Jamie Lidell - The Ring

Last week my local hangouts reached an almost ghost town-like status when a lot of friends, musicians, bartenders, regulars headed down to Austin for a few days of amazing music, food, and parties. There was nothing much to report while they were away. Issue #10 of FOUND hit the stands with only a few minor hitches (with nearly the entire staff gone), I caught the Leslie and the Lys show at The Waiting Room with Clark (which must not have made that big of an impact on me since I didn't care enough to write about it here) and not much else happened.

Now, with SXSW behind us, it seems like things have begun to pick up again. I got the chance to see It's True on Tuesday with Steel Train. I could tell the boys were a bit off - having just gotten back from their trip to Austin - but they still delivered a stellar performance. Steel Train was much better than I anticipated, and they did a pretty great cover of Dancin' in the Dark, but I didn't really absorb most of the music that night (blame a three week-long sickness and lack of sleep for that one). Anyway, it seems like things are getting back to normal again. Here's a few highlights for the week: It's True! made the cover of this week's Reader. Both the Reader and The City Weekly feature some pretty solid SXSW reviews/recaps, so be sure to check those out. The newest issue of FOUND hit the stands last night, and there's a new mixtape from Brad Hoshaw featuring his picks from SXSW.

The most important bit of news is that the FOUND in Benson FOUNDraiser/Flea Market/Potluck/Show is this Saturday at the Foundry in Benson. The Flea Market starts at noon. It's ten dollars if you want to rent a table to sell, or you can stop by if you just want to browse. The word on the street is that Brad Hoshaw should have some vinyl for sale (which means I will probably end up spending way too much money, as per usual). The potluck starts at about 5. You can bring something to share if you'd like or just stop by and chow down on whatever people bring. Then, at around 8 (I think) the music starts. There will be a $5 cover if you plan on staying for the music. The FOUND staff is accepting donations for the magazine but the cover goes to the bands playing that night. Make sure you stop by to support a great local publication, enjoy some food, music, and have a good time.

In other news, this is my new thing to be excited about:



I love this video. I love this song. It's so funky. So danceable. So fun. The video perfectly captures Jamie Lidell's totally out there style. I literally cannot WAIT for this album to come out. Hits stores May 18th. You can definitely tell Beck had his hand in the production on this one. And that's a good thing.

Covers

Here's the thing. I am one of those people who almost never enjoys the cover version of the song better than the original. Some songs just shouldn't be covered. So many songs have been ruined for me because of God awful covers that have been done of them. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule. One exception I want to bring to your attention today is the song Tik Tok.



I don't know if any of the Parlor readers are familiar with the musical stylings of Ke$ha - I certainly wasn't - or her video for this song. Sure, I vaguely remember hearing this song a time or two playing in the background in the bar, or in the car for a few seconds before I changed the station, but I'd never heard the entire thing until a few days ago when Brad Hoshaw decided to cover it (at the suggestion of a friend), when I had to check out the original to compare.



Here are the lyrics:

Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy
Grab my glasses, I'm out the door, I'm gonna hit this city
Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack
'Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back

I'm talking pedicure on our toes, toes
Trying on all our clothes, clothes
Boys blowing up our phones, phones
Drop-topping, playing our favorite CDs
Pulling up to the parties
Trying to get a little bit tipsy

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock, on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

Ain't got a care in world, but got plenty of beer
Ain't got no money in my pocket, but I'm already here
And now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger
But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger

I'm talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys tryin' to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk

Now, now, we go until they kick us out, out
Or the police shut us down, down
Police shut us down, down
Po-po shut us

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

DJ, you build me up
You break me down
My heart, it pounds
Yeah, you got me

With my hands up
You got me now
You got that sound
Yeah, you got me

DJ, you build me up
You break me down
My heart, it pounds
Yeah, you got me

With my hands up
Put your hands up
Put your hands up

Now, the party don't start 'til I walk in

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'mma fight
'Til we see the sunlight
Tick tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no

I have to say, I actually think it's kind of good now. I mean, the change is totally drastic. He took the song and made it totally his own. Anyway, I guess I'll let you decide which is the better version in this case. If nothing else, I guess you can appreciate the comedic value of a man with a beard and a guitar singing about getting a pedicure and boys trying to touch his junk. :)

AYGAMG

This is a video for the band All Young Girls Are Machine Guns. Beck Lowry IS the band. She played a show last night at the Slowdown with Little Black Stereo and Danielle Ate the Sandwich, other uke player from Colorado. Beck is a pretty great singer and you should check her out. She's got a couple shows coming up next month and also got some recognition it this week's Reader. If you're interested, you can also check out her YouTube channel here. She's got a ton of originals, a bunch of soul covers, and some local covers including It's True, Brad Hoshaw, and Midwest Dilemma.




Here's the blurb posted by Sarah Wengert from The Reader: I’ve been having a series of daydreams where I become a travel writer, or a masseuse, or work in a greenhouse — things I’ve always wanted to do, but just haven’t; less stressful antidotes to the hair-tearing pressures of my current gig managing the content for this fine paper. Another of my reoccurring daydream wishes is to play the ukulele. Local musician Rebecca Lowry is living my daydream. Curious about her act, billed All Young Girls Are Machine Guns, I contacted Lowry for the 411 on the u-k-e. “My act, as it were, is me and a ukulele,” she said. “I’ve been playing for a little over a year, writing songs for just under a year. Lowry said her influences “are largely swing-era jazz singers like Billie Holiday or Anita O’Day,” but she also loves ’50s and ’60s pop and soul. “I started off posting some covers to YouTube as I was learning how to play,” Lowry said. “Then I wrote and posted my first song. I started hanging out at Barley Street Tavern [on Mondays]. You can’t [just] play covers there so I had to start writing more songs.”

She's a pretty solid lady, a good songwriter, and she's got a great voice.

Found in Benson

Last night, I spent my evening sitting in Benson, at the Barley Street Tavern, surrounded by friends and regulars, finishing assembly on the newest issue of Found in Benson. I realized that I'd neglected to mention it here at the Parlor.

Found in Benson is a weekly zine that is released exclusively in Benson (in the bars, music venues, and some other businesses in the area). Each issue is different. The zine is cut and paste style. The cover is up for grabs to whoever submits an idea. The non-profit zine is published every Thursday. Content and number of copies printed relies solely upon donations and volume of submissions. To donate or submit content to be included in future issues, contact any of the staff or look for coffee cans around Benson. The staff includes Jeff Spiehs, Brad Hoshaw, Kyle Harvey, and MarQ Manner.

Here's the editor's note from the first issue:

I find myself sitting alone, after completing the first issue of the new and improved Found in Benson. Despite all of the hard work that was required, I consider myself privileged to have spent the day with good friends, sipping on coffee and discussing the many strengths of our community. The Foundry's motto of local, honest, collaborative, rings true with everyone on staff and has inspired many to support us before ever seeing the first issue.

For example, the map was acquired by actual 'foot on pavement' effort, traveling down every stretch of cement (even the scary ones) in order to piece together a comprehensive map of the downtown Benson Business district. The calendar was a result of scouring countless websites and publications to ensure that we wouldn't leave out any possibilities of being entertained. And then you have the creative elements, which often times demand the most grueling work. Poetry, cartoons, essays, music reviews, photography and more...are all contributions from friends and neighbors of the Benson community. Anyone that has spent much time in the neighborhood knows that Benson consists of some truly original thinkers and we believe that they all deserve to be celebrated and explored.

Every aspect of this publication is tailored to give the ownership to YOU. As you may have noticed we have left this week's cover blank so that YOUR hand can provide the face of Found in Benson for weeks to come. If you turn in your designs to the staff or drop them off at The Foundry, it may be featured as the cover of next week's issue.

I look forward to the next time I walk into the bar and see the regulars with a tall boy in one hand and a FIB in the other. Their eyes dancing across the pages in search of their contribution then moving on to discover the hidden talents of their friends and possibly a revolutionary idea that will change the course of their day.

We would love to hear your suggestions on how this humble 'cut and paste' underground zine can better serve the Benson community. In the coming issues we hope you will be inspired to contribute your very own voice to these pages, and submit regularly.

Best wishes,
Brad Hoshaw

So that's it. I have to say, I am really excited about the new issue. The Valentine's Day issue is new and improved - with all of the kinks from the first issue worked out - AND it's printed on pink paper! There's a new mix tape (with streaming audio on the Facebook page), drawings, poems, short stories, an advice column. It's got something for everyone (including a flash fiction piece by me). I feel like I've been waiting for something like Found in Benson to find ME for some time now. I feel privileged to be a part (albeit a small one) of this publication. So many good things are starting to happen in Benson and I look forward to so many more great things to come. Please, look for the newest FIB the next time you're in Benson and donate if you'd like to support (what I believe) is a great publication.

Bar Stool Drunken Fool

Brad Hoshaw did this song last night at the Haiti Benefit. This is the only video I can find, but I really like the song.

Johnny, a Camel, and a Gun.

Ok. So, I guess this is really random but I don't care. I have been listening to Midwest Dilemma a lot lately - blame it on their lack of shows in the past few months - and I have decided that 'Omaha' is my favorite song on Timelines and Tragedies. Such great songwriting. So much emotion. It's just a great song. Give it a listen if you have the means. Do you have a favorite Midwest Dilemma song?

In other news, I mentioned the Christmas for Pine Ridge project a few posts ago, and I just found this video of Brad Hoshaw at the River offices doing his Christmas song from Pine Ridge Volume 1. It's called 'Johnny, a Camel, and a Gun' and it's really great. Even though Christmas has passed, it's still a great tune and you can check the video below.



Brad Hoshaw writes a Christmas song like no one else, that's for sure.