Month: May 2003

HOME-COOKED SOUL

Post author By Ed Weathers
Post date May 3, 2003

HOME-COOKED SOUL

Josh Carbo, the twentyish proprietor of the Montpelier, Vermont, night club The Bridge, weaves his livelihood and his life from rock/blues/jazz acts. And when he set out this week for the weekend’s New Orleans Jazz Fest, he made sure he interrupted his trek with a key re-fueling stop in Memphis, widely regarded as a cradle for each of the foregoing musical styles and for one more, perhaps the Ur-cradle for the others — Soul.

As the fates would have it, Carbo’s stopover in Memphis coincided with this week’s historic revival of the Stax/Volt music legacy which, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, supplemented the city’s already glorious Sun Records experience (Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, et al.) and coincided with the simultaneous explosion of black music from Motown in Detroit. Like Motown, Stax was authentically African-American, but, more so than its Michigan counterpart, involved a collaboration between black and white artists.

This week, the old Stax studios at College and McLemore in a depressed South Memphis neighborhood — torn down more than a decade ago in a penny-wise/pound-foolish act of urban negligence — reopened in immaculately restored form as the “Stax Museum of American Soul Music.” Next door to it is a Stax Music Academy, where instruction in the upgraded art of downhome music will be offered; the number of takers, both locally and from elsewhere, should be numerous.

“This was once-in-a-lifetime. Nothing will ever top this. Nothing,” said Carbo in the wake of a visit to the museum and after attending, in a group including Memphis pal Coy Branan, a rising pop artist in his own right, a “Soul Comes Home Stax Concert” at the vintage Orpheum Theater. This was a gala evening that featured virtually every Memphis-based or Memphis-influenced soul artist you’d ever heard of who was still alive and able to perform; there were many, many and, wow, could they!

The Mar-Keys, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Rance Allen, Solomon Burke, Percy Sledge, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Jean Knight. Instrumental acts like trumpeter Wayne Jackson and saxophonist Andrew Love, whose synchronized horn sound backed up many of the foregoing, and guitarist Steve Crooper and bassist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn, whose funky, intricate playing did the same.

And the hits kept coming: the Mar-Keys’ “Last Night,” Booker T. and the MGs’ “Green Onions” and “Time Is Tight,” Floyd’s “Knock On Wood,” Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain; Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” There was Isaac Hayes conducting the orchestra in “Shaft,” there was monumentally sized Solomon Burke doing the honors for the late Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” Michael McDowell, the old Doobie Brother, did the same for Redding’s “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay” And, as they say, there was more more, more.

Actor Richard Rountree, functioning as one of the evening’s MCs, recalled early on guitarist Cropper’s statement that coming to work at Stax every day was like coming to church.” The analogy was more than fanciful. Pianist/singer Rance Allen — a 300-lb.-plus Panda Bear like Burke, whose rollicking “I’ve Never Been to Paris” was one of the evening’s highlights, said during a break backstage, “This all got started in church. Every bit of it. It’s gospel all the way. That’s why they call it ‘Soul.’”

Although Rountree, composer David Porter (“Soul Man,” co-written with Hayes), and the other MCs dutifully identified the other components — country, jazz, and blues — it indeed was the religious element, the Southern down-home fundamentalist kind featuring ecstatic feeling and literal “rocking and rolling,” that was on display Wednesday night and has been in the week of celebration and renewal represented by the Stax resurrection. Not for nothing does Hall of Famer Green continue to preach and sing gospel in his own Memphis church.

After this week, most of the other stars will move on and do their rockin’ and rollin’ and soulin’ and remembering somewhere else. But visitors to Memphis can get a whiff of it all in the museum — in, as The Flyer‘s Chris Davis reported last week, a meticulously recreated version of Stax’s Sudio A, where Sam and Dave recorded “Hold On! I’m Coming;” in a wall of albums on which all 300 LPs and 800 singles are represented; in Booker T. Jones’ Hammond organ; in Hayes’ Cadillac El Dorado, with its white fur interior. In — again: more, more, more.

Stax artist William Bell began one of his vintage ballads at the Wednesday night Orpheum concert this way: “In the beginning/ you really loved meÉ”

They did, they do, and they will. The museum is there to see to that.

News The Fly-By

City Reporter

Post author By Flyer Staff
Post date May 2, 2003

Looking for Answers

Family of mentally ill man questions MPD procedures.

by Janel Davis

Calvin Buckley, brother of the deceased Denvey Buckley, said he and his family have retained attorneys to conduct possible litigation against the Memphis Police Department for inappropriate procedures used in subduing his brother.

The family has retained the law firm Thomason Hendrix Harvey Johnson and Mitchell, which has already begun its investigation.

“We’re not just sitting around waiting on the police to finish their investigation,” said attorney Buck Wellford.”We’ve talked to witnesses, taken statements, and are tracking down the supposed videotape [of the incident]. Our initial investigation has revealed what witnesses have already said, which is the police used excessive force against Mr. Buckley.”

Wellford said the firm has not yet notified the police department of their representation but will soon and will also ask the department to meet with the family. “Once the department completes its investigation we will then make the determination of whether to take legal action,” he said.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Denvey Buckley died of a heart attack. Buckley wrestled with police who were trying to subdue him after being called to his home when Buckley slit his wrists in an attempted suicide.

“He had cut his wrists and yet they still beat him down,” said Calvin. “You have a host of witnesses that [saw] it, and they don’t mind giving statements to the lawyer and in court.” Calvin also described apparent inconsistencies between marks and wounds labeled on the medical examiner’s report and those seen on photos of Buckley’s body. “We’ve got pictures that go totally against the police reports that there was no trauma to the body.”

Previous accounts of the incident, which occurred at Buckley’s home at 1115 S. Rembert, said that police struggled to subdue the 380-pound man. But the medical examiner’s report lists him at 251 pounds. “I think that original [380-pound] number was given out incorrectly,” said Major Hopkins of the MPD’s Internal Affairs bureau. “I think one of the officers on the scene may have incorrectly guessed that [Buckley’s] weight was more than it was.”

Hopkins said an investigation in the case is ongoing and could take as long as 60 days.

Calvin, who was hospitalized with pneumonia, missed his brother’s funeral Sunday. He said Buckley was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who had been placed on the medication Haldol to control his mood swings.

“A lot of times he would get down on himself and say things like, ‘Nobody loves me, nobody cares about me. I can only depend on myself,'” said Calvin. “He had talked about killing himself before and had spent time in the VA hospital for saying those things. Overall, we think the [police] protocol was wrong. You just don’t do the things they did to someone in that condition.”

Rise and Shine

Convention Center gets improvements for main hall.

By Mary Cashiola

Although it now has new meeting rooms, an acoustically perfect performing-arts center, and a state-of-the-art kitchen, the Memphis Cook Convention Center has a multimillion-dollar “wish list” of needed improvements.

General manager Pierre Landaiche told the Flyer that the convention center is seeking funding over the next few years for some $4.5 million in improvements. The wish list includes capital projects that will make the original portion of the convention center match the recently completed $92 million renovation and expansion — things such as new carpets, lights, and doors — as well as a few “back of the house” projects like a new sound system and new wiring.

But at least one improvement is becoming a reality due to concerns raised by the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). The Memphis City Council recently appropriated $300,000 for improvements to the riser seating system for the main hall.

The lack of risers was one of the main complaints raised by Bishop G.E. Patterson when he threatened to take COGIC’s annual Holy Convocation elsewhere last November. “The people in the back of the hall couldn’t hear,” said city councilwoman Pat VanderSchaaf, the council’s budget committee chair. “Because of the risers, the last two conventions were just really hostile situations.”

The telescopic risers (which fold for storage) were the original ones built in 1974, says Landaiche. After years of wear and tear, the convention center stopped using them in 1999 because of safety concerns. Instead the convention center began using flat-floor seating for the 125,000-square-foot hall; but with a seating capacity of 10,600, both acoustics and sight lines were poor. Landaiche says the risers have been on the convention center’s capital projects list for some time, but they could never find the funding.

VanderSchaaf found it in an old Pyramid account. “COGIC is the biggest convention this city has. It brings in more money than any other convention,” she says. “We just couldn’t afford to lose COGIC. I met with Mr. [Alan] Freeman [general manager of The Pyramid], and he said there may be some old CIP money from a few years ago. I went back through the books and, lo and behold, the money was there.”

The risers will be installed in the summer in time for COGIC’s Holy Convocation in the fall. After the money was found, VanderSchaaf and Gale Jones Carson, the mayor’s spokesperson, sent out information to the entire congregation informing them of the upgrade.

“It’s a win-win,” says VanderSchaaf. “I talked to Bishop Patterson and he made it very clear that the riser situation was over. … The other bishops that were trying to take the convocation elsewhere don’t have anything more to use as ammunition.” n

Hot Stuff

Sting nets 48 burglary indictments.

By Mary Cashiola

In an effort to thwart burglaries in the Bluff City, local law enforcement recently spent some time in retail. And it worked.

Because of a joint undercover operation between the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Shelby County district attorney general’s office, 48 people were indicted last week on some 700 counts of burglary, aggravated burglary, and theft.

The sting, known as “Operation Hot Stuff,” began in February 2002 when undercover officers opened and operated a storefront. For a year, the officers then purchased items they believed to be stolen, including 88 weapons.

“People would bring in merchandise and the undercover officers would then turn it over to investigators,” said Jennifer Zunk, communications director for the Shelby County district attorney’s office. “From that, the investigators would try to determine where the items had come from.” The officers recovered guns, computers, televisions, and VCRs, but Zunk says she doesn’t know the monetary value of all the stolen items. Some of the merchandise has already been returned to the owners.

As of Tuesday, 29 of the 48 people had been arrested and were in custody. In total, the officers made more than undercover purchases. n

Memphis Manifesto

Group will focus on luring creative people here.

By Mary Cashiola

Greensboro, North Carolina, has experienced something Jenny Stokes calls a “drifting” of young people.

Stokes, the volunteer and young professionals coordinator for Action Greensboro, says, “We’re trying to attract and keep young adults and professionals in Greensboro. There’s been a drifting of young folks to bigger cities nearby like Raleigh and Charlotte.”

That’s why Stokes and 11 other delegates from Greensboro are coming to Memphis this week for the Memphis Manifesto Summit, a conference that will focus on bringing creative people to cities and urging them to stay there. The Greensboro delegation will be one of the largest, with the summit’s 100 participants coming from 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

“We’re really excited,” says Stokes. “We’ve heard a lot about the creative class and Richard Florida [author of The Rise of the Creative Class: How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life] lately, and we wanted to learn a little bit about how to make Greensboro more vibrant and attractive to all young adults.”

Florida’s book detailed how a city’s creative class is imperative to its success in the new economy. At the summit, the participants — known as the Creative 100 — will develop a manifesto for cities who want to recruit a creative class.

“What we expect is for cities to use the manifesto document to guide their development and the ways in which they operate their cities,” says Carol Coletta, summit organizer and host of local public radio’s Smart City.

And although the new economy isn’t doing all that well right now, Coletta says the summit is still relevant. “The thing is,” she says, “cities don’t change overnight. I think the kinds of changes that we need to look at are the kinds of changes that are going to be a decade in the making, if not two decades in the making. … The important thing is to begin and to be very tenacious in what you want to accomplish.”

One important thing for Memphis is simply having the manifesto summit here. “I think it will show Memphis off to a group of influential members of the creative class,” says Coletta. “We have a lot of media people who, in many ways, are cultural influencers. I think simply having this event in Memphis at a great time of year is beneficial to us.” Twenty Memphians will also participate in the summit.

Most (but not all) of the Creative 100 are under 40 years old. “I think that’s good,” says Coletta. “As one person I know pointed out, it may take youth to generate new ideas and energy, but a lot of times it takes people with more experience and who are more insinuated into the culture to actually make things happen.”

And as for Stokes and Action Greensboro, they’re ready to start sharing ideas. “I think it will be really interesting to see how 100 people with different thoughts and opinions come to agree on a manifesto,” Stokes says.

Cover Feature News

The Music Issue

Post author By Chris Herrington
Post date May 2, 2003

Landslide!

The Reigning Sound sweep the Third Annual Memphis Flyer Local Music Poll.

Edited by Chris Herrington

The Reigning Sound, indeed. This year’s cover boys thoroughly dominated the Third Annual Memphis Flyer Local Music Poll. The smart money early on had this year’s poll pegged as a two-band race, pitting two-time defending champs the North Mississippi Allstars against Greg Cartwright’s garage-rock gods and their undeniable, timeless-on-contact juggernaut, Time Bomb High School. But it was a runaway from ballot one. The Reigning Sound this year doubled the point total and ballot mentions the Allstars won with last year. Time Bomb High School was even more of an avalanche in the album category, garnering 19 votes after the Allstars and Cory Branan split first-place last year with a mere four votes apiece. The best band in town? By acclamation. Who knows? Someday maybe they’ll even get nominated for a Premier Player Award.

But almost as interesting as Our Big Winners were Our Surprising Runners-Up. Lucero finished a strong third in our inaugural poll two years ago then fell off the map last year. Now they’ve come back with a vengeance, leapfrogging their touring and recording comrades the Allstars for second and finishing strong behind the Reigning Sound in the album category.

For newbies, this poll asks a sampling of folks involved in the local music scene — writers, record-store clerks, radio DJs and programmers, club owners and bookers, industry insiders, etc. — to vote for the five most “vital” artists in local music today and to place one vote for their favorite local album of the past year. The motive is twofold: to provide a definitive annual snapshot of the local music scene and to provide a forum for those most intimately connected with it (outside of the artists themselves).

This year, the voter response jumped from 42 (the first two years) to 56, and we’re pleased as punch about that, especially since an untimely vacation on the part of the election commission put a damper on this year’s get-out-the-vote drive. The jump is due in part to a more active focus on recruiting voters from record stores and radio stations, especially WEVL. In matters such as these, I’m partial to writers, record-store clerks, and noncommercial radio programmers, and not just because, at one time or another, I’ve been all three. Rather, I especially value their input because their fandom is relatively unencumbered by the kind of conflict of interest and concern about offending people that’s so unavoidable for those with a more direct financial stake in the local scene. And this poll is all about fandom — local music as organic, participatory culture, bottom-up not top-down. No one’s an expert — and everyone is.

Despite the change at the top of the charts, the song sort of remains the same this year. Six of last year’s top 10 repeat, and two of the four newbies are hard to count as such — rebounding Lucero and Founding Father Jim Dickinson. But the other two climbers are refreshing: Longtime Midtown stalwarts Viva L’American Death Ray Music got busy this year, releasing a slew of new music and winning over a lot of new fans, and they were justly rewarded for it. And emerging DJ collective Memphix made a modest 10th-place showing that could portend a lot more for the future.

And if it’s a future you’re looking for — and aren’t we all? (well, aren’t we?) — there’s plenty more of interest further down the list. Start with Snowglobe, who just missed the top 10 for the second straight year. Other notable runners-up, in terms of potential, include the Porch Ghouls, whose major-label debut dropped after ballots were due, and young punk-metal up-and-comers Crippled Nation, at 18th the highest-finishing heavy band (not named Saliva) in the poll’s brief history. And there are other newish acts littered among the Others Receiving Votes who got multiple mentions this time around, most notably rapper Yo Gotti, soulstress Valencia Robinson, and indie rockers the Coach and Four and Dearest Darlin’s.

Over the next several pages you can read about this year’s top 10 and see what our voters had to say about them as well as a few of the runners-up. We blew it out for our cover boys, as the poll results demanded. In addition to our profile, you can read Chris Davis’ critical discography on the career of Reigning Sound frontman Cartwright, a body of work that is likely to be the contemporary Memphis version of Big Star’s ’70s output: It may not top the charts now, but it’ll be sought out for years and decades to come — something our voters seem to understand.

— Chris Herrington

The 2003 Memphis Flyer Local Music Poll

Voters were asked to name the five most vital artists or bands in Memphis music today. Fifty-five voters participated, with points awarded as follows: five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, three points for a third-place vote, two points for a fourth-place vote, and one point for a fifth-place vote.

Artist/Band – Points – Ballots

1. The Reigning Sound 118 28

2. Lucero 70 22

3. The North Mississippi Allstars 65 19

4. Saliva 45 14

5. Cory Branan 44 15

6. Viva L’American Death Ray Music 36 14

7. The Bloodthirsty Lovers 31 10

8. Richard Johnston 29 10

9. Jim Dickinson 27 7

10. Memphix 25 7

11. Alvin Youngblood Hart 18 8

12. (tie) Snowglobe 18 7

12. (tie) The Lost Sounds 18 7

14. Three 6 Mafia 13 5

15. The Cool Jerks 11 5

16. The Porch Ghouls 11 4

17. The Bo-Keys 10 3

18. Crippled Nation 9 4

19. The Final Solutions 9 3

20. The Gamble Brothers Band 8 4

Others receiving votes:

Adios Gringo, Lily Afshar, Akashi, Automusik, Robert Belfour, Bella Sun, Harlan T. Bobo, Stephanie Bolton, John Farrell Bonds, Kenny Brown, Los Cantadores, Carmen featuring Ascension, Clanky’s Nub, Clenched Fist, The Coach and Four, Joyce Cobb, Blair Combest, Dearest Darlin’s, Dis-Missile, Dora, Andy Earles, Doug Easley, Effingham and Wheatstraw, Epoch of Unlight, Jeff Evans, FreeWorld, Gangsta Blac, Billy Gibson, The Glass, James Govan, Al Green, Herman Green, Andy Grooms, Hammerfight, Eric Hughes, Kelley Hurt and Chris Parker, Impala, The Internationals, The Joint Chiefs, Rob Jungklas, Tyler Keith & the Preacher’s Kids, Wayne Leeloy, Legion of Divine Punishment, Susan Marshall, Little Milton, Blind Mississippi Morris, Mouse Rocket, Mrs. Fletcher, Muck Sticky, My Surrender, Robert Nighthawk, The Original Cindy, The Pelicans, Playa Fly, Project Pat, Di Anne Price, Ross Rice, Valencia Robinson, Reba Russell Band, Sid Selvidge, The Subteens, Scott Sudbury, Keith Sykes, Marvell Thomas, The Ultracats, Brad Webb, Charlie Wood, Yo Gotti, Young Avenue Sound.

Best Local Album of the Past Year:

Album-Votes

1. Time Bomb High School –The Reigning Sound-19

2. Tennessee–Lucero-8

3. Free Beer Tomorrow–Jim Dickinson-5

Others receiving votes:

The Hell You Say –Cory Branan, Welcome to Memphis — Clenched Fist, Cleaned a Lot of Plates in Memphis — The Cool Jerks, Delorean –Delorean, Live from Memphis — FreeWorld, Down in the Alley –Alvin Youngblood Hart, Paycheck Boogie –The Eric Hughes Band, Jetty Webb –Jetty Webb, Foot Hill Stomp –Richard Johnston, Rat’s Brains and Microchips — The Lost Sounds, Susan Marshall Is Honey Mouth –Susan Marshall, Chains + Black Exhaust — Various Artists/Memphix, With Hole Dug –Tim Prudhomme, Back into Your System –Saliva, Our Land Brains –Snowglobe, Justified — Justin Timberlake, A New Commotion, A Delicate Tension –Viva L’American Death Ray Music.

Food & Wine Food & Drink

To the Moon

Post author By Susan Harrell
Post date May 2, 2003

One of the newest additions to the downtown dining scene, Cayenne Moon sets the mood with its red walls, black wrought-iron balconies, and dim lighting courtesy of one monster of a chandelier. Definitely a scene straight out of King Creole.

To kick things off, we sampled the New Orleans lump crabcakes and the Cayenne shrimp with cool salsa. The crabcakes came packed with large pieces of white crabmeat, white onion, and a side of rémoulade sauce. The onion should have been more finely chopped, plus the crabcakes had been left in the skillet too long and were burned on the bottom. In contrast, the shrimp were blackened to perfection. The peppery seasoning of the large shrimp went well with the sweetness of the mango salsa. Our only regret was that we only had one order.

There are 26 entrées on Cayenne Moon’s menu, and if this isn’t enough, there are also nightly specials. Although we were all tempted by the charbroiled bologna steak, we chose instead the seafood étouffée, shrimp scampi, Caribbean jerk salmon, and, a special of the evening, sea scallops. First up was the scampi, introduced by the aroma of lemon and butter. This dish, with its plump pink shrimp bathed in a garlic-butter sauce tossed over angel-hair pasta, tasted as good as it smelled. Next came the seafood étouffée served over white rice. The étouffée had a light copper roux as a base, and crawfish and shrimp were its featured seafood. Unfortunately, the anticipated rich étouffée flavor didn’t exist, and it needed a lot of hot sauce, salt, and pepper to give it a kick. The menu offered a choice of dinner rolls or cornbread, but on this night cornbread was not available. We got over this disappointment quickly, however, when a plate of warm yeast rolls appeared. Seconds, please.

The filet of salmon seasoned with Caribbean jerk ordered by one of my companions appeared on a bed of grilled pineapple rings and topped with a mango salsa. The allspice combination of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon with the pineapple enhanced the fish. The flavors mingled fabulously, though the salmon was overcooked. I selected the seafood special for the evening: four bacon-wrapped sea scallops dusted with Cajun seasoning and a baked potato for the side. I thought combining the scallops with a potato and not offering rice a bit strange. The scallops had been prepared at too high a temperature and were dry, overdone, and the bacon burned. The uneventful baked potato came with sour cream and butter. The best part of the meal was the salad. Most of the entrées come with a small dinner salad. Cayenne Moon’s homemade house dressing is a very flavorful herb-packed basil vinaigrette.

We could not give up on Cayenne Moon quite yet, so we ordered hot tea and coffees and pondered the dessert selection. At this point a break was in order. And while the service at Cayenne Moon is very attentive and the atmosphere festive, the bathroom is scary. Truck-stop scary. If Cayenne Moon is going to make the type of investment they have in décor and food and demand the prices they do, then a simple, tasteful, and clean bathroom should not be out of reach.

Back to the desserts. The bread pudding was smothered in a delicious praline caramel sauce and crowned with vanilla ice cream. The dense praline cheesecake was drizzled with melt-in-your-mouth caramel. The beignets were topped with lots of powdered sugar and served with warm honey. The scalloped bananas were prepared a bit differently from the way the menu described. Instead of the bananas rolled in pecans, deep-fried, and served with warm chocolate sauce and ice cream, I got a banana cut into four pieces, rolled in chocolate, then rolled in pecans and served with vanilla ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I have no complaints. This dessert is pure ecstasy. In retrospect, I should have ordered it first. It is most definitely the crown jewel of the desserts and maybe the entire menu.

Cayenne Moon has some areas that need a little work, but it is definitely a positive addition to downtown. It is open Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner. You can visit their Web site at CayenneMoon.com and take a look at their lunch and dinner menus. Appetizers range from $7.95 to $10.95, entrées from $14.95 to $39.95, and desserts from $3.95 to $7.95. Lunches range from $4.95 to $10.95.

Music Record Reviews

Talk of the town

Post author By Flyer Staff
Post date May 2, 2003

Automusik

The only truly unique act on the Memphis scene right now. Sure, it’s half performance art, but the songs are insightful. For all of the punk-rock posturing that goes on, no one has as clear a grasp on the politics and realities of corporate, consumer society as Scott Moss. — Chris McCoy

Robert Belfour

Hearing the Wolfman’s hypnotic electric country boogie performed live is one of the last authentic-feeling blues experiences left in Memphis. — Eddie Hankins

The Bo-Keys

Holding on to what Memphis once was. Can’t wait for a recording.

— Andrew McCalla

Los Cantadores

Memphis’ only Gypsy folk band is making a real impression on the local scene. Their sound is very infectious and is reaching people who have not been exposed to Latin music. Their vitality lies in the fact that they are opening doors to new sounds and the influence of Latin culture. — Wayne Leeloy

Clenched Fist

Although they would hate to see their names [appear in] such mainstream media, this band has made a name for themselves outside Memphis. They are the ONLY real hardcore band in Memphis and they do it very well. Props need to be given now! — Pat Mitchell

The Coach and Four

The Coach and Four get extra points for covering the Nerves’ power-pop classic “When You Find Out.” — Andrew Earles

The Cool Jerks

Straight-up rock-and-roll, never a dull moment at their shows. These guys cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis.

— Andrew McCalla

Crippled Nation

This band is young, dedicated, and excellent musicians — the next band on the heavy scene to get national attention. — Pat Mitchell

Dearest Darlin’s

Quiet electroclash-like dance music, a new type of thing that is needed [locally]. — Brian Venable

Effingham and Wheatstraw

White men can rap!

— Jared McStay

Final Solutions

I voted for this band in an earlier poll for largely novel reasons. They were irreverent, messy, and, if you took away how they sounded, everything great about rock-and-roll. I’m too young to have seen the pre-Rollins incarnation of Black Flag, but at least I have this loose interpretation. — Andrew Earles

The Gamble Brothers Band

Serious chops all around. Their music is a fusion of New Orleans funk and Memphis soul, performed with an energy and vitality that makes it special.

— Jay Sheffield

Billy Gibson

One of the best harmonica players in Memphis. A true professional musician with talent oozing from every note.

— Carson Lamm

The Glass

Brad Bailey is an excellent songwriter; John Argroves is one of the most sought-after drummers in Memphis; and Tommy Pappas is the most dedicated bassist I’ve ever played with. They are currently working on their new album at Easley-McCain Studio, and what I’ve heard sounds great. It’s always exciting to watch a new project gain such positive momentum. — Brad Postlethwaite

Andy Grooms

I believe that Andy Grooms writes some of the best songs I have ever heard. His band is amazing and their music is extremely original. He deserves credit for his work. — Dave Green

Alvin Youngblood Hart

This guy is what it’s all about. [Hart] has more talent and crossover appeal than should be allowed — a real musician’s musician. [He’s] a creative songwriter with a great voice, and, man, can he play. He’s the total package and will certainly be considered a legend in years to come. — Brent Harding

Impala

Better than ever, a soundtrack band for the ages. — Jared McStay

Tyler Keith &

The Preacher’s Kids

Some nips of glam, a spot of fledgling Stones, a bit of the Clash, and a dash of the Ventures ah, the raunch of it all!

— Lisa Lumb

Little Milton

Who else in the “Year of the Blues?” One of the true giants of the genre. Even [on] the rather formulaic Malaco stuff that sells a lot of records for him, his immense vocal talents are transcendent.

— Jay Sheffield

The Lost Sounds

Noisy, volatile, mean, and extremely good. With a recent write-up in Magnet, loud-ass live shows, and a new album, these unique synth-punk screamers are our best chance to prove that Memphis rock musicians go beyond rehashed blues covers, mainstream puppetry, and exploited family history.

— Kerry Vaughan

Susan Marshall

This woman is amazing. Best record has got to be Susan Marshall Is Honey Mouth — stunningly beautiful.

— Nancy Apple

Mouse Rocket

A fine lineup of local musicians including Alicja Trout and Robbie Grant, with the good sense and ability to cover (native Memphian) Arthur “Love” Lee’s psychedelic classic “Alone Again, Or.”

— Dan Ball

The Porch Ghouls

Joe Perry’s stamp of approval aside, this band is among Memphis’ low-brow best. Catch their live show while you still can.

— Dan Ball

Di Anne Price

Nothing against Norah Jones, but isn’t Di Anne Price really the kind of piano-playing chanteuse that Blue Note should be signing? Her seductive, knowing, yet bruised singing, keyboard mastery, and smart song selection conjure ghosts of Memphis’ blues past, from Alberta Hunter to Memphis Slim.

— Eddie Hankins

The Reba Russell Band

Just about the tightest blues band there is and probably the most underrecognized.

— Brent Harding

Sid Selvidge

Sid Selvidge is a Memphis treasure. He passes on to us the Delta blues traditions and musical craft that he learned straight from the masters: Furry Lewis, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Mississippi John Hurt.

— Dennis Brooks

Snowglobe

Snowglobe’s Our Land Brains is one of the best self-released albums I have ever heard. You can hear the band’s influences from emo and post-punk to the Elephant 6 bands, but this album is better than that I think — more mature. The strings, keyboards, and sampling are tasteful. The horn arrangements are perfect. Snowglobe puts me more in the mind of the Kinks or even the Beatles than a modern rock band. — James Manning

The Subteens

Instant rock party. Just add beer.

— Steve Walker

Scott Sudbury

Independent release has sold over 19,000 copies worldwide to people who don’t even know he plays Kiss covers!

— Traci Brothers

Three 6 Mafia

The reason Memphis rappers can make it, and probably the reason I still have my job. Their inane but undeniably catchy music blew the roof off of Memphis rap, and they and their protÇgÇs are consistently our best sellers. — Kerry Vaughan

Charlie Wood

I must confess to just discovering this great singer/songwriter/keyboardist — who plays regularly on Beale Street, of all places! An out-of-town friend turned me on to him; unfortunately, this is a common scenario in our fair city — outsiders spotting talent before we locals do. One of Memphis’ many hidden musical treasures.

— Lisa Lumb

Yo Gotti

Move over, Three 6 Mafia. With a long-awaited third album finally getting set to drop in May, Yo Gotti is poised to become the biggest-selling solo rapper in Memphis since Project Pat. And this time it’s on a major national label (TVT).

— Steve Walker

Thanks to all voters:

Nancy Apple

WEVL-FM 89.9

Dan Ball

freelance

photographer

Boogaloo Boyer

KXHT-FM 107.1

Dennis Brooks

independent

promoter

Traci Brothers

The Lounge

Gary Crump

SNAX Memphis

Kevin Cubbins

Cat’s Music

Richard Cushing

NARAS

Chris Davis

The Memphis Flyer

Darin Dortin

Beale Street

Caravan

Todd Dudley

Young Avenue Deli

Andrew Earles

freelance writer

Julie Etheridge

Select-o-Hits

Eric Friedl

Goner Records

Michael Glenn

The New Daisy Theatre

Doug Golonka

WEVL-FM 89.9

David Green

The Hi-Tone Cafe

Jennifer Hall

The Memphis Flyer

Eddie Hankins

WEVL-FM 89.9

Brent Harding

independent

promoter

Chris Herrington

The Memphis Flyer

Lesha Hurliman

The Memphis Flyer

Ross Johnson

freelance writer

Mark Jordan

freelance writer

Casey Kennedy

Cat’s Midtown

Mike Killabrew

WMFS-FM 93X

Carson Lamm

River City

Management

Wayne Leeloy

L2 Media

Andria Lisle

The Memphis Flyer

Larry Long

Cat’s Midtown

Lisa Lumb

freelance writer

James Manning

The New Daisy Theatre

Andrew McCalla

Shangri-La Records

Chris McCoy

freelance writer

Pam McGaha

Stranjbrew.com

Janet McNeil

WEVL-FM 89.9

Jared McStay

Shangri-La Records

Pat Mitchell

The Blues

Foundation

Bianca Phillips

The Memphis Flyer

Brad Postlethwaite

Makeshift

Music

Lyndsi Potts

freelance

photographer

Timothy Prudhomme

Legba Records

Eric Robertson

Tha Movement

Katherine Sage

NARAS

Jay Sheffield

Entertainment

Erymias Shiberou

Tha Movement

Angie Smith

Cat’s Midtown

Mike Smith

SNAX

Memphis

Marshall Terrell

WMPS-FM 107.5 The Pig

Kerry Vaughan

Cat’s Midtown

Brian Venable

Last Chance Records

Chris Walker

independent booker

Steve Walker

Cat’s Midtown

Nicole Ward

Cat’s Midtown

Sherman Wilmott

Shangri-La Records

Baker Yates

WMFS-FM 93X

Film Features Film/TV

Tangled Webs

Post author By Bo List
Post date May 2, 2003

Sometimes, kid, style can get you killed.”

Words to live by in an age of roll-over SUVs, $250 tennis shoes, and Texas-sized cowboy patriotism. Such is the mantra of

“The King” — not Elvis, mind you, but a gnomish, hyperactive, bisexual Dustin Hoffman as revealed to smooth grifter Jake Vig

(Edward Burns). The King practices what he preaches, unshaven, unkempt in unflattering, rumpled short-sleeved shirts and his glasses

dangling around his neck. Jake, on the other hand, looks

reeeeal good. Nice suit, nice haircut, and just the right narrow-eyed poker face that

can effortlessly reel in equal amounts chicks and scams.

The inescapable bond between these two men: Jake has inadvertently scammed the wrong man — the King — of $150,000.

The King, in return, has had one of Jake’s team, Big Al, killed off. Jake wants revenge for his buddy’s death, and the King wants his

money back. So, Jake gutsily waltzes into the King’s lair, proposes a con that will set things aright, and the King, smitten with Jake’s

looks, moxie, and “style,” dangerous as it is, sets him to work.

The Grift: Morgan Price (Robert Forster), sleazy mob heir and oily banker — archnemesis of the King and ripe for the

plucking. The Plan: fake an upstart business that will secure a loan from an unsuspecting, horny lending officer. The Bait: luscious Rachel Weisz.

Remember her? She’s the hottie from The

Mummy and About a Boy. She’s Lily here, who casually picks Jake’s pocket one

day. Smitten, Jake seeks her out when he needs a replacement for Big Al. And who can resist Edward Burns’ smile? Few, when there’s a

$5 million payoff attached to it. That’s right. This is no paltry six-figure con. Five mil. This attracts the attention of special agent

Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia), who has been on Jake’s trail for years. The magnitude of this con is so huge and Jake’s ego so swelled that this

is just the scheme for Butan to finally nab his man. He blackmails two of Jake’s cronies (Luis Guzman and Donal Logue), dirty L.A.

cops, into setting up Jake’s fall even as they scheme for the money themselves. Jake’s plan is further complicated by the presence of

Lupus (Frankie G.), henchman of the King, assigned to assist Jake while keeping a watchful (and, again, smitten) eye on him.

Confidence is all about Jake’s meticulous navigation through this tangled web, where it is virtually impossible to tell the

spiders from the flies. As far as tangled webs go, this one is great fun.

I went on a preview night with my blue-haired pal Jesse and, in a trivia game, won a bag of

Bend It Like Beckham stuff by correctly identifying

Midnight Cowboy as Dustin Hoffman’s X-rated Oscar nomination. Sneak previews are fun, and this one was

especially so because lots and lots of kids were there with parents who were either uninformed or uninterested in the fact that this movie is

very rated-R. So, the first couple of times the F-word came up, there were some nervous titters. Then there was some rough violence,

soliciting sighs and moans. THEN there was hot lesbian sex in a show-booth at an adult club and there were gasps and squeals! In that scene,

the King scolds two female strippers for performing cunnilingually while billing themselves as actual sisters. Poor form! The King runs

a classy establishment after all. I think this moralizing satisfied concerned parents because nobody left the theater.

Confidence is a poor man’s Ocean’s

Eleven — lower budget, smaller-name cast, smaller-name director. (Oscar-winning

Steven Soderbergh of Traffic helmed

Eleven while Confidence director James Foley has

Who’s That Girl? on his résumé.) Mostly, though, what

Confidence lacks is a George Clooney. Clooney IS cool. He needs no cool lessons, nor does he have to swagger to achieve it. He’s likable, confident,

capable, and women want him while men want to be him — the measure of a true Hollywood superstar stud.

Edward Burns is a poor man’s Richard Gere, and what fails

Confidence is a lack of heart. Jake’s dilemma is entirely cold,

calculated, and without emotional payoff. It’s all about a revenge that isn’t entirely motivated and, of course, the money. More fun is

Hoffman, draining all possible glee out of his few minutes of screentime as the twitching, megalomaniacal lech. Also rewarding: watching

honey Rachel Weisz ascend the ranks to credible leading lady with more strength, style, and oomph than Burns deserves.

Regardless, there is a joy to watching

Confidence intricately unfold, with surprises at every corner and surprises within

every surprise. Check your heart at the door, and let your brain be tickled for an hour or so watching well-dressed crooks achieve their

American dream by embezzling ours. — Bo List

Music Music Features

The Music Issue

Post author By
Post date May 2, 2003

1. The Reigning Sound

As more than one voter who helped Greg Cartwright’s Reigning Sound run away with the Third Annual Memphis Flyer Local Music Poll remarked, the band’s name is prophetic: Their brand of soulful garage-rock really has become one of pop music’s reigning sounds over the past couple of years.

Anointing Cartwright as a leading figure in this new wave of old-fashioned rock-and-roll bands is not merely a result of voters with local-music blinders: The Reigning Sound are arguably Cartwright’s most accomplished distillation of his myriad musical influences, but it was his previous bands — the Compulsive Gamblers and the Oblivians — that set the stage for the current rock landscape, spurring on megaselling followers such as the Hives and the White Stripes in much the same way that ’80s Amerindie bands like the Meat Puppets and Hüsker Dü paved the way for Nirvana.

And where Nirvana turned their fans on to the Meat Puppets, the Hives have been doing the same for their heroes, taking the Reigning Sound along as an opening act on a West Coast tour last year. (The Sound was offered the entire tour but declined. “We all have day jobs,” Cartwright explains.) The Hives also covered Cartwright’s Compulsive Gamblers’ number “Stop and Think It Over” on a recent compilation. Hives lead singer Pelle Almqvist even told Rolling Stone earlier this year that Time Bomb High School was his favorite record of 2002.

This connection was further strengthened in recent weeks when the Reigning Sound made their first overseas appearances, touring Sweden and Norway in April, playing some shows with the Hives and playing a few festivals.

You might think that connection would result in a little major-label attention for Cartwright and Co., and you’d be right –to an extent. The band’s stint opening for the Hives prompted several majors to sniff around the band, but so far nothing has come of it.

“We’d have A&R guys calling us and asking for a copy of the record, and [my attitude was] you work for a major label, you’ve got an expense account. Walk down to the record store and buy it,” Cartwright says. “Or they’d be asking to be put on the guest list at shows. What’s the cover? Seven dollars? I’d love to be on a big label and sell more records to more people, but I’d [have to be] making the same records, and I’m not gonna bend over backward for it.”

If anything, the Reigning Sound seem like a band too established and too comfortable in their skin to worry much about becoming rock stars. After years in rowdier outfits (“The Gamblers were a rock-and-roll bar band. The crowd tended to be people who were drinking a lot, like we were doing then,” Cartwright says), Cartwright was looking for something different with the Reigning Sound.

“After having been involved with such a close-knit set of musicians, I thought I’ve got to get out of this; it’s a dead end. I really wanted to work with people who weren’t connected to the same crowd, who weren’t necessarily rock-and-roll lifestyle kind of people,” he says.

Cartwright wanted a new mix of collaborators and he found them in his Reigning Sound bandmates: Drummer Greg Roberson had recently moved back to Memphis from L.A. and hadn’t played with anyone locally in a while. Bassist Jeremy Scott had moved to Memphis from Philadelphia (where he was a guitarist, switching to bass for the Reigning Sound). Scott is also a good singer, allowing doo-wop fanatic Cartwright to explore vocal harmonies he couldn’t in previous bands. Rounding out the lineup is guitarist/keyboard player Alex Greene, an old hand on the Memphis scene who had recently returned to Memphis after living in Belize.

The band’s seemingly untoppable sophomore record comes off as something of an homage to the city’s teen-band garage-rock scene of the ’60s, with several covers from that period. The record coincided with local fan Ron Hall’s Shangri-La-published scene history, though Cartwight says there was no direct connection between the two projects. “I knew he’d been working on that and we’d regularly swap singles, but I’d always been a fan of that stuff and had done those songs in live sets for years,” Cartwright says. “I just thought it would be fun to represent that stuff for people who hadn’t heard it.”

The Reigning Sound’s next, untitled record (Cartwright considered a recent headline from a Commercial Appeal medical advice column — “PILL-POPPING MOM ONLY TAKING WHAT SHE NEEDS TO GET BY” –but has since scrapped the idea) will likely be a little different, featuring Reigning Sound-style covers of a couple of soul gems: Sam & Dave’s “You Got Me Hummin'” and Hank Ballard’s “Get It.” The record was completed recently at Easley-McCain Studio and is set for release this fall on In the Red, the same label that put out Time Bomb High School.

These days, when Cartwright isn’t working with his band or handling production chores for other bands (he helped produce the Porch Ghouls’ recent major-label debut, Bluff City Ruckus), he spends his time hanging out in his newish Cooper-Young store, Legba Records. Cartwright is a record geek of enormous proportions and tremendous taste — as anyone might gather from hearing a Reigning Sound record. Hanging out at Legba is a bit like finding oneself transported into the record-store scenes from High Fidelity, except the atmosphere is kinder and more laid-back.

On a recent Friday afternoon, just before the band headed out for their European minitour, Cartwright took time out from helping employee (and fellow local musician) Tim Prudhomme put together a new screen door for the store to discuss his favorite record-hunting haunts (Frayser — “That’s where all the rockabilly guys lived”), new finds (Blue Peter — an obscure Canadian power-pop group from the late ’70s), and the unique and persistent musical connection between Memphis, New Orleans, and Detroit (Cartwright offers a concise and eloquent analysis tying together jug bands, trade routes, and migrant workers).

In between helping Prudhomme with the door and fielding questions from this reporter, he finds time to attend to customers, turning one browser on to an early Alice Cooper record and gently chiding another who brings in a crate of records to sell –“So, you decided you didn’t like Jessi Colter anymore?” and “Hey, you’re trying to sell me records you know aren’t any good!”

But everything stops when Hall makes an unexpected appearance, new find in hand. Cartwright takes a look at Hall’s latest discovery, his body spins around, and he gasps, “Geez Louise!” It’s another Memphis garage-band record from the ’60s, but this time something no one’s ever seen — a full album, a live record from a Millington band called (could I make this up?) Tight Little Unit. The album was recorded live (could I make this up?) at the 11th Frame Lounge at Liberty Lanes Bowling Alley. Cartwright explains that it’s a record the band presumably had pressed to sell at gigs they’d play around the naval base. It contains covers of hits of the day, such as “Dancing in the Streets” and “Summertime.” But it also, oddly, contains a cover of a song by one of their local contemporaries, “I Don’t Believe,” by the Guilloteens. This is a song that the Reigning Sound covered on Time Bomb High School, but Cartwright has never heard this version. He races to the store record player and puts it on. The ongoing interview is suddenly forgotten, and this writer wouldn’t have it any other way.

—Chris Herrington

Next local gig:

The Hi-Tone Café, with

Mr. Airplane Man

Saturday, May 10th

Voter comments:

Still the closest this town will ever get to duplicating the glory that was the Memphis teen-band scene of 1964-66. Better than the Gentrys and the Breakers and almost as good as Tommy Burke and the Counts. Greg Cartwright has a neat record shop in the form of Legba Records, but he lets too many gray-haired coots (like myself) hang out there. — Ross Johnson

Carrying on where the Oblivians left off, these guys get the crowd moving during their raucous live shows. Part garage, part punk, but all rock-and-roll, the Reigning Sound make music that the Strokes and Hives can only dream about. They should be and usually are given credit for helping with the current garage-rock resurgence. — Todd Dudley

No artist active in the Memphis scene today has proven him- or herself as able and willing to grow as Greg Cartwright. The songwriting is great and the band’s execution is flawless, putting on some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. I’ll always love the Oblivians, but the Sound are just what I need for this stage of my life — rockin’, yet complex and subtle when they have to be. — Chris McCoy

Their name couldn’t be more appropriate given the recent explosion of bands on both the local and national scenes whose “sound” compares favorably to the ’60s garage-band inspired (but hardly retro) style of Greg Cartwright’s latest outfit. Speaking of style, allow me to nominate “Reptile Style” from Time Bomb High School as song of the year. What in less capable hands could simply be a “woman as snake-in-the-grass” genre exercise here becomes a tormented tale of casual sex, betrayal, and bitterness of almost biblical proportions.

— Eddie Hankins

Not just “still good,” but better. Releasing that gem of an album helped.

— Andrew Earles

Along with friend and former Oblivian bandmate Jack Yarber, Greg Cartwright can take some credit for the current garage-rock phenomenon. Between fronting the Reigning Sound, running Legba Records, and producing bands like Mr. Airplane Man and the Porch Ghouls at Easley-McCain, Cartwright is a one-man rock-and-roll machine.

— Andria Lisle

Not only is every band [Greg Cartwright] has ever played in been great, [he] is constantly bringing cool bands to Memphis to play.

— Mike Smith

The guy is a genius. — Kevin Cubbins

2. Lucero

While the last few months were somewhat tumultuous for these country rockers — guitarist Brian Venable quit the group in December, while his replacement, Steve Selvidge, left two months later — things seem to be settling down. “Todd Gill started with us just a week before we played South by Southwest,” bassist John Stubblefield remembers. “We threw him right in; he did 16 shows with us in 17 days, and things were fine.”

Lucero had a blast at the Austin, Texas, music conference. “We played four shows at SXSW,” Stubblefield says. “Our last gig was at a BMX company called Terrible One. We played on a big bike ramp. It was like playing in a swimming pool, so we like to say we capped off SXSW by playing in the deep end,” he quips, adding that the Memphis Music Commission-sponsored barbecue at the MADJACK Records party was “really awesome. We’d been there for four days, and we were broke. I had 25 cents in my pocket,” Stubblefield says with a laugh, “so the free food was great!”

The band is getting ready to record their third album,although Stubblefield demurs when asked for details. “We’ve been steadily writing songs,” he says, “and we’ve got a dozen or more tunes that we could lay down at any moment.” This summer, Lucero will be playing the festival circuit, heading to the Midwest in June and then to the Northeast in July. While he’s looking forward to the respite from a steamy Memphis summer, Stub-blefield says the band is most enthusiastic about a pair of gigs closer to home. “We’re headlining a show at the Batesville [Arkansas] Motor Speedway in June. Batesville is one of our biggest markets,” he says. “We went there over Christmas without expecting much, but we had 500 people at our first show there.”

And the other show? “We’re playing a wrestling match at the Old Daisy Theatre on Beale Street,” Stubblefield says, explaining that Pat Cox, an old hand on the Memphis punk scene who’s now a professional grappler, organized the show. “There’ll be three matches — with thumbtacks and glass and all that stuff — and three bands,” he says gleefully. “What’s the big tie between rock-and-roll and wrestling? Well, it’s all fixed!” — Andria Lisle

Voter comments:

Lucero’s Tennessee [is like] Neil Young meets Nirvana. Great melodies, great lyrics, great playing, great vocals: a totally un-self-conscious foray into the murky waters of alternative country (whatever that is). — Lisa Lumb

I had seen [Lucero’s] first public show at Barristers years ago. They only had an eight-song set, with a couple of songs they could barely get through, and you could tell even then that Lucero was going to be really special. I don’t like to describe music or compare bands. I just have to say I like what they do. It’s unique and real. When you hear their records or see this band live, you just want to come back and do it again. They’ve gained some great personnel and lost some. I think they are on the verge of becoming a significant and influential band.

— James Manning

With the release of Tennessee and the addition of Todd Gill, Lucero could and should garner much success in the future. Ben Nichols writes songs that tug at your heartstrings. Already playing to packed venues where everyone sings along and the girls scream louder than at a Britney Spears concert, these guys are what’s great about Memphis music.

— Todd Dudley

They played over 200 gigs last year and seem on pace to do the same this year. They got plenty of press at South by Southwest and their shows are regularly packed. A lot of people liked Tennessee, their last album, but I didn’t think it was as good or varied as the first one. Song after song of the same tempo gets old to me. But they are the most visible representative of the scene right now, and I for one would much rather be represented by a Frank Sinatra look-alike with a chain-smoking voice than by Saliva. Their founding guitarist [Brian Venable] recently quit, so it remains to be seen whether they can take it in a new direction as opposed to just resting on their laurels and descending into some kind of ego vortex. For all our sakes, I hope they can. — Chris McCoy

Not much fun to listen to, but they sure can pack a bar. One of the only bands to regularly incite dancing and hollering. — Kerry Vaughan

I think these guys have the best chance of really breaking out in the next year. Their live show is hot, and it is just a matter of time before they are huge. — Mike Smith

The sound of Midtown for the past few years. — Kevin Cubbins

3. The North Mississippi Allstars

“This is a really good time for Memphis music,” North Mississippi Allstars guitarist Luther Dickinson enthuses. “We pulled into Columbus, Ohio, for a gig recently, and both the Bloodthirsty Lovers and Lucero had write-ups in the local paper for upcoming shows. Then we realized that Saliva was playing a gig at the theater down the street. It makes me feel less homesick to realize that most of my friends are on the road too,” he says.

Although it was mastered more than two months ago, the Allstars have put off the release of their third album, Polaris, until September 7th. “Tone-Cool is still our record company, but ATO/BMG bought the rights to our distribution,” Dickinson explains. “We couldn’t be happier. We met the ATO team, and it’s gonna be a good run,” he says expectantly.

“We’ve been playing a majority of the songs [off Polaris] live,” Dickinson says. “On our second record, I was trying to write modern blues — real Mississippi poetry. But Garry [Burnside, an occasional member of the band] taught me to write from the heart, keep things simple and honest so people can relate. This album is about life and girls,” he says with a chuckle, “so hopefully everybody can feel it.”

“With Dwayne Burnside in the band for two years now, the band has become a collaborative effort,” Dickinson says. He shies away from the blues-band image that has pigeonholed the Allstars in years past, calling Polaris “a definite modern Southern rock statement. We’re taking things day by day,” Dickinson concludes. “Our mantra on the road is ‘Keep your shit together, and be ready to rise to the occasion at any moment.'” — AL

Next local gig:

The Beale Street Music

Festival, Budweiser Stage,

7:05 p.m.

Sunday, May 4th

Voter comments:

We all know by now what kind of talent they bring to the table, but what is so special is their unselfishness, always willing to help an up-and-coming band or a fallen hero. It’s just so nice to see this kind of respect toward the men and women that made this area the musical dynamo that it is. Othar Turner is smiling down on your integrity, boys.

— Brent Harding

This is simply a great band, steeped in Memphis tradition and the blues. They were impressive when they were teenagers, way back in the DDT days. They have the ultimate respect of their peers and they never fail to make their fans happy. They have built a fan base that will be with them for a lifelong career. — James Manning

Just keep getting bigger and better. And Luther is rapidly becoming a guitar monster to be reckoned with. — Steve Walker

Even though they’re becoming the vets of this poll, the Allstars are still vital to the local scene. Each of their albums receives more attention nationally than the last one. — Julie Etheridge

I suppose they should be on everyone’s list considering all the attention they get. What’s cool about NMAS is they’ve packaged this area’s boogie-blues sound/feel with a jam-band groove that doesn’t sound packaged. The material they do, and their sensitivity to it, will give them staying power. — Jay Sheffield

4. Saliva

North Memphis has spoken, and, once again, Saliva makes the poll with a hefty number of votes. But they won’t be around to bask in the glory: These homegrown superstars are touring all summer long, as headliners in May and June, then as openers for the Aerosmith and Kiss tour slated for July.

It’s been a busy year for Saliva. Frontman Josey Scott was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Song category for “Hero,” his duet with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, though he lost out to Coldplay. Scott has also become a ubiquitous presence in the rock press, dispensing romantic advice and dropping knowledge in magazines such as Spin and Revolver. Currently in heavy rotation: “Rest in Pieces,” co-written by James Michael and Mötley Crüe legend Nikki Sixx.

But rest assured that the band hasn’t forgotten their roots. “[Memphis music is] part of my culture and heritage,” Scott told Guitar World in an interview this spring. “I had aunts and uncles listening to that music while they fried catfish in the kitchen when I was 7 years old. It was all an indelible part of my life and education.” — AL

Next local gig:

The Library, in Oxford, Mississippi

Friday, May 9th

Voter comments:

It’s sad that Memphis’ most commercially successful band since Big Star is named after a bodily fluid. But as Jay “Jay Jay” Reatard said, “Memphis is not Midtown.”

— Doug Golonka

Nü metal is a birth defect of a genre that should have been aborted. I mean that in a nice way. I’d like to see Saliva give a leg up to some of their Memphis metal brethren. I hope they explode (literally, not famewise just kidding). — Chris Walker

I have worked around these guys since they were literally children, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that they grab the brass ring. A gold record, Grammy nominations, American Music Award nominations, appearances on around 30 (THIRTY) movie soundtracks: They represent the biggest impact by Memphis musicians in almost 30 years. I can tell you firsthand that Saliva got there by talent, hard work, musical taste, and professionalism. Every member has a real desire to be a musician and an entertainer. These are qualities that very, very few bands from the underground to the stadium acts can put in one package. — James Manning

In a rock world where being a fun, charismatic lead singer seems to be a dying art, Josey Scott is a godsend. It’s more than appropriate that these guys have landed the opening slot on this summer’s Kiss/Aerosmith tour: Saliva was born to play arenas, not all-day outdoor nü-metal fests. — Steve Walker

Love ’em or hate ’em, Josey Scott and the guys are still bringing attention to the city that reaches past the critics.

— Julie Etheridge

5. Cory Branan

More than 100 people crowded around the TV at the Young Avenue Deli last month to catch Southaven’s own pop idol Cory Branan on Late Night with David Letterman. His performance was worth staying up for — a pop-eyed Branan fronted a team of A-list players (guitarist Steve Selvidge, bassist Mark Stuart, and drummer John Argroves) on — you guessed it — the radio hit “Miss Ferguson.” (“It’s the only song the band knows,” Branan claims.)

“We had a good time jumping around and acting like assholes,” Branan recalls. “What surprised me was that we did the song seven times in rehearsal, but live they didn’t cut to Paul [Schaeffer, Letterman’s music director] on the four-bar break. I walked over to Steve to do the double-guitar Lynyrd Skynyrd bit, then when I saw the monitor I thought, Oh my God, we look so cheesy! It was so ridiculous and rock-star-like. People say I looked nervous, but I ask them, ‘Have you ever seen one of my shows?’ I always freak out like that,” Branan says.

But success hasn’t spoiled him yet: “I don’t mean to be all cute about it, but I don’t think about this stuff. I never asked for any of it,” he emphasizes. “I know what it’s worth: The Letterman thing was so fucking cool, but it’s gone as soon as it happens. All that stuff is superfluous to what I do, which is make music,” Branan insists.

In early fall, Branan will be heading to Manchester, England, where he’ll be recording his sophomore album for MADJACK Records, with Henry Alton (Primal Scream) and Jeff Powell co-producing. “I have 130 new songs ready to go,” Branan says, “and I’m like, Let’s go! I’m way overdue for a new record, but I don’t want to rush things,” he muses. “I’m gonna be doing this for the rest of my life.” — AL

Next local gig:

The Beale Street Music

Festival, Budweiser Stage,

3:50 p.m.

Saturday, May 3rd

Voter comments:

Well, he’s gone Hollywood. Personally, I prefer him playing drunk on his back at the Hi-Tone. He’s a superb storyteller and songwriter. — Doug Golonka

I have not heard many people put so much of themselves into a song. He’s a great songwriter and haunting, plaintive singer. I agree with those comparing him to John Prine and Tom Waits. He’s getting an unprecedented amount of attention, and he deserves it.

— James Manning

Also not fun to listen to, but he seems poised to break onto the national scene. Hell, he was on Letterman; maybe I should vote for his agent instead.

— Kerry Vaughan

With his recent appearance on David Letterman and his “exposure” in Rolling Stone, we will be hearing a lot more from this talented singer-songwriter over the coming year. — Lyndsi Potts

6. Viva L’American Death Ray Music

A year ago, I compared this Midtown rock-and-roll combo to the Modern Lovers, but as Viva L’American Death Ray Music frontman Nicholas Ray points out, the description no longer fits. “It was an overused comparison,” he says, “one that doesn’t apply any more.” As Ray explains, the band’s current sound has been refined over the last year as musicians in the group have come and gone.

“The new stuff we’ve been writing didn’t need all the accoutrements of a five-piece band,” Ray says, noting that it’s “easier and cheaper now” to operate as a trio. Without the chiming chords of keyboardist Brendan Lee Spengler, the music is “more herky-jerky,” says Ray, as evidenced on the band’s latest, A New Commotion A Delicate Tension (And the Exquisite Corpse of Mr. Jimmy), out now on the Misprint Records label.

“That title is a double reference,” Ray says. “It’s named for a friend of mine I bump into when wandering around the country — and then, of course, there’s the Stones’ reference in ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.'” What can we expect from the current lineup (Ray on guitar and vocals, bassist Harlan T. Bobo, and drummer Jeff Bouck)? A tour of the East Coast later this month, followed by a new album this summer. — AL

Next local gig:

The Hi-Tone Café, with the Lost

Sounds · Wednesday, May 21st

Voter comments:

Forget the Strokes — these guys are the standard-bearers of garage rock! From Nick’s stage presence to Harlan T. Bobo’s stare, these guys have the look and sound for bigger and better things. — Doug Golonka

I would consciously miss this band during their first year or two, but something clicked to make them Memphis’ best alternative to, well, every other band in town. — Andrew Earles

A consistently good live band, making better records every time out. — Jared McStay

I know better, but there are moments of unreason when I think that “Hip Hugger Suit(E)” may be the best song ever recorded in Memphis. It’s like a lost cut off Lou Reed’s Transformer with its hypnotic midway-style organ and honking sax. Listening to it turns the whole world into a Max Fleischer cartoon where the dogs wear black leather and Betty Boop has fangs. — Chris Davis

7. The Bloodthirsty Lovers

Five years after the breakup of the Grifters, we find guitarist Scott Taylor masquerading as bluesy ax grinder Slim Electro in the Porch Ghouls, bassist Tripp Lamkins anchoring pop groovers the Paper Plates, and drummer Stan Gallimore staying at home and raising a family. Former frontman David Shouse, it seems, is the one apple that’s fallen closest to the tree, as he continues to churn out a carefully blended amalgamation of glam rock and indie rock as the leader of the Bloodthirsty Lovers.

Not that the Bloodthirsty Lovers are a Grifters rip-off. Far from it. To understand the evolution, you’d do well to check out the two albums Shouse released with Those Bastard Souls, the band he fronted in the interim. That group floundered under contractual problems with their label V2, and, Shouse explains on his Web site, the Bloodthirsty Lovers “was [his] rehab stint out of the numbing world of major-label sickness.”

The band’s eponymous debut, available locally for the past year, was picked up by indie label French Kiss Records in February. That record is largely a Shouse solo project, but the Lovers’ forthcoming sophomore effort will feature Shouse’s current bandmates Paul Taylor and Tom Krupski as well. — AL

Next local gig:

The Hi-Tone Café

Friday, May 16th

Voter comments:

Straddling the line between electronica and guitar rock, the Lovers have crafted a unique sound that brings packed houses wherever they play. David Shouse shows why he has earned his place as one of the most creative musical talents in Memphis. Having been through the corporate machine a couple of times, with the Grifters and Those Bastard Souls, it seems like Shouse [and Co.] are just a band having fun, experimenting with different styles and building a loyal following in the process.

— Todd Dudley

Bringing together the lo-fi sounds of ’90s Memphis and 21st-century electronica with nearly always stunning results, both live and on disc. — Eddie Hankins

So much has been said of David Shouse’s musical pilgrimage that I’d need to buy a big thesaurus to come up with anything new to add. If you’re looking for music that has nothing to do with the blues tradition and everything to do with the existential living end, you’re in luck.

— Dan Ball

8. Richard Johnston

If 2001 was about the breakthrough for blues hope Richard Johnston, this past year has been more about consolidation. Johnston rode the success of his debut album, the proudly self-released Foot Hill Stomp, and the continued fallout from his head-turning win at the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge to a surprising second-place finish in last year’s Flyer poll.

No longer the new kid on the block, Johnston has nevertheless established himself as a rising blues star rather than a fluke. His status as a desired attraction on the blues festival circuit has been solidified (upcoming dates include Belgium and France). His embrace by the blues community has been further confirmed by Foot Hill Stomp‘s nomination for Best New Artist Debut at this month’s Handy Awards (where Johnston will compete with the more widely celebrated Robert Randolph and Precious Bryant, among others). And his status as preserver of his beloved hill-country blues has been illustrated by Foot Hill Stomp helping to restart the previously dormant career of duet partner and area blues matriarch Jessie Mae Hemphill.

And through it all, Johnston still finds time to ply his trade out on Beale –in the street, not in the clubs. —CH

Next local gig:

The Beale Street Music

Festival, Blues Tent, 9:20 p.m.

Saturday, May 3rd

Voter comments:

Richard Johnston is the hardest worker in the industry and leaves everything on the stage. — Dennis Brooks

His independent spirit is what keeps him on my list year after year. [Johnston’s] talent and passion are awe-inspiring and his connection to his audience is what fuels his career and will ensure the growth of his fan base. That way, 10 records from now, he will still be able to sell his art and keep his profits. — Wayne Leeloy

I think [Johnston] is a national treasure just waiting to happen. He’s a captivating live performer and his music is the real deal. The best part is, when he’s not on the festival circuit, you can see him for free right out on the Beale Street sidewalk on any given weekend; which may not sound so special until you see him sell around 100 albums a night — always more than the headline act playing the 1,000-seat venue right behind him. — James Manning

The most talented solo performer in town, Richard Johnston’s gritty, unpolished approach to the blues is a welcome change from the slick performances that are all too familiar. — Julie Etheridge

9. Jim Dickinson

“The new record did even better than I thought it would,” Jim Dickinson says by phone from his Zebra Ranch studio in north Mississippi. He’s talking about Free Beer Tomorrow, his first album in three decades, which was released last October. “I got some radio play, which I never expected,” Dickinson says. “We also got some great press, but I anticipated that, based on friendships and curiosity from my not having been in the marketplace for some time.”

Over the last several months, Dickinson has been hard at work as a producer — the credits on Sid Selvidge’s recent Archer Records release A Little Bit of Rain and the upcoming John Eddie album on Lost Highway (Who the Hell Is John Eddie?) attest to that. “The star on the John Eddie record is this guitarist from Nashville named Kenny Vaughn,” Dickinson raves. “He used to play with Lucinda [Williams]. He’s a fabulous player, smooth and cool in the studio.”

But what about his solo career? “It’s hard for me to play when my band’s on the road,” he laments, referring to his sons Luther and Cody Dickinson, hard at work with the North Mississippi Allstars. “That’s the trouble with recording with my kids; I really can’t play the music without ’em. But I may do some solo stuff this summer, my old coffeehouse act.”

“When I cut an album, I do it as a recording artist,” Dickinson explains, “but when I play on stage I do the same thing I’ve done for 40 years. I used to do the songs I knew, but now I just play the songs I remember.” Even so, he’s looking forward to his Memphis in May appearance this weekend, when he’ll be backed by Luther and Cody and former Flying Burrito Brother Chris Ethridge. “We’ve played together in certain amalgamations for years,” Dickinson notes. “He’s the one who introduced me to [Ry] Cooder.” — AL

Next local gig:

The Beale Street Music

Festival, Blues Tent,

6:05 p.m., Sunday, May 4th

Voter comments:

Best local album of the past year: Free Beer Tomorrow — Jim Dickinson, cuz it took him 30 years to make a second solo record; cuz he makes getting old seem kinda cool; cuz it sounds great. I don’t believe that Jim has tasted beer in decades, though. — Ross Johnson

The family that has ties from the Burnsides to Mudhoney. Doing a good thing the right way and sharing it with everyone. — Gary Crump

A joke was going around that the balloting for the Premier Player Awards ought to have a “Best Dickinson” category to keep the family from dominating the other categories. A Memphis music icon, gifted as a producer, performer, writer, and, obviously, dad.

— Jay Sheffield

Like an old oak tree, he has reached pinnacles that others only dream of but has remained faithful to his deep roots and made manifest great fruits.

— Pam McGaha

10. Memphix

Chad “Chase” Weekley, 25, and Luke “Red Eye Jedi” Sexton, 28, joined forces under the moniker Memphix a few years ago, putting out several excellent 7-inches of funky, DJ Shadowesque sound collages (search out Red Eye Jedi’s “Homegrown” especially); hosting some stellar, if not always well-attended local hip-hop shows; spinning all over town, most recently at their Thursday night Inner Sounds gig at the Hi-Tone Café; and making a considerable name for themselves in the global underground hip-hop and turntable community.

But in the coming year, Weekley and Sexton (with Chicago-based partner Dante Carfagna and local cohort DJ Armis) seem poised to break through the rather conservative genre-grid of Memphis music –blues, alt-country, garage rock, metal, and Southern rap –to become a major force in an entirely new way. The group’s CD “demo” of obscure black rock and funk 45s, Chains + Black Exhaust, has been an underground sensation, so much so that it’s scheduled for an above-board release in January. And Memphix will drop its full-length debut this summer with Carfagna’s Jeux de Ficelle. — CH

Next local gig:

The Hi-Tone Café, with Lee Fields & Sugarman 3

Monday, May 5th

Voter comments:

Known internationally for their DJ and producing expertise. Spreading historic sounds of Memphis to young ears worldwide.

— Katherine Sage

Obscurities (the Fabulous Fugitives), rarities (the Sweet and Innocent), and forgotten treasures (Smithstonian, the Memphians): This DJ team knows more about Memphis soul music than anyone else around.

— Andria Lisle

Serious record collectors: These guys are known worldwide; it’s time their hometown gives it up for them.

— Andrew McCalla

Politics Politics Beat Blog

Situation Normal …

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date May 2, 2003

Everybody knows the famous Will Rogers line: “I don’t belong to an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” These days in Shelby County, that line could apply to both major parties, each of which has entertained moderate-to-major schisms over the last year or so. But it’s the Democrats who truly excel at the art of factionalism.

How much better can you do than to hold a knockdown/drag-out local convention, as the local Democrats did three weekends ago, only to end up the day with the race for Shelby County party chair deadlocked at 20 votes apiece?

That was how it went down at Hamilton High School back on April 12th, when the tie-breaking voter, Marianne Wolff of Cordova, took ill halfway through the proceedings and had to go home. Wolff was a newly elected executive committee member pledged to support State Rep. Kathryn Bowers for chairman over current chair Gale Jones Carson; so her absence was crucial.

As the stalemate continued into late afternoon back then, Bowers supporters beseeched Wolff via cellphone to return, and eventually she did — transported by her friend and Cordova neighbor, Nancy Kuhn, ironically enough a Carson supporter who had been defeated for a committee post by Wolff and who had taken Wolff home only hours earlier.

By the time of Wolff’s return, however, the convention had adjourned and had not yet agreed on a date to reconvene.

In the interim between that standoff and the final resolution of a runoff date (May 12th, agreed to by both candidates and approved by the state Democratic Party), both sides made feverish efforts to convert executive committee members on the other side, and each side steadfastly tried to hold on to its own loyalists.

Wolff herself felt so besieged that she took to misleading people about her exact address and even the spelling of her name, presumably to limit the extent of the hot-boxing she could be subjected to.

Wolff’s name appears (spelled correctly) along with the 20 other Bowers supporters in a letter sent to Carson and dated Monday of this week. The letter has two purposes, according to activist David Upton, a Bowers supporter who helped draft it: 1) to convince Carson that the handwriting is on the wall (actually, on the paper, with facsimiles of signatures for each of the signers, all standing firm for Bowers) on the issue of the chairmanship race; and 2) to dissuade Carson from going ahead with her plan to elect the new committee’s other officers (sans chairman) this Thursday night.

The issue is that two Bowers supporters on the newly elected committee can’t attend Thursday night’s meeting and that Carson knew that, Upton said. Nonsense, says Carson, who maintains that all she’s doing is following party bylaws to elect new officers on the first regular committee meeting after a convention. That would be Thursday night.

Ah, but that’s the meeting night adopted by the former committee, not the one elected on April 12th, counters Upton — to which Carson says, “We’re going to follow the bylaws and vote Thursday. The Thursday night date was adopted by the party way back on December 5th, 1995.”

The letter to Carson reads “it is our intention to have them [actions to elect new officers] rescinded on May 12th” if Carson oversees elections this Thursday. “This isn’t about unity,” said Carson. “This is about an effort by some to divide the party.” Carson, who is secretary of the state Democratic Party, charged Upton in particular with using his position as a member of the state party executive committee to “mislead” local Democrats about the facts.

Sometime between Thursday night and the May 12th date which will see either the reelection of Carson (who isn’t about to concede the outcome, signatures or no signatures) or of Bowers, things will presumably get resolved. Not organized, mind you; that would be entirely too un-Democratic.

Southern Strategies

Presidential candidates are beginning to turn up in these parts as the race for the Democratic nomination starts to get serious. Two principal Democratic contenders — Missouri congressman Dick Gephardt and Massachusetts senator John Kerry — have already checked in locally, and third — Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman — will be right behind.

Gephardt, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination (1988), was the beneficiary of a fundraiser held Sunday at the residence of Pat Kerr Tigrett. Lawyer David Cocke, a Yale classmate of Kerry’s, did the honors for the Massachusetts senator at the Summit Club on Tuesday morning. And an effort on behalf of Lieberman, to be held early in May, is being planned by local Democrat Pace Cooper.

All three candidates were supporters of military efforts to depose Saddam Hussein‘s regime in Iraq, and each voted for a congressional war resolution to that effect. After his appearance here on Tuesday, Kerry said he hoped to appeal to the “common sense” of Southern Democrats. — JB