The art & power pop heart of Rob I. Miller
Power pop purveyor Rob I. Miller; press photo courtesy of Nat McBride.
The Bay Area and beyond has been enamored by Blues Lawyer and the power pop offerings provided by Rob I. Miller as the much celebrated solo album Companion Piece proves that my, my, hey, hey — power pop is here to stay. "Clean" delves into the flannel garbed slacker steez where fuzz pedals light the way forward. A similar 120 Minutes mode is felt on "Bloodlust" that erupts into a beautiful blaze of unfettered oblivion, as "In Circles" operates with that Ardent Studios styled Big Star bombast that ponders the curious cases and shapes of interpersonal communication.
"Borrow" explores the discontinuity of a relationship, examining the aftermath, the feelings felt, the hope that once was and the states of connections and being in the wake of an unceremonious dissolution. The sad sway of "Capacity" exhibits the vulnerability of the healing process in pursuit of greater truths and the struggles in rebuilding the pillars of confidence and self-esteem while "Hide" examines the fleeting fascinations and infatuations that inspire us in ineffable ways. Rob's emotive rollercoaster rock oscillates and orbits around the sun on "Interlude" right before plunging in the skronk and sludge of the undeniable anthem of "Wedge" that is one of the greatest ballads of unbridled dissonance that all your beloved underdog 90s heroes never gave you.
The heart strumming "Second Guess" reflects on the histories of the past, the lessons learned and the memories made that inform the winding pathways that twist and turn ahead. A spiritual and sentimental reckoning skips along with a sense of c'est la vie on "Wrong For Us" that acknowledges the irreconcilable incompatibilities between two hearts and the rose-tinted realities that we imagine. Miller closes on the upbeat note of "The One" that trades in glimmering guitars that muses on the notion of that once in a lifetime harbinger of happiness, togetherness and all the things we mythologized from the love songs heard on the stacks of records from our parents, grandparents and everyone we have ever known who had a heart (and a certain special somebody in their life). Companion Piece not only fits nicely with the rest of Rob's records as Blues Lawyer but as the name suggests is a cycle committed to understanding what a commitment is, why it is, where we find these bonds, why we want/need these connections, what happens next and entertains those magical thoughts of that elusive happily ever after. Join us after the jump as Rob I. Miller presents an assortment of current favorites and more for Week in Pop:
Number one records, radio cities & Rob I. Miller
At the congress of water and earth with Rob I. Miller; photographed by Nat McBride.
Playland Studios
My Blues Lawyer bandmate, Elyse and her partner Alex have a film and animation collaboration project called Playland Studios. The two of them have made countless shorts, music videos (including some for Blues Lawyer), skits, and sketches that draw from shared inspirations like Sid & Marty Krofft’s puppets and low-budget special effects, 90s adult animated television shows, and zany 60s comedy films. It’s really inspiring to see how their ideas gestate for months and then suddenly blossom into new worlds within their hilariously bizarre universe.
Brontez Purnell
Legendary writer, musician, dancer and visual artist Brontez Purnell has been a constant source of inspiration for many. IMO he’s contributed as much (if not more) to East Bay music culture than Green Day, Operation Ivy or any of the other usual celebrated suspects. I first saw him perform with Gravy Train in 2003 at 924 Gilman’s Punk Prom. I feel like that was right around the time I started thinking about how I wanted to be an artist/musician myself and I just remember thinking that performance was so fearless and cool. Brontez recently posted a clip from an interview that really resonated with me. This quote in particular…
“Making it can only be an emotional place — it’s never going to be a financial place or a place of deep recognition…I finally feel like I can make the kinds of things I want to make uninterrupted.”
Beat Happening performing “Cry For A Shadow” live in the parking lot of Shangri-La Records, Memphis, TN, April 19 1992
The static shot. The passersby. The MC announcing the passing of the hat to help Beat Happening get "where they want to be going to in the future..." I watch this video before a gig the way I used to watch skate videos before I'd go skate, hah. It’s like a love letter to playing in a band.
Inspirations & insights courtesy of Rob I. Miller; photographed by Nat McBride.
Into the Brightness: Artists from Creative Growth, Creativity Explored, and NIAD exhibit at OMCA
There’s a great exhibit running right now at the Oakland Museum of California that features some of my favorite Bay Area artists. Much of their work strikes me as a celebration of the joy of creating and being in community with other artists. I found myself overwhelmed with inspiration to get home and get to work on some new songs after I dropped by the opening party last week.
The Lost Days, In The Store
The Lost Days are a collaboration between two Bay Area heavy hitters, Tony Molina and Sarah Rose Janko of Dawn Riding. I’ve had their new record, In The Store on blizzard repeat lately. To me it sounds like they took Mary Lou Lord’s version of the Elliott Smith song, “I Figured You Out” and used it as a sort of springboard for producing these ten little perfectly crafted bummer jams. Checks off a lot of boxes for me.
Rob I. Miller’s Companion Piece is available now via Vacant Stare Records.