Perfect Timing

The timing couldn't be any more perfect, really. A week after Eisley's high-profile tour with Coldplay, the band will headline Buzz-Oven's pair of all-ages shows at the Ridglea Theater (June 21) and Trees (June 28). For Aden Holt, Buzz-Oven's boss, it can't get much better than that.

(If you're wondering what's up with all this Buzz-Oven business, allow us to recap briefly: In early 2000, Holt started Buzz-Oven when he noticed how many 17-and-under types showed up for the all-ages showcases he put together for One Ton Records, the now-defunct label he ran at the time. He figured if he could get to these young ears early enough, he could get them interested in local music. So, a couple of times a year, Buzz-Oven picks three bands, puts two songs from each on a CD and hands them out for free through its Web site--www.buzz-oven.com--and at area high schools via "buzzers," its network of young volunteers. The goal: "building a scene, one free CD at a time." Some bands that have been involved include Slow Roosevelt, Chomsky, the Deathray Davies, South FM, Flickerstick, Red Animal War, the Rocket Summer and the Burden Brothers. OK, you're caught up.)

You could argue, and you might even have a point, that Bowling for Soup's appearance on the sixth installment of the CD-and-shows combo was the turning point for Buzz-Oven, allowing them to press more copies of the free discs and recruit more buzzers to distribute them. But we think that Eisley's involvement brightens Buzz-Oven's future even more. The group is young (the youngest, Stacy DuPree, is 14; her sister Chauntelle is the oldest, at 21), talented (check out their new EP, Laughing City) and they already appeal to the kind of kids Buzz-Oven wants to involve. Should be a lay-up.

The other two bands on the bill, the Adventures of Jet and the Jimmi Sticks, could definitely use the rub. The Jimmi Sticks (who won a battle of the bands to earn their place) have already released two albums, even though they formed in 2000, but they've been flying pretty close to the ground, avoiding the radar at all points. And the Adventures of Jet are as great as they are underappreciated, a band sorely in need of an influx of new eyes and ears; their new Muscle is the kind of album that makes the skip button on CD players obsolete.

Which is the great thing about Buzz-Oven--every time out, it gives at least one band a chance to find its audience. It's a win-win for everyone associated: The bands get to keep making music, club owners sell more tickets and everyone who turns out has the opportunity to get turned on to something new. You can't ask for anything better than that. Maybe Holt should run for city council.

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And now for the bad news: In an e-mail, LCC front man Peter Schmidt announced that the band "as we know it is kinda over." After a bit of a layoff, the group was restarted last September and seemed to get exponentially better every time out. We were looking forward to the band's third album, and it looks like we always will. For now, Schmidt will play at Barley House for the next four Sundays, with Shibboleth's Rich Martin on piano. Shibboleth will open up three of the shows; Little Grizzly's George Neal takes their place for the June 29 gig. Schmidt says he'll be playing LCC songs (including some "from our records that we rarely if ever played live") as well as a few new tunes and some covers. Also, if anyone's interested, Schmidt is selling his 15-passenger van: "The engine is in great shape and it's got a six-CD changer. What else could a roadhog want?" E-mail peter@thelcc.net if you're picking up what he's laying down...

Steve's BBQ in Denton burned down last Easter, and since then, there's been a sad (and hungry) group of regulars mourning its demise. Not just for the sweet, sweet barbecue, but also Slow-Cooked Sundays, the weekly get-together that was a great place to hear some good music and drink some very cold beer. On June 22, Dan's Silverleaf is hosting a benefit put together by Andy Cox (with help from Denton collective the Pyramid Scheme) to help owner Steve Logan figure out his future. The show starts at 4 p.m. and includes sets by Steaming Deuce Lomax, Bridges & Blinking Lights, Stanton Meadowdale, John Wesley Coleman, the Vain, Jason Parks (ex of Asphalt the Recorder), Lo-Fi Chorus, Budapest One, Little Grizzly and Mandarin. Admission is $7, but you can give more if you can...

Finally, the Polyphonic Spree has signed with Hollywood Records, a division of--huge surprise--Disney. The label will re-release the group's debut, The Beginning Stages of... , on June 24 with four bonus tracks. Meanwhile, work continues on the band's second album, produced by Eric Drew Feldman (known for his work with Frank Black and Sparklehorse) and front man Tim DeLaughter, and set to hit stores early next year.