On Stage (Extra): The Bangles keep it relevant

80s power pop group celebrates new album with show at the TLA

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

There are a lot of bands from the 1980s that are coming back on the scene but they have little relevance to the bands they were three decades ago — or to what today’s music is all about.

The Bangles, one of the era’s steadiest hit makers, are back on the road – on a tour that touches down August 20 at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http://www.lnphilly.com).

The Bangles have always stayed relevant. When they played the TLA a few years ago, they were touring in support of a new album — “Sweetheart of the Sun.” This time around, they also have a recently-released album — “Ladies and Gentlemen . . . The Bangles!”

The album is a 16-track collection of songs hand-selected by the band members from their personal music archives. It features re-mastered ’80s-era rarities, demos, live recordings and more. It also includes their debut single and all of the tracks from their self-titled EP which had been unavailable since its initial release on vinyl in 1982.

 “Ladies and Gentlemen . . . The Bangles!,” which was released in June on Omnivore Recordings, encompasses the very first years of the band’s development from their earliest days as The Bangs to their incarnation as the Bangles.

This is the original line-up of Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson, and their first bass player, Annette Zilinskas.  The band’s current line-up still features Hoffs and the Peterson sisters.

“Putting together that compilation was fun for us,” said singer/guitarist Vicki Peterson during a recent phone interview while she was negotiating the freeways in L.A. “We had been wanting to make these songs available for a long time.

“It gives us a chance to play songs from the old, sweaty rock-and-roll era of the Bangles. You can hear where this band came from. We’ve wanted to re-issue our debut EP for a long time. Eventually, we found the masters which went missing.

“It’s the most fun stuff to play live. It’s garage band. That’s where we started — playing in L.A. garages. We’re playing these songs in our current shows. There are also a couple of covers that preceded the Bangs when Debbie and I were in high school. And, of course, you’ll hear the hits.”

The Bangles had a string of hits during their first incarnation, including “Walk Like An Egyptian”, “Eternal Flame”, “Manic Monday”, “If She Knew What She Wants” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter”. In 1989, the group broke up with each of the members pursuing their own careers.

 “Back in 1989, I didn’t want to see the band split but there were others in the group who did,” said Peterson. “It worked out all right for me. It led me to a move to New Orleans for 10 years and that was a great experience.”

Peterson played and wrote songs with the New Orleans band the Continental Drifters. Hoffs pursued a solo career and Debbi Peterson performed in a duo called Kindred Spirit.

“I was ready at the end of the 90s to work with the girls again,” said Peterson. “Susanna was the one who wanted it to end in 1989 and she was the one who wanted to start it up again in 1999. I told Susanna that I wasn’t interested in an 80s revival. We all agreed that we wanted to keep making new music.”

The result of that decision was “Sweetheart of the Sun” – a fresh newly-recorded album that garnered positive reviews around the country.

“We didn’t have a lot of expectations when we released that album,” said Peterson. “It was just a process of making new music with the Bangles. I was really pleased with it. I loved the making of it. We used home studios at Susanna’s house and my house. It actually got some of the greatest reviews we’ve ever gotten in our career.

“Some songs date back a couple of years and some were brand new. The leadoff track ‘Anna Lee’ sets the tone for the record and introduces the themes that run through the album.

“We were all living in southern California and reading books like ‘Laurel Canyon’ and ‘Girls Like Us’ – books about the ladies of the canyon and the era of the late 60s and early 70s.  The late 60s is a phase period for us. It’s quintessentially Californian. You can hear the influence on the album. It seemed we were wearing our influences on our sleeves.

“Still, whenever we’re together, I never think about trying to sound like the Bangles. Whenever Debbie, Susanna and I are in a room together, it’s the Bangles sound.”

Video link for the Bangles — https://youtu.be/SsmVgoXDq2w

The Bangles’ show at TLA, whch has Cardiac as the opening band, will start at 8 p.m. at the TLA (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-922-1011, http://tlaphilly.com). Tickets are $35.

Another interesting show in Philly on August 20 will feature the Delta Saints performing at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com).

The Delta Saints, who released their album “Bones” last August with Loud & Proud Records, just released a special edition version of it digitally in July 15.  The “Bones” special edition includes six bonus tracks — three B-sides and three live versions of album tracks that were recorded during the filming of live performance music videos at Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

The band has spent the last nine years playing festivals and sold out headline shows in the U.S. and across Europe averaging about 200 shows per year, organically growing their audience.  They have performed at several festivals in the U.S. including Summer Camp, Harvest, The Ride, Summerfest, Wakarusa and The Simple Man Cruise.

The Delta Saints — Ben Ringel (dobro, vocals), Nate Kremer (keyboards, guitar), Dylan Fitch (guitar), David Supica (bass), Vincent Williams (percussion) — have also been selling out countless venues in across Europe, including festivals in Holland, Belgium and Germany.

“We met when we were going to school at Belmont University in Nashville,” said Rigel, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band headed from Nashville to a gig in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“We found each other as a way to battle Friday night beer drinking. Along with the beer, there were a few guitars. Eventually, I started writings. We started with four or five of them and some covers. Now, it’s engulfed our lives.

“In the early part, the songwriting was very one-dimensional with me writing all the songs. Over the last few years, it’s become more of a group thing. One of us will start writing a song and then we’ll work together to expand it. It’s really nice and open.”

In addition to the “Bones’ expanded album, the band’s discography includes “Pray On” (2009), “A Bird Called Angola” (2010), “The Delta Saints” (2011), “Rockpalast — Live from Bonn, Germany” (2012), “Death Letter Jubilee” (2013), “Drink it Slow” (2014), and “Bones” (2015).

“The first couple records were centered more on Delta Blues,” said Rigel. “None of us had ever played that style before. Two weeks before we were to start a European tour, our old harmonica player quit.

“So, we called Nate and said — are you free for the next few months to tour with us. He agreed and we added keyboards. That was the shift from Delta Blues to a rock-and-roll sound. It really happened naturally.”

The band’s sound evolved and the quintet is moving along toward a new album.

“We’re working on it now,” said Rigel. “We’ve been home a lot this year and that has allowed us to spend more time on our writing. We’ve also been doing a lot of pre-production. We have about 17-18 new songs ready to go. We’re going to be recording in October.”

Fans of the Delta Saints will see a slightly different line-up at this weekend’s show.

“We’re definitely a five-piece but for the current tour we’ve been mostly a four-piece,” said Rigel. “Nate had a back injury and he’s home recovering in Louisville, where he lives. The rest of us still live in Nashville.

“I’m from Louisiana originally. I learned to sing when my mother took me to church. Then in high school, I started to play rock-and-roll. I was going to the University of Idaho and ten transferred to Belmont University where I go a degree in music business.

“On this tour, we’re playing a lot of songs from ‘Bones’ and a few songs from our early EPs. There are also four or five new songs we’re putting in the set. The secondary purpose of this tour is to get the new songs in and road test them.”

Video link for the Delta Saints — https://youtu.be/Qtm4V1kv6Zg.

The show at MilkBoy, which features Cold Roses as the opening act, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

On August 21, Blackmore’s Night will make a return visit to World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) — a venue they have sold out several times in the past few years.

Blackmore’s Night is a traditional folk rock band formed in 1997 by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night. To date they have released ten studio albums. Their latest, “All Our Yesterdays” — was released on September 18, 2015

The current line-up features Ritchie Blackmore – electric/acoustic guitars, mandola, hurdy gurdy, nickelharpe; Candice Night – vocals, chanter, cornamuse, shawms, rauschpfeife; Bard David of Larchmont- keyboards; Earl Grey of Chimay- Bass and rhythm guitar ; The Scarlett Fiddler; Lady Lynn – harmony vocals, shawm, flute, recorder; Troubadour of Aberdeen on drums

Night and Blackmore are physically living in the 21st century. Musically and spiritually, they bridge the 16th century and the 21st century – the Renaissance era and the high-tech world of today.

Their album “All Our Yesterdays” features electric guitar, keyboards, bass guitar and drums. The list of featured instruments also includes hurdy gurdy, renaissance woodwinds, bombards, gemshorn, nyckelharpa, renaissance drum, pennywhistle and mandolin.

“We’re touring in support of ‘All Our Yesterdays’ and this is also a pre-tour for the band’s 20^th anniversary next year,” said Night, during a recent phone Wednesday from the husband-and-wife’s home in Long Island, New York.

“We’re looking at doing a variety of special things for the anniversary. We’re planning a box set that will have old songs and some new tracks. Also, we have lots of video footage of each of the band’s incarnations.”

When not on the road, Night and Blackmore live a rustic-style life away from the craziness of the music industry.

“Some people like to work on cars or watch TV – that’s their release,” said Night. “We like to get back to a simpler time. It’s nice to shut things down — to unplug from all that stuff and go back to a place where light was provided by a fire. And, there is something special about a maiden in a window of a knight on a horse. With our music, we try to bring people to that escape.”

For Night and Blackmore, the love of a time from long ago is not a passing fancy – or something taken lightly.

“When I first met Ritchie, he lived in this dark Tudor house,” said Night. “When I first moved in, all his Renaissance music became a soundtrack for nature. Even today, Ritchie doesn’t have a computer – no e-mail or anything like that.”

Blackmore has been one of Britain’s top rock guitarists since the late 1960s. He was a founding member of Deep Purple and played with that band from 1968-1975 and 1984-1993. He fronted his own band Rainbow from 1975-1984 and 1994-1997.

Night also makes records on her own. She just released a new album called “Starlight Starbright,” an album of lovely lullabies.

“We have two children,” said Night. ‘Autumn is six going on 16 and Rory is four years old. Our daily lives are like a Broadway musical. We sing all day long. We keep music in the family.

“The idea for the lullaby album started when I was pregnant with Autumn. I was still singing and playing and recording when I was nine months pregnant. I thought about peaceful songs to lull children to sleep. I put down a couple demos. There were originals and some traditional lullabies.

“I had to change some of the lyrics on the traditional lullabies because some of them — like ‘Rock-a-bye Baby’ — had lyrics that were morbid. These were not words I wanted to sing.

“I started putting the album together when I was pregnant with my son. I love that bonding moment I had when my child’s head is on my chest listening to the heart beat — that feeling of rocking them to sleep. I always sing my children to sleep.

“Some of the other young mothers I knew looked at me with looks of horror on their faces when they thought about singing to their children. They were saying that they weren’t able to sing and could never sing their children to sleep.

“That’s when my idea for the album really started. I went to the studio and started to flesh it out. I always say the album is lullabies for kids but adults have told me that listening to it makes them relax too.”

The album also features a track written by one of Night’s family members — but not her musician husband.

“Autumn wrote one of the sons,” said Night. “It’s called ‘Lullaby in the Night.’ She was a year-and-a-half old and was sitting in a rocking chair singing her dolls to sleep. She just made up the lyrics. It was a beautiful, innocent moment. I knew I had to record the song for the new album.”

Video link Candice Night/Blackmore’s Night — https://youtu.be/oRDSkaz76OI

The show at the Queen, which has Wizard’s Consort as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45.

Another good option for live music on August 21 will be the show by Save Us From The Archon at The Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, www.facebook.com/Voltagelounge).

In March, Save Us From The Archon (SUFTA) — Andrew Cresto (Guitar), Nelson Brooks (Guitar), Samantha Zunich (Bass), Devin Greig (Drums) — released its new album “L’Eclisse.” The album was the band’s debut recording for Tragic Hero Records.

“We recorded the album six months ago in Nelson’s bedroom,” said Cresto, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“We live in the same house. I knock on his door and say — let’s track. By recording on our own, we save money and retain complete artistic control. We’re very D.I.Y.

“Even though we just signed with Tragic Hero, we do everything on our own. The Italian name for the album comes from a 1965 film that was part of a trilogy by Michelangelo Antonioni.”

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Save Us From The Archon has sculpted a unique sound that is, at once, aggressive, chaotic, heartfelt, and hypnotic.  Fast paced angular progressions are counterbalanced by soothing mellow interludes.  The broad dynamics are tied together by their progressive foundation with a distinct melodic sentiment.   

On their new album L’Eclisse, there is no human voice.  While many bands depend upon a vocalist to express their creative vision, no words are necessary for SUFTA. Their expressive writing and poignant playing tell a vibrant story all by themselves.

 “When we write now, we don’t even consider space for vocal tracks,” said Cresto. “I believe you can virtually say anything you want without vocals and with just music.

“Our next record will have more ambience and open space. Our music doesn’t really get compared to other bands. Even though nothing in music is really unique, what we do is staying true to whatever we want to.”

 Video link for Save Us From The Archon – – https://youtu.be/INoyuU9i074.

The show at the Voltage Lounge, which also features Sianvar and My Iron Lung, will start at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Epoch Failure, in reality, is an epic success. The urban pop duo features singer Billy Joe Marrero (aka “Billy The Kidd”) and rapper Nick Young (aka “Nickey Knoxx”). Both have overcome major obstacles in their lives and now are paired together in a successful music act.

On August 21, Epoch Failure will be one of the headline acts at the Liberty Music Festival at the Grape Room (105 Grape Street, Philadelphia).

Epoch failure’s message is one of hope and ambition — an attribute gained from overcoming hard times in their respective lives.

Marrero and his family have experienced extreme poverty, which was actually highlighted in a 20/20 profile of community hardships in Camden, NJ in 2007. The response to the Marreros’ plight was so overwhelming that his family was chosen for a home renovation by “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”.

Young committed to securing a brighter future for himself and his family. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the Army as a way to get a college education and open up more options for his future. He attended West Virginia University and now, in addition to penning brilliant lyrics and rocking crowds, he serves full-time in the New Jersey Army National Guard as a photographer and broadcast journalist.

“Billy’s cousin and I were in the same unit in the Army,” said Young. “His cousin said he knew a street kid who was a good singer and that we should work together. I was a solo artist and so was Billy. I told him — I’m not working with any pretentious singer.”

At the same time, Marrero told his cousin — I’m not going to work with a rapper.

“Nick and I did phone time for about a year,” said Marrero. “I was playing hard-to-get. Finally, I got to his apartment in Trenton. We dropped the first song and it was great. We wrote four more songs that afternoon and did a show that night.”

Young said, “That show was in New York City in a room that was like a broom closet. There were 10 people there — six of whom we brought.”

Marrero said, “That was a tough start. Now, we’re playing to a lot more than 10 people. We’re playing to big crowds.”

Marrero was living on the street at the time but Young had a solution.

“I had an apartment in Trenton by myself,” said Young. “I told Billy to come live with — that he didn’t have to pay rent. All he had to do was make music.”

Discovered via ReverbNation by North Star Media’s John Sepetys, Epoch Failure is poised for a bright future. The duo’s five-song debut EP was mixed and co-produced by Grammy-nominated producer Billy Hume (Lil’ Jon, Ying Yang Twins, Pitbull).

Epoch Failure’s first single “Champion” has become a breakout sync track in the sports world. This past February, it was played during the post-game celebration of Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. It’s also been featured by The NFL Network, ESPN, Fox Sports, NASCAR, WWE, NBC Sports, NY Knicks, NY Giants, Denver Broncos, the Australian Football League, and more.

The group’s follow-up single was a reinvention of Bon Jovi’s legendary anthem, “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It reached the Top 10 on Spotify’s Viral 50 USA chart, which highlights the most shared and trending tracks in the country. The song was also featured by ESPN during their NFL Sunday Countdown programming throughout the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl lead-up coverage.

Upon discovering the Epoch Failure version, Bon Jovi shared the song across all their major online platforms.

“We realized that a lot of bands gained attention by doing covers,” said Young. “But, we didn’t want to do it the traditional way. We also wanted people to find us. We’re from New Jersey and, in New Jersey, Bon Jovi is God.”

In addition, Jon Bon Jovi and cowriter Desmond Child have offered the following joint statement of praise — “The powerful new version of ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ by Epoch Failure retells the intimate story of Tommy and Gina, set in an urgent urban landscape. It captures the song’s timeless message, lifting the banner of hope and faith for a whole new generation of working class heroes. Epoch Failure is a winner!”

According to Marrero, “Epoch Failure is the voice of everyone who has fallen or stumbled, but still had the heart to stand up again and climb back into the ring. It’s about accepting our failures and turning a negative into a positive. You fight through the struggles and come out the other side better, wiser, and stronger as a result. And then, of course, always raise a glass or two to celebrate.”

Video link for Epoch Failure — https://youtu.be/Nw5CtNXLoug

Epoch Failure’s set at the Liberty Music Festival will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday.