dentonrecordchronicles
Denton Record Chronicles
Chronicling Denton records for the betterment of man-kind.
Send suggestions or comments to [email protected].
*We are in no way affiliated with the Denton Record Chronicle, Denton's finest news source*
189 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
Link
So yeah, its been quite a while since the last chronicle. There are tons more records to be covered & they will be soon...ish. We wanted to do a new record every day, but look, who among y'all can deny that we live in the golden age of television? There were about 3 years between seasons of Todd Margaret & it was totes worth the wait. Anyways, check out this event tomorrow at the Patterson-Applesauce Arts Center on Hickory. Music is important, y'all. In Paris it's love, in Newcastle it's coal, LA has the movies, NOLA has the Mari Gras, Washington DC has crooks, Chattanooga has choochoos, & Seattle has coffee. For denton, it's music. Be there.
0 notes
Photo
Daniel Folmer - Gloria
Release - December 18, 2007
Label - Gutterth
Genre - Indie
Notes
Morrissey: …your songs have never, to me, been depressing —
Joni Mitchell: No, I hope not.
Morrissey: — because songs can’t really be depressing because the actual act of writing a song is so positive, so how could it ever really be depressing — but you have such an openness of heart that it can be construed as being sad —
When Daniel Folmer was a kid, somebody told him that poop tasted like chocolate and pee tasted like lemonade. Lil’ Danny Folmer liked chocolate and lemonade… and they those things sure did look like chocolate & lemonade, so why shouldn’t they also taste like them? Besides, who would lie about something so awesome? A monster, that’s who. A regular, everyday, run-of-the-mill creep.
From the sounds of this record, things hadn’t changed much for Daniel Folmer since then. The way he sings with such desperation about a disappointing relationship & an abortion he maybe wasn’t totally cool with hints that (despite the evidence so far) he still holds onto a bit of hope that maybe… maybe pee really is lemonade. It makes me wonder how much dookie he actually ate before he decided he'd been had.
It’s admirable, really. “The cut is clean,” he sings. Rather than getting jaded & hard, Folmer kept his wounds open and bleeding for his audience. So what does that sound like? Imagine a Mike Jones / Ben Lee colab. “Who?” NO, the other Michael Jones. Hear it for yourself in any song from this album.
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Brave Combo - No Sad Faces
Label - Four Dots
Release - Late 1984
Genre - Polka (and others)
Notes
Most Dentonians know Brave Combo is a polka band, some may know that they've been nominated for 7 Grammys and won two of them. Their being known as a polka band (the least sexy of all bands) has scared a few people into avoiding their music. People's minds are so shut to polka; simple, fun things seldom get the respect they deserve. Ax yourself though, how good would a polka band have to be to achieve such notoriety? The best. The very best. And they are.
Brave Combo don't restrict themselves to polka. On this particular record, they venture to make a whole host of annoying genres enjoyable: Cha Cha, Cumbia, Huapango, Funk, Samba, & even Ska. You will marvel as you find your frown turning upside-down and your legs begin to dance you around. You'll thrill as they play "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" the way it's always begged to be heard.
Legend has it that David Byrne came to North Texas in the early '80s and was lucky enough to have the guys of Brave Combo as his local guides. David Byrne fell in love with the area and decided to make a film about it. That movie, "True Stories," came out in 1986 and is a MUST SEE. It was filmed around here & in Dallas, McKinney, and Kaufman.
The fictional town of Virgil could be any place in Texas. I grew up in Portland in the 80's and I see so much of it in this movie, but no matter whether you grew up in Lubbock in the 70's or you're still a kid in Palestine (the Texan one), you'll know these characters and settings.
Not everybody loves Texas yet. I can see how somebody might not like it much at all if they just pass through in the middle of summer when all the grass is brown and everybody's covered in sweat and there's sticker-burrs everywhere... Brave Combo, though, they're solid gentlemen and whenever they're around, there are no sad faces. Nobody ever had a bad time at a Brave Combo show. Even Rusty Sullivan, who died at a BC show in 1996, managed to utter the words "I wouldn't have it any other way," before his passing (may he rest in peace). So, Jeffrey Barnes could probably show you around war-torn Palestine (not the Texan one) & you'd fall in love with it and want to move there, but this being Texas, it was that much easier to woo the Talking Head.
Byrne has written about dozens of places; you can read his thoughts on many of them in his book Bicycle Diaries. (I highly recommend the audiobook.)
He only loved one place enough to make a movie about it; here's the trailer.
Continue to beat the heat by celebrating Christmas in July with the "O Holy Night" cha cha.
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Various Artists- Denton Cohesion-Tis the Season
Label - self released
Released - 2004
Genre - Mostly rock
Notes
In 2004 post-high speed internet but pre-social media, local bands connected through the now defunct Denton Rock City message board. Many of the posts were non-sense made by bored users that frequently changed their user names as to not have their identities pegged down, but every now and then someone would get their act together and make something happen. Denton Cohesion was born after a few DRC bands decided to take action, start meeting up, planning shows and releasing music. This christmas compilation was their first and maybe only release featuring message board staples like Zest of Yore, Medicine Window, and Sleezus Fist and the Laterday Taints. From the look of this blog Cohesion stopped being active around July of 2006, but the blog was also started in June of 2006 so it may not be that accurate.
LISTEN on Myspace.
#denton#cohesion#compilation#cd#Various Artists#2004#zest of yore#shiney around the edges#sleezus fist and the laterday taints#medicine window#jetscreamer#warren jackson hearne#pinebox serenade#lofi chorus#hand of onan#febrifuge#mr wunderful#tis the season
0 notes
Photo
Eat Avery's Bones - Vomit at Dawn (Fucking Awesome Edition)
Label - ?
Released - 2011
Genre - Noise Pop
Notes
EAB are one of the most interesting bands I've seen while living in Denton. Equally disgusting and appealing, their brand of noise rock with a punchline is something I can't help but smile at. I went to a lot of their shows in the 2006-2008 era (link to band photo) and it was always a treat to see the costumes, hear the awkward banter, and watch them have fun on stage. From what I understand, the members have been scattered all over the state and possibly country for sometime now making the group officially "homeless. When this purple CDR was handed to me I was assured that at least one of the members lives in Denton.
Watch the video for Tap Stick Titty
4 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Bosque Brown - Baby
Label - Burnt Toast Vinyl
Released - March 3, 2009
Genre - Country
Notes
From denton, it doesn't take long to get to the city. If you want to see the big city excitement (Dallas' dazzling lights or Ft. Worth's Opera), you can get there in about an hour on a good day. When the traffic gets too heavy, the proximity of the plutocracy's gluttonous opulence to hundreds living in poverty starts to gnaw at you, it's a quick trip back.
Sometimes, though, you've got to get out to the middle of nowhere. That's not far either. 15 minutes driving can get you so far out into the wilderness that you can see the OG dazzlers sparkle like never before. Out there, if you're pointed in the right direction, you might forget other people ever existed.
Mara Lee Miller's voice, a real powerful stunner coming from such a little lady, can make you feel like you're in either place. When she belts it out, you may feel a drop in your gut like when you look up and the buildings that block out the sun and make you feel like an ant. When she pulls out a note, all society's threats melt away.
Speaking of threats, there's something about her voice that sounds dangerous. I'm convinced that she's got a mischievous criminal side. Behind that demure facade somewhere, there's a real barn burner. I never did get that feeling from her in person, but I definitely got it from Baptist General Chris Flemmons every single time we've talked.
Flemmons produced this record and did a real swell job to say the least. BB shows more versatility and charm than on the debut. It's a more enjoyable listen and, though it has some sober moments, she seems to have a more mature perspective and the sad parts seem less abysmal than before. Pitchfork panned this release, citing Miller's narrow dynamic. Pitch-wise, well, she's no Kate Bush, but when it comes to moods and volume, she's quite dynamic of this record. Now, judging by the way all her live performances on YouTube from this era feel like she's playing a child's wake, it's probably safe to say this was Flemmons' doing.
Another thing you'll notice is the silence on this record. The vocals are the big show here and the other instruments are like ornaments on newlyweds' Christmas trees: subtle & sparse. If you know how much Jeremy Buller likes to tap buttons & twiddle knobs, you'll appreciate whatever Flemmons did to keep the ornamentation so simple. One of my professors at UNT said that ideal film scores would be felt, but not heard; this is the magic of "Baby."
Enjoy this slideshow set to "Train Song."
Contemplate your dentonian life as she performs "This Town" with Josh T. Pearson of Lift-2-Xperience.
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Mazinga Phaser – Cruising in the Neon Glories of the New American Night
Label – Aether Records
Released – 1996
Genre – Space Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Notes
The week I moved to Denton I read an interview with Mazinga Phaser founder Wanz Dover regarding emerging bands in the Denton music scene. The article reads like a manifesto for the Denton music scene in the 90’s. I had yet to hear Mazinga Phaser or any of the new “Space Rock” bands popping up. That would quickly change.
Cruising the Neon Glories of the New American Night, Mazinga Phaser’s first LP is a testament to the eclectic influences flourishing in Denton during the 90’s. The ambient drones of Mercury Rev and Spiritualized, the melodic shoegaze of MBV and Medicine, the experimental jazz of “Bitches Brew”. The tracks all run together, as was the style at the time, exhibiting the prog sensibility. Karl Poetchke, (Sivad, Ghost Car, etc) the go-to psychedelic trumpet player on many a north Texas band’s album, makes a prominent appearance weaving in and out of songs, tying things together beautifully. Produced by Matt Castille of Dallas’ Vas Deferens Organization who later produced Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz.
LISTEN
5 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Teenage Cool Kids - Speaking in Tongues
Label - Copper Lung
Released - 2009
Genre - Punk/Indie
Notes
Speaking in Tongues is a 7" single released around the time of the bands second album Foreign Lands. The two songs were recorded at 715 Panhandle, a location where most of the band lived and used as a house venue for years. The official artwork features a side that appears as if the album was taken from an institution's media library, but I assure you that is not the case. The band dissolved when the members moved to separate cities and started other projects, most notably Andrew's bands Fergus and Geronimo and Parquet Courts (who were interviewed in Rolling Stone today)
LISTEN to the B-SIDE
#denton#teenage cool kids#speaking in tongues#parquet courts#fergus and geronimo#seven inch#2009#2000's#vinyl#andrew savage#715 panhandle#foreign lands
6 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Robert Gomez - Earth Underfoot
Label -self released
Released - JUNE 2014
Genre - indie, alternative, psychedelic,
Notes
Earth Underfoot is the 11th release by songwriter Robert Gomez, an album which he funded through this mysterious kickstarter. It was produced at Red Wood Studios by Theo Karon and features a handful familiar musicians including Peter Salisbury of Baptist Generals, Mind Spiders, and Stumptone. Upon it’s release, Robert relocated to Seattle, which is a shame as his time here was continually spent releasing interesting material that blended complex instrumentation with equally ambitious songwriting. Take some time out and here it for yourself. The rest of his catalog is streaming as well.
LISTEN
3 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Various Artists - Denton Deluxe Vol I&II
Label - Strawberry Fields
Released - 2007
Genre - various
Notes
Strawberry Fields was a record/book/DVD store/head shop in a bright green building on the corner of West Oak and Bonnie Brae. Shortly after opening, the place found a home in the local music scene by booking DIY shows to bring in traffic. Along with the shows came a series of compilations of local groups. Vol I and II give a pretty accurate representation of the scene at the time. Most of the bands have now evaporated with a few exceptions, mostly singer songwriters that are unable to breakup. A few band members went on to other projects, the most notable being Alan Palomo of Ghosthustler and now Neon Indian. I only ventured into Strawberry Fields a few times and regret not going more now that have a greater appreciation for the value of a good DIY space.
Sadly, the only real story I have is of my old roommate coming home with a Criterion edition of Straw Dogs that he said he rented out of the green shack up the street. He was really proud of himself.
0 notes
Photo
Twothousandyardstare - 7”
Label - Highwater Records
Released - “late may”
Genre - post hardcore
Notes
This record was produced by Kris Youmans for his Highwater Records label. Youmans was the booking agent for RGRS for a while. Fir a while, he played cello for Sarah Jaffe. Actually, he’s been the cello player for just about every denton band that’s had one. and Clinic, too.
Members of Twothousandyardstare were also in Kodiak, Jeweled Handles, J Church, Severed Head of State, Signal Lost, & Ghost Knife.
2kYS were great live. All the passion of hardcore, but without the rage. Post-hardcore was the missing link between furious 80’s punk and curious turn-of-the-century emo. Twothousandyardstare fell on the better end of that spectrum, IMHO.
This little 7” took FOREVER to record. The guys loved to experiment with different mics and mic placement and they chose to master it themselves, which took forever because they’d never done it before. They made Chris Pfeffer crawl under the house they were recording in to set up a few different mics. “Down below, Pfeffer,” Dave Wofford would say, and he’d go change the plug from the ribbon mic to the shotgun or whatever. He must have been furious later, when they decided not to use any takes from that session. Of course, that may have been far enough into the recording that he was used to it. The band had set out to record a full-length, but most of the songs went completely unrecorded. This was not because of the bands discerning taste & discretion, but rather exhaustion.
Even back then in the late ’90s, the guys were concerned about conservation and their carbon footprint. (That wasn’t even a thing back then!) The energy for the recording sessions was produced by three members riding bicycles hooked up to generators while the other lucky dude played his part. Kraftwerk recorded “Tour de France” the same way, but that was just machines. These guys had to do a lot more pedaling to power their huge amps & all the recording gear. In light of that (absolutely true) fact, it’s quite remarkable how much energy can still be felt in the songs. Maybe they had pedaled hard enough to get a “cyclists” high.” Anyway, by the time they had recorded these songs, the idea of a big 12” debut record was starting to look less appealing.
I never actually saw them here in denton, but i was lucky enough to catch their performance at the Punk Rock Picnic down at Moontunes. They weren’t “punk” by the strictest definition, but Daniel Hicks was known for his 7-layer dip, so they made an exception. As a matter of fact, the reputation of that dip was responsible for getting them more gigs than their demo tape.
I had never been to denton before and the dude at the place gave me some WHACK directions. Less whack maybe, if you knew that the venue was actually in Dallas. What should have been an hour & a half trip became an 8 hour drive, but it was worth it, even if all the food (save for some unidentifiable dishes on the vegan table) was gone. I peed off of the roof there; it was awesome.
0 notes
Photo
RTB2 - The Both of It
Label: Special Session Records
Released: July 2007
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock
NOTES:
I had a plan to talk about Malcom Gladwell's Outliers to introduce the first proper album by the hard-gigging roots rock duo RTB2 but a quick search reveals that someone beat me to it. So I'll be blunt: RTB2 play a lot of shows, and are better for it. Whenever I hear someone say something negative about a young Denton band I'm quick to throw out a list of established local acts (mine included) that were pretty hard to listen to when they started. Ryan and Grady were for several years in the appropriately named Sunday Drive whose sets felt like long leisurely trips through the countryside. If you are into leisurely trips, maybe Sunday Drive would have been your thing, but for myself I just wanted to arrive at my destination and get out. In retrospect it's clear that all the hours gigging were adding up to something special, and The Both of It still only scratches the surface of what the band would later become. I really like that the on disk art was made to look like the reissue of something originally released in another format. It lets the owner know, if only subconsciously, that this band has a history.
LISTEN
6 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Chris Garver- e4 e5
Label - Pilcrow Records
Released - September 2006
Genre - Singer Songwriter, folk
Notes
I was late to the game with Chris and by the time I finally saw him play he had started recording and performing under the name Delmore Pilcrow. But before there was Delmore, there was Chris who back in 2006 was regularly praised by We Shot JR for his intimate Daniel Johnston like house show performances dubbing him one of the most underrated songwriters in DFW. By the time I was able to catch him he had leveled up from Johnston to Dylan, and still very likely holds the crown for best local songwriter you haven't heard.
Check out his new album here
4 notes
·
View notes
Photo
The Servo- Life Event Record
Label - self released
Released - 2001
Genre - Alternative
Notes
On March 8th, 2003 my former bandmates and I played a show at Rubber Gloves with the Early Lines and The Servo. It was our second show at the then very difficult to book venue so I immediately agreed to play without having any prior knowledge of the other bands on the bill. Years later I found myself in a conversation with a violinist who mentioned that we had played the show together. As she tried to describe the The Servo I completely blanked. Had I actually played this show? Was this band so forgettable that I blocked them out of my memory entirely? Should I feel bad about that?
That violinist was Becki Howard, longtime scene instrumentalist (Paper Chase, Sarah Jaffe, Doug Burr, Radiant, Bosque Brown, Bethan..many more) and current director of programming at the AT&T performing Art Center in Dallas. Last week she was profiled by the Dallas Observer who listed half a dozen of her past musical endeavors without mentioning the Servo. I'm still not sure what this CD sounds like because after this picture was taken I didn't end up with the copy, but if you are curious, another copy is for sale on amazon for 97.55.
0 notes
Photo
Human Groove Hormone - HGH PROMO
Label – ??
Released – April 2014
Genre – progressive rock
Notes:
Human Groove Hormone is an active (as of Jun 2014) Denton, TX progressive rock band whose name is play on words referencing HGH or Human Growth Hormone: a drug widely abused among professional athletes and actors who want to look "over the top buff." Like the band, I too find joy in imagining a world in which being groovy were as desirable as having giant muscles. A place where pop culture celebrates the funkiest of celebrities and athletes paying them ridiculous salaries for their abilities to get down further and harder than any of their peers. In this world, the band suggests that groove enhancing drugs have become such a problem that funky citizens are regularly ticketed for doping (as seen on the back of the CD.)This is a world I would I like to live in or at least visit and observe.
LISTEN
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Stump Tone - Circles / Jeremy Bentham's Boots 7"
Label - Two Ohm Hop
Released - 1999
Genre - Space Rock / Psych
Notes
Multi-instrumentalist & songwriter Chris Plavidal of MK Ultra joined up with two of the dudes from Sub Oslo, Mazinga Phazer's Wanz Dover, Marked Man Mike Throneberry, and a heap of other folks to make Stump Tone. This 7" was their debut and its contrasting sides gave the listener a good idea of what to expect from the band.
Side A lifts off and pulls the listener along for an transcendent experience that must have been a real trip live. Here, limited by time (i presume), the song slips away as an undulating bass takes over. The pulsing tone sounds like a far less irritating Hypnotoad.
The flipside holds a softer song. Almost a lullaby, the tune is so accessible it sounds like home. Around the bridge, there is a swell of noise. It's the type of noise that my parents can't stand, but that's the most exiting & pleasant thing to me. Plavidal sings something here about a creation myth involving a giant bomb. I couldn't be bothered to focus on the lyrics through the whole song at either speed. It seems strange that no lyric sheet was included, given the fancy-pants packaging here.
Those 2 great songs and the deluxe packaging makes this a special treat for collectors & appreciators of fine music. Included are a transparent page silk-screened with a crazy scene of headless farmers with eyes just under their collar bones and mouths where their solar plexi ought to be. (It's a crazy scene.) Behind that is a 7x7" sheet of photo paper with the picture of a copper pyramid or something; it's a little abstract. Between those two things is the record -- clear vinyl with wordless labels featuring some black & white designs that will make you say "woah" if you peep it while it's spinning (if you don't puke). To tell which side is which, one must squint at the closing circles toward the inside of the track to find the inscription.
This was my first time hearing StumpTone. I had several chances to see them live, but I had assumed from the name that they were either a nu-metal band or a lumberjack-themed ska band. Don't let this happen to you, guys. I missed out.
Here they are at J&J's ODB.
*Fun Fact
The second song references Jeremy Bentham. This is either a "LOST" reference made possible through time travel or they're talking about the other Jeremy Bentham, father of Utensiltarian philosophy.
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Light Bright Highway – Moon Glory and the 7th Sun
Label – Two Ohm Hop
Released – 1998
Genre – space rock/post rock/prog rock
Notes
LBH was a space rock staple at the Argo. Every set consisted of one very long continuous semi-improvised effects-laden, hypnotic jam, usually punctuated visually with an ultra-psychedelic disco ball that seemed to keep pace with the ebb of their song. “Moon Glory and the 7th Sun” was recorded live at 70 hurtz studio by Dave Willingham.
Stereo On Strike magazine, writing about their 2008 performance at Melodica Festival sum it up nicely. “All I can say about this band is that I have never seen anything like this since I last saw them and I don't really expect to ever see anything like them again. I equate the experience to actually meeting real Space Aliens and told the secrets of the universe. Similar to the experience I had the first time I saw The Holy Mountain. Light Bright Highway cannot be explained in words. There sound is so cosmic that it cannot even properly be captured onto tape by any technology that exists on this planet. The recordings are good, but just not the same. For those that remember them this is a major highlight of the festival. Before there was Mogwai, Bardo Pond, Mono or even Godspeed You Black Emperor there was Light Bright Highway. everyone else is still trying to catch up.”
LISTEN
1 note
·
View note