![[Image: Pool Cleaners From Distant Planets]](images/masthead.png)
I'm OK, You're Food
by Rhaab
When I first heard the word "Starfuzz", I was worried; I was sure it meant that someone would soon pull me over in deep space for exceeding the speed of light, and worse, find my bag of melange under the seat. I was relieved to find out that Starfuzz is actually a band. I was thrilled to find out that they're a really good band.
You Are Food is the first album from Starfuzz, although you'd never know it by listening to it. Start to finish, it's a well-written, well-performed, impressive set of music that's frequently reminiscent of mid-period Beatles. Yes, every member of the group has had experience in other bands, but simple experience doesn't account for the well-polished sound that comes across in You Are Food. The Starfuzz approach to music is clearly thoughtful and professional, and benefits from good chemistry among the members of the band.
Of course, I don't just assume that the chemistry is there; the guys have said as much themselves. I got to meet Starfuzz when I had the privilege of joining them in the studio for KQMT's Mountain Homegrown show, and the chemistry was one of the factors that came up again and again when they were being interviewed. I also learned things that aren't apparent from just listening to the album, like the fact that they're all really nice guys, and that they put as much care and effort into a live performance as they did with their album. New group or not, Starfuzz is what other bands should want to be when they grow up.
The songs were all written by Josh Skelton and Ryan Countryman, who both play guitar and trade off lead vocal duties in the band. (I should also mention, for the sake of completeness, that some assistance with lyrics was provided by Scott Siders on three of the tracks, and that Josh also plays keyboards.) The pair of them by themselves could no doubt put out some pretty good work, but they chose to open up musical options by adding a rhythm section; the sound is rounded out nicely by the bass and vocals of Curtis Durham and the drums of Jared Schiltz. There are also a few additional musicians present on certain tracks; the strings on "Ademptio" are particularly noteworthy.
If there's any difficulty with the music of Starfuzz, it's in trying to properly describe it in an effort to recruit new fans. To begin with, it's not hard-rocking stuff; it wouldn't be the best choice available for backing music when you fire up your favorite videogame system and go annihilate the evil hordes of something-or-other. Mindless video-slaughter has its place, but this album is better suited for more intellectual endeavors. Pop it in when you want to do some reading, or maybe to follow through on some artistic urges of your own. It would also work well for a relaxing drive to nowhere in particular.
Of course, there's always the standby of comparing one band to another, and hoping the known quantity helps clarify things. That's not all that easy in this case. As I said earlier, the Beatles come to mind--mostly around the era of Revolver and Rubber Soul. Another listener in the Mountain Homegrown studio brought up the Beach Boys, and that's not a bad comparison if you move away from the early surf music and think more in the direction of the stunning "God Only Knows". The Eagles may have also been mentioned; if not, I'm doing it now. There's a little Elvis Costello in there, too. The best example I can think of is Moxy Fruvous; unfortunately, they haven't toured in years and were best known in Canada, so that won't get the point across as well as I would like.
It should be obvious by now that no matter how you choose to describe it, it all amounts to the same thing: good music. The only thing I can find to complain about with You Are Food is that it's missing the song "Mr. Orion", which can (so far) only be heard at a live performance. With any luck, it'll be on the next album. So make an effort to catch a Starfuzz show; you can hear the songs that haven't been recorded yet, you can buy a copy of the CD directly from the band, and you can talk to some cool musicians who honestly won't bite.
Not yet, anyway. Sure, we're all food, but there's no need to be hasty about it. Chowing down before you're dead would just be rude.
Bold and Beautiful
by Myk-El
Jill Watkins may be one of the gutsiest women I know. For one thing, she's a regular reader of our site. She was also the first woman to sign up for our newsletter who wasn't romantically linked to a Pool Cleaner. Finally, she actually invited us to come out and see and review her band, strangely known as The Jill Watkins Band (JWB). Friends, that's bravery.
So I went out and took in a show at a bar called Greenfields. For a place that isn't focused on live music, the acoustics don't totally suck, so that's one point in their favor. The house music before the show and between sets wasn't bad either. Other than that, the venue didn't impress. (How do you screw up cheese sticks?)
Anyway, on with the show. The band features Jill (of course) on vocals and occasionally trumpet, John Ragan on guitar, Walt Sorrentino on percussion and Chris Dax on bass and acoustic guitar. John provided the appropriate attention-getting (and slightly ass-kissing) introduction. When Jill took the stage, two things stuck out to me (no, not those two things--get your mind out of the gutter). They were the older-style microphone and Jill's dress. The Jill Watkins band is a throwback, invoking blues traditions, including how a female blues singer should look, gloves included. Touches like this can often be overlooked by a band, but they do add to the live experience.
The band mixes it up with some originals mixed with standards, and some of that bluesy rock I love so much. They have a good foundation with an understanding of the blues. Jill has a strong, rich voice and it's being used well. I've seen some vocalists that are singing the wrong genre for their voice. This most definitely isn't one. The folks behind Jill are good, but didn't amaze. Some of the more notable cover tunes appeared in the nights second set, including "Runaway", "Pink Cadillac" and "Moondance." The last had a near-purring Jill at the end. Good stuff. One other bit that struck me was one slight alteration to the lyrics of "Fire." Where "Romeo and Juliet" usually appears, we heard "Siegfried and Roy." Classic. Good bit of showmanship there.
It was a good show by a good band, but I couldn't help thinking there could/should be more, particularly when dealing with the cover tunes. Some of these songs desire (to the point of demanding) a larger, fuller sound. I wanted to hear some horns, keyboards or blues organ to provide some power to the music. The band sounded better with their original tunes, like "New Orleans" and "Too Happy to Sing the Blues" I think it's because they were written with what they have available. Though the cover songs that were originally recorded with smaller bands sounded pretty strong as well, "Black Velvet" in particular.
Still, I had a good time and I'd be happy to see the Jill Watkins Band on the bill at some more music-oriented venues, like a Brendan's, D Note or Benders Tavern. I'd also like to hear what kind of a set they'd play if they weren't concerned about having to fill three to four hours with music and only had to worry about an hour or two tops. If you go to see them live, you should have a good time because I know the band's going to.
Things That Will Make Your Life Better
by Rhaab
He's got a huge smile, impressive hair, and a microphone; he's standing on stage, he's got an important message, and he'll sell you things that'll make your life better. No, he's not some dim-witted motivational speaker. His name is Chris Barber, a/k/a Spiv; his message is that "everybody's a rock star tonight", and what he wants to sell you are his CDs. They will, in fact, make your life better, assuming you own some sort of CD player and enjoy rock and roll.
The CDs in question are the EP Junior, and the albums By Definition and Don'tcha Know? (Based on the website and what I've seen at certain stores, there are one or two other EPs out there, but I can only write about what I've got. Anyone reading this is free to send me copies of the other stuff; I won't mind.) If you begin with the earliest of the bunch, you'll be putting in By Defintion and starting off with track one, "Nibley View". I'm not entirely sure what or where Nibley View is, but the song rocks. It's energetic, it's got crunchy guitar, and as I said when I reviewed a Spiv live show, "possibly one of the most honest songs ever recorded." It comes right out and says what some songs only imply: "I wanna do you! I wanna do you!" It's a good start. And if you enjoy it as much as I do, make sure you pick up a copy of Junior, since it has a live cut of "Nibley View" on it.
Continuing with By Definition gives us "Dizzy Tizzy" next, which emphasizes a feeling begun with the first track: a sort of comforting, familiar-in-a-good-way feel to the music. "Dizzy Tizzy" seems to straddle a line between later-period surf music and the British Invasion; it probably could have been released to great success in the 1960s with very few modifications.
Not straightforward enough for you? Fine, I'll come right out and say it: throttle it back just a tiny bit and you get something that sounds like a cross between the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Leave it where it is and you end up in the same neighborhood as themost memorable efforts of Weezer and Marshall Crenshaw. In not just this song but throughout the CDs, there are original spins on all sorts of influences, and the best from Spiv seems to combine the best from rock in general.
Beyond that, the music of Spiv shows something that far too many performers are lacking: a sense of fun. "With the Stones" is a vivid story of musical success, and makes more sense as a rock and roll fantasy than any trio of jesters you care to name. "Make the Best of It" gives you a positive message in a cynical package, "Booty Pirate" is for anyone who gets a kick out of Talk Like a Pirate Day, and "Bass Gets You Laid" speaks for itself. Then there's "Yeah", which manages to have more fun with even fewer lyrics than Yello's "Oh Yeah." (If you don't believe me, go back and count. When you count the words on the Yello side, don't forget "the moon, beautiful" and "the sun, even more beautiful". See?) And all of that is from just one album!
Don'tcha Know? starts off with rocking title track that again seems to be a mix of styles and eras. Following that is "Not for Years", which is pure British Invasion. Later on, we seem to find ourselves in the "progressive rock" period thanks to "Songs to Sway To"; there are a number of Jethro Tull albums where this song would be right at home.
Track after track on all of these CDs show that Chris Barber and his ever-shifting roster of bandmates have not only listened to a wide variety of influences, they've mastered the music of these influences and made it their own. There's a flavor of the '60s in "Beatley", a reminder that the '70s produced some good music in "Becasue I'm in Love", a recollection of breakthrough '80s rap/rock in "VIPs of the Street", and a timeless quality to "Everybody's a Rock Star Tonight". Surprisingly, it all works together, and it works together well.
You may have heard, just like I have, that Chris has called it quits and Spiv is no more. I don't know if it's true or not; I'm hoping it isn't. Even if it is, it doesn't change the fact that you need to get your hands on these CDs. Go buy them, listen to them, and make your life better.
PROOF THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED
by Rhaab
There's a phrase that I used to hear from time to time that doesn't seem to get said very much any more: "simple but elegant". Then there's the somewhat condescending advice to "keep it simple, stupid", often abbreviated as "KISS". However you express it, the idea that something doesn't need to be complicated to be good is one that seems to elude a lot of people. (For instance, the person who gave our webmaster unasked-for advice on how our website could be "improved" with lots of pointless and unnecessary flourishes') One person who not only gets it, but ably demonstrates the concept, is singer/songwriter Jami Lunde.
I heard Jami for the first time at the D Note, during the preliminaries for Swallow Hill's 4th Annual Songwriting Contest. I've said a number of times in the past (and, I'll admit, will continue to tell anyone who'll listen) that my primary musical preference is rock and roll. The typical singer/songwriter set-up of one person and an acoustic guitar doesn't do much for me unless that person has talent well above the average. Not surprisingly, that description fit a number of people taking part in the contest. Something about Jami stood out, though, and while it's difficult for me to define, it's something you should see, and more importantly, hear for yourself.
Before I continue, there are a couple of apologies I need to get out of the way. As I write this, it's been several months since I met Jami and enjoyed her music for the first time, and she gave me a copy of her CD, Butterfly with Broken Wings, that day. So first, I apologize to Jami for not writing this review sooner, especially when I can't claim that all of my reasons for not doing so were good ones. Second, to anyone reading this, I'm very sorry that I made you wait this long to find out about Jami and her music. Now that I'm finally on the topic, though, I think you should have a few more details. (But if you want to click over to 'CD Baby or run down to Twist and Shout to buy the album just because I said so, that's fine, too. Thanks.)
Getting back to the point I was trying to make in the first paragraph, there are a grand total of three musicians credited on the album: Jami herself on vocals and guitar, her husband Jeff Lunde on bass and percussion, and Jeff Peterson on percussion. And considering Mr. Peterson also engineer and mastered the CD, not a lot of people were involved in this project. It sounds as professional as anything else I've heard, however, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Nothing needs to be added. The songs are solid, the performers are skilled, and there's an overall feeling of warmth and friendliness that you won't find pre-packaged corporate music, or even in independent music that's been cluttered with extraneous production elements.
Additionally, Jami has a lovely voice, and she manages to use it well while still being obviously relaxed in her performance. Her vocals often seem to carry hints of the drawl most common to people from Down South, but her bio says she grew up in Indiana; if that isn't relaxation, I don't know what is. It's the same sort of charming casualness you find in the work of John Fogerty, the same approach that makes it hard to believe at times that he's from California and wasn't actually born on the bayou.
There are eleven tracks on Butterfly, and each one of them is a good one. I can't say that about many CDs, and most of the ones that let me make that claim are from local musicians. The last national act that I recall earning such praise from me was the late Warren Zevon with his final album, The Wind.
What's the point, though, of preaching the value of simplicity if I'm just going to do a song-by-song examination of the whole album? You can stop by her website and download the title track to give it a listen. Or you can do what I did: hear her live and walk away pleased and holding a CD. (Her show dates are on the website as well.) Listen to it in the car, and you probably won't mind the traffic as much. Listen to it at your computer, and you'll no doubt be more forgiving of the people and things that make you want to scream when you're online. Listen to it just because you want to, and I'm sure you'll feel more relaxed in general. Broken wings or not, this butterfly can help you soar for a little while--if you let it.
ON YOUR FEET, OR ON YOUR KNEES!
by Sh'wn
Once in a great while you come across something so phenomenal that it transcends the boundaries of both time and space. One of these things happens to be the musical phenomenon known as Blue Oyster Cult. Blue Oyster Cult has influenced and affected the rock and roll genre for over 25 years, and while they have never been the most popular band on this world, Don't Fear the Reaper, Cult Classics and Workshop of the Telescopes all went quintuple cadmium their first day back on Rylos. So when I found out that these rock and roll legends (dare I say gods?) would be performing live at the Gothic Theatre (I thought that oddly appropriate) on September 11, 2004, I knew I had to go.
My experience started as the Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets assembled in line to get in the door. Since I have come to this planet and started interacting with the local entertainment culture, I have taken a keen interest in observing the kind of crowds an entertainer will attract. For example, On Second Thought generally attracts a younger crowd than Opie Gone Bad; which attracts a different crowd yet again from Rachel Simring and even the Railbenders. When Myk-El, Rhaab and myself attended the Jethro Tull concert a few years ago, we commented on the older age group that seemed to predominate attendance (and that we were among the youngest fans in attendance). In fact, one of the other attendees at that concert even asked us if we realized that it was a Jethro Tull concert (I guess we tended to stand out in that crowd). Anyway, as the Pool Cleaners stood in line for Blue Oyster Cult, I witnessed an unusual phenomenon. I saw people of all ages and all financial and cultural backgrounds there for the show. Hardcore bikers were standing shoulder to shoulder with upper-middle class yuppies and weekend warrior couch potatoes. Neo-uber-goth-wannabes were chatting with obvious computer geeks and college jocks. The truly amazing thing was the complete diversity of the crowd and the fact that they were all there to pay homage to these veterans of rock and roll.
When the band first took to the stage, there seemed to be a little technical difficulty (the intro music seemed to drag out and it looked like there were some issues with some cords. It didn't matter; the crowd was pleased just to get to see the band on stage. Once the power cord issues were resolved, Blue Oyster Cult exploded with "R. U. Ready 2 Rock"; the answer was a resounding MOST DEFINITELY AFFIRMATIVE! Then, without giving the audience a moment to catch its collective breath, the band launched into "O.D.'d On Life Itself". BOC's performance got the blood flowing, energized the crowd and charged our collective groove-support systems to "Excellent!" The guys really seemed to be enjoying themselves, and it showed in how they played and what they played. The band even blessed the audience by pulling out a rare tune, "Perfect Water".
Blue Oyster Cult made effective use of trading off guitar and singing duties between two of the members, allowing the other members time to rest. The extended jam sessions provided also let one or two members rest while the others could showcase their talent and instrumental capabilities. After closing with their signature "Don't Fear the Reaper" (and for those with a snide or derogatory comment regarding the cowbell, I say "Shut up, you're wrong!") the stage grew dark as the band left. Then, the crowd performed the ritual of "summon encore" by chanting "B-O-C". When the band returned to the stage, they launched into a song that I have only ever heard on the Don't Fear the Reaper compilation album. This song (never played on the radio that I know of) is a touchingly tender love song about a boy and his soul-sucking sword. The song is "Black Blade" and is a tribute to both Michael Moorcock's Elric, and Elric's sword Stormbringer.
I have heard it said before that Colorado in general and Denver in particular is one of the favorite locations of many musical performers due to the fact that the audience is so supportive and responsive. That being said, I think I can speak for every man, woman, child and alien music fan in the Denver Metro Area when I say "Come back and see us again soon, Blue Oyster Cult!"
And Now for Something Completely Different
by Rhaab
Sometimes it seems like a music fan can't go ten minutes without hearing the term "old school" used to describe some style or other: old school rap, old school punk, old school bluegrass-polka-pop (with a world music influence), whatever. In each case, the person using the phrase is usually referring to music no more than 20 or 30 years old. If that's old school, then Denver is home to one of the finest educational institutions in North America, and it's called Colcannon.
I base this statement on a number of different points. First, Colcannon performs a number of songs with ages best measured in centuries. The song "Benjamin Bowmaneer", for example, dates back to the 17th Century. It goes against expectations by being a 17th Century anti-war song, and the real kicker is that it's a 17th Century anti-war song written in England, a place not known for being all that pacifistic at the time. (Just ask the Irish.) Concerning other songs, I wouldn't be surprised at all if some of them were so old that no one knew exactly when they were written. Of course, they also play songs that fall more in line with the usual definition of "old school", as well as several original compositions no more than a few years old, so a range of musical eras is available at any Colcannon concert.
Second, every member of the group possesses a level of skill that can be intimidating. Mick Bolger is a fine singer and a talented hand at the bodhran. (This is an Irish instrument, and can be pronounced either "bau-ron" or "drum". You can find more info about the Gaelic language here.) Jean Bolger, his wife, provides pleasant backing vocals and is easily one of the top fiddlers I've ever seen. Rod Garnett playes more woodwinds than you can shake a hollowed-out stick at, and plays them all extremely well. Mike Fitzmaurice gets every ounce of music out of his bass (which he says weighs about 40 pounds), and fills in with guitar and vocals when needed. He also has been known to play a bass harmonica, which resembles a small toaster and is described in Blues circles as being for "when your baby really done you wrong." Brian Mullins is the sort of musician that can be described with terms like "utility", "Swiss Army", and "fill-in-the-blank". His bio page on the Colcannon website lists only eight instruments officially, but a skim through the Q&A section lists around twice as many others.
The third reason I call Colcannon an educational institution is because one of band members is actually affiliated with an educational institution. Rod Garnett not only performs in a number of places both with and without Colcannon, he also teaches music at the University of Wyoming. Of course, if a semester or two at UW isn't in your immediate plans, you may be able to learn a few things from other members of the band. The last time I asked, Jean was still teaching the fiddle to interested individuals.
Colcannon was, for me, one of the star attractions of the recent Colorado Irish Festival. (Not that you would have necessarily known it based on the coverage given by some of Higher Listening's colleagues in the media.) If you want to get specific about it, they were one of only two reasons that I really wanted to go. (The other is not a local group and therefore doesn't need attention here.) Sure, there were plenty of other musicians around, but the ones I heard struck me as kind of on the bland side. This has never been the case with Colcannon, and I've been going to their shows for ten years now.
The music should grab just about anybody with a beating heart and a sense of rhythm, especially the two and three-song medleys of short dancing tunes. The first set (I caught more than one) at the Irish fest opened with a combo of two traditional tunes, "Reilly's Reel / The Bucks of Oranmore", featured on Colcannon's latest album, Trad. (The name comes from the usual notation on sheet music for a traditional song.) Later on, we were treated to a pair of Jean's compositions, "Deorai / Pedals and Wheels" from The Life of Riley's Brother. If you prefer slower music, that's covered, too. The performance included an Australian song called "The Streets of Forbes" (also from Riley's Brother) with Mike substituting his bass harmonica for the didjeridoo used in the studio.
If that, somehow, still isn't enough for you, Mick always has something to say between the songs. It can be a few words about where a song comes from, a rough translation of certain Gaelic phrases in the lyrics, or sometimes just a joke to keep things moving during tuning. This, in turn, usually leads to a comment from someone else in the band (or a brief, informal audience poll by Brian), a question from the audience, or just a good laugh. Mix that with the music, and you'll realize why a Colcannon performance is just good fun, even if you don't have any of the alcohol that's frequently available.
So while Colcannon may be an educational institution, make no mistake: it's a party school. I plan on signing up for "class" at Hudson Gardens on August 22. If you miss that one, you can stop by the website to find out when another session is. Don't bother with pencils, but bring your dancing shoes.
King Me
by Myk-El
Veteran bands have a tough challenge whenever recording. They're supposed to grow musically, but stay true to their roots. They're supposed to entice new fans while staying true to the old ones. Worst of all, they're expected to be better than last time. Chris Daniels and The Kings have been around awhile, 20 years to be exact. Yet when I was handed their latest CD, The Spark, it became first time I've ever bothered to listen to them.
I'd heard the name countless times before. I heard they were good. I also have grown musically cynical and I tend not to believe recommendations except from very trusted sources and hadn't heard anything about them from the usual suspects. My copy of The Spark came out of the Higher Listening "please review this" bin and I found myself pleasantly surprised.
In the notes for this album, Chris Daniels indicates this is a return to his musical roots, where he used to recreate the acoustic guitar harmony parts from greats including Taj Mahal and John Sebastian. He's not lying either. If you are familiar with the inspiration, you can hear the influence throughout the recording. It isn't so much paying tribute as continuing the traditions. It's an important distinction many don't make and the results were good. There were sounds reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt, Asleep at the Wheel and many more.
What struck me about this album most of all was how pretty it sounds. It shows particularly strong on the tracks "Way out West", "If I'd Only Taken you Dancing" and "Kelly Jean." It's also great traveling music. I took my mobile CD review unit on a cross Colorado trip recently and had this playing on the early morning hours heading out of Denver. You want this kind of music on the open highway. It moves, but not so fast you risk losing your license.
So now we return to the big questions. Did they grow? Is it true to their roots? Will it bring new fans while not disappointing the old ones? And finally, is it better than previous efforts? I know it brought in at least one new fan, me. Then I had some homework to do.
It's interesting trying to look back over a career to see improvement when you come in late. Fortunately, the sound folks at Hudson Garden saved me some trouble when they chose to play "Choice Cuts" (the "best of" collection) before and after a recent Wendy Woo show there. I can pretty safely say the answer to the other questions is "yes." Frankly, I like The Spark better than the collection. But you can hear how they got from point A to where they are now. It's reassuring to hear a successful musical act continuing to practice and improve their craft.
Ready, Aim, Fire!
by Rhaab and Myk-El
If you're a diligent reader of the Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets (and thank you if you are), you probably saw where we announced our intention to avoid Herman's Hideaway for the foreseeable future. Well, we found a reason to break that boycott. On June 31, the Pool Cleaners were part of a packed house at Herman's rocking out to the first Ass Cannon show in over three years.
Now, for those of you don't remember when Ass Cannon was one of the biggest things around, try to imagine a punk version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood with a few metal and industrial influences. Ass Cannon exploded onto the Denver music scene in 1997 and things just haven't been the same since. Sadly, they fell victim to the squabbling that has broken up many bands and called it quits in early 2001. As if breaking up wasn't bad enough, there was even an extended legal battle that resulted in both of their albums being pulled from the shelves. To this day, not even Twist and Shout can hook you up with either their self-titled debut, or their awesome follow-up album "Reload". You can't even find them in the used section, because on the off chance anyone actually sells one of the CDs, it typically gets snapped up the same day.
Of course, even that doesn't really tell you all you need to know about the influence Ass Cannon had on local music. A number of local performers have cited Ass Cannon as influential to either their sound, or their decision to enter the scene themselves, or both. One of the most die-hard fans around is Dan Garcia of Bad Directions. "Up until early '97, I, like everybody else, thought rock had achieved perfection in 1974, and I feared we were all doomed to forever rehash Foghat riffs. Then I ran across a copy of Ass Cannon's little known demo EP, 'Breaking the Porcelain', and one listen made me realize how wrong I was. It was a cathartic experience to say the least; I've been a fan ever since." Those were Dan's words, said with obvious reverence when we asked him what the band meant to him. (If you were lucky enough to be at that show, you probably saw him front and center on the dance floor with the Pool Cleaners.)
Speaking of the show, it was like they never went away. They rocked, they rolled, they partied hard; Ass Cannon was in your face the whole night. The show opened with their unforgettable rendition of "All the Young Dudes" and didn't let up. They fired off song after song and had the entire crowd in their back pockets.
If you haven't guessed by now, then yes, the guys have set aside their differences to play together again. This isn't some frontman with a substitute band; the roster is still the original line-up of Dale Magnum on drums, Dave Colt on bass, Brian Derringer on guitar, and Johnny Gatling on lead vocals and keyboards. One of many people to comment on this was Denver music scene supporter and superfan Tommy Nahulu. "I remember seeing them for the first time down at 60 South, and they just blew me away. At first, I couldn't believe they were coming back, but I'm glad they did. The best part is that they did it for the fans. They didn't do it for the chance at a contract, even though they'll probably be the next thing to break out of Denver. They didn't do it for the money. They set aside their lawsuits and got over their fights for the sake of the fans. They even had on the outfits like they did in the old days. How great is that?"
Great doesn't even begin to describe it. A good stab at a description, though, comes from Plastic Parachute's bass player, Shaun Nelson: "If you've never seen Ass Cannon play, you're missing out on the best stage show ever. If you combined KISS with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and added a dash of 'Weird Al' for good measure, you'd have a small taste of what Ass Cannon is about." As long as we were chatting with Shaun, we asked if he had also been influenced by them musically. He jerked back in surprise and looked at us as if we were stupid. Then he explained how much he was in awe of the band in general, and Dave Colt in particular. "When I first heard Ass Cannon's basslines, I thought to myself, 'How can I get sounds that deep to come out of nowhere?' I mean, you'd think he was playing five basses with the depth and length of those notes. Colt is my hero. He's the whole reason I picked up the bass. If it wasn't for him, I'd still be playing the mouth harp."
Even old enemies were on hand to wish Ass Cannon well that night. We're referring, of course, to the famous clash between Ass Cannon and On Second Thought. It started about halfway between the stage and the nearest beer vendor at one of the many outdoor music festivals during the summer of 2000. To this day, no one outside of either band knows what really set it off, but witnesses reported bickering followed by shouting, which escalated to shoving, which could have gone who-knows-where had the matter not been settled by a decisive spin-kick from OST bass player Doug Koke. There was tension in the room when Doug stepped up on stage at Herman's in the middle of Ass Cannon's set, but it turned into wild applause when Doug finally returned Johnny Gatling's tooth to him and stepped forward for a hug.
We can't think of any way the show could have been better. They played a good mix of original songs and cover tunes, including their unique interpretation of AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock, We Salute You." From Johnny's high-speed delivery of the lyrics to "Musical Fruit", to Dave's bass riffs on "Happy to See You", to Dale's awesome drum solo on "Funky Spelunker", to Brian's driving guitar on "Wrecked 'Em", Ass Cannon was strong and solid from start to finish. The Cannon remained powerful during both encores, and blew away the audience with their signature finale, "Out of Ammo".
Rumors are already flying about Ass Cannon recording a new CD, and there's talk of putting up a new website to replace the old one taken down when the band broke up. Whatever happens, you can count on Ass Cannon being a group to watch out for, and on getting the news straight from us.
Taking Note of the D Note
by Rhaab
If you're one of those people who believes there's no entertainment to be had outside of Boulder or downtown Denver, then stop reading right now -- my words are not for the likes of you. Take your narrow-minded regional prejudices elsewhere, and all the cool kids will be coming with me to Arvada. That's right, I said Arvada; home of, among other things, a place called the D Note.
My first visit to the D Note was as part of some sort of festival. No offense to the people of Arvada, but I didn't really pay much attention to what was being celebrated. Even if I had, the various sorts of summer shindigs featuring musical entertainment kind of run together in my head after a while due to the sheer number of them. For me, the most important fact was that Rachel's Playpen would be performing, or at least half the roster (Rachel and Dan) would be. As for the place they were performing, I didn't have anything to go on other than a name and an approximate location. I learned that I really like the D Note a lot, and a follow-up visit just confirmed the feeling. Here are some reasons why, in no particualr order:
The Staff. Hardly any time passed between when my friends and I sat down and when we first approached by one of the many polite people waiting tables. Thanks to the hot day, we all had lemonade, which is not a complicated order, or one that takes long to handle. But before our drinks got to us (two minutes, tops) we already had someone else check up on us to see if we had been helped. There didn't appear to be any division of the place into zones, from what we could tell. Every employee seemed to be concerned about every customer, and we had helpful folks stopping by our table quite a bit. My second visit to the D Note was for the first round of Swallow Hill's songwriting contest. The place wasn't packed like it had been during the party, so the staff was a bit smaller but no less attentive.
The Look. In half or more of the venues in town, I can't even tell you what the walls look like. In some, I can, and the answer is "just bricks". In the D Note, they decided that bricks weren't good enough for them, so they have paintings up all over the place. This combines with the wooden floors and the windows that replace almost the entire front wall to create a very welcoming feeling. The stage is low and centered along one wall, giving visibility to a full 180 degrees, if anyone wants to sit that far back. In front of the stage, there's a large open area for dancing, with tables scattered everywhere else. Directly across from the stage, the sound equipment is raised on a platform. No space is wasted, however, because there's another art display underneath the platform. Having the sound equipment raised like that gives the sound techs an unobstructed view of the stage, and vice-versa. Which brings me to the next item.
The Sound. The sound tech I spoke to admitted that the platform actually works against you, since it puts you up near the rafters, channeling and changing the sound. (A huge penalty for me, by the way, because I thought I wrote his name down, and I can't seem to find it.) Down on the floor, you wouldn't know it. The sound quality is terrific, thanks to both a great sound system, and the willingness to scramble up and down the ladder from the floor to the controls and back. It's easily up there with Brendan's in terms of sound. Just don't ask me which one is better, because I would be up all night trying to figure it out.
The Food. During my second visit to the D Note, I sampled a wonderful advance in sandwichness known as an Italian Panini. It was, in a word, delicious. After tasting how good this was, I became curious about the other items on the menu, but I'm not sure I'll get to them soon. I could probably get by on Italian Paninis alone for a while. Just a tip, though: make sure you don't order the Italian Paganini by mistake, because that's a composer who has been dead for over 150 years. (I did so accidently, and I had to send him back.)
The Little Details. Some places you go for music, you're happy if the bathrooms even sort of resemble clean. When I made use of the facilities at the D Note, I found that not only were they clean, there was even poetry on the walls. No, I don't mean rhymed laments about lack of paper, or the noteworthy characteristics of people from Nantucket. I mean actual poetry! I read a little Yeats while I was there. I can't speak for what it was like in the women's bathroom, but like many men, I hold the belief that women have it better in that department; they probably get sonnets from Shakespeare.
And those were just the things I noticed in two trips. There could be more good things that I won't even see until the next time I'm there, or the time after that. The D Note may be, as the expression goes, "one of the best-kept secrets" in metro Denver, but it shouldn't be. Go start telling the secret! Spread the word! And when you've worn yourself out doing that, go relax at the D Note.
Gor Blimey, Wot a Spiv
by Rhaab
The English language is continually evolving, and, as you might imagine, it's hard to top the English themselves when it comes to adding new words. I recently watched a special about the making of the Harry Potter movies (That's right, even aliens dig Harry.) and heard one of the young actors describe a character as someone really "cringe-worthy". I think this is a great term that needs spreading.
Need another example? Okay. In 1936 (according to my copy of Webster's, anyway), they gave us the word "spiv", "one who lives by his wits without regular employment". A word like this is almost enough to allow me to forgive them for the incredible goofiness of Cockney rhyming slang. In and around Denver, it has another meaning: "band that knows how to play real rock and roll".
I've only seen Spiv perform twice so far, and the two events were connected: the first time was during the auditions for the People's Fair, the second time was during the fair itself. It's my own fault I haven't been to more shows, because it's been a blast each time.
If you missed the auditions, those took place down at the Soiled Dove, with a secondary stage set up in the back to minimize transition time between bands. Luck of the draw put Spiv on the improvised back stage, but I doubt if even the large, regular stage up front could have contained frontman Chris Barber (or Spiv himself, if you prefer). He was "creative" with his vocals at a couple of points, he was up on one of the little railings playing, knocking stuff over, kicking a cup of water into the audience, and, most of all, having a good time. I was so distracted by his performance that I didn't even hear the lyrics to "Everybody's a Rock Star Tonight" all that closely, and the lyrics (I learned later) add to the fun of a Spiv show.
I admired the sheer insanity of it, and thought it was nice to see someone who remembered what rock and roll was all about. When I made that comment concerning rock to his Spivness after the set, the reply was "A higher compliment could not be given." Similarly, my colleague Myk-El has commented more than once about the desire to see "the spectacle" brought back to rock music, and has named both Spiv and the Trailer Park Playboys as examples of how to do it.
The set at the People's Fair opened with "Right in Front", a song with driving drums, vocals that had an 80s sound to them, and crunchy guitar. After that was the Weezer-like "Nibley View", possibly one of the most honest songs ever recorded. Sure, there may be songs with lyrics more open than "I wanna do you!" but none of them come to mind at the moment. And when I compare songs like "Nibley View" and "Dizzy Tizzy" (also played at the Fair) to Weezer, I mean the fun stuff they did, not the depressing stuff.
Nearly every song showed an understanding and love of plain old rock (as opposed to the many sub-genres, offshoots, and illegitimate children of same), from "Don'tcha Know" (title track of the latest album, which I'll be reviewing later), to "With the Stones" (a song about a rise to fame thanks to touring with you-know-who), to a wonderful cover of the classic Beatles tune "Here Comes the Sun". It was sped up and rocked up a little without being obnoxious about it. (Being obnoxious is a common failing of cover tunes.) In simple terms, as I wrote in my notes, it was "good stuff". Then, of course, there's the previously mentioned "Everybody's a Rock Star Tonight", an anthem for anyone who has ever sung on stage, in front of the mirror, to one's pets, or in the shower--everyone, in other words. "There's nobody out in the audience because everybody's on the stage." If this song doesn't get snapped up for use somewhere in the movies or on TV, there's something deeply wrong with the universe. (Okay, more so than usual.)
The love of the music even showed in how Chris responded to the audience. I have to confess that I'm the dork who called out the cliched request for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird", just to see what kind of response I would get. The reply was "Someone yell 'Gimme Three Steps' for once!" I urge everyone to remember this when you go to see Spiv perform. And, as long as I'm confessing, I have to admit that I missed the opportunity to get the names of the other band members at the show. The website lists the current line-up as Bob Rupp on drums, Ryan Hensen on guitar, and someone named simply Paul on bass. If the roster was different at the Fair, I apologize to any musicians I may have missed. Talent deserves to be recognized.
So go catch a Spiv show and recognize some talent. Go be a rock star that night; "It's about time you realized you're a star." The members of Spiv realized it some time ago.
A New Spin on Old Country
By Sh'wn
I had heard quite a bit about the Honky Tonk Hangovers before I had ever seen or actually heard them. Well, when I caught the tail end of their set at the 33rd Annual CHUN People's Fair I got the chance to chat with one of the band members. When I told him that I'm an alien currently masquerading as a music reviewer for Higher Listening, he instantly wanted to know what I thought of their stuff and kindly provided a copy of both of their albums for me to check out. So, first I'd like to thank the boys by name for this opportunity to let everyone know what I think of their music. Dave covers vocals, lead guitar and steel guitar. Donnie also covers vocals and does a fine job fingering his upright bass. Dylan's just fiddlin' around on a four-string. Last but not least, Elvin keeps the beat on drums. Next, I'll mention that The Honky Tonk Hangovers currently have two albums available. The first album released in 2002 is titled Every Little Honky Tonk. The second album was released this year (2004) and sports the title Giant Country.
Listening to the first album, I wonder: is all country music about losing your woman, or drinking, or drinking because you lost your woman? The first time I listened to this album I couldn't help but think that I'd heard these songs before. I just couldn't put my finger on where. It was like an old-timey, almost nostalgic feeling. As I listened, I was reminded of the Oak Ridge Boys or Mel Tillis (imagine my surprise that Mel Tillis' song "The Honky Tonk Song" is on this album). This album has the feel of the kind of country music you'd hear back in the late seventies to early eighties. I think the first track, "Every Little Honky Tonk", is worth special mention. This song tells the tale of a man whose woman done him wrong (I know, what's new). Well, in this case the main character is so happy that he's going to hit every bar and honky tonk in town. The closing line in the song describes how she used to be thin, beautiful and kind, but now she's gotten big, fat and ugly. This line never fails to get a chuckle from me as I recall the lyrics from another song, "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife."
With the release of Giant Country I was able to pin down that familiar nostalgic feeling that the first album heavily hinted at. The first song, "Get Pickinā Guitar Man" is a subdued tune about what a man wants to do with his life. I really liked the subtle reference to Ray Stevens' "Guitarzan". "Love by the Numbers" is a clever little ditty about a woman trying her darndest to attract the eye of a guy who's just not interested. This is very reminiscent of the plot lines of several anime shows I'm familiar with. By the third song, "Another Someday" I realized that this is OLD style country music. I was struck by how much I would expect to hear Tennessee Ernie Ford or Patsy Cline put in a guest appearance and lay some vocals down on this album.
There are two more tracks that I think are worth mentioning. The first is "Girl on the Billboard" about a man who falls in love with one of those models you see on the highway billboards. The twist at the end struck me as particularly enjoyable and somewhat ironic. But then I've been told that I'm warped, so make of that what you will. Another listener to this song told me that it sounded like a bad parody of bad country music (although that's not necessarily a bad thing). I noticed that myself and I don't know if that's what the band was going for, but that's probably another reason why I liked the song (there's that warped mind again).
The other track that I'd like to mention happens to be the last track. This song has Dave telling us about his hot new girlfriend who happens to be a "Motorcycle Mama". I agree with Dave in his thoughts that a woman clad in her leathers straddling 1500cc's of throbbing, pulsating, vibrating, powerful iron horse is an erotic sight. So, when's the next trip to Sturgis? All in all, this album was a very solid effort and should appeal to fans of old style country music (I'm talking about prior to 1975), and honky tonk enthusiasts. Those people looking for hard-rocking country music and/or rock would be better off checking out The Railbenders or the Trailer Park Playboys.
The Receders Rock!
by Karin of Earth
The Receders are "Not another hair band"--a very truthful quote from Mike Degn (vocalist, sax player, and percussionist) at the People's Fair at the beginning of June. Most "hair bands" would be lucky to have even a quarter of the talent these guys show on stage. Their 25 years of playing music really shows through their rhythm, vocals, variety of instrumental ability. After all, it's very impressive when four out five band members sing lead vocals on different songs!
It's difficult to categorize this band because of the variety of songs they are more than capable of performing. These multi-talented musicians perform high-energy dance music ranging from the 60's to today. Their set at the People's Fair included "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind and Fire and ended with "Smooth" by Santana. The crowd, though tired, was on their feet movin' and groovin' to the music.
The Receders have more soul than platform shoes!! What these guys lack in hair, they more than make up for in talent. Any band that has "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon listed in their cover songs is OK in my book! The members of this band are true musicians and great entertainers!
TAKING IT SLOW
by Rhaab
One of the great things about almost any kind of music is that it can do more than just entertain. Political and protest songs have been written with the intent of changing the world, and some have succeeded. Anyone who best remembers the Preamble to the US Constitution by singing it can attest to the educational power of music. And then there's that musical ability that just about all of us have been interested in at one time or another: seduction. Which brings me to "Slow Train Comin'" by Sethe Tucker.
For starters, don't be fooled by the name. It resembles the male name Seth, and it's even pronounced the same way, but Ms. Tucker is all woman. As for seduction, if she and her collaborators had anything else in mind when putting together this album, I have to confess that it escaped me. This, of course, means that it could be quite effective if used properly. Just a quick note to any ladies reading this: Maybe there's a guy you're interested in who seems to be, well, a little oblivious to that interest. That doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with you. My fellow Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets and I are all intelligent males who have that intelligence fail us when it comes to women. Casual flirting is one thing, but if you're interested in any of us, you have to hit your object of desire with a hammer. A copy of this album can be that hammer.
If you're not already wondering how you can get your hands on this album, maybe some additional information is in order. If you've ever dropped by Brendan's to spend a Sunday evening with Soul School in recent memory, then you've heard Sethe providing both lead and backing vocals. You've heard her performing at that blurry intersection of soul, R&B, and pop, and you know she's fully qualified to do so. If you haven't had that pleasure, then you can take a peek at her bio online and get an idea of her credentials. Of course, just because her name is the only one on the cover of the CD doesn't mean she did it all by herself. She's part of a company called Inlay Entertainment, and "Slow Train Comin'" is very much a group effort on their part.
It would be wrong of me to write about this album without mentioning the work of Inlay's Tommy McMillion. In addition to having credits for production, recording, and mixing, he has writing or co-writing credits on eight of the nine tracks on the CD, and a couple of other mentions besides. Jude Dachel provides assistance in recording and mixing, co-writing the song "Mellow Night", and providing guitar tracks throughout the album. (I also understand that Jude Dachel has an album in the works, and I'm looking forward to giving it a listen.)
The album has "bookend" tracks, in the form of both an intro and outro titled "In My World". The lyrics are quite simple, not from a lack of anything to say, but from needing only the most basic words to say it. The multi-layered vocals, combined with the beautiful background music, are more than enough for the words "Just want you in my world" to make their point effectively. The opening track is very relaxing and should provide adequate transition from almost anything else you happen to be listening to prior to this album. The outro, while obviously very similar to the intro, is punched up a little with some impressive electric guitar playing by Larry King. (Probably not the talk show host, but I haven't asked.) The last track helps bring you back to Earth, so to speak, and the combination of intro and outro gives the album a nice feel of a complete package.
In the middle, you have song after sexy song, groove after infectious groove, and fine performances from start to finish. This includes not just the performers I've already mentioned, but Brian Gordon (bass player on five of the tracks) and Wesley Makey (trumpet on "Slow Train") as well. How good is it? Well, let me put it this way: normally this isn't what I consider "my kind" of music, and I've often been known to even avoid R&B/soul/pop-type songs in favor of other styles of music, and yet I honestly like this album. I'm glad I have a copy of it. I think you should consider picking one up, too.
If nothing else, you'll want to get it so you can hear the song "Slow Train" and find out exactly what is meant by the album title. All you need to know is that while it may be concerned with transportation of a sort, it may not necessarily have to do with going anywhere. Add "Slow Train Comin'" to your music collection and let the one you love know that you have tickets.
It's Nightlife But Not as We Know It
by Myk-El
Occasionally, in travels around the galaxy of music, you discover a planet that you want to inhabit. On June 5, the Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets confirmed our earlier readings that Planet O can, in fact, sustain nightlife.
Planet O does not deny in any way that they are a jam band. It seems jam bands have gotten a bit of a bad rap outside of their dedicated fans. It's easy to see why due to the extremely low level of quality you often find. Planet O, however is first-rate. They effectively mix several different genres into their sound, but it all has energy, soul, fire or whatever your word of choice to describe passionate playing is.
Bo, Danielle and Paula share vocal duties depending on the song, though they did turn it over to youngster and relative Graham for one tune. But as always, the backbone of any good jam band is its rhythm section. This is the department of Bo and his drums plus Jac's bass. You also have horns, keyboards, percussion and more in the mix depending on the tune. I also think it was good to see Danielle put a beating on the tambourine. Most folks treat it too gently to have it heard in a live show; not so with Planet O.
The highlight of their stage show, though, is guitarist Jason "Jug" Colangelo. When we saw him at UMX, his movement on stage was incredible. His sunglasses flew off at one point in their audition. At the People's Fair show, he was a bit toned down, but he still moved around a lot and he came with a variety of headgear. This included one "jughead" hat, two jester's hat variations, a gas mask (seen during their song "Friendly Fire"), a devil hat and one that just defied description. We've never subscribed to Bad Company's inclusion of jesters in their rock 'n' roll fantasy, but in Mr. Colangelo's case, we'll make an exception. I also think the rest of Planet O is used to a great deal of motion from him; he basically had one side of the stage to himself.
The songs they play lean toward the R & B/soul end of the spectrum. This includes great covers of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" and two James Brown tunes. But they also throw in a little hip-hop, reggae and jazz influence with equal skill. It's great to see a band show such love for what they do. It's infectious.
Planet O is fun for the whole family; even little kids were out shaking and grooving to the beat. Though they are based in Colorado, the inhabitants of Planet O get around the entire southwestern US, so keep an eye out for them. It's well worth the trip to see them live.
ROCKIN' THE TRAILER PARK WITH THE PLAYBOYS
by Sh'wn
Myk-El, Zscaieynn, and I were first introduced to the Trailer Park Playboys at The Railbenders' album release party back in January (for the full review, see "You Might Be a Redneck..." in our archives). We liked what we heard and decided that we should keep an eye on them as an up-and-coming act. Since then, we have made a point of dragging the other Pool Cleaners to see them perform. The consensus seems to be that the Trailer Park Playboys are one of Denver's best untapped musical resources. For those not in the know, this group plays the genre probably best described as "honky-tonk" with more of a rockabilly edge to it. When we found out that the Playboys had been invited to play the 33rd Annual CHUN People's Fair, we knew that we HAD to see them again.
The band opened with their song "Baby Baby Why". As they played, I started to think that stylistically, they reminded me of Elvis's "country/honky-tonk" days. Donny Dangerlove reminds me very much of Elvis or Roy Orbison in his tonal quality, and it gives me a pleasant, "nostalgic" feeling that suggests that these songs may have been heard back in the Fifties and Sixties. However, the content of the songs lets me know that this group is as modern as white trash gets (and that's not necessarily a bad thing).
The Trailer Park Playboys consist of five members; they are Donny Dangerlove (vocals, guitar), Duke Ruckus (vocals, guitar), Davey Valentine (vocals, drums), Smokey Pinto (bass guitar) and Joe (keyboards). I really enjoy that lead vocals get rotated between three of the members. This lets each performer showcase his vocal talent and allows the other singers a chance to rest their vocal cords, reducing the risk of vocal strain.
I feel that I'd be remiss if I didn't mention their stage presence. After all, they could have simply introduced themselves as "The Trailer Park Playboys" and gotten the same reaction that many bands get. "And? What's your point?" However, these five guys actually set out to create an atmosphere. They convey with the use of props that they could very well be at home performing in one of Denver's many musical venues, or just gettin' together for a jam session at the Starlight Starbright Trailer Park. The props used for this performance included pink flamingos on either side of the stage, and Smokey Pinto's "Explosive" pick guard and "White Trash" bumper sticker on his bass. Donny, not to be outdone, wore his trademark black sport coat with orange flame cuffs and yoke (the devil's tail on the back of the yoke is clever too). I also noticed for the first time that Donny's guitar strap is an old seatbelt. I like this and think it not only clever and funny, but it's also an original way to recycle old items.
Some of the Playboys' other songs include "Baby Bowler" (about the world's youngest person to get a seven-ten split), "Trailer Park Barbie" (I believe Mattel is releasing this line next fall) and "Motel 6" (Tom Bodett called, he said thanks for plugging the chain). The Trailer Park Playboys also do some excellent cover work as well. During their performance, they performed an outstanding cover of Roger Miller's "King of the Road".
Speaking of "Motel 6", I couldn't help thinking how much I could picture that song being performed by Jerry "the Killer" Lee Lewis. Great balls of fire, that's a good song, and I understand the band has it available as a single.
The Playboys ended their set with "(I Wanna Be a) Racecar Driver". This was excellently done, and I anxiously look forward to seeing their next performance. I highly recommend this band to anyone who likes the genre. Also, I think many bands (both locally and nationally) would benefit from going to see a Trailer Park Playboys show. I hope to see them headlining soon, because they steal the show from anyone who has to perform after them.
They Got Me Lost, but I Don't Care
by Myk-El
The musical showdown started at high noon on June 5th. The location was the Cricket Stage at the Capitol Hill People's Fair. On one side was me, the lone music reviewer. On the other was a band of notorious musicians including a quiet but deadly guitar slinger. I didn't have a chance. I knew I was doomed from the first chord.
The Bad Directions feature the musical stylings of Bradley Weaver on lead vocals and bass, Carlos Newman on drums, and slinging his six-string is Dan Garcia. These three can get it done. You can't hide in a trio; everybody needs to know what they are doing. Not only do the Bad Directions know their stuff, they make it look easy, almost effortless.
I was already familiar with Bradley and Dan as they play in Rachel's Playpen, but if you think The Bad Directions are just the Playpen without Rachel, you are quite mistaken. It's hard to nail down the sound of the Bad Directions and frankly, I don't want to. I don't think labels benefit the evolution of music. These guys blur the lines between genres so badly, it's not even funny. The best I can do is to call it "punktry" and I know it's not adequate. Half the time I didn't know whether I should tap my foot or bang my head. We'll just call it good.
There's a twang in their sound and a drive to the music that just hits me in the right place. The music moves and can be quite intense. Some of the younger audience members found them to be a little loud, but it's to be expected. It's not for everyone. The best example is their cover of a song Elvis made famous, "Suspicous Minds." They do a fantastic job with this tune. It's fast, bouncy yet powerful. Those that got it, loved it. Those that didn't tended to scrunch their faces up. But for those that liked it, it brought probably the loudest reaction of any song. Other notable songs include "Sideview," "Cool Cool" and "Wagon Wheel" (another major crowd pleaser).
Yet for all the sound, there isn't much flash. They let their music do the talking. In a way, they remind me a little of another trio and, for once, it isn't Green Day. No, in pure stage presence, they kind of lean toward pre-MTV ZZ Top. You don't always have something to look at, but there's always something to hear. I wouldn't object to them showing a bit more presence on stage but not at the cost of the sound.
Most of the set, I found myself watching Dan Garcia's hands work the guitar. He's a very talented player. There's a lot going on in his playing, but it's done with such subtlety of motion, you don't always notice how much he does. If you play, do yourself a favor and check The Bad Directions out live so you can see for yourself. Not that this is meant to diminish the considerable talents of Bradley and Carlos. Dan's solos mean nothing without the backbone they provide. The drums and bass hook you while the guitar and vocals reel you in.
The real bonus to the People's Fair show was actually a result of something I found to be quite unprofessional. The band scheduled next, You Call That Art?, arrived late. This allowed an extra few songs to be played. When the audience was informed The Bad Directions would "play until they tell us to stop," there was a nice round of applause. The Bad Directions handled this burden well and proceeded to rock 14th Street like it's never been rocked before.
If you like your music loud, hard and fast with a bit of twang, do check these guys out. I think they're onto something. Currently The Bad Directions are working on their first album. I've had the chance to hear a few of the initial recordings and they are on the right track. I just hope they can capture lightning in a bottle for the recording sessions. If so, we're in for a heck of a treat when it's released.
Jump In The Sea
By Jeph
I had heard of Great Big Sea from my fellow Pool Cleaners, who had attended one of their shows the year before last. I have only had the pleasure of listening to them on CD occasionally, but I had been hearing great things about them from Myk and Rhaab. So, when the opportunity came to see them at the Gothic Theatre (a great venue to see any band at) I jumped at it.
I was not disappointed.
Well, I wasn't once the opening band left the stage. Carbon Leaf was apparently an attempt at 'Irish Jazz'. My thoughts are that if that's Irish, they've watered down the drink heavily before providing it. But then, I'm used to the heavy Irish influence in the music of the Indulgers, the Young Dubliners, and Seven Nations.
Once Great Big Sea hit the stage, it was all Irish, all the way. You don't often see a rock band taking to the stage with a bodhran, but believe me, it does work. Three of their members took turns switching instruments (they had an excellent roadie helping with this). Normally, I only see this with one musician at a time, like Mike Nile of the Indulgers and his plethora of instruments. Three members doing switchouts is highly unusual. Not only that, they're unafraid of doing songs where all they use are the power of voice and some percussion. One of the songs was done with the bodhran as their sole instrument.
They also do at least one song that most of you Indulgers fans know and love. Their take on 'Mari Mac' involves starting somewhat slower, but then they speed up with each verse, until they outstrip the Indulgers for sheer speed. So next time you think it's being sung too fast at Conor's, think again.
They also have one of the better connections with the audience that I've seen. They can count on the crowd to fill in blanks on a couple of songs when asked, and get the crowd to clap in time with almost every one. And besides, anyone who can fill the Gothic to capacity for one show has got to have a very loyal fan base.
So next time this stellar act is in town, come with us, and be prepared to get your feet wet!
I'll Be at Brendan's
by Rhaab
Ask anyone who has ever worked in any kind of job dealing with any portion of the public in any part of the Known Universe, and they'll all tell you the same thing: people are quick to complain when you're doing something wrong, but will almost never tell you you're doing something right. I've made an effort to change that in myself, and I hope others will follow me. If examples help you more than abstract notions, here's one: I like the way they're running Brendan's Pub.
I hate to admit it, but I only recently "discovered" Brendan's. Sure, I had heard of the place, but had never heard an awful lot about it. My first trip there was not too long ago, for the release of 99.5 The Mountain's "Mountain Homegrown Volume 1". I was greeted and welcomed before I even walked in the door, and the person at the door was just the first of three to welcome me in a span of no more than a minute. What's more, all three of the people who welcomed me seemed to mean it! That little detail right there scored them several points immediately.
I've managed to make up for a little lost time by a number of visits to Brendan's in recent weeks. While I haven't had the same barrage of welcomes that I did the first time, I've always been thanked for coming by, either as I enter or leave, sometimes both. I've never run into a staff member who was surly or just had a bad attitude. Everyone seems to like what they're doing, or if they don't, they hide it well--which is just as good, as far as dealing with the public is concerned.
For instance, I don't drink very often when I'm out listening to music. Either I'm driving that night, or I want to keep my head clear to take notes, or I have some other reason to not order alcohol. And yes, even though there's almost always a cover at the small music venues around town, I know that the bulk of business for them is in drinks. What this adds up to is that I try not to be any trouble if I'm not drinking, so the wait staff can concentrate on folks who are. If I'm really dehydrated, I'll ask for water, but I'm happy to get it myself if I happen to be at a place that keeps a cooler and some cups around, like the Soiled Dove. Sure, I could get a soda, but I can go through that pretty quickly, and it tends to be pricey in most bars. So here's where we get to two more good points about Brendan's, and frequent designated drivers, take note. Point one: when I say I don't want anything right away, the person working my table at Brendan's invariably asks if I want water, offering to make an extra effort. Point two: when you order a soda, refills are free, just like in a restaurant. If you've had even one alcohol-free night out in the past year, you should realize what great selling points those are for this place.
You may be asking, "But what about the music?" Sure, it's known primarily as a place for the Blues, and there's a healthy scattering of Blues all over the calendar. There's also a weekly reggae performance, and, of course, there's Soul School. I heard Soul School one week and was so impressed I came back the very next week with my notebook so I could review them for Higher Listening. If you missed my review, this is an amazingly talented soul/R&B/funk act, covering great songs from the classic Motown era up through the mid-90s. There's been one roster change since I wrote that article, and now and then a substitute sits in when necessary, but it doesn't hurt one bit. Okay, so they play on Sunday evenings, but the start time has been moved back to a more reasonable 8:00 PM. (I know it still says 9:30 on the Brendan's website, but this is straight from the band.) So when Sunday rolls around, you can grab a bite to eat, watch "The Simpsons", get to Brendan's to wrap up your weekend in style, and still be home in time to get a decent amount of sleep before Monday morning. Sadly, they don't appear to have any dates scheduled for the immediate future, but with luck that'll change soon.
If, somehow, that still isn't enough, then all you have to do is look at the calendar for the great acts that don't have a regularly-scheduled gig there. Opie Gone Bad plays at Brendan's frequently. Wendy Woo had her CD release party for "Walking the Skyline" there not long ago. (You can check the archives for my review of the album and Myk-El's review of the performance, if you like.) The Indulgers, our local Celtic rockers, will be there on May 7. If you've never experienced Celtic rock, think of it as setting aside a supply of St. Patrick's Day and letting a little of it out on stage: fast, fun music, you want a drink or five, and everybody's Irish for a little while. Best of all, at any of these shows, the majority of the crowd seems to be there for the music.
In short, the service is good, the music is good, and the audience is good. As much as I'd like to, though, I can't be there every night, so someone has to fill in for me. What are you waiting for?
Woo! What a Night.
by Myk-El
CD release parties are always supposed to be special. This year, I've attended parties for The Indulgers, The Railbenders, Rachel's Playpen and now Wendy Woo. No offense to any of the others, because they were all great, this might have been the best CD release party yet this year. It will take a lot to top this. (I'm looking at you, Opie Gone Bad)
It was a beautiful Friday in April, an evening warm enough to go out without a jacket. The venue was Brendan's Pub in Denver. One good thing among many I can say in favor of Brendan's is that they don't feel a need to have an opening act. Somehow, I think that would have adversely affected the night. Wendy came on stage just after 9:30 and opened with her cover of The Beatles' "Blackbird." Then she brought her bass player, the extremely talented Edwin Hurwitz, out for the next tune. Chris Maestas got behind his drums for song three and finally, once we were four songs in, Jimmy Lange took up position behind the keyboards. It was an effective way to bring on the band.
I've known for a while that the Woo band is talented, but they were ON this night. Each had solos of note. Two songs that stood out in the first set were "Down and Dirty." Wendy got her masterful guitar percussion in that one, but each of the other member of the band got to show a little. It got even better on "Gravity." Mr. Lange was making sure those keyboards knew who was boss.
There are a lot of good things I could talk about in this show. I could talk about how their cover of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" really got the dance floor crowded. I could mention, again, how Wendy pushes the limits with her instrument. I could talk about the closer "I Can't Go", the quality bonus track on the new album. But I want to talk about something else. Another good thing about Brendan's is how they don't lower the lights as much as other venues. This let me see what a Wendy Woo audience looked like.
You see, I've always enjoyed music's ability to bring people together that you wouldn't normally expect to see all together. I'd be hard pressed to find another artist that attracts as broad an audience as Wendy Woo. There were folks there who were young enough that, not only do they still get carded going into bars, they probably get carded trying to get into R-rated movies. There were also folks easily in their 60s and just about every age in between. Not only that, there was great diversity too. I'm not talking just race, either. Young, old, black, white, yuppie, hippie and everything in between was at Brendan's moving to the music. I've never seen so many heads bobbing in beat with the music. I think this speaks volumes about the quality and appeal of Wendy's music.
Rhaab indicated he thought it was the best Wendy Woo concert we've ever seen, and I'm inclined to agree. But with a band like she has, it's bound to get even better. Get out and see a show, then buy the album so you can take Wendy home with you.
Walking with Wendy
by Rhaab
I've heard the music of Wendy Woo before, so I wasn't surprised at all to find that her new album "Walking The Skyline" is an album full of good songs from start to finish. Nor was I surprised by the varied musical styles I heard, making for a pleasantly eclectic album. The solid performances from Wendy and the rest of the Woo Band were fully expected as well. The only surprising thing is that she keeps turning out such great music and hasn't had her door broken down by a major recording label yet--especially when you read the lists of performers she's opened for and awards she's received. Then there's all the positive press she's received. (This, if you couldn't tell, is more of the same.)
If I had to sit down and write a list of reasons why music fans around the Denver area are so lucky, Wendy would be pretty high on that list. There's something compelling about her voice and her music that makes her stand out, even when she's alone on stage with just her acoustic guitar. Sometimes you see people who miss this at first, because they're more focused on drinking or talking or any activity other than taking in the music; even they wake up and take notice once she starts slapping her guitar like it owes her money. Using an acoustic guitar for percussion isn't exactly unique, but it's far from common, and it's very much a part of the Wendy Woo concert "experience".
Really lucky people--or people who keep a close eye on the concert listings--get to hear Wendy joined by three equally skilled musicians. Jimmy Lange plays keyboards, Edwin Hurwitz handles the bass, Chris Maestas is on drums, and they make up the rest of the Woo Band. If I may be allowed some creativity in my comparison, a solo performance by Wendy is like ice cream: good by itself and not likely to be turned down. Once you add some other good things, you've got a full Woo Band show, or a sundae called "Walking The Skyline".
The title track is, appropriately enough, the first track. It's a song about life in the city, and it sounds like it's waiting for the right movie to come along so it can be used over the end credits. The band blends together nicely on this, resulting in music that can be appreciated a couple of ways (at least). Relax and let it wash over you the first time you play the album. Then, when you're done, skip back to the beginning and listen closely; you should start to notice just how much work everyone was doing, especially drummer Chris Maestas. Anyone who can play that many beats and still manage to be subtle gets applause from me.
As long as you're paying close attention to the first track, you might as well continue for the second track, "Angels Laughing", since it features some of Wendy's guitar percussion. It's a beautiful song, and the lyrics could be interpreted in a number of ways. Sure, I have a general idea of the meaning thanks to some additional material that was kindly provided along with the album, but feel free to find your own message--it's that kind of song.
"One Way Street" is song inspired by (Surprise!) a complaint about the geography of downtown Denver. I imagine it was a casual remark, but it was turned into a catchy rock tune that's more about relationships than cursing the decisions of city planners. For me, the major hook was how Wendy's vocals were mostly in one range, but kept hopping up to much higher notes and dropping back down right away. A lot of singers I've heard would abuse ability like this, but Wendy shows us what she can do without showing off.
If you're more interested in feeling funky, the next few songs are for you. "Gravity" has a groove that, if converted into actual gravity, would undoubtedly make us all a lot heavier. While it sounds great by itself, I can only wonder what it would be like accompanied by some educational computer graphics; someone at PBS should look into this. After that is a cover of the Bill Withers tune "Use Me". This seems to be something of a standard in the Denver music scene, as I've heard it performed by a number of different groups. The only other group worth mentioning is Opie Gone Bad, and even they don't have the spin on the lyrics that comes from being sung by a female.
"Urban Oasis" is a playful tune with a chorus that almost begs you to sing along. This particular track was written with Scott Davies (of Opie Gone Bad, Soul School, and many other acts), and it makes me want to hear more of what he can do as a songwriter. Similarly, the song "Set in Stone" is credited to all four members of the Woo Band, and it nicely wraps up the funk mini-set.
The closest I can come to complaining about the album is, at best, a minor observation concerning the song "Blackbird". It's a great cover of a Beatles tune (and so many bad Beatles covers have been done over the years), the guitar sounds exactly like it should, and Wendy's voice lends itself well to the song. However, the change of a grand total of just two words from the original lyrics is enough to break the spell and snap me out of the mellow feeling that usually comes from listening to this song. Please note, though, that you have to be a severe Beatlemaniac like I am to experience anything like this; I doubt the average listener will even notice which words are different. (The changed words are very close to the original words. No, I'm not telling unless you ask.)
By now, you should be wondering where and when you can get your hands on this CD. The answer to "where" is the CD release party at Brendan's Pub, and the answer to "when" is Friday, April 16th; both answers also include the phrase "and every Wendy Woo show after that". It should also show up at the various music stores that we love because they carry local music, but you want to go to a show, right? Some nights you'll get just ice cream, some nights you'll get a sundae, but either way, you're in for a treat.
SCHOOL IS IN
by Rhaab
"It's all good." More and more people seem to be saying that these days, and often in situations where it's just not the case. Spend an evening with Soul School, though, and you'll find it's nothing but the truth. I first learned about Soul School in the context of a rumor which, fortunately, turned out to be false. It seems that word was flying around that Opie Gone Bad had broken up, and one of the bits of "evidence" was the fact that bassist Windall Armour and drummer Scott Davies had a regular gig every Sunday at Brendan's Pub. I was happy to confirm that this is just a side-project for them, which does NOT mean that it's in any way inferior.
If, somehow, you've never had the pleasure of an Opie show, Windall and Scott are half of the band. The other members are Jake Schroeder on lead vocals (and, lately, acoustic guitar now and then) and Randy Chavez on guitar. All four of them are very talented people in their own right. Collectively, they're one of the best things going on in Denver music, so I knew that anything involving even one of the guys was bound to be good, and this other group has two of them. What I didn't know was that the rest of the roster of Soul School was made up of people just as remarkable.
The foundation is, of course, the rock-solid drumming that Scott provides, as well as Windall's incredible ability to make the bass sit up and do tricks. (He'll deny this, though. The last time we spoke, he said, "I just play the notes." The man is so self-effacing that he would probably refuse to enter a Being Humble competition for fear of not being good enough to win.) Windall also sets his bass aside for certain numbers to play keyboards.
Even without Windall's assistance, the keyboards get a good workout thanks to Kyle Palmer, who somehow manages to make playing three different instruments look easy. He casually switches between two stacked keyboards and an over-the-shoulder Roland AX-1. That's right, he has one of those guitar-like walking-around keyboards that seemed to disappear after the mid-1980s. (I don't care how anyone else feels--I think they're still cool.) He gets a great variety of tones and tunes without breaking a sweat, and I can only wonder what he'd be like if he had a third hand available.
Building on this, we have Andrew Buckner playing guitar. He may only have one instrument at a time, but like Kyle, he plays in a manner that suggests that it's no big deal, anyone can do this. Unlike certain guitar players at that level of expertise, however--I won't name names or music videos--I never saw any arrogance. A common pattern for him seems to be closing his eyes, losing himself in the moment, opening up again to check the audience, and smiling when he sees people enjoying themselves. So maybe there's a tiny bit of smugness, but it's completely justified.
Finally, we have not one, but two main vocalists. I say "main" because they frequently trade the lead position while the other sings back-up with the rest of the band. They're also capable of some excellent duets. Wesley Ford is the male half of the vocal team, with his counterpart known only as Lady Kreo. As with the rest of the band, they know very well what they're doing and take true pleasure in their performance. There's also a lot of appreciation of the audience, with the Lady in particular making lots of eye contact with listeners.
So what do they do? As the name implies, soul is a large part of the act. More generally speaking, they cover a range of soul and R&B tunes from the 1960s through the '80s, with at least one trip into the '90s for TLC's "Waterfalls". Both times I've seen them so far, they opened with "What's Going On" by the legendary Marvin Gaye.
Just keep in mind that not everything is going to sound exactly as you expect. Nearly everyone has heard Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", including many of the Amish and a good percentage of the tribes of the Amazon. It's probably safe to say that all but the most truly deranged enjoy the song. But when was the last time you heard female vocals on the lead, especially coming from someone who has as much stage presence as Lady Kreo? She also does a lot of good for the two-song combo (it's not enough for me to call it a medley) of "What Have You Done for Me Lately" and "Nasty Boys". I'd listen to a lot more Janet Jackson if she sounded like this. In short, if you need a good reason to stay out late on a Sunday night, an evening with Soul School is second only to a three-day weekend. Besides, weren't you going to call in sick on Monday, anyway? Admit it. So if you're starvin' for the Marvin, if you need the Gaye in a bad way, if your groove-support systems are failing, or you just need a good time, go. I'll see you there.
10 MINUTES TO PROVE YOURSELF
by Myk-El
The Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets spent the better part of March 21 and 22 at the Soiled Dove for the Ultimate Music Experience. Our association with Higher Listening got us invited to be jurors (The FOOLS!) for this event which, for lack of a better term, was the audition for the Capitol Hill People's Fair. We can now tell Mr. Hendrix we are officially experienced.
We saw nearly 80 bands over the course of the two days. Two stages were active and we went back and forth between them. One band would play and another would be setting up on the other stage. With the exception of a few featured acts, each band had two songs or ten minutes, whichever was shorter. We ranked the bands on a 1 to 5 scale (5 being best) while avoiding three to show some leaning as to whether we'd mind seeing a band again.
I'll say there was some definite crap, but we did try to be fair. Our idea was to grade based on how good they played based on the standards of their genre. This didn't help many acts. However, there were some great performances. When you factor in the circumstances, minimal sound check, strange hours and only 10 minutes to make your musical statement to the court, those that performed well here probably are the better live acts. With that in mind, I'd like to recognize, in no particular order, those bands that we HAD NOT seen live before who deserve some special accolades.
Spiv: Okay, Chris Barber may look like Andy Kaufman reincarnated, but Spiv rocked! High energy, pure enthusiasm. The staff invited them to play a third song.
The Bad Directions: Okay, so 2/3 of this band are also in Rachel's Playpen, so we knew they had talent. However, they owned the audience for their 10 minutes early Sunday afternoon.
Planet O: Their guitarist moved like Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on Jolt Cola and Pixie Stix. The whole band rocked the Dove on Saturday morning. If you catch them live, beware of flying sunglasses in the first five or so rows.
The Receders: A great soulful rock band with a sense of humor about more than just their thinning hair. They were given two bonus numbers.
The Skyline Chorus: These ladies tamed a potentially hostile rock audience using choral music with a sense of humor.
Impossible Objects: Kinda like David Byrne/Talking Heads only less weird.
HomeSlice: Tight horns, great music. They want you to dance and have a good time.
The Pool Cleaners are not an easy group to impress. These folks deserve a special pat on the back. If you get the chance to catch these bands, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
WHO YA GONNA CALL?
by Myk-El
The fifth Indulgers album starts off very strong with the driving "One Forever." Strong Pat Murphy drums and a power chord most rock bands would kill for are present throughout. Somehow, multi-instrumentalist Mike Nile's accordion mixes into this musical force seamlessly. That is the brilliance of the Indulgers. They mix the new with the traditional and it all comes out intelligent and catchy.
The title track "Chase the Ghost" is not, in fact, a nod to Pac-Man fever. Instead, it incorporates the odd choice of a hip-hop back beat with the flavor of funk on Chris Murtaugh's bass. Then we go to the beauty of "Sail Away." It features Damien McCarron's smooth vocals and the light touch of Renee Fine's fiddle. It's a delicate sound with pure lyrical poetry and layered instrumentation. Mike Nile and Neale Heywood (who plays guitar on "Sail Away") have tended to overproduce on the last two albums; at times, some of the feeling is lost on those recordings. This particular track is the best at showing that they seem to have found the right balance of using studio techniques while capturing the emotion that comes with their live performance.
"Molly & Me" is the song most familiar to Indulgers fans, as they debuted this one live a couple of months prior to release. The live arrangement hits the beat a little harder, so this is a little different from what the fans are used to live, but it's still a catchy number and fun to sing along to. "Feeling Fine" is the latest, and so far best, in a line of fine fiddle-oriented instrumentals. It makes me want to get up and step-dance, even though I don't know how. "Sirens" is pretty much guaranteed to remind folks living in the western US at the height of the drought in 2002 of the deadly wildfires across Colorado and rest the western US. It rings true and captures the emotion of that time well.
The second half continues with three more traditional-sounding numbers in "Loch Lomand's Arms," "Rain And On The Run" and "Tyburn Hill." "Let It Ride" is not a BTO cover. It gets funky on this one with a nice buzz from the digital electronic bagpipes, a.k.a. Buzzpipes. The pipes hook you and the bass line reels you in. It's the little touches of subtle guitar behind the bass and the play between the pipes and fiddle that bring this together.
The rulebook says to start strong and finish stronger. The last two tracks leave great feelings in their wake. "Dancing on the Tips of Your Toes" is a joyful dance song. Fiddle, vocals, flute and mandolin all rotate in and out, then team up to carry the tune home. It's great harmony and makes an upbeat, pretty little tune.
Last, we have a guest appearance of former Cosmic Pond lead singer Sara Moranville, who shares vocals with Damien. The song is "Promise That It Holds" and it's just beautiful. It sends chills up my spine. It has a hymn feel to it--the sort of emotional uplifting feeling your very best spiritual songs have. Neale Heywood also plays guitar on this song, contributing to the subtle use of guitar and keyboard throughout the song.
"Chase the Ghost" may well be the best Indulgers album to date. No bad songs exist on the album. The band should be congratulated for this effort. It's street sale date is on 3/16 and will be in many fine stores around Denver, plus Amazon.com.
Also, if you see the band at any of their appearances in and around St. Patrick's Day, you should be able to purchase it from them directly, starting on 3/11 with their CD release party at Fado's.
BACK IN THE PEN
Interreview with Rachel Simring and review of the Rachel's Playpen album "Everything that Was"
by Myk-El
Rachel's Playpen released their first album with a fun little party at the Soiled Dove on Feb 6. I had the opportunity to talk with Rachel about this album, her music and other assorted subjects for this review. I'm glad I had the opportunity because hearing her talk about her music makes you appreciate what she's done even more. Rachel is extremely down to earth, nice, obviously intelligent and despite downplaying the fact to the point where she acts like she doesn't believe it to be true, she is attractive.
Rachel's Playpen's "Everything That Was" is an overdue album. Rachel and her band performed live for about 2 years before heading into the studio. Audiences asked for an album and all she had to sell were CDs from when she was with Rachel & Andy. Rachel and her bandmates were ready to go into the studio right when her reasonably well-documented vocal troubles began. But why waste booked studio time, right? So the music was recorded when she couldn't sing. That part of the album was done "a year ago" according to Rachel, the vocals were added as soon as she felt well enough to sing.
Rachel admits there were (and still are) good vocal days and bad vocal days during recording, but it seems the good days are apparently pretty good. Rachel has a deep voice and good range and she knows how to use both. I asked Rachel if she'd picked up any tricks about caring for her voice that not everyone knew. There apparently aren't many secrets, but many vocalists don't pay attention. Warm up first, drink plenty of water, and take a break. Let someone else sing, play an extended solo, or just get off the stage for a few minutes.
Now let's meet the band. Danny Garcia's lead guitar work is strong throughout. Rachel herself provides good rhythm guitar. Andre Guerra and Laura Coleman (now with Backbone Velvet) play bass and drums respectively on the bulk of the album.
So let's pop the CD into the player now. The first track is "Black Cloud." Rachel wrote this song about that "friend" she and many other folks have who "truly do nothing but bring you down." It's catchy, there are some good hooks to it and it sounds good on the stereo while driving. "Come Around" is second. This is one of her earliest solo writing efforts. Rachel indicates she's gotten the most positive response from this tune from fans. It's not bad but Rachel indicated she's gotten "tired of it" from playing it for so long and it shows just a little in the recording. "Not the One" Rachel says is about going through the motions of a relationship with someone you know you aren't meant for. The feeling comes through well in the song.
Tracks four and five are attention grabbing. Fourth we have "See Saw." No, this has nothing to do with the Moody Blues, "just a happy, horny song" says Rachel. It rocks and is a lot of fun but I think it could sound dirtier musically with a little more bass play. Changing gears fairly radically, we get transported to a place where Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline are popular. The song is "What Shade" and it is soaking in country tradition. This is a flat out wonderful piece of music highlighted by the cello of Michael Shay (who is also bassist on "See Saw"). The music was written by Andy Ard (who plays guitar on this and "See Saw") and it had existed for some time but it defied attempts at creating lyrics until Victoria Woodworth came along. The end result is a great song.
Drifting back to the present, "Never Promised" is the end result of a moment of clarity related to the end of a relationship where neither party gave more than was promised and Rachel was "left wondering what I was crying about in the first place." It's short, simple and lends itself to singing along. "California" just tends to just wash over me. It's heavy on imagery and has a good beat. "Afterthought" is an example of what good inspiration can do. It's a nicely focused song. Rachel said she wrote "in a half hour flat." There's just the right hint of anger with the down feeling you get from an invitation only offered to appease after moments of thoughtlessness.
Now we arrive at track nine. There seems to be something about Eleanors in the arts living dull lives. The Beatles did "Eleanor Rigby" and Rachel's Playpen has "Eleanor" which, in short, is about "how sad it would be if someone's death was the most exciting moment in his or her life." The titular figure got her name from an old movie "The Haunting". This song didn't impress much when I first heard it, but it's been growing on me. This is a case where knowing more greatly increases my appreciation. For you trivia buffs, it's Rachel's very first songwriting effort.
"Meet Me After Noon" tilts toward the country end of the spectrum with a side of blues and a hint of the 1920's. It's a lively, if slightly naughty, little tune "about sneaking off with a new love as the old one sorta falls out of the picture."
If there's a track that needs a "special edition" it would be "Over Me." It rocks pretty hard and incorporates a little "ska-ish" rhythm, but I'd love to hear it attacked a little harder, both vocally and instrumentally. It's a very good tune, but in my mind I heard it getting progressively more aggressive and I liked it.
"You Were Right" is a duet with Eric Shiveley (who plays drums on this track plus "See Saw" and "What Shade" also plays keyboards for this song and "Eleanor"). Eric and Rachel sound good playing off each other in this one and it feels good. While it's a break in the vocal sound, it tends to be overshadowed by the songs on either side of it. "Fall Invisible" follows "You Were Right" and is a very personal tune written during and about the time Rachel couldn't really speak. It features the most delicate musicianship on the entire album. It's beautiful and probably has the best overall arrangement of any song on the album. Staying personal, the album closes with "Last Thing" This is a song about the loss of a loved one and features the last guest musician in the form of Tom Demask who provided acoustic guitar and e-bow. Rachel doesn't intend to perform this live, and I can understand why. Again, it's delicate. The song holds a certain dignity that would somehow be tarnished inside your average drinking establishment that has a stage, no matter how well behaved the audience is. Rachel's voice may sound the weakest on this song, yet it feels right.
This is a very strong effort and only becomes more impressive when considering the circumstances under which it was recorded. I asked Rachel if there was any particular track she was extremely proud of and she indicated "no." It might have been nice if Rachel could have healed a bit more before recording, but she also was having a hard time sitting on the music. I said she must have been going bonkers and she didn't disagree. She added that it took a lot of takes when recording her vocals before she was happy, but also indicated that if she was doing it now, she would have been able to sing a little stronger. I also asked her to tell me when their album sounds best. Her answer was "When you've heard it a few times." The reason being that familiarity with the words and sound allows participation.
I inquired why there is a Rachel's Playpen. In response, I was told "I have music inside of me and I have to get it out somehow." As for why the name Rachel's Playpen, it's to show she doesn't take herself too seriously and likes to have fun. As to who she's compared to, most often it's Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, which Rachel finds flattering, though she thinks Johnette rocks harder...at least right now. Sheryl Crow also is thrown around. We also got to talk a little about music in general. Rachel is a big fan of music and is the first person I've run into in a very long time that actually has more CDs than I do (around 600 vs over 1000). Among other folks we talked about are Pool Cleaner favorites, The Railbenders. Rachel hinted at a possible collaboration between her and Jim Dalton of The Railbenders. I only mention this in hopes it makes sure this comes to pass. I had a little fun talking with her. Here's what transpired when the interview got a little silly.
Myk-El: What would VH-1 find if they looked behind your music?
Rachel: [Laughs] They'd find that I'm just a nut case and the whole band is all perverted. You know that we're all just big dorks, you know, who just like to do this and this is fun.
ME: It's a weekend night and your band happens to have the night off. Who do you most want to go see in concert?
R: Local or national?
ME: Whoever happens to be in town. Let's pretend everybody's here.
R: Sheryl Crow, of course. I love her. Oh my God, if Crowded House reunited and came back...I'd be all over that.
ME: What's your favorite planet aside from Earth?
R: Saturn.
ME: Saturn?
R: Yeah. Like the rings. What girl doesn't like rings? [laughs]
ME: What's been playing in your car stereo lately?
R: Elton John.
ME: Any particular album?
R: No. Actually, I just made my own greatest hits because I find that on every album there's, like, three or four songs I think are his best. Not what they deem to be greatest hits. But actually I just burned a CD of what I think are his greatest hits. And I love Billy Joel. He was in last week. Of course Crowded House is always in my car.
ME: So what was the last new album you bought?
R: What was the last thing I would have bought? Probably Dido.
ME: Is there any song in your set list your family would prefer you not play?
R: You would think I would say "She-Bop."
ME: No, that was not what I was thinking. (I was thinking "See Saw")
R: You know, we didn't end up playing "Bitch is Back", but I think if we did play "Bitch is Back" my mom would be like "You're not a bitch. Why would you sing that song?"
ME: More of a dog person or a cat person?
R: Dog.
ME: If you could have any musician from anywhere in the world sit in with you for one night, who would you invite?
R: Wow, that's a good one. How about Lindsey Buckingham? If you heard how many of Stevie Nicks' famous songs...how they actually started, like rough rough demos of her just banging it out on the piano versus what they turned into? Ohmygod the guy's a genius...within 15 minutes he could change the sound of my entire band by offering up some brilliant ideas. I think he's so underrated.
ME: What song do you listen to or sing when you feel a little down?
R: Hmm. One particular song? You know...I've been stuck on "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" [sings a little] by Elton John. Probably because it's in my car right now...but you know that changes. I don't ever just listen to one song.
ME: One word to describe your style?
R: [Pause] Sassy! (with a hair shake and a giggle)
ME: What's the best reason to check your band out live?
R: I hope you will say we're fun, but you know, compared to some other bands that actually really are upbeat and high energy and they get people dancing...we aren't necessarily going to get people dancing. But I think, um...I don't know. It's a really good question. I think because we don't take ourselves too seriously. Or, geez, I don't know...I think that it's honest. I don't go up there and pretend I'm something I'm not. You know what I mean?
ME: [nods] Our final Jeopardy question: when and where is the next live show?
R: Wednesday, March 31. It's at Avalon, a new club down south. They're doing this "diva" thing. It started out with Wendy Woo and then it went to Hazel Miller...and for them to remotely consider me any kind of Diva or put me on the bill for any kind of Diva night...I think I'm pretty flattered. So even though it's a Wednesday and it's going to be hard to drag folks out...I don't think we're going to start too late. Anitra [Carr] is opening for me again...we're going to be doing another double header.
I'd like to thank Rachel for taking the time to talk with me about her Album. "Everything that Was" is available from Rachel at upcoming shows and through her website. It may become available through some independent stores in the Denver area, but for now, it's through her directly and it will probably be cheaper through direct purchase anyway.
IT'S A BAND, IT'S AN ALBUM, IT'S A MODEL ROCKET ACCESSORY--ORDER NOW!
by Rhaab
Let's play "Rock and Roll Jeopardy", and never mind the fact that the show has been dead for years. Don't forget that your response must be in the form of a question. Ready? Here goes: "If Green Day were fronted by Jane Wiedlin, the result might sound like this band." If you said "Who is Plastic Parachute?", you were right.
Plastic Parachute released their self-titled album a few months ago--October of 2003, to be exact. It's not my fault that I hadn't heard the band until recently. When I did, I liked what I heard. You can read my review at Higher Listening, at Pool Cleaners from Distant Planets, and even on Plastic Parachute's website. If you want to go take a look, I'll wait here....
There have been one or two times when I've added an album to my music collection on the strength of one song alone. It doesn't happen often, because the more songs I like on an album, the easier it is to justify acquiring it. (I imagine it's the same for most people.) So it's always a rare pleasure to find an album that's solid from start to finish. I experienced that rare pleasure over the last few days as I listened to Plastic Parachute again and again. The album is ten tracks long, which is a very respectable first effort. Better still is that there isn't a bad one in the whole bunch.
It starts off with "Dinero", which is fast, energetic, and hard-rocking, all while making a few comments about spoiled rich kids. We change gears (and tempos) slightly for "Tickle Me", but then "Cosmo Cover Star" takes the energy and speed back up. Lyrically, it's also in the same neighborhood as "Dinero", with the target being shallow celebrities and their relationships this time around. It makes me wonder if lyricist and lead singer Deb Hooks knows someone who got famous and embraced the Dark Side. If she does, I don't expect her to name names, but she might want to consider sending a "thank you" note to this person for providing great material for songs.
Skipping ahead a little, "Simply Ordinary" has a pleasant semi-retro feel to it. It probably could have been released around 1985 or so without anyone blinking. If you had any idea how many 1980s music compilations I own, you'd realize what a compliment that is. If that isn't enough, all you need to know is that it's many times catchier than anything new I've heard on the radio in a long time.
If I had to pick just one track and say "That's your reason for buying this album", it would have to be "Six O'Clock News", sensibly placed at track six. Guitarist Ricky Brewer wrote some beautiful music for this song, and clearly knows how to compose a tune that's both simple and effective. The lack of unnecessary musical ornamentation also says good things about the producer, Ronan Chris Murphy (and not just on this song). Some producers fall into the habit of fixing things that aren't broken and putting too much of their own "stamp" on an album. Based on what I've heard from the group both live and in the studio, Mr. Murphy seems to have done well at a producer's primary job, which is bringing out the best in a band. Finally, Deb's lyrics do a wonderful job at conveying the feelings behind unrequited love, love from afar, and celebrity crushes, all of which seem to be part of the theme. It's a powerful song, and it gets the point across even better than "Fan" by the Young Dubliners, and manages to do so without the scary stalker element that so many people missed when the Police released "Every Breath You Take". (You know, Sting's old band.)
I could go on at length about each of the tracks. For instance, "Moondancer" may catch the eye of Van Morrison fans, but the only resemblance between it and his song "Moondance" is that they're both love songs good enough to get you somewhere if you play them for the right person. "Flawless" manages to sum up, in four minutes and eighteen seconds, a sizeable fraction of all the self-doubt felt in a lifetime. And then there's "Green", and "Memphis", and "Sugar World", and...and...oh, just go buy it already. The website will tell you where to get it.
In fact, after you listen to it for the first time, you may want to treat it like a regular parachute and pick up another copy in case anything bad ever happens to the first one.
Cool, Not Square
by Rhaab
Photos by Zscaieynn
There aren't many things that can keep the Pool Cleaners away from an On Second Thought show so soon after their comeback, but one of them happened on February 6. The Soiled Dove hosted two other comebacks, and one of them was Anitra Carr. The other comeback, the re-appearance of Rachel's Playpen, was covered by my colleague Myk of the family El. (His review is available below.)
If you're completely ignorant of local music, or fully knowledgeable and just eager for me to give you a good smack, you may be asking "Who's Anitra Carr?" (You may ask yourself, "How do I work this?"; that's not my concern.) Well, once upon a time, there was an amazing group called the Ryan Tracy Band, and I was a very loyal fan. In addition to great music and brilliant lyrics, they had a hook: they had two lead vocalists. Now, I don't mean this in the sense that all four of the Beatles had songs they would sing lead on, no no no. I mean that while some songs concentrated on either the male or the female lead singer, some songs had dual lead vocals, or the lead was even passed back and forth within the same song. The male lead was the aforementioned Ryan Tracy. By now, you've no doubt guessed that the female lead was Anitra. (If you haven't, shut down your computer NOW, and give it to the next person who knocks on your door. It's for the best.)
They used to be one of the biggest names in Denver music, but all things have to end eventually. What happened is an ugly story, and it's not my place to tell it. All you really need to know is that Anitra got out of the biz for a while, and the Ryan Tracy Band mutated into a new group called Bolshevik Boulevard. No, wait, I'm sorry--turns out they call themselves Potemkin Square. For an idea of what they're up to musically, you can read Myk-El's review of their album in our section for Things We Didn't Like.
Finally, after a period of roughly two years, Anitra was back on stage, and there was no way I was going to miss it. I wasn't disappointed. She lost nothing during her hiatus--she's just as talented as before, and her voice is as amazing as ever. And, while I'm sure she would prefer I not mention this at all, she's even picked up the acoustic guitar. In all fairness, she's still learning, so I don't have much else to say on that topic, except that at one point, when she put it down, she said something about how she wanted to "stick with what I know and do a little singing." A little singing? She does a little singing like I'm kind of a smart-ass.
The evening started out with Anitra accompanied by Matt Lanning on guitar (and backing vocals in some places). I had never heard him perform before, and I feel fortunate to have heard him that night. He's one of those folks who can make an acoustic guitar sit up, roll over, and do tricks, as well as reminding you that electric isn't everything.
Very early on, we were in comfortable territory: the second song was "Sylvia", which was familiar to every fan from the last days of the RTB era, and suffered not one bit from being presented in "unplugged" form. Following that was "Long Black Veil", which had me off-balance for a moment. Why? The only other version I've heard was by the Chieftains, with vocals provided by Mick Jagger. For me, the gender-bending of the lyrics was easier to adjust to than the completely different sound. Not that it was a bad adjustment; Mick's voice is perfect for rocking, but has nothing on Anitra when it comes to a tune like this.
After a few songs, Anitra was joined on stage by Judy Brady, who played keyboards and provided complimentary back-up vocals. It was during this mini-set that we were treated to "Candlelight". This is a song about being apart from so