Archive for April, 2007
IMN OnTrack: TremFu
No tag for this post. No commentsIMN OnTrack: TremFu
Story by Ryan Williams -April 28th @ The Melody Inn
Listen: http://tinyurl.com/35ns7a
IMN OnTrack takes a closer look at one track a local artist has put on the web for your perusal, and give you a little history behind the music as well. We’re timing this look to coincide with that artist’s performance in the coming week, but our real goal is to get local music on your computer or portable media player. Think of this like the musical equivalent of a food court sample.
Tremendous Fucking (or TremFu, for the meek who probably shouldn’t be listening to Tremendous Fucking anyway), are a little slice of hardcore punk heaven emanating from Bloomington, IN. Their music features off-kilter guitar riffs, a throbbing rhythm section, scream (ah, the screaming), and a wicked sense of humor.
They’ve released two albums on Higher Step records - 2004’s “How’s My Fucking?” and 2005’s “Thanks For Nothin’.” They’ve also responsible for one of the best band stickers in modern history - seek it out and revel in its goodness.
In the meantime, check out “You’d Be So Much Cooler As A Zombie.” Additional tracks from this band are available at Musical Family Tree or at the band’s website.
– Related Link: http://tremfu.com
RJD2, Busdriver and Happy Chichester
Tags: and Happy Chichester, Busdriver, RJD2EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: RJD2, Busdriver and Happy Chichester
Story by David Searle and Ryan Williams -April 23rd @ Birdy’s
Ryan sez:
I arrived shortly into Happy Chichester’s abbreviated set. On the surface, Chichester might seem out of place on this bill, given that his solo material tends towards acoustic-guitar-and-piano-based singer/songwriter material. He’s got a rich history of groove-oriented music, though, in his work with the Royal Crescent Mob and Howlin’ Maggie (whose song “Easy To Be Stupid” he reached back to cover). Monday night found him in great voice, and he delivered a solid set. However, it just didn’t seem like his audience. His performance won a few crowd members over, but they were clearly waiting for the opening act. Their loss. He’d get another chance to impress as part of RJD2’s backing band.Busdriver was up next, backed only by one man playing a drum machine and sampler in real time. It was near the end of the tour for Busdriver, and you can tell there was a little weariness in his interaction with the crowd. The music, however, betrayed no signs of fatigue. His manic delivery crossed up influences from reggae-style toasting to progressive rock vocals, and he made frequent use of extreme vocal effects to layer new sounds onto the already-full backing tracks. Busdriver’s energy seemed to perk the crowd up a bit, and a few more people filtered into Birdy’s main room.At this point, I turn the review over to the capable hands of David Searle.Dave sez:
In the hip-hop DJ world, RJD2 is something of a superhero. He is on the short list of DJs who can produce great albums without the assistance of any MCs. In this regard, DJ Shadow is his only clear-cut superior.
So why in the world did Rj hang up his Spidey suit to pick up a guitar? Why did Ramble John “RJ” Krohn pull a Moby?
It sure beats me. He performed the majority of his set at Birdy’s with a mic, a guitar, and a backup band. The band ranged from meandering post-rock to hookless blue-eyed soul exercises. The crowd (which was whipped up into a confused frenzy by the incomparable performance of opening act Busdriver) mostly stood motionless, waiting for songs to end and politely clapping for a man they once believed in.
The show started to get on track a bit when Rj acknowledged the elephant in the room by kicking the band offstage (they gamely flirted with the locals) while getting behind the wheels of steel. He might have been better served starting the show behind the DJ riser instead of waiting until the middle of the set. The air had been sucked out and it was going to be hard to get back. He tried to pump it back up with “Ghostwriter,” but stopped the song short after the first climax. The tension between the first peak and the second of “Ghostwriter” is the finest work Rj has ever done; not sure why he enjoys breaking it up live. The crowd was just getting warmed up, but cooled as soon as the tables stopped turning.
The band returned later for more clunkers, and the crowd immediately regretted the decision.
I’m guessing that Rj’s thought process went something like this: “Everyone likes all these instrumental tracks I produce with my turntables. Why wouldn’t they like live instruments with the added element of vocals? That’s even better, right?” What he is missing is the importance that technical skill plays in his appeal - the way he crafts the sounds, the ability to handle four record players at once, the showmanship involved in balancing all these different machines that, if left unattended, would only create chaos; it is genuinely exciting. It’s like musical spinning plates. And while the songs are terrific, we need this high wire act to truly blow our minds.
While competent, the band did not possess the ability to blow anybody away. And when left alone and naked on the stage, the music just wasn’t enough.
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IMN OnTrack: The Katie Trotta Band
No tag for this post. No commentsIMN OnTrack: The Katie Trotta Band
Story by Ryan Williams -April 19th @ The Artsgarden and Birdy’s
Listen: http://tinyurl.com/yuses7
IMN OnTrack takes a closer look at one track a local artist has put on the web for your perusal, and give you a little history behind the music as well. We’re timing this look to coincide with that artist’s performance in the coming week, but our real goal is to get local music on your computer or portable media player. Think of this like the musical equivalent of a food court sample.
You’ve probably seen Katie Trotta around Indianapolis in one form or another over the past few years. When she first started performing, she focused on the coffeehouse venues for a couple of reasons - her spare, emotive piano-based songs were tailor-made for that environment, and she wasn’t quite old enough to make it into the bar circuit. She released a solo album in 2004 and began performing around the country. Later, she put together a band (featuring her collaborator and engineer at The Lodge Corey Miller on guitar) to flesh out her songs and expand the scope of her performances. That was the focus of her musical career until just recently.
“As a band we have played regionally and enjoyed our time together but I have an exciting opportunity that I can’t pass up. I’m moving to Boston to begin school in May at Berklee College of Music. I just found out a couple of weeks ago that I had been accepted and that two scholarships came through, so this is all happening pretty fast. Corey Miller, Terry Voss and Tim Plunkett have been just amazing and taught me so much as we’ve grown as a band. Leaving them is not going to be easy.”
They’re saying farewell with two shows this Thursday. The all-ages portion takes place at noon at the Artsgarden downtown, and there’s a show at Birdy’s later that evening. For a preview of the farewell shows, take a listen to “Higher.”
– Related Link: http://katietrotta.com
Slide Hampton
No tag for this post. No commentsEXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Slide Hampton
Story by Mina Keohane -April 19th - 21st @ Jazz KitchenTonight Slide Hampton returns to Indianapolis for a very special occasion. The Jazz Kitchen will be hosting a three night concert series celebrating Slide’s 75th birthday. He will be showcasing a different project each night. Friday will highlight Slide Hampton’s much celebrated “World of Trombones,” and will feature Steve Davis and Phil Ranelin. Saturday Slide will present a project he began in 2001 as a tribute to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. He had written twelve new arrangements and recorded them with some of Brazil’s finest musicians. Jabacule will be performing with Slide on Saturday and will feature vocalist Fabiana Masili. On Sunday Slide will be performing with the Steve Allee Big Band presenting Slide’s Grammy-winning arrangements, originally written for the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band.
With a decade-spanning career playing with the heaviest of the heavies including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Max Roach, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Maynard Ferguson and many more, it’s nice to know that he’s celebrating his 75th Birthday right back home where he started. Jazz Kitchen owner Dave Allee said of the event, “As an establishment, we are extremely honored that we were chosen by Slide to help present his 75th birthday. It’s the most historic concert we’ve put on since the J.J Johnson show. Anyone who considers themselves a true jazz fan should come out and see this.”The Jazz Kitchen is located at 5377 N. College Ave (on the corner of 54th and College.) Show times are Friday April 20th & Saturday April 21st are 8:00pm & 10:30pm. Tickets for those shows are $30 each. Show times for Sunday April 22nd are 6:00pm & 8:30pm for $35. There is a package deal where $80 gets you in for all three nights. For more information or to make reservations call 317.253.4900 or go to www.thejazzkitchen.com.
– Mina Keohane– Related Link: http://slidehampton.com
IMN OnTrack: Brandon Meeks Quartet
No tag for this post. No commentsIMN OnTrack: Brandon Meeks Quartet
Story by Ryan WilliamsApril 13th @ The Chatterbox
IMN OnTrack takes a closer look at one track a local artist has put on the web for your perusal, and give you a little history behind the music as well. We’re timing this look to coincide with that artist’s performance in the coming week, but our real goal is to get local music on your computer or portable media player. Think of this like the musical equivalent of a food court sample.
Brandon Meeks is an extremely talented bassist from Indianapolis who filters many influences through the lens of jazz music. Said influences include funk, hip-hop, drum and bass, and gospel according to his MySpace site, and you can hear those elements in the music posted to his MySpace site. The tracks available include original works and looks at standards like “All Blues.” Check out the last track available, “Juju,” for a couple of reasons:
1. Excellent ensemble playing
2. Bass solos rule.
You can see Brandon Meeks with his trio at The Chatterbox on Friday, April 13th. The first set is always non-smoking, if that helps.
– Related Link: http://www.myspace.com/brandonmeeksquartet
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Yo La Tengo
No tag for this post. No commentsEXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Yo La Tengo
Story by Mike Tressler - Photos by Michael Lavine -April 13th @ The Vogue
Was it really 2003 when Yo La Tengo last came to town? It doesn’t seem that long ago. Boy does time fly. I had just really listened to my first Yo La Tengo album that year (the then-newly released “Summer Sun”) and decided to go see them at the Vogue. I really wasn’t expecting much from these guys who constantly get labeled as some sort of experimental/art rock band. Furthermore, the “Summer Sun” album was a pretty light and airy affair and I was afraid that I was going to be about as bored seeing Yo la Tengo as I was the one time I saw Over the Rhine.Much to my surprise, Yo La Tengo put on a great live show. It was chock full of energy and I was wholly entertained. I’ve always been amused at bands that do the “Change the Instrument” game on stage - you know, where the drummer for the first 3 songs gets up and picks up a guitar and the guitarist drums for two or three songs before they swap again. But no band has ever played the “change the instrument game” more often than Yo La Tengo. Though my memory is getting hazy, I seem to recall that every member played the drums at least once and that they went through no more than 2 songs before they swapped instruments. I suppose when you only have three members in the band and you are trying to cover a broad range of styles, the band has to be flexible in its approach.
Yo La Tengo are touring behind their new album which is certainly a top contender for album title of the year: “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass”. The album bounces between light and airy mood music and bludgeoning guitar anthems. It starts off cheerfully with light numbers such as “Beanbag Chari” (which can be legally downloaded from this link). By the seventh song, they decide that light and airy isn’t getting it done, so they bring the distortion and fuzzed guitars for the 10-minute groove “Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind” (This song can be legally downloaded at this link). The album calms down from there, only to rise again for the 11 minute-plus Sonic Youth-style epic “The Story of Yo La Tengo”. Yeah, this album will translate very well to stage.
I drug my cousin along to the 2003 Yo La Tengo concert and though he had never heard of them before the show, he e-mailed me last week to ask if he should get me a ticket to Friday night’s show. That’s a pretty powerful statement right there - a guy sees a band once and four years later he’s eager to go see them in concert again. Times New Viking will open the show.
– Related Link: http://www.matadorrecords.com/yo_la_tengo/index.html
IMN OnTrack: Resting Rooster
No tag for this post. No commentsIMN OnTrack: Resting Rooster
Story by Ryan Williams -April 6th @ Big Car and Indy CD and VinylListen: http://www.musicalfamilytree.http://tinyurl.com/ynronz
IMN OnTrack will take a closer look at one track a local artist has put on the web for your perusal, and give you a little history behind the music as well. We’re timing this look to coincide with that artist’s performance in the coming week, but our real goal is to get local music on your computer or portable media player. Think of this like the musical equivalent of a food court sample.
This week’s IMN OnTrack takes a look at Resting Rooster, a trio from Bloomington specializing in psychedelic and ambient folk. The band is releasing their CD “Songs From A Window” this week, and they’re celebrating with a couple of performances on Friday, April 6th. They’ll be doing an in-store appearance at Indy CD & Vinyl at 5pm, and then they’ll shift over to the Big Car Gallery in the beautiful Fountain Square district at 8pm. The band is streaming the entire new album, and you can also find many live and recorded tracks from them over at Musical Family Tree.
In fact, that’s where we took this week’s featured track, “Manatee Song.” This track was chosen for the following reasons:
1. It sums up the band’s sound well.
2. Manatees are cool.
– Related Link: http://myspace.com/restingrooster
