Not Black Maxed Out Yet!

I made it out to see Black Max at Otherlands for their show February 27th. I would have gone anyway, but the short (and I mean short!) film they did to promote the show sent me over the edge…I just had to be there.

And per the usual, they did deliver. Frontman (and sinister-looking top-hat wearer) Keenan Sloan takes this making music business very seriously and puts a percentage far greater than 100 into this Black Max thing, and his drive very obviously rubs off on his bandmates who give equally to the cause. The chemistry of this group is potent.

Yes, I’m gushing a bit here.

And IF indeed you have not seen Black Max, you may also not be aware of the powerhouse vocalist that is Annie Freres. Just do yourself a favor and be at their next show, okay? In the meantime, meander over to http://www.blackmaxband.com and acquaint yourself.

Playing with them that night was Tiffany Harmon (no stranger to this blog, is she?) whose song “The Curse” is the only song I know of to include toy piano and kazoo…and Nashville pop-rockers The Usual. Yes, a rock band at Otherlands. Not just that, a rock band at Otherlands who dared to cover both The Beatles AND Sir Mix-A-Lot. Let the head-scratching commence.

Hey, speaking of Tiffany…you might be interested to know that she’s recruited the guys in Other Stories to back her from time to time. For now, they’re booking as “Tiffany Harmon & Other Stories” so keep your eyes peeled for that as well.

VIDEO: Tiffany Harmon

I’ve been sitting on this for a while, and I wish it was a little brighter, AND I wish that guy talking would have been quiet, but here’s Tiffany Harmon doing an a capella version of “Gloomy Sunday” (known mostly due to Billie Holiday’s reading of the song)

If you’ve never heard her before, shame on you!

Eight Songs That Rocked My Socks In 2008

2008 was a crappy year for lots of people. Here are eight musical reasons from Memphis that helped me weather the shitstorm:

“Stinky Man” by The Original Cyndi – What starts out like some mutant sister of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” quickly turns into an ode to bad hygiene. As is rote with Cyndi, the song is a little different every time they do it. I have video of it that I’ll be posting very soon. Currently unreleased.

“Pointless Drinking” by Amy LaVere – Yeah, everybody and their mama loves Amy and after having heard Anchors & Anvils I can see why. This is my favorite song off of it.

“Holly Would” by Angel Sluts – You know, one day someone’s gonna find this song and do a mash-up of it with the Talking Heads classic “Psycho Killer”. I’m just sayin’. From Designer Heat on Wrecked-Um Records.

“Make Up Your Mind” by Holly Cole – As much as I liked Fearless And Free, this song is massive. A total barn-burner. From the Makeshift 5 compilation, obviously on Makeshift.

“Carbon Dioxide” by Antique Curtains – More surf-freakout-thrash punk, delivered in the usual unhinged way. The metal bit at the end is price of admission alone. From Dressed In Vertigo on OK Stars/Makeshift (also on the Makeshift 5 comp)

“Panic” by J.D. Reager – It’s not simply because it’s a waltz, or because J.D. is at the top of his form…it’s that melody line that firmly entrenches itself in my skull. From The Repechage on Makeshift/Migrant.

“Insisting” by The Family Ghost – I’ve heard it twice now. “A Series of False Starts” aside, this might be their best tune yet. My favorite part? The interlocking clean guitar lines which create a beautiful crystalline structure. Currently unreleased.

“Sins” by Tiffany Harmon – A delicately moody track: soft guitar, Tiffany’s haunting voice, and even a little bit of whistling at the end. Currently unreleased.

Honorable mention, even though he’s no longer a Memphian, is Clouded Son for his “…And the Stereo Says” from the self-released Unfinished Business.

Me, Tiffany, and J.D….

I'm feeling it...whatever 'it' is...

Ain't she something?

Guitar as tool of expressing irony?

Lately…

There’s been a lot going on. I played my first ever solo gig at the P&H Cafe with Tiffany Harmon and J.D. Reager (pictures to come, try the meat dip) and the very next night went out to see The Family Ghost play the Full Moon Club with Rainy Saturdays and The Modern Gentlemen. I have pictures from all of this, but haven’t gotten them up yet. They should be here for your viewing enjoyment either late tonight or tomorrow night.

And I’ve just noticed that I’ve set everything up as searchable by category, not tag. I’ll have to fix that so I’m starting with this very post.

J