REAX #26 by Joel

REAX MUSIC Magazine • JULY 2008 • Page

CONTENTS ISSUE: 26

SOUNDCHECK 08 INTRODUCTION

Publisher Joel Cook jcook@reaxmusic.com

Circulation Manager Scott Jensen scottj@reaxmusic.com

SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING

Queen Finnie Cook ﬁnniec@reaxmusic.com

Sales Associates Emily LaDuca emily@reaxmusic.com

Editor Scott Harrell scott@reaxmusic.com

Shawn Kyle shawn@reaxmusic.com

10 11 12 14

CALL AND RESPONSE DEAR GLOFFY DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE BEHIND THE LENS

SOUNDBITES 15 15 16 16 18

PROTEST THE HERO RATATAT AMERICAN STEEL MORNING STATE DRAGONFORCE

THEME FEATURE 20 PHOTO ESSAY GETTING THERE FROM HERE

YOU ARE HERE LOCAL MUSIC

01 PETROGRAD IN TRANSIT 02 KINGSBURY 02 LOCAL ALBUM REVIEWS 03 RACHEL GOODRICH 04 HOT SPOTS 06 EVENTS 11 ARTBEAT: THE INVASION BEGINS 12 LOST HIGHWAY: THE CIDER HOUSE 12 HAND TO HAND

COVER STORY

Editor *YOU ARE HERE Michael Spadoni michael@reaxmusic.com Head Writer Michael Rabinowitz miker@reaxmusic.com Columnist Jeremy gloff deargloffy@gmail.com Art Director Mike Delach delach@cookwaremedia.com Illustration noah Deledda noah.deledda@gmail.com

Interns Amy Beeman abeeman@reaxmusic.com Molly Hays molly@reaxmusic.com Contributors Timothy Asher Joe D’Acunto Mike DeLancett Jason Ferguson Jack gregory Justine Grifﬁn Ryan Patrick Hooper Sean Kantrowitz Susie Orr Lance Robson Trevor Roppolo Susie Ulrey Carrie Waite

Photography Tony Landa landa@reaxmusic.com General Manager Marshall Dickson marshall@reaxmusic.com

40 ROCK THE BELLS

REAX INTERVIEWS 42 ISLANDS 44 VALIENT THORR

Reax Magazine is published monthly and is available through Florida businesses, music venues, restaurants, independent record stores, outdoor boxes, and F.Y.E. stores. Reax is also available nationally at over 160 record stores. go to reaxmusic. com for a full list.

REAX SPOTLIGHT 46 ERIC LINDELL 48 THE BLACK ANGELS 50 WIRE

SOAPBOX

52 NEW RELEASES 53 HANDS ON 54 SHOW REVIEW: GOGOL BORDELLO 55 MUSIC REVIEWS 58 GAME REVIEW: GRID 60 CONTESTS

Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. Reax Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to Reax Magazine become the sole property of Cookware Media, LLC. Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Cookware Media, LLC.

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Photos: Chad Tyler

TYRO LEVEL STYLIST CUTS START AT $15

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE â&#x20AC;¢ JULY 2008 â&#x20AC;¢ PAgE 7

SOUNDCHECK ISSUE: 26

IT’S BEEN AN UNUSUALLY GOOD SUMMER FOR SHOWS SO FAR. For Florida music fans, this time of year can be especially stuporous. Who the hell wants to come down here and try to maintain their game face night after night in the wet-ass heat, when they can sip pre-gig microbrews in the dry Colorado air or take the stage under a cool northern California sky? In the old days, we could rely on the little shows. The punk acts just looking to ﬁll a few off days between shows in Atlanta and Richmond, the jam bands killing nights when there wasn’t a festival, the fading modern-rock groups that knew the local FM station was gonna get the crowd out to the biggest, cheesiest club in the market. But the Warped Tour has long since put the kibosh on four-nights-a-week summer all-ages action, and high gas prices are curtailing the activities of regional and national artists without generous labelfunded promotional and tour budgets. Sill and all, Florida has been blessed with a comparative wealth of attractions this year. Radiohead kicked off a crazy month and a half of notable shows. Modest Mouse. Pearl Jam. The Cure. gogol Bordello. Fuck Yeah Fest. Enablers. Vampire Weekend (ugh). Reno Divorce. And it’s nowhere near over. You can pro-and-con yourself to death on the subject of traveling festivals, but both hip-hop cavalcade Rock The Bells and the metallicious Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Tour are coming, and they’re both not to be missed for fans of their respectable styles. What else? How about Peter Murphy, gomez (opening for - again, ugh - Dave Matthews), the irony-laden retro-cock-rock Poison/Dokken tour, The Black Angels, Coheed and Cambria, Slick Rick, Tilly and The Wall, gBH, Matt Pryor, Flobots, Margot & The nuclear So And Sos and yes, even peerless ‘80s icon/scandal enthusiast george Michael? That’s not even including the wealth of worthwhile local shows going on all over the state on any given weekend. Yeah, it’s hot. Yeah, the economy’s in the shitter. Yeah, YouTube’s cheaper than a ticket and gas and a couple of beers. But as consumers, we really do vote with our dollars, and people pay that much more attention to the decisions we make when we don’t have all that many dollars to spend. If we’d like to have more summers like this - summers during which there are actually pleasurable reasons to get out of the house once the sun goes down - we need to let the artists know that we’re glad they came. Words: Scott Harrell REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 8

ALL PRO PERCUSSION

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TATTOOS & PIERCING

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Studio #4 210 South Kings Ave. Brandon, FL 33511 813.654.9990 Studio #5 1118 34th St N St. Pete, FL 33713 727.322.9999 Studio #6 1512-B Fowler Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 813.910.7777 Studio #7 8238 W. Waters Ave. Tampa, FL 33615 813.884.4445

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www.atomictattoos.com REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 9

CALL & RESPONSE ISSUE: 26

RYAN PATRICK HOOPER COMMENT ON “WHY DO HACK WRITERS EXPEL UPON US THEIR TOP 10 ALBUM LISTS WHEN IT’S ONLY FUCKING JUNE,” BY MICHAEL RABINOWITZ: “you’re missing ... Tim & Eric – Awesome Record, great Songs! The Built to Spill cover of ‘Come Over’ is my summer jam” Michael, June 2 COMMENT ON “BONNAROO 2008: NO THANKS KANYE, WE’RE ALL GOOD ON EGOS HERE,” BY JULIA STEWART: RE: THE REVIEW OF WILL QUINLAN & THE DIVINERS’ CD NAVASOTA,IN THE JUNE ISSUE Just wanted to say thanks for your words re: the record. I’ve been pretty apprehensive as to how it would be received, constantly worried that it wasn’t good enough to serve its purpose as a memorial of sorts to my Mom. You’ve helped me realize that it is and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Will via e-mail RE: “MEMPHIS TRAIN UNION: RUNNING ON TIME” IN THE JUNE ISSUE Thanks man that was an awesome interview. My hat is off to you. now I am going out there to Rock-n-Roll. Cheers, Dave/MTU via e-mail

FROM REAXMUSIC.COM

“I have to disagree, not being a big Pearl Jam fan, i have to say watching them at bonnaroo reignited my interest in them. I also thought the The Raconteurs put on an awsome set.” Rick Diaz, June 20 COMMENT ON “BONNAROO DAY 3 PHOTO JOURNAL PART 1,” BY TONY LANDA: “nice pictures, Tony! no sleep at Bonnaroo, especially when annoying guys are blasting The Police at 9 am. I loved Two gallants. -your neighbor” Colleen, June 17 COMMENTS ON “DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS HEADLINE GAINESVILLE’S THE REAL BIG DEAL,” BY MICHAEL RABINOWITZ: “Considering gainesville already has The Fest, I’m wondering if this is a bit much? I understand the atmosphere of each fest is completely different, but in a year where several festivals have been postponed indeﬁnitely or cancelled because of ever increasing activity I can’t help but wonder if two multi-day festivals in six weeks in one college town is excessive.

COMMENT ON “RIP GEORGE CARLIN,” BY SCOTT HARRELL:

I wish them both luck, though!” Joel, June 17

“Just checking today’s posts and don’t know how I missed this since Sunday, but a big sad, ‘Oh my god,’ came out of my mouth when I saw this post. george Carlin was a brilliant mind and I’m glad he got a platform on which to share his thoughts, ideas and humor. He will be missed.” Amy, June 24

“‘the fest’ is a great event, but its pretty much a punk rock family reunion at this point.. this real big deal festival seems like something that north ﬂorida sorely needs, an outdoor music festival that isnt afraid to mix it up a little..” j, June 20

COMMENT ON “BONNAROO DAY 1 PHOTO JOURNAL PART 1,” BY TONY LANDA: “Damn Tony! Your action shots are amazing! And when did you get the sick ﬁshy lens? Wish I was there too ... “ King Jelly, June 14

Ryan Patrick Hooper is a young and freakishly handsome writer from Detroit. This summer, Ryan will be teaching a summer computer camp for inner city youth at a local health clinic. A former resident of Sarasota, his father (a war-veteran eunuch) and his sister (recently convicted of vandalizing a church) now live in St. Petersburg where he regularly visits. This issue’s Dragonforce feature is Ryan’s ﬁrst assignment for REAX.

COMMENT ON “PETROGRAD IN TRANSIT,” BY MICHAEL RABINOWITZ: “An excellent band and a bunch of kickass guys to boot! I can’t wait to see them again. I miss you guys!” Lucien, June 9

FROM MYSPACE SUBJECT: CRAP “thats what i think of reax, and why i’m now deleting you. ﬁrst the worst article you could ever publish about fest last year.now a fake ass article with deathklok that comes extreamly close to plagerizm and a watson reveiw that made me want to vomit. making our sence look like shit all together. well fuck you. maybe if you took your head out of ybor’s ass you’d ﬁnd real music and a real people not pretentious snobs like yourself. but what ever i predict this stupid publication to be run to the ground with in 2 years.” damanda, June 18

SEAN KANTROWITZ How does one differentiate a dilettante from a jack-of-all-trades? Sean Kantrowitz struggles to get to the bottom of that distinction every day. An Orlando resident for the past six years, he has worn a ton of “hats” (except for actual hats, because he looks pretty terrible in those), including: writer, musician, producer, manager, record store clerk, booking agent, and any other title he’s stumbled upon along the way while chasing this music bug. Alarmingly, he still hasn’t found overwhelming success through any of it, but who can be that upset when you’re getting a self-aggrandizing proﬁle printed in REAX Music Magazine? Sean has also made it cool for dilettantes and jacks-of-all-trades alike to get laid again on an international scale.

“Howdy. Love What you all do to inform the area about the great music in the bay. Peace, Toby Bonar, June 4

FROM ELSEWEB Head-ﬁ.org blogger manaox2 ran down Shawn Kyle’s summer mix CD (“Some Vintage Blues, Soul And R&B Selections ... For Your Summer of Love”) in a June 21 entry, calling it “an involving playlist whether you’re only having a beer away from the summer heat or spending time in the evening with the love.”

CORRECTIONS The photo of Orlando’s Strangers in last month’s issue was incorrectly credited to Michael Spadoni. The photographer was Amber Walker.

CARRIE WAITE Carrie Waite is a photographer, computer nerd, admitted MySpace/Facebook addict and lover of all things music. Though photography is not her “real job,” it, along with her search for music with real heart, preserves her sanity. For nearly a decade, her true passion has been photographing the best of the Tampa Bay area musicians. Her photographs have appeared in REAX, TBT, The St. Petersburg Times, Creative Loaﬁng, The Tampa Tribune, The Bradenton Herald, London’s Daily Mail and various websites, CD/DVD artwork and other promotional materials. carriewaite.com REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 10

CREDITS: WORDS: JEREMY GLOFF PHOTO: KIM HICKS Readers, July is the birthday month of my favorite singer of all time … former Prince protégé-turned-indie-rock songstress Jill Jones. This month’s Dear gloffy is a special tribute to that special girl (JillJones.net) Dear gloffy, My boyfriend wants me to act like his mother and take care of him the rest of his life. Should I continue to wipe his ass … he is going to be 24 in a month! When should a boy turn into a man in his life? Signed, not His Mother Dear not His Mother, Darling … when a grown woman is putting her boobie in a grown man’s mouth, she’s not supposed to be breastfeeding. Don’t be an enabler!!! The longer you act like mom, the longer your man will act like a child. When Jill Jones sang in her 1987 track “For Love” that she would “do most anything for love,” I’m almost certain that did not include changing her man’s diapers and taking all the responsibility in the relationship. Tell your man to grow or go honaaay. Dear gloffy, Everyone at my job pisses me off. I have a serving job and I work with a girl that

never does her side work. She basically ﬂirts with guys all day. I’m so irritated it’s affecting my work performance. How can I keep my job without strangling the bitch? Sincerely, gratuity not Included Dear gratuity, Considering how much time most of us have to spend at our jobs, it sucks when the work environment is less than stellar. Doesn’t work basically suck for everyone and anyone for one reason or another? In her 2004 track “Life gets Wasted” Jill Jones talks about how corporate whoring makes her “dead until the next payday.” But later in the same song Jill says “it’s alright.” It’s true. Mentally separate yourself from your job. Approach it for what it is … a job. Take the money and run. Most jobs have the annoying co-worker, the asshole boss, the drama, and the gossip. In your head, disregard those negativities and just think “paycheck paycheck paycheck paycheck.” Or if worst comes to worst, ﬁnd a different job with a different annoying co-worker. Happy Birthday Jill!!! If anyone out there has a problem write to Dear gloffy anonymously by going to jeremygloff. com/deargloffy.html. It really is anonymous I promise! REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 11

See SomeThinG SaY SomeThinG ISSUE: 26

LoST in TranSLaTion Most mainstream movies and genre novels just can’t get the whole “band thing” quite right. I don’t know if it’s just musicians who notice it, or if everybody with a passion for music and a little behind-thescenes experience picks up on it. (Hell, maybe it’s obvious to everybody, and that’s why flicks like Rock Star die laughingstocks ... then again, there are so many other reasons why Rock Star deserved to die a laughingstock.) But it seems almost impossible for people who write fiction to depict our particular little subculture with much accuracy. Sometimes it’s little specific things, like the way Juliette Lewis sold her performance a little (OK, a lot) too aggressively in Strange Days. Sometimes the discrepancies are laughably huge. I can’t tell you how many splatterpunk novels I’ve read in which all the members of some vaguely Satanic band or other live together in a castle, wearily pondering how to take their music to the next level without ever actually convening in one of their 30 rooms to write or rehearse – a horror-book conceit rightly and deftly sent up in the form of Dethklok and Metalocalypse. Mostly, though, the scenes that take place in the studio or the jam room or the stage or the record-company offices just feel wrong. To somebody who’s spent any amount of time at some of those locations, they ring false, no matter how many of the details get close. I imagine a pilot feels the same way watching Executive Decision (a movie I have no problem sitting through on a lazy TV-watching Sunday), and for all I know Days of Thunder might send NASCAR mechanics into a spittle-flecked rage. Yes, writers are expected to change certain aspects of the real experience, for efficiency or plot or dramatic license. And yes, nobody would want to watch a movie or read a book about a fake band leading a real band’s existence, because most of the time, a real band’s existence is pretty fucking boring. More nights are spent arguing about how much low end the guitar track needs, or deciding whether the bass needs to go with or against the kick drum, or drinking cheap beer and talking shit about other bands, than are spent slitting wrists in a bloodbonding ritual while getting blown by a porn star who’s also a little person. But the point is, there are some things you just can’t know unless you’ve truly experienced them. And when one of those things has been glorified and vilified and misunderstood by the public at large since its inception, the people that decide to reflect/exploit it for the entertainment of that public tend to A) make it the gaudy, exaggerated centerpiece of their stories and B) get it horribly, irritatingly wrong.

I recently read a novel by Joe Hill called Heart-Shaped Box, about a fading rock star who buys a ghost in an online auction to unintended and unpleasant consequences. Overall, the book is just pretty good – despite an interesting premise and readable style, the story gets a little convoluted in the third act – but Hill’s handling of his protagonist’s relationship with music is nearly perfect. Judas Coyne’s musical career plays a big part in both his story and his troubles, but Hill doesn’t make it the axle on which the tale turns. He immerses the reader in the world of Judas Coyne rather than The Author’s Idea Of The World Of Rock ‘n’ Roll Featuring Judas Coyne, and Heart-Shaped Box is more threedimensional for it. I’m gonna step up and get it right myself, by writing a screenplay about an obscure singer-songwriter’s trials on the underground touring circuit. It’ll be set against a completely realistic backdrop of hand-to-mouth roadwork: the hours spent driving in silence; the arguing with the bartender about how many drinks the promoter said were free; the sleeping on scarred hardwood ﬂoors; the changing of hundreds upon hundreds of guitar strings. And if that sounds boring, well, just remember that it’s real. And also that it will only serve as the environment; the story’s really about the singer-songwriter. Who’s also a serial killer. From space. Searching for the only tangible proof of extraterrestrial life. Which is hidden in the childhood home of a female FBI agent. Who’s hunting a serial killer. That happens to be ... well, you’ll just have to wait and see. But if the music-scene parts don’t feel real, it was the director’s fault. REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 12

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 13

behindthelens

Bonnaroo JUne 12-15, 2008 PhoToS: TonY Landa

BaTTLeS

ThUrSdaY, JUne 12Th, 2008

LeS cLaYPooL FridaY, JUne 13Th, 2008

maSTodon

SaTUrdaY, JUne 14Th, 2008

soundbites

raTaTaT: ProTeST The hero: STorminG The FORTRESS

CHAOTIC, CANADIAN, AND DOWNRIGHT CLEVER. ON THEIR NEW RECORD FORTRESS, PROTEST THE HERO DEMONSTRATE AN ASTONISHING BLEND OF PROGRESSIVE CHOPS, POP SENSIBILITY, AND AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF EPIC HISTORICAL BATTLES. REAX CAUGHT VOCALIST RODY WALKER ON A TRAIN TO TORONTO TO SEE THE FALL OF TROY – HE WAS VERY EXCITED. REAX: Your new disc seems to be such an artful marriage of technical skill and melodic hooks – both brutal and beautiful at the same time. How do you keep each track sounding so fresh? Rody Walker: Um, I don’t know, you know, we just try to write music that is sincere to the people that we are. Truthfully, the music comes from a place that is very A.D.D.-oriented. We get bored so quickly that we’ve got to keep progressing and keep making things more difﬁcult to comprehend for ourselves so that, you know, two years down the line when we’re still playing the songs, we can still be interested. REAX: Some of your lyrics seem rather steeped in fantasy while others are very much grounded in the real world. Is there an overall uniting message to Fortress? RW: Um, not really. Our bass player Arif [Mirabdolbaghi] writes the lyrics, so he’s probably more apt to answer the question. However, there is deﬁnitely a general theme of political, social, and overall battles throughout history, and that’s where you get the more grounded moments, where we’re talking about more presentday sort of stuff as opposed to when we’re talking about genghis Kahn, or Star Trek.

REAX: What’s your favorite cut on the disc? RW: Sometimes I think my favorite track is “Limb From Limb” and sometimes I think my favorite track is “Bone Marrow.” It’s hard to say ‘cause I don’t really listen to the disc myself. I enjoy performing “Limb From Limb” live, so I’m gonna go with that because it challenges me. REAX: To get a little perspective for all us sweaty Floridians, what’s it like growing up in Canada? RW: I imagine it’s not too different from growing up in the United States. You know, we grew up in the suburbs, so it’s basically just a barren wasteland of middle-aged people who are going to move to Florida and die. [Laughs] There’s nothing really to do except for jump off the highway. There’s a movie theater and a Boston Pizza, and that’s about it. So you get bored and you get drunk a lot, you sit in parks with 40s of beer, and eventually you do something with your life or you fade away. So I guess we decided to write music. For the full interview, check out reaxmusic.com.

mYSPace.com/ ProTeSTThehero

neW GrooVeS

AS RATATAT, EVAN MAST AND MIKE STROUD HAVE SPENT THE LAST FIVE YEARS TEARING DOWN THE WALL BETWEEN GUITAR-DRIVEN INDIE-ROCK AND GLITCHY, ULTRAMODERN LAPTOP ELECTRONICA. THEIR SIMULTANEOUSLY BEAT-DRIVEN AND ATMOSPHERIC EFFORTS HAVE MADE THEM BOTH UNDERGROUND-VENUE FAVORITES AND IN-DEMAND REMIX ARITSTS, AND HAVE HELPED TO WEAKEN THE OUTDATED YET ENDURING NOTION THAT MAKING MUSIC ON A COMPUTER IS SOMEHOW LESS SUBSTANTIAL THAN PICKING UP A GUITAR OR PLINKING AWAY AT A PIANO. “I feel like we’ve established ourselves, and our sound,” says guitarist Stroud. “But there’s always gonna be old-school people who want to have that argument. But at least with younger people, it’s becoming more of a legitimate thing, to make stuff ... electronically or whatever, rather than like a Bob Dylan singer-songwriter type thing.”

percussion instruments are processed to hypnotic effect without sacriﬁcing their innate and instantly recognizable reality. LP3 is admittedly somewhat lighter on electronic beats, but here the energy and drive come from congas and bongos, from swells of organ and jaunty piano lines and multiple guitar harmonies.

Which isn’t to say Mast and Stroud are against the more organic styles of musicmaking. They tour regularly, and for the making of their aptly-named third fulllength LP3, the duo left the conﬁnes of their Brooklyn HQ to record at Old Soul Studios, a gloriﬁed country house in the Catskills brimming with vintage organs, instruments and equipment.

“I guess it is pretty mellow overall,” Stroud muses. “There are a couple of intense songs, but I think the next record is gonna be more dancy.”

“It put a different twist on it,” Stroud says. “It was just really inspiring, being surrounded by harpsichords and pianos. It was a very positive environment, and it was just the two of us in this big house, working all the time.” The resulting songs are somehow warmer than much of Ratatat’s back catalog, yet retain plenty of the project’s signature guitar trickery, rhythms and crisp, super-contemporary edge. What at ﬁrst listen sounds surprisingly laid-back gradually reveals its busy, lively inner layers; traditional hand-drums and other

LP3 is also, for lack of a better word, more druggy than some previous Ratatat releases. Or perhaps druggy in a different sense; where a disc like ‘06’s Classics often evokes the speedy, metallic buzz of a lab-crafted designer drug, LP3 can seem contemplative and pleasantly freaked out and naturally hallucinogenic. “There may be something to that,” says Stroud with a laugh. “Part of that is due to the bunch of old ‘70s keyboards at Old Soul that deﬁnitely helped with that kind of sound. “And, we may have been doing drugs.” Ratatat’s LP3 comes out July 8 on XL Recordings.

raTaTaTmUSic.com

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 15

soundbites

american STeeL: noT So SLiGhT reTUrn

THE LAST TIME ANYONE HEARD FROM PUNK ACT AMERICAN STEEL WAS 2002. AFTER SIX YEARS TOGETHER, THEY’D MANAGED TO PUT OUT THREE ALBUMS, BECOME VETERANS OF MULTIPLE TOURS, AND HAVE A BAND MEMBER BEAT LEUKEMIA, AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING A NEW RECORD. Only it wasn’t an American Steel record. For a band known for changing their style and experimenting with other forms of music, this one just didn’t feel like American Steel. not wanting to offend their fan base, they changed the name to Communique, a more popinﬂuenced act. now, six years later, American Steel is back. The main questions is, why? “The short answer is, it felt like more fun,” says lead singer Rory Henderson. “I was also starting to write music that sounded more like American Steel. So it was basically ‘I have an American Steel record in my head, I might as well make one.’” That record, Destroy Their Hearts, has elicited positive responses from fans and critics alike. It also marked a new milestone: the ﬁrst American Steel album released on Fat Wreck Chords. “They really like their bands [on Fat], they love ‘em and they work for ‘em,” Henderson says. “Everybody is really loyal and I really appreciate being there. It’s been one of my better relationships in the music industry as a whole.” And while the digital revolution is changing that industry, American Steel isn’t overly concerned with pirating. There have been occasions where kids will come up and just give them ten bucks, explaining they downloaded the album illegally and wanted to make sure the band got paid. “People view a band like us as a mom-andpop store you don’t want to steal from,” says

Henderson. “I guess we’re lucky to be in a genre where the kids really love their bands and they don’t wanna feel like they are taking from them.” True to their roots, the ﬁrst show back was at a house party, but since then American Steel have toured with labelmates The Lawrence Arms, performed a blistering set at Fest 6 in gainesville, hit the road with nOFX and no Use for a name, and are currently doing shows with Alkaline Trio. And there are more on the way. “We’re looking for a US fall tour and maybe a European tour in the fall,” says Henderson. “Oh, and a headlining or co-headlining tour, as we’ve been support so far.” new music is on the horizon as well. American Steel have enough material for a new album and plan on recording around the holidays, with a release date hopefully next summer or late spring. “I feel like if you’re going to get back together, I think there should be new music to incorporate with it,” Henderson says. “Rather than just getting back together and playing old songs you should offer something new to the world while you’re doing it. For better or for worse.” If Destroy Their Future is an indication, it’s for the better. American Steel opens for Alkaline Trio at Orlando’s House of Blues on July 19.

mYSPace.com/amSTeeL

morninG STaTe: Second Time’S The charm

NO YOUNG BAND ON THE CUSP OF MOVING FROM REGIONAL ACT UP TO BUZZED INDIE-COMMUNITY ENTITY WANTS TO SUDDENLY HEAR THAT THEIR LABEL IS GOING UNDER. BUT THAT’S EXACTLY THE POSITION IN WHICH ATLANTA/ATHENS GROUP MORNING STATE FOUND ITSELF LAST YEAR, WHEN GEORGIA-BASED UNDERGROUND LABEL LIVEWIRE ANNOUNCED IT WOULD BE UNABLE TO FINANCE THE COMBO’S ALREADY-IN-THE-CAN DEBUT ALBUM YOU KNOW PEOPLE I KNOW PEOPLE. “I think we had put ourselves in a position where we were kind of counting on that,” says singer/guitarist Russ Ledford. “It was a little bit of a freak-out moment, but it turned out to be a good thing.” Instead of negotiating to buy back their own completed CD to shop to other labels, or writing it off completely, Ledford and his bandmates took a long, hard listen to the fruit of their labors ... then shitcanned that version, and headed into the studio with producer/engineer Asa Leffer (The Whigs, Jet by Day, Dark Meat, Summer Hymns) to re-record the whole thing on their own dime. “Creatively speaking, it was a really good opportunity,” Ledford says. “Financially, it put us back a bit. But at the end of the day, it’s ours, we own it, and that’s all there is to it. So I don’t regret it.” It’s the rare musician who, listening to his or her own records, doesn’t ﬁnd all kinds of little things they would change if given the chance. Well, Morning State actually got that chance. And Ledford thinks the resulting version of You Know People I Know People, released in May, is both better and more representative of the band than its predecessor.

“I think both were pretty good,” he says. “We decided there were things we wanted to change and do differently. There’s a couple of things on this album that weren’t going to be on the Livewire album, different arrangements, different guitar patterns. Overall, it’s a little more energetic, we goosed some tempos, ﬁxed whatever problems we found.” The band was already enjoying a fairly high hype quotient following performances at last year’s CMJ festival, and the familiar yet edgy mix of garage-, post- and poprock that dominates You Know People I Know People should draw in plenty of folks looking for something that’s both accessible and intrinsically cool. Morning State’s sound has been drawing comparisons to everything from The Strokes’ inebriated swagger to harder bands like Sparta and lighter ones like The Shins, but Ledford claims they’re more interested in garnering new fans from all over the sonic map than becoming associated with any particular scene. “We have friends from all over, and I don’t think we’re too bothered or hung up on that idea,” he says. “We just put it out there, and hopefully it’ll ﬁnd a place, you know?”

mYSPace.com/ morninG STaTe

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 16

soundbites

Dragonforce have torn through the world of metal to emerge as international ambassadors of viciously swift licks and infectious power metal hooks. Fueled by the mammoth success of their third release, Inhuman Rampage, Dragonforce has swayed the audience of a genre and scene that is anything but easily persuaded with its fresh shreds. The group’s penetration into the consciousness of metalhead basement dwellers, dark devotees of death metal and the average rock fan alike arrived like a Trojan horse – packaged away harmlessly into the performance-simulating video game phenomenon that is Guitar Hero 3, and unleashed upon unsuspecting living rooms across the world like a virus. The song featured on Guitar Hero 3, “Through the Fire and Flames,” warranted attention not only for its level of difﬁculty in the game, but also for its distinct sound and epically expansive solos. Following the game’s release, the single was certiﬁed gold, and the idea of a novelty fan was born. But according to Herman Li, founding member of Dragonforce and one half of the group’s dominating guitar insanity, the fan base brought on by Guitar Hero 3 was warmly received. “I don’t know what’s a true fan and what’s not a true fan,” explains Li via the group’s London headquarters. “People have to discover music one way or another.” In this case, the musical discovery process was rid of any aesthetic pretense. Instead of fans embracing the group simply for their perceived attitude, style or appearance, “the game broke the barriers of the stupid, trendy fashion” aspect of the metal galaxy that often acts as an Achilles heel to the genre. “When you play our song on [Guitar Hero 3], you don’t see a picture of the band,” Li says. “You don’t see how we dress, what we look like, our age or where we’re from – all you have to go by is the music.”

Such a platform of promotion is uncharted territory for Dragonforce. The group traditionally assembled the nucleus of their fan base through excessive international touring, complimented by a live show ripe with ferocious energy that rivals the recorded material. “[Guitar Hero 3] was an added extra, but we were building the band a long time before that,” says Li, who, since the release of the group’s self-released demo in 2000, has been no stranger to life on the road. “We will always consider ourselves the underdog. Simply put, we play a style of music that’s not meant to be big. The exposure from the game made it possible for us to break into the mainstream instead of just being a metal band that only metal fans appreciate.” To promote Dragonforce’s upcoming fourth release, Ultra Beatdown, the group will couple its road warrior disposition with another medium of worldly exposure – billing on the Rock Star Energy Drink-sponsored Mayhem Festival. The 30-date jaunt through north America also features the likes of Disturbed, Mastodon and Slipknot, whose ample draw will provide more unsuspecting ears for Dragonforce to terrorize. “We’re extremely excited about the upcoming tour,” says Li. “I hate to say it, but we’re going to sound better than ever before.” Metalheads, beware! The ultra beatdown is upon us! Dragonforce and the Mayhem Festival hit Tampa’s For Amphitheatre on July 29, and Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on July 30. The band’s new album Ultra Beatdown will be released August 25.

draGonForce.com REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 18

GET SEEN & HEARD BY

15 MILLION MUSIC FANS AND JUDGES INCLUDING: (glassjaw, head automatica)

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REAX MUSIC Magazine • JULY 2008 • Page 19

GETTING THERE FROM HERE Remember when you used to bitch about not being able to afford gas, but you actually could afford it, really? You just didn’t want to cut into your eating out/going to shows/cigarette money. Man, those days are looking pretty sweet right about now. gas prices continue to soar, and lots of creative folks continue to work for next to nothing, or next to nothing plus tips. It’s a depressingly lopsided equation that isn’t going to change anytime soon, and has young people all over coming up with ideas for alternate modes of transportation that range from the simply clever to the ridiculous. So how do you get there from here?

1 LITTLE RED WAGON: Hoping there is downhill from here, hairstylist Monique gerow hitches her little red wagon to a downtown curb and avoids those irksome valet charges.

“Wednesday is my day, asshole!” This is what happens when two roommates share one bike. Website-wrangler and beermaker Patrick gives Nessie’s Joey the rundown.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 21

One of stpetersblog.com’s troublemakers par excellence, Casey gets the drop on an old gas-guzzler.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 22

4 SCOOTER: SCOOTER The Lake Audition’s Bill Umberto two-wheels it around town whenever he doesn’t have to haul his big-ass bass rig - and everybody else’s gear.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 23

5 Pipe dream or not-too-distant future? Student/irrepressible idealist Allen Winkle oils up.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 24

Conner, Nikki, and Nicole from Giddy-Up, helicopter avail themselves of mass transit’s oldest and most familiar solution to the gas pinch.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 25

2 Central A 6 6 t a d e venu t a . P t S e t c n e r w s burg e Lo ownto , FL D in

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JULY CALENDAR

7/04 7/05 7/10 7/11 7/12 7/13 7/16 7/17 7/19 7/24 7/25 7/26

The Finest Skateshop Birthday Bash VJ Kingpin - Alternative Audio/Video Collaberation Patriot X Traveling Comedy Troop and Music Extravaganza Rockabilly/Psychobilly Night The Finest Skateshop presents Sunday Summer Concert Series – Ramble Sunscreen Film Festival presents a film experience 80’s Night featuring the best 80’s tunes and movies. Prizes offered to the best 80’s costume! WINA SHOCKED - fetish night with Future Process and DJ Glamazon Unmotivated Chris Nathan with special guests Rescue 22 and Her Revenge Wish a Buck show. Trace of Day/Emily Crash/Patriot X perform for $1! All proceeds being donated to Make a Wish Foundation!

Suddenly, death metal band no more. All of Petrograd’s music elevates the listener beyond their mundane existence; it’s what is so attractive about their music. How can a local act dare to be so big? It’s difﬁcult to picture a band with such an arena-sized sound packed into such a space. But it’s also a metaphor for what obstacles lay in front of a band trying to get people to overcome their preset notions of post-rock instrumental music. When the inevitable Explosions in the Sky comparison is mentioned, Petrograd doesn’t shy away. “Have you seen those guys’ groupies?” retorts guitarist Ted Flynn. “Post-rock groupies are the best!” Also known for his contributions to stpetersblog.com and another musical project, Hope in Ghost, Flynn keeps things light when explaining the origin of Petrograd in Transit’s name:

LOCAL FEATURE

Words & Photos: Michael Rabinowitz

IT’S 7:30 ON A TUESDAY NIGHT. TRAPPED INSIDE WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A CONVERTED STORAGE FACILITY UNIT, TAMPA’S PETROGRAD IN TRANSIT BUSILY SMASHES BACK THE THINLY CARPETED WALLS WITH A REHEARSAL THAT IS ONLY LIMITED BY THE SPACE THE FIVE-PIECE INSTRUMENTAL ACT OCCUPIES. WITHIN THE TEN BY 12-FOOT AREA, PETROGRAD COMPETES WITH A DEATH METAL BAND ACROSS THE HALL. THAT IS, UNTIL THEY BEGIN “LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.” DESPITE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR TITLE, THE SONG IS A ROUSING, THUNDEROUS, ANTHEMIC SWIRL OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.

“Post-rock bands have to be named with two words and a preposition,” he deadpans. “This gives the band an abstract, ﬁlmic vibe. Ultimately, you want your career to die before it begins because it’s impossible for iTunes to properly index your album.” Flynn and his bandmates’ comedic nature eases the instrumental rock’s pretentious reputation. The effervescence of Petrograd’s melodies doesn’t hurt either, whether enhanced by a small crackling solo by Flynn, a lead bass line by Doug Nelson, shimmering cymbals from drummer Josh Perrotta, or the space-expanding synth of Josh Harrington. “That’s the great thing about this band,” says Flynn. “Everybody who comes doesn’t know what to expect from instrumental music. People who admittedly hate instrumental music show up and are shockingly surprised. They tell us, ‘you know, I didn’t miss the vocals at all!’ We focus really hard on carrying a melody in the song without a vocalist.” Adds lead guitarist Brian Steele: “I am a melody junkie. When I write stuff it has to be melody, upon melody, upon melody. It has to latch onto someone’s head so it sticks there.”

After a successful debut opening up for Early Day Miners in February, the band found itself without a drummer. Since Craigslist Tampa Bay isn’t exactly teaming with gearheads, the search for a new drummer was a long one. The group eventually found Perrotto, Petrograd’s eighth choice on sticks. “We really chose Josh because of his snakeskin drum kit,” Nelson says, nodding toward one postage-stamp corner of the room. But Perrotto is exceptionally delicate on the kit, and while one might expect a new drummer to feel as if he was an orange-shirted crewman on Star Trek, wondering if he’ll live through the episode, Petrograd’s music acts as a strong adhesive for the group. Hidden behind stacked distortion pedals on top of a synthesizer, Harrington, like Perrotto, sets the stratospheric tones in Petrograd. His wall of sound, in which he “never holds the same pattern twice,” is the canvas for Petrograd’s expansive music, and the backbone of their EP, Lifesize Balloon Animals. “If [Harrington] was gone,” Steele explains, “[the EP] would be a hollow shell. We try to give him as much room as possible. There are a lot of songs based around a part he has ﬁrst, and then we build off that.” By 8:30, the joking ends. Petrograd crowds back into its cubicle to rehearse for its second show, with their eighth drummer, with only remnant carpeting and drywall separating them from the death metal band down the hall. That death metal band doesn’t stand a chance.

MYSPACE.COM/ THEREALDEALARGUILE

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 27

LOCAL ALBUM REVIEWS

Daylight District Beautiful, Historic

LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

“People can talk and tell me that I sound too white,” raps Frank Friend during “Are We There Yet?”, the penultimate song on this Orlandoand-Bradenton-based indie-rock/hip-hop outfit’s first proper full-length. And yeah, they will. As a fan of Friend and bassist Tim Heller’s former band – subtly math-y posthardcore outfit The Silent Treatment – I was jarred by the rap elements of DD’s debut EP a few years back. But while Friend’s vocal sound and flow remain a love-itor-hate-it proposition, the group’s disparate characteristics now mesh with a practiced confidence; eclectic bass styles, skronk-jazz guitar and change-em-up beats come together easily throughout, whether the vocals are rapped or sung, and provide a foundation that’s both interesting and consistently, reliably melodic. The best tunes are still the ones with more mellifluous vocal passages, like “Snapshot,” “7am,” and “Sad Situation,” but even those who hate the whole indie-kid rap thing have to respect the originality and musical prowess displayed here, and folks who are into stuff like the Anticon set would do well to scarf it up. – Scott Harrell

Crisis In Hollywood

Devil in the Deep Blue Sea

Over the last year, Orlando-based quartet Kingsbury has been performing in support of their record The Great Compromise. Driven by dark mood swings, plaintive vocals and subdued rhythm, it has all the elements of a work of musical art. REAX: Several of the song titles on the Great compromise seem to have a macabre overtone to them... Bruce Reed: People say that our music is overly dark and I don’t go in with the intention of that, but when everything is said and done the songs that we move to as a band seem to have a dark side to them. I don’t go in having a set theme, and we went in with 15 or 20 songs, and the songs that work the best for us have a darker side to them. REAX: Is there some subject matter that you feel drawn to there? BR: All of my lyrics are built upon relationships, people who have entered or exited my life, and dreams of them, things of that nature. REAX: Preconceived notions of what “bands from Orlando sound like” possibly based on what bands were successful in the ‘90s has been blown out of the water by the new groups like Summerbirds in the Cellar. What do you feel like you have been up against to come out of that town with this sound that you have? BR: We always felt like we didn’t really belong there. The bands that have the pop sound seem to do really well here, but there does to seem to be a shift. In all the Florida cities, it seems like there used to be certain genres in certain cities that excelled, but now it seems that every city seems to be developing some different form of musical culture. When we started the band, we used to live in Vero Beach, and there was this mentality, because it was a small town, that if you were in a band and you had to tour, it’s what you did. From the very beginning this band toured a lot, we put out our ﬁrst EP in February 2004, and then a tour that year in June and August. Bands used to build this following through touring,

because it was much cheaper. REAX: And now so many bands can’t afford to tour because of the economy… BR: Yes, It’s sort of sad but cool at the same time, but the by-product is that we will have very strong local communities, and people will be focusing on the areas closest to them, because that is all they will be able to expose themselves to live. All the bands in an area will all know each other, and wind up helping one another. Even though it may be tough that we can’t tour all over like we used to ... I think it may be able to help people down the road, because it will help everyone build a more efﬁcient community ... at least that’s what I hope would happen. It’s harder and harder to think of music as anything other than ... a labor of love. There are so many components to it and so many moving parts and very few people make careers out of it, and you have to look at it as only something for artistic merit, and you wonder how far you want to go for people to hear it, because the only point of doing it is as art. REAX: An artist would typically say that art for art’s sake is their only true calling for their life. Listening to your music it seems like you are trying to satisfy the music itself. BR: We do go about it for us more than anyone else. I think that it’s most indie bands’ goal, because anyone that’s realistic could look around and say that there are a ton of bands and a ton of music and no one is buying it, but let’s keep doing this because we love to do it and that’s all you can do. Kingsbury plays the I-4 Music Fest at Austin’s Coffee in Winter Park on July 4.

MYSPACE.COM/KINGSBURY

In a world full of generic pop-punk bands, it’s hard to create music of that genre without being thrown into the wannabe category. Orlando’s Crisis in Hollywood do a fine job of keeping themselves out of that group with their first CD. Even in their opening track, “The Fashion of the Christ,” they mock trendy bands: “Hey, look at me, I’m the next big thing/the perfect replication of unorignality.” Their songs are a mixture of older and newer pop-punk sounds, with beats like Blink182 and lyrics and guitars like Panic! At the Disco. It is surprisingly fresh and has great sound quality, and will get any listener’s head nodding. And perhaps their lyrics aren’t the most profound, but they reflect on honest feelings about romance and relationships and have that young angst that good pop-punk bands master. “All that You Love” is one track on the album that stands out above the rest. The beat is extremely catchy and singer Adrian Snyder’s voice resonates with the song’s short but sweet lyrics. The album pops from beginning to end and is definitely worth a listen. Fans should expect more from the band, who are rumored to have their next album produced by a known figure in the punk industry. – Susie Orr

Have Gun, Will Travel

Casting Shadows Tall As Giants These Bradenton boys have been the buzziest thing in the Bay area music scene for close to a year now, and the follow-up to their ‘06 debut EP shows why. Between brief tongue-in-cheek intro “Pistolas at Twenty Paces” and mournful coda “Ab Ovo Usque Ad Mala” are ten varied, vibrant songs that use the traditional themes and instruments of Americana to startlingly original effect. Where so many maturing hardcore kids are content to bang out a few G, C and D chords and call themselves alt-country, singer-songwriter Matt Burke and company ply a layered, dynamic style infused with both classic Old World lyrical themes and plenty of unique character. From the rollicking singalong refrain of “Blessing And A Curse” and melancholy philosophy of “Now I Lay Me Down” through the spare wistfulness of “Sing for the Sorrow” and timeless gallop of “It’s Not The Heat, It’s The Humanity” and “Pins And Needles,” Casting Shadows is about as fully envisioned and ﬁnely wrought as a record can be. One tiny quibble: It doesn’t quite evoke the raucous edginess of the band’s killer live sets. But it’s also a bit more graceful, a marvelous and emotionally inspiring balance of the old and the REAX new. MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 28 – Scott Harrell

03 ARTIST PROFILE

Words: Susie Orr • Photo: Yvette Labov Rachel Goodrich carries a different tune than other up-and-coming folk singers. Although there are remnants of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan in her songs, she’s more an airy blend of the Grateful Dead, Leon Redbone and Ella Fitzgerald. She describes her sound with the term “shake-a-billy,” which has a different meaning than one might first perceive. “It’s a feeling,” says Goodrich. “It’s nothing to do with rockabilly, but it does have a bit to do with shaking though.” Her folk stylings are tinged with a ragtime and old-timey jazz feel, and she fills her songs with many different instruments. In the song “Light Bulb,” she plays the kazoo as well as a ukulele. Other members of her band can be seen playing upright bass, maracas, and tambourine, along with many other toys. “I play with the basics, but it’s the stuff on top that sparkles and makes things shine a bit,” says Goodrich of all her instruments. She recently played a show with seven band members, which she describes as a “wild circus,” but has been touring with a core group of four: bassist Jeffrey James and percussionist Andrew “The Moose” Magoo, as well as her friends, nicknamed Geneva Jingle Jamboree and Sheila Love Momgaloo, who play toys like Casio keyboards, plastic trumpets, small ribbitting frogs, and See ‘n Says. At various times, however, her performing band can range from one to six people. “I play with whoever’s hanging out,” says Goodrich. “It’s always up in the air, that’s the fun part.” The Miami native began playing the piano at age six and guitar at age 12, under the influence of her musician father. “I always grew up around music,” she says. “I started writing my own songs as soon as I picked up a guitar.” Her biggest influence is old folk music, such as Jodi Mitchell and the Grateful Dead. She also loves Motown, like Otis Redding, and jazz, like Thelonious Monk.

Her easygoing songs are derived from her own observations and written from her lackadaisical perspective. She’s inspired by her adventures in traveling, family and friends, and also good food. Take for example, “Terminal Song”: “Hanging in a terminal/waiting on a plane ... Make it to Miami/Maybe not today/ But baby we can write a song and ﬂy away.” “I write about things that are right in front of me,” Goodrich says. “It’s something I don’t notice, but when I do, I write a song about it.” She also celebrates a certain muse with “The Dope Song,” her love song to marijuana. She believes that good songs should take the listener somewhere. “A good song has to have a little bit of truth to it, and tell a tale,” says the singersongwriter. “It’s only a good song if it means something to you.”

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Her previous ﬁve-song EP, called Homemade because of the fabric CD covers that Goodrich crafted herself, sold like hotcakes at her shows. An upcoming album, Tinker Toys, is almost complete and should be out later this year. She will most likely be touring afterwards; she recently completed a small Florida tour with Orlando pop-folk bands Baron von Bear and Band Marino. What are her desires for the future? “I want to travel the world and have lots of wonderful adventures and meet beautiful people every day.”

MYSPACE.COM/ RACHELGOODRICH

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 29

04 TAMPA BAY All Pro Percussion 10101 E. Adamo Dr. Tampa, FL 33619 813-341-DRUM

Independent Bar 29 3rd St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-820-9514

Atomic Tattoos Multiple Locations www.atomictattoos.com

Kelly’s Pub 206 N. Morgan St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-228-0870

AOE Art Supply 12908 N. 56th St. Tampa, FL 33617 813 989-0302 ARTpool 919 1st Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 www.artpoolrules.com Bananas Music 2226 16th Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 727-327-4616 Café Bohemia 937 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 895-4495 Café Hey 1540 N. Franklin St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-221-5150 The Castle 2004 N. 16th St. Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-7547 The Cider House 1752 Central Ave. St Petersburg, FL 33712 727-822-7400 Crowbar 1812 N. 17th St. Tampa, FL 33605 813-241-8600 Daddy Kool Records 538 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-822-5665 The Garage 662 Central Ave Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 823-2244 The Hub 719 N. Franklin St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-229-1553

Local Coffee + Tea 330 1st Ave. S. Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 727-551-0201 Mabuhay Hair Salon 10022 N. 30th St. Tampa, FL 33612 813-972-0880 Mean Machine Tattoo Co. 3415 S. Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33629 813-831-1106 Mema’s Alaskan Tacos 1724 E. 8th Ave. Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-TACO Mojo Books and Music 2558 E. Fowler Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 813-971-9717 Nova Art Lounge 535 Dr ML King Jr. St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 727-821-6682 The Orpheum 1902 N. Avenida Republica De Cuba Ybor City, FL 33605 813-248-9500 Pegasus Lounge 10008 N. 30th St. Tampa, FL 33612 813-971-1679 PUSH Ultra Lounge 128 3rd. St. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-895-6400 RedLetter1 1510 E. 8th Ave. Tampa, FL 33605 813-241-2435

Revolve Clothing Exchange 1510 E. 8th Ave. Ybor City, FL 33605 813-241-2435

SOUTH FLORIDA

ORLANDO

Studio A 60 NE. 11th St. Miami, FL 33132 305-358-7625

AKA Lounge 68 E. Pine St. Orlando, FL 32801 407-839-3707

Uncle Sam’s Music 1141 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-532-0973

BackBooth 37 W Pine St Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 999-2570

Respectable Street 518 Clematis St. West Palm Beach, FL 33410 561-832-9999

Club Firestone 578 N. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801 Drums2Go 204 South Semoran Blvd Orlando FL 32807 407-306-0611

Culture Room 3045 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954-564-1074 Revolution 300 Himmarshee St # 2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312 954-356-8149

FL Institute of Recording, Sound and Technology 3315 Maggie Blvd., Suite 100 Orlando, FL 407.316.8310

Sweat Records / Churchill’s Pub 5505 NE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33137 305-342-0953

Hard Rock Live 6050 Universal Blvd. Orlando, FL 32819 407-351-7625

Sherry’s Yesterdaze Vintage 5207 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, FL 33603 813-231-2020

Uncle Sam’s Music 4580 N. University Drive Lauderhill, FL 33351 954-742-2466

House of Blues Orlando 1490 E. Buena Vista Dr. Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407-934-BLUE

NORTH FLORIDA

Park Avenue CDs 2916 Corrine Dr. Orlando, FL 32803 407.447.PARK

Skatepark of Tampa 4215 E. Columbus Dr. Tampa, FL 33605 813-621-6793

American Apparel 15 S.W. 1st Ave. Gainesville, FL 32601 352-372-2262

Park Avenue CDs Jr. UCF Student Union #102A Orlando, FL 32816 407.282.1616

Skipper’s Smokehouse 910 Skipper Road Tampa, FL 33613

The Atlantic 15 N. Main St. Gainesville, FL 32601 352-264-9866

Red Light, Red Light 535 W. New England Rd. Winter Park, FL 32789 407-539-1711

Beta Bar 809 Railroad Ave Tallahassee, FL 32310 850-425-2697

Redeﬁne Urban Art Gallery 213 N. Magnolia Ave Orlando, FL 32801

Café Eleven 501 A1A Beach Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-460-9311

Rock ’N’ Roll Heaven 1814 N. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32804 407-896-1952

Common Grounds 210 SW 2nd Ave., Ste. A Gainesville, FL 32601 352-372-7320

Stardust Video and Coffee 1842 Winter Park Rd Winter Park, FL 32789 407-623-3393

Club TSI 333 East Bay St. Jacksonville, FL 32290 904-424-3531

Taste 717 W. Smith Street Orlando, FL 32804 407-835-0646

Freebird Live 200 North 1st Street Jacksonville, FL 32250 904-246-BIRD

Will’s Pub 1040 N. Mills Ave Orlando, FL 32803 (407) 898-5070

Seminole Music & Sound 10720 74th Ave. N., Ste. F Seminole, FL 33772 727-391-3892 Sharp Hair Design 3701 SR580 Suite G Oldsmar, FL 34677 813-855-2422

State Theatre 687 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-895-3045 Stevie B’s Total Guitar Multiple Locations www.steviebs.com St Pete Times Forum 401 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602 813-301-6600 Tampa Guitar School 15349 Amberly Dr. Tampa, FL 33647 813.558.NOTE Tampa Theatre 711 N Franklin St # A Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 274-8981 Tribeca Salon 920 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606 813-250-0208

Store 101 4647 NW 6th St. Gainesville, FL 32609 941-321-7205

Vinyl Fever 4110 Henderson Blvd. Tampa, FL 33629 813-289-8399

St Augustine Amphitheatre 1340 A1A S St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-461-0825 REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 30

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REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 31

06 FRI

July

SAT

July

Peter Murphy, Ali Eskandarian Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale Time: 8pm

The Working Title, Edison Glass, Colors In The Air, Inpassing, Terra Terra Terra BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 7pm

Damon Fowler Group, Christie Lenee’s Funk Grass Groove Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm

Cute Is What We Aim For, Ace Enders, Danger Radio, Powerspace Culture Room, Ft. Laiderdale Cost: $12 Time: 7pm

Harry And The Potters, Math The Band, Uncle Monsterface The Social, Orlando Cost: $12 Time: 3pm

Pat Benatar, Neil Girlado Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $30-$48.50 Time: 8pm

KG And The Band, Laura Reed, G-Ro The Social, Orlando Time: 9pm

DEAD MAIDS + AttachedHands, Joon, Petrograd In Transit New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm

PETER MURPHY + Ali Eskandarian Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

The Working Title, Edison Glass, The Debutaunts, Colors In The Air 1982, Gainesville Cost: $7/$8 TIme: 9pm Strangers, Ancient River, Expatriates, Averkiou The Atlantic, Gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm

Apeshit, Virgins, Watson, We Vs. The Shark The Atlantic, Gainesville Time: 9pm

Hand To Hand (CD Release), How Dare You, Beneath These Words BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

Drip, Benny Cannon, The Chromantics Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm

End All Be All, Fast Lane Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm

Captain Buzzkill, Must Not Kill Brass Mug, Tampa Time: 9pm

Alluress, Autumn’s Pain Brass Mug, Tampa Time: 9pm

Harry And The Potters, Math The Band, Uncle Monsterface Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm

2 Live Crew, DJ Magic, DJ Funk Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $10/$15 Time: 10pm

The Radiators, Hagus Magagus Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $19.99/$35 Time: 8pm The Finest Skateshop Birthday Bash The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Last Day Alive, Stalling Dawn, Driving The Fall Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $8 Time: 7pm The Radiators, Hagus Magagus Culture Room, Ft. Laiderdale Cost: $19.99/$35 Time: 8pm

WED

Old Crow Medicine Show, Chuck Ragan, Austin Lucas St. Augustine Amphitheater, St. Augustine Time: 5:30pm

July

Safety, Gentlemen Of The Press, Anchor Arms, Assassinate The Scientist 1982, Gainesville Time: 7pm Poverty Branch, Savio, So Help Me Riﬂe, Dead Maids, AttachedHands, Guiltmaker BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

Cute Is What We Aim For, Ace Enders, Danger Radio, Powerspace State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $13 Time: 6:30pm

Whaleface, Will Frazier, The Dirtygetcaughts, Christina Wagner, Easy Mark, Dillon, Simple Complexity, The Elevated Hip Hop Experience, DJ (), Ivy league Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 3pm

Des Ark, Tubers, Yardwork, Inertia, Sun Bears, Frantic Days Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 7pm

Peter Murphy, Ali Eskandarian House Of Blues, Orlando Cost: $17.50 Time: 7:30pm

THU

ShugE, Casey Jones The Kickstand, Gainesville Cost: $5 TIme: 10pm The Years Gone By The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 7pm

Worldwide Stew: Cooking It Up On The 4th! Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 8pm

VJ Kingpin The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Throw The Heat, Can You Keep A Secret, Antix, Venial, Extinction Of The Polar Bears Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:15pm

Guiltmaker, Savio, From Russia With Love New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm

Sizzla, Jahfari Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $24.99/$29.99 Time: 7pm

Til My Rival Dies, Colossus Of Rhodes, Blacklite Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

DJ Face! (Matt Slate of King Of Spain) Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm

Tribal Style, Jake Mackey And The Muddy Suns Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $8 Time: 8pm Urbe Prima, Kool Us, Xit Lyt The Social, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 9pm Fireworks, This Time Next Year, 2*Sweet, Ramsey Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

Duppies, Bang Bang Boom, Variety Workshop Market Street Pub, Gainesville Cost: $6 TIme: 9pm Malakhi, Yung T, Mistah, Lil Ran, T.A.Z., Audrey K, Too Cool & Jaz, JazzE, Damon, Chance, Ace, Deuce Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm DJ Jimi-O PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Hydrovibe, Mattress Armada, 3 Second Lead Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm

Gravy Train!!!!, Courtneys, DJ Diddles The Social, Orlando Cost: $10/$12 Time: 8pm

KRS-1, Doug E. Fresh, Special ED Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $28/$33

The Anchor, Anchor Arms The Kickstand, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm

Waking The Cadaver, Catelepsy, Rose Funeral, Without Remorse, Left To Vanish, 42 Children BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $10/12 Time: 7pm

DJ Lux PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Diveplane, Mindslip, Xplicit, Danka, DJ Quinn Diesel Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

DJ Lux PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Dear Dakota, Death Of Downtown, Breathe The Sky, Along The Sidelines, Obadiah 1982, Gainesville Cost: $6/$7 TIme: 8pm

Safety, The CV, TransFM, Half Mast Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $5 Time: 7pm

SUN

July

The Radiators, Zach Deputy Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $17/$20 Time: 6pm Cute Is What We Aim For, Ace Enders, Danger Radio, Powerspace The Social, Orlando Cost: $12/$14 Time: 6pm

TUE

July

Naked Love, Liquid LImbs, Luno, Sorry No Ferrari The Atlantic, Gainesville Cost: $6 TIme: 10pm

THREE 6 MAFIA

+ Mims, Bubba Sparks PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Deado, Leiana, Lovers Like You Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Vans Warped Tour Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando Visit: warpedtour.com for more information.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 32

07 Chris McCarty, Miggs Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm

Dawn Patrol, Burnin Smyrnans, Greenhouse Lounge, Forced Culture Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

The Black Angels, The Warlocks, Strangers The Social, Orlando Cost: $12 Time: 9pm

Vans Warped Tour Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg Visit: warpedtour.com for more information.

Matt Hires In-Store Performance Park Ave. CDs, Orlando Cost: FREE! Time: 7pm The Haas, Mogul Street Reserve, Zen Thunder Traditional Drum Circle Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

SAT

July

Frontiers - A Tribute To Journey The Social, Orlando Cost: $10/$12 Time: 9pm

FRI

July

SUN

2 Live Crew The Tamiami Bar, St. Petersburg Cost: $14.99/$20 Time: 8pm

Patriot X The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

July

Ninja Gun, The Takers, The River Winds The Atlantic, Gainesville Cost: $6 TIme: 10pm

Gettendeep, Hellﬁre Concept, Exemption, Bryan Hamilton, Josh Pollack Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 TIme: 9pm

THU

July

Ramble The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Mort Rainy, Killer Without A Cause, The River Winds Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:15pm

Wait Wait, Paint Me Irrational, Select Few, Diocious Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm Vans Warped Tour Bicentennial Park, Miami Visit: warpedtour.com for more information. Rockabilly/Psychobilly Night The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

MON

July

TUE

July

Brooke Waggoner, Paper Route The Social, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm

WED

July

The Supervillains, The Pull Out, The Company Market Street Pub, Gainesville Cost: $7 Time: 9pm

Traveling Comedy Troop And Music Extravaganza The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Circle Of Thieves, Last Of The Great Gunslingers, Cowboy Maﬁa, DSC Project Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

The Various Others Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm

Matisyahu Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale Time: 6pm

For All The Unheard, Cult Classic Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5 Time: 8pm

The LongJohns, Elysium, Out Of Nothing, Variety Workshop, CIO Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

Halcyon, Some Dancing Skeleton Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $12 Time: 8pm

HED(pe), OPM, Dirtball, Potluck Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

Dirty Shannon, Matt Mackelcan, Randal Shreve, Jacob Jeffreys Band The Social, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 8pm

Sunscreen Film Festival ‘80s Night The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

The Yellow Team, Anyone’s Guess, On The Victrola Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm

OURS + God Or Julie, Plain Jane Automobile State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $12 Time: 7pm

Mods And Rockers The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $3 Time: 10pm

Brian Busto, Mr. Wilkins, Matty Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa Time: 10pm Bob Wayne And The Outlaw Carnies Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm

Bob Wayne And His Outlaw Carnies, Long Gone Daddy’s, Sultans Of Sin Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm

Moneyshot, Skin Deep, The Dood, Her Revenge Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $10 Time: 8pm

Mishayla, DJ Lux, Teresa PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Wait In Vain, Meantime Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 6pm

Vans Warped Tour St. Johns County Fairgrounds, Elkton Visit: warpedtour.com for more information.

Cassette, Fruit Machine, Heavy Flow 1982, Gainesville Cost: $5/$6 TIme: 9pm

Tiltwheel, Too Many Daves, Pretty Boy Thorson And The Fallen Angels, Cutman The Atlantic, Gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 9pm

The Sweet Kings, One By One, Band Of Brothers The Social, Orlando Cost: $5 Time: 8pm

Johnny G. Lyon Band, Take Five, Charlie Souza, Damon Fowler Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10 Time: 5pm

+ The Warlocks, The Beauvilles Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $10/$12 Time: 9pm

Common Grounds, Gainesville Cost: $8 TIme: 9pm

Gainesville Roller Rebels, Saints Vs. Sinners, The Damn Wrights, Towers Of Hanoi Alachua County Fairgrounds, Gainesville Cost: $6/$8

THE BLACK ANGELS

GRAVY TRAIN!!!!

Brooke Waggoner, Paper Route The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm

Consular, Andros Rex, Mountain Ov Dawn, Piles Sufferers, Big Rats, Nespithe Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 8pm

The Black Angels, The Warlocks Common Grounds, Gainesville Cost: $10 TIme: 9pm

Push Play, The Shoreline BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $12/$14 Time: 5:30pm Klob, Blue Caimans Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Dreadlock Science, Shaman I, Audibel, Ruckus Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Jacob Jefferies Band, Rachel Goodrich Culture Room, Ft. Laiderdale Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm Wina The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm Cold World, Iron Age, Trash Talk, Wait In Vain, Know The Score The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $10 Time: 5:30pm Down With Paul Riser & The Renegade Thugs, Zen Thunder Traditional Drum Circle Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm Shelby Lynne Tampa Theatre, Tampa Cost: $31/$40.50 Time: 7:30pm

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 33

08 FRI

July

SAT

July

Blind Buddy Moody, Barkin’ Barney & The Tall Boys, Memphis Train Union, Ronny Elliott, Rebekah Pulley & The Reluctant Prophets, Ted Lukas, Have Gun Will Travel, Will Quinlan And The Diviners, Mojo Gurus, Hayes Carll Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$15 Time: 4pm A Static Lullaby, Dance Gavin Dance, Four Letter Lie, Secret And Whisper, Lower Deﬁnition The Social, Orlando Cost: $13 Time: 4pm X:144 & SPS, Grey Matter, Madd Illz, Mauikai, DJ Dolo, Kap, J-Biz, Locksmiff, Am.I.Am, Alias The Gikt The Social, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 10pm

ERIC KUPPER + Jask, Dino Bonetti, DJ Blenda Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa Time: 10pm

SIDEWALK FICTION + Bang Bang Boom, Just A Scientist The Atlantic, Gainesville Cost: $6 TIme: 10pm

Core, Dose Of Reality Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 TIme: 10pm Tailgunner Joe, Hatchetface, No Circus, The Springﬁeld Cubs! Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8pm HED(pe), OPM, Dirtball, Potluck Culture Room, Ft. Laiderdale Cost: $14.99 Time: 7:30pm Blueground Undergrass, Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm Earth Bombs Mars Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm Towers Of Hanoi, Future Virgins, Dirtyard, Scum Of The Earth The Kickstand, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm Truckstop Coffee, Will Quinlan, Military Junior New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm Ghost Town Gridlock, Cult Classic, Avast, One Night Stan, Nothing In The Dark Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm Eric Lindell Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 8pm Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Shurman The Social, Orlando Cost: $13/$15 Time: 8pm Dance Gavin Dance, A Static Lullaby, Four Letter Lie, Secret And Whisper, Lower Deﬁnition State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $12 Time: 6:30pm Hours, 5 Minute Major, Change Of Ideas, Titan, Overboard Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

An American Horror Story, Moscows On Fire, I Know Who Killed Me 1982, Gainesville Cost: $6/$8 Time: 5pm

SUN

July

Electric Touch BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm

Nu High Party With DJ Remington Steel AKA Lounge, Orlando Time: 9pm

Lil Boosie, D Strong, Homebass DJs Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $25 Time: 10pm

Harvest Of Hope Beneﬁt The Atlantic, Gainesville Time: 9pm

Chuck Rogan (CD Release) Common Grounds, Gainesville Cost: FREE! TIme: 5pm

Gasoline Heart, Christian Wilson, Leslie, Damion Suomi BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 8pm

Treaty Of Paris, House Of Heroes, The Frantic, Jung Fu Girls Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

Die Sektor, DollhouseX, Earth Empire Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm

HED(pe), O.P.M., Dirtball, Pot Luck Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $15 Time: 7pm

Blueground Undergrass, Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $12/$15 Time: 8pm SHOCKED: Fetish Night With Future Process, DJ Glamazon The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm Lisa Lampanelli Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $42 Time: 7:30pm Alkaline Trio, American Steel House Of Blues, Orlando Cost: $15.75 Time: 7pm DJ Cocktail Sauce Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm Zillionaire, Candy bars, The Microdots New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm Four Gone, Down Jr., Scilter, Second Head Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm DJ Scooter PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm Flock Of Seagulls, Spam Allstars, Zombies! Organize!!, TV Club, Call it Radar, Fire Zuave, Jacob Jefferies, Coexist Scientist, Perfect Citizen, The Freakin Hott, Downhome Southernaries, Two Story Double Wide, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, Pots N Pans Respectable Street, West Palm Beach For more info visit: respectablestreet.com.

TUE

July

Dash Rip Rock Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm Tilly And The Wall, Ruby Suns, Max Green & The Great Deceivers The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 5pm Heiroglyphics, Blue Scholars, Musab, Pronce Ali, Knobody The Social, Orlando Cost: $20 Time: 10pm G.B.H., Krum Bums State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $16 Time: 7pm My Farewell, In Media Res, Steven Loki Howell, The Slumbers Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 7pm

WED

July

Bella Morte, The Ludovico Technique, 9th Evolution BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 8pm GBH, Whole Wheat Bread, Krum Bums, Dirty DNA Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $14.99 Time: 7:30pm Zappa Plays Zappa Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $29.50-$47 Time: 8pm Guttermouth, New Skool Kings The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 8pm

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Pilgrims, Feature Presentation The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $10 Time: 7pm

RX Bandits, Portugal The Man, Facing New York State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $12.50/$14 Time: 7pm

Legions, Solonum, Montresor, Killer Without A Cause Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:15pm

THU

Blueground Undergrass, Col. Bruce & The Quark Alliance Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $12/$15 Time: 5pm

July

Ours, God And Julie, Plain Jane Automobile The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 7:30pm

MON

July

Treaty Of Paris, The Frantic, Kung Fu Girls, The Starlight Getaway BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 5:30pm Kerry White The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 8pm

21 G.B.H. + Whole Wheat Bread, Krum Bums, The Attack BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 7pm

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 35

10 THU

July

April Cover, Stryke, Down Jr. Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm

Chris Nathan, Rescue 22, Her Revenge The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Ramming Speed, Battlemaster, Hot Graves The Kickstand, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm

Morgan Heritage Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $14.99/$18 Time: 7pm

Bear Colony, Look Mexico, Admirals Of The Narrow Sea New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm

Call For Fire, Arm The Poor, Detonate, No Days Off, Hopesick, Crooked Edge Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

RX Bandits, Portugal The Man Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $14.99 Time: 8pm Shooter Jennings, Sons Of Bill, Fifth South Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

Oblivious Signal, Everise, Silver Eye Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

Bella Morte, Cervello Elettronico Respectable Street, West Palm Beach Cost: $15 Time: 7pm

Lucky & James Peterson Reunion Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 8pm

Unmotivated The Garage, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm

Midnight Bowlers League, Johnny Zoom Cheerlead Squad, Sarge And The Aeromen, Haole Kats Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm

Michelle Branch House Of Blues, Orlando Cost: $18.50 Time: 7:30pm

RX Bandits, Portugal The Man, Facing New York The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 8pm

Guttermouth, New Skool Kings, Harloe The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $14/$15 Time: 7pm The Haas, Skull And Bone, Zen Thunder Drum Circle Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm

SAT

July

SUN

Secondhand Serenade, My American Heart, PlayRadioPlay!, Rookie Of The Year The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 6pm

TRACE OF DAY

Ramming Speed, Fatal, Battlemaster, Abhorrent Misanthropy Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 7pm

Call For Fire, The Sense Offenders 1982, Gainesville Cost: $6/$7 Time: 8pm

MON

Phoenix/Nebulin, Bella Morte Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $8 Time: 10pm

Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm

A Palace In Persia, Look Mexico, Bear Colony BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 8pm Moodhosa, The Pull Out Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm Secondhand Serenade, Rookie Of The Year, The Graduate, PlayRadioPlay!, My American Heart Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $14.99 Time: 7:30pm Nate Holley, Lefty Williams, SplitTone, Dirty Shannon Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

Cartel, There For Tomorrow, Madelyn Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $16 Time: 7pm

Greg Poulos (CD Release) Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 5pm

+ Emily Crash, Patriot X The Garage, St. Petersburg Cost: $1 Time: 9pm

RANCID POLECATS

Azalea, Tug, Hatchetface, Sight Through Blind Eyes Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5 Time: 8pm

Edison, Venial, WOTI, Captain Fresh, Illthid Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:15pm

Cowboy Mouth The Tamiami Bar, St. Petersburg Cost: $14.99/$18 Time: 8pm

July

Boy George, Liam And Me Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $19.99/$25 Time: 7pm

Cartel, There For Tomorrow, US Royalty The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 6:30pm

FRI

July

Pop Culture Clash, Radio Reset, Adeste The Social, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 6pm

Mart’nalia Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $22/$27 Time: 8pm

Delay, New Bruises, The Tim Version, Inertia!, Crows Foot Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 7pm

Guttermouth, New Skool Kings, Harloe Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm Boy George Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $35/$55/$60 Time: 8pm Three, Reverse Commuter, Grumptronix, Matty Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa Time: 10pm

Business Casual Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm

SOUL! NIGHT! The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $3 Time: 10pm

My Evil Side, Fields Of Glass, Afterdeath, Pushmower Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 8pm

Cartel Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $15/$18 Time: 7pm

July

TUE

July

Ybor Art Colony and Bad Kitty Promotions Present The Adult Carnival - No Kiddie Rides Tour art show, food, live bands, rafﬂes, kill the keg, giveaways, booze, prizes, performers, fun games, & wine tasting. Gaspar’s Grotto, Ybor City Cost: $25/$15/$10 Time: 4pm to ?? More info” 813-248-5900

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 36

Slipknot, Disturbed, Dragonforce, Mastodon, Underoath, Machine Head, Walls Of Jericho, Black Tide, Suicide Silence, The Red Chord, Five Finger Death Punch, 36 Crazyﬁsts, Airbourne Ford Amphitheater, Tampa Cost: $28.75/$53.25 Time: 2pm

FRI August

Friday Night Gunﬁght Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm The Burnin Smyrnans Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 8pm Flobots, Busdriver State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $13/$15 Time: 7pm

WED

July

DUBCONCIOUS

Flobots, Busdriver Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $12 Time: 7:30pm

July

M.O.D., Fueled By Fire, Savage Brewtality, Hot Graves The Atlantic, Gainesville Time: 10pm Immortal Technique, Poison Pen, The Circle, J Arch, DJ GI Joe BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 8pm

Boys Like Girls, Good Charlotte, Metro Station House Of Blues, Orlando Cost: $23.50 Time: 6:30pm

THU

Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm

By The Horns, Impurity, Hallowmass, Diavolo Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm

Jon Langford Cafe Eleven, St. Augustine Time: 8:30pm The Codetalkers Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm Return To Forever House Of Blues, Orlando Cost: $42.50/$199/$339 Time: 7pm Earth Bombs Mars Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm Hatchetface Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm Amos Lee, Dayna Kurtz The Social, Orlando Cost: $17/$20 Time: 9pm

THE HISS

Boys Like Girls, Good Charlotte, Metro Station St. Augustine Amphitheater, St. Augustine Time: 6pm

+ Strangers New World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm

A.N.S., Reproach, Salt Mine, Party Time, Skare Taktiks Transitions Art Gallery, Tampa Cost: $6 Time: 8pm

Rich Mission BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $6 Time: 9pm

Tim Easton, Matt Butcher & The Revolvers, Nathan Bond Will’s Pub, Winter Park Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm

State Line Escape Backstage Lounge, Gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Mark Knopﬂer The Fillmore, Miami Cost: $52.50-$122.50 Time: 8pm Hawthorne Heights, Armor For Sleep Freebird Live, Jacksonville Time: 8pm

FOR MORE

EVENT LISTINGS GO TO

REAXMUSIC.COM

Café Bohemia will be hosting an art show on July 12 called “The Invasion Begins.” The show will coincide with the three-year anniversary of St. Petersburg’s Finest Skate Shop, who will host the event, with an after-party at The Garage. Four St. Petersburg installation artists will be showing their work; the collective group includes Arkane One, Soul, Danielle Johnson, and Stoic One, aka Alex Glueck, 21, whose 12 urban, spraypaint-accented mixed-media pieces will be the focal point of the show. “The concentration for the show is [on] invasion,” Glueck says. “It’s the invasion of thought process from a higher power, basically taking all the social ills of society and kind of deconstructing them.” There will be live art in addition to the collection’s debut. In an unusually creative undertaking, three of the artists will collaborate to create an installation piece during the six-hour event as a backdrop to the live music provided by Jun, Spontaneous Habit, Ramble, KZO and DJ Kuz. David D, the host of The Lobby’s regular Wednesday-night poetry slam open mic, will also present spoken word performances. Admission will be free, and the ﬁrst 20

people to show up get a t-shirt. The Finest Skate Shop will be giving away skate gear to a few lucky ducks, and some art will be auctioned as well. Drink specials include $2 Newcastles, and Steve’s Tavern just down Central Avenue will have their own drink specials for those of you who likey the liquor. Later, an after-party at The Garage offers $1 PBRs and live rockabilly; a wristband from the art show gets those 21 and up in for free. Essentially, the artists and sponsors of the show are working to build up the scene in St. Petersburg amongst skateboarders, artists, musicians and the like. “Come support local art and get the underground art scene in St. Pete going,” Glueck says. “That’s what we’re trying to push. We’re trying to get people from Tampa. We’re trying to get people from Sarasota, just to bring the local scene together.” For out-of-towners, corporate rates are available for the Ponce-De-Leon Hotel through The Finest Skate Shop. Just tell Tiffany you’re coming for the thirdanniversary party. (Word on the street is that rooms with queen-sized beds and a waterfront view are available for $89.) To reserve a room call (727) 550-9300.

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 37

12 LOCAL BAND SPOTLIGHT

Words: Justine Grifﬁn Being in a hardcore band with over 30,000 MySpace plays isn’t saying too much these days. But being in a hardcore band signed to Lifeforce Records, touring worldwide, and dropping two album releases just months apart from each other – on top of their thousands of Internet plays – deserves some attention. Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, “There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking.” Lost Highway celebrates Central Florida establishments where “good living” takes place. A sparkling Ace Pear Cider, a blast of cold air, and a hearty sigh under low light shed the thick night air from my back, ﬁnally achieving separation of shirt collar and neck. The humid summer night wafts by the windows as my beverage is poured under the chill of industrial A/C vents. Down the bar, hipsters in pipe-cleaner jeans and thick-rimmed glasses debate the validity of disco-punk as a genre. At the dartboard, four co-eds are into their second hour of cricket. Outside, single speedsters are comparing messenger bags in between sips of Yuengling and drags of cloves. There can’t be more than 25 people here, yet the place never felt so alive, sparkling like glass of amber before me. The fact that the place is only 850 square feet helps. The Cider House lies just under the shadow of I-275, where the St. Petersburg City Council once thought that building a baseball dome — on spec, no less — would attract multi-use residential and commercial ventures. The decor is deliberate and quaint. The walls are painted deep red, lined with minimalist Anglo-Celtish décor, offering more space to expand memories; as owner Greg Wallace notes, “too many bars are full of crap.” Tiny mosaic hex tiles, circa 1930, recall a bygone era of neighborhood bars — it feels like Wrigleyville or Bed-Stuy in here.

The beers are unpretentious, and modestly priced. Where else can you find Budweiser and Red Stripe standing alongside a German Tucher and Belgium Triple Karmalit? Wallace has no intention of advertising his urban oasis. Drink specials are available, but not posted; locals know when and how to ask. We’re the ones drinking Strongbow or Woodchuck, eschewing the wheat varietals. During Florida summers, the bite and carbonation of cider make a natural cure-all. A fryer in the kitchen keeps me from smoking. The menu, basic pub-style servings like fish and chips, was a romantic dream of Wallace’s until he looked at his receipts and saw he was selling a “shit ton of beer.” But he promises to keep smoke-free indoors, and the return of french fries and vinegar. On Tuesdays you can find a knitting circle (the members of which Wallace begrudgingly serves their one beer per hour). On Wednesdays, a dart club tests the drywall. The infamous Critical Mass lads arrive on Thursdays, parking their single speeds and ironic intentions at the door. To ask if the Cider House crowd is eclectic is to never have crossed the bridge to Pinellas County before. Every delegate from every St. Pete demographic niche holds court. The dart pros are taking over the bar, the conversation is getting louder and out on the wide sidewalk, Wallace is holding court, at home in what he predicts could be a “20year career.” And for that one moment, in the languid air, I hope I-275 can hide this place just a little longer.

Orlando’s Hand to Hand self-released their debut EP Fast Forward Your Thoughts in 2004, before signing with European label Lifeforce Records. Since teaming up with the German imprint, Hand to Hand has released their ﬁrst full-length album A Perfect Way to Say Goodbye in 2005, and toured the U.S. and Europe. Some minor bumps in the road, such as member changes, left the band slightly inactive until now. I was able to meet up with singer Robert Kellom, guitarist Arturo Matamoros and guitarist John Rafford in the studio as they began recording their sophomore disc, which drops this fall.

this summer, starting with a hometown CD release show with peers How Dare You and Beneath These Words. “The Back Booth is one of our favorite hometown venues,” Matamoros says. Hand to Hand has sold out both Back Booth and the Social in the past, and their large following proves the group can really put on a show. “On stage, we really feed off our fans’ energy,” says Rafford. “It’s a lot easier to rock out when you can see people are interested.” As for writing, Kellorn says that when composing a song, the band caters to their own needs. “Our fans are still a big part in what we write, but we write music that sounds good to us,” he says. This year’s hard work alone has proven that Hand to Hand means business when it comes to their music. Their dedication to produce two solid releases in one year and tour the U.S. is pretty remarkable for a band as young as Hand to Hand.

“A lot of people think we’ve made it or something since we’re signed on a record label, and that’s not true,” Rafford says. “We still go through the same trials “We’ve really just become a big family, and and tribulations like every other band.” we’re all influenced by each other,” says Matamoros. “It’s really been quite a ride so Just like most other young artists, all far.” members of Hand to Hand still have their day jobs. The future seems bright for this Central Florida act. The band plans on touring “We’ve had to sacrifice a lot of things Europe again in the near future, as well as for the band, like girlfriends and family,” continuing to write new material. adds Rafford. Confirms Kellorn, “we’ll still be rocking out But it looks like all of their hard work somewhere.” is beginning to pay off. In addition to working on the full-length for a fall Hand to Hand plays Orlando’s Back Booth release, the band will put out a limitedon July 5. edition EP, Breaking the Surface, on July 22. The band will hit the road on a MYSPACE.COM/ U.S. East Coast tour to promote the EP HANDTOHAND

REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 39

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BLOODY GOOD TIME WHEN SEMINAL HIP-HOP GROUP A TRIBE CALLED QUEST CALLED IT QUITS WITH THE RELEASE OF THEIR 1998 FINAL OPUS THE LOVE MOVEMENT, FANS EVERYWHERE WERE LEFT ON A HIGH NOTE THAT BEGGED THE QUESTION: WHAT WAS NEXT FOR THE MEMBERS? Group leader Q-Tip was the first to release post-Tribe music a year later with his solo album, Amplified. Sporting a thumping, more commercial sound, the record spawned club-centric hits such as “Vivrant Thing” and “Breathe and Stop.” His follow-up album, 2001’s Kamaal The Abstract, featured live instruments, loosely framed song structures, and more sung vocals than ever from the Queensbridge legend. It was issued a catalog number and was reviewed in some publications, but the record label, fearing it wasn’t commercial enough, ended up shelving the record. And then … nothing. Since then, reports (and leaks) of no less than two other Q-Tip albums have made blips on the hip-hop community’s radar, but outside of a few whitelabels and singles, things have been uncharacteristically quiet from his camp. “There were different factors in why those records were delayed,” says the artist guardedly. “But it’s all good now because I’m here and looking forward at this point.” His new album The Renaissance (Universal/Motown) is scheduled to drop on September 9. Still featuring live instruments and pointing towards a hip-hop direction, Tip says that the record is all new material and will feature guest appearances from Norah Jones, Raphael Saadiq, and Barack Obama (!). Though Tip is hesitant to reveal much more detail surrounding the album, he doesn’t seem too concerned with fitting into a culture that has significantly changed since he last put out new material. “I try not to really make my stuff purposefully fit into anything,” he says. “I just kind of do what I do, and hopefully people will like it and not gauge it against what is going on in other forms of music. I think that people definitely expect something from me because I guess the stuff that I made before left a mark in peoples’ minds and they don’t want anything different.” Of course, when ‘that stuff’ includes some of the best hip-hop albums of all time, it can be difficult to bear such a burden. Still, Tip maintains a sense of optimism and a reserved, nonchalant attitude about his work in A Tribe Called Quest, who will headline this year’s Rock the Bells festival (in what Tip claims will be their last tour, ever) amidst many artists and groups who took a page from their legacy in crafting their own art. “I’m looking forward to seeing all of those guys, both the older and newer cats,” he says. “It’s a great lineup, and I think that it’s great that it mixes both new and old artists. “It’s flattering and inspirational [to see the influence ATCQ has had on some of the artists on the Rock the Bells bill] because Tribe was able to do something that stood the test of time, and it still resonates with newer artists who use our music as a reference,” he humbly adds. “It lets you know that you’ve done something kind of cool.” The Rock The Bells tour hits Miami’s Bicentennial Park on August 2. REAX MUSIC MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 • PAGE 40

WHEN A 17-YEAR-OLD JAMES TODD SMITH PROCLAIMED TO ROCK THE BELLS ON LL COOL J’S CLASSIC DEF JAM DEBUT RADIO, FEW COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT THE PHRASE WOULD STILL HOLD SO MUCH WEIGHT NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AFTER THE FACT. ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AS A SINGLE-DAY EVENT IN SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA IN 2004, GUERILLA UNION’S ROCK THE BELLS FESTIVAL IS IN ITS THIRD YEAR AS A TOURING SHOW THAT Though a signiﬁcant portion of the world may be FEATURES THE UPPER ECHELON OF HIP-HOP’S BIGGEST MARQUEE more familiar with Mos Def for his burgeoning NAMES, ALONG WITH THE MOST BUZZWORTHY UNDERGROUND career as a Hollywood actor, the Brooklyn native ARTISTS OF THE GENRE. ﬁrst started making some noise as part of the

MOS DEF

ROCK THE BELLS WILL BE HITTING MIAMI’S BICENTENNIAL PARK FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW ON AUGUST 2 WITH A ROSTER THAT’S ENOUGH TO EXCITE BOTH THE REGULAR HIP-HOP FAN AND THE MOST SELECTIVE OF BACKPACKERS. PEEP SOME OF THE ACTS THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS:

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST Point blank, there are very few groups in hip-hop who receive the amount of undisputed praise and respect heaped upon a Tribe Called Quest. as forerunners of the conscious-minded, afrocentric Native Tongues movement of the early ‘90s, rapper/producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ/producer ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper/hypeman Jarobi White were largely responsible for hip-hop’s embrace of jazz music and abstract lyrics. There are numerous reasons why they are one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. Unprecedented string of back-to-back classic albums? Check (1990’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1991’s The Low End Theory, and 1993’s Midnight Marauders). Classic songs guaranteed to get the crowd live? Put “Scenario,” “award Tour,” or “Bonita applebaum” on any mix and you’ll get instantaneous results. Legacy and inﬂuence on the brightest of today’s hip-hop heavyweights? Count Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, and Just Blaze as very vocal fans. But perhaps the greatest testament to Tribe’s greatness is the fact that it’s been a decade since the group called it quits, and fans still eagerly sit on the edge of their seats, waiting for any hint of a new album. They’ve reformed for a smattering of reunion shows in the past few years, and their live show still remains one of the best in the game.

THE PHARCYDE While the overall lineup for this year’s festivities is enough to constitute the wet dream of millions of backpackers, the addition of a reunited Pharcyde brings the event up to ridiculously dope levels. Imani, Bootie Brown, Fatlip, and Slimkid3 formed the group in the early ‘90s in South Los angeles, and their debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde was a highly musical, goofy slice of hip-hop unafraid to be as irreverent and quirky as it was lyrically dexterous. The alternative rap quartet scored its hugest hit with “Passin’ Me By,” the ultimate schoolboy heartbreak anthem, and was propelled into stardom, touring with a Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, as well as Lollapalooza. While their second album, 1994’s Labcabincalifornia, was a stark departure from the freewheeling sounds of their debut, its lush production (featuring a very young J-Dilla) and songs like “Runnin’” and “Drop” earned it a reputation as an underrated classic. Things fell apart shortly after, as internal conﬂict split the charismatic crew apart. Solo albums and releases from abridged incarnations of the group would follow to only mild success. This year’s Rock the Bells marks the ﬁrst time the four have shared the stage in over a decade.

late-’90s Rawkus Records movement of NYbased underground hip-hop artists. With a delivery inspired by the old school and a complex writing style on a par with the best of his peers, Mos signed to Rawkus and formed the group Black Star with fellow Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli – their 1998 album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star is rightly considered to be an underground touchstone. as time has passed, Mos has tweaked the sound of his musical output (the bulk of his second full-length solo album The New Danger features the rap-rock rifﬁng of his all-star band Black Jack Johnson) and devoted more and more of his energy to acting, starring in successful ﬁlms such as The Italian Job, 16 Blocks, and this year’s Michel gondry-directed Be Kind Rewind.

MURS It wasn’t a coincidence that MURS was the host and mastermind behind guerilla Union’s Paid Dues Festival (sort of the indie version of Rock the Bells) earlier this summer – the man has indeed paid his dues. Rising to prominence as a member of proliﬁc Bay area collective Living Legends, MURS has spent the past decade establishing himself as one of the premier names in the underground scene. From battle raps and social commentary to odes to skateboarding and Saturday morning cartoons, his casual, everyman rhymes have graced a slew of albums and collaborative projects with soulful producer 9th Wonder, atmosphere’s Slug (under the Felt moniker), crunk-rockers Whole Wheat Bread, and el-P’s Deﬁnitive Jux label’s roster. The hard work seems to have paid off, as MURS recently inked a deal with Warner Bros. With more albums already under his belt than some rappers create throughout an entire career, his major label debut MURS For President is slated to drop in the next year.

WALE a slot on this cred-heavy tour is yet another notable accomplishment in what’s been a landmark year for the D.C. native. With a penchant for clever wordplay and a delivery similar in tone to Kanye West, Wale’s style of hip-hop (colored by the sounds of D.C.’s regional go-go music) made him something of a hometown hero circa 2003-2004. Parlaying that success into a nationwide buzz, he was receiving mainstream press from MTV, XXL Magazine, and the New York Times all while still operating independently. Catching the attention of super-producer Mark Ronson, Wale’s last mixtape 100 Miles and Running ﬁnally propelled him into a major-label bidding war that saw the rapper signing with Interscope earlier this year. In addition to appearing on the Roots’ latest album Rising Down, Wale’s latest release, The Mixtape About Nothing, seamlessly blends elements of Seinfeld with his carefree yet acutely conscientious brand of hip-hop. Plus, the man was able to secure a drop from the show’s very own Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a feat that’s a hell of a lot more impressive than, say, snagging a Lil’ Wayne cameo. With a forthcoming major-label debut with production from Ronson, Kanye West, Just Blaze, and 9th Wonder in the works, it seems like things are just getting started for Wale.

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round 2003, the music scene in Montreal, Quebec exploded into the rest of the world’s consciousness. Once a hidden enclave for experimental music and strange Canadian pop, it turned into a cultural mecca for the newly birthed indie-blog generation. at the forefront of this music revolution were bands like arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and an insanely catchy garage-pop concoction called The Unicorns. although The Unicorns’ rule only lasted for one album, singer/songwriter Nicholas “Nick Diamond” Thorburn took the experiences and lessons learned from his old band and applied them to his next project, Islands. Using his now-patented hook-laden base and adding progressive rock flourishes, the group has gained a new following while continually confusing fans that have watched Nicholas grow up. Islands recently released their second album, Arm’s Way, on aNTI- and are now on a headlining tour across america. REAX: Your old band, The Unicorns, was the first to break out from the Montreal scene. Did you have any expectations from all the attention back then? Nick Thorburn: We were definitely being thrust into something. and, it was still contained, we never felt like it was overblown like the way the bands after us were received. Our experience with that was much more incubated. It feels weird that our first musical output had that kind of attention that easily. We felt a little spoiled. REAX: I remember seeing you play with

The Unicorns at Common Grounds in Gainesville … NT: Oh shit, I remember that show. Or should I say, I don’t remember that show. I was in and out of consciousness, one of those wild college nights.

the main songwriter has really helped me NT: Jim used to play in Islands and was develop as a musician and I now have a there from the get-go of the live band. He’s band that is unlike any other on the indiea songwriter in his own right and I knew his rock circuit. These guys play like no one time was limited with us. I always wanted else and they have a real creative spirit. It’s to make a record with just the two of us. a combination of all those things that helps On one of the Islands tours, we were at make this project so … ambitious. Initially, the a weird haunted hotel in Tucson, arizona REAX: It was packed and I had no idea songwriting is a very solitary thing. When the and we started jamming and recording. you guys were that big. What was it like songs get to a certain point, the band comes That was the start of the project and it was playing back in Montreal at that point in your in and we hear how all the different layers only a year later when I went to Toronto, career? Were you considered hometown sound when we’re piling them on top of each slept on his couch, and made a record in a heroes? other. week and a half. It’s a polar opposite to the NT: Yeah, maybe you could say that. There recording process involved with Islands, was always a little resentment tucked away REAX: At a recent show in New York you which is a higher profile thing, and it’s nice though. We had a very competitive nature said, “this song sucks,” before playing to do something without any expectation with our contemporaries. It was a long time “Rough Gem.” Do you really feel that way involved. It’s refreshing to do something ago, so I really don’t remember exactly now after creating an album as complex as like that with no motivation behind it other how that felt, but it was very exciting to be arm’s Way? than just making music with someone traveling all over, playing for people, and NT: I have my misgivings about that song. you really admire and you value as a being very young. It feels like a very young I shouldn’t have said that, I was trying to songwriter and creative partner. If people time in my life. I was a carefree kid with no be self-deprecating, but some people don’t like it, it’s just an added bonus. responsibilities and everything was so new. understand that kind of humor. “Rough gem” is a song that I don’t necessarily have a REAX: Will we hear anything else REAX: What was the local scene in kinship with and people really take offense recorded from Th’ Corn Gangg? Montreal like that nurtured so many amazing to that. I’ve said that before and people have NT: You will, maybe not anytime soon, but bands? walked out. People don’t like to feel that we have a dozen or so beats that we’re NT: It’s a small scene and city and it’s pretty the person on stage is talking down to them slowly but surely working on and we’re segregated between French and english, and if people are implying that I mean that getting rappers on deck. Jamie [Thompson with some crossover. It was definitely a by saying those things, then it’s a shame. from The Unicorns] and I are so busy with place that nurtured artists and musicians. It If I really felt that way, I wouldn’t play it. I other things right now, but we’re working was affordable and had lots of good places still play it because I’m acknowledging that towards getting that record done in the to play, a great place to be brought up in these people are important and they come near future. actually, it will probably be one musically. to our shows. It’s just not where we’re at of those Chinese Democracy albums that anymore and I cannot relate to that style of will be out in fifteen years. REAX: Your newer compositions are much songwriting. It was a very conscious attempt more ornate than the material we first heard to make a really hooky pop song. REAX: And you’ll be wearing a weave? from The Unicorns. Has that change come NT: exactly. from a comfort level in songwriting or are REAX: Can you tell us about the Human you exposed to more tools now? Highway project you’re collaborating on with ISLANDSAREFOREVER.COM NT: Both of those things. Coming out as Jim Guthrie? REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 42

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ou’d think a band of Venusian vagabonds that spent millennia time-tripping their way across the cosmos, only to become stranded in twentieth-century Chapel Hill, North Carolina when Walt Disney stole its vessel, might be a little tired of traveling. You’d think they might want to slouch into some comfy recliners and nap for a decade or so in front of cable TV with the volume turned low. But the extraterrestrial men of swaggering hard-rock juggernaut Valient Thorr can’t rest just yet; they’ve got a message to deliver to the people of earth, and have spent a vast majority of the past ﬁve years or so taking that message to open ears around the world. “Once the language barrier is crossed, the universal message is about breaking down borders – there are no countries, it’s all horseshit, and people usually understand that we’re all human beings,” says frontman Valient Himself, as he prepares to catch a plane for yet another european jaunt. “It doesn’t matter where you live, or what color your skin is, or who you wanna kiss. None of that matters. It’s all about that we’re stuck here on this planet and we have to keep it safe.

“In some places where they don’t speak english, there’s still a lot of words that cross all barriers, everybody knows what ‘party’ and ‘rock and roll’ and ‘motherfucker’ mean, you just scream that a lot,” he adds with a laugh. “But as far as getting your message across, as long as you’re sincere and you use a lot of body language, they sort of know what you mean.” It doesn’t hurt that Valient Thorr’s message comes in the form of some seriously scorching tunes that deftly balance protorock ‘n’ roll’s ass-shaking rhythms with metal’s ass-kicking classic elements. The group’s fourth album, the just-released Immortalizer, continues its evolution into a heavier animal than was represented by early efforts – new guitarist Voiden Thorr brings even more thrashy chunk and tasteful lead work to the already bruising Thin Lizzy-by-way-of-Sabbath style Himself, guitarist eidan Thorr, bassist Nitewolf and drummer Lucian Thorr are constantly reﬁning. The result is miles more original and energetic than what’s being churned out by the last crop of Blue Cheer-rehashing cannabis enthusiasts, even recalling the days when Metallica still

sounded like they could never, ever suck. But as weighty and whiplashed as it gets, the music of Immortalizer never sacriﬁces that primal R&B backbeat that makes Valient Thorr as groovy as they are brutal. “It just sort of morphed into that,” Valient Himself says of the band’s singular vibe. “It started as more of an MC5-James Brown hybrid, anything from the early beats of rock and roll. Chuck Berry started this, and it hits that beat, something everyone’s head can bob to. No matter what, that beat of the drum can link up to the heart, and sometimes the heart can link up to the brain, and the brain can relate ... that’s just what we’ve always been into, and it’ll constantly change as we go along. We’ve never been stuck with one genre, we can play with death metal bands and bluegrass bands, and it seems to cross over.” The intergalactic-biker-viking back story and raging yet instantly engaging music are more than enough to capture and hold the attention of the world’s rock fans – new converts join the band’s loyal Thorriors daily, and judging by how often their name comes up in conversation lately, Immortalizer is looking sure to be one of the scene’s key

summer soundtracks. But Valient Himself and his cohorts have more to offer than image and volume, and he hopes that listeners who come for the “party” and the “rock and roll” and the “motherfucker” will also hear what, at the root of Immortalizer’s foreboding scenarios, dark metaphors and incitements to ﬁght, is a simple, essential, positive concept. “I actually think [2006’s] Legend of the World is a darker album,” he muses. “This one has those cautionary tales, but it’s more accepting that things are just crazy, and the whole idea is to make something that’s going to live beyond our own lives. Whatever survives beyond our own bodies, like the best art. Something that either becomes classic, or might help little babies that are born years from now. Say the earth does survive, and there’s years of crazy shit, but maybe they can take these ideas and learn from them, make a better world someday. I think there is hope, and that’s what the whole thing is, hope.” Valient Thorr’s Immortalizer is available now.

VALIENTTHORR.COM

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“AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS I JUST STICK WITH THE CONTENT AND WHAT I KNOW ABOUT, I JUST KEEP IT TO THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH.” a successful addition to alligator Records’ legendary blues and soul roster, eric Lindell has been a journeyman and bandleader for over a decade. On his latest release, Low on Cash, Rich in Love, he cuts loose with his hot New Orleans-based band, adding tight improvisation alongside honest, well-written lyrics. To Lindell, signing with the well-known roots music label seems like a perfect plot twist in his career. eric is a gentleman on the phone, with a worn but thoughtful voice; he speaks like someone who can sing the blues if need be. “I was really into blues in my early 20s, so it’s strange that I wound up on alligator because it has come full circle,” he says. “I was really into my favorites, Junior Wells, et cetera, but when putting a band together, I was always into high-energy dancing crowds, with blues mixed in. after you have played millions and millions of gigs, you settle into your own sound. But when I moved into New Orleans I started to play with so many different people, and that can take you in many different directions.“ Since the move to New Orleans in ‘99, eric’s collaborators have now ranged from members of iconic funk-jam outﬁt galactic to Branford Marsalis and the Neville Brothers. What engages the listener most about his new record is that it is not just blues music – the songwriting is well-crafted yet earnest, and there is much richer orchestration. When the band pulls loose, the spontaneity sounds like a live group recording. as well it should; Lindell cuts his records without a safety net. “every time I do a new record I just go in a do it live,” says the singer-guitarist. “We actually recorded 18 songs in one day. The week before we went in we had written a couple new songs as well. It’s the best way to get it down, it is always my goal, to capture that live thing. about a week ago we went in and recorded another 11 songs the same way. We pride ourselves on being a live band, and that’s what we are trying to get down on tape. “We can go from a three-piece to an eight-piece. The new record we are working on, we brought the whole big band in live, and tracked it all, and on the road there are six of us right now. as simple as it seems, I just stick with the content and what I know about, I just keep it to three chords and the truth. I don’t write too many ﬁctional songs and I really feel that it’s about honing your craft as a songwriter. But sometimes, I just realize that I have played three love songs in a row. “ The Eric Lindell Band will appear at Tampa’s Skipper’s Smokehouse on July 18, 2008.

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The phoner was supposed to be with Black Angels lead singer Alex Maas. An avowedly obsessed Brian Jonestown Massacre fan, Maas is an acolyte of the Massacre’s notoriously mercurial — and possibly schizophrenic — indie-music savant, Anton Newcombe. My intentions were to inquire why Maas sought out such a mentor, considering Newcombe’s volatile behavior and destructive drug abuse as chronicled in the documentary ﬁlm Dig. But Maas never made the phoner. “There was a crazy night in L.A. where someone had to sleep under a bridge,” drummer Stephanie Bailey recalled, subbing in Maas’ place. “They lost their phone so now they are going to get it.” It was unnecessary to ask exactly

to whom Bailey was referring with the word “they,” the subtle pronoun answering the Anton Newcombe question. These types of distractions seem appropriate for a band named after the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song” and practiced in the mind-bending antics of their Austin, Texas psychedelic predecessors, The 13th Floor Elevators. With Maas’ soaring vocals over fuzzed-out feedback, droning organs, and primal beats, the band’s intentions to aurally simulate lysergic acid diethylamide are more than obvious. Indeed, many of the Black Angels’ shows enhance their music with LED lights, strobes, and image projections. Yet, it’s a rock ‘n’ roll cliché to think there is a tripped-out audience looking to drop out and enhance their journey through the Black Angels’ music . . . sort of. “People do come up to us and say, ‘I haven’t done drugs in years and seeing your show is like being on a fucking hit of acid!’” Bailey says. “They don’t have to do drugs. Maybe the music is its own drug for them.” “But, that being said,” she pauses to recall a statistic, “I think about 80% of our audience members are on something.” The projections, like their Velvet Underground connection, sprang from the group’s intentions to alter the hardwiring of its

listeners. “The projections are definitely a big part of the show,” says Bailey. “Christian Bland [organs, drone machine] does a lot of that. He’ll see films, order them, splice them together, and make a reel that will fit with the mood of the song that will stimulate other senses. Not just your ears but your eyes too.” She adds, “Sometimes the images are completely random and people are like, ‘What the fuck?’” When a band establishes psychedelia as its milieu, an appropriate question is, how does this effect their political prism? Hallucinogenic consumption in the 1960s represented more than mere “bathtub gin” for baby boomers. It was a symbol of the counterculture; a denial of 1950s conservatism, and the perfect position from which to launch an antiwar stance. With songs like “Vietnam War” and “Vikings” (a track that reflects Maas’ comments to this publication that “Americans are modern day Vikings”), the Black Angels keep their songs deliberately anachronistic — a throwback to the Free Love era — when expressing a political view. “Obviously, we have a song titled ‘Vietnam War,’” Bailey explains. “But it’s comparing past wars — in general — to what is going on right now. We’ve done this before and people need to open their and eyes to see that it’s happening again.”

administration), Bailey sees the Black Angels’ liberalism being depicted in broad brush strokes. “I think politics, and government in general, is such an important thing in our society,” she explains. “It inﬂuences so many people. And so many people are brought up thinking just one way. Music is something you can use as a podium, not to shove down people’s throats, but to throw ideas out there so people can see the other side of things. I see music as an outlet that opens other people’s minds to see other views, whether it’s religion, a war, or foreign policy.” A much more tempered quote than I envisioned Maas giving. But, then again, Bailey didn’t lose her phone under a Los Angeles bridge. Sometimes tempered can be more effective when communicating a point of view. The Black Angels join psychenoise peers The Warlocks for shows at Gainesville’s Common Grounds July 10, Orlando’s Social July 11, and Tampa’s Crowbar July 12.

MYSPACE.COM/ THEBLACKANGELS

While Maas’ political viewpoints are more in line with the polemic Newcombe (who is a staunch opponent of the Iraq War and uses his Myspace page to verbally harangue the Bush

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 48

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of everything that Wire does well – dark claustro-grooves, lyrics that confound and challenge, and the occasional driving pop gem. The album’s cohesiveness belies its origins, which Newman describes as a constantly evolving project pieced together from existing recordings added to gradually over a span of several years.

Wire is one of the few British bands to emerge from the mid‘70s punk explosion that’s still intact, although to describe them merely as a “punk band” does the group an injustice. One of the most influential, if not biggest-selling groups, founding members Colin Newman (guitar, vocals), graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce gilbert (guitar) and Robert grey (drums) brimmed with innovative ideas throughout the ’80s and ’90s, the group’s syncopated rhythms and lyrical complexity influencing (if not always successfully) bands as diverse as R.e.M., Big Black, Sonic Youth, The Minutemen and (sigh) elastica. Object 47 is the band’s first album in over four years. Recorded mostly by Newman, Lewis and grey, it has a little

“There was some stuff, as it were, in the bank,” says Newman. “There are some things that have been around since 2001, 2002 but not really developed. Once we took the decision in 2006 that we do want to make more records, we looked at what we had and went through absolutely everything.” Not satisﬁed with a sound he describes as “almost claustrophobic,” due mostly to the drums being recorded in the band’s rehearsal space, Wire found a way “to bring in more color and light” by heading to a different room, recording more drums and adding “vocals and bips and bops.”

came out of that. There isn’t a kind of structured writing going on. It’s just things that are being added to and are growing. There’ll be a whole bunch of stuff around a piece and then I’ll ﬁddle around with it until I get excited enough to sing.” Newman, who sings and writes the majority of the music for Wire (Lewis contributes most of the lyrics) says the music acts as the catalyst for the vocals. “It has to be that way or otherwise what’s the point? You don’t want the vocal to just be stuck onto the instrumental,” an approach he describes as “a kind of ‘90s disease” the band didn’t want to suffer from. Themes such as decline, collapse, infection and corruption are touched on and developed throughout the album, usually starting from a personal experience suffered through by the band but then extrapolated to the universal.

“Quite often one starts writing from a “We had a bit of a jam for about ten minutes,” personal point of view,” Lewis explains, “but there’s got to come a point where that’s he adds, “and maybe some freak things got to make a more universal connection for it to be of greater interest. We have had a period that’s included a lot of decline. There’ve been bad situations, amounts of trust being lost, and so inevitably those things are in your mind so that when you do look farther afield one sees that it’s not uncommon.” Lewis, like many of Brit-rock‘s more intellectual alumni, attended art school, as did other members of Wire. as Wire has been both accused of and praised for being an “art band,” it’s clear that what he calls the “political and philosophical activation” that was inculcated in British art schools from the ’60s onward has had an influence on the band’s view of how art intersects with dayto-day life. But does art ultimately have an effect on the course of events? given the current situation in which the world finds itself, there may be reason to doubt that it does. “I think you’re an artist and you make art,” Lewis says, pointing out that, to him, “That’s the most important thing. Does art have an effect? I think it certainly does. I think it’s a shame that it doesn’t have more of an effect and that more people aren’t aware of its use as a tool for spreading ideas.” Ultimately, Object 47 is no fatalistic, doomand-gloom affair. On “are You Ready,” one of two songs he sings, Lewis goads the listener, “are you part of the future/Part of the plan/are you willing and able?/To do what you can?” Sounds like nothing less than an unabashed call to arms. “You’re always trying to provoke in some way,” he explains. “The main thrust of the piece is that this is not a rehearsal. This is it. and quite a lot of the time one senses that people think they’re rehearsing for something which is never going to happen … and that’s their life.” Wire’s Object 47 comes out July 15.

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • Page 50

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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 26

ARTIST

NEW RELEASES

ALBUM

LABEL

ARTIST

ALBUM

LABEL

Fabulous Muscles (Vinyl Reissue) La Foret (Vinyl Reissue)

Absolutely Kosher Absolutely Kosher

07/08/08

07/01/08

Xiu Xiu Xiu Xiu

ALKALINE TRIO AGONY & IRONY EPIC

07/15/08 THE HOLD STEADY

Chap G-Unit My Chemical Romance Nas The Riptides

Mega Breakfast Terminate on Sight The Black Parade Is Dead Untitled Mental Therapy

ghostly International Interscope Reprise Def Jam Rally

07/08/08

STAY POSITIVE VAGRANT

Red Tape Parade Venom

LOVE TO MAKE MUSIC TO NINJA TUNE

Dark Captain Light Captain

David Bowie Dutchess & The Duke Free Blood Gun Outﬁt Have Heart Hit The Lights Icy Demons Jucifer Leila Liars Lustmord Me First and The Gimme Gimmes Melvins Noisia Opiate For The Masses Paramount Styles Ratatat Ron Sexsmith Saturday Looks Good To Me

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DR. DOG

FATE PARK THE VAN

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07/22/08

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REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 52

SOAPBOX

PRODUCT

REVIEW

WITH SHAWN KYLE

I know absolutely nothing about all these fancy new race motorcycles, except that most of them seem to look like the bikes that the kids in Akira rode through futuristic Japan, and that movie was made in, like, the ‘80s. So basically what I am saying is, most motorcycles nowadays look like they are from the 80’s. also, they are usually neon blue with Japanese Kanji writing and have some guy in a matching neon blue jacket riding them with one of those helmets that has plastic broom bristles on the top that makes it look like he has a blue fauxhawk. Fauxhawk Helmet … hmmm … bad band name. The Indian-made, classically British-designed Royal enﬁeld comes to the rescue with a motorcycle that is so primitive and unchanged since its inception, that it would give the coelacanth run for the money. This thumper is worth the death risk. Tested at Pasco Cycle, Hudson

Trojan Condoms - Assorted models No joke here. Wear protection. encourage others to do so as well. especially if they are someone like Billy Ray Cyrus, so they don’t have kids. Seriously. That’s not a joke either. On a note of entendre, since I forgot to mention this in the previous review, wear helmets when you ride motorcycles too …

Property of Rupert Murdoch, a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine a.k.a. FOX I know it has certain beneﬁts, like ﬁnding out about parties and bands’ shows, and getting turned on to new music. But the fact that “Tom” of Myspace fame lied about his old age from the start and wanted to be every kid’s friend is just downright creepy. If I get one more friend request from a rapmetal band, a miserable 15-year-old poet in need of a thesaurus or a stripper girl looking to “get to know someone better” I am going to become Amish so I don’t have to deal with social technology anymore … ah, sorry everyone, just checked my friend requests, I am off to bake cookies and drive a horse and buggy. I’ll tell Brother Malcolm you said hi. www.myspace.com

Framboise Lambic Lindeman’s It’s a barley-wine – beer spontaneously fermented by wild yeast in the Belgian air and mixed with raspberries. This isn’t a recent thing. In the history of beer, before hops, mankind used other fruits and vegetables to season the beer. This “Lambic” dates back to the early 1800s, when the Lindeman family began their work. aged in oak casks for 2 years before bottling, it is a bit sweet for those who like their beer stout and/or tart, but just right for the hedonists who feel inclined to mix this with champagne. This product tested to excess at the Independent Bar in St. Petersburg, and then again the next day at the New World Brewery in Ybor City, to cure the hangover.

trojancondoms.com Aviators Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Xtreme Shock Energy Drink: Grape Flavor In 15 minutes, my skin felt like it was humming, I had the urge to join a gym, and I started finding blonde girls that drive Ford Mustangs attractive. I can’t believe this stuff is legal. after the first half-hour I had to drink four vodka Porta-Shots (see last month’s Hands On) just to be able to keep my head on straight. I still have this strange suspicion that this stuff may take years off of your life for each one you drink because the company claims that it contains a “patented amino acid” that only they own the rights to. It does have a yummy grape Jolly Rancher flavor, though, so I give it 4 stars anyway. xtremeshock.com

Ever since general Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines during World War II for press photos, these glasses have been famous among actors, journalists, military pilots, and other people that are generally up to no good. In fact, I chose to wear these during all the other product tests in this month’s column. They protected my eyes from the glare off the chrome of the motorcycle, hid my raccoon rings while I had the hangover from the beer, made me feel even more ridiculous than normal when I was checking my Myspace, and eased my dilated pupils after that Xtreme Shock energy drink. as for the condoms … well, it’s quite obvious these glasses are quite attractive. Regardless, these only cost the company about $5 per pair to make and they charge $130 a pair, so just buy fake ones. No one knows the difference anyhow. Real ones: Rayban.com Fake ones that look just as cool: Revolve Clothing Exchange, Ybor City

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 53

SOAPBOX ISSUE: 26

NEW RECORD AVAILABLE NOW! SHOW REVIEW:

GOGOL BORDELLO

JUNE 16, 2008 • THE STATE THEATRE, ST. PETERSBURG You know how, in Jaws, they don’t actually show the shark until the movie’s, like, twothirds done? They hint and rumble and offer far-off glimpses of the monster, and when it ﬁnally comes, it’s even bigger and smarter and more spectacular than you thought it could be.

setting a frantic, polished pace that would let up exactly once during the next hour and a half, and then only for a nicely subdued version of the same album’s “alcohol.” The pit churned and foamed like the ocean during a feeding frenzy, with kids ﬂoating to the surface only to be sucked under again.

Yeah, gogol Bordello at the State was a lot like that.

It’s impossible to say exactly how many songs frontman Eugene Hutz led his animated, colorful and impeccably rehearsed band through in their time onstage. Songs ﬂowed seamlessly into one another, the breaks coming more during the tunes’ wild changes than in the nonexistent spaces between them, as the group deftly walked the line between professional showmanship and punk-dive chaos. There was a shtick at work, sure, but their uninhibited collective persona and masterful engagement of the audience overran any cynicism as they mugged, danced, shouted and tore relentlessly from each Eastern Bloc world-punk blast to the next.

We’ve been hearing about the new Yorkby-way-of-Eastern Europe “gypsy punk” shenanigans for a couple of years now, via blogs and musically omnivorous friends. The band’s live performances became legendary long before Bay area fans got a chance to see them; we heard the records and the legends and experienced it from afar, in the digital equivalent of whispers and innuendo and imaginations run amok. Then gogol played Coachella. That was like the scene where the shark ate the kid on the raft -- everybody on the beach got at least a glimpse, and the word of mouth was enough to get the rest of the community talking. But nobody in town really saw the beast until it hit the stage in front of a wildly eclectic sold-out crowd at the State.

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after a set of kitschy, spazzed-out soul by openers Dusty Rhodes & The River Band and a galvanizing set of mutant gypsy and klezmer music by their DJ, gogol Bordello launched into the moody singalong of “Ultimate” from last year’s Super Taranta!,

It’s rare that a rising band -- particularly one as open to the assumption of novelty as gogol Bordello -- lives up to their liveshow hype. They did, and surpassed it. The smiling hippie chicks, curious metalheads, scenesters, hipsters and tarted-up club girls in attendance all participated in an intimate, sweaty communion that’s sure to become more and more rare in gogol Bordello’s future, because the next time they come to town, they’re gonna need a bigger venue.

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 54

SOAPBOX

COLDPLAY

VIVA LA VIDA CAPITOL

I love a good bomb. I mean a real stinker. A piece of work where so much preparation was put into it, and the result is so horrid that all future epic acts of failure refer to it by name: Ishtar. Waterworld. gigli. The New england Patriots. Rap-rock. Considering the investment Capitol/EMI has in Vida La Vida, I cannot imagine a bigger diappointment in music history. It is so pretentiously exotic ― while still adhering to broad mainstream tastes ― and unnecessarily expansive that I pray for a Youtube clip of the recording session to see what Brian Eno bullshit Coldplay lapped up. Vida is so off the mark of its stated aim, the debacle is damn near admirable. “In for a dime, in for a dollar,” my mother used to say, and Coldplay throws all of its dimes in on what is ostensibly the final metamorphosis from aping Radiohead into aping U2. every ounce of Vida yearns to stretch beyond its expected frame. This music was intended for one purpose: filling up 40,000-capacity amphitheaters promoted by Live Nation. The good news is, the overabundance of shoegaze, world beat, and orchestras do a wonderful job of hiding Chris Martin’s lyrical deficiencies. “Just because I’m losing, doesn’t mean I’m lost,” is just one of the many Dr. Phil-isms Martin comes up with; Vida is filled with these grandiose halfbaked ideas that can’t stand on their own. So many of them are mashed together into jarringly messy Frankenstein tracks. even when Martin goes back to what he does best ― alone on the piano, confessing his sins, evoking the greatness of “Spies” as he does on “42” ― the band comes crashing in, as if to say, “See! We’re not mopey pussies!” Rolling Stone recently quoted Martin as saying that Radiohead was the band that bushwhacked a trail, only for Coldplay to follow behind building a mini-mall. Well, from the sound of Vida, Mr. Paltrow, you’ve built yourself the next fucking Mall of americas. Happy retailing. – Michael Rabinowitz

WEEZER

WEEZER DGC/INTERSCOPE

There might not be anything in popdom harder to do than make the jump from timely hipness to respected longevity. The two are almost always mutually exclusive. Once-hip bands that continue doing the thing that made them hip are derided for trying to stretch their 15 minutes beyond the laws of pop-culture physics, or worse, ignored completely; once-

hip bands that try something completely different are criticized for trying to stay relevant, or for abandoning their roots, or for “sucking now.” Weezer beat the rap in 2001 when their status as proto-emo tastemakers grandfathered in the comeback “green album.” Their career since then has been characterized by slow decline, however, and their third self-titled outing (seriously, what’s the point?) is an amazingly accurate snapshot of a band unsure where to go from here, right down to its allowance of songs and lead vocal turns by heretofore silent members. The “Red Album” balances Weezerisms both tired and still viable with a few new tricks that are just different enough from the old tricks to seem interesting – see, for example, “The greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn),” a tune that plays with a classic religious melody in an ambitious, Queenesque way, and ends up sounding like one of the better tracks off the band’s debut. Overall, the “Red Album” is good when its music sounds like the “Blue album” (“greatest Man,” the chorus in “Pork and Beans”), and awful when it overdoes the group’s trademarked lyrical irony in an attempt to simultaneously highlight and dismiss Weezer’s place in the scheme of pop things (the rest of “Pork and Beans,” “Troublemaker”). and it’s at its best when the band simply sets all that aside, and writes killer, sort-of-Weezer tunes like “Heart Songs,” drummer Pat Wilson’s “automatic,” guitarist Brian Bell’s “Thought I Knew,” and monster closer “The angel and the One.” Those are the tunes that show Weezer as a band still in transition, and that it just might make the jump. – Scott Harrell

THE WEEPIES HIDEAWAY NETTWERK

I have a slight problem. I can’t seem to stop listening to Hideaway, the newest release from The Weepies. and even when I’m not listening to it, the songs sneak their way into my day. They play on an endless loop in my brain. I already know all of the words to every song on this album. It ﬂoats along on beautiful, clean arrangements and a sweetness that makes it palatable to a wider audience. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ve heard a song or two on any number of television shows and movies. Right out of the gate, the opening track “Can’t go Back now” chimes with plaintive realizations about growing up: “the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself.” “all good Things” (surprisingly co-written with Mandy Moore for her all-growns-up full-length Wild Hope) is a break-up song presented with the slant of an ex sending well wishes to a former love in a very diplomatic way. In fact, all 14 tracks shine in their own individual light. There are nuggets of pop goodness (“Hideaway,” “antarctica,” “all This Beauty”) and mid-tempo quasi-ballads that edge dangerously towards the “adult-oriented” Mix 100.7 radio format. But I don’t care about that. The songs are just too good. Deb Talan and Steve Tannen have the knack. anything that goes down this smooth should not be ignored. – Susie Ulrey

REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • PAgE 55

ISSUE 21

SOAPBOX ISSUE: 26

WIRE

OBJECT 47 PINK FLAG

as seminal as Wire is, the band refuses to coast on its well-deserved legacy as one of rock’s most musically innovative and lyrically profound outfits. Object 47 is the first Wire album in four years but rather than sounding over-cooked, it instead showcases all the band’s strengths, from the propulsive, infectious opener “One of Us,” to the dark, pulsing syncopations of “Hard Currency” to the driving pop of “Perplex Icon” the band sounds engaged and genuinely inspired, typified by singer/guitarist Colin Newman, whose subtle vocals are infused with conviction. Bassist and vocalist graham Lewis writes most of the lyrics, which touch on communication breakdown, societal disintegration, insanity and apocalypse – topics relevant to all times, but especially timely now. On the album’s opener Newman asks, “What happened to our plan/The one that we began?/Are you an also-ran?/Finished? Inconsequential?” As that question applies to Wire, the answer would be a resounding no. – Robert Mortellaro

MUSIC REVIEWS HAYDEN

IN FIELD & TOWN FAT POSSUM

Holy shit, this is good. good like I can’t stop listening to it. good like I knew from the ﬁrst run-through that I’ll be able to put in on a decade from now, and still get blown away. Most americans only know Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden as the guy who wrote the killer title track to Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge before falling off the face of the earth. The guy does have a reputation for disappearing from the music scene for years at a time, but his core of loyal fans keeps demanding new tunes, and thank god, because In Field & Town is a wonderful mix of melody, melancholia and bruised beauty. Neither americana nor pop, these fully ﬂeshed songs occupy their own space somewhere between Wilco’s art-fractured classicism and the timeless, depthy narratives of Newman and Zevon. Highlights include tracks one through 11, but the deceptively upbeat title track/opener, bouncing “Where and When,” quietly devastating “Lonely Security guard” and “Damn This Feeling” and wistful “Worthy of Your esteem” are particularly, cinematically touching. – Scott Harrell

THE HOLD STEADY STAY POSITIVE VAGRANT

Will the blue-collar schmoes that Craig Finn sings about ever fully embrace his music as fervently as the privileged hipsters? On The Hold Steady’s fourth studio LP, Finn and his crew of fellow Minneapolis transplants and nYC locals wade through the bodies that litter the Rust Belt like debris on the highway after a jack-knifed tractor trailer. This time misery is no longer lampooned by cartoon characters. There is no Charlemagne, no killer parties, no chillout tent. Here are the nameless names of faceless faces, dead townies and slapped actresses, all defeated souls from whose addiction or salvation we all feel distant when listening to their tales of woe. Yet on the surface, this is the still best bar band in american rock, with pianist Franz Nicolay carrying the day, assisted by new accoustic guitars, mandolins, and harpsichord. guitarist Tad Kubler is at his virtuoso best, although his take on Joe Satriani sometimes takes you out of the moment. and Finn’s maturation as a vocalist has arrived. The sing-speak routine that was his gimmick on the ‘04 debut Almost Killed Me is virtually extinct, while his ability to write a lyric that can strike you right in the heart is only enhanced. “It’s always sunny in the morning, sucks around the ending of the night” he sings when dealing with an addict he loves in “Slapped Actress;” when a Fredo Corleone gripes about a girlfriend’s habit wearing him down in grunge opus “Magazines,” Finn asks, “don’t tell your friends we went down to Ybor City again.” It’s as if he is asking to us not tell them ― his characters ― they are just playthings in a Thomas Pynchon tragedy hidden beneath E Street bombast. Don’t worry, Craig, your secret is safe with the hipsters. – Michael Rabinowitz

WILLOUGHBY I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE UP TO SARGENT

Willoughby is the brainchild of touring musician and producer gus Seyffert. This debut release is a groovy, low-key exploration of heartache and self. I Know What You’re Up To starts off with the overly pokey “Intentions,” and stumbles through the next ﬁve tracks at a snails pace. an amp-buzz-driven cover of John Lennon’s “I’m Losing You” is by far the high point of the album; after that it just meanders to the ﬁnish line. Seyffert’s clever prose does not go unnoticed, and a formula of standard love songs and waltzes makes this recording easy to relate to. Other tasty tracks include an homage to harmony called “You Don’t Love” and the choir-like “Uzzel.” a rainy day coupled with some cheap red wine might show this album a whole new light, but the depressing melodies are hard to get past – Jack gregory

TOTIMOSHI MILAGROSA VOLCOM

I can’t even properly pronounce Totimoshi or Milagrosa but I can understand and appreciate this NorCal Bay area band’s Latin roots. Their sixth album, Milagrosa, is Spanish for “miracle worker.” Totimoshi don’t necessarily need a miracle worker, but Milagrosa isn’t actually all that miraculous either. It’s more of a mediocre concept album packaged with a ghostly cool Day of the Dead cover. With punk and metal

inﬂuences, Totimoshi should be surpassing its competitors in the contest for the hearts of listeners, but instead the three-piece gang sits back, relaxes and takes a hit for its unremarkable effort. It’s an optimistic album, but optimism alone can’t save it from the hohum depths of being just OK. – Molly Hays

MATT PRYOR

CONFIDENCE MAN VAGRANT

Matt Pryor has gone solo, creating an indiefolk 15-song collection titled Confidence Man. The former get Up Kids and new Amsterdams frontman’s first solo release clocks in at a short and sweet 40 minutes. The songs are lyrically endearing, observant and honest, reinforced by soft acoustic strumming. Pryor wrote, recorded and produced all of the music in his Lawrence, Kansas home studio. Confidence Man opens with “Totally New Year,” a song about failure, attempts and eventually getting it right, and comes full circle with a satisfying conclusion in “It ends Here,” where mistakes, redemption and memories are readdressed. Pryor was very conscientious with the order of the songs, which seamlessly flow together. Standout track “Laura Lei” is a reflection upon a past bittersweet relationship, and is a prime example of Pryor’s ability to combine quirky lyrics like, “I don’t want you to know/that I don’t want you to go/because you’ve got my only set of keys,” with sweet-sounding melodies. as if his past musical resume wasn’t assurance enough, “Confidence Man,” for which the album is named, is Pryor’s cry to prove himself as a solo artist. He does. – Molly Hays

DIET KONG

COMA MOTOR INN PATRIARCH

Coma Motor Inn is an electronic-rock romp through one night at the dodgiest of “no-tell motels.” The images of renting a room by the hour and mirrored ceilings are painted early on. Interstate and parking lot sounds introduce a predictable and familiar title track ﬁlled with crunchy guitar, driving bass, and peppered synthesizer nonsense. When “Kid System” turns up four songs into the journey, colorful and majestic harmonies emerge that roll on throughout the next three tracks. “Still got Heat,” “Much Love in the evil Sound,” and “Lines and Lines” all have clever pop hooks, righteous grooves and more synthesizer ridiculousness. a few of the songs are broken up by almost inaudible jibber-jabber, and the album ends in the same anticipated fashion with which it begins. Diet Kong offers “fun in the sun” harmonies coupled with dark, creepy undertones; Coma Motor Inn could serve as the summer soundtrack for goth Kids all over the pancake makeup universe. – Jack gregory

SOAPBOX JOURNEY

REVELATION FRONTIERS

In its 35 years as a band, Journey has moved through 18 members while settling nicely into classic-rock rotation with hits that are undeniably – even for me in all my indie snobbery -- fantastic songs. Their most recognized leader, Steve Perry, finally left the group in 1998 for reasons that no one really remembers anymore. He was replaced by lookalike/sound-alike/name-alike Steve Augeri (rhymes with Perry) for a few years; the band found their stride for a brief while, but it didn’t last. In a desperate attempt to find a new frontman, Neal Schon, the band’s sole steady member since its inception, lurked around on YouTube for tribute band videos and stumbled upon Filipino Arnel Pineda, who nabbed the spot with a fairy-tale happy ending for all parties. In recognition of the verbose exposition and I will get to the point: Pineda sings like a bitch. Seriously. With newest lineup in place, the band has released this double album; in the ultimate middle finger to Perry, the entire second disc is filled with re-recordings of all their hits. While listening, I found myself with the raised-eyebrow/half-smile/head-nod pose in full effect. I was unabashedly impressed. What Pineda lacks in high-waisted acidwashed jeans, hi-top sneakers and feathered hair, he makes up for with vocal chops and starry-eyed enthusiasm. The first disc is obviously aimed at middle-aged couples looking for rock ballads to sway to at their high school reunions or wedding anniversaries, but the quality of the second disc alone makes this worth the purchase. – Susie Ulrey

THE CLASSIC CRIME THE SILVER CORD TOOTH AND NAIL

The Silver Cord is named after the thin, bright thread people who have had neardeath experiences claim to see, the thing that connects their physical body to their soul and is severed in death. It’s a fitting name for a sophomore album; The Classic Crime could end up heroes, or in a slump. The album itself was recorded as if being played live, meaning no computer enhancements, which in turn highlights the talents of the musicians themselves. all 15 songs on the album are individually unique, and while there is consistency, the songs don’t sound like only a note or two has been changed between them. “grave Digging,” “Sing,” and “Closer Than We Think” underline the band’s versatility and ability to craft screaming anthems and charming ballads in one effort. Ironically, the first song is “The end.” while the final song is “The Beginning;” and thus the quintuplet have set themselves up for a third release with their own silver cord is still very much intact. – Molly Hays

THE BRIGGS

COME ALL YOU MADMEN SIDEONEDUMMY

Pirate Punk alerts and motivates on the latest release from The Briggs. Ken Casey (Dropkick Murphys) helps kick things off with the anthemic battle cry “Mad Men.” The movement continues throughout the next few tracks, claiming turf in “This is L.a.” and swinging at the government in the hornﬂavored “Bloody Minds.” The journey races and sways until “Oblivion,” which appears to be an introspective acoustic piece, but is soon invaded by pounding drums and distorted guitars. “Final Words” and ”Molly end the album with a mellow narration of love, family, and regret. Musically, Come All You Mad Men is brimming with stock guitar riffs and singalong melodies not untypical for this brand of rock n’ roll. Lyrically, it’s a 12-track tribute to standing tall, proud and loud; one less “whoa-oh,” however, wouldn’t make it any less brilliant. – Jack gregory

SAFARI SO GOOD

EVERY FIGHT IS A FOOD FIGHT

WHEN YOU’RE A CANNIBAL TAKEOVER

What is it with all the dudes from now-defunct prog-core act Breaking Pangaea joining more accessible and successful acts that, musically speaking, can’t hold a candle to their former band? This time around it’s bassist Mike Satzinger, who’s joined forces with some guys from Pennsylvania pop-rock act The Commercials in this new emo venture. and yeah, Safari So good may not be huge now, but they will – by injecting humor and ace musicianship into an otherwise completely familiar formula, the group has managed to stand out from the pack while offering up a safely tried-and-true sound. Tunes like “a Pirate’s Life for Me” and “You got It Dude” are both catchy and resonant, with a little more instrumental and emotional depth than most of the Warped Tour soundtracks they resemble. The funny titles and wordplay might grow irksome on a full-length disc, but presented here in a brief blast of four original tunes and one well-rendered Smashing Pumpkins cover (“Perfect”), they’re just enough to slightly reinvigorate an already tired genre. – Scott Harrell

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ensconced in the dawn of early Reagan with the remastered album and eight myspace.com/mojobooksandmusic bonus tracks. Os Mutantes: Mutantes Vinyl Lovers Don’t let the absurd circus garb on the cover scare you away. eclectic and random, fusing rock, pop-orchestration, and experimentation even further than their first monster, The Mutants’ (translated from Portuguese) second album, is a soundtrack of late ‘60s political turmoil as phantastic as the vibrant landscape of their homeland Brazil. Karate: 595 Southern Records Never had the opportunity to see Farina’s dexterity? Now you can at least hear it, on a posthumous live album, which includes their best songs from their later albums. Suggested place for listening: the beach, a rum runner within arm’s reach. Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue Sundazed Three LPs on blue vinyl. With alcoholism as muse, the forgotten Beach Boy, no longer behind the drum kit, created one of the most depressing albums ever in 1977. Included are 21 tracks and outtakes from his unreleased second LP titled Bambu. The intensity of depression may be only comparable to Skip Spence’s Oar. Sonny Sharrock: Black Woman 4 Men With Beards Recorded in 1969 with a cast of New York free-jazz all-stars including pianist Dave Burrell, drummer Milford graves, trumpeter Teddy Daniel, and bassist Norris Jones, Sharrock’s first official album as bandleader illustrates exactly how much his previous records with legends such as Herbie Mann, Pharaoh Sanders, and Wayne Shorter, had him holding back such breathtaking ability.

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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 26

GRID: ALMOST A FULL TANK! Words: Trevor Roppolo

Speeding down a seemingly endless straightaway at over 250 mph in the dark at Le Mans is probably something you will never get to do in real life. Lucky for you, Codemasters has taken their experiences from the TOCA: Pro Race Driver series and last year’s DiRT and built a stunningly gorgeous racer that lies somewhere between arcade-y fun and hardcore simulation. GRID immediately and remorselessly throws you into the action as a freelance driver trying to make a name for yourself in the racing world. after a few races, you’ll have enough money to buy your ﬁrst jalopy and start your own team. eventually, you’ll be responsible for managing sponsors and even the underappreciated feature of managing an a.I. teammate. Your teammate races alongside you, calling out his position and other race-related information and, along with your spotter, really gives you the sense of being part of a whole team. It’s the racing though that is GRID’s bread and butter. Codemasters has always embraced diversity through its variety of racing disciplines. There’s no lawnmower racing this time, but there is certainly something for everyone. Three regions to race in all – including Japan, europe and the USa – offer different thrills and challenges ranging from demolition derbies to white-knuckle nighttime “touge” events that have you screaming down winding Japanese mountain passes. europe keeps your sweaty hands full with gT, touring and twitchy open-wheel cars that feel

ridiculously fast. In the USa, the focus is on american muscle, while in Japan, you’ll race tuned imports in street-racing events and drift competitions. The a.I. in GRID is pretty human, but sometimes the boneheads really get in the way when they bunch up in the corners. Most of the time, forcing the issue and crashing through all of them in frustration is the easiest (and cheapest) way to get to the front. The cars are all pretty responsive and for the most part easy to drive, as long as you keep the default driving assists on. Some cars are a bit more difficult to master and you will often find yourself smashing a wall (or other car) and totaling out of the race. There’s no need to throw your controller through your TV though, because in one of the game’s most innovative features, the flashback system, you can rewind to before the crippling crash and take a mulligan. My only real complaint with GRID is in its multiplayer. Racing with friends is always cool, but no split-screen play and long load times plague its basic but otherwise fun game types. Overall, GRID is top-notch. Visually, the game is beautiful. Codemasters really shows off their graphical prowess with a degree of polish and detail that rivals any racer out there. So, if you’re in to barreling down the hill-ridden streets of San Francisco or drifting around the neonlit thoroughfares of Japan, GRID is an experience you probably shouldn’t miss. Reviewed on XBOX 360

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REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JULY 2008 • Page 60

REAX MUSIC Magazine • JULY 2008 • Page 61

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