Heather Maloney digging John Lennon’s Rolls Royce.
IN THIS ISSUE
Rita: Ahh, it’s been a lively fall in New England with music continuing to play despite, or maybe because of, the government shutting down, the Red Sox emotional post season, the Honk! Fest, the bus strike, the Topsfield Fair, and the unpredictable New England Patriots. But what matters to us right now are the many feature stories in this issue. A.J. Wachtel says hello to BRIAN MAES and MARYBETH MAES. They’re married and both have their own rock ’n’ roll life stories… Harry C. Tuniese catches up with CARTER ALAN, who shares his memories of WBCN in his new book… Jim Testa digs into the history of the Boston Groupie News in an interview with BLOWFISH and MISS LYN… And Commodore Swig McJigger volleys words with the second coming of low rock—FRANC GRAHAM. Lolita: Wow—besides all that, you get to read the rest of the issue that is jam-packed with great photos, our NoiseLive Picks, CD, live, and video reviews, the Rock School comic strip, Guitar Boot Camp (a guitar lesson), Pet of the Month, and really cool advertisements.
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO EMULATE
Rita: And in this column we talk to those folks who are active in New England music. I chose a handful of them to tell us who they would most like to emulate… BILL DWYER (Bill Dwyer Band/ The Somerville Fires/ Digital Techno Lust Revolution): I think what Jamie Oliver is doing and has done isamazing! His show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (especially the first season) is SO great. He could have easily just created another hot-shot chef trendy cooking show catering to shallow, flighty target audiences, but instead took on the horrific elementary school food establishment machine right here in the U.S.. Backing up a dump-truck full of animal fat onto the grades chool grounds in front of all of the students’ parents to show them firsthand just how much fat is in their kids’ school lunches per year was (is) a ballsy move for American television (otherwise known as “programming”). He is fighting for something instead of taking the easy, glamorous money so many others do without blinking. Right on Jamie! *** BRIAN YOUNG (WMFO/ The Thigh Scrapers): John Lennon because he is more popular than Jesus. *** TAIPHOON (Petty Morals): “Dear RuPaul, I ask that U guide my thoughts, my feelings and my perceptions.” I want to make it big, so one day I can meet RuPaul—we’ll be best friends! In 2011, I got to fulfill a dream of mine when I met the fierce RuPaul at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, NH. She had a glow that illuminated the diner and a special way to connect to everybody in the room. I strive to stand on stage one day and have the same effect on our audience that RuPaul had on everyone that day. *** JIMMY BIRMINGHAM (The Real Kids/ Mach 5): The man I most would like to emulate now would be my dad, Tom. He was such a strong soul, a very giving person. I never realized what a powerful man he was until after his death. He positively impacted so many people in his life, was loved by all. I now realize why all my friends wanted him as their dad. I was a lucky kid. If I become half the man he was, I’b be okay with that..I’m still trying but his shoes were huge. *** ERIN AMAR (Rockerzine.com): Dick Cavett. I became enamored with Cavett’s style of interviewing—where he appears to just hang out and chat with celebrities about random stuff—when I was creating a curriculum for my Music Journalism class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Ed. On YouTube you can see him interviewing Janis Joplin, and all they talk about is water skiing, but surprisingly, the conversation tells a lot about Janis as a human being. It has led me to believe interviews, ideally, should be just a really interesting conversation you want to eavesdrop on. Rock on Dick Cavett! *** MR. CURT (MC4): The older one gets, role models begin to fall away. The challenge to find my own voice amongst the constant bombardment of a lifetime’s influences becomes a paramount achievement, but I can safely say that the iconic classical composer, Charles Ives, showed me at a young age you can work at a job (he was an insurance agent/me a school bus driver) andunrelentingly follow your true Muse whenever possible (music forever)! *** LINDA VIENS (Kingdom of Love): One of the people I most emulate is the President, Barack Obama. I aspire to his dignity, his grace under fire, his non-complaining nature in the midst of a life/schedule complex beyond imagining, and his dedication to serving others and making the world safer and better. I know he is centrist, and far from perfect. But to me he is an extraordinary human being. *** MICHAEL TARBOX (Tarbox Ramblers): I was just talking to someone about Pere Ubu, and like what I’ve heard of their new album, so for tonight, I’d emulate them because of the way sound swims in and out of the picture on their recordings. I wonder about how they compose that stuff. ***MELVERN TAYLOR (Melvern Taylor & his Fabulous Meltones): I would want to emulate Mister Rogers. He is soft-spoken, calm and kind. He is also genuinely interested in the well-being of others and enjoys learning new things and sharing this new knowledge with everyone. I, on the other hand, am a self-absorbed, angry, douchebag. *** MICHAEL P. AROIAN (Elsewhere): There are so many people I try to emulate but Andy Summers of The Police is the first that comes to mind, and not only for his guitar playing. Andy Summers was a man who was relentless with not only being the best guitarist that he could be, but also with his will to succeed. I think the fact that he finally achieved success with The Police at a later age is an inspiration to me. And, just as importantly he was able to seemingly do all of this with a great sense of humor! *** KEN FIELD (Revolutionary Snake Ensemble/Agachiko/Lookie Lookie): Brian Griffin—proud, smart, liberal, and canine. Rita: Well, that gives us a nice segue into our next question…
YOU’RE SUCH AN ANIMAL
Lolita: That’s right, Rita—let’s face it we’re all animals. Some are smarter than others. And some animals can actually get other bigger animals to wait on their every need. Who is the master and who is the servant? We asked for stories about animals and here’s what we got… KAREN DiBIASSE (Girl on Top): When I was young I had a gray dappled horse named Appy. Appy was a great horse but very smart and stubborn. He used to make me chase him around the field for an hour just to put a bridle on him and then he would hold his teeth so tight I couldn’t put the bit in his mouth without a fight. Don’t get me wrong, Appy was a blast and he would accompany me to many a field party where we would be on the look out for cops. One day I was taking Appy over a particularly high jump when he stopped dead in front of it. I, on the other hand, went over the jump and ended up strategically on the other side standing on my two feet, his reins in my hand looking right into his eyes. You’ve never seen a more horrified look on a horses face! *** DR. JOHN TAMILIO III (3D): An animal I know? That would be Grendel. I first met the eighth-century CE beast in the pages of the epic poem Beowulf as an undergraduate student at Salem State University (then College), thanks to Prof. Patricia Buchanan. Even though his arm was torn off and he scurried into the marsh to die, the late John Gardner resurrected the infamous creature several years later (1971) and gave us existential insight from the monster’s perspective. Gardner illustrates how point of view, when it comes to diverse narrative standpoints, can alter audience sympathies. Yes, “Poor Grendel had an accident…[and] So may [we] all.” *** DIANE ANDRONICA (CCTV): I’ve always wanted a pet; my mother, however, did not. Then fate smiled on me one day when a puppy wandered onto our street. I put him into our yard. My mother conspired to have the dog “removed”; I was told the dog ran away. A couple of days later waiting for school I see the principal chasing a dog around the yard. It was my dog! I took the dog home telling my mother “Look what I found”! Dad said, “Well we’ve got to keep him now.” Moochie became a beloved part of our family for many years. *** CHRISTOPHER BROWN (Vary Lumar): Vary Lumar cut our teeth in St. Catherine’s in Montreal as that’s the most obvious way to get as big as Arcade Fire. We were in a back alley dive bar taking turns playing the knife game with the chef of the establishment. He was a seedy gentleman named Vary Lumar. Impressed by our skill, Lumar introduced us to a marmoset he had crawling around his greasy, bare shoulders and grunted and nodded at us. We grunted and nodded back. We later thought he fed us the marmoset but it turns out it was actually just Dinty Moore beef stew. *** STEVEN FARRO (Round Cat Records): I recently lost a cat named Ricky to renal failure. This cat was truly a puppy cat—he would follow me around the house, tail high in the air, joining me on the couch or chair, always purring. He had a unique instinct to when I was not having a good day and he would be extra affectionate. Ricky was the type of cat you could do anything to and he would never scratch, bite or walk away. Ricky had the ability to make me smile when I most needed to, either by doing something silly or just being himself. He let me know when it was his time to go and so with tears in my eyes I did. *** RAY MASON (Ray Mason Band/ Lonesome Brothers): When I arrive home from gigs in the wee hours of the morning my two cats (Amos and Rita) are there waiting to greet me. I am an extremely lucky man! *** CHRISTINE BAZE (ASCAP): Harold, my Papillon, has separation anxiety. One day I tied him to a tall, skinny cigarette butt holder outside of CVS and walked quickly to the pharmacist. Then I heard “OH MY GOD!” and loud noises. Down isle seven, Harold was running full speed toward me with the top of the cigarette holder still tied to his leash—knocking shelves and products to the ground. It was hysterically horrifying. As he jumped into my arms, I apologized and offered to help pick up the trail of destruction. The pharmacist stared at Harold and I and said, “Just go.” *** AL JANIK (Rattle Heatre/ St. Stanislaus Day Polka Party): We had a goldfish named Grouchy that died a couple years ago. He was about the size of my foot and lived a long happy life. He use to greet me in the morning and follow me across the room in his tank, while I made coffee. He would spit rocks out at the side of the tank and kinda shout, “Hey! How about me? I’m waiting for my fish food here!” I never would have believed it if someone told me a stupid fish could become part of a family, but Grouchy sure did… and we still miss him.Rita: That’s pretty cool to have such an interactive fish. Maybe he wanted coffee? Al: No, it was pretty clear he wanted two things—(1) his fish food breakfast, and (2) attention!
MUSIC NEWS
Lolita: Rita can deal with the fishy stories while I report the music news of New England… While on tour, HEATHER MALONEY got to meet CHEECH(of Cheech & Chong) and KID ROCK, but was most star struck with JOHN LENNON’s Rolls-Royce. *** DOUG MacDONALD’s song “Million Miles” is in the film Halfway Somewhere Else by Avery Rimer. *** AD BOC (x-Jumprope) has put together a unique tribute band—AFTERFAB exclusively plays the music of all four solo Beatles. *** Tomorrow the World, a punk rock opera by JOHN SURETTE (Boys Live/ Boston Rock Opera) will be presented December 14 at The Middle East. It stars JOHN SURETTE, JOHNNY BLAZES, VALERIE FORGIONE, and BOY’S LIFE. It is narrated by WILLIEALEXANDER. The band includes TEE JAY HORN, BO BARRINGER, JOEL SIMCHES, MALI SASTRI, MARNIE HALL, and DAVID MINEHAN. ***DOUG “THE PROFESSOR” BELL (…& Friends/ Bellevew Cadilac) has been nominated for two Grammies. This makes him an 11-time Grammy nominee. *** ROY SLUDGE (The Spurs) has replaced DAVE FOLEY in The Fabulous Mustangs. *** ANDY MILK (Vital Might) has a new project going called PUT TOGETHER. *** The liner notes for the Let’s Go to the Rat CD became headline news when JOE VIGLIONE wanted a public apology fromJOHNNY ANGEL (for stealing his written words), who had no idea what he was guilty of. It got worse, but PETER RINNIG (the head of the project) literally patched it all up. *** While reading NEIL YOUNG’s new book Waging Heavy Peace we learned that ROBIN LANE sang on his albumEverybody Knows This is Nowhere. That record is part of Rolling Stones’ 500 greatest albums of all time. *** The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has extended its deadline until 11/4/13. Better hurry if you want to get something in. *** DON WHITE is working with SETH CONNELLY on guitar and vocals, BRIAN MAES on piano and vocals, CHRISTINA THOMPSON LIVELY on vocals, JACKIE DAMSKY on violin, and TIM MOYNIHAN on bass, filming two concerts that he will pitch to television. *** WILL DALEY is doing an extensive tour of France throughout November. *** BELLA LUNA restaurant (in Jamaica Plain, MA) celebrates their 20th anniversary with the music of LOVESEXY on November 20. *** It’s amazing what you can learn by going to the Topsfield Fair. We stopped by to see FRAN HART and he was doing a slide presentation on The Beatles’ Rubber Soul. In that presentation we learned that PAUL McCARTNEY’s current drummer, ABE LABORIEL, JR., is from Lexington MA. Fran plays in an excellent Beatles tribute band called 4EVERFAB. Catch them at Focaccia’s in Wilmington, MA on Friday, 11/29. Lolita: Funny how when you talk about music it frequently leads back to The Beatles.
GOOD NOISE BAD NOISE
Rita: And to bring it back home where beetles hang out in the bushes—The Noise has been kind to a lot of bands and businesses, but every review is not always full of praise. So I asked people, “How has The Noise helped you, or hurt you?” Here’s what we found… PETER RINNING (QRST’s): T Max has been awesome in helping promote QRST’s. We have been an advertiser (probably?) for over 10 years at this point. We love local music and bands and always try to give a fair price when bands need shirts or other apparel. Rita: We checked—yes, over 10 years—try 16 years! *** TRISH DECAPRIO (Wild Maple): The Noise honestly reviewed a performance our group had, at the Cat in the Cradle Coffeehouse in Byfield, MA, when we were newly formed. The review was motivating because the writer of the review recognized the individual musicianship and the potential for the group to grow tighter as we shed our newness with each other. It was particularly helpful to me because it motivated me to step up my live performance. Four years later… in the October 2013 issue ofThe Noise we recently received another honest review that is helping to promote our debut CD Sugar. Thank you. *** TIM MUNGENAST (Timworld: Formerly Tim Mungenast & His Preexisting Conditions): The Noise has helped me for nearly 30 years by keeping me connected with the Beantown scene. It has hurt me because I cannot bring myself to throw any copies away, so I have five bazillion issues dating back to forever. *** KIER BYRNES (Three Day Threshold): Without The Noise, I’d be in jail somewhere. *** RUBY BIRD (Bird Mancini): Name recognition is just about everything in this business, isn’t it? The Noise has done wonders for us in that regard and for countless others for decades. The Noise continues tirelessly, honestly, joyfully to promote and elevate a vibrant aspect of the music and art scene here that other publications choose to ignore. And what a gem! Rock School alone is worth seeking out the latest copy, never mind all the great articles, reviews, photos, etc. We owe a great debt to T Max and all The Noise writers, photographers, contributors and advertisers. Thank you! *** Lolita: So where were the stories about how The Noise hurt someone. Rita: I guess they are afraid of getting a bad review about their answer. Lolita: But our readers should know that we always want to print opposing views. If you have an opinion on something that’s different than ours, let us know… we’d like to publish it. Rita: So, until the next issue, we’ll be dreaming about you, dreaming about us. Lolita: I don’t get it. Rita: I’m being nice. Lolita: Let’s go find some guys!