Pop duo Jamaican Queens gathers inspiration for its sound from New York City and Detroit.

“A lot of important music comes out of [New York City],” vocalist Ryan Spencer said. “And Detroit, I mean, I just grew up there my whole life. It’s obviously my biggest influence.”

The band, consisting of Spencer and Adam Pressley, will be playing at the Ottawa Tavern, 1817 Adams St., on Jan. 26, the second time they have played at the venue. Spencer said concert-goers should just expect “loud pop songs.”

Jamaican Queens’ music fits in genres like hip-hop, folk and electronic.

“It’s all a combination in the blanket of pop music,” Spencer said. “We just listen to a lot.”

Spencer said he listens to pop artists like Brian Eno and the Beach Boys.

Even though the band’s pop influences are clear, Spencer said its bio describing its music as “club-bangers to provide a soundtrack for an evening” is “definitely tongue-in-cheek.”

“It could be played at the club but it also has a lot more to it than that,” Spencer said.

Their debut album, “Wormfood,” is due out March 5. The nine-track album took six months to record, Spencer said.

“I think the title is a reference to my belief in mortality,” Spencer said. “[It’s also about] what the fairy tale of love is. Most of the songs deal with that too. I don’t believe it exists, or maybe I’ve been sold this fake idea of what love really is … [Maybe] I’ve romanticized it too much that now I’m tortured by the fact that I’m never satisfied by anything.”

One thing that can be noted is the dark themes in the lyrics, evident in the song “Kids Get Away.” Spencer said it is not something he intentionally does, it just comes out.

“I’m kind of a dark person and I’m kind of a dramatic person,” Spencer said. “It’s kind of just natural. Everything that happens in this band is pretty natural.”

FILTER magazine said Jamaican Queens’ “Kids Get Away” is a “trippy collaboration of upbeat guitar and synth provides some bone-chilling beats alongside Ryan Spencer’s expressive, shrieking vocals.”

“I have a really tall roof of my mouth, so I don’t have a lot of room for my nasals,” Spencer said. He claims that is the reason for his “shrieking.” “That’s what my dentist told me.”

The album features the songs “Annie” and “Caitlin.” Spencer said even though “Annie” is a name he made up, “Caitlin” is a friend. He wrote the song named after her as a Christmas present. It was written after Caitlin had a bad year following the murder of her grandmother.

“She was going to move out of the city,” Spencer said. “I wrote it to her as a kind of a ‘please don’t move.’”

Spencer said it was a really easy song for him to write.

Spencer and Pressley write songs collaboratively. The two are both former members of the band Prussia. After the band members were beginning to go their separate ways, Pressley and Spencer got together to start their own project 10 months ago.

“We decided to change up what we were doing,” Spencer said.

What sparked from it was a much more experimental, electronic band with a peculiar band name.

“There is no significance in the name, really,” Spencer said. “It seemed kind of provocative and it’s ambiguous. That kind of fits our music.”

Tags: Adam Pressley, Jamaican Queens, Music, Ottawa Tavern, pop, Ryan Spencer

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2013 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert, Music, Star.
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Unless you happened to catch Star Search or Showtime At The Apollo ‘Amateur Night’ musical shows were for music channels only however, since the invasion of American Idol over a decade ago, we can’t seem to get enough of shows about talented people. I am a little surprised when artists that aspire to be on a commercial level ignore the shows that are designed to show the viewer a step by step process of finding, developing, and by the end of the season, creating a new star. What better way to gain insight into the commercial aspect of the music business? I do not blame non-viewers that think most of these are annoying UK knock-offs requiring at least one judge to have an accent. Yes this appears to be the formula, but don’t count it out as just a gimmick. Most of the judges on these shows have impressive industry pedigree and can account for a worldly view. There are rumors of these shows being fixed, but you can not fake a number one song or album. Regardless of the outcome there is some truth in the process that proves the “formula” works. Here is a bit of insight, what you choose not to watch on television could be the key to what is missing in your own artistic development. The advice is priceless and could be just what you need to continue to pursue your dream.

American Idol is not the first music show, but it definitely made believers of the other major networks that decided to pick up their own talent-based programming. Idol created a lane for itself by nearly guaranteeing its solo contestants the best experience and professional guidance on a fast track to stardom. The concept is basic and every week viewers get to hear the singers’ growth through song, later voting at the end of the show. The judges have changed over the years, but the addition of chart topping judges like Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj provide professional feedback and points-of-view from music legends. After a decade and stars in multiple music genres taking over the charts, I would say it’s worth a watch if as an artist you are looking for advice from the executives that would sign you to a record deal.

The Voice has been a new fan favorite since its debut 2 years ago captivating viewers with a friendly competition between top artists in the business auditioning for coaches who happen to be major musicians/singers currently dominating the charts. Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine & country legend Blake Shelton are the star coaches. Blind auditions allow them to choose the artists they want for their team by listening in chairs facing the audience. If the coaches want that artist for their team, they hit a red button and their chair swivels around to revealing to them the singer’s identity. Should more than one judge turn their chair then it is up to the singer to choose the coach they desire. This is a sweet deal considering that, at times, the music industry can be more about image than talent.

X Factor & America’s Got Talent are open to all with talent, but still deal in the entertainment industry producing world entertainers. Prime time television hasn’t been the same since the music took over reality T.V. and America’s obsession continues. I urge you to find out what the fuss is all about. Set your DVR and watch beyond the crazy auditions. Study what it takes to be chosen out of millions because that’s exactly what every aspiring star wants, to be “the chosen one.” Find out how you can get closer to that goal.

As we continue on…

Tags: Martini Rox, Music, music television, On the Rox

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 at 2:06 am and is filed under On the Rox, Star.
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“Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” is a star-studded documentary that shows how the innovative L.A. rockers have influenced many and continue to create.

Narrated by actor Laurence Fishburne, the film features fans Gwen Stefani, Ice-T, Branford Marsalis, George Clinton, Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Les Claypool of Primus and more.

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell if the documentary was good or bad when I saw the first cut; I didn’t know the entertainment value. I knew that it was honest,” said Fishbone bass player John Norwood Fisher.

“The entertainment value of it I wouldn’t realize until we started going to screenings and seeing and feeling the audiences’ vibe with it and going on a journey.”

Released in 2010, the movie chronicles how the group came together in 1979 and by the mid-1980s dazzled with its eclectic fusion of music.

“Punk rock, new wave, hip-hop and techno — all that stuff was just forming. The ska music out of England was just happening. Reggae was just taking on really in a big way in the United States. All this was happening at the same time,” Fisher said.

And Fishbone added funk, rock and soul to all of that for a fun, frenetic sound that sometimes has a sense of humor or tackles social issues.

“We want to express life and the celebration of it as well as like, hey, we view issues personally and in the big scheme of things like society as a whole,” Fisher said during a call from his home in Santa Monica, Calif. “You can dance to it or you could choose to escape or really listen to what we’re saying and feel it, you know, there’s passion, anger, laughter.”

Spike Lee directed the video for Fishbone’s 1991 hit, “Sunless Saturday.” “Everyday Sunshine” also charted that year.

“The fact that we were all blacks didn’t — that wasn’t special to us, that we were black guys playing hard rock, or playing rock ‘n’ roll in the basic sense or venturing into punk rock,” Norwood said. “Us mixing up all the styles of music just came natural.”

Fishbone — Fisher, singer and sax man Angelo Moore, trumpeter Walter A. Kibby II, drummer John Steward, guitarist Rocky George, keyboardist Dre Gipson, trombonist Jay Armant — will play Sept. 14 at Mickey Finn’s Pub at 9 p.m. with openers Downtown Brown, Gold and The Grubs. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of the show.

In 2011, the band released an EP, “Crazy Glue.”

“It’s the band Fishbone looking inward,” Fisher joked about the title track.

For better or worse, he and original members Moore and Kibby have stuck together.

“At a certain point, you become self-aware and you go, ‘Oh my god, there’s this impact that we’re having.’ And you read your own press and people make a big deal about you being an all-black band doing what you do,” Fisher said.

“There’s a part of me that, like, you know, this is a legacy that must carry on and actually continue to create a future because as long as we’re doing what we’re doing, I believe that we create the possibility that other people can do similar things or even unsimilar things but maybe further out. We took it to one level, and somebody else can come along and take it to another level.”

Tags: Angelo Moore, Crazy Glue, Downtown Brown, Dre Gipson, Fishbone, Gold and The Grubs, In Concert, Jay Armant, John Steward, Mickey Finn's, Music, Rocky George, Walter A. Kibby II

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2012 at 12:02 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert, Music.
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been busy at the end of summer, announcing a bevy of news items for its 85th Academy Awards next February. Here are all of the announcement, with the most recent first:

New music rules allow 5 nominees for Original Song

The Academy’s Board of Governors approved additional rules for the 85th Oscars with the most significant changes affecting the Original Song category.

All voting members of the Music Branch will receive a list and clips of the original songs submitted for nomination consideration. Then, they will be asked to watch the clip and vote “in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category.” The five with the highest number of votes will be nominated.

Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval. For more rules, visit the rules site on Academy’s website.

Art Direction award now known as Production Design

Upon the recommendation from the Designers Branch (formerly the Art Directors Branch), the Art Direction award will be known as the Production Design award.

The 85th Academy Awards, for outstanding film achievements of 2012, will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Shortlist announced for Sci-Tech Awards

Seven scientific and technical achievements have been selected for further awards consideration, a kind of shortlist, the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee announced Aug. 17.

The list was made public “to allow individuals and companies with similar devices or claims of prior art the opportunity to submit their achievements for review,” according to the press release. The deadline was Aug. 28.

The following methods or devices are up for further consideration:

• Tissue: A Physically-Based Character Simulation Framework (Weta Digital)
• Zviz: Previsualization System (Lucasfilm)
• Light: Lighting Tool (PDI Dreamworks)
• Wavelet Turbulence for Fluid Simulation (University of California, Santa Barbara)
• Planar Tracking: mocha and Enabling Technology (Imagineer Systems Ltd.)
• Cine VCLX Portable Power System (Anton/Bauer)
• Matthews MAX Menace Arm (Matthews Studio Equipment)

Thorough investigations will be conducted each entry and the committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.

The 2012 Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on Feb. 9, 2013.

Toledo Free Press Lead Designer and Film Editor James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at TheGoldKnight.com. Watch him discuss movies on “WNWO Today” around 5:50 a.m. on Fridays.

Tags: Academy Awards, AMPAS, board of governors, Film, James A. Molnar, Movies, Music, The Gold Knight, The Oscars

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Film, Star, The Gold Knight.
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Billy Crystal was back and better than ever? Not quite, but this reviewer was pleased with most of the ceremony.

What worked

Five stars could be given to the ceremony alone for the “In Memoriam” video package and performance by Esperanza Spalding and the Southern California Children’s Chorus. The moment was perfect, classy and exactly what it should be. (You can also download the song and the Oscars soundtrack.)

Nine-time host Crystal also stuck to what audiences know and expect: his opening. He is the consummate host and was the most comfortable we’ve ever seen him. He even laughed at his own jokes.

Sprinkled throughout the ceremony were tributes that “Celebrate the movies in all of us,” along with some very funny presenters and segments.

The cast of “Bridesmaids” lived up to its expectations. Chris Rock was edgily funny. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis were also hilarious.

The pacing of the show also seemed to be move along smoothly.

The set design was beautiful — kudos to John Myhre. The graphics were spot on. Cirque du Soleil’s tribune to the movies was also well done, with acrobats swinging around the theater formerly known as the Kodak.

What didn’t work

Those microphones! Whatever the technical glitch, it was strainingly hard to hear what Crystal was singing and saying during his opening. (The orchestra on the other hand sounded fantastic. Kudos to music directors Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams.)

The main microphone on stage was also picking up feedback — or at the very least, it made a reverberating echo that also took away from the show.

Typically, Oscar Night is known for its technical prowess and precision. Whatever happened, it is too bad, because it took away from the overall show.

What producers can’t change

Yes, the announcement of the winners was not as compelling as years past, but you cannot fault the show’s producers for that.

The technical categories always take a lot of heat for being boring, but it is this recognition during the show that sets the Academy Awards apart from other ceremonies.

Whether the general membership should vote for some of the technical categories — for which it may not be qualified — is another post for another day.

The speeches, which the producers cannot directly shape, can sometimes be uninspired and monotonous. Sunday night’s speeches were a mixture of bland and emotional. With 24 different categories, audiences should expect a potpourri of emotions, shock and speechlessness. Expecting incredible speeches is mostly a setup for failure.

Overall

While not living up to my favorite ceremony of recent years — the 81st Academy Awards with Hugh Jackman — by itself, the show did what the Oscars do best: it honored the movies. One could argue 2011 was not the best year at the movies, but the Academy Awards dealt with the nominees its voting members selected the bet way it could.

/ 5

Tags: 84th Oscars, Academy Awards, Billy Crystal, Esperanza Spalding, Hollywood, in memoriam, James A. Molnar, Music, Oscars, The Gold Knight, The Oscars

This entry was posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2012 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Film, Star, The Gold Knight.
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Fat Fish Blue and Griffin’s Hines Farm Blues Club will be hosting a pair of events showcasing the arts on June 25.

Vocal INKorporated is presenting Poets/Artists SPEAK from 11-3 p.m. before the evening showcase CROSSROADS from 6-11 p.m. Both events will benefit NoKidHungry, a national organization fighting  childhood hunger in the U.S., as well as Any Kid Can, a youth intervention program part of Alternative Directions teen outreach.

Poets/Artists SPEAK will take place at Fat Fish Blue in Perrysburg which will feature poets, musicians and visual artists from around the nation.

CROSSROADS, held at Griffin’s Hines Farm Blues Club in Swanton, will include appearances by Maximus Parthas and Tribal Raine of Maximum Impact as well as blues artist Billy Branch in his band Sons of the Blues. There will also be performances and poetry by local artists.

Admission is $5 for Poets/Artists SPEAK and can be purchased online at www.FatFishFunnyBoneToledo.com. CROSSROADS has a $15 admission price and can be purchased by contacting Michelle Williams at wmikki@gmail.com.

Tags: Fat Fish Blue, Griffin's Hines Farm Blues Club, Music, Poetry

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music, Poetry.
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The Texaco Country Showdown is coming to Toledo to pit 15 participants against one another in the opening round of America’s largest country music talent show.

The competition begins each spring as more than 450 local talent contests determine which competitors will move on to compete for the state title and then eventually the Texaco Country Showdown overall winner as the best in the nation.

The final round of the local competition is sponsored by 107.7 The Wolf and will take place at the Lucas County Fairgrounds on July 30. The winner will receive an autographed guitar from country music singer Jason Aldean and entrance into the state competition taking place in Marietta on Sept. 5.

The national final will take place Jan. 31 in Nashville at Ryman Auditorium, with the winner receiving a grand prize of $100,000. Each state champion receives a prize of $1,000.

Of the 15 local competitors, 14 reside in Ohio and six are from Toledo.

The entrants include:

• Abby Ray Band (Weston)
• Clark Manson Band (Covington)
• Troy Michael (Swanton)
• Katie Jordan (Toledo)
• Zach Shaffer (Toledo)
• Adrianna Rios (Toledo)
• Claire Cooper (Toledo)
• Kathleen Connolly (Swanton)
• Katie Rose Ialacci (Temperance, Mich.)
• Haley Olds (Monroeville)
• Connor Rose (Bowling Green)
• Annie Welch (Toledo)
• Alina Smith (Laurelville)
• Deana Cromly (Whitehouse)
• Lexi Rapp (Toledo)

Tags: Music, Texaco Country Showdown, Toledo

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music.
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Murphy’s Place, the landmark Downtown Toledo jazz club, will close its doors for good following a final jam session on Tuesday night.

“Although the announcement is extremely difficult, Clifford Murphy has decided he just wants to just play music without worrying about the daily challenges of running a business,” said his daughter, Deborah Murphy in a May 30 release.

Doors will be open for a final performance on Tuesday, May 31 from 4 to 10 p.m.

Employees were notified of the closing on Saturday. The club will honor its lease agreement through mid-June but will begin vacating the premises on June 1.

“This is a great location for a music venue, and we hope a new owner might step in and give it new blood,” said Deborah Murphy.

Clifford Murphy’s longtime life partner Joan Russell managed the club’s operations until her death in January. Two of their adult children, Kevin Murphy and Deborah Murphy have run the club since then.

Murphy’s entertained jazz enthusiasts Downtown for more than 20 years – first from a location on Madison Street, and most recently at Fort Industry Square. Considered a world-class venue, visitors came here from around the world to see house favorites Clifford Murphy and pianist Claude Black, as well as touring and regional artists.

Tags: Clifford Murphy, Joan Russell, Murphy's Place Jazz Club, Music

This entry was posted on Monday, May 30th, 2011 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music.
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Freddy Krueger is one of many unique topics covered on the EP “Visions” from Toledo band Goodbye Blue Skies. The band is holding a release party at 7 p.m. on May 27 at Headliners for the album. The show also features performances by We Call This Irony, The Golden Dawn, Deliver The City, The Cities Beneath Us and Through Beauty, Through Silence.

“There will be some new up-and-coming bands that will play with us,” said vocalist Victor Berrios. “They sound pretty good and I’m looking forward to meeting them all because I’ve never played with any of them. We did a show swap with ‘We Call This Irony’ so we’ll be playing in Grand Rapids the next day. It will be our first time going up there. It’s going to be a high-energy show for sure. The kids get pretty rowdy.”

Berrios describes Goodbye Blue Skies as post-hardcore emo, similar to bands it has toured with such as The Devil Wears Prada and Four Letter Lie. The band also features Billy Lange on guitar, Chris Marshall on guitar and vocals, Brian Smith on drums and Jeff Beach on bass. While the group has been around longer, this collection of musicians has been together for the last couple of years.

“I was in another band called Fall From Summer and that fell through,” Berrios said. “The brother of my bassist’s girlfriend was in a band called Fortune Favors. They started up Goodbye Blue Skies and were looking for a bass player. He tried out because we weren’t doing anything.”

Once his bassist joined the band, Berrios was not far behind.

“They wanted to get rid of their singer,” he said. “We jammed once and seemed to click. Unfortunately we lost our guitarist and bass player due to some personal problems. We ended up picking up Billy and Jeff. They’re good guys to have on our team.”

Lange and Bridges have proven their dedication to the band, traveling to Toledo each week for practice from Flint, Mich. and Lima, Ohio, respectively.

The band features a unique style of song writing. While the title of the song “AAAHH!!! Real Monsters” off the new EP is a reference to an old Nickelodeon cartoon, the track is actually about Freddy Krueger.

“The songs we write are kind of stories,” Barrios said. “We had one about Jack the Ripper too. We are doing one called ‘Gore Orphanage Road’ which is about that street out by Vermillion they say is haunted. It’s fun because we don’t really have choruses.”

A few of the new songs weren’t even fully composed before the band hit the studio for a 10-day recording session.

“We all are pretty excited,” Barrios said. “It was kind of intimidating to go in there. A couple of the songs we weren’t really prepared for. It was a lot of writing for the first couple days.”

Producer Jeff Schroeder received help from his in-laws to calm the band’s nerves.

“We stayed at our producer’s in-laws house,” Barrios said. “They call it Hotel Bower. It’s a nice older couple. They have all the bands stay there when they record. They get a kick out of it because they’re retired. They are really cool people. It’s been exciting going through this process. We’re all excited about the show.”

Goodbye Blue Skies is attempting to book an even bigger show by competing in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for a shot at playing the Vans Warped Tour.

“They take five local bands,” Barrios said. “It would be a cool opportunity for us to get. We’ve tried for the past couple years, but the recordings we had for the last couple years probably held us back. We spent 10 days in the studio on the recordings we have now. It came out pretty good, so we feel like we have a shot.”

Visit www.BattleOfTheBands.com to vote for Goodbye Blue Skies. Tickets for the CD release party are available for $5 in advance of the show. Headliners is located at 4500 N. Detroit Ave.

Tags: Goodbye Blue Skies, Headliners, Music

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 26th, 2011 at 10:41 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Music.
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After five years together, Motel Motel stopped by the Ottawa Tavern March 27 for the second-to-last leg of what has become its farewell tour.

“We’re not going to play together anymore,” Erik Gundel said. “We’re playing Pittsburgh on [March 29] and that’s it. It’s kind of bittersweet. We’re all going to move on and do different things. It’s kind of that time. It’s been fun. We’re going to do a party show back in Brooklyn with our friends. It’s kind of sad.”

Gundel plays several instruments for the Brooklyn-based band, including keyboard and lap steel guitar. He is joined by Mickey Theis, Timothy Sullivan, Jeremy Duvall and lead singer Eric Engel.

The band’s struggles stem from a lack of interest in its self-produced album “The Big Island,” which was released in August.

“There haven’t been too many crowds,” Gundel said. “It’s been kind of tough. We put it out ourselves, so we didn’t have any kind of machine working for us P.R.-wise or labels giving us money. It was hard. It never worked up any kind of real buzz. We’re just touring behind it and hoping people will listen to it.”

One positive of the self-produced album is the creative freedom afforded to the band.

“Our first record ‘New Denver’ was more scattershot and each song sounds different than the one before it,” Gundel said. “This record is more cohesive. We recorded most of it live at the studio, so it has a fundamental sound. The first one was kind of pieced together at a bunch of studios and overdubbed.”

The band is best known for the single “Coffee” from its 2007 debut EP “Old York,” which was featured in a Crown Royal commercial. With the band’s alternative country sound combined with its tendency to jam, Motel Motel sounds like a cross between The Avett Brothers and The Allman Brothers Band.

“It’s hard to describe your own music,” Gundel said. “I guess it is kind of indie Americana with a country twang vibe. We try to make it fresh.”

The unique sound comes from a diverse blend of musical interests.

“Everyone in the band likes different music,” Gundel said. “I like heartier pop music. I listen to a lot of guitar players. James Blackshaw is really good. Everyone likes country. Some people like reggae. We sometimes do a cover of a song by Mastodon. They are one of my favorite bands.”

As his band’s run comes to a close, one of Gundel’s fondest memories is a humanitarian tour the band performed in Cairo, Egypt as part of the “Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program.

“The U.S. Embassy had done exchange programs with classical and dance troupes and they wanted to send a rock band,” Gundel said. “We happened to know someone who knows someone in the state department. We stayed there for two weeks and played five different places. They aren’t really used to our kind of music. They seem to like ’80s metal.”

For more information on the band, visit www.MotelMotelMusic.com.

By Jason Mack

Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer

Tags: Motel Motel, Music, Ottawa Tavern, Star

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 29th, 2011 at 9:57 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music, Star.
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