Before and After (2005 and 2007): The Wendell Baker Story is coming to theaters - again - and it's already on DVD. So does this mean a re-release of the DVD?

The Wendell Baker Story: It's Not Déjà Vu or A Time Warp, It's A Re-Premiere





3 out of 5 Time Machines

After catching a glimpse of a vaguely familiar movie poster online which prominently features Luke Wilson, I had to do a little digging. And when I found two versions about the same movie, I knew it wasn't déjà vu. I remembered that I had enjoyed attending the world premiere of "The Wendell Baker Story" at The Paramount Theatre at SXSW 2005. After I noted the flashing movie banner while browsing two of my favorite mega-blogs, The Chronic and The Austinist, I wondered if I was experiencing a time warp. Instead of a time warp I discovered that this overlooked indie film is getting second life. The premise of this story, a comedy principally shot in Austin, TX and throughout the state three years ago, is simple one: A good-natured conman Wendell Baker (screenwriter, co-director and hottie Luke Wilson) loses his freedom and his girlfriend Doreen (hottie Eva Mendes) in an illegal identity scam. The likable ex-con Wendell has paid his debt to society and when released attempts to win his girlfriend back with the help of his old partner Reyes Morales (Jacob Vargas) while working at a retirement home, run by the corrupt Neil King (UT-Austin alumnus and hottie older brother Owen Wilson). The best part of the movie is the supporting cast and the eccentric wit they bring to a movie that could easily be relegated to the so-so date movie category. But when you have actors like Eddie Griffin playing McTeague, King's right-hand man, and Seymour Cassel, Kris Kristofferson, and Harry Dean Stanton portraying oppressed retirees, you know you've got a movie worth watching. Oh- and Will Ferrell shows up in this one, too.

The Wendell Baker Story
(99 min., Rated PG-13, dir. Andrew Wilson & Luke Wilson)
Cinemark Barton Creek Cinema
2224 Walsh Tarlton at Loop 360
and
Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills
9828 Great Hills Trail
Austin, TX

Daydreaming About Weird Wednesday at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Finally - a blog that has nothing to do with music. The "Japanese psychosexual 'pink'* movie" Daydream (1964) premieres in Austin at Alamo Weird Wednesdays, presented by KVRX 91.7 FM, and is more psycho than sexual according to Lars' description. As always the movie is free, and challenges viewers to leave expectations of an understandable plot, setting, and/or characterization outside the theater for about 90 minutes. And I love a challenge. Go see Daydream after you pay $1.01 at The Parish to hear three homegrown bands live tonight at 9:00 (See Sunday, May 13th). I just planned your ultimate cheap date night, so go for it!



Daydream (Approx. 92 min., Rated "R", dir. Tetsuji Takechi)
Wednesday, May 16th - Midnight
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Downtown)
409 Colorado Street
Austin, TX

Join Weird Wednesday on MySpace here.

*According to Wikipedia, a "pink" flick is "a style of Japanese softcore pornographic film". You've been warned.

The Daily Fix in The ATX: 7 Days in "The Live Music Capital of The World" (May 13 - 19)


Bright Eyes: Don't It Make Your Bright Eyes Blue?

Sunday, May 13th
The Return to Texas: Bright Eyes at Bass Concert Hall

So what if he hates Texas? I'm sure the indie music songwriting genius Conor Oberst still loves Austin. Or at least tolerates our mediocrity. Otherwise, why would he step foot on Texas soil? On behalf of musicians who loathe Texas but want to play in Austin, I would like to petition the government and asked that Austin be declared a state, independent from the rest of Texas. We're pretty much a lone star when compared to the rest of the state, especially when it comes to our music taste and voting record. But this blog is supposed to be about Bright Eyes appearing tonight at Bass Concert Hall on the UT-Austin campus. If you can afford the ticket or can score a press pass, unlike me, don't miss this show.

w/Oakley Hall and McCarthy Trenching
UTPAC - Bass Concert Hall
8:00 pm
For ticket info go to utpac.org.

Awesome Cool Dudes: They don't like talking about the abduction.

Monday, May 14th
King Kong, Awesome Cool Dudes, and LaLaLand @ Emo's: No, We Haven't Become Hollywood, CA

I'll be honest and admit that I have never heard the bands King Kong (Louisville, KY) and LaLaLand. But I finally listened to both bands on MySpace last night and decided that it was worth mentioning that the Awesome Cool Dudes were playing with another great line-up at Emo's, and then I decided to write a preview instead of posting a bland bulletin. And this is a good excuse to post the alien abduction picture from MySpace that once included the headline "Take me to your dealer."

Emo's (Inside)
603 Red River
Austin, TX
$7/$5 21+
Buy Tickets Here (Service Charge Incl.)
Doors: 8:00 pm
Show: 10:00 pm


Hans Hinrich, Cry Blood Apache Guitarist. Cigarette?

Tuesday, May 15th
An '80s Music Lover's Dream (and More): Cry Blood Apache, Ghosthustler, and Finally Punk

That, um, occasional percussionist, Pahn Zhram, looks a lot like the bass player who stole Cry Blood Apache's master tape for their next album. Since I reviewed the last year's promising debut Performing Diversion Acrobatics (INsite) and interviewed the band for Whoopsy! (February '06), the mystery of the stolen tape remains unresolved. Was it a grand hoax orchestrated by the band, the doppleganger Zhram? Who really cares? If you haven't heard the band live lately, visit the MySpace page and you will notice CBA has dropped the almost funk bass lines in favor of more atmospheric loops and drum sound f/x courtesy of Zom Zoms alumnus Seth Nemec and the newest addition of the busking band, Maxx Hole, a quiet electronics madman ("Let Fantasy Begin"). Kaspar Glass still delivers the discombobulating lyrics, with an ode to the offspring of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ("Silent Birth"), and Hans Hinrich still favors the guitar above attending handsome boy modeling school ("Master of the Quarantine").
Ghostlhustler is red hot electronica that might replace my fascination with the success of Ghostland Observatory. Oops... Yeah, I went there. The Denton, TX trio has an edgier, sexier approach that makes me want to give the green light to that strange boy on Red River who keeps giving me "that look". You know who you are... I've never heard the band live, but they had me hooked when I heard "Busy Busy Busy" online.
I would like to claim that I was the first person to interview Finally Punk, when they were still swapping out instruments and playing crazy one-minute tunes about manatees and Johnny Depp. Oh, they're still doing that live? Well check out some of their newer tracks on MySpace, which include the tongue in cheek tune "Boyfriend Application" and the more complex, mature "Environmentality" - sounding less reminsicent of the riot grrrls and more representative of female musical pioneers from the 1970s and 80s, like The Slits and The Raincoats. Every time I hear these ladies live, I get goosebumps, wondering when everyone else will realize they are witnessing a great band in the making? Whatever...
If you miss Finally Punk at Beerland (Tsk-tsk...), don't make the same mistake twice - they're opening the Melt-Banana (Tokyo, Japan) show on Saturday May 26th at Emo's. The reunited XBXRX (Oakland, CA) is also playing.

Beerland
711 1/2 Red River
Austin, TX
21+ Only/$5
10:00 pm



Darling New Neighbors: Austin's musical version of "Children of the Corn"?

Wednesday, May 16th
The Odd Coupling: Darling New Neighbors and 101X Homegrown Live

When I heard about Darling New Neighbors playing at The Parish I was, to put it simply, a happy fan. One of my favorite bands performing at one of my favorite live music venues. Besides boasting a sweet bar, the acoustics are great due to the lofty space, and it's easy to view the stage from every angle and distance. And then I graduated from contentment to excitement when I heard that the sponsor of DNN's next show was KROX 101.5, which hosts the Homegrown Live series, shows featuring promising local talent.
The line-up is a grab bag of Austin's stellar bands, with one non-surprise: The Lemurs. The buzz surrounding this band has grown to an electric saw's roar, as they cut through danceable rock beats. I've heard them at Emo's last summer and witnessed the hype myself. The Lemurs started off strong and sounded very radio-friendly, but I became a little bored somewhere in the middle of their performance. The arrangements of songs and lyrics sounded a bit too familiar, and at the end I couldn't remember what they sounded like. I got a reminder on MySpace with a new track "Breaking You Down". When the singer begs "Have I broken you down?" I can't help but reply, "No, not yet." Maybe they'll blow me away this Wednesday.
Also playing: the effervescent Oh No, Oh My!, who make it alright to like taking walks in the park and saying hello to strangers - with a wink.

The Parish
214 E. 6th St.
Austin, TX
Homegrown Live
All Ages - $1.01 (But I don't think they'll mind if you don't have the penny.)
8:30 pm



Music or Medicine Head?

Thursday, May 17th - Saturday, May 19th
Chaos in Tejas Fest: It's Not The Thrilla in Manilla, But...

18 touring punk, thrash, and hardcore rock bands descend upon Texas in three days equals...Musical chaos - the good kind. The line-up is subject to change, but the highlights include reunions, ex-members of ex-bands and side projects, and of course, legends. I wish that the festival included local Texas hardcore bands like When Dinosaurs Rules The Earth and Total Abuse, because they live in Tejas too, brah, but obviously the folks at Emo's think punk rock in Austin sucks. Kidding... You can probably hear the local thrashers at Headhunters, Room 710 and Red 7 any night.

It was tough finding MySpace links, but I did my best...

Round One - I mean Day One (Thur. 5/17):

La Fraction (Vive Punk Rock! Vive La France!)
Pisschrist (Aussie thrash)
Dropout (Jacksonville Beach, FL - reunion show?)
Spazm 151 (Harcore Dallas Style - Sho'nuff!)
Bastard Sons of the Apocalypse
+ One Band T.B.D. (Deep Sleep Punk 'n' thrash from Baltimore, MD, maybe?)

Day Two (Fri. 5/18):

The Kids (Punk from Belgium since 1976 - fan site)
The Persuaders
Government Warming
Complications (Quebec, Canada)
Punch In The Face (Hardcore from The Windy City)
Sex/Vid
Repercussions

Day Three (Sat. 5/19):

Gordon Solie Motherfuckers(OHIO!)
Dropdead (Providence, RI)
Born Dead Icons (Montreal, Canada)
Peligro Social (San Francisco, CA)
Brain Handle (Pittsburgh Pennsylvania)
Mind Eraser (Hardcore from Boston, MA)
American Cheeseburger (Athens, GA)


Click on the thumbnail above for show times.

Emo's
603 Red River
Austin, TX
All Ages $11/$13
Ticket Pre-sale
Go to emosaustin.com for show times and festival updates.

Look for another edition of the daily fix next Sunday, May 20th.

~ sayanythingrrrl

Bayside Austin Recording Studio Is Now


(Austin, Texas US)--Formerly Bayside Austin Recording Studio, Bundy Hill Recording & Post-Production is now open for your next project - live and studio recording, video post-production, photography, and graphics.

The hourly rate for your quality recording is only $35.

"That cost is low compared to other studios does NOT reflect less quality on our part. Some cheap studios charge cheap prices because they know they do cheap work with cheap equipment. We simply wish to pay our bills and expand our studio, not get rich from already starving artists..." T.W. Bond - Owner & Recording Engineer



Lucky Dukes of Satan's Cheerleaders - Photo by Pataphysics

Bundyhill is located in the heart of "the live music capital of the world," minutes away from 6th Street and Red River live music venues. The studio specializes in working one-on-one with artists who want more depth and versatility than is available from average production, because "sometimes DIY projects need a little help..."

To listen to diverse samples of their work, go to myspace.com/bundyhill. For more information about the studio, including special recording capabilities and hours of operation, visit www.baysideaustin.com/moving.htm.

Danna Marrón Williams
DIY Revolution Communications

Björk's "Post": The Greatest Album in The Universe - Ever

Björk Will Return to Austin, and I Can Die Happy Now - After ACL Fest

On my personal MySpace page, I have previously posted that I would like to meet Björk Gudmundsdottir. After seeing her live during her 1995 Post Tour at Liberty Lunch (an event that changed my life) I have wanted to interview her. Now, 12 years later, I have a good excuse to contact Björk's management and do my best to talk with her for a few minutes - or maybe half an hour? Possibly maybe... Björk is returning to Austin, TX this summer for the Austin City Limits Music Festival! I wanted to be fair and balanced like Fox and report the more "normal" participants in this year's festival, but I just couldn't. I'm a loving fan of her music, and as I imagine the press hounding her in September, I also hope to do some of that hounding. Tactfully, of course.

And here's a list of the other major headliners for ACL 2007, September 14-16 (with my typical snide and sometimes sincere commentary):

Bob Dylan & His Band (Shame on me - I've never seen him in person. Seriously.)
The White Stripes (Meg White is the best bad drummer out there. Although it would be badass to see Cindy Blackmon with Jack White. They could call themselves The Swirl. Get it?...Anyway...)
The Killers (I've heard them on the boob tube and wasn't impressed. In fact, I wondered why everyone at iTunes was so crazy about them last year.)
Wilco (Tweedy & Co.? Nice choice.)
Arcade Fire (Merge Records darlings. Indie rock kudos.)
Muse (Bring on the U.K. rock!)
My Morning Jacket (Solid ACL performers.)
Queens of The Stone Age (Surprising. I hope they make fun of The Killers.)
Bloc Party (Why do we need The Killers?)
Arctic Monkeys (Why do we need The Killers, again?)

http://www.aclfestival.com/lineup.aspx


"Volta", Released May 8, 2007 on Atlantic Records... I'm using my petrol money to buy it next week.

I'm posting special pre-ACL Fest blogs in September with a Björk discography, which will include a brief review of her latest album, Volta. And I'll definitely announce whether or not I landed that interview. Let's keep our fingers crossed...

In the meantime, I'll have more announcements of local shows posted, as well as my Austin EP reviews. The shortlist includes: AUX, The Evildoers, The Lonesome Heroes, Manager's Choice, Red Book Audio, Shapes Have Fangs, Smoke Detector and Zom Zoms. And a few of these reviews will be in print this summer - revised, of course. And expect more drunken photos of shows I attend. Yay!

But I will be sober when I take photos of Björk's performance in September.

~sayanythingrrrl

Smokey Farris - A vocalist who sings like a surrealist painter. So it's OK to laugh at his name.

Count Dracula's Weed Smuggling Jam Engine:
Funny Name, Serious Music (or, Schlotzsky's™ Craving, Anyone?)

Review: Live @ The Carousel Lounge
w/Cavedweller
Zest of Yore

Saturday April 28, 2007


(3 out of 4 bottles of Tito's Handmade Vodka. But so much fun I can't remember if it was really 4 bottles.)

Due to "creative differences" (including my ridiculously funny - or just ridiculous - "banana in a slingshot" idea for a Melt-Banana show flier) and other valid reasons, I was dismissed as "band manager" earlier this week. And it was the best thing that could've ever happened to me for two reasons: 1.) Count Dracula's Weed Smuggling Jam Engine really doesn't need to hire a manager at this point in their music career - but they do need more press and music blogs, and 2.) I should never be allowed to "manage" a band I enjoy hearing because it makes listening to the band's music less enjoyable somehow. Now I can write about the band without an ulterior motive, and listen without worrying about the band's business. I actually quit days earlier before I got the official news, but who really cares - this blog is supposed to be about a band I enjoy listening to live - and not one of the factors of a decision to focus on what I'm actually competent doing - like writing music blogs.

Now I'm tired of all the "manager" and "" business. On with the show - I mean the review...

On the last Saturday in April I decided to celebrate the fact that it was the last Saturday in April with Tito's Handmade Vodka. And it was also dubbed my early Cinco de Mayo celebration. I can't remember a lot of specifics from the show as a result of this early celebration, but from what I do remember, I really enjoyed all three performances from Cavedweller (Business Deal co-founder Dirk Michener going solo and still in Austin, TX - so it's still not too late to ask him to be my future ex-husband), Austin-based experimental quartet Count Dracula's Weed Smuggling Jam Engine, and Denton/Austin indie part-timers Zest of Yore.


Cavedweller - Sexier Standing Up

I was already on my second Cape Cod and debating whether or not to sneak a piece of someone's birthday cake when Cavedweller took the stage, or rather the floor of The Carousel. The crowd in front of me sat at a long table and was polite enough to stay through his performance. He has started this interesting habit of standing up while playing his solo sets on acoustic guitar. I have a great example of this in a photo I posted on Cavedweller's MySpace comments section. Although it seemed odd at first, I'm getting used to his stand-up routine, and found myself enjoying his performance more. He played one song that was unfamiliar to me as a new fan - "That Boy's A Hitler". Originally released on 2000's "School Boys Charm", the song has been revived on his set list and is now available for download on MySpace. On record and live, Cavedweller proves he has the octave range that can go from sexy deep to spine-tingling castrato. The set seemed too short, but he did take a request - for his sexy rocker "Eyez".

By my third Cape Cod, Count Dracula's Weed Smuggling Jam Engine had played more than a few familiar songs, and I will have to admit I don't remember exactly what they played. But the crowd was charged at the end of each song, and vocal frontman Smokey Farris was less talkative than usual between songs. The Jam Engine was running fast and smooth, and the climax of their performance was received with a warm round of applause, and a request for one more song. There were no encores, but the buzz I felt after the last song seemed more from the music than the liquor.


Stephen Pierce - Zest of Yore. I love saying the name, Zest of Yore.

This was my first attendance of a Zest of Yore performance. The headlining band's set began with three solo, mid-tempo songs performed by lead vocalist and guitarist Stephen Pierce. I was immediately impressed, although I couldn't identify any of the songs or distinguish the newer songs from the tentatively titled Quality of Life CD and 2004's Throw It At The Moon. But now that ZOY plans to spend half their time In Austin, I get the feeling I will become more familiar with their songs. I'm already a fan of "I'll Do The Thinking" from Admit That It's Christmas (You've Got To) (2003), another song currently available for download on MySpace.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Performances:

Cavedweller: June 9th @ The Mohawk (Austin, TX) w/Ryan Anderson and The Lovely Sparrows.

Jam Engine: May 25th @ Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio (Denton, TX) w/XBXRX and Melt-Banana - U.S. "Bambi's Dilemma" Tour.

Zest of Yore: Go to www.zestofyore.com/livezest.html or myspace.com/zestofyore for show updates.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall, it was an entertaining night, and I regret not taking notes at the performance. The pictures I did manage to take are a mess, but expect a sharper review at future shows. Starting this weekend, perhaps?

Cheryl Bliss performs at Cafe Caffeine on W. Mary St. in Austin, Saturday May 12th, and I'll be there with RadioMike.

And later that night:



Scoot Inn is located in East Austin, on 4th Street.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of transmission.

~ sayanythingrrrl

ADDENDUM: To prove there are no hard feelings between me and the "fab four", Smokey Farris (vocalist and Business Deal Records co-founder) called me Count Dracula Weed Smuggling Jam Engine's "biggest fan" after my departure, and hopes that I will attend future shows. I'm not sure if he meant physically big, psycho stalker big, or most supportive fan big, but I assured him I would attend their shows with my usual zeal, but I would not throw bananas at the new "manager", Jam Engine guitarist and Bundyhill Recording & Post-Production Studio engineer Preston Dukes.

One Regret: Not solving the case of the missing Lemurs drummer.*

Top 10 (Musical) Regrets of 2006: It's All About The Love in 2007

Last night I had a weird conversation with a local musician about the lack of seriousness regarding coverage of local music and the overwhelming coverage of underwhelming bands. It made me a little self-conscious and introspective. Sure, I would love to write reviews for The Onion (if they think I'm funny enough). But maybe it's time to write more serious articles and reviews of local bands, besides the occasional CD review in INsite or Whoopsy! Magazine. So this is probably one of the most serious blogs ever posted on Kill The Critic.

Yes, some of the details in this list may inject humor, but it is purely coincidental. 2006 was a wacky year.

10. Missing Heartless Bastards on New Year's Eve - December 31st 2006. Yes, I finally got to see and hear The Blow live at The Mohawk, and I've already seen Heartless Bastards live, and talked with them in person. In fact, I interviewed singer Erica Wennerstrom in 2005, before all the well-deserved hype about HB's second release in 2006, "All This Time". But not being able to see them that night was something I regret.

9. Recording the Field Music interview with a defective tape at Emo's before their SxSW and Austin, TX debut. I still have the microcassette, but I still haven't figured out what we were saying, and I was so nervous my notes consisted of a few incomplete sentences. (Yes, ladies, these three handsome gents from Sunderland, UK are more gorgeous and gentlemanly - and distracting - in person.)

8. Getting scooped on an interview with Horse+donkey y Audra Schroeder of The Austin Chronicle. This is actually a prime example of not following my journalistic instincts last year and finally interviewing them after a series of coincidental run-ins with all three band members in late 2005 and throughout 2006 on Red River, and at various local clubs around town. I even had a chance to interview them a couple of months before Horse+donkey's interview hit stands around Austin in the January 19, 2007 issue of The AC.

7. Walking out of the Dosh show after Sole/Anticon performed because the bartender at Emo's Lounge pissed me off while I was waiting on being served. I've saved the details for LiveJournal, but I will state for the record that now I know how The Invisible Man feels. I have banned Emo's bar - not the club. I just won't be wasting my money on Dos Equis and Tito's. I feel justified because I've been a courteous customer and generous tipper, and their poor, discriminating service was unjustifiable.

6. Not submitting articles to Soundcheck and Austin Music Magazine. I have been ahead of their publication in terms of hot artists by months, and years even, but I have been reluctant to submit articles to the magazines for fear of rejection. But after reading some of their articles and reviews, and reading my own work, I realize that fear was unjustifiable. So expect more in print from me in 2007. (My fingers are crossed.)

5. Not keeping all of my writing samples on back-up disks. My old computer crashed, and on it I have many interviews and reviews from print publications that are now lost. I have some old magazines, however, and will scan and save them - after I find a record of my purchase for a scanner and finally have it fixed or replaced.

4. Procrastinating and not posting blogs as frequently as I should. Sometimes daily music blogs aren't going to happen. But I will change this soon, this summer in fact when I will be attending more shows. So bookmark this blog as one of your new favorite music reporting sources.

3. Not purchasing a digital camera sooner. Now that I have one, I don't know how I ever lived without one. I regret missing some cool shots of bands because I didn't have a camera or couldn't find a photographer.

2. Letting local CDs pile up and collect dust. My resolution is to review most of the CDs I didn't review in 2006. Word is bond.

1. Not getting a final interview with the band Zom Zoms. See previous post.

~ diy-danna

*The Lemurs drummer isn't really missing. But Number 11 on the regrets list would've been not being able to figure out why I can't remember what The Lemurs sound like after hearing them live. Especially after all the hype. I just don't get why they are so amazing. I'm not a hater, and it's all about the love in '07, but I still have ears and individual taste...Kill me. Or whatever...

The Last Zom Zoms Show Ever
December 19, 2006
Flamingo Cantina


(4.5 slices out of 5 - because nothing is perfect)


Four months and three days before it happened (sort of), I predicted that Zom Zoms would move back to Tuba City, AZ. It seems that the stress of perfectly insane performances of the experimental new wavers finally took its toll on the expanded pizza delivery franchise.

I won't waste time with a lot of sentimentality, but I would like to recommend buying all of their CDs, some of which are available for sale online. Click on the screenshot (above) of their web page for more info. They still maintain a MySpace page for their diehard fans, so check it out: myspace.com/zomzoms.

I've included a two sentence review of their last recording, a self-titled EP with a cover designed by my pookie bear Gene Defcon*, and you can make up your own mind whether to buy it or not. Although you really should buy it.

The self-titled EP hints at the great band they were becoming, and the songwriting, synthesizer and drum executions sound like less of a ripoff of early Devo and more like Zom Zoms . It's a shame for all the fans and naysayers who won't get a chance to listen to the evolution of a zolo, performance art punk band.

~ diy-danna

*Gene Defcon is the artist who is Moby to diy-danna's Ahab. But one day she hopes to get a whale of an interview with one of her favorite indie songwriters.

Crazy Country: Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band

You think you've got problems?

Room 710 Presents:
"New York City Style Country: Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band"
Thursday, September 28, 2006

Also Playing:

Little Aurora
Yellow Fever
Night Viking

ROOM 710
710 RED RIVER
AUSTIN, TX USA


(3 out of 4 Non-Pace Picante Sauce Bottles.)


The original title for this review - excuse me, preview - was "I'll Never Really Love Country, But These Crazy Guys Made Me Like It A Little More". But then I thought that was dumb and unsearchable on Google. Besides, I plan to post a link to this wonderful preview at my sister blog, diy-music, and want to seem professional.
Anyway...

Believe it or not, I've had a conversation about music with all five Windmill boys in Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band. (I'll mostly refer to them as CPMWB or Windmill Band from now on - to avoid a hand cramp.) Some of their musical influences may surprise you. I was pretty sneaky about it, pretending like I was some curious fan. But the truth is I just wanted them to admit that they loved Garth Brooks, or that annoying guy everybody thinks is hot (Kenny Chesnutt?), and were just waiting to sell out to a major label, move to Nashville and forget Austin and New York City. Then I could go back to hating country music (with the exception of the old classics). But they ruined my gameplan. I won't give away their secret loves, but I dare you to ask about their favorite bands at the next CPMWB show, this Saturday. (Not every influence is revealed on MySpace.)

I had never heard of experimental, New York City-style country until listening to The Lonesome Heroes at The Carousel Lounge last year. Now I can't seem to hear enough of yankee band leader Rich Russell's solo album Scattered Thoughts. I like to avoid making petty comparisons, but Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band seems a lot more experimental than the Lonesome NYC native. Maybe it's because CPMWB are mostly Texas born and raised good ol' boys. (No - they aren't like that other brand of salsa from New York City...) I suspect that Windmill Band's co-founder Dirk "Cavedweller" Michener spent enought time in NYC to learn that Nashville was full of crap. No offense to KASE, but if I hear anymore trite love songs with predictable, hum-drum melodies, I will shoot my radio and blame companies that own stations like theirs. I would have liked to been in that room with co-founders Michener and Travis "Bobcat" Catsull decided to form a country band and their chosen genre a little less boring. Yeehaw!

I guess I should describe the music now, to entice my reader to see CPMWB on a Thursday night, instead of getting drunk on Stone Lar beer and hitting on Mexican men outside an east side bar... The lyrics are crazy and all over the map - from white trash angst that avoid the country cliches of heartbreak and dying dogs, to poetical larks about familial ties. And it all seems to be done with a wink and a nod. And a middle finger.


Catsull & Michener: Not actual size.

And the melodies and harmonies are sweet. Those Windmill Band boys sure can sing. And somehow they get by without the electric gee-tar. While Catsull croons, Michener sings along and strums on his acoustic, amped of course; Reed Posey adds low-keyed harmony and occasional percussive charm, while Preston Dukes provides plunky hoedown bass lines from bass guitar. (No upright needed with this outfit.) The band recently added drums, courtesy of Tim "T.W." Bond, who completes the band's crazy, experimental fits. Some of my favorite songs in the CPMWB repertoire include include a fantastical yarn, "Gatlin Bros.", and the oddball "Finish Malaysia", which sometimes segues into "Airwolf" (which I've played on the radio twice already). The subdued mocking of "This Ain't California", and redneck goodie "Run, Johnny Run" are also standouts.

The music of Charles Potts Magic Windmill Band just works for me. I don't have a clever ending. I wanted to end with "And a middle finger", but I guess I ruined another blog. Darn it!

Just see the show, OK?

~ sayanythingrrrl

WOOPS!

I forgot some important band info:

Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band is:
Tim Bond - Vocals & Return of that ol' Boom Bap
Reed Posey - Vocals & Grit Spit
Preston Dukes - Vocals & Slap 'n' Tickle Bass Guitar
Travis Catsull - Vocals & Badass Aura
Dirk Michener - Vocals, Guitar & Macho Sweetness

Short Attention Span Bio: PAY ATTENTION, DUMMY! Charles Potts' Magic Windmill Band plays New York City-style experimental country in Austin, TX. The band is named after an actual person they know and love who is a poet and landlord. WHAT IS THAT MAN'S NAME?

"Discography":

They have a 7" for sale - only $5.


CPMWB released an album in 2004 called Becky (above). It's still available on CD-R - also $5. They also have an obsolete cassette (2001?), all through Business Deal. Collect 'em all!

The Officially Dated CPMWB Web Site

The site they really use.

Someone recently informed me that I am a country music moron. I confused or combined the names of superstar Kenny Chesney with Mark Chesnutt. My bad.

What's Up with Gene Defcon?

It's Gene Defcon's world, and we just happen to live in it.



4 out of 5 Elmos agree, Gene Defcon is good for your health.
(I originally wanted to go with 4.5 Elmo's, but you try to cut off Elmo's legs!)

Why all the frou-frou and fluff in today's review?

Today I was doing "research" (fooling around on Google, Ask Jeeves, Mr. Belvedere, or whatever), and making up stuff for an artist profile because the music recording artist still known as Gene Defcon refuses to condescend to my mere mortal questions. Either that, or he simply didn't think it was worth the effort. Whatever his reasons, When he formally protested my dumb interview questions with a vow of silence, I decided to start a flame war through this blog.

That was a bad joke. But hypothetically, if I was going to start a flame war, it would begin like this:
Like white whine, Gene Defcon seems to go best with fish schtick.

Don't worry all you Gene Defcon fans who stumble upon this review - I simply want to post a bio with more recent information, and mention his recordings. (And also re-post that picture above on the world wide web. It's priceless and I hope you appreciate it.)

When it comes to making music, Defcon is serious about being fun. Even his debut Lover's ESP Blues way back in 1998 (occasionally more depressing than most real blues LPs) is a stroke of cool jerk-off genius. Defcon started his musical journey in Austin, TX, relocating to Olympia, WA for a while. He's got a lot of music history and aliases behind him, from his days as Otto Matik in The Prima Donnas, to opening for Sleater-Kinney as Gene Defcon - the band. My favorite garage rock 'n' soul band The Gossip opened for him! And I'd like to shake his hand (or maybe just give him a nod) with respect and admiration just for bringing the party back to music. His band mates under the Gene Defcon moniker included members of bands like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Frenchie and The German Girls. And they genuinely seemed to have a good time with their pal Gene in Olympia, Washington.

But like all good parties it came to an end, at least as a band. After Come Party With Me (1999) Gene returned to Austin, TX to work closely with the other co-founders of Business Deal Records (which is more like a collective of recording artists than a record label), where he was already co-producing artists like Cavedweller. After a five year recording hiatus, he released Throw Up And Die in the summer of 2005 on Retard Disco.

The Obligatory Anticlimatic Discography:

Throw Up And Die (2005) - At over 70 minutes, you'd think it would be challenging to listen to at times. It was. But Defcon had a lot to say since the last album, and a lot of us were ready and willing to listen.

You can buy this, plus a special 7" collection (which I think includes one of my favorite songs, "Liz") with Gene Defcon artwork @ retarddisco.com.


Come Party With Me (1999) - Considered by me to be the pinnacle of partydom.


Lover's ESP Blues (1998)- Considered by most critics as his masturbatory masterpiece. I thought it was a little too long and a bit premature, but satisfying overall. (Puns intended.)

You can purchase his older records at local record stores throughout Austin and Olympia, or online:
Business Deal
CD Universe
Kill Rock Stars

The official Gene Defcon web site is a bit dated, but you can read more about Gene not at your local library, but at his label's web site, retarddisco.com. He's also got a myspace.com/genedefcon page with ill instrumentals courtesy of former band mate DJ Nick Nax. Will there be another Gene Defcon out soon?

In the meantime, Gene keeps busy as a bassist and vocalist in The Old-Timerz and The Carrots, a '60s girl group inspired band. He also produces recordings with Smokey Farris (Count Dracula's Weed Smugglin' Jam Engine), Dirk Michener (Cavedweller), Jason "Chef" Pittman (The Old-Timerz, The Carrots), and a host of other talented artists on Business Deal Records. You can check them out @ businessdealrecords.com.

Have a good time with Gene!

~sayanythingrrrl


Some crazy fan stuff - by me.

Will Zom Zoms Move Back to Tuba City, AZ?

Zom Zoms Pre-SxSW Show - March 14, 2006. Photo: Ben Aqua

A Special* Live Show Review
Emo's Wednesday Night
August 16, 2006
Zom Zoms
Manager's Choice
Chad Raines and The Simple Pleasures

2.5 out of 4 tubas for those who can't count.

Austin, TX doesn't deserve Zom Zoms.

There. I "said" it. It's out there, and I won't take it back. But this review isn't all about one band's short but entertaining performance that was all but ignored by drunken Austin music lovers. I must give time and space to all the bands on the bill who made this show almost completely enjoyable. I'll get to the crux of this "article", the "almost" part, in a moment. So please keep your pants on, people. (That means you too, Mike.)


I got a screen print poster from Manager's Choice. Print by Rural Rooster. Nice.

The show started later than I expected for an all ages venue (almost 11:00!), and Emo's surprised me with a cover that would keep most teenage fans away on a weeknight. I mean, I know they can't [legally] drink at the club, but I think charging the young ones $3 a head extra (during the summer) is a bit much. Or maybe I'm just a stupid ho with no business acumen.
(I gotta be fair and balanced like Faux News because I live in fear of getting kicked out of the club by that guy wearing the "Guilty" shirt. Everytime I see him, he looks at me like I'm gonna start a drunken riot, even when I've had plain water instead of the fire water. And just what is he guilty of, anyway?)


Back on course... I met Chad Raines of Chad Raines and The Simple Pleasures minutes before they hit the stage, and he is an engaging young fellow. He's lived in Austin and now calls New Haven, CT home. When the band finally got on stage, I had to do a double take. Mr. Raines had somehow transformed from a black to grey t-shirt and jeans to a pimped out white suit (complete with a striped poly or silk shirt) and he goes into disco dance mode. The band's South Side member Jessie England, bubbly keyboardist of Manager's Choice, was clad in white too. It was a solid performance minus the early technical difficulties - mainly an uncooperative computer. (According to Raines, "This is what happens when you fuck too much with machines.") the bass lines were a but too heavy for my taste, and I love my hip hop. The speakers were popping, literally. Damn!

And now for the simple pleasure: The party finally got started when he introduced three members of Hill Country Strings (WTF?), and Jeff Merrill, another member of Manager's Choice who did his thing on trombone. The sax player/violinist was a definite plus to the performance. I won't go into too much detail because this review is already long enough (and I didn't take notes), but there was a little bit of soul and reggae mixed, with danceable rock beats, and I enjoyed the strings attached. (Please don't sue me Will Taylor.) Toward the end, Chad Raines and The Simple Pleasures won me over; even when Raines went back to a simpler set up, sans strings and brass.

Manager's Choice brought a new wave reggae/dancehall vibe to Emo's that would probably bore young Austinites already hooked on rock with frenetic disco beats. All four shared vocal duties and it didn't overwhelm me. Lead vocalist/bassist Lee Davila's robotic moves, England's deliriously fun keyboards, Merrill's whimsical guitar & heavy brass chops, and J.J. Campbell's rhythmic playfulness on drums are a pop treat. But don't think this foursome was too sweet. Listen to the lyrics on the new s/t demo/EP (now available at local stores like Cheapo's) and you'll know what I mean.

And now, to remain emotionally detached from how pissed off I was that the crowd was so damn thin to see a headlining performance from Zom Zoms, I will now refer to myself in third person.


And will Zom Zoms release an unplugged album someday?
Photo: Richard

A little background info about diy-danna's live and recorded experiences with Zom Zoms: She met these guys, three of them anyway, a year ago at a sweaty but somehow cool venue called Flamingo Cantina, and she hasn't been the same ever since. Zom Zoms are that special*. Although she tries to avoid playing favorites (at least publicly) these four Devotees are diy-danna's favorite live band in Austin, simply because you can feel the strange love of music oozing out of their pores, even during the most painful performances. And it was oh so painful to see and hear them play for less than a dozen people the other night, when you know anywhere else outside Austin, outside the state of Texas, they would probably deal with more insane fans, and people walking out in disgust, pity, or amusement in the middle of the performance. Only a few people walked out of Emo's that night, and it seemed that it was only because it was so darn late. The rest of the "crowd" remained to be zonked out by the synthesizer and drum heavy polka-dotted rhythms. At one point, Zom heckled the crowd, and diy felt special* when he singled out her lack of physical attractiveness and fashion sense - "Yeah, I'm fat-ass black chick who carries a droopy purse. Let's all stop and watch another freak show!" That was the sarcastic comeback diy-danna came up with two minutes ago. (Somehow it seemed funnier two minutes ago.)

Back to first person narration: I left Emo's with the title song of their latest album and a new found respect for Zom Zoms in my heart. Their sound gets more incredible, and less "RIYD: Devo" everytime I hear them. Yeah, they love Devo, but they've got their own bizarre zolo sound. It's a shame Austin hipsters just don't get it, and they will kick themselves someday for not being seen at one of their shows before (if) Zom Zoms leave town for good.

But then again, maybe that's a good thing. I think Zom Zoms will kick ass back in Tuba City, Arizona. Or Japan.

In hindsight, maybe this show deserved 3 whole tubas. This humpday show got me excited about witnessing three bands on the verge of success. Let's hope they don't become spoiled and lazy when the local hipsters or scenesters take notice. But on second thought, two-and-a-half tubas seems fair enough. I can't get over the lack of interest from the citizens of "the live music capital of the world" in a band that has worldwide appeal. Check myspace.com/zomzoms for proof. They're playing the Devo & Psychedelic Furs Afterparty Friday August 25, 2006 in San Antonio, TX. If you aren't worried about running out of petrol (like me), check them out!

OK. You may now continue listening to The Lemurs.

~ Eat Me

*By "special", I don't mean retarded or nice.

Eat Me is currently listening to:
Optiganally Yours
"Geppetto"
from the still unreleased Exclusively Talentmaker**
and VU featuring Lou Rabinowitz
an Absolutely Kosher Records Sampler

**Optiganally Yours: Please release this album, if you are a real band. I've already heard that same song on another sampler. It's a fly song, but I want to hear more!!!