Five Years Running. And Not Stopping.
After five years, projects can be scripted. The fifth collaboration with Perfect Duluth Day wasn’t different: The same format, same concept, and same characters becomes tiring. Now, it isn’t a question of can it be done. It’s a question of how it can be done.
We looked for musicians who were one part unknown and one part misunderstood. Although this has been, for argument’s sake, our modus operandi, we really tried to push the boundaries of diversity in Duluth. Looking back at it, we really couldn’t have asked for a better set of players.
Dubz
Bryan Wick comes full force as the hip-hop powerhouse Dubz. He wrote, produced, and financed these wonderfully odd music videos for his songs “Wanna Be” and “Throw it on My Tab.” After seeing them, I didn’t know if he was serious or seriously fucking with everyone.
Bryan is like getting transported into a paradox of parody and playfulness. A former, professional arena football player who raps about Yo-J and the importance of squats, he enjoys toying with the idea of what rap is and can be. He admits his work isn’t for everyone, but he wants it that way. After he left, he became the highlight of my trip.
Daniel Oyinloye
Daniel beams energy. And it’s intimidating. He crosses continents and genres with Dawn of Redemption, a concept album of sorts about his personal and spiritual journey from native Africa to Minneapolis. This record is more than a collection of gospel infused hip-hop: It’s a reflection of a dynamic personality who wants to build bridges across communities.
In other words, when I say his energy is intimidating, it’s not spoken softly. Daniel exceeds at pushing out content and turning the world into a better place. He has the rare quality of being a good person.
The Latelys
What some people love about sitcoms like Step By Step, Family Matters, or Full House isn’t their artist achievements. It’s their goofy storylines, consistent plot holes, and overt family stereotypes. But, not many people say, “I love the chord progression from Boy Meets World,”—well, unless you’re CJ Hanson (keyboard); then it’s all about theme songs.
When paired up with Rachel Reffenburg (drums) and Jenna Harding (bass/vocals), The Latelys aren’t afraid to take CJ’s idea from an inside joke to a full band. Although the band isn’t a traditional three-piece rock act, the Latelys aren’t daunted by standard conventions. They remind me that even someone’s love for Step By Step should be multi-dimensional.
Elysium Alps
On the whole, it’s difficult to say where electronic music isn’t found. From reinterpreting Bach to the underlying rhythms of contemporary pop, a digital signature is everywhere. Yet, electronica is often marginalized into EDM, or electronic dance music—with its bass-heavy, trap beats serving as an anthem for Spring Break. Jamie Larsen, under the banner Elysium Alps, has a problem with this: For him, electronica is a fluid medium that is often trapped in commercial safety.
Too young and too far away to grow up in Detroit or Chicago during the ‘90s house scene, he merges two conflicting schools of electronica. Jamie got his chance to refine his vision with Wild Blue, a five song EP that blends ‘90s electronica with warm soundscapes. Working with Milwaukee record label Close Up of the Serene, Jamie pushes himself out of this comfort zone and covers new ground. Jamie has been able to sidestep the commercial safety of the garden variety EDM. Which is great. We agreed that world doesn’t need another We Are Your Friends to legitimize a generic genre.
Timber Ghost
Critics love to romanticize the struggling artist. For some, that’s a great narrative. But Dustin Tessier reminds us how the process of losing yourself isn’t a pretty. It’s often a scary story too often idolized.
Devoid of sunshine production, his Timber Ghost project sounds like a striped down, bluesy version of ’90s space rock. With motifs of doubt and discovery underlining the record, Dustin fell into the project’s overarching themes accidentally after the failure of his marriage. He explained to me that certain wounds never really heal. For him, they act as reminders of how much he has accomplished.
Mint Vintage
On the surface, Mint Vintage’s song “Scratch ‘n Sniff” sounds like a cut from Polyvinyl Records circa 2001—complete with open D tuning and clever lyrics. Yet, as singer and guitarist Quinn Ryan points out, being typecast as a Midwest indie band isn’t the group’s intentions. It’s often the thing they rally against.
Mint Vintage’s set varies more than the menu at Old Country Buffet. A rock song, with a doo-wop chorus, followed by a Rage Against the Machine cover, it’s interesting to see. The band’s strongest aspect—maybe the most Midwestern element—isn’t the music. It’s seeing a group of friends not trying to impress everyone, but just having fun.
Boreal Forest
Many times, the most difficult questions to answer are the simplest ones. For musicians, describing their approach or even their style should be easy to answer. Boreal Forest thrives off answering the question ambiguously. The groups’ debut Terraform plays with dreamy soundscapes, found sounds, and jazzy rhythms. Even album’s cover looks like a still from Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain.
Since being nicest people I met during this season, the group answers any odd question you give them—in this Zen-like state. Fresh out of high school and moving into a new adult landscape, the band is about exploring possibilities. Preston Kuhn (singer/bassist) tells me how the band is a reflect of their lives at the moment. He even doubles down and explains how music operates as an empty canvas for themselves and others (not a bad response for a 20 year old). Meanwhile, I’m still trying to memorize dorian scales.
Pale in Comparison
For as much as I try, there’s a part of me that loves the basement. And Pale in Comparison is the best part. Basement shows. I make it a point to highlight at least one group from Duluth’s underground, basement community. The group doesn’t disappoint. Packed with crunchy bass lines, steady backbeat, and loud guitars, the band is testament Duluth’s underground roots. To top it off, its only album was recorded at Dog Talk Studios, a friend’s renovated basement.
Although Pale in Comparison doesn’t dominate contemporary airwaves, Matt Briggs (guitar) and Andrew Olson (drums) return to the same point. Sometimes, it’s not about success; it’s about learning from your failures. And competing in a community that always seems to be shrinking keeps them thankful for having a place to play.
Cyr
I have to admit, having a person ask to meet for an interview in a hotel room sounds suspicious. Eric Cyr was the first person in five years to call me out on this. So, to back him up, in case I was like a Ted Bundy, Eric brought his sister. He does have a point. In my defense, the hotel room was a nicer Holiday Inn, and not some motel that charges an hourly rate.
Eric takes a different approach to sharing music. Instead of longing for open stages and adoring audiences, he focuses his energy as a middle school music teacher. Getting students past their anxieties and getting them to acknowledge their abilities offers Eric daily changes. As we surround ourselves with the sounds of the world, he reminds that, sometimes, being human is more than listening. It’s about contributing to a conversation.
