Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
The Capitol Cities are one local rock group that literally wants to rock and roll all night and party every day.
After debuting in the spring of 2003, the band members — singer Chris Marchione, drummer Mark Tabor, bassist Ian Williamson and guitarists George Jacobsen and Adam Thomson — were set on having a good time, above all else.
When the band debuted at a house party in Berkley, the cops busted up the party and forced Capitol Cities to stop in the middle of playing a T-Rex cover. It was a memorable unveiling, to say the least.
During the same year, before the Capitol Cities had really made an impact of any kind locally, the band decided a tour of the United Kingdom was in order. It was an unorthodox move, considering most bands don’t venture across the pond until some sort of support has been built up in their hometown.
“That’s what happens when you drink a lot; you come up with crazy ideas,” Marchione says. “We were broke and crammed in a van for the better part of a week, but it was just fun to be somewhere else doing shows.”
Capitol Cities has spent most of this year making a name in the Detroit rock scene. In the spring, the band participated in the three-day D-Pollen festival at the Hastings Street Ballroom and proved its worth at clubs such as Smalls in Hamtramck and the Lager House in Detroit.
Most recently, the band put the finishing touches on its debut release “All Thrills.” Recorded during the summer with notorious Detroit-based producer Jim Diamond, the album is a more coherent version of the band’s live show, and takes cues from ’60s and ’70s party rock such as the Stooges and the New York Dolls. The album features guitar work of founding member Hans Wittrock, who was replaced by Thomson in late summer. Thomson also appears on the recording.
Capitol Cities will celebrate the release of “All Thrills” on Nov. 13 at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. Fans can catch the band this weekend at the Magic Stick for the Haunted Hospital Bill, a benefit show for local musician Scotty Hagen who was severely injured during a robbery earlier this year. Doors open at 8 p.m. and cover charge is $10. The Magic Stick is at 4120 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Call (313) 833-9700.
For more on the Capitol Cities, visit www.capitolcitiesdetroit.com.
- Detroit News
When you read the words : Produced by Jim Diamond on a cd out of Detroit, you better pay attention . Jim doesn't work with anyone in this town, and when he does - The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, Gore Gore Girls you know why. The artists this analog king records are the cream of the crop. The great thing is, much like those bands , each is completely different and original. Capital Cities is more OLD SCHOOL rock than the aforementioned bands.Think Grande Ballroom era and you'll have the right idea. First impression regarding the artwork , the packaging eschews raw rock visuals, down to the inside liner note photographs taken at The Lager House by long time local photographer Bruce Pates ( AKA - Disposable Bruce!) .This would slide right alongside those Iggy and the Stooges and Bob Segar LP'S no problem. Right off the bat, the cd's opening track " Can't Stand It '" nails you over the head with vintage MC5 worthy riffs. Local rock fans in this town don't bandy about compliments like that everyday. Capital Cities proves they are worthy. Drummer Mark Tabor rhymically drives the tracks along, as lead singer Chris Marchione's vocals seem to become another instrument in the mix. Next up , the foot stomper " This All Ends Here" . If your hands aren't slapping your thighs by the time that fat monster boogie bassline weaves in and out, you ain't got no soul baby. Move to Dallas. This is Detroit Rock City, and this is how it's done. Having recently seen Capital Cities live , the crowd pleasing " Detroit City Girls " is a worthy inclusion on the cd. Part of a long lineage of hommage to the femme fatales of our fair haven, "DCG's" showcases a most rocking guitar solo by George Jacobsen making you pull air whammy bar's out of your imagination.Tunes like "Goddamn Right" and "Touch Everything" are aptly named . Capital Cities has a winning cd on their hands, and I assure you, real rock fans of Detroit, the kind who DISCOVERED legends like Iggy Pop by attending rock shows have the REAL DEAL with this cd release. Its a rock concert in the palm of your hands, or should I say, in the drums of your ears.
by Chris Chouinard
www.fotogink.com - The Detroit News - Rant/Rave
Discography
"All Thrills..."
Supercool Records (2004)
"M.F.I.C."
Supercool Records (2006)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
So now that the hype of Detroit Rock City has passed, lets get on with it. Shall we?
Capitol Cities kicked in the door of the Detroit rock establishment in 2004 with the release of their 9-song opus to the excesses of the city's rock scene, "All Thrills...", a record that brought you the party before the hangover. It was a no-bullshit rock 'n' roll record meant for delivering the rock 'n' roll goods, and in pushing the record, the Cities earned themselves a reputation around town for drunken mischief, controlled arrogance, and the occasional crash-and-burn gig. Nonetheless, when all was said and done, "All Thrills..." became a local favorite, making several local year-end best of lists.
Fast-forward to 2006: Not a whole lot has changed in Detroit. The hype is gone, but it's still the same city that it was before. That doesn't mean you pack it in and call it a day, so the Cities' went in for round two. With infamous Detroit producer Jim Diamond once again at the helm, the Cities' moved beyond the collection of three-chord pop structures and distanced themselves from the local hype machine - and all the baggage that comes along with it. Enter "M.F.I.C.", a five-song venerable "fuck you" record made with all the right references in all the right places.
Gone are the nods to Johnny Thunders and the 70's New York street punk that were all over "All Thrills..." Comparisons to the Detroit garage rock hierarchy were thrown out the window - right where they belong. "M.F.I.C." embraces everything from stoner rock to trashy glam, psyche-rock to Grande Ballroom-era Detroit, Capitol Cities have created a perfect transition piece for the next phase of Detroit rock.
Throwing off the shackles of expectations has paid off. Insecurities have been shed. Chris Capitol's lyrics to have meaning beyond drunken Saturday night flings and his own ego. Guitar duo Geo & Atom Bomb trade licks like Slash and Izzy and knock 'em dead like Wayne Kramer and "Sonic" Smith. Bassist Ian Williamson and drummer Mark Tabor hold the ship together and give the tunes a loud, thundering, low-end drive like you haven't heard in ages.
So the boys have grown up. They've moved on.
You can keep the past. Capitol Cities want the future. And in case youre wondering, this is exactly what it sounds like.
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