The Midnight Noise Orchestra

The Midnight Noise Orchestra, from left, Timo Plays Bass, Matt Weaver, Derrick Mitchell and Weston Schick.

Singer/guitarist Derrick Mitchell says he doesn’t think music fans in the 21^st century are interested in genres or barriers. If he’s right, then the Midnight Noise Orchestra is well-suited for its time.

The Bismarck quartet has an eclectic sound – rock, country, jazz, a little blues.

And don’t forget the flute.

“We call our music an exciting adventure in moods and sounds,” Mitchell says. “… We’ve recently embraced the fact that we’re not one thing.”

Mitchell, drummer Matt Weaver and Timo Plays Bass – guess which instrument he plays? – came together to form the Midnight Noise Orchestra in 2008. Weston Schick – who contributes saxophone, flute and vocals – joined shortly thereafter.

The Orchestra morphed from what Mitchell describes as mostly acoustic and rockabilly to the multi-dimensional band it has become today. As one band member put it, when they play a typical show, TMNO essentially opens for itself. Its first set – which he calls its “fish taco set” – can differ so much from its second.

Give a listen to The Midnight Noise Orchestra catalog of 15 or so originals, and this shape-shifting becomes apparent, especially when Schick switches from sax to flute.

From left: Matt Weaver, Timo Plays Bass, Derrick Mitchell and Weston Schick

“Backyard Ghost” is meat-and-potatoes rock. “Lonely City” is an acoustic number with a great melody and pretty harmonies. “Turn It On” starts with a riff that recalls the Smithereens, until the flute kicks and the song takes a couple of left turns. “Set Me Free” is breezy and up-tempo, “Coal Train” jangly. Then there are the instrumentals. “Shed Thieves” features some slinky sax from Schick and, like the moody “Noise X”, is jazz-influenced, “Red Grass Shuffle” closer to bluegrass.

Mitchell, the Orchestra’s lyricist, is a huge Merle Haggard fan, but the band also loves 1980s metal.

The melding of such diverse influences – on display in the Orchestra’s excellent Prairie Public video below – is one part of the band’s appeal.

“First of all, they love us because we’re friendly,” Mitchell says. “Then they love us because we’re tight. Then they’re like, ‘They’re tight – what’s beyond that. Well, they play pretty good. And what’s beyond that?’ Now they come up to us and say, ‘I listened to that song, and those words are good, or I never caught that thing that Tim was doing on bass before.’ They start picking it apart.”

And Mitchell adds – somewhat tongue in cheek – that the Midnight Noise Orchestra has big plans for the year ahead.

“We are not a particularly rehearsed band. We are not a particularly studious band. We are not a particularly learned band. But we’re the best band from here to Timbuk 3. We’re the best damn thing since sliced bread,” he says with a grin. “… I really want to see 2013 finally be the year of the Orchestra.”

Prime Cut – Backyard Ghost

Anybody who has ever chased a dream, or been hounded by one, can probably relate to “Backyard Ghost” by The Midnight Noise Orchestra.

It’s a haunting (no pun intended) track. The song is propelled by a driving acoustic riff from singer/guitarist Derrick Mitchell and the rhythm section of drummer Matt Weaver and Timo Plays Bass. Weston Schick delivers a compelling sax solo.

Mitchell says his lyrics are always autobiographical, and “Backyard Ghost” centers on a move to California, the pursuit of a dream. But as with most of Mitchell’s lyrics, they’re abstract enough to be open to interpretation or adaptable to many circumstances.

If you want to be somebody
Got to give yourself away
And that ghost is chasing me
He won’t let up ’til I bleed

Check out the video or, for better sound quality, the audio link on Reverb Nation. We’ll have a full artist profile on The Midnight Noise Orchestra later this week.

Laughing Sun Brewing

Mike Frohlich has a passion for brewing, but fine craft beer is only one of the things he and Todd Sattler want to offer at the Laughing Sun Brewing Co., which opened in downtown Bismarck on Nov. 9.

“As I was thinking about this place – three years in the making – I wanted to be a live venue for music, because there’s not enough places in town and there’s a lot of great talent around here,” Frohlich said. “Todd and I both have a lot of friends that are local artists and local musicians, and we’ve

Mike Frohlich, left, and Todd Sattler have opened the Laughing Sun Brewing Co. in downtown Bismarck

always dug live music. We wanted to be a venue from the beginning.”

In its first week, Laughing Sun has already been host to two shows, one by Chris Cady and the other by Luke Graner. The Midnight Noise Orchestra is scheduled for Nov. 24. Following that, Laughing Sun will host weekly shows Wednesdays at 7 p.m. plus have live music on occasional weekends.

Frohlich and Sattler’s commitment to music and art is tangible. On display on one of the walls in the Laughing Sun is an art show by Mandan’s Terry Wiklund called “Boxes.” Frohlich said the art will be rotated every three months, and each project will include at least one live reception with the featured artist.

For musicians, a stage will begin construction next week. Frohlich also said that Laughing Sun will be the only place in Bismarck with its own PA, along with other equipment, a big plus for artists.

“Bands can just plug and play,” he said.

Of course Laughing Sun’s main calling card is its beer. Frohlich said the plan is to have five regular varieties on tap – Strawberry Wheat, Whippin’ Post Pale Ale, Hammerhead Red ESB, Feast Like a Sultan IPA and Black Shox Porter – plus rotate a sixth one through. Business has been so good so far that it’s been hard to keep up.

“Fresh ales, fresh music and fresh art,” Frohlich said.

The Laughing Sun – which is located at 107 N. 5th St. – is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 to 11 p.m.

Prime Cut – The Muse

As a writer by trade, I’ve become all too familiar with the vagaries of the creative process. But songwriting is a completely foreign – and intriguing – endeavor. That’s why I was instantly drawn to “The Muse” by Mandan’s Ben Suchy.

Suchy captures that glimmer of inspiration that keeps you awake at night as you struggle to find the perfect way to express what you feel, even as what you’re trying to say remains elusive.

In the morning light, sometimes shining so bright
Amidst the wreckage tossed in the night before
She’ll be back again, swimming in his head
‘Til she finds what she’s looking for

In a strange way the lyrics brought to mind “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel. I always interpreted that song literally, as being about an unfaithful companion. I only recently heard another interpretation, that “Cecilia” was actually about the fickleness of that songwriting Muse, which Suchy captures so well here.

Trampas Johnson

When musicians talk about their influences, certain artists crop up frequently, depending on their age and musical bent. The Beatles and the Stones. Dylan and Springsteen. Hendrix and Zeppelin. The Clash and the Ramones. Nirvana and Pearl Jam. You get the point.

Bismarck singer Trampas Johnson had a kinder, gentler muse – Karen Carpenter.

“My favorite song to me growing up was ‘Close to You’ by the Carpenters,” Johnson said. “I love the harmonies, love everything. The song was originally written for the ukulele by Burt Bacharach. That’s why I decided I was going to learn the ukulele, was to learn that song, and that’s the only one that I can really play well.”

Even as Johnson’s musical interests grew, the same qualities that drew him to “Close to You” still hold true.

“I’m all about good melodies, love harmonies – the more complex the harmonies, the more I enjoy it.

That love is rooted in Johnson’s musical DNA.

“My whole family is musical,” he said. “My grandpa played accordion and any other instrument he could get his hands on. I grew up singing. My mom would sit around and play the piano at night, and we would all sing. The earliest thing I remember is getting together with my cousins, and we would listen to the Beach Boys and recreate the four-part, five-part harmonies just in our basement.”

Johnson’s voice became his instrument, and he developed it in choirs and international music camp. His range is evident on his cover of Glen Hansard’s “Falling Slowly.” And Johnson also did theater and had a passion for comedy. Some favorites include Eddie Izzard and Patton Oswalt.

“I grew up as the class clown,” Johnson said. I was always in drama, doing the humorous plays and things like that. It’s one of those things where, when you’re the chubby kid, people pick on you. And if you can make them laugh, then they’re not going to hurt you. So you grew up that way, and it just kind of became a defense mechanism.

“(Performing) is also one of the few places where I feel comfortable in front of people,” he continued. “I don’t typically like to be the center of attention when I’m singing. … People ask me all the time why I don’t go on ‘American Idol’ or ‘The Voice’ or something like that. It’s because I have no desire to be famous as a singer. If I was a backup singer, standing on the side, doing harmonies, I’d be OK with that. But, if I’m doing comedy or doing funny music or something where it’s more of an entertainment where people are laughing or having fun, then it’s not as scary to me. I feel more comfortable in that capacity.”

Johnson and his musical partner, Brian Gray, incorporate both melodic and comedic elements (hence the occasional kazoo) into their shows, which Johnson describes as being acoustic blues, mellowed-out in style. Johnson and Gray play an eclectic mix of cover material. Sometimes that means paying tribute to major influences like singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton, doing renditions of “A Talk with George” or “Blue Sunny Day.”

Other times the choices are more tongue–in-cheek, like LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It.”

“When it starts, you’re like, ‘This sounds kind of familiar, but I can’t quite place it.’ Then you have that a-ha moment,” Johnson said. “I think people enjoy that, because then they feel like they’re part of the performance, too.”

One of the songs that Johnson and Gray do is “Hook” by Blues Traveler, a favorite of mine. The song seems particularly appropriate given the way the duo has been able to transform generic pop like “… Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears or “Say You’ll Be There” by the Spice Girls into something soulful. Or as John Popper put it in “Hook”:

It doesn’t matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel that I’ll convey
Some inner truth of vast reflection
But I’ve said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don’t matter who you are
If I’m doing my job then it’s your resolve that breaks

Listen to the full 15-minute Trampas Johnson interview using the audio player below or use the slider to check out some highlights:

• Beach Boys in the basement – :18
• The Carpenters and melodies – 1:13
• Jonathan Coulton, IKEA and suicidal vampires – 2:15
• Interpreting covers – 5:15
• Eddie, Patton and the musical genius of Weird Al – 11:09

Here’s a video of Johnson and Gray performing George Michael’s “Faith.”

Prime Cut – A Talk with George

One thing I’d like to do with Bismarck Music Notes is spotlight specific songs by local artists, so I’m introducing a feature called Prime Cuts. They’re not necessarily new songs or “hit” songs, just ones that catch my ear. Often, they will be tied to the artist profiles we’re doing.

Our first profile, on Mike Swenson, referenced the song “Oregon Bound” which prompted the idea for this feature. So the first official Prime Cut is “A Talk with George” by Trampas Johnson and Brian Gray. It’s a cover of a song by Jonathan Coulton, and is a tribute to the late, great writer George Plimpton.

It’s got excellent lyrics and an inspiring message:

Don’t live another day unless you make it count
There’s someone else that you’re supposed to be
Something deep inside of you that still wants out
And shame on you if you don’t set it free

Here’s a link to a video of Trampas and Brian performing “A Talk with George” at The Walrus. There is a lot of crowd noise, but you can still get a flavor of it. Check back this week for an artist profile on Johnson, and hopefully down the road, on Gray. I’ll try to get the video embedded later, but WordPress and Facebook video seem to be a bad match.

Coming up next

Thanks to everyone for the great response to the blog! I didn’t know if anybody would see it, but thanks mainly to those of you sharing it on Facebook and getting the word out, we’ve had a whole lot of visitors. The next major post will be an artist profile of Trampas Johnson later this week. If anybody has suggestions, ideas or comments, please let me know. And if you feel like sharing or liking or any other good social media stuff, that would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Swenson

Photos courtesy Terry Wiklund

“No high scores on our tombs,

Won’t you help us with these wounds?”

Those lyrics from “Oregon Bound” are a prime example of the style of Mike Swenson, a Bismarck singer-songwriter who is the first artist we’re profiling here on Bismarck Music Notes.

The song is a mournful acoustic number, in the mode of Bruce Springsteen’s “Ghost of Tom Joad.” It’s a wrenching song about a man who has lost his family and is struggling to find his way.

It’s also a song inspired by “Oregon Trail” – a video game – but melded into the form of a sad country song.

“A lot of my original stuff tends to be on the dark humor side,” Swenson said. “A lot of people say, it doesn’t make any sense – well it does. … I like screwing with people like that. It makes them listen to the lyrics.”

Swenson is a Bismarck native who has poured his heart and soul into the local music scene. He comes from a family with musical roots, dating back to his grandfather, who performed in a barbershop quartet.

Growing up, Swenson sang in school and city choirs. But it wasn’t until Swenson was in his early 20s, working a night shift at Denny’s, that he began writing his own material.

“The people I’d met and the stories I’d hear and things like that, I was really starting to fill up the notebooks with lyrics and short stories. There was too much material getting thrown in front of me to not try to do something with it.”

Swenson has released three EPs, which reveal influences like John Prine, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and, especially, Kris Kristofferson.

“He can put down poetry like nobody else, and just a great wordsmith and can tell a story in a proficient manner,” Swenson said.

Swenson has several outlets for his music, playing solo shows but also with his band, The SwenTones, who play a more upbeat style of rock.

“There’s no other feeling for me that matches being on a stage and being, I don’t want to say being the focal point of the room, but just knowing that people came to listen to and to watch the performance that you’re a part of,” he said.

Swenson’s interests go beyond just playing. He hosts the Midwest Music Review – a radio show that features area artists – on URL Radio every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

“I pretty much just came in with a bag of CDs of bands that I had played with over the last few years, and people I’ve met on the road,” Swenson said. “It was like, here, these are other guys that they deserve air play of some sort and just some sort of recognition.

“Who here needs some airplay? I think there’s plenty of bands here in town that have stuff recorded, or they put on garage shows, but nobody would ever hear about it outside of friends and family.”

Swenson also runs the Graveyard Blues Project, which helps book shows for artists from the area. He has worked on the Belle Project, which is dedicated to creating a vibrant music scene in Bismarck. His goal is to see a venue downtown that features live music nightly or close to it.

“It can be polka on Monday, metal on Wednesdays – whatever,” Swenson said. “I think that’s an absolute necessity for any arts and cultural hub of any state.”

In addition to the Midwest Music Review on Tuesdays, Swenson plays a weekly show at Bruno’s Pizza at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Listen to the full 28-minute Mike Swenson interview below or click on the audio player and use the slider to check out some highlights:

• Becoming a songwriter – 2:15.
• Musical style – 5:00.
• “Oregon Bound” – 6:27.
• “Call Me Maybe” and the state of Top 40 radio – 8:30.
• Influences – 10:10.
• Midwest Music Review – 13:35.

Here’s a video of The SwenTones performing The Band’s “Up on Cripple Creek.”

Welcome to Bismarck Music Notes

Welcome to Bismarck Music Notes, a blog devoted to exploring the local music scene. The goal is to shine a spotlight on artists in the Bismarck-Mandan area, including links to their songs and videos and hopefully some podcast interviews. Check back for more updates soon.