people

Damascan Daydreams: “People” (prod. Oddmanrush)

Making memorable trip-hop’s not just a matter of slowing down breakbeats, and swapping out rap verses with some reggae-dub bass and exotic-sounding samples. No it’s a tricky tightrope that walks the thin line between sneaky and seductive, mellow and bangin’, and of course, hip-hop and psychedelia. And in our opinion, the tunes with women singers have shown a lot stronger of staying power.

In an ideal example of the “two heads are better than one” approach, dark dream pop singer-songwriter Damascan Daydreams recently teamed up with post-industrial multi-instrumentalist-producer Oddmanrush to create a sprawling, seventeen-minute exploration of that iconic ’90s style. Appropriately titled Archangel, these four originals capture that fall-from-grace vulnerability with a post-pearly gates perspective and ethereal-meets-sinister atmosphere.

In other words, it’s a awesome experience of flawed humanity best experienced front-to-back, or better yet, on-stage and in-person. So catch the pair performing later this fall on November 10th at Hotel Vegas and again on November 15th at DadaLab. And if you’re feeling a little gloomy going back into the workweek, let Archangel‘s sophomore song “People” put you in comparable, Portishead-esque spirits. A real achievement of minimalism, this downtempo trip-trop treat touts simple synth chord progressions, bare bones MIDI drum programming, and vocals that swerve between reverb-enriched and almost completely dry.

Texas Standard: June 28, 2018

The end of Rowe versus Wade? Not so fast say a Texas law scholar and a former law clerk to retiring Justice Kennedy, we’ll explore. And conventional wisdom has it that Kennedy’s likely successor on the court will be an ideological opponent of the landmark 1973 abortion rights decision. But in the end, such a challenge might not turn on Kennedy’s successor, we’ll hear why. And first it was bags, but now that Texas bag bans have been trashed in a court challenge, the spotlight turns to plastic straws, we’ll take a look at the latest. Also, digital savant Omar Gallaga with summer tech for kids. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 21, 2017

Who are the best and who are the worst legislators in the 2017 session? It’s the list that’s got Texans talking on this Wednesday, we’ll hear why. Also the new bill outlawing so-called sanctuary cities doesn’t take effect until the fall, which leaves cities and counties exactly where when it comes to who do detain and for how long? We’ll hear about some hard lessons being learned by detainees and those doing the detaining. Also, if more and more nanny’s are watching out for Texas kids, who’s watching over the nannies? Those stories and a lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Demonyms: Dallasites, Victorians, and Everything In-Between

A demonym describes the inhabitants of a place. With so many cities and counties in Texas, it’s hard to keep track of who is what from where. Word scholar W.F. Strong has a helpful list to keep you on track.

For places ending in “s”, add “-ites”

Dallas – Dallasites
Dumas – Dumasites

For places ending in “on,” add “-ian”

Houston – Houstonians
Denton – Dentonians
Sinton – Sintonians

For places ending in “o,” add “-an”

El Paso – El Pasoans
San Angelo – San Angeloans
Amarillo – Amarilloans

For places ending in “i,” add “-an”

Corpus Christi – Corpus Christians
Bucareli – Bucarelians
Miami – Miamians

For places ending in “y,” drop the “y” and add “-ian” or “-an”

Bay City – Bay Citians
Wimberley – Wimberleans
Albany – Albanians

For places ending in consonant or silent “e,” add “-er” or “-ite”

Edinburg – Edinburgers
Rosenberg – Rosenbergers
Fredericksburg – Fredericksburgers
Alpine – Alpine or Alpinites
Commerce – Commerceites or Commercians
Comfort – Comforters

For places ending in “polis,” change “polis” to “-politans”

Montopolis – Montopolitans

For places ending in “a,” add “ns”

Odessa – Odessans
Riviera – Rivierans
Victoria – Victorians

A few unusual demonyms to keep in mind:

Alice – Alicians
Naples – Neoplitans
Liverpool – Liverpudlians
Oxford – Oxonians
Leander – Leanderthals
Martin – Martinites or Martians
Palestine – Palestinians
Marfa – Marfans or Marfalites
Moscow – Muscovites
London – Londoners
Refugio – Refurians
Falfurrias – Falfurrians or Falfurrianos
Mission – Missionaries or Missionites
Paris – Parisians
San Antonio – San Antonians

W.F. Strong is a Fulbright Scholar and professor of Culture and Communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. At Public Radio 88 FM in Harlingen, Texas, he’s the resident expert on Texas literature, Texas legends, Blue Bell ice cream, Whataburger (with cheese) and mesquite smoked brisket.