Tag Archives: Watercourse Quartet

2014 MAMAs | 4 GrimmusiK Finalists in 5 Categories [vote now]

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mamas_logo2The Madison Area Music Association (aka MAMA) 2014 Awards Finalists have been announced.  This is the third year running that groups associated with GrimmusiK have made the finals, though we have yet to bring one home.  In 2014, we are:

  • finalists in 5 categories: Best Children’s Song / Best Children’s Album / Unique Performer / Unique Album / Best Hip-Hop Album
  • with 4 different groups: Watercourse Quartet / Sisters Three / The Brothers Grimm / Brain Grimmer

The Children of Madison have spoken, let us sweep the “Children’s” & “Unique” categories in their names, for I fear the rioting of babies in the streets if we do not!

VOTING Ends 05/16/2014

**Due to the $5 suggested donation fee to register for voting, we are offering a download code to the GrimmusiK album of your choice from this year’s MAMA finalists.  Simply email your MAMA-voting-verification code to grimmusik@gmail.com along with your choice of one of the following albums:

    1. “Moonish Lodestar” by Watercourse Quartet
    2. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Sisters Three
    3. “This Is Not Shakespeare’s MACBETH” by The Brothers Grimm
    4. “(Sketches) Beats EP 2” by BRAIN GRIMMER

。。。。。。。。。。。Category 1 of 5 。。。。。。。。。。。

MAMA2014_Best Childrens Song

Best Children’s Song
– vote “Ladder Study 1 (Alice Cooper’s Tears)” by Sisters Three from COLIAS 1

。。。。。。。。。。。Category 2 of 5 。。。。。。。。。。。

MAMA2014_Best Childrens Album

Best Children’s Album
– vote for either:

“Moonish Lodestar” by Watercourse Quartet
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Sisters Three

。。。。。。。。。。。Category 3 of 5 。。。。。。。。。。。

MAMA2014_Unique Performer

Unique Performer
– vote for either:

Sisters Three
The Brothers Grimm
Watercourse Quartet

。。。。。。。。。。。Category 4 of 5 。。。。。。。。。。。

MAMA2014_Best Unique Album

Unique Album
– vote for:

“This Is Not Shakespeare’s MACBETH” by The Brothers Grimm

。。。。。。。。。。。Category 5 of 5 。。。。。。。。。。。

MAMA2014_Best Hiphop Album

Best Hip-Hop Album
– vote for:

“(Sketches) Beats EP 2” by BRAIN GRIMMER

。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

1/9 | 7-9pm Dobra Tea – Thank You Show

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Thurs 1/9, 7-9pm @ DOBRA TEA

THANK YOU SHOW

BC GRIMM – guqin, guzheng

DB PEDERSEN – throat singing, flutes, vox sfx

ERIC MILLER – bass viola da gamba

For three years The Brothers Grimm have been heading the experimental music series “Tea & Improv” at Dobra Tea.  Sadly, Dobra will close it’s doors this January, 2014.  We’ll have one last show on Thursday 1/9 as a way to say thanks to all who have worked/come out to enjoy these events since 2011.  DB, BC, & Eric will all perform short solo sets, as well as improvise together.

It can be difficult to find a welcoming platform for experimental & improvised music.  Dobra has been our enthusiastic home base for much of this Madison experience.  It has not simply been “a venue”, but a meeting place of disciplined philosophies, where music & tearoom perfectly alight in purpose – to have conversation.  In a vibrant, hue-struck room with no internet or to-go options, the result is meaningful discussion with close friends.  It was never the intent of our music to overpower the space (& people in it) to a hush, but rather to be another conversation & accept all happening sounds as music/inspiration.  3..2..1.. Now!  ~ All conversation is improvisation.  We fuel off the energy you give us and channel it back, vibrating the air.  No sound is excluded from this Cageian discourse ~ kettle boils, clayware scrapes, somewhere a laugh, all is music.

Perhaps the most important element of performance in Dobra has been a public space for unknowing teagoers to encounter “avant-garde”//”difficult-edgy-freaky-‘nonmusic’music-skronky-improvised-noise…stuff”.  We’re thankful for situations where people may come/go at any moment, have lively chit-chats, not feel they have to be classically-stuffy/know-the-rules, & happen upon experimental music over the flowing cup.  Hearing such racketous free-for-all (beautiful to some…) on a record, coming at you through the speakers can be challenging for unpracticed ears – but having that be a live experience and seeing that the musician performing extended techniques is another breathing, sweating, emoting, human being that is trying to communicate something to you – is when this music becomes immediate & relateable.  The more you as an audience give of your energy/vibes – the better the conversation is.

We’ve released a couple of albums at Dobra, including: Moonish Lodestar (2013) by Watercourse Quartet & Redolent Spires (2012) by The Borthers Grimm.  Had wonderful performers such as:  Watercourse Quartet w/ Ben Willis, Pat Reinholz (aka Weather Duo + Brothers Grimm); Lovely Socialite, db pedersen, Eric Miller, Thollem McDonas (aka Thollem Electric), Brian Tairaku Ritchie, Sult w/ Jacob Felix Heule, Guro Skumsnes Moe, Håvard Skaset; Timbre, Samuel Lockridge, Brother Stripes w/ Timothy Russell & Nick Zoulek; Prom Night Records w/ Brad Henkel, Nathaniel Morgan, & David Grollman; Dale Kaminski, Joey Molinaro, Zane Merritt, TJ Borden, Wrest Trio w/ Benjamin Bennett, Jack Wright, Evan Lipson; Stray Passage w/ Geoff Brady, Brennan Connors & more! – The tearoom has also played host to local Hindustani & Carnatic Indian Music group Saaz, Baroque & early western period instruments, & Yuri on the Russian domra.

Thanks to Qi Hong for fostering communitea.

Thank to the close friends who have come out over the years to support  &/or participate in these happenings.

Thanks to all of the great Devoteas who have worked at Dobra & become a part of our lives.

Much love & one cup!

~ BCG   (on behalf of The Brothers Grimm)

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GrimmusiK 2013 Album Releases

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2013 was an exceptionally robust year of music for The Brothers Grimm – 2 live theater scores, 5 album releases, many collaborative live shows & a couple of guest features.  For your better discovery & enjoyment, we have put all our new 2013 albums in this one post (plus extra video goodies).

\\ Thanks to those who support our music live & online, we are ever appreciative!!

~ The Brothers Grimm

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JAN     Current of Air by Koala Yip 

We started off the year with an international premiere in Hong Kong featuring Live Dance & LED Art scored by the track Chakpur from The Brothers Grimm 2012 release, Redolent Spires.

LED + Lighting |  James Kong, Morgan Aasdam,  PC Sei
​Choreography |  Koala Yip
​Dancer | Christine He
​Score | Brothers Grimm

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APR     COLIAS 1 currated by Mine All Mine Records & GrimmusiK

2xCD | 25 tracks | 02h00m48s

Mine All Mine and GrimmusiK present COLIAS 1, the first in a new series of experimental ambient releases.  COLIAS 1 features many of Madison’s most prolific experimenters (with regional and national guests):: Nude Human, Wayfaraway, bell monks, Kurva Choir (w/ CJ Boyd), Pat R. & Emily Brown, Asumaya, Kathleen Baird (of Spires That In The Sunset Rise), Brain Grimmer, Melancholy Elephants, William Z. Villain, eskimeaux, James Mooney, John Praw, Gregory Tayor, Shawn Kenneth Pierce, *hitmayng, Corey Murphy, Dressed Up, Silas “Be” Ritchie feat. Brian Tairaku Ritchie (of Violent Femmes), Brothers Grimm & db pedersen, Troy Schafer, A.Rex, Thollem Electric, Ben Willis.

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JUL     Moonish Lodestar by Watercourse Quartet

CD+Poster or Cassette | 8 tracks | 65m18s

AJ ‘Huckleberry’ Grimm – Flamenco Guitar
BC ‘Grimmpa’ – Cello, Pipa, Guqin
Ben ‘Curious’ Willis – Double Bass, Vocals (track 4)
‘Saucy’ Pat Reinholz – Cello
Track 4 features Page Foster (Vocals)

(review via Arts Extract Podcast 07/01/13 >)

” Watercourse Quartet showcases the willfully unsettling improvisations of four players who’ve each left a distinct mark on Madison music. Several of the Quartet’s members play in the ambitious avant-jazz band Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps […]; bassist Ben Willis has played behind Anna Vogelzang. Cellist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Grimm has recently played some live sets with Julian Lynch, and lately has composed everything from original scores for Madison theater companies to the cracked instrumental hip-hop of his project Brain Grimmer. Grimm and his brother A.J., record dense compositions under the name The Brothers Grimm. […] the album mixes cello, upright bass, classical guitar, and Chinese stringed instruments in sometimes-scraping, playfully obtuse pieces. “

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AUG     (Sketches) Beats EP 2 by BRAIN GRIMMER

Poster (w/ download codes for 7 albums) | 20 tracks | 44m34s

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SEP   ___________________________________________________________________
          A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Sisters Three (aka Bros.Grimm & db pedersen)

dbl-side Poster w/ codes | 46 tracks | 53m12s

 | AJ Grimm – classical guitar | BC Grimm – cello & guzheng
| DB Pedersen – vocal-foley/sfx, throat singing, shruti box, various flutes, animal noises

Implements & Sough:
Pot Lid “tree” (struck//bowed), bowed Saw, various Bells, Slide Whistles, Woodblock, Wup-Wob Cards (bent//bowed), boxes of Twigs//Branches … & etc!

Original Live Theater Score for
Strollers Theatre
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
May 3rd – May 25th, 2013 @ Bartell Theatre
William Shakespeare | directed by Greg Harris

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This Is Not Shakespeare’s MACBETH by The Brothers Grimm

dbl-side Poster w/ codes | 37 tracks | 01h34m50s

 performed by BRAIN GRIMMER | Ableton Live > APC40 + QuNeo

Original Live Theater Score for
NoExit Performance
THIS IS NOT SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH
June 13th – June 29th, 2013
@ The Irvington Center (Indianapolis, IN)
William Shakespeare | directed by Michael Burke

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Behind The Scenes: Bradbury’s Foley Sessions
Video by Glynnis Ritchie & Jon Brumbaugh

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\\ Unreleased albums/eps recorded in 2013 & scheduled for release in 2014 ⇉

The Brothers Grimm
[1]  ‘MACBETH: Sound Library Auditions, Vol I’    | 12 tracks | 60m15s
[2]  ‘MACBETH: Sound Library Auditions, Vol II’   | 10 tracks | 29m48s
[3]  ‘MACBETH: Sound Library Auditions, Vol III’  | 10 tracks | 40m29s
[4]  ‘MACBETH: The Complete Recordings’        |13 tracks | 17h21m08s

[5]  Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps  ’12 track Sophomore Release’
[6]  BRAIN GRIMMER – ‘Recycle Vol IV’

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7/4, 7/5, 7/7 | Lovely Socialite & WCQ4 Shows

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lovely-socialite-july-2013-shows

Poster art by Joe Ludwig

7/4 @ the Frequency (Madison)
9pm  $7  18+

Lovely Socialite – Jazz/Rock from Madison
[Going into the studio 7/8 @ Blast House Studios to record a new EP]
Dibigode – Jazz/Rock from Brazil
Glimpse Trio – California Post Rock

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7/5  @ Yield Bar (Milwaukee)
10pm  Free show!  21+

Lovely Socialite (Madison, WI)
Newlybreds (Milwaukee, WI)
Experimental rock trio

ᗓ Special blog feature about Lovely Socialite’s Return from Mine All Mine Records

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Moonish Lodestar digital cover 3.2

Art by Justin Richardson

Watercourse Quartet
Moonish Lodestar album release party
with special guest yoUToo (NYC)

7/7  7pm @ Dobra Tea 
$5 suggested donation for yoUToo
$7 MOONISH LODESTAR (11×17 Poster + CD or Cassette)
ᗇ $5 album/poster if you donate $5 at the register

ᗎ Check out the album preview by Madison Art Extract 

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