Medleyville

Texas band takes steps in the right direction

The old expression "With age comes wisdom" can be a curse rather than a blessing within the parameters of rock 'n' roll.

Sometimes a band writes more mature material that doesn't register with its core fan base, or maybe the maturity results in new material that really only satisfies the musicians. The fourth studio album by Austin, Texas-based Grand Champeen, Dial T For This (In Music We Trust), is appealing and shows artistic growth, making past albums seem underdeveloped in comparison.

From the opening notes of "What It Beats," which is augmented by some nice string arrangements and light piano, it's obvious that the band -- singer/guitarist Channing Lewis, guitarist Michael Crow, bassist Alex Livingstone and drummer Ned Stewart -- is focused on making a different sounding album than their previous efforts. Grand Champeen’s other three albums were primarily an extension of its powerhouse live show, one of indie rock's best. And although there were some flashes of greatness on those prior works, especially "Broken Records" from 2001's Battle Cry For Help, they were more passion than polish.

One of Grand Champeen's best traits has been showing off its influences. The band usually is compared to rock’s big three from Minneapolis -- The Replacements, Husker Du and Soul Asylum -- but it's obvious that Lewis and company are putting their own spin into the mix now. On "Nice of You to Join Us," an early album highlight, Grand Champeen marries the bright cynicism that Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner has displayed in his career on with the slightest hint of Texas swing, and the result is a great tune.

Another strong song that warrants repeat listening is "Wounded Eye." This freight train of a tune is powered by Livingstone’s exceptional bass playing and some tight vocal harmonies from all involved. This song harkens back to the power-pop handy work of Superdrag, even down to Lewis' passionate screams toward the end of the track.

There are some songs on the album that could have benefited from more thought and/or a different approach. "Raul Vela" starts out with a cool guitar intro, but the song never gets more interesting than its first 15 seconds. It would have been better suited as a stripped-down acoustic arrangement; the guitar parts take too much away from the vocal lines and render the lyrics irrelevant. Then there’s the track "Rottweiler Hair," which reads better than it is. It's merely a filler track that, thankfully, is on the short side.

The band does rally at the end of the album and closes strong by shining up its Big Star admiration on "Take Me Home." Stewart's drumming is in the spotlight, as he pulls off some great flourishes. But the best part about the song is that it's literally about a band being a band. It's an honest portrayal of the fact that as much fun as music is, it's still a job. Granted, if there was a song about how much it sucks being a coffin maker, the message might not connect like this one does.

All in all, this sounds like the album Grand Champeen wanted to make. It's surely a step in the right direction, and it gives the group something to be proud of. Better yet, it gives the group an arsenal of new, different-sounding songs to take on the road.

-- By Mike Madden

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Robyn Hitchcock and Joe Boyd

Public Enemy's Chuck D

Emerson Hart

Ian McLagan and Pete Townshend

Lou Adler

Bobby Whitlock

Michelle Phillips

-- All photos by Chris M. Junior

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The Ponderosa Stomp, the annual celebration of the unsung heroes of the blues, soul, rockabilly, swamp pop and New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B, returns to the Crescent City on May 2 at the House of Blues after a year in exile in Memphis, Tenn.

"The Stomp is the ultimate jukebox -- all killer, no filler," says festival founder and producer Dr. Ike (Ike Padnos). "Everyone comes to play. The musicians see each other after 40 or 50 years. [Or] they have been hearing about each other for 50 years and never met. Where else would Oliver Morgan and Marshall Allen of Sun Ra's Arkestra be hanging out?

"The shows at SXSW were amazing. It was way too much fun. We got rave reviews. We definitely wanted to do it again but with a different look."

To preview the show, it is once again hitting the road to Austin, Texas, for a SXSW showcase. Ponderosa Stomp's SXSW showcase is March 16 at Opal Divine's Freehouse. It will include 14 acts presented revue-style, one after another, backed by Lil Buck Senegal's killer Lil Band O' Gold, which includes organist Stanley Dural (a.k.a. Buckwheat Zydeco). Among the Stomp stars in Austin will be Barbara Lynn, Archie Bell, Harvey Scales and Bobby Patterson.

Medleyville: With the Stomp returning home, I take that as a good sign that things are improving in New Orleans>
Dr. Ike: "Things are better in New Orleans. From fall 2005 to now, things have improved. The problem is things aren't moving fast enough: the school system, justice system, health care, lots of infrastructure as well as large swaths of areas of New Orleans need to be fixed. Due to general inability of the city, state and federal governments to work together, it will take a few years for everything to get fixed.

"A problem is that New Orleans is under a microscope so that anything bad is magniified. While there are problems with crime, the schools, and health care, many of these things were there before Katrina. Katrina just made these things worse and opened them up to the public. These things will hopefully improve over time.

"Many people have tried to write New Orleans off. They write stories that there is no more culture. New Orleans is far from dead. There are still great musicians living here. The city pulled off a great Mardi Gras. People need to come visit New Orleans and support a truly unique and great city. More of the positive needs to be emphasized. We felt the Stomp had to come home and now it is back for 2007. The stomp has to be in the birthplace of rock 'n' roll -- New Orleans. People need to visit New Orleans and not be scared off."

What are your reflections on the festival's year away in Memphis?
Dr. Ike: "Mounting of the Stomp in Memphis was quite challenging but it went off very well. There were many things that really made it great.

"One -- all the Memphis musicians coming on board and doing special things: Eddie Bond playing with Travis Wammack; Matt Lucas playing with James Burton and Travis; Syl Johnson backed by the Hi Rhythm Section; B.B. Cunningham singing "Let It All Hang Out" backed
by Burton; William Bell singing "You Don't Miss Your Water"with Marvell Thomas playing piano.

"Two -- the tours of Sun and Stax studios with the artists.

"Three -- getting Jerry "The King" Lawler and Nate the Rat to emcee.

"Four -- the record show. We never had the space to do this in New Orleans

"There were many other highlights. The people of Memphis were fantastic. I definitely want to try to mount some shows there again. The show in Memphis was a benefit -- we raised [more than] $30,000 for New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians."

The Stomp moves from the Rock-n-Bowl to the House of Blues. How are you going to cram last year's three nights into one?
Dr. Ike: "Sonny Schneidau of the House of Blues had been trying for years to get me to put the Stomp there. It had not worked out in the past. I liked the bowling alley, but we had outgrown it and had to find a new venue. Sonny made us a great offer, but the catch was he could only give us one night. After three nights of insanity last year, I thought everyone could use a little less craziness. I wanted two nights, but all I could get at the House of Blues was one.

"The challenge is everyone that plays the Stomp wants to come back. In addition, most of the performers last year donated their performance for the benefit and I wanted to be able to reward them with a paid gig. Lastly, we have to balance things out by bringing in new artists to keep it fresh. These pressures created havoc as I wish I had another night. All said, I think the lineup is pretty strong."

One notable new addition this year is Roky Erickson.
Dr. Ike: "Truth is stranger than fiction. I had always hoped we would one day get Roky to play the Stomp. . . . One day I was awoken by a voice on the phone telling me it was Roky Erickson's drummer and was I interested in having Roky play the Stomp? Unfortunately, Roky wasn't ready for an out-of-town gig yet. While Roky made progress, he and his brother Sumner chose Ten Pin Management, Darren Hill's firm, to manage Roky. Darren was a fan of the Stomp and a friend of a friend. He went out of his way to make things happen. Two years later, Roky is finally playing the Stomp. I can't wait. He has been amazing every gig I have seen."

Who else is new for 2007?
Dr. Ike: "Dan Penn and Bobby Emmons -- on the wish list for years. Little Jimmy Scott -- very honored he's playing. Augie Meyers -- can't wait to hear "She's About a Mover" on the Vox organ. Wardell Quezergue and his New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Revue -- the great arranger with a super band with special guest Jean Knight. Tony Owens -- an amazing soul singer that never plays out . . . Bobby Rush with Kenny Brown -- Bobby playing blues with just Kenny on guitar. This will be a rare treat for people to see what a great musician Bobby really is. He played harp with Elmore James in the early '60s."

-- By Joe Belock

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Moving to California has not mellowed the Bloody Hollies at all, and that is a good thing. The group's new album, Who to Trust, Who to Kill, Who to Love, is its third and second for Alive Records, which is part of the Bomp! empire.

The Bloody Hollies relocated from Buffalo, N.Y., to San Diego after recording their second album, 2005's If Footmen Tire You, and continue to perfect their hybrid of punk rock and hard blues. Band mastermind Wesley Doyle's songwriting continues to improve, providing an increasingly complex setting for his primal wails, which can still resemble Jack White.

The Bloody Hollies will be appearing in Austin, Texas, during SXSW week at the Altercation Magazine party March 16 at Headhunters, but have decided not to play on an official SXSW showcase this time.

Medleyville: Appearing at SXSW has generated a lot of buzz for the Bloody Hollies in the past. How has appearing at the festival helped the band?
Wesley Doyle: "We played SXSW in '04 and '05. The first year was great because I had never really toured before. I had no idea that people knew who we were, and we show up and people are singing along to some of
our songs. To show up at a place you'd never been to and people know the words to your songs, wow. We did it again the next year and it was fun again. It's a fun experience, I didn't really look into it the ramifications too deeply.

"This year isn't an actual SXSW showcase. Altercation asked us to play. So we are heading that way anyway, it's on our way home from this tour. The tour is going great. We've had our ups and downs, but there's been more
ups than downs."

Have you ever heard from anyone or had any legal trouble because of your band name?
Doyle: "The Bloody Hollies have never heard from the Buddy Holly estate or anything, or Buddy Holly's wife. The only thing I found on the Web was Graham Nash used it in the '80s. I wasn't sure what for -- a band or a song or what.

"Early only, the only trouble we actually ran into was there was a band in Detroit that started calling themselves the Bloody Hollies soon after we started. But they spelled it Holly's with an apostrophe s. They became the Cyril Lords, and the funny thing is now we're labelmates with Marty [Morris, the Lords' guitarist], who is now in SSM. We played with the Cyril Lords a few times. There were no problems. It was in Detroit.
We thought maybe it'd be hostile because of the name change, playing in front of all their friends, but they loved us there.

"[Legendary Sire executive] Seymour Stein called it the greatest name in the history of rock 'n' roll. We ended up playing two showcases for him. He liked us a lot, but there was never any talk of a record deal or money
or anything. Nothing ever really came of it."

What prompted the band to relocate from Buffalo to San Diego a few years ago?
Doyle: "It was me, not the whole band. The name moved. I just wasn't satisfied with Buffalo as a whole, especially economically. I wanted to live comfprtably. I didn't wanna work 10-dollar-an-hour jobs for the rest of my life. It's a tough city to make a decent living in. I was getting bored of waiting to tour once I got out here, so I looked on craigslist fo the new lineup. I had no idea what we were gonna do with the (second) record. Then I hooked up with Alive, and they've been great."

How has the band's sound evolved over the three albums?
Doyle: "Before Fire At Will [in 2003], we did a record for Garage Pop, a local label in Rochester, N.Y., under the Bloody Hollies moniker. But it was a lot different from what we're playing today. I guess you can say it was a little more Cramps-ish, kind of psychobilly. I really don't know, I was never in a band before, and never had aspirations to be in one. The original stuff was more good-time charlie kind of music. We were
getting a lot of attention in Buffalo. So at that point, I started taking it a bit more seriously and writing material I thought was good and not material to whoop up the crowd at the local bar.

"I can't really explain it. I guess maturity is the way to describe it. It's almost like two different bands in a way. Actually, it is. I think I just put more stock into writing songs -- they're more intricate, a little more interesting
now. I'm feeling for first time that we have our own kind of sound."

So how would you describe that sound to someone who doesn't know you?
Doyle: "I don't know how to describe the sound of the band, but I know the feeling of the band is really high confidence. We know what we do now and we know we do it well. We attack it more confidently as opposed to
in the past when we were trying to figure out what we were doing. Especially when it comes to songwriting. We knew exactly how we wanted it to sound. It came off with a little more of an air of confidence. Now, confidence -- that doesn't mean we are satisfied where we are and don't wanna grow. But we feel we are in a good spot right now."

-- By Joe Belock

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Sadly, most talk of record stores these days usually is about their demise as shops big and small are shuttered in the wake of Internet sales and downloading.

Fortunately that's not the case when talking about Goner Records.

Despite the name, the store and the community around it are alive and well. In just a few short years, the Memphis, Tenn, record store, which is co-owned by Eric Friedl (of the band the Dutchmasters and of the legendary Oblivians) and Zac Ives (of the band the Final Solutions) just celebrated its third birthday.

In that short time, the punk haven has spawned a label (also called Goner Records), its own festival in Memphis (the appropriately-titled Gonerfest) and a message board on its Web site that has become central to finding out what's going on in thegarage-punk universe.

Their second straight SXSW showcase, kind of a miniversion of Gonerfest, kicks off March 15 at Beerland. Here's a breakdown:

* Boston Chinks (above) -- Memphis band whose Goner Records EP may be titled Coltrane, but has nothing to do with jazz –they’re punkers with hooks that kill. Claim to have gotten their name from straight from a graffitied wall in Boston: "Boston Chinks Go Home."

* King Louie One-Man Band -- Louie puts a crazy Cajun twist on the one-man band, adding Louisiana and country influences to go with the standard blues stompers.

* Yuma Territoral Prison Guards -- Not sure what this band sounds like, but I'm sure the members will do their best to break out at SXSW.

* Digital Leather -- Another band out of Arizona, adding synth sounds and an early new wave spin to the garage-punk proceedings.

* Carbonas -- Atlanta's answer to the Buzzcocks, 30 years later. Raging, melodic punk from a band that keeps improving with every release.

* Jay Reatard -- For a decade, Reatard has been causing a stir with a variety of bands, mainly the punk goofballs the Reatards and the Lost Sounds, who were once described as the evil twin of Wire. That all added up to a surprisingly amazing solo debut last year, Blood Visions, which sounded like something John Peel would have dug in 1978.

-- By Joe Belock

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Canadian singer/songwriter Leeroy Stagger has racked up a lot of stage time in recent years. In fact, since October 2004, there have only been three months in which he didn't play at least one show.

So far in 2007, he's done his share of zigzagging across North America, and his itinerary for this month includes a March 17 showcase during the South by Southwest music conference/festival in Austin, Texas.

In addition to a busy touring schedule, Stagger, 23, has pumped out his share of CDs, too. The rootsy, ragged Depression River, due April 3 on Boompa Records, is his fourth release in as many years.

Medleyville: After completing a tour, what's the first thing you do when you return home to Canada?
Leeroy Stagger: "Usually when I get home, I'm so wound up that I'm off to the local watering hole to catch up and get drunk with friends. When you drink every night on tour, it's hard to go without at home. This lasts two to three days. Then I go into exile for about a month, eat really good food and write music."

If you could assemble a dream backing band from your influences, who would be in the group?
Stagger: "Hmm -- hopefully, they are working for cheap that night! J.J. Cale on guitar, Tom Waits on piano, Roy Husky Jr. on bass, Brian Blade on drums, Emmylou Harris on backing vocals, Steve Earle on acoustic guitar and Ryan Adams can sit in the corner and mix me drinks!"

Depression River refers to the town on Vancouver Island where you grew up. How often, if ever, do you go back there, and was it difficult writing material about a place where a variety of bad things happened to you?
Stagger: "I hang in Victoria a lot still, not so much in Shawnigan Lake. The island is a beautiful and very spiritual place. Victoria still feels like home, but it's getting so crowded and the beauty is being spoiled with condos going up everywhere with stupid names like The Zen and the Bamboo just ruining it for everyone.

"Depression River refers to a small place on the island I don't go to anymore. But it's good to write about it and get those demons out of the closet, I guess."

What did John Ellis bring to the table as a producer?
Stagger: "Johnny was great because he didn't [mess] with the songs too much and let us do our thing. He was hesitant to let me use my band at first, but he made it work and he got some great sounds. It sounds what I wanted it to sound like, for the most part. It will be interesting if we do the next one together because we have been hanging out lots and both have some crazy ideas in our heads."

How many times have you showcased during South by Southwest, and what's your most vivid SXSW memory?
Stagger: "This will be my third this year. I remember being right up front for the Neville Brothers with my band at the time [and being] a little bit tipsy. Someone from our crew stole a big bag of pork rinds and somehow we got the crowd chanting some nonsense about these pork rinds -- like 400 people. We shared the rinds, too.

"Seeing Lyle Lovett in a tiny bar was something else as well. Oh, but the best was flying in late at night. I had to find my band, so I walked down to Sixth Street and found my guitar player passed out in a doorway with a fresh Texas star tattoo. He woke up for a second and stole a piece of pizza off some girl's plate! Then he went back to sleep. [I] found the bass player down the road somewhere with 'Tom Waits' tattooed on his wrist."

-- By Chris M. Junior

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For 20 years, Norton Records in Brooklyn, N.Y, has been keeping alive the wild side of rock 'n' roll, whether it be crazy rockabilly, greasy R&B or garage rock.

Norton is home to the frantic sounds of Hasil Adkins, Link Wray, The Pretty Things, The Flamin' Groovies, The Sonics and The Dictators, among others. Billy Miller and Miriam Linna (also the original drummer for The Cramps) not only own and run the label, they are the core of Norton house band the A-Bones.

Norton revently unveiled Dangerous Game, the comeback album for Mary Weiss (above), leader of the legendary pack of wild gals The Shangri-Las. Weiss had been out of music for nearly 40 years before teaming up with North Carolina garage-rockers the Reigning Sound to record the new album. Weiss and the band play their second show ever together at SXSW, and that follows a March 3 record-release party at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom.

The Reigning Sound will play its own set in Austin before backing up Weiss. Rounding out Norton's SXSW showcase March 15 at Red 7 are Dexter Romweber (formerly of the Flat Duo Jets), the A-Bones, the Alarm Clocks (newly reunited '60s Ohio cult legends) and Sam the Sham (yes, the "Wooly Bully" man himself).

Medleyville: Is this Norton's first foray into SXSW?
Billy Miller: "Yes. We've done everything in 20 years of making records except doing what music biz people do. We thought we'd try it for once. We're bringing in a solid lineup and they all know three chords real well."

The Mary Weiss album is the most eagerly anticipated release that I can remember in a long time. How did you hook up with Mary? Had she been planning a comeback?
Miller: "Rhino was having a party for the release of their Girl Group box set. Miriam had some passes, but I had no interest in going. She called me a few times to see if I changed my mind. Finally, she called and said that my friend Rob had called and said that Mary Weiss showed up. That did it for me. Miriam knew how crazy I was about the Shangri-Las. I met Mary on her way out, and she was really cool.

"I thought that she really should be making records. I contacted her a few weeks later and talked it over with her. I told her that what I had in mind wouldn't be oldies oriented and that we could figure out a real cool approach for her. She came over to our place and we listened to records a bunch and planned the whole thing out. It was such fun recording with Mary and hanging out and all."

How about the idea to have the Reigning Sound back her up? Did that take much convincing?
Miller: "She went for that right away. I told Mary to listen to Time Bomb High School, that it indicated the quality of Greg Cartwright's songwriting and I hoped she'd connect with it. Mary called me a few days later. She'd listened to all the Reigning Sound albums and then all the Compulsive Gamblers and Oblivians albums, too. (Cartwright's previous bands.) She really did her homework. In fact, Mary later told me, 'I checked you out with a lot of people before I said yes!' Also, I wanted to add our friend Dave Amels (keyboards) to the Reigning Sound lineup. I was actually standing with Dave all through the Rhino party. Now he's joined the band, and they sound better than ever. The Reigning Sound are really incredible on the record."

The Alarm Clocks' amazing record from last year was another surprise comeback. How did that come about?
Miller: "That came together real quick. We'd put out No Reason To Complain plus all their other '60s stuff, but nobody could find Mike Pierce, the leader. A few years later we get a call, it's Mike and he's put the band back together for a gig opening for Cleveland legends The Choir. Nobody knew what to expect out of them and they just knocked the Choir flat, like David and Goliath. They blew them so far off the stage it was ridiculous. That night they said they were ready to record. They took two days in Freddy Fortune's basement and came up with a killer album.

"They've written a ton more stuff since then. There's no other band like them. It really is wild!"

Let's see -- Mary Weiss, Alarm Clocks. Will Norton's next signing be an artist inactive for the last 40 years? Tonto and the Renegades, maybe?
Miller: "I have no interest in Tonto and the Renegades. The one guy tried to shake Crypt Records down for more than his fair share of the deal they had with Tim [Warren]. That ain't right. I don't care how great your records are."

What is Sam the Sham up to lately? Will the A-Bones or Reigning Sound be backing him up?
Miller: "Sam is a riot! He is still preaching in Memphis. No, we won't be backing him, though I've offered Lars of the A-Bones' services to play sax on 'Wooly Bully.' Sam asked me, 'Can he stay in tune?' I said, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'Then I can't use him!' "

Is he a fan of Norton's tribute album to him, Turban Renewal?
Miller: "Sam loved Turban Renewal! That's a cool album. I was with the Great Gaylord, and I think Jeff Conolly and I blurted out the title and we went, 'Let's make an EP with four Sam songs.' Then it just grew! At the time, he made about a half dozen radio spots for The Hound on WFMU that were simply amazing."

The A-Bones have been playing a lot again the last few years. Any plans for a new record or anything like that?
Miller: "We got back together about 10 years after we split up when we got offered a chance to open for Little Richard in Spain. That took no arm-twisting with anyone. We put out a few compilations of A-Bones tracks in the past few years but we've only recorded a few singles. The studio we cut most of our stuff at is going out of biz after 20 years this month, so we are losing our longtime home base."

I'm sure you've made it down to the big record show in Austin, but did the A-Bones ever tour in Texas? Any good stories from trips to the Lone Star State?
Miller: "The A-Bones played in Austin at the Continental Club in 1992. I remember it being a good time. About three years ago, I was in Austin getting gas at about 1 a.m. This girl goes to me, 'Scuse me, y'all in a band?' I said no, as I wasn't at that time. She goes, 'But you were, right?' I said, 'Yeah like 12 years ago.' And she goes, 'Yeah, I saw you at the Continental.' I thought I was on Candid Camera. And yes, I've been at the [Austin] record show lots of times.

"I think the most memorable A-Bones event in Texas was our late roadie Joey Psycho getting stopped for speeding outside El Paso and convincing a state trooper that he was chasing a UFO."

-- By Joe Belock

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It's hard to be in an ugly mood when The Ugly Beats are rocking local Austin clubs. The quintet formed in 2003 and was filling dance floors across Texas with a mix of chops, hooks and strong songs.

While Nuggets is an obvious influence, it is just a jumping-off point. The Beats throw in folk-rock mixes with the Ramones, Ventures and other like-minded funsters for an un-Beat-able combination on their 2005 debut album, Bring on the Beats! Guitarist/singer Joe Emery explains how the band is bracing for the annual SXSW invasion.

See The Ugly Beats during SXSW on March 16 on the Get Hip showcase at Habana Calle 6 Patio with the Cynics, Paul Collins Beat, the Mullens, Break-up Society and the Bad Rackets.

Medleyville: As a local Austinite, what's your take on the festival taking over the town for a week?
Joe Emery: "We love having the town taken over. This thing is a blast. Even if just from the jaded perspectives of watching dork hipsters who take themselves way too seriously. If you really wanna have some fun at SXSW, get in the middle of a big crowd, then loudly announce to a friend that the guy from the Mars Volta is buying a beer, then watch all the dudes in white belts turn their heads toward the bar get a look! But seriously, it's always great to meet new folks who are into music of all kinds the same way we are.

"We're really lucky to be living in such a great city and have such great places to play and people to play to. We've had just one great show after another recently and we really appreciate people coming out to the shows and dancing."

The Get Hip showcase is a great chance for The Ugly Beats and Mullens, two Texas bands that can't tour often, to play for a different audience.
Emery: "We're good friends with the Mullens and have played with them several times. Unfortunately this time we're in the unenviable position of having to follow them onstage -- first and last time we ever try that!

"It'd be great for those guys to sell a ton of records. They're a great band. People that haven't seen them play before will be blown away. Also, Matt Mayo is the sole reason why I spent three years seeking a Vox AC50 amp -- his sounded so good I just had to have one of my own."

The Ugly Beats have played some great SXSW shows in the past. Didn't you play with Cyril Jordan of The Flamin' Groovies one of these years?
Emery: "We did get to play on a bill last year that Cyril Jordan was a part of. Getting to meet Cyril was a huge thrill for me. I still have my autographed copy of Shake Some Action on display in my living room, and if you check our MySpace site, you'll see a pic I had someone take of us right after he signed the record. Man, what a nice guy he is -- total salt of the earth."

The Ugly Beats had a succesful tour of Spain last year. Can you sum it up for us?
Emery: "Playing Spain was the most fun I've ever had playing music. Bands should have to pay fans to play there -- it's just that much fun. You can't imagine what it's like being thousands of miles from Austin in a tiny town on the Northwest coast of Spain in a jammed club, close with a 13th Floor Elevators tune and have a kid jump onstage and sing the entire song with you. They just go nuts for 60s garage music there."

What can you tell us about the new record?
Emery: "The new record will be out very soon, but probably not by SXSW. We took forever to get it done, but we're really, really happy with the way it turned out. It's called Take a Stand with The Ugly Beats -- a little more varied sound-wise than the first record. Some of the songs rock harder than anything on the first record, and there's also some folkier-sounding stuff as well with acoustic guitars, and we even got (organist Jeanine Attaway) to do some singing on one tune."

-- By Joe Belock

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Australia’s Hoodoo Gurus set to tour America

Since regrouping in late 2003, the Hoodoo Gurus have focused on their home turf of Australia.

That will change this month when the band tours America for the first time in at least a dozen years.

"We're just trying to catch up and remind people where we've been for all of these years," says singer/guitarist Dave Faulkner. "And there have been a few albums that many people wouldn't have even picked up on, like Mach Schau, which came out a few years ago [in Australia].

"So we're really taking our first steps right now. We're not going to jump ahead to the 10-year plan."

During their first decade together, the Gurus, who formed in 1981, made their mark with such melodic rockers as "What's My Scene," "Come Anytime" and "1000 Miles Away."

As for the future, Faulkner has plans to write songs for the follow-up to Mach Schau.

"I'm hoping when I get back from this tour to start focusing on writing," he says. "To be honest, I would suspect that if I really knuckled down and started writing and gave it a couple of months, we wouldn’t start recording until the end of the year, which would mean it wouldn't be out until the middle of next year."

As for the upcoming U.S. concerts, he adds, "We really just want to get up there and show people what we can do. The biggest question in people’s minds will be, 'Can they still cut the mustard?' And that's all we're going to be out to prove -- that we can. We always have and we always will.

"We might not be as pretty as we were, but then we were never that pretty, anyway," he says with a laugh. "Just don't get too close, that's all."

-- By Chris M. Junior

Hoodoo Gurus on tour (schedule subject to change):

* March 16: Blender Bar at the Ritz -- Austin, Texas (SXSW showcase)

* March 17: Club Dada -- Dallas

* March 20: B.B King Blues Club & Grill -- New York

* March 21: World Cafe Live -- Philadelphia

* March 23: The Horseshoe Tavern -- Toronto

* March 25: Abbey -- Chicago

* March 26: Belly Up -- Aspen, Colo.

* March 27: Belly Up -- Solana Beach, Calif.

* March 28: El Rey Theatre -- Los Angeles

* March 30: House of Blues -- Anaheim, Calif.

* March 31: Cafe Du Nord -- San Francisco

Posted by Medleyville at 09:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Jeff Golub mixes covers, originals on Grand Central

When it comes to covering a vocal song as an instrumental, guitarist Jeff Golub has his standards.

"First, it has to have chord changes that can relate to a jazz approach, or at least be [the type of song where I'm] able to rewrite the chord changes so that they can," he says. "I listen to see if that can work, and then a melody that can work without a vocal -- a strong enough melody that if there were no lyrics, it still stands up as an instrumental."

Golub took those factors into account when he covered the Sly and the Family Stone hit "If You Want Me to Stay" for his latest album, Grand Central, due March 6 via Narada Jazz.

"Sly just did that off the cuff," says Golub of the song's melody. "There wasn't much forethought with that. His phrasing was so free-flowing. It just so happens that I know his phrasing so well on that song, that when I [approach] it as a guitarist, I can kind of follow where his head was going with that on each verse because I've listened to it so many times. I don't play exactly what he's singing by any stretch, but I think I caught the overall essence that he was trying to get across."

Grand Central's other covers include a rendition of The Beatles' "Something" and The Four Tops' "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)." There are plenty of instrumental originals as well, such as the title track and "Hello Betty," the first song on the album.

Golub gives some credit to his warm, bluesy guitar tone throughout Grand Central to the Fuchs Overdrive 50 amp he decided to use right before recording commenced.

"I think people's sound is more in their hands than in their equipment," he says, "but this amp responds to the way I play really great. What I like about it is I was able to play the Stratocaster. I'm not always able to do it because it's not warm enough. It's more of a brittle sound. But the Strat makes me approach the music in a different way --- I play it live, usually, and I'll bend notes further with the Strat.

"This amp allowed me . . . to bring out the low- and mid-range tones and make it a fatter sound."

Golub says one of his goals with Grand Central was "to accentuate the differences in my guitar playing from most other smooth-jazz guitar players."

"I think most guys kind of go from more the George Benson/Wes Montgomery school of guitar, which I'm a big fan of and I totally respect that [style]," he says. "But I also heard Jimi Hendrix play before I ever heard Wes Montgomery play, so I don't want to completely forget about that. I want to include it in my personality."

And although Golub has a strong rock background, having recorded and toured with Rod Stewart and Billy Squier, among others, he had no interest in using distorted or "blatantly rock sounds" on Grand Central.

"I'm not really a fan of what most people think of as jazz rock fusion," he says. "I wanted to keep the sound more pure and to a jazz-blues element but still acknowledge all of my influences in more of a blues and rock vein."

-- By Chris M. Junior

Jeff Golub on tour (schedule subject to change):

* March 24: Nokia Theatre Times Square -- New York

* March 25: Berks Jazz Festival -- Reading, Pa.

* April 13: Ritz Theater -- Jacksonville, Fla.

* April 14: Seascape Golf & Beach Resort -- Destin, Fla.

* April 28: Marriotts Rancho Las Palmas -- Rancho Mirage, Calif.

* April 29: Thornton Winery -- Temecula, Calif.

Posted by Medleyville at 09:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)