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My-Tea Kind Mania
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Nightflying, The Entertainment Guide
May, 2006
My-Tea Kind Mania!
------------------------...Nightflying, The Entertainment Guide
May, 2006
My-Tea Kind Mania!
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---Sondra Goode
Imagine three sisters-bass and drums and washboard- holding down the rhythm, setting the plane for all-original vocals and unique guitar licks with an energy unlike anything this generation has seen.
My-Tea Kind features Bonnie Paine on vocals, washboard, djembe, bells, tambourine and bullhorn; Sarah Garde on drums; James Townsend on guitar, vocals and musical saw; and Anna Paine on bass.
The sisters have been playing together from the time they were nine years old, forming My-Tea Kind with Townsend in April of 2004. Influences include everything from Taj Mahal, New Grass Revival and Jimi Hendrix to Violent Femmes, Jane’s Addiction, and Beck. With approximately 50 original songs and having recently recorded with Mike West in January 06', a tour is in the works.
This band has performed with such artists as Mountain of Venus, Asylum Street Spankers, Shanti Groove, Vince Herman, Kirk Rundstrom Band and Split Lip Rayfield, as well as headlining the Rockharvest Festival in August of 2005.
After winning the Battlerusa battle of the bands in Tulsa, Oklahoma, My-Tea Kind went on to conquer the final Battlerusa in Lawrence, Kansas. This victory guarantees them a slot at Wakarusa Music Festival in June alongside several other very talented performers such as Les Claypool, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Gov't Mule, Yonder Mountain String Bank, Keller Williams, and the list goes on and on and on. My-Tea Kind will also get a track on the Wakarusa compilation CD.
My-Tea Kind enjoys entertaining the crowd with original, energetic music along with various antics which may include dance-off's in which prizes are given away, audience members brought onto stage to participate in songs, or even having "the cheerleaders" smother James Townsend in honey.
If that weren't enough excitement, the band is getting ready to release their first CD. My-Tea Kind is scheduled to kick off their CD release tour May 10th at George's. The band is already getting airplay on Tulsa's NPR program Folk Salad, which refers to the band as "vivacious." Hopefully soon, My-Tea Kind will also be in rotation on KXUA. There are already a couple of DJ's who play the band on their shows. My-Tea Kind has also been featured on the cover of the April issue of The Current, which provides Eastern Oklahoma with news of entertainment happenings in the area.
The reasons for the group's stellar accomplishments become obvious once you see them play. Their music, which has been described as obscure folk root rock, inspires. Past shows have been known to involve gypsy fire dancers and artists on stage drawing to the music. My-Tea Kind's performances are more than a show, they are an all around experience.
My-Tea Kind is a breath of fresh air in Fayetteville. Not only is their sound one of a kind, their fans are one of a kind, and that in and of itself always makes for an interesting show.
For more information, visit them at www.myteakind.com or www.myspace.com/myteakind.
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Best Beats My-Tea Kind/My-Tea Kind
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BEST BEATS
My-Tea Kind/
My-Tea Kind/
Independent Label
by Rhonda Gunter
Local Tahle...BEST BEATS
My-Tea Kind/
My-Tea Kind/
Independent Label
by Rhonda Gunter
Local Tahlequah musical hero My-Tea Kind just released their debut album self-title, My-Tea Kind (many thanks to Michael Paine for getting the crew into the studio). MTK delivers big with fun, intelligent music blended with powerful, emotionally and spiritually charged lyrics and vocals. Songs like "Loose and Find" and "Be Able" ask the listener to look deep within themselves and to listen to ones higher sel. Its as if they have the key to unlock our souls and help us become the human being in which the creator intended us to be. MTK's sound is sould felt and authentic. This highly creative band may be the best thing to happen to Oklahoma music since The Flaming Lips.
The band describes their music as "obscure folk root rock." So, you might be asking, what does that mean? It means the musis has something for everyone. If it's a story you want to hear, let Bonnie sing you one about the "Angel in Red." Or,if it is a whimsical quirks that you crave, James covers that in "Fiddle," a song about Atlantis falling into the sea and in which you can rediscover the lost language of Atlantis (or is that Terisita?) Bonnie shows her range as she sings one song in French which happens to be the only over song on the album chalked full of original tunes. "Knights of the Underworld" offers a political message as James states into a megaphone, "thou shall not kill, unless it is for oil!" All of these wonderful lyrics are coupled with the sounds of a hard strummed washboard, awesome bass lines, stellar guitar licks and steady rhythmic drumming. "Round and Round, " features Mike West on dobro; West also recorded the disc with some help mixing and mastering from Collin Mahoney.
My-Tea Kind will host a CD release party at Roxie's on MAy 20. This will be a perfect time for music lovers to pick up this piece of essential music. Also, sometime in the near future, discs will be available online at MTK's web site www.myteakind.com.
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It's a My-Tea Kind Interview
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It's a My-Tea Kind interview
By Joe Mack
It's a blustery second day of spring and th...
It's a My-Tea Kind interview
By Joe Mack
It's a blustery second day of spring and the beautiful folks of My-Tea Kind are alive and well. This particular interview brought the band together for the first time in more than three weeks, but their harmonious answers led me to belive that no 1000 miles could separate this tightly knit bunch of kindred musical souls.
To sit in a room with My-Tea Kind easily gave me a sense of belonging to the moment of their movement, that undulating pulse that a band on the verge of breakout success carries around and questions, "How did WE get HERE?" Though questions like that aren't too hard to answer, the quratet humbly abided to answer several more questions that will put Current readers in the know about the most dynamic and prolific groups to come out of Tahlequah since the Sons of the Boutineers.
The Current - How did you come up with the name My-Tea Kind?
James Townsend - It's Annie's fault! (everyone laughs)
Annie Paine - No way! (more laughter)
J.T. - We were eating lunch downtown and they brought out the right sandwiches but kept messing up our side orders. The servers eventually would bring us the right sides, and we kept saying, "That was mighty kind of you."
A.P. - And the last part of that quick phrase just kept hanging around all afternoon, and grew on us. After the phrase stuck with us, we added that dash that made it My-Tea Kind. The dash is supposed to be there...
T.C. - So when did My-Tea Kind (M.T.K.) finally get out of the rehearsal room and on stage?
Bonnie Paine - I think it was around March of 2004. We were playing a few shows at Roxies's, opening up for Randy a bunch. About a year later we really picked up the traveling shows.
A.P. - We did a tour opening up for Kirk Rundstrom around the Midwest and that really opened us up to an accepting and appreciative audience outside of Oklahoma. We owe a lot to him, and we hope that he fully recovers from his battle with cancer (all chime in agreement.)
T.C. - James, have women always been a part of your life?
J.T. - Very much so. I seem to have always connected more with women. I was raised by my Mother and my two sisters and didn't connect well with my father. Women can be so beautiful. It is hard to be delicate enough to help see that into existence. Often testosterone can shatter what creative beauty women have. For me, it is a continual journey to not stifle their creativity and to try to help elaborate their feminine delicacies.
T.C. - What other women have influenced you?
J.T. - Fiona Apple has influenced me. She protects herself and reminds me that most people want to protect themselves from disruption. Bonnie has definitely influenced me. Her wavering delicacies truly amaze me. It is as though a fluttering leaf can affect the deepest roots.
T.C. - Who spends the most time on their cell phone?
B.P. - Annie totally!
Sarah Garde - Annie really takes charge for us. She doesn't take any bull from anybody. She handles a lot of things for the band and does a great job representing us through her cell...
T.C. - Calling all fans! How did you get such a large fanbase in Tahlequah?
S.G. - Playing in a band with Randy for so long made us familiar faces. All the time we hear "We remember when you were just little girls!" There's a familial aspect in our scene that's truly a blessing.
B.P. - Our Dad (Michael Paine), too, is so much a part of our support team. He'd work all day, eat a quick dinner and load the P.A. up in his truck, setup sound for us, mix the show and tear it all down at the end of the night for us. He's truly a sweetheart and the most kind and supportive man we've ever known.
A.P. - Jen and Regan have also done a lot for us as My-Tea Kind Cheerleaders. They really get people into it at every show. Jenny Taylor does that too, but she's done more through internet promotions for us. All these people helped our fan-base multiply and we are so thankful for them.
T.C. - What's the most outlandish thing that M.T.K. fans have ever done?
J.T. - The Cheerleaders are full of suprises. (everybody nods and smiles in agreement)
A.P. - They made and sold some birthday cake at Bonnie's birthday gig.
B.P. - That was crazy! This guy Dave from Texas drove to Tahlequah to see our show and he had on some flashing horns and a cheerleader outfit and he was doing this... thing..
S.G. - Our fans' devotion to us sometimes seems strange, but we love it.
T.C. - What city in Oklahoma besides Tahlequah shows the greatest love and respect for M.T.K.?
A.P. - Stillwater definitely...
J.T. - Yeah, Payne County Line gave us a Best New Band nomination...
B.P. - Mike's College Bar is a great place.
T.C. - What about out of state? Where do you do best?
S.G. - Wichita has really been supportive of us. Kansas really likes what we do and the crowds there just eat it up.
J.T. - Yeah, Wichita is great, and Lawrence has always been fun as well, especially with Kirk. The rooms there are interesting though..
B.P. - They're either really small, like the size of a living room, or really big. The Bottle Neck in Lawrence was great for us, that's where we won the Battlerusa finals.
T.C. - Where is your favorite place to play?
All in unison - Tahlequah!
A.P. - There's no place like home...
T.C. - Sarah and Annie, how is the balance of school and music treating you?
S.G. - It's pretty good. I wish I could be more motivated in school, and to tell you the truth, I'm kinda burnt out on it. Music has always been a central part of my life and we have an opportunity to really excel, so I'm more interested in that right now than school.
A.P. - I think our focus right now is to make this music happen and make this band work, but learning is an ongoing process for us, whether we're in school or not.
T.C. - Is it true you've thought about moving away from home?
B.P. - I'd say it's possible, but I would likely still spend at least a quarter of my year in Tahlequah.
J.T. - It would be great for us to move together and be a force for other markets and towns to deal with.
B.P. - Yeah, I think they're definitely ready...
A.P. - I think it would be cool to move away from here but we also realize that we can really dig our roots a lot deeper in Missouri and Arkansas much easier from Oklahoma than say, Colorado.
T.C. - How does it feel to share the stage with your sister?
(Annie, Bonnie and Sarah all smile at each other)
S.G. - It makes perfect sense. We've been playing on stage together since we were eight years old...
A.P. - Yeah, we've been playing music together all of our lives, which is pretty extraordinary. We're able to communicate on a level that not many people may ever get to understand.
B.P. - We don't have to speak to each other. Just our looks and expressions can tell the other what we feel. It's a unique channeling thing, flowing together in a rhythmic connection that probably exists because we're related.
T.C. - James do you realize the power of these three women?
J.T. - I have always tried to find a band with telepathic people. I'm truly amazed by the way they could tune in to every song I threw at them. They're fast learners and I'm dumbfounded by their beauty, and they draw a lot of attention live too. I'm fortunate to play with these cool, creative people that have taught me so much...
S.G. - Yeah, he's had to deal with our repercussions all the time. (all the girls laugh)
J.T. - Yeah, but I feel that their power extends beyond the current concept of time.
T.C. - How does, or rather, who writes M.T.K. songs?
A.P. - We all do. It's a homegrown, shared style of songwriting. Somebody will come up with a hook or a line and everyone will contribute to the song.
T.C. - Tell us about some of your favorite songs on your new album that's coming out this month.
J.T. - "Silver Streams" is their Dad's favorite song. I think he heard it on NPR one day.
B.P. - One of Dad's friends heard it and turned us on to (the fact that it was on the radio), and this friend was tripping on the M.T.K. song that had a full "Celtic feel."
J.T. - It does seem to reflect that feel. I was camping with my friend Allison by the Secret Hole and she was getting ready to fall asleep, and she said, 'play me some sleepy music.' So I started creating this beautiful thing that was inspired by the reflection of the night sky on the water. It was silvery and from that came "Silver Streams."
A.P. - I love Mike's (West) dobro on "Round and Round." It's to die for. I had three distinct bass lines and I showed them to James and he brought them together, and it just amazed me how it happened.
S.G. - "Let Go" came to us while hanging out at Annie's house. It was raining out so we went outside and played in the rain.
J.T. - The guitar line just came out of me and I played it constantly.
T.C. - It's a great tune. The melody line rocks real hard and sticks to you like Thanksgiving dinner..
J.T. - It's waiting to burst...
T.C. - How was the recording session?
A.P. - Mike West writes songs that everyone can connect to and that reach across every bit of society, especially to Eastern Oklahoma. His influence and ear were a huge asset during our recording session. We laughed and we cried...
S.G. - Yes we did! We started recording at the very beginning of the year, and the timing of it couln't hav been better and I think it started the momentum for us for 2006 through Battlerusa and even up to right now...
T.C. - Is this momentum and recent success overwhelming?
S.G. - It's given us a serious boost of course with all the recognition. From the moment we found out we were playing Battlerusa at Cain's to the time we stepped off the stage in Lawrence it's just been one seriously fun adventure.
J.T. - The other bands at all of the battles were really good and very deserving of winning the spot at Wakarusa. And when we won, it was kind of weird, like 'Wow, we won this! But, everyone else is so good too, so how did we do this?'
T.C. - I think it's from your support from the home team all the way. Is the Tahlequah scene changing for better or worse?
S.G. - It's slowly getting better and always has it's ups and downs. There are so many talented folks here and hardly any places to play at. Sometimes it feels like the Twilight Zone..
A.P. - Yeah like a whirlpool or a vortex where you get sucked in and sometimes stuck here...
J.T. - Totally, you either develop and nurture a creation that can get you out of here and be fruitful, or you can get sucked in to not doing much.
A.P. - When you look at The Dream Theater and the Jazz Lab, and down the street you have the Iguana and Town Branch, you see the potential for something wonderful to happen. It just takes the right people at the right time to bring a music scene and culture to life. I think it's cool to be from that bakwoods little part of the Southern Ozarks and to be the folks that can take down those preconceived notions that Oklahoma doesn't have anything unique to offer other than down home family bluegrass bands.
T.C. - Do you have any fond memories of Battlerusa?
S.G. - The hotel room party was crazy in Tulsa!
J.T. - The fire alarm was set off and I remember playing my guitar to the sound of the alarm. It was so cool!
A.P. - Some of those bands we met were really awesome to hear.
S.G. - Yeah, like those Skillbillies! (all chime in agreement)
A.P. - Harmonious Monk, Mama's Cookin', Euphorchestra..
B.P. - The Dewayne Brothers, Jah Roots...
J.T. - They were all so good. It's amazing we won...
T.C. - Thank you all so much for your time. You've been extra cool this evening with your willingness to talk to The Current. Is there anything that you can tell the readers to look forward to in 2006?
J.T. - Our new album will be coming out this month. Keep your eyes out for when that will be officially out...
S.G. - We'll be at MayFest in Tulsa this year....
A.P. - The Blue Dome Festival will be very cool as well...
B.P. - We're open to communicate with folks and they can reach us through our website, myteakind.com. Please get in touch with us whenever for whatever. You can also keep up with our tour through the website...
T.C. - Thanks again. Ya'll are so Kind!
M.T.K. - Thank you!!!
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My-Tea Kind
[+ Show ]
Fayetteville Free Weekly
May 4, 2006
My-Tea Kind
Billing themselves as an ‘obscure f...Fayetteville Free Weekly
May 4, 2006
My-Tea Kind
Billing themselves as an ‘obscure folk roots rock' band, My-Tea Kind will kickoff their CD release tour on Wednesday night at George's. The Tahlequah, Okla. band has played Fayetteville clubs for a while now and have perfected their sound and amassed a collection of original songs worthy of a first album.
The harmonies of the two lead singers--songwriter James Townsend (who also handles lead guitar) and Bonnie Paine--blend into one smooth package. Paine's angelic voice can go from sweet to strong, bringing to mind Grace Slick. The two are backed by Paine's sisters, Sarah Garde on drums and Annie Paine on bass and backup harmonies.
The music of My-Tea Kind has an earthy, gypsy feel. Think early Jefferson Airplane, without the wild electronics. Townsend is an extremely talented guitarist, with a style that is clean and clear.
The band comes to the stage to deliver a fun time for its audience. They bring their own crowd energizers--young women in costume, who urge the audience to the dance floor. My-Tea Kind has been known to incorporate gypsy fire dancers and artists into their shows. And, don't be surprised by the occasional kazoo solo by Bonnie or a tune played on a cutting saw by Townsend. If you've never heard a saw played, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
My-Tea Kind captured the top prize at Battlerusa in Tulsa, earlier this year and proceeded to win the final Battlerusa competition in Lawrence, Kan., which earned them a spot on the Wakarusa Music Festival stage in June and slot on the Wakarusa compilation CD.
Get out and discover one of the region's best kept secrets. $5 cover.
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My-Tea Kind combines unique musical talent
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My-Tea Kind combines unique musical talent
Andrew Winslow
TNE Writer
“Absolutely amazing,” was ov...My-Tea Kind combines unique musical talent
Andrew Winslow
TNE Writer
“Absolutely amazing,” was overheard by a fan in the crowd as My-Tea Kind performed their eclec-tic mix of folk rock at Roxie’s Roost last Friday night. With over one and a half years under their belt as a band, My-Tea Kind is sure to be one of the best and most original live music acts in northeastern Oklahoma.
My-Tea Kind was started in April 2004, in Tahlequah and has been evolving and shaping the live music scene ever since.
Theme-based shows and a grow-ing fan base in this area seem to be fueling the fire and enthusiasm for the band.
My-Tea Kind is made up of four ex-tremely talent-ed musicians that all have a multi-genre background playing music and perform-ing in front of a crowd.
The mu-sic tends to be a blend of folk, rock, jazz and occa-sionally funk. Given these ingredi-ents the audience has the recipe for a full range of artsy thought provok-ing music.
“We like to describe our sound as an obscure blend of folk root rock,” said James Townsend, lead guitarist and vocals.
Townsend has been playing, writing, and arranging songs for years before uniting with his current band members.
Other members of the band include three talented sisters, An-nie Paine (bass guitar), Sarah Garde (percussion) and Bonnie Paine (vo-cals, djembe and washboard).
“We all grew up playing music together and we knew James was a genius so we started the band,” said Annie Paine.
A lot of the bands energy and influence comes from Tahlequah’s own Randy Crouch. The three sisters are currently in a band with Crouch (Randy Crouch and Flying Horse) and will perform at the Dream The-atre with the Cate Brothers.
“We wouldn’t be playing music if it wasn’t for Randy Crouch. Our dad is another reason we are play music,” said Annie Paine.
One of the things that gives My-Tea Kind their unique sound and sets them apart from all other bands in the area is a washboard. That is right, a washboard.
The washboard has historically been used as a percussion instru-ment and is used in many diverse genres of music including: Cajun, jazz, jug band and old time music.
Bonnie Paine uses a unique hand rhythm style on the in-strument that is closely asso-ciated with the way it is used for jazz.
The back-bone of the band, keeping the rhythm and conta-giously dance-able is Garde on drums and Annie Paine on bass. The com-bination of the two musicians brings out the full sound of My-Tea Kind.
The name My-Tea Kind is as intriguing as the band it-self. The band thought up the clever and all original name during a phase of drinking a lot of tea.
“We were all just joking around about it the name at the time and it sounded funny,” said Garde.
My-Tea Kind has performed all over the mid-west including: Colorado, Tex-as, Arkansas and Missouri to name a few.
They also are getting ready to record a CD with Mike West of the band Truck Stop Honeymoon and the CD should be out in January 2006.
See My-Tea Kind live at Roxie’s Roost on Highway 10 on Dec. 30, where they will perform with Char-lie Horse from Fayetteville, Ark.
Courtesy Photo
My-Tea Kind is a unique band that blends the genres of folk, jazz and occasionally they add a little funk. The band has created quite a following in the last year.
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The low down on the homefront My-Tea Kind gaining fans mighty fast
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My-Tea Kid has several strong alliances in their favor The bulk of the song-writing, although sha... My-Tea Kid has several strong alliances in their favor The bulk of the song-writing, although shared by the band, is done by James Townsend, or we shall see how they credit their work when the CD comes out. Original music is their forte and their songs weave a tapestry of upbeat rhythms and soulful lyrics. Just when you think you have got it though, it changes, as the excitable Townsend leaves no rock unturned of the style gamut. Front vocals are shared by siren Bonnie Paine & James Townsend, both quite capable and comfy in the spotlight. Who doesn't love a chick on bass guitar? Annie Paine plays both electric and stand-up bass and she and Bonnie are sisters. Their musical careers began early and the sisters grew up with Sarah Garde, their drummer. These three girls have been playing music under the tutelage of local music legends Randy Crouch and Dan Hoffstadter all their lives and have for the last three years or so become Randy Crouch's hometown band. Having only completed a handful of shows, it is already apparrent that this band is pulling lifeimes of music behind them. Self-dubbed as obscure folk root rock the members of My-Tea Kind have already experienced life-long emersion in the world of music at their early 20-somethings. Their show is not representative of a band that has been together a short while, which remains their greatest asset to date, coupled with the fact that the girls grew up together putting them so much further along the trail, having already passed some hurdles of working together as early as the pots and pans with wooden sticks days.
My-Tea Kind are adding dates as fast as they are writing new music. They are sharing the bill with already established favorites opening shows. Catch them Monday April 11 a Roxie's Roost opening for Colorado favorite Shanti Groove. This promises to be a great night of groovy hippy music. Friday April 22 they play at the Venue, which is The PoDank String Band's homeslice venue in Tulsa. Graduation night Saturday May 7, My-Tea Kind is opening for The Peach Truck Republic and this promises to be one of the best shows at Roxie's this Spring. Their best exposure to date will be May 14 opening for bluegrass legends Split Lip Rayfield in Kansas City at Davey's Uptown Rambler's Club Catch this zany ultra-talented band before they get snatched up by a label so you can say, "I remember when..."
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My-Tea Kind
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The Paine sisters have been playing music together since they were younguns - on bass, drums and was...The Paine sisters have been playing music together since they were younguns - on bass, drums and washboard, no less. Performin under the name My-Tea Kind since 2004, the Tahlequah, Okla., act recently won the Wakarusa battle of the bands (Battlerusa) at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, and went on to win the "upgraded" competition in Lawrence. The quartet (which also includes guitarist James Townsend) cites influences ranging from Taj Mahal and Neww Grass Revival to Violent Femmes and Jane's Addiction. My-Tea Kind performs at 10 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 N.H.
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Local Band Wins spot at national festival
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Local band wins spot at major national festival
By Eddie Glenn - Press Staff Writer
A ...Local band wins spot at major national festival
By Eddie Glenn - Press Staff Writer
A couple of decades ago, there was a band in Tahequah called "All the Naked Payne Children." It consisted of two local artists - Sam Enka on bass and guitar, Robert Lewis on congas - and whoever else they could manage to dredge up for the handful of shows they played.
The Band's name was inspired by some youngsters who used to play (wearing little or now clothing) in a magnolia tree just down the sidewalk from Enka's art studio on North Muskogee Avenue.
Although they might've guessed, Enka and Lewis had no way of knowing that, someday, two of the naked Paine children would form their own band and win a coveted spot on the Wakarusa Music and Camping festival, held annually on Clinton Lake near Lawrence, Kan.
This past weekend, Tahlequah's very own My-Tea Kind - Anna and Bonnie Paine, Sarah Garde, and James Townsend - won the "Battlerusa" battle of the bands in Lawrence, putting them on the bill for this year's Wakarusa (sltated for June 8-11), alongside nationally touring acts. The band won a preliminary competition in Tulsa last month, competing against five other area acts.
"There were 18 preliminary battle of the bands all over the country - in Madison, Wis; St. Louis; Chicago; Denver. Tulsa was the southernmost one," said Townsend, who sings, and plays guitar and musical saw. "There ended up being 21 bands in the final competition at Lawrence; Chicago had some extra bands, evidently."
But even with Chicago's strong showing, it was a Tahlequah band that walked away with the grand prize.
"We get a track on the Wakarusa CD, and we get our name on the fly-ers, instead of just being included in the '...and many more!,'" said Townsend. "We also get paid for the gig, which is nice."
(Loyal readers may remember Townsend as the fellow quoted in a Daily Press story last Friday about eBay who was somewhat disappointed in the 40 coyote penises he ordered through the online auction site. He's much more thrilled about Wakarusa than he was about those coyotye parts.)
"A lot of the bands were playing really long songs, getting all jammy and everything, but I guess we were what they were looking for," said Townsend. "We had 45 minutes at Cain's [Ballroom, the venue for the Tulsa preliminary competition] and 30 minutes at Lawrence, and I think a lot of bands did the same set for both competitions. We did totally different sets."
Which wasn't too hard to do, considering the amount of material the band has written since forming less than two years ago.
"We're moving toward sharing the writing, but James is a really good songwriter - he's got over 150 songs written," said Bonnie Paine, who sings and plays washboard, percussion, and bullhorn (that's right, bullhorn).
Paine said the band does three cover tunes - one by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, one by George Gritzdach, and one by Reverend Horton Heat - but not necessarily because they have to.
"We have 47 originals that we do," she said, before recalculating. "Actually, I just wrote a song day-before-yesterday, and my brother just wrote one, and JAmes just wrote a really beautiful song, so that's 50."
The band has finished recording its first CD, and members hope to have it ready for release in a couple of months. "I just talked to the guy whose going to master the CD, and the artwork's almost finished," she said. "It's almost ready to send off [for replication], and hopefully we'll get it back by April."
The CD includes 12 tunes of original music, which the band describes as "obscure folk root rock."
Paine said that no matter how far My-Tea Kind takes their act, they'll be forever gratefull to Anna and Bonnie's dad (for buying them instruments at a young age and encouraging them to play), and Tahlequah music icon Randy Crouch, for years of lessons. "Randy taught us to play," she said. "And he was very patient with us."
Photo caption: My-Tea Kind are, from left: James Townsend on vocals, guitar, and saw; Bonnie Paine on vocals, percussion, and bullhorn; Sarah Garde on drums; and Anna Paine on bass. The Tahlequah band recently won a spot onstage at the Wakarusa musica festival this June in Lawrence, Kan.
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My-Tea Kind records debut album
[+ Show ]
My-Tea Kind records debut album
My-Tea Kind began the New Year by recording their first C...My-Tea Kind records debut album
My-Tea Kind began the New Year by recording their first CD in Lawrence, Kansas. The excitement is now heating up in anticipation of the first printing, scheduled to be released in early Spring. Mike West of Truckstop Honeymoon engineered and co-produced the album, which will undoubtedly be an incredible work of musical art rock.
