So what do you do if you’re a singer-songwriter who’s an incredibly energetic stage performer, and whose musical tastes careen from punk to soul to everything in between? What do you do to harness all the energy? You move to New York City, gather about ten other talented musicians around you, and form the Ks, the Twirl Radio Artists of the Month for June/July, 2008. I interviewed the aforementioned Dan Kilian, and the leader of the K’s horn section, Jon Mossberg, for Twirl Radio on June 7th, 2008.

The K’s formed a few years ago when Dan Kilian moved from Louisville to New York City and hooked up with guitarist Ray Beyda. After putting out a rock album, Dan and the K’s revamped the band, which meant recruiting a horn section, and growing to an astonishing 11 members strong (Dan told me that it was up to 17 at one point!).

Jon mentioned in the interview that he was invited to audition as alto saxophonist for the Ks. He came down to the practice space, and saw Dan doing handstands, backflips, cartwheels, and the like, and really getting into the music–and this was just the rehearsal! Inspired by Dan’s enthusiasm, he instantly knew he had to join.

The K’s are a working band, playing out constantly in the greater NYC area. They honed their chops and their sound in the clubs, so they were completely prepared to go into the studio to record their latest release, Can’t Get It Together in 2007. They knew what they wanted to do, and got it done in a very quick two days of studio time.

So what did two days of studio time buy this self-proclaimed “Frankenstein’s monster of entertainment”? A lot, actually. Can’t Get It Together is one of the most stylistically diverse albums to hit the Twirl playlists in quite a while. 15 action-packed tracks race along at a breakneck pace through punk, hard rock, jazz, and many other genres. And although the Ks traverse all these different styles, at the end of the day, you can still tell it’s the same band, with ringleader Dan at the helm. Here’s what this brilliant disc sounds like.

The title track Can’t Get It Together comes at you fast, and you’d better be ready. Dan snarls the lyrics to this classic teen angst, punky-sounding tune. But you can tell from note number one that it’s different than most punk songs–there is a horn section blasting out the notes in time with the drums. And no, it’s not ska, but these guys do have that kind of upbeat, fun energy. The ominous Last Trip to the Well follows, and again, horns differentiate this band from the rest of what’s out there. There’s some furious guitar licks, and I think some electric piano in here. Throw in a few Violent Femmes-like “bye, bye, pay ya back later’s”, and you’ve got something that you’ve never heard before. 13 Steps, a song about a typical substance abuse program, gets a little bit spiritual (“make peace with my enemies”, “whatever god you accept”), but does not slow down in the least. It too is upbeat, and features some organ and that electric piano again. A little bit like something the J. Geils Band might have done, this song practically forces you to enjoy being rehabilitated.

Eliza Lynn is an intriguing pair of tracks–a punk “bar” version, and a bluesy “saloon” version. It’s a great song, and the guys realized that it needed and deserved both treatments. The punk version clocks in at a brisk 1:23, the saloon version at a poppy 2:59. This second version features a very sinewy trombone solo–something not often found (ok, never) in rock music. Fashion Plan, penned by both Dan and Ray, conjures up images of Billy Corgan in Smashing Pumpkins, augmented by horns. Election Night is told from the point of view of a losing candidate–very good “inside the beltway” insights. I’ll be sure to play this one in November. And finally, a back to back pairing of two really clever songs: jazzy Good Man (Most of the Time), where the lyrics say it all; and rockin’ The Mosquito. Interestingly enough, Dan told me that most of his songwriting doesn’t come from real life experience. In fact, he barely remembers writing most of his songs at all–so when he starts to play them, he tackles them like they’re brand new songs written by somebody else. But The Mosquito is a rare exception. It’s a metaphor about a real life person who made life interesting–and liked the song until she found out it was written about her!

Dan told me that since I Can’t Get It Together came out, the band has been pared down to just five members. Jon is now the horn section. They’re working on new material. My hope is that the next album is at least as innovative and groundbreaking as this one.

I think you’re getting the idea–the Ks are incredibly creative in their approach to music. They are influenced by a host of diverse musicians, but they are unmistakably original. These guys have invented a new sound. The entire album is completely radio-friendly and catchy, and deserves wide airplay (hear that, other DJs out there?) I am happy to call the Ks the Twirl Artists of the Month for June/July, 2008!

June 1, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: The Lids . Comments: Leave a comment

Uke-abilly. “Americana for the modern generation”. I can only be referring to one band–the Twirl Artists of the Month for May 2008, Asheville, North Carolina’s Mad Tea Party! I interviewed them for Twirl Radio on May 22nd, 2008.

This zany power duo features Ami Worthen on vocals and electrified ukulele(!), and Jason Krekel on guitar, foot drums, vocals, and a host of other instruments. With apologies to George Thorogood, these folks are a two person quartet! They play a fun, lively repertoire of mostly original songs, which complement their sound, which is, well, fun and lively!

I am the luckiest boy on earth, because I have in my proud possession an advance copy of the next Mad Tea Party album, Found A Reason–which is my favorite release of 2008 so far. Here it is, early May, and the album won’t be released until mid-July–giving me a head start on the other radio people and reviewers. Almost makes me look like some kind of genius for being that far ahead of the curve!

So how did little ol’ me, here in Sacramento, happen upon these future superstars before they got big and famous? Well, as has happened so many times before, it’s MySpace to the rescue. Specifically, my friend Jenny in Virginia, who saw Mad Tea Party live, and highly recommended them. One thing led to another, and here we are. And pretty soon, I’ll join the ranks of the MTP-heads, because Mad Tea Party will be performing in Sacramento at Marilyn’s on May 22nd, during the first of two West Coast tours this year!

Let’s step back for a moment and try to figure out who these two are. Ami does most of the singing and songwriting, and is singlehandedly turning the ukulele into a credible rock instrument. You can hear it in the mix in every song. And Jason is a powerhouse multiinstrumentalist, playing some ferocious, jazzy guitar licks on the new CD.

A little more about their sound. They are by far the most unique band in my current on-air rotation. They have a retro jazzy, jump blues feel, with some rockabilly, R&B, surf, and rock thrown in for good measure. The constant is their good natured humor and sweetness. Picture Brian Setzer meets Melanie meets Barenaked Ladies, and you get close to it. Although this group answers to a diverse set of musical influences, they wind up sounding incredibly original.

So here’s what happened when I tore away the shrink wrap of Found A Reason. The leadoff track, Blues Slip In, comes at you immediately with the full Mad Tea Party onslaught. The ukulele and guitar riffs start right away with no lead-in whatsoever. The slightly overmodulated and distorted recording of this part of the song add to the sense of urgency. After only four seconds, Ami’s vocals come in singing the chorus, and then the foot drums come in. She then sweetly sings the verse about how everything’s going wrong, no matter how hard she tries. She even coos one of the syllables, and soon enough, she’s got your sympathy. Then Jason comes in with some background “whoo-ooo-oo’s”, and we’re off and running. All in the first 25 seconds! Then at about 1:03 in the song, Jason scats some tasty “bow bow ba-bow-bow-bow bow’s”, and I’m an instant fan for life! This whole song is only 2:06, but it gives you a really representative feel of what this group is all about. Fun, lively, occasionally fast and furious. If you’re not a Mad Tea Party fan by now, something’s wrong. With you.

Every Way is similar in its fast pace, but with Jason taking some lively, soulful vocals, and Ami on backup. The ukulele takes the lead, and Jason gets a chance to seriously rock it with a fuzztone guitar sound. I Went Out features a playful Ami singing about her grown up independence. Whaddaya Want is a lively reading of a Leiber and Stoller composition. Ami repeatedly asks “Whaddaya Want”, while Jason sings of not wanting any material possessions, just love. His most inspired vocals on the disc.

A few other highlights: I Never Was A Cool One, a self-deprecating charmer where Ami name checks dozens of 1980’s references, not unlike some of the songs on Barenaked Ladies debut album. Big Noise From Krekel pays homage to Bob Crosby’s legendary Big Noise From Winnetka. But the Mad Tea Party original sounds more like a surf music version of Flight of the Bumblebee. Ami plays a stoic, driving uke lead, while Jason flies us all over the place with his guitar solos. Incredible! And finally, the title track Found A Reason is a joyful song that like the leadoff track, is highly representative of the Mad Tea Party sound. All in all, a must-have album.

The press release which accompanied the album mentioned two tracks to focus on, and five markets which are considered “best” for Mad Tea Party. I’m thinking more like eight focus tracks for Twirl Radio, and EVERY city for these guys. Especially Sacramento on May 22nd. I’m looking forward to meeting Ami and Jason in person, and am pleased to have Mad Tea Party as the Twirl Artists of the Month for May, 2008!

May 1, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: The Lids . Comments: Leave a comment

He’s written over 1,000 songs. He’s written legal briefs. By day, he’s Pittsburgh, PA attorney Ray McLaughlin. But by night, he’s mysterious indie/alternative rock musician, Chancellorpink, the Twirl Radio Artist of the Month for March/April 2008! I interviewed him live on Twirl Radio on his birthday, Saturday, March 22nd, 2008.

Heartbreak, loneliness, loss, breakups. These are the deep waters the Chancellor plies. Some writers celebrate only the upside of love. Let’s face it–Mick Jagger spent lots of time chasing the girls; Paul McCartney always got the girl and lived happily ever after. The girls catch Chris Isaak, but somehow always break up with that handsome dude (I still don’t get how that happens). Ray writes and sings about what happens on the downside. He innately understands that most of us guys (and gals) spend a lot of time in this less than happy world of chasing, but not catching, unrequited love. To put it another way, Art Garfunkel may be your bridge over troubled waters, but Ray, as Chancellorpink, is your guide through the troubled waters!

Ray started out the same way a lot of us music fans raised in the 1970’s did–listening to 45’s–those seven inch circles of pure pop bliss, in which a complete, independent work had to fit in about three minutes. As a writer and musician, you had to get it right, in order to put out a single. That was a huge influence on him. In our interview, Ray remembers loving the Beatles, but finding himself attuned to some of the strange stuff that artists put out on those singles. Helen Reddy’s Angie Baby, probably her only deviation from nice, mainstream songs, comes to mind. He then started writing songs and poems–lots of them. He continues to be a prolific writer to this day.

Then came the 1980’s, and Ray’s popular Pittsburgh band Six Gun Jury. They played the local clubs and showcases, and released several singles and tapes. They garnered significant airplay on the college and alternative airwaves in western Pennsylvania. And their songs earned brisk sales at the local music shops. In fact, Ray showed me a weekly top hits chart from one of those stores, in which the Jury outsold 10,000 Maniacs, and shared the charts with the Pixies. Heady stuff indeed.

In a seminal moment, Ray wrote a song called Chancellor Pink. This was an idealistic song, penned at the age of 20, about painting the whole world with spiritual love and faith. But the band never quite had the sound right.

Fast forward about 20 years, a law career, and some heartbreaks later. Ray dusted off Chancellor Pink, bought some studio equipment, and turned it into something of a masterpiece. He named himself and his first album after the song. A defining moment. Ray pressed on. He put out Darkrazor in 2007, and his most recent effort, Valentine Parade, released on February 14 of this year. An album a year, until he gets boring, so he says. Slim chance of that. These three intense gems are a tantalizing peek at the dark side of life and love.

Valentine Parade is a dark album, full of yearning and desperation. The Chancellor stuffs it full of raw emotion, then lets you pick at it, one visceral track at a time. He’s honed his sound the way he wants it–playing all instruments–electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, and the occasional creepy vibraphone, and layering his Bowie-like voice on top of it. He recorded and engineered it, to boot. You’re supposed to feel this one, not just listen to it.

And that’s just what happens. Standout tracks include the poppy Unfinished Valentine, the mostly-acoustic Opposites Attract, and the sad and eloquent Mrs. Kowalski. The Red Sea, in all of its alternative rock glory, sounds like something that eclectic industrial/alternative supergroup Golden Palominos might have recorded in the late 1980’s. I’m a sucker for those soaring guitar flange effects. There’s also the chunky, driving She Came In Dreams. And finally, a couple more eminently listenable songs which caught my ear immediately: the relaxed Baby’s Gone To Bible, and the driving I Tear Window Down, perhaps my personal favorite. Elvis Costello could have written this one when he was single and angry. All in all, the Chancellor’s most unified and listenable album to date. All of these aforementioned tracks would sound great on alternative radio, and are (or will soon be) in rotation on Twirl Radio. Valentine Parade careens between longing and urgency.

Fiercely independent, the Chancellor used to hold forth on the closed-circuit social networking website MySpace, with poetry, rants, diatribes, and sensitive, well-placed comments. Some made me cringe, some made me laugh. That’s exactly the point–he wants you to think and feel, and sometimes you need to be shaken a little in order to do just that. He’s no longer on MySpace, but if you’re lucky enough to get on his mailing list, you can still subscribe to these blasts from Pittsburgh.

It was a kick to talk to Ray on my show, and learn a little more about what makes this great artist tick. I’m thrilled to have him as the Twirl Artist of the Month for March/April, 2008!

March 1, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: The Lids . Comments: Leave a comment