The Martha Dumptruck Massacre "Two"

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The Martha Dumptruck Massacre
The Atomic Plains
CDR EP
(Sleepglue Records, 2004)

Previously, on Lightning Jukebox: The Martha Dumptruck Massacre impressed Lightning (that's me!) with an unexpected, and great, live set at Lenny's.

You know one of the things I really hate? Disreputable club owners.

When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre returned to town a year or so later, they ended up playing at a club run by scumbags. I'm almost positive it was the same charlatans who ran a similar club that had recently closed. They expected bands to do all the promotion, then they paid bands based upon the number of people at the door who indicated they were there to see them. They generally charged $5 at the door and payed bands $1 or $2 for each tick mark at the end of the night. One of my old bands played there twice. First time, we got paid $10. Second time, a massive $4.

For local bands, this is a lousy deal, but, if one busts one's ass promoting, one can theoretically still get a decent turnout. The club did no print ads, by the way, and their website was rarely updated. So, no one would know you're coming, if you depended solely on the club to let people know.

Did the club inform touring bands of this?

NO

I spoke with bands who'd sent promo materials, such as tour posters, to the club, only to have said materials apparently just thrown away. I know there were two shows at that club where I was the entire paying audience for a touring band. When The Martha Dumptruck Massacre played this new club with the same modus operandi, I was, unsurprisingly, their entire paying audience. I felt horrible for them. On top of that, they were on a bill with a couple of (bad) teenage metal bands. Not exactly complementary, you know?

I bought all the merch they had that night (well, one of each thing I didn't already have, not their entire inventory), so they could hopefully at least get some food. The new release they had that night was the bearer of today's tune. It was a nifty three-song CDR EP in a hand letterpressed, gatefold, heavy, cardboard sleeve.

Unlike the Burning Bridge, The Atomic Plains is more of a chamber pop affair, with Joel on guitar and piano backed by viola and cello with minimal percussion. Today's track is the same song as yesterday's, in fact, in a completely new arrangement for this new configuration. This time 'round, however, it's entitled Two, rather than ____________. It's the second track on both releases, you see. Plus, it's version two of the song! :-D

Enjoy!

Sadly, since this release, the only thing I've heard about (and gotten, of course) was a CDR single with a gorgeous version of White Christmas. It even came with a Christmas card and a (probably now stale) candy cane.