Chapter Thirty Two: "Reviews: Ninnie. Tender Mercy"

So far, 2012 has kind of blown my mind a little in the amount of independent releases from Louisville-based musicians. Since February it seems like a new seven-inch, full-length, CD, or digital album has been put out with a party to accompany it almost every week. In attempts to log in and document, here are two more.

Ninnie - "Freedom Rings Placed Within."  

Gosh, I've known Ninnie a long time. Going back to the years we both lived in Lexington, I believe I met her circa 1996ish. We both connected and befriended pretty quickly, and despite traveling to different areas of the US at various points in the last 16 years, here we are now in the River City in 2012.

Ninnie is the pseudonymish moniker used by multi-media performance-visual artist and singer-multi-instrumentalist Cynthia Norton. Born in Athens, Cindy has shown and performed all of over the US, Europe and Asia. Her art reflects the history of women, Kentucky, the rural South, and contemporary culture, blending it all together into a creative homemade vision that access the uses of technology over top the ideas of storytelling through film, created instruments, sculpture and lately, "video-quilts." Some of her latest work has been included in "Young Country" at the Rosenwald Wolf Gallery at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, and in "Contraption: Devices in Art" at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art in Wilimington, Delaware.    

The character and name Ninnie have undergone a plethora of changes since emerging, each reflecting the path and points Cynthia is taking and making at the moment, whether it be Ninnie Nu Ninnie, Ninnie Nuance, Ninnie Naive Nouveau...it all leads to Cynthia's senses of self-discovery and discovery of the world around her, which she reflects in both her performances and the accompanying music, which, for the most part, in my mind, inseparable. Her recordings often tie directly into the themes she is exploring in her visual and performance art, but still stand alone as recordings of some damn interesting and experimental music. 

not my photo

Her musical writing style is definitely off the regular path, and has changed and developed over the years, but has always had one foot in the dirt of country music. Her 2008 album, "Queen of Cups," reflects this the most, in my opinion. That relished in the fresh-water spirit of warbly old-time country and bluegrass complete with a full backing band, even swerving into rockabilly with a cover of Wanda Jackson's "My Big Iron Skillet." Ninnie has always written both beautiful and dark music that I've respected ever since hearing her first recordings on a cassette in her living room back in 1996 in Lexington. Plus, at that first meeting she said something that may have been one of the biggest influences on my own songwriting at the time. While listening to a particularly sad number she commented, "I guess this is what we're supposed to do when we're lonely." Doesn't get much more clear cut than that.

 I've been lucky enough, since relocating back to Louisville, to have performed several times with Ninnie, and to hear her music change and restructure. The songs have become more intimate, pulling back from the fuller band sound and jogging into a darker, lower-key centered around her use of an electric dulcimer and her voice. Sometimes she sings through distorted portable amps and or an art piece created from a suitcase and tennis racket. Percussion has come from bizarre objects created by Cynthia, often looped and projected and angled in various renditions and styles, uniting the art and the music even further. There's a noisy element that can be had when all of the homemade instruments and her voice, sometimes looping on top itself, creating an ambience that can be disconcerting and simultaneously introspective and wonderful. 

Once while rehearsing for a show at the Alley Theater, I sat back, listening to the sounds she was creating and commented, "Ninnie, it sounds like you've unleashed Patsy Cline into a performance with the Velvet Underground at the Exploding Plastic Inevitable."

The latest album from Ninnie is "Freedom Rings Placed Within," and sees her become even more introspective, concentrating on just her voice and her own creative use of the electric dulcimer. The album was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) for an exhibit of the same name in Philadelphia. The CD accompanies Cindy's first solo museum exhibition of the same name, and through installations, prints and music, according to the PAFA curator Julien Robson, addresses "the historical portrayal of women in art, paternalism and colonialism, and the vernacular forms of folk culture." One of the centerpieces of the show, in my opinion, is a huge homemade dulcimer made from an old wardrobe. 

The CD features seven songs that address these themes individually. Ninnie's voice rises in a solo echo above her dulcimer, which is strummed or banged, sometimes slightly distorted, sometimes clean. Each song is its own mood. Her voice ranges from excitable ("Cleaning Up My Misery") to that warbly sadness she can reach into herself and project ("Emma's Song"), to a straight pretty sound that can be the perfect captivation in a quiet room alone, such as the title track. "Freedom Rings Placed Within" seems to access blues and folk as much as the country was present on "Queen of Cups." The album culminates with "Free from Hell," a pounding romp that finds peace somewhere in the distortion. 

Tender Mercy - "The Road to Good Intention is Paved with Hell."  

Tender Mercy is the baby of former ear X-tacy employee Mark Kramer. Originally begun in 2008, the project has undergone various line-up changes, all rotating around Mark's songwriting. This debut recording, which was released digitally in November 2011 and live onstage via CD release party in March 2012, is a quiet album that remains close to those songs, featuring Mark's voice and guitar, and the piano of Mike Seymour.

Tender Mercy clings as close to the bone of these songs as can be, keeping the instrumentation sparse. The sounds can seem solemn, led by the soft plucking of a guitar. Mark sings comfortably in a warm voice. Despite being only two instruments and voice, the sound can be a lush, nice moodiness. This is singer-songwriter music as concentrated as it can get.

Most of the tunes are of a slower-tempo, and follow the trail unhurriedly. I definitely appreciate music as stripped down as this; there's no delineation with a tricky bell-mare moment. These are songs presented as songs, clinging to the individuality of the lyrics and melodies. I'm reminded of seeing Mark Kozelek's material performed live with simply two guitars.

Hey, I'm not gonna lie; it's been a rainy Spring day as I've typing up this album, and its been the perfect minimalist soundtrack for it. This a record with a lot of color hidden within its skeleton. "Drive On" is one of the nicest songs I've listened to in a while. Skip over to Never Nervous for this interview with Mark. Skip here to his bandcamp to sample and purchase.  

Chapter Thirty One: "Review: Madame Machine/Interview with Salena Filichia."

Make no mistake, Madame Machine are a capital letters ROCK trio that embroils and twists the definite lines and structures of rock music, pressurizing their ideas and various influences into a mash that makes a lot of sense. To put it simply, it can get complicated with this band, but in the end, it's a beautifully creative and challenging mixture.  Made up of Salena Filichia (formerly of Venus Trap) on bass-synths-vocals, David Cundiff on guitar-synths-vocals (formerly of Lucky Pineapple), and Forrest Kuhn on drums (formerly of Sunspring),  Madame Machine are almost a poking stick to the supposed ceilings of background rhythm departments. Salena put it best in a recent brief interview I did with her when she said, "We are a band made up of the rhythm sections of other bands that were not really stereotypical rock bands."

Madame Machine

Madame Machine just released its sounds on a self-titled debut seven-inch for Noise Pollution, and celebrated with a show at Third Street Dive on Friday, March 30, with Louisville punk band The Hal Dolls and Philly-NY-based punk-free jazz band Many Arms. 

Madame Machine was started in late 2010 when Salena and Stephen Shoemaker (former drummer of several bands between here, Lexington, and further places North and South, including Venus Trap, as well) got together post-VT to work up some new ideas. Instead of my summations of the band's background, I'll just roll tape on that interview with Salena now.

Salena Filichia

brine: Who is the new drummer, and where did he come from?

Salena: Forrest Kuhn is our new drummer. He's a veteran to the Louisville scene. From Sunspring to The Halifax Pier to Black Cross, he's been around town and elsewhere with his drums. We had big shoes to fill and not only needed someone who was a really good drummer, but someone who was a compatible personality. Forrest came as a suggestion from my bandmate, Becca, in Julie of the Wolves. He came in, he played, he hung out and has been a really solid drummer and a great personality to interact with.

Forrest Kuhn

brine: Prog. Let's talk about it. I feel like you all have a huge prog-thing going on, and I believe I've heard David talk about that [or read that when he was interviewed recently by our friends Never Nervous]. Venus Trap seemed proggy to me as well...is all this progginess coming from you? In VT, were Stephanie Gary and Miranda Cason into prog? Is Madame Machine something that let's you get even more core about it? The lines, riffs and timing in those MM songs can get pretty complicated and shift all over the place...Also, I've decided to turn question 2 into a drinking game. Every time I say "prog" we both have to take a drink.

Salena: I guess that we have some wacky things going on. I like complicated things. I never wrote any songs for Venus Trap. Stephanie and Miranda are the geniuses behind that sound. They wrote songs that could have sounded either simple, or complicated. We chose complicated when appropriate, I think.
David came out of Lucky Pineapple, which I think was a totally different sort of complicated sound.
I'm not incredibly familiar with a lot of prog rock. Like you, I know Rush, I know Dream Theater. I kind of liked Genesis's "Selling England By The Pound" and while I haven't listened to a lot of King Crimson, "In The Court of King Crimson" is a pretty great album.

Long story ending, I like playing things that are challenging...

I finished my bourbon by the end of question 2.

brine: What are the main influences on the band's sound? What are the main influences on your bass-style? The vocal style?

Salena: Growing up in Eastern Ky, the only female bass players that I saw on MTV were D'Arcy or Sean Yseult. Neither played anything really exciting. So when Venus Trap needed a bass player, I learned real fast not to be either of them. They are maybe my influences in that those are styles that I didn't want to play something simple. I had my own stereotype of the female bass player, which I think is an actual stereotype of female bass players. As far as bass that I can relate to in that influential sort of way, Fred Smith of Television. Steve Harris is pretty amazing, too.

I don't think that I can pinpoint any specific influences for the band as a whole. We are a band made up of the rhythm sections of other bands that were not really stereotypical rock bands. I think that really, we just play and things happen.

Vocally...I try really hard to get in tune, but not hard enough. I have a higher pitched voice, so lower range stuff is difficult, but higher range on that doesn't sound right to me. Also, just to be heard enough so that there isn't feedback.

David Cundiff

 brine: I know the band started with you and Stephen playing with some ideas. How did David get involved? How soon or later into it?

Salena:  Steve and I started playing a couple of songs in November or December of 2010. Something was missing and we started talking about adding a third person, but it had to be someone who could play more than one instrument and one of those had to be a synth. Mostly for the absurdity of 3 people playing synth, and other instruments, at once. Because we were having fun with it. Steve and David had been playing music off and on. We asked, he came to practice and it was exactly how it was supposed to sound.

MM with Stephen Shoemaker on the drums, Nov 2011

brine: What are the future plans as far as recordings, touring?

Salena:  We are going to start demoing some of what we have so far. We are also working on new material. We played a couple of new songs at our record release show. I think that we have a lot of ideas on the table to work with that are pretty exciting structurally. I think that I would like to get a few regional shows this summer/fall and then shoot for a full length later this year/early next.

The seven-inch is a complete pocket of sound that makes it easy to walk over to the record player, flip it, and play it again several times. Further discussion eventually led Salena and I to the track "The Great Shame," which when played live, basically blew my mind into little sheets of metal all over the room at the release show. The song showcases Salena's distinct bass style. A mid-tempo stomp on the drums, "The Great Shame" has the bass taking the lead, cranking through the riff as main guitar with a creepy badass flanged harmonic bantering the end of the line, supported by David's synths. It was one of those moments when I was caught in the sway of the music, as well as standing there trying to figure out how they were making the sound they were making. The track poises itself as proof of Salena's approach to the bass from a guitarist's point of view.

In fact, all three songs pan some gold in as far showing off the challenging aspects Salena discussed in making the music. "Crystal Ribbons" flies into a higher upbeat jest, with Stephen sharply driving all over the place throughout the song, framing David's vocal lines. I've been listening to a lot of New Order lately, so its one frame of reference that I hear in David's voice, reminding me of the best mixtures between Bernard Sumner clear deliveries and Ian Curtis' poetic call-outs.

The track that I've found myself addicted to is "Snakeface," the side A instrumental that brings several of the ideas the band strives for into a tangible moment. A bass-led head-bobber that ends each verse with a nimble distorted guitar (or bass?) that then falls into a loud space of chorded heaviness, eventually slowing the tempo down to a semi-dirge, only to rapidly increase in speed and throw-out all the stops into a tightened bayeta of swirling guitars and aggressive drumming. Like any good space rock, it all seems to end in a fuzzed-out explosion of strings and feedback. I swear this is almost a dream-teaming of influences running the gamet into one place; there's the punk and prog, there's "YYZ," is that Man Or Astroman?, oh there's Link Wray popping his head in, too. Brilliant stuff.

Th physicalities of the 45 need to be mentioned, as well, featuring artwork on both sides of the cover by Rene Blansett, and the vinyl is a bleeding mix of colors, too.

"Madame Machine" is available for purchase online at the Noise Pollution/Madame Machine bandcamp site, as well as at some of the fine record stores here in Louisville.

Upcoming shows for Madame Machine include:
Fri Apr 13 at The Rudyard Kipling with Hellblinki
Sat May 5 at The Bard's Town with Opposable Thumbs and Softcheque  

Chapter Thirty: "Preview: Ancient Warfare. She Might Bite."

Ancient Warfare; photo by Natalie Baxter

 I've just recently been made aware of Ancient Warfare, a four-piece coming from 90 minutes down the road out of Lexington. The origins of the band dig further South, however, being started as a duo in Savannah, Georgia, by Kentucky natives Echo Wilcox and Azniv Korkejian in 2009. Wilcox has since taken the idea of the project, jettisoned back to the Kentucky homeland, and began playing with members and sounds, until the band developed into its current incarnation. Emily Hagihara, who I've known as a vocalist for her own solo projects and as bassist for Chico Fellini, takes the drums here. Also present is Eric Smith, former guitarist for The Apparitions, and violinist Rachael Yanarella.

Echo Wilcox; photo by Natalie Baxter

 Ancient Warfare's bandcamp page contains two demo recordings of songs that will be present on the band's upcoming debut, which is being recorded by Duane Lundy at Shangri-La Productions for Alias Records. The point these tracks radiate around seems to have a gelatinous base in a fuzzed-out psychedelia, heavy in the melody and led by Wilcox's rich vocals. She sings in a lowered pitch, matching the subdued tone of the guitars. The songs tangle and sway in darker, introspective sounds. The chorus for "Winter Times" is especially pleasant, finding a polarized upbeat cargo from the verses that allows a great contrast for the tune overall. Information on Ancient Warfare mentions beads being drawn from singer-songwriter Mark Lanegan, an influence I can definitely hear.

Ancient Warfare will be making their Louisville debut with She Might Bite, the all-female trio that has recently returned to live gigs here after a a hiatus of a month or two. She Might Bite has become known for their blend of percussive music that hovers somewhere in the cross-examination of punk-surf-garage rock poetry. The songs are catchy but not predictable, and the harmonies among all three members create some crazy original music. With the retirement of Courtney Kimes from the band, bassist-vocalist Miranda Cason (formerly of Venus Trap) makes for a perfect addition to this new version. The vocal melodies that travel between Cason's bass, Kathryn Slaughter's drums, and Tara Kimes' twang-guitar make for a highly entertaining show. The band is gearing up for the release of its new full-length, "Feral." For a sample of some their songs, check out their bandcamp.

She Might Bite

Tara Kimes

 Ancient Warfare and She Might Bite will play at Zanzabar on Thursday, April 5.

      

Chapter Twenty Nine: "The Bottom Sop."

Bringing disclosures to a full light, Derrick Wade Manley, as I've stated before on this blog, is my brother. Offering a fair review of this album might be seen as impossible by some, but in this day of torn and frayed concepts of "journalism," especially in the world of music blogs and reviews, I call bullshit. Hell, I used to perform with this band last year, which for me might make my criticisms range to even more miniscule harshnesses based on my backstage views of this band and this music. I haven't played with The Bottom Sop in about a year, and to see what they've developed into and to hear what they set down in these recordings, this review isn't based on any family relations, but appreciation for the sound and songwriting contained therein. I don't feel any weight of biased opinion on my part, but that's a hard road to defend. But, its my blog, and I'll cry if I want to.

Derrick can go through periods where he will suddenly obsess over various genres. He's been writing songs since he was about three years old, and once he's hooked on a sound, will plunge into the compositional qualities, lyrical poetry and overall genes of that genre, studying it like many of us do that love and play music. I've seen him move from phases of folk and country, rock, pop, hip-hop and rap, and come back and and forth, to and fro, mixing sounds and influences into various incarnations over, well, his whole life. Within all of those projects, his songwriting stands out as a jewel to me; it's never an imitation, but rather an honest immersion into that style, writing lyrics that are straight observations of his life and what is around him, and painting that into piece that matches a voice that can actually hit the right notes.

The Bottom Sop played its first gig on Derby Day 2011. I'm pretty sure I was there that night at some point to hear what Derrick described as "his new country band." I knew he had been working up some cover songs with vocalist Lindsey Anderson, and eventually formed a band around the performance of some classic country duets. Knowing Derrick was heading into a country sound made sense to me; despite living for years apart in separate cities, we both had grown to share a love for the songs of Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, etc, etc. While spending years performing with his rock band The FuckMunkys, as well as solo projects, The Bottom Sop became an outlet dedicated to playing strictly country music. And sure enough, he, Lindsey and the rest of the band showed up that Derby evening booted and spurred and did just that, basing their set around what would become a live staple for them: Johnny Cash and June Carter's tribute to feverish marriage, "Jackson." Derrick has always had a great voice, and can step into the throaty pitches his idols project easily. I had not heard Lindsey until that night and was impressed at the richness she belted out. I'm not over-exaggerating if when I say I immediately thought of Patsy Cline.

If I'm correct, The Bottom Sop only performed about four or five songs that night, breaking that horse in for what would eventually result in the release of their self-titled debut EP. As the year rolled along, The Bottom Sop played bar-and-grills, taverns and whoever would have them all over town, pouncing through some lineup changes here and there until they reached what would become a solidified mix of musicians. While the cover songs dug deep into the dirt of older country, mining from Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, Loretta Lynn, Haggard, Conway Twitty and Tennesee Ernie Ford, original songs began to slowly creep into the sets. Some of them sounded like Cash or Twitty could have inked them without a blink; others went in a variety of directions. And every time I have seen them, when I ask and find out which are originals, I always find the new material to be impressively creative and original, taking different cues and directions from varying influences. Yet, they also manage to blend so well into the cover material, there is a classic sound to the band's songs that makes them completely relatable.

"The Bottom Sop" EP contains five of these new songs, and from what I understand the band is already set to record a follow-up. As far as country music, these pieces are slices of the real deal. If I'm right, "Bright Kentucky Moon" rides as one of the first original numbers Derrick wrote for the band, and it stands out. A quick catchy tempo immediately sucks you into a proclamation of the inspiration of the moon over Louisville, mixing a fast-footed reference to the bluegrass that started in Ole Kentucke with a blend of the rock/country motives that drove trucker country in the 70s.

"Country Love at First Sight" immediately falls into the classic duets that the band based his early existence on as Derrick and Lindsey both trade hillbilly barbs at each other. It reminds me of the spoken section of David Allan Cole's "You Never Even Called Me By My Name": Cole discusses Steve Goodman's attempt to write the "perfect country and western song." According to the story, Cole reprimanded Goodman for not including the subjects of Momma, trains, trucks, prison, or gettin' drunk. Much like Goodman stepped up to add that last perfect verse, this song seems to incorporate everything the band learned from a year of playing bantering duets between flirtatious and/or fightin' couples. (And yeah, there is a line about trucks in here.)

The EP continues down that same train line of inspiration, as Derrick and Lindsey's voices thread around each other impressively. "Here I Am" is a clever and nice slow dance that houses a bent solo by guitarist Ken Allday that almost veers into a quick wave at 80s pop-rock. "Lil' Suki" finds itself honed on Nick Beach's swinging drums and jumps with metaphors and a chorus that I can't stop singing after I hear it. The recording ends with "Bank Robbin' Daddy," cemented by Jackie Railtraine's plundering bass leading to a bridge of flirtatious near-yodels by both Derrick and Lindsey.

While the music here definitely references country music from decades ago, the band approaches the tunes as though they were as modern as anything you might find on the radio, albeit with a much more classic and honest touch. In every genre, there are bands that exist as simple nostalgic trousers. The Bottom Sop isn't a retro act, but instead are making modern country, just in the vein that modern country probably should have become. This recording could stand easily next to the indie country that has survived throughout the decades, and, in fact, goes in directions I haven't really even heard from that scene. From my own personal knowledge, I know that the drinking, Mommas, trucks, trains, heartbreaks and flirtations that are put into these songs come from real places, and in my opinion, it shows.    

The Bottom Sop are playing their CD release show at the Highlands Taproom on Saturday, March 24. Local music/TV coverage will be there in the form of Barn Party USA. The EP is also available on their bandcamp page. The band also performs a set at Derrick's open mic night at the Taproom every Wednesday, as well as at Country Music Thursdays every week at Baxter's Bar and Grille.

Chapter Twenty Eight: "Seluah - Red Parole"

To me, Seluah was one of those mysterious hidden secrets in Louisville. I'll admit I was unfamiliar with them when I stumbled onto a show last year. Then the history hit me. The band turned heads in 2002 with its self-titled debut EP, hailed as a psychedelic dub masterpiece. I felt nearly scolded when my eyebrows arched in ignorance, but my naive little brain was soon educated about the place this band holds for a lot of people in this town. Their show backed that reputation up, as well.

Ten years later, Seluah returns with "Red Parole." The band has re-teamed with Kevin Ratterman and recorded the album last year at The Funeral Home. The band debuted a lot of this music during stints with TV On the Radio last year.  The recordings finally see release in April '12.

While "Red Parole" retains the brooding nature that inhabits (and marks) the band's genetic code, it's definitely a full-length that moves into a heavier direction, bringing a plumper guitar sound that reminds me of mid- to late-70s rock influence. I've heard the use of the word "noirish" to describe Seluah's direction. I think that can be applied to both albums, as the band harbors a ring of mood-driven ambience that, like the cover of the record, is painted in dark red. That rock influence isn't a light one, either. "Black Sand" is epic in its parts, beginning mid-tempo, holding back with a sparseness at first that hints of its own era with its slightly distorted vocals and plume of a drum beat. The main riff during the first half is a night time wave that slowly walks the band to the second half of its eight minutes, wherein it begins to go in unpredictable places. I hear motions of Iommi and Sabbath rear its head in there. Maybe Thunder and Roses, Blue Cheer or Third Power, too. It's my favorite off the album, sludging without constraint til the end.

"Black Sand" represents some of my favorite elements from "Red Parole," as the record moves back and forth within its several moods. Electronics and the sounds of strings set a soundtrack for an intense unmade film that was mostly shot in the dark. These moody moments, such as in "Elysian Fields," are probing in their trance-like scenery. "Killing the Angel" hovers with a guitar so drenched in a magical reverb that it drips raindrops. The points "Red Parole" hits me over the head are when the tempos pick up and drive forward. "Hell and Back" sounds like background music for an episode "Carnivale" directed by Nick Zedd. "The Winch" never weakens, an instrumental that's led solidly by the braiding and twisting bass and drums, permeated by the weaved guitar that at times seems to inch its way unshod through the song and jealously fly outward from the percussion, without ever losing the creative notion that this is filmic.  

"Red Parole" will be released by Karate Body Records on April 10 on CD and digital and on May 8 on 180-gram vinyl, the first 250 copies of which will be pressed in red wax. Karate Body is taking pre-orders for the album now. The band will play the Live Lunch on WFPK at noon on April 13, and will play with Archnemesis at Cosmic Charlie's in Lexington on April 17.

Chapter Twenty Seven: "Adventure - Brou-Ha-Ha."

 The Friday night of February 24 bit a bit and the wind that night kicked the gut with an icy feeling. Not surprising I suppose, for winter in Kentucky, except this winter has been mild, and this day was immediately preceded by a Thursday that was nothing but sunshine and 70 degrees. Suddenly, it was harsh and windy, 28 degrees and petrifying in the reminder that seasons are still somewhat existent here in the "land of Daniel Boone". But winter is supposed to be cold, and similar to breaking open a geode with a hammer, it was all crystally and warm inside Zanzabar when Adventure wandered onstage to play the release show for their third full-length, "Brou-Ha-Ha."

Adventure was one of those bands upon my moving to Louisville that was immediately recommended to me by friends as a group of folks I definitely needed to see, and I'm glad they were. I eventually got to know and perform with Phillip and Josef Medley in the Health and Happiness Family Gospel Band. It was in that particular venture that I witnessed what many in the band came to call their propensity to delve out "hot licks" whenever necessary, both of which seemed to come from a bottomless pit of inspiration. "Brou-Ha-Ha" swims in the dual guitars of these cousins; each song watches what aren't riffs but separate melodies inhale and exhale in just the right moderation, allowing both guitarists to build the songs perfectly. At times I wonder how much improvising is occurring, and how much perfect planning and writing and sticking to the notes the Medleys do. The playing is loose and always fun on the strings, yet the melodies and rhythms mesh into such a screened-in backporch containment that it all seems too untarnished and faultless to have just been thrown out off-the-cuff during recording. But then, after seeing them belt out flawless notes during live performances and practices with both Adventure and HandH, its got a be a mix. The fact is, both Phil and Joe melt their styles into each other, and are able to play off one another seamlessly, one taking the lead then immediately throwing it to the other, without hesitation or a skipped or ignored moment or note. The Medleys seem to share that rare nexus of a shared musical common ground, and play well together.

"Brou-Ha-Ha" starts off rambunctiously with a barn-burner called "Punx" that finds drummer Josh Clark-Medley whisking through an uptempo piece that can't help to brandish headnods and footstomps along with it. I've been a fan of this band for a long time now, but this CD is filled with some of the best pieces of Adventure I've ever encountered. And hell, "Punx," in its strange inked proclamation of "where the punx come from," running through waves of demographics and energetic riffs of upbeat power-pop, is just one example of some of the best this band can do, in my opinion. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Josef Medley's vocals aren't attempting it at all, but in my car on Eastern Parkway following the show, I felt like I was listening to a Kentuckified version of David Johansen reminding us that music is fun, and well, where the punks come from.

The rest of the album is a jamboree showcasing the songwriting skills contained within the group, headed by the mysterious J. Forst and J. Welsh, who wrote everything contained herein except for  "Somewhere Backstage," which was aided by Louisville singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Kirk Kiefer. Kiefer also plays bass on the record, and piano on the track "Bury Your Mischief," and as usual, adds nothing but quality, as he's prone to whenever someone hands him an instrument. Adventure has always seemed to toe several lines of genres, never sticking in one direction but touching several. I always hear country music inflaming their rock, or maybe rock inflaming their country. The guitar lines have a natural twang to them that matches the western shirts the band is always decked in when playing live, but that twang is never balled up at a crossing of country or rock. Adventure's music splits in several directions, swimming into streams of power pop, referencing some garage and punk, and splitting hairs somewhere in 50s rockabilly, and I swear I do believe I hear remnants of doo-wop and old soul music seeping into some of those melodies.

"Stranger Things Have Happened on the Farm" takes a rib from that boogie/rockabilly slab, but is immediately followed by the ascending pop of "When U Left (Why Didn't U Leave?)" that remains on the tongue and stays in the head long after the song is over, lead by a great rock n roll riff.  Both are sung by the falsetto of Phil Medley, which brings to front another bonus with the band: the back and forth that exists between two vocalists that each bring their own personalities to the songs.  Josef Medley takes the lead voice on one of my favorite tracks, "I Think We Should," which arms the heart-hopeful and left-footed for some clumsy mid-tempo dancing. "Can of Worms" goes back to that pop-rock that makes live performances of such material warming, which brought the crowd to shake a leg at the release show. Phil's lament sullies through "Let Go the 1 U Love" so perfectly, yet despite the sadness of the lyrics the guitar-lines of both guitarists allow the sway to turn it to joy. "Dirty Mouth" slams straight into a distorted study of garage and roll. And one of my favorite tracks, "Right Mind," makes me wonder why that riff has never been written before.

Mention needs to made of Adventure's artwork. As with their previous releases, the covers, inside and out, are adorned with the amazing cartoon skills of songwriter J. Welsh, an accomplished member of the Louisville Cartoonist Society. I'm always convinced each record is a concept album simply because of the various scenarios depicted throughout the beautifully crafted panels.The visual presentation of this CD is perfect. 

One of the highlights of the CD release show to me was definitely the performance of the album closer, "Let the Bad Times Roll." The song was obviously made for a live audience (the track on the CD is taken from a live recording the Adventure made at a "Late Seating" show at Actor's Theater in Louisville), featuring a sing-along chorus that can't be ignored. Phil's cadence of repeating the title simply seems to suck the crowd down a stew that brews and simmers until the chorus is bared with just the crowd singing the chorus along with Phil a cappella. The catchiness, the mingling of the audience yelling at the top of their lungs the title, some claps, a bass drum backbeat, compounded with a tramp down that shared feeling of what Phil expresses in the line "who's gonna make it through the winter I said?" A perfect ending to a chilly February evening.

Recommended. There's too much good stuff on here.

"Brou-Ha-Ha" is available online at Android Market and CD Baby and all the fine Louisville record stores.

Chapter Twenty Six: "Benanthrope - Saddest of Bastards EP."

About six years ago, I moved back to my hometown of Louisville after an extended stay in Lexington and a much shorter stay in Portland. It was a rough time; I came without a job, little money, a few belongings, a broken down brown pickup, a (small...OK, a medium-sized) drinking problem, and some confusion in my brain. My brother, Derrick, immediately offered me a place to stay in an unfinished basement with him until I got on my feet, and even set me up with a job waiting tables at the Comedy Caravan, were he worked at the time. We both work late nights, and stayed out even later, watching music, playing music, and sloshing whiskeys until morning most nights for those first few lively months. I already knew some of the characters that populated the River City music scene due to my trips here playing in bands. I met newer acquaintances through my brother and his friends, who were all quick to welcome me. As I acclimated myself to my new surroundings, I immersed myself in every show I could afford, and stayed as late as I could at every social situation I found myself in, planting myself as deep as I could into my new old home. Two AM often became three AM often became six AM, and there were parties and walks home at dawn and faces and names were encountered left and right, four sheets to the wind and through and through on those dark, warm, narcotic Louisville nights.

Eventually, I found myself apartment- and dog-sitting on my own for over a month for a friend. The place was situated right off Bardstown Road, and late nights after the Caravan often led to post-last-call gatherings at the apartment, which was built like a warehouse, and furnished about the same. We'd wake in the afternoon, a guitar in the corner, one of us on the couch, the rest on the hardwood floors, episodes of "The Muppet Show" on repeat in the DVD player. It was one of these nights, in the obscured jacinth haze that framed those evenings, that I met Ben Lally, a fellow ex-Lexingtonian. It had been at the Hideaway, and Ben's experimental jazz band The Sexual Disaster Quartet had performed. The obvious answer after the show was to come to a place that was not mine and party longer. I do recall Ben and I getting into an argument, and I believe we exchanged some harsh words and some harsh shoves, and he left. We were both out of character and out of our own sorts.  

Six years later, Ben and I ran into each other at the grocery store in the produce section, planning pasta dinners. Things definitely fell into the "oh ha ha we can laugh about it now" grin, as should all bizarre ancient drunken arguments. While I was holding a bulb of garlic and Ben held a sprig of basil, talk quickly turned to music and music production. He told me he was working on putting the time and effort into some new material. The results of that are Benanthrope, a band Ben formed around his songs. Benanthrope has just released as its debut, the "Saddest of Bastards" EP, which is both downloadable and available as a CD.

It's clear with one listen that lyrics drive and infest Ben's brain. Benanthrope is definitely driven by the words; each song is different painting that houses those lines. It's singer-songwriter music that experiments with the presentation of themes and ideas in the words, making for a pretty diverse listen, never staying within one genre, but jump-skipping from style to style. "Saddest of Bastards" wears like a jacket full of influences on its sleeve, much like other imaginative singer-songwriters pursue their muses. You can tell Lally listens to a lot of different types of music as the EP travels through outsider-hinged country, folk, blues, and just straight experimental presentations to express the ideas and the sounds that he's taking aim at. The full target is the song and the genre is wiped aside to find the perfect frame for that thought. I hear Tom Waits, "Mutations"-era Beck, Willie Nelson, and a host of other timbers for support, each meshing and mixing into music that makes for good medicine for a person intertwined into the idea of the song. Benanthrope is what songwriters for songwriters do; take everything around them and combine it into a whirl that becomes their own, like students of song. This EP definitely accomplishes that. It's interesting, creative, well-written, and time was definitely spent in its recording.

"Tuesday Morning Squared" and "Bomb Shelter in My Mind" walk stepping stones into country, finding footing on a mix of instrumentation that marks all five songs contained herein, hearing Lally's lyrics paired with steel guitar, banjo, guitar and keys. "Promised Land" is a slower tempo, with a down-timed piano and electronics supporting a spacey melody that doesn't shake until it melts at the end into that aforementioned medicine. "Like a Thoroughbred" takes a dark path, with Lally's vocals lowered and singing of being carried back to Kentucky through subtle blues/folk, the bass ringing like brush, creating a scene easy to see.

My favorite track is "Finally Don't Care," which sounds to me like a traditional melody sung by a down and out character on New Year's Eve with imagery that applauds the surrounding Wurlitzer organ and Telecaster, both of which seem to be have been drinking a little too much the night before, sauntering their way to a the grunt of a pig in the end. I think that's what that sound is; either way, it works as a hangover anthem for me.

Ben has roped in several great players to round out live performances for Benanthrope, including J. Glenn (who's latest album was reviewed right here on this very blog) on pedal steel, Andy Matter on bass guitar and upright bass, Rory Hanka on various styles of keys, and Tyler Little on percussion. Here's an upcoming show list where you can catch them (and purchase the CD):

Fri February 17 @ The Monkey Wrench (Louisville) with Randy Tuesday and the Opposable Thumbs
Fri March 2 @ Zazoo's (Louisville) with J. Glenn and Your News Vehicles
Fri March 16 @ Lynagh's (Lexington).

"Saddest of Bastards" can also be purchased at Benanthrope's bandcamp site, located here.