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Vocal
hero: (l-r) Collider, Tommy Ramone and Bryan Thomas
in the studio.
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ROUGH
MIX
AN
UNTIMELY PASSING: The Capital Region mourns the loss of
Billie Katherine Way, who passed away in Schenectady on Nov.
5 from complications associated with diabetes. She had performed
in the area as bassist-vocalist for the Staziaks, and will
be sorely missed.
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COLLIDER?
I HARDLY EVEN KNOW HER: In early December, soul rocker
Bryan Thomas recorded some vocal tracks for Jed Davis’ electro-punk
outfit Collider at Loho Studios in New York City. Thomas’
vocals will be included on an upcoming Collider EP on SonaBLAST!
Records, and producing the disc is Tommy Erdelyi, aka Tommy
Ramone (drummer on the first three Ramones albums). As many
of you know, Davis once graced the Capital Region streets,
and performed with area band Hanslick Rebellion, before making
tracks to Long Island to make a big huge name for himself
among music lovers great and small (in the not-so-distant
past, musicians such as Daniel Johnston, King Missile III,
Agnostic Front’s Jimmy Colletti and Anal Cunt performed an
album’s worth of Davis originals—well, a couple, including
a song by Wesley Willis, were written about Davis—for
Everybody Wants to Be Like Jed out on Davis’ own J-Bird
label. A longtime Ramones fan, Davis previously worked with
Tommy Ramone when his ode to Joey Ramone (himself a Collider
fan), “The Bowery Electric,” written following the artist’s
death, caught the ear of Tommy, CJ and Marky. The single was
recorded, and Davis performed it at Joey’s birthday last year.
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PLEASE
RELEASE ME: Alex Torres & the Latin Kings recently
released their seventh album, Punto De Vista, which
includes eight original Latin Kings songs and a remixed tune
by Jimmy Fontañez. The band will celebrate with a CD-release
party at the WAMC Performing Arts Studio on Feb. 8.
Speaking of releases, a few new ones haven’t been mentioned
yet in Metroland. Kamikaze Heart Gaven Richard’s long-awaited
solo disc, Live From Restaurant Island, produced and
engineered by Jason Martin, mastered and assisted by Troy
Pohl, is now available and awesome. And before you even catch
a listen, you’ll be grabbed by the gorgeous cover art, created
by Aindrea H.B. Richard.
Stars of Rock singer-guitarist Brent Gorton has been busy
recording and producing as of late. We’ve mentioned in the
past his efforts with regard to the recently released eponymous
Kamikaze Hearts disc, and Gorton’s latest solo release, the
rootsy-inflected indie-rock gem San Diego, is likely
to reside in your CD-player for more than a few spins. Gorton
also recorded the tail end of the Users (Gene Davenport and
Greg Adams will continue to collaborate under a different
name), capturing some of their best material.
OH
GIVE THEM A HOME: Miss Mary’s Art Space continues to search
for new digs, and you can join the many area bands donating
their sweaty effort to the cause by partaking in Miss Marys’
membership meeting on Wednesday (Jan. 15). The gathering takes
place at 7 PM at 2B Irving Street, Albany. If you have questions,
e-mail them at ljk59@yahoo.com or call Matt Toomey at 463-5857.
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REFERENCES
AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST: Our very own J. Eric Smith is
now directing the Chapel and Cultural Center, located on the
R.P.I. campus, and he encourages area artists, musicians,
scholars and writers to propose programming items for the
upcoming spring and fall. Call him with ideas, or just to
talk shit, at 274-7793, or drop him a line at smithj3@rpi.edu.
Some acts already booked: Blackloud (onetime Small
Axe bassist Jimbo Burton) on Jan. 31; guest poet Alice
Fulton on March 4; guest speaker and former Times Union
reporter Christopher Ringwald on March 20; violinist
Deni Bonet on April 11; ambient night featuring Sara
Ayers, Mindspawn and Dreamstate with video by Twisted
Pair on April 25. And there are a couple of art exhibitions
slated as well: Uncovered Treasures: Contemporary Latino
and Latin-American Art; Loop Sanctuary: The Art of
the Dreamscape; and Client Art From the Roarke Center.
—Kate
Sipher
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