Listen (TRT 1:09:39): Lo-Fi > Higher-Fi > Quicktime | Shop | Recommendations

Okay, so here's how the current lineup of The Rudds came to exist. It involves a bit of a who's-who of Boston music and, of course, a bit of name dropping.

John Powhida broke up his band, the Staziaks in Albany, New York and moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 2001.

Soon after, he met Brett Rosenberg at the Kendall Cafe's open mic night. Rosenberg fronts The Brett Rosenberg Problem, which has released five CDs of garage pop to date and a sixth CD (Drop Dead Air) coming in Fall 2006. Rosenberg offered up his lead guitar skills to Powhida if and when there might be a need...

With Rosenberg, bassist Jamie Griffith, and drummer Pete Caldes, Powhida worked with The Figgs' Mike Gent, who produced their eponymous debut.

In 2003, Powhida met drummer Nathan Logus of Baby Ray through The Gentlemen's bassist Ed Valauskas.

Tony Goddess, frontman and bassist for the 90's band Papas Fritas, met Powhida in the now-closed Disc Diggers music store in Somerville’s Davis Square. Goddess asked if Powhida wanted to check out his recording studio downstairs. Powhida suggested: why don’t we record a tune?

One song led to another and it evolved into the second Rudd's CD, "Get the Femuline Hang On." Goddess has also worked with a number of artists in recent years, including writing material withGuster and performing with Sunburned Hand of the Man and engineering some of their material. Midway through producing the disc, Powhida invited Goddess to replace their first bassist and Goddess too joined the band.

Powhida met singer Andrea Gillis at Inman Square's Abbey Lounge, a club she books and manages. As a fan of Gillis' music and her solo CD, Want Another?, Powhida invited Gillis to Goddess' studio where she added some soulful harmonies to a track. Instantly, Powhida knew that she also needed to be a Rudd…

Getting frustrated trying to perform the keyboard parts from their debut when playing live, Powhida learned about the multi-instrumentalist Dave Leib through Ray Neades of the band Beefy/DC. With a knack of playing any style of music on the instrument of your choice, Leib completed the current line up.

Get the Femuline Hang On was mixed by legendary production team Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade and features guest performances from Probyn Gregory (of the Brian Wilson band and Wondermints) and and Boston local Bleu on keyboards.

With their second CD taking a slot on the top ten lists in 2005 from critics at The Boston Phoenix, Stuff at Night, and Boston Metro and quotes like "John Powhida is a wizard and very nearly a true star" (from music writer/novelist Brett Milano), things are on the upswing.

Both CDs reflect the many band members tastes and love in rock, soul, blues, and musical theatre. Get the Femuline Hang On, drops musical references and in-the-know mentions that make it a fun listen where it’s clear the band has a sense of humor and aspires to bring back some of the fun to rock music.

And honestly, beyond the great songwriting from Powhida, a lot of the fun of The Rudds is tracing these musical references: a sexy ballad that would fit nicely in Prince’s catalog, a chorus as catchy as any from The Raspberries, power-pop songs with an xylophone (glockenspiel?) flourish influenced from Bruce Springsteen, a guitar lick you could trace back to Boston (the band, that is) or Jefferson Starship, a vocal turn of phrase that could be coming from Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane, a dramatic vocal line that could easily be channeling Frank Zappa…and, curiously, many of them happen to be from the 1970's. It’s as if The Rudds have boiled down the decade and turned into an ensemble featuring the best ideas of that era.

The Rudds, who were named in honor of AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, are also self-professed fans of Hall + Oates, Prince, Todd Rundgren, Parliament Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone…all of whom you can also hear in their work.

As with the album title (femuline = both feminine + masculine), The Rudds are joining up contradictions and turning it into music that is simply hard to resist.

I recently met with Gillis, Powhida, and Rosenberg on a humid and stormy summer evening (yes, that's an air conditioner you hear whirring in the background) in Somerville, Massachusetts to discuss:

* what musical events influenced them in their lives and turned them toward performing
* how they connected with Bebe Buell and how half of the band are now backing her up live
* what it is about The Figgs, The Neighborhoods, Asa Brebner, Dennis Brennan, The Dents, Michelle Poulos, Etta James, James Hunter, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and The Upper Crust that the band members love so much

Music selects featured in the interview include:
1) The Rudds: Get the Femuline Hang On (Get the Femuline Hang On) (in preview)
2) The Rudds: Stand a Chance (Get the Femuline Hang On)
3) The Staziaks: Oh, Delilah (The Staziaks)
4) The Brett Rosenberg Problem: My Girlfriend's Daughter (Destroyer)
5) Andrea Gillis: Too Late (Want Another?)
6) The Rudds: Oh No! (They're Gonna Make Another One) (Get the Femuline Hang On)
7) The Rudds: Hot Child (Get the Femuline Hang On)
8) The Rudds: Roslindale (Get the Femuline Hang On)
9) The Rudds: Rock and Roll Napoleon (Get the Femuline Hang On)
10) The Rudds: Older Girls (Get the Femuline Hang On)
11) The Rudds: F# / C (Get the Femuline Hang On)

Catch The Rudds live in NYC on September 8th at Cake Shop, September 14th in Provincetown, MA at The Vixen, September 23rd in Portland, ME at The Big Easy, and in Boston on October 28th at TT the Bears.

For more information visit The Rudds, but not The Rudds.

If you enjoyed this interview, also give a listen to the Well-Rounded Radio interview with Bill Janovitz of Crown Victoria and Buffalo Tom or Sarah Borges.

Well-Rounded Radio recommends saving the internet and saving the planet.

Posted by Charlie at 12:40 AM | Permalink

Listen (TRT 48:40): Lo-Fi > Higher-Fi > Quicktime | Shop | Recommendations

Merrie Amsterburg starting making music in the late 80's with The Natives, a band that, interestingly, was both signed to Kiss' Gene Simmons record label and worked with producer Richard Gottehrer on a batch of demos. Unfortunately, neither project saw the light of day and ultimately, in 1994, The Natives went their separate ways.

But Amsterburg didn't give up, choosing the role of a singer/songwriter and creating her own distinctive sound and style as she did so. As with two earlier albums of originals, 1997's Season of Rain and 2000's Little Steps, Amsterburg had a low-key, demur style that lures you into her music and makes you pay attention. A good reminder that a whisper can be more powerful than a scream.

Both albums demonstrate Amsterburg's lyrical skills with touching on some dark subjects, such as hopelessness, romance gone bad, or defeat, but I also find her original work has a dark sense of humor that feels like she'd wink at you if you could, acknowledging that it isn’t all meant to be taken literally. Amsterburg is often compared to Aimee Mann; perhaps, but I also hear a bit of Kate Bush, Syd Straw, Shawn Colvin, Sam Phillips, or Emmylou Harris.

Her new album is "Clementine and Other Stories" and, although it includes many songs that so many of us take for granted and know by heart, it gives some new life to some dusty material. I found myself on the edge of my seat through some, as Amsterburg takes her time revealing and unfolding each piece and telling the stories in a way that makes you listen anew.

Amsterburg's skills go beyond her vocals, too. She plays a number of instruments including trumpet, keyboards, mandolin, bouzouki, guitar, bass, and various percussion instruments. In recent years she's won four ASCAP Popular Music Awards, the Top Female Soloist prize at Boston’s Acoustic Underground series, two Boston Music Awards, a WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll award, and was named Jam Magazine’s Artist of the Year. In recent years, Amsterburg has toured with Paula Cole, Aimee Mann, and Patty Larkin, whom she also backed up on bass, mandolin, and bouzouki on her Red = Luck tour. Amsterburg has also sung at Fenway Park six times.

"Clementine and Other Stories" is rich with American history, and Amsterburg has already performed at some school and educator conferences to help promote these foundational songs. She includes lyrics and background information on the songs on her web site and has created a booklet for educators that can be ordered through there. You can find additional resources on American traditionals at The Contemplator.

A quote from Amsterburg in her press materials say it best: "I hope the record gets people to look at these songs in a different way. They deserve a second look. They’re part of our history and where we come from."

We recently met in my current hometown of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to discuss:
* what inspired her to take on re-arranging this group of American traditionals
* what were her criteria for selecting the songs she covered on Clementine
* how her washer machine made a cameo appearance on one of her earlier recordings

Songs featured in the Merrie Amsterburg interview include:
1) Wayfaring Stranger (in preview) (Clementine and Other Stories)
2) Clementine (Clementine and Other Stories)
3) All the Pretty Horses (Clementine and Other Stories)
4) Lakes of Pontchartrain (Clementine and Other Stories)
5) Shenandoah (Clementine and Other Stories)
6) Simple Gifts (Clementine and Other Stories)
7) Lucky One (Season of Rain)
8) Design (Little Steps)
9) This Will Never Be My Year (Season of Rain)
10) Little Steps (Little Steps)
11) Down in the Valley (Clementine and Other Stories)

If you enjoyed Merrie Amsterburg's music, please also check out Dan Zanes and Jimmy Ryan.

Photo: Robyn Decina

Merrie recommends Jo Stafford.

Well-Rounded Radio recommends Liveplasma and MetaCritic.

Posted by Charlie at 01:14 PM | Permalink