A PEACEMAKER FOR
TURBULENT TIMES…
ROGER CLYNE
by Tom Lounges
 Thirty years ago, an
artist the caliber of Arizona’s Roger Clyne would be a household name on
the strength of his steadily growing musical catalog.
In today’s
segregated music world, where everything must fit snugly into a nice
little category or be ignored, this a burden Clyne must bear for the
sake of his songs. If it means he must work harder and take more time
away from his supportive wife and family than seems fair, then so be
it. The dedication, integrity and work ethic of Clyne is both admirable
and enviable.
Roger Clyne
& The Peacemakers perform at Chicago’s House Of Blues this month, one of
the estimated 200 performances they do each year.
Though
internet-savvy regionites who are “in the know” about indie artists, are
counting the minutes until the House of Blues performance, most folks
reading these words are likely scratching their head and asking... Roger
who?
Considering
the sad state of conglomerate-owned radio today, that puzzled response
is understandable, especially to Clyne himself.
“It’s hard for the
average rock fan to know who you are, when radio doesn’t play your music
and you don’t have the kind of big budget promotional support artists on
major labels get,” he said, noting their recent radio single,
“Counterclockwise,” did not fared too well at major market
stations.
Clyne has been signed
to a major label in the past. He has weighed the pros and cons of
“major verses indie” status and concludes that control of his career and
creative output is worth the price.
The
quartet’s latest 11-song CD (the hidden track, “A Little Hung Over
You,” makes it a even dozen), ¡Americano!, was
released in early 2004 via Clyne’s own EmmaJava Records.
“Some
stations played the single, others picked up on the title track and the
song, ‘God Gave Me A Gun’,” he said.
The latter
begs listeners to hear and ponder its lyrical message, inspired by
current world events and the Middle East mindset –– “Fare thee well
to the infidel/Your God’s name is not spelled the same.”
The title
track views Americans through Third World eyes with lines like ––
“Blue eyes, white lies, straight teeth and crooked soul/Let the red
blood and green dinero flow...”
Both songs have been
spun by this writer on my Sunday night radio show, Night Rock,
which airs on X-ROCK 103.9. In fact, Clyne’s music will be heard
often this month, in the hopes of turning on listeners enough so that
they venture out to see this amazing artist live.
Despite a
lack of major radio support, large audiences greet the band at most
gigs, because Clyne has wisely utilized the all powerful internet!
“It’s a very
valuable tool that is free and that most bands don’t take full advantage
of,” he said. “Promoting ourselves on the internet has really done
wonders for our band.”
The
Peacemakers are the only independent band to have debuted four
consecutive albums in the Top 10 of Billboard Magazine’s
“Top Internet Sales Charts.” Though available in traditional
retail stores, the web has been the main source of sales for Clyne’s
music.
While most
folks may not have heard the band’s last three albums, Clyne’s voice
should strike a bell in the cerebellum with most rock fans who hear it.
His pipes powered a pair of notable 1996 radio hits for The
Refreshments, a college rock buzz band who lasted four years together
and who landed on the national charts with a pair of singles ––
“Banditos” and “Down Together” –– from their sophomore album,
Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy.
Those hits
still pepper the band’s current set list. “We generally do songs from
each of the Peacemakers’ albums and toss in some Refreshments’ too,”
said Clyne.
Refreshments
drummer P.H. Naffah, remained with Clyne after that band’s 1998
break-up. Today they perform with guitarist Steve Larson and
bassist Nick Scropos.
Whereas his
other post-Refreshments releases have been self-produced,
¡Americano!, found Clyne surrendering the production console to
Peter Lubin and Dusty Wakeman, who brought a real sense of
warmth to the music.
“Peter
helped produce Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy for the
Refreshments and to some extent, helped to A&R that album,” said Clyne.
“But this is the first time we used those two as a production team and
I’m very pleased. They understood the music and the message of the
music. The most valuable thing they brought to the table, was their
objectivity, which allowed us to just be the band and create. It was
very liberating for me to not have to sit at the console, but to just
get to play the guitar.”
Clyne’s
Peacemakers music is the closest thing today’s generation has to old
school Tex-Mex bands like The Sir Douglas Quartet and The Texas
Tornados.
Not unlike
his Refreshments period, Clyne’s new music is vibrantly painted like the
desert itself –– quickly going from peaceful and serene to deadly and
dangerous.
Brass,
accordion and organ give much of his music a spicy South of the Border
flavor. “Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were one of the most
influential bands for me growing up,” noted Clyne.
Though he
enjoyed his spotlight time with The Refreshments, Clyne finds The
Peacemakers considerably more satisfying. “Everyone in this band, I
believe, has a true musical calling, a vocation,” he said.
“I feel it’s
a privilege to play music in front of an audience,” he concluded. “One
that should NOT be taken lightly. I bring that thought with me
every time I step on stage with The Peacemakers.”
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers perform at House Of
Blues on February 24, opening for Indigenous.
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