As 2010 heads for the run-off groove...

Rich Tupica spotlights some of the major players in Lansing's music scene

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Another year is gone, leaving behind a trail of DIY records and rockshows only Lansing could produce. Aside from slabs of vinyl and compact discs,new venues, artist collectives, and a local music TV website also appeared in2010.

Here is a rundown of the year.

One band making noise nationally and overseas is The Cheap Girls, aLansing alt-rock band that released a split 7-inch vinyl with a band calledAbove Them on All In Vinyl (a UK Label) in October. The band is getting set fora United States tour with major label punks Against Me! in January. The band wasrecently featured in Spin Magazine for their contribution to “Germs ofPerfection: A Tribute to Bad Religion.” The Cheap Girls are also more than halfwaythrough writing a third full-length. No release date has been announced.

“I’ve been very impressed and proud of Lansing for the past few years —even more than before,” said Cheap Girls drummer Ben Graham. “The scene hasbecome a big family with a lot of like-minded people and it’s a great thing.There are great bands and great shows.”

Frontier Ruckus, an indie/folk band, has also continued making wavesfar beyond Lansing. Since it formed at Michigan State University in 2003, theband signed to Ramseur Records (which has also released Avett Brothersrecords), and continued a rigorous tour schedule. The band’s latest album,“Deadfalls and Nightmalls,” was released July 20. As for 2011, Frontier Ruckushas already booked another tour across the U.S., which started this week.

The People’s Temple (Lansing psych-punk) has released three 7-inchrecords, on three different out-of-state punk labels over the past two years,the latest being “Make You Understand,” released in May on HoZac Records — thesame label releasing “Sons of Stone,” the band’s first full-length, which isset for early 2011. Goodbye Boozy, an Italian garage-punk label, will releaseanother People’s Temple single in 2011.

John Krohn, a local producer and musician, kept busy with his labelLower Peninsula Records. The label released two vinyl LPs: “How Does It Know?”by Sunil Sawani on May 19, and “Proud Flesh” by Husband & Wife on Dec. 18.

As for 2011, Krohn said he is focused on a promising new wave/post punkgroup.

“I manage and produce the band Jason Alarm (from Grand Ledge), and weare dedicating winter break to songwriting and demoing new songs,” Krohn said.“These guys have amazing songwriting potential. One day they’ll polish up theirrough edges and really start impressing some people around here.”

Bermuda Mohawk Productions, a Lansing punk/rock label, released ninealbums in 2010 — which bumped the label up to 53 releases.

Randy Thunderbird’s “…How to Talk to Kids About Robots” was released inJanuary and kicked off 2010 for BMP. A month later BMP released “Bow & Quiver”by imadethismistake. After a few months of behind the scenes work, BMP releasedthe Natural Disasters self-titled album and a To Fear the Wolf/Dead North splitCD in June. The debut EP from Lansing favorites Frank & Earnest dropped inJuly and Fisher King’s “Forget It” followed in August. The label’s 50threlease was the “BMP 2010 Sampler: BMP5 is Alive! Nifty at 50...releases,”which hit its online store in October. Rounding out the year for BMP was “GetBusy Dying” by Tin Horn Prayer and “Art” by Lenin/McCarthy, both released inDecember.

BMP founder Cale Sauter said intimate shows in grimy basements are thebest part of local music.

“My personal Lansing music highlight of this year, and any year fromabout 1999 on, has been yelling along to the chorus of one of my favorite songsby my favorite local bands in a sweaty basement,” Sauter said. “Though house-showspaces are fleeting, and 2010 hasn't been a great year for them, it happened ahandful of times and all of them served to remind me why I do this year in andyear out.”

What’s next for BMP?
“I've got a Natural Disasters/One Win Choice 7-inch coming out in January,”Sauter said. “The Cartridge Family’s second, and likely final, DVD is underproduction: It’s tentatively titled ‘Gods and Genitals,’ due to the inclusionof our Civil War re-enactment show. We may also finally record an officialanthology type album. Cavalcade (a Lansing metal band) is on the precipice ofour long-awaited album ‘Dear Endtrails…,’ coming out on Housecore Records (labelowned by Phil Anselmo of Pantera). We should have an official release datesoon, at which point we plan on doing some touring. So it looks like there is alot to be excited for in 2011.”

Good Time Gang Recordings (GTG), a local indie label and recording studiooperated by members of The Plurals and The Break-Ups, released a pile of DIYdiscs.

Tommy McCord of GTG, who said he is “forever writing songs andrecording bands at the GTG House,” also said his label’s 2011 itinerary isalready filling up.

“Myself, Hattie Danby, Nich Richard and Timmy Rodriguez are continuingto organize and help raise the profile of GTG. It’ll be a big focus in 2011.The Plurals are in the middle of recording a new full-length record and bookinga West Coast tour for the spring. Drinking Mercury is also in the middle ofrecording a full-length record, with plans to finally release that in 2011.”

However, 2010 may be hard to top. To name a few GTG discs, The HatMadder’s “Rogue Notes and Phones” and Small Houses’ “Our Dusking Sound,” were bothreleased in February. In April, GTG released two debuts, Narc Out the Reds’ “…Are on the Run,” and “The High Life” by The Guest Stars. The Plurals/Honah Lee“Lick It EP Split” also dropped in April. MK Ultra Culkin, which recently brokeup, released “Homeland Insecurity” on GTG in May, and Stargrazer’s “Trieste”was released in November.

December not only saw “Austin Gump,” a new EP from The Plurals, butalso the release of “Explosions! Lansing Salutes Devo” and “No More TomorrowBaby! A Tribute to KISS.” The two tribute albums featured almost all localbands and were released Dec. 3 at Oade’s Hidden Camel. The release show packedin over 100 people and featured two sets from Devo and KISS cover bands (incostume), made up of local musicians.

“My favorite moment of the year was the Devo/KISS tribute show,” saidTodd Karinen, drummer of the now-defunct MK Ultra Culkin. “The amount of peoplewho came out to that show was amazing, and the bands just killed.”

While his long-running band has ended, Karinen said he is working on a“heavy blues rock” project with Nick Merz (also formerly of MK Ultra Culkin)and Joe Hart (of The Chairmen, a defunct Lansing band). In 2010 Karinen alsokept busy with the release of “No F%#king Egos: This Is Lansing” on his ownlabel, Silver Maple Kill Records. The compilation features a large cast of arearockers, like Hordes, Cavalcade, Nocturnal Aviators and The Plague Years (toname a few). Karinen is also getting set to release another Lansing comp inlate spring.
Another local comp was “In the Orchard of Osiris,” released in December by ItTakes A Village to Make Records, a label operated by local musician PeterRichards, a.k.a. Stargrazer. Richards is working on a Stargrazer full-lengthwith production help from Eric Merkling (CrookedSound and owner of ScavengerHunt), set to be released in early 2011. A Stargrazer tune will also beincluded on a compilation raising money for WikiLeaks, called “Like Badgers andBirds.”

Electronic music in Lansing is also booming these days. The birth ofNeon Tuesday (a weekly dance night at Mac’s Bar) showed the demand for livetechno in the capital city. Along with that came the formation of LansingElectronic Artists Kollective (L.E.A.K.) — a team of DJs including: NoahDesmit, Andy Lynch, Rob Perry, Beatloaf, Jeff Hoisington and GK. The grouphosts shows periodically at Club X-Cel and continues to host Neon Tuesday.Overall, it aims to enhance and showcase talented local DJs.

LansingMusic.TV was formed by Dewitt music fans Sean Bradley, CaseyCavanaugh and Austin Howard. The website posts video interviews with localbands and rappers, exclusive acoustic performances and show footage. The sitealso occasionally posts record reviews of local releases. To date, the site hasposted nearly 20 episodes.

While Mac’s Bar, (SCENE) Metrospace, The Loft, The Green Door, TenPound Fiddle, The Pump House, Level II, and Basement 414 continue to bookshows, a few newbies popped up in 2010. Uli’s Haus of Rock gained momentum in2010 and continually has a full roster of shows. Leroy’s Bar & Grill beganbooking legit blues, jazz and soul acts in November and plans to continue into2011. The newly opened Blackened Moon Concert Hall, a venue with a 400-pluscapacity, has mainly acted as a metal venue, but it’s already booking a varietyof other genres, including acoustic/solo shows.

Bigger Brush Media is the latest indie label to pop up in Lansing. Itwas founded by Dave Suchanek and fellow musician Kevin Pritchard. Bigger Brushfeatures a large roster of indie acts such as Loune, Babycakes, Carter Moulton,Dizzy Dearest, Joe Hertler, Jeff Pianki, DSF, Jeff Hurlahe and JT Royster. Thelabel is more of an artist collective that strictly focuses on talent in mid-Michigan.

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