tea at 3:30am

Good morning laddies.

Well it's 3:30am which is a bit early to get home from a Linus show (I normally get in at 4am) so i'm a little awake. Everbody else was pretty bushed but I actualy needed to chill a bit before I hit the hay so, given that everyone is sleeping, tea and blogging will have to do.

I have to say that, given the fact that Blue Cheer was playing with Gods Temple at Walters and Mike was having his benefit party for the adding machine, we had a really good night. Plus Rosa was at our show which was a rarity given the fact that usually Orion is with one of us.

Concrete Violin's set was really trippy (it made me wish I still did shroons!) and the addition of the guitarist was really cool. Perhaps we were pushing the Rudz crowd a bit but I really enjoyed it. The Dimes followed with a fantastic set of music. I've already posted about them so you know the story. The nice thing was that a lot of people came up to me saying they'd never heard the Dimes and really liked them which, to me, is half the point of asking bands we like to play with us.

Our set went off well; given the fact that I tend to be hypercritical, that is saying a lot. Surprisingly, we actually had a decent turnout of people so it was nice to do a good show. Sloppy at points but good. We started off with an off-the-cuff version of "Interstellar Overdrive" and as it turns out Daniel Johnson was outside with Two Star Symphony and he totally loved it - going so far as to request a copy of the board mix on CDR. Go figure.

I can say this though the Kimonos, who closed the evening, sound much better live than they do on CD and that's from someone who liked their CD. But while The Kimonos played I was pretty busy and only caught chunks between my chores. Example - one chore was to pick up our projectors. Now given that Karen was busy with Mike's benefit, I was surprised and happy to see her at the show (though she missed our set). Naturally I get to talking with her when suddenly - disater - I realize that the reel I left rewinding is totally eating the film. JOY! See I take 5 minutes with a good friend and see what happens! Needless to say, I spend the next 20 minutes or more picking up my mess and marking spots where I have to splice out damaged film. Mercifully nobody stepped on the film that was laying on the floor. So the rest of the night consisted of the usual rock and roll glory of picking up shit, counting money, and such.

Well, it's almost 4 am now and the rest of my tea is getting tepid. But I should close with how typical this is for a rock show. It's not sex, drugs, and rock and roll ala Lonestar Pornstar. No, it's spending a lot of money on repairs, equpment and supplies. Picking up and hauling heavy equipment to and from the rehearsal space. You hardly have any time to talk to anyone and you smell when you get home between 3 and 4 pm.

So why do we do this? Fuck I guess its all about the music. Despite all the above, it's simply nice to play your music well and play with other bands you admire. If people like it, well that's just gravy.

So goodnight. Apologies to anyone to whom I didn't get to say "Hi" but thanks for coming out. It was fun.

Double Nickels on the Dime

It takes a lot for me to actively rag on a local band. My policy is that I could spend much better time praising a deserving band than wasting time ragging on a crappy one but even this policy has its limits.

During last year at the Houston Press Music Awards I was exposed to my first breach of my policy when I witnessed Lonestar Pornstar. A bunch of guys who still play that nu-metal/funk/rap crap that everyone (except drunk frat guys) thought had mercifully died a few years back. Any band that starts off describing itself with "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" is still wallowing in 13-year-old fantasies but, I guess if Buckcherry is still selling its snake oil to morons, why not these fuckers. Now we have the dubious honor of being in the same category as these guys. My suggestion? Vote for them as best band! Why? If the Best Band curse holds they will break-up within a year of winning. But that was last year....

This year it came as a shock to find a band that was the complete polar opposite of LSPS yet a band that was equally worthy of contempt - Million Year Dance. The band (nominated for best new act and best male vocalist) is easily the most self-absorbed self-important circle-jerk of a band I've seen in quite some time. Musically, let's just say I already own one Coldplay album - I don't need their version. Now in and of itself that's not quite enough to earn my active contempt as there are a lot of bands who sound like bigger acts and will simply garner a ho-hum from me. Where this band takes the ball past the end zone, under the seats, and outside the stadium is on the altar upon which present themselves. They say a picture can say a thousand words. OK well then here are three thousand words:

Please, don't interrupt me while I am being sensitive.

I am so fucking beautiful. I mean just look at me!

Damnit, this is not fair trade incense! Who's responsible for this abomination!

But wait there's more. You may ask who has inspired this band? Coldplay, Peter Gabriel, Michael Stipe...Oh wait here it is on their myspace:

"Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Jesus, Paramahansa Yogananda, The Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh,and any one who uses non-violent (ahimsa) action to promote positive change in the world."

Then they go onto describe themselves thusly:

In the greatest state of liberation one may witness all the wave energies of the universe connected- these energies are the million year dance. Our mission is for everyone to feel just as much a part of our art as we are. We would hope the listener or audience participant could travel along the journey with us, and not at a distance.

_Joel lewis and nic houston are the pulsating truth, steven wetherell and doyle odom are the infinite mosaic of possibilities, and jonathan welch is the tangible explanation: all of them seamed together by a web of emotional creative response and interactivity_

We are dedicated to positive activism. If anyone has a way of improving the world (maya) and transforming negitive into positive without just complaining yet using action; please feel free to contact us. We would love to help. Of course, help comes from within, so we must all ask ourselves, "What could I be doing at the present moment to bring positive change into the world?"

Now, I grew up with punk rock and one basic anathema to punk rock was the idea of idol worship. Musicians and bands are to be admired and all that but worshipped? That utterly misses the point that the bands are never above their audience. The way MYD portrays itself clearly suggests a clear level of vanity in search of willing apostles.

Now don't get me wrong, I have no issues with strong views or politics in bands. This band played with Free Radicals which is pretty much Nick Cooper's baby. Now is Nick a bit much sometimes with his politics and in his trying to make a buck any chance he gets? Yes, but a few things are important which negate this. First, is the fact that Free Radicals are a great band and the music is the main focus. Secondly, whatever you think about Nick he puts his money where his mouth is. Lastly, the politics of Nick Cooper and his band are one of encouraging individual action by people - not "hold my hand and join us" but a serious challenge. The power to improve things does not come by joining or worshiping the band.

Meanwhile, Million Year Dance says it's committed to "Positive Activism". But what does that mean conctretely? Well as the band states it "Our mission is for everyone to feel just as much a part of our art as we are." Salvation can be found in Million Year Dance! The world will change if you sit in a circle burn incense and worship at my feet! Tell me plebians of how great my art is!

FUCK YOU!

You want positive activism? Get off your goddamn pedestal.

And there you have it - the Lonestar Pornstar of 2006.

Houston Press Music Awards Suggestions

A few suggestions for the Houston Press Music Awards per me - Ramon Medina. Note just becasue I don't pick someone doesn't mean I don't like them, I may simply not have heard of them.

Best New Act -Sharks and Sailors
Best Punk - Fatal Flying Guilloteens [Hey where is Somethign Fierce???]
Best Alternative Rock - We're in this category and normally it's an honor to be nominated but given that Lonestar Pornstar is in this category I'm not so sure. Also what the fuck is Alternative Rock? Oh well, hey if it gets us into the party and free booze - I ain't gonna bitch too much. : )
Best Traditional Rock - Whatever-the-fuck this category means. I'm going with Bright Men of Learning for what it's worth. The do a nice Pavement Jr. thing.
Best Metal - Crap this is a tough one. Bowel, Gods Temple of Faily Deliverance and Whorehound all rock. My randomizer says....Bowel. Sorry GTOFD and Whorehound the 16 sided die did not smile on you today.
Best Indie Rock - Crap another hard one. Bring Back the Guns, Dizzy Pilot and The Jonx are all great but I'm gonna go with the Jonx.
Best National Rock - Why ZZ Top of course! Even if they fucked up all their early albums with drum triggers.
Best Experimental / Avant Garde - "One of these things just doesn't belong here come on can you tell me which one..." Man, how did Satin Hooks get in here? I mean even they have to be saying "What the fuck are we doign here?!" But it's a tough call between Rotten Piece and A Pink Cloud. 18 sided dice! what say thee? Rotten Piece it is! Somewhere in Houston Dom curses his sfortuna.
Best Folk/Acoustic - ahh an easy one...The Medicine Show
Best Jazz - Drop Trio
Local Musician of the Year - Jana Hunter (woo 3 easy ones in a row)
Best Female Vocalist - Gina Miller (The Kimonos) Hey they are playing with us at Rudz on the 15th of July.
Album of the Year - Write in time! Babel Fishh - The Use of of, Something Fierce - Come for the Bastards, Jana Hunter - Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom, The Ka-nives - Get Duped!, and that's just off the top of my head....
Best Concert Venue/Best Rock Venue - Hell Rudz or the Proletariat. We love both so I split mine up.
Best Record Store - Sound Exchange fool!
Best Blues Venue - Ettas!

Of course as usual great bands like the Dimes, The Red and White, Powers of Light and Darkness, Georgia's Horse, and John Muzak (to name only a few) are utterly ignored. But thems is the shakes. Reguardless July 30th should be fun.

Oh and here is the link to the music awards...
http://www.houstonpress.com/musicshowcase/2006/musicballot06/