If you’ve been paying attention to our charts recently, then you may notice one band that stubbornly refuses to fall out of the Top 5 at the station. Having recently released their first album “Rejoicer” under their new moniker, Grooms have been impressing many with their Sonic Youth-addled damaged noisy rock sound. Grooms, however, is not simply a homage to late 80s rock acts and within each of their songs lies a complex interplay between noise and melody; harmony and chaos. Having previously performed under the name Muggabear, the two members Travis Johnson and Emily Ambruso have been joined with ex-Parts and Labor drummer Jim Sykes to perform the amphetamine breakdowns and noise flourishes which have become aural hallmarks of this band. Virtuosity definitely applies to the way Grooms go about songwriting and performing – Johnson as lead singer and guitarist brings no less than 4 guitars with him to every live venue, each with their own individual tuning and resonance.

Recently, Grooms stopped by WVKR on the first leg of their cross-country tour for “Rejoicer” and sat down with us to explain their style and perform some of their songs from Rejoicer live in the WVKR studio. In addition to performing songs off their album, they left us stunned with their cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game. Listen further to discover more:

Grooms – Dreamsucker

Grooms – Fag Feels Good

Grooms – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)

As a jazz DJ here at WVKR, I’m constantly scanning our vinyl collection to look for old goodies.  A name that often comes up is that of Cole Porter, one of the most prolific and famous American songwriters.  You probably know songs like “Night and Day”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, and “Begin the Beguine” sung (and instrumentalized) over many decades by stars as varied as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, and Artie Shaw.

What makes Porter’s music so timeless?  Well, first of all its sniggering wit.  Porter’s songs are rife with lyrics such as “This verse I’ve started seems to me/The Tin-Pantithesis of melody” from “It’s De-Lovely”, a reference to his adaptation of the Tin Pan Alley popular musical-writing tradition.  He can talk about sex (“Love for Sale”), drugs (“I Get a Kick Out of You”), and pop culture (“You’re the Top”) in the bawdiest yet sophisticated way, usually by incorporating clever internal and end rhymes, a skill that made him well adapted to the Broadway stage.

Yet what holds his lyrics together song after song are unforgettable melodies.  Porter wrote songs emphasizing the chorus part of verse-and-chorus form so that you would hear the same musical strains sung with different lyrics, thus implanting them firmly in your brain.  This combined with internal and end rhymes equals maximum potential for getting a Cole Porter song stuck in your head.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself humming one of his melodies or randomly using a lyric as a topical quote in a conversation.

So what am I trying to say?  You may think the standards are songs sung by middle-aged cabaret crooners, but in fact they’re fun, contemporary, and full of life, wit, and rhythm.  Don’t believe me?  Just search some Porter song titles in Google and see who has covered them-I guarantee you’ll be surprised!

That Bear. Maybe you’ve heard his grizzly call. Faintly, like a grumbly ringing in your ears. He stands hibernating on the third floor of the College Center at Vassar. In the lobby of WVKR. So captivating. So carnivorous. So much potential for mauling. Did you know “Bear Danger” is an accepted phrase? It refers to the threat of bears for hikers and campers. I would like to minimize the amount of Bear Danger in my life. And the consumer in me wonders if there’s a product that can do this for me, instead of me doing it myself. They have elephant guns; do they have bear guns? The internet has told me there is bear mace, but let’s be fair, if pepper spray doesn’t always work on a drunk assailant, it’s not gonna do shit to a twelve hundred pound charging Kodiak Bear.

Though bear in question does not harm a soul. In fact, he doesn’t even eat meat, always has a smile, and is currently wearing a pithy little hat. He is the Chainsaw Bear. And I made him in my image. No that’s not true. Some very legit Hudson Valley dude with a chainsaw made him in the image of a bear, but years ago I brokered the deal that brought him to where he sits in the lobby of VKR. The throne of the king that has most definitely seen a bear’s share of weird Vassar shit.  Silently watching youth grow. That smile is all-knowing.

Five years ago I was the General Manager at WVKR and I made the bear my legacy to the College. Some people created clubs, some people made art, some people built “life-long friendships”. Ohh Lookit! You’ve got a friendship and some watercolor on paper! Well I’ve got a fuckin’ six foot tall bear. My Vassar spirit animal. Come correct and don’t complain when you get sent home like a bearless bitch.

Does it have a name now? We just called him Chainsaw Bear, which is rugged, edgy, and also obvious given his origin. Maybe he would rather be a Frank? Something simple. Is he a Ted? Something from his roots like Ursi? Or maybe he just wants anonymity? Or something even more badass like Clawsy O’Ripface.  His smile tells us he knows what he wants. The bear and I smile together. Longevity Bear. He’ll be there after we all graduate.

Oh and thank you for the blogspot VKR. Catch me back here at a later date or over at www.theavantguardian.org every Friday afternoon. Snootch.

Chicken Flava