PurrView #37 - Boombox

                Long time friends Russ Randolph and Zion Rock Godchaux are a music-making duo whose style,  musical chemistry and individual musical prowess deem them fit for their band name-- Boombox.  Together they are a machine of rhythm, funk, and soul. Boombox is a touring favorite right now among circa college-age to mid-30s lovers of jam band outfits. The sound that Randolph and Godchaux pump out is electronic yet organic; and anyone who's down with acts like STS9 or Plej would definitely appreciate it. Though their sound is not organic in the sense of acoustic instruments; their organic nature stems from their live performances and the approach they take. They go into each show with no set list and progress through the set by riding the sheer energy of the venue's occupants. Randolph emphasizes that each show has a different energy as he explains, "We create these sonic fabrics off the machines [musical equipment] and we weave them between-- like the way a DJ works a crowd, blending two records… It's all real time, in the moment."

http://thisisboombox.com/

                Boombox's sound could be described as vintage rock with psychedelic undertones-- a product of electronic and live instrumentation, with elements of disco house, funk, rock and roll, and scratching. These guys have their hands full when it comes to making music together, but they do it with great poise. Both members contribute on drums. Randolph deejays, kicks two drum machines, produces, handles the turntables, and plays keys. Godchaux is guitarist, bassist, vocalist, and principle song writer for the act. And as both of his parents played in Grateful Dead for much of the 70s-- Godchaux, I'd presume, was certainly raised to jam and get down. Depending on the vibe of the particular show, Boombox's sets have been known to go on as long as 3 hours or more!

With two albums under their belt, Boombox's most notable track is "Stereo" from their freshman release, Visions of Backbeat.  

As a follow up to their second album-- downriverelectric-- Boombox is currently working on a third album (rumored to be titled Lost Ya). They are also touring the country from coast to coast, and will be making a Las Vegas stop on February 21, 2012 at Hard Rock Café on The Strip. Check 'em out, for a head-bobbing, funky time...

Check out Boombox's funky house cover of "Shakedown Street" à http://youtu.be/JH_sM6cRqOo

~Meow~

Pennies

Reference

(Russ Randolph quote: D. Gold interview: http://www.flipfire.tv/?video=oXBDl66OySwFnq18TQCy)

PurrView #36 - The Cigar Box Guitar

(Photo by Shane Speal)

The Cigar Box Guitar-- Though its production and ownership are certainly not very common, its timeless sound and method of production hold a solid, fascinating place in the history of American guitar music. Since tradesmen in the mid-1800s started packaging and selling cigars in smaller boxes, Americans have been transforming them into musical instruments, for a classic, resonant sound that elicits that soulful, velvety feeling we get from hearing and playing the blues and rock.

(Photo borrowed from Hard Luck Blues CBGs)

In both acoustic and electric form, the CBG has been conjured up and played in the hands of Civil War soldiers, poor hillbillies, early boy scouts, Grand Ole Opry performers, and rock 'n roll enthusiasts alike. Bob Cianci of PremierGuitar.com really put into perspective the omnipresence and impact of CBGs in guitar history when he stated that, "There's one thing Muddy Waters, Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Jimi Hendrix, and many others had in common: they started playing on homemade cigar box guitars, fashioned with materials that were readily available in their humble circumstances" (Cianci, 2009).

(Here's a cigar box I picked up at a garage sale)

I recently had a chance to sit down with a talented CBG craftsman (not in Tennessee or Alabama, but) right here in good ol' Las Vegas. James Berg, affectionately known in the Vegas local music scene as "Fuzz" (of Black Camaro), has embraced the beauty and timeless soul of the Cigar Box Guitar. Berg reported that he devotes a total of about 40 hours into building one CBG, and spoke of the early producers of CBGs sitting on their porches in the Appalachian foothills, fashioning chordophones out of their meager amounts of musical materials. As inspiration in his passion for the Cigar Box Guitar, Berg extols notable names in the movement like John "Red Dog" McNair. And though he is not a CBG builder, Berg states of Zach Daniels (formerly of Denver act Oakhurst) that he is a "bad ass banjo player that I built one for."

Check out some of Berg's craftsmanship displayed directly below.

To inquire on Berg's CBGs and how to get one of your own, contact him at fuzz1cool@yahoo.com

There is a rather tight community of CBG enthusiasts, which many would say is spearheaded by the self-proclaimed "King of the Cigar Box Guitar," Shane Speal. Though not understood or appreciated by all; the beauty, reputation, and musical impact of the CBG continues to be held in the hearts and hands of guitarists far and wide. Experiencing a cigar box guitar is like taking a taste of intricacy, simplicity, and soul all in one sip.

~Meow~

Pennies

For more on the Cigar Box Guitar, check out the below:

Back Porch Mojo on the CBG

Mike Snowden, Marietta, GA ---> http://snowdenguitars.com/

Delbarjo, "On the Road Again with CBG"

Reference

Cianci, B. (August 2009). Cigar box nation: The modern cult of the cigar box guitar. http://www.premierguitar.com/. Retrieved 12/30/11, http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/ShaneSpeal/files/CigBoxNat-Final-Layout.pdf .

PurrView #35 - Moment of poetry: "Too Close"

You're just a little too close for comfort.

And inwardly I resent, that I spend most of my waking life in your presence

Too close, I say

So close that I can smell you

So close that I can hear you

So close that I can feel you smile

I can feel all the thoughts you've got chained up inside

Many of the links undoubtedly pertain to me

If I could truly be Invictus; the master of my fate, the captain of my soul

I would subtract you

I would divide and conquer

I would add to myself

Recollect my energy

Recollect my being

Recollect the things I love about myself

All the things that you take

So to seem like a rational human being, I downplay it and I merely say,

"You're just a little too close for comfort."

But every day I wish you away…

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #34 - Chillout Music

   Okay, so I'm just going to say it: music on the radio nowadays is extremely annoying and consistently leaves me unimpressed. Seemingly, a song can be utter crap with senseless lyrics to top it off; but as long as you add tacky smut, a house beat and/or auto-tune, it's a hit, right? Wrong! And aside from the badly-done electronic-music-overkill on the radio waves today, rap, hip-hop, R&B and rock have tragically continued to nosedive awkwardly over the years, resulting in weak lyrics and concepts, (not so) hidden marketing schemes, and just plain bad taste (examples in image directly below).

   My birthday was November 14th… Another wonderful year has come and gone, and it feels great to be a sexy, single, successful, ambitious, and active 28-year-old woman. Music has always been a completely essential element in my life, and since I was a child, I've had quite an open-minded, vast array of musical tastes. Through my years of experience in activities such as ballet, gymnastics, piano lessons, concert band, percussion and choir, I've been exposed to classical, jazz, gospel, Broadway, opera, and ensemble pieces. Through my training in cheer and modern dance, as well as raving and concert-going with friends, I've developed a liking for other musical genres such as rock, punk, EDM (electronic dance music), blues, folk, funk and hip-hop. But as I arrive at my 28th year of life, one thing I've noticed about my current taste in music is that I've matured a bit, in a fashion that I'm really loving and embracing.

 DJ Krush

 

   My current taste in music is chill and usually paced at about 90-100 BPM. This "downtempo electronic music" helps me relax and focus-- and it stimulates my mind. Thanks to Pandora's Music Genome Project, You Tube, Facebook, word-of-mouth and my own research in music, I've found myself drawn to a more soulful, more refined, more mature taste and feel-- atmospheric, instrumental and experimental with scarce vocals and hip-hop roots. Musicians like Portishead, Zero 7, J Boogie, RJD2 and Stephane Pompougnac are the soundtrack to much of my day as of late. I like to think of it all as my generation's dark and satisfying easy listening. With elements of bossa nova, trip-hop, ambient music, jazzy vocals, deep synthetic touches and soft bass,  it is best described by writer Dean Carlson (Pandora.com) as "the welcome niche of a pretension-free, post-party intellectual chillout," as he spoke of one of my favorite musicians, Bonobo.

  If you're ready for some "pretension-free chill out" music, test out some of the below acts. I have a feeling you'll find them to be soothing and sweet to the soul…

~Meow~

Pennies

Nightmares on Wax

  Pretty Lights

  Massive Attack

  Gramatik

PurrView #33 - Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

   Black Keys fans, like myself, anxiously awaiting the release of the duo's follow up to 2010 LP Brothers, can satisfy their Black Keys craving in the meantime by checking out "Lonely Boy"-- first release from the upcoming album.

   El Camino-- due out December 6th-- is an album that was dreamt-up, written, compiled, recorded, and edited purely within the walls of Eye Sound Studio, Nashville. Under the direction of well-known producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, The Gray Album, Rome w/ Jack White and Norah Jones…), Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (pictured above) have pumped out a soul-enriched album that is described by Auerbach as "strong melodically, and it's short and to the point" (Scaggs, p. 28). The Black Keys continue to present to us their timeless rock and roll sound which has only strengthened and evolved since the group relocated from their native Akron, OH to music mecca, Nashville, TN.

   "Lonely Boy" is a single that I just can’t put down right now. With lyrics like, "Oh, Oh-oh. I got a love that keeps me waiting," The Black Keys once again, successfully deliver and have truly embraced blues-rock in the first single from El Camino.  Though the song paints a picture of a heart-broken, lonely individual who's jaded by his love that leaves him waiting in vain-- the beat has me singing along and clapping to the all-too-familiar scenario presented in the song.   It's a song that makes you want to gyrate and twist the heartache out of your system, just like the star of the video-- actor/musician/security guard, Derrick Tuggle. In the video, D-Tug (as Auerbach and others refer to him) sampled bits from well known numbers and later explained, "I took some moves from everybody: John Travolta from 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Pulp Fiction,' the Carlton Banks dance from 'The Fresh Prince' and a little bit of Michael Jackson, so it was a smorgasbord of everybody in there" (Montgomery, mtv.com).

   The tambourine and organ-accents appropriately compliment and polish the song's essence and hints at that decades-old rock and roll sound.  Overall, "Lonely Boy" is a song/video package that boasts perfection in simplicity.

~Meow~
Pennies 

References

  Montgomery, J. (2011, October 27). Black Keys 'Lonely Boy' Video: Meet the Dancing Machine. Mtv.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011 from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1673294/black-keys-lonely-boy-derrick-tuggle.jhtml

  Scaggs, A. (2011, November 24). Q&A: Dan Auerbach. Rolling Stone, Issue 1144, 28.

  

PurrView #32 - Deer Tick - Beauty Bar Las Vegas

Providence, Rhode Island's Deer Tick made a stop in Old Downtown for a show at Beauty Bar Las Vegas October 29, 2011. Their fourth studio album-- Divine Providence-- hit shelves on October 25. 

Check out my write-up on the show for Las Vegas Weekly!

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/nov/01/dressing-occasion-deer-tick-downtown/ 

Good times in the backyard at Beauty Bar Las Vegas

John McCauley

Dennis Ryan

StuntPogoNick's Animation set to Deer Tick's "These Old Shoes" (My favorite Deer Tick song)

~Meow~

Pennies

PurrView #31 - GBDC at The Palms

GBDC - Ghostbar Day Club at The Palms, Las Vegas

Today, the N9NE Group revealed its latest contribution to Las Vegas' club and nightlife scene, cleverly via their daytime celebration-- GBDC; a daytime club experience (sans swimming pools) that is radically distinct and unparallelled.

GBDC is a unique party held 55 floors up at The Palms every Saturday, in Ghostbar. Featuring guests such as Miss Nevada Sarah Chapman and actor Adrian Grenier, its debut filled the 8,000-square-foot club with over a couple hundred locals, tourists, and even a Maloof brother by the end of the first hour for an afternoon party that began at 1:00.

As the large crowd gathered downstairs waiting to enter, the feel of a sort of circus was present.  N9NE Group members wearing top hats, ringmaster coats, neon wigs, head-dresses, and even stilts got everyone hyped up and excited to board the elevator and see what this GBDC is all about.  

Keeping in style with its spooky name, Ghostbar-- which most locals have already experienced in its usual nighttime setting-- seemed surreal filled with sunlight; like an eerie alternate dimension filled with white light. A bit spooky, as well as apropos in the month of October, the atmosphere was upbeat and exactly as it should be: the usual essence and dope atmosphere of Ghostbar… during the day.

I was previously told to expect GBDC to be a "high energy day party." It certainly was just that-- a sun kissed party with a fabulous view of the Las Vegas strip, champagne showers, confetti, streamers, hot women, 40s of Olde English in paper bags, bright colors and even piñatas!

DJ Zen Freeman offered up electro, house, dubstep and top 40 mixes, keeping the crowd dancing and shuffling in the daylight. Ghostbar employees served up drinks in Rainbow Brite-like tutus and even performed dance routines atop the bar.

The "Grandiose Opening" of GBDC was a smashing good time, and I'm still finding confetti in my hair, bra and boots!

Come check out GBDC, every Saturday at Ghostbar at The Palms-- 1pm!

~Meow~

Pennies