Talking to Aimless Blades drummer Jim Richardson about his and his fellow band members' previous experience is like a quick lesson in Milwaukee music.
But even after decades of playing in local clubs, Richardson is still enthusiastic about original music, which is clear when he discusses The Aimless Blades fourth CD, "Rara Avis," now out on Boat Recordings.
The disc is the latest effort from singer, guitarist and main songwriter Blaine Schultz, bassist Angela V-Elles, keyboardist Paul Setser, guitarist Scott Krueger and Richardson.
We asked him about "Rara Avis" and more.
OMC: Although the band's first record came out only six years ago, most of the Blades have had lengthy careers in local bands, right?
JR: Blaine started the band with Angela and Paul. ... Scott and I go way back. I moved to Milwaukee from Sheboygan Falls in 1971 and joined a band called Death. Most of that band later became Forearm Smash and included Howie Epstein and Breck Burns. Scott was with In A Hot Coma at the time. When Forearm Smash broke up and Scott left In A Hot Coma, he, myself, Breck and Howie started a band called The Craze in around '76-'77; ‘60s Mersey Beat type stuff.
Howie quit to go on the road with Leslie West and ended up in California where stayed and ultimately joined Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Meanwhile, Scott, Breck and I bounced around in short lived projects like The Drones. I was with The Lubricants for a summer tour around '78. Scott and Breck started The Orbits and Scott's girlfriend and I started The Shivvers. Breck and Scott ultimately joined The Shivvers. We planned to move the band to Boston in 1982 but that never materialized and we broke up.
For the next 10 years or so, we all went our separate ways. Scott and Breck did a lot of cool stuff on four-track. After Breck died, Scott brought his recording equipment to Sheboygan Falls, were I returned in '85, and we made his solo record; he did everything on it but drums. We were also doing some things with The Fabulon Triptometer -- a later variation of Plasticland. He also was playing with the Blades around then. They recorded the first album at my place and I played on a cut or two when their regular drummer couldn't make it, and joined the band soon after the record came out.
OMC: Blaine's sort of the face of the band, but the band is really a collaborative project isn't it?
JR: Blaine does most of the detail work and started the band and has the most connections, but what I like about the band, and the reason I joined, was because of the emphasis on original material. I didn't want to play covers any more.
Blaine and Scott share most of the songwriting credits; I'd say 60/40 Blaine/Scott with Paul and Angela adding a couple for each record. Blaine has his distinctive style -- he's more lyric minded than Scott, while Scott comes from more of a melodic, guitar riff-driven style.
Blaine is an excellent writer, so his lyrics are sophisticated and provocative. His influences come from the Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Neil Young directions while Scott is more Big Star meets the Rolling Stones kind of thing. Paul is more a pop song guy and Angela is very "alternative."
I'm the only one in the band who doesn't write or sing. Although each of Blaine and Scott's songs are very distinctly recognizable as theirs, they really don't take shape until the whole band gets involved. Interestingly, most of the guitar solos on Blaine's songs are played by Scott and vice versa.
JR: I guess you could say we have strong personalities in the band but I think it's more a matter of age. We've all been doing this for a long time, and we know what we like, what we want, and what our strengths and limitations are. Musically, that is. As far a personally, we keep things pretty light and laugh a lot. It doesn't translate on stage, unfortunately, what a funny, nutty, clever bunch of fellows we really are.
OMC: Can you tell us a bit about making this record? Was it something the band worked on over a long period or was it recorded quickly?
JR: We rehearse and record at Scott's house. He moved his gear from my house to his when he moved from an apartment to a house some time ago. When someone has a new song, we rehearse it until it takes shape, then I move the drums into the next room, put up some mics, switch on the recorder, and boom -- we have a bed track.
We try to save as much of that live cut as possible, but often the guitars are embellished and vocals re-cut. Our production pace is dependant on new songs. Sometimes we will go for months without anyone writing one. We probably have around 50 originals in all.
Our recording output could be termed glacial. I think we started this record around 2-2 ½ years ago. That's the double edged sword of having your own studio. You can take all the time you need, and human nature being what it is, we tend to do that. If we were paying for studio time and watching the clock, it would be an entirely different scenario.
OMC: How do you describe the new record, especially as it compares to its predecessors?
JR: I think this is the best record we've done so far. It sounds more like "us" than the others. The two live tracks attest to that ("Long Night Comin'" and "Long Way Around" were recorded live at WMSE). It also has a feel to it -- a groove that holds the thing together as an album, I think, and not just a group of songs. It's the diversity I find most interesting. Hard, soft, angry, funky, bitter, reflective, melodic and rough. It's all over the place and that's the thing I like most about it.
OMC: What's the plan for the record now that it's out? Is it something you'll promote locally or are you hoping to use it to expand beyond Milwaukee?
JR: Since we rely so heavily on original material, there are a limited number of venues for a band like us to play. We're always open to possibilities, but quite frankly, having been doing this since I was 11 years old -- in 1964!-- I'm kind of fussy about playing anywhere, any time.
I'm just too old and jaded to hang with the club scene, so we try to pick our jobs based on whether we think there's a chance that we'll be in front of a significant number of people and that they will "get" what we're doing. Having said that, since I like this record so much, I think we're going to be a little more aggressive trying to promote it.
No one has delusions of grandeur at this point in our lives, but we've always gotten interesting and favorable critically response. Who knows, maybe this one will sell! If it does, we'll see where it takes us. If it doesn't, we'll just keep doing what we do.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
