Locals Pick Locals Vol. V

This week’s Turn it Down! spans decades and genres, but all have deep roots in Mid-Michigan. From obscure ’60s singles to remarkable power-pop and space-rock cut back in the ’90s, this playlist is sure to ease the social-distancing blues. All of these tunes are on YouTube, so feel free to listen along.

Tommy Plural (vocalist, guitarist, The Plurals, GTG Records co-founder)

Pick: Calliope “Did You Get What You Came For” — 1999

I’ve toured around the country many times and I can happily report that Lansing sincerely has a vibrant, creative scene that rivals that of much larger cities. I’m a very vocal advocate of the music created here over the years, but if asked to highlight a specific artist I’ve got to go with the great space-rock band Calliope. Calliope released five albums between 1995 and 2004 with Thick Records, and the band continues to periodically issue outstanding singles. Their third album, 1999’s “(in) organics,” was the first record they self-recorded at a house on Lansing’s east side — and it’s one of the great indie-pop records of the ’90s. Check out opener “Did You Get What You Came For” for a taste of their unique, psychedelic flavor.

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

Pick: Coffee House Blues “Getting Over You / Goodbye Baby” — 1968

Here’s a beyond charming lone single released on Lansing’s longest running home-run hit factory, Bob Baldori’s Spirit Records. There are lots of gems on Spirit, but here’s a soulful earworm from an obscure unit that is really sticks in the cabbage, thanks to its common lonesome tale of moving on. Bonus: Free LCC associate’s degree of your choice to anyone who solves the loner-folk mystery behind Sprit Records’ 1971 “McAllen” LP.

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

Pick: The Ferraris “Lovin’ Feelin” — 1966

In the mid-’60s, while The Ones and The Woolies saw the most national success out of the Lansing-based bands, other teenage outfits such as The Plagues, Tonto & the Renegades and The Beaux Jens were also packing local teen clubs. One of the most overlooked bands from that scene is The Ferraris. Formed by teenage twin brothers Hector and Victor Juarez, the band gigged every weekend at packed teen dances. In 1967, The Ferraris even spent a week performing in a musical clinic alongside Stevie Wonder, who was attending Lansing’s Michigan School for the Blind. Amazingly, Wonder fronted an impromptu jam session in the Juarez family’s living room. This rare track, “Lovin’ Feelin’,” was recorded in March 1966 at long defunct Don Lee Studios in Lansing, but was never properly released (only as an acetate disc). The brothers disbanded after Vietnam called in 1970, but continued playing music together for decades.

Joel Kuiper (drummer, The Stick Arounds, Scary Women, The Pantones)

Pick: The Front and The dt’s (1987-1996)

In the summer of 1988, I went to a house party at the corner of Beech & Gunson in East Lansing and saw a band called The Front, which featured three of my Eastern High School classmates, Scott Owens (guitar/vocals), Blair Darling (bass) and Ron Wellman (drums) along with Tom Taylor (vocals/guitar). I was mesmerized. They were the first local band I knew that wrote its own music, releasing a six-song cassette that opened with “One For You, Two For Me,” which remains one of my all-time favorite local songs. Over the next few years, another Eastern Quaker, Randy Farlin, took over on drums and the band changed its name to The dt’s. They would go on to enjoy local and regional success, releasing two fine records, “Cinch” (1992) and “Widow Of An All American” (1996). Owens, who left to join fellow Lansing stalwarts The Hannibals before forming 19 Wheels, was replaced by another Eastern grad Marc Nischan. As a young musician, I idolized these bands. The influence they had on me still exists today. Currently, you can hear many of them in a new outfit called Royal Scene, which just released its second EP.

Skyler Ashley (Arts and culture editor, City Pulse)

Pick: Blight “Detroit: The Dream is Dead,” (2006)

Steve Miller is responsible for the some of the best punk rock to come out Lansing. If the words “punk” and “Lansing” weren’t already dead giveaways, no, I’m not referring to the “Fly Like an Eagle” singer. This Miller performed with several punk bands in the early-’80s, with The Fix becoming the most renowned. Blight is a lesser-known follow up project that features Miller on guitar, Fix bassist Mike Achtenberg, Tesco Vee of the Meatmen on vocals and drummer Pat Clarke.

Blight isn’t the meathead hardcore of The Fix. Miller and crew instead created disgusting noise rock in the same vein of Flipper or No Trend. This time around, Miller handles guitar duties. His tone is an unsettling, razor-thin blur of feedback and dissonance. Vee’s abrasive vocals sound like he’s on the verge of vomiting at any moment. The rhythm section is tight. Achtenberg’s bass is filtered through a chorus pedal, which creates a nauseating effect. This release catalogs the band’s brief history. If you’re a fan of the weirder side of punk, it’s worth checking out.