thePULSE Dental Plan
By Mark DerHovanessian
Where melody meets distortion, you’ll find Dental Plan, a four piece indie-rock band that is emerging out of Worcester and definitely leaving its mark. Made up of Brian Dutremble (Vox / Guitar) Iain Mitchel (Guitar / Keys) Andre Kopoyan (Drums) and Joshua Carlson (Bass), Dental Plan is bringing a unique sound to local bars and clubs.
With a name derived from a famed 1993 “Simpsons”’ episode, Dental Plan formed in late 2008. Incorporating a wide array of influences ranging from Radiohead to frontman Brian Dutremble’s interest in early soul music, the band brings a sound unlike that of many groups coming into their own these days. When asked about the band’s live act, guitarist Iain Mitchell said, “What you hear on our MySpace page is nothing like hearing us live, you’ll hear a lot more distortion but definitely with a more melodic tinge.” And that live act is definitely gaining a following. Whether it’s the hypnotically mellow Jim Ward-esque vocals or distorted melodies that separate Dental Plan from most local live acts, one thing can be sure ~ they’re a must see.
Over the past summer, Dental Plan received a lot of local attention, including being named “Best New Act” in the 2009 Turtle Boy Awards ~ an experience that front man Brian Dutremble sums up in one word: “weird.” You see, the band officially started performing live prior only 7 months to receiving the award.
Dental Plan has spread their live act playing local clubs from here to New York City, but still, according to guitarist Iain Mitchel, Ralph’s in Worcester will always be “home base…it’s where we got our first official gig.” According to Iain, the band hopes to book a group of live dates out west.
Dental Plan plan on releasing a full length EP in the near future; as of now, the band’s 4 track EP Pants can be accessed through their MySpace and Last FM pages. The EP includes songs 1) “L.E.D.” 2) “Odyssey” 3) “NewSong1.txt” and 4) “Midas Check.” When asked about songs that can’t be heard through their music pages, Iain admitted, “We have tons of material and songs that can be heard when we play live.” That pretty much tell you what you need to do ~ listed to the 4 songs on-line and then get yourself to a Dental Plan show ASAP.
For more on Dental Plan, including songs, future tour dates, and contact info, check out www.last.fm/music/Dental+Plan, www.myspace.com/dentalplanband, and facebook.com/pages/Dental-Plan/75570865.
DUO:Righteous and Prospect
By Alex Kantarelis
The local hip-hop scene has some fresh faces to look up to: Meet Righteous and Prospect. The duo, who have been rapping together since they were kids, have been crafting their skill carefully ~ treating it like a full time job ~ and dedicating all their time to hip-hop.
Prospect (Alex Billian) and his partner Righteous (Brandon Adams) began rapping together as soon as they met. “We started back in 7th grade as a hobby and just something fun to do with the guys,” Prospect said.” “It just turned into a lot more than music,” he added. A way of life may be a better way to describe what hip-hop is for these two.
Spending their days at the recording studio while other people their age are at school, their dedication is unmatched. Lately they’ve been working with production team Lotto and Pippy, who are helping them make the next step ~ from local rappers to household name. But they refuse to settle for the typical style we are all assaulted with daily on the radio. “The way I see it today, in my opinion 90% of the stuff on the radio is crappy music. I’m trying to bring back lyricism, but still have the club vibe. That way the die hard hip hop fans can listen to it,” Prospect said.
Currently, the duo is pouring all their efforts into a mix tape that they plan on releasing in early 2010. The compilation will be mostly Righteous and Prospect material, but will also feature some other local artists and DJs. While releasing the mix tape is an immediate goal, the two don’t plan to stop there ~ not by a long shot. “I want to be everywhere – on the radio, on MTV – I just want to have a lot of people hear me,” Prospect said.
But in the end, for Prospect, being a part of the music he loves is the most rewarding part. “I’ve always loved rap music. Music was always in my life but I had a passion for rap music,” he said. “Being able to speak whatever I’m feeling through my music. It’s my music and I can say what I want, and obviously for people to like it, too.”
Be on the look out for Righteous and Prospect, as 2010 will surely be a big year for them.
By Rebecca Carter
Runner-up for the “Best New Band of 2008” award in The Valley Advocate’s Grand Band Slam (G.B.S.), Tailor Made came back in 2009 and was named “Best Pop Band,” pretty much letting everyone know that they would never again be second best.
Tailor Made is composed of Tim Rapa on vocals and acoustic guitar, Coop on bass and backing vocals, Aaron Orsucci on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Kurt Shouse on drums and percussion. “We all grew up and graduated together from Agawam High School,” explained Tim. “Each member has a different personality but each one has the love for music. We all have been in various types of bands and music productions. These experiences are reflective in the music we write.”
Having previously opened for some big names like Ween, Local H, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack and The Fear Nuttin’ Band, Tailor Made has an impressive and still-growing resume.
“I think Tailor Made has a fun sound with a good rock energy for all ages,” Tim said. “Our influences are life, love, failure, heartache and so on. But I think you might be able to pick out a little Stone Temple Pilots, Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metal, Trip Hop and Pop.”
Their first full length CD, Shoulda Known Better, was released in July of this year and recorded in Hadley, MA with Zeuss at Planet Z Recording ~ that’s right, of Shadows Fall, The Acacia Strain, and Hatebreed fame. “The experience we received in the studio with Zeuss was everlasting as he pushed us to really think about how we were playing our songs both on the recording and live,” described Tim.
Currently Tailor Made is expanding their gig repertoire through New England and into New York and New Jersey. “We are always looking for more great bands that we fit with, to work and trade gigs with.”
The band will be back playing in Worcester at the Lucky Dog in December and has plans to stick around for some more local shows in early 2010. For tour dates, music samples and more check out: www.tailormade4music.com and www.myspace.com/tailormade4.
The Sift
By Alex Kantarelis
Rock music is something that has lost its definition over the years. With hard rock, indie rock, experimental rock, classic rock, and pretty much any other prefix you can put in front of the word rock, there are so many subgenres that assigning a band a pigeon-hole genre simply doesn’t work anymore. Well that’s fine with The Sift, who can be best described as an experimental-improvisational-instrumental-rock band.
The three-piece ~ made up of drummer Stephen Harueunian, guitarist Dan Blair, and bassist Shawn Clarke ~ play a brand of experimental rock that really can’t be defined. “Our influences are improvisational rock, blues, and jazz, but we tend to be on the heavier side,” Haruenian said. Needless to say, The Sift’s sound is unlike any other.
The guys self-released a full-length album in 2008 and have been playing all over the Worcester and Boston area since. While the album speaks for itself, they decided to add a visual element to their live show as well. During their sets, they have a video playing in the background the entire time. “It’s really cool being an instrumental band and having a focus for the live shows. It creates something to go along with the music,” Haruenian said. “We don’t really need a singer, which is why we don’t have one. To have something to get the audience latched in is really cool.” The unofficial fourth member of the band is Ethan Goldhammer, who handles all of the video elements.
Having accomplished so much in their brief existence as a band, The Sift show no signs of slowing down. “At this point what we’re looking at is recording another album, and planning a tour for next summer which should take us out to Chicago and St. Louis,” Haruenian said. What they’ve done so far is only fueling his fire to continue. “Personally we’ve accomplished a lot as musicians, and we’re starting to get to the point where we’re really comfortable as musicians and as a band,” he said.
Their debut album, Pink Storm, is available on CD at their shows and as a free download at their website, thesift.org. It’s free, so no excuses! Download the album, and keep an eye out for The Sift.
Names are (Steve)Harutunian and Shaun (Clarke).
Just sayin’.