Milo Minute: Joanna Ransdell, Float Here Forever, and Thornetta Davis

Brian Rozman

Click the audio player above to hear the full conversation. CultureShift airs weekdays 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on 101.9 WDET–FM Detroit Public Radio.

Longtime Detroit music journalist Jeff Milo’s byline appears in publications locally and globally. He’s been plugging ears into the Detroit scene for years with his prolific Deep Cutz blog and his YouTube series, The Milo Show.

Each week, Milo gives us a rundown of can’t-miss shows in and around the Detroit area. 

Friday, March 1st

Joanna Ransdell at Ann Arbor Distilling Co.

Joanna & the Jaywalkers are an Ypsilanti-based ensemble that blend guitars (acoustic and electric),  rustling drums, sweet cellos, and stand-up bass, with Joanna Ransdell’s enchanting voice soaring over the top, definitely for fans of Stevie Nicks or Kate Bush. It’s folk, but the melodies and choruses are that of a finespun pop stylist, with the bass drum and bass fiddle often combining for an arresting rhythm and that cello kind of dueting with Ransdell’s voice in beautiful ways.

Float Here Forever Album Release Show at PJ’s Lager House

Float Here Forever is a post-rock, post-grunge, post-ambient power trio that can be reliably referred to as “rock n roll!” Still, those guitars will strike a chord (pun definitely intended) for fans of a certain gritty tone that populated 90’s rock, while the drums are frenetic and intricate overlays that fans of mid-2000’s math-y indie-rock bands like The Holy Fire will dig. In fact, the drummer of this outfit used to be in that Michigan indie-rock band, but now he’s in Float Here Forever. The band is comprised of Nick Marko on drums, Darrell Bazain on guitar and vocals, and Sam Easterbrook on bass and vocals. In a recent interview, the influences they name dropped the most were Cloud Nothings and Fugazi, but also Nirvana, and maybe Tycho too. Their new album Tour The Ruins is coming out soon. They’ll be joined by Werewolves, Audfeed, and Marcus: The Apex Predator at PJ’s Lager House.

Saturday, March 2nd

Thornetta Davis and Mike Wheeler Band at The Token Lounge

Mike Wheeler Band is opening up for Thornetta Davis at The Token Lounge in Westland. Wheeler is a Chicago singer/songwriter following in the electric blues footsteps of Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters, while Davis is Detroit’s Queen of the Blues. She was crowned “Queen of the Blues” in 2015, and she’s won more than 30 Detroit Music Awards. She’s a powerhouse performer with a breathtaking voice and commanding stage presence. She’s opened for all the legends you can think of as well as toured the world–so it’s always worthwhile to catch a hometown show with Thornetta. 

March On 2019! Blues Collar Poetry & Music Fest

Check out local folk and Americana artists at the UAW Local 600, in Dearborn, on Dix. This is an opportunity to hear very poetic songwriters, many of them genuine poets themselves, as well as a chance to learn more about the Fort Street Bridge Park Project.