| Live
Capture The Music Photography of Doug Coombe (with captions by Doug Coombe) |
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I overheard a conversation once in the Blind Pig between two guys at the bar. “He’s like God’r somethin’, man.” “How’s that?” “Haven’t you noticed he’s like everywhere at all times. Every show we go to, there he is. It’s awesome.” After eavesdropping a little longer, I found out that they were talking about none other than Doug Coombe, the Ann Arbor-based freelance photographer who’s been perpetually documenting every genre of Detroit music over the last 15 years. Chances are if you’ve been to a live show in Ann Arbor or Detroit, you know who Doug is. It’s funny. I can’t say how many shows I’ve been to where Doug is either on or in front of the stage, camera in one hand, flash in the other, feverishly snapping photos for the band, but one thing’s for certain: Every time he’s hard at work—flashbulbs going off like loaded guns with equipment bags pack-muled to his back—Doug Coombe puts on just as good a show as the one he’s documenting. You look around and see just as many eyes on him as there are on the band. Doug
is a steady contributor for the Metro Times and his photography
has graced the pages of Rolling Stone, Mojo, Spin, NME, and several
other national publications. In addition to music photography, Doug
also has an affinity for photographing repudiated buildings in the
Detroit area as well as “abstract macro flower photography.”
His work was showcased at 3D Troit2, an exhibit held last January
at the Gigantic Artspace in New York City. Dykehouse No doubt Mike Dykehouse’s upcoming Ghostly release Midrange will receive endless comparisons to My Bloody Valentine’s landmark album Loveless. What those comparisons will miss is a whole other host of influences (Wire, Dinosaur Jr, Starbuck) that Dykehouse has made his own. Midrange is all the more amazing because Dykehouse recorded it for nothing on a lap top in his Bedroom (which is unusual for a rock album). On the other hand the recording of Loveless nearly bankrupted Creation Records. |
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The Muggs Danny Muggs is Detroit’s Angus Young. I would say he’s the best rock guitar player in Detroit but then there’s Eddie Baranek, Jack White, Zach Shipps and Danny Dollrod. . . . S ome nights though he is definitely the best . . . Danny also plays with the Paybacks. |
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| Demolition Doll Rods The Demolition Doll Rods are one of the most criminally under-appreciated Detroit “garage” bands. Mixing glam, garage, bubble gum and over-sexed positivity the Doll Rods have been Detroit’s most consummate rock stars for over 10 years. Hopefully their new album will bring the Doll Rods some long overdue success. |  |
| Bulldog The “names” in Bulldog are singer/songwriter/guitarist Kenny Tudrick (Detroit Cobras, uncredited co-writer of Kid Rock’s “Cowboy”) and keyboardist Eddie Harsh (Black Crowes). Live Bulldog comes across like a tour van pile-up of the Crowes, the Stones and Son Volt. Great songwriting and great chemistry. No wonder Interscope and American are already trying to sign them after five shows. |  |
| Saturday Looks Good To Me Fred Thomas’ SLGTM alternates between being a beautiful pop band on record and pure abandon live. Their last album, All Your Summer Songs, very deservedly made the 2003 Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll as one of the best records of the year. The as yet untitled follow up album is slated for a September 14 release on Polyvinyl. |  |
| Audra Kubat Audra Kubat is a beautiful and passionate vocalist, a great finger picking acoustic guitarist and a gutsy confessional songwriter. Her stunning 2003 release Million Year Old Sand evokes classic Joni Mitchell without sounding derivative in any way. Audra is definitely her own woman/artist. |  |
| Great Lakes Myth Society GLMS is The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love minus former violinist/ recent mom Liz Auchinvole. Much like Saturday Looks Good To Me, GLMS are killer pop songsmiths on record while being a crazed rock band on stage. They finished the amazing H.O.M.E.S., Vol. 2 at about the same time as their label (Telegraph Records) went bankrupt. Currently seeking a label for this unreleased gem, GLMS has at long last been getting some well deserved shows in Detroit. |  |
| Tadd Mullinix The man of many alter egos (Charles Manier, James Cotton, Dabrye, SK-1, himself of course) saw his (SK-1) collaborations of sound clash madness with Todd Osborne (Soundmurderer) on Rewind Records get picked up by legendary Rephlex Records this year. On the horizon are two new James Cotton 12”s and a new Dabrye 12” with Jay Dee and Phat Kat. The upcoming Dabrye full-length promises to be a dome-crusher. |  |
| The Hentchmen Like the Demolition Doll Rods the Hentchmen have yet to claim their well deserved due. There were a few years in the 90’s when the Hentchmen were the Detroit “garage” scene. These manic pop geniuses are set to release a CD on Times Beach Records around August tentatively titled Form Follows Function. |  |
| Nathaniel Mayer Nathaniel Mayer first hit the charts with Fortune Records “Village of Love” back in 1962. To see him live today you would think time had stood still. The man is a living, breathing Viagra advertisement. On stage Nathaniel is a shameless charmer and seemingly inexhaustible. He recently recorded an album with the Shanks for Fat Possum Records. |  |
| Athletic Mic League After appearing on Carl Craig’s Detroit Experiment last year AML are set to drop their new LP Jungle Gym Jungle next month. AML has shared the stage with like minded greats Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Jurassic 5. Although given AML’s six MC’s they don’t exactly share the stage, they own it. |  |
| The Hard Lessons It’s not easy breaking into the Detroit rock scene. It’s especially hard if you’re from Lansing. Distance has done nothing to deter this Lansing guitar/organ/drums trio from quickly becoming favorites in Detroit. Soul, blues, a bit of garage and boundless showmanship. |  |
| The Sights Led by Eddie Baranek, the Sights take classic ‘66-’67 Who and Small Faces sounds and nail it with a vengeance. Eddie is a brilliant guitar player even though he usually seems lackadaisical about his own playing. Sadly, drummer Dave Shettler recently left the band just after they finished recording an LP for James Iha’s Scratchie Records. Detroit’s best live rock band. |  |
| Nomo Saxophonist/keyboard player Elliot Bergman’s Nomo is an ass-kicking Afro-funk ensemble inspired by the music of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti, much like NYC’s Antibalas (which includes former Ann Arborite Stuart Bogie on sax). Nomo will celebrate the release of their Warren Defever-produced LP follow up to their Full Moon EP on May 14 at the Blind Pig. |  |
| The Riots The Riots are a great live band. Or are they? The Riots have the distinctive honor of inspiring the best Josh Steichmann quote ever (“Either stop looking like you’re scared of sex up on stage, or get out!”). Either way, you’ll have to wait a few months to decide for yourself. The Riots are taking the next couple of months off to break in their new drummer and finish their LP. |  |
| Wolf Eyes More than almost any other band Wolf Eyes are a musical Rorschach test - people’s reaction to their music almost says more about the speaker than the music. People either love them or hate them (which a few people did when they warmed up for Sonic Youth in Royal Oak). Sure Wolf Eyes music is a total assault at times, but it’s also a total catharsis and more than frequently brutally beautiful at times. Their first 12” inch for Sub Pop Records, “Stabbed in The Face,” is out and their full-length on Sub Pop will be out later this year. |  |
| Pas/Cal Pas/Cal has released two EP’s of shamelessly catchy Anglophilic pop. Sure there’s a bit of Belle and Sebastian or the Smiths going on, but there’s also some ELO and Lefte Bank going on too. Their drummer Jesse is a moose on drums who gives some real weight to the songs. Pas/Cal is working on its third record with some of the money they got from a recent Saturn commercial. |  |
| Apologies
to the following bands/artists I would have loved to include as well:
Chris Buhalis, Jim Roll, Brian Lillie, Adult., Waxwings, Tamion 12
Inch, Brendan Benson, Todd Osborne, Matthew Dear, Elevations, Soledad
Brothers, Amp Fiddler, Jawbox, DJ Graffiti, Dirtbombs, Cyril Lords,
Showdown at the Equator, Midwest Product, Jan D, and Night Wood. Maybe
next year… —Doug Coombe |
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