FEATURED ARTIST MARCH 2007: WINZENRIED (aka HOLLYWOOD DRUNKS) Winzenried--the band, and the singer/songwriter (Eric Winzenried)--is the Featured Artist of the Month for March, 2007, as announced on Twirl Saturday, March 3. What does that mean? Well, it means we're going to be featuring a whole lot of their great music on the show this month. It also means that I got to do an on-air interview with Eric himself on Saturday, March 17th. (Click here to listen to interview.) Congratulations to Eric, guitarist/co-producer Lloyd Stuart Casson, keyboardist Paul Sandberg, bassist Carl West, and drummer Sebastian Sheehan. This L.A.-based quintet released their debut, Hooray, back in 2003. There was something instantly familiar and comforting about this potent stew of rap, metal, alternative, and straight-ahead rock. What was it? Twirl Radio doesn't really play a lot of rap or metal music (less than 0.001 ppm, as verified by an outside auditing service). So what did I find so appealing? In short, everything! Specifically, the singing, songwriting, guitar work, keyboard work, and wry humor. Eric Winzenried has a strong voice, much like you'd hear from some of the better-known metal singers. But--he uses his powers for good, not evil. He doesn't wail and flail, but uses his voice very nimbly. He's a very able rapper. And his sense of songcraft is incomparable. There's a lot of attitude in these songs, but there's a lot of heart, too. The sound is equal parts Ugly Kid Joe and Freedy Johnston. No, really! On Hooray, the track Ohio is probably the most representative example of the Winzenried sound. Each verse starts with a rap, then Lloyd's crunchy power chords kick in. As the band dives over the edge into the chorus, Eric sings "here I am, once again with...you". Listen to the way he powers through the word "with". This one word showcases the guy's hard rock roots coming through! Looking Backwards is an uplifting rocker. Smarter One and Soul Is Mine, both keyboard-driven, are also positive, the former is an exercise in humility, the latter, a reminder of our worth as individuals. But the ones that really crack me up are Can't Stay At My Apartment and Punchline. Anyone who's an adult has been the victim of freeloaders and bad relationships. Eric fights back with his music, while making us laugh. THAT is what I find comforting and familiar. These songs remind me of getting together with my best buddy over drinks, or at the game, and commiserating about the rough parts of my life. That's what many of these Winzenried songs are about. And you do feel better at day's end. Swell continues the theme. The songs remain positive and funny. Carried over from the first album are the references to the unappreciative, low-tipping customers from his days as a pizza delivery guy. And the secret weapon of the band, as on the first album, is massively talented guitarist Lloyd Stuart Casson. He plays everything from funk to alternative to hard rock, and is the single most important element of the Winzenried sound. Without him, this would be a different band. Songs like That Age and Getting Young acknowledge that we're growing up, getting older (and better), and that others are now depending upon us (such as his newborn). Wake You addresses being the oldest guy at the party. Sort of a modern take on Jethro Tull's Too Old to Rock 'N Roll, Too Young to Die. And there's a delightful cover of the Sesame Street theme song. It never occurred to me to cover a song like this, but the Winzenried treatment reminds me of what a great song this is. It's fun hearing it performed by a bunch of adults! There's definitely some personal and musical growth on this album, and Eric's vocals get more sophisticated, reflecting his life changes. So grab your copies of the two Winzenried albums, and put them on after a long day. On those days where you start to ask yourself, "am I crazy, or..."--Eric's your bud--he understands, because he's been there too. And I'm proud to have him and his band as the Artist of the Month for March. CHRIS ISAAK COVERING THE YARDBIRDS ON FRENCH TV! (4/3/2007) I found this great clip of Chris Isaak and Silvertone performing "Heart Full of Soul", the old Yardbirds classic, on French television back in 1989. This intimate performance was recorded just before Chris became a huge star in this country. Acoustic, mellow, but still rocks! Thanks to the good folks at YouTube for this one. FEATURED ARTIST FEBRUARY 2007: THE TATERS Quick question--who are the luckiest people on earth? Quick answer--the people who live in and around Richmond, Virginia. Why? Because they can go see The Taters play live any time they like. Oh sure, California's got the beach, mountains, nice weather, movie stars, blah blah blah. But what good is any of this if we don't have The Taters? Formerly known as Burnt Taters back in the 90's, vocalist/bassist Craig Evans and vocalist/guitarist Brad Tucker became "unburnt" in 2002. They play a fun mix of Americana music. But labels just don't do these great talents justice. Craig and Brad have been Twirl favorites since 2000, when their early albums Vox Box and Strange But True found their way west to Sacramento. And Craig was nice enough to ensure that Twirl Radio's Taters collection was complete with the other two discs: 2003's Recess, and the 2005 live set, Just One Night, both featuring wonderful drummer Stu Grimes. So what do The Taters sound like? Well, for starters, Craig's amazing voice sounds like Roy Orbison at times, Elvis Presley other times, and well, like himself the rest of the time. And sounding like Craig Evans is still better than most vocalists out there. His tenor absolutely soars and makes good use of vibrato. Brad's versatile guitar work can do everything from folk to country to harder rock riffs. And whether he's taking the lead vocal or singing backup, his harmonies perfectly mesh with Craig's voice--the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. These guys would be equally at home at the Grand Ole Opry or on the old Stiff Records label as Nick Lowe's and Elvis Costello's labelmates. But no matter what, they don't forget to have fun. On Just One Night, there are some absolutely magical vocal moments, as in Waiting Game, where Brad and Craig blend perfectly, and Man With A Plan, where they raise the stakes. Craig goes absolutely through the stratosphere on this one--if you didn't get shivers down your spine, I question whether you even have one. There's some tasty steel guitar licks and horn blasts to round out the sound. Most of the tracks are Tater originals, but there are some choice covers of tunes by Steve Earle, Simon and Garfunkel, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, and a fun, surprising cover of Delilah, the song made famous by Tom Jones, which features the "non-existent Tater Horn Section" (playful vocal sounds where the horns would be). The guys are straining to keep from laughing. Lots of life and energy on this live set. I wish I were at that show. Since I was two albums behind, I need to mention that on Recess, the boys really stretch out and do some new things. Going Over the Hill is a really catchy track, with a really funky organ (a la Les McCann) and buzzy, sinewy guitar lead. Almost makes you forget that the song is about a middle-aged guy whose buddies all got married, and he's left to go it alone. There's a Taterized version of Sunshine, the early 70's Jonathan Edwards tune, which I think would be a great live raveup. That's Me reminds me of something Greg Kihn might have done in his heyday, but again with Craig and Brad at the vocals, it becomes something greater and more dramatic. And Required By Love sounds like it came straight out of a mid-career Elvis Presley movie. I can picture Elvis driving the red convertible, with Ann Margret by his side while this track is playing. The album closes with Raphael, a caring look at the life of a migrant farm worker from his point of view. Of the Taters' four albums, this is my favorite. My only dilemma--I can only listen to one of these albums at a time. The Taters have something for everyone, and for that, I am proud to feature them on Twirl throughout the month of February, 2007. FEATURED ARTIST JANUARY 2007: BOSWALOS Real alternative music is back. Not grunge, not angry rap-metal. Alternative. The purveyors of this sound are Boswalos, a quartet from Canada. These guys just put out their debut album, Boswalos, and were nice enough to send me a copy in the hopes that it might catch some airplay on Twirl. Never a doubt--little did Paul Alexander (vocals/guitar), Jason Hoddinott (lead guitar), David Alexander (bass/vocals), and Dave Joyce (drums) know, but their music sounds like one of my favorite genres, and would indeed have a home on my radio show. Boswalos is a six-song EP which reminds me of some of the best music from the early 1990's. Kind of like what happened when you took '80's music, and removed the synthesizers. Soaring, atmospheric guitars, and yearning vocals. Driving riffs like in Under Black Lights and Seconds--sounding like a beacon cutting through the fog of their native Newfoundland. Syncopated drumming in Pilots. The bass gets to be front and center in sections of Credo. And these songs just sound important--like mini anthems, a la U2. My words don't do the songs justice. Tracks 1, 2, 4, and 5 rock pretty well, with great melodies, and just have an overall feel and sound that reminds me why this genre, labeled as "alternative", is so great. Only two things I can find fault with. I wish that Boswalos were a long-player. These six songs are great, and I wish there were six more just like 'em. The other issue: these guys are based out of Toronto, so it may be a while before they play here in Sacramento. But this CD blew me out of the water, and serves notice that Boswalos is here, and ready to rock! FEATURED ARTIST DECEMBER 2006: RAISTALLA The next big thing is here. Period. And her name is Raistalla! Let's get the categorization out of the way. She does techno music, or perhaps you could call it dance music. True. Okay, now let's get the disclaimers out of the way. I've checked out what the other reviewers are saying about Raistalla, and the consensus usually goes something like this: "This is not the usual genre of music I play on my show, but..." And that's true of my show, too. So then why is Raistalla the Featured Artist on Twirl this month? Because she ROCKS! And she has a great singing voice. And because I can't stop playing her infectious music on my radio show. It's too addictive. I had the pleasure of interviewing Raistalla on Twirl on Saturday, December 9, 2006. Click here to listen to the podcast. Raistalla is an L.A.-based singer-songwriter and dancer (she's worked with Madonna and Outkast, among others) who released her self-titled debut album, Raistalla, this year. The album is divided into three parts, "Act I", "Act II", and "Epilogue". Many of the songs within each part blend seamlessly into the next, which is an effect not seen much in rock. Her music generally sounds like what would happen if you took a voice that swims in the same vocal waters as Dionne Warwick's, add Beck's sound effects and production, and made the songs more driving and danceable. This is a true hybrid of rock and techno. We rock DJs usually don't see liner notes like these, where some of the songs are "produced and programmed". But there is enough guitar and bass, along with really driving percussion moving the songs forward, to satisfy the rock fans among us. So rock fans, rejoice. Raistalla has just introduced you to a new genre of music! FEATURED ARTIST NOVEMBER 2006: LIONEL LODGE I'm getting the biggest kick out of singer-songwriter Lionel Lodge's live album with Rens Newland and their Rock Quartet. It's all cover tunes, performed in one of the local vineyards/winebars in Vienna, Austria, where this Canadian expatriate calls home. It starts off with a rollicking version of the Beatles "With A Little Help From My Friends". As I listened, I noticed that along with the two guitars and drums, the "bass" sounded a little brassy, almost like the "bass" player somehow figured out a way to make little "toot" noises on his instrument. Then I realized (and had confirmed for me by the liner notes) that there was no bass player in this band, but rather, a tuba(!) player (Markus Weissenbach). A tuba! TUBA! These guys know how to have fun, and this is one of those rare live albums that made me feel like I wish I was at that concert. An incredibly successful collection of cover tunes. I'm not a big fan of cover tunes, unless they lend something new to the song. Well, the something new is Lionel's warm, soulful voice, Rens' stunning guitar work, the tuba, and the great intangible--the energy produced and shared when good musicians feed off of each other. Lionel and company also paid tribute to REM, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. Hook, and many others. This album has it all! Click here to buy it from the man himself. SOUNDS OF SILENCE? (11/12/2006): Amazing how the technology works these days. On November 4th, yours truly managed to figure out a way to knock Twirl off the air with the simple press of just one key! Yes--we blew a chance to broadcast that day. What you heard was a filler music program (not bad, either), provided by the Voice in case radio DJs make stupid mistakes, or fail to show up. Not willing to rest on one's laurels, I trumped the "success" of the 4th the following week, on November 11th. I not only managed to knock my show off the air, but this time, it was replaced by sheer and utter silence! I hate to get cocky and arrogant, but I'm getting pretty good at this radio silence thing. Hmmm... But I'm really trying to let the third time be the charm. I have a great set of music lined up for you, which I've been trying to play for the last two weeks. We'll see if Twirl #287 gets off the ground this coming Saturday, November 18th. Did you miss me? I missed you! Sheesh! We'll see you then! KAMA LINDEN TWIRL APPEARANCE! (10/28/2006) I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing NYC singer-songwriter Kama Linden on Twirl on Saturday, October 28th, as she made her way northward towards Sacramento, on the West Coast leg of her 2006 tour. She then brought her music to the Fox and Goose (1001 R St.) on Monday, October 30th. Wonderful show, great musicianship. The audience was treated to her multiple-octave range. And thanks for dedicating "Bitter Lemon" to me, Kama! Hear the podcast of the interview. COUNTDOWN TO TWIRL (9/16/2006) I am excitedly counting down the days until Twirl's (hopefully) triumphant return to the airwaves. Saturday, September 30th, 2006 is the big day. I went into the studios of The Voice today, and sat in on Salsa con Sabor, (Saturdays, 12:00-2:00 p.m.) featuring my friend Leon Reyes, the "Mayor of Salsamento"! I wanted to make sure I remember how to use the board and other studio equipment. Sure, everybody makes mistakes. I just don't want to make mine on the air. But wait--that might actually be a good promotional tool. I could promote Twirl as the only radio show in Sacramento that features intentional mistakes--to keep the listeners alert! TWIRL STORE NOW OPEN! (9/16/2006) In a blatant attempt at commercialization, I have now opened the Twirl Store, with the help of the good folks at Cafe Press. If you click on the "Store" link above, you'll get the opportunity to peruse almost two dozen shirts, undergarments, mugs, caps, and even teddy bears and BBQ aprons. Buy some and support this radio show and website! The money you spend goes mostly to producing the products. But a small portion goes back into Twirl Radio, which will be used to purchase more great music to play on the show, and to keeping the website going. As always, thanks for listening and visiting this website, and I'll see you on the radio soon--can't wait!

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