backstage pass

Backstage Portraits, a new photography tome from Valerie Jodoin Keaton, shows musicians in what is perhaps one of there most vulnerable moments - up-close-and-personal with them backstage before their show. Look at this black and white of M.I.A. I love it!

Back porch crooners hit the trail

There is a long stretch of land separating us from canyons and prairie dogs.

The folksy anthems of new local band Andy Cook and the Wander Loons deliver their own blend of back porch twang.

The group played their very first show at Jamestown's Labyrinth Press Company cafe Thursday Nov. 6.

Andy Cook (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, kazoo) collected a troupe of ruffians for this project - Eric "Smokey" Cronstein (guitar), Ronnie "Hawk" Brannan (bass), Matt "America' Scheuermann (guitar, vocals) and Adam "Buzz" Korbesmeyer (percussion).

"We play songs written by Andy and America," said Korbesmeyer, who graduated from SUNY Fredonia's sound recording department last year. "Andy booked a few shows and instead of playing the shows acoustic and solo he decided to ask a few friends to join him."

While cracking jokes in flannel, the band jammed like pioneers fresh off the covered wagon.

"Everyone in the band has other bands that are their primary bands, mine being Ghost of a Stranger from Fredonia," Korbesmeyer said. "So this is a 'for fun' band. We always have a good time going on the road and playing shows."

Korbesmeyer interns at Ante Up Audio, a Cleveland, OH-based record label. The group members all met there recently while working and recording.

Cook and Scheuermann released a split (album) in 2008. The EP, under the name Andy Cook and the American War titled Under Leaves, Over Bridges, includes offbeat songs with real panache. Folksy rhythms are at times reminiscent of The Shins and Sufjan Stevens. The clever, quirky lyrics are unique and just downright fun.

"We did this because we are friends, because we love music and mostly because nothing else makes sense to us," said Cook in his Myspace blog. "This is what we do. We recorded these songs in several places that are very personal to us. Places we go to dream and think and be alone."

A standout song is "Lily White World," on which Cook croons, "Well I was born in the lily white world/scraped my knees and I didn't get hurt/and I have the chance to change."

In the song, Cook goes on to describe seeing his grandfather's face reflected in a lake and wondering if he will ever experience giving back to the world in a similar way. The song ends with the group going off in sweet, heartfelt harmonizing.

After the Jamestown gig, the Wander Loons traveled to Oswego to play alongside Madeline, a friend and musician from Athens, GA. This past weekend, they played shows in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. Wherever they venture, listeners are sent into a nostalgic frenzy with their upbeat melodies.

"Listening to the Wander Loons was a magical experience," said Molly Meyer, a senior social work major at Fredonia. "It took me back to the good ol' days of me wearing my rainbow unitard and riding my pink Huffy around town."

To hear music by Andy Cook and the rest of the band, visit Myspace.com/AndyCook and Myspace.com/AmericanWar.

Winos Forever - the art of indulging during a recession

In the movie Sideways (2004), Paul Giamatti proclaims that his glass of wine contains “just like the faintest soupçon of, like, asparagus and just a flutter of a, like a, nutty Edam cheese... “ There are some people out there, an elite clan known as “wine snobs,” reserved for the caliber of the olfactory astute. They swirl their sifters and pronounce, eyebrows rising towards the heavens, declarations of the various temperaments belonging to their vino. Besides the fruity elements, there are many components lurking within.

When it comes to myself, however, I’m several tiers below the "wine snob," closer to the realm of the “dispassionate wino.” I’m not particuarly aware of all the components of a certain blend, which makes me able to imbibe pretty much everything (save for bitter merlot, which always makes me sweaty and headachy). I’ve decided to embark on my own certified wine tour, to potentially master the art of dissecting individual components of the wine I enjoy. Follow me, friends, on my very own Buffalo Recession Wine Tour 2009! Readers be aware – I’m young and not exactly affluent, so all wine featured in my personal wine tour will be of the under $20 a bottle variety.

MENAGE A TROIS, $11.99

For a cheeky gift for my boyfriend’s birthday, I picked up a bottle of this California white wine from the Wine Seller in Cheektowaga. My mother bristled at the double entendre, which made me think it would be perfect. Once the corkscrew was found and the bottle was popped, we realized there were no wine glasses in the house and resorted to mugs. The Menage, like so many, was a slight disappointment – too much bitterness! First we sniffed the cork, and discovered a pungent vinegar-eque aroma. We swirled our mugs, and this revealed a really watery consistency. After several sips, though, it was decided that the Menage wasn’t SO bad. Comme ci, comme ca.
www.folieadeux.com

BULLY HILL GOAT WHITE SEMI-DRY, $10.99

The illustrations on bottles of Bully Hill wine come from an artist who is crippled and draws with his feet. This inspiring tidbit is what narrowed my focus at the West Side liquor store I visited with my boyfriend, and made me choose the Goat White. The olive green colored bottle harkens back to speakeasies and smoky taverns, and would be the perfect accent to our garret soiree, we decided. The initially tart flavor finishes with a hint of sweetness, and would pair nicely with French cheese like brie or berries. We wished we had gotten the bigger bottle. The Bully Hill Web site declares that it is “semi-dry” and “a harmonious blend of fruit with a soft finish.”
www.bullyhill.com

I'm From Rolling Stone

Sun-speckled vineyards and produce stands sweeten the air of Fredonia, New York. An hour outside of Buffalo, this college town is bubbling over with local musical talent. As the sun sets, youthful villagers descend upon the town in a cacophony of nighttime rambling. The weekends are always anticipated, since they are filled with a cornucopia of shows and gigs.

The Fredonia music scene is a bastion of experimentation. S.U.N.Y Fredonia college students provide a dynamic blend of local talent. The university is renowned for its music program, and the student talent is vast and dynamic. Bands composed of Fredonia students range from hardcore troubadours Hello, Star Vega to the eccentric prog-rock quintet Gonculator.

Fredonia’s Tarbox Road Studios have become a favorite of The Flaming Lips, who recorded “The Soft Bulletin” here. Wayne Coyne, Flaming Lips’ vocalist/guitarist, was spotted jogging around town in red shorty shorts, and the band was photographed for Maxim magazine in downtown bar B.J’s. Thursday also recorded an album in Fredonia last year. Frontman Geoff Rickley was spotted browsing the florescent aisles of the local Wal-Mart.

Ellicotville Brewing Company and B.J’s are perhaps the two most popular venues in downtown Fredonia. Vera Lena, Besnyo, and Sleeping Kings of Iona, three popular indie bands from Buffalo, maintain a strong fan base in Fredonia. Bands from all over, both signed and unsigned, frequent these local venues for the receptive, open-minded audience.

Every time the sun goes down, music enthusiants meet to absorb with passion the songs of their generation.

-- Rolling Stone

Published 1/12/2007.
http://www.rollingstone.com/imfromrollingstone/index.php/2007/01/12/assignment-one-finalist-ann-marie-trietley-on-fredonia-new-york/

Hello and welcome to my wonderful and whimsical blog. I'll talk about music, I'll talk about sexy sexy things with my own candid fervor, and I'll post photos too. I love each and every one of you!