Posted in Whathaveyou on May 7th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Last summer, Boozewa released their most albumy album to-date, Bon Vivant. I whiffed on reviewing it. Why? I have no idea. A lot of travel last year, some shit just gets by. I don’t know. The record is at the bottom of this post and it sounds great. By all means, partake, though I’m sure you already have, because you’re better at this and cooler than I am.
Nonetheless, I’m happy to put up word of Boozewa taking the road on the show or some such as they head out on tour this summer. They tour anyhow, but the impetus here would seem to be a stop through the Asheville Doomed & Stoned fest, which looks rad, and after that, they’ve got club shows with Godzillionaire (I seem to recall Mike Cummings is a big Paw fan, so that should be a moment), Husband Lost at Sea and a slew of others. It starts the 9th, ends the 26th, and they’ve got three days off. Imagine my relief to see that, in fact, some of us are getting younger.
I’m gonna go listen to that record. Here’s dates from social media:
All these random show announcements we guess it’s time to show the BIG LEAGUE CHEW!
Summer tour kicks off July 9th and it’s LOADED with bangers in amazing cities with even more amazing bands and some NEW BALLPARKS we haven’t seen yet!
JULY 9 – Pie Shop – Washington DC w/ GUHTS 10 – Monstercade – Winston Salem NC w/ GUHTS 11 – Asheville NC – Doomed and Stoned Festival 12 – Blackstrap – Gainesville GA w/ Armazilla, Husband Lost At Sea 13 – Cobra – Nashville TN w/ Serrotonin 14 – MagBar – Louisville KY w/ Mound Builders 16 – Heavy Anchor – St Louis MO w/ ComaHawk, Nothing People 17 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence KS w/ Godzillionaire 18 – Leftys – De Moines IA w/ Worst Impressions, Look At Me 19 – Zhora – Minneapolis MN w/ Husband Lost At Sea 21 – Reggies – Chiago IL w/ Displacer, Jesus Coyote 22 – Lucky Fox – Paw Paw MI w/ RTRN, Archaea 24 – Spacebar – Columbus OH w/ Server, Disnerver, Husband Lost at Sea 25 – 123 Pleasant St – Morgantown WV w/ Grey Harbinger, Hovel, Husband Lost At Sea 26 – Gem Speakeasy – Spring City PA w/ Hover, Oven, Husband Lost At Sea
Posted in Reviews on December 13th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
It’s been almost too easy, this week. Like, I was running a little later yesterday than I had the day before and I’m pretty sure it was only a big deal because — well, I was busy and distracted, to be fair — but mostly because the rest of the week to compare it against has been so gosh darn smooth. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is the last day. The music’s awesome. Barring actual disaster, like a car accident between now and then or some such, I’ll finish this one with minimal loss of breath.
Set against the last two Quarterly Reviews, one of which went 10 days, the other one 11, this five-dayer has been mellow and fun. As always, good music helps with that, and as has been the case since Monday, there’s plenty of it here. Not one day has gone by that I didn’t add something from the batch of 50 releases to my year-end list, which, again, barring disaster, should be out next week.
Quarterly Review #41-50:
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Cosmic Fall, Back Where the Fire Flows
After setting a high standard of prolific releases across 2017 and 2018 to much celebration and social media ballyhooing, Berlin jammers Cosmic Fall issued their single “Lackland” (review here) in mid-2019, and Back Where the Fire Flows is their first offering since. The apparently-reinvigorated lineup of the band includes bassist Klaus Friedrich and drummer Daniel Sax alongside new guitarist Leonardo Caprioli, and if there was any concern they might’ve lost the floating resonance that typified their earlier material, 13-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Lucid Skies Above Mars” allays it fluidly. The more straightforwardly riffed “Magma Rising” (4:31) and the tense shuffler “Under the Influence of Gravity” (4:38) follow that leadoff, with a blowout and feedback finish for the latter that eases the shift back into spacious-jammy mode for “Chant of the Lizards” (12:26) — perhaps titled in honor of the likeness the central guitar figure carries to The Doors — with “Drive the Kraut” (10:34) closing with the plotted sensibility of Earthless by building to a fervent head and crashing out quick as they might, and one hopes will, on stage. A welcome return and hopefully a preface to more.
It doesn’t seem inappropriate to think of Weather Systems as a successor to Anathema, which until they broke up in 2020 was multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Daniel Cavanagh‘s main outlet of 30 years’ standing. Teamed here with Anathema drummer/producer Daniel Cardoso and producer Tony Doogan, who helmed Anathema‘s 2017 album, The Optimist (review here), Cavanagh is for sure in conversation with his former outfit. There are nuances like the glitchy synth in “Ocean Without a Shore” or the post-punk urgency in the rush of highlight cut “Ghost in the Machine,” and for those who felt the Anathema story was incomplete, “Are You There? Pt. 2” and “Untouchable Pt. 3” are direct sequels to songs from that band, so the messaging of Weather Systems picking up where Anathema left of is clear, and Cavanagh unsurprisingly sounds at home in such a context. Performing most of the instruments himself and welcoming a few guests on vocals, he leads the project to a place where listening can feel like an act of emotional labor, but with songs that undeniably sooth and offer space for comfort, which is their stated intention. Curious to hear how Weather Systems develops.
Assembled by bassist Ron Holzner and his The Skull bandmate, guitarist Lothar Keller, Legions of Doom are something of a doom metal supergroup with Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun) on drums, Scott Little (Leadfoot) on guitar alongside Keller, and vocalists Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) and Karl Agell (Leadfoot, Lie Heavy, C.O.C.‘s Blind LP) sharing frontman duties. Perhaps the best compliment one can give The Skull 3 — which sources its material in part from the final The Skull session prior to the death of vocalist Eric Wagner — is that it lives up to the pedigree of those who made it. No great shocker the music is in the style of The Skull since that’s the point. The question is how the band build on songs like “All Good Things” and “Between Darkness and Dawn” and the ripping “Insectiside” (sic), but this initial look proves the concept and is ready and willing to school the listener across its eight tracks on how classic doom got to be that way.
The first offering from Netherlands mellow psych-folk two-piece Myriad’s Veil brims with sweet melody and a subtly expansive atmosphere, bringing together Utrecht singer-songwriter Ismena, who has several albums out as a solo artist, and guitarist Ivy van der Meer, also of Amsterdam cosmic rockers Temple Fang for a collection of eight songs running 44 minutes of patiently-crafted, thoughtfully melodic and graceful performance. Ismena is no stranger to melancholia and the layers of “When the Leaves Start Falling” with the backing line of classical guitar and Mellotron give a neo-Canterbury impression without losing their own expressive edge. Most pieces stand between five and six minutes each, which is enough time for atmospheres to blossom and flourish for a while, and though the arrangements vary, the songs are united around acoustic guitar and voice, and so the underpinning is traditional no matter where Pendant goes. The foundation is a strength rather than a hindrance, and Ismena and van der Meer greet listeners with serenity and a lush but organic character of sound.
Never short on attitude, “I Only Play 4 Money” — “If you take my picture/Your camera’s smashed/You write me fan mail/I don’t write back,” etc. — leads off Michael Rudolph Cummings‘ latest solo EP, the four-track Money with a fleshed out arrangement not unlike one might’ve found on 2022’s You Know How I Get (review here), released by Ripple Music. From there, the erstwhile Backwoods Payback frontman, Boozewa anti-frontman and grown-up punk/grunge troubadour embarks on the more stripped down, guy-and-guitar strums and contemplations of “Deny the World” and “Easier to Leave,” the latter with more than a hint of Americana, and “Denver,” which returns to the full band, classic-style lead guitar flourish, layered vocals and drums, and perhaps even more crucially, bass. It’s somewhere around 13 minutes of music, all told, but that’s more than enough time for Cummings to showcase mastery in multiple forms of his craft and the engaging nature of what’s gradually becoming his “solo sound.”
Basking in a heavygaze float with the lead guitar while the markedly-terrestrial riff chugs and echoes out below, Moon Destroy‘s “The Nearness of June” is three and a half minutes long and the first single the Atlanta outfit founded by guitarist Juan Montoya (MonstrO, ex-Torche, etc.) and drummer Evan Diprima (also bass and synth, ex-Royal Thunder) have had since guitarist/vocalist/synthesist Charlie Suárez joined the band. Set across a forward linear build that quickly gets intense behind Suárez‘s chanting intertwining vocal lines, delivered mellow with a low-in-mouth melody, it’s a tension that slams into a slowdown in the second half of the song but holds over into the solo and fadeout march of the second half as well as it builds back up, the three-piece giving a quick glimpse of what a debut full-length might hopefully bring in terms of aural largesse, depth of mix and atmospheric soundscaping. I have no idea when, where or how such a thing would or will arrive, but that album will be a thing to look forward to.
Billed as Coltaine‘s debut LP — the history of the band is a bit more complex if I recall — Forgotten Ways is nonetheless a point of arrival for the Karlsruhe, Germany, four-piece. It is genuinely post-metallic in the spirit of being over genre completely, and as Julia Frasch makes the first harsh/clean vocal switch late in opener “Mogila,” with drummer Amin Bouzeghaia, bassist Benedikt Berg and guitarist Moritz Berg building the procession behind the soar, the band use their longest/opening track (immediate points) to establish the world in which the songs that follow take place. The cinematic drone of “Himmelwärts” and echoing goth metal of “Dans un Nouveau Monde” follow, leading the way into the wind-and-vocal minimalism of “Cloud Forest” at the presumed end of side A only to renew the opener’s crush in the side B leadoff title-track. Also the centerpiece of the album, “Cloud Forest” has room to touch on German-language folk before resuming its Obituary-meets-Amenra roll, and does not get less expansive from that initial two minutes or so. As striking as the two longest pieces are, Forgotten Ways is bolstered by the guitar ambience of “Ableben,” which leads into the pair of “Grace” and “Tales of Southern Lands,” both of which move from quieter outsets into explosive heft, each with their own path, the latter in half the time, and the riff-and-thud-then-go 77 seconds of “Aren” caps because why the hell not at that point. With a Jan Oberg mix adding to the breadth, Coltaine‘s declared-first LP brims with scope and progressive purpose. It is among the best debuts I’ve heard in 2024, easily.
Zagreb-based veteran heavy rockers Stonebride — the four-piece of vocalist/guitarist Siniša Krneta, bassist/vocalist Matija Ljevar, guitarist Tješimir Mendaš and drummer Stjepan Kolobarić — give a strong argument for maturity of songwriting from the outset of Smiles Revolutionary, their fourth long-player. The ease with which they let the melody carry “In Presence,” knowing that the song doesn’t need to be as heavy as possible at all times since it still has presence, or the way the organ laces into the mix in the instrumental rush that brings the subsequent “Turn Back” to a finish before the early-QOTSA/bangin’-on-stuff crunch of “Closing Distance” tops old desert tones with harmonies worthy of Alice in Chains leading, inexorably, to a massive, lumbering nod of a payoff — they’re not written to be anything other than what they are, and in part because of that they stand testament to the long-standing progression of Stonebride. “Shine Hard” starts with a mosh riff given its due in crash early and late with a less-shove-minded jam between, part noise rock, answered by the progressive start-stop build of “March on the Heart” and closer “Time and Tide,” which dares a little funk in its outreach and leaves off with a nodding crescendo and smooth comedown, having come in and ultimately going out on a swell of vocals. Not particularly long, but substantial.
Toad Venom will acknowledge their new mini-album, Jag Har Inga Problen Osv…, was mixed and mastered by Kalle Lilja of Welfare Sounds studio and label, but beyond that, the Swedish weirdo joy psych rock transcendentalists offer no clue as to who’s actually involved in the band. By the time they get down to “Dogs!” doing a reverse-POV of The Stooges‘ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” in classic soul style, they’ve already celebrated in the rushing bliss and Beatles-y Mellotron break of opener “Jag har verkligen inga problem (så det måste vara du),” taken “One Day You Will Be Perfect” from manic boogie to sunny Californian psych/folk rock, underscoring its chorus with a riff that could easily otherwise be black metal, dwelled in the organ and keyboard dramaturge amid the rolling “Mon Amour” — the keys win the day in the end and are classy about it afterward, but it’s guitar that ends it — and found a post-punk gothy shuffle for “Time Lapse,” poppish but not without the threat of bite. So yes, half an album, as they state it, but quite a half if you’re going by scope and aesthetic. I don’t know how much of a ‘band’ Toad Venom set out to be, but they’ve hit on a sound that draws from sources as familiar as 1960s psychedelia and manages to create a fresh approach from it. To me, that speaks of their being onto something special in these songs. Can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the second half.
Following up on the organ-and-fuzz molten flow of “Radio Radiation” with the more emotive, Rolling Stones-y-until-it-gets-heavy storytelling of “Antihero,” Berlin’s Sacred Buzz carve out their own niche in weighted garage rock, taking in elements of psychedelia without ever pushing entirely over into something shroomy sounding — to wit, the proto-punk tension of quirky delivery of “Revolution” — staying grounded in structure and honoring dirt-coated traditionalism with dynamic performances, “No Wings” coming off sleazy in its groove without actually being sleaze, “Make it Go Wrong” revealing a proggy shimmer that turns careening and twists to a finish led by the keys and guitar, and “Rebel Machine” blowing it out at the end because, yeah, I mean, duh. Radio Radiation is Sacred Buzz‘s first EP (it’s more if you get the bonus track), and it seems to effortlessly buck the expectations of genre without sounding like it’s trying to push those same limits. Maybe attitude and the punk-born casual cool that overrides it all has something to do with that impression — a swagger that’s earned by the time they’re done, to be sure — but the songs are right there to back that up. The short format suits them, and they make it flow like an album. A strong initial showing.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 18th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
As the PR wire notes below, this is by no means the first time Michael Rudolph Cummings, formerly of Backwoods Payback and currently also bashing away in Boozewa, and Royal Thunder bassist/vocalist/pianist Mlny Parsonz are sharing a stage. While their collaboration has yet to produce an album of heavy post-grunge duets alternating between arrangements of acoustic and keys before, somewhere in there for sure, at least one serious riff-out, their joint December run will surely have them on stage together at some point, even as each explores their own solo set, Parsonz for the first time on tour.
The stint kicks off Dec. 5 in Massachusetts with Eryka Fir from Coma Hole also doing a set, and on Dec. 10 in Nashville Parsonz and Cummings will meet up with Coleman Williams, latest of the Williams line (III, Jr., Hank, etc.). That there’s double-duty the day before too, matinee and evening shows, makes it feel like folk troubadours hitting the road together, and I guess that’s kind of the deal, so fair enough.
Here are the particulars:
MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS & MLNY PARSONZ To Embark on Limited Winter Tour
Acclaimed singer-songwriter MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS, former frontman of underground rock legends BACKWOODS PAYBACK, and MLNY PARSONZ, powerhouse bassist and vocalist of the iconic band ROYAL THUNDER, are joining forces for an intimate, exclusive winter tour. This six-show run marks a landmark moment, as it is PARSONZ’s first-ever solo tour and CUMMINGS’ fifth tour this year, further strengthening their storied, decade-long friendship and creative partnership.
The tour begins on December 5th at Koto in Salem, MA, and will end on December 12th in PARSONZ’s hometown of Atlanta, GA, at The Earl. Each show promises a unique experience featuring solo material from both artists, deep cuts from their rich back catalogs, and some exciting surprises along the way.
This tour celebrates the unique bond between CUMMINGS and PARSONZ, who have collaborated and inspired each other through various musical projects for over ten years. Their shared love for ’90s rock and commitment to “music and art always first” has cemented their bond, one that fans will witness firsthand on this special tour.
MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS on the Tour: “MLNY and I met back in the mid 2000s when Backwoods Payback and Royal Thunder would cross paths on the road every now and again. Sharing a mutual love of bands from our youth in the 90s, along with the mindset of “music and art always first” we became the best of friends over the years. This tour is something that we have chatted about for a long time now, I’m happy for it to finally be happening.”
MLNY PARSONZ on Going Solo: “It’s nothing new for me to feel a part of myself longing to be set free. For decades I’ve been feeling “it” nudge and knock around in my heart and now it’s time to set it free.
Mike has been a dear friend and an inspiration to me. I have watched him grow into the solo artist he is and is becoming. I’m inspired by his fear, his fire, his drive, and his ability to own his story. I’m really proud of him and I’m proud of us for making this happen. We hope to see you all, old and new friends!! Mike and Mel is FINALLY happening!”
Tour Dates: December 5 – Koto, Salem, MA (w/ Eryka Fir of Coma Hole) December 6 – Recess Coffee, Syracuse, NY December 7 – Philly On The Rocks, Erie, PA December 9 (Afternoon) – Better Days Records (In-Store Performance), Louisville, KY December 9 (Evening) – Wrong Side, Jeffersonville, IN December 10 – Cobra, Nashville, TN (w/ Coleman Williams, great-grandson of Hank Williams) December 12 – The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Audiences can expect intimate performances highlighting the range and depth of both artists’ songwriting, with exclusive tour-only merchandise available at each venue. The setlists will span songs from both of their careers, including pieces from BACKWOODS PAYBACK and ROYAL THUNDER, plus surprise additions from their extensive musical journeys.
Tickets will only be available at the door. This is a limited engagement tour with only six shows, so fans are encouraged to get to each show early for an unforgettable night of music, friendship, and raw, unfiltered passion.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 4th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I kind of feel like the recurring headline for Michael Rudolph Cummings as regards solo stuff should just say “…Continues to Do Cool Shit” and leave it at that. New EP coming from the Boozewa frontdrummer, and apart from the golly-I-wonder-who-it’s-about “I Only Play for Money” leading off with a fuller-band arrangement around its post-grunge flow, and two acoustic cuts, his new EP Money rounds out with “Denver,” on which Cummings layers harmony and Dale Crover (Melvins, etc.) provides drums while Mlny Parsonz of Royal Thunder plays bass. I guess it’s nice to have friends. Probably helps when you’re not an asshole. I assure you I wouldn’t know.
Cummings will join Boysetsfire on their 30th anniversary European jaunt this month and will reportedly have a full-length out in 2025 to follow-up last year’s Ripple-issued You Know How I Get (review here), which is neat, and the EP is out Sept. 10 and is short, sure, but has even more going on than the names dropped above. So yes, as noted, Cummings continues to do cool shit.
No public audio from Money that I’ve found, but info and dates from socials:
September 10th 2024 my brand new ep “Money” will be released.
I’m so proud of this and I can’t wait to share even more of what I’ve been working on all year when I hit the road for the remainder of 2024 in Europe and the states alongside boysetsfire, Strike Anywhere, Coma Hole, Scissorfight, The Obsessed and MORE!
Tracklisting: 1. I Only Play For Money 2. Deny The World (acoustic) 3. Easier To Leave (acoustic) 4. Denver
See you all sooooon
Michael Rudolph Cummings w/ Boysetsfire & Strike Anywhere European tour: 28.09 Wiesbaden DE Schlachthof 29.09 Amsterdam NL Melkweg 30.09 Hamburg DE Grosse Freiheit 36 01.10 Berlin DE Huxleys Neue Welt 02.10 München DE Backstage Werk 03.10 Wien AT Arena 04.10 Karlsruhe DE Tollhaus 05.10 Köln DE Palladium
mRc – guitars/vocals Dale Crover – drums Mlny Parsonz – bass Patrick Shannon – guitars Mike Bardzik – drums/electric piano Dennis Pendergast – guitars Chris Haug – bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 16th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Solo singer-songwriter, Boozewa drummer/vocalist and former Backwoods Payback frontman Michael Rudolph Cummings hits the road again next month supporting his new LP, You Know How I Get (review here). That long-player was issued last October as part of Ripple Music‘s “Blood and Strings’ (mostly) acoustic series from otherwise (mostly) plugged artists, and solidified many of the aspects of Cummings‘ prior solo work, from the ’70s ramble rock aspects to the bedroom folk guy-and-guitar-ism that reminds of an “Unplugged’ heyday in the 1990s.
Cummings toured concurrent to the release last October with a full band behind him, and heads west this time in the continued company of Mlny Parsonz, also of Royal Thunder. I hope someone gets video of one of these shows, if not an actual live recording, as that duet seems to me worth preserving, but it’s also fair to let the dust settle from the actual album release before thinking of the potential ‘next thing.’ Sometimes that’s a hard impulse to fight.
Here are the dates along with the oddly-haunting-doodles of the tour poster:
Hitting the road again this March in support of my latest album “you know how I get” released by @ripplemusic… Stopping at some places I haven’t seen in a bit along the way… Playing with some killer bands and artists I am really looking forward to spending time with… Doing this run on the acoustic guitar, happy to have Mlny Parsonz @_meltoro_ (@royalthunder ) along on bass and vocals… Dates are below, see you soon.
Wed 3/08 – Cincinnati, OH @ Comet Bar Thurs 3/09 – Chicago, IL @ Livewire 3/10 – Oshkosh, WI @ New Moon Cafe Sat 3/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Underground Music Venue Sun 3/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge Tues 3/14 – Denver, CO @ TBD Wed 3/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon Thurs 3/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ TBD Fri 3/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Scotland Yard Sat 3/18 – Lancaster, CA @ Britisher Irish Pub 3/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 3/22 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Core4 Brewing 3/23 – Fort Smith, AR @ Private Event 3/24 – New Orleans, LA @ Sidney’s 3/25 – Fort Walton Beach, FL @ Fort Walton Music Hall 3/26 – Asheville, NC @ 27 Club 3/28 – Richmond, VA @ The Get Tight Lounge
Poster done by the always incredible @stephenschrock
Michael Rudolph Cummings will issue his new solo album, You Know How I Get, on Oct. 21 through Ripple Music as the third installment of the label’s ‘Blood and Strings’ series of unplugged-style releases. Following on the heels of offerings by Scott “Wino” Weinrich (review here) and Tony Reed (review here), the erstwhile Backwoods Payback frontman and current drummer of the raw-no-rawer-than-that heavy punk outfit Boozewa is nothing if not in good company, but as the nine-song/29-minute collection makes plain, Cummings‘ position alongside those generational heavyweights is well earned in terms of craft and arrangement as, in an unflinchingly organic fashion, Cummings manifests influences from across a spectrum of rock songwriters.
He’s still a punk, after all, if a punk troubadour. You Know How I Get is mesmeric in its honesty, in the organ lines that make their presence felt early in “Cellar Times” and “Closer Than They Appear,” and in the atmosphere of intimacy cast in the recording, on which Cummings himself is by no means alone or inexperienced. Opener “Sunburn” introduces itself with just-strum minimalism, but then the drums, backing vocal layers, and keys kick in and a fluidity of verses and choruses that sets up the manner in which Cummings will on the rest of what’s to come pull together classic pop singer-songwriterism, contemporary ‘new-dude’ outlaw country folk — lookin’ at you, ramblin’ title-track — and ’90s-era emotive grunge heroics, Neil Young via Pearl Jam via Neil Young, with Nirvana, Unplugged in New York, to spare.
The songs are mostly short, with only three of the nine topping three minutes long, and that speaks to both Cummings‘ punker roots and a sing-with-me stripped-down folk simplicity. “Closer Than They Appear” — a well chosen lead single — rings churchy with its sustained organ notes and steady ’70s folk-rock roll, semi-harmonized vocals and all kept subtly moving by the drums beneath, answering the fragility of “Cellar Times” and finisher “Burning Harbors” with assurance of sure footing. “Got it Made” moves along with a Tom Petty casual bounce but is more introverted in its guitar and vocal, and album centerpiece “62 Westbound” — video premiering below directed by Courtney Gauger — has a broader drum echo in its toms and cymbal washes, and is plenty full-sounding for that, with a drone maybe of accordion coinciding with the soft singing and lightly noodled guitar. Yes, the track named for a road moves. It is linear, contemplative and, like a lot of You Know How I Get, melancholy.
In the beginning moments of “Sunburn” and with a bookend back in “Burning Harbors,” Cummings nods to his longtime affinity for self-recording to a 4-track tape machine — I don’t know how old some of these pieces are and indeed these two in particular have a rawness to their vocal that at very least imitates tape compression — but You Know How I Get is far and away the most elaborate solo release he’s had, and the individual cuts benefit from the attention to detail put into them, be it “Charles Doesn’t Lie,” which is relatively straightforward instrumentally, no drums, but layers the vocals to add presence as well as dynamic, or the penultimate “Goblina,” which is the longest inclusion at 5:47, based around electric guitar and building to a volume swell as it gradually moves into a particularly flannel-clad, heart-on-sleeve-tattoo payoff, leaving “Burning Harbors” as an epilogue but one that underscores the atmosphere and intimacy that Cummings has worked over the course of the record to maintain.
You Know How I Get manifests the clarity of purpose in Cummings‘ solo offerings like earlier 2022’s mRc EP (review here), but also goes back to 2014’s debut solo full-length, Get Low, at which point he toured with and performed as mRc and the Souvenirs — his first single was 2013’s “Maybe Time” (posted here), which would later be on the debut — so it seems appropriate to think he’s approaching these tracks a similar way. A primary difference is the scope of the production here, but also a maturity of the craft in general. There is a patience even to “Sunburn” as packed-tight as that song is that is a beacon of welcome for the weary, and that holds firm whether we’re riding down the Highway 62 in, let’s assume, Texas, or burning the harbors behind us on our way out. Lyrically, the perspective is likewise poised. Genuine, still searching, but experienced as well and unflinching from sharing what has been learned, likely the harder way.
That vibe, of lessons learned, is pervasive throughout You Know How I Get, and even in “62 Westbound,” lines like “Somewhere I have not been/I long to stay/Weeping in the palm trees/Springs remain,” know where they want to be and have a point of view able to step back and realize there’s more life to come. So much more, then, does Cummings convey his depth as a songsmith and performer than just on the surface. In that, it speaks directly to what has always been and remains one of the greatest strengths of Cummings‘ work. Along with, you know, all that performance and songwriting stuff.
Please enjoy:
Michael Rudolph Cummings, “62 Westbound” video premiere
Video directed by Courtney Gauger (Instagram @corkytea).
East Coast-based folk and alt-country artist MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS signs to Ripple Music for the release of his new solo album “You Know How I Get” as part the third chapter of their “Blood And Strings – The Ripple Acoustic Series” this October 21st.
Michael Rudolph Cummings is known for being the vocalist/guitarist for East Coast stoner grunge band Backwoods Payback. His solo material is equally dark but subdued in volume and temperance, recalling the ditch-trilogy era of Neil Young and the slower moments of Townes Van Zandt, while also hinting at more contemporary acts such as The White Buffalo.
His new album and Ripple Music debut “You Know How I Get” will see release in October 2022, as part of their revered acoustic series “Blood and Strings” (which previously featured stellar solo releases from The Obsessed’s Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Mos Generator’s Tony Reed). To support its release, Michael Rudolph Cummings will embark on a US tour with his solo band, the roster of which reads like a who’s who of east coast underground mainstays, literally some of the best players out there including Mel Parsonz of Royal Thunder, Patrick Shannon of All Else Failed and Mike Bardzik of The Boils.
Full dates are below and tickets for most are on sale now.
OCTOBER 20 – Animated Brewing, Coatesville PA 21 – Westside Bowl, Youngstown OH 22 – drkmttr collective, Nashville TN 23 – Hernandos Hide Away, Memphis TN 24 – The Nick, Birmingham AL 25 – Boggs, Atlanta GA 26 – Odditorium, Asheville NC 27 – Cobra Cobana, Richmond VA 28 – Century, Philadelphia PA 29 – Hart Bar, Brooklyn NY
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 16th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Set to head out on Oct. 20, Michael Rudolph Cummings — current Boozewa drummer/vocalist, ex-Backwoods Payback guitarist/vocalist — will tour in support of his upcoming solo album, You Know How I Get, which is being released the second day of the tour as part of Ripple Music‘s ‘Blood and Strings’ acoustic-ish series. Cummings has announced the band that will join him on the run, which includes Mike Bardzik (Duffy’s Cut, Super Hi Five), Mlny Parsonz (Royal Thunder), and Dennis Prendergast (of Avenue 8 Guitars, and the one who should probably be fixing the van), and they’ll make their way along the Eastern Seaboard starting out in Cummings‘ native Pennsylvania and swinging south before heading up north again.
You can see all that from the list of dates and don’t need me to tell you, so I’ll tell you this: the album is gorgeous. Cummings has a long-standing track record of being sincere in ways that most artists wouldn’t dare, and You Know How I Get presents this through varied songs and an intimacy that comes through no matter how many players or voices are involved at one time. The video for “Closer Than They Appear” below came with the recent album announcement. Dig that fucking organ, man. God damn. Going to church and so on.
Dates from socials:
Michael Rudolph Cummings – Oct. Tour Dates
In the words of my friend the great @bobwayne1977
“Who is ready to fix the van?!”
This October I will head out in my first solo tour in close to 5 years, supporting a brand new record seeing release via @ripplemusic
This record means more to me than anything I have ever been a part of and to bring it to its full vision I am so honored to have some of my closest friends and most inspiring musicians along with me for the tour.
Mike Bardzik @noisylittlecritter
Mel Parsonz @_meltoro_ @royalthunder
Dennis Prendergast @avenue8guitars
Full dates are below and tickets for most are on sale now! See you out there
OCTOBER 20 – Animated Brewing, Coatesville PA 21 – Westside Bowl, Youngstown OH 22 – drkmttr collective, Nashville TN 23 – Hernandos Hide Away, Memphis TN 24 – The Nick, Birmingham AL 25 – Boggs, Atlanta GA 26 – Odditorium, Asheville NC 27 – Cobra Cobana, Richmond VA 28 – Century, Philadelphia PA 29 – Hart Bar, Brooklyn NY
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 4th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Go ahead and take a listen to the new Michael Rudolph Cummings single at the bottom of this post. It’s “Closer Than They Appear” — à la the rearview — and it comes from Cummings‘ impending solo offering, You Know How I Get, which will see release on Oct. 21 as the third installment of Ripple Music‘s ‘Blood and Strings’ series, following behind outings from Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Tony Reed. Significant company to keep.
Cummings — currently in Boozewa, formerly of Backwoods Payback, perennial in All Else Failed — has trickled out solo albums under his full name and his initials mRc over the better part of the last however many years, but I’ve never heard a track from him that sounds as fleshed out as “Closer Than They Appear,” with its backing vocals, organ, and so on. His last posted piece — also streaming below — was a cover of Neil Young‘s “Cortez the Killer” recorded a decade ago in his bedroom, so yeah, it’s a bit of a step forward in cohesion and a full-band atmosphere. Only fitting he’s planning to take the show on the road. Could hardly be any other way.
From the PR wire:
Folk artist MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS to issue new album ‘You Know How I Get’ on Ripple Music this fall; listen to new single “Closer Than They Appear”
East Coast-based folk and outlaw country artist MICHAEL RUDOLPH CUMMINGS signs to Ripple Music for the release of his new solo album “You Know How I Get” as part the third chapter of the label’s “Blood And Strings – The Ripple Acoustic Series” this October 21st. Listen to a stirring first track with “Closer Than They Appear”!
“There comes a time in most folks’ lives where something important reaches an end. Whether it be a friendship, a band, a relationship, a job, at some point the feeling will hit. What happens once it arrives is up to you,” says Michael Rudolph Cummings about this new song.
Michael Rudolph Cummings is known for being the vocalist/guitarist for East Coast stoner grunge band Backwoods Payback. His solo material is equally dark but subdued in volume and temperance, recalling the ditch-trilogy era of Neil Young and the slower moments of Townes Van Zandt, while also recalling more modern acts such as The White Buffalo.
His new album and Ripple Music debut “You Know How I Get” will see release in October 2022, as part of their revered acoustic series “Blood and Strings” (which previously featured stellar solo releases from The Obsessed’s Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Mos Generator’s Tony Reed). To support its release, Michael Rudolph Cummings will embark on a US tour with his solo band, the roster of which reads like a who’s who of east coast underground mainstays, literally some of the best players out there including Mel Parsonz of Royal Thunder, Patrick Shannon of All Else Failed and Mike Bardzik of The Boils.
TRACKLIST: 1. Sunburn 2. Cellar Times 3. Closer Than They Appear 4. Charles Doesn’t Lie 5. 62 Westbound 6. Got It Made 7. You Know How I Get 8. Goblina 9. Burning Harbors
Michael Rudolph Cummings is a lifer. Touring the world as the vocalist/guitarist for the band Backwoods Payback, the drummer of the band Boozewa and the synth player/vocalist of the band All Else Failed, Cummings has been there and done that. All of it. Literally. No matter the band when playing live he has always been known for his intensity and ability to connect to every person in the room. Regardless if it is a festival overseas or a coffee shop in a small town in the USA, he leaves a little piece of himself everywhere he goes. mRc has previously released one full-length, four EPs and a revered cover of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer”. This new album and Ripple Music debut “You Know How I Get” will cement his career as one of America’s most promising and fascinating folk artists of this generation.
