Debris Magazine, the BigSoccer format

[minorthreat]

How did I miss this the first time around? I'd be more than willing to contribute.

[YanksFC]

Thanks for posting our work, Footix. I am certainly disappointed by not seeing a final product, but I understand why this thing never got off the ground. Great work by those who contributed. Definitely much more accessible and interesting than the glib, snobbish crap floating around in other music publications.

I had a lot of fun working on the pieces that I contributed and would certainly like to do more, so count me among those willing to do a music blog or some sort of online magazine.

[metrocorazon]

Damn this was some good stuff. I was all ready to do the layout but the stuff never came to me. I think even with this little stuff we couldve have gotten something out, but I understand why you scrapped it. Im still willing to do the work if you ever decide to go with it.

[nancyb]

Thanks for posting our work, Footix. I am certainly disappointed by not seeing a final product, but I understand why this thing never got off the ground. Great work by those who contributed. Definitely much more accessible and interesting than the glib, snobbish crap floating around in other music publications.

I had a lot of fun working on the pieces that I contributed and would certainly like to do more, so count me among those willing to do a music blog or some sort of online magazine.

I'd definitely be up for a blog.

[Footix]

LIVE REVIEW:

An Evening with O.A.R.
Binghamton, NY – September 9th
--Armando Testani

So I get a phone call from my wife telling me that O.A.R. will be in town. Saying I was jumping for joy would have been overstating it. Sure, I like O.A.R (Of a Revolution), but they’re hardly a band I’d go to see willingly. Well to make a long story short I bought tickets for my wife and I and skipped out of a work function to go see them at the Broome County Forum, an all seater with a balcony, holding roughly 1,500 people.

Tickets say the concert starts at 7:30 so I make sure we get there a few minutes early, to my surprise the place was dead. I was thinking that this was going to be one of the lamest shows I’ve ever been to, luckily I couldn’t have been more wrong. 7:30 rolls around and no sign of the show starting, luckily more people started to fill the seats and by the time the show started at 8 the floor was packed and the balcony had quite a few people on it as well.

O.A.R., quintet of singer/guitarist Marc Roberge, lead guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman, drummer Chris Culos and saxophonist Jerry DePizzo, came out with the acoustic guitars and proceeded to play a few “unplugged” songs, “Dareh Meyod” being the highlight of the set. At first I thought I was at a Dave Matthews Band concert, hearing a sound faintly reminiscent of them. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Marc Roberge has adopted some of Matthews' twitchy onstage mannerisms, and the band's music does recall Matthews' crunchy granola song suites. Luckily I’m a DMB fan so this didn’t bother me much. After “I Feel Home” ended you could feel the crowd building energy and waiting to release it, but needed that one song to set it off. Luckily that came with “Anyway”.

One thing that really stuck out, and was pleasantly surprising, was how the band stretched its songs out of shape in a manner not altogether unlike the Grateful Dead. At times, the oscillation between bite-size song forms and extended jams provided tension; just when you anticipated a return to the chorus, the band thwarts your expectations with more improvisations. The music literally had people dancing in the aisles.

Song after song they continued to pound on music that made sure that nobody stood still. One highlight of the second set was their cover of Bob Marley’s “Stir it Up”, giving the older people (as in late twenties early thirties) in the crowd a pleasant surprise and producing a few confused looks from the younger crowd. They even treated us to a new song, “Lay Down” which drew a positive response from the crowd.

The night ended with an encore of “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker” that must have went on for at least 15 minutes. Almost two straight hours of O.A.R….. What can I say that already hasn't been said about the show? Probably nothing but what an amazing show it was…a great show to take my proverbial O.A.R. cherry.

Set 1 (acoustic):

1. Nasim Joon
2. Dareh Meyod
3. I Feel Home

Set 2:

4. Anyway
5. Hey Girl (Date Intro / Back Where It All Begins Tag / Hush Little Baby Outro)
6. Risen
7. 52-50
8. She Gone (Only in Dreams)
9. Night Shift
10. Stir It Up
11. Delicate Few
12. Mr. Moon
13. Black Rock (Long Day Intro)
14. Destination (Fire On The Mountain Tag)
15. Lay Down
16. Missing Pieces

Encore:

17. That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker

[Footix]

SCENE REPORT

“Naptown” Awakens - Ten Reasons Why The Indianapolis Music Scene (Yes, Indy Does Have a Scene) Isn’t as Lame as You Might Think.

By Jimmy D.

“Naptown,” “India-no-place,” “The Brick Pile in the Cornfield” – All of these crappy nicknames have, at one time or another, been used to refer to my adopted hometown, Indianapolis. When I moved here eleven years ago from the Chicago ‘burbs, I thought that those names probably fit. But thankfully, they don’t any longer. While Indy has always had culture and arts offerings, those offerings have grown substantially since the mid-‘90s, particularly in the city’s unheralded and underappreciated music scene. So even though Indy may never be the next Austin, Seattle, or Athens, there are plenty of reasons for the city’s music scene to be noticed (in case you’re wondering, John Mellencamp is not one of them). Here are ten reasons, in no particular order, why the Indy scene should register on your radar screen:

Oranje. 2004 marked the third time that this annual arts and music showcase was held. The creation of Indy natives Adam Crockett and Ryan Hickey, who lived for awhile on both Coasts but found that they longed for their hometown, Oranje brings together the city’s cutting edge artists, filmmakers, DJ’s, and musicians in one massive warehouse party. If only the event were held more frequently than annually. See http://www.oranjeindy.com/.

Mab Lab. Unfortunately, this innovative trip-hop outfit disbanded in August. A shame, for they were truly in the vanguard of the Indianapolis scene. Still, their legacy lives on, and they won’t soon be forgotten around here. Check out that legacy at http://www.mablab.com/ before they tear down the website.

The Slurs. The monarchs of Indy’s burgeoning punk scene, this band packs a lot of Stooge-esque swagger and energy. Undoubtedly, they offer the most entertaining live show in town. They describe their sound as “The Dead Boys beating the snot outta Paul Revere and the Raiders while Angus and Keef stand around laughing.” Okay. Anyway, their eagerly awaited debut album will be released soon. In the meantime, enjoy their signature song, “It Just Gets Worse,” at http://www.theslurs.com/.

Lunar Event. The most talked-about band in town. Fronted by the charismatic Gwynneth Hermann, this electro-pop ensemble amazed local critics last year with their debut album, This Transparency. Before the band goes back into the studio in November to record their next album, they will vie for the crown in the final round of Benchmark Record’s “Battle of the Bands.” Sample tracks from This Transparency at http://www.lunarevent.com/.

Pravada. I saw this indie-pop quartet for the first time at Oranje this year and was blown away by them. In fact, they stole the show from other acclaimed bands on the bill (including Lunar Event). I hate to describe their sound with the old clichés of “shimmering guitars” and “smart songwriting,” but I’m hard-pressed to come up with a better description. There’s no word yet on when they’ll record or release their first album, but it probably won’t be long. If any new local band has the most potential to build a national profile, it’s Pravada.

Midwest Music Summit. This three-day national music showcase is held each August at venues throughout the city. Now in its fourth year, the MMS gets bigger and better with each outing. In addition to featuring many of the local favorites discussed here, this year’s MMS featured national artists such as Ambulance Ltd. and Elefant. I’m eager to see what the 2005 MMS has to offer. For more information on the MMS, visit http://www.midwestmusicsummit.com/.

Radio Radio. One of Indy’s best music venues. Radio Radio draws some criticism because it’s a non-smoking venue (the only one in the city that I know of), but the club more than makes up for that in the eyes of my nicotine-junkie friends because (a) it features some of the best regional talent around, and (b) it’s located in one of Indy’s coolest districts, Fountain Square. The club used to host a monthly Mod Night, but that is on indefinite hiatus. Here’s hoping it’ll return soon. Visit http://www.futureshock.net/radioframeset.html.

Arcade. This all-girl group is technically not an Indianapolis band (they’re from Muncie, home of Ball State University, or as it’s affectionately known around here, “Testicle Tech”), but they are definitely part of the Indy scene. Owing much to Sleater-Kinney, Arcade write powerful, ingenious pop songs. In fact, their songs are almost impossible to dislike. For example, how could one not like a song devoted to Charles Bishop, the 15-year-old who crashed a single engine plane into Tampa’s Bank of America Building back in 2002 (“Bank of America”), or an ode to Ira Einhorn, the notorious “Unicorn Killer” (“Holly”)? Check the girls out at http://www.arcadetheband.com.

The Pieces. This three-piece group is probably Indianapolis’s most talented band. Consisting of Devon Ashley, Heidi Gluck, and Indy music scene veteran Vess Ruhtenberg (formerly of United States Three), the Pieces defy categorization. There are elements of soul, Americana, and just straight-up rock and roll in their sound. Most around here would tell you that they are a musicians’ band – the one band that all other bands like and respect. One of Benchmark Record’s marquee artists. See and hear them at http://www.thepieces.com or at http://www.benchmarkrecords.com.

The Melody Inn. Home of the famous driftwood chandelier, this club is where Indy music fans go to catch the newest musical offerings in the city. A place where many local musicians go to cut their teeth, the Mel is your classic dive bar with charm. While you will catch PBR-drinking hipster types at the Mel, you’ll also catch geezers like me who just want to relax, drink some Newcastle Brown, and enjoy some great music. Don’t forget to navigate the jukebox while you’re there, as it is without a doubt the best in the city. The Mel is also home to Indy’s famous (some might say infamous) Punk Rock Night shows on Saturday nights. To experience the Mel on the web, visit http://www.melodyindy.com.

For comprehensive sources of information about the Indy scene, visit http://www.indianapolismusic.net and http://www.nuvo.net.

Contact Jimmy D. at jddfire1871@hotmail.com.

[Footix]

RECORD REVIEW:

The Hong Kong – Rock the Faces (Etherdrag)

I felt ashamed about discovering The Hong Kong’s Rock the Faces nearly a year after its release. In fact, I felt even more ashamed about the source through which I discovered it (GQ Magazine – But who says that the bible of preening metrosexuals isn’t a good source of useful information on occasion, especially in this instance?). Despite my shame, I glad that this quintet’s debut release ended up in my hands because it’s one of the most addictive releases that I’ve encountered in the last several years.

The Hong Kong – singer Catherine Culpepper, bassist Ted Casterline, guitarist Harold Griffin, keyboard player Shawn King, and drummer Aaron Carroll – are one of the latest “it” groups to spring forth from Williamsburg. Not surprisingly, their sound invites comparisons to some of the most influential progenitors of cutting edge pop – The Velvet Underground, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and most notably, Stereolab and Blondie. For example, the album’s pulsing and churning opening track, “Mazerati,” could easily be mistaken for a cut from Blondie’s eponymous debut album. And the tracks “Birds” and “Super Collider,” with their fuzzy guitars, deliberate krautrock beats, and lazy, ethereal vocals, bring to mind Stereolab circa Mars Audiac Quintet. But the fact that the band draws so many different comparisons is to their credit because they blend their influences ingeniously. All in all, Rock the Faces’ eight tracks shift pace and focus, but are startlingly cohesive, absorbing, and fun.

Review by Jimmy D.

[Footix]

-------That's the end of the submissions.-----------------

Sorry I didn't get these last ones posted with the others...they were hiding in a file I couldn't find.

[nicodemus]

-------That's the end of the submissions.-----------------
...and we thank you for posting them. Job well done everybody!

[Footix]

INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT KEMPNER:

In August, 20,000 people braved sweltering heat and humidity for Little Steven’s Underground Garage Festival, a 12-hour marathon of legendary and emerging guitar rock acts. The day was packed with reunions and re-appearances (NY Dolls, Stooges) but few were as anticipated or as complete as The Dictators – Handsome Dick Manitoba, Andy (Adny) Shernoff, and Ross “The Boss” Friedman were joined by original guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner, who flew in from LA for the show at Little Steven’s personal request. Their blistering set emphasized how influential The Dictators have been to both the punk and hard rock scenes over the past 30 years, with straightforward hooks and a take-no-prisoners attitude that has been copied by bands worldwide. Kempner talked with Debris recently about the ‘Tators, his influences, current projects, and the state of the industry.

Debris: Congrats on getting back together with the other Dictators at the Little Steven fest.

SK: It was a fantastic day. I was very proud to see what we helped spawn, meaning all those super cool young rock'n'roll bands that were on the bill. In lieu of pay, which there never was, it was rewarding, no, make that fulfilling to see that the torch was passed. OK, now you kick out the jams, mother********ers, and all that ******** you guys.

Debris: Who called who?

SK: The "reunion" took place at the behest of Little Steven who loves The Dictators and recognizes that without me they're Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom playing Dictators songs. Even though the band members themselves may be too close to the whole thing to see that, Steven understands what I bring to The Dictators. The tremendous differences between me and Ross are what makes our particular brand of "guitar duo" special and, if I may say so, great. Also, I have remained close friends with Manitoba during these last two years since I left the band and he was excited about the idea. So those elements plus the nod from Adny, whom I am also still close with made it all come together.

Debris: Any interest in doing more together?

SK: I would say that at this point I have zero interest in doing it again, but hey, who knows?!

Debris: What artists did you listen to as a teenager?

SK: My teenage years started early for me. When you think about those years 13-19 being the years that one's interest in music gets serious, I was way ahead of the game. I was all of ten when I bought my first Muddy Waters album. I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when I was ten and man, I was off to the races. I soon had the first Dave Clark Five record and then the first Stones record. Then I wanted to know who were all these people credited as writers on that first Stones record, and it didn't take me long to find out. I went out and bought Muddy Waters records, Bo Diddley records, Chuck Berry records and so on. I was a major fan. I loved all those artists, and like I said I was only ten. Rock and roll consumed my life immediately. So when the avalanche came in ‘65 I was more than ready. The Who, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, and lotsa stuff I still listen to today. I gotta say I had remarkably good taste. I bought some crap but for the most part, I still listen to 90% of what I bought. The Who stood above all others for me. It was them that actually forced the issue of me getting a guitar and learning it for real. In my musical and artistic evolution the four major touchstone landmark moments were The Beatles, The Who, The Stooges and Springsteen.

Debris: Can you give the true lowdown on why you guys were kicked off the KISS tour in 1977? (In the book Please Kill Me, Dick Manitoba says that Paul Stanley had The Dictators removed as openers when Manitoba mimicked Stanley’s between-song banter word-for-word on stage.)

SK: Well, mostly because we sucked. You gotta remember that we had a record deal before we had ever played gig one. We were total novices who did not belong on that stage anyway. Although getting a deal so easily seems cool and all, what it took away from us was the time necessary to get good first before being thrust into the public eye. Most bands take years to get good, then go after the record deal. We were robbed of that. The very first time I played my guitar in front of people I didn't know by their first name was in front of 7,000 people opening for the Blue Oyster Cult and The Stooges. Second gig too, for that matter. All this makes for good copy but it was commercial suicide. As far as the KISS tour went, maybe Manitoba's sarcastic shtick was a little too close to what KISS was doing with a straight face and no irony whatsoever. I don't doubt it. Most likely they would have just ignored us like every other headliner we opened for otherwise. Only Ross had any business being on those shows. He was always amazing.

Debris: Next year is the 30th anniversary of Go Girl Crazy! -- any plans to celebrate?

SK: No plans to celebrate for me. I know that it remains our most loved record to our fans and all that but to me, when I hear that drum mistake ten seconds into it, I always take it off. For me, it remains the worst record I ever made. Hey, that's just me, I don't wanna insult the fans. I do understand why they like it, and how weird it was in 1975, but from the inside I have none of those warm fuzzy feelings about it. Theoretically and in spirit I love it, but that's theoretically and in spirit. I can tell you it was the most innocent record ever made, and our intention was nothing less than total over-the-top superstardom. We thought that we were speaking the lost teenage tongue, our own personal teenage Tower of Babel. It didn't turn out that way. needless to say. We were promptly booted off the label.

Debris: Maybe you could get Epic (The ‘Tators original label) to put out a big reissue and box set. Was there ever a record exec who really understood you guys?

SK: Yes, Karin Berg, who signed us and Television to Elektra. Unfortunately she split from Elektra about a month or so after we signed. That left a grand total of nobody.

Debris: Speaking of labels, by my count you've had material released on at least five (Epic, Elektra, EMI, Capitol, Restless), plus the later Dictators albums which were self-released. Is there a place now in the industry for musicians like yourself who likely aren't going to sell millions?

SK: Well, there is if they make one themselves. You still get young bands jumping through hoops at the smell of a big check, which after everything will leave each band member with a decent year’s salary, more than you'd make at McDonald's but less than if you were a waiter at a good restaurant. If you don't have a bonafide hit in your pocket, and not what you think should be a hit, but an actual sounds-like-something that's already been a hit, then hang onto it, sign with a small label for a small advance, if any, keep your day job, work your ass off, and see what happens. Lotsa ********in’ luck. These days, there's like four gazillion bands, the internet's clogged up, the indie rags have become so demographed to death that it's very very genre specific. This, music, is something you do because you absolutely ********in’ have to, the good Lord gave you no choice, and come hell or high water you're gonna ********in’ rock rock rock. You know, like me.

Debris: What’s coming up for you in the near future – a Paradise Brothers release, perhaps?

SK: Neil (Giraldo) and I have been working on stuff for movies as well as for our own thing. Our plan is to own everything we do, and when we have enough stuff, we'll put it together and voila! an album. I also have a solo album, Saving Grace, that’ll be out in the new year. --Scott Oberstaedt

[Footix]

OK, now that's it. I had posted the Kempner piece earlier but goofed it up and probably deleted it in editing the post.

Seeing all that stuff up in a row is pretty impressive. Nice work to all.

[bmurphyfl]

How about the cover? Can we see it again? I remember it looking very cool.

[obie]

Just as a follow-up... I e-mailed Kempner to ask how the hell anybody could ever get a major label deal without playing a single note in public, even in 1975. Here was his response:

SK: Back then, Murray Krugman was an A&R man for Epic as well as co-managing Blue Oyster Cult, who were also on CBS. He was able to authorize demo time for us. He was partnered up with Sandy Pearlman in all matters BOC, and it was Sandy who drove the 100 miles to see us in what functioned for a living room in our house in Kerhonkson, NY.

He (Sandy) loved us and cajoled Murray into authorizing the demo time. What he saw in us, I can't imagine since we couldn't have been very good albeit in a way no one else in the world was wasn't very good. The idea of us was truly unique, a true manifestation of the view of the world he and his and our pal Richard Meltzer saw the world. Richard was the catalyst for Sandy even seeing us at all, and to describe their vision is an essay unto itself, believe me. Anyhow, this demo time, on Epic's dime, gave them first right of refusal, meaning they could say it was crap and could pass on it first, but for whatever reason, Epic dug it and signed us, forever linking us with Sandy and Murray as managers, which was questionable, and producers, which was bad bad bad. So there we were, CBS recording artists, The Dictators -- what the f--k is wrong with this picture?

Those demos went on to become Go Girl Crazy! -- performed by five guys who had never played together in public before and produced by two guys who had never produced a record before. And released by Epic Records. It's the equivalent of Sony releasing Wesley Willis.

The business has certainly changed. Or, given the popularity of William Hung, maybe it hasn't.

[nicodemus]

I believe Rage Against the Machine got a deal off of a demo having not played a single public show. Could be wrong though, but I think I read that.

[nancyb]

My husband's nickname is Manitoba, so named because he goes by Dick and he was a wrestler. Sometimes he's also called H.D., as in Handsome Dick.

[Dan Loney]

www.chassmash.com

A mere hype man, perhaps, but one who later co-wrote "Our House."

[YanksFC]

How about the cover? Can we see it again? I remember it looking very cool.

http://home.comcast.net/~rferguson03/debris/images/cover.gif

[metrocorazon]

http://www.debrismagazine.com/

That was the online home for it.

[nicodemus]

it's a shame that it never took off. :(

[bmurphyfl]

http://home.comcast.net/~rferguson03/debris/images/cover.gif

Thanks. Great friggin' cover. Where is that picture from?