Ricardo Lemvo: Straight outta the Congo

Lemvo, following pioneers' footsteps

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
August 2, 2007

Open Ricardo Lemvo's latest CD, “Isabela.” Just inside the front cover, you'll find an old photo of a dapper-looking man with the inscription: “1900 photo of grandfather Dom Joao N'lemvo, 1867-1938.” This image gives Lemvo's listeners insight into his 2007 release, along with his musical direction for the past two decades.

Born in the Central African city of Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Lemvo's grandfather, Dom Joao N'lemvo, hailed from the former Portuguese colony of Angola. The young Ricardo grew up speaking many languages, including Portuguese and Lingala (the language of the Congo). He also was enraptured by the music of the Congo, a blending of Cuban melodic sensibilities and African percussion.

“Cuban music has been popular throughout the continent of Africa since the late '30s and '40s,” said Lemvo during a recent interview from his current home in Los Angeles. “As a matter of fact, African musicians back in the '40s and '50s – in particular Congolese musicians – were already incorporating Cuban elements in the Congolese music. For example, they would take the piano line in Cuban music and then transpose it to the guitar. It yielded a sound or a style that is known to this day as the Congo rumba.”

DETAILS
RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA
When: Tomorrow, 6 p.m.
Where: Pine Avenue Park, 3205 Harding St., Carlsbad
Tickets: Free
Phone: (760) 434-2904
Online: www.carlsbadca.gov

From that springboard, Lemvo came to the United States and launched his career in music, bringing the Congolese rumba to America. Lemvo burst onto the world music scene with his 1996 debut “Tata Masamba,” combining the big brassy melodies of Cuban son music with salsa's swing and Congolese percussive rhythms.

Along with his band, Makina Loca, Lemvo followed with two excellent releases on the popular Putumayo label: 1998's “Mambo Yo Yo” and 2000's “Sao Salvador.” The humble Lemvo gives proper respect to Franco & OK Jazz, Dr. Nico (Kasanda), Kalle and African Jazz, the musicians who created Congolese rumba: “I do not feel like I've created anything new. I'm just following in the footsteps of the pioneers of Congolese music.”

On “Isabela,” Lemvo sings in Spanish, Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili and the language of his grandfather, Portuguese.

“On my last album, I wrote a song called 'Serenata Angolana,' 'Angolan Serenade,' ” explained Lemvo. “Naturally, that song had to be in Portuguese because I am paying tribute to my beloved Angola, the land of my grandfather. I wrote that song the very first time I went to Angola in 2005.
“The journey for me was a spiritual one, on a personal level. Going there, I felt like I was going back home. And also, it was the very first time I had performed in Africa. So, it was fitting that I performed in the land of my grandfather.”

Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca will perform in a free concert tomorrow as part of Carlsbad's 2007 TGIF Jazz in the Parks schedule. Now in its 22nd year, the series – which features artists like Sue Palmer and Big Time Operator every Friday at 6 p.m. – is presented by the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office and Rob Hagey Productions (the people behind Street Scene).

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Chris Cornell: Smells like a euphoric morning

After dipping his toes into the water eight years ago, Chris Cornell returned to soloing

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
August 2, 2007

After 13 years in the seminal Seattle band Soundgarden and six more in the band of refugees called Audioslave, singer Chris Cornell finally has time to focus on the one aspect of his musical path he's yet to fully explore: a solo career.

With its bombastic Black Sabbath inspired riffs and Cornell's signature pipes, Soundgarden helped launch the grunge revolution of the early 1990s. The group scored huge critical and commercial victories with 1991's “Badmotorfinger” and 1994's “Superunknown,” both albums rife with odd-time signatures and alternative guitar tunings.

In the midst of Soundgarden's success, Cornell collaborat ed with members of Pearl Jam in the Temple of the Dog project, which featured the duet with Eddie Vedder titled “Hunger Strike.”

Due to the band's hard-edged sound, record labels and music critics tried to pigeonhole Soundgarden into the metal scene. Through its six studio albums the band proved it had more artistic acumen and punk attitude than the run-of-the-mill hair-metal band, thus leading to a new genre labeled “grunge.”

DETAILS
CHRIS CORNELL
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Viejas Concerts in the Park, 5000 Willows Road, Alpine
Tickets: $40
Phone: (619) 445-5400
Online: www.viejas.com

“Soundgarden struggled in the early '90s with the major labels not knowing necessarily who we were or what to do with us, at a time when there was a huge commercially successful metal scene,” said Cornell during a recent interview from his home in Los Angeles. “They started to try and run us down that pipe. And that didn't really work. We were in crisis, trying to stay away from it and carve out our own niche. Which we did, but it was difficult.

“Nowadays, it's easier for me. It's kind of like: Take the record or leave it.”

After the band's success petered out and the artistic focus of the band dwindled, Cornell launched his first crack at a solo career in the form of 1999's “Euphoria Morning” (though 1992's “Singles” soundtrack featured his acoustic song “Seasons”). Surrounded by bittersweet harmonies and acoustic instrumentation, “Euphoria Morning” exposes the quieter side of Cornell songwriter abilities.

“With 'Euphoria Morning,' it came after the end of my band, which was extremely important to me,” recalled Cornell. “I decided to start a solo career and that's that: done deal.

“But I always felt like since Temple of the Dog, I'm not ever going to be completely against the idea of collaborating with somebody else 'cause that was such a great experience. So, when the opportunity came up to do Audioslave, I was open-minded.”

Meanwhile, Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zach de la Rocha left his band in favor of a solo career in 2000, leaving guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk searching for a singer. Cypress Hill's B.Real and Tool's Maynard James Keenan jammed with the ex-Machines, until producer Rick Rubin suggested Cornell.

Post-“Euphoria Morning,” three former members of Rage Against the Machine approached Cornell about collaborating on a new band called Audioslave.

“To a degree, I think people were surprised by the first record,” said Cornell, who just celebrated his 43rd birthday. “When we put out 'Like a Stone,' that wasn't new territory for me. I'd done things with Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog and the solo record that were melodic and mellow and psychedelic and trippy.

“For me, it was no big deal. For them, they were Rage, which was known for pretty much one thing. They were taking big risks.”

The big risks paid off.

Six years, three albums and millions of record sales later, internal interest in Audioslave faded. Morello focused on his solo project, “The Nightwatchman.” Rage Against the Machine actually reunited for a series of shows this summer, including a date at this year's Coachella Festival. And Cornell turned to recording his second solo disc, eight years after the release of “Euphoria Morning.”

“It ended up being a good thing and yielding some great music and some great tours, but it also put me back to square one with the solo career,” admitted Cornell. “It was a lot of time between solo records. There was a little bit of the perception: Oh, he's going solo after splitting up with a band – again.”

On the heels of Audioslave, Cornell has crafted an album of overt pop music on his long-awaited sophomore solo disc “Carry On,” released in June of this year. The album features an acoustic cover of Michael Jackson's “Billy Jean” and “You Know My Name” from the 2006 James Bond remake “Casino Royale.” Despite the radio-friendly soft rock that dominates “Carry On,” Cornell's voice remains one of rock's best.

“It's a little bit like starting over on a solo career,” said Cornell, who plays Viejas Concerts in the Park Saturday in support of “Carry On.” “That's sort of the give-and-take of (Audioslave): I got three great records out of it and the great experience of making records with these other three guys. “Where it hurt me is I had just started to develop a solo career and abandoned it. Now, I have to come back and start it over again.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

An artist ready to embrace change
Chris Cornell has paid his dues: navigating the underground music scene and signing with big labels in Soundgarden, exploring the world of arena rock with Audioslave and fostering his own solo career.

And each step has given him insight in the music business.

“Fortunately for me, I started making records in a time when there was a great U.S. indie scene,” said Cornell. “We came into it when it was really healthy. We were an indie band, so we made our own records. We drew up our own contracts with SST and SubPop. We sold our own T-shirts. We drove our own van that we owned. Then, we signed to a major label with the prior knowledge of how it's done. Then, we just started doing the same thing on a bigger scale.”

But as his popularity has grown and he's become a household name among the music-savvy, the industry has become focused on the bottom line more than developing artists.

“The music industry is not healthy,” said Cornell. “It's changing, and to a large degree it's dying. Ultimately, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's transforming into something very different, but it can benefit the fans. And it can definitely benefit the artists, if the artists are willing or able to embrace the change. I think there will be an organic flow in the way people end up buying and supporting music.”

No matter the changes in the music industry down the road, Cornell will continue to be himself: a talented songwriter with a great voice.

“I'm not someone who's struggling to be known in the world of popular music: I am known,” said Cornell. “So, I'm just making records and writing songs. I'm not really worrying about how anyone might place it or how it's perceived. It doesn't really matter to me. – I'm just going to write songs, make records, tour and do what I do.”

– CHRIS NIXON

Projekt Revolution: Breaking out of the Box

When Linkin Park decided to 'write music that we feel like writing,' a new sound was born – and Projekt Revolution took a detour

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 26, 2007

After surviving the trials and tribulations of a decade in the music business, Linkin Park is edging away from hip-hop in favor of radio-friendly emo pop. So is the festival they created.

Along with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and the Deftones, the six-piece rock outfit emerged from the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills amid the nu-metal movement of the late 1990s, melding rhythms and rhymes of rap with the fierce guitar riffage of metal.

Led by Chester Bennington's charismatic vocals and the rhymes of Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park unleashed its debut disc, “Hybrid Theory,” in 2000. That catapulted the band into the spotlight, selling 4.8 million records in 2001 and earning Bennington and crew three Grammys along the way.

After releasing three more studio albums from 2001-2004 (including “Collision Course,” the interesting collaboration with Jay-Z), Linkin Park enlisted producer Rick Rubin in 2006 and headed into uncharted territory.

“On this record we went back to ground zero and really just decided that we're not going to write music that we think people want to hear from us,” said Bennington during a recent phone interview. “We're just going to write music that we feel like writing.

“I think that once we got out of that box we put ourselves into, it was very easy for us to just start writing music. We discovered that no matter what kind of song we wrote, if we all loved it, then it became a Linkin Park song.”

The result is “Minutes to Midnight,” 12-tracks released this year shifting from hard-edged rap rock to a radio-friendly, pop-oriented sound. Shinoda provides rhymes on only two tracks (“Bleed It Out” and “Hands Held High”), and the single “What I've Done” features Bennington on vocals surrounded by a softer overall sound.

While hip-hop still plays a small role in Linkin Park' sound, the shift away from rap is palpable in the latest album and the band's summer touring festival Projekt Revolution.

In past incarnations, rap artists like Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill and Xzibit have shared the stage with Korn, Adema and The Used. In Projekt Revolution version 2007, the rock quotient has grown (My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday and Placebo) while the hip-hop contingent has shrunk to one: Styles of Beyond.

Bennington explains the change: “I personally noticed in the past – with the exception of maybe Cypress Hill and Snoop Dogg – there was enthusiasm of the hip-hop artists, but there really wasn't a lot of overall excitement. I personally felt like the show kind of went into a lull in some cases. I want the band to be able to feed off of the crowd. I don't want to have to warm them back up after a show.”

So this year's 28-date tour, which lands at Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista Tuesday, comes loaded with emo-rock (My Chemical Romance), light Goth rock (H.I.M.) aggressive nu-wave (Mindless Self Indulgence) and accessible industrial (Julien-K).

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

FIVE STALWARTS OF THE REVOLUTION
When Projekt Revolution rolls into Coors Amphitheatre Tuesday, most kids will plunk down $14 for lawn seats to see tour organizers Linkin Park. But come early and get your money's worth. Spanning two stages, a total of 11 bands will play.

Here's a rundown of five Projekt bands worthy of your time:

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Formed: 2001 in Jersey City, N.J.
Latest album: “The Black Parade” (2006, Reprise)
Why bother? Complete with lush strings, full horn sections and rocking songs, “The Black Parade” is one of the best concept albums created in the past decade.

TAKING BACK SUNDAY
Formed: 1999 in Amityville, N.Y.
Latest album: “Louder Now” (2006, Warner Bros.)
Why bother? With fierce guitars and Lazzara's emo-croon, these Long Islanders sit on the verge of mainstream stardom.

JULIEN-K
Formed: 2004 in Los Angeles
Latest album: “Death to Analog” (due in 2007)
Why bother? This electronic side project of Orgy creates slick infectious industrial music. Chester Bennington has collaborated with these guys, so look for a cameo.

MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE
Formed: 1995 in New York City, N.Y.
Latest album: “Another Mindless Rip Off” (2006, Metropolis/Uppity Cracker)
Why bother? Devo on steroids. Need I say more?

STYLES OF BEYOND
Formed: 1994 in Los Angeles
Latest album: “Megadef” (2003, SpyTech Records)
Why bother? Keeping hip-hop alive at Projekt Revolution – Mike Shinoda will probably step onstage to share the mic on “Second to None” (“Transformers” soundtrack).

– CHRIS NIXON

TREE-HUGGERS SPREADING THE WORD – AND THE WEALTH
Linkin Park has made millions since the day its members first picked up their instruments in 1996, but Chester Bennington and his bandmates haven't been hoarding their earnings.

They've managed to spread the wealth to worthy causes. Along with helping people struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Katrina, the band started an organization called Music for Relief to help victims of the 2004 tsunami.

Recognizing the possible link between environmental causes, global warming and the recent crop of violent storms, Bennington and company have turned to helping raise awareness about global warming.

Through this year's Projekt Revolution and Music for Relief, Linkin Park has been working hard at making this event an environmentally conscious effort. Besides making the tour a “green” tour, Projekt Revolution and Music for Relief will be donating $1 from each ticket to give to American Forests for their Global ReLeaf program to plant trees to help reduce global temperatures.

“By raising awareness as much as possible, encouraging people to make simple changes in their life and showing them how by offering information at the tour, I think we can make a difference,” said Bennington. “If, at the end of the day, all we did was plant a bunch of trees, that's cool with me.”

– CHRIS NIXON

'United' they stand

This year's san diego lgbt pride celebration reaches out to 'our brothers and sisters' worldwide

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 19, 2007

After 33 years of celebrating diversity and rights for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in San Diego, the local Pride festival is adopting a new attitude: think globally, act locally.

By embracing this year's theme of “United for Equality,” the 33rd annual San Diego LGBT Pride Celebration hopes to lend support to LGBT communities locally and half a world away.

“Here, we can have the largest civic event in San Diego,” said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego Pride. “And our brothers and sisters in Eastern Bloc countries can't even go out in a group of 10 or 20 without being stoned and beaten up. So, there's a huge struggle in many places in the world still. So 'United for Equality' is a worldwide Pride theme this year.”

The celebration revolves around two popular events: a free mile-long parade along Sixth Avenue and a two-day music festival at Marston Point in Balboa Park.

Details
The 33rd San Diego LGBT Pride Celebration
When: Parade, 11 a.m. Saturday; festival, noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Parade in Hillcrest along University and down Sixth Avenue; festival in Balboa Park at Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street
Tickets: Parade, free; festival, $15
Phone: (619) 239-0512
Online: www.sandiegopride.com

The festival features headliners Erasure along with nearly 100 live performances, expanded beverage gardens, a food court and many informative booths to help people get involved with LGBT rights. According to deHarte, San Diego Pride made an effort this year to include more local bands. And the lineup reflects the effort: Cover Me Badd's Blasphemous Guitars, The Shambles, Manganista, Buckfast Superbee and Spell Toronto all will perform at the fest Saturday and Sunday.

“We're really trying to create a platform for independent artists here in town,” said deHarte. “We haven't really provided that in the past. For some people there's been this image that they couldn't play Pride because they weren't gay. So, we've really started to get the word out there and break down some of those barriers. We want to give the independent bands an opportunity to have a great audience like the Pride festival.”

DeHarte wants attendees to have a good time, but also walk away with a greater understanding of others in the bigger San Diego community: “It's more than just going to a festival and enjoying different music and food. It's sending a message of visibility. It's putting a face on a community that a lot of people may not be able to identify with. That's where some of the stereotypes start breaking down.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

STRUT IT ON SATURDAY
From drag queens to muscle-bound shirtless men, the Pride Parade allows the LGBT community a chance to strut its stuff. With more than 200 floats and organizations marching, the parade is a fun-loving spectacle to behold.

The parade draws 150,000 people each year to the streets between Bankers Hill and Hillcrest near Balboa Park, making it the largest annual civic celebration in San Diego. It gets packed along the route, so come early and wear comfy shoes.

This year's Grand Marshal is Bruce Michael Abrams, a well-known San Diego attorney and a commissioner of the mayor's San Diego Human Relations Commission.

“Bruce has a tremendous history of giving back to the community,” said San Diego Pride executive director Ron deHarte. “Whether it's with legal help or fundraising in his home, he's helped dozens and dozens of organizations, literally.”

Starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, the Pride Parade is free. With a course starting at University Avenue and Normal Street, the parade travels west to Sixth Avenue, then south to Balboa Drive.

– CHRIS NIXON

A 'positive message' and some good music
July 19, 2007

A few weeks ago, the True Colors show – a tour organized by Cyndi Lauper to benefit LGBT rights – swung through town at SDSU's Open Air Theatre. In introducing the synth-pop duo Erasure, show host Margaret Cho simply said: “Erasure has provided the soundtrack to our lives.” And the crowd was ecstatic.

Since 1985, vocalist Andy Bell and musician Vince Clarke have provided the soundtrack to the gay community with their dance-floor friendly pop. Clarke – also involved in the early incarnations of Depeche Mode and the British duo Yaz – brings his style of synth composition, while Bell served as a role model to many people by simply being himself.

Singles like “Ship of Fools,” “Chains of Love” and “A Little Respect” propelled Erasure into the spotlight in 1987. This year found the duo releasing a studio recording titled “Light at the End of the World,” with the singles “I Could Fall in Love with You” and “Sunday Girl.”

This year's Pride festival expects to draw 40,000 people over two days in Balboa Park. On Sunday, many festival-goers will be in Balboa Park to check out Erasure.

“From an entertainment standpoint, they're a fun band,” said Pride executive director Ron deHarte. “But also when you look at the members in the band and the place they've held in the LGBT community and in this civil rights movement over the past 20-plus years, they really have been a part of the growing movement of bringing about equality, justice, tolerance and diversity, not just in London, but worldwide. They're carrying a positive message.”

Erasure will perform at the San Diego Pride Festival at Marston Point in Balboa Park from 6:10 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. One-day tickets to the festival are $15, a two-day pass is $21.

– CHRIS NIXON

Getting Polyphonic

Soul aim: Spree shares a joyous energy

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 19, 2007

Joyous, rapturous, loud, boisterous. Add an indie rock mentality (sans snobbishness) to the zeal of a gospel choir and the musicality of a symphony orchestra, and you might come close to the experience of seeing the traveling caravan called The Polyphonic Spree live.

Julie Doyle, a vocalist in the band's 10-piece choir and wife of Spree founder Tim DeLaughter, explained a Polyphonic concert: “A Polyphonic Spree show is full of surprise. It's visually stimulating. Sonically, it's a huge power surge. For people who stay for the whole show, you'll see a whole theatrical experience and an entire story play itself out. It's cool, because by the end it's very interactive and the crowd is a big part of the show.”

As many stories do, the tale of The Polyphonic Spree began as another story ended. Back in the 1990s, DeLaughter – along with fellow Sprees bassist Mark Pirro and drummer Bryan Wakeland – performed in the Dallas-based neo-psychedelic band Tripping Daisy. The quintet ended it's eight-year career after guitarist Wes Berggren was found dead from a heart attack in 1999.

The death of his bandmate shook DeLaughter, who took time away from the music industry to quietly run a record store and label (both called Good Records). Instead of finding religion (like many who go through a traumatic experience), the 41-year-old singer-songwriter founded The Polyphonic Spree. With a lineup numbering in the 20s (usually 24 members), the Spree dons robes and brings the brimstone and fire in a nondenominational, unchurchy kind of way.

Details
The Polyphonic Spree
When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.
Where: 'Canes, 3105 Ocean Front Walk, Mission Beach
Tickets: $18-$20
Phone: (858) 488-1780
Online: www.canesbarandgrill.com

“It's not about gospel or any particular religion, but it is soulful,” said Doyle during a concert stop in Detroit. “And the energy creates a feeling like (gospel music). But the robes had nothing to do with being a gospel choir or anything to do with a specific religion. The robes originally were there to distract from 20-something people standing on stage in street clothing and to also unify the group. We thought it was a beautiful image.”

Imagine a 10-person choir, a pair of keyboardists, a percussionist, drummer, bassist, guitarist, flutist, trumpeter, trombonist, violinist-violist, harpist and French horn player, a pedal steel player, a Theremin player and an electronic effects person jumping around a stage while playing blissed-out indie pop. This is a Polyphonic Spree show.

While the group works hard to deliver a transcendent show every night, touring with 24 people can be a grind involving a dizzying array of logistics.

“You know how it is. You're a human being. It's wear and tear. At the same time, I think it brings more energy to the actual performance because it's a minor victory to get to perform every night. It takes a lot to move the group from A to B. So even though there's this exhaustion, for those couple of hours each night you get this weird second wind and you pull it together.”

The dynamic live show first drew attention to The Polyphonic Spree, but three studio recordings expose a different side to the collective. While the majority of 2002's “The Beginning Stages of ... ,” 2004's “Together We're Heavy” and “The Fragile Army” (released last month) convey the blissful nature of the live shows, there also are moments of subtlety and quiet introspection. But don't expect those moments to dominate the show at 'Canes in Mission Beach.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Fight the power!

Femi Kuti picked up where his father left off – musically and politically

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 19, 2007

From father to son, the legacy of Afrobeat music continues to inspire a new generation of Africans fighting for their rights. Like the meaning of his middle name, Anikulapo – “the one who holds death in his pouch” – Fela Kuti's musical and political vision lives beyond his time on Earth.

Fela's son walks in his father's footsteps. Like his dad, who died in 1997, Femi Kuti rails against oppressive and corrupt governments. He blows his sax sweet and hard, like an African Maceo Parker playing a form of music created by his father: Afrobeat.

Melding the joyous prolonged sounds of African high-life music with the down-dirty grit of James Brown and the Horny Horns, Fela Kuti created conscious, politically charged music. He ran for the Nigerian presidency. He seceded from Nigeria, designating his home “The Kalakuta Republic.” He married 28 women at once. He spent most days dressed in nothing but Speedos. Most importantly, he believed in music's power to change individuals and societies, boldly stating “Music is the weapon of the future.”

Details
Femi Kuti
When: Tonight, 8:30
Where: House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown
Tickets: $22-$25Phone: (619) 299-2583
Online: www.hob.com

Femi Kuti has taken the mantle laid down by his father when he passed away from complications due to AIDS and moved Afrobeat into the modern era.

Ten years have passed since Fela's death. But according to Femi, life hasn't improved for the Nigerian people since Fela's time: “It's very difficult right now for the people (in Nigeria). The price of oil has been increased again, so it's very very difficult. We have to completely eradicate corruption in our society first of all. Since we have mineral resources, we should be providing free education and free health care for the people. The resources should go back to the people.

“Africa is supplying the world with the gold, diamonds, the oil, the cocoa, the palm oil, so many resources. Why can't we use our resources to provide for our people?”

Back in his day, Fela built a nightclub and compound called the Afrika Shrine, but the Kuti family lived in an uneasy and sometimes violent coexistence with the government. The police often raided the club and Fela was beaten severely on a number of occasions for his outspoken views against the government.

His wives were also beaten and sexually abused. His mother died from injuries sustained after authorities threw her from a window. Life was not easy for Fela and his family, but he continued to condemn corruption and poverty.

Since his father's death, Femi has rebuilt Fela's Afrika Shrine in the Nigerian capital of Lagos. Part music venue and part community center, the Shrine also serves as Femi's home when he's not on tour. He holds weekly jam sessions every Sunday called “Jumps,” where Nigerians gather and dance away their daily strife.

“The old Shrine was taken from us,” said the soft-spoken Femi, currently on tour in the U.S. “When we licensed my father's back catalog, my sister and I decided to buy land and build another in his honor. We thought it was the best thing to do with the money, instead of buying cars or using it for private use. He always wanted his own place, so we though it was the best thing to do. It was good for my band as well, to have a place of our own.”

Emerging from his father's shadow, Femi's music and message deserve to stand on their own. His two studio releases – “Shoki Shoki” in 1999 and 2001's “Fight to Win” – paint a picture of a man struggling with abject poverty and a corrupt government. In a combo titled “Live at the Shrine” released in 2005, Femi allowed cameras into his life, giving a tour of the Shrine along with combined footage from a series of electric live shows at the venue.

This year, Femi issued an excellent two-disc greatest hits compilation titled “Femi Kuti: The Definitive Collection,” which features guest spots by Mos Def, Common, D'Angelo and Macy Gray. Mixing traditional Afrobeat funk with electronic beats and a touch of hip-hop style, Femi's catalog represents the modern extension of his father's music.

Despite continued pressure from authorities to remain quiet, Femi's music uses his songs as a podium to raise consciousness of the struggle of everyday life in Africa.

“We're not going to back down on what we believe just because of threats,” said a defiant Femi. “I'm not going to leave because my father is dead. We're not going to back down, that's the tradition of my family. We're not leaving because of fear, no way.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Bridwell rides high on Band of Horses

Band of Horses meets challenges of creating an album

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 5, 2007

A lot of people may not realize it, but writing and performing your own songs takes courage. It's kind of like reclining on the psychologist's couch on stage every night, exposing your emotional innards for the world to witness. Ask Ben Bridwell. He's doing well now with the whole situation, but it took him a long time to write his own songs and sing in public.

DATEBOOK
Band of Horses
8 p.m. tomorrow; 'Canes Bar & Grill, 3105 Ocean Front Walk, Mission Beach; $15; (858) 488-1780

After working as a label owner and a member of Seattle indie rock band Carissa's Wierd (odd spelling), Bridwell forged out on his own with his Band of Horses. Seamlessly blending high-pitched Neil Youngesque vocals with the trademark Northwest indie rock sound (think The Shins and Death Cab for Cutie), the quartet's 2006 debut “Everything All the Time” (Sub Pop) is shockingly complete and beautiful for a first effort.

The ever self-effacing Bridwell credits producer Phil Ek (Built to Spill, The Shins) with helping provide structure and form to the recording sessions for “Everything All the Time.”

“I had never really been on a record singing or playing guitar before, so the first one was pretty tough for me,” Bridwell said. “Our drummer at that time, it was his first real record for him, as well. So we had some snags along the way trying to get it done.

“Phil was really good at not letting up on us and not letting us get discouraged. But at the same time, he didn't let us stray from the vision he had for the album and our performances for the record. He was essentially another band member on that record given the amount of work he put into it.”

“Everything All the Time” made many best-of lists for 2006, including that of Filter, The Austin Chronicle and The Onion AV Club. The album's 10 tracks represent one of the most accomplished debut albums in the past decade, complete with ethereal rock songs (“The Great Salt Lake”) and quiet ballads (“St. Augustine”).

After the success of “Everything All the Time,” Bridwell parted ways with guitarist and longtime collaborator Mat Brooke. The two had played together in Carissa's Wierd, and Bridwell had recruited Brooke to contribute to Band of Horses. But Brooke decided that he wanted to focus on his own business and his own band, Grand Archives.

“As much as it was kind of a bummer not to have him there anymore, things didn't really change much,” Bridwell said. “We had to keep going. If anything, we've grown so much as a band since that time. We've honed our craft a bit better since then.”

After a decade living in the Emerald City and making a name in the music business as a record label owner and musician, Band of Horses frontman Bridwell decided that he wanted to go home. So the native South Carolinian packed up his belongings and his band and moved back to the South.

“I lived in Seattle for about 10 years,” Bridwell says. “Last November, me and Creighton (Barrett), the drummer and who is also from South Carolina, and Rob (Hampton), our guitarist, we all moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. It's kind of strip-mallish in a way. It's a two-minute drive from the beach, and there are lakes everywhere. It's really beautiful. Once you get away from the strip malls, it's country and beautiful.”

South Carolina has provided the backdrop for a new set of songs.

“For the new album, it's basically the same process except we're more able to execute now that we're a little bit more seasoned,” said Bridwell, talking between recording sessions for a new Band of Horses album due on Sub Pop in October. “We're not veterans by any means, but a little bit more seasoned.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

True Colors Tour has good intentions, mixed results

Review: Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour, wrapping up Saturday at the Greek Theatre, features some standout artists.

By CHRIS NIXON
Special to the Register
Saturday, June 30, 2007

Gone are the shocks of red and blue hair. Gone are the goofy videos with Captain Lou Albano. Gone are the squeaky voice and quirky persona. Who knew 20 years ago when Cyndi Lauper was a marginal and slightly annoying pop star that she'd grow into an activist in her middle age?

Since its release in 1986, Lauper's ballad "True Colors" has been embraced as an anthem by the gay community and she's become a bit of an icon in the process. Now the 54-year-old mom from Queens, New York is working to raise public awareness about the issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. She's even built a 15-city tour around it. It's called the True Colors Tour 2007. One dollar of every ticket sold will benefit the work of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest organization working for GLBT equality.

"I'm not a politician, I'm a working mom," said the emotional Lauper Wednesday at San Diego State University's Open Air Theatre during a stop on the tour, which concludes Saturday at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. "I wanted to empower everyone and bring everyone together."

An ensemble cast of musicians gathered for the True Colors Tour, spanning a wide range of styles and age groups. From Deborah Harry to the Dresden Dolls, from The Cliks to Lauper, the show felt uneven and slapdash despite great performances by host Margaret Cho, the Dresden Dolls and the much-beloved Erasure. Neither Harry nor Lauper have scored hit songs in over a decade. And their presence in the lineup next to ultra-hip artists at the top their game like the Dresden Dolls and Cho underscored the outdated sound of the elder ladies' sets.

The evening in San Diego began with the master of ceremonies Cho berating celebrities in hilarious fashion (Paris Hilton took a beating), before The Cliks took the stage. The Canadian quartet ripped through a five-song set of guitar rock tunes from their 2007 major-label debut "Snakehouse," giving the night an auspicious beginning.

Adorned in a flowery dress and stripped leg stockings, Cho entertained again between sets (as she did all night). The comedian kept the show moving with her raunchy take on the pope, politics, "the gayest summer ever" and her own bisexuality. She's quick and bright and funny, and she helped save the show by providing continuity in an uneven lineup.

In their too brief 30-minute set, the Dresden Dolls were a revelation. The Boston-based duo (Amanda Palmer on vocals and piano, Brian Viglione on drums and guitar) skipped onto the stage hand-in-hand before launching into a five-song set including the single "Coin Operated Boy" and a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs." The duo's self-described as "Brechtian punk cabaret" with Palmer's throaty vocals and Viglione's animated drumming, made for great theater.

Deborah Harry – former lead singer of Blondie – looked a bit awkward onstage, using her 11-song, 45-minute set to showcase songs from her new album "Necessary Evil," due out in August. The Dresden Dolls were a tough act to follow, and her pop-rock tunes sounded dated in contrast.

After a 20-minute intermission, the show restarted with a bang as Erasure took the stage. The diverse crowd of a few thousand immediately erupted, standing and dancing for the entire 45-minute set. During her introduction of keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell, Cho dubbed Erasure's music as "the soundtrack of our lives." The audience concurred, singing along with hits like "Sometimes" and "Chains of Love." Erasure was the true headliner to the True Colors stop in San Diego.

Lauper's hour-long set was a bit anti-climatic after the rapture of Erasure. Glitches marred the 14-song set: the singer complained of sound problems, she bumped into her guitarist, hitting her head and nearly knocking him over, cues for beginnings and endings of songs were missed. Lauper also over sang at times, instead of trusting her very good (but dusty) songs. The highlights included Lauper playing "Time After Time" on the dulcimer and a rousing encore of "True Colors" with the entire cast of characters from the evening.

Despite the patchy night of music and the hefty price tag (tickets ranged from $40-$125), the crowd left happy and united. And more importantly, a worthy issue earned recognition and donations. While she may not be as musically relevant as she was during the '80s, Lauper proved she can still make a difference in people's lives.

Contact the writer: Chris Nixon is a San Diego-based music writer.

Save the day: Anti-Monday League

Casbah's Anti-Monday League brings good music to our least-favorite slice of the week

By Chris Nixon
For the Union-Tribune
June 21, 2007

It's a Wednesday afternoon at the Casbah in Middletown. Sunlight spills through a propped open door, illuminating the usually dark interior of the legendary San Diego club as owner Tim Mays and DJ/talent booker Talkin' trash with The National's Bryce Dessner sit and discuss the club's upcoming schedule.

Since January of this year, Mays and Pyles – a DJ with local radio station KBZT/94.9 FM – have been collaborating on a new series of shows combining local talent booked by Pyles and the diverse national bands booked by Mays. They call it the Anti-Monday League.

“The basic idea is this: You can go out on a Monday night and see a decent show,” explains Mays, who has been booking concerts in San Diego since the early 1980s. “There is no genre that we're aiming for, no group of people we're aiming for. Most of the time, especially for the local shows, it's five bucks.”

DATEBOOK
Anti-Monday League, with The National and The Broken West
8:30 p.m. Monday; The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown; $12; (619) 299-BLUE

Monday night events are traditionally a tough sell in the San Diego market, as people rest up after any given weekend's festivities. The Anti-Monday League hopes to create an event people will attend even if they don't know the bands filling the bill: “It's something people can look forward to. They may not know who's going to be playing, but they know it's going to be good.”

Chances are Mays and Pyles will not steer you wrong.

Past Anti-Monday Leaguers include national bands like Stellastarr, Meat Puppets and Sebadoh along with local bands like Fifty on Their Heels, Kite Flying Society and a.m. vibe. Pyles plays host, DJing between sets and generally meeting and greeting the crowd.

After booking shows at the Whistle Stop and The Beauty Bar, Pyles feels right at home at the small club on Kettner with the big reputation: “This is the best rock 'n' roll club in San Diego. I grew up here, so I've been a kid who supported Tim when he used to do shows at Carpenter's Hall or Wabash Hall. I was a kid who went to the Pink Panther when I got of age, and then the old Casbah down the street before he moved here.”

Adds Pyles on the Anti-Monday League: “You're going to hear everything from punk rock to dance music on any given night.”

Flash-forward five days to Monday night.

Tampa hip-hop crew Yo Majesty has just exited the stage, leaving the crowd amped and ready to dance. The Casbah dance floor is packed with music fans of all shapes, sizes and styles as DJ Diplo starts his set of mash-ups of old favorites by Paul Simon, The Beatles and Technotronic. The floor vibrates with thumping dance music and frenetic revelers spill out onto the outdoor patio.

It's hard to believe this is a Monday night.

The scene couldn't be any more different from the indie rock of The National (this coming Monday) and the dark drone metal of Sunn 0))), with Earth, Weedeater and Wolves in the Throne Room (July 2), proving Mays and Pyles aren't shy about mixing genres in the series.

“To me, the Casbah is the epitome of what makes San Diego great,” says Pyles (you can check out his DJ gigs and shows at the localpyle.com). “It's our CBGB's. It should be considered more iconic around the world, kind of like CBGB's. A lot of people love and respect this place.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Talkin' trash with The National's Bryce Dessner
June 21, 2007

On the heels of the critically acclaimed album “The Alligator,” this Brooklyn-based quintet recently released the follow-up “Boxer,” a disc brimming with the crisp rock production (a la Spoon), angelic string and horn arrangements and the atmospheric brooding of Matt Berninger's deep baritone croon.

With two sets of brothers in the band, The National is definitely a family affair. Guitarist Bryce Dessner took time recently to talk about “Boxer” and brotherly co-existence during a recent tour stop in Louisville, Ky.

Question: Given that you're playing as part of the Anti-Monday League at the Casbah, are Mondays any different for being a professional musician or do the days run together for you?

Dessner: Honestly, when you're a musician you kind of forget when the weekend is. We played in St. Louis (on a Monday recently) and it felt like a Saturday night. The people were really rowdy and fun. So, we'll be there on Monday ready to have a good time.

Q: I wanted to find out a bit more about the new album, “Boxer.” Can you tell me about the timeline of the recording, how the album came together and if the process differed from previous albums?

Dessner: We started recording in June of last year. For us, touring after “Alligator” was a big step up in terms of the crowds we were playing to and the amount of touring we did. It was almost a year and a half of touring behind “Alligator” so we took our time actually writing the songs and recording for this new record. We took about three months to record the album, both at home and in the studio. So “Boxer” is really a patchwork of home recordings and studio time.

Q: The horns and string arrangements on “Boxer” give the album a lot of depth. How did the compositions develop on the albums?

Dessner: His name is Padma Newsome. He's a touring member of the band. He's a longtime collaborator. He's done arrangements and strings on our last three records. Padma and I have another band together called Clogs, which is an instrumental band. He and I are more classically trained, so we do more concert hall shows (in Clogs). So Padma is an integral part of what we do.

Q: I have to ask you about having two sets of brothers in the same band. Does it help or hurt that you have bandmates that you know so well and that you've grown up with?

Dessner: I think it's a really healthy situation. We have a lot of history with each other. My brother (Aaron Dessner, bass and guitar) and I have been playing with the drummer (Bryan Devendorf) since we were 14. So it's not difficult to communicate with each other musically, which makes writing easier and makes performing a better experience for us and the audience.

The thing about brothers: There is probably more fighting in this band. But we don't fight in the intense way bands do, when bands break up over money or weird business stuff. We're family, so you have bonds with other people in the band. You have a stronger friendship there.

– CHRIS NIXON

DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE ANTI-MONDAY LEAGUE
DJs and punks, Goths and mods. Almost everyone can find music they dig on the Anti-Monday League schedule. Here's a quick look ahead:

July 2: Southern Lord 777 Tour, with Sunn O))), Earth, Weedeater, Wolves in the Throne Room

Dust off your hooded cloaks. Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson – aka Sunn O))) (pronounced “sun”) – returns to the Casbah to practice dark ambient music. Think Black Sabbath in reverse without drums.

July 9: Dr. Dog, Delta Spirit, The Teeth

Retro pop from Philadelphia keeping the spirit of The Beatles alive. Each band member carries a nickname: Scott McMicken (Taxi), Toby Leaman (Tables), Zach Miller (Text), Juston Stens (Trouble), and Frank McElroy (Thanks).

July 16: Manganista, Mighty Six-Ninety and The Hi-Lites

Local show booked by Pyles featuring ska band The Hi-Lites, nu-wave group Six-Ninety and locals Manganista. Pyles on Manganista: “Almost like a localized version of Oingo Boingo. There were all band kids in high school. They're kind of like a cross between Talking Heads and Oingo Boingo.”

July 23: The Cribs, Sean Na Na

British power pop trio of brothers (Gary, Ryan, and Ross Jarman) joins clever wordsmith Sean Na Na (also known as Har Mar Superstar and his real name, Sean Tillman).

– CHRIS NIXON

UM in the U-T

Umphrey's McGee, a new breed of jam band

By Chris Nixon
For the Union-Tribune
June 14, 2007

For those living outside the communal world of improvisational bands, earning the label of “jam band” isn't always a good thing. The bands, it goes, are drug addicts and rebels. The songs, lengthy and meandering. The fans, unwashed and scruffy.

Those stereotypes worked in the 1960s and 1970s when the Grateful Dead pioneered improv rock music highlighted by an open taping policy and devout fans that followed the band's annual tours in VW buses.

The caricatures might even have applied in the 1990s when the term “jam band” was first coined. Bands like Phish, Widespread Panic and Blues Traveler dominated the summer tour schedule, representing the second wave of jam bands while keeping alive the improv spirit of the Dead.

It's a new millennium now, and jam bands like the Disco Biscuits, moe. and Umphrey's McGee have inherited the underground network of fans and venues from Phish and the like.

DATEBOOK
Umphrey's McGee, with Alfred Howard & the K23 Orchestra
8 tonight; House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown; $22; (619) 299-BLUE

But gone are the stereotypes. Jam bands are more diversified than ever, drawing on electronica, punk, metal, jazz and prog rock. Umphrey's McGee drummer Kris Myers broke down the term “jam band” recently.

“There are a variety of pros and cons to being labeled a jam band,” said Myers, deconstructing the mystique of one of the most misrepresented genres in modern music. “One of the pros is we're dealing with one of the most loyal and best live fan bases in the world, without a doubt. The collaborations with the other artists and bands, that's another great thing about the scene. Also the festivals, the networking, the publicity, the booking agents and the people you work with, you know them. It's a family vibe.”

And the negatives?

“The cons I guess are just being labeled as a jam band and the perception that goes along with it in the music critic's world or outside this cool world we're in.

“People don't tend to know what's really going on. Most critics will try to pigeonhole you and throw you into a classification or a style or a genre. Of course, as artists, we'd prefer to be known as just playing music.”

The music of Umphrey's McGee – with its tendency toward both tight songwriting on studio albums and long jams during live shows – places the sextet at the forefront of the next generation of jam bands (see also Particle and Disco Biscuits). After its humble roots in 1997 in the Midwestern town of South Bend, Ind., the group grew an audience through constant touring.

Learning the music business through touring can leave bands scratching their heads, especially jam bands. Even the most ardent of Grateful Dead fans (affectionately dubbed Deadheads) will admit the legendary group's studio output was uneven and mediocre at best compared with its live shows. Instead of creating material on the spot, Umphrey's McGee was forced to learn the art of studio songwriting.

Umphrey's McGee – Jake Cinninger (guitar), Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass), Myers (drums, vocals) and Andy Farag (percussion) – released its third studio album in 2006, titled “Safety in Numbers.” The disc features 11 tracks of prog rock and tight songwriting, with guest appearances by veteran rocker Huey Lewis and touted jazz sax player Joshua Redman.

UM originally planned to release a double album but chose to boil down the extended sessions into “Safety in Numbers.” With a ton of unreleased material sitting in the coffers, and an expectant fan base hanging on every note, the band decided to combine 26 outtakes and 11 new songs and alternate versions into the 2007 double album “The Bottom Half.”

“We were going to release something called 'The B Sides' but we ended up just calling it 'The Bottom Half,' which is a little more tongue-in-cheek,” said Myers.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.