Singer/songwriter
John Brandoli
Pop
John Brandoli Band
If 2009 was John Brandoli’s coming-out party (he gigged incessantly in support of his debut disc, Suspended Disbelief), then 2010 is shaping up to be the year some pretty big names have decided to crash it. And as the Springfield-based vocalist, who grew up in a family of musicians, explains, the more the merrier, as far as he’s concerned.
“I’ve been so fortunate to sing and perform with some of my favorite bands and artists in the last few months,” he reports. “From Kim O’Brien and Chris Regan to Maxxtone, The Kings, John Cantalini—just a tremendous year of collaboration.” Aided in part by a legion of Twitter-followers, Brandoli adds that he almost secured his most high-profile collaboration to date by becoming a front-running contender in a recent Dave Stewart (of Eurthymics fame) songwriting competition: “Although I didn’t win, I absolutely love the song, and it will most definitely be on the next CD.”
In the meantime, you can also hear it on Youtube. It’s called “Just A Memory.”
Reggae
The Alchemystics
The Alchemystics made a conscious effort this year to play new venues and regions, and to reach folks who hadn’t previously had a chance to experience “the Alchemystics movement.”
Emcee Garrick “Force” Perry says the Amherst sextet, formed in 2004, had a “trailblazing year,” meeting loads of new fans and playing some great locations for the first time, culminating with a solid run of festivals over the summer.
The group—Perry, along with Ras Jahn Bullock, Ian-I, Jay Metcalf, Garrett Sawyer and Demse Zullo—is currently in the studio finishing up work on a new full-length album.
“Labor of love doesn’t even begin to describe this project,” says Perry. “We’ve spent quite some time putting this album together, and it has been pretty grueling trying to put the finishing touches on it with our steady gig schedule. We have released a number of tracks for free on our website—thealchemystics.com—and don’t worry: the final product will be well worth the wait.”
How will they top off their GBS win?
“I was thinking of something low-key, like inventing self-replicating A.I. or perfecting cold fusion,” says Perry. “That or try to win again next year.”
Potential acceptance speech?: “I’d probably pull a Kanye and wait for someone else’s speech so I could bum-rush the stage and extol the virtues of Beyonce. I mean, how could anyone resist?”
Cover
Aquanett
For a rich aural experience, one that will transport you to, say, a Dokken show, then a Metallica concert, then a Journey show, Springfield’s super-popular ’80s cover band Aquanett is pretty tasty. But this is a band you just have to see to truly appreciate. The entire lineup—lead singer Anthony Whalen, guitarists Dave Ward and Mike Abdow, keyboardist Rick Thompson, drummer Edmond Dupont III and bassist Matthew Macri—is stellar, capable of playing any and all of the most muscular and memorable rock hits of the era. To see them in action—watching the spandex-clad Macri thump a rock-steady, one-note bass line, locking eyes and trading evil smiles with Ward, Thompson and Dupont as Whalen belts out the melody and Abdow launches into a savage solo—is to see a band that truly rejoices in every chance it has to connect with a live audience. Crowd pleasers? To say the least.
Bluegrass/Americana
Salvation Alley String Band
Before this year’s Grand Band Slam victory, the gaggle of fine musicians that make up Northampton’s Salvation Alley String Band—Ryan McGovern Quinn, Jason Bourgeois, Andy Goulet, Matt Silberstein, Ella Longpre, Matt Jugenheimer, and Brandee Simone—were getting used to their role as annual GBS bridesmaids.
“We were resigned to being the Valley’s third-best country band in perpetuity,” says Quinn. “I’d even started using ‘The Valley’s Third-Best Country Band’ on flyers, but now I guess we’ll have to switch to ‘Named A Bluegrass/Americana Band by Valley Advocate readers—’best’ or ‘first’ is too boastful.”
In 2010, the four-year-old honky-tonk outfit changed its name (from Los Hijos Unicos), added Silberstein, Longpre and Jugenheimer to its ranks, played shows all over the place, and recorded its recently-released album, The Salvation Alley String Band presents: ‘The Pioneer Valley Rose’ and Other Favorites.
The septet is currently lining up shows to promote the new full-length, finishing up writing and arranging songs for its next record, and preparing for an Oct. 8 Bookmill gig with Spouse.
Potential acceptance speech?: “I think I could get this sentence out before the orchestra played me off: ‘Let’s bring home our soldiers, raise taxes on the rich and corporations, and fund universal public health care and education.'”
World
Shokazoba
The lyrics are as poignant as they are politically charged. The music is a unique amalgam of West African polyrhythms and jazz-infused horn lines. And what deep, mystical meaning does the band’s name hold? Don’t ask… seriously. Okay, you really want to know?
“It literally went down like this,” reveals drummer Keith Laudieri. “Kwame [Nyarko, singer], said shock absorber ‘shokazoba.’ Ta-da… band name.”
Hey, you asked for it.
As comical as the origins of the moniker may be, the Noho-based Afrobeat players are certainly no laughing matter when it comes to local superlatives. In fact, since forming in 2005, the band has won Grand Band Slam honors in both the “funk” and “world music” categories, as well as “best jazz” in the 2009 My411 Source readers’ poll.
Punk
Pallet
Stack this year’s GBS award on the kudos pile for Pallet—a durable five-piece from Chicopee that has been plying its unique amalgam of quirky, punk-infused rock on the local circuit for over a decade. It will go nicely next to the USA Today mentions, XM radio plays and several tunes used on NBC’s Friday Night Lights television show, we think.
Then, of course, there’s drummer Rob Allen’s favorite Pallet highlight. “A few years back, we played a Star Wars convention in Indianapolis for Lucasfilms in conjunction with the release of Sith, and it was awesome,” he recalls. “We are all big Star Wars fans, and this led to our music being used in a Star Wars documentary, too.”
Guess the force is almost as strong with these guys as their work ethic, as, yes, another Pallet studio effort, Hang In There, is slated to hit the shelves later this month.
street musician
Benny the Bucket Man
When Benny Johnson performs on the streets of Amherst, Hadley and Northampton, he’s difficult to miss and even harder to resist. Also known as “Benny the Bucket Man” or “the Motown Man,” Mr. Johnson often wears bright, Pied Piper-like outfits along with a flowing cape. True to his name, he belts out a huge repertoire of mostly Motown hits, accompanying himself on a kazoo and a large plastic bucket he’s decorated. His deep, soulful voice has as much range as his funky drumming, and both often draw a crowd.
The man is sunshine on a cloudy day, but he appears at random. Anywhere, any time. There are a couple videos of him on YouTube, but it can be a crapshoot trying to catch a live sidewalk gig.
Chris Russell of The Valley Post (www.valleypost.org) caught up with him last November and reported that Johnson grew up in New Orleans. He began playing there as a drummer, and later toured abroad in a band with his brothers. He also learned something of Benny’s technique with the bucket. “He made several small depressions on the bucket’s bottom which produce different notes, and moves a laminated piece of paper around the inside while playing to achieve the desired pitch,” Russell wrote.
“Music is my high,” Johnson said in the interview. “When I’m playing, I don’t feel the injuries I have in my shoulder or spinal cord…. As long as I can stand and hold my bucket, I’ll still play. Even if I have to go out with a walker.”
Celtic
The Tinkers
Westfield’s Tinkers offer an interesting take on Irish music, a genre that’s seen its share of innovations and combinations in the last few decades. The Tinkers offer an upbeat and off-kilter blend, bringing a healthy dose of comedy to the proceedings with tunes like the Merle Haggard parody “I’m Proud to Be A Tinker from Killarney.” Even when the band visits usual-suspect Celtic tunes like “Dirty Old Town” or “Finnegan’s Wake,” there’s something distinctively American going on, something that’s bluesy and nearly ragtime. The result is refreshing, but no less a driver of Guinness sales. Singer Mic “The Tinker” Finnerty approaches tunes with a devil-may-care, nearly rock and roll abandon that’s a pleasantly weird fit atop the rollicking piano and pint-sloshing rhythm section.
Finnerty has been in the Irish music business a long time, first singing, he says, “on the bars in Ireland so my mother could get shots of whiskey.” He adds that his first real gig came when he was a lad in 1967, opening for The Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains and The Irish Rovers.
He’s happy to see that Irish music has become a genre where more experimentation is happening: “Everybody used to sound like the Clancy Brothers. Now there’s a lot more variety, a lot more rock and roll-based, country-based, different takes on the theme, which is really nice to hear.”
Finnerty is joined by Guy Wallis, Tom Terry, Jay Cole, Jake Weiner, Ted Wirt and, on some gigs, even more players.
Metal
Endcount
This past year marked a new beginning for Greenfield-based metalmeisters Endcount. After eight years front and center, former singer and current guitarist Steve Chase says he decided it was time to turn over the mic.
“This summer, Ian Margeson came aboard and took over vocal duties, and I think it’s the best decision we’ve ever made,” Chase explains.
Apparently, Advocate readers agree, as Endcount bested the highly competitive “Best Metal” field, reclaiming an honor it first won in 2008.
“Winning anything, even a stick of gum, is nice,” Chase says, “but more important is the fact that the Grand Band Slam itself raises awareness of how vast and deep the local music scene is.”
Blues
Rattlebone
Springfield’s Rattlebone may lure fans in with familiar blues riffs and lyrics, but from drummer Mick Houle’s perspective (from the best seat in the house nightly, of course), the full power and allure of the quartet is realized when the band slithers off into uncharted territory.
“By that I mean, yes, we do play a lot of songs that other bands do,” Houle explains, “but they sure ain’t gonna sound the same.”
The band has dubbed its penchant for putting its grimy little fingerprints on everything they touch “the Rattlebone sound.” In turn, hardcore fans have taken to calling themselves “Boneheads” and show up at any given Rattlebone-laden affair both en masse and in T-shirts resembling that remark.
As for the future, Houle revealed that his beloved Boneheads may very soon be able to sink their teeth into some all-original Rattlebone.
“We have some tunes in the box, and plan on recording,” he says, “but we are really looking to establish ourselves as a musical force in the Valley before breaking them out.”
We’d say winning a Grand Band Slam honor is certainly an important musical means to that end…
Swing
The Primate Fiasco
Primate Fiasco dominates the world of swing music only, perhaps, in this competition—cramming such a multi-purpose band into any one category is like saying duct tape is only good for packing boxes. Highly saturated in fun and low in weepy ballads and other cancer-causing agents, the Fiasco can rock as hard as any metal band, get as extraterrestrial as any jam band, or bob as rhythmically as any reggae act.
But then there’s the sousaphone.
And instead of a phalanx of guitars working out the tasty licks or some piano man pounding out the melodies, there’s trumpeter Nick Borges and clarinetist Steve Yarbo. Yarbro also plays a mean sax, and with Borges, he offers exuberant and pitch-perfect backing vocals. But unless you see them in action, it’s hard to get beyond the band’s prominent horn section. You just don’t bring a clarinet player to the headbanger’s ball, and a lot of folks have an allergic reaction to tubas in their rock.
But captain David DelloRusso, playing banjo, and his first-mate Chris Trevethan on drums keep the horns in line, steering them through whatever musical mayhem ensues. While their live shows are a romping good time, they also regularly appear on the streets of the Pioneer Valley for free shows, and they can be found hosting open mic night at Bishop’s Lounge in Northampton. This year the band also released its second album, Wheels on the Bus, which is for kids, but the country, funk, jazz and psychedelic Dixieland they perform is more than appropriate for all ages.
When asked what’s next for this band, DelloRusso replied: “We’re currently in a secret room standing around a world map table with many arrows radiating outward from New England towards many fresh targets. It’s go time. For the first time in the band’s history, the entire lineup is available to take it to the next level.”
Rockabilly
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies are an area institution, but that doesn’t mean they’re stuck in the mud. The band, about to celebrate two decades as “America’s favorite bloodgrass” outfit, has built a cyber house of horrors at GetAngry.com.
Dubbed “Killville, Massachusetts: the creepiest little town in New England,” the site is a multimedia fun house incorporating a gallery of Angry’s art, a general store for merchandise, and songs a-plenty on WKIL, Killville Radio.
The quartet—Angry on guitar and vocals, Sal Vega on drums, Goatis T. Ovenrude on mandolin, and Slabs Theilman on bass—is busier than ever these days, with a full slate of shows and the release this year of two live albums along with In the Nuthouse Now, Angry and Goatis T Ovenrude’s critically acclaimed children’s album.
Angry and company seemed surprised by their GBS victory. “Didn’t know we were in a contest,” he says. “Do we get money or something?”
What’s the band currently working on?
“A sandwich,” says Angry.
Potential acceptance speech?: “Thank you, but we are not a rockabilly band!”
Country
Brian Chicoine and the Truck Stop Troubadours
In an area where alternative music is king, sometimes it takes an outlaw or two to shake things up. In the Pioneer Valley, Brian Chicoine and the Truck Stop Troubadours may just be the desperadoes for the job.
Even though the Chicopee/Springfield group is one of the newer faces on the local music scene, Chicoine and company’s mix of classic country and honky tonk music remains defiantly old school. “A Truck Stop Troubadour show is chock-full of classic country songs from the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, et cetera,” said Chicoine. “You will hear all these songs with a little bit of oomph behind it. You will also hear original songs in the classic country tradition.”
And it’s not just impact the band is after, either. While converting as many non-country fans to their sound as possible, the group also hopes to inspire other musicians in the Valley. Chicoine’s advice: “Just keep at it and play the music that you love to play. Like the great Ricky Nelson once wrote, ‘You can’t please everyone, so you have to please yourself.'”
Funk
Ghost Quartet
Ghost Quartet, neither truly spectral nor truly a quartet, hails from Turners Falls. The band combines a horn-driven jazziness with an undeniable dose of funk. The idea is to narrow in on a unique color of music, and Ghost Quartet often achieves something singular. Or, as the band explains on its website, “Rural Massachusetts. Experimental. Trying to break the cycle. Of executive design. Too many clones. Can’t breathe. Too much make-up. Not us. In the air. Break the cycle. Double think. Robots. Not us. Robots.” They also list among their influences “birds, bread, floor boards, people who whistle, alarm clocks, wind, Einstein, Elvis,” and a bunch more.
Which is all, apparently, to say that vocalist Hilary Graves graces the proceedings with a solid attack and a good sense of how to navigate melody, and the instrumental department is well stocked with fun soloing and a great sense of groove. The rest of the band includes Zach Holmes, Sam French, Kevin Smith and Josh Powers, plus occasional additions in the horn section.
Jazz
Jamie Kent and the Options
Musicians have long fretted about the feasibility of supporting themselves professionally. However, Florence jazz strummer Jamie Kent is among the few to plead his case directly on the Web. Via his website, interested fans can join “the Collective,” an online community of members who pay not only for special access to Kent’s material, but also are allowed actual input on the direction of his career. The money helps keep him afloat, and the close-knit interaction sparks fierce loyalty. “Recently a fan got a tattoo of a lyric from our song ‘Ama San,'” Kent said. “We didn’t really realize the potential impact of our music until that point.”
While living as an independent musician in the Valley has its perks, the experience can also create some unusual drawbacks. Kent said, “The best and worst part about being a musician in the Valley is the amazing music scene here. When there’s great music going on at 10 different places on the same night—that can occasionally be a bit frustrating when trying to get fans out to see your show!”
Groove/Jam
Accidental Groove
While not all the members of Accidental Groove actually hail from the Pioneer Valley, their musical pedigree transcends mere location and spans almost two full decades.
First forming as a quintet in 1993, the group’s lineup solidified in 2006 with the introduction of bassist Tony Barbosa and guitarist Keith LaFlamme. “This latest lineup has never had any issue in ‘holding the crowd,'” said drummer Guy Drapeau. “The group is tight, personable and plays a wide range of music.”
Unfortunately, all good times must come to an end. As of this writing, the band has decided to call it quits. Its farewell show was played at Rookies in Cromwell, Conn. on Aug. 21. And while reunion plans have yet to be determined, Drapeau still has advice for other aspiring musicians. “Promotions, promotions, promotions. If you don’t promote, you will get nowhere fast. Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal. If you suck, no one will come see you. Be different. People like to be surprised, even if it’s something stupid.”
Tribute
Back in Black
While it wasn’t possible to land a live interview with an actual member of Back in Black, this year’s GBS winner in the Tribute Band category, it’s unlikely that Springfield’s famed AC/DC act was intentionally ducking us. Rather, the band was out on the road, touring at its typically steady clip throughout New England and beyond. From Boston to Burlington, Augusta to Atlanta, Back in Black has long been recognized for its pitch-perfect, note-for-note replication of the AC/DC experience. That’s no easy task, even for the virtuosos in Back in Black. Moreover, there’s always another bunch of SG-toting Angus Young wannabes coming along to try to knock them off the top rung: based on a quick online search, there are at least 153 AC/DC tribute bands worldwide, with at least four in Massachusetts and seven using the name Back in Black. Call us parochial for saying that the best of all of them hails from the Valley, but please know this: only one of them, Springfield’s Back in Black, has a GBS victory to its credit.
Electronica
Jeff Bujak
As the self-described father of “intelligent dance music,” Northampton’s Jeff Bujak has an interesting description of what fans might expect from one of his shows. “It’s like grabbing a LED Koosh ball, pinching one of the strings and swinging it around while laughing and dancing—that feeling, literally,” he said. “My best shows are ones where I feel appreciated, by fans as well as the venue.”
That’s good news for partygoers, because, despite playing in an area that has yet to fully embrace the live electronica scene, Bujak’s choice of venues is almost limitless. “My favorite venue has always been in people’s living rooms. When I rage house parties, I get to see people in their own element having fun as they see fit, without the hassle of a jackass door-guy and hefty beer costs,” he said.
Interestingly, Bujak’s unorthodox approach also makes good business sense. With album sales in decline, most artists make their money from playing live. “Album sales mean nothing to me,” Bujak said. “Heads and smiles at a show is everything. Give the album out for free and get people to the show!”
Rock
Triple X
Originally born in 1988 under the moniker Xerus, the modern-day Triple X found the unexpected inspiration to reform while browsing through Facebook. After discovering a video of their younger selves rocking out online, founding members John LaValley, Jake Torrey and Mike Duquette recruited vocalist Gina Andia and guitarist Dave Hall to round out their lineup. From there, the band, with members from West Springfield, Westfield and Chicopee, has taken to recreating the feeling of a true “arena rock” show in clubs around the Valley, complete with lights, smoke and strobes. LaValley said, “We like to play stuff that you never get to hear in the clubs. And no genre is safe. We’ve gone from Pat Benatar to Megadeth to Judas Priest to Pink.”
However, if there’s one complaint the group has, it’s that in terms of number of venues, the area has definitely seen better days. “Not enough clubs anymore,” said LaValley. “We’ve seen the demise of some great rooms in the last two years. The recession has taken its toll on the local live music scene.”
Hardcore
The Uncomfortables
About a decade ago, The Uncomfortables rose from the ashes of the legendary Valley punk outfit Pajama Slave Dancers. For these scene veterans—guitarist and vocalist Jeff Blood, bassist and vocalist Scott Blood, and drummer Dirk Futon—winning the GBS is cool, but the recognition is even cooler.
“We’ve never stopped,” says Jeff. “The sound has changed, as have we. We’re a lot heavier and less silly, but still love rock and roll like nothing else. We’ve done big huge shows, and shows just for the bartender, so you kind of get to thinking nobody cares, but then, well, maybe we’re not as invisible as we think.”
The trio is currently working on a full-length with Matt Bachand from Shadows Fall engineering and co-producing. Jon Donais (Shadows Fall), Joel Stroetzel (Killswitch Engage), and Mark Schwaber are all slated to make guest appearances.
What’s the trio planning to top their GBS victory?
“Nothing short of total world domination and enslavement of the masses to serve our own hedonistic urges,” says Jeff. “Or else just keep on keepin’ on. Either way.”
Potential acceptance speech?: “Something stolen straight from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure: be excellent to each other.”
Folk
Rusty Belle
Amherst’s Rusty Belle plays folk of a sort, but not folk as it’s mostly thought of. Their music combines acoustic strings, accordion, melodica, junkyard percussion, and the great harmonizing of brother and sister vocalists Matt and Kate Lorenz.
Their sound ranges from heavily rhythmic weirdness to gorgeous balladeering, and the level of musicianship is unusually high to boot—accordionist/melodicist Jazer Giles in particular weaves a mean melody around the glorious clanking and rattling and harmonizing. The band has made several albums, most recently a two-parter, On A Full Moon Weekend. The Saturday installment is a winsome, gorgeous and varied album, and the band’s live shows promise a good time that’s just as mercurial and absorbing.
Experimental/Noise
Fat Worm of Error
Fat Worm of Error has had a very busy year. The eight-year-old Northampton quintet took a tour overseas, and traversed this country as well, spreading the gospel of surreal experimentalism.
“We did a rock opera in Holland about haunted ships and tropical amusement parks,” says guitarist Chris Cooper. “The only physical memory, after they recycled our week’s worth of set constructions—those Dutch are so efficient!—is a ludicrously limited eight-inch record, packaged in lawsuit-inducing splinters.”
The group also took a special trip to Chicago to “audibly animate a Venusian baker’s dozen [17]” of Arthur Ganson’s videos of his machines. “YouTube that Ganson fellow,” says Cooper. “It’s worth it.”
Amidst all the traveling and rocking, Fat Worm also managed to release a “blindingly professional” LP on Open Mouth/Ecstatic Peace, a tape cassette memento of their Ganson tribute, a CDR reissue on Resipiscent, and a “scrappy” seven-inch on Brazilian Wax.
Potential acceptance speech?: “Fire! For God’s sake, save yourselves!”
Latin
Viva Quetzal
Viva Quetzal has long spread the sounds of South America—they began in 1992, and have racked up lots of GBS wins—but the band channels that distinctive regional style through a more North American cousin: jazz. The result is a compelling hybrid that’s highly danceable, highly energetic, and full of interesting instrumental moments.
Saxophonist Jon Weeks explains that although “the music has been described as Afro-Andean fusion, these days we call it a blend of Andean, Caribbean, jazz and rock.”
The current lineup includes Weeks, Joe Belmont, Roberto Clavijo, Wes Brown, Jeff Nissenbaum and Abe Sanchez, and the list of instruments they employ is very long, including unusual wind and stringed instruments from Andean climes, as well as saxophone, guitar and drums.
Performance DJ
Studebaker Hawk
While Studebaker Hawk—aka Justin Cohen—started DJing professionally in 2004, he’s been spinning records for far longer: “The years prior were mostly just in my bedroom.”
As is typical for Cohen, 2010 has been a hectic year. He’s gigged regularly around the Northeast, and brought his unique style to WMUA 91.1FM every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.
As always, he was on the hunt for the best sounds. “I’m always searching for music that causes a reaction, whether that’s physical or emotional,” says Cohen. “Tones are the most important part, but I have a penchant for heavy percussion, cosmic synthesizer, big guitar solos, and dub techniques. I also lean towards the exotic. My favorite records are songs that make you think, ‘How does this exist?’ and, at the same time, are undeniably great tracks.”
These days Cohen is busy playing incessantly around Western Mass. His newest residency is as the house DJ for the Bon Appetit Burlesque event, which takes place monthly at Diva’s Nightclub in Northampton.
“I’m also busy recording, getting ready to release mixes,” he says. “Watch for the first mix, Macho City, within the next couple months.
“Thanks to everyone who showed their love and voted for me. I promise to keep doing my thing and bringing you beautiful music.”
Hip-Hop
The Problemaddicts
A highlight of last year’s Grand Band Slam (despite the absence of core member Tone) was a set from The Problemaddicts. They continue to deliver fresh beats and consistently original rhymes. It’s hard to come off as simultaneously smart and hip, but these guys manage to craft catchy anthems while filling most of them with substantive, meat-and-potatoes narrative that’s almost invariably thought-provoking.
Their live act has been honed considerably since their formation around four years ago, and to see them in well-rehearsed form is to witness professional-caliber multi-MC synchronization. Check out their latest Mystika Music release Burn This Shit to hear what’s been running through the minds of Tone, Force, Vorheez, Black Buddha and 1Man Sound, and what’s been driving the turntables of DJ Theory.
