September 6 to 12, 2012
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by Eleni P. Austin
www.coachellavalleyweekly.com
Consider This
REDD KROSS “Researching The Blues”
by Lola Rossi-Meza
Woody Retro performs in two bands
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Robert Hacker and Ray McDonald. The album opens with the frenetic finesse of the title track. The super-charged melody echoes both Elvis Costello’s “13 Steps Lead Down” and the Amboy Dukes’ seminal psychedelic freak out, “Journey To The Center Of Your Mind.” A relentless beat brackets Jeff’s caveman vocals and chainsaw guitar riffs. The lyrics make a barbed reference to Redd Kross’ position as Punk elder statesmen: “Don’t be ahead of your time/ You’ll eat nothing but shit and never earn a dime.” “Stay Away From Downtown” is a cautionary tale of drug addiction cocooned in a sonic maelstrom of instrumentation. Guitars are full throttle while drums and bass lock into an intricate rhythm. As the melody gallops to a conclusion, the McDonalds bust out some lovely but incongruous “Sha-la-lala-la’s!” The original incarnation of Redd Kross,
was obsessed with the “Exorcist,” “Brady Bunch” and breakfast cereal. In 2012, they are concerned with more topical issues. Both “Nu Temptations” and “Choose to Play” tackle the inconsistent tenets of organized religion. The former opens with guitar riffs that detonate like smart bombs. Oblique lyrics question dogma…”Create a new plan, make it hard to understand/ Put it to the people, ignore the question why.” Hecker and Jeff’s guitars trade off staccato fills and poppy filigrees that almost overwhelm the words. The latter opens with ringing Byrds-y guitars and a taut backbeat. Hidden in the framework of this winsome melody are thought provoking lyrics: “Living in the world we co-exist with these people, they’re not good, bad, maybe borderline evil/Don’t join their church look away from it’s steeple and run/ Don’t let them look into your eyes, look into their eyes and run.”
The controversial words are leavened by a sweet, supple guitar solo. The best songs on “Researching The Blues” are “Uglier” and “Dracula’s Daughters.” On “Uglier” a thundering backbeat crackles under careening fuzztone guitars. The lyrics are a sharp commentary on today’s alarming climate of hostility: “It’s getting uglier, no matter what they say, This world is crazy, spinning out of control/Got to get together cause it’s taking its toll.” Here Jeff’s sinewy solo crests atop the finely calibrated chaos of Robert Hacker’s rhythm work. “Dracula’s Daughters” is the complete opposite. Shimmery baroque pop that echoes the Left Banke, (“Walk away Renee”). Sweet fraternal harmonies wrap around gossamer guitar chords, lush and feather light. Other stand out tracks include the angular tilt-a-whirl of “Meet Frankenstein.” “One Of The Good Ones” is a 60s pastische that boasts an infectious handclap rhythm, a serrated guitar solo and verbose lyrics. The Beatle-esque “Winter Blues” is an affectionate So-Cal shout out ripe with chiming harmonies. Closing the album, “Hazel Eyes” matches bloopy synth sounds to strumming acoustic guitar. A quirky love song, it shifts tempo on the break incorporating Steven’s walking bass line and a theremin-like guitar coda. “Researching The Blues” isn’t just a graceful re-entry into the Punk-Pop arena. It’s Redd Kross’ best effort to date. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 15 years for the follow up.
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Valley Rhythms
The Refills and Alyce Bowie
(MERGE Records)
he Time: Late 70s/Early 80s The Place: Los Angeles, California The Scene: The burgeoning Punk Rock landscape. In 1978, puberty hit the McDonald Brothers just as Punk Rock was exploding in Los Angeles. Inspired by the D.I.Y. ethos of Punk, Jeff and Steven formed their first band, The Tourists, while they were still in Middle School in Hawthorne. By 1980 they had morphed into Redd Kross. In a sea of spit and safety pins, Redd Kross stood out. Not because of their youth and relative inexperience, but because their songs had something different to say. Jeff and Steven didn’t write about class warfare and spew the same political bromides. Their angst was focused on teenage concerns, (“I Hate My School.”) Yes, their music was inspired by Iggy & The Stooges and Black Flag, but their cultural touchstones were Linda Blair, Tater-Tots, Charles Manson, Saturday Morning Cartoons and the Carpenters! Their first gig was opening for hometown heroes Black Flag. Under the aegis of tastemaking KROQ D.J. Rodney Bingenheimer, Redd Kross became a popular presence of the diverse L.A. Punk scene. Following their 1980 debut EP and their ragged long player, “Born Innocent” in 1981, the band really hit pay dirt with 1987’s “Neurotica.” Redd Kross had their strongest line-up with the addition of guitarist Robert Hecker and drummer Ray McDonald, (no relation). Sadly before they could capitalize on their momentum they became mired in legal difficulties with their record label. By 1990, Redd Kross had signed with a major label, Atlantic, and released the surprisingly commercial “Third Eye.” Songs like “Annie’s Gone” and “Bubblegum Factory” went into heavy rotation back when MTV played actual music videos. Two more releases followed, 1993’s “Phase Shifter” and “Show World” in 1997. The band has been hibernating ever since. (Well, not really. The brothers got married. Jeff to Go-Go Charlotte Caffey and Steven to Anna Waronker, of that dog. They acted in several films from acclaimed director Allison Anders, handled production chores for other bands. Steven even spent time as an A & R rep for Warner Brothers Records) But musically Redd Kross has returned with “Researching The Blues.” Happily reunited with the “Neurotica” line up of
September 6 to 12, 2012
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assist, guitarist, vocalist and song writer, “Woody Retro” performs with The Refills this Friday, September 7, in The Tack Room at 9 p.m. located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio. (760) 347-9985. He returns there on Friday, October 5, with Alyce Bowie featuring vocalist Kym Galvan. On Saturday, September 15, at 9 p.m., The Refills perform in Roc’s Firehouse located at 36-891 Cook Street in Palm Desert. (760) 340-3222. Both bands have several other performances lined-up in October and the up-coming season. Elwood Alan Reppert, Jr., was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, on September 6. His father was in the military for 27 years and still holds the record for being the ‘fastest ranking officer’ going from Private to Colonel, in the history of the US Army, who didn’t go to West Point. “I looked at the newspaper clipping hanging on the wall every day. Later, he worked as an engineer for Western Electric,” said Retro. “He was
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also a trumpet player, band leader, singer, pianist, and performed in musical theater along with my mother.” His mother was a great singer and sang in the choir. Retro also has a sister, who is three years older than him. She was first chair violin for the All-City Orchestra in high school. A very talented family. “Woody Retro” started playing bass when he was 14 years old. “I was playing guitar for about a year,” said Retro, “but I always wanted to play bass because my major influence was seeing Paul McCartney and The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and I remember saying to myself, ‘That looks like a great job, I think I would like to do that for a living.’ So I have Paul McCartney to thank for living a life of being in and out of bands.” Throughout high school he played in a band. “We were a four person band, but we could never hold onto a drummer. We went through drummer after drummer and then together with my cousin, who was two years older than me, we formed our own
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band. We had a power trio, guitar, bass and drums, and would play songs by The Who, Cream and Hendricks.” He continued playing in bands and moved to California in 1989 and found the Musicians Contact Service. He had an opportunity to play with two different bands, Glacier and Richie Owens, who is cousin to Buck Owens and Dolly Parton. Owens was a recording engineer and came to LA to sell his songs and Retro played bass for him. Retro started working for Nadine’s Music and was promoted to Keyboard Department Manager. “I used to take keyboards home every week and learn how to program them, so I would have first hand knowledge to assist my customers. I actually got rather good at sequencing.” He later left there and started working at Guitar Center. Personal tragedy prevented him from playing music for four years, however, he soon returned to the music world by playing acoustic guitar in coffeehouses, performing his original music with his wife, calling themselves Retro Grade. “That is how we got the name Retro. I was Woody Retro
and my wife was Dani Retro.” He stopped playing completely when his son Flynn was born. He worked hard to support his family for many years, but again, returned to music in November of 2009 and has been performing all over the Valley since then with several different bands. The Refills formed in January of 2011. Band members include: Retro on bass; guitarist Peter Kadile; guitarist Tim Rocker Kramer and Terry Dubas on drums. Every band member sings lead and back-ground vocals. They play an eclectic mix of 80s new wave, rockabilly, 60s Brit invasion, soul and 90s alternative rock with a dash of new millennium modern rock, ska and reggae for dancing. They are planning to include some of their original compositions in the up-coming season. “I love my son, very much, and I’m glad he loves music, too. I have no regrets choosing to be a musician, it keeps me young and I’m still enjoying it.” You can e-mail him at ReppertRetro@aol.com. On a personal note, God Bless You Woody and Happy Birthday!
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