Just over a year ago, Nicole LaRae and Brian Hoekstra were gearing up for the launch of their new record label, dizzybird records. The vinyl pressings were in, sponsors were lined up for the release party and people were stoked. The future was looking bright. Twelve months later, LaRae and Hoekstra are finding themselves in a similar situation.
If you’re not familiar with SuicideGirls, think edgy, nonconformist pin-up models for the 21st century. The website has a devoted cult following, thanks to photos, profiles and interviews dedicated to its never-ending roster of tattooed, outsider models.
By the time the 1970s came along, Sun Records and the sounds of the ’50s were being eclipsed by hard, progressive rock. True rock ‘n’ roll, even in its birthplace of Memphis, Tenn., was going underground. That’s where Tav Falco & Panther Burns come into frame.
In the ’80s and ’90s, music videos were breaking bands large, the tail wildly wagging the dog. Flash forward to 2011, when Last Days Here, a 91-minute video that would be available to anyone with a Netflix account, turned Pentagram, a band that had toiled in obscurity since the ’70s, into a cultish phenomenon.
While the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties may be long behind us, that energy still thrives today thanks to artists like five-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves. Her new LP, Beautiful Life, includes Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” along with a roster of originals. The Denver-based songster is now touring the country in support of the LP; she performs Oct. 29 at St. Cecilia Music Center’s Great Artist Gala in the Royce Auditorium.
When Grace Potter stepped offstage from singing “Gimme Shelter” with Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones earlier this year, she felt like she had just completed a rock‘n’roll triathlon.
Back on June 26, Grammy-winner Melissa Etheridge was on tour in Iowa just kicking back with her wife, when her phone unexpectedly started going nuts. As the legendary songwriter soon found out, it was a historic day.
Bonded by music, the Avett Brothers have kept their art and their families, ahead of their rising fame. Currently one of the biggest live acts in the country — with high-profile slots at major music festivals ranging from Bonnaroo to Telluride — the North Carolina band has built a massive, grassroots fan base over the last 15 years with their unique blend of folk, rock, bluegrass and other genres.
If you’ve kept yourself updated in the realm of alternative music, then you’re aware that a lot of bands are going on 10-year anniversary tours lately. Norma Jean is amongst that crop. Hailing from Douglasville, Ga., the band put out its second record, O’God, the Aftermath, 10 years ago in 2005. It is the first to feature vocalist Cory Brandan Putman following the band’s 2002 debut Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child with Josh Scogin on vocals.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2 O.A.R., along with special Guest Allen Stone played at Meijer Gardens. Here are a few photos from the concert.
September 2015 — This monthly playlist is a collaboration between WYCE, AMI Jukeboxes, and Revue West Michigan. Play this mix as a playlist on AMI Jukeboxes, read about it on revuewm.com and stream it on wyce.org — from Grand Rapids to the world!
There are plenty of Michigan-based record labels that are churning out some great music. The following is a rundown of those labels.
“Your Turntable’s Not Dead” is a slogan Detroit-born Jack White came up with for his Third Man Records label — but it could also be assigned to the entire state of Michigan. The mitten is littered with brick-and-mortar shops, stocked with those rarities even Amazon.com can’t offer. Here are just a few worth digging into.
James Forrest Hughes, director and owner of Triumph Music Academy on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids, said he wants his music school to be a destination where aspiring musicians of all ages and walks of life can come to learn how to play, produce and master “real music.” He took another step towards this effort with his most recent announcement
