On the mouth: That charming fellow we all know as Cottonmouth Texas is hard at work these days, including recording a mash-up with Los Angeles-based band the Spores. (If you've never heard/seen the Spores, think go-go-booted bassist/singer spewing off-kilter vocals with hard—but not exactly metal—guitar behind her. Oh, and puppets.) CT is also touring as we speak, playing every single Warped Tour bill with his brand of quasi-'90s guitar and nasally, spoken word-esque vocals. You can check out his MySpace page, or go to the Boca Tinta podcast he did in January discussing Dallas indie tradition: http://finelinelive.com/2007/01/10/inside-the-mind-jeffrey-liles/.
Deals on the record: Method Entertainment has signed Wonderfool to the Dallas label. The band ain't screwing around—their first performance will take place in October at the Granada, their CD should be finished the month after, and they've already completed a video that's going into rotation on Austin's ME network...Idol Records has made it official and signed The Crash That Took Me, though the group is made of members of separate bands already signed to the label.
Handstamps: Man, it just don't get better than this: Johnny Lloyd Rollins, Salim Nourallah, Smile Smile and J.D. Whittenburg are all on the bill at Whittenburg's CD release party at Sons of Hermann Hall on Friday, July 27. Surely you're a fan of at least one—OK, at least two—of these performers, but in case you've been living under a rock (or in Hurst, same thing) for the past few years, you should know this show is a songwriter's wet dream. Each of these folks writes songs that are classic in the sense that they are solid, catchy and memorable, but each also has their own personal twist. Rollins puts together tunes that are equal parts Elvis and the Beatles; Nourallah is a Renaissance man who can do anything; Smile Smile is a duo that makes eerie, sweet, keyboard-tinged acoustic music; and Whittenburg's album is one of the best of the year, full of clever and unexpected touches, ranging from disco to alt-country...Club Dada hosts Dallas reggae legend Leroy Shakespeare on Friday, July 27...Friday night seems like the night this week, as the 27th also sees Joy Electric, Ghosthustler and Sydney Confirm at the Cavern. We're serious—go see Ghosthustler before they end up opening for Chromeo or something and it gets too expensive to see them...Our very own Clubs Editor Rich Lopez finally gets to put his judgmental personality to good use when he judges an unusual contest at SushiSamba. Seems SushiSamba's people are searching for a guitarist to accompany various DJs on a weekly basis for "SambaRock Fridays," which will feature "classic rock and Brazilian beats," according to press materials. Lopez will judge a competition taking place this Friday, during which six-string hopefuls will try out...Finally, you will be sad to know the Village People/Thelma Houston/Anita Ward/Peaches & Herb show scheduled for Friday has been canceled, because the nation's Official Nostalgia Quota has already been met. President Bush recently issued a decree announcing that tours featuring bands that have not played with their original lineup in the past 20 years are hereby barred from reuniting, under penalty of death.
