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09/04/2010 10:00 PM
The evolution of singer-songwriter-turned-community-project-turned-full-on-band jascha. finds itself enjoying its latest musical mutation. Over the past year, jascha. has come into its own, filtering a penchant for Fleet Foxes-esque four part harmonies into a diverse indie rock sound that at once recalls Built to Spill, Modest Mouse and Arcade Fire.
Propelled by the introspective lyrics of lead singer/songwriter Jascha, the “…whiskey-drenched rock/gospel-folk inspired sounds we’ve come to love from this band (MyOldKentuckyBlog.com)” finds itself on 7 inches of vinyl with its latest EP release, "At The Mouth Of The Well Of The Twisted Serpent/Indianapolis: The Paris Of The Midwest," released by Standard Recording Company.
Their schizophrenic sound(s) are throwing promoters and press alike for a loop:
“…sounds like Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) jamming with Crazy Horse (NUVO),” raves a recent review of their latest single, while another pegs them as an “…unapologetically indie group…reminiscent of Elvis Costello and Bright Eyes, with a smattering of Nickel Creek thrown in for good measure."
Reviewers may find it difficult to aptly describe the band’s sound, but all agree the jascha. experience is “…blended into a fine malt of excellence (Indy Spectator)”
Having graced the stage with Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band, Bowerbirds, Seedy Seeds and Those Darlins, jascha. has developed a reputation for a deeply moving, electrifying live show that “…makes you feel encapsulated within the lost art of ..ZaptownMag.com).”
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09/09/2010 9:00 PM
The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank's critically acclaimed 2007 album Sing! will be remembered as a landmark recording in the roots music resurrection happening in Minnesota. The recording is mostly live and raw, the playing sharp and dirty and the songs are as emotional and bold as they are vivid and well crafted. The Hobo Nephews new album Traveling Show (release Sep 1, 2009) is a confident and exciting evolution of the same formula as the road hardened trio of drummer Paul Grill and the brother songwriting team of Ian and Teague Alexy eloquently trace the emotional ups and downs of life on the road over a roller coaster of dirty roadhouse stomps, visceral ballads, rock n' roll burners, country-blues shuffles and most things in between. Most bands lack a strong singer/songwriter with originality or true grit. Hobo Nephews is the rare group that can boast having two songwriters of style and substance.
The Alexy brothers grew up in the New Jersey shore town of Somers Point - the town where Bob Dylan hired The Band before Ian and Teague were born. A simple twist of fate brought them to Dylan's hometown of Duluth, Minnesota where they started the band as a duo in 2005 with a revolving cast of roots musicians helping them celebrate their original songs alongside inspired renditions of Leadbelly, Mississippi John Hurt and most importantly Woody Guthrie. They did their first tour to the rocky mountains in a Honda Civic hatchback in which they survived the 10,000 foot I-70 mountain pass in the middle of a blizzard.
The lion's share of Traveling Show was recorded in three marathon days at Rough Magic Studios in Brooklyn NY. Marco Benevento – who the All Music Guide calls "an outrageously talented musician" - electrifies three tracks putting his organ, wurlitzer and circuit bent toys in an exciting new Americana context. Pedal steel player Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams and The Cardinals) adds his signature sound to two songs while members of fellow Minnesota roots music troubadours and frequent collaborators Trampled By Turtles add impeccable violin, mandolin and banjo.
Traveling Show will come with a 60 minute film, Moments and Truths, that documents the making of the record in New York City as well as sights, sounds and encounters from all over the country. Directed and edited by filmmaker/photographer Joshua Priestley, and partially shot by the band themselves, Moments And Truths is a uniquely stylized film that captures transient life in a way not previously seen in the banal climate of reality tv-esque band documentaries. It also captures the band at an exciting period as their musicianship, songwriting and musical vision rise to new heights.
Hobo Nephews Of Uncle Frank On Myspace
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Pezzettino and Wolfgang Schaefer
09/10/2010 10:00 PM
Pezzettino is self-taught on her father's accordion, and classically trained in piano at the local Racine, Wisconsin convent until puberty. Redirected to the visual arts, she studied Art History at Occidental College then traveled to Cambodia to fight the illicit trade of sculptures (think Lara Croft). Deciding that she didn't want to get shot in the head, she returned to Wisconsin to become an acupuncturist and marry her mother's dream son-in-law.
With her rotting lonely soul, she surfed Craigslist late one night looking for nothing in particular (as people do) and stumbled across an ad for an Indie drummer. "I like Indie music." She clicked, thought "he's cute," and sent the email: "Well I'm not a drummer, but I did play piano when I was in 6th grade, can I join your band?" Much to her surprise, the band invited her to "JAM."
The girl went to her first band practice in the delapitated college apartment with one of those scary old elevators from horror flicks, thinking that it made absolutely no sense for her to be there but for some reason she knew it was something she MUST do. Timid and sitting on her hands during JAM TIME, she gingerly pressed 5 notes in 2 hours on the keyboard, volume level barely audible... "Well you didn't do much of anything...." said the band hesitantly, "but we have an accordion sitting in the corner, and none of us knows how to play it, why don't you try?"
Pezz and the accordion became shy friends, safely playing one note for two minutes straight. It was the first time that she really played a note because she felt like it, instead of it being written out on sheet music by a composer. She was beginning to find her voice and soon realized that the sounds she was choosing to make on her accordion were dark and minor... not the sound of a happily engaged fiancee... the floodgate broke, songs flooding out--- she called off the wedding, quit the band, released her first solo album and began touring extensively (six months after first picking up the accordion.
Can't stop, won't stop! Pezzettino finished out her Masters program in Oriental Medicine, and is now based in Brooklyn.
The name "Pezzettino" comes from a children's illustration book by Leo Lionni. Read it, it's short and lovely. Or YouTube it, go on...
Dusting off the old Martin his father passed down to him, and picking up the pens and notebooks he nearly used to live inside, he began writing music. The result is Wolfgang Schaefer's lyrically driven experiment in modern folk. He supplements his firm roots in Americana with atmospheric, musical poetics and thoughtful, textural, well-constructed story-telling, always finding different ways to say I love you, different ways to say I hate you, and different ways to say that life is hard but moments are beautiful. "This Milwaukee resident plays the lonely guitar and sings with the true tired voice of the open plain troubadour...The stunning acoustics perfectly match his vocals and you simply wonder why this guy isn’t a household name already." -Slowcoustic.com
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The Scarring Party and The Lonliest Monk
09/18/2010 10:00 PM
Milwaukee quartet the Scarring Party perform tuba, accordion and banjo driven end time music that draws on the influence of 20's and 30's music hall, Lomax folkways recordings and 70's punk. In five years, the four-piece have attracted a growing following and shared a stage with a diverse range of acts, including Daniel Johnston, Polyphonic Spree, Secret Chiefs 3, Why?,Tilly & the Wall, the Ditty Bops, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, and Southern Culture on the Skids.
Though the Scarring Party performances combine low-key showmanship with vaudevillian spectacle, the more confounding part of their aesthetic is the role of typewriters, 40lb cast iron bells, the theremin-howl of mandolins, unorthodox percussion and Daniel Bullock's warbling tenor delivered through the crackling victrola veneer of a hand-built copper microphone. While their sound and aesthetic may recall an age gone by, the Scarring Party's unique voice rests comfortably outside the confines of any era.
The Scarring Party Official Site
Chicagoʼs art rock duo, The Loneliest Monk, is the musical marriage of two artist with two different backgrounds. Front lady, Michelle Morales (master- of-cellos, keyboards, vocals), has performed live with talented acts such as Phillip Glass, Kanye West, and The Foo Fighters. With a lovely, fragile voice, she sings of all things cute, fun, and innocent while Miles Benjamin (percussion, vocals, tiny pianos) lets his untamed passions pour over in a darker, more mysterious tone.
The Loneliest Monk is a performance, not just a rock show. Elaborate costumes, masks, and sets are supported by an avant-garde sound that combines cellos, pianos, organs, drums, samples, and voices. Michelle and Miles bring to the stage a sort of cool, haunting, and sexual air that is a welcoming detraction from the current indie trend.
“A cello and a drumset usually isn’t enough for a band to get started. But singer/cellist/keyboardist Michelle Morales and drummer/vocalist Miles Benjamin create plenty of artful drama out of their unusual composition”
“the Loneliest Monk is comprised of two real musicians, whose intellect, poise, and tonal restraint give their songs an ethereal quality, and make their performances truly memorable... their protracted notes, wistful harmonies, and masquerade-ball garb blend with the rain like an old-fashioned haunting.”
The Lonleiliest Monk On Myspace
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Backyard Tire Fire and Pink Lipsticks ($7)
09/19/2010 8:00 PM
After the release of their debut album, Backyard Tire Fire relocated once again to Bloomington, Illinois and added Anderson's brother Matt (bass, vocals) into the mix. The Anderson brothers had originally grown up in St. Charles, IL, Tim Kramp in Bloomington, IL and Ed Anderson received his masters in Interpersonal Communication from Illinois State University (located in Normal, IL, Bloomington's sister town). They recorded and released their first self-titled studio record in 2004 which was produced by Tony SanFilippo and recorded in analog at SanFilippo's Oxide Lounge in Bloomington, IL. This began the relationship between BTF and SanFilippo who produced and recorded their next three albums and 2 EPs.
2005 brought the release of Bar Room Semantics which was the first record to receive national recognition in the press from Harp Magazine and AllMusic.com. The band began touring heavily on a national scale in 2006 supporting artists like The Mother Hips, Will Hoge, North Mississippi Allstars as well as playing festivals like South by Southwest, High Sierra Music Festival in California, and 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota.
Vagabonds and Hooligans was released February 6, 2007 and received a larger national spotlight with praise coming from USA Today, PopMatters.com and several influential bloggers including My Old Kentucky Blog and An Aquarium Drunkard. The band continued their heavy touring playing close to 150 shows that year with a diverse mix of bands including William Elliot Whitmore, Melissa Ferrick, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Clutch, and Cracker. The supporting slots with Cracker brought them praise from Johnny Hickman who became an ardent supporter of the band saying, "My favorite band right now is Backyard Tire Fire and they sometimes remind me of early Wilco, Son Volt and Flaming Lips. And they unabashedly name check both Wayne Coyne and Tom Petty in song. They are my earworm the last few months.”
2008 found them signed to NYC-based label HYENA Records for the release of The Places We Lived on Aug. 26th 2008. The Places We Lived was a bit of a departure stylistically for the band as a portion of the record found the band focused on piano-based songs such as "Everybody's Down", "Rainy Day Don't Go Away" and "The Places We Lived". The record continued their national growth in the press as they were a Paste Magazine "Band of the Week" and received heavy airplay from nationally syndicated radio programs like Mountain Stage and Acoustic Cafe, Sirius/XM's Loft and XMU and non-commercial AAA radio stations like Louisville's WFPK, Asheville's WNCW, and Cincinnati's WNKU. They continued their heavy touring which found them on the road with old Athens friends Bloodkin, Lynyrd Skynryd's Simple Man Cruise, Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy, Ha Ha Tonka, Rose Hill Drive and a fortuitous opening slot for Los Lobos in the bands hometown of Bloomington. The opening slot introduced the band to Steve Berlin, who soon after signed on to produce their next record.
Good to Be, the bands fifth studio album, was released on February 16, 2010 on the bands' Kelsey Street Records label, distributed by Thirty Tigers/Sony-Red. It was produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin and recorded on analog in Portland, OR's Type Foundry Studio. Prominent northwest engineer Jeff Stuart Saltzman recorded and mixed the record.
Backyard Tire Fire Offical Site
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09/23/2010 8:30 PM
Tumbledown House is a songwriting duo from Bozeman, Montana. Often described as gritty saloon jazz, parlor music inflicted with the unspeakable, or Tom Waits in a cocktail dress, Tumbledown House writes stories that may revolve around shady characters down on their luck, brothels with an eccentric clientele, or a scorned woman out for revenge. These stories are delivered with sultry female vocals reminiscent of a bygone era and placed over rain-soaked indie jazz accompaniment.
http://www.tumbledownhouse.com/
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Purgatory Hill (pat mAcdonald and melaniejane)
09/24/2010 10:00 PM
Since his 1987 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (Timbuk3), pat mAcdonald has continued to write, perform and reinvent himself releasing 7 critically acclaimed albums--5 with worldwide distribution. The evolution of his solo acoustic works such as Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar, Begging Her Graces, Degrees of Gone, and Strange Love: PM does DM led to his more amplified sound found on In the Red Room and Troubadour of Stomp which some describe as “Gothic Americana Swamp Rock Blues.”
mAcdonald's latest release Purgatory Hill--recorded with partner melaniejane--features an amplified Lowebow cigar-box guitar. The Shepherd Express hails the record as “...nothing less than a shocking reinvention of blues and rock music..."
In addition to his solo career, mAcdonald has been a highly sought-after songwriting collaborator working with such artists as Stewart Copeland (of The Police), Imogen Heap, E (from the Eels), Oysterhead, Keith Urban, John Parish (P.J. Harvey, Eels, Sparklehorse), Ryuichi Sakamoto, Eric McFadden and Jackson Browne who describes mAcdonald as “…one of the great lyricists in the English language…” Artists from Aerosmith to Pavoratti have performed his songs.
Other endeavors include Steel Bridge SongFest, The Holiday Music Motel and a pending book deal...
pat mAcdonald and melaniejane team up to create dark, sexy, hypnotic low-end grooves. The two of them onstage have an arsenal of instruments - pat: guitar, cigarbox slide guitar, stompbox and harmonica; melaniejane: electric cello, keyboard, accordion and variety of hand percussion. These two carry the weight of a full band. Although comparisons as far reaching from The White Stripes, Morphine and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to the recent Robert Plant/Alison Krauss collaboration would not be out of line, mAcdonald’s song-writing sensibilities coupled with his stomp-board invention and modification of his instruments creates a sound which appeals to music-lovers of all genres yet has a unique stamp unto itself. The two tour regularly throughout the US.
melaniejane has performed throughout the U.S. and has appeared with or opened for such artists as Sam Llamas (The BoDeans), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes), The Silos (Bloodshot Records), Sigmund Snopek and Dick Parry (saxophonist from Pink Floyd) to name a few. Currently, she has two solo recordings — "Flower" and "Billets Doux," which showcase her talents as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and arranger.
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10/02/2010 10:00 PM
Formed in Minneapolis, MN in 1997, Self-Evident have since developed and applied a unique, intricate, and smart formula to standard rock songwriting, conjuring music that is very resistant to categorization.
Variously described as punk, indie, jazz, post, math, noise, and art-rock, Self-Evident are perhaps more aptly dubbed “transcendental”, encompassing all of these styles and more-often in a single three minute song with a strong melodic sense. The instrumentation is simple: bass/vocals, guitar/vocals, and drums.
Self-evident have played over 600 shows in 23 states with countless bands such as Don Caballero, Oxes, Juno, Chokebore, Local H, Bad Wizard, The Vida Blue (Ten Grand), Life And Times, Houston, Traindodge, Dropsonic, Riddle of Steel, and House Of Large Sizes to name a few.
The summer of 2006 brought the departure of Brian Heitzman, original drummer of 9+ years. Long time pal and superstar Ben Johnston of Clair de Lune immediately came to the rescue and has since brought a new life and approach to the band.
In April of 2009, Self-Evident recorded 15 songs with Carl Amburn at The Mousetrap in Oklahoma City for the completion of their 5th full length album, “ENDINGS”. The upcoming album was released on Doubleplusgood Records of Minneapolis and Stiff Slack Records in Japan in October of 2009.
self-evident - "The Past" from Northern Outpost on Vimeo.
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10/16/2010 10:00 PM
Acclaimed acoustic duo Rue Royale are on the road....again. Brookln and Ruth Dekker have barely stopped for breath since launching their labour of love four years ago.
The Anglo-American pair started performing together in 2006 before taking the full-time touring band plunge in 2008, relocating from Brookln's Chicago hometown to England shortly afterwards.
Now based in the East Midlands, they have played over 350 shows straddling both sides of the pond - taking in festivals, house concerts, club gigs and industry showcases across Europe and the US.
Named after a road running through the Chicago suburbs, Rue Royale's sense of journey is written all over their beguiling music, influenced by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, John Martyn, and the northern UK soul of Doves and Elbow.
They issued their first EP, The Search For Where To Go, in May 2006. An eponymously-titled debut LP followed as 2008 started. Independently released, it included crowd favourites' UFO, Even In The Darkness, Stars and Tell Me When You Go and led to airplay on American radio and MTV plus BBC 6 Music and XFM in the UK.
Rue Royale's homemade album covers were born of necessity after thieves ransacked their car in Holland, stealing their entire CD stock. Armed with a printer and sewing machine, the pair got to work hand-making hundreds of sleeves which have become firm favourites with fans. Still unsigned, the duo have amassed almost half a million plays on MySpace, shifted over 4,000 CDs/vinyl records, and sold thousands of downloads.
As well as being deep into recording a second album in their Nottingham cottage, various 7" projects are lined up and there are whispers of a children's book/recording release.
Meanwhile, Rue Royale are taking their kick drum across Europe (including their first ever Irish shows, with collaborator Paul Pilot) this summer before returning to America for a couple weeks of shows.
Now’s the time to join the journey ...
Bulgarian-born Geri X is a composer, a musician and a singer hard to put a label on. Fans and critics spotted it from the moment she broke onto the Tampa Bay music scene: Geri is an artist with a singular sound you have not heard before. One can see it in the way she confidently plays her Babicz guitar, eyes half open and soul pouring out with a rich, crisp and mesmerizing voice.
What started with a classical training in piano, guitar and voice, evolving out of a broad and eclectic blend of influences, has become wonderfully her own. In the process of sharing her songs, Geri bares her soul to ease the audience’s emotions. It is the strength of the voice and the charge to each word that draws them to a halt. “Geri X is a poet, rebel, and a singer with a voice that is demanding to be heard. She carries the intensity of a Mike Tyson punch with the serene beauty of one of the best female vocalists of this era” (L.A. Post)
She has received countless accolades for her work, including Creative Loafing’s Best Singer Songwriter for 2 years in a row, as well as playing Summerfest and Steel Bridge Song Festival in the last few years.
Aside from being a workaholic and an alluring performer, often carrying out few shows in a day, Geri is a prolific songwriter. This is a fundamental quality, which combined with her work ethic and the gift of sharing make her a true artist: one you can connect to.
Whether with a full band or on stage with just a guitar, she is simply captivating. One only needs to experience it.
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10/23/2010 10:00 PM
The Reverend Deadeye is the Reverend’s son of a Reverend’s son. He spent his youth handlin’ snakes and performin’ at tent revivals alongside his Pentecostal family on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. This sacred musical heritage finds its way prominently into his performances. But don’t expect a Sunday mornin’ church service; instead, expect a Saturday night baptism with fire holy rollin’ revival. With his modified wok-lid resonator guitar, homemade beer can microphone, kick drum, and washtub snare, he delivers a punk-rock version of gritty pre-war delta blues which he blends with fiery gospel interpretations capable of turnin’ the whole room into a spirit filled bar room revival.
In the wake of Tom Waits and the slough of bands evoking an old-time spirit, there's Denver's Reverend Deadeye, mixing up his own brew of ministry inspired, soul-saving music. One of the things that impresses me most about Reverend Deadeye is that, for all intents and purposes, he's the real deal. As a missionary kid, he spent most of his youth mingling with Navajos at tent revivals. His performance is less of an "act" than it is a natural manifestation of his real-life experiences. Where others are often just recapturing worlds that they learned about in books or their old Nick Cave albums, The Reverend is telling a real story that he (more or less) lived himself. Now that's something. -apogee magazine
Folks who have made the Rev’s shows a lil’ brighter. Dexter Romweber, Immortal Lee Country Killers, Drag The River, Bob Log iii, Soledad Brothers, Gogol Bordello, The Black Keys, Quintron, The Black lips, Black Eyed Snakes, Scott H Biram, Trampled by Turtels, Charlie Parr, Earl Greyhound, Buffalo Killers, Pine Hill Haints, and The Can Kickers
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Heidi Spencer & The Rare Birds
11/13/2010 10:00 PM
"Here's one thing Milwaukee musicians don't seem to need when it comes to getting record deals: media coverage. Similar to how garage-pop group Jaill was virtually ignored locally for years before signing with Sub Pop in 2009, singer-songwriter Heidi Spencer parlayed a career playing under-the-radar gigs in area bars into a deal earlier this year with celebrated indie label Bella Union, known for working with acts such as Fleet Foxes, Midlake, Beach House, and Radiohead's Phil Selway. Now, with Spencer poised to make a big splash with her third record, Under Streetlight Glow (due out sometime early next year), those outside of her small circle of local fans are scrambling to play catch-up with Spencer's beautifully sad and quietly heart-wrenching songs."
- Steven Hyden, Milwaukee AV Club
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