I Love Lightning Bugs talk about their new album, “Kensington”.

Every year I attend the Metrotimes Blowout in Hamtracmk, so to no ones surprise I was there this year doing some promotion for a few of the bands playing back in March. Upon wandering through the streets of Hamtramck and shuttling from bar to bar, I walked into Whiskey in the Jar to discover I Love Lightning Bugs. Packed to the brim this band sure knew how to please the crowd. I made sure to make friends and attend another show in the future after the band was named the best Blowout Band by CW50.  This trio of powerful musicians has a ton of credit and experience that shines in every performance.

Now over 8 months later, I Love Lightning Bugs have released a fresh new album titled “Kensington”.  Below I ask the bands bassist, Rob Shelby and also Reid Mclellan, singer/guitarist of I Love Lightning Bugs to discuss their songs, history, and production of their new album. You can catch their next show on December 9th at the Rustbelt Market in Ferndale and also you can get yourself a copy of the new album at the I Love Lightning Bugs official website.

How do the songs on Kensington differ from your older material? What is it that makes this new album different from previous material?

Reid: Kensington feels like a complete and intended work of art. The songs differ from our old material in that the song writing and production are on another level. The new songs are very emotionally charged and have a bigger sound.

Where was this album recorded, who worked with you to produce it?

Rob: We recorded it in my basement. Reid and I produced it all myself. Dave Feeny played a lot of slide guitar on it and mixed 1 song.  We also had a ton of guest musicians! Like a few members of the Julliets, my buddy Dave from the Australian band Sounds Like Sunset.  We also used home made pre-amps built by David Krofchok. They were, by far, the best pre-amps I’ve ever used!

How did the band form? Or can you give me a brief history of the band?

Rob: Reid and I had worked at the same place for many years. He was a fan of my band Stills of Japan (www.knerd.com/bands/stillsofjapan).  We actually have completely different styles. But it seemed to really work, so I brought in Angie Kaiser on drums (also of Stills of Japan).  We all are working towards the same goal. We just want to write songs that we actually like to listen to! We don’t want to tour aimlessly. It’s all about having a great time while writing music and hopefully getting a few people to our shows… The three of us have been in so many bands. Reid was the #1 electronic musician on MP3.COM for a while. I have tons of production and engineering credits. Angie was in bands all over michigan. We don’t care about “making it”. We don’t go out every night. We just kinda do what we do!  Unfortunately, Angie had to move for work. But we picked up Ron Vensko.

Who can you compare yourself to, what are some of your inspirations or favorite bands?

Rob: We are always compared to 90’s bands like the Psychedelic Furs, Pixies, The Cure and Built To Spill. Some people keep saying we sound like U2. I really don’t think we do. Reid’s voice sometimes sounds a bit like Bono, I guess. I’m mostly inspired by bands like the earlier Modest Mouse, The Rentals, and Why? albums. We are very melody focused.

What are your songs about? Do you cover any specific themes in your music?

Reid: Each song on this album captures a brief moment in time that has had a profound effect on our memories.
Songs thematically range from overcoming hopelessness, loneliness and heartbreak to putting your life back together when it seems like it’s the end of the world.

Rob: Our instruments really take turns as the lead theme instrument.

Do you guys have any type of tour coming up?

We are planning to do a few tours this spring. We’ll probably stick the midwest…

Where can you most likely find I Love Lightning Bugs playing a show?

Reid: Well, we mostly play in and around Ferndale, Royal Oak and Detroit. We played a lot of festivals this year and we love playing at the Rustbelt Market and the Lager house. The Magic Bag and The Pike Room were great gigs. We also played in Brooklyn, NY but have yet to go on an extended tour.

Rob: Yeah but my favorite place to play is the Berkley Front. That place is really what you make of it. I like that freedom. Of course, the magic bag! I love that stage!

Can you mention some of your favorite places to see local bands play in the metro Detroit area?

Reid: The Loving Touch in Ferndale is fun and there is something about the Lager House that feels like rock and roll. The Crofoot and Pike Room in Pontiac are really nice.

Rob: Totally. The Loving Touch and Rust Belt Market!

Any shout outs to some local hard working bands that you know in the metro Detroit area? 

Rob: Even though Adams Castle moved to Brooklyn, I always need to give them a shout out! Rogue Satellites & Zoos Of Berlin deserves a shout out too!

ATTILA live

ATTILA live at the Crofoot in Pontiac Michigan on The Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour October 20, 2011.

 

Corey La Quay of A Sky Lit Drive

Click on the image below to view this animated gif I made today from last nights show at the Crofoot for the Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour.  More photos to follow shortly including a couple great videos of A Sky Lit Drive, Alesana and ATTILA.

Wolves & Machines

A few weeks ago I got the chance to finally catch Wolves and Machines play a small show in Ferndale at the New Way Bar. Their debut album was released over a year ago with Capeside Records out of Saginaw Michigan. I don’t know what took me so long to discover something this good! Here is what people are saying about Wolves and Machines debut record, Ailments.

“The songs perfectly escort the listener between dreamy, floating soundscapes, and blood-rush, punk-rock outbursts which soak in the kind of raw emotion that emo and hardcore-purists are always on the prowl for.” – UK’s Rockfreaks.net (Featured in Top 10 Albums of 2010)

“With a list of catchy, almost anthemic tracks at the listeners’ disposal, (Ailments) should be hard to put down.” AMP Magazine

“There is smooth sailing, rough patches, feelings of remorse and feelings of joy. Wolves and Machines have made a very strong record on all accounts, and the young band from Michigan can only improve from this phenomenal debut.” -Absolutepunk.net

Check out this stop motion promo video I put together for Capeside Records out of Saginaw.

Bye Bye Birdy

When asking the question, “What is your favorite venue to see a show, or play a show,” many cities and many places come to mind but when I got the chance to interview a good friend of mine Jennica Wahl, with out hesitation she excitedly responded, “Pontiac! I love the Crofoot Ballroom. The vibe there and all the people who work there are great.” I myself have been to the Crofoot several times and could not have agreed with her more. Just this past weekend I ventured out to The Marquee room. The Marquee room is one of the many parts of the Crofoot Ballroom that proves to be an awesome place to see some talented artists perform. Jennica played her first show as her side solo project, Bye Bye Birdy at the Marquee room last weekend on Sunday August 28th and it was a great first time there for me.

I asked Jennica where she adopted the name for her music and she explained to me that Bye Bye Birdy derived from a french artist that she really liked named Bye Bye Beaute’, “I wanted to incorporate the concept of flying away, something I day dream about daily.” With a smile on her face she also discussed with me some of her inspirations which included her guitar idol, a female percussive finger style guitarist called Kaki King, and also singer/songwriter, Mirah. “What’s always inspired me really, is the concept of breaking social norms, and to show people that even though you are a mother, and even though the older your get, it will ALWAYS be okay to still follow your dreams and do what you are truly passionate about, and nothing else.” With that said I could help but discuss with her more and talk about some of our favorite bands and musicians. I discovered we shared a lot of common ground in the music we both enjoy when she told me that some of her favorites included Copeland, Death Cab for Cutie, Mumford & Sons, Cocorosie, Angus & Julia stone, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and Minus The Bear.

Jennica plans to record her first full length album at Safe and Sound Studios (Chiodos, Atilla, I See Stars, For the Fallen Dreams) in Rochester hills produced by Matt Dalton, and she also would like to headline a small Midwest tour. Which speaking of, this weekend she will be perfoming with Craig Owens (former vocalist of Chiodos, and current vocalist of DRUGS), and also Nick Martin (DRUGS, Underminded). They have scheduled shows in Chicago, Indiana, and Ohio. Friday September 2nd they will be at Mojoes in IL, Emerson Theater in Indianapolis on Saturday, and Grog Shop in Cleveland on Sunday. It will definitely be a performance for everyone to enjoy.

Long term goals for Bye Bye Birdy are in all honesty says Jennica, “Really I just want to have something to show my son when he is older, and why his mama has all these crazy tattoos. If I make money while accomplishing that, then it’s a plus!”

Jennica and her friend Robyn also run an Event Planning and services company named Get Right! Promotions. These two great ladies book through out Michigan and know how to have a good time. Contact them via email if you are looking for a show or need help promoting.

Below I’ve posted 2 videos from the show that features a portion of Bye Bye Birdy’s set accompanied by Colin Guffey and a song Jennica wrote while pregnant with her son Aubin titled “Do What You Want”.