Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Posted: Feb. 3, 2005
The death of the mix tape is upon us, but its spirit lives on in the playlist.
We tapped local musicians, audiophiles and all-around music freaks to find out what songs are going through their heads.
They were asked to pick 10 songs. Some chose themes, some tailored their lists to Milwaukee. And, as you'll notice, the term "mix tape" hasn't quite left their lexicon, even if the format has changed.
Here are their sounds.
Jim Jacobs
The influences on 29-year-old singer/guitarist Jim Jacobs' band The DL are evident in the playlist he crafted. The list harks back to rock classics of the '70s and '80s while giving a nod to contemporary pop acts - a formula reminiscent of the one used to create the band's quirky sound.
Jimmy Eat World: "A Praise Chorus" You gotta start the mix tape with "Praise Chorus," a straight-ahead rocker about going out and making your dreams happen. Jimmy Eat World is a huge influence on The DL and one of the greatest bands of the last decade. The lyrics are a tribute to Jimmy Eat World's favorite bands, including The Promise Ring, Madness, and They Might Be Giants.
David Bowie and Queen: "Under Pressure" This song has it all. The dual vocals of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury are brilliant. The musicians let the song build and breathe with very distinct melodies. And of course it has the smoking bass line that Vanilla Ice "borrowed" for his No. 1 hit, "Ice Ice Baby."
Elvis Costello: "Everyday I Write The Book" Most guys make mix tapes to impress a girl, and the sophisticated pop of Elvis Costello should do the trick. Tell her that the song is reminiscent of the time you two spent together sitting in a London coffee shop on a crisp, foggy day.
The Who: "The Kids Are Alright" '60s pop with jangly guitars, killer harmonies and a drummer who can't seem to contain himself. Even a bad-ass rock 'n' roll band can sound beautiful.
The Afghan Whigs: "Somethin' Hot" This song is a smooth soulful track from the late '90s. It kicks off The Afghan Whigs' stellar album "1965," which is a tribute to '60s R&B music. A great rocker that blends the old with the new.
Butch Walker: "Uncomfortably Numb" The newest song on this list comes from Butch Walker's 2004 album "Letters." The chorus "Gotta get out of Los Angeles, gotta get Los Angeles out of me" hits home for our lead singer and drummer, who happened to be roommates in L.A. during the late '90s. From Butch Walker's days fronting The Marvelous 3 to his production skills and music today, he is one of the biggest influences on our band.
The Cure: "Fascination Street" This dance song can be played anywhere and people will dig it ... a house party, nightclub, corner bar or rock show. The drumbeat and bass line are hypnotizing, while synth and heavy guitar parts continue to layer over each other. Robert Smith delivers a great vocal performance on this track, and "Disintegration" is probably one of the best albums of the past 20 years.
Thin Lizzy: "Dancin' in the Moonlight" Such a cool band. This song has a bit of a swing to it. Great summer song, and Thin Lizzy always had cool harmonized guitar parts.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones: "Hope I Never Lose My Wallet" We often try to incorporate humor into our original songs, and the Bosstones nailed it on their first album, "Devil's Night Out." This song is a must for any ska fan of the past, oh, 50 years.
Led Zepplin: "The Song Remains the Same" This mix has a lot of power pop on it, so we'd like to end it with the heaviest band of all time, Led Zeppelin. This track has one of the best song introductions. The quiet verses lead into heavy guitar solos and unpredictable bridges. Led Zeppelin is a huge influence on all rock music, so it goes without saying that we are heavily influenced by them in our drumbeats, guitar solos and vocal antics. We goof around a lot more, though.
full text here... http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=298036 - by Bob Purvis of mkeonline.com
Posted: Feb. 10, 2005
Breakup songs... You either crank up the volume and sing along, or you change the station as quickly as possible.
Either way, musicians and experts say there is a therapeutic aspect to the breakup song not found in other genres.
The DL "Drama Queen"
RealPlayer sample | mp3 download
On the difference between sad and angry breakup songs: "I think I've seen more people attach themselves to angry or spiteful breakup songs because it's a way of getting back at the other person for hurting you so deeply. It's a way of putting yourself up on a pedestal and saying 'I'll be the best thing you never had' to quote Butch Walker. 'Cause in the end she was just a 'Drama Queen' anyway." - Eric Darnell, The DL
Full story at http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=298946 - by Beth Lawton of mkeonline.com
Discography
The Slaxx EP contains...
1) Drama Queen
2) Redneck Rock
3) Overdrive
4) Minivan Man
Various tracks played on "Rockers Delight", french rock radio Frequence Mutine - http://memorial666.free.fr/mutine/
Drama Queen - mp3 featured on http://www.mkeonline.com Feb 10 issue
http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=298946
The Slaxx EP is available at http://www.thedlrocks.com and http://myspace.com/thedl
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
An original band from Milwaukee, The DL combines classic rock grooves with timeless power pop, throwing in some 80's metal just for fun. The style fits alongside modern rock outfits like Butch Walker, Jimmy Eat World, and the Foo Fighters, yet The DL definitely has a unique sound... please take a listen for yourself.
These four close friends are all self-described music freaks, but each member brings a slightly different element to the mix. Local entertainment magazine mkeonline.com asked Jim Jacobs, guitarist of The DL, to choose ten songs to put on a mixtape. His list and descriptions of each song provide a key insight into the band's major influences and songwriting direction. Article found on Press link.
Since it began as a side project for everyone involved, we dubbed ourselves "The DL" as a joke to keep it on the downlow. The true meaning is actually "The Denim and Leather"... who knew? Now that we are out of the garage and into the clubs, we are setting up lots of shows. We are based out of Milwaukee, WI and have played fine local establishments such as Points East Pub, The Rock Shop, and Mad Planet.
Jim Jacobs and Eric Darnell are members of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) association and have played as an acoustic duo at places like Shank Hall. Their other band, Old Mil, has taken Jim and Eric to club shows at Rock Bottom, Rooters, and O'Briens Pub (Milwaukee), The Bar East (Green Bay), Dry Bean Saloon (Madison), Coins (Kenosha), and huge festival shows at Summerfest, State Fair, and Kettle Moraine Days. They also played for President George Bush at a rally in West Allis with over 15,000 people (hey, it's 15,000 people, right?). They most recently played a sold-out New Years Eve show at Milwaukee Ale House.
"Cousin" Dave Smid, bassist for The DL, has played with Misses Murphy and currently performs with power pop band LMNOP. He has performed at Summerfest, Shank Hall, Riversplash, Flannery's, and other high profile venues throughout the area.
While living in Los Angeles, drummer Eric Olson was able to perform at places like the Roxy, Key Club, and Whiskey. Since returning, he has performed with Spirithorse at nearly every original music venue in the Milwaukee area.
Influences: Just the tip of the iceberg... Thin Lizzy, KISS, Cheap Trick, Motley Crue, The Clash, The Replacements, Smashing Pumpkins, Afghan Whigs, Jellyfish, Foo Fighters, Butch Walker, Weezer, Fountains of Wayne, Jimmy Eat World, The Darkness, Brand New, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin
Links
