INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2007 music year in review

Indie rock

Marla Hansen joins Standard Recording: Standard Recording Company signed Sufjan Stevens cohort Marla Hansen, releasing her debut EP, Wedding Day, in September. The addition of Hansen bolsters an already powerful lineup of talented musicians, legitimizing both the label and Indianapolis in the eyes of national indie scenesters.

Everything Now! visits Bible Universe: Everything Now! created the state’s best Indiana indie rock album this year with Bible Universe. The band’s gritty glam rock and dark lyrics trap the listener like a heroin nightmare. But in the end, Jon “Crafty” Rogers does what he does best: save our souls with rock ’n’ roll.

Grampall Jookabox debuts Scientific Cricket: Dave Adamson transferred his creative energies from BIGBIGcar to Grampall Jookabox, releasing the challenging but rewarding album Scientific Cricket. Jookabox was also one of the best live acts during the later half of the year, as Adamson’s apocalyptic folk music took on tribal qualities, mesmerizing audiences.

Amo Joy! arrives: Newcomers Amo Joy! arrived in February armed with kazoos, slide whistles, flutes and melodicas. The result? Joyous pop music brimming with energy and originality. A carefully crafted homemade debut album, The Dictatorial Soiree, soon followed. All that’s missing is a label. Somebody sign this band now.

Dorsey celebrates Borrowed Pens: Dorsey stacked the decks against themselves when it came to their May CD release show. With the difficult job of following CABIN and Mason Proper, they played their new album in its entirety, featuring guest performers and a string section, which created a memorable night of music.

—Josh Flynn

Punk rock

Counteractive FINALLY releases an album: Local street-punk champs Counteractive finally, after a long wait, released their debut album Through It All. The album is long overdue, but it doesn’t disappoint. Expect more activity from Counteractive in the next year.

Bomb The Music Industry plays the Ska House: After local law enforcement officers forced BTMI to miss their Oct. 11 show at the Underground, the band played a free, acoustic makeup set at The Ska House downtown. For those that attended, it was a rare treat. The band delivered the goods, playing a fan-dictated set.

Prizzy Prizzy Please drops “da bomb”: Their self-titled “half-length” brought the rock back to Indiana. From smooth musicianship to wicked punk rock energy, Prizzy Prizzy Please is the perfect party album from the ultimate party band. Keep an eye out for these geeks in the future, because they’re going to be huge.

Attack of the Queers: American punk rock royalty blitzed Indianapolis when The Queers played back-to-back shows. In a bizarre turn of events, the show at the Melody Inn actually trumped the all-ages show at the Irving Theater. The Melody Inn has never been as rowdy as it was on that brisk November night. Go Queers!

Piradical Fest: The 12-hour punk festival was a huge hit for a second year in a row. “It was a lot of fun to see all my favorite bands playing in one show,” exclaimed Piradical Productions mastermind Stephen Zumbrun. The show ended with a cake fight between 200 young punks and an explosive set from local legends Bolth. You simply cannot beat that.

—Nick Selm

Folk

Broad Ripple Fall Music Festival: This first year one-day music festival organized by the folks at Musical Family Tree matched over 100 musical acts with 20 Broad Ripple venues. They paired each venue with a local nonprofit agency, giving each organization some much-needed exposure.

Otis Gibbs moved to Nashville: Favorite son Otis Gibbs and his talented lady friend Amy Lashley moved to Music City this year. Whether he was planting trees or singing songs, we loved running in to Gibbs and hearing about his latest touring adventures.

House concerts: House concerts are a terrific way to see music. A house concert is, well, a concert in a house. All of the money goes directly to the musician. Everyone is there to listen, so you don’t have to worry about bar chatter, cappuccino machine or smoke. Check out the series hosted by Cary Allen Fields, Home Fields Advantage Concert Series (http://fieldsofbluegrass.com), and John Newton at Indy Hostel (www.indyhostel.us).

Indie 500 Records: The record label released albums this year from singer/songwriter Jane Jensen and the folk-ish band Mars or the Moon among others. Indie 500 continues to record and promote Indianapolis’ independent musicians.

Jon McLaughlin tourism video: The Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association taped the piano-playing singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin and his song “For You From Me” from his Indiana album for a video showcasing Indianapolis. Anderson-born McLaughlin’s album debuted at No. 81 on the Billboard 200 chart in May.

—Nora Spitznogle

Metal

Despite recent reports, the black heart of metal is still alive and ripping. Indie-emo-techno-pop-scarf-rock-hip-hop may be the flavor du jour of the moment, but for the young angry teenager who lives in just about all of us, heavy metal will always reign supreme. Here are the top five metal shows I saw this year:

Ozzfest, Verizon Wireless Music Center, Aug. 14, 2007: OK, so the lineup was less than stellar, but Lordi was entertaining, Lamb of God was appropriately brutal and Ozzy gave a good show. What made this show special, however, was the fact that Sharon Osborne made tickets free, making the entire music business’ panties pull up in a wad. Despite much nay saying and predictions of failure, the 2007 edition of Ozzfest made money, pulled sold-out crowds and, in true metal fashion, stuck one to the man.

Crank County Daredevils, Sept. 8, 2007/Broken Teeth, April 14, 2007, the Melody Inn: Greg Brenner’s Punk Rock Night showcase every Saturday night at the Historic Melody Inn also highlights its share of hard rock and metal. These two bands are the best of the national acts that pay visits to PRN every year, and they never disappoint. Crank County Daredevils roar it out sloppy and greasy, while Broken Teeth’s Jason McMasters does his best to conjure up the black demon ghost of Bon Scott.

Van Halen, Conseco Fieldhouse, Oct. 14, 2007: David Lee Roth was in fine form, Alex killed the drum set and little Wolfy was every bit as good and entertaining as Michael Anthony. But the star of the show was the force of nature known as Eddie Van Halen, who single-handedly turned this show from a mildly entertaining nostalgia trip into a wham-bam guitar god worship ceremony.

Blue Cheer, WhiskeyTits, Red Horse, Devil To Pay, Zanies Too, June 1, 2007: Warmed up by a stellar lineup of local bong-metalists, Blue Cheer came on and literally blew Zanies Too away. Sticking to their classic material, these guys played with the vigor of bands half their age, and were so loud that internal organs were traumatized. This also marked the first show of the local promotion team of Erin Mullen and Brooke Klejnot, who are one of the most promising up-and-coming metal/hard rock promoters in the city.

Tool, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, Tenn., June 16, 2007: From the freaky-deeky showmanship of Maynard to the impossible brutality of the music to the million watt laser show, this was hands down the best, heaviest and most incredible show of the year. How good was it? Well, when the show ended, the crowd of 80,000 filed out of the field almost silently, stunned speechless by what they had just witnessed.

—Jeff Napier

Jazz

Farewell to the Hampton Sisters: With the passing of three-fourths of the Hampton Sisters, the curtain closed on Indy’s longest-running jazz group. Virtue Hampton died in January, Aletra Hampton in November and Russell Webster in September. The group’s popularity never waned and their fan base grew right to the end.

Celebrating Slide: The Jazz Kitchen hosted NEA Jazz Master Trombonist Slide Hampton for a three-night celebration of his 75th birthday. Slide performed in various music settings each night with New York and local jazz musicians. The Mayor’s Office presented Slide with a key to the city and proclaimed April 21, 2007, to be Slide Hampton Day.

Indy Jazz Fest succeeds: The Indy Jazz Fest was an artistic success in ’07. Straight-ahead jazz dominated the lineup with winning sets by Chick Corea and Bela Fleck, the all-female Diva Big Band and jazz violinist Regina Carter. R&B’s Al Green gave his fans a knock-out show.

New jazz festival at University of Indianapolis: April also saw the debut of a new Jazz Festival held on the University of Indianapolis campus and produced by 88.7 FM WICR. The event, originally slated to be held outdoors, was moved into Ransburg Auditorium on the campus. Seven local jazz groups gave strong performances.

Bright young pianists: The American Pianists Association’s Biennial Jazz Fellowship Awards competition in April fielded a record number of entries and featured a strong field of finalists. Twenty-five-year-old Dan Tepfer of New York demonstrated brilliant and versatile technique to win the $75,000 Cole Porter Fellow Award.

—Chuck Workman

World music

Lotus World Music and Arts Festival: Lotus Festival brings world-class world music to Bloomington every year. The festival turned 13 this year and has grown to a four-day multivenue event that helps support the springtime educational outreach program Lotus Blossoms.

Balkan Beat Box: This was the third appearance for the wildly popular gypsy rock band at Lotus Fest. Balkan Beat Box performs with a core of six musicians, collaborating with artists from Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Israel and Turkey who draw on a variety of styles from around the world.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra World Music Kits: The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra brings world music to the classroom. They loan kits to students that include traditional musical instruments from Africa, India and Japan. The students get a hands-on opportunity to understand the music and people around the world.

Indy’s International Festival: The International Festival is hosted by the Nationalities Council of Indiana, which is comprised of more than 50 ethnic or national affinity organizations. They bring in musical groups representing all parts of the world community.

il Troubadore: Indy’s 16th century rock band, il Troubadore continues to be the hardest working world band in the city. They play music from over 20 countries and sing in 16 languages. They have a strong Middle Eastern influence and are often accompanied by belly dancers.

—Nora Spitznogle

Blues

Rachell’s music lives on: It’s been 10 years since the death of Indianapolis blues mandolin great Yank Rachell, but his musical legacy remains strong in town: Witness this year’s tribute jam at Locals Only that featured many of Indy’s longtime players. Stay tuned for a Yank tribute album and an upcoming benefit concert for Yank’s granddaughter Sheena, who has taken ill.

Blues cabaret covers the waterfront: American Cabaret Theatre’s Singing the Blues, an evening of blues standards from Muddy Waters to Etta James and all points in between. It was my favorite of the singing jukebox shows, and featured really good vocals by the ensemble, including Tony Cheesebourough, who doubled as part of the house band.

New Hoosier blues records: New Indiana blues albums from W.T. Feaster, Dan Holmes, Mud Eye Joe and Blue News. A new Mike Milligan and a Yank Rachell tribute album (yes, it’s good enough to mention twice) are on the way. Here’s to more new local releases. You know who you are.

Blues at the Indy Jazz Fest: This year’s Indy Jazz Fest highlight was soul great Al Green (a performance that would have been perfect were it not for the Motown and Otis Redding covers). The festival also introduced a lot of fans to Mike Milligan, British bluesman James Hunter and the Cool City Swing Band.

Blues on the screen: The film Black Snake Moan, which starred Samuel L. Jackson as an aging blues man helping out white trash tart Christina Ricci, finally showed blues music in a serious light on screen. It’s a shame the Hustle & Flow crowd stayed away from this one.

—Matthew Socey is host of The Blues House Party Saturdays at 10 p.m. on WFYI 90.1 FM.

DJ/electronic

Broke(n) will be Fix(d): All good things must come to an end, and sadly, history repeats itself with the closing of Indy’s long-running Broke(n) Tuesdays at the Melody Inn. After over two years of bringing the world’s top drum and bass talents to Indy, the night is no longer. Look for former host iQ’s new monthly event, Fix(d), on Wednesdays at Therapy.

El Carnicero releases The Butcher: Newly local El Carnicero is making waves in the grime world with his EP, The Butcher, on Slit Jockey Records. Featuring dirty beats, dirtier bass and an appearance by reggae diva Warrior Queen, this guy is stepping things up a notch.

Photek sails across the Atlantic: This year brought us the memorable first appearance of the U.K. drum and bass innovator Photek in Indy. One of the originators in the drum and bass scene, Photek worked over the sound system with new takes on classics, as well as fresh beats and collaborations with MC legends Mental Sharpness. Classic!

Geiger unlocks the Drumcode: Indiana boy Kyle Geiger landed his first-ever record release on Drumcode, one of the world’s top techno labels. Label owner and techno legend Adam Beyer is talking our boy up in a big way. Indiana techno is on the move again!

Peterson suffers bad karma: After attacking the Indy rave scene like a rabid dog a few years ago, Bart Peterson finally loses the mayoral election. It wasn’t his actions destroying our music culture that did it, but do we care? I am fighting the compulsion to sing, “Nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, gooood bye.”

—Lisa “DJ Shiva” Smith

Goth/industrial/EBM

Mutiny! takes off: Every Wednesday night, nearly 100 Indy patrons of the dark arts and fans of new wave/’80s music gather at the Casba bar in Broad Ripple. Seasoned DJs Sarah Vain, Dead Billy and guests spin everything from Killing Joke to Lou Reed, filling the dance floor and creating a welcoming atmosphere for people coming in from the cold who want to join the fun. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/mutinyindy.

Birdy’s becomes venue of choice: Birdy’s Bar & Grill played host to several top-notch national performers in the EBM, synthpop and industrial music genres this year, hosting concerts by Shiny Toy Guns, Assemblage 23 and more.

Form 30 music video: 2007 was a year of many firsts for Indianapolis’ darkwave scene. Form 30 filmed its first music video, “Hell Walks the Earth,” for a locally produced B-horror film. The video was filmed at the Emerson Theater. Lead singer-songwriter and guitarist Jase Milner and bassist DaV3.0 added Lydia Burris on keys and backing vocals to round out the trio’s new lineup. The band is still searching for a full-time drummer.

Damien Center gains promoter: Local darkwave promoter and photographer Chris Conner of Eden Promotions was named the new promoter for the Damien Center.

All things IndyGoth: For news of Midwest concerts and local events, visit the newly popular Web page www.myspace.com/indygoth, and don’t be afraid to submit music news and regional tour dates.

—Leslie Benson

Country/bluegrass

Big names come to town: Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Toby Keith and Alison Krauss were among the big-name country music artists who performed at various venues around Indy this year. Hill actually came to Indy twice, once on tour with her husband McGraw, and then in August as part of the NFL’s 2007 season opener festivities on Monument Circle.

Next big things? While they may not be headlining major concert tours yet, quite a few talented young artists and bands worth watching (and listening to) came to Indy in 2007. Among them: Wade Bowen, Rodney Atkins, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Pat Green, Taylor Swift, Gary Allan and Indiana’s own Flynnville Train.

Local talent: In addition to Flynnville Train (which released its first album on Toby Keith’s Big Dog Records label earlier this year), there are numerous other Hoosier country/bluegrass/rockabilly bands that are worth a listen: Kristi Anderson, who won this year’s Colgate Showdown; the Cousin Brothers, one of the best country/bluegrass bands in the city, if not the best; and Devil Doll, a band that puts on a show combining good old rockabilly with smoky jazz and hoppin’ swing music.

Local venues: The legendary Melody Inn has Rockabilly Wednesdays the first Wednesday of every month to go along with Hillbilly Happy Hour on Fridays. Stables Nightclub on the city’s Southeastside played host to a bunch of regional and national acts in 2007 (including several of those up-and-comers just mentioned). While not just a country/rockabilly venue, Radio Radio featured Bigger Than Elvis the first Saturday of every month, and other local/regional acts of the genre throughout 2007. And on the city’s Westside, 8 Seconds Saloon still offers dance lessons along with shows by local and national country music acts.

On the radio: WFMS’ Morning Show talent — Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman — won the Country Music Association’s 2007 Large Market Personalities of the Year Award. Over at WLHK — “Hank FM” — they snagged the right to broadcast Colts games (along with their AM sister station WIBC) for the next few seasons, to go along with their daily dose of today’s country music.

—Joe O’Gara