Off the Record
Music News
By Austin Powell, Fri., Aug. 28, 2009
Songs the Lord Taught Us
"I never thought in a million years I'd end up in Fangoria magazine," chuckles Jesse Dayton from a truck stop. The local honky-tonk hero never expected to be featured on a segment of CNN's Headline News either, but Rob Zombie changed all that. Having previously fictionalized the raunchy twang of Banjo & Sullivan for his 2005 film The Devil's Rejects, the horror fiend tapped Dayton – and local ringers Nate Fleming, Eric Tucker, and Brad Johnson – to appear as the psychobilly band Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures in Halloween II, the sequel to his 2007 reimagining of the John Carpenter classic, which opens Friday. After exchanging ideas with Zombie over e-mail, Dayton holed up in the haunted Lamothe House Hotel in New Orleans' French Quarter to write the film's accompanying soundtrack. "You feel like [you're] a vampire who was stabbed when you wake up in the morning," he cracks. "There was a big French closet, and the hangers in it kept rattling." Named for the 1962 cult film, Captain Clegg stirs an original witches' brew that grave-robs from the Misfits, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and the Cramps. Zombie filmed a music video for each song on the soundtrack, all of which will be featured on the Director's Cut DVD, a substantial score considering its predecessor pushed more than two million copies. There's talk of a Captain Clegg B-movie spin-off, while a world tour with Zombie commences Halloween night at the Forum in Los Angeles. Until then, Dayton continues to hold down his Thursday residency at the Broken Spoke. "I would love to have Jerry Reed's career," quips Dayton. "I'd love to take a month out of every year and go sit in a trailer and make a movie on set. [Executive Producer] Harvey Weinstein gave me one with a fake fireplace and a bottle of Jim Beam in it. It was awesome."
Get Down, Stay Down
Tim Crane may not be the hardest-working man in show business, but the blue-eyed soul of T Bird & the Breaks still works up a cold sweat. The local 10-piece just wrapped up its first tour of the south and is pressing its debut, Learn About It, to wax, along with a new 45, "Monkeywrench" b/w "Night Shaped Mary." The pace has taken its toll on Crane, better known as T Bird. "The doc said take some time off to rest my voice," he says. "I'm going to do a bit of clean living." Before then, T Bird & the Breaks headline the Chronicle's annual Hot Sauce Festival at Waterloo Park on Sunday with the Tiny Tin Hearts, the Fireants, Nakia & His Southern Cousins, and the Paula Nelson Band. Entrance is free with the donation of three nonperishable food items for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. To help set the mood, T Bird shared his Top 5 summer records.
Fats Domino, This Is Fats Domino (1957)
"It's got all of the hits and brings the heat."
Lightnin' Hopkins, Talkin' Some Sense (1994)
"Perfect lazy summertime blues."
Dr. John, Dr. John's Gumbo (1971)
"New Orleans music always conjures up something hot and spicy."
Eric B. & Rakim, Paid in Full (1987)/LL Cool J, Mama Said
Knock You Out (1990) "Summertime and boom boxes."
Random Play
• Everyone at the Dell Diamond earlier this month for the Bob Dylan show felt a change comin' on, alright. After an incinerating guest appearance that felt like a sparring match at the crossroads, Charlie Sexton has put the Arc Angels on hold to rejoin the Bard's Never Ending Tour, albeit at the expense of Denny Freeman. Neither guitarist could be reached for comment.
• Add John Mayer to Ian McLagan's list of guitar picks. The local pianist recently completed Steve Jordan-helmed sessions for Mayer's Battle Studies. "He's got it all," enthuses McLagan. "He's good-looking and can sing; he's popular and really knows his way around the instrument." The sessions were capped off with a performance at the Troubadour, where Mayer backed Mac for a rendition of his "Never Say Never" before closing with the Small Faces' "What'cha Gonna Do About It."
• At a welcome-home party for George W. Bush in Crawford, former Dedringer Josh Garner, who was hired to perform at the event, was flagged down by Dubya's secret service, who asked him, "What's your affiliation with James McMurtry?" "They never pull me out of the airport line," retorts McMurtry, whose Live in Europe is due in October. "They must be meticulous if I'm on the radar."
• Free Drugs: Michael Coomers of Harlem landed his first cover story: the Aug. 14 issue of Busted! in Austin, where he's cited for public intoxication.
• Urban outpost DJ Dojo is moving into the headquarters of Austin Art and Music Partnership (411 W. Monroe), the new nonprofit spearheaded by Peyton Wimmer and Aaron Williams (both formerly of the SIMS Foundation), which hosts various workshops and grants artists work and rehearsal space. According to owner DJ Manny, the Dojo will still sell records and give DJ lessons, only under the AAMP umbrella: "Basically we're going to be bigger and stronger."
Here Comes the Flood
After months of casual lineup leaks, Transmission Entertainment finally opened the floodgates for the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, Nov. 7-8. Without a doubt, this will be the year that breaks the fall classic on a national level. Alongside such previously announced marquee acts as the Jesus Lizard, Death, and GZA, who's performing Liquid Swords in its entirety, Fun Fun Fun 4 features Danzig, Mission of Burma, Of Montreal, Ratatat, No Age, Fucked Up, the Riverboat Gamblers, the Cool Kids, Japanese cult trio Shonen Knife, and a makeup appearance from Flipper. Other notables to make the cut include Yeasayer, Kid Sister, Destroyer, Gorilla Biscuits, Torche, and Crystal Castles, not to mention locals the Strange Boys, Pack of Wolves, Foot Patrol, and the Black & White Years, among others. Meanwhile, defying all odds, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are confirmed as the replacement for the Beastie Boys at the completely sold-out 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oct. 2-4. C3 Presents also swapped out British sourpuss Lily Allen for soulman Raphael Saadiq and Ben Sollee, completing the Friday lineup.
