Diont’e Visible. Photo courtesy of Diont’e Visible.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
Diont’e Visible wants to purge some negativity from the world.
The Ypsilanti, Michigan, hip-hop artist unloads that emotional burden and finds relief on his latest single, “Just Throw It All in the Air.”
“When I wrote this song, I was inspired by the state of the world, or the lack thereof,” said Visible, aka Paris Diont’e Horgrow, about the hip-hop track.
“People need something to be happy about and to look forward to. It’s saying, ‘Let’s get rid of this whole system and just throw it all in the air.’”
Visible adopts that refreshing mindset and then expands “Just Throw It All in the Air” into a springtime anthem while rapping over jazzy beats.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song.
Standout Track: “Our Eyes” from Kelsey., aka Kelsey Detering, an Ann Arbor singer-songwriter, bassist, and pianist. Her latest single examines a new relationship between two people and their shared sense of connection, while also exploring themes of authenticity and validation. “That’s really the core of it, knowing that someone sees you almost chillingly well, that they understand the core of you, and in this case, your music,” wrote Kelsey. in an email interview.
“It’s almost too good to be true, just the connection itself. And what this song is really about is wanting to be the person they see, that they love and believe in. And also the reverse, which is how you see deep inside of them, and how all that is conveyed in just one look. You feel like you’ve truly known this person your entire life.” Continue reading “One Track Mind — Kelsey., “Our Eyes””→
Dennis Proctor. Photo taken from Dennis Proctor’s Facebook page.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.
One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song.
Standout Track: No. 2, “Blue Streak Blues,” from Dennis Proctor, who lives “on the border of South Canton and Ypsi, a few hundred feet from the Washtenaw county line.” The latest solo album, Deuce, from the Haviland frontman and honorary Washtenawtonian explores themes ranging from living in the current landscape to getting second chances to dealing with change.
On “Blue Streak Blues,” Proctor recalls an awkward encounter at Cedar Point and pays tribute to the longtime wooden roller coaster that bears the song’s name. At the start of the song, he sings about running into a naked man screaming in a restroom outside of the amusement park gates. “The opening lines are literally about that event: trying to understand what that man was going through and how I could’ve helped,” writes Proctor in an email interview. “The idea of someone in that much pain and not being able to properly express it got me thinking about writing from that perspective more.”
The Lansing, Michigan, trio celebrates being present and adopts an easygoing mindset on its latest EP, Enjoy the Journey.
“At this point, I would say it’s sonically closing a chapter,” said Lindsey Taylor, the vocalist and guitarist for La La Delivery. “After this, we’re in more of our fun era. We have to close that [old] chapter of our lives and move forward. We’re going to be a little sillier from here on out.”
Along with bassist James Mitchell and drummer Dan Zanetti, Taylor takes a lighthearted but intentional approach to La La Delivery’s songs about overthinking life, feeling nostalgic, and overcoming depression.
“There will still be some melancholy that writes its way in there because that doesn’t just go away,” she said. “You can’t control how it comes out of you, because when you write, it’s just gonna be what it is. You just have to let it come out and get it out of your system.”
Enjoy the Journey also reflects the personal thoughts and experiences of all three members since the pandemic.
“A lot has gone on both in the world and individually for all of us,” Mitchell said. “This EP definitely feels like we have gone through so much. We are—like Lindsey said—closing that chapter and headed toward something [new].”
Like the band, listeners can explore those relatable themes and moments through contemplative songs and introspective lyrics.
“Just like anything, it’s a craft, and we just keep building on it,” Zanetti said. We keep honing, finding efficiencies, and learning. It’s just one big learning opportunity and growth for all of us.”
Sonically, the six tracks on Enjoy the Journey come to life through ethereal vocals, vibrant electric guitars, thumping bass, and driving drums. The EP also reflects a variety of styles, ranging from indie rock and shoegaze to post-punk and alternative rock.
I recently spoke with La La Delivery about the inspiration behind Enjoy the Journey.
From left: Ruby Howard, Steve Poeschel, Laura Topf, and Evan Beane of Sleep Tight Tiger. Photo taken from Sleep Tight Tiger’s website.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.
One Track Mind” features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song.
Standout Track: No. 1, “Skate” from Ypsilanti’s Sleep Tight Tiger. The indie-pop band’s debut EP, Plum Something, explores being vulnerable and sharing that emotional experience with others.
On “Skate,” the band sings about feeling carefree and spending time with friends. The members of Sleep Tight Tiger—Ruby Howard, Steve Poeschel, Laura Topf, and Evan Beane—pooled a bunch of their memories together while writing the song. “Those times with friends that arise spontaneously—running into a friend on the street and deciding to walk to the river, or both being homesick at the same time and lying out in a backyard together under the sun—feel easy and fleeting in a way that I hold dear,” writes Topf in an email interview. “There were a couple of roller skaters among the WCBN students that I have fond memories with, who inspired the hook of the song.” (Sleep Tight Tiger members were all involved with the University of Michigan student radio station.)
Mike Green intentionally wrote a song about blind spots.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter wanted to explore that concept while working on new material for what would become his second album, Blind Spot.
“I hardly ever do that,” Green said. “Usually, I play with ideas, and it starts to coalesce into something. But then, I have to really craft it. Sometimes, the song ends up being very different from how I started, so I try to follow the creative muse.”
That creative muse led Green to the song, “Blind Spot,” which acknowledges accepting and loving someone despite their flaws.
Backed by carefree electric guitar and organ, Green sings, “You have a blind spot when it comes to all my faults, maybe you don’t just care / I’ve made enough mistakes to fill a goddamn vault, you gotta be aware / So if it’s true, you love me, too, well, that just prove the same thing’s wrong with you.”
“I had a version of the song with a whole verse about Trump,” he said. “And then I had a love song version. I brought it into the songwriting group, and they said the other one is funny, but doing it as a love song, it has more legs to it.”
“Blind Spot” soon became the title track for Green’s new folk album, which features 13 tracks about identifying and understanding different gaps in life.
“A lot of writers will say truth doesn’t have to be factual truth; it has to have emotional resonance,” Green said. “There are a lot of love songs, and I write about [experiencing] joy and depression, paying attention, and [recognizing] the resilience coming through all of that.”
Green easily conveys those truths and emotions through anecdotal lyrics, warm vocals, and earnest instrumentation.
“In a lot of ways, [my songs] start out autobiographical, but I don’t want to write in great graphic detail about my own life,” he said. “I have to draw on what I understand.”
I recently spoke with Green about the inspiration behind Blind Spot.
The Pinckney singer-songwriter burned CDs to sell at shows in Livingston County and the Metro Detroit area.
“Back then, they had those CD burners and CD labelers,” said Cogswell, who’s also a teacher and coach for Pinckney Community Schools. “I would print the paper out and then stick it on every single CD. That’s how it started, and I probably sold 1,000 overall.”
Two decades later, he’s decided to revisit the album and put it on streaming.
“The last couple of years, students of mine and my own kids said, ‘You should get this online,’” Cogswell said. “I emailed Darryl [Schmitz], the guy who recorded my album, and said, ‘Hey, do you still have the files for this?’” And he shared them with me. I got it on my Chromebook and then went on DistroKid. I sent them the files, signed the waivers—and then boom!—it was on [streaming] platforms.”
Putting Back Home on streaming has given the country-pop album a new lease on life. Now, his family, students, and fans don’t need a CD player to hear it.
“If anybody can do that, I should start doing that,” Cogswell said. “That’s why I went back and got the old album and put it out there.”
Featuring heartfelt lyrics and earnest acoustic instrumentation, Back Home is a snapshot of Cogswell’s life and relationships in the early 2000s across 16 tracks. It also reflects on the time he spent in Nashville.
“Back Home is a mix of autobiographical experiences and stories,” Cogswell said. “I would take a story that actually happened and create that. Being back home was a big part because I had moved back from Nashville. The song, ‘Your Favorite Song,’ the last one, that’s about being there.”
To learn more, I spoke with Cogswell about his background and the album.
“We have a strong bond, and we enjoy each other’s company,” said Fredrick about her bandmates in the country trio from Washtenaw County.
Fredrick instantly clicked with Lee and Finchum-Sung last year when they performed together during a songwriters in the round show at Ann Arbor’s Moon Winks Cafe.
“We’ve only been together a year,” Lee said. “We had so much fun at that show that we decided to keep doing it and gave ourselves a name.”
They named themselves The Wildflowers after the “Wildflowers” song from the album Trio, which features Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.
“People love the harmonies, and that’s a draw,” said Finchum-Sung, who also performs with Lee in J. Michael & The Heavy Burden. “It’s a special thing to have this group.”
I recently spoke with The Wildflowers ahead of an April 3 show at Ann Arbor’s Crazy Wisdom Bookstore.
The folk singer-songwriter shares that rawness and honesty with people during her live performances.
“When I get done with a set and someone tells me they cried, I think, ‘Yes, I have done it!’” said Kubat, who lives in Detroit’s NW Goldberg Neighborhood. “There are so few public spaces where that kind of release is encouraged, but I believe we so desperately need to have more shared healing opportunities.”
Luckily, that opportunity is right around the corner: Kubat is playing March 6 for “Friday Night Live,” an ongoing music series at the Detroit Institute of Arts that features local artists and other acts.
“The March 6 show will mostly be intimate and stripped back,” she said. “I want the words front and center for the audience, then for the melody to show up, then the supporting music, and finally resonance.”
Kubat’s show will feature new material and past favorites with several special guests.
I recently caught up with Kubat ahead of the show.
“I’ve always loved split releases,” said Wixson, who performs in Frank White, a punk-rock band from Detroit. “When I was younger, bands put them out all the time, both locally and nationally.”
It wasn’t a big surprise when Wixson pitched the idea of a split album to three other local punk-rock bands: P.T.’s Revenge, Newburgh, and Middle-Out.
“The idea for the Triple Threat LP came from P.T.’s [Revenge] booking their holiday show far in advance,” Wixson said.
A few months before the holiday show, three of the four bands recorded 12 songs for Triple Threat with drummer-engineer-producer John Kowaleski at Stu Stu Studio in Livonia.
“It felt like a great way to revive that tradition,” Wixson said. “Originally, it may have even been a ‘quadruple threat,’ since Middle-Out was invited, but their schedule didn’t allow it this time. Hopefully, that’s something we can revisit in the future.”
On Triple Threat, P.T.’s Revenge, Frank White, and Newburgh each contributed three original tracks and one cover.
“We said, ‘We’re going to produce it, and we’re going to put it on vinyl,’ and it’s a lot easier when you have three bands splitting the bill,” said Kowaleski, who’s also the drummer for Frank White and P.T.’s Revenge.
All three bands appreciated the guidance and expertise Kowaleski provided during the recording process for Triple Threat.
“He played to our strengths as musicians, boosted our confidence in ourselves, and with his years of experience as a songwriter, he really helped us dial in our sound,” said Nic Engler, a vocalist-guitarist with Newburgh.
I recently spoke to Wixson, Kowaleski, and Engler about the album.
The Stratton Setlist 