All Entries Tagged With: "The Music of NoCo"
The Music of NoCo: the Mad Titans
If there’s one secret about North County that I wish more people knew, it’s that this area is absolutely brimming with artists and musicians. Far from being a “cultural wasteland,” as a city hipster friend once called it, NoCo is actually a goldmine of characters and creative types, most of whom live here because it’s laid back and cheap.
A lot of these folks are lone wolves, just doing their thing in private. But every once in a while, somebody from our little neck of the woods makes a name for themselves. That’s the case with the Mad Titans, an eclectic band from the Ferguson area that has carved out a unique niche in the St. Louis music scene with its heart-pumping, retro-inspired instrumental surf rock.
Tim LaBeaume (left) on bass and Justin Pfeifer on guitar
Of course, surf music may seem like an odd fit for the Midwest. What’s even odder is that the Mad Titans are actually the second instrumental surf band to come out of Ferguson in the past decade.
Band members Tim LaBeaume, Justin Pfeifer and Gregory Taylor, all NoCo natives, spent the late 90s and early 2000s listening to the Honkeys, Ferguson’s original surf rock band headed up by guitar maestro Jeff Thomas. Now living in Chicago and playing in the fabulously raucous “circus punk marching band” Mucca Pazza (returning to St. Louis on May 22!), Thomas inspired many local musicians with his innovative style, but none more so than the fine lads of the Mad Titans.
“When Jeff moved to Chicago, it just seemed reasonable to try and fill his shoes,” Pfeifer, 27, says. “We loved the music, and nobody else was playing it, so we thought what the heck.”
“Actually, we can’t sing and we hate to write lyrics, so instrumental seemed perfect for us,” LaBeaume, 31, adds.
That was in 2005. Since then, the Titans have played at clubs all over town and built a steady following, despite all three members working “real” jobs outside of music. In January, they performed at Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge. On March 25, they played a live show on KDHX. And coming up on April 10, they’re hosting their first official CD release party.
Gregory Taylor on drums
Consisting of 16 original tracks spanning 45 minutes, the CD – Journey to Earth – is a collaborative effort featuring a few songs written by bass player LaBeaume and even more composed by guitarist Pfeifer. “Justin likes to keep his songs secret until he’s done,” teases Taylor, 32, a married father of two who joined the Titans as drummer two years ago. “Usually he finishes and then presents the song to the band, then we sort of make suggestions and work out the kinks and let it flow from there.”
“What’s great is that we have a lot of influences outside of surf music, so it makes our sound pretty versatile,” Pfeifer says. “We all bring a wide range of styles to the table.”
“Really, we like everything from Primus to Calexico,” Taylor adds. Other favorites include the Huntington Cads, Man or Astroman?, Satan’s Pilgrims and Los Straitjackets – a mixed bag of bands that reflect the Titans’ varied musical backgrounds.
Growing up in Florissant, LaBeaume started playing piano in first grade then switched to guitar in high school. Pfeifer, originally hailing from my own neighborhood of Old Ferguson West, was a longtime cellist until he too learned guitar. In his Ferguson basement, where the group practices every Sunday, a vintage organ and a rarely played accordion also share the space with the “regular” instruments, in a room lined with DIY sound-proofing cleverly made from packing materials discarded at Pfeifer’s job. “My attempt at appeasing the neighbors,” he says with a grin.
So the band lives in NoCo, practices in NoCo and first learned to play music here, but do they ever perform locally? Unfortunately, no.
“There are very few venues in North County for original music,” Taylor laments. “Unless you want to do four hours of cover songs, it’s hard to find a place to play.”
“We would love to play around here. We did actually play one show at Just Bill’s in Overland,” LaBeaume says. “But really, there’s just no consistent venue up here that supports original bands.”
As a result, when the Mad Titans hold their CD release party on April 10, performing along with Abstract Artemis, Stellar Remnants and the Alabama surf band Daikaiju, it’ll be at the Way Out Club in South City. Anybody up for a field trip?
The Music of NoCo: Ann Fink
Our first brave guinea pig in the Music of NoCo is Ann Fink, a talented decorative painter and all-around Renaissance woman who serves on Ferguson’s Volunteer Flower Department and lives in a charming 1860s home that she and her husband, Gary, lovingly restored.
These days, Ann is listening to an old classic that brings back fond memories: David Oistrakh’s hauntingly beautiful 1962 version of “Claire de Lune” by Debussy.
“I love this piece because, as a child we had an old Steinway Concert Grand large enough for 5 “stair-stepped” kids (and at least 2 pets) to lie under; swept away by my Mom’ s love for this music,” she says.
“In her girlhood, my Mom babysat for an alcoholic woman in her neighborhood to get access to a piano and lessons so she might teach herself to play Debussy, Beethoven and Shostakovich. They say you can’t go home again, but this music transcends time and must surely be part heaven and earth.”
So what are you listening to? Email me (shannon AT nocostl.com) to submit your favorite song.
The Music of NoCo: introducing a new column
As I was looking at my website data recently, I was blown away to learn that NOCO is now getting nearly 350,000 hits every month. It’s an awesome number, for sure, and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s reading. But at the same time, I’m also thinking, “Who the hell are all these people?”
Of course, local tradition should spur me to ask you, dear NOCO fans, where you went to high school – as if that will provide some deep insight. But I’m not interested in knowing who you were. I want to know who you are. Today. That’s why I’m launching a new column…
The Music of NoCo is basically a showcase of North County, as told through the music that people here love. I don’t know about you, but every memory of my life is naturally interwoven with the music I was listening to then. And if somebody wants to know where I’m “at” for the moment, they need only scan my iTunes playlist.
Music moves us. It brings us together. It opens our mind to new possibilities. So I want to know, North County: What are you listening to right now? From a musical standpoint, who are the people of NoCo?
Send me the name of your current favorite song, a note on why you love it, and a photo of yourself, and I’ll feature someone new every week or so. Bonus points if you can provide a link to the song. And yes, original music is welcome too. You can email submissions to shannon@NOCOstl.com (yep, cut & paste), and please put “Music of NoCo” in the subject line.
(Blue, Martin, Tim Gorry at KCFV – if you don’t send me something, I’m going to ask you anyway!)
In the mean time, I’ll kick things off with a song that is currently sending me over the moon: Chinese Translation by M.Ward, which is available at St. Louis County Library. I love, love, love so many things about this song – the Johnny Cash-style drums, the simple beauty of the lyrics, the clip-clop woodblock, the gritty warmth of the vocals from a vintage microphone.
There’s also a vaguely tropical feel that reminds me of a wonderful Hawaiian guitar CD my husband got from FOX2 weatherman Dave Murray, strangely enough. The whole thing makes me long for an open road and a new adventure. It also makes me wish I hadn’t left the M.Ward stage at Austin City Limits to go sit in the baking sun and hear a band whose only good song is now in a car commercial. Oh well.
I think Chinese Translation is a lovely, hopeful song, perfect for winter. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you’ll submit your favorite music too! I’m open to any genre and any time period. By the way, February’s edition of another new column, The Gardens of NoCo, will be posted soon!
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K