This looks great – a new documentary about band director Conrad Johnson and Houston’s Kashmere High School Stage Band circa 1970′s. I can’t wait to see it!

“Presented by Jamie Foxx, THUNDER SOUL follows the extraordinary alumni from Houston’s storied Kashmere High School Stage Band, who return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for the 92-year-old “Prof,” their beloved band leader who broke the color barrier and transformed the school’s struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s.”

Release dates and theater locations can be found here.

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Interesting article in The New York Times today about the history of Seattle’s grunge music scene and its influence that is still felt around the city today. Included with the article are videos, slideshows, and a quiz! (I scored “grunge rock star” – top that!) The article goes on to mention that currently on exhibition at the Seattle EMP Museum (Experience Music Project) is “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses” the world most extensive collection of memorabilia from the bands history.

I don’t know about you, but I would totally LOVE to see this…but since I’m probably not getting myself to Washington state anytime soon, the new must have catalog is available for purchase:

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It seems we weren’t the only ones with a little nostalgia for 90′s rock this season. Style.com takes a look back at the Gen-X decade with a great feature called “The Girls of Grunge“. As we approach the twenty year anniversary of the decade, designers seem to be looking back to that time for inspiration, and that includes us. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, not only defined the era in sound, they also defined the style.

Check out Style.com’s slideshow look at the ladies from the nineties – “The Girls of Grunge“.

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Besides cooler temperatures, leaves turning, and seasons changing…there is something else to look forward to this fall.

Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10th, opening in major cities on the 20th, and televised on PBS October 21st, comes Cameron Crowe’s documentary Pearl Jam Twenty. Filmed as part of the PBS American Masters series, this film will take a look at twenty years of live concerts, behind the scenes footage, and interviews with the band from over 1,200 hours of footage.

Can’t wait to see this.

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Earlier this summer a music producer friend called “Torches” the best album of the year…and its easy to see why. With its sunny Cali-rock sound, and infectious dance beats, the debut from “Foster the People” is the single record that I’ve listened to the most this summer.

The band has hit every major outdoor music festival this season and they also currently have the #2 single on iTunes (Pumped Up Kicks)…although its the forth track “Don’t Stop (Color On the Walls) is the tune that will forever remind me of summer 2011.

I also like the fact that they totally rock out while wearing button-down shirts:

Pick up Foster the People – Torches on

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Appearing this Monday night at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, Hamilton friend Lyle Lovett along with John Hiatt will be performing an acoustic show where they both will be taking turns performing songs from their respective careers. Seeing these two together at this historic theater would be a show not to miss. Unfortunately, if you don’t already have tickets – the show is totally sold out. Not even Stubhub can come to the rescue for this one. Luckily, their tour will continue through Texas, hitting historic theaters in San Antonio, a couple shows in Austin, and a show in Dallas, so all hope is not lost.

Check out Lyle Lovett’s website for more tour dates this summer…looks like he’ll be hitting up the mid-west, then over to the east coast, finishing up the tour in Virginia end of August. Try and catch a show, you’ll be happy you did.

photo by Michael Wilson

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Very much digging the hypnotic new Panda Bear album called “Tomboy”. The hallucinatory surf music sound is definitely my first record to go into heavy rotation for summer 11. Panda Bear is a project of Noah Lennox from the band Animal Collective and the parallels between the two bands is obvious. Check it out on itunes here: Tomboy – Panda Bear.

“Abita Song” by Panda Bear
Noah Lennox
myspace.com/​pandabear
Paw Tracks Records 2010

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With the city of Houston packed with basketball fans for the Final Four this weekend, USAToday asked Houston native Lyle Lovett for his favorite places in town. We were terribly flattered and thrilled that he picked the Hamilton Shirt Company as one of his top ten!

photo by Michael Wilson

We are such big fans of Mr. Lovett that his endorsement is incredibly meaningful to us. The admiration is mutual, Lyle Lovett’s sophisticated take on country & western style always puts him on our list as one of the best dressed guys we know.

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Whatever “it’ is, the Drums got it. I know they must be cool because they make me feel really OLD. I’m really digging their new take on the classic surf sound – and they also have GREAT style.

Check out some of their videos:

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The March issue of Out Magazine looks at a night at the Opera. Have you ever been?

The New York Times recently took at an appreciative look at the groundbreaking Houston Grand Opera – where many of the practices of modern day opera houses were first pioneered. I bet the operatic version of Dead Man Walking has to be awesome.

A custom french cuff Hamilton Shirt featured in the layout below:

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