The Radar Screen
March 2003
by Alexander Washburn

LIVE AND KICKIN'

Getting Funky Under an Orange Alert: Homeland Security warnings couldn't keep the crowd away from the Bowery Ballroom on 2/13 as one of New Orleans funkiest exports, Papa Grows Funk, took us out of our duct tape induced fear world. Featuring Russell Batiste Jr. from the Funky Meters, Jason Mingledorff, the other horn from Galactic, and the ever entertaining June Yamagishi from the Wild Magnolia's, Papa kept the deep funk and jazz grooves coming all night. Playing songs from their new record Doin' It ($10 bucks at show), Mingledorff's energetic 'big sound' sax solos made you feel like you were in the Quarter. When they rolled into funk classics like the Meters "People Say" the only thing missing was the Crawfish Monica.

Spotted at the show promoting her new single "Captain Courageous" was singer, songwriter, producer and all around "cosmic thing" Christine Marie. Christine is one of those walk-on-air-types with a positive outlook on the world. However, that didn't stop her from taking some time to drop some of her politically conscious lyrics on Radar Screen. Check her out!

Behold the Power of Cotton: We all have off nights but that didn't dim the break out star potential of Danielia Cotton at the Cutting Room (2/21). Cotton, with a voice a tad less booming than Shemekia Copeland boomed nonetheless. That bluesy voice, her soulful guitar work and her cover girl face (love the fishnets) make her a triple threat. That powerful voice unleashed on "Devil in Disguise" forcing the crowd to move, while the gentle "Compass" highlights Ms. Cotton's range and gifts as a songwriter. Plus, anyone who writes a song called "Reading Page Six" is a genius in my book.

INDIE RELEASES PICKED UP ON RADAR

Radar Screen this month picks up Sarah Popejoy's Complete Exposure from Wide Eyed Babe Records. From the first guitar licks on "Jimmy" you can tell Popejoy graduated with honors from the Lucinda Williams school. The Tulsa native (Nashville transplant) in Popejoy is heard as Southern and folk influences dominate songs like "Best Intentions" and "Downtown Churches". The addition of violins on "Waiting for Inspiration" and the funky guitar and deep bass of "That's the Price You Pay" prevent "Complete Exposure" from being just another chick on a acoustic guitar record.

Perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon is Canadian export Pat Johnson's Song's from the Town Boredom Built. Straight forward simple blues is hard to do – and while everyone tries to give you the 2 a.m. juke joint jumping blues sound, Pat Johnson gives you the music at its roots – very much in the Keb' Mo' style. While songs like "26 Years" and "Asbestos Sky" feature poignant lyrics, the instrumental "Cottage Slide" is what music is all about.

Out of Bloomington, Indiana comes L.U.V. trying their hardest to knock Johnny Socko off as being the best IU band in recent memory. If it's rock and roll you want, L.U.V's Welcome to the Land of Love will do the trick. Be warned – this is real rock and roll from a real band that rocks, especially on songs like "Land of LUV" and "Better Man". On "Good Day for Making Love", L.U.V. embraces the blues guitar in a powerful way. The CD cover and booklet art by lead singer/guitarist Michael Schulbaum should be sold full size in the L.U.V. Store. Socko be warned!

SONG IN THE HEAD

"Jack" by Julian Velard from his 2001 record Live from Daytop, has been in my head for the better part of the year. In the fashion of Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, Julian (backed by the Lost Cause on this record but now playing with A-Band) weaves great stories with his lyrics. "Jack" tells the story of a guy whose girl "left for the bright bar room life and she ain't never coming back." Julian has been playing all over NYC – in support of his new CD Nitetime. I caught him playing to a packed house at Spazzia on the Upper West Side – although he didn't play "Jack" he did treat the crowd to another of my favorites "Amsterdam Avenue" as well as baseball trivia and Madonna covers. Catch Julian Velard with A-Band on March 7th at The Sidewalk Café.

HEARD ON THE STREET

Bleed Me Blue the latest from The Underwater will be released in Europe in May. Radar Screen received an email from guitarist Brandon Deroche who assures that even though the group now features ex-ZAO drummer Jesse Smith, Underwater is a "rock band, not a hardcore band."

Email from Basin Street Records continues my love/hate relationship – love getting email updates on upcoming shows – hate not living in New Orleans. In April, Basin artists Los Hombres Calientes: Irwin Mayfield (the star of the 2002 Jazz Fest) and Bill Summers, along with the oft-2Walls reviewed Henry Butler plus Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentleman take the stage at the Howlin' Wolf for the 2nd Annual A Party for Patti, a benefit in the memory of Patti Samuels. Portion of the door goes to the Young Leadership Council, a non-profit, non-partisan civic organization that promotes leadership through community service projects.

Garage a Trios, the Stanton Moore, Sherik and Charlie Hunter trio, just taped a double-live record in Norfolk. A fan caught up with drummer Stanton Moore and reports that in addition to the live record, a studio record is due around Jazz Fest. Emails inquiries to their label Fog City Records were unreturned at press time.

RANDOM BLIPS

The F-Files: "F" as in Frugal. Hey, these are slim days but that doesn't mean my music collection has to suffer. Unable to drop regular prices, it's back to my first love – used CD stores and countless bins of cheap discs. I thought after I opened my first IRA that I'd never step foot again in a used store, but there I was at NYCD on Amsterdam Avenue (this street again?) on a two hour, multi-genre, A to Z search. When I hit "W" it was all worth it – for staring at me with the low, low price of $5.99 was Black Market by Weather Report. Not to be outdone was Greenwich Village's Disc-O-Rama where I not only found the first G. Love and Special Sauce record for under $4.00 but also Mos Def's Black on Both Sides for the recession special price of $2.99.

Hidden Track of the Month: comes from the Galactic record Crazyhorse Mongoose – at about the 15-minute mark after the last track. I know I've heard this jam before…nice to finally have it in house.

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Liner notes: Got a hidden track find for me? What about a listing? Send them along to radarscreen@2walls.com

Next month: The Radar Screen spies the Meters in town and an answer to the age-old question, "Is $34 dollars too much for a Joe Jackson show?"

(Alexander Washburn is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine.)