Kim Buchanan
hONEyhoUSe has hit the BiGtiMe.
Even though I officially gave up on Rolling Stone years ago after reading through a Britney Spears review that in my opinion was so obviously bought and paid for I could never trust the publication ever again (also note that this was the day I vowed to never write anything without a run-on sentence to kick things off), congratulations are definitely in order for a few local acts that recently appeared on its radar.
The online iteration of the long-running music mag named acts such as desert indie-rockers The Strange, and the very soulful hONEyhoUSe as bands from our fair state to watch. Even if you’re as cynical about the scene as I am, there’s no denying that a ton of people will be reading this post and maybe checking our locals out. No, I don’t think any vacations will be planned around these bands, but it sure doesn’t hurt anything.
Local promoter Chris Quintana has hit the ground running since his unfortunate dismissal from the bar he helped put on the map, The Underground. Quintana now runs Thursday nights at downtown drink zone, El Paseo (208 Galisteo St., 992-2848) and, with a knack for variety and a passion for making nightlife worthwhile, he’s created Higher Ground Thursdays. The event has been slaying for some time now, but with a recent appearance from Seattle garage-rockers Antique Scream, and an upcoming performance from Portland folky blues champs Leonhardt, Quintana has once again proven that he’s got the skills and the passion to bring us real-life bands. Oh, there’ll be DJs, too, so nobody get freaked out about having to watch someone play an actual instrument.
Meanwhile, across the Railyard at Warehouse 21, a brand new band comprised of twins, Adam and David Malczewski debuted their new two-piece band, Fallen Design. Was it the best performance of all time? No, but these siblings definitely expand upon the Black Keys/White Stripes formula by adding a dash of pop-punk, and actually being pretty damn awesome. Potential is the name of the game as the Malczewski brothers raised the bar for not only youth music in Santa Fe, but for debut shows period.
On top of that, Seattle’s Darto practically changed music forever with their ethereal and mathy indie-noise compositions in front of a small handful of people. Think about two things here, folks, (especially teens) if you can’t start checking out shows in unconventional ways (read, not drunk and in the same damn places every time), unconventional venues doing unconventional things might not be there tomorrow, and then everyone loses. Can I say “unconventional” again? You bet.
Further adding to W21’s corner is local attorney Talia Kosh and her November summit on all things music in Santa Fe. For two glorious days, Kosh and her totally awesome New Mexico Lawyers for the Arts organization will take over the teen center to provide panels and discussions on anything from navigating contracts, upping musical sustainability, to promotional strategy and more. Still in the planning stages, the summit will serve to finally confront and tinker with many of the issues we all bitch about but never actually do anything about. Check it out at nmlawyersforthearts.org, and remember it’s not just for kids.
Santa Fe Sol is back in the crosshairs as many local musicians square off against the venue in a particularly cantankerous Facebook thread. According to Angela Gabriel of rock duo Hidden Whale, the two-piece signed a contract all the way back in April, but were told just one day prior that their event would be canceled to accommodate a private birthday party, and that no such contract actually existed. This, alongside the ridiculous mid-show cancellation of that killer Cannabis Corpse/Decrepit Birth show a few months back, has gone a long way to sully a once-great venue’s reputation. Attempts to contact the club yielded no response, but if the management at Sol are wise, they might think about treating the musicians better; it’s already a drag heading all the way out there. That said, shit happens and though unfortunate, it’s hardly the end of the world.
What else are you music types up to lately? Get at me and lemme know.
