Gaylord
Not as Popular as Beethoven
originally published July 16, 2008
Gaylord
Between the lines of flamboyant heavy metal, funky prog-rock and jazz fusion, there are bands that intentionally defy categorization. Even discussing categorization, as such, is an on-the-surface offense to many folks. Thing is, though, that an overwhelming amount of people need some frame of reference before they’ll engage another person’s art. Insofar as this can prove problematic for artists in general, we can surmise that it's particularly problematic for Rochester, NY/ Atlanta, GA band Gaylord.
Currently playing behind its 2007 release Resplendent Locution, the band will make its first ever visit to Athens this week. Composed of members Jeff Steverson (bass, keyboards and vocals), Andrew Verstraete (drums and vocals) and Core Atoms (guitars, keyboards and vocals), the band has an undeniably active sense of humor but encourages audiences to be just as broad-minded musically. When asked if the band's varying styles and upfront humor ever impedes being taken seriously as a rock and roll band, Atoms says, "I think a band named Gaylord probably gets accused of many things, but that always changes once people hear us. The three of us have a certain sarcasm and humor which has allowed us to have a lot of fun while still keeping our musical integrity. I think if anyone pays attention to our lyrics they’ll get serious politics, as well as our sense of humor." As to the band's musical menu, Atoms says, “We are all quite eclectic. We all share a love of everything from metal to classical to funk and bluegrass. My all time favorite musician is Stevie Wonder. I think of artists that defied labels, like Stevie, Frank Zappa or Joni Mitchell, they just played what they felt and wanted to hear. When there’s so much to say, why limit your vocabulary?”
Indeed, Gaylord does not heed any limits. It’s really not a terribly long stretch, though, to understand why the band has managed to gain such an intense underground following. Considering that nearly every band out there these days is intensely utilizing the Internet as a marketing forum, the members of Gaylord seem to employ the technology only as much as they absolutely must. The band's response to an inquiry about its seemingly intentional low-profile reveals that it’s all really about keeping control.
“I like to think we are more ‘indie’ than most ‘indie’ groups. In the early days, we wanted to keep our artistic control so we did everything ourselves,” says Atoms. “D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) is a lot of work, and increasingly we have been seeking some support. Unfortunately, I think as a whole the music industry, promoters, major and so-called ‘indie’ labels would rather polish a rock than dig for a gem, but we’ll see.”
Some advance buzz about the band here in Athens has centered around the fact that Gaylord’s original drummer was Mastodon member Brann Dailor. While this is true, and the band is still friends with Dailor, it’d be a misstep to assume Gaylord was anything musically close to Mastodon. But the association did play a large part in the band's relocation from Rochester, NY to Atlanta. Atoms says, “We were planning on moving to a warmer climate for a while, and our good friends Brann Dailor and [Mastodon member] Bill Kelliher urged us to consider Atlanta. Warm climate and a strong connection to Martin Luther King, Jr., whom Gaylord has celebrated many times in song as well as birthday shows, seemed like a good alternative to another prolonged winter in Upstate New York.”
For many audiences the jury is still out on whether humor and a mixed musical palette translate directly to a good time, but the guys in Gaylord have made a solid go of it. Addressing the point directly Steverson says, “The third movement of a typical four movement symphony from the Romantic Era was frequently called the ‘scherzo.’ This directly translates as ‘joke.’ It is not uncommon for the most serious musicians and composers to utilize musical jokes within their compositions. Jazz composers and players do this all the time. Even Beethoven has an immense humor in a lot of his compositions. So, while we may have many such musical jokes in our music, and although we have the best senses of humor on the entire face of the planet ourselves, we are a very serious band. We’re just not as popular as Beethoven or that zany jazz craze.”
WHO: Gaylord, Black Tusk, The Dumps
WHERE: The Caledonia Lounge
WHEN: Friday, July 18
HOW MUCH: $6 (21+), $7 (18+)
To Hell with the Devil
The Gospel According to Charlie Louvin
originally published July 16, 2008
Alan Messer
Charlie Louvin
The Louvin Brothers’ 1960 gospel masterpiece, Satan Is Real, is almost as famous for its eccentric cover art as it is for the close-hewn harmonies enshrouded therein. With a 12-foot-tall model of the Devil looming ominously over the Louvin Brothers - who are fittingly dressed in their Sunday best - the symbolism of the scene is the antithesis of subtle. But for Charlie Louvin, who along with his brother Ira recorded some of the most sublime gospel and country music of all time, the Christian message was an important one to display.
“If you believe in God, you have to believe in the Devil, too,” says Charles Louvin, now 81 and the sole surviving Louvin brother. “So, we made what we called the Booger Man. Then, we set the scene in a rock quarry with car tires and a little bit of kerosene. We gave the devil a pitchfork. I know that’s not the way you see him today. You might see the Devil today on the beach in a bikini.”
Charlie and Ira Louvin, né Loudermilk, were born near Sand Mountain in rural Alabama, far removed from swimsuit-modeling Beelzebubs. Although their family was poor, both Charlie and Ira were encouraged to play music. The duo fit right into the predominant artistic mold of that era, the “brother act” phenomenon of the 1930s, which included The Monroe Brothers, The Blue Sky Boys and The Delmore Brothers. Brother acts, as their designation suggests, were comprised of brothers or family members and were known for their particularly close harmonies and homegrown country accompaniment, often consisting only of a guitar and a mandolin. Although the competition was steep, The Louvin Brothers distinguished themselves very quickly.
“We won a contest in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and if you’d won three Saturday nights in a row, you’d get a 15-minute-long radio show on the local radio station,” he says. “We kind of caught on from there. It’s much harder to get into the business today than it was then.”
Like most groups of their ilk, the Louvins rattled off a string of hits before feeling the sting of rock and roll. Although, as any musicologist would tell you, the early rock sound owed a lot to gospel.
“Elvis Presley opened for Ira and [me] in 1955,” remembers Louvin. “I heard him doing what ended up being called rock and roll. Of course, what he did in 1955 would be called 'new country' today, but he was a good kid, sincere. He loved country music, and he loved gospel music, also, and beyond that he loved his mother. Anyone that loves his mother and respects her deserves credit for everything.”
Even though gospel music ceased to rule the airwaves, its influence - and particularly the influence of The Louvin Brothers - is still a palpable force in the record industry.
In 1968, The Byrds, at the behest of Gram Parsons, included on their classic album Sweetheart of the Rodeo a faithful version of The Louvin Brothers' song, “The Christian Life.” On a subsequent solo release, Parsons recorded “Cash on the Barrel Head,” by The Louvin Brothers. The Louvin Brothers also penned Emmylou Harris’ first hit, “If I Could Only Win Your Love.”
“Billy Bob Thornton just recorded ‘Knoxville Girl,’” says Louvin. “I’m anxious to get by a record store and pick it up and see what he did to it.”
In 2007, Louvin released a self-titled disc featuring performances by Elvis Costello, Will Oldham, Jeff Tweedy and numerous others. According to Louvin, producer Mark Nevers recruited much of the young talent on the record, while Louvin recruited fellow country stalwarts such as George Jones and Tom T. Hall.
“I didn’t know who all [Nevers] had added to the project until I got a finished copy of the record,” says Louvin. “Most of them were in their earlier years, and they were big Louvin Brothers fans, and they were happy to come by and lend their support and talent to the record.”
Louvin notes that his audiences are getting younger. This is probably due in some part to his recent collaborations, and it doesn’t hurt that Louvin has toured with some of today’s most popular acts as well.
“I’ve toured with Cheap Trick, Cake and The Detroit Cobras,” says Louvin. “And I did about 23 days with Lucinda Williams.” However, when asked whether classic country music is resurgent, Louvin bristles.
“I don’t really think country music has gone anywhere,” he says. “A lot of people have recorded rock music and called it country, and the disc jockeys are going right along with it and confusing the American public to the point that most country fans just don’t like what’s happening on the radio today so they’re going back to their cassette players and CDs and playing what they want to hear. It has hurt the radio stations, but they brought it on themselves.”
Even in this age of instant nostalgia, where the word "legend" is tossed around far too frequently, and MTV is quick to declare the previous week the “Best Ever,” Charlie Louvin is a legend in the truest sense of the word.
“We have a lot of so-called legends in this business,” says Louvin. “But most are legends in their own mind, not in their own time. A legend is somebody who believes in what he’s doing and does it to the best of his ability. I’m proud that I’ve been able to do country music for my entire career. If I live another 40 years I’ll still be singing country music. I might be singing it free, but I’ll still be singing.”
Devil be damned.
WHO: The Bearfoot Hookers (acoustic), Charlie Louvin
WHERE: The Melting Point
WHEN: Friday, July 18
HOW MUCH: $17
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