The Grand Rapids rock bands made their Local Spins Hot Top 5 Chart debut in September with new studio recordings. Check out the chart, listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Ficus: Reader and radio support for its ‘weird’ music has been surreal. (Courtesy Photo)
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New releases from Ann Arbor gypsy swing/jazz band Djangophonique, Lansing singer-songwriter Rachel Curtis and Grand Rapids electronic music whiz Samil maintained their hold for the second month in a row on the Local Spins Hot Top 5 Chart in September.
But two Grand Rapids rock bands soared into the chart, too, making their debut among the top five most-played local or regional releases at community radio station WYCE (88.1 FM) last month.
The Blue Pines’ latest release, “Give and Take,” came in at No. 4, with psych-rock’s Ficus rounding out the chart with its self-titled studio album.
Frontman Tyler James said support for the new album “means the world to us,” especially because band members “put more into our new record than anything we’ve done before and we want people to hear it. We love the way it came together.”
Added keyboardist/singer Roz’lyn: “We truly flexed our abilities on ‘Give and Take’ and to have this level of recognition from such an important organization is incredibly rewarding.”
Recorded at Grand Rapids’ River City Studios, the album delves “further into slightly new territory in themse and melodies, continuing the evolution from our first record,” Tyler James noted, with Roz’lyn adding that The Blue Pines “directed more focus on production and studio experimentation this time.”
After a busy summer of performances, The Blue Pines play The DAAC in Grand Rapids on Oct. 29 (with The Fabulous Vans and FlyLite Gemini) and Mulligan’s Pub on Nov. 12 (with Feeding Grizzlies and The Mercurials).
FICUS AIMING TO RECORD FULL-LENGTH ALBUM THIS WINTER
Ficus had its own taken-aback take on making the band’s chart debut.
“We have all been longtime WYCE listeners, so for our weird music to be supported by the best little radio station in the world, the volunteers and fellow listeners is surreal,” said singer-guitarist Ben Graham.
The Blue Pines (Photo/Dogtown Studio)
“We are beyond grateful, humbled and appreciative. None of us thought we’d hear our music on the radio, so this means the world.”
The psych-rock band — Graham, lead singer and bassist Michael Kalinowski, guitarist Blake McWatters, keyboardist Mike Failing and drummer Nick Johnson — recorded the four-song EP in Johnson’s basement with assistance from Lansing psych-rocker David Turel.
“Our band is rooted in psychedelic rock, however, we actively experiment with its many boundless sub-genres to produce something uniquely our own,” Graham said, noting members plan to focus on writing new material for a full-length album after a series of fall shows.
“We’re working to foster a psych scene in West Michigan and beyond.”
The band plays Mulligan’s Pub in Grand Rapids at 10 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 8) with Guy Snowdon & The Citizens and Glencoe; Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids at 9 p.m. Oct. 15 with Old Mountain Acid Test and Redbelly; The Backroom in Kalamazoo on Nov. 4 and The Stray in Grand Rapids on Nov. 12.
Read more about The Blue Pines in this Local Spins Artist Spotlight.
THE LOCAL SPINS HOT TOP 5 ON SPOTIFY: September 2022
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