Author: J.D. Reager

But now, at a time when so much is going right for Memphis music
thanks, in part, to the publicity generated by Craig Brewer’s $5
Cover project and the combined efforts of organizations such as the
Memphis Music Foundation (a private nonprofit that splintered
off from the commission), the Folk Alliance, and Live From
Memphis, the Music Commission is attempting to rejoin the party and
legitimize itself in the eyes of not only local musicians and the music
scene but the larger Memphis community.

The main impetus for this reemergence is the arrival of new Music
Commission executive director Johnnie Walker. Walker, a former
Def Jam executive who played a significant role in, among other things,
the discovery of Atlanta rapper Ludacris and the creation of the hit
HBO series Def Comedy Jam, admits to being not fully prepared
for the challenges she’s faced in trying to rejuvenate an organization
long mired in poor leadership and ineffectiveness.

“Originally, I thought it would be more organized,” Walker says. “I
knew there were problems and things we were going to have to fix, but I
didn’t expect the total lack of credibility. The whole thing has been
mystifying to me.”

Part of the problem stems from a lack of trust and level of
dysfunction within the commission itself, which, based on the
commission’s past two meetings and discussions with commissioners and
other attendees, appears to be an ongoing issue. Depending on who and
under what context you ask, Walker is either doing a bang-up job or
possibly making things worse.

“In my opinion, she has done an amazing job,” says Kurt
Clayton, chairman of the Music Commission’s executive board. “She
has lit a spark under the music community here, and I’m extremely happy
as chairman to be a part of the new movement.”

“I’m really impressed with her,” echoes Vice Chairman Richard
Cushing. “We were a rudderless ship without leadership, and it took
a great weight off of our shoulders when she finally arrived.”

Privately, though, several commissioners have expressed doubts about
Walker’s ability to lead, her secretive personal manner, and the fact
that she’s yet to present a cohesive, big-picture plan or vision for
the future of the Music Commission.

What Walker has done in her short time in office is create a series
of events designed to showcase emerging local talent and provide
educational and networking opportunities for those in the music
business. Among them are Memphis Music Mondays, a biweekly, free
local-music showcase and networking event at the Hard Rock Cafe, and
Memphis Music Community Forums, a free monthly workshop at the
Pink Palace Museum.

However, there is still tension and personal animosity between
certain members of the Music Commission board, including Walker, that’s
visible in the monthly, public commission meetings at City Hall.

“It’s obvious they all hate each other,” said a recent observer.
“Nothing is ever going to happen over there.”

“I think there’s a feeling among some commissioners that the process
of getting a new leader was not very transparent, and therefore breeds
distrust,” says Music Commission executive board treasurer Jonathan
Cross. “And within the commission, there appear to be factions that
have more information than others. Those in the know aren’t always
willing to share information.”

Whether there is a possibility of a unified and purposeful Memphis
and Shelby County Music Commission remains to be seen.

“I’m willing to give Ms. Walker the benefit of the doubt,” Cross
says. “But so far, I haven’t seen a comprehensive plan for rebuilding
the music industry here, and one is certainly needed.”

What’s clear is that Walker intends to play her cards close to the
vest. When pressed to explain exactly what role the Music Commission
serves that other local organizations aren’t already providing, Walker
offered enthusiasm but little in the way of specifics.

“My unifying theme is Memphis music,” Walker says. “We have to
create value for our most precious commodity, which is music. We aren’t
respected by the powers-that-be in this town as a viable economic
commodity. Our challenge is to keep Memphis music positioned in
people’s minds.”

Depending on whom you ask, Jack “Oblivian” Yarber is either a rock
legend or an absolute unknown.

This dichotomy is well-understood by Memphis musicians, as
underground “fame,” for all its rewards, has, with a few exceptions,
been the ceiling for local acts for decades. And no one knows this
dichotomy better than Yarber, who may be Memphis’ most influential
active rock musician.

The list of noteworthy bands Yarber has been a member of over the
years is massive and includes Johnny Vomit & the Dry Heaves (a high
school punk project that also featured future Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo
Mathus), new-wavers the End, ’68 Comeback, Knaughty Knights, and Tav
Falco’s Panther Burns. Two of Yarber’s former bands — the
Compulsive Gamblers and the Oblivians — have seen their
reputation and following swell in the decade since their demise,
especially the Oblivians, whose international fan base borders on
rabid. Due largely to his stint in these bands, both partnerships with
Greg Cartwright, now of the Reigning Sound, Yarber has been an
acknowledged influence on artists such as the White Stripes, the Hives,
and Jay Reatard.

“I just do the best I can,” Yarber says. “Those Oblivians records
may not be on mainstream commercial radio, but they will always find
new fans who are looking for something outside the bland formulas that
are pushed on them by the people who think they know what rock-and-roll
is all about.”

In the years since, Yarber has toured and released a string of
successful solo albums under the Jack O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers
moniker. Originally conceived in 2000 as a partnership with former
Impala and current Bo-Keys bassist Scott Bomar, the band quickly
morphed into Yarber’s solo incarnation after Bomar became too occupied
with film scoring and production work. The band has had a revolving
door for side players ever since, at different times including current
River City Tanlines John Bonds and Terrence Bishop, Neighborhood
Texture Jam guitarist John Whittemore, the Reigning Sound’s Greg
Roberson, Bluff City Backslider Adam Woodard, and a host of other
recognizable local musicians.

The current lineup that’s (largely) behind Yarber’s latest release,
The Disco Outlaw, includes lead guitarist John Paul Keith (whose
own band, the One Four Fives, released their debut album last month),
enigmatic songwriter/performer Harlan T. Bobo on bass, and journeyman
drummer Paul Buchignani, who has backed everyone from Amy LaVere to the
Afghan Whigs.

“I like different things about all the lineups,” Yarber says.
“Harlan and Paul are a great rhythm section because of their dynamics.
They’ve been playing together in Harlan’s band for a long time and have
good chemistry. John Paul has sonic attack, but he also knows when to
pull back and let the song come through. It’s great to have him and
Harlan, because they’re both band leaders on their own and know from
top to bottom what goes where.”

The Disco Outlaw, released nationally on May 5th by local
imprint Goner Records, continues in the more “mature” direction
established by previous Tearjerkers releases, as Yarber’s strong (and
underrated) sense of melody and skill with pop hooks are allowed to
take the spotlight. Which is not to say that the record doesn’t rock,
because it flat-out does — and hard. But The Disco Outlaw
is also Yarber’s most polished effort to date, which serves the album’s
strong collection of songs well.

The release of The Disco Outlaw comes directly on the heels
of Jack O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers’ inclusion in director Craig
Brewer’s new series for MTV, $5 Cover, which chronicles the
lives of several local musicians in semifictional settings.

For Yarber, the opportunity to be part of a project with such
far-reaching potential was a welcome one.

“If I were 19 or 20 years old, I would be tapping on Craig Brewer’s
bathroom window saying put me in your movie,” Yarber says. “I’m not a
fan of reality TV shows, which all seem to be scripted anyway. But
$5 Cover is really music-focused, unlike these other shows. If
any of the actors or musicians can get some work because of the
recognition, it would be a good thing.”

In addition to tour dates promoting The Disco Outlaw with the
Tearjerkers, Yarber also has much-anticipated reunions with both the
Oblivians and the Compulsive Gamblers on tap for the summer. The
Oblivians will reunite in June for a string of gigs in Europe as well
as Memphis and Detroit with fellow underground legends the Gories,
while the Compulsive Gamblers will reform for the local Antenna Club
Reunion Festival in August.

“I love playing a lot and touring as long as it’s booked well and
the band doesn’t come home in the negative,” Yarber says. “At some of
the last Jack O/Harlan tours in Europe, there were cameras and
interviews like we were Dylan in England for the first time. In
reality, we were an unknown American rock band who paid off the border
guards 300 euros to get in the country.”

Jack O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers

The Disco Outlaw record release show, with John Paul
Keith & the One Four Fives

Hi-Tone Café

Saturday, May 9th

9 p.m.; $5

Time flies when you’re having fun,” says Nancy Apple, in reference to the upcoming ninth birthday of her Pickin’ Party, a weekly jam session and song-swap at Kudzu’s, a sturdy bar in the Edge district east of downtown. But she could as easily be speaking about her career as a whole.

Apple, sometimes known as “Cadillac Cowgirl,” Memphis’ “Queen of Country,” or “Princess of Twang,” has long been a fixture on the local music scene, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Over the years, she’s developed a workaholic reputation for the time and energy she dedicates to her numerous projects. At different times, Apple has played many roles, including songwriter, solo artist, band leader, backing musician, producer/engineer, record-label owner, community radio deejay, and music journalist.

Amazingly, she has been able to juggle all these roles despite an ongoing performance and tour schedule that would be daunting to even the most eager new act ready to hit the highways.

“I like to work. Staying busy keeps the devils in my mind away,” Apple says. “All of it does not make much money, but I like to stay busy… and insurance is for sissies anyway.”

Among the many projects Apple currently is working on are a pair of new albums under her own name (one acoustic and intimate, the other more rocking with full-band arrangements), a new Steven Bacon album to be released on her label, Ringo Records, and a collaboration with emerging local hip-hop artist Teflon Don. But first, she will ring in an impressive ninth consecutive year of the Pickin’ Party.

Nancy Apple’s Pickin’ Party began in 2000 out of necessity. Frustrated by an inability to maintain a regular “songwriter night” gig at any of the local clubs, Apple began hosting musician and songwriter friends on Thursdays at her own home for informal jam sessions and potluck. When the crowds started to become more than she could handle, Kudzu’s stepped in.

“I tried to get something going on at several other clubs, but it didn’t happen,” Apple says. “I was able to get a few songwriter nights started, but nobody really wanted to stick it out or pay us very well. So I started doing parties at my house, but sometimes they got too big — especially when it rained and we had to go in the house. There wasn’t enough room. But then Jo, the sweet waitress who worked at Kudzu’s at the time, invited me to do something weekly there. I said I wanted to do this Pickin’ Party in the round format, and they pretty much let me do what I wanted.”

Since its inception, the Pickin’ Party has served as a training ground for aspiring local writers and players and a welcome pit stop for traveling troubadours, all under the watchful eye of Apple, who takes the time to nurture and support whatever talent comes through the doors.

“I don’t know if I have mentored anyone from Kudzu’s exactly,” Apple says. “But I know I’ve asked a few folks to head back to the woodshed or made suggestions here and there that might help their songwriting, and when they came back it seemed to do them some good.”

Which is not to say the Pickin’ Party is solely for amateurs. Over the years, the event has featured countless recognizable and noteworthy names, including Keith Sykes, Reba Russell, Teenie Hodges, Cody Dickinson, and the late Cordell Jackson, to name a few.

For Thursday’s birthday bash, Apple has an extra-special program planned. Current Pickin’ Party regulars will be joined by a group of “originals” (Apple’s affectionate term for veterans of the weekly event), and Apple will be recording it all for posterity and maybe even a future release. Rumors also have been circulating about birthday cupcakes and balloons.

“It’s going to be a great night, definitely bigger than the usual Pickin’ Party,” says Apple, who sees no end to the event coming anytime soon.

“There’s no telling how long it could go on. Maybe as long as I can drive myself there and play.”

Nancy Apple’s Pickin’ Party takes place every Thursday at Kudzu’s (603 Monroe). The ninth birthday show is Thursday, March 5th. For more information, visit NancyApple.com.

A retail-ready compact disc, like so many worthwhile products and ideas, starts out as a small and simple thing: a polycarbonate pellet no larger than a BB from a toy gun. But from those humble beginnings something truly special can develop, given the right circumstances. The same can be said of AudioGraphic Masterworks, a local CD and DVD manufacturing business that has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade or so.

Founded by partners Mark Yoshida and Brandon Seavers in 1997, AudioGraphic Masterworks started out as an audio-mastering and graphic-design studio in a tiny space on Summer Avenue. But growth was always a part of Yoshida and Seavers’ plan.

“When we started, we knew we wanted to get into packaging eventually,” Seavers says. “So when we moved to a larger place across the street in 1999, we added that capability.”

It was from that second location, a warehouse at 5068 Summer that AudioGraphic Masterworks called home for nearly nine years, that the business took off. AGMW quickly established itself as the destination for local bands and indie labels in need of product, though not all of the services offered were completed in-house at the time. Still, largely through word of mouth, the company was able to carve out a niche for itself.

“We’ve never focused on advertising or marketing in this business,” Yoshida says. “We’re successful because of customer referrals, which speaks to the quality of our service.”

Those services include custom graphic design and artwork, audio mastering (the final stage in the recording/production process), short-run CD-R duplication, and larger-scale mass replication, including all the necessary packaging materials (covers/booklets, jewel cases, shrink-wrap, etc.).

Both Yoshida and Seavers have a wealth of music-industry knowledge and experience to draw upon — Yoshida ran the successful Rockingchair studio and label throughout the early to middle ’90s, and Seavers was a member of one of the Rockingchair label’s most successful acts, the 6 Million Dollar Band — and are always happy to share it with up-and-comers who do business with AGMW.

“I think our understanding of the music industry, both from the band side and the label and recording side, really helped us in terms of being able to assist our clients and help them make the right business decisions for where they are in their career,” Seavers says.

“I mean, we’re happy to get the business, but it doesn’t always make sense for an artist or band just starting out to press up thousands of CDs that will end up sitting in somebody’s garage for the rest of their lives.”

Around 2004, Yoshida and Seavers began to consider making another move to a larger location to meet the growing needs of their business and to allow for expansion into actual disc manufacturing, thus eliminating the need to farm out any work to a third party. In 2006, the two began the search in earnest, though difficulties finding a suitable spot quickly arose.

“We looked for a building to lease for around eight months and found several spaces that would have worked,” Yoshida says. “But when you figure in the renovations and upgrades that would have been necessary, it turned out to be a ridiculous amount of money to spend on something we wouldn’t even own. So a friend of ours introduced us to a developer, who in turn suggested, because we needed all this custom build-out, that we should design our own place. That was last September. From there, it took us a year to find a lot, design the building, and move in.”

And so this September, Yoshida and Seavers opened the doors at a brand-new, custom-designed facility at 3015 Brother Boulevard in Bartlett. In addition to adding two CD-manufacturing lines to their arsenal, they’ve doubled their capacity for short-run duplication and packaging materials and have expanded their warehouse. Despite all they’ve added, Seavers sees the need for further growth all the time.

“I think that we will need some sort of expansion at some point, and there is land available around us. As we get settled in and used to the volume we’re doing here, we will probably have to grow.”

For more information about AudioGraphic Masterworks, visit agmw.com or call 821-9099.

When his previous band, the indie/alt-country outfit the Great Depression, called it quits in late 2003, Dale Naron thought that he was finally done with music. 

Tired of the seemingly endless grind of keeping a band going through line-up changes, personal drama, and marginal success and also eager to settle down with his girlfriend and lead a more “normal” life, Naron decided to spend the next couple of years pursuing other interests.

“I had pretty much stopped playing, except for around the house,” Naron says. “I was domesticated.”

But before too long, the itch to write and play rock music crept back, and, by 2006, Naron had begun to feel restless. That was when his (now former) girlfriend called Josh McLane, a close friend and an explosive drummer who was playing with a heavy band called the Adversary at the time. 

“I was tight with Dale and his ex for eons,” McLane says. “She called one night and said that Dale was going crazy and needed to jam. So we got together.” 

It was out of this initial jam session that Oracle and the Mountain was born.

The band, which mixes Led Zeppelin-esque hard-rock grooves with elements of Americana and melodic indie-rock songwriting, started as a two-piece, with Naron handling the vocals and alternating between piano and guitar and McLane pounding the drums. But eventually bassist/vocalist Tim Blais and guitarist Chris Moore were brought into the fold to fully develop the sound. Each new member added energy and a different musical flavor to the eclectic mix. 

“The music comes from our backgrounds and various influences,” Blais says. “We all have our own ideas and sound, from indie rock to metal to jam-band stuff. But it works together well.”

“We don’t make boundaries for our songs,” Naron agrees. “It’s open-ended. We all just do what we like. One of us might come up with the basic idea or hook for a song, but everything gets fleshed out by the band. Without any one of us, it wouldn’t sound the same.”

The experience of working with a talented and enthusiastic new core of musicians proved to be energizing for Naron, who feels that playing with the band has helped him expand his horizons as a songwriter, as well as a musician and performer.

“Before this band, I never really let go or sang out,” Naron says. “But everyone in this band is such a good musician, it challenged me to step up, be confident, and get to their level. Now I’m ready to go all the way with this. Plus, Josh plays so loud that I had to start singing out or not get heard.”

As the band played and wrote together throughout 2007, the momentum and sheer number of songs started to accumulate. So, earlier this year Oracle and the Mountain started booking studio time at Young Avenue Sound with producer/engineer Jennifer Lee to set about recording a full-length album. The product of those sessions is an eponymous, 14-song debut release, which will officially be available in local music stores on Tuesday, August 12th.

According to Lee, who had previously worked in the studio with local legend Jim Dickinson as well as power-pop mainstays the Chess Club, among others, the band’s open, collaborative spirit translated well into the recording process.

“It was a great experience working with the band,” Lee says. “Every day that I went into the studio with them, I’d get re-excited about the project. The band was still developing as far as what they wanted to do when they came in, so it was a very imaginative, experimental process.”

To celebrate their debut album’s release, Oracle and the Mountain has scheduled a blow-out CD-release party at the New Daisy Theatre for Saturday, August 9th. The evening also will feature McLane’s former group the Adversary, as well as local bands Organ Thief and the Defective Agency, comedians Brandon Sams, Mary Jordan, and Andy Fleming, and a special appearance by the Memphis Belles burlesque troupe.  Copies of the new album will also be available for the special, one-time price of $5 each.

“We wanted to go all out for this one, really put our money where our mouth is,” McLane says.