Close Only Counts Three Favorite Tracks on the Record, “Occupational Hazard,” “Con- Grit of Kim Gordon and Bouncy Drone of Chrissie Hynde
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-----------------------------------------Spins --------------------------------------- Wooden Nickel Mark Hutchins CD of the Week Liar’s Gift BACKTRACKS $9.99 It was 2003, and I was working Moody Blues at a record store when a guy who To Our Children’s Children’s Children (1969) looked like he could’ve been in then- hot indie band Grandaddy fumbled The Moody Blues tended to go big; big in. He looked around, said nothing, arrangements, big lyrics and always big then approached the counter. Peek- concept albums. This release, inspired by ing from below the lid of his ball the July ’69 moon landing, perhaps the hu- cap, the possibly-bearded mystery man race’s biggest accomplishment to that point, was the fifth man asked if we had any copies of an obscure record called Please studio release from The Moody Blues. by a band called Vandolah. “Yeah, we do,” I said, “and it’s so good. It opens with “Higher And Higher,” sort of a garbled mess of Do you need a copy?” spoken word and guitars. It’s vintage Moody Blues and kicks off Before I finished my sentence the guy was halfway out the door. one of the best prog-rock records they ever did. The track carries “No,” he said, “just checking.” A couple years later, with the release you into “Eyes Of A Child,” which sounds like early Pink Floyd, of Vandolah’s second album, Walk It Off, I saw that guy again. On followed by the poppy folk-psychedelic “Floating.” Next come a $11.99 stage. Singing Vandolah songs. A couple of years after that I got to couple of bridge pieces before side one finishes with Mike Pin- know Mark Hutchins, the one-time frontman/songwriter/guitarist der’s “Out And In” and his dreamy mellotron. ERIC CLAPTON & behind Fort Wayne’s greatest unknown band, a little bit. And then, Side two picks up the pace with the track “Gypsy” which WYNTON MARSALIS still less than two years ago, in early 2010, he released his first solo highlights the harmony and great acoustic guitars while pleading PLAY THE BLUES: LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER record, Sleepy Furnace, then played shows for a few months before with the human race and the toils of the downtrodden. “Eternity mostly disappearing again. That solo debut record (probably his best Road” lets you catch your breath and lyrically explores the vast- Predictably, this union of music greats yet) has since made him a local favorite in his hometown(s) of New ness of space with the soft vocals of Justin Hayward and John creates one the best live albums in recent Haven, Fort Wayne and Toledo, if only amongst the top tier of musi- Lodge. “Candle Of Life,” which follows, was one of the few memory. Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton cians from those three music scenes. This October the mysterious songs penned by Lodge who quietly plays the bass behind this Play the Blues: Live from Lincoln Center Hutchins returns with his second solo record, a 10-song, 32-minute almost orchestrated record. combines Clapton’s blues guitar virtuosity pop record called Liar’s Gift, made perfect for fall season listening. “Sun Is Still Shining” is a hopeful number and again carries with Marsalis’ ability to arrange songs to Hutchins claims never to have “really listened to country or blue- on the theme of planetary joyfulness. “I Never Thought I’d Live best showcase the talent of the musicians grass music, growing up or now, but concedes that Liar’s Gift has To Be a Hundred” is a half a-minute long before the album closes on stage. Pick up this gem of an album at enough “twangy moments” to be considered a “twangy record.” There with “Watching And Waiting.” Very similar to “Nights In White Wooden Nickel Music for just $11.99. is, however, at least a little twang in his background. He played in a Satin” released two years earlier, it wraps up a somewhat roman- number of bands through the 90s, culminating in Vandolah in 2003. tic album of hope and discovery. TOP SELLERS @ That band released three records with influences ranging from Wilco The Moodies have released 16 studio records and 17 compila- to Pernice Brothers to Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices. Along the tion records. Do the math on that one. Wooden Nickel way he also released a couple of very-Pollard-friendly albums under Fun fact: Denny Laine (who formed Wings with Paul and Linda (Week ending 9/18/11) the moniker New Pale Swimmers. Now a full-blown solo artist who McCartney) left the Moodies after their first record in 1965. (Den- TW LW ARTIST/Album self records songs in between hours spent as a dad and copywriter nis Donahue) 1 – PEARL JAM for Sweetwater Sound, Hutchins is making incredibly well produced Twenty pop records that highlight his pure vocal and literate writing style. Jon Keller, Lee Miles, Left Lane Cruiser, Sacred Broncos, Wooden Liar’s Gift, while certainly checkered with moments of twang Satellites and now Hutchins, 2011 is shaping up to be a best-ever year 2 – SUPERHEAVY (usually delivered by way of subtle banjo), sees Hutchins singing for the Fort Wayne music scene, of which Hutchins is a longstanding Superheavy and writing in a way not unlike what we heard on Furnace. So no, he part. Is his record the best of the bunch? Oh, who cares? Liar’s Gift hasn’t added faux-twang to his voice, nor is he singing about being is a front-to-back solid release from an ever-growing songwriter with 3 – OPETH poor or drunk or angry or old. Mostly, Hutchins is doing what he did a golden voice and unique pen. (Greg W. Locke) Heritage on his last record but focusing slightly more on banjo and mandolin than ambient noise or layered guitar. 4 1 DREAM THEATER Two additional differences between Furnace and Gift are im- TIMBER!!! Dramatic Turn of Events mediately evident: (1) The new record is far shorter than its 16-song, Twenty-Five Thirty-Five 5 3 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 52-minute predecessor; (2) The tracks on Furnace featured quite a I’m With You bit more production and ornamentation while Liar’s songs have a Something of a local post-punk minimalist (though still-very-full) production vibe. That said, the two supergroup, TIMBER!!! features 6 – PISTOL ANNIES albums fit nicely together, Hutchins now a much more focused writer onetime I, Wombat guitarist Ben Hell On Heels and slightly more competent producer than he was in his Vandolah Larson, former frontman of the now- days. Opener “Occupational Hazard” sets the stage for the record’s defunct Mister Doctor Professor Ja- 7 – UMPHREY’S MCGEE many themes – death, redemption, aging and nostalgia. Other stuff. son Williams, Streetlamps for Spot- Death By Stereo For years Hutchins has talked about stuntmen, even saying at times lights dude (and Off the Cuff Sound that he had a batch of “stuntmen songs” that he planned to someday owner/producer) Jason Davis and Kendra Johnson (who I’m told has 8 2 PRIMUS record. A handful of those songs pop up here, offering the record a been in a number of punk bands over the years). Grim Naugahyde depth and cohesion similar to Vandolah’s concept-heavy sophomore Truth be told, I wasn’t all that excited to hear the group’s de- album, Walk It Off. but EP, Twenty-Five Thirty-Five, when it was released. I saw one of 9 4 ANTHRAX Worship Music Many of the cuts here fall into the mid-tempo category, though the crew’s first performances (this before Davis joined up) and just not in a boring or repetitive sort of way. A clever producer with a wasn’t all that into what I saw. That said, the performance I saw was 10 9 LADY ANTEBELLUM seemingly endless number of tricks up his sleeve, Hutchins finds very early on and long before the three tracks presented here were Own the Night ways to keep the mid-tempo tracks (most of which are very, very recorded. I’m told they’re much, much better these days, and maybe good) from repeating themselves. Hooks and melodies abound. even one of the best bands in Fort Wayne’s currently great, if small Some songs stand out more than other, such as closer “The Center indie rock scene. Fri., Sept. 23 • 7 p.m. • All Ages • Free of the Earth (Is Bought and Sold)” and lead single “North Anthony The eight minutes of music, recorded and mixed by Davis at Off LIvE AT OUR N. ANTHONY Store: Allstars.” The B-side to “Allstars,” titled “Specialist,” is a complete the Cuff Sound, beg me to believe the new rumors. Opener “White departure, Hutchins singing quick, bouncy stuntman verses over Out” is mid-tempo blast of noisy indie pop that employs a prominent an all-out bluegrass composition led by banjo and harmonica. My vocal track from Johnson that falls somewhere between the early CLOSE ONLY COUNTS three favorite tracks on the record, “Occupational Hazard,” “Con- grit of Kim Gordon and bouncy drone of Chrissie Hynde. Larson’s trolled Conditions” and “The Liar’s Gift,” are all major standouts jagged guitar tracks remind very much of Vs.-era Mission of Burma W/GREY GORDON & FINTON ARTHUR that should satisfy those who fell hard for Furnace. They’re great, – and in the best way possible. The sound isn’t as messy or punk as 3627 N. Clinton • 484-2451 memorable songs written by an artist who has not only perfected his early Burma, Pretenders or Sonic Youth, but the vibe is present and craft, but found ways to keep looking forward without leaving his convincing at every turn.