The Next Great American Band: You Gotta Own Your Sound Episode 4 Recap by Gayl Killough
November 12, 2007
In the fourth week of The Next Great American Band, only the Top 8 bands will perform. The ten bands from last week wait in anticipation from the green room. The bands are not announced in order of votes. The last band called is not necessarily the lowest vote getter. The bands that are not called are the ones that will not perform.
This week the songwriter is Billy Joel. There are no original songs performed this week, only the Billy Joel covers. The show was only an hour long instead of 2 hours long. I really, really hope that the reduction in show length helps with the show ratings. There has to be people watching this show besides me for it to survive even with a writer's strike. The theme question this week for all the bands was about what sacrifices and horrible jobs have band members had to work in order to be in a band. Many band members have to spend time away from their family and have missed births of their kids. After a while, all of the band answers sounded pretty much like, with a few exceptions.
The first band announced is "Franklin Bridge" who performs "Big Shot" by Billy Joel. This is the R & B mixed with rock style band. I think Billy Joel songs were more difficult to put in their own musical style for this band or either they were struggling with toning it down. They all toned down the arrangement of their playing. The attitude from last week seemed to be gone and they acted like they were trying to follow the judges' advice. I hope that the people who were complaining about them being over-arranged are happy now. I realize I am in the minority for liking the complex arrangements and trust me, I am used to having unpopular musical taste, but I loved them the way they were before. I did not like this performance as much, but it was solid.
Judge John thought they really nailed it and pounded on it very hard. Judge Sheila thought that last week was a little busy, but they took the judges' advice and toned it down and made it better. She warned them to not be too cocky. Judge Dicko does not see them as too cocky, but as fantastic musicians. He made a backbone joke that I admit I did not understand.
The second band called safe is Cliff Wagner and the Old No. 7, who performed "You May Be Right" in a slowed down tempo in a style I call honkey tonk. This is the bluegrass style band. My first thought was my dad would love this. I enjoyed this. The problem for them is that this performance did not show off their humor and lively fun style. They played it well, but it was not very memorable compared to some of the other contestants and they also played near the beginning of the show. I think that it put them in danger of going home next week. I am hoping and assuming that more people watched this show this week, and new voters may not realize what this band is capable of playing.
Judge John thought it was a great rendition, but he was just expecting them to pound it harder than they did. Judge Sheila loves bluegrass and says that people are either going to love it or hate. Judge Dicko says that it was fantastic, and makes a Duke of Hazzards joke that I would just as soon not remember. The judges are letting me down so far this week. I usually love their insight.
The third band called safe is Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. This is the big band style band. Denver just had a baby boy a few days ago and missed being with his family. They are happy to still be on the show though and think the sacrifices will be worth it for them in the end. They perform "Tell Her About It". I thought Denver seemed a little bit distracted and almost withdrawn from the performance, but since he had just had a baby, it makes sense. The band played their hearts out and the horns were very tight.
Judge John says they need to aim for timeless and to really break boundaries. Judge Sheila loved the horn arrangements again, and said it had a well done flow. Judge Dicko says that they could make it as a corporate gig, but to make it a recording artist would be more of a challenge.
The fourth band called safe is Dot Dot Dot and they perform "Pressure". They have an 80's New Wave kind of sound to them. This was the first time that I understood what they were going for musically. This was a great song for them. Their lead singer can actually sing, and the band was very focused in this performance. They totally redeemed themselves. Now, the problem for me is that they are not really my musical style, so that makes it harder to judge them. This was the type of music that I was supposed to be listening to as a kid, but I was too busy listening to other styles like blues, bluegrass, southern gospel, and very early hip hop. In other words, nothing like this. I totally bypassed this style of music and to be honest, I don't really know what to think of it. I will have to judge them on their musicianship. They sounded good this week and they played together like a band.
Judge John said it was very good and complimented the bass player. Judge Sheila says that they came back, listened, improved, and she was very proud of them. Judge Dicko said it was terrific, and by having the lead singer focus, it raised his energy level and gave the whole band focus. Finally, the judges are making sense to me again.
The fifth band called safe is Sixwire. This is the modern country style band. I was almost expecting them to be called sixth. They surprise me by performing "She's Always A Woman". They are very skilled at picking songs that fit their style, but also stay faithful to the original as well. They were polished and consistent as usual.
Judge John though it was a solid performance, Judge Sheila thought it was beautiful and wanted to marry Andy, the lead singer. Judge Dicko was glad to have them in the competition and mentioned them being the housewife's' choice again.
The sixth band called safe is Tres Bien. They are the British invasion rock style band. They play "Movin Out". I think that they sound much better on their originals, but unfortunately, there were no originals this week. They still had their light airy fun vibe, but that was about it. I am sure that somewhere out there, some Brit rock fan loved this, and I am probably in the minority opinion, but I think they failed to live up to their name in French. That was not good. That was a mess. I did not like that performance at all. Usually, they are alright for me, but this week, they went down for me. If I was picking who went home next week, I would send this band home.
However, I think the sheer popularity and nostalgia of Brit rock that is currently happening in the music scene will more than save them, but I think the fact that this band remind people of very popular bands gives them more of a "pass" than what they actually deserve. I do think that most of their flaws are fixable, but they need to get out of their comfort zone. They seem to have a bag of favorite riffs and song constructions that they try to stick to, no matter what. It feels forced. They need to listen to the music that inspired their favorite musicians, so that they can add depth to the style that they are playing, otherwise they are only superficially re-creating a sound. They mentioned in an earlier episode that they grew up listening to their parents' records.
Did any of their parents own any records from Sun Records? The music catalog for Sun Records would be a great place to start or to revisit for this band. It is true, that the very best musicians "steal" riffs and tricks from others, but the great ones still manage to play what they borrow in their own natural style. Great musicians study the very best, but then let it flow out of them naturally when it is time to perform. I still think Tres Bien could possibly be a very good band like their name states with a hot future, but they need more musical depth and to not fight their natural musical flow.
Judge John found it lacking in urgency. Judge Sheila thought they were fun. Last week, the judges told them that the lead singer added more to the performance by not playing guitar because it allowed to interact more with the audience. The problem this week was that the other guitar player was not as good or at least not used to playing lead guitar, but Sheila said that it was ok if that was the best he could do. Judge Dicko says that he loves this band, but that it was sloppy. He jokes that his writer has gone on strike and gives it a raspberry. I am amazed that the judges agreed with me this week on this band.
The seventh band called is The Clark Brothers. I would be very worried by now if I had not read the spoilers for this show. They perform "She's Got A Way". More than a day later, I am still trying to scrape myself off the floor so that I can write this recap. I completely melted and I could not stop replaying this song. This is my favorite performance of the season so far from anyone. Wow! I know the type of music that they grew up playing far too well, and they should be an easy band for me to nit pick. They just amaze me that they can take a sound that have I heard my entire life, and make it feel completely fresh. This music just flows through their veins and then they pour it out with such passion and conviction. This is what I hope Tres Bien can do with the Brit Rock that inspires them. The Clark Brothers don't try to recreate what they learned growing up; they just seem to play what is natural for them. What comes out is what comes out when they perform. When they practice however, they seem to be very serious about playing it right with the best of technique. That is how I think music should be practiced and performed by bands.
In the introduction, the brothers comment that they spent more time living on a bus than in a house. When they went to visit normal people, the world of soccer practices, prom, and homecomings were foreign to them. They would not trade their years growing up for anything, and think nothing is better than playing with family. They mention spending a lot of time playing at tent revivals. They were stuck playing on stage. I can relate because I was the kid who got stuck in the audience at these types of events. I know all too well what they are talking about. I can sense how much they miss playing and spending time with their family. They really miss those times. When I was kid, as much as I hated being dragged around on the weekends to small towns in central Kentucky and Tennessee because my family really loved live Southern Gospel music and sometimes bluegrass festivals, I want so badly now to be able to go back to those family moments. I miss it so badly that it hurts. Their musical heritage traces back to a form of sound that is more than Southern Gospel, something more than the blues, to what I consider a pure sound that really never made it on its own, but gave birth to modern American music. Yet, they have such a fresh take on it and they are very modern and not stuck in a time warp either. I admit I am very biased toward their sound due to nostalgia alone, but I am so amazed that they can make it seem like what it felt when I was a kid hearing this music for the first time, all over again.
Judge John said that they completely owned that version. Judge Sheila said that she was thrilled that she gets to share the gift that they have. Judge Dicko says fantastic twice. He comments that he does not know if it is due to the band's religious background, but that there is not anyone else on the show that can play with such passion and conviction.
The last band called is Light of Doom. They are the very young teen metal band. They perform "The Stranger". None of the bands played songs I was expecting from them. This band is getting better and better each week. They still do have some flaws, but they are working their butts off, and they really seem to enjoy being there. I would love to see more of the interaction of them with the other bands, because I have heard that the other bands are mentoring them. The Clark Brothers were playing music on the road when they were 13 years of age, so I am sure that they would have plenty of great advice for this band. I have mixed feeling about putting such a young band in the spotlight, but so far, I think they are enjoying themselves and they don't seem to really miss the hobbies and time in school that they have given up to be in this competition. I would like to see them take the time they need to develop, without being burnt out in the process, but being with these other bands has to be a great learning experience for them.
Judge John says that was their best performance so far and for them to stay focused on the music and not the so called perks of music fame. Judge Sheila is happy that they are listening to their advice. Judge Dicko makes a joke about getting toys of them out by the holidays. Dicko takes the words out of my mouth when he says that he is impressed that even though the lead singer does not have the best voice, the lead singer commits a hundred percent, and that a lot of adults could learn from him.
Last week, I correctly predicted the two bands that would be eliminated this week would The Muggs and Rocket. I predicted correctly that The Hatch would go home the first week, but Rocket took a couple of weeks to go home. I am actually surprised that I have been so close. I feel a lot less certain for next week.
At first, I was a little annoyed that the judges kept talking about ownership, urgency, and commitment. Then it struck me, how great that advice really was. Most mediocre bands and bar bands have enough technique and skill to make it big, but don't. Besides luck, successful bands own their sound, they are hungry for music, and they go all out to do whatever it takes. So ownership, urgency, and commitment do separate out the great bands from the average bands.
There is a Top 7 next week, with only one band going home. I think it should be Tres Bien, but I think it will be Cliff Wagner and the Old No. 7 who goes home. Franklin Bridge and Denver are also in danger too based on an early performance order this week.
I just hope the shows gets the ratings to keep the show on the air. The writer's strike helps the odds, but still there is only so much before a network gives up on a show. My worst fear of all is that all of the bands don't get to play due to cancellation.
About Gayl Killough
Gayl considers herself a jack of all trades and has too many interests. Gayl writes environmental legal documents for a living and hopes people find this commentary to be more interesting. Gayl likes to believe that being born on B.B. King's birthday means she was born to love the blues.
You can contact Gayl at gkilloug@yahoo.com.
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