Posted by: Scott Bragg on April 27, 2009 at 10:50 am
Founded in the Detroit metro area by a group of friends in 2006, These People Comedy’s videos have made it to the front page of YouTube, DailyMotion, and other popular video blogs. Current core members Matt Cassatta, Jeff Shackleford, Nick Capul, Tim Bowman, and Joel Sunman will be performing sketches live and showing video at The Belmont on May 2 to celebrate the release of their upcoming DVD. The night will also include performances by Millions of Brazilians, Lightning Love, Elle and the Fonts, followed by an Indie rock dance party with DJ Grand Dad Crunk. 18 and over. Doors at 9pm.
Detour got a few minutes from Matt Cassatta’s busy sched to talk about what it takes to put together internet sketch comedy, the possible connections between Detroit’s film and music scenes, and Read more
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Tags: DJ Grand Dad Crunk, Elle and the Fonts, Lightning Love, Millions of Brazilians, The Belmont, The State, These People
Posted by: Laura Witkowski on April 20, 2009 at 11:49 am
MP3: Here With Me
Indie-folk, acoustic rock, grrl pop… there’s just not a pat description available to describe a girl with a guitar that doesn’t come with preconceived notions. But Jennifer O’Connor’s music speaks for itself. Last year’s Here With Me was a tasty slice of melody and hook-filled goodness packed with no-bones musings about the good and the scary parts of life and love. Sure everybody was all gay for Deerhunter and Fleet Foxes, but Here With Me seriously should’ve been on just as many year end best of lists. Her versatility and appeal is evidenced by who she plays with: just this year she’s shared stages with Amy Ray, Haley Bonar, Neil Halsted and just ended a short stint of gigs opening for Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3. After a few well deserved days off, she’ll be back at it opening up for Indigo Girls this coming Read more
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Tags: Indigo Girls, Jennifer O'Connor
Posted by: Laura Witkowski + Elle Sawa on April 14, 2009 at 10:38 am
Record Store Day is coming up on Saturday, April 18th, and a handful of our favorite local indie stores are taking part. Now, some of you might be asking, “What is this ‘record store’ you speak of, and why should I care about a ‘record store day?’ I get all my musics on the interwebz for free at 3am by myself after I’m too exhausted to write any more mean, anonymous comments on blogs I hate but read every day anyway. Also, I wish my dad and mom didn’t fight so much.” Well kids, as much as the digital age has changed the music world forever, one thing that you can’t replicate online is the atmosphere and sense of community offered up by a trip to your local indie record shop. There’s an art and culture that goes along with music that goes beyond just sound. But the indie record store is a dying Read more
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Tags: Flat Black and Circular, Record Store Day, Record Time, Stormy Records, Underground Sounds
Posted by: Jeff T. Wattrick on April 6, 2009 at 10:43 am
Monday’s NCAA basketball championship was the bow on a five-year package of major sports events in Detroit. Since 2004, we’ve seen the NBA Finals, the Ryder Cup, the Major League All-Star Game, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Final Four in and around Detroit.
Yes, the chamber of commerce-set soiled themselves with a lot of silliness about economic impact and national perception. Yes, the problems of Detroit and Michigan fester long after the bread and circus of these events leaves town. Yes, demolishing buildings for extra All-Star parking was retarded beyond belief. That’s all true. But it’s also true that anyone downtown on the Friday night before Read more
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Tags: Casey's Pub, Detroit Tigers, Gary Gillette, Honest John's, Motor City Brewing Works, Nemo's, Nick's Gaslight, Park Bar, The Bronx, Woodbridge Pub
Posted by: Scott Bragg on March 30, 2009 at 11:28 pm
In the age of mp3s and unstoppable bit torrent file sharing that allows anyone with the tech know-how to pull just about any album off the interwebs for free, some may find it a bit surprising that vinyl records are making a major comeback. Or not surprising at all. Sales of big, black, floppy vinyl records are rising, its sad, expendable, once-promising grand kid, the compact disc, is becoming obsolete.
To find out what is fueling vinyl’s resurgent popularity, Detour asked Detroiters of different musical persuasions–the record store owner, the musician, the record label proprietor, the connoiseur, the DJ–why vinyl is an important part of their musical pursuits and enjoyment.
Chris Flanagan, owner of Street Corner Records in Beverly Hills, MI, in business selling vinyl for 16 years
Do you sense that vinyl is making a comeback from your perspective?
Vinyl “comes back in style” every few years, it seems, but this time around it’s different. There are some people buying USB turntables now so they can record vinyl onto their computers [...] but interestingly people are coming in buying Top 40 records lately as much as the really rare stuff. Those Top 40 records used to sit in the dollar bin but now people are coming in asking for Cat Stevens. And when we don’t have it and people leave thinking “They don’t have Tea for the Tillerman!? What kind of record store is this?”
Record v CD, is the sound on vinyl really better, do you think?
Well, it’s not a very scientific thing to say vinyl is better. Any given record could be pressed on re-ground vinyl or badly made or mastered. But under the right circumstances a vinyl record could sound much better–if you had really old analog super-mint sealed record nicely made, you might be able to prove that vinyl is better but overall it’s not something you can say absolutely.
Why do you think vinyl is so wanted by collectors and music lovers?
Records are just more fun to collect. I think they didn’t make it very attractive when they made the standards for packaging CDs. I don’t know what they would’ve done differently. But right now, it’s kind of split down the middle. Half the people who come in here want a CD, the other half want to buy a record. There are people who come here who wouldn’t dream of buying vinyl. But a lot of younger kids I see in here are buying vinyl. Record sales seem really brisk. Lots of people people buy them. Some for production work, to create something new from them. Some collect records and want a hard copy of their music. And then there are these old jazz guys who just want to replace something…or foreign dealers who’ll come through and wipe us out. Ultimately, I can’t buy enough. They’re always in demand.
Shayne O’Keefe of local Detroit record label Woodbridge Records and drummer of Detroit band Noman
Do you listen to more vinyl than mp3s?
I listen to strictly vinyl. I don’t own an mp3 player and my CDs are all in boxes in the basement. Mp3s sound like shit to me–I can’t take it. They’re just so disposable. I don’t like them. A record seems so much more legit. They seem indestructible–they last forever.
Do you think the sound of vinyl really is better than an mp3?
The sound quality is undeniably better. There’s always been that debate: “Does it sound better? Can you really tell?” But when I hear my own music that I created I can tell you that vinyl sounds better. When we recorded to analog tape, we listened to it on CD and on our friends’ stereos and we thought it sounded great. And then you get the test press back from the factory and it sounds way better. And I know, because I know what every second of that album is supposed to sound like, and on vinyl it sounds markedly better.
You guys put your new LP, Broadcast, out on white vinyl. What does the color vinyl add?
White vinyl is the coolest looking of all vinyl…although black vinyl is the sexiest of all vinyl. It just makes the product really special.
Jasper of the Detroit music blog Eat This City and Five Three Dial Tone Records, which will be releasing Deastro ’s Spritle 7″ at the Pike Room on April 4.
When did you start collecting vinyl?
You know, I don’t really know when it started. I remember buying some stuff really young because my family didn’t have a CD player in the living room–just an old turntable. So believe it or not, when i went to buy music it would be on vinyl. But we’re talking when I was a little kid. Like, I have Bon Jovi’s “Bad Medicine” 7-inch. But then we made the switch and it was straight to CDs and i stopped buying vinyl altogether. CDs were sweet! Skip right to the track, repeat, program, all that shit was amazing.
Then why did you start buying vinyl again?
Initially I think it was when I got into local and Indie music. These were artists who didn’t have CDs at Best Buy, but they had songs that were only available on 7″ when you saw them live.
Do you still go digging through stacks?
I don’t do much digging, really. I mostly listen to new stuff, and the new stuff is usually cheaper and independently released. I’d rather buy something that I know is supporting a current label or artist than something that’s traded hands a million times. And I’m a sucker for colored vinyl and all the cool stuff a lot of small labels are doing now.
What is it about new vinyl that draws you?
It shows that someone cares about the product. I mean, yeah, you can argue that all someone did was tick the Green Vinyl check box on the pressing order form. But still, all those extras cost money and time and thought and it makes the product about the whole product, not just the songs. When you get a CD these days, you rip the tracks into whatever digital music player you use. I don’t think many people have a relationship with the physical disc or the jewel case or the inserts. They just set it aside and play the music from their computer or mp3 players. But every time you put a record on, you have to look at it.
Adam Davis, Vicious Cycles drummer and avid vinyl collector
Do you buy new vinyl?
That’s not what I’m into it for. I’m into finding stuff that’s really hard to come by. The new pure vinylists around are searching out a lot of rare limited press albums from the 70s and 60s. That’s the fun of it. At two clicks of a button you can have any album in mp3 form. Or you can spend hours and hours looking for a vinyl record and then when you find it, it’s really rewarding. It really breathes life into what it means to be a collector of music.
Where do you go to buy vinyl?
Of the three main stores I’ve been hitting recently, Street Corner Music is probably the best help around. The attention they give you is great and the people there are really knowledgable…Another one is Record Graveyard in Hamtramck. Phenomenal selection. Lots of world music and jazz, and Hamtramck is such a diverse neighborhood that lots of people drop off really rare records. If some guy brings in a whole box of Slavic records that’s a whole other kind of music at your disposal. Of course, People’s Records on Woodward is excellent too.
What is the experience of “digging” like for you?
When you’re digging, you don’t even know what you’re putting on the turntable sometimes–you’re attracted to the artwork or had heard the name before, or you like the style of music. It’s a great hobby and for me it’s starting to become a vital part of my life. I probably go digging four days a week, a few hours at a time.
What’s really fun about record shopping is that you can find a record for x amount of dollars and can go to the next store and find that album $10-$15 cheaper. I found a record I’ve been looking for for 6 months the other day that was online for $80 but I found it here in a record store for $15. It was in a crate and looked like it had been played 3 times. That experience is ridiculous–that you can find some treasures that mean a lot to you in the future. There’s so much to discover–there are tons of jazz records out there for a quarter. You can find a ton of cool material paying $5 and come out with some great finds.
Grand Dad Crunk, Detroit-based DJ
What is it about vinyl that makes it more collectible than CDs?
It’s not disposable. A CD you can buy and copy immediately. You can’t copy vinyl unless you have the equipment to do so and no one really does. It’s such a large piece that there’s so much more opportunity for design on the sleeves. It’s more of an asset than just media.
Do you think a lot of people collect vinyl for the nostalgia?
It’s not so much nostalgia. Vinyl honestly has a better sound. Whether your equipment can stand up to it or not is a different story. I picked up a Jackson Five album [recently], and with a high-quality needle and my mixer into a set of studio monitors, I can hear echoes and nuances of the studio that were so vital then but aren’t captured anymore. Plus, the mastering process was much different then. A lot of the ambiance on vinyl isn’t possible on mp3s.
How does the DJ use vinyl as an instrument and does DJing make you a different listener of vinyl?
I’ll be the first to admit that a DJ is not a musician, but what we do is create a different experience of the music we’re using. What we’re doing is arranging the music. It’s not so much creating as arranging.
As far as listening goes, I know what I like to hear from a track. So if I’m shopping for vinyl and listening before purchasing, I’ll skip around to see if there are different elements I want to use. There are DJs out there who will use only 20 seconds out of a song, as opposed to someone listening for enjoyment. I doubt that most listeners will buy an entire album for a 20 second snippet. There’s a different way of listening to a track as a DJ. But of the tracks in my crate, I would never think of setting the needle on one and letting it play all the way through.
Any thoughts about the future of vinyl?
I’d like to quote the great Steve Albini by saying that “the future belongs to analog loyalists. Fuck digital.”
ADDED AWESOME IN-DEPTH JOURNALISTIC MATERIAL!!!!
On March 21, 2009, I spent five hours tallying the pop artists available on vinyl at the Salvation Army in Royal Oak. It was probably one of the most exhausting things I’ve done. Here are the results, splayed out in beautiful spreadsheet format, which someday will be the vinyl record of data collection.
EXTRA BONUS ADDED AWESOME IN-DEPTH JOURNALISTIC MATERIAL!!!
Pie chart of said findings.
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Tags: Eat This City, Five Three Dial Tone Records, Grand Dad Crunk, Jasper, Noman, records, Salvation Army, Street Corner Records, Vicious Cycles, Vinyl, Woodbridge Records
Posted by: Laura Witkowski on March 23, 2009 at 7:58 am
They stomp around all pint-sized, singing loudly and sticking out their tongues. While sometimes they actually play instruments, don’t be surprised if their first instinct is to pull a Pete Townshend and bust up their gear. No, we’re not talking about Mini-Kiss, we’re talking about little kids. Detour talked to a few Detroit area music folk about their kids and music, and without getting all sentimental over it – man do these kids have some awesome parents! The role music plays in their lives is so central and deliberate. For them, Kidz Bop is not enough: music is too important and too exciting for that shit. Read on, and wish your parents were this cool…
Brian and Lori Kelly (Ferndale)
Owners of Detroit Comics, local music fans, and parents of six-year-old Henry and three-year-old Molly.
How does music play a role in your household?
It’s definitely something we use as an alternative to TV. Music is very important to us and that’s where we get to experiment with the kids. We have ‘dance party hoedown’ at our house and let Henry and Molly pick a CD or album at random as long as it is appropriate.
What music of an indie nature do you or have you found surprisingly kid friendly?
Some of our favorites are the Aggrolites (Molly loves reggae!) and the Undead (Henry’s pick - and really, we can’t find any cursing, which is rare in 70’s punk!). Also the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, They Might Be Giants, and the first Sesame Street album -the one with mean old Mr. Hooper on the front!
Have you taken your kid to any shows?
We saw Dan Zanes at the DIA a few years ago. Molly was about one and Henry was four. Great venue, not too loud, but with such young kids you need lots of space and an exit strategy! We took the kids to the Family Hootenanny at the Magic Stick last month. They had live music, crafters, balloons, and an OPEN BAR!!! What’s not to love?
Brandon Moss (Berkley)
Drummer for Wildcatting, father of Oliver, who will be three this May.
How does music play a role in your household?
Music usually is the focal point of our household. Our house is fairly modest in size and definitely gets smaller when you add a little one. The stereo is right in the middle and one of the first things I had to teach Ollie was “Respect the Stereo!” With great power comes great responsibility!
How do you share music with your kids? Do they have tastes that reflect yours?
Well, when Ollie was really young, he had really bad acid reflux - he’d spit up all of the time, making sleep a hard thing (for everyone). One night I put on Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich, hoping to mellow him out. It was almost instantaneous how quickly he fell asleep -and he slept really well!
What music have you found surprisingly kid friendly?
Ollie seems to go through stages where he gravitates towards certain bands/singers. For a while he really dug “robot music:” bands like Battles & Daft Punk. When their songs would come on, he’d do a cool little shuffle with his feet and head. Pretty adorable! Right now he’s really into “ogre music:” things like Tom Waits and Ivor Cutler. There’s something about their voices that he just loves. Sometimes he just babbles along, but other times he studies their songs. I’ve never seen a child study a song as intensely as Ollie has with those two singers. It’s great!
Dave Melkonian (Madison Heights)
Drummer in New Grenada and Ten Words For Snow, father of Samuel, two years old
How do you share music with your kids? Do they have tastes that reflect yours?
My wife and I expose Sam to lots of music. He’s shown an affinity for most types - except overly melodramatic pop. He breaks out in tears when hearing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” or Lionel Ritchie’s “Runnin’ With The Night.” Seriously!
What music have you found surprisingly kid friendly?
Vampire Weekend and Apples in Stereo seem to be a pleasant listen for him, which makes sense given the nature of their stuff. He’s also had a steady diet of reggae which is very kid-friendly in tone. I think he can probably sing everything off Bob Marley’s Legend.
What role did music play in YOUR house growing up?
Some of my dad’s favorites were Chicago, Steely Dan, The Allman Brothers, Tower Of Power, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Zappa… He would sometimes listen to one song over and over. I remember a few occasions where he listened to Tower Of Power’s “There’s Only So Much Oil On The Ground” no less than 15 times in a row - and he would air drum to it every time. He’s a pretty amazing drummer. He totally inspired my musical pursuits.
Daniel Johnson (Royal Oak)
Former Judah Johnson member, currently making music as Daniel. Father of Claire, five years old
How does music play a role in your household?
I make music constantly - I also sing a lot and so does Claire. She has already put it together that music’s my obsession though she knows it’s not how I make a living. So I think she’s growing up understanding that creativity is something you can play with your whole life.
What music have you found surprisingly kid friendly?
One of the first songs that Claire expressed interest in was The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Gold Lion.” Then my girlfriend blew her mind by showing her the video. I forget how powerful those kinds of images can be when you’re that young - of seeing somebody like Karen O who is so confident in how she moves and looks.
What role did music play in YOUR house growing up?
My parents were kind of Christian hippies. My dad wrote songs and played acoustic guitar all time. For a few years they worked as traveling preachers so we spent a lot of time driving around the Midwest in a van. I have an early memory of my dad driving on the freeway with his knees while he played guitar and sang. Safe. My parents’ minds were held captive by religious fundamentalism, so music was a touchy issue. My dad’s favorite music before his conversion was Motown. I didn’t learn this until I was older, as it was never played in our house. It’s funny because I’m now a freak for soul and for Motown in particular – it’s the most personal to me of anything I listen to. It’s funny how parents can communicate things about themselves to their children even when they try not to.
Karin Lupien-Parrish (Berkley)
Former DJ at WXOU at Oakland University, Detroit music fan, mother of 7-year-old Bastian
How do you share music with your kids? Do they have tastes that reflect yours?
My son loves music. He’s been exposed to it since before birth - I even went to a few shows when I was pregnant. His tastes are similar to mine but he also likes some of the “kid bands” like most kids seem to. But his favorite musician is Elliott Smith. He found out that’s where part of his middle name (Elliott Jones) came from, and he’s been a fan ever since!
What role did music play in YOUR house growing up?
Music was a MAJOR part of my childhood. My father has always been a huge music fan, and that influenced me greatly. I grew up listening to The Smiths, Morrissey, The Jesus and Mary Chain… I remember my father singing Ramones songs when I was a kid. He also took me to see both Midnight Oil and Morrissey when I was young.
Brandon Wiard (Ann Arbor)
Owner of Pretty Suite Recording and local record label Cerberus Records. Father of Adeline, three and a half and Lewis, almost two.
How does music play a role in your household?
Adeline begs me to come to the studio all the time, but I don’t think her attention span would be conducive to a 14-hr tracking session. We have a nice old upright for the kids to bang on and various guitars/percussion. I didn’t have instruments laying around as a kid, and I want them to discover music in a very natural/organic way.
How do you share music with your kids? Do they have tastes that reflect yours?
Well, I try! Adeline’s general response is “I don’t like this!” Lewis actually seems to have more of his dad’s sensibilities. I can put on angular hardcore and he’ll start bopping his head along. I like to just throw stuff on in the car and see how they respond.
What role did music play in YOUR house growing up?
I had a cassette player on which I would play Elvis’ Live From Las Vegas and the Beach Boys “Kokomo” single to death. I don’t think my mom ever said “no” to any album I wanted to buy. She might disapprove of the lyrics but she wouldn’t stop me from listening to it. But my upbringing was fairly religious so there wasn’t much in the way of Danzig or The Violent Femmes finding there way onto the family stereo, but thankfully my friends had older brothers!
Editors note: This feature is part one of an ongoing series. Once we got started, we realized that we’ve barely scratched the surface with this topic. There are a ton of indie folks with kids that we want to highlight. If you know of any cool, hip and influential people in the Detroit music scene that we should write about in the next one, drop us a line: info@detour-mag.com
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Posted by: Ryan Allen on March 16, 2009 at 9:00 am
While that wily beast we call “success” seems to arbitrarily pluck bands out of the nether zone (aka the Internet), and crown them “the next big thing,” some bands actually had to do shit the hard way. Sleep on floors; play dingy clubs; drive themselves around in a van. So it seems surprising — hell, even impressive — that for such a seemingly youth-driven environment, some of indie-rock’s top-tier touring acts are made up of 30-somethings who have been around the block a few times. Click through your iTunes library, and you’re bound to find a slew of faves that have a past. But, it ain’t a dirty one. Detour’s guide to First Bands is here to delve into these band’s closets, find some skeletons, and shake them around a bit. The criteria is simple: Round up some of the best in the biz; talk about former bands; prove that these former bands still rule (or, in some cases, expose how they never did). If you’re already privy to some of the band’s we’re about to talk about, consider yourself reminded of their greatness (or terribleness). If not, then this is the “where it all began” portion of their back-story. Indie rock, this is your life, and Detour is your embarrassing grandma.
Band :: Bright Eyes
First Bands :: Commander Venus, Park Ave.
The next Dylan? If so, neither Conor Oberst, nor anybody else for that matter, had any idea respected rags like Rolling Stone and Spin would be deliriously singing his praises when this clip was shot. All he cared about then was trying to find the coolest record store in the country (apparently it’s located in his own backyard — Omaha, NE). This shit is priceless.
Not a whole hell of a lot is out in Internet-land concerning Oberst’s rambunctious pre-Bright Eyes projects (not enough video, anyway), but this YouTube mash-up is worth checking out, even if you’re not a fan — you have to at least respect the guy for getting in the game early (7th grade!) and committing his songs to tape.
Band: Chain and the Gang (see also: Cupid Car Club, David Candy, French Toast, Fucking Champs, The Make Up, The Scene Creamers, Ted Leo/Rx Pharmacists, Weird War)
First Band: Nation of Ulysses
The next entry should really be titled “(The various bands of) Ian Svenonius.” Seriously, this guy has been involved in more projects than Larry King has ex-wives. And while the list is vast — and not to mention impressive — nothing really compares to the intensity and influence created by the inception of hardcore stalwarts Nation of Ulysses. Also featuring Tim Green of Fucking Champs on guitar, and James Canty (brother of Fugazi drummer Brendan) on drums, bands like At The Drive-In and Refused simply would not exist with out NOU’s hyper-political, noisy, hard punk. Also, check the outfits. These dudes looked cool as fuck.
Band: The Dirtbombs (see also: Demolition Doll Rods, The Readies)
First Band: The Gories
Ok. Everybody pretty much knows that before Mick Collins was making a racket with two drummers, two bassists, and a whole lot of badass rock and roll mojo behind him in the Dirtbombs, he was in the primitive garage-punk three piece the Gories. But, we couldn’t justify a list like this without including them. When people talk about “old Detroit” this is probably what they mean — but after watching this, there’s no way you could think being identified as that is a bad thing.
Band: Enon (see also: Blonde Redhead, The Lapse, Model Actress)
First Bands: Brainiac, The Van Pelt
Enon is one of those weird bands that despite long-outlasting their former groups, still, to this day, are identified as ex-members of their previous projects. Which really is a shame, since they’ve put out enough quality records to more than justify themselves as valid and amazing, independent from what it’s members have done in the past. Still, though, the influence of Enon-mastermind John Schmersal’s former group Braniac is unparalleled, and the fact that their career was cut so short due to the sudden death of singer Tim Taylor (who perished in a car crash in 1997) left many fans wondering what could have been.
Enon bassist Toko Yasuda is usually identified as being an former member of Blonde Redhead. But the reality is, she was hardly in the band (did one tour, never recorded with them). What often gets looked over, however, is her involvement in speak-sing indie rock group the Van Pelt (and later the Lapse) with Ted Leo’s brother Chris. Watch the video below, and you’ll be wondering why, too.
Bands: Feist (see also: Broke Social Scene)
First Bands: By Divine Right, Peaches and Gonzalez
Before Leslie Feist 1, 2, 3, 4′d into our hearts, she did her time as ass-shaker and hype-woman for the then super underground Peaches, and her hilarious side-kick Gonzalez (who has since worked with Feist on many of her finest songs). She’s all class now, but back then, she was all ass. Her name? Bitch Lap Lap. Yep (yep). Also, apparently Peaches couldn’t make this particular gig (but Nintendo-ized cover of MJ’s “Beat It” could).
Before joining up with the raunchy duo, however, Ms. Feist played guitar in Canadian alt.rock mainstays By Divine Right. Also in the band? Brendan Canning, he of Broken Social Scene fame (who, as it were, splintered off from another group called KC Accidental, featuring BSS frontman Kevin Drew). Below is a vid for one of their monstrous jams, featuring donuts and inner-tubes.
Band: Foo Fighters
First Bands: Mission Impossible, Scream, Sunny Day Real Estate
Yeah we know. Dude was in Nirvana. But did you know he was in a band called Mission Impossible? Apparently it was his first, and we found footage of it on the Internet. Thank you, YouTube. Thank you Ethan Hunt?
Oh, yeah. He was also in Scream, but you knew this already. However, did it ever cross your mind as to A) how bad they actually were, considering Dave went on to be in, you know, fucking Nirvana, and B) how much of a douche that singer was? Grohl still ruled on the drums, tho.
Foo’s bassist Nate Mendel used to be in Sunny Day Real Estate. They invented emo or something. You probably know this, too. But it doesn’t make this clip any less awesome. Also, ’sup 90s-version John Stewart?
Band: Franz Ferdinand
First Bands: The Amphetemeanies, The Karelia
If there is anybody on this list who should be embarrassed by their past, it’s Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos. Seriously, what the fuck is this? Is that the girl from Save Ferris? Is that guy singing the dude from that one MTV “True Life,” where a bunch of douche bags rent out time shares at the Jersey shore? Is that the guy from ONE OF THE BIGGEST BANDS ON EARTH playing some kind of circus melody on a keyboard? Why yes. Yes it is. At least it’s good to know ska sucked then as much as it does now.
If that wasn’t enough, here’s a really professional looking video from another Kapranos band called the Karelia. We’re not even sure what to call this kind of music, but they’re performing in something that looks like a lounge, so we’re going to call it lounge. And lame. And more evidence for why when Franz Ferdinand remind us of a dance-punk band being fronted by an ex-theater nerd with a terrible haircut. Sweet burns, brah!
Band: The Hold Steady
First Band: Lifter/Puller
Before starting things off with positive jams and almost killing us with their Bruce Springsteen-inspired, intellectual bar rock, Craig Finn and Tad Kubler did their thing in Minneapolis’ Lifter/Puller. We’re not sure what’s exactly going on here in this clip, but we’re pretty sure they partied. We can’t really remember. It was 8:30 in the evening, after all.
Band: The Kills (see also: The Dead Weather)
First Band: Discount
Before Alison Mosshart was writhing around on stage as part of electro-blues duo the Kills, or kicking it with Jack White and friends in the just-announced Dead Weather, she was slumming it in pop punk hell with her VFW-hall friendly outfit Discount. We’re pretty sure her rider is a lot nicer these days, but we’re also pretty sure that her ‘zine collection was to be envied back then.
Bands: The Locust (see also: Album Leaf, Crimson Curse, Tristeza, and way too many others to list)
First Band: Struggle, Swing Kids
Much like the aforementioned Ian Svenonius, the Locust’s Justin Pearson has played in about a billion bands (too many list, like we just said up there, goddamn it). One thing they’ve all had in common, however, is their addiction to being fucking loud, fucking noisy, and fucking hard as fuck. This is the kind of music you could play your parents, and no matter how hard you try, they are just not going to like it. First up, JP’s first band, Struggle, followed by a clip from his next group, Swing Kids, who also featured Jimmy LaValle of the Album Leaf, GoGoGo Airheart, and Tristeza.
Bands: Maritime, Make Believe (see also: American Football, Ghosts and Vodka, the Love of Everything, Owen, Owls)
First Bands: Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Promise Ring
Cap’n Jazz were one of those bands who you either saw, or you didn’t. But even if you never did, you heard about them, and heard about them, and heard about them, and heard about them. You heard about them so much, that when Jade Tree Records released their extremely hard-to-find albums on an anthology CD, you bought that shit quicker than you could scrawl the letters “E,” “M,” and “O” on your high school notebook.
After all, you already loved the Promise Ring, right?
And you thought Joan of Arc were pretty okay (though you didn’t realize how bad they would end up sucking).
Bands: Minus the Bear (see also: Sharks Keep Moving, These Arms are Snakes)
First Bands: Botch
Let’s face it: the kids love Minus the Bear. If you are a kid, you know this. If you are not a kid, you probably like a few of their jams anyway. You know who the kids did not love, though? They did not love Botch, the technical metal band that featured MTB’s Dave Knudson on guitar and These Arms Are Snakes’ Brian Cook on bass. Actually, we take that back. The kids did love Botch. Just maybe not the kids’ girlfriends.
Bands: Night Marchers, Obits (see also: Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes)
First Band: Drive Like Jehu
We’d probably be tarred and feathered if we didn’t include the almighty Drive Like Jehu, the band that invented music (according to dudes who still wear wallet chains and like 8 minute songs that have 13 different time-signatures throughout).
Band: New Pornographers (see also: A.C. Newman, Attics and Cellars, Sparrow)
First Band: Zumpano
Before Carl “A.C.” Newman took power pop to new heights with Canadian indie rock supergroup New Pornographers, he was merely a dude with crazy, curly red hair that sang in a band named after it’s drummer (the one not called Van Halen). Zumpano was one of the groups Sub Pop signed in the mid-90s when people still bought anything and everything released on the label (also the last time when people bought music, in general), and put out two fine albums of baroque indie pop that brought to mind the Zombies and the Beach Boys. Below is their sort-of hit “The Party Rages On.”
Band: No Age
First Band: Wives
No Age guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt have been making the indie kids cream their pants lately, combining raw punk aesthetic with dream pop soundscapes and good old fashioned DIY spirit. But you don’t think these dudes learned how to be vegan and get awesome at skateboarding in a day, do you? Nope, they learned all that and more as members of Wives, a more hardcore-ish trash-punk band, in which Randall still played guitar (and, apparently wore sweatshirts on stage), but Spunt rocked a bass. It might not be as innovative as No Age, but you can certainly here where they were going with this, even back then, pre-purchasing a My Bloody Valentine album.
Band: Queens of the Stone Age (see also: The Dead Weather)
First Bands: Kyuss, The Waxwings
All we have to say is good on Josh Homme for getting the fuck out of Kyuss. That singer is just ridiculous.
This is one is for the Detroiters: Dean Fertita, who is now playing multi-instrumentalist in Queens (and who is now in that Dead Weather band as well), used to be in a pretty fine pop group called the Waxwings back in the day. And yeah, we know Dean’s first band was actually Reigndance (with former original Real World-er Andre Comeau) but we didn’t want to embarrass him.
Band: The Raconteurs (see also: Blanche, Brendan Benson, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes)
First Band: The Greenhornes
Have a look here at how boring the Greenhornes were, and understand that no matter how boring the other dudes who are not Jack White and Brendan Benson are sometimes in the Raconteurs, they were much more boring in their old band.
Band: The Shins
First Band: Flake Music
The story of how Flake Music became the Shins is pretty basic, considering the Shins were at one time just a side-project for FM frontman James Mercer. He must have decided, “Hey, you know what? I really like the guys in Flake Music, but I don’t really feel like being in that band anymore, so I’m just going to break up Flake Music, and ask the guys in Flake Music to join my new project, one I like to call the Shins, coincidentally named after a song by Flake Music called ‘The Shins.’” Cos basically, that’s what happened. Well, we weren’t there, but we’re pretty sure that’s what happened. Below is that song, and it’s pretty awesome.
Band: Simian Mobile Disco (see also: The Black Ghosts, Lord Skywave)
First Band: Simian
Prior to DJing awesome parties around the world, SMD’s James Ford and James Anthony Shaw were members of quirky electro-pop group Simian. You will obviously recognize the track below as the monstrous hit that put Justice on the map. This is the original version, called “Never Be Alone,” from Simian’s totally under-appreciated second album We Are Your Friends. Give us any excuse to post this song, and we’re going to take it.
Bands: Elliott Smith (see also: No. 2, Quasi)
First Band: Heatmiser
Elliott Smith’s story is really sad, mainly because he died — which really, really fucking bums us out. Another unfortunate footnote to his tale, however, is how many people don’t know about his pre-Good Will Hunting soundtrack, pre-playing-in-a-white-suit-at-the-Oscars band called Heatmiser. Along with Sam Coomes (later of Quasi), Heatmiser went from issuing dismissable grunge-y guitar rock, into something of a precursor to Smith’s more singer/songwriter material, producing one of the most underated albums of the 90s in Mic City Sons. This track, “Plainclothes Man,” is taken from that album, and instantly brings to mind a sound Smith would later capitalize on with his classic “band-style” albums XO and Figure 8.
Band: Spoon
First Band: The Get Up Kids
There’s not a lick of YouTube evidence out there concerning Spoon frontman Britt Daniel’s first groups — Skellington and the Alien Beats, amongst them — but, Spoon-bassist Rob Pope ain’t getting off so easily. But, admit it. There was a point in your life when you loved the Get Up Kids, along with cargo pants, and wearing your backpack at all times. A time when collecting one-inch buttons was a whole lot better than collecting unemployment when you got laid off from your job at the factory.
Band: Ted Leo
First Bands: Animal Crackers, Chisel
Most of us know Ted Leo as a purveyor of jangle-punk, laced with a healthy dose of political spitfire. Despite all his rage, however, back in the mid-90s Leo was a clean-cut mod whose politics were hooks and harmony; and he mined this influence during his tenure as the frontman for the Jam-influenced D.C.three-piece Chisel, who released two punchy pop records in 1996’s 8 A.M. All Day and 1997’s Set You Free. But, hold up for a sec. Thing is, Chisel wasn’t Teddy boy’s first band. In fact, in the 80s, Leo was totally hardcore, and did his time in Jersey-style thrash bands like Citizen’s Arrest and Animal Crackers. And as this video shows — taken at an Animal Crackers show at punk dive ABC NO RIO — Leo was also a fan of hardcore-style tall tee’s, and MLB-influenced face paint.
Band: Tool
First Band: Children of the Anarchronistic Dynasty
Yes, this is totally real. Yes, that is Tool’s Maynard James Keenan wearing a body suit. Yes, there is not one, but two guys in the band with guitars that have no headstock.
Band: The Walkmen (see also: Childballads)
First Band: Jonathan Fire*Eater
Ever wonder how the Walkmen stumbled onto their oh-so-original sound? Well, it’s because three of the members already did it once, sorta, with Jonathan Fire*Eater. Except, instead of the howling, Bono-esque vocals of the Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser, JF*E championed singer Stuart Lupton, who strutted his way through underground classic Wolf Songs For Lambs like a young, drunk Mick Jagger. They could have been huge, but Lupton couldn’t keep his shit together, and the band dissolved right before the New York City scene they were a part of exploded.
Band: Weezer
First Band: Space Twins
Before being plucked out to join Weezer just as they were finishing their debut album for DGC, guitarist Brian Bell was happily toiling away in obscurity with his band Space Twins. After watching this, we’re not sure what’s worse — still having to be in Weezer now, or having ever been in a band called Space Twins. Seriously, look at that guitar player. Glad he could get off work at Banana Republic in time to make the gig.
Band: The White Stripes, Blanche (see also: The Dead Weather)
First Bands: Goober and the Peas, Two Star Tabernacle
Goober and the Peas = Dan Miller of Blanche, and at a point on drums, Mr. Jack White. Two Star Tabernacle = Dan Miller of Blanche, and Mr. Jack White on guitar. Enough said? Enough said.
14 Comments
Posted by: Mike White on March 9, 2009 at 9:00 am
The groundbreaking comic series Watchmen redefined what was possible with the comic medium. Written by Alan Moore and drawn by David Gibbons, Watchmen is set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes have been outlawed. The story takes place in 1986. Richard Nixon is still in office and riding high off of the victory in Vietnam thanks to two “heroes” employed by the U.S. government, mad mercenary The Comedian and molecular master Dr. Manhattan. The narrative of Watchmen is a murder mystery. When The Comedian is killed, fellow vigilante Rorschach makes it his business to find the culprit. Based on Steve Ditko’s character, Question, Rorschach is so obsessive about justice that he makes Batman look wishy-washy on crime. The story follows Rorschach on his quest, introducing the reader to Watchmen who hung up their tights when vigilantism was outlawed. Described by many (including Moore) as “unfilmable,” it was only a matter of time before the underground comic made its way to the multiplex. Hollywood loves the quixotic notion of making movies out of impossible properties that have the potential for a massive box office.
Sam Hamm (1989)
The transformation from printed page to silver screen hasn’t been easy. For years, the project languished in the hands of 20th Century Fox. The studio gave Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm the thankless task of adapting Moore’s epic in the late ‘80s. The basic structure of Watchmen remains in place in Hamm’s draft insofar that the characters are the same, though far fewer in number and with less complicated relationships. Hamm’s bizarre decisions on which complex areas to eliminate and which to keep molds the story into an odd shape. This pushes the setting from one that was rooted fairly close to reality into a clunky science fiction realm, evidenced most at the film’s finale.
Subsequent drafts of Watchmen screenplay by David Hayter (X-Men) and Alex Tse (Sucker Free City) also splintered at their conclusion, but none so spectacularly as Hamm’s. In Moore’s graphic novel, Silk Spectre struggles to convince Dr. Manhattan to come out of a self-imposed exile on Mars to save the Earth from imminent destruction. It’s ultimately the miracle of humanity and its struggle against insurmountable odds that convinces the deific Manhattan to return for a literal deus ex machina finale. Hamm changed this scene’s conclusion, removing the redemption of humanity.
It gets worse. Seeing Manhattan’s existence as the cause of more problems than the solution, mastermind Ozymandias opens a hole in time to assassinate Manhattan before the accident that made him omnipotent. This essentially takes the former Outer Limits “Architects of Fear” ending into something closer to the Twilight Zone episode “No Time like the Past”. By shooting Manhattan, Ozymandias unravels a timeline and deposits Rorschach, Silk Spectre and Nite Owl in a world where they never existed but where Watchmen is just a comic book. This ridiculous twist leaves a sour taste in one’s mouth. Hamm’s draft was rewritten by Charles McKeown when Terry Gilliam agreed to direct the project. Ironically, McKeown did an uncredited rewrite of Hamm’s work on Batman.
David Hayter (2003)
David Hayter took over the reins of writing a Watchmen adaptation in 2001. He stuck closer to the original source material, making his additional flourishes stick out like sore thumbs. The strangest augmentation includes a “Memory Mirror” that Dr. Manhattan creates for “Slingshot,” the renamed and powered-up Silk Spectre. This mirror shows Slingshot scenes from her past, introducing flashbacks that never fit into the plot. Hayter also gives Slingshot the ability to shoot balls of energy from between her fingers, eliminating the pesky use of a handgun during the film’s climax.
Hayter’s attempt to tone down the finale has Ozymandias shooting a beam of concentrated solar energy into Manhattan Island, killing the population but somehow leaving everything else intact. This attack results in a city bereft of population but decorated with the kind of silhouettes of bodies that Rorschach sees on one of his patrols. Ozymandias’s plan also includes the dispersal of black boxes to every world leader (a clever nod to the comic) which Nite Owl later uses to send a worldwide message of peace and love via a quote from The Beatles. This gesture comes off as syrupy and regrettable.
Alex Tse (2006)
Eventually, Alex Tse was brought in to rewrite Hayter’s script. Tse’s draft sticks fairly close to Moore’s original story. He strays occasionally in scenes where the U.S. government uses Silk Spectre as a human tracking device to discover Dr. Manhattan on Mars. While Hayter moved the world of Watchmen out of its alternate history to something closer to our own timeline, Tse addresses 9/11 via dialogue about Dr. Manhattan saving the World Trade Center and by pitting him against a gang of terrorists whose stolen uranium he turns to sand. During the climax, Tse has Ozymandias beaming concentrated energy from Dr. Manhattan into “the hearts of nine key regions around the globe, crossing all traditional politics and ideologies,” leaving the same black silhouettes and thus eliminating the carnage and horror of such an event.
In all three drafts, the most startling departure from the Watchmen graphic novel is the death of Ozymandias. Apparently, the writers found it simply abhorrent that Ozymandias, after murdering millions, would be allowed to live. In Hamm’s draft, Dr. Manhattan vaporizes him. In the Hayter and Tse scripts, he’s eliminated by a razor sharp boomerang owl, allowing Nite Owl further redemption and virility. Like Rorschach, the writers knew that evil must be punished. The death of Ozymandias simplifies Moore’s original work from a multifaceted examination of fascism, storytelling, and hope into a derivative “good guy versus bad guy” shadow play. The subtleties of Watchmen are lost in all of the drafts, making the label “unfilmable” all the more appropriate.
What You Saw (Theatrical Release)
While there’s still a 204-minute (at least) director’s cut of Watchmen yet to make its appearance (perhaps with the death of the original Nite Owl), the theatrical version did well to correct a lot of the errors still found in the scripts. Ozymandias managed to survive, though he still seems more like a corporate raider than an egocentric superbeing. While the Twin Towers still stand, looming in the background of Ozymandias’s office and the cemetery, it’s not called out that Dr. Manhattan saved them. Having Nite Owl, Dr. Manhattan, and Ozymandias recall three different aspects of The Comedian while attending his funeral were a great way of giving backstory in a satisfying way. Also, the opening credits do a good job of providing the history of the main characters along with placing the world of the movie in the right alternate history (especially when Silhouette is at the center of the famous VE day photograph).
Some will go to their graves bemoaning the loss of the “squid” from the graphic novel but would that have really played in Podunk? As it was, the least of three evils was chosen as Ozymandias’s masterstroke and most of the other changes in the adaption were laudable. In all, the Watchmen film triumphed over the evil plans laid out by its screenwriters.
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Tags: Alex Tse, David Hayter, Sam Hamm, Watchmen
Posted by: Ryan Allen on March 4, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Fashionably late — it’s a term everybody throws around when discussing the appropriate time to show up for something. When this year’s Hamtramck Blowout rolls around, it ain’t gonna be much different. We can see the text messages now…
“Dude, when R U going up there?”
“I dunno, dude. When does it start?”
“9?”
“K. Be there @ 11.”
Yep. Typical. But that’s where most of us go wrong. Sure, you’ve got all your trusted Cobras, D-Bombs, and Silent Years rounding out the headlining spots, all sure to pack ‘em in. But hey, haven’t we written about them before? The real blood, sweat, piss, and vinegar of the Blowout experience lies just under the radar, nestled in the early slots — a place where Detroit’s weird, eclectic, underrated, and often-new, future headliners tread. Below are Detour’s picks for Blowout’s underdogs — 25 reasons to get off your ass and hit Ham-town early. Think of this list as that alluring light socket you know you want to stick your finger into, just to see how it feels. And let it be known: Fashionably late is now officially fashionably lame.
See you at the shows,
-The Detour Crew
ALLAN JAMES AND THE COLD WAVE (Friday, 10:20 p.m. / Painted Lady)
Sure, it’s cool to be all weird and shit (’sup, Timmy Vulgar), but sometimes nothing beats husky, baritone vocals gliding over gentle, slightly shoegazey-yet-tastefully-emotional pop. If Radiohead is the band that launched a thousand ships, Allan James and the Cold Wave is the little tugboat in front, quietly leading the way.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Good buds, good beer, good times, and strong songs. Also…we look good.”
MP3: Slammin’ Beers
THE BLUEFLOWERS (Friday, 9:20 p.m. / Painted Lady)
Formally known as the under-appreciated Ether Aura, the Blueflowers woozy concoction of reverb-heavy guitars and American Gothic country-isms speak to the inner Cowboy Junkies fan in all of us. Columbia House 1 cent CDs 4-Ever!
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Come get your fix of Americana/alt-country/melodramatic/indie music with the Blueflowers who just released their debut CD, Watercolor Ghost Town.”
MP3: Any Three Words
KELLY JEAN CALDWELL (Friday, 10:40 p.m. / K of C Lounge)
Speaking of Cowboy Junkies, Caldwell takes that band’s rustic ideals and sprinkles it with the kind of lo-fi folk that makes old Iron and Wine and Vashti Bunyan so appealing: a nice mix of the smooth and the strange. With local psychos like Craig Brown (Terrible Twos/Mahonies) and Todd McNulty (LMCA/Sugarcoats) now backing her up, add some dirt and grit to that last comparison.
THE DARTS (Thursday, 8:20 p.m. / Paycheck’s)
Sometimes a band’s name just says it all — think sharp, spastic, pointed riffs, soaring basslines, and crash ‘n bang drums, all making a bee-line for your asshole.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Lansing heart throbs, the Darts, give high quality HJs.”
MP3: Dancey #19
THE DETROIT PONY EXPRESS (Friday, 10:00 p.m. / New Dodge) Tack the word “Detroit” onto your name, and you’re setting yourself up to fill some pretty big shoes (the Detroit Wheels come to mind). But hey, these guys opened up for Peter Frampton once, so maybe they’re on to something. Listen to their blues-y/rock hybrid, and let them show you the way.
DEVILFISH (Thursday, 9:20 p.m. / K of C Lounge)
Devilfish’s Pierce Reynolds has probably served you coffee before. Or maybe he saw you eating at Quizno’s once — alone. He’s also in Oscillating Fan Club — the D’s resident psyche/surf/pop weirdies. If you’re down with that group, think of Devilfish as OFC’s mute little brother — sans vocals, but still riding on blissful waves of salty-sea psyche.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Devilfish is a freak of nature and the Blowout shall be no less freakish as our set will include: Dinosaur frontmen, elf juice, a possible name change and the drummer of Wildcatting sitting in for Rez. Monster house 98 style. Also, this will probably be the only show for quite sometime. Skeletons!”
DIVINE COMEDIANS (Thursday, 9:40 p.m. / Bar Carbon)
Forgive these youngsters if Neil Hannon’s Divine Comedy isn’t on their radar — this ex-Dollface (plus some Decks and some Marthas) is too busy digging on vintage garage pop to care much about some Scott Walker-wannabe in a nice suit. The DC’s are cardigans and jeans, all the way.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “People should come see us because our songs are catchy, we’re good looking, and we will really LISTEN when you want to tell us about your day.”
MP3: I’ll Take A Page
ELLE & THE FONTS (Friday, 9:40 p.m. / Kelly’s Bar)
There’s lots of reasons to love Elle and her Fonts, but anybody who adores 90s lady-pop (think Juliana Hatfield, Breeders, Veruca Salt, and Letters to Cleo) as much as we do is tops in our book. Now, get to work on those listings, yo.
FIDYRICH (Thursday, 8:40 p.m. / Bar Carbon)
FUCK. YES. This is what we’re talking about — drunken, Replacements/Husker’s/Uncle Tupelo-style drunk ‘n roll, falling all over the place and being all awesome and shit.
Why they think you should see ‘em: You should come see Fidrych because a) It is our first show, b) we are 1/2 ex-porchsleeper and 1/2 ex-offramps and c) we are ready to bring the rock!
MP3: Throwin’ Stones
1592 (Friday, 10:00 p.m. / Trowbridge House of Coffee) We’re pretty sure they didn’t have reggae or dub back in the year 1592 (they didn’t have much of anything, really, except maybe some fuckin’ chores and shit), but the band 1592’s straight-up Rastafarian jams make up for their goofy nom de plume. Think Toots, Tubby and Desmond Decker — none of that 311 bullshit.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Take the vibe of Jamaica with the soul of Detroit and you get the Rocksteady madness of 1592.”
MP3: Rise of the Fallen
LAST TOURIST (Thursday, 9:20 p.m. / Paycheck’s)
Some band’s thrive on being unorganized. They show up late for gigs, don’t bring all their gear, drink all your beer, and try and bang your girlfriend. Not Last Tourist, though. These dudes are total pros; nice guys, with nice songs that sound a bit like early Radiohead, except with the guy from Semisonic singing. Good. Pure. Never late.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Last Tourist: Proving naysayers that snarky gorillas CAN play bass since 2001.”
MP3: Again and Again
LEIF ERIKSON (Saturday, 10:00 p.m. / The Belmont)
Like the Nordic Viking explorer that he takes his name from, rapper Leif Erikson navigates his rhymes like a sturdy wooden battleship bound for undiscovered lands. If his set at last year’s Blowout is any indication, you’re going to want to show up early for more lyrical pillaging.
MAN AT ARMS (Friday, 10:40 p.m. / Kelly’s Bar)
Nevermind that Man At Arms was one of the most badass “He-Man” characters ever (tho Moss Man was kinda sweet, too). We’re more interested in the bizarre skronk this Cleveland/Ann Arbor duo are throwing down. Equal parts Shellac and Mr. Bungle, MAT is proof positive that not all Michigan bands are content with aping Iggy.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “We’re your best choice for short, repetitive songs that fall apart before they really go anywhere, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get stuck in your head, annoying you for days.”
MP3: Everything is Getting Better/Worse
MATT JONES (Friday, 9:20 p.m. / Atlas Bar)
By now, everybody knows the story about Mr. Matt Jones drinking an A&R guy into the gutter (literally) at last year’s SXSW. But what many Detroiters might not realize is that Jones — besides being Ann Arbor’s go-to sideman for all things folk and chamber pop, playing in such luminaries as Misty Lyn and The Big Beautiful, Elm From Arm, and Dabenport — is perhaps one of our state’s best examples of nimble-finger guitar plucking and delicately sung laments. Ex-pat Sufjan Stevens should watch his ass.
NOMAN (Friday, 9:20 p.m. / The Belmont)
While seeing a white guy standing up on stage with an acoustic guitar usually conjures up images of Jack Johnson, hemp necklaces, and, more than likely, a beach ball being bounced around somewhere, Noman’s catchy acousti-punk makes a case for getting unhinged while being unplugged. Plus their new disc, Broadcast, was recorded by Steve Albini, so you know that the drums sound real good.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Noman delivers high energy, covertly acoustic fronted indie/punk anthems. D.C. meets Bob Dylan.”
MP3: Broadcast
OLD EMPIRE (Saturday, 9:40 p.m. / Baker’s Streetcar) The vocals may sound slightly like Mike Ness, but that’s where the Social Distortion comparisons begin and end. If the Von Bondies dug on Son Volt, Varnaline, and Centro-matic instead of the Misfits and the Jonas Broth…er, oops, we meant instead of Cheap Trick, then they might sound a little like Old Empire. Fans of guy/girl vocalizations and dusty-road pop that follows in the great Detroit tradition of the Volebeats, Blanche, and American Mars should welcome Old Empire nicely to the club.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Two reasons. You can choose which one you like better. We like porn as much as you do, [or] the first 50 entrants are eligible for free bubble gum.”
MP3: Sweaterdress
THE PLAIN DEALERS (Thursday, 10:20 p.m. / Painted Lady)
A band that is self-deprecating enough to claim, “We’re so underdog we don’t have anything recorded,” has to have been around the block a few times, right? Right. Ex-members of Justamustache-era Thunderbirds are Now!, bluegrass kingpins the Salt Miners, and long-gone bubble-punkers the Trembling get together and conjure the ghosts of Quicksand and Jawbox. The 90s ruled; The Plain Dealers will remind you why.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “My brother said we ’sound like Fugazi if Ian drank and had kids.’”
ROGUE SATELLITES (Thursday, 9:00 p.m. / K of C Hall)
Ever wonder what Brendan Benson would sound like if he re-imagined his saccharine power-pop as the soundtrack to a classic Nintendo vid, and also had a sense of humor? If not, don’t worry, because Rouge Satellites have gone ahead and done that for you. Wow…what a stress relief.
Why they think you should come see ‘em: “You should come to our show at the Blowout because you don’t want to miss those resonant sounds that pulse and throb and shake your teeth from their sockets while your bones rattle and your hips sway eternally…or maybe you just want a great fucking rock show!”
MP3: Dead and Cold
THE RUE MOOR COUNTS (Thursday, 10:00 p.m. / The Belmont)
These dudes used to be called the Birdogs, but let it be known that the Rue Moor Counts is a much better name. Sounds sinister, kind of like their music (a blistering mix of psyche, punk, and devilish folk). Also, somebody drinking cans of Coors in our van said that they “fucking rock.” This dude had a crazy beard and wooden earrings, so we’re going to trust him.
RUNNING WITH PANTHERS (Friday, 10:40 p.m. / Small’s)
It’s a classic story — bartenders and the buddies they give free drinks to form a band, get wasted, grow mustaches, and give their songs stupid names (”Fuck Party And Fight”). Every town’s got one; we affectionately call ours ours Running With Panthers. Also: “Awwwww, what’s wrong with his ass? Look at his ass. It’s all fucked up!” (go to their Myspace page, and you will understand this)
Why they think you should see ‘em: “RWP is the type of band that you don’t simply flirt with, you either completely buy into their majesty or call it schlock and move on.”
MP3: Take Me Home
ALAN SCHEURMAN (Friday, 9:40 p.m. / K of C Lounge)
Scheurman’s days of toiling the basements and VFW halls of the often-thankless emo underbelly may be long gone (and so his old band Rescue, whose members have gone on to join Child Bite and the Silent Years, respectively), but his passion for music and art has gone unscathed. It’s just that now, instead of blaring guitars and complex time signatures, Scheurman gets his ghost on, singing haunted freak-folk that would probably sound awesome during that one sweat lodge scene from the third season of “Lost.”
Why he thinks you should see him: “You should come see me play if you’ve ever consumed mushrooms or LSD or if you’re wondering what happens when a folk singer eats both and plays a show!”
MP3: Starless
SIKSIK NATION (Thursday, 9:40 p.m. / Smalls) These dudes talk their fair amount of shit on the local blogs, but listening to their grimy mix of B.R.M.C. fuzz, the Troggs-esque skuzz, and Rolling Stones shimmy, they have to goods to back it up. Also, this will likely piss them off, but sometimes they remind us of Tiny Music-era Stone Temple Pilots…which is totally a compliment in our book (seriously, “Big Bang Baby” fucking rules). Home-dude just sounds like Weiland, is all.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “We make make space rock for agoraphobics.”
MP3: Lord Is My Gun
WILD YEARS (Thursday, 9:40 p.m. / Whiskey in the Jar)
There must be something about living in Washtenaw County that drives boys with beards inside their homes to pick up acoustic guitars, fire up their four-tracks (or, more than likely, the ProTools software they just stole from the Internet), and lay down chunks of lo-fi, orchestral folk. Must be those ol’ collegiate blues. Anyways, we’ve already seen it work for Chris Bathgate, Matt Jones, and the (we think) now-defunct Canada…so let’s welcome Wild Years to the party, and keep enjoying this refreshing trend from our bros out west.
WOLFBAIT (Saturday, 10:40 p.m. / Small’s)
A discussion was recently had: Is Wolfbait seriously funny, or just funny about being serious? We’re not totally sure, but we’re going to go with both. Either way, WB will probably show up to this show dressed like Meatloaft-meets-the-dudes-from-Mayhem, and will likely rip your dick off and pulverize it to bits with the sickest riffs this side of Harpos.
WOODMAN (Friday, 9:40 p.m. / Paycheck’s)
Detroit’s best-dressed-Dad Frank Woodman leads his ragtag family of freaks through a raucous set of ramshackle tunes that make the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Danielson Family seem normal.
Why they think you should see ‘em: “Come see Woodman because we’re a high energy family band that plays loud, cathartic, freewheeling Americana garage anthems with occasional drunken drama high jinks.”
MP3: 5-Second Rule
Did we miss somebody? In a band and don’t think you’re an underdog? Go by the name Bryan Metro? Please, feel free to comment below.
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Posted by: Mike White on November 24, 2008 at 8:00 am
Bruce Campbell will stand out in the freezing cold after a screening to make sure everyone who wants to say hello or get a picture with him get their time. His fans love him and that adoration has been reciprocated by Bruce in his latest motion picture project, My Name is Bruce. Not to be confused with the 1982 film They Call Me Bruce? about an Asian fellow who keeps getting mistaken for Bruce Lee, My Name is Bruce is about a fellow who looks a lot like Bruce Campbell who’s asked to save the town of Gold Lick, Oregon from an evil Asian spirit.
Similar to the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle JCVD, My Name is Bruce has Campbell playing an alternative version of himself. Here the hard working Michigan native is a hard drinking slob who’s content to take any role offered to him as long as it pays the bills. The well has run dry and his inept agent (Ted Raimi in one of several roles) can’t line up any new gigs. Through a series of misunderstandings, and the handy use of a baseball bat, Bruce ends up on a Podunk town in what he thinks is just another B-movie role.
Bruce has been touring his sophomore directorial effort around the country. This past Friday, he made his way back to Michigan for a series of screenings at the Main Art Theater in Royal Oak. He took time on the road (literally) for a quickie interview.
Mike White: What interview question are you getting sick of hearing?
Bruce Campbell: Mostly Evil Dead 4. It’s such old news. What do you do with it?
MW: It seems that you’d have to let the life go out of Spiderman before Sam Raimi would get back to that.
BC: It’s not even that. I’ve got a TV show I’m committed to.
MW: Which sounds like a hell of a gig. You’re shooting in Florida, right?
BC: Shoots in Miami!
MW: Very nice. Last time we spoke you talked about doing every touristy thing imaginable while working down on Congo.
BC: All on their dime.
MW: Do you get that question during your Q&As a lot as well?
BC: Of course I do. People can ask whatever they want. They’re paying customers.
MW: I imagine you’ve gotten a lot of questions about how similar the Bruce Campbell of My Name is Bruce is to the real Bruce Campbell.
BC: Well, you’d better hope he’s pretty damn different! This is always the danger of doing this sort of thing. Some idiot in the audience is going go, “Wow, I didn’t know he drank whiskey out of a dog bowl!” There are similarities all over the place, but only I know them and I will never reveal them. There’s a sequence in the movie where I’m talking with fans outside of a studio and every bit of dialogue is verbatim from real life.
MW: It had that feel, especially the guy in the wheelchair.
BC: I met the rudest man on the planet so what are you going to do? Kick the wheel chair under a bus? You can’t really do that but in the movie I can!
MW: How do you feel about Jean-Claude Van Damme ripping you off with this whole “meta movie” idea?
BC: I’m going to have to kick his ass.
MW: That, I’d like to see. Sounds like a sequel. Where can I find one of those Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way standees like I saw in the film?
BC: Limited edition only. Try Craigslist.
MW: How’d you get in with the guys from Dark Horse Comics?
BC: I’ve known Mike Richardson for years. They put out the Evil Dead comic. They’re good quality and I always favor the littler guy. They’re a smaller, cooler company. I live in Oregon now and Mike lives in Oregon and Mark Verheiden. who wrote the movie, is also from Oregon. We had our own little state bond going on there.
MW: Did Dark Horse also put out the Man with the Screaming Brain comic book?
BC: Yeah, they did. It really was what the movie wanted to be and we were able to do it in a comic. I’m not going to make fun of my own movie, though, there are plenty of other people who will do that for me.
MW: How’s the My Name is Bruce Tour going so far?
BC: Good. We’re about halfway through the tour now. I’m headed to Birmingham and in Monroe now. If it sounds weird for a second; I’m going through a car wash. Life must continue on the road.
MW: Who all is on this trip with you?
BC: I’m going with a buddy of mine.
MW: Are you going to be home in time for Thanksgiving?
BC: No, I’m doing that with family in Michigan. Some things you get screwed on but other things work out great.
And, with that, the car wash jets began and Bruce Campbell signed off.
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Tags: Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead, My Name is Bruce
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