Me, The Mob, And The Music
One Helluva Ride
With
Tommy James and the Shondells

Tommy James has always been an enigma to me, a second tier sixties artist with a trunk full of hits and a boat load of critical condemnation. Although he achieved astounding success he never quite hit the big leagues with acts like the Who, The Doors, Moody Blues, Kinks, and the Beach Boys and though he flirted with big-time success (George Harrison even wrote a few songs specifically for James), he never achieved the stratospheric rock god status of the Beatles, Stones and Dylan. Tommy James & the Shondells were great like the Turtles were great, no small praise as both of these underrated bands could sing with incredible range and harmony, play their own instruments and write melodic pop songs that sometimes verged on psychedelic perfection.

I remember when Hanky Panky became a smash hit in 1966. It was an unassuming slice of garage rock heaven that was high on primitive cool and had a touch of reverb to give it a slight echo effect. It had a minimalist vibe like Question Mark & the Mysterians 96 Tears, though James’s ham fisted lead guitar couldn’t compete with those 32nd note organ riffs that the Mysterians used to propel their one and only #1 hit. At the time I thought Tommy James was no match with this odd Question Mark dude who wore shades and chased wildebeasts. A few years later both the Shondells and the Mysterians released Do Something to Me. Tommy James had a chart hit with it. Question Mark did not - and the Mysterians eventually receded into obscurity, the fate of most sixties rockers.

The story of Hanky Panky alone is worth the price of admission. It is the tale of a Phoenix rising from the ashes to become a shining star. It an incredible tale of dumb luck that evokes a Bacon-esque link to unlikely alliances. It probably couldn’t happen today. James recorded Hanky Panky in 1964 on the small independent SNAP label owned by Jack Douglas. James was making waves playing Elks Clubs and Legion halls in Niles Michigan and selling boxfuls of the record. But by 1965, James realized that those big 50,000 watt radio stations in Detroit and Chicago were not picking it up and it was clear to him that Hanky Panky was “not gonna fly”. But in April 1966, James got a call from a co-worker at the Spin-It Record Shop. He told James that Douglas was trying to find him and that Hanky Panky was the #1 record in Pittsburg. It changed his life forever.

As the story goes a DJ by the name of Bob Mack plucked the 45rpm out of a used record bin and started playing it at his teen dances. It was the most requested record in town and the crowd response was outrageous. The original disc was bootlegged, picked up by Fenway Distributers and sold throughout Pittsburg and nearby counties. It was a monster hit. Sensing this was the chance of a lifetime; James hopped into a car and drove straight down I-80 to his destiny. Bob Mack and James joined forces to find a new group of Shondells. They proceeded to scour the clubs in and around Pittsburg and eventually discovered a gifted band at the Thunderbird Lounge called the Raconteurs. After a few rehearsals with James, they realized they had a true leader with a great voice. They jumped at this uncommon opportunity. The rest is a history that can never be repeated as record companies no longer scour regional markets as they once did in the sixties.

This is a memoir with several twists. Tommy James ended up signing a contract with Roulette Records. It was like signing a pact with the devil, a real life godfather of rock & roll by the name of Morris Levy. Levy founded Roulette Records in 1956 and he quickly learned the value of claiming publishing rights. He allegedly claimed authorship of several early rock & roll songs that he did not write, including Frankie Lymon’s “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”, Lee Dorsey’s “Ya Ya”, The Riviera’s California Sun and others. This practice allowed Levy to become one of the wealthiest record executives in the biz. It is alleged that he had ties to the Genovese crime family. In fact, James delayed the completion of this book until after Vinnie “the Chin” Gigante passed away in 2005.

James explains that the contract he had with Roulette was similar to many of contracts at the time in that most of the publishing went to Roulette and royalties were never paid to the artists. This was true for Tommy James. Instead of getting regular royalty checks for the sales of his hits, James had to rely on Levy’s unpredictable largesse. If Levy was in a good mood, he would instruct his assistant to cut James a check for ten grand or even buy him a house. Otherwise Levy might yell and scream and threaten James life. Levy would insist that James had no royalties because of the production/recording costs and living expenses that Roulette covered. Levy exercised complete control over his artists through unpredictable transfers of money and the threat of violence. Intimidation was his forte.

In this modest 225 page memoir, James is able to tell his story, warts and all, through intersecting plot lines and partially filled spaces that nonetheless detail his music (the hits) and the creative process while titillating us with stories from the dark side. He never digs very deep and that may be all well and good. The sad tale of drug and alcohol abuse and infidelity/promiscuity is pretty familiar in the lore of sixties/seventies rock & roll. Women were never liberated and free love was more of a male dominated ruse. Get it while you’re hot brother. In an exercise of doing/undoing James reveals episodes of Levy’s vicious underworld of crime and violence and then describes Levy’s fatherly love, generosity and affection. It seems Levy borrowed the art of building loyalty following episodes of intimidation - breaking you down and building you back up. It’s a military science for those who like control. It appears to be similar to the Stockholm syndrome in which the victim ends up aligning with the aggressor.

It is interesting that James seems defensive about critiques of his songs, especially the earlier pop hits such as its Only Love, I Think We’re Alone Now, and Mirage. He disagrees with the critics and feels he’s been misunderstood and grouses that others borrowed his riffs and used them to create hybrid music for pre-teens called “Bubblegum.” He points to the year 1968 when Kasenetz and Katz formed Buddha records and co-opted his music – rhythms and chord progressions - and used them on songs like Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, Down at Lulus, and Indian Giver. Well…it’s a fine line to draw in the sand. Personally, I like bubblegum music and I’m not so quick to jettison that label - though it no longer carries much underground cool. There was a time in the eighties and nineties when punk bands played songs by the Monkees, Ohio Express and the Archies - and I loved it!

I was especially appreciative that James brought the reader inside for a glimpse (remember, not very deep) of the creative process on some of his greatest songs – Mony Mony, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Crimson and Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine (his only protest song), Ball of Fire, and Draggin’ the Line.

Ultimately all of the major players in this memoir are given a balanced review of their strengths and contributions as well as their warts and failings - Tommy James included. This makes the book more memorable and more human…especially for James. He is no angel and he admits to knowing exactly what he was doing and who he was dealing with when he signed his pact with the devil. He learned to look the other way and knew when he could push and when he should walk away. It may have saved his career …and his life

I saw Tommy James perform for the very first time at Pine Knob in the late seventies. He opened for Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. Valli was stiff and perfunctory, sounding more like a lounge lizard than an early rock & roll hero. He even said something like, “this is for all the lovely ladies here tonight,” before singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Yeech. But Tommy James was right on the mark. He sang well and the band was incredible. He stole the show.

I saw him a second time in 1985 at the Saginaw Civic Center. He was in a package tour produced by Chrysler to raise funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. It was a one-of-kind iconoclastic show featuring Tommy James & the Shondells with Don Ciccone of the Critters, the original Four Tops led by the irresistible baritone of Levi Tubbs, the Temptations with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin (the original lead singers), Spirit with Randy California, Ed Cassidy and Jay Ferguson, and Mark Lindsey (lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders) backed by Spirit!
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to shine and each band hit their mark with a bulls-eye. Tommy James’ note perfect muscular performance was right on par with the other rock and soul icons on the bill. It is a flawless and forgotten gem never to be repeated.
It was pure magic.

Me & the Mob and the Music is a must read for anyone who loves the music of the sixties and seventies and wants to learn more about the underside of a very corrupt business. The book is published by Scribner Press, A Division of Simon & Shuster Inc. You can purchase it locally @ Barnes & Noble.

Peace
Bo White

Rustbucket
It’s a Whole Nuther Thing
Music with No Boundaries

Featuring… John Krogman, Jim Davenport and Scott Causley


Rustbucket is a collaboration of crusty old men who are as cantankerous and unpredictable as a Michigan spring. And just when you think they are down for the count, they dust themselves off, get up on their feet and keep on rocking. Despite an illustrious past of great songs and mass popularity, these touch of grey dudes had their share the missed opportunities, busts, burnouts and barroom brawls. Krogman and his band mates just won’t go away and bask in past glories. Sure it would be so much easier if they would just know their place - sit down in the old rocking chair, goof with the grandkids, look at old black & white photos and grouse about the old times. Instead they are filled up with an unlikely drive and zest for playing rock & roll in clubs – way past their bedtime. They are creating some incredibly hot music that needs to be heard. Rock & roll may be dead but it continues to flourish in the vision and craft of artists like Krogman, Davenport and Causley. It seems like fate intervened to create just the right conditions and circumstances for the phoenix to rise from the ashes and spread its brilliant multi-colored day-glo wings one more time. Johnny Boomer and the Burden twins earned their stripes in one of the many renaissance eras of old town Saginaw. A recent archeological excavation on the former site of Daniel’s Den uncovered the original rust bucket in which Dick Wagner bequeathed his ancient oversized genius to future generations of rockers, So the torch has passed. Sure Rustbucket may be grizzly, wizened and enlarged in all the wrong places; but protest and rebellion are the key components of their passion to create original music and not settle for the ennui of cover band hell. This band is still able to stand up and dish out some the best rock & roll music in mid-Michigan. Below is an interview with John Krogman.

Why did you form a new band?

I did a solo house gig out in Frankenmuth for about 4 years. When that was done, I was ready to rock with a band again. All through my career, I have switched between solo and bands out of necessity really.
Jim Davenport and I have been friends for a long time. We hooked up through “social media” and kicked around the idea of doing something together. Jim is a great songwriter and I had wanted to work with him when we were younger, and we did have a band together. It was birth of Johnny and the Boomers. Jim was playing drums. Anyway when we reconnected last year we decided to start a band. Scott Causley was interested along with John van Benschoten we started playing and it’s going great.

Weren't the Boomers and The Burdons ruling the scene at the same time

The Burdons were around right before the Flies broke up. Johnny and the Boomers came later, but our paths never crossed during those years so I think it was like they had their scene and we had ours.


What is it like to write music and create songs with a new set of partners?

It’s great! Jim and Scott and I are like minded so we work well together.
Scott Causley is a great engineer and has a 24 track recorder and is able to record
live drums, we can lay the basic rhythm tracks down and then add on from there.
Jim and Scott are also good singers and recognize the importance of harmony, and they both have a great work ethic and the sense of being a team. All that together makes our songs better. Another thing is I have my good friend John van Benschoten playing guitar also, and we work well together as he was one of the guys that taught me how to play back in high school


How did you come up with the name Rustbucket?

I was playing in Fayetteville, North Carolina and staying with my friend Rob Anderson. I did a radio show at WFSS 99.9 in Fayetteville and met some awesome musicians who made me one of their own. He had a house in the woods and there was an old abandoned falling apart red barn wood house on some property nearby. I went over to take some photos and I found this old rusty bucket. That is the inspiration for the name and I brought the bucket home with me. Plus it’s a tip of the hat to Neil Young.


Listening to some of your demos, I'm struck at how adept you are at shifting into different styles and genres. How were you able to incorporate various influences and still be totally original?

I like many different genres. Because I write songs, when I get and idea, I don’t listen to any thing else until I’m done working on a particular piece. If I am going to the studio I only listen to what I’m going to be working on that day. This stops the “oh it sound like this or that song” which can be a big obstacle because when you write with an acoustic guitar, at first it’s bound to sound like something else until I present it to the band . I don’t dictate to them what to play. I just let them feel it and play what they play.


I love your new song Carolina Moon - It has a folky Harvest Moon vibe with Workingman Dead harmonies but doesn't sound like Neil Young or The Grateful Dead. It seems to capture the essence of your own unique vision without borrowing too much from those other artists. What do you think?

Carolina Moon was inspired by exactly that, when I was in North Carolina.
Many great songs are 3 or 4 chord songs. Some come out of nowhere, like a gift from God. The song usually will lead me where I need to go.


How would you characterize your music?

Good question. Rock, blues, old country, rockabilly, ska. No boundaries.
My music is my music, I do it because I like to write songs, so as long as I’m happy with it that’s all that matters. Songs just happen and it’s not the same every time. Sometimes I will head in a certain direction, and other times I just work with what comes out.


I really enjoyed the nursery rhymes you set to music on the demos. I believe you made them for your grandchildren. This Old Man has incredible charm. Is it something you might keep in your shows or on a future CD.

The nursery rhymes are for a new company in Redlands, California, DND English Learners, Consultants and Coaches. They are language professionals and Rustbucket is recording nursery rhymes and original material to help young children (ages 5 to 10) from different foreign countries to learn English.


You reworked the incredible Follow Me Down with Rustbucket and it is even better than the original version. Your guitar work is excellent, probably your best ever, You were up and down the neck from the E string to the bass strings. Is this one of your shining moments on record?

I was in the studio working on something else and just tried it on big distorted electric guitar and it worked. Yea, probably the best lead work for me. This song has taken on a whole new life.


I enjoyed your socio-political themes on Kandahar Is Falling. Is this a new stance for you?

When we went into Afghanistan, the reporters just kept on saying Kandahar is falling, so the whole song is built around that phrase. As far as my stance…no comment.


Do you have plans on recording a Rustbucket CD

Yes, we are doing that right now, and we have a lot of music to record.


You have an upcoming show with legendary Michigan poet John Sinclair. Do you have any special plans for that show?

No special plans except to put on one hell of a show for our part. We are very excited to meet John. We will play mostly original material. I can’t wait for that show!


How did you hook up with Bob Goodman and his radio Show Whole ‘Nuther Thing?

When I was in North Carolina, I received an email from Bob that said if I would send him a copy of Live without Love he would play it on his show. I think he stumbled upon my website http://www.johnkrogman.com and listened to the song there first.. Since then I’ve been on 7 times, the latest being April 2, 2011. If you haven’t listened to Bob Goodman’s webcast Whole ‘Nuther Thing, it’s on every Saturday 6:00pm till 9:00pm out of Mission Viejo, California. All the webcast are archived. Check it out it’s a great show. There is a link on my homepage to the show. http://www.wholenutherthing.com/Whole_Nuther_Thing.php


Any last comments?


Yes, thanks to you and all the rest of the people who have shown me their support over the years! Rock till you drop!

Bob Goodman
A Whole ‘Nuther Thing

Bob Goodman is a true believer in the power of music. He is a DJ who creates moods with music as a painter would create on canvas. He has a wealth of experience dating back to the sixties and the age of Top Forty radio. He is New York City born and bred and was able to witness the creative spark of Greenwich Village and the East Village that led to a cultural re-vitalization amongst musicians, poets, sculptors, and actors. This was a golden age of creativity and experimentation. The sounds of NYC were brimming with a glorious diversity from Salsa to folk, country and jazz to rock and roll. Goodman was a radio freak from the time he could toddle over to mom’s transistor and change the station. He was the General Manager of Hunter College in New York and was one of the founders of City University Radio Network. His first professional gig was with WRCN/WHRF in Long Island. He also landed gigs in Los Angeles, Northern California, and Philadelphia before he got a “real job” with Consumer Electronics. But in the twilight of his career, he retired and enrolled in Saddleback College in Mission Viejo to take Communications and Broadcast related Courses. In January 2001, he returned to radio and developed the “Whole ‘Nuther Thing” concept, playing a mosaic of obscure as well as famous artists. Listeners responded so well to the format that Goodman began to dig deeper than the greatest hits and began playing the more obscure and forgotten material. He now has a worldwide audience for his weekly program on KSBR FM 88.5 or online @ http://www.ksbr.net/webcast.html each Saturday from 3-6pm PDT



How did you come to form A Whole Nuther Thing?
KSBR is primarily a Jazz Station and I'd been doing a show on KSBR for 10 years. Part of my show was an hour feature called The Whole Thing which featured one entire CD. I thought the concept was limiting and asked if I could change the format to feature an Artist not a CD and Whole "Nuther Thing was born. After year 4 I moved to Saturdays where we begin our weekend specialty shows. I had a little more freedom to play music from other genres and I inserted music that was not Jazz but blended well with our format. In 2007 The GM of our station allowed me to create a "Free Form" show where I selected all the material without any boundaries except "good taste".

What is your vision or intent in producing this radio show?

It's kind of like "Paying It Forward", I was inspired and educated in modern music by the DJ's of my youth and living in NYC I developed a "Melting Pot" mentality with regard to music. As a matter of fact my show begins every week with the track "Melting Pot" by Booker T & The MG's. Many of my listeners remark that I have turned them on to music they either missed or ignored.


Greg Shaw founder of Who Put the Bomp magazine and Bomp Records told me about 20 years ago or so that rock & roll was no longer the most popular genre in music but rock, blues , jazz etc would continue to flourish in small pockets around the globe. Do you agree? Do you see yourself as preservationist?

Preservationist? No, not really because the music doesn't need preserving as much as it needs exposing. In the last 40 - 50 years music has really blurred the lines and you can still hear influences dating back to the early days of R&B which is the genesis of Rock and Roll yet R&B borrowed heavily from the Jazz cats.



Do you have ties to the music industry?

I have quite a few who friends who are musicians and I worked for many years at JBL who is the choice of most concert venues and musicians for sound reinforcement. I worked in commercial radio in NYC, LA and Philadelphia when I finished college.


How did you become acquainted with Saginaw native John Krogman?

My wife Es Goodman, also a lover of music, created a Facebook page - Facebook Musicians Registry and John signed on and saw my posts requesting music from independent artists. I listened to his material, enjoyed it and notified him that I would play a few cuts on my show.


Why did you incorporate his songs with those of major artists?

I always try to frame certain tunes, what I mean is I try to surround them with similar tunes from artists that will complement the particular song and bring attention to it.


Are you collaborating with Krogman for future projects?
He will be sending me his new material with his new band Rustbucket.


In your view what are the chances for an independent artist like Krogman to make a living in the music biz?

I know many musicians like John that are making a living but it's not easy and they work unbelievable schedules with a lot of travel.


How many listeners do you have on your Saturday shows?

Since we are a non commercial station we fall under the radar of rating services and have no official gauge. My archived shows get downloaded 400 or 500 times a week from my website.


Do you have a particular memory of a favorite show...a surprise guest or celebrity call-in?

I try and make each one special but having one of my favorite musicians, John Batdorf debut his brand new CD on my show in 2009. Also, from time to time the legendary Music Producer and Writer Shadow Morton calls in to remind me he's listening. But most of alI receiving a phone call or e-mail from a listener that gets it, validates my efforts.


Do you have any plans to take your show on the road?

With our streaming on the internet we're already worldwide.
As Duke Ellington once remarked "There Are Only Two Kinds of Music, Good Music and Bad Music. Well, I choose the former.


Regards,
Bob

The Process Release a New CD of Power and Beauty

The Process
Meets Ghetto Priest
The Lion of Judah Hath Prevailed



I’ve always liked The Process and the incredible full body blast sound that heats you up like a nuclear meltdown. The Process has never strayed too far from their unique vision of reggae music and their molten embrace of social consciousness and spirituality. They have a tenacious grasp on a perspective that music can be more than just another silly diversion. This is all good and true but our airways and information highways are clogged with the stuff that keeps the public isolated, uninformed, and preoccupied with meaningless spectacles such as sports, instant celebrity, and mass produced disposable culture. It seems that the more we are plugged in, the more we are tuned out. So unplug your X-Box , I-Pod, DirecTV and Notebook and listen to the real thing. The Process creates astonishingly complex and beautiful music with layers of sounds and rhythms and a voice that speaks an uncompromising truth. This is the thinking man’s soul music - warm, passionate and political. Even if you don’t ascribe to Rasta principles and practices or the deification of Haile Selassie, you will still be able to dig the music. If you are Rasta, well. You are there.


The Lion of Judah CD is a seven track gem that was three years in the making. It was a painstaking labor of love featuring an international cast of characters including Ghetto Priest aka Squids from London’s eclectic music scene, Skip McDonald from Sugarhill Records house band, seminal techno wizard David Harrow, Adrian Sherwood from the UK Reggae scene, Congo Natty aka Rebel MC and, of course, the members of The Process including Seth Peyton.

The CD was recorded in London, Los Angeles, and Michigan. It was worth the wait. This is one of the most thematically rich and concise bodies of music to emerge since Good Morning Magpie by Murder by Death or John Mellencamp’s No Better Than This. The Process are motor city metal madmen that will take it to you like a full body slam and then pick you up, dust you off and punch you in the face - musically speaking. You may not realize what just happened but you will beg for more even though your face is bloody and your body is bruised and aching…ooh it hurts so good. This is a modern spiritual music. Listen to the gospel


The disc is inspired by story of Haile Selassie’s life and his belief that God’s spirit would prevail over the forces of evil. This is heavy karma in this day and age of never ending war. In Rasta culture, the Lion of Judah represents Emperor Haile Salassie of Ethiopia. Rastas hold that Selassie is a direct descendant of the Israelite Tribe of Judah through the lineage of King David and Solomon and that he is the Lion of Judah mentioned in the Book of Revelation. (Revelations 5:5). The EP contains all four of the original mixes of The Lion of Judah – Little Axe Mix, Adrian Sherwood mix, Congo Natty’s well toasted mix, Adrian Sherwood’s Mix plus a bonus Dub-Step version by David Harrow. There is a bonus track entitled Ghetto Life by Ghetto Priest from his upcoming CD Sacred Ground.


The disc opens with the original mix of The Lion of Judah Hath Prevailed with Asher and Ghetto Priest switching off on vocals. The sound is pristine with just enough echo and the vocals mixed up front. There is a solid interplay of instruments with the rhythm section, bass and percussion mixed back and echoed guitar.


Version two is a Chilled Mix worked out by Little Axe. This mix has a softer sound with an emphasis on mixing the sweet harmonies up front in the mix, The drum machine is less effective but never interferes with the message or overall sound. Skip McDonald’s guitar work is splendidly understated. He riffs in an economical melodic style that gives this mix an emotional grit.


Adrian Sherwood is the featured producer on the next three mixes. This one features Congo Natty on vocals with Asher. The rhythm section is used to greater effect on this mix. Drum/percussion and Bass lines are more prominent. Natty has a raspy rapping style that drives the power of the message. Sherwood’s “Toasted” mix brings Congo Natty back to free-form rap the gospel and praise His name. This is the only version that strays from the original lyrics written S.G. Townsend, David Asher and Garrick Owen. There is more of a electronic/synthesized vibe to this mix. It sounds great and Congo Natty’s inspired vocals elevates this version to an almost perfect mix. Sherwood’s final effort - the “Dub” mix - is primarily an instrumental workout that experiments with empty spaces, echo, electronic and synthesized surges of sound and fury


David Harrow mixed the sixth and final version of the Lion of Judah. It is slowed down and has abrupt stops and starts with some wah wah guitar mixed with synthesized squibbles, blurts and conga beats. At time the vocals are accapella and echoed giving this version a minimalist edge


Bonus Track: Ghetto Life by Ghetto Priest from the forthcoming Ghetto Priest CD Sacred Ground
Ghetto life has a sparse arrangement to an unobtrusive reggae beat with occasional electronic doodlings. The musical backdrop includes a somber keyboard riff that weaves in and out of the mix. The vibe is laid back but the lyrics tell a tale about the horror of poverty, violence and exploitation. The contrast is powerful. Ghetto Priest sings in a distinctive tenor that is reminiscent of Sting during the heady days of The Police.


The Lyrics
It is essential to the overall experience of the CD to know the words that support the music. The lyrics are repeated in each of the six mixes with some degree of variation.

The Lion Of Judah Hath Prevailed

Standing like patience on a monument, smiling at grief
Blood sweat and tears for the sake of peace
He sits upon the highest regions, overlooking all
the harder they came is the harder they fall

When I see the lightning and I hear the thunder
I know man and woman have made a blunder
Jah makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers
At his word the mountains rose and the valleys sank down

The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
Hail The King Of Kings praise His Name
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
The footsteps of His Majesty is not in Vain
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
Hail The King Of Kings praise His Name
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
The footsteps of His Majesty is not in Vain

The rich fall into temptation and foolish hurtful lust
Greed envy and craving for power, drowns men in destruction
Propaganda is only a tool, just a tool of the foolish
Take heed, and beware of jealousy
life is not in the abundance of possessions

1892 a child is born, in an ancient land called
Ethiopia, in the province of Harar
Lij Tafari he is named, a divine personality.
Crowned the King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
The Lily of the Valley

He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth
He makes lightings for the rain and brings forth the wind yeah
He gathers the wind in His hands and wraps the waters in His garment
He has established all the ends of the earth
By His name RastafarI

The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
Hail The King Of Kings praise His Name
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
The footsteps of His Majesty is not in Vain
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
Hail The King Of Kings praise His Name
The Lion Of Judah hath prevailed
The footsteps of His Majesty is not in Vain
(© 2011 Steven Townsend, David Asher, Garrick Owen).

An Interview with Counter Culture Icon John Sinclair

John Sinclair Interview by Bo White, December 29th, 2010
Responses @ 420 Café, Amsterdam, February 7, 2011

John will be performing @ White’s Bar Saturday April 23rd with guitar wizard Jeff Grand, The Bearinger Boys, the Laverty/Torres Band and John Krogman’s Rustbucket. Sinclair’s DVD Twenty To Life will be screened throughout the evening


“To be literate in today's world is a political statement."
- John Sinclair


John Sinclair
Affiant Sayeth Not

At 69 years of age John Sinclair shows no signs of slowing down. Besides touring the world with a loose and ever changing aggregation of Blues Scholars , Jazz masters and Rock & Rollers, Sinclair continues to release CDs, books, articles and programs and produces podcasts and internet radio programs. John has performed in Saginaw several times and possesses a historic grasp of Michigan culture from an international perspective. Sinclair is a sweet man of peace who is also a realist. From his early days at Trans Love commune, managing the MC5 and befriending John Lennon, Sinclair has kept his hand on the pulse of our crumbling empire. He is quick to point out that that America, like ancient Rome, has lost sight of its democratic principles and given the ruling class carte blanche to rob our coffers. He is also a man of the earth, a happy and contented grandfather who values love and friendship above all else



John – what have you been up to since 20 to Life was released?

The film was released in 2007 and quickly faded into media oblivion. Since then I have continued my travels, performing around the USA and in London, Amsterdam, Paris, Genoa, Rome, Santiago, Tokyo, Seville, Barcelona, Madrid and wherever they will have me. I’m based in Amsterdam and London when I’m not in Detroit, where I just completed a two-year Poet in Residence term at the Bohemian National Home and am now based at the Trans-Love Energies Compassionate Care Center at 1486 Gratiot in Detroit. I now write a bi-weekly column for the Detroit Metro Times called HIGHER GROUND.


It must have stirred up renewed interest in your life and times?

Not so much. The filmmaker made a bad deal to get it completed and the distribution was a big let-down, plus there were no theatrical screenings & very few festival screenings, so not much notice was attracted to the film nor, by extension, to myself.


Have you released any new music, poetry or writings?

As a performer I continue to work with diverse bands in Amsterdam, London, New York City, Detroit, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Mississippi. Some of them play my arrangements, some improvise jazz to my texts, some play straight-out blues to my poems. In the past three years I’ve performed in ensembles with David Kimbrough, Afrissippi, the Black Crowes, Marshall Allen, Elliott Levin, Daniel Carter, Ras Moshe, Sabeer Mateen, 101 Runners, Pinkeye Orchestra, Planet D Nonet, Carlo Ditta, Dr. Prof. Barry Kaiser, Tom Worrell, Vincente Pino, Leslie Lopez, Steve Fly, the Dirty Strangers, Gary Lammin, Charles Shaar Murray, Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, Primal Scream, DKT/MC5, Youth, Mark Ritsema, Angelo Olivieri, Raskolnikov, and people I can’t even remember right now. I have bands of Blues Scholars in Amsterdam, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Oxford, Mississippi.

I’ve issued two books—IT’S ALL GOOD: A JOHN SINCLAIR READER and SUN RA INTERVIEWS & ESSAYS with Headpress in London. SUN RA has just been translated into Spanish and issued by Libertos Editorial. My “underground classic” book, GUITAR ARMY, was reissued in a 35th anniversary edition by Feral House/Process Books in 2007 and has been translated now into Italian, Spanish and French. BookBeat in Detroit will be bringing out my poetry & prose collection SONG OF PRAISE: HOMAGE TO JOHN COLTRANE, and Ecstatic Peace Press is planning to issue the completed first half of my Monk work in verse, always know: a book of monk. And Dotty Oliver in Little Rock is publishing my New Orleans prose collection, MARDI GRAS TO THE WORLD, later this year.

I’ve issued three CDs since 2007—TEARING DOWN THE SHRINE OF TRUTH & BEAUTY with the Pinkeye Orchestra (LocoGnosis Records); DETROIT LIFE with the Motor City Blues Scholars (No Cover Records); and VIPER MADNESS with the Planet D Nonet (No Cover). My new record is called LET’S GO GET ‘EM by John Sinclair & His International Blues Scholars and will be released by No Cover in March, and I’m just now completing a new album project with a producer in London known as Youth that I’m calling BEATNIK YOUTH.

I’ve also completed a work begun in 1982: a book of blues verse titled FATTENING FROGS FOR SNAKES that’s in four sections, each one set to music and recorded with a different ensemble in New Orleans, Detroit, Oxford and Clarksville, Mississippi. I’m assembling the package into a box set as we speak


Are you still involved in radio? Do you see radio as an effective medium to get your message and your poetry and music to a wider audience?

I also program & produce regular podcasts for two internet radio stations, Radio Free Amsterdam and Detroit Life Radio, including weekly installments of the John Sinclair Radio Show, Sinclair On The Air and Jazz from the Hempshopper. I also collect and edit for broadcast blues & jazz programs by deejays present & past that I enjoy. I post one one-hour program each day on each of the two stations.


With the advent of file sharing do you see a shift in the relationship between record companies and artists like yourself?

Yes: basically there is none in terms of what used to be, i.e., with the possibility of getting paid. My best experience is to be able to make the records and get someone to press some of them at no cost to myself.


Last time we talked you seemed to paint a bleak picture of our future based on the ascendance of powerful business-led coalitions and the financial Institutions that control our government. In the past year Matt Taibbi, a contributing editor to Rolling Stone Magazine, has written several articles and a book Griftopia that has exposed Wall Street’s culpability in destroying America from within. Are you familiar with Taibbi’s work? Why aren’t people in an uproar over the theft of our country?

That’s a question I’m unable to answer. I know exactly how fucked up this country is, but the white people love it this way and they won’t change for anything.


You had a bleak outlook on Detroit's recovery in the BBC documentary Requiem for Detroit. Do you still feel there is no hope for Detroit and other cities that were built on the auto industry?

I don’t know about the other ones, but Detroit is not going to come back. It’s over. What becomes of the fabulous ruins of Detroit may be something interesting but it will not be economically viable again.


What keeps bringing you back to Michigan?

I have a beloved daughter & granddaughter in Detroit and hundreds of friends made over the past 50 years. My estranged wife Penny Sinclair lives in Detroit and I like to see her when I can. Also, I can work in and around Detroit and use it as a base to tour different parts of the country and make enough dollars to maintain my very frugal lifestyle while I’m in Amsterdam & London.



What role could music/poetry play in the recovery of Michigan….the country? Are established artists important to our culture? Should they look for success elsewhere? Can our artists, poets and musicians be heard over the din of mass produced and disposable music that dominates the corporate airwaves?

No.


Over the past ten years, Europe has shown an interest in the downfall of Detroit and the auto industry. Documentaries have been filmed, photographers have come to document the urban decay. Do you feel that their interest is based in aesthetics, or are they sincerely concerned with what seems to be the end of an era? Are they infatuated or concerned?

(A) Aesthetics. (B) They are documentarians.


Do you keep in touch with any of your friends from the days of the MC5 and Trans Love?

Yes. An astonishing number of us are still alive, although we’ve recently lost people like James Semark of the Artists Workshop, Stanley the Mad Hatter of the Grande. Eastown and Second Chance Ballrooms, Bruce Cohen and others. I consider Wayne Kramer of the MC5 one of my closest friends, ditto for Charles Moore of the Detroit Artists Workshop, Pun Plamondon of the White Panther Party, Marton Gross and Johnny Evans of the Urbations, Cary Loren of Destroy All Monsters, and many others whom I see in Michigan and around the country on my travels.


Do you see any signs that our counter culture/peace movement is growing and establishing a wider base of support?

No.

Do you still collaborate with your ex-wife Leni?

I remain a terrific fan of her photography and often recommend her work to people publishing various projects of mine.


Any last comments?

I’m happy to be alive in an old age I never anticipated nor expected, I’m ecstatic to be a grandfather, I only do the things I want to do and don’t do the things I don’t want to do, I’m borne along in life by my hundreds of friends all over the western world and generally speaking I’m happy as a clam. Further, Affiant sayeth not.

Scott Baker & the Universal Expressions

Going Deeper
With
Scott Baker & the Universal Expressions
It’s All in the DNA


Scott Baker is one of those guys that doesn’t take no for an answer. He’s been a musical Sisyphus for years, rock and rolling that boulder to the top of the mountain, only to see it roll down the other side. He’s been as stubborn as he is generous. He will doggedly create music for himself daring the listener to like it or hate it but really only hoping that they listen to it. He has forged an identity as a multi-purpose jam rockin’ sonovabitch who believes in peace and love and the honor of hard work. At heart he’s working class minstrel immersed in a labor of love, building his career brick by brick and never imagining the mansion on a hill. He knows it’s just an illusion but he simply cannot help himself. Baker is in it for the long run…because he is the music he creates. He built it and he will be it. Scott Baker & the Universal Expressions have been around for several years and along the way garnered some well-deserved attention and several Review Magazine Awards (15 and counting). They have opened for Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Larry McCray and Sharrie Williams. Baker has worked alongside our favorite son rock & roll icon Dick Wagner at Downtown Digital Studio Saginaw and helped compile Wagner’s recordings for WMG Records. Currently Baker is busy in the studio putting the finishing touches on his new CD Details & Desire with bandmates Jeff Yantz harp/guitar/vocals, Timmy Scott on drums, and Pete Socha on bass. A quick listen reveals that Baker has been honing his skills as a lyricist and songwriter as well as advancing his craft as a guitarist. Baker rocks solid and the addition of Yantz gives the band a folk/roots sensibility that adds a melodic layer to Baker’s tasty rock & roll stew. Below is an excerpt of conversation I had with Scott Baker about his career, musical vision and the new CD.

Tell me about your new CD Details and Desire. First of all – who is the girl on the cover and is there a reason she is looking back and then away, eyes averted?

That would be my neighbor Taylor Rupp. She’s a senior at Central High and a highly intelligent, beautiful, and musically talented (5 plus instruments!) young woman. While mulling over ideas for a layout poster or CD cover, I thought up this idea that in this new generation there are a few modern day hippies—so driven for peace coming from a whole other angle in time. It became a centerpiece for the record and Taylor was willing to help me try to depict an image that would convey my thoughts on it. While she’s far from a hippie, I took a few photos and that one spooked me enough to use it. Luckily, I get asked often how I found that ‘cool cover.’ It was just Taylor dancing and me in the right spot snapping pics. The black and white of the entire album art goes with some of the lyric to the tune. Taylor is going to help me with some more poster art for the year ahead promoting Details & Desire.

This disc is really an amalgam of styles from raucous rock & roll to folk and pop. Were you intentionally eclectic?

Yes—eclectic was one of the words I wanted to convey. I was going for a ‘songwriting’ album. I wanted different sides of the coin and many textures featured. It seems independent CD’s over the past decade (that cross my desk anyway!) seem to be same-sounding, run-of-the-mill crafted, and have no heart to them. I wanted to make sure there were peaks and valleys, different styles, and a vibe that tied it all together—which is VERY important, like great pieces of vinyl from the ‘60s or ‘70s. There are so many avenues, it’s amazing that in the world of home recording and local studios, it doesn’t seem to be appropriate to experiment a little anymore with the songwriting. Everyone has a style and sometimes that particular style is all you get when you push play, even some good records. There is more to music than that.

Gettin’ There is an old time folk blues feel with harp accents that help drive home the perspective of the singer…someone who has experienced and accepted all the joy and sorrow life can bring. Does your personal experience inform the universal message?

Yes, I drew from my surroundings lyrically. It was actually the first song on the path to writing an album’s worth of material that would be ‘song’ oriented. Having had Jon Portykus in my band for a short period in 2009, his fiddle was meant to be on the track. Jeff Yantz joined after Potrykus departed and he brought the harp and a strong drive to be part of that song as well—Jeff was instrumental in helping my vision of pinning down ‘quality songwriting’ for the project. He and Andy Reed co-produced D & D with me. Our last CD Between Seasons had a nice mix of music that I still am proud of, but it kept with a rocking/jammy vein I usually like to veer towards. Gettin’ There was penned in 2008 and it was an eye opener to play—I was almost embarrassed to play it for Timmy and Pete since I usually don’t perform that kind of personal material, especially acoustically. They jumped on it to be an immediate part of the show

Your singing has changed through the years, a deeper baritone has emerged. Do you feel that you have found your voice?

I think the voice has been found at last. I know singing has been something that never came natural to me, yet performing with it did. Half way through cutting Between Seasons in 2007, a change happened in my voice and I found where I was able to hold a better pitch and keep strength in it like never before. Since then I have been trying my best to polish it more—thanks in large part to working with great musicians over the years in my band—Bob Hausler, John Grundner, Mike Sheets, and Jeff Yantz, they have helped me to develop it. Yantz and Andy Reed worked with me to make the vocals ‘pop’ for Details & Desire—I owe them huge for drawing a very good recorded voice for this album.

In the song Timeless you seem to convey a weariness with an almost whispered vocal. You seem to be saying that the power of love can hold melancholy. What is the message of the song?

That song came out of a memory download one night in 2009. It was all these ideas hitting me at once and it was conveyed to me like with all the troubles we may face day to day in the world, nothing can break true love. When the chords came out on the acoustic, it took a very Pink Floyd-ish turn which opened me up for a soft vocal. Andy Reed worked me into whispering it and getting my message across. Timmy’s drum pace against Pete’s bass work is priceless on there. Jeff surprised us with the fittingly eerie keyboard line.

Tangerine Moon conveys powerful images. Is this a song about wishfulness? A yearning for enduring love? The marching beat and bass string riff toward the end seems to cast doubt on the outcome.

I would say wishfulness is a good way to put it. That one was another writing of an idea download while I was up in Sugar Springs with my wife a few years back. I had my acoustic and the words just emerged, like I HAD to write them down. I love when that happens. It was another crazy idea to put forth to Timmy and Pete, but they loved that one too, like Gettin’ There. The best part is the rhythm section on Details & Desire are almost the highlights of the music for this being a ‘songwriting’ album—Timmy wanted to get some original grooves on all the cuts and Pete wanted to counter them in his own way on bass. They are the total reason that song is so alive and dreamy. Pete even took a tasty solo.

So Aglow seems to tell the story of a working musician, writing original music and surviving in small pockets in communities across the nation. Is this your story?

I never thought of it like that, but that does work! So Aglow has different meanings from different ideas, but it molded itself into that kind of musical situation. A good tune can mean anything to anyone and I am glad you got that feeling out of it. To me, it was a song that could have been on Between Seasons—one of the few rockers on D&D, with that watery groove. Pete and Timmy are responsible for breaking it into the 6/8 section, giving it the ‘Allman Brothers feel’ as Loren Kranz pointed out one night while sitting in on it. Jeff whipped his harp through a Korg B3 floor pedal and it gave it that vibe on the CD. It was a fun track to create.

Son of Jack is a wonderful track with a great riff reminiscent of Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog. It seems to be a tribute to a lost friend. Who is the song about?

My former co-worker and music buddy Dave Strauss of Auburn. He was a super-kind hearted dude that was into classic rock, parties, festival atmospheres, personal freedom and world peace, the Pistons, and best of all his family and friends. He was one of a kind. He moved down to Florida and had his life cut short in a car accident down there. He loved my band and was always the first to buy CD’s or help me to promote the music. The month before he passed, he did call me up, as I sing in the tune, and just wanted to let me know that ‘he missed me’ and to say ‘I love ya man.’ Out of the blue, you know? What a friend. You can’t have enough like him in your life. Musically, I was tipped off about Nazareth after we cut the song a few times now! It does have that feel, I have to admit, but the song was written purposely for Dave right down to the music. The riff is a take on Day Tripper by The Beatles—Dave’s favorite band. I even tease Day Tripper at the very end before the instrumental track Compass takes over. I wrote Compass in the ‘90s and never had anyone that could help put a frame around it. Timmy and Pete nailed the ‘Santana-esq’ groove and I thought it would be fitting for Strauss’ song to go into a jam of sorts. He would have loved it—and the keys of the song work perfectly for the transition. It was all meant to be. ‘It’s all good’ as Dave would say…

My favorite track on the CD is Friends. It is a perfect coda to a well conceived body of music. The lush harmonies recall Brian Wilson…is Andy Reed hiding somewhere in the grooves?

Friends has seemed to be the overall favorite from the album, in popularity so far. I do love that song. I was in the midst of writing that and performed a version to Yantz in the summer of 2009. It just wasn’t working for me—or him at the time. I threw it aside. As we were recording the basic tracks for Details & Desire, I started plucking the guitar line on the acoustic. Timmy and Pete jumped in like they had played it before—we all were freaked out. Jeff was engineering the take and I suggested I pull out some old lyrics to see how they fit. That song fell out and Yantz hit the record button. It was a freak moment in time. I said then and there ‘that would be the way to end the CD’ and Jeff said he had the same thoughts. The take we used was actually cut the very next day with Jeff clapping the groove. When I got to Andy’s for the vocals, I thought it would be cool to have Jeff sing one harmony and I would do the main one that is the core of vocal sounds between lyrics. After we did that, I had Andy double with his voice on my bit and Bob Hausler was in for a session and he doubled Jeff’s bit. That’s how the lushness came to be finished. Pure magic. The real treat is the groove of drums/bass and Jon Potrykus’ simply tasty dobro part he added that dances around my lyrics throughout. I tossed in some counter mandolin in the other channel. Andy added some keyboard magic and Abby Road style bells and the song hit us all between the eyes. I am very proud of it.

Let’s shift from Details & Desire to your longevity on the scene and your work ethic. Rock & Roll is no longer the most popular form of recorded music. It is standing in line with blues, jazz, rockabilly and traditional country music. How are you able to go on and continue to write and perform original rock & roll music after all these years?

I would have to say it’s what is in my DNA. I love all the many styles you mentioned, but to just jump into a style just for the sake of popularity would not be playing from the heart. I just write songs and record them, hoping they fall in line somewhere and people get tickled to hear them. As for my blues side, I would say I have never really done a blues song per se, or project, but my style has always been lumped in with the blues jams and maybe lyric delivery on occasion. It’s a bittersweet thing for The Universal Expressions—we can be lumped into so many musical styles, there is no shelf we can go on other than rock just for the fact that we are a conglomerate that has more rock songs than blues, folk, or country. And we dabble with sounds from them all. I am happy to still be trying out new fresh material. That is what truly drives me. I just wish more venues would open up around the region and people would be more accepting to hear something new. Over all exposure is the main thing we lack.

Who has inspired you as a guitarist? Did you have a mentor?

Outside of the decades of guitarists I could name—even some ‘80s cats that you wouldn’t believe, I have been inspired over the past ten years of my recorded life, by the likes of the guitarist that can write a tune—like Peter Green, Warren Haynes, Trey Anastasio, Marc Ford, Mike Campbell, Adam Levy, Jose Neto, Neil Young and Neal Casal. I was lucky to have some mentors since I started out. I have spent some serious time with Larry McCray, Dick Wagner, and Bob Hausler—all cats that have been to the big show and back again. They have helped in ways you can’t get just by listening to records. The personal experience, stories and hands-on ideals have guided me to be the player I have become. You can’t also ignore the fact that the local original scene itself is so incredible.

As you look back on your career can you talk about the highlights?

In the short eleven years I have been out and about, highlights have been some great shows like recently opening for The Steepwater Band out of Chicago—man, they smoke! Or even having a great night locally. In Muddy Gumbo opening for CCR was a treat in 2003—thanks to promoter Chad Cunningham. We got a slot for the up and coming group Blackberry Smoke at a Bay City Fest about five years back or so. Now they are national. Some of the sit-ins and jams over the years have been highlights—jamming with Sprout, Gutbucket, once with Holy Gun, once with Dick Wagner, Larry McCray, Sherrie Williams, Dan ‘Swival’ Sliwinski, and so many more. The night I got to play with Sprout for The Band Last Waltz on mandolin and vocals—with all the performers there, that night was incredible. I also have many solo acoustic or duo nights that ended up being outstanding from a performer’s point of view.

The CD Release Party for Details and Desire will occur over two big nights in Bay City: March 18th @ Bemos and March 19th @ Brewtopia. For more details check out www.scottbakermusic.com and scottbakermusic at Facebook and Myspace.

Peace
Bo White

Murder By Death @ the Vault in Bay City

Murder By Death
American Roots & Close Encounters

Murder By Death is an American Band in every sense of the word. Their music is an amalgam of country western, jazz, blues, vaudeville and rock & roll. Not content to present as a typical 4 piece, the band uses cello to fill in the parts that were typically reserved for mandolins and fiddles. They are now touring in support of their new CD Good Morning, Magpie, an undeclared American masterpiece that you may not find in the chain stores. Believe me, it is worth an online search. I was able to talk with Adam Turla, the leader of the band as lead singer and main songwriter for the band from his home in Bloomington Indiana. He is casual and friendly and a man of few words. The band has been together for more than ten years, longer than the Beatles. Turla is modest in his response to their longevity. “It‘s all about a good diet and exercise… but more seriously- we have a fan base that is willing to grow with us and let us develop our sound.”

The band is known for its heavy touring schedule, a never ending tour of sorts year after year. Turla admits to a strong work ethic, “We just think of it as our job. A friend once described us as a blue collar band. We just show up for work every day- we are just lucky our work is doing something creative. We take care of ourselves by enjoying our free time effectively so we don't get wiped out from the grind”

“The idea is that we want to travel everywhere and if someone can arrange travel etc to a distant land we will do our best to make it work. I have always had wanderlust- as a kid I could picture nothing better than being Indiana Jones, travelling the world learning about cultures and fighting bad dudes.”

There is a story about Turla’s creative process on Magpie, going into the woods alone, fishing and writing. He admits that solitude is part of the process of creating new music,
“It helped- it was the whole point of the trip! I just needed to get out and focus only on songwriting. I just work on lyrics when they come to me. Once I have an idea it’s a mad dash.”

Turla has an expressive singing voice, a great husky tenor that recalls Nick Cave channeling Dave Mason and just a touch of Michael Nesmith. His voice seems to have matured through the years. It is quietly expressive without being too over-the-top emotive. His inspiration was surprising. “I think it’s just taken me a long time to develop and learn how to use my voice. I've never consciously tried to emulate anyone else but I love the singing of guys like Eric Burdon from The Animals- guys who go from a low growl to a shout.


Good Morning, Magpie is considered by a few in the know as a true American masterpiece, almost an artifact of days gone by when music was performed on instruments and the singer sang real stories about pain and suffering, love and redemption. Turla is humble in response to the praise. “I never thought about it as a masterpiece- but I’m glad you like it! I hope we have many more fine moments.

The disc has a wonderful eclectic feel from the Tijuana trumpets and jazzy motifs that punctuate the rhythmic feel On The Dark Street Below to the use of shuffle beats on Yes and Foxglove , the two-step waltz time on You Don’t Miss Twice and rock & roll on the coda of The Day. There are some dark lyrical themes that suggest Armageddon (Good Morning Magpie), the end of the world (White Noise) or the decline and fall of the American Empire (the Day) - the darkness versus light; good versus evil dialectic that is compelling and thought provoking. Not what you typically hear on the radio. It is an incredible musical accomplishment to create a cohesive body of music through the expression of such diverse idioms. Turla is circumspect about it, “We listen to a lot of different kinds of music - so we try to throw in cool little moments from various styles when appropriate. Eclecticism is kind of our bag.”

Turla and his bandmates Sarah Balliet (Cello), Matt Armstrong (Bass), and Dagan Thogerson (Drums) produced the album themselves. The sound is rich and pure with the vocal on top, the guitars on the right, the rhythm section in the middle and cello hovering above it all, weaving seamlessly in and out of the musical matrix. When this writer praised the pristine layered production, Turla remained humble, almost self effacing,
“Haha you are too kind. We just do what we do! We produced this album ourselves so I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Jim Dickinson one of the true musical geniuses from Memphis (along with Alex Chilton) once said that the best music is never recorded and if it is recorded it is almost never heard. He goes on to state that the best music is co-opted, pre-empted and recycled and then dumbed down for the masses. Pop music and rock & roll have done this quite effectively since original music such as blues, country and gospel became mass produced. It is all based in greed and exploitation. The recycling of musical ideas can be a tribute… and also a sham
It is band like Murder By Death that keeps music alive. Original music is not always an easy sell when you have mass produced Disney inspired claptrap dominating the airwaves and concert stages. Those creeps can even dumb down rap until it’s actually bubblegum music…poorly done bubblegum music. It’s hard to compete and make a buck when record companies look only to the bottom line and the public is willing to download crap for 99 cents. Sample and recycle that riff!
But there is a new reality emerging in which original music – blues, rock, jazz, and gospel - thrives in small pockets across the nation. This seems to be the case for many middle class artists on small independent labels. It’s a better relationship that has promise in keeping our best bands on the highways and the back roads touring across the nation and overseas. It isn’t very often you can see a band like Murder By Death in your own back yard. Don’t miss this chance to see and hear an incredible American band up close and personal.
Murder By Death will be performing at The Vault 505 E. Midland Street in Bay City on April 1st. Tickets are $10 and are available directly from The Vault or online at www.thosephoenixproductions.com. On the day of show, tickets are $12.

Peace
Bo White