Page 8A
Wednesday, November 6, 1996
Bird's EyeTunes
JUSTIN CASE
it's a band and an attitude
'I love to dance to them, and I usually never dance'
By Bradley Brooks Kansan staff writer
Justin Case serves up a delicious mix of jazz, funk, reggae and Motown, and the band's followers eat it up. The crowd dances from the first chord of the improvisational juggernaut's baseline
thinal juggernaut's basement until the last note fades away.
"I love to dance to them, and I usually never dance. You just can't help it," said John Ridlon, Lake Arrowhead, Calif., junior. "They are absolute funk that everyone can relate to."
This need to move seems to be a common denominator for those who listen to Justin Case.
"I came here to dance, and they don't let me down," said Alison Ward, Lawrence resident. "They just make everyone out here and dance."
The show begins as lead singer Jesse Jackson beckons the fans to the dance floor. Half-dancing, halfappearing to float off the ground, Jackson and the cord to his microphone snake around the dance floor, enticing the crowd to do the same.
"Just in case you forgot, we're about
love and peace," Jackson informed the crowd, setting the tone for the night.
A rew minutes into Jackson's trance-like chanting and dancing, the dual trumpets of Rod Block and Myron Brimm snap listeners to attention with sharp, metallic notes.
"They have such a unique style," Ridlon said. "Nobody can sound quite like them."
Ridlon and the rest of the crowd have their musical hunger whetted by this appetizer to the show.
This funky cooperative is composed of 12 musicians who pool their musical resources. Bongos, flute, a rhythm drummer, a lead guitarist who has a hint of Hendrix influence and a smooth sax all join in to provide a full-bodied and balanced sound that continues through the closing number.
Susan Moffett, Overland Park senior, said that what she liked about Justin Case was the people that came to see them.
"They draw a really diverse crowd," Moffett said. "That's what I love about the shows."
Anyone who has seen them knows that Moffett is right.
Seeing Justin Case is simply a good experience. The band is there to have fun and that is imbued into the crowd.
Neo-hippies, button-down conservatives and all that fall in between are drawn to the band for a fundamental reason: to get a groove on.
"They provide such a great atmosphere. They just bring everyone into their shows," Ridlon said. "I always have a great time."
'The 12 of us in this band could not be cohesive without the church'
The jazzy funk band finds its roots in gospel music.
By Ashlee Roll Kansan staff writer
The band has a unique sound that makes you move your feet.
One of the newest bands on the Lawrence scene is fast becoming one of its most popular, and that band is Justin Case. They are the band almost everybodyloves.
The name of the band, Justin Case, comes from the combined name of Anthony Case, who plays guitar, and Just in Love who plays the bass. But mainly, the name is representative of the bands nature.
"We are a jam band," said Love. "Members only show up if they want to, so it's like 'just in case they show up.'"
The name also is representative of the band's gospel roots.
"Just in case you forget where the funk came from," Love said. "It comes from the
"We generally make up music," Case said. "But we have songs that we've played so long that it sounds like top 40 Justin Case."
church."
"Aretha Franklin and James Brown both started in the church," Love said. "The church is the roots."
The group's many influences include reggae, jazz, funk and New Orleans rag time. But Love said the band's inspiration comes from the emotional freedom that church offers.
The band keeps its roots deeply entwined in gospel music and looks to other famous musicians who have done the same.
"The 12 of us in this band could not be cohesive with out the church," he said.
Justin Case has been on the local scene about a year and began as the collaborative efforts of Just in Love and Anthony Case. Various musicians from other bands started appearing at their shows. These musicians were invited on stage,
and eventually, became part of the 12 member line-up.
And improvising is something that the band does every time they play. With increasing crowds at each show, Justin Case has created a following that has learned to recognize certain songs. Something the band tries to avoid.
But it is more than their lineup that makes them unique. It is their sound.
But for the fans,energetic performances from the band are what they expect.
"It can be described as chocolate goodness." Love said.
But Case defines the band's sound as improvisational dance music with a lot of soul.
Photos by John Head
LEFT: Just In Love,
the bass player for
Justin Case,plays
during their
Lawrence concert.
FAR LEFT: Justin
Case saxophone
Simms plays for
the Lawrence crowd.
"We try to make all of our shows different," Case said. "But expect it to be intense."
Love agrees.
"People can expect lots of dancing and lots of ladies," he said.
Critical Volume
Music reviews by Robert Moczydlowsky rmoczurk@falcon cc ukans.edu
rmoczudk@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
And while this rerelease route may have its advantages for the band — first and foremost being that the album was made to the band's liking, not the label's — it also can put a lot of pressure on the group's second record.
The Presidents of the United States of America II (Columbia Records). A year and a half ago, the Presidents followed a tried and true path to rock success.
Originally a Seattle bar band with an excellent album on independent Pop Llama Records, the Presidents found themselves at the center of a label-bidding war. They eventually signed with Columbia Records, and the label promptly rereleased their
For the most part, the Presidents have avoided the sophomore jinx on their latest record. There are several catchy songs beyond
the first single Mach 5, and in instances where the band abandons their guitar picking for chords and distortions, this record is better than the last.
debut record on a nation wide scale.
But somewhere along the band's tour of the world, lead singer Chris Ballew mis-
where the first record had some of the funniest songs around, like Boll Weevil and We Are Not Going To Make It, this new album includes lines like, "I got myself a brand new tube amplifier! It's large and lovely to behold/Now I'm gonna blow a big one."
placed his knack for hilarious lyrics.
We aren't exactly looking for poetry here, but come on — the Presidents have to be capable of something better than that.
CONTRIBUTED ART
1-10:5
Kula Shaker K (Columbia Records). Almost everybody's record collection contains albums that get played only in certain circumstances.
Maybe you fall asleep to Enya, or maybe you listen to Mazzy Star every time your boyfriend or girlfriend comes over and you ... well, you know what I mean.
CONTRIBUTED ART
record is perfect for your collection of specific-use albums. Ever take long trips in the car through western Kansas? Ever drive home to Chicagoland with the top down? If so, check this record out.
Kula Shaker's new
Kula Shaker is four guys who play 10
Rex C (Southern Records). When a review in this column a couple of weeks ago called some of the music on KJHK "crap," certain parties at that station were less than happy.
Truth is, college radio is the last purely music-motivated radio format left — and we should appreciate what that offers us.
And don't be distracted by all the lyrics about Hindu religion. This may be spiritual rock, but it is not religious. What happens when you listen to it might be religious — but that's another matter altogether.
instruments between them, ranging from the standard guitar and bass to the Indian tambouria and a space-ate mellotron.
And while these songs sound like long jam sessions, don't confuse Kula Shaker's style for a Phish or a Rusted Root Shaker. There is much more Jimmy Page than Jerry Garcia inside the guitar parts on this record.
Overall: 7 (The record lost a couple of points for the ridiculously long wait for a completely stupid, hidden track.)
Barring a major marketing miracle, you will not hear Rex on the Lazer. You will not
This week Robert keeps the election spirit with a review of the Presidents of the United States of America, grooves to Kula Shaker jams and uncovers Vanessa Daou.
hear their delicate harmonies, guitars, or their inventive and intelligent lyrics.
If you want to hear this band, you have just three options. Option one is the easiest – just tune into KJHK and request it. Option two is to check out the Critical Volume website at http://www.kansan.com/critical. Soon you will be able to hear a song from the album and read an extended review.
Option three is to head downtown to Love Garden Records, 936 1/2 Massachusetts St., and buy the disc.
By going out of your way to hear new music, you will discover just how much you are missing when you turn on the radio or MTV.
Options one and two are much cheaper, so you ought to try them first.
If you check out this record and end up hating it, you can e-mail me and tell me I'm wrong. A reply is guaranteed.
Overland Schooling
Vanessa Daou Slow to Burn (MCA/Krasnow Entertainment). Another recent release that deserves some attention here, because it may not get much attention anywhere else, is the latest album from Vanessa Daou.
Last year, Daoa released an album entitled Zipless, on which she transcribed Erica Jong's feminist poetry into sexy, slow dance club numbers. Now, on *Slow to Burn*, Daoa
Overall: 8, and rising.
CONTRIBUTED ART
has written 10 original songs that are loosely based on the lives of women she admires. Also included is a fantastic cover of Billie Holiday's Don't Explain.
The sultry Daou doesn't exactly have the show-stopping voice of some of her contemporaries, but she more than makes up for it with her incredible lyrics and honest emotion.
Daou's husband Peter serves as the album's producer and also shares in the music credits, allowing Vanessa to retain almost complete control of the album's mood.
Watch for remixes of these songs to surface in clubs. Also, listen to programs like Wild Women Don't Get the Blues on KJHK for the original album tracks.
If you're a fan of Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos or women's music in general, you will probably like Vanessa Daou.
Alanis Morrisette fans can kindly disregard this review.
Overall: 8.
Check out Robert's reviews and listen to some cool tunes online at www.kansan.com Use the Critical Volume link.