Casual Business 04: MiniBoone

When MiniBoone arrived I immediately felt at ease. They’re five white dudes in plaid shirts and denim pants just like me. They all wear glasses and I would too if I hadn’t gotten the LASIK surgery years ago. When I made jokes related to flatulence or feces they laughed obligingly, especially Craig, who is known to lose it at the faintest whiff of deuce. We all enjoy cheap American lager because it gets you loose and also because somehow we like the way it tastes. Most of all, these dudes LOVE TO ROCK and that’s an immersive pursuit I get down with daily.

They launched into their music, and for all its kinetic twists and surprising turns it’s essentially verse chorus verse American power pop–but I don’t mean that in a pejorative sense. They’re drawing on timeless traditions and I think what they do is good for rock and roll in the sweeping sense. They rock without brooding or pretension. They embody the idea of a band as a gang. They look to deliver visceral rock thrills AND they cut to the heart at the same time. They’re smart but not snarky. The songs feel universal but not vague. The band plays tight but not mechanical, loose but not sloppy.

The first part of this session was devoted to taping my BreakThruRadio show. Hear it here and watch the video below. My BTR sessions tend to veer towards beery mostly because it’s nervewracking to pretend to be a talk show host. I prefer a social atmosphere. This session was taped back before Four Loko was banned. I had some of that forbidden elixir and shouldn’t have, because my sharp recollections have faded into foggy notions. I took notes, however. Here is a snapshot of my scribbles from the session:

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Brand New Thing

https://ampeater.s3.amazonaws.com/casualbusiness04/01 Brand New Thing.mp3

Chairs Are For Lovers

https://ampeater.s3.amazonaws.com/casualbusiness04/02 Chairs Are For Lovers.mp3

Man_Woman

https://ampeater.s3.amazonaws.com/casualbusiness04/03 Man_Woman.mp3

Dancing in the Dark

https://ampeater.s3.amazonaws.com/casualbusiness04/04 Dancing in the Dark.mp3