The Outer Vibe rolls and gets rocked with “Princess of Sin,” while Mowery earns International Blues Challenge nod for “Account to Me.”
THE OUTER VIBE DEBUTS “PRINCESS OF SIN” WITH ROLLER DERBY BANG
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Last time around, it was a fire ring and motorcycles.
This time, it’s a skating rink and roller girls.
Grand Rapids’ The Outer Vibe on Friday night debuted its latest music video – for the song, “Princess of Sin,” from the band’s most recent album, “Hoka Hey” – and it stars members of the Lansing Derby Vixens women’s flat-track roller derby league.
Filmed at the Optimist Park rink in Durand and Zoobie’s Old Town Tavern in Lansing, the comical video produced and directed by the rock band has the musicians getting wo-manhandled in a bout on the rink and nursing their wounds in celebratory fashion at the bar afterward.
As guitarist Nick Hosford put it, band members hope “to continue to reach more and more people with our videos” as it aims to expand its audience. Last year’s video for “Hoka Hey,” the title track from The Outer Vibe’s 2012 album, was filmed on property in Cedar Springs and featured a giant bonfire that actually had neighbors calling the fire department.
Check out the new video here with more information at The Outer Vibe’s website. The song and the album can be downloaded at iTunes.
GARY PRIMICH TRIBUTE EARNS KUDOS FOR GRAND RAPIDS BLUES HARPIST
Grand Rapids blues harmonica player and singer Hank Mowery’s tribute to the late Gary Primich continues to draw global accolades.
Mowery’s “Account to Me” album recorded at Grand Rapids’ Goon Lagoon studios and released earlier this year is among five finalists for 2013’s best self-produced CD at the 30th International Blues Challenge hosted by The Blues Foundation. The winner will be announced in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 25.
“We are very excited. Always nice to get some recognition,” Mowery tells Local Spins. “I am very excited for the Primich family, too.”
The album’s 10 tracks feature some songs written by Primich – a highly respected bluesman who died in 2007 – as well as tunes that he started and Mowery finished in the studio with the permission of Primich’s family.
Mowery also contributes his own songs, including the compelling “If I Knew What I Know,” inspired by Primich. That song has even charted on Triple R Blues Radio, an online, FM, cable and web-streaming blues radio station operating from The Netherlands. The album also made a splash on a number of U.S. charts, including the Roots Music Report and the Blues Underground Network’s USA Top 10 Blues/Blues Rock Chart.
The album was co-produced by Goon Lagoon’s Tommy Schichtel. Mowery gave a hearty nod to Schichtel, Old Pal Records, Kate Moss’ Moonshine Design and Tad Robinson for assisting in the project, which also features contributions from musicians Jimmie Stagger, Patrick Recob and Troy Amaro. Read more about the album in this Local Spins story.
Mowery says he’ll attend the International Blues Challenge awards in January, and kick off a short tour in May to support the album, along with a follow-up record that’s currently under way and features Larry Taylor (Canned Heat), Pete Curry (Los Straight Jackets) and Mike Morgan, as well as Hawktones bandmates Recob, Amaro, Chris Corey, John Large and Chris Rumel.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music