by: Michael Zabrodsky
Staying home to watch football games before rushing out to celebrate the new year at a night club or party? Why not stay home to watch the 10,000 Maniacs on MTV Drops The Ball tonight?
Every year the Music Television Network rings in the new year by televising a show where musical guests perform. This year the 10,000 Maniacs will be performing including songs from their recent Elektra Records release Our Time In Eden.
Keyboardist Dennis Drew said the band will probably play "sometime after New Year's." The rest of the members include Steve Gustafson, bass guitar, Jerome Augustyniak, drums; Rob Buck, guitars, and Natalie Merchant, vocals.
The band took nearly a year off to recollect their thoughts and approach songwriting in a different way. Peter Asher, producer for In My Tribe, and Blind Man's Zoo, was not chosen for the project. Instead Paul Fox was given full reign. Bassist Steven Gustafson said that one of the reasons Fox was chosen was because he helped the band find ways of better expressing themselves. Fox has worked with the Sugarcubes, Robyn Hitchcock, The Wallflowers, and XTC.
As a result, the members were more confident when the band headed into the studio to record Our Time in Eden. In fact, all of that confidence shows on the new release. Gustafson said that Fox encouraged the group to play until it felt right.
As for the different songwriting approach, the band used flash cards that had all of the major and minor keys printed on them. The band picked a card and jammed in that key.
The band took chances on the record, Drew said. "It's our most diverse record as far as dynamics and musical style."
Drew said the band is still an alternative band and haven't hit the mainstream like other bands. "I'm proud to be on the cutting edge," he said.
The band just finished a national tour this month and will be heading back on the road in early 1993 , Drew said. The song These are Days has received strong air play on both MTV and VH1 as well as many radio stations across the country. The band has also recorded a song for a cassette prepared by the inauguration committee for President-elect Bill Clinton. The cassette is to be given away as a souvenir of the inauguration.
MTV Drops the Ball, will air tonight at 11.