Daily - The Austin Chronicle (2024)

Lasting Impressions

Let’s hear it for American Beat Records, whose have-a-nice-day attitude about the classics reminds us great music didn’t always hit No. 1 and context is crucial in assessing a band’s output. Here are the Impressions, for example, a Chicago-based doo-wop outfit that morphed into the most Motown of the 1960s non-Motown acts, lost their stellar lead vocalists, went on to create notable blaxploitation soundtracks, and became a bellwether for 1970s funk. American Beat collected 10 of the Impressions’ vinyl recordings from 1968-1976 and turned them into five two-fer CDs that track the band from the last recording with Curtis Mayfield through its socially conscious growth.It’s a remarkable arc, and posits the Impressions as one of the most important if less acknowledged black acts. The velvet-voiced Jerry Butler (“For Your Precious Love”) left the group almost as soon as they formed in the late 1950s and Curtis Mayfield stepped up to the lead. Fred Cash and Sam Gooden soon joined as Mayfield developed into their chief composer with hits like 1961’s “Gypsy Woman.” The Impressions’ personality grew around Mayfield’s acute social vision: “People Get Ready” remains a not-so-subtle call to arms for 1965.

Perry TXDoT Appointment Causes GOP Rift

Noriega Is for Real – and Texas Is in Play?

Could the days of Republican dominance in Texas be coming to an end? As we've noted before, the GOP's majority in the Texas House of Representatives is down to a slender five (out of 150) seats.Another big prize for the Democrats would be cracking the complete stranglehold the Republicans have over every single statewide elected office – and today, a poll by Rasmussen Reports indicates that Houston state Rep. Rick Noriega actually has a real shot at unseating incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Another Rasmussen poll shows what would have been pure fantasy just a couple of elections ago: Texas could actually be in play in the presidential race.

Breaking: Villa Muse Officially Kaput. For Reals.

It's official: Villa Muse is dead. The controversial planned studio complex has officially ended all negotiations with the city of Austin. In a prepared statement, project principal Jay Podolnick said "unfortunately after eight months of negotiations, we cannot afford to wait any longer, and we feel the time has come to agree to disagree, and it's in that spirit we are now ending our discussions with the City of Austin." Lawyers with the project said they are looking at other cites in the state.

' SPEED RACER' Anime at UNITED STATES ART AUTHORITY!

Who among us didn't like the 60's? Ok so a number of us weren't around but those times did contribute a lot to modern cutlure. When I say culture I mean cartoons. Specifically SPEED RACER paved the way for the import of Japanese cartoons (or Anime, or Japanimation, or whatever you want to call it) to the U.S. thus giving nerds across the country reason to flock together to discuss pointy hair and localization. I know because I was one of those nerds and still am to some degree.Tonight (Monday, May 5, 7-10pm), to celebrate this highly influential series and the upcoming SPEED RACER live action movie we are teaming up with the folks at The United States Art Authority and I Luv Video to bring you as many SPEED RACER episodes as we can fit into three hours. We will also have SPEED RACER trivia, passes to the SPEED RACER sneak preview on May 6, special giveaways from the I Luv Video, Spider House, and more!For those of you of age there will be drink specials: $1 select drafts, $2 wells, and the very special $3 Mach 5's specially created by the U.S. Art Authority bartenders just for this occasion!Race on out! Just don't speed because that would be illegal.www.unitedstatesartauthority.com
www.iluvvideo.com
www.spiderhousecafe.com
www.austinchronicle.com/chrontourage

Day Five of Early Voting

Friday was the busiest day so far for early voting for the May 10 elections, according to the Travis County Elections Division. 2,168 registered residents cast their ballots, beating the Wednesday high of 1,803 by 365 votes. Let's see if that momentum builds over the weekend, or whether everyone's so busy playing Grand Theft Auto IV or waiting in line for Iron Man that they can't make it to the polls.Five-day results
Total early voting: 9,193
Percentage of registered voters: 1.63%
Early voting in person votes: 9,002
Mail ballots received: 191Monday voting: 1,765
Tuesday voting: 1,685
Wednesday voting: 1,803
Thursday voting: 1,781
Friday voting: 2,168Highest turn-out voting location: Randalls Research and Braker (862 voters)
Lowest turn-out voting location: Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center (17 voters)

Cowpokes in Their Underpants, and Their Ladies

In honor of No Pants Day (four hours of daylight left!), I present you with the following image: Ann Richards in her underwear.Go ahead. Think about it. You know you want to. Aero-engineered brassiere (the word "bra" does not suffice). Full-length paneled girdle (here worn over pantyhose). Sensible black shoes and an early-stage, low-flying bouffant.If that's not floating your boat, how about Barbara Jordan? Tailored navy slip, very Ralph, matching 1.5-inch, peep-toe pumps and, yes, glasses, what appears to be a watch, and strangely hammy hands.Fine: Jayne Mansfield (white Mirabeau bikini), Selena (black bra with white lace appliqué, tights, cap), George Strait (tighty whities, Stetson), and/or Jack Johnson (knit boxing shorts with blue sash belt) more to your liking? Tom Tierney does 'em all up and more in Famous Texas Women and Famous Texas Men Paper Dolls.They'll make you squeal (though maybe only on the inside). If the carefully styled and perfectly chosen skivvies don't get you, the random assortment of Texas characters will (Hello Beyoncé and Sam Houston, where's Lady Bird?).And for style-obsessed natives who grew up toddling to Neiman's (is there any other kind?), it's a heavenly confluence, indeed. Who didn't dream of playing with paper dolls of Ima Hogg, Quanah Parker, and Larry Hagman, all with three meticulously researched costumes?I mean, damn.

Matt Stone Visits Austin Via South Park

John Pierson was clearly delighted. It took three years but now the guest he had most wanted to book was finally in the house. Since beginning his Master Class at UT three years ago, Pierson has tried to get South Park's co-creator Matt Stone to visit with his Austin students. But the timing has never been right due to the congruence of UT's spring semester and Comedy Central's spring season. The stars aligned, however, in 2008 and Stone was able to hop on a flight right after completing work on the 12th season of South Park and make an appearance in Pierson's final class of the semester.Stone and his creative partner in South Park, Trey Parker, never work more than a week ahead on each episode of the show. This is part of what makes it impossible for the two to get away from L.A. while the season is in progress. Stone confesses they "get bored" pretty quickly, and that's part of why they like having only a week to produce a show. Mostly, though, it's "procrastination" that takes them down to the wire.

GLO Chief Versus Federal Law

Has Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson just admitted to breaking federal firearms laws? In a press release issued last night, Patterson said, "When I'm in a state or national park, I'm armed."Slight problem. Except in a small number of select national parks, guns must be kept unloaded and locked away in vehicles: breaking those rules is punishable by $5,000 in fines and/or up to 6 months in jail. When asked about this, General Land Office staff said Patterson "means just what he said; he carries, and he goes to national parks (he was out in Big Bend just this week, hiking through to the Christmas Mountains)." When pressed again, staff said, yes, he had taken a gun with him.Patterson compounded his own admission with a statement that could get other people into trouble. "'Texans who can lawfully carry a firearm in state parks can now carry in federal parks, including Big Bend National Park" – which is not true. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne is trying to steamroll a change to the gun rules for parks that would extend state laws onto federal land, a change opposed by seven former National Park Service national directors, including Bush 43 appointee Fran Mainella. In the release, staff did add that the proposed rule change is still under public review, but when asked whether they would issue a correction of Patterson's statement, they said no.Anyone who wants to comment on the proposed rule changes (which are opposed by the Association of National Park Rangers, the Ranger Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees and the National Parks Conservation Association) can do so via the Department of Interior website.