| City on the Make |
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| Written by Andrea Myers | |
| Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 02:07 AM | |
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 City on the Make - Photo by Alexa Jones With a name taken from a Nelson Algren essay about the political corruption of Depression-era Chicago, City on the Make transitions seamlessly between blues, punk, rock and rap, sometimes derailing completely into swaggering, inspired chaos. "I think the reason a lot of the stuff we do is blues-heavy is because it's the basis for rock and roll," explains lead singer Mike Massey, a gruff yet gentle young man with kind eyes and an easy smile. "We're having fun playing the blues, we all like to listen to it, but I wouldn't consider what we're doing as a very good testament to true blues." In truth, the album takes some of the best elements of early blues, particularly 12-bar chord changes and wailing guitar parts, and turns it inside out. Massey speak-sings and growls his way over the music, giving the old music new life with unique lyrical passages about everything from urban development to cyborgs, while his band mates lay out a dirty jam "[The blues] is a fun format to write in," says Massey. "You can write 12-bar blues and have it be about contemporary shit." Massey's vocal stylings are an acquired taste, as he switches between yelling, crooning and grunting. But making an attempt to get past the initial shock of unfamiliarity is worth the effort, as the music only improves with repeated listenings. "I've only been singing two years, which makes me really green. But like I said, I'm not a good singer, it's more about the delivery--push it out, you know. Everybody can yell something out of their gut, and that's all I really want to do." Massey has been developing his writing skills since high school (which, at the ripe age of 21, isn't a terribly long time), and his lyrics compound with the grittiness of the music to paint pictures of dark street corners, crowded bars and industrial cities. Throughout the album, the music has a sense of urgency, a push to discover something more. In sound as well as content, the band is still searching for ways to improve on itself, as their name suggests. "We never intended it to have so many meanings," Massey says of the band name, "but you can look at it like we're building something, this is something we're working on and trying to create." And the band isn't intent to rest on their laurels after the completion of their first album. "My goal is to keep writing songs," insists Massey. "The point is to make a mark--whether that means carving your name into a brick wall or making music." "We all really love music, and personally, I want to put my two cents in," agrees guitarist Mischa Kegan. "I listen to a lot of music, and I know a lot of musicians, and I want to put my two cents into the whole thing. Especially locally, because there's so much really, really amazing music going on in this city." "We're young," Massey says. "I'm pleased with what we've done so far, but really there's a lot more to be done. We've got dues to pay."
http://cityonthemake.net
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| Last Updated: Thursday, August 9, 2007 at 04:18 PM |
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