Sitting in with the Band: Pengea

Nestled in an unassuming, suburban and quiet. bedroom community outside of Memphis I met up with Hard Rock band Pengea to discuss the upcoming release of their latest album, Tales From the No-Tell Motel. I am invited into the living room of Jimmy Rogers' home by his wife Tracy to find the entire band performing an acoustic cover. Bobbie

Bobbie Parker holding her baby
 as she discusses the upcoming
Pengea release with her
 bandmates.

blushes, her 18 month old baby sits on her lap, and she apologizes as Robert, John, Kevin, and Jimmy stop playing to welcome this stranger into the most private, inner workings of a band, the dōjō, the practice room during an unassuming Thursday night band practice.   

John Davis rests his hands
 across his bass as Pengea discusses
Tales From the No-Tell Motel.

There is no mistaking that a musician lives in this house. A full size drum kit sits protected by a dust cover in the middle of the living room and a speaker stand towers in the corner. That is no real surprise, I live with a musician that keeps his 'Fellowship of the String' lined up in a pretty little row across the back of our living room. It is comforting to know that keeping musical equipment in the living room is the standards and hazards of living with a musician. Inspiration for a song can break at any moment and often does.  

Robert Parker strums the guitar as Pengea discusses the upcoming
 release of Tales from the No-Tel Motel.

Pengea consists of five members, Jimmy Rogers on drums, John Davis on bass, Kevin Greenburg on guitar, Bobbie Parker providing vocals, and Robert Parker on guitar. Together these musicians have a combined musical experience of over 150 years. The stories and antidotes of musical experience make the hairs on my arms stand up in giddy excitement. Jimmy, Kevin, and John have known each other for a couple of decades and used to play together in the infamous Memphis band Trash Cadillacs. Bobbie got her chops playing at The New Daisy and Nita Makris' The Stage Stop for the first time when she was 15 or 16. Jimmy also played The Stage Stop at 15. John recalled the first gig he played was the 1978 DeSoto County Music Festival. His band opened for Target; yes Jimi Jamison's band Target. Kevin confesses he picked up the guitar for the first time to attract girls. His Camp Lejeune High School garage band played three AC/DC songs after a football game at the dance. He has been hooked ever since. Robert picked up the guitar in 1990. While he played guitar for his church and a few country gigs he says his first, real gig was in 2007 at Reidmeisters with his band Chemical Zoo. They are rich in Memphis Music history. These are the people that put truth to the phrase "Memphis does music!"   

Jimmy Rogers cues up the advance copy of Pengea's forthcoming album.

Jimmy, who is standing behind a set of bongos, opens up the stereo in the book case to his left and begins playing Pengea's newly mastered EP over the surround sound. I have already pigeon-holed the band into the genre of Hard Rock, but the members of Pengea are quick to correct me. Each band member has personal music heroes and influences that are not exclusively Hard Rock musicians or music. Bobbie admits she loves classical music, Karen Carpenter, Ella Fitzgerald, Fleetwood Mac, and  Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Robert finds musical inspiration everywhere from thrash metal to bluegrass. While John is influenced by "Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, 'Duck' Dunn,... 1000 others." All of these influences contribute inspiration to the vast array of sounds produced in Tales From the No-Tell Motel. 

Jimmy Rogers looks intently
 into the camera while keeping
the beat at the Stage Stop
 on February 15, 2014.

When asked about the writing process Jimmy says they write in the moment whether that is hard rock, blues, country, or funk, all of which are represented on Tales From the No-Tell Motel. Their writing process often begins with a guitar lick, that is when Bobbie will pull out a notebook and have already written lyrics that fit the mood the song is conveying. She admits that she will flip through one of her many, many, many notebooks and say something like, "I have words for that, that go like this!" 

Kevin interjects with excitement, "We were sitting here one time and the words just flowed from her. As a band we had written a complete song within eight minutes flat and I was like, "Whoa!" It was just easy, natural." It blew them away but makes complete sense at the almost tangibility of the imaginative songwriting process.

John Davis playing the
 Valentine's Vixen show at
the Stage Stop on
February 15, 2014.

One of the goals Pengea set out for this EP is to record an album with a live sound. They want something true, a representation of what a listener would hear at one of their shows. In order to accomplish this goal they recorded each song in one or two takes.

Kevin Greenburg keeping rythm 
at the Valentine's Vixens show
 at the Stage Stop on
 February 15, 2014.

Robert speaks up that it is not absolutely perfect. He has tunnel vision focusing on a specific finger slip he says he made on one track, explaining that as an artist when you are recording you want perfection. At this point the rest of the band members speak up drowning out his confession of imperfection to assure him that it is not noticeable. They agree the slip does not ruin the song, it actually enhances the live feeling of the album, and that it is now part of the song. 

"For me," Bobbie answers, "The point of this album was to make some kick ass music that we like. People are always worried about what they 'think' everyone else likes, but if we don't like it, what's the point?"

Robert Parker whaling on the
guitar at the Valentine's Vixens
show at the Stage Stop on
February 15, 2014 

Jimmy expands on Bobbie's answer. He tells the room that this album, "It's about making good music. It's about making something that we like. It's about leaving a legacy. When a musician makes an album, that can't be taken away. It will always be here for people to listen to."

Bobbie Parker debuting
Dead Prostitute at the
Valentine's Vixens show at
 the Stage Stop on
 February 15, 2014.

From the first strike of the strings and heavy guitar rifts of the hard rockin' Dreamland to the last chord of the band's drinking anthem Sugar Daddy, Pengea has made a spectacular EP! This album has something for everyone: screaming licks, hard shreds, electrified Deep South dirt road blues, distinct grooves of down low funk, a heartfelt ballad, and country twangs and tones that pay homage to the band's rowdy Tennessee and Mississippi roots. Bobbie unapologetically has no filter - she pulls this characteristic into her lyrics with a sultry humidity that elicits lust, smoldering soul, and enough grit to give quiver to a rattlesnake. Pengea has accomplished all of this without losing the hard rock edge that this band has built a reputation upon.

Pengea performing at The Stage Stop. 

The future is endless for Pengea. To change it up a bit they are currently working on an acoustic set. Look forward to a live debut of the Tales From the No-Tell Motel release and interview with Pengea later this month on Radio-Memphis. Until then you can keep up with Pengea on Facebook, check out some live performances on YouTube, or listen on Reverbnation.   

Beautiful, Sexy, Loved

In the middle of the night last week, while I was on a Rx steroid high, I had a beautiful idea for my blog. I spent the wee hours of the morning private messaging 20-30 musicians.

Around 5 am J2, that's my boyfriend, woke up to the glare of my cellphone screen illuminating the bedroom. I am hovering over the damn thing like a skeevy Gollum in a gray, sweat drenched, pajama dress, with my hair disheveled and twisted around my head like a cornucopia of imagination, and the remnants of cheese toast on my breath. And he trusts me, completely!

Do you know who else trusts me without any questions asked? The handful of musicians that have responded to and followed through with the middle of the night lunacy. I feel loved! That's exactly why my eyes are welling up with emotion. I feel loved!

What is the beautiful idea for the blog you ask? Since it is February, Valentine's Day, and hugs, kisses, lovey mushy stuff is in the air I want to know what makes some of Memphis' finest musicians feel loved. So, I prompted this question, "What makes me feel beautiful, loved, and/or sexy?" Along with their responses participants submitted photographs of a specific time they felt their best. 

Jason Vawter of Away Team and Metropolitan Avenue 
"What makes me feel beautiful, loved, and/or sexy comes from knowing and accepting myself but also being appreciated by others and by appreciating others. Lately, I have started taking better care of myself physically and emotionally. I won't lie. I love the compliments I'm getting. It took self-confidence though to take the leap into a healthier lifestyle, but having a support system of friends and family, especially people who have gone through what I am going through, was instrumental to my current success in all things in my life ranging from my career in customer service to my music career and through to my personal life. It doesn't matter where you are in life. Sometimes just hearing someone say "you can do it" is all you need to get over some of your shortcomings whether those shortcomings exist or not."

You can find Jason's music for Away Team here and here. Do not forget to keep up with Metropolitan Avenue too!  

Allison Unread of Roses Unread
"What makes me feel beautiful/loved? The thing that makes me feel beautiful and loved is my self-confidence. Before I was the lead singer in a rock band, believe it or not I was a very shy individual. I wouldn't hardly speak or talk to anyone, much less sing. When I got in my first band I was a "hot mess". I wouldn't move around a lot and I was almost like a back-up singer. When that band fell apart and I realized how much it really meant to me and how heart-broken I was when I didn't have it anymore. I then started my own band. I knew it was my full responsibility to be the best I could be so something changed within me and I took charge. I've been this way ever since. I still have my downfalls but I have come a long way from the "shy girl" I once knew. My band now is called Roses Unread. It is a huge part of my life and it's what drives me to be the best I can be. One think I like best about it is finding the beauty in a metal song, and when I find it that also makes me feel beautiful."

Roses Unread is going into the studio to record their new album. If you are interested in contributing to their campaign help here.

Photo courtesy of Soul Essence Photography, taken at Earnestine & Hazel's

Aisha Raison

"I'm probably the most simple person...name brands and huge productions are nice, but if someone knows me and gets to my heart by getting in my head, I am all theirs.  A nice bottle of magnolia wine, a couple of hours fishing or even a box of chocolate cherries...I'm in heaven.  Beauty comes from within, so even if I look like my worst (like if I'm cleaning my house or working on my car), I promise you..the words and my personality needs to stand out as if I'm the queen of the ball."

Aisha Raison is a spoken word artist and an author. Aisha's latest book is Heroine Tracks. 

Crown Vox

"What makes me feel beautiful/ loved? I’m aware that this might be an odd answer, but I do not rely on any external source to give my beauty validation. I am very happily married, and though we love each other deeply, it isn’t my husband that makes me feel beautiful or loved. That isn’t his responsibility, nor would I want him to have that duty. My feelings of beauty and love come from within me. It’s only through loving and accepting every part of myself that I truly feel beautiful. For me, beauty doesn’t solely rely on physical attributes, but is a projection from within.  The short answer? I am what makes me feel beautiful and loved."

Check out her recently released video or on Facebook. Her new website will be launching in May or June of this year!

Photo by Aubrey Edwards

John Nemeth 

"What makes me fee beautiful, loved, and/or sexy?"

My wife makes me feel beautiful even though I am far from beautiful!

My family, friends, and fans make me feel loved, and I love them unconditionally!

My voice makes me feel sexy, and I hope it makes you feel sexy too!"

John Nemeth is currently nominated for six Blues Music Awards and touring throughout the country. Find his schedule here and catch him in concert.

Photo courtesy of Beth Hoots.

Kaci Ally of Avenging Angels
"What makes me feel beautiful/loved? Confidence is definitely the key for me to feel beautiful. I feel loved when I surround myself with positivity and like-minded people. Overall, acceptance and camaraderie keep me keeping on!"

Kaci fronts the heavy rock and metal band Avenging Angels. 

Self Portrait

Amy Chan of Away Team

"What makes me feel loved is when I see how my impact as an artist and a person affects the people around me. Music, in particular, is something I give as a gift to others, and in my opinion, nothing feels better than a gift well received. You feel the love. When I sing, I am able to portray feelings and emotions that are otherwise difficult for me. Its a beautiful thing when I can touch people and communicate in that way. That's why I love music. It brings people together. It can set the mood, and change the way you feel. I feel loved when people enjoy what I do."

Amy is a classically trained opera singer, a Rockstar, Pianist, and a make-up artist. In her spare time she fronts Away Team.

Self Portrait

Jad Davis

"The darkness is sexy. It touches my body and kisses the back of my neck in all the right ways." 

Jad is a model, photographer, and alternative artist. Listen to his music on Reverbnation. 

Gina Sposto

Gina Sposto, self portrait after a workout.

"I feel beautiful when I am taking good care of myself and living in accordance with my values. Eating healthy foods makes me feel beautiful. Weird to say but meditating, praying makes me feel beautiful. Drinking water makes me feel beautiful. I feel beautiful, too, when I can make something beautiful. 

I feel loved when I am loved... Luckily, I find love in God/The Universe and when I look at great works of art or listen to music, so I don't have to feel very alone even if I don't have a romantic love. But in terms of that, or any kind of love, I find that I am the most loved when I love myself, when I take care of myself and do the best work I can with my art, music, et cetera. When I follow my calling, I become a whole person and can receive love truly."

Gina is the voice and soul behind many Memphis bands including Greedy Kidney, The Band of Ooo, The Warp & The Weft, and Cougar Control Patrol. 

Obviously not everyone wanted to participate. The response that gave me the most chuckles said, "Love hearing that you are doing something creative and different! I'm just not into showing my nipples. I'm most comfortable and feel sexiest in the buff ;)"  

To each their own, Happy Valentine's Day! 

Twittering the Blog Beat: Blog Like a Girl

Let's admit it, I am no good at Twitter. No. I am really bad. Bad like your Gramma just discovered the phrase, "That's what she said!" and Facebook intermittently, immediately signed up for an account, is commenting all granny-esqe comments on every single one of your photographs and following it with declarative "That's what she said" statements. Not cute, but bad.

With disclaimers nearly out of the way, I have spent more time on Twitter this week than I have the in the nine years since I have signed up for it. I am not quick, clever - well, I fancy myself as clever, but not in a precise, "I'm gonna rock your world" in 140 characters clever, or brief. Obviously. But, I am giving it a shot, a rim shot.

This week for class we had to create a few lists of personal interests and class related blog beat on Twitter. I am obsessed with lists, making them, marking them off, categorizing. This is right up my alley. I threw together three lists: MemphisFamous, relating to Memphis and Mid-South musicians/bands, All the Laughs, my favorite comedians, and Blog Beat is a short list of my most fancied Music Bloggers. I attempted to Tweet with some of the people on the Blog Beat. I tweeted and as of yet no favorites or returned conversation.

@theloopLA, Christine Schatz, is a blogger spanning from New York City to Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California. She is a former DJ and tech savvy. Recently she has reblogged and shared posts from other bloggers about a myriad of subjects including Bruce Jenner's possible transgender reformation and the blizzard in NYC. However, I am most interested in @theloopLA's music blogging. The format is simply enlightening!  In each post @theloopLA satiates five aspects of music blogging, being precise in writing a paragraph of music description, auditory enlightenment, visually stimulating the listener with the musician's promo or EPK, electronic press kit, photograph, providing a free download, and linking the site back to the artist. Sometimes I yearn for listening to something new without having the time to actually read them. I mean, I have a day job too that requires my attention, sometimes.

@thegoodgroupie, Miranda, is a 30-something writer from Texas with a panache for performing music too. Miranda is the girl next door. She relates, mostly mainstream, music to her person and the current events in her life. I instantly relate to her through Confessions: Am I Too Old For Music? She is me, because at a show I am comfortable shoes and never without my Hearos. She makes it acceptable to be the peppy cheerleader for music considered poppy or mainstream. That is okay. After all, what is music if not a relation between the emotion evoked in a song and the listener experience?

@brewupbuttercup is a self-professed lover of felines, addicted to tea, and avid music fanatic. Simply because she is from the United Kingdom I find her tres chic! Georgia Shipley, aka @brewbuttercup, is an English Literature student and she writes about what she knows, upbeat aspects of student life and running a blog devoted to her favourites. Recently she had a chance to blog an email interview she conducted getting to know a local indie band Model Aeroplanes. She included photographs from their EPK, written dialog, a play list of their music, as well as tweeting the interview to @modelaeroplanes and the headlining act these gentlemen are opening for on tour. That is one fantastic, inventive way to drive viewers to her site!

Charlotte Pearson, @mixtapecouture, is a young journalist, lifestyle blogger, and writer for @YuppeeMag in London. @mixtapecouture has managed to capture two of my favorite things in one blog, music and fashion. She visits festivals local to her, covering mainstream and new-to-me music as well. @mixtapecouture covers her bases by making her posts available by link via Twitter, on bloglovin', blogspot, Instagram, and Pinterest. She writes in the most thoughtful manner. Her words are not contrived, but flow elegantly. Included in her graceful blog posts are the holy grail of requirements, articles, EPK photographs, snippets from Soundcloud, and links to the artists. If a reader wants more than articles @mixtapecouture also includes links to Skype interviews and YouTube performances with the artists. She is a symphony wrapped in hand stitched delight. 

You can find me on Twitter @selectivemorals. 

Aspirations of a Memphis Music Blog

Whether specifically making time to listen to music or simply using it as background noise, it is a part of daily life. Memphis is teeming with homegrown music; it's in our roots, it's in our soul, it's in the ground we walk upon. The music industry in Memphis is a tight-knit community and while the players may not be internationally or nationally famous, they are known within the surrounding community making them Memphis Famous. 

Memphis does music! However, our city is lacking an outreach of music news and blogging devoted specifically to our local scene. Because Memphis is so rich with the Blues, Rock 'n' Roll, Soul, Metal, Punk, Rap, and Electric Dance music, the missing element of current, new, explosive talent outreach is a damn shame. Even the exclusively local music, internet radio station Radio-Memphis.com is lacking content. Sure, they have a large analytical following with listeners and followers internationally tuning in to programming, joining in on Facebook threads and Instagram feeds, callers, a parade of musicians in the studio, as well as listeners congregating to participate in the live video programming and chat room, but on thing is missing. The website is lacking content. 

Most of the blogs and news sources in Memphis that cover Memphis Music simply post a schedule of performances. That is not enough. I have had to look nationally to find music blogs that I admire. These blogs are The Key from Philadelphia and The Wild Honey Pie based in New York. These websites marry visual and audio into aesthetic revelry by:

• using the art from the album as an icon for the story link
• accompanying every article with a vibrant photograph of the band, I am always more apt to remember if a face goes with a name
• manufacturing professionally produced, recorded, mixed, and engineered recordings of live sessions
• providing free downloads of the bands singles

These websites have an entire staff devoted to providing schedules of shows to come, current releases, penned columns including personal humor in such things as compiling songs to exercise to. While The Key shares their content in a straightforward manner, The Wild Honey Pie resembles a designer's lively and colorful inspiration board or a vibrant online music festival scrapbook of that girl from high school that went to every concert. The only things missing from their scrapbook are the ticket stubs and autographs. With any luck I will collect those too, but all from Memphis.