matt & kim - 6/12 Majestic

nothing terribly "un-cut(z)" about this

just a post about a band--playing the Detour Rock City Fest this weekend

Matt And Kim

She And Whim

J.Milo

Matt and Kim are sick of disclaimers. Their self-titled '06 debut is a perfectly popping, bluntly straightforward, arms raised, spontaneous shout in the middle of a crowded mall, a release, a fit of harmless spasmodic giggles, a hard-driving dancefest well-aware that 60 percent of its dance-ready audience will simply wiggle gracelessly. But, as singer/keyboardist Matt Johnson says, “I think you couldn’t totally get it unless you had seen us play live — that’s been the consensus that I’ve heard a lot.” Indeed, you can hear or imagine the potential for frenzy — but it was something wholly different to actually feel the sublime, enwrapping electricity caused by their live shows.

The Brooklyn couple (Kim Schifino plays frenetic, charge-leading drums) met at Pratt University as art students collaborating on other projects that led to them forming a music duo. “With low overhead costs” when it came to touring — two people, sparse drum kit, keyboard, boundless energy — they've been dauntlessly touring over the last three years.

Their reputation ripened from their upfront uproar live shows in warehouse basements and kitchens crowded with swarming fans spilling upon each other (and often their instruments). “We got around not because of advertising,” Matt says. “It was just because people would get excited and want to introduce their friends to us, which was an organic way for it to spread.” He admits he scanned iTunes the other day to read comments of their debut — all variations of "this doesn’t do them justice, go see them live" outlooks. “I didn’t want to have a disclaimer anymore,” Matt surmises, agreeing that’s what happened with their latest, which they just finished last week.

As for the title? “I dunno,” he shrugs, “you got any ideas what to call it?” Rest assured, whatever the title (quite possibly Matt and Kim: Can Do), it should be out by September. “Our last recording we spent nine days on, this one we spent like three months on. It’s just the best thing I’ve ever created in my life. It’s finally like what I wish we could have done since square one.” Adding though, that he “still stands behind [Matt and Kim's] songs.”

Matt notes the roots of this infectious craziness (or “what is expected of a Matt and Kim show”) was born from “playing our friends' parties (through ‘04-‘05), at some point we were playing three times in a week and they would be places where people would go to have fun and be that crazy in the first place. I think we’re a pretty good soundtrack to that — just being an upbeat, basic-rhythm-and-melody sorta situation, and we still try whenever we can to do warehouses 'cause we want it to feel like a party, not like: there’s the band on the stage and here’s the crowd, here’s the separation and here’s the bouncers giving you dirty looks.” He adds, “bouncers are my nemesises … nemeses?” Their charismatic personas act as a third instrument.

“Kim and I,” says Matt, “we’re just genuinely excited to play. Even if it was a rough day, when we finally start playing it gets me psyched up. I think people really respond to the honesty — that’s a new kind of connection.”

Matt and Kim • 6/12 • Rock City, Majestic Theatre

ROCK CITY 6/12-13-14

Just trying to situate myself this early summer’s eve, drinking cold coffee and recovering from a strange corporate feeling morning of eating preposterous muffins that were wasted on nurses and janitors who were all burping nervous greetings at each other and making small talk about their packed fridges inside of their colonial homes, killing time before the brain washing motivational seminar started.

Rock City couldn’t have come at a better time. Here we all are – some of us reeling from the plagued economy, some of us ready to go off the grid and ride bikes forever, some of us stressed about our day jobs

And here we are, as provided by the most reliable locally based online music and entertainment magazine, Detour, it’s 3 days of non-stop music in a relatively contained area, inside the Majestic Theatre complex, with some of it traipsing down Warren Ave. past Wayne State and into the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit.

It’s the typical blogger play, at this point, to give his/her “picks” and single out a few bands.

but just go here for the full schedule.

Instead of me singling out bands I’d rather just bask in the gloriously overwhelming amplitude of the event – the balance is commendable – Detour’s done well to balance it out so that you can guzzle it all in and gorge yourself, or just pick and choose, come and go, listen and leave, throw a dart on the wall to decide your destination and time and you’ll still probably find something interesting that you’ll be into: with eccentric experimental pop acts like Marco Polio and the New Vaccines, Sex Ghost, and Prussia playing early slots, alongside pop acts like The Decks or Tigercity …

well, I’m under-cutting myself and making picks. Oh well. Kiddo is coming back. I love F’ke Blood. The Apes will be in town! The Terrible Twos are on the cover of Real Detroit this week. The motherfucking Death Set leads into The Dead Bodies! And you know it’s a ridiculously packed line up when the Silent Years are playing at 1:40 PM in the AFTERNOON.

One day passes are $20. Weekend passes are $30!
Exorcise the apocalyptic drudge of your day jobs and basic cable television. Let’s all get in front of loud amps and yell greetings into our steadily dying ear drums.

Message from the CAID - about Tonight (6/6)

Free 24/7 event at CAID - free and open to public - pass it on

Friday at midnight CAID will open its doors to the public beginning with a special DJ event (Jay from Art Fag, Inc., Baby Joseph from Disco Night and Platinum Detroit) and a viewing of the Eco Village exhibition (sponsored by the City of Detroit) and remain open until Saturday, June 14 at midnight. This special event will feature various programs including lectures, drawing classes, concerts, camping and more. The 8 day 24 hour always open event will be free and open to the public with the exception of the last few hours for the Rock City Festival on Saturday, June 14.This is a free event but donations will be accepted to help victims of the CAID Raid to cover impound fees and any other costs associated with the May 31st police shake down.

All funds raised from this "always open" event will go directly to assist our members who received tickets on May 31st and experienced serious civil rights violations. All of the staff, DJs, artists, musicians, lecturers and art instructors will be volunteering their time and talents to help make this event a meaningful one for everyone. If you would like to volunteer please contact us at 313.899.2243 ext 151 or info@thecaid.orgWe plan to serve as a beacon for the next 8 days for anyone who wants to celebrate life and the power of the human spirit in all of its creative and curious wonder.

BTW, the following is prohibited and will not be admitted in the gallery:GamblingIllegal DrugsAlcoholFirearmsProstitutionCAID will be admitting dancing as part of a larger artistic performance piece that we hope everyone will participate in. We will be showing the movie Footloose on the large screen outside all night.

For those who would like to camp out over night anytime during the 24/7 day event we welcome you to bring your tents and pitch them in the back yard.

Free stuff: CAID will be providing free barbeque tomorrow and select days during the week, along with free "CAID Raid 2008 Survivor" t-shirts for those who have a ticket from the May 31st CAID Raid. Bring the ticket or a copy of the ticket and your ID. If you would like the barbeque brothers to grill something from your fridge please bring it along and they will be happy to do so compliments of the larger cause.CAID welcomes any bands or performance artists to schedule a day or evening to perform live on stage during this event.

There are many hours in a day and many more in a week so if you want to be part of this artistic event please contact at info@thecaid.orgWe welcome anyone to bring in video or photographic equipment to document this 24 hour 8 day event.Yours in art and creative expression,Aaron Timlin & the entire CAID family

Dancing and hula hooping in the streets is permitted but at your own risk.

Marco Polio and the New Vaccines / The Ruiners

Just posting quickly before I head off to a day-job.





Two local bands I'm currently digging (that would be worth your while to check out at their myspace's) are the electro-shock-pop-spazz-dance (with a bit of ambient and human-beat-box) of Marco Polio and the New Vaccines, playing the Garden Bowl (under the Magic Stick) on June 12 as part of Detour's music fest. (check Dance with Nobility)








(photo by Miss N)






















Then there's the imfamous, legendary, frightening, gloirous Ruiners! (Un Cutz interview coming up soon.) Check out their grooving, feedback heavy psyche-pop at the Fiberglass Freakout! At the Bohemian National Home, June 21st. (check: Bee Stung)



















(photo by Amanda Zee)

CAID and the Information Age

Such a rabble-rousing, cluster-fuck of information - be it credible or factual or just heated hearsay and angry rants...One thing's for sure, this whole CAID "incident" and the blog storm that followed has sufficiently impressed upon me the new re-definition of journalism in this personal-computer-age. Blogs, essentially, are still treated (even forgiven) as being mostly diary-type declarations...so they are held to no standards. If someone really wanted to, they could have left the CAID that night/morning and posted something at 5 a.m.

It could simply be venom for the police response, toward the SWAT team storming in, angrily questioning the fairness of towing 44 cars at expense of $900. But it might be short on other facts - but...then, I'll save my blog indictments for another day, (yes, I know, this is also technically a blog.)

2nd Deptuy Chief James Tate, with the Detroit Police Department's Office of Public Information said that though this raid must have certainly been shocking to a lot of those in attendance (50 of the 130 were age 18-21) that it was standard procedure. "In the state of Michigan," said Tate, "the limit for serving alcohol is 2 o'clock, that's the law and there's nothing we can do. As far as making people get on the ground, that's how raids go. You don't know go in and say please, excuse me, you don't know out of those 130 people who has the gun, who has the knife."

Tate said he had been on raids before, and as it was described to him, he echoed that it sounded standard. Those patrons in attendance still take issue with how smoothly it was handled. Also, no guns, or knives were found on the patrons.

Tate said, thankfully, that no one was hurt. "Unfortunately, a lot of good kids just came to have fun and got caught up."

The issue is still pending, and out of respect for my friends involved - for specific legal reasons, I won't be saying much more on the subject. (For now, anyway.) Check the Free Press for more updates and go to http://www.thecaid.org/ for more information regarding the gallery and upcoming events.

Millions of Brazilians - Friday at the Lager House

Moving on from the still-heated discussion over the CAID-RAID..., we've got a great weekend of shows coming up here in Detroit.

Of course the Raconteurs are playing sold out show(s) this weekend at the Fillmore Theatre, but if you're looking for something a bit more intimate, a bit more heartfelt, and just as intense-- there's a spectacular line-up at the Lager House, featuring Stare Into The Sun, The Hadituptoheres, North Pilot (from Chicago), DJ Grand Dad Crunk and Deep Cutz' latest dig--the hard-shredding guitar-heavy post-punk rock of Millions of Brazilians.

Millions of Brazillians have a hard, booming sound, a rough, pushy rock and pop vibe pulling as much inspiration from Stevie Wonder as it does Fugazi. The trio, Nick and brothers Zoz and Derek, prove that power trios can exist without a bass player – and that it adds to versatility; says Zoz, “We found that working out the problems of not having [a bass player] made for a more interesting writing process,” adding that other influences include Marvin Gaye for Nick, Jonny Greenwood for Derek and Interpol for Zoz. Piston-pumping-percussions, a low buzzing, wide swaying guitar hooks like unforgiving rapids under a cutting-toned lead that shrieks and wails into beautifully caustic solos.

The band formed in summer 07, starting out “as a tongue and cheek type rock band” but soon becoming something more serious, if still freewheeling. Zoz and Derek had played in bands through high school but hadn’t yet collaborated with Nick.

The trio recorded an EP’s worth of material with exceptional aid of Eric Hoegemeyer at Tempermill and will record 3 more with The Clapp’s Daniel Johnson. They hope to have an EP in August. “Hopefully putting this in writing will hold us to it,” surmised Zoz. See them Friday at the Lager House.

Here's the Un-Cutz interview:

dc: ...starting with, just how the band started?

zoz: the band came together late late last summer. it started out as a tongue and cheek type rock band w/ my brother singing. (derek and i have been in bands together since we were in high school, but we took about a 4 year hiatus until last summer.) my brother came to one practice and that was it. i had never really met nick before, we were always in the same place, but never really talked. anyway, he came in wearing an all white outfit, mustache and red headband. i knew we had something right there. we then didn't do anything until late fall, and pretty much played our first show after only a few practices. i think our first show at the lager we played 4 songs...maybe 5

dc: influences?

zoz: nicky sings a ton of falsetto stuff and derives a lot of it from motown: stevie wonder, al green, marvin gaye, etc...derek has always obsessed over johnny greenwood and the eels. the odd part is, we never wanted a bass player, we found that working out the problems of not having one made for a more interesting writing process...i bite a lot of my style from interpol, fugazi and bloc party.

dc: where's the name come from?

zoz: honestly, i don't even know how i thought of the name. super drunk night w/ my brother patryk watching 3 sheets is all i recall.

dc: what's the scoop on recordings or future recordings?

zoz: we've recorded 5 songs at rustbelt, with eric hoegemeyer, who is so amazing. we are going to do 3 more with daniel johnson (the clapp) and we still have two more that we are working on. we hope to record the next batch of songs in early june.

dc: future plans?

zoz: future plans include buying a van and trailer in the upcoming weeks. getting t-shirts and album art done, recording the new tracks and getting the EP pressed. we're hoping to have an EP release by early august. hopefully, putting this in writing will hold us to it.

6/6 - Lager House

The CAID story - 3 days after...

A lot has been said already – blog postings spread like brush fire through Saturday and Sunday. There's arguments on both sides: one – illegal is illegal; the CAID's ability to stay open past 2:30 a.m. and to sell alcohol (even if it is for donations) is questionable – vs. two – this was excessive force, a cash-grab by the city and it terrorized a group of largely 18-21 year olds who were gathered here out of best intentions for revitalizing a city that they constantly hear their grandparents (from an era before 1967) glorify. They want to bring that back – and yet, as CAID Director Aaron Timlin said, they just ruined that for these kids.



What I've gathered here is snippets from some of the more potent postings over the last few days – as well as an interview with Timlin. Full disclosure, I was not there for the "Raid" itself, but I got there a half-hour afterward to help drive friends home. Every last Friday of the month, the CAID hosts Funk Night, a DJ'ed dance party from midnight to 5 a.m., featuring rare funk 45's all night. It was raided at 2:30 a.m. Saturday (5/31) morning by 20-30 Detroit police officers, dressed in all black, from the Vice Squad, the culmination of an undercover investigation citing drugs on the premises. (Maybe a joint or two amongst the 100 in attendance.) By night's end, at least 50 cars were towed away with a $900 ticket. The argument being, cryptically, that "we don't want them to come back here." (paraphrased)



Those not so much defending the cops as indicting the CAID's arguments have emphasized that it is illegal to sell alcohol without a license (436.1901 Michigan Liquor Control Code.) Apparently, it would have been legal to have a gathering in this unlicensed place with everyone drinking had their been no charge at the door or for alcohol.


The CAID has not been charged with anything as of yet - regardless, Timlin said what concerned him were potentially serious civil rights violations committed by the police. "This is a larger issue then an alleged 'Blind Pig' being raided," said Timlin, "this is about the healing spirit of Detroit being beaten down once again and a hundred innocent people and members of the CAID given a clear and violent “not welcome here” message. The years of complacency is coming to an end. Today at least 100 youths are standing up for their civil rights. It's been 40 years and the time has come for this generation to stand up and make a positive change."

Writing on a blog post, Drew from the Questions said: "It's one thing to make a drug raid or a Minor In Possession bust--but an entirely different matter when it comes to hand cuffing, arresting, and seizing personal properties from law abiding adults for dancing and drinking at a private affair on a Friday night in the warm Spring America. Law abiding citizens were beaten, intimidated, arrested, and held without cause for several hours before learning that ALL of their cars would be towed to the tune of some $900.00 impound fee."



Other arguments have been that the CAID had this coming – that they were playing with fire.



But this is bigger than what the venue did wrong, said Timlin, "we're [CAD] trying to bring something back, by any means possible [to Detroit] that it's healthy and creative renewal to the city. What they just did to these fragile kids, who are trying to go against 40 years of this impression of Detroit, with the riots, with what their parents and grandparents had to deal with, trying to come back to a city where their grandparents have been talking about..." referencing this new generation trying to make the city their own, "…and how they just had their first shotgun pointed in their face and told to shut the fuck up and 'don't even ask me my badge number or you're gonna be handcuffed,' that's ridiculous."






















Aaron said a mother of one of those in attendance called up the CAID, afterward, during gallery hours. "She said, 'my daughter, she kept talking about this Caid place, it's late at night, and she's going up to Detroit and I didn't know what to think about it, then she kept coming back and bringing more friends and they would talk about it and they're parents would talk to me about it and it just seemed like a really nice place to get our kids back to Detroit and to think positively about things and then the cops come in and do this, and we just had a meeting…we're gonna sue the city.' They got all the parents together and said, No, it's not about focusing on the CAID, it's about what the city did."



More from Drew: "During this criminal attack on the CAID's legendary and socially important "Funk Night", people were lined up against the walls, physically and verbally abused, had their personal belongings seized and stolen by the offending officers, were threatened with gun violence, mocked, and eventually cut loose in the middle of Detroit with no transportation to get back to their homes--They were frightened, confused, intimidated, and flat-out violated by these goddamned fascist monsters! How can they do this and seriously think it's going to fly with the American judicial system?I mean, this is a serious fucking matter and needs to be addressed with an aggressive action to put a stop to this kind of "Police State" "anything goes" mentality that exists right now in the police departments."



Other arguments say that the CAID was always sketchy, or that, as said before, it somehow "had it coming" or whatever. But is this not excessive? Perhaps the indicters could argue that they were making an example? (Or using these kids as guinea pigs for a bigger SWAT run in the future?)



Timlin, speaking with a lawyer for the CAID was informed that "you can only tow a car when somebody has drugs, or they are actually involved in a crime of prostitution or drug trafficking. Most everyone's tickets are for loitering violations and they're loitering and they're not contributing to a crime!" (The cops, one of whom was reported to have joked??—that, "We're doing this for Kwame," had also said that to Timlin a variation of "We have to tow everyone's car, because if not that shows favoritism."



50-100 cars, at $900 a ticket…for a dance party with a bunch of 21-year-olds.



"Why would I do this other than I really believe that there's a possibility here to make this a better place?" said Timlin. "They just ruined that possibility – but they only ruined it if we subscribe to the fear!" (As he and Drew echoed, this is about controlling people, through fear.)



"What we need to do is, just have this huge event at the CAID and make sure it's just dry, no alcohol, no drugs, and we'll all drive there, and have them come if they want to. But this time we're standing up against it."



Timlin said his brother was outside at 2:15 a.m., before it happened. "He was outside and people were singing a song together, something like Kumbaya or something, a song that everyone could sing together and people were dancing inside. And he was walking back inside the CAID, while there were people singing together, in unison behind him, people that don't even know each other, and he thought, Man, this is so awesome! And then…boom."



In closing, Drew wrote: This matter is pending...POWER TO THE PEOPLE (especially those who just want to dance together)

Find each other – join together.



Further reading on the issue:


http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/5/141046.html?1212445731


or


http://jasper.webvomit.com/?p=1598

PJ and PJ's Lager House

Deep Cutz: PJ's Lager House

Drive down to the bottom of Detroit’s spider-web, just a few blocks north of the river, westward down Michigan Avenue and you come to 1254 – the Lager House – currently known as PJ’s Lager House.

I was originally developing a monthly “Venue-Feature” for Deep Cutz in print, where I would simply bring you a bit more of an inside look to the places we’re all going to every weekend to hear loud music, drink copious amounts of beer and yell in each other’s ears. This one didn’t make it past the editors into print, but here’s a look at Mr. PJ Ryder himself, who bought the Lager House and, though the word “re-opened” isn’t entirely appropriate, he did some sort of re-type-job on it…a re-birth? Re-imagining? For starters, he cleaned it up, fixed the roof, re-painted it, took the carpeting out and got a new sound system (all with the help of friends and co-workers.)

The Lager House has a storied history and not just in local rock. (It was considered heir apparent--hot spot after the closing the legendary White-Stripes-stomping-ground: The Gold Dollar, and was the site of many a memorable line ups of its own.) But, since it opened 60 years ago (as a bar/restaurant), it’s been a haven for teamsters, a meeting place for union autoworkers, a hideout for JP Cavanaugh’s political cronies and the launch-pad for many Tigers fans pre-game traditions.

PJ Ryder ran a popular record store in Ann Arbor through the 80’s and up until the early 90’s, when he met his eventual-wife, Donna Terek. Fed up with commuting between Detroit and An Arbor, he gave up management of the record store (which is still there today) and wound up working in Real Estate through the late 90’s (which ended up working out prosperously for him, in terms of the considerably big deals he oversaw.) He bought a “complete wreck” of a house in Indian Village (that he eventually fixed up) where he still lives today.

Fed up with real estate, he decided what he really wanted to do with his life was run a rock n roll bar. So, after shopping around other venues, including Small’s, he bought the Lager House in 2007 and took over management (aided by Karen Davis) last autumn. “I always liked the place,” said PJ, “I liked the vibe, it was a little bit overly funky for my taste, but it was what it was…”

He also enlisted the help of Jeremy Cybulski (from the Beggars) and Carrie Hadler for promotion and booking. “I’m 54 years old and I was outta the music business for 10 years,” said PJ before chuckling, “also…I’m 54 years old! So Karen, who is in her early 30’s and Jeremy who is in his early 30’s and Carrie, she’s in her early 20’s, having some of those people around who should be a little more aware of who’s doing what [in the scene…]”

PJ exudes much gratitude for their help in keeping the music alive at this cherished dive – which, since their massive renovations is no longer a dive – and on top of that, the shows are free.

“First of all, the economy right now really sucks,” said PJ. “It’s like, if you know a band and you like ‘em, you haven’t seen ‘em in a while – you’re gonna say, ‘okay, I’ll pay $5, let’s go see ‘em. But if you don’t know a band, or if you know one band and don’t know the other 2, you might say to yourself, ‘gee, I could go someplace else and spend this money. I’m not paying cover for a band I don’t know.” Free shows = problem solved.

“The newer bands, what happens is that they see the huge increase in the number of people that comes to see them and they also see a significant increase in the amount of money that they make.” (roughly 20% of anybody buying a drink.)

“Bands tend to listen to the people they know – if they don’t know another band they don’t go out and listen to them. If it’s for free they can come out, they can have a $2 Pabst and get to hear a couple bands that they might not have gotten to listen to anyways…”

For the record, however, higher profile bands, or perhaps some bigger touring bands, will have a charge at the door—simply for the sake of controlling potential sell-outs.

The name was changed, slightly, to PJ’s Lager House – simply to make it his own (and, to let it roll off the tongue a bit better.) PJ would never have dreamed of changing the name entirely: “You hear about this tradition…and you don’t want to throw this out.”

Upcoming at the Lager: Millions of Brazilians 6/6; Pussy Pirates 6/14; Mahonies 6/17

www.myspace.com/millionsofbrazilians
www.myspace.com/lagerhouse
www.myspace.com/thepussypirates
www.myspace.com/mahonies

the mahonies

Millions of Brazilians

Light In August - 5/31 at Jacoby's and 6/19 at the Belmont

Light in August

Deep Cutz

Photo by Amy Palomar

Light In August comes out of Royal Oak, making smooth and crisp sounding soul-pop with McCartney-esque narrative vignette lyrics; blending esteemed folk styling (think lush Bryter Layter Nick Drake or maybe Cat Stevens) into stately, shimmering prog-rock interpretations (Sea & Cake’s tight, jazzy swagger, delivered with disarming charisma) marvelous rhythms supplement a dream-pop romanticism melded with pedal-fuzzed spacey-instrumentals.

The band, born from high school collaborations between singer/guitarist Alex Wand, drummer Ian Teeley and bassist Jack Henry, formed properly last summer (07).When, Alex returned from a trip through India/Spain learning sitar and classical guitar, he found, meanwhile, that “Jack was screaming to Ian’s breakdown guitar riffs in the hardcore metal band Cellar Door.”

The sturdy rhythm duo soon paired with Alex’s newly enlightened guitar styles to begin writing as Light in August. (They take their name from a William Faulkner novel; “In the book,” said Alex, “the ‘light’ is a symbol of the new generation. We thought it was a fitting name so we stuck with it.”)

“Since we are all fluent in each other’s instruments,” said Ian, “that makes songwriting more interesting because we constantly exchange ideas for what to play.”
“We are in the middle of recording,” concluded Alex, “our first EP, ‘Places,’ at Rustbelt Studios, which will be released sometime in mid-July.”

See them: 5/31 Jacoby's - 6 /19 – Belmont;
Hear them: www.myspace.com/lightinaugustmusic



And, the uncutz-interview:

firstly, how and when the band came together? how long have you all been playing and how you got into music...?


Alex: Light in August just formed last summer, but we've been playing music together since we were teenagers. In high school, Ian and I played in Astral Plane, which was a progressive rock group influenced by Pink Floyd-esque music. A few years later, Jack was screaming to Ian's breakdown guitar riffs in the hardcore metal band Cellar Door. In college, I had been performing with my acoustic guitar around the coffee shops of Ann Arbor. I also spent time traveling to India where I learned to play the sitar and then living in southern Spain for a year where I studied the classical guitar. Meanwhile, Jack and Ian were playing music under the name The Fuse. When I got back from Spain, we began working together on new material in our hometown Royal Oak and by late summer, started performing as Light in August.


each element, the guitars, the bass, the drums, sound very distinct--i can't pin it down, funk? jazz?--what would you say are some of Light in August’s main influences?


Alex: We all have gone through a lot of music listening phases but some of the bands that are most special to us are the Beatles, Stars, Wilco and Radiohead. Vocally, I look up to folky singers like Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, Bon Iver and Chan Marshall. My guitar playing is influenced by a lot of fingerpicking and classical guitar music. When I was younger, I always used a pick but now after playing the classical guitar I feel much more comfortable just using my fingers.

Ian: As far as drums go, I am heavily influenced by Carter Beauford and Dave Grohl. They are two completely different schools of drumming- the Dave Grohl style is an in-the-pocket, serve the song approach while the Carter Beauford style is more of a 'play around the beat' way of drumming. When both are mixed well, it makes for an effective style that lets the song sound its best.How'd you come to be named thus?


Alex: Before coming up with Light in August, we went through many different band name ideas. One of them that almost made it was 'The New York Times' which was shot down due to the possibility of getting sued (although I though it would actually be pretty cool to be sued by the New York Times). The name Light in August does come from the William Faulkner novel. In the book, the 'light' is a symbol of the new generation. We thought that it was fitting name so we stuck with it. We figured if the band As I Lay Dying can use the title of a Faulkner novel for their name, then so could we.


Light in August


How do you approach songwriting--and how do you feel about instrumental music--as it seems you aren't afraid to shy away from lyric-less formats...

Alex: When we're writing, we always try to do what is best for the song. In Cloudy Beginnings for example, the guitar part was begging for the song to be instrumental so we just kept it that way. In some of our songs (ie. Krishna Consciousness, Ashes), the choruses don't have vocals but we didn't really do that consciously, it just seemed like the most natural way to write them.


Ian: Typically we write as a band. Either I will write a drum part and Alex will find a guitar part that fits to my beat or vise-versa. Since we are all fluent in each other's instruments, that makes songwriting more interesting because we constantly exchange ideas for what to play. As far as instrumental music, we love everything from Steve Vai to Mogwai to Explosions in the Sky. We're definitely not afraid to hold the vocals and let the instruments do all the talking.

Future plans for light in august?

Alex: We are in the middle of recording our first EP entitled "Places" at Rustbelt Studios which will be released sometime in mid-July. Aside from that, our main goals are to be constantly writing new music and playing around as much as we can. Our upcoming shows are at Jacoby's on May 31st, the Belmont on June 19th and the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair on July 18th.



Photos by Amy Palomar

Saturday: Jacoby's: Electric Fire Babies

Cheers to Mr. Handyside at the Metro Times for digging through the white noise of myspace to illuminate the legend of Carjack and provide proper and timely fanfare to a band that's prime to take the city by storm, the Electric Fire Babies. Krautrock, rap, basement-bootyshaking-beats, nihilistic dystopic disertations on "the city" with classic funk guitar chording and speak-sing-howl boy-girl harmonies over devestating techno style synth drum and bass - the result two relentless sound scientists in their own DIY 4-track aesthetics, Lo-fi Bri and Justin Audio's sensibility and musicianship combined with the insuppresible voice (and rhythms) of Miss N. on vocals...this band has hit the ground running...

...and is headlining Jacoby's this Saturday, with comparable darkly electro pop/experimental act Marco Polio and the New Vaccines - and and the thick atmospheric/dance electronica of NikTronic.




and of course, this is still on for Friday...

Pewter Cub (5/31 - Belmont)

Deep Cutz: Pewter Cub

Well, with all the electronic-centered fervor of the upcoming Movement, (do people still call it DEMF? The Electronic music fest here in the heart of Detroit this Memorial Day weekend)…, yes, in the middle of all that coverage, one can still get their lo-fi fuzzy indie-rock kicks by swinging over to Deep Cutz.

(pewter cub)

It's always refreshing to find a band like Pewter Cub, who invoke the stirringly raw and guileless sounding basement-aesthetic that's been hard to come by in post-2000-indie-rock (think early Guided By Voices, a more surfy-Young Marble Giants, or the caustic synth garnish of The Fall), or as singer/guitarist/bassist Regan puts it: "Sonic Youth, Sparks, the Ventures, Wall of Voodoo, the Manchester/Sheffield sounds," (listen: 'Soda Fountain'); "We love John Carpenter's music and films," (listen: 'Werewolf Sleepover'); "The best we can say for our sound is it's kind of torch-song-disco-surf-wave-distortion with a dash of humor." Jangled surf-fuzz with synth/beats, splendid.

With Scott on guitars/bass/vocals, the Hamtramck duo (originally a trio, with friend/drummer Chad) started in August 05 (and have since adapted with a drum machine) and render an eloquent heartfelt fuzz rock, minimalist in its rhythms and straight to the point with its dreamy hooks, brazen sequenced booms, synth buzzes and hypnotic vocals tones. "We'd like to start putting a long-player together soon," said Regan. "What else? Commercial jingles? Vaudeville revues? World domination? We're in talks..."

(visit and listen at: http://www.myspace.com/pewtercub)

See them live at the Belmont, 5/31

Here’s the full un-cut(z) interview:

How did the band start?

Regan/PC: We actually started out as a three-piece with our amazing drummer friend Chad back in August of 2005, just writing and recording in Scott's basement. Chad moved away the following summer, so Scott and I decided to keep going with our trusty friend Dr. Rhythm (i.e. old drum machine)...

How about influences?

PC: We both like a LOT of RANDOM music, so our influences are pretty widespread, some of the majors being: Sonic Youth, Sparks, the Ventures, Wall of Voodoo, the Manchester/Sheffield sounds. we love John Carpenter's music and films. The best we can say for our sound is it's kind of torch-song-disco-surf-wave-distortion with a dash of humor...we don't have a real agenda, we just kind of do what comes out!

How about future plans?

PC: More shows! We've been having a blast playing lately...a tour would be nice. We'd like to start putting a long-player together soon. What else? Commercial jingles? Vaudeville revues? World domination? We're in talks...