When Hollywood runs out of ideas..there's always the '80s

I just about choked on my popcorn when I saw the latest trailer for yet another Reagan-Era remake destined to manifest itself in 2010.  What is this obsession with ‘80s movies?  Several movies from the time of spandex and Rubik’s cubes are either already in post-production or set to film as we speak.  So let’s take a quick trip and see what kind of excitement or disappointment the latest batch of remakes stands to give us next year…

The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid gets a reboot next year with none other than Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. The biggest change is that it will be set in China instead of southern California. Will “jacket on, jacket off” be as amusing as“wax on wax off” or will the scheduled June 11, 2010 release mean a truly “Cruel Summer”?

Nightmare on Elm Street

Were you scared shitless to use the toilet for fear that a set of finger knives might slice your dearest of body parts?  I sure was when I first saw Nightmare on Elm Street.  But over the years Freddy Krueger became less frightening and more of a joke to horror lovers.  Scheduled for an April 2010 release,the franchise moves into the hands of Michael Bay with the big disappointment we always feared…Robert Englund is Freddy no more.  But San Antonio’s Jackie Earle Hayley, will get a chance to fill the glove and promises a more sinister and scary villain reminiscent of the first film.

Footloose

Teeny boppers everywhere were beside themselves when it was announced that Zac Efron would be filling Kevin Bacon’s shoes as Ren McCormack.  Then in March of this year Zac pulled out reportedly to avoid getting typecast in cheesy musicals.  This could be true considering the fact that Efron’s former High School Musical director, Kenny Ortega, was slated to direct the film.  Ortega also bowed out in October after coming off of MJ’s This is It, because his idea for an elaborate musical to the tune of $30 million didn’t jibe with Paramount chief Adam Goodwin’s vision for a more toned-down and lower-budgeted project. The film remains directorless but Lubbockite Chace Crawford has been recruited to replace Efron in the lead role.  Despite Efron and Ortega ditching the project, Paramount still lists a release date of June 18, 2010.

Red Dawn

The Wolverines return to the big screen in September 2010 with an all-new cast including Tom Cruises’s son Conner in the role of Darryl Jenkins [the Wolverine who swallowed a tracking device after capture].  Rather than Russians and Cubans stirring up our Cold-war era nerves by dropping paratroopers in the Colorado Mountains,the Chinese will now invade Michigan and heighten our nuke fears.

Clash of the Titans

It pissed me off when they chose Marky Mark [Wahlberg] of all people to replace Charleton Heston in the Planet of the Apes remake, and Sean Bean was less than thrilling in Rutger Hauer’s role in The Hitcher remake.  This time however, I think Hollywood has made a good choice in casting Liam Neeson to replace Lawrence Olivier as Zeus in the new Clash of the Titans.  Neeson also reunites with his Schindler’s List co- star Ralph Fiennes, who plays Hades.  This film looks to have all of the excitement and eye candy of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.  Let’s face it though…the original Titans didn’t have a whole lot of plot substance, so I’m not expecting much in the way of story for this one.

RoboCop

Although still in talks I thought it was worth mentioning that MGM keeps dropping hints at a brand new RoboCop…get this…in 3D.  While no casting information has surfaced, a teaser poster has circulated and MGM spokesmen have confirmed that “the project is still on track” with Darren Aaronofsky slated to direct.  Despite the teaser poster’s “Coming 2010” statement, release has reportedly been pushed back to 2011.  I smell CGI robbing us of Peter Weller’s corny acting…but I’d still buy that for a dollar!

-Manny Moreno

Manual Release: Exponential gets listed; Mojoe, Egshan schedule shows

We're gonna pretend it's the new year already, so I can introduce you to a new feature I'm trying out in which I just shut the hell up and give the local musicians a chance to promote themselves without all my "critiquing" and "being a total douchebag" getting in the way.

If you want your well-considered self-aggrandizing statements and status updates of reasonable length considered for posting right here, just send them to me. If you've recently sent me one I should've included here, please feel free to send that shit again. Hopefully we can all stay better-informed that way.

And without further delay, some local press releases.

(Note: These are excerpts, edited for grammar punctuation and clarity.)

From Exponential Records:

Wired magazine names AM Architect (pictured above) best unheard music of 2009

We also have a sweet SXSW Compilation lined up with Exponential, Ninjatune, and Stones Throw!!!

From Mojoe:

Mojoe, the critically acclaimed band, originally founded in San Antonio, is returning home to promote their latest album, Dirty Genes.  The band has committed to a string of shows and appearances in Texas in preparation for a spring/summer 2010 tour.  The first of these dates will be a performance with Super Soul Shakedown at Limelight Bar on Saturday, January 9^th.  The show will be recorded for a MOJOE Live in San Antonio @ Limelight album, to be released later this year.

From Egshan:

These stoned ass, fun loving musicians will get their chance to practice working the media in the month of January with a bunch of local shows and a couple out-of-towners. Here are the dates:

Jan 1 (New Years Eve)
PediCab Bar w/ Danglewood

Jan 2
Rock Bottom w/ the Young Machines
 
Jan 7
PediCab Bar

Jan 10
Scout Bar
BackBeat Magazine Sunday Showcase

Jan 14
Elsyium (Austin, TX)
Hopeless Productions Showcase

Jan 15
Tonic

Jan 21
PediCab Bar

Jan 23
Zero’s Hard Rock Club (Corpus Christi, TX)
Netherland Productions showcase

Jan 28
PediCab Bar

Jan 30
Tonic
BackBeat Magazine Release # 5

Toddlers and porn: shit happens?

Greg Harman
gharman@sacurrent.com

On the one hand, the release of Norton’s OnlineFamily rankings of the most popular searches by kids during 2009 shows the (developing) sexes aren’t so different. Outties plugged “sex” into the search window almost as much as the innies. The young ladies added Taylor Swift to top searches like YouTube, Google, and Facebook before pecking in s-e-x.

The boys, followed “sex” with “porn,” which is like sex, we’re told, except with props, an audience, and paychecks. Girls sought porn much less frequently, only after exhausting 23 other options. There’s Lady Gaga, Miley, and the Webkinz to contend with, after all.

Most surprising, “porn” remained the fourth most popular search among the 7 and younger set.

Facing this statistic, I in some ways feel like our universally beloved musical critic Jeremy Martin back in those dark days he was fretting over musicians advocating battering and killing women (and men, for that matter). Was he, in his words at the time, “too old for this shit?” or is that shit just plain fucked up? (Lucky for you, I’m not on the  chords beat and you don’t have to contend with my growing disgust with colliding pimp and death cultures.)

It’s not that I’m afraid of the spread of sexual knowledge, just of porn — a medium that so quickly vaults our recently outdated taboos to portray gratification via the humiliation, forced control, and violence against others — serving as that educator. Sex talks should happen at home and sexual health and birth control a must in a public school education, especially in a city like San Antonio, where teen pregnancy is perhaps one of our biggest obstacles to pulling ourselves out of poverty.

The unanswered question in my mind is how these five-year-olds know the world “porn” to begin with. Older demographics searching skin online used the word sex. Have we become that saturated by cumshots, glory holes, and latex that porn is now the talk of the romper room? Is it a blip? An aberration? Data planted by Norton’s to sell more “family-friendly” filters? I don’t know.

While I reject the cruel morality of Dr. Laura and her talk-radio clones, I’m still backing a longshot — apparently my whole point in this world wracked by gender injustice, new colonialism, and rampant environmental racism. So, as a champion of seemingly hopeless causes, I find myself hoping nonetheless that our kids (and I’m of the age where I can claim one of my own) will still be able to grow up and into healthy sexual identities despite it all.

In this ruthless world —where 13 is the average age children are lured into prostitution and middle- and high-school-age boys are used to fish for potential prey — I know those witnessing porn’s cultural frenzy could use a little encouragement.

Encouragement and sex ed. That’s all I got. I should be upbraided and non-sensually abused for not kicking this shit to Dear Uncle Mat in the first place.
 

My 50 favorite albums of 2009

My Top 10 for the year, as previously reported here. I've linked to any applicable reviews, by myself and others:

1. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Century of Self (Justice)

2. Yo La Tengo , Popular Songs (Matador)

3. Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II (Ice Water)

4. Flaming Lips, Embryonic (WEA/Reprise)

5. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion/Fall Be Kind (Domino)

6. Royce Da 5’9”, Street Hop (One Records)

7. The Antlers, Hospice (Frenchkiss)

8. Converge, Axe to Fall (Epitaph)

9. Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-)

10. P.O.S., Never Better (Rhymesayers)


Plus 40 more of my favorite albums, listed in alphabetical order, because distinguishing
between my 25th and 32nd favorite album of the year is even more ridiculous than
deciding between my first and second favorites.

Aether, Artifacts (Exponential)

AM Architect, AM Architect (Exponential)

Antony and the Johnsons, The Crying Light (Secretly Canadian)

Astex, ATP, Vol. III (Self-released)

Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (Sony)

Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (Drag City)

BLK JKS, After Robots (Secretly Canadian)

Buttercup, The Weather Here (Bedlamb)

Daytes, Daytes (Self-released)

Dead Weather, Horehound (WEA)

Death, For the Whole World to See (Drag City)

The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love

Diego Bernal, For Corners (Exponential)

Dinosaur Jr., Farm (Jagjaguwar)

Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca (Domino)

Drake, So Far Gone (Cash Money)

Ghostface Killah, Ghostdini the Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City (Def Jam)

Girl in a Coma, Trio B.C., (Blackheart)

Girls, Album (True Panther)

Jay Z, Blueprint III (Roc Nation)

Lightning Bolt, Earthly Delights (Load)

Lil Wayne, No Ceilings (mtmjmedia)

Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You (Capitol)

Lonely Island, Incredibad (Universal)

Major Lazer, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do (Downtown)

Mastodon, Crack the Skye (Reprise)

Morris Orchids , Morris Orchids (Self-released)

Mos Def, The Ecstatic (Downtown)

Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)

Seven-One, Bumps (Rock Solid)

Slaughterhouse, self-titled mixtape

Slayer, World Painted Blood (American Recordings)

Snowbyrd, Diosdado (Saustex)

Sonic Youth, The Eternal  (Matador)

Sunset Rubdown, Dargonslayer (Jagjaguwar)

The Thermals, Now We Can See (Kill Rock Stars)

Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)

Wolves in the Throne Room, Black Cascade (Southern Lord)

Wye Oak, The Knot (Merge)

Yacht, See Mystery Lights (DFA)

Solar jammers of SA, unite!!

By Enrique Lopetegui
elopetegui@sacurrent.com

If you’re a local, environmentally conscious musician, or just a regular Joe (or Joanna) interested in anything green, I think you’ll like this.

On Monday, December, 21, the folks from EchoTown will be inviting the music community and the general public to a demo on how to run a 25-watt guitar amplifier off a solar panel, with no battery or other assistance whatsoever.

“You can get a pretty loud sound out of a very small portable solar panel,” EchoTown owner/director Matthew Ahern told the Curblog. “Our [solar] Farm studio will be open, and everyone can check it out.”

The studio runs off CPS’s windtricity, a program Ahern takes advantage of by paying just a little bit more on his regular electric bill. On Monday, the solar collector will be outside, right next to the studio, and plugged directly into a regular amplifier. Everyone is welcome to the demonstration, especially if you are a musician.

“Just show up and jam with us,” Ahern said. “You can bring your instrument or use ours. It’s the Solstice here, and we’ll be showing you how to power your guitar on the shortest, coldest day of the year.”

The solar jam will take place on Monday, December 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Farm studio located on 311 Howard St.

Find more info visiting echotown.net, farmrecorders.com, or by calling (210) 863-6389.

Chaléwood No. 26: Bruno Campos

Bruno Campos - The Princess and the Frog

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

After a yearlong search for their perfect prince for The Princess and the Frog, Walt Disney Studio found their man.

Actor Bruno Campos had never worked on an animated film before, but he was eager to lend his voice to the character of Prince Naveen, a charming and easygoing prince from the fictional country of Maldonia who is transformed into a frog by an evil voodoo doctor.

“As a voice performer in an animated film, everything was a complete surprise,” said Campos, who was born in Rio de Janiero before moving to the U.S. at the age of five. “All you see are a few drawings and a few clips. I had very little idea about what the other actors were doing. I didn’t even get a full script.”

Making The Princess and the Frog was a much different experience than Campos was used to since starting his acting career in 1995’s Oscar-nominated Brazilian film O Quatrilho. Campos, who studied drama at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, went on to star in a number of TV shows including ER and Nip/Tuck.

During our interview, Campos, 36, talked about his inspiration for his princely character and how important he feels race is in a story that features Disney’s first African American princess.

When Disney cast you as Prince Naveen, what did they tell you they were looking for in terms of the type of character they wanted?

The idea was a Cary Grant-ish type of character from this mythical kingdom. They wanted him have a young and fun spirit and wanted someone who was charming. That’s what I tried to give them with the scenes I read during the audition. They had been researching for a year for this role, so they knew exactly what they wanted.

You play Prince Naveen both when he is in human form and as a frog. Did you have to get into a different mindset when the look of the character changed or did it feel the same either way?

That’s kind of the key question for this character, actually. The answer is no because the comedy part of his character comes out when he changes from the charming, dashing prince into this slimy little frog. He has no notion of that. Through the whole film he feels like he’s still got it. That’s what makes him so fun and likeable. He’s stripped of everything, but his attitude and confidence remain. He also enjoys jumping around and eating flies. He sees it as a great adventure.

Was there anyone you thought of for inspiration for your character?

My dad. He was just a very funny man. He was very charming, outgoing, and loved telling stories. He was a little man with a little potbelly. He had this infectious wit and tenaciousness. He spoke English in this melodic way. I just imitated all of his rhythms.

So much has been focused on the racial aspect of The Princess and the Frog. Do you consider race an important part of this film?

I think people are going to approach it differently. The symbolism of this film is undoubtedly extraordinary and significant. At the same time, I think it should feel colorless. A lot of children will approach it that way. I think they are just going to love the story, music, and characters.

What makes Prince Naveen different from other Prince Charming-like characters of the past?

What’s fun about Naveen and different about him relative to past princes is that he’s not a perfect man who shows up at the end of the film and gives the princess a kiss and whisks her away to this kingdom. He has his own issues. He’s running away from expectations that have been placed upon him. He would love to do nothing more than escape into the streets of New Orleans and be a part of the great jazz revolution that was occurring in the 20s. He learns from Tiana a way of life he doesn’t have too much experience in.

What kinds of cartoon did you watch growing up in Brazil?

I liked the Warner Brothers cartoons like Bugs Bunny and MGM cartoons like Tom & Jerry. I remember my first experience watching an animated film was with Disney’s Robin Hood. I remember that moment where Robin Hood jumps off the tower and it goes up in flames. For a moment I forgot it was animated. As a kid I was desperately wondering if he was alive or not. Of course, he pops out of the water. All those cartoons, for me, captured this fantasy and exaggerated emotionality that could be carried around forever. It reaches you in a way real life does not.

Toadies reunite... again

By Kim Johnson
krjohnson926@yahoo.com

Playing an outdoor show, in December, in middle-of-nowhere Helotes, is a gamble ... especially if the band's most memorable singles are more than ten years old. As a native Texan, I will stand by my assertion that the combination of standing around in 40-degree weather while holding ice-cold beer is anything but ideal.

Still, we, the nostalgic fans of '90s alt-rock, showed up in droves for the Toadies reunited (yet again) at Josabi's on Sunday night. Regardless of all obstacles past, there's just something about the rockin' Southern angst of the Toadies that keeps their fans coming back for more.

The saga officially began in '94 with the release of their first full-length album Rubberneck and its five singles: "Tyler," "Away," "Mister Love," "I Come From the Water," and "Possum Kingdom," which rocketed the Fort Worth band into a whirlwind of grunge success like nothing they've done since.

Interscope Records rejected the group's sophomore project Feeler in '98 and sent them back to the studio in hopes of recapturing Rubberneck-esque glory. They broke up five months after sophomore record Hell Below/Stars Above (2001) when certain members decided to move in different directions. A live album, Best of the Toadies: Live from Paradise, also failed to do much in the way of a resurrection.

But instead of disappearing, in March 2006 they reunited (for the first time) in Dallas, but "reunion" is a relative word choice since tormented-soul singer and guitarist Todd Lewis was (and continues to be) the only authentic original member. Current drummer Mark Reznicek joined in '91, guitarist Clark Vogeler in '96 and most recently, bassist Doni Blair in '08. An ecstatic response from faithful fans was enough to convince them to do a mini-tour in 2007 (Austin, Houston, Dallas) and release a second live album (The Rock Show, 2007).

Since then, the Toadies have been playing "reunion" shows with surprisingly positive feedback, especially in Texas. Besides their set at ACL this year, the band has mostly stuck to the shadows, playing in smaller, more remote venues. The Toadies are known and appreciated, but by a distinct fan base and much less so for their recent projects. The early singles are not only expected at shows, they are demanded by boisterous fans (the most common of which is male, aged 25-35, dressed in a style that I call 'Southern grunge'). To boot, "Possum Kingdom" was featured on Guitar Hero II, which has given Toadies fans a renewed sense of appreciation for the hit.

The problem with being a throwback is that no matter how they try to move on (ex: No Deliverance, 2009), the band will be forever haunted by the success of Rubberneck. It's anyone's guess as to how long the Toadies will be able to ride the wave of their '90s classics, but recurring reunions seems to be an effective strategy so far.

Rock and Roll Christmas

By Enrique Lopetegui
elopetegui@sacurrent.com

Prepare your checkbooks: These are my personal recommendations for Christmas 2009 shopping.

All books, CD’s and DVD’s came out this year.



Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock, by Phil Sutcliffe. (Voyageur Press)

The “ultimate” book on Queen, arguably the most underrated (in the U.S.) rock and roll band ever, had to be as bombastic and colorful as the band itself. Everything Queen is, is here: Rare and not-so-rare black and white and color photos, biographical and chart info, detailed discography and tour info, and album-by-album reviews. The book has an obvious fan appeal, but is objective enough to deal with the most delicate issues in Queen’s history intelligently: Paul Rodgers (the former Bad Company frontman who “led” the infamous Queen + Paul Rodgers concoction) ain’t no Freddy Mercury, but the music he did with Brian May and Roger Taylor wasn't as bad as we think; that 1982’s Hot Space, justly vilified when it came out, is now a semi-classic; and how Mercury, unfairly criticized for keeping his illness a secret during his last days, became a champion for AIDS-awareness in death. Most importantly, the book understands why Queen was a great band: Yes, they may have betrayed their own “no synthesizers” mantra when it was convenient to do so, but any band that can play and sing that well, and that can produce so many hits ranging from hard-rock to metal, to silly but instrumentally intricate music-hall and operatic gems, has the right to kill its own rules. A must for Queen fans and latecomers.


Elton John: The Bitch Is Back, by Mark Bego. (Phoenix Books)

I’ll be honest with you: I can’t really vouch for this one, because I’ve just started reading it. But it looks like a complete, entertaining bio on one of the most successful, versatile, and influential singer-songwriters of all time.


The Who, The Mods and The Quadrophenia Connection, directed by Alec Lindsell. (Sexy Intellectual)

There have been books and movies about the Who before, but this one specifically deals with the band’s second rock-opera of 1973 and its connection with the cultural/fashion Mod fad of the 60s and its 70s revival. Rare archival footage, dynamite soundtrack (mostly from Quadrophenia but also from other Brit stars from the 60’s and 70s, all the way to the punk and pre-New Wave eras), and testimonies from key witnesses of the Mod days, the most lucid of which is Eddie Piller, head of Acid Jazz records. Fascinating, but this is mainly for fans or serious music lovers. If you want to discover the Who or merely be “entertained,” The Kids Are Alright remains the video to watch.


AC/DC’s Backtracks (Sony Legacy)

AC/DC liked things simple and to the point; pure no-bullshit rock and roll. I’ll try to emulate them: Option 1 has three CDs of live and studio rarities, two DVDs (including Family Jewels 3), a vinyl LP of studio collectibles, a coffee table book, and a bunch of authentic memorabilia, all boxed in a “working guitar amplifier” (which I haven’t seen). It’s a limited edition and you can only get it in acdcbacktracks.com (it was $199, now $172, but hurry). Option 2 (which you can buy anywhere) has two CD’s of studio and live rarities, the Family Jewels 3 DVD and bonus videos, and it also comes in an amplifier box (but this one you can’t plug in, unless you’re nuts). The band is still kicking ass on tour, and this is a good reminder of how their minimalist rock and roll swagger was, and is.


Manu Chao’s Baionarena (Nacional Records)

Two live CDs and one DVD of a concert filmed in France. If you haven’t had a chance to see Manu live, you must get this immediately, even if you heard Mano Negra and his solo albums (Manu live has nothing to do with his studio work). Roll a fat one, crank it up, and prepare for a trip.


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum LIVE (Time Life)

“It’s slightly ironic that tonight you see us on our best behavior, but we’re being rewarded for 25 years of bad behavior,” said Mick Jagger when the Rolling Stones were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1989. It’s one of the many memorable scenes in this must-have nine-DVD collection with the best moments of the R&R Museum and Hall of Fame’s history. Nothing fancy here; just a bunch of induction and acceptance speeches and performances put together, plus a few rehearsals and backstage footage as bonus material. But the performances make it all worthwhile. Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins performing “Tie Your Mother Down” with Queen; Paul McCartney inducting John Lennon (“You made it,” he said) and then Bruce Springsteen and Axl Rose doing a highly praised rendition of “Come Together” (I hate it, but can’t stop watching it); Green Day does have a superb version of “Blitzkrieg Bop” on the same day the Ramones were inducted (Johnny thanked President Bush and Dee Dee congratulated himself); The surviving Doors + Eddie Vedder (who did a jaw-dropping version of “Roadhouse Blues”) proved to be a whole lot better than Queen + Paul Rodgers, even though the well-behaved and better dressed crowd didn’t seem to give a shit (Eddie sang the “Roll, baby, roll” part with a “Move, you fuckers” attitude). “I know the Eagles got in first,” said Springsteen while inducting Jackson Browne, “but let’s face it, and I’m sure Don Henley will agree with me: These are the songs they wish they had written” (a smiling Henley, sitting in the audience, seemed to agree). Class of 2007 Patti Smith remembered how her late husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith, once predicted how guilty she was going to feel to be inducted. “Yes, Tricia… You will feel guilty because I’m not in it, and I’m clearly the better one.” Jeff Beck’s acceptance speech, exploiting his love-hate relationship with Rod Stewart, is a riot that needs to be seen, and every single DVD has legendary moments worth treasuring. You can do no wrong with this one.


Louie & The Lovers’ The Complete Recordings (Bear Family Records)

The great lost gem of Chicano rock, Rise was the Doug Sahm-produced 1970 debut (and farewell) of Salinas Valley, California foursome of Louie Ortega, Frank Paredes, Albert Parra, and Steve Vargas. Or was it? They actually recorded a second album, but it never saw the light of day. Danish label Bear Family has just remastered and reissued both albums, and there isn’t a single bad song in the entire 27-track CD. Imagine a cross between country, folk, rock, Byrds guitars, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash harmonies, and you get the best album you never heard of. None of the members were older than 20, and the first album was recorded in 18 hours, with two takes at the most. It’s a glorious historical document, but it’s mainly a great collection of songs that still sound heavenly after 39 years.


A heartbeat and a guitar: Johnny Cash and the making of Bitter Tears, by Antonino D’Ambrosio. (Nation Books)
When radio stations boycotted 1964’s Bitter Tears, Johnny Cash was livid, so he bought a full-page ad in Billboard magazine. “I had to fight back when I realized that so many stations are afraid of Ira Hayes,” wrote Cash on the ad. “Just one question: WHY??? … Ira Hayes is strong medicine … So is Rochester, Harlem, Birmingham and Vietnam.” Despite the slightly misleading title and cover of this book (more than half of it deals with the plight of the Seneca Indians and the life of Peter La Farge, the author of “The ballad of Ira Hayes”), it is nevertheless a fascinating read on the least explored aspect of Cash’s greatness: His uncompromising, art-first approach to music, and his commitment to denounce the mistreatment of Native Americans even if that meant to put his own hit-making career in jeopardy. You can find our original review here.


Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar, directed by Anthony Leigh Adams and written, produced and performed by Dan Crary and many guests. (Adams Entertainment)

See original review here here.


Nirvana’s Live at Reading. (Geffen Records)

Check out our original review here.


I slept with Joey Ramone: A family memoir, by Mickey Leigh and Legs McNeil. (Touchstone)

This is the story of the Ramones from the unique perspective of Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh (the Rattlers, Birdland with Lester Bangs, STOP), co-written with Punk magazine founder Legs McNeil. It is candid, informative (did you know that, besides the Beatles, it was Ritchie Valens who turned Joey into rock and roll?), funny, but also heartbreaking. Joey battled a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder throughout his life, but he also had to put up with Johnny Ramone, who was a complete asshole, to say the least. The Ramones resented the fact that bands that admittedly had them as heroes (Green Day, Nirvana, Soundgarden, U2, and the list goes on and on and on) had the sales and riches that had always evaded them. For much of its 22-year career, the Ramones was a highly dysfunctional family, and more a miracle than band. You couldn’t tell that by their live performances and many of its classic albums: the Ramones rarely had a bad show for several reasons (the almost tyrannical discipline Johnny instilled on the band, the band’s great songs, and a loyal legion of fans worldwide), and they always pulled it off and managed to survive the changes in the music industry. Ultimately, this is a loving brother’s tribute. No, Joey (born Jeff Hyman) was no saint and he didn’t always get along with Mickey, but everyone agrees that, deep down, Joey was a sweet, well-meaning individual. At the end they had made peace, and Mickey knew better than anybody who his brother was. “Joey was the ultimate underdog who soared to a place far beyond mere overachievement,” Mickey wrote. “As low as he’d been, he never let it prevent him from setting sights on astronomical heights. His brave plight was inspiring, as I intend this story to be.” Mission accomplished.

Weird Press Releases, Volume III: Santas Be Sketchy

Happy Holidays. If you have tomorrow free, please, please, please check this out and then e-mail or Facebook me IMMEDIATELY. I'm on deadline honey, but it would seem that Santa's in touble.

OK, first?

Check this out:

http://www.sketchysantas.com/

This is the site wherefrom I'm getting the following Santa images.

THESE DUDES ARE **NOT** THE SANTA(S) MENTIONED IN THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE.

San Antonio Bar Association

Executive Offices

Bexar County Courthouse, Fifth Floor – San Antonio, Texas  78205

(210) 227-8822 ● Fax (210) 271-9614 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE     Contact:

RELEASE        Ted Lee @ 886-9500

                                                Bill Harris @ 384-7150 

ARREST OF SANTA CLAUS! 

      DON’T MISS THE ARREST OF SANTA CLAUS AT 9:30 A.M. ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009 AT JAMES BONHAM ACADEMY! 

      Santa Claus will be arrested at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2009, at James Bonham Academy, 925 South St. Mary’s Street.  Santa Claus, who will be giving out Christmas presents, will be charged with violation of a statute concerning separation of Church and State. 

      Santa Claus will be arrested for violation of this statute and led away in handcuffs by members of the San Antonio Police Department. 

Repeatedly Santa Claus has appeared at local schools giving gifts in violation of this statute.  This is the sixteenth year in a row that Santa has been arrested.  Each time in the past, Santa Claus has beaten the charge, due to skillful representation of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that make up his defense team.  It helps that the jury was composed of fourth and fifth graders from James Bonham Academy. 

      On Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:00 a.m., Santa Claus a/k/a Kris Kringle, will be tried in the Federal Courthouse in front of the Honorable Judge Edward C. Prado for violation of this statute.  The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will make up both the prosecution and the defense teams.  The jury will be selected from fourth and fifth graders from James Bonham Academy.  This is different version of “Miracle on 34^th Street” with an unusual twist. 

      If Santa Claus is found to be competent  (this Santa Claus actually believes reindeer can fly), Santa clearly violated the statute and will probably be convicted.  Santa may spend this Christmas in jail! 

      If Santa Claus is acquitted and is found competent, then a Christmas party will occur at the Federal Training Center across the patio in front of the John H. Wood Jr. Courthouse. 

      The Trial of Santa Claus is a community services project of the San Antonio Bar Association in conjunction with Boy Scout Troop 285 and Girl Scout Troop 580 and James Bonham Academy.

Aartvark: Do this here thing tonight!

The current show at Fl!ght Gallery, "Welcome to the Gun Show," featuring the glasswork of Jake Zollie Harper and the woodwork of Ray Gun (aka Reagan Johns) is closing tonight!

There is a party tonight, at Fl!ght, from 7-10. Seeing as how the 2 artists collaborated on a lovely wooden bar with handmade taps, there Will Be Beer. Freetail, and free!

Unfortunately, I missed the artist talk the night before Thanksgiving, which was moderated by Artlies editor (and Johns' partner) Anjali Gupta. I hear it was fascinating and fun, though, and hell, those same dudes will be there, so ask them anything you want.

 Ray Gun may tell you of the eight years he spent painstakingly assembling the spectacular wooden wall sculpture composed, in part, of teeny tiny pegs. Gorgeous, powerful stuff...stuff that's not for sale, as it happens, because, well, HE SPENT EIGHT YEARS ON IT. But if you are very rich, I encourage you to make him an offer. You might also hear Jake tell of how Chuck Ramirez wants to commission some IMPERFECT glasswork from him, which strikes Jake as ironic, because he works damn hard towards perfection. However, there are many pieces by Harper in the show that belie, in lovely ways, a very exacting but human touch.

Fl!ght curators Ed Saavedra and Current contributor Justin Parr have been wildly enthusiastic about this workmanlike/elegant exhibition, Saavedra even calling it "one of the best shows we've ever presented." I heartily concur. Go, look, mingle, drink, buy unique and beautiful things from these unique and beautiful characters. Plus, a Fl!ght party is always good.

Up starting 12/12 at Fl!ght: Kendra Curry, whose show opening, as I understand, will include some participatory artmaking.

NOW SOME IMAGES!
(All photos by Justin Parr)


installation view: note pyramidal-facade (?) beer bar (I don't know what else to call it) with hand-blown glass taps.


detail from a series of Harper-Ray Gun collaborations; small wooden cabinets (with ingenious wooden hinges, nothing Home Depot-made, kids) with handmade glass knobs.


wood by Ray Gun, glass by Harper


Ray Gun's 8-year sculpture, recalling monumental ancient wheels, pixillation, and cosmology somehow.


groupong f original glassware by Jake Zollie Harper--again, some of these smaller pieces somewhat recall ancient artifacts to me.


another one-wood, one-glass collab: taps


these stools, if I remember correctly, are mirror images of each other.



lamp in cobalt blue



installation view

Fl!ght is at 1906 South Flores.

San Antonio owns Grammy's Tejano category

Wow. I'll never call anything irrelevant again. I was so busy offending Barbra Streisand and Pet Shop Boys fans in my previous Grammy rant, I stupidly failed to mention that not one or some but ALL of the nominees for Best Tejano Album claim the 210. That's not all that surprising I suppose, but it's definitely worth recognizing, whether or not the Awards get the Rock and Hip-Hop categories right. The nominees are  listed and linked below. My sincere congratulations to all of you, and just remember that no matter how much trash I talked about the awards, you were nominated for a Grammy, and I will never ever ever be, unless as one commenter suggested, they start giving awards for  "outstanding ignorance."

• Borders Y Bailes
  Los Texmaniacs
  [Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]
  
  
• Divina
  Stefani Montiel
  [Ro Records/World Records]
  
  
• All The Way Live
  Jay Perez
  [Tejas Records]
  
  
• Point Of View
  Joe Posada
  [Baby Dude Records]
  

• Radiación Musical
  Sunny Sauceda Y Todo Eso
  [Tejas Records]
  
  

Show & Prove: Out of Sync

The San Antonio Spurs headed into their Thursday night game against Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics riding a season high five game winning streak that included their first road win of the year. The Celtics took control of the contest from the beginning, quickly reminding the Spurs that they were facing an elite team and not the sub-par squads they had built their streak upon. In a sloppy game marked by 19 turnovers, 10 squandered free throws, and several missed opportunities for the Spurs, the end result was a 90-83 loss at home.

 

Although San Antonio received solid efforts from Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, Manu was sorely missed in the fourth quarter which he primarily watched from the bench. Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich elected to rest Ginobili to reduce the risk of further aggravating a groin injury, and without their crunch time difference maker, the team offense was unable to get past the Celtics. The biggest bright spot for the Spurs came from the contributions off their bench, particularly undersized forward and Auto-Tune proponent DeJuan Blair who chipped in 18 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks in only 21 minutes.

 

“I was just out there,” Blair told reporters after the game. “Pop gave me the minutes. Whether I play five minutes or whatever minutes I played tonight it’s all about working hard, hustling, being there for the team and rebounding. I made a couple of plays. It was a good game. I am getting more comfortable every day. My teammates are doing great at helping in situations when I don’t know what to do. I am just listening and asking questions. We are going to fight back from this and try to get a win on Saturday. You aren’t going to win championships in December we are just going to keep working and it’s going to come together. I promise.”

 

Promises aside, San Antonio currently sits at 8^th in the Western Conference slightly ahead in the standing above the lowly Sacramento Kings. With the Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, and Mavericks off to strong starts, Coach Pop is now pressed to acclimate his new players while keeping pace with the rest of the conference. Up next is a Saturday night showdown with the Carmelo Anthony and Denver Nuggets which will be a telling contest in terms to how far these Spurs must grow in order to be considered an elite squad.

Must see: Primal Twang on PBS

By Enrique Lopetegui
elopetegui@sacurrent.com



There's been documentaries on the history of the guitar before, but this one is different.

Bluegrass legend Dan Crary (also a member of supergroup Vato Valley Boys) hosts this journey into the history of the world's most popular instrument, in a show performed in 2006 at San Diego's Birch North Park Theatre.

Besides Crary, the many top guests include Austin instrumental virtuoso Eric Johnson, "Mr. Telecaster" himself Albert Lee, and country/bluegrass hero Doc Watson.

The monumental Anthony Leigh Adams-directed and Crary-written-and-produced film (which combines onstage narration, video, rare historical footage, and dynamite performances) is funny, entertaining, informative and, most importantly, highly enjoyable.

On PBS Saturday, December 5, at 8 pm, and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1 am.

Chaléwood No. 25: Amaury Nolasco

Amaury Nolasco - Armored

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

With his role as Fernando Sucre in the TV series Prison Break finally behind him, actor Amaury Nolasco, 38, is focusing all of his energy on his promising film career.

Nolasco, who is of Puerto Rican descent, has proven he can hold his own over the last five years with a number of roles in action movies, including 2 Fast 2 Furious, Street Kings and Transformers.

Now he can be seen in the action movie Armored, which stars Matt Dillon (Crash) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix). In the film, Nolasco plays Palmer, an armored truck security guard caught up in a $42-million heist with his coworkers.

Along with Armored, Nolasco just finished shooting The Rum Diary, a film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel of the same name.

During a phone interview with me, Nolasco talked about his roles in Armored and The Rum Diary, what he would consider the most sensitive thing about himself and what his “pact with the devil” has brought him in life.

It’s the end of the year, which usually means films vying for Oscar attention make their way into theaters. Do you see Armored as a nice break from all the dramas that we’ll see this month?

I’m actually proud that it’s coming out in December because it’s a really tough month. When they screen-tested Armored, ratings went through the roof so I think they are confident releasing it this month. It’s award season, of course, and we’re going to be getting these great movies and performances, but that’s not for everybody. There’s an audience out there that loves action-packed movies.

Tell us a bit about Palmer and what drew you to him as a character.

What drew me was how dark he is. He doesn’t say much, but his presence is there. He’s a guy that has had his encounters with the law and has spent his time in jail. He came out and found God and religion, but somehow finds himself with this proposition to steal $42 million and get away with it. It’s a dog-eat-dog movie where you see a lot of backstabbing and people picking sides.

We see you in a lot of manly roles in TV and film. What would you say is the most sensitive thing about you?

That’s a very good question. What am I sensitive about? I love kids – especially kids with disabilities. I haven’t had a chance to explore a role where I can show my sensitive side. Right now I am getting these manly roles, and you take those until other opportunities come up. Hopefully soon I can show a different range. I actually just finished a movie [The Rum Diary] with Johnny Depp. It’s a completely different movie [from what] I’m used to.

Tell us about your character in Rum Diary.

I play a guy named Segurra. He’s a suck-up who has money and is basically a shark. He’s one of those guys you don’t want next to you because he’ll suck your blood out.

Was this the first time you shot a film in your home country of Puerto Rico?

Yes, it was a beautiful experience. I left Puerto Rico 14 years ago to start a dream. To come back as a prodigal son with a movie of that caliber really gave me pride. The whole country embraced me. I was in the newspapers everyday next to Johnny Depp. (Laughs) That’s not a bad name to be mentioned with.

Your birthday is in a couple of weeks; you’ll turn 39 and then there will be one more year until the big 40. Is 40 a scary number for you or is it just another year?

(Laughs) Yeah, I got a whole year to think about it. If you were to ask me this question 20 years ago, I would have freaked out. At 20, I was thinking, in the next decade I’m going to have to get married and do all this stuff. But now, I’m not married, but I am in a serious relationship. I still have a lot of things I want to do and places I want to see. So, it’s all just an age. I still feel very young at heart. I don’t look my age because I have a pact with the devil. Life is how you live it. I try to live mine to the fullest.

Just in: FIFA World Cup final draw

By Enrique Lopetegui
elopetegui@sacurrent.com

The USA has a difficult but not impossible group in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in June in South Africa. The boys should be able to at least reach the second place and go to the second round, and they could even pass by becoming one of the best third places.

These are the groups:

Group A - South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France. (France is favorite only on paper and qualified by a handball; Mexico is tough anywhere, Uruguay unpredictable and South Africa the home team, which makes it hell for everybody else. Anything can happen here, but it's far from being 'the Group of Death').

Group B - Argentina, South Korea, Greece, Nigeria (My prediction: Nigeria and Argentina qualify, in that order... unless Messi wakes up and takes Argentina to the top).

Group C - England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia (England and USA, in that order but watch for the Algerians)

Group D - Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia (This is a tougher group than it seems; I go with Germany on top, followed by Ghana, but don't dismiss Australia).

Group E - Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark (Netherlands, easy)

Group F - Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia (Italy and Paraguay).

Group G - Brazil, North Korea, Portugal, Ivory Coast (Brazil and Ivory Coast, unless Ronaldo delivers and takes Portugal to the next round)

Group H - Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland (This is a tough group; Spain should win it, but Chile has a great team and Switzerland has improved a lot; I don't think Honduras has enough in this group)

Grammy nominations are back, and more irrelevant than ever

The Grammy nominees were announced today, and yeah, the choices are lame, and MTV doesn't play videos anymore and grocery-store shopping carts always have one wheel out of whack and airline food is substandard. But seriously, folks, last year's pretty decent list gave us false hope. I can remember reading a review for Trail of Dead's Century of Self that semi-seriously predicted "Fields of Coal" would be the next song to be performed at the Grammy Awards ceremony with USC marching band, a la Radiohead.

But nobody making Grammy nominations knows who Trail of Dead is. I'm starting to doubt they even listen to music. I understand the late-as-hell nods to luminaries like Dylan and Byrne (though no amount of accolades for their late-period works will ever make up for the fact that you were giving awards to Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow while these guys were writing history), but when you're seriously honoring Seal and the Pet Shop Boys in 2010, you should call it a day while you can still catch the early bird special in the sky.

It's almost to the point where winning a Grammy is a mild insult, like a "you no longer matter" certificate. These acts should probably start looking over their shoulders, then: Green Day, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Jason Mraz. Just kidding, Jason, you never mattered to anyone. An incomplete list is below. Go here for all the classical music and other boring shit.

Record Of The Year
"Halo," Beyoncé Knowles
"I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings Of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

Album Of The Year
I Am... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé
The E.N.D., The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame, Lady Gaga
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King, Dave Matthews Band
Fearless, Taylor Swift

Song Of The Year
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"Pretty Wings," Maxwell
"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Beyoncé
"Use Somebody," Kings Of Leon
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Hometown Glory, Adele
Halo, Beyoncé
Hot N Cold, Katy Perry
Sober, Pink
You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
This Time, John Legend
Love You, Maxwell
Make It Mine, Jason Mraz
If You Don't Know Me By Now, Seal
All About The Love Again, Stevie Wonder

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
I Gotta Feeling, The Black Eyed Peas
We Weren't Born To Follow, Bon Jovi
Never Say Never, The Fray
Sara Smile, Daryl Hall & John Oates
Kids, MGMT

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Sea Of Heartbreak, Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen
Love Sex Magic, Ciara & Justin Timberlake
Lucky, Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Baby, It's Cold Outside, Willie Nelson & Norah Jones
Breathe, Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Besame Mucho, Herb Alpert
Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck
The Fire, Imogen Heap
Phoenix Rise, Maxwell
Funk Joint, Marcus Miller

Best Pop Instrumental Album
In Boston, Chris Botti
Legacy, Hiroshima
Potato Hole, Booker T. Jones
Modern Art, The Rippingtons Featuring Russ Freeman
Down The Wire, Spyro Gyra

Best Pop Vocal Album
The E.N.D., The Black Eyed Peas
Breakthrough, Colbie Caillat
All I Ever Wanted, Kelly Clarkson
The Fray, The Fray
Funhouse, Pink

Best Dance Recording
Boom Boom Pow, The Black Eyed Peas
When Love Takes Over, David Guetta & Kelly Rowland
Poker Face, Lady Gaga
Celebration, Madonna
Womanizer, Britney Spears

Best Electronic/Dance Album
Divided By Night, The Crystal Method
One Love, David Guetta
The Fame, Lady Gaga
Party Rock, LMFAO
Yes, Pet Shop Boys

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
A Swingin' Christmas, Tony Bennett
Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden, Michael Bublé
Your Songs, Harry Connick, Jr.
Liza's At The Palace, Liza Minnelli
American Classic, Willie Nelson

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Beyond Here Lies Nothin', Bob Dylan
Change In The Weather, John Fogerty
Dreamer, Prince
Working On A Dream, Bruce Springsteen
Fork In The Road, Neil Young

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Can't Find My Way Home, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
Life In Technicolor II, Coldplay
21 Guns, Green Day
Use Somebody, Kings Of Leon
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, U2

Best Hard Rock Performance
War Machine, AC/DC
Check My Brain, In Chains
What I've Done, Linkin Park
The Unforgiven III, Metallica
Burn It To The Ground, Nickelback

Best Metal Performance
Dissident Aggressor, Judas Priest
Set To Fail, Lamb Of God
Head Crusher, Megadeth
Señor Peligro, Ministry
Hate Worldwide, Slayer

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
A Day In The Life, Jeff Beck
Warped Sister, Booker T. Jones
Playing With Fire, Brad Paisley
Mr. Surfer Goes Jazzin', Brian Setzer Orchestra
Now We Run, Steve Vai

Best Rock Song
The Fixer, Pearl Jam
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, U2
21 Guns, Green Day
Use Somebody, Kings Of Leon
Working On A Dream, Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Album
Black Ice, AC/DC
Live From Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
21st Century Breakdown, Green Day
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King, Dave Matthews Band
No Line On The Horizon, U2

Best Alternative Music Album
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, David Byrne & Brian Eno
The Open Door, Death Cab For Cutie
Sounds Of The Universe, Depeche Mode
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix
It's Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best Rap Solo Performance
Best I Ever Had, Drake
Beautiful, Eminem
D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune), Jay-Z
Day 'N' Nite, Kid Cudi
Casa Bey, Mos Def

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Too Many Rappers, Beastie Boys & Nas
Crack A Bottle, Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
Money Goes, Honey Stay, Fabolous & Jay-Z
Make Her Say, Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common
Amazing, Kanye West & Young Jeezy

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Ego, Beyoncé & Kanye West
Knock You Down, Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo
Run This Town, Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
I'm On A Boat, The Lonely Island & T-Pain
Dead And Gone, T.I. & Justin Timberlake

Best Rap Song
Best I Ever Had, Drake
Day 'N' Nite, Kid Cudi
Dead And Gone, T.I. & Justin Timberlake
D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
Run This Town, Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West

Best Rap Album
Universal Mind Control, Common
Relapse, Eminem
R.O.O.T.S., Flo Rida
The Ecstatic, Mos Def
The Renaissance, Q-Tip

The Auto-Tune controversy is anything but D.O.A.

Auto-Tune can serve as an additive or a crutch, but it has opened the floodgates for a relentless wave of untalented goons in the mainstream. The constant Auto-Tuning of vocals begets formulated, cookie-cutter artists made to appear talented, causing the mainstream to overflow with a mess of hopeful contenders engineered for a greater likelihood of success. The software doesn't guarantee artistic innovation or celebrity status (although the iPhone application "I Am T-Pain" doesn't hurt your chances), but when the talent is happenstance and the clock is ticking, Auto-Tune can serve as a great equalizer. 

The program is the brainchild of Dr. Andy Hildebrand, a former geophysics scientist who realized the significance of his work with autocorrelation (a mathematical process of interpreting the reflections of sound waves sent into the ground to locate potential drilling sites) while doing seismic data research for Exxon. He quit to take classes at Rice U in music composition, then founded his own company, Jupiter Systems (now Antares Audio Technologies), in 1990. The bestselling Auto-Tune software was given life in 1997 and has been a source of sound manipulation and vehement controversy ever since. 

Its popularity was epitomized with T-Pain's blatant use of a slower retune speed, nicknamed "The Cher Effect" for her 1998 hit "Believe," (disclaimer: listening to this whole song will make you punch your computer) which used Auto-Tune to create warbled, electronic vocals. T-Pain has used the effect as a mainstay on his tracks and was rewarded with a 2008 Grammy and four nominations in 2009. As is inevitable in pop culture, production teams loaded up the bandwagon and never looked back.

Different from a vocoder, which was originally developed as a means of speech encryption by synthesizing the voice's natural frequencies to produce an electronic recreation, Auto-Tune takes a recording and alters off-key notes by bending them into perfect pitch. The effects can be made discreetly to fix minor flaws or obviously to produce a robotic-sounding voice. A normally unimpressive vocalist has the ability to sing in perfect pitch. It is the impression of talent, bestowed by technology. Madonna, Daft Punk, Marilyn Manson, and Beck (to name a few) use a vocoder to add an electronic effect whereas, for example, Kanye West is notorious for Auto-Tuning during his foray into singing (especially in his most recent album 808s & Heartbreak).

Like many artists, Austinite Ter'ell Shahid of the funk-hop trio Neckbone is frustrated by Auto-Tuning habits, but more than anything he seems nostalgic for real sound. 

"When you can hear the depth of the [unaffected] voice, it makes you more attached to the music," he said. "Now you feel further from it, and you are. It's like being around a really pretty person, and you don't know why you're not attracted to them.

"I pray that it's a fad," he continued. "We're using our music as a platform to say that we're okay with you guys having the clown stuff, but don't alienate or exclude the hardcore artists who don't," said Shahid. "There's so much crutching. So much is restricted in the spotlight."

Trends of the Auto-Tune debate have culminated in whether Auto-Tune is progressive or detrimental to the industry. Media have picked up the issue and put it back down again, unable to do much more than either celebrate the ambition and realization of modern technology, invoke conspiracies about the mainstream (guilty), and/or lament the loss of artistic integrity (also guilty).

"Today, any kid with a computer can make music. It totally opens up the music world, but at the same time just waters everything down and makes the overall product less desirable," said vocalist Danny Gibbons of local alt folk-rock group Our Sleeping Giant, together since Gibbons transitioned from a three year-old solo performance to a group effort in February 2009. Together with bassist Jordan Williams, Gibbons produces all of OSG's recordings and asserts that although pro-tools are used, Auto-Tune is not involved in the process. Like Shahid, Gibbons is unmistakably reminiscent for passé production methods.

"I wish I was alive in the early 70s when everything was still analog," said Gibbons. "There's something missing and something to be desired for the warm [analog] recordings."

Boxes of Auto-Tune software are set ablaze in the video for Jay-Z's hit song "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" as he proclaims the end of the era of pitch correction. Seemingly born of general frustration for the industry and his peers, the rapper's assertions were preemptive. Despite allegations of overexposure, kitsch, and undermined credibility, Auto-Tune remains an industry constant. Online copies of the software level the playing field, giving Joe Average power over a previously well-kept industry secret.

The fad is not genre-specific. Rap music has been a major player in the Auto-Tuning game, but shamelessly warbled vocals are perhaps less offensive than backdoor tactics disguising less impressive performances. Many well-known artists have used Auto-Tune over the years to discreetly iron out inconsistencies without adding obvious T-Pain-esque electronic effects (Maroon 5, Garth Brooks, Natasha Bedingfield, Uncle Kracker, Britney Spears, the Dixie Chicks, New Found Glory, Rascal Flatts, etc. The list goes on and on). If you know what to listen for, it can be detected. If not, you'd probably never know that the majority of vocals have been at least slightly corrected for radio play. The taboo of Auto-Tune is highlighted by this type of corrective 'cheating,' as opposed to those who use it as an additive stylistic tool.

"The music industry is saturated with artists that go with the popular trends to be heard," said San Antonio-based Etheric Music's Jennifer Chavez, manager of Neckbone. "The days of having to really sing are long gone."

When asked if he thinks his software is evil, Hildebrand didn't falter. "My wife wears makeup, is that evil?" (sic). Sports have long been plagued by players' use of anabolic steroids, blurring the line between true athletic ability and those desperately juicing to compete. Fashion media use technology to airbrush photos, and the taboo of plastic surgery has practically dissipated.

The analogies aren't exact but the deception is comparable. Nobody believes T-Pain actually has a robot voice, but the average untrained ear isn't likely to recognize carefully corrected pitches. And why should it? Mainstream radio is the music lifeline of an unassuming population operating without the desperate need to fine-tune a personal playlist of preferences. To regulate the software would be unfathomable, so those in opposition must learn to detect its use and tastefulness in discerning an artist's validity. Then again, you'd be hard-pressed to find many people willing to exert such an effort when it's so easy not to. 

Corrective software may be a quick business fix, but where does it put us in the long run? Artistically and financially bankrupt when the novelty wears off and no real talent has been invested in. Whether a moral debate, a question of taste, or just a passing fad, Auto-Tune is unlikely to cause the complete vacuum for good music. Every popular artist isn't actually industry-engineered robot yet, even if a lot of them sound like it.

"The [Auto-Tune] facade creates new artists who feel like this is what they need to do. You can't sing on the radio if you don't synthesize your voice," said Shahid of Neckbone. "That's pop culture: the definition of what well-produced music 'should' sound like. It's pretty boring. The music industry is business people trying to run art without any artistic knowledge and it's very counter-productive."

South by Southwest names some bands

Austin's South by Southwest music/everything else in the world fest announced a partial list of bands scheduled for showcases in March. The names range from Brooklyn's Aa to Argentina's Zona Tango, but so far not one San Antonio artist. WTF SXSW?

Who deserves to go; who has submitted their stuff to South By and hasn't heard back yet? Let us know in the comments below. The most exciting acts named so far are probably Acid Mothers Temple (in the kick-ass video above), the db's, Frightened Rabbit, and Smif N Wessun. Not bad, but not exactly thrilling, as far as I'm concerned, but check out the list below and decide for yourself.

Anybody heard any good rumors yet?

Aa (Brooklyn NY)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO (Osaka JAPAN)
A Classic Education (Bologna ITALY)
Alpha Rev (Austin TX)
Amaral (Madrid SPAIN)
And So I Watch You From Afar (Belfast IRELAND)
Apostle of Hustle (Toronto ON)
Arms (Brooklyn NY)
Ólöf Arnalds (Reykjavik ICELAND)
Art vs Science (Surry Hills AUSTRALIA)
A Shoreline Dream (Denver CO)
Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea (Asbury Park NJ)
Autumn Owls (Dublin IRELAND)
Bare Wires (Oakland CA)
Julian Berntzen (Bergen NORWAY)
Best Fwends (Austin TX)
The Black (Austin TX)
The Black Atlantic (Groningen THE NETHERLANDS)
Dan Black (Paris FRANCE)
Black Tide (Miami FL)
Bliss N Eso (Albert Park VIC)
Boom Boom Satellites (JAPAN)
The Boxer Rebellion (London UK-ENGLAND)
Break of Reality (New York NY)
B-Real of Cypress Hill (Los Angeles CA)
Broadway Calls (Rainer OR)
Broken Records (Edinburgh UK-SCOTLAND)
VV BROWN (London UK-ENGLAND)
The Brunettes (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Buckshot (Brooklyn NY)
Canja Rave (Porto Alegre BRAZIL)
Capsula (Bilbao SPAIN)
Carsick Cars (Beijing CHINA)
Caucus (Tokyo JAPAN)
The Chevelles (Melville WA)
Chew Lips (London UK-ENGLAND)
Suzanna Choffel (Austin TX)
Chris T-T (Brighton UK-ENGLAND)
C-Mon & Kypski (THE NETHERLANDS)
The Coathangers (Atlanta GA)
Simon Collins (Victoria BC)
The Constellations (Atlanta GA)
Contra Coup (Austin TX)
Cotton Jones (Cumberland MD)
The Crystal Method (Los Angeles CA)
David Dallas (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Dappled Cities (Sydney AUSTRALIA)
Daveman (Berlin GERMANY)
The Daylights (Los Angeles CA)
The dB's (Chapel Hill NC)
Dead Sexy Inc (Paris FRANCE)
The Deaf (The Hague THE NETHERLANDS)
Deer Tick (Providence RI)
Delhi 2 Dublin (Vancouver BC)
Paul Dempsey (from "Something for Kate") (Melbourne VIC)
Diplomats of Solid Sound (Iowa City IA)
DJ Car Stereo (Wars) (Austin TX)
DJ Evil Dee (Brooklyn NY)
DJ Revolution (Los Angeles CA)
Daniel Francis Doyle (Austin TX)
Adiam Dymott (Goteborg SWEDEN)
The 88 (Los Angeles CA)
Electric Electric (Strasbourg FRANCE)
Val Emmich (Jersey City NJ)
Eternia (Toronto ON)
Everything Everything (Manchester UK-WALES)
Fanfarlo (London UK-ENGLAND)
Michael Feinberg (New York NY)
Fergus & Geronimo (Westway TX)
Fighting With Wire (Derry IRELAND)
FINALE (Detroit MI)
Floating Action (Asheville NC)
Francis (Borlange SWEDEN)
Robert Francis (Los Angeles CA)
Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk UK-SCOTLAND)
The Funeral Pyre (Los Angeles CA)
The Ganjas (Santiago CHILE)
Geeks (Tokyo JAPAN)
Gerald G (Austin TX)
Colin Gilmore (Austin TX)
Giulia y los Tellarini (Barcelona SPAIN)
Rosi Golan (New York NY)
Gong Myoung (Seoul KOREA)
Goober and the Peas (Detroit MI)
Good Shoes (London UK-ENGLAND)
Guitar Shorty (Harlingen TX)
Ha Ha Tonka (Springfield MO)
Halves (Dublin IRELAND)
Darren Hanlon (Sydney AUSTRALIA)
Harlem (Austin TX)
Headdress (Austin TX)
Hey Colossus (London UK-ENGLAND)
Robyn Hitchcock (London CA)
Hot Panda (Edmonton AB)
The Hounds Below (Detroit MI)
I Fight Dragons (Chicago IL)
The Intelligence (Seattle WA)
Ivan & Alyosha (Seattle WA)
Japandroids (Vancouver BC)
Jazz One (Austin TX)
Stephen Jerzak (La Crosse WI)
John Dear Mowing Club (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
The Jim Jones Revue (London UK-ENGLAND)
Jookabox (Indianapolis IN)
Julia Says (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Karnivool (Perth AUSTRALIA)
Kartick & Gotam (Chennai INDIA)
Kidz In Space (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Kidz In The Hall (Chicago IL)
Kingston (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Maurice Kirya (Kampala ZIMBABWE)
The Kissaway Trail (Odense DENMARK)
L.A.B. (Novo Hamburgo BRAZIL)
The Law (Dundee UK-SCOTLAND)
Vander Lee (Belo Horizonte BRAZIL)
Unni Lovlid (Oslo NORWAY)
Lowood (Stockholm SWEDEN)
Audra Mae (Los Angeles CA)
Malente (Essen GERMANY)
Natalia Mallo (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Mantles (San Francisco CA)
Julia Marcell (Berlin GERMANY)
Marco Polo & Torae (Brooklyn NY)
Mariachi El Bronx (Los Angeles CA)
Carolyn Mark (Victoria BC)
Maruosa (Tokyo JAPAN)
MegaRex (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
The Middle East (Townsville AUSTRALIA)
Middle Finger Salute (Blackburn UK-ENGLAND)
Miniature Tigers (Phoenix AZ)
Mixtapes & Cellmates (Stockholm SWEDEN)
Monarchs (Austin TX)
Michael Monroe (Helsinki FINLAND)
PJ Morton (Conyers GA)
Mountain Man (Bennington VT)
Movits! (Lulea SWEDEN)
Moxine (Sao Paulo BRAZIL)
Mr Sicc (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Mumiy Troll (Los Angeles CA)
My Dad is Dead (Chapel Hill NC)
Nailpin (Boom BELGIUM)
Nakia & His Southern Cousins (Austin TX)
NiCad (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
9th Wonder (Raleigh-Durham NC)
The Novas (Dallas TX)
Jackie Oates (Exeter UK-ENGLAND)
of Verona (Mandi Perkins) (Los Angeles CA)
One Night Only (Helmsley UK-ENGLAND)
1001 Nights Orchestra (Austin TX)
The Pack A.D. (Vancouver BC)
Paleo (Brooklyn NY)
:papercutz (Porto PORTUGAL)
Parlovr (Montreal QC)
Past Lives (Seattle WA)
The Peelies (Montreal QC)
Julie Peel (Montreal QC)
Peter Wolf Crier (Minneapolis MN)
Pink Nasty (Austin TX)
Pivot (UK) (UK-ENGLAND)
P.K. 14 (Beijing CHINA)
Plants and Animals (Montreal QC)
Please The Trees (Prague CZECH REPUBLIC)
Steve Poltz (San Diego CA)
Andy Pratt (Amesbury MA)
Sean Price (Brooklyn NY)
Princeton (Eagle Rock CA)
Profetas (COLOMBIA)
Psalm One (Chicago IL)
Quantic and his Combo Barbaro (Cali COLOMBIA)
Random Axe (Brooklyn NY)
Rebelle (Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS)
Red Mass (Montreal QC)
Tommy Reilly (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Riverboat Gamblers (Austin TX)
The River Raid (Recife BRAZIL)
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (Brooklyn NY)
Brisa Roche (Paris FRANCE)
Rock of Heltah Skeltah (Brooklyn NY)
Rogues (London UK-ENGLAND)
Ruste Juxx (Brooklyn NY)
San Saba County (Austin TX)
Scanners (London UK-ENGLAND)
Kate Schutt (Guelph ON)
Serious Sam Barrett (Leeds UK-ENGLAND)
Shit And Shine (London UK-ENGLAND)
Sixteen Deluxe (Austin TX)
Skyzoo (Brooklyn NY)
Small Black (Brooklyn NY)
Smif N Wessun (Brooklyn NY)
Smoosh (Seattle WA)
So Cow (Tuam IRELAND)
Solid Gold (Minneapolis MN)
Soulico (Tel Aviv ISRAEL)
So What (The Hague THE NETHERLANDS)
The Spring Standards (New York NY)
Sabrina Starke (Amsterdam THE NETHERLANDS)
Steel Train (Teaneck NJ)
StereoHeroes (Les Gorguettes FRANCE)
Surrounded (Malmo SWEDEN)
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter (Seattle WA)
M. Takara 3 (Guarulhos BRAZIL)
Team Facelift (New York NY)
Thunder Power (Omaha NE)
Timber Timbre (Toronto ON)
Todd (London UK-ENGLAND)
Marques Toliver (London UK-ENGLAND)
Toolshed (London ON)
Trembling Bells (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Trespassers William (Seattle WA)
Twin Atlantic (Glasgow UK-SCOTLAND)
Two Star Symphony (Houston TX)
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights (Dallas TX)
The Uglysuit (Oklahoma City OK)
Uncle Lucius (Austin TX)
The View (Dundee UK-SCOTLAND)
Volovan (Monterrey MEXICO)
Waco Brothers (Chicago IL)
Miho Wada (Auckland NEW ZEALAND)
Warpaint (Los Angeles CA)
Wave Machines (Liverpool UK-ENGLAND)
The Wave Pictures (London UK-ENGLAND)
We Are Scientists (New York NY)
We Are Wolves (Montreal QC)
Withered (Atlanta GA)
Wolf Gang (London UK-ENGLAND)
Woot (The Haque THE NETHERLANDS)
XV (Wichita KS)
The Yellow Dogs (Tehran IRAN)
YellowFever (Austin TX)
Zlam Dunk (San Marcos TX)
Zona Tango (Buenos Aires ARGENTINA)