Alt-Nation: Revival! 2015 and Last Good Tooth
The Columbus Collective celebrates three years of the Revival of the Columbus Theatre with a mammoth party featuring a mix of both national and local acts from the genres of folk and Americana with even a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll. Since the Columbus reopened in November 2012 as a music venue, it has hosted over 300 touring bands plus countless local bands, plays and comedians. The theater also has been used as a recording studio where dozens of albums have been recorded as part of the Columbus Recordings. Its two rooms have allowed the Columbus to host everything from national headliners in the main theater to intimate shows with both local bands and up-and-coming acts in the smaller upstairs room where the set-up gives the audience a feeling of being right on top of the band. I particularly enjoy the upstairs for a high energy rock show as being in the seats as if one was in a balcony but yet mere feet away from the band offers a unique perspective. Some standout shows the Columbus has hosted with this effect include Rough Francis, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, and Barrence Whitfield & The Savages. The national acts for Revival! 2015 include violinist extraordinaire Kishi Bashi and indie rockers Screaming Females. Local ghost folkers and co-founders of the Columbus Collective, The Low Anthem, headline the local side of the bash that also includes The Huntress and Holder of Hands (new project of MorganEve Swain from Brown Bird), Last Good Tooth, and Vudu Sister who recently finished recording their third yet-to-be-released record at the Columbus. The show, like the two that preceded it, is called Revival! to celebrate the theater’s return to prominence in the local arts scene. With so much happening in this show, I’m going to focus on the new record from one of the performers, Last Good Tooth, titled And All Things on Scales.
Last Good Tooth – And All Things On The Scales (Supply & Demand Music) The members of Last Good Tooth split their time between New York and Providence, which must make for some challenging logistics for practices. Nevertheless, judging by the results, it didn’t impede the construction of And All Things On Scales, which was recorded in the woods of Hudson, New York. Last Good Tooth is composed of Penn Sultan (lead guitar, vocals), Alex Spoto (violin), Kevin Sullivan (electric bass) and Arthur Kapp (drums). As far as audio description, I’d describe them as groove-orientated electric folk if that exists as a term. Last Good Tooth sound as lively and challenging as ever from the horn section on “This Light” and “What I Was Born For” to the indie ghost rock of “Examples.” Brown Bird’s MorganEve Swain adds a hauntingly backing vocal to “Shell.” On “Which Ones To Roll,” Last Good Tooth create a sonic collage between the violins and dirty guitars that light the way on a dreamy odyssey through the night. With And All Things On Scales, Last Good Tooth have created an album too groove-orientated to be lumped in as Americana, too heavy to be mere folk, and too dreamy and complex to be rock ‘n’ roll. The beauty of music is that there is always some sub-pocket of a genre that doesn’t exist till a band like Last Good Tooth comes along and creates it.
Catch Last Good Tooth as part of Revival! 2015 celebration at the Columbus Theatre on November 7. The shows also includes performances by Kishi Bashi, The Low Anthem, Screaming Females, The Huntress and Holder of Hands, Mitski, She Keeps Bees, Vudu Sister, Potty Mouth, Home Body, Mal Devisa, Jacob Augustine, INFJ, Ian Fitzgerald, Wes Buckley, Twain, JPA Falzone, Anthony, Savino, and EDT. The music on the main stage kicks off at 7pm, but the first act on a makeshift stage goes on at 5pm.
Email music news to [email protected] The Roots Report: Bill Maher Comes to Town
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 23: Television host and comedian Bill Maher performs at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort on March 23, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/WireImage)
Okee dokee folks … I, like many, am a fan of stand-up comedy, though the style that I prefer has more of an intellectual edge — stuff that really makes you think. George Carlin and Bill Hicks were masters of this. Nowadays, it seems we get more truth from comedians — like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert — than we get from the news media. In my opinion, one of today’s best comedians is Bill Maher, but he goes far beyond the simple label of comedian. He is also a writer, producer, political commentator, actor, media critic and television host.
I became a fan of Bill Maher in the late ’90s when the show “Politically Incorrect” was on network television. I faithfully watched that program every night because I felt he was aligned with the way I thought. I was fortunate to be in the LA studio audience for a taping of two segments of “Politically Incorrect” a few months before it went off the air, victim to the post-9/11 frenzy of fear, because of supposed politically incorrect comments Maher made shortly after 9/11. In 2003, Maher came back strong with a new program on HBO called “Real Time,” now in its 12th season.
In 2008, Maher released the documentary film Religulous, inspired by his critical view of religion. He is a supporter of animal rights and is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He supports same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana. He is an environmentalist and owns an all-electric Tesla automobile that he uses as his main vehicle. Maher has recorded comedy specials, been in television programs and films, and appears regularly on late night talk shows. He keeps his live, stand-up comedy chops fresh and travels around the US performing on a regular basis. I saw him last in RI as part of the Newport Comedy Series a few years back, and he will return to the Ocean State on November 15 when he brings his sarcasm, satire and wit to the Providence Performing Arts Center.
I had the opportunity to speak with Bill a few days ago when he called me from his LA home. At first it was like one of those “can you hear me now” commercials. His landline was down and he called from his mobile phone, which had poor reception. My mobile had even poorer reception so I asked him to call me on my landline. When we finally connected he had to walk around his house to find a spot with the best reception for the conversation. Unfortunately all of the “can you hear me now” significantly ate into the time scheduled for the conversation and he had another interview call to make, but we did get to talk for about 10 minutes.
We spoke briefly about “Politically Incorrect” and how September 17, 2001, was the beginning of the end for the nightly program. That night a segment featured discussion of the 9/11 terrorists during which Maher disputed using the word “coward” to describe them. The ensuing controversy and the retreat of ad sponsors were the death blow for the show. The statements that were made were rational and logical, but emotion had the best of the public at that time.
We moved on to the election. I had just watched the latest episode of “Real Time” to prep for the talk and Bernie Sanders was a guest that night. I asked Bill if Bernie was his choice for president and he told me that he was. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Maher contributed one million dollars to Barak Obama’s election fund. I asked if he was going to do the same for Bernie if he wins the nomination. He told me, “Because of the way that Sanders is receiving contributions, none from super PACs, I will only be able to contribute $5,400. Phew! I can save some money this time!” He did add, “But if you can’t get the fish, then have the chicken!” This was a statement he used on the latest “Real Time.” Basically he is saying if Bernie doesn’t get the nod then go with Hillary; don’t be foolish and abstain from voting.
We talked a little about Fox “News” and how that network exists in a bubble, as does its viewers. He said, “They never talk about actual issues, they discuss nonsense.” I told Maher that I agree with him on just about 99% of what he says. To that he replied, “I hear this a lot and it brings me great satisfaction knowing this. This is one of the reasons that I drag my ass all over the country. People like us don’t really have a church or communion, but the venues that I perform are the closest thing.”
Maher’s shows cover most of the topics he feels strongly about — religion, politics, bureaucracies, political correctness, the mass media, marijuana and whatever else he has a mind to rant about. There is a lot of truth to the punch lines. To me and to many others, most of what he says makes a lot of sense. And he makes it entertaining to hear. Do yourself a favor and enlighten yourself to the views and comedy of Bill Maher. Go to “church” with him on November 15. For more, Real Time over to PPACRI.org. By the way, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band is coming to PPAC on December 5, you WILL want to get tix now!
Here are a few other shows to check out. Chris Monti will celebrate the release of his newest album, Box Guitar: Songs for Acoustic Guitar, with a party at The Parlour on Saturday, November 7. Joining the party will be Shamanic and Big Biscuit (theparlourri.com). Michael Johnson, best known for his songs “Bluer Than Blue,” “Give Me Wings” and “That’s That,” as well as being a classically trained guitarist, an off-Broadway actor and an ex-member of the Chad Mitchell Trio, will be the featured performer at Stone Soup Coffeehouse on November 7. Kirsten Maxwell, the 2015 RI Songwriters Association Songwriter Winner, opens for him (StoneSoupCoffeehouse.com). Remember “Romeo’s Tune”? Well, Steve Forbert will be at the Courthouse Center for the Arts on November 14 (CourthouseArts.org). Aztec Two-Step will perform a classic duos show at the Guild Hall at St. John’s Church in Newport on Saturday, November 21 (401-848-2561). Common Fence Music presents The Horn of Plenty Music #5 featuring Michael Tarbox, Warbler Roost, Chris Monti, and The Sometimes String Band on November 21. Live music begins during the “folk-tailgate” chow-down when the doors open at 6:30 (CommonFenceMusic.org).
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading! JohnFuzek.com
Album Of The Week: Jose Oyola & The Astronauts’ Hologram
New Haven, Connecticut, musician Jose Oyola brings a wonderful combination of innovation and imagination to his songs. With English and Spanish lyrics to go with a unique style of indie-pop, Oyola exudes a style that nobody can replicate. The fro-haired whizkid and his band of Astronauts have a new album due out titled Hologram, and it radiates brilliance. Beauty in simplicity, Oyola writes catchy tunes that’ll stay with you. There’s a rhythmic groove to go with the album’s sci-fi themes that you’re bound to gravitate to.
With synths, acoustics and beats, there’s a stripped-down quality to Oyola’s music. It doesn’t mean that Hologram is lacking anything, it just means that the album has a peculiar way of delivering a certain type of pop music. Oyola brings his soul into each track; it seems as if all of Hologram is a series of deep, meaningful stories being conveyed through song. The Latin roots and contemporary structures make interesting music, and Oyola has a way of making you think and making you smile with each song he writes.
I don’t know about you, but I dig music that has a little bit of Spanish flair to it, especially when the basis for the sound is an acoustic guitar. Oyola nails it all over Hologram. To get more of an in-depth look at what to check out first, here are my top tracks off of my Album Of The Week:
An existential track about viewing Earth from an extraterrestrial point of view, “Strangers” is catchy while conveying a political message on how we can better the place that we all call home. Another catchy tune is “Indie/Out;” the bass serving as the backbone provides Oyola’s trademark groove that makes his music so unique. With an infectious riff, “Lune” has this surf-rock quality that you’re bound to dive right into.
Jose Oyola & The Astronauts will be celebrate the release of Hologram at College Street Music Hall in New Haven on November 7. It’ll be a star-studded night featuring hip-hop artist Ceschi, roots musician Frank Viele and more. It definitely should be the best local show to happen in The Elm City in quite a while. While you’re at the show, grab a copy of Oyola’s new album; it’ll take you to new worlds and new heights.
Jose Oyola & The Astronauts’ Bandcamp: http://joata.bandcamp.com
Mike D’s Top 5 Can’t Miss Shows of November 1. Saturday, November 14: Providence Garage Fest featuring Eric And The Nothing, Neutrinos, Future Spa, Black Beach, Nebulas, The Worried, Gavage, The Midriffs, Party Pigs, St. James and the Apostles; 6pm start; $13; All ages; AS220, 15 Empire St., Providence. Ever since I was a kid, Providence has had a great garage punk scene. I was a teenager in the ’90s, loving bands like Thee Hydrogen Terrors, The Itchies (who are still alive and killing it), The Amazing Royal Crowns, Boss Fuel, Ashley Von Hurter and the Haters, and many others. The volume of Providence garage bands has ebbed and flowed since then, but there seems to be a resurgence, not only local but nationally with acts like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall selling lots of tickets. Make sure to get there early to check out punk and roll scene vets The Worried (featuring Dennis Kelly from Boss Fuel) and Gavage as well as the new bands. Beyond bands playing, there will be a record show and vintage flea market, vintage motorcycles, lots of men in old black t-shirts, and even “psychotronic” movies. The only thing I liked better than beer soaked fuzz garage when I was younger was trying to get my hands on Russ Myers pretty close to skin flicks from the ’70s at Newspeak.
2. Tuesday, November 17: The Toasters, Senior Discount; 9pm; $?; 21+ ( I think); The Cafe / Parlor Newport, 200 Broadway, Newport. Speaking of memory lane trips into the ’90s, New York City ska ska ska used to be king on the weekend at Club Babyhead and the Toasters were regularly in the mix. The Toasters, a third wave band that’s been around since the early ’80s, were the vortex of the movement from NYC. Singer / lead guitarist Robert “Bucket” Hingley started Moon Ska Records after struggling to find a label to put out their debut. The label would go on to release albums from other influential ska bands such as Hepcat, The Pietasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles (one of my favorites) and Dance Hall Crashers. They always put on a great party, and with no tourists around in Newport you can afford a hotel in town to get as loose as you can.
3. Thursday, November 19: Charlie Don’t Surf (Clash Tribute), Jodi Jolt, Jim Daily, The Nymphedels; 7pm doors / 8pm show; $7 advance / $10 day of; 18+ only; The Spot, 180 Pine St., Providence. I love a good gamble and this show is the bet of the month for me. I have no idea who is in Charlie Don’t Surf. I don’t know if they are local (my computer crashed at deadline and I’m not a big search on my cell phone guy). I generally do not enjoy cover bands; however, I have been impressed by a few in recent memory. Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute), The Power Of Love (Huey and the News) and Hmfo (Hall and Oates) are some must-sees that come to mind. What I do know is I love the Clash, and I only got to see Joe Strummer once before his untimely passing. And I know the songs inside and out, so I will give Charlie Don’t Surf a shot and hope it works out.
4. Wednesday, November 25: Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons, Smith & Weeden, Tall Teenagers; 8pm doors / 9pm show; $12; All ages; The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket. It’s turkey time and that means time for all those who have left the nest to flock home to share Thanksgiving with their loved ones. With the influx of former Rhode Islanders comes RI’s own Americana Roots Troubadour Joe Fletcher. Joe packed up and left for Nashville in back in late 2013. In that time, Joe has become a vital member of the vibrant Nashville songwriter music scene and tours all across the country. This will be the first full band with The Wrong Reasons show to hit Providence in some time, as Joe has been doing a lot dates solo in recent history. Providence mainstays Smith & Weeden and newly formed, but composed of scene veterans (and a former Wrong Reason), Tall Teenagers warm up the bill
5. Saturday, November 28: Elle King; 6pm doors / show 7 to 10pm; $18 advance / $20 day of; All ages; Lupo’s, 79 Washington St., Providence. Elle King’s star is rising at what seems like an astronomical rate and she seems poised to take full advantage of it. This show was originally scheduled for The Met, except it sold out in a day. With demand high, they moved the show into the much larger Lupo’s club, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it sold out there too. I recently caught Elle King with her band in a small sold-out room in Boston and was taken back not only by their musical chops, but Elle’s overwhelming confidence. There is nothing better than seeing a talented up-and-coming star who is fully engulfed in their talent and charisma and empowered by it.
Also worth noting: November 7: Chris Monti (CD release)@ The Parlour; November 10: Zombi @ Columbus Theatre; November 13: Westbound Train, The Copacetics @ Manchester 65; November 15: Atlas Genius @ The Met; November 18: Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys @ The Narrows; November 20: Vital Remains @ Firehouse 13; November 22: Woods @ Aurora; November 30: The Front Bottoms @ Lupo’s; November 30: Dan Deacon @ Fete Alt-Nation: Consuelo’s Revenge and The Viennagram — This Weekend!
Consuelo’s Revenge – Mercy
It has been about two and a half years since the self-titled debut from Consuelo’s Revenge dropped, and in that time the band has carved a name for themselves as one of the best live bands in the city. Their versatility allows them to touch on everything from folk, bluegrass, blues and Americana to rock ‘n’ roll. This year they cleaned up, winning several well-deserved awards at the annual Motif Music Awards.
Their sophomore release, Mercy, is a rollicking collection of 14 new tunes that captures the spirit and energy of their live sets. Mercy kicks off with “All Fall Down,” which, along with several other tunes, touches on the supernatural by delving deep into local folklore. The result is that many of the narratives on the record come off with almost Old Testament-like fervor. Co-lead vocalist Amanda Salemi shines throughout whether singing lead or adding backup harmonies on the country-tinged “Mrs. Free.” Every style of music out there has been redone till it has been beaten down, but a great song will still take one to a magical place. This happens on “Small Town Story” where the beat and Salemi’s narrative brings you down the road “till it disappears into the woods” with the violin acting like fireflies lighting the way. “My Daddy’s Son” has a ’70s singer/songwriter rock sugarcoated with the blues taste. “Palantine Light” captures the restlessness of the village with a Slim Cessna’s Auto Club like thump while recounting the legend of the ghost ship Palantine off Block Island. In the 19th century, Rhode Island was known for high reports of vampirism, notably in South County. Consuelo’s Revenge merges folk and bluegrass to tackle the tale of the most famous of these alleged vampires in “Mercy Brown.” There is beauty in the sparseness of “Teri’s Song” with only an unaccompanied accordion and Salemi’s voice floating away like a distant siren in the wind. “Lady Liberty” is another song that sounds like it was born out of 18th or 19th century legends of gunfights with Salemi singing “everything was madness, horse’s blood, and noise” that comes off as an Americana version of early The Pogues. Mercy captures the energy and the passion of Consuelo’s Revenge’s live show and catapults them to a whole new level.
Consuelo’s Revenge CD release show for Mercy with additional performances by Jay Berndt & The Orphans, Haunt The House, and Sara Azriel happens at Aurora in Providence on October 30.
The Viennagram Release LAND OF THE FREAK Some bands don’t really appreciate the spectacle of doing something for Halloween, but The Viennagram know how to ramp up the spectacle and let their freak flag fly. The Viennagram inhabit a world of perpetual midnight like the psychedelic house band for a traveling freak show. Last Halloween The Viennagram released the full length album, LEARN TO TAME THE PATTERNS, which had everything from garage rock to show tunes, fun house freak-outs, and alien insurrections over the course of 21 tunes filled with ecstasy and madness. This year The Viennagram are back to release what they describe as their creepy EP, LAND OF THE FREAK, which will be released as a digital download at the Columbus Theatre on Halloween. Being The Viennagram, of course there is more to the release than a sheet of paper with some digits on it. The download codes will be available as part of a Limited Edition 4-Button Collector pack. Each song will have its own unique design. In addition there will be a limited edition poster of the LAND OF THE FREAK artwork available for sale. For a sneak preview, LAND OF THE FREAK is currently available for streaming online at theviennagram.com.
As for the music on LAND OF THE FREAK, singer/drummer/provocateur AV Vienna says the songs were all conceived in one evening at their secret hideout studio: Irrational Solutions Inc. Vienna continues: “after spending six years mixing/recording our last album, LEARN TO TAME THE PATTERNS, we were ready to explode with new ideas of worlds not yet explored. In the shamanic tradition of channeling the great muse, our approach was to let the songs arrive through us, as if we were the conduit for the uncanny electricity of inspiration. To our luck and great fortune, our psychic antennas drew forth the following far out frequencies fully formed and furious in a frantic frenzy of manic joy.”
To do something different, rather than have me tell you this song reminds me of some obscure tune I once heard in the backseat of a Chevy in this parking lot back in 1997, I’ll let Vienna take us through the four tracks to give deeper insight into the world of The Viennagram.
AV Vienna’s Guide to LAND OF THE FREAK
1. UFO WATCH: Ennio Morricone in Space or an ’80s cartoon theme song inspired by a bag of shirts I inherited from my Grandfather from his days as an author of Ufology (the study of reports, visual records, physical evidence, and other phenomena related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs). As both musician and producer, I sonically strove to enforce the speed, velocity and grandeur in the illusion of flying at light speed in stereoscopic space! (FUN FACT: Not only is it the first song inspired by a t-shirt, Deer Tick’s John McCauley sported an original edition of the shirt on their first appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on 6/17/2010.)
2. HORROR SHEIK: Although vastly different in styles and concepts, the main thread through the EP is the experiment of incorporating drum machines, creating a metronomic matte painting. It’s like having a cyborg body with this insanely pumping heart driving you to a dystopian disco dance macabre. Come and Evolve, Welcome to the Land of the Freak.
3. STEP OUTSIDE OF THE MAGIC CIRCLE: A Horror Trip-Hop Opera. A mad musical menagerie on Demonology! Step Outside of the Magic Circle into the sounds of psychedelic splendor! (FUN FACT: To create the effect of massive chant (133,316,666 demons, 666 legions, 6,666 demons in each legion, 66 rulers), I collaged a choir of throat singers, turned the pitch down and played it back into a giant room in an old mill that is most haunted.)
4. UNICORN BONES: A cautionary tale from another dimension, where major corporations tried to advertise on the moon and it exploded, creating a disruption in Earth’s gravity, as told by the battling factions thereafter. (FUN FACT: Upon first playing this song, I accidentally astral projected and eventually saw human consciousness represented as a massive system of branch-like nerve networks. This vision further instilled a belief that everyone is truly connected through the collective unconscious. Perhaps humanity’s great strength lies in the boundless power of imagination and the ambition to bridge dream into reality. We hope that our new extra sensory soundscapes inspire and expand the listeners’ inner world through the mysterious magic of vibration and air disguised as sound.
The Viennagram celebrate the release of THE LAND OF THE FREAK with a show with Beta Motel and Triangle Forest at the Columbus Theatre in Providence this Saturday, October 31st.
Happy Halloween, y’all, and email music news to [email protected]
Album Of The Week: Beat Connection’s Product 3
There’s nothing more seductive and sexy than R&B music. Maybe it’s the adoration they express or maybe it’s their lusty undertones. Statistics have shown that over the past half century, one vital ingredient for two people getting in between the sheets are the sounds of Barry White, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. A band from Seattle that brings that style with a modern touch is Beat Connection and their brand new album Product 3.
There’s an electronic feeling that exudes from Beat Connection; it’s bound to get you in the mood to move. Mix some contemporary pop, Motown soul and ’70s funk and that’s what you get with these guys. The lyrics on all the tracks off of Product 3 are pretty catchy too. It’s accessible for the most part — teeny boppers, college hipsters and even a few elitist music snobs should dig what Beat Connection has going on.
It is pretty interesting how 25 years ago Seattle was putting out completely different stuff. Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice In Chains were just making their mark. Now bands like Beat Connection and Pickwick are bringing something new to the table while others like Minus The Bear are still going strong. I guess Seattle’s music scene is just rolling with the changes like everybody else. One thing that’ll never change are my top tracks from the Album Of The Week coming at you, so here they are.
The lead single off of Product 3, “So Good” is the ultimate example of that catchiness I mentioned earlier. The simple guitar riff and the chorus will stay in your head. “Another Go Round” brings an island and Middle Eastern vibe that makes it pretty unique, especially mixing with all the groovy rhythms. One of those love songs that’s a staple for any good R&B track, “Rosealene” exclaims love for the girl of every man’s dreams with an interesting beat coating most of the song.
Beat Connection will roll through Great Scott in Allston, Massachusetts, on November 20, which should be a fun time at one of the best live music venues in the Boston area. Get your dancing shoes on too, because it’ll be that type of night. And grab yourself a copy of Product 3 while you’re there. It’s definitely a moves maker and body shaker.
Watch the music video for “So Good” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGaUmZX_srk
Beat Connection’s Website: http://www.beatconnection.com
CD Review: Kevin Connolly’s Ice Fishing
Hey kids, here’s a fun fact about me – I’m an only child. I never had to share my toys, or my albums, or my family’s affection with anyone else. And sure over the years I’ve often wondered how having a sibling would have changed the dynamics of my life, good or bad. Having been in a band for most of that lifetime, I really couldn’t fathom having a brother or sister as a fellow musical comrade. Think of all the famed family acts that have notoriously gone south over the rock era. Don & Phil Everly didn’t perform or even talk to each other for the better part of a decade. Ray & Dave Davies of The Kinks have been known to have show-stopping punch-ups literally on stage. And I shudder at the things that must have gone on in that Partridge Family bus.
But luckily for Boston-based singer songwriter Kevin Connolly, none of that melodrama applies to him and his brother Jim, who have completed a bi-coastal collaboration on Kevin’s tenth album Ice Fishing. Thanks to modern technology, both men recorded their respective parts on opposite coasts, never being physically together in the same studio. But thanks to old-fashioned brotherly love, what unfolds over 14 tracks is a tangible monument to that intangible sixth-sense that only two guys who share a mom could possess. Kevin would record the basic tracks of vocals and guitars here in New England, while big brother Jim was fundamentally given cart-blanche to interpret bass and keyboard parts all the way in sunny Santa Barbara, California.
I’ve listened to Ice Fishing in its entirety several times now; There are a few truisms that are evident throughout. Primarily Kevin Connolly’s seasoned and foreboding vocals drive the album every bit as much as a Stratocaster does Eric Clapton’s most renowned work. Connolly’s rich voice carries every emotion from pain to joy in such a way that elevates the lyrics from merely off the page, to directly into the heart of the listener. There’s real experience and integrity coming from them road-worn vocal chords.
Connolly’s roots rock / blues background is on full display for the album’s opening track “Bus Station,” not to mention a penchant for colorful songwriting. Although I could be wrong, one could argue that the inspiration for the characters in his station are autobiographically based: ”Here comes Indiana Jones in his canvas pants, headlights flash like camouflage dance / Looking for fresh air and homemade granola, he’s a fanny sackin, tree hugging man of devotion.”
On “Here Comes Whitey,” Connolly delivers the inevitable ode to one of the most notorious organized crime figures of the last 50 years, James ‘Whitey’ Bulger. “Here comes Jimmy with a butcher knife — someone’s getting beaten within an inch of their life / Dont you act too cool , dont you talk too much. — Whatcha gonna do with a gun in your mouth.”
Flipping the spectrum of tribute paying to its other end, Connolly delivers a soulful and touchingly heartfelt gift to his young daughter with the ballad “Blow Them Away.” It takes a lot to get through to my cynical heart, but the following line actually set my lower lip a-quivering: “Your mother and me we see an innocent child… let the world be forewarned of your hurricane ways. You’ll blow them away.” Simply put, that is some great songwriting.
I would be remiss if I didn’t underscore Jim Connolly’s unique bass playing throughout Ice Fishing. Big brother’s upright slides and wraps around Kevin’s melody in a way that perks the listener’s ear and makes the tracks anything but predictable. The symbiotic musical relationship the Connolly men have is nothing short of magical. And perhaps Kevin Connolly sums it up best in the liner notes of Ice Fishing: “I’m lucky to have him, and so is he…”
Rob’s Album Of The Week: Timmy’s Organism’s Heartless Heathen Every music scene has a few talented musicians floating under the radar. Look at a guy like Timmy Vulgar, a stalwart of Detroit’s illustrious garage rock & punk scene who cut his teeth as the frontman for acts like The Epileptix, Clone Defects and Human Eye. Vulgar has been doing things his way for quite some time while putting out music that’s just as good as the stuff from The White Stripes and The Dirtbombs. He also has a solo project called Timmy’s Organism that’s been rolling along since the late 2000s, and he has a new album due off it called Heartless Heathen that’ll be out on October 30 via Third Man Records. With bassist Jeff Grant and drummer Blake Hill rounding out a trio on the album, Vulgar has a lot of soul and a lot of psych that makes for a rad recording adorned with plenty of hooks and intensity.
A heavy amount of distortion and reverb covers Heartless Heathen like a sheen of electric mud on top of a beat-up chair. There’s a raw and rigid sound that gives a no-frills approach; Vulgar is going to blow your face off whether you like it or not. I dig the solos from Vulgar’s guitar a lot; his pure talent with each riff shouldn’t go unnoticed and provides a proper introduction to anyone who isn’t familiar with Vulgar’s work. By the time you’re done listening to Heartless Heathen, you’re going to want to raid your local record store and the lovely Internet for everything and anything that he’s touched.
Among all the craziness, one thing that’s beautiful about 2015 is that hard-working musicians finally have a wider audience to discover them. To know what to properly enjoy from Timmy’s Organism’s upcoming album, check out my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week.
An absolute rager, “Back In The Dungeon” is about Vulgar back in the basement rocking out and making the place shake, the perfect noisemaker for your senses to indulge in. One track that is different from the rest is “Please Don’t Be Going;” there’s a certain Motown R&B quality in the chorus that I enjoy and I think you’d enjoy too. Badass in so many ways, “Weather Woman” is a rhythm crusher that ups the ante with an incredible level of fuzz and distortion from start to finish.
Timmy’s Organism will embark on a tour of the Southwest, Midwest and West Coast starting at Kaiju in Louisville on October 29 and ending with a hometown homecoming at The UFO Factory in Detroit on November 25. Unfortunately they won’t be hitting up New England this time around, but let’s hope they’ll come through these parts sometime next year. Until then, grab a copy of Heartless Heathen when it’s released at the end of October. It’ll rev up your senses without any pretenses.
Stream “Weather Woman” here: https://soundcloud.com/thirdmanrecords/weather-woman/
Timmy’s Organism on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timmys.organism Album Of The Week: All Them Witches’ Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
When there’s a slight chill in the air and the leaves start to turn to shades of amber and mahogany, there’s a sense of celebration on the horizon. No, I’m not talking about pumpkin spice on everything. I’m talking about Halloween, a time yours truly starts to listening to music in the doom, fuzz and goth realm. It just seems appropriate, much like checking out Nashville doom rockers All Them Witches and their upcoming release Dying Surfer Meets His Maker. Due out on October 30 via New West Records (a Nashville label that you wouldn’t expect to be putting something like this out), this quartet brings a thunderous array of riffs and drum beats to create a mesmerizing sound. Dim the lights and turn it all the way up to 11.
Bands like All Them Witches are putting The Music City they call home in a different light. Everyone knows about the pop country mainstream, but more people should be aware of everything else that’s going on in Nashville. Why? Because it’s way better than the crap you hear on terrestrial radio. One thing that’s enjoyable about All Them Witches’ new album is the contrasting tracks. Some are folky and uniquely elegant while others are amplified and crushingly loud. A few have a tad bit of blues badassness as well, a spectacular smorgasbord of variety and style. Dying Surfer Meets His Maker has something for everyone.
What’s with the pumpkin spice craze anyway? Remember the good old days was everyone thought the coolest thing to do with a pumpkin was make a pie or a jack-o’-lantern? I like the flavor of apple cinnamon better during the fall anyway. Speaking of flavor, my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week will provide the robust taste your ears have been looking for.
That badass blues I mentioned earlier is best exemplified in “Dirt Preachers;” a rhythmic intro jets into a powerful chorus and back again for a fast-paced experience. An acoustic one I like a lot is “Call Me Star;” the first track on the album brings a soothing tone that is abundant throughout each song. Instrumental, wide ranging and epic, “El Centro” is fantastic in so many ways with an arsenal of guitars destroying everything in its path.
It’s going to be a little while, but New Englanders can go check out All Them Witches live at Great Scott in Allston, Massachusetts on December 5. With a sound like theirs, it’s a guarantee that the walls will be shaking in that little venue once the quartet takes the stage. While you’re there, grab a copy of Dying Surfer Meets His Maker. Plug it in and let it ride; when you turn this album up there will be nowhere you can hide.
Download All Them Witches’ Dying Surfer Meets His Maker Bonus Bundle on Noisetrade for free: http://noisetrade.com/allthemwitches/dying-surfer-meets-his-maker-bonus All Them Witches’ Website: http://www.allthemwitches.org
Keeping Their Fans Thrilled, Chilled, and Fulfilled: A Q & A with Tight Crew Owners DJ Soappy, Keither, and Linz
Llewelyn Ross (Motif): On Friday, October 30, you guys are hosting your uber-successful Creatures of the Night event at Lupo’s in Providence. Why go back to Creatures theme (this will be the sixth edition), and keep the “Thriller” performance in?
Tight Crew: Creatures of the Night is a Rocky Horror Picture Show reference and one of the first events we ever did, so the moment we found out they were available this year, we jumped at the chance to bring Creatures back to Lupo’s. The performances of Rocky Horror and “Thriller” really set this event apart from other Halloween dance parties, and the whole crowd gets into the performances!
LR: Why is Lupo’s a good setting for Creatures?
TC: Lupo’s is such an amazing and historical Rhode Island landmark. We all grew up going to concerts there and it holds a special place in our hearts. The venue is just beautiful with a huge balcony overlooking the main floor. The stage is perfect for doing large art pieces. It allows us to really go over the top. LR: Tell me a bit of your relationship with RKO army, Rhode Island’s Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast. How many years have they participated?
TC: Keither and Lin-Z, part owners of Tight Crew, have been performing with the RKO Army for over 12 years. The cast are friends of Tight Crew, and a lot of the same people participate and volunteer for both groups. The RKO Army is at every Creatures of the Night with a Rocky Horror floorshow and a “Thriller” performance!
LR: About how far in advance does planning and production for this party start?
TC: We sometimes have a good idea of what event will happen as far as an entire year in advance, although most line-up scheduling won’t happen until roughly three or four months before the show.
LR: DJ setup? Decorations? What can we expect?
TC: We have been building our Halloween arsenal since 2009, and you can expect us to cover every corner of the building with spooky props and set designs. The highlight of this show is our 24-foot-tall skull DJ booth with video mapping and disco ball/laser beam eyes!
LR: What went into making them?
TC: For the most part, our decorations are designed from scratch and made by hand. It takes anywhere from hours to days to visualize, sketch, cut, drill, paint and build our sets. The skull booth took several weekends and a few cases of beer to complete. We schedule “deco days” where our friends and crew meet up at our warehouse to work on the art and props for our shows. It’s also a nice way to get everyone together.
LR: What’s different this year?
TC: This year, we tweaked the main stage with new lighting fixtures and visuals. The artist lineup, we feel, is exceptionally strong this year as well. An additional smoking area has been added for crowd comfort, and this is also the first Creatures of the Night to have the balcony seating available.