Don't you hate it when some smarmy, know-it-all, wannabe music writer declares an artist “the next big thing”? Yeah, me too. But guess what—there is a band out there that deserves that epithet, and their name is The Whiskey Saints!
Yep, I run the serious risk of being lumped in with all those other writers who perpetually blast hot air without knowing what they're talking about. But this L.A. band has the musical chops and songwriting skills to actually make me look like I know what I'm talking about. See how easy it is? Find a great band, tell the truth about them, and you look like a genius!
The Whiskey Saints are based in Los Angeles, and have just released their second album, 24 Hours. And it's a good one. The yearning songs are too loud to be true Americana, and too rootsy to be pure alternative. So as one of the Davids (Bloomfield) told me, “we're just a rock and roll band”. Sure. And Recharged Radio just plays music.
The band is made up of David Sparrow on lead vocals, guitar, and piano, and David Bloomfield on lead guitar. Jeff Bell plays drums and percussion, and Rob Hughes plays bass and adds some vocals. The aforementioned two Davids have been the principal songwriting team, and Rob's songs have started to show up in the band's repertoire. And what a sound. It's big, yet intimate at the same time. Who do they sound like? I don't know—perhaps if the members of U2, Coldplay, and Uncle Tupelo got into a nasty barroom brawl, and somehow all ended up friends, you might approximate The Whiskey Saints. They've been together for about six years, and have locked in on that perfect chemistry that makes for a tight sound and near-psychic knowledge of what should come next musically.
These guys have been tearing up the L.A. music scene, playing local gigs everywhere they can. But remember—when you're talking about L.A., it's a whole other level. “Local gigs” mean world-famous venues such as the appropriately-named Whiskey A Go Go, The Viper Room, and Molly Malone's. The Viper Room is where their CD release party was held, to great fanfare. And when you're in L.A., you're going to get noticed. You're under the microscope.
They've been getting a lot of well-deserved attention. The songs are exciting vehicles for their stellar songwriting. There is a really cool (and slightly scary) video for their first single “Before My Time”. It's really well done, and pushes a great song idea to the extreme (view it on the home page of their website, www.thewhiskeysaints.com).
Despite all the attention, these four really strong musicians remain humble about it all. You'll hear that come through in the interview this week, and it's a pleasure when talented guys such as these are down to earth. They're great guys, and deserve your support, and you'll meet them and hear a few of their songs on this week's California Diner.
www.thewhiskeysaints.com
If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
Beth Thornley - Wash U Clean
The Smith Bros - Kerrie Anne
EyeWood - Lawyers and Liars
Baby Scream - Suddenly
Lannie Flowers - Circles
Jonny Cola & The A-Grades - Postcode Wars
The Pilgrims - Whole Level Down
The G-Men - The Best I Can
Vegas With Randolph - Above The Blue
The Whiskey Saints Interview
The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing
The Whiskey Saints – Before My Time
The Whiskey Saints – Always In My Heart
Todd Dillingham - Crimson Spires
Corner Laughers - The Red Queen
Isaac's Aircraft - My Baby Did Me Wrong
Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up
Maxi Dunn - How Was I To Know
Kaz Murphy - Waitin' On Elvis
Nushu - Here's To Feeling Free
The Britannicas - Bleed Between The Lines
Bill Mumy - Rely On That
Laurie Biagini - Ridin' The Wave
Chad Neaves - Something In My Soul
Lindy LaFontaine - Free To Breathe
Debora Iyall - Bring It
The Dashing Suns - Sally Moore
Maple Mars - Borrowed Sunshine
Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures
This week's show brings a very special guest: Liverpool singer/songwriter/musician/producer/engineer Joe Symes. A man with all these slashes has got to be good—and he is!
Joe is the epitome of the DIY spirit. He's been in bands, but out of necessity, he's currently doing the whole thing himself. He'll get an idea in his head, grab whatever musical instrument is nearby—and for him, that could be anything from guitar, bass, drums, or even a pair of spoons—and turn it into a song. Then he records it all using a plethora of vintage instruments and amps, multitracks it, and voila—another nugget comes alive!
The music he makes is straight up rock. And I know that the “kids” these days (read: people younger than me, and that number seems to be growing by the minute) refer to “rock” as loud, hard, metal-type music. But there was a time when rock, was, well, rock! Think U2, or somebody like that who can fill an arena. That's my definition of rock. And Joe goes for the big sound, and pulls it off nicely. His songs are exciting, and grab you from the get-go.
Joe is well-schooled in the art form. When I asked him about some of his biggest influences, he named lots of the greats—but his #1 (and #2, #3, and #4) choice was the Beatles. Many musicians pick the Fab Four, but Joe has studied them ever since he was a small child. To him, their history is living and breathing all around him in Liverpool. The clubs where they played (and he's played). Their homes, schools, and hangouts. He makes a point of respecting the diversity of their different musical phases. He doesn't really sound that much like them, but he's learned from their work ethic and pushing of boundaries. Other great influences include the Doors and the great acts of Motown.
At this point, he's playing solo acoustic gigs, like he did recently at the IPO (International Pop Overthrow) festival in Liverpool in May. He somehow manages to translate the big sound to acoustic guitar, and makes it work. I haven't yet heard what this sounds like, but it must be good, because he keeps getting gigs booked all over the northern UK.
If Joe Symes doesn't succeed, it won't be for lack of trying. He's constantly working—long nights creating new music, even longer nights networking and promoting said new music, and playing gig after gig after gig. Don't worry—I'm confident he will succeed! We'll get to hear three of his songs this week during our chat, and you'll see what I mean.
www.reverbnation.com/1joesymes
It was my privilege to submit a track to this month's “That Time of the Month”, Pete Renzullo's show where you get to vote on one of five stellar songs, submitted by Recharged Radio presenters. And what a stellar track! Blake Jones and the Trike Shop are a “mad pop” band from Fresno, California. You might think nothing is happening in Fresno. And you'd be wrong. There is a blooming music scene in this arid Central California city that 110 degree summer heat can't keep down. And at the core of it all are the Trike Shop.
The song that we've hand picked for you this month is called Sun Up. It's marvelous jangle-pop, that makes you think of all that is good about spring and summer. Kids and adults out on the streets. Scooters. Bicycles. Ice cream. Fireworks. The sprinklers going. And since this show first airs a few hours after the summer solstice, what a fine way to celebrate! Blake Jones and the guys just came back from a tour of the UK, to share their wonderful music with the folks who know a little something about good pop music. They even played at the aforementioned IPO in Liverpool.
If you like what you hear, please go to the “Vote” link on the right column of the home page of www.rechargedradio.com, and vote for Blake Jones and the Trike Shop's song Sun Up. It's a great song, and deserves your vote!
www.blakejonesmusic.com
If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
Terese Taylor - Hermit
Allan Price - Here I Go Again
Last Breath - The Story Ends
Thinking For Tuesday - Falling
Allen - Hold Me Tight
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up
Kamp David - Red Hotel
Rose Reiter - Wherever
Joe Symes Interview
Joe Symes – One Too Many
Joe Symes – Hopeful Hearts
Joe Symes – Lost Along The Way
The Whiskey Saints - Every Little Thing
Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV
Anton Barbeau - Fuzzchild
Joseph Swidenbank - Empty Handed
Persian Rugs - Always All
Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel
Maxi Dunn/Elizabeth Racz - Why
The Decibels - Raining in My Head
Jerzey Street Band - Pale Blue River
Baby Scream - The Ghost Of Valerie
Fortune Dwellers - Al's Song
Karim Fanous - Thin Bits
Sarah Taylor - Easy To Forget
Sal Valentino - Looking For You
Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Alizee
Nelson Bragg - Tell Me I'm Wrong
This week, on the California Diner, the theme writes itself. I swear, sometimes these shows have a mind (and a central nervous system) of their own. I'm just the lucky guy who gets to spin 33 amazing songs for you in a mere two hours.
And the theme that emerged out of the abyss: Love and Flowers! Two great concepts that go together. And I didn't even think about it until putting the show together!
We'll start off the show with the Flowers portion. This show marks the Recharged Radio debut of Lannie Flowers, a Texas-based singer-songwriter, who makes some sweet power pop. Lannie keeps the genre alive well into the second decade of the 21st century. The song we're going to feature comes off of his Circles album, and you'll be impressed by the sense of urgency that you'll feel from the first note!
www.lannieflowers.com
We've had the legendary Patrick Campbell-Lyons on the show before. And this master of 1960's (and 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and 10's) psychedelia proves that his genre is still a vital art form as well. He truly is one of the founding fathers of this style of music. We'll hear flower-related song from his recent solo effort The 13 Dalis. Flower Power lives!
www.psychedelicdays.com
The Love portion of our show features three songs in a row, all having to do with various aspects of the best four letter word in the English language.
If you've listened to my shows over the last few months, it's pretty hard to get me to stop babbling on about Lindy LaFontaine. But her music bears repeated listening—the perfect combination of a finely-tuned singing voice and dramatic, well-crafted songs to showcase that voice. The song I'm going to play for you this week has to do with love—the uncertainty of it all.
www.lindylafontaine.com
Jeff Merchant is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. His quirky, sophisticated pop sounds are character studies in urban life. The previous album Window Rolled Down and his current album City Makes No Sound are like audio paintings of life in the big city, with its millions of stories. The song we'll hear on this week's show is a psychedelic feast for the ears. On the surface, it's urging you to be good to yourself, to love yourself, but there are some scary underpinnings. A deep song, to be sure.
www.jeffmerchantmusic.com
Sal Valentino is another legend who we've recently had on the show. The leader of the Beau Brummels has had a great solo career. His most recent album Dreamin' Man is a great set of pop songs, many of which have to do with love. He and musical collaborator John Blakeley put together some really tasty tunes. Sal sings with conviction, and you can hear the absolute humanity in his voice, while John backs him with some of the most elegant, listenable guitar and mandolin licks I've heard in a long while. And yes, this song of Sal's is so much about love, it's even in the title!
www.gragroup.com/valentino.html
If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
Patrick Campbell-Lyons - Flowers For Friday
Lannie Flowers - Circles
Beth Thornley - You're So Pony
Ornery Little Darlings - Run From the Gun
Laurie Biagini - You're A Dangerous Thing
Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up
The Taters - Going Over The Hill
Vegas With Randolph - Summertime
F.O.O.S. (Four Out Of Seven) - Dedicated To A Dead Cat
Melissa Phillips - So Young
Maple Mars - Add The Numbers
Heiskell - The Chubby Guy Song
Popdudes - Neglected
Joe Symes - Lost Along The Way
Chad Neaves - Wonderful Day
Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre - West Coast East Coast
Rich McCulley - Far From My Angel
Snow Byrds - Master Of Ceremonies
Lindy LaFontaine - I Might Not Love You
Jeff Merchant - Love Yourself Away
Sal Valentino - Lovin' Fallin'
Exotica - All Your Goodbyes
Dead Heart Bloom - Sentimental Cures
Maxi Dunn - Don't Look Back
Agony Aunts - Me Being Maximum
Baby Scream - Suddenly
Duncan Faure - Man Of A Thousand Dreams
Allyson Seconds - Dig My Pig
Nushu - Synthia
Tom Alford - What Could Have Been
Dennis Holseybrook - Take Care My Friend
June & The Exit Wounds - Idly By
Well, everybody knows that I love my music just a little bit different, except when I don't! In other words, I'll take my rock straight up, but with a twist!
On this week's California Diner, I feature three tracks that I've never before played on the show, and boy, are they different! And that's a good thing.
EyeWood, a band that hails from Sweden, sound more American than Scandinavian. I'm not complaining. They just released a high-powered song about a high-powered lawyer—and lyrically, pretty much nailed the sleazy stereotype. The music moves like a '77 Camaro at 2:00 a.m. on the Hollywood Freeway. This song is quite a workout. By the time this is done, you're ready to take off your pinstripe suit, put on your smoking jacket, and grab a martini. You'll just have to hear what I mean. Well done, guys!
www.myspace.com/eyewoodrocks
Mad Mush is a London-based band that, in their own words, have “the spirituality that The Clash lacked, and the punk rock that U2 lacked, and a bunch of songs that would have made it onto both London Calling and Joshua Tree”. They also describe their sound as “bittersweet riot-pop”. The track we're going to feature this week absolutely had me jumping, heart racing, the whole bit. In and out in 2:15, like a roaring fast, zooming ride at your favorite theme park, but without all the long lines that you usually have to suffer through. You'll love it, and probably wish I played it twice!
www.myspace.com/madmush/music
Lastly, I couldn't resist introducing a 10 year old track into our quirky mix. Sexfresh was a band that featured the strong singing and songwriting talents of Emily Zuzik and Ben Ratliff, who came together in San Francisco to produce an absolutely sublime album called Vacancy. Anybody who self-describes their sound as “alternative/folk rock/surf” has got my vote! I've played their music before, but I'm debuting one of their more unusual tracks this week. Picture surf meets mariachi meets Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone soundtrack, with bleak lyrical content. Ben takes lead vocals on this one, and it's absolutely mesmerizing!
www.myspace.com/sexfresh
I'm sure some of the other tunes we're featuring could be considered quirky. But these three tracks are standouts.
If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com.
This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com.
See you then!
Chef Mike
mike(at)rechargedradio.com
MN2BDNC
Sexfresh – Love Ration
Mad Mush - Silent Snowfall
Debora Iyall - Be My Last
Sound Sessions - Be My Shaper
Kaz Murphy - Below The Skin
Katelyn Berreth - The Reason I Am Lonely Cha Cha Cha
Cult of Wedge - Uprising
Mad Tea Party - Found A Reason
Roms - Cant Stop the Sound
Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend
Twyman/Baird - Repeat Of Tomorrow
Rose Reiter - Where You Are
Joey Oskys - In This Town
Maxi Dunn - Seattle In The Sun
Kamp David - Red Hotel
Nelson Bragg - Forever Days
Duncan Faure - Nightfall
Sarah Stanley - Not Gonna Leave
Skarlett Riot - Take It All
Dave Stephens - You Are Mine, I Am Yours
Imani Hekima - Nothing's What It Seems
Laurie Larson - Endless Thank You Loop
Tom Alford - Shiloh
Last Breath - Drive All Night
Isaac's Aircraft - My Baby Did Me Wrong
Lindy LaFontaine (with KYRO) - Harmonics
Rob One - Flames
Laurie Biagini - A Face In The Crowd
EyeWood - Lawyers and Liars
Little Guilt Shrine - One Two
Wim Oudijk - Love You. Period!
