Minnesota Connections, CMC Vol.3

See the previous post for the introduction and other notes.

1. The Hopefuls: “Holiday,” The Fuses Refuse to Burn

I first heard this song, and The Hopefuls for that matter, in the car as Krista and I were on our way to a prenatal checkup, where I would hear Elsa’s heartbeat for the first time. The Hopefuls were also Elsa’s first rock show, at the Minnesota State Fair.

Pure, masterful power-pop songcraft. I love The Hopefuls’ sound, and their lyrics. I’ve heard many of the local critics refer to their music as upbeat bubble-gum pop, but I think they may be missing the underlying themes of many of their songs.

Bought a bottle of Beam
Man, it’s a force field from this scene
I heard you tried to hit on me
It’s such a pity I was too damn drunk to see

Darren Jackson, one of the co-leaders, is a recovering addict, and this comes through in many of his lyrics. Dan and Mighty Tom, you should ask your wives if they know him, he is about our age, and went to St. Olaf

This is the song you are most likely to know, as The Hopefuls have had a good amount of exposure, and quite a bit of airplay on The Current.


2. Quillan Roe: “The Buckeye Tree,” ...These First Few Months

Quillan’s voice is another you will hear again on this collection. He is one of the three core members of Accident Clearinghouse, and this is all stuff that should be listed in the “connections” section at the end, but I am using it for background, so deal. I came across this album during a time that AC had disbanded, and I was jonzin for a Qillan Roe, or Mike Brady show. I found a show for Mike Brady, but all I could find for Quillan was a reference (in City Pages I think) to his solo album. Cheapo was a bust, but The Electric Fetus came through.

I love this song, it is simple and soft and sad; and not unlike another song about a tree that we all heard recently, except this one is really about a girl. I don’t expect that this is going to blow anyone away, but it is a nice song, from a decent album. ...These First Few Months is neither as strong as some of the AC albums, nor as strong as Mike Brady’s As long as the Day is Long, but it is a worthwhile item if you are a fan of the AC boys.


3. Mike Brady: “Man the Swirl of Color,” As Long as the Day is Long

Mike Brady and Darren Jackson rank as my local favs. Mike is sort of an antihero of rock and roll. Kind of goofy looking and quiet, his stage presence is anything but commanding, but it is confident, and it works. As a guitarist and vocalist he is not going to top anyone’s “best” list, but he is proficient, and he writes catchy pop songs.

This is one of my favorite songs from this album, and (obviously) the one I most wanted to share. I love the lyrics; the poor guy pours his heart and soul into everything for this girl, and she never gives it a second thought. Musically there are things that make me think of Gibbons. Both the bass and guitar are very Pat, and the vocals occasionally give a whiff of Pat. I also love the harmonies.


4. Accident Clearinghouse: “The One That Got Away,” Written in Rope

Written in Rope is Accident Clearinghouse’s fourth album, and may be their most Country-Western. Quillan Roe, Mike Brady and Jeff Tranberry are the three members that have been constant throughout Accident Clearinghouse’s life. Each album has brought a slightly different sound and style to their music. I would have liked to included more selections highlighting the different styles that they have touched upon (from a sort of roots rock, to country swing, folk country, old-timey, to straight-up jump swing), but, you know, the “ten-song-guideline.”

“The One That Got Away” is a nice, easy country swing that makes me want to learn to two-step. The lyrics are a great narrative falling in love, getting drunk and getting your ass kicked, what more could you want in your country song?


5. The Ashtray Hearts: “The One You’re Closest To,” Old Numbers

The Ashtray Hearts are the force behind the Apartment Music sampler, which is where I first encountered many of the artists featured on this collection, including The Ashtray Hearts. The Hearts produce a beautifully depressing music. I’ve seen them three times, and if you are depressed and looking for a pick-me-up, stay away. Don’t get me wrong, they are wonderful live, but their music is more cathartic than uplifting. Murphy was with me at the Triple Rock Social Club for one of their shows (along with Kid Dakota), and I asked him what he thought. He responded, “I think I want to open a vein. The music is great, but wow.”

I love the instrumentation and harmonic changes on this song. Great lyrics, and I love the guitar solo. I almost whish I had chosen a song that featured Aaron Schmidt’s trumpet, which blends with the rest of the band beautifully, but hey, the discs are in the mail.


6. The Owls: “City Girl,” Apartment Music Sampler

We don’t own any of The Owls’ albums, (actually, I think that they only have an EP), so most of my exposure to them has been from the sampler, a couple of free mp3 downloads, and one live show. I like their songs on Apartment Music, and the ones I downloaded are OK. The live show was a bit of a dissapointment. Musically they were fine, but their stage presence made the worst 44 show look like a date on the Elevation tour. There was no attempt to engage the audience, much too much talking to each other off-mic, and if you thought 44 was too clumsy with all our instrument changes, well I am telling you we were smooth. The Owls were the reason we went, but we ended up being blown away by Kid Dakota.

But I love this song. Wonderfully simple piano, and great harmonies.


7. Accident Clearinghouse: “Mike’s Country Song,” Volume 1: Saginaw Sweetheart

Volume 1: Saginaw Sweetheart was AC’s first record, and they present sort of a raw, roots rock/country sound.

"Mikes Country Song" is a simple lament on not having enough time for the things that matter. I love the stripped down sound of AC on this song (and album as a whole), and Quillan’s high harmony at the end makes me smile.


8. Spurcut Factory Rider: “Neutral Angel Of Fargo,” One Last Time For The Record

I don’t own this record, but it is on my list of to-gets. I came across this song on the Accident Clearinghouse website, where the album is for sale. I love Erik Douglas Tasa’s voice, the guitars, and where the harmonies come in.


9. Florida: “Little Sunrise,” Drum Solo on the Bumpers

I just recently got this album, but I have had a few of the songs on my hard drive for a while. I almost chose a different song that featured Tony Mogelson on vocals, but I like this one too much. More evidence of Brady’s pop music craftyness. Love the lyrics, and the guitars.


10. Kid Dakota: “Ten Thousand Lakes,” The West is the Future

After I had the jackets printed, I realized that I had incorrectly used numerals for the title of this song. Oops, sorry.

My first exposure to Kid Dakota was on Apartment Music. Second was at the Turf Club when I was underwhelmed by The Owls. I’ve seen them three times in total and each time it has been just Darren Jackson and drummer Ian Prince, and each time I have been blown away. Read about it here.

I first heard this song as a download from the Kid Dakota website, and I only bought the album this week, so not much to say about the album, but I do think I prefer their first album So Pretty, but we’ll see. There were several candidates from So Pretty, but how could I leave this song off a compilation called Minnesota Connections? I love Jackson’s lyrics, and the music can raise the hair on my neck.


Bonus. Accident Clearinghouse: “Griddle-Cake Joey,” By Blood And Marriage

Ok, now we get to WHY ELEVEN!?!? This song was included for a special reason. While it is another example of Accident Clearinghouse’s range of styles, if that were the purpose, I would have chosen a different song. It is on here because I cannot hear this song without visualizing Joey chowin’ down, and when I visualize it, who do I see as Joey? Cory Levendusky.