Here it comes again: The Wire, down in Portsmouth, is yet again sponsoring the RPM CHALLENGE, which asks bands to sack up and record an entire album all in the month of February (10 songs or 35 minutes, whichever comes first). Last year, 220 bands signed up for the challenge, 165 came through with a full album, and 1600 songs were sent out into the world to live freely among the common man (sorry, we’ve been reading too much fantasy). This year, the ripple is that the RPM Challenge is going worldwide, not restricting entries to the Seacoast region, as happened last year. Already, with the Web site live only since January 5, bands from locations as remote as Alaska and England have signed up for the challenge. A cool ripple this year is the RPM Sample Engine, which allows musicians to upload pieces of songs for other musicians to riff off of and integrate into their own songs. That’s right, open-source music. Sign up now, suckers.
Former MUNJOY HILL SOCIETY/DITCHWEED bassist JOHN CLARK has a new band put together, the HI-TIDES. It’s an all-instrumental surf outfit, a la Dick Dale, and also features STEVE LUTTRELL on drums, and RON SLATER and PAUL SIMINSKY on guitars. Yes, we’re assuming, too, that Luttrell is the very same guy who edits the Cafe Review, Maine’s claim to poetry fame. But, since you were at the Roller Derby benefit at the Big Easy on January 14, where the Hi-Tides ripped it up, you already know all this.
Sam Pfeifle’s recent presumptuousness regarding building supergroups in Portland See "That's Just Super(groups)," January 5) inspired more than one veteran of the scene to chime in. Maybe the most veteran, however, was MARC MAILHOT, who was in the original Beatles cover band in Maine, LOVE, INC. He let us know that Love, Inc. was the first pop band in Maine to record an LP, in April 1970, and released three charting singles. The band plan to reunite this August. Don’t miss it. For more info, google “Marc Mailhot” and “love” and you’ll find it. Comes right up.
