I wanted to tell everyone here at Grex about rock and roll. No, not Metallica, or the Counting Crows, or Pearl Jame... Local rock and roll. No, not The Verve Pipe, not Bob Seger, and not Lionel Richie (har). Local, independent rock and roll - up and coming bands, trying to make enough money to keep playing in hopes that one day, they'll make it big. Michigan is the next (or current!) musical hot bed.. with acts like The Verve Pipe, Sponge, and Hoarse, all on major labels making hits in the last year and recently, people are starting to take notice. There's more where that came from. One of my favorites is called "Fat Amy", a heavier, edgier rock band out of East Lansing. Fat Amy just released their second full-length CD on Rubber Records.. it's not available nationally until February (it's still being shopped to major labels, with some success), but it's in all the chains here in Michigan (Tower, Wherehouse, Harmony House, eand Repeat the Beat) that carry "local" music. You can catch Fat Amy this Friday at Rick's American Cafe' in Ann Arbor, it's gonna be a great show, with Grand Rapid's "Papa Vegas" opening.. more on them later. Visit http://www.fatamy.com/ for more information24 responses total.
Other bands that I like a lot... Domestic Problems, Grand Rapids, Michigan http://www.domesticproblems.com/ Funky, groovy, sugary pop music. If you're looking for songs about angst and aguish, don't look here - these guys are having a good time and you can hear it in the music! Domestic Problems is the best selling indie band in Michigan (since The Verve Pipe) with over 15,000 albums sold. They've been the #1 seller at several MAJOR record stores in Grand Rapids several times in the past year and a half, and their new album has sold over 3500 copies since its release only 2 months ago. They'll be playing at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on Thursday, December 11. 19 Wheels, East Lansing, Michigan http://www.19wheels.com/ Grass-roots rock, they're called, with a tinge of country sometimes. Very midwestern and likeable, they've recently signed with Columbia Records, having released their first full length CD on AWARE Records last year. AWARE is the label that produces nationally-known compilations, and has discovered such bands as The Verve Pipe, Matchbox 20, Better Than Ezra, Hootie & the Blowfish, Jackopierce, and more - all before they were "signed". Papa Vegas, Grand Rapids, Michigan http://www.papavegas.com/ The relative newcomer to the scene, Papa Vegas has only been around for about a year. Earlier this year they released a 5 song EP which was produced by Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe. They'll be signing a deal soon, I don't doubt it - they've got a sound that you KNOW will be going places. Their songs have also been featured on the national AWARE 5 Compilation, and the regional AWARE Michigan Compilation, both of which were released in 1997. Catch Papa Vegas when they open for Fat Amy at Rick's this Friday, December 12 (21 and over) Dorothy, East Lansing, Michigan http://www.arborsites.com/ammo/bands/Dorothy/ Probably the oldest band in the bunch, Dorothy released their first CD in 1995, after already having been together for 2 years. They've recently released their second CD, to much local critical acclaim (I love it!). Dorothy plays folk-oriented pop alternative, and they've got a female lead singer with a fantastic voice, earning the band favorable comparisons to 10,000 maniacs and the Cranberries. Dorothy has also been featured on the AWARE Michigan and AWARE 5 compilation albums, and various other regional compilations. Dorothy will be back in Ann Arbor on January 29, playing at the Blind Pig with Fat Amy. Other bands I like a lot but don't have the time to enter information about them.... Getaway Cruiser - from Ann Arbor, signed with Sony. You'll hear a LOT of them come February or March when their CD comes out. Knee Deep Shag, Troll For Trout, and Butterfly, too.
(((Fall 1997 Agora #129 is linked as Music #105)))
I have got Sponge (Rotting pinata) and I am from the Netherlands. I bet you don't have got music from the Netherlands.
Do Bettie Serveert count?
re 3 - probably not :) I barely have any well-known music from the states anymore. .. at least, I don't buy much of it any more.. just about every CD I've bought in the last year has been an indie band, most of them from Michigan with the exception of Guster (from Jersey)
I like Domestic Problems, and they're performing a free show at WMU's Center Stage (the basement of the Bernhard Center) on January 11th at seven p.m. I'm not sure if it's free to students only, but I can find out. E-mail me for directions if interested.
Bettie Serveert is perfect (nice band) but: the Urban Dance Squad Claw boys Claw the Scene K's choice (Belgian) Deus (belgian) Weekend at Waikiki Paradogs the Bob Color etc. Let me make myself clear at this point: some 60% of what I buy is from the States, 38% from the UK and the rest from the rest of the world, and so the Netherlands.
Hey Clees. isn't Herman Brood from the Netherlands? Is he still alive or did he OD (or something similar)?
Are you from the netherlands, your last name certainly points that way. he is still alive, but also still trying hard to do something about that situation (he still rocks, 3 hour concerts and the like). The years are beginning to show. And I pity his little daughter.
No, I'm not from the Netherlands (although my ancestors obviously were). I'm kiving in good old Ann Arbor. But I got turned onto Herman Brood by a blues-rock musician I met here. Its great stuff. I love "Wild Romance." I didn't know Herman did 3 hour concerts. He sounds like the Bruce Springsteen of Europe if that's the case. Anyway, for people who haven't heard him before, what album would you recommend? BTW, people used to say the same about Kurt Cobain's daughter (and still do I guess).
I think my favorite A2 band is Whirling Road....and just when I started to like them alot, they stopped doing a lot of concerts, so I've noticed. (grumble)
Best Brood album is Cha cha (1978 or so) But recently he released a 25 years of Brood album. Btw, I last saw him perform in 1989 or something like that. My preferences are a bit more located in the punk/new wave genre.
My favorite local band?... Poignant Plecostomus or Flashpapr, most likely.
Thanks for the info Clees. For the record, my tastes also run more to punk and "alternative." Best Ann Arbor punk bands: Blammo and Bitter Pills.
Best local Dutch cross-over band: the urban dance squad (great rapper) best local punk Ualtough they are getting mellow): claw boys claw
Great local Gainesville, FL band: Supar Sugar!! They are James Brown meets The beastie Boys meets Curtis Mayfield meets Average White Band meets Phish meets Traffic (circa 1970).
Whirling Road broke up, they're now basically Getaway Cruiser. They've got an album coming out on Sony Records in March I think... Sony/550 Records, actually major deal.
Whirling Road and Melba.
Darn, I kind of liked Whirling Road.
well, off to find the Getaway Cruiser album....:
Well, this probably ain't rock, but I got the following in e-mail, and thought
I'd post it somewhere in this music conference:
****** Music by Janet Hailey and Tim Lyons ******
Friday, Feb. 6, 1998 9-11 p.m.
Cafe Felix
204 S. Main, Ann Arbor
734-662-8650
**Free performance.**
Janet Hailey performs from 9-10 p.m.
Tim Lyons performs from 10-11 p.m.
Janet's music has been called passionate, soulful, and very visual.
Catie Curtis says her songs have a "great groove."
Tim's music reflects the simplicity of small town life (he's from Iowa),
yet is sprinkled with off-the-wall insights and humor. (Check out Tim's
web page at http://members.aol.com/Timfolk)
************************************************
** Janet Hailey plays Off The Wall Acoustic Coffeehouse **
Sat., MARCH 7, 1998 8-11 p.m.
It's a songwriters in the round format also featuring
Charlie Monterey and Jim Bertin.
At the St. William Catholic Church parish hall in Walled Lake.
Tickets are $7.50 (I think!!)
Call for details - call (248) 624-1421.
Directions: From Detroit area, take I-96 West (toward Lansing). Get off
at the Novi exit, turn right (heading north) and follow Novi Rd. It
turns into Decker road (magically) at 13 mile. Continue north. Take a
left on Maple Rd. (15 Mile) heading west. It deadends at Pontiac Trail.
Turn left, go one block to Common (there's a Dairy Queen on corner).
Turn right onto Common. The church parking lot is directly behind the DQ.
************************************************
Janet Hailey
opensky@cris.com
248-691-4283, *3 for music info!
I'm looking for some identifying information on a Grand Rapids band called The Rachel (somename) Band. Seems to be a piano-guitar-drums trio playing rock. They were in the studio at the MSU student radio station late last week, and the music was kind of interesting. I riffled the bins at Borders and didn't see any discs which matched.
George Bedard and the Kingpins
i loved fat amy..
You have several choices: