Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Barry Thomas Goldgerg's XMas Hanukah Solstice Festivus Kwanzaa Bash on "Live From Studio 5!"

By Brian P. Rubin


Last week on “Live From Studio 5!” local music legend Barry Thomas Goldberg swung by KFAI to lead the fourth annual holiday party featuring his tunes. He was joined by plenty of friends—so many friends it’s hard to keep track!—who played some of his songs, some classic holiday favorites like “White Christmas,” and a few originals as well.


One such group was Patches and Gretchen, a Minneapolis trio that may fit into the “art rock” description. Patches and Gretchen belted out a few original songs, like “Roly Poly,” and kept the night’s festive mood rolling right along.


Local singer-songwriter Lonnie Knight also came by to sing a few tunes, like "Ragpicker's Dream," and he gave the whole evening a mellow, fun feel. 



The show was led, as ever, by Cher Dial, Dew Glass, and Doug the Thug, and a good time was had by all. You can check out the full broadcast on the show’s forever archive right here.


Happy holidays! See you tomorrow night for the Christmas Day episode of "Live From Studio Five!"


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Nancy’s Raygun on “Live From Studio 5!”


By Brian P. Rubin



The garage rock stylings of Nancy’s Raygun graced the airwaves when the duo swung by and played a set on “Live From Studio 5!” this past Wednesday night. Joined by Liz Couette, Nancy’s Raygun played songs like “Neighbors,” “Falling Down,” “My Kitchen Table,” and “Warm Moon,” some of which will surely appear on their debut EP that’s set for release on Friday, January 10.



Made up of guitarist Daniel Hughes and drummer Mauricio Hernandez, Nancy’s Raygun classifies itself as psychedelic garage rock, and that description is pretty apt. The band brings a stripped down feel to its songs, while filling in the space with copious amounts of fuzz and buzz from a heavily distorted amp. The group’s sound seems like a distillation of bands like the White Stripes, Mountain, and maybe some Mudhoney for good measure. Their kludgy guitar sound and big, bold drums grab your attention, and keep it by switching up the rhythm and feel of each song.




The pair who make up Nancy’s Raygun are really tight—and that probably has something to do with the fact that Hughes and Hernandez met in the second grade, bonding over their shared love of temporary tattoos, and have been playing in bands together since middle school. While Nanchy’s Raygun doesn’t have any gigs scheduled at the moment, you can keep up with what they’ve got going on via their Facebook page, Bandcamp, Tumblr, and Twitter










Thursday, December 5, 2013

Lola's Paradox on "Live From Studio 5!"

By Brian P. Rubin



Last night, Joanie Rich—a.k.a. Lola’s Paradox—stopped by and hung out with DJ Cher Dial to play a stripped down acoustic guitar set on “Live From Studio 5!” Lola’s Paradox is the name Rich gave to her solo project, a collection of slow, soulful songs that delve into her past experiences and a full range of emotions. As it says on Lola’s Paradox’s Facebook page, her music “is here to put you back to that dream place.”


Setting up the microphone for Lola's Paradox.

Her tunes, like “Notice,” “Pop Hearts, and “Wandering” were definitely dreamy, and brought a raw, honest energy to the studio. She also played her unique versions of a few covers, like “Bizarre Love Triangle” by New Order, and “As Tears Go By” by the Rolling Stones. She also modified they lyrics to her song "Wandering" to coincide with the snowy weather outside and the approaching Christmas holiday.


Currently Lola’s Paradox is hard at work on a third EP, called Paradise, which follows the first two EPs called Notice and Reflection. After that, Rich said that she’ll pick the songs she likes best for her first full-length album, the self-titled Lola’s Paradox.



Her influences like Jewel, Elliott Smith, and Rilo Kiley were clear in each song. Hopefully she’ll update her page with any gigs as they come in. You can also catch Lola's Paradox on SoundCloud, ReverbNation, and Bandcamp, the last of which is where you can buy her EP ReflectionsTake a listen to her set on “Live From Studio 5!” right here. 






Sunday, December 1, 2013


CARBON HANDSHAKE

 By Charlie Milkey


Carbon Handshake is Twin Cities band comprised of six members, who have been together in some capacity working on music since their high school days.  Their first full-length release, a 12-track album called "A Dive Right." was written and recorded at a cabin in northern Minnesota, and was produced by the band and engineered/mixed by members Joe McNeill and Mack Scott.  There was also quite a bit of outside collaboration with other members of the Twin Cities music scene, including female vocalist Alex Wright (of the band Dandy Lion) and horns by Chris Cote, a phenomenal player from the McNally Smith College of Music.  Eva Skellie did all of the artwork for the album. You can check out Carbon Handshake’s next show on December 8th at Cause, opening the night for Rear Window’s Minneapolis Debut show.

The best place to follow the band is at their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CarbonHandshake





Suggested Listening:

Technicolor, Kids Are on Their Own, Circumstance (these can all be streamed on the band’s Bandcamp page)



http://carbonhandshake.bandcamp.com/track/technicolor-waste-our-days

http://carbonhandshake.bandcamp.com/track/kids-are-on-their-own

http://carbonhandshake.bandcamp.com/track/circumstance