Mustaches of the Revolution

(Photo of Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt by Stefano Paltera/Los Angeles Times)
Driving back and forth to DC to see what turned out to be a pretty nifty Wilco show (which will eventually be available to the entire world through All Songs Considered) my man Doc and I listened to his satellite radio hookup -- programs hosted by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. That was all great, but it got me thinking about college radio and my beloved WXYC-FM back in Chapel Hill, N.C. Here in Hampton Roads we're college radio challenged. But online you can stream WCWM-FM from the College of William and Mary. I'm doing so as I write this and I'm happy to report that they're spinning "California Girls" by the magnificent Magnetic Fields and in the same set they played Red Red Meat, Bikini Kill, Art Brut and the delicious "Common People" from Pulp -- not bad for a random Thursday night.
The station breaks up programming into segments. Tonight's show is called Ultra Honey. I'm also going to try out the alt-country show Mustaches of the Revolution which airs 6-7 p.m. on Sundays.

Prince of Wankers

(Photo from punkturns30.blogspot.com)
Richard Lloyd, guitarist with the legendary New York rock band Television, is coming to The Taphouse in Norfolk. This does not seem logical or likely, but I've seen two different notices about it, one from a respectable concert promoter, the other from the local band scheduled to open for Richard, The Trauma Dolls. Oddly enough, The Taphouse's own MySpace page has a bulletin posted saying something about Richard Hell ... which would be insanely cool, too (especially since last I heard, Richard had pretty much abandoned rock music) but something tells me somebody's a bit mixed up. In any case, the date to remember is Sunday, March 16. A poster for the event says cover or tickets will be $20. Lloyd, in addition to playing with one of the most influential proto-punk bands of all time, also contributed some beautifully wanky guitar to some Matthew Sweet tunes.

Wilco Alternative

(MySpace photo)
Little Trooper is a local indie rock band I've been looking forward to seeing live since Josh from The Boot recommended them to me weeks and weeks ago. Just my luck that when they're playing The Boot on Wednesday, I'll be up in Washington, D.C., with by buddy Doc Devasher hearing Wilco at the 930 Club. So Toggle Switch readers, I'm depending on you to head over to 21st Street and check out this show. I know, it's a weeknight. But this is an interesting, creative local band. And they're opening for Old Believers, a sorta alt-country act that sounds promising. OK, if you can't make this one, maybe we can all get together and have a big time when L.T. plays the Norfolk Taphouse in April.

Miss Rhythm

Recently I've been rediscovering Ruth Brown's autobiography "Miss Rhythm" and it's open my eyes on a number of fronts. One fascinating tidbit is that Ruth and Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams recorded an album together at Muscle Shoals, but the experience was a bad one for Miss Rhythm. Swamp Dogg, according to the book, told her that the financing for the record went bad, then turned around and released a CD pulled from the sessions without her knowledge. The disc, called "Brown Sugar," is probably a collectors item. And for those interested in Hampton Roads music history, it represents the intersection of two great R&B figures, both from Portsmouth.

After the Flood

Writer Don Harrison has once again used the pages of the slick Virginia Living magazine to tell an important story of an overlooked musician from the Old Dominion. Overlooked if, like me, you don't follow gospel music closely. "Mama" Maggie Ingram is well-known in black gospel circles, but her work had missed me until Don's profile in the magazine's February issue. Apparently she impressed great Soul Godfather himself, James Brown, who invited her to tour with him. (She turned him down.) Don's story explains how Ingram's group The Ingramettes recorded for Nashville's Nashboro label and earned a stellar reputation in the 1960s. Today, she's still singing and preaching God's word. One of Ingram's tunes was included in "The Rough Guide to Gospel" compilation, which also feature songs by Mahalia Jackson, Shirley Caesar, The Staple Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Pretty good company. (I'd provide a link to Harrison's story, but Virginia Living doesn't appear to provide content online. Sorry).

Surfin' in Harlem

The exciting news for me this week is that the elusive Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams may be honored this summer by the Society for Preserving the Hampton Roads Sound. This is a relatively new group dedicated to saluting soul and R&B groups and performers from our neck of the woods. We're talking Gary U.S. Bonds, Jimmy Soul and similar artists. Swamp Dogg is someone who seems to be better known in the offices of the New Yorker and Rolling Stone magazines than in his home town of Portsmouth, so I was elated to hear that somebody's going to the trouble of trying to get a street named after him. Best of all, Swamp Dogg may be here in June for a performance. Here is the New Yorker's review of the Dogg's most recent album, "Resurrection," released last spring.

Shop Talk

I've found a few kindred spirits on MySpace -- folks who are doing some great things toward making the local live music community more cohesive. This week, there's been an interesting conversation happening here about why there are so few good, grassroots-level music venues in the region. One theory is that local club/restaurant owners aren't holding up their end of the bargain. I'd say that's as good a theory as any, but certainly there are some places that seem to handle the business well. My feeling is that lack of consistent audience is a bigger problem than sleazy club owners. But I'm interested in other opinions.

Someone from the band Freedom Hawk posted this:
"The bands bring in a ton of people that when they are having a good time and feel comfortable having a good time is when the bar/venue makes a ton of money....all the bullshit that goes into organizing, carting equipment, paying some promoter, sound guy and then playing is worth more than 1% of bar sales ..."

The two folks hosting this conversation are Grumbadas Favorite Local Bands and MC7C, both worth checking out on a regular basis.

The Magic of Marshall

(Patty McBride McDonald photo)
At The Taphouse last night, rock band Johnny Utah opened for Action Habit. The Utah portion of the show was a reunion for the 30-something skateboarders in Hampton Roads (apparently this is typical). It's great to see how this community sticks together and supports the original rock. Jeff Smith, guitarist for J.U., is a friend, so my wife Patty and I stopped by and heard them do their thing. Great to hear the sounds of two Marshall half-stacks roaring in tandem. Beautiful. The singer, pictured above, was fun to watch, too. We missed Action Habit, but I'm making a mental note to catch them next time around.

Aliens, Psychos and Wild Things

I just stumbled onto the excellent Garage Hangover Web site devoted to the Nuggets-like sounds of the 1960s. The Virginia part of the site has great info on bands like The Aliens and The Vikings. The same site has excellent snapshots of The Who and Jimi Hendrix playing the long-gone Virginia Beach dome. Wild stuff.

Brent Hosier, by the way has issued several collections of garage rock and psychedelic sounds recorded here in Virginia. His "Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things" CD was released in 2000 and collects tracks from area bands. On the Garage Hangover site, he talks specifically about the tragic story of The Swinging Machines.

Welcome To The Future

I really like what I've heard from the trio Mas Y Mas. These guys have many of the qualities I admire in a rock ensemble: Big hooks, a devotion to simplicity and a smartass sense of humor.

I sent 'em a few questions and here are the group's illuminating and provocative answers:

1) What are the names of the dudes in the band? Does each person have a function?
Mas Y Mas is an interglobal Power Realm, with employees that range from hyper-cleaners on Kardashev III, to black diamond hunters in Northern Africa. The local Norfolk chapter of Mas Y Mas, however, currently consists of three separate individuals; Singer/ Songwriter/ Ancient Demon Vincenzo Meddis, Drummer/ White Mage Ross Guthrie, and Bassist/ Temperamental Energy Consultant Eric "The Future" Brady.

2) I understand you guys all live in or around Norfolk now. Is that true? Where were you before?
We currently reside in housing on the North End of Virginia Beach; this gives us a hidden eye from the nefarious satellite conspiracy known only as "Google Earth". Previously, we dabbled in the District of Columbia, but found Virginia Beach a much worse place to raise a child, so we moved. The Future, while winning the "Best Dad of the Year" award for '05, has since relentlessly pursued the less coveted nomination for "Worst Dad Ever".
The world is all about following your dreams.

3) Can I buy a Mas Y Mas disc? Where?
By simply pointing your internet browsing system to http://www.rocksotough.com/masymas, and "clicking" the "store" button, a vast array of RockSoTough products can be consumed. We suggest MYM-000, a compilation of early Mas Y Mas song productions, or MYM-003, our tribute to the company that truly controls the Earth World Market, PepsiCo. This "Proud Sponsors of Pepsi" disc is being released in vinyl format courtesy of Sound/Friends records in early April, '08.

4) Who is better -- Timbaland or The Neptunes?
While the Neptunes are responsible for some of the Clipse's highly volatile energy, we'd appreciate it if Pharrell stopped acting like he skateboards like his little brother. So, by default, Timbaland, although the guy still hasn't gotten over the chimes setting. Project5 will do that to people.

Meet The Villains

I'm adding The Villains to the ever-lengthening list of Bands Sam Needs to Go See. I first heard of them from Seth of The Mockers. Seth gave them a recommendation, and he's not one to toss around half-hearted compliments. Next, I noticed the guys on the ballot for the Port Folio Weekly 2008 Music Awards. On the one hand, these kinds of Internet voting contests don't mean much (They're mostly a measure of a band's ability to get out the vote and not necessarily a measure of their popularity or quality). But somebody obviously agreed with Seth that these guys are one to watch.
Of the pair of songs I've heard so far, my favorite is "Rockin' Away" -- which reminds me a bit of the Flamin' Groovies, a band I truly love.
Looks like I missed them play Tanner's Creek on Feb. 8. Man, that place just keeps booking the crazy rock shows.

Fake Yer Death

Orion Rigel Dommisse -- who grew up in Hampton Roads, but now lives in Providence, R.I. -- is a cello player who sings and writes eerie songs that mix childish innocence and unsettling undercurrents. Her tunes include "Fake Yer Death" and "A Faceless Death." (Do I detect a theme here? Hmmm.)
With a visit to The Boot in Norfolk ahead on February 20, I sent Orion a few questions about her music and local connections.

"I was born in Washington D.C. but moved to Newport News soon after and lived there until I was 18 at which point I moved to New York City to go to cooking school," she said in an e-mail. "I played cello in middle school and high school orchestras. I never really sang or wrote the kind of songs that I do now until I moved away."

"My high school experience was okay ... At Woodside [High School] there was piano class which just meant I was left alone for an hour and a half to play piano. I remember a few teachers and the guidance counselor being upset that I didn't want to go to college, but I'm grateful all of the time now for having not gone."

Orion is friends with Christopher Francis, another former Newport News musician who has since moved to Olympia, Washington. Francis recently toured with the rock band Two Ton Boa, which played The NorVa as an opener for the Dresden Dolls.

"Christopher I think I met at one of his shows in Newport News. I would go see him every time he played out. I was obsessed with his music and with him and we became very close friends," Orion said.

Take a Sip, Pass It Down

(MySpace photo of Wendell Johnson)

I just got home from The Taphouse, where The Pawn Shop Lifters gave their EP "Whiskey Lane" an appropriately rowdy, loud, booze-soaked celebration. Guitarist and singer Wendell Johnson's got the right idea: Keep the cover low, the volume high and the set short and sweet.
Johnson's snarling Les Paul licks make a perfect soundtrack for a Saturday night of beer swilling in Norfolk. And his rhythm section -- the twin beards of bassist Jeff Pierce and drummer Alan Felder -- laid it down tight and tough. Aside from the Pawn Shop Lifters own nuggets, a highlight was a blistering rock take on the cowboy classic "Mama Tried."
Oh, yeah.
Also ...I gotta give props to the duo of Gina Dalmas and Gene Bowers, who opened up for the Lifters. Playing classic country tunes, Gina's strong vocals and Gene's old-school electric finger-picking are a match made in honky-tonk heaven. I hope to hear more of them soon.

Fiddler's Dream

The Cabin Fever Pickin' Party is sort of like an annual Woodstock for the region's shade tree bluegrass musicians. Thousands of banjo players, guitarist, fiddlers, mandolin men and bassists crowd the halls, conference rooms and courtyards of a hotel in Hampton. Jam sessions are happening everywhere you turn. For folks who spend most of their weekends in warm weather months traveling from festival to festival, Cabin Fever represents the start of a season of music. This year's event happens March 6-9. While the event is mostly about casual picking by amateurs, there are concerts by established bands. This year, the wonderful James King (pictured above) is performing. He's the real deal -- a country troubadour with plenty of mountain soul.

God Don't Like It

(Photo courtesy of the College of William and Mary)

As I was waiting for a burrito at Taco Bell tonight, I started reading the liner notes to a compilation called "Blues, Sweet Blues" published by the Music Maker Relief Foundation. To my surprise, I saw that the double disc collection includes a tune by Elder Anderson Johnson, a musician and folk artist who lived and worked in the East End of Newport News. Johnson, who died years ago, enjoyed a great reputation as a folk artist, but I'm thrilled that somebody was smart enough to make a recording of his music. The track on the collection, "God Don't Like It" features Anderson accompanying himself on his trusty lap steel.
This is more proof that the Music Maker Relief Foundation is doing great work.

Timeshares in space

(MySpace photo of Little Trooper)
When I recently talked to Josh at The Boot (and formerly at Relative Theory Records) about his favorite bands in the area, he named The Super Vacations ("druggy, psychedelic surf rock" he said) and Little Trooper ("remind me of Pavement and shit.") After hearing a few TSV tunes online, I can see what caught Josh's ear. They sound like something off the "Nuggets" boxed set -- but with a slightly more low-fi, indie-rock approach. Interesting.
Little Trooper might be slightly more straight-ahead indie-rock, but they're also packin' a few more hooks. According to the LT MySpace page, they're playing The Boot on Friday night, so drop by and sample some if you'll be in the neighborhood.
One more piece of Boot-related news: Dave at the restaurant told me that one of my favorite regional bands, Mas Y Mas, is now based here in Norfolk. Yes!

Swing central

I had yesterday off and wandered into Russell Scarborough's new music instrument store Russell's Music World, located just behind Cogan's pizza off Colonial Avenue in Norfolk. What a great little space. This is the kind of shop that can act as a hub for the area music community -- a neighborhood store where players can pick up strings and catch up on word-of-mouth news circulating through the local scene. Russell's a fine jazz drummer, but his shop caters to all sort of musicians. I saw a cool 1960s-1970s Japanese semi-hollowbody guitar there and picked up a used bass drum pedal for $25.

I heard about the place from folk musician Amy Ferebee, who was recruiting me for a guitar workshop that's to be held at Russell's 2 p.m. March 16. It's being taught by Celtic guitarist Robin Bullock, who will also give a concert that same evening at Park Place Baptist Church. For information on the workshop, call Amy at 456-1446.

Hit me with a 'Bag of Hammers'

(Photo by Sarah Cass)
I stopped by The Boot late last night and caught the final two songs by The Great White Jenkins. Playing as a trio with an extra member sitting in, they sounded fine, but I got the feeling the peak of their set came much earlier. I'll look forward to hearing an entire performance another time.
Speaking of The Boot, Kill Rock Stars recording artist Thao Nguyen (pictured above) is coming to perform there on Feb. 11. Her idiosyncratic indie-folk rock is quirky (her band and The Great White Jenkins would make a fine double bill come to think of it) and sweet, so I'm going to do my best to stop by.
I'm told that Nguyen recently graduated from the College of William and Mary, so she's practically a hometown girl. Thanks to my man Joe Atkinson for tipping me off to Nguyen's local connection and to Paul Shugrue for playing tunes from her album "We Brave Bee Stings and All" which includes the excellent, bouncy "Bag of Hammers."
My favorite of several live, solo videos posted on her MySpace page is one for the tune "Geography" (it's the third of four clips) which shows off her deft guitar fingerpicking and her ability to forget a lyric and come off sounding even more likable for it.

Sing Out

Tomorrow night at A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, I'll be co-hosting the screening of "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" with folk musician and my Colonial Place neighbor Bob Zentz.
Bob asked me to be part of the screening -- organized by the Naro Expanded Cinema and Elightened Cinema at A.R.E. -- because I'm a Seeger fan, but also because I have a family connection to the great folk family.
I won't go into too much detail here, but, in essence, Pete Seeger and his parents camped at my great-grandmother and great-grandfather McKenzie's farm outside Pinehurst, N.C., way back in the 1920s.
The story gets told in "Pete Seeger's Storytelling Book."
"Mother and Father ended up becoming good friends with the McKenzies," Pete writes. "One night they took their instruments up to the McKenzies' farmhouse to show their generous hosts what kind of music they played ... The McKenzies sat there politely and said 'Oh, that's very nice. We play a little music, too.' And they took their fiddles and banjos down off the wall and proceeded to fiddle up a storm."

Bob Zentz sent out the following message this week about Saturday's screening:

"You are invited to join us for an encore screening and live music Hootenanny on Saturday February 2nd, 7pm at the A.R.E., Atlantic Ave at Virginia Beach. As Hosts, Sam McDonald and I will introduce the Film, then following the show, we'll have a session of Song- in the 'Seeger Tradition, featuring; Amy Ferebee, Regina Sanford, Greg Anderson, Skye Zentz, Jim Newsom and Dustin Hogue admissions are $10.
This must-see film is a saga, a drama, a 'musical' and an honest tribute to a man who has dedicated his life and music to the causes of Freedom, Equality, Peace and Environmental Sanity. Bring your voice! You'll want to join in ... The Naro Expanded Cinema and Enlightened Cinema at the A.R.E. appreciate your passing the word along....Hope to see you there!
Sweet Songs..."