“Right now I’m listening to the latest White Stripes album,” said Walter Schreifels, frontman of the rock band Rival Schools. The Detroit band’s disc had been spinning in his group’s bus for a whole tour. “I just fell in love within minutes after hearing it. I want to write like that. If this is what Detroit is pumping out, I want to be from Detroit.”
Hell yeah, Detroit.
So The State News sent out an open invitation to more than 50 Michigan indie rock artists: “Let us see what you’re made of.”
Fourty-four CDs and some 80 hours of life burned off a three-disc changer stereo later, The State News presents our top ten indie rock albums by Michigan artists. The only qualifications were they had to have come out in the last few years, be a full-length release (no EPs here) and be either self-produced or released on an independent label.
Now, the one thing that is so difficult about covering the indie label scene is that it’s impossible to hear and reach out to every band. Is it possible that there is some band from Escanaba that deserves to be on this list? Maybe, but these are some of the Michigan rock bands you need to know about.
Released: June 2001 Label: Sympathy for the Record Industry Hometown: Detroit Web site: www.whitestripes.com If you’ve heard The White Stripes before, you’re already a fan. If you haven’t heard of The White Stripes, you soon will. The band is the most hyped rock band to come out of Detroit in more than a decade. The White Stripes are unlike any other band you’ll find. The duo’s music is so back to basics that its only instruments are one electric guitar and a drum kit. Simple. Perhaps the most important characteristic of this band is how no song on any of its CDs sound the same, and “White Blood Cells” is quite possibly one of the most eclectic releases this decade. Bold statement? Yes. But there’s justification. The CD starts off with the hard, yet incredibly well-written “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground.” But don’t get too comfortable because track two is “Hotel Yorba,” a country-esque song, and then you’re thrown again by another genre change. Before you know it, Jack White has switched to the blues in “Little Room,” and before the album is done it hits you with punk rock, folk and even a piano-driven tune. The White Stripes are so good at what they do because of one key fact: Once they get you listening, you keep listening because you’re kept on your toes all the way until the final note. And just because the band’s a duo, don’t think for a minute you’re in for anything less than your money’s worth. Jack White is not only a master popsmith, he’s a lyrical genius. Ready to be impressed? Direct your CD players to the track “The Union Forever,” a song comprised of dialogue from the movie “Citizen Kane.” Witty, eh? Need another reason to buy this disc? Jack White is also one hell of a guitar player. Meg White, his ex-wife and drummer doesn’t wow you with talent, but she gets the job done. When the band wants to rock, it will rock you. When it wants to make you appreciate a finely-crafted harmony, it will turn down the amps a notch. As for right now, the disc remains an indie stateside, but United Kingdom-based XL Recordings just signed the Stripes to a deal worth a reported $1 million that covers its first three LPs and future recordings. |
Released: 1999/2001 Label: Spectator Records/Fall of Rome Records Hometown: St. Clair Shores/Detroit Web site: hometown.aol.com/thesightsband/ For fans of Supergrass or Sloan, the Sights are in the same neighborhood. The band is best described as a ’60s pop power trio. There are hints of garage band rock, some big pop hooks, lots of energy, strongly constructed melodies and, well, the disc just flat-out rocks. Working on an indie out of Los Angeles, the Sights are, handsdown, one of the most promising “future stars” in Detroit. While the Sights may not be ready for the national spotlight quite yet, if there was more of a market for Supergrass/early Rolling Stones bands, this band may find itself with one sweet record deal in its, well, sights. Right from the get-go, “All Night Long Stay” gives you a hint for what you’re in for. Most of the album does sound fairly similar, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Make no mistake, the Sights know what they’re doing, and they do it well. It’s a head-on melodic pop/rock assault from D-town. Another strong point is the band knows when to shut up and just jam. There are several tracks on “Green” where the band turns off its microphones, but the songs turn out to be just as entertaining as the rest. Tracks like “F#” and “Are You Green?” are proof the rock instrumental is not dead. The band heads back into the studio in January to work on an album that should see a spring release. |
Released: January 2000 Label: Sid Flips Hometown: Detroit Web site: www.atomicnumbers.com Imagine if you will, taking Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who and tossing them into a big blender with Black Francis of The Pixies. Add in one Elvis Costello and puree. The end result, as gruesome and cliché as it may sound, would be The Atomic Numbers. The Verve Pipe’s Brian Vander Ark took it under his wing a couple years back and co-produced the album on his Sid Flips label. The Atomic Numbers are retro, yet they’re not outdated. With music that blends ’60s, ’70s and ’90s rock into a rocking, sexy retro-sound, the Numbers are not afraid to hit you hard. They lyrics are also stellar, featuring commentary on everything from fame to money. Standout tracks like “I Don’t Wanna Go Out, I Don’t Wanna Stay Home” delve into a jamming punk style while others like “Sellout” venture into “OK Computer” territory unapologetically. However, if one song was going to launch it into new territories of success, it would have to be “Who Killed Rock and Roll,” complete with soaring vocals, an epic chorus and the obligatory piano tossed in. If anyone is nipping at The White Stripes’ heels for biggest thing out of Detroit, it’d be the Atomic Numbers. The band is polishing off some new material and a new release is due soon. |
Released: April 2001 Label: Triple Rock Records Hometown: Grand Rapids Web site: www.domesticproblems.com Lead vocalist Andy Holtgreive’s voice sounds so much like John Popper, you’d swear you were listening to a Blues Traveler album. The lyrics, however, are completely understandable. This album is more polished than its 1997 effort, “Scattered Pieces.” The band has definitely grown older and wiser, and some of the songs hint the band may finally be ready to move on to a national audience. After turning down several record labels, the band hints it is tired of traveling around the Midwest in a van on the song “Peoria,” which was in heavy rotation on 88.9 WDBM-FM The Impact throughout much of the summer. Domestic Problems has grown a huge following around the Grand Rapids and Lansing areas and fans are no stranger to its live show and crazy stage antics. While the songs on “Patiently” aren’t quite as fun as its earlier stuff, it’d be hard to argue the tracks aren’t better written. While its debut sounded more like Dave Matthews Band, its new stuff is definitely a style of its own. The question is not if the band can get a record contract, it’s whether it wants it or not. |
Released: October 2000 Label: Standard Records Hometown: East Lansing Web site: www.19wheels.com Anyone who’s lived in East Lansing for any extended period of time has undoubtedly heard of the phenomenon that is 19 Wheels. OK, so it doesn’t have a record contract yet, but lead singer Chris Johnston has said the band has turned down a few in the last couple of years. These guys are as good as the East Lansing scene gets; very reminiscent to the Verve Pipe, in fact, the album was produced by the ’Pipe’s Donny Brown, who still lives in Lansing. This album is by far the band’s most polished work to date, and the songs are its catchiest. Released late last year, “5ugareen” has spawned several singles and features an amazing rendition of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” 19 Wheels’ grungy guitar rock, big hooks and addictive riffs make this album incredible addictive to listen to. You’ll find it difficult to stop yourself from singing along to several of “5ugareen’s” choruses. Like fellow local big shots Domestic Problems, 19 Wheels looks ready to take the next giant leap; all it needs is a record label to offer it the deal it deserves. |
Released: October 1998 Label: Drum Dancer Records Hometown: Ferndale Web site: www.jilljack.com If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Jill Jack and Natalie Merchant were one in the same. Vocally she does sound eerily like Merchant, but her songwriting is more folk-based. Her music connects, more so than many of her contemporaries, with what it means to be human. Her lyrics are incredibly poetic, as heard in “Travels On,” featuring the lines “I lost hope and I’ve lost faith/Through his darkness he’s shown his pain/Through my eyes he’s seen his loss, and the time for us travels on.” Each song tells a story and lasts as long as it has to; some songs clock in at more than six minutes. Perhaps her music resonates so well with the listener because Jack is not that different from the rest of us. She works hard, she’s a proud parent working hard to support her family and playing music when she can. While her voice resembles Merchant, comparisons to Woody Guthrie and John Cougar Mellencamp are probably more justified. Jack is a woman with ambition, a story to tell and an indisputable talent that will surely carry her in the footsteps of Sarah McLachlan, Merchant and other women songstresses. |
Released: June 1999 Label: Thick Records Hometown: East Lansing Web site: www.thickrecords.com/deconstruct.html Space rock, almost by definition, can lull the listener to sleep and serve more as a form of punishment than entertainment. In fact, every time a space rock album comes out it has the chance to redefine the definition of “sucky music.” However, musically, “(In) Organics” is simply incredible and is space rock at its finest. With horns, synthesizers, tablas, electric pianos and an old, broken acoustic guitar that sounds like a sitar, the arrangements on “(In) Organics” are incredible. The disc has been out for more than two years, but this is still one of Michigan’s best-sounding CDs musically. The track “Star” allows one to compare it to bands like the Verve and Spiritualized. Lyrically, however, the album doesn’t quite hold up as well as others in the top ten. The vocals aren’t bad, but they’re not great. While the music lends itself to a more mellow form of singing, it’s hard to really get into the words that accompany the awesome arrangements. For example, the track “Did You Get What You Came For?” is incredible with the aforementioned sitar-like effect. Yet the lyrics don’t quite match the level of music. The next record from Calliope is due in March and guitarist Jason Lantrip promises it to be “a nice culmination of what we’ve done before.” |
Released: May 2001 Label: Rexrode Records Hometown: East Lansing Web site: www.rexroderecords.com/rosetta Bringing back memories of the Afghan Whigs, East Lansing-based rock quintet Rosetta makes it into The State News top ten with a calm, intelligent release that features several outstanding tracks that are incredibly polished for an indie. The songs “Ansurilikov” and “Wind” are two examples of what independent music is all about: gritty, true lyrics set to good, yet not amazing musicianship. But in the end, it’s that level of “almost polished” goodness that gives the music its honesty. The rest of the CD is definitely above average and takes the listener back to the Pink Floyd-era of rock. There is a decent mix of straightforward rock and in-depth quasi pyschdelia at work here. As for the producing, the album is one of the better mixed albums in the top ten. All of the instrumentation is done in a manner where the bass never overpowers the guitars more than necessary. It took Rosetta more than a year in the studio to master this disc, and that effort is definitely noticeable. |
Released: March 2001 Label: No Idea Records Hometown: Marshall Web site: www.smallbrownbike.com I can’t say I’m a big fan of everything the “post-hardcore” movement has spawned. To be more specific, the recent addition of yelling and hollering to rock music has created a whole new genre, something lovingly referred to as “screamo.” Bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit have made “screamo” common place in the supped-up Trans Ams and Camaros with the neon lights of most teen-age and pre-pubescent boys in America. Why we will probably never know. However, there are some bands that are thrown into the screamo genre that actually do a fine job of justifying themselves as artists. A case in point is Small Brown Bike. It is hard and heavy but not so much “hard-core.” The thing that separates the Bike from the rest of the screamers is its excellent lyrics that still manage to impress even behind the sometimes strained, hoarse shrieking. And unlike its competition, it at least knows when it’s OK to scream. The result is the only screamo album in my collection and the only screamo LP I know of that I wouldn’t be ashamed to own. |
Released: March 2001 Label: Medea Records Hometown: Grosse Pointe Web site: www.deathgirl.com While deathgirl.com disbanded before this article could be published (it broke up in October), the band was gaining steady popularity on the Detroit punk rock and alternative dance scenes. It’s a shame band members went its separate ways considering two facts: One, it was actually good and two, the disc just came out in March. The band, formerly known as Caelum Bliss, featured a form of synth-pop that, when coupled with lead singer Melissa Emily’s vocals, becomes trance-like in nature. Emily, who sounds strikingly like Gwen Stefani, put her pen to every song on the CD except for a rocking rendition of Madonna’s “Lucky Star.” The CD includes the incredibly catchy and successful single, “Pieces,” which was the people’s choice for 13 consecutive days on Detroit-Windsor radio station 88.7 CIMX-FM. What needs to be watched for is where these bandmembers go next. Emily, with her voice, will most certainly be heading up another band in the near future. |
