Tag: Geoff Michael

Songbird — Dave & Kristi Embrace the Spirit of the Chickadee on Their New Folk Album

Dave Boutette and Kristi Davis in the studio at Ann Arbor’s Big Sky Recording. Photo by Misty Lyn Photography.

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

Dave & Kristi feel a special connection to the chickadee.

The Dexter duo embraces the songbird as a symbol of joy and hope on their new folk album, The Chickadees.

“The chickadee reference is about the spiritual part of you that lives on,” said Kristi Davis about her latest release with husband and musical partner Dave Boutette.

“That’s the hopeful part, and they represent good luck, happiness, knowledge, truth, and adaptability. That’s exactly the stuff that we need right now.”

Davis and Boutette channel the chickadee’s positive spirit as they reflect on love, loss, and aging across the album’s 13 tracks.

“As far as things that are on the record, we’ve experienced a lot of loss in the last two or three years,” Boutette said. “And also this summer we’re both turning 60. It’s everything from family members and friends passing.”

The duo unexpectedly lost three family members and a pet during the last few years.

“Our dog passed very unexpectedly and a week later my dad passed,” said Davis, who sings and plays percussion on the album. “Dave lost his mom and his brother. There’s a little memorial to them on [the album], but it’s been an inspiration for the music.”

Some songs from The Chickadees also reference Dave & Kristi’s growing concerns about the nation’s changing political climate and its impact on our future.

“There are different parts of our foundation that we’ve been walking on for a long time and counting on for a long time that have shifted and are slipping,” said Boutette, the duo’s co-lead vocalist and guitarist.

“We’re OK, we have a roof over our head, and there’s food in the cupboard. It’s just that we’re older now—things are different underneath us now. We’re in uncharted territory, and we’re just trying to make our way through it.”

Dave & Kristi explore those themes and reflections through singable lyrics, rich harmonies, and emotive instrumentation.

To learn more, I spoke with the duo ahead of their June 1 album release show at Ann Arbor’s Old Town Tavern.

Continue reading “Songbird — Dave & Kristi Embrace the Spirit of the Chickadee on Their New Folk Album” →

The Psych Doctor — George Mashour’s Vintage-Sounding Psychedelic Rock Album Was Inspired by His Consciousness Studies at U-M

George Mashour explores the evolution of the self on Eulogy for My Ego Death. Photo courtesy of the artist.

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

In 2019, George Mashour aspired to make a psychedelic rock album.

The anesthesiologist and neuroscientist had just turned 50 and wanted to step outside the medical world to pursue a musical project.

“I was reflecting on what I wanted to do in the next phase of my life … and [I’d] been writing all these songs—sometimes just in my head—some of them [were] decades old,” said Mashour, a University of Michigan researcher who studies consciousness and has been dabbling in music over the years.

“For my 50th birthday, my wife got me a gift certificate for studio time at Big Sky [Recording], which was cool, and in retrospect I’m really glad she did that.”

Later that year, he became chair of U-M’s Department of Anesthesiology, and then COVID hit in early 2020.

“I was super busy, and of course, everything was shut down,” Mashour said. “And yet I still had that physical gift certificate for eight hours of studio time … so it was just always on my mind. And then it was 2023 when I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to do this,’ so I got in touch with Geoff [Michael], who’s the owner of Big Sky.” 

Michael connected Mashour with Marty Gray, an Ann Arbor producer, engineer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, to help record his debut album.

“I had never been to a studio before, never recorded music before, and had no idea of what was going to happen,” said Mashour, who worked with Gray over several studio sessions. “And I walked out of that first four-hour session with a sense of joy that I can’t even remember the last time I had experienced.”

What resulted is Eulogy for My Ego Death, a ‘60s-inspired psych-rock album filled with existential lyrics, dreamy vocals, fuzzy electric guitars, and groovy instrumentation.

“Generally speaking, in that psychedelic genre, it’s about experience, it’s about great melody, and it’s about the self,” Mashour said. “It’s not what I would call a concept album per se in terms of a narrative thread going from start to finish, but there certainly are conceptual relationships to a lot of the different songs.”

To learn more, I spoke with Mashour about the inspiration behind his album as well as his psychedelic hip-hop project VaporDaze.

Continue reading “The Psych Doctor — George Mashour’s Vintage-Sounding Psychedelic Rock Album Was Inspired by His Consciousness Studies at U-M” →

It’s ‘About Time’ — Dexter Singer-Songwriter Jim Bizer Releases First New Solo Album in 20 Years

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Jim Bizer features evocative lyrics and earnest folk instrumentation on “About Time.” Photo courtesy of Jim Bizer

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

After two decades, Jim Bizer realized it was time to release a new solo record.

The Dexter, Michigan singer-songwriter hadn’t focused on his own album since 2004’s Connected and had spent ample time working on several collaborative projects, including a duo with Jan Krist and groups The Yellow Room Gang, Diamonds in the Rust, and Floyd King and The Bushwackers.

“It’s crazy that I’ve taken that long,” said Bizer about his new folk album, About Time. “I’ve done things in between, and the thing I did the most was the duo with Jan, but I wound up in a few different bands and made records with some of them.”

Even as he worked on different projects, Bizer’s songs for About Time started brewing in 2005, and they began accumulating.

He eventually landed on 13 tracks for his third solo album and noticed a theme of time had emerged. On About Time, Bizer brings that theme to life through evocative lyrics and soundtracks it with earnest folk instrumentation.

“Not that every single song deals directly with time, but a fair number of them do. I got a kick out of writing ‘Going Nowhere’ about slowing time down and what that could mean and how that would work,” said Bizer, who produced About Time and played guitar, bass, and guitjo.

“There’s also the fact that it’s been so long since I put out my last record, and time played a piece of that. And I think of these songs as a time capsule of the last 20 years, so time was so much on my mind as I was putting the record together.”

To learn more, I spoke to Bizer about his latest album ahead of a July 7 show at Livonia’s Trinity House Theatre.

Continue reading “It’s ‘About Time’ — Dexter Singer-Songwriter Jim Bizer Releases First New Solo Album in 20 Years” →

DuPont Phillips Combines Catalogs and Influences for New ‘Big Sky Sessions’ EP

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Chris DuPont and Kylee Phillips’ new DuPont Phillips EP, “Big Sky Sessions,” features stripped-down instrumentation, emotive duets, and lush harmonies. Photo – Misty Lyn Bergeron.

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

Ypsilanti’s Chris DuPont and Kylee Phillips decided a joint EP was long overdue.

After several years of performing and recording together, the singer-songwriters pooled their talents, catalogs, and influences to form DuPont Phillips and release Big Sky Sessions.

“This Big Sky Sessions EP was a very natural project. We used stuff that we have, and we used songs from our catalogs that have been out,” DuPont said.

“What feels good to me is that all of these interpretations of our songs that exist live now have a home. This project proved to me that putting out something doesn’t have to make you suffer. … We cut it in two days.”

During those two days at Ann Arbor’s Big Sky Recording, DuPont Phillips reimagined three tracks from prior solo releases and recorded two renditions of Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell classics along with a new song.

“Sometimes it can be hard to explain to people what we’re doing because we’re playing things from our individual catalogs, but we’re supporting one another,” Phillips said. “For me, it’s fun to have something we can show people and say, ‘This is what it is. It’s this cross-pollination of what we both do.’”

Those collaborative efforts have resulted in an intimate folk-pop EP filled with stripped-down instrumentation, emotive duets, and lush harmonies. The six tracks featured on Big Sky Sessions offer vulnerable tales of love, growth, and change.

I recently spoke to the duo about revisiting and reworking older tracks, doing covers, recording a new song, spending time in the studio, preparing for an EP release show, and planning for the future.

Continue reading “DuPont Phillips Combines Catalogs and Influences for New ‘Big Sky Sessions’ EP” →

Breakneck Speed – Mark Jewett Follows Life’s Hectic Pace on New ‘Too Fast’ Single Featuring The Accidentals

Mark Jewett brings caffeinated instrumentation, pithy lyrics and a frenzied mindset to "Too Fast," which features Sav Madigan and Katie Larson of The Accidentals. Photo - David Donher
Mark Jewett brings caffeinated instrumentation, concise lyrics and a frenzied mindset to “Too Fast,” which features Sav Madigan and Katie Larson of The Accidentals. Photo – David Donher

These days, Mark Jewett moves at warp speed.

The Plymouth, Michigan singer-songwriter maintains a frantic daily pace on his turbocharged new single, “Too Fast.”

“It was more of a general feeling of being closed in and trapped and things just coming at me faster than I could deal with them,” said Jewett about folk-pop track, which features a collaboration with Sav Madigan and Katie Larson of The Accidentals.

“One day I just took a break at my desk and I picked up my guitar and I started doing this chunking rhythm like you hear at the beginning of the song. I was drinking coffee and I thought, ‘I need some energy,’ and the line just popped into my head.”

That initial opening lyric was “I’ve got a thousand watts of black coffee / Pumpin’ through my veins,” but Jewett upped the ante to “Two thousand watts of black coffee” instead.

“Kyle Rasche caught me between shows up at Nor-East’r last year when I was in the merch barn. He said, ‘Man, that’s a great line,’ and he thought I had said something about ‘8,000 watts,’ but it was originally, ‘I’ve got a thousand watts,’” said Jewett, who started writing the track last spring. “I thought maybe there was too much there, so starting it with 2,000 [watts] just punctuates it right at the beginning.”

Continue reading “Breakneck Speed – Mark Jewett Follows Life’s Hectic Pace on New ‘Too Fast’ Single Featuring The Accidentals” →

Weatherproof – Annie and Rod Capps Celebrate Life’s Highs and Lows on ‘Love and Rain’ Album

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Rod and Annie Capps explore the importance of gratitude on “Love and Rain.” Photo by Jen Prouty.

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

Annie and Rod Capps weather life’s sunny and stormy moments together on Love and Rain.

Those moments also serve as lighthearted and serious reminders about gratitude on the married duo’s latest album.

“There’s an overarching theme of love and rain being that contrast and balance of life,” said Annie Capps, the duo’s vocalist-guitarist, who’s based in Chelsea, Michigan with her husband Rod Capps. “It’s about not taking the rough stuff too seriously, yet it’s also about being grateful for the good stuff and not taking things for granted.”

The Capps demonstrate that mindset personally and professionally on Love and Rain, which features 10 tracks filled with perceptive lyrics, vibrant Americana instrumentation, and rich harmonies.

“Annie is fortunate because she has an outlet to write songs about these things,” said Rod Capps, the duo’s guitarist-violinist-violist, who will celebrate 30 years of marriage to Annie Capps in June. “My role in the songwriting is to color around the edges. Annie builds these structures, and I help flesh them in and put filigree in.”

I recently spoke to the Capps about celebrating their anniversary, working with their bandmates, exploring different themes on the album, writing and recording tracks for Love and Rain, preparing for their annual Valentine’s Day show at The Ark, and planning for other performances and projects.

Continue reading “Weatherproof – Annie and Rod Capps Celebrate Life’s Highs and Lows on ‘Love and Rain’ Album” →

Along the Way – Ypsilanti Singer-Songwriter Adam Plomaritas Returns With His First New Release in a Decade

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Adam Plomaritas gets introspective on his new EP, “Old Time Love.” Photo courtesy of Adam Plomaritas

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

Adam Plomaritas’ new EP reflects on his personal journey of love and growth.

It provides the Ypsilanti, Michigan pop-soul singer-songwriter with an emotional outlet for exploring the opportunities and challenges that come with being loved and loving others.

“These tunes are about finding a balance between wondering if you’re loved enough and if you’re loving enough in the best ways,” said Plomaritas about Old Time Love, his first collection of new songs since his 2013 album, The Hard Way. “As a husband, father, son, brother, and artist, it’s natural to seek approval, if not always healthy.”

Plomaritas beautifully captures that sentiment on Old Time Love, which features five infectious tracks filled with heartfelt vocals, vibrant horns, and upbeat pop-rock instrumentation.

“The EP is a little bit of introspection, even though the songs are generally light and fun in nature,” he said. “You seemed to have pierced the hard candy shell and gotten to the ooey, gooey chocolate inside—it’s about feeling like you’re enough.”

I recently spoke with Plomaritas about growing up in a musical family, solidifying his writing and recording skills through earlier releases, anticipating his first new release in 10 years, sharing select songs from Old Time Love, and preparing for a Dec. 1 show at The Ark.

Continue reading “Along the Way – Ypsilanti Singer-Songwriter Adam Plomaritas Returns With His First New Release in a Decade” →

Natural Tendencies – Chris DuPont Shares Honest and Vulnerable Stories on ‘Fragile Things’ EP

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Chris DuPont explores the trajectory of relationships and the vulnerability, honesty, and wisdom that comes with them on “Fragile Things.” Photo – Robby Fisher of Dogtown Studio

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

Chris DuPont didn’t go into making his new EP with a plan.

Instead, the Ypsilanti indie-folk singer-songwriter opted to write and record what came to him naturally.

“I just thought, ‘These songs are close to me.’ I didn’t have as much of an elevator pitch this time. It felt like a relief because sometimes I hide behind the elevator pitch. Sometimes I hide behind [this idea of], ‘Oh, this is what I’m about as an artist, and this is what I’m trying to say,’” said DuPont about Fragile Things.

“And instead, I just decided I’m gonna cut the crap and let people have it, and I hope they respond to it. If they don’t, then I will still know that those stories needed to get out of me for me to be OK.”

What resulted are five intimate songs about the trajectory of relationships and the vulnerability, honesty, and wisdom that come with them. On Fragile Things, DuPont shares those tales through emotive vocals, atmospheric folk-pop instrumentation, and ambient soundscapes.

“When I play them and share them, the consensus tends to be like, ‘Someone’s going to get something out of this,’” he said.

“When I play them live, they connect quickly—usually better than I expect. One thing I’m learning is that I think it’s just my job to create and not treat them like they belong to me as much.”

I recently spoke to DuPont about writing songs for his new EP, creating videos for the title track, recording the EP at multiple studios, preparing for a Nov. 17 EP release show, and collaborating with Kylee Phillips on a duet EP.

Continue reading “Natural Tendencies – Chris DuPont Shares Honest and Vulnerable Stories on ‘Fragile Things’ EP” →

Crack the Case – Tom Curless & The 46% Decipher Everyday Interactions on ‘Speaking in Code’ Album

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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

For Tom Curless & The 46%, actions speak louder than words.

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.’”

On Speaking 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.

Continue reading “Crack the Case – Tom Curless & The 46% Decipher Everyday Interactions on ‘Speaking in Code’ Album” →

Year-to-Date – Mark Jewett Celebrates Father’s Memory on ‘Warren Zevon’s Birthday’

Mark Jewett celebrates his father’s memory on “Warren Zevon’s Birthday.” Photo – Misty Lyn Bergeron

For Mark Jewett, Jan. 24 elicits feelings of sadness and appreciation.

The landmark date carries personal significance for Jewett – the 18th anniversary of his father’s passing and the 74th birthday of the late Warren Zevon. The coincidental intersection of those two events inspired Jewett to reflect on both and the lingering impact they’ve had on his life.

“They had a lot of similarities – the dry, dark sense of humor was probably the biggest one. They were both pretty hardcore drinkers, and they were both fascinated with unconventional things they could do with words. They would put them together in different ways that made people stop and think about them. And to a degree, I think they were both a little misunderstood. It became the impetus for a song,” said Jewett, a Plymouth Americana singer-songwriter.

That impetus ultimately produced “Warren Zevon’s Birthday,” a nostalgic, introspective folk rock ode to influential, supportive fathers past and present. Spirited organ, reflective electric guitars, pounding drums, soft cymbals, calm bass and glistening piano accompany Jewett as he shares fond memories, warm feelings and irreplaceable moments.

Jewett sentimentally sings, “Dad served his country in the second World War/When he was only 20 years of age/He kept it all inside/A place where he could hide/Secrets he carried to his grave/Warren had an appetite for living/Living large, a thing he did so well/Like a feral buckaroo/Some alcoholic Xanadu/He rode the Double E straight through hell.”

“I started thinking about the two of them, and there were some similarities and radical contrasts. I thought, ‘Well maybe that’s worth structuring a song around.’ And the song has kind of an odd structure,”  said Jewett, who shared the track with Gurf Morlix and sought inspiration from Crystal Zevon’s I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon.

“It’s an intro, a chorus, three verses in a row, no bridge, a solo, another verse, another chorus and an outro. It was necessary to build it that way for continuity of the story. Sometimes rules are just meant for breaking.”

Throughout “Warren Zevon’s Birthday,” Jewett eloquently breaks the rules with producer-drummer Billy Harrington, Michael Harrington (guitar, bass), Dale Grisa (piano, organ) and Amy Petty (vocals). The quintet intricately constructed a solid cinematic foundation to support, build and evolve Jewett’s thoughtful paternal tribute ballad.

“It was a challenge to decide if this song was supposed to be huge sounding. It’s a very sensitive subject; does it need to be more subdued or heartfelt in that way? Or is it more heartfelt when there’s a blazing guitar solo? What do we do with it exactly? We had talked about doing two versions of it, a stripped-down one and one that’s more rocking with a full band,” said Billy Harrington.

“I didn’t want this song to fall in the middle. If we wanted to go big, then we really had to go all the way there and then some. I didn’t want it to be 50 percent on both sides. If this was gonna be a big, epic Pink Floyd stately sort of ballad thing, then we did it. I really think we got that on this one.”

Continue reading “Year-to-Date – Mark Jewett Celebrates Father’s Memory on ‘Warren Zevon’s Birthday’” →