Excuse Me, Sir, We'd Just Like to Ask You a Few Questions...
Fri., Jan. 12, 1996
You can use either of the above options or you can visit our Web site (http://www.auschron.
com/feedback/musicreg/) to get your band listed in our annual Musicians' Register, but the deadline on that is January 26, so you'd better get cookin' (Oh, yeah, you're thinking "They'll end up extending it," but the joke's on you -- we already have. It was originally January 12.) So get your entry filled out and sent in and remember these two things: You can pay $25 to get a neat picture put with your listing (the listing itself is free) and heed my words, if you go over the 35-word maximum, we'll have Roky Erickson write you a new one.
Sorry, Charlie...
...but all the hopes in the world couldn't push Under the Wishing Tree
up the charts. Yes, folks, Charlie Sexton (along with his Sextet) has been
dropped by MCA Records for the second time. You may recall that the Wishing
Tree album was released last year at SXSW time and received a lackluster
review from the Chronicle's Andy Langer. A battle royal ensued,
with Sexton's manager Tim Neece accosting Langer at a Lucinda Williams show the
night after the piece ran. Neece accused Langer of dissing the record for
personal reasons, rather than for its merits and faults. Well, the album bombed
and Sexton's off the label, and it's not because of one bad review. An MCA rep,
when asked about the sales of Wishing Tree, didn't have an exact figure
handy, but when asked if it had hit the 30,000 mark nationally, said that it
was doubtful. And this was after a decent job of promotion by the record
company. Simply put, people just plain didn't like the album. So you see, Tim,
when it comes down to it, what matters is not whether a reviewer has good taste
-- it's whether or not what's on the tuner tastes good.
Hey, Joe, Whatcha Readin'?
Music trivia king Kent Benjamin passed along a copy of a 1966 Harvard Lampoon
parody of Playboy that he borrowed from Art Fein, and in it is a (fake?)
ad for an album entitled The Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir Sings at
Leningrad Stadium, which includes a song called "I Keep My Fingernails Long
So They'll Click When I Play the Piano." Hmmm... Sure enough, Joe Ely
confirms that his own song by that title dates back to the days of the Flatlanders, when Jimmie Dale Gilmore saw the line in "something like a Mad magazine" and couldn't get it out of his head. The line became a regular joke among the band and then the title of the Jerry Lee Lewis-styled song that Ely is perhaps best known for (& JLL himself recorded last year).
Questions have been arising as to whether Ely will be joining Bruce Springsteen onstage during his upcoming visit to Austin, but Ely's publicist Lance Cowan can only say that so far, the Boss has not formally asked him to perform. It wouldn't be a surprise if he did, though, as Ely will be in town on the 25th, the first day of a rumored but unconfirmed two-night Spring-stand at the Austin Music Hall. Cowan says Ely will be jetting back to Austin the morning after a Letterman appearance on the 24th, and that Joe definitely plans to spend some time visiting with Bruce. The two have been buddies for a while, since Ely fan Springsteen first joined the Lord of Lubbock onstage in Dublin two years ago and joined in on a batch of Joe's songs. And yes, that night they did perform "Fingernails."
Bouncing Babies and
Rolling Heads
The Headhunters were recently axed from their Wednesday residency at Joe's
Generic Bar, with club management telling them it was because they were too
loud and the club had been receiving noise citations. The band says they
received no noise complaints from a recent show at "bleeding ears central"
(Emo's) and singer/harpist Randall Stockton postulates that maybe the real
reason they were bounced from Joe's is "because we don't play Stevie Ray
Vaughan."The members of John Cougar Rabinowitz, meanwhile, are crying because, at their day-after-Christmas appearance at Steamboat, their lead guitarist's wife and six-month-old baby were not allowed to enter the club. "I know about [the club's policy about not allowing children and infants]," says singer Mike Jasper, "but the baby was clearly with the band. It's not like he just walked in off the street." (I know this smacks of a slow news week, but I thought that it made for an amusing mental image -- and besides, by the age of six months, any Austin kid should already be in a band).
Splitting the Kitty
Peter Turner at the new Split Rail (Seventh & Red River) says he's booking
bands now, with plans to open the club's doors next Thursday, though he says
co-owner Paul Sessums might start things up sooner "for the hell of it." The
Black Cat owner, Sessums, who will be running the club Sundays through
Wednesdays, just finished up the last of the rigamarole involved in getting a
beer and wine license, and with a liquor store across the street, the club will
also be going the "set-ups" route. That should go well with Turner's plans for
Thursdays through Saturdays, as he intends to book "swing, lounge, alternative
country -- stuff people can dance to." Call him at 474-2344. Sessums, he says,
will be bringing in an "eclectic" mix of acts on his nights, and since you know
how he is with phones, I suggest you try to get in touch with him in person at
the Rail or at the Black Cat.
Mixed Notes
The first meeting for former SXSW volunteers who want to do it again this year
is at Liberty Lunch next Tuesday, January 16 at 7pm. I'll give you info on the
call for new volunteers next week... I know you've read the name Janis Joplin
often enough this issue, but: Janis Joplin Slept Here director Tara
Veneruso will be debuting both her video for Ian Moore's "Bar Line 99" and her
new short film, Johnny Rock, about the death of a fictional rock god, at
Antone's this Sunday at 7:30pm. If you don't like Bob Schneider, you'll
especially want to come, since Johnny Rock features him biting the ol'
curb a number of times as the lead character. Also in the film are tons and
tons of local scenesters. In fact, Tara's general rule for admission is: if you
were involved in any way with either of the productions or know someone who
was, you get in free. If not (where were you?) the cover is three
bucks... Uh, oh, I'm in danger of turning this into a film column now:
Desperado director Robert Rodriguez is said to be talking to Jimmie
Vaughan to executive produce the Caught in the Crossfire movie. That
won't happen until after -- well, I'll refer you over you our real film
column, "Short Cuts," for more about that... Rule number one for industrial
bands: You can never have enough side projects. Look soon for Choreboy, the
side project of SkateNigs Phil Owen, Chris Gates, and Matt Mitchell to make
their debut on Triple X Records, with production by Gibby Haynes... The latest
chaos at 101X has their evening slot up for grabs. Top contenders are Raydog
and former "Gibby's gone out for smokes" announcer Sean. Rumor has it that the
two will be timed with a stopwatch and the job will go to the one who can cram
the most penis jokes into a minute... One show that has been confirmed
for the Austin Music Hall is Tracy Chapman on February 2. Tickets go on sale
today (Thursday) via STAR ticket outlets... A rep for American Records says
that they can't say for sure until next week, but it seems like a done deal
that New York's Crown Heights is to be an American band. Crown Heights, if you
recall, features former Sixteen Deluxe drummer Bryan Bowden. When asked for a
comment on the signing, one Deluxe member made dry-heaving motions and mumbled
"I can't believe he beat us!"... Asleep at the Wheel (Grammy nominated again,
blah, blah, blah) will be performing an in-store at Waterloo Records next
Tuesday at 5pm. They'll be doing a benefit show for the Wild Basin Wilderness
Preserve that night at the Hang 'em High Saloon... Ed Hall drummer Lyman Hardy
announced this week that the band is not breaking up, despite unabated rumors
to the contrary. The band will be performing more shows "unmasked," however, as
they did this last Saturday's Emo's show... Regular attendees of the annual
pre-SXSW "Hacks and Flaks" party will be sad to note that co-organizer Carol
Schutzbank, of Philadelphia's B-side magazine, passed away on December
19 following a heart transplant operation. This year's "Hacks and Flaks" (3/13)
will be a benefit for her hospital bills, and Jack Logan, who will be releasing
a new album next week, will be performing. Logan's last release garnered
critical raves across the board... Live at the Blue Flamingo may not be
the most hi-fi album you've ever heard, but if you don't grab one soon, you may
never know. The Satans, Motards, Peenbeets, Hormones, Paranoids, Chumps,
Stretford, and Inhalants (covering "Busy Kids") are all on the limited-edition
vinyl LP. And it comes with a cool booklet, too. Best bet for finding a copy
would be Sound Exchange... Another 12-inch vinyl product is the new album by
local experi mental soundsters Ultrasound*Woonsocket, who've released a
limited edition of 550 copies "in personalized hand-assembled sleeves." The
record is out now, and a release party will follow in February... The new
Goldmine (1/19), with the Elvis cover, features a two-pager on Joe Ely.
And I see from an ad in the back that the Australian version of the Stevie Ray
Vaughan "best of" album contains extra tracks. Collectors, start your
engines... Ginchy afternoon show at Emo's starting at 3pm this Sunday:
Performing will be Earthpig & Fire, Ant Man Bee, Power Squid, Clutch 5,
Wookie, Swine King, and Sixteen Deluxe. This will be Swine King's last show so
do not miss it! There will also be puppets... Oops: Well, I know
how to spell Fontella Bass, but somebody along the line last week must've
thought they were smarter than me, because the printed column ended up
referring to "Fantella" Bass, which I think is some kind of large-finned
tropical fish...-- Contributors: Chris Gray, Raoul Hernandez, Andy Langer, Margaret Moser, Tim Stegall
