Janey & Marc CD finally out!

Janey Winterbauer and Marc Perlman step into the spotlight

“.…such a bittersweet sound”

Marc Perlman is best known as the bassist and a founding member of The Jayhawks, but among his many other talents, songwriting may very well his most formidable secret weapon, something generally known only to his close friends, collaborators and album credit trainspotters (“Trouble,” one of the Jayhawks best songs and a sadly beautiful gem, is mostly courtesy of his sharp pen; “I Hear You Cry,” released only with European versions of Sound of Lies is a startling departure, sounding unlike anything the Jayhawks ever released). Perlman’s compositional point-of-view is often from the dark side of the emotional spectrum – somewhere between Lonely Street and Heartbreak Hotel – and is imbued with a wistful melancholia that frequently is as heart-wrenching as it is intoxicating. Since the demise of the Jayhawks, Perlman hasn’t exactly been on the fast track when it comes to the music biz, being content to stay in the background with bands like Golden Smog, The Program and Polara, as well as engaging in a number of behind-the-scenes projects.

Modern day pop chanteuse Janey Winterbauer used to sing in Astronaut Wife, a provocatively interesting band formed by her husband Christian Erickson around the turn of the century. AW were frequently saddled with descriptors like “electronic” and “pop,” but they were so much more than that (Erickson’s lyrics in particular were light years removed from the simple artifice of many bands who shared AW’s sonic signature). AW put out a couple of amazing records, played infrequently, were anointed a “buzz” band by the local press and gradually moved into a seemingly semi-permanent state of hiatus, a situation that disappoints its members probably as much as its fans. In recent years, Winterbauer has joined Perlman and his Golden Smog band mates onstage for a handful of memorable live appearances. One of the highlights of Another Fine Day, Golden Smog’s underrated 2006 album, came courtesy of Mr. Melancholy himself, a gorgeous love potion called “Cure For This,” sung by Muni Loco (with harmonies from Louris), the wife of the band’s Spanish producer. For recent local gigs by the Smogsters, Winterbauer was drafted in as the female lead vocalist for live versions of “Cure For This,” a professional and personal match made in heaven as well as the germination for what would soon become the “Marc and Janey” project.

Out of this unlikely set of circumstances comes 25:32:47, a 6 song EP on Susstones that was just released this month. Overflowing with heavenly singing, sympathetic accompaniment and fetching melodies, this CD grabs the listener from the get-go and worms its way deep into the soul. This project – which has undergone a variety of possible names (Janey & Marc/Marc & Janey seems a fitting folk-style moniker) – was developed unhurriedly over the last year by an impressive roster of talent: Ed Ackerson (Polara, solo artist, Susstones impresario, longtime Perlman collaborator) produced the CD along with Perlman, and provides many of the instrumental colorings; fellow Jayhawkers Gary Louris & Tim O’ Reagan; former partner-in-bands Kraig Johnson; and Perlman’s Polara bandmates Peter Anderson and Tim Oesau. Recorded at Ackerson’s Flowers Studio, 25:32:47 showcases a style of music that is both timeless and decidedly unhip in today’s frazzled musical climate. The tempos are slow, the mood is dusky and the songs unfurl at a pace that will give ADD-addled fans fits. Some may call this music “dream pop” or “folk pop” or whatever convenient shorthand comes to mind, but it ultimately defies easy categorization. What stands out the most are the carefully crafted songs (Perlman is an accomplished writer and it definitely shows in his lyrics) and Winterbauer’s alluring voice. Many of the songs on 25:32:47 have have been around for a while – “Beautiful Day” was tried out during the last flurry of Golden Smog song activity and “Goodbye Kiss” has even older roots, evolving out of a 10 year old Jayhawks song called “Cure For This” (not the song on Another Fine Day; yes, it’s confusing) – probably since there weren’t any comfortable homes for them during Perlman’s tenure in the Jayhawks and Golden Smog. “With You” also has travelled a lot of miles and is something of a mini-epic – sporting a dramatic arrangement replete with orchestral percussion and soaring vocal passages.

Perlman and Winterbauer both seem to share a penchant for “sad songs” and have cited influences and signposts ranging from Françoise Hardy to Hank Williams. And all too infrequent Janey and Marc live shows have featured covers from the likes of Fred Neil and Tim Buckley (who once named an album Happy Sad, an apt reference for J&M if there ever was one). But J&M’s music transcends the “bummer” and “downer” tags that some will no doubt attempt to peg them with; there’s a reaffirming, almost cathartic, quality to their exquisite creations that make you feel glad to be alive while simultaneously breaking your heart -- a neat trick for sure. Sometimes a dose of the musical medicine that Perlman, Winterbauer and friends so ably peddle on this new release is the best cure for whatever ails you.

It’s taken over 25 years for Perlman to release something under his own name. After listening to 25:32:47 there no doubt will be more than a few people who will be wondering why it took him so long.

*****

25:32:47 is available in selected Minneapolis/St. Paul record shops and online at The Susstones Shop.

Jim Walsh recently profiled the “awesome twosome” in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Read it here.

Janey and Marc myspace page.

"Janey and Marc" -- the first studio tracks!

Minneapolis duo unleash their bittersweet sound on the world








("The Kingfield Trio" - Ed Ackerson, Janey Winterbauer, Marc Perlman -
6/22/07 @ 400 Bar, Mpls)


"Janey and Marc" -- aka Marc Perlman and Janey Winterbauer, aka one of the best kept secrets in the Minnesota music scene over the last year -- now have a myspace page up and running after months of furtive activity and under-the-radar live appearances. And, best of all, they've put up four songs; now the world at large can finally hear what the buzz is all about -- beautiful singing, lovely songs and world-class production. Early feedback from a Jayhawks fan site was overwhelmingly positive, along the lines of "wow, where can i buy this?"

Perlman has been working on a "solo project" for...well, let's just say it's been in the works for a long time. Hooking up with Winterbauer (who also sings with Astronaut Wife, Susstones' groovy merchants of electro-cool) and her prodigous vocal talents a few years ago seems to have kick-started this long simmering project to the next level. This launch is an encouraging sign that something solid is getting closer to the light of day.

The last few years have certainly been interesting times for fans of Perlman's former group, the beloved Jayhawks. Tim O'Reagan, Mark Olson and Gary Louris have all been involved in various studio and live projects -- a flurry of activity that is presently ongoing. Hopefully, the coming months will allow ample opportunities for Perlman's light to shine as well. The lucky few who have seen the "Janey & Marc" show and/or "The Kingfield Trio" know just how special this combination of talent is. Now it looks like the rest of the world will soon be able to join in on the party, too.

janey and marc myspace

"Sussed-tacular 3" bash @ BLB - Mpls - Jan. 23

Hot off the press from Susstones Central Command:

=================================

We’re celebrating the three-year anniversary of Sussed! at the Bryant-Lake Bowl with Sussed-tacular 3 on Tuesday, January 23rd.

The BLB Theater will be the scene for a fast-moving two hours of music featuring (in no particular order):

The Melismatics
The Mood Swings
Astronaut Wife
Ed Ackerson
Marc Perlman and Janey Winterbauer
Sideways

DJ sets throughout the evening from Marc “Guv’nor” Mueller and his Sussed! crew.

Additional surprise musical guests may be conjured if / when appropriate

In the tradition of previous Sussed-taculars and Susstones Soirées, Susstones artists and fellow travelers will perform short sets of tunes and collaborate / mutate in new combinations. Average set length will be about 15-20 minutes, perfect for the already supercharged sounds of The Melismatics and The Mood Swings. The show features a very rare solo showing from Ed Ackerson of Polara, who will be previewing a few of his new non-band songs. Marc Perlman and Janey Winterbauer will bring their new luminous, atmospheric tunes to the stage. Other rare birds on sonic display include instrumental outfit Sideways and the recently reinvigorated Astronaut Wife.

In appreciation of all the support the community has given Sussed! at BLB, this event is ABSOLUTELY FREE and open to anyone 18 or older. The show runs from 10 to midnight sharp, so come on out and help celebrate Sussed! with some fine live pop music.

Sussed-tacular 3

Susstones

Marc Perlman Goes Underground

At the last minute last Friday i decided to go see Marc Perlman play an early evening "solo" gig at a coffee shop in South Minneapolis. This was literally going to be an underground show, since the venue was down in the basement of said coffee shop, a charming little neighborhood place called Java Jacks. It was the inaugural gig in a series of Friday night acoustic hootenannies at Java Jacks organized by The Mad Ripple, the musical alter-ego of noted local music scribe Jim Walsh, who just happens to live a few doors away. As for the "off the radar" vibe of the show, well, it's apparently all part of a plot by members of the Jayhawks to play to as few people as possible in their home town, if they play at all! :-) Thankfully, Tim O'Reagan's upcoming show at the 400 in December – an honest to god proper rock show – is an encouraging sign that maybe that streak is changing. Can a North American Gary Louris show be in the future somewhere?

Anywho, back to the basement of Java Jacks, a large former storage room that can best be described as a cross between a bomb shelter and a suburban rec room. Nuthin' fancy – a nice little stage and an assortment of cast-off furniture; very comfortable, very "homey." A wide array of (very good) coffee drinks and light food was available from upstairs. Since there's no liquor permit, the gig was "BYOF" – Bring Your Own Flask. It was like a frickin' Speakeasy down there – haven't seen that many pocket flasks full of libations since the last "dry" wedding reception I attended. There was also a full bottle of Perly's favorite Irish whisky on stage that the performers were using for courage and inspiration. I noticed that after a while the bottle had made its way into the audience for the requisite "Irish Coffees." Nothing like a little speedball action early on a Friday night…

The performers included Mr. Ripple, Phil Bayer (a fantastic solo musician, late of Hank and Ruth, a cool roots combo, and before that, The Modern Day Saints) and our hero, accompanied by the lovely, abundantly talented Janey Winterbauer. Janey sings with Astronaut Wife (Susstones' uber-cool electro-pop band) and also performed with Perly last year at the Polara "Guest Session Sundays" extravaganza at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. I'm rather biased since she's a close friend of ours, but Janey is as good a singer as this town has – she's the real deal. She's also currently in the studio with Marc working on his long overdue solo debut but, shhhh, you didn't hear that from me.

The general set-up for the night was basically a "round robin" hootenanny. Each songwriter did a song and then passed the mic down the line. Oh wait, there was no mic. The whole shebang was done up old school – no amplification save for that provided by God, Gibson and the room's acoustics. With the natural sound, comfy couches, community booze and kids buzzing about (including some of the performers young 'uns), it really was like being at somebody's house…

In a little over 2 hours of playing, The Ripple, Bayer and Perlman/Winterbauer got to play a half dozen or so songs each. The evening flowed amazingly well and the time went by super fast. Everybody sounded great, the intimate setting providing a rare opportunity to "get under the hood" of a whole batch of wonderful songs. There was plenty of time for comments and long intros, as well as lots of chatty interaction with the audience as the java and juice took effect. When the performers weren't doing one of their songs, they stayed on stage, checking out the sounds of their stage mates, sometimes even tossing in a lick or two. Just like a real hootenanny.

Marc and Janey – how's that for an authentic-sounding folk name? -- made for an oh-so compelling duo: she sang, softly with her eyes closed, like an angel while he expertly worked the wood like the old pro he is, occasionally chiming in with some harmonies or an exquisite solo. Perlman's songs were – surprise -- mostly sad and melancholy, real heart-tugging stuff. After getting lost in the music while listening to another patented Perly heartbreaker, Bayer made a comment about the author's general demeanor. Marc mounted a vigorous defense about his personality not being the same as his songs. Judging from the resulting silence, the crowd didn't seem to be buying it. After a moment or two, the man who wrote "Trouble" finally said, "I'm actually a happy guy," which was met a few ticks later by a comment from the audience, "no you're not," which cracked everybody up. Anybody who's met Perly before has some idea at how classic a moment this was.

As good as the new Perlman songs were, there were two bona fide bone-chilling moments, courtesy of the Golden Smog catalog. "Cure For This," one of the highlights from Another Fine Day, was offered up early on and blew everybody away. Janey was recruited for vocal duties on this song when the Smog played at First Avenue this last summer and she sounded even better down in the bunker. Then, on the next round, came a Golden Smog cast-off, "Beautiful Day," which Marc and Janey debuted at the aforementioned Fitzgerald gig almost exactly a year ago, in a venue as far removed as humanly possible from the cozy concrete confines of Java Jacks. This song is so painfully good – and, yes, beautiful – that it hurts.

Before long the gig was winding down and I was making my way to my car, feeling strangely jacked-up and buzzed from an intoxicating mixture of caffeine, alcohol, good company and fantastic music. Then I looked at my watch and it was barely 9pm, and I still had two shows to attend. At that point I felt oddly down. Part of me wanted to turn around; the alluring confines of the basement i had just left were calling me like an old friend. Strangely, the thought of heading out into "Clubland" didn't seem quite as attractive as it normally does on a weekend night.

Polara "Guest Sessions" gig in St. Paul - 10/23

Guest Session Sundays featuring Polara
at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul
Sunday, October 23rd, 2005
Doors at 7 PM


Two sets by Polara featuring guest appearances from:
Astronaut Wife
Kraig Jarrett Johnson
The Mood Swings
Sideways
Scott Laurent
Marc Perlman
Dan "The Plate" Boen
Tim Oesau
DJ Marc "The Guv'nor" Mueller
with a finale by The Susstones Omniphonic Orchestra
....and other local luminaries to be announced


Polara is pleased to be taking part in the Guest Session Sundays series presented by 89.3 The Current at the Fitz in downtown St. Paul. The setting of this show in this great sounding, good vibing venue gives Polara opportunity to explore new collaborations and present its songs in an expanded musical framework. The band will present two sets of music starting at 7:30. The first set will consist of electric and acoustic performances by the band's core members Ed Ackerson, Jennifer Jurgens, and Peter Anderson, joined by bassist Marc Perlman (Golden Smog, Jayhawks) and a rotating cast of instrumental collaborators. The second set will stretch beyond Polara's traditional lineup and catalog, introducing a fun and diverse array of guest musicians and singers. Here's the currently-confirmed roster of the band's noisemaking friends for the night:

Astronaut Wife- Susstones electronic pop faves Astronaut Wife return to the stage after a two-year absence especially for tonight's show, with Polara adding its backup might. Various members of AW will also be chiming in on vocals and keyboards during the first Polara set.

Sideways- Ed Ackerson's instrumental combo, featuring Peter Anderson, bassist Kraig Jarrett Johnson, Tim Oesau on keyboards, and Blake Hurlbert on percussion. First live Sideways performance in a year!

The Mood Swings- This very exciting fuzzed-out girlpop band has been causing quite a stir locally in the last months. They'll play a few songs tonight in an expanded lineup including members of Polara. The Mood Swings will also be helping out on guitar, electronics, singing and percussion during the Polara set. Look out for the new Mood Swings album Come On Tell Me on Susstones November 8th!

Kraig Jarrett Johnson- Singer, guitar slinger, songwriter for The Program, Golden Smog and Iffy, Kraig is a longtime friend of everyone in Polara. Kraig will do a song or two of his own in addition to adding his "music" during Polara's set

Scott Laurent- Noted local songwriter with a huge heart and a monster set of pipes, Scott will sing and strum a couple of never-before-heard Ed Ackerson numbers with the band.

Tim Oesau- Ace keyboardist for Sideways and the Scott Laurent Band, Tim will bring his deft textural touch to the table with Sideways, Polara and the rest of the gang.

Dan "The Plate" Boen- Polara alum Dan Boen will bring his own special brand of electrolove on Theremin and synthesizer, in addition to playing bass with the Mood Swings.

DJ Marc "The Guv'nor" Mueller of the weekly music club Sussed! will be spinning records at the beginning of the evening and also during the between-set interval.

The Susstones Omniphonic Orchestra will close out the show with the sort of orgiastic sonic bliss that makes nights like this so unique.

The Fitzgerald is a great place for Polara to present this evening of new sounds and fun creative combinations. This show promises to be one of the most memorable ever for this ever-evolving band and its array of guest artists.

Ed Ackerson article in Star Tribune

From the StarTribune

Last update: July 14, 2005 at 11:37 AM
Ed Ackerson: Producer, rocker, everyman


Published July 15, 2005

One of the few things lying around Ed Ackerson's studio last week that did not pertain to the recording process was the new issue of Magnet magazine, featuring a cover story on Hüsker Dü, the Replacements and "the rise and fall of [Minneapolis'] '80s scene."

The magazine proved to be a good talking point for the Polara leader, who's quoted inside. Back then he was a bright-eyed Stillwater teenager immersed in the music community. These days, he's 39 but no less involved.

"I got so much out of the scene when I was a kid," said Ackerson, who plays his first Polara gig in two years tonight for the 24-hour Day of Music.

"So many people were supportive and gave me a chance," he said. "It gave me this halcyon dream of what the Minneapolis scene can be. I'd like to think I provide that kind of help to some of the people coming up now."

Fittingly, Ackerson's Flowers Studio -- housed in a former Uptown flower shop -- played host last week to some yesteryear rockers and one of today's most buzzed-about new bands: Golden Smog and Missing Numbers. The Smog clan has been in and out of Flowers for the past two months, laying down enough great tracks to fill two albums, Ackerson said.

Missing Numbers, meanwhile, is one of about a dozen younger bands Ackerson has produced over the past year. Others include the Melismatics, Astronaut Wife and Mood Swings, all of whom release their CDs on Ackerson's record label, Susstones. (Yep, he's a record mogul, too.) He also has worked with acts so far off the radar that I had to fact-check their names, like Beight ("bait") and So It Goes.

"Some of the best records I've worked on are ones nobody's ever heard," he said.

Ackerson hasn't gotten rich producing albums by little-known rock bands -- certainly not rich enough to afford the kind of equipment at Flowers. The studio was paid for, in large part, with the money Polara got for signing a couple of big record deals in the '90s, with Interscope and then Palm Pictures.

"Instead of paying $250,000 at somebody else's studio, I figured, 'Let's just buy our own place,' " he recalled.

Probably his biggest studio job so far was working with "The Wall" producer Bob Ezrin on the Jayhawks' "Smile" record. Jayhawks bassist Marc Perlman remembered the two studio wizards making a good pair.

"One of Ed's best assets is his ability to combine his intellect with simple feel and instinct," said Perlman, who, by the way, is Polara's new bassist. "Like Bob Ezrin, he's stayed on top of the technology without sacrificing old-school recording techniques."

Over the past year-and-a-half, Ackerson and Jayhawks frontman Gary Louris have produced several albums together, including the recent debut by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, plus upcoming albums by Ohio songwriting great Tim Easton and L.A. rock band Limbeck. Rumors that Ackerson and Louris will soon be working under the Neptunes-like producers' acronym G.O.D. (Genius on Demand) are unfortunately untrue.

Unlike a lot of musicians turned producers, Ackerson genuinely doesn't seem to regret becoming more of a behind-the-scenes guy.

Polara will be doing more shows this year besides tonight's (10 p.m. in Peavey Plaza). The band -- also including keyboardist Jennifer Jurgens and drummer Pete Anderson -- just finished another new EP to go with the recently released feedback-rouser, "Green Shoes + 4." But Ackerson doesn't hold out any dreams of his group becoming more renowned.

"I never believed the hype about us being the American Oasis or the new Smashing Pumpkins, and in a lot of ways I'm happy that didn't come true," he said.

"I'd rather be here doing this -- making these great records that I believe in -- instead of having one big hit in 1998, and now we'd be playing the Taste of Omaha or wherever."