FREE MP3’s | ROCK | AUSTIN FREE
ATX Music Mag
MAGAZINE
Austin’s Rock & MP3 Magazine APR - JUN 2011
VOL. 1 - ISSUE 2 (THE ORANGE ISSUE)
FEATURED INTERVIEWS WITH
TRE
FAC
VER
KEI
E T O F OF ACE TH
MON
THE
KEY
OF
ADI
CTS
F E AT U R E D M P 3 ’ S B Y
ATX MUSIC MAG’S TOP DOWNLOADS PICS FROM THE KICKOFF FEST
MOBLEY
CRASH GALLERY
SMOKE & F E AT H E R S
NO CHAMPIONS
SPANKIN’ NEW ALBUM REVIEWS
www.ATXMusicMag.com
INDEX Founder
JEREMY DAVIS
Editor
JEREMY DAVIS
Co-Editor
JOSHUA DAVIS
Writers
Interviewers
JOSHUA DAVIS MICHAEL PEREZ LAZARO CHAVEZ JEREMY DAVIS D.J. FARLEY (CFO PROD.) MICHAEL PEREZ JEREMY DAVIS
Graphic Designer
JEREMY DAVIS
Album Reviewers
JOSHUA DAVIS STUART CHANEY LAZARO CHAVEZ ROBERT GALINDO JORGE CANO CESAR RIVERA
Mag Contributors
JOSHUA DAVIS RACHEL FRANCESCHI JAMES HERAULT LAZARO CHAVEZ RC PETERS INDIGO MUSIC (AUSTIN) DO512.COM MICHAEL PEREZ DENNIS AYOTTE GREG MAIN JAMIE MARTINEZ
pg
6 Local Austin Bands 6 7 8 9
12 14
Mobley Smoke and Feathers Crash Gallery No Champions
Rockstar Interviews
Trever Keith of FACE TO FACE Monkey of THE ADICTS
6 Other Stuff
10 Kickoff Fest Pics 16 Album Reviews 17 MP3’s (1st Issue)
--------4
/ Apr-Jun 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com
Letter From The Founder/Editor The 2nd issue has arrived! I know it seems like it’s been a while, because it has been a while. We launched the first issue during SXSW this year and the Kickoff Fest was a great success. I’d like to thank all of the bands that played, especially the ones that came in from out of town like Drunkin Punkin Idiots (San Diego), Screamin Yeehaws (San Diego), The Quitters (Las Vegas), and some members from Happy Hour (Brownsville wey!) I’d also like to thank Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, Andrew Seward and Tom Gabel of Against Me, and Greg Alsop of Tokyo Police Club for the interviews and the support that they showed towards the launch issue! ATX Music Mag is currently a quarterly magazine, but not for long. We will be on a monthly run by September! That’s a fact! But when we start going monthly, we will be switching to a smaller magazine, to increase distribution. The big print sure is nice, but it costs some big $$$$!!!! Our distribution is currently at 5,000 per issue, but once we start monthly and switch to the smaller mag, we will be able to distribute 10,000 - 15,000 per issue. We’re starting a movement, so we need to reach the masses. We have also implemented QR Codes that are scannable with Smart Phones. Every MP3 can now be heard on the spot whether you are eating lunch or just having a $1 brew at Black Sheep Lodge on a Wednesday! We’re just trying to stay as innovative as possible for the music fans in Austin! This issue features interviews with Trever Keith of FACE TO FACE and Monkey of THE ADICTS. We’d like to thank D.J. Farley from CFO Productions/High Voltage TV for hooking it up with the THE ADICTS interview and do512.com and Michael Perez for getting us the FACE TO FACE interview. The local bands being featured in this issue are MOBLEY, CRASH GALLERY, SMOKE and FEATHERS, and NO CHAMPIONS. Thanks for hooking up the city of Austin with the FREE tracks that yall are releasing in this issue. The next issue will be released early August which will be the July-August and will be the last issue before we start our monthly run. Hope you all enjoy the 2nd issue and future issues to come!
Cheers, JERM
Jeremy Davis (Founder/Editor)
What is this?
---->
It’s a specific type of bar code called a QR CODE! Scan this with your Smartphone (iPhone or Android) and it will direct you to FREE MP3’s or important links that are mag related! There are FREE QR CODE scanners available on the Android and Apple app store. They are listed below... iPhone: QR Reader (free in the app store) Android: QR Droid (free in the app store) DOWNLOAD THE APP AND ENJOY YOUR FREE MUSIC! ATXMusicMag.com / Apr-Jun 2011 /
5
Band Facts Genre:
Electronic Rock
Members:
Anthony Watkins(Vocals/Keys/Guitar) Tim Shelburne (Bass/Keys) Sergio Trejos (Drums)
Website:
www.mobleytheband.com
Contact:
booking@mobleytheband.com
Photo by: Natalya Medvedeva
Mobley (Austin, T X)
moods and moments: an anthemic blitz of guitars and wired synths; a falsetto croon slinking out over drum-bass groove straight out of ‘73; a music Originally founded in North Carolina by lead singer and box lullaby bursting into chamber pop or keensongwriter Anthony Watkins II and later joined by bassist Tim ing alt-country or glitzy dance-rock. All of these Shelburne Jr., and drummer Sergio Trejos, Mobley took its cur- sounds are complemented by a stunning video/ rent shape during the summer of 2008. A cross-country move light component and performed by musicians that and seven months of practice and preparation later, they’re hard command the stage with a presence that belies at work trying to prove themselves as one of Austin’s most prom- their youth and a vigor that proves it. ising young bands. The songs draw from a wealth of influences, often tied together with only as much thread as is necessary for coherence. What results is a repertoire that, by virtue of its diversity, truly transports the listener. Nowhere is this fact more clear than when you see the band live. It’s a set composed of contrasting
“Seven Summers”
Infectiously energetic, meticulously passionate, and unmistakably honest, Mobley has crafted a distinctive brand of indie rock that is smart, catchy, and melodic. Give it a listen...you’re likely to agree.
ATX Music Mag FREE MP3’s
“25”
Hear these tracks on your Smartphone with one of the programs listed below!
iPhone: QR Reader (free in app store) Android: QR Droid (free in app store) Tracks downloadable for free at ATXMusicMag.com NOTE: If the scan doesn’t work at first, just try again! The track will eventually play. New technology is imperfect!
6
/ Apr-Jun 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com
Smoke and Feathers
Band Facts
(Austin, TX)
Genre:
Psychedelic Rock
Smoke and Feathers began in Austin, TX with the meeting of Hunter Cahalan and Josh Terry in late 2007, both possessing unique singing and guitar techniques. Josh’s heavy southern stylings and Hunter’s eery psychedelic pulses merged into a unique blend of rock and roll which could ultimately be described as psychedelic southern rock. Local bassist Alan Houston met the pair in mid 2008 bringing a deep low end and groovy thumps into the mix. Soon after, the group picked up Geoff Guillard, a friend of Josh and Hunter from the downtown scene. Geoff brought intense beats with tastefully intricate rhythms to the already booming sound of Smoke and Feathers.
Members:
Josh Terry (Vocals/Guitar) Hunter Cahalan (Vocals,Guitar, Theremin) Alan Houston ( Bass) Geoff Guillard (Drums)
Website:
reverbnation.com/smokeandfeathers
Contact:
smokeandfeathers@gmail.com
Hear these tracks on your Smartphone! iPhone: QR Reader (free in app store) Android: QR Droid (free in app store)
“Wicked Ways”
ATX Music Mag FREE MP3’s
“Ride”
Tracks downloadable at ATXMusicMag.com
“Blue Skies”
NOTE: If the scan doesn’t work at first, just try again! The track will eventually play. New technology is imperfect!
ATXMusicMag.com / Apr-Jun 2011 /
7
Band Facts
Photo by: Indigo Music
Crash Gallery (Austin, TX)
Punk rock kids with studded leather jackets up front, indie rockers in the middle, and new wave hipsters in the back is a typical Crash Gallery live show. Formed in 2006 in Austin, TX, Crash Gallery is a five piece band consisted of members, Ryan Lasater, Brad Teeter, Mark Toohey, Christopher Watson, and Eddie Chapa. Influences range from late 70’ s bands like The Clash, Ramones and Generation X to more modern sounds from The Strokes, The Hives, At The Drive-In, and QOTSA. With a collective appreciation for the three minute pop song, Crash Gallery caters to the ADD generation by getting to the point not only in their song writing, but also in their performance, which have been described as “high energy and even gymnastic at times”. Crash Gallery is fresh out of the studio with their new singles “These Words Are Knives” , “ Wreckless” and “ Bleeding Hearts” from their upcoming album, and have just completed their video for “ These Words Are Knives” .
8
/ Apr-Jun 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com
Genre:
Post Punk/Pop Rock
Members:
Ryan Lasater Brad Teeter Mark Toohey Christopher Watson Eddie Chapa
Influences:
The Clash, The Ramones, The Hives, The Strokes, At The Drive-In
Website:
www.reverbnation.com/crashgallery
Contact:
rc@indigomusicaustin.com
ATX
Music Mag FREE MP3’s
“These Words Are Knives”
NOTE: If the scan doesn’t work at first, just try again! The track will eventually play. New technology is imperfect!
Track downloadable at ATXMusicMag.com
sive, yet energizing sound that has no hesitation to slap you in the face. Leaving fans stunned and hungry for more, this self produced album only made the band eager to record new material. They have since begun pre-production on their upcoming album that will be coming out in the beginning of 2012. Due to the popularity of their first album, the band has broadened their horizons but still kept their raw edge. These local heroes have no thoughts of quitting anytime soon, better yet only to rebuild Austin’s punk rock scene. They’ll also be representing the Ausitn punk scene at the Warped Tour in San Antonio on June 26th. Photo by: Samantha Bloomberg
No Champions (Austin, TX)
Austin’s No Champions are a gritty but clever punk rock four-piece that trace their beginnings back to 2009. Their involvement in bands and the punk scene goes back many years prior however, as the members were involved in Air Tight Alibi, Mansfield, The Heymaker three and Firekills. The band takes its name from a run-down effort of many tireless attempts to break into the music scene, hence why they chose No Champions.
Their first album, Ape Shit, comes with an aggres-
Band Facts Genre:
Punk Rock
Members:
Brady Black (Guitar, Vocals) Jamie Martinez (Guitar, Vocals) Stephen Lane (Bass) Adam Gibbs (Drums, Vocals)
Influences:
Murder City Devils, Old Country, 80’s hardcore, 90’s pop punk, classic rock
Website:
myspace.com/nochampions
Contact:
bradyvstheworld@gmail.com
ATX Music Mag FREE MP3’s
NOTE: If the scan doesn’t work at first, just try again! The track will eventually play. New technology is imperfect!
“Crotch Rock It”
“Tongue Punch”
“Cloudy Minds”
“We’ll Be OK”
Tracks downloadable at ATXMusicMag.com
Hear these tracks on your Smartphone! iPhone: QR Reader (free in app store) Android: QR Droid (free in app store)
ATXMusicMag.com / Apr-Jun 2011 /
9
Mike Uh Din of D.P.I. B..B..B.. Break it down!!!
Drunkin Punkin Idiots (San Diego)
PI
CS
ATX Music Mag Kickoff Fest
E
TH
ATX M
FR
O
M
KICKOF
@ HEAD 3-12
Screamin’ Yeehaws (San Diego) Mordy on the Pigskins....
Photos by: Rachel Franceschi ATX Music Mag Kickoff Fest
Holiday (Austin) Isle of White (Austin)
The Quitters (Las Vegas)
Music Mag
FF FEST
DHUNTERS -2011
Joshy and Kelly from D.P.I.
Happy Hour (Austin)
ROCKSTAR INTERVIEW
Story & Interview by: Michael Perez
Photos by : Jeremy Davis
F A C E
T O
(6-3-2011 at La Zona Rosa)
Catching up with Trever Keith of After Face to Face finished their encore and walked backstage, I closed out my tab at the bar and walked back to their dressing room wondering what I was going to say to Trever Keith (singer/ guitarist) to close out the night. After thanking people, grabbing a set list, and shaking some hands I finally told Trever “awesome show, great interview, glad that you guys are back…and thanks for not being a dick like everyone says you are”.
Face to Face has been one of my top favorite bands since I first heard “Don’t Turn Away” my freshman year of high school in 1994. The albums that followed brought out more and more of the talent this band had to offer and none more than the self entitled “Face to Face”. That album brought such classics as “Blind”, “I Wont Lie Down”, and “Walk the Walk”. It really is a shame the band never really got the recognition that many other punk bands that preceded them received, considering the band carried such top musicians (in my opinion the top punk bass player you will ever see, Scott Shiflett) and songwriters. Sure in my opinion some albums didn’t have all the “hits” people were accustomed to from their early works and perhaps they did stray from their formula on their later albums, but over all the talent of the band always shined through. So needless to say I was heartbroken when the band broke up in 2004 with little or no hope in ever playing again with a tour entitled “The Only Goodbye Tour”. All the fans were left with after the goodbye tour was a new documentary showcasing the bands history entitled “Shoot the Moon” and a greatest hits CD entitled the same. So needless to say when word got around that they would be touring in support of their seventh album entitled “Laugh Now, Laugh Later”, I sprung to my computer to check all Texas dates….Austin….score. After a few phone calls not only was I able to secure an interview with the band, but a private performance for the do512. com Lounge Sessions which are recorded and posted as a medium for artists to get exposure with new crowds. After then confirming
12
/ Apr-Jun 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com
F A C E
with Trever a week before the Austin date that they would be playing the KROQ Weenie Roast the following day after the Austin show, it had become very clear that perhaps they wouldn’t have time for the Lounge since they would be flying out literally hours after their set. Sad, but alas we still had the interview. So after we did the preshow interview and the band played their amazing set, there I was stumbling into their dressing room to tell them overall thanks for being great guys and musicians and wished them further success on their tour. And as far as the “being a dick” comment, Trever and the guys just laughed and Trever simply told me “man, I get thought of that way all the time and I really don’t know where it came from!” Was the “It’s Not All About You” video independently made? “That’s the video I had some guys in Brazil start working on for me actually during my solo record and for whatever reason, it didn’t pan out, so I just took the same concept and applied it to the first single of this record and we partnered up with some other guys and turned it around faster.” Are you guys still doing the Legion of Doom thing? “Well I produced it, along with my partner Chad Blemith, who did a lot of the technical work on it. I also produced the mix and that’s another end of the whole making music thing that’s a lot of fun for me too. When I took time off from making music in Face to Face, it was cool to work in a totally different capacity outside of singing and playing guitar.” Did you help produce your early Face to Face albums? “Starting at around the self-titled record was the first record I got actively involved in the production side of it, just because I was really unhappy with the way that the second album came out. The songs are great. I love the songs and I’m super happy with that for the most part, but just the overall production. I don’t think it sounds very good.” And the self-titled? “That one was a lot better. That is due really not much to me, more in large part to Ron St. Jemaine who mixed the album. Just in terms of like getting into making different guitar sounds, using different amps, and choosing which microphones to use and all that kind of technical stuff I think have a lot to do with how that record sounds. I really didn’t know what I was doing very much on that record. It was only when I started producing for other bands. I did two No Motive records and some other stuff for Vagrant … and I got better at production through that.”
On The First Seven Years tape, you state that you guys had a good time with NOFX on tour, but on the Shoot The Moon documentary, it kind of indicated that you did leave on bad terms with Fat Wreck Chords. Did you leave on bad terms with Fat Wreck Chords? “Umm, no, I wouldn’t say that we left on bad terms with Fat Wreck Chords. It was more a matter of, at the time Mike’s (Fat Mike) label was a new label and was growing and he made us an offer, and we thought we could probably get offers that could suit us better. So we went to other labels and we ultimately did find labels that made offers that were better for us … At the time, to make it work in our situation, we wanted an X amount of dollars so that we could put in a band and go on tour and make a record and we wanted to commit to the band full time and be able to quit our day jobs. And that was the kind of record deal we were looking for. It wasn’t for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but we just wanted to get to a point where we could at least go tour for 6 months or whatever and I know I have X amount of my bills covered and lets hope we go sell t-shirts. Fat Wreck Chords became a label that was capable of doing that and they did it for lots of bands ... It was the NOFX EP, then it was Lagwagon, and we were the third band on the label. So by the time Strung Out and Propaghandi got signed … then they were more in a position to get tour support and stuff like that, where it really wasn’t offered to us.”
there’s fu*kers up on stage going crazy a lot of nights and that’s something that I think by, at least by the end of our self-titled touring run, there was a barricade at every show So we were totally used to not having people on stage forever, so this time around, we had to get used to that again. But you know it’s what we started out doing. You can let it piss you off or be an asshole about it. What I like to do is make it a part of the show and just enjoy it. Or if someone comes up and is being a dipshit, just berate them in front of the audience. It’s usually easier to get the audience to turn on them, because you have the power of everyone, rather than you acting like a bitch and going and punching some girl on stage.” You got a new drummer this time around? How is the situation? “Well Danny has now been playing with us for about three years, so it doesn’t feel too brand new to us. When we first reformed, we were just going to do a few festivals every year. We did Fun Fun Fun Fest a few years ago and it was FUN, no pun intended, haha … This is the first record he’s recorded with us … But Danny’s maybe the best drummer we’ve ever had as a musician, but also just in terms for being the right guy for the band. I wish I would have found him 20 years ago, because he’s totally just like one of us. I mean he came into the band, personality wise and just fit in from the first moment.”
So what made you guys decide to come back?
Just to leave on a current topic? Who do you think is going to win it? Mavericks or Heat?
“Luckily the audience and the fans still care enough that we are able to come back and do this however many years later. It’s awesome. I mean we feel really stoked and privileged to be able to do that so you know… What I’m about to say it that this tour in many ways has been so much more of a punk rock tour than a lot of the tours we did even leading up to the breakup, because now we’re coming through and everything has changed at a lot of these venues just across the board. Fewer people are going to live shows … So a lot of the clubs that we’ve been playing at from the smaller ones even to the bigger ones, we’ll show up and there won’t be barricades, and
“I’m in Texas so I’m going to have to go with the Mavericks. The Mavericks made a pretty good comeback last night … They definitely got that momentum. (After Game 2 in Miami, where Mavs tied the series at one game a piece, to later win the NBA Finals!)”
ATXMusicMag.com 2011 // ATXMusicMag.com // Jan-Mar Apr-Jun 2011
13 13
ROCKSTAR INTERVIEW
Photo and Interview by: FARLEY/CFO Productions
T H E
Story by: Lazaro Chavez
A D I C T S
A Quick C onvo with MONKEY B efore Europe O my little brothers. After 30 years and counting, The Adicts are still glazing devotchkas and malchicks with their rainbows and ultra violence. Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk, England, this UK 80’s punk band was not always called “The Adicts.” Beginning life in late 1975 as “Afterbirth & The Pinz” and later going through different names such as “Fun Adicts” and “ADX,” the Adicts finally stuck. The bands “Droog” outfits and Singer Monkey’s glamorous costumes are an inspiration of Anthony Burgess’ novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange.
Known around the world by fellow punk scenes for their happy up-tempo tracks and non-political lyrics, also sets them very much apart from the rest of the punk genre. “We wrote songs about unemployment, disillusionment, and all that happy stuff, but that was really a conformity with the non-conformists,” as Monkey explains in their search of finding their sound. Because of their lack of traditional punk sound and style, they have not always been accepted by the fellow punk scene. However, they will always consider themselves a punk band as insisted by Monkey. “Even then, we always regarded ourselves as a punk band. I had big arguments with Geordie, our manager at the time, when he put “New Wave” on the posters.” After countless horror shows and over four eras of beer spillin’, the Adicts still consists of its original rockers in rags. From Mel Ellis’s melodic bass, Pete Dee Davison’s extreme guitar, Michael “Kid Dee” Davison’s beating drums to Keith “Monkey” Warren’s brilliant throat, these malchicks still bring together the urge to
14
/ Apr-Jun 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com
shake rattle and bang your head! The help of new members John “Scruff ” Ellis (Mel’s brother) on guitar and Dan Gratziani, who kills it on violin, adds an extra jolt of joy when touring. After the pressures of various record labels throughout their career, they never walked alone. “And we were so out of our heads back then it’s all such a blur,” Pee Dee says. “I remember some dictator from Sire records wanted us to sack Monkey ‘cos he couldn’t sing... but of course we instead gave them shit for being a bunch of c*nts. We kept the Monkey at the cost of fame and fortune!” From their first album “Songs of Praise” in 1981 to their latest album “Life Goes On” in 2010, their sound still brings that same reminiscent happiness that it always has. “Chinese Takeaway”, “Bad Boy”, “Joker in The Pack” and the politically based “Johnny Was a Soldier” all grab you from the get-go and take you on a sonic ride that can’t be forgotten. Proving their ability to transcend generations, their very first single in 1981 “Viva La Revolution” made it on Tony Hawk’s Underground (2003) and on an E! promotion for the television show, Pop Fiction (2008). Their ninth studio album, “Life Goes On” released in the US in late 2010 carries their original cheerful melodies and sing-a-long lyrics. Opening up with “Spank Me Baby” definitely sets the mood. The album then plunges through a variety of sounds ranging from “The Whole Worlds Gone Mad” that gets you ready for a good old fashion pogo dance and a very well mastered instrumental track, “Gangster.” This twelve song + bonus track album is written to be played live and there is
no other band that takes more pride in their live performances than the Adicts. Eight years after their last glamorous performance down south for the “Like Clockwork World Tour” in 2003 in San Antonio, TX, The Adicts finally came back to show us how to party during their latest “Organized Confusion Tour” in March of 2011. With no shows in Austin, TX, they sure sent out an earthquake from San Antonio to Austin. With powerful songs of praise and party favorites such as streamers, confetti, playing cards, joker hats, bubbles, beach balls, and glitter, The
Adicts made sure that the White Rabbit would be hosting a memorable shindig. O my little brothers, your humble narrator would like to viddy well but no one can say it better than Monkey. “We just did what punk bands did until we developed our own style and voice. It was, and is, all about the band as a concept, not just the music, but the look, the attitude, the essence of the Adicts, that is not found anywhere else.”
INTERVIEW WITH MONKEY Briefly describe your song writing process? “Wow It’s changed alot over the years, We used to bring in Ideas in the early days now we go in blank. Last 4 CDs had no rehearsal Me Pete and Kid write together.”
Any advice for for people who what to form their own bands ? “Just do it. Don’t worry If your sound Isn’t together Talent will come with time. It takes BALLS.”
How often are song Ideas trashed?
Who are some of your favorite acts today?
“Alot more earlier, Now not so much now. We might use some of the old stuff that was lost , blend it with current Ideas.”
“Don’t have many, but I do like acts like Arcade Fire, The Killers. Been listening to some Glam and Pop.”
Whats the biggest challenge as a band? “Staying HEALTHY ! After 30 years its really All hard, we love it though.” Biggest challenges on the road? “Travel , getting to the venue Its all hard.“ What moment did you realize that The Adicts were a major force in the music world? “Not Yet! Still looking!” Many bands starting out now seek record label representation and feel that is a pinnacle of success , whats your advice to them ? “The Deal Is Hard to find now a days . LIVE shows are a must. Build up your fan base get the merchandise together and get on the road. Keep the faith.”
Do you feel that band that have been together for awhile like The Adicts 30 years + can be considered a thing of the past ? “Some do seem to be. As long as you continue to have a love for performing and being out there with you fans with enthusiasm and stay creative its good.” Have you come across on the road or heard any band that remind you of The Adicts ? “Not really much out there. Its hard to compare. There is alot of energy at our shows. Its a party!” Any words for the Adicts fans in Austin TX ? “Wow! It’s HOT AS HELL there! It’s a great Music City. We love the Austin, Texas fans. Thanks for the continued support.”
Interview by: DJ Farley of CFO Productions
ATXMusicMag.com / Apr-Jun 2011 /
15
ALBUM REVIEWS
Album
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Throughout the years Beastie Boys made several albums (Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and The Five Burroughs). Every Album they put together got better and better and it seems that their latest album is no exception “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two”. It starts out with a very typical wacky synth line, followed by bombastic beats, and funny lyrics that only the Beastie Boys can produce. To me it sounds like “Paul’s Boutique” and “Check Your Head” made sweet love while listening to “License to Ill”. In the past the Beastie Boys have worked with some really cutting edge producers like Rick Rubin and The Dust Brothers. This album was mixed by Philippe Zdar who has worked with acts such as M.C. Solar and Daft Punk. “The Hot Sauce Committee part two” features fellow New York rapper NAS on the track “Too Many M.C.’s. The aging Beastie Boys have not gone soft in their mid 40’s, with lyrics like “the proof is in the pudding and the pudding’s in my pants” and “Oh, my God—just look at me/Grandpa been rapping since ’83” they are just as alive as ever despite MCA’s battle with cancer. In classic Beastie Boys form the album has everything from old school hip hop, reggae beats, and fast up tempo punk styles. Of course the new album would not be complete without an amazing video from b’ boys, “Fight For your Right Revisited”. The video continues where the original “Fight for Your Right” ends. Seth Rogan, Danny McBride, and Elijah Wood playing the part of the Beastie Boys as they tear through the streets of New York City causing mayhem and destruction. The video also has cameos from just about every actor that was available at the time, from Susan Sarandon to Amy Poehler. At the end of the thirty min video they have an epic dance off with the Beastie Boys from the future that is played by Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and John C. Reilly.
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues Seattle folk harmonizer and Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold had unfinished business after their first self-titled album in 2008. With the help of Producer Phil Ek and in the same studio Nirvana recorded “Bleach,” the influences of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young set a more dynamic thrust and natural sound. The peaceful mood is set by Pecknold’s vocals, though one can’t help but be blown away by the energetic breakdown of the sax in songs like “Sim Sala Bim” and “The Shrine/An Argument.”
Dwarves - Born Again The time has come…new Dwarves “Born Again” is here and not disappointing at all. Once again, any taboo subject is on the table: suicide, drug use, sex, “your girl’s mom”…they give it to you. Being one of the most politically incorrect bands and self-proclaimed best rock n’ roll band in the world, they sure back their shit up with in-your-face lyrics, lovely guitar riffs and harmonies, and samples in this perfectly produced album. I didn’t think they could do it better but boy was I wrong. Dwarves’ “Born Again” makes me feel perfectly fine about being bad and thinking dirty. It is a must have for any fan of rock n’ roll! 9.9 out of 10…I know, ridiculous rating.
Face to Face - Laugh Now, Laugh Later With the return of Face to Face and their new album “Laugh Now, Laugh Later” a big smile is on my face. The first track starts off very rock n’ roll-y but didn’t dig it too much. However, the album kicks major ass from the start of track two and on. The songwriting is very mature lyrically while the riffs are in classic Face to Face fashion. You will be surprised to hear some killer solos in this album as well, as the band has never had that in the past (this is not saying that they needed them). But damn, Trever shreds with lyric delivery and melodies. It’s a really feel good album with tons of soul. A must have in my opinion.
Gorillaz - The Fall When listening to The Fall, give it a cushion. It’s a road-rendered album, recorded completely on Damon Albarn’s ipad during the Gorillaz’ 2010 tour. Its appropriately quiet release is a telling indication of its content. While several tracks sound precisely as though Albarn was larking around with a new toy, the bright spots (‘Revolving Doors’, ‘Shy-town’, ‘Amarillo’) on this obviously experimental album make it worth a listen. Not even the most forgiving, open-minded Gorillaz apologists would argue with the assertion that several tracks consist entirely of noise for noise’s sake, but the few diamonds make the rough worth sifting through.
The Parlor
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Kurt Vile aka “The Constant Hitmaker”, released his Fourth full length LP called “Smoke Ring for my Halo” this past March. For those who don’t know, Kurt is a native Philly artist that has a unique finger-picking guitar style and many tricks, for a lack of better words, in that sleeve of his. The presence Kurt brings in this album is striking compared to the latter of his previous works. Along with the imaginative guitar licks are some refined vocal harmonies through out this superbly recorded album. “Baby’s Arms” has a brilliant atmosphere, with an acoustic charm and water like synthesizer touches. The lyrics such as “I get sick of just about everyone, and I hide in my baby’s arms” discuss themes of escaping the droning world, and the comforts of love. Vile brings that 90’s alternative nostalgia that most people had forgotten. “Puppet to the Man” is a good example of some overdriven and cool phased sounding riffs with subtle reverb on vocals. Kurt Vile uses unusual tunings and heartening vocals that make for a great album. “Smoke Ring for My Halo” inspires me to pick up my guitar every time I listen.
16 16 / /Apr-Jun Jan-Mar2011 2011/ /ATXMusicMag.com ATXMusicMag.com
Rating
9.5 Review by: Cesar
Rating
8.0 Review by: Lazarus
Rating
9.9 Review by: Cool Arrow
Rating
9.0 Review by: Cool Arrow
Rating
5.0
Review by: Meast Shweesterton
Rating
8.6 Review by: Cane-O
Reviews
ALBUM REVIEWS
The Strokes - Angles
The much-anticipated fourth strokes album picks up where the band left off five years ago- with an obvious yearning for growth and versatility. Incorporating the Strokes’ 70’s style beats with more electronic flavor than previous albums, Angles shows more unpredictability than the band has displayed in past albums, undoubtedly due to a much more collaborative creative input amongst the band members. The album takes listeners on a roller coaster ride exploring the highs and lows of the emotional scale and Julian Casablancas vocal range. Although this mixed bag collection of songs tends to not flow well at times, the album is punctuated by such gems as Under Cover Of Darkness, Taken For A Fool, and Gratisfaction that remind die-hard Strokes fans of why they fell in love with the band in the first place, and new listeners why they should want the band to pull together for a fifth album.
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Increasingly apropos with each listen, LCD Soundsystem’s third and final album, This is Happening, enshrines James Murphy’s reputation as a step ahead of cool. Lyrically, the album upholds the intrepid passive-aggressive teasing that ironically caught the ears of the hipsters and non-conforming-conformists that he mocked on LCD’s first single, ‘Losing My Edge.’ Musically, This is Happening is as hit-and-miss (granted the hits are haymakers) as LCD’s first two EPs. Three minutes into the first track, ‘Dance Yourself Clean,’ impatient fans might find themselves anxious to label it a miss and hastily move on. Don’t be fooled. The circular monotony breaks into a synth-heavy club-thumper that forces any LCD Soundsystem fan to obey the song title. This pattern rings true for the rest of the album: just when you think a piece has gone stale, Murphy hits you with the eargasm you were waiting for.
Rating
6.4 Review by: Rubuyto
Rating
7.0
Review by: Meast Shweesterton
Rating
TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light Never pulling the same trick twice, TVOTR steers away from the experimental futuristic-funk of their 2006 “Return to Cookie Mountain” and 2008’s “Dear Science.” After a hiatus of over a year, members Kyp Malone, Tunde Adebimpe and Dave Sitek had a chance to tackle individual solo projects to add a more mellow mood of cosmic soul, falsetto and psychedelic sound. For the first time, this Brooklyn art-funk band recorded a CD outside the borough of their birth in L.A. With tracks such as “Keep Your Heart,” it wanders from one looped element to another and climaxes into an organic and purely vocal experiment. It just so happens that every new sonic wardrobe TVOTR donned was as lovely as the one before and maybe a bit more gentle. Even so, TV on the Radio are very much still here.
7.8 Review by: Lazarus
AT XMM TOP MP3 D OWNLOADS Happy Hour
Drunkin Punkin Idiots
The Quitters
Isle of White
“Lew Se Cago”
“Airplane”
“Code Red”
“Say You Still Love Me”
Jonny Castle
Screamin Yeehaws
Holiday
Driver F
“New Perspective”
“Outlaw Ways”
“Heart Can’t Take”
“Temple of Doom”
Embassy Skates
ATXMusicMag.com ATXMusicMag.com//Jan-Mar Apr-Jun2011 2011// 17 17
R U O Y IS
R E T N I R P KING YOU MA
R E T T E B A ER? H S I L PUB
BUSINESS BOOSTER FREE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
WE MAKE PUBLISHERS BETTER
Meet our 4 industry experts that keep you on the cutting edge of publishing
Email us today for free samples and a quote at samples@shweiki.com • 512.480.0860 THE SHWEIKI
PRICE. QUALITY. SPEED.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Joe Pulizzi, Founder of Junta 42 PUBLICITY & PROMOTION Jill McGuckin, McGuckin Entertainment PR
GET-ALL-THREE GUARANTEE Learn more at shweiki.com
ONLINE STRATEGIES Ryan Dohrn, Brain Swell Media, LLC SALES TRAINING Jenaé Rubin, Sales Powerhouse
PLANT TOURS AVAILABLE!
Contact Ashley to set up your tour today • 210.804.0390
www.SHWEIKI.com
18
/ Jan-Mar 2011 / ATXMusicMag.com