Article about The Local Musician Showcase

Here is a little write-up about the Local Musician Showcase from an excellent WV music blog. WVRockScene has been doing an excellent job of covering the local scene in the entire state, especially in Charleston.

Local Song of the Week #5: Attack Flamingo- Burning

This is part of a series where I pick out a song from the Tri-State area and tell you as much as I can or feel like telling you about it. More importantly, I will only post something if I can in some way provide you with the means to hear it.

Attack Flamingo- Burning

Sometime before Attack Flamingo was attacking Dido for copyright infringement on their new CD cover, they recorded a gem of an album called "No Star Could Be as Large," a concept album based around a peculiar journey to space.

The music itself is an electronic Radioheadesque arrangement of instruments and master mixdom underneath vocals that sound like a slightly less green than Billy Corgan. It's electronica that doesn't make you feel guilty--or European.

The truly impressive aspect of Burning is it's dynamic. Rarely do you find an electronic beat that doesn't repeat itself out the window. Burning is a fresh song from a fresh band. The movement of the song is quite impressive.

The secret to Attack Flamingo's ability to be graced by my favor when so many electronic bands have failed? These guys aren't failed musicians relying on computers. They are skilled musicians who use computers.

The problem with Burning is that is not intended to be listened to singularly. Go ahead. I dare you. You'll probably enjoy it, but I also bet you won't have near as much fun with the song alone as you would when the songs are butted together.



Past Song Picks

1.) Paul Callicoat- Mama's Grave
2.) Redding Brothers- Chauvet
3.) Benji Taylor - Subways
4.) Bad Employees- Bad Employees

Artist Review: Steve Free

This is something older I wrote and was published in Graffiti. I'm not recycling for the sake of recycling, I just couldn't find a link to it. It was in my archive and I feel like this is a guy you should know something about.

Steve Free—even the name sounds majestic. Yet, if all that the man had was a name, I would not waste a word of your time. Steve Free is the Appalachian Jimmy Buffet, the Native American Bob Dylan, and the friendliest musician I have ever met. After several coffee shop meetings that unfortunately have been getting too far apart, Steve Free has inspired me—to travel, to meet people, and to get in touch with nature.


The music swings about from folk ballads to island party music across his multiple albums, and the songwriting is unique and genuine. Each song is a reflection of life and love for the people and places that Free has encountered, and his perspective is often very different from many other folk writers.

One of my personal favorites is the “Ballad of Battery L,” a marching thunder of a song that weaves the tale of a Civil War company at Gettysburg. Free once told me he spent hours in the library researching the story, and was later told that even the re-enactors and historians of Battery L were impressed with his accuracy.

Steve Free is nothing short of professional every time he takes the stage. He has won a slew of professional writing and performing awards, but still plays the small venues across the tri-state area. You can usually find him at a local coffee shop, playing his heart out to small, enraptured crowds.

His newest album, “All Points Between,” is a masterpiece and has warranted many repeat listenings from this music fan. Ballads of Mexican border crossers bring a tear to the eye, while jaunting dance folk like the opening Down by the River urges you to your feet. The environmental lament of “When the Trees Are All Gone,” reminds us that our Appalachian friend has roots in Native American culture and songwriting and makes you seriously reconsider your own environmental impact.

The beauty of Steve Free’s music is that he comes from a different angle when he protests. He’s not here to tell you what you are doing is wrong, and he’s not professing perfection himself. He merely states what he sees, but in prose and metaphor that makes the message simultaneously enlightening and entertaining.

“Jamaican Lady” sounds straight out of Margaritaville, and even the most discriminating parrot heads will be drawing comparisons. Yet, if I had to pick out one weak point on the album, I must admit that I do not particularly enjoy the cover of “Homegrown Tomatoes.” “Nothing against,” Free’s personal rendition, I think it just may be the song itself. I may be wrong though, I have a few friends that think it’s the best song on the album.

Steve Free is constantly touring and you can usually find him around the Huntington area, performing his songs and selling his albums the old fashion way. He writes beautiful compositions and plays them with heart. If you find a show, I recommend you check it out, and more importantly try to stay after and talk to the man for a while. He has more stories, adventures, and lessons than what a current album CD has the space to hold.

Browning Automatics at the Shamrock Pub

Rounding the corner of the Shamrock’s bar and into their staging room, I expected something big. I heard the roar of a big blues-rock band and I knew I was in for a treat.

I was quite surprised to find two men on stage. Shane Browning, guitar and vocals, and Justin Carpenter, drums, were laying down some hard hitting blues rock laden with rough rock and bluesy riffs.

The music was much tighter this go-around then their show at the V Club a few weeks ago after they had just formed. The Browning Automatics churned out a fresh and lively sound any band should be proud of, let alone a new group.

Both are formerly of Adam Bienek and the Sound Assassins, but their sound is different. They have a real Black Keys feel with their return to roots rock and two-man lineup. This is a band worth watching as they grow.

Speaking of the Shamrock, Ian (Booking guy) and I have some great ideas in store for the local music scene, so keep checking out the Tri-State Music Scene!

Tri-State Music Scene Calendar

Fake Band Names: Hot Chicken in the Deli

Band names are curious little creatures. There is a story behind each of them. Some of them are meticulously thought out, others are inspired by silly items that caught the eye of a burned out drummer.

This new feature of the blog is going to highlight the things that I see that make me think it should be a band name. It's one of the many futile things I think about incessantly. As a bonus, I will describe what I think the band would sound like and maybe even a little mini-bio.

Fake Band #1: Hot Chicken in the Deli

Bio: Hot Chicken in the Deli was formed by a group of barefoot pickers living on the outskirts of Cabell County. They have been around for nearly a decade and have managed to spin out two full length vinyls and play at bluegrass festivals and family reunions around the Tri-State.

Found in Kroger on 5th Avenue in Huntington, W.Va.

They failed to "make it big" due to being stiffed from a gig payment in 1996 that the band had depended on to purchase gas money for their statewide tour. When Whiskeytooth records denied further sponsorship of the tour due to their inability to make it to a "hog feed" outside of Charleston. The band continues to tour and maintain full-time jobs outside of the band.

The Sound: Their string-fueled take on modern rock singles and gravelly vocals lend several nods to bluegrass and early country music. Often described as "folksy, except original...kind of..." the band loves to serve up all the bluegrassy Hot Chicken you can eat.

SUBMIT YOUR OWN: Send in pictures of things you think would make a great band name and I'll post the best of them up here. Email the picture, your name, and what you think the fake band would sound like to taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com

Photographing Audio: The Art of the Awful Shot

When one takes a photograph, a lot of different things go into composing the shot. Everything has to be perfect. This is a shot that wasn't perfect. I hate the technical aspects of this photo. The lighting was dim, the artist never faced the camera, but technically cameras weren't allowed and the artist was Bob Dylan.

Even though a picture of this quality would be awful if it was by anyone of any less stature, it is one of my favorites. It's hard to appreciate the difficulty of packing yourself into the front row with a DSLR and flash unit that you are supposed to be hiding from the security guard. Just keep that in mind when you judge the following photos.

Local Musician Showcase Tickets on Sale

The tickets for the Local Musician Showcase are on sale now. At, $5 a pop, it's a hard value to beat. 14 bands... that's far less 50 cents a band! Get your tickets here. Here is the show information again:

The Basics

Lineup

Blues Crossing
Paul Callicoat
Cory Jackson
Benji Taylor
Jordan Andrew Jefferson
Extragrump
The Stops!
The Bad Employees
Attack Flamingo
The Red Velvet
The Demon Beat
Sarasota
Time and Distance
Jeff Ellis

Date: January 24
Time: about 5 p.m.-Til 3 a.m.
Cost: $8 at the door, $5 Advance
Where: V Club, 8th St. and 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV

Local Song Pick #5: The Red Velvet- Above the Clouds

This is part of a series where I pick out a song from the Tri-State area and tell you as much as I can or feel like telling you about it. More importantly, I will only post something if I can in some way provide you with the means to hear it.


The Red Velvet are a group of radio-friendly rockers with a sound easily swallowed by a mass audience. However, their tunes are actually quite unique to the area and really stand out against a lot of the typical fare offered in the Tri-State.

"Above the Clouds" doesn't fail the bands typical typeset of driving, harmony based modern rock. The harmonies on "Clouds" though, seem to offer up an almost haunting quality to the vocals on the track.

The instrumentation on the track is perfect for it's genre. It fits neatly into a package and doesn't distract you from really getting into singing the catchy and repeatable line of "get your head above the clouds."

The band doesn't list any influences on their MySpace page, but I think this is something for fans of bands like Breaking Benjamin, with a little more of an indie twist. This song is really the only track that sounds like that, the rest of the album is a little more experimental. This track is definitely not the best of Red Velvet, but it may be the most accessible.

The bottom line on this song is that it is catchy and fun. The song offers a great opportunity to get into a great band, The Red Velvet. I love a lot of bands and the kind of music offered by Velvet is not my favorite, but I feel like they are making music that has a broad appeal with a lot of potential for success. That said, give the song a listen on the new music player, just for so

Herald-Dispatch Tri-State Music Scene Song Picks of the Week Music Player

Past Song Picks

Artist Profile: Jeff Ellis

This is an old interview from my Magazine Article Writing Class. Unfortunately it is the first draft. I hope you enjoy it and more to come each week. Expect me to flex a little out of news writing and AP style on these posts...

Though he should be, Jeff Ellis probably won’t be on the radio tomorrow. He probably isn’t in your own collection. He probably doesn’t care.


Jeff Ellis is a 27-year-old West Virginian singer songwriter with a knack for grabbing the heart with soaring, but rough vocals and lyrics that pierce the American heart. He can play the perfect instrumental accompaniment to his poetry more than 10 percent of the time, but he surely knows how to find the guys for the other 90 percent.

Every time I ran into Ellis, it’s usually at a bar, the V Club in Huntington, W.Va. specifically, and a meeting to discuss his new album his no different. Notably, Ellis doesn’t have a drink in his hand, so I pick up an extra bottle of beer on the way to his spot on the patio.

Ellis is surrounded by murals of great musicians in the chilly air outside the club. Dylan, Marley, Joplin, Hendrix all grace the walls. He takes a look and points out Bob Dylan.

“I know I have been playing for a while, but Dylan, and really none of the great musicians just shot to the top you know? They gradually built a career out of playing great music, Ellis continued with a grin. “If I am lucky I can be right up there too. I am not trying to get real famous, real quick.”

Ellis may be climbing the ladder to fame quicker than he ever was before. He has a new album out now, “Covering the Distance,” and he captured a recent finalist spot at the NewSong songwriting competition.

“I was really excited about the NewSong competition,” Ellis said. “I just entered my work for the third time and hoped for the best, I was sort of surprised when I was selected as a regional finalist; later when I found I was a national finalist, I was completely stoked.”

Ellis’ new album, “Covering the Distance” is an odd amalgamation of Dylan crooning and Petty guitar riffs, Springsteen story-telling and the smoothness of Neil Young. The sound is rounded out into a package that appeals to teenagers, college students and even the old folks at the bar.

His sound comes from listening to records that would influence Ellis as a 12-year-old guitar player. His sound developed in Chapmanville, W.Va. before he moved into Marshall University and hooked up with a group of tightly knit jam musicians called Guniess Clarke’s Wine. He played with the band until he was called into the Army Reserves when he was 17.

“Man we really tried to keep the band together, I was driving back from North Carolina on the weekends to play these frat show type parties and stuff, but eventually it was just too much. The age difference between the members of the band was kind of like a time bomb anyway. We had kids coming into college and guys with kids and families.”

Ellis did not spend much time in North Carolina either, he was deployed to Kuwait in 2005. During the three years before he was sent from North Carolina to Kuwait, Ellis recorded his first solo album, “The Enemy,” containing the first ten of Ellis’ highly politically charged songs.

Ellis was an ammunition support man on the border between Iraq and Kuwait where he would inspect and confiscate materials not allowed to be transferred between the borders. In the mean time, Ellis started filling a notebook with songs and playing his guitar. He said he shifted his sound from more full band rock and roll to a delicate folk sound, because it was the only instrumentation that was available to him while he was in Kuwait.

“When I came back, I had more than 50 songs ready to be put on a record,” Ellis said. “That was just too much though, so when I started looking at it I noticed there were two types of songs. Some of them were about the struggles of being overseas and the others were about just being home and living in West Virginia. I wanted to get all that political stuff out of me while it was still fresh so we recorded it first.”

The album, “Front Seat to the End of the World,” featuring a cryptic Ellis looking out into the sunset with a guitar in hand, was a resounding local success. He played his music at bars and venues across the Appalachians and even took a shot at the nationally popular “Mountain Stage” on NPR.

After touring that album for nearly two years, Ellis said he was ready to try something else. He still held a part-time job at Borders and was trying to make it as a student and Army Reservist, but he found the time to record his next set of songs. “Covering the Distance” was a rousing change from what some considered the overly political “Front Seat” album.

“If you really liked the last album, this one may not be for you, but if you didn’t like the first one you may like this one. Hell, you might like both of them,” Ellis said. “This album is much more about personal relationships and the places you go and make your home. There isn’t much message here beyond what it really means. The album is very genuine.”

The album was produced by Eddie Ashworth who has worked with musicians as prominent as Sublime and Pennywise. With Ashworth, Ellis was able to bring in Huntington musicians like Bud Carroll and Paul Callicoat to record on the album.

“Ashworth was such a rare find, he’s our little diamond in the rough in this area,” Ellis said. “Bud Carroll and Paul Callicoat can both do things with a guitar that I could never do, they really fill out the sound on the album. “

“Besides, legend goes that Bud was born with a guitar in hand,” Ellis added with a laugh.

I wished Ellis good luck at his opening party only a few days away and we parted ways. I saw Ellis again at the V with Todd Burge opening up for his release party. I wish I could say I was surprised by Burge’s performance, but then I recalled a few words from Ellis the previous week.

“Todd Burge is a staple of West Virginia folk music. He has played Mountain Stage more times than I can count and he just has this really super-unique sound.”

Ellis may view Todd Burge as a West Virginian legend, but there was no doubt that Jeff Ellis, in the midst of that slow and steady climb to the top, held his own on the stage after Todd Burge.

That is the beauty of the local musician. He’s not jaded on his own music and talents, but instead he is a raw force that is still as entranced by the music. Ellis has the grace of a musician that has played for years with the passion of an 18-year-old belting along with their favorite tune on the radio. He is grit. He is gusto.

Ellis offers up his CD to everyone before he leaves the stage, and even awkwardly signs a few autographs. You hate to see Ellis pack it all up and go overseas again, but you have to love the possibility of more great music to be made in the process.

Local Musician Showcase!

In twenty days, the Tri-State Music Scene will be unleashing a sonic extravaganza at the V Club on 6th Avenue and 8th Street in Huntington.

The V Club will be hosting a collection of 14 musicians selected by the Tri-State Music Scene Blog. The event will raise money for charitable purposes.

COMMERCIAL BREAK: May I suggest you listen to the bands playing at the show while you read? A Music Player of Local Musician Showcase Bands

The Basics

Lineup

Blues Crossing
Paul Callicoat
Cory Jackson
Benji Taylor
Jordan Andrew Jefferson
Extragrump
The Stops!
The Bad Employees
Attack Flamingo
The Red Velvet
The Demon Beat
Sarasota
Time and Distance
Jeff Ellis

Date: January 24
Time: about 5 p.m.-Til 3 a.m.
Cost: $10 at the door, special price for advance tickets--check back soon
Where: V Club, 8th St. and 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV

A Request: The kind folks at Route 60 Music in Barboursville have offered to sell us a few guitars at only their cost. We would like to use the proceeds from this show to donate a few guitars to a local music program, particularly school programs. If your group has a need for this, please e-mail me at taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com.

Who These Bands Are:

Blues Crossing is duo from Milton, WV who play very rootsy blues music. They will probably end up jamming with local folkster and guitar salesman, Paul Callicoat before his set kicks off. Cory Jackson, a Van Zandt-Dylan-Beatles-Josh Ritter devotee, will transition the folk sounds into the soulful John Mayer/Jack Johnson inspired tunes of Benji Taylor.

Jordan Andrew Jefferson will play a unique set of originals unlike anyone else in Huntington to welcome the catchy indie rock of Extragrump (formerly Fistfightwithgretchen) of Beckeley. Then comes the strange eccentricity of stoner rockers The Stops! followed by the electronic and disgruntled Bad Employees, who will hand the electronic rock torch off to Attack Flamingo.

Then we get two "The" bands. The Red Velvet get loud with a radio-friendly rock set that will be hard to follow. The Demon Beat will step to the challenge all the way from Shepherdstown, W.Va. with stripped down garage rock fresh from the vein of The Black Keys, The White Stripes and Kings of Leon.

Next is the punk rockers Sarasota, a loud, booze-fueled brand of grungy punk that has been bouncing about several Huntington venues lately. Then the sweeter pop-punk of Time and Distance from Charleston will take the stage before the final show.

Jeff Ellis, a NewSong competition winner and NPR Mountain Stage alum, will play his singer-songwriter jams, with possible accompaniment from other local musicians.


The lineup is looking great for the first in what we hope becomes a monthly showcase of local talent. Here are a few places to further interact with the show:

A Music Player of Local Musician Showcase Bands
Facebook Event
MySpace Event


For more information contact me at taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com

New Year, New Music Blog

A letter to the music scene served by the Herald-Dispatch Tri-State Music Scene Blog:

Dear readers,

This blog had an idea. It had a goal. Due to many things, including my ignorance to the value this blog could add to the Huntington music scene, things have been a little lackadaisical around here. Therefore, to better serve you, my freewheeling-post-when-I-feel-like-it-and-have-time attitude is gone. I am putting myself and this blog on a posting schedule. There will be special content here and there, but from now on, you should be able to loyally find posts on the following topics, on the following days:

Sunday: Show Reviews- A review of a local or major show from the previous week.
Monday: Artist Profile- An interview and profile of a local musician or band.
Wednesday: Local Song Pick- A favorite local song of the week.
Every other Thursday: Event Calendar- A calendar of the next two weeks of events.

I don't have a show review for you today. Instead, I will be posting a special show announcement for you later tonight. Many of you may have already heard about it. The show will be another way to keep this blog, and the music scene fresh.

Check it out tonight,

Sincerely,

Taylor Kuykendall