TCB
Music news
By Christopher Gray, Fri., Nov. 18, 2005
Smells Like Money
Before his late-night La Zona Rosa set, Dave Chappelle name-checked Mike Jones, Kanye West, and Snoop Dogg, as well as el chupacabra, OJ, and crystal meth at his uproarious Frank Erwin Center stop last Sunday, but he spent much of the hour on another topic. "Do gynecologists get in trouble for smelling their fingers during an exam?" he wondered. When not explaining the ins and outs of "ninja-style" masturbation, Chappelle also noticed the bountiful gifts of some of his fans: "Whoever said everything's bigger in Texas must've meant titties."Crunchy Frogs
In late 1985, in the dorms of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, a band that would define Austin power-pop for at least a decade was taking shape as a jibe at the pervasive Greek culture on campus. Undergrads Hunter Darby and Michael Comiskey, both looking for something more than a steady diet of Cars covers, booked themselves into an anti-nukes benefit called "Frog Follies" as the MadonnaWannabes, later shortened to just the Wannabes. "The main thing was to get back at this frat band called the Skam," says Comiskey, who now lives in Seattle but will rejoin the Wannabes Friday night at the Hole in the Wall for a double bill with also-reuniting Nineties alt-needlers Sincola. The Wannabes debuted with a hastily assembled set that included Tom Petty's "I Need to Know," a rewrite of Madonna's "Material Girl," and the cryptic tale of a giant beetle, "The Scarab." The early version of the band went through numerous personnel changes – including future Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, who was set to join before moving to San Marcos – and all sorts of alcohol-fueled debauchery before moving to Austin in 1987. Darby and Comiskey were both fans of local groups Doctor's Mob, Zeitgeist, and the True Believers, and it was the latter that got a rude awakening on his first night in town. "I went to a party at [Wild Seeds frontman and future Texas Monthly staffer] Mike Hall's house," says Darby, "and he told me, 'The scene's already dead.'" People have been saying that ever since.Witchcraft & Wizardry
After learning the songs that same day, Javelin Boot and Diamond Smugglers drummer David Mider filled in for Sheryl Crow's stickman last weekend at a local house party. Meanwhile, former West Mall troubadour Davíd Garza just got tapped to open Fiona Apple's fall tour. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that sound check.Local label Glurp! and Encore Video are relocating, but only one to Seattle. Guess which one? That would be the present home of Li'l Cap'n Travis and Grand Champeen, heading off to the Emerald City after owner Eric Zappa's employer was bought out by Microsoft. The Cap'n and the Peen, plus the Deathray Davies, send Zappa and wife Jennie off in style Dec. 9 at Emo's. Encore, meanwhile, is just going down the street a bit: from Burnet and 183 to 1745 W. Anderson Ln., between Burnet and Lamar.
Single of the Month Club: Try "Do the Hippogriff" by the Weird Sisters, whom Quidditch afficionados will recognize as Hogwarts' house band in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. A sloppier cousin to either "Pump It Up" or "Dancing With Myself," it's not half bad – and shouldn't be, considering the Sisters include fop supreme Jarvis Cocker and two-fifths of Radiohead. Could change what people mean when they talk about musicians "waving their wands."
Happy anniversary to Casino el Camino, celebrating 11 years of stiff drinks and tasty burgers this Wednesday. The Sons of Hercules, with Casino himself on bass, headline the free show, with DJ Hucklebuck in the booth and budget-friendly drink specials. English adoptees Nic Armstrong & the Thieves, officially halfway through their quest to play every room in town, open up at 10pm.
After a gangbusters Threadgill's date earlier this month, Roky Erickson & the Explosives hit the Saxon this Friday for KGSR's Lone Star State of Mind. Showtime is 10pm; tickets are $15. Veteran axeman Van Wilks takes the midnight slot to release his new CD, Running From Ghosts.
Beyond Borders
From the top floor of a generic glass minitower at Oltorf and I-35, with a gorgeous view of downtown, a Latin radio empire is in full flower. What looks like an old (but good-sized) doctor's office is now the Austin branch of Border Media Partners, home base for five local Spanish stations and, Al Franken fans take note, Air America affiliate KOKE.Also crammed into various rooms, some no bigger than a supply closet, are the dual frequency 92.5FM/1560AM, which recently switched from "SuperTejano" to the more wide-ranging Mexican oldies "La Lupe"; Spanish news and talk 1440AM; Norteño 1490AM, home to a solid hour of beloved Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez every day at noon; and Border's current crown jewels, Spanish pop powerhouse Digital 104.9FM and 98.9FM, "La Ley," a hodgepodge of "Regional Mexican" – i.e., less pop-oriented – styles like cumbia, banda, conjunto, and Tejano. Though Austin no longer has a full-time Tejano station, key artists like David Lee Garza get regular spins on several Border stations.
While Anglos continue to desert or ignore radio in droves, its Latin counterpart is experiencing unprecedented growth. Houston-based Border entered the Austin market a little more than a year ago, fine-tuned its stations' formats, and almost immediately saw dividends. In the summer ratings period, Digital increased its listening shares by 71% over the spring, and La Ley is now No. 1 in Austin for total listeners between the advertiser-coveted ages of 18 and 35. As the numbers suggest, radio is a much more vital resource within the Latino community.
"The media in general, specifically radio, plays a big part in the acculturation process of people who come here from other countries," says Digital 104.9 program director David Ríos. "Radio helps them keep in touch with their roots and what's going on within their community."
And the community reciprocates: Ríos says a post-Katrina donation drive yielded $35,000 in cash and several trucks' worth of supplies despite only two days of promotion. Musically, the stations' connection with their listeners means reliable crowds both for remotes at local clubs and, increasingly, big-ticket shows like this month's Luis Miguel appearance at the Erwin Center. While Austin has long been a reliable draw for regional Mexican artists, Digital, which plays some reggaeton and rock en Español alongside pop titans Shakira, Thalía, and Juanes, has opened a pipeline that has allowed both alt-rockers like Café Tacuba and Molotov and superstars like Miguel and Kabah (pictured) to play for packed local houses. "These are shows," notes Ríos, "that prior to a good FM pop station, Digital, they really weren't happening."
