Students groove to sounds of local bands

Not much going on tonight? No big Fraternity parties taking place? Then head on over to the Blind Pig or other area venues for a musical adventure.

Despite what some out-of-towners may think, Ann Arbor is a mecca of musical talents. Many of the bands that have played at the legendary Blind Pig have gone on to be international superstars. That is exactly what many of the local bands are striving for. Getaway Cruiser, a local rock band gone mainstream is a perfect example of this.

Along with great musical talent comes great musical diversity. In the Ann Arbor area, the styles range from Swing to Rock to Heavy Metal to musical sounds that are not even named yet.

Emperial Swing Orchestra, a local band that often stops off at the Blind Pig and Bird of Paradise in between recordings for their first album is Ann Arbor's hottest ticket right now. Leading the pack of locals in ticket sales by a vast margin, they are definitely a name to watch for in the future.

After hiring the producer of the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Blind Melon to oversee the recording process, they realized recording a quality album is easier said than done. Especially with a ten person band with great musical skills that were learned at the University's School of Music.

The arrangement consists of the five basics, which are: guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and vocals. This swing band is backed by a woman vocalist, something definitely different from most big swing bands. Swing music is also great dance music, not only because it makes the listener want to dance rather than drink themselves silly, but because touching the other partner is an integral part of swing dancing. This is a definite plus.

After meeting in the School of Music, Maschina has also had a big following in the area. This band's arrangement is a bit different than anything else in the industry. Besides the usual bass, drums, and vocals is an extraordinary electronic trumpet. This trumpet player can actually make his instrument sound like a guitar if need be. But with such vast possibilities available, why stick with the same old sound. Maschina's sound is as difficult to explain as the trumpet players. They are a versatile rock band with influences of jazz, funk and almost everything else out there. Their regional release will be out in September, so keep your eyes peeled.

Another band with a very distinctive sound not heard often in the music industry is Poignant Plecostomus. This all-instrumental band of five is becoming more well known each day. Their electronic piano and violin gives them a distinctive sound. But with those two instruments the tendency is to think slow and boring. In reality, they play very dancable music with a jazzy, funk- like, rock n' roll feel. With a regional release coming in August and a second album on the way these guys are bound to soon be campus favorites. They play the Bird of Paradise nearly every week, and open for some big names that come to town.

The well-established electronic rock band Morsol is a definite musical masterpiece. This five member band is everything but the typical five piece band, as they use a flute and dijuridu to accompany the electronics and vocals. With three national releases and one more due this fall, Morsol is not so local any longer. These guys can even be checked out on the web. at http://www.companyhq.com/ morsol.

Still haven't found a musical forte that suits you? How about Workhorse? This heavy metal rock band has led the heavy metal scene in Ann Arbor for over a year now and are sure to pave the future path of hard rock in Ann Arbor.

Pull out that Grateful Dead shirt and head to a Plum Loco show. The hippy side of the Ann Arbor scene has been promoting their first album. These four consist of a bassist, guitar player, a drummer who also carries the band as lead vocalist and an organ/piano player that doubles as a guitar player if needed. Although they are relatively new to the scene they have had a great following, as many hippy types live in Ann Arbor.

Then there are The Trigers. A garage rock alternative group, fairly new on the scene but sure to be gaining a larger fan base in the future.

It's a huge decision to make but the best bet is to just get out and go to the show. Once the music begins to play, you are bound to get into it.

09-08-98