GO WEST: THE BOSS MUSTANGS

The Richter Scale reported that the west side of Michigan felt a rare 4.2 earthquake Saturday afternoon as The Boss Mustangs threw down their final show in Hudsonville, MI. Coincidence? I think not. These fuzzy fellas have been kicking down some of the most powerful live sets that you have ever seen, and why not go out with a literal earthquake that was felt throughout the Midwest?

Formed by Mastermind and exceptionally talented guitarist/songwriter Mickey Catalina in 2009, The Boss Mustangs released their self titled debut album on Spinout Records in 2011 (and an extended release on Rotoscope Records in 2013).

Like many bands, they had some line-up changes.  I have only seen their current four piece; Dan Cadillac (vocals), Mickey Catalina (guitar), Hyde DeSoto (bass), J. Edsel Hoover (drums).

I was a bit late to the game.  I discovered these guys in late 2011.  Ann Arbor and pockets of SE Michigan had just been through a very dark period.  The asexual indie rock/folk scene dominated all areas of the country, and Ann Arbor/SE Michigan was not excluded.  I stopped going to live shows, as they turned into one big snoozefest after another.

I lost faith and like so many other music enthusiasts, I needed something to kick my ass all over the place and leave me on my hands and knees, begging for more. In November of 2011, I popped into a really great show at Woodruffs (Ypsilanti) that included Blue Snaggletooth, Lava Moth, Wild Savages and the mighty Boss Mustangs.
 

The Mustangs offered some crazy freak out Rock ‘n’ Roll Garage Punk that we all so desperately needed.  It was love at first sight and sound.

I made the drive out to Beer City Spring Fest in Hudsonville, Michigan on Saturday May 2 to see the final Boss Mustangs show.  The fest was cool. They had a lot of breweries feature tastings of great west side brews including Dark Horse, New Holland, Vaner Mill Ciders, Mitten Brewing Co., and well, as you can imagine, a ton more (see the full list here).

  

The Boss Mustangs kicked things into high gear with “Turn On,” one of their signature tunes that always hook the crowd.  Mickey Catalina may be a clean technical guitarist, but he can get real down and dirty.  His heavy, powerful tone will hit you like a tsunami (check out Catalina's cover of Maggot Brain).  Michigan has some of the finest guitarists this country has to offer, and Catalina stands out as one of the best. 

The original Mustangs line-up had two guitarists, but really now, who needs a second guitar player in the band when Mickey can easily do the job of two men?  He’s incredible to see live and I look forward to the projects he takes on in the future.  Front man Dan Cadillac is quite a vision on stage and has a remarkable vocal range.  He offers straight up Rock ‘n’ Roll swagger with breathtaking waves of Dickie Peterson and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Watch  the Official Video for “Turn On.” 

Moving through the set, they hit on “Burnout” which reminded me of one of the reasons why I love their live shows so much. The rhythm section. The heavy-handed bassist Hyde DeSoto joins forces with their commanding drummer Jason J .Edsel Hoover, delivering an unforgettable pulse to each and every tune.

We can thank these two Rockers for the hip shakin’ grooves that keep us locked into the unrestrained, wild sound that make The Boss Mustangs so appealing. Memorable tunes on their final set list included “Mrs. McKee,” "Hazel Holly,” "No Friend” and in the absolute true to form spirit of the band, they ended the show with a blistering cover of “KOTJ” by The MC5.

Did you hear that? THAT was the sound of my heart breaking. No more Boss Mustangs. Thanks for many years of astounding live performances that left your audiences floored and begging for more. Thanks so much for The Last Hurrah.

Post Mustangs News: Dan Cadillac is actually a superb guitarist in his own rite and has moved on to the Heavy-Psych band Imperial Sun Crusher, with larger than life bassist Hyde DeSoto. They will be coming back into SE Michigan for FuzzFest this June.

Story and Photos by: Theresa Kiefer

J FERNANDEZ PLAYS THE UFO BAR WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH

J Fernandez Announces Dates 
With Unknown Mortal Orchestra

First Single "Read My Mind" on FADER

Debut LP 'Many Levels of Laughter' on Joyful Noise - 6.9

Listen to "Read My Mind" on FADER

Drawing inspiration from the chaos of his neighbourhood in Chicago, the colourful world and imagination of J Fernandez is captured in his debut album Many Levels of Laughter. With lyrics reflecting the profound (emotional mushroom trips), the mundane (dentist visits, board games) and life's other curiosities (sleep apnea, Craigslist encounters), it’s an album steeped in DIY origins, but offers a superior exploration of sound that’s all set to wrap J Fernandez in a far worldlier embrace.

Born to Filipino immigrant parents, J (Justin) Fernandez relocated to the Windy City from his native Little Rock, Arkansas in the early aughts to begin work for the U.S. map company Rand McNally. Spending his spare time navigating his own personal world of musical endeavours, he created three unique and accomplished early EPs Olympic Village, No Luck and Memorize Now that placed him alongside label peers Best Coast, Mount Eerie, and Dirty Beaches whilst winning him praise and comparisons to everyone from Syd Barrett, to Robyn Hitchcock and Ennio Morricone.

Many Levels… was written and recorded in the rudimentary studio in his apartment, situated above a stained glass window workshop run by his nihilistic and elderly Russian landlord in his adopted Humboldt Park neighbourhood - a setting that was filled with his collection of salvaged gear, built up over the years from scouring Craigslist ads from every city he’d visit. “In the summer there are a lot of Puerto Rican parades and festivals in the area which can make recording at home complicated,” admits Fernandez of working through frenzied interruptions via improvised EQ tinkering. “If you isolated any of the vocal tracks from the album, you’d probably hear a bit of that in there... you can probably hear the sound of my landlord working on stained glass in the background.”

Fernandez’s songwriting draws on disparate influences from Terry Riley to the annals of early electronic music, pop and psychedelia, not to mention Can, Yo La Tengo, Jim O’Rourke, Electric Prunes, James Burke’s ‘Connections’, Carl Sagan, Bas Jan Ader, the winter in Chicago, and Adderall. Listen closely to ‘Markers’, you can hear manipulated found sounds of the outside world behind looped Casio keyboards.

Elsewhere the mellow jazzy tones of ‘Filled With Joy’ recall the energy and sonic sound of 90s Argentine band Babasonicos whilst the layers of broken Moog string synthesizer on ‘Apophis’ is played backwards and perhaps hints at a sound of the future. “I dreamed I was floating out of my living room and over the freeway and blood started coming out of my mouth. I woke up and needed a root canal,” he says of ‘Holy Hesitation’.

Enlisting friends Matt Fields (saxophone) and Michael Gillilan (additional drums) to help reinforce Fernandez’s own love and expertise for creating loops, heavily built around Vox Jaguar organ, bright guitar, horns, and tape delay, Through J Fernandez’s precision in mapping a well-trodden DIY path, whether hand-printing artwork cassette tapes or packing up and hitting the road for long drives to play far away shows, what he’s created is a sound that exists well beyond its years, and pushes well beyond the outer limits.

Tour Dates

05.01 Bowery Electirc - New York, NY

05.02 Waking Windows Fest - Winooski, VT

05.05 Al's Bar - Lexington, KY

05.06 UFO Factory - Detroit, MI w/ Fred Thomas

05.07 Bell's Brewery - Kalamazoo, MI

06.04 Lee's Place - Toronto, ON ^

06.05 Pike Room - Pontiac, MI ^

06.06 Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL^

06.08 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN ^

06.09 The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE ^

06.10 The Firebird - St Louis, MO ^

^ w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Tracklist

01. Between The Channels

02. Markers

03. Read My Mind

04. Casual Encounter

05. Filled With Joy

06. Holy Hesitation

07. Souvenirs

08. Apophis

09. Melting Down

Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Soundcloud

Joyful Noise

Contact

Kip Kouri

Kevin Davis

APOCALYPTICA AND THE VAMPS AT ROYAL OAK THEATRE TONIGHT!

 

THIS BAND WAS FANTASTIC!

SCOOTA WARNER NEW RELEASE: VIGNETTES

Skoota Warner

Skoota Warner To Release New Album 'Vignettes' June 23rd 2015

Featuring DJ Logic, C-Rayz Walz, David Fuiczynski, Hot Tuna and More

April 22nd, 2015 - New York, NY - Skoota Warner has been called "The Drummer's Drummer" due to his ability to play anything from ballads to rock, funk to R&B, pop to hip-hop, jazz to blues and everything in-between. All of these influences, and the help of a few good friends, created his new solo album 'Vignettes.' 

The musicians who collaborated in the process are as diverse as one could expect from DJ Logic to Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna who said “Skoota Warner is one of the very best rock drummers I have ever worked with, and I’ve worked with plenty over the last 50 years. Whether Skoota is behind the kit or in front of the band… quite simply, he gets it done… every time!  That’s right… every time! It was an honor for him to ask me to play on his session. I’ll do it again any time!"

Recorded at OWG Studio and Home Studios in New York City ,  ‘Vignettes’ is a collection of songs that Skoota describes as an eclectic mix of rhythms and genres of music that have greatly influenced him:  “It’s a labor of love composed of snippets of everything I love.”  A truly collaborative effort with a diverse group of guests, the album was created both via file sharing and live in the studio.

Also on the record is David Fiuczynski of Screaming Headless Torsos:  “Working with Skoota is an absolute blast!  He plays with this infectious joy and has the greasiest, most beautiful pocket in the business!  As far as I’m concerned, Skoota is the Cadillac of drummers!!!”

Click here to play Man Of Value (Cleared for posting):

After high school Skoota moved to New York City to chase his drumming dreams. He started out as a street musician playing for tips in front of The Plaza Hotel.  Here, he caught the attention of Pepeu Gomes and Baby Consuelo, Brazil’s top pop artists.  At only 18, Skoota left for Brazil where he played gigs with Pepeu and recorded several albums.  

After two years, he returned to New York, sharp from his South American experiences, landing him gigs with blues musicians Johnny Copeland and Johnny Johnson as well as joining the house band for the famed Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night; backing up R & B, Funk, and Hip-Hop talents such as Keith Sweat, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Doug E. Fresh, and Special Ed.  Skoota became known for his impromptu breakbeat rhythms on stage.

In 1989, Omar Hakim, New York’s premier session drummer chose Skoota to be the drummer for hisRhythm Deep Project. “Skoota nails it,” said Hakim. “He’s a Drummer’s Drummer!”

In 1996 Skoota released his first solo record 'NGA Style' on Popular/Radikal Records which charted on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles.  The same year, he and three other friends formed the band Ra, an alternative metal band that saw success with the release of their first EP after WAAF in Boston championed the band by putting their track Do You Call My Name into heavy rotation. This led to their debut album for Univeral Records 'From One' getting to #14 on the Billboard 200 in 2003. 

Since the nineties, Skoota has played for some of the hottest artists of all time - Santana, The B’52's,Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Mary J. Blige, Patrick Stump, the Brecker Brothers, Matisyahu,Yerba Buena and Philippe Saisse. He was also a member of Dave Koz & The Kozmos, the house band for The Emeril Lagasse Show. In 2009, he began touring with Jefferson Airplane founding members, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady of Hot Tuna fame and also currently plays in Cyndi Lauper's band.

Why such a long wait to make another solo album? Skoota explains: "I write music all the time and really missed recording and producing my own songs. I’ve experienced a lot personally and musically over the past twenty years and felt the time was right to put out another CD.  Getting to work with my very talented friends was fantastic and made the project come to life."

 Vignettes Tracklisting:

1. Odyssey 

2.  Man of Value (Feat. C-Rayz Walz and Sahaj Ticotin)

3.  Still in Love (Feat. C-Rayz Walz and Kelli Sae)

4. Deserving Heart (Feat. Kelli Sae)

5. MoBo (Feat. David Fiuczynski, DJ Logic and Kelli Sae)

6. Al and Oscar

7.  U Oughta Know (Feat. Donna Angelle)

8.  U Oughta Jam

9.  Ensemble of ArtJah (Feat. DJ Logic)

10.  B.I.G. C-Rayz (Feat. C-Rayz Walz and DJ Logic)

11. Before I Let Go My Zydeco (Feat. Donna Angelle and Sara Devine)

12.  About This Love (Feat. Kelli Sae)

13.  Changes (Feat. Karen Bernod and Kelli Sae)

14.  Quimfuze (Feat. David Fiuczynski, DJ Logic)

15.  Without a Melody

16.  Nothing Left  (Feat. DJ Logic, C-Rayz Walz and Kelli Sae )

17.  Mo' MoBo (Feat. Hot Tuna)

Website: http://www.skootawarner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skoota.warner
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skootawarner

ALICE COOPER IN DETROIT FOR JOHN VARVATOS GRAND OPENING!

PHOTOS BY JOHN TAVERNIER JR

READ STORY: 

JOHN VARVATOS BRINGS

 ALICE COOPER AND NYC GLAMOR TO DETROIT!

TOSHA OWENS WINS ANOTHER DMA!

What does it mean to be a Detroit Music Award Winner? Having won my 3rd award in the last 2 years I believe I am now qualified to give an answer.

 Anyone with a pulse on the planet knows that Detroit is now and has always been a mecca breeding ground for outstanding world class musicians.  If you don't agree just research any major band of yesteryear and today including all genres and you will find at least one band member that is from the Detroit area. Don't forget to include individual artists (didn't think I needed to mention that but okay) Some 25+ years ago (I don't have exact specifics) someone decided that these musicians deserved to be recognized and celebrated in their home town and thus the Detroit Music Awards was born.  I only learned of these awards about 5 years ago and was surprised to find out that the event had been around for so long.

Not only is it an event that awards musicians for doing great things in music, it is also one of the biggest networking parties of the year for musicians. I have certainly benefitted from each experience since the first time I was nominated in 2012. Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with so many wonderfully talented musicians from the area who are local and national artists.  The experiences, opportunities, and education that I have received and still going through is something you could never find in a book or classroom (although I heavily support proper education).  The greatest feeling I get from it is the amazing respect that most of us have for each other and the musical families that have been created. 

I don't really say much but I wanted to share these thoughts with you.  And, on that note I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to my city, my wonderful musical relationships and to the endless support given to me by all which has allowed me to be a recipient of such an honor and  to be successful doing what I love best....spreading joy through song. I wish all of my fellow musicians here and abroad all the success in your journeys and many blessings along the way.  I only ask that you give thanks and pay it forward.  Blessings to all.

P.S. If you are in the Hamtramck area tonight, you can catch me with one of my bands 'Constant Velocity' at the Fowling Warehouse located at 3901 Christopher st from 9 to 1!  Ciao!!

Tosha

T MONEY GREEN WINS AGAIN!

It was a great night and I knew it would be a great night from the moment I arrived late to a sold out Cliff Bells with a Suge Knight type of door man who kept slamming the door on nominated artists who didn't want to miss the chance at receiving the award and giving their acceptance speech.

When I saw the door being slammed on the head honcho Howard Hertz i knew I'd be in soon and that guy would be tossed out... after 3 minutes we were in.

As I walked in  Isaw my friend and fellow bassist Ralphe Armstrong winning an award then Critical Bill won one next and I was like I want to win one. 

After a few more categories I heard the lady say "for best Urban Musician the winner is T MONEY GREEN" and I was like yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

On to the Fillmore where we were up for Best Urban Recording" with my Home Detroit City.......stay tuned for part 2