myspace music

SMOKE
Experimental / Indie / Folk Rock

What is the sound of the queer southern blues?



Cabbagetown, Georgia
United States

Profile Views:  25306




Last Login:  1/9/2010
View My: Pics | Playlists

   Contacting SMOKE

 MySpace URL: 

   SMOKE: General Info
Member Since4/9/2006
Band Websitewww.benjaminremembered.com
Band MembersBenjamin - vocals
Brian Halloran - cello
Bill Taft - banjo, cornet
Coleman Lewis - guitar
Tim Campion - drums
Dana Trotsky - clarinet
Todd Butler - slide guitar

Dana Kletter - writing credits:
"Hank Aaron" & "Friends"

SMOKE
1992 ~ 1999

Benjamin R.I.P.
1960 ~ 1999

Todd Butler R.I.P.
1964 ~ 2004

InfluencesThe Opal Foxx Quartet
Freedom Puff
Medicine Suite
Easturn Stars
Treat Me Seth
Monro's Naked Again
Baby Weemus
Sounds LikeWith a throat smooth as a lamb
Yet dry as a branch not snapping
He throws back his head
And he does not sing a thing mournful

- Patti Smith, "Death Singing"

Record LabelLong Play Records
Type of LabelIndie


Get Flash now!

In order to listen or view this content you will have to upgrade your version of Flash.


SMOKE's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Five Red Roses Smoke ThatCity  (view more)

Smoke ThatCity Theme  (view more)

Freak  (view more)

benjamin smoke extra  (view more)

cat power - "from fur city"  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About SMOKE

Time moves slowly, if at all, in urban-Appalachian Cabbagetown. Across the street from a tiny Baptist Church under the stacks of the old Fulton Bag Mill, Smoke are teaching themselves new songs.

The quintet doesn't usually practice the older tunes, but they take a moment to indulge by digging up "Dirt," a perfect example of their sound-without-brand-name. The somber blues that Smoke creates -- from Siberian sambas to state fair freakouts -- is arresting in every sense of the word.

The music of the depressed and dispossessed rarely draws throngs of admirers. Yet Smoke tends to pack the venues in which they serve their eloquent time. With the release of their second record Another Reason To Fast, they attempt to meet the lingering anticipation of their growing following intrigued by 1994's Heaven on a Popsicle Stick.

All but one of the band members live in Cabbagetown, the perfect environment for this troupe. Much like Smoke, the dilapidated Atlanta neighborhood holds a colorful mix of folks, historical importance, and a vaguely promising future. From the original cast of characters when Smoke formed in 1992, only vocalist Benjamin and cellist Brian Halloran (both ex-Opal Foxx Quartet) remain. But Bill Taft (ex-Jody Grind), who plays banjo and cornet, joined the band shortly thereafter. More recently, guitarist Coleman Lewis (Grand Fury) and drummer Tim Campion (ex-Insane Jane, ex-Blood Poets) have stepped in, while Dana Trotsky occasionally accompanies on clarinet.

Although they use the tag team approach to songwriting ("like championship wrestling!" exclaims Taft), the band is undeniably led by Benjamin. Without him, the Smoke will clear. Benjamin, who has a home at the moment, says he's leading "a more full life than ever before." Moments later, he recalls hearing Patti Smith's "Kimberly" at 16. "I can remember the day, the minute," when music emerged from the background and, enthusiastically, into the foreground of his life.

Your 'typical' Southern-raised pill-popping homosexual/drag queen, Benjamin has paid his performing dues in this town by way of such 1980's noise and punk outfits as Medicine Suite and Freedom Puff. Years ago, Benjamin told Lowlife Magazine that the experimental, exhibitionistic Medicine Suite was his way of saying "Hey Atlanta industrial bullshit scene, let's see how cool you really are! Let's see how much culture and art you can take, let's see how much dick and sex and piss you can take." But, with Debbey Richardson (ex-Magic Bone) on guitar and Benjamin on bass, Freedom Puff reverted to the simple, comparatively wholesome joys of (sorta) punk rock.

As for the 90s, Benjamin is perhaps better known to some as Ms. Opal Foxx, frontperson for the legendary "quartet" that often featured over a dozen members. Regardless of garb or genre, he is always in character. Over the years, his unmistakable low-end grumble has resembled the roar of a wounded lion, a French intellectual in the gutter, a confused Southern outsider, a forsaken soulmate of Hank Williams, or (the inevitable reference) a Georgia-bred Tom Waits.

Remarkably, Smoke blends luxuriant pop with atonality with a Blue Ridge flavor.
Something in its chemistry makes the band as comfortable at the High Museum of Art or a swanky New York gallery as at the seedy Clermont Lounge or a burnt out carriage house in Rome, GA.

It's in the instrumentation, too. Taft's cornet, for example, a shorter, fatter, less shrill trumpet, refines the Smoke sound while his occasional banjo brings it back to earth. Halloran's vivid cello enriches the combo. Apparently, violins and cellos are proliferating in pop music. With amusement, Taft notes his conversation with a DC booking agent who informed him that strings are "really cool; the string thing is just really big now." One of the original three "plink plank plunk" brothers, as one Athens critic referred to them, with Taft and Todd Butler (Smoke's first guitarist), Halloran's cello is more foundation than trendy window dressing. On Another Reason To Fast, the mix caters to the mid-range, presenting Halloran's cello more prominently than 1994's Heaven On A Popsicle Stick CD.

The new album was recorded in Athens by Sugar/Buzzhungry guy David Barbe, "a genius maniac freak" of a recording engineer, Benjamin applauds. This batch of songs features such highlights as the resurrected Opal Foxx classic "Clean White Bed," and "Friends," a melancholy tune that has little to do with the hit TV show. But the disc also carries a subtle new direction away from Smoke's original sparse ballads of pain. These are the songs that Benjamin has taken to sarcastically introducing as their "new wave" tunes.
Campion and Lewis are behind these energetic pieces. Whereas Todd Butler maintained an acoustic presence, Lewis adds a Gibson electric. On the first single "Shadow Box," he takes center stage alongside Campion's impossibly funky beat.

"I was terrified when Tim came because I was afraid that it would suck. Instead, it was twenty times better than it had been," Benjamin recollects of the addition of Campion's meticulous, perfectly pressurized drumming. Far from jumbling the ensemble, Campion's stripped down kit fits in seamlessly.

More so than any other Atlanta act, the comfortable Smoke vibe is made for commiserating. But not everyone can fathom the beauty Benjamin somehow culls from the despair and pain of a self-described addictive personality.

He has a handful of heroes: Tracy Terrill (the reclusive songwriter also known as Cake), Debbey Richardson, Dana Kletter (Black Girls), Vic Chesnutt, and Nina Simone. According to Campion, Smoke's songwriting is what distinguishes it from previous bands, especially the beloved spectacle of the Opal Foxx Quartet. "After two years of fucking kicking ass and having a great time,we could finally hear what we were doing (with Smoke)," adds Benjamin of the transition. Indeed, the modern day Smoke relies less on depravity and more on the crafting of songs. As only Benjamin could get away with singing the words he sings, the band is getting away with making music that only this collection could possibly conjure.

Perhaps referring to the fact that all music lovers - everyone - can enjoy the common denominator of his pensive, lyrical sufferings, Benjamin delivers Smoke's musical bottom line wryly: "No matter where you are, people know good stuff. People go, 'Uh-huh, something my body needs anyway.'"

by Thomas Peake, 11/95

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Benjamin was the chosen name of the lead singer of the band, Smoke, based in the Atlanta neighborhood known as Cabbagetown. The band (cello, trumpet, drums, banjo and electric guitar) played a wild Southern mix of country, blues, jazz, and punk, backing a singer whose drag-queen background, utterly honest storytelling, and visceral approach to life and music both cemented the band's fame and guaranteed its limits. While Smoke was frequently cited as one of the best local bands in the Atlanta area, Benjamin's extraordinary persona, his utterly uncompromising performances, and his HIV status created a mixture too volatile for the mainstream and the record industry. Smoke's roots in the Atlanta music underground go back to the early days when outsider cultures of drag performance, New Wave, Punk and Disco fermented and collided. When Benjamin's cohorts, including the now famous Rupaul, went off to forge their fortunes in the New York drag scene, Benjamin stayed behind to front a series of unheralded, radical, underground bands whose members ranged from unknown Georgia dykes to the "redneck poet." - Deacon Lunchbox

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hank Aaron" [written by Dana Kletter] - clip from the film, "Benjamin Smoke"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The documentary from Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen (click to buy)....

BUY SMOKE ALBUMS at CDBABY.com


   SMOKE's Friend Space (Top 16)
SMOKE has 1143 friends.
 Hubcap City 


 B 


 Vic Chesnutt 


 Patti Smith 


 Cat Power 


 jonbenet mellencamp 


 apryle 


 T. Austin 


 ponY paYroLL boNes 


 Jasper McAdams 


 MATTRESS 


 The Builders And The Butchers 


 Dragging an Ox through Water 


 whip 


 Pink Reason 


 BORROWDEER RECORDS 





SMOKE's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 132 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
The Goner

The Goner



Jan 28 2010 10:03 PM

BEHOLD A NEW TRAVELER by THE GONER out now!

"psychedelic postpunk from the middle ages"

more info: http://www.dwacres.com/releases/DW024
Blue Sky Pilot

Blue Sky Pilot



Jan 18 2010 7:37 AM

Hello friends.
I wanted to thank you for all your support in 2009
I really hope you all had a safe and peaceful new year.
“We ruined Christmas 09” was a really fun event,
So kudos to all those peps that made it down to my first show.
Special thanks to my man! Paul Kruithoff and love at this volume for their outstanding work and commitment.
gracias señores

This year I will be releasing a new DIY Cd that I really can’t wait to shear with you all.
So please visit my space from time to time for updates a listen or a chat

I realise that this comment is not at all personal
But I do try to reply to as many of my comments and messages as I can.

You can now follow me on Twitter.
@Blueskyryan

Ryan E.
Peace
brainstormlab

brainstormlab



Jan 12 2010 3:59 PM

Plaster - B_n Ep for free download with Brainstormlab

Click the image below



http://www.myspace.com/plastersoud

http://www.brainstormlab.org

Clara Hermeto

Clara Hermeto



Aug 6 2009 4:13 PM

you sure have a fan in brazil. thank you so so so much for your music.
Words Go Nowhere

Words Go Nowhere



May 19 2009 1:01 AM

How can someone…their thoughts, deeds, ideas, opinions, beauty, anger, hatred… affect so many people in so many ways …and then suddenly be gone. Gone for all time, never to have a thought, deed, idea, opinion, beauty, anger or hatred ever again. With time melding them into the static fuzz of all who have gone before. Thank you for your little patch of existence, making my little patch of existence more enjoyable.
SKELETEEN

SKELETEEN



Apr 1 2009 7:14 PM

;)
The (b) Brain

The (b) Brain



Jan 28 2009 7:32 AM

Yes!
Patrick Dorobisz

Patrick Dorobisz



Oct 22 2008 5:01 PM

Hello, thanks for being my friend and many thanks for your support, I really appreciate - Best - Patrick -
Vine House

Vine House



Oct 9 2008 8:31 PM

Thanks for being our friend! We hope life is treating you well. :) Please take a minute to visit our page and return the comment. Keep in touch!

-Vine House
ryan

ryan



Sep 28 2008 7:01 AM

i love smoke.
Andrea

Andrea



Sep 25 2008 8:54 PM



Love this!
to the boy elis

to the boy elis



Sep 5 2008 11:15 PM

New "love is like the cost of livin' EP available to download for free!
On Pocket Change Records:
http://www. myspace. com/pocketchangerecords
Donations accepted via Pocket Change Records.
CDs available from me for $10 postpaid in USA. $15 worldwide.
Limited to 100 copies.
The (b) Brain

The (b) Brain



Sep 4 2008 5:38 PM

BBBBBBBBBBBBBB!
Manny

Manny Camacho



Sep 4 2008 4:16 PM

Beautiful!!!
Manny

Manny Camacho



Sep 4 2008 4:15 PM

Beautiful!!!
T. Austin

T. Austin



Aug 26 2008 9:47 AM

interesting moment today, really, when i realized just how long now my friend has been gone.
to the boy elis

to the boy elis



Aug 15 2008 3:41 PM

smoke is a breath of fresh air in a stinking hellish heaven underground
brainstormlab

brainstormlab



Jul 26 2008 5:30 PM

Tricoma's own RALP, member of the Distortled Box crew, provides us with a 100% Game Boy EP. Click on the image to download for free_
enjoy!


Silvana's Flashback

Silvana's Flashback



Jul 9 2008 7:40 PM

Thanx from my Flashback!
MySpace glitter graphic: CoolSpaceTricks.com

warren steele stylee w/ the strung-out orchestra

warren steele stylee w/ the strung-out orchestra



Jun 15 2008 7:50 AM

Thanks very much for adding me and letting me share my art with you. Hope your weekend was good.
"Don't be a stranger,
just be strange"
Clara Engel

Clara Engel



May 22 2008 5:43 PM

i come here often. i'm so glad this page exists.
xo
nowhere nothing

nowhere nothing



May 15 2008 1:59 AM


Glad you like the music :)
Xenophanes Productions

Xenophanes Productions



Apr 29 2008 1:38 PM

VERY interesting both (lyrics AND music).

All the best for you from Hamburg

Norbert
T. Austin

T. Austin



Apr 8 2008 12:23 AM

chris-

I think you would enjoy this.

I'm behind the helm. The other day was told I brought to mind Lou Reed - so I'll run with that Come see The Show. If you can.






all the info can be found at
www. sandandglassproductions. com
Jordan O’Jordan

Jordan O’Jordan



Mar 29 2008 9:30 PM

Hello Mister Smoke!

Crescents of cranberries now on my napkin:
Too tart for trouble-free tasting to happen.
Such is the end of my mouthful of fruit,
Sour so swift that I won’t soon forget
Why I appreciate things that are jellied,
Pectin and glucose make sweetness so jolly.

That was a picture; a snapshot for you,
Hoping your taste’s merry memorable, too!

I appreciation of sour, sweet, bitter, salty, umami (the fifth taste!) and new e-friendship!

Love + Ruckus,
Jordan.
Add Comment


©2003-2010 MySpace.com. All Rights Reserved.