Odd pairing tomorrow night (Saturday) at the Longhorn (121 W Exchange Av, the Stockyards, 817-740-9477): Austin’s kinda silly, rockabilly-inflected Flametrick Subs and Fort Worth’s deadly serious, grungy Stella Rose. But as you kids say: Whatever.
Also on Saturday, at Lola’s-Sixth (2736 W 6th St, 817-877-0666), The Good Show Live Music Series features Dove Hunter, The Orbans, and Chatterton. Cover is $8.
At the Moon (2911 W Berry St, by TCU, 817-926-9600) on Saturday, Fort Worthian alt-country singer-songwriter Collin Herring, Austin’s Austin Collins & The Rainbirds, and El Paso’s The Lusitania are playing. The show tonight (Friday) is also very good: Fort Worth’s cut*off, Dallas’ Salim Nourallah and John Lefler, and San Antonio’s Buttercup.
Hot Rod Stewart’s coming to town, playing Sunday at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie (1001 Performance Pl, 214-373-8000). The hits will be great, sure. Too bad he won’t pull any of this out, though. Or his scathing commentary of mainstream music circa 1985. Tix are $79.50-125.
Cool New-ish Music
Bird Show of North America “plays instrumental indie rock,” according to the band’s bio here. “All of our songs are named after birds. We have a painter in the band. He paints each bird as we play. After our show the audience has the opportunity to buy a painting for cheap ($20-40). It’s fun!” For the record, BSONA sounds like extended-interlude-heavy Genesis (circa A Trick of the Tail) as interpreted by The Byrds. Cool stuff.
Takka Takka “Silence”: charming stop-action animated video for dreamy indie-pop out of Brooklyn.
The jangly, minor-chord riff to Eddie Money’s “Baby, Hold on to Me” gets Screwed here –– well, not really; just slowed down; I just felt like saying, “Screwed” –– on British duo The Ting Ting’s guileless but toe-tapping paean to, well, a dude who spins records greatly. Cute blonde frontwoman Katie White is like a little Debbie Harry.
Oxford Collapse “The Birthday Wars”: new band, old-school Sub Pop.
Coconot “Conservad El Rayo”: monochromatic, frenetic, Spanish psychedelia.
On the opposite tip: If one of your allegedly hip buddies –– in one of his ceaseless efforts to remain hip –– expresses an affinity for The Honeydrips’ “I Wouldn’t Know What to Do,” just punch him in the stomach. The song is dreadful. The frontman is either really 10 years old or was when he wrote it. Just … dreadful.
And just ’cause it’s awesome: Eric Dolphy’s bass clarinet-tastic version of Billie Holiday/Arthur Herzog Jr.’s “God Bless the Child.”
33
That “The jangly, minor-chord riff to Eddie Money’s “Baby, Hold on to Me” is actually about as MAJOR as it gets.
One measure D major followed by one measure D Augmented.
No charge for the geeetar lesson : )
Also, ninety-five percent of the time the terms chord and riff are mutually exclusive. That’s definitely so in this instance. The term “Riff” is merely slang for the term Motif or synonymous with a thematic phrase. Think Beethoven’s Fifth or the theme that opens “Mission Impossible.” Riff’s are usually single notes only (but not the same as a melody.) Exceptions would be “You Really Got Me” or Whole Lotta Love.”
I get “Baby, Hold on to Me,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” and a third Eddie Money song from that era all confused constantly. Like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Satisfaction.” I forget which is which and can sometimes splice the two/three together in my head. Anyway, I dig the motif/riff v. progression thing and wholeheartedly apologize for the error re: “Baby, Hold on to Me” riff/progression for minor. It’s totally major. Or maybe that’s the “Two Tickets” bass “riff.” Whatever. My head hurts.
A lot of the kids I teach these days come in wanting to play all the old stuff because they hear it on guitar hero / rock band. My long ago and far away cover band days which were actually a healthy part of my “edumacation” heehee are still reaping beniefits. If they bring in OK GO i play The Knack for them etc. When i was in high-school everybody played in cover bands ….. would you believe i used to hear Pantera play Flock of Seagulls covers … I kid you not.
That’s awesome. Thanks, Paul.