Face it: Motown is no more. The days of The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temptations, and countless others are gone. Certainly, music of the Motown era will always hold a special place in the hearts of music connoisseurs everywhere, but the Detroit music scene today is radically different from what it was 50-some years ago.
Detroit is still a hotbed of musical activity, just as it was back in the good old days. In the past few years, several major record deals have been struck with Motor City bands.
Hoarse, The Suicide Machines, Charm Farm, His Name is Alive, Full on the Mouth and ICP (Insane Clown Posse) have all signed their sounds away to major labels. As for unsigned bands, rumor has it that The Atomic Fireballs (a nine-piece jump-blues/swi
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Does this make Detroit the "next big scene?" Hardly. But that doesn't mean there isn't a tremendously talented group of musicians in the area that are worth hearing.
Then there's Sponge. The only band to come out of Detroit and disappoint not only folks from its hometown butseemingly the rest of the world as well, this alt-rock group has been rather silent since the release of its sophomore album, "Wax Ecstatic," on Columbia Records.
The hope was that Hoarse, favorite sons of the RCA label, would take Sponge's place as the Detroit representative of the rapidly deflating alternative rock scene. The release of its commendable major-label debut, "Happens Twice," didn't cause sparks to fly and attention to turn to the Motor City, as had been hoped.
So what is the best band in Detroit at the moment? Some would still cast their vote for Hoarse, stating that commercial success doesn't equal artistic success. But some musicians in the area put their money on Empire State Games, a band that has been gaining quite a following recently. Others would argue that ska has taken the reigns of the scene as of late.
The Articles, an instrumental and traditional ska band, are the perfect cure for the blues whether or not one likes their style of music. Exceptional musicians, the band members signed to New York's infamous Moon Ska Records last year.
As of this writing, its debut record, "Flip F'real," is No. 1 on the Tower Records bestseller list in the "Reggae" category. Well-known for an incredible live sound and formidable stage presence, the Articles are constantly gigging locally. The band will be playing on April 18 with the legendary Skatalites and Let's Go Bowling at the Majestic.
There are, of course, those who like their ska to rock a little harder. Veteran scenester Telegraph always aims to please at countless local shows. Next month, these musicians take their act on the road with punk comrades The Suicide Machines.
The Suicides' new record "Battle Hymns" (Hollywood Records) hits stores on April 7, while Telegraph will be releasing a CD-EP on Chicago's Jump Up! records sometime in April. The two bands will kick off the tour together on April 17 at Clutch Cargo's in Pontiac.
Other local ska favorites include The Exceptions and The Parka Kings, both with multiple releases on Jump Up! The Beauty School Dropouts (whom Jeff Sanguis, lead singer for Telegraph, has called "the best up-and-coming ska band in Detroit") and good ol' boys Gangster Fun also deserve attention from anyone interested in the Motor City ska scene.
While rap seems to be vastly underrepresented in the current scene, the Insane Clown Posse has done a decent job of trying to fill that gaping hole all by itself. Famous for their colorfully disgusting lyrics and Faygo-filled live shows, the nearly undisputed "bad boys" of rap cannot be controlled.
Proving that shock value has some worth, Hollywood Records signed musicians Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, only to drop them like a bad habit upon the release of their latest album, "The Great Milenko." Island Records came into the picture not long after, to re-release the "Milenko" album and give the band a new contract. According to Pollstar Magazine, ICP is one of the top-40 highest-grossing live acts in the nation.
As opposed to shows full of cheesy theatrics and super-cheap soda, the Motor City is home to many other smaller acts known for musical integrity and standout stage presence. Those with a hankering for swing and rockabilly should be sure to check out, as previously mentioned, The Atomic Fireballs and also The Twistin' Tarantulas and 2 Star Tabernacle.
Punks have their place in the Detroit scene as well. The Epileptix, often compared to seminal punks The Germs, has a minor local following. Bourgeois Filth also has a share of the local punk spotlight. While decidedly substandard when it comes to musical talent, the lead singer's spiked hair has helped the band create a name for itself.
Other punks to watch out for include Old Spice, made up of two members of the Parka Kings, who plan to release a record in the near future; The Gutter Punx, an old-school, California-style outfit who opened for the Suicide Machines last year at the band's annual Christmas show; The Trash Brats, a more than 10-year-old glam/punk band with a steady local following but still no national attention; The Feisty Cadavers, whose singer was murdered a few years ago; and the female trio Broadzilla, which has made a nasty habit of touring the local club circuit over and over again.
Indie rockers also have their place in Detroit. Godzuki, a four-piece outfit, has been featured on the soundtrack to an episode of "Melrose Place." Its first full-length release, "Trail of the Lonesome Pine," was recorded by Warren DeFever, the central figure of His Name is Alive, another, much better-known Motown indie group.
While hard to truly classify, His Name is Alive, signed to the 4AD label, is probably the best known "indie" entity to come out of Detroit in recent years. The band's credits include a song from the "Jerry Maguire" soundtrack, which had sales figures upwards of 900,000 units.
"The Detroit scene is certainly healthy," said Seth Dropout, bassist and singer of the aforementioned Beauty School Dropouts. "It's grown in the past few years, definitely. At least the ska and punk scene has."
Does this proliferation of music make the city that used to be Motown another hotbed of musical activity? Not necessarily.
But regardless of that fact, Detroiters have no right to complain that there's a lack of talent in their area. There's something in today's local scene for everyone.
03-26-98
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