Top 10 Things I'm Excited About

If there's one thing I love doing, it's making Top-10 lists. You might remember a minor overuse of them during Hip-Hop Week, but it's been months and I think it's ok now...

[10. The Sedgwyck Agents and Your Best Friend: Papa Pete's 3/5/10]
     The first time I heard about Your Best Friend, the conversation literally went like this:
Much-cooler friend: What are you doing tonight?
Meg: Aw, I don't know.
MCF: Your Best Friend is playing a show at Corner Bar!
M: ...my best friend? .......who........?
MCF: NO, have you ever heard of the band, YOUR BEST FRIEND?!

     She was/is way cooler than me, but now I know! Anyway, the Detroit-area band Your Best Friend will be bringing the hotness to Papa Pete's on March 5th! I saw YBF at Papa's last summer, I believe, with Ghosts of the Great Lakes and others. And, though those were my pre-blogging days (can you imagine? I can't), I still feel that I may tell you that they rocked my fucking face off.
     For the record, I once had a similar conversation about Something Corporate ("Do you listen to Something Corporate?" "I listen to a lot of corporate music"); I swear to God that happened. Anyway...

    Opening for Your Best Friend will be Kalamazoo's own Sedgwyck Agents. These masters of garage-grunge, also chock full of face-rocking goodness, mash heavily-distorted guitars, riotous cymbal-crashing fury and snarling, Johnny Rottenesque vocals: the kind of music you jacked up way, way too loud when you were an angsty high-school asshole (no worries, I've been there). Your parents' worst nightmare... but (ugh oh) your best friend.
Check this show out. Promise.

Also, look for my upcoming feature on Sedgwyck on Kalamazoo NOISE! for whom I will soon be a contributing writer. These guys rock-- bookmark this page to keep in the loop about Kalamazoo and southwest Michigan shows, as well as check out band profiles, etc, etc, etc. 

[9. Ghosts of the Great Lakes' new full length "Erasing You"]
     That's right, the band who once likened their sound to "shiny dirt" are releasing their sophomore effort. With a revamped lineup, Ghosts promise that "We are not fucking around in the least on this album." (from their blog); and vow additionally that it will "be loud." And while they brought the pain on their last release "The Death of the Party," which was favorably reviewed by Recoil, Revue and others, it will be interesting to see what they come up with this time around, having taken a minor hiatus from playing live shows and generally been off the proverbial radar.
     And in case you've been curious about what they've been up to, they've released the a track list from the upcoming album on their blog. Though I can't see a reason to do this other than just liking the songs' titles a lot, they are officially... released. With promises that we will finally hear the music behind the titles in... June.
     Anti-climactic, much?
     Regardless, given the endlessly creative take on modern rock with which Ghosts have made a name for themselves in the Kalamazoo scene, I'm stoked for their next release.
    See ya in a few months, guys!

[8. Elm Street Riot (formerly Bermuda Groove)]
      Elm Street are sort of the new kids on the block of Kalamazoo indie-rock, blending classic 90s alt rock and gritty garage-blues with an indie perspective (think Cage the Elephant, the Black Keys and Ryan Adams' more "rock" stuff).
     When I saw them in the fall at the Strutt as Bermuda Groove, I was confused and almost disappointed that they weren't more like this, given their name. But, I kicked back and enjoyed the set; they're kind of like seeing the first high school garage band you were really impressed by; like, "oh, you can be THAT cool and sound like that?! That's really good!"
     Anyway, it's still in the early days of Elm Street Riot's tenure on the Kzoo scene, but I'm expecting to hear MUCH more from these guys in the coming months. In the meantime, you can check out their EP here and rock steady; during which time, please be advised that Elm Street "is sure to make your ears bleed in the best possible way."

[7. Trixy Disco] (what is "Dutch Pop?")

     Another new band I've happened upon since selling out to MySpace: Trixy Disco. With a name like "Trixy Disco," a MySpace wallpapered in mosquitoes, and (most of all) their funky, experimental hard-rock sound, I was instantly intrigued. Though they only have one song up on MySpace, the headbanging "C'mon Sunshine," their sound has a presence and a uniqueness that you can't fake-- or ignore.
     It might be a little premature but I'm expecting fantastic things from this band... they will be rockin' out the dungeon that is Corner Bar on March 19th, so I guess we'll see?
     
[6. Their Teeth Will Be Of Lions CD Release Show 4/17/10]
     What the band rightly calls a "strange collaboration of talent and compassion" on their own MySpace is Kalamazoo's indie tour de force Their Teeth Will Be Of Lions. Taking us on an experimental-indie roller coaster ride of sound since their first release "Everyone Made it Out Alive.. Almost!" and through the darker "The Death... The Reincarnation... And The Unfamiliar Tales Of:" the band brings us their third album, "True Stories Are Harder To Make Up" in April.
     Preferring their dance-y first album to the more brooding sophomore effort, I felt that their original B52s-meets-Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show antics suited the quirky seven-piece a little better than what they've been coming up with lately;. for example, "We Plunge Our Hands Deep Into The Sand:" an almost-harmonizing a cappella intro, leading into bass-driven indie, festooned with Sci-Fi synth and overdubbed with an excerpt from Obama's presidential acceptance speech... A little much? I think so.
       However, while I don't know quite what to expect from the third-- a bridge between ridiculous-but-fun and serious-but-overbearing? or a third direction we don't even see coming?-- I'm sure that the CD release show will be worth catching. While naysayers can say what they will about Teeth's recorded work, there is no denying that they have always put on one of the most fun shows in town. And, alongside a killer lineup of some of the area's best bands-- The Skies Revolt (Grand Rapids), Hello Victor, Ghosts of the Great Lakes, Spacelift, and Toro and the National Guard-- this show is guaranteed to be killer.  

  
[5. Reggae Dancehall Xplosion 2010]
     What do you get when you mix the resurrection of one of Kalamazoo's greatest venues of all time (the Kraftbrau... nowadays "Old Dog Tavern") and the amazing island-inspired world-beat dance music spun by WIDR's Selector Jonathon/ "Dread I Sound?" That's right: a "Reggae Dancehall Xplosion" the likes of which this town has never seen. Spinning a combination of "roots music, afro-beat, dub, nyahbinghi, rock-steady, dub-step, one-drop, dancehall, rockers, acoustic, dubtronic, lovers, tropical, soca, steel pan, modern roots, calypso and the occasional non-reggae African-based music" (from the Reggae Revolution MySpace), Dread I Sound and DJ Assane (who I mysteriously cannot find anywhere on the internet, and consequently cannot provide you with a link; sorry) revive a long-lost art: the reggae dance party.  
     You might remember Dread I Sound from Bob Marley Birthday Bash this year; and, in true irie spirit, he has generously sent me playlists of his radio show, which I am thrilled to say IS AMAZING. Alongside super obscure reggae-oriented acts from all over the world (not just the Caribbean, but as far-flung as Sardinia, Italy, Sweden, the UK, France, and Belgium; and even the US and Canada... who knew?) are names you'll recognize from mainstream radio and probably your own music collection... Sean Paul, Matisyahu, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Rancid (?! what are you doing here, Rancid?) and more.
     And, well, it's not spring yet. So if you need a break, hit up Old Dog Tavern, crack open a Red Stripe and post. Dread I Sound has a gift for turning what is often misunderstood as a very homogeneous genre and turning it into a truly diverse and amazing tessellation of styles, cultures, and sounds. Interested? You bet your ass you are. Check out the next Reggae Dancehall Xplosion on March 18th; until then, Reggae Revolution is on WIDR (89.1 FM) Tuesday nights from 10-midnight.  

[4. Dead Scene Radio's Full-Length; release date TBD]
     Wellllllll if you read my last post (was that the last one? damn) you already know how I feel about Dead Scene Radio.
     You know then, indeed that we are expecting a full-length from them coming up, the details of which should be released any time now now.
     What they do have up is this video, which, even without vocals, sounds killer and falls squarely within their tried-and-true indie/pop paradigm, and resembles the rest of their music: laden with upbeat, electric instrumentation, bright melodies and subtle vocal harmonies.
     Anyway, I'm going to try to set up an interview with these guys and see if we can get in the loop. In the meantime, check out their current stuff if you haven't: a feel-good blend of old-school Beach Boys/ Buddy Holly pop/rock and roll plus indie rock.

[3. Hello Victor: full-length due out in June 2010]
     You might remember one of my very first local reviews, Hello Victor's EP, "1623" last fall.
     After my mostly-favorable review of their EP, I saw them play a few times-- most recently over Christmas Break, I think-- and now can say that I thoroughly believe in this band. With an increasingly-killer live show to amplify their already impressive studio work (available on MySpace and anjuno), Hello Victor is building suspense for their first full-length, due out this summer, releasing a song or two at their recent shows but keeping fairly quiet about what they're up to in the studio.
     During an unofficial interview with Hello Victor, I learned that they have been keeping quite busy; with a new management deal and studio options being discussed, the band seems to hope to live up to the buzz that their EP and live shows have generated, continue playing live shows (including a slew of Kalamazoo-area dates and a show in Chicago) in the coming months. With moderate lineup changes (including adding members of the now-defunct Kzoo indie gem The Rock and the Hive) and a notable feeling of newfound assurance in their music, Hello Victor is looking pretty good these days.

 [2. Mustard Plug at Papa Pete's 3/16/10]
     AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     My favorite local(ish) band EVER and one of my all-time faves, MUSTARD PLUG, is playing at Papa Pete's in a mere TWO WEEKS!
     I've seen this band I think around nine times (I lost track at seven) and they have never, never disappointed me. I checked them out for the first time when I was 15, at State Theatre. I think it was the first concert I ever went to. It was summer. I wore sandals. It was painful. I had an awesome time.
     One thing I love about Mustard Plug's shows: consistency. They are consistently the most fun shows I see. Despite having serious ska chops and being a mainstay in the national ska scene-- and, now an internationally-performing band-- these guys are mindblowingly down-to-earth, allowing for an anything-goes atmosphere at their shows. I'm talking skanking, crowdsurfing, stagedancing and any other beer- /Beer- fueled shenanigans you can imagine, an elbows-and-knees melee over soaring requiems of 2 Tone chaos.
     I can promise you that THIS WILL BE THE SHOW of the season in Kalamazoo. Except for...

[1. Fruit Bats 3/5/10 @ the Strutt]
     At last, Fruit Bats are making their triumphant return to Kalamazoo after Barking Tuna 2009.
     If you didn't catch my Barking Tuna coverage last fall, here's a synopsis: despite having played an amazing show at State Theatre on Night Three, the Fruit Bats received little attention in Kalamazoo, even from a city with what I observe as a pretty indie-centered music scene.
    But still, it seems like people are fairly excited about this show; in a rare move, The Strutt is pre-selling tickets (they are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, I believe.). I know I am.
    With a delightful, Shins-rendered style of indie-pop, Fruit Bats (currently on the music snobs' Most Infamous Label: SubPop) exemplify everything that is great about indie: intricate-but-accessible, tone-conscious guitar parts, weaving flowing harmonies with cerebral lyrics and the occasional piano jam. Frontman and principal songwriter Eric Johnson  has an incredible combination of the characteristic indie sensibility with roots in classic rock; think Jeffy Tweedy meets Loud Reed meets the Beatles' "Let It Be" (Phil Spector style or "Naked," you decide) times indie, minus whining; to the tenth power.  
     Also, check out their blog; their latest chronicles a session with Sean and my boys over at Day Trotter!

Kzoo Reggae and Bob Marley Festiv's Preview

Don't panic; "Festiv's" the plural form of a(n invented) word abbreviated by an apostrophe ("festivities"), NOT a possessive-when-it-should-be-plural form of a word sloppily truncated into an abbreviation (fe-STIVs, not FEST-ivs).

Now that we have that all squared away, it's that time of year again: the Bob Marley "Reggae Legend" Birthday Bash. There's only one way to forget that it is BELOW zero out: sink into the velvety old-school goodness of Kalamazoo's best venue, kick back with a Red Stripe or several and bob along to some steel drums and scratchy, syncopated guitars; skulk in the shadowy back rows of the main floor with your crew, or jam by the speakers where reggae throbs at skull-vibrating volumes. Either way, kick back and just watch and pay homage to everyone's favorite Aquarian rasta. One thing I love about this festival is that it knows no demographic; I've been several times and it's really just a bunch of people who want to chill out and have a good time together, and a reggae show is really conducive to that. No politics, no drama, no race boundaries or dress codes or age limits-- all things that should never be synonymous with live music, but are all too common at shows.
     My mom said one time that all reggae sounds the same. Defiant teenage arguer-for-the-sake-of-arguing that I was, I scraped what I could from the bottom of my humble reggae-knowledge barrel, pointing out nuances of styles and sub-genres like dub, roots, dancehall, ska (but you already know that spiel if you've ever actually hung out with your weed dealer [how IS your glaucoma these days?] or your token bohemian sibling [which in my family... is me]), citing everyone from Burning Spear to Peter Tosh to Wyclef Jean to Matisyahu to the godfather of reggae, ol' Tuff Gong himself. And to be fair to my 17-year-old  incense-burning, corduroy-pants-wearing self, there really is a wide array of reggae sounds, or other Caribbean sounds which are sometimes mistakenly called reggae (like reggaeton).
     However (and life is a series of "howevers") it's kind of true: reggae is definitely a very specific-sounding genre. But maybe that's why you can go to a show and dance with people who look like Jerry Garcia dancing with people who look like Questlove dancing with people like me, and we're all having the time of our lives. Reggae has a magical universality to it which makes it such an amazing, fun, and listenable genre to so many people.
     So... I've said it once and I'll say it a million more times: it's about the music, not the scene. Even if you think it's not your thing, don your best hippie duds (i.e. your worst regular duds)-- and your dancin' shoes-- and get your (slow mo) two-step on.


Well anyway, the lineup of Bob Bash this year is... well, what is always is: Zion Lion's headlining. If you live in Kalamazoo you've probably seen them at Island Fest, Art Hop, Mixer On The Mall (whatever the fuck that is) or any other of Kalamazoo's lame social gatherings that are sadly the highlights of our year as a town. Even if you haven't, I'm certain you've heard of them; if you really haven't heard of them, I'll spare you the suspense: mostly Bob Marley covers, no matter the occasion. And, hey, while I will sure as hell be jammin' along to the obligatory "No Woman, No Cry" cover (which I'm anticipating will be covered by every band who plays tomorrow night; just go with it; your cries of monotony will be drowned by a chorus of inebriated singers-along) I'm kinda hoping ZL will bring it with a crunchy reggae jam sesh (yes, I only say "sesh" now)-- or something-- because, frankly, in the past when I've seen Zion Lion, it's been a little pedestrian. Played-out; sleepwalky; predictable at best. But like I said, it's reggae; it's not going to matter. (If you want a preview, check 'em out here; and no, don't bother with MySpace. Damn the man mon!)
      But what I'm really stoked for is Dread I Sound, an experimental dub reggae DJ from Kalamazoo. Dred I Sound concocts amazing dub remixes-- some with the ambient, spacey trippiness of classic dub reggae, some a little more clubbish/ dance-oriented; some are delightfully both. I've never seen this guy play, so I'm not really sure what he's about or what to expect, but after checking him out, I'm thinking it's going to be a good show.
     There's a third band on the bill, "Indika," but when I searched for them all I found was an Italian dance-indie band ("Istintivo, sporco... cantano i Depeche Mode." FYI, "Depeche Mode" in Italian is Depeche Mode!) and I'm thinking it's not the same band. So we'll see what's up with that. (Although this Indika is kinda good!)

So, in researching for this post I came across exactly one other reggae-oriented act in Kalamazoo: Lake Effect . I'm disappointed to say that Lake Effect is not playing at State Tomorrow because they are the best local band I have heard in awhile; I know I say that from time to time, but I am refreshingly impressed by this band. Singer Terrell Thompson's silky vocals call to mind Umphrey's McGee's Brendan Bayliss, but with more soul and a feel that is even more free and effortless. Lake Effect is a little more island-inspired pop/rock (think G Love, Jack Johnson, the Meters et al) than "reggae," but the soul is there, the flavor is there and I dig it.
     I found them on their ReverbNation page (the best site ever-- make an account and find me!) which, I thought, had better music than what was posted on their MySpace; check out "Reggae 1" and my personal favorite, the funky freefall "Stand Up" (not a DMB cover, as I momentarily feared).

So... I'm thinking we're in for a decent show on Saturday (but Lake Effect, where you guys at?!). And, it would be an injustice not to raise the question: where the fuck are the reggae bands in Kalamazoo?!

See you guys there (and buy a sister a beer [I like Red Stripe]),
-thejunkie