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I first learned about Rachael Cantu through Andrea Kremer, a friend who runs the Boston Pop Underground concert series here in Boston, Massachusetts. Rachael sent me a copy of her "Blood Laughs" EP and I was blown away by the songs, the voice, and the intensity of her music.

I kept listening to her CD, and every time a song from it would pop up on my iPod, I'd look to see it was Cantu and think what a distinctive and powerful voice she had for someone so young. I was surprised she was without a record deal given her obvious talents. Well, that didn't last long...

Q Division Records, an offshoot of the renown Q Division Studios in Somerville, Massachusetts, recently released Cantu's "Run All Night," an eight-song CD that runs the gamut on moods and emotions. Rocking or softly spoken, reserved or outraged, and sedate or elated, Cantu's debut gives just enough of a tease to see the kind of diverse, powerful songwriting she has in store...and I, for one, want to hear more.

Musically, Cantu is something of a mix of The Pretenders' Chrissy Hynde, PJ Harvey, Sarah McLachlan, and Nora Jones. Much of her music is quietly powerful with lyrics that explore anger, frustration, and a need for freedom and respect.

She counts Bruce Springsteen, Damien Jurado, Iron + Wine, and a host of others as musical inspirations and we also discuss some of the other folks who motivate her to keep working on her own songwriting.

Cantu grew up in Orange County, California and began her career as front woman for the Southern California band Quite Satellite, playing dates in Los Angeles and San Diego and opening for acts such as the Get Up Kids, Saves the Day, and Karate.

Breaking away from the band, Cantu has spent the last few years in Boston, recording songs with Limbeck, Kori Gardner of Mates of State, and Jason Gnewikow of The Promise Ring. She's also befriended Tony Goddess of Papas Fritas and Tegan and Sara and toured with the latter act several times. Goddess and Tegan Quin also both sang on "Run All Night."

Cantu's single, Saturday, has been picked up by a number of college and commercial stations, and it's easy to see why. Unlike a lot of her more moody songs, it's catchy chorus and indignant attitude is sure to bring listeners back for more.

She also graces the Well-Rounded Radio with two exclusive live songs, including Sweat + Bones from the new "Run All Night" CD and Little Bird, an as-yet-unreleased song that Cantu performed for Well-Rounded Radio's listeners.

I recently met with Cantu at the Q Division offices to discuss:
* Who initially inspired her to pick up a guitar and start writing songs
* How she channels some of her emotions into songwriting
* How the song Saturday, an unusually poppy song for her, ended up becoming part of her repertoire

Music featured in the interview from Rachael Cantu includes:
1) My First War (from the CD Run All Night) (in preview)
2) Saturday (Run All Night)
3) Best Wishes (Sound Relief Volume One: From CA to NYC)
4) Hear My Laughter (Run All Night)
5) Summer of Cycling (Blood Laughs)
6) In The City (Blood Laughs)
7) Movie in Spanish (Blood Laughs)
8) Blood Laughs (Blood Laughs + Run All Night)
9) Sweat + Bones (Run All Night)
10) Saturday (Run All Night)
11) Run All Night (Run All Night)
12) I Know You Will (Run All Night)
13) Little Bird (unreleased, live, and exclusive to Well-Rounded Radio)
14) Sweat + Bones (live, exclusive to Well-Rounded Radio)

If you like this interview, give a listen to the Well-Rounded Radio Interviews with Natalie Flanagan and Great Lake Swimmers.

Posted by Charlie at 04:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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This month, an interview with Hilken Mancini (of the bands Fuzzy and The Count Me Outs) who recently released a new CD in conjunction with Chris Colbourn (of Buffalo Tom) called, simply, Hilken Mancini and Chris Colbourn.

I first became a fan of Buffalo Tom back in 1988 or '89 when my friend and Falling Stairs band mate, John McGrath, picked up their first album during those days when we squandered all our money on vinyl on St. Mark's Place in New York City and we were willing try just about anything...and certainly anything from Boston produced by J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

John made me a tape and I played it to death.

"Birdbrain" followed soon afterward in 1990 and became a staple in our touring van and at many a party...the opening riff (which rivals that of Smells Like Teen Spirit, if you ask me) was regularly blasted for anyone who would listen.

I went on to follow Buffalo Tom as a fan through all their albums on Beggars Banquet Records (1992's "Let Me Come Over," 1993's "Big Red Letter Day," 1995's "Sleepy Eyed" and 1998's "Smitten." The band also released two compilation CDs, including "A Sides" in 2000 and "Besides: A Collection of B-Sides and Rarities" in 2002) and I had a chance to interview singer/guitarist Bill Janovitz for an earlier episode of Well-Rounded Radio. Buffalo Tom also featured bassist/singer Chris Colbourn and drummer Tom Maginnis.

To this day, I still rate "Let Me Come Over" as an all-time favorite album; it's a brilliant work, with each song building upon the last until the record reaches the powerful, final songs.

I was happy, then, to hear that Janovitz's band mate, Chris Colbourn, had paired up with Hilken Mancini of Fuzzy, another favorite Boston band from the 1990s, for a new CD on Kimchee Records called, simply, "Hilken Mancini and Chris Colbourn."

Mancini's band, Fuzzy, released three discs, including "Fuzzy" (1994, Seed Records), "Electric Juices" (1996, Atlantic Records), and "Hurray for Everything," (1998, Catapult Records). They always reminded me of a mix of The Buzzcocks, Lush, and Veruca Salt (whose Stacey Jones played drums on "Electric Juices" and went on to front American Hi-Fi).

Fuzzy consisted of Mancini, Chris Toppin on guitar and vocals, and Winston Braman on bass; Braman played in Come prior to Fuzzy and has played with Clint Conley in consonant since. Fuzzy had two drummers over the years, including David Ryan on the first two releases and Nate Darden on their third. Mancini also fronts the band The Count Me Outs, which Braman also performs in, and they have released one CD of a more raw, garage-centric, rock and roll to date.

Mancini is also well-known as the co-creator (with Maura Jasper) of Punk Rock Aerobics, a regular event in Boston, New York, London, and various touring cities in 2001 thru 2003 for music fans who want to exercise to something with a little more musical edge than your local neighborhood health club. She's also the co-author of a book on Punk Rock Aerobics released by Da Capo Press that can get you started in your corner of the universe if you need to motivate yourself off the couch.

Mancini and Colbourn were both singers in their respective bands (and, ironically, both Buffalo Tom's Janovitz and Fuzzy's Toppin worked together on Janovitz' solo CDs), so this new outing is interesting in that they have both stepped up to the plate as the primary songwriters and singers--and the result is outstanding. The album also includes a guest appearance by guitarist J. Mascis.

Writing songs about relationships and taking stock of one's life at any point along the curve, these are songs and lyrics that feel that both songwriters dug deep into themselves before putting words to paper. They are truthful, revealing lyrics handled in a way that gives you the feeling of peeking inside their mind's thoughts for a moment in a most genuine way. Emotional, yes, but not sappy in the least.

I recently met with Mancini in my current hometown of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to discuss:

* how they first met and when they decided to start collaborating
* what her years in the rock and roll business and touring the world have taught her
* how the Punk Rock Aerobics sensation got started and what surprised her about the whole thing over the last few years.

Music featured in the interview from "Hilken Mancini and Chris Colbourn" includes:
1) Couple of Weeks (in preview)
2) Wedding Cake
3) I Will Die
4) In My Arms
5) Hannah
6) Life is A Trick
7) Saint Agnes Eve
8) Moonbeams
9) Situations Count!
10) Party Town
11) Clockwise (from The Count Me Outs)
12) Bad, Bad Little Bird

If you like this interview, give a listen to the Well-Rounded Radio Interviews with Bill Janovitz (of Buffalo Tom + Crown Victoria) and Blake Hazard.

Posted by Charlie at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)