Behind the Music: FPH Summer Fest Performers

Hey Everyone!

I don't get over to the blog side of FPH very often, but I wanted to stop by and say hello (Hello!) and let you all know that I'm doing a little blogging over at the place I call my online home. The FPH Summer Fest is just around the corner and I wanted to introduce you all (well those that don't already know)to some of the truly talented local bands that will be gracing Stage 1 and Stage 2 over at Eleanor Tinsley Park on August 8th & 9th.

Be on the look out for posts at least every other day from now until the festival. It's just my humble take on some of the FPHSF bands that make me proud to call Houston home!

Visit www.ikeepminehidden.com for more info.

Brigitte B. Zabak

7 Inches of Buxton

Saturday night at Mangos Buxton will deliver a 7" slice of prime USDA Grade HPOP - on Vinyl no less. If you haven't already heard Feathers or Flint yet, you're in for a treat. Feathers alone is my call for song of the year. The intro is better than any cup of coffee with Justin Terrel's drums pounding your skull as guitarist Jason Willis does more with one note on the guitar than most guitarists do with a whole fretboard before leading into a lovely guitar line that ebbs into Sergio Trevino's soft spoken and emotive voice as bassist Chris Wise rolls softly in back. The song continues through soft quiet breezes and hurricane like furies. It's a shining example of HPOP at it's best. Great dynamics, smart instrumentation, addictive hooks, and the bright upbeat shit we love here in Houston. It's the stuff that will get you dancing and will take your darkest days and make them bright and joyous. I cann't speak any higher of a band who can do that. So pick up your dancing shoes as tomorrow night they play with the Wild Moccasins (triumphantly returning from tour) and Ghost Mountain. Because we're so excited, we asked the guys a few questions this week and here's what they had to say...

FPH: Why is vinyl relevant?

Justin: Vinyl is relevant because it's stylish and sounds the best. If your band doesn't have at least one vinyl then you're not a real band. We're almost a real band.

Jason: Putting out an actual vinyl record was something we had always wanted to do. We were excited about these two songs in particular, and wanted to get them out in a tangible form one way or another. We could have just put them in the internet and that be the end of it, but we were excited about the songs and wanted other people to get excited about them as well. That, and the idea that a CD with 2 songs on it is just ridiculous.

Sergio: In my opinion, it kinda it's just kind of a milestone. Like 4 years ago we were happy to have written an album. 2 years ago we were happy to get on a label. 1 year ago we were happy to get a nod with the Houston press. This year ...vinyl.

FPH: Why were these songs not held back for a full album and how did you come to select these two as 7" worthy?

Sergio: These are meant to be fun songs, Sometimes we write something with the intention of sticking it within a "bigger picture" not so much the case with these songs.

Jason: These songs didn't exactly fit in with a lot of our newer material we had been working on. There was a lot of debating about what to do with all of these different songs and in the end we decided to put out a series of EPs. The first is the 7" Feathers / Flint. After the 7" we're going to focus more on a very stripped down acoustic gospel / folk EP com

prised of songs written by Sergio and his wife, Amanda, that will be called Morning Saints. Then we plan to put out another EP of the songs by Bjork that we covered at the Twotenany. As for why we decided to put Feathers and Flint on a 7", .... why not?

Justin: We wrote both of these songs after I joined the band and they were a result of Buxton getting a full time drummer, I suppose... rather than just adding drums after the song was written. These songs are very energetic and fit really well together because they were written at the same time but it wasn't necessarily the direction we were going in for a full length, i think. It just makes sense on a 7".

FPH: Feathers brings in a lot of HPOP to your sound. How much have bands like Young Mammals and Wild Moccasins bored their way into your skulls and affected your songwriting or general approach to music?

Jason: They've bored the hell out of us. Those two bands have to be the most boring bands in Houston, if not Texas. Actually it was our drummer, Justin, who has made the biggest impact on our songwriting. Before he joined, we always wrote songs acoustically, then added drums later, if any. So we never really had the option of dynamics while writing. Now that he has joined, we can experiment with those dynamics and apply them to the writing process. It's been fun. But just for the hell of it, I'll go ahead and say that Cody from Wild Moccasins' mustache, and the curly hair of all of the Young Mammals, have been the ultimate influence on us when it comes to songwriting, playing tennis, and overall being a good human being.

Justin: Musically, i haven't let either of those silly bands affect my writing style. I'm just kidding about the silly part, I love both of those bands and every member in them.

Sergio: HPOP!!! Yeah, you know that song does feel communal with the likes of the Mam's and the Moc's. Nice to be a part of that.

FPH: How did the songs progress from raw idea to final arrangement? Where was the 7" recorded? Who engineered it? How much did the studio environment come to play in the arrangement and writing of the song?

Jason: Both songs started off with us goofing around and jamming. Usually Sergio will write the basic structure of the song and the rest of us will add to it but we wrote these two together from the ground up. We also had a set practice space with a nice setup, so that helps as well.

Sergio: They were really the 1st songs we wrote with a drummer, and actually allowing the drums to shape the songs. The songs before that we would write, and then add drums to it.

Justin: The songs were pretty much written [before the studio] but we had a few ideas for an intro to feathers that Jason pretty much made up on the spot. We also had some basic horn ideas that we sort of let our two friends, Aaron and Nicholas, sort of build on.

Jason: We were lucky enough to record the 7" at Sugar Hill Studios with John Griffin. Recording in that studio was a dream come true. We have never recorded anything that went so smooth. A lot of that has to be credited to John who was very professional and a great guy. We were usually on the same page when it came to what we each wanted so it was easy and quick to get things set up and over with. Not only that, but they had some great studio equipment that we had no hesitation to take advantage of. Hammond B3, a Fender P-Bass from the 60's, a grand piano, things like that which we all used on Feathers.

Justin: It was really chill working with John and the whole experience was super relaxed. We all loved it.

FPH: Y'all have had these tracks completed for quite some time. Was there any strategic reason for waiting until July to release it?

Sergio: Yeah Chris!?

Justin: We recorded the two songs much later than we wrote them and after we recorded them it took time for Chris to figure out exactly who we were going to use to press and all of that. And of course, it took a while for everything to actually be pressed. I think that's all true.

OH, we were shooting for a March release but it took a while to get everything figured out and then we wanted to find a good weekend where nothing else was going on. And THEN, of course, our dear friends The Young Mammals decided to have their tour kickoff at the same place two days before so we hate them now.

Jason: We really just wanted to give ourselves plenty of time and not rush a release. We've learned the hard way that if you set a date for a release show too early, it can be lame. With our last full length, 'A Family Light', we had received the CDs a week before the release show and the artwork and text was blurry and pixilated. There was nothing we could do. So this time around, we tried to give ourselves plenty of time in case something like that were to happen again. The weird thing is, we still got the final copies of the 7" in about a week ago as well, so it's a good thing we did set the release for a later date. Getting vinyls pressed is a lengthy process. We're also just really lazy.

FPH: Why do those publicity shots of you guys dressed like orderlies freak me out so much? Also, is it true that those same shots are stills for a remake of the Fat Boys' 1987 classic film Disorderlies?

Justin: I don't know; I love them. Don't you, too? And yes.

Sergio: I saw that movie at my cousin’s house when I was 7...Going on the queue.

Jason: Ramon, they freak you out because they turn you on and you're just not used to it yet. As for a remake of Disorderlies, I herein am not able, with legal representation or authorized liberty, through a clause of exclusivity, to disclose of any such information of any progression or contractual obligation of said production, herein known as "Disorderlies". Sorry :(.

Buxton on Myspace ( Link )
Buxton Orderlies photo by James Dillon

Interview: Geoffrey Mueller

By Omar Afra
Photo by Cecilia Johnson

Geoffrey Mueller is a musical chameleon having mastered several instruments such as banjo, guitar, bass, saw, voice, and whatever else you stick in his hands. Playing in such notable bands as Sideshow Tramps, I am Mesmer, Grandfather Child, Chase Hamblin’s band, Perfect Penis, and more, Mueller manages to be everywhere yet not spread himself thin. Frankly, if you spend any night of the week watching live music in this town then you are surely to run into this local musical treasure. In the 90’s as an adolescent he was well known as an amazing pop-and-lock break-dancer and as the front man for local metal band Lower ( I shared a studio with him more than a decade ago when I played in a similarly mook-ish band) . The SceneWiki says “He's embarrassed about this so be sure to ask him about it.” But Geoffrey is one of those rare hyper-talented performers that are just straight up nice guys. He brings smiles wherever he goes and we here at FPH are just smitten with him. He was also gracious enough to answer a few probing questions.

What motivated you to pick up the saw as an instrument?

Like most things in my life it was pure impulse. I never heard a saw in person, but I knew they could be played, so I made a bow out of fishing line and a ruler, bought a saw from Southland and got to work. It took me a month of experimenting before I could get a good sound (this was pre youtube DIY days). Now it seems to be the instrument I'm most closely associated with. I love the saw. I still give free lessons to anyone interested in learning. Contact me here - cajunbanjo@gmail.com My goal is to create a full saw orchestra.

I am Mesmer is such a 'supergroup'. Tell us how that came to fruition.

Ha ha ha, that's funny, yeah, I've heard that term thrown around a few times. It's like the "We are the World" USA for Africa group of Montrose with Kelly Doyle and Whitebread as Hall and Oates, Robert Ellis as Lionel Richie, and Jo Bird as Cindy Lauper. I'll let you fill in the rest, Omar, well, except for Lukas Aberer, he's obviously Dan Akroyd.
I don't know how we formed really, It's not like I woke up one day and said "I think I want to put together a 9 piece string band to play insanely fast apocalyptic gypsy music right here in Houston, Texas," but it happened and I'm glad it did. We just all found our way to that first rehearsal, and now everyone is a vital member. The line up is Kirk Suddreath, Hilary Sloan, Young Will, Mike Whitebread, Lukas Aberer, Jo Bird, Robert Ellis, Kelly Doyle, and myself. These are some deeply original and talented musicians, I'm happy to be the weakest link in the group.

Is there anything you can't do?

Tell Karen Carpenter how much I love her music. Besides that, the list is far too long to mention.
When you are alone at home in front of the mirror, do you ever catch yourself practicing your old break-dance moves or zipping through some rhymes?

My moves are too powerful; I won't even let the mirror watch. As for rhymes, I composed a new routine for I am Mesmer. It's really just an excuse to get Jo Bird and Hilary Sloan to rip on the mic.
What local musicians 'flabbergast' you?

My biggest influences have all been from Houston. I love Little Joe Washington. He absolutely rips on the guitar, charms any crowd in the first ten seconds, passes the hat, and takes off on a little girl’s bicycle. When I see him at gigs he's always encouraging and usually drops some Yoda like wisdom on me about playing music. I like Greg Harbor and the Gypsies. Kelly Lancaster, Ferrence, Richard, Vladymir, Julia, and all the rest. A while ago, Greg had triple bypass surgery or something of that caliber. I saw him the next week throwing back cocktails at a tango event. There's also Kelly Doyle - Everything I know about guitar I stole from him. Doug Kosmo, Rodney Elliot, and all of J.W. Americana - The most entertaining band in recent Houston history. Two Star Symphony, Sabra Laval, Clouseaux, Space City Gamelan, Hilary Sloan, Bill Miller, Nick Gaitan, Robert Rodriguez and that whole crew, Wayne "The Animal" Turner, Blarin' Aaron. Pretty much anyone I'm playing with or have played with over the years. This list could get very long very fast, so I'll just say I love the musicians in this town. I'm also very impressed with the new bands of late: The Ton Tons, Buxton, Wild Moccasins, NOTM, etc. Looking forward to what they'll all do.
What instrument is next?

The Cajun Accordion. I've always wanted to play one with the Sideshow Tramps. I bought one in Dallas a few months ago, named it Yves Dupree after my Mom's Dad.

Are there any festivals on August 8th and 9th at Eleanor Tinsley Park that you are looking forward to?

Funny you should ask that. I was just sitting in my favorite vegetarian restaurant Mango’s, drinking a Robert Ellis, when I saw an ad in my favorite monthly publication the Free Press for that very festival and all my favorite bands are playing you shameless self-promoting bastard. Too bad I have to work those days.

I love you Geoff, Do you love me?

Yes. Sorry if I don't always show it, I'm just slightly autistic.

Anderson interviews Herndon

Tortoise has an album called “Beacons Of Ancerstorship” on Thrill Jockey Records. In celebration of this event , I called a member of the band, John Herndon, who, apparently pumps gas during a hail storm, to discuss the latest Tortoise album, the current state of the music industry. However, since I did not have questions, per se (it was more of a casual conversation), I thought I’d just make up questions that may or may not relate to the answers and present it as the intentional piece. See Omar, I make you wait a day for this. (Writer’s note: This isn’t our actual conversation verbatim, the quotes are real, but I know John, so this is sort of culled from our conversation, which pertained to the album).
FP: How’s the weather in Chicago, enjoying the pre summer days?
JOHN H.: Watching this storm fromm underneath this over pass, and it’s got some hail, that’s the size of golf balls.
FP: Your album is fabulous.
JH: Thanks a lot. Are you calling to interview me?
FP: I think it’s cool how the album is available in multiple formats, other than, illegally downlaoded. I noticed that this record is like Tortoise’s return to beats…
JH: It wasn’t premeditated, we didn’t really talk about, like “Let’s get back to beats.” It just seemed like it was where a lot of people’s heads were at. A lot of it, for me, was like trying to discover where people like(hip hop producer, genius) Jay Dee were at, and Mad Lib, and I think Jeff and I have been listening to Jay Dee stuff a lot but I think everybody wanted to make something that was reflective, or what was happening in our own spaces…
FP: When you bring a song to the band, before it is completed to be illegally downloaded, how does that work in terms of the democracy of the band, how each member’s song ideas get incorporated into the boullibaise that is a Tortoise album?
JH: You’re asking like how you present a song to Tortoise, and have a everybody agree to work on it? Well I just kind of collect stuff, I’m really good at starting shit, but I aint great at finishing it, so I have like a bazillion little scraps of ideas on my computer, or on the MP (360, a sampler beat machine thingy), and I’ll just bring in everything, I’ll play 27 beats that I have, and just sort of wait until something catches people’s ear, and then it’s obvious and we’ll work on that (on the other hand) you play something and you see glassy eyed stares, people starting to look away, and awkward silence, and you’ll be “Oh well let’s play the next one…”
FP: I like the length between the records, it gives you a long time, to make sure it’s sank in, like your last album (It’s All Around You) took five years to sink in…
JH: I don’t know why it takes us so long, we never have the intention of waiting so long between records, if someone had told me it was gonna be five years between when this record came out after the last one, I would have said you’re shitting me. I would like to start working on a new record now, and have it come out next year, but I don’t think that that’s gonna happen. I don’t know why it is, but we work really slowly. We all havde things we like to do, as much as Tortoise, we put a lot of energy into other projects. With this record, I could say that my oldest son just turned five, so that might have something to do with it.
FP:The other day I downloaded the new Liberace album, it was OK, Lil’ Wayne has a verse on it.
JH: That’s where things are at, people are not buying records. I’m curious to see…I downloaded Beacons Of Ancestorship a month ago, I was looking around to see if it was anywhere, and I found this blog sight, and they had a Rapidshare address, I went there, click, download, and I download the whole thing.
FP:Mos Def’s new album it’s being sold on a T Shirt with a downoad code on the tag and the songs on the back of the shirt, I’m thinking of doing the same thing with a toilet paper, but putting the download code on the cardboard roll, wipe your ass, while you jam my shit.
JH: It’s almost like people don’t even have a CD player anymore, if you’re a nerd or something you have a record player, downloads and vinyl are where things are going now, and most people don’t even have a record player, so there’s a few people that would buy a CD, a few people will buy the vinyl, but most people are downloading it.
FP: But look on the bright side, people rob other people during a recession, they don’t pay so you can’t get paid, but they think you’re awesome.
JH: Yeah, it’s interesting, I don’t expect anybody to buy a record really, but hopefully we’ll play some shows, we’re gonna be busy through the summer and hopefully that’s gonna be able to help me with making a living.
FP: Making a living…
JH:But whatever, I don’t wanna poo poo this shit, and beat beat (into the ground) this “making a livng” shit, because the bottom line is that regardless if I’m making a living or not music is going to be my prority, and if that I have supplement my income doing something else, then I’ll just do that.
TORTOISE’S NEW ALBUM BEACONS OF ANCESTORHIP IS IMPECABLY INCREDIBLE. IT’S OUT RIGHT NOW! “IT’S LIKE MAX ROACH DOING LOW END THEORY”- John Herndon

Punk This: Double Dagger at SHFL 6/23

Brigitte B. Zabak

I know what all you folks out there in the Houston music scene must be thinking right about now. It probably involves something along the lines of – “What the hell does she know about punk music when all she writes about is indie this and indie that?” Well, while my knowledge of punk, post-punk, and pseudo punk is limited in scope, I am still fairly confident in my ability to know when music is good and when it ranks up there with American Idol rejects.

In recent weeks, I have had the good fortune of discovering the existence of a trio from Baltimore that makes lots and lots of noise without all the bullshit. Double Dagger is a three piece ensemble that utilizes drums, bass and vocals to create more volume than should be possible when using so little instrumentation. The nerd-centric crew has an impressive background in graphic design and has channeled their inherent visual creativity into its very geeky and loud auditory counterpart.

What is even more appealing about Double Dagger is the high praise they have been receiving for their live performances. They are a band who has mastered the ability to translate their erratic, improvised live goodness into the more structured medium of recording and still manage to maintain a high level of quality on both fronts. And while it’s awesome to be able to have the Double D with you wherever you go – it is really in their live performance that you get to experience the layered texture and sheer volume of their music.

Double Dagger has embarked on a pretty extensive summer tour and will be stopping by ye old Houston to share the stage with two of the city’s loudest and rowdiest bands. Muhammid Ali is quickly becoming one of Houston’s favorite new acts. Their live shows are energetic and fun and their music is a sort of power punk/pop hybrid that is hard to stop listening to once you’ve started. Black Congress is comprised of some of Houston’s most influential veteran musicians and rounds out this trifecta of sound with their cacophonous clusterfuck of infinite proportions.

Combining Double Dagger’s stinging punch with the riotous roar of Black Congress and Muhammid Ali will probably result in night filled with drunken, garbled mayhem – most likely perpetrated by the bands themselves. It should be a night to remember, assuming you don’t drink yourself into an alcoholic stupor at some point during the event.

Double Dagger and company will be performing on Tuesday, June 23rd at the new and improved Super Happy Fun Land now located at 3801 Polk. In addition to the already awesome lineup, the show will be the official kick-off for Muhammid Ali’s summer tour. The show will start promptly at 9 p.m. and should end close to midnight. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $7.