(Note: Due to the sheer number of submissions we receive there is no way we can give each and every album the attention (and word count) they deserve, but we can devote time to at least one song from each. So we started this feature to give worthy bands, and their music a spot to shine. We hope this helps you discover new and exciting acts, and as always if you enjoy the music please make an attempt to support the artist by either attending a show, or buying a record.)
By Jesseca Bagherpour
Roy Robertson is an artist I have been aware of for about three years now, yet I somehow manage to consistently forget about him. I don’t say this as a slight on his music. On the contrary–it is captivating, consistently good and eclectic. But other local–I say “local”, although his Myspace page lists him as being from “Austin/Midlothian/Denton”, so I guess he’s only semi-local at this point–artists are more immediate for me because they play more frequently and/or they’re the subject of some sort of “buzz”.
And I don’t know much about him. There’s hardly anything to be found about him on the Internet. Most of what’s there is on his Myspace page, which includes a bare minimum: a few songs on the player, a list of band members, a song catalogue updated late summer, a few song lyrics and some pictures of a wild-haired Robertson. Under influences, he provides links to videos which give evidence to his passion for animal rights. It’s not a lot to go on.
No wonder I keep needing reminders that he exists. But every time I hear his music–from that first time I got a friend request on that once-beloved and now-laughable social networking site to just yesterday when he sent me a couple of his favorite tracks–I am blown away. For your listening pleasure, my pick from the tracks he provided:
Verdict: Stirring, Television-esque guitar riffs and the subtle sounds of a horn get the song off to a great start, keys and steady drums and basslines fill it in. But it’s Robertson’s voice that takes center stage. It’s not quite like anything I’ve heard, though at times it takes on a quality similar to Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog) or David Vandervelde. There are elements of the past, especially 1960s rock, in his music, but the longer he’s around the more he sounds like, well, Roy Robertson.
I don’t think Robertson will be slipping from my memory any time soon. He’ll be playing NX35 in March, The House of Blues then Andy’s in and has a new album set for release this summer (I’ll be reviewing it when the time comes, and if “Milanese Horsehooves” is any indication, it will easily be one of the top 10 local albums of the year). And with his infectious, well-written pop tunes and wild good looks, I think he’ll be on a lot of people’s minds in the very near future. The kid’s going places.
And now for a special note to musicians and some members of the local media:
YOU ARE NOT THE COSMOS.
Now, that’s not my line. In fact, it’s regurgitated from a Charles P. Pierce piece written about how a certain writer should refrain from consistently interjecting himself into his points, and was in fact taken from an absolutely breathtaking Molly Ivens piece. And, though I’m using someone else’s point, the fact remains–you are not the end all be all of everything. Not every piece written about you will end with your balls firmly placed against the writer’s chin, and in fact more often than not someone is going to say something you completely disagree with. That’s OK. This is how the game works. One minute you’re the hottest thing around, the next people are lining up to break you apart. That’s simply how the cycle works.
Take a look at Alec Ounsworth: As little as four years ago, his project Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! was on top of the world with a 9.0 from Pitchfork and endless opportunities rolling in from everywhere. Fast forward two years, and their follow-up is met with a “Meh” (though I’m willing to argue it was a better album) and suddenly they’ve fallen off the radar. Jump two more years and you find Alec touring solo, and the band almost completely dissolved. It’s a sobering thought for any of the current critical darlings, that all this heat could be gone in such a short amount of time.
And, for those local artist who’ve played nothing but a handful of shows, and get defensive over a piece that was written about them in a positive light. Well, take a look around. The local music scene is chock full of former “next big things” who are either struggling or disappear all together. We’ll see how things look in six months.
There are also members of the local media who should heed these words, chiefly those members who operate not to serve the furthering of the community that’s trying to be built here, but only to further their own agendas. They react like sharks when the slightest bit of hype hits the “water” circling in a feeding frenzy, exploiting bands at every turn, never taking the time to discover anything new. They jump aboard anything on a forward trajectory, they provide content under the terms of “content sharing”, and never think twice about doing so. It’s all kind of sickening, and overshadows those out there doing genuine things.
Anyway, I’m off my soap box. Look behind the jump for live shows to go see.
(In an attempt to provide a broader coverage on the material we’re submitted, we’ve decided to do one full album review each Friday in place of the Track of the Day. Stealing the ever so popular Track-by-Track format allows us to tack a closer look at the album. Also, thanks to Nina for kicking this off for us. -Jaime)
by Nina Chantanapumma
Advertising works. Last year, thanks to some product I don’t remember, I was introduced to Canadian singer-songwriter BasiaBulat. She recently released her second full-length album, Heart of My Own, and I have gladly chosen this folk-pop sophomoric effort to kick off this new track-by-track series. Keep reading →
(Note: Due to the sheer number of submissions we receive there is no way we can give each and every album the attention (and word count) they deserve, but we can devote time to at least one song from each. So we started this feature to give worthy bands, and their music a spot to shine. We hope this helps you discover new and exciting acts, and as always if you enjoy the music please make an attempt to support the artist by either attending a show, or buying a record.)
By Jesseca Bagherpour
I’ve been meaning to post a track from Spoon’s new album, Transference, since it came out two weeks ago. As with the release of every Spoon record since I became a steady fan of their music, its release prompted a full-on Spoon Day–I listened to the new record a few times in a row then proceeded to rehash their back catalog (or what I have of it). I got dressed while listening to Spoon, I walked my dog for over an hour listening to Spoon, I wrote while listening to Spoon and then when Jaime picked me up for a meeting he was listening to Spoon.
I won’t write a review of Transference. It’s a bit late and I don’t have a lot to say about it, other than it’s vintage Spoon and I can’t get enough of it. I would apologize for being too drained to write the review the album deserves, but you’re probably relieved that I haven’t posted yet another novel in disguise as Track of the Day.
Here’s one of my favorite songs (meaning I put it on repeat even more than the rest of the album) from Transference, “Mystery Zone”, performed live, in-studio at San Diego’s KCRW for it’s terrific show Morning Becomes Eclectic (click link for full session):
And, since I’ve started a habit of giving you kids videos and MP3’s for Track of the Day, here’s a free download of the track:
Spoon–Mystery Zone
Verdict: If you haven’t bought this album yet, you really need to. Writing this post prompted me to take another listen and it is just as good as it was the first time around, possibly better.
Update: Although we try to make sure our free MP3’s are readily available for free download, we had to take this one down due to a copyright infringement notice. Our apologies to Spoon and Merge. Enjoy the KCRW performance and make sure you buy the album, kids!
I’m excited that an art gallery is opening here in Denton. Since Art Prostitute left for Dallas (and then became The Public Trust) almost four years ago, there’s been a vacancy in the art scene that university and city galleries and coffee shop walls couldn’t quite fill. But once again Denton has a space dedicated to showcasing interesting new art–Meme Gallery. And it’s conveniently located next to RGRS, where the gallery will celebrate its opening.
I took a peek at Leti Gomez’s art, and it’s enough reason to come to the show. But the bands should also make for an entertaining evening. Babar’s upbeat Math (?) rock and Final Clubs’ messy, poppy punk pleased a sold-out crowd at Dan’s a few weeks ago and I expect the same this time around (I assume A Portrait of St. Anthony will be fun as well, though I couldn’t find anything about the music … sorry!).
Suffice to say, this will be where the cool kids are in Denton tonight. But I’m sure Austin Swann already told you and 400 (RGRS latest RSVP count) of his other close, personal friends.
(Note: Due to the sheer number of submissions we receive there is no way we can give each and every album the attention (and word count) they deserve, but we can devote time to at least one song from each. So we started this feature to give worthy bands, and their music a spot to shine. We hope this helps you discover new and exciting acts, and as always if you enjoy the music please make an attempt to support the artist by either attending a show, or buying a record.)
By Jesseca Bagherpour
Here’s the thing, kids–I’m still sick. I say that not to excuse incoherent writing (which, believe me, is entirely possible at this point) but so that maybe a few of you will pity me. Anyway, on to the song. I discovered Twin Sister, a little band from NYC, after a recommendation from Good Records and Matthew Gray.
Upon my first listen, I wasn’t impressed by Twin Sister’s music. I thought it was more of the psychedelic, folky, Animal-Collective-or-Beach-House-type music that’s been flooding the ears of indie music fans for the past few years. And I don’t necessarily hate that sound. In fact, I like it when it’s done right. With that being said, it’s been done. To death. I’d like something original, please.
And after giving Twin Sister another shot, I realized they are original. They make interesting, quirky and beautiful songs that please the ear and stimulate the brain. The more I listen to their first EP, Vampires with Dreaming Kids, the more I fall in love with it. They packed an impressive amount of diversity into four little songs, running 15-and-a-half minutes altogether.
Call me overly sentimental, but the songs feel very near to me … like a soundtrack to my dreams. They contain fragments of some of my favorite music while remaining wholly unique. It was a near-impossible feat picking my favorite. And I still don’t think I succeeded … At any rate, here’s my choice for Track of the Day:
Verdict: From the soft acoustic intro to the Karen-O-like vocals to the sweet, steady drums and keys (and let’s not leave out the fuzzy electric guitar) … the opening track for Vampires is pure bliss. The same goes for “Ginger”, “Nectarine” and “I Want a House”, each fantastic in its own way. You can download the EP for free at the band’s website. Look out for their new EP, Color Your Life, which will be released soon on Infinite Best Recordings, and look for the band on tour (something tells me they might be near our neck-of-the-woods within the next couple of months).
P.S. The Yo La Tengo review is coming. I just need a little more energy before I take it on. It’s going to be a doozy.
You see that dreck they’re touting as The Notebook 2: More Paper? No/ Well it stars Mr. Step Up 2 The Wooden acting, and Lily Kane and this time instead of being locked into the in an endless cycle of flashbacks, it’s based around letters sent from a soldier to his girl back home….in other words, fucking $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Yes sir the studios/the guy writing these books manipulate the women of this world all the way to the bank, and I’m not even mad. Seriously it’s genius, I wish I could figure something like this little scheme out, I’d be free to cause all types of problems at NBA games.
Anyway, there’s a lot of Daniel Folmer this week, that is a good thing.
if you sample the mp3s that are posted on this site, make an effort to support the artist by going out an purchasing their work. The internet is a great tool to find music, but screwing over the artist who put out that work is a way to guarantee that you won't have the chance to find new and wonderful things.
Songs are only kept on this blog for a few weeks, If you are an artist or representative of the artist, and you want the material removed please contact me and I will remove the work.
