RADIO HANNIBAL

Cleveland Local Label Love Muffin Records Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary

Cleveland independent record label Love Muffin Records celebrates its 5th anniversary with a concert at The Symposium in Lakewood this Saturday night, October 1.  The show features artists from their roster including Skychief and The Darker Show. 

In high school Adam Rich, owner of the label, had the nickname Love Muffin.  When he began to promote his own recordings while attending Bolwing Green he decided to create a record label.  The name seemed a good fit. 

The first show he promoted was in 2007 at the Hi-Fi Club right across the street from the Symposium in Lakewood. Since then the label has released numerous CDs by area bands as well as concert showcases throughout the city.

 

R.E.M. Really Enjoying The Memories

R.E.M. It stands for "rapid eye movement", that dream stage of sleep where your eyeballs dart rapidly in their sockets.  Today I'll let it stand for "really enjoying the memories". R.E.M. are one of my favorite bands of all time.  And since their announced break up last week I've been thinking fondly of my personal experience with the group while playing much of their catalog. 

I'd heard a couple of things off Chronic Town, their first EP, along with the single "Radio Free Europe" on college radio here in Cleveland.  I'd graduated from college a couple of years prior and spent most of my collegiate time helping run the campus radio station.  Little did I know that what I'd heard in those first songs would come to galvanize college radio as a force in the industry to be reckoned with. 

The truth is R.E.M. didn't really click for me with those early listens.  It wasn't until Sunday April 9, 1983 when I attended an English Beat show at Oberlin College's Finney Chapel.  A church is always a great venue for a show. The girl from the concert committee stated, "if you want to dance on the pews, take off your shoes".  I knew it was going to be a good night.  R.E.M. were the warm up act and they changed my life. 

It wasn't that the set was powerful.  In fact it was startlingly sedate.  I found out later the band's ability to change their performing style to suit the venue and atmosphere.  Tonight they were in church and approached the songs with a quiet reverence.  Michael Stipe clung to the mic stand, head lowered, face invisible under his long locks.  It was mesmerising.  His vocals were a murmur, honestly, and forced me to focus on the songs. 

Later in the evening my friend and I did dance and slide along the pews in our socks to The Beat.  More importantly, though, I'd found a new sound and a new band.

Three days later they would release the debut full length album, Murmur.  I bought it immediately and played it incessantly.  I was hooked. 

The internet didn't exist back then so it was much harder to try and keep tabs on your favorite band, especially when they weren't popular.  It required buying fanzines and other underground publications along with keeping in touch with record store guys and college DJs.  We were forming a local fan club. 

During those early years I would follow the band regionally.  I'd attend the Cleveland show then catch shows in neigboring cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus and Detroit.  I wasn't alone.  We even had a name.  We were Remsters. 

As I'd eluded to earlier, R.E.M. changed up their show every night.  And I'm not merely talking about the set list.  I recall them playing "So. Central Rain" in Cleveland.  It was played at the same tempo as the record.  The next night, in a stiflingly hot venue in Pittsburgh, Buck went into that opening riff of the song, same tempo.  Stipe looked over at Buck and motioned downward with his hand to slow down.  The next bar was at about half tempo and the song became a dirge.  The band knew the audience needed a break as sweat poured off our bodies.  This time we swayed slowly to the song. 

I had some run ins with the band members in those early days too.  Outside of the Variety Theater in Cleveland a group of us stood, hours before the general admission show on their Reckoning tour, passing around a couple of bottles of wine in paper sacks.  We were first in line.  In fact, we were the only ones there at this point.  Along comes a long haired Michael Stipe, walking down the sidewalk toward us.

I'm not one to make a fuss over meeting celebrities, even if I'm enamored with them.  We all merely nodded in acknowledgement.  Michael nodded back and smiled.  He sat on the sidewalk, back against the building and began reading a paperback he had.  Soon a car pulled up, honked, and Stipe jumped to his feet and off they drove.  Ok, so it was nothing.  To me it was thrilling. By the end of that show, standing front and center, gyrating madly I was literally drenched in sweat.  God it felt good. 

Another time I was back in Pittsburgh to see R.E.M. and was told by a friend to go to some bar after the show as her friends' band was to play.  In fact, she was going to dance in a go-go cage as part of the band's show.  It turned out that Peter Buck and Mike Mills along with most of the memembers of their warm up band The Three O'Clock were at the after show party as well. 

I had a beer with Buck who chastised me for my bootleg R.E.M. t-shirt but apologized when I told him I'd seen them the night before in Cleveland.  Gushing, I went on to tell him that someday R.E.M. was going to be huge.  I knew it.  It happened.  I wonder if he remembers my prophetic statement?  Ha. Later he and Mills played with the Pittsburgh band doing a wind-out version of LaBamba. 

Or there was the time we were checking into a downtown Columbus hotel.  My friend asks the desk clerk, "has Mr. Buck and Mr. Stipe checked in yet?".  "Yes they have" she replies, "would you like a room on the same floor"?  "That'd be great", he says.  There were no crazy late night shenanigans, well, at least not with the band members, though we did see them in the hall a couple times and said hi and looking forward to the show...that sort of thing. 

I enjoyed R.E.M.'s rise in popularity.  I'd predicted it and was truly glad for them.  And my fanaticism didn't wane.  The release day of any R.E.M. album meant a party at my place. 

I did miss the intimacy though.  Seeing a band you'd followed from clubs to arenas was sometimes difficult but I wouldn't miss an R.E.M. tour.  Never have, never will. 

I did personally connect one last time with the band, specifically Mike Mills.  They were playing Blossom Music Center.  I was quite close to the stage and in front of Mills. I was wearing Ray-Ban shades.  At one point Mills looks at me and exaggeratedly mouths, "nice shades".  A little later on in the show, as I'm singing along to every word to every song as if lip syncing, Mills looks at me again and mouths, "you're good". 

Thanks Mike.  And thanks Peter, Michael and Bill.  It was a blast.

 

 

Listening To CDs After Too Many MP3s And Streaming Makes Them Come Alive

For awhile there I'd look at my library of CDs and wonder why I ever bought them.  This was especially true when Spotify just about mirrored my personal collection times 1,000.  So I made a concerted effort to fit CDs back into my daily listening.  An interesting thing happened.  My appreciation for quality sound grew even more as did the passion for the music on those discs. 

As someone who designs high end audio systems and as a reader of my blog(s) you know I'm an advocate of good sound.  The convenience and quantity of the new music model, MP3s and streaming services, is thrilling and turning more people onto music.  That's a very good thing.  The bad news is that even fewer people are concerned with the quality of what they hear.  Hey, I was nearly becoming one of them.

That is until I began toting around a handful of CDs in my car.  Something I hadn't done in a few years.  Or making the effort to rise from my desk and physically choose the next album from my library rather than conveniently clicking my mouse. 

That extra effort pays rewards to the listener who appreciates good sounding music.  I'd forgotten how powerful a song can be when played in MP1 (CD) rather than a 160 bit stream. 

It is the best of both worlds.  I'm now afforded convenience, a massive library and, if I so choose, a real listening experience via my neglected CD collection. 

2012 Rock Hall Nominations Are A Mix Of Worthy And Not

The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum inductions hold extra significance for us in Cleveland since the ceremony will be held here for only the third time.  As part of an agreement a couple of years ago the ceremony will be held in Cleveland every three years.  So the acts who get the nod this year will be the ones drinking our booze and enjoying all that is Cleveland. 

The field of nominations is 15 deep with 9 of them first timers on the ballot.  Two of the artists, Guns N' Roses and Eric B. and Rakim, made it on their first year of eligibility, which is 25 years after their debut recording. 

Guns N'Roses definitely deserves induction.  Like the Velvet Underground, GN'R spawned countless bands.  If you were coming of age when they broke chances are the thought of starting a band occured to you.  Many did just that.  And unlike VU, GN'R sold alot of records.  Not that I hold much weight in popularity when it comes to who should get in. 

Eric B. And Rakim, an integral part of the New York rap scene in the '80s, may make it someday but this isn't their year.  If there's going to be a token rap act inducted let it be the Beastie Boys who should've gotten the nod last year. 

The Cure, a first time nominee, had a solid run of albums and quite a big following in the U.S. for a band that was so...well...British.  As someone who was much more entrenched in the new wave movement than the hair metal scene I'd vote for Robert Smith and the boys in a heartbeat. 

Out of all the other first time nominations which include Heart, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Freddie King, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, The Small Faces/The Faces and The Spinners, I'd only vote for two of them.  The Small Faces who changed their name to the Faces when lead singer Steve Marriott was replaced by Rod Stewart are the epitome of rock and roll.  The drunken swagger of the Faces, which included Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones, could only have been pulled off by great players.  And that they were.  And I'd vote them in just for the Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park", an all time favorite song of mine. 

The Spinners or, as they were known in the U.K. The Detroit Spinners, had a string of songs that have stood the test of time.  In a city who's soul was owned by the Motown acts The Spinners made music that was often better than anything Barry Gordy could create.

The rest of those first timers were hit and miss artists who really don't have a legacy worthy of induction.   Some great music came out the bunch of them but isn't that the case with most all nominations. 

I've already named five acts and usually that's the size of the Rock Hall class, but I'd like to champion a couple of others.  Laura Nyro, who died much too early, was such an awesome songwriter penning songs like "Stoney End", "Wedding Bell Blues", "And When I Die", to name a few. 

Donovan may have the distinction of being the first artist tagged as the "next Dylan" and he certainly was embarrassed by Bob's cynical demeanor when they met in the documentary, Don't Look Back, but his body of work is impressive.  From precious to poignant his songs and voice, which became more distinct, set them apart from most anything else on the charts. 

As for the rest, I could make a case for Donna Summer who, along with producer Giorgio Moroder, pioneered the disco scene.  And War, though not ground breaking, sure made some fun loving music that brought a well needed Latino element to rock and roll. 

The one act that I'm afraid might make it but hardly deserves it is The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Flea is a great bass player but that's offset by Anthony Kiedis's lousy lyrics but mush-mouthed vocals.  Their only redeeming quality was having talented guitarist John Frusciante in the line up for awhile.  Hardly worthy of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum.  

Spotify Mix: Radio Hannibal Best Of 2004

It was the year 2004 and here's some songs that stood out for me.

Radio Hannibal Best Of 2004

Cleveland City Council To Vote On Ordinance That Could Kill Live Music In The Rock Capital

In early August I wrote about the back taxes for live performances that Cleveland was trying to collect from venues such as The Beachland, Cleveland's Attempt To Kill Live Rock Music.  That move has prompted Ordinance 347-11 to be introduced in City Council.  It's a bill that could all but destroy live music in the city who markets itself as the rock and roll capital of the world. Here's the story from local musician Bessie "Songbird" Young, Cleveland's proposed City Ordinance 347-11 threatens livelihoods of thousands.

The showdown between local musicians and live clubs versus Cleveland City Council has happened in other cities such as Chicago and Nashville.  In fact Seattle is presently confronted with a similar situation, Club owner: Dance tax could close every live music venue in Seattle. I think it would be wise for local clubs to get in touch with their counterparts in Seattle so they can discuss strategies. 

As far as what you as a fan of local music and a vibrant entertainment scene can do Bessie Young urges anyone who finds fault with the ordinance to contact their local councilman.  If you don't live in the city don't think you don't count.  Your money is pumped into the Cleveland economy.  I'd suggest contacting councilmen in areas that have live clubs such as Waterloo, downtown, Kamms, Ohio City, Tremont and Gordon Square. 

Here's a map of the wards.

Here's a list of Cleveland City Council by ward along with contact information.

COUNCIL DIRECTORY

Ward 1 Terrell H. Pruitt Council Phone: (216) 664-4944 tpruitt@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 11 Michael D. Polensek Council Phone: (216) 664-4236 Home: (216) 531-7648 council11@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 2 Zachary Reed Council Phone: (216) 664-4945 Home: (216) 921-5117 council2@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 12 Anthony Brancatelli Council Phone: (216) 664-4233 council12@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 3 Joe Cimperman                                Council Phone: (216) 664-2691 council3@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 13 Kevin J. Kelley - Majority Whip Council Phone: (216) 664-2943 Ward Office: (216) 351-7077 council13@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 4 Kenneth L. Johnson Council Phone: (216) 664-4941 Ward Office: (216) 421-8639 Home: (216) 421-8639 council4@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 14 Brian J. Cummins Council/Ward Office Phone: (216) 664-4238 Home: (216) 661-6821 council14@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 5 Phyllis Cleveland - Majority Leader Council Phone: (216) 664-2309 council5@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 15 Matt Zone Council Phone: (216) 664-4235 Ward Office: (216) 939-1717 Home: (216) 961-1235 council15@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 6 Mamie J. Mitchell Council Phone: (216) 664-4234 Ward Office: (216) 791-8683 council6@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 16 Jay Westbrook Council Phone: (216) 664-4230 Ward Office: (216) 664-4230 Home: (216) 281-1811  council16@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 7 TJ Dow Council Phone: (216) 664-2908  council7@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 17 Dona Brady Council Phone: (216) 664-3708 Ward Office: (216) 961-4999 Home: (216) 961-4999 council17@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 8 Jeffrey Johnson                                         Council Phone: (216) 664-4231 council8@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 18 Martin J. Sweeney - Council President Council Phone: (216) 664-2942 Home: (216) 252-0986 council18@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 9 Kevin Conwell Council Office: (216) 664-4252 Ward Office: (216) 791-6642 council9@clevelandcitycouncil.org	Ward 19 Martin J. Keane Council Phone: (216) 664-4239 council19@clevelandcitycouncil.org
Ward 10 Eugene R. Miller Council Phone: (216) 664-4743 council10@clevelandcitycouncil.org

Plain Dealer Gives Us 25 Cleveland Bands To Check Out

The Plain Dealer Friday Magazine today has a great cover story on 25 local music acts to check out.  It's a nice cross section of various genres. 

There are plenty of artists named whom I'm unaware of and excited to check out.  In fact, the article tells you where you can see the act next.  It's a great way to fill your entertainment calendar. 

You'll also note that some of these bands are playing tonight in Kent along with many others at the annual Kent State Folkfest Folk Alley Around Town.  It's been moved from November to September for better club hopping. 

As I read the story I kept thinking of artists who weren't mentioned.  Obviously you can't list everyone, and it just goes to show how great the local music scene is here in Cleveland. 

The online version of the story, written by John Soeder, is even better.  It gives you links to the artist site as well as sample tracks.

Cleveland rocks and pops and raps: 25 Bands to Watch

 

R.I.P. R.E.M.

I'm not totally surprised and I'm not particularly saddened at the news that one of my all time favorite bands, R.E.M. have called it quits.  Here's the quote from their website.

"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." R.E.M.

There's all sorts of speculation as to why they're breaking up.  Some say this should have happened when original drummer Bill Berry left shortly after his brain aneurysm.  Berry, though, urged them to continue. 

Here's what one fan posed. If I had to venture a guess, I would imagine it went like this:
Warners contract is expiring. Their management went out sniffing for what they could get with a new contract. The responses, on the basis of repeatedly poor sales of a long string of albums: Very little for anything except a 360 deal (records + touring + merch), and not exactly a barn burning amount for a 360. The Warners deals probably stands as one of the worst big contract deals in history: Signed just as the band's commercial fortunes were collapsing, and just as one of their key members was leaving. Any deal they'd get in today's market, given their limited commercial prospects AND the general collapse of the record industry, would be something of an embarrassment.

So rather than risk that, time to call it a day and fade into the sunset.

Really?  Was it all about the money or did they realize their creative hearts weren't in it anymore.  Their latest album, Collapse Into Now , is really good but does sound like they just picked different aspects of their heyday and wrote in those styles.  A kind of best of R.E.M. but with new songs.  And after all, the band has lived in different geographic parts of the country for some time.  Peter Buck lives and works in the northwest with many side projects.  Michael Stipe is more into the film industry these days and associates with that group of people. 

What I'd love to hear is a Mike Mills solo album.  His, often unsung, contributions to R.E.M. were critical. 

Someday we'll probably learn why they disbanded.  In the meantime the net will run wild with cynicism and sadness over the news.  One fan, in response to snide remarks, said it best though.

"No matter how they handle their break-up, I would say after all these years and the many songs most of us will enjoy until we leave this life- they certainly earned the right to end it any way they fucking wanted to...jesus." 

Music Pick Of The Day: The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time

It's been 16 years since Mark Olson left The Jayhawks to care for his wife Victoria Williams (also a musician) who suffers from multiple sclerosis.  The band had just released the classic Tomorrow The Green Grass, a touchstone in the alt-country scene. Co-founder of the Minneapolis band, Gary Louris, continued on releasing three more Jayhawks albums, with nary a dud. 

Now Olson and Louris are reunited with the release of The Jayhawks eighth album, Mockingbird Time.  It's wonderful to hear those harmonies once more.  The melding of their voices was always a thing of beauty, exemplified on the song "Blue" from that last collaboration in 1995. The new album isn't breaking any new ground and that's just fine.  Each song sounds like a long lost friend returning and lighting up your life. 

The Jayhawks are on tour now with no Cleveland date.  They are playing Pittsburgh on Sunday October 16 but there's two intriguing venues in southern Ohio.  On Sunday October 9 they'll be playing Mountain Stage, the public radio program, as the radio show travels to Ohio University.  Two days later on Tuesday October 11 they play Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio.  Let me tell you, those are perfect settings for The Jayhawks.

Artist:  The Jayhawks

Album:  Mockingbird Time

Review:  Boston Globe

Spotify link to full album

 

Streaming Has My Music Collecting Obsession Under Control For First Time

To an outsider, a music collector seems irrational.  We collect much more music than we will ever be able to listen to.  A look at my library...the walls and stacks of CDs and vinyl records or a glance at my hard drives will confirm, even to my twisted music mind, that there is no way I'll ever listen to all this music. 

With the proliferation of streaming music services, and in my case Spotify specifically, my obsessive collecting has abated.  Yes, I still want to hear new music at an insatiable rate but now I can listen without the uncomfortable urge to "collect" it.  I don't need to scour shops for any and all CDs I may like but instead can merely buy the ones I truly enjoy.  The same goes for online shopping as well. 

Yesterday I was talking with a good friend who's also got the music obsession.  We were talking about Spotify and I explained my freeing mind-set.  His experience has been quite the opposite.  Now he's obsessed with filling those holes in his library.  "There's so much great music from the late 60s and early 70s that I don't own", he stated.  Spotify has helped make him aware of that.  And now he's on a mission to grow that library even more so than in the past. 

I guess what it comes down to is how you perceive the future.  He's worrisome that streaming music could go away or that they'll jack up the pricing once they've hooked us.  Whereas I'm confident that streaming music will flourish and don't feel the need for ownership of everything. 

It's an interesting conversation.  I'd love to hear your perspective.