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Posts By American Mars

Spectacular Debrief

  • December 20, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Spectacular last night. Detroit got pounded with close to a foot of snow. Driving was bad and it was cold. I hope those who came out had a good time. COTS is a great cause and hopefully we made a little money for them in these tough times. Props to all the bands that came out and played and the crafters who brought their wares. Special high-five to David Feeny for putting the whole thing together. He works hard!

My personal highlight of the night: the Hard Lessons. Amazing.

xoxo,
t

Little Baby Jesus

  • December 9, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Last Fall we recorded a Christmas song called “Little Baby Jesus” for the Holiday Hootenany CD benefitting the Capuchin Soup Kitchen here in Detroit. We’d like to make the song available for free download again this year. Just click the link below. It’s also available on our myspace page and Facebook profile.

Speaking of Facebook, we know have our band page up and running. The page has a music player, video player, event calendar, and comment wall. To find us on Facebook, click here.

The Little Baby Jesus (mp3)

The Little Baby Jesus

There’s a family on the road headed back to their hometown
The governor signed a law that shut the border down
In the back seat there’s a baby with a carseat for a bed
She’s the little baby Jesus , no place to lay her head

A farmer in a field that his family used to till
It fed five generations and paid their doctor bills
The bank closed on the farm; he might as well be dead
Like the little baby Jesus, no place to lay his head

Christmas is a time to remember, when hope, faith and justice surrendered
Christmas is a time to believe, love is more than you receive
Love is more than you receive

The king got in his head it would be good to start a war
But the war kept gettin’ bigger ’til it came knockin’ at his door
His senators and counselors, well they all turned and fled
Now he’s the little baby Jesus, no place to lay his head

Have a Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year
And don’t forget that a baby can break the land of fear
And when you’re on the road may you find shelter from the storm
We’re all the little baby Jesus, just waiting to be born

The song is also available on the compilation Holiday Hootenany, sales of which benefit Detroit’s Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Find out more here.

Sounds and Spirits Spectacular

  • December 4, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

I just received the press release from the folks over at Thom McCann and Towne Club regarding this year’s Sounds and Spirits Spectacular. I didn’t know we were playing!! Check out the release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2008

The 7th Annual Detroit Sounds and Spirits Old-Fashioned Holiday Spectacular
Friday, December 19
The Magic Stick
4140 Woodward-Detroit
$15, 18 and over
8pm

Metro-area Thom McCan Shoe Stores and Town Club Soda Distributors are pleased to announce the 7th Annual Detroit Sounds and Spirits Old-Fashioned Holiday Spectacular on Friday, December 19 at Detroit’s Magic Stick.

The Sounds and Spirits Spectacular is the Detroit rock community’s biggest holiday event.  In homage to Christmas variety shows of yesteryear, the Spectacular features over 20 bands on two stages, celebrity emcees, and new this year, the ‘Handmade Holiday Shoppe,’ which will feature a bevy of DIY crafters selling their wares for last minute stocking stuffers.  Special guest hosts this year are Gangplank Recording artists Phil Hall and Kevin Oates, twin brothers of famed chart toppers Hall and Oates.  Phil and Kevin will be on hand to host the show but they’ll also perform a few of their famous brothers’ hits, sure to include, “Maneater,” ”Private Eyes,” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).”

The first Spectacular was held at C-POP Gallery in 2002 and was conceived as a classy sweater and scarf holiday cocktail party hosted by Blanche, American Mars and Sunshine Doray, all confessed suckers for the Christmas pageantry of television’s second golden age: the 1970’s.  It now features many collected original video vignettes, a variety of emcees and a whirligig of the city’s best and brightest bands all performing just one holiday classic.  The 2002 show, which sold out in five minutes and featured a now legendary appearance by Jack White, was so successful that the 2003 show was moved to the more spacious environs of the Magic Stick.  Now for one night each year, the Spectacular turns the Magic Stick into a rock and roll Christmas palace and it’s the perfect reason for Detroit’s musicians to collaborate and enjoy a yuletide tipple.

All proceeds from the Spectacular will benefit Detroit’s Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS). Since 2002, the Spectacular has raised over $15,000 for the Detroit-based organization, which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for single men, women and families with children who need assistance in becoming economically self-sufficient.

Bands scheduled to perform include:


The Hard Lessons – Blanche – Pop Project – The Javelins – Friendly Foes – American Mars
Sunshine Doray – The Nice Device – The Go – Shadiamond le Freedom – Dutch Pink – Ether Aura

The Barrettes – The Displays – Old Empire – Loretta Lucas – Sean Hoen Sleeps Til Dusk

Mick Bassett and the Marthas – The Pizazz – Danny Dollrod
    
The Magic Stick is located at 4140 Woodward Avenue in Detroit and can be reached at 313.833.9700. Admission to this event is $15, 18 and older please. Doors open at 8pm with festivities commencing promptly at 9pm. Celebrants are encouraged to bring a dish to pass.



For More Info Contact:
David Feeny, Tempermill Studios

Tempermill@aol.com or 248.399.0550

www.tempermill.com

Ramona Shureb, Majestic Theatre Complex
ramona@majesticdetroit.com

www.majesticdetroit.com



Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS)

www.cotsdetroit.org

70 Who Rock

  • November 21, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

In this week’s edition of Detroit’s Metro Times, our own David Feeny is named one of 70 locals who rock Detroit. Here’s what it says:

DAVE FEENY
PRODUCER, MUSICIAN, STUDIO & LABEL HEAD

As the Detroit area’s go-to pedal-steel guitar player and a member of local alt-country heroes Blanche, Feeny is part of the area’s musical elite. But what really puts him on this list is his role as owner of Tempermill Studios, which is responsible for a long run of terrific recordings, as well as his main manning the launch of Gangplank Records and new indie recordings by the aforementioned Blanche, American Mars, the Friendly Foes and Sunshine Doray. And his co-production credit (with Jack White) on Loretta Lynn’s last Grammy-winning LP brought him national prominence.

***

Pretty cool. AM.com got in touch with Feeny today at the Tempermill and asked him what he thought of being named. “I’m sure it’s my early work with such notable supergroups as Hippodrome, Hysteric Narcotics, and The Almighty Lumberjacks of Death that has garnered me this prestigious accolade. Seriously though, it’s nice to know that in a small way somebody has noticed and that I’ve been able to exist making music.”

Read the rest of the MT article here.

Pink Cadillac

  • November 20, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

I love it when old songs take on new meanings. I spent part of my morning spinning around Detroit’s radio dial listening to what folks had to say about the bailout debate. Everyone seems to have an opinion about how we got here but no one has a good idea about how to get somewhere else. A few minutes later and along comes Springsteen’s Pink Cadillac. All of a sudden it sounds very different.

You may think I’m fooling
For the foolish things I do
You may wonder how come I love you
When you get on my nerves like you do
Well baby, you know you bug me
There aint no secret about that
Well come on over here and hug me
And, baby, I’ll spill the facts
Well, honey it aint your money
Cause baby I got plenty of that

I love you for your pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back, oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money on a Saturday night
Honey, I just wonder what you do there in back of your pink Cadillac
Pink Cadillac

Well now way back in the bible, temptations always come along
There’s always somebody tempting you
Somebody into doing something they know is wrong
Well they tempt you man with silver and they tempt you sir with gold
And they tempt you with the pleasures that the flesh does surely hold
They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple
Man I aint going for that

I know it was her pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back, oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money on a Saturday night
Honey, I just wonder what you do there in back of your pink Cadillac

Now some folks say it’s too big and uses too much gas
Some folks say it’s too old and that it goes too fast
But my love is bigger than a Honda, it’s bigger than a Subaru
Hey man there’s only one thing and one car that will do
Anyway we don’t have to drive it honey, we can park it out in back
And have a party in your pink Cadillac

Saturday, November 15–Trinity House Theater

  • November 11, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Here’s to new beginnings!

We had a great time last night hanging out with Joe Nick Patoski, author of Willie Nelson: An Epic Life, the first authorized biography of the legendary singer/songwriter, and all around character. We played some tunes before and after Joe Nick talked about Willie and the book and then we had the very good fortune of hanging out for a while over some food and drink. Much thanks to Bill and Laura at the Monroe Public Library for putting together such a wonderful event.

This Saturday, November 15, will be out last proper show of 2008. Wow! We’ll be performing at the Trinity House Theater in Livonia, Michigan. A great band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Juniper Tar will be opening the show and we’re really thrilled they’re coming to town. Trinity House is a great intimate venue to hear music. Music will start at 8pm sharp you early birds can be in bed by midnight.

This year’s Holiday Spectacular will be at the Magic Stick in Detroit on Friday, December 19. Elf #1 Feeny is hard at work on this year’s festivities. Mark the date down on your calendar and get your holiday sweaters down from the attic.

best,
thomas

October/November Shows

  • October 3, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Fall has come to Detroit. We’re sorry to see Summer go but happy to get out the sweaters. Come see us before it snows. Here’s some opportunities:

Friday, October 3 (tonight!)
The Pike Room-Pontiac, MI
opening for Langhorne Slim
8pm

Saturday, October 11
Lager House-Detroit, MI
The Niapele Project Benefit Show for Liberian Children
featuring American Mars, Dan John Miller, Jawbone, and The Decks
6pm

Tuesday, October 28
The Magic Stick-Detroit, MI
opening for The Rumble Strips
9pm

Monday, November 10
Monroe Public Library-Monroe, MI
performance preceding a reading by Joe Nick Patoski,
author of Willie Nelson: An Epic Life, the first
authorized biography of the music legend.
7pm

Saturday, November 15
Trinity House Theater-Monroe, MI
with special guests Juniper Tar
8pm

Peace,
Thomas

The Hard Lessons

  • August 15, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Local rock photographer Stephanie Copperrein sent us this photo from our set with The Hard Lessons in Detroit a few weeks ago.

Milwaukee, The Hard Lessons, Drummer Josh

  • July 23, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

Hi All,

AM plays Milwaukee, WI this Friday, July 25 at the Stonefly Brewery along with The Hearers, Hearts of Stone, and The Jonathan Burkes Band. This will be our first time in Milwaukee in a long, long time and we’re glad to be going back.

This Saturday, July 26, we’re performing at The Hard Lessons record release party at The Crofoot in Pontiac, MI. Doors are at 7 with music starting at 8pm. We’re big fans so we’re psyched although we’re a bit worried that we’ll be mistaken for the band’s parents.

Upcoming Shows:

Friday, August 8
Detroit Institute of the Arts
Detroit, MI
shows at 7 and 8:30pm

Wednesday, August 13
Campus Martius Summer Concert Series
Detroit, MI
11:30am

With sadness, we report that our August shows will be our last with drummer Josh Machniak. Josh will be leaving our fair state for the West Coast in search of gold, uranium, and 24-hour bowling. We have lived richly during Josh’s time with us and thank him from the bottom of our tickers for his all he’s done. There’s no time for tears, however, and we’d like to put out the call for interested drummers to contact us via mars@americanmars.com if the chair sounds interesting. We offer a competitive benefits packages, the chance to see the world, and lots of old stories about all the bands we used to be in. Sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime? Bang a gong and give us a call.

Peace,
Thomas

 

 

The Ark (Ann Arbor, MI), Sunshine Doray

  • July 1, 2008
  • American Mars
  • · News/Blog · Uncategorized

David and I had a great time playing this morning on WKQL, 107.1fm in Ann Arbor, MI. We’re longtime fans of program host Martin Bandyke, who used to work at Detoit’s NPR station (before they went to all news) and know commands a great morning show that features wide variety of music. This morning’s performance was much better than last Thursday’s in-studio at IMPACT in East Lansing. For that one, my voice was blown out from a cold and a long practice the night before and I sounded awful. Great time this morning though and I hope those of you who heard it enjoyed it.

We’re looking forward to playing the Ark this Thursday with Chuck Prophet, formerly of Green on Red. David worked with Chuck several years ago while making a record with Simon Bonney. This is our first time at the Ark, so we’re jazzed.

I got to see Sunshine Doray this past Sunday night at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit. Sunshine is David’s wife Kate, who sings and plays piano, and Deanne Iovan, who plays drums and sings back-up. I honestly think Kate is the best songwriter in Detroit (and beyond) and everytime I see them I’m left speechless for a few hours. Their debut record just came out last week on the Feeny-run Gangplank label (a little nepotiz) and I would strongly encourage everyone to check it out. Find them on myspace here and their record on Gangplank here.

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