Hoarse whinnies home

Hoarse has come to rock. No gimmicks, straight up, no chaser. Motor City rock 'n' roll is here - and it's about time.

Hoarse, the power trio of guitarist/vocalist John Speck, bassist Robby Graham, and drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, formed its current lineup in our beloved Detroit in 1994.

Paluzzi joined the band after leaving Sponge, and the band cut a tape of demos, one of which ("Diamond") found its way into heavy rotation on Detroit radio stations.

Speck explained how the band came to sign with RCA soon after in a phone interview with The Michigan Daily. "With all the airplay that we got," Speck said, "people started to try and contact us. We settled with what we thought was the best and most opportune label for what we wanted to do."

Hoarse

Now one of several hot new Detroit bands to be signed to a national label in the last year, Hoarse seems to be in the middle of Detroit's resurgence into the music world. "Detroit's got a lot of potential and it's just a matter of what's the goal gonna be, you know," Speck said. "I think the reason that Detroit's got so many great bands is because no one's really trying to do anything in particular - they're just doin' it."

If variety is the case for Detroit's musical scene, the same cannot be said about Detroit's, let's say, unique selection of radio stations. Anyone who knows Detroit radio knows Ozzy, Kiss, Ted Nugent, hair rock and Bush rule.

Speck commented on the general time warp Detroit seems to be in when it comes to music. "You know what's funny? I've had a couple people come in from out of town and they listened to the radio here in Detroit, and they were amazed and happy," Speck said. "Like 'Oh my God! I haven't heard this song in forever."

PREVIEW
	Hoarse Saturday at 4 p.m. Clutch Cargo's Call (248) 645-6666 for tickets

Hoarse decidedly is not one of those bands that gets Detroit airplay. They blend intelligent songwriting, stories people can relate to, and quick, melodic rock 'n' roll into a nice, clean little package.

The band's debut, "Happens Twice," is an emotional and steady blast, with catchy hooks and a clear, rock sound. Songs like the tale of the girl who gets around, "Tuesday Morning," and the relationship gone wrong, "Long Gone," are straight rockers, while the more subdued "Issue" and "On Deck" show a slower side of the band. Overall, though, the band likes to keep it fast and keep it loud.

It's hard to rise above and carve out a place for yourself in a business so saturated with imitators and blandness, but Speck seems confident Hoarse can do it, just like other Michigan bands like The Verve Pipe, Sponge and the Suicide Machines.

The band has seen a steady fan base grow and is just waiting to break through.

"It seems like mostly kids get it in Michigan pretty good and like in the Midwest and this area," Speck explained. "It'd be great if we could get out on the West Coast and hopefully turn some people on that way and do some more East Coast stuff.

"I would never want to compare us to other bands and say we're better than any other band," Speck said. "We really, really enjoy what we do and its all about volume and energy and melody."

"It's rock 'n' roll. We're fuckin' hyper, but yeah, it's clean, well-played, sped up rock 'n' roll."

09-26-97