{"id":24138,"date":"2019-04-27T12:42:10","date_gmt":"2019-04-27T16:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24138"},"modified":"2019-04-27T12:42:14","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T16:42:14","slug":"on-stage-a-local-musician-lays-down-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24138","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: A local musician lays down the law"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, <\/span><\/strong>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Braunfeld<\/p><\/div>\n

Most people don\u2019t associate being a lawyer with being an entertainer \u2013 unless they take into consideration high-profile criminal lawyers like F. Lee Bailey or Clarence Darrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s a little unusual that two music acts playing in the area in a five-day period feature lawyers \u2013 Mike Cusimano, whose band played the Keswick Theater on April 23 and Michael Braunfeld, who headlines a show at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) on April 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

Braunfeld is a civil lawyer who has worked around southeast Pennsylvania, including Chester and Delaware counties. But his main focus in recent years has been his music career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Braunfeld, a songwriter, guitarist and storyteller, is now performing select dates in support of \u201cDriver,\u201d his new album which was just released on March 22.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recorded at MorningStar Studios in\u00a0East Norriton, \u201cDriver\u201d\u00a0was produced by GRAMMY\u00ae winning Glenn Barratt <\/a>(Susan Werner, Melody Gardot) and Kyle Swartzwelder and features 13 new songs. The songs range in style from folk, to Americana to electric and driving and all feature Braunfeld\u2019s signature narratives with focus on the characters he creates and the rich, sonic worlds they inhabit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started recording it in December 2017 and went into 2018,\u201d said Braunfeld, during a recent phone interview from his home in Radnor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in the studio on-and-off, so it took just under a year. We just got the masters in December. It was mixed and mastered by Glenn Barratt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the basic tracks live in the studio and then had additional players come in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Braunfeld will be playing Burlap and Bean with his band, The Boneyard Hounds — Tom Hampton, Tommy Geddes, Kyle Swartzwelder, Nate Gonzalez.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe also had two of Philadelphia\u2019s best session players on the album,\u201d said Braunfeld. \u201cThe bass parts on the album were done by Ken Pendergast and we had Ross Bellenoit on guitars and mandolin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe hd a great assortment of ongs. We went in the studio with 40-50 songs and pared it down to the best 13. The idea was to make an album that demonstrated everything I do \u2013 funk, Americana and all-out rock. The title track made it all come together. I wrote it during pre-production.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the songs were written recently but some are pretty old. \u2018Fear,\u2019 the oldest song, was written in 1998. It\u2019s been a staple in my live set, but it was never on an album before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Braunfeld, a Harriton High alumnus who graduated from West Chester University with a degree in English and modern literature, has been making music for a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be my seventh record \u2013 five LPs and two EPs,\u201d said Braunfeld. \u201cMy last one before \u2018Driver\u2019 was the \u2018Full Circle\u2019 album in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy songwriting methods depend on a lot of things. The songs on \u2018Driver\u2019 are examples of every way. \u201940 Below\u2019 was inspired by a newspaper article. Sometimes, it\u2019s just picking up a guitar and coming up with a melody. I\u2019m a topical songwriter and lyrics are a driving force.<\/span><\/p>\n

Braunfeld\u00a0has been garnering critical acclaim and industry recognition for his songwriting and intense performances.\u00a0 In 2014,\u00a0Michael\u00a0was welcomed into the Writers’ Night family at The Bluebird Cafe.\u00a0 He was named as a finalist in the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition in both 2016 and 2018 and has been a featured performer at The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Spring Gulch Folk Festival, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Braunfeld, \u201cI\u2019m proud of \u2018Driver.\u2019 It\u2019s really the first album that captures everything that I\u2019m trying to do with my music. We spent a lot of time whittling down a list of songs to include a little bit of everything that I do while still forming a cohesive collection, which is important to me as a fan of albums. I don\u2019t like to be pigeonholed as a writer or an artist and I feel like \u2018Driver\u2019 represents exactly where I am now, both sonically and thematically.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Michael Braunfeld \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8diUiqtwJaE<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Braunfeld and the Boneyard Hounds \u201cDriver\u2019 CD Release Show will start at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

We Are Scientists<\/p><\/div>\n

We Are Scientists, an act that is opening for Snow Patrol on April 27 at the Tower Theater (69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 215-922-1011,www.thetowerphilly.com<\/a>), is a two-man rock band that came together in 2000 in Berkeley, California. Keith Murray handles lead vocals, guitars, keyboards and Chris Cain takes care of bass and backing vocals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray and Cain met in 1997 at Pomona College in Claremont, California. \u00a0In early 2000, after graduating and moving to Berkeley, they formed their band \u2013 a band that is still going strong almost 20 years later.<\/span><\/p>\n

They moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2001 and began recording their debut album in November 2001<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s breakthrough success came with its first studio album, \u201cWith Love and Squalor,\u201d which sold 100,000 copies in the first six months. The second album, \u201cBrain Thrust Mastery,\u201d charted at number 11 in the UK album chart, with two top-40 singles \u2013 \u201cAfter Hours\u201d and \u201cChick Lit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s latest album \u2013 \u201cMegaplex\u201d \u2013 was released a year ago to the day \u2013 April 27, 2018. It was recorded in New York City with producer Max Hart, a long-time collaborator. Hart played keyboards with the band from 2007-2009 and then moved on to play in Katy Perry\u2019s band and with Melissa Etheridge.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it in New York City, and it was only the seconds album we did completely in New York,\u201d said Cain, during a recent phone interview as the band was traveling from Houston to Nashville.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re used to New York City. I\u2019m in Manhattan and the other guy is in Brooklyn. We recorded the album at Atomic Heart Studio — Irish band Ash\u2019s studio in Chelsea. We finished it in January 2018.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We Are Scientists liked \u201cMegaplex\u201d so much, they decided to release it twice. The two indie rockers just released \u201cMegaplex: Rise of the Lycans (Deluxe Edition).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a double album with some demos and remixes,\u201d said Cain. \u201cSome of the stuff on the deluxe version comes from the original sessions. We recorded the acoustic material in the last couple months and the remixes are all new.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cain talked about the evolution of the band\u2019s sound over the last 19 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe general thrust \u2013 we\u2019ve let ourselves more and more to be free in the studio ad do stuff we couldn\u2019t do live \u2013 keyboards, layers of harmonies, digital beats,\u201d said Cain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith \u2018Megaplex,\u2019 we made the album we wanted without being concerned if the songs would work on the road. We did have some riffy rock songs and that\u2019s always fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for We Are Scientists — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ffWxTy-hZyk<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Tower, which also features Snow Patrol and Ryan McMullan, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wishbone Ash<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 28, the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present a show featuring Wishbone Ash \u2013 A British band that has been around for a long, long time Wishbone Ash\u2019s eponymous debut album was released in 1970.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, Wishbone Ash has released albums on a regular basis and the total is now 24 original studio recordings, 11 live albums and five live DVDs along with a DVD rockumentary (\u201cThis is Wishbone Ash\u201d). The most recent album was \u201cBlue Horizon\u201d in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock, has returned to America this month for another cross-country tour. In the ramp-up to Wishbone Ash’s 50th anniversary, the band is celebrating its 49th year in characteristic fashion — with an extended tour dubbed \u201cXLIX.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Formed in 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. True road warriors, each year they log around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Abrahams, the group’s newest member, has been trading licks with Powell for two years. Right out of the gate, Abrahams earned rave reviews from critics and fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Long-time rhythm section Bob Skeat on bass and Joe Crabtree on drums continue to provide the solid groove that is their hallmark.<\/span><\/p>\n

By 1969, The Beatles, the blues boom and psychedelia had made their impact on classic rock, and the creative possibilities were infinite. Pioneering the use of twin lead guitars, Wishbone Ash jumped on board the burgeoning progressive rock scene. Taking full advantage of the fertile musical environment, the band produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz and R&B, the group played to public and critical acclaim. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans. Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA band is a band because it keeps reinventing itself,\u201d said Powell, during a recent phone interview. \u201cWe\u2019re continuously producing. That\u2019s what makes a band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wishbone Ash\u2019s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and Opeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Powell, \u201cThe band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recording. We\u2019ve come to an era where the industry has to pigeonhole a band as Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Heritage Rock and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is that we have always kept our options open and always relied on the musicianship of the players to lead the way. It\u2019s fun to be stylistically diverse and this has, in its way, contributed to our longevity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wishbone Ash has never followed trends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the 60s and 70s, rock ruled,\u201d sod Powell. \u201cNow, you\u2019ve got so many genres with multi subdivisions. There aren\u2019t these great brush strokes any more. But rock still has its niche. We rely on our musicianship. We\u2019re a guitar band. You can still make good music with bass, drums and two guitars. We just have to keep it interesting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The current Wishbone Ash line-up features Andy Powell, guitar, vocals (1969\u2013present), Bob Skeat, bass, vocals (1997\u2013present), Joe Crabtree, drums (2007\u2013present) and Mark Abrahams, guitar (2017\u2013present).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cOur audiences are not leaping around anymore,\u201d said Powell. \u201cThis show has good dynamics. After 49 years, the band has such a huge catalogue. Going through the catalogue, we have enough material that we can play a different set from night to night. Still, making a set list is tricky but we can get audiences going.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be stimulating for us too. We\u2019re always open to pulling out a few additional songs from the past. When you pull thingsd out of the csnon, they seem more poignant than they did at the time you first made them. It\u2019s good to mix it up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans waiting for a new Wishbone Ash studio album will have to wait some more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Making a new album is always totally scary,\u201d said Powell. \u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of albums, but we never take it for granted. An album is a record of you in that particular moment in time. There\u2019s always a feeling of trepidation when you make a new album. If you\u2019re truly creative, you\u2019re always striving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Wishbone Ash \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Irou5W1gEq8<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show in Sellersville will start at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from are $26.50-$45.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Most people don\u2019t associate being a lawyer with being an entertainer \u2013 unless they take into consideration high-profile criminal lawyers like F. Lee Bailey or Clarence Darrow. So, it\u2019s a little unusual that two music acts playing in the area in a five-day period feature lawyers \u2013 Mike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[3912,8796,8797,7096],"class_list":["post-24138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-michael-braunfeld","tag-we-are-scientists","tag-wishbone-ash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24138"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24139,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138\/revisions\/24139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}