Medleyville

THEY CALLED IT ROCKPILE

Just like most Beatlemaniacs in the summer of 1980, news that John Lennon was about to re-enter the recording studio after an unprecedented five-year AWOL filled me with eager, excited anticipation. I mean, there could be no doubt the Chief Beatle would have identified with, not to mention greatly appreciated, the leather-jacketed back-to-raw-basics approach the late 1970s punk-rockers had brought to an otherwise milquetoast music scene during his hiatus.

So, naturally, these new Lennon recordings would undoubtedly reflect said fire and fury, righting all that was wrong upon my AM and maybe even FM radio dial. Right?

Imagine, then, my utter disappointment when the resultant Double Fantasy – at least John's tracks – appeared coated with layer upon layer of innocuous goop that sounded far, far more Billy Joel than Joey Ramone.

I can understand that Lennon was being delicately eased back into the early 1980s marketplace with the least offensive, most mainstream audio sheen possible. But this was a man who had until then never once feared to recklessly puncture the sonic envelope, public opinion, not to mention the Billboard Hot 100, be damned. So why was he now making music with a buncha high-payed, perfectly pitched NYC studio cats as opposed to with, duh, a real band?

Listen, forget his fellow ex-Beatles – there already existed in 1980 a fab foursome that were more than up to the task of injecting what turned out to be Lennon's final recordings with all the fun and frantic force they so richly deserved. Why, these guys were even fellow Brits, one of whom had concocted a little retro-masterpiece called "I Hear You Knocking," which Lennon once remembered to be his favorite record of 1970!

Not only that, said combo had, on the very heels of Double Fantasy, released a galloping gem of a record called Seconds of Pleasure that could stand the vinyl test against "Power to the People" and possibly even "Please Please Me" (to say nothing of "Cleanup Time") with one '59 Telecaster tied behind its back.

Proof extremely positive of this claim can now immediately be found upon Eagle Rock Entertainment's joyous new Rockpile Live at Montreux 1980 CD, which in 16 tracks and a mere lightning 49 minutes captures the quartet at its absolute, astonishing pop-a-billy peak.

Due to myriad contractual (and other) snafu's at the time, Rockpile all too seldomly found themselves together onstage performing the dozens of songs they'd helped write, perform and/or produce for slews of Mickey Jupp, Carlene Carter, Elvis Costello and of course Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe records. In fact, only one Seconds of Pleasure track – the blackboard jangle classic "Teacher Teacher" – made its way onto Live at Montreux. Yet with numbers the caliber of Graham Parker's "Crawling From the Wreckage," the aforementioned Costello's "Girls Talk" and a "Let It Rock" with its note-perfect "Rock Around the Clock" break, there's more than enough pleasures to go around.

For example: a thoroughly pub rock-soaked "Sweet Little Lisa," a "Queen of Hearts" precisely the way it's meant to be heard (sorry, Juice Newton), an undeniably adulterous "I Knew the Bride," not to mention possibly definitive versions of "So It Goes" and "Switchboard Susan." Why, even "I Hear You Knocking" makes an appearance! In other words, here is a band captured at its completely fully-stoked prime, ripping across their onstage repertoire in a manner which, tempered and duly tamed, formed the basis upon which most every subsequent American "new wave" hit was built. From Greg Kihn on down to all the Tommy Tutone and Rick Springfield types you'd ever care to recall.

But then, what of our heroes themselves?

Rockpile most unfortunately splintered soon after their Montreux grandstand, Edmunds moving on to produce the reformed Everly Brothers, for example, and sustaining his solo career all the way through 1990's King of Love, while his erstwhile partner Lowe eased into life as the undoubtable Cary Grant of rock 'n' roll (buoyed by abundant "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding"/Bodyguard royalties, for starters).

Tragically, I must report no other band has appeared since to fill the void Rockpile left in our world. But at least we finally have, with Live at Montreux, both aural evidence of what all the buzz was about and another 16 reasons to mourn what could have only been if Edmunds, Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams had continued to call it rock for us all.

But there remains plenty of Double Fantasy outtakes still begging for them to overdub upon, of course …

-- Musician/writer Gary Pig Gold is the co-founder of the To M'Lou Music label.

Posted by Medleyville at 04:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Bear Lake leaves an imprint with its third album

There has always been a noticeable and admirable toughness to Detroit-area rock bands, whether it's in the music, the determination to persevere or both.

Bear Lake might not be as guitar-centric as its Motor City predecessors or contemporaries, but the six-piece group — featuring not one but two keyboard players — displays the same work ethic and loyalty that's standard in the Detroit music scene.

Of course, pride and principles wouldn't mean much in the end if the band didn't have chops or tunes, and Bear Lake shows plenty of both on its third album, If You Were Me.

Bassist/singer Keith May has plenty to say about what drives Bear Lake, his band’s sound, some summer 2011 concert memories and much more.

Medleyville.us: How has the poor economy impacted your band and the Detroit-area music scene in general?
Keith May: "I think it has helped in ways and hurt in others. It allowed us to get our used band van for an insanely great price, but it has also forced us to spend tremendous amounts of money keeping it gassed up. I think the lack of available jobs out there has made people look at us as being a little less crazy when we tell them we are devoting our lives solely to the pursuit of music, even though if there were millions of jobs out there we still would be doing what we are doing now.

"All in all, though, I believe that we are welcoming this economic Armageddon, and hoping that it will bring America back to some sense of balance, where people will have the opportunity to pursue what they love because they can no longer get that miserable 9-to-5 job that they would have otherwise wasted away their lives with. It is exciting, but I think it has also given a more cynical edge to our music. Seeing these Republicans in power [who] don't care for anything or anyone outside of their own checkbooks, and would rather see people starving on the street than to give any money to government support programs, is so sad in so many ways that it would be hard for any American citizen to not let that affect their art."

Do you or anyone else in the band have a standard response whenever someone says Bear Lake doesn't sound like a typical Detroit rock group?
May: "We usually say, 'Keep listening.' While many of our tunes are very different from the stereotypical Detroit rock, others fit that description fairly well.

"Also, people should take note of the shifting sound of the Detroit music scene. There are so many great acts in Detroit right now, and few if any of them fit that dirty garage-rock sound that is typically associated with a 'Detroit band.' The scene is taking on more influences and it is morphing in a very unique way, and I am excited about the future of the scene.

"In terms of our sound, it has always been diverse writing that sets us apart. With so many songwriters in one band, we always have an influx of songs at our fingertips, and we never run out of material because of it —quite the opposite, really: We always have way more material than we can realistically deal with at one time. Because of this, every album that we put out will take you to a different place or feeling. It is hard to classify, but that's the way we like it.

"Also, I think so many bands out there today — Detroit rock bands, especially — are extremely guitar-centric. We like the guitar, and [Jon] Rice does a great job on it, but it is just one instrument, and there are many others we like to experiment with. We always try to have a more balanced approach to our melody structures. With multiple key players, it allows us to explore more tonal possibilities rather than just guitar riff, guitar solo, guitar outro, like many other bands."

If You Were Me is Bear Lake's third album, and all three have been produced by Eric Hoegemeyer. Talk about how the band's working relationship with him has changed and grown over the years.
May: "The band's artistic vision has always been to experiment with the possibilities of songwriting, and to create the greatest possible hooks and melodies that we can fathom. Eric understood and respected what we were trying to do from day one. When we are in the studio, sometimes it is like mental telepathy. Most times we don't even have to explain an idea in words; Eric will just automatically pick up on it and add to it in a way that astounds all of us. This telepathy has certainly grown over the years, as well as our ability to break down tasks for tracks effectively. We have all taken on and accepted our different roles in the studio, and this has helped the recording process to move along smoothly. All in all, getting in with Rustbelt [Studios] and Eric was certainly one of the best things that ever happened for our band."

Does hearing a Bear Lake song in a TV show such as One Tree Hill and Bones have the same feeling as hearing one on the radio?
May: "It's just different. When you hear your songs on the radio, you get to think about everything that was going on when that song was created. There's nothing leading you; you focus on the meaning that we put into the song. When you hear your song on a television show, you have to go with the meaning that is being conveyed by the visuals presented to you. Sometimes they are spot-on; other times, they are far different from what you originally imagined for the song. Either way, it has always broadened our appreciation for the music itself, and we love seeing our tunes in different mediums."

Bear Lake opened for Sheryl Crow and Rick Springfield during summer 2011, correct? When and where were those shows? Did you have any interaction with either of them? And what were some of the thoughts that ran through your mind during those gigs?
May: "Ha — well, unfortunately, we never got to open for Sheryl Crow. We were on the bill for MI Fest 2011, but due to low ticket sales, they had to shut down a stage and canceled close to 20 local Detroit bands two days before the festival. The few Detroit local acts that were kept on the bill canceled to stay unified with the rest of us. It was pretty amazing seeing Detroit bands stick together like that, and that's what we really took away from it.

“We did get to open for Rick Springfield at the Stars and Stripes Festival 2011, and though we did not get to meet him, he did put on a stellar performance. I have never seen so many tightly clothed, upper-aged women screaming in one place before. The amount of youth reliving that was taking place there was astounding, and the energy was intense. All I could think of was Springfield's recent role on Californication, and I chose to believe that it was absolutely true. Seriously, though, he is a great player, he puts on an awesome show and it was an honor to get to share the stage with him."

— Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Bear Lake on tour (schedule subject to change):

* Oct. 21: Arlene's Grocery — New York

* Nov. 5: Woodruff’s — Ypsilanti, Mich.

* Nov. 11: Apple Store — Chicago

Photo by Stephanie Culver

Posted by Medleyville at 04:10 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

JD Malone delivers message of community and charity

Every little bit helps — that’s what JD Malone kept in mind as he was handling assorted chores for a cancer-stricken friend.

The experience led to Malone writing "Do What You Can Do," which is on his latest album, Avalon (ItsAboutMusic.com). The song title also serves as the name of his new touring project, and it aims to unite likeminded musicians and community members while also raising money for various charities.

"When you're young, especially in the music business," the Philadelphia-based roots-rock singer/guitarist says, "it [tends to be], 'Look at me. Look how awesome I am.' As I've grown older and wiser, I wanted my life and chosen profession to become useful to humankind."

With the Do What You Can Do! project, Malone and his band, The Experts, will travel across America to big cities and small towns and jam with musicians who are based near the concert sites. Attendees are asked to contribute whatever they can to the charitable organizations that have been partnered with the gig.

"Usually the shows are free," Malone says, "so we rely on donations to cover [expenses]. If intentions are honorable, getting folks involved is usually not too difficult. We're not going after artists or charities on a national level. We want to feel the results immediately and develop camaraderie on a local level."

Even Malone concerts that aren't labeled as a Do What You Can Do! event usually are "useful to someone, somehow," he says.

"At one of our recent shows, we were able to raise a bit of cash for some ladies who knit hats, socks and mittens for cancer patients," Malone recalls. "We weren't able to cure cancer, but we were able to give some money to some ladies to buy yarn."

— By Chris M. Junior

JD Malone and the Experts on tour (schedule subject to change):

* Oct. 13: 3rd and Lindsley — Nashville, Tenn.

* Oct. 14: Douglas Corner — Nashville, Tenn.

* Oct. 15: Palace Theater — Maryville, Tenn.

* Nov. 5: Steel City — Phoenixville, Pa.

Posted by Medleyville at 04:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Sunny Bak’s Beastie Boys photos go on display in L.A.

When they were struggling rappers/musicians, she was there, camera in hand.

When The Beastie Boys became stars with the 1986 album Licensed to Ill, Sunny Bak was there to chronicle that part of their career, too.

Boys and Dogs, an exhibit that includes Bak's photos of the Beasties, opens Oct. 8 and runs through Nov. 1 at Hold Up Art in Los Angeles. She recently talked about hanging out with Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA back in the day, her photo of the group that’s featured inside the Ill album and much more.

Medleyville.us: What were your first impressions of The Beastie Boys when you met them?
Sunny Bak: "I first met the Beastie Boys through [fanzine publisher] Dave Skilken. Ad-Rock, Dave and I went to City as School (CAS), an alternate public high school in New York City. While I was in high school, I had a photography studio on 18th and Broadway, and they would come by to hang out. I was shooting a lot of fashion photography for Details magazine, and there were always a lot of models around. They loved it.

"I liked the Beastie Boys. I was around a lot of musicians, producers, artists, models and arty types. They were just poor musicians for whom I’d buy a Subway sandwich every now and then. We would hang out together at the Palladium, Limelight, Area Club, Save the Robots, the World and Milk Bar.

"They had recorded an album for Def Jam called Hold it, Now Hit It and were just recording 'She's on It.' The Beastie Boys played small gigs around NYC. Russell Simmons, who was head of Def Jam, always said that they were going to be great because little white girls could like them. Run-DMC and LL Cool J were just breaking out at the time. I had photographed Madonna a few years earlier, and she was breaking out on the scene, and The Beastie Boys wound up opening for her at Madison Square Garden. That was cool."

Some musicians embrace the idea of being photographed, and others hate it. Were the Beasties always willing participants, or did you have to coax them into giving you what you were looking for visually?
Bak: "The Beastie Boys were always just being themselves. They were my guinea pigs for lighting. I always had a camera with me and would test lighting by just shooting where we were hanging out on the street.

"I later sold some of these pictures to CBS, their record label at the time, to be used as the Beastie Boys' PR shots. A lot of images from those sessions, which I have kept in my possession, were never even printed. I'm now printing a few of them for my retrospective Boys and Dogs at Hold Up Art. I am very excited to be sharing these images with the Beastie Boys’ fans for the first time."

Rap/hip-hop was still on the rise around the time Licensed to Ill was released. As you photographed the Beasties during this phase of their career, were you consciously trying to chronicle a young group and a fast-growing scene?
Bak: "The Beastie Boys and I were hanging out together as friends for a long time before Licensed to Ill came out. I was always snapping photos of my friends and the artists around me. We never thought of it as a 'fast-moving scene' at the time. We were thinking, 'Let's go to the Milk Bar after Palladium. We should get a beer after softball.' "

Talk about your photo of the Beasties in front of the Unisphere from the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. Who came up with the idea to use this iconic Queens landmark as a photo backdrop? And was it a tough sell or a no-brainer?
Bak: "The photograph in front of the Unisphere was a no-brainer. [Def Jam cofounder] Rick Rubin came up with the idea for the [Licensed to Ill] gatefold image. He came to me with this concept, and we made it happen. This was the first paying gig that the boys brought to me. I shot some of the session in 4x5, and then shot some extra frames in 2¼ as well as on 35mm film.

"There were a lot of great concepts. The Beastie Boys filmed their 'Fight for Your Right (to Party)' video in my studio. My photography was hanging on the walls. A lot of my friends and furniture were in the video, too — even my piano."

The Beasties have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2012. If you had the ear of the Rock Hall voters, what would you say to them?
Bak: "I would ask them, 'What are [you] waiting for?' The Beastie Boys are icons."

— Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Photo by Sunny Bak

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