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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Bryon Settle of Lud

“Those stupid bastards poisoned the town,” or at least so says the title of a track off 2008’s V, Lud’s latest record. When it comes whom the culprits of said crime may or may not be, there’s no band that’s likely to know any better than Lud, who have been playing around these parts for over two decades.

Founded by Kirk Ross (editor-in-chief of The Carrboro Citizen) and Bryon Settle (of Killer Filler, etc) in the 1980s and currently featuring Tim Salemy (formerly of The Sames) and Sara Bell (of Regina Hexaphone, etc), Lud’s great strength has been the band’s free-form attitude and maniacal passion for the music. They’ve recorded five records, played an untold number of shows, and generally jammed their way through the cobwebs of rock cliché and indie pretension. And you can catch them in action down at The Cave this Saturday when they’ll be joined by Titanium Rex and others.

And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:

1. If you band were a barnyard animal, what would it be?

I’m trying to think which animal cares the least. How about a donkey. All of the other animals get eaten eventually.

2. How has being a father changed the way you think about (or relate to) music?

Parenthood requires one to prioritize all things. time is precious. I no longer want to play tuba and will concentrate on being a better guitarist.

3. Describe what it’s like to play in Lud versus in other bands (like Killer Filler).

That’s easy: I get to do what I want in Lud. I never have to play a song the same way twice. The other band I’m in (Killer Filler) requires discipline and dedication which is also good.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?

Hard to say. Bernard Herrmann, Steve Reich, Kirk Ross, Miles Davis.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)

Guitar player. Seriously. I just wish someone would have told me that I needed to work a little harder early on. Turned out fine though. I can play most gigs. I do wish Lud could play out more.

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Bounce over to The Cave this Saturday, November 13th to see Lud in action. And, by all means, give Bryon a high five when you see him!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Monsonia

Andy Willard and Carter Browning first met in 2002 while beefing up the rhythm section of a band that (little did that know) wouldn’t last even six months more.  After that inevitable breakdown, the guys moved on.  Charged by their connection and mutual appreciation for spaced out, dark improvised rock’n’roll they started jamming together and hammering down a sound of their own.  All that musical experimentation just led them to form a band of their own:  Monsonia

Over the years, Willard and Browning have honed their aesthetics and recruited a third man, Nick Petersen to fill out their sound.  On drums, guitar, and bass (respectively), the men of Monsonia spin webs of noise-addled rock with jazz abandon to create some genre bending avant-metal, post-punk caterwaul of music.  And you can hear it for yourself on their brand new LP 33.3 (available on Holidays for Quince Records), the release of which they’ll be celebrating along with their friends Make and Minor Stars at The Nightlight next Friday, November 12th.

And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:

1. If your band were a Muppet, which would it be?

We don’t think we can pull off being personified as a single Muppet, so we say:
“The grass does not grow on the places where we stop and stannnnnnnnnnnnnnd…”
Stanley Weasel
Howard Snake
Fred Lizard
The Nightmare from Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.  We’re these guys in the moment after they rock out at the talent show, when the curtain draws back and they look at each other and smile and geek out about their performance. You realize they’re not really bad guys – they’re just lovable Muppet rockers that happen to be way cooler than Harvey Beaver (but maybe not Wendell Porcupine). We’re currently auditioning growling bear keyboardists and catfish stage dancers.  Please hit us up at contact@monsonia.com.

2. What can listeners expect from the new record?

Nick: Expect a 180 gram vinyl disc of power trio, not bar rock music. The record has 8 songs, the artwork looks really good, and it’s a bit more sonically precise than our previous recordings. Hopefully the listener will not have expectations. Hopefully our music creates a mood or soundscape that can surprise and entertain in many ways – with intensity and release, with repetition and agility, and sometimes being awkward and humorous. These are probably the emotions we experience the most playing the songs.

3. Describe the dynamic of playing in such a tight trio.

Andy: We’ve been friends for years and have made music together most every week since 2003, so the tightness has developed over time.  We “write” our music collaboratively, but there’s not a lot of discussion – everyone is free to create and change their own parts.  We listen to each other and watch each other for cues, but sometimes songs come together slowly.  We’re really proud of the takes on 33.3 because they’re captured pretty soon after the songs locked into form – they’re snapshot recordings but the energy is high and there’s adventure in the playing.

Carter: It’s very difficult because it’s fun to watch Andy play. But watching him we can get distracted and forget how to play the song, and then he thinks we’re signaling for him to make a change to the next part, which isn’t right, so everyone messes up and gets confused. Then we either have a new song or have to start over from the beginning.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?

Friends’ bands (over loads of other bands out there)
A kiss of the hops!
Hiroo Onoda
Ernest Hemingway
Cormac McCarthy

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)

Andy: I wanted to be an astronaut, but my teacher took me aside and explained that I’d have to work harder in math to be an astronaut.  So I asked her if I needed math to be a clown and she said no. Now I analyze quantitative data during the day and play drums at night, so I guess I found a balance between the two.  But so far, I’ve stayed on planet.

Nick: I always was way into being Indiana Jones from the Temple of Doom, or Rambo. I ended up being a ninja for Halloween, and I pay my bills as an audio engineer. Go figure.

Carter: I wanted to be a human beat box like the guy from the Fat Boys. It’s been on the back burner for a long time, but as I keep telling myself “there’s always the next record.”

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Help Monsonia celebrate of their latest release 33.3 at The Nightlight next Friday, November 12th. And, by all means, give the guys a high five when you see them!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Matt Park and Ginger Wagg of Veelee

Veelee by the numbers is a thing of beauty and stunning brevity.  Twenty-nine minutes is all it takes to listen to Veelee’s debut full length, 2010’s The Future Sight.  Seven minutes is all it took for them introduce themselves on their EP, 2009’s Three Sides.  Two is the totality of their band membership.

Playing together since 2008, Carrboro couple Matt Park and Ginger Wagg have quickly aligned to create catchy and capricious pop.  The two charm their way through all manner of arrangements with punchy guitars, coed harmonies, playful hooks, and sidelining melodies.  That’s not to say there’s any lack of ambition or intricacy here.  Their music hits its stride when it finds the interplay between jubilation and complexity, whether that means with a seven-minute build (as on “Animal Dreams”) or in energetic bursts (“When You Gonna Come Home?”).  Whatever the tune, these kids are one the move and you can catch them at The Pinhook next Thursday, November 4th where they’ll be playing as a part of Troika 2010.

And now check out how they tackle the furious five:

1. If your band were a dance move, what would it be?
It would be our own invented dance move called the Ginger Snap. The Ginger Snap can also be a wrestling move.

2. When was the moment you realized there was something to this musical partnership that needed to be shared?

We never thought about not sharing the music we were creating. As performers, sharing what we do comes naturally.

3. Describe the last time you felt totally at home.

Matt – To me home is an abstraction. That feeling comes and goes. I could feel totally uncomfortable inside my own house or completely at ease in some strange city. It all depends on what’s going on in the environment around me. We just played in Athens and everyone was so nice to us that, even though we had never been there before, it felt kinda like home.
Ginger – I agree, somehow it can sometimes be easier to feel a deep sense of belonging in a place that you’ve never been before. I know I feel at home when I don’t want to leave. In September we went swimming in Wilmington, NC with Maria and Reid of Schooner. The water was the most perfect temperature and I could have just stayed in that ocean.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?

Matt – I’m not sure anyone would be surprised by any inspirations we may have had. Tons of Artists–musicians, filmmakers, writers, and visual artists–from so many eras and places have made their way into what we do. Things like nature, humanity, and technology have also been a major inspiration. Influences keep growing; they are endless.
Ginger – Crochet artist Agata Olek, Brahms, The BodyCartography Project, letting my vision be blocked so that my perspective is skewed/framing, repetition. The generosity of others.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)

Ginger – I think I was just dreaming about the next day. I always enjoyed what I was into at the time. Now I’m the same way, dreaming of all the things that I’d like to do tomorrow – eat delicious food, play music, laugh a lot, dance a little, see new places.
Matt – I remember wanting to work at an ice cream place. I think it was specifically the notion of working at a Friendly’s. Also, according to my sister I used to want to be a barber but I would pronounce it Barbra. Turned out that I still love ice cream, and I’ve been cutting my own hair for years now.

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Ginger snap your way over to The Pinhook next Thursday, November 4th to hear Veelee in action. And, by all means, give Matt and Ginger a high five when you see them!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Chas McKeown of Gray Young

To get bogged down in the genre semantics of describing Raleigh’s Gray Young is to miss the point entirely.  Guitarist/lead-singer Chas McKeown, bassist Dan Grinder, and drummer Jeff Dopko don’t seem to be in it for the genre tags or the sound alike comparisons or even to explain the origin of their band name.  They’re in it for the music and weird and wonderful ways it builds around their dynamic interplay.

Fusing all manner of distortion and rhythm and texture, this trio’s ambitious instrumentality results in songs that build and release with a certain moody elegance that captivates.  With one record (2009’s Firmament) on the books a brand new release to celebrate (2010’s Staysail), the band’s just tapping into their potential.  But don’t just take my word for it, catch Gray Young live (at the release party for Staysail) this Saturday, October 23rd at The Pour House, where they’ll be joined by their friends Free Electric State and Invasion.

And now just five old questions for the guitar man of Gray Young:

1. If your band were a book, what would it be?
if our band were a book it would probably be a dynamic and melodramatic screenplay that would also be available as a book on tape.

2. What happened at the very first Gray Young show?
our first shows were pretty awful.  but i wouldn’t trade them for anything.  we learned so much from playing horribly to empty rooms.  it’s not the desired situation,  but it taught us so much about ourselves and our band.  i feel like if you can play to empty rooms then you can do anything as a band.  it’s also made us very appreciative of anyone who has any interest in our band.  it’s hard to take your fans for granted after playing to nobody.

3. Describe the approach you took in making the new record.
i don’t think we have much of a cognizant approach in general with the band,  but for this record and the last one we have recorded live as a band and used that as the core of the recording.  so far we have just liked the idea of no matter what else happens with the record,  the feeling of the band playing will be there at the center.  with staysail there are more instruments and approaches at play…i definitely think we didn’t make a firmament part two.  we aren’t interested in repeating ourselves.  at the same time i don’t think we over think it either.  i think the best approach is to not really have too much of one.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
simple things.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
when i was a kid i dreamed of being in a band.  that’s honestly the dream i remember having as a child and it has never gone away.

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Wander to The Pour House this Saturday, October 23rd to help Gray Young celebrate their CD release. And, by all means, give Chas a high five when you see him!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Seth Kauffman of Floating Action

Other than a few backing vocals and a single bass guitar line, every moment on Floating Action’s self-titled debut release was performed by lyricist, musician, and producer, Seth Kauffman.  It’s 14 tracks of Kauffman-style vocals, keyboard, bass, drums, sitar, ethnic percussion, and guitar takes.  It may be DIY in spirit, but the end product is an expertly produced, charming mismatch of folk, Motown, Caribbean, roots, and indie rock.

Floating Action, in many ways more a pseudonym for Kauffman than an all out band, isn’t his first musical foray.  He released a debut full length and EP under his own name in 2006, played with Band of Horses’ Tyler Ramsey both on his solo release and the subsequent tour, toured with Shannon Whitworth, and produced, recorded and wrote much of hailed tropicountry maven Courtney Jaye’s record Queen of Sabotage.  With Floating Action heating up (and based in Black Mountain), Kauffman’s on the move so while be sure to catch him while he’s in town, tomorrow night with his Floating Action bandmates helping The Tomahawks celebrate their record release at the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th.

And now the five hardest questions in faux business:

1. If your band were a sunken treasure, what would it be?
A perfectly preserved case of light-emitting caramel apples.

2. When did you start to think music might really work out as something more than a living room hobby?
I was living in a cabin in the San Gabriel mountains in California, around 2001; trying to make it happen with a band that didn’t happen (the Choosy Beggars).. As it was disintegrating, i contacted this bluesman Abe Reid in N.C., to try to play drums for him.  He said ‘i’ll put you to work,’ so i moved back to N.C. and started gigging hard with him for a couple years.. that’s really when it kind of became established that music was what i was going to do.

3. Describe the pressures/pleasures of producing your own records.
Pressures: Tricking yourself into not thinking about what you’re thinking about, then thinking about what you’re not thinking about. Then having to switch back and forth between those when you’re not ready to.

Pleasures:  No one knows your thoughts, not even yourself, at least while you’re tapping from the purest source. So if you do it right, you can eliminate the middle man and make leaps and bounds beyond conventional methods; losing very little original energy in translation.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Paula Abdul’s ‘Shut Up and Dance’ remix album.  Maybe the best album of all time.  Marianne Faithfull.  Old Italian cars.  Karl Barth.  Surfing.  Baja Marimba Band.  Saabs.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
Never established that.. too busy snowboarding and skateboarding.  Started to be a meteorologist for a second in college; then realized it’s all staring at a computer and hard math.  I’m terrible at math.  Sorry, Dad.  (He’s a (Duke) phd electrical engineer…but has become at peace with my genetic shortcomings.)

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Mosey over to the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th to hear Floating Action up close. And, by all means, give Seth a high five when you see him!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Brian Corum of Lonnie Walker

“And I do the best I can with this head that I got. / And it’s a mighty fine nice head, and it’s got mighty fine nice thoughts,” sings Brian Corum just before imagining his brain and spinal cord strolling down the block donning protective sunglasses and sunscreen.  The lyric, from  “Summertime” a track off Lonnie Walker’s debut LP These Times Old Times, strikes some sort of playful absurdist mix of nonsense and total sense.

And considering that Lonnie Walker began as Corum’s own sort of one-man-band-choose-your-own-adventure-quest in Greenville, NC, it’s also telling in it’s confidence.  Not everyone would take their brainstem for a walk down the block and, furthermore, not everyone would invite four of their best friends along for the ride.  Now a Raleigh outfit, featuring the talents of Corum plus Eric Hill, Justin Flythe, Raymond Finn, and Josh Bridgers, Lonnie Walker’s music is a lively bounce of fun and friction—part Americana, part punk rock with a dash of indie-pop just for good measure.  And you can catch Lonnie Walker live this upcoming Thursday at the Local 506 where they’ll be joined by their friends Futurebirds and Johnny Corndawg.

And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:

1. If your band were a painting, which would it be? (why?)
This question is pretty difficult. It’s hard to make a match out of two mediums that are so different from each other. You could compare a band by a comparison in the artist’s life, the concept that drives his/her works, the aesthetic of the pieces alone, and I’m sure there is more I’m forgetting. Anyways, I don’t want to just make this comparison for my band alone and since I love the triangle so much, I chose 20 local bands to compare to visual artists.

1.) Bowerbirds– Andy Goldsworthy: he uses what he finds around the area of land in which he chooses to work to create earth sculptures that decay sometimes just as fast as they’re created.
2.) The Love Language– Gustav Klimt: Klimt’s work is decorative, romantic, and very erotic in certain pieces. I feel like “Libraries” fits the look at points in the album.
3.) Hammer No More the Fingers– Keith Haring: don’t really have a good reason why Haring’s work reminds me of HNMTF but it does
4.) Mount Moriah– Rembrant- super classic painter and print maker. I especially love his prints b/c he would etch them and flatten the metal and etch them again over and over.
5.) Shit Horse- Andy Warhol: There is almost a sense of irony in Shithorse. I guess I think that comes mainly from the way the was band started. They are also the best punk rock group in the triangle.
6.) Megafaun– Robert Rauschenberg- I feel like anyone who has seen Megafaun play live and have also seen Rauschenberg’s work should know exactly what I’m talking about. This was an easy comparison.
7.) Americans in France– Basquiat: Josh’s voice reminds me of Basquiat’s brush strokes.
8.) Veelee– Piet Mondrian: I chose this artist b/c just like Veelee, Mondrian creates his designs while using a very limited pallet.
9.) Embarrassing Fruits– Arcimboldo: HA
10.) The Rosebuds– Georgia O’Keefe- We’ll this was hard. I guess the flower reference is something you could easily compare. Her works are all very naked, beautiful, and they engage the viewer.
11.) Lonnie Walker– Jeff Wall: Jeff Wall is one of my all time favorite photographers.  His work is, a lot of the time, based off of classic paintings that he then recreates without mimicking. I feel that lots of times I write after experiencing some sort of inspiration through already written songs, movies, books, and whatever other creative pieces or ideas I stumble upon. This isn’t always the case, but I make it a point to never push that part of me away. Wall also arranges his subjects to create a scene that brings about a story before he even puts his eye through the lens of his camera. I find that I work out most of what I want a song to sound like in my head before we ever start arranging it as a band. This also can change, but thus far it has been working alright for me.
12.) The Light Pines– Hieronymus Bosch: When I hear the lyrics Josh is saying it reminds me of something classic and mystic at the same time. Also, There is a lot going on in his work besides just the overall painting. If you zoom in close up there are tons of little subplots and important details.
13.) Annuals– Frida Kahlo: Adam Baker writes and arranges most all of Annuals parts alone. Spending hours upon hours arranging and rearranging the his songs. Kahlo spent a good portion of her life in the hospital painting self-portraits in isolation.
14.) Old Bricks– Andrew Wyeth: The art of the debut Old Bricks album reminds me of something Wyeth would paint.
15.) Motor Skills– Man Ray- Motor Skills’ live show with all the lights is kind of like a rayograph.
16.) White Cascade– Jackson Pollock: The layers of the music is so thick that at times it almost sounds like white noise. Pollock’s paintings remind me of the same.
17.) NAPS– Marcel Duchamp: This is directed to Daniel’s take on creating music and his avenues in getting it heard by others.
18.) Birds of Avalon– Ansel Adams: Both artists feel epic and create something that feels larger than the sum of its components.
19.) Max Indian– Paul Cezanne: Most everyone wouldn’t mind having a Cezanne piece on their wall. Max Indian’s music can’t really piss anybody off. You hear it, understand it, enjoy and accept it.
20.) Whatever Brains– Willam de Kooning: Both artists feel/look sloppy in a very good way. Colorful and catchy as well.

2. When did you first think music was something you’d like to try?

I first started writing songs near the end of middle school and continued through early high school. I stopped playing in mid to late high school and it was around my sophomore year in college that I began writing songs again. I don’t really know why I stopped or anything. I guess I just got board of it and didn’t think I was gonna be any good at it. I got a push from some friends who I played some songs for in College and so I started playing solo at house shows and DIY venues. It kind of just grew into something that people wanted to hear and I had buddies that would book me shows, which kept me busy at writing new songs. It was just a natural progression I suppose. I mean, I always knew that I wanted to do something with my life that I found enjoyment in. I’m still not convinced that music is a great way to go to maintain a decent living, but even if I wasn’t playing shows and doing interviews like this I would still be at home writing songs and recording them because it’s something that I find pleasure in completing

photo by Brian Vetter

3. Describe how North Carolina has affected your music.

I have found a shit ton of bands that I love here. North Carolina music keeps me inspired because I’m always hearing new acts that I love and sharing ideas with like minded artists keeps my mind fresh. I feel like people who live in Baltimore would say the same thing about Baltimore though, just as all the bands that picked up and moved to Brooklyn would say the same thing about the music scene in Brooklyn. I will say that North Carolina music fans give more attention to local music than most places that I’ve been. I feel that they are the best part about it all.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?

I’m not really sure what would surprise people. I really love Slick Rick and a bunch of other old school Hip Hop. I listen to a decent amount of classic country too, but I feel like that might not be all that surprising to people.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)

When I was in daycare I used to draw my own comic book characters. I’d give them superpowers and tape 4 pieces of paper together to create a huge battle scene with all of them fighting each other. I was super young but at that time I thought I wanted to be a comic book Illustrator. I also remember wanting to be an oceanographer at one point because I was so intrigued by the ocean. When I was playing hockey I fantasized about being a pro hockey player and when I was playing Sega Genesis all the time I wanted to be like Sonic the Hedgehog. I used to spike up my hair as a kid so that I could look as cool as Sonic. haha. As far as the “how did it turn out?” part, I never really ended up doing any of the previous things mentioned professionally. I also, never turned into Sonic the Hedgehog but the future is still uncertain and anything can happen.

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Truck on down to the Local 506 next Thursday, October 14th to catch Lonnie Walker in action. And, by all means, give Brian a high five when you see him!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Rob Ruin of Wild Wild Geese

When your house burns down in the middle of a torrential hurricane, it’s a pretty good bet that whatever almighty there is up there is telling you to get the hell out of Florida.  At least that’s what Rob Ruin and his wife Allison thought when in 2004 Hurricane Frances threw a transformer down on their home and left them with little more than some clothes, a Clash LP and a silver hollow body guitar.  The couple took the hit, packed up and moved to Chapel Hill to be near a few long lost childhood friends.

Now, years later, Ruin found a new home and new musical inspiration— first in Spider Bags and now in Wild Wild Geese. The Geese, Ruin, drummer John Jaquiss, bassist Kent Howard, and guitarist/keyboardist Nathan Toben, play spunky garage rock that’s as beautifully noisy as it is playful.  Click on over to their Odessa Records page to download their debut EP Are You a Baby? for free. Then, be sure to head out to The Nightlight Oct 8th where they’ll be celebrating the release of their full length Sorry, Earth, along with their pals Drunk Tigers and Bad Cop.

And now just five questions for one of the geese to gander:

1. If your band were a mother goose story, which would it be?

This is going to sound horribly depressing, but I say this with a smile; I have no clue. I have long had this theory that, being the youngest of three, by the time I was born my mother had kind of given up on the typical childhood teachings that my older siblings and most kids were raised on. It always cracks me up how thin my knowledge is when it comes to nursery rhymes, bedtime stories and the like. Being wild wild geese though, I guess we’d have our own story as the wayward children of Mother Goose herself. I might have to start writing this, hmmm…

2. When did you first think music was something you would like to try?

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to the raw response people have to music. For me, more than any other art form, music has the potential to completely shift a mood or kill a room with a single change in notes. That said, I remember my father went to England on business when I was younger and he asked the clerk in a record store what “the kids were listening to” in order to bring a hip gift home for my brother and me. He brought home a Simple Minds record and the Cure’s “Disintegration” and let us fight over them. Lucky for me, my brother chose the Simple Minds record. I remember how sad I became popping the cassette in and hearing “Plain Song” for the first time. I think that was when I started thinking about playing and creating these devastating sonic concoctions myself.

3. Describe the last time you totally geeked out about a song.

As any of my friends can tell you, I was the obnoxious, music-pusher friend, cranking a car stereo and forcing passengers to suffer through whatever I was obsessing over at the time. Recently, it has been this track “Ocean City” by Kurt Vile; a warbling, stripped down acoustic pop gem that cross fades into an ambient, spaced out keyboard line. Two instruments, vocals, perfection.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?

My wife and I have a Greater Swiss mountain dog named Meatball that makes the strangest noises when he’s excited. We call it the “woo woo,” and I think all along I’ve just been trying to replicate that musically.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? (How did that work out?)

The Big three:
1. photographer: I’m terrible at it.
2. chef: I watch a lot of Food Network.
3. musician: I’m havin’ fun with it.

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Help Wild Wild Geese celebrate the release of their new record, Sorry, Earth at The Nightlight Friday, October 8th. And, by all means, give Rob a high five when you see him!

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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Phil Blank of Gmish

photo by James G. Northrup

On nice Wednesday nights, if you’re lucky, you can find Leah Schinasi, Jordan Hutchinson, and Phil Blank paused somewhere on the streets of Carrboro playing music.  Equal parts fiddle, clarinet, and accordion, these three join forces as Gmish to play klezmer in a style that blends the flashier concert customs with the downhome dance traditions.

If you ask Phil, though, mostly “they spend way too much time deciphering the complex language of ornaments, phrasing and rhythm from scratchy 78s.”   The fidelity and passion of the tunes they play thanks to all that time head-scratching and busking on the sidewalks around town pays off with wildly fun shows.  But don’t just take my word for it, catch Gmish in full tilt next Thursday, September 30th, at The Nightlight where they’ll be joined by Taraf de Unemployed and Blood Jar Creepers, as well as, folklorist Vincent Joos, who’ll be sharing stories about his recent fieldwork in Romania.

And now just five questions for Gmish’s king of the squeeze-box:

from "The Mysterious Ragmen of Jonkonnu" by Phil Blank

1. If your band were a dance move, what would it be?

A slow draggy dance, with lots of hand movement, shuffling feet, and gazing (what they now call “social
networking”), preferably under a street light.

2. Why did you name the group Gmish (yiddish for mish-mash)?

Leah, the fiddler who thought of it says, “hmm it was a while ago…. I think my idea was that the word
gmish described us as a group, in that we were different people with different histories and backgrounds
(musical and otherwise) coming together to play the same music. Plus it’s just a fun word! “

3. Describe your feelings toward the accordion.

The accordion is the primal ooze of instruments. I have an old beat-up one where you can hear the notes crawl out of it, open their eyes and squint into the sun. It tends to be in the muddled middle of things, sonically and physically. Even motherly maybe? Push!

from "The Lowest of the Low" by Phil Blank

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?

Most of my inspiration comes from local traditions to which I was not “kin” but was lucky enough to experience in raw, unamplified and casual contexts. Seeing my wife sing gospel music from her youth and seeing her relationship to it was a demonstration of the emotional potential of that music and an inspiration for me to never (never never ever) try that myself. Hearing David Long play Bill Monroe style mandolin helped me understand the blunt overpowering punch that can be in traditional music. It is something that doesn’t always come across on recordings and seems to be rapidly fading. I once watched my friend Ben Hartlage listen to the Stanley Brothers and I heard the resolute male humility and regret in Carter’s voice (I was always distracted by Ralph’s part.) I’ve been lucky enough to have dozens of these moments and they really gave me an ear for hearing things in klezmer and other musics from the
same period in history.

5. What did you want to be when you were a kid? (How did that work out?)

When I was a kid, I mostly wanted to be left alone to read, draw and play music. So far so good!

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Scoot over to The Nightlight September 30th to see Gmish in action. And, by all means, give Phil a high five when you see him!

Categories
Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Joe Norkus of Embarrassing Fruits

“The vanishing frontier is not going to save our modern fears,” or so goes a line from the Embarrassing Fruits (Joe Norkus, Lee Shaw and John Neville) new record, Frontier Justice.  Delivered in sedate deadpan over a trundling riff, the lyric is a peak at the album’s thematic bent—the realization that growing up is as much about accepting that nothing really changes as it is about trying to make them.

The slacker-maturity of that sentiment is as much a reflection of the band’s evolution as it is the player’s personal journeys.  From their debut split 7’ Sumr Stupid Drunk Fun to the First Time EP to last year’s Community/ Exploitation, the musical push has always been about stumbling toward enlightenment.  It’s an arc that’s garnered them cheers for their “easy going spirit” and pop-rock reverie and that now sees them amalgamating indie/classic/post-rock influences with confident, collaborative abandon.  And you can catch them in the act and help them celebrate the release of Frontier Justice at Duke Coffehouse this Friday when they’ll be joined by Midtown Dickens and Lonnie Walker.

And now just five flustering questions for Joe-fruit:

1. If your band were a fruit, which would it be?

A durian – especially when we’re on tour

2. What can listeners expect from the new album?

Aural orgasm…..No but seriously -  there’s more collaboration. Our bass player has been writing more and singing/playing guitar on some stuff. A lot of it has a more classic rock feel, mixed w/ the nineties sounds on some of our earlier records. We worked really hard on little lead guitar things. We recorded it to tape too, so there’s a bigger, warmer sound.

3. Describe your last or most embarrassing moment.

Richmond VA, @ Nara Sushi (had to be there)

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?

Motorhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Babasonicos, Pappo’s Blues, Bonnie Prince Billie, Lil Wayne

5. What did you want to be when you were a kid? (How did that work out?)

I wanted to be a chef, and an artist, and later on a rock star. I cook for me and my girlfriend, I do web design and graphic design, and I play in a band called Embarrassing Fruits, so as far as the first 2 things go, my life worked out pretty well. 😉

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Head out to the Duke Coffehouse this Friday to help Embarrassing Fruits celebrate the release of their new record, Frontier Justice. And, by all means, give Joe a high five when you see him!

Categories
Arts & Music

Gimme Five! In the Year of the Pig

In their press release, the men of In the Year of the Pig make it all sounds so simple: “Aaron Smithers plays bass. Robert Biggers plays drums. Lincoln Sward plays bass. Dave Cantwell plays drums. David Harper plays guitar. Zeke Graves plays synthesizers.”  Six names, a double up on the rhythm section, a side of synthesizer and that’s it.  One listen to the band’s latest record, 2010’s Jamón, you know it’s not.  This music isn’t simple,  so much as heavy, distorted, meditative, impulsive, noisy, syncopated.  It’s a barrage of words clamoring to define a band that throws in equal parts cerebral focus and improvisational wit to make music that defies genre, but leans on the dynamic local scene.  And you can catch them in full celebration of that and all things In the Year of the Pig at the Hopscotch Fest this Saturday night at The Berkeley Cafe.

Now just the five hardest questions in faux business:

1. If your band were a pork product, which would it be?

photo source: Chip Millard's weblog

– I don’t know what kind of pork product we would be, but we do take great pleasure in investigating the full range of culinary possibilities available with the noble beast.
Recently we have been exploring regional hot dog styles.  We made our first trip to Paul’s Place in Rocky Point, NC a couple months ago.  Very enjoyable.   Perfecting home preparations of both the Sonoran Dog and Carolina Slaw Dog styles has been a fantastic journey as well.

Tip of the hat to Skeenie’s Hot Dogs in West Virginia too.
We profess no allegiance to either Eastern or Lexington style barbecue, choosing instead to keep our hearts open and our minds clear of distraction.

We also stand by Diana Kennedy’s technique of preparing carnitas at home, however, the confit method recently proposed by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt certainly merits some investigation.

2. When did the idea to form In the Year of the Pig come up? (aka How’d you guys get started playing together?)

–  There is an origin story comic book, illustrated by Chicago silkscreen artist Keith G. Herzik, that is available at our shows.  Email if you want one but don’t want to see a show.  The name came from an infatuation with a 1968 documentary film about the Vietnam War by Emile de Antonio, highly recommended.  We started in 2005 because we had a good name that needed using, a very nice landlord, and upstairs neighbors who were friendly folklorists.  Essentially we had a place to practice, a very, very supportive local music community, and Nightlight.  It seemed silly not to take advantage of it and play some music.  It’s grown over the years from the original duo of Bear and Fox to the current six-piece of Aaron Smithers, David Harper, Dave Cantwell, Lincoln Sward, Robert Biggers, and Zeke Graves.

3. Describe your typical band practice.

7:30 PM: arrive early and head over to Tienda Don Jose for a Topo Chico and a 32 oz. Carta Blanca.
7:45 PM: sit in alley and discuss world events as other folks arrive.
8:00 PM: get stuff inside and see what equipment is broken this week.
8:15 PM: Cantwell leads a brief service.
8:20 PM: break.
8:27 PM: tuning.
8:30 PM: jams.
9:00 PM: more jams.
9:30 PM: even more jams.
10:00 PM: maybe even more jams.
10:15 PM: discussion that maybe we really are just a jam band.
10:30 PM: David Harper distributes theory worksheet for homework with a firm hand and serious countenance.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?

the sword of the lictor
quality ingredients
Karp<
1970’s American cinema (the New Wave)
Charles Portis
Sanford & Son
Robb Walsh
Karp
common courtesy
James P. Johnson
The Allegheny Jubilee
good vegetables
good meat
good fish
Guy Klucevsek (particularly “Boeves Psalm,” originally composed by his friend and colleague Lars Hollmer
Sound poetry
Lady Muleskinner Press
Los Vampiros de Lalo Treviño (conjunto and musica norteña in general)
Mingo Saldívar
Esteban “Steve” Jordan. El Parche. [RIP]

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? (How did that work out?)

photo by pj sykes

– A folklorist.  Isn’t that what every kid wants to be?
– When I was in High School we had to go once a week to a home room class.  The program that required this was called PATHS.  It had something to do with trying to get students to think about their future and higher education.  My PATHS teacher was the ROTC instructor.  He had all the typical military mannerisms that you would expect from a High School ROTC instructor.  One day we were going around the class talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up.  When the ROTC instructor came up to me and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told him that I wanted to be a garbage man in NYC.  This was obviously the wrong answer, because he proceeded to give a verbal beat down using my last name alot and ultimately saying that I was going to end up working at the 7-11 serving him coffee.  Sometimes I like to think about where that ROTC instructor ended up.  I bet he is wearing a diaper.
– A champion.  Yes, seems to have worked out great.

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Rush out to hear In the Year of the Pig at Hopscotch this Saturday night at the Berkeley Cafe. And, by all means, give the boys a high five when you see them!

Categories
Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Phonte & Big Pooh of Little Brother

On “Not Enough,” a track off Little Brother’s 2005 major label debut The Minstrel Show, Phonte Coleman makes a decisive declaration about his and Thomas “Big Pooh” Jones’ work ethic: “We spent the last year writing rhymes doing shows and chopping records / And traveled all around the world to spread the message / ‘Cause ain’t no rest for the weary when it comes to my team / We only sleep on December the 32nd.”

Five long years later though, and if you believe the noise, all that’s gone by the wayside.  There is no such thing Little Brother anymore.  The duo have broken up and moved on just after releasing their fourth full length, 2010’s Leftback.  A few months of perspective and a quick glance at the calendar though and Big Pooh and Phonte are back performing together.  The only thing being left back is the drama. Little Brother is doing just fine.

With a loyal crew of collaborators (notably DJ Flash, Christopher “Khrysis” Tyson, and Mischa “Big Dho” Burgess), Big Pooh and Phonte are working as fiercely as ever to churn out the slick, astute old school hip-hop stylings that made them paydirt from the beginning.  There’s no telling what the future holds, but in the meantime these men are here to claim the mic. And you can hear them in action this Saturday, September 4th, at the Cat’s Cradle where they’ll be bringing down the house with a little help from Chaundon, Jozeemo, Joe Scudda, Roc C.

And now just five questions for the big men of Little Brother:

1. If Little Brother were a TV show, which would it be?

PHONTE: The Odd Couple
BIG POOH: I’ll agree with Tay, definitely The Odd Couple

2. What’s a typical writing session like?

PHONTE: I generally compose my lyrics on the spot and Pooh usually comes in with his pre-written.  Sometimes we’ll both go in the studio with nothing and just see what happens; it varies.

3. Describe the dynamic between you two.

PHONTE: Yin and yang.   From a musical standpoint, I’m (typically) more laid back while Pooh is more in your face; its like the difference between a finesse runner and a fullback.  But you need both to win the game.
BIG POOH: Definitely yin and yang. I always compare it to putting together a puzzle. Tay likes to take pieces out of the box one by one always glancing at the cover to check his progression while I dump the entire box out and go for it.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?

PHONTE: Queen Latifah is a big inspiration for me.  I never would have guessed that the same girl who did ‘Wrath Of My Madness’ at 19 would be up for Emmy and Grammy Awards and doing spots for Cover Girl some years later.  Watching her evolution over the years has been really inspiring for me.
BIG POOH: For me I would say Magic Johnson. His transition after basketball has been unbelievable. To be so passionate about one thing most of your life (basketball) and then to venture into the business world with the same passion and have an enormous amount of success is something I can only pray for.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)

PHONTE: I wanted to sing and dance like Michael Jackson and rap like Big Daddy Kane.  Needless to say, I’m still workin on it.
BIG POOH: I always dreamed I would be a teacher and coach. Some say I’m teaching now.

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Check back next week to see who else will take up the challenge of facing down the five. Be sure to join Little Brother this Saturday night at the Cat’s Cradle.  And, by all means, give Phonte and Big Pooh a high five when you see them!