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Rainy Day Saints/Frosting/The Godfathers at the Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH, 2.13.11

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Rainy Day Saints

When I had previously seen Rainy Day Saints, their sound mix was muddy, making it difficult to gauge anything but a beat. Sad to say, this night was more of the same. Even sitting at the bar situated at the back of the Grog Shop, the sound seemed to be mixed for some point 20 feet behind the back wall. They might be a great band, but if they don’t gauge their sound mix down a little, it’s going to be hard to tell.

Frosting

“This song’s on capo 1, everybody.”

Chicago band Frosting have a full complement of women and bald dudes and a good sense of humor. The group, led by a singer/guitarist who is not bald or a woman but does sort of look like a mashup of Doug Fieger and Mark Arm, powered through an upbeat set of guitar pop. A post-song comment from the singer gives a good idea of their sound: “I tried to sell that song to Matthew Sweet. He said, ‘No fucking way.'” An enjoyable set from a solid band with good stage presence and some nice harmonies.

The Godfathers

The fucking Godfathers, people.

As I’ve noted before, the Godfathers’ album Birth, School, Work, Death has been a staple for me since youth. In that previous post, I mentioned that I had never become a big enough fan of the group to pursue any of their other albums (which, in Ohio in the late ’80s/early ’90s, would have taken a good amount of effort), but seeing them Sunday night for their first show on American soil in over 20 years has changed that.

From the moment the Godfathers – singer Peter Coyne, guitarist Del Bartle, drummer Grant Nichols and a bassist whose name I did not catch, filling in for Chris Coyne who was detained in the UK as he’s apparently a threat to national security or something – stepped on stage, it was clear that there would be no fucking around. Peter Coyne still seems pretty pissed off, and the Godfathers’ music still carries the same intense energy. Still sharp in their pinstripes, the band delivered a punishing set spanning back to the Sid Presley Experience (the band from which the Godfathers formed in 1985) all the way up to brand new song “Back into the Future”, hitting some amazing high points in between: “‘Cause I Said So”, “Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues”, “When Am I Coming Down”, “This Damn Nation” and on.

Coyne cuts as imposing a figure as ever, gripping the microphone like he’s going to shoot you with it, spitting lyrics with as much vengeance as he did 20 years ago, grazing the audience with his blue-eyed, hard-edge stare between snarls – though he was never anything less than gracious to the appreciative audience. “It’s been too long,” he told Cleveland at one point.

Almost as a counterpoint to Coyne’s ever-serious demeanor, Nichols’ drumming was almost gleeful, backing the songs with on-point propulsion. Bartle’s guitar playing is so precise you wouldn’t know he hadn’t written the lines himself (he played in the Sid Presley Experience and joined the Godfathers in 2008). And the low end was more than competently held down by the bass player.

It was a gratifying show on a number of levels, not least of which was being able to shout along to “Birth, School, Work, Death” and have it feel just as vital now as it did when I first heard it 20-some years ago. This is no nostalgia act. This is goddamn rock ‘n’ roll.

(And while I don’t usually do this, I feel so strongly that you should see the Godfathers live, here’s a list of their remaining U.S. dates:

Feb. 15: Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
Feb. 16: Johnny D’s, Somerville, MA
Feb. 18: Black Cat, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 19: Frankie’s Inner City, Toledo, OH
Feb. 20: Double Door, Chicago, IL
Feb. 21: Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 22: Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO)

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Benjamin Riley Band/Cassie Morgan and the Lonely Pine/Patrick Sweany at Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO, 2.10.11

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To continue Patrick Sweany Month here at NTSIB, we are pleased to have a guest review of Patrick’s recent CD release show in St. Louis by our friend Nate Burrell, along with some wonderful photos by Nate and another talented photographer, Kate McDaniel.

On a cold and icy Thursday evening in south city St. Louis, music fans braved the elements to go out and see an absolutely stellar 3-band bill at Off Broadway – our city’s premier music venue. With the stage lights beaming down, headliner, Nashville-based rhythm and soul rock-n-roller, Patrick Sweany grabbed his pale green guitar, stepped to the mic and shouted out “All right, St. Louis, how ya doin’?” and immediately started into a hot set that melted the stage and unthawed the ears of anyone unfamiliar with his signature sound. Backed by an extremely tight bassist and a drummer with metronome like precision, Sweany burned through a few numbers from early in his catalogue before unleashing live versions of tracks from his recently released 5th album That Old Southern Drag. Showcasing his commanding guitar work and his beautifully raspy, soul-filled voice, Patrick stomped, shredded, and howled out tune after tune for 75+ minutes, leaving the crowd wanting more. With an applause that could be heard three blocks down, Sweany played one last song before stepping off of the stage and into the masses, where he began handshaking, talking eye-to-eye with every approaching fan, and thanking the out-of-town crowd that he had just won over.

Opening the evening and warming up the stage were St. Louis-based indie folk darlings Cassie Morgan and the Lonely Pine. Morgan, whose song craft is as brilliant as anyone in the industry today, and her band mate, the endlessly talented Beth Bombara, played a delightfully beautiful set of original tunes that held the room at a captivated stand-still. With songs formed around Morgan’s eerily delicate vocals and outstanding use of space in her guitar playing, while Bombara sang in deliciously on-point harmony as she laid down layer after layer of percussive accompaniments, these two multi-instrumentalists were able to let their uniquely organic sound breathe a melodic breath, that was warmly welcomed by their appreciative hometown crowd.

Rounding out the evening was the ever-energetic Benjamin Riley. With a five-piece band backing him, Riley took control of the center stage and absolutely let loose. Belting out a series of upbeat songs, Benjamin let his gritty soul-soaked vocals do the rolling, while he and his band did the rocking. At one point, Riley and bassist Kit Hamon were so into the moment that they were literally stomping and playing in unison – completely awesome to see. Just as they did for the Sweany, Morgan and Bombara, the crowd showed their appreciation and respect to this up-and-coming St. Louis band.

Three bands. Lots of people. One kick-ass venue. All coming together for an excellent night of live music.

St Louis music photographers Nate Burrell and Kate McDaniel were in the front row capturing it all as it went down. See the show as they saw it – both in black & white and color. And when you are done with the visual stimulation, go get the sounds of each band at their website. You’re sure to be a fan when it’s all said and done. Rock on!

Links:
Bands
www.patricksweany.com
www.cassiemorgan.com
www.benjaminrileymusic.com

Photographers
www.flickr.com/natebnate or www.beforetheblink.com
www.flickr.com/kate_pequeno

Who Kate and Nate often shoot for:
www.kdhx.org

Venue:
www.offbroadwaystl.com

Label:
www.ninemilerecords.com

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Notable Shows in the Greater Cleveland Area + Patrick Sweany

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Shows worth checking out this week in and around Cleveland:

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

  • Fri, Feb 11| 9 PM (8:30 PM door)
    Waterloo Alley Cat Project Fundraiser
    Prisoners
    Rainy Day Saints
    Filmstrip
    $5 / $3 admission with dry or canned cat food
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Sat, Feb 12| 8 PM (7 PM door)
    Cabinet
    Hoots & Hellmouth
    Holy Ghost Tent Revival
    $10
    Ballroom | All Ages

  • Mon, Feb 14| 8 PM (7 PM door)
    James Hunter
    Blue Lunch
    $15 adv / $17 dos
    Ballroom | All Ages

  • Tue, Feb 15| 8:30 PM (8 PM door)
    Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds (feat. Kid Congo Powers – ex Cramps, Gun Club, Bad Seeds)
    Exploding Lies
    Shouting Thomas Torment
    DJ Hot Trash
    $8
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Wed, Feb 16| 8 PM (7:30 PM door)
    Chris Bathgate
    The Modern Electric
    Brian Straw
    Chad Hill
    $7
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Thu, Feb 17| 8 PM (7 PM door)
    Cowboy Mouth
    The Ray Johnston Band
    $15 adv / $17 dos
    Ballroom | All Ages

Grog Shop

  • Sun, Feb 13| 8 PM
    The Godfathers
    Frosting
    Rainy Day Saints
    $12

  • Wed, Feb 16| 8 PM
    Orgone
    Groovesmith
    $8

The Winchester

  • Fri, Feb 11| 9 PM
    Commander Cody
    $12

House of Blues

  • Tue, Feb 15| 8 PM (7 PM door)
    The Robert Cray Band
    Kristine Jackson
    $25 adv / $27 dos / $45 balcony

Patrick Sweany will be playing at Zephyr Pub in Kent, Ohio, on Friday, February 18, and I couldn’t be more excited. Here’s a clip of the Patrick Sweany band playing on an old local show called Crooked River Groove back in 2006. Check out Patrick’s big-ass belt buckle.

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Patrick Sweany: Coming Soon, Baby, to Your City

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It’s Patrick Sweany month here at NTSIB (check out the interview we did with Patrick if you missed it). Patrick kicks off a series of CD release shows for his latest, That Old Southern Drag, starting tonight in St. Louis at Off Broadway (check his website for more dates – more dates coming). To see why you should not miss the opportunity to see Patrick live if he’s coming to your town, check out the videos below.

Here’s Patrick playing the hell out of “Hotel Women” – and blessing a sneezer in the audience without missing a beat – from his album Every Hour is a Dollar Gone at Merlefest 2009.

From the same album, “After Awhile”, filmed at the Old Rock House in St. Louis in December, 2010.

And for the players, here’s a video of Patrick leading a workshop at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, teaching Papa Charlie Jackson’s “Shake That Thing”.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmnzIfPmBU?version=3]

Patrick Sweany Official Website

Patrick Sweany @ Bandcamp

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Giveaway: Hugo

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Giveaway is closed.

First, watch this:

You want to go see that guy now, right? Well, if you’re in Cleveland tonight, you’re in luck. NTSIB has a pair of tickets to give away to see Hugo play at the Beachland Tavern (inside the Beachland Ballroom at 8 PM with Attack Cat and Dan Miraldi & The Albino Winos) in Cleveland tonight. Be the first to comment, and you get the prize.

Hugo on iTunes

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Photog: Panic! at the Disco / Walk the Moon

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This week, Jennifer reconnects with one of her favorites and discovers a new Ohio band.

Last Tuesday, Panic! at the Disco played their first U.S. show in almost two years. It was an amazing evening, but before I tell you about it, I’d like to introduce the opening band, Cincinnati, OH natives Walk the Moon:

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I am not quite sure what the facepaint has to do with anything, but: they have hot funk grooves powered by two drummers – one whom is also the lead singer – and in addition said lead singer is in possession of a killer disco falsetto. They immediately engaged and kept the attention of a restless crowd, and the reason I took so few pictures of them was because I was busy dancing. I’d also totally go and see them at their own show in the future. You can listen to them on bandcamp and also they will be at SXSW. If you’re going down there check them out, you will not be disappointed.

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Spencer Smith and Brendon Urie

But now, onwards to the main event, with some brief background: In July 2009, Panic! at the Disco split in half. Ryan Ross (guitars, lyrics) and Jon Walker (bass) became The Young Veins, while Brendon Urie (vocals, guitar, piano) and Spencer Smith (drums) continued as Panic! at the Disco. Following a short tour with Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 in the summer of 2009, Panic! have been largely incommunicado while working on their next record.

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Ian Crawford

On Tuesday night, Urie and Smith were joined by traveling members Ian Crawford (Stamps, The Cab) on guitar and Dallon Weekes (The Brobecks) on bass, and from what I saw, the time away has had a rejuvenating effect. The dance party started as soon as they played the first notes of The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage – their early song titles are kind of ridiculous – but ridiculous titles or not, the old songs sounded new and the new songs fit in with them seamlessly. And by “old” songs I mean Fever era tunes. A few tracks from the more recent Pretty. Odd. were in the set, but they were beefed up to fit with Panic!’s current modern pop sound, which MTV’s James Montgomery has dubbed “baroquetronica.” Whatever you want to call it, Panic! at the Disco’s sonic Summer of Love has pretty clearly come to an end.

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L to R: Ian Crawford, Spencer Smith, Brendon Urie, Dallon Weekes

Vices & Virtues is out on March 29, and, seriously, Happy (Belated) Birthday to ME. I am SO EXCITED for this record, y’all, I can’t even tell you. I’m predicting it will be delicious and they’ll have us dancing all summer. I’m especially keen to hear the studio of version of Let’s Kill Tonight, which as best I could tell was a “you do what you want, we’re going to party” song with a headbanging beat and complicated string section accents.

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Dallon Weekes

Panic! has a tradition of playing one cover per tour: in 2006, during the Nothing Rhymes with Circus for their first record, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, it was were Radiohead’s Karma Police; when they went on the Honda Civic Tour in 2008 in support of second record Pretty. Odd. it was The Band’s The Weight ; during Rock Band Live, also in 2008, it was The Isley Brothers’ Shout and lastly in 2009 for the Believers Never Die tour with Blink-182 and FOB it was Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.

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Brendon Urie

For this show – and I am hoping for the next tour – it was Science Fiction/Double Feature, from Rocky Horror Picture Show, with just Brendon Urie’s voice and the keyboard. It was a beautiful, unfussy valentine to campy ridiculousness, science fiction geekery and musicals all wrapped up into one song. You may, possibly, at this point, be unsurprised to learn that I put it on almost all of my mix-tapes, back when I made mix-tapes, and that it is my favorite song from that movie. Hearing it again, and so unexpectedly, was both a highlight of the evening and the moment that I fell in love with Panic! at the Disco all over again. In conclusion: that was great, and I can’t wait to see them again.

— Jennifer

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I Am Your Champion, Part II

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Here’s the deal, my babies: If you read this post, you’ll see that I’m championing for the Music Maker Relief Foundation as a part of a charity-driven game set up by A Terrible Idea (you can join the game, too – just visit A Terrible Idea for details).

Here’s where you get to pitch in. If you donate $5 – just five measly bucks, less than you’d pay for an actual album download – I will create a personalized music mix just for you. Each person who donates will receive a mix (download or, if you prefer, on CD) unique to him or her.

To donate, Paypal your $5 donation to nowthissoundisbrave@gmail.com (note: you don’t have to have a Paypal account to send money) or e-mail me at the same address, and we’ll work out arrangements. 100% of the donations will go directly to the Music Maker Relief Foundation, and you’ll help keep the roots of American music alive and thriving.

Once I receive your donation, I’ll e-mail you with a question or two (or 30) to aid me in tailoring your mix. Please allow time for pondering, rearranging and crafting. I will try to keep you apprised of progress throughout the process.

And thank you. So much.

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Bits: TV on the Radio, Over the Rhine, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Royal Bangs

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  • Yay yay yay! TV on the Radio will be releasing a new album, Nine Types of Light, this spring. And April 13 will be TV on the Radio City Music Hall day as they play a gig at the famed New York venue to kick off a national tour. I’m a little excited.

  • Over the Rhine’s new album, The Long Surrender, drops today, and you can listen to it Spinner. (Nicole Atkins’ Mondo Amore is up there, too.)

  • It’s the day of streaming (for a given value of “streaming”), as Jessica Lea Mayfield’s latest, Tell Me, is up at Rolling Stone.

  • In sad news, Justin Robinson will be leaving the Carolina Chocolate Drops. But CCDs will continue on with two new members, multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins and beatboxer Adam Matta.

  • Our friends at Citizen Dick have a track for you from the upcoming Royal Bands album, Flux Outside. The album is set for release on March 29.

To close out a live video of Over the Rhine performing “The Laugh of Recognition”.

The Laugh of Recognition from Sneak Attack on Vimeo.

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I Am Your Champion

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Duane, my oldest friend and the benefactor of this blog, is a man who has always been full of ideas. He’s making a name for himself in the gaming industry, and while I’ve never been much of a gamer, his latest idea has me inspired to play along. It’s a game called I Am Your Champion.

From his A Terrible Idea website:
“I Am Your Champion is a game that will challenge your existing ideas regarding charitable fundraising. I sincerely believe that if you complete all five rounds of this game, you will look at working with charities, and your ability to assist your favorite charities, in a whole new light.

We will play the game in five rounds. Each round will begin at 10:00 AM, starting today and going through Friday. Each round will consist of three Tasks you must complete to proceed to the next round, as well as additional Drills that are optional, but will have an effect I will describe in a moment. And you can join the game at any time – if you’re reading this Friday morning, you can still complete all five rounds (but you might need to hustle).

Any player who completes all five rounds will receive a special pass from me. Only people who finish this version of the game will get this pass. In addition to being a unique and interesting item in and of itself, this pass will entitle the bearer to certain benefits to be disclosed after the game has been completed. Each one will be unique, and if you complete some of those Drills I mentioned earlier, your pass will reflect that.”

Now, here’s where I tie that all in to the modus operandi of NTSIB.

So many of the artists who gave us the music that inspired the music we still make today, music that feeds the soul, music that sometimes even made a difference in the world, died poor and sick, buried in unmarked graves. At times, the music itself has almost been lost to history. Some music has been lost.

The Music Maker Relief Foundation works to provide for mostly older musicians who are keeping the roots of Southern music alive by providing for their day-to-day needs, helping them develop their craft and helping them get gigs, record deals, etc. Artists on their roster, past and present, include Jack Owens, Robert Belfour, Ernie K Doe, and they’ve even helped the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Since I first heard some of those early, scratchy blues tunes, I’ve felt it important to educate people about the roots of American music, to share the love this music so richly deserves. For that reason, Music Maker Relief Foundation, I Am Your Champion.

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Grandfather: Down to the Dirt This Time

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The line of separation between “That sounds interesting” and “I must listen to that again RIGHT NOW” can be a wide one. But after my first listen through Grandfather’s debut album Why I’d Try, that line was so thin it was practically invisible. I found myself hitting the “play” button again before my brain had even had the chance to fully grasp the music, to file it under a tidy banner, as brains are wont to do. The heavy, compelling rhythms, guitar that sounds a range from attack-dog machine-gun barking to high jangly space ambience and almost delicate melodies bore quickly and directly into some sub stratum in my brain, making my understanding of the music a bottom-up process instead of the usual top-down (“We’re a [genre] band”, “RIYL: [other bands that may or may not sound like this band]”) method. It was not unlike my initial experience with a band that went on to become one of my favorites: Shudder to Think, with their changed-the-game-for-me album Pony Express Record (a band Grandfather has been compared to based on their favoring of off-kilter time signatures and unusual melodies).

Grandfather – Tremors

How the end product of Why I’d Try came to be is an interesting story and an effective calling card for Grandfather – a three-piece made up of Michael Kirsch on guitar, Jonathan Silverman on bass and Josh Hoffman on drums and vocals. After messing around with their digital home recording equipment to the point where they didn’t feel they could trust their own ears any longer, they decided that the most freeing option would be to take all those digital options away. They would hand the engineering reigns over to someone else and record their album in an analog studio. And there are few more qualified to take those reigns than Steve Albini (and if you don’t know who Albini is – oh, honey – check out this list of albums Albini has engineered, including those by his own bands Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac).

Grandfather – It’s Good Enough Now

Decision made, Grandfather sold off their digital recording equipment, set up a Kickstarter campaign to make up the difference and booked time with Albini’s Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. In three days, Why I’d Try was recorded and mixed by Albini and mastered by Albini’s Shellac bandmate Bob Weston. (Michael Kirsch wrote a series of posts about the process and experience for SonicScoop that are well worth a read.)

Grandfather – Blood Theme (From Dexter) / Tremors from Big Ass Lens on Vimeo.

With the money spent and the hard work finished, Grandfather proceeded to give the album away for free (go to the official site link below for the full download). The trick of it is, once you hear the album’s sonic richness on mp3, you’ll want to hear it again on vinyl for the full experience of highs and lows and textures. Lucky for you that they had a limited number of LPs (and CDs) pressed to fulfill that need. All it’ll cost you is a ten-spot (and some shipping if you’re ordering online – I already have mine on order).

Grandfather Official Website

SonicScoop | How Grandfather Made A Record With Steve Albini In Three Days