The bottom line is Wolfmother is another example of the kick ass tunes that have been coming out of Australia these days (Check out The Grates this sunday at Magic Stick and our video of Violent Soho on the sidebar and you probably missed Bang Bang Eche last night)
FAST FRIENDS:
MCB's Good Girls Being Bad 
We will have our own DJ all day
New MP3: Time Bandit
New MP3: We Choose Our Own Adventures
Social Studies founding members Natalia Rogovin and Michael Jirkovsky lead a rotating cast of characters with a sound that tempers the Fiery Furnaces with the love of pure pop songwriting, or arms the Decemberists with Casiotones instead of organs. Somehow, they drop pop gems that are somehow both raw and gentle at the same time.
With a new full length slated for release in 2010, "The Hourglass" single features the San Francisco band's first new tracks since 2006 - the upbeat "Time Bandit" and the yearning "We Choose Our Own Adventures." Already sharing the stage with the likes of Dungen, The Pipettes, The Long Blondes, and The Handsome Furs, Social Studies hits the East Coast for their first time ever this November, setting the stage for their 2010 full length, 'Wind-Up Wooden Heart.'
SOCIAL STUDIES NOVEMBER TOUR
Thurs. 11/05 - Chicago, IL
@ The Subterranean w/ Brother George
Fri. 11/06 - Detroit, MI
@ PJ's Lager House
w/ The JulietsKittens Ablaze (NY), Timothy Monger (MI)
Sat. 11/07 - Columbus, OH
@ Bernie's at the Distillery w/ Kittens Ablaze (NY), Monolithic Cloud Parade (OH), Black Canary (OH), Old Worlds (OH)
Sun. 11/08 - Cleveland, OH
@ The Get Up! at The B-Side w/ DJ Misterbradleyp (OH)
Tue. 11/10 - Danbury, CT
@ Sub Rosa Party at Cousin Larry's w/ Kindergarten (NY)
Thurs 11/12 - Brooklyn, NY
@ Pete's Candy Store w/ Mia Riddle (NY)
Fri. 11/13 - Brooklyn, NY
@ Dead Herring House w/ TBA
Sat. 11/14 - Philadelphia, PA
@ Danger Danger Gallery w/ The National Rifle, Filmstar, Wizardry
Sun. 11/15 - Rock Island, IL
Daytrotter Live Session
ARTIST STATEMENT
"I am an artist that values, above all, the ability of art to move me emotionally and psychically. I make art that makes me question, that derives its power from being vulnerable to interpretation, that is intuitive, that is beautiful." Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1953, April Gornik received her BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. A recent mid-career survey organized by the Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY/Purchase, NY, was presented at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS and the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, NE. Her work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. Gornik has received a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from Guild Hall Academy of the Arts, and the Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS from amFAR. April Gornik lives and works in New York.
Center GalleriesCollege for Creative Studies
Manoogian Visual Resource Center
301 Frederick Douglass (Corner of Brush Street)
Detroit, MI 48202
Plant a Tree for the Greening of Detroit's 20th Anniversary!
The Cult then
MCB's Tall Kiwi Chick will be down at the Majestic tonight to meet up and hang with her mates from New Zealand - Bang Bang Eche and chill out with Har Mar Superstar for her all night ling interview. Check for pics by MCB 's RebeccaMich tomorrow
Wild At Heart
Wouldn't it be cool if roller derby was actually a college credit class?
Just a random thought before I get into something really bothering me.
Good day everyone! I just put in my first 40 hour work week in about 2 years and it felt really good. Actually, it was 47 due to a second job but that is just being picky. Just got home from a big day of museums, dance and rock N roll. Saw Papa Roach and Jet at the Fillmore which was a good time. I thought Papa was OK but I really liked Jet. For those that tuned in know I had their lead singer, Nic Cester, on my show Saturday morning. Their band had a lot of early rock influences (The Who, AC/DC) though it was the Australian band You Am I who was their biggest influence. Their new album is entitled "Shaka Rock" and while being their third album, Nic states that it feels more like a second album. Their second album was a departure for them esp since it came after the death of his father and dealt with a lot of that emotional baggage. Nic was happy to put that emotion aside and get back to making a good rocking record this time around which should appeal to their fans.
I also saw Noah & the Whale this past week and if anyone needs someone to play a young Lou Reed in a film, they need to look at front man Charlie Fink who looks and sings just like him.
I recently sat through the new Michael Jackson movie "This Is It" which is an interesting document of the King of Pop which takes footage of the rehearsals of the cancelled concert series, looking at both on-stage and behind the scenes developments. While the footage was never originally intended for release, I assume despite AEG's denials, that they wanted to try and recapture some of the money they had spent in putting this tour together. Some family members and fans wanted to see this proposed film aborted but they went ahead and edited the footage together to an interesting finale. The footage was filmed at The Forum and the Staples Center in Los Angeles and really looks incredible at times. While the sound is a bit off at times, it doesn't hurt the stronger songs and it is amazing to see some of the FX work that was being done on this show from the hundreds of green screen soldier dancers for "Bad" which are also used for "They Don't Really Care About Us" to the video vignette for "Smooth Criminal" as Michael enters a 50's film noir clip to some new Thriller video footage of ghosts and zombies. There is also a giant robotic spider, some aerialist stunts and my babe guitarist Orianthi Panagaris taking center stage getting a cool guitar solo. The one thing I find lacking is some exposition added to have someone introducing the scenes concerning what Michael's vision for the performances was but that is minor and if the lady behind me yelling "you still got it Michael" is any indication, this should be a nice tribute to what would have been a great show. I only wish we can see this show now but I don't think asking Tito or Marlon to take over would work:) Whatever, the motivation behind releasing this film, I feel they did a good job respecting Michael and his work. I still thinks he looks a bit creepy but he still has the moves and his voice can still belt out favorites like "Man in the Mirror" and "Beat It". A must see for Michael fan and most music fans should check it out also for it's behind the scenes look. I give the film a B+.
Speaking of sexy guitarists, I had the lovely Katya performing on my show last Saturday. She is a sexy rock chick who seems to be a cross between Joan Jett and Lita Ford. She recently broke a song onto a number of radio stations and is expecting an album out soon, entitled "ROCK LIVES!" which will be released in June of 2010 and consists of nationally known guest stars David Campbell, Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction), Gonzo Sandoval (Armored Saint), Jerry Peterson (Eric Clapton), Adam Cohen (Ray Charles) Paulo Gustavo (Graham Bonnet), John Philip Shenale (Tori Amos) and Eliza James (Burt Bacharach). Despite playing a stripped down set in the studio, including her first single “The Power of Rock and Roll”, she shows that she can rock loud and hard. She is hoping to do an official tour of the area soon bt if you want to check out her music now you can go to www.katyamusic.com. She also has a a full line of psychadelic dog wear you can purchase online to give people another reason to check out the site and feel free to email her at katya@katyamusic.com if you would like your pet featured on Katya's website. Check her out!
There is also a bit a news for the holiday with the passing of Victor Mizzy, the American composer for television and movies who was best-known works for his TV themes for the 1960s sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. Snap your fingers twice please! Also Al Martino was taken from us this month. He was an American singer (his single "Here in My Heart" was number one in the first UK Singles Chart) and actor (best known for the role of singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather). Also, wrestling manager Lou Albano who is known as much for his numerous champions as his odd outfits. His collaboration with Cyndi Lauper helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience.
I spent a little bit of time at the Charles Wright Museum yesterday before heading down to the Opera House for Philobolus which was incredible. Check out their appearances at the Academy Awards or Conan O'Brien on youtube if you have a moment. Anyway, their are 2 new exhibits at the Charles Wright starting with a look at "Joe Louis: Hometown Hero" starting with his birth as the son of an Alabama cotton picker and through his storied career as a boxer. A nice tribute to a great man. The main reason I went down was to see the "Legends of the Music - The Photography of Leni Sinclair" which while not as large as I would have liked, it has a number of great photographs featuring a number of musical pioneers including Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Buddy Guy, Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix. Let's face it, her work is iconic and her photos have been a chronicle of those musicians of Detroit and the stronger underground scene and political movements, esp in Detroit. If you are a music fan, make sure to make a little bit of time to check out this exhibit which will be there until May.
This weeks concert calendar includes a good line up starting with Tuesday (11/03) as Uncle Kracker opens up for Train @ Royal Oak Music Theatre or you can road trip to Toledo for the Celtic Woman @ the Stranahan Theatre. Wednesday (11/04) has Jill Sobule (the original "I Kissed A Girl") w/Erin McKeown. Thursday (11/05) has blues singer/guitarist Ana Popovic @ Callahans. Friday (11/06) is the big day with the lovely Jessica Lea Mayfield opening for Dan Auerbach (of the Black Keys) @ the Magic Stick, local bands Thunderbirds Are Now & Zoos of Berlin opening for Black Heart Procession @ The Crofoot, Bob Dylan @ the Fox Theatre, 80's favorites The Cult @ the Fillmore, Chicago folk singer Joe Pug @ the Ark and the Ska Is Dead Tour featuring the Toasters & Mustard Plug @ the Magic Stick. Saturday (11/07) is another big day with Bassnectar @ St Andrews Hall, the Bouncing Souls w/Bayside @ the Majestic, Manna & Quail @ Crofoot and OK Go @ the Blind Pig. Sunday (11/08) has bluesman Tab Benoit @ Callahan's. And make sure to be responsible when you are at the venues despite the fact that I actually do like watching people get carried out of concerts before the headliner and seeing their boy/girlfriend yelling at them for being so stupid. Ah happy days!
To recap from last week's rally to save the Michigan ’s Film Incentives, Mike Manasseri of Bigscreenmichigan.com urged participants to send their good news stories of people and businesses that have come to Michigan because of the Film Incentives to info@bigscreenmichigan.com. For information on how you can continue to help save Michigan filming and to watch video from the rally, visit: www.BigScreenMichigan.com.
That seems to be everything for this week so stay warm and take care!
We Are Wolves || Holding Hands music video from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.
The Nolan Factor
by The Real Jeff Nolan
In an effort to bring more attention to the often ignored art scene here in Detroit my future columns will have more of a focus on all of the fabulous art happening here and now (the major publications here have at most one writer, in some cases having to all cover art, music, and cultural events singlehandedly).
I always have my ear to the ground and seem to hear about most things going on down there (underground so to speak) and for my first foray into writing more about art I will tell you two places in metro Detroit where you can go out today or tomorrow and see portraits of yours truly hanging about. First, go to Royal Oak's Five 15 on Washington and buy a delicious, fresh-brewed coffee to sip while enjoying Heather Hansma's solo show Bunderland. If you examine the walls and shelves carefully you will see a small painting of yours truly in bunny form, complete with sunglasses at night and my name in huge letters as a backdrop. Finish your coffee, get back in your car (or on your bicycle) and head to the Robert Kidd Gallery in Birmingham. Here you will see the newly opened Bods show, a collection of figure based works featuring the likes of Vincent Desiderio, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Ed Brown. As you wander about, you will notice a large scale Robert Schefman painting with myself as a contemporary representation of Michelangelo's trustworthy assistant.
Ok, so evidently Pitchfork beat me to the "scoop" as so far as breaking the news to the unsuspecting public, but not only was I actually there to see and enjoy it, at the MCB we have more integrity than the peons over at Pitchfork (corporate sponsors = manipulation and lies). To sum it up, Jemina Pearl is sort of a cunt. I saw her previous band of high school aged miscreants, Be Your Own Pet, a few years ago at the Stick where they played to a crowd of emo girls barely old enough to drive. I was there to see the Whirlwind Heat, the opener, who were
mostly ignored by the children in attendance
.
Fast forward about three years and I found myself in front of the stage of Jemina Pearl's current Turbo Fruit/Be Your Own Pet mashup. Overall the sound could be described as fly-over country in the land of punk rock. Iggy Pop and Thurston Moore appear on her album; I don't care. You may have read this somewhere already but its been a little bit since I have posted to MCB
Normally I would not fill my space on the interwebs with dribble about a sparsely attended show on a weeknight, except that during the final song of her *yawn* set Jemina Pearl violently attacked a rather vocal attendee. Throughout the show he had been calling out tracks by her previous bands, much to her dismay. The result was her throwing down the mic mid chorus and pushing him over a table, causing empty glasses to fly and shatter, resulting in a bloody laceration to his neck. This was not enough to satisfy her vengeance, next she dragged him by the hair to the front of the stage where she hit him repeatedly in the face with the microphone, with an amplified pop ringing out on impact.
Unfortunately, as entertaining as the melee was, it simply underlined just how unremarkable the rest of the show was. I almost missed the little bit of action because I had been idly texting friends and making eyes at the sexy bartender.
Perhaps I have become jaded or arrogant after going to several shows a week my whole life, but the White Rabbits show at the Stick last week was also a bit of a snoozefest. I do not mean to say that they didn't perform well or that they are untalented songsmiths, there were moments that really kicked, but after the set I felt that I would have been upset had I not been on the list. (Thank you so much to the uber-friendly staff!)
Local rocker Sean Shea (Macrame Tiger, Polar Opposites, and occasional Marco Polio stand-in) attended the show with me and after the set we ventured backstage for a little meet and greet. The brief and awkward conversation was about as dull as their matching flannels, an odd fashion choice for 2009 to say the least. The White Rabbits seemed more interested in gossip about their horses (WTF?) and their hometown of St. Louis than anything about anything. Nice guys I guess but they were not too interested in having me write anything of interest about them, so congratulations, this is what you get.
On a side note, the folks at the Magic Stick/Majestic seem to be doing a better job than ever with what they are doing, and it is easily the best place to see a live show ever since Scrummage University fell of the face of the Earth.\\
1st emailer @ the address listed to the left gets the WR new vinyl
the band mailed us a handful so good luck
if you are reading this monday some guy in france already won....
he is sending a prepaid envelope - MCB doesnt mail shit to other countries
