Kansas Political Controversy of the Week / SXSW-Bound Scenester Picks of the Day

During yesterday's House Appropriations Committee Meeting, which involved a discussion of the state's handling of feral swine, Republican Representative Virgil Peck suggested (jokingly?) that the state's illegal immigrants might best be handled the same way: shooting them from helicopters.

Peck later explained that he "was just speaking like a southeast Kansas person." (LJ-World).

Chip: "Well, yes, that is how we speak. But it's also the reason we shouldn't be elected."

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Perhaps, like us, you're not hip enough to be in South by Southwest this week. Luckily, the festival always insures that a few bands en route to or from Austin will stop by Larryville to entertain us.

Tonight brings Pitchfork-approved Ty Segall to the Jackpot. His 2010 album, Melted, earns a 7.5:

"Melted, his latest, boasts a 30-minute runtime that feels closer to 15. Segall gets in, gets out, and gets it done nearly every time."

Chip: "Is this an album review or a description of my lovemaking prowess?"

But what does Segall sound like?

"Ty Segall pens crackling classic-sounding rock'n'roll tunes about as lean and economical as they come, pushing his rangy shoutalong hooks so far forward there's rarely room for pesky little details like verses."

Richard: "As for me, I've always enjoyed the presence of 'verses' in music, so I'll probably opt for another SXSW-bound showcase over at the Granada: alt-country 'supergroup' Middle Brother. I'm not exactly sure that members of Deer Tick and Dawes necessarily constitute a 'supergroup,' as critics insist on terming them, but I predict a hootenanny nonetheless."

Chip: "Isn't the Deer Tick dude banging one of those darlins' from Those Darlins?"

Richard: "Don't be crude, Chip. They're engaged now. I read that he proposed by presenting her a 'toe ring' at a recent show in Brooklyn."

And, if you prefer your SXSW-bound bands to have local connections, don't forget that the presence of Dri and Extra Classic at the Tap Room tonight will tranform the venue from the award-winning "best place to dance" in Larryville to the best place to dance in the entire universe.