Michigan Indie Review

Band - Red September CD - Wake Up Call Label - - Static Records Produced by: Peter Schorn Recorded by: Roscoe at Roscoe's Recording, Detroit. Mastered by: Tim Pak at Woodshed Studios. If you were introduced to local indie rock in the early eighties like I was, you'd remember the new-wave power-pop that emerged in the Detroit area from bands like Rhythm Corps, Toby Redd, The Cadillac Kids, The Look and even The Rockets . Red September (Peter Schorn, Paul Brown, Frank Greenhalgh) sound like hold-overs from that era in Detroit indie rock that brings back memories of skinny ties, spiky hair, polished patent-leather shoes, parachute pants (that's pre-acid-wash), cotton blazers in pastels and memories of "Jaggers" lounge in Waterford where many, if not all of these bands, played at one time or another. Well, Jaggers is extinct and, thankfully, so is this particular flavor of Detroit pop - that is, with the exception of Red September. They are the o...

Band: Twitch CD: "Long Ride on a Short Bus" Label: - Static Records Produced by: Twitch Recorded by: Roscoe at Roscoe's Recording, Detroit. Mastered by: Tim Pak at Woodshed Studios. Since their slogan caused me a convulsive guffaw ( "Remember, weirdos are your best entertainment value!" ), the latest, and unfortunately last "Twitch" release had to be the first thing I listened to from my Static Records "Care Package" (Thanks Sue). The trio of Rob Bullock, Tim Taebel and Scott Lemanski formed in 1990 and twelve years later offer "Long Ride on a Short Bus" as their brilliant swan-song (how come I never find out about these great, quirky bands until they break up? Same thing happened with Fez ...). To stir your aural imagination and get you as close as I can to their sound in words, I offer this: If I were to describe Twitch as a gourmet meal, they'd be an entre' of Frank Zappa served on a bed of fresh Pr...

Song: And So On I feel like a naked, dancing wood-nymph after listening to "Celestial Harp & Flute," the instrumental duo of DL Turner (harpist and composer) and Nancy Ruth Holtzman (flautist). Although the sound sample's only forty seconds long, for a half-minute there I was prancing through a field of daisies and pondering the transcendent beauty of God's creation. Specializing in weddings and formal occassions, "Celestial Harp & Flute" can make your special occassion, as one happy customer put it, 'sound like the angels (are) descending from heaven.' I wish I'd had 'em at my wedding, but I'm not sure Elvis would have appreciated it. - Mitch Phillips

Editor Mitch Phillips takes you on yet another seedy adventure; this time to watch The Love Junkies help the locals indulge in some "Nasty Little Pleasures" at The Hamlin Pub in Rochester, MI. "Johnny Love spins, crawls, jumps and climbs nearly every available platform in the room; the floor, the tables, the chairs, the speakers and, at one point, a barstool and lets the barkeep fill his mouth..." The Love Junkies @ The Hamlin Pub 6-22-01 review by Mitch Phillips Free At Last Napoleon K is a free man. After thirty days in the hole, another ninety with an electronic dog collar bungied to his ankle (add fourteen to that for blowing a piss-test), months of therapy, weeks of court dates and thousands of dollars made out to “The State Of Michigan,” K has finally been remanded to my care - provided he stays away from baseball bats and minivans. It’s a long story. He celebrates his newfound freedom by demanding I take him to see a live band. I celebrate by let...

Loadstone warms you up to their precarious mood with an innocuous groove and understated complaints, then slams your head against the garage door again and agian until you admit, to God and all present that "Nobody Notices" or really gives a damn when you're having a lousy day. Band: Loadstone Song: Nobody Notices After reading Loadstone's influences (Ailce In chains, Silverchair, Creed, Goo Goo dolls, Rage Against The Machine, Fuel, Korn, Papa Roach, Weezer, etc..) I was pleasantly surprised to hear the tone of this cut. Loadstone's "Nobody Notices" is much snottier than their listed influences (with the possible exception of Weezer). And it's not nearly as slick, polished or overproduced as those nationally distributed acts. This leads me to the conclusion that Loadstone's real influences are the sympathetic vibrations of the garage door at 120db, too much alcohol, too little sleep and just being really, really pissed-off at the world. "No...

What happens when a bunch of starry-eyed boys begin writing songs in the midst of their hormone-ragin' puberty? A weepy dedication to the girl of the moment. Random Reviews Band: Bowen Song: Maria Whispy girl-centered ballad (that, of course begins with a simple acoustic picking pattern coupled with a smooth wandering bass line that makes me want to sing, "Every Rose has it's Thorn") reminiscent of hair-band follies that lament, "oh, my life just would not be complete without such-and-such girl by whom every other girl pales by comparison (at least until next week). If I can't have her I swear I'm-a-gonna cut my hair, whine to my friends when I'm drunk, or (groan) write yet another weepy rock ballad that nobody can understand like I can." The lack of dynamics in this selection are NOT improved by the tempo change near the end in which neither verse nor melody are improved. Even if the dramatic tempo change were coupled with a key m...

The Wrenfields at Memphis Smoke Royal Oak, Mi. Wednesday, March 28 2001 review by Mitch Phillips The Invitation A month and a half prior to my mid-week arrival I received an invitation from Noreen Novrocki, asking if I’d come see her alt/country/roots sextet, The Wrenfields. I received a three-song EP in the mail with the usual promotional materials and a nice e-mail complimenting my past work. (Sly move - always appeal to the writer’s ego when trying to get press. ) She even offered to pay for my drinks. (Very sly move - especially if you know the writer has a predilection for liquor but only a budget for beer.) I’d already agreed to cover the show, even if I couldn’t admit to the reasons. But then I played the EP. Then I played it again. And again. In fact, I played it so much I destroyed the disk. It won’t even cue-up anymore. I’m going to miss it terribly until the full-length CD comes out sometime this summer (so if you’re reading this Noreen, I really need an advanced copy ...