Violitionist

Gutterth has had quite a run these past few years – issuing numerous local releases (New Science Projects, Daniel Folmer, Nervous Curtains, Dear Human), being nominated for The Dallas Observer Best Local Music Advocates and Best Podcast and for hosting numerous Episodes of live shows featuring bands they think you should hear.

All the while they’ve been collecting interviews and recordings and coding a new website which launches today:Violitionist.com. 

As the website explains:

"The Violitionist Sessions are 3 questions and 3 songs with bands from Denton and bands passing through Denton, recorded in a home in the best music city in the country. The sessions are all recorded live with no overdubs and no fancy tricks.
The goal is to document a moment in time. This is what happened in Denton, Texas."

That last sentence is the reason We Denton Do It and Violitionist will be teaming up to present to you, the most original content from local and national acts ever to come out of our tiny corner of the world.

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So in honor of Seryn's This is Where We Are releasing today (buy the record at Spune.com) and the launch of Violitionist -- we're offering some Mp3's plus a video of what you should be expecting in the future.

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Calhoun

Answering invitations from music industry executives, Calhoun visited New York City last Thursday to play two shows – the first at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and then Arlene's Grocery in Manhattan. I was able to speak with Tim Locke (lead vocals, guitar) and Jordan Roberts (keys, guitar) after their show at Arlene's Grocery in the Lower East Side.

 WDDI: What brings y'all to New York for these two shows? It's not part of a tour, it just the two shows at Knitting Factory and then Arlene's. What's the occasion?

Tim: We came to play for some people that liked the record. We sent it to one label and, we've only sent it to one label so far, and they liked it so we came up to play for them and a couple other people that liked the record too and we hadn't played New York in awhile and it just sounded like a good idea, fun.

Jordan: Ya, just to come up here and meet a few people and play for label types and various other industry types like booking agents and stuff like that so that's what these shows were about - just to come up and do that and then also to get out of town for a little bit as well. So it just kinda worked out.

Tim: Ya, you can't play Lola's every night.

WDDI: There was an article about a new entertainment law firm from Nashville opening a new location in Fort Worth and they mentioned y'all.

Tim: We played a show in Nashville a couple months ago and we got a great lawyer and he's been doing a great job for us, so he set up a lot of this stuff for us.

Jordan: We've been with him now, not officially with him, for I guess almost a month and he's really worked hard to hook us up with a lot of really cool things so we're just continuing to go where, we just do what he says, he says, “Go here. Do this.” and we say, 'Yessir. Aye, aye, captain.'

WDDI: How does it feel being scouted by label types, the booking types, the lawyers and all that? Does this change anything for y'all?

Tim: Not really, it's really nice to have people like the record because we haven't put it out yet.

WDDI: This is the new one, not “Falter Weave Cultivate.”

Tim: Right, this is the new album that nobody's heard yet, so it's good to have people like it because you get so far inside that you can't tell. I listen to it a lot and I like it, but you don't know if anybody else is. So people, industry-wise, have really responded to it really well and it's what we want to do for a living - we're looking for people who can help us perpetuate that.

WDDI: The new record. Is it more like Coma Rally and Dead City Radio or is it less like it?

Tim: I think it's the most focused record that I've ever done in my life. Jordan and I wrote all the songs in his apartment pretty much, we wrote everything together this time and it was just me and him. Toby and Nolan helped us produce it. And then, we didn't really have band because we quit and they were nice enough to come help us and now it's turned into a band. It's the most fun I've ever had, it really is.

WDDI: How is playing in New York different from Fort Worth? Is it more similar or more different?

Tim: New York is the ultimate destination of a nice place to visit. I love coming here and playing here, but everything you have to do to just get around the city and be on time or have an agenda here is very challenging. And I've never been happier to play than when I play here, when I get onstage that's when I can breathe.

Jordan: But all the leading up to it, getting here, getting your gear, making sure you have the right backline. Getting here is a whip.

Tim: That's the nice thing about here is they always have backline gear so you can fly up and do a show and not bring everything. No one in Texas really does that to where you have everything ready for you. So that's why you come here.

Jordan: Ya, a lot of clubs could learn a lesson from that all around the nation. Just having backline gear would be nice.

WDDI: My last question is, where from here? After New York? What's the plan going forward?

Jordan: Europe.

Tim: We're going to Europe and then put the record out and just see what happens. Play.

Jordan: We'll do a couple weeks in Europe and see what happens with the interest level of the people who came out, gauge that, and take it day by day - just see what happens from here.

-- by Drew Brown

Calhoun - Deal Breaker

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Rachel Nichelson of Madeline Wood

Photographs by Stanton Stevens

This is a short interview with my good friend and local fashion designer

Rachel Nichelson. I asked her a few questions while I was ironing and I

hope I'm not miss-quoting her. Side note, I also do all my sewing at her

studio.

--Christiana Shoto

Christina

Shoto: So Rachel, tell me a little about your line, your life, fashion,

trends, the future; oh, and some life advice... cool?

Rachel Nichelson: Sure!. Started my line in 2005, a year after graduating from

the University of North Texas with a BFA in Fashion Design.  Over the

years my little line has grown and developed.  I love designing new

collections and always aim to create better designs and fresh looks.  I

am in love right now with my Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

CS: Trends you are into right now?

RN: Tights worn with Shorts. Simple, but love it! Also I really like Sperry Topsiders and would love to have a vintage pair.

CS: What can’t you live without?  

RN: Cardigans and really good fitting jeans. Which is basically my uniform.

CS: What do you take from vintage?

RN:

Details and elements of a piece vs a literal copy of a garment, for

example I love the 20s and like to use the pleating details and dropped

waist lines in my designs, but I give them a modern fresh touch with

fabric and the way the garment

fit

.

CS: Your line is produced in the US. Why?

RN:

There is something to be said about knowing who is making your clothes

and the conditions they are working in...peace of mind you know?  My

process is simple.  I make all my patterns, samples, source all my

fabrics and trims, made my website, represent myself to buyers. You get

the Idea?  I use a pattern maker for my grading(sizing of garments) and I

contract to a local cutter and garment makers for large orders.

CS: Notable quote?

RN: cool people inspire me... :) my friends.  

Some of Nichelson's other inspirations:

I have been looking a lot at N.E.E.T. magazine lately. And its blog.

I also love to look at Design Sponge.  I love everything, especially the recipe page... love the photos of food!

Like to read Readymade

Love this blog, for crafts to do with my little kidlin's: Growing Up Creative

My line, Madeline Wood.

I am always searching for fashion/life style/creative blogs, or websites

and discovering new places of inspiration.  Movies too!  Is this too

much?  I could just go on and on...

"Just because someone doesn't like it doesn't mean that someone else wont love it!" - Rachel Nichelson

Styled by Christina Shoto and Rachel Nichelson

MakeUp by Cierra Geer

Hair by Christina Shoto

Models: Kirby Sandifer & Jessi James Photographs by Stanton Stevens

Seryn

It wasn't long ago that I was packed into a crowded house over on Ponder Street listening in on this band's first performance. Their potential was obvious even then, and though I still find myself crowding into sweaty houses to catch their shows, it is not the same band I heard two years ago. These five may have started as the Denton house show flavor of the week, but it is clear now, they have grown into truly professional musicians.