I just got a free pass to South by Southwest cuz of the radio show
I was wondering if anyone from Denton was playing I was thinking of maybe tagging along and doing a little audio documentary kinda thing for my show
Paul Slavens posted this on Dentonrockcity.com at 1:24 a.m. Thursday.
It's a little early in the morning to be networking, but it's just like Paul Slavens to be connected at all hours.
"It's a critical idea I had that has paid off the most," Slavens said, who logs on to the "bored" at least a dozen times a day.
Slavens encourages others to try and get involved with other people's creative ideas.
"Your own stuff will benefit a hundred fold," he said.
Ten years ago, Slavens was around to see the music scene on Fry street dry up.
"If you wanted to see live bands or hang out and listen to music, Fry Street was where you did it," Slaven said. "Now most of what's really happening is from the courthouse east to Rubber Gloves."
But the changes haven't fazed Slavens, who seems to be riding the waves.
"It is kind of a fun time to be in Denton. There are lots of obscure acts and they are in close contact with each other," he said.
Slavens credits the message bored for introducing him to the younger musicians.
"It's been handy," Slavens said. "Bands in Denton are so cross - pollinated, one person will be in three different bands."
Twenty years older than most of the people playing in bands around Denton, Slavens tries to reconnect with the younger crowd every few years.
"I don't feel people reach out to other age groups enough," he said. "There are older musicians who should be known and respected by the younger members of the community. And it's the responsibility of the older members to stay connected to the younger, vital, creative group of musicians."
That's the message Slavens is sending out to "open-minded inquisitive people of all ages" with the music he plays on his radio show on 90.1 KERA.
"What I'm trying to do is not entertain, but to expose and challenge people with music, Slavens said. "You aren't going to like everything you hear, but it's going to broaden your mind."
With Slavens leading the way, "you'll go on an adventure."
Bamnan and Slivercork was recorded in the living room of Midlake's house on Oak Street and mixed at London's Abbey Road studios after the band signed with the Denton-obsessed British label Bella Union, owned by former Cocteau Twins Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie. The album has gained fans the world over including actor Jason Lee who camped out in Denton for a week to direct the video for recent single "Balloon Maker." The album is a compelling mix of fuzzy, quirky psych- pop songs that toe the line between melodic sweetness, rainy day melancholy and lilting campfire Americana in the tradition of Granddaddy's seminal Sophtware Slump.
-Aaron Teel
Bamnan and Slivercork is available at Seasick Records in Denton and Good Records in Dallas.
Spring Break
