Music

Music Kristi Kates Rap Royalty: Leelanau Sands to Welcome Lil’ Kim
By Kristi Kates
 Perhaps one of the most famous Lil’ Kim quotes to date is this one: “I
like to be daring and I like to be different. You think anyone out here
looks like me? It’s pretty different, right?”

Music Kristi Kates The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards - Warner Bros.
The second set from the Jack White-helmed side project band that also includes Kills singer Alison Mosshart and QOTSA guitarist Dean Fertita, Sea... continues the trio’s grungy, blues-anchored indie-rock sound and infuses it with a few interesting new seasonings, namely the spooky Wurlitzer organ lines on “Gasoline” and the darkened piano on “Old Mary.” Elsewhere, The Dead Weather’s already-signature sound continues on such solid tracks as “Blue Blood Blues,” which also showcases their ability to blend vocal lines into deft harmonies.

Music Kristi Kates Nor-East’r Festival Blows into Mio
By Kristi Kates
The “first festival of summer” may be a surprise to many residents of
Northern Michigan, being located in out-of-the-way Mio in Oscoda
County, but make no mistake -- the Nor-East’r Festival packs a punch,
with 19 musical acts and much more.

Music Kristi Kates Man in Black: Shawn Barker Gets Rhythm as Johnny Cash
By Kristi Kates
“I’ve always been a Johnny Cash fan, as were my dad and grandpa,” musician Shawn Barker says of his “Man in Black” tribute show. “Johnny Cash grew up in the same area of Arkansas as my dad’s family. Growing up, I remember visiting my dad’s side of the family and hearing Johnny being played a lot on the radio and record player; I love Johnny’s voice, and the way his songs tell a story. I also love the way he always let the music speak for itself.”
Barker, who was born and raised in St. Louis and still lives there today when he’s not traveling, began his interest with music in school, with his first performance experience as a line drummer with the school band in 8th grade. In high school, he sang with local cover bands and learned the guitar; later, his Elvis-like good looks drew him into performing at Elvis tribute shows.
“I really loved his music, and thought he was so cool, so it fit for me,” Barker says.
That ‘good fit’ led to Barker traveling around the U.S. for a few years, performing at Elvis tribute shows, and even winning the Elvis tribute contest at the Gibson Showcase in Nashville. Then, things took an even more interesting turn.

Music Kristi Kates Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way - Daptone
Responsible, in large part, for resuscitating ‘50s-’60s-era soul music and bringing it into the modern day and age (even staging a well-cheered performance at the Lollapalooza Fest), the feisty Jones and her swaggering backing band are back with their sophomore set, as produced by Bosco Mann. Recorded on an Ampex 8-track for a warmer, more authentic sound, the album - and the band - perfectly support Jones’ confident Franklin/Staples/Turner-esque vocals on tunes like the groovin’ “Money” and the bluesy ballad “If You Call.”

Music Robert Downes Pickin’ Party: Hayloft open mic offers authentic Americana
By Robert Downes
It’s not quite the Grand Ole’ Opry, but it feels pretty durned close:
Every Thursday, a driven group of guitar, banjo and mandolin pickers
congregate at a country-western bar outside of Traverse City to open their
musical veins and let it flow in what is widely considered to be the best
open mic in the region.

Music Kristi Kates Jammin’ with Galactic Sherpas: BC’s ever-changing eco-friendly jam band
By Kristi Kates
“Galactic Sherpas has a history that runs deep in chaos and the
unforeseen,” the band’s Josh Hall chuckles, “and has been an ever-changing
path of many musicians that have wandered in and out of Boyne City over
the past four years.”

Music Kristi Kates Local CDs
By Kristi Kates
Dean Wiers-Windemuller - Dean Wiers-Windemuller
Complete with rubber-stamped, recycled-paper CD envelope, Dean Wiers-Windemuller’s set includes contributions from James Forrest Hughes on bass, Brian Morrill on drums, and Michael Crittenden on percussion, although the songs are all written by the Grand Rapids singer-songwriter himself.

Music Robert Downes ‘Still Breathing’ -- Marc Alderman: Musical friends come to the aid of injured percussionist
By Robert Downes
Marc Alderman doesn’t remember what happened after a pickup truck crossed
the center line of an icy highway last Dec. 3, sending him into months of
pain, surgery and hospitalization.

Music Kristi Kates Turin Brakes - Outbursts - Cooking Vinyl
Brit new-acoustic popsters TB wrote, performed, and produced their current offering mostly on their own, to supply their fans with their first studio album since 2007. First single “Sea Change” is also the album’s strongest highlight, with its spacious sound arriving in steps from the beat through the vocals and more symphonic elements. “Paper Heart” features more acoustic-meets-soul sounds, as do “Will Power” and the heavier “Radio Silence” - but “Sea Change” will likely be the track you’ll be putting into your favorite mixes.

Music Kristi Kates Taking Flight:A new festival that’s for the birds
By Kristi Kates
“When I was younger, I grew up birding around Northern Michigan and
the Whitefish Point area with my father, Jim Porter,” explains concert
producer Sam Porter. “The love for nature and wildlife that grew out
of that experience is my personal inspiration for this event.”

Music Kristi Kates The Energizer:Blues rocker Laith Al-Saadi gets a charge out of connecting
By Kristi Kates
Guitarist/singer/songwriter Laith Al-Saadi hasn’t had a real job since
he was 15.
“Not having a day job is a great motivator to make sure that you keep
working (on your music),” Al-Saadi explains with a chuckle. “My last
and only ‘real job’ was working at a Sbarro in Briarwood Mall in Ann
Arbor,” he continues, “but as soon as I realized that I could make
money doing what I loved, I was out of there. My high school blues
band, Blue Vinyl, built up a solid following, and I put all my
energies into booking us and writing material for the band.”

Music Kristi Kates Big Band Bill plays Charlevoix:Trumpeter brings memories of playing with the greats
By Kristi Kates
It was Bill Hart’s fourth grade year in Iowa, where his parents owned
a service station. Traveling big bands would stop on their way to and
from gigs to grab some gas and perhaps an ice-cold Coca-Cola; all of
them seemed pretty exotic to the little boy.

Music Kristi Kates Arctic Monkeys - My Propeller - Domino
Of remarkable note for a mere 4-song EP (likely a fan-placating measure until the next AM album is well underway), My Propeller’s title track is the definite standout here, taken directly from the band’s last full-length, Humbug, and showcasing the English band’s new, California-inflected sound, in part courtesy of new producer Josh Homme. Accompanying the single are quirky “The Afternoon’s Hat,” the guitar-heavy “Joining the Dots,” and the danceable, confident “Don’t Forget Whose Legs You’re On.”

Music Kristi Kates White Stripes - Under Great Northern Lights- Warner Bros.
Recorded while Jack and Meg White undertook an ambitious tour across every province and territory in Canada, this album is the audio accompaniment to the film of the same name, capturing the Stripes’ emotional performances on all levels, from bowling alley sets to legendary theater venues. You’ll get familiar and more obscure tracks, from “Seven Nation Army” through “Icky Thump,” all presented with the powerful dual attack that this duo is capable of, and that’s less frequently captured on more controlled, sterile studio recordings.