Track Marks is a weekly questionnaire for people who make music or just love listening to it. The people change but the questions remain the same.
This week we pitched our questions to Brandy Lawrence. Lawrence is a job developer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee who you may have caught out during one of her regular DJ nights at Burnhearts Bar in Bay View where she spins records under the name DJ LMNOP.
Lawrence took on our weekly music questionnaire and talked about why Wavves is similar to watching an episode of "Gidget," her short-lived love affair with the brothers Nelson, trying to convince her mom that David Bowie is not Annie Lennox and getting harassed growing up for being a black girl into Nirvana.
OnMilwaukee.com: What was the first tape/CD/record/8-track you ever owned?
Brandy Lawrence: Thanks to my mom and BMG music club, my first two cassette tapes were Motley Crüe "Dr. Feel Good" and Heart "Heart." I pressed rewind and rocked out many times to "Kick Start My Heart" and "These Dreams." Growing up I always preferred the sounds of rock and roll over R&B. My family made fun of me a lot and they still do, but I'm happy that my nieces and nephews take after me and are influenced by more than one style of music.
OMC: What was the first concert you attended?
BL: Nelson. Yes those two twins Matthew and Gunner had a sista screaming and jumping around like a kid at Chuck E. Cheese. Glad that was short-lived.
OMC: What was the last concert you attended?
BL: Best Coast and Wavves at Turner Hall. I am more of a fan of Wavves. I really love distorted garage rock music. The Black Lips and Ty Segall are two other really good bands with that garage/psychedelic sound. It all seems so effortless but really complicated. It's like watching an episode of "Gidget," there's no real plot but really awesome dancing.
OMC: Who is one popular musician or music act you just can't understand?
BL: Wow, were do I begin, ummmm, "Glee." Seriously!! I am not a fan and I get really irritated when the creator Ryan Murphy talks smack about bands that don't want them to cover their songs. It's just bad taste and bad music.
OMC: Musically what are you into that you're embarrassed to admit to?
BL: I love all kinds of music and am not embarrassed by my taste but most people would be surprised to know I spend my Sunday morning listening to the big band show on WMSE with Dewey Gill. I really love ragtime jazz and big band classics.
OMC: What are you listening to right now?
BL: Mademoiselle K is an amazing French rock band that just released their second album. Even if you don't speak French you will love their sound and Katherine Gierak's piercing and sensual voice.
OMC: What song do you want played at your funeral?
BL: The theme song to "Laverne & Shirley" because I live my life trying to make all my dreams come true and so should you.
OMC: What artist changed your life and how?
BL: Kurt Cobain. The music of Nirvana was absolutely inspiring to me. I got teased and picked on a lot for not being so into rap or hip hop. I was called Oreo, Eskimo Pie and labeled as a black girl trying to act white when all I was trying to do was like the music that actually moved me. For the longest time I felt like I was living a double life being black but maybe white. In 1993 standing third row of the Mecca Auditorium floor screaming the lyrics to "Rape Me" I decided to just be myself.
OMC: If you could see anyone perform past or present who would it be?
BL: Ike and Tina Turner. I recently bought a live album and they just sound amazing and put on a great show.
OMC: If you could spend one day with any artist living or dead who would it be?
BL: David Bowie, so that I can once and for all prove to my mom that he is not Annie Lennox.
OMC: If you were stranded on an island with one record for the rest of your life what would it be?
BL: Being a DJ this is really a hard question to answer ... I guess Nina Simone "I Put a Spell on You." She has an amazing voice and I love the song "One Day in September."
