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Music
Q&A: Babylon
Babylon plays The Typsy Gypsy July 17
By Matt Wake
Somewhere in John Ross' Greenville home, there's a frayed, 1988 issue of Rolling Stone. Mullet-period U2 graces the magazine's cover. But inside, touted as Best New American Band, is Ross' former band, The Silos.
"Around that time, we were all working weird odd jobs, like working construction on top of a building, or as a roadie for Liza Minnelli," Ross says. "It was one of those, 'I can't believe this is happening moments.'"
Ross says his tenure in The Silos lasted about two years, during which time he played on about six or seven songs on the group's alt-roots masterwork "Cuba."
These days, Ross keeps that old issue of Rolling Stone in a briefcase with other press dips. He's more focused on his current project, the Greenville-based trio Babylon.
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Matt Wake, Metromix Part #1
“Ross recruited some backing musicians to record an eponymous 2008 Babylon LP, which
includes the ragged jangle of "Night of 1969."
"That song is based on a book by Tom Robbins called 'Jitterbug Perfume,'" Ross says.
Dramatic, staccato lines carry "Skin Tight," with Ross' guitar work mixing classic licks with what used to be called college rock. Flashes of Bob Mould and Ron Asheton occasionally raise their head.
"That stuff was very important to me when I was growing up, and that's where it came from," Ross says.
After some early personnel changes, Ross has bassist Karl Tatum and drummer Logan Ross filling the Babylon ranks. The lineup has collaborated on new material, which Ross describes as "a little rawer."
Videos of live performances of some of the recent tunes, as well as a cover of Merel Haggards’ "Mama Tried" can be found at www.myspace.com/babylonrocks1.
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Matt Wake, Metromix Part #2
“When you're working out a new song with the band, what kind of language do you use to communicate the nature of the song? Do you give specific artists as points of reference? Not exactly like that. If you were to do a song that had sort of a country feel, you would describe it as, "Jethro Bodine walking down the street with a pair of clodhoppers on." You try to do the voice and the way you phrase it like that character. Like the song "Skin Tight"...that song is very cynical so you have cynical guitar parts coming in. You create a character in the music and lyrics. I may sing it out of key on purpose to get a certain phrase across or use bad grammar on purpose.
Do you have a favorite rock singer or songwriter? It would have to be Mick Jagger or Iggy Pop. We're talking about characters; if you ever heard the "Some Girls" album: "I was driving one Sunday morning listening to the gospel radio..."
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Matt Wake, Metromix Part #3
“You played bass on Charlie Pickett's "The Wilderness" album, which was produced by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. What did you enjoy most about working with Buck? I liked his approach where if you had a real good feel to a song you don't try to overproduce. And Peter Buck although you hear him with R.E.M., away from that, helping bands put albums together, he's more like a Keith Richards type player. It's like he knows every Stones song there was and knows exactly the right thing to go with that kind of music. He's a great producer.
What's coming up for Babylon? We're going into the studio and get some of these songs down and put them out with Riot House Productions. Maybe go out and take a few little tours here and there. Maybe go down to South Florida and play with Charlie Pickett and those guys some, there's a pretty cool music scene down there. The band's been together since 2001 and it's moving along pretty well now.
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Matt Wake, Metromix Part #4
“How did growing up in Greenville help shape your musical palette? My brother tuned me onto The Beatles and Stones. And we had some cool friends that would turn you on to cool stuff. (Horizon Records owner) Gene Burger liked the early Savoy Brown stuff, with Chris Youlden on it. Then I turned him on to Iggy Pop...we had some wild stories with that album.
Visit Babylon at the following links...
myspace.com/babylonrocks1
facebook.com/babylon
reverbnation.com/babylonrocksyou
Babylon plays at 10 p.m. June 26 at The House and plays at 11 p.m. July 17 at The Typsy Gypsy.
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Matt Wake, Metromix Part #5
Start rabbit hole mode on I Was Totally Destroying It's profile page and we'll play one of their songs.
When that song finishes we might play a song by Hammer No More The Fingers, an artist I Was Totally Destroying It has recommended.
When that song finished we might play a song by Organos, an artist Hammer No More The Fingers is about to play a show with.
Stay in Rabbit Hole mode and see how far down it goes. We'll keep playing music based off the previous song.
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Music Q&A: Babylon Babylon plays The Typsy Gypsy July 17 By Matt Wake Somewhere in John Ross' Greenville home, there's a frayed, 1988 issue of Rolling Stone. Mullet-...
Jun 15
Do you have a favorite rock singer or songwriter? It would have to be Mick Jagger or Iggy Pop. We're talking about characters; if you ever heard the "Some Girls" album: "I...
Jun 15