 Hey; welcome to the newly-revamped "Local Music News" section of this mess. We're experimenting with Blogger, as you can tell from the logo down at the bottom, and while we're not sure how well it'll work, the hope is that it'll be easier to keep this updated. At any rate, this area is for news & notes on the Houston music scene, stuff that really doesn't fit anywhere else. This's where we list stuff that isn't shows, random gossip-y tidbits (sometimes), and just general stuff to update folks who don't go through the sub-pages of this site every 2 weeks. One thing, though: shows don't go here -- e-mail about shows to shows@spacecityrock.com, and we'll try to list 'em here.
And, for the usual disclaimer -- we here at SCR do not pretend to be authority on what all goes on in Houston's music scene. We try our best to keep an ear out and put what we here in this section, but we do miss things, and the only way around that, really, is to get info straight from the source. So, if you're in a band, own a record label or club, run a radio station, whatever, we want to hear about it -- we can't promise to use all of it, and it may not be the most timely of news, but we'll use what we can (both here and in print). Send any and all news-type crap to gaijin@spacecityrock.com with the subject line "SCR News," or snail-mail it to us at P.O. Box 541010, Houston, TX. 77254, and we'll try to keep folks at least sorta informed. News will stay up here for a month or so (maybe more; that's still up in the air), and will then be shuffled off to our "Houston Music News Archive" page, so go there if you wanna see the old stuff. (JH)
READABLE, AT LONG LAST?: Yes, I finally, finally, finally did it, after several years of complaints and procrastination on my part (thank my wife for getting me off my ass) -- the "link" font colors for SCR have been changed to something that's hopefully more easily read. Sorry it took so damn long... [11/28/2004]
NEW A SECOND TIME...: Well, by now I'm sure everybody knows who the Hands Up folks are, but I've been told that a couple of the Hands Up guys, Andrew and Ryan, have formed a new booking/show-organizing crew called Super Unison. Obviously, these guys have a ton of experience with this sort of thing by now, but even still, their list of upcoming shows is already pretty damn incredible -- Isis, The Unicorns, CEX, and Jimmy Eat World, all between now and January. Don't get me wrong, mind you; I still love Hands Up dearly. It's just nice to see some friendly (hopefully, anyway) competition in the indie-rock-and-other-stuff arena. The more, the merrier... [11/28/2004]
CONGRATS!: Congratulations are in order for two local Houston bands, Lonestar Pornstar and The Unknown Locals. The Unknown Locals won the Northside Battle of the Bands, which occurred at 1960 club Rowdy's, where representatives from 94.5 The Buzz were present to judge (along with several other judges in the industry). There was a monetary prize, along with 10 hours of studio time at SkullSessions Studio. Lonestar Pornstar was in this battle, as well, and as a result, their songs "Behavior" and "Failure is not an Option" recently debuted for thousands of Houstonians to hear on 94.5 The Buzz. Good going, folks... [10/20/2004]
EMERGENCY TIME!: Okay, so I haven't really posted anything here in more than a year now, but there's a very bad situation that I wanted to mention and, well, this is pretty much the place to do it. Hardworking emo/indie band Engine Down played here in H-town last night, to the delight of one and all, then headed off to their hotel room to rest up for the rest of their tour.
Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle of the night/early AM, some sleazebag asshole stole their van and trailer, along with all of their instruments, amps, and assorted gear. Fuck. This sort of thing really pisses me off, and even moreso when it happens to unsuspecting out-of-towners.
So, in a stab at civic responsibility, I'd like to ask anybody in the Houston area who reads this to keep an eye out for a 1998 Navy Blue Ford E350 V10 with Virginia plates (lic. # ends in 7278), either with or without the 5x8 Haulmark trailer. If you see a van matching this description, call HPD and tell them where you are and where the van is (Case #132442904T). Cellphones can be a car thief's worst enemy. Also please be on the lookout for the band's gear and personal items at any of our local pawnshops, including the following:
Ampeg 8x10 bass cab
GK 800 RB bass amp
Fender PBass Elite black w/ white pick guard
Fender Pbass Black w black pick guard
Sans amp bass driver direct box
Line 6 distortion pedal
Boss tu-2 chromatic tuner
Marshall jcm800 dual reverb amp and anvil case
Marshall 1960 lead series 4x12 cabinet
Gibson Firebird V(1990) sunburst
Gibson 'The Paul' (1979)
Boss tu-2 chromatic tuner
Big Muff pedal
Custom Blue Beard distortion pedal
Korg es-1 sampler with road case
Behringer Headphone amp
Sony headphone
macintosh ibook G3 and charger
macintosh G3 powerbook and charger
160 GB external hardrive
canon digital camera
2 Rickenbacker 330 guitars
1970's Marshall JMP 50watt amplifier
1960 Marshall lead series 4x12 cabinet
Shure Psm 2000 in-ear monitors
Line 6 delay modelar pedal
custom blue beard distortion pedal
boss tu-chromatic tuner
Marshall PowerBrake
macintosh G4 ibook
Ayotte 22 inch bass drum, 12 inch rack tom, 16 inch floor tom (all red maple color), Ludwig Metal/Aluminum 14 inch snare drum
22 inch Zildjian K Custom Medium Ride
18 inch Sabian HH Crash
18 inch Zildjian K Dark Crash
14 inch Sabian AA Hi Hats
Hardware (2 snare stands, hi hat stand, seat, ride stand, 2 crash stands)
Oxygen 8 Mini MIDI Keyboard
Medium Size Industrial Fan
Book of 30 DVDs and 4 Dreamcast games
Toshiba Phone Charger
400 Lookout! cds
250 Lovitt CDs
50 lps Lookout!
1100 shirts
70 track jackets
35 hats
Thanks for any and all help. Again, this really sucks, and if anybody knows anything, please contact the police. Engine Down are an indie band, not some rich bunch of rock guys, and they can't afford to shell out for a new van, much less all new guitars, drums, and PA. Let's help 'em out if we can, eh? [8/29/2004]
SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'VE GOT: Well, it may be a little hard to believe, but ultra-trendy Houston soundalike radio station 94.5FM, The Buzz, is apparently launching a new radio program called "The Texas Buzz," to be aired on Sundays at 11PM and hosted by Pam Kelly. The show will supposedly feature interviews and performances strictly by "Texas artists," and will focus on Houston bands/musicians (oh yeah, and the Buzz's website will start listing "local" shows, too), so the station's made a public call for submissions. Here's the official deal:
All Texas musicians are invited to send their materials to The Buzz for consideration for airplay. Only professionally recorded and mastered cds or mp3s will be considered. Packages may be sent to: KTBZ/The Texas Buzz, Attn: Pam Kelly, 3050 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 1200, Houston, TX, 77056. More detailed information on submissions for airplay is available at www.thebuzz.com.
Now, to all those of you out there who happen to be in bands, I say this: give 'em what they want. Flood the Buzz with CDs, people, and show them just how much incredible music there is right under their noses. This thing's apparently already started (the first air date is January 5th, according to the press release they sent out on January 6th -- how's that for smart?), so us Houstonians are already a little bit under the gun, but given the fact that everybody and their brother has a decently-recorded CD out these days, I don't think it'll be hard to get one out to 'em. Be polite, be professional, and be persistent -- the single biggest media outlet in town just gave every musician in Houston an opening, and I say go for it. [1/7/2003]
CALL US CONFUSED: Okay, so we here at SCR were apparently misinformed -- The Axiom is not cancelling all its music-type shows, and are in fact working to widen the variety of shows going on there. The place is still running, still serving beer (courtesy of Rudz, apparently), and the new booking guy, Anthony (e-mail him at ambarilla@infernalbridegroom.com if you want to get something set up), says they want to "expand the availability of The Axiom as a music venue to any interested promoter." He also says they've now gone 18+, which is good news for all those crazy music-loving kids out there. At any rate, forget what you heard (or, um, what we told you) about The Axiom being toast, 'cause it's definitely alive and well. [8/1/2002]
FIGHT RACISM: We here at SCR recently got a plea for help from a guy named Sean Taylor, so we figured we'd post it here for all to see:
The civil rights club at my school, cy-fair high, is trying to organize a rock-against-rascism benefit concert and we need bands to fill the card, we would like this to be a big show, so the more the better. We already have 3 bands for the card and we would like as many as we can get. Also, there will not be guaranteed pay, or anything involving getting paid. The bands will however get the message out of their own band, as well as an anti-bias message to all who come. This will mainly be focused on kids who are not involved in any anti-bias action as well as ones who want to know more about the cause. The date for this has not yet been set as we do not have a full card, when we do it will be set and bands given word of this. Thank you for your time and thank you for doing your part against bias.
If you're interested, you can e-mail Sean at punkrock1369@hotmail.com, AIM him at "punkrockersean", or call him at 281-894-0209. Cool? Hey, it's for a good cause... [6/24/2002]
BAD TIMES, BAD TIMES...: Well, we've never yet been up to the Creative Autonomy Collective, located at 2014 Washington, but in the relatively short amount of time they've been in existence, they've already run hard up against the bastards who run this city. They're holding an emergency benefit show this coming Saturday, June 14th (i.e., tomorrow), to raise money to cover the cost of getting up to code -- in the last few days the CAC folks, much like the notsuoH folks, have been hit up by the city and the fire marshall for everything from the graffiti on the front of the building to industrial fire extinguishers (and yet, the school where our happy editor's wife teaches is an extinguisher-/exit-sign-less firetrap...don't these guys have anything better to do?) We don't know the full bill yet, but the show will feature Bread and Water and One Last Chance, and hopefully a bunch of others. So, seriously, if any place in town is worth saving (besides notsuoH; see below), it's the Creative Autonomy Collective -- they hold teach-ins on such truly evil things as the School of the Americas, they've started what sounds like a really neato community garden, and they've hosted a ton of cool shows in the last couple of months...let's not let them fall prey to that insidious Houston apathy and fade away. Please? [6/14/2002]
HOUSTON'S BURNING?: Damn. We here at SCR are very unhappy to report that the venerable coffeehouse/bar/chess symposium/homeless hangout/venue that is (er, was?) notsuoH has closed its doors, and it's looking like it's permanent. From what news we've gotten (some or all of which may be inaccurate, mind you), a minor fire broke out in the upper floors of the building this past Wednesday night. No one was injured, and the damage is reportedly relatively minor, thankfully, but apparently when the firemen who responded to the call arrived, they slapped owner Jim with fire code violations with regards to the upstairs part of the building, violations that the notsuoH folks can't afford to bring things up to code. We'd like to express our deepest sympathies with Jim and the other kind people at notsuoH, as well as a heartfelt "thank-you" for providing what's been probably the most unique hangout in Houston; we're going to miss the place, that's for sure. Now, with that said, is there anything that can be done about this? We're not very good organizers, per se, but at least some of us would be willing to help set up a benefit show or something to help the notsuoH staff & owner out... If anything like that's in the works/possible, please e-mail us here at SCR, eh? [6/13/2002]
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...: Um. So...been a while, huh? Believe it or not, we're not dead and buried (although the long list of defunct bands on our "Bands Worth Seeing" list sure makes it seem that way, we know), just reorganizing. The sad news -- made comically ironic by the zine award mentioned below -- is that the Triumvirate of Power (as we co-publishers like to be known) have decided that Space City Rock the magazine is being put on hold indefinitely, for a number of reasons (no money, not enough time -- you know the deal). Much as we ourselves like to be able to hold a copy of SCR in our hands, getting ink all over our nice clean white shirts, smelling the fresh newsprint, that's the verdict. This isn't to say that SCR as a print mag is gone forever, mind you, but it is for the moment.
The good news is that SCR the e-zine is still alive, and will once more become the focus of our energies. Kickin' it old-school, or something. At any rate, we're in the process of redesigning the site so it A) looks better and B) fits more of the magazine content, without pushing aside the Houston stuff, the links, and all the rest. When it's done, we think it'll beat the crap out of the current version 2.blah-blah, so keep an eye out for it. On we go... [5/14/2002]
WE ROCK!: Okay, so we've posted about this before, but now it's really, truly official -- our very own little magazine/e-zine, Space City Rock, somehow won the Writer's Digest 2001 Zine Contest, in the "Informational" category (I think that's right...) We got the word back in February, but were told to keep our mouths shut 'til just a few weeks ago, when they officially announced the results. We're told the winners will be announced in an upcoming issue of Writer's Digest, but we haven't seen that yet... Anyway, kudos to us, and thanks to everybody out there who's supported SCR over the years. [5/14/2002]
WANNA PLAY ON TV?: Got an e-mail a while back from Eric Dick (of Inred Whiteboy/Good Guy Records/his eponymous Westfest stage fame, among other things), saying that he's looking for bands for a big show he's putting together in late May/early June. I don't know all the details, but he says it'll be a big event, with coverage on KPFT, KTRU and even Channel 17, and commercials on VH-1 and MTV (gah!). If you're interested in giving it a shot, send him an e-mail, eh? [2/17/2002]
FORCED OUT: Yes, there's been another casualty in the ongoing gentrification war here in H-town -- venerable bar The Ale House is closing down, as of this coming Friday. Argh. Of all the recent club closings, this one's particularly painful because of the sheer age of the place; it's been around longer than the majority of the buildings in Houston, much less other clubs (hell, it's even got its own patron ghosts, for crying out loud). And best of all, what's the reason for the shutdown? Well, a little bird told us that the brand-spankin' new Borders bookstore put some serious pressure on the bar's owners to vacate their lot...so they could put in a new parking garage. Jesus Christ... On the good side, rumor has it that the Ale House crew will soon be opening up a new place, so keep an eye out for that.
Sadly similar is the recent shutdown/transfer of downtown-area hip-hop venue Club Waxx, now somewhat assimilated into dance joint Hyperia. The reason for their move, as reported by the Houston Press? They were pushed out by local sports promoters to make room for a parking garage for the as-yet-to-be-built new basketball arena. When will this stupidity end, people? [5/30/2001]
WAVE GOODBYE...: Damn. It seems like the stalwarts of the Houston music scene, both bands and otherwise, are folding left and right. The latest casualty, unfortunately, is the one and only truly indie weekly Houston paper, the Houston's Other, whose last issue was this past Wednesday, June 16th. Over the last three years, I myself had grown to be a big fan of the Other, and I think it's a damn shame that they're calling it a day, but I can't fault them for their decision; covering the music scene in this town can be a truly thankless business (not to mention a drain on the pocketbook), as we here at SCR well know. So, I'd like to say a big "thank you" to all those who worked their asses off over at the Other, and let them know that us out here in the wide world of Houston do appreciate the work they've done. Best of luck, folks... [5/17/2001]
WANNA BE ON THE RADIO?: Got an e-mail recently from a KTRU 91.7FM staffer, asking that we please mention a brand-spankin'-new radio show those crazy Rice kids are starting up. It's going to run on Thursday evenings, from 5:30-6PM, and it'll feature live performances (in KTRU's very cramped little studio; watch out for falling computers!) by all kinds of local Houston bands. Interested? If you feel like grabbing for that on-air microphone (or if you know somebody who's in a band who does), e-mail Colin at cso@rice.edu. [3/27/2001]
KTRU RETURNS!: Well, thanks to all the folks that helped, whether at Rice, in the Houston community, or nationwide, the battle's won, at least for the time being. It ain't a perfect agreement, but it's pretty good, I think, and KTRU 91.7FM will be back on the air very soon. Here's the official statement from the KTRU staff:
"At 4:05pm today, Friday, December 8, KTRU 91.7fm returns to the airwaves and internet.
"KTRU, a student run, student funded radio station for 30 years was shut down without warning by the administration of Rice University last Thursday over issues of programming control. At the time of the shut down it seemed doubtful that KTRU would return to the air before Spring semester, and certain that it had lost its operational independence. But thanks to the overwhelming support of people on and off campus it has been possible to negotiate with the university allowing KTRU back on the air today under an operational agreement students accept.
"For more information, including a copy of the operational agreement visit: http://www.savektru.org/
"KTRU will mark its return by throwing a party for its supporters in the Grand Hall of the RMC/Ley Student Center. This event will begin sharply at 4pm. Students wearing KTRU bumper stickers over their mouths will gather in the Hall to await the voice of Kristen Stecher, the dj who was on the air at the time of the shutdown. Afterwards there will be music, food, performances by student groups and an address from Johnny So, the station manager. All KTRU supporters and media are welcome.
"KTRU would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made this possible. We are deeply indebted to the students and student groups of Rice University as well as the faculty and staff. We are as well enormously grateful to the alumni of Rice University. And to KTRU's listeners we feel a special bond. You have called and written the administration and made it clear that KTRU has an important role in the community. Thank you." [12/8/2000]
ERRATA: Yup, I'll admit it, because I like think I'm at least relatively humble: I fucked up. Last issue (SCR #2, Spring 2000, for those watching at home) I stupidly neglected to put credits with all the photos we used (although, in my defense, I honestly didn't know who took 'em; sometimes people don't tell us these things...), I got called on it, and I'm very sorry. So, to clarify, the big-ass picture of Hayflick Limit leading off the interview entitled "The one true meaning of...Hayflick Limit?" was actually taken by Houston photographer guy Matt Skipski, and I'd like to apologize profusely for not crediting him (I'm trying to make sure we credit all photos from now on, I promise). Anyway, Matt's an all-round cool guy and good photographer, so drop him an e-mail at velvetelvis@pdq.net if you want him to take some pitchers of your band, eh? [10/19/2000]
GET YOURSELF ORGANIZED: Over the past year or so, a couple different groups have sprouted in the Houston area for the purpose of putting on shows around town, and one of 'em, Hands Up! Houston Show Collective, has been busy as a mofo. These kids' mission, from what I've been told, is to bring cool indie bands from elsewhere to our fair city of Houston -- a fair trick, considering how far off the usual touring track we are. Since, they've put on some damn fine shows, bringing in everybody from the Alkaline Trio to Sean Na Na to Vue, and they've got good stuff on the way, as well, like shows with Elliott, The Anniversary, Ultimate Fakebook, 90 Day Men, and more. See http://www.handsuphouston.com/ for more info, and you can also join their mailing list at ListBot -- look for "handsup@listbot." Hope they keep it going... One of the other groups, by the way, H.U.S.H. (short for "Houston Underground Social Hour") seems to've fallen by the wayside, at least for the time being -- after the inaugural two shows, the deal kinda fell apart as conspirators (including yours truly) needed to focus on their own respective things (which is understandable). Is it dead? Only time for tell for sure... [10/19/2000]
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