Literally forming two hours before their first show on February 14, 2005, Hotpants Romance is a Brit-chick, garage/punk trio from Manchester, U.K. Originally, after a band backed out of a gig at the last minute, the idea was to play once a year on Valentine's Day. But, after their 2 1/2 song live debut, they were a hit.

Finally, after releasing their first tape in 2005, selling out all fifty copies and releasing their demo EP in 2006, band members Lowri Evans on bass, Laura Skilbeck on guitar and Kate Armitage on drums have released their first official album on Athens, Georgia record label Happy, Happy Birthday To Me.

It's a Heatwave is simple, fast and loud. In fact, not a one of the girls can sing very well but they sound so cute with their British accents, you learn to ignore it. I guess you don't have to be able to carry a tune if all you're going to do is yell and scream. And that's what they do; which, to their credit, some of the most successful musicians in the industry can't sing. Look at Bob Dylan. That's not to say their songwriting is brilliant, because it isn't. Yet, there is something about this band that is appealing. They're fun. This album is fun. It's not meant to be taken seriously and the band knows that. After all, they did form quite by accident.

The twelve tracks that comprise It's a Heatwave are all under 2 1/2 minutes, with three of them under a minute long but each is memorable in their own way.

"Hotpants No Chance," the first song on the album, is perhaps the closest thing to talent on the record. It's a steady stream of clean, jangly guitar rock about...well...hotpants romance. "Heatwave," fourth in the lineup of garage-pop tunes, consists of two sentences: It's a heatwave (repeat three times) and "Don't get burnt." Don't worry.I didn't.

At worst, Hot Pants Romance arouses curiosity. At best, they might just become your new favorite band.

Hotpants Romance plays Tuesday night at JJ's Bohemia along with Cars Can Be Blue and the Burberries.

"Good evening, Citizens of Chattanooga," said a man wearing an all silver face mask as he spoke into the microphone in an automated-like voice. Wearing an army-green jumpsuit and black combat boots, the mysterious speaker talked of a battle and asked "Will you fight with us?" to which the crowd responded with an arousing "yes!" I wasn't sure which battle I had just joined but I was excited and curious to see where this was going.

Thus was the beginning of a rock-opera that only the Protomen could tell. The Nashville-based band, all wearing black western gear, their faces covered in silver metallic and black paint, stood erect, ready to rock as the mysterious silver-masked man exited the stage, the hum of synthesized keyboards slowly building, sounding vaguely familiar, triggering forgotten memories of long-played Nintendo tournaments in high school.

In a shared billing with Harrison Hudson and Moonlight Bride, the Protomen took over JJ's Bohemia a few weekends ago with their Mega Man-influenced-rock-epic that spanned everything from classic rock to new wave to early-nineties video game music.

The show, much like their self-titled first release, is a majestic rock-opera telling the story of Mega Man, the iconic, Japanese video game legend that has graced the screens of many gaming systems, most notably, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Mega Man, or "Rockman," derived from the Japanese phrase for "Rock and Roll," has one role, as least in the original game, and that is to fight the evil Dr. Wiley, a mad scientist hell-bent on controlling the world with his vast army of robots, and restoring peace everywhere. And that, as they chant defiantly throughout their shows and albums, is exactly what the Protomen intend to do as well.

All eight members of the band play as if their lives depended on it; and according to them, it does, each and every show. With code-names like Commander, Murphy and Heath Who Hath No Name, they raise their arms in long, sudden strikes, saluting the audience and each other, building the morale of their ever-loyal fans -- one of whom followed them from their St. Paul, Minnesota show -- toward their cause. The lead singer, donned in a bright blue motorcycle helmet reminiscent of the helmet Mega Man wore himself, called him their "strongest ally."

Mostly original music, the Protomen lashed us with an unbeatable performance worthy of war-time medals of honor. Fast, scintillating guitars, loud, crashing drums and melodic and robust keyboard action that made me feel as if I was in the video game itself, it was truly one of the best and most creative live shows I've been to in a long time. As if that wasn't enough, the band performed a passionate cover of Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," made famous by the 1986 Tom Cruise hit Top Gun.

To the delight of everyone in the overcrowded bar, the Protomen announced it wouldn't be long before they would release a new album, promising to continue the fight for peace and justice in the galaxy. And with that, the mysterious man in the bright blue helmet said in his deep, automated-like voice, "GAME OVER."

I am now one of the converted. I, as well as the rest of us at Resistance Magazine, stand alongside the Protomen in the fight against those who symbolize tyranny and injustice. Their fight has become our fight. And, like the Commander, Murphy and rest of the band, our weapon of choice is good music. The battle may be over, but the war has just begun. The Protomen will be back here to fight once again and Resistance Magazine will be here with them. Will you?

To enlist in the Protomen's fight for peace and justice, follow these links:

http://www.protomen.com/protomen.htm

http://www.myspace.com/theprotomen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_%28character%29

The Moog III is an electronic synthesizer developed by Robert Moog in the mid-1960s. The first band to use this instrument on an album was the Monkees on their 1967 album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. It can also be heard on the Beatles' Abbey Road. It's also known to be a staple in many popular songs of the 1980s. It's an instrument that, if used improperly, can become out of fashion faster than you can say ABBA.

The Mermaid Police, the Cleveland, Tennessee one-man-band, who just recently played at JJ's Bohemia here in Chattanooga, released a second album entitled 3 1/2 Stars earlier this year.

The brainchild of Jason Dooley, who writes and composes the lyrics and music, the Mermaid Police has a dizzying list of musical influences when it comes to his music, including ELO, the Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Vince Guaraldi, Grandaddy, Phantom Planet, Tear for Fears and Wilco.

The album starts out with chunky, electric guitar-driven rock, like its first two tracks, "Eagle Style" and Orange Juice Line Dance," then fades into the soft, dream-like synthesizers of "Icewalk" and "Head in the Cloud," a mix between Sgt. Pepper and Flaming Lips.

3 1/2 Stars offers trance-like gems that border the rave vibe, but pulls back just enough to be considered classic, not dated. The tracks are organized in such a way as to break up the monotony of the more mellow pieces. Just when you're about to fade into your own subconscious, Dooley's pop-rock guitar nudges you back to reality. "How it Falls" hearkens back to the Big Star glory days and Dooley's voice is that of a younger Alex Chilton
.
In his past two years of touring, Jason Dooley has had help from various musicians, including Jason Campbell, Kevin Ray and John Watkins, among others. When it comes to the albums and his creatively-shot videos, though, Dooley does it all himself. And the Moog has never sounded so good.

Check out the Mermaid Police web site to buy 3 1/2 Stars or you can download a non-mastered copy for free.

http://mermaidpolice.com/index.html

I have never been a huge fan of Nirvana. For that matter, grunge music in general was overrated to me. That's because when I was in high school in the early 1990s, most of what I listened to were bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Byrds and any other band from that magical period in music history. Sure, the 1960s was a truly historical time for music. But, while I obsessed over whether the voice I heard at the end of "Strawberry Fields Forever" said "I buried Paul" or "strawberry jam", music history was being made all around me. One of those events was the founding of the indie label Sub Pop Records.

Sub Pop became a pioneer in the grunge music scene in the late 1980s and early '90s, making Seattle the grunge-rock kingdom it eventually came to be and forever marking the '90s as the birth and death of Grunge.

Now that I'm older, I see how close-minded I was when it came to music. Though I still consider myself a music snob, I have widened my music-listening range to genres I would have never considered worthy of my time when I was 16, such as country, hip-hop and yes... grunge. Man, I feel old.

Check out NPR's feature on their web site:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92442916

Also, check out Sub Pop's web site here:

http://www.subpop.com/channel/features/a_form_of_paying_attention_july_2008?class=lightview

Ever wonder who that naked kid in the pool is on the cover of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind? 17 years later, here's the answer: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92833535

In part II of our two-part interview, Marty Bohannon talks with Resistance Magazine about cover bands, the Attic and the Chattanooga music scene.

The Attic, a former Chattanooga bar/nightspot, was a favorite among many locals. Marty Bohannon was a bartender there as well as the booking agent for their vast arrays of live shows. Artists from Andrew Bird to Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens played there. Located on Market Street next to Panera Bread, it resided in the upstairs section of what is now Raw and before that, Buck Wild, the supposed "Coyote Ugly" of Chattanooga.

The Attic closed its doors over five years ago and Chattanooga's music scene has not been the same. Aside from JJ's Bohemia and Barking Legs Theater, only a smattering of small music clubs offer the same high quality music and variety as did the Attic. Many people mourned its loss, and to an extent, still do today. "Businesses come and go. It had a good run. The owners both kind of changed lifestyles from bar owners to family men. They both thought it was time to hang it up. It was a great four years," says Marty.

In a way, the Attic still lives on. At least, it does to Marty. "It was very inspiring to me. I don't think this band would be what it is had that place not existed. I got to meet so many great people and see so many great shows. And it kind of continues, you know, like with JJ's really is the other place now. They're doing something really great down there. It's really cool."

While on the topic of music venues, I asked Marty his opinion about the music scene here in Chattanooga. "I think it's pretty strong. I think we've always kind of exported a lot of our really great people. You know, people finish up school and go away. It's small. It's definitely working. I think it's two totally different appetites and it kind of works on a national scale really...I mean, people you know, the cover bands are so popular because people want to relive a certain memory from twenty years ago or it might be the party place for the weekend and there's a lot of 9-5ers out there who don't have a great appetite for music. They enjoy music but they're not exactly audiophiles by any means. The cover bands I see as tourism. The music I see is art, grass roots. It's a totally different world."

It's not that Marty opposes the cover band industry. In fact, he thinks it's good for the local economy and people who like that particular brand of live music should, by all means, go and enjoy it.

In a way, he feels that the collapse of the record industry has helped a lot of bands work harder to promote their music and even some, re-evaluate their career goals. Instead of waiting on a possible audition from a major record company, many bands like the Bohannons have committed to not only the recording of their own music but to taking a larger part in the PR aspect of the music industry, relying on Internet sites like MySpace and good old fashioned touring to get their names out there. "I've seen it move people to work a little harder. There's all kinds of opportunities and other markets."

For those of us who have lived in Chattanooga all of our lives, it's easy sometimes to take advantage of how much our city has achieved and all of the changes that have been made over the past thirty years. From the downtown revitalization, the boom in our tourist industry and the recent announcement of a VW plant slotted to begin building here within the year, as a city, we have a lot to be thankful for.

As a touring musician and one-time booking agent, Marty has had the opportunity to talk to a lot of musicians who come through Chattanooga. To them, he says, our town is a lot like Asheville, North Carolina."We've hosted a lot of groups who have said a couple of days later that they'd like to come back.To really appreciate it, you've got to get out and see what else is out there."

As for the Bohannons, Marty says it's not about playing for a thousand people. "Becoming recording artists, learning to trust your intuitions, respect from your peers, notoriety from the media. That's really what it's all about. It has a beauty but its real beauty is a hundred of the right people in the right club."

If you missed the Bohannons at JJ's Bohemia recently, don't worry. They'll be playing at the Nightfall Concert Series Friday night, August 15th with headliners, the Whigs. The show starts at 7:00.

For more information, click here: http://downtownchattanooga.org/nightfall/july/

I recently sat down with Marty Bohannon, co-founder of the popular local band the Bohannons. In the first of a two-part interview, we discuss the music making process as well as touring and the profound influence KZ-106 has had on his life.

Since 2005, the Bohannons have steadily harvested a loyal Chattanooga fan base, playing as many shows as they could handle. For most bands, becoming rich and famous is the ultimate goal. But, for Marty and Matt Bohannon, Josh Beaver and Adam Brown, it's never been a question of fame and fortune. It's really all about the music. Honest. I asked Marty myself.

Marty and Matt Bohannon have lived in Chattanooga all of their lives. The two brothers have always co-written songs together. When they were younger, they collaborated on various "noise projects" and as they grew older, began writing songs, some of them complete and others simply sketchings of ideas. "It kind of evolved into us having a common interest in a lot of different kinds of music." says Marty, one of two lead singer-songwriters for the Bohannons. "So, it was kind of a thing that we ended up collaborating on. Which I kind of always knew would happen one day. I just kind of moved in that direction to fulfill some artistic urges."

According to Marty, most of the band's influences are guitar-oriented bands. "I think with this project we try to cover everything." The Bohannons' music has a noticeably classic rock feel to it at times. "There's very few constants in my life, but it's kind of book-ended by a few things and one of them is definitely KZ-106. It's odd, I know. And KZ-106 has been one of those odd constants. I mean, there's days when I actually hate it and there's some days when there's this warm sort of comfort."

The more I talk with him, the more I notice Marty's passion for music, especially when it comes to recording. He talks about the recording process, which is one of his favorite aspects of being in a band. His eyes light up as he talks about a new aspect of music he had never noticed before he was in a band. "If there is a bookend it's just constantly in motion...you know, like getting new music all the time,trying to stay in touch with what I can; especially with the recording arts. The whole experience opens up this whole back catalog of music, the science of music. So now, for the first time in the last three or four years, this music has this whole other side to it, this DNA to it; the tone, the pattern, this texture to it. It's one of the funnest parts; much more fun than making a flyer and hanging it up or loading up gear."

Marty considers the Bohannons' recording process pretty simple, with minimal editing that goes into arranging a record. The band feels it should be considered one body of work for right now and as the process evolves, they'll begin to concentrate much more intensely on producing a full-fledged record. "It's just right now everything's so fun. It's like don't mess with the formula."

Bright White Lights, the band's new EP, is a collection of pure rock and roll songs straight from your local classic rock station...say...KZ-106 but not as predictable. Blend that with an indie-rock feel and you've got one of Chattanooga's premiere bands.

Marty's voice screeches and howls, supported by his brother's edgy, gritty, guitar solos who, by the way, is easily one of Chattanooga's best rock guitarists. Matt's voice, on the other hand, is a bit softer, a bit smoother but just as suited for their brand of music. It's a classic, and at times, psychedelic joyride. "Everything is a demo," Marty says. "Until you've sold ten or twenty thousand records or it's in mass production, these are blueprints. The EP Bright White Lights was recorded in Murfreesboro three songs of mine, three songs of my brothers."

The Bohannons do around fifty shows a year, though this time it may be around eighty. They would like to do more and plan to. Earlier this year, they went to England with the Black Diamond Heavies. Both bands played nine straight shows. "It was great. We saw the countryside, the sea, had great crowds every night, thanks to the Heavies, who have completed their tenth UK tour, I believe. We also played with the High Plane Drifters, who are from Stockton On Tees. They're coming over to the States for seven to ten shows and then we're flying over there for a week to nine days. I think Ireland will be part of the next tour, maybe France for a few shows."

Stay tuned for the second part of Resistance Magazine's interview with local music legend, Marty Bohannon. Until then, check out the Bohannons playing live tonight at JJ's Bohemia along with Caitlin Rose and Missisippi John Doude. Show starts at 10:00 p.m.

Glossary played here in Chattanooga several weeks ago. Not knowing anything about the southern rock/indie band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, I decided not to attend their show at JJ’s Bohemia. Big mistake.

Curious to find out what I missed, I found the band’s web site the next day and discovered they were offering their newest album, The Better Angels of Our Nature as a free download. Skeptical, I downloaded it, figuring I'd listen to it once and then file it away in my CD collection. I mean, it’s free, right? How good could it be? I soon found out. It was really good…damn good. I haven't been able to stop listening to it. A blend of rock, blues, country and soul, the band’s fifth full-length album is satisfyingly rich and layered with scratchy guitar hooks, gospel-like vocals, and superbly wise songwriting.

According to the band’s singer/sonwriter/guitarist Joey Kneiser, “I wanted to write songs that were about the great attributes of being human: love, forgiveness, redemption, mercy, second chances.”

The album starts out with a dainty, dancing guitar lick on “If Only Time Will Tell,” slowly stretching out into a hard-edged, electric guitar-driven hymn voiced by Kneiser and his wife Kelly, who sounds like one of the angels in which the album title is referring.

Kneiser’s lyrics and Todd Beene’s pedal steel invoke various images of southern living throughout the album; a tired old man on the run from his past in “Gasoline Soaked Heart,” someone struggling to hold onto the past in “Blood on the Knobs.” Matt Rowland’s piano, together with Kneiser’s electric guitar and Todd Beene’s pedal steel, form a rousing, honky-tonk flavor of a song with “Almsgiver” and “Nothing Can Hurt You Now” has remnants of early ‘80s R.E.M. thanks to Eric Giles’ smashing cymbals and skins and the static fuzz from Kneiser’s guitar.

"Little Caney" -- one of the strongest songs on the album – is a fun, free-spirited rocker about accepting the past and looking to the future. It has the feel of riding in a convertible with the top down on a hot summer day. It's a classic Springsteen album, say...The Wild, the Innocent, and the E. Street Shuffle but with a southern flavor to it.

On “Shout it From the Rooftops,” a tune about religion in the South, Kneisser and his wife preach their own version of the Gospel:

Watch out for churches that have been built Brick by brick on self-interest Neon crucifixes glowing in shame Villainous voices saying ‘as god as my witness’

The Better Angels of Our Nature is one of those rare albums these days that allows you room to explore it over time. It’s not something you can listen to without wanting to dig a little deeper. The music attracts you first, then the lyrics pull you in. Anyone who listens to this album will find it hard not to relate to its timeless themes.

Glossary just started a five-and-a-half week tour with the Memphis-based band Lucero and they’ll be travelling as far west as California. Hopefully, they’ll make it back down here soon after they get back because you can bet your bottom I’ll be there.

Glossary played the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas this past March and was named Paste Magazine’s “Band of the Week” in 2006.

To download Glossary’s new album The Better Angels of Our Nature for free or to order the limited run CD with artwork by Nick Butcher, check out their web site at http://glossary.us/. If they’re coming to a city near you, don’t follow my example. Go out and see them immediately. You won't regret it.

The Dexateens' newest album Lost and Found is a roots rocker gem that conjures up the Rolling Stones during their Exile on Main St. phase.

This quintet from Alabama lets loose on their fifth album, described by the band as something that "sounds like we were wasted when we recorded it." If being wasted sounds this good then by all means, boys, keep drinking. It boasts catchy lyrics, honky-tonk guitar riffs and rhythmic beats that force your feet to keep time with the music.

Together now for ten years, Elliot McPherson, John Smith, Matt Patton, Brian Gosdin and Lee Baines III attended college at the University of Alabama when they started the Dexateens. With each member's own distinct taste in music, the band started out sounding something like "Motorhead meets Black Flag."

Their first EP was called Teenager and according to the band, was "punk with a little twang" which fit right in with the alt. country sound of the mid to late 90s while their self-titled second album was straight up punk, with all of the chaos that goes with it.

Red Sun Rising, their third effort, is the album that fans felt finally began to exhibit the Dexateens true sound.

Hardwire Healing, considered by many fans to be their favorite, is at times a southern, hard rocking, free-for-all and at others mellow and intimate.

With the release of Lost and Found, the Dexateens finally embrace their southern rock roots whole-heartedly. Though some of the lyrics may be a bit repetitive, like in the album's first track "Lost and Found," these are lyrics that get stuck in your head... and not in a bad way. "You're Gonna Love Me" is one of the strongest songs on the album, a told-ya-so ballad that anyone who's ever been in love can relate to, while "Enough of Nothing" is so close to a classic Stones honky-tonk blues rocker that Mick and Keith couldn't have done it much better themselves.

Don't worry. The Dexateens will be coming to Chattanooga in the near future. Until then, check out the band's official web site, where you can download Lost and Found for free. Why? Because they love you.

Check out the band's official web site!
http://www.dexateens.net/

Now that Riverbend 2008 has come to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to list my favorite Riverbend performances of all time. Because our Scenic City festival is not just about the music (actually, most of time the music seems to be the last thing they think about), I based my decisions not necessarily on the musical merits of these performers but on an array of varying factors depending on a particular time in my life, who I was with and...well...that's it.

To be fair, it seems Riverbend has become a bit more selective in the musical acts they bring to Chattanooga. In the past few years, the festival has boasted several talented, if not famous, bands such as the Black Crowes, Galactic (including members of Jurassic 5), the Everybodyfields, the Avett Brothers, Cracker, DJ Logic, and the Blind Boys of Alabama just to mention a few.

Now, without further ado, here are my top five Riverbend performances in no particular order:

5. ALLGOOD
I saw this Athens, Georgia band in the at one of the smaller tents at Riverbend. I had heard about them through a friend and bought their cassette EP, instantly hooked on all six songs, which was a combination of blues and southern rock with a jam band feel to them. Though I'm not typically a jam band fan, it was great driving music and I was in my late teens, which warrants some of the bad musical choices people tend to make; that, and it was the late 90s.

Though it was sticky hot and overcrowded, as Riverbend tends to be, it was not unbearable enough to miss this band. I, along with everyone else in the crowd, jammed along through each musical number until they played their epic masterpiece "Trilogy".

4. Roger McGuinn

Founding and only consistent member of the 1960s American band the Byrds, Roger McGuinn played under the Walnut Street Bridge during the 1995 Riverbend Festival. Armed with only a 12-string acoustic guitar, he played solo some of his best-loved Byrds hits including "Turn, Turn, Turn", "Mr. Tambourine Man" and if I remember correctly, "Eight Miles High". He told stories about his days with the Byrds and talked about his solo career. Not only was he amazing to watch on the guitar, he was personable and chatty with the audience. The low-key quality of this show was what made it so memorable and refreshing, especially since there was a throng of drunken, sweating, rednecks walking on the bridge just above us.


3. Chuck Berry

I don't remember who else played at Riverbend this particular year; I just remember being in awe of this rock 'n' roll legend.

2. Alex Chilton
The only reason I bought a Riverbend pin this ye ar was to see the legendary singer for Big Star. Unfortunately, I was 45 minutes late to the show due to bad planning on my part. But, even though I missed most of the show, I was able to see Chilton play four songs and though he had already pl ayed a few Big Star songs, he did a great cover of Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" and I was able to meet him and get his autograph at the end of the show. He lacked the high-energy performance he had in his youth, nonetheless, I was thrilled to see this music history cult icon.

1. Street Corner Jesus Guys
Every year without fail, these guys stands on the street corners of donwtown Chattanooga during Riverbend, holding up signs that banish literally everyone to Hell except themselves. For years, they have been one of the most popular acts there, especially during the Bessie Smith Strut, where most everyone there is drunk, high, or both. Continually heckled by passers-by with occasional half-eaten barbecue sandwiches and empty tall boys thrown at them, they valiantly stand at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and MLK Blvd., waving their signs and carrying large crosses to simulate the heavy wooden one that Jesus bore on his back. Funny, I don't remember Jesus' cross having wheels.

I've always liked Coldplay in the sense that their music was nice to listen to. When I say "nice to listen to," I mean it was good background music that didn't require much concentration...kinda like the music you hear at the dentist's office. This viral video for "Violet Hill" from their new album Viva La Vida, thankfully, is not. It's harsh, controversial and haunting with electric guitar-driven licks and bashing drum beats. It makes me want to bang my head and curse my government.