No Fold

It's looking like it will be a nice night, and I can't think of a better band to see on the roof of Cool Beans (1210 W. Hickory) tonight than Dokodemo Doa.
With Cool Beans standing as the lone defender in an empty lot that once housed a vibrant music scene I almost half-expect Sarah Alexander's etherial vocals to summon up a few ghosts of rock-n-roll's past in the Fry Street graveyard.
It's been a few years since they've performed, so check out the songs on their Myspace page in case you've never heard them.

On the patio at Dan's Silverleaf:

A.M. Ramblers open up the show, then Chris Flemmons (Baptist Generals), Brent Best (Drams, Slobberbone), Isaac Hoskins, and Ryan Thomas Becker will be trading songs in a singer/songwriter's roundtable.

It starts around 9pm, there's no cover.

You just can't beat that.

Day two of the King's Harvest festival at J&J's on the Square (118 W Oak), tonight it's:

8:00 Mauve Oed as Loretta Lynn
8:40 Daniel Folmer as Townes Van Zant
9:20 George Neal as Syd Barrett
10:00 Will K. as Willie Nelson
10:40 Cody Robinson, Pat (deep snapper), Jerry (Funeral Drive) as Violent Femmes
11:20 Brent Best as Roky Erickson

Yes, that's the same Cody Robinson. I'm not plugging my own show, I was just tapped as a last minute fill-in when Paul Slavens couldn't make it.

All the way across... well, the square... at Dan's Silverleaf (103 Industrial) is the TXMF Records showcase, featuring (in order of first to last):

9pm: Ashley Cromeens (of Record Hop)
Raised By Tigers
George Neal Band
Spitfire Tumbleweeds
Pinebox Serenade

First, there's the lineup of the King's Harvest fest I mentioned in yesterday's Denton Time:

King's Harvest Folk Festival, night 1
J&J's Pizza On The Square (in the basement) (118 W.Oak)
FREE, 8pm to Midnight

8:00 Admiral David V as Nick Drake
8:40 Will E. Lee as Nick Cave
9:20 Chris Garver as Bob Dylan
10:00 Emil Rapstine as Phil Ochs
10:40 Aaron White as Gram Parsons
11:20 Warren Jackson Hearne as Lenard Cohen

...and then:

And if you find yourself in the neighborhood of Hailey's, I highly reccomend Grassfight. I believe that starts around 10 and there's a $6 cover.
Grassfight has been around a year or two, but they've spent a lot of that time polishing off a record that I'm just dying to hear.
Check out the link above for some songs on their Myspace page. Well worth a listen.

What are your plans for the pre-Halloween weekend?
You may scoff at cover bands and hokey themes in front of your cool friends, but you know you live for Halloween in Denton.

Leave us a comment and let us know your plans.
And hey, keep it clean wouldya... We're still part of a family publication, after all.

Word is the early ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead show at Rubber Gloves (411 E. Sycamore) has now been cancelled, but all is not lost.

The Brewers kick off a free show at 10pm, followed by The Daily Beat, The Von Ehrics, and "maybe" The Villians.

Villian? Maybe that's a typo in their e-mail. It's ok, typing skills often have little to do with rock and roll. Had they spelled the name Vyllyn, however, I'm pretty sure I'd be making fun of them well into the afternoon.

At any rate, The Brewers are the band to see tonight.

Try one of these:

80's Night With DJ G (Hailey's)

Parata/Silk Stocking/New Science Projects/Sean Kirkpatrick(Rubber Gloves)

I'll be back tomorrow with some info on the pre-Halloween weekend's best bets, check out Today's Denton Time for a little more on those shows.

Rubber Gloves(411 E. Sycamore)
Jucifer (Athens GA & all points every direction)
Boy/Girl (Los Angeles/NYC, however that's possible)
Douche (Denton)

Ok, so the two touring bands are guy/girl guitar/drums combos, but don't mention that one band with a similar lineup to 'em. You won't find any sparse bluesy stuff here.
Jucifer is a shining example of how big one guitar and one drummer can sound. This isn't just bang on your guitar and scream in the mic stage filler, either. Check the video above for an example.
Boy/Girl is the second 2 member band of the lineup, and they have just as full of a sound as the headliners.
The opening band, Douche, is a local four piece group with members of several other now-disbanded local favorites. Terrible band name, incredibly awesome band. For the first time in a long time a band really gets the rawness of the root of the grunge of the 90's, even if they are a little light on flannels or beards.

Go to Rubber Gloves tonight for Peelander Z, The Last of the Interceptors, and The Pumpers.

There links on the Rubber Gloves site to check out the bands, but here's all you have to know: Japanese Action Comic Punk Band.

ALWAYS an entertaining show.

So last night I dropped in at Hailey's for Qui, Record Hop, and Red Monroe. Sunday isn't the best night for a big rock show, but when the headliner features a rock legend like David Yow (Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard) maybe the loss of sleep will pay off.

As I walked up to the club I was approached by a homeless man looking for 23 dollars, enough for a room at the least expensive motel in town. I already had my wallet out, ready to show my ID at the door, and I politely opened it to show him I had no cash. "Man, then how are you going to afford the ten dollar cover?" he asked. Good question. "I have friends in one of the bands, they put me on their guest list." "Must be nice." he replied. I agreed and went inside, but I couldn't help but worry about the guy with the weather cooling off, and how that type of encounter is getting to be more and more common downtown. With the bus and impending train services connecting us to larger cities, I have a feeling the experience will become more of a part of life in Denton. That has little to do with this particular show, and I'm not really commenting on the socioeconomic health of the town, but I think it's an issue worth thinking about as our fair city moves forward with learning to strike a healthy balance between commercial development and becoming a haven for free-thinkers. I just felt it deserves a mention, as it seems to be a part of the night as a whole.

As I walked in I heard a familiar song, but it wasn't Red Monroe. Turns out they had to cancel earlier in the day, and Nouns Group had been asked to serve as an eleventh hour replacement. Nouns Group is a heavier rock band that usually consists of guitar, vocals, drums, bass, and violin. Traditional strings featured in a rock band isn't a new idea, but it always gets me excited to see something outside of the normal realm of standard rock band instrumentation. It was my first time to see them on a large stage, and the big sound at Hailey's served them well. See Couldn't Pose A Dose for a good idea of their sound.

Second in the lineup was Record Hop, a local band to watch. Again, in the interest of honesty, I have some very good friends involved with this band. On the other hand, I have many good friends involved with many bands, and frankly some of those bands aren't very good. So I am at peace with a good review of a friend's band when it is well deserved. And man, last night surely deserves favorable mention.
After a few drummer rotations and a summer off to write and record a new album, Record Hop seems to have found a new direction in letting it all go and just rocking as hard as they can. I don't mean that in a Heavy Metal Parking Lot(video link) kind of way, I mean they opened the floodgates of heart and soul and it truly shows in their music. I have a feeling you'll hear quite a bit more about Record Hop as their new album is released and they garner some well-deserved media attention.

As for Qui, the nights headliner, I have mixed emotions. Front man David Yow drags a texas-sized rock resume behind him with acts such as The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid, but how much of a legend do you need to be to earn a free pass? Had I known nothing about him and just walked in on this band I might have thought "Man, that band is awesome but why is the guitar player's weird uncle Ted over there screaming into the microphone?". A handful of the faithful Yow fans seemed to ignore the odd fit between the singer and the rest of the band.
Around for 7 years or so (according to guitarist Matt Cronk), Qui teamed up with Yow last year after a few "guest appearances". The guitar/drum duo could surely stand on their own as a very talented act, but the combination of adding Yow and the seemingly common sense of humor between the now three-piece band really just came off as annoying more than anything. All three members poking fun at other bands by each telling a different funny story (but all three at the same time in a big jumble) between songs as "banter" probably sounded like a great idea at practice, but to a kid that saved up ten bucks to see his hero play rock songs it would probably be more of an insult. The inside jokes continued throughout the set, as Yow spent some time sound-checking a bass guitar only to end up playing one two-note bass line at the very end of the last song of the night. When I asked the Cronk why Yow would do something like that he replied "We just thought it would be funny". I dunno. Maybe it was. Maybe between the cold I'm fighting and being out late on a Sunday night I just wasn't in the mood to see the humor, but honestly I think I was just disappointed to see such talented musicians and a personal hero waste everyone's time and money with one long inside joke. I suppose in the end you should judge the work someone's doing without considering what they've already done and my own expectations might have been hard to meet, but I can't help but think that had I watched this band without expectations I wouldn't have been any more of a fan.

Sorry for the late update, it's been quite a day on the home front.
In a couple of hours I'll be here:

Rubber Gloves(411 E. Sycamore, Denton)
Deep Snapper
The Demigs
It's Unamerican To Be Sad
(doors at 9pm, $5 over 21, $7 under)

Denton's answer to the Minutemen, Deep Snapper have all of the power of a rock army stuffed neatly into a three man package. Their debut album, A Drowning Man Will Pull You Under (2007) would stand up to even any national album released this year, then it would push it down, kick sand in its eyes and write ten songs about the experience. Expect to hear a good chunk of that record tonight, mixed in with songs from their upcoming sophomore effort. (well, actually these are the 2nd and 3rd albums, but I'm not counting a CDR they released in 2006).

The Demigs, well, imagine the Foo Fighters with twice the brains and ten times the heart. And that's saying a lot coming from a recovering grunge fan.

It's Unamerican To Be Sad are on the more ambient end of rock. I'd compare them to Radiohead, but then I'd have to get in to which era of Radiohead I mean. My god man, I just don't have the time. It's good. Let's just leave it at that.

It's lazy music journalism to compare a local band to a national one, but it's Saturday, what did you expect?

photo by Michael Rubenstein, courtesy of Girl In A Coma

J and J's Pizza On The Square(118 w. oak)
Girl in a Coma

My friendly coworker Kisha has been talking about tonights Girl in a Coma show at J&J's On The Square for the past week or so, so who better to tell you about it than her?
The following is from Kisha Bickham:
_____________________________________________________________________

Girl In A Coma

I know the name may throw you off but don’t be fooled, this female trio is one of the best up and coming artists that I have seen/heard to date. These 3 women from San Antonio, Texas have so much talent and aren’t afraid to use it. Recently signed by Joan Jett's Blackheart Records in 2006, these girls don’t take anything they have been given for granted. Nina (lead vocals) was only 16 when the band started touring but was well looked after by Phanie (drummer) who just so happens to be her older sister and Jenn (bass). How did the band come together you may ask? Well Phanie and Jenn had been friends since middle school and would play music together after school. Well when Nina was 12 years old she got up the courage to ask them to listen to a song that she had wrote and they were blown away by her powerful voice. It was decided that Nina would be on vocals and guitar and they became Girl In A Coma. So they played where they could around San Antonio and then started touring in 2004. They have been going strong ever since and have a very loyal fan base. If you happened to attend SXSW this year there is a good chance that you got the opportunity to see this amazingly talented trio. They are currently touring the U.S. and we have been so lucky to have them grace us with their presence here in good ol' Denton, Texas. So if you’re into Alternative/Indie Rock or just want to come and listen to a band that will have you dancing and swaying from side to side, please be sure to make your way to J&J’s Pizza Basement on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 9pm. These ladies will rock your socks off!! So be sure to bring an extra pair. Hope to see you there!

House of Tinnitus (628 Lakey st., Denton)
Hentai Lacerator (Cincinnati, OH)
Xathax (Austin, Tx)

The House of Tinnitus lives up to its name, but don't let that stop you. The folks at H.O.T. have been holding it down for the Noise scene for a while now, & they've earned a well deserved reputation for bringing in the best Noise/Grind/or just plain esoteric home made madness from all over the place.

I won't insult these bands by trying to write some sort of preview on them with my limited knowledge of the genre, but if you're a fan of ambient electronic noise & you don't mind a little ringing in your ears just go ahead and make plans to be there tonight.

Here's a flier w/the full listing of bands:

It's just a busy week here in the paper cave.
Good stuff coming up for tonight and the rest of the week.

By the way, I somehow ended up at Dan's Silverleaf Monday night & caught Paul Slavens doing his improv act. If you're not familiar, on certain Monday nights he sets up his keyboard & a rotating cast of backing musicians and makes up songs on the spot based on titles you give him.
I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time. Let's just say he often ends up working a little "blue". Next time he has a show coming up I'll be sure to let you know & give you a few more details.

There's a humorous parable that floats around newsrooms from time to time regarding the line one draws between reporting the news and becoming a part of it, it goes something like this:

Imagine you are a photographer. You are in Florida just before a hurricane strikes. The streets are deserted, you see the sea looking all grey and menacing, you notice something floating in the water. You look through you telephoto lens. You realize that what you thought was floating debris is a famous politician. You know you have a choice to make, either you take a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph or you save save the life of one of our nation's leaders.

Would you use color or black and white film to take the photo?

When discussing the creation of this blog I was faced with the blurry lines of writing about the music scene while spending every spare moment of my own time taking part in it. You see, I'm a musician myself, and I just happen to be part-owner in a small DIY venue here in Denton. It garners quite a bit of press on its own, rating articles in news outlets as far away as London. We have hosted bands from all over North America, and even several from Europe, Asia, and Austrailia to what can arguably be considered great acclaim.
So the quandary is: which is the journalistically irresponsible path? Do you ignore such a seemingly vital link to the creative community that you are supposedly focused on? Or do you treat it as any other venue, hoping not to cross the lines (or even seem as though you had) into the area of conflict of interest. I chose the latter, with the intent to explain my connections wherever it was warranted. That endeavor, much like this one, brings me no personal financial gain. The sole purpose of both is to shine a light on what I believe is a very true and vibrant music scene.

I just never thought the first thing I would write about Secret Headquarters would be its obituary.

The following are still my words, but as the news, not the writer. A novel approach, I'm sure you'll agree. But I just want to be as open an honest as I possibly can. The music community of Denton has suffered a great blow today, and this is no time for formalities.

This is the story, from my own point of view, and is not intended to imply any association with No Fold, the Denton Record-Chronicle, or related companies. Think of it as me (from No Fold) interviewing myself (from Secret Headquarters):

__________________________________________

Every story ever written about SHQ (or Secret Headquarters to the long-handed) started out with "Three friends from Denton started...". That's almost true, but it's not the whole story. SHQ opened in June of 2006. Months before that somewhere between ten and fifteen local musicians sat down at a table at Sweetwater to discuss a plan. Our bands needed a home. Our neighborhood needed a nerve center. Our tin-man scene needed a heart.
Credit is often given to Scott Porter, Rob Black, and myself, but the truth is there were so many more. Cory Ward, Kody Jackson, Robert Gomez, Chris Welch, Alex Maples, Jason Lee, Chelsea Calahan, Ken Leathers, Brook Ray, Jay Stephens, Isaac Hoskins, and many others gave cash, heart, and soul to build up this epicenter of our culture. Not a culture, our culture. We built a tree fort and invited every kid in the neighborhood in for cookies. Our decidedly unprofitable venture was financed ten and twenty dollars at a time, all for the goal of lighting a beacon for all the world to see just what this town has to offer in such dark days of the music industry. These aren't a bunch of kids trying to get their bands "signed", whatever that even means anymore. These are young professionals. These are medical workers, teachers, store owners, network techs, photographers, marketing professionals, and owners of successful companies. They all have a very special place in my heart.
After 16 months of operation SHQ is closing up shop. Sometimes the problem with reaching out to a community is reaching too far. Making everyone feel at home might sometimes mean welcoming someone who has little regard for home. This is the case for us. Early Sunday morning someone took it upon themselves to trash the alley behind SHQ, and it looked just like this:

What was most likely a moment of some inconsiderate person's drunken rebellion will forever go down as the shot that brought down Secret Headquarters. The subsequent reactions and actions taken by a personal associate of our building owner in regards to this vandalism has sealed our fate. We are no longer welcome. So today we have lost a friend. We have lost a home. We have lost at least a little bit of hope.
But most importantly, I hope we have learned a lesson. Sometimes great things don't last forever, but if they are remembered maybe they can be carried on in spirit.

Here's to one of you lighting the next torch.

Godspeed.

Not a lot going on tonight, but my pick is going to have to be Oso Closo @ Hailey's. Normally I would say they're almost a little too radio-friendly for your average local music fan, but I caught them once at Rubber Gloves and was pretty impressed with their live show. Just goes to show you can't really judge a band's live presence through a press kit. One more reason for you to get off of the couch & check it out for yourself.
Opening is Snarky Puppy (Denton) and Rudder (NY), a pair of funk/jazz influenced outfits. I don't care how obscure your rock heroes are, that's always fun to dance to.

Hailey's

Oso Closo
Rudder
Snarky Puppy

Japanese "love & roll" band Gito Gito Hustler hits Secret Headquarters tonight. Sure, local music champion SHQ books out-of-town bands pretty often, but poppy Tokyo rock 'n' roll has been underrepresented so far. Magnum Octopus opens the show, which starts at 9 p.m. at the venue, 210 E. Hickory St. (Enter through the poorly marked back door.) Cover is $5.

Hailey's (122 Mulberry, Denton)

Jesu (UK)
U.S.S.A.
Wolves In The Throneroom

If your black lipstick from high school hasn't melted at the bottom of that box full of homecoming mums, your old college roommate's ministry CDs, and photos of boyfriends from days gone by, break it out and head to Hailey's for a night of Goth-gazing Metal. Justin Broadrick's (ex-Napalm Death, ex-Godflesh) Jesu is the headliner, but the savvy local rocker would probably be more interested in U.S.S.A., a pet project of Paul Barker (ex-Ministry) and Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk). The term "Black Metal" has been thrown around in reference to this show, but the closest the night will come to actual black metal would be openers Wolves in the Throneroom... although any true Black Metal fan will tell you that you're not officially in the genre unless you're currently in some remote scandinavian prison for murdering one of your band mates.
This show's $14 for the obvious parenthetical name-dropping, so be warned.
If you're a fan that's actually a pretty good deal.

My pick of the night, and the cheaper of the two at $8:

Rubber Gloves (411 E. Sycamore, Denton)

Astronautilus
No2Self
History at our Disposal - solo

If you were the poor sap that missed both Rock Lottery events this weekend, you might not know how awesome Astronautalis (aka Andy Bothwell, pictured above at this past Sunday's Rock Lottery 10) actually is.
He's known for an uncanny free-styling ability, but lately his music has leaned away from rap and more toward indie-rock. Think The Postal Service, only with a more manly voice. The opening act is local art rockers (I mean that in a good way) History At Our Disposal. I'm told it will most likely be a solo performance from front man Jason Reimer, which should give a nice intimate look into the complex layers of sound the various incarnations of H.A.O.D. have lured me in with in the past.

That's speaking figuratively, of course. Oddly enough neither Mariel or myself are much for the drink. Some people really do spend all their time in bars for the live music.

We ran into our "brother from another Belo mother", Hunter Hauk on the Dan's Silverleaf patio at Rock Lottery 9 Saturday night. He gives a good rundown of what was what with RL09 on Quick's Nightlife Blog.
Look for more from Hunter as this blog grows, even from the bright lights of the big city he's a major voice on the Denton Music scene.

I'll have a brief review of last night's Rock Lottery 10 posted shortly.
For now I'm teaching my 10 month old son to play drums with a wooden spoon and a saucepan. That's the rock and roll lifestyle for you.

A full weekend of Rock Lottery sure makes a body tired. And I'm just a spectator. Let's just say right now that the highlights included these:

Emcee John Freeman oversaw the drawing of today's 10th anniversary Rock Lottery bands. Twenty-five names in a hat to be sorted blindly into five bands, who'll all perform at 10 p.m. tonight. "There's something in the hat. You know what's in the hat?" Freeman asked the crowd. "Dreams."

The Ultimate Battle Between Satan and the Aliens for Dominion of the Earth... (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Your Mom)
Daron Beck (The Great Tyrant, Pointy Shoe Factory)
Paul Slavens (Paul Slavens, Ten Hands)
Audrey Easley (Polyphonic Spree)
Eric Eisenmann (Lo-Fi Chorus)
Colin Carter (Hogpig, Little Grizzly)

Bwack Thabbaths
Cory Ward (Record Hop)
Sarah Alexander (The Black Lodge)
George Quartz (Faux Fox)
Rob Peters (Raised by Tigers)
George Neal (George Neal, Little Grizzly)

Dreamcatcher, the Sock Puppet
Peter Salisbury (The Baptist Generals, Mandarin, Stumptone)
Joe Cripps (Norte de Havana, Brave Combo)
Keith Killoren (The Drams, Budapest One)
Sam McCall (Brutal Juice)
Robert Gomez (Robert Gomez)

The Inspirational Farmers Market Side Tent Jamboree
Bryan Schmitz (The Golden Boys)
Ashley Cromeens (Record Hop)
Eric Michener (Fishboy)
Roy Ivy (The Tah Dahs)
Clay Stinnett (Ghostcar)

Ike: Do Me Like U Do Tina
Andy Bothwell (Astronautilus)
Jennifer Seman (Shiny Around the Edges)
Matt Barnhart (Tre Orsi, Blacksmiths, Little Grizzly)
Mike Wiebe (The Riverboat Gamblers)
Brian Vandivier (History at Our Disposal)

Quick notes about Rock Lottery 9's lineup of one-night-only bands:

THE CRAPTIST GENERALS
John Clardy (drums, Fishboy, Lazer)
Julie McKendrick (guitar/bass/vocals, Christian! Teenage Runaway)
Ace McNeely (guitar/bass, Little Big Horn, Grant Jones & the Pistol Grip Lassos)
Mike Melendi (guitar/tambourine/vocals, Skin Trade, Jetscreamer)
Michael Seman (guitar, Shiny Around the Edges)

Notable: This band called it quits around 6 o'clock, which has to be some kind of Rock Lottery record, right? Their quick songwriting started off the night with a blast of rock/punk, with Clardy showing the heavy drumming chops he's had to tone down for Fishboy, McNeely and McKendrick ably switching out between bass and guitar, and Seman shouting on a old-punk-style number. The Craptist Generals (they had considered a handful of other toilet-humor riffs on local band names, as well) built their set up to the promise of party -- you had Seman continuing to ask whether the audience members were "ready to party," and Melendi insisting they weren't. The last blues-rock song drew this trope out to a nearly frustrating length, "Please Please Me" style. Melendi: "We'll party after we boogie, but first we have to hear a cowbell."

COSTNER SHYBORG
Matthew Burgess (drums, Eat Avery's Bones)
Jermy Johnson (synth, Mission Giant, Telethon)
"Guitar" George Woolard (guitar, High School Caesar, Big Daddy Alright)
Don Feagin (guitar/banjo/vocals, The Theater Fire)
Tim Ruble (guitar/horn/vocals, Happy Bullets)

Notable: Styles met and collided in this band, and then split apart. Bright pop and electronics dominated more in the opening two songs, then Costner Shyborg abruptly switched into a more reflective folksy/indie mode, like you might expect from members of Happy Bullets and the Theater Fire. Too bad Jermy Johnson's synth flourishes weren't louder; they added a nice feel to the songs, especially Feagin's banjo number. This band also benefited from Ruble's horn skills and Guitar George's solos, though he seemed a little tentative. Kudos to Burgess' black moptop wig, which was, like, the height of three wigs piled on top of each other.

VIETN.A.M.B.L.A.
Tony Wann (drums, Record Hop)
Ian Johnson (bass/vocals, Hogpig)
Chad DeAtley (bass/guitar/vocals, Dovehunter)
Shane English (bass, The Undoing of David Wright, Ghosthustler, Chief Death Rage)
Ryan Fitzgerald (guitar/bass, The Polyphonic Spree)

Notable: When Tony Wann woke up the morning of Rock Lottery, did he look in the mirror and think, "Hmm, just in case it gets exposed, I really should wear a flattering piece of underwear today"? (He came out in Speedo-style briefs. Thank goodness for big bass drums.) This band was heavy as all get-out, with three bass guitars onstage, and oh-so-fittingly they covered Spinal Tap's "Big Bottoms." Ian Johnson should get a special prize for "All Hail Rock Lottery," a standard-issue bout of riffage enlightened by his naming, from memory, all of the band names from Rock Lottery's 10-year history. He missed one (today's Bloodsucker Proxy, for which he had to consult his cheat sheet), but give it to the man.

$14 THE HARD WAY
Rob Schumacher (drums, Little Big Horn, Ghoultown)
Laura Palmer (guitar/vocal)
Greg Altuna (guitar/vocals, Mescalero, 420 Blues Band)
Ian Messerli (guitar/vocals, Valve, 100 Proof Hero)
Megan Carroll (violin, Nouns Group)

Notable: Heavy rock continued into this band's first song, but then $14 the Hard Way shifted into a more country-rock mode, which let Carroll's fiddling shine a little more and kept Palmer's acoustic guitar from getting swamped. Wonder if Palmer can play it straight? Not entirely -- we got a scat-themed song about 'fessin' up to sins -- but the group also turned in a thoughtful, extended "country death song" with three members on vocals for a powerful sound.

THE BLOODSUCKER PROXY
James Porter (drums/guitar, the Tah-Dahs, Drawn by Jamz)
Kim Pendleton (vocals, The Backsliders, Vibrolux)
Sarah Jaffe (guitar/vocals/drums)
Andy Bothwell (vocals/music, Astronautilus)
Paul Baker (video artist, Sub Oslo, Oveo)

Notable: "I feel like I'm living an American dream," Bothwell said, after having waited so long to participate in a Rock Lottery. This band was put together by serendipity, with a drummer, a guitarist-songwriter, a soulful rock singer, a rapper and a video DJ. The minimal instrumentation let Jaffe's acoustic guitar ring out, and the three singers all shared vocal duties. Baker's video collages, mixed live and projected behind the band, accented an already strong set of songs that seemed to spring out of a fully formed band. Bloodsucker Proxy closed down the night with a pure-pop cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella," backed up by karaoke-style video footage shot that day of Bothwell and Porter twirling each other around with an umbrella on the Square. Hilarious and, cheesy lyrics or not, a rousing close to the night.

Sunday is the 10th anniversary edition of Rock Lottery, which, for organizers and fans, must feel kind of like having Christmas two days in a row.

Here are the bands just picked in Saturday's Rock Lottery 9, and a little bit of idle speculation -- which doesn't mean anything since you can't predict much in Rock Lottery. All you can do is sit back and see what kind of smash-ups result.

The pick of the night is guTTerTh's (local record label/promo group) Episode 15. You won't want to miss Dust Congress.

J and J's Pizza On The Square. (118 w. oak, denton).
8pm, free.

House of Tinnitus. (628 Lakey St. - Denton).

Kites, Russian Tsarlag, Dromez, Voyant, Judascow, Aunts Analog

House of Tinnitus is a small independant venue dedicated to the Noise Rock scene. If circuit bending & feedback get you all excited, H.O.T. is probably a good place for you to start if you want to dig a little deeper into the genre.

If you're looking for something that's a little more laid back & immediately accessable to the average listener, you can't go wrong with Will Johnson at Rubber Gloves. (411 E. Sycamore, Denton)

An absolutely amazing songwriter. Also a primary in both Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Michah P Hinson opens.

For something completely different, try Norte De Havana at Dan's Silverleaf.(103 Industrial, Denton)

Afro-cuban beats are dancy as all get-out, and these guys are about as tight as it gets. Besides, it looks like this is going to be a great night to sit out on the patio at Dan's & relax.

Apparently MTV still has music-related content every now & then.

Denton's very own Midlake have been doing very well for themselves lately. Here's some video from a segment on MTV News featuring Midlake as they take the world on a tour of the square here in Denton.

I still think MTV went downhill after they cancelled Remote Control.
Come back to us, Colin Quinn.