It's Miller Time

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos by Nate Watters
Video by Eratosthenes Fackenthall

Thanks to Kari Gruber for the title.

With a new album, new video and recent nod as Deli Magazine Seattle's "Artist of the Month," Long Island native Debbie Miller is tearing up the music scene in that Pacific Northwest city. 

                                                  

Singer.  Songwriter.  Multi-instrumentalist.  Student of Naturopathic Medicine.  The closer you look into the repertoire and skills of Seattle-based artist Debbie Miller, the more astounding she becomes.  "Miller, a classically trained pianist who studied under a Julliard alumna for ten years," released her full-length debut album 'Fake Love' in 2010.  Shortly thereafter, she moved from New York to Seattle, where she dove into the latter city's already noteworthy music scene.

This past March, the Pacific Northwest transplant put forth her latest, the EP "Measures + Waits."  The album has been noted by blog The Other Woman as being "...poignant and beautifully put together."  Artist Direct has a "crush" on this clever girl, and Seattle Weekly feels that her "...sweet vocals and restrained melodies give all the songs a clean and peaceful aura."  The praise for Miller and her latest endeavor expanded even further when she was overwhelmingly voted "Artist of the Month" for May by Deli Magazine Seattle.  You can check out the video for her single 'What She's Got,' as well as a link to all of "Measures + Waits."
 



According to her website, Debbie Miller began her live music "...career in the Brooklyn and East Village music scenes in 2007."  Her talent quickly helped her infiltrate the Manhattan circuit, where she began to make appearances at a number of popular venues, including Rockwood Music Hall.  Of the performance spot, Miller has stated, "I love playing at Rockwood, simply because the atmosphere is so lovely and intimate.  It lends itself both to solo artists and bands, which I think is a hard thing to pull off.  It also serves as a kind of 'hang" for musicians which I think help fosters a community for artists.  I have always have a great time playing at Rockwood, and play there nearly every time I am back in NY."  Of course, her love for intimate live shows did not end when she transferred her career to the West Coast.  In mid-April, Debbie held a release party for "Measures + Waits" at Seattle's Columbia City Theater. The photos below are from that show, and all were shot by Nate Watters.

                          

Debbie Miller and I had a little Q & A session via email about her new EP, video, live ensemble and overall music career.  The girl has some good things to say, but we know this already.  I've posted our exchange, pretty much unedited, below.

1) Why pursue a career in music?  When did you 1st begin writing/performing as a solo artist?

I never thought I would be a singer songwriter.  I was under the impression that you needed to be really prolific like Bob Dylan - and the music and words flow through you and you didn't have to think too much.  Once I started learning how to play the guitar in college, I thought about writing songs, but I didn't know where to start.  In 2007ish after I'd moved back to NY from Boston post-college, I started singing backup & playing a little piano (I'm a classically trained pianist) with Shanna Zell - a talented singer/songwriter and also one of my best friends. That was my first formal introduction to the music scene in NYC.  I think being in that environment re-sparked my desire to write.  When I was 24, I wrote my first full song at work.  It was called "Fake Love", and it was about.... fake love.  That was around February, and by June I'd written 2 more songs.  When I was offered my first official gig in Feb 2008, I still didn't have enough songs to fill up a 45 minute set, so I wrote a bunch more. And the rest is... the rest. (comedic drumroll)


My music is an extension, and sometimes at the core of who I am.  That is why I do it.  When I have hard days and think about quitting I literally can't - it is too much a part of me.  Also, in music  - just as a general statement - there is always room for you somewhere, and there is always a place to play whether its at an open mic, on the street busking, or in a stadium. That is beautiful to me.

2) You perform live w/ an ensemble.  Does the cast of characters rotate often?  Who are these people and the instruments they play?  Did they play on the album tracks as well?

When I am in New York, I often play with the same musicians unless someone has another commitment.  Jeremiah Birnbaum has been playing lead guitar for me for over 4 years now, and he even came out to Seattle for my west coast album release show to play on the set which was really special.  My New York peeps often include Leah Goldstein (vocals), Greg Coladarci (guitalele - he produced both of my albums), Amanda Gookin & Madeleine Craw Corliss(cello), Fred Kennedy (drums).  My bass player always seems to rotate - I have been lucky to have the talents of Matt Wigton, Daniel Foose, and Tony Maceli join me on stage. Sometimes, though, I also perform solo or just with Jeremiah.

When I moved to Seattle last year, I met violinist Jason Welling.  We have played a few shows together as a duo.  Once I had my album release show organized, I decided it was time to get a band together out here.  My band consisted of Tara Kelly Kearns (vocals), Scott Shrock Jr (bass), Ivan Gunderson (drums), Jason Welling (violin), Lijie (vocals, glockenspeil), Amanda Winterhalter (vocals, accordion).  I'm sure there will continue to be a rotating cast of characters.
 

3) What's your view of your personal music style; new album; video?  What direction do you feel like your music career is headed in?

I'm still not quite sure what my style is.  When people ask me my genre, I resort to "indie-folk".  But the truth is, I just write what I feel like without thinking about what category I am trying to fit into.  Some of my songs are folky, some have a classical twist, some are funny, some aren't.  Having the ability to play both piano and guitar gives me a lot of freedom to experiment with different styles.  My musical style is really just an extension of myself.  My goal is always to be honest - and I never feel more honest than when I am performing my songs in front of others.

My new album is similar to my first album in some ways - there are serious songs, there are light hearted songs, and songs that I hope people laugh out loud at.  I think there is a slight difference in the feel of the new EP (Measures + Waits) when compared to Fake Love.  Fake Love was recorded over the course of a year, so my producer (Greg Coladarci) and I were able to create several versions of songs, tweak things lots of times.  The new EP was mostly recorded in 4 days. I think that gives it a more organic feel.

My music video for "What's She Got" was so ridiculously fun to envision, brainstorm, and shoot.  The song is silly, there is flashmob-ish choreography, I have a giant bra and I get hit by a gargantuan courderoy heart that I got from Target (best $20 ever spent).  My mom keeps asking me if I can "make the video go viral", or if I am "trending".  I still don't know how she learned all of those words, but I tell her... "I'm trying my best." 

My music career is continuing to grow, and I am continuously getting really fun opportunities to share my songs.  I am going anywhere and everywhere it will take me, whether it's someone's living room or at a big venue.  The most important thing to me is that I stay true to myself and my art - it's this way I feel like I am succeeding.

4) How long ago did you move to Seattle?  What drew you to that location?  Describe how you perceive the music community in that city in comparison to NY.

I moved to Seattle in Sept 2010 to attend graduate school. (I don't know if this will be interesting for your blog.)  I am in a full-time medical program studying naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University.  Like my music, what I am studying I feel is an extension of myself.  I am so lucky I am in a situation that I have time for both of these things in my life.

The Seattle and New York communities are quite different - but then again when I moved to Seattle, I was in a much different place with my music.  When I started out in NY, I literally was starting from scratch - writing songs, learning how to books shows, trying to figure out how to put a band together, networking, etc.  When I arrived in Seattle, I already had an album under my belt.  To say I "hit the ground running" is an overstatement, but I certainly had a lot more experience that gave me a difference perspective.  Seattle is of course a much smaller city, and so is the community.  There are lots of opportunities to play a lot of different type of shows.  Back in New York I was playing a show once or more a month, usually at Rockwood or Bar 4.  In Seattle, I have played at songwriter-in-the-round shows, art-walk shows, cafes, large venues, benefit shows.  Most recently, I have gotten involved with The Bushwick Bookclub Seattle (actually originating in Bushwick, Brooklyn) which presents songs inspired by books, performed in front of a live audience.  This clearly exists in NY as well, but I think because Seattle is smaller, it tends to draw somewhat of a larger audience.  Soon, I will be playing at my first outdoor festival, which is very exciting!

When I started out in New York, I was so fortunate to have been a part of the Local Correspondents music community in Brooklyn which is largerly based out of Bar 4 in Park Slope.  I miss that community a great deal - it is really where I feel I grew the most at a writer and a performer.  It is comprised of a highly talented group of musicians, whose presence I am usually humbled in and whose songs I still am continuously inspired by.  New York also has amazing venues for singer-songwriters that are intimate like Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room.  I think Seattle would truly benefit from venues of this type - they are slightly harder to find here.  That is not to say that Seattle doesn't have fantastic venues as well, sometimes they are just slightly more conducive to band shows.

The one thing that both Seattle and New York have is an amazing crop of talented musicians and bands.  I am so lucky to have experienced being immersed in both scenes.

Altercation at Alter Bridge

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos by Dan DeSlover/ConcertCapture.com

This week, hard rock band Alter Bridge and their social media staff fueled a controversy over the use of a photograph by concert photographer Dan DeSlover from ConcertCapture.com.

               


Concert photographer Dan DeSlover found his work at the center of a debate regarding legalities, courtesies and artist's rights, when a photo he'd shot of Mark Tremonti from Alter Bridge ended up on the group's Facebook page by way of a third party.  Though the visual artist was given proper photo credit, no link to his website was included.  It was also brought to DeSlover's attention that his photo was being utilized for a commercial purpose - the sale of Tremonti's new solo effort via iTunes (seen in the screenshot above).  He then contacted Alter Bridge's management, asking for a small sum of $75 as compensation.  Management declined, and then removed his photo from the band's page. 

There is nothing wrong with a photographer asking for payment.  There is also nothing wrong with the band and their camp deciding not to pay, and then simply removing a photograph.  The issue should have ended there.  What the admin(s) of Alter Bridge's fanpage did next is where I feel the true offense occurred.  They took a private business issue, and made it extremely public.  They also did so in what came across as a condescending manner.  Below is a copy of the status update that was posted on Alter Bridge's page addressing the incident:

Sorry we had to take down the picture of Mark. Got an email from the photographer wanting to charge us $75.00 to display it. Needless to say, we declined. Post a cool picture of Mark on our page and we will use it tomorrow!

Time spent working on a grassroots level has brought me to a few, still evolving, conclusions.  When dealing with artists, payment kind of operates on a sliding scale - like a clinic might.  Sometimes what a musician can afford to pay a photographer is little to nothing.  I have gotten paid for my efforts in the form of T-shirts, free drinks, free admission, gratitude and occasionally cash.  When I break it down, and look at what they're getting paid for their efforts, my compensation seems fair enough.  If/when financial circumstances change, then fees should as well.  I'd like to stress again that I have worked solely with independent artists.  They are not supported by labels, do not have over 700,000 fans on a social networking site, do not have albums that have graced the Billboard charts and most certainly do not have strong-willed public relations and management professionals consistently working on their behalf.  A photographer can't expect to be paid professional level rates by a group of fledgling rockers, just as those same rockers can't expect to be paid by a venue, or say BMI, in the same way that a band like Alter Bridge can.  That's where my sliding scale theory comes into play.  Alter Bridge could have paid DeSlover $75 to use a photo they liked.  They chose not to, and ceased using his work.  Fine.  Further choosing to use a public forum to mock that man's effort to get paid is bad form.  What the band and their staff overlooked is that a public statement is open to response.  A response is exactly what they got. 

Some people who commented supported their "needless to say..." attitude, while others took a contrary stance.  In an effort to feign good PR, the Facebook admins took it upon themselves to delete all comments that made Alter Bridge look bad, posed a number of contradictory arguments, and then ultimately deleted the whole thread without ever apologizing to the photographer.  A few savvy types from the Facebook group Music Photographers screen captured portions of that which has now been deleted, and posted it on Reddit. 



The overall notion of how to make a proper living as a creative exists in an expansive gray area.  Take this blog, for example.  Whether I like it or not, this online endeavor of mine is essentially a non-profit.  Since starting it in December, Google Ad Sense has calculated that I've earned $.91.  So really, if you break it down, I'm paying to play as much as the musicians.  I obviously know I'm not alone, which is both reassuring and depressing.  Artists of all varieties have, throughout history, fought to be, not only appreciated, but compensated.  Putting your hopes on securing a stable income through the music industry is probably not the best idea.  If you're going to swim in that ocean, you better enjoy it, because gratification will most likely be your most substantial form of payment.  Bills have to get paid, and that's why we have day jobsw.  If we're lucky, we spend our days working within our field in one way or another.  That's really all we can ask for.

Update
On June 2nd, Alter Bridge bassist Brian Marshall commented about the incident on Twitter:

Funny how a "photographer" can make a stink over the likeness of anything.  Who did you a favor dooshbag?  Click a button.His comment, as well as those of another user, are marked in red in the image below.



Marshall later deleted his tweets.

Video Schmideo

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Videos by Various Sources

Music and videos make fabulous bed fellows.  Lately, I've seen an almost overwhelming output of the sound + visual equation.  Here are a few video projects that I've recently taken a look at.

Waller
Track: 'Time to Go'
Album: "Stoke the Fire"
Directed by Just Peachy Pictures


Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun
Track: 'We Were Wild'
Album: "Wildfire"
Directed by Parker Davidson


powerkompany
Track: 'Half Naked'
Album: "Comfort"
Directed by Alessandra Hoshor


Cusses
Track: 'Worst Enemy'
Album: Self-Titled LP
Directed by Bob Jones


Exemption
Track: Live 7 Part Series
Album: Various
Directed by Centerville Studios


The Click Clack Boom
Track: 'Bats'
Album: Unreleased
Directed by Luisa Conlon

If You Think You Might Come to California...

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Photos & Videos by Various Sources

Mike from the Henry Miller Memorial Library was awesome enough to point me in the direction of some bands local to the Big Sur, CA area.  So, here's a peak at a few of the acts working the indie circuit in The Golden State.

Levi Strom
            

Oregon native Levi Strom describes his style as being a blend of folk, rock, country, new wave, jam and electronic; "heartfelt but bold, with gravity heavy lyrics and oddly catchy melodies."  He first appeared on the West Coast scene back in 2005, when he released his self-titled debut album.  After five years of songwriting, and another year of recording, mixing and mastering (in both Big Sur and L.A.), Strom released his follow-up album "The Lone Wolf" in September of 2011.  According to the artist's website, "Many of the tracks were recorded live, some right as they were being written...If you want a taste of the many styles Levi is capable of, this record will not disappoint...".


His new single "Songbird" was released this past December, and has been featured on the Stanford Soundtrack 2011 Compilation.  For those of you who live in the New York area, Levi Strom will be playing with Cave Country, who you'll learn more about in just a moment, at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn on Friday, June 8th. 

Cave Country

                  


Comprised of members Jim Reynolds (Vocals/Guitar), Evan apRoberts (Vocals/Guitar), John Thompson (Drums/Percussion) and Andrew MacIver (Vocals/Keys), Cave Country "is a contemporary blend of country, indie rock and folk, colored by rich vocal harmony that emanate from their home on the California coast."  Reynolds, apRoberts and Thompson had been playing together in a progressive outfit called 'Madeline Flats,' when in 2008, they took the advice of a friend, and decided to focus on creating "songs from the heart."  Cave Country released their first self-titled effort in 2009, and have since come forth with their full length album, "Just a Little Coal."  They have been noted by Deli L.A. writer Hugo Gomez as being "...warm, melodic and honest -- the way folk music should be."

The sounds of Cave Country are consistently associated with the state they call home, evoking notions of sunshine, wine sipping and life on the road.  They have been compared to popular artists such as Buffalo Springfield, Wilco and The Byrds.  Below is the video for their soft, breezy, harmonious track 'Constant Arrival.'

The Range of Light Wilderness



Based in, and inspired by, Big Sur, this Gnome Life Records band consists of Tommy Frank MacDonald (Vocals/Guitar), Jessie Campbell (Vocals/Drums) and Nick Alves (Vocals/Bass).  They released a 16-track self-titled album in June of 2011, and can make you feel like "...that old beach blanket in your trunk might really be a magic carpet...It's all moonlight and waves here, pine-pitch and sunshine."

Last year, The Range of Light Wilderness was interviewed by San Francisco publication Broke-Ass Stuart's Goddamn Website, a really entertaining, irreverent site designed for "...busboys, poets, social workers, students, artists, musicians, magicians, mathematicians, maniacs, yodelers and everyone else out there who wants to enjoy life not as a rich person, but as a real person."  Honestly, the whole endeavor is worth taking a look at.  Anyway, the interviewer lovingly pegged them as both hippies and hilarious people, whilst referring to their sound as being "beautiful beachy surfy folk music." 


The Shrouded Strangers


Take a quick look at their Facebook page, and you'll see that the members of The Shrouded Strangers have placed themselves in these genres: "Psych-Honky Tonk, Guitar Cubism, Appalachian Jazz."  Guitar Cubism?  Creative placement.  Creative group.  They individually hail from all over the USA (DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia, California), which adds to the diversity that comprises their style.
The Shrouded Strangers' latest undertaking, the "Lost Forever" LP, was released in early 2012, and can be purchased via the band's website.  This past April, their new single 'Featherbed' was featured on My Old Kentucky Blog, who translated the track's energy as "...thick guitar fuzz, made-in-heaven riff, and, and yummy psychedelic effects."  The child of the '90s in me feels right at home hearing a band that jogs my memory into spitting out the name Eric's Trip.




Sidenote: The Shrouded Strangers played at Le Voyeur in Olympia, WA in March of this year.  About five years ago, I spent a very lovely night at that bar with some old friends and their friends (some of whom worked at the establishment), drinking beers way after they'd shut the doors to outside customers.  Great night.  I bought a T-shirt.  I still wear it.

Vacant Front Porches

Writing & Photos by Stephanie Augello

Overview of Atlanta's IMR Music Festival, which was held at The Five Spot on April 27th and 28th.  Originally seen in Target Audience Magazine.

I view Atlanta from the perspective of an outsider.  I have no choice but to do so.  I am neither a native, nor a transplanted resident.  I have, however, been a resident of a number of other cities, including New York, Boston, Asheville and Savannah.  My natural inclination is to compare Atlanta to those places with which I’m familiar.  I could say that its subculture is akin to Asheville’s; its prolonged summer and hints of lawlessness remind me of Savannah; its firmly rooted, respected history is strikingly Bostonian; and of course, its drive, zest and networking skills deserve a snug seat in the corner of a bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  Really, what I just did was pretty unfair to the city of Atlanta – depriving it of an independent description and all.  I do, however, solemnly swear that I only did it because I don’t yet know enough about the city to properly assess the traits that declare its independence.  So, let’s get started with that.

Atlanta is a city of independents.  It’s a city of hospitality, style, realism, enthusiasm and more than a little bit of hedonism.  Oh, and furnished front porches – it’s full of porches that seem eerily absent of people occupying the decorated spaces.  Ruminate as you will.  Atlanta is also a city of community, both mainstream and underground.  The last weekend in April was a prime example of that such fellowship.  That Saturday, the annual, wildly popular (as was evident by the volume of traffic) Inman Park Festival was in full effect.  In addition, IMR, or Indie Music Reviewer to the less informed, held their first ever two day festival at The Five Spot on April 27 ^th & 28th.  Though I was unable to attend the former, I was there for portions of the latter, where I socialized to the best of my socially awkward ability, and also took some photographs.



On Friday, I captured performances by Jack of Hearts, Baby Baby, Cusses and Trances Arc.  Experience has shown me that a live show by Savannah’s Cusses is generally a slam dunk, and their appearance at the IMR Music Festival was no exception.  The lovely Angel Bond ensnared her audience with her gritty, yet sweet, vocals and dynamic movements.  I was also truly floored by the power of Jack of Hearts.  Drummer Sarah Wilson is the catalyst of that group, taking their well-crafted rock/pop style to visceral, primal extremes.  I spent much of Saturday just watching, and getting absorbed in the scene at The Five Spot.  Gun Party snapped me out of my trance.  They describe themselves on Facebook as being “…an eclectic hornet's nest of melodic mayhem…,” and I’d say that’s right on target.  They’re like a wild party in a forgotten industrial warehouse; something out of a graphic novel; the “behind the scenes” footage of an Andy Warhol film.

Jack of Hearts

              

             

Baby Baby

                         

                

It’s hard to gauge the success and overall merit of a music festival’s freshman year.  As the event is going on, every precedent is in the process of being set.  I refuse to be one of those people who letter grades a festival, so I’ll simply offer a few observations.  The IMR Music Festival was nearly as visual as it was musical.  Each band’s performance was accompanied by a sort of laser light extravaganza, which enhanced the view for the general audience, as well as the dozen or so photographers and videographers present.  Spending two days holed up in a single location full of kinetic lights and roaring music can get a bit redundant.  Though a sense of constriction was generated as a result of situating the festival solely at The Five Spot, doing so also had the ability to create a sense of camaraderie; of hunkering down in a fort and planting seeds.  As far as business decisions go, I believe the organizers were wise to choose only one location.  Start small.  Assess when it’s over.  Grow over time.

Cusses

                  

                                                     

Trances Arc

                                                     



Gun Party

                              

                                                    

The IMR Music Festival would have been more Boston if conversations about German poetry could be overheard at the bar; more Asheville if groups of train jumpers had been roaming the parking lot with their mutts; more New York if attendees had been darting their heads nervously about, looking for some elusive big break; and more Savannah if the whole sha-bang had ultimately been broken up by the cops.  But it was none of that.  It was Atlanta – conspiringly creative and neighborly – already energetically building upward from this year’s foundation.