Dan Cloutier’s Blind Willie’s Lighthouse

By Matthew Holcomb

Massachusetts native Dan Cloutier’s latest release, Blind Willie’s Lighthouse, conjures up distinctly New England aesthetics with deeply personal tales summoned from his own experience. The album’s title is an homage to gospel-blues singer-songwriter Blind Willie Johnson, the forceful drive behind the folk-rock record ~ and Cloutier’s admiration for Johnson indeed shines throughout the album’s 13 tracks.

Amidst stormy seas, one clearly can perceive the strobe of the shore mounted lighthouse.

If it seems a bit peculiar that such unmistakably New England lyrical images were fueled by the music of a blind, Texas born gospel-blues songwriter, it shouldn’t: stirred by Johnson’s lyrics and music, Cloutier compiled songs that are markedly New England in theme, but with Johnson’s storytelling essence providing a guiding light along the way.

“He has been a huge influence on me, although I don’t sound a lot like him,” said Cloutier “I appreciate the way he goes about writing songs. He sings gospel blues but Blind Willie is first guy I heard that didn’t sound like recycled gospel music. It sounded like gospel music being sung in the middle of a bar.”

Cloutier’s album has been released through his own record label, Birch Beer Records, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Kim Jennings, sparked by the mutual need to promote their own musical endeavors .

Fueled by strong fan support, Birch Beer Records is continuing to make a name for itself, adding three local music acts since the company’s inception in 2009. Birch Beer Records campaigns fiercely to support local music ~ hosting a Facebook page with over 10 thousand fans devoted to music in Massachusetts. Cloutier has formed a wealth of friendships, both with fellow musicians and local music lovers:

“I think that [camaraderie] in itself is a major benefit of the local music scene,” said Cloutier “You meet people and you build relationships. Local music allows you to not just be a passive observer but an active part of something. “

For more on Blind Willie’s Lighthouse and Birch Beer Records, visit www.birchbeerrecords.com.

Lacquerhead

By Jennifer Russo

It’s Friday night and you’ve had one hell of a work week. Maybe you had some crazy deadline to meet or maybe you didn’t put a cover on your TPS reports and had to hear about it all day long. Maybe your boyfriend or girlfriend is on your case and suddenly sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

I came across them on a Friday night just like that as they were playing the Lazy Dog in Marlboro a few years back. There was the chalk board with neon writing telling me which live band I would be listening to as I downed my Captain and diet. Lacquerhead…hmm okay ~ my response was probably the same as yours would be ~ first, “What kind of name is that for a band?” and “Oh great…it’s another cover act.”

Well…Lacquerhead IS a cover band, yes. There’s a music teacher, an audio company representative, a furniture restoration business owner and an optician and they get together and play songs that we all know and love. Here’s the thing, though ~ these guys are good. REALLY good. That night, I was incredibly entertained, amazed that they pulled off all the songs they did and I danced with some 80 year old drunk guy that I was certain wouldn’t make it through the night without CPR. It was a blast!

According to Dave DeLuco, their favorite songs to cover are “…the ones that make women want to dance and take their clothes off ~ like “Sex on Fire,” “Possum Kingdom,” and “Hella Good.” The band practices once a week in what Dave tells me is a “notoriously smelly barn in Metrowest.” They have a certain quirky edge to them and try to step away from doing cliché cover band songs like “Sweet Home Alabama.”

As for the weird band name, Dave explains that “It’s actually a song name from the band Primus, but at one point most of the band members worked in the furniture refinishing industry…so basically it was a horrible idea from the get-go.” Nevertheless, they have made a name for themselves in the area and always pack the house. So if you see them pop up on a bar chalkboard near you ~ definitely grab another beer and stay awhile. You’re in for a great night.

For more info and a show schedule, check out Lacquerhead on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lacquerheadrocks or on their official website: www.lacquerheadrocks.com.

Note: When they heard that the cover story for this December issue is all about people and organizations doing really great things with their time ~ volunteering their services and committing their time to help others and to promote truly good causes, the band wanted to share that they do a good number of charity shows each year and that “To be perfectly clear, WE HATE CANCER.” Rockers with heart ~ gotta love it!!

Swede

By Alex Kantarelis

Eric Jernstrom ~ no stranger to the Worcester scene with metal roots in Rawhead Rex and Beware the Ides ~ is back with a solo project that has turned into a full band called Swede.

Jernstrom spent many years playing metal, but during that time he was furiously working on his own, slightly softer, material. “I would always write acoustic songs on the side, by myself, to satisfy my cravings for a more melodic, sensitive part of my soul that I couldn’t really pull off or release within the heaviness of the bands that I was in at the time,” Jernstrom said. As luck would have it, he ran into Jeff Royds, creator of NEGB1.com, not too long ago. Royds encouraged him to start crafting his songs and to get out and play some of them live ~ and was just the kick in the ass he needed to get things started. “So I put together a band of fabulous players ~ Chris Brophy (bass), Randy Valley (guitar), and Jason Gates (guitar) ~ and have been hitting the scene now for about a year and it’s going amazingly well,” Jernstrom shared. Now Swede just needs a new percussionist to finalize its lineup.

Recently the band planned on hitting the studio to record with engineer Jim Foster at Foster Studios in Framingham, but unfortunately had to cancel. Jernstrom described Foster as “…an amazing engineer,” and hopes they can still work together soon. Fans have been patiently awaiting a studio release, hanging on to a few live recordings up on NEGB1.com and catching the band live with Eric Johnson at Gillette Stadium’s Showcase Live.

Jernstrom is thrilled about bringing his one-time side project into reality: “The best part about being in this band is being able to be myself and make my songs a reality…being able to write and craft music with some of the most amazing players I’ve ever had the opportunity to jam with. Meeting some awesomely talented and humble people and being able to share the stage with them has truly been a blessing. I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences for the world.”

For more, check out ericjernstrom.com, NEGB1.com, and do a search for “Eric Swede Jernstrom” on YouTube.