Friday in Savannah: Baby Baby and Gun Party

Writing by Stephanie Augello
Videos by Video Rahim and Terence Rushin

This weekend, Atlanta bands Gun Party and Baby Baby will be playing in the nighttime summer swelter of Savannah, GA.  Those of you who know those nights will know that this will be a good night. 

I often pride myself on the quirky titles and quasi interesting story lines I insert into these posts.  Sometimes, they're really easy to conjure up.  Other times, it feels as if the well has run dry.  Right now is one of the latter times.  In my head, I want to go on and on, discussing some aspect of the music scene in Savannah, and how that city has a lot to offer both residents and visitors in terms of subculture.  That sentence is about as far as my brain will go right now.  Grown up things have made me tired (insert yawn).  Now, I'll get to my point.  Yes, I have one.

This June weekend in Savannah should be a damn good time for those who seek such a thing.  Two energetic, popular acts from Atlanta will be making their way(s) across highways to perform at The Wormhole.  You know that place.  You like going there.  It's all sorts of enjoyable, and you should check out Baby Baby and Gun Party when they play there on Friday, June 29th. 

I had the chance to check out both bands at Atlanta's IMR Music Festival back in April.  In my subsequent write-up, I zeroed in on Gun Party's performance, referring to them as being like behind the scenes footage from an Andy Warhol film.  The band recently released a new video for their track 'Nothing Like a Sheep to Make You Feel Like a Wolf,' which was directed by Video Rahim.



To tie this up with a nice little bow, I will offer you a description of Baby Baby, crafted by the members of Gun Party.

Quit hatin. These dudes are fun. Raucous party tunes. Sometimes feete shufflink , sometimes a touch of metaltastic. These guys like hard work and ball sweat. If you haven't started moving yet, then you are really really running out of excuses at this point. Save your excuses for when you need them, like the next day when you were supposed to meet this cute girl for coffee at eleven AM, which you make but then have to explain your godawful smell because you met her at bible study and want her to think you are something that you are not.
They have an album. That they recorded. Do that.


Represented by The Gospel of Rhythm Recordings, Baby Baby also has a video.  It's for their song 'Fire.'



So, remember kids, Gun Party and Baby Baby this Friday, June 29th at The Wormhole.  Each and Every Opus will be opening, and DaxExclamationPoint will be your host.  Baby Baby will also be making an appearance at Taco Abajo tomorrow night, Thursday, June 28th.

The Kids Are United

Writing by Stephanie Augello

These United States have released their latest full-length album.  They will be playing this Friday, June 15th, at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

                                                   

This week, alt-country band These United States released their fifth full-length album - a self-titled piece that expands upon the energy, fluidity and overall clever construction of their previously endeavors.  When speaking with Vermont publication Seven Days, front man Jesse Elliott referred to the album's themes as being about "people and places and all  the wacky shit" in this fair country.  This hard-touring group has also been dubbed by Paste Magazine the "Least Lazy Band in America," having played over 800 shows since 2008, which has included performances at South by Southwest and the CMJ Music Marathon.  You can stream "These United States" below, or pick up your own copy by following this link. 



Members Elliott, J. Thom Hnatow, Justin Craig, Anna Morsett and Aaron Latos will be opening for Willie Nelson on June 18th at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, CT.  If you happen to be in the NYC area tomorrow, June 15th (That's a Friday, kids...), check them out at Brooklyn's The Knitting Factory. If you live further down south, These United States will grace the stage at The Earl on Saturday, June 30th.

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.

*Updates courtesy of Cédric Roussel.