June 2013 Target Audience Magazine

June 2013

Thomas

Dodd

“From the very onset, I always tried to give my work a painterly feel...�

What Duvall does for

Alice In Chains

Author Exchange

offers opportunity for indie authors to get feedback and exposure

How I Got Into Fleetwood Mac (playing Atlanta this month)

Indie Bible for musicians

Artist & Entrepreneur Owner of north Atlanta art/music store talks business and cover art

Digitization debate:

is iTunes hurting or helping indie bands?

/ index /

/staff/ Ellen Eldridge Russell Eldridge Victor Schwartzman David Feltman Danielle Boise

Editor in Chief Music Editor Poetry Editor Editor, staff writer Senior writer, photographer

/contributers/

Staff Voices: poetry editor poetry....................................... 3 The photographic art of Thomas Dodd........................... 4 Comic: 2D Real Estate by Cyan Jenkins.............................6

Donn Aaron, Danielle Boise, Ellen Eldridge, Russell Eldridge, Richard Faulkner, David Feltman, Eric J. Guignard, Cyan Jenkins, Jerel Johnson, Miceal Kearney, Jeff Miles, Eric Miller, Cynthia Pelayo, Rose Riot, Jim Rose, Victor Schwartzman, Ally Rae Walton

How I got into THAT band: Fleetwood Mac..................... 7 Scam, Fraud and Con Artists Beware................................ 8 How music inspires us.......................................................... 9 How one artist turned her passion to business............ 10 Author Exchange..................................................................12 Digitization Debate: iTunes helping?............................. 14 Inaugural Shaky Knees Festival battles weather, wins........................................................ .16 What William Duvall does for Alice in Chains.............. 18 Advice on publishing writing.............................................19 Promotion tips: pay it forward........................................ .20 SLAM: internship for poets...........................................................21

Musician’s resource: The Indie Bible..................................22 Alice In Chains: The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here............ 23 Daft Punk: Random Access Memories......................... 23 Kylesa: Ultraviolet.................................................................24

Want to contribute or advertise?

Armed With Legs: Armed With Legs................................24

email ellen@targetaudiencemagazine.com

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June 2013

S t a f f V o i c e s - V i c t o r S c h wa r t z ma n In place of a dedicated editorial space, Target Audience Magazine will offer a “staff voices” page to showcase the work of regular contributing staff.

Victor Schwartzman is our poetry editor and has been since 2007, the first year Target Audience Magazine published. As poetry editor, Victor generally makes decisions about poets to feature and, since about 2010, he has written the bulk of the features. His years of experience as a writer, starting with a creative writing minor in college, have gleaned many poems, pithy (he hopes) fables, a graphic novel that may or may not have been finished and at least one full play (with eight included songs).

Often referring to himself as Victor from Vancouver, he has twice (that I know of ) been a fan guest of honour at the Keycon science fiction and fantasy convention (held in Winnipeg, Canada).

Victor the editor wrote book reviews for OutsiderWriters.org and he edited a Nigerian topical mystery novel, “Treachery in the Yard.”

Obviously, he was the wisest choice I ever could have made for a poetry editor, and he has never called me out on my inability to write a well-thought-out email. Over the course of our friendship I earned nearly (2014) two degrees, married and had two babies. His patience rivals my ambition and so we have stayed friends all these years despite my lack of time to be friendly.

I am thankful for Victor’s withstanding of my abuse because he truly is one of my most professional and dedicated staff members I’ve had the pleasure of abusing.

I find all this ironic in light of the poem he’s chosen to publish here: “Errol’s love life” -Ellen Eldridge, EIC

Errol’s love life I know my wife loves me absolutely a shrug of love is what I give to her I know my mistress loves me not at all a shrug of love is all I want from her I know my needs opening up is dangerous more than a shrug and I’m scared * Finally met his mistress waited way too long to see the big difference but she was me I was in love until I knew him then we grew distant, though I tried Now I’m done time to save myself I learned that from him, his only gift * Errol knows nothing about any of us he’ll never change but he’s changing me I know…enough to hate loving him I enjoyed being a witness at his divorce Love is toxic when only one way I must save myself…tomorrow

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What do you

see in

Thomas

Dodd’s

photo

graphy?

By Rose Riot

I first saw the work of Thomas Dodd on Facebook. A model that I had used and was Facebook friends with had posted pictures from a shoot she had done with a photographer named Thomas Dodd. I was intrigued; his work didn't look like my photographs for sure and bore little resemblance to the work I saw of other photographers. I was new to digital technology and whatever editing process he was using at the time went way over my head.

A few years later a very good friend of mine did a shoot with him and, again, I was amazed and baffled. As my tech savvy increased, rather than being less mystified by his work, I was more mystified. I started really looking at all the elements of art in his work.

When I first studied film photography many years ago, there was a debate as to whether photography was really an "art," but my answer was always, "Yes!" As we have moved into the digital camera age, the debate has changed from whether photography is viable art to whether or not post processing images is an art.

Does post processing take away from the artistic aspects of photography?

After reading this and looking at Dodd’s work, the question will be answered for you:

Thomas Dodd is a true artist.

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June 2013

From the very onset, I always tried to give my work a painterly feel.

3. How long did it take you to come up with your own style?

About a year or so of working hard every single day!

4. What are your feelings on how over saturated the creative market (due to technology) has become particularly with photography?

This is actually a good thing for me and the kind of image-making I do. Now that photography as documentation has become accessible to the masses (more so than ever) people look more and more for what they can NOT do when they hire an image-maker.

5. I read that you think it’s important to branch out beyond your local market. What do you mean by that?

1. How long have you been a photographer?

I first began taking photographs when I was a teenager in the 1970s. My father was an avid photography enthusiast and from him I learned the basics of the craft and most importantly, how to capture a good portrait.

However, I left Photography behind in my late teens when I became a musician. For two decades I was a working musician playing in bands, touring and putting out albums. It wasn’t until the advent of the internet and home recording becoming available on the computer that I became aware of and intrigued by editing programs like Photoshop. Editing other people’s pictures on the net got me back into photography again and I bought a digital camera shortly thereafter (around 2006).

2. How did you make the transition from from editing like a normal photographer to editing like Thomas Dodd (or have you always had a unique editing style)?

If you choose to compete with the locals, then you will stay local. If you choose to work together with your peers to better each other and then set your sights on competing with the national talent, you will rise above the petty back-biting and mediocrity that aspiring artists often find themselves embroiled in.

As an artist,it has always been my aim to be known nationally. I do not think of myself as competing in the local market. Atlanta is just one of many cities that I have shows in and I network with artists all over the world.

6. At what point in your career were you able to do photography for a living?

Quite recently actually - within the past year...

7.Have you ever wanted to give up?

That has never been an option for me because being an artist is simply who and what I am, not something I am “trying” to do...

I think I have always had a unique style.

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8. Without giving away your secrets can you tell us a little about your editing process?

The method I use in my work is something I call “Painting With Photography” Through a technique called layer masking that I employ in photo-editing software, I stack, layer and blend different photos together to create a final image that looks much more like an oil painting than a photograph.When the image is printed, I often mount it on wood panels and then paint over the print with finishing gel or beeswax - this is a method called photo encaustic painting and it gives a tangible real texture on top of the photographed ones.Even though most of my compositing is done in the computer, I view my work as an organic composite of elements and always strive for the end result to be both beautiful and thought-provoking.

9. What are you influenced by creatively outside of photography (ie. I’m a photographer but classic movies and ‘80s music videos are one of my biggest inspirations.)

Centuries - the Symbolists ( especially Gustav Klimt and Edvard Munch) and the Pre Raphaelites (John William Waterhouse in particular). There are also elements of Maxfield Parrish and Giuseppe Arcimboldo in my work. I am also a huge supporter of the modern realism movement in painting which was spearheaded by the great Norwegian painter Odd Nerdum and is now being propelled by younger painters like Richard T Scott and Alexandra Manukyan.

10. Who are your favorite photographers?

Photographers that have had an impact on me are the Czech erotic photographer Jan Saudek, and the great fashion storyteller Helmut Newton.

Find more of Thomas Dodd’s photographic art at

I am influenced predomin ately by painters: I like the Renaissance masters for the way they rendered skin tones and lighting (particularly Caravaggio and Rembrandt) and am probably most influenced stylistically and thematically by two movements from the late 19th/early 20th

y

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June 2013

http://thomasdodd.com

How I got into THAT band...!

If you want to share your story of how you discovered the band or artist that influenced you and helped you define yourself during your formative years or after--email 500 words to ellen@targetaudiencemagazine.com

Fleetwood Mac

By Danielle Boise The flux of music radiating around my childhood home, played by my parents, inspired my love and appetite for a variety of music. From New Wave and Cyndi Lauper to Michael Jackson’s glitter glove, The Go-Go’s “Summer Vacation” and everything else that came along, I am a child and bi-product of the ‘80s. Every wave and tide of music flowed through our house and I’m very grateful for the introduction to more than one music genre that both my music-loving parents threw at me. When I’m asked, “What is your favorite band or favorite song?” I’m stumped because the list is so immense.

about the raw, honesty that is so transparent with the ability to express it so clearly and succinctly.

Even though personally they were in such pain and turmoil they were able create something truly magi“Freedom” inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” My dad’s musical taste stayed in line with rock and the cal and beautiful art by Ariadna Vicente www.ariadnavicente.com current musical trends of the day, from Queen’s “Bohemi- that has been able an Rhapsody” to The Doors’ “Light My Fire” and Wham!’s to transcend over 30 years, and is what I would consider “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” while my mom enjoyed timeless. old school country like Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn; Big Band always flittered in the background.

They were able to access that part of themselves, to fully My mom, sister and I wore out the tape—yes tape; not realize it and express it in a manner that people 30-years vinyl, post 8-track and pre-cd—of Leslie Gore’s “It’s My from now will be able to know exactly what it means to Party.” It literally disintegrated in our hands. Charlene’s fall in and out of love, the pain that is associated with it, “I’ve Never Been to Me” constantly played on loop until yet to feel fully alive. the needle wore the vinyl down.

I find it funny now that my childhood, granted Rumours was pre-childhood when it came out, how life transiMusic has the ability to act as the soundtrack to our lives, tions and we each go into our phases, from one point to conveying simple to complex feelings and emotions another point. What is hip and popular in one moment through the format of music. becomes a classic down the road for another generation.

In three minutes, a song can seer into your psyche, accessing part of yourself that you don’t even know exists. Great music opens every pore in your body and then redefines your DNA, restructuring your thoughts and providing you with the strength of conviction.

If I had to pick a favorite artist, hands down Fleetwood Mac would win because Rumours, had such an impact on my life. For me it’s

I feel so lucky that Fleetwood Mac was able to make something so unbelievably touching, that it still touches me today and it’s hit every milestone in my life and I can only imagine that they will continue to do so – from “Dreams” to “Silver Springs” to everything in between.

Fleetwood Mac has been at every point in my life. I love to watch the evolution of bands and artists, but right there in itself, Rumours is perfection and it feels like a gift, at least to me.

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Jim Rose Circus Scam, Fraud and Con Artists Beware

By Jim Rose As I state in the introduction to my book “Snake Oil: Life’s Caluculations, Misdirections, and Manipulations,” the roots of all business and magic can be found in the rook of snake oil.

toward their mouth are going upward. They never breathe in during this act.

The key is to breathe out

The problem with getting a real street “My topics will always cover subjects that education is that you have to go through a make the brain thinks in term of angles, lot of hard knocks and and that is the core to marketing.” pain for the degree. I have remedied that dilemma for the masses by contributing monthly to Target Audience Magazine because, in my opinion, being street wise is crucial to furthering artistic careers and, in some cases, it’s just fun to know this stuff.

Flaming Banana Fire-Eating Half of this act is making the torches. Fire eaters take cotton strings off a mop, tighten them into a ball with copper wire, and affix the ball around the end of a coat hanger. The ball is then squirted with lighter fluid.

Once the torch is lit, fire eaters lick their lips to make sure the mouth is moist. They arch their head back as far as it can go, so that the flames brought

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slowly enough so as not to put the flames out. They continue breathing slowly out of their mouth as the fire is lowered.

Pour a little alcohol in a bowl and light a match to it. Peel a banana and dip one end into the alcohol.

Bring the flaming banana to your mouth and eat it bit by bit. *This stunt is done the same way as fire eating.

Wet your lips and mouth with saliva, hold your head back (at about 75 degrees) so that the fire doesn’t burn the roof of your mouth. Exhale as you close your mouth on the banana.

June 2013

How music inspires us

By Richard Faulkner

Last night, I was driving home from an out of town job site and happened upon a classic rock station. As I listened to the music I grew up with, I realized just how much of an impact music has made on my life.

I was listening to “Spirit of Radio” when I got my first speeding ticket. AC/DC was playing in the background on the bus ride home from a high school band trip when my girlfriend (at the time) was giving me head while I chatted with the chaperone.

The first song I heard was “Don’t Look Back” by Boston; the memories started to process as I was returned to a time when I didn’t have a care in the world.

I still can’t believe we didn’t get caught!

After a few moments I started to think, what was I doing when I heard “Highway To Hell” for the first time? Think about it... what were you doing when you heard it for the first time? I heard it on my dad’s stereo in his pickup truck. Believe me, he changed the station pretty quickly, but I remember where I was, what I was doing and who I was with. Music is a reminder of good times, bad times (great Zeppelin song by the way) and imprints on your brain the memory of that moment.

I guess what I am saying is I am grateful and honored to be a musician, blessed with a talent to bring the sounds I hear in my head out so that others can hear them.

I love seeing the reaction on my two-yearold son’s face when I play something on my guitar, and my wife’s reaction when I sing a song for her. There is nothing on this planet that can match that feeling!

A word of advice from a tired old man: remember the music you are hearing and playing. Give thanks for those who created the music preceding the music you hear today because the music you hear now was ultimately brought to life by the old stuff you hear on the classic stations.

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From Artist to Entrepreneur ...

By Ellen Eldridge

and back again

Interview with Lara Cazenave, co-owner of Play! Music and Art

the deal went through. Turnbull bought the rights to the photo of the painting and the rights to reproduce it.

I first became interested in Lara Cazenave when I heard about the business she and her husband opened in Holly Springs, Ga., in late 2010. Play! Music and Arts combines art lessons with music lessons in a retail store setting.

everything in between would be an understatement!

I finally made the time to contact and interview Lara after noticing on Facebook her original art was purchased for the cover of Sarah Turnbull’s book, “All Good Things.”

The feeling of community and Cazenave’s painting came from a importance on learning and conseries she did that “mostly all tinuing the arts that are too often related to the ocean,” she said. being tapered off in public schools “She was looking for something permeates from the painted guitar water based and abstract.” image on the store front window.

Lara is the artist, while her Cazenave said Turnbull emailed husband, Jonathan, is the her out of the blue, and she felt musician (and lead guitar teacher). cynically surprised as any savvy artist should be when asked to The initial draw to the business send banking information for paycame because of a connection I ment of an art purchase. had in the local community, Kyle Lovely (who was also mentioned “She said to just send my bankin our March 2013 feature on ing information over so she could NAMM as a Casio-endorsed musi- wire the money,” Cazenave said. “I cian who made the most out of spoke to some other people who opportunities at the convention). said that’s really more common in The rest of my excitement grew Europe and Australia. They even upon first glance at the clean, print routing numbers on busifriendly and artistic yet easy-toness cards, but here it’s associated use website at playmusicandart. with scams.” com.

After asking for a PayPal payment My first child was born November instead, a long wait ensued that 29, 2010, which was probably again made Cazenave feel the within days of the opening of Play! opportunity to sell her painting Music and Art, and my second for a published book cover was child was born November 27, too good to be true, but as ironic 2012, so to say I was busy as that feeling was in light of the managing a career, family and book’s title (“All Good Things”), 10

June 2013

“She didn’t tell me that the image was going to be textured, but you can actually feel the texture of the paint on the book cover,” Cazenave said. Several cover variations will and do exist, so

Cazenave wasn’t sure what cover would appear when the book publishes in the United States, but she is pictured above holding the textured-cover copy that Turnbull sent to her.

Cazenave admitted that she hasn’t had much time to work on her fine art since opening Play! Music and Art. She said she had always been interested in art, but never pursued it formally until an acquaintance in college encouraged her to take some summer art classes.

She smiled as she recalled the conversation with her mom, “By the way mom, I’m not gonna be

a veterinarian; I’m gonna be an artist,” Cazenave said. “I ended up with a degree in interior design.

It was a sort of compromise that allowing me to utilize art, but was more practical.”

As the day-to-day work of corporate interior design lacked the fuel to keep Cazenave truly inspired, the opportunity to help as an administrator at her father’s company presented itself.

“I stepped in to help at my dad’s company; it was convenient because I could get married, have a baby and work from home,” she said. The flexible schedule also included the advantages of gaining experience with book keeping and the day-to-day responsibilities of running a small business.

Ironically enough, the experience of having a baby indirectly led to the work Cazenave sold for Turnbull’s book cover!

“When my daughter was born I switched to watercolor,” Cazenave said as she explained how the necessity of leaving paint brushes drove her away from acrylic work.

“With acrylic paint, if you leave paint on the brush it dries and can ruin the brush,” she said. “With a young baby on an irregular eating and sleeping schedule, it was a better idea to use watercolors even though it’s a more challenging media in some other ways.”

One of Cazenave’s best features remains her open and fluid personality. She reflected about the choices she made and the directions her life has taken her with a quality that spoke to her artistic

spirit.

“As my life has changed, I’ve explored different media and done different things,” she said.

Cazenave and her husband had spoken about opening a music store or about at least expanding their house to accommodate lessons, but when they met Kyle Lovely that passion to do something they really loved grew into a business plan.

Though the Cazenaves didn’t have “as formal a marketing plan as someone with a business background would have had,” she said, “we did have those elements in place. We were better prepared than most to open a small business.”

I’m doing and I look at everything like a season of life.”

She laughed heartily at the idea of advising other potential small business entrepreneurs to move their passion for creating in to a business or teaching others.

“I didn’t really do anything. I didn’t really solicit this so I don’t know that I could offer any advice,” said Cazenave. “We’re definitely still growing.”

Personally, I believe Lara Cazenave is just modest. She has taken her passion for creating art and transformed it into not only a business but also a community opportunity that employs artists as well as creates new ones. My hope is that Play! Music and Art will stick around for many years to inspire the future artists and musicians in the north Georgia area.

If you’re in the area visit: www.playmusicandart.com.

In thinking on the fact that the watercolor painting chosen for Turnbull’s book was one of the last times Cazenave got to work on her own art, she said that getting a business up and running is all-encompassing, but the fact that she “I employ other artists gets to give and provide opportuniback to the artistic comties. I think that’s very munity mean important” a lot to her.

“I employ other artists and provide opportunities. I think that’s very important,” she said. “It’s a tough industry and you have to put yourself out there. I feel like I haven’t had as much time for my personal art, but I’m okay with that because I really like teaching kids. I enjoy what

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Promotion for Authors: Author Exchange “Social media serves as a platform where current relationships with customers can be nurtured and new relationships can be formed.”

Yet what’s the point of building relationships, creating conversation and nurturing relationships if ultimately it cannot sustain the business we run? Charity?

These are the ideas behind the “author exchange” – an opportunity for authors to read each other’s work and comment on both the quality of the content as well as the opportunities for reaching a fanbase.

Have you ever read a book or even a poem and thought, “This would encourage my friend going through a breakup” or “My horror geek friend would eat this up”?

Every author has an inherent way to inspire someone; seeking that wisdom and inspiration is why most people read in the first place!

Sharing ideas with an author on how to encourage and reach his or her audience will also help that writer key in to aspects that will make his or her book sell better.

In the end, we create to make a living. Unless you truly are an artist who wants to work through your own pain or find a footing in the act of creating (a student) you need to start thinking not only of how to write a stellar song or ‘the great American novel” but also of how to reach those who will be most helped by your art.

If you’d like to read and provide feedback on a book in exchange for feedback on yours, contact: ellen@targetaudiencemagazine.com with the subject “author exchange.”

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Cynthia Pelayo’s “Santa Muerte” is an intriguing Supernatural Young Adult novel with a captivating and realistically drawn heroine. The Post Mortem Press book is filled with deep characterizations and a mystery-filled plot that pulls the reader into the life of 17-year-old Chicago high school student Ariana Molina and the troubled past that is catching up to her with a vengeance.

Young Ari dreams of being a journalist and using the power of the pen to change her native Mexico for the better, but her dreams are put on hold when her father Reynaldo, a drug-cartel fighting Mexican policeman, shows up in America unannounced. Reynaldo is immediately involved in a car accident that kills another person and puts him in the hospital. As Ari visits him and they reconnect, the narrative begins to peel back the layers of the father/daughter relationship and Ari’s previous life in Mexico.

She soon becomes the target of a murderous gang that is moving into Chicago, a gang that has formed a death cult around the spectral Santa Muerte (“Saint Death”). Nightmares and visions of the female personification of Death begin stalking Ari, as do the very real and very violent gangsters who suspect she is their enemy Reynaldo’s daughter. Her life spins out of control as Death closes in from all sides, and she desperately tries to figure out who to trust in order to keep her and her family safe.

The supernatural element takes a while to kick in, and never really takes over the novel in pure horror fashion, but there are chills a plenty thanks to nightmares both real and in Ari’s fitful slumbers. The book gives

June 2013

nice insight into Mexican culture and the worship of Santa Muerte, while at the same time illustrating the true horrors of the drug war that is tearing millions of lives apart. The many side characters are well written and believable; cartel boss Yarinda in particular is a chilling villain, but one with businesslike purpose that makes her all the more frightful. “Santa Muerte” is a good read, fully of great characters and nightmare visions that haunt the reader after the final pages are done.

Eric Miller is the editor of Bram Stoker Award® nominated anthology “Hell Comes To Hollywood,” which has won the Literary Honors Award from the 6th annual SHOCKFEST Film Festival in Hollywood. Visit: http://www.bigtimebooks.com/

Editor Eric Miller’s horror anthology Hell Comes to Hollywood brings us 20 fictional tales crafted by powerful writers that leave us wondering – Is this what really goes on behind the tinsel of Tinseltown? When we take a peek behind the velvet curtain into that VIP world what we find in this land of movies and stars are business-minded sociopaths, vengeful spirits, a handful of creatures, and an actor or two pushed toward madness, or maybe they were just mad all along?

Miller directs this collection comprised of Hollywood professionals who have served in a range of capacities in the Los Angeles media based industry from horror movie development, acting, producing, artistry and, of course, writing.

The tone and style of each story of this Bram Stoker Award nominated work varies, which provides readers with a fresh take as they move on to the next tale. We are brought into the golden era of horror movies with Andrew Helm’s Muse in which an inspiring writer meets a beautiful brunette with a taste for more than just fame.

Then, we are brought back to the present with Joseph Dougherty’s Town Car, a story about a town car driver who picks up and drops off rich and spoiled youthful partygoers, but we are left jolted by his motivations and intentions. Classic movie stars of the silver screen come out to play in Alan Bernhoft’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollywood in which famed actors are the audience to a killer lurking in dark corners. We find desperation which leads to terror in many of these pieces, such as in Jeff Seeman’s The Cutting Room and Richard Tanne’s The Power: In both, the desperate drive to achieve and create leads to horrific consequences. Aesthetic obsession is also present in Ann Lewis Hamilton’s Pool Boy and Jed Strahm’s and Ray G. Ing’s I’d Like to Thank… Then, Elizabeth J. Musgrave brings us the occult in Cattle Call with a very interesting but fitting twist from what the reader expects. Stand outs abound such as James Grayford’s poem The Bridge and Travis Baker’s haunting Pyre.

Many of these characters are tortured and the drive to create and find fame, or maintain it, in this land of influence and power makes this a fitting read for lovers of horror. For those afraid of what they’ll find on this movie screen I insist providing this work a read because you never know what really goes on in Hollywood.

Cynthia (cina) Pelayo grew up in a haunted house with very superstitious parents in inner city Chicago. She went on to pursue a Master of Fine Art in Writing at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she says she majored in the macabre. Pelayo’s short story collection, Loteria, is a collection of 54 short stories that explores Latin American superstition, folklore, legend and myth.

She is the Publisher/Gravedigger of Burial Day Books, a boutique horror press. Visit: http://www.burialday.com/ 13

Digitization debate: is iTunes hurting or helping indie bands?

By Donn Aaron, illustration by Cyan Jenkins

The digitization of music has clearly won as far as its Is the musician as much to blame as the being the present and future distridistribution infrastructure bution format. This win has caused Something seems and consumer? everyone involved with creating, very off putting when selling or consuming music to both Now, musicians try to make their fans a band like U2 is benefit and to suffer, but which side aware of their every move. Fans have is actually tipping the scale? using the same become desensitized if not scared off, distribution as my with so much music and artist inforIs a digital format actually next door neighbor’s mation suddenly available by everyhelping or hurting musicians, one—from hack to pro—to everyone. unknown band of At least in the past, if you lacked talent retail outlets and the fans? as a musician, you would never get beginners. your recordings through the filters One can only look around and listen to the strong opinions of those working within the that labels and radio provided. How about retailers? boundaries of this current system. On a broad scale, If any retailers are left beyond online outlets, another do musicians seem to be doing better or worse these booming NO would resonate. If any brick and mortar days? The answer is clearly obvious when you ask retailers have survived, they aren’t doing well. most of them: a resounding NO. Sure, artists can easily get their material onto iTunes just like known label acts, but with that comes the insatiable ability for most of them to hound and abuse their fans. Check out the blogs of Michael Brandvold, a veteran music marketing guru who is constantly talking about how to not be an aggressive spamming musician. Brandvold says that many musicians resort to relentless promotion tactics, and digitization has taken the most important element—mystique—out of most music.

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Through digitizing music, the consumer gained a power never before experienced: the ability to skip through music at lightning speed. With vinyl, 8-track, cassette or reel to reel tape, and even the radio request line, it was not easy to accurately skip through your music listening experience like you can with digital versions. I have seen this in action from both musicians and music fans. I rarely see anyone actually listen to a full song anymore. Has the ability to “skim” through unlimited music by almost every artist and song at any time diminished the “mystique” of actually listening to music?

June June2013 2013

Do the musicians selling via iTunes, Spotify, At the same time, one of the only ways left standing Internet radio spins and streaming down- for artists to place their music is in TV shows, commerload plays averaged fair rates of return for? cials and movies. More often than not, the artists are

asked to essentially donate their music for the “credit” of being associated with the project. As a voting One million Internet streams of a song earns the musimember of the Recording Academy Grammy process, cian around $15,000 in revenue paid. That is nowhere their statistics indicate a drastic decrease in revenue near the revenue paid by terrestrial radio. Internet as compared to artists from TV and film projects. radio suppliers have collectively lobbied the US government and succeeded in garnering laws that allow As a session guitarist, I once re-worked a song for a them to pay artists substantially less for their art, while major artist who was having trouble getting it passed forcing established artists and indies alike to use their because of a sample clearance issue. I created a new systems of distribution. Something seems very off melody and arrangement for the song, which beputting when a band like U2 is using the same districame its signature, and it wound up in a major mobution as my next door neighbor’s unknown band of tion picture. The movie ultimately generated millions beginners. Terrestrial radio has become very narrow of dollars in revenue. It is currently being shown “on in its opportunity for indie artists. demand” on my TV cable service. I was asked for my services to be “for credit” and upon disagreeing was paid $500 in total. My name was listed in the credIf you release music, you will have its, but I have never once benefited from this sort of “credit.”

to use iTunes if you want to try to be taken seriously as an artist. But hey, there is always the option to just give away your recorded music for free. This is the ultimate devaluation of craftsmanship of any kind.

What happens when a person robbing you puts a gun to your head? You give them all you have for free… right?

With so many artists choosing to give away everything they have for free, it appears that the effects of digitizing music has done just the opposite of helping indie artists. It has made them desperate, just like a person being robbed.

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Inaugural Year: Battles weather,wins

By Ally Rae Walton, photos by Danielle Boise The inaugural Shaky Knees Music Festival took over Old Fourth Ward and the Masquerade bringing Atlanta a weekend of hard-hitting bands on May 4 and 5. With three stages set to house 29 bands, Shaky Knees didn’t take the weekend weather report as notice to slow down.

The festival prevailed with precise organization, flawless acoustics and dedicated music fans.

steel guitar hidden off stage, Ellis performed with ease and beauty, something that would soon become the trend of day one at Shaky Knees.

The small crowd spent found shelter under the protection of horse stalls turned beer tents. Sponsored by Dos Equis, festival goers could purchase a $6 Dos Equis Lager or a $7 Newcastle Day one of the fesBrown Ale and Strongbow tival began with Cider. Many fans were spotDeath On Two Wheels ted drinking $18 bottles of performing on the Rex Goliath Pino Grigio or Music Park stage Robert Ellis photo by Danielle Boise Cabernet in hopes of numband Tumbleweed Wanderers on the North ing away the freezing rain Avenue stage. The stages were a three minute walk that continued to fall. Cocktails were available at $7 in the mud away from one another. Halfway beor $11 for a double of Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia Vodka, tween the two stages, the gritty vocals of Death On Southern Comfort, or Bacardi. Beer tents were availTwo Wheels melted perfectly into the light, melodic able throughout the park and were easily located tunes of Tumble Weed Wanders. The placement of if festival goers followed a trail of 6 inch deep mud the three Shaky Knees stages and the scheduling of mixed with straw. bands reeked of flawlessly executed plans by Tim Sweetwood and the Masquerade staff.

Vintage Trouble took over the O4W mainstage at 2:30 p.m. adorned in suits and ready to rock. The Robert Ellis, the first artist to headline the Old Fourth groovy band had a ’50s swing-rock vibe mixed with Ward stage became one of many artists to refersome funk. Vocalist Ty Taylor took no time getting ence the never ending downpour of rain. “It’s wet the soaked crowd into the show, instructing them and rainy and my fingers are freezing,” said Ellis to on how to properly dance in the rain. The mainstage a small crowd, “but I think it will be OK.” Even with a continued to rock throughout the day with perfor16

June 2013

The Lumineers photo by Danielle Boise mances from The Joy Formidable, Gary Clark Jr. and the Saturday headliner, Band of Horses. The Music Park stage rivaled O4W in terms of talent with sets from Moon Taxi, Lucero, and the mystical Jim James, who got into the zone and screamed about his love towards the city of ‘Hotlanta’ while wearing a tailored suit that seemed to dress up his long hair.

Day two of the festival kicked off just nine hours after the sold out Black Angels show in Heaven ended with much welcomed sunshine and the Atlanta sister act von Grey. “It was awesome, not only for us but for the city of Atlanta,” von Grey artist Annika said.

“We were really honored to be a part of [Shaky Knees].”

When headliners Shovels & Rope took over the O4W stage, the sold out Sunday crowd already rivaled the amount of people who battled nature on Saturday. Sunshine proved alluring as crowds surged for Murder By Death and The Heartless Bastards. After a ram-

bunctious performance by Delta Spirit, the crowd split their time between Oberhofer and Kurt Vile & The Violators. If festival goers were paying attention, Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad” could be spotted rocking out and taking pictures with fans in the sound tent by Kurt Vile.

Five minutes into Dr. Dog’s set, clouds rolled in and a rainbow of ponchos emerged. The crowd seemed to take the rain as a cue to dance harder. For those who survived day one, the cold storm proved to be child’s play. After Dr. Dog’s electric performance, Drive

By Truckers took to the Masquerade Music Park stage, shaking the crowd with gritty vocals and rockin’ guitars. As soon as their set of over, The Lumineers began the final set of Shaky Knees with a perfectly-impromptu performance of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” With tunes like “Hey Oh” and “Stubborn Love,” The Lumineers ended Shaky

Knees on an upbeat note.

Plagued by rain and mud, the Shaky Knees Fest proved to be a success in its inaugural year.

Stages were easy to find, shuttles came every 15 minutes as promised and the bands sounded flawless thanks to a festival music noise permit. Without a doubt, Shaky Knees is here to stay.

Dr. Dog photo by Danielle Boise 17

Alice In Chains

Live in Augusta, Ga., at Bell Auditorium Review and photo by Jeff Miles

“When a band gets a new singer they should change the name of the band.”

I’ve made this statement countless times and have always felt strongly about it. Not to say that every band with a new singer is a worse incarnation--A few bands are better, but the change is generally so profound that it is no longer the same band; thus warranting a new name. I was wrong.

I’ll repeat that. In the case of Alice in Chains, I was wrong. A few years ago I could never have imagined anyone other than Layne Staley fronting Alice in Chains. That’s like imagining Heart without Ann Wilson or Soundgarden without Chris Cornell. I couldn’t see it.

Alice in Chains was as much of a vocal band as it was a guitar band, and Staley had one of the most unique voices in rock. Ever. The harmonies between Staley and Cantrell were one of the most distinctive elements of their music. How could anyone else step into the role of lead vocals? That was before William Duvall.

On Black Gives Way to Blue, his first album with the band, Duvall’s voice compliments Cantrell’s to create those signature AIC harmonies, without being a Staley imitation. This new era of AIC with Duvall may have begun as tribute of sorts to Staley, but they are no nostalgia act. The songs on BGWTB and the new singles “Hollow” and “Stone” are as good as any the band has written in the past. The current musical climate may not be as receptive to heavy rock as it was in the early nineties, but Alice in Chains is as vital as any other band in rock or metal.

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Performing on an album is important, but the last variable for this revamped Alice in Chains was how Duvall’s live performance closed the gap between the two eras of Alice In Chains.

AIC opened strong with the first two songs off 1992’s Dirt: “Them Bones” followed by “Dam that River.”

Cantrell still rubs out some of the heaviest and inspired riffs in rock. Few experiences match watching an iconic player like Cantrell play at the top of his abilities.

Duvall nailed the vocals on the older songs leaving no doubt that he belongs in this band. The set spanned every album including the songs “It Ain’t Like That,” “Nutshell,” “Heaven Beside You” and “Got Me Wrong.”

Duvall’s charismatic performance kept the crowd cheering and singing along all night. He was able to find the balance in a band with such a rich history, walking that thin line between singing the classic AIC songs the way they should be sung and adding a creative element to the band (two of the best songs on BGWTB were at least partially written by Duvall), but not fundamentally changing the direction of the band.

A band is clearly back in its prime when fans look forward to hearing the new songs as much as the classics.

From the queasy string bending of “Check My Brain” to the radio hit “Your Decision” to the pummeling riff of their new single, “Stone,” Cantrell and company are a songwriting force back at the forefront of heavy rock.

The highlight for many fans was the encore of “Man in the Box” and “Rooster,” but with a solid lineup and a new album dropping May 28, Alice in Chains has once again positioned itself atop the heavy rock heap and it appears as if they plan to stay there for a while.

June 2013

Getting your writing published

By Victor Schwartzman

Getting your writing (of any kind) published is normally a nightmare.

Many large publishers are only interested in agents’ submissions.

When the vast majority of submissions are never published, and the vast majority of writers do not have agents: problem.

However, digital publishing has turned the industry upside down—sometimes literally, because now you can be on top! And for free! These days, forget the publishers, leave it to the readers to reject you!

What appears inviting should be approached with caution, however. There are money traps to be avoided, and effort easily wasted.

online. Lulu has been around longer. Both offer a basic service at no cost to you. The site will format your copy into a book, complete with cover, advertise it on its site, and take orders to print and ship books. The site gets its cut from each book sold. How big a cut you get depends on the price you set for the book.

clear, and you can quickly end up coughing up cash. My guess is if you asked most sites if your writing needed editing help, they’d all say YOU BET, and charge you for it.

One ugly truth is that becoming your own publisher means promoting your book. Another ugly truth is that writers who are published by mainstream publishers often find their book is not promoted. At least then they can blame the publisher.

“It doesn’t make much sense to publish if you aren’t prepared to promote your book.”

Mainstream publishers print physical copies of books in advance.

Printing, warehousing and distributing books costs a lot. Digital publishing involves none of that.

Your word processing document is formatted into a book which can then be printed on demand.

Print on demand is like printing your manuscript on your own printer, but instead of separate pages you get a complete book.

Lulu and CreateSpace are among the many “free” digital publishers

With on-demand publishing, realize you can only blame yourself if your book fails. In short, getting a basic version of your novel, short stories, songs, poetry or essays into book form ready to be printed So far so good. One problem is is free and easily available. that on demand books with basic formatting often have too wide Selling the book is something else, margins and simply don’t read and it doesn’t make much sense to well. They look clunky. But as soon publish if you aren’t prepared to as you seek to improve formatting, promote your book. you may run into costs. Both sites will be clear that they will charge you for anything additional: fancy Fortunately, promoting is also covers, better layout, etc. The sites possible on the web, and for free. will also offer editing services.

There are bloggers out there writing about your genre. All you have to do is get your work to them and The sites mentioned are clear hope for the best. Literary sites are about the services and charges. plentiful and hungry for new copy.

Some sites visited are far from Send samples to them. However, getting your work out there is a larger discussion than one paragraph.

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Pay it Forward: Promote Your Fellow Writers (in Order to Promote Yourself)

by Eric J. Guignard I’m a firm believer in promoting other writers whom I admire or who have recently accomplished something worthy. Not only because it’s a right-minded and “sensible” thing to do but also because it ultimately helps to promote me.

Let’s face it: Besides your spouse or your mom, nobody wants to hear you talk about yourself and your own “brilliance” all day long. It’s great to talk about writing in general, but you need to mix it up by spreading the word about others’ work as well.

Be part of the social media revolution, chat with other writers, fans, the cute checkout girl, anyone, but chop it up with different aspects of the genre: Share author stories big and small, tips of the craft, events, news. Eventually, people will get to know you as a respected source of knowledge in the world of literature and perhaps even somewhat of an “expert.”

Now, when you respect someone, aren’t you naturally inclined to think of that person when their subject matter expertise comes up?

“My friend Joe is really involved in the literary field. He’s a writer and seems to know everybody! I bet he could recommend a good book since he’s an author as well.”

Sure, people may not talk exactly like that, but the analogy is there and preferable to: “Sheesh,

my friend Joe never stops talking about the one book he’s written. I’m never going to look at it because I’m already sick to death hearing about it!”

To backtrack a bit, I’m not saying that the philosophy of paying it forward is entirely selfindulgent, but I am saying that it’s a net benefit. Talk about others and they’ll talk about you. Exponentially, your audience will increase and in-

Talk about others and they’ll talk about you.

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clude people you would otherwise never have the opportunity to meet yourself.

Pay it forward, primarily by being involved. Consider Jane Austen, one of England’s most famous novelists. She was never publicly acknowledged as a writer of note during her lifetime. She lived and worked in a void, residing in her family’s cottage and scarcely venturing beyond the bounds of her estate. Could she have found success if she’d participated in public events, hob-knobbing with other members of the social elite? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a question fraught with speculation. But she only became recognized post-mortem, AFTER a nephew took her books and began publicizing them on her behalf.

June 2013

Most writers need to network and be part of something greater. Join a writer’s organization and go to conventions. Correspond with peers to discuss strategies, pitfalls, marketing ideas. Tour blogs, review other authors’ books, attend events.

Be considerate: even the roughest of beginners have some advice to offer and good ideas to consider.

But help out those around you, and you’ll be surprised when you begin to receive unasked-for help and promotions regarding your own work.

Remember: A review of your writing from someone else goes a lot further than a review of you, coming from yourself.

Eric J. Guignard writes dark and speculative fiction from his office in Los Angeles. He’s a member of the Horror Writer’s Association, the Greater Los Angeles Writer’s Society, and is the Horror Genre Correspondent for Men’s Confidence Magazine.

He’s also an anthology editor, including: Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations (2012, Dark Moon Books), which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award, and this year’s critically acclaimed release, After Death… (2013, Dark Moon Books). His novella, Baggage of Eternal Night, is scheduled for release in September, 2013 (JournalStone Publishing).

Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com

Poetry Slam: Internship for a poet

By Miceal Kearney

A poetry slam is basically a competition for poets.

Poets come, say their poems, and sometimes there’s a second round, but often one round is all the poets get before a judge decides which poem wins. Is this fair?

Well, it’s no fairer than an editor rejecting your work. The only difference: slam is live. Prizes range from wine, cash or trips to other poetry festivals around the world. But slam is more than this.

Slam is your introduction to exposure and your jumpstart into the editing process.

Poetry slams are opportunities to evolve.

You also learn how to read the audience, and which poems work well with which groups.

Every year 15 poets are selected for Poetry Ireland Introduction Series.

When my first book had just come out, I applied and was selected. A few months after my reading they phoned me and said they liked

the shit.” Afterward, the M.C asked me for that poem and two others for an anthology he was putting together. Winning the Cuisle poetry slam gave me that opportunity. You’re your own pimp.

I went to Chicago, the home of slam, first after winning the Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam. That trip was a rude awakening of shame; I thought I knew how to perform a poem.

Then to Slovenia’s Vilenica Festival where I met writers who’d been tortured by their governments. People who lived in exile because of something they wrote.

I felt like the wren, only in attendance because I won a slam with a poem about Amsterdam. Losing or being rejected didn’t bother me after that realization; I still have my fingernails.

Make them cry, laugh, think ... Give them what they don’t expect.

Ply your trade. Slams act as platforms to try out a new poem. See how it sits; give it its first airing. I think of them as visual edits. After eight years, I can honestly say that taking part in a slam is as arbitrary as rolling a dice. Any poem can win a slam; it’s not you who decides.

The way I approach every slam now: I go with the wining poem.

The thing is, everyone else arrives with the same attitude about the performance of the poem. Only by doing every slam and open mic do you build up your performance level and your confidence. When you do something enough times, it becomes second nature.

what they had heard; they asked would I like to read at the Electric Picnic, which they sponsored. Like I had to think about it!

When you can’t be the best, make them remember you. Vary your set. Make them cry, make them laugh, make them think, make them angry. Give them what they don’t expect.

In Brighton, the Pulse Poetry Festival, I recited a poem about the brutal reality of a cow and calf dying: “Not yet a number in the system/the only record of its existence/a drag mark through

My first collection was published by Doire Press for winning the North Beach Nights’ Poetry Grand Slam. The poem that won was the second part of my ‘trip’ to Amsterdam. The book is called Inheritance, and includes 43 poems about the beauty and reality of life on a farm.

Slam, to me, is work. Use it as your internship into the world of poetry and regular exposure.

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A musician’s resource Review by Russell Eldridge

So, you’ve decided to skip the recording contract and do it yourself.

What does a record company do for a band anyway? Recording has become cheaper and it seems that to some bands a CD feels more like a flier announcing the band’s music than a way to make money doing what they love. At the same time, musicians still need to get their music out there. Where and to whom should musicians submit music? Try Google? Nope, the first ten sites are crap. Now what? The Indie Bible can guide you through your trek, with more than 4200 publications and 3500 radio stations available as a resource.

The Indie Bible recognizes the many different genres and styles of music so you don’t have to worry that the book caters to only rockers if you are looking to promote a country outfit, or rap, or any other style that I can think of. If your band has a sound that doesn’t fit into a category in The Indie Bible you’re most likely doing something wrong or you’re way ahead of your time.

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Once the publication or radio station you care to have promote you has been decided, contact has to be made. To some, it’s natural to their personality to get their foot in the door, but how much of that will shine though in an email?

Also, some just think they have an irresistible swagger and smile.

Imagine how many different submissions a publication receives on a day-to-day basis. The Indie Bible not only contains the contact info, but articles from professionals on what works, what doesn’t and why. Including tips on how to use The Indie Bible itself as a resource.

Could it possibly be made any easier for one to start a career in music? Not for mere mortals.

Seriously, the directories alone would cost $340. So, put down your musical weapon and get to reading and contacting the industry pros. If you feel that all this is too much to handle or you don’t have the resource of time to deal with properly managing and promoting your band or musical outfit, The Indie Bible does contain a section on management

June 2013

and record labels. The fact that an artist or band is “independent” doesn’t preclude it from being on a label or even with a major recording company. There are always aspects to ever career that remain Do-It-Yourself.

The Ultimate Indie Bundle has three components: The Indie Bible e-book, Indie Bible ONLINE and The Indie Venue Bible.

Customers that purchase the Bundle also receive next year’s Indie Bible when it is released in mid December. The Bundle also includes 180 articles written by industry experts that covers all of the main areas of music promotion and playing live. Check it out and let us know if you find it a helpful resource by clicking the banner below. Target Audience Magazine DOES make a referral profit, but I have personally read and reviewed the Indie Bible as a gigging musician.

I play and teach guitar in the north Georgia area (I teach online as well) and I do use the Indie Bible as well as recommend it as a resource.

Alice In Chains

- The Devil Put

Dinosaurs Here

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Review by Jeff Miles

Review by David Feltman

The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is stylistically consistent with the expectations of a new Alice in Chains record, while avoiding the pitfall of sounding like a rehashing of past glories. The new songs demonstrate that the creative and commercial success of Black Gives Way to Blue was not an anomaly, but heralded in a new era for Alice in Chains.

From the Stephen Hawking vocalizations to the funky rhythms, Daft Punk picks up where it left off without missing a beat. But they may have slowed that beat down just a tad. Random Access Memories is the first real album in eight years (not counting the masterful scoring of the “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack). Yet for a comeback album, it doesn’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody.

“Hollow,” “Lab Monkey” and “Stone” are the best examples of the slow, trudging guitar work for which Cantrell is renowned. In “Stone,” the contrast between the brutality of the riff and the eeriness of the lead guitar against the vocal melody create an instant AIC classic.

Duvall’s voice is the perfect companion to Cantrell’s as they share lead vocal duties on these songs. Alice in Chain’s appreciation and dedication to the importance of a great vocal work in hard rock and metal stands out as a distinguishing characteristic more than ever.

The turned-down distortion on “Voices” and “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” recall Jar of Flies.

Bottom line: Does Alice in Chains reinvent the wheel here? No, but the band does add a shiny new spoke to that wheel, and if you’ve enjoyed the past releases, you’ll most likely enjoy this one as well. http://www.aliceinchains.com

Daft Punk’s latest release is content to meander where necessary. The pulse is still there; it’s just not the highenergy thump of previous releases. With tracks ranging anywhere between four-to-nine-minutes, this isn’t an album in a rush to dance its ass off. It’s an album willing to take the time to complete a thought or two.

Random Access Memories catches the duo at its most introspective. The band is fearless in its willingness to strip the sources of its masked identity bare. All at once, there’s something groovy, disco and Motown about the French duos electronic dance compositions.

Daft Punk pulls influences from everywhere: from the Prince style funk on “Lose Yourself to Dance,” to calling in The Temptations’ Paul Williams on “Touch.”

Serving as the band’s thesis statement and rasion d’etre, the most telling track is “Giorgio by Moroder.”

The song begins with an interview from its namesake, discussing his origins in the music business. “Once you free your mind about a concept of harmony and of music being correct you can do whatever you want,” says Moroder, completely and beautifully summing up the album’s entire message. This may not be Daft Punk’s most danceable album, but it’s certainly its most personal. http://www.randomaccessmemories.com/ 23

Kylesa - Ultraviolet

Armed With Legs - Armed With Legs

Review by David Feltman

Review by David Feltman

Kylesa’s special brand of proggy post-sludge lands somewhere sonically in between ISIS and Melvins.

The band drips with drone and sludge, but is never afraid to dip into psychedelic or swamp rock for some colorful riffs. On its newest release, Ultraviolet, the Savannah natives maintain the sound it has carefully honed over the past five albums.

Ultraviolet is darker in tone than the band’s previous work, with a strong sense of brooding embedded in the music. The album starts with a sledgehammer and ends with a whisper, charting themes of death and despair. Tracks like “Long Gone” display the band is at it’s tightest, knowing when to pull back and when to go full tilt. Guitarist and backing vocalist Laura Pleasants is brought to the forefront to handle lead vocal duty on multiple tracks like “Quicksand” and “Vulture’s Landing.” The band drenches her vocals in reverb, adding a ghostly effect to her melodies. The trade-off offers a nice counterpoint to Phillip Cope’s punky screams, which, now relegated to backing Pleasants, only adds to the overall eeriness of the album.

Kylesa is a band that’s always been about its aural textures and Ultraviolet is like a cool mist: crisp, creepy and bracing. Even when the riffs are full of warm fuzz, there’s still a chill in the air. The band continues to shine and sharpen its sound on Ultraviolet, but there will be no real surprises for longtime fans.

This is the same Kylesa you’ve always loved.

As the name might suggest, Armed With Legs is a peculiar band.

The Seattle twopiece trades in looping, dissonant melodies and abrasive percussion, but still manages to create heart-breakingly gentle songs.

The self-titled album opens on “Hey Hey,” a sparsely arranged track with minimalist plunking over morose harmonizing. The song sets the disposition of the entire album. The tracks that follow are equally small in scope, where every note feels reluctant and every lyric is timidly delivered. Not to imply that the band lacks confidence, it simply has a clear direction for the album and expertly develops it right from the beginning. The result is ideal rainy day, in-the-bedroom-with-the-lights-off fare, especially in its vinyl format.

The songs are filled with the sort of bathroom reverb that evokes a home recording, adding to the tone of the album. But even though Armed With Legs doesn’t seem interested in big and loud, it knows how to wield its stillness like a sledgehammer. When tracks like “Baby Rattlesnakes” raise the volume just a hair or so, it feels like waves of sound crashing down around you. The band mines its minimalism for all its worth in these moments, making subtle adjustments appear Earthshattering.

The simplicity in the band’s craft is to be admired. Few bands can wring so much out of so little, but Armed With Legs makes the album feel effortless in its execution. Every element has the outward appearance of being coarse and clumsy, but the band transmutes the final product into something broodingly delicate.

http://www.kylesa.com/

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http://armedwithlegs.bandcamp.com/

June 2013