Forecastle Band Lineup

It's summer again, time to spend hundreds of dollars to get sunburned among thousands of others trying to hear that new band from Brooklyn that you read about on a blog. That's right, it's festival season!

The Forecastle Festival, now in its eighth year, is the most jambitious festival in Kentucky. While it has not yet achieved the fame, respect or success of festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza or Coachella, founder J.K. McKnight has single-mindedly attempted to make a great thing happen in Louisville.

While his intentions are to be praised, nothing in life is perfect, and we are happy to help those attending this year's festival by indicating how to best spend your time – what bands shouldn't be missed, what bands might make you happy while annoying your boyfriend, and what bands will send you running for the nearest beer stand.

Friday

WEST STAGE

Cage The Elephant – All the way from Bowling Green, these fellows have made waves at bigger festivals than this, probably because they sound like nice college boys having fun — imitating Weezer, The Strokes, The Pixies, etc. — and people are easily entertained.

The Whigs – From Athens, Ga., these earnest rockers are a tight, disciplined trio, unfurling new wave melodies with raw power. This is the band Kings of Leon think that they are.

Zappa Plays Zappa – A collection of Frank Zappa alums, this band is led by his famous-because-he-shares-the-same-last-name son, Dweezil, presumably because it's the easiest way they can all make money. It's the kind of jazz-rock fusion you'd hear on a cruise ship, lacking Frank's iconoclastic individuality and purpose.

Pretty Lights – “At a time when music lovers from almost all subcultures, and genres are finding common ground in the basic form of bangin' beats, Pretty Lights is giving the people what they want; electro organic cutting-edge party rocking beats that fill venues with energy and emotion, and send dance floors into frenzies.” From their own bio; I think they're being serious.

The Black Keys – A rock 'n' roll duo from Akron, Ohio, they are better than most at imitating the British Invasion bands who imitated old American bluesmen. Though often classified as “blues-punk,” they really have little to do with either genre, though they do utilize both's concepts of simplicity over flash.



EAST STAGE

Erin Hill and Her Psychedelic Harp with The Space Rats – Though this sounds like a trippy “Muppet Show” sketch, it's really just another kooky lady in the Tori Amos/Fiona Apple mold. This New Yorker plays a harp and might be diverting for a couple of songs.

The Young Republic – From Nashville, these youthful rockers have a lot of energy and a good string section, if not a lot of focus — they can't decide which '90s alt-rock band they want to be: Cake or Cracker or Matchbox 20?

The Lions Rampant – A Cincinnati trio that's at least honest about its influences — Blues Explosion, The Black Keys, etc. — with nary a mention of John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters on its MySpace page. Fun if you like garage rock bands who sing lyrics like “Give it to me/Give it to me.”

Bad Veins – Another Strokes-ish new wave band, this one from Cincinnati. Decent but uninspired. Their first record's not even out yet, so check back in three years.

Hackensaw Boys – These Charlottesville bluegrass boys do a fine job of infusing their old-timey ideas with modern energy.

The Elmwood Band – Dave Matthews-esque jam rock from Nashville. So… yeah.

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – From Muscle Shoals, Ala., the ex-Drive By Trucker is working hard out there to be Wilco and not Son Volt. Credit is due to a man who tries to make music based not just in rock, but soul and country as well, aware of history but living in the present.

Saturday

WEST STAGE

The Detroit Cobras – John Waters' waking dream, this band of mostly women is a ferocious, fun group that tears up obscure soul songs with wit and skill. A highlight for music lovers of all ages.

The New Mastersounds - I don't get how none of the faux-freaks who love so-called jam bands listen to actual jazz, yet somehow can appreciate a well-done approximation of the real thing like this. These Brits have played with Lou Donaldson and Idris Muhammed, names which will mean nothing to fans of Umphrey's McGee.

Dead Confederate – From Athens, Ga., these intense, emotional guys make big, soaring anthems that are very serious. Fans of local favorites Elliott and Workers will enjoy them, though drunk people looking to party might want to check out the Southern Comfort tent instead.

The Black Crowes – They're no Rolling Stones — or Led Zeppelin, or Aerosmith, or ZZ Top, or AC/DC — but they sure do try. Honestly, though, it seems like we hear more these days about their love of weed than their records.

Widespread Panic – Fans are called “Spreadheads.” You might be surprised to know that they recorded a cover of “And It Stoned Me” for a compilation called “Hempilation.” They will play on two nights, though each performance will already feel like two.

EAST STAGE

Paper Airplane – Retro '70s pop meets modern indie rock from southern Ohio. Their melodies are cute and poppy and occasionally off-key, fit for a band who describe themselves as “a Wes Anderson movie come to life,” if that's still anyone's idea of Heaven.

Madi Diaz – Her bio declares that she has “a staggering voice and a gift for poignant melodies and innovative arrangements.” Yes, you'll love this ambitious Nashvillian, if you love childlike melodies and shouty vocals.

Arnett Hollow – Wow, an actual local band getting exposure? That's nice! These bluegrass revivalists, who include Bonnie Prince Billy collaborator Cheyenne Mize on fiddle, are promoting a new album and are always worth hearing.

The Broderick – Bloomington boys who play peppy modern rock a'la The Shins or Weezer. Popular sound these days, eh?

The Afromotive – The notion of middle-class Americans dancing to other middle-class Americans imitating the music of 1970s Nigeria is a bit much to take, but this 8-piece Afrobeat band from Asheville manages to do a decent job of imitating the music of Fela, or at least Antibalas.

The Deep Vibration – This Nashville group's Neil Young-in-Memphis rock 'n' soul is ragged but purposeful, and will surely keep their audience captivated. Don't get too high and miss this late afternoon highlight.

US Royalty – Remember that dance-punk thing that was all the rage, like, seven years ago? These D.C. guys sound like they're trying to get all the girls to dance, and then to hook up with them in the bathroom.

AutoVaughn – Yet another non-country act from Nashville, their energetic '80s rock will certainly delight fans of Duran Duran.

Trevor Hall – This young fellow has flowers tattooed on his chest and sings in what I can only assume is supposed to be a reggae patois. Peter Tosh's nightmare fuses his unique attack on reggae with a very shiny corporate rock sound that will delight anyone who thinks that John Mayer is a great poet.

The Royal Bangs – An energetic, driving pop-rock band from Knoxville that has made a name for itself on the festival circuit.

Annuals - A much-blogged about group of youngsters from Raleigh whose melodic, intricate pop-rock has earned them tour spots with the Flaming Lips and Bloc Party. (Hey, wouldn't those be great bands to see at a local festival?)

Man Man – A definite highlight of the weekend is this inventive, wild group from Philadelphia who can't help but be compared to Tom Waits, Mr. Bungle and carnies at a strip club. Or, instead, you could see Widespread Panic play 20-minute keyboard solos.

Sunday

WEST STAGE

Outformation – Jazz-Southern rock fusion from Atlanta. Though they are a skilled group of musicians, the vocals are so tuneless that it's hard to enjoy them. This Marshall Tucker Band/Outlaws style was briefly popular during the “WKRP in Cincinnati” '70s, but might not appeal to listeners today under 50.

Umphrey's McGee – Their bio says that they are “Midwestern monsters of improvised rock.” But wait — isn't Umphrey's a jam band? Not these days. “We trimmed a lot of the fat,” guitarist Jake Cinninger says on the band website. Sounds like they feel guilty that this stuff goes on for way too long and melodies remain undeveloped.

Yonder Mountain String Band – From that hippie haven Colorado comes a bluegrass/folk group that takes the time to write lovely songs then play them with style. A talented, surprising group well worth your time.

The Avett Brothers –Another fine bluegrass-ish band that doesn't pretend to have arrived from 1948, they spent years playing, improving and winning fans all over. Their upcoming Sony record should make them this fall's kings of NPR.

Widespread Panic – Is this a new set, or is the one from Saturday still going on?

EAST STAGE

Chemic – Wow, a second local band? Crazy! Their Death Cab-style indie/folk rock is charming and thoughtful, and loaded with potential.

Almira Fawn – Okay, so she's from Lexington. Anything else interesting about her? Oh, right — she's 11-years old. And has a song called “Chillax.” Yet, somehow, she's a lot more soulful than Taylor Swift or Sheryl Crow. Give her a chance!

Rosi Golan – This Israeli pianist's sensitive songs have been used on TV's “One Tree Hill” and “Private Practice.”

Pokey LaFarge & S. City Three – LaFarge, an occasional Louisvillian, is a modern Leon Redbone, enjoyably reviving the jazzy blues of the 1920s (he calls it “riverboat soul”) in a manner that will also attract fans of Devendra Banhart.

Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights – These leather pants rockers from Dallas, now on tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, sound like a cross between Kings of Leon, The Black Crowes and the Doobie Brothers.

Gringo Star – This Atlanta band is much better than their “hilarious” name indicates. Their version of BritPop stretches all the way from the mod Kinks to the stadium riffs of Oasis, and is a pleasant throwback.

Adam Franklin – A solo set from the guy from Swervedriver, a band that was the British version of Smashing Pumpkins back when MTV showed videos. Shoegazing optional.

The Instruction –The third of three Louisville bands, these heavy rockers have a Glenn Danzig-meets-Jim Morrison vibe goin' on that makes them an atypical favorite of 91.9 FM.

Seabird – Modern rock from Cincinnati youth, the type oft-used on “One Tree Hill” or “Private Practice” to drive home the melodrama.

These United States –A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll and a little bit indie, these D.C-via-Lexington guys have a literate, rollicking sound that suggests a Southern Bright Eyes, or any other decent Bob Dylan disciple.

Maps and Atlases – Seasick art rock a'la Vampire Weekend, TV On The Radio and The Sea and Cake. To be fair, they're much better at it than Vampire Weekend, who are probably too expensive to bring to a local festival, anyway.

Backyard Tire Fire – Amiable, solidly Midwestern schizophrenics who can't decide if they prefer '70s classic rock, '80s hair metal or today's quirky indie. The bio includes blurbs from members of Cracker and Los Lobos, so those under 40 may as well head out to the inevitable trichomoniasis-infested after-party with DJ WhoCares.

c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Some of the best local discs, 2009, so far

Arnett Hollow
Night After Night

After a bluegrass-infused debut, AH has returned with a second disc that is more slick, more NPR-friendly, but also more distinct and original. Now known to inquiring out-of-towners as the home band of Bonnie Prince Billy fiddler/vocalist Cheyenne Mize, AH has become more like Nickel Creek and less like Del McCoury. Though their new style has its downsides (such as a less tight, more jammy rhythm section) the vocal interplay between Mize and songwriter/guitarist Chris Rodahaffer is lovely, and might sweep you away.

Bad Blood
EP
This brief follow-up to their self-titled first record doesn't improve on the album titles, but is another raw, amped-up collection of garage rock thrillers. Fans of the MC5 and the Bell Rays should already know about them, one of the absolute best live bands in town.

Invaders
Floating

The new band led by Joe Meredith, formerly of the Beatles-esque Merediths, is surprising not just because of Meredith's more poppy pedigree, but also because there are few bands left making sounds like this. The Invaders live near rock music but probably won't be understood by the AC/DC fan next door. Fans of the Sun City Girls and early Butthole Surfers will be pleased, however, to find a new psychedelic, grainy mindblast of a band. Meredith's vocals are mixed lower than most singers, taking his vocals away from the spotlight and melding them into the rest of the instruments. A band like this can't be found at just any club, so listen to Second Story Man's Carrie Neumayer, who "thinks the Invaders CD is the best local album I've heard in a long time."

The Mack
Lazy Bones

One of the weirdest - and I mean that as high praise - singer/songwriters you'll get to hear, this fellow comes up with names, ideas and melodies that you'd never expect (he formerly led a band called The I'll Beat Your Back Out Band). Once you enter his world - a little David Lynch, a little Will Oldham, a little Flannery O'Connor - you'll want a front row seat. If you can't hum gems like "Prisoner's Lake" or "Monongahela" to your puppy at night, you probably have a cold heart.

Sandpaper Dolls
Live at 21C

These 3 women sing from a place so deep down that you can practically see their intestines. An a capella Nina Simone would be the closest legit comparison, though "The Andrews Sisters on angel dust" has probably been tossed around. This live recording documents just how surely they can quiet down a room of otherwise excited devotees.

Heartless Bastards interview

I recently had a chance to ask Heartless Bastards leader Erika Wennerstrom a few important questions. Her band plays tonight at 8 p.m., before Jenny Lewis, at Headliners.

You're from Cincinnati, originally, but recently moved to Austin. You know that Louisville's an even better city, right? Why Austin and not Louisville? And please praise Louisville and/or insult Cincinnati in your response!

Ha!

Your band has gone through a complete overhaul, and you are the last original member left. Did you consider going out under your own name, or did you think that Wennerstrom sounded too much like a totally awesome metal band?

Ha! again. I don't think Wennerstrom works well as a name. I like having a band name. Even though members have changed, I've always written the songs. This has always been my project, so there's no need to change the name if a member has left.

Can you settle this downloading business once and for all? Is it stealing, or does it help you?

I guess it's a little of both. People always say record companies are evil, which I guess they can be in some ways, but a lot of the bands you hear of are because the record company paid a publicist to get bands in magazines and papers, and they paid a radio person to get you heard on the radio. They also probably paid for the recording of the artist you've been listening to, also. If record companies fall, then it's going to be so much harder for the artist to get their music out to people. The average artist can't pay for things like publicists themselves. The internet helps, but everything is so saturated that there can be too much bad music to sift through to find good stuff.

Your band exists in what some call the "indie" world, because your records aren't distributed by one of the 4 major labels left. Do you find this limiting or misleading?

Right now I think bands are better off on an indie label, personally.

Jenny Lewis is a li'l bit country and a li'l bit indie rock. Are you worried that your raw power might blow her away every night?

Jenny Lewis is a great songwriter and performer. She's a powerhouse in her own right. We are different, but have a lot of similarities, too. I think both her fans and our fans are perfectly capable of liking more than one kind of sound.

NPR said that your "sprawling voice... echoes the influence of Neil Young, Otis Redding and MC5." How is it possible to sound like all of those at once?

Well, I try to sound like those 3, and about 100 other artists as well, so I think I end up finding my own voice in the process of mimicking them all.

Are you looking forward to the upcoming movie about the Runaways, in which the girl from Twilight plays Joan Jett?

Well, this question is the first time I've even heard there was a movie about that. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not. It depends on how well it's done. There are so many good ideas executed in horrible ways.

You're playing here on a Monday night. That sounds like it's probably not as fun for you as a Friday or Saturday. Am I wrong?

Well, I'm in a venue every night. It's all the same day to me. I don't think there is a no fun Monday rule or anything.





c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Carrie Neumayer interview

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
I grew up in Louisville. My mother is a painter and my father is a writer and a songwriter/musician.

What is your musical background / training?
I started playing violin in the third grade and played through high school. I also sang in a church choir for a few years during elementary school, but didn't write songs until I began playing guitar. I taught myself guitar. Three years ago I decided to try playing bass, as well.

Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
I was deeply inspired by all the local bands and touring indie rock bands I saw as a young teenager in the early '90s, in particular - Rodan, Ruby Falls, Drinking Woman, Crain, Evergreen, Unwound, Sleater-Kinney, Come, Versus, etc. Some of my current favorites are Neko Case, TV on the Radio, Shannon Wright and Mirah. I also love a lot of music made by women from the past like Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, etc.

What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get involved with them?
I play guitar and sing with Second Story Man. I've been playing music with bandmate Evan Bailey since I was sixteen years old and we were in a band together called Itch House. A couple years later, Evan introduced me to Jeremy Irvin and the three of us started Second Story Man. We've been together ever since. I also play bass and sing in Minnow. I had never played bass before and when Rob Pennington asked me to play with his wife Becca and their friend Doug Maxson, I jumped at the opportunity to work in a totally different musical context.

What do you hope to achieve with music?
I want to continue to be a part of the creation of thoughtful and exciting music - and to have my bands' music be available to others to hear. I love collaborating with others and seeing song ideas transform into something beyond where I ever expected them to go because of the input of others. Of course I love performing live, too. I guess I just want to be able to continue doing this as long as I can.

Jason Noble interview

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
Hi. I grew up in Louisville... both my folks are involved in the arts. My mom is a school teacher and performed with bands & motet singing groups for years. She currently paints quite a lot, and has a really open mind about all kinds of music.
My step dad is a professional photographer (and teaches a digital photo class
at U of L). They both have helped me out on artistic projects over the years,
including shooting photos for several of our record covers.

What is your musical background / training?
I went to Manual in the Visual Art program and spent two years of college at The Maryland Institute (art school). I'd played music with a few close friends in high school, and then started playing with folks from a Baltimore conservatory (they took pity on me). It all kinda snow-balled (may I use that term? Can I say "snow-balled"?)... Thankfully I still play music with most of these kind-hearted humans. They are responsible for teaching me... and most importantly, being encouraging and rawkus.

Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
My wife Kristin... our friend Miles who howls every morning.
Favorites... Film composer Howard Shore. Uzeda. Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Crain. Slint. Run DMC. Liberation Prophecy. The Adventure. The Bug "London Zoo." Portishead "3rd." Extra Golden "Thank You Very Quickly."

What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get
involved with them?
I'm a manager at ear X-tacy records and do sound production for the free concerts there... that actually does good things for the musical brain... keeps it fairly open.

Also...
SHIPPING NEWS (since 1996) with one of those same high school guys (beloved Mueller).
We have a show coming up in June at Skull Alley. Shipping News' music seems to be leaning on the "severed head" side of things lately, as opposed to our "softly goth" meanderings.

Uhm... Workin' on mixes for a record called THE YOUNG SCAMELS with Christian Frederickson, Greg King and local musician Amber Estes. It's the score from a production of "The Tempest" at ATL last year. Been working with Kevin Ratterman on a recording by the GOLD JACKET CLUB... I'm a huge fan of that band, and local heroes Auxiliary Records is releasing it this fall.

What do you hope to achieve with music?
I hope to make music that will haunt George Bush Jr. for the rest of his evil life. Payback. Thanks for enraging half the world. You don't just get to have your retirement with a big swanky Presidential library. You don't get free unlimited health care. You don't get to keep your mansions or multiple helicopters. Well, we all have to have a dream.

Rebecca Dennison interview

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
Louisville. My mom & dad sang in a small choral group at church when I was little and my dad sang the occasional solo.



What is your musical background / training?
I took piano lessons as a kid, played the flute in band, etc. I've taken voice lessons off and on. I sang in the church children's choir and youth choir. I've been singing regularly at Sojourn Community Church as part of the worship team for the last few years.



Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
This changes so often. I grew up pretty sheltered so I'm constantly "discovering" new favorites and inspirations that everyone else has known of for years. My current favorites are: Ella Fitzgerald (I love 20's/30's jazz), Odetta, and Bessie Smith (and other female roots/early blues singers). And when I get stuck in a rut melodically I like to listen to traditional Eastern Asian music.



What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get involved with them?
I'm currently singing with the Sandpaper Dolls and I'll be singing with Jamie Barnes again soon. I know Jamie from Sojourn and I got connected with the Dolls through singing with him. Suki and Amber were talking about starting a band and Suki knew me from shows I had done with Jamie at the Jazz Factory.



What do you hope to achieve with music?
A lot of times I get caught up in hoping I impress people or hoping they'll think I'm cool, but ultimately, I hope to honor God with what I'm doing musically and just enjoy the ride.

Ask a Bartender

Even the most devoted fans of this blog may not realize that my work for Velocity also includes a series of interviews with bartenders around town. I've interviewed 19 to date; you can see the collection by clicking here.

One question I've asked everyone is: "Is there a song on the radio or jukebox that you hate every time it comes on?"

Here are a few of my favorite answers:

"I'm getting a little tired of Led Zeppelin. A little bit. Just slightly." - Afton Cain, Zeppelin Cafe

"I get tired of hearing our Irish songs on the iPod over and over again." - Jennifer McKnelly, O'Shea's

"We listen to Irish music all day, so pretty much most of the basic Irish tunes, but right now least favorite - which is everyone's most favorite - what's the song that's at the end of The Sopranos? The Journey song, 'Don't Stop Believin''. That makes me absolutely crazy right now." - Lara Hammond, Molly Malone's

"Journey... what is that f-----g song? ('Don't Stop Believin''?) Yep!" - Liz Burnett, Granville Inn

"I hate hearing any Journey songs. I like Journey, but I hear them all the time." - Amanda Lutes, Saints

"We listen to WFPK here, so they play a lot of Sheryl Crow. I wish we had a jukebox, so it could be a little bit different, 'cause what they play's kinda the same, kind of montone, y'know?" - Jenny Miller, Cumberland Brews

"We listen to a lot of WFPK - there, for awhile, it seemed like... what was that song? Just over and over again. There was some random song they would play - it was an older song, I remember, they would just play it over and over and over. (Do you remember any lyrics?) Half the time I tune it out, so, no." - Rob Haynes, BBC Taproom

Joe Manning interview

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
I grew up in the Deer Park neighborhood of Louisville, KY. The members of my immediate family were neither artistic nor musical, though I listened to a lot of music as a child. My grandmother was a fantastic draftsperson and taught me how to draw at a young age.



What is your musical background / training?
I started playing bass when I was about 12; I took lessons and learned to play some songs by the Beatles, Zeppelin, Foghat, etc. Then I started playing in "hardcore" bands, and hanging around in the scene, trying to fit in without getting my face smashed in by older boys, or my feeble heart stomped on by punk rock women. By the time I was about 20 I'd started writing my own songs that took their cues more from the American Songbook.



Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
yes please.
I'll choose two or three from each of these categories.
1. local: S.A. Garrison, The For Carnation, Evergreen,
2. regional: Spirits of the Red City, Elephant Micah
3. national: Gillian Welch, Lightnin' Hopkins, Hall and Oates
4. international: Nina Simone, Roxy Music, Bowie
5. extra planetary: P-Funk, Eno
6. classical compostion: Erik Satie, Beethoven
7. Country: Don Williams, Buck Owens, Townes Van Zandt



What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get involved with them?
The Joe Manning Story Time Mime band, whose history spans eons and several dimensions, is too graphic to recount here, the sordid occult nature of which could stunt the emotional and psychic growth of impressionable children, and affected adults.

King's Daughters & Sons is a democratic gathering of Michael Heineman, Rachel Grimes, Todd Cook, and Kyle Crabtree and myself. Sometimes we're quiet, and sometimes we're loud, alternately very pretty and very creepy. We got together because we are all fans of one another's music, and we found that we get along very well, have a good time, and make music that WE would like to go home and listen to.

I also sing with the More the Merrier Shape Note Singers.



What do you hope to achieve with music?
Ringo Starr voice: "I suppose I'd just like to achieve global domination so that I can feed on the psychic energies of your human race... I'd like to meet girls, too, I guess."

photos above by Gary Quick



c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

The concept album

Music fans of a certain age might remember the concept album. The idea — telling one oft-incoherent story over 12 overblown rock songs — gave us such beloved characters as Tommy and Mr. Roboto. An idea best remembered on some VH1 show, you say?

Apparently, no one told The Decemberists. The literary-minded band's latest, The Hazards of Love, out this week, is a concept album that one critic described as "about a girl named Margaret, shapeshifters, forest queens and fairytale treachery."

But the concept album doesn't have to be ridiculous. These five set the standard.

Husker Du, Zen Arcade
(1984): The story of a runaway who learns just how hard life is found this intense trio taking punk rock far beyond its previous boundaries. A generation of fans, musicians and critics was changed, though you'd never know it by album sales alone

Marvin Gaye, Here, My Dear
(1978) After a messy divorce, Gaye agreed to record an album to pay off his debts. Gaye couldn't help but use the album as therapy, bringing seductive soul to lyrics like, "When did you stop loving me, when did I stop loving you?"

David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
(1972): The story of the rock star as alien, here to help us humans before we destroy our civilization, is better known and enjoyed for its cutting-edge glitter rock sound and transgendered live show.

The Kinks, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
(1968): Young Decemberists fans would be wise to check out this actually-British group. This tale of enjoying rural life as an escape from the big, bad modern city has melodies for miles.

Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours
(1954): Considered the first long-player grouped around a theme, Sinatra hit his stride with this collection of tearjerkers about staying up late, lamenting lost love.



c. 2009 The Courier-Journal

Unsung Songwriters

Flying under the radar, 'outsider' musicians play to the beat of a different drummer.

“Have you ever been to a place / where there exists no human race? / doobie doobie doo / doobie doo,” begins “Questionnairre,” the most famous song by Victoria Galinsky. Pianos tinkle percussively, suggesting a lost sister of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple.

It’s Galinsky’s most famous song because she made a video for it, which has been viewed on YouTube 755 times, a surprisingly low number considering that the video is unforgettable. In it, Galinsky floats in front of a computer-generated suburban house, plastic green leaves flowing from her head to her shoulders, like a mom who drank too much wine at a toga party. Then, a bench filled with teens appears. They laugh as if embarrassed to be participating. Not much else happens.

Galinsky, 40, has released four full-length albums since 1997, with titles like Space Ovary and One Bean Taco, to Go. On her MySpace profile, she writes, "I'm an ancient healer from Atlantis. I have a broken crystal from the land of the young. It is thousands of years old. Possibly 50,000 years. Spaceships are following me."



Outsider musicians like Galinsky channel the sounds heard in their heads and transfer them onto compact discs, so that others may share in their journey.

"They're definitely some of the most ambitious and eclectic people housed in our local music section, in terms of personality," said Sean Bailey, whose job at the record store Ear X-tacy is to figure out which local bands and artists are worthy of inclusion in the store's inventory.

And they are persistent. Corporate radio stations treat them like red-headed stepchildren, while non-profit WFPK-FM, the city's only meaningful outlet for local musicians, treats them as curiosities at best. But they soldier on.

Markus is the nom de rock of Mark Spence, who’s "42 going on 21". He plays stadium-ready, synthesizer-driven rock that otherwise died in the 1980s after being perfected by the likes of Journey and Whitesnake. Fans (many of them employed at Ear X-tacy, Music-Go-Round and Wild & Woolly Video) tout his pure, Springsteen-esque approach to rock and romance, with songs like “Play It Loud”, “Winner in You”, “This Must Be Love”, “A Better Man”, “Champion” and “Stand Up (Shout Out Loud)” testifying to his single-minded approach.



A grocery store employee, Spence performs all of his songs using computer software programs, lately working with co-writers via phone or online. Spence, like Galinsky, offers his discs for sale through CD Baby, a website popular with independent musicians. "I wouldn't mind having a lot of people listen to me without having to jump through hoops," he said, "and I'm thankful for the internet."

In Jeffersonville, the girls of The Hi-Tops range between 10 and 14 years old and have been playing for four years now. They started after a viewing of Freaky Friday (the remake, not the original) inspired them to rock out like a young Lindsay Lohan.

This past January, they played a showcase at the National Association of Music Merchants trade show, where they performed for a talent scout from Nickelodeon. Locally, they've played at Waterfront Park, the Phoenix Hill Tavern, and at a fundraiser for then-Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, where they met original riot grrl Chelsea Clinton. When they need to get around, they hop into their brightly colored bus or their limo, a customized 1976 Cadillac.



However, the girls - Ally Whitlow, Bayley Whitlow, Remi Maxwell, Jessie Madill and Madi Cunningham - profess to be more ordinary. "Don’t need to be 'American Idol' / Don’t need to be a movie star / Don’t need to have a fancy title / Just be who you truly are," they preach in the inspirational tune "You". Another song, "Welcome to My World," describes in detail an average day in the teen life. "Can you dig it? I live it!"

Okolona resident Ronald Jenkees hasn't traveled far from his roots ("I grew up in good ol' PRP"), but his videos on YouTube – he calls it, charmingly, "YouTubes" – have made fans out of Katy Perry, Linkin Park and ESPN's Bill Simmons. With an exaggerated country boy persona fused with a passion for videogame-style electronic keyboards, Jenkees has earned 90,000 subscribers on YouTube, people who have signed up to be alerted whenever he posts a new video. Simmons commissioned him to compose a theme for his podcast, and Jenkees is meeting with members of Papa Roach next month to discuss doing a remix of one of the band's songs.

The 28-year-old is able to call music his job, fueled by sales of his album through iTunes and his website. Though he's interested in working as a producer, in the style of trendsetters like Timbaland and Dr. Dre, Jenkees is close with his family, loves his hometown and has no desire to live the life of a touring musician.



For now, he says he’s happy because he gets to combine "two of my favorite things in the world - music and goofiness." His second album - "(It) was supposed to come out last summer, then Christmas, now I've stopped naming dates" - is sure to get more acclaim for the guy who just can't crank out YouTubes fast enough to satisfy his fans.

"People can see when you're really having fun. It's contagious."

c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Read the graphic novels

By now you're probably sick of hearing all the hype about Watchmen. Heath Ledger isn't in it, and you don't even wear a watch. Plus, you're a literary purist and you heard that they changed the book's ending to make it more Hollywood.

Here are five graphic novels that you can read while everyone else goes to the movies:

"Maus," by Art Spiegelman
The two-part epic, a true story about a Holocaust survivor, his son and the effects of World War II on their people, earned a Pulitzer Prize and forever redefined the possibilities of what comics could do.

"Our Cancer Year," by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
Fans of the Pekar comic "American Splendor" — and its movie adaptation — might have missed this 1994 title about Harvey's fight against cancer. I know, but it's funnier than it sounds.

"Blankets," by Craig Thompson
This story, also true, beautifully depicts a boy coming of age, discovering love and dealing with religion. It has prettier pictures and is a faster read than any other 600-page work.

"Palestine," by Joe Sacco
Journalist and world-traveler Sacco first got attention with this eye-opening account of his journey to Israel in the 1990s. He shows how everyday people — on both sides — are affected there by the fighting that is consistently going on around them.

"Fun Home," by Alison Bechdel
In flashbacks, the author relates how she realized that she is a lesbian. Soon, she discovers that, in her family, she's not the only one hiding her truth. The title refers to the family funeral home that Bechdel's father ran. Ouch.

c. 2009 Louisville Courier-Journal

Real Meal Deals

COVER STORY

There is no shortage of creative and classy dining in Louisville, but it's the unheralded diners and dives that keep us fed, day in and day out. Here's to the unsung heroes of the local dining scene.

I've never read a travel magazine story about Louisville that didn't insist that you must eat at Lynn's Paradise Café. Our local chefs have competed on "Iron Chef America" and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Gourmet magazines frequently cite high-end eateries like 610 Magnolia, Proof on Main, the English Grill and Corbett's - An American Place as evidence of this city's culinary ambitions.

But for every seared scallop with English pea flan or Wagyu ribeye that is served at the city's more notable establishments, there are dozens more unsung (and much more inexpensive) hash houses keeping our bellies full and satisfied.

Like the corner bar — a beloved icon around here — Louisville's diners and dives do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the majority of us watered and fed.

I'm not a chef or a professional food writer, but food is a whole lot more than mere sustenance to me; a great restaurant turns me into a tween at a Jonas Brothers concert, yelling and begging for more — which becomes easier when I know that dinner for two won't cost $100.

Here, then, is a sampling of some of Kentuckiana's best places to go for cheap eats.

ANNIE CAFÉ
This Vietnamese restaurant is not as legendary as the nearby Vietnam Kitchen, but that just makes it much easier to get a table on a Saturday night. The pho — a traditional dish of thinly sliced beef in rice-noodle soup — is hard to forget, and the service is excellent. Rebecca Dennison, a programmer at UPS, likes that she can order something spicy off the lunch menu and get a dinner-sized portion for less than $6. “Fabulous!” is her one-word review. The vegetarian options are equally satisfying and affordable.

CLARKSVILLE SEAFOOD
Lebowski Fest co-founder Will Russell introduced me to some of the best fish in the region here. But what really stands out for him are the onion rings. “They are to die for,” Russell said. “They are technically not rings, but more like onion shrapnel dipped in a delicious batter and fried to high heaven.” The wood-paneled dining room is far from glamorous, but fish lovers don't care when the food is this good (and cheap). They keep odd hours, so call first.

DAKSHIN
Located in the Eastland Shopping Center in Fern Creek, DakShin specializes in fare that is slightly more exotic that most local Indian joints, and the variety of offerings is enormous. “There's a huge vegetarian menu, unusual ingredients, everything tastes new and fresh and exciting,” raved Carrie Neumayer, a Louisville musician and middle school art teacher. The buffet lunch is a real bargain ($6.99 weekdays and $7.99 on weekends) and I'd be remiss if I didn't rave about the décor — the interior is like a log cabin, but filled with TVs playing MTV-India.

KOREANA
Go here for the Korean BBQ, advises Summer Auerbach, vice president of operations for Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets. “You choose a meat and they bring it out raw, usually in thin slices, to your table and you grill it yourself on a tabletop grill,” she said. “They also bring out a tray of 12 different Korean condiments in the kimchi realm, and a plate full of lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.”

LADYHAWKS CAFÉ
Bison burgers aren't that exotic anymore. But have you ever had an Elk burger? The Native American-inspired offerings are far from the mainstream, and far and away the best place to have the lunch of your life. This eatery is a room in the Creekside Outpost Health Food Store, adjacent to a wellness clinic (where you can get ear candling done). Located just down the road from Indiana University Southeast, it's open for lunch Tuesday through Friday. 614 Hausfeldt Lane in New Albany, 948-9118

LA ROSITA
People get excited when they talk about this Mexican restaurant in New Albany. “I love, love La Rosita,” gushed Tandee Ogburn, community engagement coordinator at Volunteers of America. “It is as affordable as any other Mexican joint, but it's authentic, fresh and delicious! Their green salsa is amazing.” Foodies cross the river for what they consider the most authentic Mexican grub in Kentuckiana. “Seriously cheap, seriously amazing,” said UofL med student Genny Carnero.

LAS GORDITAS
Your overhead doesn't get much lower than when you're operating your restaurant out of a large van parked in a suburban shopping center. Thus, the folks at Las Gorditas, who sling tacos on weekend nights outside the aforementioned Eastland Shopping Center, can pass the savings onto you. “My favorite dish is the tacos with pastor, which is pork meat that has been marinated in a secret recipe and then cooked in a rotisserie with pineapple on top,” said graphic designer April Fultz. “You can also get Mexican Coke and other soft drinks with real sugar, in the glass bottles. A meal and a drink costs about 10 bucks — cash only.”

THE LITTLE CHEF
“Eating at Little Chef is comforting, kind of like hanging out in your mawmaw's kitchen and watching her cook — except it's not your mawmaw, it's 2 in the morning, it's a little grimier and you're with your friends who are pretty much like your family,” said Hillary Harrison, editor of Bejeezus magazine. The diner has stools for no more than 10 or so. (If it were an apartment in New York, it would rent for $1,200 a month). The air quality reminds you that smoking is still legal in New Albany establishments. The food is as all-American as it comes, and it's open 24/7.

LOTSA PASTA
“Lotsa Pasta has a surprisingly cheap deli, which is very good for sandwiches,” notes musician Joe Manning, who leads the Louisville band King's Daughters and Sons. There's nothing musical about the deli inside this international food shop in St. Matthews, but composer and music teacher Jeremy Podgursky agrees. “This is one of the best deals in town,” he said. “Huge, made-to-order sandwiches and hearty soups.”

OLLIE'S TROLLEY
Erica Rucker, the energetic grad student who organized last year's Terrastock music festival in Louisville, is a fan, then and now: “I hadn't had an Ollie Burger in over 25 years, and my boyfriend, Rob, insisted that they were still worth eating,” she said. “He was right. It is a good burger and the staff is super efficient.” Ollie's doesn't offer much in the way of seating, but the burgers are worth the inconvenience. 978 S. Third St., 583-5214

PIG CITY BBQ
Mark Bacon hosts “Jazz Journeys” Sunday afternoons on WFPK-FM and, true to his name, loves some smoked pig. “Good barbecue is never about the sauces, it's about smoking the meat,” Bacon said. “Pig City is a Vatican of smoked meat. Unparalleled in Louisville. Despite a suburban, soulless interior, the food transports.” Head out to Middletown and ponder your soul, Memphis-style. 12003 Shelbyville Road, 244-3535

SANTA FE GRILL
UofL professor Jonathan Haws knows what he wants at this place, located just up the street from Churchill Downs: “One-dollar Mexican tacos. Always. They are the best in town because they are authentic and taste great.” Bring cash, and enjoy some horchata, a sweet, milky drink that's wildly popular in Latin America.

SMOKETOWN USA
The terms “barbecue joint” and “vegetarian-friendly” are rarely used in the same sentence. But this funky eatery, located between Old Louisville and the Highlands, has an array of tasty side dishes that can go with or without a heaping mound of pulled pork. “Anywhere that has tasty barbecue, plus I can bring my vegetarian friends, is pretty cool,” said UofL med student Elizabeth Matera. “Try the cabbage salad and the mac and cheese. Yum.”

STAN'S FISH SANDWICH
If they aren't into the offerings at Lotsa Pasta, Manning and Podgursky stroll a few doors down to Stan's. “The fish sandwich is good because you can get it on a hoagie-type bun, which accommodates the long fish pieces, unlike, say, a piece of rye bread, which leaves you with fried fish spiking out of the side,” Manning said. And even though he always walks out “smelling like a longshoreman,” Podgursky said he appreciates the magic behind a good fried-fish sandwich. “Great green beans, as well.”

ZEPPELIN CAFÉ
Local character Mike Welch went here on a recommendation from a friend and was astounded by the amazingly low prices. “I then ordered their steak, which was complete perfection,” he said. “I will even go out on a limb and say it is the best steak in the city. I was pleasantly baffled by this eatery, and it will remain one of my favorites for a long time.” This Schnitzelburg newcomer has only been open since last summer but seems to be doing boffo business. 1036 E. Burnett Ave, 365-3551


A big bowl of Bun Dac Biet at Annie Cafe. (Credit: John Rott)

c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Pro/Con: Is it more fun to watch TV on DVD?

By Peter Berkowitz
who's the original mad man, literally

YES.

The two things I ever wanted from life were love and a machine that would let me watch TV shows, in their entirety, over and over again and at my leisure. When I like a TV show, I really like it. Why else watch it? I want it, and I want it now. What's so great about waiting? I had to wait until 32 before I found love. Believe me, waiting is overrated.

The last decade has been a golden age of quality drama, and the best stories are addictive. Today, however, the pickings are a lot slimmer. Mad Men runs its 13 episodes and then disappears for most of the year. A lot of people seem to get excited, but also confused, about Lost. I haven't seen it yet, but when I start, I bet it will be more fun to binge on season after season on DVD, rather than wait seven years to get all the answers. Some of my favorite shows have been ones that I didn't start watching from the beginning. When I started The Shield, it led to many happy nights that ended around 5 in the morning. Now that's the way to watch TV!

My lady refused to acknowledge that Alias could possibly be any good. The majority of her argument, as near as I could determine, was based on her hatred of Jennifer Garner. During its first three seasons, Alias was exciting and nail-biting. Waiting for a new episode was — well, I don't want to minimize actual human suffering, but in all seriousness, it was torture. And I was watching them on DVD! As I watched season four on regular TV, it took long, slow weeks to realize that the writers had run out of good ideas (Heroes, anyone? 24?) and that my series had lost its mojo.

One day, I finally persuaded my lady to give it a chance — but only the first three seasons. "OK, blow me away," she ordered. By the end of the third season, she wanted to ignore my warnings and continue watching "more, more, more!" I've prevailed, however. We've since shared the joys of 30 Rock, Weeds, Dexter, Greek and so much more together. I just don't understand why Wild & Woolly doesn't have Friday Night Lights yet; I know that my lady will like it.


By David Daley
who still weeps for Omar

NO.

It is, of course, great fun to binge on a full season of a great show, and I wouldn't argue otherwise. After all, that seems to be the way I watch most of my favorite shows these days. It's how my wife and I watched The Wire and Californication, caught up with season one of Mad Men and the first several seasons of The Sopranos — staying up late into the night, turning to each other as the credits rolled for a quick exchange of something like: "Another?" "Yup." Right now, we've got season one of "Damages" going, as well as a British conspiracy thriller called State of Play.

But we caught up with Mad Men in time to watch season two in real time — well, on demand the next night, without the commercials — and I quickly realized how much you miss when you're out-of-sync with the rest of the audience. New York magazine and Entertainment Weekly do amazing episode recaps and analyses on their Web sites, and they'd always pick up on some brilliant detail I'd missed. Yes, it was no fun to wait another seven days for the latest from Sterling Cooper, but the routine of reading about the episode on Tuesday made the week go by faster. It also created a sort of online watercooler — and at a time when the media universe has fragmented into a million pieces, and we can't even watch the same shows at the same time anymore, it's nice to have that connection.

Just as important, I didn't have to be that jerk who runs around screaming about "spoiler alerts." With The Wire, we were still in the middle of season two when a random New York Times story about cigarette sales in poor neighborhoods dropped the detail that — spoiler alert! — Omar got killed after buying a pack of Newports. Thanks a lot, New York Times.

And knowing that we'd probably start Damages someday, that meant turning quickly through all the stories and reviews that got written when season two started recently, for fear of discovering some plot point. Of course, it didn't work. I know who wins the big lawsuit. As much fun as it is to gorge on shows, to watch them at your leisure, it's a lot less entertaining when you need to spend the rest of the time with your eyes closed and hands over your ears.



c. 2009 Courier-Journal

Pro/Con: Are the Grammys still relevant?

By Jeffrey Lee Puckett,
who's cold and in the dark

YES.

While arguing in favor of the Grammys' relevance is a bit like arguing in favor of blunt force trauma, there are a couple of positives.

No, really.

Inclusiveness is a big one. Given the enormous scope of the music industry, the number of categories offered by the Grammys is appropriately expansive, largely fair and absolutely crushes the number offered by its only competition, the American Music Awards.

There are 31 fields represented, including polka, children's music and comedy in addition to the obvious traditional choices (pop, rock, rap, country, jazz, etc.). Some of those fields are broken down into as many as seven categories, which means there's a best jazz instrumental solo category and a best jazz instrumental album, individual or group category.

So the bases are covered within most reasonable expectations, although the evangelical could certainly make a case for more categories. The alternative-music album category by itself leaves out important sub-categories such as punk, art rock and, um, pornogrind.

The other positive is, unfortunately, also a negative: The Grammys are the only game in town.

With the Billboard Music Awards currently dormant, the aforementioned American Music Awards is the Grammys' only rival — and the AMAs are determined by the same same people — mainstream consumers — who make the likes of Celine Dion and Nickelback into superstars.

Until something changes, that means a Grammy Award will remain our best and quickest resource for gauging a performer's artistic worth — unless, of course, we simply decide for ourselves.

But that's way too easy.


By Peter Berkowitz,
who blogs his opinions

NO.

The Grammys have been slightly less relevant in the past, I suppose — Jethro Tull's 1988 win for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance is an all-time embarrassing classic. But newly relevant? That's like saying Guns N' Roses is more relevant now than in 2004 because they actually released an album this year.

Their album is still a hilariously insane, bloated, nonsensical mess that has no actual relevance to people who listen to music for pleasure. Just like the Grammys!

Are there some relevant nominees across all these many categories? Sure. Lil' Wayne, for example. But why is it that the best musicians tend to get nominated only after they've been around for years, and often long after they've produced their best music? Why isn't there a rule against Grammy voters being ignorant? It's great to see M.I.A. nominated, but that song has been out for years. Robyn's album was released in 2005.

Of course, best new artist has always been a farce. Lucinda Williams earned a nod in 1998 after five albums and 20 years in the business. Am I supposed to find this farce "relevant" because No Age, an inspired, fiery young band is nominated — for Best Packaging? Their album, Nouns, a lot more relevant in my world than Robert Plant trying to sound like a bluegrass singer.

Speaking of new artists, the Jonas Brothers? Is this the Disney Channel awards? I'm not saying that tweens can't be talented — wait, actually, I am saying that.

Just go down the list of nominees, and you'll wonder if you stepped into a time machine: The Eagles, James Taylor (covering Elvis, no less), Maroon 5, OneRepubic, Spyro Gyra. Spyro Gyra? Madonna is nominated for "Best Dance Recording" — why are 70-year-old voters who haven't gone out to a dance club since that meant shimmying to the Glenn Miller Orchestra telling us what the best dance music is?

Natalie Cole, Still Unforgettable? I wish I could forget that all she can do is repackage her great father's legacy.

Boyz II Men are even nominated, for Obama's sake. I guess it really is so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.



c. 2009 Courier-Journal

Unlikely Locales

William and Jessica Cundiff bucked convention with a wedding at the Rudyard Kipling.
photo by Aaron Weber

Say goodbye to tradition and do your own thing at one of these offbeat wedding venues

It's been said that every little girl dreams of her wedding day. It's also been said that every little girl wants to grow up to be a princess. To continue this outdated cliche, one would also assume that everyone gets married in a church and that every wedding reception requires bland food and a bad cover band.

This is great for people who still live in the 1950s, but many of our parents' children have creative ideas all their own.

For starters, churches, synagogues and the like are no longer considered the requisite venue for people for whom religion is not a defining element. Add that to a desire to save a lot of money and, suddenly, creative types are freed up to find some more offbeat wedding venues.

A BELOVED BAR

The Magnolia Bar and Grill at Second and Magnolia in Old Louisville is well-known for many things to Louisville's young lovers: cheap drinks, a well-stocked jukebox and many chances each night to find companionship with someone whose favorite band is probably the Misfits.

Despite the devotion it inspires, most of its regulars haven't actually gotten married there. Jen and Will Davis did.

Will's brother, Justin Schotter-Davis, attended their wedding on a Monday afternoon in May 2006.

"They had their ceremony in the Mag's tiny yet cute backyard," he said. "There were really cute party favors on the table and I gave my best man speech atop the bar in a drunken haze. Apparently there's video of that somewhere which should certainly prevent me from any sort of reasonable employment."

Their officiant, a heavily tattooed gambler, went online to purchase his license to wed the couple.

A CITY PARK

How do you go about getting a license to get married in, say, Waterfront Park?

"We didn't," said Jennifer Goodman, who was married in the downtown park in 2004. "We just sent an invitation to everyone. We were there for half an hour and then took off."

Friends showed up in an array of outfits, from dresses and sport coats to shorts.

"We had our friend ordained online. He had been at another wedding earlier in the day and had gotten drunk, but he made it through our ceremony," said Goodman, who works in development at Louisville Public Media. "We stood on those mounds they have, by the playground there. Our friends could see us but they couldn't hear anything."

After the ceremony, the couple and their guests celebrated at the Mag Bar.

Even though some parents might be disappointed with such a non-traditional ceremony, Goodman's were supportive.

"I give great credit to my parents," she said. "They are very religious, but they didn't get in the way."

A FAVORITE RESTAURANT OR CLUB

"I don't have any sentiments or affections for religion or the law, so a lot of the more traditional items of 'marriage' go out the window right there," said William Cundiff, who was married at the Rudyard Kipling last year. Cundiff and his bride-to-be didn't work with a wedding coordinator. Instead they approached the event by following their instincts, listening to ideas from friends and ultimately doing what would be the most fun — and meaningful — for them.

The Old Louisville restaurant/performance hall was everything they could have wanted.

"I was introduced to the idea many years ago when (friends) Rob and Becca Pennington had their reception there and the band I was in at the time, Tyrone, was asked to play," Cundiff said. "It was a lot of fun. I should also add that I love the fact that The Rud is in Old Louisville, which, due to this sort of 'questionable' location to some people, was an excellent way of weeding out some of the tight-asses one wouldn't want to have at a wedding, anyways."

Cundiff's current band, Lucky Pineapple, played at the reception.

"(Owners) Ken and Sheila (Pyle) were fun to work with on it," said Cundiff, who works at 21c Hotel downtown. "I think they asked immediately if Lucky Pineapple would be playing, which I am not sure we had given much thought to in the beginning. It made sense, though; bandmates both past and present are the closest thing I have to family here. It was a very warm wedding — a lot of family, friends, fun and such. It was a perfect day."


Dan Cassidy and Jennifer Goodman were married in Louisville's Waterfront Park in 2004.
photo by Jenny Yager

High School Journal

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Bail Yourself Out part 3

You're being attacked by a bear

If you're being attacked by a bear, chances are pretty good that you're not in Metro Louisville. The few bears that live in Kentucky most likely reside somewhere east of‚ well, any city in this state.

But let's say you're at a party that's gotten really out of control, maybe out on a farm near Bardstown. You stumble into the woods to relieve yourself, and bump into a black bear doing the same. And he's not happy about the intrusion.

(Again: highly unlikely; there's a much better chance that you'll be attacked by Mitch McConnell.)

Still, better safe than sorry. What should you do?

"Probably the best thing is to curl up in a ball in a fetal position," said Bobby Fiske, who works at Quest Outdoors in Crescent Hill when he not out tromping in the woods.

What? I shouldn't run? Or climb a tree?

"Don't confront it, and don't run," Fiske said. "They will chase you. They can climb trees, so that would be a horrible idea. If you curl up, they won't try to eat you. They're omnivores — they'd rather not mess with something that's hard to kill."

Prevention is your best bet. Fiske recommends something called a "bear bell."

"They're designed to let them know that you're coming," he said. "They'll stay away if they hear you."

Anything else?

"Bear mace is more effective if you're being attacked," said Fiske, whose resume also includes Eagle Scout. "That's got a 25-foot foot range on it. It's not like a little cloud — it sprays quite a distance."

Okay, so we've established that I should curl up in a ball while jingling a bear ball, and if that doesn't work, be ready to mace the bear to defend myself. Did we forget anything, Bobby?

"Don't feed bears," he said.



c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Bail Yourself Out part 2

That guy at the coffeehouse won't shut up

People often go to coffeehouses for reasons beyond that invigorating shot of caffeine. The coffeehouse's role as a so-called "Third Place" — neither home nor work — has been written about often. It can be a communal place to meet a friend or make a new one, find love, plan a protest march or get a little free therapy courtesy of the bored barista.

For some, it is a place to work quietly yet still be comforted by the presence of other humans — a cozy spot to study, listen to Slim Whitman on your Sony Discman or write three pages of that novel that you will never finish.

So what can you do when you are suddenly cornered by some friend-of-a-friend who is determined to talk to you about Obama/the weather/the situation in Palestine?

"This happened to me yesterday — I was the annoying old friend," said Todd Schartung, a regular at Sunergos Coffee in Germantown. "A friend from my old job came in. I hadn't seen him for a while and he acted all happy to see me. But before the conversation was over with, I was talking to the door. He was on the other side, headed out with his wife. And his wife waved, but he didn't."

Kane Holbrook, meanwhile, uses the old "get up and go to the restroom" ploy.

"You tell him you have chronic diarrhea and you really must go to the bathroom," he said. "You say, 'My IBS is really buggin' me.'"

What if you're the barista who's trying to work and that customer just won't move on?

"You get a co-worker to tell you that you really need to help him find a very important invoice," said Holbrook, who makes your lattes and cappuccinos at Sunergos. "That seems to work best for us, because that happens quite often."

And what if that doesn't work?

"A guy who tells me stories all the time came in. I just told him, 'I don't care,' and walked away from him," said Sunergos barista Eric Hammond, with a laugh.

c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

Bail Yourself Out part 1

Your landlord won't fix stuff in your apartment

It's July, and the air-conditioner still doesn't work. Or it's January, and the hot water barely trickles out of the showerhead. Your landlord? He's not answering the phone. You really don't want to move, but do you have any choice?

It depends.

"You should be careful to clearly read how the lease is drawn up," said Jack May, principal broker and realtor at May Team Realtors.

"In some cases, the tenant is only responsible for things like plumbing issues. In other cases, the landlord is responsible for everything. The landlord can't turn off lights or electricity, or do stupid stuff like change the locks on you. If something like that happened, the tenant needs to talk to an attorney if the landlord isn't living up to expectations."

May advises people in this situation to search Google for "KRS 383.595," which is the Kentucky statute that lists the rights of both renters and landlords.

According to Soha Saiyed, a housing law attorney with the Legal Aid Society, you need to send the landlord a written notice specifying the problems that need to be repaired.

"This notice should specify the acts and omissions constituting the maintenance issues," Saiyed said. "The tenant must give the landlord 14 days to remedy the problems. If the landlord has made no attempts at repair, the lease is terminated on the 30th day after the notice was received."

In some cases, you may be able to get some help from the government.

"Whenever a tenant feels as if there are significant conditions affecting health and safety, they should contact the (city) department of codes and regulations," Saiyed said. "They will send an inspector out to review the code violations and cite the property owner, if applicable."

For example, the Louisville housing code requires landlords to maintain adequate lighting in public hallways and stairwells in their buildings.

Going to court is an option that many might assume is out of the hands of the average renter. Though such action would cost a tenant time and money, May reminds that, "It's time and money for the landlord, too."

Make sure that every complaint is documented. "Even if a tenant thinks a verbal agreement with the landlord has been made, written notice will carry far more weight in court," Saiyed advised.

c. 2009 Velocity Weekly

New Year's resolutions

I resolve to eat more donuts - especially the amazing Maple Glaze with bacon on top that they make over at Nord's Bakery in Germantown. Oh, and I also resolve to eat more Mo's Bacon Bars, available most affordably at Old Town Liquors. Chocolate and smoked applewood bacon... proof of a higher power if ever I've seen any.
I resolve to drink more Booker's True Barrel Bourbon.
I resolve to see as many movies as is possible shown by the Louisville Film Society, and everything interesting at Baxter Avenue Theaters, Village 8 and U of L's Floyd Theater.
Finally, I resolve to continue seeking out new and old, fun, interesting music from a variety of sources and not just listen to the same old 10,000 Maniacs disc over and over again.

Favorite and least favorite records of the year

If you need any more shopping suggestions, perhaps you'll consider - and/or reconsider - some of these titles for the music lover in your life.

MOST FAVORITE:

1) Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)

(Warning: adult language)
The most fun, surprising record of the year continues DJ Gregg Gillis' streak of putting together new songs from hundreds of old songs. Who else can make people go crazy, tearing their clothes off while dancing to samples of The Band and Metallica, amongst lots and lots of rappers and pop singers?

2) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)

Proof that there is nothing more necessary than human voices working together to make something beautiful. It's hard to believe that almost no one outside of their hometown knew who they were a year ago.

3) Kasai All-Stars - In the 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy By Magic (Crammed Discs)

Africa is a continent, governor, and this group makes a sound big enough to fill it from north to south. Their long, trance-inducing grooves should be the definition of "jam" music.

4) Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)

Leader Mark Kozelek has been writing great songs for 15 years or so, but hit a new high with this gorgeous collection. (Local note: fan and colleague Will Oldham sings backing vocals on some songs).

5) Lucky Pineapple - The Bubble Has Burst in Sky City (Noise Pollution)

Louisville's most inventive and diverse band, LP continues to evolve with this collection of dark and light pieces that make you think while you're dancing.

6) Los Guachos - Filtros (Sunnyside)

Guillermo Klein's little big band do amazing, weird and wonderful things with jazz, Latin rhythms and other, less identifiable influences.

7) Brothers and Sisters - Fortunately (Calla Lilly)

A strong sophomore collection from this group, who filter their pop and country influences from the '60's and '70's into a gorgeous sound and lyrical point of view all their own.

8) Ron Owen - "Ready Or Not" (self-released)

The most surprising local album of the year came from this older singer-songwriter, whose songs of faith and inspiration are more than worth seeking out. This has been and might still be available at ear x-Tacy, the Unity Church of Middletown bookstore or the Unity of Louisville bookstore, or by contacting him at www.myspace.com/ronowens1952.

9) Department of Eagles - In Ear Park (4AD)

What seems at first to be some obscure grad school project is quickly revealed to be some catchy pop songs surrounded by lovely, heartfelt and yes, artsy trappings.

10) Grupo Fantasma - Sonidos Gold (Aire Sol)

The best and music fun dance group in the Americas and the pride of Austin, Texas, this bunch brings their tropical roots up to date and unites the generations and races through some expertly executed rhythms, riffs and grooves.

LEAST FAVORITE:

Discussing these isn't really worth my time or yours. If you disagree with me, then just listen to them again. You'll hear how bad they are, sooner or later. Seriously.

1) Metallica - Death Magnetic (Elektra)

2) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)

3) Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)

4) Jewel - Perfectly Clear (Valory)

5) James Taylor - Covers (Hear Music)

6) G. Love & Special Sauce - Superhero Brother (Republic)

7) James McMurtry - Just Us Kids (Lightning Rod)

8) John Hiatt - Same Old Man (New West)

9) Brightblack Morning Light - Motion To Rejoin (Matador)

10) The Black Kids - Partie Traumatic (Columbia)

Scott Carney interview

Scott Carney's band, Wax Fang, will play at Headliners on the night before Thanksgiving. We recently asked him to explain every last detail about what makes his mind work, and why:

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
I grew up in Louisville, KY, in Hikes Point. My family is neither particularly musical nor artistic, however, my father did play a bit of guitar back in the day. I remember him playing the intro to "La Bamba" for me when I was a kid. I suppose, in some way, that was what made me want to learn to play guitar - to be able to play "La Bamba" better than my father, which I can now do. Take that, Dad!



What is your musical background / training?
I took formal guitar lessons for a little over a year. My first lessons were from my 6th grade teacher, Barbara Simmons. She played guitar in our church and gave a summer course in acoustic guitar. Nothing fancy, just chords and such. I learned to strum songs like "Take Me Home, Country Road" and "Amazing Grace". After that, I was taught by a fellow named Monty Foster, who taught at a place called Bader Music Village, located in McMahon Plaza near my house. I stopped taking lessons from him after he failed to live up to his end of a bargain we made - he bet I couldn't learn "Dueling Banjos" in a week's time and that, if I did, he would teach me Metallica's "One" from start to finish. Let's just say I had to teach "One" to myself. I'm still learning it.



Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
At the moment: The Features, Centipede E'est, Wolf Parade, TV on the Radio, Les Paul, Django Reinhart, Bob Dylan, Whistle Peak.



What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get involved with them?
Wax Fang. I met (drummer) Kevin (Ratterman) when I went to his studio to mix our first record, Black & Endless Night. I had gone to him specifically because I knew he wasn't playing with anyone at the time and I was hoping he would like the record enough to want to play together and, lo and behold, he did. Then we stole (bassist) Jake (Heustis) from Cabin and completed the circuit, so to speak.



What do you hope to achieve with music?
I suppose at the very least, I'd like to inspire other people to make music of their own.

Building "The Ark"

Adam Kurland
is the 26-year-old director of Dr. Dog's new video for their song, "The Ark", in collaboration with Panoptic. The video has been praised by no less than blogger Kanye West for its "beautiful" imagery. Here are some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from Kurland himself:



You're getting noticed these days for directing Dr. Dog's new video. What is your background in film and/or music?
I've been obsessed with music since I first passed out in a mosh pit at the Bored in South Bay festival, while I believe Bad Religion was playing Suffer. I was 12 and stoned out of my mind.

I did a steady progression of record store jobs, slinging at both Rhino and Amoeba Records in Los Angeles. When I look back at Amoeba and who was working there I find my alumni to be more illustrious than that of USC where I was supposed to be "making connections" (no offense, George Lucas). Randy Randall from No Age, Devon Williams (who you may not know now, but check out his s/t record on Ba Da Bing Records), Subtitle, Jimi Hey (All Night Radio), Russ Pollard (formerly of Sebadoh, now Everest), were all doing time in that building that can only be described as a music lover's wet dream.

I mean, working there I was a fiend, gobbling up anything (that is, if you've got that exclusive Amoeba check-out card). While I was enrolled at USC I would work mainly on the weekends, using the store as my amended film school curriculum. USC's focus on modern Hollywood filmmaking can take the piss out of you, so I, of course, had to dive head first into Brakhage, Kenneth Anger and Jodorowsky - get wild about the Psyched out 60's - The Monkees' Head; High-class horror - Argento's Suspiria, out there docs, Orson Welles' F is for Fake and whatever else looked like it might curdle some brain pieces.

My USC production knowledge mixed into this music nerd on acid s**t that I was on set the scene for my first feature project, a documentary about the J.L. Hunter Rountree, The World's Oldest Bank Robber. The film, This Is Not A Robbery, was shown at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and is now traveling the festival circuit, mixing it up with the sordid tale of how this 86-year-old upstanding Houston businessman became a notorious bank thief.

How did you get hired to direct this video? Who is Panoptic, and why are they trying to steal your glory?
I had met Zach Fischel at Park The Van Records who had invited me to see Dr. Dog play a show back in May at the Mercury Lounge here in New York. I think that it might have been there first show playing the material from their new record, Fate, and I really found myself digging it. I had only heard Dr. Dog's Takers and Leavers EP which I also enjoyed, but for different reasons. These new songs had that sort of earthy-whimsy that can be heard on CSNY and early Band Records, and I've been on a pretty big Deja Vu, Music from Big Pink kick, so I really got into it.

I let Zach know what I thought of Dr. Dog and put myself out there to direct Dr. Dog's first video off the new record. I got the track for "The Ark" about a week after that, and spent a couple of weeks letting the song take me to places, I'd never been before. I would close my eyes, lay back and see what happens.

I have a strange relationship with music videos. I love the medium, the mash up of music and film, but given the quality and ideation of most videos, I often wonder: what is the point, what is being said, what is being furthered... just constantly investigating what the hell is the point of spending all of this money on a product like this.

When I started listening the lyrics for the song, and hearing the biblical references, that bombastic cry and plead to a higher power, I at once felt the pull away and towards simultaneously. I wanted to make something that responded to the emotion behind the song, but not directly reference and play on the spoken words. Something that was spiritual, cosmic and altogether otherworldly, but not biblical.

The pitch came from that deep dark place where you go into late at night, half asleep, when your dog turns into corn-on-the-cob and you smear butter on your hermaphroditic college professor's ear lobe, yelling: Pompano!

The central phrase in the song is, "what does it mean to be here?" At the time Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia was on constant rotation inside my brain. I had revisted it recently and I got really into the interplay between Warren Oates and Garcia's head, and I thought, what happens if you take it one step further. What happens if instead of the head being hidden inside of a bag the whole time that it is just out in the open, held up by his hair, and what happens if the head talks back. What happens if the head starts to sing.

I knew that I would run the risk of being morbid and grotesque, but I wanted to try and do something different, to treat the gore, the blood, the inevitable accoutrements of any good decapitated head scene as their own sculpture pieces, going less for authentic, believable effects, but those that look fake, that have a sense of artifice, so that the viewer can look at it as a creation, rather than actually believing that they are looking at "real blood" (if the viewer could ever actually believe that their was real blood coming out of a singing decapitated head).

Panoptic is a directors collective out of New York. I had worked with previously on This Is Not A Robbery and we decided that we wanted to collaborate on future projects. This seemed to be the perfect project. They have much more experience working with short form, highly graphic work, s**t, they even have a Wu-Tang video to their credit. Gary Breslin, the Creative Director at Panoptic, and I worked together on taking this from the original idea and sculpting it out into a complete piece, working out how we were going to mesh the computer effects work with the sets, and real-life effects et al, and then implementing then into all of the insanity.

How did you make these crazy images jump from your brain onto my TV screen?
Through a combination of coffee grinds, coconut milk and sunrise mart, we spent hours and hours and hours, first building our miniature sets (which were the background projections behind almost every image in the video. We created 4 dioramas, each representing a different season, and then built a jury-rigged dolly contraption that we could push our 16mm Bolex camera into. What we then captured on those cameras we transfered and using a rear projection screen (20' x 20' in dimensions), we used as our backgrounds during our main shoot with the band.

But beyond that we did so much detail work between blue screen suits, background plates, shooting things underwater, CG seeds... that I could go on and on and on forever about all of this.

Are you from the future?
I am from the future. About two minutes in the future. There's no real benefit, except that I'm usually a little bit early to most of my meetings.

Did it cost you over one million dollars?
Nearly, you just have to subtract one million dollars from that amount.

Kanye West posted the video and several stills from it on his blog and called it "beautiful". Did you give him permission to do so? If not, do you have any plans to sue him?
I didn't. I only gave him permission to use "lovely" "darling" "neato" and "ass-tastical." But actually, I am honored to have Kanye blogging the video. I've been listening to beats that Kanye's laid for Jay-Z tracks for years. I think the guy has great taste.
So, I might hold off on suing, for now.

Your feature-length documentary, This Is Not a Robbery, screened at the Indie Memphis Film Festival last month and you won the audience award. Wouldn't it make more sense to go to Cannes instead?
Cannes is far away and they have less quality BBQ restaurants, so, you know, we do what's best for the film.

Do you have any advice?
Advice? General Advice? Well, my dad always says drink lots of fluids and take twice the prescribed amount of Advil, other than that: eat well, when you can, read The Savage Detectives, and watch F is for Fake.

Do you have any other future plans, beyond continuing to breathe?
That phrasing makes it sound like: do I have any plans after I'm dead? The answer is YES! Most of my plans are for after I'm dead. I'm going to have my estate left to a one armed eunuch who will take half and dedicate it to collecting the most extensive Vintage Dolce and Gabana wardrobe (all personally tailored), and the other half to building the largest telescope/slide whistle.

As for while I'm living: I'm currently directing a documentary. So check that out in February 2010; it will be a balls out, irony filled psychedelic sports phantasy.

There are more projects that are too top secret to let loose, but keep your eyeholes peeled...


EDITOR'S NOTE: Both Russ Pollard and Warren Oates are natives of Louisville, KY. Neat!