| From RealDetroitWeekly.com Four Track
by Origix There used to be a time where you would walk into one of many independent record stores to purchase music from our area, but with major retail outlets and the Internet, it’s very hard to get artists to sell. With the unfortunate closings due to the economy of the music industry, this area has lost shops such as Hot Hits, Record-X-change, Desirable Disc, Harmony House and Ferndale’s (soon to be closed) Record Time along with others. One of the most disturbing issues is that Detroit artists can’t get sales in their own city; unless you’re in rotation on commercial radio you have small chance of sales in Detroit stores. Stephen Poletti, Rock of Ages manager says, “We do in-stores to help get names out, I’ve seen acts like ICP, House of Krazees come and go, there’s a whole new group of local hip-hop that keeps it going like Stretch Money, Big Herk, Tone Tone, etc.” To find local music you almost have to go to our suburbs. Try Record Time Roseville, Berkley's Street Corner Music or Garden City’s Rock of Ages. | 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.
by Jeff Milo Tone and Niche brew refined, lightlyjangled, warm-toned folk with pensive setting-sun piano accompaniments and shimmering, beautiful violin/viola swinging saws that lull your heart into a teary-eyed smile; the perfect soundtrack to the inevitable warming of the winds as winter turns to spring. Anthony Retka (Tone) on guitar/vocals and Nicole Vagra (Niche) on violin, started playing around Detroit in 2002 doing covers, but soon originals, and in ‘03 and ‘04 released two recordings. Since then they experimented with a rhythm section and recorded their masterwork, Rust; and now have solidified drum and bass in Scottie Stone and Nick White. Upcoming shows: The Belmont on February 23. Up next: “Taking the band on the road for a Midwest tour in the summer and continuing to record,” Tone says. “Songs are coming out of our ears!” The Internet sometimes feels like a mumbled rabble shouting seven-words-per-second. For calmer musical dissection and an uncut version of this article, check out: myspace.com/dccharlie and for more info: myspace.com/toneandniche. | RDW
by Eric Allen Teenagers. Who understands them? I’m only a few years off of being one and I don’t remember how I deciphered my own feelings, let alone my peers'. It seems that during that certain era of your life you don’t take shit from anyone. Such is the sound and feel of Motor City punks The HandMeDowns. Through school and the fine art of drinking, vocalist Cuddy, bass player Ferbus, guitarist Bob and drummer Roberto meshed together through their love of '90s streetpunk. “We’re influenced by many bands, obviously bands like Rancid, Operation Ivy and the '90s West coast punk scene,” Cuddy says. “Recently, we have been influenced by a few East coast bands like the Bouncing Souls, Street Dogs and the Dropkick Murphys.” After Cuddy and Roberto laid down the foundation of The HandMeDowns sound, Bob and Ferbus brought new ideas to the band when they joined by bringing elements of other genres into play. “We’ve experimented with ska but mainly kept the same formula while playing faster and more aggressive,” Cuddy states. The band’s new record, I Think It’s About Time, will be hitting merch tables in the extremely near future, but in the mean- time check out the band when they play Smalls on Feb. 22 with the Koffin Kats. P.S. RIP to Forest Arms Apartment Building. | RDW © Copyright by RealDetroitWeekly.com |
