Tag: Tom Curless

Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes

Tom Curless and Chip Saam of Crossword Smiles. Photo by Madeline Curless.

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

Tom Curless and Chip Saam anticipate life’s twists and turns and adjust their plans and perspectives accordingly on Consequences & Detours, the new album by their band, Crossword Smiles.

“At this point in our lives, we start to have a different perspective on life,” said Curless, who lives south of Flint in the town of Grand Blanc.

“You start to see things a little higher at a 30,000-foot view. I’ve lost people, I’ve lost my parents, and all of a sudden, you say, ‘Wow, life seems a little bit different now.’”

That wise perspective permeates Crossword Smiles’ songwriting on its sophomore release, which features 11 tracks about anticipation, disappointment, and discovery.

“I don’t think you can get away from it,” said Saam, who previously lived in Dexter and now resides in the West Michigan town of Dimondale. “If you’re making music and writing songs, some of your life is going to seep into it. There are some specific references to things like in ‘Typical Waving Goodbye.’ I lost a buddy … and I didn’t know when I was saying goodbye to him that I was saying goodbye for good.”

Those relatable experiences on Consequences & Detours quickly connect with listeners, thanks to the duo’s memorable lyrics, infectious harmonies, vivid electric guitars, and melodic instrumentation.

“We really both contributed a lot of things to each song,” said Saam, also a University of Michigan alumnus and host of the internet show Indie Pop Takeout. “It was very fulfilling for me as a musician.”

The musicianship extends to the arrangements, too, which feature violin, mandolin, trumpet, and accordion to augment the core of guitar, bass, and drums.

“We purposely went after different sonic touches on every song if we could,” Curless said.

I recently spoke with Curless and Sam about the album ahead of a May 31 show at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia.

Continue reading “Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes” →

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.

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Timeless Nostalgia – Suburban HiFi Creates Modern Fusion of Vintage Sounds on ‘Superimposition’ Album

Artist Profile
Suburban HiFi’s Greg Addington provides a memorable mood-lifter on “Superimposition.” Album package design – Krys Penney at Strange Paradise Design

Suburban HiFi brings an infectious, timeless nostalgia to late ‘70s-tinged rock, pop and disco.

The Whitmore Lake power-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist eloquently fuses vintage Britpop instrumentation with earworm melodies and introspective lyrics on his latest propulsive album, Superimposition, via Futureman Records.

“At first, when I was thinking about doing it, I thought it would be autobiographical, and I’d do these songs that were about some point in my history. Songs like ‘Vinyl on the Radio’ were things like that, and then I realized it would only mean something to me,” said Greg Addington, aka Suburban HiFi.

“It’s kind of boring from that perspective to say I’m going to do these 11 autobiographical songs. It turned into something different, but there are hints of that on here. It started as a nostalgia trip down amnesia lane.”

At first listen, Suburban HiFi’s Superimposition seamlessly shifts to a memorable mood-lifter that instantly elevates the mind, body and soul. Each irresistible track grooves, sways and lingers alongside relatable tales that explore life choices, changes and aspirations.

“I didn’t want it be … ‘Oh, let’s make this sound like a song from 1978.’ It was more like, ‘Let’s put it in a modern setting.’ If ‘The Space Between Us’ hints at the disco-rock thing that was done around that time, then that’s fine, but let’s try to modernize it,” said Addington, who’s also vocalist-guitarist with The Hangabouts.

“And the song, ‘Here Comes the Blood,’ could have been a Hangabouts song, but the way I chose to do it was to dance it up a little bit. ‘In Her Reverie’ is pretty much all guitar-based pop with a riff that drove the song.”

Continue reading “Timeless Nostalgia – Suburban HiFi Creates Modern Fusion of Vintage Sounds on ‘Superimposition’ Album” →

All Together Now – The Hangabouts Invite Melodic Pop Fans into New ‘Animal Suite’ Single

All friends are welcome in The Hangabouts’ latest melodic pop single, “Animal Suite.” Artwork – Ed Rother

The Hangabouts enthusiastically welcome all walks of life on their inviting and inclusive latest single, “Animal Suite.”

The metro Detroit melodic pop trio of Greg Addington (vocals, guitar), John Lowry (vocals, guitar) and Chip Saam (vocals, bass) graciously opens their musical doors to listeners searching for a new gathering place. Think of a hip, retro venue filled with John Lennon, Elvis Costello and Jeff Lynne aficionados.

“This one came together in the studio based on an idea I had, and we took it in a new direction. We’d like to think that ‘Animal Suite’ sends a positive message out. Say hello to whomever you meet and all that. Seemed like the right message for the time. And whatever people pull from this song, or any really despite its genesis or original intention, is totally valid obviously,” Addington said.

Throughout “Animal Suite,” The Hangabouts roll out a lush, vibrant welcoming mat as fuzzy, bright electric guitars, deep bass, steady drums, twirling synths and quiet acoustic strums give listeners a hearty, sonic handshake.

In tandem, Addington benevolently sings, “Ears filled with delight/It’s a whole new world in here/Among the pigs and the birds/Who came to give you cheer/No longer down on the farm/With all its lovely views/But all my friends who are here/Except for one or two.”

“Some songs we write fast, and some take forever, and it has absolutely no bearing on quality. Cliché but true. Pretty much everything we record is done at our own studio called Earth – it’s outfitted with professional recording gear, and it’s convenient, so we work there,” Addington said.

“Yeah, the influences are always hard to pin down and ever-evolving. There is without question dozens of British Invasion bands that inspire many things we do as well as hundreds of bands since then. Perhaps the most inspiring influence, for five seconds in the song anyway, is ‘Kashmir.’”

In May, The Hangabouts also released a split-screen, quarantine-inspired video for “Animal Suite,” which features a collective, virtual jam with drummer Tom Curless as well as assorted curious cats and grazing horses. It’s an inside, upbeat and socially-distanced look at the band making the most of an unusual time in music.

“Sometimes you want solitude to explore ideas, sometimes you need collaboration to hash out concepts and ensure the project doesn’t end up as a solo record. We’ve mostly had a mix of songs largely started by one writer and then finished up with input from the group, and sometimes we write in the studio together. We’ve not yet figured out the perfect solution, but we’re hopeful that the pent-up energy might express itself in good work down the road,” Lowry said.

Continue reading “All Together Now – The Hangabouts Invite Melodic Pop Fans into New ‘Animal Suite’ Single” →