Tag: Switchblade Kid

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Music Music Blog

Doyle Schaeffer’s Tragedy Mobilizes Music Community

Doyle Schaeffer with his beloved Mikey (Credit: Doyle Schaeffer)

It’s a nightmare scenario that few have to face: a fire ignites, spreads through a home, and in a heartbeat all the treasures of one’s life are destroyed.

Unfortunately, Doyle Schaeffer, erstwhile guitarist for the Angel Sluts, suffered that very series of events earlier this week when flames engulfed his apartment. Suddenly, his only worldly possessions were the clothes on his back.

Almost immediately, the Memphis music community stepped up to help as K.B. Jones and Becca Smith set up a GoFundMe page to solicit contributions. In a testament to the city’s tight-knit scene, that page has already met its goal of $20,000, yet continues to grow as donations pour in.

As Jones and Smith wrote on the fundraising page, “Now, picture the anguish of also losing a beloved furry companion. Doyle’s cherished cat, Michelangelo (aka Mikey), was unable to escape the fire, leaving a void in his heart that can never be filled. In the aftermath of this harrowing event, Doyle finds himself facing an uphill battle to rebuild his life from scratch.”

Schaeffer is best known as a latter-day member of the no-frills punk band the Angel Sluts, adding his guitar to two EPs, Suesie Was a Nihilist and Love Sweet Love, both dating back to 2011. Though the band has since released an archival album, Live at the Buccaneer, recorded in the mid-2000s, Schaeffer was not part of last year’s record release show, which featured only the original four band members.

Nonetheless, Harry Koniditsiotis, aka Switchblad Kid, founding member of the Angel Sluts, invoked the camaraderie of musicians in support of Schaeffer in a recent social media post addressing the tragedy. “A band is a family,” he wrote. “We fight, we break up, we put BS aside and get together to help each other out when one of us is in trouble. Our brother Doyle is going through a rough time and can use all of our support.”

Koniditsiotis then announced a further fundraising event in which Schaeffer will appear as a full-fledged band member. On April 5th, the Hi Tone Cafe will host a benefit show, For the Love of Doyle, featuring the Angel Sluts’ latter-day lineup. “Come see Doyle and Timmy do their punk rock Bert and Ernie routine!” he wrote. The benefit will also feature Risky Whispers and Heavy Machine Gun. All of which is proof positive of the unshakeable solidarity that Memphis musicians share, especially when one of their own is in need.

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Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “Love Has Gone Away” by Switchblade Kid

Ahh, Valentine’s Day, that Hallmark holiday which celebrates love by rubbing it in singles’ faces. Midtown gloom-meister Harry Koniditsiotis understands your pain, and wants to help you. His new single with gothsemble Switchblade Kid is “more of an acceptance of a relationship’s end and moving on to better things.”

“Love Has Gone Away” boasts a subtly bumping beat to help you cry it out on the dance floor. “The video was filmed way back during lockdown as the album was being recorded,” says Koniditsiotis. “Surrounded by piles of dead leaves and flashing lights, the band looks like they are having a backyard Lynchian seance calling Laura Palmer in the Black Lodge”

If you’re over your heartbreak by April, Koniditsiotis invites you to Midtown Con, the annual comic/toy/record convention he throws, happening this year on April 27th at Black Lodge. “The Memphis one, not the one in Twin Peaks, sadly.”

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Music Music Blog

Switchblade Kid: Soundtrack for a Scary Saturday Night

Harry Koniditsiotis of Switchblade Kid (Courtesy Harry Koniditsiotis)

October 30th is Devil’s Night, at least according to some traditions. It’s a night for mischief, making it a fitting warmup for Halloween. That also makes it the ideal setting for a rock-and-roll show, such as when The Glory Holes and Switchblade Kid share the bill at the Hi Tone this Saturday. In advance of the concert, I spoke with Harry Koniditsiotis of Switchblade Kid about frightening films, the power of a producer, and how he’s stayed busy (very busy) during the pandemic.

Memphis Flyer: The last time we spoke, it was for a Christmas-themed concert at Two Rivers Bookstore. Do you have a particular fondness for holiday concerts?

Harry Koniditsiotis: I do. I love all the lights, decorations and especially vintage plastic blow molds.  I covered Two Rivers in Christmas lights and blow molds. It was so dreamy. Holidays always seem like a great time to throw a party. This Halloween show will have plenty of spooky decor, gloomy lighting and smoke.

Is this a Switchblade Kid (the band) concert, or will you be flying solo?
This will be the full band. We’ll be playing material from a new album that I hope to have out next year and some old favorites.

We will also be brushing up on a few Angel Sluts tunes in preparation for the upcoming  reunion show for The Angel Sluts Live at the Buccaneer album. That will be in January. And probably throw in a few Turn It Offs songs just to keep things interesting. 

I’ve been working with a new label out of Los Angeles called Thanks I Hate It Records. They will be putting out both albums and rereleasing the first album of my old ’90s New Orleans goth band, Falling Janus, The Trinity Site. The first track “Empty Shoulders” was recently picked up to use in an upcoming New Orleans-based horror movie called Tad Caldwell and the Monster Kid. 

The show is at the newly relocated Hi Tone. What do you think of the new space?
I think it’s a great spot. This will be my first time playing at the new location so I’m looking forward to it. 

What can we expect from this concert — any spooky songs?
I think all my songs have a bit of a spooky vibe. That might be the New Orleans thing. 

Speaking of spookiness, where do you fall on the horror spectrum? Switchblade Kid music has always struck me as somewhat ominous, but I don’t think of the project as really horror-themed.
I think it’s more of a Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, silent film vibe than anything. Music for flickering 8mm projectors. 

Okay, quick Halloween horror rundown. What’s your favorite scary franchise?
I’ve been on a mummy kick this season and am currently watching 1981’s Dawn of the Mummy. But I did  just finish a Godzilla marathon.

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari might be my favorite horror movie of all time. Two years ago I made a cut with an all Bauhaus soundtrack and showed it at Black Lodge. I love the classic Universal horror monsters and B-movie giant spiders-type stuff. 

You’re from New Orleans and you live in Memphis, two cities that definitely have associations with being haunted. Do you think that’s a factor in your aesthetic?
There’s such a natural death culture in New Orleans. It’s like breathing. You grow up around all these monuments to the dead and somewhat carry on the tradition, knowingly or not. I’ll play a friend something I wrote and they’ll say “Wow, that’s spooky as hell,” and I’m like, “Oh really? I thought it was pretty sunshine happy.” 

How have you kept yourself busy during the pandemic?
I gotta say I stayed busy as hell. I would actually love another shutdown so I could get more done.  I recorded a new Switchblade Kid album, discovered the Live at the Buccaneer recording that Joe Holland did back in 2005 and got that record rolling. I started writing a comic book called Day Labor, so that was a whole new thing for me. The best was cutting a cover of “Memphis Tennessee” with the one and only Ross Johnson, who oddly enough knew my next door neighbor from the house I grew up in. He actually stayed next door for a week back in the ’80s. If only I had met Ross when I was 10! I also did a set for the Shangri-La Records podcast. That was a lot of fun. 

Tell me a little bit about the porch shows you’ve put on. The neighbors don’t mind?
The neighborhood actually loved it! I thought the neighbors would be annoyed but I kept having random people approach me on the street and ask when the next one was. I think the shows brought a lot of joy to people in Cooper-Young who were dealing with the isolation of lockdown. I basically had bands play in the driveway of my studio 5 & Dime Recording. 

Do you like hosting other bands, or working with them in the studio? How is that different from working on your own songs?
I love being a producer. I always liked the George Martin/Martin Hannett aspect of working with bands. I can’t be in a million bands but it’s fun to be a part of so many even if it’s just for a short time period.

Have you got anything else in the works our readers should know about?
I’ll be releasing my New Orleans comic book documentary Who the Hell is Alfred Medley?! in May 2022 so I’m super excited about getting that out there and hitting the film fest and comic con circuit.

Pre-orders are up for The Angel Sluts Live at the Buccaneer on yellow vinyl at ThanksIHateItRecords.com. 

Switchblade Kid, The Gloryholes will perform at Hi Tone on Saturday, October 30th, 9 p.m. $5

In advance of a Saturday-night gig with The Glory Holes, Harry Koniditsiotis of Switchblade Kid talks
Harry Koniditsiotis of Switchblade Kid (Courtesy Harry Koniditsiotis)
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Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday: Switchblade Kid

Music Video Monday gets goth-y.

Harry Koniditsiotis jokes that he may be “the gothest motherfucker in town.” This is his time of year. The proprietor of 5 and Dime Recording knows how to create a spooky sound. The proof is in the blood pudding with his band Switchblade Kid, who tap the vein of classic death rockers like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Bauhaus. For his latest song “The Young Don’t Cry,” Koniditsiotis says the discovery of a forgotten film reel led to the creation of a supernatural music video. “My friend Parker Hays goes to estate sales and usually gives me all the 8mm stuff he can’t sell. It’s always old home movies and various film releases. I joke to him that one day I’m going to find stag films or something scandalous in the lot. This time I did find something interesting on an unmarked 3.5 min reel — Hammer Films’ ‘The Vampire of Marrakesh.’”

Hammer was the British film company who produced a string of classic horror films from 1955-1975. Productions like The Curse of Frankenstein and The Mummy, with their spooky, atmospheric production design and straight-faced camp portrayals of monsters and maidens, made stars out of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. ‘The Vampire of Marrakesh’ is a rare short film that was produced as part of a serial called Tom Terriss the Vagabond Adventurer — Quest of the Perfect Woman. “Basically, the plot is, a douche British guy travels to exotic lands to scam on chicks,” says Koniditsiotis.

The serial predates the founding of Hammer in 1935, but the fledgling company is believed to have purchased the rights to the film from a defunct production company and released as a stand-alone short. “Memphis film scholar Matt Martin of Black Lodge believes the film has never been released on VHS or DVD,” says Koniditsiotis. “Oddly enough, ‘The Vampire of Marrakesh’ does have an IMDB review: ‘Incredibly awful film is something that I’d highly recommend to those who love bad movies. So incredibly awful it’s worth watching.’”

If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Koniditsiotis edited the surviving scenes from the 8mm reel together to create a suitably seasonal video for “The Young Don’t Cry.” Switchblade Kid will be hosting a Halloween Death Rock Party at 5 & Dime Studio on October 31st. It will be socially distanced to emphasize the gothic alienation and existential horror of the pandemic holiday. Take a look at the video — if you dare!
  

Music Video Monday: Switchblade Kid

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com. 

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Music Music Blog

The Switchblade Kid’s Very Dreamy Christmas

CREDIT: Andy Torres

Andy Torres

Harry Koniditsiotis

“So have I got a holiday music story for you,” Harry Koniditsiotis tells me excitedly. The singer and sometimes-guitarist for Memphis mainstays, post-punk and noise-pop purveyors The Switchblade Kid, then pitches me a story about his upcoming concert at Two Rivers Bookstore. Halfway into the pitch, Koniditsiotis has already mentioned Edward Scissorhands, Twin Peaks, and old-school Christmas decorations — lots of them. For anyone wondering what the connection is (as I was), well, Koniditsiotis is turning the Cooper-Young-area bookstore into a winter wonderland for a one-off noise-rock concert on Sunday, December 1st.

Besides collecting comic books, toys, records, and music gear, Koniditsiotis is also an avid collector of vintage Christmas blow molds. “I love the ’60s and ’70s Christmas blow molds,” Koniditsiotis says. “The big plastic statues of Christmas characters. And I love all the dreaminess and pretty lights of Christmas.

“There is just something so dreamy about Christmas lights that I’ve loved since I was a child,” Koniditsiotis continues. “When I was in my 20s, I would drive through the Christmas areas of New Orleans listening to the Twin Peaks soundtrack,” Koniditsiotis recollects. “I’m sure David Lynch loves Christmas just because of the lights.”

Andy Torres

Harry Koniditsiotis

And what setting could be better for the dreamy concert than a science-fiction and fantasy bookstore, where Koniditsiotis vintage decorations will cozy up with out-of-print book covers featuring elves and magical animals? “I thought that since Two Rivers has been having a lot of noise shows, it would be a great environment to bring all that stuff out and give it that holiday look,” Koniditsiotis says. “You know, give it that dreamy/dreary thing Christmas has going on. Also I wanted to do it before I put all the stuff up at my house because I didn’t want to have to put it all up and take it down again.”

Joining Koniditsiotis at the show will be current Switchblade Kid drummer Patrick Mulhearn and longtime friend Tim Kitchens from the Angel Sluts and Hardaway. “We are going to do actual [Switchblade Kid] songs,” Koniditsiotis says. Still, though The Switchblade Kid’s ouvre will make up the bulk of the concert’s material, Koniditsiotis and his crew plan to experiment with improvisation, creating warm soundscapes with feedback and noise, not unlike the warm, warbly fog a rum-and-Cognac-spiked eggnog might produce. “I love the challenge of playing with other people and throwing them into the deep end. At this point, I feel like pretty much everything I do is billed as a Switchblade Kid show, whether it’s just me or there’s a backing band,” Koniditsiotis says. “I love the element of surprise, and lately, the solo shows have gone so well, this is kind of an extension of the solo shows.”

[pullquote-1] Koniditsiotis says he has experimented with incorporating holiday lights into live shows before, but previous attempts were full-band endeavors. This time, the singer aims to capture the chaos of the holidays with a more stripped-down lineup, many more lights and Christmas characters, and improvised noise-rock elements. “I’m looking at it more like an art piece show rather than just a regular rock show,” Koniditsiotis says.

The singer remembers seeing Edward Scissorhands for the first time and being taken with Kim’s father, a man obsessed with decorating for the holidays. “The first time I saw that, I was like, ‘Wow, I want to be that guy!’ I want to be the guy on the roof stapling fake snow and singing,” Koniditsiotis says. “And I want to put that to music.”

Both Edward Scissorhands and Twin Peaks are fitting touchstones for Koniditsiotis’ plan to throw a holiday-themed concert in a bookstore specializing in genre fiction. Both Tim Burton’s film and David Lynch’s television series center around dreamlike, fairy-tale towns steeped in nostalgia, and in both Scissorhands and Twin Peaks, the nostalgia is underpinned by an element of danger, a manic happiness or coziness that threatens to unravel. Though Koniditsiotis’ concert (hopefully) won’t feature any knife-fingered people or murderers, the juxtaposition of improvised feedback loops with friendly holiday lights will hew true to the dangerously dreamy films that inspired a younger Koniditsiotis.

Andy Torres

Harry Koniditsiotis

“Whatever you celebrate or do, I think everyone just enjoys that pretty dreaminess, whether you say ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Merry Christmas’ or whatever,” Koniditsiotis says. “I don’t know if I’ll be singing ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ but it’s entirely possible,” Koniditsiotis says. “If there’s one show you’re gonna drop acid at, this might be the one.”

The Switchblade Kid: All the Pretty Lights and Dreamy Sounds at Two Rivers Bookstore, Sunday, December 1st, 5 p.m. Free, but donations are accepted.

Andy Torres

Harry Koniditsiotis

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Music Music Blog

Switchblade Kid Live at Found

CREDIT: Don Perry

Don Perry

The Switchblade Kid live at the Buccaneer.

The Switchblade Kid will play a rare local show this Thursday at Found (the art gallery / vintage store), along side locals Kiljoy and Palm from New York City. I could blabber on at length about how great all three of these bands are, or you can listen to each group below and make the decision for yourself. Freedom of choice, man. Get into it. If you like what you hear, be at Found Studio on Broad by 7pm tomorrow night (Thursday, November 19th). There’s also a pretty great psych show at the Hi-Tone that you could hit afterwards. Just saying. 

Switchblade Kid Live at Found

Switchblade Kid Live at Found (2)

Switchblade Kid Live at Found (3)

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Music Music Blog

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson

Unknown Hinson plays the Hi-Tone Cafe on Saturday, June 13th.

We have made it to the 20th Weekend Roundup! All of the blood, sweat, and tears that get put into this ongoing blog post have hopefully turned you on to tons of new music, and to celebrate I think I’ll do more damage to my ears by checking out as many of these shows as possible.  

Friday, June 12th.
Reverend Horton Heat, Whiskey Shivers, Necromantix, 7 p.m. at The Hi-Tone, $20.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (2)

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Zoltars, Switchblade Kid, Wray, 9 p.m. at Murphy’s, $6.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (3)

American Fiction, 10 p.m. at Lafayette’s Music Room.

Marcella and her Lovers, 10 p.m. at Bar DKDC, $5.

Toy Trucks, Graham Winchester, 10:30 p.m. at the Buccaneer, $5.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (4)

Saturday, June 13th.
Unknown Hinson, Buckles and Boots, 9 p.m. at the Hi-Tone, $15.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (7)

Faux Killas, Day Creeper, 9 p.m. at the Lamplighter.

Roxy Roca, 10 p.m. at Lafayette’s Music Room.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (5)

Mighty Souls Brass Band, 10 p.m. at Bar DKDC, $5.

Sunday, June 14th.
Hannah Star, James and the Ultrasounds, 6 p.m. at the Harbert Avenue Porch.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson

Dream Ritual, 8 p.m. at the Hi-Tone Small Room, $8.

Destruction Unit, Manateees, Aquarian Blood, Water Spaniel, Low Cult, 9 p.m. at Murphy’s, $8.

Weekend Roundup 20: Reverend Horton Heat, Wray, Unknown Hinson (6)

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Music Music Features

Down at Five and Dime

CREDIT: J.D. Reager

Local musician Harry Koniditsiotis has been a staple of the underground music scene in Memphis for more than 13 years, leading punk and post-punk influenced acts like the Angel Sluts, the Switchblade Kid, Twin Pilot and the Turn-It-Offs to both general and critical acclaim. But in between all that, he’s also been running a successful recording studio, 5 and Dime Recording, mostly on the strength of his clients’ recommendations.

“It’s always been word of mouth,” says Koniditsiotis. “A lot of the bands that record here have heard and like my records, or are in bands I’ve met on tour.”

Until recently, however, the studio has mostly taken a backseat to Koniditsiotis’ musical pursuits – chalk it up to an insanely busy touring and personal recording schedule. But for now, he’s putting the lion’s share of his energy into 5 and Dime.

“The summer is coming up and I hate the heat. I’m done with sweating my ass off playing,” Konidisiotis said.

Koniditsiotis first came to Memphis back in 2002. At the time, he was a New Orleans-expat looking to relocate to Chicago. But Koniditsiotis never got farther north than the Bluff City. He quickly found a job engineering at a local studio, Cotton Row Recording, and then formed the Angel Sluts. The band would play its first show the following year.

The Angel Sluts quickly attracted a loyal following on the strength of the band’s raucous live show and solid punk-pop hooks.

“We were very like-minded in wanting to do a rock-and-roll-type punk band,” Koniditsiotis says. “We thought a lot of bands were just boring live. The band really started because we realized we could get free bar tabs when we played and we would just let all our friends in for free to come party. So it was that kind of thinking.”

But Koniditsiotis wasn’t quite satisfied. From there, he branched out with more eclectic groups like Twin Pilot and the Turn-It-Offs and established himself as a versatile and dependable creative presence in Memphis music.

In 2004, Koniditsiotis purchased a house in the Cooper-Young neighborhood with a backyard garage and quickly decided it would be a suitable space for a recording studio. By 2006, he had grown weary of playing second banana at Cotton Row and wanted to launch his own endeavor; that endeavor would become 5 and Dime.

The studio started small – Koniditsiotis initially worked primarily on his own projects and those of his friends. But the positive word-of-mouth proved to be a strong endorsement, and he found himself attracting bands from around the country looking to record albums on a modest budget.

“Bands like coming to Memphis. We give them a place to stay,” Koniditsiotis says. “There’s kind of a B&B side to the studio. I’ve been told over and over by bands how it’s an incredibly relaxing recording environment. So that’s one of the attractive features for out-of-town groups. Bands generally like the gear that’s already in the studio so it makes everything super easy. Most of them will just bring in guitars and drum sticks.”

“The first word that comes to mind is comfortable,” says local singer-songwriter Tony Manard, who has recorded two albums at 5 and Dime. “It’s an eclectic mix of equipment and kitsch that’s a little worn around the edges and just feels right to me. 5 and Dime is a great room for recording a band together at once. There’s a collection of vintage tube amps and effects pedals. There’s also a nice drum kit, Hammond M3 and Fender Rhodes. The room is pretty live, and Harry knows where the sweet spots are.”

The year 2012 saw the demise of Koniditsiotis’ main project, the Angel Sluts (last week’s impromptu reunion show at the P&H notwithstanding), and he eventually decided to consolidate his various influences and inclinations into one unified project, the Switchblade Kid.

“The bad thing about being in the Angel Sluts was being stuck with the stigma. The joke of the name ran its course long ago and I was feeling very limited music-wise by it,” he says. “At the same time, I was playing in two other bands and after a while realized playing in three original bands at the same time was just stupid. I was running myself ragged and decided to combine the three.”

Not long thereafter, Koniditsiotis also married his longtime girlfriend and backing vocalist/percussionist in the Switchblade Kid, Jenny Hansom. Which brings us to the present, where the highly prolific Koniditsiotis is now “settled down” and focused on running 5 and Dime Recording as a fully fledged business.

“It’s nice to be focused on one person rather than a bunch of musicians. If anything, it’s made me realize the things I really want in life and for once it’s nice to have them,” Koniditsiotis says.

Koniditsiotis has registered the studio with the Cooper-Young Business Association and has taken out ads in numerous indie/punk music publications including Maximum Rock’n’Roll, Razorcake, and City Trash. He’s also made some improvements to the studio itself.

“There’s always trial and error with gear, but I think I’ve got a nice Barbarella/Warhol Factory vibe now,” Koniditsiotis says. “It went through a bunch of phases to get to this point though. I gutted it a few years ago and got more gear, so it’s just been an evolution. Most of the gear is from the ’60s and ’70s, but I record to Pro Tools. I like ribbon mics.

“One of the pluses is that [5 and Dime] also functions as my personal studio so everything is mic’d up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Setup time is always a big killer for a band’s momentum so I try and keep it fast. I like to work quickly myself when I record so it’s easier to just leave everything set up and ready to go. There’s a convenience factor when you have a recording studio in your backyard that I love.”

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Music Music Features

The Switchblade Kid at Black Lodge Video

Halloween comes early to Black Lodge Video this year, as the 15th annual Halloween Masquerade Ball is this Saturday.

The evening will feature a film screening along with live music, and with the bands not starting up until midnight, the party should go well into the early morning. While the title of the film Black Lodge Video will be screening hasn’t been announced yet, the bands set to play the midtown institution represent many different facets of the vibrant local music scene.

The Masquerade Ball will serve as a release party for local rockers the Switchblade Kid, as their new single “Elm/BBW” will be available for the first time this Saturday. The $5 admission price comes with a free copy of the single, and the Switchblade Kid will also be premiering the music video for “Elm” sometime Saturday night.

Also on Saturday night’s bill is Berkano, a group that seems to be on every show lately thanks to their strange brand of catchy indie rock. Berkano just celebrated the release of their third album, and will presumably have copies of the self-titled full-length at the show. The only out-of-towners performing on Saturday are New Orleans psych-pop rockers Native America, a band that (surprise) also just released a new record. The lead single “Like a Dream” from Grown Up Wrong finds Native America sounding a lot like the Shins, with lead singer Ross Farbe reminiscing about times past over top of catchy, psychedelic guitar work. Saturday marks the beginning of a fall tour for Native America, with the band set to play a whole slew of shows in New York City later this month.

Other performers at the Black Lodge Ball include indie rockers Loser Vision, local punk rockers SVU and the Gloryholes, plus DJs Johnny and Molly spinning “death punk” all night. It’s probably a safe bet you’ll hear a Misfits song at least once.

The Switchblade Kid, Berkano, Native America and more at the 15th Annual Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge Video, Saturday, October 18th, 8 p.m. $5.

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Music Music Features

The Year in Local Music

The local music scene took a holiday hit with the recent announcement that the city’s most prolific club for touring bands and original local music, the Hi-Tone Café, would be closing in February. While it’s impossible to say how much this news will impact the immediate future of Memphis music, there are no such complications looking back. Here, three of our writers put the spotlight on their favorite local albums and artists of 2012.

Chris Herrington:

1. Women & Work — Lucero (ATO): After more than a decade on the road and with a discography eight full-length albums strong, Lucero hit a new stride this year, embracing and mastering their Southern-rock big-band sound like never before. Onstage and on record, I don’t think frontman Ben Nichols has ever led his band with this much assurance, and Women & Work hits all its diverse marks, from hip-shaking opening anthem (“On My Way Downtown”) to boogie-rock party-starter (the title song) to country-soul torch ballad (“It May Be Too Late”) to blues stomper (“Juniper”). And those are just the first four songs.

2. Ex-Cult — Ex-Cult (Goner): As with a couple of other recent faves — Ex-Cult labelmates Eddy Current Suppression Ring and California’s No Age — this is rhythmic art-punk that doesn’t let the former curdle into pretension or the latter curdle into regiment. Honestly, I would prefer the recording quality to be a little less lo-fi, but the band’s power and insistence still break through.

3. The Wandering Diaspora: At the dawn of the year, Luther Dickinson had the eureka-quality idea of bringing four talented regional roots musicians, all women, none who had collaborated in any serious way, into the studio together: guitarist Shannon McNally, bassist Amy LaVere, drummer Sharde Thomas, and guitarist/banjo player Valerie June. With Dickinson producing and filling in where needed, the Wandering was born. On their debut album, Go On Now, You Can’t Stay Here, this Mid-South Monsters of Folk cover everything from the Byrds (“Mr. Spaceman”) to Robert Johnson (“If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day”) to “You Are My Sunshine” with a spirited interplay and a beautiful blend of voices.

As good as they are together, they’ve been perhaps even busier apart. Dickinson was nominated for a Grammy for his instrumental album Hambone’s Meditations and reteamed with ornery partners Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus for “Old Time’s There …,” a nervy second album from their South Memphis Jug Band. LaVere and McNally took their newfound chemistry on the road and into the studio with their recent EP Chasing the Ghost — Rehearsal Sessions. And June, whose wayward career earns the band’s moniker more than most, struck a deal with a French label and released the terrific single “Workin’ Woman Blues” with a Hungarian gypsy-folk backing band. Her looming debut album is likely the most promising Memphis-connected album on tap for next year.

4. Guerilla/Help Is on the Way — Don Trip: Trip has the surest flow, most grounded perspective, and most soulful sound of any hardcore Memphis rapper since 8Ball, and if an actual major-label-released debut album is proving predictably elusive, that hasn’t stopped him from dropping mixtapes well above the form’s norm. Released early this year, around the time Trip landed on the cover of national rap magazine XXL as part of its latest “Freshman Class” of up-and-comers, Guerilla is probably his most cohesive collection, with the more recent Help Is on the Way not far behind.

5. Mutt — Cory Branan (Bloodshot): The Memphis ex-pat, now Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s third album richly earned the over-deployed “long-awaited” descriptive. It has been six years since Branan’s 12 Songs, and Mutt shows his songwriting chops undiminished. The opening “The Corner” is a sardonic deconstruction of Branan’s own good press and gallows-humor appraisal of his stop-and-start career. “Survivor Blues” is an escape scenario in the Springsteenian tradition, but the romance is laced with a darker, more dangerous undercurrent.

Honorable Mention: Barbaras 2006-2008 — The Barbaras (Goner), Hi-Electric — Hi Electric (Evangeline), I Can’t Wait — Star & Micey (Ardent Music), Coast to Coast — River City Tanlines (Big Legal Mess), The Switchblade Kid — The Switchblade Kid (Miss Molly Music), Hex & Hell — Jason Freeman (BR2), Life’s Quest — 8Ball (eOne).

J.D. Reager:

1. Hex & Hell — Jason Freeman (BR2): This long-overdue debut from one of Memphis’ most distinctive voices contains just the right amount of Beale Street swagger without foraying into that cheeseball “Blues Hammer” territory that so many white blues bands can’t seem to avoid. This record is rough, raw, and fun and features cameos from several noteworthy local musicians, including Amy LaVere, Krista Wroten Combest and Jana Misener (both of the Memphis Dawls), Adam Woodard, and the vastly underappreciated Daniel Farris (Coach and Four), whose thunderous drumming helps keep things interesting in the jammier bits.

2. The Switchblade Kid — The Switchblade Kid (Miss Molly Music): Local musician/producer Harry Koniditsiotis distills his various projects — the Angel Sluts, Twin Pilot, the Turn-it-Offs, etc. — into one megaband. And it totally works.

3. Coast to Coast — River City Tanlines (Big Legal Mess): The venerable Memphis power trio stretches out a bit on this latest release, incorporating elements of indie-pop, metal, and noise-rock into the mix alongside pop-punk gems like “Pretty Please.”

4. Loud Cloud — Tanks: A ferocious 26-minute slab (all contained in one track) of heavy metal.

5. I Can’t Wait — Star & Micey: This EP sneaks in to the top five on the strength of the hauntingly gorgeous opening track, “No Pets Allowed.” At other times, it seems a tad overproduced but still showcases the band’s impeccable songwriting and vocal arrangements.

Honorable Mention: New Black Sea — Good Luck Dark Star; Hello Monday — Chad Nixon, Snorlokk — Hosoi Bros; Ex-Cult — Ex-Cult (Goner); I’m Just Dead I’m Not Gone — Jim Dickinson (Memphis International).

Chris McCoy:

1. Barbaras 2006-2008 — The Barbaras (Goner): The recordings for the debut album of this young Memphis band that splintered into the Magic Kids and the late Jay Reatard’s backing band were thought lost, but last year they turned up on a hard drive of Reatard’s and got a Goner release this year. The album is nonstop brilliant and four years after the last note was recorded still sounds ahead of its time.

2. The Memphis Dawls live: High school friends Holly Cole, Krista Wroten Combest, and Jana Misener took off in a big way this year, building on the success of an excellent 2011 EP by releasing a music video for their song “Hickory” and scoring an opening slot for Jack White. Their live shows got better and better as the year went on, culminating in a perfect afternoon set at the Cooper-Young Festival. If you get a chance to see these women do their folky thing live, go. It will be well worth your time.

3. Ex-Cult — Ex-Cult (Goner): The Midtown punk group’s debut record is an atomic blast of straight-ahead power. The album’s “Shade of Red” is my favorite song produced by a Memphis band in 2012, and their debut Gonerfest performance in September made fans out of the entire packed room.

4. The Modifiers return: This year saw the rebirth of a Memphis legend. For more than 20 years, Bob Holmes and Milford Thompson’s pioneering punkers the Modifiers have been spoken of in hushed, reverent tones by those who saw them destroy the Antenna club in the ’80s. Thompson passed away several years ago, and Holmes had retired, but Flyer contributor J.D. Reager, whose father had been in the original band, convinced Holmes to play his classic tunes with Reager and the crack River City Tanlines rhythm section of Terrence Bishop and John “Bubba” Bonds. Catch one of their rare appearances, and hear some lost Memphis gems.

5. Hex & Hell — Jason Freeman (BR2): Jason Freeman has played guitar for the Bluff City Backsliders and Amy LaVere, so we knew he was good. But his debut album is still a revelation, taking blues-based rock into the 21st century with explosive slide guitar and blistering vocals. Hex & Hell makes Stonesy rock loose and fun again.