Well, the Grammy Awards may be more irrelevant than ever this year, serving
only to remind you that, yes, Journey is still around — and that Hillary
Rodham Clinton is hip enough in her book to get a nomination in the Best Spoken
Word category. On the other hand, with the music industry splintering, more and
more Texas artists continue to sneak into the mix. The nominees, announced
Monday morning, include a plethora of Lone Star candidates. Junior Brown’s “My
Wife Thinks You’re Dead” goes double duty with noms for Best Male Country Vocal
Performance and Best Country Song, while Eric Johnson’s “Pavilion” dukes it out
with “SRV Shuffle” by Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray,
B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, and Art Neville in the Best Rock Instrumental
Performance category. Teenage mall creature LeAnn Rimes doubles up as a
potential Best New Artist and a Best Female Country Vocal Performance recipient
for her song “Blue.” Among Lyle Lovett’s numerous nominations are his duet with
genius Randy Newman of “Long Tall Texan,” which in fine Grammy tradition is up
for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals against buffoon Jeff Foxworthy (I
don’t know if this clown is from Texas, but unfortunately most of the known
world thinks he is) and Alan Jackson’s pairing on “Redneck Games.” Further
Texas-related nominations include: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, “Get Out
of This House” by Shawn Colvin; Best Pop Album, A Few Small Repairs by
Shawn Colvin; Best Metal Performance, “Suicide Note Pt. 1” by Pantera; Best
Male Country Vocal Performance, “Private Conversation” by Lyle Lovett; Best
Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal, “Little Bit Is Better Than
Nada” by Texas Tornados; Best Country Album, The Road to Ensenada by
Lyle Lovett; Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, “Joined at the Hip” by Bob
James & Kirk Whalum; Best Southern Gospel, Country Gospel or Bluegrass
Gospel Album, How Great Thou Art by Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson;
Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance, “Un Millon De Rosas” by La
Mafia; and Best Contemporary Folk Album, Braver Newer World by Jimmie
Dale Gilmore.
Starstruck
If there’s a band that knows how to get rid of an unwanted drummer, it’sStarfish. During a shoot at Starseeds for their new “Burden” video, in a scene
where a series of alternates replace Scott Marcus, one would-be drummer found
himself knocked halfway out of the restaurant’s front window. Said window was
closed at the time, but miraculously no one was injured. I was in the parking
lot helping former Sixteen Deluxe drummer Bryan Bowden into a chicken suit at
the time of the accident, but from what I can tell, the camera was rolling at
the time of the “stunt” and it will most likely find its way into the finished
video.
The Scott Stuckey-directed video, as well as Starfish’s next CD,
Frustrated, should be ready in time for SXSW. Currently, they have a new
7-inch EP out on Trance, and have made a decision on who will be their new
drummer. Eric Conn, of Wookie and the Dismukes, will fill the vacancy, with
fish head Jason Morales adding, “Only time will tell if this is going to be
long-term thing or not”.
And Speaking of SXSW…
Despite the fact that SXSW is starting their procedures earlier than ever thisyear, there’s nothing to report on any band confirmations as yet. Brent Grulke
says that most folks are just returning to their offices after the holidays and
that “we’re victims of everybody’s Christmas hangovers.” SXSW has announced
they’re getting their volunteer meetings underway, however, with the first set
for next Wednesday, 6-9pm at the Texas Union Ballroom. Volunteer jobs range
from music and film fest production to conference activities, including
registration, trade show, and technical positions. The meeting is for both new
and returning volunteers. They’ve also announced that this year’s
Conference/Festival, taking place March 12-16, will encompass 36 showcase
venues.
Cook-ing on All Burners
Jennifer Cook has a few irons in the fire these days, with an upcoming stinton the E! Network’s Wannabes show (Uh-oh! The Wannabes’ lawyer is
muttering to himself again), and interest from the 81/2 Souvenirs
gang. On the latter count, Cook says that the Souvs and Continental Records’
Jack Hazard “surprised the shit out of me” when they showed up to check her out
at the Hole in the Wall just before Christmas. On the former, while on a trip
to sunny California, Cook recorded two songs for the glorified talent show,
which are scheduled to air in mid-January. Non-plussed only begins to describe
Cook’s attitude towards her E! performance, wherein she says she had to play an
unfamiliar guitar with a quarter, as there were no real picks to be found. She
did get to play her own songs, however, noting that the “chintzy” producers
encouraged their acts to perform public domain numbers to avoid dealing with
royalties. One of the choices originally suggested to Cook was “Oh, Susannah.”
Horsies Unglued?
Rich Malley of the Horsies sent this message in response to my query aboutwhether the band has broken up: “In this day of bands breaking up and then
having `reunions’ six months later, it kind of doesn’t make sense to say we’re
kaput. We will play SXSW if invited. We will play in Japan if invited by our
Japanese label, Benten. We will play specific events that we deem beneficial to
our common interests. But with Julia & Brant about to have their second
child, it won’t be feasible to continue playing club gigs in the near term.”
Malley adds it’s unlikely that the band will release their second CD, Touch
Me Columbus, locally, “which kills me,” he sighs, “because we worked really
hard on it and it’s good.”
Mixed Notes
I’m told that the (far too) prolific Wesley Willis has a song entitled“Electric Lounge” on his newest CD. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of
Willis can assume that the song makes it clear that the club “rocks the
donkey’s ass” and sounds like one of about three tunes that have made up the
bulk of his previous albums…
Another benefit for Brown Hornet, who had all
their instruments and equipment stolen, occurs tonight (Thursday) at the
Electric Lounge, with Tony Campise’s Brain Damage Ensemble, Drums & Tuba,
Um Ting Tum, Adults, East Babylon Symphony, and the Stephen Doster Trio
providing the entertainment…
Wammo experienced more than a touch of
nervousness at the Mad Cow XXX-mas Show in Chicago where he opened for Pantera.
After watching a comedian who preceded him get verbally crucified, Wammo says
he dreaded what would happen to someone who dared follow with (gasp!) poetry.
Fortunately, his reading of “There’s Too Much Light in This Bar” knocked the
crowd dead, he admits modestly. Also knocking ’em dead that night, he adds,
were strippers dressed as reindeer, live sex acts, and “Miss Puerto Rico walked
out naked, got covered in eggnog, and then was licked clean by members of the
audience”…
What I really want to do is direct: Following on the heels of
poster king Frank Kozik directing a Soundgarden video, former Scratch
Acid/current Jesus Lizard menace David Yow has helmed the clip for the
Offspring’s “All I Want.” And don’t be surprised if Kozik’s heir apparent
Lindsay Kuhn turns to directing next. He’s made the decision to bail out of
Austin’s high-rent, low pay atmosphere as well, and after he gets back from a
visit to Japan with Tim Kerr and company, he’ll be returning to his new digs in
Dallas…
As one of the privileged few who got to sneak a free look at the
“Women of the Hole in the Wall” calendar, all I can say is “Hotcha!” — and
then add that you can get ’em at the club for $9 with proceeds going to the
Battered Women’s Shelter. Oh, and it looks as though the Hole’s Unplug
This! CD won’t be coming out until around SXSW…
Superego’s video is
presently featured on MTV’s “Out From Underground” website.
http://www.mtv.com/music/underground. The Road Rules travel video
produced by MTV and featuring soundtrack selections from Superego’s album is
now available in video stores and travel agencies nationwide. Meanwhile, Paul
Minor continues to videotape everything in sight to fill the band’s own
webpage…
Dallas may be out of the running for the Superbowl, but if you think
that means Texas won’t be represented, think again. ZZ Top will be joining
James Brown and the Blues Brothers for the halftime show this year. Even with
the three comedians (Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, John Goodman) who comprise the
Blues Brothers, this show has no hope of being as laugh-packed as that Michael
Jackson travesty a few years back…
The Texas Philistines have a release party
for their Rumple Four Skyn album at the Back Room this Saturday. That
disc features such lovely song titles as “Howdy Doody and Godzilla at the Steak
Knife Convention”…
Miss Lavelle White plays an in-store show next Wednesday
at Borders Books, 7pm, and has a release party for her new It Haven’t Been
Easy release on Discovery/Antone’s next Thursday at the Continental Club…
Sometime Chron contributor Kent Benjamin has a cover-noted story on Phil
Seymour in the current issue of Goldmine (Joan Baez is the main cover
feature) and if you’re wondering how that’s relevant to this column, you’ll be
surprised to see the number of tie-ins between the late popster and various
Austinites. Benjamin also gave his list of 1996’s best long-form music video
releases in their previous issue…
Speaking of end-of-year lists, indie mag
VOX presented a series of “stars tell their five fave albums” in their
January issue, with popular-in-U.K.-but-not-here star Carter the Unstoppable
Sex Machine not only picking Sincola as his Number One, but giving up after
Number Three and noting, “Sorry, I couldn’t think of five, and everything else
is shit”…
Finally, don’t forget, the Chron music poll is elsewhere in
this issue, so get your opinions on paper so that all your faves will win at
the Awards Show in March…
— Contributors: Raoul Hernandez, Andy Langer, Margaret
Moser
This article appears in January 10 • 1997 and January 10 • 1997 (Cover).