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May 19, 2006
Tim Easton and Garrison Starr @ the Hotel Cafe: May 18, 2006
A little math, to start:
Tim Easton + Garrison Starr + Dead Rock West = One HOT show.
With a lineup like that, how could the Hotel Cafe NOT be packed for Tim Easton's CD Release Party? I was shocked to find there was actually a LINE at the tiny Hotel Cafe for folks waiting to get in, but fortunately, opener Garrison Starr didn't take the stage until ten minutes after her scheduled 9pm start time. Garrison is funny as hell, making self-deprecating remarks about sweating, lack of proper rehearsal, and acid reflux, which only added to her sparkling performance. If you haven't already picked up her latest CD The Sound of You and Me, do so, and you'll hear that she sounds exactly like she does on the album live. Tim Easton's latest CD Ammunition was released in stores earlier this week, and armed only with his guitar (no backing band at all), Tim did himself justice playing all the songs from the album in order. An audience favorite was the satirical "Jesus, Protect Me From Your Followers," which earned him the loudest applause of the evening. It was obvious that most of the crowd had showed for Tim, but those who left early did themselves a great injustice by not sticking around for the Gram Parsons-inspired Dead Rock West.
Posted by darlin at 1:42 PM
May 11, 2006
KT Tunstall @ The Music Box: May 9, 2006
Before KT Tunstall started receiving serious airplay from commercial adult contemporary stations or having her songs covered by American Idol contestants, she was the topic of conversation among underground hipsters. The British chantreuse released her "Eye to the Telescope" album in the United States earlier this year, and it quickly flew up the charts of Triple A radio, and earned her critical acclaim. Vocally, KT sounds much like Bonnie Raitt, but she's got a pop style and sensibility all her own. With all this "buzz" about her, it's easy to see why she packed The Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theatre Tuesday night, but not easy to see why her production manager felt it necessary to have lighting that distracted from, rather than enhanced her performance. Although it took about twenty minutes for KT to really get into her show, once she had it going, she was unstoppable, save for the cliched move of the artist to take over for the drummer at the end of her show. Seems that an artist as talented as KT Tunstall would be beyond that.
Posted by darlin at 1:38 PM
May 5, 2006
Drive By Truckers and Son Volt @ HOB, West Hollywood: May 4, 2006
I hate the House of Blues, West Hollywood. Hate, hate, hate it. So I only go to a show at the HOB if it's a really hot lineup, and Thursday's pairing of Son Volt with the Drive-By Truckers definitely met that criteria. The second of two nights at this venue, either band could have been considered the headliner, but Son Volt (which some may argue isn't the 'real' Son Volt - it's Jay Farrar with a new backing band) was first up to bat, and honestly have never sounded better. Jay Farrar finished the set with a couple of acoustic songs, including the signature "Windfall." The Drive By Truckers weren't nearly as redneck, or as loud, as I remembered, but I was still glad to have my earplugs. An interesting mix of people made up the crowd for this show: everyone from hipster girls to white-trash 40-something year olds wearing shorts and no socks (I was sorry I didn't have my camera to capture that image for posterity!).
Oh, yeah....the big question of the night was "What exactly are those black and red things on the set behind the DBTs? Bats? Ladybugs?" Eventually, we figured out they were black crows with red eyes. Scary, scary crows.
Posted by darlin at 9:14 AM
May 3, 2006
Never Looking Behind - Reagan Boggs
When it comes to reviewing CDs for potential radio play, Wanda is fond of telling me "You have to listen to a lot of crap to find one gem." And I have to admit that everytime I receive an e-mail from an artist or label guy (who only has one artist signed to the label, indicating that it's a friend or family member of the artist), asking where they can send their CD for me to listen to, I inwardly groan - because I know chances are excellent that it's going to be another album that's not exactly a fit for my show.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Reagan Boggs' "Never Looking Behind" turned out to be one of those aforementioned gems, even though it had found it's way to me via an e-mail that was titled along the lines of "CD Submission Inquiry." Sonically, Reagan sounds like she could be the long-lost sister of Kim Richey; but her real strengths lie in her songwriting, which this album could have showcased more. Although she puts forth noble effort into her cover of Johnny and June Cash's "Jackson" (with Scott Miller), it seems a little trite, given the recent success of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon's interpretation for "Walk the Line" (although Reagan's version was recorded prior to the movie's release). However, the emotion in songs like "Share Them with You," "Loose Change," and "Everything Here" will leave the listener wanting more and more.
Posted by darlin at 5:49 PM
May 2, 2006
An Interview with the Flametrick Subs
The following interview with Clem Hoot and Miss Fortune, of the Austin voodoobilly band The Flametrick Subs took place in the middle of their April 9th live performance on the Howdylicious and Trash-o-matic Garbage A-go-go radio shows (KUCI 88.9FM in Irvine, CA) and was conducted by Trash-o-matic host, Filthy Rotten Wes.
Filthy Rotten Wes: Why don’t you both introduce yourselves for our listeners?
Clem Hoot: Well, I’m Clem Hoot. Lead guitar, some vocals, I guess, for The Flame Trick Subs.
Miss Fortune: I’m Miss Fortune. I play drums.
FRW: Can you tell us about the other members briefly?
Miss Fortune: Buster Crash is rhythm guitar, lead vocals,....general sense of humor.
Clem: And Lefty DeMarco, upright bass.
FRW: I’m gonna ask you right now, who’s the bad influence in the band?
Miss Fortune: Lefty.
Clem: Definitely Lefty
FRW: How so?
Clem: He’s evil, pure evil.
Miss Fortune: He’s always slipping bottles of alcohol into our luggage.
FRW: It sounds like he’ll be your downfall.
Clem: That’s right...He’s the T.V. thrower.
FRW: You are actually out here, playing a few shows to promote your new album “Voodoo Doo.”
Clem: That’s right.
FRW: What are your upcoming stops along the way?
Miss Fortune: Vegas baby! That’s next! We head out tomorrow to the Double Down, Tuesday and Friday.
FRW: You’re gonna be there during Viva Las Vegas. So all the folks out here who are heading there can see you play as well?
Miss Fortune: Right.
Clem: As early as Tuesday the 11th and then on Friday the 14th .
FRW: Are Satan’s Cheerleaders going to be performing with you at these stops?
Miss Fortune: Yes.
Clem: Yeah. We (The Subs and Satan’s Cheerleaders) played last night in San Diego, down at The Zombie Lounge and the night before at The Doll Hut. It was a packed house. We love playing there. And after Vegas we’re heading to Prescott, Arizona to play with The High Rollers -our good buddies- Then Albuquerque, and then heading back to Austin.
FRW: Sounds good! And I’ve heard that you usually make two stops out here, in California, during the year. Can we expect you again out here later in the year?
Clem: Oh yeah.
Miss Fortune: Around October or November.
FRW: Now, for those who are less worldly and do not know the story about the Cheerleaders, can you tell us the story of how they came to be a part of the live performance?
Clem: Wow...yeah. We’ve actually just had a ten year anniversary with the girls. They’ve been dancing with us a better portion of these last ten years now. Before that, we were just, you know, good old boys from Waco. Haha!
Miss Fortune: It started out as a joke one Halloween and they never went away. But we’re happy about that.
FRW: And I’m sure that a lot of the viewers are happy about that too!
FRW: Now, one thing that I’ve noticed with your albums is that they’ve got a number of cover songs. You’ve got The Sonics’ “Psycho” on the new album and Warren Smith’s “Uranium Rock.” How does the band go about choosing a song to cover. Is it a unanimous decision?
Clem: We play a lot of live shows and it’s the songs that really go over well, usually, that we feel “well, lets give this one a shot in the studio.” And that’s why, I guess, we’ve come up with some of those songs.
FRW: Amongst yourselves, do you feel you’ve got pretty diverse taste in music?
Miss Fortune: Oh yeah.
Clem: Its insane.
FRW: Where does that take you?
Clem: Oh gosh...Well, I think its more of what the common bond is among us. We all like Johnny Cash. That’s a huge influence on us. We all love The Ramones, The Cramps, Iggy Pop
Miss Fortune: Just a lot of old rock and roll from the 50's, 60's garage bands. That’s where a lot of it comes from... Just not wanting to do the same covers that everyone always does, pulling out our own original ideas from these roots.
Clem: We like the obscure ones, we don’t like to do what everyone covers.
FRW: Well, speaking of obscure, here’s where the obscure questions come in.
FRW: If the band were to star in its own cult movie, a la Guitar Wolf in “Wild Zero,” what would it be about? Would it be a horror? A comedy?.....An epic, perhaps?
Miss Fortune: A Three Stooges movie.
Clem: You hit the first two right on the head.... Lots of blood.
Miss Fortune: Lots of gore...flying heads.
FRW: Any movie plans for the present?
Clem: Well, we have a new live DVD coming out, which is really cool. We recorded it at Antone’s back in Austin.
Miss Fortune: Its called “Six Feet Deep in the Heart of Texas.”
Clem: Yeah, it should be ready in a couple of months. We have a couple of cool features on it, like a Buzz Bomb music video that we shot last year here. And there’s some weird animation on there, so you can look forward to that.
FRW: So we can expect the DVD to come out later in the year?
Miss Fortune: Yes.
FRW: If tomorrow the band found out that it would be headlining a live, one night only, sold out performance in Hell, who would you choose for an opening act?
Miss Fortune: Alive, dead, whatever we want? It doesn’t matter?
FRW: Yeah, that’s why its in Hell.
Miss Fortune: Ha! It would be everybody we knew.
Clem: I was thinking Buddy Holly would be perfect.
FRW: Anyone else?
Clem: Oh yeah, tons...Satan. I hear he plays a pretty mean guitar.
FRW: Moving on....Between me and you Clem....This one’s kind of hard for me to ask...If some charming, sophisticated radio DJ were interested in taking Miss Fortune’s hand in marriage, what would it take to win her over?
Miss Fortune: (laughs)
Clem: Oh man....I don’t know...a billy club?(laughs)
FRW: So go caveman style?
Clem: I guess.
FRW: Is violence the only thing that warms her heart?
Miss Fortune: Rufies...
Clem: Kitties?
Miss Fortune: Violent kitties!.... Kitty zombies....that like to drink whiskey and...dress in vinyl...and drive ‘55 Chevrolets......and drugs.
FRW: I’ll start figuring out how to do go about doing that...
FRW: The band is stranded on a deserted jungle island and pineapple and coconuts are just not cutting it. Who would be the first to be made into a “Stew of You,” so to say?
Clem: Lefty.
Miss Fortune: The Cheerleaders
Clem: Oh, yes! The Cheerleaders! They’re more meaty. Chomp! Chomp!
FRW: That sounds like it would be good eating!
Clem: You’re getting us in trouble here!
FRW: Lets see. So, we can look forward, next fall, to seeing you around the California coast. But until then, how can fans or those interested in finding your music or learning about upcoming shows do that?
Clem: We are quite independent. I guess the best way is “Flametricksubs.com”
Miss Fortune: And we’ve got a spot on Myspace!
FRW: Well, I’ve got to say that meeting you all in person has been really an honor because not only are you excellent musicians, but you are nice people. I can tell that you really care about your fans, you care about the music...and its really an honor having you out here tonight.
Clem: Hell yeah!
Miss Fortune: Thank you! We love it!
Clem: We love the west coast and can’t wait to come back!
Miss Fortune: We love your shows! Yours and Wanda’s (Howdylicious!). They’re amazing!
FRW: Well, thank you! And I’d like to thank the two of you and the rest of the band for coming down today.
Clem: Right on!
Check out The Flametrick Subs brand spankin’ new full-length album “Voodoo Doo” on the Texas Flat Lizard label! Also remember to tune in to Wanda’s Howdylicious (Sundays 8PM-10PM) and Filthy Rotten Wes’ Trash-o-matic Garbage A-go-go (Sundays 10PM-Midnight), both on KUCI 88.9FM in Irvine, CA. (streaming live online at www.kuci.org )!
Posted by DJWanda at 10:05 PM
