Timeless Tales – Ben Traverse and Nick Veine Celebrate the Historic Traditions of Ireland on ‘Me Grief and Tears to Smother’ Album

nick-veine-ben-traverse-1 — Nick Veine and Ben Traverse feature rich harmonies and majestic acoustic folk instrumentation on “Me Grief and Tears to Smother.” Photo – @wildsubterranean_

Ben Traverse and Nick Veine thoughtfully revisit and reimagine timeless tales connected to the Emerald Isle on Me Grief and Tears to Smother: Traditional Songs and Ballads of the Irish Diaspora.

The traditional folk duo features a dozen tracks—ranging from sweet ballads to raucous drinking songs—celebrating the historic traditions of Ireland and its ex-pats on their latest album.

“I think the biggest thing someone can learn from this record is how borders and cultural divides are less important than one might think,” said Traverse, who’s from Grand Rapids, Michigan and is the duo’s co-lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist alongside Veine.

“Most of these songs didn’t actually come from Ireland, but they were either written by [its] people or were brought into the tradition from the outside. It’s all richer because of it. Just because the version of ‘Wild Rover’ came from Australia doesn’t mean that it isn’t Irish now—it’s both.”

Throughout Me Grief and Tears to Smother, Traverse and Vein sing about soldiers, fishmongers, families, immigrants and other storied figures against a backdrop of rich harmonies and majestic acoustic folk instrumentation.

“They tell the tales of quite diverse people and that’s very important. Everyone hears of stereotypes of the drunken Irishmen, but Irish culture is very nuanced and beautiful,” said Veine, who’s from Manistee, Michigan and serves as the duo’s other co-lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.

“There’s alcohol in just about every culture around the world. Irish songs celebrate the ability of drinking establishments/events to bring people together and have fun.”

I recently spoke with Traverse and Veine about growing up in Manistee, becoming inspired by traditional Irish folk music, researching the history behind the album’s tracks, sharing their thoughts about select songs, embarking on an album release tour and making plans for the future.

Continue reading “Timeless Tales – Ben Traverse and Nick Veine Celebrate the Historic Traditions of Ireland on ‘Me Grief and Tears to Smother’ Album” →

From a Distance – The Dirk Kroll Band Provides a Bird’s Eye View of Life on ‘Your Flight’ Album

dirk-kroll-marci-feldman-car — Dirk Kroll and Marci Feldman provide a panoramic view of life with their bandmates on “Your Flight.” Photo – Thompson Photography

The Dirk Kroll Band takes an aerial view of life from different perspectives on Your Flight.

The Pontiac, Michigan blues-rock quintet provides a panoramic picture of compelling characters—ranging from seaside lovers to Elvis zealots to weary commuters—from the past and present on their latest album.

“The album is new stuff and old stuff that’s from years ago. I kinda had my doubts about redoing [some of] it because it was going to lose its integrity and excitement,” said Dirk Kroll, the band’s lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist, about writing and recording Your Flight.

“But they weren’t radio ready, recorded properly, mastered or anything. I’ve got five new ones and five [older] songs redone better than they ever were.”

Those 10 refreshed tracks soar on an album filled with imaginative tales, spirited blues-rock instrumentation, bold saxophone solos and lush harmonies.

Your Flight’s carefully crafted elements also seamlessly come together due to the solid musicianship of Kroll’s bandmates, including wife Marci Feldman (vocals), George Canterbury (keys), Ray Goodman (lead guitar) and Paul Price (drums).

“They can feel it and know it; they’ve got the vocabulary,” Kroll said. “It’s a trust factor we all have … and everybody knows their role.”

Continue reading “From a Distance – The Dirk Kroll Band Provides a Bird’s Eye View of Life on ‘Your Flight’ Album” →

The Soundcheck – The Idiot Kids, Dog Latin and Ally Evenson

The November edition of The Soundcheck spotlights looking inward to see how we’ve evolved over time and what the next life chapter might bring. There’s a refreshing honesty and authenticity that comes with sharing that growth and the unexpected wisdom that emerges from it—regardless of your age or experience.

The Idiot Kids, “Wilted Bloom” & “White Flags”

The Idiot Kids openly address overcoming addiction and missing past interactions with friends on “Wilted Bloom.”

The Detroit garage-punk trio of Jon-Mikal Bartee (vocals, guitar), Nicholas Zambeck (bass) and Andrew Maslowsky (drums, vocals) share those honest reflections on the new single from their upcoming album, Chapels, which drops Dec. 1.

“‘Wilted Bloom’ is more about that feeling of being an addict and seeing those things,” said Bartee, who’s now seven years sober. “I was driving around a few months ago, and I just saw someone smoking a cigarette with the windows down and the weather was incredible. I was like, ‘I miss it so much; I miss the meditative aspect of it.’”

Backed by fiery electric guitar, bass and drums, Bartee sings, “You’re just a weed inside my garden / Hoping that I’ll pluck you soon / You want me to feed upon your pollen / Well, I’ve got an appetite for you!”

Continue reading “The Soundcheck – The Idiot Kids, Dog Latin and Ally Evenson” →

For Real – Judy Banker Explores the Power of Emotions on New ‘Bona Fide’ Album

judy-banker-2 — Judy Banker explores the cycle of relationships and the emotions that accompany them on “Bona Fide.” Photo – Misty Lyn Bergeron

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Judy Banker keeps things real on Bona Fide.

The Ann Arbor singer-songwriter explores genuine feelings of heartbreak, grief, and love on her new Americana album.

“One of my litmus tests for myself with a song is: Does it ring true to me? When I think of the vignette, the experience, or the feeling of that kind of relationship dynamic, does it say what I want to say?” said Banker, who’s a University of Michigan alumna and a therapist.

“That’s what I do with my songs—if it doesn’t say it strong enough or it doesn’t capture it quite right—there’s a certain tension that I want to be able to express. I feel like every single one of those songs is like my diary.”

On Bona Fide, Banker takes listeners on a personal journey that explores the cycle of relationships and the emotions that accompany them. The album’s rich harmonies and rootsy instrumentation bring those experiences to life across 11 heartfelt tracks.

“I’m a therapist by day, and on a big-picture level, my adult life has been dedicated to trying to help people to name, understand, and get the complexity of emotions … and that it’s important to work with them and embrace that,” Banker said.

“It’s a very selfish motive in the sense that these are my expressions and my songs, and I like them, but I just hope people say, ‘Oh, I’ve had that feeling.’”

Continue reading “For Real – Judy Banker Explores the Power of Emotions on New ‘Bona Fide’ Album” →

50 Years Later – Roger Waters Offers a Thoughtful Reimagination of Pink Floyd’s Iconic Album on ‘The Dark Side of the Moon Redux’

By Nicole Bouwkamp

When I heard that Roger Waters sought to rerecord Pink Floyd’s seminal album, The Dark Side of the Moon, I, like many, was skeptical.

How could such an album be redone? It must be just a ploy to rake in some more money and remain relevant in a new generation of music listeners while drudging up some dusty old tracks and calling them “new.”

Despite this skepticism, I reluctantly sat down and prepared myself for a predictably terrible listening session of this “new” album, The Dark Side of the Moon Redux.

Yet, that never happened. From beginning to end, I became privy to the soliloquy of an old man. A man who, from one album, one band and one artistic vision, saw his entire life become defined. Yet now he must look back on it all alone on the album’s 50th anniversary.

The Dark Side of the Moon was, as you know, created by four young upstarts to what the world thought of as music (five young upstarts if you, like me, give credit to the innovation of Alan Parsons, not to mention the countless others involved in ensuring the musical revolution of such an album). This album could never be redone with any one of them missing.

So, Waters did the only thing that could be done. He sought to recreate the album showcasing only his input while maintaining the whispers of the influential genius from his old friends.

Rather than a dramatic show on the dreams and realities of life, The Dark Side of the Moon Redux became a solo performance from an old man who has played it one too many times and wants to say something a bit different. From this, we hear him reflect on these timeless themes through the lens of a man defined by it and by the realities of a life lived longer than enjoyed by most.

While I could dive into the thematic symbolism throughout this album, including its musical elements, small homages to later albums and an interpretation of the lyrics, it would be quite pointless. I could only tell you what I hear from my experiences, and this is not the album for that.

Instead, this album is an old man sharing his experiences and whatever wisdom he deemed worthy of burying amongst these words and themes. We should suspend our opinions and listen with a respect rarely found in mass media today: the respect for an art that is shaped by and shares the experiences of life.

Nicole Bouwkamp is a percussionist, a recording engineer and a Michigan State University College of Music graduate.

Pushing Back – Widetrack Challenges Rigid Societies and Mindsets on ‘Monoliths’ Album

widetrack-1a — Widetrack shares insightful tales of conflict, change and determination across eight bold tracks on “Monoliths.” Photo courtesy of Widetrack

Filled with defiance and courage, Widetrack openly challenges the static perspectives and cultures of rigid societies on Monoliths.

The Waterford, Michigan father-son duo of Ron Tippin (drums, vocals) and Zach Tippin (guitar, bass) exposes the toxicity of groupthink, coercion and betrayal on their latest alt-prog album.

“It’s the general idea of things being very homogenized … and in terms of something that’s very difficult to change, but very huge and imposing—like monolithic societies,” said Ron Tippin.

“But it can also represent hope like [challenging] the monoliths in the film The Matrix, which represents the possibility of escape from a simulated reality. That was very much the idea of ‘Illumination,’ the opening track, and a lot of the songs that we started with were very dark, negative and heavy.”

As that realization came to light, Widetrack decided to include another hopeful track on their fifth album. “And then we came up with ‘Unlived,’ and I thought, ‘OK, there’s some positivity here,’ which is kind of a first for us,” Ron Tippin said.

Along with that new thematic development, Widetrack shares insightful tales of conflict, change and determination across eight bold tracks on Monoliths.

The band’s philosophical lyrics, emotive vocals and driving hard-rock, prog-rock and metal instrumentation instantly transport listeners to a contentious world that’s overdue for a revolt.

“I spend a lot of time on social media, as a lot of people do, as an observer and see objective reality and objective truth becoming relics,” Ron Tippin said.

“Some people just can hone in on a narrative—that’s the reality for them—and they get siloed in that. It’s made the divisions more pronounced than ever.”

Continue reading “Pushing Back – Widetrack Challenges Rigid Societies and Mindsets on ‘Monoliths’ Album” →

Inside Out – Kylee Phillips Gets Vulnerable and Introspective on New “Long Time Coming” EP

kylee-phillips-800 — Kylee Phillips shares a spectrum of emotions on “Long Time Coming.” Photo – Kris Herrmann

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Kylee Phillips deliberately steps outside herself and looks inward on Long Time Coming.

The indie-pop singer-songwriter and keyboardist examines past vulnerabilities and realizations through a wiser lens on her new EP.

“It’s very autobiographical. Honestly, writing them was less about sharing them with other people and more about admitting things to myself,” said Phillips, who lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

“In the writing process, I struggle sometimes to be vulnerable or to process my own feelings in real life. I joke that sometimes you could ask me how I feel about a situation and I would say, ‘I don’t know,’ and then I would write a song and go, ‘I guess that’s how I feel about it.’”

On Long Time Coming, Phillips shares a spectrum of emotions—ranging from disappointment to anticipation to relief—across five introspective tracks. The EP’s cathartic lyrics and atmospheric pop instrumentation allow listeners to instantly grasp and connect with Phillips’ perspective.

“A lot of these songs were things that I was describing, especially ‘Long Time Coming,’ and are like the closets in your house where you put stuff and you’re like, ‘I’m not going to think about it; I’m going to pretend that all that crap has been in there,’” Phillips said. “Then at a certain point, you say, ‘I’m gonna have to look in that closet.’”

Continue reading “Inside Out – Kylee Phillips Gets Vulnerable and Introspective on New “Long Time Coming” EP” →

Against All Odds – Knoxville’s Jake Gray Grabs Life by the Horns on ‘Rode Hard’ Album

Jake Gray knows how to defy the odds.

The Knoxville, Tennessee singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist witnessed that feat firsthand from his brother and penned a song about it.

“When I wrote ‘Rode Hard,’ it comes from a saying, ‘Rode and put away wet.’ It was a saying back on the farm, and I wrote that song about my brother. And when I wrote it, I thought, ‘This is gonna be the title track,’” said Gray about the song from his latest Americana album of the same name.

“Some of those lines are right out of his life, so when I go, ‘Let me tell you about a tale / Of a man whose life didn’t go so well.’ That’s how that track opens up.”

Throughout “Rode Hard,” Gray highlights how his brother overcame divorce, past mistakes and health challenges to emerge as a stronger and wiser person on the other side.

Alongside determined acoustic guitar, violin and drums, Gray sings, “He finally thinks he’s made enough mistakes / But he’s come a long, long, long way / So I ask him what’s he gonna do / He says take some time, forget my pride and switch out my point of view.”

“I did try to leave [the song] on a positive note on the bridge and the outro, ‘It doesn’t matter what’s gone before / Just pick yourself right off that floor’ and then off you go. You don’t have to be married to what happened to you before,” he said.

“He does like [the song], and he recognized himself straightaway. Last year, he had open heart surgery, which is a culmination of a lifetime of bad choices of how [he was] treating [his] body. He survived that, and then a few months later, he had acute pancreatitis. He quit drinking, and he works out like an animal; he’s still working to get his head right.”

Continue reading “Against All Odds – Knoxville’s Jake Gray Grabs Life by the Horns on ‘Rode Hard’ Album” →

Until Now – Bill Edwards Shares Personal Tales of Life and Love on ‘So Far’ Album

Editor’s Note: This article also appears on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

As an accomplished songwriter, Bill Edwards often tells stories from multiple perspectives across an astonishing catalog of songs.

This time, the prolific Ann Arbor singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist opted to share his own stories on his new Americana album, So Far.

“The songs are all, without exception, autobiographical, making this the most personal record I’ve ever released. I’ve reached an age where it seemed like it was time to look both backward and forward,” Edwards said.

“The future is never guaranteed, and I wanted some of these feelings captured. There’s a lot of emotional territory covered on the album, and it all feels true to me.”

On So Far, Edwards features 14 tracks that collectively reflect on a life filled with optimism, love, gratitude, loss, wisdom and nostalgia. The album’s honest sentiment, introspective lyrics and earnest instrumentation invite listeners to contemplate their own lives alongside Edwards.

“I wrote probably 50 songs that may have been candidates for this record over the past year or so,” he said. “I’m always writing, and these tunes got swapped in and out as new material came to be.”

I recently spoke with Edwards about opening for Rodney Crowell, writing tracks for So Far, recording his new album, hosting an album release show at The Ark and working on new material.

Continue reading “Until Now – Bill Edwards Shares Personal Tales of Life and Love on ‘So Far’ Album” →

In Harmony – Metro Detroit’s Voxanna Forms During Pandemic and Releases Compelling Self-Titled Debut Album

voxanna-1 — Voxanna’s Billy Brandt, Elaine Schoendorf, Raquel Salaysay and Kerry Gluckman share rich harmonies and a timeless acoustic folk-rock sound on their self-titled debut album. Photo courtesy of Voxanna

When the pandemic first hit, Billy Brandt, Elaine Schoendorf, Kerry Gluckman and Raquel Salaysay unexpectedly found a silver lining during a dark time.

The two couples and musical collaborators experienced a burst of creativity and formed Voxanna, a new acoustic folk-rock band from Metro Detroit.

“It’s something amazingly positive to do,” said Brandt, one of the band’s vocalists and a guitarist, banjoist and autoharpist.

“It started with Kerry, Raquel and me—though I had met Elaine right before the pandemic. We trusted each other, and for some reason, we had an instinctual feeling that we’d be OK if we gathered to play music, so we did.”

At the outset, Brandt gathered with Gluckman (percussion) and Salaysay (bass, vocals) to jam outside the couple’s house and started recording their performances.

“We videotaped everything, so everything was a performance … and that worked very well in our favor. People really enjoyed seeing us from their lockdown homes or whatever apartment they were living in,” Brandt said.

“This live music seemed to get 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 likes every time we posted, so we built a small online community that’s very different from an in-person community. We had good responses, and it kept us going.”

That momentum prompted Brandt to bring Schoendorf (tenor guitar, vocals) into the fold after the two had started singing and harmonizing together in 2019.

“We had been working our thing concurrently with Kerry, Raquel and I working out this trio—this rhythm section thing,” Brandt said. “But we were missing one thing and that was three-part harmonies, so we eventually put it all together.”

Continue reading “In Harmony – Metro Detroit’s Voxanna Forms During Pandemic and Releases Compelling Self-Titled Debut Album” →

The Stratton Setlist

Catch the opener. Stay for the encore.

Author: Lori Stratton