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NX35 Inside Scoop Blog

Written by Laura Sliva, The Shorthorn managing editor

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 11:38 PM

The Shorthorn managing editor Laura Sliva

This is Laura Sliva, managing editor for The Shorthorn, here to bring you the latest happenings of North by 35 in Denton, Texas. Keep checking back often to find the latest interviews with bands, pictures and video. You can also follow me on twitter, @laurasliva.

If you see me, say hi and also don’t forget to send us your photos of the events at u@shorthorn.uta.edu and see it featured on the front page of our Web site. Here is a helpful map of some of the main venues

Recap

The Walkmen at Hailey's during NX35 (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Andy's Bar set list March 14 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Yeah Def at Andy's Bar March 14 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Sore Losers at Andy's Bar March 14 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Crowd gathers at The Flaming Lips concert March 13 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Anonymous Culture at Andy's Bar March 14 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

StarDeath and White Dawrfs March 13 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Midlake March 13 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

The Flaming Lips March 13 at NX35. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Sunday

Did you get to catch Trebuchet last night at The Boiler Room? Like them and want to know more, well The Shorthorn has got you covered. We interviewed lead singer Justin Hawkins.

The Shorthorn: How did Trebuchet form?
Justin Hawkins: I actually don't know all the details because I'm somewhat of a "new" member myself. So, I suppose I could tell you how I got sucked into the band. Trebuchet had been around Denton for a couple of years before I met them. I had just got out of my second band that didn't even last a year (haha), and the bartender at Andy's (Aaron Eubanks) told me they were looking for a singer. At that time they had just let go of their second singer (very "Spinal Tap" I know) and were playing instrumental sets to keep going. I showed up to a set, met the guys, and auditioned for them the next week. The rest is history.

Trebuchet (Courtsey Photo: Trebuchet and MarcusJuniusLaws.com

TS: What is the craziest thing that has happened while you guys were performing?
JH: Since I've been in the band? Probably just getting hit on the head by John's bass guitar whenever I get a bit too into the music that I lose my sense of space. I did hear about one of Trebuchet's fans getting into a brawl with the bouncer of T.J.'s (when it used to be on Fry Street) at their very first gig.

TS: What is the best music venue you have played at and why?
JH: I'm sure all the guys have their different favorites, but for me I would say Stafford-Main Street in Bryan, TX. Personally, I thought the stage sound was phenomenal from a vocalist stand point. Locally, I'm going to have to go with Tree's in Dallas. That place is legendary around these parts, and I'm so thrilled it reopened last year. The kick drum in that place is insane.

Band Members

Bobby Lotfipour - Drums
John Yett - Bass
Justin Hawkins - Vox,Guitars
Keith Naylor - Guitars,vox
Dustin Fleming - Guitars,keys,Programming

TS: How did it feel to be playing at NX35?
JH: Honestly, it felt extremely appropriate. I mean, we're from Denton!...And we're totally Indie! (haha) I will say that I'm completely on board with what Chris Flemmons and the staff are trying to do. If you look at last year and this year, it's like Alice before and after she eats those special mushrooms. It just blew up this year. I'm excited for the future and seeing how it grows.

TS: If you weren't doing music what would you be doing?
JH: I just don't understand that question. Not because the wording is wrong or anything like that, but because music is what I do. It's in my head all the time. It's coming out of my mouth all of the time. The thought of life without it is unnerving and a little sadistic for me. I suppose I would be helping other people make music if I somehow was unable to? But unless my extremities cease to exist and my mouth gets sewn shut, I'll be doing it for the rest of my life.

TS: What makes the Denton music scene so different from other areas?
JH: One of the funny comparisons people use when describing Denton is that we're a "little Austin", and that irks me. Don't get me wrong, I love Austin, but Denton is much smaller and much more localized. I mean, all the musicians here, no matter what genre of music they play, are always around each other. We're at the same shops and bars. We come to each other's shows. We promote each other. There's an extreme sense of community here. I don't think Austin has that.

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Last night of NX35!

Some recommended artists you should check out:

Anonymous Culture at Andy's Bar. Anonymous Culture is a Dallas based hip-hop artist
The Walkmen at Hailey's. The band is from New York.
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Photos and video of last night's Flaming Lips concert shall be up soon

Saturday

I attended the roundtable discussion on "The Changing Nature of Music Journalism".

The discussion ranged from anonymity on the web and are bloggers journalist.

Panel Members

Moderator:Sam Machkovech - Journalist, Publicola.nte
Jamie-Pual Falcon - Founder and Editor, DayBowBow.net
Pete Freedman - Music Editor, Dallas Observer
Sarah Crisman - Music Editor, Pegasus News
Daniel Rodrigue - Reporter, Dallas Observer

Giggle Party (Courtsey:Giggle Party)

Giggle Party, a party punk rock band from Dallas, will be playing at the RockaSkateFest on Saturday and NX35 Sunday on the Parade of Flesh showcase at the Boiler Room.

The Shorthorn got an exclusive interview with Jason Reichl, the bassist and vocalist of Giggle Party, on the upcoming performances and how they all got started.

The Shorthorn: How did you guys meet?
Jason Reichl: Katrina and I are married. So we met by playing in bands together since we were 16. Katrina went to school in Corpus Christi where she was the editor of her college paper. Gabe was the sports editor. Aaron and I met while waiting for the Time Warner Cable technician when we both moved to Dallas in 2008. Katrina and I moved from Austin while Aaron moved from Ann Arbor, Mich. He said he played guitar and I asked him to join a band.

Band Members

Aaron Eash - Vocals and Guitar
Gabe Brenier - Drums
Katrina Michie - Vocals and Keyboard
Jason Reichl - Vocals and Bass

TS: How would you describe the band’s sound?
JR: Giggle Party’s sound is fun and spazzy and a little disorganized. I liken it to bands like Matt and Kim, The Deathset, The Thermals or Andrew WK. We have group vocals through the majority of our songs and we dance and scream a lot.

We knew from going to shows in the area that “serious” was pretty much covered by the DFW music scene, so we opted to do something that felt fresh and young in both style and sound. We call it “brat pop” but we’ve also been labeled “dance punk.”

TS: Where did the name Giggle Party come from?
JR: A guy from KERA recently asked me this — and I don’t have a great answer. But I will say that it’s been pleasant to cite traffic/plays since the Giggle Party party drug was announced. Oh, it’s also been fun as the occasional horny soccer mom stumbles upon us while looking to set up an adult toy party, a company calls their dildo parties “Giggle Parties” which delights us to no end.

The Holes In Your Face Are Ple...

TS: You guys have some pretty unique lyrics, where do you get the inspiration from?
JR: So, I’m heavily influenced by low brow surrealist art and cartoons while Aaron is just a weirdo, so I think that’s where the majority of our lyrical content comes from. While we’ve been known to be funny in our lyrics, we aren’t really afraid to write a “serious” song or about things that we feel seriously about. We just always tend to tackle the subject with a sense of irony. I don’t think anyone wants to hear songs about how we “think” about stuff, but if we can slip in a message among all the sing along madness, we do.

TS: Have you played at NX35 before? How did the band get involved?
JR: No. We had only played a handful of live shows when NX35 was around last year. I think we got involved or was asked to play NX35 after our first tour and some successful shows opening for Man Man, Kurt Vile and Matt and Kim.

JR: We have a demo of our new album called Death and Other Unnatural Phenomenon on www.partytodeath.com. Each week we post a new demo until the albums’ release. We also recently sold the album’s first single “Big Bang” to Pepsi for a national ad campaign.
Friday

Q and A with Telegraph Canyon

Telegraph Canyon is a seven-piece country folk band from Fort Worth. The Shorthorn spoke with band member Chris Johnson about their upcoming performance Saturday night at Rubber Gloves.

Telegraph Canyon (Courtsey:Telegraph Canyon and Jill Johnson)

The Shorthorn: How did you guys form?

Chris Johnson: I had a rock and roll band five years ago that started losing members so I started putting this band together. This is what we wanted to do all along. I already had a batch of songs already written so we got together over a year, played one or two shows and locked down the idea. This was something we wanted to pursue for a long time.

TS: Denton is known for its music, how do you think the Fort Worth music scene is?
CJ: Underrated. I’ve been through good music places, mediocre and bad. Fort Worth people come to shows. Sometimes 400 to 500 people can show up possibly but it’s not average. Fort Worth does come out and they pay a ticket price to come see the show. There are also tons of bands that nobody knows about, but they will know they are getting to that level soon.

TS: How do you and your band prep for a performance?

CJ: We travel in an RV. It has become our green room overtime. We get together sometimes do our set and get pumped up. Depending on the crowd we take a shot. We all drink whiskey.

TS: What is the craziest thing that has happened at one of your shows?

CJ: I don’t think I can live up to that question. But really it’s every time you show up to a show and there are people there to see it. You never feel like people will show and when they do it is great. But we haven’t had anybody throw cabbage at us.

TS: Do you have an interesting fact about your band?

Telegraph Canyon
Chuck Brown: Bass and Vocals
Chris Johnson: Guitar, Vocals, Banjo and Harmonica
Austin Green: Drums, Bells & amp; Keys
Tamara Cauble: Violin & Vocals
Brian McCorquodale: Pedal Steel, Piano, Synth and Percussion
Andrew Skates: Organ, Piano, Accordion, Guitar and Mandolin
Erik Wolfe: Guitar, Vibes & Bass Drum

CJ: We are kind of nerdy. We travel in the RV, all seven of us and our crew. We have toys around. We have remote control helicopters and we play disk golf in every city we go because it’s free and we get exercise. It’s real kind of campy. It’s not like we don’t party, because we do. We’ve been together and playing music together for a long time we all know each other so well. I feel really lucky to be doing this.

TS: Any bands you are excited to see at NX35?

CJ: The Flaming Lips show, but we have a photo shoot during it so we will try to catch it. I’ll see Eaton Lake Tonics. They have been great for a long time and now starting to get noticed. Also RTB2. I’ll be at their show. I’ll see them twice a day if I could, hands down my favorite band in DFW area.

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I recommend you see Mount Righteous at Andy's Bar. They are a nine-piece band from Grapevine, who just make you happy when you listen to them.

Bass drummer, Joey Kendall of Mount Righteous. (The Shorthorn:Laura Sliva)

Click to read an 2007 Shorthorn feature on Mount Righteous.

Thursday

Exclusive Interview: Michael Seman

Michael Seman, along with his band, will be rocking NX35

This UTA urban planning and public policy graduate student is helping organize NX35, a music festival taking place in Denton this weekend.

Michael Seman, who is also a Institute of Urban Studies research associate, organized a majority of the daytime programming, including panel discussions, a screening and a keynote address.

The Shorthorn caught up with him to find out about NX35 and his band Shiny Around the Edges, which will play Saturday at the event.

The Shorthorn: How do you think events like NX35 help spread music and the awareness of growth and new ways of living and thinking?

Michael Seman, Shiny Around the Edges band member and NX35 organizer

Michael Seman: NX35 is first and foremost a music festival meant to show what Denton has to offer musically and, by default, what a great city it is to live in. The national publicity we’ve received not only helps to shed light on Denton, but also on the larger DFW region, illuminating its growth as one of the top urban areas of the country. On the micro level, NX35 is also emblematic of the growing progressive nature of Denton that is helping to place it more in line with places like Madison, Wis., Boulder, Colo. and Austin, Texas. Many of the NX35 organizers and volunteers are residents who have decided to remain in Denton after college and help shape its future through involvement with its libraries, schools, transportation systems and politics.

TS: You spoke about the DART’s Green Line train system connecting to the Denton County Transportation Authority’s A-Train in the “DFW 2020: Signs of Life in the Arts” video. How do you think this development would affect the Arlington area if it were to get a similar system?

MS: It would help Arlington to integrate further into the DFW region — culturally, economically and socially. Of specific interest to UTA is the potential of a line being planned in such a way as to provide access to the campus, this might have significant impact on enrollment issues. I commute an hour from Denton to attend classes. I have met with potential students that are really interested in UTA’s SUPA programs but are understandably unwilling to make the commute. I imagine this is just a sample of a broader challenge the university faces. The DFW region has a deep pool of talented students that routinely leave the area for schools in Oklahoma and other points in Texas. If we are to reach Tier One status — and I believe we will — we need to attract and retain those students as well as ones from outside the area. An affordable and sustainable transportation alternative would help in reaching this goal.

Upcoming Appearance

Saturday

Roundtable “The Ever-Shifting Live Music Landscape in DFW”
Location: Sweetwater Grill and Tavern
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Shiny Around the Edges
Location: Texas 8 Ball (location is tentative)

TS: UTA is collaborating with the city of Arlington to create a College Town area with bringing in new businesses and building the special events center. What are your thoughts on the development and planning the university is taking?

MS: I haven’t been asked yet to be involved in this particular planning process, so I can’t comment directly, but it is always exciting to see new development taking place that bridges the gap between town and gown. Development of this nature is another way to help attract and retain talented students from the DFW region and beyond. My hope is that there is thought to incorporating a balanced mix of local and national retail establishments, space for local cultural events and meetings and a mix of transportation modes, i.e. walking, biking, automobile. For special events centers to work in urban areas, it is important that there is a robust slate of programming throughout the year to encourage pedestrian traffic, which will stimulate surrounding merchants. Additionally, attention should be paid to the physical design of the area so that it is pedestrian scaled and welcoming. In terms of the need for year-round programming and cultural space, UTA and the City of Arlington have a wealth of diversity. This asset should be welcomed into the programming and planning process so the area reflects everyone in the community and encourages further cultural and economic development.

TS: You are also in the band Shiny Around the Edges, which will be playing the Asthmatic Kitty showcase Saturday night at Texas 8 Ball. How long have you been playing music?

MS: I have been involved with music in one way or another for most of my life.

TS: Give us a description on the sound of your band, how long have you been a band together. Who are the members and what do they play?

MS: We’ve been described as both “beautiful” and “apocalyptic” and are often compared to Sonic Youth or a host of other no-wave and post-hardcore bands — Mars, DNA, Shellac, Swans, etc. Although we all play various instruments, generally I play guitar and sing, Jennifer, my wife, plays bass or drums and sings and Kerm Rivas plays bass and sings. We’ve been playing music together as Shiny Around the Edges for over eight years.

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Cannot make it to The Boiler Room, don't worry they got you covered. Check out this gem.
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If you are heading to the Flaming Lips show Saturday this is a must read. All the basic info is here.