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In November 2003, shortly after Sarah Hepola was named music editor at the Dallas Observer, Robert Jenkins cornered her during a Sorta and Sparrows concert at Deep Ellum's Sons of Hermann Hall.
"You're not going to change anything in this town," Jenkins said.
His wisdom and warning came from years of going to local shows and watching good bands struggle to find an audience. Hepola took it as a challenge, as did Lindsay Graham, who was within earshot. Together, Jenkins and Graham have stopped complaining about the lack of recognition for local musicians and decided to do something about it.
In a band? Know a band you'd like to recommend? Use the below link to submit a band you'd like us to know about.
Of course, we probably do already know about them. I mean, come on.
So, yeah, I know: checking this website for updates every day kinda sucks. I mean, I know you love the redesign, these cool designer colors (Martha Stewart's "Zest" and "Chesapeake Fog"), but what you'd really like is to be notified by email of a new show, posting or recommended event. Easy. Click the link below to be taken to a form to sign up for update notifications. So, sign up:
I can’t say much about Carter that wouldn’t be said better by others.
For us to remember you by:
In the MP3, at the end of the song, the crowd screams, “One more! One more!” Jesus, if that were possible.
Torn down,
dconstruction
So, before you get all excited: this is not a new dconstruction.org posting. This is a favor.
About sixty thousand years ago, the anonymous wondermen behind We Shot JR approached us to discuss putting together a podcast/mixtape. Originally, there was going to be commentary from a local radio luminary, but apparently luminaries have very busy schedules, or else need to put down the bongs. Still, through all the delays and missed appointments, I was excited to help get this thing going.
Why?
Like it or not (and I often don’t), We Shot JR is the vibrant, throbbing, irreverent-yet-relevant source for discussion of local music. The tastes run, uh, eclectic and the discourse is often rancid, foul-mouthed, ego-fueled puffery. Reading the strings of comments is commonly painful, and I’ve more than once shut down my browser, mid-comment, in disgust. Despite the caustic tone, misguided derision and in general poor behavior of the commenters (or perhaps goaded on by them), the site itself - the authors of the posts - keeps up daily with a scene that is underrepresented, underappreciated and so fickle and mercurial that we lost pace back in February.
To be a fan of local music requires work. The bands are unknown, no songs on the radio, no videos on TV. The venues are cramped, loud, uncomfortable places, often in areas too far flung or too far gone to be appealing. The songs are rough-hewn, the production and presentation leaning towards amateur. You will not be dressed properly; you will wonder if you fit in. You don’t. Neither does anyone. You’ll be bored. Your conversations will be robbed from you by a blaring PA and the roar of alcohol on tongues. Or else, your conversation will be all that the twelve people in the room can hear, even the crickets silent in reverence for the doomed, lonely set about to be played to parents and friends. You have to want this. It’s difficult. “Rock music is mostly about moving big black boxes from one side of town to the other in the back of your car.” [reference] I’ll submit that being a fan of rock music - the real, local, dirty-faces-and-bloody-knuckles type - is watching big black boxes being moved, with a rare intermission of entertainment.
This collection that We Shot JR put together is entertaining. I have some serious issues with it. There are songs I hate, there are bands that puzzle me; much of it sounds bad. The Night Game Cult needs to change the controls on their time machine to something other than “1986,” “Top Gun,” and “Suck.” But as a collection, in its entirety, it’s entertaining. Enjoyable, even. And as a service to the scene, it’s invaluable.
Love it or leave it, we have:
Tearing it down,
dconstruction
First things first: did you notice this? We somehow got ourselves nominated for “Best Music Web Site / Blog” in the 2006 Dallas Observer Music Awards. There were many other solid nominees. How we got in their company, we can only guess. It might help that we have interviewed every Dallas Observer Music Editor holding the position since 1999. Speaking of…
Here’s the return to our discussion with Sam Machkovech, current Observer Music Editor. This is the last half of our long conversation recorded with him back in, oh, the Cretaceous Period. As usual, Robert and I are drunk and Sam is squealing. Listen for a particularly ear-shattering soprano from the Editor at just about 12:58 in.
In this episode, we play the dconstruction Gong Show ™, and then continue to play music from three artists Sam brought in:
Thanks for listening. Thanks for sticking with us as we retool/reform/redesign/revamp/resurge. And, thanks for voting.
Tearing it down,
dconstruction
What would a dconstruction podcast be, if not late? Well, here it is, the mighty return to the airwaves for us, and all we have to offer is Sam Machkovech. He surprised us though, as between soporific tales of obscure medical disorders and high-pitched, giggly attempts at humor, he brought in some really good music. Say what you will about the Observer - and we know you do - Sam takes his job seriously and tries to cover the scene well, objectively and with an eye towards progress. How successful he is - and Robert and Zac and Sarah before him - will always be debated. Here, on this show, he was successful in bringing good tracks from:
Look forward to our first We Shot JR column to post this week, as well as our regular weekly Tear Downs - shows hand-picked just for you. And you and you and you. Next week, we will post our second music-only podcast, also to become a regular feature.
We hope you enjoy it. And I’m talkin’ to you, Scott Chaffin.
Tearing it down,
dconstruction
2006, huh? A whole new year, and like last year this one’s started with a hangover. But we’ve been nursing it with plenty of fluids, some sort of multi-vitamins, and then what we have here: a new podcast.
This episode is a special one. For one, there’s no funny intro culled from the out-takes of editing. Secondly, there’s no Robert. There’s no theme music. There’s no Lindsay. There’s no guest.
There’s no talking over the music.
We’re beginning the new year by closing out the last, and here’s a good documentary of what was so compelling about the past 365 days. The songs and artists chosen for this show represent the best of North Texas music from the past year, whether there was a new release, a re-release, an LP, an EP, a notable achievement or just a damn good show - here’s why 2005 wasn’t so bad after all.
The podcast runs exactly 74 minutes. This is on purpose. For you listeners without MP3 players, download the show, then burn to CD. Listen at home, at the office, in the car - anywhere where you might want to feel motivated, moved, excited or touched.
Now, we know we have our critics. This podcast is meant as a celebration, not a declaration of some sort of hegemony of taste. There are bands we left off. There are bands we might have excluded. Bah: enough vituperative posing and acrimony. Enjoy the podcast - and make this a resolution for the New Year: “I will go to more shows in 2006.”
Tearing it down,
dconstruction
See? I told you we’d be back. I hope you hadn’t given up on us. We were just busy scheming, but now we’re back with a new episode and another in the wings - both with three members of The Valentines.
This most recent show is our first with a band - and the first with multiple guests. We get a little rowdy sometimes - and probably offensive - but in general, it was a delight for Robert and me to speak with Joey, Aaron and Laura. Making it even more delightful was the opportunity to call Brooklyn and check in with Sarah Hepola, who has been all internationale recently.
Making it even more delightful was all the booze.
In this episode, we listen to and/or talk about:
Please enjoy responsibly.
Tearing it down,
Lindsay
As promised, here is the second hour of our discussion with Ken Bethea. If you were left wanting more music in the last hour with Ken, then you will be satisfied today. The ‘dconstruction gong show’ debuts with four hopeful contestants, only one of which gets a full dconstruction endorsement. And frankly, I’m surprised by the winner - and the prize: an opening slot on the next Old97s tour*.
In total, it’s a good show, with lots of music from the likes of:
Please enjoy.
Tearing it down,
Lindsay
A few posts ago, I made mention of Ken Bethea as a possible guest. I received a sniping email in reply, to the effect of, “anyone who writes a song about chicken ravioli obviously has no business talking about music.” To that person - and to all of you who think similarly - I agree with you. There is no room for songs about Cajuns and their microwaves. However, those same persons have never met Ken, like I’ve had the fortuitous opportunity to do. He’s tricky; that East Texas drawl belies sharp opinion and keen insight. And we are glad to have been able to record it for you.
We talked with Ken in two sections, originally intended to air some weeks apart. Because we’re already behind schedule, I’m posting them both, one today and the other tomorrow. Each show is just slightly over an hour.
In today’s show, we talk about and listen to:
Tomorrow’s show gets even more interesting, as we play the dconstruction gong show for the first time, a raucous rally through some of the many demos sent to us by bands. Come back tomorrow for this show and full notes.
Tearing it down,
Lindsay
Ah, what an adventure (club) it’s been these past few days. We’ve had technical problems, scheduling problems and just plain problem problems that prevented this show from airing - but here it is!
In this episode, we speak with Josh Venable, host of KDGE’s Adventure Club program and a wizened font of pontification and opinion on the local music scene. Josh is a bit of a talker, too, so this podcast runs long at 1:12:49. But it’s worth it:
Take a moment to listen, won’t you?
Tearing it down,
Lindsay
Here it is, Show Five, a continuation of our conversation with Zac Crain, former Music editor for the Dallas Observer. In this episode, I become much less cranky, notably due to the Maker’s Mark. Recall, that though this is a second show released some eighteen days after the first, it is actually the second or third hour of discussion with Zac. And if you think you can’t get drunk in under three hours, you’re wrong. Robert, Zac and I are accomplished professionals, dedicated to our craft since high school. We know what we’re doing.
This week we listen to and blather about:
Listen, enjoy, think - and then give.
Tearing it down,
Lindsay
