New Additions: Mesmerization by The Burners

This isn't, strictly speaking, a "new addition" in that I acquired it a few months back at Elizabeth Records here in Columbus. While it was sitting in the local section for a few prior visits, I did a little research as I was completely unfamiliar with the band, and dug up enough info to figure it was worth grabbing, and I'm glad I did. Turns out Happy Chichester, in a later discussion, cites The Burners as an important early influence, and specifically bassist Michael Gene.

Know Your Band: The Burners

Band: The Burners

Members
Guitar - Sonny Pill/Micky Burner [Bletz]/Sammy Davis Blue/Mick Williams
Vocals - Jamie Lyons
Bass - Michael Gene
Drums - Jerry Hale/Scott McMillen
Piano - Mike Reed
Saxophone - Pete Linzell

Releases
1987 - Mesmerization album (Pony Records)

Columbus Monthly: A Tragic Roll Call

The Columbus Monthly in 2014 posted an piece about the deaths of a variety of musicians or those connected to the Columbus music scene. For whatever reason, the author of the piece is not named (perhaps a print to web oversight?), but it still packs a punch:

The first musician I personally knew-and regarded well-who died young was Joe Dunlap Jr., guitarist for the New Jivebombers, a guy who looked tough on stage, but was a sweetheart off. Murdered in his cab late one summer’s night. I was devastated. 

Co-founder of Singing Dog Records, Dave Wolfson, my college buddy and employer, disappeared while living in Chicago, turning up dead and decapitated in an Illinois ditch. Chicago is a tough town, foul play there is unlike foul play anywhere. Took years of bad dreams to get over that one. Dave, Dave, Dave. Sigh. What did you do? He opened a lot of record stores and made a lot of money. He was gone in his 30s. Buy low, sell high was his motto. But die young? What a waste. 

Three-fifths of my favorite Columbus rock-and-roll band, the Burners, has gone on to that great rehearsal in the sky, and I miss every dang one of them. Sweet Michael Gene Antler, guitarist, bassist and a musical god to me, died from his own hand. Singer Jamie Lyons and guitarist Micky Bletz made it to early middle age before they checked out, sort of from natural causes endemic to the music business I guess you could say. This was just one of the great roots rockabilly/rock bands of the day. Micky was the most visually exciting guitarist I knew, and Jamie virtually a singer on par with Jerry Lee Lewis, but without the piano.