Two great awards ceremonies happen every February, the Grammys, and WYCE’s 17-year-old ceremony for Michigan, the Jammies. Here are some of WYCE’s favorite Grammy winners and nominees, with a few of our local winners that stack up quite nicely.
On the weekend, he’s Paul Bauer, animalistic drummer for Kalamazoo-based funk/soul outfit The Mainstays. To a whole different throng of fans, he goes by the name Mr. Paul. Mr. Paul is the brains behind Small Sounds, a program that encourages musical exploration amongst young children but also an entity that has expanded into a one-man band of sorts to record and perform kid-friendly tunes.
“Grand Rapids is the only place in America that celebrates VD,” blares Monoxide Child, one half of Detroit-based rap duo Twiztid. The rap/rock ensemble is playing the Intersection on Valentine’s Day and he’s using the occasion to play with words, which is his stock-in-trade.
Seconds into talking with Marc-Andre Chagnon, aka Marx Menace, of the Montreal electro trio Black Tiger Sex Machine, it becomes obvious: 2015 was the most insane year of his life.
For some, Valentine’s Day is a time when lovers bask in each other’s undying devotion and blissful happiness. For others, like bassist Mike Ayley of emo-pop outfit Marianas Trench, it’s just another strange and confusing holiday. “Over the years I’ve become the most hopelessly romantic pessimist you’ll ever meet,” Ayley told Revue. “I’m a sucker for love, but have been jaded so many times.”
To say that Lamb of God helped usher in the new wave of American heavy metal in the early 2000s might understate the band’s significance in that movement. The Richmond, Va.-based band’s second album, New American Gospel, actually made Revolver Magazine’s list of the “69 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time,” and its follow-up records have done nothing short of establish the group as one of metal’s most important and influential players.
Given his pedigree — producer of platinum and revered maestro — Todd Rundgren’s opinion carries some weight and he’s fearless in expressing it. Let’s start with Adele, whom he calls “a victim singer.”
Each passing year provides new life and new opportunities to reexamine yourself, your opinions and your community. So as we all contemplate what 2016 will bring, it’s a great time to look at some of West Michigan’s best and brightest bands set to make this year one to remember.
In the days before punk rock spread the word about DIY culture, and before Bandcamp and Soundcloud made it possible to put your music out there without even trying, folks who wanted to release a record on their own had to figure out the nuts and bolts by which a tune got turned into a piece of vinyl.
Revue music writer Eric Mitts lists his favorite albums from this year, including The Go Rounds, Vox Vidorra, The Fever Haze, and Lady Ace Boogie.
This monthly playlist is a collaboration between WYCE, AMI Jukeboxes and Revue West Michigan. You can hear this mix as a playlist on AMI Jukeboxes and stream it on wyce.org — from Grand Rapids to the world! Also, some of these bands are headed to West Michigan this month, check out the show info.
Determined to reignite the spark of West Michigan’s once high-volume heavy music scene, Grand Rapids’ Fine Fine Titans have returned with Renaissance, its first full-length album.
Rising from the ashes of the band’s combustible past, the new album stands as a new beginning for the post-hardcore band. The group has endured a lot of commotion since its 2010 genesis.
Local country band Jared Knox and the Hägar Bombs deliver an energetic, modern country sound that’s as enjoyable as the spicy, bitter German liquor its namesake is borrowed from. The group is making a name for itself, too — at least, until Jägermeister finally decides to fire off a cease-and-desist letter.
Although the new movie Fan Girl is a wish-fulfillment for steadfast All Time Low fans, it’s also an astonishing honor for the chart-topping pop punk band. “To have a movie out there that loosely revolves around us means we’ve had some kind of impact on society as a whole,” All Time Low vocalist/guitarist Alex Gaskarth told Revue. “That is crazy to think about.”
