|
By Chris Clark
The Radiators |
From the depths of despair, The Radiators push on. Over the last 28 years, they've become one of the hardest working, most road tested rock n' roll bands in the country. They have endured almost three decades of performing music professionally to an ever-increasing number of eager fans from the Bayou to the Heartland.
After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans, the Crescent City is now on the road to recovery. While media attention has shifted to North Korean nuke toting dictator Kim Jung Il and President Bush's various political debacles, the world should not forget about the devastation Katrina wrought. If you never made it to New Orleans pre-Katrina, it's truly a shame. From the Creole culture to the gumbo to the jazz clubs of the French Quarter, N'Awlins is a city of life - a city so unique you just have to experience it first hand to truly know what it was all about. Today, it is still a place like none other in America, but that's not such a great thing. Yes, the city still thrives in places, but entire areas, such as the Lower Ninth Ward and all along the damaged river levies, still lay in ruins over a year later.
Luckily, New Orleans still has its culture. Maybe it's the stubborn inhabitants that refuse to leave their storm-damaged homes. Maybe it's the centuries of cultural traditions that lay around every corner. Don't ever forget, New Orleans is still New Orleans, and it will take a lot more than Katrina to defeat it.
JamBase caught up with two musicians who help make New Orleans what it is. We spoke with The Radiators' Dave Malone and Reggie Scanlan to discuss the city's past, present and future, the band's new album Dreaming Out Loud and why New Orleans will never die.
JamBase: So let's begin by talking about your new album, Dreaming Out Loud. Tell me a little bit about the recording process. Why did you choose to do it in New Orleans?
Reggie Scanlan: It's the first studio thing we've done in a long time. It felt like we had to do it in New Orleans, to make a statement. We don't really talk about that stuff too much. Everything just fell into place in a really short period of time.
Dave Malone: We were determined to do it there. We wanted to work with Mark [Bingham] in his studio [Piety St.]. The studio wasn't five minutes from the Lower Ninth Ward. Driving there you could see parts of the city that were just ruined.
JamBase: Is the album a true nod to what The Radiators are all about? Is it characteristic "fish head music" [rock music influenced by New Orleans rhythms] with a noticeable Southern fried vibe?
Reggie Scanlan: We recorded the album really quickly. We went in, did all the tracks, and mostly just overdubbed vocals to maintain a live fell to it.
Baudoin & Malone - The Radiators by Susan J. Weiand |
Dreaming Out Load is The Radiators definitive studio recording to date. The album confirms the band's status as one of the premier music acts to come out of New Orleans in some time. It's full of colorful nuances, glistening guitar work, intricate instrumental interplay, and rich vocals. Due to the band's consistent and well-balanced line-up over the years, they possess an incredible knack for knowing each other's next move. Dreaming Out Loud comes off impeccably smooth. It sounds like the majority of tracks are first takes, which isn't far from reality.
Mark Bingham's production further solidifies the album. By allowing the band to show off their multitude of eclectic assets - Dave Malone's slick rhythm guitar, Scanlan's sultry Delta bass, Ed Volker's delicate keyboard dexterity, Camile Baudoin's slippery slide, drummer Frank Bua propulsive beats - Bingham let them create an album true to its N'Awlins, Professor Longhair inspired roots. Malone's compositions shine, written perfectly for Volker's opulent tone. On Dreaming Out Loud, Malone writes in a variety of styles. There's Robert Johnson gritty blues, foot-moving funk, voodoo swamp rock, and journeyman jazz. The common thread is the bittersweet belief that New Orleans will return to its former glory.
Ed Volker - The Radiators by Susan J. Weiand |
JamBase: How do Dreaming Out Load and your other studio albums compare to your legendary live shows?
Reggie Scanlan: I have no idea. We've never repeated a set in 28 years. Whatever happens at our shows is as much of a surprise to me as the guy standing in the back of the audience. At worst, at least it wasn't the same as last night. The music is going to change every time it happens. People come to see us to be surprised, and they will be. [New Orleans] audiences are very open-minded about stuff. It's a great place to try out new things.
Dave Malone: I don't think we've ever followed a setlist all the way through. If Ed makes a left turn, we'll just follow him. We have this instinctual thing. Of course, you do fall on your face now and then. There's some pretty wacky stuff - goofy lyrics, double entendres and party stuff. The song is the bottom line for us. We're really proud of our songs.
|
