument they are assigned to. Next year hopefully I can solicit votes from readers and bloggers alike to get a better compilation for this list.


Most Valuable Musicians
Every member of The National - High Violet

First Team
Vocals: John McCaulley III, Deer Tick - The Black Dirt Sessions
Harmony Vocals: Julie Davis & Joseph Pope III, Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss
Guitar: Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
Bass: Murry Hammond - Old 97s - The Grand Theatre: Part I
Drums: Brian Moen, Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be
Banjo: Munly Munly - Munly & the Lupercalians - Petr & the Wulf; Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Buried Behind the Barn
Keyboard: Benjamin Tanner, Dylan LeBlanc - Pauper's Field
Pedal Steel: Jon Graboff, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - III/IV


Second Team
Vocals: Win Butler, Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Harmony Vocals: Ryan Monroe - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Guitar: Seth Avett, The Avett Brothers - Live Volume 3
Bass: Reid Perry, The Band Perry - self-titled
Drums: Julian Harmon, The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Banjo: Winston Marshall - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Keyboard/Piano: Eric Earley, Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void


All-Texas Team
Vocals: Will Johnson, Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Eyas
Guitar: Daniel Markham, One Wolf - One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf
Pedal Steel: Colt Miller, Thrift Store Cowboys - Light Fighter
Bass: Brooks Kendall, Jr. - Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - The Apology, Part I
Drums: Rob Sanchez, Monahans - 2010 Recordings
Banjo: Glen Farris - Doug Burr - O Ye Devastator
Keyboards: Adi Kanlic - The Lusitania - Rain & Rivers


Other First Teamers

Autobiographer: Keith Richards - Life

Documentarian: Gandulf Hennig - Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself

Live experience: singalong of "When My Time Comes" - Dawes - Fox Theatre, Boulder 06/19/10

Shameless Self Promotion: Windfarm - "The Proud Colorado Mountains of Townes Van Zandt" (Hey, I spent a lot of time on that post, so why not give it one more mention?)

Venue: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Song of the Year: "Red, Red" - Doug Burr - Specifically, the moment the drums come in on this song is the best musical moment of 2010 for me.

Close second place for song of the year: "Christchurch Woman" - Justin Townes Earle

Radio station: 1410 AM, KRIL, Odessa, TX

Record store find: Vic Chesnutt, Little (vinyl first printing)

TV show(s): Southland, Modern Family, Hard Knocks, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Eastbound & Down, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, No Reservations, Human Target

Magazine Interview: "The Lost Lennon Tapes" - Rolling Stone

Sports blog: Feinstein on the Brink

Odd Celebrity Sighting: Vijay Singh on Pearl Street in Boulder (might have been 2009)

Best Daytrotter sessions: Nathaniel Rateliff - 06/21/2010; Dawes - 07/08/2010

Non-fiction book: Welcome to Utopia - Karen Valby

Album I rediscovered: The Dark - Guy Clark

Person who deserves Supporting Actor Nomination: John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Best pick-up truck ever: This baby blue Chevy Scottsdale I saw at HEB -

West Texas area music calendar

Lots of great shows coming up around West Texas the next few weeks. Here are a few good ones I know about. Send West Texas area music listings to windfarmblog(at)gmail(dot)com if you want your show listed on Windfarm.

Go see Lucero in Lubbock this Sunday if you can. They are one of the better touring bands who regularly visits the Hub City, and even better, The Lusitania will be opening.

Lubbock
Oct. 8 - Hayes Carll - Blue Light
Oct. 10 - Lucero, The Lusitania - Bash Riprocks
Oct. 12 - Thrift Store Cowboys - Blue Light (CD Release)
Oct. 15 - Wovenhand - Bash Riprocks

Midland/Odessa
Oct. 14 - Eli Young Band - Dos Amigos
Oct. 21 - The Deftones - Dos Amigos

San Angelo
Oct. 15 - The Derailers - Steel Penny Pub

Abilene
Oct. 16 - Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - Lucky Mule Saloon

Alpine/Marfa
Oct. 7 - Dale Watson - Padre's
Oct. 8 - Jon Langford - Railroad Blues
Oct. 8 - The Gourds - Padre's
Oct. 9 - Jon Langford - Padre's
Oct. 15 - The Derailers - Railroad Blues
Nov. 3 - Monotonix - Padre's
Nov. 19 - Ray Wylie Hubbard - Railroad Blues
Dec. 3 - Black Joe Lewis - Padre's

Thrift Store Cowboys - Light Fighter

After four long years of waiting, with only a live recording from the Taos Solar Music Festival and a 7" vinyl split in between, Lubbock-based Thrift Store Cowboys are set to release their fourth LP, entitled Light Fighter. The 12 song effort shows a great deal of growth from TSC since the band's last record, Lay Low While Crawling or Creeping, and clearly indicates to long-time fans that the band's continued touring has done a great deal for them in refining their sound.

Best of all, the band has recently made the album available for digital download now, ahead of the Oct. 12th physical release date. You can go to this link to get a copy on iTunes right this second. In short, I like every song on this album. However, some high points should be pointed out. If there was ever a TSC song that deserves to be a hit, "Bright Fire" is the one. This song is among the best the band has ever done. Additionally, there is the song "Nothing," a tune that has been in the band's live show for years now, but which the recording brings a whole new life to. Amanda's two songs "Scary Weeds" and "Lean Into the Sway" will each stay with you as well, and they exhibit her continued progression as a songwriter both as a member of TSC and as a solo act.

The album artwork above is by Dirk Fowler, Lubbock's renowned concert poster artist who was recently featured on Texas Country Reporter. Fowler designed the band's last record as well, and continues to support local West Texas music even when he is doing work for national acts.

If you're new to the TSC game, then check out the free track "One Gentle Inch to Nine Violent Miles," a song that displays how far the band has come from their roots rock origins. It's also the lead track on Light Fighter.

TSC are going to be on tour all fall supporting the release of the album, but to highlight a few shows, they'll be doing a short run through Texas right around the album release.

All shows below are with These United States:

Oct. 12 - The Blue Light - Lubbock
Oct. 13 - The Golden Light - Amarillo
Oct. 15 - Hole in the Wall - Austin
Oct. 16 - Fitzgerald's - Houston
Oct. 17 - Hailey's - Denton

These are but a sampling of the band's upcoming tour dates. I encourage my old Denver friends to check the band out next week (Sept. 30) at the Hi-Dive. Otherwise, keep an eye on their tour dates for a show near you.

UMS 2010 Preview

The time has come once again for Denver's best music festival, The UMS, taking place on South Broadway from July 22-25. It's like CMJ without the hassle, like SXSW but with less butt sweat. In short, it's well worth your time. I've put together a short list of the bands I most want to see. In my past experience, there will be someone good playing almost all the time, so this is but a sampling of what the UMS has to offer. You can still by a $30 pass that will get you through the entire weekend of music up through July 21st, so don't delay any longer!

While some of these set times are close together, the beauty of this festival is the proximity of all shows to one another. You can make it between the most distant venues in probably 10 minutes at the most, while it's less than 5 minutes between most.




















These United States - Friday, 11 PM @ the Hi-Dive
(Photo credit Sarah Law)

The UMS has been working the last few years to bring in national headliners, and These United States will be a fantastic act to headline Friday night. I've recently become quite a fan of this band on account of hearing their Daytrotter sessions, and have since bought their most recent LP Everything Touches Everything. The band should have a new record out for their performance at the UMS, which should result in the Hi-Dive being packed wall-to-wall for their
set.




























Munly & the Lupercalians - Saturday, 10 PM @ the Hi-Dive (Photo credit Gary Isaacs)

Munly shows have been quite rare around Denver as of late, and I believe his last two shows have been on New Years Eve with the Auto Club, so the chance to see him at the UMS should not be missed. Munly's double album continues to have no release date, but I expect that he'll be playing mostly material from that record at his showcase this year.























Thrift Store Cowboys - Saturday, 11 PM @ the Skylark Lounge (Photo credit Logan Caldbeck)

Having recently celebrated their tenth year as a band, TSC theoretically could have played at the UMS every year of its existence, but since the festival started out with locals only, and TSC hail from Lubbock, Texas, it just wasn't meant to be. However, now that they're both 10, their parents arranged a play-date for the two. TSC will have lots of new material to play from their soon to be released LP Light Fighter.






















One Wolf - Saturday, 7 PM @ the Skylark Lounge

Another great Lubbock band, One Wolf plays their first UMS this year as well. With two great albums under their belt, and plenty of time honing their live show, this will be a set you don't want to miss.





























Paper Bird - Thursday, 11:55 PM @ the Hi-Dive; Friday, 7:30 PM @ CarToys Stage (Photo credit Gary Isaacs)

I have somehow gone four years in Colorado without getting to see Paper Bird, but I continue to hear great things about them. Hopefully their two appearances this year will finally give me the chance I need to catch their show.





























Amanda Shires - Saturday, 9 PM @ Walnut Room Pizzeria

As 1/6 of the aforementioned Thrift Store Cowboys, Amanda Shires has come into her own as a songwriter with her recent West Cross Timbers. She basically lives on the road, so when it comes to handling a live crowd, Amanda is among the best. Don't be surprised to see a member or two of TSC backing her up on this gig as well.

Various

Busy at work, plus back-to-back shows in Denver last week make me want to crawl under my desk and stay there until the weekend, and then I got sick over the weekend, and so Monday I think I really did crawl under my desk in a cold medicine haze. My point being that the blog has really been down for the count as a result.

Various notes:

Lucero at the Bluebird - good as always.
Spent too much money, as always.
Didn't feel so hot the next day, as always.

Shooter Jennings as opener for Lucero - hmm, how can I say this nicely? Ok, I can't. Not good. Just not good. Conceptually, I respect that he is trying to do something completely different than his dad's kind of music, but musically, what he is doing sucks. I could have handled 30 minutes of it, but his 90 minute set was horrible overkill.

See a review of the show and photo slideshow of this show here.


No rest for the weary though, as Wednesday night brought Thrift Store Cowboys, Mount Righteous, Amanda Shires & Barton Carroll to the Hi-Dive.

Barton started out the show with his solo acoustic set. He is an interesting guy, and his songwriting has a very literary feel to it (which I mean in a good way), and he deals with some quite heavy subjects. He could probably teach a world history class just by playing his songs.

Amanda Shires continues to come into her own as a songwriter. She played both new songs as well as some off of her most recent record, all with the accompaniment of Colt Miller on guitar.

Mount Righteous brought their 9-piece marching band to the Hi-Dive, and somehow they fit on the stage, and more importantly, the stage did not collapse. It's a super high energy show, and is almost so unclassifiable I am at a loss for describing it further.

Thrift Store Cowboys played a set of mostly new songs, off of the album they have just finished recording at Wavelab Studios in Tucson. Definitely extremely excited for this record, which is tentatively scheduled for a September release.

See photos from Denver Post Reverb blog here.


In other news, Denver's mini-SXSW, The Underground Music Showcase (or The UMS) has just made their first lineup announcement. I'm sure more bands will be announced in coming months, but the lineup already looks great. It's a bit like I imagine SXSW was at the very beginning, i.e. long before showcases were sponsored by energy drinks.

Also, pretty good new What's So Funny? column out today.

I have to admit, I didn't get that excited about Record Store Day this year, largely because there just weren't a ton of releases I was that interested in. This year seemed to have a lot more labels just trying to cash in on the event with boring releases rather than actually putting out something quality. I did get the one thing I most wanted, which was the Bon Iver/Peter Gabriel 7" split. Best find wasn't even associated with RSD, but there was no question I had to get it. Found a copy of Vic Chesnutt's first album Little on vinyl for a really reasonable price. Apparently the record store found a number of copies in the back that had basically gotten buried soon after the album was released, so needless to say, they are worth a good bit more than they were in 1990.

SXSW - A cold wild wind will come

Day Four - Saturday

Holy crap. Beginning around 3 AM, Saturday was a bust. That was about the time I was sleeping on my friend's couch and thought I was going to get sucked out the window because the cold front and rain hit with so much force. Hence, nice weather officially over. The cold temperature and strong winds made for the most unpleasant day I have ever witnessed in the three total SXSW's I have been able to attend.

To cut short the complaining, I'll summarize by saying I did a LOT of walking in this cold wind to a number of shows that were either canceled or postponed. We caught the end of the last song of a set by Sonny and the Sunsets and the last 2 songs by Sarah Jaffe, followed by another performance by Doug Burr, but due to some poor planning and the weather disaster, the afternoon was largely a bust.

SXSW Axiom #5: SXSW is not designed with much of a contingency plan for bad weather, and your "list" for the day is likely to be thrown into total flux if this type of weather hits.

Most of all, I was super disappointed that the Ground Control Showcase, featuring Dawes, Deer Tick, Justin Townes Earle, and Lucero was postponed to evening when I couldn't attend, but such is life, even though SXSW isn't that much like real life at all.

The only redeeming factor of the day was the showcase I attended that evening at the Ale House. This showcase first featured Denton band Telegraph Canyon, a band that has been on my radar for some time now, but whom I have not had the chance to see live yet. The many band members crammed on to the tiny stage at the Ale House and put on a fantastic showcase that was quite well received by the packed venue.

As a side note, I actually saw Vic Chesnutt at this exact venue at a SXSW five years ago, so despite the fact that the small room is really only a music venue during SXSW, it holds a special place in my musical memory.

Following Telegraph Canyon, the crowd mostly stayed put for the set by Thrift Store Cowboys. Yet another large band, at 6 pieces, TSC played a very strong set, closing with one of the most upbeat songs from their upcoming album, entitled "Bright Fires."


































In short, I was extremely happy with how SXSW turned out this year. I saw roughly 20 artists that I really wanted to see, and you just can't complain about something like that. I went to only a few of the most hyped shows, and honestly, had the best time at the shows that were more low key, and had a lower proportion of people in attendance who spent the whole time talking about all the other cool parties they went to.

SXSW Axiom #6: Hipper is not necessarily better. Yes, you'll hear all sorts of things about the hippest bands that came to SXSW, and for some reason, most sites love telling you about how they got in to see Broken Bells at SXSW, but all in all, it probably wouldn't have been worth your time to do the same. I saw {band name censored} and {band name censored}, who played the storied Fader Fort, at a few other venues, and they were just a plain let-down. If you have the chance, go to the smaller parties with smaller crowds and you'll have a much better time.

If you've never been to SXSW and you really love music, then try to go. Don't bother with the badge because you can see more than you could ever want to see at the free shows that happen each day and are increasing in number every year. The musical energy of this week is unlike any that I have otherwise been a part of and is not easily replicated, so please do yourself the favor of taking part.

SXSW - The early bird gets to hear more bands

Day Two - Thursday

Our second day of music showcases began quite early in SXSW terms, starting at 9 AM with the KUT acoustic showcases in the lobby of the Hilton. Given the excitement and reveling we saw on Wednesday, we predicted, quite accurately, that few would be up this early and that we could see some good acts in these early sets without dealing with the crowds.

First up was Dawes, one of the bands I most wanted to see this SXSW. The acoustic set was everything I could have hoped for, showcasing the band's vocal harmonies perfectly and giving us the chance to see them up close and without being sandwiched in on all sides like was the case at a number of the Wednesday parties. The drum-less set was a great setting to see the band, although it didn't provide a forum for their most upbeat track, "When My Time Comes." Catching this set proved especially important since I was not able to see any of Dawes' full band shows the rest of the week. Sorry I missed them, as it sounds like the band was very well received.

Next up at the Hilton was Frightened Rabbit, a buzz band of sorts who has been getting lots of attention lately, and so we were glad to catch them in this more intimate setting. Playing as a two-piece, the band put on a solid performance and lived up to the hype that I often hear about them. Shifting gears considerably, the next band was the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a band I hadn't seen live, but one that I know is quite popular in Colorado. The sound is actually modeled after a 1930s group called the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, as described by one of the members during their interview, and has what I consider a genuine old-time feel. Bluegrass is not my favorite type of music, but the Carolina Chocolate Drops' performance and stage presence made our time watching them very worthwhile.

Following the Hilton, we moved about a bit for some shows I won't detail because Derek likely will do so later. However, I will say that we did attend our favorite large-scale day party of the week at the Babelgum Lawn party at the French Legation Museum east of I-35. The party was well-organized and had a great sound system, with the only deficiency being the number of porta-potties.

SXSW Axiom #3: Porta Johns are the ultimate status leveler at SXSW. That is, badges don't mean a thing when it comes to the line for the bathroom.

For such a large venue, easily accommodating a few thousand people, the French Legation Museum had only 5 porta johns. I only waited in the line once, for about 15 minutes, but I can only imagine how terrible it must have been for the largest acts of the day like The xx and Dum Dum Girls.

Thankfully our schedule led us next to South Congress for the Sin City Social Club party. Tim Easton provided a great set of his desert-infused rock and was followed by Thrift Store Cowboys, who played a set of mostly new material that is to appear on their recently-recorded new album. The $2 pints at this day party were also far preferable to the $5 of the previous day, so the locale change was appreciated once again.

We ended Thursday, a day in which we saw 11 great musical acts all across Austin, in a way that couldn't be much more fitting. At the large day party known as South By San Jose, we caught Texas icon Billy Joe Shaver's set to close the night. We had the great pleasure of hearing Shaver dedicate an a capella version of "Star in My Heart" to his late son Eddy, followed by his classic "Live Forever." Even Joe Ely was in attendance for this legend's performance, clearly recognizing as we all did that Shaver is one of Texas' best living songwriters, and his live show is one that you should not turn down the opportunity to see if given the chance. Given our success at seeing so many great bands, I could have been happy with Thursday being my last day of concerts at SXSW, if not for the fact that there were still quite a few bands I hoped to see.

SXSW preview - All the Lubbock money can buy

Last year, SXSW featured an all Lubbock-connected musicians official showcase, but that didn't happen this year, so I decided to try and put together a list of all the shows I could find with Lubbock folks, you know, just trying to support music in my old hometown. Let me know if I've missed anyone or listed anything incorrectly.

First, the only Lubbock-centric showcase I know of:

Lubbock/Natrix Natrix Showcase at Bouldin Creek Coffeeshop in South Austin.
1501 South 1st Street & Elizabeth, FREE!!!

Friday--March 19th and Saturday--March 20th.
Start/End times both days 5pm-11pm

The lineups so far:
(Lubbock)
Veva. (Saturday)
Nadia. (Saturday)
Kitten Glitter. (Friday)
Warm Arm. (Saturday)
The Dry Heeves. (Friday)
Coquelicot (Friday)

(Austin/Natrix Natrix Records)
David Israel. (Friday)
John Rose (Friday)
Johnny Corndawg (Friday)
and special guests . . . Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! (Saturday)

And now, for all the bands from Lubbock or from Lubbock at one time. I pieced this list together from myspaces and Showlist, so I don't stand by any of the times as being exact. You should always check on showtimes, etc., last minute on the band's Web site. Bands, please email me with corrections/updates, or if I missed your shows altogether.

One Wolf
Fri., 3/19. shake some action! at karibu. 11:00 am
Fri., 3/19. ramble creek day party at showlush's backyard (1704 Kinney) 1:10-1:40pm.

Thrift Store Cowboys
Thurs., 3/18 - Sin City Social Club Party, St. Vincent de Paul, 7 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - Official SXSW showcase, The Ale House, 9 p.m.

The Numerators
Tue., 3/16 - Todd P presents Texas bands and friends, Cheer Up Charlie's, 8 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Shake Some Action, Karibu, 12 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - AyeAyeAye Showcase, House of Guys, 9:15 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge, 10 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - DFD Curated Day show, 5:30 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - Pie Guys Pizza Party, 8 p.m.

Amanda Shires
Thur., 3/18 - Pigeon Posse Opal Devine's, 11:45 a.m.
Thur., 3/18 - TG&S Lounge 3CM Presents Not SXSW, 3:30 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Opal Devine’s Penn Field 3CM Presents Not SXSW, 4 p.m.

La Panza
Fri., 3/19 - Shake Some Action, 1:20 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Dikes of Holland House Party, 200 Alta Vista Ave., 7 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge

Kitten Glitter
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge
Fri., 3/19 - Lubbock/Natrix Natrix Showcase at Bouldin Creek Coffeeshop

Colin Gilmore
Tue., 3/16 - ZonePerfect’s live.create.lounge, 8 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Valhalla (formerly Room 710), 9 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Official SXSW showcase, Beauty Bar, 9 p.m.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Fri., 3/19 - Official SXSW showcase, Beauty Bar/Palm Door, 9 p.m.

Jeremy Nail and the Incidents
Tue., 3/16 - Chuggin Monkey, 9 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Gypsy Sun, 4:30 p.m.

A decade of thrift

(photo credit Logan Caldbeck)

While I typically cover Denver area music happenings, at times I am compelled to mention events from my home state of Texas. Big milestones only come around so often, and thus I felt the need to make note of this one.

One of Lubbock's most longstanding rock bands, Thrift Store Cowboys, will celebrate their 10th year playing under that name this Saturday at Jake's Backroom. The band will be going into the studio next spring to begin work on their fourth full-length album, but in the meantime, you can pick up a copy of the 7" vinyl split with One Wolf from earlier this year, or check out the free downloads from their in-studio at KAMP in Tucson this past September.

TSC have lined up great support for the show as well, tabbing long-time friend and Austin rocker Collin Herring to open up the show. Herring is playing in support of his recently released fourth album, Ocho.

So if you happen to live in the Lubbock area, this is a show that will make you want to hire a babysitter and head out to. It's a celebration of not only the band's career, but more broadly of the Lubbock music scene and it's persistent presence over the decades. Check back here in 2019 for details on the 20-year celebration.

stuff

Do you remember when you could afford DeVotchKa concert tickets?:

Well, in a year you'll be talking about how you remember when you could afford to go see the Avetts.

By the way:
can I be the first one to recommend that DeVotchKa reissue Una Volta on vinyl?

Overheard:

"Dude, you going to Pretty Lights [Fort Collins electronic artist] in two weeks? It's just $40. $20 for tickets and $20 for festivities" [this means drugs apparently].

Since the Colorado tour stop didn't work out:

for Buddy Wakefield, I can at least let you know that his new CD, Live at the Typer Cannon Grand, just came out on Righteous Babe Records. It's a compilation of the best recordings of his best material - definitely worth it for my money.

I hope to see:
Denver folks out at the Thrift Store Cowboys/Amanda Shires show at the Hi-Dive on Thursday. Rosewood Thieves are the headliners.

Isn't it funny:
that Joe Ely was so quick into the internet game? He got in early enough to buy "www.ely.com." Apparently his site started in '83. I didn't even know about the internet until probably 1995.

Marfa never ceases to amaze me:
In the span of two weeks, Randy Quaid was arrested there, and Bon Iver is playing a show there. Bon Iver has only played Denver once, ever, as far as I know, and now he will have played Marfa too, a town of 2100 in the middle of the desert.

Thrift Store Cowboys, Amanda Shires tour western US

In a pairing that has been a long time coming, and which you got a little taste of at SXSW 2009, Thrift Store Cowboys and Amanda Shires are teaming up to tour the western U.S. It's been almost a year and a half since TSC has toured the west coast. Shires, meanwhile, has been on a never-ending tour of the South, the East Coast, and Europe with her touring partner and collaborator Rod Picott. In short, both were overdue to head west.

Shires will be touring in support of her fantastic sophomore release West Cross Timbers, and will perform most shows with members of TSC as her backing band. Thrift Store Cowboys, meanwhile, are touring in support of their recent 7" split with One Wolf, out earlier this year on Mt. Inadale Records.




And here are the dates. I've got my eyes on at least one, maybe two, CO dates:

Sept. 19 - The Percolator - El Paso, TX w/ The Lusitania and The Royalty
Sept. 20 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
Sept. 21 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 22 - Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 23 - Redwood Bar - Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 24 - Pappy and Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA
Sept. 25 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA w/ The Radiators
Sept. 26 - Diablo's Downtown - Eugene, OR
Sept. 27 - Comet Tavern - Seattle, WA w/ Ryan Purcell and Honeybear
Sept. 29 - The Grind - Cedar City, UT
Sept. 30 - Steve's Guitar's - Carbondale, CO
Oct. 1 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO w/ Rosewood Thieves and Dead Trees
Oct. 2 - Triple Nickel Tavern - Colorado Springs, CO

Always check with venues before traveling.

Back to music posts, finally

The new Telegraph Canyon:
is officially out. The CD is for sale on Velvet Blue right now, but still waiting for word on the vinyl.

If you've got the time:
and a place where you can watch a video (not at work preferably), there's a great new What's So Funny? posted. It's Denver related, but you don't have to be from the Mile High to understand it.

Thanks to a fellow Colorado blogger - Cause=Time:
I heard about this hilarious internet business going on between bloggers and Third Eye Blind fans. The summary of it all is basically that various bloggers said 3eb weren't really that great or important, and subsequently a horde of 3eb fans descended upon them and called them mean names. The fight started here, and then moved here and here. Clearly these bloggers haven't been listening to "The Background" on repeat for the last 13 years like I have.

This Friday at the Boulder Theater:
Delta Spirit is playing with The Wheel, a Denver band I've really been starting to like, after hearing them open for Bon Iver. Don't know much about Delta Spirit, but heard on pretty good authority from a friend that they are a little bit like Cold War Kids Jr. Maybe I'll win tickets...

No previously unheard songs on it:
but an Avett Brothers session from SXSW was just posted on Rhapsody this week, if you're into live recordings and such.

Great new song posted on youtube:
from a recent Thrift Store Cowboys show in Dallas. The first one is new, and then a remake of "Cafe," and then the old standard "Sleepy Engine" on this clip.

Mt. Inadale Records split 7" vinyl giveaway!

I've alluded to this giveaway a few times, and after a prolonged period of gut wrenching anticipation, the time has come to give away some vinyl.

As you should well know, Austin label Mt. Inadale Records recently released a 7" vinyl split with Lubbock bands Thrift Store Cowboys and One Wolf. These two bands represent some of the best talent Lubbock has seen in recent years, and this record is no exception. Hopefully you are such a big fan that you've already bought a copy to support this label and the bands, but alas, I'm sure some of you have not.

This vinyl includes two amazing songs from the bands: "Everything's On Fire" by One Wolf, and "Nothing" by TSC, recorded specifically for this release, and not likely to appear on future albums in the same form.

Here's the deal. All you have to do to enter to win is send an email to windfarmblog(at)gmail(dot)com with your name in the body of the email, and "Mt. Inadale vinyl" in the subject line. You will be assigned a number based on the order in which your email shows up. In one week (i.e., after 11:59 p.m. on 07/28/09), I will count the number of responses, and then proceed to use this random number generator site to pick 2 winners. You have my word that I will take the first two numbers that pop up, even if you are a person I do not like. Please limit one entry per person.

Not that you need to be a super educated consumer to get things for free, but you can hear the songs from this record on each band's respective myspace. And in the event that you do not win, first of all, I am terribly sorry, but second of all, perhaps you should ease your sorrows by ordering the record from Vinyl Collective, and consider picking up a copy of the 12" Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split while you're at it.

Let me know if you have any questions or can't/won't read directions. I am not responsible for your own failure to comply with the unbelievably simple rules (i.e., don't enter multiple times or you'll be disqualified).

Weekly stuff

More evidence that Zach Galifianakis is about to be a huge movie star whether we like it or not:
in this New York Times feature.

Awesome cover art by Julie Cope:
On the new Mt. Inadale Records split 7” featuring Lubbock’s own Thrift Store Cowboys & One Wolf. Click the artwork for more details.







If you liked the Court & Spark:
you should check out their new project Hiss Golden Messenger. It's a good bit different than C&S, but the solid songwriting is still there. Kind of more…um…earthy? I would say if you listened to Hearts, this material sounds like a natural progression from that.

Monahans continues to get recognition from major media outlets:
this time in Texas Monthly.

If you didn’t know:
J.D. Salinger is still alive, but has refused to talk to the press for close to 50 years. He recently made headlines regarding the fact that he was filing suit against a publishing company who put out a book that is an unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye. When the story broke, you could get this book internationally for $15 or so. Now it's up to $160 reserve price. I briefly considered buying it while it was so cheap, but then I remembered, "oh yeah, J.D. Salinger didn't actually write this book" FYI, even today, people who seek him out in the small town of Cornish, NH get turned away by a near-deaf Salinger or his wife. Road trip anyone?

If you’ve seen Weeds Season 4:
Then you probably heard “A New World” and “Head Honcho” by DeVotchKa playing along with one of the episodes.

When my friend told me she grew up in Hawai’i:
I said, “can you be more pacific?”

In case you missed it:
Vic Chesnutt stopped into Daytrotter for a session that was posted here not so long ago.  FYI, the scream he does in "Independence Day" is not for sale at Guitar Center.

Stuff, part 12

I'm not sure that it merits an entire review:

but Lucero's show at the Fox Theatre on 5/30 was hands down the best I've ever heard the band sound. Ben and the guys drank in moderation, and it really showed as they played every song spot on. Sure it lacked the high elevation drunkenness that tends to ensue at their shows, but musically, I was more than exchange debauchery for the perfectly performed set.

What I should have titled my previous blog about The Hangover:
"The Hangover (the movie, not the one from the Lucero show)"

Have you noticed that strike anywhere matches:

don't really light on anything except the striking surface on the box?

I just can't pay for them:

but I'll have to admit I put in to win tickets to 3eb this Friday in Denver.

For those of you who have been chomping at the bit for any and all Avett material (even if it's not new songs):

fuel.tv just posted videos of recent performances of "Color Show" and "Salina."

Very soon:

I'll be posting info about the upcoming Thrift Store Cowboys/One Wolf 7" split vinyl.

Sorry if you hate sports and/or UT:

but this is a good story.

Am I the only one:

who feels a little sad for the Lemonheads for going from being a pretty big grunge band in the 90s who probably played to pretty large audiences to playing 200 person capacity clubs 15 years later? I guess everyone's got to pay the bills somehow.

Forgot to mention:

how cool it is that Bob Dylan mentions Billy Joe Shaver on his new album. Read Shaver's thoughts on the shout out here.

I've been trying to find more info:

but the last update I've heard on Shaver's shooting case was that he was indicted back in September of 2008. Otherwise, news on the subject has completely fallen off the radar. I guess this is probably a case of the wheels of the legal system turning very slowly. Hopefully it will get settled out of court and go away. Whatever actually happened, Shaver's an icon and Texas needs him.

Don't miss:

the Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split 12". It will probably sell out at some point in the not too distant future. And also, what's this about Cory's next record coming out on a "much bigger label?" That's fantastic news, but I'd heard nothing about it until the passing comment by VC.

Seen:

Old Chicago restaurant neon sign where the "ago" was no longer lit. The joke possibilities are endless.

Stupf

A nice Avett Brothers show review here:

that's most notable for it's comparison of the Avett's current energy to the Old 97s, which I think I can get on board with, especially if the comparison is to Too Far to Care era 97s.

By the way, I'm glad to argue with you about it:

but I'm still convinced Too Far to Care is the best alt-country album ever made.

They've always got to find a flaw with albums:

but, nonetheless, Pitchfork gives Monahans a decent review here.

For some reason:

I still haven't gotten my copy of the Monahans CD in the mail.  I blame USPS, not Misra, though, given that it took almost 30 days for my last Bloodshot order to get here.

If you are still forgetting to read What's So Funny?:

then you missed a good one here. (As usual Relatively Safe For Work - i.e., don't read it out loud in your cubicle.)

I hope:

that my expectations aren't unnecessarily high for The Hangover.

Thrift Store Cowboys got some late arriving SXSW coverage here (page takes a while to load for some reason):

and yes, the band featured on the next page is Metallica.  Pretty sweet.  And another short SXSW review popped up here.

If you need a good new book:

try Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida.  It's a fast read, but a good one.  If you've not heard of her, she's married to Dave Eggers, and while their styles are not the same, she similarly has the ability to write in such a way that you don't put the book down until you're done.

Wovenhand:

Acoustic show, this Friday.  Denver.  At least I know it won't burst my eardrums like the last time I saw them.  Apparently the Post called it "one of the 10 most exciting club shows this summer."  And it might even end early enough to check out Lucero at the Bluebird later that night.

If you hadn't figured it out:

the common link was Lloyd Maines.

Overheard:

"I mean, like, if you don't know anything about cars then you're basically not a guy, right?"

Also overheard:

Countless conversations about Jon & Kate Plus 8.  Come on people.

Seen:

Headline in the Denver Post reading "No Charges Against Poudre Doctor."  Not to make fun of the actual situation relating to this story, whatever it is, but this struck me as funny because the area, typically called the Poudre Valley, is pronounced "pooder."  

Good news Lubbock:

Buddy Holly Center summer showcase schedule announced. If you don't go to any other show, GO SEE MARIACHI AMISTAD!  I'm not joking.

I guess this is a good thing?

Every now and then, I waste time by doing random searches to try and find mentions of bands in blogs, etc. that I haven't run across before. Today I tried "Thrift Store Cowboys" and "SXSW" as search terms, and oddly enough, it seems they were recently mentioned in a Paste Magazine blog about SXSW.

Kind of cool I suppose, although it's only the context of a list of the themes of band names at SXSW this year. Apparently TSC falls into the category that is most common this year - "Dude-y Names." So not really anything about their music, but just the fact that the band name includes a "dude" reference, I suppose.

Anyway, file this under not that important or very mildly interesting.

SXSW 2009 - Lubbock music showcase

(Picture courtesy of these guys)

Wednesday night, March 18th, Momo's will host an official SXSW showcase featuring bands with Lubbock connections.

The current line-up is as follows:

8 PM - Cary Swinney, Richard Bowden, Michael O'Conner
9 PM - Thrift Store Cowboys
10 PM - Texas Belairs with Ponty Bone and John X Reed
11 PM - Colin Gilmore
12 PM - Joe Ely and Joel Guzman with Special Guests

Follow the link here to get more details. Check out Colin's and TSC's band pages as well, as each has a free download. It looks as though Colin's song is a new one that he has not yet released.

Brought to you by Sandstorm Picnic.

The sad news is that since this is an official showcase, it's not easily accessible without a badge, which costs around $15,000,000. We'll find out for sure if there is any admittance to non-badge holders, as the policies vary by venue, but otherwise, we'll try and keep you apprised of any free shows these folks are playing.