GOD SAVE THE ZUTONS!

By Tom Semioli

This feature appeared in Amplifier Magazine, September 2004.

"God save The Zutons!" someone screamed from the balcony as Liverpool's acclaimed "scouse-pop" ensemble materialized on the Irving Plaza stage in New York City. Their indefinable debut release, oddly titled Who Killed The Zutons, has catapulted this young, spunky ensemble from relative anonymity to rock ‘n’ roll celebrity. These Zutons are now revered by their contemporaries the Scissor Sisters, compared (somewhat unfairly) to The Coral in their bustling, music-crazed hometown, and hailed as true descendants of “Captain Beefheart via the Kinks,” in a major UK publication that shall remain nameless to protect the guilty. Lead singer, chief songwriter, and tireless ring-leader Dave McCabe affords a simple answer to the question of what it means to be a Zuton. "We're just a home grown band and have never really been the 'hot,' 'cool' or a 'hype' group" he reveals with a poker face. "What I love about us is that we've grown organically. I think we get an honest reaction. People like us for the right reason, which is the music!"

McCabe, a husky 23 year-old lad with shoulder length blonde hair and a voice like sand 'n' glue, built The Zutons from scratch in 2002 with the divine intention of crossing jazz, funk, rock and soul akin to his heroes Sly & The Family Stone, Dr. John, and the Talking Heads. With kindred spirits Boyan Chowdhury on lead guitar, drummer Sean Payne, bassist Russell Pritchard, and the band’s final addition - super-charged saxophonist Abi Harding, The Zutons set in motion "the soul-funk-voodoo vibe which we suddenly realized made us exciting." With their debut record already a huge hit in Europe, The Zutons are primed to conquer the mainland in the grand tradition of their hometown Fab Four forefathers on their first American tour opening for The Thrills.

Commencing with their rave-up theme-song "Zuton Fever," Pritchard's rumbling Fender bass lines provided the anchor for Harding's maniacal staccato sax licks whilst McCabe’s raspy vocals and chunky rhythm guitar navigated the rapid shifts in the band’s dynamics and tempos. Harding is obviously the Zuton's attention-grabbing sex symbol. All eyes are on the lithe, shaggy coiffed figure with her Soul Train inspired dance moves, and alluring lip-synch of McCabe's every utterance. Laying down harmonic accompaniment in the absence of a keyboard, tossing off short, sharp melodic solos, and rendering backing vocals as a femme fatale foil to McCabe - Harding overtly appealed to both sexes in attendance – many of whom approximated her gyrations with stunning accuracy!.

Playing America is a dream come true for these merry Liverpudlians who are soaking up the culture as fast as they can –from fast food to record shops to clothing stores. "Yes, your country is wild," exclaims McCabe. "One day it's the hardest place in the world, the next day it's the best place. I can never quite comprehend how massive it is, especially on a cultural level. It's a continent disguised as a country." "Pressure Point" afforded Chowdhury and McCabe an extended opportunity to exchange scratchy guitar solos as Payne kept time with a sturdy cow-bell / bass drum pattern worthy of a Blue Oyster Cult Saturday Night Live spoof.

Introducing "You Will You Won't" as a song "your mum will like," McCabe led his posse through a wild array of electric soul grooves that you’d expect on your parents’ dusty Chambers Brothers Greatest Hits collection. McCabe is pleased with the comparisons to his American heroes. "We made this album as a complete statement so that people could have a cool thing to put on," he emphasizes. "All the songs are different, but they are us – which is what makes a great record." On the fate of the long-player as opposed to the instant gratification of "i-Pod mania" the singer shot back in his thick brogue "people still care about records! If entire albums ever die, it'll be because there's no good music about." Slowly McCabe turns…step by step…

The folksy mid-tempo tale of hard labor and hard love lost, "Railroad," featured sweet four-part CSN &Y reminiscent harmonies. Slinky grooves, throbbing tom-toms, sinewy riffs, angular sax lines, and a gradual rise in intensity defined the marathon reading of The Zutons first English hit "Dirty Dancehall" which concluded with a cacophonic meld of guitar feedback and fans gone blotto.

McCabe notes that "in the States, folks come up after the gig and praise us, which is great for our confidence. And they always invite us to come back again, which we're looking forward to." Liverpool and New York City are worlds apart to McCabe, yet he is quick to note that the two cities share certain similarities. "Manhattan is huge, and there's plenty of nice women. Our home isn't even one-third the size of here. But Liverpool is also a port city. There's a lot going on. The music scene is booming, we enjoy so many good local bands like the Little Flames, Dead 60s, and 747s. On this tour, I'm going to get me a switch (credit) card and buy some guitars and records. The one bad thing about being in a successful band is that you don't get time to do anything normal anymore!"

Politely declining an encore to make way for the headliner act The Thrills, McCabe and company are eager to return. "The wildest behavior we've seen here so far was someone smacking his own head and face to the beat of our music. It was out of celebration…of course!"

THE PIERCES: THIRTEEN TALES LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY

By Tom Semioli

This feature appeared in Amplifier Magazine, January 2007

You’ve seen them in NME, Rolling Stone, Interview, The New York Post, and a fully clothed Playboy feature. However in a media landscape peppered with deception and fake news, can a pop music fan actually believe anything they read nowadays? “Well, there is a bit of truth in every tale…” says Allison Pierce with a hint of evil irony. Her equally mischievous sister Catherine concurs.

The pretty, perky, precocious Pierces debut disc Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge is rife with stories of passion, murder, deceit, lesbianism, ménage a trios, and random acts of mayhem. And as far as we know as of this printing, neither has announced a candidacy for the Oval Office. Rendered in a folk rock fashion that harkens back to the early 1960s sounds of Joan Baez, The Kingston Trio, and Ian & Sylvia, the torrid twosome are not adverse to a bit of digital dalliances to abet the vintage bells, whistles, glockenspiels, mandolins and other organic instruments which decorate their songs.

The Pierces were born and raised in rural Alabama by Boehme parents. “They were hippies” notes Catherine, “but they were also Christians, so that still gave us something to rebel against.”  Now residing within the chic environs of Manhattan’s East Village, the sultry sister act has emerged as a hot topic in the ever-burgeoning New York acoustic indie rock scene. “We were too drunk the first year we moved here to notice any cultural differences” laughs Allison. “But when we woke up in the gutter in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, yes, we were quite shocked!”  Though Catherine is romantically linked to a local rock deity -The Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.- the Pierces have forged their own identity and fan base.

Backed by a tight ensemble of electric bass, guitar, and keys (whom the Pierces neglected to introduce by name), Allison and Catherine were gracious hosts on their home turf, encouraging the male and female fans alike to inch closer and closer to the stage to better bask in the glow of the Pierces’ presence. Unlike most of the artists who make indentical requests at the tiny Mercury Lounge, these attendees obeyed without hesitation, shuffling forward with enthusiasm not seen since Night of the Living Dead. After an obligatory drink and instrument tuning, “Boring” their mocking homage to the Big Apple jet set was rendered by both sisters in a monotone delivery that would have made the oft robotic Grace Jones green with envy.

Evoking a light-hearted lascivious comparison to Randy Newman’s classic “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” the naughty “Lights On,” which weaves images of cross-dressing and sex under bright lights, vacillated from torch song verses to outrageous disco beat choruses - very impressive. “That was Prince inspired” confesses Allison. In Vaudeville mode, Catherine’s campy performance of “Boy in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” may or may not have been in reference to Mr. Hammond as she emphasized the lyric “I swore I would never fall in love with a boy in a rock ‘n’ roll band…”

The waltz vamp “Turn On Billie,” a kinky yarn which professes a desire to “paint the town blue because red is so passé” afforded Allison and Catherine an opportunity to harmonize unison as their band punctuated every coo and whisper with staccato rhythms and grinning faces. The gal’s rustic roots shone through on the tearful ballad “Ruin” with Allison pining for a lover to come crawling back akin to Lucinda Williams at her most desperate.

Whether Thirteen Tales… will bring The Pierces fame and fortune remains to be seen. But they do reveal a contingency plan: “We are putting one million copies of this record in a time capsule for future generations to enjoy.”

BARENAKED LADIES: POWER TO THE PEOPLE

By Tom Semioli

This feature appeared in Amplifier Magazine, August 2006

We record….you decide!

Toronto’s favorite adult alternative-rock sons, the Barenaked Ladies, are set to release their eighth album-  Barenaked Ladies Are Me. Sort of. It’s your job to choose the tracks, running order, physical format, artwork, and method of delivery.

Fear not, Barenaked Ladies fans who have little or no experience on the bandstand, in the studio, record company boardroom, art department, pressing plant, and retail- you have options aplenty: purchase the physical thirteen song compact disc on September 12 in stores; or download the thirteen songs plus two bonus-tracks; or opt to download the twenty-seven song digital package Deluxe Edition; or access all of the above or combinations thereof by way of a USB flash memory stick with two extra tracks. Sound easy?

“The Barenaked Ladies are learning to let go,” reveals guitarist / vocalist Steven Page. “Historically the album was only a construct of what the technology could hold and what labels and publishers were willing to pay for. We are certainly conscious of the fact that so many fans listen to music in shuffle mode, and we’re not offended by that. You can still be an artist with integrity and allow your fans some level of control with regard to how they use your end result.”

The eclectic platinum-selling quintet continues to meld folk and pop with a healthy dose of humor. Comprised of Page, Ed Robertson (guitar/vocals), Tyler Stewart (drums), Jim Creegan (bass) and Kevin Hearn (keyboards), BNL have witnessed births, marriages, deaths, and near death in their two decades running musical sojourn together. Are Me, whichever way you choose to hear it, finds the band refreshed, melodic, and accessible.

Explains Page “we performed all the songs live in the studio, but the guitars and vocals were often replaced. They were redone to get better sounds and, in my case, better performances! The foundations of the tracks have the feeling of a band that has played live together for nearly twenty years—which is the truth.”

Though the band produced Are Me, legendary engineer Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, Pretenders, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow) shares the credit for recording the Ladies in all their resonate glory. “We have always been a fan of his work, especially Crowded House’s Woodface album, which has been something of a touchstone for our band. He was our catalyst in the studio.”

Are Me essentially began when Page and Robertson met up for a writing session in the spring of ’05. With three songs composed, “Home,” “Rule The World With Love,” and “Wind It Up,” they split for summer vacation. It was back to the grindstone in fall at Robertson’s cottage. Fifteen or so songs jelled in a mere four or five days. Meanwhile Hearn was “writing a dozen songs per day” across town. (Stay tuned for Hearn’s eventual solo album.) When all the Ladies convened in winter, they pared the list “down” to twenty-nine tracks. Eschewing Page and Robertson’s usual method of elaborate demos, all the band members put their personal stamp on the tunes, thereby making Are Me the most accurate representation of the group dynamic on record.

“We were sick of saving things for soundtracks, b-sides and whatever. By releasing it all, we could move forward as artists. A double album can be very pricey at retail, so we chose to divide the physical content into two chunks, which is also easier to digest for the more traditional CD buyer, and the second of which, Barenaked Ladies Are Men, comes out in early 2007.”

The Barenaked Ladies Are Me and Barenaked Ladies Are Me: Deluxe Edition from Desperation Records will be available whichever way you choose it beginning September 12, 2006.