N&D Cover: The Next Wave

The Futureheads are vocal about their approach: 'We're having loads of fun playing loud music'

By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 10, 2005

Little kids know it, but sometimes adults forget it: Singing is fun.

Just ask Jaff, the bassist for the Brit-rock quartet the Futureheads: "You have to really concentrate and really put some effort into the singing, and singing is great fun, you know?" said Jaff during a recent concert stop in Boston, as his band tours the States in support of its self-titled debut album. "We all sing really loud. The endorphins that it produces in your body is pretty amazing. We could have the worst audience in the world, but then they start to realize that we're having loads of fun playing loud music. It can really swing an audience for us."

And the Futureheads has been swinging audiences since its inception in November 2000. After toiling for three years in the northern English hometown of Sunderland, the Futureheads burst into public consciousness this past year with its brand of frenetic New Wave and sing-along vocal harmonies. Packed with edgy energy, the Futureheads' first full-length album features catchy vocals from all four members.

"The idea behind the singing was we thought, 'Well, we're all going to stand up there on stage, we should all play an equal role,'" said Jaff. "Someone obviously needs to sing lead vocals on every track, but everyone should have a microphone on stage. Even if you're just picking up their breathing or the screams and yelps from Dave the drummer.


"It makes all the difference," Jaff said. "There's more air moving about. People aren't just focused on Barry in the middle singing the lyrics. There's me and Ross on either side of the stage singing stereo harmonies. It's much like watching a tennis match, the crowd's heads are moving side to side following the ball."

New Wave music, king in the 1980s, has seen a revival of sorts in the past few years. Bands such as Metric, Ima Robot and the Futureheads breathe new life into the once-dead genre, reviving the spirits of the Knack and Missing Persons. But instead of synthesizer-driven hard pop, the new generation relies heavily on the traditional guitar-bass-drums setup. In the Futureheads' case, the band replaces cheesy synth parts with their voices. Among the vocal volleying and layered harmonies, the Futureheads' jagged guitars joust with crisp rhythm performances – all contained in an upbeat, accessible pop package.

One of the new disc's standout tracks is "Hounds of Love," the title track from Kate Bush's largely forgotten gem originally released in 1985. The song opens with Jaff and guitarist Ross Millard's sing-song chanting, with vocalist Barry Hyde crooning over the top while little brother Dave Hyde lays down an airtight beat.

"My dad was a massive Kate Bush fan. Whether it was because of her music or because he fancied her, I'm not really sure," said Jaff. "I think it's a pretty good reason if you ask me; she's a fox."

When the Futureheads roll into town for a show at all-ages venue the Epicentre, expect to do a little singing yourself: "We do this thing on 'Hounds of Love' now where we split the audience in half: one side sings my half and one half sings Ross' half. So you have the audience create this mass participational noise. It's good fun."

Backed by a major-label deal with Warner, these four kids in their early 20s have come a long way from Sunderland. Get to know them. They plan to be around for a bit, and deservedly so.

"We initially got label interest about two years ago," said Jaff. "Eventually, we got this deal with Warner, and it's really allowed us to spread our music worldwide. It just completely changed things for us. Because, in the beginning, you're alone, you're just a small band from Sunderland at the end of the day. And now we've released this record all over the world and we're just having a ball doing it."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Focused aggression, pop melodies and other influences
DISCOGRAPHY
"The Futureheads" – 2004, Sire/Warner

LINEUP
Ross Millard – guitar, vocals

Barry Hyde – vocals, guitar

Jaff – bassist, vocals

Dave Hyde – drums


SPIN CYCLE
The Futureheads draws from many influences, but bassist Jaff lists five albums the band listened to during the recording of their debut self-titled record:

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – "The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot"

Warner Bros., 1972

File under: Off-kilter avant blues-rock powered by meandering marimbas, gritty guitar riffs and Beefheart's gravelly sandpaper vocals.

Sounds like: Frank Zappa meets Tom Waits

Jaff says: "I don't know if you can get it over here, but the double Captain Beefheart album is great. In the UK, you get two albums together. The vocals on that record and his approach to playing real music with real instruments is amazing. A lot of people missed the Captain Beefheart thing. The instrumentation and the arrangements on that album are mind-blowing. The grooves that the drummer and bass player lay down, me and Davey really try to emulate them."

SHELLAC – "1,000 Hurts"

Touch & Go Records, 2000

File under: Punk-tinged growling guitars and iron drums interlock with piston-like efficiency, led by soundsmith and producer extraordinaire Steve Albini (the Pixies, Nirvana, P.J. Harvey, the Breeders).

Sounds like: early "Bleach"-era Nirvana meets Sonic Youth

Jaff says: "It was a big influence: Albini's approach and his command of the audience. Barry and Ross saw them live and after that played them every day. They came back from the show and said, 'We need to be more like this.' On that record (singing): 'Kill 'em, kill 'em, kill 'em already, kill 'em." We try to use that kind of focused aggression along with pop melodies."

XTC – "Drums & Wires"

Virgin Records, 1979

File under: Exquisite harmonies and intricate pop arrangements cover lead singer Andy Partridge's lyrical neuroses like a warm comforting blanket.

Sounds like: The angry young man spiel of Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello smoothed out by – dare we say – Beatles-esque pop.

Jaff says: "I think that XTC has been an influence for us from the start. As far as the group goes, it's probably not our favorite XTC album. But I was listening to this one a lot during the recording of the album. I listened to Colin Moulding's bass lines a lot. All the jaggedy guitars and the kooky pop songs were an influence.

LED ZEPPELIN – "Houses of the Holy"

Atlantic Records, 1973

File under: The definition of bombastic rock, a glimpse of one of rock's greatest bands at the height of their creative powers.

Sounds like: No one else before or since (worth mentioning). The perfect combination of Led Zep's sweet acoustic side (see "Led Zeppelin III") and their trademark thunderous rock (see "Led Zeppelin II").

Jaff says: "I've got to mention 'Houses of the Holy' for the diversity of sounds: the acoustic sounds, the guitar sounds. Pretty much any of the first Led Zeppelin albums are untouchable, as far as I'm concerned. So I've got to mention Zeppelin. Jon Bonham is an absolutely immense drummer."

SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY "Going Down Swinging"

Southern Records, 2002

File under: Punk kids who listen to a lot of 1970s art rock and early SST Records bands (like the Tar Babies), with angsty vocals, odd time signatures and avant-garde saxophone licks.

Sounds like: Fugazi on amphetamines

Jaff says: "Barry never had it off the entire time we were recording the album. They're like Faraquet. Have you heard Faraquet's "The View From This Tower?" The guitar sounds and the groove they get going are truly amazing. They have a lead saxophone player, need I say more?"

– CHRIS NIXON

Sage Francis: The flip-flopper

Sage Francis moves easily between spoken word and hip-hop in search of a way to come at the world 'from new angles'

By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 3, 2005

From the Holy Ghost preachings of Southern Baptist ministers to the beat poets' roving beatnik spirit, the spoken word benefits from the immovable force of rhythm and rhyme. So it makes sense that hip-hop and spoken-word poetry – two urban forms of verbal expression centered around beats and poetry – go hand-in-hand and artistically feed off each other.

Coffeehouses gave birth to spoken-word poetry in the 1990s, while dance parties set off the hip-hop revolution in the late 1970s. Spoken word emerged from an intellectual perspective, with a wider vocabulary and a broader range of topics. Hip-hop emerged from the dance-oriented party vibe, always maintaining the beats, the rhymes, the heartbeat.

The best hip-hop invokes the gray matter much like spoken word does, and the best poetry implies beats and rhythms. For the past decade, spoken-word poetry and hip-hop lived in two different worlds, but coexisted in the same universe.

Hip-hop MC and spoken-word artist Sage Francis tries to differentiate between the two art forms (in his own tongue-in-cheek style): "That's easy. Spoken word is spoken word. Some spoken word can have a hip-hop appeal, but it is not accompanied by music. There's all different kinds of spoken word. All different kinds of hip-hop. Wait ... this isn't easy at all."


A foot in two worlds
Despite forming two decades apart, both movements led to a form of hybrid artist: Saul Williams, muMs the Schemer and Francis to name a few. While poets like Williams and muMs occasionally venture into hip-hop territory, Francis makes his home there.

"The poetry environment allowed me to explore different subject matter and come at it from new angles," says Francis via e-mail, because he never does phone interviews ("I hate putting something to my ear in order to talk to someone who I can't see").

"It helped me develop as a writer being around different kinds of people and reading in front of new crowds," continues Francis. "Just by being heavily involved in the poetry scene, it leaked into what I talked about in my rap songs and the way I worded them."

Since he was 8 years old, Francis has been kicking rhymes and honing his skills. His words led him to the emerging slam poetry scene in the late-'90s, and he ranked among the best at the National Poetry Slam competition. Along with his two solo releases, Francis has also recorded and toured with as part of the hip-hop duo Non-Prophets and the Art Official Intelligence collective, developing fans in the underground hip-hop scene.

Living in the age of hip-hoprisy
Released in early February 2005 on Epitaph Records, Francis' latest album, "A Healthy Distrust," begins with a documentary voice-over stating: "You are listening to the heartbeat of the SAGE." Taken from a 1950s film by IBM promoting a military computer called SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), the quote serves two purposes. First, the snippet satisfies the hip-hop standard of name dropping through spliced sound clips. More importantly – for those who understand the clip's original meaning – the quote sets the stage for Francis' highly political stance echoed throughout the album's lyrics.

In contrast to the current bling-bling rap culture, Francis marches along the thin line between spoken word and hip-hop, angrily condemning political complacency and violence.

"People should have a healthy distrust of all authority and the institutions all around them," writes Francis. "They should question why things are the way they are, who is responsible and how they fit into that puzzle. Most people have fallen right back into their comfortably uninformed seating assignment. It doesn't matter if they trust the government or not, because they are programmed to feel helpless and that makes them complacent in whatever situation they are given."

All the way live
Francis slams down his rhymes with passion and conviction, a practice that has shredded his vocal chords. During his fervent live performances, he's backed by a quintet called the Sol.iLLaquists of Sound – Tom Inhaler on guitar, DJ Divinci, MC Swamburger and vocalists Alexandra(h) and Tanya.

While explaining his reasons for not doing phone interviews, Francis says, "I have polyps on my vocal cords so I am staying away from using my voice except for when I am on stage with a mike in my hand. It's a very serious problem that I had checked a couple days ago. The doctor recommended I stop the tour. That's not an option for me. I did have to cancel a couple shows though in order to heal up a bit.

"The shows were so intense and crazy that I blew my vocal cords out," continues Francis, who performs at 'Canes in Mission Beach tomorrow. "I am currently trying to build myself back up to a good performing voice. Until then, I am all blood and guts on stage."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.


Five with the right rhyme schemes
Hip-hop and spoken-word poetry have rubbed elbows since slam poetry burst into public consciousness in the 1990s. Sage Francis made his mark in both genres.

Here are five artists Francis cites as performers he pays attention to, either from a spoken-word background doing hip-hop or MCs that write rhymes that could be recited in coffeehouses. It is said that artists are our cultural "canaries in the coal mine," so listen up:

SAUL WILLIAMS
Background: Williams rocked the slam poetry scene with his intricate lyricism and his intense live performances as the scene gained national exposure.

Latest release: "Saul Williams" (Fader Label, 2005)

Lyrics: Nah, I wasn't raised at gunpoint and I've read too many books / To distract me from the mirror when unhappy with my looks / And I ain't got proper diction for the makings of a thug, though I grew up in the ghetto and my niggas all sold drugs / And though that may validate me for a spot on MTV or get me all the airplay that my bank account would need / I was hoping to invest in a lesson that I learned when I thought this fool would jump me just because it was my turn – from "Talk to Strangers" on "Saul Williams"


SOLE
Background: Coming straight out of Portland, Maine, MC Sole helped create one of the mainstays of the East Coast indie hip-hop, the Anticon collective.

Latest release: "Selling Live Water" (Anticon, 2003)

Lyrics: I've been doing this for too long to keep / Singing the same song / This is another one of those happy moments not made for anyone / I don't rap in bumper stickers, I'm witty with 40-liners / Every breath is a chorus, sing along if you're still breathing / I've got gods, I've got issues – from "I Don't Rap in Bumper Stickers" from "Bottle of Humans"


JARED PAUL
Background: Jared Paul is a social worker from Providence, R.I. (same hometown as Sage Francis). He is the director of the Providence Youth Slam and has been a member of the Providence Slam Team (5th at nationals in 2003) for the past four years.

Latest release: Featured on the "Sickly Business" compilation (Strange Family Records)

Lyrics: Z is not for 'Zion' or 'Zachariah,' it's for 'Zenith' / If you and I sacrifice our surplus so everyone has what they need / Then we can reach it / Now they say that at poetry slams and protests / You are preaching to the choir / And that our real goal should be to get the ideas presented in this forum to the outside world / But you are not the choir / I don't believe you are working as hard as possible / I don't see us doing everything that we can / Evolution has to move faster than this – from "For Roger"


SLUG
Background: As one half of Minneapolis-based duo Atmosphere, Slug brings hard introspective rhymes and a heady take on the world.

Latest release: "Seven's Travel's" (Epitaph, 2003)

Lyrics: In the days of kings and queens I was jester / They treat me like a god or they treat me like a leper / You see me move back and forth between both / I'm to find a balance / I'm trying to build a balance – from "Trying to Find a Balance" on "Seven's Travels"


SWAMBURGER
Background: Born Asaan Harazshi Brooks in Chicago before making Orlando, Fla., his home, Swamburger oozes smooth rhymes sans pimpin' street lingo. His words hark back to the days of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul while his beats reside on the R&B side.

Latest release: "Roots of Kin" (Eighth Dimensions, 2003)

Lyrics: Dedicated to my mother and her mother / Daughters and sisters across the globe / I give respect in order to get respect – "Womanside" from "Roots of Kin"

– CHRIS NIXON

Skyscrapers

Interpol shares ITS view of the world through a New York City sensibility

By Chris Nixon
San Diego Union-Tribune
February 17, 2005

"We ain't going to the town, we're going to the city," chimes Interpol lead singer Paul Banks in his trademark baritone on "Next Exit," his voice resonating through the opening notes of the New York City quartet's sophomore album "Antics."

Seven years ago, Banks along with bandmates Daniel Kessler (vocals, guitar) and Carlos Dengler (bass, keyboards) found each other in the big city to create the phenomenon known as Interpol (drummer Sam Fogarino joined the band in 2000). Cloaked in stylish suits and designer shoes, the foursome oozes urban sensibility in both their clothing and music.

"I think we're all very passionate about New York City," says Banks from his N.Y.C. home. "We love it and it's home. Carlos was born here and everyone else came here because we were drawn to it. It's where we've made our home and this is where we started our band."

The band rocketed into public perception with the 2002 debut disc "Turn On the Bright Lights," powered by a syncopated rhythm section and Banks' thoughtful lyrics and distinct vocals. Musically, the band's brand of indie rock emits a more methodic approach than most new rock bands, opting for tight compositions over punk rock mayhem.

Delving into minor keys and moody subjects, Interpol owes more to the Smiths and the Cure (with whom the band toured last summer on the Curiosa Tour) than to the Sex Pistols or the Ramones.

Lyrically, the 26-year-old singer's words focus on the intersecting lives of people, be it in the town, the city or beyond.

"People always ask about New York City affecting the songs," said Banks. "It definitely informs who we are as people and it definitely informs us artistically. I write about people, so if the city comes up it's more because of the density of people.

"For me, there are a lot of themes of travel, but it's also about relationships, and the city is the end-all, be-all as far as relationships and interaction. 'Public Pervert' (from the album 'Antics') is actually a story about two lovers who leave the physical realm and are traveling through space as bodies of light. So that's got nothing to do with the city; it takes place in space."

After the success of "Turn On the Bright Lights," Interpol returned to the same studio (Tarquin Studios in Connecticut) and used the same engineer (Peter Katis) to record its second album.

"We went back to the same studio that we did 'Bright Lights' for the purpose of using the experience that we'd already had so we could pick up where we left off," said Banks. "Instead of trying to familiarize ourselves with a new studio and a new engineer, we thought it would be a good idea go back to what we were familiar with and almost have a head start. I think the second album sounds better. I think it was a good idea to go and take everything we learned the first time and go even further with it."

Released in September of last year, "Antics" is generally considered to embrace a more optimistic outlook. While Banks' lyrics and the band's music cover more emotional territory on "Antics," to call the album "more optimistic" would be a misnomer.

"Lyrically, there are passages that definitely have an optimistic or spiritual feel," says Banks. "Musically, I think people sometimes think this is a little bit of a happier record, but I think it's just that the quality of the production is a little more clean.

"The style of the first record, it worked that the production quality was a little murky and low-endy. On this record, the sound came out a little sharper and a little more crisp and clear. So I think the fact that there's a little less murk makes it seem more upbeat, or brighter. But I don't look at it as more optimistic. I don't even think the songs are brighter.

"I was an older person when I wrote the second record, obviously, so it's a little more broad," continued Banks. "There's more of a spectrum."

While Interpol may be proud of its ties to the Big Apple, Banks and his crew also find solace when they travel to our city and play shows in San Diego.

"San Diego has always been particularly good actually," says Banks, who will perform with Interpol at SOMA Sunday night. "I think everyone in the band is excited to go back to San Diego. It's one of those cities that we look forward to because the crowd is cool. There is good energy always in San Diego. It's a standout. I'm not just saying that. It really does stand out on the West Coast for us."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer. To listen to sound clips from Interpol's 2004 release "Antics," log on to SignOnSanDiego.com at entertainment.signonsandiego.com.


THE LOWDOWN ON INTERPOL
Lineup:

Paul Banks – vocals, guitar

Daniel Kessler – vocals, guitar

Carlos Dengler – bass, keyboards

Sam Fogarino – drums

DISCOGRAPHY:

"Turn On the Bright Lights" (Matador, 2002)

"Antics" (Matador, 2004)

Five artists on Paul Banks' mind

Death From Above 1979

"You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" (2004, Atlantic Records)

File under: Fuzz-tone guitar riffage and frenetic vocals, along with the Futureheads and Arcade Fire, Death From Above 1979 is one of the indie rock buzz bands of 2004.

Says Banks: "I'm a big, big fan. They are an exceptional live band and the record is really great."

M83

"Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" (2004, Mute U.S.)

File under: Mellow, Moog-inspired French electronica duo whose music sounds sweet and pretty in an orchestral way. They play at Coachella on April 30 this year.

Says Banks: "I recently heard the band M83 for the first time. They're really good."

Frank Black

"Cult of Ray" (1999, Sony)

File Under: Classic solo album from Pixies frontman finds the former Black Francis cranking out a lyrically sincere set of 13 tunes.

Says Banks: "There are some records I'm going to go buy for the fourth or fifth time, certain albums I love and have lost. I'm going to go buy the 'Cult of Ray,' the Frank Black album. I've been thinking about that one a lot."

Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen

Any album

File under: Two of the best lyricists from the 20th century.

Says Banks: "I've been revisiting Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan a lot lately. I've always been a fan of those two. That was my bread-and-butter way back. I've always been kind of a folk fan."

– CHRIS NIXON

'American' home companion

Ira Glass lets you peek behind the curtain at the making of his weekly radio show

By Chris Nixon
February 10, 2005
San Diego Union-Tribune

A woman who falls in love with a pet macaw despite its destructive and harmful tendencies, an American man who travels to Iraq as a private contractor to work for a living and a young woman who serves on the USS Stennis stocking candy vending machines for 12 hours a day – all these stories tell us so much about ourselves in an engaging fashion.

But you'll never hear these stories on the 6 o'clock news.

National Public Radio host Ira Glass and his show, "This American Life," grasp the concept of telling stories to tell the news, embracing the retro throwback style of radio's golden age. Modern news sources supply information in brief, small chunks. Glass and his contributors take their time telling a story. Modern news sources use a professional, almost nasal, tone. Glass likes his shows to sound like good conversations.

"When we first began, our motto really was nobody famous, nothing in the news, nothing you'd ever heard of anywhere else," says Glass from NPR's Chicago affiliate, WBEZ, where he produces "This American Life." "Really, it was about applying the tools of journalism to everyday things and everyday situations and everyday people who would never be considered by journalism."

For the past nine years, spanning 280 shows, Glass uses his hour of public radio time to recount stories with a disarming human quality, allowing the subject to run through the gamut of emotions during the narrative.

"This American Life," which is braodcast on San Diego's KPBS/FM, 89.5, at 2 p.m. on Sundays, narrates stories about regular people doing extraordinary things. At times, the show describes ordinary people doing ordinary things, but telling the story in an extraordinary way.

This depth of emotion leaves the listener with a more complete and complex understanding of the story's subject, and what it's like to walk in their shoes. On the radio show's Web site (thislife.org), Glass and his staff simply describe the show like this: "It's basically just like 'Car Talk.' Except just one guy hosting. And no cars."

When disembodied voices were first heard through the airwaves in the early 20th century, the public remained clueless of the mysterious new invention called radio and the logistics behind producing it. In many ways, 100 years has not improved our understanding of radio and how it is made.

Glass seeks to clarify. He's taking San Diego and other stops on a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his weekly radio show during his current lecture tour, which stops at UCSD's Price Center Ballroom this Saturday.

"I talk about what we do on the show that's different from other radio shows," says Glass. "We consciously – myself and the people I work with – set to do things different from the things that other people are doing on the radio. And so I talk about why and how we make the show. The kinds of stories we do – where they are like little narratives, little movies – other people on the radio really aren't doing that. And then a lot of it, I'm sitting in a console with quotes and music, and I can recreate the sound of the radio show in its entirety."

Glass' style harkens back to the old-school storytelling on radio. And so does his promotional methods: "It's basically the form of publicity used in the 1920s in my medium. Hopefully, people who like the show drag along their friends."

When asked if people are shocked at his lecture after putting a person to the voice, Glass says: "The poet-laureate Billy Collins said once, 'There is no experience that is as reliably disappointing as meeting the author.' I definitely think there is a little bit of that when you meet somebody from the radio. Think about the first time you saw Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern. On the radio, everyone is a little bit bigger than life. And when you see people, they are a little bit smaller than life."

Either way, it's American life.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego freelance writer.

Hem of your garment

Hem's Messé uses 'music as a shield'

By Chris Nixon
February 3, 2005

Dan Messé rides through the heartland of America in his tour van, holding his cell phone in one hand and looking across the West's wide-open spaces. You can hear it through the phone lines: the solitude of the plains in his voice and the hum of the Nebraska highway in the background.

"We're slowly winding our way down Interstate 80 and stopping at anything that catches our eye," says Brooklyn native Messé between tour stops in Omaha and Denver with his band Hem. "It's beautiful. It's a lot of open spaces and we're used to very closed spaces."

Despite hailing from the bustling center of commerce and consumer lifestyle, Hem comes across like a back-porch folk song sung from a creaky rocking chair in the midst of a cicada-filled night. Or maybe its brand of sweet folk sounds like a long drive across the plains. Either way, it's not the streets of Brooklyn.

"We definitely write music as a shield or a reaction against (the chaos of the city)," says Messé in a quiet voice. "I'm writing music to find comfort in life, and we hope it does that for other people too. But that's our goal: We don't have space in our real lives, so we create it sonically."

The eight-piece folk pop orchestra sculpts quiet, contemplative country tunes revolving around the beautiful simplicity of Sally Ellyson's voice. With the band's 2001 debut album, "Rabbit Songs," Hem joined a group of musicians melding earnest folk and American roots music. Along with such artists as Neko Case, the Sadies and Eastmountainsouth, Ellyson and her bandmates seem to sing in defiance of the standard glitz and glamour of the music industry.

Bandleader, composer and pianist Messé pens most of Hem's songs, including the majority of the first disc's 16 subtle tracks. On the group's follow-up album, he decided to employ a more orchestral feel.

In the beginning of 2004, Messé traveled to Eastern Europe to record with the Slovak Radio Orchestra. No one in the orchestra spoke English; no one in Hem spoke Slovak or Czech. By chance, one person in both parties happened to speak Spanish. So essentially, Messé traveled to Slovakia to converse in Spanish and record American roots music. In the face of massive lingual and technical hurdles, Hem managed to capture the classic folk pop sound they sought.

"Once we decided to do the orchestral folk pop sound, we started looking around for the studios they recorded the classic albums in: everything from Muscle Shoals to CBS Studios. They just don't exist anymore. All those rooms are closed down," says Messé, flashing back to early 2003. "We asked the guy who does our mastering, Greg Calbi, and he had just done a project that had used the Slovak Radio Orchestra.

"We somehow finagled our way over there. It was an absolute nightmare culturally, musically and technologically. A lot of sleepless nights, but it was really wonderful in the end."

The result is 2004's "Eveningland," 16 songs of sweeping strings, hushed acoustic guitars and weeping pedal steel. Despite the intricate intertwining layers, Ellyson's beautiful voice shines through and remains center stage. After creating a multifaceted album, Messé faced the dilemma of reproducing and enhancing the "Eveningland" on the road.

"We're really trying to make a living at this, but all of our decisions in our professional lives have seemingly subverted it," admits Messé. "We could tour as a four-piece I suppose and make a lot of money. But we want to create this beautiful folk orchestra on stage. Ultimately, we've never made any decisions based on money. We're really trying to stay true to that, even if it bankrupts us.

"This whole project was a reaction against irony in general and the whole stance of coolness," added Messé, who performs with Hem at Brick by Brick in Bay Park tonight. "I'd rather be emotionally honest and brave and let the cards fall where they may. I tried to write cool songs and it was not something that came naturally to me. I'm not a cool person. I just wanted to write songs that I could feel good about."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

To listen to sound clips from Hem, log onto SignOnSanDiego.com at entertainment.signonsandiego.com

Phat Tuesday

Three the Big Easy way

San Diegans have a trio of Carnaval, Mardi Gras fests to attend

By Chris Nixon
February 3, 2005

Attending the Brazilian Carnaval and the last-ditch parties of Mardi Gras is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, evoking images of beautiful people adorned in colorful costumes dancing to the propulsive drums of the samba through the sweaty tropical night until dawn.

Of course, Rio de Janeiro and its legendary Carnaval parties are more than 3,000 miles due south. But getting a taste of the Mardi Gras vibe is a simple trolley ride away.

San Diegans should deem themselves lucky to have three top-notch Carnaval and Mardi Gras festivals to check out: the 10th annual Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp, the fourth annual Hillcrest Mardi Gras Street Party and the San Diego Brazil Carnaval 2005 at 4th & B nightclub.

All three events are 21-and-up parties and not suitable for the kids. So if you have kids, flip on a CD of samba music and have a homespun dance party. Maybe you could even conjure up a little Cajun food.

But for those who yearn to get their groove on Mardi Gras style, San Diego's three different flavors of Carnaval and Fat Tuesday may be just what the doctor ordered for you.


The new kids on the block
The Brazilian Carnaval traditionally begins on Saturday and ends on Fat Tuesday, the last day before the Catholic observance of Lent. Catholic parishioners observe 40 days of penitence during Lent, so Fat Tuesday is their last day to let it all hang loose.

Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp basics
Price: $15 in advance, $20 at the gate
Location: Gaslamp District, downtown San Diego
Time: Tuesday, 5 p.m.
Information: (619) 233-5008 or www.gaslamp.org/mardigras.php

The schedule:

Bourbon Street Dance Stage (6th and G Street)
5 p.m. – DJ Scott Martin
6 p.m. – Danielle Lo Presti & The Masses
7 p.m. – DJ Johnny Johnson
8 p.m. – 80's All Stars
9 p.m. – Knight Fever
10 p.m. – DJ Marc Thrasher
Zydeco Blues Stage (Sixth and Island Avenue)
5 p.m. – Ragin' Cajun DJ Tony Mirador
6 p.m. – Uptown Rhythm Makers
7:30 p.m. – David Patrone's Flat Five Combo
9:30 p.m. – Theo and the Zydeco Patrol
11 p.m. – The Modern Jazz Majestics
Urban Groove Stage (Fourth and F Street)
6:30 p.m. – Atari
8 p.m. – Kid Krazzy
9 p.m. – Scooter and Lavelle
10:30 p.m. – Miss Lisa

Steve Spencer and his partner, Christine Portella, have organized Brazilian Carnaval celebrations in San Diego for the past 13 years. Spencer, a San Diego native who traveled extensively in Brazil, brings together the city's diverse communities to dress up and dance the samba.

This year's festival includes performances by Brazilian reggae band Banda Diaspora and the percussion-driven SambaDa
featuring vocalist Dandha
da Hora, along with dance and costume contests. And, as Spencer has said: "It became my passion to bring some of that happiness, joy and celebration of life to San Diego."

On the more flamboyant and outrageous side, Hillcrest's Mardi Gras Street Party on Tuesday caters to the gay and lesbian crowd. Candye Kane, Babette Schwartz and the ladies from Lips will perform, along with go-go dancers and DJs pumping out electronica.

The Hillcrest event is relatively new, but seems to gain momentum every year. One thing's for sure: Hillcrest festivalgoers take their costumes seriously.


Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp
The biggest festival remains Fat Tuesday's Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp.

With a decade under its belt, the organizers have the production down to a science. The party draws huge crowds now, but the festival comes from humble roots.

Hillcrest Mardi Gras Street Party basics
Price: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Location: University Avenue between First and Fourth avenues
Time: Tuesday, 6 p.m.-midnight
Information: (619) 299-3330 or www.hillcrestmardigras.org

The lineup
Tootie, Babette Schwartz
Candye Kane
All Worlds Video GoGo Boys
The Monicas
Chad Michaels
DJ Taj (San Diego)

"Mardi Gras has grown from a simple parade inspired by a couple of pioneering people in the Gaslamp on a traditionally slow Tuesday in February or March to help business," said Dan Flores of the Gaslamp Quarter Association. "It has now filled out into a Gaslamp-wide festival produced by a professional event organizer with an attendance of 40,000 to 50,000 people."

Flores also described a few of the new aspects to this year's festival: "This year will include strolling and roving entertainment through the streets of the Gaslamp. Mardi Gras attendees will see performances by the Critical Brass Band, a Cuban ensemble, a Brazilian samba band and the Procrastinators."

Brazil Carnaval
Price: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
Location: 4th & B, 345 B St.
Day and time: Saturday, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Information: (619) 231-4343 or www.brazilcarnival.com

The lineup
Samba featuring vocalist Dandha da Hora
Banda Diaspora
Jazz & Samba de Alegria
The Riobela Samba dancers

One of Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp's biggest draws is the annual parade, in which locally sponsored floats cruise downtown's avenues throwing out beads and trinkets along the way. Three stages of music will provide the backdrop for the evening's festivities, with performance by Danielle LoPresti, David Patrone's Flat Five Combo, Theo and the Zydeco Patrol and DJ party music from Scooter and Lavelle.

Flores added: "We hope people will come away from the event with a unique experience that only the Gaslamp Quarter can provide and help people embrace the traditions of Mardi Gras in a unique San Diego way."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.

Look for SignOnSanDiego.com's coverage of Mardi Gras on Wednesday at entertainment.signonsandiego.com, including extensive photo galleries of the night's festivities.

Night&Day cover story: Getting Gomez

Five easy pieces

Brit band Gomez 'morphed into what we do for a living'

By Chris Nixon
January 13, 2005

When it comes to recording, most bands either lose themselves in fiery worship at the church of gritty rock or quietly meditate before the studio soundboard altar, twiddling with a sea of knobs and orchestrating every last detail. But with the British band Gomez, one style of recording (Zen studio contemplation) led to the other (fervent guitar-powered rock).

With its refined take (adding flourishes of strings, crackling electronic beats or muted mellow horns) on boogie blues, roots rock and pop harmonies, the quintet scored a major-label deal without ever playing a live show.

Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitar), Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Paul Blackburn (bass, guitar), Olly Peacock (drums) and Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica) created a masterpiece of pastiche rock by simply huddling in their cramped garage in a small town outside Liverpool.

The band's 1998 debut disc, "Bring It On," garnered the band the prestigious Mercury Prize, beating out the Verve, Cornershop, Robbie Williams and Massive Attack's classic "Mezzanine" album. Great Britain's Mercury Prize honors the best album of the year by a British or Irish band.

Ottewell's gravelly vocals combined with the band's bluesy atmospherics and airy instrumentation set Gomez apart from the glut of retro Brit-rock bands coming out of Europe in the late 1990s.

"When we first started out, we didn't have any money or anything," says the jovial Ball. "We just had a crap four-track (tape deck), a few dusty guitars and some drum machines we'd found. It was just about experimenting to see if we could make records that we would like to listen to, or our friends would like to listen to. Then, it just accidentally morphed into what we do for a living."

In 2002, Gomez reached its personal apex of studio layering with the brilliant album "In Our Gun," a rambling collection of electronic blues songs and acoustic ballads. The five British chaps capture the essence of bluesy acoustic music while stretching the boundaries with modern studio tactics and clever instrumentation.

But all this experimentation leads to one question: how do you pull it off live?

"Our live shows are pretty full on," says Ball about the recording process for 2004's "Split the Difference." "We encountered some difficulties with 'In Our Gun' playing it live. A lot of the songs were vitally based around loops we'd generated. We didn't want to be tied down to playing along with something.

"You can't speed up. You can't slow down. I think that was subconsciously how we ended up with a record that was quite simple. ('Split the Difference') was recorded during and around a lot of touring. In terms of its inner complexities, it was very much just rocking it out."

So Gomez plunged back into guitar-driven retro pop. For the conversion, Ball and his mates picked an unlikely partner in crime: American producer Tchad Blake.

After producing textured releases by Los Lobos, Soul Coughing and Travis, Blake guided Gomez through its most complete album to date. "Split the Difference" quickly establishes Gomez's ability to rock a mean guitar riff, while not forsaking the band's bedrock of beautiful harmonies and psychedelic dreaminess. Blake's ability to reinforce the rock sound and roll with the band's current trend of straight-ahead composing led both parties to new territory.

"I think it was very interesting for (Blake) to be confronted with a more solid rock sound, but he was great," said Ball, who now lives in Los Angeles. "What was amazing was that he didn't put one cowbell on it, because that's what he's famous for with the Latin Playboys (a Los Lobos offshoot group). But he never once suggested it. It was a constant running joke during sessions: 'When is Tchad going to get the cowbells out?' "

With "Split the Difference" almost a year back in the rearview mirror, Ball and Gomez will continue on the "live" theme. During its upcoming West Coast swing, the band will be recording during three nights at San Francisco's classic Fillmore theater for a live album.

The group's two dates at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach will serve as a warm-up to the Bay Area shows: "San Diego is going to be fantastic because we're just going to be experimenting with a bunch of stuff to see what works and what we're going to record.

"On the next recording, we'll probably have a few more expansive pieces as opposed to the type of song that picks you up by the scruff of the neck, thrashes you around for two minutes and just drops you on the floor," says Ball about the band's plans to start recording another studio record in early 2005. "So we'll probably calm things down a little for the next album. But you never know, maybe we'll turn into Slayer. Slayer with harmonies, God help us."

Whether delving into zealous garage rock revelry or searching for studio perfection, the five geezers in Gomez seem to be staying true to one of their more poignant lyrics from "Split the Difference": We don't know where we're going, but we're on our way.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.


Gomez basics
Hometown: Southport, England

Discography:

"Split the Difference" – May 18, 2004

"In Our Gun" – 2002

"Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline" – 2000, B-sides and rarities

"Liquid Skin" – 1999

"Bring It On" – 1998


Lineup:
Ben Ottewell – vocals, guitar

Tom Gray – vocals, guitar, keyboards

Paul Blackburn – bass, guitar

Olly Peacock – drums

Ian Ball – vocals, guitar, harmonica


Desert Island Discs:
When asked about the few CDs he'd take to a desert island, Gomez's Ian Ball quipped: "Of course the I-Pod has rendered that question irrelevant, but having said that, here are three random choices of things I could listen to over and over-and-over again:"

The Necks, "Drive-By" (2003, Morphius Records):

File under: Space jazz soundtrack for the elevator to Mars.

"There's an Australian band called the Necks. They're a three-piece, madcap jazz band that do hour-long wonderful improvisations. So I'd take one of their albums. Probably 'Drive-By.' I listen to a lot of music on airplanes, so I really like ambient music. Not ambient in a cheesy, New Age way, but ambient like I'm in a ship going to Mars kind of way."

Rafael Toral, "Violence of Discovery" (2003, Touch Records):

File under: Guitar soundscapes in the tradition of Robert Fripp.

"There's a Portuguese guitar player called Rafael Toral who operates in a similar type of world like 'Whoa, what planet am I on?' That would have me out for the count."

Charlie Patton, "The Best of Charlie Patton" (2003, Yazoo Records):

File under: Delta blues from a dusty 78 rpm record.

"And then I'd bring one record to sing along with, probably some kind of Charlie Patton compilation. He did only enough music to fit on three CDs. Probably his first two recording sessions, I'd take that along."

– CHRIS NIXON

TEXANS LIKE TO RAISE A RUCKUS
By Chris Nixon
San Diego Union-Tribune
Jan. 6, 2005

It’s 9:30 a.m., and Bowling For Soup lead singer Jaret Reddick is hung over: “Last night was (bassist) Eric’s 30th birthday. So he and I did an acoustic show at a bar in Fort Worth. We managed to drink ourselves into a stupor for his 30th birthday. Boy, am I paying the price today.”

After relaxing with family and friends over the holidays, the four Texans embark on a new tour in the first few months of 2005 in support of “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve.” Reddick sheepishly admits: “I deserved this one.”

Hailing from the mid-sized city of Wichita Falls, Texas, the congenial Reddick and his band mates effortlessly merge easy-going pop punk and catchy, hilarious lyrics into infectious singles. “Hangover” represents the group’s seventh full-length disc and its third with major label Jive Records. So how did four punkish party kids from Texas end up on the same label as Britney Spears and ‘NSync?

“It one of these things: this label comes to these guys that are all broke,” says Reddick, sounding chipper despite his admittedly dilapidated physical state. “A couple of us are homeless and one of us is living with his parents. And they were like: ‘Look. Here’s the deal. We want to have a rock band on our label and we have the marketing power to make bands happen such as ‘NSync and R. Kelly and Britney Spears.’ To us, it was a no-brainer: ‘Does this mean we actually get to have apartments? O.K. Is there ink in this pen, or should we sign our names in blood?’ So it really made sense for us at the time.”

At first, it seemed the label didn’t know how to handle Bowling For Soup. The band’s first Jive release – 2000’s “Let’s Do It For Johnny” – met with disappointing sales and media response. The confusion lay with both sides: Reddick didn’t know what sort of songs a pop label wanted and the label seemed perplexed about the correct way to promote the band’s brand of rambunctious pop punk.

“I think about a year into the deal, both Jive Records and Bowling For Soup were looking at each other like: ‘What have we done to each other?’ says Reddick. “So the first record tanked. I wrote some songs. We sent them the demos and they fell in love with them. So when ‘Drunk Enough to Dance’ came out, obviously things got way better relationship-wise between us and the label.”

The 2002 release “Drunk Enough to Dance” produced the breakout hit “Girls All the Bad Guys Want.” The single led Bowling For Soup from Texas to the Grammy Awards’ red carpet, earning the boys a nomination for Best Performance Pop By a Duo or Group with Vocal. U2’s “Stuck In a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” won the honor, but the quartet gained credibility, notoriety and hometown cred.

“Honestly, growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, I don’t think they even get the Grammys on T.V.; you want to talk about worlds away,” says the humble Reddick. “The cool thing is that we got nominated for the Grammy Award, and that city was actually really proud of us. I thought they were going to give us the freakin’ key to the city. That just not something that happens to a bunch of fat kids from Wichita Falls, Texas who move off to deliver rock ‘n’ roll to the world. It just doesn’t happen.”

Reddick – who writes all of the band’s songs and lyrics – decided to collaborate with members of Fastball, Nerf Herder and the Nixons in Bowling For Soup’s 2004 follow-up “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve.” The album’s clever first single “1985” deals with a soccer mom’s obsession with her neon youth, posing immortal questions like “When did Motley Crew become classic rock” and “When did Ozzy become an actor?”

“We were all teenagers in 1985,” reflects Reddick. “We are all satelliting 30 years old right now. We’re not really making fun (of our generation), more paying tribute to. It was definitely a decade that shaped us and made us who we are. I think that’s true for most people who grow up in a certain time. When you’re 12 and you see the Motley Crue “Looks That Kill’ video on T.V., it will have an impact.”

While the members of Bowling For Soup ease into their early 30s, don’t expect Reddick’s maturity to start seeping into his music like Poway’s blink-182.

“There’s a big difference between us and (blink-182),” says Reddick, who plays SOMA with Bowling For Soup on Sunday. “They are great musicians and they make great records and I think they’re great businessmen. Those guys have grown up. They have taken that growing up into their music and they’ve done it really, really well. I’ve grown up: I have a wife and a kid and a mortgage and two car payments. When I’m home, it’s very serious. But me as a person, I like to laugh. I like to make people laugh. I think that music is an escape from those things in life that bring us down, especially if you’re listening to my music. I do talk about serious stuff, but I always try to put some sort of humorous twist on it. So at the end of the day, there’s a little light that shines and makes us all feel better. It’s almost like Robitussin: It just makes you feel better.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Hometown love

CENTERPIECE
The Big 10

San Diego is home to some serious talent – a look at the current local music scene

By Nina Garin
STAFF WRITER

December 30, 2004

San Diego's music scene is as diverse as the people who live here – rock and blues and hip-hop and Latin music all happily coexist under the sun.

Maybe this harmonious atmosphere explains why so many locals groups – including Switchfoot, P.O.D, Pinback and Nickel Creek – go on to become national stars.

With so much variety and talent here, it's never hard to find a good band to get fanatical and crazy about. But for those who need a little push, we explore some of the musicians who make up the current music scene in San Diego.

Some, like The Album Leaf and Louis XIV, are poised to be the "Next Big Thing." Others, like Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, just play music and sing because it's all they know, it's all they love.

We asked two music critics to pick five of their personal favorite groups. These are just a sampling of bands that keep San Diego's musical landscape fresh, thriving and always exciting.


THE ALBUM LEAF
HOMETOWN: San Diego

WHO THEY ARE: Jimmy LaValle – vocals, keys, guitar

Drew Andrews – guitar, keys, bass

Timothy Reece – drums

Matthew Resovich – violin

Andrew Pates – live visuals

THE SOUND: Brian Eno-inspired ambient electronic music

LATEST RELEASE: "In a Safe Place" (2004, Sub Pop Records)

ON THE WEB: www.albumleaf.com; www.subpop.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: With Rogue Wave, 8:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd.; $12; (619) 232-HELL

THE SKINNY: The Album Leaf's music is so subtle and understated you might miss all the complexities and sonic layers occurring simultaneously. A closer listen reveals a weeping violin, toy Glockenspiels tinkling in the distance, the pitter-patter of quiet electronic drum loops, mumbled poetry and the sweeping, bubbling notes of an accordion.

Borrowing its name from a Chopin piece, the Album Leaf is the brainchild of Jimmy LaValle. A veteran of brilliant and varied San Diego bands like Tristeza, Gogogo Airheart and the Locust, LaValle teams with Black Heart Procession's Pall Jenkins and Icelandic indie rockers Sigur Ros on his latest creation, 2004's "In a Safe Place." LaValle recorded the disc in Iceland with Sigur Ros's Sundlaugin Studios in 2003.

"In a Safe Place" reflects the simple beauty of the Islandic landscape and deserves multiple playbacks. Listen closely: Behind all the subtleties you can hear the sound of a great San Diego band being born.

– CHRIS NIXON


ALFRED HOWARD & THE K23 ORCHESTRA
HOMETOWN: San Diego

WHO THEY ARE: Alfred Howard – rhymes, poems

Travis Daudert – guitar

Steve Craft – drums

Jeremy Eikam – bass

Aaron Irwin – percussion

Josh Rice – keyboards

THE SOUND: Hip-hop and improvisational funk influenced by the spoken-word poetry movement

LATEST RELEASE: "Live at Lestat's, Vols. I and II" (2004, self-released)

ON THE WEB: www.alhowardk23.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: Free New Year's show, 9 p.m. tomorrow at Winston's, 1921 Bacon St. in Ocean Beach; http://winstonsob.com or (619) 222-6822.

THE SKINNY: Public Enemy's Chuck D. once called hip-hop "the black CNN." With rap's current focus on party tunes, red carpets and extravagant consumption, the lion's share of today's hip-hop is the musical equivalent of the E! Channel: inherently stupid, irrelevant and devoid of meaning or substance.

An East Coast transplant who now calls San Diego his home, Alfred Howard drops rhymes with staccato, machine-gun delivery and pinpoint accuracy, shooting down misconceptions about hip-hop while drowning out the poseur MCs. After migrating to San Diego, Howard hooked up with the five guys in the K23 Orchestra. The band provides a jazzy, percussion-driven backdrop heavily influenced by Miles Davis' funky 1970s fusion and the groove-oriented jazz of Karl Denson and the Greyboy Allstars.

While the band won Best Hip-Hop Group at the San Diego Music Awards in 2003 and 2004, Howard and the band clearly don't want to be associated with rap's mainstream (from "Disneyland History"): Turn on the rap station and I hear Nelly pound / And I know I've got more talent in my left pinkie fingernail clipping / And infinite more purity when I'm on the microphone ripping.

– CHRIS NIXON


CATTLE DECAPITATION
HOMETOWN: Downtown

WHO THEY ARE: Michael Laughlin, drums

Travis Ryan, vocals

Troy Oftedal, bass

Josh Elmore, guitar

WHAT THEY PLAY: Disturbing, pro-vegetarian death metal

LATEST RELEASE: "Humanure" on Metal Blade Records

ON THE WEB: www.cattledecapitation.com; www.metalblade.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: The band leaves in January for a national tour that brings them to Los Angeles' Key Club on Feb. 2. A San Diego show is likely to be added, check the Web site for updates.

THE SKINNY: Cattle Decapitation is a gross band name; its song lyrics are even grosser. And the cover of this heavy metal group's album "Humanure," featuring bloody, human-infested cow feces, is the grossest thing of all. But underneath all that gore, is a seemingly well-adjusted group of vegetarians.

"I've always liked music that has some sort of sociological message," said Travis Ryan.

They may have a pro-vegetarian message, but it's very difficult to understand what the band is trying to say. Cattle Decapitation's music is a barrage of speedy guitars and vocals that are scary enough to freak out even Freddy and Jason. Still, since the band formed in 1998, its fan base has been growing so much that the guys will be on tour for the next four months, playing to a diverse crowd ranging from metal addicts to emo kids – because those who really listen will find that the band's noise-assault can be quite addicting. And, in the end, the group is sending leftist messages about human selfishness, overpopulation and the mistreatment of animals.

"I hope people don't take us too seriously," Ryan said about the band's gory reputation. "Everything is very tongue-in-cheek, very sarcastic."

– NINA GARIN


ARABELLA HARRISON
HOMETOWN: Spring Valley

WHO THEY ARE: She's solo, but when Harrison has live shows she performs with her band, Brothers and Sisters, featuring Grant Reinero, Ian Woodward, Chris Vanacore, Mike Scalia and Lisah Nicholson

THE SOUND: Romantic country fused with pop

LATEST RELEASE: Her self-titled debut EP will be released early next year on Better Looking Records

ON THE WEB: www.arabellaharrison.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: Harrison is finishing up her album, so she won't be playing locally for a while. Her only scheduled gig is on Jan. 21 at Spaceland in Los Angeles.

THE SKINNY: Even though Harrison hasn't released an album yet, her voice is one of the most recognized in town. Harrison, also known as Araby, once sang with such now-defunct groups as Jejune and the And/Ors. She also appears on CDs by such San Diego stars as the Blackheart Procession, No Knife and Bartender's Bible.

But only in the last year did this Berklee School of Music graduate and full-time composer of TV commercials decide it was time to step out on her own. Raised in Hawaii, she moved to San Diego in 1995. She has the kind of voice that's both innocent and tortured – a little bit Joan Baez and a little bit Emmylou Harris, two women who influence her solo material.

"I grew up listening to Emmylou, Gram Parsons, the Band," she said. "So that's the style I go back to when I write my own songs."

Along with penning lyrics, Harrison also composes all the music parts, including guitar, bass, drums, piano and harmonica. After that, her friends in Brothers and Sisters bring in their own indie pop touches to give the music an idiosyncratic feel of its own.

– NINA GARIN


LADY DOTTIE AND THE DIAMONDS
HOMETOWN: Mid-City

WHO THEY ARE: Dorothy Mae Whitsett, vocals

Joe Guevara, piano-vocals

Steven Rey, stand-up bass

Nate Beale, guitar

Andy Robillard, drums

WHAT THEY PLAY: Old-fashioned blues with a modern twist

LATEST RELEASE: None; this is the kind of music you need to hear live.

ON THE WEB: www.henryspub.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: Every Monday night at the Tower Bar on University Ave.; Wednesday nights at Henry's Pub in the Gaslamp.

THE SKINNY: Without even realizing it, 60-year-old Whitsett has created a San Diego supergroup. Her old-fashioned blues band, Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, is made up, not of aging blues rockers, but of young, hipster musicians.

But Whitsett, a cook at the Mission Cafe, doesn't care that she's playing with members from Gogogo Airheart and Jejune. Sh's just interested in their skills.

"The only time we practice is when we're playing," she says. "Well, really, they all just follow me."

While the band doesn't perform original music, its covers of Etta James and Aretha Franklin songs are gritty and passionate enough to sound like the real thing. The band fuses a rollicking piano with sultry stand-up bass, but the show-stealer is the Alabama-bred Whitsett. Her voice sounds like a combination of all the greatest blues albums you've ever heard.

"I've been singing all my life," she said. "Not in a money-making way; I've just been singing the blues for fun. That's sufficient enough for me."

– NINA GARIN


BUNKY
HOMETOWN: San Diego

WHO THEY ARE: Emily Joyce – vocals, drums

Rafter Roberts – vocals, guitar

THE SOUND: Playful, raucous, shiny, indie pop

LATEST RELEASE: "Born to Be a Motorcycle" (Officially due in stores March 2005, but available now at Asthmatic Kitty Records' Web site)

ON THE WEB: www.bunkymusic.com; www.asthmatickitty.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: None scheduled.

THE SKINNY: The boy-girl duo Bunky simply and eloquently exudes a quirky innocence and a pure love for each other that finds its way into every note they play. Together, they form a one-two indie pop punch. Emily croons with her sweet good girl vocals; Rafter rocks the guitars and shouts riotous choruses.

Collectively, they are Bunky: a little sweet, a little tough, mostly busting with exuberant joy. The duo surrounds themselves with San Diego's best musical refugees – from Pinback, the Album Leaf and Rocket From the Crypt, to name a few. Roberts remains a pillar of the local scene, performing as a member of the Black Heart Procession and Gogogo Airheart and producing numerous San Diego bands while making a living creating advertising jingles for Visa, Hot Wheels, Panasonic and U.S. Cellular.

Bunky's debut album, "Born to Be a Motorcycle," finally gives critics something to talk about. Both the album and the group are worth the chatter.

– CHRIS NIXON


LOUIS XIV
HOMETOWN: San Diego

WHO THEY ARE: Jason Hill – vocals, guitar

Brian Karscig – guitar, vocals

Mark Maigaard – drums

Jimmy – bass

THE SOUND: Gritty retro psychedelic rock

LATEST RELEASE: "Blue and Pink EPs" (2005, Atlantic Records)

ON THE WEB: www.louisxiv.net

NEXT LOCAL GIG: Big Night California with the Violent Femmes, 9 p.m. tomorrow at Qualcomm Stadium; $109.99-$179.99; (619) 220-TIXS.

THE SKINNY: Rising from the ashes of San Diego supergroup Convoy, Louis XIV packs enough attitude and rock history IQ to evoke images of 1960s era Kinks or early Rolling Stones. After gaining local cred and national attention (the Convoy boys starred in a Sheraton commercial covering the Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together"), Convoy members Brian Karscig, Jason Hill and Mark Maigaard released the self-titled "Louis XIV" in 2003.

Since then, the quartet released a few EPs, traveled to the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, stunned record label execs with their performance, signed a major-label deal with Atlantic Records and plan to record new studio album soon. Not bad for a year's work.

– CHRIS NIXON


MAIZ
HOMETOWN: South Bay

WHO THEY ARE: Karlos Paez, vocals-trumpet

Damian DeRobbio, bass

Mike Cannon, percussion

WHAT THEY PLAY: Mexi-reggae

LATEST RELEASE: "Feed Your Spirit (Alimenta tu Espiritu)" on West Up Records

ON THE WEB: www.bsideplayers.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: None scheduled, but B-Side Players (Paez leads the band) will perform Jan. 8 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

THE SKINNY: There are two kinds of reggae in this town: the kind that fraternity boys like to play at their parties and the kind that's socially conscious. With its lyrics about poverty and oppression, Maiz is definitely of the socially conscious variety.

Maiz, Spanish for the inexpensive corn product used in Latin American countries, has a repertoire of songs in both English and Spanish. Singer Karlos Paez, best known as the leader of the popular Latin dance band B-Side Players, soulfully wails about indigenous workers and not trusting the government.

But the band isn't all about being serious. With its horn-tinged song and beats that are similar to the classic Kingston, Jamaica, sound, Maiz can also get a crowd to groove. But a Bob Marley clone, Maiz is not – Paez and his band fuse plenty of Latin rhythms to keep their sound distinctly San Diegan.

– NINA GARIN


SCARLET SYMPHONY
HOMETOWN: La Mesa

WHO THEY ARE: Gary Hankins, vocals

Zach Wheeler, bass

Aaron Swanton, guitar-vocals

Josh Wheeler, drums

THE SOUND: Jazz-dance-rock

LATEST RELEASE: "Vulture" on Phantoms Records

ON THE WEB: www.scarletsymphony.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: The Casbah's New Year's Eve party, 8:30 p.m. tomorrow; 2501 Kettner Blvd.; www.casbahmusic.com or (619) 220-TIXS.

THE SKINNY: Scarlet Symphony could have been superfamous by now. If the fashionable rockers signed a contract with Island or Sony Records like they almost did, the boys just might have been hosting MTV's New Year's Eve in Times Square. But, by choice, Scarlet Symphony did not sign a big record deal and the band will be playing their New Year's Eve show here at home. The quartet, whose oldest member is 23, felt that creative control of their schizophrenic music was more important than big money and becoming best friends with Paris Hilton.

Since forming a year and a half ago, this La Mesa-based group has been sparking up the music scene with its mix of rock, pop, jazz and electronic music. After playing close to three shows a week for almost a year, the band has the kind of loyal following that those big labels dream about. But the band has decided to release its upcoming album on its own label early next year. And if the guys can sell their old tour van, they might make enough money to get back to Japan, where they recently finished a small but successful tour.

Scarlet Symphony – which includes identical twin brothers Zach and Josh Wheeler – cites musicians like David Bowie, Patti Smith and Joh Coltrane as influences. "We haven't decided what kind of band we are," said Aaron Swanton. "We just play whatever comes out."

– NINA GARIN


THE SULTANS
HOMETOWN: San Diego

WHO THEY ARE: Slasher (John Reis) – guitar, vocals

Tony DiPrima – drums, vocals

Black Velvet (Dean Reis) – bass

THE SOUND: Growling, snarled punk rock put through a power-pop filter for easier consumption.

LATEST RELEASE: "Shipwrecked" (2004, Swami Records)

ON THE WEB: www.alhowardk23.com

NEXT LOCAL GIG: The Sultans don't have a local gig in the works, but Reis' seminal band, Rocket From the Crypt, plays the Casbah on Jan. 16 to celebrate the club's 16th anniversary; 2501 Kettner Blvd.; (619) 232-HELL or www.casbahmusic.

THE SKINNY: While not as ballistic as Hot Snakes or as popular as Rocket From the Crypt, the Sultans trio remains a hidden San Diego treasure cranking out tasty power pop. John Reis – who also runs Swami Records (Beehive and the Barracudas, RFTC, the Husbands) – teams with brother Dean and RFTC drummer Tony DiPrima.

When you watch the Sultans live, you can see John Reis let loose in his onstage persona Slasher. For the Sultans, says John Reis, "It's nice to make music with your brother and hang out." The Sultans 2004 gem, "Shipwrecked," was overlooked, so go back and check it out yourself.

– CHRIS NIXON

First Nights in S.D.

NIGHT LIFE
Fun for all

Have a rockin' family New Year's Eve at First Night

By Chris Nixon
December 30, 2004

Tired of taking care of out-of-control friends on New Year's Eve? Looking for a festive atmosphere to bring your kids, but hoping you won't be embarrassed by humanity and its penchant for excess during the annual holiday?

Two local New Year's Eve events implement concepts not normally associated with the traditionally boozy holiday: alcohol free and family friendly.

Both First Night San Diego near Seaport Village in downtown San Diego and North County's First Night Escondido focus on providing safe, kid-oriented celebrations for fiesta partakers.

"We try to incorporate the involvement of as many groups, organizations and individuals as is possible," says First Night San Diego organizer Patti Brooks. "We're about positive collaboration (between different) interests, attitudes, ages, talents, artistic endeavors and backgrounds."

Now in its 13th year, First Night San Diego will fill the Embarcadero Marina Park North, located near Seaport Village, with seven hours of music, karaoke, contests, food and fireworks. The party begins with a kickoff parade including the Eden Prairie Marching Band from Eden Prairie, Minn.

First Night S.D. features six stages of country, rock 'n' roll, Latin, oldies, big band, contemporary and jazz. At midnight, fireworks will light up the skies over San Diego Bay.

"Alcohol-free means safe," says Brook. "Family friendly means we encourage participation of people of all ages. We are about diversity. At the same time, we like to encourage families celebrating as a unit."

Escondido's massive First Night party celebrates 10 years this year, featuring more than 30 performers on 12 stages in the area surrounding the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

First Night Escondido offers a wide variety of musical types and entertainment options: from mimes to Motown, from classical to country. The Escondido party also puts an emphasis on satisfying the needs, and early bedtimes, of kids by lighting fireworks at 8 p.m. along with the traditional midnight fireworks show. First Night Escondido has reasons for teens to stick around, too, with a battle of the bands giving the spotlight to young and up-and-coming local acts.