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Flanfire (Duggan Flanakin) is bringing LIFE to Austin music -- and telling the world how sweet it is!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The Alice Rose of Texas!
What is it about Roses and Texas? We have the Yellow Rose (used to have Yellow Rose beer until the EVIL Miller people bought up Pearl and closed the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio where this amazing, and very strong, beer was lovingly created for superior enjoyment); the Tyler Rose (and of course Tyler has quite a rose garden that is well worth the trip -- I once saw a full-scale Arthurian era wedding at the place!); and my friend the wonderful Laura Rose (of Body Choir).
Now comes The Alice Rose, named after the niece of a dear friend who passed away at age 16. As the story goes, KLBJ-FM deejay Peggy Simmons can take credit for inspiring the trio of guys who started off together in Huggies in her living room -- she also made them do their homework (or so she said in an April 2000 interview). That trio, at the time going by the moniker PigPie Hat, is singer-songwriter (and guitarist, but he also plays some piano and percussion here) JoDee Purkeypile, bassist (plus vocals and percussion) Sean Crooks, and drummer Chris Sensak.
Clearly, though, these musketeers needed something extra, and had tried for years to find it until stumbling across guitarist Colin Slagle and keyboardist Brendan Rogers about a year ago. Then, Presto, Chango -- and a hookup with producer Mark Hallman -- and out came "Phonographic Memory," which has already won acclaim from National Public Radio and a host of reviewers. And now the band has a brand-new song on its myspace page -- "Maybe a Ride" -- that is better than any of the very good sounds on this inaugural disc (a good sign they will not be one-disc wonders). [It is really getting SCARY how many very talented young musicians there are in this town -- I could write a review a day if I had the time and never get bored.]
Lots of folks compare JoDee to John Lennon, others to the late Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd; still others find other influences -- and now JoDee says the band is headed toward Motown. It is easy to see the Beatles' influence on this poprock record -- but just as much in the coded lyrics as in the music itself.
As for me, I hope to hear these guys on a bill with The Summer Wardrobe -- and let the falsettos fly ..... JoDee has a captivating voice, and this is a very listenable recording ... These boys are far too clever -- for example:
"Light Up!"includes "give dirt to me, my love, I'll put my past to Rome. You alone Tombstone the Earth."
"Save Me" calls out, "Save me. Only you could understand that I am just a child, just an actor,understand. So alone, and yet surrounded everyday. While you jilted claim your days for a vision that retains every instance of the part that you play."
"Lamplight" starts a little tougher -- "I want to break my back to bring you good luck and you to feign my curse."
"Ocean" really hurts -- "The night Gods took your life I can't say where I was. You were an angel in disguise and now I denounce the ocean for us."
"Saints" -- "Sleepin' at someone's house where roses grow to be mowed down, the very thought of which means not too much to me over an endless row of nameless tombs entirely white."
"All over Your Body" is another lamentation -- "Sitting by a fire weeping I'll tend to your two eyes leaking ... What was the hallowed thy name decline? Like one's own luck run out and blinking, why did she have to die? Where did you buy that pack of lies?"
"Wisteria" continues the theme -- "Ride into the road, no answer, changing to phone. My whispering girl seems in this instance like stone ... In every sad shape her face and figure survive, as, after all, it's bones that die." But then the deeper secret here -- "My Wisteria, she's never gonna show somebody her soiled hands ... When other girls are envious of her looks, she hides out in her books and pines."
"West" -- "Walking on a wooden bridge to see for the blind. Fall only as I. If I ever could, I'd try." This was the cut that NPR picked as its song of the day.
"Stop" (the oldest cut on the disc) speaks of Mesa Hills and admits, "There's nothing I can say to put your mind at ease... Just take the blindfold off my eyes, I know you're frightened by disguise."
And finally, "This Night" -- "This night our love has yet to come, and those who lone can find someone ... "
These songs are not easy to sing along anthems -- though I think fans may pick out favorite lines (but rarely whole songs) to identify with. But musically, for me they bring back the bouncy days of The Hollies, Herman's Hermits, and that whole genre of "chewing gum on the bedpost" kind of hopeful stuff that even included darker lyrics (like those in "Alone Again, Naturally" -- recently covered by Michael Weston King). It's like you write happy melodies to cover the sadness in the real world memory bank.
The Alice Rose plays some February gigs in San Marcos and San Antonio and gets back to Austin on March 3 at the Hole in the Wall -- and then they're off on a trip to Chicago in April for the International Pop Overthrow Festival ... for more info, check out www.thealicerose.com .
What is it about Roses and Texas? We have the Yellow Rose (used to have Yellow Rose beer until the EVIL Miller people bought up Pearl and closed the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio where this amazing, and very strong, beer was lovingly created for superior enjoyment); the Tyler Rose (and of course Tyler has quite a rose garden that is well worth the trip -- I once saw a full-scale Arthurian era wedding at the place!); and my friend the wonderful Laura Rose (of Body Choir).
Now comes The Alice Rose, named after the niece of a dear friend who passed away at age 16. As the story goes, KLBJ-FM deejay Peggy Simmons can take credit for inspiring the trio of guys who started off together in Huggies in her living room -- she also made them do their homework (or so she said in an April 2000 interview). That trio, at the time going by the moniker PigPie Hat, is singer-songwriter (and guitarist, but he also plays some piano and percussion here) JoDee Purkeypile, bassist (plus vocals and percussion) Sean Crooks, and drummer Chris Sensak.
Clearly, though, these musketeers needed something extra, and had tried for years to find it until stumbling across guitarist Colin Slagle and keyboardist Brendan Rogers about a year ago. Then, Presto, Chango -- and a hookup with producer Mark Hallman -- and out came "Phonographic Memory," which has already won acclaim from National Public Radio and a host of reviewers. And now the band has a brand-new song on its myspace page -- "Maybe a Ride" -- that is better than any of the very good sounds on this inaugural disc (a good sign they will not be one-disc wonders). [It is really getting SCARY how many very talented young musicians there are in this town -- I could write a review a day if I had the time and never get bored.]
Lots of folks compare JoDee to John Lennon, others to the late Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd; still others find other influences -- and now JoDee says the band is headed toward Motown. It is easy to see the Beatles' influence on this poprock record -- but just as much in the coded lyrics as in the music itself.
As for me, I hope to hear these guys on a bill with The Summer Wardrobe -- and let the falsettos fly ..... JoDee has a captivating voice, and this is a very listenable recording ... These boys are far too clever -- for example:
"Light Up!"includes "give dirt to me, my love, I'll put my past to Rome. You alone Tombstone the Earth."
"Save Me" calls out, "Save me. Only you could understand that I am just a child, just an actor,understand. So alone, and yet surrounded everyday. While you jilted claim your days for a vision that retains every instance of the part that you play."
"Lamplight" starts a little tougher -- "I want to break my back to bring you good luck and you to feign my curse."
"Ocean" really hurts -- "The night Gods took your life I can't say where I was. You were an angel in disguise and now I denounce the ocean for us."
"Saints" -- "Sleepin' at someone's house where roses grow to be mowed down, the very thought of which means not too much to me over an endless row of nameless tombs entirely white."
"All over Your Body" is another lamentation -- "Sitting by a fire weeping I'll tend to your two eyes leaking ... What was the hallowed thy name decline? Like one's own luck run out and blinking, why did she have to die? Where did you buy that pack of lies?"
"Wisteria" continues the theme -- "Ride into the road, no answer, changing to phone. My whispering girl seems in this instance like stone ... In every sad shape her face and figure survive, as, after all, it's bones that die." But then the deeper secret here -- "My Wisteria, she's never gonna show somebody her soiled hands ... When other girls are envious of her looks, she hides out in her books and pines."
"West" -- "Walking on a wooden bridge to see for the blind. Fall only as I. If I ever could, I'd try." This was the cut that NPR picked as its song of the day.
"Stop" (the oldest cut on the disc) speaks of Mesa Hills and admits, "There's nothing I can say to put your mind at ease... Just take the blindfold off my eyes, I know you're frightened by disguise."
And finally, "This Night" -- "This night our love has yet to come, and those who lone can find someone ... "
These songs are not easy to sing along anthems -- though I think fans may pick out favorite lines (but rarely whole songs) to identify with. But musically, for me they bring back the bouncy days of The Hollies, Herman's Hermits, and that whole genre of "chewing gum on the bedpost" kind of hopeful stuff that even included darker lyrics (like those in "Alone Again, Naturally" -- recently covered by Michael Weston King). It's like you write happy melodies to cover the sadness in the real world memory bank.
The Alice Rose plays some February gigs in San Marcos and San Antonio and gets back to Austin on March 3 at the Hole in the Wall -- and then they're off on a trip to Chicago in April for the International Pop Overthrow Festival ... for more info, check out www.thealicerose.com .
