Space and the City
Posts tagged Dull Knife
PRESENTING: THE WINNERS OF THE 2008 SAMMIES (WITH SPECIAL COMMENT)
Dec 22nd
AT LONG LAST! The ballots have been counted! The Winners have been determined (some by just a few votes! Serious Squeakers)! And in some cases (aka, those folks that we saw on Saturday), the Certificates of Achievement have been distributed (if you won an award and didn’t get it, please drop us a line at the contact us link above)! And now, all that’s left to do is announce the results! But, as a special getting towards the end of the year treat, we’ve called upon some of the best minds around the world to offer some very special Special Comment on the winners! So, with a limited amount of further ado, here they are!
Favorite Live Band: Wild Moccasins
Special Comment by Keith Olbermann: If you are looking for consistency in energy and acumen at a live performance; when you want to be able to go to a show and know what you’re getting yourself into, the Wild Moccasins do have few peers, that’s what makes them the least worst people in the world. However, consider the perspective that perhaps performance with a greater deal of uncertainty at the front end can ultimately result in a different (and some might argue fuller) sense of satisfaction at what you see and hear mister President. Bands that consider their recordings as starting points, rather than scriptures, can just as easily soar as they can utterly disappoint, but on the whole we appreciate those that dare with the boundaries of their writing, their performing and even their own membership. For that reason, though we cannot disagree with a perspective on this category that put the Wild Moccasins on top, thats why in our special comment the leastest worstest is for Indian Jewelry.
Favorite Band in the Studio: Buxton
Special Comment by serious cat: Though cost can be a limiting factor (though real talk: it’s cheaper than you think at several places in town. Good places), one thing that the studio grants the performer is the ability to add depth and nuance to songs they have honed in the practice space and on the stage. Even if, as a band, you’re looking for a stripped down sound that provides no additional instrumentation or layering, the studio affords opportunity. When we listen through local records, one band in particular strikes us as having used the studio to extend their songs into new sonic spaces beyond where they exist live. Their recordings have consistently added complimenting guitars and pet sounds their solid straight-up performances. So while A Family Light is a fantastic recording in production, composition and execution, we cast our vote for the Papermoons.
Band that Blew up the 713: B L A C K I E
Special Comment by those two guys that own Suit Mart: At Suit Mart, we Dare to Compare. Men’s pleated khakis, Mervyn’s price is $23.99, at Suit Mart just fifteen bucks! If you had told us a year ago that a rapper from La Porte would be the band that would have garnered the most votes from The Skyline Network’s readers , we would have been all “Hooded Leather Jackets: Burlington Coat Factory Price $119.99, Suit Mart Price, $229.99!” Cause that’s like crazy! We’re the home of the 2-fer for crying out loud in a loafer. Suit Mart. Awesome!
Most Unfortunate Breakup: The Fatal Flying Guilloteens
Special Comment by Bert Shipley: the “un” in front of this must be a typo because, to be honest this shit’s been 11 years in the making. I mean, hey at least they finally accomplished something, breaking up. Great job guys.
p.s. you owe me $30 for an oil change on my old van.
[Editor's Special Comment: a member of the FFG swears to us that they have not, in fact, broken up and that shows will happen again soon. In light of this, and in light of learning that Powerhouse actually has kicked the can, we reserve the right to change the results of this election and declare POWERHOUSE the winners.]
Favorite Punks: Something Fierce
Special Comment by Joe Walsh: Sometimes I can’t help the feeling that I’m living a life of illusion. And oh, why can’t we let it be and see through the hole in this wall of confusion. I just can’t help the feeling, i’m living a life of illusion. Pow! Right between the eyes, Oh, how nature loves her little surprises. Wow! It all seems so logical now. It’s just one of her better disguises and it comes with no warning. Nature loves her little surprises, continual crisis. Hey, don’t you know it’s a waste of your day, caught up in endless solutions that have no meaning, just another hunch based upon jumping conclusions. Caught up in endless solutions, backed up against a wall of confusion living a life of illusion. Oh yeah, and because I know you are curious, yes, I am a tattoo on someone’s bicep.
Favorite Popsters: Wild Moccasins
Special Comment by The Lollypop Guild: Weeeeeee represent, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, the Lollypop Guild, and in the name of the Lollypop Guiiiiiiiiiiild, we wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land.
Favorite Rockers: American Sharks
Special Comment by the judges panel of American Idols and the Fonz:
Favorite WTFers: The Wiggins
Special Comment by Black Leather Jesus: WTF?
Loudest: The Jonbenet
Special Comment by Nancy Grace: Now, I’m not pretending to be anything but a crime victim who went to law school and tried a lot of cases. You know, part of what the problem is is that you and people like you are blinded by celebrity, when the truth of the matter is if everyone just carried a little Jonbenet locket around their necks and opened it when they needed to make a racket and scare off the bad people, all of this, including my own show, could be avoided. Actually, scrub that, nobody carry around the Jonbenet.
Quietest : Elaine Greer
Special Comment by Roger Taylor’s Roto Toms: Hi, it’s me, Roger Taylor’s Roto Toms. He’s the drummer from Queen and I’m those hella 80’s sounding high pitched tom drums that generally do not have a place on a respectable individual’s drum set. I mean, you literally have to be the drummer for Queen and responsible for something like the epic drum break ¾ way through ‘Fat Bottom Girls’ to get away with having me on your kit. So yeah, like Elaine, most of the time I’m pretty quiet. There isn’t really much occasion to use me at most moments, and so you don’t get to hear my forceful, distinct and yet muted percussiveness very often. But when you do, man, do I rule.
Favorite Solo Performer: Elaine Greer
Special Comment by Dick Valentine (Electric Six): SOLO!
Favorite 7” Record: The Monocles/News on the March Halloween Party Split
Special Comment by a delicious Dairy Queen Banana Split: Sup. Banana Split here. You know, all the time people are like “Damn Banana Split, why you such a contradiction? How you got fruit in there and it’s not even chopped up? How come you get to be the only sundae that has a topping that you might also slice up and put on your breakfast cereal.” And I’m like “Say, why so serious? Don’t you know that contrast is all the rage? Things that shouldn’t work together almost always do. It’s like Pigs and Frogs man, Pigs and Frogs”
Favorite Full Length Record: Buxton – A Family Light
Special Comment by the official Skyline Network iPod: We enjoy you so much, that it took too much of the wonder, beauty and fun out of you to ever do a proper review. We simply loose ourselves in the pure aural attainment. Them’s the breaks, and here’s to hoping your upcoming 7” is totally in the same vein. Unless you want a review.
Favorite EP: Wild Moccasins – Diamonds for Constellations
Special Comment by Chrystler and GM: HEY! This was a Grey Ghost release right? So you ended up only selling 13 of them. Well, we know a thing or two about only being able to sell a few of a product, and let me tell you, you can still make a living at it. Granted, yours was a quality product and is something that people actually want to own, but trust us when we say there’s no need for you to do a second pressing. That’s right, congressional bailout. Just take our advice and don’t fly your corporate jet down there when you go begging for gear funds. Phew, those senators are a helluva tough room. Gotta jet, gonna go camping in our Pontiac Aztek. Check ya later!
Favorite Artwork: B L A C K I E – Wilderness in North America
Special Comment by The Big Star Bar Fire Pit: Dearest BLACKIE. I am sorry that, during the climax of my own flickering and flaming, members of the band Black Congress felt compelled to feed your Sammy Awards to me. I am a primitive animal, nay even more instinct, and I cannot help but ingest what is placed in my roaring belly. It is my understanding that the aforementioned often go into fits of rage and engage in feats of strength upon learning that any other act has appropriated the colorful adjective in their nomer, which is why they are banned from all Black Crowes concert for eternity. May we suggest this be settled the only way gentlemen should settle things in these turbulent times: A Battle of the Bands in the parking lot of the Heights Sporting Club.
Favorite H-Town Label: Mia Kat and Dull Knife (tie)
Special Comment by Bono: You know, I really wanted to start my own label one day called These City Walls Will Crumble Beneath the Debt Forgiving Weight of these Glasses. However, it turns out that it’s not really a cake walk to whittle down which bands you want to put out and then the whole production process, to say nothing of sales and marketing and a big TRYING TO THROW MY ARMS AROUND THE WORLD to these labels cause like that’s a lot of work and I think it will be easier to get Zanzibar out from under their IMF loan.PS – Can I look like Lou Reed soon?
Favorite Happy Hour Bar: Poison Girl
Special Comment by John McLaughlin: On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represents no mathematical possibility of it occurring and 10 being complete metaphysical certainty of coming to be, we would have to state that this answer is… 10! CORRECT!
Favorite Nite Time Bar: Rudyard’s
Special Comment by Jim Lehrer: Welcome to News Hour I’m Jim Lehrer. Our top stories tonight: readers of The Skyline Network vote Rudyard’s Pub their Favorite Nite Time Bar. In Pakistan, the government of Yousaf Raza Gilani faced new questions about its ability to rule effectively when it was revealed that he has an extremely similar last name to former NY mayor and recent Republican presidential contender Rudolph P. Giuliani. And in Houston, Rudyard’s British Pub took the opportunity of a mild freezing rain to raise the price of Lone Star to six dollars a bottle.
Favorite Venue: Walter’s on Washington
Special Comment by Coach Lohan Springer: Wow. I never thought I would live to see the day when this was actually the correct answer.
Favorite Local Festival: Westheimer Block Party
Special Comment by Perry Ferrell: Shit. Man. Yeah, this was kind of what I was going for. My bad to everyone who has paid $8 for a bottle of water at Lollapalooza or missed Lush while they were waiting in line in shit up their ankles to take a piss.
ATTN THIS WEEKEND: YOU HAVE PUT THE YEE HAW BACK IN OUR MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION!
Nov 7th
THUNDERBOLT! HOW ARE YOU? WE MISS YOU! Yes, we’re three days into a ten day jaunt to Las Vegas to attempt to re-create the time Shawn Adolph got kicked out of the House of Blues during an impassioned Rock Star Karaoke performance of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” So far, the safe money has been with the house. BUT OH LUCKY YOU! Whether you are headed to Fun Fun Fun Fest, are sticking around to create a version of your own, or just doing whatever three-piece suits your fancy, know that you have a mighty satisfying time in store. Bust it.
FRIDAY
Parts and Labor, UME, Black Congress @ Walter’s on Washington
There is so much to love about this show, and not just because more than three inside jokes are sure to arise because of it. If we weren’t wasting our savings away a nickel at a time in front of a SPACE COWS FROM PLANET MOO-LAH slot machine, we would be here.
Los Llamarada, Balaclavas and Future Blondes @ PJ’s Sports Bar
Brent of Dull Knife Records but this show together, so it’s a fairly safe bet that Los Llamarada (who hail from Mexico) are sort of the opposite of eating a Dreamsicle while falling in love to the sounds of a Juliana Hatfield record. It is alleged that a special pre-release version of the forthcoming Indian Jewelry/Future Blondes split will be available in limited qualities at this show. PJ’s is that dirty looking bar next to Cecil’s for the google-maps disinclined.
Vinyl Ranch @ Leon’s Lounge
This month’s outing is called Dollywood, and will be top-heavy on her Backwoods Barbie’s Majesty’s, both in song and in screen. And though it’s (always) free, there will be a shave-off for the Houston Chapter of Mustaches for Kids, an organization that grows mustaches to raise money for children’s charities. Seriously. Get’s started at 9pm. Remember fellahs, Vinyl Ranch was recently awarded Best Place to Meet Single Women by the Houston Press, and we’ve never seen the horror of an applebum in a set of Rocky Mountains once while in attendance. Don’t blow it.
Sensory Overload @ The Drake
Still want to live that giving spirit but with a bit more glam and a bit less Charlie Pride? Then perhaps Sensory Overload is more your thing. We gave this benefit for Make a Wish a nod in a post last week.
ALSO:
- Cynics, Ugly Beats, Guitars @ Rudyards
- Pepi Ginsberg, Airon Paul Dugas @ The Mink
- Groupo Fantasma @ The Continental Club
SATURDAY
Saturday Secret Show One Year Anniversary @ The Shady Tavern
Hard to believe it was only a year ago that this idea got kicked off, and that there has been a show pretty much every week since. This week, things get started a little earlier than usual (1pm) and will run a little later (7pm), but as always the beer will be cold, the setups will be cheap and the admission will be free. There’s even been a partial lineup hint: The McKenzies, Judas Bear, Darwins Finches, Awake, Welfare Mothers, Nosaprise, and others. Party.
ALSO:
- Minus The Bear, Annuals and 27 @ House of Blues
- Patt Todd & the Rank Outsiders, Hickoids, Born Liars @ Rudyard’s
- Jad Fair @ The Mink
SUNDAY
Agent Orange @ The Meridian
REAL TALK: It’s Up to You and Me from the When You Least Expect It EP is possibly our favorite pop-punk jam of all time. Total coup that they’re playing this horrifically under-the-radar show Sunday night – you’d think they’d be part of the Fun Fun Fun BACK IN THE DAY STAGE lineup instead.
ALSO:
- A Tribute to Johnny Romano, featuring Sugar Shack, Teisco Del Rey, The Neptones, Luxurious Panthers, Uncle Charlie, surf/skate art auction, & more @ The Continental Club/Sig’s Lagoon
- Iron Bridge as The Smiths and Mechanical Boy as Tears for Fears @ The Mink
ROCK HASHANAH: FIRED FOR WALKING, RUSTED SHUT, THE MATHLETES, AND BORN LIARS WISH YOU HAPPY NEW YEAR
Sep 30th
SHANA TOVA! Though God’s Chosen and generally most attractive people are taking a day of rest to ring in 5679, their apparent stranglehold on the entertainment industry has slipped as evidenced by the slew of releases shelf-stocked or announced on this fine High Holiday. We kid because we love. SOUND THE SHOFAR!
Fired For Walking – C.D.E.P.
A robust crowd turned up Rudyards in anticipation of their release show Friday (including some that could not help but flap their gams during the final quarter of the Presidential Debate, which Rudyards was showing upstairs before the doors for the show officially opened. HEY ASSHOLES, SOME OF US FIND THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION MORE INTERESTING THAN YOUR CONVERSATION, SO TRY TO KEEP IT DOWN. ALSO, LOTS OF FOLKS DIDN’T HAVE POWER OR CABLE THEN, SO IT’S NOT LIKE WE HAD MANY OPTIONS WHERE TO SEE IT. NEXT TIME WE’LL BE NAMING NAMES). Back on subject. This six song slinger was recorded by Joe Omecheck at RBI records and is now available at Sound Exchange, with samples on their MySpace.
Rusted Shut – Hot Sex 12″
Dull Knife records breaks the 7″ barrier with a series of recordings first put to tape (or hard-drive, who knows) back in ’98, the same lineup that produced the acclaimed Rehab full length. Expect this to sound like the soundtrack to every picture you’ve seen of Crystal Beach for the last two weeks, except at night with more mosquitoes and crows than you though an post-apocalyptic ecosystem could sustain. Though this is already in Sound Exchange, there are mail order benefits, including a free T-Shirt for the first ten, and a DVD-R of the band playing at the Pink Pussycat Strip Club in 1999. Buy online here. MP3: Rusted Shut – Godstrike
The Mathletes – Secret Scientist
You know, it’s always a surprise when we see Joe Mathlete out on the town. This is not because he is some sort of a hermit or doesn’t know how to operate an automobile or a doorknob or anything, but rather because he is impossibly prolific. Was it even a few months ago that he had not one but two records hit the street within a week of each other? Plus he put out the Jenny “Future Bride” Westburry CD. Oh, and it’s not like he just drops this stuff off at Capital Records and says “Here ya go Mr. Mercer, another widget from the hit factory ready for all that manufacturing and packaging baloney.” NO – HE DOES IT HIMSELF. Which, understandably, is why there will only be 20 copies of this EP, the first of a SERIES OF THREE (GET A HOBBY) that will be out during the rest of the year. Should hit the shelves of your friendly neighborhood Sound Exchange soon.
Born Liars – 7″
From Ditchwater, the chutzpa destroying creative arm of local photographer/future historian Miss Rosa. 300 copies of this 48gm vinyl release will be available to the public in the immediate future, who will be treated to the songs “Don’t Tell Me I Know” and “I Don’t Know Why”. We’re not exactly sure if these are the actual tracks, but if so, helluva song pairing. We expect that we’ll dig it just like we did their previous venture into black plastic earlier in the year.
Oh what, that aint enough for you? Well, while you plead forgiveness for the next ten days, we’ll also let you know that there’s a Tambersauro record out there now too, as well as a very special release coming this October. We’ve been keeping the lid on it, but we’re no longer inclined to hide the fact that the TRICK OR TREAT for the show at Walter’s this Halloween is a split between News on the March and The Monocles. NEWS ON THE MARCH AND THE MONOCLES! HOW ‘BOUT THEM APPLES AND HONEY?!
GLITTERATTI: SCENE THIS WEEKEND
Jun 1st
WELL WELL WELL. What a weekend. For starters, looks like Long Time Listeners First Time Callers Chester Soria (Houstonist) and Elissa Brown (herself) have decided to take a few months off from our fair city to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Some might call it a cause for sadness, others for celebration. Somewhere in the middle, we suppose, is where they ended up – Having a garage sale. Peep:
Some INCREDIBLE bargains were available
Brent (Dull Knife) is the day’s first taker! And take records he does!
Will Adams (The Ka-Nives) and Chester Soria do not relish the heat.
Cley (Young Mammals) weighs the pros and cons of a cooler of really hot beer.
John Sears (Grey Ghost) is beardfounded by the WADAMS collection on offer.
LOOK! It’s Ben of Basses Loaded
HOLY RETURN FROM OCCULTATION! It’s Mike McBike of every Houston band ever.
In retrospect, Elissa Brown does not wonder why her right arm is the only one that got sunburned.
With ice and Chili Cheese Fritos, TOM ADAMS SAVES THE DAY!
MEANWHILE, AT THE SECRET SATURDAY SHOW:
Lenny Brisco would like to take this opportunity to remind you about things that piss you off about America.
Hey, it’s those adorable kids that play together as SEW WHAT!
THEN, THAT NIGHT:
Sad Like Crazy manages to all fit into a single dark picture at Rudyards. Where is Joe O with the light adjustment stick?! (photo by Ramon Medina)
IN OTHER NEWS:
Warren (Golden Axe, Valient Thorr) gets a new Valient Thorr denim vest in the mail (photo by Ben Murphy).
THEN THERE’S A COOKOUT AT BOONDOCKS
Those burgers are BLACK BLACK and the mustard is GOLD!
Lucas (Satin Hooks) wears the best shirt ever made.
REVIEW: HEARTS OF ANIMALS 7"
May 29th
The Hearts of Animals 7” is the first non-mix release from local label Dull Knife, who has plenty of other good stuff in the pipeline and can’t do a live show if there isn’t a band called Psychedelic Horseshit involved. HOA completists (is there any other kind?) actually already have all four of these songs from her two 2007 releases, the occasionally sold-at-shows Lemming Baby EP and the obviously out-of-print Grey Ghost #39. Given how small the runs were, odds are you are not in the bullpen with the other dozen people who own a copy of both (or either). Plus, the vinyl mastering sounds great and you’ll absolutely melt in the cuteness when you see the improvised mic stand on the insert photo.
Indeed, cuteness could be the word you would use to describe Mlee Marie herself (Hearts of Animals‘ sole member), with her blueberry eyes, unintimidating sense of style and dove’s coo voice. She’s the sort of person that shows up to your house with ice cream and fresh fruit, requesting that it be consumed with Champaign (full disclosure: Mlee is a close friend and we have dragged her kicking and screaming into a discussion as to whether she is ‘cute’ or ‘hot,’ the conclusion of which being that she was both. We prolly owe her a Sophia for sharing that). But there’s a storm in there, and HOA, rather than the more folk-based output she does under her own name, is how she lets the tempest out.
HOA tracks, universally, disarm you with their simple lo-fi bedroom pop and Mlee’s pomegranate sweet and mango sticky vocals. But when you sync the lyrics to each song’s progression, you realize that she’s letting you build just enough of that sandcastle to make its loss to the sea terrible, leaving you alone on the beach surrounded by stinking rotting kelp. On opener ‘Stars Say No,’ for example, everything is chipper and playful until “the beach house” becomes “the beach house where we used to stay.” Enter the minor chords and the disconcerting reverb. Is it in the stars that love or good times will last forever? In this case, and others, the stars say no.
“Lost in the Translation” is about as straight-ahead as HOA gets, with guitar and bass pushing forward hard all the while the hands playing them are reticent and ultimately declaring she won’t “get in too deep.” “Stop Talking,” with its furious saxophone squawks and disorienting guitar riff is the headache that, unfortunately, probably every woman has suffered when approached by a less-than gentleman at a bar – “Stop Talking to Me/You’re making me Nervous” are the only lyrics (do you really need anymore than that?). The whole thing couldn’t be more disconcerting if it was a musical conversation with the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
“Underwater Staggie” closes the record and is our personal favorite, with its twilight-on-the-trail drums, grandfather clock bells and playful banjo (or maybe mini-guitar) strummed and plucked toward the end, carefree like sugarless gum. But we know it’s not carefree, is it. It’s Hearts of Animals, and while it sounds adorable and the perfect sort of thing to put on a mix tape for your young niece, there’s too much reality in what we’re hearing to pass the Tipper test.
Just a year ago, most folks hadn’t heard of Mlee or Hearts of Animals. And yet, here we are, enjoying the debut from someone who already found herself playing in enough bands to bridge the grumpy old part of the scene (The Freed) and the young fresh fellows who have recently given us a much needed injection of vitality (Young Mammals). It’s no surprise either. Mlee writes a damn fine song and is about as great a gal as they come. Like the old It Came From Nowhere comp, it’s not hard to think of this as the record that could launch a thousand bands. How ironic that there’s a single person with a pointy red guitar at the center of it. Highly Recommended.
