DATE: 5/9/08
TO: Lionel Beehner
FROM: Editor, New York Times Travel Section
RE: Your article on the "indie" music scene in Denton, TX
Mr. Beehner:
I am writing to inform you that I have approved your article covering the "indie" music scene in Denton, TX for publication in the Saturday print edition of the Times. I wanted to congratulate you on a well written piece, as well as to point out several instances in which your talent for framing a story really stands out in the article.
In the very first sentence, you mention both "Piggly Wiggly,"(apparently some kind of quaint regional food market originating in Texas) and "dusty pawnshops," which is highly important due to the fact that every story printed about Texas in an elistist coastal newspaper must include at least one reference to "dust," "dust devils," "dusty pawnshops" or "steers and queers." You also round out the first paragraph quite well with your reference to "everyone in town" wearing their Mean Green shirts on game day. After all, this is fucking Texas, and those shit kicking Republican traditionalists "love them some goddamn football" down there (or however the hell they say it).
Finally, your summary of the Denton sound as "a lo-fi melange of southern twang and experimental indie rock that suggests Wilco and Radiohead" was spot on. After all, southern twang is what people expect from Texas, and I'll be goddamned if we're not gonna give it to em (or however they say it down there). And let us not forget your reference to Wilco (that really cool band we used to write about six or seven years ago that someone played for us at that dinner party on 85th St., right?), as well as Radiohead (that really cool band we used to write about when they did that one amazing thing a couple months ago and then we heard the Mp3 like two weeks ago at that dinner party on 76th St, right?). Both were very hip and accurate references that completely describe the sound of almost every band in Denton.
Thanks again for your hard work. Stories on Texas don't write themselves, and you've done a fantastic job exposing the real grit of their funny little country infested local music scene.
PS-- The cowboy hat pic is GREAT!!!
(PPS-- I actually didn't think the article was all THAT bad, and I'm glad it was written. I'm just sick of seeing that same shit every time I read an article about Texas music.--SR)
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31 comments:
haaaaaaaa
SR, I think I love you.
Dude, Denton really is a dusty dump that's lousy with hicks. And I say this as someone who's fond of the place. The NYT was actually more forgiving than one might have expected. Music scene aside, virtually every structure in Denton is a substandard tinderbox (I've lived in a half-dozen or so) and there's a dearth of good places to eat.
Did you expect a New Yorker to gush over how cosmopolitan Denton is? The "quaint" angle was, I'd say, charitable.
SR, I think I love you.
the way your sections are set up sucks. are you working on it? there are no rss feeds for the news section and it sinks right into the front page, making one think that it's just an archive list of previous posts. also, you're section names are the same font size as the articles. this further confuses things.
i'm not trying to be an ass, promise. also, fucking funny parody.
what would you suggest we do to make it better? and no, im not being an ass either.
That made me giggle bunches.
I particularly appreciate the dubbing of the Fra House as a "cottage nearby."
denton gets in the NYT for the music scene, dallas for tracking their students with GPS devices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/education/12dallas.html
I resent anyone saying that Denton has a lack of good places to eat!!! Rasoi is the best deal in the metroplex.
oh god, here we go with the 2 dollar thai food suggestions and shit
What? No mention of Andy Timmons, Sara Hickman or Ghosthustler?
At least they got Pat Boone and MeatLoaf in there.
Beehner's bio:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lionel-beehner/#blogger_bio
Stonedranger, I agree with your PPS comment.
Beehner's bio:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lionel-beehner/#blogger_bio
Stonedranger, I agree with your PPS comment.
anon 11:21: wrong
and new york sucks
no, that's dumton
it wasn't a funny parody. but it was a really good parody of cynical, mean-spirited, hyper-sensitive incestuous indie rock douchebaggery. anyhow, keep it up, sr. the commenters love you.
I've got a good idea: why don't you write a parody of me and post it in this here comment section?
that's not a good idea. in any case, i was mostly kidding around.
Just because I'm a smelly old albino doesn't mean I listen to Fishboy.
Now get the fuck offa my lawn.
Bounce up offa me, nigga,
If you ain't Ghosthustle Conservatory, you ain't shit, bitch.
Has he written you back yet?
By the way, in case you didn't know, Denton has become sort of a hot topic in the NYC music scene. I think it has something to do with the band Calla. Some of the guys used to be in a band called Factory Press from Denton back in the day. There have also been a few bands recently that moved from Denton to NYC. Oceanographer, Silver Arrows, and Corn Mo namely. Also, the Good Bad Art Collective moved up there many many years ago.
You just have to put two and two together to really see where things start.
I think the guy did a pretty good job of mentioning some bands that have been getting hype (Ghosthustler, Midlake, Mom and Matthew and the Arrogant Sea) and then also bands that have sort of been mainstays on the Denton scene (Baptist Generals, Centro-Matic, Jetscreamer, Mandarin). To dismiss this all as some dude that just found out about some bands last week is pretty absurd. I think he may have become friends with some of the guys from the Good Bad Art Collective and wanted to see what was actually going on down here. Saw it was good and wanted to write about it. I'm glad he did too.
Dear New York Times writer,
I'm a dumass blogger in Dallas, Texas who always wets his pants anytime Denton gets mentioned and Dallas doesn't. I know that Denton is better than Dallas because I have nightmares about it every night. I only write about bands on my blog that you've never heard of. Maybe you will one day if they actually survive more than five minutes. I am afterall the end all of what is the DFWd music scene. You should have checked with me first before you wrote your article. I would have shown you the coolest shit you never heard of and never will and never want to. This is Dallas after all. I don't want you to know what goes on around here. Even if it doesn't involve me, whatsoever.
Sincerely,
Stoned Out of His Mind and So Far Off Base Ranger
753-- Couldn't have said it better myself!
718-- I agree with you in several respects. I'm glad that he mentioned a couple good bands from Denton, and I'm happy that they got some press. I'm also glad that he tapped into the DIY scene a little bit, because lord knows he didn't have to. Shit, the local papers usually fail miserably in that respect. Those things were all good. I'm just sick of seeing every story about Texas music framed with tales of "Tumbleweeds" and "alt country" and football and shit like that. I think it could have been much worse, and I said so at the end of my post. However, I think the tone was a bit condescending at times, and I'm not sure that he painted an accurate picture of his subject matter on many levels. That is all I was trying to point out.
the guy was a travel writer who's last job was reviewing ski resorts. this article sucked.
Let's break it down... NY Times, city of 11 million people. How many of them will read that article and then visit Denton or buy a CD buy a Denton band? 0.
Great job, dood.
who gives a fuck about new york anyway
they really have no clue whats going on here
the article sucked
7:18, you forgot to mention the Flaming Secret Machine Lips
Have they broken up yet btw?
Have you ever been to Branson, MO?
Just like Denton, only the people there actually have money.
money sucks
fuck new york
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