Locals Only | The Ardent Music Blog

Locals Only: Audra Brown of Snagglepus Listens to Jeffery and the Pacemakers

10/06/2011 By

My dad says that all music is derivative. That we all build upon one another while working for that sonic perfection. I play in a new Memphis power pop band, and I have found my forefathers.

I go and see Jeffery and the Pacemakers every chance I get. Why? Well, I was not around during the heyday of the classic Memphis venue, The Antenna Club. I was not old enough to hang around my idol Jay Reatard. But this band brings a lot of it to me. They are some of the best musicians in Memphis and play the music that both their band’s and my band’s music is built upon: Classic British Invasion and some other ’60s greats.

Locals Only: Jana Misener of The Memphis Dawls listens to Michaela Caitlin

10/03/2011 By

I can’t remember the name of the planet I travelled to when I first heard Michaela Caitlin play, but I’m pretty sure I would have loved to stay there with its friendly natives. Only the roaring applause bouncing from one teal Otherlands wall to another could bring me back to reality. And I don’t often drift off like that in public.

I sometimes wish I had randomly come across her music online, in a 6 degrees of so-and-so kind of way, so that I could pretend she wasn’t human and that her ethereal vocal tones weren’t something to envy. Instead I’m content and grateful to have her in Memphis living and working in the same half-mile radius as me and my friends.

new shmew by michaelacaitlin

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Memphis, Otherlands, Recommendation

Locals Only: Steve Selvidge listens to The City Champs

08/10/2011 By

This band is a supergroup.

I first met Joe Restivo when he was around 16. He was scary good even then, and he’s only gone up from there. George Sluppick and Al Gamble are both absolute masters at their craft, and I feel honored and humbled whenever I get to play with them.

I’ve heard so many bands try to do this sort of thing and just get it so wrong on every level. Well, The Champs get it all right and then some. In The Safe Cracker, Bomar really made a great sounding record on these guys. Set up the mics, get the hell out of the way and let the 1″ 8 track roll. Hell, scuff up the vinyl a little bit and you’d swear you were listening to an old CTI production on your turntable. Yet, even with all of the great throwbacks, the Champs sound super fresh, and really bring a unique heart, grit, grind and beauty to the mix.

Locals Only: Ryan Peel Listens to the Sheriffs of Nottingham

07/19/2011 By

I think the first thing you’re going to notice about the Sheriffs of Nottingham is that there’s a black guy in front of this band singing rock music.

That’s just not something you see every day, and the thing about the Sheriffs is that it’s not a gimmick. It’s not Hootie. It’s not lame. It’s honest, good rootsy blues rock music.

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Black Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Memphis Tennessee, Otherlands, Recommendation

Locals Only: Jeff Hulett Listens to Tiger High

05/20/2011 By

Lately, I’ve been listening to Tiger High, a fairly new rock quartet that includes the Vest brothers, Jake and Toby, Greg Faison and Greg Roberson. They are all pretty well known around Memphis for being in other bands like, Jump Back Jake, The Bulletproof Vests, and The Reigning Sound. Jake is on guitar and vocals, Toby is on keys, Faison plays bass and Roberson is on drums. I haven’t seen them live yet, but I’ve been playing out their tape in my car.

Yes, I said tape.

It’s perfect to roll down your windows and cruise around Memphis to. That being said, it’s also good for cooking out. It’s the perfect balance of straight up rock, quirky pop with a touch of shoegaze flavor for good measure. For example, take “Losing Out”: it starts out slow, caked in reverb and then opens up into a brilliant foot stomping jam that makes it near impossible to move on to the next song. Or take “Up and Down Again,” this tune takes the train beat to a whole new level. This song builds and drives and when you finally reach the pay off… well, let’s just say you will have goose bumps. Honestly, it took me five listens to move on to Side B because Side A is chopped full of so many perfectly crafted hooks, melodies and lyrics that invite you to sing along. These boys are the real deal and I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of Myth is This. You won’t be sorry.

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Memphis, Memphis Tennessee, Recommendation, Reigning Sound, Tennessee

Locals Only: Dirk Kitterlin Listens to Rind Stars

05/13/2011 By

I’m a verified Memphis Music lover, so when I got the call to pen this piece about my favorite local band, jolts of excitement started tickling my brain. The beautiful thing about this assignment is in a town like Memphis it’s hard to go wrong. Music is a labor of love in this city, which is exactly why I’ve chosen rock & rollers, Rind Stars. Their work is evident in both their recorded output and their live shows.

I was first introduced to this band when I met their lead singer Matt Timberlake while we were both employed at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Upon listening to their first record, Sounds of Fire and Light, I was intrigued with this band. It was a raw mix of true alternative rock and power pop that was immediately accessible but also grew on you with repeat listens. Standout tracks like “Estupid Country Song,” “Hemmingway,” and “The Tick” seem to be their jumping off point as they evolved to the more mature sound that appears on their follow-up, The Not So Great Depression. On this album there is a healthy mix of psychedelia, Americana, and straight-ahead rock that displays a musical eclecticism reminiscent of Beck, Elvis Costello, and even fellow-locals, Snowglobe. Vocal harmonies, layered keyboards, percussion, and horn arrangements are present on each song, but never get in the way of the clever lyrics and infectious grooves. As soon as you hear tunes like “I Love You,” “Hey Mama,” and “Your Turn to Drive,” you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Locals Only: Allen Morrison Listens to The New Mary Jane

05/12/2011 By

Being a part of the Memphis music scene for almost twenty years now, I have seen a lot of bands come and go. Most have a good run for a few years and fizzle out. Often members will attempt to reform in different projects. Many play it safe, never pushing the envelope, and become somewhat of a parody of their former glory. Over the years you get used to the cycle. I think that is why the New Mary Jane made such an impression on me.

Last fall I saw the New Mary Jane the first time at the Buccaneer. Being a Grifters fan, I was very interested in seeing them perform. Even though I wasn’t aware when I arrived, I was about to see them play twice. The set at the Buccaneer was very minimal. John Argroves was playing a stripped down drum kit ala Mo Tucker. Dave Shouse and Scott Taylor painted sonic soundscapes with their guitars, synths, and extensive pedal collection, while James Godwin held it together with solid bass grooves. It was one of the best blends of experimentalism with pop sensibilities I have seen in a long time.

Teenage Brain by The New Mary Jane

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Arts, Lucero, Mary Jane, Memphis, Memphis Tennessee, Music, Recommendation

Locals Only: Jeremy Scott Listens to Richard James and the Special Riders

05/02/2011 By

A lot of the rock and roll I really dig tends to be raucous, ugly, greasy and attitudinal. (There is a time and place for introspection, but I think we can agree that Friday night at the Buccaneer ain’t it.) Luckily, Richard James embodies all of these attributes, and then some.

I first remember seeing Richard play in Memphis about eight years ago; at the time he was living in Nashville, which considering his roots in Brooklyn and his love for primal raunch seemed to make as much sense as an angus bedding down in a high-rise. Since he’s moved here he and his band (which includes his lovely and talented wife Anne – for once the cliché fits) have distilled their vision even further, disposing of any elements which would not directly lead to spirited ass-shaking. If you can hear in your head where Gene Vincent, R.L. Burnside and the Cramps intersect, you’ve pretty close to putting your finger on what this music sounds and feels like.

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Jim Dickinson, Memphis, Memphis Tennessee, Recommendation, WEVL

Locals Only: Brad Pounders Listens to Dragoon

04/15/2011 By

Over the past two years (give or take) I have come to know again full well that it is an honor and a privilege, and for some a responsibility without choice, to be a Memphis musician. Specifically, a Memphis rock musician and songwriter in a band. A scene which is as individual, amazing, and unique as any group of artists I have ever been around, much less live, work, and make music with: including each artist, each band, each bill, each club, each home studio, and each way.

All that being said, I was asked to answer the question of who my favorite current Memphis band is (thank you Vinyl District for asking my humble opinion) and my answer is Dragoon.

These guys are truly a collection of, in my opinion, some of Memphis’ finest and longstanding stalwarts of our fair city’s monolithic rock scene and history. They are rocking for the fences. I dig them, simply put, (and theres nothing simple about what Mr. Lamkins does to his bass) because of the brilliant ways in which they meticulously but with apparent ease, cut up musical time, both effortlessly and beautifully filling sonic space in all their songs, setup, and sound.

Forgive Forget by Dragoon…

Locals Only: Graham Burks Listens to Youniverse

04/08/2011 By

Upon first hearing Youniverse, it was clear to me that this is one of the best bands in Memphis. (True, I recently declared the same thing about Good Luck Dark Star on this very blog, in my top 10 of 2010, but who’s keeping score?) If you live here, you know that this city is full of untapped musical potential, but typically Memphis bands are happy to occupy their own unique corners of this musically unconventional town. This is a tradition that began with Alex Chilton‘s post-Big Star snubbing of the music industry and continues to affect/infect our indie scene to this day (for better/worse.)

I first ran across Youniverse several times towards the end of 2010, culminating in an amazing New Year’s Eve show at the P&H in which the band played in the middle of the crowd, with no separation of band, stage, or audience. The band grabbed my attention because they seemed to offer something different. This is a Memphis band that embraces our irreverence for national tastes, but through sheer musical quality, transcends the limitations imposed by our quirkiness.

songs by YOUNIVERSE

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Filed Under: Locals Only Tagged With: Alex Chilton, David Bowie, Ian Curtis, Jeff Buckley, Lou Barlow, Memphis, Pezz, Recommendation, Youniverse

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