Incognito Music, Models, and More vol. 6 (August-September 2012) by Groovy Rutabaga Publications

INCOGNITO

Music, Models, and More Vol. 6, Aug-Sept 2012

AN INTERVIEW WITH SARA ERDE

DOM NEWTON COLI HELLRAISER LAGER REVIEWS CINEPHILE ASK UNCLE SAL

AND MORE!

Incognito

Get your Incognito gear! (shirts, panties, pint glasses, etc.)

Music, Models, and More

CHIEF WRITER COPY EDITOR LAYOUT

Gary Schwind Bob Brower Rachel Park

CONTRIBUTORS Jason Bowman Adam Griffith John Kessler Rachel Park

incognitomusicmagazine.com Submissions (models, music artists, writers): incognitomusicmag@gmail.com OR PO Box 2070 Mission Viejo, CA 92690

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

WELCOME TO INCOGNITO #6 Loyal reader, I am not going to bore you with all the details of life in the publishing industry. Suffice it to say that it has challenges just as any other field does. One of the challenges is finding the time to do all the things involved in publishing a magazine. Yes, this issue is a little later than the previous issues which were always released by the first of the month. However, the quality is still what youve come to expect. In this issue, you’ll see interviews with the singer of flamenco-funk band Caramelo, one-man horror blues show Dom Newton, and our usual model feature, beer reviews, etc. In other words, all the content you’ve become accustomed to is here even if it wasn’t available at the beginning of the month. We hope you’ll stick with us as we grow and make every issue better. Before moving on to all the great Incognito content, let me express my tremendous gratitude to our Cinephile Rae Park, who helped with the compiling and formatting of this issue. It is not out of sorts to say that this issue would not have come together without her efforts. So if you appreciate her, follow her blog Cutting Edge Creativity and her Twitter account (@raesblog) and tell her just how awesome you think she is. Thanks for reading. Editor-in-chief, Lead writer: Gary Schwind Copy editor: Bob Brower Contributors: Jason Bowman, Adam Griffith, John Kessler, and the lovely and talented Rae Park © 2012 Groovy Rutabaga Publications Visit our corresponding daily music blog: incognitomusicmagazine.com. Submissions (models, music artists, writers): incognitomusicmag@gmail.com PO Box 2070 Mission Viejo CA 92690

Features

THE HORROR BLUES OF DOM NEWTON Incognito’s second music feature. Read all about this artist’s unique style.

In Every Issue

2 Caramelo Flamenco Funk 1 Letter from the Editor Incognito’s feature artist. & Who We Are 4 Coli Hellraiser

This month’s feature model.

13 Dom Newton

Second music feature for this month.

8 Beer Reviews 14 Have You Heard? 16 Album Reviews 18 Cinephile

Monthly movie reviews

FEATURED ON OUR COVERS

20 Ask Uncle Sal

(front cover)

22 In Our Next Issue

Caramelo Flamenco Funk photo illustration by Rachel “Rae” Park Photo courtesy of Caramelo Flamenco Funk’s official Facebook. facebook.com/CarameloFlamencoFunk

(back cover)

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

Incognito: for the musical omnivore What is Incognito? you ask. Incognito is a magazine for the musical omnivore - the person who loves good music no matter the genre. In this issue, we cover bands ranging from flamenco funk to bluegrass punk. That’s a lot of musical ground to cover in one issue if we do say so ourselves. Just try and find another publication with that kind of range. Why do we do this? For several reasons. First, we love music. Music is a constant at Incognito HQ and we put this magazine out for all those people out there who wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if they didn’t have music, particularly music that you’ll never find on your radio or maybe even at your local music store. We also do it because a lot of bands have a big budget for publicity. But for every band that’s backed by a good amount of money, there are hundreds more that make music because it’s what they love to do. In short, we publish this magazine for every musician and music fan that has ever been in a dark club in a nowhere town on a Tuesday night for one reason only: good music. We celebrate the bands that live in tour vans eating crappy food, swilling cheap beer, and making just enough scratch to make it to the next gig. In other words, no matter how you classify the music, we celebrate the rock -and-roll ethos and we hope you do too.

Coli Hellraiser photo

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WHO WE ARE

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

All photos courtesy of CARAMELOFLAMENCOFUNK’s website; www.caramelobeat.com

ARA ERDE IS THE LEAD VOCALIST for flamenco funk band Caramelo. By phone, she discussed her love of flamenco dancing (including studying the art form in Spain), the music of Caramelo, and what she would be doing if she weren’t making music.

she starts singing as she’s cooking. That’s the best flamenco singing you’ll ever hear in your life and she’s 85 years old. It’s very much an art form about that. It’s rooted in Andalucia. It’s in other cities like Madrid and Barcelona. They also say that Andalucia is a factory for flamenco and the performers go to Madrid because that’s where the work is. There are more companies and financial opportunities. I moved to Seville and lived there for six years. I was the first When did you start dancing flamenco? foreigner to dance in tablao flamenco Los Gallos. I started when I was six years old. My neighbors I went there and studied with a master teacher were from Puerto Rico and they sent their kids and dancer. At the time, I was still coming back to a dance studio in New York called Ballet to New York periodically to work in theater at Hispanico that does dances from Latin America, the Metropolitan Opera. I wanted to create a but also flamenco. I started with flamenco and I theater piece of the intimate flamenco that I saw loved it right away. My mom tells me that at six in somebody’s kitchen or at baptisms. I worked I told her, “Don’t ever let me stop doing this.” It for three years in Spain and created a theater touched my six-year-old soul very much. piece. It ended up being somewhat biographical about the family of one of the members of the That’s awesome. What compelled you to want company. It set flamenco in family settings. That to go to Spain to learn it further? went really well. As is the story with many projects, we sort of ended up on the shelf, but it Because of this family who went to Spain in the was a great experience. We did a lot of summers, so we would go to Spain too. At a showcases for people to see the piece. It was a certain point, in learning and performing great learning experience for me. We had some flamenco, you can only continue learning it if of the great flamenco artists from Spain in the you go to Spain, particularly Andalucia because company. For months at a time, we rented a that’s where the masters are. The masters are theater rehearsal space where we improvised people that are somebody’s grandmother. You and created scenes. We would sing, and dance, go and hang out with her and cook with her and and play all day. That’s where I learned most of

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

my flamenco. How has your experience in Spain affected the music of Caramelo? We did an interview the day before yesterday and the interviewer asked us about fusion and flamenco. I was trying to explain very unsuccessfully that I don’t see myself as fusion. I love flamenco puro. I don’t gravitate so much toward more modern styles of flamenco, but it’s a little bit of a dichotomy because we are mixing genres. We always try to maintain that feeling of true flamenco even though we’re messing with it. Some people would disagree. We have very high standards for the flamenco in the group. We have to be very precise with the rhythm and form. We’re dedicated to flamenco, but at the same time, we’re American. Music is deep in our blood and psyches since we were children. Like your son with your harmonica. It’s so deeply ingrained in him. My dad listened to bluegrass. I grew up with reggae, R&B, and hip-hop and I love it all. We’re just being honest about who we are. We decided let’s just make the music we like with all our different influences. That’s what has been so exciting about it. We didn’t come at it from the point of view that “This would be really cool.” We have accordion in the band because my husband is from Ukraine and has played the accordion since he was 10 years old. Everything happened in an organic way. Have you heard of a band called LoCura? Yes! The people at Rock Paper Scissors turned me on to them. They’re amazing! Your story of how this all came together sounds very similar to the story behind LoCura. The singer had roots in Spain, then they all just came together with all these various backgrounds. It’s Latin-influenced, but they bring in a lot of other stuff too. (laughs) Tristra from Rock Paper Scissors said, “You’re like the east coast version of LoCura.” We’ve been corresponding. We’d like to set up some shows together. I really like their vibe. What kind of reaction do you get from people when you describe your music to them? We get really excited reactions, except from true 4

flamenco people who don’t want anything interfering with flamenco. I got excellent feedback from flamenco artists that I respect a lot. Mostly I get really positive feedback. When you describe your music, is it something people then want to hear for themselves? Definitely. People coming to our shows a lot. As a choreographer and dancer, one of the things I wanted to do with our live show was flamenco dance. You can’t separate it from the music. It’s intertwined. Flamenco dancing is part of the music. There’s the visual part of the music and also there’s aurally as a percussionist with our feet. I wanted to use that model in our live shows and also the model of hip-hop where you have backup dancers. Hip-hop is similar, where there is always a dance component attached to the music. We have amazing dancers and I dance as well. We have a lot of numbers that are choreographed and we go into straight flamenco dancing in the set as well. I think it’s fun for people. It’s like a candy bag with a lot of good things. In the live shows there is a lot going on. I never wanted to be the lead singer who just sings. How boring! What would you be doing if you weren’t making music? Oh boy! It’s so sad to think about. If I weren’t making music, I would continue the other work I do. I’m an assistant director for the Metropolitan Opera. I work on putting together opera productions. I still dance in the productions and choreograph as well. I would continue being around music even if I weren’t making it. If I could do none of those things, I would make art because it helps human beings. It helps us deal with the pain of life and comforts us, gives us joy, and helps us express our feelings.

In our next issue: A guest column by Helmut “The Bruiser” Von Schoen of The Coyote Men

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

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laugh with my blunt nature.

You have done a lot of modeling for car shows. What car would you most like to pose in front of? Why? Definitely the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, its sleek, fast, elegant, and sexy! Which car have you posed with that you would most like to drive? Where would you drive it? A friend and I took candids next to a 2011 Corvette Stingray. I would drive it up and down the east coast! What are some of your favorite music acts? HIM (a Finnish band), Billy Idol, & Rihanna. Tell us one artist you absolutely have to see live. Well I went to Finland to see HIM last oli Hellraiser is a model from Virginia December. I’d definitely love to see Billy Beach. She discusses her favorite cars and Idol perform up close and personal. He’s bands, and shares what is next on timeless!

her bucket list.

Give us the elevator bio of who Coli is. I’m a mostly Native American glamour, import, and blossoming alternative model hailing from Virginia Beach. I travel a few times a month for various gigs. When I’m not on the modeling scene, I’m sleeping, sweating at the gym, or stuck behind a desk. I’m a part-time student studying graphic design and fine art. I’m currently single, I love to dance and play on the waves at the beach.

You’re studying graphic design. What aspect of graphic design do you most want to practice? I do a lot of rough sketches and logos in my spare time to build up my versatility and experience. What is the next thing on your bucket list?

Being featured in a national or international You describe yourself as a funny person. Tell us magazine. your favorite joke or story that is sure to make us laugh.

I’m not a comedian…yet, so I don’t have material on reserve, I’m the type to make jokes about what’s going on at the moment, what’s around us, and most often...light-hearted jokes directed at the person I’m holding a conversation with, I’m always making people incognitomusicmagazine.com

Keep up with Coli Keep Up with Coli Fa cebook Fan Page:C oli-Hell raiser Facebook Fan Coli-Hellraiser Twit ter:Page: ColiHell raiser Twitter: @ColiHellraiser

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

Lager? I don’t even know ‘er!

Our panel of four regular guys got together for a blind tasting of a variety of lagers, ranging from the light to “Danzig black.” Since lager covers such an array of styles, we don’t have a fixed definition for a lager. In any case, we hope you like our journey into the wonderful world of lagers. As always, the panel comprises Adam, Jason, John, and Gary: four guys who enjoy a good beer. We rated these on: the technical stuff (nose, color, clarity, etc.), taste, when we would drink this particular beer, who we would recommend it to, and our overall impression. Plus, we give you some food pairings to try with each of these.

who like light beers, yet it has a texture for more sophisticated beer palates. Overall impression Adam: I could see myself drinking quite a few of these, although I wouldn’t normally seek it out. Gary: It goes down pretty easy. I wouldn’t have any trouble ordering another one of these. Jason: It’s a solid, refreshing brew that goes down easy. John: It’s a very decent lager. Food-pairing suggestion Adam: Something salty. Gary: Sweet and sour pork. Jason: Spicy sausage. John: BBQ shrimp, burgers, hot dogs.

Two lessons were learned in this tasting. First, we learned that Gary’s soul is black. Second, we learned (again) that Adam’s palate is particularly Score delicate, especially toward sour, spicy, or smoky. Adam: 7.1 (downgraded slightly because of the font on the label) Gary: 6.8 Moosbacher (Germany) Jason: 7.5 John: 7.8 Technical stuff Adam: Light-amber color with about a quarterPrimator (Czech Republic) inch of head. Gary: Hazy gold color, not much head, malty sweetness on the nose. Technical stuff Jason: Light gold color, slight head retention. Adam: Light-amber color, small head with John: Mid-level head retention. The nose is yeasty decent retention. with a little lemon. The color is very typical of a Gary: Skunky hops and some grassy notes in the lager: nice and clear. nose. It’s hazy gold and the head is not bad. Jason: It’s yellow with a mini-head and some Taste fruit on the nose. Adam: Light and mild with a slightly sour finish. John: Very nice head retention and good Gary: Citrusy up front, malty sweetness really carbonation. comes through. It has a very clean, dry-hop finish. Jason: Refreshing. It is easy to drink and crisp. Taste John: This is simple and light - very clean. The Adam: It’s light. aftertaste is barley and citrus. Gary: It has a nice crisp hop note and is very dry. It’s pretty singular in the hops, not much malt I would drink this... flavor to balance it. Adam: When I’m mowing the lawn. Jason: Very light and mild. Gary: Just about any time. It would be a good John: A little barley up front with a slight burntone on a hot day. citrus acidity throughout. Jason: At the beach. John: On any given Sunday or a hot afternoon. I would drink this… Adam: At my clambake. I would recommend this to... Gary: If I were in the Czech Republic. Adam: People who want to drink a six-pack. Jason: At a day baseball game. Gary: People who like a lighter beer. John: One glass with a fish dinner. Jason: Anyone looking for a refreshing lager. John: Anyone. The simplicity is good for people incognitomusicmagazine.com

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

I would recommend this to… Adam: Someone looking for a beer for a party during the summer. I could see picking up a keg of this for a party. Gary: Light-beer drinkers. Jason: College students. John: Someone eating fish.

assaulted with fruity acidic tastes and alcohol with no aftertaste. After the first taste, it gives you the balanced complexity of a fruit orchard with lightly toasted hops, fresh barley, and more fresh hops. Smooth, lingering finish, but it’s gassy.

I would drink this… Overall impression Adam: If I am entering a belching contest or as Adam: This is a good light-tasting beer for an after-dinner beer. people who like a bit more flavor than most mild Gary: With dessert or by a fire. lagers. Jason: In small doses, or maybe share one with a Gary: It’s not bad, but it gets downgraded for the few friends. lack of malt character. I would probably drink it John: As my last supper. but not a lot of it. Jason: It’s a super-light lager that is easy to drink I would recommend this to… but not something I would seek out. I could Adam: Someone with a sophisticated beer palate. drink many of them if they were offered. Gary: Guys who wear smoking jackets. John: It’s OK, but it’s not a session lager. Jason: Anyone who likes strong beers and wants to get a nice buzz. Food-pairing suggestion John: A chef as a challenge to create my dinner Adam: Clams and corn on the cob. menu. Gary: Fettuccine Alfredo. Jason: Peanuts and pretzels. Overall impression John: Acidic dishes: fish with lemon, meat Adam: While it’s not something I could see marinated in lime, pineapple chicken. myself drinking on a regular basis, this could be a nice change of pace. Score (out of 10) Gary: This definitely warms me up. The buzz is Adam: 8 pretty instant. Drinking it in the summer seems Gary: 5.5 completely out of place. Jason: 6.4 Jason: Very nice. It’s almost perfect if it weren’t John: 6.3 for the carbonation.

Lightning Fulminator Bock Technical stuff Adam: Hazy orange with lots of goodies floating in it. Huge head you can float a bottle cap on and excellent retention. Gary: It has an amazing head. It’s definitely bottleconditioned. Malty sweetness on the nose. Jason: It’s deep golden brown and has wonderful head retention. John: It’s cloudy and dark amber with a very nice head. It has some sage or grass tones in the nose. Taste Adam: It’s fruity and complex with a dry hop finish. Gary: It seems like it has a pretty good alcohol content. It’s very malty with a dry hop finish. Jason: Strong alcohol and good carbonation with a strong finish. John: The first taste is so over the top that you are 10

Food-pairing suggestion Adam: Sliced pears, French bread, and cheese spread. Gary: Cherry cheesecake. Jason: Chocolate cake. John: Sweet pork dishes and Hawai’ian dishes. Score (out of 10) Adam: 7.9 Gary: 7.8 Jason: 8 John: 8.9

Port Brewing Co. Midnight Expressions Technical stuff

Adam: This is blacker than Gary’s soul and has more head than a Catholic schoolgirl. Gary: You can float a bottlecap on the head. It’s opaque and black like used motor oil. Smoky

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

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and molasses notes on the nose. Jason: It’s black with an excellent head. John: It’s blacker than black — Danzig black. The head is off the hook. I floated a bottlecap on it. The nose has toasted malts, slight barley and sweet caramel notes. Taste Adam: It’s malty and tastes like burnt caramel and molasses. Gary: It’s smoky with a dry hop finish, very balanced and clean. It burps very well. Jason: It starts out with strong carbonation. I get some fruity and caramel flavors, some chocolate. I has a good, simple finish. John: It tastes exactly as it smells with a very nice after-carbonation that continues to tickle the palate with sweet and burnt notes. I would drink this… Adam: When I want to get my drink on. Gary: I would gladly accept this anytime. Jason: As a nightcap. John: In a boat, with a goat, in a box with a fox… anywhere, Sam I Am. I would recommend this to… Adam: Someone who likes smoky flavors in his beer. Gary: People who like a complex beer and aren’t afraid of some smoky flavor. Jason: People who like a heavier beer. John: A monk, a pilot…all the same. Overall impression Adam: If you don’t like carbonation, this is not the beer for you. Gary: This goes down real easy. A couple pints of this could help you forget a lousy workday. Jason: This is a pretty solid lager with a fair amount of carbonation. It’s on the heavy side and I would drink it sparingly. John: It’s a more-refined Guinness. Food-pairing suggestion Adam: Bangers and mash. Gary: Anything barbecued, with creme brulee for dessert. Jason: Chocolate-mousse cake. John: Braised short ribs, carne Apache, and red meats with red-wine sauces.

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Score (out of 10) Adam: 8.2 Gary: 7.5 Jason: 7.0 John: 8.2

Grand Teton Brewing Co. 5 O’Clock Shadow (Double Black Lager) Technical stuff Adam: As black as anti-matter. It has a decent head immediately, but it dissipates quickly. Gary: It has a decent head and molasses notes on the nose. It couldn’t be any darker. Jason: It smells like mocha and looks like tar, and has a good head. John: It’s very black — Danzig meets Opeth black with an OK head. There is very little on the nose: a quick hit of caramel and toasted hops. Taste Adam: Coffee that someone left burning at work. Gary: It has a syrupy mouthfeel with the definite taste of molasses. The hop bitterness rises up in the middle and finishes dry. Jason: There is a lot going on here. It has some mocha flavor and definitely warms up the taste buds. John: One sip goes a long way. The first small sip had a lingering aftertaste of caramel and toasted malts for more than three minutes. It does not taste like a lager at all. Editor’s note: Technically, it’s a schwarzbier, one of many varieties in the lager family. I would drink this… Adam: If I was mad at my liver or wanted a headache in the morning. Gary: When I’m in for the evening. Jason: Regularly as a finishing beer. John: When I want to appreciate a finely crafted beer. I would recommend this to… Adam: Someone who really likes the taste of burnt malt. Gary: Adventurous drinkers who want to get hosed in a hurry. Jason: Dark-beer drinkers everywhere. John: A beer connoisseur and someone wanting dessert.

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

Overall impression Adam: Fuck this beer. I don’t think I would drink this again unless it was the only thing in my fridge. Gary: Shazam! This is well-done. Make sure you don’t have to drive anywhere when you open this one. Jason: It’s an enjoyable beer that is very flavorful and definitely on the heavy side. It can get your head spinning if over-consumed. John: This is a very nicely-crafted beer that took time to engineer. The double black is very over the top, but the yeast still pulls through to give it a very nice balance. Food-pairing suggestion Adam: Something that would cover up the flavor. Gary: Pecan pie. Jason: Chocolate. John: Single-malt scotch, dark chocolate, and a Cuban cigar.

Score (out of 10) Adam: 5.7 Gary: 8 Jason: 8.5 John: 8.7

THE HORROR BLUES OF DOM NEWTON

In our next issue A new column: Don’t Be That Guy

An interview by Gary Schwind

OM NEWTON IS A MUSICIAN FROM LIVERPOOL who really does his own thing musically. What else can you say about a guy who does an entire album about Alice in Wonderland? By e-mail, he discussed his music, his inspiration, and the five albums he would grab before evacuating for a great flood.

Complete the sentence. Dom Newton is... Compulsively addicted to creating music and film and in love with the idea of bringing disparate elements together to create something new. A benevolent dictator his greatest joy is to see his ideas and concepts taken up by his friends and fans and pushed into other places and areas. Dom acts as an instigator and then lets the ideas take on a life of their own in the hands of others. The participation of everyone is what gives everything life.

How do you describe your music for people? Horror Blues™: a vile spew of horror, religion, incognitomusicmagazine.com

surreal ramblings, blues, primitive garage rock, bizarre humour, theatricality and conceptual art.

What inspires you to write? Good music, movies, art and books. Anything can get me going really as long as it tickles my fancy. I came up with the Horror Blues idea in 2011 and ended up doing 4 albums in a year just to get a handle on the parameters of the concept. I love an idea which limits the possibilities of what can be achieved with a project and can’t help but come up with bizarre concepts that I then pursue to their conclusion which is usually in the form of a video, album or live show. So far I’ve done a garage rock album from the perspective of an 1890s apocalyptic, Mississippi preacher, a gay, Victorian, vampire-hunter rock opera which will be performed at my Halloween show 2012, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired album and I’m currently working on a comedy song and video based on the cult classic horror movie The Wickerman. I get a huge endorphic rush out of the creative act. I’m not pursuing fame as the work is an end in itself. The Wickerchair

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music? I don’t make much cash from my bizarre visions and don’t really pursue commercial gain so I work as a librarian to make sure I eat and my many children have a roof over their heads. I enjoy it. It’s a quiet-loud paradox!

Have You Heard? as it will be called (we have no budget for a Wickerman) will take the form of a huge party and video shoot for all my friends and fans which wll be a tremendous laugh. We’re all going to dress up as Pagans and chase my friend Cosgrave around Benny Hill-style and then pretend to burn him in a Wickerchair. I don’t take any of my work too seriously and try to make it as enjoyable and entertaining for me and my friends as possible. I try to keep my albums under 40 minutes and try to avoid guitar solos. The Garage Rock format helps me focus and keep things punchy.

Why should I have your music in my collection?

Seville. If you listen to the band’s CD Supersucculent, you are immediately assaulted with uptempo funk that will not just get you moving, it will wear you out. In fact, if you go to the band’s Bandcamp page, you will see it classified as “savage funk.” Whoa Nellie! These guys aren’t kidding. The energy this band brings to recording is amazing. Sure this band has great guitar and amazing rhythms, but it also features some pretty amazing organ, and a less common funk instrument: the harmonica. This is real simple. If you like funk, you need to check this band out. And while you’re at it, but the album and play it at your next party. Your When you look at the Old Man Markley Twitter guests will remember a lot of dancing and a page, you will see that this band “is from the hell of a good time. lamula.bandcamp.com/ intersection of punk and bluegrass.” I know. It sounds like a marketing ploy. Only if you listen to this band, you’ll realize that is accurate. The body of the upright bass is a little metal tub that you would use to keep beer cold. The band also has a banjo, fiddle, and autoharp. That of course is the bluegrass component. The punk aspect comes from the furious energy that the band members play with, and from the shouts that punctuate the songs. This is another band that you’ll enjoy on disc, but you should see in person. You won’t be disappointed. oldmanmarkley.com/Home.html

Because it rocks and will make you laugh and it won’t be like anything else in your collection.

The Goddamn Gallows (Lansing, MI) If a great flood were coming, what five albums would you make sure you grab If you were to tell your friends about this before you evacuate? band, they may not believe you. A psychobilly

band with banjo, accordion and rub board? A bluegrass band with songs about the devil? Frankly, this band could be viewed either way. One thing you need to know about this band is that it rocks. These guys bring a furious energy to their music and produce a sound that is probably What artist would you want to perform at quite unlike anything you have in your collection. I recently saw Goddamn Gallows at The your next birthday party? Hootenanny in southern CaliforDonovan. He’s so strange and unintentionally nia and I can tell you two things: First, funny. He did this Sky Arts interview where You should really see this band live. he said he played one chord for seven hours, Second, I came away from that show thinking sitting in his cottage cross legged going, “Hmmm, that I needed to add some music from this band hmmm.” I love his bonkers childrens album and to my collection. goddamngallows.com/ his weird, Scottish intonation when singing and speaking. He’s like a time capsule from 1967 and Old Man Markley (Los Angeles) I’d be made up if he did a turn at my birthday. The Stooges: Fun House, David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust, Lift to Experience: The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads, Hawkwind: Space Ritual, Donovan: For Little Ones.

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The Terrorists (Los Angeles) So this isn’t the best band name I’ve ever heard. I’m not sure many people are comfortable Googling The Terrorists. That being said, this band absolutely rocks and one song in particular hooked me. “30-Minute Love” is a song about visiting a whorehouse. I know. It’s not the first song ever written about a hooker, but it’s pretty good, especially when the singer sings, “It’s only the money in your wallet that she’s thinking of.” And seriously, try not to sing along when he sings, “For the next 30 minutes, I’m your guy!” You wouldn’t expect subtlety from a band called The Terrorists, and you certainly won’t get any. This band plays high-energy balls-to-the-wall rock and roll. If that is La Mula Jam Band (Seville, Spain) something that interests you, check it out. And just You might think of a lot of places when you think so you don’t have to Google terrorists and worry of funk. I’m willing to bet Seville, Spain, is not about getting on some watch list, here is where one of them. But there is a damn fine funk band in you can find the band: facebook.com/44terror. incognitomusicmagazine.com

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

album reviews

The Flashback

Shimmy — Billy Martin and Wil Blades This album came as a revelation. Sure, I had heard some of Billy Martin’s work with Medeski, Martin, and Wood but hadn’t explored his music in any great detail. Then I put this album on and took to it immediately. Martin on drums and Blades on the Hammond B3 organ make a sound that brings Booker T and the MGs to mind. This is some groovy stuff that is probably more soul than funk, but it has plenty of funk to get you moving. This is an instrumental album (just like Booker T), but hey, you can always make up your own words to these songs. Do yourself a favor and get this album. I hope it will be as much of a revelation to you as it was to me.

Fly — Lettuce This being the funk issue of Incognito, we would be remiss if we didn’t have some reviews of funk albums. Lettuce is a funk band from New York and these guys are the real deal. If you put this on for someone and just let them listen, that person probably wouldn’t have any idea if this album came out a couple months ago or in the late 60s or early 70s. Yes, it’s that good. It has everything you could want in a funk band: excellent rhythms, strong horns, and some serious grooves that will get your backside moving. And if getting your backside moving is your goal, do this: put this album in your stereo, crank up the volume and play the second track “Lettsanity.” You might just start some kind of dance party right on your street and if Demos — Mean Bikini that’s not good for at least a couple beers, you should probably move to a new neighborhood. I know what you’re thinking. A review of a band’s demos? If you’ve read this magazine at all, you know we don’t have any problem with music that is raw. Raw is definitely a good way to describe these demos. It would probably be easiest to call this a punk band and I’m not saying that’s wrong. The vocals are reminiscent of another UK band, Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons. The energy and attitude in these five songs are pretty definitely 16

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punk. Not to mention the lack of polish on these demos. But what’s really interesting about this band of young women from the UK is how much they sound like a Japanese girl Big Pimp Jones power-pop group like Thee 50s High Teens. Dollar Major, Neighborhood Playa Yes, the demos are raw, but they are also enough to know that this band could do Dollar Major, Neighborhood Playa (2004) is one some really interesting things down the road. of those albums that caught my attention even before I heard a note of it. Why is that? The album cover certainly was designed to catch the attention. The music is a pretty good attention grabber too. The album begins with a deep voice announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, Big Pimp Jones.” That announcement leads into a funky instrumental called “The Jailbreak.” This song has great rhythms (if that bass line doesn’t get your hips moving, I doubt anything will), and a fuzzy guitar part that sounds more garage than funk (although it still works pretty well in the song). Now, if you’re a fan of funk, you know that one of the recurring themes is getting your groove on. And let’s face it, funk is the perfect music for doing just that. Big Pimp Jones seems to agree. Birth Rites — Burnt Thrones Club Like any good funk album, this one has a song about getting it on called “(Let Me Get) Naked I can summarize the Burnt Thrones Club EP for You.” Hey, I didn’t say it was subtle. But in Birth Rites very succinctly. Loud. Fast. Rock matters like these, it’s probably best to be direct. and roll. OK, so maybe that’s not too helpful If you’re looking to create a playlist with songs because that can describe a lot of bands. This about getting it on, this would be a good one to duo is at least somewhat surprising because I consider. don’t expect music this loud and raw to come from Berkeley. I mean, Berkeley is home to stuffy The band throws a little curveball in “We Funk academic types, right? Apparently it is also home It.” There is no other way to say it, the vocalist to at least one duo that wants nothing more than raps the lyrics to this song, whose melody is to rock your socks off. The vocals are a lot like based on the old Transformers TV theme song. Boston garage-rock band The Coffin Lids. The And I’ll tell you something. This guy’s rap is only trouble with this EP is that it is over before pretty solid. He spits it at a pretty good pace. you know it. Still, if you like bands that believe in volume, tempo, and leaving their music raw, Burnt This feels a little homespun, but that never bothers Thrones Club is a band you should get to know. me. First, I applaud any band for approaching things with a DIY spirit. Second, I don’t think it’s ever a bad thing when you can’t sense some Check Incognito HQ regularly for producer’s fingerprints on an album. If you recommendations, news, like to get funky, this album would be a good videos, links, and contests to win addition to your collection.

Incognito gear.

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Cinephile

Movie Reviews

By Rachel “Rae” Park

Featuring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Josh Peck, Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Renner, Wanda Sykes Runtime: 87 minutes Not necessarily one of the best children’s movies of all time, but it is somewhat entertaining. While watching the previous installments isn’t necessary, the movie does allude to them here and there. The story may be predictable, but you’re sure to get a few laughs out of this one.

This month you are in for a real treat. Not only am I going to give you all my review for Brave, as promised last issue, I’ve also reviewed five other movies that have recently come out, giving you a total of six quick movie reviews instead of the usual three. Whether you’re looking for something to take your child to or you feel like watching something from the indie genre, there’s a little something here for everyone this month.

Ruby Sparks Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan Runtime: 104 minutes Prepare to be impressed. Kazan both wrote and stars in this indie summer romance, and it’s pretty well done too. The best I’ve seen since Little Miss Sunshine and 500 Days of Summer, the characters in Ruby Sparks are both endearing and relatable. Though not entirely perfect, it’s become one of my favorite indie movies.

The Amazing Spider-Man Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone Runtime: 136 minutes A surprisingly successful reboot, Garfield is a lot more true to the Spider-Man you may be familiar with from the comic books. Although the story may be lacking in depth, fans of our friendly web-slinger may enjoy this movie as much as the Tobey Maguire version.

Brave

The Dark Knight Rises Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson Runtime: 165 minutes Though not as dark as the previous installment, The Dark Knight Rises is still an engaging experience with expectedly solid performances from Bale and Caine as Bruce Wayne and his butler Alfred. Gordon-Levitt’s character, however, ends up stealing the show and by the end of the Total Recall movie I found myself wishing that Christopher Nolan would reconsider perhaps doing at least Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica one more Batman movie. One can only hope. Biel Runtime: 109 minutes

Featuring: Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly Runtime: 100 minutes This is not one of Pixar’s best, but it’s still entertaining enough for the family. A little word of warning though for those who have really young children—there is a chance that they might find the bears in this one to be scary.

This movie is roughly ninety-percent chase and ten-percent story. While that may work for some, 18

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Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

I personally found myself getting bored at times, even though the visuals were excellent. It made me realize that there is such a thing as too much action.

ASK UNCLE SAL

neighborhood like that, ya should find someone else to date. Tanya ain’t the only chick around, ya know. Why couldn’t ya tell her why you smelled like pickles? Is she some kinda anti-pickle activist? Why would it have been so offensive to tell her that some knucklehead on the block where she lives threw a jar of pickles at ya? Are ya afraid it was a relative of hers? Takin’ the bus prolly was a good idea. Avoiding another pickle attack is always something ya wanna do. Heck, I was in France one time and sat across the train from some joker that threw a couple of them cornichons at me. I didn’t need to stick around for more. Ya hit me with one cornichon, I ain’t gonna give ya the chance to do it again.

Dear Sal,

In the end, I reckon ya might be right. I don’t think she had to go see her cousin any more than women have to stay home and “wash their hair” when they get asked out by a guy they don’t like. As for what you can do to redeem yerself, I say don’t bother. Forget about Tanya and try to find yerself a girl that won’t have ya dodgin’ pickle jars when ya go to pick her up.

The Ratings 5 Stars: A great movie that can be considered timeless or classic. 4.5 Stars: Solid story, but may leave a few plot ends loose or there may be inconsistencies.

Just this last week, I’d finally managed to set up a date with one of the temps at work I’d been trying to get with, this girl named Tanya.

1 Star: Very few perks; consider as a rainy day movie.

Unfortunately, on the big night, upon going to pick her up for our date, there were no spots on her street and I had to park a block and a half away. Then, while walking to her house some guys yelled at me from an apartment balcony and threw what looked to be a full jar of pickles, part of which got on my clothes. As a result, when arriving at her place, I played it cool and I told Tanya that I didn’t know what got on my clothes or why I smelled like pickles. Also, because I was worried about another pickle incident on the way back, I suggested we take the bus instead, telling her that my car was too dangerous to ride in right then. Tanya then told me she needed to be with her cousin who just called (I was a bit suspect of this but it must have been when she was in the other room for a minute) and said we should reschedule. Anyway, I am worried that my dishonesty with Tonya may have gotten us off on the wrong foot. What’s the best way to explain this pickle issue and redeem myself?

1/2 Star: A very select few may enjoy this movie.

-Pickled in Palestine (Texas, that is)

0 Stars: Boring; great movie to catch your Z’s in–may have been a pain to finish or impossible to finish–possibly even a movie someone would walk out on.

Boy, that’s a heckuva question, Pickled. Say, lemme ask you sump’n. Ya ever find people excusing themselves when they talk to you? I mean, if this question is any example of how ya talk, I’m gonna say yer not real good at summarizing stuff. Lemme see if I can answer all yer questions. First off, I’d say ya gotta avoid neighborhoods where folks is gonna throw pickle jars at ya. And if ya wanna date someone who lives in a

4 Stars: Good story, but there’s clear room for improvement in some areas. 3.5 Stars: A movie lacking in “wow” factor. 3 Stars: Flat average viewing experience; not great, but not horrible either. 2.5 Stars: A movie that passes the time; watch in theaters if you have an itch to see a movie. 2 Stars: More of a DVD rental type of movie. 1.5 Stars: Very difficult to stay interested; at times seems to drag or go on too long.

Visit cuttingedgecreativity.wordpress.com for more extensive reviews of each of these movies, including those not featured in Incognito due to space limitations.

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the night that the hutch got knocked over and the toilet tank got broken? More to the point, did ya host a party where ya got drunk outta yer mind? Things like this can happen when ya get a houseful of drunken weirdos. I know. I once hosted a party and the next morning I went to my closet and found a guy in a Green Lantern costume (well, he was still wearin’ most of it, thank goodness) passed out, but still holding on to his bag of Hot Cheetos and container of cream cheese. Can I explain that? Not hardly. Say, maybe that’s where ya oughta begin in trying to find and harness your super-strength. Start with three shots of tequila and see if that helps ya. That helps a lot of people achieve super strength. I’ll say one last thing. I hope that if you do harness this tequila strength, ya use it for good. Tequila, I gotta say, is generally nothin’ but evil.

Dear Uncle Sal, Last week I had a dream where I was fighting a homeless guy. In my dream a crowd collected around us as we fought and I overheard a person say to another “those two homeless guys are fighting”. At that point, not being homeless, I was enraged and really whipped the homeless guy good. Not only that, I woke up and noticed that grandmas old hutch was knocked over and the cover for the toilet tank was busted. Clearly, I had developed super strength! My question is: how do I get this to happen again? I got a girl on the bus tell me that I was homeless but it didn’t work and this other guy I pushed made me get off of that bus and wait for the next one. With the fighting strength from my dream there is no doubt I could do a lot of good - starting with getting grandma off of my back. I just need to find a way to trigger it. Where do I start? Signed, $tang (it’s Stan with a ‘G’ like Mustang. The dollar sign is just because I am money.)

Hmmmm...now here’s a question I ain’t never encountered before. How do you harness yer superpowers that ya discovered ya had when ya woke up one morning? Lemme follow with a question of my own. Were you drunk outta yer mind incognitomusicmagazine.com

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

60 minutes of twang,

In Our Next Issue... We get you into the Halloween spirit with The Mission Creeps and Brazilian voodoo punk duo Horror Deluxe.

crunch, and oomph

Plus: •One of our favorite models shows off some of her favorite Halloween costumes (you don’t want to miss them). •More bands we think you should know •Album reviews •Movie reviews by our CinePhile Rae Park •Ask Uncle Sal •A new column: Don’t Be That Guy AND •We review Oktoberfest (Märzen) ales.

Incognito Music, Models, and More (August 2012)

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