Unplugged September 2013
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Kelps INside: - Joyce Manor, Charlie Siren, Rasar & more - best vinyl splits - top 5 songs to Sh*t to - genre-reviving trend - reviews of Franz Ferdinand, The Civil wars, the dangerous summer & more
Letter from the staff:
Let’s get Physical
I
’ve always preferred to own physical copies of records. Even when I was in elementary school, I blew all my money on CDs at what used to be Tower Records. Any allowance from picking up dog shit and mowing the lawn all went into buying CDs and new CD players when mine wore out. Now I’m 21 and I’m still dropping anything left from my paycheck at the end of the month on vinyl records, tickets to shows, and tolls on the bridge to and from the bay area (which is where all of the better tours go through). I think it’s safe to say that “that music thing” wasn’t a phase. This isn’t going to turn into a lecture about why you should buy music, or how illegal downloading is bad—hell, I do that too sometimes—rather, what I’m getting at is why I continue to buy physical copies. It doesn’t make me feel better about myself—like, “Hey, look at me supporting an artist!”—and it certainly doesn’t help my finances. There’s a different connection with a record when you put your money into it. I can tell you I’ve purchased albums based solely on whether or not I liked the artwork, even if I hadn’t heard of the band. I’ve picked up an album from a band I only vaguely knew because a band I really enjoyed recommended them. These situations can be hit and miss—sometimes you’ll have wasted a couple of bucks, but other times you’ll find something you would have never known you’d love. And even if you don’t love the record right away, you’re more inclined to give it another try because you are hellbent to get out of it what you paid for. When you crack open a record (literally crack if you’re opening a stubborn CD jewel case) and read through the liner notes, you can connect with the band a bit more than you normally would. When you read along with the lyrics as you listen, you gain a deeper understanding, and when you read the band’s “thank you”s, you can find new bands to check out the next time you’re in a musical slump. That’s how I used to find new bands before albums were submitted to me for review and I spent hours online going through my various inboxes. When you read a band’s name, searched them out yourself and really enjoyed them, it just seems to make finding them that much cooler. I like to think that still holds true. Sincerely, Alisha Kirby Editor-in-chief
Top 5 Albums On Repeat “Make The Clocks Move” Kevin Devine
One
“The Earth Pushed Back” Have Mercy
two
“For The Boats” State Lines
three
“I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child” Manchester Orchestra
Four
“Vessel” Twenty One Pilots
Five
Table of contents
05
Drop the needle again Alisha talks about her favorite bands releasing split albums PG
PG
06
PG
And the record rolls on
08
PG
Listen A** Hole
09
PG
Charlie Siren
10
PG
My scene My Music
11
PG
Staff picks Scottish John pick his top 5 “poo-tunes�
mag
Copy editors
Writers
Photographers
Steven Condemarin alisha kirby Josh Jurss daniel Romandia Ian La Tondre (columnist)
Intern
Jorden Hales
Robert Aguilar Megan Houchin Allen Dubnikov
Contributors Kendra beltran Eric Delgado
Joyce Manor
17
Original Young
18
Album reviews
Franz Ferdinand, The Civil Wars, The Dangerous Summer, Earl Sweatshirt, Dowsing & King Krule
Up
Editors in chief
16
The Greenwood artist talks about making new projects and making new music
We ask: What is your least favorite thing about your local music scene? PG
artist spotlight
The Los Angeles band talks about funny YouTube comments and playing shows
The Minneapolis band talks about their life dreams and their new members PG
15
Unplugged talks to local hip-hop artist and poet Rasar
Is genre revival really such a bad thing?
PG
Bless yer heart
The new Abbeville band talks past, present and future
Scottish John talks about the importance of, and the flow of, a drummer PG
12
13
PG The
Kelps
A
split album can be a wonderful thing. Sometimes it’s a way to introduce you to new artists by drawing you in as you listen to a band that you already enjoy. Other splits allow up-and-coming bands to team up and share fans. But my favorite splits are usually released by two bands that I already love. by Alisha Kirby
Drop The Needle Again
Into It. Over It. and Koji: "Minty Green"/Blue 500 These two are usually the first recommendations I give when someone is looking for an acoustic artist who isn’t sappy and poppy. Evan Weiss (IIOI) and Koji know their way around an acoustic guitar and they both know how to work it around powerful lyricism. This EP sounds great, it’s got some of each man’s better songs, and it’s reaching the point of becoming worn out from too many repeat listens (and I will be buying a replacement copy).
& Fences and Mansions: Black 7” Both Christopher Mansfield (Fences) and Christopher Browder (Mansions) are usually pretty sad men. Sad, or upset, or bitter. So it’s no surprise that this split is a mix of negative emotions that come together perfectly. Each band contributed one song: a brooding number that ends with a spoken word poem from Fences and an angry, biting sing-along from Mansions. This EP is proof that even the saddest music can make you so, so happy. And I’m a sucker for that artwork.
Sept.2013.unplugged.05
And The Record Rolls On
Bang-bang, goes the drum
I
want you to take a second and imagine something with me (it’ll be fun, just do it). I want you to imagine one of your favorite songs. Anything — Alicia Keys, Zedd, pick any song — just not an acoustic version of one. Now, in your mind, go to the chorus of that song (the catchy climactic part). Feels good right? Your head’s bobbing along, the hook is wrapping around your ears... now take out the drums. I know it’s hard to envision, but just listen to the melodies with no drums, percussion, or cymbals. It’s weird right? Without losing any melody, we have just lost an incredible amount of energy in the music. The head bobbing stops and it sounds equivalent to the taste of a cold, flat soda. The flavor is there, the temperature is there, but there’s no fizz, no pop. No pop at all! This is part two of my series on band members and, as you’ve probably guessed by now, it’s all about the wonderfully diverse and dynamic world of drums and the people sitting on the little stool behind them.
06.unplugged.Sept.2013
Let’s dive right in with the same disclaimer I put on the last one. This article is speaking in general; they aren’t rules carved in stone. It’s just the way things are or the way things go most of the time. Now on to the piece: In a musical sense, drums are the foundation. They’re the backbone of the deranged human anatomy that is a band. Drums are loud, powerful monsters of instruments, and probably the best instrument to let out anger and frustration on. If you beat on a guitar like you would a drum set, you’d get one fucked up guitar and it probably wouldn’t sound that cool, unless you were like unstoppably high on heroin and you had a lot of effect pedals going but even then it’s still a small chance. Despite the rage and frustration you can angrily let loose onto kicks, snares, toms, and cymbals, there are ways to play them gently and tastefully. There’s something you can find in common with all great drummers; it’s a little thing called a pocket. That’s probably the most important thing a drummer
can have in my opinion: a solid pocket. You’re probably thinking to yourself right now, “But Scottish John, why does having extra room for cell phones and wallets in your pants matter when it comes to drums? Does it mean you’re more comfortable when you’re sitting down on a drum kit?” Well… not exactly. I’m not talking about any pocket that’s visible; I’m talking about a rhythm pocket. Hang around with drummers for a while and eventually you’ll hear someone go, “Man, that cat’s got a deep pocket.” A deep pocket simply means he or she’s locked in with the groove of the song and just takes it rolling. Keeping it tasteful and sexy but really rocking the beat and locking in time. No matter how soft, hard, metal, or pop it may be, a great drummer can be found in the pocket. P.S. a lot of times when it really gets going, I like to call that the hot pocket. Now, besides having a sweet, deep pocket, there are other important elements to drummers that can be branched out on, like drummers who know how to
Swing on over to our website to check out some more cool stuff!
“
They’re the backbone of the deranged human anatomy that is a band.
play simply when necessary, drums that really make you move, making drums sound creative, the list goes on and on forever. Here’s the cold hard truth about being a drummer though: when it comes to being a band member, you usually aren’t the beginning of the songwriting. Very seldom do you bang out a drum beat and say, “This is a number one single right here!” However there are exceptions and sometimes you’ll be bashing away then turn to your bassist and tell them, “Hop on this and let’s jam, this beat is freaking sick!” That jam can turn into a full-blown tune any day. All right, we’ve established that drums are the foundation of bands, the backbones, and we’ve decided what’s usually musically important. Now let’s grab our little metaphorical shovels and dig into drummers outside the music. First and foremost, if you want to be an awesome drummer with an awesome mentality, realize that there is very rarely a necessity to play a drum fill every measure. It sounds ridiculous (I know that last point was music related, but it’s something every drummer needs to hear and I couldn’t not put it in this article). Drummers are a lot like their instruments. Loud and energetic, they want to go fast and hard at life. (I’m pretty confident I could write musical horoscopes).
A good drummer in a band is someone who, first of all, shows up on time. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve dealt with a damn good deal of drummers who can’t work a watch, although that’s just musicians in general. A good drummer is someone who knows how to be calm at the right times, and just all and all isn’t a dick head. This is not me saying that all drummers are dick heads (even though there are a lot of them), but it’s just a good rule of thumb for any musician; just don’t be a dick. Just be cool, don’t give a bunch of input on the note or two the guitarist missed —he knows he did it, there’s no need to point it out. Just let it all be and smack the snare. There’s one last little analogy I want to throw into here, and that is that a drum kit is like a bus. Drummers are bus drivers; you may not always know where you’re going, but the song needs to be driven somewhere, and it’s your job to get it there dynamically and structurally. Keep that in mind. You’re driving the bus, man, so drive the hell out of it. With Peace and Love,
Scottish John
Sept.2013.unplugged.07
LISTEN LISTEN
A**
Daniel
HOLE Debates about music we love and songs we hate are common place within our group of friends. Sometimes they’re lighthearted and amusing. Other times arms will flail in frustration and the volume of everyone’s voices will rise.
W
e’ve noticed a wave of revivals in different genres including punk, emo and grunge. Scene favorites like Title Fight, Daylight, and The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die all placed on the Billboard Charts at No. 69, No. 184 and No. 196 respectively with their latest albums. Some say these bands aren’t doing anything new, but does that really matter?
mag
Up Stay up-to-date on releases, shows and more on our website! sacunplugged.com 08.unplugged.Sept.2013
Is the genre revival trend good, bad or boring?
Alisha
V.S Daniel: We are going to talk about bands that I
Daniel: They’re different but that does not mean
Alisha: There is the whole genre revival thing and
Alisha: I can’t think of any bands from back then
love, for the most part, and I do not necessarily agree with what I am going to say; I’m going to be playing devil’s advocate. I’ve heard people complain, about bands like Daylight, that grunge has always been a thing. That’s nothing new. They’re doing nothing new and therefore they suck. You have to disagree because they were No. 184 on the Billboard 200. People like them; they’re popular for a reason.
Daniel: Album sales don’t mean shit in the sense of an artist being good or not, it just means they’re popular.
Alisha: I’ll give you that, but there is a reason
why some of these things are popular. I think that things like Title Fight, they were No. 69 out of 200 and they’re like, punk as fuck, I’m so glad that’s something that’s coming back. Here’s the thing, I always listened to my grandpa’s old music or my dad’s old music, so I was always exposed to that. But a lot of kids today aren’t, and so I think it’s cool for them to be listening to that kind of shit rather than a lot of the crap that’s on the radio.
Daniel: Well, that’s the internet’s doing. I mean,
they’re just finding things on the internet. I did the exact same thing, but again, album sales do not mean that you’re good and when you do revive a genre, go ahead, be inspired by old things and take influence from them. But don’t recreate the same shit that you were listening to when you were 16 and you just found out what Jawbreaker was. I mean, you have to make something new out of it. I’m just saying. Like The World is a Beautiful Place, their new album, it’s No. 196 on the 200 and it’s No. 3 on Heatseekers. They’re the only ones I’ve heard do anything different. They’re doing the emo revival thing, but even then all they did was add a tiny bit of synths to a couple songs. Everything else, if it came out in 1996, it would be the exact same thing. They’re not adding anything new from newer genres or adding anything new like that.
Alisha: I don’t know, I mean you could say they
took the whole emo thing, but they’re definitely a different brand of emo than, say, Sunny Day Real Estate.
Daniel: Well Sunny Day Real Estate is more pure in that sense.
Alisha: So different.
that they are doing anything new. You can find bands from ‘95, ‘96, ‘97 or whatever year, and they’ll sound exactly like The World is a Beautiful Place. that people would classify as “twinkle daddies.” Find something twinkly that’s from the ‘90s that you would still consider emo.
Daniel: American Football, somewhere in their
unreleased stuff, totally started messing with that. I’m telling you, it was all American Football.
Alisha: I do love American Football. Daniel: See? Alisha: But still, I’d rather have kids checking out
stuff that they like or love that will give them a reason to go back through and be like, “Oh, this band that I like is playing this type of music and they were influenced by this band. Maybe I’ll go back and check them out.” And so I think it’s a cool kind of gateway.
Daniel: It can be a gateway, but some kids won’t take the time.
Alisha: Some kids can suck it! Some kids will miss out.
Daniel: That’s the same reason why the radio is
still a fucking thing. And why music on the radio is the way it is. People may like Title Fight, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to go back and check out the first At the Drive-In album.
Alisha: But the kid who does do that, the kid who takes the time, is going to be so happy that they did.
Daniel: It’s going to be that one kid. Alisha: There’s more than one kid. Remember,
they were No. 69. A lot of people like them. All I’m saying is that you don’t have to necessarily add. I’d like you to add, but if you’re good enough and you can make me recall something that I like, that’s fine. If it’s good, I don’t think it matters if they’re doing something completely new or not. I don’t need you to reinvent the wheel for me to enjoy what you’re doing.
Daniel: I don’t know if that’s necessarily reinventing the wheel. It’s just the whole thing of making it your own.
Livin’ the dream
Keep an eye out on Charlie Siren’s facebook to catch their upcoming album
T
ane Graves is living out his adolescent dreams. Recently, his pop-punk band Charlie Siren, of which he is the vocalist, was voted as one of the winners of Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands. Winning the online competition gave the band the opportunity to show off their talents at the Minnesota date of this year’s Warped Tour. Graves was surprised they were chosen, especially with how little the band promoted the competition. “[We created] a Facebook post here and there and [did] a shout out at a show or two. Even then, we would mostly tell people to go vote for our friends’ bands rather than our own.” The entire group was slightly nervous to be living out their lifelong dream of playing the legendary tour. Graves was especially worried about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the tour rather than the performance side. “As a traveling festival with so many bands, things can be so time-sensitive and can go wrong so easily. It can make for a very stressful environment. I just assumed the sound guys and crew would be on edge automatically and I was afraid of getting in the way,” he said. Despite so many problems and controversies on the tour this year, Graves said everything went smoothly. People were in high spirits and extremely helpful throughout the day. “I really cannot express how positive of an experience it was,” he said. “I saw a gentlemen propose to his girlfriend—she said yes—and my dad showed up and got hammered drunk. It was great!”
Charlie siren talks about playing warped tour and their new members Story by Josh Jurss
This all happened at a crucial point in the band’s story. Only a couple weeks before Warped, the band parted ways with their longtime drummer. Graves decided to put down his guitar and focus solely on vocals as the band added a new drummer and two new guitarists. “There has been absolutely no struggle with the new members. Dustin Reed [guitar], Aaron Reed [guitar] and Paeton Gillette [drums] are such outstanding musicians. I’d say it was a greater struggle before they joined.” Many of the members of Charlie Siren live in a house together, which is a common location for basement shows in Minneapolis featuring a mix of local and national acts on tour. The residents go well out of their way to make every show a success; usually having a local band at every show and not having cover charge. The band promotes each and every show like it’s their own, even if they are not playing. As September rolls around, the band is currently working on finishing up their second full-length record, “This Is Home,” due Oct. 15. “I would say the new record is a huge step in the right direction for us and the band we want to be,” Graves says. The album was written back when the band was a three-piece with a little help from their friends and roommates. With a single and music video on the way, along with tour plans taking shape, Charlie Siren is well on their way to being the next powerhouse in pop-punk.
Sept.2013.unplugged.09
My Scene, My Music
Kendra Beltran Los Angeles, CA Founder of Golden Mixtape goldenmixtape.com
Josh Jurss Chicago, IL Unplugged Mag. Staff Writer
@JoshJurss
Eric Delgado Abbeville, SC Contributing Writer blessyerheart.com
10.unplugged.Sept.2013
What is your least favorite thing about your local music scene? The following statement is likely tossed about in every city, but I can’t help but believe you hear it one too many times around the West Coast music scene: “I have a friend…” The remaining part of that sentence is usually: “who knows a guy who works at that place who does that thing.” You can fill in the blanks with the necessary occupations and whatnot. It’s annoying as fuck. It comes off as cocky and only impresses the weak. That has to be the most annoying thing about my local music scene. I do not care if your cousin’s best friend works at The Roxy and can get you tickets for Foo Fighters’ secret show. If I’m talking to you about the latest episode of “New Girl” and
that sentence comes out of your mouth, I instantly don’t care what you have to say. You obviously only care about your connections. Yes, it’s important to have those when you’re in what 1920s movies would deem “the biz,” but you don’t have to mention them with every breath you take. It’s one thing to bring it up as part of the conversation. But to throw it out there like a piece of steak for consumption? I am not your lion and I am not a fan of beef, unless it’s in homemade tacos. So there you have it; people who think they constantly have to mention who they know, they are my least favorite thing about my neck of the woods.
Living in Chicago, I haven’t found too much to complain about. We get most, if not all of the major tours, there’s always a show going on and there’s a wide variety of genres and local acts playing around. As a showgoer, I’m pretty happy. As a band member, I’ve had a number of difficulties in my scene. These problems include sketchy promoters either not showing up to the show or not fulfilling their promises and pay-to-play venues that are everywhere and have outrageous ticket sale expectations for local bands. Luckily, there is still a plethora of house shows and welcoming/drunken fans to keep the scene going. But many people are unwilling to cash out ten or even five bucks to see a local band
play. Stingy show attendees are probably the most universal problem. People are willing to spend hundreds on festival tickets and merch from their favorite bands; is it really that much to ask for five dollars for a local show entrance fee? Usually, you’re getting four or five sets for this minuscule donation to bands who genuinely could use the support and money. Admittedly, I’ve been one of those people unwilling to spend a little cash to see local acts and even friends’ bands. However, I’ve come to learn that without local bands paying their dues, we wouldn’t have much of the great independent artist scene that is so great right now. Supporting local talent is important. Show them some love.
My least favorite thing with the local music scene are the “cliques” that develop. Strength is in numbers, and when bands unite they are stronger. The sad thing is that the cliques that form often limit themselves to a specific genre. For example, over the last 15 years, a local radio show has supported local music by hosting an unsigned music hour on Sundays. The show could have been great if it encompassed an actual representation of the different types of bands trying to make it in the regional area. Instead, listeners were treated to nonstop metal (not always local) for 15 years. That is not to say that metal is a genre I find offensive or not to taste. I’m merely saying that by limiting themselves to only that
genre, the radio station did not truly represent what the region had to offer and such a bias created hostility between metal and nonmetal bands. Cliques are not limited to metal bands (although they do it very well). A wellknown local club owner is a big supporter of local music. He has a good heart and presents a lot of bands with opportunities to perform in front of people that they would never have. His bias is limited to “indie-ness” and “credibility.” If it isn’t indie, it isn’t good to him. Why is that thought necessary? Can people not just enjoy what they enjoy? Why pigeonhole ourselves to one genre? Why wear music as a fashion statement?
What did YOU say? This is where we grab our favorite answers from Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr!
Top 5 songs to listen to while sh*tting by Ian La Tondre
Autumn Sky (former Spotlight artist) Sacramento, CA
Staff picks
If you haven’t done this already, I’m going to ask a favor of you. The next time your cheeks hit the seat on that shiny porcelain throne tucked away in your bathroom oasis, slap on a good ol’ pair of headphones, and enjoy a little tunage while nature does it’s calling. This is a small list of classic pootunes.
“Not being able to flyer means you have to do most promoting online, which is way less fun. It’s like an entire subculture of art has been condemned.” 5.This Will Destroy You: “The Mighty Rio Grande”
Caleb Jay @Call_Me_Caleb Marquette, MI “The worst thing about the music scene in the upper peninsula of Michigan is definitely the lack of variety. We have a lot of blues and jazz, but there are so many genres that people aren’t familiar with, and the indie and post-hardcore scene is pretty non-existent. This makes it hard for acoustic singer-songwriters like myself to perform locally.”
First and foremost, the band name and song title are enough to be put on this list. But as an added bonus, the song itself is perfect for it. Whenever you need to unwind and have the world freeze, take your sweet time with this 11-minute beauty. It’s a great song to really poop away all your problems to.
4.Miles Davis: “Blue in Green” Feeling a little down in the dumps? Well, then let this classic jazz track turn your blues into twos. Perfect for rainy days or the uninviting winter cold.
NEXT MONTH: Who are your favorite, most famous bands from your area? Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #myscenemymusic and we’ll publish our favorite answers in next month’s issue! @sacunplugged fb.com/sacunplugged
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3.Kings of Leon: “The Face” Great for all those summer time bowel movements. It’s a nice, warm and calming song to help drop a deuce anywhere from your home base to the bathrooms at the beach.
2.Frank Ocean: “Pink Matter” This is one of those rare gems of a song that, whether it’s making sweet love or just letting it all fall out, it’s perfect. But I will say, it might be a better tune to do the dirty with.
1.Beirut: “Nantes” Last but not least, a song that has the first lyrics “It’s been a long time, a long time since I’ve seen you smile.” You might just have to spread both sets of your body’s cheeks with a song like this. Making both the inside and outside of yourself a happy camper.
Timeline of a band
Bless Yer Heart talks past, present and their upcoming album
Photos and Story by Alisha Kirby
T
he estimated population of Los Angeles is nearly 10,000,000. While there’s no statistic to prove it, let’s assume what cliché movies and TV tells us is true: that at least half of those people are in bands. It’s one of those cities where young hopefuls go in search of their big break. But where do they go when it falls through and they need to rebuild? In Eric Delgado and Brad Dixon’s case: home, which is Abbeville, SC. “We’ve been in this relationship for about 15 years now,” says Delgado as he jokingly reaches across the table for Dixon’s hand. “We were in high school playing in bands and we last played together around 2003, then went our separate ways. There were marriages and divorces and things went full circle. Now we’re making music again.” The two men started Bless Yer Heart with Delgado on guitar and Dixon taking up vocals and bass before adding their friend and previous drummer Nathan Nelson to the mix. “We were like, ‘We want to do this record, but we want to do it our way,’” Delgado explains. “So we thought the best thing to do was to start writing with just us and get it how we want.” So what does a band inspired by punk, California pop-punk and the sort of catchy, wit-tinged lyrics Fall Out Boy would write come up with? “I have no idea,” Dixon says laughing. “It’s very diverse. Each song, for the most part, is completely different from the next.” “It’s a lot more modern rock,” Delgado chimes in. “We try not
12.unplugged.Sept.2013
Check out Bless yer heart’s facebookto hear songs from their upcoming album set to release oCt. 12
to write a punk record because we’re 30 years old, so we can’t just do that shit anymore. We’ve been trying to slow down the songs a little bit and float a few genres.” Their new sound is a far cry from their previous band, which Dixon remembers as a “watered down [version of] Tool.” The vastly different influences brought in by different members culminated in a sound nobody was happy with. “I was at a crossroads at the time where I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life, and I got accepted to be an officer in the Army, which meant I’d be paid very well,” Delgado says. “It ended up taking up 10 years of my life, because once you get locked in, you’re gone to Iraq, Afghanistan... You know. It’s hard to get out.” Dixon moved to New Mexico, where he got married, then divorced, and aside from writing for himself at home, wasn’t playing music. Finally, after an open-heart surgery left him in a bad place, he decided to pack it in. “I didn’t really have anyone out there,” he says. “I figured the best thing for me to do would be, in the state that I was in, to come back home to where my family was.” “There’s a song [on the record] called ‘Amarillo,’” Delgado starts. “Yeah, it’s about that whole situation,” Dixon says, “about packing my shit up and coming back home. I kind of look at this like the last go-around.”
The
Kelps
Interview by Alisha Kirby // Photos by Allen Dubnikov
When I first listened to The Kelps and tried to package their sound, I came up with something like an Andrew Jackson Jihad-y band meets Shone in an Americana-themed bar that only plays The Stones. But you can’t actually put the band’s permanent members, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Cory Berringer and drummer Tony Reyes, in a genre box with a nice, neatly tied bow. The band’s live lineup has been fluid in the past, but with the tightening of their sound, it seems the lineup is starting to tighten up as well. Cory Berringer: The “ever changing lineup” has somewhat cemented itself just in the personalities that I’ve brought in. It’s at the point now where we can do shows without them, but I really don’t want to because it sounds so awesome now. So how many members are there total? There are about eight. We’ve got two electric guitar players, a bass player, a keyboard player, a back-up singer—two back-up singers when we can—drummer, and then my little brother Danny, for the most part, plays acoustic guitar but he’ll also play auxiliary instruments like melodica and just random, weird stuff. He’s an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist. And then myself. How did the band start originally? Was it just a hobby or did you set out to be a full-
time band? At the very beginning of the group, it was just for a larp. Back in high school, we were a different group of people altogether. Basically just me and Tony were there, and my girlfriend at the time was on drums and our former bass player on bass. We just got together for a high school Battle of the Bands my junior year. That was a lot of fun so we just kept at it, and then everything changed as the years went on. The only music I could find of yours to download was “Head Like a Mouse.” Is that all you’ve released? That’s our only real album, like our only proper one. That was from when we were a three-piece, [which] we were for a long time. And that’s what we were all convinced was “the thing.” That we were going to take over the world as a three-piece. That didn’t happen. Our bass player quit at our record release show—that was his final show—and so, at that point, that’s where everything started to change. Tony and I knew that was going to be his last show. It wasn’t some big shock. So two weeks after the album release, we did our first show as a four-piece. We brought in another electric guitar player and a new bass player. Then we functioned for about a year as a four-piece. That’s where everything started to form as it is now
because the songs started to change. We kept that standard [of songs] that we had been playing for a long time that just became crowd favorites basically, but that’s when I started introducing songs that I’d written completely on my own that weren’t the sort of story-telling songs that we had gotten a reputation for. I started introducing songs that were from my own story—really personal relationship issues and stuff like that. Well the EP was very theatric, not so much in a David Bowie or Queen sort of way, but rather, in a lyrical way. The delivery was very much like an impassioned preacher. Was that something that... That was very conscious. We’re really theatric people and I think that will remain even in the new material; the album we’re working on now and everything. Most of us come from a theatre background from high school and on, so the stage mentality of “Project!” is just second nature to us. So whether or not we realize it, everything is going to have a bit of a theatrical bent. So I assume that’s something you take into the live shows. Do you mostly feed off the crowds energy, or do you go out there... Absolutely. I mean we certainly try to feed off of crowd energy, and it always helps if the crowd is into it because we’ll play better, but I’ve often thought that some of
our best shows, in terms of an inspired performance, were to an audience that couldn’t be bothered with us at all; that were just stoic, arms-crossed hipsters who didn’t like us because they couldn’t put a genre on us. And those are fun crowds to play because you basically spit venom at an audience that hates you. It doesn’t do much for our wellness of mind, but it certainly is a lot of fun to sing at hipsters. What are some of your inspirations both musically and lyrically? I guess some of the conscious influences would be stuff like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I’ve always been a fan of things that are just dripping with emotion. Barbra Streisand; that’s not even being facetious there. [Just] things that are really sincere. Things like Why?—I love that group. Bright Eyes is a pretty big influence too. But I think the same goes with every performer and writer of any sort: everything they come across is an influence whether they realize it or not, or whether it’s a “what-not-to-do” and “what-to-do” sort of influence. But everything influences. I’m not that conscious about things that influence me. And if I overanalyze, which I’m absolutely susceptible to do, as my brain kind of works that way, I don’t want to know the things that are influencing me. It almost takes away the magic from what I think is a sincere thing I’m making. What is your favorite song to play live and why? I don’t like having any fat in the set, so the minute a song doesn’t move all of us I cut it. I guess stuff like “Grimoire,” because we’ve been playing it for so long, it’s such an audience favorite and it gets everyone screaming with the chorus and everything. That or “Hello” or “The Waltz Song;” the newer stuff that feels,
the stuff that became less about the storytelling and more about this cathartic process of just opening my wounds onto an audience. So you’re writing new music and playing it live, but do you have plans on releasing something new here soon? Yeah, actually, we have a couple songs recorded that we did in a really cool live session with very minimal overdubs. That was the thing that kind of really puts up a wall for me with the first album, was that it doesn’t feel like a band really. It doesn’t have that illusion of putting on headphones and just feeling like you’re hearing a microphone in the middle of the room, and those are always my favorite kind of recordings. So we did two new songs, very live instudio and we’re going to be releasing those pretty soon. We want to do a split EP with Honyock and they’re, by far, the most proud I’ve ever been of this band. It finally sounds like us. It gets me really excited, and I can’t wait to release those, hopefully by September.
Keep an eye out for possible releases by the kelps and listen to “head like a mouse” on their Facebook
Artist spotlight
RASAR RASAR Download RASAR’s album for free here!
H
ip-hop can be poetry. The words that an emcee uses can crawl into your mind and swirl around your head, infesting your brain with thoughts and emotions. It may not be everything he does, but for local emcee and spoken word artist RASAR, his words have the ability to stay in a listener’s mind, which is one of his goals. He wasn’t always called RASAR, mind you. He was mostly known as Random Abiladeze, until last January when he went on hiatus and wasn’t sure if he’d return to making music. As he put it, he died and RASAR is a resurrection of his music. And just be aware, that is the most basic way to put the explanation for his name change, as his knack for storytelling doesn’t just apply to his music. For RASAR, hip-hop started as a dare. He wasn’t the best at many things and a friend dared him, as a joke, to rap in front of a group because they thought he wouldn’t be any good. “It was like ‘another thing he won’t be cool at, let’s all laugh at him,’’” RASAR says. To everyone’s surprise, even his own, he had a knack for rhymes and wordplay. Later that same year, RASAR called into a local radio station to rap over the phone and compete
against other callers; he went on to win the contest. The next day, as he was late for school, kids lined up outside waiting for him. Sadly, he missed out on the line of kids to give him props. This was when he was 13 years old. The next day, kids at school lined up outside waiting for him. Sadly, he was late that day and missed out on the line of kids to give him props. As time has passed, RASAR has been a major part of the open mic and spoken word scene in Sacramento. He now has five releases under his belt, the most recent being “The Dream is Over,” which he says contains his heart and soul. He is currently involved in an upcoming group project called Mellow Nine, which will release an album called “Divine Science.” “It’s more like being consciously aware of speaking, as though you understand that you may not be here. Saying things that you know will last,” RASAR says. “A lot like respecting the power of the word. Not anyone’s particular word, not any religion’s particular word, but I’m saying that truth is immutable. As RASAR, I’ve recognized that I am a symbol, not the symbol, but a symbol of what it means to honestly express oneself.” By Daniel Romandia Photo by Alisha Kirby
Sept.2013.unplugged.15
they’re not actually from the 90’s
go to Joyce Manor’s bandcamp to listen to their self-titled album
Joyce manor’s Matt ebert talks about ignorant youtube comments and playing shows Story by Daniel Romandia
F
or some reason, pizza places seem to love hosting punk shows. Maybe they know the secret: pizza is the most punk food in the world. It’s also easy to think that these shows would be much smaller and more intimate. That wasn’t the case when Joyce Manor played at Luigi’s Fungarden in Sacramento, Calif. The line to get inside started to form well before the show started, and it took even longer to get into the venue. A slew of people, evenly under and above the age of 21, all waiting to get their wristband into a pizza parlor would eventually pack the place. It’s safe to say that the line was more than 200 people. This is what greeted Barry, Matt, Chase and Kurt as they left their van to start loading in their gear. Joyce Manor is a band that some YouTube commentators think played in the mid-’90s and is now broken up. There is an
16.unplugged.Sept.2013
irony in a band that has such a reputation with some, but can still have a mass of kids stand shoulder to shoulder crowding each other in a hot and dark room. “That’s great,” Matt Ebert, the bassist and back-up vocalist for the band, excitedly said about the false YouTube comments. “I mean, it’s not such a far cry, but I don’t think our recordings sound like they were made in the ‘90s ... I think that’s just maybe the case of an idiot on the internet. But I don’t take offense to that comment at all.” Aside from sounding like a ‘90s band, Joyce is currently recording new material for an album that Ebert says they hope to release next spring. About four songs are already recorded and the band will continue to record in November. After two EPs and a split with Summer Vacation, Joyce Manor released their selftitled debut album in 2011. Their second album, “Of These Things I Will Soon Grow
Tired,” was released just a year later. “It’s definitely going to be different,” Ebert said about the band’s upcoming third release. “[‘Of These Things I Will Soon Grow Tired’] was more of a studio record ... so [with the upcoming album], we’re taking things we learned from [that album] and apply it to what we liked about the first [record].” For the first time, the band will be touring Australia. They are touring with Cheap Girls and The Smith Street Band. Soon after their run Down Under, the band will be playing three shows in Japan. If their show at Luigi’s is any indication about their shows overseas, then each night on tour will be a blur of dark rooms, cramped spaces, and a whole mess of kids climbing over each other as they scream Joyce Manor lyrics in unison. The only difference is that those lyrics will have a slight accent to them. Hopefully, it’s pretty punk.
Taking steps in a new direction It’s not often that a band gaining momentum decides to call it a day, but that’s exactly what Greenwood, S.C., rising stars I Am Carpenter did. The band’s vocalist/ guitarist Steven Cathcart took a year off from writing to focus on life. But those who are passionate about their art rarely give it up for long. “[I was] wishing I was playing again, to be honest,” Cathcart said, though he admits that “the first month off was awesome. I got burnt out playing like three shows a week and stuff. It sounds awesome when you’re talking about it, but when you’re actually doing it, it’s a bitch.” On top of playing constant gigs, there were differing priorities between members. “It became more of, ‘Who’s going to be there? Are the bands we’re playing with good?’ And when you’re looking forward to fucking around after the show more than you are playing it, it got really upsetting.” After months without writing, he recorded a song with Sam Thomas, who is producing and playing guitar on Cathcart’s upcoming album. “I recorded it then sat on it forever,” Cathcart explains. “Then I started working this new job and had a lot of time to think, and I would just start writing at night. I would write for almost six hours every single night. It just started coming back to me.” That’s how Original Young came to be. “It may have another title [other than Original Young] when we release it, but Original Young is just easy to refer to at this moment,” said Cathcart. “I always thought ‘Baby Steve and The Big Wheels’ or ‘Baby Steve and The G City
Steven Cathcart discusses the uncertainty of dismantling one band and forming another Photos and Story by Alisha Kirby Rollers’—you have to be a damn good rockabilly band to do something like that though. This is really becoming Americana-country stuff.” The project is somewhat of a solo project, but not entirely. “In the sense that I write everything, it’s a solo project,” he said. “But I look at it as, I’m making a studio band with the highest quality of sound and production we possibly can.” The time off has proven beneficial to Cathcart’s writing style. He says the music this time around is smarter and that lyrically, he’s “been trying to get better at proving a point instead of just making something heavy.” “Growing up is a bitch—I’ve had a lot of family troubles this past year and I’m kind of seeing how all that has worked—I think it’ll be something that’s easier to connect to,” he said. “I never write songs about loving people. All the songs I write are about not loving people or being an asshole in general.” Although he sees most songs about love as “really weak and lame,” you can’t write him off as bitter just yet. “I’m really thankful for the people I have around me. After IAC, I kind of separated myself from all of the crap and I don’t hang out with anybody who brings me down,” he said. “I really got back to that select group of people that I love and that just makes me feel fine.”
listen to Original young’s first demo “Other weekends”
Sept.2013.unplugged.17
Album Reviews
Dowsing
“I Don’t Even Care Anymore”
Visit SacUnplugged.com for frequen
Earl Sweatshirt “Doris”
Franz Ferdinand “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action”
It’s hard to explain why the new Dowsing record, “I Don’t Even Care Anymore,” is excellent. The lyrics aren’t life-altering. The band isn’t breaking new ground instrumentally or exploring new themes. The performances aren’t flawless, but that only adds to the overall feeling of the album. Dowsing has made fairly straight-forward Midwestern emo. The key is that everything is done just right. Lyrically, enough emotion is revealed to get the point across powerfully while not sounding cliché or whiny. The music drifts along, building and plummeting in every key moment. This album is too much of a good thing, which, as it turns out, is just the right amount. Each song propels the listener forward through the album, ending the entire listening experience so soon that it feels as if it was always a memory. “If I Fall Asleep the Cats Will Find Me” starts the album off, setting the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the album. The song “Meant to Shred” truly shows how much potential and songwriting talent this band has. It’s also far too short, forcing another press of the repeat button. “Still Don’t Care” and “Nothing to Give” are emotional weights, crushing down and unrelenting until the end of a heavy hitting album. Dowsing is making meaningful songs people truly care about, even if their album title suggests they don’t. And while we’re on the subject, the band needs some less depressing album titles. “It’s Still Pretty Terrible”? “It’s Just Going to Get Worse”? “I Don’t Even Care Anymore”? Come on guys, cheer up.
It’s finally here; the album the internet and white teenage dudes have been waiting for. Many people have heard Earl Sweatshirt’s new album by now, so all there is to talk about is whether or not it’s as good as everyone thought it would to be. Well, it’s about halfway there. “Doris” is an example that could be used in the study of hype and anticipation with music in the internet age. In no way is this album bad. There are some great songs on the record that will definitely end up on people’s “Best Songs of 2013” lists. Songs like “Burgundy,” “Hive” and “Molasses” come to mind. While they all sound different, Earl masters them with his apathetic, monotone flow and his complex lyrics. The faults in this album come from some of the guest spots. Domo Genesis is featured twice, and even that feels like it’s too much. And Mac Miller was a good idea until he tried to sound like an Odd Future member. On the other hand, Earl showed us that Frank Ocean can rap (“Sunday”), that Earl fits very well with the legendary RZA (“Molasses”), and that he and Tyler, The Creator still sound like brothers. People were expecting a classic album but, to be honest, nothing about “Doris” is classic. It has its definite moments where it shows that if Earl would be more consistent, he could eventually make a classic. It’s just the number of forgettable songs that keep this album from being great.
Standard. This would be the most poignant way to describe “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action.” The album is safe, steady and consistent. While some of the metaphorical lyrics and tastefully crafted melodies make it an easy listen, there is nothing outstanding about it. If I had to draw a parallel, I would say this album is like an Academy Awardwinning film: it hits all the major “check points” that would make an album great, if greatness required zero artistic nuance. I had gotten all the way to track five before realizing that nothing had jumped out at me yet. It was only after I made a point to press rewind and peel back the layers that I was able to take brief interest in a simple, yet thoughtful, “fresh strawberries” metaphor literally halfway through the album. Just a few minutes later, I found myself thinking how perfect this album would be for an evening jogger. Its brief composition and metronome-like consistency through the first eight songs make this an ideal pairing. The final three tracks introduce the first change of pace. I must stress that this album is by no means “bad” or poorly executed. It is very methodical, to the point that it can only be listened to passively. “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action” is clearly put together by quality musicians with a plan as deliberate as their title. If you’re looking for something melodic and easy to listen to, you will definitely find it with this.
By Josh Jurss
By Daniel Romandia
By Jorden Hales
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ent reviews throughout the month!
King Krule “6 Feet Beneath the Moon”
the Civil Wars
Album Reviews
The Dangerous Summer
“the civil wars”
“Golden Record”
Not long ago, I reviewed the latest EP from Rejjie Snow and said that he was a part of a new generation of beat poets coming from the U.K. and Ireland. King Krule, from the U.K., is easily the most notable from the wave of this resurrected art. If this wave really begins to grow and becomes an actual movement, “6 Feet Beneath the Moon” will be seen as the start of it all. In 2011, Krule released the “King Krule EP,” which caused many blogs, publications, and websites to go insane. His intricate, blues-tinged guitar work and his deep, thickly accented voice seemed to resonate with many. “Beneath the Moon” was released on Aug. 24, on his 19th birthday. His age is something to take note of as his debut LP is refined and mature. The vocals blur the lines between rapping, spoken word, dark crooning, and traditional blues. The production is sleek, dark and not one part of a song is buried under something else. Everything is balanced while still being able to highlight what needs to stand out. Many of the tracks have been previously released but have been updated in some way that makes them better. Tracks like “Out Getting Ribs,” “Has This Hit?” and “Baby Blue” have been reworked to fit the sound that Krule has been going for. Everything Krule wants to do musically may seem like it’d be a rough fit, but he pulls it off better than anyone could have expected.
Discovering a new favorite is one of music’s most exquisite pleasures. Whether it’s a local group on the cusp of a breakthrough or an older one that you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing, new sounds are a visceral experience. That is the experience I’ve had with The Civil Wars. This relatively new group’s sophomore album is a collection of tracks unique to anything I’ve heard from this genre in long time. In fact, I would say it transcends genres. The a cappella opening immediately held my attention and was an appropriate beginning to such a lyrically rich project. It’s one of the most quotable albums in recent memory. I resisted the urge to craft status updates from the lyrics throughout the first listen, but as they have time to resonate and pop up in my shuffle, I’m sure I’ll cave sooner than later. Metaphors, adages, timely clichés, and just simple resounding statements that hit home make it a rhetorical masterpiece. As the album progressed, I found myself adding favorites to playlists and hitting the back button. There are gems sprinkled throughout that make it difficult to listen straight through. Everything fits together seamlessly—acoustic guitars, keys, their voices—every detail is crafted in perfect compliment to the others. The only disappointing thing about this album is that it may be the duo’s last. Joy Williams and John Paul White are in the midst of a feud and will not be touring to support the album.
I hate to say it, but I’m still on the fence about this record. I love The Dangerous Summer and, until now, everything they’ve released. For every great quality, there’s an aspect that brings “Golden Record” back down. For example, the record is as heartwrenchingly hopeful as vocalist/bassist AJ Perdomo can deliver. But how do “heartwrenching” and “hopeful” even come together? For these guys, quite well. Perdomo went with a raspier delivery through the entire album, which adds a significant urgency to songs like “Catholic Girls” and “Knives,” but takes away from songs that could have benefitted from cleaner vocals. They experiment with the idea briefly in both “Drowning” and “Anchor,” but for the most part the vocals feel redundant. Another double-edged quality are the lyrics. I believe that Mr. Perdomo is criminally underrated as a lyricist. It’s been documented just how much time and effort he’s put into writing for previous releases. However, this time around he mentioned free-styling lyrics during the writing process. It shows. There aren’t many songs that make you want to sing along or really even play enough to learn the lyrics. That being said, there are some great highlights on this album. “Miles Apart” is exactly the sort of raw love song I was hoping for when I heard of Perdomo’s nuptials, and Ben Cato has proven to be the perfect replacement for Tyler Minsberg on drums. This isn’t their best album, but you can’t shelve TDS quite yet.
By Daniel Romandia
By Jorden Hales
By Alisha Kirby
Sept.2013.unplugged.19
Feature Photos By Allen Dubnikov of Allen Daniel Photography Go check out his work!