Cover Stories
‘Detroit Country Music’ Chronicles Bygone Era
Ask the average person about Detroit music and you’ll likely hear about the soul and R&B of Motown, the rock and roll of Bob Seger, the blues of John Lee Hooker, the proto-punk of the MC5 and the Stooges, or the techno revolution kicked off by such artists as Carl Craig and Derrick May. But mention…
Part 1: Ghosts of a Long-Gone Scene
Related Ask the average person about Detroit music and you’ll likely hear about the soul and R&B of Motown, the rock and roll of Bob Seger, the blues of John Lee Hooker, the proto-punk of the MC5 and the Stooges, or the techno revolution kicked off by such artists as Carl Craig and Derrick May.…
Part 2: The People Who Made the Music
Related MT: Tell us about the type of people who made Detroit country music. Maki: A lot of these bandleaders and musicians were working independently in the nightclubs and on radio and television. They weren’t associated with any particular labels that put them over all across the country, but a number of them did have…
Part 3: Detroit Country — A Musical Melting Pot
Related Maki: Novelty records were very popular. At that time, songs like “Hamtramck Mama” sold so well that the jukebox operators who had these small record labels in Detroit wanted to keep them coming, to make more money by issuing more crazy stuff like that “Detroit Hulu Girl,” which is just a scorcher of a…
An Excerpt From ‘Detroit Country Music’
Excerpt from Detroit Country Music: Mountaineers, Cowboys and Rockabillies, by Craig Maki with Keith Cady, appears courtesy of University of Michigan Press. October 1943, Detroit nightclub owner William Levin realized he had problems, World War II the least of them. After struggling through the Great Depression, earnings from his vaudeville show bar had slipped into…
You Don’t Need a Dick to Propose
Q: I’ve talked to my girlfriends, my mom and his mom, but I need some unbiased advice. I’m a 28-year-old woman in a relationship for 3.5 years with a wonderful man, also 28. I hit the jackpot: He is loving, sweet, kind, driven, active, handsome, generous, etc. We’re very committed to each other and planning our…
What if Cannabis Oil Cured Cancer?
IN JANUARY 2011, then-14-year-old Alysa Erwin began having intense, debilitating headaches. By that spring she was diagnosed with Grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma — brain cancer — at University of Michigan Medical Center. According to information at mdguidelines.com, “Individuals with grade 3 astrocytoma have a median survival time of 18 months with treatment (radiation and chemotherapy).…
Regarding ‘Rape Insurance’
LAST WEEK WAS a perfectly lousy one for the citizens of the state of Michigan, who were repeatedly victimized by the Republicans that control state government — at all levels. If you are a woman, or if you care about honesty, democracy or fairness of any kind, the Michigan Legislature voted to give you a…
City Slang: Crud to host a Cruddy Xmas
Local industrial metallers Crud, led by Sponge’s Vinnie Dombroski, will host its annual Cruddy Xmas at the Diesel Concert Lounge on December 28. Doors are at 7, and tickets are $10 ($12 at the door). The bill also features fellow industrial-heads Cybertrybe, Throttlebody, and Black Market Rebellion, as well as “jaw dropping sideshow titillation by…
FOALS (Tomorrow Night, helping 89X Steal Christmas)
Photo: Steve Gullick It was surprising enough to have Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers headlining massive stages for 20,000 fans in the middle of Belle Isle, last summer. But, it might have also surprised fans of those hard-rock icons to be exposed to the quirkier fare of Foals, who played a solid,…
Yo Gabba Gabba! at the Fox
Yo Gabba Gabba! is mental. If you’ve seen the show, you know what I mean. Host DJ Lance Rock is a livewire crazy person, and the five creatures look like a child’s freestyle take on anime. We interviewed creator Christian Jacobs and that whole experience was whacky, but the show was another thing entirely. This…
20 Local Songs of 2013 (pt. 1 of 2)
As I’ve intoned elsewhere, it’s essentially ludicrous to try and hem the whole of a calendar year’s released music into a quintessential list. These are just songs that stuck out for me, garnered the most replays and showed each artist at one/some of their personal best creative moments… 20. J. Walker & the Crossguards…
Found Sound Holiday Revue – 12/20/13 @ The Shelter
Found Sound Holiday Revue Show Melvin Davis – vinyl release show 12/20/13 The Shelter – Detroit Chains of Love / I’m Gonna Love You Gure Gauza Legendary Detroit soul ambassador Melvin Davis has some new vinyl recordings ready for release – two brass-toughened, funky shufflers jumping right off the wax; what better occasion to release these singles than a…
DETROIT FILM CRITICS SOCIETY ANNOUNCES BEST OF 2013
So, in case you haven’t noticed, this is the time of year when every film group, critic society, reviewer, blogger and fansite starts to compile its list of bests. Top ten this. Top ten that. Best this. Best that. It’s a plague of lists. And some have suggested that award season is ultimately bad…
Film Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | B Let’s take a step back for a moment. When considering Peter Jackson’s screen adaptation of the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy there is much to admire about its execution. Not only did Jackson have the savvy to gradually open up Tolkein’s sprawling scope and seemingly endless…
City Slang: Sponge and Spacehog at the Magic Stick
On a cold Thursday night, people need a really good reason to venture out onto the snowy roads, and it would appear that a double bill featuring local heroes Sponge and former Brit pop faves Spacehog (for $20) isn’t enough to pull people out in force. Times are hard and the weather is getting harsh.…
PETA will give away fur coats to Detroit’s homeless
This may seem like a surprise, but PETA will be giving away 100 fur coats, leather jackets, wool scarves and angora sweaters to Detroit’s needy. The coats will be available at 1 pm. on Monday, Dec. 16 at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, 150 Stimson St. (between Cass and Woodward). It’s a way to make…
City Slang: Dick Wagner records song for St. Judes
Former Frost, Alice Cooper and Lou Reed guitarist Dick Wagner has written and recorded a song for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The song can be seen here: . According to Wagner, “In a style reminiscent of “We Are the World,” we recorded it in LA with a group of classic rockers who were gathered…
Gawker can suck it
Gawker? Fuck those guys! In the past, we’ve enjoyed reading Gawker because of its penchant for taking the piss out of self-important figures. These jaded news-watchers have usually trained their sights on celebrities, moguls and other gasbags, with satisfactory results. But then we looked at a piece about Detroit in Gawker this week and thought,…
City Slang: What’s going on at Detroit Contemporary?
December is a busy month at the Detroit Contemporary art gallery, and there are plenty of music-related goings on. Get the full lowdown here. December 19 (and every third Thursday), check out Creative [dance] Incubator, which “unites experimental movement artists on to present short works and to share creative concepts, explore new possibilities and discuss…
12th Man Report: Showdown in A2
The only certainty with the Michigan men’s basketball team, as history tells us, is that they have an advantage when playing at Crisler Center. The Wolverines have been more than dominant while at home — losing only twice in the past two years. They’ll need that home advantage this Saturday, because No. 1 Arizona is…
City Slang: Movement Phase 1 lineup announced
The first phase of the Movement festival lineup was announced by Paxahau on Wednesday, with Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox and Pete Tong the big names on show. Keen to make some news public following the revelation that there will be an all new DEMF this year, Paxahau initially confirmed their intention to go ahead with…
Reviewing Crusader for Justice: Federal Judge Damon J. Keith
It seems fitting that this remarkable man was born on the Fourth of July. His is the story of a true American hero and it should be an inspiration to all of us. Former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert once wrote, “You want a hero? A real hero? I nominate Judge Damon J. Keith…
Bagels for Corktown!
The Detroit Institute of Bagels is open! When it comes to innovative new dining and drinking spots in metro Detroit, a stretch of Michigan Avenue in Corktown is the hottest spot around, rivaling even suburban strips like Royal Oak’s Main Street or even Nine Mile in Ferndale. Compared to 10 years ago, the metamorphosis has…
City Slang: The Rockets return, but no Jim McCarty
’70s hard rockers The Rockets will return for a show at the Fillmore on December 28, but original guitarist Jim McCarty won’t be joining them. Citizen Zero and Horse Cave Trio also play. The ranks of the new Rockets includes original Rockets drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, along with lead singer Jim Edwards, keyboardist Danny Taylor,…
Heidelberg Project: ‘These Fires Didn’t Set Themselves’
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $5,000 reward for any information on the perpetrator(s) responsible for the string of fires that have plagued Detroit’s Heidelberg Project in recent months. The project, which was started in 1986 by Detroiter Tyree Guyton, has transformed abandoned homes into giant works of art, becoming…
Police Dept. Tapping Into Cell Phone Data
A report in this week’s Detroit Free Press outlining how local law enforcement is using technology in cell phones to track criminals — and anyone suspected of criminal activity — has privacy and civil rights advocates nervous. The report, culled from public records obtained by USA Today and Gannett’s newspapers and TV stations, shows that…
Bankruptcy, et al.
WELL, AS THE ANCIENT Romans used to say: The die have been cast — the judge has ruled. Bankruptcy is a go. The city of Detroit, which has been sort of a protectorate of the state for most of this year, anyway, is now officially in the process. That means pretty much everything is on…
Winter of Our Discontent
It was hot inside Mulenga Harangua’s house. Well, it was hot inside the room we were in. The wood-burning stove Mulenga had installed was going in his main room, and all doors were shut to keep the heat in. It worked. There was a five-gallon container of water atop it. Mulenga called it his water…
Ricky Skaggs
Multi-Grammy-award-winning country and bluegrass man Ricky Skaggs has been a busy boy. His autobiography, Kentucky Traveler: My Life in Music, was released in August to rave reviews, and he has just put out a live album recorded during a tour with Bruce Hornsby, Cluck Ol’ Hen. We managed to sneak into his busy schedule to…
MT Readers Weigh In
Hey, Lardo … Dear Editor: re: “The Nanny State: Live Healthy or Else”; [Cover Story, Dec. 4-10, 2013] According to Geralyn Lasher, senior deputy director of Michigan Dept. of Community Health, enrollment in “Healthy Michigan” will not begin Jan. 1 as referenced in your article, but rather around April 1. She said: “We can’t enroll…
La Feria Spanish Tapas
La Feria Spanish Tapas 4130 Cass Ave., Detroit 313-444-5144 www.laferiadetroit.com Handicap accessible Tapas: $4-$7 Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-midnight Friday-Saturday (kitchen closes at 10 p.m. nightly) A foodie friend says thesmall-plates concept is no fun. She says if there’s one dish you really like, you don’t get…
Carjack
Welcome, y’all, to the wild and wacky world of Carjack. Leave your shoes at the door but don’t expect to find them there when (and if) you leave. Chew glass and play Hungry Hungry Hippos by yourself. Fly a jumbo jet and then bury all your clothes. Paint your left knee green and extract your…
Classical Concerts for the Holidays
Want to do something a little different during this holiday season? Maybe take in an all-tuba concert? Just tubas? All the time? (Well, OK, some euphoniums, a couple baritones and even a Sousaphone are thrown in for good measure.) Or feast your ears on the former Detroit Red Wings organist booming out seasonal classics on…
Tegan & Sara at the Fillmore on Wednesday
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11 Tegan & Sara Sisters are doing it for themselves. When we first saw Canadian twin sister duo Tegan & Sara on stage back in 2005, the siblings had already been performing together for ten years (since the age of 15). To be fair, it’s easy to form a band when you live…
Weekly Music Roundup
Children of Bodom Halo of Blood Nuclear Blast Finnish band Children of Bodom are oft-described as “melodic death metal,” which one can only assume means that, amid the shrieks and hyper-speed fretwork, there is some semblance of a tune. To be fair, Children of Bodom has found an ideal balance between primal aggression and a…
Film Review: Out of the Furnace
Out of the Furnace | B- A grimy little revenge thriller with prestige polish, a terrific cast and a pedigree that promises much more than it can ultimately deliver, Out of the Furnace at least has atmospherics to burn. Set in the rotted shell of Braddock, Pa., a steel town decades past a prime that…
DVD Review: Snuff
Snuff 1976, 80 minutes $19.98 on DVD, $29.98 on Blu-ray Blue Underground DVD distributor Blue Underground specializes in exploitation cinema — the gloriously awful, low-budget, oft-forgotten films that were once whispered about in revered tones by people who had never seen them or, in my case, were far too young to seriously inquire about them.…
The Ever-Restless Dave Dombrowski
When current Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowksi was hired in 2001, he had a mountain the size of Everest to climb in making the Tigers relevant again. The team’s last playoff appearance had been in 1987, and its last World Championship was the famous ’84 series. History lesson aside, Dombrowski wasn’t always the deal-cutting manipulator…
MLB Winter Meetings Drinking Game
The only thing leading to more anger during the holidays than unbearable family members or mall rage is the anguish that ultimately comes with the baseball off-season. For the Detroit Tigers, another season has passed where team was again bounced before achieving World Series success. Where does that leave a team with a payroll exceeding…
Window Shopping Along Woodward Avenue
In a campaign to reanimate Woodward Avenue as a thriving retail destination, the Somerset Collection last year teamed with Bedrock Real Estate and Quicken Loans to light up Woodward’s 1200 block. When the lights went on, the group realized that the empty windows along the avenue offered a golden opportunity to bring back the old…
‘Top 10’ Hollywood movies depicting female oral satisfaction
Actress Evan Rachel Wood recently took to Twitter to air her frustrations over the MPAA forcing a cunnilingus scene out of her upcoming movie Charlie Countryman. She found it a bit odd that a consensual scene of sexual pleasure was considered inappropriate while extreme, murderous violence was not: “The scene where the two main characters…
Alphabet Soup
Q: I’m a straight woman who loves my boyfriend, but sex isn’t a priority for me. His sex drive, on the other hand, is ridiculous. He gets very upset when I don’t have sex with him and accuses me of not being interested in him anymore, which isn’t the case. I just can’t fuck on demand!…
Lunchtime Links: Nelson Mandela quotes you’ll never hear, war photographer robbed in Detroit, and more
1) Seven Nelson Mandela quotes you probably won’t see in the media: “If you look at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace.” (Buzzfeed) 2) Upworthy-style Headlines Are Suddenly Everywhere. Your Mind Will Literally Explode When You Click This Link…
City Slang: Free streaming service Ourtunez launches
Detroit entrepreneurs Sam Munaco and Chris Ciaramitaro have launched a new free music streaming site called Ourtunez. While it seems that the internet is already full of streaming apps and the like, these guys swear that Ourtunez is different. “Traditional radio has lost listeners by playing the same old thing to the same demos, and…
12th Man Report: Bowls announced; Games set
There wasn’t any real surprises when this year’s batch of bowl matchups were announced this past Sunday. The Michigan State Spartans will be playing in the Rose Bowl on Jan.1 — as we all knew following their impressive victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. And the Michigan Wolverines were selected for…
