Cory Graves
St. Vincent Makes A Horror Movie, Denton Offers To Pay Its Musicians and Post Malone Covers Nirvana.
Turns out, we weren't the only ones Ben Folds talked to ahead of his Majestic Theatre performance last week. Before the show, a group of VIPs was treated to watch the musician's soundcheck and warm-ups, followed by a small meet-and-greet. It was there that Folds got to meet his biggest fan — a legally blind, autistic kid from Frisco named Ben Schneider.
The 11-year-old Schneider's tale is an inspiring one. After losing speech at age two and being diagnosed with autism, doctors told him he'd never be able to do things like play the piano. Defying the odds, Schneider has learned to play, and he specifically loves hammering out Ben Folds tunes. His father wrote a heartfelt note to Folds' camp, which afforded him the opportunity to play those tunes for Folds in person — and on Folds' piano, no less. Check out the heartwarming video below, courtesy of the Dallas Morning News.
Alas, not all folks share the sunny disposition of the Schneider family. After ripping the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for alleged mistreatment, it's now up in the air as to whether Steve Miller will appear on the induction ceremony's broadcast when it airs on HBO in the coming weeks. It's not some sort of vindictive maneuver on the part of the Hall, though; seems some contract disputes are at the heart of the disagreement.
“We're still negotiating,” Miller recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We're demanding they clean up their paperwork — their paperwork is just ridiculous. When they tell you that you've been nominated, they don't give you any information. It's 'We'll let you know how you do.' They are a day late and a dollar short.”
Speaking of local Hall of Famers: It looks like Stevie Ray Vaughan is finally getting that long-time-coming memorial statue in Oak Cliff. Reports the Dallas Morning News's Robert Wilonsky, the Cultural Arts Commission will vote Thursday on whether to approve a design from Spanish artist Casto Solano. From there, it moves onto more rounds of voting by the Park & Recreation Board before finally coming before the City Council. The design “consists of four corten steel framed screens with images of Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan cut into the metal. Each panel will show images of the Vaughan Brothers’ lives, including photos/stills of both brothers and their song lyrics.” And, as Wilonsky points out, when the sun hits it just right, it'll cast a shadow of the Vaughan brothers on the grass of the park that sits very close to the house where they grew up. Sometimes all those hoops we have to jump through end up being worth it, huh?
Well, here's a much smaller hoop for you Little D musicians: For the next 10 days, the Greater Denton Arts Council will be accepting applications for $500 microgrants for Denton-based artists and musicians. Per the council: “A maximum grant award of $500 will be awarded per artist or collective. Projects and programs must be art or art oriented, occur in Denton or Denton County, and can be applied to general expenses associated with artistic practice, including, but not limited to: studio rental, production costs, exhibition related expenses or supplies, or other materials needed to complete an arts project.” The deadline for applications is April 29 at 5 p.m., and applicants will be notified as to whether their applications were accepted or denied on May 27. Again, you can find that application here. In the words of Steve Miller: Don't show up a day late and a dollar short to this opportunity.
At least St. Vincent is someone who has her ducks in a row. Considering all the killer albums and videos she's released, the mixtape-delivery-service of a radio show she hosts, her awesoe line of signature guitars, the episodes of Portlandia she's cameoed in, the musicians she's collaborated with or even the taquerias she's waitressed at, the guitar slinger born Annie Clark has no shortage of badass projects in the works at any given time. To add even more to her plate, Clark is now set to make her directorial debut, writing and directing a segment of an anthology horror film that'll also feature three other female directors — Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body), Jennifer Lynch (Surveillance) and Jovanka Vuckovic (the 2013 short The Guest).
Meanwhile, on the small screen this week is a bunch of brand new locally-tied music videos.
First up is The Outfit, TX, a group that's known every bit these days for its cinematic video treatments as it is for the actual music that appears on them. By contrast to recent releases, this latest clip for the new song “I'm With That” is pretty simple, finding the guys partying in an apartment kitchen and plotting their world takeover while a basketball game goes unwatched on a television in the next room.
Then there's Rob Viktum and Krum (nee Playdough), who have a new Southern gospel hip-hop album called Bare Knuckle Gospel coming out on April 28. Every song the album, including lead single “Abraham's Nephew's Wife,” the video for which you can watch below, includes old-school gospel samples from Viktum's vinyl collection.
Meanwhile, one of our favorite songs of 2015 — Sudie's “Van Morrissey” — got the video treatment from editor/cinematographer/co-director Cody Strout and co-director Matthew P. Rojas in a clip that made its debut earlier today.
Similarly, The O's just debuted the first video for February's Honeycomb LP. It features the duo doing what it does best, touring nonstop and being goofy — also nonstop.
Then, drawing some deserved comparisons to Kanye West was Chromat!k, who released the video single “Sad God” via WorldStarHipHop last week. He also managed to get his music on Tidal without incurring a class action lawsuit. The song was produced by Zach Witness, who also debuted some new music of his own via the March 30 episode of Broad City. Fun facts!
And, wrapping up our video news for the week, David Morgan (formerly of The Mohicans) is getting ready to release his second official tape, Genesis, which is preceded by the video for its first single, “Oh No!” It'll be out at the end of the month. The ever-creative Morgan will follow that up with the third book in his Live/Love/Life series in May.
Another album to be on the lookout for is the third volume of Dreamy Life's Group Therapy compilations, which is due out June 12.
And then, just because, we'll leave you with a clip of Post Malone covering Nirvana's “Lithium” at Coachella.
You're welcome.
St. Vincent cover photo by Heather Abbott. Got a tip for White Noise? Email us!
