THE WRECKING (né KINGPIN WRECKING CREW) released their album on a national scale August 19 on Universal’s CHOSEN label. It’s a new title for what they released locally as Abolition Strategy, which we reviewed in 2006, so you know they’ve been really working up to this national release. Fun things about this time around for the album: 1) It was released with an in-store at the Windham Bull Moose (a veritable hotbed of coolness lately). 2) That appearance was hyped on the Windham Baptist Church’s blog.
There are rumors swirling around about a SHUFFLIN’ TREMBLE reunion (don’t even mention LOUD NEIGHBOR — that didn’t really happen), and they’re not totally made up. Former Shufflin/present HEADSTART! frontman KEVIN KENNIE is with child right now (well, his wife is), but after that (sometime in October), things might happen, he said. They may even record a couple of tracks.
The newest musical immigrant to arrive in Portland is MARK TIPTON, a trumpeter who’s played with QUINCY JONES, BOBBY MCFERRIN, and various ensembles. He’ll celebrate his arrival in Portland with a CD release gig at One Longfellow, September 16. It’s called Love Themes from Imaginary Films. Tipton also sings and whistles on the disc.
FASTER! FASTER! checked in this week to say HUDSON EAKIN has left the band, and been replaced by BEN WILSON, who’ll take over bass and backing-vocal duties. Drummer BEN SHUMAKER and guitarist KEVIN MCCORD remain.
The Big Easy has brought back Dead cover band LAZY LIGHTNING on Wednesday nights. Dual drummers are JEFF GLIDDEN and CHRIS DOW (from that great GYPSY TAILWIND album), with RODNEY STURDEE on Jerry’s guitar, DOUG EMERY handling Bobby duties, JOHN FONTANA doing Phil Lesh, and JEFF MERROW playing Vince (or Bruce Hornsby, we guess).
