Cramming a bunch of Austin links in before this crashes again

Let's all pray that it works.

The Austin Chronicle has a good story on the FCC "crackdown" and how Austin broadcasters are running scared. They focus specifically on the paranoid fear that has plagued the goofy morning show on KLBJ. It's hard to gauge how justified the DJ Dale Dudley is in his paranoia. On one hand, I don't think they've garnered any FCC complaints and may just not be a big enough target for the witch hunts for "indecency" that are going on right now. On the other hand, Dudley has used his morning show gig as a bully pulpit to denounce Bush for a long time now, and I doubt that's gone unnoticed in the capital of Texas. It should be clear now that the Texas Republicans feel free to run the government like the Mafia. If I were him, I'd be scared shitless that some Texas Republicans would trump up a bullshit complaint and sic the FCC on him as petty revenge.

Weekend show recommendations:

Friday--Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Five, of course. Beerland at 8:00. Later that night Attack Formation, Animals of the Bible, Kodiaks, and the Nervous Exits are playing for Ben Webster's birthday.

Saturday--The hard-working Peelander-Z, a Japanese anime superhero group, will be at Beerland, according to the Chronicle. Beerland's website says it's going to be the Ugly Beats, who play straight up garage rock and who I think are the bomb. Either way, we in the audience win.

Ben Bell has sent me an email letting me know that he's playing his birthday show at Ego's starting at 8:00 on Saturday. Ben plays roots-style country music and he's a lot of fun. We'll definitely be going to that and then, if we still have our shit together, we'll probably end up at Beerland. We'll see.

Also that night--Grupo Fantasma at Emo's and Amplified Heat at Room 710.