Right place, right time for trio

Femmes' Gano releases disc with Bogmen brothers

By Jon M. Gilbertson, Special to the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Sept. 15, 2009

Yep Roc Records "Under the Sun," a collaboration between Gordon Gano (center) and Brendan and Billy Ryan, shows the balance and energy of artists comfortable working together. more photos Yep Roc Records "Under the Sun," a collaboration between Gordon Gano (center) and Brendan and Billy Ryan, shows the balance and energy of artists comfortable working together. Close

Artistic collaboration, like friendship, is often just a matter of close proximity and common interests.

This is definitely true of Gordon Gano and the Ryan brothers - Billy and Brendan - who edged toward an alliance simply because they all lived in the same part of New York City in 2001.

Gano, of course, was still recording and touring with Milwaukee's Violent Femmes. The Ryans had bounced back from the 1999 breakup of their band, the Bogmen, and were busy writing music for films. Gano can't quite remember how he and the brothers were inspired to pool their talents, but he remembers the location that solidified the team-up.

"Somebody, I don't know who said it first, said, 'Why don't you hear something and see if you can do anything with it?' " Gano said in a recent interview. "I recall the first hand-off was in a Laundromat. Something started to click."

During a Sept. 11 benefit concert, Gano and the Ryans performed "Under the Sun," which became the title track of the combo's new album, in stores Tuesday. Ultimately, the collaborators generated more than three dozen songs.

"Then we cut down to about 20 songs, and I did float the idea of putting out a double CD, but the record company thought that wasn't the smartest thing to do," Gano said of the selection process.

"Other than that, it was pacing and flow and feeling from song to song," Gano said.

The 12 songs that did make it onto "Under the Sun" display the energy and variety of musicians comfortable with each other's input. The opener, "Man in the Sand," rocks hard and fast and tight; "Here as a Guest" sways to a late-night waltz time; and "Home" soaks Gano's country leanings in reverb.

At the same time, "Under the Sun" isn't willfully eclectic, and it balances the stylistic turns with cohesive musicianship. For that, Gano gives credit to the Ryans.

"Those guys are, I think, two of the only guys who, with some regularity, will say things like, 'Take me out there' or 'Bring my part down,' " he said.

"They really are thinking about the music and the overall view. We took lots of time trying to experiment, and they were very open to any ideas I was having."

The Bogmen have since reunited for several live performances, and a new EP is said to be in the works.

In the meantime, Gano plans to tour with the Ryans, and he has the time to do so: Two years ago, Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie sued Gano over, among other things, song credits and the band's earnings.

"That's what put an end to the Violent Femmes," Gano said, adding that he couldn't comment further on the ongoing legal dispute and also that he doesn't worry much about comparisons between his old band and his new one.

"I didn't leave one to do the other," he said. "It's not, like, pick which one you like."