Locals Pick Locals Vol. II: More Michigan-made melodies to ease the cabin fever

Last week, Turn It Down! dished up choice tracks from our neck of the woods. This week — with no local shows happening for the foreseeable future — I’ve assembled another batch of musicians to help me offer up even more locally sourced songs.

Rich Tupica (Turn It Down! writer, “Inzane Michigan” podcast co-host)

Pick: The Plagues — “I’ve Been Through It Before” — 1966

Back in 1966, The Plagues were on the verge of breaking up when they cut their final single, “I’ve Been Through it Before,” at Fenton Records. The result was a Lansing classic. The 45-rpm, today, sells for $900 or so and is revered by garage-rock collectors across the globe, but back in the mid-’60s, The Plagues were just a popular local band playing teen clubs and school dances.

This moody track has all of the makings of garage-rock majesty: melodramatic lyrics, quiet/loud sonic dynamics and a menacingly mean fuzz guitar.

Berry Noxon aka Cat Midway (singer/songwriter)

Pick: Veloura Caywood — “Being A Comet” — 2013

One Lansing song I really love is “Being A Comet,” by Veloura Caywood.  Some years ago, Burger Records put out a compilation of her first three albums including some new unreleased tracks and I believe this was one of the new ones. I got to see her play it live a couple of times with a full band (Night Thoughts) and that was really cool.

I love how it sounds like psychedelic soul music from the ’60s or ’70s. The song starts out like a slow-burning comet, but soon starts flying out of control — accentuated by the shimmering tambourine blasts and her passionate, unrestrained vocals that take you on a wild ride through fire and space. She really belts it out with all her heart and soul. I love that. The songwriting and concept are so original: comparing yourself to a comet — it’s very poetic. I am also drawn to destructive, empowering imagery of women.

Michael Austin aka MikeyyAustin (hip-hop/soul artist)

Pick: Curtis Roach — “Bored in the House” — 2020

Not sure which day of quarantine we are on ... Everyday has started to feel the same. I haven’t really been listening to much music, as I’ve been in album mode finishing up my upcoming project. But one song I find myself singing every day summarizes the past couple of weeks.

“Bored in the house and I’m in the house bored” is the catchiest lyric of 2020, and it’s even better because it’s by Detroit-based hip-hop artist Curtis Roach.

The song went viral on TikTok and has been everywhere since. I came across it on Chance the Rapper’s Instagram a couple of weeks ago and realized it was by a fellow Michigander. The official track featuring Tyga dropped last week. If you haven’t, I suggest listening to it while you’re bored in the house.

John Olson aka Inzane Johnny (Wolf Eyes, “Inzane Michigan” podcast co-host)

Pick: Thrower, Spillane & McFarland — “Blue John” LP — 1973

This Michigan State University outsider trio, from the long-past Hobies/Lizards downer-folk scene, got together to spread the world of spine-chillingly beautiful Michigan isolationism in the purest of raw forms. This “Blue John” LP, released by Ranger Records out of Clio, Michigan, is not only one of the most stunning homemade folk records of Ingham County, but of the world. Easily. Joan McFarland’s otherworldly, lilting vocals mixed with legendary Brad Thrower’s watery wah-wah guitar and Blue John’s heavy-autumn sorrow is a perfect rendition of our area. If you’re sitting on Jack Hamilton and Kathy Ford’s LPs: get at a player A.S.A.P.

Cale Sauter (Cavalcade guitarist, scene vet)

Pick: The Fuzz — “Noise Destroyers” LP — 2003

One thing about isolation is that it’s a bit easier to play entire records in one sitting. That’s led me back to my favorite local record to listen to all the way through: The Fuzz’s “Noise Destroyers.” This masterpiece remains criminally under-the-radar, even in terms of the Lansing music scene. Forget local … The Fuzz should’ve been psych-pop-shoegaze legends. They had it all: a thick amalgam of buzzing synths, dreamy feedback and rich, hard-to-fathom home production. At one point, during the lyric “rubber band,” the vocals stretch out like a rubber band.

Today, it sounds timeless. Imagine Frank Zappa producing and playing on a DIIV collaboration along with The Rentals — or throwing Wayne Coyne in the studio with Rick Wakeman and Hum. But even that doesn’t quite describe “Noise Destroyers.” It’s got everything. The beautiful way it flows seamlessly song-to-song has been a tremendous influence on how I approach the full-album concept on my own projects.