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The hellhounds still chasing Famous Framus
Graham Rockingham The Hamilton Spectator (May 22, 2008)
Famous Framus calls his music
"neo-blues." The term certainly suits the 10 tracks on the Hamilton
singer-songwriter's new CD, Down By Desire.
The songs may not sit well with fans
of traditional blues, but they're anything but happy tunes. As a matter
of fact, they're downright dark. The opening track, Evelyn, was
inspired by Hamilton's 1940s femme fatale, "Evelyn, such a doll, you kill us all," goes the chorus growled out by Famous Framus over the song's driving three-chord beat. Famous Framus is the stage name for local factory worker Michael MaGarrey. He's been writing songs and playing local clubs at a ferocious rate for the past five years. He started out recording, just him and his guitar, at his home before putting a band together two years ago and releasing his first full-length recording, a rough-hewn CD called Eightball. Down By Desire is his second album with the band, which consists of Dave Gould on drums and M.M. LeBlanc on harmonica. As the Famous Framus Band, the trio plays a raw, foreboding form of blues-country-folk-rock that truly defies categorization. Songs like Ride My Pony and Feels Like Goin' Home, for example, maybe inspired by the hellhounds on Robert Johnson's trail, but they're not your typical 12-bar blues. The rhythm pounded out by Gould rolls at a galloping pace. Gould doesn't simply keep beat on these songs, he seems to stay ahead of it, which is not easy to do considering MaGarrey's frantic, flailing guitar style. "It's not the traditional museum blues," says MaGarrey. "There's nothing wrong with that stuff, but we like to take it and bring in different influences that we've all had, there's a bit of a punk influence, and, with this new record, it's all over the map." MaGarrey's snarling vocal delivery maybe an acquired taste, but it certainly gets the point across, vicious and angry. LeBlanc's harmonica seems to come from another world, resonating through the album like a banshee's howl. Then there's the album's powerful closer, Dark Time Blues,
running at more than nine minutes. MaGarrey's slide guitar onslaught
and Gould's rapid-fire shuffle make Dark Time Blues probably the
closest to traditional blues. Yet the lyrics are filled with death,
destruction, mother's cries and dread. "There's some dark themes in there," MaGarrey admits. "Dark
Times Blues was written at a time of disappointment with the world.
It's 2008. Are we getting any smarter or are we just repeating the same
kind of themes over and over?"  HAMILTON MUSIC NOTES By Ric Taylor THAT FAMOUS FRAMUS Famous Framus, also known as Michael MaGarrey, came out of the steel mill and onto the steel city stage as somewhat a late bloomer. But in a few short years, he explored the roots that inspired him so and captured his voice and guitar solo on four CDEPs and a full-length. Framus was happy with what he'd accomplished but felt compelled to take his music to the next level and form a band. With M.M. LeBlanc (vocals and harmonica) and Dave Gould
(drums), the Famous Framus Band took all of the blues, punk, and folk
Framus had begun with and revved it up a notch. It's been two years
since their debut, Eight Ball, but the wait has been worth it for fans,
as the Famous Framus Band releases their sophomore CD, Down By Desire,
this weekend. "We weren't quite sure what we wanted to accomplish with
Eight Ball when we started recording," recalls Framus. "It was more of
a jump off, a beginning for us as a band. we did the recording in one
day and were actually quite surprised at what we got considering we had
only been playing together as a band for a couple of months. "The
process for the new CD from start to finish took about a The Famous Framus Band is the thinking man's blues band with
Down By Desire offering a lot to soak in. But even on first listen,
this document illustrates Framus' folk/blues hybrid has taken on new
ground, in particular with a song that revisits one of Hamilton's most
interesting stories. "Lyrically, 'Evelyn' is a story that can be told
again and again," explains Framus on the song about famed Torso
Murderer Evelyn Dick. "It's about the With a DVD release set for this fall, one thing for certain for the Famous Framus Band is they will continue to play as many shows as they can to set the world on fire, at least metaphorically, about the new disc. "This record represents where we are right now today but we are constantly evolving and growing as band and as individuals," says Framus philosophically. "We are influenced equally as much by the external we are exposed to by environment and our own internal growth as artists and human beings. This weekend, we are going to torch The Corktown Pub to the ground and leave blood all over your shoes.so you'll havesomething to remember us by." the FAMOUS FRAMUS BAND CD RELEASE PARTY HAPPENS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 24 AT THE CORKTOWN PUB WITH MARTIN VERRALL OPENING. THE SHOW GETS UNDERWAY AT 9PM AND $10 |
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HAMILTON
MUSIC NOTES
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By Ric Taylor, June 23rd, 2005
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With the release of his fifth CD (and second this year), Famous Framus (Michael MaGarrey’s alter ego) takes his new recording, Slim, on a national tour including 13 shows in 18 days. While he might have been considered a late bloomer, the singer has never been more prolific or inspired. “I am recording these albums as much to release them out into the world as to document where I am at this point of my life,” ruminates Framus. “I start with the emotional core of the inspiration and I hone that until a song comes out of it. Right now, at this point of my life, I feel really plugged in and open to inspiration.” Developing an increasing stature from his regular gigs at the Staircase Café, Framus has been playing steadily as well as absorbing a wealth of talent from around the world. A recent screening of an uber–underground legend’s musical myth spawned a changed perspective as well as a new song. “I was inspired to write ‘Jandek Room (Suicide Blues)’ after seeing the documentary Jandek on Corwood,” explains Framus on the at times atonal artist and cult subject. “I was fascinated by the mystery of it all. Even though Jandek’s music is unorthodox and a little obscure, I could identify with his expression and what he was trying to say. I kind of admired his individuality.” Relying more on traditional roots music, the budding singer–songwriter—named after the infamous Framus guitar he touts—was even more influenced by a kindred spirit at a recent local blues fest. “Meeting Watermelon Slim, watching him perform and playing music with him changed me forever,” beams Framus. “The Staircase Blues Weekend in April was one of those signpost markers in my life, personally and artistically. I think in our lives, when we look back, there are a handful of intense periods where there is a definite before and after, and that 36–hour period was one for me. “Meeting Slim, before I even heard him play a note, I was struck by his humility and his grace. To me, he just had an air of greatness in the way he carried himself. Then I was in a songwriting workshop with him the next day and, when I heard him play, within the first few seconds I was blown away. He had it, the elusive it, in spades. “Then, after spending more time, with him I came to see that he is a searcher also, always asking the questions, a master and student all at once. We spoke about things happening for a reason, and I believe that we met for a reason. Later, after the weekend wrapped, a few of us went back to jam and even after playing umpteen shows over the weekend Slim sat on the couch and wailed. He just channelled everything bad that ever happened to him into pure blues. It was one of the most intense and emotional things I’ve ever witnessed, and we were all profoundly affected by it. I came away from that inspired to be a better artist and a better person.” The experience also inspired two songs the next day and two more shortly after that. It wasn’t long before Framus was recording and, finding himself enthused with the results, dedicating the whole project to the blues legend. Easily his strongest effort to date, Slim’s sparse recording (with producer Danny Z at Blue Tilt Studios) offers up a rough hewn, world weary singer. Live off the floor, the first–take recordings bristle with an energy lying somewhere between Jandek and Water-melon. Slim is compact and taut, leaving perhaps a lack of dynamics but, with the blues, the simplicity and authenticity is what reigns supreme. “Maybe the fact that I didn’t start writing until I was 28 has something to do with the fact that I seem to be writing constantly now,” says Framus. “When I first started writing I thought as a goal I’d like to write 35 songs by the age of 35, but I was always afraid that one day I’d wake up and the ability to write would be gone. Now I’m 38 and I’m somewhere near 100 songs, so I’m thinking I might be able to keep doing this. “The more you do it the better you get,” he smiles. “Although, with writing, I still think there is something cosmic going on. I think you receive a little magic nugget of inspiration from out there somewhere in the universal space. “The ultimate goal for me when playing a song is to be totally in it and feeling it, 100 per cent in the moment. It is elusive at times, but the more I play the closer I get, and that keeps me going forward.” The Famous Framus CD release/tour kick–off happens Tuesday, June 28, at The Staircase Cafe at 9pm. |
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HAMILTON
MUSIC NOTES
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By
Ric Taylor, January 13th, 2005
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| It took a decade or two of teenager Michael Brent MaGarrey learning guitar to become the singer/ songwriter known as Famous Framus (named after his guitar of choice). Framus has since developed a prolific and somewhat eclectic revision of his first love, the blues. His latest release, Troubled Mind, is the fourth in a serious of similar EPs (Off The Floor, Rough Stuff, and Love Songs) in an ongoing project for Framus. “I wanted to start 2005 with some fresh recordings as part of an overall goal to really get some notice this year,” he explains. “I got inspired to go into Bluetilt Studio two days before Christmas and record the album in one session with Danny Z. |
| “I’m working backwards and doing my acoustic box set first,” quips Framus on the collection of CDs. “Each disc has a certain feel to it They are all recorded live off the floor, one session, no overdubs, natural sound, little mistakes left in with each one roughly 30 minutes in length. |
| “The blues are my fundamentals when it comes to music, as a listener and a musician,” he reasons. “It’s what touched me first and touched me deepest. I wouldn’t consider myself a traditional blues player, but I love to write and play in a blues vein. As far as trying to write in a working man’s hero aesthetic, it’s not something I try, or try not to do. I’ve worked in a steel mill for ten years, and a car plant for ten years, and it seeps in to you.” |
| With a monthly Staircase Theatre showcase (featuring Robin Lee on guitar, Mark Raymond on bass and Rob Newberry on box percussion), Framus has developed his gravelly baritone and working man’s wordplay, and has easily become a confederate to local laureates like Ray Materick or Jack Peddler. Troubled Mind focuses on the some of local concerns including the Tivoli Theatre’s demise, but Framus hopes to include a certain spark of optimism, if only to maintain equilibrium. |
| “It’s such an honor to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Ray Materick when it comes to songwriting,” beams Framus. “I saw him at the Festival of Friends a few years back. I hadn’t heard of him and he just blew me away and inspired me really to focus on my own writing.” |
| “I think of myself as a songwriter first,” he adds. “That’s what gives me the most satisfaction. Playing and singing are the tools to convey the message. When it comes to musical direction I sometimes feel more like a passenger than the driver. I’m not sure where it’s going to take me.” “In ‘Graveyard Walk,’ the basic message is what goes around comes around, so feel everything joy and pain, do the best you can. And ‘Summer City Blues’ is while your kicking and surviving, try to live too, things can change and get better. Tomorrow you can wake up and your life can change direction in a second. |
| “I think Hamilton is all about that. People are just surviving, waiting for tomorrow [but] maybe things will get better, who knows. The songs deal with darker themes, but all hope is not lost because in the end it’s all in your hands, it is what we make it.” |
| Keep your eye on View’s calendar listings for Famous Framus’ next local show, or check out www.famousframus.com. Viewmag. Online Edition. |
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HAMILTON
MUSIC NOTES
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By
Ric Taylor, March 11th, 2004
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| Michael Brent MaGarrey picked up the guitar when he was 17 and immediately began his relationship with the blues. Although it’d be a few more years of giving his life to the factory, with the birth of his son nine years ago, the singer/songwriter would slowly transform into Famous Framus and make a concerted effort to offer another working class hero. |
| “I’m named after the guitar I pretty much paid my dues on,” laughs Framus. “It had such a distinctive tone and was so easy to play, it became the ‘famous’ Framus guitar. Over the years, I bled on it, scuffed it up, wore some grooves in it and wrote most of my tunes on it. At the very first recording session I did we called them the Famous Framus sessions after the guitar and the name just stuck.” Still, there’s no endorsements with the manufacturer of the ’60s guitar—yet. |
| With his everyman looks, a gritty voice and unadorned licks, Framus weaves a rough–hewn fabric made from neon faded factory jeans and the soot-laden t–shirts of the steel mill that is as appealing as it is disconcerting. Sometimes it ain’t pretty, but life is that way through the eyes of Framus. “Everyone wants a label for your music, but when I hear ‘folk’ I think of Peter, Paul and Mary and that’s not me,” reasons the songwriter. “It’s me and a guitar, but I’ve never taken any lessons and I only write about what I know… if I can identify with it emotionally then I can write about it.” |
| Simple, strident and a realist, it might be hard to find the silver lining on his most recent EP Off The Floor, but Framus’ musical spirit still burns brightly through the haze that sometimes covers his steeltown—it’s burning particularly bright lately, with the increasing trials for the factory workers. "Johnny Cash, Bob Marley… they’re influences more from their truth of music rather than their musical style,” he reasons. “They’re heroes of mine for their conviction and spirituality, for living the life and telling the truth. It’s not bubble gum, it’s just real. And that’s what I’m about—writing about my feelings rather than thinking what might be a good song. |
| “People are losing hope and that’s a sad thing and anyone can identify with that. Some of my songs are hopeful and some lack it. The truth is that sometimes people are hurt and it’s an emotionally tough world and people lose hope. Some things you can’t candy–coat and make a happy ending—sometimes there just isn’t one.” Famous Framus performs Thursday March 11 at The Staircase Café. |