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Justin Wade Tam’s fledgling Humming House is an impressive bunch. Sporting an eclectic cast of members with a wide array of folky talents from soulful vocals to mandolin righteousness, Humming House has been impressing crowds with their playful blend of Irish, Americana and country-porch stomp leading up to and since the release of the self-titled 2012 debut record.

Like the band’s polished first two videos for “Gypsy Django” and “Cold Chicago,” the record (produced by Mitch Dane and Vance Powell) showcases Humming House’s propensity for innovation and experimentation as well as thoughtful songwriting.

This year’s Twangfest (running June 6-9) will be Humming House’s St. Louis debut. Those of us that have heard the band are excited and those that haven’t don’t know what kind of an extraordinary sound awaits them. I recently interviewed lead singer/guitarist Justin Wade Tam by phone about the formation of Humming House, songwriting, the contemporary view of Nashville, musical proliferation, live covers and the production of his band’s debut record.

Will Kyle: Can you talk about the jam sessions you hosted that led up to meeting future Humming House band members?

Justin Wade Tam: You’re talking about the Irish nights. On Sunday nights, we would do this thing called “Finnegan’s Folly” on Sunday nights. The story is that my wife did her Master’s in Dublin at Trinity College. She’s sort of Ms. Ireland around here, so we decided to host jam sessions where we just played Irish pub songs and drank Jameson.

We found an old songbook of Irish pub tunes and started playing them. There’d be anywhere between six to twenty people sitting around with stringed instruments singing along.

I found this very cool for Nashville, because people here are usually very serious about music, so having a situation where anyone could pick up and play three chords or sing along is refreshing. For most music people in Nashville, it’s almost always business related. The jam sessions were more informal.

Did the sessions reach critical mass?

The Irish nights sessions lasted about four or five months. It’s how we started playing with our mandolin player. He used to play in a bluegrass band, so he was able to join right in. After that the jam sessions morphed to be more about the band.

Seems like a natural progression. In your music I’ve noticed you often engage in multiple styles of music in one song, something I don’t see very often. One can hear stylistic movement in the course of one song. Was this a conscious decision?

We just write how we write. I know that’s vague, I mean, we intentionally nod to genre, but I’ve never set out to be like, “You know what, today I’m gonna write a rock song.” No, what happens just kinda happens.

Someone once told me songwriting is like creating a riddle and solving it. I like that, because you start out, but don’t really know what’s going on, so you have to sit back and say, “Well here’s what I’ve said so far, now how do I finish this story out?”

I see that same thing happening in other forms of composition, like poetry and short-form jokes. The artist has to take stock and figure out the next step.

What really excites me about your music, and I’m sorry to keep driving at this multiple styles thing, but to take “Cold Chicago” as an example, when you go into the bridge, the “Wheel in the well part,” right after the mandolin solo, it feels like the part was inserted in there from a different era of music. How do you decide to do something like that?

Again, I think it just kind of happens. I’m a fan of such a diverse array of music, it’s kind of just what I hear. We get to a point in a song and we think, “We need a break here,” so we have to define that and figure how to make it not predictable, which is hard when you’re in a city that writes songs on the box just to get in touch with country music and garner a number one country single. I really like that “Cold Chicago” bridge a lot. I like the form as well; it’s a cyclical thing.

It really is, enveloping itself and spiraling on down. By the way, I just caught the song’s story on your website. I had no idea it was about a guitar and not long lost lovers in different cities! It makes sense both ways.

Tell me more about your view of Nashville. Is there discrimination against anything that isn’t traditional true-blue country stuff?

Actually, no, there’s a great music scene — tons of great music coming out of Nashville, but the tourist attraction is country and pop-country.

I mean, the CMAs last year were huge, people filled out the stadium. Thousands of these country bumpkin types were walking around, and more power to them, they like what they like. Music is subjective, and there’s a great openness to that in Nashville.

Here is a great example: Our management company is RPM Management, and Scott Simon, who runs the company was Tim McGraw’s manager for three years and worked with McGraw for his 31 No. 1 singles. Scott Simon is willing to do anything that sounds good.

Our manager, Amanda, does his day-to-day work, then manages us and a band out of Brooklyn called Yarn, a more alt-country Americana band.

Back to the CMAs and Nashville, the Avett Brothers and the Civil Wars played last year’s event. I think the organizers are realizing what we’re calling Americana these days has its roots in country music, so they are starting to embrace it. Over the next few years, I think we will see more and more crossovers from the Americana “hipsters” into mainstream country. It’s not that far-fetched, it’s just good songwriting.

Can you tell me more about your band? I know “Finnegan’s Folly” was a big part of Humming House’s formation, but how was it the other members become involved?

We’re all just friends. I’ve known the mandolin player, Josh [Wolak], since I was 18 when I moved to Nashville. Same deal with our guitarist. Kristen [Rogers] fell into the band because her boyfriend was living in my house at the time. She grew up on diva music, and is a true R&B soul singer. It’s cool, because we are starting to use her a lot more; we do a lot of covers live and let her go crazy on those. She’s one of the most talented vocalists I’ve ever worked with and does session work all over town. She can do everything from opera to R&B and soul with an amazing natural ease.

Without ruining your upcoming live show here in St. Louis, can you mention some of the covers you play?

We pride ourselves on not doing typical covers. We do “Intergalactic,” [Beastie Boys]. For Cinco de Mayo we did a ’90s Latin-pop medley with tunes by Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin, but the folky versions of the songs.

Wait, so you folked-out the Beastie Boys song?

Yeah, but there is definitely some rapping as well.

Your sense of play and energy is fantastic. How did your first recording for the exuberant “Gypsy Django” happen?

The short version of the story is that I bumped into Mitch Dane at a party. He had heard my previous project, a band called “Quote,” a folk duo I played in when I got of college. We did two records. I think Mitch Dane was familiar with the material and invited me down to the studio to do “Gypsy Django” as a one-off.

Kristen and Mike [Butera] were the only two players from the band who were involved with that — I had some other players sit in — but because it went so well, we were like, “Huh, we should do a record.” Josh and Ben fell in from there through the aforementioned “Irish Nights,” and we needed a bass player and Kristen knew Ben. “Gypsy Django” was the catalyst for all of that.

Then we did the video for “Gypsy Django” with a company called Yeah Yeah Creative, on a dime, and that really sold it. The video captures what we really want to do.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBv86oeFqL0

It was a nice departure, because my last project was emotive folk songs, but for this one, I was tired of going into bars trying to sell my music to an audience that just wanted to drink to my heart-felt songwriting. This time I wanted to start something that people were going to want to dance to and found entertaining.

Past that, I think too many artists are worried about hiding behind their art, instead of getting out in front of people to entertain and have fun. That’s one thing we really wanted to do from the outset. Every time before we start a show, we’re like, “Let’s go throw a party.”

How have the last few months of 2012 been? Have you guys been playing out a lot?

We played pretty much all of January and through April, May’s been a bit lighter, but we have quite a few dates coming up in June. It’s been good. We did that Cinco De Mayo event here with a band called the Delta Saints, which went really well. There were about 300 people here locally, which is hard to do in Nashville.

I imagine the competition there is fierce. When you guys come to St. Louis on June 6, is that going to be the tip of your June tour?

May 31 we’re going up to Knoxville, then Bristol on the first of June, then we do Twangfest, then Daytrotter, and a Rock Island gig right after. We also have a date down at this amphitheater in Sea Side, Florida, so we’ll take a little band vacation there for a few days.

I was inspired by the silent film aspect of “Cold Chicago” and the revelry of “Gypsy Django.” Did you have the same production crew working on both?

Yeah, the same company helped us for both, Yeah Yeah Creative. They were just starting out when we first met them. They wanted to film “Gypsy Django” for their reel. Because they just really liked the song, they agreed to do it inexpensively. We got really lucky finding such talented people to work with, which validated us to have such a polished edge to those videos. It helps with booking and management.

Sounds like right time, right place.

Yeah, it was the same deal Mitch Dane and Vance Powell. They are both Grammy-winning producers and engineers. Vance Powell, who mixed our record and recorded the first four days of it, had just done the new Jack White record that went number one. Vance is a beast, I mean, Buddy Guy, the Raconteurs, Alicia Keys — you name it, and Vance has probably worked with them. He built Blackbird with Martina McBride, which is the craziest studio you’ll ever see. He’s a unique guy. Anything Jack White touches it’s all Vance. Just to have Vance on our debut record is insanely wonderful. It’s a stamp of validity. Those names coinciding with those quality videos really helped us out.

Like a college getting accredited.

Exactly, but as silly as this seems, in entertainment, even if you’re really talented, it’s still a smoke and mirrors game. You have to package your product in a way people want to hear it.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to your St. Louis fans?

We are really excited to play St. Louis for the first time. Twangfest sounds great. Also, opening for Pokey LaFarge will be awesome. We are just stoked to get out and play. More than anything, though, it is humbling to see people responding so well to something that means so much to us. We created this stuff without pretense. It is simply what we like to do.

Humming House performs at Twangfest 16 on June 6 at the Schlafly Tap Room.

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RIP Robin Gibb. KDHX’s Matt Champion looks back on some classic originals and cover songs of the Bee Gees.

The Guardian digs into the archives for a brilliant interview with Robert Moog.

Listen to the amazing Caetano Veloso interpret the poetry of Augusto de Campos.

You probably saw Foo Fighters with Mick Jagger on SNL, but did you see the after-party?

In contrast, an animated Carrie Brownstein isn’t so sanguine about post-show hangouts.

Your eyes do not deceive you: Morrissey is a happy guy.

The Guardian looks back at the wider pop influence of the late Donna Summer.

Apparently, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike pays a lot of attention to his reviews.

Listen to a new single from Metric.

Watch a Beale Street funeral march tribute to Donald “Duck” Dunn.

Beach House issues a statement on the whole VW ad rip-off controversy.

The Austin City Limits Festival 2012 lineup is out.

The eternal debate rages on but vinyl really does sound better.

By market share, Sony is now the biggest label in the world.

Watch Afghan Whigs’ return to form on Fallon.

Rolling Stone interviews Ad Rock and Mike D about their late compadre MCA.

You’ve been waiting, hoping, praying to the darkness for this moment: The World Goth Day Awards for 2012 are in.

And if you’re a fan of LA post-punk you’ve been waiting for this compilation.

The Flaming Lips are going after Jay-Z’s record for most shows in the most cities in 24 hours.

Learn how a great music scene transformed the city of Denton, Tx.

Enjoy some extremely rare footage of the Doors circa 1970.

RIP to a great DJ: Hal Jackson has died at age 96.

The Austin Chronicle takes a close and depressing look at streaming music royalties.

John Lennon takes Miles Davis to the hoop.

Carmen is all about durability. Bizet’s 18^th century masterpiece remains a potent, passionate and intense opus filled with heavy doses of hopelessness, despair, oppression, desire and vengeance. Carmen is a comic opera in four acts which features dialogue breaks interspersed in the production to move the story along.

Set in Seville, Carmen tells of the tragic downfall of Don Jose, a local soldier who abandons his childhood love after falling prey to the wiles of Carmen, a blisteringly seductive gypsy. To make things worse he abandons his post and goes to prison in order to protect Carmen. When he is freed he returns to Carmen only to find his passion spurned. Bewitched, batterred and bewildered Don Jose becomes enraged after learning that Carmen’s heart yearns for Escamillo, the most famous bullfighter in Spain. After some nasty turn of events he once again finds himself in big trouble.

Don Jose’s downfall is accelerated when he confronts Carmen in Pastia’s Bar late one evening. Their lover’s quarrel has dire consequences which become clearer as events transpire.  Tragically, Carmen receives a prophecy in Act Three which foretells that things are going to end very badly. Nonetheless she does her best to stay out of trouble.  Despite her charms, intelligence and raw toughness, Carmen cannot stop the passion, rage, jealousy and love swirling inside Don Jose. During Acts Three and Four the tension between them escalates, leading to a heartbreaking tragedy.

In addition to having the most familiar score in opera, Carmen remains popular opera because its themes of immortality, lawlessness and the plight of the working class resonates with audiences. This personal connection is just one of the reasons why Opera Theatre St. Louis’ production of Carmen is so thrilling.

Carmen opens OTSL’s 37^th season while also serving as a homecoming for St. Louis native Kendall Gladen. Gladen, a stunning mezzo-soprano, has been a star on the rise for the last decade. Her return to St. Louis in the title role is nothing short of amazing. This production completely revolves around Gladen’s incredible voice and commanding presence. Her smoldering portrayal breathes new life into the opera, transforming it into the penultimate celebration of the femme fatale.

Adam Diegel is terrific (in his OTSL debut) as the doomed Don Jose. As a performer he is able to go toe to toe with Gladen. He gives Don Jose two distinct personalities and then plays off of them in an inner struggle filled with turmoil, pain and lust. His Don Jose is vulnerable yet filled with an inner rage that eventually becomes all consuming. In  making Don Jose so jilted, jostled and jaundiced Diegel adeptly balances several layered aspects of the character with precision, allowing him to give Don Jose a fresh depth and range.

Making his first appearance with Opera Theatre St. Louis since 2008 is Aleksey Bogdanov as Escamillo.  Onstage he owns the first half of Act Two. His solos are simply incredible. He vibrantly drenches Escamillo in extreme bravado and joyful boastfulness that provides enough rich detail to round out the character. Bogdanov’s onstage interaction with Gladen is dynamic. Corinne Winters is also terrific as Micaela, Don Jose’s forgotten love.

(photo courtesy of Ken Howard and OTSL)

Director Stephen Barlow has molded Carmen into a highly charged pulp noir extravaganza. This production, based on a revised translation, wows and awes before a single actor takes the stage. It opens with noir style film credits set against a black background on stage. The credits  frame this adaptation perfectly. Every director wants to leave their stamp on Carmen and Barlow’s production is no different. The opera has been lifted from the nineteenth century and transposed to Seville during Francoist Spain. Making the correlation between Bizet’s original work and film noir accentuates Barlow’s boldness and daring in staging this production.

Guided by Barlow’s steady hand, each Act in Carmen has it’s own distinct texture. Act One sets up the drama by focusing in on the tough life in Seville where vagrants, criminals and factory workers all scramble to make ends meet. Out of this daily grind comes Carmen, a fiery siren who turns heads and manipulates hearts to get what she wants. She is a woman that every man has eyes for but none can seem to possess. Acts Two and Three propel Don Jose’s fall from grace, culminating in an all out showdown in Act Four.  As each act unfolds it becomes more apparent that Barlow is building something dense and compelling.

Set and Costume Designer Paul Edwards augments this setting by adding 1940s era billboards and a fantastic nightclub set that perfectly sets the tone for the piece.  His costumes seamlessly blend gangster chic with fascist military uniforms and traditional gypsy garb. These costumes provide the perfect mix of color for emphasizing the characters and drama onstage.

Stage lighting from Christopher Akerlind bolsters the atmosphere by adding fresh dimensions to each set piece. He carefully mimics the noir lighting from films of that era for the stage, giving Carmen some additional seasoning.

Bizet’s music has always been Carmen’s calling card. Debuting conductor Carlos Itzcaray whips the St. Louis Symphony into a frenzy transforming one of operas more recognizable scores into a powerfully emotional experience as passionate as any of the action playing out on the stage above. His hands create orchestrations that convey equal amounts of exuberance and despair, leaving the audience utterly overwhelmed by the end of the evening.

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ production of Carmen is the perfect showstopper for opening their new season. This provocative  new interpretation never relents in dazzling the audience visually or emotionally. Carmen fires on all cylinders because the charismatic and talented cast (led by hometown hero Kendall Gladen) deflects the sensations of desire, revenge and betrayal onto the audience, creating an utterly mesmerizing (and emotionally draining) opera that must be experienced to be understood.

Here are the performance dates and times for Carmen.

 Friday, May 25 
8:00 pm, Thursday, May 31 
8:00 pm, Friday, June 8 
8:00 pm, Sunday, June 10 7:00pm,Wednesday, June 13 
1:00 pm, Saturday, June 16 
8:00 pm, Tuesday, June 19 
8:00 pm, Saturday, June 23 
1:00 pm.

All performance s are held at the Browning Mainstage at the  Loretto-Hilton Center.

For more information visit http://www.opera-stl.org

Screaming Females
“Ugly”
Don Giovanni

The incendiary punkish alt-rock trio Screaming Females may contain only one female member — lead singer and guitarist Marissa Paternoster — but the band’s name is not inaccurate; Paternoster herself contains multitudes.

There are moments on the band’s fifth record, “Ugly,” when her voice, singular and bleeding, and broken-glass guitar so dominate the compositions that bass and drums — provided by Michael Abbate and Jarrett Dougherty, respectively — almost become superfluous. For some folks, Paternoster’s razor-blade voice is likely all-or-nothing in its appeal. It squeals and twists in tandem with her overdriven guitar in a way that is abrasive yet seductive.

Witness “Crow’s Nest,” the sharpest demonstration of Paternoster’s skill on “Ugly.” It begins with crescendoing bass, which rises from noisy-neighbor level to floor-rattling in 20 seconds. When the rest of the trio kicks in, at full volume and attitude, you’d be forgiven for not even noticing what the bass and drums are doing. Paternoster’s vox-plus-guitar combo rides on top, and the pair together is intoxicating. Subtract either element from the equation and the song becomes either a grating, overly-emotive tome or a reupholstering of so many of J. Mascis’ guitar lines. But together, they burn.

Screaming Females is the most accomplished and notable act to come out of the New Brunswick, N.J. basement scene. Their record label, Don Giovanni, has been successfully carrying that scene’s flag far beyond northwest Jersey for some time now. For all of the stereotypes that the modifiers DIY and “basement scene” conjure, Screaming Females do a hell of a lot to make you forget that you’re supposed to be young, poor and carefree/less in order to enjoy these songs.

On “Help Me” Paternoster sings: “You make it look easy to be strong / you lift my crutch and guide me home.” While that’s definitely rock ‘n’ roll, it doesn’t exactly exude the self-sufficient, kiss-off attitude normally associated with DIY punk. This song and others — “It All Means Nothing,” “Rotten Apple” and the aforementioned “Crow’s Nest,” in particular — meld straight punk noise with squalling hooks that, together with the band’s fourth instrument, Paternoster’s voice, become undeniable swells of energy that cut beyond the lines of genre and stereotype.

But unless you’re sweating and thrashing about in a basement of your own volition, it’s hard to listen to guitars cranked to 10 for an hour. Screaming Females can pound and thrash as hard as anyone, but the band also knows when to downshift. The bridge on “Leave It All Up To Me,” about two thirds into the record, tears down the wall of noise, providing relief in the form of a sassy, slinky groove. The melody is completely deconstructed, only to be built back up to wrecking ball heft. Further contrast is provided by the album’s closer, “It’s Nice.” On this acoustic number, Paternoster’s knack for cutting to the quick extends well beyond punk. With deftly fingerpicked guitar, complimented by cello and violin, that voice that is most often bold and brash demonstrates subtle and trembling emotion.

“Ugly” is not without its flaws — Paternoster’s voice can become a caricature when not not used purposefully, and Abbate and Dougherty’s playing can seem uninspired — but there are enough moments of fiery punk transcendence to account for all of those sins and more.

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars @ the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival 2007 [with the late Idrissa 'Mallam' Bangura on bass; photo by Michael Kuelker

“Salone” means “Sierra Leone” in Krio, one of six languages on the new album by Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. Radio Salone is a thrilling tour through reggae, soukous and cross-cultural polyrhythms, as well wrought and mood-enhancing an album as I’ve heard thus far in 2012.

SLRAS’s story is by now well known among those who follow contemporary world music, a narrative that bridges from refugee camps in the wake of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war (1991-2002) to the international stage. Only Malian desert blues band Tinariwen can be included in a conversation about musical refugees who have broken through to the world renown. The band members’ lives as refugees and musicians were chronicled in a 2005 documentary which found a wide, responsive audience.  Their debut, Living Like a Refugee, followed in 2006.

And shortly, they will bring their hothouse of African music into St. Louis. SLRAS will be nine dates into a long summer tour when they perform on Wednesday, May 30 at 2720 (2720 Cherokee). Loyal Family Promotions is taking great pains to inform everyone that this is an early show, with SLRAS going on from 9 – 10:30 p.m. Mario Pascal plays at 8 p.m. and Vladimir ‘The Mad Russian’ Noskov brings his Iron Curtain Hi Fi for an hour of roots reggae vinyl starting at 7 p.m. and as much as he can get between sets.

On Saturday, May 26, Mario Pascal will be my guest on “Positive Vibrations” for music and conversation. The program will feature as much SLRAS music as the FCC will allow as well as other African reggae, classic Jamaican roots and a sprinkle of brand new tunes. “Positive Vibrations,” co-hosted by Professor Skank & the I, airs every Saturday from 9-11 p.m.. Mario will be on the mike at 9:15; later the same evening, he plays at The Pulse (2847 Cherokee).

A St. Louis-raised son of Haitian parents, Mario Pascal is a reggae/world beat artist whose original music and vision are a perfect blend for the May 30 show. He says that the May 30 event is at heart a concert about pan-African unity.

“Definitely, it’s a blessing to be a part of this show because in my opinion it brings forth the whole purpose and reasoning behind reggae music,” he told me in a telephone interview this month.

photo of Mario Pascal courtesy of Mario Pascal

“Staying with Rastafari culture in general, to me it’s a gateway to the infinite pool of African consciousness, you know what I’m saying? Reggae music is a bridgeway because it is at a riddim and a pace that everyone can feel. And through that, especially with a band like Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, it brings you into a whole nother sense of being in terms of understanding their struggle and where they came from and how they even came together to make music.

“And when they came together to make music, what is the music they chose to play? Reggae music. That’s a testament of the art form of reggae; it’s a testament to what it does as far as liberating the people in terms of mind; and it’s a testament how culture really, to me, is where the true battlefield lies. How can we liven ourselves up? It’s not through technology, it’s not through drugs, it’s through the music.”

Mario Pascal’s music is a hybrid with reggae at the core and other forms of black music embedded in the mix. He calls his style ‘world reggae fusion.’

“The foundation is reggae, but like I say it’s a gateway. For me it’s a gateway to other musical styles of the African diaspora, playing samba and bossa nova from Brazil, or playing konpa from Haiti, or playing soul music from America. For me especially, as a pan-Africanist, we are all one in terms of our descendancy, so why not use the gift of this culture to do what we’re supposed to do, which is to spread love, light and liberty through word-sound-and-music. That’s my personal mission.”

A Rastafarian, Mario Pascal was born in 1977 to Haitian parents in St. Louis, and he is a teacher of history and life skills at Berkeley High School. His upbringing was, in short, a polyglot experience.

“I was just like everyone else, man, just floatin’ face down in the mainstream trying to fit into a box. Every time, I was getting feedback from the world, ‘hey, you don’t fit into this box; you’re not like us.’ All right, what box do I fit in? It really wasn’t until I stopped resisting the truth in myself and I started really giving into it, and that was about my sophomore year in college; stop giving in to the strange life and start into the life that I know.

“Growing up in St. Louis with Haitian parents, it’s Haiti in the house and the United States outside of the house. It’s a truly unique perspective in terms of how you take in the world.”

photo courtesy of Mario Pascal

Mario Pascal is finishing a new album with Jamaican-born, East St. Louis-based producer JR. In the meantime, though, he hits an especially sweet hashmark in his personal timeline by opening for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, who likewise use their art for the spread of a message of liberation and unity. SLRAS represent a heartening possibility for conscious cultural music on an international level.

Once Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Star broke through, they began performing at choice festivals worldwide such as Fuji Rock (Japan) to Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (California) to Bonnaroo (Tennessee). And because this is America, the group’s reception domestically went from big to improbable and weird. The band members were guests of Oprah Winfrey, and they were fast-tracked into big whoop compilations, such as a U2 tribute album and the Blood Diamond soundtrack. They opened for Aerosmith after collaborating with them on John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” on Amnesty International’s anthology Instant Karma on behalf of Darfur, Sudan.

And through it all Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars retained not only their essence, they enhanced it. Their follow up album Rise & Shine suffered from no sophomore slump. Recorded in Freetown, Sierra Leone and New Orleans, the record was full of entrancing west African and Caribbean rhythms, just as it nodded to the growing interest in acoustic world music with the inclusion of long, happy “campfire unplugged” tracks in the album’s deluxe version.

The new Radio Salone is perhaps the band’s best, with strong songs from front to back and the cohesion of a musical unit in its prime. It’s ike listening to the Stones’ Let It Bleed as compared to The Rolling Stones five years earlier. Some of the credit goes to the five-star talents of Victor Axelrod, aka Ticklah, on keyboards and production; his resume includes Amy Winehouse, Afrobeat champions Antibalas and the NYC-based reggae outfit Easy Star All Stars.

The radio theme of Radio Salone’s album art evokes the importance of radio itself as a lifeline for music and news. Radio was especially vital to the band during the civil war. Just as it is for us at 88.1, for vastly different but understandable reasons, during these gray days of the Big Media gorgon.

Tune in to RADIO SALONE (and 88.1), people.

]]> http://kdhx.org/blog/2012/05/23/pan-african-notes-sierra-leones-refugee-reggae-all-stars-meet-mario-pascal-2720-on-530/feed/ 0 http://kdhx.org/blog/2012/05/21/five-reasons-you-absolutely-have-to-catch-the-mighty-diamonds-2720-on-525/ http://kdhx.org/blog/2012/05/21/five-reasons-you-absolutely-have-to-catch-the-mighty-diamonds-2720-on-525/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 15:43:29 +0000 Michael Kuelker http://kdhx.org/blog/?p=11790

Mighty Diamonds - the classic original model

by Michael Kuelker

Bringing their trademark luminous harmonies, The Mighty Diamonds return to St. Louis on Friday, May 25 at 2720. The evening also features Zion & the Lion Roots Band plus The Iron Curtain Hi Fi with The Mad Russian and guest Michael Kuelker.

You might be unaware of the show or vacillating on whether to get off your couch or take off of work and go and if this is so, you are being put on notice.

1. The Mighty Diamonds represent reggae at its finest.

Roots knotty roots. Donald ‘Tabby’ Shaw, Fitzroy ‘Bunny’ Simpson and Lloyd ‘Judge’ Ferguson joined forces in 1969 in the Trenchtown section of Kingston, Jamaica – in other words, at the epicenter of reggae very early in its development.

They hit with a few singles before entering Channel One studio, which became a frothing source of bubbling riddims anchored by Sly & Robbie, aka The Revolutionaries. Some of the most memorable riddims in reggae came out of Channel One between 1976-84, and The Mighty Diamonds were one of many artists who did career-defining work, with I Need a Roof (1976), to name just one album, standing solid in the annals of roots reggae as a classic.

Catch the Channel One Mighty Diamonds action in a brief documentary film clip 1 and clip 2, and dip a few times into their mighty catalog through the years, then let’s hustle to the next point in my argument.

1976 – “Shame and Pride”

1978 – “Brothers and Sisters”

1991 – “Bodyguard” (12” mix)

1994 – “Gone Bad”

2001 – “I Need a Roof” (w/ U Roy)

2008 – “Poor Marcus” (acoustic Inna de Yard session)

2. They are (just about) the only all-original Jamaican vocal trio left from the golden 70s.

Something must be said here of longevity.

The Itals and The Meditations, two contemporaries of the Diamonds, are still around touring regularly and occasionally putting out new music, all of it at a high caliber. But let’s face it, these days The Itals and The Meditations are now a lead vocalist, Keith Porter and Ansel Cridland respectively, and whomever the said lead vocalist elects to work with. That’s what happens with groups. Life is change, people work with other people. Except in the case of The Mighty Diamonds, who bring timelessness to roots reggae in 2012.

Because little details matter, it’s worth mentioning that this topic came up in a conversation I heard between The Mad Russian and one of Pato Banton’s musicians. (It happened on the tour bus [Pato was driving] from the Tivoli theatre to 2720 in April; another story, but thanks to both Pato and Russian.) The latter cited The Tamlins – indeed correct, although in my mind I have an asterisk. The Tamlins trio work primarily as a backup group for artists such as Bunny Wailer, John Holt, Delroy Wilson, Marcia Griffiths and, way back in the day, Peter Tosh. The Tamlins also occasionally work the vintage stageshows and do have an album coming out under their own moniker this year. But since they didn’t form until 1970, we gotta give the nod to The Mighty Diamonds in this discussion as long as we cast them as “the longest-running” all-original harmony group from Jamaica. Death or disunity have made claims on the vocal groups which remain on the scene.

3. The Diamonds sound great, still. In a pristine way, full bodied, evoking the crystal clarity of the sun’s rays glistening in the waters of the Caribbean.

Can you tell I need to get back to the island? It’s one of the reasons I schlep out to nightclubs to see and hear and feel the Jamaican vibes purveyed by Jamaican artists. I’ve found it worth the effort, except when headliners do short shows. I am happy to report that these elder statesmen of reggae acquit themselves honorably in this regard, giving full and satisfying performances. We have seen them recently at La Onda and Club Viva, and it’s no dibby-dibby. Bunny, Tabby and Judge are in complete possession of their talents as singers and harmonizers and sound freakishly good together.

4. Backing the Diamonds are the Yellow Wall Dub Squad. Need we say more?

The Yellow Wall Dub Squad is tight, lithe and uber-talented, unquestionably one of the finest I’ve seen in my 20-plus years of seeing hired gun backing bands (defined herein as one which moves from one touring opportunity to another and is not associated exclusively with one artist). YWDS has been seen in St. Louis in the last few years backing Yellowman, Sister Carol and the Melodians. Amazing chops.

5. Roots reggae economics being what they are (things are on the wane here in STL], get your roots & culture while you can.

Attendances are down and have been trending in this direction for a long time. In the last year in particular, turnouts have been weak-to-middling or worse for the bigger shows. We do occasionally break the streak – there was the (for us) big beautiful Freddie McGregor show at La Onda last July – giving everyone who cares a bit of hope for roots & culture reggae music in the 314/618.

So you’re vacillating still?? Have mercy.

Vital Selection

commons.wikimedia.org

Many artists embrace the raw side of rock ‘n’ roll, but few can translate it into an unstoppable force hell-bent on creating a party that will not end until the last bit of sweat is wrung from your brow. Quintron is one of those translators.

The evening’s openers, experimental noise/art rock trio Britches, hit the Firebird stage hidden behind plush animal masks, which added an off-putting visual to go along with the slasher flick vibe they created with the dim stage lighting and cacophonous pile of sounds they created as a background to their set. It was difficult to tell when songs began or ended since the layers of looped samples pulled everything together. It made for a great listening experience, coming across more like a soundtrack than a set of individual songs.

Describing the Britches sound isn’t an easy thing to do. There’s a lot going on, almost creating confusion among the listeners who weren’t paying attention. One second they sound like grindcore gone wrong and the next second they sound like they’re trying to play a selection from Mike Patton’s “Adult Themes for Voice” on instruments. There was plenty to see, and most of the people in attendance were paying close attention.

After a short set-up period, Miss Pussycat kicked off the Quintron set with one of her famous puppet shows. This one was a nine-minute-long tale of a bear who wanted to go into outer space that was filled with laughter, tears and the brutal deaths of Mother Nature and Dracula. Immediately following the puppet show, Quintron took his spot on the throne behind the organ and launched into a fantastic cover of the Larry Weiss tune “Rhinestone Cowboy” before launching into his own material.

Quintron’s stage setup is part of the experience in seeing him live. He’s seated behind a car-shaped cabinet that contains a Fender Rhodes electric piano for bass and a Hammond organ for rhythm and solo runs. To his right is the Drum Buddy, a five oscillator rotating light-activated synthesizer that pulses out rhythms or gets played as a solo instrument. Running all of this equipment himself along with singing, he’s also joined by Miss Pussycat who plays the maracas and sings backup.

Quintron’s music is heavily groove-oriented and high energy, creating a storm of sound to get everyone moving. Even I was up and bouncing around, and I have three left feet when it comes to anything rhythmic. He ripped through an hour and a half of material that seemed to fly by, including crowd favorites like “Ring the Alarm,” “Freedom,” “Waterfall” and the ever popular “Swamp Buggy Badass.”

There wasn’t a single person in the Firebird that wasn’t on their feet and having one hell of a time. Anyone with a love of the snotty sound of an overdriven Hammond blaring out of a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet should check him out, along with anyone who loves to get down and dirty with an infectious groove and plenty of power to get you through the night.

Video of Miss Pussycat’s puppet show from the Firebird by Matt Champion.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEulmhOJBm8

flickr.com/photos/encosion/5828764236 / Tim Ferguson

On Thursday night, Gregory Alan Isakov performed a well-attended show at the Old Rock House. Behind him stood a projected, sepia-tinged, photo depicting a rural youth listening intently to a large, conical, medieval-looking, horn-shaped hearing device.

The image struck me. It seemed an apt metaphor for Isakov and his music. He is the youth, or rather, his art is, and like the image, representative of life’s constant search, of its hunt for that elusive melodic force that haunts us as it flits between the trees, lost to wind and distance.

Like a sound adrift on the wind, Isakov’s music never settles, never sits contentedly while life chugs on by. No, Isakov’s catalog warms the soul with rustic literary intimations steeped in American melancholia.

Geoff Koch opened the evening with a set of tunes that reminded me of a subdued version of Two Gallants, perhaps because of Koch’s propensity for stacking phrases and melodies. The crowd enjoyed Koch’s sometimes brazen and folky but always deeply introspective ramblers.

Soon after, Isakov took the stage along with cellist Phillip Parker and violinist Jeb Bows. The trio slipped into the quiet, but happy “Virginia May,” from 2009′s “This Empty Northern Hemisphere.” While the female backing vocals and brushed drums of the studio version were missing, the warm starkness the violin and cello afforded the songbed made it feel full nonetheless.

“Big Black Car” was bursting with dulcet care and dark whimsey. The parts book-ending the chorus were pure delicious harmony coupled with Isakov’s trademark “Mmmhmm’s.” The unreleased “The Universe” found Isakov singing into a second microphone with an AM radio-style, treble effect, which lent the track a gothic, M. Ward-esque feel.

Everyone stood stone still for “The Stable Song” from 2007′s “The Sea, The Gambler.” Isakov leaned hard on the vocals, squeezing every ounce of the emotion available from the melody. Bows flipped his violin sideways and plucked the strings to imitate the sound of a mandolin crossed with a banjo. Parker pulled his bow across his cello strings, encouraging thick thrums of sonic energy to loll forth like a lion’s tongue.

Isakov performed “3 AM” solo. Under dimmed house lights, it was as if the artist was speaking personally to each of us, while simultaneously somehow addressing everyone. The multi-gamut aspect sent satisfied tingles coursing up and down my spine as Isakov fell into the craw of another cyclically melodic choruses.

The audience let out a happy sigh when the band returned to join Isakov for “Red and Gold.” The song did not feature the bluegrass flavor found on other versions, but did possess a dusky ochre that lent the song a particular smoothness. Isakov again employed the trebly, AM-radio microphone effect during the song’s turn around and sang: “There was you, crimson running through your veins.”

Isakov dedicated “Liars” to his tour manager and began the tune with his trademark vocal effect coupled with palm-muted guitar. The song remained in a resolutely diminished mode, until, toward the end, when it exploded forth with dynamic, rhythmic string work. I immediately understood why Isakov doesn’t employ a drummer: There is no need.

“Dandelion Wine,” was robust, yet somber and lovelorn. During the Ray LaMontagne-tinged “That Moon Song,” Isakov told the crowd, “She pulls on this heart like she pulls on the sea,” again utilizing his trebly, microphone effect.

During the encore, Isakov offered up a new, unreleased song (let’s call it “I’ll Feed Your Horses”), which concerned the feeding of Brandi Carlile’s horses. Before he started, Isakov prefaced, “We [the band] don’t know if it [the song] is going to live very long,” and let out a sinewy guffaw.

Isakov finished his encore with the more serious “If I Go, I’m Goin’,” which started out serenely empty except for the troubadour’s light strumming, which, by the end, morphed into a powerful roar that closed out the evening with energy and gusto.

Isakov humbly introduced his band, gave a bow, and descended from the stage before heading to the merch table to receive his fans, who were eager for pictures, signatures and handshakes.