On Stage: Nalani & Sarina are twice as nice

JMSN, Doomtree hit local stages; Michael Franti forced to cancel local gigs due to injury

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Years ago, there was a popular slogan used in commercials for a chewing gum brand that is still ranked in the Top 10 for “recognizable ad slogans.” The main hook was “Double your pleasure, Double your fun with Doublemint Gum.”

It could be slightly revised in 2015 and used to refer to a musical act that is destined to break into the national spotlight soon — “Double your pleasure, Double your funk with Nalani & Sarina.”

Nalani & Sarina — twin sisters Nalani and Sarina Bolton — are the real deal. They are vocalists, songwriters, multi-instrumentalists who know how to rock, write insightful melodic songs and how to get their funk on.

On February 13, Nalania & Sarina will visit the area for a show at the World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com). They will be the headliners of the “Ladybug Festival Presents Ladyfingers” show.

“We were just in the studio again all last weekend,” said Nalani, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from the twins’ home Flemington, New Jersey. “We were finishing up the new album and we’ll be mixing it next week.

“It’s actually going to be an EP with six songs. We’ll be releasing it in March starting with a single. The whole EP will be available digitally in May.”

Sarina said, “They’re all new songs — all of them written in the last six months. We had a new approach this time. The songs on our last album were based on personal experiences. This time, it’s other people’s stories — more of a world-wide approach.

“Over the last few months, we went to concerts by Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac. They inspired us lyrically and musically. The new EP has more of an emphasis on lyrics.”

Nalani said, “We really focused on the lyrics. And, we finished each other’s sentences during the process.”

With roots based in rhythm-and-blues, soul and rock, the sisters create vocal harmonies that only twins can make.

“We’re sonically alike and there is this telepathy,” said Sarina. “We’ll be singing a new song and when one of us gravitates to a harmony, the other knows exactly where to go. We’ve been singing together ever since we were three. Being twin sisters, there was nothing else to do. We started singing professionally when we were 15.”

Nalani said. “It was a different experience taking on other people’s stories. It was sort of like playing God — writing stories about characters and deciding what they do. Some of the stories were based on friend and others were based on fictional characters.

“One of the songs was about a teenage boy going through different foster homes. It was like writing a movie. We wanted to make sure every story we told had a universal message so it could connect with people on other levels.”

The songs tell stories but they still are tight songs — not long rambling stories set to music.

“We’re telling a story and using choruses to look at people’s emotions,” said Nalani. “One of the songs came out of thin air when we were playing in our basement at 2 a.m. one night. The lyrics just came in and it took on this perspective in our lives. It also had a different production aspect — a Beatles influence with weird sounds.

Sarina said, “We’ve definitely become more comfortable in the studio. We’ve gotten used to the studio environment and gotten better with how to handle vocals. We try to recreate how they’re done live. We really emphasized on making vocals different so they can relate to the stories.

“When you’re writing in the third person, you’re able to go anywhere you want. When you’re writing about personal experiences, you can get too attached. We treated each song as a separate piece of work.”

Nalani & Sarina have been making music together for a long time.

“We’re identical twins,” said Nalani. “We graduated early from Hunterdon Central High a few years ago and we’ve been doing music ever since. Actually, we both started playing classical piano when were six and then studied operatic vocals when we were in sixth grade.

“Classical music and opera provided good basics for us. Our mom was a folkie so we listened to a lot of folk music when we were young — great songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. And, we’ve listened to a lot of classic rock.”

Nalani & Sarina list acoustic guitar, piano and ukulele as their main instruments.

“Our new music still has that pop-rock-funk feel,” said Sarina. “We started writing our own songs about six years ago and really started to delve into soul and funk two years ago. We love all the Stax artists — Sam & Dave especially.”

The “Ladybug Festival Presents Ladyfingers” show also features Alexandra Naples from the band Lovebettie, Michelle Ley and Sarah Koon. The show is slated to start at 8 p.m. with tickets are priced at $10.

Other upcoming shows at the Queen are Marty Mitchell on February 12, Spokey Speaky on February 13 and Eilen Jewel on February 14.

Michael Franti’s “Acoustic One Heart, One Soul Tour,” which was scheduled to stop at the Queen on February 17, has been cancelled.

In a phone interview two weeks ago, Franti said, “We just did a West Coast tour and it was super-exciting for us musically. We played the songs stripped-down. We pulled out a lot of acoustic songs we hadn’t played in a long time. Bow, we’re looking forward to bringing it to the East Coast.”

Both Franti’s and his legion of fans were looking forward to the shows along the Atlantic Seaboard but fate had different plans.

In a press release, Franti said, “Michael here!  While performing last weekend on Rock Boat, I tore my meniscus and require a surgery in February. I’m sad to report that I need to reschedule my plans for my tour Feb 9-20.  I’m so grateful to all of you who bought tickets.  I apologize to everyone who was looking forward to the shows as much as I was, but we will see you later in the year.”

Another solo artist who tours in a band format will be in the area for a show tonight at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com).

His stage name is JMSN, which is pronounced Jameson. His real name is Christian Berishaj. JMSN is a singer-songwriter and record producer from Michigan. He released his debut album “Priscilla” in 2012 and his sophomore album “JMSN” last year. The “JMSN” album is also known as the “Blue Album.”

“The new album came out last month,” said JMSN, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Riverside, California. “I recorded it over the last two years. I wanted to take my time with it. It’s not that it’s hard to come to me. It’s just that I like to take my time with everything I do.

“The songs morph and mature as time goes on. A song could start with a melody or with just me messing around with an instrument. It could be a melody, a hook or sometimes it’s a lyric. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it comes easy.

“Sometimes it takes 10 minutes to write a song — or it could be a week, a month or a year. There are songs on the new album that I’ve worked on for a year. I’m just a messenger. It’s what comes to me. Life itself is the main muse. It’s broad but it’s also specific.”

JMSN started playing guitar before he reached his teen years.

“I was 10 when I got my first guitar — an Epiphone Special,” said JMSN. “My first exposure to music was hearing Mozart and Beethoven when I was young. Then, I started listening to artists like Phil Collins, Whitney Houston.”

His first venture in the recording industry was another solo project presented as a band format. That resulted in one album as Love Arcade for Atlantic Records in 2006. E later started his own label — White Room Records — for the release of “Priscilla.”

“I signed with Atlantic and toured from when I was 17 until I was 20,” said JMSN. “I had one album as Love Arcade. Then, I did a solo album for Motown Records under the name Christian TV. ‘Priscilla,’ my EP ‘Pllaje’ and the new album are all indie released on my own label.

“‘Pllaje’ was a big step. It was a moment when I felt like I was at a standstill. It was me figuring out a little more of myself. ‘Blue’ was a step further. And, I’ve kept it going. I’m always working on mew music. As long as music makes me feel, it’s good for me. When I started writing, I was just trying to explore music and figure it out. I just kept getting into it more. And, I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Tickets for JMSN’s show at Johnny Brenda’s are $14. The show starts at 9 p.m. with Toronto-based singer/songwriter Rochelle Jordan as the opening act. The schedule for the club also includes Purling Hiss and Dark Blue on February 13, Northern Arms and Busses on February 14, and New Wave-O Rancher-O on February 15.

Fans of Doomtree know that waiting for a new album from the group is something that goes with the territory.

Doomtree’s first official album “Doomtree” was released in July 2008. The group’s second album “No Kings” was released in November 2011. It was an even longer wait for the third Doomtree album — but the wait is finally over.

The new Doomtree record “All Hands” was released on January 27. The title nods to the nautical rally cry, “All hands on deck,” and the album stands as the most collaborative and cohesive project the crew has yet produced.

The group, which consists of Cecil Otter, Dessa, Lazerbeak, Mike Mictlan, P.O.S, Paper Tiger and Sims, recently embarked on a national tour — a tour that brings it to the area for a show on February 13 at Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, www.bootandsaddlephilly.com).

“We’re ramping it up,” said Dessa, during a recent phone interview from her home in Minneapolis. “Our new album ‘All Hands’ came out in January. We also have free music on our website and a new video but, for us, the big focus is the record. We’ve been working on it pretty steadily for the last few years.”

Doomtree started as a group of friends in Minneapolis who were fooling around after school — trying to make music without reading the manual. The group had varied tastes — rap, punk, indie rock, pop. As a result, the music they made together often bore the tool marks of several styles.

The three-year gap between albums has given each of the emcees time to grow as solo artists, and the group’s return finds everyone tour-tested with plenty to prove. Sims, P.O.S, Mike Mictlan, Dessa, and Cecil Otter drive home razor-sharp cadences, hard-hitting punch lines and monstrous choruses.

“When making this album, all the rappers got together in a cabin,” said Dessa. “We sequestered ourselves away and locked ourselves in. We were a few hours away from the city. We made a couple trips this time. We used a couple different cabins. One was from a girl we tweeted on line and used her cabin.”

Doomtree is a collective and everyone gets involved in the creative process of making the music.

“Usually, the beats start first,” said Dessa, one of the few white female rappers in the business. “We use Sound Card. The rappers select their favorites and we listen at the cabin.

“Whoever has the first idea starts and we all follow. Usually, there is a heavy dose of metaphor. The album has a weird vibe. It’s dark and catchy — both lyrics and music. As lyricists, we try to take our cues from the music.”

Dessa is also a spoken word artists and an author. She teaches at the Institute of Production and Recording and the McNally Smith College of Music. In March 2012, Dessa presented “Mic Lines: Art, Ethics, and their Contested Connections” at Augsburg College in Minneapolis as part of the three-day Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

“I did my first classical compositions recently,” said Dessa. “I also had a choral project last year that I sang on. But, with the classical compositions, I just wrote music for an orchestra.”

Dessa began her career as an entertainer after graduating from the University of Minnesota.

“I was in the band Medida as a rapper,” said Dessa. “I started with aspirations to be a writer — a prose writer. I started performing prose poetry at poetry slam competitions. It’s a different skill set that a writer uses to create.”

Years ago, Dessa became part of the Doomtree clan — a collective that operates as a unit while still allowing all its members to pursue other music projects.

“Doomtree has grown organically — no huge music video, no big record label,” said Dessa. “Doomtree built its fan base through grass roots touring.”

Dessa, whose birth name is Margret Wander, is following a similar path with her solo career. She released her first album “A Badly Broken Code” in 2010 and followed with “Castor, The Twin” in 2012.

Right now, Dessa’s focus is entirely on the new Doomtree album and tour.

“On this tour, we’ll be focusing on the new record,” said Dessa. “We’ll also be doing some older songs and each emcee will be doing a few songs of their own. We have more than 50 records in total between us so each emcee has a lot to choose from. As individuals, some of us are on the road a lot but, as a collective, not much.”

Doomtree’s show will feature Open Mike Eagle as the opening act. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $18.

On February 15, when The Expendables bring their “Winter Blackout 2015 Tour” to the Trocadero (10^th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, www.thetroc.com), they will provide area fans with a heavy dose of Southern California music — specifically the music of the Santa Cruz area.

The Expendables grew up in Santa Cruz — a town where the focus for kids has long been on surfing, skateboarding, partying and playing music. Since 1997, The Expendables have staked their claim in the California surf/rock genre by entertaining audiences across the country with their blend of reggae, punk rock, and 80s style dueling guitar solos.

The band features four longtime friends — Geoff Weers (Guitar and Vocals), Adam Patterson (Drums and Vocals), Raul Bianchi (Lead Guitar) and Ryan DeMars (Bass). They released their first album “No Time To Worry” in 2000.

“At first, it was just a high school thing,” said DeMars, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in Minneapolis. “We were just high school friends playing music together and we fell ass backwards into a career.

“Santa Cruz is such a surfing, beach and skateboarding town — that’s what influenced us. We were all surfing and playing music – punk, surf, ska and reggae. Our early influences were Steel Pulse, Eek-A-Mouse and Sublime along with classic rock like Clapton and also metal.

“That’s how we got our unique sound. It has a lot of different influences. We don’t play just one genre. Reggae is the undertone to it all but we don’t do a straight roots concert. There is also rock, ska and metal-style guitar.”

The Expendables are currently touring in support of their new album “Sand in the Sky.”

“We recorded ‘Sand in the Sky’ in the last half of last year and just released it in January,” said DeMars. “We have our own studio in Santa Cruz and did allthe guitar, vocals and overdubs there.

“Then, we went to Oakland to Jingletown Studio, which is owned by Green Day. We did the drums and bass on two-inch tape there, brought it back to Santa Cruz and added on from there.

“Most of the songs were written last year but a couple of them were written 10 years ago. Our line-up has stayed the same since the very start and songwriting has always been a group thing. We’re really good at compromising with each other.”

The Expendables’ are bringing along Ballyhoo! and Katastro as the opening acts on their “Winter Blackout 2015 Tour.”

“This is our fifth consecutive winter of doing the ‘Winter Blackout Tour’ every January, February and March,” said DeMars. “It seems people come out for concerts more in winter than they do in the fall. We bring bands we’ve been friends with. It’s exciting for us to see these young bands play and to help them out.”

Showtime at the Trocadero is 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $19.

Another band from Southern California will be braving the East Coast winter weather and visiting Philadelphia in the upcoming week. Bad Suns, a young band from Los Angeles will perform on February 16 at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com).

Bad Suns, which formed in 2012, features Christo Bowman (vocals), Gavin Bennett (bass), Miles Morris (drums) and Ray Libby (guitar). The group released its debut album “Language & Perspective” last year on Vagrant Records.

“I started playing music at a really early age,” said Bowman, during a phone interview last week from Burley, Idaho as the band was travelling to a tour stop in Salt Lake City. “I wanted to try to excel at something and I found the guitar. I wanted to start a band right away. By default, I learned how to play drums and bass. I had my first guitar at nine and was recording myself at 10.”

A few years later, Bowman gravitated to a band mindset.

“I met Gavin in high school,” said Bowman. “All of us grew up in Woodland Hills and were playing in different bands along the way. The four of us have been together for three years now. When we started recording the album, we decided to put out an EP as a sampler.

“That set the tone and gave us something we needed to surpass for the album. We took that as a challenge. I’m the chief songwriter but everyone’s input is important. I like to be alone when I’m writing so I can write anything I want to without any judgment.

“Then, when I bring it to the band, the song usually changes. Every part is important. It’s who we are. Everyone has to be happy with the final product. It’s a real band.”

The all-ages show at Union Transfer will start at 7:30p.m.with Coasts and Maudlin Strangers as the opening acts. Tickets are $15.

On February 18, Wayne Krantz, one of the country’s most respected guitarists in modern jazz (and longtime member of Steely Dan), will play the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com).

Krantz has a catalogue of 10 solos albums including his latest — “Good Piranha/Bad Piranha.” The new album features Krantz performing four different tracks with two different interpretations of “Black Swan” from Thom Yorke, Ice Cube’s “My Skin is My Sin”, Pendulum’s “Comprachicos” and MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.”

The musicians on the album were Krantz (guitars), Nate Wood (bass on four tracks and drums on four tracks), Keith Carlock (drums), Tim Lefebvre (bass) and Krantz’ wife Gabriela Anders (vocals).

His previous album “ Howie 61” included performances by John Patitucci, Charley Drayton, Tal Wilkenfeld, Vinnie Colaiuta, Anton Fig, Yasushi Miura, Jeremy Stacey, Paul Stacey, Pino Palladino, Carlock and Anders, On this upcoming tour, Krantz will be joined by Anthony Jackson on bass and Carlock on drums.

“Anthony and Keith will be with me for the first part of the tour,” said Krantz, during a phone interview Monday afternoon. “Then, when it goes to Asia, I’ll be playing with Cliff Almon and Anthony Jackson. After that, I’ll tour the West Coast with James Genus and Cliff. It’s definitely the longest tour I’ve ever done with one of my own projects.

“This tour is not particularly related to the new album.  There will be other new material that we’ll be playing. The album was almost totally improvised. That aesthetic is not what we’re touring now.”

In the 1970s, Krantz moved from Oregon to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music.

“Back when I was in high school, rock bands all had their own vibe,” said Krantz. “It wasn’t until I started listening to jazz that I really discovered guitar. I worked my way through my dad’s collection and found an album by Barney Kessel.

“There was this album ‘The Poll Winners’ by the Barney Kessel Trio. I was fascinated by the complexity of it. And, I was blown away by the playing on it. After that, I quickly discovered Joe Pass, George Benson and Jon McLaughlin.

“When I went to college at Berklee, that’s when I heard all these jazz musicians who were close to my age. I’m not sure I would have gotten into jazz if I wasn’t a player. Once I got out of school, I started practicing a lot and put together a fusion quartet.

“After that, I went to New York and began working as a sideman. But, there was something I wasn’t getting out of being a sideman. I put together my first trio with Zack Danziger on drums and Lincoln Goines on bass. I moved to New York in 1986 and I’ve been there ever since.

“The fact that the music I’ve been playing is so improvisational makes it hard because improve requires a very specific talent. Improv has reduced my options so I’ve had to stick with my stable of musicians.

“To my detriment, I’ve never thought about what I do as an effort to rise to the top. The important thing is that I’m motivated by the music.”

The concert by Krantz in Sellersville will get underway at 8p.m. Tickets are $25 and $39.50.

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Marc Cohn on February 12, Eilen Jewell and No Good Sister on February 13, Bruce in the USA on February 14, Spyro Gyra on February15, Albert Lee on February 16 and “Mardi Gras Party” with Philly Gumbo on February 17.

The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is hosting Better Than Bacon on February 12, E.B.Hawkins Band along with Billy Freeze on February 13 and a triple-bill on February 14 featuring Scott Birney with Stevie Hopson, Sharon and Shawn, and Todd Chapelle and Carla Ulbrich.

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will present one of the best live bands in the country when the Tedeschi Trucks Band takes the stage on February 17 along with special guest Spirit Family Reunion. The Grand will also host Kathy Griffin on the Mainstage and A Band Called Honalee at the Baby Grand on February 15.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will host The Naked Sun and the John Hufford Band on February 13 and Deb Callahan Band and Blue Bizness on February 14.

The upcoming schedule for Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com) features Black Out on February 13 and Tea for Two, Tre Todd and Timy Mengle on February 14.

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will have Bonerama and Glen David Andrews on February 12, The Clarks and Atley Moon on February 13, Splinterd Sunlight on February 14 and Hambone Relay on February 18.

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com) will present “9 5IVE 4OUR” with Christine Havrilla, Gretchen Schultz and Christine Moll along with Sara Spicer on February 12, the Kennedys on February 13 and Craig Bickhardt and Jack Sundrud with Lizanne Knott on Fenruary 14.

Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will host Bibi and the Bull, Ben Kessler and Rivers on February 13.

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com) presents “ABBA — The Concert” on February 13 and Robert Irvine Live on February 14.

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.nctstage.org) will introduce the first production of 2015 on January 17 with “The New Mel Books Musical Young Frankenstein.” The hilarious show is scheduled to run through February 22.