The super-moody Theater Fire is one of those Fort Worth-based bands that, while proud of its Cowtown address, could be living in New York City or Los Angeles or Boise for all we know of their presence here – HearSay still hearts ’em. I guess what I’m saying is that a.) fans of The Arcade Fire (gag!) would appreciate the real Threepenny Opera that is The Theater Fire if they deigned to actually search for good new music instead of allow it to be spoonfed to them from Pitchfork and satellite radio; and b.) fans of The Arcade Fire (gag!) may actually get a chance to hear the band’s superior doppelgangers soon. In November, according to The Theater Fire’s MySpace site, the big and hip label Drag City will release a combination c.d./DVD of a pilot variety show on which The Theater Fire appears as a backing band – Donald Feagin, Curtis Heath, Mark Castaneda, Jesse Brakefield, Sean French, and Nick Prendergast on banjo, violin, trumpet, and pedal guitar. The name of the show and the soundtrack is You Can’t Beat Tomorrow. Go to www.myspace.com/thetheaterfire for more.
… Another c.d. on the horizon comes from another outstanding Fort Worth-based band whose members spend as little time as possible, y’know, living here. The Snowdonnas’ long-awaited e.p. is this close to be released internationally, in Europe by Northern Star Records and in the states by Thirty Ghosts Records. Nothing has been signed yet, the band says, so keep your fingers crossed. …. While we’re on a theme, we might as well run with it: The Wonderful Façade – yes, another great local-but-you’ve-never-heard-of-’em band – is in the process of recording its debut c.d. They’ve been together for about a year, and it’s about time they hunkered down and started paving the road to immortality. (Just kidding … kinda. They’re pretty damn good.)
… Now, of the bands you do know, Pablo and Hemphill 7 is also on the cusp of releasing its own long-awaited disc, a full-length that’s been in the works for, oh, about 20 years. (Not really, but it’s been a while since recording started.) With über-funkmeisters Confusatron and the new ska band the Brokers, Pablo will celebrate the idea of its new c.d., Fri., at the Wreck Room (3208 W. 7th St., in Fort Worth; 817-348-8303). FYI: In early November, around the time you’re harassing Drag City every day to release that c.d. with the Theater Fire song, Axis (120 S. Main St., in Cowtown) hosts the second annual “Soundclash” festival, an all-day-ish extravaganza that features all manner of integrated music, including the handiwork of the aforementioned Brokers, plus KulchafarI, DJ Miguel (from dub masters Sub Oslo), and Pablo, whose frontman, Joe Vano, organizes the shindig. Mark your calendar.
… For those of you who know HearSay’s true identity, you may have noticed your columnist’s spankin’ new, rockin’ flip-flops, the ones with Pink Floyd on the sides and the prism from cover of The Dark Side of the Moon on the heel. Since everybody (all three of you) keeps asking where I got ’em, the answer is Kohl’s, for, like, 10 bucks. Metallica and AC/DC flip-flops are also available. (Sweeet.)
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
