Category: Bands/Comps/Splits
Six Star General ‘Hair Supply’ review in Motif Magazine
You can read the review here.
An endless supply of true alternative rock
In October of last year, we lost a musical pioneer who many consider to be the father of alternative rock, Lou Reed. Hailing from an era where the vast majority of teenage record buyers were still consuming “boy loves girl” lyrical content, he and his band The Velvet Underground provided a truly alternative approach to songwriting and performing. Though seen at the time as a commercial flop (their debut album selling less than 350,000 units upon release), his deadpan vocals and gritty prose contributed in elevating rock to an art form, and went on to influence four generations of musicians and still counting.
Whether consciously or not, one such band that seems to have garnered influence and possesses many of those same prodigious qualities is Providence’s Six Star General. Their latest CD offering, Hair Supply is a concrete example of this trio’s ability to move effortlessly from post-psychedelic trippiness to hard metal authority, yet all the while remaining just esoteric enough to leave the listener intrigued. The band is made up of Kyle Jackson on guitar, Mark MacDougall on bass and vocals, and drummer Dan Ulmschneider. Though each of these gentlemen have incurred some health issues over the past year, which merely delayed the process of promoting Hair Supply, these generals are back in service and ready for action.
The disc opens with the ethereal “Christopher Walken,” a rhythmically driving, four-chord tour de force, that’s every bit as mysterious as its namesake. In a musical styling reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, and a stolid vocal delivery that evokes the aforementioned Reed, MacDougall presents the listener with beautifully disjointed poetry: “You walk in, Chris Walken claims he’s the king of New York… Milwaukee, Wisconsin will keep all the teachers away….Keep smoking, keep joking, it all evens out in the end.” Throughout, an angelic chorus subtly blankets the entire mix, culminating to a steep end, as the band-proper fades out.
The band changes course in the next track, the riotous “I Don’t Know Where We’re Going (But I know That It’s Not Good).” Kyle Jackson dials in his best Tony Iommi guitar-tone for this cautionary tale of inebriate excess. “Thrill your brain with alcohol, let me buy this round for you – You took too many shot glasses, so what are we gonna do… I don’t know where we’re going, but I know that it’s not good.”
One surprise on Hair Supply was Six Star General’s raucous rendition of Daniel Johnston’s “Life In Vain.” Done originally as an acoustic number, MacDougall and the boys transform a whiny, teenage angst-ridden song (featured last season in an episode of HBO’s original series “Girls”) into a catchy, palatable rocker, far better suited for national broadcast than its impotent original.
There is little wonder why Six Star General’s eight-song Hair Supply has been nominated for Alternative Album of the year. In fact, the only thing that has me scratching my head is one line in the band’s biography section of their website: “[Six Star General] make very little money from their music.” How can that possibly be true, considering the band regularly plays to packed houses in rooms throughout New England? It’s a disgrace and a scourge on the entire local music scene that talent this extraordinary goes relatively uncompensated for their efforts. I’ll have more to say on the overall topic in an upcoming article. But suffice it to say that Six Star General has earned their stripes over their past decade of creating absorbing alternative rock.
Sick Pills at Pour Farm
with the O’Toole’s, and Nick Sundman
The Pour Farm Tavern & Grille
New Bedford, Massachusetts
8pm
Vote in the 2014 Motif Music Awards
You can go here to vote for the 2014 nominees for the Motif Music Awards. 75orLess artists with nominations include Bob Kendall, Mark Cutler, The McGunks, Sick Pills, The diePods, Haunt the House, Jacob Haller, and Six Star General.
The McGunks at Firehouse 13
with Wayne ‘The Train’ Hancock, and Whiskey Kill
Firehouse 13
Central St.
Providence, RI
8pm
All ages
Allysen Caller ‘Mumblin’ Sue’ review at No Depression
You can read the review here.
If you’re in Austin this week, one performer to check out at SXSW is “ghost folk” artist Allysen Callery. Hailing from tiny Rhode Island, she was just selected as one of 40 “intriguing” artists to watch at SXSW by NPR critic Bob Boilen. Although she is pretty well known in New England (2012 Providence Phoenix Singer-Songwriter of the Year), and has a dedicated following in Europe and Australia, she’s yet to break out on the national scene. Her recent release, Mumblin’ Sue, could change that.
Callery lives by the ocean in Bristol, Rhode Island, across the pond from Bristol, UK. Her style is heavily influenced by the British Folk Revival of the 1960s and early 70s. In an interview she noted, “I grew up listening to my father’s old Steeleye Span, Incredible String Band, and Fairport Convention records. When I started writing music of my own, it was noted in some of the first reviews that the ‘ghost of British Isles Folk’ was in my music.”
She’s recorded several albums that show that influence, most recently, Mumblin’ Sue, released in June of 2013. The collection of songs is notable for its intricate guitar work – no overdubs here – just pure melodic magic. In fact her fingerpicked guitar feels more like her singing partner; sometimes leading her, other times, seemingly answering her lyrics. The interplay between her voice and her guitar is unique.
Her lyrics are just on the edge of surreal, slightly off center, and intensely passionate. Her voice is unique, but not unfamiliar. Sounding a little like early Joni Mitchell, with a voice airy and mystical, she’s a fairy whisperer. But her words speak to the human experience. In “The Hollow,” she asks…
In Your Hollow
Do You Collect the Sunlight
In Your Hollow
Lonely
On the brilliant “Lily of the Valley,” her nuanced guitar work equals her understated delivery.
Someone had to be the hard headed hammer
Well let me be the part that pries the nails out
When all of the walls built between us are gone
We’ll lie in the grass
In the warm sun
She has some fun on this album too. On the delicate “I Had a Lover I Thought Was My Own,” the narrator falls for the town gigolo. In “My Carolina,” whimsical lyrics match an upbeat tempo…
Meet Me Midnight
Soft step candlelight
And I’ll slip inside
I’m on fire driving down your highway
Callery’s warmth and delicate delivery comes through in concert; her “look” is reminiscent of early Joan Baez. There’s a lot going on in her music, and it’s well worth a listen. No doubt, there are many talented artists deserving of more widespread recognition – Allysen Callery is one of them.
Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage at The Parlour
with Sea Foam
The Parlour
North Main Street
Providence, RI
9pm
Allysen Callery at Stephen F’s Bar
Stephen F’s Bar
Austin, TX
9pm
Allysen Callery at Koop Radio 91.7
You can listen to the performance here.
Koop Radio 91.7
Airport Blvd Austin, TX 78723
11am CST
Baylies Band at The Parlour
with Minibeast, Gezan (from Japan), Cave Bears, and Viennagram
The Parlour
No. Main Street
Providence, RI
Dennis Most and the Instigators at the Waterfront
The Waterfront
Holyoke, Mass