Fear, Comfort and Dirty Smile(s)

It’s a scary world; A world full of people who are willing to castigate you for what you believe, or worse.  It doesn’t really matter what side of the political, religious or philosophical spectrum you’re on.  We in the United States live in a country started on the basis of freedom.  Puritans left Holland/England seeking freedom to believe in and worship God in the fashion they wished rather than in the manner prescribed by King James.  The founders of the United States wrote the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the U.S. Bill of Rights to specifically codify U.S. objections to rule by kings, tyrants and despots. 

Now we live in a nation where our leaders act counter to the interests of the people.  Special interests and corporations write our laws.  If you speak out against the way things are; against the government, you need to be concerned about who will start going through your email.  If you have religious beliefs, you need to be concerned about who might want to kill you.  It’s a scary world.

So reminiscence and memory become an escape, and music is one of the keenest reminders.  It’s one of the reasons that cover bands are so popular on Friday and Saturday nights.  It’s the comfort of music you know from a band that delivers it in relatively faithful versions.  The next step beyond that is a band that writes original music that is wholly from another era.  That brings us today’s band, Dirty Smile. 

Dirty Smile is a Buffalo, NY band comprised of Megan Brown, Erik Eimiller, Jesse Raderman, Mike Suda and Gus Walters.  The band is as tight as a wire and plays a delicious blend of pop, rock and soul.  Elements of Fleetwood Mac and the early, Led Zeppelin-like sound of Rush abound on the band’s debut EP, Love Songs for the Damned: Volume I.  Megan Brown is an absolute revelation on the mic, belting out vocals reminiscent of Grace Slick and occasionally even Geddy Lee.  Her voice is beautiful and electric with a rough edge and smooth side: the complete package.  The rest of the band matches her step for step with a dynamic sound with deep 1970s and 1980s roots. 

“Don’t Lie To Me” is the lead track, and could fit in on the regular play list of any AOR station in the country.  The song also has a freshness that makes it ear candy for today, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear this on pop radio or on a movie soundtrack somewhere.  The other big standout track here is “Mona Lisa”, which is really performed in two parts.  The backside of “The Vow” is an acapella take by Brown on the Nat King Cole classic, and becomes a transition into Dirty Smile’s original song of the same name.  Brown shines on both, showing a supple, classic vocal style on the former, while diving into a soulful pop/rock sound on the latter.  Other songs of note include “Siren” and “Insanely Ever After”.

Love Songs for the Damned: Volume I was mixed and mastered by Canadian Indie legend Ron Hawkins (Lowest of the Low, Do Good Assassins), and the finished product is edgy, but ultimately as smooth as a baby’s bottom.  It’s a terrific introduction for a rust belt band with dreams and aspirations, as well as a sound that should carry them far beyond their great lakes home.

Learn more at www.dirtysmileband.com.  

Check out the official video for the band's song "Siren" below!

Transitions, New Places and Garden Songs

Hello!

I haven’t seen you around here in a while.  In truth, there hasn’t been much going on of late.  Have a seat.  The table’s a bit dusty, but we’re cleaning up.

I started this blog seven years ago almost on a lark.  I was deeply involved in music from a young age, as a singer and performer; and as a fan.  This blog at first was a means to expand my exposure to music while giving back to the musicians who made it.  It became something of a mission and a joy; and then a burden.  At one time I was publishing up to three reviews in a day, and spending literally all of my free time doing so.  I built Wildy’s World up to the point where 500 visitors were passing through each day.  I was proud of that, but there was a price.  After a while it became something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.  Then it became something I resented but still loved to do.

The culmination of all of this came in the last year.  In October I lost my mom after a brief illness.  It was a difficult process that involved making the sort of decisions that no one ever wants to have to make.  It threw me for a loop, and the desire to write about, or even listen to new music, came to a shattering halt.  That wasn’t the only effect, of course, but it’s the one that’s most relevant to this space.

So for a time, music became a burden.  I continued to communicate with musicians and accept submissions, all with the best of intentions.  But when it came time to write, I just couldn’t do it.  It wasn’t fun; the words just wouldn’t come.

Today I turn the page, and as I do the view changes.  I will continue to write my thoughts about music, but the formulaic reviews are mostly a thing of the past.  This space will truly be Wildy’s World from now.  In it I will talk about the world; whatever’s on my mind, really.  That will include music, including great new music from Indie artists.  I will continue to take submissions and spread the word about things that interest me.  I don’t promise to be here every single day, but if you’re interested, this is a place you can come regularly and find something new. 

Today is the first day of my 45^th year.  I suspect it will be an adventure.  Please feel free to join me.

In celebrating transition and change, I’d like to tell you a bit about Ron Hawkins.  As regular readers here will know I think Hawkins is the proverbial bee’s knees.  He’s somewhere between the Canadian version of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.  His lyrical talent is prodigiously sublime; sometimes deep and occasionally profane but always entertaining.  Hawkins began his career as the co-lead of rockers Lowest of the Low.  It was a good start, as the band was inducted into the Canadian Indie Rock hall of fame.  The band has broken up or gone on hiatus several times, and Hawkins has always managed to remake himself, whether as a solo artist or with bands such as The Leisure Demons and The Rusty Nails, Hawkins has left an indelible mark on the Canadian Indie Music scene.

The most recent iteration of Hawkins’ muse comes in the form of The Do Good Assassins, a quintet consisting of Hawkins (vocals/guitar); Jesse Capon (drums); Alex McMaster (cello/keys/trumpet); Derrick Brady (bass); and Steve Singh (guitar).  Their latest effort is entitled Garden Songs, a collection of ten of Hawkins more thoughtful songs written over the years.  The album was recorded over the course of one week, and highlights Hawkins’ brilliance as a songwriter and lyricist.  It also shows off The Do Good Assassins’ ability to bring those songs to life.  Longtime fans of Hawkins will be familiar with tracks such as “Peace And Quiet”, “Small Victories”, “D.F.W.” , “Propellers” and “Rome”.  There are also some hidden gems here.  “Kingdom Of The Sun” is memorable, and “Saskia Begins”, an ode to a newborn child, is among Hawkins’ best songwriting. The recasting of “D.F.W.” and “Small Victories” particular stand out here, and listeners newly introduced to Hawkins will be stunned by what they hear.  Garden Songs is a must have album.  I’ll give it 5 stars, without reservation.

Learn more about Ron Hawkins at www.ronhawkins.com.  You can pick up the album from Ron’s online store at www.victimlesscapitalism.com.  Please be patient, because the initial demand for the album caused the first run to sell out.  They’ll have more soon! To hold you over, and pique your interest, check out this live performance of "Peace and Quiet", the lead single from Garden Songs.

Our discussion of The Do Good Assassins fit in with the reintroduction of the blog today. They also kick off a week (or so) of discussion of bands related to my adopted hometown of Buffalo, NY.  While The Do Good Assassins call Toronto home, the band (as well Hawkins over the years) have spent a lot of time haunting the clubs and stages of Buffalo over the years.  As a result they get honorary status.  In the coming days we'll also be talking about Buffalo native Jeneen Terrana, and current Buffalo bands Dirty Smile, Grace Stumberg and Bryan Johnson And Family.  After that we'll move on to new or recent releases by Rachael Sage, Seth Glier, Laura Joy and others.

Until next time.