Boston duo Tall Heights (Tim Harrington and Paul Wright) produce a signature brand of acoustic folk music, prominently featuring a cello. What started out as two passionate performers performing on the streets in Boston became a viable musical project with the musicians independently selling 2,000 copies of their debut album, Rafters, which you can find on their website (www.tallheights.com).
Red lipstick, auburn curls, and a silhouette from a 1950’s pinup. Christina Watka, lead singer of The Cheeks stands on the side of the stage watching as her bandmates take their positions. The fuzzy loudness of the crowd begins to hush as the five men in black suits take hold of their golden instruments, sticks, strings and piano keys. A rhythm fills the air that takes one back to a decade when rock and roll was humming on the radios and dirty dancing was on the verge of getting dirtier.
After opening instrumentals, the tiny silhouette of Watka, 25, takes the stage in a sparkling tight gold dress; and it’s a surprise to hear a voice that is reminiscent of Aretha, Tina, and Janis. Everyone in the room begins tapping their feet, twisting and shouting, and singing along.
Red lipstick, auburn curls, and a silhouette from a 1950’s pinup. Christina Watka, lead singer of The Cheeks stands on the side of the stage watching as her bandmates take their positions. The fuzzy loudness of the crowd begins to hush as the five men in black suits take hold of their golden instruments, sticks, strings and piano keys. A rhythm fills the air that takes one back to a decade when rock and roll was humming on the radios and dirty dancing was on the verge of getting dirtier.
After opening instrumentals, the tiny silhouette of Watka, 25, takes the stage in a sparkling tight gold dress; and it’s a surprise to hear a voice that is reminiscent of Aretha, Tina, and Janis. Everyone in the room begins tapping their feet, twisting and shouting, and singing along.
The Cheeks’ cast includes Andrew Halchak, 23, on Tenor Saxophone, Maciej Lewandowski, 23, on Bass Guitar, Jon Kenney, on Trombone, Henrique Eisenmann, 23, on keys and Alejandro Santiago, 23, on drums. These six musicians have such a natural chemistry together it oozes out of their pores and into the music.
The Cheeks perform original music interspersed with well-chosen songs by Little Richard and James Brown. Their soulful sexy blend of brass, beats and piano solos is refreshing to hear at a time when pornographic pop music is impossible to escape.
Deli: How did all six of you come together to form this band?
Andrew: In the fall of 2010 Sam Woodbury and I started talking about a group like this. We didn't want to re-invent the wheel or try really hard to be the next big thing, we just wanted to perform quality music for people to get down to, have a good time, and get paid. Done
Christina: Sam Woodbury and Andrew were roommates last year. I am sure a lot of really late table talks and beers induced the idea. Thank God for that. This music is where Sam's heart is...so much that he left Boston for New Orleans and we found Henrique.
Deli: What’s your creative process like?
Alex: Our process is like a steady stream, nice and easy flowing. We don't spend too much time talking, the music speaks for itself and shit just happens.
Jon: our creative process comes from each member of the group. Every rehearsal, a different member will bring in charts for a new song, or even just ideas about what tunes to pursue. When we are playing, a lot of the interpretation is left up to the members of the group so that we all have our own personal identity within the ensemble.
Christina: We all have songs that we bring to the table. Some songs just fit. We work through original tunes really naturally. Luckily, the style we play either hits you hard or it doesn't. We only keep the ones that hit hard. Others aren't worth it.
Deli: A couple of the members have art backgrounds, how does this influence the music, process, and live performance?
Alex: In my opinion, I honestly don't see it influencing the process or music. However, as far as the live performance goes, our bella cantante brings the people, helps get their assess moving, and makes sure we look good.
Christina: Art is it for me. I love it. As a full time installation artist, I pour myself into it, just like I do with The Cheeks. I finally feel like I have a balance between my two loves: art and music. We are all passionate about the stuff we do. That's what influences our sound. PASSION.
Andrew: Everything affects the music. The painting you saw that day, the conversation you just had, the girls you see dancing, the Hennessy people are bringing up to you.
Deli: What are the main inspirations for your music?
Alex: Soul.
Christina: I just want to give as much to the shows as James Brown did. That man worked his ass off. Seriously, though? The inspirations are endless...Kandinsky's lines and rhythm, to Snoop Dogg's music, to my dad's dancing, to Tina Turner and the way she introduces "Proud Mary" in this one live version I watch all the time.
Andrew: see previous answer.
Jon: My main inspirations come from my musical family of friends who inspire me to push my own musicality and continue to make great music.
Deli: How do you want your music to affect people?
Alex: All I want our music to do is to make people dance and send them home so turned on that they fuck all night long. If that doesn't happen then we're not doing our job.
Christina: We want to be appealing to everyone--musicians and non-musicians alike. That's the best music...the stuff that can be appreciated by everybody. We are out there to have a good time, but we can because we work really hard and put in the time to give a really spectacular show.
Jon: With this group I really would like the music to get people absolutely pumped up and dancing.
Andrew: Hopefully people will dance. Hopefully people will have a good time. If we're really in the shit, if we're really deep inside the music, after playing for 2 and a half hours straight, when we're all tired and the place is still filling up, when we are too exhausted to bullshit, that's when it happens. That's when Alex plays some fucked up groove that will trip people up and still make em shake their asses. That's when Maciej will start playing some rumblin earthquakes in the bass. That's when Jon and I will mix in all the bebop, all the hard learned history of our horns. That's when Henrique will mix in the Brazilian shit, the samba Carnival party. That's when Christina will shoot to the upper register and wail. And I can guarantee that we won't be trying to do any of that. It just creeps in. The only thing we're trying to do is keep those hips grinding, the people streaming in and the drinks pouring.
Eric Ott: I was in a few bands before going solo. My last band album was with Mercuryhat. We made a couple albums that did ok and got some nice reviews. We had so many people coming and going within the band I decided it was kind of a joke to keep the name Mercuryhat. So going solo...
Q&A with the deli's Artist of the Month in February: Eric Ott by Chrissy Prisco
The Deli: How did the band start?
Eric Ott: I was in a few bands before going solo. My last band album was with Mercuryhat. We made a couple albums that did ok and got some nice reviews. We had so many people coming and going within the band I decided it was kind of a joke to keep the name Mercuryhat. So going solo, I could release anything I wanted to and have anybody play with me. It really gives me the freedom to do anything I want as a writer.
What are your biggest musical influences?
70’s Singer/Songwriters, R.E.M., Jeff Tweedy, Radiohead
What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
Tan Vampires, Beirut, First-Aid, Vetiver
What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
Concert: Def Leppard Record: The Knack, Get the Knack
What do you love about New Englands music scene?
There are some great places to play in such a small area. You can cover a huge area within a few hours of driving.
What would you like to see change in the local music scene?
I would like to see the extinction of Cover Bands.
What are your plans for the upcoming year?
Promote Letter Box with small regional tours, release my full band record in June then maybe another album in the Fall. I also have a new album coming out with Nate Laban (Former Brickhouse Singer).
What was your most memorable live show?
Hackmatack Theater in 2010. It was a sold out show. I was warming up for Martin England and it was the first time I played with Cellist Kristen Miller. Pretty much the first time I played solo. It was either going to fail miserably or go really well. It went so well I decided to make a record with cello.
Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?
Joe Simes. I would have to say without him, I would have quit a long time ago.
Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?
My Demo station. (Mac) I write and record demos a lot! I may demo a song 15 times before I record it for release. It has helped me learn how to write. It has also helped me realize that I should not press record when drinking vodka.
Why do you read The Deli?
If I stopped writing/playing music tomorrow I would still be a happy man. There is so much great music out there. The Deli gives me the opportunity to read about and listen to some amazing bands in the area. The Deli is truly an independent resource for great indie music. Also a great resource for indie bands.
MTV Hive Live is about to present its first Boston show this Sunday, March 25th at Brighton Music Hall featuring Cloud Nothings' performance streamed live online for everyone to watch. This show marks the expansion of the successful Hive Live in NYC concert series, which seeks to bring emerging music to the masses through live-streamed concerts. Cloud Nothings' Hive Live in Boston performance is also part of Crossroads Presents and The Fenway Recordings Sessions.
Hive Live is a celebration of all the great music that's happening in NYC, Boston, and around the world. Its aim is to offer up a concert-viewing experience to be shared by a global audience via livestream. The livestream will begin on March 25th at 11pm ET for people to watch Cloud Nothings' performance. We suggest trying to snag a ticket to the event, which is $10 because supporting acts include A Classic Education and hometown favs, The Dirty Dishes (pictured above).
For every screaming music dance craze, for every generation's “turn off that racket” rock and roll or cacophony punk noise comes an equally hip yet polar opposite sound. The new millennium's second decade has been kind to bands that have turned down and spread out their sound, spawning a solid scene of experimental folk, singer songwriters, and an encyclopedia of other low volume sub genres to round out the sound of the town. Hampstead, New Hampshire’s own Bells Down fit nicely into this niche of acoustic based bands, and their first E.P. Destroyer acts as a fine introduction to the Granite State outfit.
Destroyer is a five track sampler that shows off the band’s sit-around-the-campfire song style. The numbers are laced with a variety of acoustic string set ups, nuanced brass, and sing along gang vocals. The harmonies on the songs are well executed and come off especially well in the title track, where a dueling ukulele/vocal bridge gives the song a sort of old world tone that doesn’t come off as tacked on. The E.P’s lyrics are mostly disenchanted poems with themes of thin line love and hate and fickle passion that lead singer Bayley Blaisdell delivers with a clean and untouched vocal track that roots the E.P. as a self-recorded effort.
All together, Destroyer acts as a quick and solid moody E.P. with simple but enjoyable production and interesting instrumentation. Fans of such acts as Feist, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Saint Vincent would be well advised to check it out.--Anthony Geehan
I was pleasantly surprised when I received a package in the mail from the Portsmouth, NH-based band Superfrog. Not only had I been sent a copy of their latest release, Call from the Moon, but it was accompanied by a cover letter and very well-designed one-sheet. Call me old-fashioned, but I appreciate seeing a band put in the time and effort to distribute a physical press kit.
As for Call from the Moon, it was equally as impressive. I often find myself straying away from groups labeled “jam bands” because of their song lengths and superfluous instrumental solos. I love guitars, but seriously, who needs to hear a six-minute guitar or bass solo? My skepticism quickly dissipated as I listened to this record. I thought the band did an excellent job of showcasing their instrumental prowess without going overboard. They were able to produce tight, well-orchestrated songs while still demonstrating a mastery of their respective instruments.
In his cover letter, drummer Shane Cormer highlighted a few select tracks he felt were especially impressive on the album, and after listening to each of the songs, I find I am inclined to agree with his suggestions. I thought the second track, “Astronautical”, which was featured on Relix Magazine’s February/March 2010 CD sampler, was the best song on the record. I found the trumpet melodies to be quite infectious. The chorus really lifts the song up to another level, propelled by the entrance of perfectly placed back-up vocal harmonies and held down by an extremely tight rhythm section.
Based on what I heard from these songs, I would have to say that Superfrog has a great knack for crafting catchy and energetic choruses. “IOU1” is another track that demonstrates their propensity for great hooks. Their use of back-up vocals during the chorus of this song, coupled with a smooth trumpet line and “Fool-in-the-Rain-esque” drum groove, really gets this song stuck in your head.
Overall, I would have to say just one word can sum up Superfrog—professional. From the way they handle the distribution of their music to their creation of a brilliant blend of jam band-ska-rock, Superfrog has a sound that can certainly draw the interest of all kinds of different fans.--Daniel McMahon
Mätthew: When I was pretty young, around 9 years old. Both my brother and father sang in a professional men & boys choir, which I joined soon thereafter. I recall there was a lot of singing practice after school and the Choir Master, professor Louis Curran, at WPI (Worcester Poly Technical Institute) was pretty grueling not only about practice, but also about conduct. The guy would throw a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat. But, it was an interesting "family activity" after my mother joined on to be the choir's secretary. We sang all the classics like Haydn, Bach, Mozart, in English, German, French, Italian, but mostly we sang in Latin. It was fun going on tour; singing in Montreal, Canada, at St. Joseph's Oratory; in Washington DC, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; even singing a duet once of Sillent Night in German, with my brother on Christmas Eve, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York City. I think I learned that night how to shit my pants [laughs].
Mätthew Griffin on music, writing, and being just some punk kid from Worcester. by Chrissy Prisco
Deli: How did you get started in music?
Mätthew Griffin: When I was pretty young, around 9 years old. Both my brother and father sang in a professional men & boys choir, which I joined soon thereafter. I recall there was a lot of singing practice after school and the Choir Master, professor Louis Curran, at WPI (Worcester Poly Technical Institute) was pretty grueling not only about practice, but also about conduct. The guy would throw a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat. But, it was an interesting "family activity" after my mother joined on to be the choir's secretary. We sang all the classics like Haydn, Bach, Mozart, in English, German, French, Italian, but mostly we sang in Latin. It was fun going on tour; singing in Montreal, Canada, at St. Joseph's Oratory; in Washington DC, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; even singing a duet once of Sillent Night in German, with my brother on Christmas Eve, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York City. I think I learned that night how to shit my pants [laughs].
During that time I tried picking up a few instruments; violin; trumpet; clarinet; piano; recorder. Nothing really stuck with me. It's a shame, since I have a relative who was an original member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I have his 19th century autoharp sitting here next to me.
Deli: What was the first show you DJ'd? How old were you?
Mätthew: The first show I DJ'd was on WTBR.FM in Pittsfield, MA. It was one of two shows I was doing. One was a classical music show I did with a townie girl, who went to the public high school where the radio station was located; the second show I did was an "alternative" or "college rock" sort of show, mainly with that genre of music that was popular (?) at the time. There was a small room at the station with all the great new releases that were sent into the station, some of which have ingrained my musical tastes to this day: Mission UK First Chapter; Sisters of Mercy Black Planet; The Cure Standing On A Beach (singles collection); ...Mighty Lemon Drops; Flesh For Lulu; Gene Loves Jezebel; Peter Murphy; Siouxsie & The Banshees; Echo & The Bunnymen; The Godfathers; New Order; Hard-On's; Jesus & Marychain; Love & Rockets. I was 14 in 1987.
Deli: Have you always lived in Worcester?
Mätthew: That's where it gets tricky... My father was from Boston and my Mother from Chicago. Soon after they married and my brother was born, they moved to Worcester (much to my father's chagrin) and I was born and raised in Worcester until I was 13. At that point I was sent away to private school. This part coincides with my answer to the previous question; my first roommate at school was a punk. He got me into a lot of staples at the time, like Lords of the New Church; D.O.A.; The Banshees; The Cure; UK Subs; Minor Threat; Killing Joke. I guess you would call him a "Black Punk" or "Death Punk" back then. He and I would stay up late on a Sunday night to watch the Young Ones and then 120 Minutes on his little black and white TV and be groggy as Hell on Monday morning.
After I graduated from High School, I moved to back to Worcester and had a live-work studio at the Worcester Artist Group. I had a lot of fun living there. Shows were happening out in the main gallery all the time; Fugazi; Buffalo Tom; Sleep Chamber; Dinosaur JR, etc... After that era of the WAG closed down, I did the sofa tour for a while and ended up moving in with my friends Russ and Elodie in a 1 bedroom apartment in Allston, MA, in 1993. Well, technically it was 3 people in a one bedroom, but later turned into 5.
I moved back to Worcester for a short period in the mid-nineties, and then back again to Boston to take care of my father and his ailing health for 2 years, where upon I went into a downward spiral descending into Hell... After he passed away, I moved back to Worcester, MA, (The Seventh Gate). That's when things started picking up again for me, musically. I stuck with it for 5 years, then decided to move to Providence, RI. Prior to moving to Providence, I was putting on a lot of all ages punk shows with Brian Commando, front man of seminal Wormtown punk band The Commandos (and pretty much the guy who had invented the "all ages" scene in his basement in West Boylston, MA, the NME). It was a lot of fun and at the same time I was working in fine art restoration and decoration, under an Italian Master restorer. I made the decision to move to Providence, because the previous Mayor, Buddy Cianci, supported the economic development of the arts and I was convinced I would get a job in the arts once in Providence. Sadly, this was not the case. Be it the art scene or music scene, the people there have their claws dug so deep into whatever little thing they have, there is no room for anyone new. However, once moving to Providence, I was a writing correspondent for a time with ARTSCOPE Magazine, a fine art publication based out of Quincy, MA. My Editor at ARTSCOPE, Brian Goslow, is also a friend, and Editor and the Publisher at wormtown.org, an online publication dedicated to all things music in "WORMTOWN" (Worcester, MA). I wrote live reviews for Brian's site and after he had me join on with ARTSCOPE, that is where my professional writing career began. Soon thereafter, at the suggestion of Nancy Neon, NOISE Publisher Timothy Maxwell picked me up and I have been writing band features for the NOISE for 6 years now. Anyway, I moved back to Worcester in 2011 and have been happy with it ever since.
Deli: What was the music scene like when you started out? How has it changed? Is it better or worse?
The music scene when I started out? You mean like that trash on the TV like Toto; Asia; Journey; A-HA; Dexy's Midnight Runners; WHAM; Cyndi Lauper? That's the reason why I got into subculture and underground music. Once I started spinning records on air in '87, hair bands were all the rage. I can't get far enough away from a radio once Guns n' Roses is playing. If you are referring to the local music scene, things ARE very different. When there was a (all ages) show, EVERYONE was there. I'd even go to thrash shows, just for something to do and for somewhere to go.
Has the music scene changed? Yeah, it's changed alright. Evolution killed off the dinosaurs and now there is a new empire. It's a very cutthroat scene; a high school popularity contest, really. What also changes are tastes, like mine for example: I prefer to go to a Hardcore Punk show nowadays, as opposed to a goth dance night. It's just that I need something tangible, something real.
The music scene better or worse? Depends on genre and element I guess. I can only speak really of the scene (in my opinion) in New England. Goth is dead and the kids want to hear the beats of electronic dance music. There are VERY few live artists of the genre left, most of whom shrug off the whole "goth" tag. My friend, Jenn Vix is a good example of an artist who embraces her gothic influences, but moves into other territories as well. A good portion of her music is very dance club friendly, but it's also very dark and she makes it work; and quite successfully! Dreamchild is a wonderful duo from Boston, who produce some of the better live music I have heard in Boston in about 17 years. The Milling Gowns are ace; post-punk at its fucking best!
Deli: You've made a successful career for yourself over the past 25 years, are there specific people (musicians, venue owners, press/promoters) who have been especially supportive throughout the years?
Mätthew: Well, that depends on how you measure being "successful"? Do you mean money? What money? This is all really for fun. If I get a little cash out of it, hey--all the better. Specific supportive people in my life in the music scene? I'll shortlist this one: Brian Goslow; Anderson Mar, CEO of Dark Sky Productions; Jenn Vix; Steve Muccini & Al Nahabedian from Happy the Clown; J-ME Johnston from Industrial Sonic Echo; T Max & Nancy Neon at the NOISE; Ben Turk; My friends Russ; Brian Commando; Pierre-Emannuel; Frank; Christopher; (yeah, I guess I'll say it) my brother John; and countless bands...
Deli: A lot of the shows you put together seem to be of the "dark wave" and gothic genres, how did you get involved in that scene? What is its appeal to you?
Mätthew: Taking too much LSD while listening to Bauhaus as a teenager. I don't know if I could say that there is an appeal? I mean, it's who I am.
Deli: What would you say has been the pinnacle of your career thus far?
Mätthew: I believe my apex as far as gigs I'm DJ'ing now would be working with international acts: Chemlab; Assemblage 23; Android Lust; Ego Likeness; Holy Cow; PanzerBastard; The Queers; Angry Samoans; (world class dancer) Aepril Shaile; Athan Maroulis of Spahn Ranch and Black Tape For A Blue Girl... As far as Black Tape For A Blue Girl is concerned, I remember seeing Sam Rosenthal's (Black Tape's original/core member) record label Projekt Records, advertised in Alternative Press when I was a kid. Now I am working with him off and on at different gigs. He's even had me DJ his record label's festival "Projektfest" 2 years in a row now, both at the Trocadero Theater in Philly, then at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, MA. It's like a dream coming to fruition!
As far as the writing aspect, I have been able to finally interview some of my local favorites over the decades. I ended up with the cover story on two them; One Of Us and Sleepchamber. I was even able to do a story on New England's voted #1 "Alternative" DJ, Chris Ewen. I've been supportive of Chris since the early 1990s and that support does come back. Recently, I was able again to spin beside him for the Xmortis goth and industrial night, held monthly at TT The Bear's place in Cambridge. I call that a "pinnacle". Why not?
Deli: What about the Worcester music scene is inspiring to you? What sets it apart from Boston? Have you ever thought about pursuing the same career in a different city?
Mätthew: The mediocrity of a good majority of the music and the scathing politics of the clubs. I started putting on shows purely to create entertainment for myself, and to show musicians and fans that it doesn't have to be a "one horse town". I started at WAG, went on to a gutted out church hall, with my business partner Brian Commando, at his request; to Veteran's club; to a Middle Eastern restaurant. Now there's a plethora of venues in Worcester for bands to play and for people to go to party! Also, people are bringing the shows back into the basements. It's fucking anarchy -and we don't care!
The difference between the two cities are snottier attitudes and cleaner clothes.
Doing my thing in a different city? I was thinking of Montreal. The scene there has always been thriving!
Deli: What is the most important thing you've learned -- or come to realize -- about working in the music industry? Do you feel your peers are genuine or making nice to further their own careers?
Mätthew: The same thing I learned working in the arts: when someone offers you a dollar--you grab it! I think there are a lot of phony people in general in whatever business you are in. I've lived away from home since I was 13, and I can size someone up REAL fast. When I am out somewhere and someone introduces me as to someone as "DJ" Mätthew Griffin, I always grab their hand and say "Hi, I'm Mätthew. Nice to meet you". Really, I'm just some punk kid from Worcester.
Deli: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Mätthew: Dead.
Deli: Parting words?
Mätthew: "Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do. I am he and she is she, but you're the only you." - Crass, Big A Little A
