Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Last Call

Robinella and the CC String Band—Knoxville's most popular house band—will end their 2-1/2 year run of free shows at Barley's Tap Room this Sunday.

The change comes as the CC String Band gets ready to record an album for Columbia Records, says Cruz Contreras, who plays banjo, mandolin and guitar. (Contreras also happens to be married to vocalist Robinella.)

"It's basically our last free gig in town," he says. "It's probably our favorite spot for our fans. We love it; we're going to miss it big time. But we had to make the next step. With this record deal, we've had to quit doing a lot of things we enjoy doing."

The band will certainly be keeping busy, however. They're going to go on tour with Robert Earl Keen for two weeks and will be opening for Willie Nelson in Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 28. In October, they'll head into the studio to record the CD for Columbia.

The group also has an EP coming out next month on Columbia, consisting of seven songs from their first two independently released CDs. But, a word of warning—once the EP comes out, the band will no longer be able to sell those first two CDs. So get 'em now. And hurry down to Barley's this Sunday.

Local CD Review

Left Foot Down
we got somethin' (fallen arch records)

On the chorus to the first song on their new disc, Left Foot Down declares, "We got something that you've never seen before/ we've invested and projected/ Now come see us at our show/ We got something that you've probably heard before/ You'll be screamin' and cryin' like it's 1964."

Well, they don't break any new ground and you certainly won't be screaming like they were when the Beatles washed up on our shores. But, as groovy, earnest party rock (yes, there's a genre for it) goes, you could certainly do worse.

The group has a lot of hippie fans, but they really aren't part of that jam band genre (although they're certainly influenced by it). Mostly, this is straightforward rock music, filtered down from the classic late '60s rock and '70s progressive and folk rock, through '70s Southern rock, and '80s hair metal. At times the album feels like a tour of all grandiose rock styles from the past three decades.

Mainly this is standard verse-chorus-verse structures complete with guitar or piano solos (although sometimes the songs veer into prog-rock complexity, as with "course," which sounds like a Kansas song). Standouts include the catchy love song "must be good," the bluegrass influenced "roads and trails," and "walk on by," with its Stevie Ray Vaughan-like guitar intro (I hate to keep playing the comparison game, folks, but this stuff really does evoke lots of other stuff).

I'll be honest, this disc isn't my cup of tea. The lyrics are too sappy and the music lacks a looseness and sense of emotional sincerity. The vocals are limited, at times over-wrought, but there's a warmth that wins you over some. And they do hold on to a sense of fun through the project.

Left Foot Down is one of the more popular bands around town, and I think this disc explains why. It sounds like just so many sounds you've heard before but it doesn't challenge you or take you anywhere new. And there's nothing bad about that. Sometimes where you're at is OK.

Left Foot Down will hold its CD release party at Blue Cats Friday, Sept. 6, at 10 p.m.

Rickenbacker Raid

Having your equipment stolen is one of the worst things that can happen to a musician—just ask Sonic Youth, who had their custom equipment stolen in 1999. Unfortunately this happened recently to Knoxville guitarist Tony Johnson, frontman for local emo/punk group Atropos. According to Tony, his black Rickenbacker guitar was taken from the trunk of his car one night after the band had finished practicing at their space off of Kingston Pike. After practice he went to meet some friends for drinks at Union Jacks, and then went home and went to sleep. He woke up the next day to find that his guitar had been taken from the trunk of his car sometime that night. He had the guitar's serial number written down and has since notified the Knoxville Police Department to report the theft, so there's hope he might be able to get it back. If any Metro Pulse readers have any information regarding this theft please report it to the KPD.

Go.

Thursday: Go see Knoxville's poet laureate and kick-ass rocker, R.B. Morris, and get the added bonus of Leslie Wood's spooky songs.

Friday: Put on your dancing shoes and head to Fairbanks for the Streamliners Big Band. Can't dance? Well, lessons are included!

Saturday: Run naked through Knoxville (don't worry, everyone will be watching the game). Then check out Urbosleeks with Some of None at the Pilot Light.

Sunday: Go to the Battle of the Bands at the Tennessee Valley Fair so you can say, "I have seen the future of Knoxville's rock 'n' roll..."

Monday: Stay home and think about all the great shows you've seen in your life. Then think about all the awful ones.

Tuesday: Swing by the Clarence Brown and deconstruct Art.

Wednesday: Say a prayer for the world (not just America). Then kiss and hug the ones you love. Help somebody. And head over to the free 9/11 In Remembrance concert by UT's orchestra and choirs at the Tennessee Theatre. Then have a drink and be merry, for tomorrow, who knows?

—Emma "Give 'm Back His Guitar" Poptart with Joe Tarr and George Gondo