Cory GravesDeep Ellum Block Party Reveals Its Initial Lineup and The Outfit, TX Teams With The Cannabinoids.
Back in July, Artist Collective founder Charlsie Grace announced plans to bring yet another new festival to Deep Ellum. The aptly-named Deep Ellum Block Party is supposedly set to bring in 300 bands to perform on more than 20 stages in Deep Ellum next April, in addition to the 700 other visual artists, filmmakers, brewers, actors, dancers, comedians, authors and food vendors.
A subsequent online crowd-funding campaign hoped to raise at least $50,000 to help the upstart fest lure a certain big-name, '80s New Wave outfit to perform. Said the organizers of the fest: “Most of the money will go toward putting down a deposit for our biggest headlining band. We need the money for the deposit to secure the band. Once we do this, we can sign a contract, announce the band (and other bands booked) and start selling tickets. This is the biggest hurdle we have!”
But it would appear that money is still the biggest hurdle the fledgling fest faces, as that campaign eventually stalled out, raising just over the $2,000.
As such, the initial crop of acts announced for next April's lineup, includes such non-earth-shattering names as Astronautalis, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Stardeath & White Dwarfs and both Ishi and its Depeche Mode-covering alter ego Depeshi. Nonetheless, tickets, which range from $50 for a single-day to $100 for a three-day pass, are currently on sale here.
Elsewhere in Deep Ellum, the neighborhood's new Aqua Lab Sound Recordings recording studio is now open for business. You can find out more info on the studio — which is owned and run by Josh White of the Aquaholics and Matt Powers of Street Arabs — and how to book studio time here.
Then there's A.Dd+, which is another act set to appear at next year's Deep Ellum Block Party. The duo's recently-released NAWF EP has also gotten the unauthorized remix treatment courtesy of Tha Real Chino, who slowed and chopped the thing.
In other local rap news, The Mohicans say they'll have a new EP called Profectus out by the end of the year. In the meantime, the outfit's Dave Bernard will release a five-track solo EP later this month. Check out a trailer for that one, which was shot and edited entirely on Dave's iPhone, below:
The Outfit, TX and The Cannabinoids, meanwhile, have collaborated on a new song called “Spic and Span,” which made its debut earlier today on Red Bull's music blog. The Outfit will also play a handful of dates with Run the Jewels next month, while The Cannabinoids finish up a new EP called Stimuli.
Also, semi-local rapper Black Milk is set to put out his second release of the year when If There's a Hell Below drops on October 28. The disc features collaborations from singer-songwriter Mel, Pete Rock and Bun B, among others, to go along with cover art from Dallas' Joonbug. Check out the Bun B-featuring single, “Gold Piece” below:
Meanwhile, This Will Destroy You's fourth full-length, Another Language, was released today via Suicide Squeeze. Stream it in full below ahead of the band's next Dallas show, which will come Tuesday, October 21 at the Kessler.
Further down the road, The Roomsounds will release its new single, “Lay My Head Down,” on September 30. The song was recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The band says it was invited there by second-generation owner Rodney Hall after he caught one of its videos online. The song will also be part of an LP, which the band expects to finish up during an upcoming return visit to Muscle Shoals, where legends like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett have recorded.
Speaking of legends: Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album was recently given the tribute treatment courtesy of alt-country artists like Jason Isbell, Justin Townes Earle and North Texas' own Quaker City Night Hawks, which turned in a rather satisfying take on The Boss' “Darlington County.” Helping the Night Hawks' track stand out is some rather impressive saxaphoning from Fort Worth sax wizard Jeff Dazey. Says the band's frontman Sam Anderson: “He's a huge Clarence Clemons fan, so he nailed it.”
Another local product covering a legend? That'd be Norah Jones, who will be one of many artists covering the shy Beatle's catalog all next week on Conan. The themed week of performances coincides with the release of George Harrison: The Apple Years 1968-1975, a reissue of Harrison's first six solo albums.
And to coincide with its performance at this past Friday's GvsB IV, Ejecta released a mildly-NSFW new video for the song “Silver” from last year's Dominae. Depending on where you work, you can watch it below.
On the subject of new stuff, we should also bring up the new dark wave outfit iill, which features Alex Velte from Cutter on synths, Greer McDonald on lead vocals and Sir Name & the Janes drummer Bob Gracian playing a full electronic kit. Says Velte, the band, which uses zero backing tracks during its performances, is “probably the only fully live electronic band on the block, seriously.” Check out and grab a free download of the outfit's debut single, “Surface Friend” below:
And finally, Pinkish Black's Daron Beck recently posted an update on the band's Tumblr page indicating that its next album will not be released on Century Media Records. Says the update: “We have parted ways with Century Media. We would like to thank Steve, Jon and everyone else for all they did. That being said, we are looking for a label to work with on our next album. Also, we are looking for a label to release the recently mastered, unreleased final Great Tyrant album. And to re-release the Yeti Things to Come album, originally released on vinyl by Life Is Abuse.”
In any case, you can check out a track of that final Great Tyrant album here:
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