Aw, shit: Construction begins on US-23

If, in the next few months, you're headed to the Pig or The Halfass or The Tap Room or The Elbow Room or Arbour Vitae or anywhere in the general A2/Ypsi area via US-23, give yourself some extra time.

Single-lane closures on 23 from Brighton to Dundee from March through Fall

As only one lane will be closed at a time, no detour routes are being established.

So remember, long-distance showgoers:
Dodge the Lodge
AND
Just one lane free on 23.

Best Local Record Label: Quite Scientific

Qui Sci in Real Detroit Weekly

Also on their "Best of 2007" List:
The Silent Years
The Hard Lessons
Frontier Ruckus
Chris Bathgate

KFest

Well. It's over. I'm still recovering. What an amazing weekend of music. I think this past weekend was probably the best overall Michigan music experience I've ever witnessed.

There were some great bands, and there were some not so great bands. But it kind of didn't matter. Everyone in attendance had to make a huge effort to get out to Houghton, so the people were there for the MUSIC. The amount of respect between the audience and the musicians was absolutely phenomenal. Keweenawesomefest was the perfect example of why I love local music. I cannot express how amazing and inspiring this event was. BUT this might help...

JHaJ correspondant, Katie Canavan, accopanied me to the UP and together we recorded short reviews, observations and musican interviews throughout the weekend- it's going to be our first JHaJ Podcast! We're still getting all the kinks worked out, so check back a little later in the week for our Podcast to be posted along with short reviews and more coverage of all the bands that performed. In the meantime, check out some photos from the event:

The Mighty Narwhale



Mason Proper


Misty Lyn


JungleKat Agility


Arrah and the Ferns


Tyler and Kevin- The KFest Men



Thanks to everyone involved in creating this amazing event. We will be back very soon to talk more about it.

Erik and I are having a big official meeting tomorrow. Get ready for some big changes at JHaJ. We've got a to-do list that's taller than I am.

We love you all.
xoxo,
annie moss

Oh My!

We're still here- we promise! We've been gearing up for this weekend:


Oh man, I am so excited! Check their facebook site for fantastic descriptions of the musical artists on the bill. With a few veteran JHaJ favorites (Mason Proper, The Mighty Narwhale, Annie Palmer) and some new (to me) names (Terrible Twos, This is Deer Country, Sycamore Smith), this is sure to be an exciting 2 days of music. All the details can be found on the Kfest myspace page. And be sure to check back with us in a few weeks for our first official JHaJ PODCAST!! Podcast coverage of Keweenawesomefest. It's gonna be huge.

However, if you CAN'T make it to Houghton, there is plenty of stuff to keep you busy down under the bridge. Possibly most exciting (Erik's been jumping up and down about this for days) is the Saturday Looks Good To Me/Starling Electric/Chris Bathgate show at the Blind Pig on Friday 2/23. SLGTM hasn't played a show around here in quite a while; where better to kick-off their tour than Washtenaw County?

Apparently there is a very last minute secret show at The Neutral Zone tomorrow night 2/22. It looks like it will be a great show, so snoop around myspace a little bit if you are interested in learning more about the lineup.

AND The Hard Lessons (w/ Dirt Road Logic) are playing Friday night at Mac’s Bar in Lansing. If anyone knows how to heat up Mac's, it's the Hard Lessons.

Obviously there is a ton of other stuff going on around the state. This is a great weekend to get out there and see some music! Have fun!
LOVEXOX,
annie moss

A final word on the Michigan music family portrait

Looks like it's been moved back to April 7 at 3 p.m. Location still undecided. Check out Canada's MySpace blog for the complete details.

Updated Repost: Michigan Musicians!

*Please contact Canada's Myspace Page to let them know if this works for you (or with any questions/ideas etc)


Looking at Thursday February 22nd?....What time could everyone meet up at the West Park Band Shell (or another location, if you have one in mind)? Can you take lunch breaks if need be?

Confirmed for this so far:

Great Lakes Myth Society
Chris Bathgate
That's Him! That's The Guy!
Tom (War Between The States)
Sh! The Octopus
Sweet Ride Caddy
Dave Lawson (Pop Project?)
Zach Curd (Pop Project?)
Zoos of Berlin
The Dardenelles
Mike Vasas
Sarah Gardiner (photographer)
Child Bite
MC Trashpedal
James Collin
Windmill Music
Annie Moss + Erik Adams?
Bobby Pennock
Matt Jones
Carol Catherine
Zach Norton (w/ El Boxeo gang we hope)
Timothy Monger (of course)
Gregory McIntosh (of course)
Annie Palmer
Misty Lyn
Frontier Ruckus
Virgil Walters
Scott Sellwood (of SLGTM and Drunken Barn Dance)
Fred Thomas
El Boxeo
The Hard Lessons
Brandon Wiard and the Saviors
The Novel Citizen

Misty Lyn had the incredible idea of using multiple photographers for this, as there are so many talented camera wielders in the area, each with their own style....So....if you're a photographer and would like to take a picture of this for everyone, let us know and we'll add you to the list. (Thank you Misty Lyn).

We realize this is a huge undertaking, and that we're sort of ripping off Sub Sprawl (bless their hearts), but if we can pull it off it'd be a lovely thing to look back on in 40 years for everyone involved. We emailed every band/musician in the Metro Detroit area we could think of, but please feel free to ask around/bring anyone you want with you to this event.

......................

So we have this idea for a publicity photograph, sort of like the Harlem Jazz picture from 58 (attached at bottom--this is the photo I was talking about), we'd like to get as many Michigan musicians in one picture as possible, kind of like what Sub Sprawl did, only with even more people.

Date and location as yet unknown. Let us know if you are interested in being a part of this! We are so lucky and proud to be a part of such an amazing music scene in such a wonderful part of the world. Join us to document this moment in time!

Chris Bathgate, Matt Jones and Command Prompt at The Panopticon in Lansing, 2/11

Just found out about this one on the MySpace. It's an early show, 4 p.m. start time. Check the PanopticonSpace for more details.

Vote for The Silent Years!

Sometimes comparing music from a critical perspective just isn't enough to determine what's the greatest. Sometimes you've just got to put artists head-to-head and let the fans decide. That's just what Spin.com is doing to determine their 2007 Artist of the Year. And wouldn't you know it, our very own The Silent Years find themselves in The Underground division battling NCAA Tournament-style for this yearly honor. Go here and vote to help lift the band to victory!

And after you vote, check out their video for "Someone To Keep Us Warm," featuring the finest in dowel rod-assisted animation:


The Silent Years
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming Michigan Shows:
Feb. 16 — The Lager House in Detroit
March 7 — Blowout Preview Party with The Satin Peaches and The Muggs at The Magic Stick in Detroit
March 8 — The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor with Akron/Family

Perhapsy and The Epitomes at The Blind Pig, 2/6/07

Full disclosure: My brother plays guitar in a band called The Epitomes (pronounced Ep-i-tohms, har har). I've seen them play a goodly amount of times, but I've never thought to write about them in JHaJ because, well, it just wouldn't be fair. Sure, this blog is all about pushing all things positive in Michigan music, but obviously I'm pretty biased, so even putting them on the gig calendar this month made my journalistic guts squirm. I could just hear the poo-poos being hurled at me from all corners of the Internet.

But then The Epitomes played a showcase at The Blind Pig, and I felt much better about wanting to include them. Because even if I wasn't related to one of its members, I would have been floored by this quartet, not a one of whom is of drinking age.

If you like your independent rock and roll on the epic side with a fresh jolt of stage energy, give The Tomes (as I affectionately refer to them) a try.

There's some pictures of the set on their MySpace, taken by my friend — and Epitomes superfriend — Michelle.

I'm not exactly sure what Perhapsy had to showcase, seeing as they've already got another gig at The Pig lined up for Feb. 15, but I wasn't about to miss a chance to drown in their sound … for free! Like most of the post rock I've seen live (or post cereal rock and roll, if you prefer), I find the best part of Perhapsy's performance to be grabbing on to one particular part, and letting it weave me threw the rest of the song, before another part grabs my attention. I don't know if this is what I should be doing, but I enjoy the opportunity to get inside something musical and being able to take advantage of everything that's there.

Not to mention the instrumental aptitude which they display. Tapping patterns and time signatures that 85 percent of the population (myself included) will never be able to decode.

The Epitomes
MySpace
Upcoming Michigan Shows
Feb. 26 — Mac's Bar in Lansing with Down By Fire, Ender and Asphodel Fields

Perhapsy
MySpace
Upcoming Michigan Shows
Feb. 13 — Mac's Bar in Lansing with Pattern is Movement
Feb. 15 — The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor with My Dear Disco
Feb. 17 — The Neutral Zone in Ann Arbor with Canada, Light Switch Decision and Shark Sandwhich
Feb. 21 — The Taproom Annex in Ypsi

JMAC

Repost from The Jackson Music and Arts Cooperative
To Bands: We have dates available for shows in March

We have plenty of dates available in march and april that need to be filled, every friday and saturday need to be filled by you!

Check our calender to see what dates need to be taken and ask about playing a date you want.

Myspace

The Word Play, Canada, New Grenada at the Magic Stick 2/2/07

I missed The Word Play due to major construction on the way to Detroit. Watch out for that. Detroit traffic construction info

Canada:











I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around New Grenada. But Shawn Knight provides aesthetic entertainment any time he is onstage. I'll be interested to see them perform again.



The Word Play
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming Michigan shows
Mar 2 — The Elbow Room with Natural Monuments and Dignan

Canada
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming Michigan shows
Feb. 17 — The Neutral Zone with The Wellness Plan
Mar 6 — Calvin College Fine Arts Center with Page France and Margot & The Nuclear So and Sos
Mar 7 — The Blind Pig with Page France and The Pop Project

New Grenada
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming Michigan shows
Mar 9 — Hamtramck Blowout with His Name Alive, The Pantones and Hot Club of Detroit

xo,
annie m.

The Rants in Pitchfork

Pitchfork says: On Repeat

Frontier Ruckus at Mac's Bar, Lansing 1/29/07

Monday night at Mac’s was fantastic. With a very full house and nearly all the lights turned off (save that one eerie green light above the stage) Frontier Ruckus played their best show I’ve seen. I was completely swept off my feet. The rest of the audience was right there with me- they were incredibly enthusiastic and had great energy. I haven’t seen Mac’s bar that happy (or crowded) since Steve Lambert left.

This is a band that knows how to tug at my heart strings. I seriously MIGHT have fallen in love with all of Frontier Ruckus that night.

Be sure to pick up a copy of their latest EP, “I Am the Water You Are Pumping.” The CD is accompanied by a large illustrated songbook. (AND IT IS SOOOO GOOD!). Also check out their website- it’s really beautiful.







Frontier Ruckus
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming MI shows
Feb 4- WDET 101.9 FM: Front Row Center Session Airing
Feb 23- Mac’s Bar in Lansing with The Hard Lessons
Mar 23- Alma College in Alma with Anathallo

xo,
annie moss