Watch: Menkena -- "Rocketships/The Landing"

Seems John Pedigo and Chad Stockslager's comedy variety show The JC Experience isn't the only act to have made good use of La Grange's gorgeous, bigger-than-I-can-count TV screen backdrop of late.

Over the weekend, acoustic shoegaze act Menkena took to the new Deep Ellum venue to play a show, and it too appears to have made fine use of the venue's set-up, using its video capabilities to play stock footage videos it put together as a backdrop to its performance. For the songs "Rocketships" and "The Landing" the above footage (now with the songs added in to the clip) played behind the band, no doubt giving things a nice visual touch. Other songs too played up the visual element--take a ride from Deep Ellum to Richardson, set to the band's "With You I'll Travel," in the clip Robert already posted this morning on Unfair Park.

The visuals are a nice addition to Brooklyn transplant Jimmy Menkena and Co.'s set-up. The band's recordings have always been well-arranged, beautifully restrained, ambient gems, really. Live, though, and especially in bar settings, it's a sound that has trouble keeping people's attention.

Consider this a major step in the right direction. Meanwhile, last we heard, the band's debut record is pretty much done--should be ready for purchase at shows any day now, even. We've got a call into the band to double-check on that front, though, and we'll update you accordingly, no doubt.

Update at 2:22 p.m.: Just got in touch with Menkena drummer Mike Simmons, who once upon a time (before I worked here) served as the Observer's art director. He says the record is done and that the band is expecting to receive its final mixed and mastered version of the disc either later today or tomorrow. But fans of the band, for better or worse, will have to wait a little while before the disc gets pressed; the band is currently speaking with a few different labels about possibly releasing the disc and wants to wait that process out before rushing into anything.