Two Louies February 2004

photo Buko Page 2 - TWO LOUIES, February 2004 Sludge before Grunge at the Leaky Roof. Pierre Ouellette (facing with Stratocaster) and his band the Sludge Brothers appeared only infrequently due to his high profi le day gig as creative director of KVO the USA’s hippest high technology ad agency. Th e RIAA was a client. Pierre was already famous as the guitarist for northwest icons Don & Th e Goodtimes and Paul Revere & Th e Raiders. In the 70’s Ouellette pioneered the jazz-rock fusion genre in a long collaboration with famed Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He also worked with internationally acclaimed jazz bassist David Friesen. In 1993 Pierre wrote the high tech novel Th e Deus Machine and optioned it to New Line Cinema. He followed with Th e Th ird Pandemic, a high-tech plague novel in which the germs themselves become participating characters in the plot. Pierre drew on his roots in the world of professional music to develop and produce Th e Losers Club, a fi lm about the careers of guitarists Jim Mesi and Steve Bradley. Th e fi lm premiered last month as part of the NW Film Center’s Reel Music Series and played to a sold-out house and critical acclaim. Th e pictured Sludge Brothers drummer is Bob “Crusher” Metke of Wrinkle and Th e Hudson Brothers. Bob now plays with Sumo, formerly the Other Guys, who were made up of members of the Wise Guys. a limited time. Please contact alicia@allegro- fox and Universal to the next show at the music.com for wholesale inquiries, and Whiskey 2/20. William Morris was also in contact me for info on stores in your area the house and requested 15 copies of the CD that may have stock left if you’re looking for to hand out on our behalf, just to be cool. a particular title. Th ey gave it to the Hollywood reporter who Forward ever! loved the CD and will be at the show to do Th e BSI crew: Ezra, Jason, Josh, Ryan, Tracy a write up as well. Universal, Sony and Epic LABEL FOLDS have since let us know that they are coming Greetings Two Louies, DOT COM COUP to the show. Our legal reps decided to throw We are sad to announce that BSI Records Dear Two Louies, a pre-show party in their law offi ces on Sunset and One Drop Recordings are closing up shop I Just wanted to share this with you: For and off er drinks, food and rides to the show at the fi ve year mark. Our primary European indieindie artists,artists, onlineonline presencepresence mmakesakes a diff eer-r- forfor industry.industry. I havehave beenbeen featuredfeatured onon thethe frontfront distributor went out of business with a massive “We are sad to announce that BSI Records debt to us; due primarily to this situation we can no longer continue operations. It’s been and One Drop Recordings are closing up a great run, with a total of 35 releases behind us, and we feel privileged and blessed to have shop at the fi ve year mark. Our primary been in the game for this long, especially during the rough economic times of the last European distributor went out of business few years. We worked with amazing artists, with a massive debt to us.” were blessed with a small but loyal following worldwide, and built a catalog that we can all ence because I just found out that I’m doing page of Starpolish.com, CDBaby.com and be proud of. We want to thank all of you sin- a showcase in L.A. due to online exposure: I Garageband.com and it seems to be paying cerely for supporting BSI and One Drop, and traded shows with an L.A. artist via CDBaby off of late. I have sold over 200 copies of my we look forward to whatever the future holds. and then played the ROXY with them. Benny CD just online and sales are coming in every Only Th e Force knows what lies ahead... Mardones was at the show (hit song, “Into the day. Th ings like that actually make a diff erence NAIL Distribution will be selling off its Night”...6 million copies sold) and loved the and surely did in this case. It goes to show that remaining stock of BSI and One Drop titles for set. He is bringing the head of 20th century Continued on page 23 TWO LOUIES, February 2004 - Page 3 ments) I found Anglo-esque, keyboard-driven compositions showcasing a melodic, passionate, yet slightly brooding voice and lyricism which expresses a kind of overcast contemplation of the emotional challenges felt by any of us with a pulse and penitent for introspection. Not one to lapse into navel gazing, Scott pumps up the vibe with his 70’s cool jazz harmonic sensibilities as well as the gurgling electronica of some cool sounding synths. All this topped off with some “in- the-pocket” bass and drum grooves and you’ve got a groovy little “soundtrack-to-life” musical companion perfect for walkman-enhanced walks down rain-soaked streets in the winter brisk or late night snuggle fests, safe by the fi reside while the rain outside pours down. In other words it Th e Scott Fisher Story his website www.scottfishermusic.com. You’ll grew on me, drawing me in without needing to fi nd a great introduction to the man, the music win my attention. Greetings from L.A. With the New Year and his accomplishments, thus far. Also, a trip As I roll into the gig, fashionably late as still waking from the slumber of the holiday to the web will allow me to skip the obligatory usual, I’m greeted by Scott’s cover of an Elliot season, I’m sure I fi nd you, as am I, strategizing “who-does-he-sound-like” references that seem Smith tune, something off of “XO” I believe, Scott new visions for world domination, fortune and preoccupy the journalistic output of those of us puts it across as if it were his own, no small feat fi ft een plus minutes of media stardom. January who write about all things musically new. Okay, considering the melodic complexity and emo- is the time of the year to get busy, tionaltional rresonanceesonance nnecessaryecessary but I’m not feeling quite up to “Not one to lapse into navel gazing, toto dodo justicejustice toto Smith’sSmith’s uniqueunique speed just yet. So with the wheels brandbrand ofof ppoeticoetic jjustice.ustice. IInn of momentum still turning slowly, Scott pumps up the vibe with his 70’s ElliottElliott Smith’sSmith’s passing,passing, wewe I make my way down Caheunga lostlost thethe untappeduntapped musicalmusical Blvd., just left of Hollywood, feeling cool jazz harmonic sensibilities as geniusgenius ofof a generation.generation. OnlyOnly the chill of an early January Th urs- well as the gurgling electronica of timetime wwillill ttell,ell, butbut I predictpredict in day night (wind factor 55 degrees, twentytwenty yearsyears ElliottElliott SSmithmith wwillill brrrrrrr). I’m off to catch Portland’s some cool sounding synths.” bebe rememberedremembered asas moremore thanthan Scott Fisher and band play an early justjust Mr.Mr. Misery.Misery. evening set at one Hollywood’s Scott Fisher live is Scott new intimate showcase venues; up front, center stage, sur- Th e Hotel Café. rounded by keyboards and Passing the riff raff , hustlers other assorted electronic and sexual deviants that have paraphernalia masterfully taken up permanent residence commanding audience on this corner of the world; street attention, working the quiet- life drawn, no doubt to the Mecca storm dynamics, projecting of all things skeezy; the neigh- an effortless, natural stage boring Spotlight bar, a drinking presence that compliments establishment equivalent, in my the music and as I found from imagination, to the Black Hole of our later meeting, not too far Calcutta. A dive so low, I have off from Scott’s off -stage per- always been afraid to enter, even sonality. Th e secret weapon of back in my “Rock-star-in-ruins” Scott Fisher live is the band. days. In the late 80’s where any The band, meaning Matt given night meant running the Voth on Bass, Bob Dunham streets of Hollyweird from Raji’s on Guitar and Drummer to Boardners, to Th e Gaslight to Jeff Anthony, expertly main- Zatar’s and back to Raji’s for last photo Jeff Bizzell tains the space required by call, as if in some sort of drinking the delicate nature of the man’s grand prix. Excuse me while I digress into here’s the low down from my perspective; To ballads and churns up a slow-simmering, con- cheap nostalgia……... categorize Scott Fisher as “eltonjohncoldplayben- trolled–burn when the groove needs to kick in. From the amount of mainstream press Scott foldsfi vecrowdedhousebrucehornsby” says more Th e band member’s musical personalities add Fisher has received from the Oregonian, Willa- about the quality of composition and performance subtle counterpoint to Scott’s spotlight, spicing the mette Week and (gasp!) Two Louies, I doubt I’m that Scott aspires to (and yes, achieves) than the sauce and successfully broadening the humanity introducing any of you scenesters-in-the-know to derivative nature of such comparisons. Upon of the presentation beyond the singularity that a someone new. I’m sure many you were there, way repeated listenings of “Fleeing Towards Creation”, singer-songwriter dominated performance can back then, when Scott was all up-and-coming.

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