Indy In-Tune #134: Minute Details

Explicit content warning

12/24/12 • 59 min

Merry Christmas from all of us here at Indy In-Tune. Now, as I know my listeners, I'm sure you're all probably out doing last-minute shopping right about now, but I figured I'd throw this one out on the feed anyway, just so you'll have something in your download queue from me on Christmas morning. This episode features the unique stylings of Minute Details, who -- despite the fact that they've been around for years -- I first bumped into during the Battle of Birdy's last summer, and who have since been regular fixtures at that venue. I quickly became a fan of the band, not just because they're fun guys to hang out with, but because they have that "quirky" indie pop meets classic rock sound that you can't quite put your finger on, and quickly leads to hours of debate among people with a vocabulary in music who want to name two or three bands who, when combined, might compare to them. In honor of what was at the time their upcoming performance at , and owing to the fact that the band had only a limited selection of studio-recorded tracks available, the music for tonight's episode was recorded live in Studio B and streamed to the audience who was listening to Indy In-Tune Radio at the time. They are admittedly of dubious quality. As I had forgotten to ask them to bring direct boxes and a suitable mixer to accommodate all of the channels required, you can see from the picture above, recording was done entirely with two mics placed in the center of the room. Up until now, four channels and five foot cables on the mics has worked fine for podcast recording. Naturally, we will be looking to improve our capability to record full bands in the near future, as this looks like it's going to be a trend going forward. Links referenced in the show: Minute Details can be found here | | The music from tonight's episode is an uncharacteristic acoustic set from the band. For a more representative feel, check out their web site for some live video work of them "plugged in." Those of you who caught the live web simulcast actually got to see a bit of the behind the scenes stuff with the Studio B sets ... for the rest of you, here's a we discussed. (Hey, there aren't many show notes this week, I had to come up with something to put here.) Bass player, Caleb Spicer, also plays in a very cool band called . There was an in joke going on (that was lost in edits) where Minute details was determined to mention eight times during the show, as The Grinning Man mentioned them seven times the week before. They are currently recording their first full album with , (of the band ) at . Mark Anthony is not to be confused with , formerly of the band .

Previous Episode

Indy In-Tune #133: The Grinning Man

A funny thing happened after the end of this show. I ended up spending about two and a half hours on a Sunday night hanging out with The Grinning Man, and let's just say, the magic fridge got seriously depleted (even the Jones' turkey and gravy cola, if that gives you any indication). When we were finally done, having given the radio listeners an extra half-hour of random musings beyond what you guys get to hear on this podcast, keyboardist Craig Swendsen asked if all my shows complete derailed like that one. My reply: "I wish they did!" Honestly, after 133 shows, how many times can one ask the same ten questions? The show relies on random tangents and individual personalities, and these guys have that in spades. I'm always excited to find bands that just don't quite fit into anyone's mold. Usually this is because they're combining several genres to form a new style that is uniquely theirs. In the case of The Grinning Man, it's even more interesting in that the styles they're combining -- psychedelic rock, surf, and lounge jazz -- are not exactly mainstream to begin with. Top of this unique approach with excellent musicianship and a great sense of humor, and you've got a recipe for becoming one of my favorite bands. I suggest everyone keep an eye on these guys. Links referenced in the show: The Grinning Man can be found here | | | The tracks from their first album, Death by Misadventure can be found on their page. The title is a reference to the official cause of AC/DC front man, , death. Their song titles contain references to , , and . For the record, "cogito ergo sum" is pronounced . They are influenced by the Shadowy Men, famous as the performers of the theme song to . They once did a cover of the theme from . I may have to dispute the Official Indy In-Tune Fact Checker. It seems, Toto drummer Jeff Procaro . Earworms can be defeated by . The name "Grinning Man" is a reference to the unexplained sightings of ... well ... it's creepy.

Next Episode

Indy In-Tune #135: Bizarre Noir

Well, here we are wrapping up the year that was ... 2012. I remember starting the year with the resolution of getting back in to writing and playing, then eventually doing that long-dreamed album project. Instead, a fateful conversation with Jack Barkley on a rainy spring night led me to starting a radio station instead. In retrospect, it was probably the better choice. The original idea was to keep something related to local music in front of people during those weeks when I just didn't have the time or energy to do a podcast. Unexpectedly, the station greatly increased attention and traffic to the site and provided the opportunity to record podcasts live, in real time, from the newly-improved and remodeled basement studio -- instead of carting the gear out and recording two hours of stream-of-conscious rambing that often took days to edit into a 1-hour show. This meant I was suddenly recording two podcasts per week with much less editing time and effort to get them out, and I have even been able to incorporate live sets played right here in Studio B and broadcast live to the Internet at large. Our final podcast of the year features Bizarre Noir, a heavier band that places an emphasis on showmanship, storytelling, and the now sadly somewhat-archaic "album concept." Any fan of hard rock, metal, or even 90's industrial music will find something they like in this music, I know I did. Sadly, I've not yet been able to see a live show, but I'm hoping to rectify that oversight sometime in the near future. As always, I had a great time hanging out with these guys, and look forward to their new project in the coming year. Links referenced in the show: Bizarre Noir can be found here | They evolved partially from the band Their first CD, Into the Sunset, can be found here: | | . It was produced by of the band . Vocal effects are done with a microphone. The boys recently opened for the Chicago area band . The band is currently working with . They have formerly worked with and .