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Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
The Electorate
by Adray Ielus | photo by Rob Huebel
Josh Dahlberg is one of those unassuming kids you see at the party, bobbing his head to the beat, drink in hand, towards the back of the dance floor. If you passed him on the street in his mid-town neighborhood, you'd probably think, “Huh, just another hipster with dark-rimmed glasses.” But this kid is a techno madman whose notoriety is a heartbeat away. Dahlberg grew up in a small town in Michigan. As a child, music struck a chord with him that resonated deeply. His best friends were records, drum machines and samplers, as well as label-mate Josh Cummings. By the end of high school, he was DJing and producing. As a college student somewhere else in Michigan, his passion for the arts ultimately led to the founding of the breakout electronic music label and artist collective Blank Artists in 2005. To date, the label has reached a level of success that Josh didn’t foresee. Though he didn’t think it would turn into a label, within a year they were releasing music. Last month, they celebrated their three-year anniversary. So, why set up in Detroit? Dahlberg expresses that, “Detroit is different from any other place I have been to ... as a creative hub. Detroit is more grassroots-oriented than other cities, which I think lends itself to being both more organic and community driven.”
Influenced by the likes of Prince, David Bowie and Was Not Was, Dahlberg’s sound is unique and sonically expressive. Visit blankartists.com for more. | RDW
The Zone
by Origix
Think of hip-hop Web sites that do a good job promoting this scene, only a few come to mind, like RenSoul or Dirty Mitten. Do a search for Detroit Rap and The D’s longest running site will be at the top of the list: Detroitrap.com, a Web site run by Michigan’s own Ambassador Uncle P and his man Jenks. What does the site offer? “Exposure! Our biggest asset is our name,” Uncle P says. “Our message board is Grand Central Station for Detroit hip-hop. It’s a place where the newbies on the scene get to interact with some of Detroit’s international elite.”
On Detroitrap.com, you can check out events, videos, music, reviews and the latest news around the Detroit area. “When we step outside of this Web site, and bring Detroitrap.com into the real world, you can expect nothing but first-class events. Look for quite a few collabs between us and my folks at dirtymitten.com — big things in the works!”
Check Northern Lights March 18 for Havana’s listening party, part of “The Next Big Thang.” | RDW
The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on 89.3 FM, stream audio at whfr.fm; visit myspace.com/thezoneradio & 2raw4fm.com.
Deep Cutz
by Jeff Milo | photo by Angi Stevens
Firstly, I’d recommend utilizing one of three opportunities to see the minimalist, melodic, magical indie-pop trio, Lightning Love (pictured). Hailing from the Ypsilanti-ish/Ann Arbor-esque realm of the state, they blend the new wave of British-indie, Midwest-underground-folk-pop with overt, freeform, genuine lyrics of smoking on the porch at 4 a.m. and wondering where your friends are, while a persistent, errant piano pounds beautiful melodies (and synth) and adept rhythms to ride along. They’ll be playing Ypsi at the Elbow Room Friday, then at Jacoby’s on 3/21 and the Garden Bowl on 3/29.
Meanwhile, there’s this riveting quirk-pop quartet called The Nerve blending wavy organ/synth exhibitions over crazily hooked guitar riffs that conjure Talking Heads-style art-pop. The melodies are molded by strong influences of the godfathers of pop and sound craftsmanship, and the vocals are capably soaring and golden. This catchy pop errantry can also give way to solemner rhythm-heavy toe-tappers ... perfectly highlighting the faculties of each: keys, drums, bass and a fine guitar solo. See them March 15 at the Northern Lights Lounge. More info: myspace.com/lightninglove or myspace.com/boattoboblo. | RDW
Motor City’s Burning
by Eric Allen
Like in science, for every action in punk rock music there is a reaction. The MC5 begat The Ramones who gave us The Clash and so forth. In the case of American hardcore music, it gave us one of the funniest (and offensive) bands ever, The Meatmen.
Hailing from Kalamazoo, it could be said The Meatmen’s lead singer, Tesco Vee, was a bit of an ugly duckling. The six foot six burnout son of a school superintendent, Vee was (and is) committed to fucking with people’s heads. Thus, he created The Meatmen, a tool for being as heinous and ludicrously politically incorrect as possible.The band released songs like “Tooling For Anus” and “I’m Glad I’m Not A Girl,” further elaborating that they didn’t care what anyone thought of them.
Before bands like Sum 41 and Blink 182 made a mockery of the genre, The Meatmen were the grandfathers of the “funny punk” style. Now, after a ten-year break, Tesco will be hitting the road with his classic band, but not before stopping in Detroit. The band is playing Smalls on Saturday, March 22 with Year of the Pig and Millions of Brazillions. If Tesco's show in May '07 was any indication of what The Meatmen will be like in March '08 ... watch out. | RDW
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