When I first moved to the West Coast, there was this big deal thing going on in Eagle Rock called The Ship. The premise was this : a bunch of musicians moved to LA, took over a small corner of a dilapidated neighborhood, built a studio, rented practice spaces and then assembled one of the biggest musical movements of my short life time. Even the kids that weren’t strictly part of The Ship but were/in/and/around that scene (Adeline, The Movies) had so much to say and they all managed to put together their own collections of awesome songs.
Many of The Ship bands are still around and playing – Earlimart, The Silversun Pickups and the Radar Brothers are still out there writing great records and have managed to get some time in the national spotlight.
On the other hand, there are a lot of other bands from this era that aren’t playing out live much, are on hiatus, or broke up or just haven’t go the recognition that they sooooo deserve.
These are three of my favorite LA bands from a couple years ago. Songs that really inspired me to do what I do, songs that I really, really adore. Hopefully they’ll inspire you guys -- and here is to hoping that LA’s next crop of artists, your Henry Clays, your Monolators, your Happy Hollows, here’s to hoping that they can continue LA’s great legacy of rad music.
For my money, the best album Los Angeles album of 2003 was Pine Marten’s Beautiful Stakes and Power Polls. The record is full of great dissonant guitar chords, startingly brilliant melodies and vocals as sang by Mark Wooten and accompanied by Brian Thornell’s amazing keyboard/drumming. Imagine Pity Party jamming with the Silversun Pickups and Grandaddy. The funny thing about that comparison is that these guys did probably jam with SSPU and Grandaddy. I never got to see these guys play, but this record has worn a hole in my heart.
DOWNLOAD : Pine Marten - Mechanically Seperated
I am not sure exactly what these guys deal is. They are on Eenie Meenie, they released a new record a year or two ago, and they might be together, might not. Alex Church, an original member of the group, is out trying to take over the world with his new band Sea Wolf, so maybe these guys aren’t getting together anymore. The first time I heard the opening track from their 2002 record, Good Morning Beautiful, I just curled up in a ball and called in sick to work and put it on repeat for the whole day. The opening track, Crumbling Mountain Tops bears repeated listening.
DOWNLOAD : Irving - Crumbling Mountain Tops
MYSPACE : Irving
I am pleased to report that these guys are alive and doing well. The Movies, I heard through the grapevine, have recorded a new record and are searching for someone to distribute it. I have been a big fan of the group since I heard their 2002 album, In One Era and Out the Other. Pass the Music has and will be one of my favorite tracks of all time.
DOWNLOAD : The Movies - Pass the Music
MYSPACE : The Movies
I hope you have time to listen and compare these tracks. They are from a really special time in the LA music scene, and I think it is cool to think that these guys all played show together and shared ideas, concepts, gear, shows, tours, etc. And think they did a great job of creating something bigger than the individual parts of their separate bands. The whole Ship thing made me think that, you know, this whole music thing might actually be possible and important and about community.
» Read more on Old L.A, Back in the Day (Or “The way things were.”)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Old L.A, Back in the Day (Or “The way things were.”)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Venues : Arcata (Or "Places where people give you pot even if you don't want it.")
One of the first areas in Northern California I ever explored with a band was the town of Arcata in Humboldt County. A college town, close to the water and home to some of the most gorgeous strands of redwood trees in the world, the area is mostly associated with the production and harvest of marijuana, but has a lot of other cool things to offer bands and musicians as well.
Though I am not a local (and probs need to be schooled on exactly what this town is all about), I have been visiting regularly for the last 3 years and from what I've observed, the heart of the Arcata nightlife scene is the Arcata Plaza, or "The Square". A large public park in the center of the town, The Square is bordered on 4 sides by a hotel 3 or 4 bars, several restaurants a record store, People’s Music. The folks I’ve met in this isolated, beautiful town tend to be eccentric, friendly and pretty keen listeners.
People’s Music is one of the lynchpins of the Square. The store has been around for several years and is one of those rarest of institutions : a long running independent record store. They have a sizable collection of jazz on display and playing over the stereo and the they also keep the place well stocked with the latest selection of hipster, indie records as well. On this last trip, a clerk complained about the number of Vampire Weekend CDs they have been selling. “They’re just not that good,” he complained. “They just seem watered down.”
As one of the area's only purveyors of contemporary music, the spot is something of a mecca, drawing isolated campers, vactioners, students and tree huggers to purchase and listen to dozens of CDs on their visits. They have always been reliable about doing consignment with us and other touring bands, and surprise of all suprises, our records regularly sell there, which is a blessing.
There are a few venues in town, most on, or just off, the Square. Here is a list of a couple of my favorites.
(Photo of Portland's premier Shakespeare metal band - at the Alibi, Arcata, CA. Jan 19, 2008 by Terrance McNally.)
This is probably my favorite of the venues we’ve played in. Much of this is due to sentiment, the Alibi was the first place I ever played in Arcata. It is a bar / diner during the day that is open to patrons of all ages. After 9pm they only serve people 21+. It is dark, a little dingy and the walls are decorated with murals of various anthropomorphic dogs engaged in various activities (playing poker, dancing and golfing). You can pick up the local alt-weeklies here and other info. Wi-fi is available. The food is completely awesome and features a wide assortment of vegetarian and meat eating options. I regularly crave the BBQ tofu, the Ahi tuna sandwich and I must admit -- I am fascinated by a wrap they serve there called “The Works” – which is potent combination of just about every side you can imagine (chicken strips, onion rings, fries, etc.) wrapped in a tortilla and smothered in chili and cheese.
Shows seem to draw a regular crowd. They clear out a few tables and set a PA at the far end of the bar and maybe 60 people can fit into the remainder of the place. It gets crowded quick and people tend to be easily excitable, ready to dance and eager to buy merch.
It is a great place to play, and even if you don’t end up with a show, it is a great place to grab brunch. Most of the items on the menu are around $8.
The Alibi
744 9th St
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 822-3731
Get directions
(Photo of unknown band - at Jambalaya, Arcata, CA. By Terrance McNally.)
This Southern themed seafood restaurant is half a block from the Alibi and is much larger. The capacity is closer to 200 folks and they have a fully stocked bar and several beers on tap. I have yet to eat there, but the staff is friendly and they have a curtained and raised stage and nicer bathrooms than the Alibi (for those all important on the road poops).
If you find yourself on a nice bill and can get a good sized crowd in here, you’re in for an awesome night. People in Arcata tend to move to the music, no matter how slow or indie or esoteric you make it and the warm reception will come as a welcome surprise to most kids used to playing obdurate crowds in Los Angeles or SF.
Shows here can be totally rad, but the size of the room and the presence of a stage make it feel more “formal” to me. It doesn’t quite have as much of a neighborhood vibe as the aforementioned Alibi, which is just the opposite of how I envision things should go down in Arcata. But folks used to playing proper, bigger stages like Spaceland in LA or Café du Nord in SF would probs feel more comfortable here.
Jambalaya
915 H Street
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 822-4766
Get directions
The Pearl (Eureka)
When we haven’t been able to nail down a date in Arcata, we usually try to nail down a date at this little venue in Eureka. Eureka is about 7 minutes east and in terms of scenery and distance and stuff, it is nearly identical to Arcata. Slightly larger and far less clique-ish, Eureka is more of a meth town than a pot town and the creepy people you meet in Eureka tend to be scary and intimidating rather than the kind of “safe” creepy people you meet in Arcata. The weirdos in Arcata seem to be Disney movie creepy in comparison to the ones you find in Eureka.
But with any luck you won’t run into any creepy folks at all.
This Pearl is slightly larger than the Alibi in Arcata, but is a wine bar with modern hip furnishings located near the water. The clientele tends to be slightly older, more conservative, but still pretty cool. If you play louder music the older crowd who come in for a glass of cabernet after a good meal will complain about the volume and eventually leave, but as the night wears on, the true music fans and drunks will trickle in.
The Pearl is a nice place, but defs a step down from the two Arcata clubs in terms of how excited people there tend to be to have you. If that makes sense.
The Pearl
507 Second Street
Eureka, CA 95501
(707) 444-2017
Get directions
One o the most rewarding feelings about playing in Arcata or Eureka is that the residents tend to be honestly thankful that you drove out of the way to come to their small, isolated town. They are compassionate and care bout music, are eager to buy merch from bands they like and tend to reappear at your shows if you make repeat visits to the area. We’ve made lots of friends there and really enjoy the nights and afternoons we can spend there. Plus, it is absolutely one of the most gorgeous parts of California.. Very easy on the eyes. That never hurts.
» Read more on Venues : Arcata (Or "Places where people give you pot even if you don't want it.")
Friday, February 15, 2008
Friday Interview : Ashod Simonian (Or "A picture says a thousand words.")
Ok. I have a goal. The goal is to have an interview every Friday, much like Joe from Radio Free Silverlake does. In general, I want to interview fellow musicians : kids who have been around the block and people I admire who might be able to make some sense out of the crazy lives musicians lead. I am looking for touring tips, restaurant recommendations, stories, philosophies, etc.
To lead off this segment, I asked my good friend, Ashod Simonian to be the guinea pig. I met him a long time ago (2002?) when he was tour managing the UK band, Kaito. I was at North Six with my roommate in Williamsburg (it makes me feel old when I hear stuff like, “North Six isn’t North Six anymore.” So don’t remind me please. ) When I moved to Fresno, Ashod was living in LA, but visiting his family in Fresno often and he showed me the ropes a lot in terms of the LA scene. He helped me get my first show at the now defunct Sea Level Records (again, I feel old) and he is a California kid who has played a lot of shows, toured Europe and even claimed "musican" as his profession on his tax forms.
Which is a big deal, I think.
He has a band called Panty Lions, lives in Portland, takes neat pictures and can always be trusted to start a campfire.
Hot Mess Magic : I met you in New York City, became friends with you when you lived in LA, we are alums of the same high school in Fresno and now you live in Portland. How, in brief, did you end up there and all those in-between places?
Ashod Simonian : My ancestors moved to Fresno for it's fertile soil. I moved to Portland for the same, albeit far more metaphorical, reason. I loved Los Angeles, but after saying, "We're from Los Angeles" enough times on tour, one gets the idea that might not be the place to live if you want to have a future in the arts.
H.M.M. : What do you think is the best concert you've ever seen? If you could book anyone at any venue in the world for your next birthday, who and where would you book it?
A.S. : Elliott Smith played an impromptu show in my bedroom once. It's kind of hard to think of anything that could top that. That said, there are a few old-timers who I haven't seen due to the fact that they don't play the kind of venues that I care for. I am more of a small, intimate space type of guy. Give me Leon Redbone, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson - sans backing bands, at Tokyo Garden. Swoon.
H.M.M. : What bands have you played in, and which tours have been your favorite?A.S. : I've played in Panty Lions, Earlimart, Preston School of Industry and Sleeping States. While I couldn't choose one favorite tour, here are my top ten favorite memories (in chronological order) from various tours with said bands. Crashing a millionaire wine party with Fiver. Trying to trade beer for firewood with a group of deaf campers in Iowa. Playing a taco shop with Daniel Johnston. Tallboys on the East River with old Fresno friends. Staying at the Wilco loft. Stumbling through Hamburg's red light district with The Shins. Mushrooms in Eagle Rock. Nightswimming (in Massachusetts with Irving and Miami & Los Angeles with Stereo Total). Making out with a girl on a bridge over the River Charles. Accidentally off-roading and nearly dying in Sedona, Arizona. I could go on and on (and on).
H.M.M. : Do you think getting paid as a musician matters? How much?A.S. : I hate that so many people are getting their music for free. A fourteen dollar album or concert brings me so much more happiness than the latest blockbuster ever will. It breaks my heart when bands break up because they can't pay their rent. I believe that crafting a beautiful album and crafting a beautiful home should be rewarded equally and yet folks like Virgil Shaw, Aaron from Grandaddy, and Tim from Fuck are all hammering nails into roofs as I type this.
H.M.M. : You have an awesome book of polaroid photos out on Picturebox right now. How did you get involved with polaroid photography and how did that lead to a book deal?A.S. : I just took a lot of pictures and then thought, "Dang, these would make a neat book!" Then I took a lot more pictures. Then I pitched the idea to Picturebox and they totally fell for it. Face.
H.M.M. : What late night restaurant would you recommend for touring musicians who are in PDX? What about if they wanna grab a bite before they hit the road in the AM?A.S. : Lately, it's been Voodoo Donuts after the show and Tin Shed on the way out.
H.M.M. : I do have one more question : If someone had told you something, given you a piece of advice, about being a musician when you started out, what do you wish that it had been? Basically, what do you know know that you wish you had known way back when?A.S. : I don't think you should be playing music if you don't have anything new or original to add to the abundance of available sounds. Sadly, everybody believes that they are totally original and sadly, they generally aren't.
Also, and this sounds obvious, but write with the intention of others listening to your music. Nobody ever sits down to write a screenplay about how their ex screwed them over unless it's a truly amazing story that belongs out in the world. Every inch of a song should be labored over. Will people get a kick out of these words? Will this chord change give the audience a boner? These are questions you should constantly be asking yourself. The way you dress, your album art, the drink you just bought at the bar, all of these things should reflect your message. If your message is "We don't believe in messages," then I have no reason to believe in you.
Buy music. Know what is out there. I can't tell you how many musicians I've met with totally sad record collections. Make friends with everybody. They can help you and they will when you least expect it.
If you are playing music to attract members of the opposite sex, you are going to end up with whatever skanky piece of nastiness is at the bar at the end of the night. You know what attracts members of the opposite sex? Stability, money, confidence and any number of attributes that do not come with being in a band. "Who cares? I am married to my art," you say? Great. Stay home and snuggle with your art until the cows come home. Just don't drag it out under lights, amplify it, and expect me to care.
DOWNLOAD : Panty Lions - Go Get'em Tiger
DOWNLOAD : Panty Lions - To Raccoon is to Spoon
BUY : Real Fun - Polaroid Photography by Ashod Simonian
» Read more on Friday Interview : Ashod Simonian (Or "A picture says a thousand words.")
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Fresno : Grub (Or "How to avoid Taco Bell at 2am.")
Ok. So here is what I tried to accomplish with these first few posts – to cover the basics of the Fresno scene from a musician’s perspective. I know I left a ton of stuff out – like more info about the other venues in town besides Tokyo Garden ( Starline, Club Fred, anything else left these days? ) and the other bands in town besides the three defunct ones I mentioned and Brian Kenney Fresno (there are lots ). So if there is something really important that I forgot to mention and you feel like telling me, or leaving a comment about it, you should.
Hopefully I will come back and spend some more time writing about Fresno later this year.
The last thing I want to cover before I move on is a brief list of some of my favorite spots to take my musician friends to eat while they are in Fresno. There are a few prerequisites for a place to be considered...1) Relatively close to the 99 or 180 freeways. There is no point in recommending someplace up on Champlain and Perrin, or even Fig Garden Village, as the drive from the freeway for most visitors is too long and confusing.
2) It should be affordable. Not necessarily cheap, but affordable. Under $10 for sure.
3) It should have regular, if not late night, hours and it can’t be a super corporate fast food chain like KFC or Taco Bell. Regional chains are cool.
4) It has to be pretty good.
So, for Fresno I’ll throw 3 of my favorite options. They will probably seem like old hat for most of the Fresno kids who seem to be the ones reading the blog regularly so far, but for people not from our little town, and wandering Fresno late at night, our advice could prove helpful. If you have any other recommendations, please add them in the comments.
The thing about Million Elephant that makes it so attractive for a band is that the menu has a ton of options. There are a number of vegetarian options, savory meat dishes and little appetizers that can fit into the budget of almost everyone. It is open late. It is family run. And it is a civilized restaurant on a main drag where you can sit back and enjoy a meal and not feel like someone may attack you or steal your van at any moment.
I noticed that they recently changed their hours, but on weekends I think they are still open until 3am. So a touring band can get off after even a late show and still get a table and dinner at a place that isn’t Denny’s. I would recommend the Phad Si Ew. It is a tasty, spicy and filling noodle dish. Most entrees cost just under $10 and they have a number of seafood and specialty options that are pricier. This is NOT my favorite Thai place in Fresno ( B & K on First reserves that dubious honor ), but their late night hours and consistent service make it an easy recommendation.
The Million Elephant Cafe and Bar
1153 N Fulton St
Fresno, CA 93728
(559) 237-3832
Get Directions
This is not the first place I’d recommend to people with sensitive stomachs or vegetarian members in their band. I would hazard a guess that absolutely nothing you purchase here is strictly vegetarian. But it is one of the better late night taco shops that are located downtown ( that you probably won’t get shot at ). There are two restaurants within a block of each other just off the downtown grid : the Abby location and the Tuolumne location. The above pic is from somebody’s midnight adventure to a Robertito’s in Oceanside – but you get the idea of what the place looks like.
In Fresno, I prefer the Tuolumne location, because it is a walk up sort of thing. You park your van, walk up to the window and order. It affords you that last, “…Let’s get of the van and walk around a little…” break before you hit the road or the hotel. Plus you don’t have to hassle for ordering for the other passengers via a drive-thru window. My favorite item to order, and a Fresno classic, is the California Burrito, which is a combination of steak, potatoes, salsa and cheese wrapped up in a tortilla. So good. Sometimes painful. Well worth it. This place is open late. Maybe 24 hours? I have never seen it closed.
Robertito's Taco Shop
2623 Tuolumne St
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 237-1034
Get Directions
Al’s Café – Diner
Al’s Café is not open late for dinner unfortunately, but its location makes it the ideal place to grab a breakfast or brunch on the way out of town. It is located just off the 99 freeway on Olive and is home to some of the best hamburger steak, enchiladas and biscuits in the world. You heard me right. This little culinary gem, located in the remains of a Wendy’s, serves a crossover menu of some of the best Mexican food as well as some of those Caucasian favorites like biscuits and gravy.
You can eat veggie here, though vegan would be tough. But if you’re one of those veggies who likes to splurge every once in awhile, this would be the place to cut loose at. Fresno is blessed with a wealth of good Mexican food, and while Al’s isn’t my favorite, everything they prepare has such a down-hone style to it, that it is always delicious and comforting even if it doesn’t taste exactly the same way “mom made it”.
They don’t take cards here and their little ATM machine is a total rip-off. So bring cash.
This would be the perfect band brunch spot if they served alcohol. But they don’t. But even considering that flaw, they’re still a 99 out of 100.
Al's Cafe
1823 W Olive Ave
Fresno, CA 93728
(559) 233-9226
Get directions
» Read more on Fresno : Grub (Or "How to avoid Taco Bell at 2am.")
Fresno : Tokyo Garden (Or "Best place to waste your youth, ever!!!")
This post should start with a long disclaimer.
I have seen over 300 shows at Tokyo Garden. I have been going there since I was 19 years old. I have drank there, ate there, shat there, puked there and fought there. I have known the family that currently owns the restaurant for a long time (though I have never been able to recall their last name) and I have been booking shows there for 4 years now.
Ok. Now for the boring part.
For the uninitiated, Tokyo Garden is a 125 person capacity restaurant and venue in Fresno,California. It has been serving authentic Japanese food for over 50 years and, according to the owners, is the first Japanese restaurant in the United States. The décor is super kitschy, a mixture of somewhat beat-up 50’s era tables, an almost tiki-like bar, wood paneling and giant Godzilla dolls.
There really is no cooler place on earth. You couldn’t find a more delightful dive on Delancey or on South Congress. The bartenders are a super reserved, gruff Japanese duo name Tommy and Toshi. They are brothers and the owners of the joint. You can trust them to pour you a great drink, and give you the evilest eye while the pour it. They are notoriously mean.
On Friday nights they host a karaoke night and the first and third Sundays are reserved for the local Jazz heroes to come out and have a jam. The first and third Jazz Sundays are either the coolest or lamest nights to come to Tokyo Garden. The music is great. Everyone seems into it. The downside is that you’ll never find a place to sit and you will have to wait an hour to get a drink or have a meal. Tokyo Garden is chronically short staffed.
It is the only bar I know of, besides Cheers, that has its own theme song.
My favorite nights are when we manage to pull in some unsuspecting touring musician who is wayyyy to big for the room. The first show I booked there was with Aaron Espinoza (of Earlimart) and Jason Lytle (of Grandaddy). We had convinced them to come up and play a benefit show. The local elementary school’s music programs had been cut and we had decided that the proceeds from the show would go to help a local school’s music budget.
The show was the night before the Earlimart CD Release party in LA for Treble and Tremble. At that time, Earlimart was in every music magazine, and Grandaddy was already a household name for us kids form the Central Valley. The show was packed and everyone sat in a hippie circle on the floor in front of the stage for Lytle’s set. They sang along to all the old Grandaddy anthems and I remember he also played a lot of new songs that ended up being on “Just Like the Fambly Cat”. I remember “Rear View Mirror” really well. That is such a pretty song.
Aaron followed up with some great tunes. He had all these little crickets going off around the stage and he had brought a Space Echo all the way from his studio in LA that he used on a great cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper”. Which is a bad ass song that Aaron does a bad ass version of.
That was one of my favorite shows ever.
Luckily, Vanderslice was being tour managed by Dave Willingham, who, besides being a really responsible, kick-ass dude, is also a fantastic engineer. He owns a studio in Denton, TX called the Echo Lab and has an amazing ear and years of experience. He basically kicked me off the mixing board and started fiddling with things and brought out giant rolls of gaffer’s tapes, effects processors, microphones, sharpie markers, you name it.
He ended up making JV sound pretty marvelous and for the encore, JV marched out into the street in front of Tokyo Garden and sang his last song surrounded by a gaggle of drunk people and honking cars (that is what the that blurry cellphone pic is of). I had a feeling he pulled that “walk outside for the encore” move a couple times on his tour. But rest assured. It was never better than that night he did it at Tokyo.
And if there is anything magic about Tokyo Garden, it is exactly that : the potential for greatness lingers in the air there. I have seen a TON of shitty shows there, but I have never seen a better show anywhere else in the entire world.
If you are interested in booking a show at Tokyo Garden, I recommend you go through their myspace initially. It can be pretty tricky to get a show as they only have live music once or twice a week. The best way to do it, if you aren’t a national touring act, is to approach a local band about helping put together a bill.
Like I said, I have seen a lot of shitty shows here to. Hey Fresno people! What was your favorite, or least favorite Tokyo Garden show?
DOWNLOAD : Brad Basmajian - Tokyo Garden Theme Song
LINK : Official Tokyo Garden Website
LINK : Tokyo Garden Myspace
LINK : Kurtz’s Collection of Tokyo Garden pics on Flickr
» Read more on Fresno : Tokyo Garden (Or "Best place to waste your youth, ever!!!")
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Fresno : Brian Kenney Fresno (Or "The slippery special spot of Fresno.")
BKF is a master of the Warr Guitar. As I understand it, the Warr Guitar is a customized revamp of another instrument called the Chapman Stick. It is a stringed and fretted instrument like a guitar, but instead of picking, strumming or bowing, as on a conventional stringed instrument, each of Brian’s hands are tapping on the instrument independently. It is a monster and Brian has his set up with 12 strings – 5 bass strings and 7 guitar strings. This wicked instrument combined with loop pedals, effects processors and vocals means that BKF can pump out an orchestra level amount of counterpoint and noise. Talk about an arsenal.
Beyond his technical proficiency and hi-tech gadgetry, there is something about his music and his performance that is so ridiculous and awesome and life changing. No matter how hard I try and get down what this guy does musically with his guitar and with his music and his face and his whole thing .. the schtick … no matter what, my writing won’t be nearly as impressive as seeing him live just once. Soooo, if you have the chance, I highly recommend you see him.
Last year he played my birthday party and I had several friends from LA visiting. They loved him. Which leads me to believe that his appeal isn’t simply based on Fresno kitsch.
One of the guests at the party was Randy from the band One Trick Pony. I don’t remember everything about the party in exact detail, but I remember we were pretty trashed, sweaty and giggly by the end of the night, which is about when Brian Kenney took the stage (or backyard rather). Once Brian began his set, everyone, no matter how tired or sun-stroked or drunk got up and stood in the middle of the backyard to get a good view of this caped, marijuana-smelling, weird-guitar-wielding, flannel clad freakshow.
At one point I remember I was standing next to Randy, and at some point BKF said or played something so completely ridiculous that Randy (the guy from One Trick Pony) fell to his knees laughing and crying and completely spazzing out. And drunk.
I remember Brian stopped in the middle of the song, pointed at Randy and yelled, “That’s right! That’s right! Get down on your knees!”
I think that’s how I’ll always remember Brian Kenney Fresno : telling my friends to get down on their knees and worship him.
He is performing every Sunday evening at Club Fred in Fresno, CA. From 5 to 8. Afterwards you get to watch the Simpsons! Below is a great video and some audio. Watch the video. Please.
DOWNLOAD : Brian Kenney Fresno - That's Who
DOWNLOAD : Brian Kenney Fresno - Bobby Salazar!
» Read more on Fresno : Brian Kenney Fresno (Or "The slippery special spot of Fresno.")
Monday, February 11, 2008
Nickel Nickel Nine
When other musicians find out I am from Fresno, one of the first questions I’m asked is, “How is the music scene in Fresno?” When this inevitably happens, I take a deep breath, shake my head, and answer in a very honest way, “It sucks.”
Which, no matter how easy I try to take it on my hometown, no matter how many excuses I try to make for my friends, no matter what anyone says; I am sure is the correct answer. The Fresno music scene is super shitty.
How do I come to this conclusion? Well, I think that the ultimate measurement by which to gauge a “music scene” would be by measuring the number of bands or songs or music from that “scene” that are interesting and worth spending your time enjoying, listening to, or blogging about.
The volume of Fresno music that I can even stand listening to is incredibly small, and makes up a very small percentage of the music that I listen to on a regular basis. There are a handful of bands whose performances or records I can even endure, and of those few, there are a handful of songs that I would actually consider memorable.
And even those bands from Fresno that I like – they usually don’t do anything. It seems the pattern of Fresno bands is fixed on playing the local dive bars, getting a small local buzz going, playing the local “big place” (in this case the 200 capacity, all-ages club, called The Starline), putting together a poor-to-mediocre record, and then imploding. Or, if they are lucky, they’ll just keep repeating steps one through three indefinitely until they get burned out or someone gets pregnant or dies.
There are no Fresno band success stories.
Ok. Now that I’ve panned the shit out my hometown music scene, I would like to mention that there a few Fresno bands that qualify as notable “near misses” or “glimmers of hope”. So, instead of continuing to document the uber-lameness of Fresno, (which should be obvious to anyone) I figure I’ll write about a few of the bands and a few of the songs from the past that I think are worth spending some time on.
No Cello (2004-2006, estimated)
I remember these guys started playing out at about the same time I moved back to Fresno and they always had these huge crowds of 16 year old girls surrounding the stage at every show. So of course I went to the shows as well. No Cello started as a guitar and drums duo, where drummer James Brittain-Gore would sing and sling drumsticks around crazily and Jordan Beyelia would nail down awesomely psychedelic riffs on guitar. They were everyone’s favorite. Girls swooned over them and guys were jealous. They were so fucking cool and all of 16 years old.
They recorded one EP for a local failed record label called Greytank (we’ll talk about them some other time). It doesn’t reflect the intensity and rawness of their live show, but is still pretty representative of what they were capable of.
DOWNLOAD : No Cello - Revolution (mp3)
Cause of band break-up : added a Tambourine player and keyboardist/bassist, Death
Pinkeye (2003-2006, estimated)
How do you write about these guys? To the uninitiated, I would describe the Pinkeye Cocktail as 2/3 sugary and weezer-y pop songwriting, 1/3 blistering drum licks (courtesy of Daren Taylor, who went on to become the drummer for Los Angeles’s Airborne Toxic Event) and a generous dash of drunkenness.
There is no one in Fresno I have seen who could transform a bar in Fresno into as big a party as these guys could. There was something infectiously retarded about the joy that infused a room when their guitars began clanging out the opening chords of a number. It was like being let out of class in grade school. Liberating and exciting and regular. Like clockwork.
I also must add that this is one of the few bands that had an un-official chorus of dancers that would show up at every single show. A large percentage of the band hailed from the neighboring town of Reedley, and the assorted girlfriends and girlfriends of their girlfriends (almost all exclusively from Reedley) would dance their weird Reedley dance (it looked kinda like a ska-skank sort of thing and involved lots of bangs in the eyes) at every show and further spread the weird joy that this band was known for.
They started one record and almost put it out. They never mixed it, so it sounds like ass. But to Pinkeye’s credit, they are the only one of the three bands listed here with all the original members still alive. So they could, in theory, reunite.
DOWNLOAD : Pinkeye - Ravishing (mp3)
Cause of band break-up : awesome drummer moved to Los Angeles, chaos, and unknown
Milk for the Morning Cake (1998 -2000, estimated)
This was a classic shoegaze band from the late 90’s fronted by my friend Ryan Tallman. Ryan was a bit of a boy genius. He graduated from high school early (or dropped out, I forget) and hauled ass at guitar way before I even learned to play a chord. I think I payed him $100 in 10th grade to record, on four track, my first attempt at a record.
The early MFTMC stuff had an awesome blend of open ended guitar sounds and atmospheric trumpet parts and rocking fucking backbeats. When I went away to the East Coast for school I would play an EP they did for all my new NYC friends. I don’t know if anybody in the northeast was as into to it as I was, but I know there a lot of Fresno folks who still have fond memories of this band. My fave tune was “Fuck Your Friends” which has all the emo of emo without any of the shitty aftertaste. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that track, but I convinced my friend Jefferson to post an MP3 from their last, unreleased record.
They were in and around the local scene for years, and went through a number of lineup changes, but the first incarnation and their first EP, in my opinion, was their best. If you have a link to something from that record, please post it in the comments! It has been years since I've heard it!
DOWNLOAD : Milk For The Morning Cake - Dead Summer (mp3)
Cause of band break-up : Ego, Death
Feel free to post your own list of Fave fresno bands in the comments. I'd be really curious about what folks dig up.
Tomorrow
My plan for tomorrow is to spotlight Brian Kenney Fresno, one of Fresno's most underrated and awesome musicians. Stay tuned.
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Disclaimer / Intro / About Me
There are a lot of great music blogs out there in the world, and I think the last thing the world really needs right now is another music blogger to rate, compare and criticize bands and talk industry shit.
I read Radio Free Silverlake, The Daily Swarm, Exitfare, Stereogum, The Tripwire and Aquarium Drunkard regularly and a host of others irregularly and really, that's enough for me.
So the focus of this blog, rather than to exclusively post MP3s and to repeat all the ground the above mentioned blogs are covering is to talk about music through the lens of a touring (and occasional) recording musician. I'll pretty much cover stuff that I am familiar with, starting with my local music scene and expanding to other areas in California where I spend a lot of time -- like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Merced, Modesto, Sacramento, Visalia and Arcata. I'll review restaurants, hotels, venues, shows and bands and make recommendations if I feel really passionate about something.
At least that is the idea. We'll see how it goes.
BTW, I have a band called Rademacher and am partners in a recording studio that I will try not to mention too often. Not that I am making any claims of having any journalistic integrity (or integrity in general for that matter).
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