BCE Blogs: BC Rocks

Why does life have to call?

The dissolution of two local bands got me thinking that life is much harder today for musicians than it was, say, in the 1950s or 60s.

I don't know the reasons The Powell Trio and SXX decided to call it quits, but I know that a majority of the bands who've broken up did so because life came calling, as they say.  It got too hard to manage band practice and hectic work schedules, the cost of touring with the cost of heating the house; it's too hard to be away from the wife and kids any more than necessary.

These things happened in the 50s and 60s, to be sure, but it seems even harder now. In today's economy, people almost always work more than 40 hours per week, meaning the little time left with the family is even more precious. Musicians can't afford to take a week off work for a short-stint tour. It's getting harder and harder to afford the little things, like guitar strings.

Added to that, vagrancy laws are tougher. Look back through the history of many of the great 60s-era musicians, and most of them spent some time living on the streets or sleeping in cars or crashing in friends' basements. Nowadays, they'd go to jail or the loony bin if they were caught passed out in the back of a VW bus.

Many of them were taken in here and there during their "starving artist" phase by complete strangers. That's not likely to happen often these days, we distrust each other so.

Like so many other things, the era of the starving artist is gone forever, I think. In today's climate, a starving artist just ends up starving, because he or she can only afford one or the other, and the smart ones aren't willing to die for their art.

We need to get back to the starving artist mentality. We need to trust each other. We need to let a man sleep on sidewalks if he wants to. Of course, the bills will always be there...

Bands would still break up, but at least they'd have a little more fun while it lasted. I've slept in my car many nights, and there's an eerie kind of thrill that comes from knowing you're in danger...

Local groups disbanded (UPDATED)

9:30 P.M. UPDATE: Found my interview with SXX, from April 2007. Click here to listen.

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At least two local groups have decided to call it quits.

• Kalamazoo's The Powell Trio, which I just did a story on, have broken up.  Their former Web site is now occupied only by bassist Jon "T-Bone" Wolfe. A blog on the site reads:

"The Powell Trio have permanently broken up under its current lineup, and we sincerely wish to thank everyone who supported us once again.

"James and Jon (Powell, guitarist and drummer/vocalist) have asked me to remove all of the pics of the band and every song, so it's with a heavy heart that I obliged.

"Please check back to this site often for updates regarding the happenings of Jonny T-Bone and his friends."

Click here to see a video of the group performing their song, "Giant." Click here to listen to my interview with the band.

• Longtime Battle Creek rock trio SXX have disbanded just before reaching their 10-year anniversary.

A March 28 e-mail from drummer/frontman Shawn Renier reads:

"As cool as we wanted it to be, it was not to be. SXX disbanded today. Just months shy of 10 years as a band.

"Thank you to all the people who watched us play, sported our t-shirts and CD's, hung out with us and had a beer, and everyone who sang along to songs we made up, and cover songs we did our best to interpret.

"Thank you to all the bands we played gigs with, and friends we've made over the years who share the common love for music and the brotherhood of Rock & Roll.

"Thank you to all past members including JK, Laurissa, Rick Tipton, Gerry Light, and Jeff Weers, you are a part of this story, too.

"Be cool to one another and listen to the songs we leave for you. Our MySpace page will remain active.

"A final bow from Shawn, Rich, and Phil, SXX and Bad Oscar.

"Goodnight friends."

Click here to download my April 2007 story on the band. I may have my interview with them somewhere... I'll upload it later if I do.

Shows this weekend

NOTE: Sorry I didn't have this up earlier, to include show info for tonight, but it's been a hectic week for me under the news writer hat I wear. Anyway, here are some local shows happening this weekend:

• Planet Rock has Origin Of Fate, Viewed From The Right, Never October, The Pat Zelenka Project and Occam's Razor on Saturday. Call 962-2121 for more information.

• Blue Dahlia will be at Bell's Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo on Saturday.

• Steel Kitty will be at The Place Next Door.

• The Out Of Favor Boys will be at The Stagecoach Barn in Richland on Saturday.

NOTE: I promise to do better next weekend.

I am a soul man, continued... And the danger therein

I always imagined that love-making was exactly like the song "Colorblind," by The Counting Crows. Or "Crash Into Me," by The Dave Mathews Band. It isn't... at least not always.

I always thought that falling in love was like the song "Good Witch of the North" by Everclear but it's not that simple and breaking up was something like "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most," by Dashboard Confessional but it's so much worse.

You see, I've made that gravest of music junkie mistakes in that I learned all I hoped I knew about love and life from music. Pop songs paints quick and easy all those pretty and ugly pictures of relationships starting and ending, but they leave out all the mundane details.

It took me a long time to learn that women don't really want to be doted over night and day and you can't ever really give 100 percent of yourself to anybody because then you've got nothing left... especially if the other person gives you none of themselves.

It took me even longer to learn that when someone leaves you, it isn't necessarily the end of the world. It took me too long to learn that my life was always different every day, and sadness and worry and misery and depression is never truly worth it because I never knew what would happen a day, month or year from when I cried.

I will always do my worshiping through song, because I believe it is the most direct connection to whatever god exists, but I will no longer do my loving entirely through it.

Because "Colorblind" is a great song to have on in the background when you're making love, but it's a very high bar to live up to...

More on this next Thursday in the Rock Column...

In today's WOW section, multimedia

• Click here to read my story on The Pat Zelenka Project. Click here to listen to my interview with the band.

• Click here to read my column: The evolution of the war song

• This Week's Top 5: Top 5 war songs

5. "For What It's Worth," by Buffalo Springfield

4. "The Call-Up," by The Clash

3. "Making Time," by The Creation

2. "What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye

1. "Street Fighting Man," by The Rolling Stones

*** ALSO: And this should've been on my list in print; "Shipbuilding," by Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Perhaps one of the most beautiful songs in the world. Listen to it, envelop in its meaning.

• Also, I wrote a blog yesterday announcing local native Playboy Sho-Tee's new album. Click here to listen to a short sample of his song "Feel It."

And, finally, those who noticed that my story on the Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra was not in today's WOW section, it was held until next week for space reasons. The band will play April 6 at Bayview Gardens in Richland.

Local music news

• Battle Creek rock band Lykin is seeking a spot on a big all-ages show in Kalamazoo called Summer of Mayhem. The show is set to be a large all-ages rock show at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. Right now, the show is booking bands by having fans vote for their favorite. Just go to the show's MySpace page (link above) and post a comment for who you want to play. Other bands voted for include: Reinventing Yesterday, Dirtknap, Only The Ashes Remain, Release The Crimson and more, but Lykin frontman Bhaan said his group is the only Battle Creek band up for consideration.

• In other Lykin news, the group has an April 8 show in Michigan Center opening for heavy metal heavies Otep. View Lykin's Web site for details.

• Battle Creek native hi-hopper Playboy Sho Tee announced a new 18-track album called "Head of State," released on Playboy's own indie label. It was recorded at House of Trees and Black Buddah studios here in Battle Creek. The album is Playboy's first in nearly four years, and is available at Hard Rock Cafe and soon at www.CDBaby.com. A sample of the album to come.

• Got an e-mail from Gods Of Kansas frontman Reo Youngs, announcing that the band will open for classic rock icons Nazareth on April 10 at the State Theatre. Nazareth will be filming a live DVD.

• Longtime Battle Creek rock veterans SXX's latest album is nearing completion, according to an e-mail from drummer/vocalist Shawn Renier.

• Battle Creek classic rockers The Edge will be alternating Thursdays at Gary Fields Comedy Club with the band Vintage, beginning April 3. The music goes from 7 to 11 p.m. at the club, no cover charge. Many will remember The Edge from the Cereal Fest, Field of Flight, etc.

NOTE: If you have exciting news about your band or a band you love, send it to me at jhinkley@battlecr.gannett.com or call me at 269-966-0698. I'll put it up.

'Write some chords, yo!'

Inspired by this news item on Rolling Stone Magazine's Web site today, I think we all should write a song.

It seems that Rivers Cuomo, Weezer frontman and alt-rocker extraordinaire, is asking for fans' help in writing a song, via YouTube. Through the process, fans have picked the name "80s Radio" and now Cuomo's asked them to, "Write some chords, yo."

Which gave me this idea: We, as the Battle Creek-area music community, should write a song together, about our little community. We should tell our story, the stories of people here struggling and loving and living. We should paint our sonic picture for the permanent record.

We have such eclecticism here, and I think the song should show it... Think of the blues guys over at Gary Fields adding scales to a Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra composition, layered with chunky guitars from the heavier clique at Planet Rock and touched with the art-rock college stuff happening in Kalamazoo.

I'm imagining something like "We Are the World" only less cheesy or the song they play at the end of "Mr. Holland's Opus," only heavier.

So here's my challenge to you: write something, lyrics, chords, a flute solo, anything, and send it to me at jhinkley@battlecr.gannett.com. Send me guitar tabs or music sheets or, preferably, mp3 files. I'll post it here on BC ROCKS and then somebody can pick up on that and add to it, and by the end of the year, we'll have a song. Any ideas for how to put it together send to me also.

It's time to get organized people, we have a story to tell.

God bless Wes

Thank God for Wes Anderson.

I just bought his latest flick, "The Darjeeling Limited" on DVD without ever having watched it. The $25 was a pricey risk for a man on a journalist's salary, but I was such a fan of his other movies — "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Life Aquatic" — that I felt secure in the gamble.

One of the chief reasons I'm such a fan of Anderson's work are his soundtracks. Every movie he's done has had a fantastic and very eclectic soundtrack: The Creation, The Faces, John Lennon, Cat Stevens, Bowie... Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo, and "Pee-Wee's Playhouse," and "The Rugrats") has been involved with most of Anderson's movies... and ol' Wes has a serious love of The Kinks.

"Darjeeling" has three Kinks songs — "This Time Tomorrow," "Strangers," "Powerman," all from their album "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround" — all very masterfully placed throughout the movie, which, in my opinion, ranks as one of his best.

The song also makes great use of "Les Champs-Élysées," by Joe Dassin, "Where Do You Go (My Lovely)," by Peter Sarstedt, and "Play With Fire," by The Stones.

A while back, I wrote a blog about my Top 5 movie placements in movies. "Powerman" in "Darjeeling" will have to take at least No. 2 on that list. It comes into the movie near the end, while the main characters are running to catch a train that's already moving, played in slow motion. Fast song, slow motion, moving train, perfect.

I think I'd like to party with Wes. He and I would have much to talk about; we have similar tastes in music, art, literature. I think we'd get along.

Also, how do I sign up to get a job picking and placing songs in movies? That's something I could do and do very well, I think...

Anyway, those who have not seen "Darjeeling" should see it, especially if they love music.

NOTE: Click here to watch the trailer for "Darjeeling" from YouTube.

Singer's apartment burns and other local music news

The following is according to MySpace posts from local bands:

• The Kalamazoo home of Their Teeth Will Be Of Lions frontwoman Jenn Hampshire burned to a crisp Saturday, along with everything in it. She and everyone else got out OK. Her band mates are asking for donations (gift cards, clothes, money, anything) to help her out. The group will also host a benefit show on May 17 at The Corner Bar. According to blog post on the band's Web site, everything in Kalamazoo is booked until then.

"She has nothing," the blog reads. "People have been getting her gift cards to Meijer, the mall and other places just to get clothes on her back."

• The Kalamazoo-based Gods Of Kansas have booked a show April 5 in Indianapolis.

• The Jackson-based Christian punk band The Happy Accidents announced a Canadian tour, including 10 shows in Ontario and Quebec. They will hit Toronto on June 3 and Montreal on June 5. They're touring with the Canadian group Corporation.

• Battle Creek hip-hop duo Terek & Luss will soon release another track from their album "Book of Rhymes." They're asking people to go to their Web site and vote for which song should come out next. They also announced that the album should be ready in about two weeks.

• Kalamazoo bluesman and 107.7 WRKR "Sunday Blues" host Jordan Lunardini posted new videos on his Web site.

I'm a soul man

When I listen to "Soul Man," by Sam & Dave, I think two things:

First, I think about soul music, that great, powerful, charging, sexual sound.

Secondly, I think that I am a soul man and I am experiencing something very religious when I listen to that song.

I want to go back very quickly to that quote from Pat Zelenka, when he said, "Music is church," because for me it really, really is.

I have questioned religion and spirituality for a very long time. I've gone off the deep end more than once trying to contemplate eternity and all those stupid questions to the afterlife and eternity and god. I've come to the conclusion, finally, that I don't know the answer and I don't think anybody really does.

But when I listen to a great song: a rough drum or a well-strung violin or a quick guitar or a harmonic voice or all of the above, I experience God. When those notes flutter through my ear drums, I can see, taste, smell, hear and feel God; I have never doubted that. I experience all of those tender emotions that Sunday School teachers said I should feel about God every time time I play my guitar.

I am healed by music, and would be lost without it, and it has certainly been my savior more times than I care to mention.

Music, I've come to believe, is the soul's way of trying to reach out and slap the real world in the face.