The
new scheme
issue seventeen
small brown bike a k i m b o brent eyestone gustafer yellowgold will killingsworth ryan ferguson issue seventeen :: the new scheme ::
:: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
Editor : Stuart Anderson Contributors : Chelsea Bashford, Ryan Canavan, Nick Cox, Justin Crowe, Pat Dixon, Michael Flatt, Tom Loftus, Lance McKenzie, Andre Medrano, Stirling Myles, Sam Sousa, Jason Zabby Worth Mentioning : All Contents are © 2007, New Scheme Industries
(Except all photographs, which are © by their respective creators)
The New Scheme is published quarterly. All letters and subscription inquiries may be directed to the address below. Feedback is encouraged, though letters will rarely, if ever be printed. Contribution and subscription information is available on the website. Thank you for picking this up (or downloading it). Policies : Current & full advertising & review material submission deadlines & information available on the website. We accept all records, books, publications and dvd’s for review in the next possible issue. Not all material that is sent is reviewed.
The New Flesh
C : Scott Russell
Help Wanted : We are currently looking to add new members to the staff in the following areas: - interview/feature writers - record reviewers - columnists - photography We are also always looking for people interested in helping with distribution. There is more information on all of the above on the website, or you can e-mail with any questions. NEW Mailing Address : New Scheme Publishing Concern P.O. Box 18830 Denver, CO 80218 http://www.thenewscheme.com stuart@thenewscheme.com issue seventeen :: the new scheme ::
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Editor’s Notes
Since my first experience with Napster and a dial-up connection almost a decade ago, I knew that CD’s were doomed. I didn’t know when, but like almost everyone else I could see it coming. Now, it finally seems to be happening. With each passing month, I feel like one of the last people alive in a post-apocalyptic landscape. First it was the weakest and newest labels, distributors and magazines. But lately, Punk Planet, Heartattack, and now GSL have all hung it up. Sometimes I feel like a survivor, sometimes like a dinosaur (hence this issues’ cover) and lately I just feel like a sucker. All of this plays into a number of decisions I’ve made about The New Scheme over the last year or more. Many of them have remained that: just decisions. But a number of others are finally starting to slowly lumber toward reality. Most of these are changes to the format and the content of The New Scheme. A few are evident in the issue you hold in your hands (or, more likely, store in your hard drive). Many more will be evident with the next issue–which I have already begun the arduous task of a full redesign for. Far more will appear later. This will entail a number of things, some which I’ve been planning for months. Most immediately is a fully redesigned and reformatted issue #18. There is also much in the works in terms of more content embedded into the PDF version, as well as a flying leap into the late 20th century with some actual color. I know, I never thought it would happen either. I guess the bottom line here is that part of me loves the music fanzine format, which should be clear since I’ve been humping the format’s cold, dead corpse for so long. I don’t think The New Scheme will ever fall to far from that tree. But I have also tired of a lot of things about the music fanzine in its current form. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: like everyone else, I check Pitchfork and Punknews pretty regularly. I also occasionally flip through Jersey Beat or MRR. But I don’t want The New Scheme to fall into either category. If you need to see that Hot Water Music got back together within 15 minutes of them announcing it (and see 189 asinine comments about it), you can check Punknews. If you want to find the only coverage of some whack crust band’s new 7” that sounds just like their last four, you can check MRR. My goal is, ultimately, to fall somewhere between the two extremes. The end result of all this reflection over the last year or so has already lead to a few concrete things. First is something I’m really excited about, which appears in this issue. It’s the first installment of something we’re not-so-cleverly calling “Classics.” It’s going to be a regular feature which focuses on one record that members of the staff and I all have some shared experience with. I have realized over the years that these intense, shared experiences that surround individual bands or records are the reason I’m still doing this. This issue, we focus on Our Own Wars, Small Brown Bike’s practically-perfect first record. In the process of putting together the feature, I only talked to a couple staff members and conducted two interviews (one with Small Brown Bike frontman Mike Reed, the other with Var Thelin from No Idea). Those four conversations made me feel less like I was wasting my time on this project than anything that has happened to me in at least the last two or three years. Which, if I’ve learned anything, is a sure sign that I’m onto something. These bands and records–past and present–that keep us excited about doing this are the only reason for The New Scheme to continue to exist. Everyone from Punk Planet to Tower Records may have gone under, but within the first thirty seconds of Our Own Wars I could give a shit. See you next issue. And the one after that.
issue seventeen :: the new scheme ::
Ryan Canavan
A COLUMN IN TWO PARTS (and one addendum):
I. As the last moments of summer roll into the breezy calm of fall, now is as good a time as any to think about the things that filled my days, and the things which bring a modicum of pleasure and happiness to my otherwise rather directionless life. • My cat waking me up by walking around my head, waiting to be fed. • Talking Heads, “Memories Can’t Wait”. • Riding my bike up the Oak Street hill with relative ease. • Your arm draped over my chest at night, comforting my sleep. • The soft, sweet crooning in a Lemuria song through my headphones. • Swirls of Silk creamer making space-view hurricane spirals in black coffee. • Crisp, late summer breeze cutting through a warm, cloudless September evening. • Throwing the weight of my frame forward in rhythm to my band’s music, sweating through the excitement of playing live. • Getting in the van and driving somewhere far away with no expectation of exactly what’s going to happen, or how things will go. • Discovering new music, and telling everyone I know like it’s some secret that I just can’t keep to myself. • Sitting in my Mom’s kitchen opening mail. • After the rain dries up looking in the garden and finding new crops sprouting off of a vine that was barren only yesterday. • When 2AM arrives rooting through dumpsters for bagels yielding a fine return, tomorrows breakfast, and an awakening bike ride home through the empty streets. • 108 isn’t just a random number, it’s the sound of music so passionate my heart nearly explodes every time I hear them. • Sealing a package of goods for someone who randomly found out about my records and must like the same music as me. • A view of three street corners providing all the visual excitement I need for a day. • People watching. • The satisfaction of seeing something notoriously bad, change for the better -- even if it’s only a little. • When I go through that old box of photos every few months, remembering/rediscovering long lost memories things get considerably more hilarious with the passage of time. • Living at 20 years old one day and waking up the next day, all of a sudden realizing I’m almost 30. • Did you ever have those moments where you wish a camera was taping what was happening because you think it would fit into a movie really? Ya know, down to the point where you have the perfect background music selected as well to go along with it. • There is a great feeling about gliding past cars stuck in traffic when you’re on a bike. • Weather transitions that you can feel in your bones beckoning a new season.
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II. Band names that should never exist It was done years ago in ANSWER Me!, but that was a long time ago. And to think how many ridiculously bad band names exist now... Well, I figure I should jump the gun and prevent more bad band names from occurring by supplying a comprehensive list of terrible ones before any terrible band can take them. Therefore, I present a list of bad band names that should never exist. Feel free to add to it if you like. Mighty Morphin’ Hillside Stranglers, This Bike Is a Pipe Cleaner, Traumalama-ding-dong, Margaret Thatcher Face Peel, The Dillinger Escape Jam Band, Yamikakamakazie, Ass Blender, Unwashed Hippie Dirtbag Band, Pityfuck, Skeletors In the Closet, Pope Metallicus IV, Penile Frenzy, Free Mars, Albert Fish n’ Chips, Mandate Of Steven, Sheepfolly, Danny Gloversboy, Crabapples For Christ, Lumpin’ Lownuts, Shicago White Cox, Labiarace’, Box Lobster, Roller Coaster Death, Swim Fungus, Ham, Or Abraham?, Gooey Supository, Andrew Jackson 5, Sly and the Family Sylvester Stallone, Band T-Shirt, Na-Nu Na-Nu Wave, We’ve Got Herpes, March Of the Dimes, Popemobile Rocket Launcher, Ballsack! You Black Speed Dealer, Deaf Cab For Keller, Uncle Toucher, John Cougar Mellenoma, Queef ‘Em All, Marsupial Waste, Land Of 1000 Protracted Anuses, God Is My CoSigner, Ass Helmet, Dolewhipped!, Premonitions Of Ra, FEMA The Band, Snatcheral Erection, Spam Spam Bigelow, Cunninlingus Rex, Penis, If You Will, Reese Witherspoonman, Triumph Of the Wilson Pickett, Mein Campf Counselor, Down Syndrome By Law, iProg, Beardalot, Count Mackula, Snuffalupaburger, Harry Anus and the Bleeding Hemmaroids, Vaginal Bloodfeast, Spermburgler, Showdown At the Burn Clinic, Penis Envy On the Coast, My Bloody Sausage, Smashing Blumpkins, Tokin’ Entry, Flugazi, Alabamania, Macho Man Hulkster Savage, Arson and the Fire Sales, Into Yourmother, Zartan’s Facemask, Clinic, Hold the Mayo, Oy Gevault and the Shleps, Good Flean Cum, Emmett Otter’s Band of Puppets With Hands Up Their Asses, The DaVincent Price Code, The No Talent Power Trio, The Project Project, xXXXxXXXx, Travis Bickle’s Mohawk, The Jesus Dwarf, The Beverly Hellbullies, Lifetime... Subscriber, Pubic Enema, Rocket From the Snizz, Get a Load Of Hitler!, Two-Ton Martha Stewart, Rib Jibbler, Spanky and the Cumshots, Ashton Kucher Has a Deathwish, Parade Of the Legless, Banana Sundial, Anal Splits, Anal Spliffs, Kluub (a gay black metal dance band), Bedazzled!, Snacktrap, The Cannonball Runs Add to the list, or insult me: hanginghex@hotmail.com Listening to: Soul Control, Involution 108, A New Beat From a Dead Heart The Minor Times, Summer Of Wolves Torche, In Return Dead Mechanical, Medium Noise Devo, Freedom Of Choice Rocket From the Crypt, Circa: Now
tom loftus So how did the War On Winter go for everyone? I skipped writing in the last issue of this fine publication, but a year ago I wrote about trying to combat the evil forces of winter. Hopefully everyone made it out of the snow and cold with only a few scars and scabs. As with any war, there will be wins and losses in battle. I think I came out no better or worse than usual. I remain determined as the day turns to night early. Last night, it was dark out by seven. What happened to June and day light past nine? I appear to be losing the age-old battle against time. We all do eventually I guess. Looking back now, I realize one big part of my struggles last year with winter (and trying to write my last column) was the complacency I felt with my previous job. My last job was easy enough. I sat at a desk, I answered a phone and did a bunch of mindless crap but it wasn’t enough. The atmosphere in the office was hard to be around and I felt like I was wasting my time doing something that made me incredibly unhappy. I probably should have left the job at least a year earlier but fortunately, I got out in April and haven’t looked back for a second. I want to take a second to encourage people to take back their lives, even if it’s in small ways. I know far too many people and friends whose jobs make them miserable. It ends up spilling over in to their personal lives and they are generally miserable. You can find a new job but there are other ways of changing things up. You can change your approach to job, find ways to make it interesting. If nothing else, use the time while you are employed to search for another job. I know there aren’t a lot of meaningful and enjoyable jobs but don’t do something that ruins your life. You have one life to live so you might as well make the best of it. Aside from your job, find ways to keep yourself happy and, be creative in your approach. I have found it all-too-easy to fall into routines that I am not even fully aware of. I have found myself coming home, flipping on the tube immediately and wasting a few hours. This isn’t the worst thing in the world but I think when you change up your routine you can see how much a small amount of time can be used doing something else. This summer, I ended up in volunteering in Poland via my new job and it felt like far longer than an eight-day trip. Anyone who has traveled abroad, toured in a van or went on a road trip knows what I am talking about. Time slowed down while I was in Poland. I had a powerful experience making new friends that I will never forget. International travel in general is an experience where you learn a lot about your own personal comfort zones and find out how the rest of the world lives. There are the obvious language and cultural differences that one can see but I am always struck by how similar people can be. We are constantly fed media that helps illuminate the way people are different inevitably to argue for different treatment towards each other -- it is how violent wars are started. But reality paints a different picture if you soak it in.
It doesn’t take traveling outside of the borders of the United States to change up your routine. There are cities and towns that are out there that are worth exploring and seeing. Landscape, people and industry; there is a massive country out there. It is worth exploring both the beauty and desolation. I have found myself drawn to large open spaces lately. My coworkers have probably questioned my sanity for my pining to travel to the middle of nowhere in Montana or Wyoming on a weekend. I long for those moments of previously driving through those areas and being able to see open spaces, mountains and emptiness. The smallest effort of giving your brain something a little different to chew on can do wonders. We are constantly fed so much bullshit and dogma, which tries to temper our natural inquisitive and curious nature. When you feed your brain something new it also helps change your enjoyment of life. I have found that it helps me remain somewhat positive about the potential state of the world that always feels like it is in a state of imminent disaster. We live in a strange and destructive world that is hard to deal with at times, so I encourage you to keep fighting. Life can be a fuckin’ gas. This column is dedicated to those who have lost friends close to them, which definitely includes pets and animal friends. Oliver, my cat passed in July after a prolonged battle with cancer. It was incredibly difficult to deal with and I feel for any of you who have lost those close to you. There is no way easy way to deal with the passing of someone who is such an integral part of your life. I think the only way to deal with it is to realize that we have only a limited time and the only thing you can do is make the best of it while you are able to. I wish you all well through the winter months and will see you next issue. I always encourage and appreciate comments. You can write me at:
tom@modern-radio.com
I also run a record label called Modern Radio, check it out if you wish: www.modern-radio.com If you read this far and are interested in something free in the mail, let me know and I’ll send something off to you. Take care!
issue seventeen :: the new scheme ::
sam sousa Notes From the Lost & Found The reality is that what I consider a “collectors necessity” is not necessarily anything on sale down at the record show. The Greater Orange County Record Show (GOCR) reopened after nearly six months of cancellations due to a potential UFCW strike in Southern CA. Thank god they settled; my stacks of wax purchases had come to a halt. The Pasadena City College (PCC) Flea Market is also a nice spot, but it’s virtually all the same vendors everywhere you go. The benefit to PCC is the couple that sells air-checks of dead or near dead DJ’s and stations. I got to the GOCR show for the early bird, it’s an extra few bucks at the door, but you get the satisfaction of knowing you’re a big fucking loser with nothing better to do at 7am on a Sunday. Myself, and all the other nerds get dusty fingers deep in the crates, flipping through hundreds of titles to which we pay no concern. We all have our own interests, our desired buys. But nowhere amongst the few thousand square feet of tables and 60 or so vendors is there a seven song Evergreen LP. The closest I have come is an In/Humanity LP the hot rod rocker had jammed in his dollar bin. Most vendors her think punk is limited to X, Richard Hell, or Talking Heads; only one guy in here has a punk section that goes beyond 1985, a lone wolf hell bent on hardcore. A rare Terror 45, an Agnostic Front album and other records I would not bother to boomerang, let alone pay for. I’m often frustrated getting up twice a month at the crack of dawn to flip through bins full of records I could give a shit about. I spend the rest of the week bitching about some asshole who outbid me on a Moonraker 10”, you can thank my boss by the way, his demands that I work kept me from outbidding. It’s greed-driven hording at these shows and I cannot stay away. I cannot ignore the possibility that I could score a Mingus record or a Solomon Burke 45 – both of which I might not listen to. Something fairly morbid went down this last time at the PCC show. The set-up is great: the whole swap meet is held in a parking structure so everyone beats the heat. This guy, who without knowing his real name I call Jimmy the scumbag, is at every record show I attend, and is without a doubt one of the shadiest characters I have seen. I once watched him count out a few grand atop a Pete Wingfield album for almost no reason and then hand it off to a gentleman strolling past. He’s pasty, with a pointless five o’clock shadow, and ignores his wife while she sits in their fucked up old mini-van eating McDonald’s. He so obviously is the type of guy who hates women, or people in general for that matter, unless they are a tune to every piece of bullshit spewing from his mouth.
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He starts rambling on about how the guy who ran a forgotten record company just died. Jimmy is lucky enough to have gotten a pass to the estate sale, and now in the back end of the mini van are boxes full of said label’s 45’s and LP’s, roughly a dollar each, because a dead man’s possessions are fluid and can be bought and sold like memories that no longer exist. I hope the things I spend a lifetime accumulating are this easily disposable and dispensable, I hope my child will settle for cash rather than property. Incensed, I start filing back the 45’s I pulled for buying. I walk down the thoroughfare towards the radio air checks guy; got to get those 1972 Wolfman Jack episodes. It starts to hit me just how arbitrary most of this is, the conspicuous consumption that goes hand in hand with collecting anything, the useless desire to get a grip on a time we never experienced. I am about to get headfirst into a reissues label, exposing the world to some classic undiscovered mid-nineties emo. What a waste of time! Why the fuck are we attempting to trace down some bullshit we don’t need while ignoring what’s happening for us, and around us, right now? There are a million bands making beautiful music in a million places, and I’m only thinking about reissues. Walking around this parking lot, flipping through endless bins full of records I certainly do not need, drawn to labels I do not recognize. My fingers are dusty, my neck hurting from hunching, my eyes tired and wishing they were back in bed. In the end, the records I want to buy are not even here, there is no mid-nineties booth, no emo booth, no indie rock nerds booth, no strictly punk rock booth for that matter. Just a shit pile of bitter old men, and the useless collections they go broke for, up for sale. In a total sidebar: I intended to make this column an open letter to Tom Gabel, singer/ guitarist for Against Me!, but for a reason I cannot determine I decided against it. But I did want to address something to him so here goes. The reality is the talented and often witty songwriting of Gabel has gone by the wayside on their recent major label debut. Since their signing, I have read a few interviews in which the band attempts to beat the sell-out punch by insulting the underground and painting it as narrow-minded, which it can be. But what I have to say is, “Nice fucking try.” Why don’t you just have the guts to own your corporate decision? Your logic about the mainstream is right; the only way for it to change is for people of the underground to rise up and integrate. Yet when you couple it against the limits of our scene, you sound trite and bitter. You walked away Mr. Gabel, do not be petty, be a man and own your opportunity and choices. I cannot say I blame you for having left after how you were treated, I think of the demo tape incident or how your van was attacked, but please be big enough not to mock us all. I have heard no one say your new album is not punk enough, so stop trying to argue a mute point. You have made a mainstream punk record that people really seem to respond to, and your attempts to live up to your convictions about exposure to different ideas. The problem is your album is only half as enjoyable as anything you did before. I’m listening to the following, you should try the same: One Reason, Jackson Browne, Fucked Up (as always), Bridge & Tunnel, and OLD Against Me!
issue seventeen :: the new scheme ::
An
interview with Brent Eyestone
by Michael Flatt “I made these business cards that say, ‘CEO, Producer, Art Fag.’ The weird thing is, you actually do have to use them sometimes.” This is a guy who is comfortable with his professionalism: Brent Eyestone, who founded Magic Bullet Records. He’s also known as the cofounder of super-heavy supergroup Old Man Gloom and the frontman for Virginia-based Forensics. He’s also an official “celebrity,” because he shows up on a search of the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB). “I did this skateboarding DVD with some of my friends. Because of that, I show up on these celebrity databases. I’m in this [homosexual-themed wallpaper archive] called ManPaper,” he said. “By their definition, a celebrity is anyone who shows up on IMDB. Things like that happen.” Eyestone began his path to pseudo-superstardom in 1985, when he picked up the then-pariah’s activity of skateboarding. “At the time skateboarding wasn’t sponsored by Mountain Dew,” he said. “There was MTV, but it was a-ha and Duran Duran. I was a kid, I was drawn toward skulls and blood and darker imagery. I was hanging out with thrasher and skater kids who at the time were outcasts. I remember spending my money buying blank tapes, going to a friend’s house and copying their tapes.” Skateboarding lead him to the ‘zine culture which in turn, gave him access to people who were involved in the independent music circuit. He began writing to the writers and artists he found interesting. “That was pre-internet too, so if you wanted to learn more about somebody, you had to write them a letter. And my parents were cool about keeping stamps around the house,” Eyestone said. “It was the accessibility of knowing you could write someone and get a response. It made it feel like a bit more than listening to Duran Duran and a-ha.” 10 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
Eyestone eventually attended Penn State where he made friends with older people who organized shows and ran small labels. While his friends were organizing shows with little-known bands like Boy Sets Fire and Botch, Eyestone was studying advertising and marketing. “I wanted to keep punk rock as, I don’t want to say a hobby, but so it wasn’t a conflict of interests,” he said. His involvement in the industry up to this point stopped at letting bands sleep on his apartment floor. Eventually, Eyestone became friends with the members of Boy Sets Fire, and when they ran into trouble releasing a politically-tinged record, they asked him to help them out. “It got to a point where I had to decide between pushing it away and just embracing it,” Eyestone said. “I guess it’s clear now which way I went.” Since that first release in 1996, Magic Bullet Records has put out nearly 120 records by about 30 artists, as well as an assortment of skateboard decks designed by Eyestone, who also works as a graphic designer and artist. One of the most interesting things about Magic Bullet is the unique packaging that Eyestone creates for many of the label’s releases. Probably the most distinct was the special edition box order for a split LP featuring Massacre of the Umbilical Chord and Control. Fans had the option of ordering just the record, which included artwork of Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley surrounded by shotgun bullets and syringes, respectively. They could also buy the special edition box, which included death certificates for Cobain and Staley, along with a hypodermic needle, a burnt spoon and a bullet casing. “Hopefully it scared some people,” Eyestone said, laughing. “Maybe not the person who bought it, but their girlfriend or their mother sat them down for a long conversation.” Eyestone further explained his motivation for such elaborate packaging, which usually dictate that he spend hours putting the special orders together. “A lot of it had to do with how I got introduced to independent music,” he said. “My father was in the air force, so I was in Germany and my access to music was strictly through the mail. I think it was that feeling of getting something in the mail and feeling so good... I wanted to give people that feeling. “Because there’s an opportunity to make something visually cool and sound cool, why not take it,” he said. When asked about the effect he wants with certain visceral pieces, like the Cobain/Staley artwork, Eyestone shied away from a firm answer. “I used to have an end-game in mind. I wanted to express myself in a way that couldn’t be interpretted. That was a mid-nineites hardcore thing it was all about me-me-me-me,” he said. “But I got older and I got sick of that. And I found that the artists I was drawn to were people that I didn’t know much about. It’s more fulfilling as an artist to put something out and plug yourself into this feedback loop. That’s more interesting to me than having someone understand me as a person.” As for Eyestone’s various musical projects, it sounds like most them are currently on hold as he focuses on putting out records with Magic Bullet. There are no current plans for an Old Man Gloom revival, though he is working on a studio project called Highness involving Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Eyestone said performing remains of interest to him, even as Magic Bullet and his many projects take an increasing amount of his time. “The older I get, the more I get settled into one thing, I still have the desire to get out and play shows. I’m sure I’ll still be showing up in different states playing ungodly noise.”
“I made these business cards that say, ‘CEO, Producer, Art Fag.’ The weird thing is, you actually do have to use them sometimes.”
C David Holloway
http://www.magicbulletrecords.com
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Akimbo By: Michael Flatt
Conversations about cross-country traveling are among the best you can have with people in touring acts. Consider this gem, courtesy of Nat Damm, drummer of the Seattle-based rock trio Akimbo: “Not to piss anyone off, but frankly, the Midwest kind of bums me out. I love Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, but shit town Nebraska... if they could build a vacuum tube from Chicago, that’d be great.” Most people who have driven through the Truck Stop Belt could at least appreciate that sentiment. The cover of Akimbo’s sixth and latest full-length, Navigating the Bronze, seems to allude to the life of the traveling band, showing a tour van with a sail traversing stormy waters. While driving through the middle of the country can bring tough times, Damm said that his hometown history gets him a good amount of attention on the road. “We get a lot of shit on tour,” he said, “like, ‘Did you guys ever meet Kurt Cobain?’ It’s a great town. It’s a great place to come home to.” Damm said that despite Seattle’s reputation as one of the world’s musical meccas, it can difficult for a band from Seattle to pull in a big crowd at the homecoming shows. “It’s a small town that thinks it’s a big town,” he said.” “Seattle has only like 1 or 1.5 million people. There aren’t enough people to go to the shows. We’ll often start tours by just driving straight to Minneapolis.”
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Akimbo has been together nine years, and was signed to Jello Biafra’s label Alternative Tentacles in 2006. Damm says that since then, the band has had an easier time filling up bars away from home. “A lot of people will give us a better response in places other than Seattle,” he said. “Our association with Alternative Tentacles, the association with the Dead Kennedys. They’re associated with serious punk rock. People just love Jello Biafra.” Damm says that upon being signed to AT, he and bassist/vocalist Jon Weisnewski were in a state of disbelief. “John and I just called each other every ten minutes saying, ‘I can’t believe we’re on AT,’” he said. Since signing, Akimbo has released two new full-lengths and re-released their first album, Harshing Your Mellow. Damm noted that the album’s title is an old joke that doesn’t really fit the band’s attitude anymore (though it does warm this interviewer’s insides, as someone who lives in Boulder and hates it). “We were like 19, and we thought it was funny,” he said. “It was representative of a different place and time.” Damm mentioned the progress Akimbo has made since their first album. “We’re better musicians,” he said. “We recorded [Harshing Your Mellow] in three days. With Navigating the Bronze, we took three weeks.”
Akimbo has also recorded a concept album that looks like it will be coming out sometime in 2008. The album is currently titled Jersey Shores and is based on a series of shark attacks that took place in New Jersey in 1916. “It was going to be an EP, which it is, in a way. It’s five songs, but 50 minutes long,” Damm said. “We’re currently shopping it around. Really, it’s a matter of finding a label that has the resources.” According to Damm, the band’s plans for the future are fairly modest and include touring, releasing Jersey Shores and continuing to work second jobs. Damm works as a graphic designer and recently displayed his work at Flatstock - a mass consortium of gig poster artists that tends to follow large indie festivals - at Bumbershoot in early September. Damm emphasized at several points during the interview that although he and his bandmates record songs with titles like “Huge Muscles” and “Megatherium,” they are laid-back gents off the stage. He made his point best when discussing his drinking habits. “We’re all about ‘when in Rome,’ drink the local brew. I’m looking at a Ham’s can right now. There’s Old Style, Iron City. My favorite is King Cobra,” he said. “We don’t like to start fights. We don’t harsh anyone’s mellows, hopefully.” http://www.livetocrush.com http://www.alternativetentacles.com
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14 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
Classics, vol. 1
Small Brown Bike -- Our Own Wars Our Own Wars No Idea Records released: may, 1999 Travis Dopp - guitar, vocals Dan Jaquint- drums Ben Reed - bass, vocals Mike Reed - vocals, guitar Recorded -- January 8, 9, and 10, 1999 by: Tim Pak & Mike Palm at: Woodshed Studios Track List: 1. The Cannons and Tanks 2. The Cold 3. Running, Swimming, and Sinking 4. Now and Never 5. Expression Eraser 6. In Tune* 7. Curiosity Killed the Cat, and I’m the Killed 8. Atlanta 9. Zerosum 10. Make This a Holiday 1st pressing: 550 dark brown, 550 reddish brown (may, 1999) 2nd pressing: 507 Light Blue (november, 1999) 3rd pressing: 555 Dark Red (december, 2000) 4th pressing: 550 Black (june, 2003) 5th pressing: coming soon!
I interviewed Mike Reed, singer and guitarist of Small Brown Bike. Our conversation mostly covered Our Own Wars, though we also discussed his newest project, Able Baker Fox. Able Baker Fox is a long-distance project with three quarters of Small Brown Bike and Nathan Ellis of The Casket Lottery. The interview took place days before Small Brown Bike’s reunion shows in the Midwest. Our conversation also delayed practice for LaSalle, a project with original Small Brown Bike drummer Dan Jaquint and Reed’s wife Katy. Shortly after interviewing Reed, I talked with Var Thelin, who runs No Idea Records. He was very candid, with many of the same recollections from the period surrounding Our Own Wars as Reed.
The excitement surrounding this time is obvious after talking with both Reed and Thelin. It’s hard to capture the full scope of the perfect timing and luck that conspired to put Small Brown Bike and No Idea together. Even now, eight years later, you can tell the impact that this time period and the partnership has on everyone involved. It’s a perfect example of a powerful phenomenon -- you can meet someone from another city or another state, but you were both into the same band around the same time. Through this simple shared experience, it feels like you grew up together. Chances are, that almost everyone reading this has had a similar experience at one time or another. This idea was exactly the reason I decided to start this feature. Then, to hear that the members of Small Brown Bike and the people surrounding No Idea records had this same experience before Our Own Wars was record is exciting, (though not totally surprising). [Anderson] issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 15
Mike Reed On the time surrounding the writing of Our Own Wars:
Expectations, before and after the record’s release:
That was a time, at least three of us were living together and the band would practice at least three times a week. Ben moved up to Northern Michigan for school and was eight hours away. So, we spent our own time on the songs, when we would get to practice we were mostly fleshing out the songs. All those songs are really real, the lyrics they’re all pretty much true stories. It was all recorded in a few days, and came out pretty raw.
At that point we didn’t know what to expect. We had that Michigan naïveté. We knew it was a great opportunity and we knew we wanted to make the best of it. Just being on No Idea was great, and they had such a great relationship with stores and distributors. Then it just turned into word of mouth thing. 100 here 100 there, and then when we sold 1000, which was a full pressing, that was amazing. Then we went to East Coast with Hot Water Music and Saves The Day. All of a sudden we were in Boston – a place we’d never been before-- and everyone knew our music and it would just blow our minds. We were just packed into a van and wide-eyed in Boston and New York City. It really ballooned into all different stuff from there.
On the pure, untouched feeling of the record: Music at that point was a about very physical reaction. We were putting everything into it, and we wanted those goose bumps. I still do that in a lot of ways when I write, but then there was more urgency. Not just literally with three days to record, but even when we were practicing. We were untouched by the bigger picture at that point. We’d put out a couple 7”s and a demo, but when No Idea came around it was huge. I still remember the day I got the postcard from Var, it was the best thing ever. We still felt like it was our shot. On originally connecting with No Idea: They were one of the best distribution networks, we sent our second 7” hoping they’d buy 10 or 20 copies in the distro. Our second 7” ended up in a pile he was going through and threw it aside because of the artwork. He sent us a postcard, half of it was just about playing in Florida and “if you’re interested in doing a record some time, let me know.” Recording: We recorded Our Own Wars at a studio in Detroit called The Woodshed. It was done in three and a half days days, recorded straight from Friday through the weekend. We mixed through the night on the last day; it was one of those amazing weekends I guess. The range between the songs on the record: I think, back then we really wanted to make a record. We had the opportunity to really take someone from point A to point B. It wasn’t all a conscious decision. I do like to start out a record with an intense song, then take it down at the end. The songs were all written where we each brought different early parts: Travis probably brought in half the songs, at least the first ideas. We like those songs that were all over the place. It is definitely cohesive from the outside, but you get into it further and see more. I used to have a job where I drove a lot and “The Cannons and the Tanks” and “Make This A Holiday” were originally written in my head. The lyrics: At that point, I don’t know if it was creatively hindered or what, but you didn’t write a song unless you knew what you were talking about. You didn’t sing it if it wasn’t something you believed or something you at least wondered about. You just didn’t write what you didn’t know. Each one of those songs was just a pinpoint about something in one of our lives. Now there’s so much talk about “emo” and there were bands doing that stuff back then. But that’s what we were inspired by; someone could put all that stuff on a record and so many people can connect with it. That’s what I wanted. 16 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
On the end of the band: When Our Own Wars came out it was a different time in all of our lives. We really focused on the musical part of our lives and inevitably you get curious about what else there is to life. Ultimately that’s what ended the band, it wasn’t personal we were just fatigued. We knew the music was going to continue. The reunion shows are going to be a time where we can all be together. I hadn’t listened to Our Own Wars in years unless it pops up in a shuffle now and again. Now with reunion shows, I’ve been listening to it again. Reed’s new project, Able Baker Fox: With Able Baker Fox, I want to return a little to that urgency. Just put it out there, don’t fuck with it too much. Able Baker Fox is the best of both worlds, we all have wives and jobs and kids and live in different places. We practice whenever we want, because we have the mp3s there. But then, recording the record, we did it in four days and it was what I wanted to get back from those Our Own Wars days. Listening to ABF songs, it’s not just like Our Own Wars, but I hear that same urgent thing happening. It’s exciting to finally come sort of full circle.
Var Thelin On discovering Small Brown Bike: I don’t remember exactly what year it was, but I had been doing a zine, which had become more and more sporadic. But I was getting more promos for review in the magazine, and we were doing the label full-on. During that time a few waves of bands, especially Less Than Jake and Hot Water Music were having a large impact on things. Things were picking up. I was also getting a lot of promos for the distribution as well, including a lot of 7”s. I had a bookshelf in the office at the old warehouse where I put all the 7”s that came in over that two-year period between issues of the magazine. We had stopped soliciting, but promos kept coming in. At one point I started going through this huge pile of 7”s. I segregated the submissions, because I had no time. I went through like 300 7”s and I basically went by the cover art. A lot were photocopied, black and white crust 7”s, or beginner Photoshop pop-punk artwork. There were a few that were silk screened, or handmade. I had to go just on whether it looked good, because I had no time to sit and listen to all of them. Out of that I got rid of at least 200. I wanted something hands-on and personal, a lot of which was straight up, screamy Ebullition stuff. Some of it was alright, but like any genre only a couple bands really stick out, and the rest are just whatever is happening at the time. At some point, I took that stack and that Small Brown Bike 7” went into the pile of things that looked understated, but handmade. So, it became one of those five or so records out of 300 that I put aside and ended up listening to. When I put it on, Jennifer and I both thought it was good, gritty and catchy at the same time; from the heart, sort of like early Jawbreaker. So I got a postcard and I wrote to the band and said “Hey, this is Var from No Idea, why don’t you send like 20 copies for distro?” In the time before they got back to us, I listened to it a few more times and it had really grown on me. I had also told them “If you need help getting a show down here, let me know.” At that time Hardback Cafe was still around and that was the extension I made to bands at that time; we could hook them up with a place to play. A lot of bands were asking to be on the label, (Small Brown Bike wasn’t), but to sort of defer that I would help them out with a show. And those are sometimes the bands you randomly see play and they have that extra spirit about them that’s intriguing. It’s good people and good music, and if they’re dicks, I’m not interested. They came down and got a show, and I sort of realized along the way that they took us up on it and toured just to get down here to play. At the time we had this empty house, so we put them up. They were just music fans, people we could really relate to. They were like the “us” from Michigan, it just felt like a connection and I’ve never really doubted that over the years. It was one of those times where you see a band play and meet the people and it all clicked. They were on tour with their friend, Mike Palm, who was doing their second 7”. He encouraged me to do something with the band after that, so we decided to do a record. When they did record, I was actually a little surprised, because it was way more focused. If the early stuff was like a Jawbreaker demo, then this was like a Hot Water Music demo. Not that it sounded like Hot Water, but it was just tighter and less scrappy. That progression continued in the same way for years. They may have been our first out of town band who we put out a proper album with, and paid for the recording.
They knew Gainesville music inside and out. They wanted to sit down and listen to all these out of print songs from even the smaller Gainesvilee bands. They wanted a tape of the Rumbleseat demo, and this was pre-mp3. Expectations for Our Own Wars: We were just hoping to break even and get that music out. We thought it would be awesome if they were able to tour, and it just went from there. What was gratifying in the first few years, they came through Gainesville a few times and really clicked with a lot of people here. And a lot of people without a reason to veil their opinions really liked their shows and this became their second home in a lot of ways. The first time they came to Gainesville they went to the local punk rock pizza place and the people there recognized them as a band form out of town. They were meeting the members of all these bands they had always liked, before they were even doing a record with No Idea. They toured a lot after the record was out so they got really tight with all these people and even printed their tour shirts here. After the record came out: They got on an early Hot Water Music tour when Panthro UK United 13 broke up. One of the guys asked what they sound like and I think it was Wollard that said “They sound sort of like us, but it’s got its own thing”. But sure enough, Ben put school on hold and they jumped on the tour on like a week’s notice. I went along on the tour and bounced between their vans from day to day. At that point, I hadn’t seen Small Brown Bike outside of Florida before. They were really staking their claim and I saw them turning heads. It was before there were a ton of bands like that in every town. I’d never seen anything like that. Like in Boston, specifically, kids freaked out and they sold like 50 CD’s in one night there. And that’s really rare; even now you can ask how often an opening band really turns a crowd and everyone steps up and buys their stuff. We were just amazed the whole time; we had to have CD’s shipped to us a couple times on the tour. We were all sort of amazed and confused at the same time. Just before that point, we told them that people from labels would start coming to their shows. (This was in that twilight between several labels’ hardcore past and a more accessible future, when they really started scouting out any bands with a buzz.) And they were like, “Whatever, haha,” but the tour after that they told me that was happening exactly. It was within like six months of me telling them that. The labels wanted to find out, in a roundabout way, if they were under contract (and I’ve still never done a contract with a band). At the time it was hilarious, it was during the time when bands weren’t signing three and four album deals, they were getting smarter about it. With Small Brown Bike, had we done a three or four record contract, they would have fulfilled it anyway.
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Small Brown Bike, The Last Of The Underground
Small Brown Bike unleashed one of the most aggressive and punishing albums of the post-hardcore era and yet at every shout and growl the record is catchy and inviting. A thunderous set of sing-a-longs, if you will; guitars chugging like trains, drums pounding out like grenades and a driving bass that pops like machine-gun fire. In its nearly perfect ten-track tenure, Our Own Wars tramples beyond classifications and categorizations, leveling every other band and album in their path. What else could be expected from a record whose opening track is entitled “Tanks and Canons?” I first got wind of The Bike on the No Idea compilation “Back to Donut,” a 30-track sampler of the label’s then-current lineup. Their contribution, entitled “Mouth of Madness,” is a rough sketch of lies in wait; the barreling drums and off-time vocals only hint at the bombastic symphonies to come. A few weeks later I was at Bionic Records, on a payday of course, with cash burning a hole in my pocket. I stood in the S-section holding up a copy of both Our Own Wars and the Sleepytime Trio album with the light blue cover, (an album I never did buy). A staple of hardcore songwriting is the breakdown, the palm-muted center riff that crescendos into a grand finale. The post-hardcore era did away with the masculine chugga-chugga, and replaced it with another take on the breakdown, extending its melodic and emotional nature. Small Brown Bike conceived the slow pounding and harmonious building of a breakdown as an entire song, and they did it almost flawlessly. The album is immediately overwhelming. The opening riff is commanding and the pounding drums jolting. All the best elements of post-hardcore mixed together: shouts and harmonies, floor-tom drumming, paced delivery, the poignant lyricism— personal and political. Months later, a friend told me they had a gig at Koo’s Café, one of the greatest venues, ever. The joint is just a house on Main Street in Santa Ana, a ghetto neighborhood in Orange County, run by a collective of activists who put on shows and organize community art programs for kids. Graffiti lines the fences of the yard, you pay at the gate, the kitchen is a converted snack bar and the bands play on the hardwood living-room floor and two speakers hang from the wall. No PA, amps only, with kids peering in through the windows, hoping to get indoors. I paid no mind to the opening bands, even Thrice, who, if you ask me, is attached to far too many bills lately. Seven fairly young boys go nuts for them, while the rest of us wait patiently. An hour or so after the last band played, someone let us know Small Brown Bike was delayed leaving Arizona, but that the band will arrive shortly, meaning over another hour, but all that matters is that they make it. They pulled in, unloaded, set up and thanked us for our patience. Then they got down to business.
From the opening notes I smiled from ear to ear. The place was on fire and even the band was struggling to keep up with the momentum, seeming to play beyond their limitations. Our Own Wars taps into a sound I am not even sure they could handle. The band carried out the record live like soldiers in a spider hole, fighting for every chord. I felt tight in there, roughly 40 teenage boys cram into a living room, their senses exploding with each strike of the strings and every crash of the cymbals. The Bike tore into 45 minutes of the new sound, closing shop with the one-two punch of “Zerosum” and “Make This a Holiday.” The true test of a great record is its ending. Some great examples are Hot Water Music’s “Western Grace” on Forever and Counting, At The DriveIn’s “Transatlantic Foe” on In/Casino/Out and Bikini Kill’s “Finale” on Reject All American. Our Own Wars also peaks at the ending. The ten-track album’s two-song, explosive finale seals the deal on this with its beautifully triumphant sound. “Zerosum” is a choppy sing-a-long with a driving harmonic guitar line. The muted chug and Travis Dopp’s voice take the opening salvo, charging towards open fire. The lyrics are an unrelenting look at choosing life over death, choosing to struggle against self-destruction. The song jumps pace from mid-tempo chop to slow downpour as Dan Jaquint’s drums peak with a complex combination of cymbal slams, ride hammers, and snare fire, ending with a flurry that leads into “Make This a Holiday.” This is the war-story finale, the “we’ve-gone-too-far-and-fought-too-hard-to-give-up-now,” band-on-tour number. The tempo shifts from barreling forward to wide-open verses, the drums rolling forward like tank, building into a start/stop breakdown, and heading off into a straight away strummer. Our Own Wars was the last great underground album of the nineties, and arguably of the underground altogether. In the new millennium, the internet brought about a paradigm shift in independent music only hinted at in the previous decade. It coincided with and contributed to a storm of mediocrity, and a level of exposure that deemed classification irrelevant, vacuuming the underground of its personality and artistic anonymity. To put it simply, the post-hardcore era, and its boundary-pushing subgenres such as emocore, ruled at the end of the millennium only to be drained into a sappy and misogynistic commodity. Arguments for the digital dawn are compelling, the success for the everyman, exposure for the little man. Yet I always believed part of all this is being short-lived in nature, a burn out to quick frame of mind. To me, the band that represents the memory and the shift is Small Brown Bike. No band represented the aggressive style and melodic sensibilities of the era better than they did. Our Own Wars is a complex record that lacks and nostalgia of the modern era. No throwbacks, no fancy footwork. Just heart and head on the straight-and-narrow.
[Sousa]
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Ampere, Aug. 20007, Formence, Mass. C -- Alec Hartman
Will Killingsworth After the demise of the endlessly (and legitimately) influential Orchid, Will Killingsworth would have been more than justified in basking in his place in post-hardcore history. Instead, he’s been keeping even busier since the band broke up in 2002. He has played guitar in Bucket Full of Teeth and (more recently) the outstanding Ampere. He has also continued to release records through Clean Plate records and engineer dozens of bands in his house, also known as Dead Air Studios.
By: Sam Sousa In my opinion, you’re one of the best guitar players in the underground. Is this a concerted effort to excel at your instrument? Well, I don’t think I can really agree with the premise of your question, but thanks. I’ve never set out to be the number-one guitar player or anything. I think all I can really say is that I do like to challenge myself, and usually write things beyond my skill level, which does keep me progressing to an extent, albeit on a very strange and personal path. 20 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
You’re a vegan, and if I’m correct, straight edge. As a traveling musician, do you find the ever-increasing acceptance of harmful consumption (meaning eating meat and/or drinking/drugs) and bars as venues hard to deal with? I have noticed an increase in the DIY/punk/hardcore scene of meat eating, which I think is unfortunate and to me suggests some sort of large-scale misunderstanding of what I take to be fundamental concepts of said scene. Obviously, people can do whatever they want, and that’s fine, I guess I just expect more from punks in general. I think in it’s simplest form that vegetarianism is a respect for life, and meat-eating is reckless, selfish violence. In my opinion, these are base concepts and ones that anyone who takes time to think about the world and their place in it can arrive at simply. Meanwhile, none of the bands I’ve played in have played many bar shows, and I would not say there’s a notable increase in that for myself, but we also actively try to play all-ages shows, so maybe that is why. As for an increase in drinking or drugs, I can’t say that I particularly have encountered much change. I’ve never really associated myself with any
realm of the straight edge movement, so there have always been people of all persuasions in my immediate circles. Also, I think that such decisions are a lot more personal and different than whether or not to eat meat. Are these things hard to deal with? Sometimes, in certain circumstances I guess, but I would say for the most part, no. I’m not some crazed zealot who can’t stand living in a world of people with different lifestyles. I think the most one can do, or that I’m comfortable doing, is to try to educate people about issues and try to lead by example. I certainly didn’t expect a zealot, but in Southern California, the all-ages venues of my youth are closed, and in their place a series of varioussized bars and dance halls have risen, almost all of which offer some variant of alcohol. Even a tiny show I caught in a warehouse was nothing more than a glorified kegger. Don’t get me wrong, I drink, but ultimately I feel there is a time and a place. There is an O Pioneers!!! song about this same subject, about this continuous embracement of the party life as some sort of moral alternative. Why is it that more and more we don’t truly present an alternative or new mindset to the mainstream, instead of toasting ourselves for being aware? Well, that’s a big question, and I’m not sure I can really provide an answer for it. How much the DIY scene is separate from the rest of society is a good thing to ponder in regards to any aspect, not just partying. I’m not sure it’s totally black and white though in terms of what said “scene” is doing or how it’s acting. I have met plenty of people who do amazing things and are working to build a community that is different and with different values than society at large, although rarely specifically stated as such. I’ve also met people who don’t really get it, and I guess hopefully will some day, but who knows? In the present day, I sense a lack of some of the political awareness that was around, or at least felt more in the foreground, ten years ago or so. I think that everyone is responsible for that, not just those who “don’t get it,” but I’m not comfortable dismissing the whole scene as posturing or anything because of this. I think the best that people can do is to try to act on their beliefs and challenge themselves to create the type of community that they’d like to be in. I’m not sure I have a specific comment or well-formed stance on the reality of party-shows that have the emphasis on partying. Personally, they’re my least favorite to play, mainly because it seems no one’s really that interested in the music. If every show I went to was like that it would be pretty depressing. However most shows I attend in Western Massachusetts and the surrounding areas tend to not have too much of the party element, and when there is, people are, thankfully, generally still there for the music.
From Orchid to Bucket Full of Teeth to Ampere, there is a clear strain of thought against monotony and mainstream culture. How much input do you have in the process of writing, both lyrically and musically? Well, I think all the lyric writers of the aforementioned bands come from similar places in regards to their outlook on society and life in general. I wrote pretty much all of the lyrics for Bucket Full of Teeth, with a couple minor exceptions, and have not contributed to any other bands’ lyrics, except for a couple extremely minute suggestions that don’t even really count. Musically, for all of these bands, I usually have some sort of idea for a song, perhaps complete, perhaps in pieces, that is presented to the group and then reworked until mutual satisfaction is reached. Is it your intent then to create an emotional tone through a song, even if linguistically, your input is limited? In general, I would say yes, although I used to think more consciously in those terms, now I think it’s more of a subconscious part of the way I just think about what “works” and what doesn’t. How do you deal with complacency and aging in an entirely youthful, short-fused scene? Age is strange and I try to do my best to ignore the numbers and just live how I see fit, I guess. Although I think it makes it harder sometimes to be impressed by new bands. Something that seems new and exciting to a 17-year-old can feel a little old and boring to a 30-year-old, but I can’t fault anyone for when they were born or what they’ve been exposed to. I think for me, the best I can do is to try to make unique, challenging, memorable music or releases that people can relate to on some level. Ampere has quite a number of split releases. Is this a result of friendship and mutual admiration between other bands? In short, yes. I think everyone we’ve done a record with has been a band we’ve been good friends with, and played several shows with, or toured together. I think that such things are what make the records special, and not just random pairings.
What do you think of the amounts of money record collectors pay for releases you have been involved with? Orchid records fetch quite a bit on the internet. I think that to an extent vinyl is a fetish and collectable item to everyone who owns it, and people like to have a limited or color vinyl copy of a record whether or not it is valuable. I think there’s a couple sides to people paying high dollar amounts for records. What I think is disagreeable is people buying limited items from bands and labels and then immediately turning around to sell them for more money. This is rude to the people involved who are not really making much profit off of it. However, if a record has been out of print for several years, and there’s not that many copies, clearly it might cost a decent amount to acquire if it’s sought-after. I think that’s just a reality that’s somewhat pointless to get frustrated about. I once paid a decent amount for a Crossed Out 7”, and now someone is paying a similar amount for some Orchid record. So it goes. Ampere, Aug. 20007, Formence, Mass. C -- Alec Hartman
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One of the greatest things about a record is its ability to combine great music and be an aesthetic wonder, in particular the recent Ampere/ Funeral Diner split on Clean Plate. What was the impetus for this design?
You state firmly that Clean Plate is not a business, but a “stupid kid putting out records,” and that your main focus is Dead Air. In all honesty, I have a kid, a job, a wife, graduate school, and a million other things going that I can barely manage. How do you manage it all?
I’m honestly really pleased with how that record came out, I feel like it’s pretty unique in its design. The idea wasn’t anything more than me having some ideas for themes or general imagery, and the concept for the vinyl etching between the bands, then letting those ideas turn into a concrete reality in our friend Mark’s hands. He is a very talented artist and I have been impressed many times by both his etching skills and line drawings. Ultimately, he deserves most of the credit. He had to etch the art on the music side of the record with the grooves already cut into it, and without touching them at all, even with his hand, fingers, etc. One mistake and the record would have been ruined. I honestly am in awe that he pulled it off every time I think about it. Meanwhile, I did the inside cover/lyric art, but I really doubt that that’s what you’re referencing.
[Laughing] Well, Dead Air is, for the most part, my job, so it takes up usual job time, although usually in longer days, but less days a week than a traditional job. Clean Plate, depending on what’s going on, sometimes takes no work at all. Other times I’m very busy. An example of such would be before this recent Ampere/Daitro tour, trying to get out four records at the same time, and then doing mailorder for all of them. The main reason I state that Clean Plate is not a business, besides the obvious--that it’s not--is because many kids seem to be under the impression that when they order a record, it will be sent out that day because I have no life, work, etcetera outside of the label. For most small punk labels I think these kind of expectations are outrageous. The people that do them have lives and jobs and responsibilities outside of mailing out a 7” the day they receive a letter or paypal notice. I don’t want kids to have to wait half-ayear for their records, and definitely not to be ripped off, but we have to be reasonable in terms of what we expect of others. And to anyone who’s ever been worried about their mailorder from any label, please write a nice note asking about it, and not something like “It’s been two weeks, what gives?” or “Didn’t get my records.” People doing DIY labels are not in it for the money. Trust me, there’s none if you’re just releasing punk vinyl. It is purely out of love for music, and writing rude notes is only going to drive these dedicated music lovers to never wanting to release a single record again.
Is Dead Air Studios an extension of having played music, or do you consider it to be something you do separate of the bands? Well, my interest in recording was initially and still is a direct result of my playing music, first borne more out of necessity, and then something I had a continued related interest in. At the same time, it is quite separate from playing music, and certainly when I’m recording someone else’s band I play a very different role than when I am playing music myself, as I try to have a more hands-off approach in terms of what a band I’m recording wants to do, or how they play and create their songs. How did Clean Plate come to be? Honestly, I was in high school, driving, and listening to a tape of a compilation that had recently come out, and thought to myself, “Hey, I could probably put together something like this,” and that was about it. That first planned release was the compilation Start A Riot, even though it was Clean Plate #4. At that point in time especially, I was interested in getting as involved in punk as I could. I was setting up shows, contributing to varying degrees to a few zines and playing in a band. I guess it just seemed like another way I could get involved with this scene I identified so much with. Years later, I still identify just as much with it, although in some activities my interests and involvement intensified, and in others it dwindled.
Will’s work with Ampere and Orchid has been documented by Ebullition, so head there and cop it. Also check www.cleanplate.com and/or www. deadairstudios.com. And you can reach him at the following: Will Killingsworth PO Box 9461 North Amherst, MA 01059 will@cleanplate.com Photos by: Alec Hartman http://www.lanimilbus.com
Ampere, Aug. 20007, Formence, Mass. C -- Alec Hartman
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The Yellow By: Nick Cox “You’ve got to hear this,” said my friend Pete with uncharacteristic eagerness. I had gone to visit him at the bar he tends in New York’s Lower East Side on my way to JFK airport to return to France. I had my bags with me, and had just stopped by his bar to quickly say goodbye. I was stressed, running late, and, above all, road-weary. “What’s this about?” I snapped. “Just check it out,” he said, sure the spectacle would speak for itself. I watched as the show unfolded before me, much to the delight of the other attendees: mostly four- to six-yearolds and their young, hip parents. What I discovered that day was the pop wonder that is Gustafer Yellowgold. The brainchild of New York’s Morgan Taylor, Gustafer Yellowgold is the namesake of the protagonist of the project, a cartoon character whose migration from the sun to Earth and the subsequent adventures provide the songwriting fodder for the musical side of the band. Were it just the music, it would have been a magical experience. But the multimedia presentation was even more fantastic. The music synchs with Flash-based cartoon animations (all drawn by Taylor himself) that project on the wall behind Taylor and a rotating cast of musicians. The whole package is entirely refreshing in its imagination. Among Yellowgold’s friends are a pterodactyl who dons a tuxedo, a green mint bee, and as of Taylor’s latest release, Have You Never Been Yellow, a family of mustard slugs. Yellowgold’s favorite pastime is jumping on cake. In a world where the music industry has become a veritable forum for bands to outdo each other in earnestness, Taylor’s sense of humor is a welcome departure. The true brilliance in the project lies in an aspect that I wasn’t fully able to appreciate during my first viewing. I now work as a pre-kindergarten teacher during the day, a job where I routinely seek out activities that can engage me as well as my four-year-olds. If I’m forced to teach or read something to them that I can’t appreciate on any level, I can’t muster the incredible enthusiasm it takes to maintain their attention. My most recent solution was Dr. Seuss. The clever illustrations and hidden social commentary, not to mention the amusing linguistic acrobatics reading his work aloud requires, make it a pleasure to for me read and a joy to hear for my kids. Unlike the Teltubbies or Barney, which make adults everywhere want to jam pencils into their eardrums, Dr. Seuss’s genius was subtly and creatively appealing to parents as well as kids. Similarly, listening to Gustafer Yellowgold is a true delight. Taylor’s gladdening pop sensibilities, as evidenced in the biographical introduction to the character, “I Am From The Sun,” are nothing short of heartwarming. But each successive listen provides still more stimulation for the attentive listener. The instrumentation on “New Blue Star,” for example, including French horn in a wonderful counterpoint to Taylor’s tasteful guitar work and playful-
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yet-soulful voice, adds another dimension to an alreadyoverflowing offering. Yet the emotional scope of the project isn’t pigeonholed into the relentless happiness and jubilance you would expect from a show geared primarily toward children. “Tiny Purple Moon,” for example, exhibits emotion in tearjerking abundance. Additionally, the lyrics can occasionally tackle some subjects that, although surely lost on children, are interesting food for thought for the adult demographic: “Birds” includes a thought-provoking excerpt: “Every time you see a dead bird, / do you wonder how he fell to the Earth? / Did he get what he needed from the world? / Did he ever love? / Did it hurt?” Every aspect of Gustafer Yellowgold is meant to provide the maximum enjoyment to children and adults alike. The webspace is just one more example, a true testament to Taylor’s seemingly boundless imagination. Chock-full of supplementary animations, games, and even coloring-book pages, the site rounds out the wonderful offerings from Taylor and company. I got the chance to speak to Taylor during the tracking of his upcoming album to ask him about the project via email.
Mean
Gustafer Yellowgold thrives on happy mediums.
How did the project evolve? Word is that it started out as a solo side project that unexpectedly proliferated into the multimedia entity it is now. How accurate is that? The original idea was to make some picture books with CDs in the back pocket, so I always had the thought that it would be images and pictures together. We met some folks who showed us that animating the drawings was a much simpler process than we imagined, then all of a sudden, we had a DVD. We began figuring out how to replicate the DVD experience in a live setting, and after some trial and error we had a pretty smooth operation of animation in perfect synch with all-live music. The ideas evolved. We didn’t set out from day one with the thought of a live multimedia show, but once we saw the animated drawings, it inspired the live show. So, yeah, it was unexpected really. How are you so seemingly in touch with childlike ideas? Where, for example, do you get the ideas for characters like Forrest Applecrumble [the tuxedo-wearing pterodactyl] and the mint bee? Jumping on cake? That’s a good question that I don’t really know the answer to. Sometimes an idea may come from the title itself. I’ll just sit down and write something that seems entertaining to me, with funny phrases or word-combinations. I don’t like to try and over-analyze the process. It may be fragile, or may be unstoppable. I don’t know. I’m not overly superstitious, but I don’t feel any pull to deconstruct why the thoughts become available to me in the moment. I’m really happy to have tapped into something that has gotten such an interesting reaction. How do you approach songwriting that is meant to appeal to both children and their parents differently than you might if you were hoping to fill a Greenwich Village dive bar with 20-something hipsters? I’m closer to the latter with Gustafer Yellowgold than I’ve ever been before. We’ve been lucky with our crossover audience. We opened for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree, and I didn’t even change my banter. Perhaps there’s something disarming about asking a theater full of Wilco fans how they “generally feel about Dinosaurs.” Do you have any side projects? Do you ever find the range of emotions you can express in this medium limiting? How capable do you find yourself of translating truly complex emotions into these songs? I just finished an album project with Duncan Sheik, David Poe, Matt Johnson and Fil Krohnengold. It’s a band collaborative we’ve had in the works for about three years and we just finished tracking this past week. I would never underestimate what a kid can understand emotionally. If you put higher stuff in there, they will rise to it, and the parents will appreciate the depth. I’ve gotten a good amount of positive feedback regarding the subtle death-references in Gustafer music. To what degree could any of the characters or their traits be read into for a metaphor-laden quasi-autobiographical subtext? Whoa, you’re getting pretty heady there! No, really, any subtext is purely subconscious, but you know, I’m sure some of it comes from my real emotions about stuff. You can’t just imagine everything.
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I hope this isn’t too personal. Your wife, Rachel, is also musically and professionally involved in the project. Does working around kids like this make you, the both of you, think (or think more or less) about starting a family? Ask me again in a couple months! Have you always viewed yourself as being good with children? How have your experiences with kids through the project changed that? The first time we played a live Gustafer show, I didn’t’ know what I would say between songs! But it did evolve naturally, and now I’m not intimidated by thoughts of keeping anyone’s interest. I have faith in the content of the music and images to do most of the work anyway. Luckily, there’s a little, yellow dude on the screen to help me out. I imagine that a lot of the parents come to see you with their kids because they enjoy the project too. Are you ever in a position where you realize any number of the parents in the audience totally don’t get it? When that happens, how do the kids become exposed to the music?
Given that at least half of your audience isn’t really capable of appreciating any significant musical complexity and because the project is almost necessarily concept-based and therefore has to have some sort of musical consistency throughout, how do you approach experimentation? A kid may not be able to intellectually articulate what they are hearing and feeling with the music, but it all soaks in. There were complex feelings I had listening to my brother and sister’s record collection when I was four years old, which I can only now begin to describe, so I would never cheat them now by purposefully simplifying something. The whole project is a giant experiment that has gone terrifically well so far. I still take chances. I took a chance by leaving the references to mortality in my project I was gearing towards kids. Some folks were concerned before it was released, but if I felt completely safe and risk-free, it wouldn’t be what it is. The stakes are different, playing for kids, but there are boundaries set by people who are afraid of offending. I think kids get really sold short when that happens. From this point, how will the music and the story progress?
Yeah, luckily the kids never come on their own. The people who get it are really appreciative of it being different from focus-grouped-to-death kids’ stuff that’s available en masse.
I have the third DVD already in the planning stages. I’m figuring out how to create more of a narrative out of the collection of individual videos, but have each work on its own. We’ll see!
How far do you see yourself taking this project? Do you ever have the impulse to just start a straightforward rock band to avoid all of the inevitable work that goes into a project of this nature?
Taylor is taking the show on the road in support of his new album, Do You Never Feel Yellow, out now on Apple Eye Productions.
We hope to eventually find the right vehicle for Gustafer, such as television or film, but it would have to be with the right people who understood the reasons to keep it pure and of itself. I played in “straightforward” rock bands for twenty years, beating the streets, banging my head against a brick wall, and I can tell you it’s all been worth it for life-experience, but it wasn’t until I added cartoon drawings to my music that I began getting any mentionable return for my efforts. Strange, huh? I was actually playing many of these same songs for years before I added the characters to them. Assuming you came to this project from that rock background, how did you go about learning about all of the things you’d have to do, in terms of distribution, labels, shows, venues, to appeal to an entirely new audience? Rachel and I apply everything we’ve learned during our musical careers into the Gustafer project. There’s no difference at all in the process. It’s just a bunch of different contact names and niches to learn about. The biggest difference is finally getting someone to call us back! Didn’t the DVD get exclusive distribution through Barnes & Noble? How did you land that deal? We got the Barnes & Noble deal from working with Little Monster Records for our first release. They were part of V2 records before it imploded. Now we’ve gone out on our own for this next DVD/CD set, armed with everything we learned in the past year working briefly with a real label. We’re releasing it through our own company, Apple-Eye productions, with distributors buying directly from us. We have our own publicist and team now. It’s nice to have control over our own work. How does the new record advance the story? The new DVD/CD set shows the continuing adventures of Gustafer. It’s quite similar to the first one in that it introduces new characters and expounds on some of Gustafer’s peculiar interests. Think of it like each special hobby or person in your life has his or her own theme song that blares whenever they entered the room. There’s not a continuing story or thread, but it’s connected because it’s all happening to you.
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The website, which is a joy to see and experience anyway, has more information: www.gustaferyellowgold.com
C -- LaGuerra
Ryan Ferguson
by: Stuart Anderson
During their eight-year tenure, No Knife wouldn’t quite have fit the bill of “overlooked.” Their first two records (the equally outstanding Drunk On The Moon and Hit Man Dreams), were both issued on a major label. They toured extensively with Jimmy Eat World, Sunny Day Real Estate and the like. But, at least in my not-so-humble opinion, their music never quite gained the exposure it deserved. The exception to this is within the band’s native San Diego. This even included a best album award from the San Diego Music Awards for every one of their four full lengths. The same phenomenon already seems to be at work for No Knife frontman Ryan Ferguson’s relatively new solo project. Shortly after self-releasing the five-song Three, Four EP in 2005, Ferguson quickly landed in regular rotation on FM radio in San Diego and went on tour with cheesy radio-rockers Switchfoot. The EP also won Ferguson a now-familiar San Diego Music Award for “Best Pop Album.” I exchanged e-mails with Ferguson just after his debut full-length Only Trying To Help was released. The eleven songs on it are both closely related and wide-ranging. The large, shimmering melodies from No Knife’s most accessible output are clearly represented and immediately inviting. The songs are carefully put together, but rarely predictable. Many of the angular rhythms, which also defined so much of No Knife’s sound are only hinted at. But the same careful, air-tight construction is still apparent. Pop music has never needed to be repetitive or easily figured out to be effective. But examples of this are few and far between. Ferguson has found this delicate balance and turned it into an outstanding debut.
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Explain how the solo project first came together, between the end of No Knife and the EP. I’ve been writing and recording songs on my own well before, during and after the No Knife days. But the first real “solo” opportunity came back in 2001, when No Knife was asked to contribute a song to a 9/11 compilation called Sound Relief. The problem was, at the time we didn’t have any new completed music to contribute since we were writing for our upcoming record. I had just recorded a new song on my own a few months prior and decided to offer them that track, which they did. (You can actually still find it on iTunes). A few years later, shortly after the release of Riot for Romance!, a few other solo compilation opportunities arose which I gladly accepted. One of those songs turned out to be “On Elvira Street,” which I held onto and decided to release on my first solo EP. How did you end up landing on both FM radio in San Diego and then on tour with Switchfoot after just one self-released EP? Three reasons: luck, connections, and the fact that I have an amazing manager. The EP actually surprised a lot of people here in San Diego, in a good way. People really got behind it and supported me, and because of that I was recognized for it within the local music community. My manager, Al Guerra has worked in radio for years. That certainly helped on the radio front, getting the EP’s single added to regular rotation pretty quickly. As far as the Switchfoot tour, they had always been big No Knife fans and Jon Foreman and I (via Al Guerra) had played a few solo acoustic shows together. Having been in this industry for over a decade, I certainly understand the power of connections and business relationships. But I still believe when you strip all that away, it ultimately comes down to good songwriting and quality music. I think people notice that, and when they do, good things usually happen. Did your approach to writing Only Trying to Help differ from the EP? Do you find writing easier for the solo material, or with a full band? The EP was more stripped down and lo-fi. I recorded a majority of it in my bedroom with my $25 pawn shop acoustic guitar, a keyboard and some drum loops. So for the full-length, I wanted to incorporate not only more instruments, but also give it more of an electric, up-tempo feel. I wanted the acoustic guitar to remain the foundation of the new songs, since they were all written on it. But I also wanted to stay within the indie rock vein, without sounding like “Mr. acoustic coffeehouse guy.” I’ve always taken pride in writing the music for all the instruments. I love when certain notes and melodies come together from different places and make the song complete, and everything starts to fit perfectly into place. That’s the best feeling, like you’ve just solved the puzzle.
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The only thing I miss about not writing with a full band is the additional input – whether you use it or not. Sometimes it’s easy to get tunnel vision, where parts start sounding the same as others. When you’re writing with other people, suggestions are made from those who have completely different influences, and therefore you come up with parts that you never would have dreamed of if you were writing all by yourself. I do plan on doing more co-writing in the future, either for my records or someone else’s. How much of a priority is touring for you at this point? What are you occupying your time with these days when you aren’t working on music? It’s absolutely a priority. I’ve always maintained that touring is probably the number one, most essential thing an artist can do promotion-wise in this business. But I’ve also toured enough in my life to know that there is a certain strategy involved. At this stage I’m not just gonna hop in a van and hit the road and play any ‘ol venue with any ‘ol band at any ‘ol time. The tour has to make sense, both logically and financially. It’s fuckin’ expensive to go on tour, especially if you’re paying for it yourself. I’ve booked my own tours and have played to three people in the middle of nowhere so many times. At this point in my life it’s worth it to wait and jump on the right tour if and when that opportunity comes along, rather than to book a shitty tour and go out on the road just for the sake of it. I’m not nineteen anymore; I’m married now and have responsibilities and plenty of bills to pay. I simply can’t afford to be stupid, just strategic. Trust me, you’ll see me out there plenty. The songs on Only Trying to Help all maintain a certain simplicity, even though some of them seem really layered. Do you ever have trouble, especially with a solo project, knowing when the song is done? I guess I’m done when I’ve run out of tracks to record on (no, just kidding). I usually have a pretty good idea when the song is done or if it needs a little something to push a certain part further. I’m frequently torn between giving a song more space, or layering it with vocals or instruments a bit more. It really depends on the song’s energy or lack of energy. I’m a huge fan of subtle production – I’m just not good at it yet. Sometimes I do tend to double things more than I should or need to, and that can be a bad habit. I’m a pretty organized songwriter. I record and fully produce all my demos myself well ahead of time, so when I come in to the (real) recording studio I already have all the individual track sheets typed up with all the instruments, their parts, number of tracks, certain settings and random notes included. Maybe that’s too anal, but it works for me and my Virgo personality. But regardless of being organized, truly the best thing about going into a studio is the fact that spontaneous things happen all the time, for the better. One accidental note can open up whole new ideas, and that’s something that you can’t plan.
C -- LaGuerra
How much of the extra instrumentation did you do yourself in the studio? Do you use extra people when you’re playing live? Most of the instruments you hear on the record I played myself, just because it’s easier. My friend Chris Vanacore played drums on most of the songs, and Shaun Cornell (who recorded & produced the record with me) played a fair share of bass and piano as well. I also brought in a few girlfriends of mine to sing some harmonies, as I wanted to specifically use female vocals on a few of the songs. But aside from that, I figured I would play on a majority of the songs since that’s what I grew up doing. I fell in love with 4-track recording in the ‘90s. I would set up all my gear after school and throw on the headphones and record all day, everyday. So I’m very comfortable playing and overdubbing different instruments. “In the Sea” was the one song I played and sang everything on. It was fun because I used to play drums in a band in high school and loved it. And here I was, after all those years with No Knife, recording a solo record and playing the same kit I had when I was 16 years old. As far as a live band goes, I try to play with a band as often as I can. It’s sort of a revolving cast of local musicians and friends. There are some shows where it makes more sense, or the promoter asks specifically for me to play solo acoustic, but as simple as the song are, there are so many melodies that go unheard when I’m not playing with a band… and that kind of bums me out. I want people to hear it ALL – the way it was written and intended to be heard.
What is your plan, now that the record is out? How do you think it has been received so far? It’s only been out for a short time, so things are just getting started for the most part. But a large percentage of the reviews have been very positive so far. It’s not selling a ton right now, but sales (both online and retail) have been very consistent. I think a number of songs have the potential for radio play, as well as licensing for TV & film. “In the Sea” has already been licensed as the theme song for Dana Brown’s upcoming surf documentary, High Water. Right now I’m just trying to get a touring band in place so I can hit the road. I just secured a European booking agent, so I would hope to get over there at some point next year. All in all, I’m just excited about having a full-length out.
Thanks for your time. Ryan Ryan Ferguson’s Website: http://www.fergusong.com Only Trying To Help is available from Better Looking Records: http://www.betterlookingrecords.com
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Matt Semke Zabby took the opportunity to sit down with Minnesotan, and selfproclaimed “real living artist” Matt Semke. Marketing Director by day, rouge artist by night, Semke can often be found in his studio late into the evenings. His laboratory is a kin to a working brain, firing electrical pulses of sarcasm, observation, passion and aggression. Matt is a scientist. Sure, his methods are cliché in the art world. Yet, somewhere between conception and creation Semke is able to twist them into a truly great and interactive message, in a way rarely expressed by other artists today. To understand Semke we need to take a trip into his youth. Born amongst the dairy farms of Western Wisconsin, nurtured on the breast of Catholicism and small town ethics, Semke encountered a fairly common realization only smart kids achieve; he did not identify with the community around him. Opting not to wrap his insecurities in racism, sexism or any other ism, he pinned who he was to his sleeve for all to see and in some cases to even hate. As far as young artists are concerned, Semke’s art has begun to generate attention, not only locally, but internationally. Having forged his slippery hooks into the Midwest punk rock community through the music of his band Straight to Your Brain, he has found a new and comfortable perch as a sort of a peoples’ artist. Besides creating art for his own musical projects, his creations can be found on the cover of the recently released Brokedowns album, “New Brains for Everyone” via Thick Records and amongst several artists in a limited edition art book to be packaged with the new FT Shadow Government record. In retaliation to the politics interwoven into small communities, he has even found himself in the center of a growing controversy in a usually quiet and serene Southern Minnesota town.
[Zabby]
You recently participated in an art project called “Blue Heron Project,” what exactly was it about? The Blue Heron Committee of Winona is group of artists who decided to have a statue event, just like the events in a lot of cities where they design statues to place around the city. Minneapolis has the Peanuts Gang characters, Madison did a thing with cows everywhere. Wasn’t that in Chicago? Madison did it too. Artists submitted proposals describing how they would design their Heron. I thought the contest was corny and didn’t like the rules, so I submitted three ideas, sarcastic really. I was trying to make a jab at the committee, but they accepted one of them. I was shocked, I could not believe that they could not figure out it was a joke. Maybe they knew and just liked it anyways. Which one of the three entries did 30 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
they accept? The one they accepted was called “Artists Selected Will Be Required to Sign a Contract”, (Laughter) -- that’s what I titled it. But they wrote me back stating “Your entry “Bird in Red Cage” was accepted,” so I wrote them back, stating I didn’t enter the contest with that title, but I have an entry that is a bird with a red cage around it called “Artists Selected Will Be Required to Sign a Contract”. How did they respond to your letter, did they care? That was one of the things they just didn’t respond to. But I am sure it was their first attempt to get me to try and title it something else, you know? At one of the meetings with the accepted artists we had to go up, then they told me the title was too long and that I needed to shorten it. The wording is directly from their rules, so I didn’t change it. The Winona State University Alumni committee sponsored my bird and they hate the fact that it is on their campus. I guess some people complain about it, some like it. The local newspaper did a feature on how it basically mocked the contest. In connection with this project, you mention on your website that the mayor “donated” some items to you for the project... MS - In the contract that we signed it said we may not be reimbursed for any supplies used in the making of this bird and that we would not get any money for our time. My biggest concern was not breaking even on the project, I’ve never welded before and I don’t know how much metal pipes cost. Everyone I talked to said it would cost a couple hundred dollars. The committee was nice enough to ask the mayor of Winona, who owns a scrap metal company, and he let me take anything I wanted. There was three feet of snow on the ground, so I could not really even see the stuff I was getting. I got a bunch of rusted pipes and mangled conduit and the mayor walked out, kicked this stuff with his boot, went back in the office and writes me out a receipt saying in was a $150.00 donation! No! MS - Yeah! So I get these pipes back to the garage where I am welding, (the guys there weld drag racers). They look at this pile of rusty pipes and just start laughing hysterically, telling me this stuff is not worth $150! It’s like $10 worth of crap, if I’m lucky. They tell me it will not work, the rules also stated the art had to be safe, like kids were going to climb on this or something. So now I’m building a safe cage someone could climb on. I decided to go to the local hardware store and just buy a pipe bender and some real aluminum conduit that would actually work. I spent $200, but the mayor gets to write off the junk I hauled away. (Laughter)
Your art is very interactive, you demand the viewers participate and interact with it.
Tell me about the time your dad shot the wood chuck that was eating his garden veggies.
My Roommate Billy and I came up with this idea.
I brought my girl friend to my parents’ house for her birthday and right after we sang happy doodah to her, my dad just gets up, leans out the porch door and blasts this woodchuck in his garden. He really has no courtesy for the company. (Laughter)
Who is Billy? Billy Hessian. We call it Endeavorism. We consider it an interaction, forcing the viewer to become a participant and creator. Billy does some art scavenger hunts. I put my art on different buildings and make people go get the art. You do a lot of local art shows around the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area, how do the older artists react to this way you approach your work? I think they like that I involve people in the art, for the past 50 years art has gotten away from the viewer and become very elitist, like a status symbol instead of a life enhancer. I get comments from older artists wondering how I am going to make money off of this, because in a lot of cases I am just giving the art away. You know, you’ve just got to explain to them I’m not too concerned with the money. I make my money at my job. You sell a good amount of art via your website every month, is that were most of your sales originate? Most of my art is sold online. I sell to total strangers, via email. Where are the people from who purchase your art. Are they local and international? Mostly people in the states. But I’ve also had customers in Europe, Australia and Chili, which is exciting. You seem to enjoy working with Billy, tell me about some of your collaborations. We met in college and used to actually wrestle for fun, Fight Club style – fists and everything. We thought it was fun. It was never scary, just a good time. Then one time I cracked Billy’s head open on a vacuum cleaner. Another time, I had to go to the emergency room the next day because I hyperextended my knee. So we decided it would be more constructive to just be competitive with our art rather than hitting each other. It just accelerated. We have done about seven shows together over the last four years. The show that sticks out in my mind is when you each created monster paintings, the audience voted on their favorite and the loser’s painting got the axe, you guys literally put it on a chopping block and bashed the crap out of it. We really liked the idea that some art is better then other art and that art will not be around forever. We thought we would just speed up the process by letting people vote on what they thought was good.
Was that a part of your small town upbringing? It shows what I grew up around. I don’t think my dad was irrational for shooting the woodchuck, it was eating his green beans Besides being an artist, you are also a musician, how his your music an extension of your art? Music is just another painting or drawing. My friend once told me that I play my guitar exactly like I draw. Music has really affected my approach to art. Punk rock is so DIY and the art scene as a whole is not really DIY. Punk rock is approachable and people can really feel included, the audience is a part of it. I want art to be more like that. As a kid growing up in the middle of Wisconsin, what was the first punk rock record you got? If you say OpIvy I am going to puke. It was the Offspring’s Smash. (Laughter) I was a big fan of Nirvana too. It was easy to play on guitar. When I grew up, I started to really identify with the politics as well. Now I am really into Shellac, Toys that Kill, Modest Mouse, Lightning Bolt, Stnnng, Falcon Crest, FT Shadow Government. I like a lot of local stuff. Tell me about the upcoming FT Shadow Government release. I think it is 100 special edition records packaged with a booklet of art by several different artists who all had to hand make each piece of art. We could not photocopy or anything. How do your parents view your art? Are they still waiting for this to pass? They are at the point now where they know it is not a phase. This is very recent. When I had to talk to my dad about buying his axe, that was when it hit them. I show art all the time now, so they know I am going to do this for a long time. They have never seen my band play, but they have been to a few of my art shows, they glance around. You have a lot of art that portrays your penis, your faculties. What do they say about that? They have seen the art. My dad will ask me what’s going on inside my head. He’s glad that he does not have that going on inside of his head. (Laughter)
There is a great three-minute video full of great clips of the actual bashing. One guy decided to buy the whole collection, he paid for the axe too. What is your favorite medium?
Check out more of Semke’s artwork at: www.catswilleatyou.com
I don’t really know, if had to only take one with me onto a deserted island, I would pick drawing – it’s immediate.
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book reviews Welcome to the Terrordome By Dave Zirin Dave Zirin is a Washington, DC-based sports writer whose work primarily deals with areas of sports beyond statistics, trades, and rankings. He addresses the political, social, and economic elementss of the sports world. Some might say the human side is a more accurate way of describing his writing. Zirin writes columns for The Nation and Slam, as well as on his website edgeofsports.com. He is also a contributor to mainstream news outlets such as ESPN, CNBC, and Air America. Welcome to the Terrordome, Zirin’s third book, is a collection of essays dealing with what he describes as the Terrordome– the modern professional sports industry. Zirin’s politics are easily identifiable as left wing but the book does not have a salient, unifying thread that runs throughout. Instead, each chapter is self contained and exists on its’ own. Some chapters are better than others. One that I found particularly engaging is entitled “The NBA and the Two Souls of Hip Hop,” which explores the awkward embrace between professional basketball and contemporary Hip Hop culture. This was useful for two reasons. First, I know very little about basketball, and second, there is plenty of substance to the essay. Zirin outlines how the NBA strategically aligned itself with Hip Hop culture to grow its product. But they have since grown weary of the resulting backlash and have taken steps to control it. Another enjoyable read was a chapter about the late baseball legend Roberto Clemente. He is someone I had known a little bit about previously, but Zirin does a great job of filling in the blanks and paints a portrait of Clemente as an even bigger hero away from the field than on it. Unfortunately, there are some parts of this book I found decidedly unappealing. Perhaps it is because my personal politics are more center-left than Zirin’s and as a result my interpretations of events differ. Or maybe it’s because at times he makes leaps of faith in the comparisons and conclusions he draws on in the book. Either way some chapters such as “Beisbol: How the Major Leagues Eat Their Young” were unconvincing. Throughout the book Zirin employs sarcasm so thick and predictable it loses any impact it may have had. His beliefs are on display in every paragraph of every page and that does not make this book a bad read, but the super-charged tone does detract a little from making a case to those who do not start out sharing Zirin’s convictions. The thing about Terrordome that really rubbed me the wrong way were the two chapters on soccer. Having been a soccer fanatic since the summer of 1986 I love the game passionately and found his treatment of it shoddy and misguided. The details are numerous and if you would like to know I would be happy to tell you but there is not enough space to delve into it here. The book includes interviews with Mumia Abu-Jamal, Jim Bouton, and Jon Amaechi. If you are interested in sports, progressive politics, or both you should check this out. I don’t agree with Zirin on some things but he offers a fresh look at a world that is often boring and stale. If nothing else it is thought provoking. [Medrano]
http://www.haymarketbooks.org
New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye
By Ronen Kaufman
Ronen Kaufman’s New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye…is a coming-of-age memoir set in mid to late 90s central New Jersey. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. Having grown up in New Jersey it brought back a lot of memories, both general (what being a punk rock teenager was like) and specific (particular shows and bands discussed in the book). The bands most closely covered are Jersey punk stalwarts the Degenerics, Worthless, and Kaufman’s band Try.Fail.Try. I liked this because it would have been easy for Kaufman to dedicate large chunks of the book to the to some of the more popular bands to come out of New Brunswick during that time like Bouncing Souls, Thursday, or the legendary Lifetime. Instead he gives an intimate perspective on how bands can captivate and inspire at the most personal level.
The language is very accessible and at only 200 pages, NB,NJ…is a quick, fun read. The habitual use of, “and-_____? Well- lets just say -_____” is mildly annoying. It does not really detract too much from the overall value of the book, but this really could have benefited from more strident editing. There are some noticeable grammatical errors and some passages give the impression they were plopped down and never even read over before publishing. At times it seems as if Kaufman is about to dive into an interesting story but then lets the subject matter pass with a quick and vague sentence. This is understandable because it is a memoir not a novel with many characters, it is also only 200 pages, but in some spots in sort of left me wondering and wanting to know how something/ someone turned out. The scene this book covers was an interesting and productive one and if you liked any of the bands that emerged from New Jersey in the latter part of the 90s you will probably enjoy this book. The nature of localized independent music scenes is often a chaotic, transient one. This results in a strange situation where on the one hand there is a lot, maybe even a surplus, of documentation of the scene with the amount of albums, 7 inches, compilations, ‘zines, etc that are put out. Yet at the same time very few people stop and survey what is going on around them and write it down. A lot of punk rock, maybe most of it, exists outside of what is recorded in a studio. NB,NJ…is an exercise in filling in some of those gaps. [Medrano]
Bronx Biannual 2 Edited by Miles Marshall Lewis This is the second installment of the “Journal of Urbane Urban Literature” following up what I thought was a solid debut effort last spring. The idea remains the same this time around: provide a forum for unique, thought provoking literature with an urban/black bent that might not have a chance to be read otherwise. The writers that contributed work to this collection are diverse ranging from English teachers T’ai Freedom Ford and Natasha Labaze to professional journalist Michael A. Gonzalez and many others. The subject matter varies as well with some traditional fiction in short story format, a chapter of a novel in progress, poetry, as well as a piece that is more of a naked manifesto than fiction. Throughout Bronx Biannual 2 there are heavy doses of cultural references that bind each piece to the idea the journal is based on. Although I would not say it detracts from one’s appreciation, there are some pieces that employ so much urban vernacular I had to re-read them several times to put together what the author was trying to communicate. The introduction by Lewis really struck a chord with me. In it he lays out his vision for Bronx Biannual and it really makes sense, I hope things work out [Medrano]
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http://www.subcity.net
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http://www.akashicbooks.com
dvd reviews City By The Battlefield: A Film About Fredricksburg Skateboarding A skate video focused almost entirely on skating, unbelievable you say? Not so. Magic Bullet Records’ City by the Battlefield: A Film About Fredericksburg Skateboarding is just that: a video about skateboarding. Set in the small town of Fredericksburg, Virginia idyllic skate spots and everyday skaters are paired with a soundtrack (including Magic Bullet roster standouts This Will Destroy You, Paul Michel, Mosh Patrol, New Idea Society, Forensics, Nitro Tokyo etc… and All American Rejects). This paring makes me immediately nostalgic for the days when skateboarding was less about sponsors, drinking, and fashion and more about getting out there and shredding. By avoiding typical video clichés (there are no sponsors and very little self-promotion), City by the Battlefield presents an honest look at real skaters. There is a decidedly smooth flow from segment to segment and skater to skater, which lends a hypnotic feel. The whole video’s context (and content) is provided less by party videos/run-ins with the cops and more about a deep rotation of skate spots and Fredricksburg street shots. The standout skating is courtesy of Jed Davis, who looks to be one of the elders of the group. He has a graceful, clean style, with a number of impressive sequences. Though obviously done on like many smaller skate videos – a budget, with digital video cameras– the color and cinematography is still really notable. The way it’s shot incorporates the areas around town and immediately around most of the skate spots perfectly. It really adds an extra element of locality and continuity to the whole video. In all this is a nod towards the past with innovative ideas about how to represent skateboarding in the future. Without resorting to abject nostalgia, it will remind a lot of other people of why they were first attracted to skateboarding in the first place. [Bashford]
http://www.magicbulletrecords.com
MODERN RADIO P.O. BOX 8886 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408
www.modern-radio.com
NEW MUSIC FROM: FT (THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT) HIS MISCHIEF SIGNAL TO TRUST STNNNG COMING SOON: TORNAVALANCHE YELLOW SWANS MIRAH P.O.S. issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 33
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Record Reviews Achilles Hospice
A couple of years ago, Achilles quietly released an outstanding debut, The Dark Horse. Hailing from Rochester, New York, they’ve never been a full time touring band and likely never will be. But if Hospice is any indication, they may not need to play in your town every three months to make an impact. The basis for Achilles’ sound is similar to their previous efforts, but further developed in obvious and subtle ways. Angular, acrobatic hardcore bands like Botch and Breather Resist are pretty obvious reference points. Like both bands, they have one guitarist alternating between rhythm and lead lines, rather than the usual two-guitar setup. All three bands make this work, thanks to careful writing and much better than average musicianship. The result is refreshingly clear for such a heavy record, leaving plenty of extra space in the mix for the rhythm section. Despite a focused and careful approach to songwriting, this still manages to find a surprising amount of depth and variation. Some of my favorite tracks are those at either end of the spectrum for them sound-wise. “Raping The Dead” is fast and direct, combining the fastest tempo on the record with some of the most challenging guitar lines. The result nods towards early Refused and Breather Resist in the best ways possible. It’s followed by “Standing Night,” the slowest and most ambient of any song here. With a much slower, more monolithic approach it compliments “Raping The Dead” perfectly (both appear back to back in the center of the record -- perfect sequencing). There is a lot about the overall sound of Hospice that’s familiar in a general and occasionally specific way. But slyly melodic guitar lines, bold bass/drum parts and careful songwriting combine to carry this well beyond the league of most bands in the post-metalcore pack. Buried somewhere within the confines of the most dynamic hardcore of the last ten or so years, Hospice is a fucking huge record that easily carves out its own niche. [Anderson]
Hex Records
Allegiance Desperation If you’ve been crossing your fingers since 1991 that youth crew hardcore wouldn’t die, and all the Bridge 9 bands since did nothing but whet your appetite, then feast your eyes on San Francisco’s Allegiance. One standout feature of Allegiance is vocalist John Stark’s relatively high tessitura. The height of his voice seems to match the music well, as evidenced on “Out of My Blood.” Another selling point is the tightness of the guitars. And here, they have a bit grungier tone, which suits the band well. Overall, it’s hard to find much to fault the band for. Their allegiance to past genres typically associated with straight edge and tattoos (the latter of which they prominently display in their jagged-yet-produced photos) rings true in their overall aesthetic, and it’s complete from the
breakdowns (“If It’s Just Words”) to the gang vocals (“Burn”). Desperation weighs in at 11 tracks and just under 20 minutes, another call back to the Revelation bands of the past: short, sweet bursts of brutal and passionate hardcore. By the time you reach track seven, you start to wonder if the songs have all been in the same key; they start to feel homogenized in some quantifiable way. They aren’t, but it feels like it. But some measures, however, a consistent sound across the span of a record isn’t necessarily a weakness. In the end, there isn’t anything here to sell you on youth crew if you don’t love it already. If you’ve been following it since ’87, here’s another record to satisfy your fancy so that the grooves of your Youth of Today records can take a bit of a rest. If you’re not already nuts about the genre, Allegiance adds little that could be appreciated by someone who’s not a connoisseur. [Cox]
Rivalry Records
American Catastrophe Excerpts from the Broken Bone Choir It’s impossible to listen to American Catastrophe without thinking of Nick Cave, Murder By Death, Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand. I imagine that’s a truer statement than most altruistic record reviewer claims because I read three of those same comparisons in the press release after thinking it when listening to the album. American Catastrophe combines a big male voice with slide guitar and modest string section in compositions that also somewhat recall Godspeed You! Black Emperor (but without the patience). The group’s dark take on folk rock is a little too familiar, due to its major derivations from the aforementioned groups. Frontman Shaun Hamontree is clearly stretching for low notes to sound a little more like Cave or Cash. The narrative writing and titles like “The Well,” “The Farm” and “Hang Em High” (sic) give a pretty clear indication of the group’s interest in a specific place and a bygone time. If you’ve ever seen any of the “westerns” made in the 90s other than Eastwood’s Unforgiven, you’ll have a sense of how it feels to listen to this record. The allusions to the old west don’t exactly ring true. In fact, they feel awfully forced. The reason Nick Cave gets away with his cowboy routine is because he knows how to create a unique character and either sing about him or sing from his perspective. But Hamontree doesn’t seem able to do that. “Will you wither / wither down / so I can reach you / will you wither / it’s not so bad / the pain is like the shame you feel it works.” That kind of vagueness makes it pretty tough for the listener to really care. It also makes all his agonized crooning sound as ridiculous as those halfwits on modern rock radio. Their instrumental track “The Tension” is a decent Explosions in the Sky redux, but there’s really nothing groundbreaking going on with this album. [Flatt] Oxblood Records
Antillectual Waves 7” Antillectual are from Nijmegen, Netherlands. Waves was released to coincide with their US tour this past summer. They pack six songs onto this 7”, three new songs on the A-side and three from their last full length on side B. The first song especially sounds like the second Propagandhi record, with angry vocals and melodic guitars. The second song, “Sponsorship For Life” is downright catchy, without being repetitive or obvious. It’s probably my favorite here, with gruff (but still on key) vocal lines that are well written and delivered energetically. The rest of the songs find a middle ground between the two sounds, collecting influences from mid-90’s anthemic punk and more recent melodic hardcore. All six songs are well constructed, leaning heavily on familiar influences without ever sounding too much like any one band. Part of me sees this record as naïve, quaint or novel. In reality, it’s none of the above. It’s a genuinely heartfelt collection of six engaging punk rock songs. They are packed onto the record in a way that makes the vinyl sound a bit like the 50th listen on the second time through. And for Antillectual, I wouldn’t have it any other way. [Anderson] Square Of Opposition
Arthur & Yu In Camera If you’ve been mourning the death of the Mamas and the Papas’ frontwoman for the past forty years, your wait is over. The torch for the wonderfully crafted, love-inspired pop they wrote so well has been taken over. Arthur & Yu, a Seattle duo, make you want to travel back to a time when the meaning of revolution was unadulterated by years of misuse, and it was a social movement whose emotion was best captured by an acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies, and a tambourine. Their voices are perfectly matched and fit the genre just as perfectly. I hesitate to call it a flawless recreation of the nearly half century old medium, if only because songs like “There Are Too Many Birds” hint at subtle refinements on the style. The guitar tones and the harmonies fit the bill nicely. But there is something difficult to identify yet very clearly present that Arthur & Yu exhibit, which flesh out the sound in an unprecedented way. Further, the duo seem to add to the emotional scope of the now timeless genre: the pop groups of yesterday never wrote anything whose guitar line contained such sentimental subtlety as contained in “Lion’s Mouth.” It’s interesting to me that this seems to be the only genre revival (though I’ve discussed its differences) that hasn’t yet been ridiculously overexploited. Perhaps that contributes to the refreshing quality of Arthur & Yu’s songwriting. It’s difficult to say, but one thing is for certain: this record is full of all the youth that made the 60s what they were, which, in sonic form, is purely irresistible. [Cox] Hardly Art
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Antelope Reflector My relationship with this band starts with a circumstance that I consider to be one of the most exciting ways to be exposed to a band. I went to see Black Eyes and Q & Not U in Denver a few years back. A little known band opened up, and the trio played the most clever minimalist dance rock I had ever heard. I was stunned, and Black Eyes and Q & Not U had a considerably duller luster after having witnessed the beauty of Antelope. I can’t quite explain to you the dramatic effect Antelope’s writing style and entire aesthetic has had on my life. Essentially, I am obsessed with the simplicity and elegance their songs have. Their brand of minimalism is something I find refreshing in this day and age, when everyone tries to push the sound and writing envelope to a detrimental degree. This album is no exception, the first full-length effort from the D.C. trio. Filled with ten quick bursts of brilliance and lasting just over 25 minutes, Reflector is a wonderful addition to the band’s discography. There is no real departure from their established sound, and I couldn’t be happier. Their formula works marvelously. “Dead Eye” harkens back to their earlier work, consisting of a one measure bass line that does not change during the course of the entire song, a drum beat that likewise remains intransigent, a chordless guitar line that changes only slightly for the chorus, and alarmingly simple lyrics. The overall effect is a stripped down sound that must be experienced to be understood. Their only experiments occur in songs like “Contraction” and “Wandering Ghost,” of which there has been at least one on every release. The syncopation of the drums is delirium inducing, especially when juxtaposed over a monotone bass line. Then, a funky guitar in the high register tops off the mix magnificently. For an example of the simplicity of the lyrics,
Baby Guts Gasoline E.P. WOW! The folks in Baby Guts have nailed it. Gasoline is a great EP, reminiscent of Babes in Toyland, Bikini Kill and Hole. But, do not let the last comparison fool you: this is a straight up punk rock band. From the opening tune, “Sea Salt & Wax,” Laura (Guitar/vocals) snarls and screeches her way through this. With buzzsaw guitar tone she crafts wonderfully noisy, yet coherent structures layered with deafening drums and bass. Speaking of which, the drummer hits, pounds, smashes and scraps his skins as he ought to. They are as much hardcore as, dare I say, Riot Grrl? The lyrics are not so much angry as they are a declaration of independence. However, it would be easy to mistake them for the latter. Having witnessed this band live, it’s hard not to envision Taylor’s (bass) frump of hair whipping around as I listen to this. His vocals really seem to round out the sound -- imagine tantrums of blood curdling proportions. Baby Guts have successfully fused the best elements of hardcore and sludge rock, creating an intense hybrid. Right down to the depiction of a deer-onkey looking thing on the cover, this is an attractive record. Baby Guts is fourth-wave and they have snatched the flag. Thank you Guilt Ridden Pop. I’m ready for more guts. [Zabby] Guilt Ridden Pop
Balboa/Rosetta
consider the entirety of “Wandering Ghost.” “Wandering ghost / wandering endlessly / wandering in between.” These are all repeated varyingly during the song’s strikingly brief two minutes. It may not sound brilliant, but I can assure you that, in context, it’s pure gold. Antelope is probably my favorite example of the genius that can be accomplished with a less is more ideal and just a few short minutes per song. Sometimes as short as 1:22, as in the case of the dazzling “Concentration,” the angularity of the guitar line of which is nothing short of breathtaking. So throw the record in for a lesson in what can effectuated in songs without bridges or solos and steady, predictable repetition. Reflector is a triumph in the genre of expressive minimalism and is a perfect study in the sophistication of unadulterated rock music. This is beauty in its purest, most simple, and truest form. [Cox]
Dischord Records
C: Shawn Brackbill
brilliance from their debut album, I wasn’t sure what to expect from their tracks. From the opening minute of “TMA1,” I got reminded again of the sheer talent that these guys have. They create such a huge space with their sound -- it’s incredible. Thankfully their two offerings here (“TMA-1” and “Clavius”) are both well over ten minutes long. This allows Rosetta to weave their web, capturing the listener with their ambience and variations on the main themes. “TMA-1” is a complete trip inside your mind. It builds so well that you barely notice the transition from the main mellow riff to a deeply penetrating groove before going back to the clean and mellow aspect to allow you to recover. “Clavius” seamlessly continues the journey (fuck yeah – twelve minutes!) bringing distorted vocals back into the mix. The vocals aren’t so far in the foreground that you lose track of the great melodies and depth behind them. Five minutes into this epic you get slammed back into the earth with a great progression. This song is both incredibly mellow and incredibly heavy at the same time, mixing the two perfectly to create an amazing sound-scape. The final, title track here and is a collaborative effort by both Balboa and Rosetta. It’s almost nine minutes of pure sonic bliss, showcasing both bands very well. An instrumental of intense proportions, it mixes both bands’ styles perfectly. The only two words I can say halfway into this song are “holy shit.” This is an excellent split, and an great way to showcase these two incredible bands. I highly recommend that everyone pick this up – words just don’t do it justice. [Dixon] Level-Plane Records
Project Mercury Balboa opens this split with “Primitive Accumulation,” which starts as I would expect from them, with an ambient beginning. Half way through it’s three minutes, it becomes oppressively fast and noisy. The next tune is untranslatable characters (we’re going to call it “Kicking Pat in the Soul”) and is damn near ten minutes of what I love to hear in this style of music. Interesting guitar melodies with tons of ambience and mixed with an almost percussive vocal style. There’s enough build up, then ambient and clean parts throughout the tune. Balboa ends their individual contribution with “Planet of Slums,” a faster three minutes than the previous track. It starts off fast and in your face, backs off, and then comes right back in with some great ambience and guitar tones. The guitar has great delay and reverb usage to make it sound just huge. Rosetta takes care of the next two tracks. After the
36 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen
Baroness / Unpersons A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk I’ve enjoyed the Unpersons discs before this split, and am really happy to see this come across my desk. South Carolina’s Baroness have two tracks on here, the six-minute “Teiresias” and “Cavite,” a twelve-minute sludgy tune. They’re a cross between Electric Wizard, Isis, and Mastodon’s hammer-pull off riffing. “Teiresias” is very consistent, staying pretty damn heavy throughout the whole song. “Cavite” has enough time to develop some really interesting separate sections, almost like movements. Unpersons’ contribution to this is four tracks of, well, Unpersons’ stuff. They’re tough to categorize. “Black Finnegan” is a noisy intro interrupted by some loud and almost off beat punk and just good ol’ dirty rock ‘n’ roll.
Despite the song only being a smidgen over three minutes, the tune changes enough to keep it really interesting. “Number” comes in next, and is a good, screamy track. “Dry Hand” is next, with a really dissonant main riff. They saved the best for last with “A Small Gesture, a Thousand Small Happy Gestures [shone in the dust],” a six and a half minute work showcasing the odd riff and vocal combinations that make Unpersons so unique. It’s worth mentioning that the artwork is among the best for the albums I’ve reviewed in this set of discs with an almost 70’s psychodelia feel. [Dixon] At A Loss Recordings
Bear Claw Slow Speed: Deep Owls It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes a band “heavy.” Regardless of your criteria, Bear Claw is almost assured of getting labeled as such. Even on paper, their two bass and drums lineup seems pretty imposing. They harness this potentially cumbersome grouping in a surprisingly nimble way. Taking cues from a number of past and present bands from their native Chicago area, there is a deceiving depth and variation on the eleven songs here. Steve Albini’s production credit is hardly the only reminder of Shellac, as their approach and tempo are similar. A slower delivery and the vocals, especially the occasional, but effective dual vocal lines sound nothing like Shellac. “Embrace,” the most complete and immediately compelling track is toward the end of the record. Its opening is one of the slowest, most intense parts of the record while the endind is the fastest and most acrobatic. The eight songs before it maintain momentum and suspense at the same time. They use limited instrumentation well, finding a lot of variation, especially between the two bass parts without resorting to a lot of effects or gimmicks. All of the drumming is solid, precise and inventive. Albini’s style of engineering benefits this whole record, but especially the drums (which is often the case). Slow Speed: Deep Owls uses a punishing set of sounds and a surprisingly nuanced approach to songwriting, which makes for a challenging record that’s well worth a few extra listens. [Anderson]
Sickroom Records
Bloody Panda Pheromone Pheromone by Bloody Panda is a release that is definitely on par with much of the doom that is being released now. With Pheromone, Bloody Panda deliver four tracks of dense dirges that are cathedral-esque in their simultaneous warmth and spaciousness. The stellar five-piece exhibit as much influence from drone and minimalism as they do from traditional doom. They seamlessly meld these genres into a work that owes as much to Sunn O))) and Boris as it does Coffins and Unearthly Trance. The immediate factor that separates Bloody Panda from other funereal doom bands is the presence of Yoshiko Ohara amongst their ranks. This is in no way meant to discredit the other members of Bloody Panda as everyone appears to be at the top of their game, especially organ and synth operator Blake McDowell. However, Ohara’s vocals suggest that she has actually studied vocal music as opposed to the haphazard output of many other vocalists in the metal genre. Ohara’s performance lends the album a Gothic-opera vibe, but she is able to infuse her voice with enough brutality that she keeps Bloody Panda from being lumped in with Nightwish or Lacuna Coil. Yoshiko’s voice has an inherent sensuality that lures the listener in, but as the record progresses, her voice becomes icy and more indicative of some derangement. Soon, the same voice that was curiously mesmerizing mutinies and is suddenly at the listener’s throat. This is best evidenced in the one-two punch of “Fever” and closer “Ice.” In the former, Yoshiko’s voice is absolutely hypnotic while in the latter it adopts a more violent tone. Bloody Panda can be viewed as the Helmet of the doom genre. When Helmet hit the scene they were tagged as “thinking man’s metal.” Bloody Panda occupies a similar space. Pheromone is for the metalhead that demands that their doom kiss them on the mouth before it steamrolls them. I look forward to seeing what else this band can churn out in the years to come. [McKenzie]
Level-Plane Records
Bridge and Tunnel Self-Titled 7” Bridge and Tunnel is a new band, featuring drummer Pat Schramm from the recently deceased Latterman. The rest of the co-ed lineup is quick to point out their close friendship above and beyond the band. This is a simple, obvious or even quaint notion. But it’s genuine and refreshing, and shows in the four songs here. They play mid-tempo, melodic (but hardly poppy) punk rock that is actually fairly similar to Latterman in some ways even though they only have a drummer in common. This is partly because of the vocal duties, which are shared pretty evenly. The result is engaging
and eclectic, with one male voice and two female. The vocals especially are more melodic than they are anthemic, though there are moments of that as well. The interplay between the guitars and bass are reminiscent of multiple generations of melodic punk and more involved post-hardcore. The opening track, “Location, Location, Location” is probably my favorite and the most plainly catchy of anything here. All four songs are solid and well worth listening to over and over again, until the grey splattered vinyl starts to hiss from overuse. This is a great introduction to the newest in a long line of No Idea bands, finding their own take on punk rock while maintaining a comforting familiarity. In the end, this debut 7” has exactly its desired effect, as I can’t wait to hear their debut full length next year. [Anderson] No Idea Records
is done within ten minutes. The title track opens the record, the guitars ring out and the drumming bursts in, barreling along to the sing along chorus. Songs like “Huge” and “Barefeet,” display a catchy anger, reminiscent of Hot Snakes or No Division-era Hot Water Music. Their gritty, gravelly vocals add a certain snarl to the satirical lyrics. On “We are Billionaires” the protagonist proclaims his right to the free market, to fool consumers, and to ‘take what I want,’ over driving guitar lines that never last long enough to wear out. Better yet is “Space Babies,” whose first person narrative spits at punk rock’s middle class crossover; “I barely remember when you and I had different agendas” is an insult to trust fund-slummers over tight thumping drums The Brokedowns have created their own brand of modern, snotty, smart punk rock, and it’s good, really good. I highly recommend you rush out and get this album. [Sousa] Thick Records
Broadway Calls Self-Titled Often, the reasons you end up really liking a record are hard to pinpoint at first. But with Broadway Calls, it’s obvious right away. It’s 2007 and they are playing energetic and catchy, but still substantive pop-punk. Playing this style would have been at least common, if not irrelevant by the end of the 1990s. But almost ten years later, it’s become a fairly bold move. There’s no sassy screaming, no half-baked keyboard lines and no embarrassing t-shirt company “sponsorship” anywhere to be found. There isn’t any one band, or even era of melodic punk this fits directly into. Instead, it combines elements of the Lookout! heyday and the more recent postLifetime school of bands. The result is familiar and, at times, even predictable. But it also never goes off the deep end, toward sing along choruses that are too easy or repetitive. The catchiest moments tend to be built up to in a way that makes it feel like they earn your attention, rather than just pandering with easy, repetitive choruses. With fourteen songs and only a couple on the usually skipped list, the batting average is high. Their sound is easily summed up, refreshingly straightforward and somehow never easily dismissed. Given many of the shows I sat through over the last year, and some of my usual review pile, thank fucking god for Broadway Calls. [Anderson]
State Of Mind Recordings
The Brokedowns New Brains for Everyone Like an ice cold whiskey sour, The Brokedowns are the meanest most refreshing band I have heard in sometime. The album is straightforward nineties tinged punk rock, played fast and fierce with no remorse. Songs rarely exceed the two-minute mark; and the whole first half of the album
Broken Letters I (12” EP) The thing that struck me the second I put this on, is that I can’t figure out why more bands don’t opt for this format. It’s a one-sided 12” EP. There are only five songs, so it sounds great and the artwork is awesome. It’s silver printing on a black sleeve, with a simple tree ring design on the front and lyrics printed on back. This is 33 rpm, but other than that the format is similar to the 12” EP that has always a staple of electronic music. Though there is still something to be said for the 7”, Broken Letters are definitely on to something here. Musically, this duo wears their rural, Southern upbringing on their sleeve. The two met at a Baptist church outside of Birmingham, Alabama as pre-teens. Over the years they played in a number of bands together, Plate Six being the longest running of them. Everything about these songs is cohesive and the long history between the members is obvious. Their sound is part Southern blues dirge and part winding and heavy (but never bordering on metal) two-piece rock and roll. There is an obvious ebb and flow to every song, which is constant but never repetitive. The vocals are well sung, but still fit with the somewhat downtrodden feel of the songs. With the absence of bass, the vocals actually weave together with the guitar lines in a way another guitar or a bass might usually work. The effect is hypnotizing and gruff at the same time. There is an endless parade of bands with country twang or Southern accents (sometimes fake or at least forced) coming out of underground rock music. But here there are no vintage
The Capitol Steps I’m Not Listening Any album is bound by the limits of its instrumentation. Four-piece rock bands are held to the ranges of their guitars. Turntablists are as good as the samples they choose. Matt Kenall of Capitol Steps has chosen to create an album only using sounds that come out of a Nintendo GameBoy. A couple things are happening with this release, entitled I’m Not Listening. Musically, one is reminded of records made with similarly self-imposed restrictions. (Bjork’s Medulla comes to mind.) More broadly, I’m Not Listening is just the latest example of the retro fascination with classic gaming systems that’s been taking place for several years now, especially with regards to the original NES. Keyboardists have replicated the 16-bit sound in the metal and hardcore realm, most notably in HORSE the Band, whose emergence popularized the term “Nintendocore.” Even The Postal Service made use of the simple “boop-boop” melodies on Give Up. But this is the first I’ve heard of anyone sampling those sounds and using them exclusively to create new music. The results are honestly awesome in the album’s first track, “Barbara.” The notes are as cutely fuzzy as they are coming straight out of the little hand-held console. The surprise is in the impressively deep and resonating bass that Kenall finds and cranks up in the mix. A couple minutes into the song, you forget that you’re listening to a GameBoy on steroids and ecstasy and what’s left is good, bouncy, breakbeat-laden dance music. Finding themes that help the album hang together is difficult. With an instrumental album, one hopes for more informative titles than “How’s That Going For Ya?” and “Sure,
cowboy shirts, no sloppy lap-steel and thankfully, no fucking songs with the word whiskey in them. Broken Letters are, in every respect, the real deal. There’s nothing glamorous about it, but their formula is effective and engaging. It’s also legitimately refreshing and perfectly executed, right down to the presentation. If Drag The River hadn’t already broken up, I would tell them to take notes. Even someone as sick and tired of “altcountry” as I am will have a hard time denying this. [Anderson]
Self-Released
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Bread & Roses Deep River Day This time around, the records for review seem to be bands all on the cusp of greatness, and Bread & Roses is no exception. Their sometimes hyper, always sincere blend of folk, bluegrass, and punk, makes for a true slice of modern Americana. Opening track ‘Making Punk a Threat Again, Again’ is a blast, taking aim at post-punk complacency and its lack of direction, closing with gang vocalizing, “What do we do now?” A pertinent question for a group guys cruising into their thirties. The rest of the album straddles the classic line between labor and religion. The bands name refers to an early 20th Century Lawrence, MA textile strike, while the album’s back cover pictures an open bible drawn atop an alter. The steam rolling high hat of ‘Buried in Business Casual’ lets the fiddle and harmonica intertwine over the lyrical diatribe of a worker of little necessity pitted against a work ‘til death industry man. It is sounds like a lower class take on Weber and the protestant ethic, where the frugal and easily satisfied are in the right. They embrace human complexities on ‘Bedtime for Plutocracy,’ I’m guessing a DK shout out, where the lives of a bourgeoisie man of commerce, a fading rock star, and the President are all dwindled down to the simplicity of “I’m just a man.” Each character simultaneously recognizes their flaws and fortune over slow bass and brush drumming creating a sorrowful whist. Vocals harmonize through out the album, but the mix of straight singing and gutter gruff is most prominent on the albums closer ‘Let My Last Words Not Be in Rhyme’ over quick pluck banjo and wrist
Sure, Sure.” The fact that the songs come in alphabetical order seems to imply that the order is arbitrary. There’s also the fact that GameBoy music gets a little annoying after a while simply for its sonic thinness. I think the album art photo of Kenall dead from a gunshot wound to the head, holding only a classic GameBoy says a lot. Still, the album takes full advantage of its ability to invoke that bright feeling of satisfaction that comes from beating a level. If you’re down for hearing some genuine invention and manipulation while remembering long car rides with your parents, find this album someplace and sit down your eight-year-old self to listen. [Flatt] Go Midnight Records
Child Abuse Self-Titled Child Abuse will test your limits. How much noise is too much? How long will you listen to a band play one screeching riff? How goofy do you want the singer of your grindy noise band to be? In the wake of The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Locust, Child Abuse is the first band in years to make me wonder how much was too much. Singer and keyboardist Luke Calzonetti whoops and squeals, growls and screeches, creating a pretty eclectic range of vocal effects. The result is fairly convoluted, but consciously so. The question that Child Abuse seems to be asking is why does a listener value emotional tone? Although this is grindcore and it’s abrasive, it’s not angry. Anger has nothing to do with it. I’m going to go ahead and go all school-nerd on you. Their music makes me think of the work of lingual philsopher Jacques Derrida. Derrida argued that the words we use to indicate the real world don’t make us think of the real world, they make us think of other words. Similarly, Child Abuse points out that music doesn’t make us think of life, it makes us think of other music. Some would point to their song entitled “Penile Jihad” as an indication that they aren’t thinking about their work as seriously as I have just implied. But that’s a bunch of shit. Questions set before a backdrop of irony have implications just as serious as those put in scholarly journals that only people in pursuit of tenure actually read. Listen to Child Abuse and think about complex stuff. [Flatt]
Lovepump United
Child Bite Gold Thriller (CDEP) My first impression of Child Bite on “I Like Friends” was that of a band using a commonly combined set of sounds. They take loud and bold drumming that uses thinly veiled dance beats and combine it with spastically melodic
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breaking guitar strums. What the band does lack is tight instrumentation, an attribute only developed over time. Bread & Roses bring a sense of urgency and originality often vacant from modern the modern resurgence of country; Deep River Day is a reminder of what can be soulful and righteous about American music, and for the bands sake they do the town of Deep River right, this album is “Scruffy & Proud.” [Sousa]
Fistolo Records
guitar and bass lines. The vocals recall Les Savy Fav and Television, finding a freaked out middle ground between the two extremes. Just as this seemed easily filed away, more of the details in each of the seven songs became apparent. “Gudavia” opens with a Nintendo-esque keyboard line and scattered drumming, yet more common tools for similar bands. But then the song slowly builds up with increasing energy but not a quickening tempo. The way it’s constructed is epic and immediately appealing, something that only comes from a careful eye for details. “Ape Along” follows it with a much more driving and simple rhythm and slowmotion guitar lead stealing the spotlight from the keyboard. The best vocal performance on the record puts the song over the top, making it one of the best I’ve heard in years from any dance-heavy indie rock band. “The Muscle Chalet” and “Body Buddies” close out the record in a fittingly strong and spastic manner. This makes the scant 19 minutes presented on “Gold Thriller” a compact and tightly produced set of songs. If they keep this up, it won’t take these guys long to rise pretty quickly past a mass of similar, but usually much less interesting bands. [Anderson] Joyful Noise Records
The Conformists Three Hundred You can’t mention post-rock anymore without conjuring sound-images of 100 bands that have come out in the past five years and used extended compositions to create slow-burning songs that either explode near their conclusion or fool you into thinking they will. Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff, but like any genre does somewhere around five years after its inception, it’s getting a little stale. With Three Hundred, their second album in 11 years, The Conformists have taken the genre back to its avant-garde roots in Slint’s Spiderland. Essentially, it’s experimental rock music without the monotonous atmospherics that have become popular of late. Distortion is kept fairly low and the bass guitar is high in the mix. The erratic rhythms of “Laundry Hepburn” slap and pop sharply. The group also infuses a welcome sense of humor into their experimentation. The quixotically titled “Black People” allows the group to extend their critique of rock convention by spending the first minutes repeating a series of showending-type chords while shouting, “Thank you very much! Thank you, thank you!” The song ends with a wonderfully stomping riff while the singer shouts, “This is how we fall for it / It’s how we die from it / This room is getting smaller / It’s closing down on me.” Without the wit opening the song, those clichéd lyrics would seem really useless. What The Conformists manage to revive with this album is the performance art aspect of punk rock, something I haven’t seen in a band since The Read Yellow, who are now defunct. You’ll wonder what the hell they’re doing with long silences between riffs, gentle jazz moments and songs that
spontaneously combust wretchedly tight blasts like “Are These Flowers?” From what I can find on YouTube, their live shows look like uncomfortable affairs in which the band plays in the dark and people in the crowd giggle at the lead singer’s antics. This is a band that is willing to alienate their audience to make the music they want. [Flatt] 54-40 or Fight!
Das Kapital Died True Chicago’s Das Kapital has tread upon something totally original, a surf/punk band fronted by Glenn Danzig on Midwestern angst. Marc Ruvolo’s vocals croon with sarcasm near absent from the self-serious scenes of today. “Lions in Winter,” the diatribe of a middle aged man fearing death, is ripe with sardonic sadness, while on “Farouk Balsara” the band chants ‘We seem less sorry for this modern world’ with disdain. He splits vocals and guitars with Casey Olin whose struggling, cracked voice pays an off kilter compliment when sharing harmonies on “Blood on Snow” and “Blacklick, Oh.” What truly sets this band apart is their sense of humor, the strangely placed yelped back-up vocals of “A Drunken Wager,” or the mocking tone of “The Miserable Human Race.” The album’s lyrical consistency really comes through on this track, a woeful burst of ‘What will they do when I die’ selfpity, (apparently ‘they’ will celebrate). The guitars play off each other with a determined anger. The open strums of the chorus on closer “Promises Made to Stone” against the rock and roll opening of the title track where the rhythm section solidifies itself. Ryan Scaccia’s bass pops behind the loose high hat bridge; backing off on the verse the song sells itself as the album’s best track. Died True, their second album, plays like a concept record about aging and death, which the band confronts with a witty honesty. Das Kaptial are, without a doubt the kind of band that will not be forgotten. [Sousa] Johanns Face Records
Daymares Can’t Get Us All Daymares play dirty punk rock in the vein of old school Cro-Mags. The record starts off with “Get Us All,” a quick intro to the rest of the album. “Almost There” is next, and yes, the “Track Two Theory” is in full effect – this song kicks ass. There’s so much energy trapped in these eleven tunes, that you can’t help but get up and throw a couple elbows while this is going. There’s definitely a mix of Cro-Mags and Entombed in here. “Into the Night” starts an almost “Four Horsemen” ride in this hellacious thrill-ride (yes, I stole that from WASP – it’s only fitting with the melody and riffage in
here). The whole album starts at a 10 intensity and keeps it up. You can tell this band is a great live set, filled with bruises and beers. You gotta love a band that has song titles like “Cult Leader” and “I Shit You Not.” I sure do. [Dixon] Self Made God
Dear Tonight We’re Not Men I must admit I listen to this album quite a bit and yet I remain unsure and off put. Dear Tonight create interesting and aggressive hardcore that shows an equal amount of restraint and ambition. The anchor of their sound is the rhythm section: strong eager bass lines coupled with reserved drumming, never relying on emotionally manipulative beats. Instead, there are subtle blends of loose high-hat and ride, as on the pulsing ‘Flags Hang High.’ Guitars as well, in this case dueling, rely on little trickery, but not as a cop out, rather they allow each member breathing room to contribute. Take the 2:33 mark of ‘All the Silver,’ a moment of ringing bass and a heavy on the tom drum bridge built for emotional and intricate playing. Yet, they do not rehash emotive clichés. The strings create a three-layered sound where no one is on note, but everyone is in tune, as it is in the first minute of “Broken Golden Rules.” Stand out track ‘What We Love Not Are,’ a self-reflexive look at hypocrisy and passivity, allows the spoken and sarcastic holler trades off with a deep-lunged yell. “We Aren’t Doing It,” a tale of public self-examination whose mid-song break results in a post-hardcore breakdown and a battle for loudest vocal capabilities, is another example of their original distinct approach to the genre. What throws me about this band is a two-parter. First, “All the Silver,” an obligatory slow jam turns into an unnecessary bombastic cliché, and second, as it is on nearly every song, their penchant for lyrical selfexamination. As a debut record though, We’re Not Men has the sound and confidence to over step these few limits and create a unique and unified chord. Go get it. [Sousa]
disc, clocking in at almost 40 minutes. This gives Destructo Swarmbots a chance to really make you feel the title. White noise begat white noise, and so sayeth the Lord, “Bitchin!” This is excellent background noise. Before you know it, 18 minutes have passed, and you’ve reached the midpoint of our first little excursion into the ambient and experimental. Little did you realize that it’s slowly building to mix with more spacey ambience. “Phases” comes in next, and is the shortest atmosphere on the disc at four and a half minutes. The almost industrial sound in the background captivates and permeates the listener. It’s just a little bit soft, so you strain to hear it, but it’s a whole new depth. “Fireberry” is number 3, and is more excellent ambient music to really chill you out or freak you out, depending on how you feel about creepy ambient music. We finish our exposure to the “clear light” with “Sipping on the Fog,” a five and a half minute closer that keeps with the spirit of the rest of the album. Fronted by Mike Mare and accompanied by various other guests in the live setting, Destructo Swarmbots really live up to their name. Mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate, SunnO)))), Clear Light is an excellent ambient disc. Turn off the lights and watch out for Gremlins. [Dixon] Public Guilt
The Ergs!/Grabass Charlestons Split 7” This 45-rpm split is another gem out of the No Idea catalogue, with two great bands dropping two pop-punk tracks each. The Ergs! certainly have the more sour sensibilities, working minor chords and snotty delivery over punchy bass and solid drum beats. Grabass Chalrestons attack in much the same vein; Will Thomas’ dry raspy delivery, an anomaly considering he’s the drummer, compliments the great hooks and spry guitars. Definitely worth the cash, plus catch them at The Fest. [Sousa] No Idea Records
Red Leader Records
The Fucking Wrath Destructo Swarmbots
Season of Evil
Clear Light
Sludge and crust permeate the Fucking Wrath’s new disc. The Fucking Wrath is a three piece of long-time friends from California who all work at a record store. This is what would happen if you took the characters from High Fidelity
This has only four tracks, but ends up running damn close to an hour of excellent ambient music. “Banta” starts off, taking the lion’s share (and most of the lioness’s share) of the
Glös Harmonium I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new collaboration. Glös features Keely Davis and Cornbread Compton, guitarist/vocalist and drummer, respectively, of Engine Down, and Maura Davis, sister of Keely and frontwoman of the remarkable Denali. In all the best ways, this record is exactly what you would expect from the very beginning: an incredibly tight rhythm section, some of the most solid drumming on any indie release in the past decade, beautiful vocal harmonies, and meandering melodic guitar lines. The Davis clan undoubtedly has some of the most well developed melodic sensibilities in recent memory, beautifully demonstrated on “Public Speaker,” a salient reminder of what made Engine Down and Denali so successful. Another standout aspect of this record is its wonderful production: tasteful yet taking clear and decisive advantage of the studio setting to provide wonderful effects via differing EQ’s and echoes, delays, and reverbs not available live. I find that this is very effective on this type of sound if it is well executed, and this particular instance is the very model of how to produce a record and avoid going overboard. Yet perhaps the most standout trait of the album is its relentless momentum. “Telepathy,” a forerunner in this vein, is sure to get your pulse up. This illustrates the trio’s understanding of the unfolding of an album, something that has led them to the remarkable success they’ve enjoyed as musicians. The flow of the record must develop over the unfurling of the track list, so that it is a stimulating process for the listener from beginning to end. Development is the absolute key to a solid release. The Davises have done it before, and this record is certainly no exception. For a spectacular example of what can be achieved with the element of surprise in musical composition, see “Between You and I,” where each twist and turn of the chord
and made them dirty sludgy stoner rockers. In short, it’s excellent. Season of Evil starts off with “Ride the Lighter”, a slow, groovy, and just heavy as fuck opener. The rest of the album is noisy sludgy punk rock. The Fucking Wrath makes loud obnoxious music just the way I like it with plenty of fast beats and great riffs. Highlights on this album include “This Bear Blows Fire,” “To the Eels,” and “Past Your Grave.” Pick this up if you’re into Planes Mistaken for Stars, Cave In’s hardcore days, or old school thrash. These Californians make some damn good dirty metalhead music. I dig it. [Dixon] Goodfellow Records
Georgie James Need Your Needs Awesome from the first second. This new and dynamic duo featuring John Davis (the energetic drummer from Q and Not U) takes advantage of what I wish more artists would: the opening seconds of the record. You can tell with alarming precision whether or not a record is going to win you over by the fifth second of track one (hip-hop records with lengthy props-laden intros notwithstanding). Georgie James features Laura Burhenn on pianos of the acoustic and electric varieties and John Davis taking over guitar, bass, and drum duties. The two sing together, creating one of the more classic vocal couplings since Sonny & Cher. Filled out with excellent, nearly anthemic and catchy guitars and maracas, the EP’s opener and title track hooks you immediately. With the middle track, “Cake Parade,” the duo invokes the better work by the Zombies during the verse, and then some unnamed 80s titan (perhaps Duran Duran) during the pre verse. By the time the verse hits, think the best work of Electric Light Orchestra. How could you put these three into a song successfully? Ask Georgie James. And get an autograph while you’re at it, because these guys are headed straight to the top via the gumdrop-filled sugarpop rainbow. Hearing this record makes me remember that instantclassic songwriting is still possible. The final track, a Paul Simon cover, is masterfully executed, tastefully rounding out a three-song album. Imagine my frustration upon remembering the unnervingly short length of the record, measuring just over ten gorgeous minutes. Do yourself a favor and give Georgie James the opportunity to win your heart. But at the very least, write
progression will keep you anxiously and eagerly on your toes. This is the very melodic and harmonic sensibility I spoke so highly of earlier in action. The hauntingly beautiful “Agnosia” closes the debut album from this highly promising trio, a signature for their writing style. And it is certain that when the curtain falls on this extraordinary artistic feat, you will be left both rapturously satisfied and lustfully wanting more. [Cox]
Lovitt Records
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down and seek out their just-released full length, because if this EP is any indication, it will be incredible. [Cox] Laboratory Records
Go It Alone Histories Hardcore has seen more than its share of trends and reinventions over the last two decades. But there has always been some demand for, and a steady stream of, bands like Go It Alone. They take classic hardcore energy and most of its conventions, adding a new twist here and there. The Chain Of Strength comparison is pretty obvious and there are some early DC elements, especially in the guitars. Many of the guitar lines end up being subtly, or occasionally obviously melodic. But just as often they are angular and frantic, nodding as directly toward Black Flag as any youth crew band. I tend to like the slower, heavier songs from more direct hardcore bands and Histories is no exception. “Weight I” is a surprisingly effective instrumental, while “Monastery” is one of the slowest songs on the record and also the heaviest. All of the variations from song to song are substantial, at least if you’re still a fan of quick, straightforward hardcore. The sum is a dynamic, complete and well put together record, which covers just short of 30 minutes. That’s an eternity in Go It Alone’s world, but they pack every minute of it. [Anderson]
His Mischief Summer’s Eve His Mischief is the newest in a long line of incestuous Twin Cites bands. The project was started when guitarist and singer Sheridan Fox (Model Down, Effervescent) returned to St. Paul after college. The band is rounded out by bassist Jeff Quinn (Sean Na Na, Rockethouse) and drummer Jeff Brown (Grotto, Askeleton, Hidden Chord). The result is a straightforward, effective mix of early rock and roll and angular Midwestern post-hardcore. Comparisons to bands like The Who aren’t complete, though it’s a good place to start. Obviously more than just a throwback project, this incorporates a long list of more recent influences. The energetic rhythm section reminds me of fellow TC-ers The Plastic Constellations, especially on “Captain’s Ship.” A handful of more intricate moments are built into each song, which helps add a more modern element to His Mischeif ’s sound. There are also a number of downright catchy hooks, most of which are short-lived but effective. The most effective example is toward the end of “Victory Gasoline,” a slower, but melodic highlight. It ends with the most slyly catchy guitar and vocal line that the Strokes never wrote. With only six songs and just over 20 minutes of music, Summer’s Eve is a short and intriguing introduction. [Anderson]
Modern Radio Records
Howard Hello / Greenness
Rivalry Records
Split (Double CDEP)
Graf Orlock Destination Time Tomorrow (CDEP) This EP is the follow up to Graf Orlock’s debut full length, Destination Time Yesterday. They play cinema-grind: a combination of choppy, technical hardcore and carefully placed (and sometimes integrated) action movie quotes. The idea of inserting movie samples into a record is hardly a new one. But Graf Orlock take this to another level entirely. They choose the samples carefully and place them as perfect breaks between (and often during) the songs. The music stands well on its own, reminiscent of earlier Daughters, and a slower, more varied Pig Destroyer. It’s well put together, with constant changes and tense, frantic guitar and bass parts. Combined with the steady barrage of movie samples, it makes for sensory overload in the best way possible. [Anderson] Level-Plane Records
Handsome Furs Plague Park This duo consists of Wolf Parade singer/guitarist Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry (who is Boeckner’s fiancé). While this is a biography point that’s tough to ignore, you shouldn’t be getting images of a half thought out or sappy side project. Each of the songs on Handsome Furs’ debut has a certain dark charm, which comes from a careful mix of sparse arrangements and varied sounds. Well-written vocal lines are backed by acoustic guitar, keyboards and a noisy, but carefully programmed drum machine. The result is hardly completely unprecedented, and some of the songs (as well as the Sub Pop logo on the back) will likely have some lobbing Postal Service comparisons. While it isn’t too much of a stretch, it becomes obvious pretty fast that it’s a really incomplete summary of everything buried in Plague Park. The most effective songs are those driven by warm, straightforward guitar lines and Boeckner’s vocals. Both the more melodic “Sing! Captain” and darker “Hearts Of Iron” are great examples of this. Each is driven by guitar and vocals, but feature drum machine and keyboard lines that are sparse and crucial at the same time. “Handsome Furs Hate This City” is the best of the more electronically driven songs here and likely the first song that will jump out at people when they first hear this. The arc of the song is impressive, especially with so little instrumentation. Keyboard and drum machine lines lay out a linear structure that is continually evolving through the whole song. The result is hypnotic and oddly familiar at first, but hard to pin down. Much like all 36 minutes of Plague Park its tight construction and attention to detail combine to make simple sounds into something much larger. [Anderson] Sub Pop Records
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This is an interesting project, with all the proceeds going to Childrens’ Musical Education in St. Augustine, Florida. The incestuous connections between the musicians collaborating here are probably better suited for a chart on a marker board than in a record review. But, I’ll give it a shot: Howard Hello is a solo project, recorded in the bedroom of Kenseth Thibideau. Thibideau’s other projects include Rumah Sakit, as well as Pinback and Pinback-related projects Sleeping People and Goblin Cock. Greenness is a three-piece band, featuring Mitch Cheney (also of Rumah Sakit, as well as Sweep The Leg Johnny), drummer John Citrone and bassist Reed Berin. Howard Hello’s side of this split has five new songs, in a ballpark with layered, delicate solo work such as The One AM Radio or Her Space Holiday. All five songs are really solid, with the guest vocalist-driven “Liar” being the real standout. “It’s O.K.,” the final song on the side is another highlight. This is the quickest on its feet of any of Thibideau’s contributions, with bouncy drums and winding, melodic guitar lines. The Greenness side features four official Greenness songs, followed by eleven collaborative tracks. The only constant on each of the collaborative songs is that Cheney plays on all of them. Each of the proper Greenness songs shows an obvious Chicago indie rock influence. There is a mixture of heavyhanded, but still clearly jazz-influenced rhythms and melodic guitar leads that will make any Tortoise fan smile. But heavy, buzz-saw guitar and bass sections, especially on “I Never Met a Mark Gonzales I Didn’t Like” add a more confrontational feel to the songs. The collaborative tracks are all over the place, as varied as their participants. My favorite is “When A Hobo Finds A River,” which features Ian and Jay Pellicci, who you might know from the somewhat-overlooked 31knots or the even more overlooked Dilute. Most of the collaborations land somewhere between the benchmarks of each of the bands’ own contributions. They are often a bit more experimental, in the vein of Greenness, though the more careful contemplation of Howard Hello is pretty easy to find, especially on “I Swear I Miss You Guys,” which features Ben Mjolsness of Mass Shivers. The cumulative result is sometimes a bit scattered, though not nearly as confusing as trying to explain the musical and personal relationships between all of thse guys. It makes for a dense, but interesting project that is well packaged and benefits a good cause. [Anderson]
Sickroom Records
Ion Dissonance Minus the Herd Somewhere Meshuggah and Burnt by the Sun are vomiting up children. Canada’s Ion Dissonance is one of the more mature ones, with their sophomore album out. There are bits of Fear Factory and the Dillinger Escape Plan thrown in there as well. The album starts off with “The Surge,” a pounding rhythmic tune that sets the stage with the stop-start
beats that we all love from Meshuggah’s catalogue. I don’t know if I can use part of the name of the band to describe them, but the dissonance really does work in their favor throughout the album. The vocals take an almost Cephalic Carnage-esque tongue-in-cheek appeal during “Shunned Redeemer.” The tune “You Shouldn’t Be Alive” comes in as the midpoint of the album, and is a really interesting riff combined with the stop-start beats. “Scorn Heaven” is my favorite tune on the disc, a four-minute pulse into chaos. The “Untitled” track on here is an instrumental, almost a tribal electro drumbeat going into “Void of Conscience.” Minus the Herd will definitely appeal to fans of the Black Dahlia Murder, As I Lay Dying, etc. It’s good metalcore, produced by Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed). The artwork on the front is interesting – a dude with his head in a cage and expanded consciousness coming out. This is interesting. [Dixon]
Abacus Recordings
Irepress Samus Octology There is a seemingly endless parade of bands these days that are presenting some take on progressive, instrumental heavy music. Boston-based Irepress are no exception, though even on their debut record they manage to find a formula fundamentally different than most everyone else in the pack. Most of the elements here are decidedly heavy, though they rarely add up to something you could really call “metal.” They alternate between serene, slightly jagged passages and more fluid, heavier parts in a way that’s reminiscent to Russian Circles. Many of the less heavy sections also feature fast-forward noodling which will quickly attract any Don Caballero fan. The eight songs work together fairly cohesively, while maintaining often starkly different moods and approaches. “Fiddler, Yee Ryding” is a choppy and spastic epic, one of the most jarring tracks here. It’s also probably my favorite. As the horizons for instrumental post-hardcore expand, so do the number of bands attempting to find their own wiggle room within it. Irepress aren’t the heaviest or the prettiest of the bunch, though they push the boundaries of both extremes at different points throughout Samus Octology. The result is a powerful and air tight forty-five minutes of music and a noteworthy debut. [Anderson]
Translation Loss Recordings
J Church The Horror of Life The Berkeley scene’s heyday is still important because of the exceptional songwriting that took place. The era’s sounds were not just punk, but pop music as well; catchy hook filled songs against rules and about girls. As the brain behind Cringer and J Church, Lance Hahn is one of the finest craftsmen from the era. Over fifteen years, seven albums, and numerous singles J Church continues to define itself as purveyors of pop-punk, their ability to deliver hooks at circle pit speeds is undeniable. The Horror of Life is a contemplation of death, dissolution, and the end of all things imaginable. Hahn shifts gears from the death of punk on “Flirting with the Bourgeois Dream” and “If I have to Dance then I don’t want Your Revolution.” To the death of dogs from mans desire to explore on “Cosmonaut.” He even handles life over death on the opener “Vampire Girl Wants Me Alive,” in which the hero’s girl goes from town to town killing store clerks, while he waits alive in the car. Death is certainly on the mind Hahn, whose own heart and lung ailments come to fruition on the album’s tail with the back to back “Tomorrow & Forever” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” The former is an honest look at how short life is, Hahn declaring the songs title ‘a sacred lie’ over a funky bass line and down stroke guitar. The latter is the saddest love is dead song in quite sometime, the muted guitar line and rolling drums, building to the lovers split. Hahn uses this dead love to imply that we should not lament, that ‘pain is always fleeting, but regret can last forever.’ Sounds like sage advice from an elder statesman. [Sousa]
No Idea Records
songs. Through nine relatively lengthy songs (totally more than 40 minutes), there are dense arrangements, but don’t have to club you over the head with them. The dynamics are impressive, though without a lot of sudden shifts in volume or tempo. There are plenty of sudden changes, in fact much of the record is based on them. But they never rely on easy tricks, or obvious curveballs to make a point. Careful, well-coordinated shifts usually involve all four instruments at once. They are sudden, but more substantial changes, which really do make the record. Let’s face it -- there have been a lot of bands trying to find the next crazy, choppy and frantic extreme in emotional hardcore for decades. They have employed every silly gimmick they can think of, for results that vary widely. But Kidcrash seems to have really focused on every detail of their songwriting, within a time-tested two guitars, bass and drums lineup. The results are impressive, on the first and the twentieth listens and Jokes is easily one of the best records anywhere near this genre that I’ve heard in years. [Anderson]
Kidcrash Jokes It takes all of about 30 seconds of opening track, “Turtlelephant” before I’m wondering why this is the first I’ve heard of these Olympia natives. Sure, they only have one other proper CD release (New Ruins on Lujo a few years back). But the raw urgency of the opening track alone is so jarringly refreshing and tightly constructed that immediate fandom is unavoidable. There are two distinct elements to Kidcrash’s sound. First is a jagged, meandering mid-90’s emo influence. Various Kinsella projects come to mind, as well as Garden Variety, or even Mineral. The guitar lines especially are melodic and winding, but on a constant collision course as well. The rhythm section and vocals both add a more confrontational and frantic feel, which leans toward later post-hardcore. Standouts like Daitro, Off Minor or Red Scare make pretty clear (though incomplete) reference points as well. The overriding, defining elements of Jokes are urgent delivery and chaotic arrangements. Neither thing is particularly rare, nor is a combination of the two. What makes Kidcrash so noteworthy is in the details and careful construction of the
Je Suis France Afrikan Majik I am all for epic. The first immediately noticeable thing about this record is that the first track lasts a sprawling sixteen minutes, which is abnormally long even for a band whose genre is under normal circumstances conducive to writing such lengthy tracks, for example space or prog rock. Yet we have here an excellently high-energy exotic rock nonet, and as you pass five minutes, you think to yourself, ‘They couldn’t possibly keep this up for another eleven minutes!’. Stunningly, they do. There are slight improvisational interludes that bring the song from one section to another, but it is certain that you will witness a sixteen-minute monster by the record’s close. Mind you, this is all instrumental. Think a more simplistic version of the lost 70s Miles Davis sessions: the ones where he had taken a trip to the future and listened to a bit of garage rock for good measure. Honestly, it’s hard to put a track like that first. You end up expecting things one way or the other. But wait! “Whalebone,” the album’s third track, is another eight minutes. “Wizard of Points,” three tracks later, covers a by now miniscule 7:29. Overall, I have to say that the latter two tracks, which are composed around vocals, are less engaging to listen to, although “Wizard of Points” offers said vocals via a robot vocal transformer, so you at least have the novelty. Outside of the scope of these three tracks, which together make up more than half of the album, there is not much to be found that distinguishes this band from millions of others out there. Their brand of rock, while at times catchy, ventures into well-worn territory seeming at times watered down. You’ve certainly stood at the bar and talked your way through a song that sounds more or less like “101 Miles and Running” while you were waiting for the band you came to see to come on. In the end, the epic saga promised by the record’s ambitious, longer tracks is not supported by the remainder of the material. This ends up creating an overall aesthetic of an album that, though marvelously motivated, is rather flat and lifeless in spite of its well-intentioned experimentalism. [Cox]
Antenna Farm Records
Jena Berlin Quo Vadimus After waiting almost four years to release their first full length, Jena Berlin’s timing couldn’t be worse in many respects. They find themselves in a time dominated by bands with either simple, easy melodies or none at all. Stuck directly between the two extremes, these guys are thankfully more breath of fresh air than throwback. Each of these eleven tracks features a combination of gruff vocals and jagged rhythms. Both collide constantly changing melodies that disappear and reappear throughout every song. It isn’t hard to find strong Jawbreaker or even Crimpshrinestyle vocal melodies or more aggressive 90’s Dischord influences. Most of the songs put everything together at one point or another. But standouts like the Samiam-influenced “Instruments” and the more aggressive “Motion Sickness”
Init Records
keep enough momentum from beginning to end to carry most of the record’s 38 minutes. This band’s sound, and way of doing things are both clearly tied to a largely bygone era. I’ll probably always be partial to bands harnessing late 90’s melodic hardcore energy as convincingly as Jena Berlin. They combine it with forwardthinking arrangements enough to keep it relevant and leaning away from the simple nostalgia. Along the way, Quo Vadimus becomes way more than the sum of its parts. [Anderson] Jump Start Records
Johnny and the Moon Self-Titled I have to admit that I didn’t know what to make of this record on the first listen. I’m developing a hypothesis that this is the type of record in which Kill Devil Hills specializes. I received another for review from this label for this issue, and, try as I might, I just could not think of anything intelligent or at least in any way useful to the band or to the reader to say, so I just left it out. I’m going to give this one my best shot. The record doesn’t seem to have any clear direction until “The Ballad of Scarlet Town,” a little country-inspired ditty. The vocalist (credited simply as “Johnny” in the liner notes) works up a Lucero-esque raspiness, and the result is actually rather enticing. The follow-up to this song, “Johnny and the Devil,” is reminiscent of a countrycore version of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain,” complete with a very authentic western feeling and a bit of the old Southern twang in Johnny’s voice. “When You’re All Alone,” a pseudo cabaret number, adds to the musical depth of the record, if only slightly. Think Social Distortion meets Lucero in a rowdy saloon, circa 1850. The one clear thing about the record is how solidly it has its roots in the wide, wild world of Americana. The way Johnny plays seems to betray an intimate knowledge of this medium, as well as delta blues. The quasi-honky-tonk piano on “Little Red Cat” is another testament to the appreciation of this lineage. As important as new music and new sounds are to me, the part of me that has ancestrally been accustomed to western music for the past 500-odd years enjoys something this comfortably predictable. In this way, small changes like the innovative percussion on “Little Red Cat” make a huge difference. If you’ve ever felt like venturing down to old town Arkansas and getting by with no friend in the world but one Mr. James Beam, this record would make the perfect soundtrack to that ambition that I firmly believe that everyone, at one point or another in their life, shares. [Cox]
Kill Devil Hills
Kinski Down Below It’s Chaos If you’ve listened to Kinski before, this album will be like hearing a whole new band. There are few instances when
I think the term “reinvention” is appropriate, but Kinski has changed their sound so radically since their early albums, that someone who loved them in 2000 might skip a free show these days. They’ve gone from seriously down-tempo post-rock to the clearly cut stoner rock of their latest full-length, Down Below It’s Chaos. For the love of God, they toured with Tool last year. And while the group displays an ability to generate ambience on tracks like “Boy, Was I Mad!” the same track then distorts into a, plodding, snarling, heaving beast. The best track on the album by far is the opener, “Crybaby Blowout.” The opening riff is pure anthem fodder. It pulls you in, stares you straight in the eyes and says, “I think you’re about ready.” Then there’s a two-beat silence about a minute into the song that precedes a two-and-a-half minute solo that sounds like it belongs on the new Queens of the Stone Age album more than anything on the new Queens of the Stone Age album. Some tracks are much more laid-back, in a drowsy, blues-riffy kind of way, others in the studied, low-creepingfog sound of their early album, “Don’t Climb on and Take the Holy Water.” But each track that starts out small ends up a pachyderm standing in your living room. Down Below it’s Chaos is satisfying in so many ways, I could toss six rather ecclectic bands from collection because Kinski does them all. [Flatt]
Sub Pop Records
The Locust New Erections What do you do with a band that was brilliant on their first release and has made no progress since? It still stands that The Locust are easily the tightest electronic-jazzgrind group to exist since they basically invented the genre. But they seem almost to have found a way to make their weirdness sound ordinary by simply reiterating their aural nihilism. New Erections is basically a recapitulation of the albums that have preceded it. It’s bizarre, rhymically offkilter and crushing. Buzzing keyboard interludes interrupt and relieve the grinding. The group has incorporated electronic and grind in a more cohesive way than any of their contemporaries. But at the same time, The Locust seems to have limited themselves in terms of what the keyboard can contribute. They basically use it like a guitar, another bearer of odd rhythms and amelodic soundscapes. Perhaps the album’s most interesting moment comes on “One Manometer away from Mutually Assured Relocation” when the keyboard is used to back up what one might nearly call a guitar melody. It’s a four-note riff, and you think they’re about to use a hook. Then they don’t. While I wouldn’t advocate for The Locust becoming groove-heavy, a full melody might inform their amelodic, arhythmic structures. If you’re into what The Locust has been doing, this won’t disappoint you, but it won’t surprise you either. [Flatt] Anti
issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 41
Manes How the World Came To An End I don’t know how to classify this. It’s part electronica, metal, goth, and opera, reminding me of a bit more of a electro version of Therion. It starts off with “Deeprooted,” an almost Samael-ish tune. “Come to Pass” is next, clocking in at over six minutes and starts with an Ulver-like quality before hitting a weird trip-hop anthem. This is really unique (despite my attempts to compare them to other electro-metal bands like Samael and Ulver). There’s a strange trip-hop/acid jazz that’s permeated the metal scene in lots of circles, and this is certainly one of the examples of how it can really work well. Upon my first listen, I wasn’t terribly impressed. On a second listen, I like this a lot more with more time to focus on the weird ambience and really interesting mix of modern vocals with an almost old-jazz feel. “I Watch You Fall” is an almost Enigma ballad when the creepy samples come back in. I can’t quite put my finger on why this works, but it just does. Things are just very well constructed and timed well. The vocals fit perfectly, the weird samples fit perfectly, and the product as a whole is just really intriguing. “Last Lights” could have easily been an Ulver tune from “Perdition City” (I loved that album – that’s a compliment). This is just very well done, and certainly will appeal to any music fan with an open mind ready for something totally unexpected. [Dixon] Candlelight Records
Mannequin Men Fresh Rot The mid-tempo guitar riff and sour, snotty vocals on “Private School” begin this record in a way that promises to make my job really easy. It’s a solid song, with an obvious classic rock and roll feel. Mixed with simple but slightly ironic vocals, this seems like it’s going to be a quick review. I’ll throw in a Paint It Black reference or two, maybe a slam on The Hold Steady or The White Stripes. You know, the usual. But by the second minute of the second track, it’s obviously not going to be so simple. Even a little close inspection to most of the 13 songs here reveals ambition and variety that’s all too rare for bands like The Mannequin Men. Instead of vintage cowboy boots, boring riffs and a few cutesy glam moments, these guys actually bring engaging and endearing songs. The first real strong indication of this is “The Pigpen,” the fourth song. It interjects the first immediately satisfying melody of the record as well as this gem: “The boys, the boys, the boys, they wanna do the pigpen.” It’s like the really legit-sounding song the Strokes should have written. A couple of the slower
songs were also highlights, especially the snotty, winding “Grapefruit” and “22nd Century,” which is the closest these guys ever get to a ballad. In reality, it sounds sort of like Wire covering a Hot Snakes song. There aren’t a lot of cities with a shortage of mostlyretro, straightforward, supposedly pissed off bar bands. More than one or two things about Fresh Rot rely on the path so worn by thin by these peers, old and new. But their songwriting seems to go for it in a way that’s usually lacking in these bands. Few rules are rewritten along the way, but just as few are followed to the letter. Mannequin Men don’t reinvent the wheel. They don’t have to. But they interject both an uncanny knack for songwriting and a sarcastic swagger into a genre that rarely pulls off either. [Anderson]
Flameshovel Records
Maserati Inventions For The New Season In the four years since Maserati’s last release (a split with The Mercury Program), the niche they find themselves in has become quite crowded. Heavy-handed, instrumental rock music comes in all shapes and sizes lately, though most of the bands use the same tricks. Maserati’s linear song structures and swirling guitar lines are standards for everyone from label mates Explosions In The Sky to the typically more metal-leaning Pelican. But Maserati’s typically faster tempos make the result more urgent and versatile. There are also elements, especially between the guitar lines that lean toward prog and Krautrock, not Sabbath metal or winding, twinkling indie rock. These differences aren’t exactly obvious right away, though they’re absolutely crucial. The best summation of the whole record is the sevenminute “Synchronicity IV.” It quickly legitimizes its title, with melodic, winding guitars over driving drums that sounds like a more academic, instrumental version of The Police. At different times, it’s both the most driving and most melodic song on the record. The slower, heavier “12:16” shows off a more patient, but no less engaging side. The approach here is a bit more typical of the genre since Maserati’s last release. One reverb-drenched guitar lead attracts everyone’s attention, while ominous rhythm section work supplies sustenance. All of the records’ 45+ minutes have a level of clarity and experience that isn’t surprising given the collective experience and lengthy downtime. The result is a more complete and fully satisfying record than you’ll usually find in this ever-expanding world of instrumental indie rock. Maserati avoid repetitive stoner dirges and the overt noodling, both pitfalls that tend to swallow most of the bands on either end of this spectrum. Inventions For The New
Modern Life Is War Midnight in America Modern Life Is War made a huge, almost immediate impact over the course of their first two records. Hailing from Marshalltown, Iowa it’s hard to tell if their quick rise is in spite of, or because of this isolation. Their rural Midwestern upbringing have informed the sound and lyrics for everything they’ve done. Comparisons to Springsteen aren’t that far off in terms of lyrical content, though singer Jeff Eaton’s approach is considerably different. While their debut, My Love My Way was a powerful, fast and direct statement, their sophomore effort, Witness was slower, heavier and practically perfect. The mid-tempo intensity of Witness made for a huge, imposing and complete record. This picks up where their previous records left off -- adding tense, hard-earned melodies along the way. Confidence and sincerity has defined everything the band has done and both are at a high point here. It’s channeled into an imposing, brooding tension that shows up on each of thee 11 songs. They got J. Robbins to produce this record, which isn’t a common choice for a hardcore band. Like most of the other decisions they’ve made along the way, it really pays off. Robbins is known for producing more melodic indie rock bands. He found a perfect middle ground for the production, leaving out the wall of guitars and overblown drum sound that most similar bands opt for. This gives the songs a lot of breathing room, and a clearer sound. Both add a lot of depth and further distinction to each of the songs. An aggressive approach, especially in the vocals and guitar riffs collides with tempos that are slow by hardcore standards. The result is a little odd at first, though it creates consistent, rewarding tension in every song. It’s like Black Flag’s thoughtful bludgeoning mixed with
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Season isn’t going to grab ahold of most listeners right away, but it won’t wait very long either. [Anderson]
Temporary Residence Ltd.
Massacre of the Umbilical Cord / Control Split Massacre of the Umbilical Cord may have first billing on this album, but Control make it worth hearing. The two bands are musically wildly different, insofar as a death metal/grind group can be said to be wildly different from a metalcore group. Decibal magazine makes an equation between them, saying they’re making basically the same music, based on one fair assertion and one unfair one. They’re both from North Carolina. That’s fair. They also both use a lot of breakdowns. That’s not. There are breakdowns in every genre of popular music, so to use them as a genre definition makes as much sense as using the chorus as a definition of a genre. Massacre of the Umbilical Cord is not very good. They play death metal you’d expect to hear from a group of kids who just discovered that it exists. They’re basically playing a game of alternations between vocal growls and shouts, between double bass rolls and blast beats, and, as Strong Bad might put it, between chugga-chuggas and meedleys. The band comes across as a group of perfectly competent musicians who still need to learn how to write a song rather than work soley within generic stereotypes. Control, on the other hand, have broken my metalcore fan heart. About a week after receiving this album for review, and becoming very excited about Control, I looked them up online, only to find that they were playing their final show in July. It was terribly unfortunate, because the sound they generate on this split is enormous. The singer sounds genuinely upset, but the musicians are furious. Yes, there’s a breakdown in the first 10 seconds of their first song on the record, but they earn it by completely investing themselves in the preceding four bars. The five songs they have on this record are as good as any metalcore I’ve heard in years. The biggest difference between Masscre and Control is that Control takes themselves seriously. Massacre use Aqua Teen samples and mock their own musical tendencies. Control rely on their adrenal glands instead of a feeble sense of irony. And thank God there are still musicians who are willing to do so. For information about this album’s “controversial” artwork featuring Kurt Cobain, turn back to the profile of Brent Eyestone, who came up with the concept. [Flatt]
Magic Bullet Records
Refused-esque guitar riffs and slow, ominous construction. There are still some faster, shorter songs here, including the outstanding “Fuck The Sex Pistols” – opening with ‘Hey, hey, hey, hey, fuck the glory days’. This disregard for punk rock’s past is, ironically on the track that fits into it easiest. The longer, slower tracks are my favorite, especially “Big City Dream” and the title track. Both are carefully constructed and recklessly executed in a way that will have many imitators, very few of them successful. Midnight in America exceeds its lofty expectations in a way that few records in any genre have. They break most of hardcore’s current rules, and still manage to assemble one of the best hardcore records of the year. By expanding, but never exiting a well-worn genre, Midnight in America is sure to turn plenty of heads. [Anderson]
Equal Vision Records
Pissed Jeans Hope For Men
HOLY SHIT! This is a fucking rock band. It’s like listening to the Melvin’s ‘10 Songs” -- I love this. One could make an obvious comparison to The Birthday Party or the Jesus Lizard. Sub Pop is on a roll, first the Low record, now this. There may be no hope for men, but there is hope for rock and Pissed Jeans is it. The band is a four-piece originally from Allentown, Pa who now reside in Philadelphia. They work office day jobs and seem to live otherwise normal lives. But when night falls, I bet their basement slips into a scene of revelry and darkness surrounded in convulsive yowls and screeching musical tirades. “Hope For Me” takes many blistering turns, from the shallows of “Scrapbooking’ to the snarls of “I still have your (Ice Cream)”. “Fantasy World” starts with a simplistic snare and bass drum beat that instantly kicks into what can only be described as a Nailbomb or Fudgetunnellike guitar rant. Lyrics like “Somebody’s playing the doll in my fantasy world” are not only twisted, but clearly show Matt Korvette’s ability to create snotty story lines that might rival those of king Yow. His howls and moans fit the giant overdriven, feedback ripened guitars drums and bass with eloquent precision. All of the instruments are actually creating a ton of noise; exquisite indeed. There are several songs I could go on and on about, such as “Caught Licking Leather” or
“Secret Admirer,” but lets face it, “My Bed” is the best seven-minute anthem closer of all time. Combining guitar structures only the likes of Tony Iommi could conceive, pulverized with sweltering bass and thundering drums really constructs an intense finish to an already commanding record. There are not many bands that can create such a consistently original sounding record from start to finish, actually very few bands of this day and age can even come close to what Pissed Jeans has accomplished. This is the purist record of the year -- start paying attention and drop Sub Pop some of your hard earned cash. [Zabby]
Sub Pop Records
C: Scott Russell
me&himcallitus / The Blue Letter
New Idea Society
Split
The World Is Bright and Lonely
Me&himcallitus hail from Atlanta, Georgia playing a brutal brand of grind, with two songs in under three minutes. The style is aggressive, guttural growls and meth-induced drumming. “Frostbit” is the more decipherable of the two tracks, switching from screaming verses to rough, howling choruses. “Seasick” is a choppy number, where the talent really comes out, switching from heavy molasses to off time harmonics. The blue letter’s “March of the Romans” is out of place after those two numbers. The vocals have a coarse and yelped melody over metal tinged guitars giving it that modern emo sound. The music is drawn out and choppy, closing high hats and chugga-chuggas, strumming its way into a nice single file outro for a seven-minute finale. Lyrically it’s the requisite call to arms in the underground, which is a necessary cliché these days. Not the greatest split ever, but three solid songs from two decent bands. [Sousa]
Mike Law, the songwriter behind New Idea Society originally played in the overlooked Eulcid. The band also features Steven Brodsky (Cave In) on second guitar. Each song is straightforward in its own way, though there’s a noticeable and convincing variation from one to the next. “Single Thread” is an early highlight, mixing traditional indie rock in a way that sounds like a jagged Built To Spill. There are a few tracks that are more urgent, but no less poppy. Despite some predictability in the structures and arrangements of a few songs here, the delivery is energetic enough to keep almost anyone’s interest. “The Only Sound” is the best of the more mellow, singer/songwriter-style songs. It too has a pretty standard structure but an direct and real performance. The World Is Bright and Lonely is a tough record to generalize in a way that will jump off the page at anyone. But there is something to its combination of straightforward ideas and energetic delivery. It isn’t obvious, especially on the first or second listen, though a lot of subtle additions to each song make this a rewarding listen. [Anderson]
Guevara Entertainment
The Measure (SA)
Exotic Fever
Historical Fiction Let it not be a knock, but from the opening note, Historical Fiction plays like a first record. There is too much timidity and energy for it to be otherwise. Most bands work in an arch; the first album has momentum, the second album is genius, and the rest of the catalogue is forgettable. The Measure (SA) deals a great hand on their first wager; the split vocals give the band a range of styles and sounds. Lauren’s vocals are never too blunt, always down to Earth and straightforward. Songs like “Angel Street” and “Little Things” showcase a sincere sing-a-long yelp, while “Media Free” or “Autonomously” find her more melodic and monotone. But on each track her voice sounds tentative, as though a few more takes might truly open her up. Mike’s vocals land on the other end, near a drunken gruff, words stumbling over the next like a clear thinking rambler. Take “Sleep” or “Asbury Park” where he runs off like an intoxicated sad soul, playing right in to the lonely narrative. The driving riffs on “Little Things” and “Media Free” are without the pretension of guitar rock and intricate enough to be enticing and sweet. This gets the band running towards their obvious second album achievement. While the songs sound in a hurry to keep up with the band’s obvious energy, there is a natural fluidity to the tracks laced with the promise of uncompromising pop-punk originality. [Sousa]
Team Science Records
Nurses Hangin’ Nothin’ But Our Hands Down The story attached to Nurses’ debut full length is hardly a new one. Since forming, the members have spent all of their time struggling to tour and write the songs that would become their first record. They moved to California from Idaho Falls, sharing a two-bedroom apartment. Their story is familiar, but devotion (whether blind or not) doesn’t always produce great music. As rare as it has become, there are still times that it all comes together. Nurses are a refreshing example, putting together a dauntingly wide range of elements into a cohesive and compete debut. Throughout these eleven songs, there are moments that sound achingly familiar. But, the band that I am reminded of changes almost every time something familiar pops up. The jagged dance beats of Les Savy Fav and Q and Not U are easy to nail down right away. But most of the songs are slower and more layered than either band. Elements of early prog and glam also inform much of the record, with brooding but melodic parts that are a more aggressive take on Arcade Fire or The Constantines. Such a wide range of ideas packed into twelve songs is very often a bad idea. Through fresh-faced energy, careful construction and live-sounding production, Nurses have found just the right mix of a long
list of ingredients. Perhaps the best thing about Nurses is the piano. Wellwritten and confidently played electric piano lines make an appearance on most of these songs and carry more than one of them. The playing and the sound of the piano are light years ahead of most of the novice keyboard tinkering from many of Nurses’ peers. It is the most obvious of many little details that move Hangin’ Nothin’ But Our Hands Down from interesting debut to great record. [Anderson]
Sargeant House
Other Men Wake Up Swimming Pinback devotees, rejoice. It’s the new record from Rob Crow and company. But wait. Hold your applause until I tell you the most exciting part: it’s different. Yes, I know. His solo record was different, and you were grateful for it. But here is a full band effort (also featuring Travis Nelson on guitar and Manolo Turner on drums) that is nothing if not a departure from Pinback’s signature sound (save Rob Crow’s unmistakable vocals). The thing I can guarantee is that you’ll love this record from the start. Not just because it features Rob Crow, which, I suppose, is a valid reason. Rather, from the second the disc starts spinning. This is the result of the mind-numbingly tight execution of the trio from the opening seconds. Turner’s virtuosic drums fill out Crow’s lush basslines and Nelsons wiry guitar licks. This precedent, set before the track counter reaches 0:01, continues the momentum throughout the record. If I didn’t know any better, I’d speculate the record was recorded by Steve Albini and would be reduced on Touch ‘N’ Go, were it not for Crow’s own label. The excellent Chicago prog sound is so well executed and so authentic...except for the fact that these were not the circumstances for this. I have to be honest in saying that I loved Pinback, but was getting a little much of Crow’s endlessly prolific side projects. But here, the quality and well thought out end more than justifies the means. Fan or not, this record must be experienced, if only for the exciting harmonies of “Uhhhhh....”. The drums, bass, and guitar, heard separately, would be anathema in their complexity even to the most dedicated listener. Harder still would be to imagine a part played by either of the other two instruments that would match it. Yet all three parts fit together amazingly, not surprisingly by the time you arrive at the album’s close. In the end, if there’s one thing I’m fundamentally against, it’s artists who use their clout to haphazardly release greatly experimental but ultimately valueless random studio
issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 43
choice but to pick them up, try desperately to wrap their minds around them, and force themselves to like them. This is, however, surely not what Crow has done. He has done nothing if not assured the utmost quality of this recording, and he’s chosen his fellow musicians wisely. This will fit nicely into Crow’s cannon among even his most musically advanced projects. [Cox]
Robcore Records
Oxbow The Narcotic Story Oxbow is one of those bands that are really hard to review. They don’t sound like any particular genre or any other band. They’re so experimental that a lot of people tend to miss them all together. “Mr. Johnson” starts off this album with a very eerie string piece, while “The Geometry of Business” follows with a very strange, rhythmic acoustic song. “Time, Gentlemen, Time” follows with an almost bluesy guitar lead -- really trippy stuff. “Down a Stair Backward” is an exhale of pure emotion; strange vocals are a must for any Oxbow release, and this is no different. “She’s a Find” is the mid-point: a nearly nine-minute, slow fall from grace. Fittingly, half way through the song, it comes to a near halt before changing. Throughout the disc, there’s a sense of a story beginning to be told. As I finish typing that comment, there’s a liner note that hits me right in the nuts with a capital “Duh!” – The Narcotic Story is the beginning of a trilogy of the disc, a movie, and a soundtrack of a fall from grace, a road to ruin. They use their music as an art. Appreciate it or not, Oxbow is one of the definitions of experimental alternative music. No one sounds like them, and no one could. Oxbow is a totally unique monolith. “We all get exactly what we fucking deserve” sums it up very nicely. [Dixon]
Hydra Head Records
Schifosi Absentium Existence If you’ve watched television at all, you should be aware of some alarming trends: global warming, bastardization of the English language, and rapid, rampant, and self-inflicted degradation of the human species (to name a few). However, one problem you won’t hear about is the ever-dwindling duration of the full-length album. Where is all the music going? The latest culprit of this abandonment is Melbourne, Australia’s Schifosi and their new album Absentium Existence.
I can’t say that Schifosi’s specialty is revealed on this stump of a full-length, but the female-fronted crust punk band borrows heavily from the D-beat punk rock pantheon. The guitarists, Tristan and Jacquie, seem to favor a chunkier guitar tone as opposed to the oft-revered, scooped-mid tone of many crossover and thrash bands. Schifosi’s bassist, known simply as Bart, turns in a solid performance as his clean, yet fat, bass tone clings tightly to the guitars as they crash through the mix. The overall crustiness of the mix can be credited to producers Craig, Fin, and Chris (I guess it’s taken for granted that we know these dudes) who, like lazy prison guards, allow the guitars to have at one another. This same apathetic leeway, which is offered to the guitars justly extends throughout the rest of the mix and lends the entire sound a sense of latitude. This freedom creates a cold and distant vibe, two terms typically synonymous with black metal. One of the areas where Absentium Existence falters is the vocals. Frontwoman Kate turns in a typical hardcore screamfest, which is passable. But one quickly realizes that it’s a mite stale and oh-so-unmemorable. She doesn’t display any range, an enormous misstep for a female vocalist. If you are looking for pure female-vocal vitriol, Disrupt’s Alyssa Murry is much more convincing. Another weak spot on Absentium Existence is the drumming. While Tim holds down the beat quite tightly, his unrelenting use of the D-beat pattern is constricting. Schifosi seems to be at their best when they allow their instruments to breathe, as evidenced in the competent yet, ultimately, misleading opening of “Post Genocide Syndrome.” You can’t help but get the feeling that their songs want to go somewhere if only they weren’t being hindered by the D-beat maelstrom. The third issue that I have with Absentium Existence is only partially Schifosi’s fault. The aforementioned air that Schifosi seems to share with black metal may be what led several press releases to describe Absentium Existence as “epic.” The term conveys a sense of grandiosity, complexity, and sublimity, so it is only natural that this is a go-to word for overzealous promoters but, in Schifosi’s case, it is terribly misleading. I don’t know if Schifosi considers their own music epic, but their decision to submit such an abbreviated full-length is beyond me. The thrashy intensity is there, but the songs are bare bones. Clocking in under 15 minutes, this album’s six tracks lack the requisite density to qualify as “epic.” The fact that this album stays close to its crust punk roots may be cause for rejoicing for the aural agoraphobics who claim the compact punk rock sound as their sanctuary. However, the more daring listener may want to look a bit further. [McKenzie] Thrash Steady Syndicate
Self-Evident Self-Titled After nearly a decade as a band, Self-Evident are releasing just their second full length. Their debut, 2005’s Epistemology was angular and technical, but never too daunting. But since that record, Self-Evident replaced their drummer. Not surprisingly, there is a smoother feel to these new songs with the change. There are still plenty of odd rhythmic twists and turns, they just aren’t the focus most of the time. Before, the band relied mostly on controlled chaos. Some of that chaos remains, though it’s bound together tightly by deliberate, but rarely obvious melodies. The effect is reminiscent early Joan Of Arc, especially in the guitar and bass work. The vocals aren’t usually a big focus of the songs, though they are hardly sparse. They’re half spoken and half sung, which is a common approach that works well for Self-Evident. The vocal lines are conscious enough of the rest of the song never to intrude, without seeming timid or inconsistent. Self-Evident have never been a band in a hurry to pump out recordings and the time put into every song is obvious. This brings to mind other consistently innovative and fairly obscure bands like Volante or Traindodge. They all combine the varied technical approaches of the last couple decades of melodic Midwestern indie rock for a result that is both familiar and challenging. [Anderson]
Double Plus Good
Seven Storey Mountain At The Poles I’m not so sure that I like this band. They play their instruments well, but there is just something about this record that does not sit well with me. It’s like listening to Dave Grohl singing along with Jawbox, which under normal circumstances would be great. However, Seven Storey Mountain bore me. I find myself skipping past some songs, while barely making it through others. I expect and demand more from a band than what they deliver on At the Poles. Namely, something a bit more original. This is my first listen to Seven Storey Mountain, but this band is just a rehash of my youth. The first song, aptly named “So Cursed” is one of the few tracks that stands out as enjoyable. It reminds me of old Knapsack. If there is a redeeming feature, it’s the chunk, chunk, chunk guitar work that really seems to drive most of the songs. The only other tunes that do not sound like the rest are located at the end of the record. “Sweet Forty Nine”
Slaraffenland Private Cinema From the outset of Private Cinema, Slaraffenland promises some quite enthralling sounds. The opening of “Sleep Tight” droningly ramps up to the entrance vocals, and you’re sure that Slaraffenland is going to offer your something aurally you may not have experienced before. This Danish quintet somehow hooked up with Boulder’s Hometapes label. And when you make the connection, it makes sense. The soundscapes behind Slaraffenland’s jazz-infused pop are quite Scandinavian in their free and icy harmonics.
From The Jaga Jazzist to Sigur Ròs to Múm, the Nordic nations have been responsible for some of the more compelling sounds to be released lately, and Slaraffenland are no exception. Perhaps the most refreshing thing about the album is that it doesn’t lack catchiness in spite of its determination toward a lush sonic quality. “Show Me the Way” almost reminds me of the more head bobbing Sharks Keep Moving. A tasteful horn section winds in and out of the loose, yet captivating melodies and harmonies. The resultant sound is full and attention grabbing. Especially beautiful is “Polaroids,” which adds a bit of volatile sampling for good measure. This is where the band really starts to sound familiar, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Surely, though, it’s something you loved circa 1999, but it’s hard to discern just what. The opening of “The Run Up” is remarkably promising, evoking the new horn work on the more recent Björk recordings. And when the guitar takes over, it doesn’t let you down, with its creative and subtly developing line. This song demonstrates what is perhaps Slaraffenland’s greatest strength: the melding of the guitars and the horns to draw the listener in to their full aural landscape. In all, it’s hard to imagine that this band could have released a more thought provoking and pleasant record on what seems to be their first release available in the States. From the beautiful melodies nearly everywhere to the quiet air passing through horns without vibration in “Groen,” the emotional and musical scope of the record is a poignant promise of this band’s potential to continue to record and release some very worthwhile music. [Cox]
Hometapes
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Year of No Light Nord From the bio – “Genre: Brutal Shoegazer.” Until you hear it, you’re not sure what to think. You think that this may be an Isis/Red Sparrowes type of band. Well, Year of No Light is similar, but not very. There’s so much going on in this exceptional 58-minute debut from these French art-rockers. We start off with “Sélénite”, a slow progression downward. When the whole band kicks, in they make this a really atmospheric instrumental tune, expertly blending the steady pulse of the main riff with some great soaring guitar work. This is the tune that might resemble Red Sparrowes the most, but still soars on its own. “L’angoisse du veilleur de nuit d’autoroute les soirs d’alarme à accident”, is a posthardcore tune reminiscent of Mouth of the Architect and pulls the pace a bit. It’s fast, there’s really great distorted vocals, and still furthers the atmospheres in this band’s music. The drum work is excellent, perfectly fitting the mood of the song. On “Traversée” we’ve got another drone tune, clocking in at exactly nine minutes. About three minutes into this epic, the vocals kick in with an almost Envy-like precision. A couple minutes later, Year of No Light brings in an excellent dissonant riff. This sets the theme for the rest of this wonderful journey into noise
and ambience. “Librum” is a quick ambient break from the dissonance before. “Les mains de l’empereur” comes in next, and suddenly the term “Brutal Shoegazer” makes sense. They meld Mouth of the Architect, Envy, Isis, and Godflesh with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Red Sparrowes. It’s truly brilliant. Half way through our second epic “Les mains de l’empereur,” we get a clean break that’s soft and beautiful. This gorgeous riff turns into another soaring guitar line that jettisons the listener skyward. You can’t help but close your eyes and float away with the ambience and atmosphere these guys create. “Tu as fait de moi un homme meilleur” pulses with more post-hardcore ambience, similar to the second track. Distorted vocals and a great depth really make your head nod back and forth with the beat. This is 4:40 of slow neck exercises. “Somnabule” starts off with a great Godflesh-esque beat, and expands. These guys can make their instruments just absolutely soar -- it’s brilliant. This is another of their epics that you pray you’re able to witness in the live setting to get the full impact of the sound. Half way through, there’s a keyboards break with high quality ambient noodling in the background. “Par économie pendant la crise on éteint la lumière au bout du tunnel” is second to last, a heavy, almost gothic riff pulses throughout this tune, as the vocals kick in and send it into overdrive. Of course half way through we hit another perfectly placed counter harmony. It remains heavy, which makes this a really great tune to get the heart pumping again. We end Nord with “La bouche de Vitus Bering,” a dissonant doom dirge that plows through. We re-enter the atmosphere, and begin our descent. The vocals are guttural, no longer distorted, but there’s a doubling effect in there somewhere that makes this a phenomenal end to the album. The final moments of “La bouche de Vitus Bering” are white noise, and I hate do it… I’m hitting “repeat” on this disc and dive into it some more. I liked this album so much that I ordered it after my initial review just for the artwork. The artwork is a four-panel digipack with some awesome images. I highly recommend getting this fantastic disc. This is an album that is so good that I can’t review another CD today. Sorry, Stuart… [Dixon]
Crucial Blast Records
and “Tunnel Vision,” both of which lug a hypnotic, dynamic tempo akin to the Eels, but obviously a bit heavier. [Zabby]
Thick Records
Josh Small
and genres flawlessly, jumping from slow-pickers to smooth rockers and back, without ever being tired or lost. [Sousa]
Suburban Home Records
Someplace to Hide/ Damezumari/ Steeples
Tall
Three Way Split
As of late the underground is a sea of solo/acoustic projects, all of which wash in to the ports of folk and country. This neo-outlaw country sound, spearheaded by the likes Lucero and Drag the River, developed out of an aging punk scene, where growing old is hardly acceptable and rarely appreciated. Outsider feelings and emotions can no longer be channeled as simply as the anger of two-minute, three-chord punk songs. People progress and grow becoming even harder to define. Neo-outlaw country gives these punks a viable, matured venue to shape their art. Their clearest voice is that of Josh Small, whose debut for Suburban Home, entitled Tall is a grab bag of southern rock, bluegrass folk, and seventies style singer-songwriting. Cuts like “Boozin’ Susan” and “Peek Out the Window” recall depression-era plucking, relying on Small’s Banjo and sparse, instrumentation. Small’s voice cracks with a pained sharpness, and the subtle songs have a mean sound to their slight instrumentation. He puts these tactics to work on slower, meditative tracks such as “Knife in My Belly,” where Small plays the better-off-dead sinner, or “Moses,” whose full horn section helps Small get lost in the ‘black holes’ of ‘good time women.’ Small separates himself in stretching out the song’s legs and calling in the full band, creating an intimate relaxed atmosphere. “Indiana” is a slow burner where Small’s vocal power comes through in a drawl-tinged croon. The easy piano of “Move Your Hips,” tapping just beyond the steady pluck, compliments Small’s simultaneously exhausted and strong voice. At all times he sings with vulnerability, opening himself to the crowd, rather than creating the artist-consumer distance. This is how Josh Small succeeds as the crème de la crème of the neo-outlaws. He can mix styles
The disc opens with Someplace to Hide whose patience testing tracks sound like a mangled car wreck. The band’s most notable attribute is the drummer, whose windmill arms keep “A Fantastic Planet, Indeed” interesting at every breakdown. The metal tinged guitar work veils the spacey work of “Tennessee”, but the throat shredding vocals sound overworked. They have a tendency to go from crust beats to screamo. Damezumari are easily one of the best bands going; their brand of Midwestern spoken hardcore is undeniable. Like the emo days of yore (before it was all broken hearts and sad suckers) this band has the ability to make the personal political, and see itself in the larger view. Their music is fluid, the drumming of “A Bitter Means” just keeps rolling like the pick work of “Triumphalism.” The seven songs from Steeples seem almost out of place on this record, there are too few change-ups and the band sounds unrehearsed and out of sync. Almost every track begins in the same manner, low key guitar building to explosive verse, save for “Orion,” the bands stand out track sounds like (Young) Pioneers on metal. All in all it’s definitely worth the cash for the Damezumari tracks alone, and if you like metallic hardcore, than it’s more worth it. [Sousa]
Little Mafia Records
Souvenir’s Young America An Ocean Without Water
Richmond’s Souvenir’s Young America. They are a fairly new band, though An Ocean Without Water is already their second full length. Comprised of six loosely connected songs, three members manage to harness and expand on almost every convention of instrumental rock music. Drums, keyboards and guitar make up the basis for each of these songs. The record has its share of guest instrumentation, including wellplaced harmonica, cello and even a little tambourine. “Blood Alone Does Not a Father Make,” is a challenging and haunting summation of the best things about the record. It pairs many of the slowest, heaviest rhythms and guitar work anywhere here. But it opens with a slow buildup that is hardly heavy, though isn’t exactly melodic either. Using intermittent but strong harmonica lines lends a strange and uncomfortable Spaghetti Western feel. The resulting mix of sounds isn’t conventional, but they in a tight package that’s obviously been carefully put together. Just as I start to really figure out the formula, “Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground” arrives. It’s a slow, more conventional drone piece with Brent Eyestone (Aughra/Forensics) lending a hand with electronics. The crushing, pulsating five-plus minutes make a perfect intermission. The much faster “Invocation in the Caldera” is probably the most urgent and heaviest song here. It kneels the most directly at the alter of Neurosis, though everything here has moments of it. Even here slow, clear harmonica lines add a strange element to the song that are melody line and ambient soundscape all in one. By the time the hissing and glitchy electronics that anchor “Coragyps Atratus…” close the record a few things are clear. First, there may be a glut of bands tackling this style right now. Souvenir’s Young America have found a way to incorporate the best conventions of the genre with more than enough new ideas to expand on it. Second, that SYA may be in a large pack of similar bands, but they are far enough in front of most of them that it hardly matters. [Anderson]
Crucial Blast Records
The glut of slow, guitar-heavy instrumental bands these days is hard to ignore. I’m sure that fact isn’t lost on
issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 45
Tender Buttons Hot Abductions (LP) Zack and Kate Wentz of Kill Me Tomorrow have been working on songs as Tender Buttons for a few years, though Hot Abductions is their first LP. This starts with a reinterpretation of an Art Bell-style late night AM radio show. It’s sort of a cross between a traditional sound byte and recorded performance art. The focus of the concocted radio show is a rash of “hot abductions” at the hands of aliens. It sets an odd, unsettling tone for what turns out to be a pretty unsettling record. Most of the songs strike a balance between imposing, industrial conventions and more angular, choppy electronics. The self-applied description from the band is “fractured, neo-industrial and polyrhythmic,” which is pretty apt as well. There are some vocals, especially on the title track. They tend to be mostly monotone, but still pretty melodic. Like most of the drum machine sounds, the vocals are going to earn this a lot of accurate comparisons to new industrial and Krautrock. “URA Taxi” is a loud, but carefully layered dogpile of sounds. The result is chaotic, though they manage to weave a number of different ideas together convincingly. “You’ve Got It Now” is a much more straightforward combination of hard-charging techno beats and jagged, vocals that adds an odd, desperate feel to an otherwise straightforward song. This, more than anything sums up the best things about “Hot Abductions”, which will fully violate the listener without ever fully rousing them from their sleep. [Anderson]
GSL Records
Thieves & Assassins Martyr Brigade Mid-nineties melodic hardcore all the way, H2O fronted by Greg Graffin, or that guy from Strung Out, while on a skateboard. The music has straightforward drumbeats, riff-light guitars, and low-end stringy bass lines anchoring the tracks with circle pit inducing tempos. Tracks like “Sink or Swim” and “Substance Abuse” rely on held back harmonic guitar playing. The opener “Apocalypse Now” and “Tax & Tribute” both clock in at under a minute of aggressive melodic hardcore. And just when the album should be stale and done, they chop it up with the breakdown heavy “Birthright” and the instrumental “Midtro.” Lyrically the band is politics Americana; the opener puts the public under scrutiny for both celebrating and denying the actions of soldiers. “20YearsNGone” is the narration of an old man leaving a changing neighborhood instead of being proactive against its demise. Thieves & Assassins get right to the point with nine tracks in 24 minutes, never wavering from a genre they wholeheartedly comprehend and appreciate. Highly recommended it for anyone who into hardcore a decade and a half ago. [Sousa]
Iron Pier Records
Tiny Vipers Hands Across the Void While relatively inoffensive in its thematic material and sound, this album offers little other than a glimpse into the depressingly saturated singer-songwriter market regardless of gender. In fairness, Fortina exhibits what could be the capacity to write and record a much more engaging record some time in the near future. “Forest on Fire,” for example, is a testament to her richly raw voice. Yet while I love simplicity and feel that it serves the genre and voice type well, I can’t help but feel like the remainder of the song is a bit, well, empty. I enjoy Fortina’s voice on “Shipwreck” in spite of myself, but it offers little to save the record, particularly when she backs herself up and ends up sounding dangerously like Joanna Newsom who, while amazing, should not be imitated. (Of course Fortina isn’t trying to imitate the harp nymph. It’s her natural voice. But she must’ve seen the comparisons coming. And if I could control it, I might, if I were she, be convinced to change the tone or timbre of my voice. Just me.) Approaching 11 minutes, “Swastika” is the very essence of what makes this record largely anticlimactic. Almost entirely unchanging save for a few vocal harmonies and a more “orchestrated” section at the song’s middle, what would otherwise have been a decent two-and-a-half minute number creates a feeling of sleepy malaise just before the record’s close. While I love nothing more than being exposed to brilliant singer-songwriters who were miraculously saved from the mires of shitty cafés, I can’t in good conscience
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add Tiny Vipers to that list. Mark my words: if Fortina polishes her songwriting (and not her voice) and sings about something real and heartfelt, possibly enlisting the help of some time honored producer, I imagine the outcome could make me eat these words. And I’ll be hoping for that day, because I’d like her to succeed. She just might need a bit more time to mature. [Cox]
Sub Pop Records
Witch Hunt This is Only the Beginning Holy Shit! Furious peace-punk is back. I have not heard something as righteous since the first time I heard Dystopia. This 24-track CD compiles the band’s early years; pulling together their first album, demo, a cover track, a 7”releases. At times this Philadelphia based trio, (though now foursome) veers back and forth between straightforward punk, late eighties hardcore, and crust. Take the one-two track combo of “Access Denied” & “On My Honor.” They kick off the former with double time drumming, thrashing to the latter where the tempo gets cut into a classic half time circle-pit stroll. Guitar intricacy is discarded in favor of speed and the always-negative sixth note. On “Life in a Box,” a pissed off number about the hollow routine of work, the guitar procession played through out sounds like an after thought, only to offset the muted tension of the verses sequence. The band shares vocal duties entirely, see their cover of Siege’s “Conform” for the unnerving growl of Rob. His vocal aggression is second to that of front ladies Janine and Nicole, who at times, though I cannot tell apart, sound like Kurt of Palatka and Eric of End of the Century Party, absolute throat shredding, with a random insertion of sardonic inflections in the vein of Kathleen Hanna (See “Backfire”). By the end, the constant switch from crust to breakdown wears thin, and the drumming lacks the control and timing that only come from experience, while the guitar playing is ailed by a bit of redundancy. Though divided up the first twelve tracks, composing the band’s debut LP on their own have just the right amount of crusty politico. Lyrically, the band redeems itself by focusing on a healthy dose underground topics such
as vegetarianism, gender roles, and punk ethos as on “By a Thread” where Rob screams about the ostracizing tendencies of community already ostracized. The result is an excellent, though far too long, CD of political punk whose peace sign on the disc is a definite statement about how deep their anger runs. [Sousa]
Fistolo Records
Label
Directory Abacus Antenna Farm Anti At A Loss Barracuda Sound Broken Letters Candlelight Crucial Blast Dead Format Dischord Double Negative Double Plus Good Equal Vision Et Si L’aurore Exotic Fever 54-40 or Fight! Fistolo Go Midnight Guevara Guilt-Ridden Pop Hardly Art Hex Hometapes Hydrahead Init Iron Pier Johanns Face Joyful Noise Jumpstart
abacusrecordings.com antennafarmrecords.com anti.com atalossrecordings.com barracudasound.com myspace.com/thebrokenletters candlelightrecordsusa.com crucialblast.net myspace.com/deadformat dischord.com doublenegativerecords.com doubleplusgoodrecords.com equalvision.com mmessier.com exoticfever.com fiftyfourfortyorfight.com fistolo.com gomidnightrecords.com guevaraent.com guiltriddenpop.com hardlyart.com hanginghex.com home-tapes.com hydrahead.com initrecords.com ironpier.net johannsface.com joyfulnoiserecordings.com jumpstartrecords.com
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issue seventeen :: the new scheme :: 47
48 :: the new scheme :: issue seventeen