Lunch of Champions

Lunch of Champions Music Business Podcast #3 – Charlie Van Stee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:50 — 19.1MB)

Charlie Van Stee is one of my favorite musicians and songwriters in the world.  Always generous with a gig, he has played, seemingly, everywhere in town with his band, Charlie Van Stee Trio.

His recent musical exploits have seen him break new ground artistically, recording a minimalistic Alvis Ruxpin EP alongside his forthcoming, all the bells and whistles release, Tigers Will Eat You.  His new stuff has much of the flavor of the Charlie Van Stee Trio sound, but it also has something more.  Something different.

In this audio interview, Charlie shares his experiences busking for spare change in Seattle, his experience booking shows in Minneapolis, his undeniable attraction to making music at any costs, and how he balances life’s many demands with his music career.

Enjoy!

Please let me know if you have any comments of suggestions in the “comments” of this post.  Thanks!

Pomplamoose

I heard about Pomplamoose last week on the CD Baby DIY Musicians Podcast and finally got around to checking them out tonight on YouTube.  Holy cow, they are great!

Their videos feature them recording their songs – the real takes.  Basically, they record themselves recording and then splice the actual takes in to the final video.  Pretty sweet!

Lunch of Champions Music Business Podcast #2 – Keith Axline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (153.8MB)

I recently interviewed Keith Axline, frontman of San Francisco rockers, Domestic Electrics.  Despite the interview taking place at 8 a.m. Pacific time,  Keith was lively and full of insight into the music biz.  His 13+ years writing music and playing the scene provide a backdrop for the interview as Keith shares his experiences and observations about booking, writing music, recording albums, finding his voice, touring, and more!

Download and stream Domestic Electrics on BandCamp.

Domestic Electrics on MySpace.

Lunch of Champions Music Business Podcast #1 – Ariel Aparicio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (185.9MB)

For our inaugural Lunch of Champions Music Business Podcast, we talk to Brooklyn rocker, Ariel Aparicio.   He has been a working musician for over 15 years and offers his insights on booking, touring, and balancing family life with the rock-and-roll lifestyle.  We even get an impromtu version of “Lucille” sung by his son!  :)

More info:

• Ariel’s Website
• Aerial Ravers

Please leave your feedback in the comments of this post.

Thanks!

Ariel Aparicio

The Icy Shores | “The Opposite of Your Heart”

I just listened through The Icy Shores‘ “The Opposite of Your Heart. It is dark, sinister, and absolutely enthralling. The guitar textures are marvelous, the vocals are haunting, and, in stark contrast to the overall tone of the record, there are moments of tenderness throughout.

The fact that the three gents who make up The Icy Shores are from Minneapolis brings me extra pleasure. I have lived in Chicago and L.A., and I have many times said that Minneapolis has better songwriters than both of those places. These guys couple some great songwriting with some great production to bring us a beautiful record from its nasty ashtray cover through to the end of the 40-minute listening experience.

Ok Go’s Rube Goldberg Machine – Brilliant!!!

This might be the best music video that I have ever seen.  …though I must admit that I have geeked out with age…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w[/youtube]

…and here’s a “making of” video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Do-zRgyJc[/youtube]

The New Monarchs | “Electrocaching”

To fully appreciate local electro duo The New Monarchs, just get lost in the music, letting go of any pretentious need for vague post-modern lyrics.  This  is layers and layers of electronic sound, at times breakbeat, at times ambient, at times hypnotic.  Always fun, and very danceable.

Call it what you will: electro, IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), dance-punk or whatever else.  Whatever the case, please enjoy it, because if you aren’t you are completely missing the point and are probably getting way too tripped up on silly vocals like “we’re hoping to find new order in your joy division”.  If this poses a problem, take two LCD Soundsystems and call me in the morning.

Get down with The New Monarchs for their CD release show on Sunday March 28th at The 501 Club off of Washington Avenue, or catch them at The Nomad pub on the West Bank on April 8th.

Days of Rae | “Quiet Profanity”

As someone who can turn his nose up at “catchy hooks” I have to admit I am quite impressed by new local minstrels Days of Rae.  Their Quiet Profanity release had me thinking of Mazzy Star, which I can totally appreciate.  But that’s not to pigeonhole them — they stand firmly on their own feet here.

My hat goes off to these people, who in only a year have made very thorough rounds of the Twin Cities, getting their feet dirty at all kinds of local stages.  Lead singer Cherie Rae Cobbs’ voice cuts through the air like a good steel cuts fancy hard cheese.      Any local venue should be delighted to be graced with  such high caliber musician-ship.

Catch their next show at Jo Jo’s Rise & Wine Cafe on February 20th, or the following week at the Hexagon Bar on February 25th.

A local force to be reckoned with: The Poor Nobodys

Oh, for the stuff of   dirty fingers around half empty whiskey bottles and one night left on   the town to pine after another saloon girl in stiff chapel boots.         The Poor Nobodys bring it thicker than well water, and if you try a taste you might just want another.

This local seven-piece delivers some of the greatest thematic stuff I’ve heard in ages.  I’ve seen them live twice now, and just had to write up a band who despite their relatively unknown status at home have already had radio play in Australia.

These people are something to behold live.  Chris Becknell’s violin serenades while the plucking of Eric Struve’s upright bass leads you step by step to Jenna Wyse’s honeysuckle voice.  Along the way a mandolin, accordion, or wash board might even come into play.  If you feel the urge to utter words like mellifluous and vertiginous, I won’t look at you askance.

Catch the Poor Nobodys live at the 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis, a regular venue for them to grace the stage.  Their next gig is on Saturday February 27th.

See you there.

Kristi Michele’s “Bric-a-Brac”

I met Kristi Michele in person for the first time over the Christmas holiday.  I could tell by her handshake that there was something brewing beneath the surface of her skin.  A fire.

I had heard her music years ago when my sister introduced me to her mySpace page, and I was entranced.  But this was something different.  An electricity flowed from her fingernails that had nothing to do with me.  If I was Cookie Monster, my soft blue fur would have been scorched around the knuckles.  There is something brewing beneath the surface of Kristi Michele.

The planet Earth is little bit better with a Kristi Michele making music on it than it is without a Kristi Michele.  I believe that this girl is making some of the most sincere and original music in all of America right now.  I have listened to “Bric-a-Brac”, probably, 10 times so far, and each time I hear it I have one of those “ah ha” moments where my musical universe gains a little bit of clarity.

“Bric-a-Brac” is good.  It is soooo good.  It is mesmerizing and a little bit unkept – like a carefully-manicured lint roller.  It is fresh.  It is nice.  It is magic 1′s and 0′s flying out of my tiny Macbook’s computer speakers.   It is a bit lost like a fish seeking out a warm current in the Pacific Ocean.  That is, it is ambitious and directed, and when we finally get to our destination, it is every bit as magical as we had hoped it would be.