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(03/08/01 5:00am)
After breaking up, forming multiple other bands, getting married and going back to school, The Blake Babies are at it again. \nMarch 2001 marks the reunion of one of the primary movers in Boston's college-indie rock scene years ago. After phone calls from drummer Freda Love and a bit of persuasion, vocalist Juliana Hatfield and guitarist John Strohm signed on for one more album. \nRecorded in 10 days at Bloomington's Echo Park Studios, God Bless the Blake Babies witnesses the growth of three kids who got swept up by the scene and the industry. With maturity and a bit of a slower sound, the three pieced together a solid album of 12 tracks. \nAll members contributed to the songwriting this time around, creating a mix of rhythms and styles. Cynicism and truth lend their voices to the album, along with vocals from all three Babies and Evan Dando. Also adding to the writing credits are Ben Lee and Billy Cote.\nNot afraid to express all emotions, The Blake Babies have songs that evoke joy, despair and anger. Peppering the mix are not too heavy rhythms and a still-youthful spirit.\nThe band's alterna pop sound rings from jangly guitars, light rhythms and Hatfield's raspy voice. \n"Until I Almost Died" creates a picture of sweet sonority. Hatfield's innocent sound is used to its peak on track five, with acoustic guitar and sweeping percussive rhythms in the background. \nEnding with the electric- and effects-driven "On," Hatfield sings with a youthful perturbedness. A little lower than the rest of the tracks, The Babies end with Another wasted breath/on everything I said/it's better in a song.\nLet's hope The Blake Babies keep the songs coming.
(03/01/01 5:00am)
Grey Larsen's and Paddy League's talents are not green by any means. The two join forces to unintentionally fight the battle against uneducated music in their newest release, The Green House.\nLarsen, a Bloomington resident, plays a sweet style of traditional music on the Irish flute, tin whistle, anglo concertina, harmonium (a type of reed organ), field organ and piano. League adds his own twist with the bodhran, a type of drum, and guitar. \nWith a musical history beginning at age 4, Larsen's musical abilities are steeped with tradition and experience. His technical abilities are evident in all instruments. His smooth and rhythmic woodwind melodies are coupled with a tight, precise knack for embellishment. Larsen's rich tone complements his technique. Although the flute and whistle are smaller and often airy instruments, Larsen's sound fills the tracks. \nLarsen's concertina and harmonium skills are no different. On the piano, he lends a solid background to the melody. On acoustic guitar, League adds an often soft and wistful tone to the ballads and laments, with clear and low-key picking. When he handles the bodhran, League creates a punctual rhythm fit for dancing. \nThe album's simplicity is its strong point. While the musicians are skillful in many instruments, they create an uncluttered sound. Extremely favorable are the tracks with Larsen on flute or whistle and League on bodhran. \nWhat makes Irish traditional music unique is its history, which these artists acknowledge well. The extensive liner notes document the background of each of the tunes and list the instruments featured. Tracks 13-15 feature Michael J. Kennedy, an Ireland native whose repertoire consisted entirely of the tunes he learned before he moved to the United States.\nThe Green House is as valuable historically as it is musically with Larsen and League playing with talent and tradition.
(03/01/01 5:00am)
Sock it to me -- three times. \nNot only does Johnny Socko put the fun into ska and rock, but the band has friends who do the same thing. Big Rock Sounds, a compilation from Indy's Triple R Records, creates an explosive mix of Socko, The Aurelians and Chris Coolidge that leaves no room for still feet. \nJohnny Socko starts it with two slaps on the drum kit and blaring horns. Funky beats, more energetic horns and rocking guitar continue on the songs. The vocalist has stories to tell of life as a musician, growing up with crazy dreams and girls. Put it in a blender and create the Socko shake-a-sound with enough beat to skank to.\nThe Aurelians offer up just as much rhythm with more guitars and no horns. Harmonious vocals layered on the dance-worthy guitar and quick percussion spin this sound. "Current Radio Pop Guy" is a great tune commenting on the sorry state of the money and mass market-driven world. In "Vandal" the group opens up with a mellow sound and interesting samples to weave a more lilting rock. With two other songs, The Aurelians have a strong mix of sound.\nChris Coolidge's voice ranges from cool smoothness to pop edged, spilling lyrics over a foundation of guitar and percussion-riddled rock. Smart lyrics delivered with a punch complement the rockingness of the sound; when the guitars throw down fast chords, the vocals give them words. \nThree bands combine on this album for a fitting match. Instead of a group of songs, Johnny Socko, The Aurelians and Chris Coolidge combine their work for one solid, rocking and socking album.
(03/01/01 5:00am)
At 58, Maceo Parker still has it going on. Spinning funk, R&B, jazz, rap and black-suit-and-tie style into an eclectic yet flowing mix, Dial Maceo is one CD that is worth the purchase. \nWith a touchtone telephone intro calling into the line Rabbits in the pea patch, catch 'em, catch 'em, the album opens with the same odd originality that is the foundation of the music.\nParker's wailing saxophone slides with energy and groove from the beginning to the end -- unless he is laying on the flute or vocals. Parker's music is the kind to dance to in a small club of black tie quality. The instrumentals suit Parker's carefree and intelligent attitude.\nVariety spices up the 12 tracks. After a spunky tune with jumping percussion, Parker easily glides into a smooth jazz romance compilation with Prince. After the sexy jazz, he moves onto a duskily chanted story of a "Black Widow," with an eerie flute backing. Next a funk track with a percussion intro, and so on.\nParker is not the only talent on the disc. Female backup vocals, including Ani DiFranco on "Coin Toss," and an amazing backup band give the album its base of spirit and spunk. The instrumentalists know how to toss the listeners up in an energetic funk and bring them back down to groove. This band has more than one trick up its suit-coat sleeve.\nWith the knowledge of age as his witness, Parker still puts a youthful vibe into his music. Using his interesting sense of humor and honest, talented musicianship, Parker has put out a more than quality album. Dial Maceo should be played on every speaker, everywhere. \nEven at frat parties.
(03/01/01 5:00am)
The Blake Babies are back. \nAfter a 10-year hiatus, vocalist Juliana Hatfield, guitarist John Strohm and drummer Freda Love are all grown up -- sort of. \nFormed in 1986, The Blake Babies broke out on the Boston music scene. Bloomington natives Strohm and his former girlfriend Love left home so Strohm could attend Berklee School of Music. The youthful pair met up with Hatfield, who must have caught their attention with her innocent, wispy voice. \nIt was instant chemistry. The trio made its name in "Boston's celebrated music scene," according to the band's biography, and did the independent, local club hopping-recording thing. Then The Blake Babies were blessed with the aspiring musician's miracle of miracles: They were discovered.\n"We were kind of an intense band, really in the sort of post-punk era," Love says. "We had really diverse influences, but we were listening to a lot of bands in common like X and the Replacements." \nThe Blake Babies also threw in some "anger, youthful exuberance and naivete."\nProducer Gary Smith of the Throwing Muses and the Pixies signed The Blake Babies to Mammoth Records, at which the band put out Earwig and Sunburn. After touring and enjoying the success of college radio, the band suffered some internal conflict, and the musicians went their separate ways.\nForward some years: Drummer Love sees Hatfield perform and remembers why The Blake Babies were a good thing. Some phone calling, persuasion ensues, and the trio decides to make another album. \nStrohm says the musicians' darkest fear is that fans would think the new album is just a weak attempt to rejuvenate their careers, although he doesn't feel that will be the sentiment. \nGod Bless The Blake Babies was recorded in 10 days at Echo Park studios in Bloomington. \n"I guess I didn't know what to expect," Love says. "We didn't have any rehearsal or really any preparation beforehand, so it kinda just unfolded really naturally."\nYet at the end, the band is happy. Without knowing whether it would even be able to create a new record, the musicians are glad to know the 12 tracks turned out well.\nStrohm says the sound had changed surprisingly little. Although it is more sad than angry, as he thought it would be, he feels the band fell into a familiar groove. His friends say, "Wow, this record really sounds like a Blake Babies record."\nBeginning this weekend at the Cellar Lounge, The Blake Babies will tour to support the new album, which will include a show in Boston and South by Southwest, a tremendous meet and greet for the music business, in Austin, Texas.\nThe new tour will also boast a new bass player, Daniel D. Johnston, a friend of Strohm's.\nAfter rehearsing for two days, the band will take the stage at the Cellar Lounge to what Strohm hopes is a good way to "ease in" to touring again. In contrast with the small bar setting, the March 9 Boston show will have a capacity of 1,200. \nSince the band's demise, the three have not been lacking in activities. Hatfield is pursuing a relatively successful solo career while Strohm and Love have been in various bands. Love plays in Mysteries of Life with her husband Jake Smith, instructs yoga, studies at IU and raises two children. Strohm is also married and attends school at the University of Alabama while pursuing various musical projects. \nStrohm says eventually he and Love both began to entertain the idea of doing something other than music for the rest of their lives. The ability to release an album and tour after the fact is "completely gravy."\nOne thought the band hasn't entertained yet is staying together after the tour. \n"Basically, we're just not really projecting ahead," Love says. "We're going to focus on promoting this record, playing the songs. Maybe if it goes well, we'll make another record. But honestly, we haven't talked about it at all. I think we just want to wait and see what it's like to be together again."\nThe Blake Babies will play Saturday at the Cellar Lounge, 123 S. Walnut St. God Bless The Blake Babies will be released Tuesday. For more tour dates and information, check out www.blakebabies.com.
(02/22/01 5:00am)
They are the dreamers of the dreams and the makers of the music.\nWith a sound somewhere between white Motown and '80s pop, You sashays to a unique beat. The band can rightfully claim the previous reference from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" it has seemed to adopt as a motto. The band's original sound, delivered with a smirk, is a refreshing addition to the Bloomington scene.\nFormed primarily in the summer of 1999, You is about the average age of a local band. Yet the group's drive and talent is anything but.\nBassist Peter Olson and vocalist--guitarist Nicholas Niespodziani played together in high school and joined up with vocalist Alyssa Finke, a junior, and guitarist--vocalist Matt Sonnicksen, a junior, at IU. Drummer Mark Cobb, a senior, and keyboardist Eric Bark came along later. The band started with some previously written songs and grew from there. \n"Writing songs isn't something you learn, really. It's just something that starts happening," says Niespodziani. "One day you try to write a song and it sounds like Blind Melon, and then the next day you write a song and it sounds like yourself."\nYou's music is definitely happening. The band has soul and professionalism, both traits hard to find in a developing band. Blowing Up, the band's first CD, is evident of this. It opens with an unplaceable sound; this form of pop isn't normally present in the local flavor of rock, funk and jazz. Yet after the first verse, it is easy to love. The same is true of the band's live shows.\nIn Alumni Hall last Friday, You played a free show with three other bands. But for their half hour, these musicians owned that stage. Their presence is near hypnotic, while their attitude is pure amusement.\nMembers of You cite sarcasm as the dynamic of the group. The lightheartedness goes in hand with the music. It is hard to be serious when you are a group of white college-age musicians playing music with some R&B roots.\nCobb compares the music to Beck's R&B influence.\n"He overplays ... his love for that music by exploiting it in his music, which ... is largely what our sound has come to," says Cobb. \nOlson says even if the music is serious, the band doesn't play it seriously. There are cohesive ideas behind the songs. \nGimmicks are another of the band's unique ideas. You takes a different spin on cover songs, for instance playing Michael Jackson's Thriller album last fall at the City Grille. \n"We thought it was an opportunity to play a cover gig and maintain some integrity and some dignity and originality," Niespodziani says, "which are three things that are lacking in many groups that chose to play covers."\nIt is hard to be taken seriously as an original band, says Cobb. People want to hear covers now, and You feels that people haven't quite warmed up to the band yet.\nYou's top five influences are D'Angelo, the Beastie Boys, the Beatles, Joe Satriani and Yanni. With such an eclectic background to You's lighthearted attitude and solid talent, it's easy to see why the band can make everything from R&B flavored tunes to bubblegum pop sound awesome.\nYet the sound is sometimes hard to promote. It's difficult to get seen, the band says, when there is a small amount of live music venues. A band has to move out of this town to make it, says Cobb.\nAnd You will do that. Maybe not yet, but eventually the group will try to get out of the college scene. The band wants to go all the way. Olson says, with a smile, that the band wants to be on VH1's "Behind the Music" and parodied by Weird Al Yankovic.\nYou is a pop group with talent. There isn't any more to say. You need this music.\nYou will play Friday at the Vertigo, 107 N. Ninth St.; March 2, April 13 and April 21 at Kilroy's Sports Bar, 319 N. Walnut St.
(02/22/01 5:00am)
Flame burns with passion and a fitting mix of guitars, violin, drums and lilting vocals. The Mary Janes' second release is more than just smoke.\nFourteen tracks spin the story of life, love and independence from a woman's perspective. Yet the album does not succumb to the obnoxious, overly feminist tendencies of many folksy female musicians. Janas Hoyt's songs are truthful and clear. The lyrics are sung with confidence but not an attitude. \nHoyt's voice oscillates between comfort and conflict. One moment it wraps the listener in soul, the next it pierces with anguish. \nThe Mary Janes' instrumentals complement Hoyt in every way. With the inclusion of steel and slide guitars, violin and viola to the normal setup, Flame is unique. These typically country instruments are thrown in without the twang. \nViolinist Heather Craig and violinist/violist Kathy Kolata are two of the best aspects of Flame. These stringed excursions are one of the album's main sources of heat. They take beautiful instruments and give them spirit while creating a swaying sound. \nOpening track "Junie Moon" is insightful and sung with a mild smile. With the lines Morning Comes/To those who wait, Hoyt and the band start the CD with a knowing hope that doesn't let down.\nThis Bloomington-based band has created a worthy collection of acoustic tunes that deserves a listen. Flame is no sophomoric letdown.
(02/22/01 5:00am)
Noms: R&B performance by duo/group with vocal, R&B song, record of the year and song of year\nThis has been the year of pop. With the emergence of multiple boy bands and blond girls trying to sing, one group tried to maintain the R&B tradition and a little more sophistication. Destiny\'s Child released The Writing\'s on the Wall and didn\'t have to wait to create a fan base. It just sprouted. Everywhere little girls could be heard singing \"Say my Name,\" and every high school dance featured the track. Apparently, someone took notice. \"Say My Name\" is up for best R&B performance by duo or group with vocals, best R&B song, record of the year and song of year. Look for more girls to be dancing around the house come award time. Destiny\'s Child sings of relationships, cheating, parties and cheating in relationships. Yet they do it with sultry voices and attractive rhythms. Look for at least one award to go to these ladies. \n-Jessica Halverson
(02/15/01 5:00am)
Smashing Pumpkins. Soundgarden. White Zombie. Cadmium Orange. Ole Tu Madre. It was fun in the beginning, but the sound became tainted with dispute. Music gave way to personal and conceptual differences. Whatever the means, the end is the same.\nBands break up.\nOle Tu Madre had its share of crescendos and decrescendos in the band's three-year history. Yet the band differs from the breakups of recent acclaim: Musicians in OTM had a bit of independence within its structure. In the format of a jazz combo, cohesion gives way to cooperation.\nAs some of the ex-members of OTM say, rock bands operate within a tight structure, rehearsing, writing and performing with the same group. Jazz musicians swing from combo to combo, rehearsing with some of the same people but mostly rehearsing on their own.\nWhile typical bands develop sets and songs before showtime, the lifeblood of jazz is improvisation. Hence, jazz musicians have some arranged compositions but can also read a sheet of only chords to create myriad melodies and solos. \nThis independence brought together six musical spirits with different ambitions. As former saxophonist and senior Rahsaan Barber says, to make it work, it took the "ability to conglomerate" six different influences into one sound. \nAt first, it was fun. The original group came together with the inspired desire of trumpeter and senior Diego Merino, who pursued the combo idea during his freshman fall semester. Merino paired up with bassist and senior Tom Warburton, trumpeter Ben Hempel, original saxophonist and senior Armando Perez, pianist Dan Siller and drummer Ryan Fitch, now of Danagas. After Fitch moved on, OTM settled on sophomore Justin Shaw. After Siller left, guitarist and senior Jeff Litman took over.\nWarburton describes OTM's original sound as experimental. These musicians were playing music that was not what the music school's jazz faculty favored, the bassist says.\nJazz students at IU are some of the best among their peers throughout the nation, if not the world. Their talent and continual growth takes root in different forms of sound. Latin, bop, contemporary -- individual musicians tend to have different leanings within the same genre. At the same time, being students, the musicians' development grows at different rates. \nThese variables, as Litman says, can show on the bandstand. When they are pulled together, the sound is favorable. When they are not, the difference the musicians hear is glaring. \nLitman says jazz is often described as a conversation. With OTM, he continues, it eventually turned into an argument.\nWhile many of the members agree that OTM was, in a way, lead by Merino, they also say the decision-making process was a democracy. Multiple members composed tunes, and everyone contributed ideas. \nFor Perez, dropping out of the band was a "big step." He cited going from practicing and gigging nearly every week to not as often as one of the main changes. \nThis weekly action was seemingly another factor to the combo's demise. \n"College in general is a time drainer," Barber says. For music students, rehearsal, recitals, classes and various musical excursions around town add to the list. Barber compared the time requirements for OTM to those of taking another three-hour class. \nWhat now?\nAll of the interviewed musicians are working on new projects. Merino says now he is working in a group that allows him to concentrate on the intricacies of the music, such as how the angle of the drummer's wrist relates to the bassist's strumming method. \nPerez and Litman have been playing with other musicians and practicing on their own. Barber plays both in the Latin band Alma Azul and the Barber Brother's Quintet. \nThe musicians still play together occasionally. Merino, Litman and Shaw live in the same house. \nThe effect on the members has not been detrimental. Perez, Litman, Barber and Warburton reflect on OTM with a bit of fondness. Barber says there is no tension among the former members. \nThere seems to be no fallout necessary to end years of effort. Sometimes, bands just break up.
(02/08/01 5:00am)
Original music, the breath and bane of many amateur musicians, works to the benefit of Blue Moon Revue. With a blend of constant collaboration, creation and some covers -- not to mention more than a sprinkle of musical aptitude -- Blue Moon Revue swirls its sound into an unmistakable blend.\n"We are very dedicated to the music ... more so than the public view of musicians' lifestyle," says keyboardist Drew Scalerio. \nNearly 2 years old and with 12-15 hours of practice a week, Blue Moon Revue has built a structure for advancement. These musicians concentrate on growth and quality, not settling for less than the potential they believe they have. Ultimately, they will be musicians. Perhaps they won't be together and will have to take day jobs, but these students will be playing music. They came to IU with the idea of forming a band.\nAlong with Scalerio, the band includes senior David Sullivan on lead guitar and sophomores Matt Marshall on vocals and rhythm guitar, Andy Salge on vocals and bass, Dan Hirons on drums and Matt Frick on percussion and banjo.\nWith roots in "rock, funk and soul," says bassist Salge, the musicians all come from different backgrounds. Salge claims it comes out it different ways.\n"We're trying to do cool music with ... a pop edge that relate to everybody," says Salge. "Writing songs that relate to people is the most important thing."\nScalerio and Salge say Blue Moon Revue feels the people who go to a show will leave happy. Although they have critics just as every band does and aren't at the top of the Bloomington "charts," they hope the diverse background and honesty of the music appeals to every different type of person.\nBlue Moon Revue is a true band, not a musician with a backing setup. There is no leader of the group, and the members work together with ideas. Four of the six members live in the same house. Blue Moon Revue tries to expand this friendliness to other local bands, looking to create a tight-knit scene instead of an area for competition. \nAt the house, Blue Moon Revue self-recorded its first CD, 1108 Sessions, in the fall of 1999. Recorded after the band was together for about five months, the album is an exercise in successful amateurism. Although only a burned copy, the disc is quality with a mix of groove and soul. The song "Streetlight" was even chosen for the upcoming Live From Bloomington. Although satisfied with their product, these musicians are ready to put out something new.\nAfter gaining experience and fusing as a band, Blue Moon Revue is in the studio again, this time a professional one.\n"We're going to be slowly doing songs, taking weekends to work on one song," says Salge. "We have no idea how long it's really going to take." Salge also says they plan on taking time off from recording to practice more and play some shows.\nAs for being selected for Live From Bloomington, the band was pleased. Salge says it is nice to receive recognition for working so hard. He predicts being featured will also help get the band's name around.\nThe group hopes the release will promote Blue Moon Revue's performances. Salge believes it is hard for local bands that concentrate on original music to fit into the scene, although possible as Danagas has shown. Many of the local venues host cover bands, and while the group enjoys playing covers, it's not the band's concentration. While playing covers can make the band better, its heart seems to be in its own songs.\nThis honesty is Blue Moon Revue's strength. It gives the band life and potential. While practicing, Salge and Scalerio say they feel they realize only one-forth of their ideas. With the Blue Moon Revue's talent, intuition and dedication, I would have to agree with what Salge says while discussing the band's future.\n"We're going on forever."\nBlue Moon Revue will play Friday at the Cellar Lounge, 123 S. Walnut St.; Feb. 17 at Kilroy's Sports, 319 N. Walnut St.; March 2 at Uncle Fester's, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave. and April 21 at Calm Fest.
(02/01/01 5:00am)
Folk is not dead.\nJust ask Grey Larsen, local keeper of the Irish and folk music flame. After studying classical music at Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin University in Oberlin, Ohio, Larsen discovered that folk was his true calling.\nAlthough he earned a degree in composition, something he had been doing since the age of 12, Larsen couldn't find classical music completely satisfying. \n"You'd work for six weeks, hear the thing played once," says Larsen of his experience at Oberlin. He felt classical music was feeding his mind, but not his heart. This is where the friendlier atmosphere of folk music comes in. \nClassical music was too lonely, with composing an activity in solitude. Folk music thrives on participation, through jam sessions and learning by ear. A folk musician with a decent amount of experience can take his instrument to a jam session in Ireland or Bloomington, sit down and play. Classical musicians have to rely more on scores and set rehearsals.\n The local folk/Irish music scene features musicians from under 10 to over 60. There are two folk music jams free and open to the public locally. On the first and third Friday of each month at Borders Books and Music, 2634 E. Third St., from about 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Larsen hosts a jam session. New musicians are invited to attend the slow sessions at the Banneker Community Center, 930 W. 7th St, from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays. These sessions feature traditional tunes at a slower pace so that they are easier to pick up by ear. \nAlthough not as structured as classical music, Larsen says folk music maintains sophistication. Complexity comes through its melodies and embellishment. Top folk musicians take a simple two strain melody and add embellishment and style to make it their own. Larsen says he finds all the depth he wants in Irish music.\nLarsen's Irish instrument of choice is usually the traditional flute or pennywhistle, although he also plays concertina, fiddle, cello and guitar. As a pianist, Larsen first picked out the melody to "Home on the Range" at age 3. Music has been his way of life. \n"I washed dishes for two weeks one time," Larsen says of his work experience. Otherwise he has been teaching, recording, performing, editing and producing music since graduation. With a 43-year musical history, Larsen has an extensive resume.\nHe has both performed on and produced a number of albums, and is esteemed worldwide. Larsen also developed his own teaching style, which is under a steady demand that justifies his $40 per 50 minutes charge. Growing up with classical and folk music in the house, this somewhat alternative musicianship came naturally to Larsen. He always dreamed of a life in music and came into the folk tradition as a teenager.\nLarsen's true love is Irish music. Lately, the pop market has tasted a variance of this love in the "Titanic" soundtrack and "Riverdance", yet not purely. The Celtic music that has emerged in the broader markets recently, Larsen says, can be divided into seven different traditions, Irish being one. Also apparent is the effect of folk music on modern rock, such as John Mellencamp employing a fiddler. \nFor the Bloomington audience, Larsen says he figures there are about 40 folk musicians in the area, with about six or seven he considers "world-class."\nOn a personal front, 2001 features the birth of two musical projects for Larsen. March brings the release of Larsen's newest album, The Green House, a collaboration with musician Paddy League. Larsen and League will have a CD release party March 8, at the Unitarian Church, 2120 N. Fee Ln., of the self-produced project. Also that week, the duo will perform March 6 at Borders. Larsen will also lecture and perform prior to "Translations", a play at the IU Theatre, March 7. After the release, the CD will be available at most local music stores.\nThis spring also brings the release of a book delving into the intricacies of whistle and flute-playing by Larsen, published by Mel Bay. With his experience and love of the tunes, it is easy to say Grey Larsen is a local musical treasure, who keeps the spirit alive.
(02/01/01 5:00am)
Sweetness with a bit of bite, the Honeydogs are true to their name. Finding their place in modern rock, these musicians introduce a new twist to the accepted sound. With Beck-like instrumentals and vocals reminiscent of Tom Petty, Here's Luck stirs a variety of elements into a satisfying brew for the serious and recreational listener alike. Lyrically and sonically, the Honeydogs offer pop effects and time for contemplation.\nBeyond the normal guitar, bass and drum-fueled rock of the day, Here's Luck propels its sound with keyboards, piano and occasional strings. Enlivening the sound, the additional instruments add a subtle depth to the songs.\nVariety plays a part in the varying levels of somberness attributed to each song. "Sour Grapes" rings with a positively pop-cheerful chorus while saying, "Yeah it's lonely at the bottom/it takes everything I got from sinking like a stone." Other tracks are both story-like and reflective.\nAnother accent is "Freakshow," a song that spins a web about the freaks at the fair. Starting out with "I saw the Abominable snowman at fair," the song catches one's attention with carnival sounds in the background. \nThe strength of the album is the lyrics. Music supports the worldly poetry. Both come together to create a filling sound. Here's Luck employs both the power of acoustic and electric guitars for a variation on energy. Tempo and musicality is nothing outrageous, but it fits into the quality spectrum of the alternative stereotype. It's the kind of sound that can express the cold-heartedness of the world with indifference. \nThe Honeydogs have struck what they set out for. Here's luck for the modern rock world.
(01/25/01 5:00am)
They have a dream. \nAs is the aim of many unsigned musicians, Mode St. wants to play for a living. After three years of ups and downs in the tumultuous world of bar hopping, rehearsals and demos, the musicians of Mode St. hope that their first professional, original CD will open some doors.\nAnd they love playing cover songs.\n"You learn a lot about writing songs, about playing songs ... how songs should feel," says lead vocalist and guitarist Nick Estes. Drummer John Gray adds that if it worked for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, it is good enough for Mode St.\nIndividuality can even be obtained in covers, as has been shown by Rage Against the Machine, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. Keyboardist Bill Walters, a senior, says he hasn't heard other bands cover the songs they do, which at Jammin' on Walnut included one by Geggy Tah. \nIt has been debated among musicians whether the bar scene is detrimental to local music. Bars typically require a set with many cover songs, and bar patrons are usually more concerned with having fun than listening to music. Some musicians feel they should be able to play their own material, and they appreciate audiences who come to hear the music. Mode St. insists that bars play an integral part in the local scene.\nWalters says the band members are fans of music, theirs or otherwise. Playing is the important part. \nYet Mode St. is not just another cover band. One of the group's original tracks, "A Bar Scene," off Write it Down, will appear on the Live From Bloomington CD this spring. Last year the band received another local promotional boost after winning the battle of the bands at Kilroy's.\n"Its not just the bar hoppers, necessarily, that we like to get to be our fans, but also true music lovers ... people that really analyze and listen to music," says Walters. \nPunching the local band timecard, Mode St. has played most Bloomington venues and a few around the region. Locally, the band's favorite is The Bluebird. \n"There's still ... a poster in the Bluebird with one of my parent's bands on there," says bassist Sam Sturbdum. "So I'm a second generation Bluebird musician, which is kind of funny." Sturbdum's parents have been in various bands in the past, and he started helping out as soon as he was old enough to carry an amp. \nWalters initially was forced to take piano lessons as a child, later switching to something he considers more fun, the keyboard. Estes grew up listening to music and playing on his dad's guitars while Gray picked up percussion through school. \nMode St. draws influences from many sources including Martin Medeski and Wood, the Rolling Stones, Hendrix and Ben Folds Five.\nAs far as shows go, the band enjoys the exchange between audience and band, but that is not all that matters. \n"My favorite point is when the four of us totally click," says Sturbdum. "The times we are all right in sync and everything's perfect, it doesn't matter to me sometimes if there is anybody in the audience or not, if we're playing good stuff and we know it ... it's so much fun." \nSo even without a large crowd, the guys can be happy. Estes also presented the point that often you have to build a crowd and can't expect people to just show up. \nMode St. will be throwing a CD release party tonight at the Cellar Lounge, 123 S. Walnut St. With 10 tracks of a feel-good, multifaceted sound, Write it Down will soon be available in local stores.\nAs for making it?\n"It'd be like winning the lottery twice," says Sturbdum. \nMode St. will play Friday at Uncle Fester's, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave.; Feb. 22 at Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St.; March 3 at Uncle Fester's; March 22 at Kilroy's Sports, 319 N. Walnut St.; and April 5 as part of Live From Bloomington. Write it Down will soon be available at Tracks, 415 E. Kirkwood Ave; 4:20, 107 N. Dunn St.; and the Den, 514 E. Kirkwood Ave.
(01/25/01 5:00am)
Write It Down is coming into the world with a celebration, and rightfully so. Tonight at the Cellar Lounge, 123 S. Walnut St., Mode St. is having a CD release party for the birth of its first professional album. These 10 songs are worth every candle on the cake.\nWith three of the members Bloomington natives and the other thoroughly immersed in the local music scene, the band has created an album that can proudly wave the Bloomington music flag.\nUsing drums, bass and guitar, Mode St. also throws in a keyboard for a bit of four-piece uniqueness. Adding a sprinkle of effects processors, the sound is mellow with a few twists and turns. \nStraying from the negativity trend of the last decade, the attitude portrayed by this CD is more that of Phish or other happy-go-lucky bands. Not that Mode St. lacks seriousness, as the songs address some serious topics. But it does so with a more colorful texture.\nOne standout track is "A Bar Scene." Beginning with a jaunty piano intro, it tells the story of a musician trying to decide what to do with his life with a rolling lyrical pattern. \n"All I wanna do is to write a song or two and than sing until I die, all right all right," says the musician while seeking advice from the bartender. \nContinuing, the CD attests to its instrumental value with solos of both structure and free-flowing style. In "Boy," the band even adds a bit of an acoustic-farm fresh country sound.\nOverall, the guitar and bass pair up in switching between funk, rock and whatever else might find its way stringwise. The keyboards solidify Mode St.'s sound while also lending themselves to occasional organ and synthesized tendencies. Peculating under the melodies, the drums add natural-sounding rock rhythms. And above the layers, the vocals finish the CD with both strong lead melodies and elusive harmonies. \nIn the genre game, the CD could be filed as funk fueled rock with jam-band tendencies. Filed under music, it could be considered worth prominence locally, and possible airwaves material. Otherwise, one could just call it good.
(01/25/01 5:00am)
You has proved the impossible possible. There is such a thing as white, 1980s Motown. Blowing Up is a work of warm, melodic art. This seven-song EP, born in Bloomington, adds an air of sultry freshness to the local scene. With a varied vocal and instrumental scheme, You allows the listener to relax without the boredom of repetition. Reminiscent of the 1960s classics, You layers keyboards, guitars, percussion, bass and multiple vocals with grace and style.\n Starting out with a fast-paced synthesized sound, the first track soon dips into mild-mannered vocals dripping like the Bee Gees. The five musicians progress into rock guitar work, funk bass lines, lightly bouncing percussion and more Motown sounds. Track two, "Princess Bride," takes the spotlight. Keyboards and the perfect bass line open the sonic door to the dream world of a man in love. Four-part vocal harmonies top off the instrumental mix. Think modern college guys meet the Four Tops. \nOne of Blowing Up's strengths is its broad appeal. It's energetic and smart enough for most 20-year-olds and mellow enough for their parents. With much of the lyrics dealing with relationships, the songs are relative to those who have been rejected and accepted in love. \nEnding with happy-sounding female vocals, the EP concludes with even more diversity. Like a good mix tape, Blowing Up is an exercise in balance. The trick to song arrangement is to not lose the listeners' interest. With its mix of multi-part vocals, various guitar styles and a sweet sound, You does just that. This is the CD to roll down the windows and sing along to. Blowing Up is 27 minutes of summer in January.\nYou will hold a CD release party tomorrow at Kilroy's Sports, 319 N. Walnut St.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
Blue Moon Revue plays the sort of music that would make you smile. The kind you listen to when you want to quell your rage after an argument. The music you would want to hear Friday afternoon after getting out of your last class. Self-recorded and produced, the band's first release, 1108 Sessions, is just that sort of CD.\nIt isn't remarkable. It isn't earth-shattering. But 1108 Sessions is good music with a groove and a warmth. A local band that can be seen at various Bloomington venues, Blue Moon Revue flows from one funk/jazz/soul-based melody to another through seven tracks.\nStarting with a quick scat sound, "Butterfly" leads this energetic fluid attack on the ears. With various crescendos and decrescendos, tracks two through seven follow precedent with a summary sound.\nTwo guitarists, a bassist, drummer, percussionist and keyboardist come together for this album, combining talent with a mellow smirk toward the new wave of pop, rap and heavy music of the day. \nOne of this album's strengths is the smooth, lilting quality of the vocals and guitars. With varying degrees of funk/jazz/soul style coolness, the band gets its message and music across in a subtle way. \nVocalist Matthew Marshall's raspy lyrics depict the stories of life with a positive and reflective outlook, which is uplifting to hear after dealing with the shallowness and negativity hitting the airwaves during 2000.\nWith a head nodding sound, the guitarists pull at the strings with rhythm that bounces off the percussion while the keyboardist adds a little harmony underneath. In "Moth" and "Throw Away the Time," the guitars come out of their amplified shell with a rolling acoustic sound. Throughout the album the musicians trade a few solos with grace from a blues-derived guitar lick to a percussive hand beat.\nAll in all this is a worthy possession. On the days when you can't find something right with the world, press play. Blue Moon Revue has achieved a simple wonder: an album with quality. \nBlue Moon Revue is heading to the studio this month. Look for a new album this spring.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
Here is an exercise in alterna-sounding adolescent rock. Labeled as "within the post-math/emo/hard core stratosphere," i can't hear you is nine tracks of adolescent angst with a predictable sound.\nAdopting the classic four-piece setup, bellwether features the talents of dual guitars and vocals, a bassist and drummer. Tried and true, bellwether's use of a four-piece is an essential element of realistic rock, the type of music that has youthful truth and emotion.\nThe album emits a rawness in its music. What i can't hear you lacks is a unique style. Bellwether plays solid, original songs yet lacks innovation. \nDo not be mistaken, bellwether carries out its music with energy and precision. The guitar and drum work is complete and fitting. The vocals tell the story of a frustrated late teens-early 20s boy's struggles with relationships and self-realization. Every element of the band conveys this.\nPerhaps that is what is striking about the album. It fits so perfectly with the frustrating and dismal side of adolescent life no one wants to be reminded of. It is the album all teenage rock fans had playing in their heads when they decided their life sucked.\nThere are no stand out tracks, rather i can't hear you flows between every quiet progression and distorted chorus. Including the occasional raspy scream from the lead singer, the album sounds like one 38-minute, always-changing song.\nAlthough unremarkable, i can't hear you is worth a listen. Recorded at Bloomington-based Farm Fresh Studios, bellwether delivers its truth with local roots. \n"I can't understand," a line in the song "squid," sums up the feeling of the CD. Bellwether plays to disillusion and confusion with every sound.
(01/18/01 5:00am)
Play it Jasha, as they say. Or play it Indiana Trip Factory. The first of three (so far) live recordings, The City Grille is a moment in musician and audience synergy.\nAlthough without the dull crowd roar of many professional live recordings, the same energy is present. This recording drips with, "yea, I was there" emotion. Unless one was there or has this record, chances are the same music won't be heard again. \nOne of the great things about live recordings is the capturing of a moment. What makes a live recording of ITF even better is that these moments are what the band thrives on. You can almost picture a few devoted fans swaying their heads to the songs in a dimly lit room while ITF plays.\nThere should be no confusion about the quality of this CD. It is a home produced recording of the band. It's low budget and low cost to the local consumer. But it doesn't sacrifice value. With the lack of packaging and promotions comes the authenticity of a real band playing right here in town.\nWith a mix of faster funky songs and slower jazz derived rhythms, ITF provides a musical portrait of musicians with a varied sonic background.\nIn particular, this album is just fun. Beginning with a song about a wizard named Bickley and following it up with a song that has "dobedeedoo" in the chorus gives the CD an early-Friday-night feel. Along with the fun, ITF includes other deeper tunes. Lyrically, ITF mixes it up with meaning and storytelling. \nPaying it's "I'm-a-live-recording' dues, The City Grille has its share of improvisation. From guitar effects to hand-slapping bass lines, an instrumental meeting of the strings and sticks runs rampant through the recording. Although the vocals are good, thankfully they aren't dominating. The main attraction of the CD is the instrumentals.\nA chord ain't no arpeggio, and as shown by the Indiana Trip Factory, local music is not a waste of time.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
Think of it as the only good consolation prize.\n With the departure of lead vocalist Zach de la Rocha a few short months ago, Rage fans were left with less fire in their lives. Renegades perhaps eased their pain. It is not only a quality album, but also a testament to the sure-to-be-lasting influence of the original Rage setup.\n Creating an album of solely covers is not an original idea. Creating an album of covers that sound as if they were their own is. Rage took an eclectic collection of songs and turned them into a record of the band's ferocity and unique sounds.\n From Devo to the Rolling Stones to EPMD, Renegades is not lacking for a selection of high caliber sound to choose from.\nExploding out of the Robert Indiana-inspired cover art, the co-conspirators open up with Tom Morello's prowess in "Microphone Fiend" by Eric B. and Rakim. From the first roaring guitar lick on, the energy level never drops.\n Following Rage tradition, the songs have a mostly political influence. These renegades have something to say and chose songs that fit with their rebellious and soul-searching tendencies. For years musicians have used their art as a tool to influence people and politics. Rage is preserving this tradition in its first sense, taking old songs and giving them new life.\n To really appreciate the artistry of the album beyond the natural Rage musicality, one needs to hear the originals. Imagine Bob Dylan's raspy voice and the mellower sounds of Maggie's Farm transformed into de la Rocha's fiery vocals and loud electric pulses.\n Also included is an alternate version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad," a Bruce Springsteen cover previously released as a single a few years ago. One bonus to the first pressing of the CD is the live\nrecordings of two tracks, "Kick out the Jams," originally by MC 5, and "How I Could Just Kill a Man," complete with help from Cypress Hill. Take it as the last blast from the loudest politically bent group of the day.\n In the end, all I'm saying, ain't no question who the band is.
(01/11/01 5:00am)
Welcome to your new local music column. No more shall the IDS be lacking in local music coverage! No more shall you be wondering, "Who is that band?"\n The goal is to unravel the myth of local music. It is an elusive but universal truth that Bloomington is home to a solid music scene. We have jazz, we have rock, we have funk, we have blues. We have venues and we have festivals. Now we have a way to make the music more accessible.\n Here is the place to find out not only what the musicians do, but why. Not only where, but how. The stories behind the music.\n Another lesser known feature of the local music scene is its diversity. Yes, you know about Danagas and Rich Hardesty. But did you know there is an active folk music following in Bloomington? Biweekly at Barnes and Noble, folk and Celtic musicians gather to procure traditional music in jam sessions, free and open to the public. \n Have you heard about the regular shows at Secret Sailor? Not only does the obscure bookstore feature many Bloomington area and regional acts, but the venue is open to all ages, a hard to find and valuable commodity for the younger music fan. \n Local music is not just the bands you see playing the bars around town. The scene includes every fan and musician no matter how eclectic his or her taste or talent might be. \n I welcome and encourage all comments and suggestions, good or bad. Know of an underrated local talent? Tell me. Hate last week's column? Yell at me. The column is for musicians and music lovers. It is for you.\n Welcome to Bloomington\'s new source for local music info. Welcome to Eight Tracks.
