Odds & Ends

This week marks the two-year anniversary of Cindy Chaffin's TexasGigs.com. Last week marked the second time her musician-friendly site has been voted by Observer readers as the city's Best Blog. Which means it's time to say a few words about Chaffin, surely one of the city's most enthusiastic local music fans.

I first discovered TexasGigs.com only weeks into my tenure as music editor, when Chaffin posted a happy birthday message to my (married) predecessor Zac Crain, in which she described his (and I'm paraphrasing) awesome crush-ability. Did she know Zac was married? Probably. Did she care? Of course not. Regular visitors to TexasGigs.com expect this kind of wacky tangent from the married mother of two, a woman who regularly pledges her love to Bob Schneider, among others. And while this may make TexasGigs.com appealing (or unappealing, as the case may be), what really keeps people coming back is Chaffin's incredible dedication to musicians. She regularly recommends shows, reports on events and generally gushes about favorites and recent discoveries. Yes, it's largely uncritical. But everyone needs a cheerleader, right?

By the way, Cindy, my birthday was in August. Guess I'm just not as crush-worthy as Zac...

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As reported last week, there is a mini-wave of artists leaving the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The latest confirmation comes from the Denton-based Faceless Werewolves, who are moving to Austin (guitarist/vocalist Baldomero Valdez has already moved). If you haven't yet caught this alluring psych-rock threepiece, you have a few more opportunities: The Werewolves open for Holly Golightly at the Gypsy Tea Room on November 5 and play November 6 at the Barley House with the Happy Bullets and the Chemistry Set. Best of luck to the band.