The Withdrawals

Whatever you want - The Withdrawals

The Withdrawals | Myspace Music Videos

The Withdrawals

Early on, even before I started to blog about local music, I discovered that practically every local band had a My Space Music page. They're a great source of music, photos and band info, a music blogger's treasure trove. The only drawback is that in order to gain access to the music, you have to sign up for a My Space account.  Once upon a time My Space was all the rage, now it's become the creepy bizarro version of Facebook. My Space Music is no different, it's infested with spam and those annoying auto-play pop-ups. Most bands update their page at a snail's pace, if at all, while other bands have moved on to Facebook and abandoned their pages. But, if you wade through the muck, the music makes it worthwhile. I came upon the idea of reviewing the sites and music while browsing through several music pages. My plan is to sort through them, review the music and pass along whatever information I come across. Before you thank me, I'll remind everyone how daunting the task could be, there are at least 200 local bands with My Space Music sites. I actually feel like Man v. Food's Adam Richman, a man who has taught me that the first bite is the easiest.

 I'm starting with The Withdrawals, for no particular reason, other than it's a band that has always intrigued me. They've been around since 1994, formed by Keith Thomas (lead vocals) and Andy Dunn (guitar,vocals) the line-up also includes Brian Ostrom (guitar) Danny Pfeifer (bass) and Josh English (drums). The Withdrawals are a jam band and list their influences as Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews and The Allman Bros. and that more or less sums up how they sound. They use those influences as a framework to create their own distinct sound, which they refer to as "Tribal Urban Desert Music" They create rather than copy and yet manage to avoid the long meandering jams that are the trademark of most jammers. What really sets them apart is Keith Thomas with his easy soulful vocals that instantly pull you into a comfort zone unlike any other. The guitars sparkle throughout with sinuous lead runs and dueling exchanges, the percussion is inventive while never heavy handed or excessive. Keith Thomas, however, shines through on every single song. I'm not one to declare anyone or anything the best ever, but if Keith Thomas isn't the best male vocalist Albuquerque has ever produced than I don't know who is. In my humble opinion Keith edges out James Mercer for that honor, yes! he's that good, the man doesn't have a bad song. The band always finds it's zenith, starting with the Midnight Rider vibe of "You're on my Mind" and flowing right into "Love Will Find Your Heart" which sounds like the band time traveled back to the Avalon Ballroom circa 1966. "Momma's in the Kitchen" is an easy flowin' song perfect for those 4:20 moments, let's just say that Momma ain't cookin no pot roast in that kitchen. "Ba Da Deeeeeee" is a tropical flavored jam that shines the spotlight on Keith's vocal range. Clocking in at over seven minutes, the song never loses momentum as it rises and cascades like blue ocean waves hitting the shores of Rocky Point.

"Gypsy Woman" sounds like an extremely lethargic ZZ Top, complete with slackadasical Billy Gibbons style lead guitar.  "The Bush" is a funky throwaway track that could be about 1. weed  2. George W. or 3. pussy, your guess is as good as mine.  "Free Jam" features some of Keith's best vocal work, pure righteous blue eyed soul. "What Am I to Do" is straight up southern rock with Keith setting them up and knocking them down with his masterful vocals.  "I Would be Happy" starts out as yankee reggae but ends sounding like Mickey Thomas during his stint with Elvin Bishop. Keith easily transitions from the sing-song cadence of reggae to the soulful pleas of a man at the end of his emotional rope. Along the way he punctuates the song with a falsetto and a yelp that would make Toots Maytal proud.  I found myself totally fascinated by the video for "Whatever you Want", shot on a New Year's Eve at the Spirit Room in Jerome,Az. it starts with the camera panning over a very noisy self absorbed crowd. It takes about a minute to realize that the band is not warming up, The Withdrawals, rather than try and overpower the crowd noise, simply start playing, while Keith patiently waits for an opening to start singing. Once under way the band builds the music up and the crowd is drawn in, I immediately understand the band's appeal, they're so good at what they do, that it's hard not to like them. Keith Thomas and The Withdrawals are one of Albuquerque's best kept secrets, but I for one wish that wasn't the case.  They've toured the western states extensively and have three albums under their belt; Smile (1996) Evolution (1998) and Good Man (2001) All three albums are available at the band's online store, plus an ep "The Withdrawals" recorded in 1995 and a cassette only "Live on KUNM" concert recording.  There are also several songs available for streaming, this includes "Live at The Wine Fest" (12 songs) six studio tracks and a video for "Peace & Justice", that was shot at a war protest in Albuquerque. The most recent posts on their music page are over a year old and their are no scheduled shows or releases listed.

Germ Free Adolescent

Scrub Away the Entire Day

Poly Styrene was different, X Ray Spex was different, while other punk bands marched in lockstep, they were clearly out of step. They were self professed "deliberate underachievers" their sound was driven by a saxophone, (Lora Logic was the band's original saxophonist) this alone separated them from the crowd. A trained vocalist with actual operatic talent, she didn't sing, instead Poly was the female version of Johnny Rotten, but without the snarly attitude and shock factor. Her vocals could be described as an adolescent bray, she would spew forth about her favorite topics of discussion;  conformity, anti-consumerism, O.C.D. and the obsession with fashion. Poly Styrene was born Marian Joan Elliott-Said, she was of British-Somali parentage, which made her quite different in the lily white British punk scene. Onstage she was somewhat stiff, she moved her arms about, her dancing often seemed forced.  Poly didn't pose a threat to anyone, in fact she seemed quite normal. "I didn't just wear braces as a fashion statement" Marian would later explain. Neither Poly nor the band were really part of the burgeoning punk scene, they set their own agenda and followed their own path. By design they were never meant to be world beaters, "play music, have fun" would've been their motto and after one very successful album "Germ Free Adolescents" the band broke up. Marian like Lora Logic before her would join the Hare Krishnas, she stayed below the radar with the exception of occasional reunion shows and a brief reformation of the band in 1991. Marian Joan Elliott-Said, forever our Poly Styrene, passed away April 25th, 2011 on the eve of the release of her solo album.

      r.i.p. Poly Styrene

Jen Sincero

Crotch:  Power Tool of Love

Jen Sincero | Myspace Music Videos


"Ye Olde Crotch video, 16 years lat­er, rears its ug­ly head again. Crotch was: Sara Rot­man, Mike Mel­lett & Jen Sin­cero. Video fea­tures the mighty 3 plus Adam Ant as well as a bunch of oth­er very fun and sick peo­ple whose names I don't re­mem­ber." Jen Sincero


That's Jen Sincero in a hair bikini, pre- 60 Foot Queenie and The Jenny Clinkscales Band, and long before she became an author and the best damn sex advice columnist in the world.

Bright Blue Gorilla

with Mike Glover formerly of The Philisteens

Dirt City Graphic

If we've learned anything from the recent political turmoil, it's that the revolution will be televised, as will every subsequent revolution. Gil Scott-Heron, that sanctimonious prick, got that one wrong. He was as close to jazz as it got for me, although, I knew one guy who would sit in his dorm room listening to Lee Ritenour and Stanley Clarke while sucking on an unlit pipe. He wouldn't say a word and I would usually bail on him after five minutes of that jazz-fusion crud.  As Lou Reed once said: "If it has more than three chords, it's jazz." the music was overly complicated, boring and no fun. It was the music of finger snapping beatniks, weird beards and pipe smokers, but ultimately it was just background music. For John Coltrane and Miles Davis, jazz was the soundtrack that played inside their minds. It accompanied them as they slept, fucked, ate or fixed,  the best jazz has that narcotic rhythm and flow, you can almost feel the opiate rush. You become a hipster by osmosis, nothing says "What the fuck are you listening to, you pretentious asshole!", like jazz. John Coltrane and his contemporaries set the standard so high that it made all future efforts pointless.  Jazz  musicians pursued their art with no regard for commercial appeal, thus causing mainstream fans to drop off like flies.  That will never happen in rock music or pop because both are the domain of flawed musicians. Nobody will ever accuse dregs like Nickelback or Lady Gaga of having raised the bar. The greatest rock musicians are quickly tossed aside and forgotten. Once in a while some dumpster diving rapper will dig them up to steal, err..sample their music. Few are held in reverence and nobody but a psycho would build altars to hedonists like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. By comparison every single jazz great died of a drug overdose and yet they are revered as saints.        

Burton Jespersen

Burton Jespersen- The Ride

Burton Jespersen has long been a part of the New Mexico musical landscape. Originally from Chicago, Jespersen came to Taos from Los Angeles where he had lived as a teenager.  He first surfaced as the lead singer for The Refrigerators, a popular Taos band. Although in 1982, he would inexplicably, leave that band to become the lead singer for The Victims.  After that came a succession of other bands and a solo career that took him around the world.   Along his journey, Burton has also been involved in theater, both on the stage and film. In 2007 he landed the lead role in "The Mind of Henry Lime" an independent film written and directed by Mike Glover. Some of us older types may recall  Mike as  member of  The Philisteens, an Albuquerque new wave band from the early 80's. Glover along with Robyn Rosenkrantz (who produced the film) form the globe-trotting musical duo, Bright Blue Gorilla.  By choice or circumstance, after thirty plus years of touring and playing, Jespersen's recorded output is mighty slim. Which makes "The Ride" a real treat, the album features well crafted and expertly played music from some top notch musicians from both Los Angeles and Taos. It includes two of his strongest compositions (Tomorrow and The Ride) along with some well chosen cover songs.  Amazingly "The Ride" is Burton's first and only solo album, recorded in 2003, it was produced by Marty Grebb.  

"Perpetual Blues Machine" is the most blues oriented track on the album  "You had grace, you had charm, you had me hanging on your arm" Burton does Keb' Mo's original justice, it also sets the mood for the rest of the album "When I found out you're a fake, you reared up and bit me like a snake." The troubles, men have with women, make for some great blues songs.  "The Ride", is a country blues number that features some great slide guitar  "Everybody's talkin about the way they feel, lookin at life like it's some kind of deal." Burton's voice is in fine form "I ain't expecting you to see my side, you might think that i'm a little fried, that's ok it's just one more night and I'm just along for the ride." His interpretation of Dylan's "You're a Big Girl Now" is right on the money. Burton filters out much of the bitterness, making it less condescending and spiteful than Dylan's version. Throughout this album, Burton's phrasing, and the music, conjure up Bob Dylan during his Blood on the Tracks period.  I've seen reviews the size of doctoral dissertations written about Bob Dylan and Blood on the Tracks. However, when you cut to the chase it's about the residual damage of love falling out.  A common theme for many singers and Burton is not an exception, however it's a subject he addresses without anger or ill will.  Johnny Horton's "Shotgun Boogie" gets the Jerry Lee Lewis treatment, complete with boogie woogie piano and honking sax. Reminding us that Burton can rock with the best of them. Darden Smith's "Clatter and Roll" is a plainspoken tale of an average man caught in circumstances beyond his control. Burton's aching voice evokes images of Austin street scenes and miles of train tracks as this mood piece unwinds.

On the rockin'  "Tennessee Plates" he sticks close to John Hiatt's original version, "We landed in Memphis like original sin." although, Burton does give it a little more twang than Hiatt. I actually prefer this version, since I've never been  a big fan of John Hiatt's vocal mannerisms. "Tomorrow" is a song Burton wrote when he was 26 years old, over the years it's become his signature tune.  "I'll wake up to another day, just keep pushing on, trying to make my way...until tomorrow."  This version is worlds apart from the stark acoustic version posted on You Tube. Here he's backed by strings, piano, slide guitar and organ, giving it a stately classic feel. Although "Neon Moon" doesn't seem like a logical final track, it does tie things up very nicely. Burton reworks Brooks and Dunn's smash hit by stripping off it's cosmopolitan country glitz and transforming it into a Hi-Lo country (i.e. Taos) style country ballad. Burton Jespersen has grown into this style, where  as a younger man, he might have been driven by the quest for success, he now seems well settled and world weary. Burton is in fine voice on this album, his unique and eloquent vocal style gives the music a level of remarkable emotional impact. It's hard to argue with an album this beautifully produced, played and sung, so I won't. Just like a good friend, "The Ride" is the perfect accompaniment for life on the proverbial lonesome highway.

That Dirt City Sound Episode 12

       

   
   
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