In November, Black Tie Dynasty will finally release its sophomore album, Down Like Anyone. Unlike Movements – the band’s debut released in 2006 by Dallas-based Idol Records – the new album will come out independently. “We’ve always tried to be as self-sufficient as possible when it came to the business of BTD,” said frontman Cory Watson, “and we decided it was time for us to take control completely.
The most appealing of all the things that Idol provided was physical distribution. But that’s not where the money is now. In fact, I’ll bet that CDs won’t even exist in the next 10 years. It’s so easy for bands to put their record out digitally now. Perhaps we wanted to be a little greedy, but we’re not making a living as a band, and that’s the ultimate goal.” The band and Idol, Watson said, parted on good terms. “We have all the love in the world for Idol Records and [owner] Erv Karwelis.” Produced by pAper chAse’s Jon Congleton (Modest Mouse, the Polyphonic Spree), Down Like Anyone will be out on iTunes, Rhapsody, MSN Music, and www.myspace.com/blacktiedynasty. Also unlike Movements and its hit-after-hit feel, the new release will be more like a traditional album, Watson said. The Fort Worth indie-pop quartet’s next gig is near the end of this month in New Orleans as part of the 10th annual Voodoo Experience music festival (www.thetenthritual.com), with R.E.M., TV on the Radio, N*E*R*D, The Mars Volta, and nine zillion other bands. The band’s next local gig is a free, all-ages affair in Denton on Halloween, Sat., Oct. 31, at Hailey’s (122 Mulberry St., 940-323-1160), with DJ Nature. Black Tie’s first official CD release show will be Sat., Nov. 29, in Big D at House of Blues (2200 N. Lamar St., 214-373-8000), followed by a tour that includes stops in Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas City, and Salt Lake City. … On Saturday, some little band out of Fort Worth called The Theater Fire is playing, along with Scott Copeland, Sam the Lion, Craig Snowden, and a few other singer-songwriter, Americana types at The Fairmount (600 W. Magnolia Ave., 817-420-9455). The non-musical highlight of the show will inarguably be some spoken-word poetry by William Bryan Massey III, former punk-rock drummer, current head cook at Fred’s Texas Café, and eternal curmudgeon. Some of Massey’s free-verse gems include “Hey, Denny — Grand Slam This, Bitch” (“That shit tasted just like / Coffee grounds and old / Newspapers pressed together / Like particle board”) and “Death of the Moon: A Psalm of Sadness” (“Every living creature has / Seen the moon at one time / Or another, except maybe / Cave shrimp – they have no eyes”). … Singer-songwriter Cadillac Fraf, who was injured in a scooter accident a couple of weeks ago and has been in intensive care, is now breathing on his own, a big step. To donate to Fraf’s recovery effort or just show him some love, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/fraf. A benefit concert is in the works that may happen at Lola’s Saloon (2736 W. 6th St, FW, 817-877-0666) in either late November or early December, possibly involving the Me-Thinks, Stoogephilia, Rivercrest Yacht Club, Panther City Bandits, Blackland River Devils, and that Theater Fire band, among others.
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