The Dead Americans Sophmore Debut: Pig Fish

The Dead Americans

Pig Fish

Keep it Fake 

Celebrating their sophomore release, The Dead Americans will debut their CD Pig Fish Saturday, February 18^th , 2012 at a free show at the Oak Street Speakeasy with Hot Drama! 

The Dead Americans, a blend of pop, ska, rock and punk got their start in 2003.  Capitalizing on their right to freedom of speech, principal songwriters are Zak Johnson and Kyra Kelly.  

The current lineup has been together since 2005 with John Raden, on drums.  Raden, like Johnson, teaches music for a living.  Currently, Raden and Johnson both also play and tour with Candy Apple Bleu and David Jacobs-Strain.  Bass player, Josh Britton,  a U of O music school graduate, proficient in jazz and well as rock, country and metal. He, too, teaches music for a living and regularly gigs and performs with other acts.  Rhythm guitar player, Terry Travis is the soft spoken one in the band, lending a “touch of class” to the band’s often rowdy performances. 

The bands first CD, The Boy Who Shot Out the Sun, was released in 2006 and was met with some acclaim not only locally, but throughout their West Coast tour, opening up for such well-knowns as Shiny Toy Guns and the Trucks to the all girl AC/DC tribute band, Hell’s Bells.

Speaking with Kyra Kelly, singer/songwriter of this Eugene-based band, I was able to gain some insight into the CD, the band, and a little bit about the politics of the band’s music. It's apparent from hearing this CD this band is destined to headline.

Kelly explains a little bit about how this CD came to fruition. “This album was a long labor of love. During the course of the past 7 years, the band has written approximately 60 songs, recorded about 25, and whittled it down to the current selection for Pig Fish.   Several of the songs on Pig Fish were recorded by our friend and fellow musician Dave Trenkel.  We recorded the 3 newest songs at Gung Ho Studio with Billy Barnett. We had help with mixing from Billy and our friend and fellow musician Blake Padilla. The final album was mastered by Billy Barnett at the beautiful Gung Ho studio right here in Eugene.”   

The Dead Americans

 I also had a chance to listen to the tracks of the CD.  Kelly’s voice is as strong as Aimee Mann (of ‘Til Tuesday), as rough as Joan Jett (Joan Jett and The Blackhearts) and as a raw as Janis Joplin.  This CD has some socially sobering songs as written by both lead guitarist and vocalist, Zak Johnson, as well as some in collaboration with Kelly.

When trying to make some sense of the title of the CD, I asked Kelly for some kind of hint.  She explains “the take home message of the album is that it’s important to challenge systems that ultimately suppress you or eat you up inside. If we as Americans can’t intelligently question authority, then we’re already dead, as in zombified and powerless.  It’s a play on the phrase “big fish in small ponds.” The new phrase “Pig Fish” takes it up a notch as a social critique. The Pig Fish are the tiny minority of bloated untouchables who create the laws that govern the rest of us.  The Pig Fish are up there in their exclusive cliques, above the law and unreachable for the average person. I think of these “Pig Fish” who create magical ladders that they take right up behind them as they climb their secret path into privileged safety zones, thus denying others access.”

At this point, asking about religion really seemed pointless.  Especially given the fact that this very topic presents itself in  a song off the CD. 

Like most albums, Pig Fish is an intimate audio accounting of the lives and times of the songwriters.   This eleven-song CD illustrates angst for a decaying society, demoralizing social mores and the upheaval known only to true revolutionaries.

Kelly wrote the first track, Born Again, a song inspired by her rejection of her Catholic faith at the age of 17 by refusing to be confirmed.  Musically, the song is reminiscent of the song Dragon Attack by Queen off The Game album.  This song pulses with a beat that is difficult to forget.  The title track song, Pig Fish,written by Johnson, outlines the different levels of hierarchy. It details how innocent lives are often lost within the system of power and how being locked into a corrupt system can be a frustrating, soul sucking thing. Both of the songs Cryin’ Sunshine and Mercy deal with similar subject matter and metaphor: Kids who have been cast out by their parents/people that have been cast out by society.  

While the CD is a strong representation of this skill this band has, both musically and lyrically, there are two songs that struck this writer’s attention:  Agnostic Song and Rainy Day. Both are songs that illustrate this band's strengths.

Agnostic Song, written by Zak Johnson, is melodic with a catchy guitar hook permeating the entire song, coupled with Johnson’s Elvis Costello like vocals and the ‘mixed down’ production.  It’s not rock, or pop… The vocal harmonies depict a vocal discipline not often heard in clubs and certainly demonstrates the caliber of talent this band possesses.  Originally titled “Et Tu, Jesu?” This song grapples with socially prescribed belief systems vs. trusting in the wisdom of your own soul’s path. 

The song, Rainy Day, lyrics by Kyra Kelly, music by Zak Johnson, is a song that was inspired by the concept of domestic unhappiness stemming from socially prescribed gender roles & financial stress which many people feel unfulfilled in or trapped by.  This punk-like song is tight with syncopated rhythms and strong guitars.  Johnson shines in his guitar solo with Raden's masterful drumming.  

Kyra Kelly

 Kelly sheds light on the band’s name and explains “Sometimes I feel like the phrase “Dead Americans” is another metaphor for the sort of trance so many of us are living under, as we unquestioningly swallow the things we see and hear through media messages, political campaigns that we don’t really have the full story on, religious institutions that also brainwash much of the American public into passively accepting a position of powerlessness. It’s easy to feel like voting is a waste of time with all of the contradictory messages you hear and all of the half-truths we are told.”

She goes on to say, “In spite of all of this, ultimately there is hope. I think it starts with waking up and questioning things that will break the spell and allow us to come back to ourselves and each other. Being yourself doesn’t always come easy when there are lots of other forces telling you to “be the best, eliminate the competition, do it your way at all costs… oh, and by the way, hurry up!”  

Explaining some of her stage show antics, she says, “I like to poke a little fun at the whole mess, too. That’s why I occasionally do things like dress like a playboy bunny, pour fake blood on myself, and writhe around the stage strangling myself with a gigantic $100 bill. It’s a great stress reliever!”

With this new CD, this band has proven their ability as individual musicians as well as a band.  Exploiting the material-rich social climate, The Dead Americans do well at punctuating their view of this world with pounding beats, steady rhythms and music that makes you want to move.

--Nancy Glass

Tillamook County Fair

This article was originally published on Positively Entertainment and is re-posted here with permission.

 Lonestar, .38 Special & Neal McCoy set to perform

by:  Nancy Rae Glass
.38 SpecialBeach! Music! New Carnival Rides!

There is nothing finer than getting out of town, enjoying some very nice weather at the beach! Over on the coast in Tillamook this month is The Tillamook County Fair from Aug. 10-13, a family friendly event with entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.
This year’s music line up is rather potent with the likes of Lonestar, .38 Special and Neal McCoy performing. In addition to the fine musical line up, there are many other live entertainment events sure to captivate any audience. From Brad’s World of Reptiles and Curtis Carlyle the Comedy Juggler, to Semore the Robot to Balloon artists extraordinaire Dr. Fun & Dr. Good, this year’s fair has something for everyone.
The music starts at 8 p.m. each night beginning Wednesday with the band Lonestar, .38 Special on Thursday and Neal McCoy Friday. Admission to the performances is included with fair admission. Closing the fair this year is the highly anticipated Demolition Derby on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Throughout the fair, there will also be Pig-N-Ford Races Thursday–Saturday at 5:30 and Pari-Mutuel Horse Racing Wednesday through Saturday, post time 1 p.m.
Danny Chauncey, lead guitar player for the band .38 Special, had this to say about their upcoming performance at the fair on Aug. 11 at 8 p.m.; “We love playing these kinds of venues. The fans are so great and we’re pretty much face-to face with them! We also have done some work on our set list and have incorporated more songs into the set,” says Chauncey.
With admission only $10 for the day or $30 for a season pass and children ages 6–11 admission at only $6, this year’s fair is easier than ever to afford. The carnival area boasts four new rides this year; when was the last time you saw a new ride at a carnival?
In addition to the entertainment of the fair, there is also the 4-H and Future Farmer’s of America (FFA) exhibits and competitions ranging from pigs, sheep, rabbits, to cows, chickens and goats, as well as baking competitions, photography and textile competitions and so much more! There is certainly plenty to see and do this year at the Tillamook Co. Fair.

Random Pressure: Band raises bar for classic covers, note for note

This article was originally published on Positively Entertainment, and is re-posted with permission. 

By:  Nancy Rae Glass

Random Pressure
At 10 years old this writer read a book by Norton Jester entitled The Phantom Tollbooth. It was an unusual story about a very bored eight-year-old boy named Milo who received a tollbooth one day after returning home from school. Little could Milo realize the fantastic adventure in store for him when he dropped his token in the toll box and went motoring through the tollgate in the small kiddy car.
In the pages of this book was discovered the word cacophony, as defined by dictionary.com as “a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds.” Not having much use for such a word at 10 years old, it was stored away in the mental custom dictionary for later use some 20 years later when writing about music and musicians.
This is not a word to describe the celebrated band Random Pressure. “Years ago when I was in a recording studio, the engineer used the words ‘random pressure’ to technically describe the term ‘noise’,” recalls guitarist and vocalist Marty McCray. “I remember thinking to myself that would be a really good name for an album.” Ironically, McCray now finds himself playing guitar and singing for this popular cover band.
With such seasoned musicians as bassist Bruce Short (former guitar player for the cover band The Junkyard Dogs); and “right on the money” drummer Norm Whitehurst; with Pat Yadon on vocals; and the precision keyboarding of Ted Gardner, McCray describes the band; “We’re raising the bar a little higher for cover bands by capitalizing on the inherent musicianship of the members, by performing cover songs not normally heard in clubs but are fun to dance to and by all of us to have a great time playing music. We rehearsed nearly an entire year together as a band before we set foot in front of an audience just over a year ago.”
Random Pressure gets it right… every single time. When was the last time you heard Boston’s Foreplay (the song Boston does right before the song Long Time) performed in a club? While watching the band play at The New Hing’s Restaurant in Oregon City a few months back, this listener’s jaw literally dropped open when this song began. Note for note, it was technically correct, amazing to hear and a wonder to watch! And, for whatever reason, folks even tried to get up and dance to that two-minute and 30 second intro to Boston’s song Long Time.
“We’re primarily a keyboard band,” says McCray. With such songs on their weekly changed playlists, the band also performs Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Blinded by the Light, as well as Electric Light Orchestra’s Evil Woman. Not only does the band have a full sound, all members sing backing vocals that go a very long way in correctly rendering the song for the audience’s delight and continued loyalty.
“We’re really all about getting folks out on the dance floor dancing,” says McCray. “We all know what it’s like to have a grueling day job and when it’s the weekend, we want to have fun and make sure other’s do too. At any given moment the band knows over 400 songs and we change it up each time we play to add excitement to the night. We have such a strong following and are very grateful to our very loyal fans that come out and dance and have a good time.”
With the balance of 2011 booked at places like Pub 181 in Gresham, at Hing’s in Oregon City and even the Corbett Fun Fest over the 4th of July, you can check out the band’s website www.randompressure.com for more information.

Sonwriting muscles flexed at Music Millennium

This article was originally published on  05/04/2010 on www.oregonmusicnews.com


By:  Nancy Glass

The Music The Songwriters Circle 10th Anniversary Show at Music Millennium tonight was unusually eclectic. Ten years ago, on May 1st, 2000, a singer/songwriter tradition was born in live in-store music performances on the first Monday of every month.

Mary Flower

Tonight such seasoned song writers as Thad Beckman, Michael O’Neill, Michael Smith, Jack McMahon, Art Alexakis, Mary Flower, and Monti Amundson and Greggory Stockert performed. The second set included Jack McMahon, Monti Amundson and Michael Smith performing. Monti sang songs written in Paris, while Michael Smith performed songs about a woman with only one tear duct. All artists were both illustrative and intimate in the rendering of the emotional connection to their songs.
The third set was a trail mix set with Greggory Stockert, Mary Flower and Art Alexakis. Introduced as Portland’s “rock star” Alexakis opened with “Portland Rain” of the 2008 album Welcome to the Drama Club. Flower rendered a couple little ditties about befriending and defriending on Facebook, the PGA and Springtime. While Stockert sang about his ‘bitchin’ little Pearl of a Girl a song written about a gal who worked at the White Eagle. As a special treat Stockert’s grand-daughters (Venus and Pearl) backed up his last song I’m Just a Little Baby.
Each of these performers has a unique talent. The most obvious consistent element was the strength and quality of the songs performed from blues to rock to folk to country. As usual, the Music Millennium in-store performance was free.

The Hang

Art Alexakis

Got a chance to talk to Art Alexakis as well tonight. Learned that Everclear has been added to 4 dates of the 2010 Vans Warped Tour this year. Of the four dates he mentioned, he confirmed August 14th, 2010 performance at the Gorge Amphitheater as well as the August 15th, 2010 date in Hilsboro at The Washington County Fairgrounds.
While we were watching the performances upstairs in the vinyl section of Music Millennium, we were standing in front of the bins of vinyl and as if scripted our eyes wandered to the the iconic album cover of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream & Other Delights LP. If you’re over 40, your parents had this album. “I remember this record” I said to Alexakis. “My Mother had it, and I remember listening to it when I was about 7.” Alexakis volleyed back “I remember being in the offices of this guy (Herb Alpert) in L.A. as a publishing company was wanting me to sign with them, the son’s of Alpert & Jerry Moss. These guys really wanted me to sign with them, and I was on the fence about it really. As I was in the office building I saw a poster of this woman (the woman on the LP covered in whipped cream). Herb Alpert showed up and I asked him if he knew the name of the woman. “I don’t remember” Alpert said. “C’mon man… you don’t remember this woman’s name?” Alexakis said. “Well, now that you mention it” Alpert said, “I think her name was Tina.” After a very pregnant pause Alexakis asks Alpert ” Well, did you f*ck her? Grabbing the LP, flipping it over, and pointing out the nerdy looking photo of Herb Alpert. “Well, yes I did” Alpert said. “Great!” Alexakis said after which he signed the publishing deal. “Was that your bullshit detector on the company?” “Hell yes,” Alexakis laughed.

"Tina"

The album cover (1965) is considered a classic. It featured model Dolores Erickson wearing only what appeared to be whipped cream. In reality, Erickson was wearing a white blanket over which were scattered artfully-placed daubs of shaving cream–real whipped cream would have melted under the heat of the studio lights (although the cream on her head is real whipped cream). The art was parodied by several groups including one-time A&M band Soul Asylum and by comedian Pat Cooper for his album Spaghetti Sauce and Other Delights. The singles included the title cut, “Lollipops and Roses“, and “A Taste of Honey.” The latter won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Going Places produced four more singles: “Tijuana Taxi”, “Spanish Flea“, “Third Man Theme”, and “Zorba the Greek”.

Meat Loaf plays Chinook Winds Casino

This article was originally published 01/15/2011 on www.oregonmusicnews.com

By:  Nancy Glass

Meatloaf's "big surprise"

Let’s get one thing straight… I’m NOT a big Meat Loaf fan. But, I’ve been listening to him since his musical debut in the Rocky Horror Picture Show when he sang that memorable song “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul” back in 1975, and some of his songs have grown on me. So, going to see him live at Chinook Winds Casino was a no-brainer. Besides, at this venue, there are no bad seats!
What’s got Meat Loaf out performing is his latest CD Hang Cool Teddy Bear, which was released on May 11th, 2010 by Loud & Proud Records.
Celebrating his 11th record, Meat Loaf spoke of the album in a video interview: “It’s the most important record of my career. I’ve never been more proud of anything.”

Meatloaf's 11th release Hang Cool Teddy Bear

After picking up the CD and doing my usual listen through, there are a lot of songs in the “Meat Loaf style”–that is to say, lots of pounding guitars and heavy bass drums with a wall of sound type production value. Even a couple of the songs, while Jim Steinman did not write them, are perfect for Meatloaf.
The track that has been receiving airplay across the US since the release is “LosAngeloser.” Unusually poppy for Meat Loaf, it’s one of those songs if you hear it once, you won’t be able to get it out of your head.
Imagine my surprise then hearing only 3 songs off the CD in the two-hour set! Cashing in on his familiar songs, Meat Loaf’s third song of the night was title song from Bat Out Of Hell. He also sang “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through,” “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth,” “I Would Do Anything for Love,” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.”
“This song was written on a bet” Meat said, as the intro for “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” began on guitar. “A bet was made to Jim Steinman that he couldn’t write a song simply, such as ‘I Want You I Need You I Love You’ by Elvis Presley. He looked around and looked at a woman nearby and said to her… ‘I want you. I need you. But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. Now don’t be sad. Cause two out of three ain’t bad.’ Within five Jimmy had the entire song done.”
Closing the night with the song “Paradise by The Dashboard Lights,” a “big surprise” was brought on stage toward the end of the song. With the help of his female lead vocalist, Patti Russo, a very large penis-shaped air gun, shot white tee shirts in to the sold out crowd. Let me tell you, it was pandemonium for this over 40 crowd.
For a man who is 63-years-old, or as he says “sexty-three-years-old,” he’s looking good and puts on a lively, energetic show.
You can see it in his face… this man loves what he’s doing.

Necessity and Fate Create IB6-UB9

This article was published on 08/10/2011 on http://eugenedailynews.com and is re-posted here with permission.

Nancy Glass, EDN

Had it not been for the Mother of Invention and a simple act of Fate, the band IB6-UB9 might not be in existence today.   This Eugene based, metal, pop, rock band consisting of four talented musicians are bonded not only as band mates but as life-long friends.  Despite everything they  continue to perform, almost if immune to the  “eat ‘em up and spit ‘em out” machine, known as the music business.

Rod Meckle

Founding member bass player Rod Meckle (pronounced, MEK-LEE) explains “the band was formed  back in 1998 when I got a call from a promoter.  This promoter knew my band,  EISENBLAKK, had broken up but was in need of a good opening act for a touring national act. He wanted to know if I had an act that could open up the show. I asked who is the national act?  He said Dokken!  Well, I didn’t have anything together but I told him I did!
Knowing I had just two weeks before the show, I started piecing together the band.   Ironically, about a month earlier, I had run across an old drummer friend, Shane Thomas. I had not seen him in about ten years.  I called him up and said “we got a gig opening for Dokken!”  “What??” Thomas said.  “We don’t even have a band!”
I then remembered another friend of mine, Timothy Potter, the guitar player for a band named ARIVAL, was looking to get something going with a new band.  I stopped by a friends house and as fate would have it, Timothy Potter was there!  He then, turned me on to the X-Piracy lead singer, Shane Thornton, who became our lead singer.”
Within days these four musicians became a band.  Putting together a set of covers and a hand full of originals in less than 2 weeks, they found themselves at The Mill Camp opening for Dokken.  “We slayed that night” remembers Thornton.  It was a packed house… it was awesome!”  Everyone in the band agrees that onstage, that night, the chemistry was right on the money.  Meckle remembers, “after the show we all sat down and felt we had to keep this thing, whatever “IT” was, going.  We all played off each other and worked so well together.  We couldn’t walk away from it after just one show.”

Timothy Potter

Then there’s the name.  Potter explains “Shane Thomas and I were on a construction site with friends Carl and Frank tossing out band names.  “Gary Busey’s Butt.” “Scratch and Sniff Car Crash,” you know all the stupid names you could think of when trying to come up with a cool band name.  Carl Faught, mentioned the idea of a cool license plate, IB6 UB9.  Then Frank Nixon said it would make a cool band name.  That night at rehearsal, I remember saying to the guys, ‘what about that name IB6-UB9?’ And it stuck”. Thornton elaborates, “of course we liked it because it had the rock and roll sexual overtones.  But also, both the 6 and the 9 are the yin and the yang of everything in the world…it’s an offense defense. The heaven and hell.  the Comedy the Tragedy… all parts of the circle of life.  But it’s so rock and roll.”
The creative forces of the band, Thornton and Meckle, got their start musically at a very young age.  Thornton explains “I started singing at one year old. No lie. I remember putting on concerts for my parents, singing along with Neil Young and CCR records, using a comb as a makeshift microphone. I picked up my mom’s guitar at age twelve, she showed me a few chords and off I went.”
Meckle started playing drums in 3rd grade.  But then switched to guitar in 4th grade because he had a music teacher that inspired him to learn acoustic guitar.  He chuckles, “there was also a girl I liked that thought it was really cool that I was going to play guitar.  I thought this is a “win-win” situation… I could do something I really liked and girls would dig it. However, in the  7th grade I switched to the bass.  I was trying to get into bands and it seemed like everyone was a guitar player.  I discovered Gene Simmons when I listened to my first KISS record and said to myself, yeah, I’m going to be a bass player.”

Shane Thornton

Creatively the songwriting is a group effort.  Both Thornton and Meckle come up with either a riff or a vocal melody which is presented to the rest of the band.  Thornton explains “this is what we call “chumming the water” or the song writing frenzy.”  Meckle chimes in “sometimes I get inspired by an emotion and sometimes I get inspired by just sitting around and  playing in my room.”  The collaborative effort allows for everyone to input ideas for the arrangement until everyone likes the end product.”  Thornton continues ” listening back to yourself really helps with the final arrangement because then you get to be the third-party listener. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if something sucks or not when you are actually playing the song.”
Over the course of the next 13 years, life got in the way of the band.  At one point the bass player, Meckle takes a hiatus to get married and have kids; opening the subsequent revolving door of bass players until Meckle’s eventual return.  “When you have family life, and you’re married to four other dorks” says Thornton, “sometimes you need a little break” finishes Potter.
The bands discography includes their first self-titled four song EP, that has the song “Lookin’ Like Love”. Released in 1999, this song spent 6 weeks at number one in the rock genre on MP3.com.  In 2003 the band released “Get It Up Power It Down” which had enough good songs to maintain their loyal fan base and attract the attention of an Australian record label In 2008. At the urging of David Moors of SunCity Records, the band recorded the 14 song “Rock Stars & Racing Stripes” CD and anxiously prepared for its international distribution.  However, that day never came.
“I don’t mind talking about this” says Thornton.  “They dropped the ball, and I’m still angry about that whole situation.  This guy from SunCity Records was trying to keep alive all the metal bands from back in the day; bands like Cruella De Ville and Johnny Crash. He loved the IB6 stuff and said he wanted to put it out. We had a contract and nothing happened!“  Potter interjects.” A refrain sung by many a band and musician over the years. In the record companies defense, around that same time the City of Melbourne had a huge fire.  They lost a lot of people and a large warehouse. “We kinda cut them some slack, I mean, we’re a whole world away.  But then it came close to the end of the three-year contract, and we’d not even heard a word from them. We were going to do all the distribution ourselves through iTunes, Amazon, you know, all the usuals,  but SunCity Records was going to take care of all that.

Shane Thomas

June 2011 marks the expiration date for the SunCity Records Contract.  And like any professional, the band has yet another CD in the works.  “We just about have another CD finished up” explains Potter.  The working title for the band’s fourth release is “Devil Horns and Angel Wings.”  “We always try to do a yin and yang kind of title explains Thornton. Thomas chimes in “I like keeping the number of songs on the CD to 10.  I’m almost done at that point.”  “It started off at ten songs” says Potter, “but seems to be slowly growing to fourteen.”  Meckle adds ” it’s sounding great.  I’m very excited about it. A lot of people are going to really like it. It’s real straight ahead rock-n-roll…real and from the heart.”  The record has a tentative release date of this November, some of the tracks recorded thus far are “Upside The Wall,” “Say My Name,” “Alien Nation 1990′s” and “Whiskey.”

IB6-UB9

Listening and watching  these guys during the interview, I can see what makes this band work… it’s the rapport.  They all have known each other for over 20 years and have an obvious commitment and loyalty to one another.  They have a regular Tuesday/Thursday practice schedule they’ve had in place for thirteen years.  “Tim, drummer Shane and Rod are funny” says Thornton.   We have so many laughs! The coolest part is the lack of ego and the humbleness in our band. We all work and play very well together.”  Meckle adds “that is why being in this band (I like to call it my family) is so worthwhile.  We are like a family of brothers.  We don’t always see eye-to-eye but we always make certain everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is an important piece of the puzzle; if one piece was missing it would never work.”
The band tries for honesty in their songs. Songs like “Whiskey“, which is on the new release, doesn’t glorify drinking but conveys the good and the bad of excess; which audiences can relate to; they’ve also “been there and got the Tshirt.”
In addition to the songs the band’s live performances deeply connect with audiences.  The chemistry and all out fun on stage comes very naturally for each member of this band. Meckle adds “my favorite part of what we do is getting up on stage and flipping that switch inside me and putting on a hell of a show for our fans.”

Check out the band’s Reverb Nation website:  IB6-UB9

Who is Jeffrey Martin?

This article was originally published 08/03/2011 on http://eugenedailynews.com  and is re-posted here with permission.

Nancy Glass, EDN

Armed with a BA in English Writing and a Masters in Education, this Eugene based singer songwriter teaches English as well as moonlights  as a carpenter/landscaper by day, building decks and landscaping backyards and remodeling bathrooms. He loves the work getting tired and filthy. Nothing finer than the instant satisfaction of completing a project. Fortunately for him, it allows for a lot of time to be in his head; which for this singer-songwriter, is the best place for him to be.

Martin's cello and chalkboard

He started playing cello when he was in the fourth grade. “My mom made me pick out an instrument to learn; bass, violin, viola, or cello. I liked that cellists got to sit down the whole time; the swooping bow motions seemed really natural. I played cello from fourth grade all the way through high school.” Jeffery gravitated toward guitar around the age of eighteen teaching himself to play by hunting and pecking which notes fit together. Thankfully the cello and classical music provided a great foundation. Per Martin, “It gave me an ear. I have an old unfinished cello, with no bridge and no strings, that I had since middle school. I look at it every day and long to fix it up and see if I can still play it worth a damn. Some day.”     Using his handy chalk board where he writes a lot of song ideas down from his loft home in Eugene Martin finds inspiration easily from his cello.
He started playing guitar because he could make it reflect how he felt, Martin says. “I could improvise on it right away, and so it moved as I moved. This is something I could never make happen with the cello. Before I ever opened my mouth to try and sing, I felt complete satisfaction in the sounds of the guitar and how can so simply put to music the emotional place I was in at any given time.”

Where most of Martin's songs are written

With a trained ear, and his classical music foundation, Martin recognizes the difference between hearing music and listening to music. “For me there is a big difference between hearing music and listening to it. I learned to listen, to words and the way the music builds and mingles and falls with those words, from a very young age. I remember being deeply stirred by Reba McEntire’s version of the Bobby Russell song “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” There was such injustice in that song, “The judge in the towns got bloodstains on his hands.” I remember secretly listening to Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” over and over, and being in that weird place as a young boy of both knowing and not knowing what the hell he was talking about.”
Martin’s influences were along the line of story tellers such as Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Harry Chapin as well as the folk scene. Martin remembers “My Dad took me to see John Gorka (who in 1991, Rolling Stone Magazine called him “the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement) when I was pretty young, 14 or so, around 1998.   We also saw Leo Kottke and Lucy Kaplansky. While most of my friends were mindlessly glued to MTV, or blasting the latest Blink 182 songs in the parking lots at high school, I was quietly pouring over John Gorka and Nancy Griffith. It was a great secret to have. I think some boys (like I was) like to imagine they are much older and much rougher and much more jaded than they really are. So I could listen to songs about death and lost loves and drugs and broken people, and know in my bones that we must all get dirty to feel much of anything. I’m finally old enough now to actually taste some of the weight of that. Sometimes it’s every bit as romantic as I imagined. Most of the time is a thousand times more lonely.”

Jeffrey Martin

Writing songs for Martin is a mixture of authenticity, creation, performance and/or experience.  “ I think when we hear songs, we can pick up on their authenticity, and then, at that point, and not before, they can take us places.  Very lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Justin Townes Earle. When he hits it right, he really hits it right. Harlem River Blues is a fantastic song. When I hear it, I always repeat it a few times before I can let it go. I don’t really dance, but I do dance (some might call it dance) to that song.”
“I don’t sit down to write a song as much as I’m sat down by a song.  Songwriting pulls me deep into my head, and teaching drags me back out into the real world.”
The naked emotion captured in his songs accompanied by only the six-strings he plays, puts the listener between this man’s ears and heart. Hearing his songs is a lot like getting a musically guided tour inside the thoughts of a man who is trying to make sense of the world around him. Martin’s songs are easy to listen to and linger over.  Songs like “Why Do I” and “Lady Nostalgia” are songs that echo Martin’s desire for clarity in world muddied with emotion.
On the other hand, sometimes songwriting can get a bit tough for Martin. “  Songwriting has always been a really personal thing for me, like a journal of sorts. And sometimes I have to convince myself, remind myself, that getting up on stage and singing about my most internal notions and hurts and joys is a good thing.   Sometimes a song will get written that I really like, and then I’ll realize that I have to perform that song. Out loud. For people. That’s when it gets tough.”
Like all musicians who start out there are obstacles to one’s success.  Lack of ability, lack of self-esteem, lack of skill are all barriers that each musician must overcome to achieve their goals.  For Martin, one such hurdle was stage fright.  “I used to get terrible stage fright. But that was back when I was trying to write and perform songs that I thought people (girls) would like me for. It’s terrifying to get up and sing about something that really doesn’t matter to you.  When I first started writing songs I might as well have been a robot or a monkey or something. I mimicked what I thought I should do. But the live shows never carried the same feeling I had when I played at 3am alone in my room in the dark, for no one but myself. Then, slowly, I realized that if I allowed myself to slip into that place of caring about what came out of my mouth during a show, my fright went away. I started writing songs that moved me, not what I thought would move anyone else.”
Martin likes to start his live performances now with a song that can that will put him in that place right away.  Songs like “Stolen From Them (Gold in the Water)” is just such a song that puts Martin “way back behind my eyes, in the song, and the notes all squeeze in there just as I want them to (mostly), and the words are right there as I call them up (mostly) because they actually matter to me.”
He goes on to explain the being a musician is actually an art in balancing many factors.  “The scariest thing me for about chasing music is that music, songwriting, and performing, can be such consuming things. When a song grabs me, it can take hold for a while. I’m very comfortable retreating into myself, and it’s hard for people I love and care about to get to me when I’m there in that place. I guess I fear a lack of balance to some extent. I fear getting to that cliff edge and jumping off, into my self, and existing so much in my own head that I alienate myself from those I love and those who love me.”
For Martin, one of the most difficult aspects of his songs is he feels they don’t accurately reflect his feelings.  “In the case of my dog, or people I’m really close with, it’s hard for me to write songs that I feel adequately capture them.  I feel like everything I produce is a weak representation of the parts of them I’m trying to sing about.”  This contradiction is truly riveting after listening to Martin’s music.
Having celebrated only 26 birthdays thus far Martin hopes to be able to continue with his career.  “Continuing can look like many things I suppose, but really I just hope the writing continues well, and that I keep finding places to sing out what I’ve written.  I feel so blessed already, to have the opportunities to play when I do.”
This month of August finds Martin playing the Elbo Room in Chicago on the 16th  as well as the Sisters Folk Festival on the 19th.
http://www.reverbnation.com/jeffreymartin