Dancing about Architecture

2) Don't forget the Austin Music Network Benefit at Liberty Lunch this Sunday, featuring Shoulders; Ta Mére; the Wannabes; Two Hoots & a Holler; Recliners; Teisco Del Rey & the Del Reylettes; a Songwriters Circle featuring Will Sexton, Mark Addison, Johnny Goudie, and "Scrappy" Jud Newcomb; and the Studebakers. Jenn Garrison and various guest hosts of AMN's Check This Action are the emcees; the show gets going at 4pm.

A Foreign Country

The nominees for the Country Music Association's awards for 1997 are out, with a grand total of 14 nominations for Texas artists. Lest you think that indicates a recognition of Austin hotshots like Junior Brown, Dale Watson, and Don Walser, take a gander at the list:

Entertainer of the Year: George Strait

Single of the Year: "Carried Away" George Strait; "One Night At a Time" George Strait

Album of the Year: Carrying Your Love With Me, George Strait; Blue, LeAnn Rimes

Song of the Year: "Blue" by Bill Mack

Female Vocalist of the Year: LeAnn Rimes

Male Vocalist of the Year: George Strait; Collin Raye

Vocal Event of the Year: "Long Haired Country Boy," Charlie Daniels Band with special guest Hal Ketchum; "You've Got a Friend in Me," George Jones and Kathy Mattea; "John the Revelator: Peace In the Valley," Lee Roy Parnell featuring the Fairfield Four

Horizon Award: LeAnn Rimes; Lee Ann Womack

Kinda makes you yearn for the cutting-edge touch of the Grammys, don't it?

The Prince & the (Club) Hoppers

The passing of time and a long-hitless career seems to have humbled the artist formerly known as Prince somewhat. Not only has he been playing small club gigs following his big arena shows these days, he hasn't been particularly secretive about it (in Boston, for instance, the location of his club gig was announced in the newspaper and he played it anyway.) San Antonio's club show last Saturday, however, proved to be something of a different story. While both Pace Concerts and Prince's semi-official Emancipation Web page named the location as the Bonham Exchange, other sources insisted that the Purple One would be playing at Club Hollywood instead. The result is that a zillion people (including one American-Statesman pop critic) ended up plunking down 15 clams and packed into the legendary gay Exchange only to watch Prince drink a beer in a roped-off area then leave. Meanwhile, those who actually stayed for a moment after the Alamodome concert received official instructions that "if you want to jam some more, come to the after-party at Club Hollywood." The folks (only 200 or so) who made it to the right place were treated to a funky hour-long set featuring a little (no pun intended) Prince and a lot of guest star Doug E. Fresh.

Reckless Recording

It's not the biggest disaster to ever hit a young band, but it's not the best foot to get off on either. Reckless Kelly's upcoming album for Chris Wall's label is already over budget "to the point of no hope of getting their money back," says Wall. The problem started when it was decided that the original Rob Patterson-produced tracks needed some remixing. Then it "went beyond" that stage, says Wall, who makes it clear he wasn't involved in the decision, and following some discussion by the various parties' attorneys, the album ended up with this complicated list of credits: Produced by Reckless Kelly and Merl Bregante, Recorded by Rob Patterson May 1997, Engineered by Boo McCloud, mixed by Andy Taub and Merl Bregante June/July 1997. Whew - Good thing they weren't paying by the word or they'd really be broke! In any case, the peace seems to have been restored (Wall says that "if Rob hadn't done the initial parts it wouldn't have come out as well," while Patterson declines comment other then to call Reckless Kelly a "very young and very talented band.") and the discs are now being pressed. Look for the album, with liner notes by Wall and Mary Cutrufello, in stores in early October. (And listen for the original Patterson version, coming soon to a pirate radio station near you.)

Mixed Notes

Eliza Gilkyson has completed work on a new CD for the Silver Wave/MTI label that is due out this Saturday. Titled Redemption Road, the disc boasts a list of guest performers including Tony Gilkyson (her brother) and D.J. Bonebrake of X, Van Dyke Parks, and Mark Andes (who has played with Spirit, Heart and Firefall). (If anyone told me 10 years ago that there would one day be an album out featuring members of both X and Firefall, I'd have told him to go soak his head)...

Speaking of X, Exene Cervenkova's band Auntie Christ will play an acoustic set on KUT at noon on Monday Aug. 18. Hey, Exene, there aren't any members of Bread or someone like that in yer band, I hope...

Indications that former Steamboat owner Craig Hillis might be looking to get his club back startled current owner Danny Crooks, but following a meeting between the two, Crooks says it appears there was some misunderstanding regarding Hillis' intentions. Crooks, who admits that he is a couple of months behind in his payments on the club, says that it now appears that Hillis is simply negotiating with someone to buy the Hillis note on the club, and that Crooks would merely be paying a different party. "If that's the truth," says Crooks, "I freaked out for nothing." For his part, Hillis has indicated that he had no intention of taking the Steamboat away from Crooks...

I've never been much of an Elvis Presley worshipper but this Saturday marks the big 20th anniversary of the King's passing, so check out "Recommendeds" for some of this weekend's dedications to the ghost of Graceland...

Craig Ross was spotted chatting with Sire Records' Seymour Stein during the latter's recent visit, but Ross says that isn't an indication that he plans to jump ship from MCA any time soon. His next album with that company, however, isn't scheduled to be released until (tentatively) the beginning of next year. Meanwhile, Ross will be heading up to New York to work on Don Piper's new album, and also spend some time producing some Troy Campbell tracks, plus some other projects, he says, are "brewing"...

I wouldn't be surprised to see James Taylor at Stubbs' soon. After all, they've seen fire and they've seen rain, the latter in the form of recent flooding and the former in the form of a blaze that brought several fire trucks to their grease pit last Thursday. One onlooker assessed the damage, saying "they lost about 12 briskets"...

"I'm the first one! I beat Rebecca [Cannon]!" boasts Chepo Pena, as his new band Pop Unknown is the first post-Sincola project to get off the ground. They open for Hamell on Trial this Friday at the Electric Lounge. For the record, Cannon's band - Scarlett - debuts August 28, also at the Lounge...

Wookie are currently in the studio working on their first full-length CD. Look for that in early fall...

Kels Koch of the Million Sellers says that Elvis night at the Hole will be his live music swan song in Austin. He's heading off to Montana to open a record store, after he and the band do some more work in the studio to work on a second album. They also plan to have a singles compilation CD out in spring...

The Chris Duarte Group's followup to Texas Sugar Strat Magik hits stores on Aug. 26. Tailspin Headwhack was produced by Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar and David Z., known for his work with Fine Young Cannibals and Kenny Wayne Shepard...

Speaking of Shepard, his next album, Trouble Is, has an appropriate title, seeing as Double Trouble are providing much of the accompaniment. Look for the Jerry Harrison-produced effort on October 7, and expect a Jimi Hendrix cover or two, possibly including "Voodoo Chile," which Shannon and Layton oughtta know pretty well by now...

Speaking of cover tunes, Bruce Springsteen bassist Garry Tallent showed up at the Saxon Pub last Saturday night and joined Eddie Walker's band for the Boss' "Fire" and Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." Meanwhile, 7 Mary 3 made an appearance at Steamboat and sat in with Vallejo for a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Travelin' Band"...

Scouts from the casting department of MTV's Austin Stories showed up at the Free for All Sunday night at the Hole in the Wall, seeking talent for an upcoming episode of the sitcom which will feature a glimpse into the local music scene. Host Paul Minor, acting as an unoffical consultant to the production, pointed the producers in the direction of a couple of 20-something aged regulars who will be auditioning for featured roles as musician caricatures. Says Minor, "They wanted Sid Vicious but the best I could deliver was Jacob Schulze"...

Feel like going to an Austin City Limits taping? They'll be giving out tickets on Tuesday at 3:30pm at the KLRU building at 26th & Guadalupe for Wednesday's Kim Richey and Robbie Fulks show. And if you get there too late for ACL tix, the pair will be playing the Continental Club on Tuesday as well...

The Bad Livers have picked up three dates with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, among them a visit to Stubbs' on Aug. 28. After that they continue along with their own touring...

Don McCalister has finished a new album for Europe's Appaloosa Records. Down in Texas is most likely out overseas as you read this, and copies just hit the States by early September...

Trudy's 20th Anniversary Music Fest & Street Party is looking for bands to perform at the October 12 event, to be held at the Austin Music Hall. It's a benefit for AIDS Services of Austin and the Center for Battered Women, and they plan to make a compilation CD out of the deal, so why not drop off a demo and press kit at one of the three Trudy's locations? Do it before August 30...

- with contributions by Andy Langer, Christopher Gray, Margaret Moser, Raoul Hernandez