Atlanta Afro-Punk quartet Tendaberry stops by the studio to talk about their experience as a group forming and beginning to come into their own in the Atlanta music scene.   In this pod we talk at length about the Atlanta Indie Rock scene, the AUC (Morehouse, Clark-Atlanta & Spelman) music and arts scene and about what it means to them being Black Post-punk musicians.

We discuss their rubbing shoulders and working with ATL-scene acts like Jaspects, Deep Cotton, Janelle Monae, London, Spree Wilson, Lmarr the Great, Smalleyez & now defunct group The Slack Republik.

The interview is a walk through the gritty streets of Atlanta’s west end, a re-introduction into the University of Georgia’s college-town music scene in Athens and a discussion of what it takes to persevere as musicians toeing the line of soul and punk.

For more interviews on Atlanta’s literary, art and music scene please check out dominickbrady.com

Music heard in this pod from Atlanta groups:

-Tendaberry

-Jaspects ft. Janelle Monae

-Small Eyez

-The Slack Republic

Tendaberry has also been kind enough to share a song with us, “Prophets” from their EP Am I Still Illmatic?:

Additional links:

• Tendaberry’s Afro-Punk page
• Buy Am I Still Illmatic on iTunes
• Tendaberry on MySpace

This is a really special podcast, people.  Not only did I get a few minutes to talk with Stew as "Passing Strange" is about to debut on Broadway, but we had an amazing discussion.  The important question that we addressed was this: How do you create art that is universal, that is rooted in the Black aesthetic, but doesn’t pander or engage in tired cliches?

His answer is simple, yet powerful, and points to something that we’re all capable of.  Of course, he also talks about the musical’s path to Broadway, its evolution to its current incarnation, and how he defines excellence.

If, after listening to this interview, you’re intrigued or inspired, I wholeheartedly encourage you to check out "Passing Strange".  You won’t be disappointed:  It’s a moving story, one that’s never been seen before.  On top of that, the music is off the hook!   In this post, you can find out what you have to do in order to get discount tickets. 

Run, don’t walk, to see "Passing Strange".  Remember: Let’s make it matter in the marketplace.  Doing so will push Black rock  a few steps closer to the mainstream.

MP3 File

This is one interview that I’ve had in the can for over a month and, unfortunately, just couldn’t get it together to post.

That said, I’m happy to share this interview that I did with Kandia Crazy Horse, an
award-winning music journalist and editor of "Rip It Up: The Black Experience in Rock ‘n’ Roll".  She’s also a fellow blogger–along with performance studies scholar Tavia Nyong’o–at Bluegum, and a tireless supporter of the full range of Black musical expression.

Here are some of the topics we touched on during our discussion, which lasted for a little over 40 minutes.  I’d suggest downloading it and taking it with you on the road.  Here goes:

• Her background

• Why DC was so fly in the 70s

• Her parents’ connection to Africa

• Ahmet Ertegun, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler and the Atlantic Records connection

• The formation of "Rip It Up"

• Game Rebellion

• What’s encouraging/discouraging about today’s scene

• The continuing resistance to the idea of Black rock

• Sasha Frere-Jones’ piece on the white of indie rock & the "leeching out" of soul

• Southern white jam bads as the locus of soul that harks back to the older Black traditions

• Why aren’t Black kids finding Black music?

• Whites’ curatorial bent

• Black responsibility

• A band she likes: The Carolina Chocolate Drops

Name that tune?  The song leading into and out of the interview is Janelle Monae’s "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!"

MP3 File

Doron Flake (l) with bandmates Chris Barone, Nick Logan and Ari Sadowitz

As many of you know, I’ve been following The Smyrk since I first heard them back in the summer.  Since they have an upcoming CMJ showcase on Saturday (info below), I figured it would be a perfect time to catch up with Doron Flake, the quartet’s lead singer.

Some of the discussion topics included:

• His serendipitous meeting with the band

• How they hooked up with Ben Kenney from Incubus

• I stand corrected: Incubus is a multicultural band

• What they’ve learned from touring

• His background and influences; integrating his African American roots into as much of the music as possible

• Also, being unafraid to explore and discover new sounds as a listener

• Bands he digs

• Shout out to MilitiA’s credo, “Disgrace your stereotype”

• How they hooked up with Pillow Theory

• Another band he’s checking: The Matches

• How to find The Smyrk

• MTV2’s Dew Circuit Breakout competition

Show info

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
The Smyrk and Pillow Theory
BAM Café
30 Lafayette Avenue
9:30PM
Admission: FREE!

IMPORTANT: If you’re planning to check out this show, GET THERE EARLY.  Not only is it free, but it’s a CMJ Showcase, so there will no doubt be a lot of extra folks there.  You’ve been warned.

After you see them (or before), you can go to the Mountain Dew Circuit Breakout competition page and vote for The Smyrk.  C’mon, y’all:  Let’s help these guys get to the next round!

Finally, if you dig the music track and want to hear the whole thing, it’s called “Dial V for Venom” from the New Fiction EP.

MP3 File

L to R: V. Jeffrey Smith, Sandra St. Victor, Peter Lord

Tomorrow marks the start of the three-day countdown to the next BoldasLIVE and The Family Stand.  I realize that I’ve been running under the assumption that everyone knows who they are, but it’s just that: An assumption. 

So, here’s a little preview of the discussion that they’ll have with Michaela angela Davis.  Peter Lord, Jeff Smith and I taped this interview earlier this week, and it was going along really well.  Then Pete’s coffee kicked in.  Seriously, though, it was all good.  Listen for yourself.  The whole thing’s just over 19 minutes long.  Like the others, you can download it and listen on the go.

Some of the topics we hit include:

• The new album, Super Sol Nova Vol. 1
• The state of the live music scene
• Why Pete thinks its only a return to an attempt at musicality
• Rock’s outsider status as an opportunity to be an alternative to the alternative
• Possibly the worst time in pop music ever
• Amy Winehouse as an example of great vibe & style, not necessarily great songs
• “Incestuous creativity”

They’ll get into some new areas when they sit down on Sunday with Michaela.  Just in case you need the details for BoldasLIVE,  here’s where we’ll be:

Sunday, September 16

4PM
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue @ President Street
Park Slope, Brooklyn
R train to Union Street

$8 (children 12 and under get in FREE!)

Google map

The two other shows will be at BAM Café and at The Blue Note.  Info on those shows is after the jump.

MP3 File

BAM Café Live

The Sista Factory crew (Sara Hill, Anita Bryant, Toni Cheesman and Celia Jean) present a great evening of live music, headlined by The Family Stand.  Opening for them is Renee Neufville–one half of the duo Zhané ("Hey Mr. D.J.")—who brings a bold blend of dance hall, jazz, and R&B.

Friday, September 14 at 9PM
BAM Café
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn
FREE

That same night, The Stand heads over for a special after hours set at The Blue Note, as part of the club’s Late Night Series. 

12:30AM
The Blue Note
131 W. 3rd St
New York, NY 10012
Cost: $10

I sometimes say that Brooklyn is Black rock, and a weekend like this one coming up just proves my point.  Saturday afternoon, the place to be is going to be Restoration Plaza for the Restoration Rocks Festival, a celebration of the community development center’s 40th anniversary.  Organizing the festival is Brian Tate who is, among other things, a fellow marketer, cultural activist and lead singer in the band Shrine for the Black Madonna.

Here are the topics we addressed in our discusison.  As you’ll hear, we covered a lot in our 20 minute talk including:

• Brian’s background
• The genesis of Restoration Rocks and its goals
• Some history of Restoration Development Corp.
• Progressive culture and the need for collective action
• Advice for non-artists who want to support popular culture
• Changing consumer habits and economic action
• The importance of individual choice and action

If you’re around, it’s worth taking a trip to Bed-Stuy, since it’s a great opportunity to see some exciting bands before they break.  Info on the festival follows the jump.

MP3 File

Restoration Rocks Music Festival @ Restoration Plaza

Saturday, September 15th

1368 Fulton St. (b/w New York & Brooklyn Aves)
Brooklyn, NY 11216

Noon-5pm
FREE!!!
A/C Train to Nostrand Avenue or C to Kingston/Throop

Rain Date: Sunday, September 16th

12:00pm-Gates Open
12:30-Red Lights to Rio
12:55-DJ Rainy
1:05-Tamar-Kali
1:30-DJ Rainy
1:40-Roughstars
2:05-DJ Rainy
2:15-Martha Redbone
2:40-The Dustbin Brothers
2:50-Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe
3:15-The Dustbin Brothers
3:25-Sankofa
3:50-The Dustbin Brothers
4:00-Shrine for the Black Madonna
4:25-The Dustbin Brothers
4:35-Game Rebellion

www.restorationplaza.org
www.myspace.com/restorationrocks2

I’ve gotten a lot of calls and e-mails about the upcoming BoldasLIVE event this Sunday, September 16 featuring The Family Stand.  One of the consistent questions is, “What’s an ‘Urbanista’?”  So, rather than try to explain Michaela and all of her fabulousness, I thought I’d let you hear it directly from her.

I passed the mic, and here are some of the things that we discussed:

• “Urbanista” as a lens through which she sees the world
• Creation of Black identity today
• Black rock as a term that helps organize culture
• Remember that music should also be fun
• Her involvement with Essence Magazine’s “Take Back the Music” Initiative
• Activism and Black style
• “Black Girls Rock” Foundation
• Why she’s excited about sitting down with The Family Stand
• Where you can find out more about her online

Originally, I was going to split this interview into two parts because of its 25-minute length, but decided against it.  After all, you can download the file and listen on the go.  You’ll see that her excitement is infectious and why I know she’s really going to  “bring it” on Sunday.

Enjoy!

This is a long overdue interview.  I’ve known Maureen for years and was the first person from the BRC that she interviewed for what would eventually become Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race (Duke University Press, 2004).  Of course, once I decided to see how deep the Black rock rabbit hole goes, I devoured this book.  What she’s done exceedingly well is articulate a context that I’ve used to both frame and support my thinking on this blog.  She’s done it by looking at Black rock through the ideology of the Black Rock Coalition, which is how I came to understand Black rock, too.  In doing so, she touches on many subjects, not the least of which are assumptions about Black identity and the social, cultural and economic factors that leeched the blackness out of Jimi Hendrix.

Our conversation took place on May 15, 2007.   Jump in.

00:00        Start
00:57        Her background
01:30        The seeds of “Right to Rock”
04:15        The particularity of a generation
05:30        The integrated school experience
06:25        Their middle class ideology and what that encompassed
07:00        The significant marker of middle class status
07:40        Black culture was effervescent
08:55        Many black Americans had this experience
09:30        Bridging the middle class vs. non-middle class gap
11:55        More effort needed to reach out to other blacks around them
13:10        Grassroots is the key
13:40        All of the artists really want more Black folks in their audiences
14:20        Discussion of class is a slippery slope
15:20        Formative factors of hip hop
15:55        Public music education programs
20:10        Changing club scene
21:00        What keeps her from being truly optimistic
23:20        MySpace discussion (actually, MySpace is at 179 million + users)
25:20        The reality that musicians have to make a living
26:40        What is the long tail of Black rock?
28:30        Outkast, Gnarls Barkley
29:25        How did Ceelo build his career?
30:00        Alice Smith and the assumption of authenticity
30:20        Leon Wynter and the hijacking of black authenticity
32:10        Everyone theorizes black identity
33:40        “Black rock” is actually a bad term
34:45        The challenge of Black rock; perhaps a liberation ideology
36:45        Maureen’s next project