Reinventing the Cowboy
September 27, 2021, Vol. 2 Issue 16
Thank you for reading Perfect Sound Whatever. I write updates on the latest music news in New Orleans, feature stories, album reviews, and more. Whether you are from New Orleans or not, my goal is to help you discover new music; provide coverage to local artists, venues, and others creating the music scene in NOLA; and start discussions about music. For questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me at daltonspangler25@gmail.com.
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Today in the newsletter: How local band Dana Ives wants to reinvent the cowboy, tons of upcoming shows (specifically Saturday), new local music and updates on the New Orleans music scene.
Dana Ives aims to reinvent the cowboy
In American culture, the cowboy myth defines much of what it means to be a man. To be a real cowboy, men have to be tough, loyal, stoic, humble, self-sufficient, take no sh*t; the list goes on and on with a laundry list of unrealistic ideals. The frustration of navigating these standards drove Matthew Ernst and Ethan Wallace of Dana Ives to reinvent the cowboy in the modern age.
"We want someone comfortable in their own skin," Wallace explained, "who has an equal balance of femininity and masculinity."
On their self-titled EP released in 2019, Dana Ives confronted these ideas on the track "John Wayne." Ernst wrote the lyrics while in a bad relationship and compared his relationship with what he saw in vintage Western movies. The track opens with a sample from the 1972 movie "Cowboys." Wayne was always the hero of old westerns and was the blueprint for manliness in the 20th century.
Ernst muses on the song before eventually reaching a climax singing, "So I found myself a girl, better in each way / She played the hero, / BUT FUCK JOHN WAYNE." The track rings out like a release from all the pressures to save the relationship and stop holding oneself to unrealistic standards.
"That's the great thing about heavy music too; it allows people to let their frustrations out," Wallace said.
Ernst and Wallace originate from different parts of California, where they participated in metal and punk scenes before coming to New Orleans to attend the Loyola University music program. The two met by playing together with a band in the college circuit and decided to marry their heavier, melodic influences to form Dana Ives.
According to Ernst, the name Dana Ives comes from a Portland urban legend where Dana Ives would seduce "sh*itty out-of-town men and take all their money and pride." They embrace the badass nature of traditionally masculine individuals and feminine individuals like the mythical Ives.
Ernst and Wallace look up to people like Diego Garijo, a boxing drag queen, and Joe Talbot, lead singer of British punk band Idles.
"[Joe Talbot is] the perfect example of someone faced with heartache, addiction and hell," Ernst explains, "and in face of misery, overcame everything and spun hell into positivity."
Currently, the band plans to release a record in 2022 called “So Happy It's Time,” which turns the frustrations explored in the first EP into full-blown anger on the upcoming record.
“It's more of our personal struggle with trying to fit in,” Wallace explained, “[we want] guys to feel like they can express their feelings, that they can be a little flamboyant that they can not feel like they have to bottle up their emotions and not talk to anybody.”
Dana Ives invites everyone to release their frustrations at two upcoming shows. The proceeds will also go to hurricane relief programs like glbl wrmng and M4U. The first will be October 2 at Sidney's Saloon and the second will be October 7 at Saturn Bar.
Updates:
Young Men Olympian 137th annual second line parade was hosted on September 26. It was the first parade Young Men Olympian have done since the pandemic began.
Pell was featured on the FIFA 22 soundtrack with Young Franco and Denzel Curry on “Fallin’ Apart.”
Electronic music collective, For the Record, hosted a DJing live stream to raise funds for hurricane relief on September 26.
WWOZ is hosting a 8-day broadcasting event in the stead of this year’s Jazz Fest with over 100 archival performances from previous Jazz Fests. The broadcast will take place on October 7-10 and October 14-17 from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. on 90.7 FM.
Blue Cypress Books will host a book signing of local journalist Emily Hingle’s “Band Room: New Orleans,” which showcases 35 different bands in various practice spaces around the city. The event will also be accompanied with live performances from Javier Gutierrez and Big Sam.
The Latest from New Orleans/Gulf Coast Music:
Upcoming Shows in New Orleans:
Zony Mash Birthday Celebration w/ ZM All-Stars @ Zony Mash Beer Project - Thursday - 7 p.m. ($15)
Suicideboys, Chief Keef, Turnstile, Night Lovell & Germ @ Mardi Gras World - Saturday - 8 p.m. ($88)
The Struts @ House of Blues New Orleans - Saturday - 7 p.m. ($35)
Sweet Crude & Cha Wa @ Tipitina’s - Saturday - 10 p.m. ($20)
People Museum with DJ Heelturn @ House of Blues New Orleans - Saturday- 9 p.m. ($15)
Bad Operation Album Release @ Banks St. Bar - Saturday 9 p.m. (Free)
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