Tom Curless & The 46%’s Ron Vensko, Chip Saam, Lenny Grassa and Tom Curless explore and decipher different situations on “Speaking in Code.” Photo – Madeline Curless
The Detroit power-pop quartet of Tom Curless (vocals, guitar, keys), Chip Saam (bass), Ron Vensko (drums, percussion) and Lenny Grassa (guitar), extracts the hidden meaning from everyday interactions with people on Speaking in Code.
“There’s a lot of that theme going through the record; some songs aren’t based on personal relationships and some are,” said Curless about the band’s latest album.
“The first single, ‘Sorry for You,’ is when you’re trying to comfort someone and they’re laying down a lot of issues and problems. You’re happy to do it … but nobody has it all figured out. Everybody has their own problems, too, and it’s the theme of ‘I’m sorry for you, but I’m sorry for me, too.’”
OnSpeaking in Code, the band explores and deciphers different situations across 11 tracks that range from revelation to confrontation to determination. Those emotive stories resonate with listeners against a backdrop of spirited pop-rock instrumentation, vivid lyrics, melodic vocals and lush harmonies.
Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds honor a late friend’s memory and his determination to overcome addiction on the new single, “Liquor Store.” It’s the latest release in a series of new singles from the band, which includes Shannon Wade, Erin Zindle, Loren Kranz, and TJ Zindle. Photo courtesy of Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
The bluesy new single from the Ann Arbor folk-rock band addresses the daily struggle Nelson Whitehorse faced while trying to fight addiction and follow a path to recovery.
“He was from St. Louis actually and moved to Ann Arbor to be in a band with me, and we lived together for a year,” said Zindle about Whitehorse, who passed away several years ago. “We lived on the west side of Ann Arbor and he had been an alcoholic since childhood.”
Throughout “Liquor Store,” Erin Zindle and bandmates TJ Zindle (electric and acoustic guitar, vocals), Loren Kranz (drums, vocals), and Shannon Wade (bass, vocals) chronicle Whitehorse’s ongoing challenge of having to walk past a liquor store each day to visit the local Alano Club.
Ominous keys and drums follow Zindle as she sings, “You said ‘Grace is new every morning’ / As you stared into your black coffee cup / Today you’re gonna make it past the liquor store / To get to the Alano Club.”
“I saw that battle play out over and over every day, and sometimes he made it, and sometimes he didn’t,” she said. “The daily work is just getting there every day.”
The band opted to release “Liquor Store” on September 14, which coincides with National Sober Day, to celebrate sobriety and raise awareness about addiction.
The track also helps Whitehorse’s family and friends to take comfort in his memory as a “hilarious, loyal, giant-hearted friend” as Zindle noted in a Ragbirds’ Facebook post.
“The message I hope people will take away is that today you’re going to make it,” Zindle said. “It literally is just that one day at a time. I’m so grateful that the song came to me, and it came with that wisdom to know not to add any message to it.”
We recently spoke to Zindle about the band’s new single, its strategy for releasing new songs and an upcoming album, the inspiration behind several tracks, the creative process for writing and recording them, a Halloween show at The Ark, and additional plans for new material.
The July edition of “The Soundcheck” celebrates the concept of summer through different emotions and experiences—love, authenticity, remembrance, nostalgia and connection. It’s time to think about “Your New Favorite Lover” while you “Stay Behind The Wheel” and later arrive at your destination and receive a warm greeting of Welcome to Pookie’s. There’s also a need to reflect on the life and love of “Willow” and remember what’s For Debbie.
Rhythmic drums, gleaming electric guitar, humming bass and romantic piano wrap listeners in a heated embrace alongside frontman Josh Clemens’ fervent vocals.
He sings, “Ooooh I’m not trying to hide / What you see is what you get / Now you’re the owner of this wreck / Honestly, what did you expect of me / You only get the best of me / You’re begging for the rest of me / Honey, you’re not ready, but come and get it now.”
The track’s infectious, sensual groove is guaranteed to captivate new and current Strange Heart fans. Drummer Bobby Jankowski, bassist-vocalist Mike Schneider, lead guitar-vocalist Mike Leslie and Clemens have won me over, and I know they’ll delight you as well.
Strange Heart also blazes on stage with an eight-piece band (complete with horns), so check them out July 20 at The Whitney in Detroit and July 22 at Eastern Palace Club in Hazel Park.
The Ann Arbor indie-pop singer-songwriter and hip-hop / EDM producer add vibrant layers of growth and courage to their latest empowering hip-hop anthem.
“By openly sharing our personal experiences, we gain a sense of catharsis and self-acceptance. It reminds us that we’re not alone in our struggles and that vulnerability can be a powerful tool for personal growth,” said Zhu, who graduated from Skyline High School earlier this month.
“Writing this track allowed us to express our vulnerabilities and showcase the strength that comes from embracing them. We wanted to create a song that could serve as a source of empowerment and encouragement for listeners, so the idea of ‘painting the world red’ represents how our music, ideas and confidence is contagious enough to influence others.”
Together, they spread that steadfast reassurance alongside eager beats filled with glistening synth, rowdy bass and bouncy percussion. Zhu sings, “Somedays, I don’t believe I belong here / On the runway, I’ll conceal my fears / Once I paint everything red / There won’t be any spots left / I’m getting so fast / No holding me back / Just paint the world red.”
“Growing up, I found it hard to fit in and struggled with body image. I also feared rejection and failure, as I was always pressured to succeed in my community,” Zhu said.
“As I work through these struggles I have learned to channel my experiences into my music, and ‘paint the world red’ is a reflection of that journey. Collaborating with Felix Lahann, we shared our stories and found solace in our shared experiences of self-confidence, courage, fear and self-doubt.”
Adam Labeaux’s “Brave Face” features earnest lyrics, soulful vocals and ‘70s-inspired folk-rock instrumentation flavored with improvisational jazz and soul. Photo – Natalia Holtzman
Adam Labeaux searches for the true meaning of courage in himself and others.
The folk-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist explores the power of tenacity, vulnerability and authenticity on his new album Brave Face.
“It does have a lot to do with these central themes, and these are things I tend to touch on a lot, including the human condition,” said Labeaux, who resides in Ann Arbor.
“I tend to write dark folk, and I gravitate toward this subject matter and a focal point that maybe people don’t want to look at all the time. But I always have hope, and I always feel there’s positivity to come out.”
That positivity and bravery shine across Brave Face’s dozen candid tracks, which feature earnest lyrics, soulful vocals and ‘70s-inspired folk-rock instrumentation flavored with improvisational jazz and soul. Imagine if Labeaux formed a new supergroup with members of Steely Dan, the E Street Band and Toto.
“I’m the first to admit that sometimes I write songs to give myself words of encouragement that I’m not getting from someone else,” said Labeaux about his fourth album. “If nothing else, I find that when I’m at my lowest and when I’m most manic that usually it means I haven’t been writing enough. I haven’t been expressing it, and I really need to get into that space and have that cathartic moment.”
In 2020, Olivia Van Goor formed an unexpected friendship through social media.
The metro Detroit jazz vocalist stumbled upon Caity Gyorgy’s infectious single “Postage Due” and contacted the Canadian jazz singer about including the track in her songbook.
“I couldn’t believe it wasn’t a standard … she was kind enough to send me her music, and so I added that song among others to my repertoire,” Van Goor said.
“It’s important to me to not only keep the tradition alive by doing standards but to introduce my audience to other composers, especially females and especially vocalists. We have never performed together—in fact, we’ve never even met in person.”
That circumstance will quickly change with Van Goor and Gyorgy co-hosting a June 3 duet show at Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church (GPUC) in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
“Caity reached out a couple of months ago while planning her shows in the U.S. this summer. She proposed a duo show in the Detroit area, and when possible venues fell through for me, I had to figure out how to do it myself,” said Van Goor, who’s producing the show.
“Scott Gwinnell, who is playing the gig with us, recommended the GPUC, and I think it is a fabulous choice. I enjoy so much about her music, but my favorite thing about it is her fresh nod to standards in a very bebopish way. Not a lot of vocalists are doing that, and I am all about that!”
To learn more about her upcoming concert with Gyorgy, I recently spoke with Van Goor about the show’s setlist, collaborators and ticketing options and inquired about her latest single and plans for new material.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.
Lori Stratton with her mother Carolyn Barnard at her high school graduation in June 1994.
Each year, I look forward to the summer solstice. There’s something magical about the longest day of the year and the maximum amount of daylight that it brings.
But by June 20, 2020, at the age of 44, my outlook on the summer solstice changed unexpectedly. I awoke early that morning to sunlight streaming through my windows and felt excited about the day ahead.
My husband Brian and I were getting ready to visit my in-laws and celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with the rest of the family. We were just about the leave the house when we heard an expected knock on our door at 8 am.
I opened the door and saw my father on the front porch looking ragged and exhausted. There was an unrecognizable sadness on his face when he said, “L, Your mother passed away last night.”
Those words punched me right in the gut, and it took me a moment to process what he had just said. My father explained that my mother had a heart attack the night before; she had collapsed instantly and then died.
He tried to revive her before the paramedics came, but it was too late. I was surprised that a heart attack had taken my mother’s life at 75 instead of Alzheimer’s. She had been battling that disease for nearly a decade, and I had prepared myself for that outcome gradually.
“It’s definitely kind of like a prayer and an asking; I wrote it on my birthday, which is kind of funny,” said Talmers, a University of Michigan alumna.
“But I think the central image of the song is thinking about unfolding as a human … and it’s very vulnerable to be a human. It’s just admitting that and feeling often like when we bring our full selves to other people it’s hard to do that and not be embarrassed.”
Surrounded by wistful nylon guitar and strings, she sings, “So please excuse the hardness of my softening / If I’m unworthy, Lord, I swear I’ll fake it good.”
“It’s this image of wanting to be your full little sweet self and feeling ashamed of that,” Talmers said. “It’s also oscillating between those two things, like ‘I want to go back into the womb, and I don’t want to interact with anyone,’ and wanting to fully be with people and be loving and brave.”
Within those tracks, she shares haunting tales wrapped in emotive string-brass instrumentation and pensive folk-jazz and Latin-Mediterranean soundscapes.
I recently spoke to Talmers about her background, ambitious double album, prolific writing and recording process, and upcoming plans.
A Good Sign takes control of her emotions on “Numb.” Artwork – Jesselle
A Good Sign quickly anesthetizes strong emotions from a past relationship.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan electro-pop singer-songwriter welcomes instant romantic indifference on her latest atmospheric single, “Numb.”
“‘Numb’ is that feeling of when you’re in a relationship with someone who has manipulated your feelings a lot,” said Kierstin Jackson, aka A Good Sign.
“You have these heart-wrenching feelings over and over, and then you’re just at a point where you’re numb to it. You no longer have control over your emotions.”
Throughout “Numb,” A Good Sign regains that self-control as exuberant synth, wistful bass and intrepid electronic percussion provide a jolt of confidence.
She sings, “High off of your touch / Or shattered by your silence / I used to stay fucked up / On your spiritual violence / But now I’m breaking up with / The ropes that I got tied with.”
“It’s a freeing feeling in a way because that person doesn’t have control over you anymore,” Jackson said. “That was a relationship recently I experienced where there a lot of ups and downs. My heart was fully in it, and then it ate away at things until there was nothing there.”
“It’s EDM-y, but lighthearted … I love sad lyrics and a happy beat,” Jackson said. “[Jezreel] is so talented; I can make a sound at him, and he can do that on any instrument.”
Eric Ripper features exploratory lyrics, radiant acoustic guitars and ambient soundscapes on his new album. Artwork – Dean Ripper
Filled with emotion and adventure, Eric Ripper rides the wave of new possibilities.
The Ferndale, Michigan acoustic pop-rock singer-songwriter boldly journeys through the peaks and valleys of growth, love and aspiration on his latest revelatory album, Wavelength.
“I traveled out to Utah to start this project, worked on it while I was out there and continued it after coming back. I’ve seen many beautiful things and spent a lot of time alone with my thoughts,” Ripper said.
“Those thoughts come together when you finally sit down with a guitar in hand. I’ve learned that I need time to write and need to explore myself if I am to continue writing and producing music.”
With self-discovery top of mind, Ripper soars alongside Wavelength’s exploratory lyrics, radiant acoustic guitars and ambient soundscapes. The album’s nine contemplative tracks instantly invite listeners to accompany Ripper on his introspective, cathartic odyssey.
“Traveling is a big part of my inspiration as well as having good and bad life experiences. All elements toward this album have been therapeutic: writing, producing, recording and releasing – all of it,” he said.
“I feel as if I’m sharing a big side of me with others on this release, and I just hope people can hear the work and dedication put into it. Everyone is growing as a person … they all have their own direction. I’m riding this wavelength, and I hope others can hear their purpose and find themselves.”
The Stratton Setlist 