Latin New Wave: Films from Latin America

Starting on Thursday, April 30 and running until Sunday, May 3 the Latin Wave film festival unrolls at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Most of the films will feature Q&A's with writers or directors of the respective films. Thursday night includes a Latin-themed kick-off party at the museum's Cullen Sculpture Garden from 9 to 11.
The eight features includes movies from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, Chile and Peru, along with the first fiction film to be produced in Panama. (continued)

Peter Brötzmann/ Nasheet Waits/ Eric Revis tonight at Talento Bilingue de Houston

European noise-jazz improviser Peter Brotzmann closes Nameless Sound's clutch season tonight at Talento Bilingue de Houston. Shredding on both clarinet and saxophone, Brotzmann is joined by fellow monsters Nasheet Waits on drums and San Antonio's Grammy Winning Eric Revis on bass. These guys build a visceral collective soundscape that is rooted in jazz but imropovises in every direction. Nameless Sound continues to present shows that make you realize that you know NOTHING about music and this is one not to be missed. Unless you want to stay ignorant.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 8pm
TBH Theater (Talento Bilingue de Houston)
333 S. Jensen Dr., Houston, Texas

$13 general / $10 for students; everyone under 18 gets in for free

Deadbolt @ Rudz Tonite

80's Surf-Goth bastards play Rudz tonight. Often featuring 2 bass players. Deadbolt call themselves the 'Scariest band in the World'. I am gonna go to Rudz, have some fish and chips, and snuggle up with bartender Dustin beneath the men's toilet downstairs as I have had this dream for some time now. Except in my dream I had the Rudz-burger but I have been eating too much red meat.

A/V Swap Poster Contest

Due Date May 27th, 2009

Enter your design for a chance to be the face of the A/V Swap, a film/audio collaborative swap during the summer of 2009.

Images should be 11 x 17 and vector based. Don’t hold anything back; we want to see forward thinking graphic design!

Submit your design by Wednesday, May 27th to sean [at] theavswap.com. Please attach a 10 KB image.

Win free tickets to A/V Swap events, entrance for 2 to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and 2 free passes to a film at the River Oaks Theatre.

Dave Baldwin II Press Conference 2009

"May 6th, 2007 was the date David Alan Baldwin II died in a hit and run accident at the corner of Richmond and Woodhead in Houston. The person(s) who hit him never stopped to render aid, and fled the scene. They have yet to be apprehended. The case is ongoing.

Last month I contacted Crime Stoppers of Houston again, asking if they will please help me bring this case back into the spotlight. They agreed and are going to run more ads, and we're trying to organize another Press Conference for MAY 9th 2009. If you can attend, I would like to know asap so I can pass that along to Crime Stoppers. If no one shows, then there will be no Press Conference, no Media, no results!

The meeting will be in the parking lot of La Tapatia at Richmond and Woodhead. If you were there in 2007, it's the same location again."

DATE: MAY 9, 2009
PLACE: RICHMOND AVE & WOODHEAD ST, HOUSTON, TX

Crime Stoppers is still offering up to $5000.00, and I have raised $1000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you. Please don't forget Dave.

Regards,
Omar Lyle
admin@helpdavidbaldwin.com

But it's FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Shat-urday! Shat-urday!

The Tontons/Tyagaraja @ Dean's Credit Clothing ($8)

Caddywhompus/Elaine Greer @ Mango's (8$)

Sputnik Declassified @ Aurora Picture Show

Young Mammals/Black Snakes & Kangaroo @ Boner Nap House (3910 Driscoll; 8PM, free!)

Catastrophic Theatre’s Clown Town @ Last Concert Cafe

Ryan Scroggins and the Trenchtown Texans @ The Continental Club

FPH Hosts reception to Houston Palestine Film Fest @ Rice Media Center

Texas Crawfish & Music Festival With Grand Mullett, Kozmic Pearl, Buxton, listenlisten, Giant Princess, Heptic Skeptic @ Old Town Spring

• 
  

Tonight!

Thanks Space City Rock, You da best mayne!

Steel Lounge Underground, featuring The Mathletes & Ceeplus Bad Knives @ Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose)

American Fangs/The Manichean/Heptic Skeptic @ Mango's

Angry Samoans/Molotov Compromise/Rats In The Attic/The X-Pats @ Walter's on Washington

Mos Def/Ledisi/Bilal/Stokley @ Arena Theatre

Lamb of God/As I Lay Dying/Children of Bodom/Municipal Waste/God Forbid @ Verizon Wireless Theater

Wild Sweet Orange @ The Meridian

Big Business/Tweak Bird @ Warehouse Live

The Soarce/Slivered/Orents Stirner @ Rudyard's

Darden Smith @ NiaMoves (508 Pecore)

Jimmy LaFave @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Nineties Dance Party, featuring Orion & Doneski @Boondock's

Woo!!! - Shelby Hohl - Adult Swim Contest Winner

No sure how I missed this until now but thanks Indie Houston for the heads up. Admittedly I'm not a fan at all of Adult Swim's Xavier but Shelby is rockness in my book so check it:

Houston Palestine Film Fest continues this weekend

The Houston Palestine Film Fest rounds out it's 2 weekend showcase of films this weekend. Last weekend featured a performance by spoken word poet Suheir Hammad, several short and full length films, and receptions a'plenty. This weekend promises to be a great one with your friends here at FPH hosting the closing night reception. And you know what that means: roasted goat, mid grade Pinot Noir, babaganoush, and Um Khalthoum.


Friday April 24th

People not Places
Memory of the Cactus
War of 33
Rice Media Center

Saturday April 25th

Pomegranates and Myrrh
Arafat & I
Reception hosted by Free Press Houston
Venue: Rice Media Center

Tuesday night - Rudz

Dude!
Mike Watt!
A stink free Rudyard's!
What more do you want tonight
Onwards to the music section! (Link)

Evidence of Supernatural Design in Contemporary Big Bang Cosmology

It is always stuffed down our throats that you can either believe entirely in Creationism or Evolution and that they are completely mutually exclusive. A mere mention of a possible confluence of the 2 is branded as heresy by either respective crowd. Well, Reverend Robert J. Spitzer explores how they may be complementary at University of St. Thomas Monday night in his lecture Evidence of Supernatural Design in Contemporary Big Bang Cosmology. I know, that's a long ass lecture title. Either way, it should be clutch and there are sure to be some hot , Catholic girls with wire rimmed specs sitting in the front row. That's why I am going.

7:30 p.m. University of St. Thomas, 4000 Mt. Vernon. For information, call 713-525-2163 or visit www.stthom.edu. Free.

Cash N Carry Artists Exhibit at Mango's on Mondays

Mango's invites visual artists of all mediums to bring out their pieces and sell them for free Monday nights. Participating artists include Angelbert Metoyer, Lisa Marie Godfrey, Nick Hoff, Shelby Hohl, Matt Messinger, Tim Dorsey, and more.

Pics ffrom the Student Competition at Gulf Coast Green

Gulf Coast Green
large scale, low impact
(that's their slogan)











mas AQUI

Block Party Montage

Thanks Oscar Coronado

Wait for the Buxton portion..


FPH presents Westheimer Block Party Spring 09 from Osker Koronado on Vimeo.

Houston Palestine FF and beyond

The Houston Palestine Film Festival shows current feature films and shorts from the Middle East over the next two weekends at the Rice Media Center with an opening Thursday, April 16 at the El Dorado Ballroom at 2310 Elgin. Free Press Houston will host the closing night feature .... (continued)

Annise Parker Wants to Hire Houston First. Then What?

by Mills McCoin

On March 9th, City Controller and Mayoral Candidate, Annise Parker proposed a “plan” to manuever taxpayer-funded projects into the hands of Houston companies that meet local hiring goals. In other words, she wants to hire Houston first.
The first thought I had was: “Soooo... we weren’t doing that before?”
This proposal, I believe, is a very easy, practical and basic concept. Hire First. And then when you throw the word “taxpayer-funded” into the mix, you get reactions like: “Are you kidding me? What were the other %#@*$ options!?!”
If you need oxygen (and you do), do you leave Earth to go get it? No. Not that often at least. So why is Hire Houston First being “proposed”? While we’re at it- I propose “the wheel.”
Let’s take a glance at the person offering up for consideration the novel idea of hiring Houston residents- Annise Parker.
Her background is some of the subject matter you might find in a John Mellencamp song. Her mama was a bookkeeper. Her daddy worked for the Red Cross. They lived in Spring Branch. Spent some time in Germany. Manheim, to be exact. Then, she graduated from Rice and began a 20 year career in the Oil and Gas industry. For 18 of those years, she worked for Mosbacher Energy.
Annise Parker lives in Montrose and was the president of the Neartown Civic Association from 1995 to 1997. She and Kathy Hubbard have two adopted children. Parker owned the Inkling Bookshop on Richmond.
In 1997, Annise Parker ran for and won the City Councilman At-Large position 1, making her Houston’s first openly gay elected official. She was re-elected (1999) and re-elected (2001)... until 2003 when she was elected as the City’s Controller. And then she was re-elected (2005) and re-elected (2007)...
The City Controller is the second highest elected city official. The position serves as the City’s Chief Financial Officer. She keeps an eye on the money. And that’s important. You can’t just have anyone holding the money these days- Rod Blagojevich, Eliot Spitzer, Marion Barry. Mayor Bill White has given other responsibilities to Parker in addition to the number crunching. She serves as a member of the stakeholders committee aimed at getting to the bottom of this crime lab fiasco. She helped the City’s payroll go paperless, saving Houston millions. She’s helping develop new ways to collect solid waste.
Annise Parker, she’s an accomplished lil’ civil servant. But does that make her Mayor material?
In a riveting phone conversation with Parker, I asked her about some of the loose or soft language in the Hire Houston First proposal. Terms such as: “Houston resident” and “local hiring goals” are extremely malleable. But Parker said that the language is as such on purpose. It’s deliberately loose; and that is because the proposal is not her formal plan. It’s more of a platform of promises. I reference the proposal itself:
“As Mayor, I will work with stakeholders and Council members to craft a policy and pass
an ordinance that incorporates one or more of the following local hire incentives and
local contracting preferences – and other good ideas developed by my colleagues in this
process. And if changes are required in state law, I will work with our state legislators to
make those changes happen.”
So if you were hoping that Annise Parker had everything already figured out... well, you’ll have to vote her in to see if this is something more than your average campaign gimmick.
Parker has also recently criticized Governor Rick Perry on his rejection of stimulus funds marked for funding unemployment benefits for out of work Texans. Texas was offered $555 million to supplement unemployment compensation and Gov. Perry said, “No thank you.” I hate that guy.
Texas is a “donor state”, which means we send Washington more money than we get back. So, in essence, that $555 million was already bought and paid for. Additionally, this money would update the benefits so that more students, women and elderly workers could qualify. Perry’s complaint is that when the federal money runs out the burden of additional costs will be placed on businesses- which is WHAT’S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ANYWAY! I don’t think our nation or government plans on being in a recession for an awesomely extended amount of time. That is to say, when things “go back to normal”, the businesses will go back to providing benefits.
According to a statement released by State Representative Garnet Coleman, a member of the Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, “...by September 2009, the state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund will have a deficit of at least $800 million, triggering the implementation of a deficit tax on Texas employers. This deficit tax will likely double the overall unemployment tax burden on the average Texas employer.”
Businesses are screwed with or without the stimulus money; so why is Rick Perry denying out of work Texans some short term help?
Annise Parker’s request for local input and transparency in allocation of this cash is not over-arching. She’s the City’s Controller (aka Chief Financial Officer); of course, she should demand involvement in this process. And it should be granted. Clearly, Annise Parker works for Houston’s best interest as she views them; but her record does strike close to home when the issues of street closures and festivals emerge.
Most of us remember the Westheimer Street Festival, or WestFest as it was once called. Well, basically Annise Parker murdered it in cold blood.
In March of 2000, during Parker’s second term as City Councilman At-Large Numero Uno, people with lots of money asked that the Houston City Council deny any street closure permit for the Westheimer Street Festival. The Council voted and the “concerned property owners” (rat bastards that they are) won. The Festival was re-located several times with complete un-success. After that, there were some attempts at reducing the budget so that the “festival” could be brought back to Montrose. This prompted Annise Parker to express her disdain for such fun in a March 2003 article of Out Smart. The festival’s return to Montrose was “in defiance of the city ordinance and without the benefit of city regulations requiring street-closure permits, insurance, security, etcetera..."
As is the case with most politicians, there are many sides to Annise Parker. Examine them carefully. Make sure you know who you’re voting for. These are vipers we’re talking about. Not clergymen or wise soothsayers. Cheers.

Movie Night @ Domy lineup

Our, ahem, friends at Domy Books along with Film Monitor have put out this stellar lineup of films to be shown at the Domy/Cafe Brasil back patio. According to their site, local independent film rag Film Monitor "hopes to bring attention to lesser-known films and important cinematic topics." Good on ya for that. I like Weekend at Bernie's 2 myself. (Many do not see the allegorical connectivity between that film and it's existentialist undertones. Oh well. ) Either way, the showings starts at 8:30PM on Thursdays and admission is always FREEEEEEEE!

Young Mammals: Curly hair, new album, short answers

By Omar Afra Album art by Eli Brumbaugh
I have been praying that the catastrophe that we know as 'Indie Rock' will die a miserable death soon. A death that is so inhumane and cruel that former purveyors of this abomination will hide in South America just as former Nazis did. I am bored and want a new 'messiah' to come along and shred the dominant paradigm into a pulpy mush as he presents us with a new musical narrative that is a confluence of masterful songwriting and impeccable musicianship. Problem: this scourge of indie-pop madness will continue to blight our world as long as bands like Young Mammals continue to write impressive songs and broaden the scope of their respective world. The band has just released a new album Carrots that is chock-full o' lush tunes and noodling crescendo which departs from many of the older canards of what this kind of music is today. Previously known as The Dimes, Young Mammals have established an impressive reputation for live shows and are super-faves to many in the expansive Houston indie scene. They were kind enough to answer a few of my questions both serious and silly. Unlike their songs, their answers are quick and concise. In fact, so short that I put ridiculous, smart ass editor’s notes in italics following their responses. Enjoy.



Tell me about the protocol you used in recording the new album? Pragmatic or dogmatic approach?


It's hard to define our approach. We tend to not take a certain approach to recording.


Liars.


In songwriting, do ya'll prefer a singular vision or is democracy paramount?


Definitely democracy. Everyone has an equal say in the creation of songs.


It is a no-no to allow the pleasantries of friendship to be paramount to songcraft.


Sonically, the soundscapes sound like a departure. Elaborate please.


We all really like texture and atmosphere. When we recorded the Ep we felt like we made a very raw sounding record. We didn't want to do that again on Carrots. So we spent a lot of time making sounds from guitars, organs, and other random noises that we felt were pretty neat.


That sounds like something a dork would say.


Who are some of your favorite Houston bands we may not know about?


Sings, Ghost Mountain, Ghormeh Sabzi, Robert Ellis, and Grandfather Child.


No joke, Robert Ellis is one fine ass piece of Americana.


Tell me one thing you love/hate about being a band in Houston?


We love the food. We hate the 5 o'clock traffic.


I said ‘about being a band’.


We love the videos Mark Armes has done for you. Anymore in the works?


We love Mark Armes too. We hope to have more videos in the near future.


Mark Armes hates you people.


What is next for the Young Mammals: Massive triumph or epic fail?


We're just being here now.


Yeah, I read Ram Dass’ masterpiece as well.


Who is more sexy: Fat Tony or Ryan Chavez?


-What's your angle?


What’s my angle? It is a simple question. Everyone knows Fat Tony is the sexiest man in Houston behind Robert Ellis. Chavez falls to a distant 8th. It was a trick question to see if you had any hold on objective reality or not. Clearly not!

I am such a whore: Sideshow Tramps, I am Mesmer, Two Star Symphony, and Robert Ellis at Mango's tonight!

Food tasting at 7.
8 bux after 8.
Stay Clutch mayne.

A billion dollar mystery...where is Frank Wilson?

Courtesy of Barry Klein

A dozen Metro critics went to Houston city council on Tuesday. Among them was Richmond Avenue businessman Paul Magaziner who brought city council two letters from the Federal Transit Administration that show Metro has deceived Houstonians about the cost of light rail extensions in two corridors, the North and the Southeast.

Metro told local taxpayers and voters on March 4 that the North line would cost $387 million and the Southeast line would cost $441 million. 19 days later on March 23, however, The Federal Transit Administration released letters indicating that Metro had told the FTA that the cost would be $786 million for the North line and $911 million for the Southeast line. That is a difference of $979 million... a difference of roughly a billion dollars.

Mayor White responded by saying that the points raised deserve "an appropriate response." Along that line, Channel 11 had been trying to interview the president of Metro, Frank Wilson, for two days but he won't make himself available.

Here is a link to the newsstory that played on Channel 11. An interesting aspect of this development is that the Houston Chronicle has not brought this news to its readers even though the story first broke three days ago.

If you know Leigh and do not go to this, you are a chump.

Let's Hear it For Thursday!

So, I missed this "oh-so-legendary" Jandek show at Rudyard's thanks to the chain on my husband's bike just not cooperating with us. Well, I HATE funk (not fun), so I don't think I missed much except seeing my friends dance like jackasses (which is always fun). Oh well. Don't miss thing, it makes you sad. Anyhow, a week's worth of stuff not to miss...HERE

Will potential Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger change live concerts, as we know them? Answer: YES

By Omar Afra

Full Disclosure: Free Press Houston sells advertising to Live Nation. They may or may not get upset about this and discontinue their purchases. I hope not. We need the bucks. We will sell our souls in any direction but will not squash our editorial.


“Twenty-one dollars for 2 drinks?!” I yelled with utter contempt to the bartender at the then newly opened House of Blues. I had ordered 2 Greyhounds-- a simple mixture of grapefruit juice and what was probably McCormick’s vodka. That’s a profit margin of more than 1200%. What topsy-turvy business plan in the world required such an overzealous mark up? I had to ask myself if the masters of this event and Live Nation, the owners of House of Blues, were making enough at the door to make this a worthwhile venture. And therein lies what is and what will be one of the most paradigm shifting events in the concert industry. Live Nation is in the works to merge with ticket retailing leviathan Ticketmaster.
READ ON...

Wols reviews Jandek

What do you do when you are nursing the mother of all hangovers? Well if you are Wols' Amye McCarther, you write your friends overseas about the Jandek funkmaster show that probably had something to do with your condition. Read on in the music section (Link).

Photo by Major Miller

Home movies with 1,000 Cranes....

I love that Travis put so much work into this video but in the end of the promo he says Tuesday April 10th at the tree house. Sorry Travis, it's Friday... you twit. ;)

Houston Palestine Film Fest this April

99 Problems: Your Children Don’t Need the Grand Parkway

by Jay Blazek Crossley



If you look at a map of migratory bird routes for the Western Hemisphere, they usually show a series of lines that reach out across North America and converge at a point just before making the leap over the Gulf of Mexico to then spread out across Central and south America. That point of convergence is the coastal prairies of Texas, including the once great Katy Prairie, most of the Western side of the growing metropolis of Houston starting at about Loop 610 and stretching out westward.

READ ON..

Sunday SOUP!

Have you ever wanted an arts grant?

Well, apply for the art grant funded by artists! Sunday SOUP!

Submit a short proposal, three sentences to a 1/2 page (w/ an image on the other half) to sundaysouphouston [at] incubate-chicago.org by Saturday, April 4th and come to the voting Sunday, April 5th at =SKYDIVE= from Noon til 4pm.

http://www.theskydive.org/

Mandek, Fandek, Jandek

Hey guys! Sunday is our funday, fyi.


Oooooooh look at the weekend here!

Sideshow Tramps, I am Mesmer, Robert Ellis, and 2 Star Symphony April 10th @ Mango's for Grand Opening

and Michael C. Rodriguez is a friggin' Jedi clutchmaster...