Tag: Lansing

Nostalgic Christmas — Olivia Van Goor Celebrates Holiday Music Past and Present on “Waiting for Santa” Album

Olivia Van Goor with her family’s dog, Murphy. Photo – Matt Ryan

This holiday season, Olivia Van Goor is stepping back in time.

The jazz vocalist-composer reimagines Christmas songs from TV specials and movies she loved as a child on her latest album, Waiting for Santa.

“I thought it would be fun to pick some of those songs that you forget about, that aren’t overplayed, or that aren’t overdone,” said Van Goor, who’s based in Royal Oak, Michigan.

“And speaking of Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, if you listen to the full version of ‘Put One Foot in Front of the Other’ at the very end, they go into a section that’s in seven instead of in four. That’s what I did in my recording at the end. I thought, ‘This is so hip [that it’s in] an odd meter. I don’t even remember that when I was a kid.’”

Waiting for Santa also includes Van Goor’s soaring renditions of “Silver and Gold” and “There’s Always Tomorrow” from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and “Believe” from The Polar Express.

“It was really fun to think about those songs, and they just so easily are turned into a very standard feel in the jazz world,” she said.

“And then going from that, it was really fun to reimagine more stories from those things and write the song, ‘Hermey’s Blues,’ with Mike [Harrison]. Hermey the Elf [from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer] didn’t ever get a song. I loved playing along with those ideas and feeling like I was accessing that part of my childhood.”

While the album’s six covers sparkle, Van Goor truly shines on the seven originals, which include a combination of songs she composed or co-composed with others. There’s also a track composed by bandmate Mike Harrison called “Mrs. Mistletoe.”

“I started coming up with ideas, and I had a bunch of ideas for songs that I thought were missing from the Christmas repertoire,” Van Goor said. “And then I was thinking, ‘I don’t have to do this all alone; I can co-compose with some of my friends,’ and that’s how the album came to be.”

Along with bandmates Reuben Stump (bass, vocals), Dave Zwolinski (drums), and Mike Harrison (piano), Van Goor presents a refreshing Christmas album featuring soulful vocals, nostalgic and festive lyrics, and enchanting instrumentation.

I recently spoke with Van Goor about Waiting for Santa ahead of several live shows in December.

Continue reading “Nostalgic Christmas — Olivia Van Goor Celebrates Holiday Music Past and Present on “Waiting for Santa” Album” →

Hitting the Road — The Soods Embark on Midwest Fall Tour This Week

Jason Roy of The Soods. Photo – Matt Ten Clay

The Soods are ready to hit the road.

The indie-rock collective is embarking on a short Midwest tour, which runs October 11 to 16.

The tour includes shows in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan, as well as Chicago; Davenport, Iowa; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It will also celebrate a milestone for one of The Soods’ side projects—Elroy Meltzer.

“This one will just be Steven [Meltzer] and me,” said Jason Roy, frontman and co-producer for The Soods, who’s based in Grand Rapids.

“It actually marks 10 years this year since we started Elroy Meltzer together, so we actually will be doing some songs off those first two albums. Steven still actively writes, records, and performs as Elroy Meltzer and has an album coming out on October 10 called 9 Out of 10 Ain’t Bad that people should check out as well.”

For its tour, The Soods have prepared an extensive setlist filled with new songs, old favorites, and covers.

“I think we have rehearsed about 25 or 26 songs, five covers ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Gorillaz, and then a pretty even split of Soods songs and the aforementioned Elroy stuff,” Roy said. “We’re pretty excited to play five unreleased ones as it’ll be the first time we played a few of them.”

I recently spoke with Roy about the collective’s tour and recent releases.

Continue reading “Hitting the Road — The Soods Embark on Midwest Fall Tour This Week” →

The Spirit of Adventure – Bart Moore Shares Colorful Folktales on ‘Wild Flora’ Album

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Bart Moore features storied lyrics and charged folk instrumentation on “Wild Flora.” Photo – Jena McShane of McShane Photography

When it comes to music, Bart Moore possesses a lively, adventurous spirit.

The Grand Ledge, Michigan singer-songwriter and guitarist infectiously captures that essence and beckons listeners to come along for a rollicking-filled quest on Wild Flora.

“In the vast majority of the songs, there is something happening, a story of sorts,” said Moore about his latest alt-folk album. “My previous album, Graveyards Wind & War, was unconsciously dark. I wanted Wild Flora to be different— funnier with more movement and more adventures.”

On Wild Flora, Moore features storied lyrics and charged folk instrumentation across nine insightful tracks. Each song explores compelling characters at various points in time and captures the excitement, fear, and disappointment they encounter along the way.

“I like that the more I think about it,” Moore said. “There’s certainly more color than Graveyards—hence the title, Wild Flora, with the cover shot of the woman in my wildflower meadow.”

To learn more, I spoke with Moore ahead of a June 2 album release show at EagleMonk Pub and Brewery in Lansing, Michigan.

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The Advocate — Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society Supports Local and Global Musicians Through Spring Concert Series

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Kyran Daniel headlines several upcoming live shows in partnership with the Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society.

As longtime musicians, Ron Stavale and Yeman Al-Rawi strongly advocate for fingerstyle guitarists in Michigan and beyond.

The Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society (MFGS) members celebrate the skill and artistry of contemporary acoustic guitarists by showcasing their talent and technique through live shows and workshops.

“When you see an artist, it’s not gimmicky like somebody with a drum and a bell on their head doing all these things,” said Stavale, who’s played fingerstyle guitar since his 20s.

“They’re orchestrating compositions on a guitar by filling in all the things that maybe Yeman and I or another person would try and do. They do it in such a way that really draws me in.”

Stavale and Al-Rawi hope to draw fingerstyle guitar enthusiasts to several upcoming MFGS live shows and workshops that feature Australian headliner Kyran Daniel along with Michigan openers David Day and Nicholas Martin over five days:

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Heal Up – Lucas Powell Overcomes Heartbreak and Finds Closure on ‘Lose You on My Own’ Single

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Lucas Powell finds renewal and clarity on his new single, “Lose You on My Own.” Photo courtesy of Lucas Powell

Three years ago, Lucas Powell embarked on a pathway to self-healing.

The Royal Oak, Michigan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist found closure from a past relationship after writing a new song about it.

“I often write to tell stories about myself and my experience and to process my feelings. This one was a song I wrote to say all the things I couldn’t say directly to a former partner,” Powell said.

“Going through heartbreak without explanation leads to a lot of self-gaslighting and blame and was one of the loneliest periods of my life.”

What resulted is Powell’s cathartic new single, “Lose You on My Own,” which openly explores that heartbreak and disbelief alongside emotive indie-rock instrumentation.

Backed by intrepid electric guitar, synth, bass, and drums, Powell sings, “Now, I’m pulling at the steering wheel / And I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel / Looking in the rearview mirror because forever didn’t last / Asking, “How can this be real?”

“I hope people who hear this song will be given words for what they feel and know they aren’t alone in their experiences,” he said. “Three years later, I couldn’t be more thankful in every way for the changes I’ve endured via the specific hardship mentioned in this song.”

Continue reading “Heal Up – Lucas Powell Overcomes Heartbreak and Finds Closure on ‘Lose You on My Own’ Single” →

Then and Now – Metro Detroit’s Ash Can Van Gogh Looks Backward and Forward on the Band’s Evolution

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Ash Can Van Gogh’s Billy Brandt, JC Whitelaw and Mary McGuire pause between performances. Photo – Ash Can Van Gogh’s Facebook page

Back in 1986, Billy Brandt and JC Whitelaw placed an ad in the Metro Times looking for a female vocalist and instrumentalist.

The two Metro Detroit singer-songwriters envisioned forming a folk-rock band—now known as Ash Can Van Gogh—that specialized in three-part harmonies.

It wasn’t long until Mary McGuire saw the ad and called Brandt from a payphone at the Inn Season Café in Royal Oak. The Lansing singer-songwriter was working at the vegetarian-vegan restaurant at the time.

“I’m standing there holding the Metro Times, and I put a dime in the phone. Billy answers the phone, and I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m calling about your ad in the Metro Times, and my name is Mary,’ and he’s like, ‘What’s your sign?’” McGuire said.

“That was the first thing he said to me, and I was like, ‘Scorpio,’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, that’s cool; I’m a Capricorn.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, we’ll get along. I have a moon in Capricorn,’ so then we chatted about our influences and found we were big fans of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.”

That first conversation quickly led to Brandt and Whitelaw seeing McGuire perform at Sir Charles Pub in Royal Oak and then singing with her at her house later that night.

Continue reading “Then and Now – Metro Detroit’s Ash Can Van Gogh Looks Backward and Forward on the Band’s Evolution” →

Flow State – The Dangling Participles Take Deep Dive on ‘One More Drop’ Album

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The Dangling Participles’ Tim Patterson, Tamiko Rothhorn, Austin Kaufmann and Dan Moreno explore life changes on “One More Drop.” Photo – Vincent Brady

The Dangling Participles take sage advice from John Lewis and David Bowie.

The Lansing indie-folk quartet follow spirited wisdom from the late congressman and musician about taking risks and making changes in life.

Lewis and Bowie’s encouragement about “getting in good trouble” and “going a little further into the water” inspired the band’s hopeful opener, “Where It Gets Exciting,” from their new album One More Drop.

“I wrote this song in 2020 during one of the Black Lives Matter movements,” said Austin Kaufmann, the band’s co-lead vocalist, guitarist, mandolinist and harmonicist.

“I was talking through this with my children, attending some of these rallies with them and processing that. You talk big to your kids and realize, ‘I really need to live up to this stuff, and I need to put myself out there.’”

The track also resonates with Tamiko Rothhorn, the band’s co-lead vocalist, cornetist and ukulelist.

“I lived in Germany for a while, and I did work with Peace Brigades International and trained with the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed,” she said. “There’s a word called ‘civil courage’ that’s about speaking out and taking action against injustice or oppression, whether that is on a bus, at a school or in a community.”

Along with Dangling Participles bandmates Tim Patterson (vocals, bass, piano) and Dan Moreno (vocals, percussion), Kaufmann and Rothhorn convey that “Where It Gets Exciting” determination through eager acoustic guitar, cornet, saxophone, bass and percussion.

Kaufmann sings, “And I’m right where I need to be / To up my game, fight complacency / In the deep end, there’s no hiding / This is where it gets exciting.”

“That song is a reminder that I need to do more than just treading water,” he said. “I need to intentionally jump into that deep end because if I don’t, then I’m not living my life the way I want to live it.”

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Countryside Tales – The Wild Honey Collective Explores Life’s Peaks and Valleys on ‘Volume 2’ Album

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The Wild Honey Collective features storied lyrics, timeless acoustic instrumentation and rootsy sensibilities on “Volume 2.” Photo – Michael Boyes

The Wild Honey Collective deeply explores countryside tales of the past and present on Volume 2.

The Lansing-Grand Rapids, Michigan Americana-folk quintet of Tommy McCord (vocals, acoustic guitar), Danielle Gyger (vocals, fiddle, acoustic guitar), Timmy Rodriguez (vocals, electric and upright bass), Dan O’Brien (vocals, electric and upright bass) and Adam Aymor (pedal steel) ventures through life’s peaks and valleys on their latest anecdotal album.

“One of the big differences between [2021’s] Volume 1 and Volume 2 is that on Volume 2 all of the original written songs were brand new when we did them,” said McCord, who also produced and released the album via GTG Records.

“That’s very much reflected in the material because that’s what was going on in our lives; some of us were getting married, and Timmy and Dan both had kids in 2020. It wasn’t on purpose, but that very much is true.”

Alongside Volume 2’s storied lyrics and bucolic setting, The Wild Honey Collective beautifully weaves timeless acoustic instrumentation with rootsy sensibilities. It’s a refreshing listen while spending time with family and friends at a lakeside cabin or trekking through hilly, sprawling landscapes.

“By Volume 2, we were a gigging band when we made the album, and I think that really shows,” McCord said. “It feels more like a band than a studio project. We’re just kind of driving forward with that now.”

The band also drives Volume 2 forward with invigorating renditions of traditional folk songs and unreleased tracks by other songwriters, including Mark Vella’s “Ode to Thor,” “Dark Hollow,” Buck Owens’ “There Goes My Love,” “Rocky Mountain Belle,” “Katie Cruel” and the Irish instrumental “Red Haired Boy.”

“When you play in punk bands, the idea of recording cover songs is very taboo unless if you’re making fun of it or something. But in the world of traditional and folk music, that’s kind of part of it … interpreting other people’s songs and the Great American Songbook,” said McCord, who also plays in Drinking Mercury and The Plurals.

“That’s something I’ve learned more as I’ve played is this idea of respecting and learning from other songwriters … it’s really important. It’s less about my ego and more about what are good songs.”

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Change Agent – Fernando Silverio Solis Chronicles Personal Growth on ‘When the Good Starts to Fade’ EP

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Fernando Silverio Solis processes past relationships on “When the Good Starts to Fade.”

Fernando Silverio Solis instinctively understands the rate of change.

The Flint indie-folk singer-songwriter and guitarist aptly evolves and shifts with changing relationships on his latest introspective EP, When the Good Starts to Fade.

“With this group of songs, there are definitely some huge life changes taking place. You’re arriving at a different point whether it’s literally or figuratively and are unsure where to go from there,” Solis said.

“There’s a big theme around friendships … you have to acknowledge that sometimes you outgrow people or maybe they outgrow you.”

Those keen observations thoughtfully address past connections and anticipate future ones across three astute tracks. For Solis, When the Good Starts to Fade acknowledges the nuances and notions that slowly arise as one chapter ends and another begins.

“A lot of times I compartmentalize these ideas, thoughts and processes into a time when I can finally let it out,” he said. “After the songs are written, it’s almost therapy in a way … you don’t always know that you feel or think a certain way about something until you are given that space to say it freely.”

Continue reading “Change Agent – Fernando Silverio Solis Chronicles Personal Growth on ‘When the Good Starts to Fade’ EP” →

Organic Growth – Dirt Room Cultivates Experimental Sound through Live Shows and Releases

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Dirt Room will bring their burgeoning sound to Small’s in Hamtramck. Photo – Mykel Andre

With new blood, Dirt Room continually thrives on organic growth.

The Detroit experimental collective of Samuel “SJ” Sprague (vocals, bass), Patrick Norton (guitar, Octatrack), Nate Zonnevylle (synth) and Duncan MacKillop (drums) will cultivate their burgeoning sound through a series of upcoming Nice Place Presents live shows, including Feb. 4 at Small’s in Hamtramck.

“This is a completely new lineup for Dirt Room, but the synergy is there. Their musicianship and enthusiasm inspire me to keep going,” said Sprague, who co-founded the band in 2016.

“Pat has been an absolute rock for me over the past few years. Their ambition and work ethic astounds me, and the music we write together is truly a blessing in my life. Duncan and Nate are the young bloods in the group. They’ve been super enthusiastic about the new music we’re playing together and working really hard to make something special.”

For the Hamtramck show, Dirt Room will share the stage with emerging Detroit acts Who Boy, Rob Apollo and Mykel Andre.

“We’re very fortunate to be playing with such talented local artists, especially after being undercover for so long,” Sprague said. “I’ve known the Who Boy group as well as Mykel Andre for a few years now, so being able to put a show together with these guys is definitely special.”

Continue reading “Organic Growth – Dirt Room Cultivates Experimental Sound through Live Shows and Releases” →