Also this issue: Positive Charge For all the controversy, Steve Earle's Jerusalem ends on a profoundly optimistic note. -Sam Adams Star Power Homer Jackson's Dogon PM finds art and science under the same sky. -Patrick Rapa The Capital City Dusters -Paul Burress Engine Down -John Vettese GZA -Paul Burress Pleasure Club -A.D. Amorosi Smog -Paul Burress DJ Garth -Sean O’Neal

November 21-27, 2002

music

Joe Kim

Everyday People: Jamie Johns, Chris Bicksler, Joe Kim and Jesse Lundy are ready to release their full-length debut.

by Patrick Rapa

South Philly-born Joe Kim’s previous membership in The Lucys is not surprising -- a number of creative and talented artists have roots in that esteemed ’90s Philly rock band. Besides folk-rocking frontman Jesse Jameson, there’s Joey Sweeney (as in The Trouble With…), Bret Tobias of The Bigger Lovers and Brian McTear, of Bitter Bitter Weeks and Miner Street recording studio. “The rotating cast of heavy hitters turned the band into something like the Mickey Mouse Club,” jokes Kim, who played bass during The Lucys’ final incarnation. “Does that make me Jennifer Love Hewitt?” Singing, songwriting and playing guitar with his current rock band, The Preacher Curls, teams Kim up with another well-known figure in the local music scene, Jesse Lundy, who’s famous for his good-cop approach to booking and promoting venues like The Point. Lundy, formerly of The Fontanelles, also plays guitar and sings for the Curls (jokes Kim: “Jesse is our George Harrison, as he has two songs to his credit. Great ones, I might add.”). Bassist Chris Bicksler, who also plays with an as-yet-unnamed North Jersey jazz trio (Kim suggests the name “The Burning Sensations”) and drummer Jamie Johns (who also played with Kim in Jameson’s pre-Lucys rock project, Pale) round out the eclectic, emotive rock band. The Preacher Curls are already drinking to get ready for the release party celebrating Everyday A Holiday, their smart, intense, rocking full-length debut.

City Paper: What do you write songs about?

Joe Kim: Basically my songs are about my relationships with and observations of the people in my life; there are a couple love songs and one song about nostalgia, however. It's like short fiction, I guess. I was never clever enough to write songs about politics or deconstruct some social problem of the world -- I'm most comfortable writing on a personal level. So watch out, because anyone can be the subject of the next tune!

CP: What's Everyday A Holiday about?

JK: The title comes from a lyric from "All the Stars," one of two love songs on the album. It seemed to be the least mopey, least pretentious, least clever title we could come up with. I've been told that my voice has this undercurrent of sadness, so I was glad to agree on a title that had a positive twang about it.

CP: How is this new record different from the EP you recorded at Longview studios last year?

JK: [For the EP, we] got two kegs, invited a bunch of people and rocked out while rolling tape. A good rendition of our live sound. Whereas Everyday a Holiday is more of a studio album -- many more knobs involved, much more discussion.

CP: What is The Preacher Curls' career highlight so far?

JK: Finishing this album is definitely our proudest cumulative moment, while making it through each show without falling over is always our immediate highlight of the night.

CP: How does playing in this band differ from The Lucys?

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JK: Not to take away from The Preacher Curls, but playing with The Lucys was like playing in a band where everyone has ESP and can execute any idea that comes to mind. Unbeknownst to some, Bret Tobias also happens to be one of the top rock drummers I've ever seen, let alone played with. Jesse Jameson (whom I've known since I was in sixth grade) was also a monster behind the kit, but in the meantime blossomed into this prolific and intuitive pop songwriter before my very eyes. So basically the last iteration of The Lucys was made up of three pop songwriters, all coming from the same sensibilities, dutifully showing up and playing Jesse's original hits. We were always on the same wavelength -- I think we could've rehearsed over the phone if we wanted to.

With The Preacher Curls, the process is more organic and evolving. Jesse Lundy has this rich history of blues and roots tonality to draw from and Chris has a more extensive jazz background in addition to his rock bass playing. Jamie has a completely different approach to drums (more Mo Tucker/Charlie Watts than Mitch Mitchell/Jody Stephens) and so there's a lot more discussion and bouncing of ideas involved when we are working songs out as opposed to everyone intuitively knowing what to play. The Preacher Curls are a great thing to be a part of, though, and I wouldn't trade it in for the world.

CP: Say something about the local scene.

JK: I think the music scene around here is fabulous. If you really search and open your heart to it, you can find great, great acts doing very different things. But if I had one way to improve venues, it would be to have VIP parking for bands to load and unload. People forget, musicians are not beefcakes.

The Preacher Curls’ CD release party, Fri., Nov. 22, 9 p.m., with The Medicine Project and Family Jules, The Fire, 412 West Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.