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Issue #318 - Feb '12


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Peter Wolf 311

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THE GOSPEL

ACCORDING TO PETER

by A.J. Wachtel

Understanding the wit and wisdom of Peter Wolf is a long-term and very complicated project. Brimming with energy, very charismatic and always the most interesting person in the room onstage or off—any room, anywhere, anytime. For decades, Wolf has kept re-inventing himself remaining relevant, and with the recent release of Midnight Souvenirs his legacy continues to reach out to new audiences; it again proves his importance past and present to the international music scene. Check out the gospel according to Peter:

Noise: You and filmmaker David Lynch [Eraserhead, The Elephant Man] were roomates at the Museum School in Boston. Who was more surreal between the two of you? Where did you two used to hang out back then?

Peter Wolf: David might say that it was me. I think I would have to agree. Of course we spent a lot of time discussing music and painting and we would hang out at dive bars—and do things like in the middle of the night decide to have some drinks; since Boston closed up early we would drive down to New York City for one drink and drive right back... guess you can say we were night time crazies!

Noise: Midnight Souvenirs was named one of Rolling Stone’s Best Albums of 2010. Has its success reached your expectations? What about its being feted by the Boston Music Awards too? Do you appreciate the local award any differently than the national award?

Peter: Artistically yes, but when I finish a project there is always something that inspires a continuum like with love, it’s hard to say goodbye. Well, I am a great believer that Boston has some of the finest musical talent—in comparing to other cities I think Boston has the finest. Unfortunately when many rock bands were coming up like the Geils band, there weren’t any major labels or studios in Boston to help create a real music scene. I appreciate awards except if I were given one for the worst dressed.

Noise: You recently celebrated Kid Rock’s 40th birthday. What is he like and what do you two talk about?

Peter: When Kid Rock, Rev Run, and I hit the road, it’s like Vegas—it all stays behind closed doors!

Noise: Your latest CD, Midnight Souvenirs, is your seventh solo album and your first in eight years since Sleepless in 2002. Why did it take so long between projects?

Peter: I’m a slow thinker.

Noise: Your love for country music is evident throughout this great CD especially in your duets with Merle Haggard [“It’s Too Late For Me”] and Shelby Lynne [“Tragedy”]. Many moons ago you told me that the country scene in Boston was never fully appreciated. Twenty-five years later, what are your thoughts on why country and C&W never had huge local followings?

Peter: Well, the country music I am speaking of is what I call traditional or classic country music. Most of the current country is really just pop. Classic country actually did have a big following many years ago in Boston. I used to go see Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Buck Owens and they would all play Symphony Hall because they had such large followings and great appreciation back then.

Noise: On Midnight Souvenirs did you use any local musicians, which is a normal practice for you?

Peter: Yes, I’ve used some of Boston’s finest on the CD. [Editor note: credited are guitarist Duke Levine, vocalist Kris Delmhorst, drummer Marty Richards, and engineers Paul Kolderie, Dave Westner, and Chris Rival.]

Noise: You once said to me you can judge a city’s music scene by looking at how strong their folk scene is because, for one reason, it’s very inexpensive to just go out on the street without a lot of expensive equipment and just get heard. Is this still a good way to get a good idea?

Peter: I think so. I find myself prowling the streets quite a lot.

Noise: After you played at Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, you went across the street and jumped onstage with Dave Tree’s Blow Your Face Out J. Geils tribute band for “Ain’t Nothin’ But a Party.” How cool was that? Stories like that make you a very special artist.

Peter: I enjoy going out clubbing and I enjoy seeing new bands. It was such a surprise to be walking towards the parking lot and hear “Aint Nothin’ But a House Party,” so I figured why not jump in and take it to the bridge, and kick it high.”

Noise: What about D.K.’s Full House Geils tribute band? They do a great job keeping the legacy alive. Have you checked them out?

Peter: No.

Noise: Rosy Rosenblatt tells an interesting story he says you might remember. In the late ’80s, on a Monday night he was sitting in the green room with George “Earring” Mayweather between sets when you, Junior Wells, and Van Morrison came upstairs to visit. And later, Junior jumped on stage and played but when Van climbed aboard and played harp through an extra vocal mic, George went nuts and kept trying to take the mic away from him causing something of a stir in the club. What do you remember about this incident?

Peter: The story is all mixed up. It was Junior Wells, Van Morrison, and myself cruisin’ for a night out on the town. We were having a real Saturday night fish fry.

Noise: Any chance we might ever expect a surprise show from you at a local club under an assumed name or you just don’t do stuff like that anymore?

Peter: I still do it all the time under the name Michael Feinstein.

Noise: So the J. Geils Band didn’t get elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again. This certainly doesn’t help their credibility much. Is it a big deal to you?

Peter: It’s nice to be honored but we were nominated three times and I assume one day we might make it but until then, you just do what you got to do.

Noise: You sang a few songs at the memorial concert for Billy Ruane with Pat McGrath, Duke Levine, Stephen Fredette, Ed Reimer, and Norman Hartley. Care to tell the Noise readers an untold story about Billy Ruane that you still enjoy remembering?

Peter: Like in New York, “there are a million stories in a naked city” and there are a million memorable stories about Billy.

Noise: I saw you at the wake for Charlie Mackenzie who discovered and managed Boston and I found out he used to live with Tim Collins who once managed Aerosmith. Does this fact tend to make you believe in pre-destination a little more and do you have a good story about that apartment you’d care to share?

Peter: Too foggy to remember.

Noise: What’s the next mountain you intend to climb? What’s in the future for Peter Wolf?

Peter: Gettin’ my green teeth shined.

Noise: Do you ever see you and Seth writing songs together again in the future?

Peter: Never can tell.

 
Gene Dante 310

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by Rick Dumont

A passionate and driven artist and showman, Gene Dante continues to lead the Future Starlets to new and exciting heights. Within a year and a half of the current band’s formation in 2008, they secured second place in the WBCN Rumble. That grabbed the attention of a longtime producer and with the buzz ever increasing about their live performances, these cats quickly became the cream rising to the top of the scene in town.

Leading man Dante is a performer. But more than simply being the amazingly gifted singer for an “adult” variation of a glam cabaret punk rock style band, Dante is also a musician and the primary songwriter. He has no problem picking up a guitar and plucking along with the rest of his mates, believing strongly that lead singers should also be able to play. But it’s Dante’s in-your-face persona on stage that commands attention. From the moment he steps on a stage, Dante reaches into your soul and holds it passionately in his pocket while he and the Starlets gently ram a full set of music down your throat—and you gladly accept it.

So what is it that originally fueled the fire of this musician, lead singer, writer, actor, showman? His affinity for superheroes of course.

“Rockstars are like superheroes,” the self-effacing Dante said, “Everyone always pays attention to them.” Dante grew up appreciating superheroes—both the fictional kind and his original rock idols, KISS and Queen, who really captured his attention. “Like superheroes, rock stars help people,” Dante said. Their music and shows provide a catharsis for the audience and like his idols of yore, Dante and the Starlets deliver that with their anthemic songs like “A Madness to His Method.”

“A lot of people have taken that song as their mantra—which is wonderful,” Dante said. With lyrics that appear to espouse an empowerment like, “I am gorgeous/ I am finally free/ there is nothing in this brave new world wrong with me,” it’s easy to see why. But Dante says the song came from a completely different frame of mind, like with many of his writings.

“That is the beauty of the creative expression,” Dante said. Artists from any field can create or capture something that means one thing to them, but often times the listener picks up a different vibe.

In the case of “Madness,” which opens the album The Romantic Lead, audiences “flipped it and it became positive,” Dante said. And that is okay with him.

“Every writer writes what they know,” Dante said. And this character knows how to not only write, but to entertain in that certain way that would make his glam forerunners most proud.

But it’s not just glam or grand theatrical rock that makes Dante’s fires burn. A local band that made a huge mark on the world stage has been given a couple of nods in his lyrics. Dante borrowed Aerosmith’s “Rats in the Cellar” and “Toys in the Attic” to add depth and meaning to the musical sagas.

Dante picked up a guitar when he was 15. He never took a lesson. “It was a vehicle to create songs,” Dante said. And he had written dozens of songs. “They were bad,” Dante said, “but I wrote all the time.” Over the years he has honed his ability to paint pictures and strike emotional reactions with the word or turn of a phrase. He also has learned how to own the stage from the moment he takes it.

The first incarnation of the band formed in 2006, but members soon grew in different directions. Two years later Dante and his original drummer, Tamora Gooding, began a reconstruction and they reeled in bassist Jim Collins. They rehearsed as a three-piece. Then one night while out having a drink with friend and fellow musician Ad Frank, a master lyricist of Boston’s music scene, suggested Dante try to coax former Mistle Thrush guitarist Scott Patalano out of retirement.

“A bell went off in my head,” Dante said. “I burned Scott a CD of my demo, built up some courage, went to his store and flat out asked him to give a listen.”

The winds of fate were blowing in the right direction and, much to the joy of Dante and the rest of the gang, Patalano joined up. Add in rhythm guitarist Erik Anderson, who joined after the album was cut and there you have it folks, a band. “I want to keep these guys with me forever,” Dante said. “Each one is a serious pro.”

“Patalalno is great at finding the space where his lead guitar should go,” Dante said. “Sometimes he’s the figure skater gliding on top, sometimes he’s the grout between the tiles.”

The Starlets’ name is part sci-fi, part Hollywood, and part gender-identity. The sound of it is optimistic and has forged their path. Fun times abound for this group of seasoned musicians. The bonding of the music with Dante’s impeccable voice has created a star quality.

This quality enabled them to land famed producer Peter Lubin (the Pixies, Peter Gabriel) and add his talents to their album. “My manager at the time had worked for Peter and stayed in touch,” Dante said. “When it came time to record The Romantic Lead, Omnirox Entertainment reached out and asked if Peter would be interested in producing.”

“I was interested in Peter because I love the Pixies and heard he wasn’t interested in creating some kind of Bowie knock-off,” Dante said. With the excitement of Peter Lubin on board, Dante needed to stay grounded. “He made sure I never start to enjoy the smell of my own bullshit,” quipped Dante.

“The bottom line is I never want to work with ‘yes’ men,” Dante said. “I want people around who challenge me.” Those people with whom Dante creates now are doing just that, pushing him to write and work smarter, and his bandmates, of course, have their own contribution to the songs. Dante might write the lyrics, have concepts in mind for the melody and music, but the band adds their two cents. “I always approach the band with a completed song containing the basics,” Dante said. “They bring their ideas into the studio then as a group we flesh out the songs to full band arrangements.”

Gene Dante & the Future Starlets have plans to take their show on the road, expand their fan base, and bring upscale glam-cabaret to the masses. This summer they’re on a tri-state tour through Portland, Boston, and Providence with the Zany Hijinx production of Hedwig & the Angry Inch. This is not the first time Dante has taken on the role of Hedwig. In October 2002, Dante’s portrayal at the Institute of Contemporary Art brought accolades and great press and landed him the recipient of the Addison Award for Best Actor in a Musical. For this tour, Adam Amoroso will be filling in on guitar for Patalano. Dante’s acting career goes beyond Hedwig—has also graced the stage in Rocky Horror, Rent, The Scarlet Letter, and currently Pussy Over the House. “I want to act in things I care about,” Dante said. But music is his true passion and he’ll stick with it.

 
William Des Desmond 309

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HE’S THE MAGIC MAN

By Julia R. DeStefano

“I love people. That’s the kind of business I’m in.” ~William “Des” Desmond

Noise: In the beginning, what led you to pursue music? Was there a catalyst because I know you were involved with the Bentmen, and that you play the hammer dulcimer…

Des: Yes, I play the hammer dulcimer and psaltery. They’re basically the great ancestors of the piano and harp. I don’t play them traditionally, but they have a very baroque sound to them. I play them as textural instruments, creating washes of sound. I have my own project, Orphans of the Storm. We have nearly three albums done, but we haven’t had the time to release anything. You can hear probably forty minutes of the music online. It’s really good stuff to catch a buzz to or have a glass of wine with and listen to late at night. It’s music that we’re putting together for film. We have some killer guests on it. In fact, I might even have David Hull play on a song or two once we get him into the studio to hear it. Who’s on it?… Will Ackerman, a very famous guitarist; Gary Lucas, who played with Captain Beefheart; Jon Butcher; my own daughter, Casey Desmond, does vocal textures; Taylor Barefoot, who I co-composed all the songs with. So that’s what I’ve been doing. I decided to do this more ambient music, which is what I started with in the beginning—tape looping, the hammer dulcimer, the psaltery, and the Persian santur—and then I got into the heavier stuff, the Bentmen.

Noise: Tell me about the formation of the Bentmen. Is it something that you are still involved with?

Des: Let me tell you what happened. We played for years, one or two shows a year, and before we knew it, twenty-three years had passed. Shortly after our 23rd anniversary show in 2006, I had a cerebral aneurism. I had to have the front of my head removed, my skull, so they could get in there and cut it out—full blown brain surgery. When that happened, the recklessness and craziness of running around, wrestling with people—which is part of a Bentmen show—I mean, we did everything from dragging them to the stage, duct-taping the audience to chairs, and shaving heads. It was a very interactive and physical show. Basically, I didn’t need to be banging my head around after having had surgery. I just used it as a catalyst to tell the guys in the band that it was indefinitely on hold. If you want to continue and get another lead singer, go ahead. But nobody wanted to do it without me, so it hasn’t happened. The bottom line is that everybody keeps bugging me to do it and it’s been about three years now. I’m starting to feel better. It isn’t out of the question. It’s an open book still. We’ve had some very famous people in and out of the Bentmen over the years. A lot of people, fantastic local musicians, played in the band. It’s a hard thing not to do because I really enjoyed it. As of right now, we have written a musical play, Ulcer Gulch, and we’ve got people interested in it. We did sort of a cheese-ball version onstage at the Institute of Contemporary Art, but there are forces that are interested and have recently done exploratory things to see the feasibility of making it into a very expensive play. That’s on the table, but I won’t be heading it off. One of the band mates from New York is, and he strongly believes in it. He’s been shopping it to people, big money people. I thought nothing would ever happen, but that might not be the case. The play has already been written and everything, so to say it’s over isn’t really accurate. It’ll be a while before I play out again in the band. Every once in a while, I feel like that guy who’s at a football or hockey game sitting on the sidelines that wants to go back in and play. It’s horrible. Doing a show like a Bentmen show, especially if it goes over well, is an addictive thing because you get up there and let everything hang out. Go for it, the madness of it. It’s an intense show if done right!

Noise: Steven Tyler once said, “Even I wouldn’t want to wear what those f***ers were wearing!” and Warm Vinyl stated: “Every strange, sick, perverted, maniacal thought you have ever had about Bentmen is absolutely true… Bentmen explore the subconsciously evil, mentally ill side of doom rock. What kind of weirdoes are these people?”

Des: We’ve also been called the Blue Man Group on a couple hits of acid. We’ve been playing around as long as them. The Bentmen is floating around and it seems like since we’ve stopped playing, more people are interested. I don’t get that! It’s kind of like how when you’re dead, they like you more!

Noise: Then there’s your involvement with the Magic Room, which has been in operation for two years…

Des: The room used to be a video production space in the Sound Museum, but when the video company broke off and shut down, the space came open. I decided to make a soundstage and huge practice space for people who needed to rehearse special shows, plays, or what have you. The first show to ever happen in the Magic Room was a private showing. Fifty people got to watch B.B. King while he rehearsed to play the Bank of America Pavilion. He came into town to do a big show and he had a pick-up band. We had to listen to the songs two or three times, but the fifty of us got to sit there, hang out with B.B. King, and watch him in action while he taught the musicians some of the songs he was performing. That was a treat to say the least. After that, I figured it would be a really great space for the Sound Museum people to show off their music to corporate for CD listening and CD releases. Live recording is another idea that we have for it, which we’re still working on. I said: “You know what? This would be nice to make into a big living room.” Our capacity is only one hundred people and the stage will hold eight or nine people comfortably. There’s a small lounge out in front in the lobby and a living room to the side of the main living room, so people can sit down and talk. The mission of the Magic Room is to create a listening room, a showcase place. We don’t pretend to be a bar. We get beer and wine licenses per show, if needed. We’re not about the bar thing. We’re about the music. We mix music and art showings. A lot of local artists have come and I’m working on getting international ones in. We have a thirty foot wide, twenty-five foot high screen, and we show independent films at many of the shows. We only do forty shows a year and that’s enough for me, anyway. We’re not pretending to be a club, although we have a huge club sound. We are a listening room for showcasing film and artwork. That’s what we’re about.

Noise: I agree. The club scene, per se, with the bars and alcohol revenue results in the music becoming the backdrop, as opposed to the main focus. It becomes more of a social event than anything else.

Des: Right now, there are clubs opening up and that’s really good because I own a rehearsal facility. So many clubs have closed. The bands were rehearsing with no place to play, so it becomes like… what’s the point? With the new places opening around town, there’s resurgence and I’m hoping that more people open venues so that music can be seen in every different location because there’s a lot of talent in Boston. The purpose of the Magic Room is to keep it small, but not tiny. The other interesting thing is that I bought part of the sound system from the Axis that was on Landsdowne Street. We bought some really nice equipment speakers and repaired everything. Some local guys who work on studio and sound put it together for me—John Overstreet (Middle East Downstairs) and Bob Logan built the sound bafflers. We spent a lot of time working on it. We have one of the best sounding rooms in the city. Everybody’s raving about the sound. Barry Hite is my sound guy and he is one of the best around. We don’t do shows unless we have the best sound people behind the board because we want people to leave saying, “that sounded great!” We have a sound system that you can feel in your chest without it hurting your ears. As this thing started to snowball and it gained more and more interest, my wife, Katherine, jumped in and she’s helping me manage the place. My daughter, Casey, helps too. My son, Bill, and daughter, Mary, also help with the management and in keeping the place clean, doing photography and video shoots, or running the beer, wine, and food snacks—complimentary things that we put out for people. The whole family pitches in and works the place, a family affair.

Everyone who’s played there doesn’t just like it, they love it. I’ve been going around—I happen to be a bit of a picker because I love antiques—from New Hampshire, to Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts, buying old portraits and photographs of families from the late 1800s and early 1900s, plus a few that we found within our own family. There are a hundred of them on the walls, to say the least. The place is decorated with all this weird stuff—weird, old clowns that we got from amusement parks and that we found in people’s collections. We took all the lights and trick lighting from the Bentmen days, which amounts to about $15,000 worth of lighting in a room that holds only one hundred people. It’s like the Fourth of July when it lights up in there! The other thing, too, is that we have two really nice overhead projectors that run our films and also run films onstage, which acts as a lightshow unto itself. We’re noticing that everybody is starting to do that again, not that it’s a new idea, but I think the word is out that it’s a really cool thing. People are starting to do it at other clubs. I’m seeing it everywhere, but not quite the way we do it because when these projectors blast onto the band, it’s like living color. It’s amazing! When you see it, you’re going to go, “wow!” We’ve got more lasers per square inch than the Planetarium and it’s all sound activated, so you just turn it on when the band wants it. Not everyone does, but there are a lot of things to choose from. Bands are just starting to use the space for video shoots. You don’t have to do anything but get up there and let us blast away.

The other thing, too, is that there’s a rental price on this. Most of the clubs in town charge, anyway. Some places are $600 for a weekend, up to $2000. For bands, one way or the other, they’re doing a show on a weekend and paying a fortune. We have a very small amount, $350, and they can bring in the bands they want. We include a sound guy in that and sometimes we do benefits as well, which doesn’t cost anything. We put up the money ourselves. Some people just have parties and others show their stuff off. They’ll dictate their own price. It’s not about making a lot of money because we just have this one flat fee and whether it’s this band or that band, I don’t make any more money. At the end of the night, we split it with our sound guy. We just cover our basic operating expenses and that’s it. We don’t take any percentage of the merchandise the bands sell or anything. It all goes straight to them.

Noise: Who has played there?

Des: We’ve had some very famous people. We’ve featured progressive rock bands out of Europe, Greg Hawkes (the Cars), Gary Lucas (guitarist for Captain Beefheart and Jeff Buckley), Agents of Mercy, Karma Mechanic (whose drummer is from Tears for Fears), and the Mothers of Invention. Boston is starting to come back as a music scene. Our other mission is to keep the cost down so people can rent the space. We want it affordable so people can showcase their stuff and bring in corporate people; bring in record label people to see them perform on a stage that’s really nice. It’s more like coming into a house than it is coming in a club. We want to be more underground. The more, the merrier. I’d like to see more of these types of things pop up across the country, and they are. We have two series, the Art/Rock Series—which features progressive rock bands that you don’t normally see and some of the locals that do progressive music—the Singer/Songwriter Series, and the Living Room Series.

Noise: The concept reminds me a little bit of Hi-N-Dry, which recently moved into the Somerville Armory.

Des: They might have a similar mission, but when you see the atmosphere of the Magic Room, you’ll think differently. When you walk in, you’re not going to believe it. That’s what people say if you like weird, old antiques and a lightshow that’s just mind blowing. It’s unexpected. People don’t expect to walk into this living room and have the lights turned on, watching a show, and hearing the sound. People just keep complimenting us on it.

Over the years, I’ve played in a couple different bands. When owning a rehearsal complex, you hear endless stories of sound guys and door people treating the musicians like shit, like: “Hurry up and get out there! Get your sound done and then get down!” just really treating them like slaves or something. Those bars, clubs, the movie people… nobody can make money without the musicians and yet, the musicians are the ones that get treated like shit! What’s up with that? You can’t have television, movies, opera, symphony, and rock clubs without the musicians! And the musicians are begging to play. They pay to play! From being on both sides of this now, I see that there are expenses to be covered. Otherwise, somebody’s opening a venue and paying for the insurance, heat, and liability just so people can come in and perform there. You have to look at both sides. It’s gotten outrageous. I remember back in the day when we started the Bentmen. Monday and Tuesday were “New Band Nights” where they didn’t expect to get paid, like at the Rathskellar, and before you knew it, it was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and on! Bands are now paying to play in their venues!

My sound people and staff, whether they’re volunteering their time or if it’s my family, everybody treats people with respect. There isn’t a sound guy that’s going to snap, ever. I want people to have plenty of time to set up, to get their sound sounding good. I want them to feel comfortable and like they’re cared for. We’re getting a good response and garnering a lot of respect. People really say they enjoy being there. That’s important.

Noise: I gather it is a social event more than anything.

Des: All around Vermont, Maine, and these other places, you will find that people set up stuff in barns, churches, and places of that nature. They have all kinds of diverse music. A lot of times, they just fizzle out because they don’t have the alcohol revenues to keep them going. We need more places for people to play. Owning a rehearsal facility, nobody knows that more than me. If the places to play dry up; then so does my business.

Noise: So, what’s next?

Des: Well, I’m having fun with it. Every band that’s played there has been great. I love to bring in oddball bands that you don’t normally see. To watch them play for you in a living room is a treat. A lot of the Sound Museum musicians are so excited that they can see this right down the hallway from their rooms. We’ve got choral music coming, some gospel, and it’s funny because they’re already sold out! I would like to have more celebrities play, like Joey Molland from Badfinger and Mark Farners from Grand Funk Railroad. I’m also working on getting the rock band, Hawkwind, to come over from England. That’s one of my dreams, psychedelic music because we have all the lamps and stuff in there. It’s perfect for that. Just perfect. I love experimental music. We want to be purveyors of progressive, experimental music, film, and really work up the art stuff. I want more art stuff. My own daughter, Mary, has shown her photography and currently, we have Alvan Long. He does great work and presently has some hanging up in there. We’ll do it as long as people are interested, and then we’ll move onto something else. We want to try to have a little alternative place for people to have a big club sound in a living room.

http://www.magicroomgallery.com

http://www.orphansofthestorm.net

 
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SHAKIN’ SOME ACTION WITH
JENNY DEE & THE DEELINQUENTS

by Julia R. DeStefano

“I’m fascinated by the fact that you guys are doing material that’s inspired by the things we did with Phil Spector in the ‘60s. I think it pays tribute to a classic sound which will always be fresh and which will never become dated over time.” ~LaLa Brooks of the Crystals

It is no wonder that Jennifer D’Angora was honored with the title Female Vocalist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards this past December. Her newest endeavor, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, is organic, rooted in pop, early R&B, and doo-wop. Through a style that is reminiscent of empowering, early girl groups of the ‘60s, D’Angora demonstrates that this is the music she was born to sing. Her commanding vocals and authoritative stage presence are spotlighted amid talented players—Ed Valauskas (bass), Tony Goddess (guitar), Eric “Salt” Saulnier (guitar), Phil Aiken (keys), Eric Anderson (drums), Rebecca “Beka” Dangora (background vocals), and Samantha Goddess (background vocals)—along with diverse special guests. Combine the aforementioned ingredients with synchronized choreography and matching ensembles. The result is something that Ed Valauskas enthusiastically refers to as an “instant band!”

Noise: In the beginning, what led you to pursue music? Was there a catalyst?

Eric Salt: Billy Squier

Phil Aiken: After having played piano as a young child, I did not pick it up again until after college, and didn’t start playing seriously until my mid-twenties when I was teaching college math and had a lot of time on my hands. I knew it was what I wanted to do, so I ended up making it my main pursuit.

Ed Valauskas: I was a little late to the party, not picking up an instrument ’til I was 16. I had some friends in bands in high school, most of them guitar players and drummers. I thought that if I picked up a bass, I could be in a band in a week or so. That theory, as it turns out, was correct.

Jennifer D’Angora (Jenny Dee): I have been interested in music since I was a little kid. There was always music playing in the house and I asked my parents for musical instruments, as well as toys. I was first clarinet in my high school band!

Beka Dangora: While growing up, my family was very big into music, mostly listening to all kinds. My sister, Jen, was the musician at the time. She was (and is) a huge inspiration. I started singing and doing some dancing in elementary school, and continued to enjoy it from then on.

Noise: Can you share your musical history, including your involvement in past bands?

Phil: After playing in a bunch of relatively unsuccessful, though locally popular bands, I ended up putting in a five-year tenure with Buffalo Tom as a hired sideman. Subsequently, I played with Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria, the Blizzard of ’78, tons of other one-offs and fill-ins, and have done studio work with a slew of local and national bands. I’ve also released two albums under my own name; front a band called the Phil Aiken Army, and am just about done with my third solo release.

Ed: In the early ’90s, I joined a band in New Haven, Connecticut, called the Gravel Pit and migrated to Boston in 1995. We made a handful of records that I am really proud of and toured a bunch up until the early ’00s, when we took on an infinite hiatus. Most of that band, along with Mike Gent of the Figgs, started another fairly popular band called the Gentleman, which was pretty active in the ’00s, winning the WBCN Rumble in 2004. That band is also on a fairly infinite hiatus. Aside from those two “full-time” bands, I have toured as a gun-for-hire bass dude over the years with Juliana Hatfield, Graham Parker, and Wheat. In my spare time, I have been lucky enough to produce some great local artists’ music: Eli “Paperboy” Reed, *AM Stereo, Ryan Schmidt, and the Rationales.

Jenny: Besides the high school marching band, I was in an all-girl band out of high school called the Boolaberries, but my first “real” band was the Downbeat 5 and proudly, we’re still together. I was also in the first formation of the Other Girls and the Dents.

Beka: I grew up performing with choirs and show choirs. I also performed in musicals throughout high school. I joined a couple of small bands, but they were brief experiences. I took a break from singing while I was serving in the U.S. Navy for almost eight years. I was excited to be offered a place in Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents after being out of service for a couple of years.

Noise: How did the formation of Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents come about?

Jenny: After the Dents broke up; I wanted a non-rock outlet to write and perform. I was thinking about the musical styles I wanted to do, and always had a love for girl groups of the ’60s, so I wrote some songs and told Ed about the vision I had for a band consisting of local musicians that he had just played with at a Nick Lowe Tribute. For the backup singers—I knew my sister, Beka, would jump at the opportunity, and one of my coworkers at the time was the first backup singer. After she left the band, we recruited Tony’s wife, Samantha. We have since added Paul Ahlstrand on saxophone and Andrew Jones on percussion.

Noise: Who were (and are) some of your influences? In what ways (if any) do you incorporate them into your music, live performance, choreography/clothing, etc?

Ed: On bass, I am pretty much attempting to rip off a combination of the following at all times, with varied degrees of success: James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, Graham Maby, Bruce Thomas, and Pete Donnelly of the Figgs.

Jenny Dee: The Ronettes, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ike & Tina Turner, the Crystals, Brill Building songwriters… the list is really too long. There are so many ways to incorporate the influences of these artists into our songwriting and approach to songs, the way the lead vocals and backups sound separately and together, and the use of space in the music. For instance, guitars are used very differently in this style than in the rock music I have been involved with.

Beka: I always loved singing to Bonnie Raitt, the Andrew Sisters, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and the list goes on. I have watched many ‘60s girl group videos for ideas on clothing and dance moves.

Noise: How do you write your songs? Is there a particular process that you go through?

Jenny: A lot of ideas come to me when I’m walking, usually vocal melody lines. I also sit down with a guitar and just start playing something, and recently I started screwing around on an old keyboard that we have. I don’t know how to play keyboard at all, so it’s fun to make up chords and come up with ideas.

Noise: How has your songwriting progressed lyrically and stylistically since the days of your previous bands, the Dents and the Downbeat 5?

Jenny: It’s just as fun and song ideas come the same way, but I’d say it’s progressed because I think of more challenging changes for vocals and the music. Plus, I think I’m in a better frame of mind these days, so my lyrics are less resentful… okay, not always.

Noise: Do you have a favorite track or perhaps one that resonates with you the most? Why?

Eric: “Big ’Ol Heart,” it sums up our sound.

Phil: “Love in Ruins.”

Ed: “Love in Ruins” is the oddest of the bunch and probably my favorite in terms of production. The producer, Matt Beaudoin, just killed it, and Paul Ahlstrand’s string arrangement is just beautiful.

Jenny: “You’re The Best Thing” is a love song to my husband, the first actual love song I’ve ever written, so that’s close to my heart. They all mean something to me, really.

Beka: I love the groove and sound of “Big ‘Ol Heart.” It’s the one that gets me really pumping on stage. “Love In Ruins” is a beautiful song, and I can really feel the emotion when we perform it.

Noise: How did you feel when asked to open for Aerosmith and J. Geils at Fenway Park this past summer? How about New Year’s Eve at Symphony Hall opening for Bettye LaVette? How were the experiences for you?

Phil: Both were thrills. The Fenway show in particular, due to the scope of it, and also the fact that the J. Geils Band was involved. Ed and I play “Hot Stove, Cool Music” twice a year with Peter Gammons, Theo Epstein, and assorted other musicians. One of those other musicians is sometimes Seth Justman of the J. Geils Band. Opening for them was wonderful. Plus, Aerosmith was my favorite band in junior high school, and hey… it was Fenway Park!

Jenny: I honestly didn’t think we’d get the Fenway gig, not because I don’t believe in the band but because it was a dream come true. Both experiences were pretty unreal and I was incredibly honored for our band to be asked to play both. Then to see J. Geils, Aerosmith, and Bettye LaVette… come on, I learn so much from these legends.

Noise: What is next for Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents? Do you foresee another album? Are you perhaps planning a tour, playing any festivals, etc?

Jenny: We’re putting songs together now for our second record and we’re thinking SXSW again this year, as well as our second tour of Spain. Who knows what else?

http://www.jennydeemusic.com

 
SamAdams307

SamAdams2MerriCyr.jpg

SAM ADAMS – RAP RULES

by A.J.Wachtel

Local artist Sam Adams is the future king of rap and hip-hop and his growing number of fans agree that their shared vision of this genre’s evolution is placed perfectly in his extremities. And at a recent Adams show at the House of Blues, this writer witnessed one thousand fans, most of them cute college-aged females, scream every word to every song in Sam’s catalog. After hearing his tunes and seeing this young performer entertain the crowd like an aged veteran, one can only agree that the legacy of this type of music is indeed in safe hands. Read on and listen to Sam rap without any backing instruments.

Noise: “I Hate College” had more than four million views on YouTube. What will it take for you to do to reach five million views on your next release?

Sam: To reach five million views on the next release, the music will have to be incredible. The song will have to be strong in itself. If the fans love it, it will do well.

Noise: “Driving Me Crazy” had the top spot on iTunes for new releases and reached the top ten in Billboard for hip-hop singles without much promotion. How did this happen and why did this happen?

Sam: It happened because of my amazing fans. They bought the records, loved the album, and it grew from there.

Noise: You used social networking and grassroots efforts to promote Boston’s Boy, bypassing major record labels to outsell known rap artists. How will this work out for you in the long run?

Sam: Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. will always be huge outlets for me to reach fans, earn new fans, and expand. In the long run I’ll have to solidify my individual team both on the management side, and the record label side to have a lasting career in the music industry.

Noise: Were the major labels embarrassed that you embarrassed them?

Sam: Haha. I’d say they were, however surprised is probably a better way of putting it. I think they were surprised I embarrassed them.

Noise: Will you ever sign with a major label? Can you continue your independent success and what will you have to do to allow you to continue being independent?

Sam: I’ll probably sign a major deal in the future. Independent success is something we’ve been fortunate to have, which again I point out as a testament to the loyal fans I have. They love the music and buy the records, if I didn’t have them there would be no Sam Adams.

Noise: You grew up in Cambridge. A lot of rap talent is now coming out of Boston. Name some of the local talent you recommend we keep an eye on?

Sam: Everyone.

Noise: I hear traces of Eminem in your style. Who has influenced you in the past and who influences you now?

Sam: Everyone influences me whether or not I am a fan of their music or not. Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Big L, the Beatles, the Police, Led Zeppelin, Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, the list goes on. Depending on which style of music I’m producing or creating, I tend to have certain people in certain playlists.

Noise: You went to a private school growing up and you are descended from President John Adams. Does this give you a credibility problem in the hip-hop world? What do you tell critics when they say you’re Vanilla Ice part two?

Sam: I don’t tell the critics anything, it’s their job to talk about me, not vice versa. In terms of a credibility problem in the hip hop world, sure, I’m not as widely accepted as other upcoming artists, but I’m slowly gaining the respect I deserve.

Noise: What is hip-hop electronica rap and how is it different?

Sam: It’s a new genre that’s fun, upbeat, and enjoyable. It’s not about beef, or being a G, yet it’s real, and people relate to it. It’s different because of how many genres it joins into one. In its essence it’s genre-less and that’s what makes it beautiful.

Noise: Your September 23 release of Party Records: A Mixtape was done in London. Where was the record release party and did anyone important show up to help you celebrate?

Sam: There was no party, no cameos. We just dropped it at midnight that night for the fans, to show them how much we appreciate their support, and then I went and ate dinner with my parents at their place and crashed in my old bed. It was amazing giving them free music. They deserve it more than any fans in the world.

Noise: Are you getting to know any hip-hop celebrities?

Sam: From the few hip-hop celebrities that I’ve met, they’ve all been real cool. I’ve had the unreal opportunity to learn from them and apply what they do to my music and artistic process.

Noise: Fact or fiction: during a college fraternity gig in Manhattan, Kansas, the police stormed the stage and arrested you for inciting a riot and disturbing the peace after you said, “F**k the police” over the P.A. What were they offended by the song lyrics? The loud noise? Or your anti-authority attitude? And how has your fan base learning of this event strengthened your reputation?

Sam: Fiction. I got arrested in Manhattan, Kansas, for no good reason. I was simply trying to give my fans their favorite song, “Driving Me Crazy,” to wrap the show up because it was apparently being cut short. The kids at the fraternity paid a lot of money to have me come perform, so I was simply trying to satisfy them and my fans that came to see me. However, by trying to do my job, to perform, my noise permit was revoked without my knowledge, and I was charged with citing a riot and civil disobedience. I think the crowd scared the police because of how excited they were to hear “Driving Me Crazy.” I guess it strengthened my reputation. My fans were more just pissed off that I got arrested for such a weak reason. Charge me with being loyal to my fans—I’ll take it.

Noise: Would you ever consider recording darker less pop-oriented music?

Sam: Perhaps, pop is one of my favorite genres of music to make, along with hip-hop, and dubstep productions, so we will see. Anything can happen in this crazy life so I have to live a little longer to make some darker music because life is good, I’m having fun, and fortunately I am in a great place.

myspace.com/samueladamswizzy

 
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