Meghan Clark on The Wicked Good Music Hour

Meghan

Meghan Clark is a thirteen year old songstress from Calais, Maine, a small community in Washington County that borders Canada.  Meghan is the kind of homegrown talent that we love showcasing on The Wicked Good Music Hour.  Accompanied by her mom, Dorie, dad, Matt, and bestie, Priscilla, for her appearance; she also has a supportive fan base in her extended family and hometown.  I happen to know Meghan's mom from high school, but Meghan's spot on The Wicked Good Music Hour was earned purely by her own extraordinary ability. Listening to her sing, you would never guess that she's so young.
Meghan began singing at the tender age of 7 and taught herself to play acoustic guitar.   She has written and arranged a number of original songs and has an impressive array of song covers in her back pocket.  I was busy in the music stacks before the show and had to stop and listen when I heard her singing an arresting rendition of  "Royals" by Lorde in the break room.  On The Wicked Good Music Hour, Meghan sang her own songs and tracks as varied as "Pumped Up Kicks" by indie rock darlings Foster the People to an a capella version of "(Paris) Ooh, La La" by American rockers Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.
Meghan has done a number of local appearances including a benefit concert for the Eastport Art's Center and as a guest at Bordertown Coffee House in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.  She recently pulled off singing The National Anthem at the State House in Augusta, which is a song that has been known to trip up seasoned professionals.  In 2013 Meghan competed in and won the teen division of the Machias Savings Bank's Downeast Idol contest.  On the immediate horizon is an exciting trip to Nashville, Tennessee to work with producer and songwriter Beau Fuller to collaborate on writing songs and recording a demo.  Beau launched Next Big Thing Entertainment in 2011 to help talented artists like Meghan to reach their dream.
Meghan cites age appropriate influences such as former Disney gone teen dance-pop artist, Demi Lovato and country to pop crossover star, Taylor Swift.  She enjoys listening to artists like Ed Sheeran and the bands One Direction and The Maine.  Meghan has the vocal chops and songwriting skills to tackle the country or rock/pop markets if she chooses.  The future is wide open.  Listeners to The Wicked Good Music Hour were impressed with how genuinely gracious Meghan is, and I was really happy for Meghan that one listener took the time to call as soon as the show ended to congratulate her on a job well done.
If you're interested in learning more about Meghan Clark and her music, you can contact her via her Facebook page or via her father at mattclark@consultant.com.  Check out the podcast of her March 15th performance on The Wicked Good Music Hour.

Meghan Sings

Dorie, Matt & Priscilla

Knix Picks: The Top 20 Albums I Never Get Tired Of

If you're anything like me, you have hundreds of tracks on your iPod to listen to while you work out or otherwise go about your daily business.  In my case, I have a waterproof, ugly bright orange mp3 player, so when I go hiking or snowshoeing and inevitably drop it, it is that much easier to spot.  By the way, if you come across a small blue mp3 player on Great Pond Mountain after the spring thaw, it's mine.  But that one wasn't waterproof, so you can keep it!

Anyway, I digress.  My point is that I recently emptied my mp3 of every single track that was on it.  All 700 or so of them. Because, despite so many choices, I got bored, bored, bored. Granted, I go hiking or snowshoeing for a couple of hours every day and that makes for a lot of listening.  So it was when I was picking tracks to put back on my mp3 that I came up with a brilliant Top 20 list for my blog!
There are a ton of singles that I never tire of.  For instance, Nitzer Ebb's "Murderous," Yaz's "Situation," or Club 8's "Stop Taking My Time" will never get a yawn out of me.  (Trivia moment. Yaz is Yazoo in the UK.) But I was thinking how much harder it is to make a full length album where nearly every track is compelling enough to want to listen to it repeatedly without growing weary.  I've been known to catch a fever for an album, play it to death, put it away and never touch it again.  R.E.M.'s Out of Time is one of those.  "Losing My Religion" was a great track in 1991, but that time is over.  Sorry, R.E.M.
So what are my top picks for albums, new or old, that I decidedly want to hear again and again and again? With much consideration, here it is....

Ascii Disko Ascii Disko - The project of DJ Kat D.D. Rokk, this album includes previously released tracks.  Synthpop and house with Euro flair and Rokk's German cool reserve.  Fabulously danceable!
Autokratz Animal - The first full length album by the British electro duo of David Cox and Russell Crank, the track "Always More" is my personal version of a mood lifter!
Cut Copy Bright Like Neon Love - Australian Cut Copy's debut album was indietronica at its best.  Then a trio and now a group of four, the album combines songwriting capability with club friendly tracks!
Digitalism Idealism - The German DJ duo's 2007 debut album was meant to be a garage band gone electronica.  It works!  (Their DJ-Kicks LP features one of my favorite tracks ever, "83.")
Egotronic Ausflug mit Freunden - A German electro punk band with a decidedly political point of view. I can't speak German, so I don't actually contemplate their lyrics.  I just listen to the music.  Is that bad? Danceable but with an edge!
Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle - This is English musician Gary Numan's debut album after the demise of Tubeway Army.  Numan, along with bands like Kraftwerk, was influential in introducing the use of synthesizers in music.  No guitar was used on the album. "Cars" is the track that most people know in the US, but Numan is no one hit wonder.  The entire album is impeccable and inspired what we now call synthpop.
Gesaffelstein Aleph - This album by French producer Mike Levy (who goes by the moniker Gesaffelstein, which is a combination of the German word for "universal artwork" and Albert Einstein's name) is crazy good!  I was obsessed with the electro industrial sound of "Pursuit" when I first heard the LP.  Right now I'm obsessed with "Destinations," which is one of the few tracks with vocals (spoken by Chloe Raunet) and hot in a completely indescribable way.
House of Blondes Clean Cuts - John Blonde released a different House of Blondes album in 2007, but he considers this album, created with a different band and in a very different style, his debut.  Experimentation with synths and the quality of sound make this the only House of Blonde debut that matters.
Icon of Coil Machines are Us - Electro industrial Scandinavian band Icon of Coil was founded in 1998. They tend towards dark, futureworld themes with wordy lyrics while remaining dance friendly.
Ladytron Velocifero - Ladytron was formed in Liverpool, England in 1999.  They've had a few different sounds since their 2001 debut LP, 604.  Velocifero is a tad darker than some of their previous work and perhaps more slick.  Really, I love all of their work, but this is their go to album for me.
Lightning Dust Fantasy - This album is a style change for the Vancouver duo of Amber Webber and Josh Wells.  The addition of synths and rythym boxes to their already impressive songwriting makes for an album I keep going back to.
Lindstrom & Christabelle Real Life is No Cool - This collaborative effort between Norwegian producer Hans-Peter Lindstrom and singer Christabelle is electro disco at its best.  "Lovesick" is my favorite track on the album.
Naked and Famous Passive Me, Aggressive You - The New Zealand indietronica band's debut album is infectious and features strong songwriting and equally strong vocals by both Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers.
Nitzer Ebb Industrial Complex - This Chelmsford, England band was formed in 1982 and was doing industrial dance music long before I knew what the term meant.  That Total Age was a college favorite, but this album was considered a comeback for them, and I love a good comeback.
Royksopp Junior - This Norwegian duo used to be responsible for a lot of downbeat trip hop.  Who knew? Because this album is decidedly danceable electro pop.  Guest vocalists pepper the album.  Karin Dreijer of The Knife guests on one of my favorite ever tracks, "This Must Be It."
The Golden Filter Voluspa - This duo sounds decidedly Euro, but they're based in New York.  They combine an electro pop sound with disco elements and great lyrics for a cohesive album of must listen tracks.
Trust Joyland - Joyland just came out, but I was smitten as soon as I heard the second track, "Geryon." What is not to love?  Dark Wave marries pop with brooding lyrics sung in a low baritone.
Tubeway Army with Gary Numan Replicas - Released in 1979, this was the 2nd and final album Tubeway Army made.  Gary Numan went on to an extraordinary solo career.  This "machine" concept album helped to define the post punk era.  Beggars Banquet released reissues of the album with additional material in 1999 and 2008.
Tying Tiffany Peoples Temple - Tying Tiffany is an Italian artist, singer and songwriter who experiments with elements of post punk, electronic and industrial music.  The Peoples Temple (The title of the album refers to the doomed Jim Jones cult.) has a darker, edgier sound than her newly released album Drop.  The track "Show Me What You Got" has her basically screaming the chorus, and I love it!
VNV Nation Empires - This 3rd full length album by the London industrial dance duo is one of their most powerful albums.  Dark, dystopic with lyrics that prophesy the end of the world, Empires carries on a theme I've been attached to since I read George Orwell's "1984."

So there you have it.  My Top 20 albums that I never get tired of. From my list, you can probably discern that I have a taste for electro pop and dance industrial.  And only one US band.  What's up with that?  What albums make the cut for you?  Post on The Knix Mix Facebook page and let me know!

Knix Facebook Page

WERU Volunteer Q&A with Pip

Pip is not only the daughter half of WERU's only mother and daughter programmer duo, but at 15, she is also the youngest programmer at WERU.  (Youngest programmer ever status goes to WERU's own Matt Murphy circa 1990's!) Every Saturday from 8 to 10PM, you can tune in to WERU FM to hear Pip host her show The Junk Drawer. It is no surprise to those who know her that Pip is a ground breaker.  From her varied interests to her eclectic taste in music, Pip has always gone her own way!
Where are you originally from?  I'm from Virginia.
How long have you been in Belfast?  8 years, I believe.
What is your favorite thing about Maine?  It's so spacious and relaxing.  It's very peaceful and a beautiful state.
Tell readers a little about your family.  It's small!  I live with my mother and father, as well as my two cats Kip and Fern!
How long have you been volunteers at WERU?  2 years!
How did you become interested in becoming on air programmers?  My mother won a contest to get to sit in on Departure (Friday's 6 to 8PM), and she thought I would enjoy it!  I did, and it got me very interested in volunteering at the station.
Describe The Junk Drawer.  A large mess of various genres of music ranging from indie to pop to alt rock to folk and everything in between!
How did you get the nickname Pip?  At my school there was someone who had the same name as me. Being the new kid, I had to give myself a nickname, and I ended up going with Pip.
What other volunteer activities have you participated in at WERU?  I've done quite a bit of phone answering, as well as always being happy to bring food in during the pledge drives and co-hosting on other people's shows!
Favorite bands?  Favorite genre of music?  I love a lot of genres (as you can tell by my music selections) but some current favorite bands would be Matryoshka, Bastille, Daft Punk, My Chemical Romance and Andrew Jackson Jihad! 
First LP or CD?  I can't say I remember my first LP/CD, but I do remember always loving Jack Johnson and Five for Fighting.
What was the first band you saw in concert?  Jason Mraz!
Tell us about school.  What is an average school day like for you? My school is nice !  It's very small though.  I get up around 8:30AM and get dressed before walking to school.  I have a silent sustained reading session each morning for a half hour and then I have my first class until 11:50AM.  After that, I have lunch and study hall or my language course.  My current classes are American history and literature, math, Japanese, photography, and costume design and construction.
What would you like to do after you graduate?  I would love to go to Maine College of Art!  I love art, especially graphic illustration as well as costuming, and MECA has great courses for both of those interests!
What hobbies and interests do you have outside of music?   I love making costumes (or cosplays) and going to conventions around New England!  I also love to draw on my laptop with an online program called Paint Tool Sai.
Explain what cosplay is all about.  Cosplay is a very popular, more professional version of Halloween in a way.  People construct costumes of their favorite anime/video game/comic book/television show character and then wear it to these big anime or comic conventions!  If you've heard of New York or San Diego Comic Con, it's like that!  It's incredible what people are able to create, and I'm very lucky to be part of the community!
Who is your favorite anime character?  My favorite anime character has to be either Shinji Ikari from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series or Madoka Kaname from the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series.
Favorite food?  Probably pizza!
Favorite book?  The Warriors series has always had a place in my heart, as well as the Inkheart series.
Favorite movie?  End of Evangelion
Favorite holiday and why?  Probably Thanksgiving!  Everyone is always happy and there's great food.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?  The ability to control time would be really, really cool!
If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?  I think Japan would be really fun to visit!
What would people be surprised to know about you?  I don't think many listeners know that I'm only 15!
If you could describe your mom, Holly, in 3 words, what would they be?  Fun, Kind, Loving!

The Junk Drawer on WERU

Knix Pick for Best New Album: Joyland

 Joyland is the sophomore album by Trust fronted by Toronto's Robert Alfons, and it is The Knix Pick for Best New Release.  I haven't been this excited about a new album since Gesaffelstein's Aleph was released in the fall.  Trust's 2012 debut album TRST was a dual effort with Maya Postepski, who left to focus on her role as drummer of Austra, an electronic band also from Toronto.  (May I remind you that Austra's Olympia was one of my favorite albums of 2013?  Just saying.)   Joyland is my first exposure to Trust, which may be a good thing. The reviews for TRST weren't all that flattering. Apparently a little one dimensional, the effort was deemed "gothic revival" in the snarkiest of manners.

No matter.  Robert himself indicated that Joyland is a departure from the first album in that he was trying for something more expansive and playful.  Thus, Joyland is best heard with fresh intentions.  The name of the album, by the way, is mildly ironic given Trust's relationship to the brooding Dark Wave of the early post punk era, which doesn't evoke thoughts of "joy" unless one is speaking of Joy Division.

Joyland mixes things up a bit by adding elements of the techno and acid house that Robert is a fan of to more eclectic influences like Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins.  And this will be charming for those of us who actually grew up when New Wave was new, and Atari was king.  Robert cites video games as an influence, having grown up without Internet.  I can relate.

The tracks range from the ethereal "Slightly Floating" to the danceable "Rescue, Mister."  Robert's vocals are reminiscent of the deep low baritone of Ian Curtis without his cold restraint or the more emotive gloom of Peter Murphy.  Give a listen to Murphy's album Deep to see what I mean.  Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy comes to mind as well, though The Sisters have tried very hard in more recent years to part ways with their gothic past and sound a bit more hard rock these days.

Now just because I have a thing for synthpop, this doesn't mean every band that hints at an 80's revival gets a free pass.  Some of the newer bands don't get what was so exciting about the post punk period in musical history.  Hearing something that was innovative and new.  Then mainstream Top 40 bands got on board and it was over. Curiously, I've heard bands (with members too young to have been around for the Second British Invasion) quote as inspiration 80's era synthpop bands that weren't even interesting in the 80's. That said, it's that nod that Joyland gives to the past while still moving towards the future that makes it a compelling listen for me.

Danny Blu & The Factory Release New Album "saint"

Danny Blu is a very busy man these days. Since I last spoke to him on The Knix Mix just after the holidays Danny has released his new album "saint," he's been planning his North American Sanctuary Tour in support of the album, and he's launched a fundraising campaign called "The Road to Change" to aid in creating a film documentary and web series documenting the tour.  The film will also chronicle his visits to schools, shelters, community centers and LGBTQ organizations where he will open the door to much needed conversations about the issue of bullying.
Speaking of busy, the night of our phone interview, Danny had just come off the stage, having performed at his album release party and tour fundraiser held at Rockbar NYC.  He said the show was fantastic, and a lot of money was raised.  Go, Danny!  Some amazing photos from the show are posted below.
Danny has been passionate about the cause of anti-bullying for some time, and I couldn't think of anyone better suited to speak to disenfranchised youth.  It's true that there are parents who might raise an eyebrow (or two) at Danny's unrestrained and unapologetic self expression, and yes, his music tackles some very mature subject matter.  But here's the thing.  There isn't much that teens dislike more than being patronized by an adult with good intentions. Who better to connect with teens than someone who not only experienced the desire to find a voice and be accepted at their age, but who has fully embraced his uniqueness as an adult?  Danny has found that art and music are not only a means to self expression, but they also have the power to heal.
While the tour is fully funded, contributions will cover costs like crew, equipment and production.  If you have an interest in becoming what Danny likens to an investment saint, you can get information on indiegogo, and I will post the link below.  At different donation levels, saints can receive goodies ranging from CD's and posters to a day in the recording studio and even an unplugged concert in your front yard!  Organizations and businesses are welcome sponsors.  Community groups and schools who are interested in hosting Danny and The Factory to speak at their location about bullying can make that happen by getting in touch using the contact information also in the link.
To hear the entire conversation with Danny Blu on The Knix Mix, check out the link below.

Danny Blu Live Interview - The Knix Mix 2/28/2014
The Factory Blu
Road to Change Fundraiser Information

The Feather Lungs

I had the pleasure of hosting the Maine based band The Feather Lungs on The Wicked Good Music Hour on March 1st.  The Feather Lungs is a rock and roll band on the move.  The band consists of singer Laura Wood, guitarists David Young and Caleb Orion, Nick Perry on bass and Richard Fortin on drums.  They are a fairly new band, having only been jamming together since late May 2013, but they've already made great strides towards their dream of success on a larger scale.  Band members come from all over Maine with Laura being from Orono, Nick originally from Rumford and now residing in Portland, Caleb and Dave from Augusta, and Richard in Hallowell, which serves as the band's home base.
The Feather Lungs have been recording their album in Richard's home studio in Hallowell.  Laura describes it as "a lot to balance," but their work is paying off with four songs officially in the can and some killer shows on the horizon.  They have one coming up next week at Bayside Bowl in Portland with Volcano Rabbit and Yes We Kin also appearing and another in April when they'll be sharing the stage with local band Chamberlain at Nocturnem in Bangor.  They have one video up online for the song "Subtraction" that was filmed before newest member Caleb joined the band, but they're working on another.  The band has "good energy" and is really moving in a positive direction according to Laura.
The band merges Laura's expressive vocal talents with complimentary instrumentation from the guys.  The backbone of The Feather Lungs' sound is definitely the driving rhythm and guitar swagger.  The band cites an eclectic array of influences from Laura's appreciation for the vocals and songwriting talents of PJ Harvey, Dave's affinity for Beethoven to Nick's preference for The Kinks and ELO. And everyone was in agreement about Fleetwood Mac and The Pixies.  The band name, The Feather Lungs, was actually just a "placeholder" name until they came up with another.  But they never did, and the name stuck.
Dave and Richard, interestingly enough, have known each other since kindergarten and have been working on music together for 17 years, and Caleb and Nick played together previously as well.  Richard says "David and I, for about the past 5 years, have been trying to get something off the ground."  They were looking for a singer, and Laura came into the mix after she heard some of the music the guys had recorded. "It was completely amazing.  It sounded like what I feel inside of me."says Laura.  She took one of their tracks and recorded some vocals, and the rest is history.  The guys were immediately impressed.  Laura agrees. " We really clicked.  We have very good synergy."
In the coming months, the band will be in the studio, tying up the loose ends of the album.  Expect the finished product sometime in the summer of 2014.  We'll definitely share album on the air at WERU, and maybe we can ask The Feather Lungs to come back for another Wicked Good Music Hour gig?  As we wrapped up the show, bass player Nick gave a special shout out to his grandmother, Stella.  I mean, I liked them already, but a talented musician who also loves grandma?  Smitten.

The Feather Lungs website
The Feather Lungs on Bandcamp
The Feather Lungs on Facebook