2014
Music in Review
…or else
Writing about notable events in
American music is like kissing the Donkey’s ass too often. Take a look at the
Country Music Awards; which one is better, which one is best. There is the CMA,
ACM and the CMT and they all have their own websites. You need to grease a lot
of palms to stroke it good. You may notice that in most of these country
superstars are good looking, slender and down home nice, especially those dudes
who wear a cowboy hat and play electric guitar. The country musicians who back
it all up never miss a beat or a squeal and provide just the right amount of
synth colorations to make it sound pretty. The sledge hammer, rock & roll
rhythm section is an integral part of overall sound yet it’s buried in the mix,
go figure.
So, from my perspective as a working
class curmudgeon the current status of popular music in general is a shambles.
It is all pre-empted, co-opted, and recycled.
How many times can you listen to Pharrell William’s song Happy without
getting a sour tummy? He sings it like he means it…
It might seem crazy what I'm
about to say
Sunshine she's here, you can
take away
I'm a hot air balloon, I could
go to space
With the air, like I don't
care baby by the way
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a
room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like
happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what
happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like
that's what you wanna do
I don’t buy it. Like Madeline
Albright says “the world is a mess.” And as music became a distraction instead
of platform for truth, peace and beauty we seem to be recreating the bread and
circuses of the ancient Roman Empire. We are insular and beaten down and the
world refuses to wake up. It’s a weird alchemy that reduces music to notes
without a deeper meaning. Deciding not to scalp the enemy is a step in the
right direction and I think we can find it across the world, in pockets of
enlightenment where music and the arts flourish. We have it here in the Great
Lakes Bay Region of Michigan.
Venues have dried up a bit yet
the survivors keep pumping out great music from notable bands. The Hamilton
Street Pub is # 1 in my book, great food and drinks and even better music. Motts
Place is a newcomer in the area but they hit the road running by booking Sprout
& the Orange, John Krogman, Matt Besey and others. The Baywood Lounge is
coming into it’s own as a venue that cares about good music. They might book
Matt Besey and follow-up with Day 8… very cool. Bemos is my favorite people and
they book the best bands around. They are the anchor for Bay City’s music scene
along with favorite son Andy Reed. We
are kindred spirits and it feels real good whenever I get a chance to talk with
Luann or Andy… because it’s real.
The musicians are the
seasoning in the stew. They make it all work despite long hours and little
reward. John Krogman is forever a dreamer and he keeps on playing beautiful original
music with a message. Zydeco Ziggy and White Crow are an inspiration to us all,
digging deep into the caves and crevices of ancient acoustical music that gives
voice to the everyman. Honesty Elliot, Mani Layne and Dani Vitani are simply
incredible, blending their strong, soaring voices into a heavenly elixir. They
should be superstars. Mel Curry and Michelle O’ Neill are quietly taking the
scene by storm, their rich voices blending perfectly and providing the backdrop
to the everyday people that support the acoustic rhythms and harmony that
provide us all with a sense of our homeland. Jazz and blues have been
resurrected from the ashes and the Phoenix has risen. Larry McCray just released
a fabulous new CD and he’s gigging locally. We need Larry McCray, he’s the new
messiah of the blues and he wears it well. Donny Brown opened up the Red Room
and proved to be more than a Freshmen. He’s a great singer, songwriter and a
talented multi-instrumentalist
Donny Zuzula and the Tosspints
create some of the most dynamic and daring music on the planet. His lyrics give
you an idea of his existential angst. Zuzula means what he says and he will step
up and step in it when something sucks. He famously confides “you can’t fix
suck.” Bryan Rombalski along with Ryan Fitzgerald and Loren Kranz shifted Three
Worlds into high gear. The energy and mastery is breathtaking. Kedree Young and
Kyle Mayer are performing solo on a regular basis and they still fill up the
tank to take Thick as Thieves on the road. Thank god. My vote for the most
engaging and original artist is Tim Avram and his band the Mongrels. Avram has
become an auteur of the dark side of life, vampires and deep cesspools pain.
The abyss calls but Avram won’t give it his face, he knows better. He has
already crafted an album of punk classics to be added to the Mongrels’ catalog.
I can’t wait to get my filthy mitts on that little treasure trove of truth from
the dark side of the street.
The are two extraordinary
bands that left an indelible mark on my senses and set me free. I felt like I
did when I first heard the Bossmen and the Byrds at Daniels Den in 1966. First
off is Greta Van Fleet. This quartet of teenage rockers has the goods, from
their age to their looks and their awe-inspiring mastery of craft. These teen
wizards channel Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin yet they have their own unique
sense of who they are. It seems as if they are wise beyond their years yet they
are supported by good management and an extended family that cares. This is a
band that has a chance to make it beyond the corridors of Mid-Michigan. Good
luck and good sailing boys. The next artist is the legendary Scott Morgan. His
rise to fame with the Rationals and the Sonic Rendezvous Band was nothing less
that spectacular. Morgan’s extraordinary soulful voice helped the world wake up
and embrace peace and harmony. He joined up with the Sights, another great
Detroit Band and began gigging in earnest. He made a recent stop @ White’s Bar
and put on a performance of a lifetime. His set list included three of his
Rationals’ hits I Need You, Guitar Army and Respect. But his show promised and
delivered so much more including Nutbush City Limits, Barefootin’, Mississippi
Delta, Shake and Bring it in on Home to Me. Along the curves and crevices
Morgan channeled Sam Cooke, Otis Reading, Tina Turner and the Staple Singers.
It was an incredible gift of music. It took my breath away!
In the name of peace and love…
Bo White
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