Ranting Manor is a project that includes whoever is in it. Spearheaded by Julie, this act has had the talents of Alex Bohl and Frank French for live shows, although most of what is recorded here was played by Julie and others listed on the songs themselves.
View Julie "the" Bruce's EPK
Influences
KINKS. X. Cole Porter. The Carter Family. Johnathan Richman.Johnny Cash. Wicked Tinkers. Neil Finn. Brian Eno. Cyndi Lauper. Cyndi Lauper was the first vinyl record I ever bought (Before that my vinyl collection was as exciting as Burl Ives and the Big Rock Candy Mountain). - - - - - - - - - - - - - Poison girls. The mockingbird that wakes me up every morning. All the musicians I work with, and all the kids that come in to learn how to play music. And their parents, at least the cool ones; and there are more than you would think. And the kids, these days! They like real music!
The Slits. The Who. The Clash. X Ray Spex. Split Enz. Neko Case. Myself. The Barking Spiders. Alkali Flats. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - All the great unknown local punk bands- The Bananas, No Kill I, Groovie Ghoulies, and so many more. The Banana's songwriter, Mike, is one of the truly great unsung songwriters of this age. And don't forget, my first musical adventures were with the Secretions and the Phlegmings! _ _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - = = - - - - - - The Wicked Tinkers (all you bass-thumpin' lowriders listen up! Check out what real heavy drums sound like!) The Muppets. The Polymers. Kyoto Beat Orchestra. I've been told I sound a bit like Grace Slick. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lately I've been listening to Gus Cannon's jug band music, old Cincinnatti AND MEMPHIS blues and medicine show tunes from the 20's and 30's mostly. MEMPHIS JUG BAND. Screw you Elvis, but they rocked much harder than you and you are the memphis legend. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = You could also say I'm inspired by Douglas Adams, Amy Sedaris, Philip K. Dick, Bradley Denton's book Wrack and Roll, and science fiction in general. Pretty much anything with the seed of something real that's also entertaining but also makes your brain feel like it's twisting into some new shape and taking over your arms and torso and then your legs and THEN MAKES YOU DANCE YOUR FREAKIN! ASS OFF!!!!!! WOOOOO-HOOOOO!
I'm blissful over some anime made by Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon.....any of it. I certainly wanted to join the parade!
Lately I've been exposed to a good deal of celtic and international music so I suppose that is an influence as well, especially in the way I sing.
Pretty much anything I hear can be considered an influence, but someone else who used to be in the Secretions once said I sound like Joey Ramone meets Joan Baez. I can't really disagree!
Consider this when you try to figure out how I sound. When I was very small, my mom played me songs on her guitar like Tom Dooley, and listened to Willie Nelson, Judy Collins, and the Beatles. Later I dug out an old Doors record of hers, and around then I learned the Chariots of Fire theme songs on a rented piano by ear. I should tell you that where I come from, the only radio stations we had were classic rock and country, but I did spend several summers away and got exposed to all that 80's rock and pop with better radio stations there. Eventually I did some Shakespeare in high school and some musical theater, including Anything Goes. I spent a lot of time roaming the hills singing Cole Porter and songs from Les Miserables.
I also started doing some radio DJ'ing in high school reading the lunch menu and doing skits about boring historical facts. I went to Sac State and took a theatrical voice class and two semesters of the women's chorus with Donald Kendrick. Then I got into hardcore punk and the local scene and, as you already know, I started singing in the Secretions! But then, what a twist! I ended up at a Pentacostal Church where the pastor's wife played amazing honky tonk versions of traditional gospel songs on the piano by ear and they had sort of weird family harmony think going on, the bass sung by the Divine-like pastor's wife. They sang some of the songs Hank Williams sang, I found out years later when I was bored by the music around me. I had gone to DJ at KDVS radio station in Davis on a show called Slogans Run. I played all kinds of genres of music, but mostly rock punk and psychadelic,with a few crazy kid songs or spoken word, or soundtracks. One of my most popular albums was one of a Soviet Marching Band.
What kind of music do I play after going through all that? Hell if I know, but I like to think it rocks!
Sounds Like
Joan Baez meets Joey Ramone!! Someone actually told me that once. I can't really put it better myself, but feel free to let me know what YOU think.
Music....what matters is...my god...you created it and it really freaking MOVES, you know?
Record Label
Self made demo -"Tearing Up 21st Street." Ask 4-1!
"Joan Baez meets Joey Ramone"Try the BESTMySpace Editor and MySpace Backgrounds at MySpace Toolbox!
Also visit http://www.reverbnation.com/juliethebruce ._____________________________________
Julie Bruce, a True American Original who's often been Mistaken for Someone from Another Country Despite the Fact She's Never Left, or from New Jersey, is appearing somewhere in your neighborhood soon; playing an open mic, producing or appearing in a movie, DJ'ing a radio show, or designing a flyer for someone's gig, maybe yours!------------------------------------ Julie grew up in a small town Mike Watt complained about in song, it was so bad. It was a small town where the local motto was "Where the dirt's red and the necks are too" and BOY ITS TRUE! She escaped, moved to Sacramento and went to Sac State, soon spending her grant money for tuition on a bass, bass amp and a drumset after she was introduced to the local punk scene and found out rock n' roll CAN save your life. She saw a lot of shows in basements and venues that had the best bands that "nobody" ever heard of, some members of which are now in bands lots of people have heard of. =============================== She began playing bass with punk band The Phlegmings after she kept meeting the guitarist at shows and they had the same homemade haircuts and liked to see the same bands. They drove around the suburbs a lot, listening to Throwing Muses and Bongwater. Later on she started playing guitar and writing songs with the Secretions; including 4 Speed Automatic Jesus, I-5 and Freaks Like Us. She lived in a van for a while, stealing slices of lemon and lime from the local salsa bar for the nutrition Jolt Cola lacked. Eventually she had a Phillip K. Dick style freakout, quit the band, listened to a lot of old school honky-tonk gospel, learned some Johnny Cash gospel tunes, and fasted and spoke in toungues for a while, which was pretty interesting. Then the aliens brought her back.================================== Julie makes pretty much all of her posters and promotional material. She could even make some personalized art for you from her many years of experience in the art of drawing horses, unicorns, women with flaming nipples, and reincarnated deer. Valle takes most of the photos and records all the live shows.
Check out my artwork at - http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii65/thebruce_album/the%20art%20i%20make
Hulie, I thought about you like every day this week... things are still kinda hectic, but I'll be a suckafish if I don't make it over this week!!! <3 <3 <3
May 2nd (sat) 6:30pm! Jon from Gay punk band Pansy division (toured with green day) is doing a book reading/accoustic set! please come out! also david's 1st show playing guitar in the enlows! come out!
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DROP OF YOUR SONG AND VITAL CONTACT INFORMATION AT INFUSION CAFE @17TH & K IN MIDTOWN TOMMORROW BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8 A.M. & 5 P.M.
OUR REPRESENTATIVE DANIEL HARVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO RECIEVE YOUR SUBMISSION AT THE CAFE AND CAN BE CONTACTED VIA EMAIL IF YOU CANNOT MAKE OUR SUBISSION DEADLINE DURING CAFE HOURS:
