Pandora:
sk pe A LOOK INSIDE THE MUSIC GENOME PROJECT
March/April 2008 $3.99
for the love of music
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Robyn Hitchcock FORWARD INTO THE PAST
The Sadies
RESCUING AMERICANA FROM AMERICANS
The Thrills
avenged sevenfold
HAYSEED METAL?
MORE TEENAGE KICKS March/April 2008
$3.99
Joan Jett
THE RISE OF BLACKHEART RECORDS
REVIEWS:
Jay-Z Coheed and Cambria Warm in the Wake + DOZENS MORE!
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ATTENTION!!! Musicians Recording Artists Songwriters Artist Managers Indie Label Owners
Are You Serious About A Career In The Music Industry? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Book That Can Help You! Topics Include: Artist Development Techniques Improving Your Songwriting Press Kit Design Choosing Advisors Publicity Radio Promotion Music Videos Touring Record Companies Distribution Music Publishing Alternative Career Options
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features
ontent
34 Robyn Hitchcock
The post-Egyptian Soft Boy strikes again
70 Jimmy Eat World
Heading toward the light
36 The Sadies
71 Tanto Metro & Devonte
37 Grip Weeds
72 Iron Maiden
A living repository of Americana/C&W traditions DIY psych rockers remix their first album
Hard work pays off
Veteran metallers still flying high
38 Soulja Boy
Big-time success on the cheap
39 Red
Christian band makes metal for the masses
40 Korn
Family Values: more than just a tour
42 Placebo
Amicable split creates a blank canvas
44 The Photo Atlas
There be no xylophone here
45 Ben Jelen
Crooner goes green!
46 The Thrills
More teenage kicks from Ireland
53 The Wailers
48 Yellowcard
Pop punk revelations and self-discovery
50 Serena Ryder
Songstress faces a new American horizon
52 The Wailers
Elan Atias talks about new reggae project
58 Armor For Sleep Back from the Dead
60 Coheed & Cambria
Getting personal…with a comic book
62 Dresden Dolls
Through a dark duo deeply
63 Rustcycle
A katana, a violin and computer science
64 Paper Rival
DIY is still alive, even in Nashville
66 HIM
Getting irreligious with gloomy Finnish rocker
68 Mayday Parade
The multi-hit emo wonder
39 Red
39 The Photo Atlas
avenged sevenfold
54 2
contents
Deconstructing Metal
9 Sweet Tooth
13 Pandora Radio
Singer/songwriter Santogold is on the brink of starting an electro-revolution. All aboard!
Free, personalized internet radio
15 Growing Hope
10 Blast from the Past
Linkin Park Lends a helping hand
What’s old is new again, and better than ever
16 GoTV Networks
The first made-for-mobile television network
17 Daniel Cage: TV Star
L.A.-based singer finds television a great marketing tool
18 The LIFEbeat Goes On Fifteen years promoting AIDS awareness
28 Pea Nizzle 30 Bootleg Bin
Listen, my friends, to Moby Grape
73 Scratch Pad
DJ Rush politicks about overcoming obstacles and celebrating life
20 Sanskrit Soul
Andrea Forman talks about music and Sanskrit
22 Ted Lucas: Most Known Unknown Slip-N-Slide is a family
23 Echo Project
Yes, another festival…but with a difference
24 The Umbrella Academy
Author of Artist Development on the importance of music conferences
76 The Crossover
A treatise on the Nothing Culture
Gerard Way battles ideas and theories
26 Blackheart Records
78 Don’t Read This
In the past, art has mattered
Joan Jett talks about her label
V T o G
75 Music Industry Tips
81 CD & DVD Reviews
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networks
Coheed & Cambria DJ Envy & Red Cafe Bizarre Jamiroquai Mötley Crüe Seal Cormega Warm in the Wake Bela Karoli Digby Bush Tetras Puddle of Mudd Armor for Sleep Justin Currie Keyshia Cole Babyshambles Much, much more...
99 SonicBids
Artists To Watch
3
contents
ontent
7 Publisher’s Note
in every issue
skope culture
President/Publisher: Michael H. Friedman mfriedman@skopemagazine.com Chairman: Irwin Friedman Editor In Chief: Bill Kopp editor@skopemagazine.com Creative Director & Ad Designer: Fran Sherman: fran@shermanstudios.com Circulation Executive: David Abramowitz magbook@frontiernet.net Media Sales Executives: Michael H. Friedman, mfriedman@skopemagazine.com Steve Everly: KI Lipton, severly@ki-lipton.com Frank Vivian: KI Lipton, fvivian @ki-lipton.com Illustrator: Don Mathias: dmathias@peanizles.com Contributing Writers: Adam Bernard, Celena Carr, Amanda Cuda, Carl Cunningham, Matt Fink, Shaun Flagg, Eugene Foley, Janie Franz, Bear Frazer, Mike Friedman, Erika Gradecki, Kathy Iandoli, Bill Kopp, Jeff O’Neill, Jake Paine, j. poet, Lauren Proctor, Bill Reese, Eric W. Saeger, Todd Sikorski, Matthew Stern, Ethan Swann, Claudia Ward-de León, Chris West, James Wright, Nick A. Zaino III Contributing Photographers: Michael Rubenstein, Sarah Quiara, Christopher Wahl, Bo Streeter, Michele Kole, Bill Kopp Webmaster: Shaun Flagg webmaster@skopemagazine.com Co-Executive Producer Skope Live!: Shizz Strothers shizz@skopemagazine.com Chief Accountant: Charles King CPA kmurphy@skopemagazine.com Printing: Cummings Printing www.cummingsprinting.com Email us at skopemail@skopemagazine.com Go to www.skopemagazine.com to learn about submitting materials for review Skope Magazine: P.O. Box 231179 Boston, MA 02123 All content herein © 2008 Skope Entertainment, Inc. (SEI). All Rights Reserved The opinions expressed on the pages of Skope are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the advertisers, editors, board members or publisher. Although Skope strives to present only current and actual opinion, readers should not consider the information herein as professional advice. Although great care has been taken in compiling and checking the information given in this publication to assure accuracy, the author (Skope Entertainment Inc.) and its servants or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for the continued currency of information nor for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in this magazine, whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom.
sk pe
staff
note
publisher’s
H
ello again, and welcome to another edition of Skope Magazine. Please allow me to be the first to welcome back loyal Skope readers and also invite the many new readers. We appreciate all of you! On October 10th of 2007 Radiohead did something that was revolutionary, gutsy, and downright cool. The British quintet decided to put their album out for free as a download from www.inrainbows.com. Fans had the option to download the album for free or make a donation ranging from $2 – $10. Upon release, million of fans flocked to the site and got their copy. At press time, there were plans for a box edition retailing for $80 retail. So what is the big deal? Well, depending on whom you talk to will determine how they feel about this. If you are a fan this will be great for you. What’s better than a free album from an incredible band like Radiohead? People will always prefer to pay nothing for something. If you are Radiohead, this can only help you. It will encourage new fans to check out your music and will lead to more concert ticket sales. The guys in Radiohead also look like freedom fighters, standing up to the greedy and powerful record labels. This band is wealthy already, so no loss to their wallets. My concern here is for the indie acts who spend their own money to finance albums. A band that sacrifices their whole savings to put out a CD and promote it would be committing economic suicide giving their music away for free. They would be broke with nothing to show for it. It is just not feasible. I applaud Radiohead for trying something new, but I believe that music has value. In our capitalistic society we need to hold on to that value or else people will become accustomed to not paying. I assure you all that will do a lot more harm than good. Enjoy the Issue,
Michael H. Friedman Publisher
s w e e t
Tooth Street,
Artist:
Santogold
High fructose corn syrup of choice:
Godiva dark chocolate bar...frozen
W
hen Santi White was penning lyrics for the critically acclaimed album How I Do by soul pop songstress Res, a singing career of her own was nowhere in sight. “I was not a person who considered myself a performing artist at all,” recalls Santi, whose initial experience in the music industry began as a sixteen yearold intern at Ruffhouse Records. “If anything, I thought I wanted to own a record company. So, by the time I really started working at record labels, I thought I was just on my career path.” Santi followed the path of a budding label exec when she stumbled upon the then-unsigned Res. Seeing the potential behind Res, Santi did what most A&R execs would probably never do…she wrote songs for her. “I couldn’t find songs that I thought were good enough, so I was like, ‘fuck it; I’ll write them myself,’ because I really wanted to sign her.” The result: an amazing album crafted by an amazing artist. Enter Santogold. Take the activism of the 60s and 70s, backbeat it with the 80s and swag of the 90s and you’ve met Santi’s creation, Santogold. While the end result is hardhitting electrocuted message music, it all took a while to come together. “My mind went there before I physically got to the place where I could actually execute what I had in my head,” explains Santi. Her music moved in a dramatically different direction following the death of her father in the midst of politi-
But Sweet:
We Believe in Santogold by Kathy Iandoli cal corruption in Philly. “After it was all over, I was vulnerable and feeling really angry,” she says. “Frustrated with the government, with society – how nobody speaks up for themselves, how people don’t believe in anything. Just how afraid people are of thinking for themselves and coming up with their own ideas.” It was through that suffering that Santi returned to Brooklyn and began creating her retro-futuristic music. With friends like M.I.A. and Mark Ronson, it isn’t hard to maintain a mantra of good music with a purpose. “The people I enjoy being around the most are the people I find most inspiring,” she states. It’s truly a gift to create music that contains aspects of both dark and light, all within the same song, but this Brooklynite has it mastered. As Santi emerges as Santogold, the best explanation of her coming into her own is through her candy choice. Choosing a designer candy (much like her designer music), Santi picks Godiva dark chocolate. But there’s a catch…it has to be frozen. According to the singer/songwriter, the sweetness is cut down by being super cool; how appropriate. As the world prepares for the meeting of Santogold (and the re-introduction of Santi) perhaps we should feast on Godiva dark chocolate until then. “It’s the perfect most delicious deep flavor,” gushes Santi. “And it’s kind of good for you too!” Expect the same results from her album.
“The people I enjoy being around the most are the people I find most inspiring.” – Santogold
Singer/songwriter Santogold is on the brink of starting an electro-revolution.
All aboard!
Photography by Sue Kwon
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blast from the
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March/April 2008
by Bill Kopp
Nick Lowe — Jesus of Cool: 30th Anniversary Edition (Yep Roc) Nick Lowe had a growing (if still somewhat underground) reputation in 1979. As a producer—mostly for Stiff Records—he had worked the boards on a stunning number of high-profile and successful albums, including ones for Graham Parker, The Damned and Elvis Costello. Lowe had already made a name for himself as bassist with pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz, and was playing with Dave Edmunds in Rockpile (due to contractual issues, it would be some years before anything was released under the Rockpile name). He had also done an EP and some solo singles. In 1978 the busy Lowe finally got around to his own solo album, Jesus of Cool (renamed Pure Pop for Now People for US release, so as not to offend delicate Stateside sensibilities). On Jesus of Cool, Lowe covers a wide array of styles, partly to prove he can, but mainly to have a good time. The songs (all written or co-written by Lowe) trade in all the styles he loves, including pub rock (“They Called it Rock”), new wave, bubblegum (“Rollers Show”), fauxreggae (“I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass”), romantic pop (“Tonight”) and many others. A healthy sense of humor pervades the proceedings. In late-late 2007 Yep Roc relesed a definitive reissue of this flawless album, including all the tracks from both the UK and US versions, and a clutch of bonus tracks, 21 in all. The bonus highlight is an early version of the hit “Cruel to Be Kind.” This album belongs in the collection of every rock fan.
Past Each issue, Editor in Chief Bill Kopp takes a quick look at notable reissues from notable recording artists—some you’ll recognize; some you probably missed. All are worth a closer look.
Various Artists — Droppin’ Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Lab (Blue Note) This is one of those projects that makes you ask, “Why didn’t someone do this sooner?” Many artists on the famed Blue Note label have had their work sampled over the years. The 1969-’75 work of their artists would be a treasure trove for innovative hip-hop artists; many of the era’s best jazz/pop tracks were sampled on important works by De La Soul, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie, Dr. Dre, J. Dilla and many others. Blue Note has compiled some of the best. But the resulting compilation—including tracks by Donald Byrd, Lonnie Smith, Lou Donaldson and others—is more than simply a history lesson. The great playing, hooky arrangements and (generally) laid-back vibe come together to make a great make-out soundtrack. Try it, kids. (The digital album and vinyl versions add three tracks).
Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall (Blue Note) Jazz fans know that one of the most legendary collaborations in the genre was the string of live 1956-’57 Monk Quartet dates in which they were joined by saxophonist John Coltrane. Their gigs at the Five Spot Café have gained near-mythic status. Some of Coltrane’s studio work with the Quartet was released at the time, and the remainder of the sessions were compiled in the 90s on the expansive, 150-plus track Complete Riverside Recordings. All amazing, certainly. But what of live performances? Until recently, they remained a legend, a remarkable memory only for those select few who witnessed them. But in 2005, Larry Applebaum at the Library of Congress was cataloging some old Voice of America radio broadcasts. “I noticed several tapes labeled ‘Carnegie Hall Jazz 1957,’” he recalled. “One of the tape boxes had a handwritten note on the back that said ‘T. Monk’ with song titles…my heart started racing.” Not only is this two-disc set historically important and flawlessly recorded, but it’s some amazing music. Even to someone (like me, I must confess) who isn’t schooled in the genre, this set represents one of the high points in music. Essential.
ulture
skope timely topics
for music lovers
Technology. Good
works.
Industry They’re
biz.
all here this issue.
Skope takes a look at the innovative Music Genome Project; it may change the way you listen to music. We catch up with artists and personalities trying to make a difference: Linkin Park’s involvement with Music for Relief, and LIFEbeat. We get the latest on two hot labels, and we report on last fall’s Echo Project festival. And of course there’s more...
skope culture
pandora radio
L
Using the Music Genome Project to bring the world new tunes
ooking for new music but don’t know where to start? Tired of the constrained corporate monster that is commercial radio? Love the iTunes store but want to avoid the massive credit card debts from too many one-click purchases? Then fire up your laptop, go to www.Pandora.com, sign up for an account, and type in an artist you like. In a few moments, Pandora will create a personalized radio station based on what you like. Try it. You’ll like it. Pandora Radio is the end result of the Music Genome Project, which analyzes songs based on their sonic similarities. Founded by musician and computer geek Tim Westergren, the Music Genome Project deciphers the pieces of a song – everything from melody, harmony, rhythm, and orchestration to electric instrumentation, folk roots, and acoustic sonority – and uses those pieces as a musical “gene map” to compare to other songs. “If you came to Pandora you’d see a room full of musicians with headphones on, collecting the various attributes of a song. When they’re done with that analysis, which can take anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes, they have kind of like musical DNA, with all the details that describe a song,” explains Westergren. The song’s “DNA” is essentially a string of numbers representing the song’s unique characteristics. When a fan types a song into Pandora’s website, a program takes that string of numbers and finds others that are similar to it to add to that playlist. The project adds ten to twelve thousand songs every month from a variety of sources including releases from major labels, independent releases, and musicians themselves. “We play the music of over 40,000 artists, and 90% of our songs play every day,” Westergren says. “We’re giving a voice to a huge number of musicians who have no kind of promotion or fan base.” Westergren’s idea of a personalized online radio station came from his own experiences as a musician. “When I was working as a film composer, I would have these musical conversations where I literally would sit down with director, have a stack of CDs, and start playing music for them. By asking them with they liked and didn’t like, I could try to figure what exactly they liked about music. So the idea was to take that process of figuring out tastes and attributes and just bottle it and use the Music Genome Project to help people discover all this independent music they otherwise wouldn’t be able to find.” With fifty employees decoding daily, the Music Genome Project has grown into a huge undertaking. It may not be as ambitious and difficult as J. Craig Venter’s decoding of his own genome or some creepy science experiment taking pace in a secret government lab somewhere, but it is an interesting idea that raises questions about where people will find their music in the future. “Radio has always been the predominant form of how people get their music. It’s just going to become a more personalized experience,” says Westergren. “I think what’s going to be the most dramatic change is that broadband technology will become more and more ubiquitous. And I think personalized radio is going to become the predominant form of [listening] when someone wants to hear radio.”
by Ethan Swann
Is music genome decoding as difficult as say, human genome decoding? Obviously not. Is it the same basic idea? Kind of. Paul Havlak of the National Human Genome Research Institute (and a Pandora user) has this to say: “Calling the effort underlying Pandora the ‘Music Genome Project’ is a confusing bit of hype, though. While there are some thin similarities with genome projects, the qualities analyzed by the MGP seem ([though] it’s hard to tell) primarily related to the ‘expression’ of the song, and that would be more like what biologists call phenotypic data. Your genotype is the particular recipe book encoded in your chromosomes, with all its genes, mutations/typos and fillers, and your phenotype is what’s actually expressed in bones and muscles, physiology and behavior, etc.” So maybe its not really genetic decoding. It’s still damn fun to listen to. Editor’s Note: Beginning in our Jan/Feb 2008 issue, Skope is now including a “Pandora also suggests these artists” banner at the bottom of many feature articles. These will give interested readers some ideas on other artists they might enjoy. We hope that you’ll find this information useful.
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March/April 2008
by Adam Bernard
Music For Relief
he day after Christmas in 2004 an undersea earthquake in Indonesia measuring a 9.1 on the Richter scale triggered a series of tsunamis that killed over 225,000 people in eleven countries. Phoenix Farrell, bassist for Linkin Park, and the rest of his band mates had seen enough. “After the Asian tsunami in 2004 we felt a strong desire to get involved in the relief effort. We had just completed a lengthy tour in the region supporting our album, Meteora, so we had a personal and emotional reaction to the destruction we were seeing on CNN.” The next step for the men of Linkin Park was to form Music For Relief. According to Farrell the organization was started “with the hope that musicians and their fans alike could mobilize to make a difference.” Whitney Showler, who is the current Director of Music For Relief, notes the inclusion of fans has never simply been about fundraising. “We don’t just ask our fans and all people for donations,” she explains. “We ask them to get involved by spreading the message,
and by doing things that require their time and their energy and their mind and their heart as opposed to just their money.” Music For Relief has already helped out after a number of major natural disasters including effecting change in South Asia after the tsunami through donations, aiding schools in New Orleans and the Gulf area after Katrina and raising the money to build a house in the Gulf area through Habitat For Humanity. Showler is filled with pride at the organization’s rapid progress. “I think that we’ve raised awareness among populations of young people and let them know that their actions make a difference and that they can make a positive change.” As creators of the organization, the members of Linkin Park aren’t just figureheads for Music For Change. According to Showler, “they get to work, and that will be evident when we go build our house in the Gulf.” All that work, however, up until recently, has been reactive. A disaster has occurred and Music For Relief has helped out
skope culture
the victims. Seeing this, Farrell’s team decided to get a little proactive and have been trying to prevent some disasters from happening. Showler notes, “the guys thought it didn’t make sense to only react to disasters after they’ve happened; we should do what we can to prevent disasters in the future by helping to reduce global warming. They have become more active in that arena, and Music For Relief has become more active in preventative measures specifically focused on planting trees to reduce global warming.” To date the group has planted over 360,000 trees throughout the United States. Unlike a lot of charitable organizations that look for musicians to represent them, Farrell points out that Music For Relief—since it was created by a band—is a little different. “We are not a charity hoping to partner with musicians,” he explains. “We are musicians and people involved in the music industry looking to involve ourselves and our fans in helping people in their time of need.” Matt Watts from the band The
Starting Line, a group that’s worked with Music For Relief in the past, feels the organization works well because musicians and celebrities can motivate their fan bases. “It connects with some people [who] wouldn’t really think twice about a certain issue,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a responsibility for every musician to get involved, but I think if you feel a connection to a certain cause I feel like you have a great outlet to help out people.” Musicians also tend to rally around charities. In fact, music and charity have always worked well together. Showler has some ideas on why the combination is such a great one, noting, “many artists make music because they want to touch people; they want people to respond on an emotional level to what they’re doing. I think that there is a similar emotional response to doing good work to help others, whether it’s victims of a tragedy, or whether it’s planting a tree to help the environment and make our world a more beautiful place.” In the end, it seems a Park has come to help replenish the forest.
“We had a personal and emotional reaction to the destruction we were seeing.”
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March/April 2008
s
by James Wright
networks
The Revolution Is Mobile
ince its inception, YouTube has changed the way we look at television. The video sharing website has made a variety of video content—from movie clips and TV clips to music videos—more accessible to anyone with an internet connection. It has revolutionized the way we watch television. “It’s spawning a whole new way in how people take in their entertainment. For an industry to be cutting edge and relevant, it has to evolve with technology and the habits of its audience,” says Tom Ellsworth. Ellsworth is the President and CEO of GoTV Networks, the first “made-for-mobile television network,” a network he claims is the next logical evolution to bring a television network world into the mobile world. “Bringing entertainment to multi-platforms fulfills both requisites. That’s our mission and we’re already fulfilling it through our music programming and the content we deliver.” GoTV Networks delivers original programming for sports, music, news and comedy junkies directly to users’ mobile phones. The content is already readily available through the AT&T, Nextel and Sprint mobile phone networks with more on the way, in addition to the being streamed online at www.GoTVNetworks.com. The Network’s diverse roster of programming includes content like GoTV Superchannel, which offers a platter of news, entertainment and comedy; while Altitude is the only channel dedicated to rock ‘n’ roll music and the lifestyle of its listeners. The channel was given a huge boost when rock n’ roll wild child Andrew WK signed on to be the host for its NYC segments. “I had seen a lot of people downloading music, video games, and surfing the Internet on their phones, so it seemed like watching video clips and creating a network specifically for cell phone video content could be a logical next step. As more and more people seem to be using their phones to do more than just make calls, it seems like providing more entertainment options makes sense,” says Andrew WK. “The show is fast paced and quick, which I think is crucial for the cell phone. I think the show is like a snack tasting menu, rather than a twelve course meal. If you see something you like during the show, then you can go out on your own and get more of it.” GoTV Networks is also looking to break new ground with their recently launched sitcom series, Crescent Heights. The series was created in partnership between GoTV and Tide laundry detergent as the first foray into brand-integrated original programming. “Product placement has been used for decades, and it’s just part of advertising and entertainment. What makes Crescent Heights special is that it’s not blatant product placement,” maintains Ellsworth. “If it was a clumsy effort that looks like [what was porrayed in] the movie The Truman Show, the consumer would be simply turned-off.” Crescent Heights chronicles the life of Ashley, a young Wisconsin native recently relocated to the fast-paced world of Los Angeles. In her new surroundings, Ashley quickly makes friends with her new neighbors and bonds together to face the hardships of life, love and laughter in L.A. The series combines the dramatic teen flair of The OC with a humorous side. “Much like other comedies, there’s a center meeting place such as a diner, coffee shop, etc. but in Crescent Heights it’s the laundry room,” he says. Incorporating Tide as a product the characters use isn’t too hard, since it is a common product used in laundry rooms. There are no close-ups of a bottle of Tide. “ With technology changing so rapidly and trends shaping the way we receive our information, GoTV might be one step ahead of the competition. But Ellsworth is already preparing the long road ahead. “Moving forward, our obstacle is getting in front of potential subscribers. Reach is everyone’s dilemma and we are no different,” he says.. “Between advertising and strategic partnerships, we are off to a solid start. But getting in front of audiences remains necessary, and sometimes it’s difficult. As carriers expand their handset offers, however, more and more consumers will be able to consume. And we’ll be there to meet and delight them.”
“We want to focus really heavily on the independent players in fashion”
skope culture
Daniel Cage: TV Star
d
Providing Today’s Soundtrack
by Amanda Cuda
aniel Cage knows that soundtrack music is more than background noise. It provides drama, emotion and context to films and television shows. And, if you’re a rising musician, lending your songs to a TV show’s soundtrack can provide a boost to your career. Cage, a 34-year-old singer, songwriter and musician living in Los Angeles, has played music since he was a teenager, dabbling in everything from playing in a rock band to composing film scores. But he’s probably best known for lending his melodic tunes to television series. He’s had songs featured on numerous shows, from the short-lived drama Jack & Bobby (which aired on the former WB network) to Lifetime’s surprise hit Army Wives. For the young artist, television is an ideal way to present his music to the public. “There’s never been a time since I’ve been doing music that I’ve not been interested in having it be part of something visual,” Cage said. Creating music has been something Cage has enjoyed nearly all his life. Growing up, he said, all his siblings played musical instruments, and he was no different. He learned to play multiple instruments, including the piano, always a fixture in his home. His interest grew as he became a teenager. When he was in high school, he and some friends formed a band called The Origin. A high school athlete, Cage said that, at first, the band was just something to do when sports were over. But, eventually, the band got more serious. In 1992, Cage and his band mates signed with Virgin Records. The Origin released two CDs, and toured successfully for two years. Around that time, Cage also studied music theory and arrangement at The University of Southern California. In 1995, he struck out on his own as a solo artist and writer, and released a solo album, Loud on Earth, in 1998. For him, Cage said, writing and creating songs has been an act of passion. “My best songs come from a place where I just can’t help it,” he said. Shortly after starting his solo career, Cage began to establish a reputation as the go-to guy for giving visual images an aural lift. He provided music for national commercial spots for Nike, Reebok, Pepsi, Sony Music and others. He also worked with other artists, most notably providing musical direction for live performances of Baz Luhrman’s hit single “Sunscreen.” He even composed film scores, including those for the independent movies See This Movie and Dylan’s Run. But TV soundtracks have been his bread and butter. The title track from his second album, Gold Tattoo, was featured on Jack & Bobby. His single “Smile” was used on Army Wives, as was another song, “Catch Me When I Fall.” The latter tune also was featured on the USA network’s long-running science fiction hit The Dead Zone. He’s also had music included on another cable series, South of Nowhere on The N, and on shows on ABC and Fox. Cage said using television to promote his songs always struck him as a smart idea. For one thing, it allows your songs to be heard by a mass audience. And, unlike touring, it allows you to promote your work without a lot of travel expenses. But most importantly, Cage said, music linked to an image can be more powerful than hearing that same song on its own. “It makes people feel something,” he said. When a song is used in a scene, “you’re hearing it for a reason. I always thought that was a cool idea.” So far, soundtrack work has been good to him, Cage said. In fact, when asked the pros and cons of using TV to market his music, he said there is no downside to the practice. “There really is no other way to market music, other than going on the road,” he said. “There are no cons.” Then, he paused and reconsidered that answer. “Well, unless somebody got a hold of it and put it in a porno,” he said. “That would be a con.”
Photography by Michele Kole
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the by Adam Bernard
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March/April 2008
i
goes on
Fifteen Years Promoting AIDS Awareness
n 1988 MC Mars, then in his mid 30s, was diagnosed as HIV positive. One thought entered the San Francisco resident’s mind. “I walked to the Golden Gate Bridge to throw myself off. I wanted to be embraced,” he remembers. “I wanted to feel loved. I wanted to call up my family, but in the state I was in I knew I’d do more damage than good. And confiding to friends brought another wrinkle into it; I didn’t wanna have to answer questions. I had no patience for any questions besides my own overriding lament: Why me? Why is this happening to me?” MC Mars stepped away from the bridge and began to search for answers. Four years later music industry impresario Bob Caviano was dealing with those same fears and questions. Knowing he wasn’t alone in his feelings, he (along with longtime friend Daniel Glass) co-founded LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS awareness and prevention organization. LIFEbeat’s current Executive Director is John Cannelli. He notes that for people like Caviano, who succumbed to the disease shortly after LIFEbeat’s founding in 1992, and MC Mars, who is still living with HIV, diagnoses came “at a time when it was very difficult for people to talk about the disease.” According to Glass, “the first stage of LIFEbeat was trying to overcome the stigmas of what it was to even talk about it, because silent was the worst way to be. We then evolved from promoting safe sex to safe sex and getting tested.” The way LIFEbeat spreads that message is through their team of volunteers who hand out free condoms and informational materials at tables set up at every major concert venue in Manhattan. Cannelli estimates they give away a quarter of a million Trojan® condoms a year. The organization also has a presence at venues in other parts of the country and has toured with artists. Even with all that progress, however, Cannelli points out there are still some startling statistics. “There are 40,000 new infections every year in America, and half of those occur in people under 24.” He adds that AIDS is now one of the top killers of young black females and middle aged black males. Bill Brusca, who is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Nokia Theatre and a member of LIFEbeat’s Board of Advisors, feels those statistics aren’t widely known for two reasons. “I think there’s a stigma involved in it, and I think the people it
skope culture “If you told me fifteen years ago there’d be no cure, I wouldn’t have believed
affects are underserved by government.” The numbers shock Glass every time he sees them. He calls LIFEbeat’s 15th anniversary, which happened in 2007, “bittersweet. If you told me fifteen years ago there’d be no cure, that it would still be an epidemic, I wouldn’t have believed you. I thought it was a one or two year mandate and there’d be a vaccine.” Since there is no cure, LIFEbeat is focused on informing and helping those in need. One of the programs they’ve created to do this is called Hearts and Voices. They get artists from all genres of music to volunteer their time at facilities in the New York City area where people are living with AIDS. Cannelli notes that “it’s really amazing, because you witness the healing power of music.” LIFEbeat’s 2007 Bob Caviano Outstanding Service Award winner, singer/songwriter Lucinda, has been doing the shows for over half a decade and calls them “an incredible experience.” In addition to helping lift spirits, LIFEbeat has helped a number of people financially. Brusca, who lost a brother to AIDS right around the time LIFEbeat was in its initial stages of creation, notes that he’s seen a number of his friends in the music industry suffer with the disease. “When they could no longer work, LIFEbeat actually came to their rescue; paid phone bills, rent, medical insurance, prescriptions,” and other expenses. Bob Caviano wasn’t able to live long enough to see the progress his organization has made. But looking back at over fifteen years of work, Glass feels his friend would be pleased. “I think Bob would be 90% proud of most things,” he says “but there are still some people who have closeted fears and prejudices. I think that’s something that exists, and there’s a lot of denial in certain communities, which is a shame. You can’t move forward if people don’t ‘fess up.”
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Shanti Shanti’s Evolving Journey
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ndrea Forman and her sister Sara are the heart of Shanti Shanti, a unique world music group based in Nevada. Since they were both quite young, they have been able to read, write, speak, and beautifully sing Sanskrit, a ten-thousand-year-old language that few scholars in the world know today. They learned on their own, with no formal training. Being adept at any language at a young age is remarkable, but when a language as ancient and sacred as Sanskrit is given life through music, it is especially so. When Shanti Shanti formed in 1996, recording their first album in their father’s studio in Reno, these young singers brought their community a gift. “At first I thought everybody could do it. I didn’t know that this was something only we were doing,” Andrea says. “When I was a teenager, I realized that we were the only ones doing this; other people should get to experience the level of joy we were experiencing. I just loved it so much. What I was in love with was the experience that Sanskrit gave me. It gave me
skope culture “Sanskrit gave me an experience of absolute clarity and joy.” an experience of absolute clarity and joy. I thought this was so darn cool, so we just kept doing it.” Though they had been asked to chant or sing Sanskrit prayers when they were very young, it wasn’t until their record came out that they started being booked for actual concerts. They are in high demand within the spiritual community, regardless of religious path. “We have lots of concerts, like the Diocesan Conference; we’re the band for that. For the Buddhist Conference, we’ll get to be the band for that. Any spiritual thing that happens, we get invited to be the band,” Andrea explains. “There was a reverend in town who shared with me why we always get invited. He said, ‘Because you’re a spiritual band that doesn’t offend anybody.’” Indeed, listeners do experience something when Shanti Shanti performs, no matter what their beliefs are. “Everybody is stressed,” Andrea says. “You don’t have to be spiritual to be stressed. I think Shanti Shanti brings elements of peace and joy into your stress, regardless of your spiritual path.” They also learn a bit about the history of Sanskrit and the culture in which it developed and flourished.
Recently, their brother Micah has joined them on stage as a singing partner, adding a rich bass note to the sisters’ almost angelic voices. It acts as a drum drone like a set of tablas with its deeper bowl. “It grounds the sound,” Andrea adds. “Micah has sung on every record of ours since he was a baby, just a little bit so that he could kind of learn what it feels like to sing in a studio. He has been actively involved in our business for two years, performing and touring and making appearances with us.” Their father, Robert Forman, has also been accompanying them on stage since they were small. A musician himself, Forman helped put much of the Sanskrit to music. He also has written new pieces for his children to perform. “I think of my dad as the ‘finisher,’” says Andrea. “Everybody has good idea, but it’s very hard to bring them to a conclusion. My dad, aside from being a producer and a writer, is very good at helping us manifest this expression.” Shanti Shanti’s current CD, East Meets South, is a departure from their previous purely Sanskrit recordings. There are still many tracks in this ancient language, but there are also some unexpected surprises. There is a Sanskrit version of “Ave Maria,” two Latin chants, one written by Hildegard of Bingen, and two original English songs that would have any church rocking. The Ambassadors, a small gospel choir, adds vocal color to the recording. In addition, Robert plays guitar, keys, and tambora on it. Micah handles bass, Andrea plays violin, and Sara, cello. Late last year, they released their first high definition DVD, The Experience of Shanti Shanti: A Concert in the Park. They are also preparing for hosting the International Enlightenment Festival to be held in Reno in February 2009. It will feature artists, bands, and speakers who offer positive ways to improve our lives. Shanti Shanti is both a gift and an ever-evolving experience as these young performers discover the depth of their talent and how to share it with the world.
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by Jake Paine
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oday’s rap record labels often boast executives bigger than the releases or sales. Since the rise of Russell Simmons, Suge Knight and Diddy, the biggest, or most long-lasting stars are often the men whose names appear as “executive producer” and he who writes the big checks. Miami’s Slip-N-Slide Records, having been in existence for almost 15 years, is only now revealing who is behind the operation that brought Trick Daddy and Trina as well as contemporaries Plies and Rick Ross. That man is Ted Lucas. “I consider my label a family,” says the 30something Lucas, whose picture rarely appears alongside his artists. “If Trina or Rick Ross calls me at 2am, they know that I’ll be on the next flight out—to New York or wherever—to do whatever it takes.” Those words are unique in a culture that’s grown to parallel labels with sports teams and artists with athletes – in the age of free agency. The results are proven. Lucas’ first Slip-N-Slide artists, Trick Daddy and Trina, are still releasing their works on the imprint over a decade after they began. More interestingly, Slip-N-Slide, which considers itself an independent, has built distribution deals on an artist-by-artist basis with majors such as Def Jam, Atlantic and Capitol/EMI. “I want what’s best for my artists,” says Lucas. “What might work at Def Jam with Rick Ross might not be what’s best—or intended—for Trina.” This commitment to individuality has delivered results. Rick Ross, who in 2006 was appearing in the media as a protégé of Jay-Z’s at Def Jam, was in fact an artist that Lucas had been grooming since the late 90s. What’s more, the executive, a Miami native in his own right, doesn’t seem to care. “I’m so proud of Rick. He’s worked hard, and from all the hours we spent with him in the studio and the offices. I’m proud to see where he’s going with his career.” Indeed, few debut artists saw the nearplatinum success of Ross’ first album Port of Miami. An early 2008 sophomore release Trilla was readying at the time of interview; a proud Lucas exclaimed, “It’s been fun to keep this going, and get ready for a second attack.” Moreover, executives have often morphed into boxing promoter-like individuals, hyping albums with sound-bites and grandstanding to build in promotion. Although grumblings have surfaced concerning Trina’s attitude toward other female rappers, Slip-N-Slide Records has never used beef or challenges with other labels and artists to fuel its fire. “We’re the biggest
ted lucas
Most Known Unknown Slip-N-Slide Records’ CEO Steps Out 15 Years Later
“If Trina or Rick Ross calls me at 2am, they know that I’ll be on the next flight out, to New York or wherever, to do whatever it takes.”
label in Miami, one of the oldest, and we’re not changing that any time soon,” says Ted. “I acknowledge what the other guys have done, but I don’t concern myself with all that. We’re family, and we support each other to get ahead.” In terms of formulas, Ted Lucas has little problem sharing his. The executive uses twoyear scales to drive his artists. “Trick and Trina might drop one year, Ross and Plies will drop the next. We constantly keep working on and releasing product to our fans, and we have the time to work it.” Whereas today’s rap star often relies on a release-a-year schedule to stay relevant, Trick Daddy and Trina have taken years off, descending from the limelight and allowing Lucas to license their works to Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks, while they retreat to private lives. Slip-N-Slide’s newest star, Plies, who charted over three singles in 2007, is an exception. “Plies is hungry,” says Lucas with fatherly discernment. “We might go ahead and see an early ’08 release from him, because the people seem to want it.” The business model is changing, along with the times; the faces and roster of Slip-N-Slide surely aren’t. In 1994, musical Miami was merely a port town echoing the bass of 2 Live Crew’s late80s run. It was too tropical to compare to the slab music of Houston and too aggressive to compare to the lean-back swagger of Atlanta. Almost 15 years later, Miami has become where rappers go to record and live, and from the string bikinis to the cocaine references to the sunglasses, Ted Lucas’ longlasting empire seems to have been the proven attraction.
echo project L The Little Festival That Could
cheers to the environment! plastics recycling!
Photography by Bill Kopp
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips
skope culture by Bill Kopp
et’s face it: the festival calendar is pretty crowded. Coachella, Bonnaroo, 10k Lakes, Langerando; the list goes on and on, and it grows longer every year. This is good news for the barefoot nomadic types who crisscross the continent selling hemp-flavored chewing gum and blown glass smoking accessories, but what about the live music consumer? What’s in it for them? With such a crowded field of festivals, what can a little upstart south of Atlanta offer late-summer concertgoers? In short, a lot. The Echo Project just might be The Little Festival That Could. With its unique selling proposition—a strong focus on environmentally-responsible practices—the festival may have succeeded (albeit writ small) where a mega-festival like Live Earth fell short. A brain trust of concert organizers agreed upon a goal of creating something a bit different. While the fest boasted a stellar lineup of acts (more on those presently), the event’s eco-friendly and -responsible tone was the primary focus. From solar-powered stages to recyclable beer cups made from corn, the three-day festival (October 12-14, 2007) held on a farm near Fairburn GA (a quick drive from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, one of the world’s busiest), focused squarely on ecology, environment and the like. A full schedule of teach-ins was organized, including sessions on student activism, the benefits of biodiesel, recycling basics and much more. Advocacy films like Michael Franti’s I Know I’m Not Alone were screened under a big tent. The festival as a whole made a studied effort to be environmentally responsible; “scavenger hunt” activities were organized around a theme of trash pickup. And as a whole, the footprint left behind was less than at many other festivals. Of course, part of the reason for that was the relatively modest attendance. Unofficial estimates ranged around 20,000 people. For attendees, the Echo Project was a welcome respite from the elbow-to-elbow scenes at other festivals. The October date meant that the sun wasn’t blistering, though it did get chilly when night fell. The expansive layout of the festival meant that listeners could—whether by inclination or necessity—lay down and enjoy many of the musical acts. The lineup was impressive, especially for a new festival. The Flaming Lips added the date onto the end of their summer tour, though the scaleddown setting meant their spaceship didn’t land in Fairburn (the crowd didn’t seem to mind a bit). The Killers put on a well-received set, channeling late-period Queen (whether that’s a good thing depends on one’s viewpoint). And since no festival would be complete without a surviving member of the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends kept the jam fans happy. Most genres were well-represented, from pop (Scissors for Lefty) to electronica (MSTRKRFT) to the jawdropping turntable antics of RJD2 (you don’t get to see that at many festivals). The lineup seemed to bend a bit toward experimental music, with impressive, brooding sets from The Album Leaf and Secret Machines. Relatively exotic music was provided by Thievery Corporation and Brazilian Girls. Despite a mid-afternoon time slot, The Roots put on a set that was one of the weekend’s highlights. For fans of the unexplainably odd, Rabbit in the Moon put on a tribute to Gary Numan…or something. Other acts worth seeing included The Polyphonic Spree, Spoon, Michael Franti & Spearhead and Cypress Hill. Tickets were over $100 for admittance and a spot for one’s tent, but attendees had every opportunity to get their money’s worth (not that we heard many complaints; the vibe was laid-back, and decidedly less wound-up than Bonnaroo or other mega-fests). Disappointments were few: The Killers didn’t allow press photos. Common showed up very late, without explanation or apology. Rodrigo y Gabriela were no-shows, as were Snowden. Cat Power’s security guys chased after fans with cameras (apparently, flashes unnerve her). But these were all quite minor quibbles; the show was well-run, and plans are already underway for the 2008 Echo Project. Program-booklet editor Benjy Eisen may have said it best in his introduction to the festival: “This is new to a lot of us. More and more large-scale events have begun to step up their greening events, and it is time for those steps to get bigger. One small dance step for you, one giant dance step for humankind.” Organizers claim it’s a ten-year project; with luck, they’ll succeed.
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by Bear Frazer
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Gerard Way Becomes Animated
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erard Way became an icon when My Chemical Romance raided the mainstream with melodic rock finesse and dramatic flair on their sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004. But over the past two years, the mascara-wearing vocalist also brought that theatrical element to The Umbrella Academy, his comic book series published through Dark Horse Comics. Though the premiere issue “The Day The Eiffel Tower Went Beserk” was unveiled in September, the installment has already become the second bestseller in Dark Horse’s history. “I can clearly say that it’s much more than I ever hoped it would be,” Way states. “I feel like I’m a part of something special, and everyone on the team feels the same way. It feels like uncharted territory in comics.” While the traditional storyline of good-
versus-evil is prevalent, The Umbrella Academy focuses on the psychological aspects of a dysfunctional family of superheroes. When the seven marvels reunite at their adoptive father’s funeral, they discover a plot to destroy the universe. Although they band together, some of the members aren’t necessarily motivated to save the world, let alone be superheroes. When series editor Scott Allie received the pitch in 2006, he initially felt conflicted. “When I saw the basic gist of it, it was a superhero book written by a rock star. Those two things didn’t do anything to make me interested,” he explains. “But then, I actually read the whole pitch and saw what it was really all about it, which is a much crazier take on superheroes than you’re used to. I thought Gerard had an interesting take on the family dynamics you might have in a group of superheroes.
skope culture
Academy That made me interested.” In the months to follow, Allie collaborated with Way and educated him in various areas of the comic book industry. Also, they assembled a creative team with highly respected artist Gabriel Bá, at the helm. That gave the project instant credibility. “It would be easier for people to dismiss the book, and a lot of people tried to, saying, ‘He’s just a dilettante rock star trying to cash in on his fame.’ People are going to be cynical and suspect that,” Allie says. “But one of the things that immediately got people to back off from that attitude is Gabriel. She has an incredible amount of dignity and respect in the industry. So the comic book snobs couldn’t dismiss the book.” Dark Horse cleverly promoted the series during the summer by releasing an exclusive strip on MySpace.com (myspace.
com/umbrellaacademycomic) and shipping special editions for stores to give away on Free Comic Book Day, one of the industry’s biggest events of the year. All the promotion paid off. When Allie and Way traveled to a New York on September 19th to sign autographs for the premiere issue, it was a mind-blowing experience. “I’d never seen a comic book shop with so many 14 year-old girls. It was a very hysterical crowd,” Allie recalls. “It’s been great to do a comic [like this]; a lot of people come in who have never been into a comic book shop before. That happened to us with Buffy and now, with The Umbrella Academy.” The issue sold out, and Dark Horse immediately printed up more copies. With the overwhelming response, The Umbrella Academy became the second bestselling comic in the company’s history. Buffy The
Vampire Slayer currently holds the top slot, but that’s also because the hit television show (now in syndication) fuels that product. Nevertheless, The Umbrella Academy could potentially reign at the top of the Dark Horse food chain. “Gerard’s popularity is really enormous, but we created this brand new thing and it takes a while for people to grasp onto it,” Allie says. “Umbrella is outselling your average issue of Batman, so it’s really incredible it’s done this well.” It may take some time before it becomes the company’s bestseller, but Gerard Way is content and will continue to stir the pot. “I like the idea of a team of extraordinary individuals fighting unconventional things like ideas, theories, or physical structures instead of costumed super villains,” he explains. “This is something I hope to implement more in the future, though The Umbrella Academy will have its fair share of costumed lunatics.”
“I’d never seen a comic book shop with so many
14 year-old girls!”
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blackheart records Showing Heart for Three Decades
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w by Janie Franz
hen Joan Jett started Blackheart Records nearly three decades ago, it wasn’t with any visionary plan of genius that she to revolutionize the music industry. “We just did it out of desperation,” she says. After launching her career in 1975 with all-girl, teenage rock band, The Runaways, Jett found herself four year later without a band or a label. She met Kenny Laguna, who had been churning out tunes like “Yummy, Yummy” with Tommy James and the Shondells. “Kenny and I came together to write songs,” Jett recalls. “Kenny’s background was a lot of bubblegum and hit record exposure, and lots of songwriting experience.” They wrote songs for a project that Jett had contracted for while with The Runaways and was obligated to finish. “I think we sort of came together for a three-minute catchy, hooky, big chords kind of song.” she says. Jett formed a new band, The Blackhearts. Though she had made history by proving that women could handle rock and roll, she decided not to compete with herself by starting another all female band. So she opted for three male bandmates. This was still revolutionary because she wasn’t just window dressing. She wrote and sang her own material and could play guitar with the big boys. In 1981, Jett shopped an album around to all of the major labels. She was rejected 23 times. “The thing that’s funny about people turning it down was the songs that they turned down. They turned down ‘I Love Rock and
Roll,’ ‘Don’t Want to Touch Me,’ ‘Crimson and Clover,’ and ‘Bad Reputation.’ So we had 23 rejection letters, saying ‘You have no songs here.’” Jett laughs. When Jett and Laguna met, Laguna had a baby daughter named Carianne. “He took the college fund that he and his wife had started for Carianne—I don’t even know how much money it was—and we printed up 500 records of what became Bad Reputation,” says Jett. They sold that out of the trunk of Laguna’s Cadillac. “I Love Rock and Roll” became a rock anthem. While Jett was still with The Runaways, she had produced a record for an L.A. band, The Germs. Later, she produced Circus Lupus and Bikini Kill. “The Germs that Joan [produced] is considered the ultimate punk album by a lot of critics,” said Laguna. “They point to that as the American equivalent of [The Sex Pistols’] Never Mind the Bollocks.” Over the years, Blackheart Records has continued to produce Jett’s records and a number of indie bands including The Dolyrots, The Vacancies, and The Eyeliners. They even signed a couple of rappers like Big Daddy Kane. The Dolyrots had a top 40 hit late last year, charting in at about #15, which is extremely difficult for an indie band. The Blackheart label handles its own distribution, putting
Photography by Sarah Quiara
skope culture
“IT was definitely a decision to let women know they were welcome in this atmosphere.”
CDs directly into stores. Best Buy and Wal-Mart are their two biggest retailers. In addition, Blackheart Records go directly to the Pacific Transworld chain, the corporate umbrella for a number of record stores including Sam Goody, Coconuts, FYE, Musicland, and Camelot. Currently, the label is run by Laguna’s daughter Carianne. “Her vision has been very successful for us. She concentrates on punk rock and especially girls, but not exclusively girls,” says Laguna. Jett quickly adds, “It definitely was a decision, when Carianne came into the situation, to move this company forward and start going after young bands and certainly letting women know they were welcome in this atmosphere.” One of their newest signs is Texas girl band, Girl in a Coma, which toured with Morrisey last fall. Nina Diaz, their bass player, lead singer, and principal songwriter, said, “Being under the wing of such an artist such as Joan, who is a producer and writer, and also Kenny Laguna and the whole team at Blackheart is very encouraging. It’s a pleasure for our name to be [associated with] the likes of Joan Jett. Definitely, she’s a door opener for female musicians.” Blackheart records gave the band totally creative freedom and allowed them to select their own producers in Austin who did the majority of the record. Jett and Laguna just put the final polish on it. Blackheart Records grew out of desperation, but has been shaped by a youthful vision of technology and the music industry.
Photography by Michael Rubenstein
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Eighteenth Hour Alchemy Curious questions stand out on the website for Alchemy, a Virginia-based jazz rock band: Ever been abducted? Wanna be? If it sounds alien and intriguing, then Alchemy may be right up your cosmic musical alley. Alchemy founder Jeff Stewart Dixon and a rotating cast of jazz musicians compose the Alchemy experience live and in the studio, a spectacle some are calling “ominously profound and joyful,” theatrical and epic. Whatever you want to call it, Alchemy is sure to get your attention with their lyrics and imagery focusing on “aliens, goddesses, astrology, crystal balls... and love,” all in a light show-drenched, sci-fi jazzy production. Dixon says fans go to an Alchemy show “for the overall experience.” He likens an Alchemy show to “a psychic blanket of oneness thrown over everybody in the room.” Log on to www.alchemygroove.com and give a listen to “Them Funky Earthlings,” a featured track on Alchemy’s new Cosmic Joke CD. The otherworldly tune may make you proclaim, “Take me to your leader.”
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Ever see a rock band morph? That’s exactly what eighteenth hour does. “We have the ability to put on a kick-ass modern rock show at a large, loud, electric-oriented venue one night,” explains guitarist David Zullo, “and then turn around and put on an equally good performance at a smaller acoustic-oriented venue with a completely different set of songs the following night.” That diversity is on display on the band’s latest album, The Analog Sessions, which features a range of styles and influences. Zullo notes the band’s growth is very evident on the effort: “we’ve learned how to incorporate each other’s strengths as musicians into our songwriting and performances.” He points to two songs in particular, “Trainwreck #1,” which features a bass-drum groove, and “Sound the Sirens Off,” which is built around a blues-influenced guitar. Both are new territories for the band, but then eighteenth hour is all about pushing the envelope.
experience it online.
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by Bill Kopp
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“Listen, my friends...”
Moby Grape
Monterey Pop Festival, June 17, 1967
ast summer I spoke at length with rock impresario Lou Adler, in connection with the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival (see Skope’s Nov/Dec 2007 issue for the full story). During our talk, I brought up a question he had heard many times before: What ever happened to the film of Moby Grape’s set? The San Francisco-based Moby Grape was a pop-psych supergroup of the highest order. Their perfect 1967 debut Moby Grape is on a par with The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s, Love’s Forever Changes and a select few others. But the threepronged attack of bad management, naughty behavior and plain old bad luck derailed the band, and they never truly followed up with a similar-quality release. They did play some shows, and among the highest-profile gigs was their Saturday slot at Monterey. Scheduled as the opening act for the evening session, the group was introduced by Tommy Smothers: “The first group tonight is kind of like in a more difficult position than another group, because everybody’s getting settled; someone has to start the show. And this next group, I think we’re very happy that they decided to [go on first], because nobody else wanted to go first. It’s a difficult position. So let’s have a warm hand— really, let’s make it extra-warm— for Columbia recording artists Moby Grape!”
The quintet took the stage and performed four songs. They kicked off with a pounding rendition of guitarist Skip Spence’s “Indifference,” highlighting some of the group’s many assets: they all sang, they all wrote, and they had three guitarists who could play lead. The band was in top form, and clearly glad to be at Monterey. “Welcome, majestic crowd! You can’t believe what it’s like up here, seeing all of this,” Bassist Bob Moseley exclaimed, before launching into his brief “Mr. Blues.” They followed that with guitarist Peter Lewis’ plaintive, mid-tempo “Sitting by the Window.” The final song was the stunning, rocking Skip Spence song, “Omaha,” again showing off complex harmonies, intertwining lead guitar runs, and stop-start drumming. And that was it. Twelve and a half minutes, and history was made. A couple dozen live bootlegged performances of the Grape do exist, but only a few are from their classic period. This recording is a soundboard, and was either taken from audio reels or…perhaps…from the sound track of DA Pennebaker’s 16mm movie cameras. So: what about the film? Moby Grape’s set didn’t make it onto the Monterey Pop film, or onto the albums, or even onto the bonus outtake reel included with the recent DVD reissue. Lou Adler: “I ran into [guitar-
Difficulty to Locate: 5 out of 10 General Listenability: 10 out of 10
ist] Jerry Miller the other night. I said hello to him, we talked for a minute, then I walked away. Then I walked back, and I told him—because it’s true—in all the interviews that I’ve done [about the Monterey Pop Festival], everyone talks about Moby Grape. And I feel bad about it, because evidently—and I knew it was a really good performance—it’s a standout performance in the minds of a lot of people. I promised him that I’d go back and look for that footage, and see what we could do about it.” At press time, it hasn’t turned up, but the rumors do persist. Meanwhile we have this excellent, all-too-brief audio document. These guys never could catch a break. The group’s albums were issued last fall on Sundazed, but in keeping with their star-crossed history, their (“allegedly,” suggests our legal department) evil former manager Matthew Katz seems to have intervened: the release was pulled from shelves in November.
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Skope
rocks.
This go-round we’ve got the latest on the new (The Thrills, Paper Rival, Soulja Boy and more), as well as updates on stillvital artists with long and storied careers (Robyn Hitchcock, Iron Maiden, The Wailers and others). From prog (Coheed and Cambria) to Americana (The Saides) to metal (Korn) to R&B (Tanto Metro & Devonte), count on Skope to help you keep your finger on music’s pulse. And by the way, if you’re a drummer, take note: at press time both Korn and Placebo were in the market for one.
vinyl is fore Robyn Hitchcock Goes Backwards
by Bill Kopp
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he droll (even by English standards) singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock came on the scene in the late 1970s with The Soft Boys, a Cambridge psych-rock group that—depending on one’s viewpoint—appeared too late or too soon. After a string of spotty-or-brilliant (you decide; I’d argue the latter) albums, the band folded, and Hitchcock began a solo career, one that has produced to date well over twenty albums. YepRoc has just released a Hitchcock box set I Wanna Go Backwards; it collects three of Hitchcock’s best solo efforts (Black Snake Diamond Röle [1981], I Often Dream of Trains [1984] and Eye [1990]) and adds the two-disc While Thatcher Mauled Britain, full of what Robyn calls “context tracks.” Each of the three original albums is expanded, offering even more bonus tracks. Snake and Trains are now each on their third release; Eye is on its fourth. Why so many reissues? Hitchcock explains that it was mainly to keep them available, as the earlier release deals had long since expired. “In an ideal universe, [my albums] would have been always available, from once they were released. And I suppose that’s gonna come now. Because this is probably the last time these things will be actually released for sale. By the time this deal [with YepRoc] is expired, no one’s gonna be paying for recorded music anyway.” Really? So he really thinks that’s the way it’s going? Yes. He believes music lovers will still be “buying vinyl; nobody can quite bear to contemplate the total end of that. Maybe the classic rock generation will be seen out to its grave with
180-gram vinyl. Otherwise, if you want a song in a hurry, you’ll just dial it up. There’ll be—hopefully— some kind of levy that’s charged to the equivalent of iTunes, or AOL or whatever. You will have an account with them, and you’ll download, in which case everything’ll be paid for: a sort of global jukebox. Or,” he goes onto suggest another possibility, “there’ll be no actual record of what is downloaded, because it’s all ‘free’; there will be some sort of five-dollars-a-month automatically added to your bill, to cover listening to music.” There’s some precedent for that approach: cable TV works the same way. You pay a monthly fee and then watch what you want. Hitchcock believes that inclusion of the Backwards demo bonus tracks does more than add value: it provides context. “Demos often have a life in them that the official master doesn’t have. For a start, the vocal usually seems to be more relaxed… more informal. I often prefer my vocal sound on the tapes even if I haven’t formalized the song. For instance, the songs that were done directly onto two tracks, [engineered] by my friend James Smith; those were done at Smithsound, just a room upstairs where we had a Revox [recorder] and a few other items lying around. I really like the sound and feel of those. And I would take them over a lot of stuff that I did that was more formally recorded. Also, there’s a lot of things [on the album] that are just first takes; there’s all the enthusiasm of singing something once, like you get onstage.” The new set is also available on… vinyl. Hitchcock himself prefers vinyl records to digital, and unlike some,
also suggests these artists: Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, Billy Bragg
his reasons are not sentimental. “I think that digital information is not necessarily as long-lastingly encoded on a CD as it is [when] etched into the grooves of a vinyl record. A record is sort of a circular hieroglyph, if you like. And that’s another reason that at this time I’m putting everything out on vinyl, just as a kind of safety copy. Supposedly, the information [eventually] falls off of the CD. So you might be listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins or something, and then he just falls off his CD! If you’re listening on vinyl, Lightnin’
will stay in those grooves. So that’s my reason for this, really, since we’re still in the age of people buying records. I’d like to think that new vinyl versions of Black Snake Diamond Röle will pop out every seven years until the end of eternity, but who knows?”
ever
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“In a few years, no one’s gonna be paying for recorded music anyway.”
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the sadies Last Band Standing
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by Matt Fink
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“If mainstream bands played this kind of music, I’d be delighted that they were successful.”
t’s been ten years since alternative country music came roaring out of the independent rock underground as an antidote to the glossy soft rock masquerading as the face of traditional country music. So today there’s little momentum left for such restoration efforts. Co-opted by concessions from the mainstream and subdivided into the Americana genre, the movement that once seemed poised to usher in a new era of twangy Telecasters and nasal vocals faded into a footnote of an era as leading lights Wilco and the Jayhawks wandered into more experimental creative turf. The Sadies, however, never left. True believers who have spent their lives learning the nomenclature of the country idiom, mastering everything from blue-
grass to Buck Owens, the Canadian quartet continues to explore. Sadies guitarists Dallas and Travis Good are consummate musicians belonging to the long line of country brother duos dating back to the Delmores and the Stanleys. They’ve got the close harmonies and studied musicianship to be the go-to backing band for artists ranging from Neko Case to Jon Langford. With the Jayhawks’ vocalist and songwriter Gary Louris as producer, New Seasons proves the Sadies aren’t leaving anytime soon. “We’ve never worked with an artist that we didn’t have a certain affinity towards, and I’d definitely include Gary in that group,” Dallas Travis explains. “We’d already toured with the Jayhawks quite a bit, and I consider [Gary] a very close friend, and I was definitely determined not to change that through the record. But there were no moments like ‘How am I going to make Gary happy?’ It was more of a matter of when you’re in the studio and behind the microphone, if you believe in somebody that says ‘You can do that better,’ or ‘Trust me, that’s the one,’ you’re happy when you walk away from it. He definitely pushed us as hard as he could. He enjoyed seeing what we could do, and he never asked us to do anything that he couldn’t do, as far as I could tell.” Following up on their instrumental score for Tales of the Rat
also suggests these artists: Ryan Adams, The Haints, Gas Money
the
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grip weeds n by Ethan Swann
Revisiting the old house
Fink – a documentary on hot rod car designer Ed “Big Daddy” Roth – the band might not have done anything beyond their means, but they certainly stretched the limits of what they’d done before. Like the late-period albums by the Byrds, there are dashes of bleached out country rock (“What’s Left Behind”), trails of psychedelic guitar (“A Simple Aspiration”), and wisps of chiming folk rock (“The Land Between”). There are bluegrass breakdowns, surf rock riffs, and ominous Appalachian atmospheres. And while Louris doesn’t wield a heavy hand as producer, one of his suggestions bolstered the confidence of a band that had no reason to doubt itself. “I never prided myself on my vocals at all, and that’s not really my job anyhow, to pride myself on my vocals,” Good explains. “That’s a very arrogant, self-satisfied point of view. All I can do is my best. But Gary made the point that no one wants to hear quiet guitar solos or quiet vocals on a record, and that’s very true. When thinking about my favorite records, there are very few that don’t follow those rules. But we’ve always been so guitar-heavy that vocals just fell to the wayside.” Add it up, and New Seasons is the kind of album that seems designed to fit snugly beside the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Band in the great Americana canon, comparisons Good doesn’t discourage. “Truth is, that’s something easy that people can latch onto, and we love all that music, of course,” he says. “We’ve been transparent about that stuff—from the embroidery on our suits when we play country music to our harmony vocals—so that’s there. It’s a compliment in a lot of ways, but it’s not so deliberate that we sit around when we’re writing songs and go, ‘Hey, let’s try to make this sound like a Bob Dylan song.’ The truth is a lot of our contemporaries aren’t doing that style of music right now. If there were mainstream bands in this day and age playing the kind of music we play, I would be so delighted and excited that they were successful,” he says with satisfaction. “We’re not trying to say anything new. We just pride ourselves on telling the story a little better every time.”
ew Jersey psych rockers The Grip Weeds have maintained their Do-It-Yourself credo by putting together a remix of their seminal 1994 release House of Vibes. Originally recorded on an eight track board in the band’s house in Island Park, House of Vibes is an album that, though now out of print, continues to define the band. “It’s our roots. It’s the first album we put out with Kristin [Pinell, guitarist]. When she joined, we really got a new direction,” says Weeds’ drummer/singer Kurt Reil. In order to share that new direction and allow a new generation of Grip Weeds’ fans to experience the album, the band put together House of Vibes Revisited. “We remixed it and kind of brought it up to today’s standards. The album was recorded on an extremely tight budget with really limited equipment. So we kind of compromised when we first mixed the album. With it being out of print, we figured it was time to put it out and bring it up to 2007 standards as best we could, along with adding a bunch of extra bonus tracks to give it more perspective,” says Reil. Sonically, the music is a testament to the technological advances as well as the more developed engineering skills of the bandmembers. The songs jump out from track one and hold up. They sound current. Many songs on this album, though they pull strong influences from 60s pyschedelia and a bit of 70s punk rock, they sound as if they could have been written yesterday. Listening to the band’s old material was a surreal experience for Kurt. “The songs changed for me. I hadn’t listened to them in a while. I was surprised at how rockin’ they were. They were kind of harder, heavier than some of the other stuff we’ve done. So I’ve wanted to kind of get back to that punkier, heavier sound. It’s weird; it’s like being inspired by yourself.”
also suggests these artists: The Bears, Setting Sun, Mansun
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by Jake Paine
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soulja boy An hour in the studio yields “Super” results
t wasn’t long until hip-hop produced its own version of David Cassidy. No, the rap stars don’t don bell-bottoms or come with pin-up posters, but after the flash-in-the-pan successes of Kris Kross and Romeo have faded, a new breed of teen rapper has emerged. Its latest face is Mississippi’s Soulja Boy. The 17 year old Soulja Boy (born DeAndre Cortez Way) need not thank any moguls for his chart climb. Instead, he’s producing the vast majority of his own records, rapping over cheap Fruity Loops, and emailing the sessions off to the mixers. The results, such as “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” have been global explosions – yielding cover versions, ringtone mania and a swarm of YouTube not-so-private dancers. “It’s great; I work on songs in my hotel rooms every night,” he says. Soulja Boy doesn’t carry himself like a “boy.” He’s not all giggles and favorite colors. He’s part of a savvy hip-hop generation that engages in conversations about first week Soundscan sales and points on the album. “We had everything done,” he says of his debut SouljaBoyTellEm.com. “All we needed was the right label to get it out there. We had the internet on smash; it was just the key components of radio, video, all that.” The label-to-be was Interscope Records, known more for gangsta rappers like Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. The reigning rap imprint of the 00s saw the youth market and dollar signs in its first southern star. “The internet is a big part of what I do,” Soulja Boy begins. “I’m on that thing all day long, answering emails, checking my MySpace; I communicate with my fans.” With a steady rise in domestic week-to-week sales in his album to close out 2007, it’s working. “We just shot a big-budget video.” That “Yahhh” video might Soulja’s only major expense to date. Largely selfproduced, with no major guests, and cheap studio time, SouljaBoyTellEm.com is a godsend in the era of the sales decline. Strangely, the formula isn’t working for others, namely J/RCA’s Hurricane Chris. “Chris had a head start on me [with “A Bay Bay”], but we caught up ‘cause the movement stuck. The kids was feelin’ me, and six months later, I’m still here. It’s just the hard work we put in,” says Soulja Boy. He pauses, then backpedals. “Chris is on tour with me right now, so he’s here. We all get along. It’s good.” While 50 Cent and Jermaine Dupri were quick to equate Soulja’s arrival with a declining quality in rap, other more established icons such as Scarface have supported his movement. “Having ‘Face support me, that means a lot. That’s a hip-hop pioneer right there, and it’s very important for us younger guys to make sure we have their support, as those guys are the reason we’re here.” Soulja’s staying power has yet to be proven. To that, Soulja simply says, “There’s no reason why we still can’t be hearing joints off my album this time next year.” Meanwhile, his product is easily manufactured. That infectious, lyrically sparse beat that got the whole world doing the “Superman,” according to Soulja, “took no more than an hour to make.”
also suggests these artists: Cadillac Don & J Money, Mims, Chingo Bling
“’Crank That’ took no more than an hour
to make.”
red
feature by Matt Fink
a universal chord
Christian band makes metal for the masses
H
eavy metal has largely become homogenized and lost its sense of danger; now this darkest of rock idioms seems to be slipping out of the Devil’s hands, too. And while stereotypically spandex-clad bands like Stryper were Exhibit A for every headbanger who thought the Christian ethos was a poor mix with metal, today aggressive music is being cranked out by a new generation of musicians who are concerned with redemption and sensible living. Believe it or not, that just might be a good thing. “When I woke up this morning, I thought we were in Atlanta, but it turns out we’re in Augusta, Georgia,” laughs Red guitarist Jasen Rauch. Having played over 300 shows in the last year, he and his band mates (vocalist Michael Barnes, bassist Randy Armstrong, guitarist Anthony Armstrong, drummer Hayden Lamb) haven’t had much time to gather their bearings, needing less than a year-and-a-half to go from unknown Nashville metal band to touring with Seether, Breaking Benjamin, and Three Days Grace. With evilly snaking guitar riffs, throat shredding howls, and angstridden lyricism, they may share many of the superficial qualities of their nü-metal contemporaries. But Red makes music designed to offer something relatively new for the metal idiom. They want to inspire hope. “I think that is who we are and that’s something that we take pride in doing,” Rauch explains. “Growing up, we listened to a lot of Deftones and Nine Inch Nails and Tool; [I connected personally] to what they were talking about and the dark places they were coming from. I thought Trent Reznor
was one of the most amazing lyricists in truly describing what hurt is and pain is—and a lot of people wouldn’t understand what that is unless they’re there—but there was no positive influence in it. There was nothing redemptive in it, no answer. I was looking for something else. We’ve been there, we’ve come through it, and we’re still going through things; we wanted to talk about that.” With their debut full-length release, End of Silence, they do just that, creating a series of songs that stare into the void and come out the other side. But despite their shared Christian faith, there is nothing on Red’s Grammy®-nominated debut to suggest an eagerness to push an agenda on an unwitting audience. With songs about confusion, loss, and the desire for meaning in the modern world, they appeal to universal concerns and communicate to audiences located well outside the Christian market. Proving that music is, indeed, a universal language, Red has discovered that—with the right combination of scorched earth guitar riffs and threadbare honesty—Christianity doesn’t have to be polarizing to audiences. Rauch continues. “If you think of Switchfoot and the Fray, they succeed at what they do regardless of the faith aspect of the music, because the quality of the product is so amazing. But, also, it comes down to being transparent and allowing people to see who you are,” he says. “Though we had that intent to connect with people from the beginning with our music, it’s still a shocker every time it does.”
also suggests these artists: Dommin, Stabbing Westward, Primal Fear
“If the quality is there, people will listen to the music regardless of what you’re saying.”
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korn Family Values: More Than Just the Name of a Tour
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n the late nineties, Korn’s crew of dreadlocked, blackclad troubadours were the antithesis of polished boyband pop, and their record sales and ticket receipts didn’t lag all that far behind. Since then, they’ve lost their guitarist to Jesus, their drummer to diapers and daycare, their album sales to KaZaa and BitTorrent and their signature sound to imitation by Fred Durst copycats and nü-metal poseurs. However, if they are bitter, they certainly aren’t letting it show. The release of 2007’s Untitled, Korn’s eighth studio album, was the group’s first release as a trio. Despite a lineup reduced to vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer and bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, Untitled debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, led by the singles “Evolution” and “Hold On,” Davis’ anthem about the near-fatal blood disorder that hospitalized him in 2006. The band platooned a series of drummers to replace longtime drummer David Silveria who went on semi-permanent hiatus for family reasons. Silveria’s departure came on the heels of Brian “Head” Welch’s decision to leave Korn and devote his life and music to Jesus Christ.
by Bill Reese also suggests these artists: Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Disturbed
feature
all in the family
“In
Despite the departures, neither Davis nor Fieldy holds any resentment towards their former bandmates. “With David and Head, nobody’s mad at each other,” said Fieldy. “In most breakups people are mad at each other. We’re not. We’re not a gang. [Silveria] can leave if he wants.” Davis echoed Fieldy’s sentiments. “He’s burned out on playing, and he’s home with his kids,” said the singer. “The door’s always open for David to come back when he wants to come back. Right now we’re just pushing on with the three of us.” In some ways, the group’s transition back to a trio reminds Fieldy and Munky of their pre-Korn days in the Bakersfield-based band L.A.P.D. “We’re back to the core of the band,” said Fieldy. “We weren’t ready for it, so it was challenging. It made us push harder. We saw it as a positive thing.” Untitled came on the heels of Korn’s MTV Unplugged taping. The performance included guest spots by The Cure and Amy Lee of Evanescence as well as a haunting cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” The performance was a revelation for Davis, who felt that the acoustic performance allowed for a more intimate, intense performance. “It seems like stripping songs down like that and just getting to the bare roots of it all… makes it more intense for me,” said the singer. Faced with a two-month break after touring Untitled, Davis saw an opportunity to embark on his first solo tour, an outing that would finally give him the chance to perform songs he penned for the Queen of the Damned soundtrack as well as deep, dark gems from Korn’s vault. “The Unplugged tour just opened my eyes to a different way for me to go out and do something solo and really cool,” says Davis. “I want to play the weird Korn songs that we don’t play live, and incorporate them into an acoustic format.” Davis also said that he was excited about the opportunity to tour without the burdens of promoting a specific record. “The only most breakups reason behind it is that I want to play music and I want to do something cool for the fans,” people are mad he says. “I’m just really excited to go out and do something different that they wouldn’t at each other normally see me do.” Korn’s legacy may have been marred by the e re not rise of nü-metal and rap-rock, but the band e re not a gang has never apologized for the bandwagon that hopped onto them, or how they broke off the beaten path once what they were doing was considered mainstream. They may not have sold as many records as their former boy band rivals, but their fans have been more loyal, and the fans’ loyalties are reflected in the way the band works with the up-and-comers that join them on the road. To Jonathan Davis, Fieldy and Munky, “Family Values” is more than just the name of a tour. “I’d like to be remembered for how we’re cool to our fans and other bands,” said Fieldy. “We treat them like family. We’ve always gone out of our way, even up to today. Family values. That’s what we’re about.”
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by Carl Cunningham
Parting Ways with the Past Placebo’s Amicable Split Creates a Blank Canvas
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s a band that has toured the world together for fourteen years, Placebo has spent more time with each other as band members than they have with their real family members. Bands across all levels of success go through the highs and lows of relationships and life. Just like married couples and families and other bands that hit irreparable rough patches, the family of Placebo recently parted ways with Steve Hewitt, their drummer of eleven years. “This is the first interview we’ve done since he left the band,” says Stefan Olsdal, bassist and founding member of Placebo. “Steve’s departure is still a bit of a sensitive topic because he was in the band for eleven years. We shared some really good times and made some good music together. It just felt at this point in his life and in Placebo that it wasn’t working with the three of us together. It was like a divorce.” “It’s kind of a vulnerable position we’re in now, because it’s the first time in our career that we’ve been without a drummer,” Olsdal continues. “But we’re optimistic and feel it’s a bit of a new start for us. Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s an exciting time for us, but a little bit of a vulnerable time too. “
Olsdal confides that he and Brian Molko have started to look for drummers in an informal way but aren’t deciding on a percussionist any time soon. Olsdal also wants to express nothing but positive feelings and admiration for Hewitt, saying, “We absolutely think Steve has a bright future and is talented and wish him the best.” With Hewitt’s departure, that leaves Molko and Olsdal to carry on the music and name of Placebo. Olsdal says he and Molko have made music together for so long that they have grown closer as friends and musicians. “We generally undertake very long world tours, and it tends to bring us together because we go through all the drama, the tough times and the ups and downs, and it naturally brings us closer as people. If you can’t get along as people,
also suggests these artists: The Sheila Devine, Johnny Action Figure, Jason Loewenstein
feature It’s an exciting time for us, but a little bit of a vulnerable time too.”
you can’t be a band together,” Olsdal says. “It’s not like a normal job. It is more like a family than even some families. It’s like a marriage that’s still working.” That Placebo “marriage” brought the band on an extended tour of the U.S. for last year’s successful Projekt Revolution Tour in support of Linkin Park. Olsdal says that tour in particular allowed the band to reach a huge number of new fans, and he says the tour was full of “good vibes and a strong camaraderie from the fans and the supporting bands.” Looking forward to a new drummer and a new record out this spring, Olsdal wanted to address a major music story that could have implications for Placebo. The pay-what-you-want model that Radiohead implemented on their recent In Rainbows album started a ripple effect that has touched
all areas of the music business in some way. “I think the effort was kind of a mixed bag — in a way I think it’s good to kind of morally question people about how much they value music,” Olsdal says. “Radiohead opened up that universal broad question and tackled it aptly. At the same time, it’s sending a mixed message as to what the standard is for other bands because some may say, ‘Well, Radiohead released it for free; why can’t Placebo do the same?’” Olsdal says the model has good and bad sides to it, “and it’s a confusing time in music right now... For art’s sake, it’s quite significant what they’ve done.” Olsdal and Molko are in no hurry to find a new drummer, but he says they are continu
ing to write new Placebo music. “As a band and as musicians, we write all the time,” he says. “It’s always lurking in the back of our heads. The next record is very much a blank canvas for us right now because of our drummer situation. We’re going to regroup and feel our way through the situation into the next phase of the band.”
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by Eric W. Saeger
The Photo Atlas Denver’s Got Mullets!
u
ppity and mildly crazed, Denver band The Photo Atlas borrow equally from Franz Ferdinand, Gang of Four and Fugazi, a triple threat geared toward motivating the most jaded hipster dweeb into uncontrollable dance-floor seizures. Their debut release on Stolen Transmission Records, No, Not Me, Never, has received rave reviews from such strange bedfellows as ABC News and Alternative Press. At ten songs, though, the album has been flamed for being too short, but if that’s the only thing wrong, perhaps we’ve got another Tokyo Police Club on our hands, n’est-ce pas? Add to that the swagger and slobber of some of these tunes and the comparison becomes even more vivid. The band’s guitarist/singer, Alan Richard Andrews Jr., appears to have heard such shite before. “I think it’s the guitar work,” he says. “Plus we’re both kind of dirty bands. I remember we played in Boston; they played the big club downstairs, and we played the little club upstairs, and I thought we should be on that show. It would be sweet to play with them.” Skope: Anyone else you’d be hot to play with? ARAJ: It’d be life-changing to play with Fugazi. Skope: What are the clubs and the scene like around Denver? ARAJ: The people that make up the scene have a lot of pride and hope that Denver can be a huge place for music. And there are a ton of clubs. I’d say the only problem with it, like with a lot of cities, is that bands get content with being stars in their hometown. I just wish more of the bands from Denver toured. It does have a really amazing indie scene. Skope: Somehow I don’t picture Denver as an area with a lot of mullets and 80s metal. It isn’t, is it? ARAJ: Oh, you’d be surprised. We have our share of mullets – a lot of every type of scene actually. It’s hard to tell right now though, because we haven’t been home pretty much all year. Skope: Any causes – political or social – that you’re into? ARAJ: Two words: Legalize it. Skope: A stoner, eh? What happens if you don’t become famous? Deal smack to kindergardeners? ARAJ: Most likely I’ll be that guy in the subway tunnel, the one-man-band playing Beatles songs.
also suggests these artists: Franz Ferdinand, Gang of Four, Fugazi
feature
”We’re not trying to get rich or have a hit; we just want to express ourselves though art.”
Ben Jelen A New Love Affair by Chris West
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Skope: Have you noticed a lot of xylophone being used in indie rock lately, and does it bug you as much as it does me? ARAJ: Yes, definitely. I thought it was cool when the Violent Femmes used it years ago. Nowadays I think musicians are just using it to do something weird. We kind of always stuck to guitars, bass and drums, maybe a little keyboard. Call me old fashioned, but I love guitar. Skope: Any specific message you’re trying to get across
with your music?
ARAJ: Let’s just have fun and try not to worry. Which I’m guilty of. I try to use the band as stress relief. I’m a big believer that you shouldn’t spend your whole life worrying about friends, family, money, life and death, but that’s what I spend most of my time doing. So let us just relax and have fun. Skope: What are you trying to accomplish by making records? Is this just something you’re having a bit of fun with, or are you dropping out of college and stuff like that? ARAJ: Oh, we did that long ago. I like to think we’re totally dedicated musicians. We did over 250 shows in 2007, and we all had girlfriends and full time jobs or college when we started doing this. And now we’re single, broke and living in our van and our parents’ basements when we’re home. So I guess we are just trying to write music that’s makes us feel satisfied as artists. And we’re totally content doing it like this forever. We’re not trying to get rich or have a hit; we just want to express ourselves though art. A lot of people are doing that now. It’s amazing if you’re doing it for the right reasons. Skope: You guys ever argue among yourselves about
the material you write?
ARAJ: I think all bands do. You need people in your band that will push you to the point where you almost lose it but something you really like comes out of it all.
ack in 2004, Maverick Records freshman Ben Jelen released his debut album Give It All Away—a musical love tribute to a young woman named Isabel. Jelen has now released his second full-length, amorous album, Ex-Sensitive, only this time out he wants people to know that his current love affair is with a much older woman—Mother Earth herself. “I am an artist who wants to say something,” Jelen said of his latest outing. “I have a personal need to stand for something and I have always had a deep love for the natural environment. I need to be a voice for that.” And it isn’t such a huge leap for Jelen. He has always aligned himself with humanitarian organizations (Amnesty International, Rock The Vote, Tori Amos’ RAINN), only now like many others at the forefront of politics and entertainment, Jelen has gone green and brought his new album with him. Ex-Sensitive is a culmination of Jelen’s eco-concerns and the influences he encountered traveling a month in India and spending time at the secluded Georgia home of Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools. Jelen’s single “Where Do We Go” is a “more upbeat, less heavy,” Beatles influenced tribute while the intro to “Pulse” pays homage to his month in India with opening sitar. “Wreckage” addresses the ecoconscious theme of the record with Jelen crooning about global warming. Working with renowned producer Linda Perry, Ex-Sensitive is the first album released on her personal label, Custard Records. “Linda was a dream producer for me,” Ben said. “She has that ability to take a pop star and find their inner artist. She has poured her heart and soul into this album.” Jelen is currently working on the 2008 release of the “Wreckage” video and waiting for a tour slot to “reach people and fans I haven’t touched before.”
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Back Seat Fumblings
by Celena Carr
t’s an all too common story in Hollywood. A good band somehow hits it big enough to get a taste of glamorous corruption, and then proceeds to lose all of the values that made them quasi-famous in the first place. The American entertainment industry is not built on what one could call sustainability. Due to the rise of the internet, tabloids, and the desensitization of an entire culture by way of reality television, we expect the rotating doors of stardom to fly fast and continuously. In an effort to pull out of this spiral towards the bargain bin, Dublin-based band, The Thrills, have returned to their roots with the release of their third album Teenager.
The band’s 2003 debut, So Much for the City, met with fair US success and became a #1 in Ireland. Followed rapidly by their 2004 sophomore effort, Let’s Bottle Bohemia, both albums were infused with vintage California surf-rock, though Bohemia received far less popular and critical acclaim than its predecessor. Since then, the radio waves have been dead anticipating a third album, which finally arrived in July of last year. Lead singer Conor Deasy says, “This was a difficult album for us… We’d stopped touring and fallen out of stride, so the first sessions were a bit creaky. It was just a hard one to finish. We’d put out that second record so quickly after the first, and we needed a
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The Thrills of Being a Teenager
also suggests these artists: The Fray, Interpol, Augustana, Pernice Brothers
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break. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, but it would be naive to think you can slide right back into the rhythm. I was trying not to be deliberately self conscious or have some concept that had been cooked up in advance. I wanted it to be organic. I think we made a very good record, but it was a long way to get there.” It’s hard to miss the metaphor of adolescence here that is rooted not just in the title, lyrics and swift mood changes throughout the album, but also in that difficult process of recording and self-discovery the band had to go through to reach them. The sound has not strayed too far, though it is decidedly more confident than the band’s earlier material. It’s the content that has matured as the band has finally returned home to
examine their roots. Intentionally avoiding California and all that it implies, the album was written in Ireland and recorded in the gritty red light district of Vancouver, BC. Deasy says, “When we wrote our first album we were really sick of Dublin—we just wanted to get the fuck out of there, basically. But by the time we finished the last date for that record we were quite happy to be home; it just felt right. Then when it came up to a studio to record we didn’t want to record in L.A. again.” The struggle has paid off with a layered, thoughtful record, and though they may have sacrificed the momentum of their early career, now they are here to stay. Highlights of Teenager are the darker, moody title track, which suits Deasy’s angst-flecked vocals perfectly, and
the anti-anthem “Nothing Changes Around Here.” The lovely “I Came All this Way” still has the tinge of California surf in its chords and rhythms, but it’s inescapably Irish with its contrasting themes of joy and regret. There’s a finality present, as Deasy sings “I came all this way / just to say that’s not what I want / But now I know I’ll never be someone else.” Deasy says these contrasts and themes were intentional. “The album was titled before we wrote the songs. I don’t really know why, but we felt compelled. I think the title is attacked from two different angles. Some of the songs are fully immersed in adolescence, and then other songs are kind of reflecting a little bit on leaving it behind” When The Thrills look back on this album, there will be nothing to regret.
“This was a difficult album for us.”
Yellow
by Shaun Flagg
op punk music is defined by vulnerability and rebellion. It is the double-edged sword of growing up; through experience you gain confidence just as you become intimate with the fragility of life. Yellowcard has been on that wild ride of discovery made ever more intense by their fame and fortune. Their fourth album, Paper Walls, follows a tumultuous period in their lives, one in which vulnerability and reality became crashing down. As fate would have it, that period determined the path on which the band now embarks. Lead singer Ryan Key grew up in Jacksonville, Florida; like many musicians he is ambivalent about his hometown. He explains the bittersweet feelings are a consequence of resentments of some of those back home. “If you leave—or if you do anything out of the ordinary or anything outside of there—a lot of people get this feeling of betrayal. I think that’s unfortunate to have that mentality, because that holds back anyone trying to succeed in life.” Key ignores the negativity and, instead, focuses his attention on the fans who are embracing his music. He enthusiastically shares highlights from the current tour: “I think for the most part we are attracting a lot of really intelligent fans of music; the people are there to really appreciate and enjoy it.” Key has experienced the ups and downs of fame and has managed to live through the pressures of success. His maturity is apparent in his approach to music and to life in general. After two enormously successful albums, including Ocean Avenue, which catapulted them to mainstream fame, the group was riding in the fast lane. This came crashing to an abrupt halt when Key was forced to have throat surgery after doctors discovered nodules on his vocal cords. The convalescing period was a time for reflection; and Key relates the whole event with a positive spin. “I honestly believe had I not had the surgery and we hadn’t stopped for a minute and taken a breath…I don’t even know
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Comfortable in their own skin
also suggests these artists: In Stereo, Hit the Lights, Upper Class Trash
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w card if we’d still be here right now.” He goes further. “I think the chance to take a step back and start over has been a benefit and taught us a lot about what we do and why we do it.” This allowed them some perspective and was instrumental in creating the new album. It also strengthened their bonds as a band, forcing them to grow up and realize the gravity of what they are doing. Key explains how this perspective has affected the band. “When you get older, you realize this is something you have to pursue in order to have some security in your life…everyone gets focused as opposed to pushing and pulling against each other.” Paper Walls is on one hand a confident embrace of life and a signal of the band members’ return to themselves. But it also contains those recurrent themes of insecurity and longing. It captures both the vulnerability of the heart and the confidence of the well-traveled and world-weary musician. Key explains the epiphany that he reached in recording the album. “I finally figured out the line between confidence and arrogance, and have become more comfortable with confidence. I am able to stop letting other people’s opinions of me and the band—or anything we do—turn my confidence into arrogance.” This new-found freedom emboldened Key to create Paper Walls. The paradoxical feelings of uncertainty and confidence also fueled him creatively and built a dynamic tension into the album, “You get a great contrast of the themes. One is this great sense of confidence, and one is this sense of insecurity and emptiness; they play off each other well on the record.” Key’s favorite songs are pop songs. He explains this affinity. “I’ve always been a fan of a good three minute pop-rock song, and those are the bands that inspire me the most. I liked the movement of punk rock music because all those songs were so full of melody and energy but were put into such small little packages.” He derives his inspiration from these tight compositions, these tiny microcosms of life wrapped in melody.
“I finally figured out the line between confidence and arrogance.”
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The Re-Evolution Of
ryder t’s a new year, a new album, a new start once again for Serena Ryder. In 2005, the singer/songwriter from Mibrook, Ontario released her first independent album, Unlikely Emergency. In 2006, she made her Canadian major label debut with If Your Memory Serves You Well, a tribute to some of her favorite Canadian songwriters. She followed up with Told You in a Whispered Song, an EP of original music that marked her American debut.
“I think [it’s] a microcosm for what a lot of people March/April 2008
want to try and do, to constantly be shedding
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by Nick A. Zaino III also suggests these artists: AM, Erin McKeown, Ron Sexsmith Photography by Christopher Wahl
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Each new release has brought new tours with artists from Steve Earle to the Blind Boys of Alabama, and a whole new audience to win over. It has been a constant evolution for Ryder, and one for which she is immensely thankful. “I think [it’s] a microcosm for what a lot of people want to try and do, to constantly be shedding skin and becoming something else,” she says. “I totally embrace that and I feel like it’s amazing.” Ryder is calling from London, where she spent the latter part of 2007 writing for her full-length debut for Atlantic Records, due out this spring. The 24-year-old was alone in the city, going to shows and getting lost in the city’s subway system. Ryder found the isolation was a healthy and fruitful experience for her as a songwriter. “I think it’s really, really great to put yourself in a place that you’ve never been before,” she says, “[a] different kind of culture, a different city, kind of jar your insides and make you a bit uncomfortable. It kind of brings out your true self.” Musically speaking, Ryder has been all over the map. Her eclectic tastes – she covered both Leonard Cohen and Paul Anka for Memory – are rooted in her childhood discovery of her parents’ vinyl collection in the basement. She recorded her first song at eight years old when her mother brought a portable tape player to her first gig, singing Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” and a few other tunes at a local Legion hall. “From the time I was seven, eight, nine years old, I was always super-super passionate about older music,” she says. “I loved Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and loved Leonard Cohen. Sort of like an eight, nine year old in 1990, 1989, a little bit abnormal because everybody was listening to New Kids on the Block. But that never really cranked my chain.” Memory is a reflection of the breadth of Ryder’s musical influences, including the aforementioned Cohen and Anka covers, as well as “Good Morning Starshine” from the musical Hair and the Band’s “This Wheel’s On Fire.” By contrast, Whispered is a strippeddown, acoustic affair, putting the emphasis on a “live” sound and Ryder’s passionate, bluesy voice. In the middle of writing her follow-up, she can’t exactly tell where she’s heading. “There are so many different styles of music that I like to play, and yeah, my EP is very Americana, but I have no idea what my album is going to sound like,” she says. “It has not been ‘born’ yet. I’m writing all of these songs, but who knows what the underlying thread that’s going to be there that’s going to tie it together [will be]. It is definitely like having a child. You can’t choose.”
Ryder is said to have a three-octave range as a singer, which she thinks is a slight exaggeration. She says she can hit three octaves with full voice on a good day, but couldn’t hit it consistently. And in any case, that’s not what music is about. “Music, for me, is definitely not a showpiece – ‘look at what I can do!’” she says. “I don’t think it requires three octaves to play a good show. I think that would be really fucking annoying, actually.” Whether it’s her career or a single song, Ryder is very much committed to an organic process, and she says she feels more comfortable in her own skin and more confident in her songwriting now than ever. “The most important thing to me is to be playing gigs and meeting new people and building it person by person,” she says. “It’s very roots oriented, and that’s what I’ve always been about. Having big success right away, you have nothing really to fall back on. For me, it’s really about building my foundation as best as possible.”
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One Love f The Wailers Launch Creative New Project
rom reggae music came ska, dancehall, rap, dub, and hip-hop. These genres, though widely popular, emanate from specific regions of the world. Reggae, however, is more widespread. “We have fans in every country, all speaking different languages,” says Elan Atias, the Wailers’ current lead singer and principal songwriter.
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Musicians within a variety of cultures are combining reggae with other genres, forming Haitian reggae, Fijian reggae, Hawaiian reggae, African reggae, and even Latino reggae. In a South American tour, Atias remembers, “Every place that we went to, there was another band opening up for us doing reggae music.” Reggae can even be found in the repertoires of improvisational bluegrass bands like Cornmeal. “It’s unbelievable how big reggae has gotten, and all the different genres that they’re blending together,” says Atias. It is no surprise that he has dreamed of bringing artists, across different genres, into the studio to do a Wailers reggae album. The world first heard of reggae music back in 1975 when Bob Marley and the Wailers released their first international hit, “No Woman, No Cry,” from their Natty Dread album, considered to be Marley’s finest work. The next year, the US discovered the power of reggae with Marley’s Rastaman Vibration album. The distinctive sound that Marley brought the world was the handiwork of Aston “Familyman” Barrett, who with his brother, the late drummer Carlton Barrett, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson (guitars), Tyrone Downie and Earl “Way” Lindo (keys), and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion) came together in 1974 to back Marley. Before this, Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer
by Janie Franz Photography by Tobias Rose by Matt Stern also suggests these artists:
Jacob Miller, Roger Robin, and Aswad
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Reframed “We have fans in every country, speaking different languages.” had been performing together as a singing group called the Wailers, without a permanent band. After Marley’s death in 1981, the Wailers continued to tour and record five albums, with Junior Marvin taking lead vocals. In 1996, 19-year-old Atias was chosen to replace the departing Marvin. “It was the first job I ever did, the first band I ever sang with, the first time I ever got up on stage,” Atias remembers. “I never had a sound check, never had a rehearsal, for eight shows. I got up in front of about 6,000 people and did the songs from the memory of listening to the records as a kid. I wasn’t afraid of the crowd. I was more afraid of getting all of the lyrics right. I knew that everybody knows all the Marley and Wailers lyrics by heart.” Atias left the Wailers in 1999 to pursue a solo career, working on the Sex and the City soundtrack, collaborating with Sly and Robbie, and doing other projects. Then he found himself back at the Wailers mic in June 2007. Work on the new record began in earnest. “I got the concept from Carlos Santana when he did the Supernatural album,” Atias says. “He had guest artists come
in and bring their kind of vibe to his vibe and write all new songs.” Familyman Barrett went to Jamaica and digitized unreleased drum tracks that his brother had laid down years ago. Against these tracks, all of the remaining original members of the Wailers came back to work on the music, recording it in Jamaica. Atias then began approaching artists to appear on the album. He has secured the assistance of 22 artists, but only a dozen tracks will be recorded. At press time the final line up had not been confirmed; a lot can happen in the studio during the writing process. Among the artists who have been approached are Dave Mathews, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, 311, No Doubt, Naz, Eve, Amy Winehouse, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Incubus. In addition, Alpha Blondy—who is from Cote d’Ivoire—and an artist from Algeria will trade verses in French and Arabic. “We’ve approached a lot of the artists who speak with a positive voice,” says Atias. “All these great artists have been inspired by the Wailers.” The new Wailers album will be the first joint project for Barrett’s Fam’s Music label and Atias’ One Lion Records. The entire project will be ecofriendly and a percentage of sales will go to charity. The first single is due out in the spring, with a full release later in the year.
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d e d e g g n n e v e a v
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by Chris West
hough now a long forgotten science, humankind once pursued the Philosopher’s Stone—an elusive substance said to change base metal into gold. And while the man-boys of Avenged Sevenfold may not practice alchemy, they have successfully transformed metal. Their particular Philosopher’s Stone comes in the form of their new, fourth album and their hope is that it does in fact render gold (or maybe even platinum).
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One can only help wonder what to expect from an Avenged Sevenfold interview. They are five imposing figures whose horror-inspired names convey the same irreverence as much of their lyrical subject matter—M. Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, Johnny Christ and The Rev. Their band moniker is even taken from the book of Genesis; it’s an homage to Old Testament bad boy Cain, who was marked by God to never be killed lest “vengeance be taken on him sevenfold.” When you look at the whole of the band, it’s easy to find yourself coming to false assumptions. I know I did. It was after a scheduled-but-cancelled show in Charleston SC when I finally caught up with the band in Corpus Christi TX. Through our half-hour conversation, lead singer M. Shadows had laid all my false assumptions to rest. He told me (quite abundantly and politely, I should add) about their newfound approach to album making, why this particular record was self-titled and how a metal band came to write a country tune. Back in 2006 while gearing up for a U.K. tour, Shadows and company took an inventory of their catalog. They felt they were hitting the same territory too much. “I think we all got so burned out playing the same songs, even after we tried to switch up the set as much as we could,” he said. “We were getting a lot of press at the time and just doing the same interviews. So we wanted to get to a place where we felt good mentally. And that was back in the studio.”
also suggests these artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Incubus
e sev
“We just felt we got ahead of ourselves and booked too many things in advance,” Shadows said. “We were also bursting at the seams with creativity at the time. And we don’t do so well with writing on the road, so that wasn’t really an option.” With the grueling tour schedule behind them, the band took a month off to write. When they reconvened, goals were set and work began. “Looking back on it, we had a bunch of goals,” Shadows said. “I wanted to improve lyrically and make the songs very straightforward. Musically, we wanted the record to be more focused, not just another metal record with different flavors sprinkled in. We wanted to write the best music for the songs, not just show off on instruments. But mostly, we wanted this album to be eclectic.” “This is the record that we all came together on; [we did so] more than [on] the other records,” Shadows said. “The first record, Synyster Gates wasn’t in the band. And on Waking the Fallen, we didn’t get to tap into the Rev as a writing source. City Of Evil, we went one direction, and I don’t think some band members agreed with it. On this record everyone all came together, everyone had the same agenda and everyone was on the same page. And we got to produce it ourselves. So we felt that was the most fitting title for it—it’s Avenged Sevenfold in its purest form. While Avenged Sevenfold is earmarked with moments of their trademark hack-and-slash metal, Shadows’ goal of “eclectic” seems to have been fulfilled. The opening track “Critical Acclaim” kicks off to dirge-like church organ, only to give way to a chugging guitar assault over lyrics spewing distaste for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This may be the most politically-charged track from the A7X repertoire. “Scream” is replete with obligatory
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power chords laying a foundation for Gates’ squeaking chromatic scale guitar riff. Lyrically, the track is a call out to carnal pleasure, albeit perhaps uninvited carnal pleasure. The eclectic really starts with the acoustic finger-picking and slide lap steel of “Gunslinger” before it surrenders to the uncharacteristically melodic chorus and female choir vocals over Gates’ swirling guitar solo. The album’s final track closes on a soft note with “Dear God” (not the XTC classic—ed.) which plays out more country ballad than ripping metal. Again, A7X leans on acoustic guitar strums and bent note lap steel as a foundation for sincere lyrics: “Dear God the only thing I ask of you is/ to hold her when I’m not around/ when I’m much too far away.” “I actually listen to a lot of contemporary country,” admitted Shadows. “It started two years ago when we did Ozzfest. I was just so fucking sick of hearing metal that I wanted to listen to other stuff. I think it started with Toby Keith, then we started finding Trace Atkins and Brooks and Dunn. And when we started writing the songs, we loved the influence of having some country, some pedal steel in there. ‘Dear God’ was an experiment, but we loved it so much we thought: ‘How can we not put this on the record?’” In saving the best for last, standout track “A Little Piece of Heaven” is perhaps the most far removed from what you would expect from standard Avenged Sevenfold, even more so than the country influence. The dueling guitar mayhem of Gates and Vengeance surrenders to the strings, brass and woodwinds of a full orchestra. The metal aspects retreat to the background to make way for what sounds like hardcore-metalmeets-show-tune run amok. “It’s totally like a show tune kind of feel, kind of Tim Burton-ish,” he said. “When we were writing it we realized we had to go musically and lyrically over the top, or not at all. It was written on a piano with one guitar and it felt very Tim Burton, very Danny Elfman. The next thing we know, we had the brass, the cello, everything. We had 26 people with instruments on stage plus a twelve-person choir.” When even the slightest retreat from a trademark sound is pulled off, you can count on a number of core fans “not getting it.” Shadows responded: “I think our fans know at this point that we are going to keep coming up with new stuff. Every record of ours has to find its own audience, because every one is different than the one before it. I think that this record will find its own audience as well and will be another notch in the Avenged Sevenfold family of records. And that’s kind of what we want to happen.”
Armor Fo Declaring War On Hipsters and the Internet
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by Bear Frazer
b
en Jorgensen is slightly aggravated. To ease his mind, the 24 year-old dark haired vocalist of Armor For Sleep strolls through the town of Poughkeepsie, New York on this lukewarm afternoon to grab a cup of java at a local coffee shop. Though his melodic quartet will kick off their tour at The Chance Theater later this evening, Jorgensen isn’t feeling pressure. Instead, he is more concerned about seeing college students and neighborhood kids attend the show. Because lately, live concerts have been losing interest. “I feel there is a disconnection between the kids and the bands,” he says. “I just think the age of discovery is gone. Kids don’t wanna go out or see a band when they can just hear them on MySpace.com or the Internet.”
also suggests these artists: Hawthorne Heights, Nine Black Alps and The Pink Spiders
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or Sleep “Kids don’t wanna go out or see a band when they can just hear them on MySpace or the Internet.”
But if kids attend the show and enjoy Armor For Sleep’s flair, then perhaps the youngsters will be more inclined to purchase the group’s third studio album Smile for Them. The energetic rockers impressively showcase their powerpop elegance through their trademark melodramatic vibe. But instead of focusing on an overall theme, Jorgensen sings about the real-life issues. Still, dwindling crowd participation was never a problem Armor For Sleep encountered when Jorgensen initially launched the project. After graduating high school in 2001, Ben took the summer off, ditched his drumming obligations with promising upstart Random Task, and penned material of his own. Those writing sessions spawned Armor For Sleep and in 2002, Jorgensen enlisted guitarist PJ DeCicco, bassist Anthony Dilonno and drummer Nash Breen for the band. For the next year, the melodic rock outfit developed a strong following in New Jersey amongst the teenage population, and they released their debut album Dream to Make Believe on Equal Vision Records. While the youth adored them, critical opinion was divided. “When the reviews were in, we were labeled as another budding emo band in a scene that was bubbling over,” Jorgensen recalls. “I feel like we weren’t really [setting] ourselves apart from other people, and thought, ‘maybe we have that potential to do something else.’” On their sophomore set What to do When You’re Dead in 2005, Armor For Sleep traveled in a different direction. “It’s a concept album. It’s about a guy who ends his life in the first song and is stuck in Purgatory for the rest of the record, and re-visits people in his life.
Essentially, it’s me pretending to be dead,” Jorgensen explains. “It sold more copies, but I think people also stopped questioning how legit we were. It set us apart.” Their stellar musicianship and creativity also caught the attention of Sire Records, who signed the alternative quartet to their Warner Bros. distributed imprint in 2006. Now equipped with a major platform, Armor For Sleep spent the next several months working on Smile for Them. But unlike their last effort, Jorgensen focused on realism. “That was the incentive for me,” he admits. “I wanted to write different stories from my life, and different things that I was thinking about that were all over the place.” While Smile for Them features pulsating melodies and signature riffs, it’s truly an emotional collection that penetrates the soul. The album offers a deep look at Jorgensen’s intrapersonal struggles, and not all of them are pleasant. Those sentiments comes across powerfully on “Snow Globe” where he expresses hopelessness in humanity, and on “Somebody Else’s Arms,” where he has a difficult time dealing seeing an ex-flame warming up to another man. But it’s the leadoff single, “Williamsburg” that has sparked both controversy and praise as the Jersey syndicate takes aim at the overwhelmingly large hipster community. “The thing about it is, it’s built on acting like you don’t care about anything. When it becomes about putting people down and making people feel out of the loop, it becomes this slanted thing,” the vocalist says. “I don’t really think that’s cool, so it’s a little stab.” With the hipster metropolis severed, it’s time to fix the disconnection issue and Jorgensen has the perfect idea. “We should explode the Internet,” he says with a chuckle. “Let’s go to the Internet headquarters and set off a bomb.” That should do the trick. See our review of Armor For Sleep’s new album on page 83.—ed.
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by Bill Reese also suggests these artists: Let Go, Loser, The Academy Is...,
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feature a ” . ng, elli y real t ’ m ve r o n g s I n e s ctio s ar he f fi theme that t hez’ o e c c d pie of the ag ree re San s lot tever rld we yrics. thing year S Wo nal l onal past y o a N rs so on st per of pe in the heir w ” , t s t t o u e p o m Al d e “ ned to ly ma conc lshit r l e e d fo it p n bu hap t defin yrics a l this s time onal s l l tha the r. “A it wa e per the e hen o h t v d T e n i St w nce i t e. said pened to wr inf lue ve n ] p y ha udio tainl ld e u a o r c he [Cl es ce hez m, t st issu cs.” e Sanc albu bassi r e lyri Befor ing th res of umme t ar tu i re r dr t w de p nd e futu T he r a a t d d s den od t th dy. cte sud hael T ard pu jeopar nexpe ad c h i p u p in the p M nd hE e-u Jo s t h e b a d t h a t s h a k r i t i n g t o of er sai m the the w t g ot I g sin ma fro o with rd. “I is and dra t to d w reco Trav ot be a n e a lo the ne wher ight ed as e m t f h n e o poi her Co felt t h e u g h t t w f o r ch e z . s t r i f e o f o n o r th mor id Sa o the eath e d a to d,” sa ition t , the ngtim d n d l a n d b n a e ba and o nia n I th aunt Anto vily o a , e a hin wit chez’s fidant ed he stiano the i eled h n n r g a o i C S Cc ns we nd r t. C& stiano ’s hea o cou days a p in r h i t e u r C sing ist w rlies ing stice g k t h e c h o l o e i r e a b r e a c k “ Ju h om a t y r s t n p di up fr the g ro e ban t them ired h t p hris ke p 2 , i n s d to r ne mer C later nu 200 t re r um ere t Sa lly tua Plan d ar ts w m tha ing n e v p albu unn d e cape ie’s R Tod er Es Penn as an “T he ty l e w . a g . e c y bili t h n l s l r i ’s a be a mo st Mic y Dill the di e resu e sing z e e y t h sb er m assi on . T h d th anc y no r an t o h e r e. B d r u m l a y i n g w k i n s z z a n a s e. u d i o S e m a w e r f o d u n e cat persev ced o rom p or Ha ase b f rele n, Cla iter. H ty po edi s d le to re pla him f r Tayl re-rele eek o -fictio ongwr a migh i w e s P n d ab as s um alb z was ard w bar re r umm ives.” s first or no y as a ong i w t s t l t d e i p i e n c r a r n n ch p i s o n l u i r u i e f E t t d e T h l , S a Jo s h l c o n i g h t s o f o d 2 0 0 i n f i c i s m a a r a n F l t r.” a rde gh it a mmer tractu Foo record illboar abble n of h ly gui u y M B to d u n u b t ig h on s s e in hro er dr a co ded e h e t b e it ed. T rm g h r e c o r f t h e # 6 i n ch o o s l e i s t h o n s w .— u 5 o f 8 o o age a n d n i e, t h d a n d “ o n e r e a ch m b r i a l t r o u b r d e m on p m Pen r prete called e disc nd Ca rsona sh you u b al inte z has ped th eed a gh pe bani test o h u s la ’ a i ch e e ” h e l e r C o t h r o a b l e t r amb m killing two Fr e h e t h i s way b e i n g dC n W te h a t u d i b e r , ohe birds with one stone to w erhero tal. of C r sup e mo r e view r me ead a ven though it s a piece of R
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The Message Behind the Makeup Dresden Dolls’ looks may change, but the message is the same
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ince releasing their self-titled album in 2003, The Dresden Dolls have inspired a slew of chimerical hyphenations that attempt to describe the drum-and-piano duo. Cabaret-punk. Piano-punk. Brechtian punk-cabaret. Singer/pianist Amanda Palmer’s Siouxsie-inspired wail and damaged death diva persona, and drummer Brian Viglione’s black bowler hat and stark white make-up gave The Dolls a look that harkened back to post-punk’s darkest, artiest edges. Driven by Amanda’s love for classic goth and deathrock and Brian’s love for early 80s hardcore punk and skronky free jazz, The Dolls emerged as an aesthetically striking, uniquely performance-oriented act. After a few extended bouts of rigorous touring, and through the release of another disc (Yes, Virginia) and a few DVDs, though, their look has begun to change. The real concept behind The Dresden Dolls, however, transcends the band’s familiar visual elements. What The Dolls are really going for finds its roots far earlier than the band’s inception, and to assume, as is often the case, that the band’s fashion is its prime function, is a bit of a mistake. Another misconception is that drummer Brian is the “quiet one” of the duo. Coming off of a year filled with non-Dolls related music projects (including a tour with Massachusettsbased Humanwine and a stint with friend Jesse Malin’s jazz-fusion act) he chats enthusiastically, discussing The Dolls’ solo projects, their evolution as a band, and the experiences that led him to view his music the way he does.
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by Matt Stern also suggests these artists: Regina Spektor, A Particularly Vicious Rumor, The White Stripes
feature Brian was out of step with even his edgiest friends as a high school student in Southern New Hampshire in the mid-90s. The only guy listening to Circle Jerks and Black Flag when the farthest off the beaten past his friends explored was Nine Inch Nails and Primus, he started commuting to Boston. There, in a big city with its own hardcore punk legacy, he found people who knew what he was talking about. But even as he started putting up flyers to try and grab a gig as a drummer, he felt the vibe that the established punk scenes in town were closed clubs; it was possible to be among outsiders and still feel like an outsider. “I’ll never forget that feeling of going to a show in Boston and feeling so outside the circle because I was new to the scene,” says Brian. “I was like, ‘I swear on my fucking grave that if I ever have a band that does shit, I don’t
by Claudia Ward-de León
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want kids or any kind of existing climate around the band of like “Oh, well this is for us, and not other people,”’ because I so detested that feeling when it happened to me.” A decade later, Brian has found himself in a band that does all sorts of shit, and he’s stuck to his all-inclusive stance, which is, for him, more important to The Dresden Dolls than their makeup. By maintaining a close relationship with fans, the duo has actively promoted creativity among them as an alternative to petty scene politics. Brian explains, “If we heard from someone that so-and-so on the message board is saying, ‘these new kids aren’t real fans’ or if people start to get catty and lame, Amanda and I have no qualms about jumping in and saying ‘Cut the shit; if you really care about the music, then let people enjoy it for what it is.’ This music is for anybody who’s into it, and
the whole point is to derive something good from it.” “It’s the same thing with the look,” continues Brian. “If people were like, ‘we want to be like you’ it’s like, ‘good, if you want to be like us then do your own thing.’ Our fans are intelligent. They get it. It’s about people connecting with each other and doing their own creative projects.” The Live at the Roundhouse DVD depicts The Dolls dressed in a less rigidly cabaret-styled wardrobe than usual, and Brian says that on their most recent tours, they’ve been switching up their costumes quite a bit. “I think it sends a message that it’s not about having this constant iconic look or something,” he says. “It’s all about fun and whatever makes you feel most comfortable in your own skin.”
Zen Cycles of Ambient
he daishō is a traditional weapon from Japan’s Edo period. Typically used by samurais, the weapon is made up of two swords: the katana and, the shorter of the two, the wakizashi. On Daishō, the 2005 release by Rustcycle, you will find tracks titled “katana” and “wakizashi” alongside the almost dozen tracks that make up the album. “I sort of wanted to apply myself and be disciplined on the instruments,” says 26-year old Adrian Johnson (he performs under the Rustcycle moniker). “I focused my skills on the guitar and the violin, and employ them in way that would be harmonious.” A blend of computerized
Rustcycle
loops, violins and progressive guitar, a Zen-like harmony is inimitably achieved on the quietly ambient excursion Daishō takes listeners on. Johnson—who just graduated with a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2007—says he hoped to convey his spiritual connection to Eastern philosophies such as Taoism through his compositions. Foremost themes include those of discipline and what he calls, “a forgotten way of life.” A software engineer and researcher at a federally funded research and development center by day, Johnson somehow finds the time to produce, compose, and play on all his
rides in
work. He picked up the electric violin in 2004 desiring to revisit his musical roots; Johnson’s formal music training began with the viola in grammar school. As this article is being written, he is putting the finishing touches on his latest album, Workaholics Autonomous which he describes as more club-like and somewhat of a departure from the ambient modalities of Daishō. In tandem to the musical voyage of his live shows, Johnson has devised a “visual” experience with the aid of sophisticated computer programs, and aspires to conduct a live mix of spirituality and technology.
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by Carl Cunningham
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“There’s a huge
indie rock thing going on in
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Nashville.”
Photography by Bo Streeter
hen you think of the Nashville scene, certain sounds and images are bound to come to mind... a good-looking-as-hell singer with a dinner plate-sized belt buckle, tight jeans and a big-ass cowboy hat; or maybe an aging band of country players guitar pickin’ and pedal steel slidin’ their way through a Hank Williams cover for the ten-thousandth time. Those old stand-bys are there on nearly every stage in Music City, but there is also a home-brewed indie rock resurgence lurking just under the country & western sheen of Nashville, with one of the city’s leading DIY bands dubbing itself Paper Rival. Formed in 2005 from the remains of a pair of other Nashville area rock bands, Paper Rival was playing shows and recording their debut EP within two weeks of becoming a band. “We started quick[ly] as a band, but I do think we’re out of the shadow of the previous bands,” says Paper Rival guitarist Patrick Damphier. “Our second, self-titled EP that’s out now is the last part of that bridge from when I took songs from my band, and Jake Rolleston (Paper Rival’s vocalist) brought in songs from his band. Our full length album [released in February, is] Paper Rival on our own.” On their current self-titled EP, Paper Rival runs through five songs like a rock band that’s been together ten times longer than their short musical history. From the haunting opening strains of “Alabama,” Paper Rival gives off a mellow Nashville vibe while pounding out authentic indie rock. The mid-tempo “You’re Right” sinks into the scratchy, vinyl pop-andcrackle opening of “Home is Right Out Your Window.” “A Fox in the Garden” is perhaps the band’s prettiest song, with Rolleston’s voice hovering over the music. The somber and mellow tones of the Bruce Cockburn cover “Pacing the Cage” closes the Photo Finish Records EP. “Being from Nashville [has] definitely affected the way we sound,” says Damphier. “This town excels as the sound of pop country, but like the scene we’re a part of, there’s a huge indie rock thing going on here. There are some amazing unsigned rock bands playing alongside some down-home real country sounds from the 1950s.” Paper Rival, formerly known as Keating, took on a new musical direction along with their recent name change. A Canadian band had the name Keating first, prompting the name
feature
New Record, New Name, New Sound
change to Paper Rival. Damphier believes the new name and addition of singer and lyricist Jake Rolleston was a definite blessing. “He fits very well with the music and is the face of the band,” Damphier says of the band’s front man. “Jake represents us so well, and his voice blends in with our sound more now than when we started. We had more hard-edged guitar tones then, but we’ve mellowed out now, and his voice sits on top of it beautifully.” Damphier professes a love of the band’s new music, with two new songs among his favorites. “We have one called ‘Cassandra’ that has a real old school country vibe,” he says, “and you can tell we’re from Nashville listening to that one.” Damphier’s other early favorite Paper Rival track is “Keep Us In,” a song he says represents much more than a song by a rock band: It is, he says, a proclamation of equality and human rights for all, regardless of a person’s race, religion or lifestyle. “That song pertains to an election here about a year ago which was a ballot measure that would have allowed homosexual marriage here,” Damphier explains. “The measure lost, and it was disappointing. It showed voters here are closed minded, and we felt embarrassed to be from such a
Paper Rival Embraces Indie Rock closed minded place.” Damphier proclaims Paper Rival to be a prime example of the still thriving Do-It-Yourself music movement. “We’re very independent, and I mean it literally,” he says. “It’s how we do things, and it affects how we write and sound. We do our own artwork, production, writing and recording in house ourselves. We’re the epitome of a do it yourself band.” Look for Paper Rival on their spring 2008 tour.—ed.
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Can You See the Real
HIM?
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Politics and religion make for good conversation n the wake of a recent school shooting in Finland, one might expect one of the country’s most renowned songwriters—known for his dark lyrical imagery—to be bombarded with questions from the media. Thankfully, the Finnish reaction to the shooting hasn’t involved blaming musicians, as has been the case in comparable tragedies elsewhere. “I guess that the Scandinavians are well-educated enough not to blame an insane act like that on music,” says Ville Valo, front-man of dark melodic Finnish rock band HIM. “I’m a songwriter. I write songs about how I feel. And I sometimes feel like shit, and that’s a great moment to write songs; but I’m not a political songwriter, I’m not a religious songwriter. So no one can blame their own stupid actions on the lyrics and melodies I’ve created playing my acoustic guitar back in Helsinki. That would be ridiculous.” Ville sits flipping through a copy of Chuck Palahniuk-endorsed pop-serial killer thriller, Chelsea Cain’s Heartsick. The band’s previous two performances on the Venus Doom tour, both in L.A., were filmed for an upcoming DVD release. This evening’s show, at the very least, will be more relaxing than those two, though Ville has no other expectations. “We’re just playing the best we can, and fucking around with the set a bit and switching songs around,” says Ville. “The good thing about this band is we don’t have a stage production, so we don’t always have to perform the same. That’s what makes it fascinating: it’s the atmosphere, the venues, the response of the audience, how the band’s feeling. There’s so many variables in touring. It is like playing Russian Roulette; Russian Roulette with five bullets.” It’s not uncommon for Ville to arrive at such a smirkingly grave, off-the-cuff simile. The man is great for a sound-bite. But his discursive style of conversation reveals more about him, and about HIM, than the printfriendly epigrams at which he tends to arrive. The lyrics on Venus Doom are one thing. They find Ville continuing to mine the territory he’s been exploring for over a decade. He writes songs about collapsing relationships, told through blood-drenched, corpse-digging (and maybe a little melodramatically morbid) metaphors. The ideas Ville likes to explore outside of his lyrics, though, are of a different ilk. Ville launches into a freewheeling discussion about the face of faith in Scandinavia, and arrives at another homegrown aphorism. “Modern Christianity is nothing but a pseudo-spiritual McDonald’s,” he says. “A burger occasionally is fine, but I’m vegetarian.” He then casually references having discussed food politics with friend Lee Dorrian, the former front-man of Napalm Death and current member of doom metal band Cathedral. Unlike the obstreperously political company he keeps, Ville has opted not to make his political stances central to the music of HIM. However, it’s quite clear that politics and religion are rarely far from his mind. “No one should be shackled and chained into a religion [where] they don’t know how to take a piss in the toilet, if you know what I mean,” says Ville. But there’s a few reasons he hasn’t spent the last decade-or-so using
also suggests these artists: Wizard, Soilwork, Jag Panzer
feature by Matt Stern
?
“No one should be shackled and chained into a religion where they don’t know how to take a piss in the toilet.”
HIM as a way to express these sorts of convictions (outside of the tongue-in-cheek Satanism hinted at through the band’s iconic “heartagram” logo). When he discusses religion or politics, his stream-of-consciousness opinions show that his understanding of the issues can’t really be summed up in a punchy quote. “I’m a regular Joe, you know?” says Ville. “I see what’s happening around me. Opinions tend to change all the time. It’s a constant journey for each and every individual, and obviously we’re cultivated by our childhoods and stuff like that and the things we’ve seen. It’s great to be free to express what you feel; it doesn’t mean what you’re saying is right.” In terms of what drives Ville’s lyrics, as complex and nuanced as he finds politics and religion, there are other topics he’d rather grapple with, ones he finds even more confounding. “Lots of relationships, for me, they’re very overwhelming,” says Ville. “My life rotates around those simple themes a lot. I’ve never been subjected to more pain than the pain that comes from a relationship, so maybe I’m lucky.”
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Mayday Parade
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So Much for Formula
by Eric W. Saeger
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”I know I’ve definitely been through some crap in my past.”
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finally got so down on emo that I came up with a formula for judging the bands, which have to number in the billions now. You take their best song – in most cases there’s only one tune that was actually worth the sacrifice of the laser photons that went into mass-producing the CDs – and view the full record as you would a one-hit-wonder girl group album from the 60s. Die-hard fans of one particular emo band or the other are fucked, if you ask me. Most of the bands are only good for one song, but before you start yelling about “band messages” while waving lyric sheets, I’m immune to that bullshit too. I’m glad you’re a fanboy and that you have a reason to live, but I shudder to think what’ll happen when you’re too old to take all your angst out on your mom. And that’s all the rebellion rock and roll has to give nowadays, isn’t it? In the book Best Music Writing 2007, Robert Christgau dropped the old news that music doesn’t make a difference anymore, to which I’d like to add that that goes for Bono and his lust for Nancy Pelosi too. And how can it, when the absolute worst nightmare of punk rock came true and it’s been perverted into emo? And who cares about the rantings of rock critics anyway (myself excluded, just because). There are ways to make geosociopolitical differences, but nobody makes differences sitting in their Underoos writing about things that don’t make differences.
But anyway, we need to talk about Mayday Parade, because they’ve put the hex on my formula by having more than one worthwhile song on this album of theirs, A Lesson in Romantics. They’re more album-oriented than most of the emo dreck that shuffles in here with its hands in its pockets and its hair covering its face. Sure, the band indulges their radio beach-bum hormones, but there’s something deeper here. The refrain in “Black Cat” for instance, is redolent of Three Dog Night thanks to the omniscient, bassy backing vocals. Either these fellers have been listening to 70s stuff or I’m the Bride of Frankenstein. “We look up to a ton of bands in that era and those of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s,” drummer Jake Bundrick swears on a stack of bibles. Oh yeah? Name ten. “Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Queen, AC/DC, The Beatles, Guns N Roses, Saves The Day, Get Up Kids, Green Day and just recently Paramore.” Hmm, interesting. Maybe that’s where those cool backing vocals come from. But rather than quibble about whether Three Dog Night could kick Hayley’s ass, I question their motives. Is all this rockin’-out stuff just a lark before the band members go off to college? “We dropped out of college a long time ago,” Bundrick insists. One would hope so, being that they’re pimped by Fearless Records, an indie that’s doing some not-unimportant things these days.
There is motivation beyond chicks and ego, thankfully. “I think the band members are all in it to help people cope with problems they’re having. I know I’ve definitely been through some crap in my past. I had a girlfriend of five years who cheated on me on our five-year anniversary, so I know what it’s like. It definitely hurts, but I’m definitely not the only guy that something like that has happened to.” You’d think there’d be an axe to grind over that horrible she-demon, but this kid is a survivor who actually gets quixotic toward his fans. “We just recently joined up with an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms. It’s an organization geared towards helping those committing harm to themselves.” In spite of all the civic-mindedness, the band’s lyrics are simple, claims Bundrick. “They’re about love and hardships. I think my favorite song on the record lyrically would have to be, ‘You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, I’ll be The Wings That Keep Your Heart in the Clouds.’ The story takes place on the U.S.S. Virginia during Pearl Harbor where a sailor/soldier was writing his final letter to his girlfriend Eleanor. In the song it has him talking to God and hearing messages from Him that no one else could hear.”
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Jimmy Eat Wo by Jeff O’Neill
Still Making It All Happen
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ack in the day, the whole pop/punk thing started to take form: what seemed like hundreds of emo wannabes took their shot at stardom. While most (thankfully) faded from grace, Jimmy Eat World had the chops to figure out the whole music-as-a-career thing. Always a bit harder and introspective than their “contemporaries” at the time, Jimmy was able to avoid the teeny bopper trap and the MTV bullshit. Well, almost. It’s not easy to forget the video for “In the Middle,” where a group of underwear-only clad teenagers – and Jimmy Eat World members – are raging at a house party. Two hesitant teenagers decide against conformity and leave the party hand-in-hand fully clothed. That was a musical lifetime ago, but Jimmy Eat World is still churning out poppy, sleek cuts that feature the more than ample harmonic stylings of Jim Adkins and the boys. Jimmy Eat World’s latest release, Chase This Light serves up a heaping helping of Jimmy goodness in ample doses. “Big Casino” might still be ringing in your ears as you read this. Growing up, the guys of Mesa, Arizona-based Jimmy Eat World didn’t know much beyond the local music scene. “It was a big city like Phoenix – like L.A. in that you don’t know if you’ve crossed town lines. You learn pretty quickly who plays and how to keep things on an aesthetic level,” says Jim Adkins, lead singer for the band. “I’ve known the drummer Zach for a really long time – his mom was our preschool teacher – and that was fourteen years ago…weird.” Adkins explained that the Jimmy sound was never by design. Starting out, “we were trying to figure out what it means to be in a band. You begin to emulate your own record collection,” he says. “It took a few years to find our way of working together, what works for us. It’s definitely a band by band thing.” Refusing to be pigeonholed, Adkins mentions that his favorite fans are those who are self-reliant. “I think, um, whether it’s pop punk or emo or whatever, we sell in the group of people who [are] out to do things for themselves,” he says. “Whether it’s superfast or hardcore, those are the types we met when we were touring. Like them, we were just
trying to do it without a whole lot of help.” “We’re not part of any scene.” Having a particular fondness for the band since the beginning, I selfishly asked Adkins about the cut “A Praise Chorus,” track two from their eponymous self-titled album that launched them to stardom. You know, the “crimson and clover” song. A real killer cut, Adkins chuckled as he recalled it. “It’s really about everything that’s fun about rock and roll: reckless abandon, giving into the moment of having fun,” he says. “I think it could apply to the band in any period.” While that may be true, it was more than appropriate when the band went out on the road in support of that album as a small unknown. Once radio got a hold of “In the Middle” and “The Sweetness,” things got a little crazy, quickly. “When you’re on the road, you’re focused on 24-hour time stretches to get ready for shows,” Adkins explains.
also suggests these artists: The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41
orld “It took a few years to find our way of working together.”
“But once we were done with that tour, it really hit. We didn’t realize how big it had gotten. And then it got really weird.” Fame can do that to a person. Building on that initial rush of success, Jimmy embraced the songwriting process and started to view production as more than turning knobs. “After we made our first record, we started getting into recording ourselves,” he says. “We started using production as an element in songwriting.” Adkins explained the creative process: “When you’re writing, you’re in a world of reactionary response. Whatever you decide you want to do, everything is just reaction from the previous sound. The full sound was something we really started to like – now, it’s like another instrument choice.”
feature by Erika Y. Gradecki
Dancehall Veterans Tanto Metro & Devonte
L
ongtime dancehall veterans Tanto Metro & Devonte haven’t lost their touch. Since their 1999 debut release Everyone Falls in Love, the duo has continued to expand and grow for nearly a decade. “Each time Tanto Metro & Devonte have put out an album, we’ve shown growth, more versatility,” said Devonte. “You’re hearing new things, ya know, ‘cause we have grown. We’re putting a lot more work (in).” The pair’s last album, Musically Inclined, was released just two years ago, and recently they have been on the road performing at show venues, as well as working in the studio on several projects. “A new album will be out soon,” Devonte said. “We haven’t set a date yet.” In addition to releasing an upcoming album together, they
have both been working on solo projects. “I’m basically working on some solo stuff to show the public and the world who Devonte is, and showing what I can do,” he said. Devonte will be releasing his solo works through his label, Dimmie Joe Muzik, where he has already laced tracks with Beenie Man, one of the featured artists on the project. Camian Superstars, a compilation with several Dimmie Joe Muzik featured artists, was also set to be released by the end of 2007. Devonte added that Tanto hasn’t been left in the dark. “Tanto does solo projects too. He had a collaboration he had done with Leon the Actor—a song called ‘Second That Emotion.’ So, definitely he has solo projects. He’s working in the studio; a vibe (is) being created, and we put it to work.” “We never stop working,” Devonte added. “We never stop working, even when it’s quiet. We’re always doing something, somewhere.”
Photography by Bryan Studio
Never Stop Working
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Iron Maiden Takes Off Now Boarding Flight 666
by j. poet
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ron Maiden is one of the most influential bands to rise up out of Britain’s nü-metal scene of the late 70s. As they kick off the beginning of their 30th year in the business, they’ve announced the most ambitious world tour they’ve ever undertaken. The Somewhere Back in Time Tour ‘08 will touch down in Sweden and Finland, where tickets for all shows sold out in less than three hours. They’ll also stop in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan, India, Australia, Norway, France, Germany, L.A. and New Jersey. Additional dates are being added daily. The tour features the classic three-guitar line up of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janek Gers, founder Steve Harris on
bass, drummer Nicko McBrain and vocalist/hellraiser Bruce Dickinson. The band is complimenting the tour with the release of a newly re-mastered 5.1 surround sound double disc Live After Death DVD, filmed during a sold out four night stand at L.A.’s Long Beach Arena during the legendary Powerslave tour. The package, which includes extensive documentary footage of the band, dropped in February. The stage production for Somewhere Back in Time is an updated version of the Egyptian themed set from the Powerslave tour featured on the original 1985 video release of Live After Death, with Eddie looking spiffy, decked out in rotting mummy wrappings. “l always loved the Powerslave show, which I think
was arguably our most spectacular ever,” Steve Harris said in a recent interview. “Taking it out again is going to be a lot of fun. And flying in our own 757 will make it a lot more flexible for us; we intend to cram as much of the show as we possibly can into the specially constructed cargo holds.” The plane will hold 60 crewmembers, 12 tons of equipment and be piloted by Dickinson. “The schedule we have been able to put together due to the flexibility of having our own aircraft is very exciting, taking us places we haven’t been in a long while and some we have never been to, like Colombia and Costa Rica,” said Harris. “We aren’t able to get to everywhere that we’d like to for various logistical reasons, and
there are probably fans who will be disappointed, but we promise we will try even harder the next time around to get to those places.” To compliment the stage set, and the Back in Time theme, the band will be putting together a set list of their 80s hits, and will use elements from their Somewhere in Time tour of the late 80s, including the cyborg version of Eddie. Pilot Dickinson adds: “By taking band, personnel and equipment in one plane, it makes touring easier. We can even work out exactly how big our carbon footprint is, and take care of that responsibility. We’ll give the fans something to remember. And it allows me to combine my greatest passions: music and flying.”
“This tour allows me to combine my greatest passions: music and flying.”
also suggests these artists: Judas Priest, Queensryche, Shadows Fall
h c t a r c
Rise Up:
When You’re Feeling Down, Let the Music Lift You DJ Rush politicks about the essential soundtrack for overcoming obstacles and celebrating life. Every artist can relate to the pain and struggle of being unsigned. – DJ Rush hile the debate over hip-hop’s death still rages, Australian DJ Rush has his own remedy for breathing life back into the artform. “I think we need to look outside of the U.S. for some inspiration,” he says. “That’s why countries like Australia are going to be the new hot spot soon, as we look for that new flavor.” Dubbed “The Australian Sensation,” DJ Rush has rocked globally and taken his boyish good looks worldwide as he blasts through both the nightlife and mixtape circuit. According to Rush, Australia might just be the next hip-hop hot spot; the genre may be due for a rebirth. When we need to rise above the ashes, it’s the music that can motivate us. With a finely tuned ability to keep the crowd hyped, DJ Rush plays the Phoenix and hosts his Top Ten Songs to Celebrate Life and Rebirth. 1. Ghostface Killah featuring Mary J. Blige – “All That I Got is You” As a teenager I would listen to this track over and over again as a reminder that family is the most important thing to me in my life; you know whom you will be sharing your wealth with once you hit the big time. Ghostface tells us how tough life was growing up with one of the realest tracks in hip-hop – “Fifteen of us in a three bedroom apartment / roaches everywhere, cousins and aunts was there / four in the bed, two at the foot, two at the head.” 2. The Transfer – “So Much to Me” The Transfer is an unsigned band from Hollywood that mixes together soul, hip-hop and rock. Every artist can relate
by Kathy Iandoli
to the pain and struggle of being unsigned. The Transfer discuss how life can be tough. But as long as the band is together and there is music, then life isn’t so bad after all. “’Cause it’d be over if I didn’t have the chords strumming / I’d be a beggar on the corner with some poor humming / Instead I’m with the band photo shooting.” 3. Jay-Z – “Anything” Jay-Z is the biggest hustler in hiphop. A prime example of never to give up on your dreams. Coming from nothing and now owning everything. “I thought we would never progress / but look at us now man, we’re young execs.” 4. Kanye West – “Good Life” We all know this one. A feel-good track celebrating Kanye’s success in the industry that he has been dominating for the last couple of years. “I always had a passion for flashing before I had it / I close my eyes and imagine the good life.” 5. Notorious B.I.G – “Juicy” “Birthdays were the worst days, now we sip champagne when we’re thirsty. Damn right I love the life I live ‘cause I went from
s
negative to positive.”
6. The Game – “Dreams” The Game lets us know about the dreams he had, music-wise and women-wise. I’m sure just about all of Game’s dreams have now come true if it be women, music, touring or getting that paper. “So I reached out to Kanye and brought you all my dream!” 7. The Game featuring 50 Cent – “Hate It Or Love It” “My Ma’s happy, she ain’t gotta pay the rent, and she got a red bow on that brand new Benz.” 8. Mike Jones – “Flossin” “I’m hot now a lot of people callin’, but back then they left Mike Jones crawlin’. I’m rising they fallin’ ‘cause I stayed up on my grind. Didn’t have time to whine, had to put it ‘dine.’” 9. Jay-Z – “Hard Knock Life” “From standin’ on the corners boppin’ to drivin’ some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen.” 10. Tupac Shakur – “Dear Mama” Being brought up by a single mother myself, I could really relate to what Pac was saying on this track. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, there is no way you can ever pay your mom back after all she has done for you over the years. “There’s no way I can pay ya back. But my plan is to show ya that I understand. You are appreciated.”
Photography by : Erica Hurrell
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www.skopemagazine.com
Jeff Tuohy
Lyken 21
STORES The singer/songwriterIN genre certainly isn’tNOW a new one, but it embodies something so basic and down-to-earth that it’s impossible to imagine an American music scene without it. Continuing in this tradition, Jeff Tuohy has arrived bearing simple, layered melodies accompanied by comfortingly smooth vocals. Though he resides in New York City, you won’t find any of the anxiety of the urban landscape here. What you will find is a lovely balance between music and lyrics ranging from the achingly sweet “Serenade,” to the yearning “Unaware,” and rough around the edges (in all the right places) “Fields of Grey.” Keep an eye out for Tuohy and his band in your city. He says, “Every gig, no matter what, we play the best set possible, and try to turn strangers into fans.” If you don’t catch him on the road, you can find Jeff and a sampling of his songs at jefftuohy.com, and on iTunes.
Having opened for bands like Overkill and Skid Row, it’s no surprise that Lyken 21 plays in-your-face rock music, but the band has many sides. They don’t just play “hard rock music, as has been released on [our album] Mindstream. We have blues songs, have done covers—never live, but just because—we even have a wedding song.” Amazingly enough, they get requests for it. The diversity of their abilities is obvious, even on the hard-leaning Mindstream, which somehow manages to be both metal and melody driven.
Natural Incense
Reign Lee
TRACKS ware- 3:35 omas- 4:35 Wo o d - 3 : 5 0 ank*- 3:53 nade- 6:15 Grey- 5:34 Song- 3:44 pirit- 4:44 We l l - 3 : 3 4 andy- 4:08 rmitted to dow- 4:10
xplicit Lyrics
hy.com NY
Formed in 2006 from the ashes of a progressive punk rock reggae band, Natural Incense has grown into a force of nature almost as mighty and free-flowing as California’s Pacific Ocean currents. Their self-titled debut EP on the I In Eye Records label is quickly becoming a top seller on CDbaby.com. With their peace and love lyrics, rock-infused reggae sound and stellar three-hour long concerts, vocalist/guitarist Eric Singer says the band is all about being “a family, and about the ocean and the sun, living for the day and making the world a better place.” Natural Incense is nearing the milestone of two hundred live shows before the band’s second anniversary, a feat that Singer says they will soon eclipse (most of 2008 is already booked). More than fame or money, Singer wants people to know about “the positive messages in our lyrics... friendship and equality, strength, heart, giving and honor.” Check out the funky rock reggae sound of Natural Incense at www. naturalincensemusic.com.
With clever lyrics, biting guitar riffs and well-played rhythms, they are sure to breathe new life into the genre. You can find the New Jersey foursome touring in the Northeast, or check them out on MySpace at www.myspace. com/lyken21band, where fans and friends have it right when they say, “Rock on!”
Music is in Reign Lee’s blood. Her parents are both music lovers, and her mother, in particular, had an influence on Lee’s path as a singer and musician. “My mother comes from a very musical family; some members of our family had reached a modicum of success in the industry in the 1960s and 1970s,” Lee said. “So, I grew up in a very music friendly environment filled with instruments and albums.” The early exposure paid off. Lee (www.reignlee.com) is a musician with a growing reputation and her own independent label, Vereign Records. Her latest album, Broken Skyline, tells a story of desolation against the backdrop of a fading summer. Lee, who defines her music as alternative rock with “melodic pop inclinations,” said she sees her career as a continuing journey of success. “My aim is to constantly evolve as an artist and put out albums that push my boundaries along with my audience.”
Tips
Music Industry by Eugene Foley
Industry Insider Lets You In On Proven Techniques for Success
Music Conferences
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This article is an edited excerpt from Eugene Foley’s book, Artist Development – A Distinctive Guide To The Music Industry’s Lost Art.
here are numerous some mailing list and gig swapping deals. Partying all night music conferences and sleeping at the hotel all day until load-in time at the concert and seminars held venue is not doing your career much good. across the United I’ve seen many artists (and I think it’s a great idea, by the ttending a music States each year. way) send a CD and press kit to the industry pros before These are great the event starts. It takes some work, but it seems to be a conference allows events to learn more about wise move. the industry, while marketWell in advance of the event, most conference official web ing your project to industry sites will list who will be speaking at their event. With some you to meet top executives and fans, all under homework, you can find the address or e-mail of the VIPs and the same roof. You must reach out to them with a note of introduction, or send over a industry represen remember that the music CD with info about your gig. I listen to every CD that artists business is all about people send me in this manner. If I really like the music, I will add and personal relationships. them to the list of acts that I want to see while I’m in town. tatives and per Attending a music conferI’d also like to address imposing on industry professionals ence allows you to meet top while at music conferences. When pros attend these events, sonally give them industry representatives and they should be there to meet artists, give advice, catch some personally give them your shows and go home with a huge sack of CDs and press kits to CD. Some of the relationreview. They should—and the majority do—make themselves your ships that you will build at available throughout the day and at the showcase venues in the these events will last for evening. This allows artists to approach, introduce themselves many years. and respectfully submit a package. It’s impossible to succeed However, if there’s an industry professional whom you want in any business if you don’t know and understand to meet and you see them at the hotel restaurant eating dinner with a spouse or colleague, the rules of the game and who the top players don’t interrupt them to hand over a CD. Wait until you see them in a more “business-like” are. So look into the conferences in your region setting. It’s a bit uncomfortable when a stranger approaches you for a chat while you’re and strongly consider attending the better ones. eating and your mouth is full of food. There’s a time and place for everything. It’s not practical to attend all of these events, There are many wonderful conferences and seminars across the country. However, my so how do you make a wise choice? I feel the key favorite events, in no particular order, are: things to consider include: ● New York City (CMJ) ● Location. The distance of the event from ● Austin, Texas (SXSW) where you live. ● Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Millennium) ● Which music industry executives will be attend● Dewey Beach, Delaware (Dewey Beach Fest) ing as speakers, panelists, mentors and scouts. ● Atlanta, Georgia (Atlantis) ● The topics that will be covered in the educational segments of the event. I encourage you to search into the best music conferences in your region. Submit ● Your opportunity to perform live during the your music in an effort to earn a showcase slot, and purchase your tickets to attend the “showcase” segment of the event. daytime events. When you get there, do your best to make the most out of this wonderful ● The cost of tickets for the event and other opportunity for your career. It’s one of the rare times that artists, industry reps, media expenses such as food, fuel, hotel, executives and fans are all under the same roof. Everyone is eager to network and meet parking, etc. new people. Embrace these conferences and watch new doors open for your career.
A
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CD.
The common mistake I see musicians making at music conferences is not taking the daytime educational events seriously. Many people I speak with don’t even bother attending the seminars, workshops and mentoring sessions. For those artists, the whole focus is on their “showcase” gig. While it’s wonderful to have the live performance opportunity—and you should embrace it—make sure you remember to get the most you can out of the conference, and don’t ignore the morning and afternoon educational events. Go to the meeting rooms and sit in on the lectures. Give out CDs to industry pros. Network with other recording artists and try to work out
Eugene Foley is the Founder & President of Foley Entertainment, Inc., a full service music industry consulting firm and licensed Entertainment Agency. Foley represents artists, labels, managers, producers, songwriters and other industry participants. Clients have earned nearly 40 Gold & Platinum Records & three GRAMMY® Awards for their overall career accomplishments. Foley is the author of two acclaimed music industry educational books and lectures extensively on topics including artist development, marketing and intellectual property. Foley offers a free CD evaluation to all unsigned artists. Visit his Web site at www.FoleyEntertainment.com
the crossover
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Musings, Platitudes and Contemplations From an Outsider
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hroughout the years, music and politics have made for interesting bedfellows. One could cite numerous instances in our country’s illustrious history as the effective catalyst of this often tumultuous pairing. Perhaps the flapper days of the 1920s – big band music coupled with big spending. Maybe it was the dust bowl days of folk and hardship that forged the partnership. Possibly it ended as it might have began, in the powder keg of the 1960s, culminating at Woodstock. The 1980s brought us both excess in our music (hairspray, etc.) and in our lifestyles. And the 1990s saw a backlash from that era in a return to flannel. Whenever you feel this relationship may have started – and you could argue successful for and against several eras – one thing is clear: shit is dead now. Really dead. Why is it that people are so afraid to open their mouths when something political might come out? Why must people actively change the conversation when any inflammatory political discussion brews? How can we expect to advance as a society – a culture – without even a rudimentary engagement in the political fray? This phenomenon is nothing new. I’m 29 with a child on the way. Far before even my time, academics have decried the decline in voter turnout among the young generation – especially among urban dwellers. Be that as it may, I guess it’s my turn to throw my hat into the proverbial ring of the dissatisfied for a new era. All hail the Nothing Culture. The Nothing Culture is, quite simply, a popular ethos, a con-
sciousness, that exists in direct contrast to political discourse. I’m not going all Zach de la Rocha on you and saying that the government deliberately engineered Paris Hilton to get our eyes off the real killer. Unfortunately, we did this to ourselves. The Nothing Culture serves the undeservedly entitled, the disturbingly materialistic and the harbingers of our collective demise. The Nothing Culture is predicated on who has the biggest, most expensive, most audacious… the adjectives go on. There is no substance to the Nothing Culture. And, the music of the generation perfectly jives with our notions of “values.” Artists still speak out about the president ad nauseum, decry the unpopular war, etc, etc. Mind you, they do this whilst sipping Dom at Butter or Pure or wherever the hell they find chemical-induced solace. Why the tendency to shy away from the political? Simple: Safety. No one likes to get each other’s panties in a bunch. No one likes to press buttons. It’s not polite. It’s not proper. Instead, some very intelligent people are reduced to drivel-spouting idiots in order to avoid a mildly uncomfortable situation with a fellow banterer. I had a wonderful experience the other day. In talking to a colleague of mine with whom I’ve never shared my political ideologies, we stumbled upon the topic of capital punishment. While initially beating around the bush, we both got to the heart of the matter and began a heated discussion. I was delighted to find he is a dyedin-the-wool English Republican, in staunch contrast to my Irish-Catholic-Democrat heritage.
We yelled, threw insults, spouted half-truths… it was one of the best conversations I’d had in years. We both commented after how it was great to speak with people our age who didn’t hide behind their faux Louis Vuitton when confronted with a question harboring a political slant. Really, things in this country are that good that we can simply sit on our thumbs and ignore the pressing issues of the day? I’m not going to sit here and tell you that today and then tomorrow and so on are the most dangerous times in history. That’s a line of crap served by the right to justify invasive wiretapping, irresponsible defense spending and the rapid expansion of executive powers (see, you knew I could throw a jab in there somewhere). I’d say that World Wars I and II plus the Cold War’s impending nuclear annihilation offered a far more grim day-to-day existence. Regardless, we are reaching a tipping point in pissing off more than one billion (double that if you include China) Arabs in mostly all the Middle East as a result of our executive’s unilateral action. This is not going to go away on its own and, is too vastly important to leave to the devices of the next leader. If you stopped reading this long ago, that’s okay. I hope you’re happy with your new shoes. Hater? joneill@skopemagazine.com
by Jeff O’Neill
March/April 2008
Political discourse… where have ye gone?
This album is a collection of material that was created to satisfy a desire to hear musicians play and the audience to rock. Written in a studio, designed for the stage. The kind of composition which when taken in will move your feet, bang your head and pump your fist. The cycle of the moon is fast approaching itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s zenith, manufactured culture pop, psuedo-rock bands beware...
has arrived On Tour 2008 visit the Web sites for updates: lyken21.com or www.myspace.com/lyken21band contact Lyken 21: Sales@lyken21.com Available at CDbaby.com, indierhythm.com, Vintage Vinyl and Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music
don’t read this
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by Eric W. Saeger
ock and roll’s turn toward mindless fame and away from its former role as catalyst for political and social change can’t be blamed on the bands and associated wannabes alone. The cunning of every generation’s marketing hacks always trumps the ideals and civic-minded aims of its artists. Write a song about group fucking and they’ll turn it into a Cadillac commercial. Do a concept album about the filthiest H.R. Giger painting you’ve ever seen and the guitar riffs eventually wind up helping to sell iPods. Or doughnuts. If there’s any real difference. One could view all this in a positive light, effects of barter economics on by-the-book punkness. We all need to eat and stay relatively warm, even if we’ve got crazy-mad piercings and believe that some nebulous concept of anarchy is the solution to all social ills. If the corporations are buying, why not sell? It’s the economy, stupid, right? No. From Wikipedia: “Barter is a
type of trade that doesn’t use any medium of exchange, in which goods or services are exchanged for other goods and/or services. It can be bilateral or multilateral as trade.” In other words, if you’re trying to be rebellious and engage in barter economics, money isn’t supposed to be involved. Where are all those cutting-edge neo-hippies you hear about? Playing at Bonnaroo, certainly not at Mom and Pop’s apple stand in exchange for a year’s supply of vegetarian grub. Fuck all that, though; I didn’t really want to talk about mall-hippies. It’s not music’s job—nor that of the arts, in general—to create cultural or political change beyond their scope. But in the past art has mattered, from the CNN-like realism of JacquesLouis David’s paintings of the French Revolutionary period to the bands of today in other countries risking their lives just by playing concerts. It’s pretty much strictly an American thing, a Western thing, this corporate kowtowing. Drive-thru fame, rather than the advancement of art, is behind everything that’s popular today. And there’s no interest in the mechanisms involved. The new generation of kids, weaned on reality TV competitions, care about fantasies come true, not the fine details of record contracts, which sometimes carry sneaky little clauses that ensure the signers won’t receive royalties, the nucleus of the retirement plan designed for writers of hit songs. Hannah Montana doesn’t talk about royalties because they’re not entertaining.
“In the past, art has mattered.”
Adulation from without is what kids want, being as they can’t find it within. It seems as though there’s an endless supply of pop singers, actors and airheaded spokesmodels getting fifteen minutes of fame in an unintelligible, corporate-dreamt vacuum, all of them walking into the show biz lion’s cage without a lawyer or a fifth of a clue. The schadenfreude of it can be pretty tasty, taken at face value. Drunk American Idol chick gets busted for hitting a cop? Cool beans; fuck her, even if the real deal is that the incident was a hoax to drum up interest in a Celebrity Rehab “reality” show. And so on. Big business has blown a lot of psychic smoke up our asses recently and lived to tell – look at how they’re slowly destroying the middle class. Unfortunately, art has played right into the hands of the corporatocracy and will continue to do so until more pop stars and rockers begin speaking out about it, taking risks and actually sacrificing a few shekels for the good of the world-at-large.
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Sandra Bazzarelli
For Sandra Bazzarelli, a Bergen County, NJ native, and singer-songwriter, creating music has always brought great pleasure. Now, others are finding pleasure in her music as well. Bazzarelli (MySpace.com/SandraBazzarelli) has been an artist on the rise since her college years, performing with her band in various clubs. Her songs “Rocket” and “Another Friend” won her a runner-up prize in a VH-1 sponsored Save the Music songwriting contest. The powerfully voiced singer also gained attention for her single “Gemini Standing,” created to benefit victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Her newest album is the EP A Demonstration in 4 Plays. Bazzarelli said she views songwriting as a way of describing the world from her perspective. “I’ll never be one of those songwriters who just tears a page from his or her journal, slaps a melody on it and calls it a song,” she said. “I don’t want to listen to that song, do you?”
Zelazowa
If being on the road will make a band famous, then Zelazowa should be prepared for the limelight in 2008. In 2006 they played some 220 shows and in 2007 they toured both the US and Europe. Footage from those tours can be seen on their new DVD What They Want Us to Be, We Can’t Always Be. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Bryan Weber describes the project as “the story of four guys that grew up together, started a band, and then decided one day to quit their jobs, hop in a van and take a never-ending journey across America.” Don’t think the rockers of Zelazowa are going to sit back and relax, though. The band has already planned their second European tour for 2008, including a date in Zelazowa, Poland, home of composer Frederick Chopin and the village that inspired the band’s name.
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contact Mike Friedman: mfriedman@skopemagazine.com (617) 828-6622
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eview
cd’s & dvd’s
what to buy & what should die
Average. On the Skope scale for rating CDs and DVDs, three “skopes” is an average score, the rating for a disc that is worthwhile for fans of a particular style. It’s neither great nor awful.
This issue’s sampling averages out as... average. There are a few standouts (actually, about nine albums singled out for effusive praise) and only a couple stinkers (but whew, do they ever stink).
We like to think we’re saving you time. Time spent reading our reviews equals time saved from listening to bad music.
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eviews
March/April 2008
By Bear Frazer
Air Traffic
Angels & Airwaves
Fall Down
Fractured Life
I-Empire
Golden A Music
Astralwerks Records
Suretone/Geffen
A band name like Alternate Routes you shouldn’t trust. There’s a real Alternate Routes, of course. They’re so “alternative” that they can be found alternativing themselves onto shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills. I’m like, so, like, sold.
sk pe
by Jeff O’Neill
Acoustic Chatter
I’m always suspicious of aptly named bands. Telegraphed punches are for sissies and the uncreative. That doesn’t go for punk bands, of course; if a band is called something like The Loud Pukes, all apprehension goes out the window.
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www.angelsandairwaves.com
www.acousticchatter.com
by Eric W. Saeger
check out the latest cds from your favorite artists, and find out who the up-and-comers are
Then there’s stuff like this, a harmless jaunt into unplugged-dom from a couple of Berklee college kids. The band name says it all, in a Hannibal Lecter voice, doesn’t it? “We’re into the idea of busking at coffee shops and subway stations, but aren’t so broke that we need to do it. In fact, we put out this album mostly as a way of getting status back at school.” They’re a duo. The girl’s from Pennsylvania, the guy’s from Buffalo. She “likes to write songs about life and the universe” and sounds a little like Lisa Loeb trying to be Jewel. You know the type – gets a lot of oohs and ahhs back at the dorm whenever she pulls out her Ovation but really has no business trying to be the next Jewel or Lisa Loeb because it’s been done. It’s not all busking. They have a glitchy, weird, shuffling tune called “Sky Turns Red” that’s a nice curveball. Matter of fact, acoustic track “migration” (note the e.e. cummings lower case-ness) is a nice me-too of Zep’s “Bron-y-Aur.” Frankly, if this record is just self-serving egotism, I have no complaint.
A funky, keys inspired raucous sound that’s at the same time stripped down, Fractured Life, the latest release by Air Traffic forms a happy, poppy sound that fits nicely in the “fun” genre. While there’s nothing all that new about the sound—spoiled, stylistic punk with more structure—the record works. Framed by a crunchy guitar sound and pouty lyrical arcs that typify the genre, this UK version of The Strokes is fairly strong. Infusing a needed dose of keys goes a long way to breaking Fractured Life out of the same-old. Opening the record with “Just Abuse Me,” the boys break into a disjointed, simple cut that croons with a quiet piano and jagged songspeak. While Air Traffic might be accused of typical rock clichés in their lyrics, it’s not the worst thing as the music brings the song from the eye-rolling depths. “Charlotte” is akin to pretty much anything you might have heard on altenative radio in the last five years. The prosaic, four-part harmony is a simple guitar riff repeated and a snappy chorus. Nothing horrible here. Nothing remarkable, either.
It’s rare when Tom DeLonge remains silent; most of the time, he acts like a prima donna. When the guitarist/vocalist ditched Blink-182 in 2005 to launch his alternative upstart Angels & Airwaves, the veteran songwriter was extremely enthusiastic. In fact, he even went as far as calling his new project the greatest thing he’s ever done musically. Well, DeLonge must have a twisted definition of “greatest” because Angels & Airwaves’ debut album We Don’t Need To Whisper lacked innovation or anything truly memorable. The same could be said about their sophomore set I-Empire, though it’s a slight improvement. The California-bred rockers continue crafting an assortment of melodious rhythms paired with lyrical sincerity. The quintessential combination blends smoothly, especially on the powerpoppin’ “Rite of Spring,” where DeLonge stays optimistic about the future. While Angels & Airwaves provide plenty of melodramatic compositions, they occasionally incorporate an aggressive flair onto burning sensations “Everything’s Magic” and “Secret Crowds.”
Featured prominently throughout, simple but effective keyboard work helps provide depth to an otherwise saccharine effort. “No More Running Away” benefits from this treatment and provides a driving, introspective song with a delicate organ wail.
But like the previous LP, there isn’t anything remarkable. The energy is rather scarce and for the most part, the album reminds of a mediocre collection of recycled, mellowed-out emo records. Perhaps “True Love” and “Love Like Rockets” would have been better if the band didn’t take their Ritalin.
Similarly, “Empty Space” finds a different niche with the ivory. The latter cuts veer slightly from the different and find their way into the Keane-esque warbling that could make a radio act out of Air Traffic. There are worse things than that.
Though I-Empire periodically drifts attention elsewhere, Angels & Airwaves is inching closer to obtaining their definitive trademark style. All DeLonge has to do is lay off the Ritalin and transform back into the prima donna he once was.
by Chris West
by Lauren Proctor
by Celena Carr
www.downtown81.com
www.babyshambles.net
www.armorforsleep.com
Armor for Sleep
Babyshambles
Various Artists
Smile for Them
Shotter’s Nation
Downtown 81 (OST)
Sire Records
Astralwerks Records
Recall Records
Well versed in guitar and drum driven rock, New Jersey foursome Armor for Sleep rolls out album #3 Smile for Them, and does what they know best... again.
No one can say what will become of British troublemaker Pete Doherty, but listening to his latest album, it would be tough to avoid calling the British rogue charming.
If you love bland alt-rock, these are your boys. They know how to play their instruments, and lead singer Ben Jorgenson can hit his notes. There’s nothing particularly unpleasant about listening to them, but there’s also nothing very remarkable to draw you in.
In Shotter’s Nation Doherty has tightened his style with dynamic chord changes and addictive melodies. That’s not to say the album sounds perfect. Producer Stephen Street, (The Smiths, Blur) helped Doherty focus his attention on this album, but the disc still remains an element of endearing spontaneity.
Most of the songs here have similar rhythms, chord structures and messages, but at least they don’t have rhyming lyrics… oh wait. “End of the World,” is by far the best with its silly doomsday lyrics, “Tidal waves are gonna swallow your town alive. Terrorists are gonna poison all our skies. Bodies are gonna wash up on the beach. Hell is gonna bring your parents to their knees,” rendering otherwise frightening topics sort of funny. Actually, the band seems to be suffering from a bit of paranoia. In addition to their preview of the end of days, “Smile for the Cameras,” has Jorgenson singing, “What if you find out everyone that’s in your life is only being paid off by a TV studio? And every conversation everyone’s had with you was scripted by the writers living in Los Angeles?” Wow. Time to lay off the ganja, boys. We’ve all seen The Day After Tomorrow and The Truman Show. Read our feature of Armor For Sleep on p. 58.—ed.
Naturally, Doherty’s lyrics are laced with a healthy dose of drug references, as well as self-pity for losing girlfriend Kate Moss. Through his self-referential banter Shotter’s Nation is still lyrically accessible and undeniably catchy. “Deft Left Hand” radiates from this disc with shining guitar licks, poetic lyrics, and smooth internal rhymes. Doherty even throws in a reference to Voltaire’s Candide as he sings about the “best of all possible worlds.” On one of the faster and more upbeat tracks on the album, Doherty sings, “I will lay down and die / If I can’t lay by your side.”
I must note that I love soundtracks—the variety, the joining of seemingly unrelated artists and the illusion of getting more bang for my buck. After a few listens to the soundtrack for cult film/semibiopic Downtown 81 however, I realized that I don’t love it; I am ambivalent about it. The soundtrack serves as a roadmap to the sounds and genres that were dominating Manhattan during the opulent 80s; new wave was exploding at CBGB’s, rap was still in its infancy. This was long before ascendancy of hip hop and everything from jazz/lounge to spoken word and tropicalia. Being representative of the time, the CD is a collection of good and bad. The bad—Lydia Lunch lends her rancid off-key caterwauling; DNA proves that it was good thing they rarely wrote a song over two minutes long; and we are reminded that long before Madonna, there was Deborah Harry, even if only via a brief album intro.
Shotter’s Nation ends with what is almost a ballad. The acoustic “Lost Art of Murder” is both chilling and warm, but absolutely compelling. It’s the type of song that will stop you in your tracks.
The good—Coati Mundi Hernandez’s neatly blended disco beats and Latin brass; James White and The Blacks paved the way for jazz fusion bands like Galactic and Medeski, Martin and Wood; and August Darnell’s remake of Kid Creole’s “Mr. Softee” may actually rival the original with its contemporary feel.
Doherty’s personal life reflects a man who is lost and disturbed, yet somehow on Shotter’s Nation he has found peace and reconciliation. The best part is, we can experience it with him
The soundtrack is as varied as the genres of the East Village were in ’81. But it’s important to note that a lot of the featured artists aren’t around anymore, and for good reason.
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www.skopemagazine.com
Bela Karoli
Furnished Rooms
Helmet Room
by Jeff O’Neill
www.helmetroom.com
Named after the ubiquitous former coach of the United States gymnastics team – and the man who carried Kerry Strug around following her ankle malfunction after her courageous final vault to win the women the gold back in 1992 – Bela Karoli has created what may be a new genre: acid polka. Now, I could be wrong, but the upright bass and the accordion tell me different. Three women forge a bizarre brew of chunky harmonies and quiet rhythms with a touch of sample and synth. Delicious.
Pure art house, Furnished Rooms is an apt title: the record could serve as a metaphor for a dingy dining room, maybe a breezy attic, etc. The album operates as a single sound that pulses, ebbs and flows, but never drives. There aren’t any peaks and valleys, just a groovy, husky sound that barely seems alive but intimidates. “Invertebrate” is a masculine sounding work that never raises its voice and exists in a hazy fog. It’s as if the sounds never peek their heads out of the backdrop of a dense patina of echo.
The album could be viewed as pure beat poetry, but the instrumentation is a bit too involved for that tag. Bela provides a shout out to T.S. Eliot and Emily Dickinson and use some of their prose in the delicate musings of both “Prelude 2” and “Summertime.” Grab your best Birks, a double espresso, and take Furnished Rooms for a spin in Greenwich Village.
Bizarre
Blue Cheese & Coney Island Koch Records
by BNick A. Zaino III
www.redheadrecords.com
If Blue Cheese & Coney Island had been released in the good old days of the PMRC, Tipper Gore would have been holding it up in front of Congress, railing against its absolute depravity and lack of socially redeeming value. Bizarre, who is part of Eminem’s D-12 crew, seems to have a preoccupation with bestiality, rape, sex tapes, grunge, violence and general mayhem and possesses few, if any, inhibitions. But when you’re not cringing at Bizarre, you’re laughing.
There’s a line to cross with this type of material – fall short and it’s just gratuitous, pass it and it becomes absurd. Bizarre runs past that line gleefully, skipping, grabbing his crotch and shouting obscenities. On “Sex Tape,” he brags about getting filthy with Martha Stewart, Shirley from What’s Happening, and even Rudy from The Cosby Show – “I hit her from the back, she called me Dr. Huxtable.” On “Animal,” King Gordy, a frequent contributor, sings “Bizarre sniffs coke off my kid’s coloring books.” It is possible to go too far, even for
Bizarre – there was no point in dropping the Virginia Tech massacre into “Animal.”
I have a problem finding validity in the scream-and-growl genre. Dropped D tuning, repetition, boring.
more regularly throughout the work. The muddled composition doesn’t do much to engage the listener. “Open Arms to Damnation” veers into the possibilities of providing more depth to the aesthetic, but unfortunately gets lost in the machine gun fire of screaming and power chords.
namely disorganized yelling and almost haphazard guitar work.
But what might get lost is the fact that this album swings like mad. Bizarre and Gordy create a wonderful rhythmic friction, rapping just behind the beat on “Rock Star.” “Knock ‘Em Out,” which features Gordy and Tech N9ne, is overblown swagger, but with an undeniable pulse. And “Fat Boy” is pure danceable fun. But if you want to break this one out at your next party, make sure your friends are as twisted as you.
Born of Osiris
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by Jeff O’Neill
Sumerian Records www.sumerianrecords.com
sk pe
March/April 2008
The New Reign
Born of Osiris’ New Reign is not much more than the dreck of their contemporaries listed above. While the guitar work strays a bit into the melodic – the true highpoints of the work – on the whole, speed and muffled lyrics don’t do much for me. The album’s softer moments of guitar harmonizing would do a great deal if interspersed
“Abstract Art” introduces a bit of neat synth work but doesn’t go far enough to create a unique sound. Instead of maintaining the element that would set them apart, Osiris seems married to the “qualities” of the genre –
“Brace Legs” features some nifty drumming in the intro, leaving me wondering why the double bass couldn’t find more work in the earlier cuts. Tool is able to pull off this without sounding like their only aim is rip your eardrums to shreds. Undoubtedly talented – the production is tight and deliberate – Osiris could do well to hang to those elements that make them a band, instead of a caricature.
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by Shaun Flagg
by Amanda Cuda
Very Very Happy ROIR
Wine, cheese, the Bush Tetras – some things just get better with age. The all-female new wave, post-punk band came up during the 1980s New York club scene. Now, the band is back with Very Very Happy, a mix of new songs and six classic tracks that have been re-recorded. Though much of it is older material, the album is alive and full of energy, from Cynthia Sley’s growling vocals, to the edgy guitar work of Pat Place and driving percussion of Dee Pop. The Bush Tetras sound is loud and primal and absolutely fueled by passion. The band’s restless rage is exemplified by “Nails,” the opening track on Very Very Happy. One of two songs on the album that were previously unavailable commercially, “Nails” perfectly captures the band’s bursting-at-the-seams energy. “I bite my nails,” croons Sley. “I bite my nails too much/ I worry about the air around me/ I write notes to myself/ leave them stuck ‘til they turn yellow.” The lyrics themselves are nerve-wracking, unsettled, and almost animalistic. The Tetras are hard to describe – sort of like Blondie but with four times as much estrogen and at least double the anger. Perhaps the most direct comparison would be to a more contemporary band, the foul-mouthed all-female rock band The Trucks. But, while there are similarities to other groups, the Tetras are unique. They have a powerful voice that has remained strong over the years.
Coheed and Cambria No World for Tomorrow
Sony
Coheed and Cambria is one of those bands that you either love or hate. It takes a small leap of faith to really embrace their edgy, updated take on prog/classic rock. Lead singer and grand architect of Coheed, Claudio Sanchez sings in a high vocal range frequently hitting the alto register; his vocals are strikingly similar to Geddy Lee of Rush. Sanchez’s vocal style is distinct in its pitch and in his spastic over-enunciation of certain words, irritating some listeners. On their fourth studio album, No World for Tomorrow, Coheed returns to the narrative that runs through all their work, namely the fictional Amory Wars. All of Coheed’s work has been based on a science fiction comic book series created by Sanchez. The album continues in the signature style of the band with its theatrical and dramatic delivery. The grandiose riffs build suspense and heighten the sense of drama that surrounds this fictional galactic story. Lyrics are vivid and illustrative; Sanchez delivers them with power and passion. The instrumentation is impressive and succeeds in expressing the story’s emotional complexity. Unfortunately, this all may come off as melodramatic; if you aren’t willing to engage in the story you may find it wearisome. A highlight on the album is the title song with its interesting chord progressions and emotive lyrics. The radio-friendly “Feathers” is a tight and sharp pop-rock jaunt.
www.legalhustle.net
www.coheedandcambria.com
www.roir-usa.com
Bush Tetras
by kathy iandoli
eviews
Cormega
Who Am I?
Legal Hustle Music Group/Koch
Cormega is a veteran in the rap loop; there was a time when he spun great lyrics. However, on his fifth solo album Who Am I? Cormega takes a break from greatness to either stop trying or stop caring. Best described as an MC oozing with potential, Cormega is always five minutes too late for his own success story. As Nas’ former partner in rhyme and co-chairman of the Firm legacy, Cormega is that dude whose music consists of the rugged street edge. His peers have long since moved on to other territory. That’s because they made it. With five solo albums, ‘Mega never broke solid ground on the Billboard charts, but always postured himself as the go-to guy for that Queens realness (when Mobb Deep wasn’t available). This time around, Who Am I? presents a dramatically diluted version of Cormega, lacking the hood luster we turned to him for in the first place. ‘Mega gets lost in tracks like “Sleep Well,” where Dwele’s smooth vocals fog his mediocre delivery or “The Rap Game,” where he gets outshined on his own track by Little Brother. And oh, good: there’s a DVD too, which could’ve easily been left out of distribution if it made the work on the album suffer. With overabundant posse cuts (“What Mobsters Do,” “Triboro,” “Lookin’ At It,” and “Live From the Caves”) as well as this newly adopted Nas circa ’94 flow, Cormega is far from illmatic; rather, he’s enigmatic. So who is Cormega? Well, we’re not so sure anymore.
The album may be more compelling if you follow the comic book, but that kind of kills the “cool” factor of rock. However, if you like comic book rock opera this will be exactly what you’re looking for. Our feature story on Coheed and Cambria is on page 60—ed.
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www.skopemagazine.com
Regain Records
Two things are apparent: someone forgot to tell these guys that Halloween was over, and there sure is a burgeoning group of people out there in Europe that loves the Black Metal. Who would have thought? This double DVD release from Dark Funeral features live footage from Poland, Netherlands and France. My favorite performance is the one in France that opens up with the lovely “King Antichrist” and segues into the optimistically rosy “Diabolois Interium.” Talk about music your grandmother would enjoy.
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I don’t know what is cause for more shame: the fact that a huge crowd of Frenchies went out and saw these satanic crooners or that the lead singer’s name is Lord Ahriman. And speaking of Parisians, those crazy French Satanic lovin’ youth watching these guys are all about taking pictures with their cell phones at the show. I guess that’s not just a thing for the nonSatanists anymore. I’m sure Satan himself is in awe of the awesomeness of this band with its cell phonewielding fan base. If you’re not into the whole pentagram-and-upsidedown-cross thing, or the whole slaying your dog and eating it for dinner thing, I might stick to a more chipper music DVD, say Pink Floyd’s The Wall. But if you dig the thought of Satan and guys in freaky makeup that would make Marilyn Manson shit his pants, pick this up. And hey, it even has rare, never-before released footage of their early legendary shows in Oslo, Norway. What’s not to love?
by Chris West
by Bear Frazer
by Claudia Ward-de León
Attera Orbis Terrarum-Part 1
www.digbyonline.com
www.davegahan.com
www.darkfuneral.se
Dark Funeral
Dave Gahan
Digby
Hourglass
What’s Not Plastic?
Mute Records
Toucan Cove/Label X
Apparently, Dave Gahan has a beef with Father Time. The 45 year-old vocalist of Depeche Mode is getting older, and before his career comes to a close, he desperately wants to cement his legacy as one of new wave’s most innovative artists. Though his full-length solo debut Paper Monsters fell short of the mark in 2003, the English baritone returns four years later with an addictive dose of melodious ambience on Hourglass. For nearly fifty minutes, the reinvigorated Gahan feeds the masses quintessential capsules of emotional depth and diverse electronic resonance. While the Englishman raids the listener’s ears with the energetic vibe, he unleashes a journal of selfawareness that is best captured on “Kingdom,” in which he dissects the world and disposition around him. Although the up-tempo house genre mostly appeals to stereotypical pillheads because of seductive cuts like “Deeper and Deeper,” his baritone changes the dynamic. He incorporates a brooding element and slows down the beats, enhancing the melodic strength of inspirational delights like “Endless” and “21 Days.” Though Gahan heavily utilizes his astounding creativity on a majority of efforts, there are a handful of tracks missing that same signature attention, most notably “Miracle” and “Insoluble.” The house enthusiast seems unengaged, and the compositions come across as musically weak interludes accompanied by poor sonnets. While Hourglass has its shortcomings, the baritone bares his soul with eccentric music that differs from the electronica norm. That could be chalked up to his veteran expertise and aesthetic mindset. For now, Dave Gahan dodges Father Time’s right hook.
Following the release of 2004’s Falling Up, the Kentucky power pop quintet Digby has released What’s Not Plastic?, the first EP in a trilogy of albums under the umbrella name The Wake in the Street. What’s Not Plastic? is the EP that almost wasn’t. The group was beset with a band member’s divorce, an unsuccessful U.S. tour and the death of a close friend; the series of unfortunate events almost sent the four men of Digby pursuing other avenues and walking away from the band altogether. Luckily, Digby has perseverance and staying power. Recorded in a working funeral parlor in Louisville, the first of the three EPs may only weigh in at just over 20 minutes via five tracks, however its brevity belies the depth and girth of Digby’s available talent. The opening track “New America” is loud and feverish and contains enough distorted guitar and amp feedback to wake the dead in that funeral parlor. With its melodic acoustic guitar and keys, “Bad Swing” sounds like a B-side left off Radiohead’s The Bends. And “Knocking At Your Door” follows suit with front man Paul Moeller again channeling Thom Yorke over Rich Oeffinger’s reverb guitar riffs a la R.E.M.’s college radio days. My only complaint with the EP is that it just too damn terse. The five tracks leave you begging: “Come on, just one more song, please!” This writer is diggin’ on Digby and seriously anticipating the two follow-ups to come.
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Dirty on Purpose Like Bees
North Street Records
by Amanda Cuda
www.dirtyonpurpose.com
Emmy Rossum
Inside Out Geffen
by Celena Carr
www.emmyrossum.com
Esthema
Apart from the Rest Milas Music www.esthema.com
by Todd Sikorski
It’s fitting that Like Bees, the new five-song EP by indie rockers Dirty on Purpose contains a cover of the 1980s Real Life hit “Send Me An Angel.” There’s definitely something retro about this band, with their silky vocals, infectious drumbeats and an overall sound that’s somewhat poppy, only slightly angst-ridden and not a bit pretentious. In contrast to a lot of the strained and over-processed music that passes for pop today, Dirty on Purpose is fun to listen to. That’s particularly true of the Real Life cover, which, while not adding
If her name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Rossum has been circulating in the music and acting worlds since she was just a child. Her early career began at the Metropolitan Opera, but she is best known for her acting roles in Mystic River, as Clint Eastwood’s ill-fated daughter, and as Christine in 2004’s film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. Rumors have been circulating for nearly two years that she was recording an album with Geffen, and the fruits of that labor have finally hit shelves. No one
While many may find the new age-jazz-rock fusion genre to be as pretentious as a Sting discourse on global warming and tantric sex, there is a band out there that might please even those critics. The Massachusettsbased Esthema is a promising quintet who has just released the enjoyable Apart from the Rest which works well because of the band’s top-notch musicianship. Best of all, Esthema has added something else to the normally staid jazz-rock sound—a heavy Eastern European influence— that makes the six instrumentals
too much to the original, doesn’t ruin it either. It’s refreshingly straightforward, as is much of the album. Like Bees is a follow-up to the band’s debut album Hallelujah Sirens, and it contains both B-sides from the Hallelujah era and some new songs, including the opening track “Audience in the Room.” Aside from the cover, “Audience” is the album’s high point, managing to be both contemporary and old-fashioned at the same time.
drumbeat, “Audience” is catchy and tuneful enough to be at home on the soundtrack of a CW drama (and that statement is meant in the best possible way). Yet it’s also reminiscent of older bands like the Pet Shop Boys and the Human League. True, there are some missteps. The instrumental piece “Airshow Disaster,” the album’s final song, goes on too long and drones a bit. But that seems like nitpicking about an album that, on the whole, offers so much pleasure.
Building from an infectious
could question that Rossum is a talented vocalist, but there is a big gap between performing and recording. Unfortunately in the hands of a major label like Geffen, that difference isn’t always appreciated. Rossum’s voice has been so polished and studio-perfected that all of the human qualities of it have been lost. Using this type of production is totally understandable if you’re working with, say Ashlee Simpson, but when someone has the pipes and the résumé to back them up it hardly seems necessary. This makes it
on Apart from the Rest a unique listening experience. Every song features an impressive blending of genres with a typical example being the track “For Whom? For Me.” The song has a Moroccan influence but there is also an American jam-band vibe to it as Onur Dilisen impresses with his violin playing much like DMB’s Boyd Tinsley. While there is some jazz freeform stuff going on underneath in some of the songs, Esthema also knows how to play a song with hooks and melody as the standout “Finding My Way”
incredibly hard to connect with the music on any emotional level, and it’s made worse by the vague nature of the material. All of the songs blend into a pretty blur, somewhat reminiscent of Imogen Heap’s album Speak for Yourself, but without any of the edge or passion. Alone in the studio without lights, cameras, or an audience, it seems that Rossum can’t muster the personality that has made her so appealing in the past.
shows. With the right lyrics, that track could have easily found its way onto the radio. For all of this to work, the musicians obviously have to be gifted and all here know exactly what they are doing. The most impressive are Andy Milas who does great acoustic steel guitar work on “Consequence,” Carl Sorenson who provides a solid backbone with his strong drumming, and Tery Lemanis who plays the European stringed instruments the oud and bouzouki particularly well throughout the recording.
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Golden Death Music is the brainchild of Michael Ramey, a 25 year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio who has arrived out of nowhere and landed—where else—on MySpace. After reviewing albums for the past four years, I have learned to fear and loathe the MySpace band/artist. Their poorly conceived discs arrive in my mailbox claiming thousands of friends, views, adds, whatever. And they almost always suck. But of course there are no absolutes in this world, and Ramey proves it, delivering a lush, layered sound with psychedelic and electronic roots. The tone of the album is mostly mellow, evoking an ambient feel through the use of Ramey’s mumbled lyrics, which become more like an instrumental element than a lyrical one, and the repetitive sound hooks fused into each song. Highlights are title track “Ephemera Blues,” where Ramey coos “It saves me when I’m suicidal,” to a contradictorily gentle, upbeat guitar melody, and “The Unmaking,” with its moody instrumental opening. I am reminded of another favorite unknown, Innaway, in Ramey’s production, tone and styling, though he is also slightly reminiscent of more well-known artists like Alias. While his style remains very consistent and confident, throughout the album, there is a real variety of sounds and an emotional depth to album that is tied together by his consistent production. There is true talent here and fans of ambient and psychedelica will appreciate this newcomer’s take on the genre. For now it appears you can only listen to Ramey via headphones, but it’s well worth the bandwidth to take a listen.
by Shaun Flagg
by Celena Carr
Helmet Room Recordings
www.heart-music.com
Ephemera Blues
www.myspace.com/goldendeathmusic
Golden Death Music
Heart
Dreamboat Annie Live – DVD Shout! Factory
The Dreamboat Annie live DVD was recorded in April 2007 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The DVD begins with some background commentary about Heart from sisters and band mates Ann and Nancy Wilson. They take us back to the early days of the band and how things got started. They recount how the sound developed, how they filled a void in the musical landscape. The sisters explain that at that time in the 70s there were either the disco singers or the singer songwriter types like Joni Mitchell. Heart brought a female rock bravado previously missing from the scene. In this rare treat we get to see these ladies rock out again after a long and successful 30-year musical journey. Backed by a full ensemble of musicians, the sisters blast off into their live set with their hit “Magic Man,” the swagger still intact after all these years. Ann Wilson’s signature rock vibrato rings true; she careens over the instrumentals and demonstrates that her vocal prowess at age 57 has not diminished. Sister Nancy keeps up with her energetic guitar riffs. They perform with confidence and style. The only drawback is the perfection; they seemed subdued, and this strangles the spirit of their music. The rebelliousness has become a novelty, a safe and sterile step into nostalgia.
Vol. II
Capitol Records
by Todd Sikorski
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Hurt
www.hurtband.com
March/April 2008
They perform ten songs from Dreamboat and five encore songs including covers of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Who. The strong and polished set shows that Heart still has the chops but may lack the heart that once fueled their creativity.
Finding a good hard rock release is a chore nowadays; many bands in the genre employ the same pounding drums, uninspired guitar riffs, and cliché-filled lyrics. Consequently, when a high-quality recording finally sees the light of day, it is a total surprise. With that in mind, Hurt’s latest CD Vol. II is a revelation. While the band has said this release is a companion piece to 2006’s Vol. I, it is good enough to stand entirely on its own. The twelve songs here are a varied lot with loud rockers like “Ten Ton Brick” alongside more ambitious
numbers such as “Summers Lost.” Vol. II works best with those more inventive tracks, as instruments such as the violin, banjo, and dobro are used to flesh out Hurt’s sound. Also, certain songs such as “Abuse of Sid” and “Talking to God” use inspired female backing vocals; these create an even greater dramatic tension. Holding everything together is the great work of Hurt’s lead singer, J. Loren. While the other band members impress, it is Loren’s powerful vocals that resonate
most. His range is better than most hard rock singers; in fact his singing on the quieter numbers is as good as his screaming on the more intense tracks. As for the lyrical content, Vol. II is heavy. Songs deal with stuff such as drug addiction and mental abuse; these might turn off some people, but the topics are dealt with intelligently. And anyone who is expecting to hear cheery American Idol-like ballads from a band named Hurt is probably crazier than Amy Winehouse.
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Eagle Rock
From their videos to their charged music, Jamiroquai is a colorful band. Dating back to the Miles Davis concerts of the early 70s, the stage to celebrate color and creativity has been Montreux. What better evolution of acid jazz than the danceable jazz troupe that helped Napoleon Dynamite find his way. Performing over fifteen songs, this DVD is made for the fans of both the British outfit and for fans of strong stage shows in general. Costume changes, flamboyant headgear and elaborate colorful garb complement the extravagant lighting; a visual is justified here to supplement the music fans have enjoyed for two decades. The music covers several albums, including unavoidable hits “Traveling Without Moving” and “Canned Heat.” As an added treat, “Mr. Moon,” a non-album cut, is among the lesser-known jewels performed. Lots of camera angles are provided to sum up this event; it’s best termed an experience, not a mere show or a concert. To match the visuals, the sound quality is high. The music has been mixed and mastered, flowing perfectly in synch with the performance to bring that exclusive experience to your home theater. Towards the end, things get a little bit shoddy, but the overall quality exceeds expectations. At over two hours, the DVD carries bonus features, including interviews and information to commemorate the event. Live at Montreux serves as a template to good performance and timeless showmanship from a group that holds its relevancy a decade after its heyday.
by Eric W. Saeger
by Bear Frazer
by Jake Paine
Live at Montreux
www.keyshiacole.com
www. eaglerockent.com
Jamiroquai
Justin Currie What is Love For Rykodisc
Justin Currie isn’t a romantic novelist in the traditional sense, but the Scottish songwriter is penning impassioned material through musical articulation. Although he has fronted rock outfit Del Amitri for the past twenty years, he decided to display his emotional intensity in a solo setting. Currie’s debut What is Love For is a nearcinematic journey to his stoic inner world. Conceptually, it’s a masterpiece. The title track “What is Love For” serves as the trailer to this heartfelt documentary. As Currie later bares his soul, the adventure becomes even more compelling. Through a stripped-down collection of sincere ballads, the amoroso encounters uncertainty about making a surreal connection on “Not So Sentimental Now” and “Walking Through You.” But as the audible film progresses, he relinquishes the cautious attitude on “Gold Dust,” where he stares deep into a beauty’s eyes and begins falling in love. Fortunately, Currie finds the tender solace he once longed for on the inspirational “No, Surrender,” which ends the album on a high note. Though the transitions are remarkable, there are instances—“Where Did I Go” and “Still In Love,” for example—that lack in substance. While the Scottish serialist made a few personal breakthroughs, he failed to recognize that the music becomes drowsy and weakens the prowess he attained on previous efforts. Despite a couple of bland offerings, Currie makes a strong statement with What is Love For.
Keyshia Cole Just Like You Geffen Records
No genre confusion here, as ghetto princess Cole follows her debut LP The Way It Is with total acceptance of her hip-hop diva posture. This spells “more refinement,” as some see it, or pre-fab plasticity if you detest this kind of shit to begin with, like me (then again, a male doing a post mortem on an album that confines itself to well-trod How Stella Got Her Groove Back territory and bling-bling-to-da-club-ladies playacting is like a woman doing color commentary on Sunday Night Football). The buttons Cole so transparently attempts to push have little oomph behind them this time out, anyway; most tellingly, the CD insert has mile-long shout-out-paloozas where lyrics would normally be (anyone else tired of that fake-out?). Said props are all pointed toward the usual suspects – beneath its subject line, the final chapter on the decline of hip-hop will have an engraving of Diddy giving a thumbs-up through a glass booth (see episode 3 of Coles’ corporate-bought reality TV show for the model). As an instrument, Coles certainly has Missy Elliott chops to work with, and indeed Elliott joins Cole and Lil Kim on the album-opening title track. Equating the overall aesthetic of this freeze-dried business to So Addictive, however, is to misinterpret the soul of soul; Cole has a good rough-childhood story, but she’s doing aerobics about it rather than convincing us she’s dealing/wants to deal with it. Coles’ Mariah Carey-esque trademark is her internal organic vocoder, which makes her voice weave and bob like a dragonfly doing the polka; it’s a device designed for artifice, not feeling. Someone text me when it’s over.
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Laura Izibor
Live from Crawdaddy, Dublin Atlantic Records
by Lauren Proctor
www.lauraizibor.com
Laura Izibor has soul. At 20 years old the Irish native belts out piano driven tunes like the shining star in a gospel choir, and it’s easy to see her naturally fitting alongside the likes of Alicia Keys or Joss Stone.
/ Baby I’ll be okay” and in “Can’t Be Love” she sings, “I don’t believe in love.” Tracking an entire span of relationship experiences, Izibor’s take on the most popular topic in music never feels dull or overused.
its drawbacks. Izibor’s first full length album isn’t slated for release until 2008, and this minialbum is gravely short. Clocking in at just over 17 minutes, a lack of material is perhaps the disc’s most significant flaw.
Izibor’s live album is polished and well produced. Her music sounds like it’s piped straight from the studio; the excited and participatory crowd never intrudes on the songwriter’s sound.
Izibor’s perspective on love shifts completely in “Mmm...” “You’re my light in the dark / Guiding me home.” she sings. The live set is most powerful on this track as the songwriter asks her audience to contribute to a gentle chorus.
Just as Izibor’s honest piano and emotive voice engulfs you, the album ends with the audience cheering for more. If Live From Crawdaddy, Dublin is a preview of what’s to come, her first full length is certainly worth waiting for.
Lyrically, Izibor focuses primarily on love. In “Don’t Stay” she bellows “If you don’t want to stay
This live performance will leave you in awe; but being a rookie in the industry inevitably has
Quick: think of the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the most popular bands that came out of Sweden. Many people would think of ABBA, and then struggle a bit after that. However, the past couple of years have seen some very positive buzz coming from that country via the successes of The Hives and Peter Bjorn and John.
is now based out of Minneapolis, and the group has embraced the American indie rock/emo sound. The opening track, “Circa 1989,” showcases this best. It’s a great guitar-based song with a catchy chorus reminscent of Jimmy Eat World.
Love In October
Pontus, The Devil, and Me
The Musik Group
by Todd Sikorski
www. loveinoctober.com
March/April 2008
Well here’s just what the doctor ordered: some Borat! Oh, wait— no it isn’t.
Acoustic Voodoo Azra Records
by Eric W. Saeger
sk pe
Sure, Pontus, The Devil, and Me isn’t groundbreaking musically. And the album’s title— which is meant to be a reflection on people’s nature—is a bit overbearing. But any band that can record a good song with lyrics entirely in Swedish (the quiet “Vi Gar till Stranden”) and get away with it deserves praise.
Mad Juana
www.azrarecords.com
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A possible future addition to that list just might be Love In October. Their first full-length CD Pontus, The Devil, and Me is a promising debut that will appeal to most pop rock fans. Interestingly, LiO
LiO is not just a band that has stolen a familiar sound, however. Its two leaders, Erik and Kent Widman, have wisely decided to mix things up. Instead of just guitar-heavy tracks, there is a good use of piano and keyboards on some tracks including the beautifully disorganized instru-
mental “An Average Idea” and the rambunctious yet infectious “Petrula the Destroyer.”
Decorum would suggest that we’re supposed to be enthralled and overwhelmed that a weird, unlistenable band has risen from a frivolous collab between a New York Dolls guy and a chick who wants to be Patti Smith so bad her ovaries hurt, but wait, there’s less: it’s not an original New York Dolls guy. Sami Yaffa actually came up with Hanoi Rocks and nowadays makes a living messily touring with whatever’s left of the Dolls.
From what I gleaned through a modicum of research, the band’s lady singer, Karmen Guy, was some sort of fringe player in the early glam scene. This spells cred, but Jesus, is glam even a passing thought these days? So you have here a six-piece comprised of guitar, etc. plus accordion, sax, trumpet, congas and violin. If these guys were Canadian you’d bet anything that this was a spin-off operation from Broken Social Scene and therefore there was some need for wine-snob hipsters to buy it. But long story short, they aren’t and there isn’t, unless you’ve got
a serious jones for quasi-world music that’s not quite zydeco, not quite Borat, not quite spaghetti-bolero and not quite Patti Smith. “Venus in Furs,” one of the more intelligible titles, is compelling in its own way, pressure cooker guitar strumming and wounded rock chick Jarboe half-sung babble eventually collapsing in a pileup of screamy sax and other unpleasantries. Stuff like that is useful for your basic college radio DJ, at least to help weed out the local serial killer by monitoring any strangely positive responses on the request line.
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The Carnival of Sins live album was recorded at the Grand Rapids, MI show during Mötley Crüe’s much anticipated 2005-06 reunion tour. It’s a double disc featuring 23 songs from the energetic set by the aging heavy metal legends. They may be getting older but their penchant for jagged chords, intricate melodies, driving drums and theatrical opulence has not worn off or lost its sinful zeal. Mötley Crüe epitomizes the decadent hair band image with their sordid pasts, brushes with the law, and battles with drugs. Their fast living has been the inspiration for their music; sex, drugs and rock and roll define the band’s character. The hedonism and excess produce music that oozes with innuendo. Carnival is a successful return to those days of excess; even if the band have cleaned up and gone straight (at least drug-wise) they still are able to bring the grandiose sound to its former glory. The recording is polished, and an effective balance between the band and the crowd is struck; you can hear the audience but it is not overwhelming. The sound is tight and together. Their big sound is exuded in the intricate chords by way of energetic and virtuoso guitars; acrobatic fingers dance on strings showing these guys have kept up with their art. Vince Neil’s voice remains in peak form with his signature high-pitched howls and melodic screams; the guy’s pipes haven’t aged a bit. If you are looking for a dose of 80s metal then this is your chance.
Elephants and Giraffes WIPP Records
Female-led power-pop lives again as Plastic Parachute, a Los Angeles quartet of hopefuls bring their party to audio. Elephants and Giraffes is an energetic foray into a style of music that’s all their own. The general theme of the music is kiddy, colorful and dynamic. “Betty Ford Princess” has the tongue-in-cheek humor of pop music that resonates with Jill Sobule fans, but it still captures an edge that a dance crowd awaits. “California (Won’t Give Up On Me)” is more reflective, using up-tempo drum and guitar, effectively serving as the narrative of the Oklahoma band’s long-term stay in Los Angeles. The songs are interspersed with the occasional post-modern reminder of weirdness, such as the 40-second vocal interlude, “Chute Love.” Admittedly, what’s not to love about a band that isn’t too dreary, too pensive or too poetic in their pursuits? At the same time, the pop conventions are challenged with a sense of humor, a self-awareness and strange, imaginative subject matter. Only in a cyber-world could a band like Plastic Parachutes thrive. Their style defies the format of radio, and their gestalt image of punk-meetselectro-meets-pop is hard to pin down. But with a sea of iPods and MySpace friends, Plastic Parachute speaks to legions of musically liberal listeners. With one previous release, this effort, produced by Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Joss Stone), shows a progression to the mainstream as the everchanging pop masses ready themselves for the parachutes to drop in on their tastes.
by Nick A. Zaino III
by Shaun Flagg
Eleven Seven Music
Plastic Parachute
www.triplesix.com
Carnival of Sins Live
www.plasaticparachute.com
www2.motley.com
Mötley Crüe
by Jake Paine
eviews
Project Pat
Walkin’ Bank Roll Koch Records
You know you’re in for a long ride when the big single from the album you’re listening to starts out with the brag, “Number one ringtone!” That’s apparently important for you to know at the beginning of Project Pat’s “Don’t Call Me No Mo,” along with the fact the song is presented by Hypnotize Minds with guests Three 6 Mafia (Pat’s brother is Mafia’s Juicy J). The hype machine is on overdrive from the first “sketch” on Walkin’ Bank Roll right down to the last track, “Outro,” which is literally just a commercial for other upcoming Project Pat and Three 6 Mafia projects, from albums to a clothing line. Walkin’ Bank Roll is full of dramatic synths and tough sounding vocals, offering mostly the same old bravado about money, guns, and pimpin’. Not much new there. Although Pat offers cautionary tales at times, like “Powder” and “Motivated” featuring Will Wesson, the album’s best track, there are three or four clichés for every moment of inspiration. Some of the best grooves, like the support track for “Talkin’ Smart,” start out promising but just repeat without progressing anywhere. Project Pat has been around for about a decade and a half, working the Dirty South sound before anyone had a name for it, and he’s got talent and connections. But Walkin’ Bank Roll is about catering to expectations and advertising product, not necessarily about the music or any message that might be struggling to bubble up above the hype.
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Let’s face it: the modern rock band Puddle of Mudd is not as bad as many critics say. Sure, the hit “She Hates Me” which made Neanderthal frat boys piss in their pants with excitement is drivel. But the emotional ballad “Blurry” showed frontman Wes Scantlin could write a good song with meaning. Still, those two songs were released back in 2001; that seems like an eon ago. Well, here it is seven years later. Did Scantlin and the boys learn much from the past? Nah, not really. But that isn’t all bad. Puddle of Mudd’s latest release, Famous, is like everything else the band has released. So, you get the grunge-like “Merry Go Round” and “Psycho” along with the “Blurry”-like “Radiate,” all of which are decent enough to make a favorable impression with rock fans.
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However, Famous does have clunkers like “I’m So Sure” with its repetitive and annoying chorus. And while the first single “Famous” does rock a bit, its lyrical subject matter of bratty Hollywood starlets is as tired and familiar as a Pete Doherty drug bust. That said, this release is a bit more polished than previous ones. That’s both a blessing and a curse. The slower numbers “It Was Faith” and “We Don’t Have to Look Back Now” sound good but are somewhat generic. Still, Famous is a most welcome recording because it is released on Fred Durst’s Flawless Records. Why is this good news? Well, hopefully label duties will keep the former Limp Bizkit frontman too busy to release a solo disc.
Reasonable Doubt - Classic Albums
by Todd Sikorski
by Jake Paine
by Todd Sikorski
Flawless Records
Jay-Z
www.facedownrecords.com
Famous
www.eaglerockent.com
www.puddleofmud.com
Puddle of Mudd
Remove the Veil Another Way Home
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Facedown Records
The Jay-Z that was entitled to embody an American Gangster began in 1996, with his polished arrival Reasonable Doubt. The album served as crossroads of rap music: produced by 80s veterans DJ Premier and Jaz-O, it displayed the would-be archetypal vocals of hustling, evading police and thirsting for wealth that was Jay-Z. It failed to reach platinum until nearly a decade after its release, but the work stands taller than ever in hindsight.
On Remove the Veil’s MySpace website, the Christian metal band mentions that one of its biggest influences is southern rock. Unfortunately, that influence does not manifest on the band’s first full-length release Another Way Home. The majority of the eleven-song recording is standard metalcore with screaming vocals, thumping drums, and aggressive guitar licks.
Classic Albums, a series on such works, revisits this impact. Told through the videography of the album’s singles, performances of its deep cuts, and introspective interviews with those who made it, this is the ultimate companion to one of hip-hop’s ultimate bookshelf essentials. Surprisingly, although the work’s masters are owned by ex-Jay partner Dame Dash, Jay obligingly comments in the piece, on its production, significance and consciousness. Filmmaker Barry Michael Cooper steps in, as do Kanye West, Memphis Bleek and Mary J Blige, “roc” stars in their own right. Seamless editing from Sheryl Sandler makes this album a story, told with the necessary visuals to relive its era along with celebrate its timelessness. Original music and stock footage help make this work the kind of quality that transcends VH1 and MTV, and treats this art with the respect Martin Scorsese so eloquently bestowed upon The Band and the blues genre. Rarely has rap music been treated so delicately, so importantly and for such a wide audience. Essential.
While the foursome of vocalist/guitarist Mark Hendrix (no relation—ed.), bassist Cliff McCall, guitarist Pat Hood, and drummer Mark Coxwell are obviously talented musicians who play their instruments well, the songs here—particularly the opening cuts—sound basically the same. For a band that touts itself as a fun Christian band, it seems like the band has only one way to show it. And that way is not particularly exciting. Then again, Remove the Veil does show promise near the end of Another Way Home. “The Revision” and “The Secret Syndrome” actually have melodies and some singing along with good guitar work. And the title track is one of the few tracks where the southern rock vibe seeps through. The song opens with soft acoustic guitars and a pleasant vocal performance by Hendrix before building into a hard rock workout. Sure, nobody will ever be screaming the title of that song instead of “Freebird” at concerts, but it is something the band can build upon.
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eviews
Say Hi The Wishes and the Glitch
Euphobia Records
by Chris West
www.ilikesayhi.com
This, Say Hi’s fifth LP, still bears Elbogen’s standard watermarks—slight new wave
Seal
System
Warner Bros. Records
by Kathy Iandoli
www.seal.com
The Color Fred Bend To Break Equal Vision Records www.equalvision.com
by Kathy Iandoli
While the plaid-clad glory days of Seattle grunge are undoubtedly behind us, that hasn’t deterred muse-seeking musicians from going there for inspiration. Just ask Eric Elbogen. The brainchild of New York’s Say Hi (formerly Say Hi To Your Mom) relocated to the Washington epicenter looking for something new. What has emerged is a collective of those newfound experiences in the form of The Wishes and the Glitch.
synth blurbs, his DIY approach to album making and his trademark “less-is-more” devotion to his indie-pop sound. The trek to the Pacific Northwest has had a profound effect on Elbogen; not only did he shorten his moniker to Say Hi, his lyrics actually make sense. Well, at least more sense than 2006’s Impeccable Blahs— an album thematically based on vampires (no, seriously). Album opener “Northwestern Girls” is the most obvious shout out to his recent relocation via the repetitious chorus “something in the air up here.” “Back Before
Die-hard fans aside, most listeners recognize Seal by either “Crazy” – from the debut album Seal – and “Kiss From a Rose” from the follow-up album Seal. Yes these are two different albums, both different from a third Seal album (hello Peter Gabriel—ed.). Judging by its contents, his latest effort System could be a fourth self-titled album. Seal’s brightest moments occurred during his self-titled era. System is a return to that – more dance infused melodies where Seal’s smoky vocals harmonize with the beats.
“Amazing” is the perfect introductory single, while tracks like “If It’s In My Mind, It’s On My Face” and “Just Like Before” follow that vein, providing electronic inspiration in the form of strong lyrics and instrumentation. Slower tracks like “Immaculate” and “Wedding Day” (a duet with his wife Heidi Klum) offer a break from the club to evoke the popular “Kiss From a Rose”era Seal.
Taking Back Sunday is a great band, so it takes balls for the lead guitarist/co-vocalist to venture away and create a dramatically different solo project. Fred Mascherino aka The Color Fred did just that with Bend to Break – a clever hybrid of folk, pop, and rock that surpasses his role in Taking Back Sunday without completely outshining it.
this solo debut. Bend to Break is a smoother, more free-flowing folky rock album that focuses less on noise and more on meaning. From the first track “If I Surrender,” it’s obvious that Fred is the indie solution to the major labels’ manufactured rock stars, despite the hook-heavy playfully romantic notions. The mellow “I’ll Never Know” and “The Tragedy” offer more acoustic-based sound, displaying Mascherino’s guitar prowess. Fred gets a little too emo on tracks like “It Isn’t Me” and “Empty House” but
Mascherino served as a cosongwriter for the New York outfit, whose sound and style radiated much more rock than
We Were Brittle” has Elbogen nostalgically waxing on a time long gone “when we could save kittens from trees.” The final album standout has to be “Apples for the Innocent.” Opening with obligatory drum machine and keyboard chirps, the minimalism finally gives way to a clever time change and hook. I suppose this outing is a benchmark of difference in Elbogen’s career, but it still leaves the listener with that feeling that he’s still singing with his tongue in his cheek, just not about vampires.
counterpart to Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor in its attempt at grown folks’ techno. But Madonna has her finger to the pulse of youth, whereas Seal clearly does not. At its best, System marks the return of a veteran artist to his roots. However, it still is a safe contemporary dance album. Pretty ironic for a man who at one time shouted, “We’re never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy.”
The only downside to System is its playing-it-safe approach. The disc is something of a male
thankfully uplifts with his guitar strings on songs like “Complaintor” and “Get Out.” While Bend to Break isn’t saying anything new, it is a brand new effort coming from an established artist. The Color Fred has succeeded where many prodigal sons of bands fail: spinning off into a self-standing solo artist who can create designer pop (think Gin Blossoms) on the side and still return home for the main event.
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The Flight Orchestra
Picture the abstract expressionism of a Cy Twombly painting and put it into music. The result is electronic artist David Wilson, BAreathing R oom Records otherwise known as The Flight sian Man Records Orchestra. His debut album The Military of Fatima is frustrated, joyful, disheveled, and calculated all at once.
The Military of Fatima
by Lauren Proctor
www.breathingroomrecords.com
The Lady Tigra Please Mr. BoomBox High Score Records
by Todd Sikorski
www.theladytigra.com
Trustkill Records
by Claudia Ward-de León
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Confidence & Consequence www.trustkill.com
March/April 2008
Too Pure To Die
Electronic music has a reputation for being distant and isolating, but The Military of Fatima is mostly human and emotional. Wilson’s voice resembles that of Flaming Lips vocalist Wayne Coyne. Fragile and vulnerable, it grounds what sometimes sounds like an atmospheric outer-space video game.
It’s been a long time since The Lady Tigra has been a player in the hip-hop scene. In fact, most people only remember her as part of Miami rap duo L’Trimm whose biggest hit was “Cars with the Boom,” an ode to car stereos. While that song was a hit back in the day, listening to it today conjures up memories of 1988 when acid-washed jeans, leg warmers, and ALF ruled. Flash forward twenty years. The Lady Tigra is finally back from her post-L’Trimm sabbatical. While it was assumed she would reappear one day on some
OK, so you’re not one for hardcore, but Confidence & Consequence is to hardcore what Miller High Life is to cheap beers. It does its job—in a rather smooth and efficient manner—and after the second song (or ahem, beer, as this analogy goes), you find yourself bopping your head, and realizing that for a hardcore band Too Pure To Die ain’t half bad. The second cut on the album, “Bad Luck,” is all afire with dramatic moments of double bass drum lines suspended for a punctuated second or two and burned out lingering reverb chords that call to mind some of
Mixing elements of electronica, hip hop, and rock, one of The Flight Orchestra’s most innovative tracks is “Mediacrity.” It begins with a thin bass line before Wilson’s voice flies over in a lofty Beatlesque chorus. The track suddenly changes tone into something percussion-driven and minimalist, and then Wilson starts to rap. As he falls silent, the track transforms yet again into a seemingly chaotic earthquake of sound. Then the track cycles through again, still surprising you with every experimental element.
bass-heavy party track, instead Tigra has returned releasing a full-length solo CD called Please Mr. Boombox. Here she incorporates some of today’s R&B and pop sounds along with her trademark old-school beats and deadpan flow.
While all of Wilson’s music is experimental, “The Haunt” creates the most unease. Initially grainy like an old 56k modem connecting to the internet, the track’s emotional appeal doesn’t come until Wilson’s voice enters the scene halfway through the track. Not quite as accessible to the mainstream as The Postal Service or Death Cab for Cutie, the Flight Orchestra is still worthwhile. Like a crashing symphony, The Military of Fatima is both challenging and beautiful. But most important, as a piece of art it affects the emotions throughout.
latest solo CD. And for those who like her bass anthems from yesteryear, there is “Bass on the Bottom” which doesn’t sound as dated as you might assume. There are some weak tracks near the CD’s end, but overall Tigra still shows she has some bite left in her.
Please Mr. Boombox opens with the ass-shaking anthem “I’m Back.” It’s so contagious that even a rhythm-deprived white boy would feel the need to break a move. Later on, Tigra showcases her pop instincts with “Sad Day Song” which sounds like a lost track from Gwen Stefani’s
Rage Against the Machine’s finer moments. The lead rhythms are catchy enough to make the duration of the album no chore to listen to. Lead singer Jordan Peterson doesn’t even screech once, which is certainly an added bonus and a huge rarity for the genre. Track six, “All in a Day,” is one of the highlights on the album with its kick-ass riffs and thumping drums that get the adrenals going. What’s best is these Des Moiners know when enough is enough: ten songs, and they’re done. Though this band has been around for five years, it seems
like they are just getting on their feet. Their members came and went, but it hasn’t seemed to slow them down much; this CD will impress even the skeptics.
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eviews
Somewhere between the death of Biggie Smalls and Kanye West’s rise to fame, the Wu-Tang Clan faded into a sort of obscurity, Flavor Flav got a TV show, hyphy got huge out on the West Coast. Hip-hop let our hopes down. And then I popped U-Fam’s disc in. I expected a lot of Versace references, mention of Land Rovers, talk of bitches and hos, but boy was I mistaken. This album stands on two legs without the heavy-handed sexual innuendos, without the superfluous couture name-dropping, without help from Missy Elliot. It helps that UGod of the Wu and Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian cameo on tracks. The beats are throwbacks, just like in the old days, smooth, hypnotic and heavy; bordering on dark, some bring to mind the tracks on a good downtempo album. Think WuTang meets Blackalicious meets A Tribe Called Quest meets Nas. And damn it if they didn’t sample Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years.” You gotta hear it to believe it. The rhymes are forums for knowledge like hip-hop circa Fear of a Black Planet, full of substance and Marcus Garvey references; you won’t find an ounce of meat-market speak. Sure, there’s a time and a place for Missy, for Kanye, for all the mainstream. But I, for one, am glad the True School label has resurrected the medium with this indie crew of rappers. What’s more, it’s got a little bit of everything: a shout-out to romance, a shout-out to the streets, a psychedelic element. This album is tight.
Songs from The Bigtop self-released
Which idea seems more far-fetched – a young man runs away with the circus and finds himself fighting for love and power, or a young man gathers some of the biggest names in indie rock to record an album of his songs? The former is the plot to Devon Reed’s film The Bigtop, set for release in early 2008. The latter is what Reed did for the film’s soundtrack, convincing Matthew Sweet, Lisa Germano, Damien Jurado, Doug Martsch and others to perform songs he wrote before making the film. Most of the album is solid if unspectacular indie rock, full of jangly guitars and earnest vocals. Every song is at least pleasant and there are no failures, just a few tunes that won’t stick in your memory. Which is par for the course on soundtracks. Tullycraft’s take on “The Girl Who’s Above Us” sounds like a more languid version of Elvis Costello’s “Veronica.” The Clientele’s “Your Song” is breezy and floats in and out of the listener’s consciousness in one minute and thirty-seven seconds. What emerges after a couple of listens is that Reed is a clever wordsmith. “I Just Can’t Keep Up,” performed here by the Owls, laments the passing of a simple time before “the combine has slaughtered the plough,” and how “even cowboys use motorbikes now.” Not surprisingly, it’s the more distinctive voices – Howe Gelb on the 53-second “Falling in Love,” Matthew Sweet on “Wild,” Damien Jurado on “Ashes” – that bring these lines to the surface and reveal the loss of innocence that seems to be Reed’s overall point, for both the film and the music.
by Amanda Cuda
by Nick A. Zaino III
by Claudia Ward-de León
True School Records
Various Artists
www.zoloftherockandrolldestroyer.com
The War on Hip-Hop
www.devonreed.com
www.trueschool.com
U-Fam
Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer 777 DVD
Flightplan Records and Le Pamplemousse Records
A few songs into its third LP, Schematics, it’s clear that the Philadelphia pop-rock group Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer has fallen prey to a disease afflicting so many of today’s bands. All of their songs sound the same. They all feature the reedy, slightly shrill voice of singer Rachel Minton, the Moog synthesizers, and the same relentlessly danceable beat. And nearly every song has an insanely catchy chorus, repeated over and over. The tunes sound so similar, in fact, that you might find yourself periodically checking the CD player to see if this is a new track, or if you’re just listening to the longest song since “American Pie.” And yet, despite the repetition factor (and that incredibly unwieldy name), Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer is undeniably fun to listen to. The band has an almost inexhaustible energy – you can almost see its members jumping in time to the music as you listen to it. Some of the lyrics are a lot of fun, too, particularly on the catchy “Death or Radio,” which features the unforgettable chorus “Let’s hold hands and listen to shitty bands!” True, the rest of the song’s lyrics don’t make much sense (“So yeah, I’m a devil/ and we both got plots.” What is that supposed to mean?), but that chorus is priceless. The band wears a little thin by the time Schematics is over. But it’s hard not to smile while listening to this album. What it lacks in variation, it more than makes up for in enthusiasm.
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March/April 2008
sk pe
by Bill Kopp
by Bill Kopp
by Bill Kopp
Memphis May Fire
Warm in the Wake
The Co-Op
Memphis May Fire
American Prehistoric
Koch Records
Trustkill
Livewire
On first listen, my attention was grabbed by a track (or “skit,” as it’s called on the disc) in which a character named DJ Death Murder Homicide rattles off every gangsta cliché while recording his latest joint. The recording ends, and it is quickly (and amusingly) revealed that Mr. Homicide is a total phony; one can picture him in a Polo shirt and khakis. The Co-op contains two more of these “Keeping it 2 Real” skits, forming a brief narrative.
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www.warminthewake.com
www.memphismayfire.com
www.kochent.com
DJ Envy & Red Cafe
An album built around this idea would be intriguing: examine the posturing and artifice of rap, and expose it as such, all while entertaining. But that’s not exactly what we have here. Juxtaposed as they are, the remaining dozen-or-so tracks are an exercise in irony. Many tracks (“School of Hard Knocks,” “What it Be Like,” “Move Like a G”) trade in just the sort of macho rap shibboleths skewered on the “Keeping it 2 Real” tracks. The shopworn guest-star practice is employed here: among others, we get Fabolous, Styles P and Remy Martin. Too many “yo, it’s me, DJ Envy in da house”-style intros waste the listener’s time. We know who you are, gentlemen; your names couldn’t be any bigger on the album cover. Oddly, the album improves as it spins. The standard-issue rap “Shakedown 4 Life” has a worthwhile musical backing. The same can be said of “Things You Do” (featuring Nina Sky, which of course she tells you) and “Invincible.” The album ends with its best track, “Mr. Lover,” but even then it reiterates every hip-hop bromide (in case you missed any). As far as we know, there is no truth to the rumor that the duo will continue DJ Death Murder Homicide’s exploits on a followup entitled The Post-Op.
As a card-carrying Pastafarian, I pray every day to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that I am delivered from the random assignment of reviewing Christian hardcore CDs. I simply don’t get how these angry white boys (who in every other aspect look and sound like other barely-worth-meritof-a-mention bands in the hardcore-without-a”godgenda” subgenre) manage to keep cranking out this stuff. But it’s to no avail. This issue’s tribulation involves a listen to the self-titled release by the nonsensically-named Memphis May Fire. These boys are a textbook definition of the word derivative. Their cover art is a cross between currency art (“In God We Trust” being the connection, perhaps?) and those t-shirts that all the Hot Topic kids are sporting. Their song titles suggest the quintet kneels at the altar of the Church of Fall Out Boy (sample title: “Conjunctions, Conjunctions, Everybody Loves them” [sic]). And while the opener’s title (“Cowbell’s Makin’ a Comeback”) suggests that MMF has a scintilla of a sense of humor, the music doesn’t bear this out. The blood-curdling vocal approach in which they trade is such a cliché by now that it barely deserves notice. If you dig that sort of stuff, more power to you. They can play well, and although this disc is mercifully brief, the instrumentation isn’t half bad. One can’t help but observe that an instrumental version would make for a much more pleasing listening experience. Instead, it’s standard-issue humorless, preachy, angsty, macho stuff. Yawn. For the kicker, I’m tempted to make a joke around the phrase “Memphis May Misfire,” but these guys are shooting blanks anyway.
If there’s a useful musical reference point for this Atlanta-based group, it might be Scotland’s Teenage Fanclub. WitW utilizes the gauzy Third/ Sister Lovers-era Big Star vibe on a number of songs, most notably “Joseph Campbell.” (Extra points are awarded for having the moxie to name-check the mythologist.) Some of American Prehistoric’s guitar squeals evoke Brian Eno’s mid 70s work (not to mention his Achtung Baby production work for U2). The vocal harmonies on “She’d Never Seen It” call to mind a hipper version of CSN backing Thom Yorke, or some equally unlikely pairing. The songs chug along with wonderful analog synth washes propelling the sound an inch or two toward space-rock territory. For its final minute, “Dark Gypsy Moth” executes a stunning and beautiful musical left-turn. The jazzy arrangement of “Airport Girl”— maybe the strongest track on a near-flawless album—comes as a surprise too, on the heels of the title track’s fairly mainstream excursion. Subtle yet effective piano and (synth) strings from Dan Barker show that keyboard can be effectively worked into a rock aesthetic without going all 80s-trash-synth on the listener. The drums move things forward while setting out a pitter-pat approach that adds to the songs without exactly rocking out. Subtle stuff; it would be really interesting to see how these guys pull these songs off in a live setting. Docked a half-star for a very slight sameness that creeps up toward the album’s end, American Prehistoric still easily makes my short list of best albums of 2007.
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Most people remember John Fogerty, frontman for CCR, the group that racked up sixteen Top 40 singles (most of those in the top ten) in the space of less than four years. But what happened to their rhythm section? Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford are one of the most celebrated bass-and-drum duos of the rock era. Skope catches up with them in an online-only feature. While you’re at skopemagazine.com, check out our news, reviews, podcasts, blogs and much.,much more!
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creedence clearwater revisited
artists to watch
This spring’s Sonicbids’ picks come from Sweden, Israel, England, Australia, and the US. They represent everything from country and rock to rap and theater. All are unique and deserve a listen.
by Janie Franz
The Bands
Photography by Lawrence Lauterborn
Singer/songwriters
Storme, an Australian singer/songwriter, plays guitar and keyboards and currently uses a variety of sidemen to fill out her sound. She could easily stand on her own with her versatile voice and gifted songs. “Freedom” from her debut album is a bluesy rock/folky tune that has the power of Bonnie Raitt and the rock edge of Sheryl Crow. But “All We Want to Do” is a saucy number with a country edge that’ll have you smiling as you head for a cold shower.
Amiram
Simply J. P. (J. P. Olson) is country pop singer/songwriter who has broken through not only the female glass ceiling but an ethnic one as well. As a black female singer/songwriter, her work has been recognized by Nashville greats like Billy Ray Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, and Charley Pride. J. P.’s sophomore album, A Guy Like That, shows that black women have a place in Music City, too. NARDI, a deaf songwriter, offers romance with a capital R. Playing all of the instrumental parts on a digital keyboard, NARDI blends a variety of string sounds and percussion to enhance his original compositions. He does his own arranging, recording, and engineering. His vocals are deep, resonant, and musically varied, setting a mood of love that rivals crooners of the past like Ed Ames or Perry Como. With four other albums out, NARDI is preparing a fifth in this new genre he has named “nouveau.”
Simply J.P.
NARDI
The Sunset Kid, a Brooklyn rapper, released his debut album last fall. Stomp and Crush is the culmination of fifteen years of honing his rhymes. On this album, the Sunset Kid brings 14 tracks of social commentary that hasn’t been heard in the genre in a good long time. It’s raw, intelligent, and real.
Amiram Eini, an Israeli-Norwegian, formed the quintet, Amiram Inc., a year ago and recorded their first album, Little Defects. His emotive lyrics and crisp acoustic/electric noodling give the album its distinction, along with Alon Tavory’s percussion and Emily Bennet’s vocal harmonies and violin and flute. London band, Manakin, sprung up on the Internet and garnered a fanatic following without any prior gigging or discs being available. When they finally booked a world tour last fall to support their new CD, it was SRO. The driving force behind their mix of moody vocals, rock, and ambient sound is songwriter/vocalist Shake. He’s backed by guitar, bass, and drums. What Manakin produces, however, is socially relevant lyrics that slide the band more into the singer/songwriter realm than pure band work. Buck 69 is a straight-up blues rock band from Ohio. It was founded by Tom Clawson and his son Alex, who decided to bring out the best of two generations. They gathered four other musicians and two female backup singers, with the elder Clawson handling vocal leads and doing the songwriting. They created a blockbuster sound with tight guitar riffs and sweet keyboards that is showcased on their new CD, When She Whispers Your Name.
My Fave
The Fairytale is a gem. From Sweden, Peter and Ulrika Malmberg combined their varied talents to create a sound that is a mix of pop, folk, and grand theater. They write material that could be produced on stage or as a film soundtrack. Their album, Land of Beauty, released last December, is stunning. The whole album is polished and beautifully balanced vocally and instrumentally. Their material can easily challenge anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I would love to see The Fairytale mount a full stage show with this music. Be still my heart! Check out all of these Sonic Bids Artists to Watch online.
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CHRIS DICKSON HOLD ON TO YOU
Honest and inspiring music from a fresh new voice. Available on iTunes.com Rhadsody.com CD Baby.com Hallel-Music.com Visit www.myspace.com/chrisdicksonhallel www.christiandickson.com www.hallel-music.com