SHOW #58

FIRST SHOW OF 2013.

DJ MAURIZIO MERLI - GIALLO JELLO MIXTAPE

Here's a mix I initially made for a close friend's birthday. She loves Italian soundtrack music.  This mix contains mostly Italian soundtrack music, and a few other soundtrack tunes that are not Italian.  Some things are from other kitsch/soundtrack comps, most are not.  Here is another sentence about writing about the mix you should be downloading by now and listening to already.

***UPDATE- link was shut down for copyright violation specifically for a Piero Umiliani track from the Lina Wertmuller film "Mimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore " I will try to remedy this soon. Judging by the overwhelming response... Or maybe you should just go buy all these tracks from itunes (if you can find them there) and assemble the mix yourself?

****01/15/13 LINK FIXED!!! DOWNLOAD!

(unzip then double click the .m3u file. playlist will load into itunes)

here's the Tracklist

SHOW 57

COME EARLY, STAY LATE...

11.18.2012

THE HISTORY OF SHOWS 51 - 56

 photo by A.Cromeens

It's time to update! It's been a while but here's the list, for those keeping score, of the shows in the past few months. Some of these actually had people show up and watch/listen to live music -

6/08/2012
WOUNDED INFIDEL / DEF RAIN / DIAMOND AGE / VULGAR FASHION

7/20/2012
KINGDOM OF SUICIDE LOVERS + VIDEOING + A TIGER NAMED LOVESICK + DIAMOND AGE + RICHARD HENRY

7/21/2012
DIAMOND AGE / DEF RAIN / KYLE CHEATHAM (acoustic set) / DJ FOOLISH 2

8/30/2012
MIND SPIDERS / NERVOUS CURTAINS / DIAMOND AGE

10/23/2012
DIAMOND AGE / BRAINSTORM / TECHNICOLOR HEARTS / GOBLINS

11/10/2012
DALLAS OBSERVER AWARDS SHOWCASE @ LaGrange


Another thing I've been thinking about recently is using the blog more than the facebook.  It seems the facebook for self promotion model is broken.  I post things and  in the bottom corner it reads "34 people reached" and then I noticed a new button that reads "promote this post" - I know that I don't have very many people checking out this music site, but when 1/6 of them see things you post why keep doing it?  So I'm heading back to blog town. Well, that's if there's anything to blog about- maybe 2013 will be the year of the first "real" website for DIAMOND AGE?

BROKEN WORLD (coming soon...)

*unofficial cover...for all you bootleggers to use in your itunes
 after this highly highly anticipated album leaks all over the internets. (that's sarcasm)


I am extremely excited to present to you  BROKEN WORLD, nearly 2 years in the making, soon to be released on Pour Le Corps.  Since it is nearly 60 minutes, think of it as 2 eps- each side has a beginning and an end, then you won't have to complain that it's too long. Diamond Age, bringing solutions for a brighter tomorrow! more info soon...

SIDE A

3:05  GOING NOWHERE FAST 

3:25  ON FIRE  

5:44  THE YOUNG (TEARS IN RAIN)   

3:26  NINNA NANNA PER ADULTI *  

4:31  SCIENCE CLASH  

7:05  RESTLESS MIND (IN DANGEROUS TIMES)**  

1:10   ______  

_______________________________________________________________________

SIDE B

OPENING CREDITS  2:57

THE KILLING  6:00

STRAIGHT LINES  3:24

SHORELINE  4:18

RED GLOW IN BLUE ROOM  3:59

BROKEN WORLD  7:49

Appropriations / Credits / Samples

All songs arranged, performed, recorded, edited and re-edited by M. Leer @C-LEVEL II
Mastering by Sean French @ the Cat House

exceptions:

*written by Ennio Morricone

**appropriated and expanded from Gareth Williams' Flaming Tunes "Restless Mind"

lyrics to THE YOUNG from from the film Blade Runner (Roy Batty's "Tears in Rain" monologue)

drum samples:

GOING NOWHERE FAST - Lennie Hibbert  / "Lights"

ON FIRE - Matadidi / "Nkuwu"

SCIENCE CLASH - Irving Martin & Brian Dee / "Deadline Destination"

RESTLESS MIND - Roger and the Gypsies / "Pass the Hatchet"

OPENING CREDITS - Dick Hyman / "Kolumbo"

THE KILLING - ROGER ROGER / "Jerk Machine"

BROKEN WORLD - Steve Hill  recorded by Jason Reimer during "Beguiling the Hours" sessions

NOSTALGIA BIRTHDAY CAKE

I was "stricken" with another birthday last Sunday. I don't really think it's that bad creeping closer to 40, but I have been thinking about a few things in a dim, nostalgic light for a couple days.

I decided to start the laborious task of ripping all my CDs and stowing them away in boxes. It is no coincidence considering the nostalgia kick that the first stack contained recordings from a long since forgotten Denton, TX band called Mandarin that I was in from 1998-2005. It's a reminder that I have been running into musical brick walls for nearly 15 years now (more like 20). On one hand, I look back and shake my head at some of the decisions we made along the way, on the other I remember a great time in my life with great friends with a collective purpose (albeit at times totally botched and improperly handled).  I had a tough time coming to terms with how this band ended- I felt much to blame for this.  Let's just say it was an "artistic differences" type of thing.  I spent years dwelling on those times around 2005-2006...
But the world didn't end.  In many instances, I kept in contact with those old friends.

back in the Fast>Future>Present days

I had a coworker come up to my desk this morning and look at these CDs while I was ripping them for this post-
"hey, these are all your old band?"
"yeah it is" he then asked "did you guys SELL?"
"I'm not sure how many we sold" - "so you guys didn't MAKE ANY MONEY then???"
"Not really" and then he put them down and said "hmm."

towtruck stranded in Illinois

I'm positive we didn't make any money, we spent/lost more than we ever made. Maybe it was a little bit more difficult to tell if an album was even being heard back then, especially with the types of record deals we had... I think we had a touch of entitlement and really believed we should have been more recognized than we were, but does it really matter?

My sister recently told me that music is "my hobby"- I don't exactly agree, but she is on to something here.  What has it all been for? Personal sanity or insanity? Perhaps it's simply the "need" to create. To stay perpetually broke? Was it for the free drinks? Obviously not success or fame or money.

I was planning on posting all of the recorded material I could find but I felt like the first album didn't stand the test of time to my ears very well at all...  It has its moments, but I think that one should just hang around in the ether out there by itself... maybe sometime I'll get around to posting it someday.  or not.

So I need to take some photos or find some images... but here's some links.

FAST>FUTURE>PRESENT

SHADOW YOUR SHADOW (UK CD SINGLE)

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST

LIKKLE MIX

LINK DEAD. SORRY... may update sometime

01 Alton Ellis - Sunday Coming

02 Dennis Alcapone - Sunday Version

03 Johnny Osbourne and the Sensations - He Who Keepeth His Mouth

04 Winston Reilly - Fish Mouth

05 Kingstonians - Nice Nice

06 Poor Me - Ethiopians

07 Keith Hudson - Furnace

08 (I forgot the 7") version

09 John Holt - Fancy Make Up + Version

10 Melodians - Come on Little Girl

11 Derrick Morgan - You Kill Me Dead

12 Slim Smith - Hip Hug

13 The Termites - Rub Up Push Up (80s money disc remix)

14 Marcia Griffiths - Feel Like Jumping Pt.2

15 The Mad Lads - Ten To One + Version (Sound Dimension)

16 Sound Dimension - Full Up

17 Willie Williams - Armagideon Time (Disco Mix)

18 Lee Scratch Perry - Roots Train Number Two

19 U Roy - Stick Together

20 Ernest Wilson - Why Oh Why + Version

21 Lloyd Charmers - 5 to 5

22 Ethiopians - Train to Ska-Ville

23 Noa Hous of Dread- Murderation

Main Titles Mix

http://www.birdandwhale.com/2012/06/22/main-titles/

I made a massive mix of soundtrack music for my good friend Brad's blog bird and whale. go get it. Cover images from Fellini's "Toby Dammit" If you haven't seen, find it!

SHOW 50

NEW FUMES / DIAMOND AGE

Approximately the 50th D.A. show (I may have missed listing a few) this was a fitting end to a string of live shows before hiding in the shadows finishing a bunch of recordings (maybe even making a release)... NEW FUMES is the reason I played shows in the first place! He coaxed me into playing a show with him at the Kessler in 2010...And here we were 2 years later- it felt weird/good.

I have this sense that not very many people will really give a shit about me not playing out around here- it can get to be a beat-down playing shows around here.

This show was part of the first Oak Cliff Film Fest. Austin's My Education performed a spirited and well rehearsed live score to the FW Murnau silent film "Sunrise" before the "after party" kicked off... I was certain that everyone would leave before i played and most did- but to my surprise, this show was a lot of fun! Playing in that giant space with a loud booming PA was a rarity for me! It sounded crazy on stage. This was the second "guitarless" show I've ever played...it may have even worked.  one regret is I should have thought of some sort of video imagery to play since there was a giant screen and a video projector set up... NEW FUMES was great and his audiovisual assault was well-suited for the TX Theatre.

Ok, insomnia is finally fading----
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SHOW 49

A RECAP OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED: Part 1

VULGAR FASHION / DIAMOND AGE / WOUNDED INFIDEL / DEF RAIN
June 8 2012 This was a great show that too many missed.
(photo credit : Ed Steele)

SHOW 48

SATURDAY MAY 19th

PSST....Please don't tell anyone, but a secret show is happening THIS SATURDAY... so much of a secret, that all these facebookers who were invited to the event page decided to not click on "attending" as to not draw too much attention, thus making it one of those over-capacity and sold-out messes… by the way, it's at the DOUBLEWIDE- 

This is the first Dallas appearance of Ashley Cromeens' new solo act -DEF RAIN, (you may remember her from another band if you know what I'm talking about- shhhh). A truly talented and distinct voice... A real live North TX musical treasure. criminally underrated. All this having only played 2 shows so far.

Also on this night is a rare Dallas appearance of a secret Denton band. Think all the things you like about live music and bands and entertainment and then filter it through an original sounding band making machine and voila!... ok I'll go ahead spill the beans- PEOPLEODIAN…

And some other joker is going to play 2nd…(who?) -

And on the patio there will be all the other people that go to the Doublewide and hang out on the patio! And there will definitely be a line to go pee. things are really looking up!

It's TOMORROW night Dallas, choose wisely…but don't tell anybody.

some people buy tickets in advance for live shows here.

http://prekindle.com/promo/id/22349996750021852

SHOW 47

FRIDAY MAY 11th

SHOW 46

PINKISH BLACK

NERVOUS CURTAINS

DIAMOND AGE

FOREVER HOME

HUGE THANKS to Gutterth for having me on this bill.   Those guys always go above and beyond...  I've yet to attend a Dead Week Print Show, but I assume some printing is involved.  The Panector guys will most likely be printing shirts on site and they make good stuff.  Not sure who P.A.N.T.S. is (un-googleable) but I really like my pants- I wear them every day. 

If you haven't seen Pinkish Black, it should be a priority to check it out now before the pitchforks of the world tell you they're really great.  It's really a novel idea: hear it for yourself! (now here's me telling you my dumb opinions!) They are hands down the most interesting and crushing band in North Texas... (featuring ex-members of Pointy Shoe Factory, Yeti, and The Great Tyrant) Their first LP is being released via Handmade Birds in May.  Nervous Curtains just returned from a lengthy U.S. tour and should be in top-notch form.  Forever Home is a new project by James Washington of Peopleodian (remember when he was in Nizzardz! or BOY DIVISION???) Gavin G will DJ between sets. I'm hyped to be playing this show and I will be performing some new material for the first time that should appear on the Pour Le Corps cassette release I'm finishing...  

This is what it looked like...

MARCH HAPPENED...THE RECAP (SHOW 44 + 45)

The smoke has cleared from a busy March... busy for me at least.

35 DENTON, Paperstain's "Gorilla by 35" Day Show, and two shows during SXSW: Complicated Dance Steps/Pour Le Corps showcase and the Hometapes Friend Island dayshow... If anyone has any images or videos from any of these events, please contact me...

LIVE @ 35DENTON

*PHOTO BY BERENICE QUIRINO

SHOW 41

SHOW 42 (43)

Excited to be playing 35 Denton again this year! 

Thursday March 8th
J&J's PIZZA BASEMENT

_________________________________

DIAMOND AGE (11:00 - 11:45)

 ZORCH (10:15-10:45)

MEXICAN LIONS (9:30-10:00)
________________________________________________________

SIMPLE DIRECTIONS TO J&J's BASEMENT

1. Enter Casa De Lupe

2. the underground corridor

3.  giant escalator

4. the portal

5. exit approximated @ Denton Square 
(follow Emil Rapstine)

At some point of the weekend, I'm also playing the paperstain day show... more details on that soon. Thanks to Nick for asking me to play this year. I promise to not talk about early dancehall reggae at all on that weekend unless provoked.

SHOW 40

FINAL CLUB • HORSE PLUS DONKEY • DIAMOND AGE

Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios • Denton, TX
Friday March 2 2012 

(thanks to Nevada Hill for the poster design)

Hot off the heels of their tour supporting the full length LP "Blank Entertainment" Denton's Final Club co-headlines with Austin's Horse + Donkey... this may be the first time H+D has played Denton in quite a while and is not to be missed.  Diamond Age will play first and  a special guest will be DJing between bands...

Reasons to go: 

A.   $5 at the door is cheap

B.  Final Club will be playing all of your favorite hits and some of your favorite hits that you don't even know yet.

C.  Horse Plus Donkey are really great.  I promise.

D.  is for Diamond Age.

E.  The smell of your jacket will remind you that you went to Rubber Gloves the next day when you can't remember what you did the night before.

F.  Show posters for sale to commemorate such a momentous occasion as this one will be priced to sell...

G.  for AMERICA.

SHOW 39

BLACKSTONE RANGERS • DIAMOND AGE • MOON

DOUBLEWIDE • DALLAS, TX
February 24 2012

SHOW 38

New Fumes • Waterfalls • Diamond Age

Jan. 5th @ Crown and Harp... I didn't get a photo of Waterfalls...I was lulled into a state of trance and forgot I had a camera. I did see that someone was recording video of their set. Thanks to Emil Rapstine for Diamond Age surveillance shot.

SHOW 37

FINAL CLUB • PROCESSION • DIAMOND AGE

FRIDAY DEC. 30th @ THE LION'S DEN  

(Austin St. between Congress and Marshall St. in good ol' Denton, TX)

Big Thanks to the Final Club for having me "come out and play"

Show starts at 9PM.
__________________________________________________________________

(Description via FINAL CLUB)

FINAL CLUB - Embarking on a tour of the southeast in support of their new record Blank Entertainment.

PROCESSION - On tour from Grand Rapids, MI. This is the first of 5 dates with FC.

DIAMOND AGE - Weird Dallas one man guitar pop.

HOT TIMES - Denton punk all-stars go pop. (cancelled day of the show)

bring donations! bands need gas $! respect the house. no glass please :)

SHOW 36

 PEOPLEODIAN • DIAMOND AGE • MELTING SEASON

Here at Diamond Age HQ, I had the epiphany: If I could get Peopleodian and Melting Season to agree play a new little venue called Simone in Denton, the world would be a better place and this Holiday Season would be officially underway...  Luckily, they had similar opinions about such an endeavor, and here we are- just days before this gala event...  I have a really good feeling about this show- so I encourage you, reader of this heavily trafficked blog, to join us on this night - "a very special episode"

SHOW 35

CAVE • DIAMOND AGE • FINAL CLUB

I'm very excited to be playing this show tonight...  I've been so busy lately with the day job that I haven't been able to express this excitement about this show via the internets much, but I think this is a great lineup at a great sounding venue that should be a great way to start this cold week...it will definitely be hot in this room tonight.  Chicago's CAVE are a fantastic band. If you don't believe me,  WATCH THIS. Fans of repetition, motorik rhythms, analog synths, "jamming" without noodling, drone without snooze... will not be disappointed.

Denton's FINAL CLUB opens and I haven't seen them, but what I've heard is very promising. Reminds me a bit of mid-90's Pavement/Polvo -esque guitar rock, which is a GOOD thing... Not to say they sound just like those bands, much in the same way that I don't think CAVE sounds like Krautrock that much...

just go to the show already, ya dummies!

SHOW 33 and 34

Keith Moon 

FISHBOY • DUST CONGRESS • SETH SHERMAN • WELCOME SIGNS • DIAMOND AGE

NOV 18th @ Hailey's Club Denton, TX

Wow, a 5 band bill. Big on Talent and VALUE! I am unsure how much this is and there is some steep competition in Denton tonight (no I will not mention who ELSE is playing that'd be very unprofessional and we here at Diamond Age like to keep things on the P-R-O tip), but I assure you this will be a fun show all around.  I am playing two new tunes. or at least so far I am thinking that will happen... Also I've been sick for two days so that makes for a dramatic sweating level of threventy.  I hear that Hailey's has liquor and beer that you can purchase for money and then drink in the dark. And hopefully JC is the sound guy tonight.

NEW FUMES / DIAMOND AGE

NOV 19th @ AMERICAN BEAUTY MILL LOFTS DALLAS, TX

2400 S Ervay Street, Dallas, TX 72115

Not exactly 100% sure about the space we're playing in, but I think it is a large cavernous silo area  between two building structures...  Some "song" sets followed by a drone set with NEW FUMES and DIAMOND AGE together.  STARTS AT 6:30PM - ENDS AROUND 8:30 PM.  This is a part of the Cedars Open Studios tour (www.cedarsopenstudios.com  )

THREE SHOWS THAT HAPPENED (SHOWs 30, 31, 32)

NOV 10
THE BLACK DOTZ •DIAMOND AGE • DJ GABRIEL MENDOZA @ BRYAN ST. TAVERN
What was originally supposed to happen (and was advertised and booked for weeks)  at LaGrange,  was cancelled the day of the show for some mysterious construction that had to happen, "beyond anyone's control".   I got word it had been moved around 530PM to The Bryan Street Tavern...  All things considered, this show turned out to be a lot of fun...  Big thanks to Wayne for running sound on his day off, Ross for moving the show to Bryan St. and of course all of the people who came out. Bryan St. Tavern is one of my favorite places to play.  I don't know what LaGrange is like yet...still waiting for a reschedule!

NOV 11
MISSILE • DIAMOND AGE • BLACKSTONE RANGERS @ EL SIBIL
The people who throw these parties go above and beyond, and unfortunately for my opinion of Dallas, this party made me feel like I wasn't in Dallas.  I know it's too easy to hate on Dallas, so I'll just think of it as what Dallas could potentially become... A very relaxed vibe, good people,  a really cool space.  No haters. They had the Three Men and a Taco truck, the vintage clothes bus, and a cop on duty which is smart if you're going to throw a "donation" party

Bobby Peru

NOV 12
DIAMOND AGE • PVC STREET GANG • AARON BARKER • MR. BONETANGLES
@ QUEEN CITY TATTOO GALLERY
A very new spot in East Dallas.  I think this may have been the first show there? A very DIY space...  PVC Street Gang are one of my favorite bands in DFW.  This show was very "loose" I played almost an entire set of "new" shit I haven't fully figured out how to play live.  I think if I didnt know the 6 people watching, they may have left!  But it was alot of fun! Thanks to Aaron Barker for contacting me about this show and for the red hot candy ice cream he made out back.  Mr. BoneTangles stole the show! his puppet skeleton karaoke act had everyone in the room grinning. 


factoid: I kept thinking the tattoo noise coming from the other room was a problem with my amp...

show 30 - 2011 DOMA SHOWCASE

Since May 20, 2010 I have been playing around the D/FW area and I've been slowly figuring out what it is I'm trying to accomplish.  It has struck me as a bit strange to be nominated for the "Best Experimental" award, but it is great to have been "noticed"...  Sometimes it is pretty hard to tell if anyone is listening/paying attention.  So if you plan on attending the DOMA showcases tomorrow night, I'm playing at 11PM at the Elm Street Bar.  That's a bar on Elm Street in Deep Ellum near all the other venues so it's pretty tough to fuck that one up.  There are actually a good number of bands that I like playing this year.   Vote here if you haven't, vote again if haven't voted today.  It's the last couple of days to vote, and although I don't know if I have a chance at all to win, I guess you just never know.