IAC music competition:::vote DD Dagger!

I'm in, and I'm in to win! It's hard to keep up with all this- but I know for sure that it can't hurt trying! Please vote for DD Dagger's pictures and stories in the electronic section. email me with questions! dd@dddagger.com

I JUST GOT PAID!!

I've done a lot of studio work for engineer Mike Vasquez of Sweatbox Studios. However today, I finally got paid!!! Yes, the critically acclaimed Tom Ovans gave lil ol me, dd dagger, a nice check of an undisclosed amount to play on his new record.

Thanks Tom!!!! He is/was a totally sweetheart. Why the hell didn't I take pictures in the studio???
unday, February 01, 2009

Sax Recording with Tom Ovans
Current mood: aroused
Category: Music
Tonight!!! Just before the Boss' superbowl performance I, DD, made an appearance with my sax at Sweatbox Studios. I recorded a song with Tom Ovans. He mainly plays in Europe: He got four stars in Mojo for his last effort, "Party Girl" ! He was very sweet; (gotta hug and some cash coming for my performance). Me and Mike Vasquez (trumpet) played some memphis style horn section type stuff on a song for Tom- and then DD had a sax solo at the end. Ovans is living right here in lil 'ole Austin Texas.

"Currently based in Austin, Texas - Ovans supplies the knd of songs that ensure this albums contain no fillers. STab the track -find button at any point and the resulting slab of dirt road folk-rock is guaranteed to impress" -Mojo about "Party Girl"

I'll let you know when the record's coming out:::on 00:02:59

Now can I get me a review like that????
Stay tuned for my record "Femmie Auteur" coming out in April:::

Currently listening:
Party Girl
By Tom Ovans
Release date: 2008-01-13

from my myspace page:: http://www.myspace.com/dddagger

ALL PIX COPYRIGHT DD DAGGER!!!
another SXSW day: Upclose with PJ Harvey, Peter, Bjorn & John, + more
Current mood: tired
Category: Music
Special shout out thanks to Cris Burns Audio and Jeff Hoskins for allowing me to tag along to their very stessy gig at METV

Just cause they luv me! They know my biggest influence is PJ Harvey.

Hoskins let me in the back door entrance for Peter, Bjorn and John who was up first- had never seen them or listened to their records- besides that mega hit they had with itunes.

They were very charming, very minimalistic and obviously having a great time. I had just read on MTV.com that their last show at Vice Bar was horrible- even stopping in mid tune! But not here- they were looking a little rough around the edges but dressed in shabby-chic suits. LOVED IT. It was chill and quirky.

Next up was my queen:: PJ Harvey. METV had cleared the room- all that was left was the crew and me- posing as a sound tec assistant. In walks PJ with a victorian-ish style dress on, cute strappy heels and dressed all in black. Her hair was curled and she looked so petit- so adorable. I was almost shaking- she was about 5 feet from me. I was trying not to stare and be weird. Along side her were John Parish dressed very dapper- in a nice tan suit.

The sound tests were extensive>>>Polly complained about the strong light burning her forehead. She had a vocal box that looked pretty old school. I didn't hear much when she clicked it - it was pretty subtle and it might have just been reverb. They played some spooky songs laced with a lot of keyboards- the keyboard player was I think from Brooklyn and he had an m-audio keyboard attached to the mac and another keyboard running through amps. They all used VOX classic style ams that were new looking- and one new mini Fender amp. Polly was only singing; and at times they switched instruments and the keyboard player played bass and the bass player played guitar. John Parish switched guitars many times- from a slide dobro (I think!) to a banjo- utilizing his fender (i think) most of the time that had a peace sign on it. The drummer was minimal- until toward the end he got louder with the last 2 songs that were rocker tunes a la the old days.

Polly it seemed was doing a little bit of theater too - "talking" to herself within the song- talking about California and missing England. It is clear to me she has an on and off love affair with the US -- and that she enjoys taking sabbaticals in different parts of the country maybe even recording a bit there. I'd do the same.

After that I raced literally over to my own show with the Somethin' Ain't Right's at the Typewriter Museum. Corienne Rose was on playing their blend of cowpunk with a lovely scorching violin. It was PACKED and we were up next. I smoked it up on the sax whit Phil from The Black on bass, lainy on keyboards, Aaron from Ignorance Park on Drums and Mike Vasquez from legendary Sweatbox Recording Studio on Guitar and Vox.

Not 5 mins after my show I got another lucky break- my friend Jamie Panzer called with a vip pass to Emos- which meant I was going to sneak behind him into the Sonics Showcase. There were lines AROUND the corner and around the corner's corner! But, we waltzed though security in the back and the bar was totally empty! By the time the Sonics got playing the room wasn't even filled yet- the sxsw gatekeepers were too slow on the draw.

So that concluded my night. I was wiped out! But very content. It was truly one of the most unique SXSW in my long career of them.

***PLEASE see my photo album SXSW for pictures of these events!****
Currently listening:
Dance Hall at Louse Point
By John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey
Release date: 1996-09-24

Finally, collaboration with Tin Hat's Mark Orton completed, posted!

Mark Orton is a very prolific composer, songwriter, and band leader of the group Tin Hat. Some of his movies include: The Real Dirt on Farmer John, Everything's Illuminated, and many more. See his biography here on Artist's Direct: http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,969849,00.html

Anyway, he's very great combining his personal style that stems from jazz and blues with a new style  americana from buddies Bill Frizell and John Zorn. 

More to my point, he's my brother in law and we collaborated on a song when I was there last summer. I sang James and the Shondell's "Crimson and Clover" and he played his varied instruments. (Eboe, Chello as a bass, melotron or something like that, and a good old acoustic Martin guitar.) 

You can hear that song on my last.fm page http://www.last.fm/DD+Dagger. It was the final addition to my new record entitled "Femmie Auteur" It will be the bonus track. 

Because.....I recorded and played myself all the instruments on the upcoming release aside from that track. The amazing Cris Burns helped me mix it and put it all together in a nice sounding package with some extra zing-zang. 

So the release is near release-able and that makes me very happy. Considering I hadn't recorded anything but a scratch track before this record popped out I'd say  I did pretty well. Lets see if I can get some critics to agree. 

You never know what music will catch the attention of a person's mind. Could it be the instrumentation, the quality of the voice, what the song's about? Or a simple none of the above. 

At any rate,  I'm just putting myself out there, once again. Damned if you do, damned if you don't right??

Please stay in touch!! 

DD's art show in March with David Garza @ Cafe Mundi

1. All art $100 at the show

2. There with be live jazz upon entering the establishment

3. Bring your kids and friends.

4. We love art, music.

5. David and I have known each other since college- he dated Julianna Sheffield and she was my neighbor in a duplex by the Posse East. 

6. My art teacher Bob Anderson played their record (Twan Twang Shock a Boom) during our life drawing class- seriously like in '92! 

7. check back for more details...

DD

DD Records Sax with Tom Ovans

Tonight!!! Just before the Boss' moving superbowl performance I, DD, made an appearance with my sax at Sweatbox Studios. I recorded a song with Tom Ovans. He mainly plays in Europe: He got four stars in Mojo for his last effort, "Party Girl" ! He was very sweet; (gotta hug and some cash coming for my performance). 

Me and Mike Vasquez (trumpet) played some memphis style horn section type stuff on a song for Tom- and then DD had a sax solo at the end. Ovans is living right here in lil 'ole Austin Texas. 



"Currently based in Austin, Texas - Ovans supplies the knd of songs that ensure this albums contain no fillers. Stab the track -find button at any point and the resulting slab of dirt road folk-rock is guaranteed to impress" -Mojo about "Party Girl" 

I'll let you know when his record's coming out:::on record label 00:02:59



Now can I get me a review like that???? 
Stay tuned for my record "Femmie Auteur" coming out in April:::it has some saxy on it too....

Currently listening:
Party Girl
By Tom Ovans
Release date: 2008-01-13