Cory Graves
Does DJ Sober Know How To Party Or What?
Each week, we take a survey of the local music scene and try to determine which acts in town are really putting in work and seeing it pay off. Which bands have the most intriguing shows coming up? Which bands are getting the most press around town? Which bands have accomplished the most notable feats of late? Based off these criteria, our music writers submit a list to be weighted and compiled into a master list revealed each week in this here space. We like to think it's fairly revealing. Check out our previous Buzz Rankings here.
The inaugural edition of our new monthly “Pop That!” party hasn't even gone down yet, but one already gets the sense that the vibe at It'll Do tomorrow night is going to be pretty special. Pretty unique, too.
That's pretty much by design: DJ Sober, who is co-hosting these monthly parties, will be helping us create an old school dance party vibe unlike those seen at any of his other residencies — or anywhere else in, town for that matter.
It's a sentiment that tomorrow night's headliner, Spank Rock, has already keyed in on. Earlier the week, when our Mikel Galicia asked Spank Rock what we should expect from tomorrow's proceedings, the performer very excitedly told us, “I hope it feels really organic. I want it to feel like an old school party, y'know? I hope it comes across as just a raw party where I'm just like being the emcee for the night and it's not like a 'show' show. I just wanna mill around and go on the dance floor with a microphone and really get loose with the people. I hope it feels like the '80s or early '90s, 'cause there's no other time like the early '80s when punk and rap and disco and post-punk and new wave were all kinda ramming into each other. That's exciting. That's when people were there just because they needed to express themselves and take a load off — not just standing around and taking pictures.”
For his part in constantly pushing forward Dallas' party culture, DJ Sober finds himself atop our rankings for a second time (or a third if you count the time his Booty Fade project took the top spot).
Also reaching its highest ever slot in the rankings this week is The Satans of Soft Rock, whose debut full-length finally earned its release this week. It's been over a year since we first started anticipating the release, but it turns out it was well worth the wait. That sucker has earned a bunch of press this week, including this glowing review in D Magazine.
Another album getting loads of coverage this week is the latest from Janelle Monae, which looks to have gotten blurbed about in every media outlet on the planet. As it were, the early Album of the Year contender features Dallas' Erykah Badu turning in a guest spot on the lead single, “Q.U.E.E.N.”
Other artists earned their places in this week's Rankings thanks to their live efforts: Dead Flowers, Larry g(EE) and Dark Rooms will all be turning in performances at this weekend's second annual Untapped: Dallas; Somebody's Darling headlined Granada Theater last weekend; Bitch Bricks, Son of Stan, Terminator 2 and Sealion are among the acts playing Good Records' Cassette Store Day celebrations; Jackopierce will mark its 25th anniversary with a performance at Winspear Opera House this weekend; and Pat Green is among the dozen acts playing the two-day Country Fair fest at Gexa Energy Pavilion this weekend, too.
Elsewhere: Everyone in town fawned all over Lord Byron, A.Dd+ shot a video with Kool Keith, Drug Mountain announced a string of reunion shows, Blackstone Rangers were signed to Saint Marie Records and Toadies drummer Mark Reznicek prepared to release the first issue of his new Dark Horse comic, Buzzkill.
(Also receiving votes this week: Party Static, Yung Nation, -topic, TEAM, Dirty Rotten Skoundrelz, Seryn, Buffalo Black, RTB2, Sealion, Foxtrot Uniform, Un Chien, This Will Destroy You, Sally Majestic , True Widow, Booty Fade, Power Trip, Bitch Bricks, Black Dotz, Sam Lao, Fever Dreamer, Howler Jr., Breakfast Machine, Panther Robe.)
