Stubble 47

The New Growth in Music Today - Since 1987 -

the year of the Rabbit

ISSUE 47

LIVE SHOW REVIEWS including: ROCK & SHOCK FESTIVAL, SLEEP, Hugh Cornwell,Mastodon, High on Fire, Valient Thorr, Baroness, Black Cobra, Bison BC, Between The Buried And Me, and more A talk with:

Hugh Cornwell

Black Dahlia Murder’s Bart Williams

STUBBLE Interviews KORN’s Fieldy

Plus Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan

AND Tons of CD, DVD, and Book Reviews, And NEW Comix by Douglas Pope Wilson!

See us online at www.stubblemusiczine.com - we are a Fanzine dedicated to “New” Music. Submissions are welcome but can not be returned. All submissions become the property of Stubble MusicZine and your submission is acceptance of these terms.

We try to review all commercial releases received in CD or DVD format. If you don’t see the review we may not have received a copy.

Are You Interested in helping spread Stubble? Reporter, distribution or web design Contact us at stubblezne@aol.com OUR NEXT ISSUE #48: As Usual new music CD and DVD reviews, lotsa pix. Interviews and live show reviews, new comics – including Krispy Kittyand much more. Issue 48 will be on our web site 1 week after it goes to print (more to come).

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Or Advertise on our web site – see www.stubblemusiczine.com for details CLASSIC (??) Back Issues Available $3.00 Each STUBBLE 3 Interviews Waldo the Dog Faced Boy, Bloody Mess and the Skabs STUBBLE 4 Interviews Napalm Death, Godflesh, the Cedar Street Sluts STUBBLE 5 Interviews Agony Column, Peter Yarmouth, and Industrial Giants KMFDM!

STUBBLE 6 Interviews Jah Wobble, Bolt Thrower, Blind Rhino, and Entombed STUBBLE 7 Interviews Impetigo, 4 Non Blondes, Rocket From The Crypt, and Gabby Skab STUBBLE 8 Interviews Sun 60, Mind Bomb, Juliana Hatfield, Fudge Tunnel, King Missile, My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult, Moth Macabre, Psyclone Rangers, Sweetwater, Season To Risk, Sheep On Drugs, Dillon Fence, Iggy Pop STUBBLE 9 Interviews Chainsaw Kittens, Redd Kross, Carcass, Life Of Agony, SNFU, and Sepultura STUBBLE 10 Interviews KMFDM, Melvins, The Poor, Offspring STUBBLE 11 Interviews Sky Cries Mary, Miranda Sex Garden, Gass Huffer, Samaiam, Testament, and Velvet Crush STUBBLE 12 Interviews Butt Trumpet, Dirt Merchants, and Dink STUBBLE 13 Interviews X-Cops, Lunachicks, Sponge, and Fear Factory STUBBLE 15 Interview SISTER MACHINE GUN STUBBLE 17 Interviews Switchblade Symphony, Hindu Death Orgy STUBBLE 18 Interviews Rasputina, New Bomb Turks, Sponge, X-Men’s Scott Lobdell STUBBLE 19 Shitty Interview Issue with Screw 32, Ruth Ruth, Bloody Mess STUBBLE 20 Interviews My Dying Bride, Spahn Ranch, Sunshine Blind, Kristen Barry Sky Cries Mary STUBBLE 21 Interviews Kristeen Young, Slymenstra Hymen of GWAR STUBBLE 22 Interviews LIMP, The Damned, Pat Dinizio, Clutch STUBBLE 23 Interviews JJ Burnell, No More Heroes STUBBLE 24 Live Shows Smoking Grooves, Ozzfest, Tribute to Dean Dirt of 10-96.

STUBBLE 25 Interviews Zebrahead. The Amazing Crowns, Dave Davies STUBBLE 26 Interviews Hugh Cornwell, Holiday In Peoria STUBBLE 27 Interviews Vega, Hugh Cornwell STUBBLE 28 Interviews Lords Of Acid, Praga Kahn, Kitty Harte at Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame STUBBLE 29 Interviews Dandy Warhols, Gordon Gano STUBBLE 30 Features on Wonderdrug Records, Point .08 STUBBLE 31 Interviews - The Grandmothers, Hugh Cornwell, Ozzfest 2001, 2001 Warped STUBBLE 32 Interviews The Grandmothers, The Bouncing Souls, The Line; features Ask Basement Steve STUBBLE 33 -Vans Warped Tour 2002, Jeep World Outside Festival, Ozzfest 2002 STUBBLE 34 Interviews Dave Vanian of The Damned, KITTIE STUBBLE 35 Interviews with Daughters; The Dandy Warhols; Robinson’s Racin’ Pigs show review STUBBLE 36 Interviews Bloody F. Mess; Live show reviews - Bouncing Souls, King’s X, Life of Agony, more

STUBBLE 37 Interviews AGAINST ME; Live show reviews including 2004 Ozzfest and Warped Tours, Ruth Ruth, KMFDM, Murder Junkies, JET, The Hives, Hot Water Music, All That Remains

STUBBLE 38 Interviews Me First And The Gimmee Gimmees, The Explosion; Live show reviews: KASABIAN STUBBLE 39 Interviews El Pus, Ruth Ruth; Live show reviews: Slipknot, Shadows Fall, Rebelpalooza, No Address STUBBLE 40 Interviews Every Time I Die, Soilwork, Tower Of Power; Live show reviews Ozzfest 2005, Warped 2005, Anger Management Tour, Gigantour and more!

STUBBLE 41 Live show reviews: The Slackers, Sevendust, Regina Spektor, Particle, Some Girls,WMFO. Help from Ask Basement Steve, and more!

STUBBLE 42: Huge Concert Review issue – Warped, Ozzfest, Hank III; Interviews with Unearth, All That Remains, and Norma Jean Plus: Ask Basement Steve.

STUBBLE 43: Interview with Hank Williams III, Live Show Reviews – Type O, Evanescence, WMFO, Bloody & The Transfusions, Cattle Decapitation, Daughters, The Locust and more!

Plus: Ask Basement Steve.

STUBBLE 44: Big Interview Issue - Interviews with Sascha of KMFDM, ChthoniC’s Freddy, Left Face of Maradou, Rob Arnold, lead guitar Chimaira, Every Time I Die’s Jordon, The Milwaukees’ Jeff Norstedt, Trevor Peres, Guitars, Obituary, and Greg Weeks, bass, The Red Chord. Live Show Reviews – Zappa PlaysZappa, Bloody & The Transfusions, and more! Plus: a new Krispy Kitty comic episode.

STUBBLE 45: Big Interview Issue WMFO, 36 Crazyfists, Cheetah Chrome, Hatebreed and more!

Live Show Reviews, and more! Plus Ask Basement Steve and a Krispy Kitty cartoon STUBBLE 46: Live Show Reviews: Blondie, NIN, Jane’s Addiction, The Adolescents, New Bitey the Cat cartoon, plus NEW cartoons from Douglas Pope Wilson.

Contact us: stubblezne@aol.com (or Snail mail address on left)

Live Show Reviews

ROCK & SHOCK FESTIVAL The Palladium, Worcester, MA October 16th, 2010 We decided to take in Day 2 of this 3-day metal festival in New England's #1 city for metal & extreme music, Worcester. What about Boston you say? In the words of Peter Griffin "Come On," if you check the local rags or websites on who is coming to Boston you are and always have had more focus on alternative rock, blues, folk and garage rock punk pop, sorry Boston, I love you but that’s the truth. So off to the state’s second biggest city where The DCU Center and The Palladium are only a short walk from each other in the chilly overcast autumn day, perfect for a horror movie. Speaking of that at The DCU there was a festival showcase that was included with admission to the Palladium with horror movie celebs and "stuff;" there was also a Rob Zombie/Alice Cooper show there but that was a separate admission.

So we get into the Palladium at 2:45 and after the usual frisking, and waiting for the photo pass and then bands for each wrist if drinking so we missed Mobile Death Camp but we were quite happy that we did not miss out on the

second band, Florida- based Infernaeon 's set. Led by singer Brian Werner (who told me after the set that he was off as he was suffering from strep throat so he could not hit the high notes he normally does) they put on a solid show that had the assembled moshing and pitchfork fisting away. The early arrivals filled the lower arena and were enjoying (as we did) the gothic keyboards of Dave Stein and grinding buzzsaw guitar work by Taylor Nordberg and Steven Harger. The set focused on songs from their latest CD Genesis To Nemesis with tunes like "Creeping Death" and "Legacy Of Cain" and had some visual moments when Brian took out a Ram or Goat's head and raised it high as the crowd went into a frenzy.

Up next was Hatesphere but there was some confusion as the drums had the logo of Blackguard and they began the set without any microphones visible on the stage, then out came Esse Hansen and the thrash metal stylings they have crafted over 6 albums was obvious to all. They hit a bit from the catalog but focused on 2009's "To The Nines". Then came Nuclear Blast's Canadian metalists Threat Signal led by their animated vocalist Jon Howard playing selections from 2009's Vigilance CD with my favorite song "Severed." Then out came Blackguard for real with vocalist Paul Ablaze full of energy in front of the blazing guitar of Kim Gosselin that defines the band and this set was no different. As they winded down we headed over to the merch tables and I saw Peter Yarmouth from Black & Blue Records and spoke with him and he introduced me to Dave Stein from Infernaeon and educated me in that Dave used to play lead guitar for Northwinds that recorded the album Sleep With Evil back around 1990, and this was the first time they have caught up in person since those days.

Dave was 17 when he began playing with that band and now with Infernaeon, he is the oldest member and is now playing with his brother on bass. Cool info! Anyway we took a walk over to the DCU to check out the festival stuff and then grabbed a bite to eat before heading back to The Palladium and missed a few bands and caught the tail end of The Casualties set and noticed the place was packed as they ran through their hardcore punk rock stuff. Next was the foreboding Nevermore who as usual played a progressive style of metal that features acoustic guitars that this Seattle-based outfit is known for. As the set went on you could see more T shirts including one that I saw that had "If you can read this I haven't seen GWAR yet" that says it all. A lot of fans wore white so they could have GWAR souvenirs. 25 plus years of drenching audiences in paint and going strong and certain to make a political or social statement with arguably one of the best stage shows without special effects. Costumes and props like old time theater not animation and electronics not that that is bad just different. The music is as hard as it ever was from this maniacal metal ensemble. I tell everyone I ever talk about concerts with that if you have not seen GWAR you really are missing a show. Forget if you like the music, really, what other band can claim that but it is true Anybody can have fun at a GWAR show.

Have I kissed enough ass yet you are thinking? Maybe you are not but I am not sucking up I mean it as I could not name 10 GWAR tunes but I have seen them 6 times or more and always enjoy the show, funny, hard rocking and extreme violence. That’s right kiddies Violence!

The question is who will get decapitated or mutilated from the world of celebrities or political leaders. The highlight of this show was the mutilation of Lady Gaga and why the hell not? Kids scrambled to catch some Gaga blood on their shirt or face. AWESOME! Alright I said it. It never gets old either. - KZ

Hugh Cornwell @ The Church Boston, MA 10/28/10 Well it was an interesting night at The Church as the crowd got a lot older as punk rockers that looked more like a PTA meeting crowd than "back in the day" or whatever as we all tried to relive the excitement of The Stranglers circa 1977-82 or so. We arrived around 10:30 and the first set was underway and all I know we missed for sure was “Nice & Sleazy” as fans yelled "already played it" when other late arrivals shouted for it. What we caught was a mix of Hugh's solo catalog and Stranglers favoring the latter, here’s a few songs I really enjoyed "Beat Of My Heart" off his latest studio effort Hoover Dam, and the title track from "Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit" and a very dark version of "Golden Brown" as there were no keyboards. In fact no keyboard versions of all the classics like "No More Heroes", "Always The Sun," and all of the second set made it interesting and different. So of course as advertised the 2nd set was the album Rattus Norvegicus from start to finish. In fact Hugh just released a double live CD set with Rattus as disc 2 and Hoover Dam as disc one, both live, called New Songs For King Kong which we hope to comment on in a review. Hugh sang all the songs except "Princess Of The Streets," for which his bass player handled the vocals. It was a great set with very few breaks in fact no break till "Hanging Around" which was the last song on side A. Hugh took another break before "Ugly" asking if there were a lot of Ugly people or something like that, and my 2 cents is that not a lot of the children of the wealthy were in attendance on this night, but perhaps I wasn't looking??? After an awesome version of "Down In The Sewer" they departed.

And despite a some fans leaving others remained and were rewarded with an encore of "Walk On By" and then he really had to go. If you hung out long enough Hugh greeted fans. I saw not one person i knew but the show was great. I have seen him a few times before, 3 acoustic 1 man shows and twice with a band. This by far was the best for that reason, the other reason is that Hugh has always made the focus of his show his solo release material. This night it was Hugh playing as The Stranglers frontman more than ever before, playing his trademark guitar licks every time you expected it. Plus it might be the last time either he or The Stranglers play around here.

The place was not packed, it was a 1/2 full room; very comfortable. - DB

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-skabs JOSH FISCHEL ACOUSTIC 326/10 @ DiPiazza’s Long Beach, California

By Jeff Longo Josh Fischel is probably best known for his years fronting eclectic Long Beach dub/rock/funk band Bargain Music.

Since going on hiatus in 2007 you can find Josh performing the occasional acoustic show and collaborating with some of the biggest acts in the genre like the Expendables, Pepper, and Slightly Stoopid. Stubble was able to catch up with Josh at the infamous DiPiazza’s in Long Beach and we put together a couple of videos clips we shot at the show. Find more on Stubble TV. Enjoy. http://stubblemusiczine.com/2009/12/29/stubble-tv/ DONAVAN FRANKENREITER 7/24/09 @ the Stone Pony Asbury Park, New Jersey

by Darryl Longo & Photos Austin Longo Donavon Frankenreiter headlined the Summer Stage at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, on Friday July 24th.

However, DF’s first show of the day wasn’t on the Stone Pony’s stage. Through Twitter, a lucky few were notified of Donavon’s first set. Under a clear blue sky and on a borrowed surf board from artist/surfer Jay Alders, Donavon gave this desolate seaside town an example of world class surfing.

The Asbury Park surf was generous this day and the ProSurfing vet executed flawlessly on the stage he first called home. Donavon carved up the surf shredded his cut off jeans in the process and left them hanging on the tour bus for some lucky fan<. Later, in the evening, DF and his accomplished backing band performed on the Pony’s main stage and showed why his mellow/back, soul, whispering vocals have captivated a growing segment of the singer songwriter genre without becoming staid and stereotypical.

Fans took the cue as he opened with the title track to his latest release “Pass It Around” on Lost Highway Records.

With catchy hooks and a subtle variety of styles Donavon quickly had the Pony audience his relaxed groove. The funky “Move by Yourself” finished with a little feedback

(Donavon plays a left handed Strat strung to play righty and has sons named Hendrix & Ozzy) Switching gears DF went to the Acoustic during “What’cha Know About”. Eric Brigmond (keys) pulled out the Melodica during “Sing A Song” and the Accordion in “Free”.

Opener Gary Jules (known for his cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”) joined the band for “Swing on Down”. “Life, Love & Laughter” had everyone singing along and encompassed the joy of live music and living in the moment. Brigmond pulled out the trumpet to add a Mexican flair to “Your Heart”. That’s Too Bad (Byron Jam) pulled out all the stops and provided the best rock of the evening. A standard on the tour, DF gives some audience members a chance to sing the chorus on “It Doesn’t Matter”. On this night they didn’t disappoint, no sour notes were hit.

After a short break DF came back for an encore to perform “Call Me Papa” solo and acoustic. This almost lullaby written for his son, was an intimate moment for DF and his audience that began to build to a crescendo as the band rejoined him on stage and segued into a heartfelt version of Skynards’ “Simple Kind Of Man”. As his band mates left him alone with his people “Papa” returned and the gracious performer thanked Asbury Park for a great day. On a tour that spans the globe DF truly seemed at home with his fans in this quiet seaside town.

For updates, news, tour dates, etc – www.donavonf.com – Also check out LostHighwayRecords.com including artists Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, and Morrissey.

WHITE TRASH w/ Donovan Frankenreiter, Quincy Mumford, Gary Jules Summer Stage at the Stone Pony 7/24/09 @ The Stone Pony Asbury Park , New Jersey

By Darryl Longo - Photos by Austin Longo Standing out like a pus filled pimple on Paris Hilton’s ass, White Trash made a triumphant return to the state of New Jersey after splitting up over ten years ago. A last minute addition, White Trash performed on the Summer Stage at the Stone Pony, July 24th, shocking most in the crowd who were awaiting surf rock headliner Donavan Frankenreiter. Reuniting after what founding member David Alvin called a hiatus “due to some substance abuse problems and shit”, White Trash seemed out of place on a bill that included Quincy Mumford (sounding eerily similar to Frankenreiter’s protégé Jack Johnson) and acoustic solo artist Gary Jules (known mostly for his cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”).

Founded in Queens New York, White Trash took hold of the stage opening with “Judge Me Do” from their self titled ‘91 debut album (which peaked at #122 Billboard Top200) and proceeded light up the darkening skies providing a level of energy lacking on most of the evening’s bill.

The rhythm section of Mike Caldarella (Drums) and Aaron Collins (Bass) laid down a groove that Aaron’s brother Ethan (Guitar) and lead vocalist Dave Alvin led through a funk infused set heightened by the Bad-Ass Brass which on this night included Ben & Ed on trombones and original member Chris Arbisi, (Alto Sax).

When Alvin introduced “Apple Pie” he noted the video did get play on MTV back when they used to have music videos but now only offer you info on “your favorite teenage pregnant whore”. In keeping with the White Trash vibe, some fans got a chance to chant “eat pussy, eat pussy eat pussy” into the mike for the all ages crowd.

The band were wanting to give the stage up even as security and the Stone Pony management were waving them off at the end of what Alvin deemed a short set.

These guys obviously enjoy playing together and contrary to Alvin’s final salute of the evening let’s hope they stay off the crack. http://www.myspace.com/whitetrashbuzz

FURTHUR – Phil Lesh & Bob Weir 12/13/2009 @ Convention Hall Asbury Park, New Jersey I’m back in Asbury Park, NJ to see Phil Lesh & Bob Weirs’ latest venture Furthur at the town’s 3500 seat Convention Hall. Performing with Ratdog members Jay Lane on percussion & Jeff Chimenti on keys, Joe Russo of the Benevento/Russo Duo on drums, and John Kadlecik a founding member of the Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra on lead guitar. John who played the Garcia role in DSO handed in his resignation to join Lesh & Weir in Furthur. Asbury Park’s Convention Hall is an aging box with lots of character. Dilapidated, in most places it would be in the wrecking balls sights. The announcement prior to the show that the fire marshal warns it was a nonsmoking venue met with groans followed by letting us know that in case of emergency the exits around the perimeter would be clearly lit. I felt like I was taking off on a twin prop from a third world country.

With it being Phil’s night to pick the setlist Furthur opened with “Box of Rain” a song Phil wrote while his father was dying. On a very wet evening the guys showed they were well rehearsed, ready, and ripening to the challenge of meeting some high expectations. “I Need A Miracle” was lively, Bob’s vocals sounded as good as I’ve heard him this decade. However, what goes on in the beginning of these shows with Bob and his equip/sound? I’ve noticed his setup isn’t always quite right or something keeps him fiddling about the first few songs of each show I’ve seen recently. I was thrilled to hear the beginnings of Wang Dang Doodle, I figured they extend this Willie Dixon tune somewhere along the way. Maybe it was a sound problem or something but it seemed this song came to an abrupt end (did the sound quit?) with Phil trying to keep it all together leaning over playing a repetitive riff. Which led into “They Love Each Other,” a favorite of mine, I had to close my eyes and listen – almost could hear Jerry’s voice channeling through JK – but not quite, Jerry had a quality that need not be replicated, however John sounded great . I leaned over to my quality bud Marlin and said I felt a Sugaree coming on this evening. The band then rocked a “Beat it on Down the Line”, Bob’ vocals sounded great – came back with a “Candyman”, an inspired Estimated Prophet and my ringtone Cumberland Blues to close the set. These last two had all members kickin’ it. It was fun to see Phil & Bob enjoying themselves the sound problems seem to have been worked out and we were primed for what would turn out to be one of the best sets of music to come.

“Half–time in giant country” – Steal your face t-shirts with NY Giant logos abound and this Eagle fan had the pleasure announcing that the E-A-G-L-E-S were winning.

It was about a 50 min set break which gave all plenty of time to refuel for the second set. “Lost Sailor” opened the second set, not a favorite tune of mine but on this evening I bought it (one of the best versions I’ve ever heard live) A well received Saint followed. Phil powered thru Mason’s Children laying down some amazing lead bass as he can do so well. As the beginning notes of Sugaree played the question was who will sing it? Bob took the spotlight and for me this was the only disappointment of the eve. We all want to see how John’s

contribution on guitar will develop, but also what he can bring vocally is equally important. As soon as it ended I bolted for the restroom and made it back before the first verse of a monumental Terrapin. Jay Lane and Joe Russo drove the train out of the station with thunderous engines powering a 26min version that solidified this line-up for me. Help is on the Way, a funkified Slipknot, and a rollicking’ Franklin’s Tower closed the second set. Phil had to bring out the band to take a perfunctory bow so he could then get the crowd to quiet down for the donor rap.

The final song would be the last of this short east coast swing. A US Blues encore gave all a great feeling and anticipation for the winter tour. Keeping in mind this was ONLY the 9th live performance for this lineup, it does seem as if something organic could grow here.

Somewhere during this evenings performance Phil turned and gave Jeff a fist bump and he then called John over for the same. Let’s hope there is more than comradely developing here. With the Rhythm section of Joe Russo and Jay Lane providing a different jumping off point for Phil (who is one of the most accomplished bass players in rock-n-roll, John Kadlecik easily up for the challenge of filling enormous shoes, Jeff Chimkent having all the tools to add 21century textures to an aging catalog, and Bob vocally sounding as good as ever, February could provide some special music. See you in AC! - Darryl Longo MISSING LINK FESTIVAL Mastodon, High on Fire, Valient Thorr, Baroness, Black Cobra, Bison BC, Between the Buried and Me 5/8/10 @ Fox theater Oakland, California

By Jeff Longo, Josh Kutras & Alex Guzman The mighty Mastodon made another run thorough the Bay Area during their North American spring tour in support of their latest masterpiece ”Crack The Skye” (2009 Reprise Records). This time around they brought with them a diverse group of supporting acts including special guests Between the Buried and Me, Baroness and Valient Thorr. As if that lineup wasn’t already brilliant enough the metal gods shined their light on Oakland California on this particular evening to create the first annual Missing Link Festival, by adding underground metal legends High on Fire along with Black Cobra and Bison B.C . The two tribes collided and launched a sonic assault on the Bay Area.

The day was brutal starting with a trampling from Vancouver B.C. natives Bison B.C. Power duo Black Cobra shook the rafters of the Fox Theater with their raucous set featuring songs from their new album ‘Chronomega (2009 Southern Lord) And the enigmatic Valient Thorr, never ones to disappoint, set the bar for the remaining acts with a dirty beer drenched set of crusty AC/DC inspired rock.

Valient Thorr Setlist 1. Disappeared 2. Tomorrow Police 3. Mask of Sanity High on Fire threatened to bring the building down on the home crowd as they powered through some of their best material to date. They unloaded on the crowd with cuts from the critically acclaimed ‘Snakes for the Divine’ (2010 Relapse). Stand out tracks were the 8 minute epics ‘How Dark We Pray’ and ‘Snakes for the Divine‘.

High on Fire Setlist 1. Frost Hammer 2. Devilution 3. How Dark We 4. Hung, Drawn and Quartered 5. Rumors of War 6. Fire, Flood & Plague 7. Snakes For The Divine Baroness took the stage basked in a blue light, in keeping with the theme of their latest outing ‘The Blue Album’ (2009 Relapse Records) They ripped through a set of new and old, as the crowd sang along with every track.

We at Stubble wish we could tell you how Between the Buried and Me were, however we were downing cold ones and watching the Sharks dispatch the Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs at the bar, sorry to all the BTBM fans. We have seen them before and they are amazing as I’m sure they were on this day as well.

Baroness Setlist 1. Isak 2. The Birthing 3. The Sweetest Curse Mastodon took the stage as the crowd roared its approval for their crusty heroes. The headliners grabbed their instruments and struck the first notes of ‘Oblivion’ the opening track on their latest release, ‘Crack the Skye’ (2009 Reprise). They ran through their seven song opus with grace and ease. The acoustics in the Fox Theater are excellent and mixed to perfection with clean vocals, sharp guitars and thunderous drums. As the band wrapped up the final song ‘The Last Baron’ and began exiting the stage to ominous keys and a stunning set of visuals on the screen, singer/guitarist Brent Hinds picked up his microphone, slammed it down on stage and stormed off.

The filled to capacity venue cheered loudly and chanted for the foursome to return for an encore. They returned to the stage minus Brent Hinds, and picked up their instruments one more time. Singer/bassist Troy Sanders wholeheartedly thanked the crowd for their devotion to the band and for coming out for such a big event and staying to the bitter end. He asked the crowd if they wanted one more, and began playing ‘Blood and Thunder’ (2004 Leviathan) as a three piece.

Brent Hinds could be seen on the side of the stage halfway into the song with his guitar showing a young lady how to play the song, it was odd. They finished the song and made their way off stage to a huge round of cheers and drunken shouting. The lights came up and the show was over, only one song for the encore was definitely kind of weird, but their hour plus set was amazing so it wasn’t such a big deal. The show was scheduled to end at 11:30, so the plan from the outset had been to end with a three-song encore, but the crowd did not seem to notice much. Aside from that little hiccup it was an amazing day of underground music, all culminating with headliners Mastodon, who are not afraid to venture out into different territory and give the crowd a bang for their buck. If they are coming to your town go see them, if they aren’t buy all of their records you can; this band deserves your support.

Amongst the mixture of youthful new Armistice fans and Reset EP veterans, no one could deny front man Paul Meany’s stage presence was charismatic and ethereal, yet warmly ordinary and down to earth as he connected on a more personal level by interacting graciously with enthused fans and occasionally allowing stage-front aficionados to play his keytar. The foundation of the evening and no doubt, the band as well, was with drummer Darren King, as he delivered his poundingly rhythmic beat with such clean conviction that it rightfully met its motion with just about every hand, head and foot in the place

MUTE MATH 10/9/09 @ The Fillmore San Francisco, California Review & Photos by Dave & Mike Goedde MUTE MATH is arguably one of the most innovative and progressive bands to emerge within the electro alternative scene in the last decade. Their unique sound and style is comprised of modern, almost urban computerized melodies, layered over unsubtle electric guitar, string bass, and quintessential rhythmic drum beats that combine to shatter the boundaries of what we know as traditional alternative rock and even electro alternative.

Stubble caught Mute Math in all their glory at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Currently on the road supporting new release Armistice (2009 Teleprompt/Warner Bros) which debuted at #18 on Billboard Top 200, #4 the Rock charts, & #3 on the Billboard Digital Albums and Billboard Alternative Albums charts the same week.

An entertaining encore saw the band take on unforgettable form when Paul performed stage acrobatics and hand stands over his keyboard. While Greg Hill and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas anchored the finale with taint-less guitar and stand up bass, Darren banged away at a water-covered snare, sending a menagerie of colorful glittery droplets skyward as they passed through stage lights on their way to musical heaven. With arms outstretched, the crowd astonishingly accepted Darren’s bass drum into their lifted hands but not long before he stepped atop it and floated amongst his worthy supporters as the show soon ended, unmuted.

Set List The Nerve *Backfire Clipping No Response Armistice Stare At The Sun (expanded) Chaos Plan B Obsolete Electrify Odds Noticed Lost Year (expanded) Burden Typical **Encore** Pins and Needles Spotlight Reset (expanded) Break the Same In a live performance MUTE MATH undeniably commands your attention. Simply put they are mesmerizing, both visually and sonically.

SLEEP 9/12/10 @ Regency Ballroom San Francisco, California Written by Josh Kutras Photos by Raymond Ahner Edited by Jeff Longo

In 1993 Pearl Jam ruled the airwaves with their number 1 album VS, people were going to the movies to see Carlito’s Way in their flannels and torn jeans; and a Black Sabbath inspired trio out of San Jose CA called Sleep would forever change the face of heavy music with their ground-breaking release Holy Mountain. A sludge drenched, skull crushing, masterpiece of Toni Iommi riff worship played at quarter speed, that would ultimately go on to inspire its own worship (see Stoner Metal).

Seventeen years later guitarist Matt Pike, and bass player/vocalist Al Cisneros reunited for a ten day tour of the US performing Holy Mountain (Earache 1993) in its entirety. Joining them will be Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder filling in for Chris Hakius. Stubble was there to witness and ultimately document this prestigious event on the first of two sold out shows at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco CA. We arrived at the Regency Ballroom late missing the opener Thrones, because some stupid bitch of a twenty something girl was busy texting and riding in my blind spot making me miss my exit. There was a line from the front of the venue that stretched around the block and down the hills of SF, filled with the metal faithful drinking tall cans from paper bags and passing joints to and fro.

When we got inside the theater it was packed, floor and balcony alike, a thick cloud of marijuana smoke hung loftily in the air above the crowd like a warning for an approaching storm of feedback laden doom. Behind the drum riser was a giant screen sporting a picture of the great Tony Iommi in a frilly outfit with his signature Gibson SG, the lights went down, the crowd went wild and out walked the architects of the modern stoner rock sound.

The trio walked to each of their spots on the stage sans instruments, and sticks and stood stoically staring into the crowd for what seemed like 5 minutes, the crowd alternated between cheering and standing quietly in anticipation. Then the marijuananaut, a man in astronaut gear and presumably very high, walked out and handed each member their given instruments, and then they began to tune up. This was classic Sleep, a band that was in no rush to get where they’re going, stoned into oblivion and running at their own pace. Matt Pike all tuned up and

plugged in struck the opening chord of Jerusalem/Dopesmoker, a sound so fucking loud I began looking around at the structure of the Regency to see if I could spot any cracks, I mean I’ve seen Motorhead and thought they were the loudest but I do believe Matt Pike has them beat by leaps and bounds.

The hessian warriors belted out the first 10 or 15 minutes of Jerusalem/Dopesmoker with footage of the moon landing and close ups of buds playing behind them, hence bringing a visual to the idea that they were exploring space and time through doom and marijuana. When Jerusalem/Dopesmoker ended the crowd was going fucking apeshit and the cloud of pot smoke dawdling in the rafters had grown much larger, and much, much thicker.

The sheer volume of the band playing together was amazing and physically exhausting. It was much like exercising your ass off and feeling good yet a little spent; but this wasn’t over by a long shot, the night was young.

The stoned messiahs then ripped into their seminal recording Holy Mountain, and holy shit! Breaking out Dragonaut, Some Grass, Evil Gypsy-Solomon’s theme, The Druid and more; the band was pussy tight (to quote the great Pantera) and the sound for as loud as it was, wasn’t muddy at all each instrument was clear, and fucking loud did I mention that? During the song Inside the Sun, the band took two pauses in the middle to let their instruments feedback, the first time for a minute or two and the second time for what I’m guessing is pretty close to five minutes, did they do that on purpose or were they just really high? Yes to both, it’s fucking stoner rock for Christ sake!

The show was amazing, I don’t know what else to say, except for oh yeah, for an encore they busted out Ozzy’s Over the mountain at about quarter to eighth speed, awesome. One of the best shows ever from one of the best bands ever, a lot of bands and artists these days claim underground and DIY while wearing their free converse, and doing interviews with Carson Daly; but Sleep is the real thing. A band that began their own movement, bucking all the trends, and gaining notoriety through word of mouth, touring and just kicking ass, true independents, trail and bowl blazers indeed. Days before I had seen Slayer/Megadeth perform both Seasons in the Abyss, and Rust in Peace in their entirety, and now the same for Holy Mountain, though this was more special as Sleep are not a functioning band year round, it was like Christmas for fans of heavy music and each gift opened was a new bike and a bb gun, or perhaps a jar of weed and bong would have been more appropriate for this occasion.

WASP 3/24/2010 @ the Avalon Nightclub Santa Clara, California

by Jeff Longo & Josh Kutras Set List 1. Mephisto Waltz (intro) 2. On Your Knees / The Real Me (The Who cover) 3. L.O.V.E. Machine 4. Babylons Burning 5. Wild Child 6. Hellion/I Don’t Need No Doctor/Scream Until You Like It/I Don’t Need No Doctor 7. Arena Of Pleasure 8. The Idol 9. I Wanna Be Somebody Encore: 10. Heaven’s Hung in Black 11. Blind In Texas I got down to the Avalon in Santa Clara CA to see eighties metal band W.A.S.P. with middle of the road expectations.

I must admit I’m not a huge WASP fan, not saying that I dislike them; just saying I only know a few songs from back when. Furthermore, a band like W.A.S.P. you have to see live anyway to fully appreciate; so middle of the road but… hopeful.

I arrived too late to catch local openers Bomb and Scary, but from what I heard from a couple of people at the bar they were very entertaining. We waited a good 45 minutes after supporting act Mystic Rage’s set was cut short before Mr. Lawless and company took the stage.

The packed house went nuts as they opened with a medley of On Your Knees & a cover of the Who classic: The Real Me. So far so good. Next up 1984’s L.O.V.E. Machine and a new song Babylon’s Burning (2009 Babylon), it was very apocalyptic but rocked. The Avalon was at full tilt as fan favorites; Wild Child, I Wanna Be Somebody, I Don’t Need No Doctor, and Blind in Texas were sung loud and proud by the faithful.

Although known for their stage shows this was a stripped down set with no theatrics is sight. The new band was tight (Blackie is the only remaining original member), and the crowd was into to it but; they didn’t play Animal (Fuck like a beast). Huh? When you think of WASP that is the song that you think of right? Commercially, they were on the fringe of the L.A. hair metal scene that mainstreamed Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, and Ratt, and in comparison only stepped into the spotlight for brief moments. Not

surprising since they personified (and embraced) more the sleaze side of metal therefore limiting broad appeal.

Those brief moments were hits like like Animal and The Who cover Real Me. I did a little research after the show and found a very interesting interview conducted by Norway’s FVN.no posted on Blabbermouth.com (in english) on October 2009 that may surprise you (I know I was). In a nutshell, Blackie refuses to play that song and has dropped the theatrics that made W.A.S.P. who they are due to …his religious faith. Some excerpts: On not playing Animal: Blackie: “We haven’t done that song for several years.

And it’s totally because of my religious faith, and it’s something that I don’t want to do anymore, and I will never play that song again. …So I’m looking at what I’m doing and I’m trying to create the best example that I can. I don’t want 13-year-olds going around singing that song. If that’s something they wanna do later in their life, that’s their business. But, like I said, it’s a question of faith and the religious conviction that I have.”

On things he may not be proud of doing in the past: “Blackie: “You have to understand that I believe that I’ve been put here on this Earth to do a very specific thing. This album, ‘Babylon’, that we’re doing now really talks about what’s going on with the Book Of Revelation and the bible.

“Someone asked me the other day. They said, ‘Are you a rock and roll preacher now?’ I said, ‘No. But I am a messenger.’ And that’s what my job is. So everything I did up to this point has led me to where I am now.”

On playing a basic show these days: Blackie: “What you’re saying is: Are you doing the blood anymore? No, I’m not doing it. I don’t need that anymore…the image of that early show spoke so loudly, people were listening with their eyes and not their ears.

We did what we thought was abstract art and we were trying to make social comment within that, and no one was getting the social comment; they thought, ‘Oh, it’s a shock-rock band.’ We’ve never considered ourselves a shock-rock band, and to be honest, even to this day, I resent that; I don’t like being considered that. But I understand that the eyes are the dominant sense, and so if you’re going to try and get your message across, sometimes you have to simplify it to be able to do that.”

Huh? Are you kidding me? Not that there is anything wrong with that but this is W.A.S.P. These guys achieved fame being a booze, drug, and sex soaked decadent pseudo-evil hair rocker band, if you’re going to take a stand on a song then do it for all songs that fit the bill not just the one with the word fuck in it. Listen everyone is entitled to change and revelation, but maybe he should start a new project not under the WASP banner. Maybe Blackie Lawless (of W.A.S.P.) and the Divine shredders.

Overall – It was still a GOOD show. Don’t get me wrong they rocked the songs they did they play but in the end, it lacked a little bit of the original spirit of WASP (OK, a lot of it) . If you are a fan, I would definitely recommend you check them out. The Avalon is a great place to see a show. Prices reasonable, security and staff are approachable and keep a pretty clean house so no bullshit. Expect a thorough pat down upon entry:) Sound was awesome and perfectly mixed throughout the room.

Lights are strong and bright but lacked variety.

Interviews A BAND OF ORCS 10/29/09 @ oRrctoberfest in Santa Cruz, California

By Jeff Longo & Alex Guzman They’re not misunderstood, they’re evil: A Band of Orcs.

They live to eat your brains & crush your skull with brutal death metal ala J. Double R. Tolkien style. “We’ve come to your realm to summon the apocalypse,; burn this miserable mud ball,” snorts vocalist Gogog Bloodthroat.

Headlining the first annual oRctoberfest in Santa Cruz, Stubble was granted an exclusive interview & the entire encounter was caught on film. Enjoy.

Stubble: So, you guys got Visa’s? They (Homeland Security) let you stay in the country?

Gogog Bloodthroat: What’s a Visa?

Stubble: So what is a Band of Orcs?

Gogog Bloodthroat: A Band of Orcs, well; we’ve come to your realm to seize upon everything you own to herald the great dragon Gozorah, and summon the apocalypse and to burn this miserable mud ball!

Stubble: Nice, so what’s tonight?

Gronk!: oRctoberfest!!

Stubble: The first annual?

Gronk!: The first! In your puny human realm.

Stubble: So if someone was blind and watching this interview, how would you explain what you guys sound like?

Hulg Elf R.I.Pper: If they were blind they could hear us!

Gogog Bloodthroat: A hammer splitting skulls.

Gronk!: We sound like hellfire exploding from a volcano!

Stubble: Is it true you guys are a GWAR tribute band?

All: (laugh) Gronk!: No! We are gozorg!

Gogog Bloodthroat: They wear costumes, we are Orcs!

Stubble: Take me through a day in the life, what does an Orc do?

Gogog Bloodthroat: Eat, kill, eat, wench, drink, pillage…

Gronk!: Braaaaiiinsss!

Gogog Bloodthroat:…burn things, torture smaaaaalllll people.

Gronk!: Throw objects from large buildings and watch them smash on the ground.

Gogog Bloodthroat: We also torture large people.

Stubble: So let’s go around the room real quick, introduce yourselves; who you are and what you do.

Hulg Elf R.I.Pper: Hulg Elf R.I.Pper crunchy

guiiiitaaaarrrr!

Gogog Bloodthroat: Gogog Bloodthroat, vocals!

Gronk!: I am Gronk! Shaman and bass player!

Cretos Filthgrinder: I am Cretos…Filthgrinder, and I play lead guitars, and I am the greatest Orc guitar player ever!

Stubble: So I first ran into you guys with this crazy video online, and I was like this has to be a real band with some money behind it. What was the name of the video and who made it?

Gronk!: Into the Maelstrom off of the EP Warchiefs of the Apocalypse Gogog Bloodthroat: Apocalypse!!!

All: (grunt and cheer) Stubble: Is it true you worked with Malakai from the movie Children of the Corn?

Gronk!: Yeah, Courtney Gains he produced the video.

Which basically means he organized the shit so…

Stubble: So I take it these days he’s not working with anyone else got some free time on his hands…

Gronk!: We don’t know, he could be dead for all we know!

Jess Brydon directed the video.

Stubble: So where can one listen to Into the Maelstrom?

Gronk!: Into the Maelstrom is on Warchiefs of the Apocalypse the EP. Stubble: So this is your second record you said?

Gogog Bloodthroat: First!

Stubble: So how long um….Scratch that.

All: (laugh) Stubble: So at this point the Orcs turned ugly and were done answering my questions. Gronk! started leaning into me from my left pushing me & I’m pretty sure he tried to take my wallet. Then bald ass Hulg Elf R.I.Pper jumped in my face. I started swinging but I was too late Hulg already scratching my back, then suddenly, just in time, Alex does an Indian Jones sliding a broad sword across the floor which I use to fend off the horde… .see Stubble TV for rest of the story…) http://stubblemusiczine.com/2010/05/18/abandoforcsinterview Stubble would like to thank A Band of Orcs for taking the time out to talk with us. Check out their breakthrough video Into The Malestrom directed by Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn) & follow up EP WarChiefs of the Apocalypse.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Bart Williams, Bass 10/9/09 @ Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA

By Jeff Longo, Josh Kutras, & Alex Guzman

Stubble hooked up with The Black Dahila Murder in San Francisco at the Regency Ballroom where they were main support for Children of Bodom with SkeletonWitch .

Touring their new release Deflorate (2009 Metal Blade) which charted at #43 on the Billboard Top 200 beating out 2007’s Nocturnal which reached #118.

Stubble talks with Bart about new release Deflorate, “get out of Hell free cards“, and dealing with success.

STUBBLE: Are there any neighborhoods left in Detroit?

Bart: The city itself is rough, man. Like, there was riots in the 40’s and 70’s, its real rough, people can’t even sell their houses, like when people want to move away, they can’t even get anyone to buy their house, even for like 8000 bucks, you can’t even sell a house, a lot of people just pack up and leave and leave their house just, you know and the people that can afford it anyway, its rough man, the suburbs are nice, it’s a real segregated weird kinda place, the suburbs are rich and nice and you go down to the city and it’s…

STUBBLE: It’s just crazy to see whole neighborhoods just gone, even the crackheads won’t come anymore…

Bart: Yeah! It’s just abandoned, it’s like post-apocalyptic almost. You know! It’s like…yeah, its wild man, you drive through some of those neighborhoods its like, fuck! It’s crazy.

STUBBLE: They should let Ted Nugent loose in there.

Bart: Let him set up some hunting grounds? Some wild animals?

STUBBLE: Some Running Man or something? I don’t know…

Bart: I wish it would come back, they’re putting some money into downtown, and umm, we got a new mayor after the whole Kwami thing, craziness that went on.

STUBBLE: I mean you got crazy good sports teams I mean, the Wings, I’m not a fan, but…

Bart: Yeah, I don’t really follow the sports to much, I know the Red Wings are obviously the big deal around there, you know, the Lions are horrible, that’s all I know.

STUBBLE: They got a win…

Bart: They got a win?

STUBBLE: Yeah…

Bart: GO LIONS! Go Lions STUBBLE: The new album is out congratulations, Deflorate? Third week on the billboard charts…

Bart: Yeah man, it’s crazy! I couldn’t believe that it came out as high as it did on the charts and everything, and that’s just, for a Death metal band, it’s like, you don’t even expect that to happen, you know what I mean? And so, it was crazy.

STUBBLE: We’ve been listening to you guys for years, back since before Miasma, right?

Bart: Miasma was 2005 so, maybe 2004?

STUBBLE: Yeah, and it’s crazy! Then Unhallowed came out, and I’m walking through like, Fry’s electronics and there’s like CD’s and then there’s you know, Black Dahlia Murder and people are buying it, and we went to the Mayhem tour, and there’s tons of kids there, and everybody’s going crazy…

Bart: Mayhem was awesome for us, man. It was really cool, there was a lot of good bands and I think it was just, we got exposed to a lot more kids that wouldn’t have even seen us, you know, so it was a good tour STUBBLE: So, how are you handling the success?

Bart: It’s good, we’re stoked about it, obviously you know what I mean? Like um, we’re trying to take this band as far as we can, and I think we have the right players in the band now, especially we got the new guitar player , Ryan Knight, and stepped up the solo aspect of the new record and just trying to keep it rolling, you know? Just keep the momentum going.

STUBBLE: Is it like, you want the bass out more, or less…

Bart: I think I had a vision out for the whole mix, and I think that Jason’s awesome as a producer and I think that we got it, you know what I mean? Just cuz I’m the bass player doesn’t mean I only want to hear the bass.

STUBBLE: I just meant more like what would you disagree on? Is it like too much?

Bart: A lot of times, I think the low mids on bass kinda get lost, cuz there’s gotta be a lot room for guitars, that’s what you are mainly looking, on a metal record you want to hear guitars and drums, you know what I mean, I understand that, just fighting for frequencies basically and not being afraid to say what you want.

STUBBLE: Sounds great, sounds full, it just rocks, what’s the concept behind it?

Bart: I don’t know if there’s a concept for the whole record. I think that each individual song has its own thing you know, yeah.

STUBBLE: I saw the cover, that’s a trippy cover; did you guys design that with the artist or just tell him?

Bart: We told him a vague idea, we want it to be bright, we want it to be, cuz our last records were very dark covers, so we wanted to do a full polar opposite.

STUBBLE: Dobson?

Bart: I can’t remember the name right now, you should ask Kareem (?) we just wanted something bright and daytime, opposite of everything we’ve been doing.

STUBBLE: Looks good, sounds great, I know you guys are big horror movie fans, any new flicks on the road you guys have watched?

Bart: Dude! I haven’t seen anything new in a while, honestly man, like I don’t know, I heard the Halloween remake was so-so, I didn’t even bother.

STUBBLE: How long you are guys on this tour?

Bart: Well, this tour is about four weeks, then we roll right into a headlining tour where we take out Skeleton Witch, so total we’re gone for about two months straight.

STUBBLE: You guys coming back around this way?

Bart: Yeah, we’ll come back; it’ll be a few weeks. We gotta

go back kinda towards the east coast and we loop back around.

STUBBLE: You don’t have to go that way, take a look around Colorado, come back. You guys ever run into problems with the Christian nation on the road, or has that kinda died down as time goes on?

Bart: One show on the Mayhem fest, there was a guy outside protesting the whole fest, whatever, the stuff that he was saying was so stupid, he was like, “I’ve heard these bands and they’re not even good musicians, I’ve played music for thirty years” and blah blah blah, he’s trying to take low blows like, “They’re against God!”, I went out and yelled at him a little bit, but its pointless, It’s just dumb. It was entertaining, I guess.

STUBBLE: I would call them, and let them know where my shows were, and see if they were coming down.

Bart: Yeah, make more of a spectacle out of it.

STUBBLE: One of those guys gave me a “Get out of Hell Free” card.

Bart: Oh nice! I actually save those, all the little pamphlets; I got a whole box full of little paraphernalia and propaganda.

STUBBLE: What’s the coolest place you’ve played in?

Small stage? Big stages?

Bart: I guess in Japan, We’ve haven’t been there in a few years now, I’d love to go back. Its just like a whole other, you now like Europe is still kinda, you know a lot of people speak English and its still very comfortable, and we go to Asia, you really feel like you’re somewhere else.

STUBBLE: Like, “Live at Budokan”?

Bart: Japan’s crazy!

STUBBLE: When are you going to come out with you “Maiden Japan” album? Your live album?

Bart: That was actually the first show I played live with the band was in Japan, I was just filling in, I’m sure if you heard audio of it, it be horrible because I was so nervous.

We had flown straight and came right off the plane right to the venue, no sleep.

STUBBLE: When you’re playing, you have lights in your face or can you actually see?

Bart: We don’t have a lighting director, so it’s like everyday its just whoever is up there just does it. So some days it might be real sick and awesome, and some days it might just be oh! white lights on you the whole time.

STUBBLE: It’s so bad, these shitty clubs Bart: Usually I can see the crowd; I like to look at the crowd when we play.

STUBBLE: How long have you been in the band?

Bart: Four years STUBBLE: How are the crowds different now than four years ago, when you first started?

Bart: I don’t think that they are that much different, I think that I see maybe, more the young fans maybe than when I started just because of doing those festival tours, I think you get out to some of the younger kids and that’s cool, cuz those are the kids that are going to like you no matter what, they’re less fly-by-night, young and excited, good fans to have.

STUBBLE: What’s Trevor’s Heartburn tattoo all about?

Bart: He gets heartburn everyday of his life, and it’s basically a joke, when I saw it I busted out laughing the first time, it’s just funny.

STUBBLE: You guys should partner with like, Macgregor right? Doesn’t he wear the Macgregor sweat shorts?

Bart: He’s kinda known for wearing basketball shorts, he had these orange swim trunks that he wore everyday, they would stand up on their own, those finally had to be retired.

STUBBLE: Black Metal is starting to become more popular, if you guys could tour with anybody from that genre?

Bart: I would like to tour with Watain, I heard that they smell really bad, that they use a lot of real blood and carcasses.

STUBBLE: They don’t bring em, I thought they were gonna, but they don’t.

Bart: I don’t care as long as I don’t have to be in the band with them, I love the band.

STUBBLE: Ever seen them?

Bart: I’ve never seen them, no.

STUBBLE: You listen to their album?

Bart: Yeah, I dig their albums, yeah.

STUBBLE: They just signed for the Maryland Death Fest, they’re gonna headline, they’re gonna have a new album coming out, tour, yeah they stink bad.

Bart: Yeah, that’s my only reservation that they stink, but I’m down with their jams!

STUBBLE: What do you guys have coming up?

Bart: We do the headliner, take out SkeletonWitch, we have a little time off, then we go to South America for a few weeks, then we go back to Europe for this bone crusher thing, just busy busy busy all the time.

STUBBLE: That’s all we got, anything you want to add?

Bart: If you don’t have the record, go get it!

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN 6/26/10 @ Vans Warped Tour Shoreline Amp, Mountain View CA

By Jeff Longo and Alex Guzman StubbleTV invades the Van's Warped Tour: we catch up with Greg Puciato (vocals) and Jeff Tuttle (guitar) at the Mountain View CA stop for a surprisingly candid conversation surrounding the myth and legend that has become The Dillinger Escape Plan. Widely credited for pioneering the matchcore movement, “mixture of metal, hardcore, prog, math rock, grind and jazz that is dynamic, violent, discordant, technical, brutal, off-kilter, no rules."

Over the last decade they have built a devout fan base, achieving cult like status with chaotic, often violent (mostly to themselves) live performances. Option Paralysis (2010) peaked at #5 on Billboard Heavy Rock Chart.

"Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants" will appear in the upcoming Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

StubbleTV: What is the myth and legend that is Dillinger Escape Plan?

Jeff: Myth? The myth is that we have gigantic penises...

StubbleTV: Wow Greg: and the Legend...

Jeff: But the true story is that gigantic doesn't begin to describe it. That's the truth.

Greg: Where myth becomes legend StubbleTV: Are we going to see these gigantic penises?

Greg: Never, however Stubble would be the place to do it.

Jeff: I got some stubble down there.

Watch the rest of this compelling interview on our Warped Edition of Stubble TV: http://stubblemusiczine.com/2009/12/29/stubble-tv/

THE DONNAS 12/11/2009 @ the Blank Club San Jose, California

by Jeff Longo & Alex Guzman

Stubble sits down with Brett Anderson and Allison Robertson (Donna A and Donna R respectively) of The Donnas for a very intimate conversation hours before their sold out headlining gig at the Blank Club in San Jose, Ca. Signed to Atlantic Records in 2002 The Donnas went on to release their most successful material to date (2002’s Spend the Night & 2004’s Gold Medal both ranking #62 & #76 respectively). Today they own their own label Purple Feather which released moderately successful Bitchin’ (2007) which peaked at #89 and recently The Donnas Greatest Hits Vol 16 (2009).

Stubble: Welcome to San Jose, you’ve never played the Blank Club right?

Allison: No we’ve never played at the Blank. We’ve played at Cactus Club and some other places; random places.

Stubble: Yeah. How was it playing the Cactus Club?

Brett: I don’t know, last time we were there some people almost beat up our friends…

Allison: It had a violent vibe, the couple times we played there. Sometimes I just went to shows and felt that way, but it wasn’t bad I mean we had some okay shows.

Stubble (Alex): It was a pretty aggressive scene…the area at the time was a little different. (Jeff) San Jose is kind of like that, it’s a place with no identity or no fingerprint almost…they’re not quite sure what to be.

Brett: It’s like the 10th biggest city in the country and it’s like…

Stubble: …Where’s the downtown? You can’t see it from a highway.

Brett: Yeah, it’s so weird. L.A.’s like that too though.

Stubble: Well…the Devil made L.A. So that’s why it looks so cool. How did the show go in San Francisco at Slim’s?

Allison: It was good, yeah. It was kinda weird because we just drove up that day and played; which we never do we usually, We used to live here so it’s weird to road trip to get to the show in your old home town.

Stubble: Wow, so where do you guys live at now?

Brett: The Devil’s town… (I KNEW IT) Allison: …In L.A, but you know we used to play Slim’s and it’s always like something weird happens there. Like you know, we’ve had lots of crazy shows there, and it has so many memories…

Stubble: Like?

Allison: Just all kinds of stuff, like all the bands we’ve seen there all together. I mean we used to go to shows there all the time, then we started playing there. It’s just weird to be there and it’s kind of like; just a mellow normal show like nothing crazy happened, nobody strange from the past showed up.

Brett: It was surreal…

Allison: It is surreal, that is exactly what I think.

Brett: …and then when we were on stage I remember feeling like this is a show; oh shit it is the show!

Allison: It did feel like I was in a dream land.

Stubble: So, congratulations by the way; 16 years…

Allison: YEAAAAHHHH! Brett: Well thank you. It’s almost like 16 and a half now.

Allison: It’s getting closer to 17.

Stubble: So you guys are on tour? Is this a couple of one off shows?

Allison: Yeah, sort of cause we didn’t get to do a Bay Area show in the summer when we toured. We only toured once.

Stubble: With Blondie and…

Allison: With Blondie and Pat Benetar yeah.

Stubble: How was that?

Brett: So fun.

Allison: It was killer.

Stubble: I’ve seen Blondie on these last couple of tours and she sounds great…

Allison: They both do!

Stubble: …is she as cool as she seems on stage?

Brett: She’s funny! Like, there both really funny I thought.

When we talk to them they both have really good like, they’re both witty.

Allison: Both nice people Stubble: How do you stay relevant now? You’ve got this ‘Greatest Hits’, it’s called what; ‘Greatest Hits Volume:16’?

Allison: Right, it’s not really greatest hits.

Stubble: Rarities and B-Sides?

Allison: It’s kind of new and old stuff mixed together for fun just to have something.

Stubble: …and that’s out on your label? What’s it called?

Allison: Purple Feather.

Stubble: Nice name.

Allison/Brett: Thank you.

Brett: I don’t think we worry about staying relevant, because we never were relevant Allison: It’s true, it’s true. In a good way, I mean we were never like part of a trend or a scene.

Fieldy of Korn @ the RockStar Mayhem Festival 7/11/10 @ RockStar Mayhem Shoreline Mountain View CA

By Jeff Longo, Alex Guzman & Josh Kutras Korn is co-headlining the RockStar Mayhem Festival with horror metal maestro Rob Zombie along with Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch, this is easily the metal event of the summer. The Second stage includes Hatebreed with Chimaira, Three Inches of Blood, Shadowsfall, In This Moment, Norma Jean, Atreyu on alternating stages.

Stubble: How did the first show go?

Fieldy: It’s a massive, big show. Every band has a lot of like production, its huge man.

Stubble: What can we expect from your show tonight?

You got any fire, any midgets, inflatables?

Fieldy: We do got some pyro, it’s a big set, I don’t really want to give it away, it’s pretty cool though. It’s always fun to come to a concert where the band has some big stuff, not a lot of people do it anymore.

Stubble: No chance of you setting your hair on fire with any of these pyrotechnics right?

Fieldy: Not on purpose.

Stubble: So you have a new album coming out, is that in August? Korn III, why the name change?

Fieldy: Well, we worked with Ross Robinson on the first two Korn records. He did this one with us, so we figured this is the third record we did with him and we kinda started with him, so it kinda just felt right.

Stubble: How did the crowd react to the new material at the first show?

Fieldy: Nobody knows it yet, so they reacted just like I thought, nobody knows it, what do you do? So you just listen you know? We only do three new ones, which for me… I mean I don’t know, you know, you gotta start somewhere, see who’s feeling what. The one song that we have out, Oildale (leave me alone), people love it, I mean that’s been out on the radio for a while…

Stubble: Yeah, you guys busted that on Jimmy Kimmel the other night and I noticed the crowd already had the words down, you’ve got a pretty die hard following.

Fieldy: Yeah they know it. When you do the new stuff they don’t know it yet, but in a couple of days they will.

Stubble: So, you guys recently played in a crop circle?

What was that all about?

Fieldy: There’s like four guys in the world that do that, and they get these big boards and rope, and like smash the…

Stubble: So it’s not aliens?

Fieldy: I mean no, yeah there’s some aliens that did it.

Nah, it’s pretty crazy though it’s a big project.

Stubble: Is it in the middle of nowhere?

Fieldy: (nods his head yes) We did a concert in the middle of nowhere, for nobody, we just did it. In the middle we just jammed out songs, just feeling the vibe you know, creating a vibe.

Stubble: Anything you want to say to the vast audience that is Stubble?

Fieldy: Pick up the new Korn record, Korn III (Remember who you are). It’s out July 13th; it comes with a whole live DVD… It’s not even live, it’s almost like a video for every song, I like to have a visual you know?

Stubble: How does it feel to be a Rock star? Since we are at the Rockstar Mayhem festival…

Fieldy: It’s really not for everybody, but if you love to travel, you love to be on planes, there’s a lot of traveling involved. I’m cool with it, but now that I have four kids and my wife at home, if it wasn’t for them I’d love this. But being away from the family makes it a little bit harder, so it’s like (shrugs) Stubble: So is Korn going to tour after Rockstar? You guys doing the States, going to Europe? What’s the plan?

Fieldy: Yeah, we’re going to Europe, we’re doing some shows with Ozzy over there, um Europe and Japan right now, and then from there I don’t know, we’ll be out there look for us!

Catch the Korn and Five Finger Death Punch Interview: http://stubblemusiczine.com/2009/12/29/stubble-tv/

music, out here in California we have that reggae, rock, funk, type of sound and bands like Slightly Stoopid out of San Diego, 880South from San Jose, and WHOGAS in Oakland...Are you working with any new up and coming artists on this tour?

G Love: On this tour we’ve got a band named Red Eye Empire, who actually does that kind of reggae/rock ‘n’ roll thing and…

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE 2/19/10 @ The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA Photos & Interview by Jeff Longo Stubble talks to Philly’s own ‘blues brother’, G. Love live via satellite (ok, cell phone) from road as they begin a two-month U.S. tour in anticipation of their fourth studio release on Jack Johnson’s label Brushfire Records (eleventh overall) this summer.

Stubble: So you guys are currently out on tour right now correct?

G Love: Yeah, we’re out in Tempe Arizona today.

Stubble: So what can the fans expect on this tour? Do you have a new album coming out?

G Love: We’re workin’ on the new record right now which will come out this summer. We’re touring as a four piece right now so; Timo Shanko on Upright bass, the Houseman on Drums and Mark Boyce on the Organs. You know we mix it up man, we got a lot of freestylin’ a lot of improvisation and play stuff from all our records: and whatever hot new shit we’re workin’ on right now.

Stubble: Well, I mean along that same line, shows like the Grammy’s or these award shows and stuff like that, have you ever been invited to any of those?

G Love: I did play a Grammys event a bunch of years ago and got to go to the Grammys in New York.

Stubble: How was that?

G Love: That was pretty cool. You know you have to have a big commercial record to…well, I think that someday, I will…try to go for the Blues Grammy and make a traditional blues record and really show that side of what I do and uh; hopefully that’ll get nominated for a Grammy man! (laughs).

Make this huge power pop record you know, because that is what really wins the Grammys, it’s the power pop shit that wins. I mean Taylor Swift whose actually from Stone Harbor NJ, but come on. She could barely hold a note up there, as much as I think she’s great. I always look at it like this who sells more records: John Lee Hooker, or Justin Timberlake? Justin Timberlake has sold a shitload more records than John Lee Hooker has sold, but can you say Justin Timberlake is a more important artist, a force in music? No, you can’t, …not taking anything away from Justin Timberlake who is great also but, you know; it’s not a contest about whose music is the best, it’s a contest about who sells the most records you know?

Stubble: You’re out there with your special brand of

Stubble: It seems to be the new sound coming out of this area.

G Love: It’s that white boy reggae thing, it’s definitely a big thing right now. So you know for that sound to come back around by a new generation of younger cats that have tapped into those old records…I think that’s awesome you know?

Stubble: I do too.

NME 2/13/10 @ The Caravan San Jose, California

By Josh Kutras Offensive songs about dicks, dumps, homophobia, and drug overdoses have been NME’s trademark since the late nineties. After a short hiatus NME returns to the scene with a new new bass player and hot new release Bin Laden Airlines.

Stubble: Alright so I’m gonna go around the table here introduce yourselves; who you are what you do.

Peter: I’m Peter, I play drums.

Mike: I’m Mike, I sing and play guitar.

Henry: I’m Henry, I play Bass and sing.

Stubble: So you guys are playing songs tonight off of your new album Bin Laden Airlines; Can you tell us about the record, the title, where it came from?

Mike: I was actually on these San Jose streets as we know, so well here, in Downtown San Jose; and uh, I was actually on Market Street and I thought of the song title and I wrote the first chorus right there. It came together in like 5 minutes, then I had a whole new riff and it came together right there, bam baby…bam.

Stubble: So what’s it all mean? What’s the concept?

Mike: I think it’s just poking fun at everyone who’s a dumb racist, and just short sighted, stupid and arrogant.

I like poking fun at them, and so Bin Laden Airlines is directed at all these scared housewives … (laughs) Anyway, it takes that image of the scared people in the

world flips it on them and we make fun of them; all the time.

Stubble: So you guys had a hiatus, you were gone for a while now your back, got a new member here (points at Henry) Where did you guys meet?

Peter: I’ve known Henry for probably about… Seven years. I played in Kenny Thomas and the Southern Baptists with him, and a couple of other bands, and he’s always been a good friend so; he’s the ninth bass player we’ve had, and we just kept going through bass players left and right so…

Mike: … He’s gonna fuck your wife.

Peter: Maybe nine’s our lucky number we’ll see.

Stubble: (to Henry) So how’s it playing with these two guys?

Henry: It’s like a childhood dream (everyone laughs) You know being a teenager growing up listening to punk rock, playing in punk rock bands for the first time and stuff like that; uh I listened to NME a lot because, they were like the band that in the scene here in San Jose and downtown Campbell that all the high school bands looked up to so…

When they went on their hiatus, at first I was like “Dude, let me sing for your band, let me sing for your band!” and then later on down the road I started playing bass for them so…It’s pretty cool. My goal was achieved! (laughs) Mike: A dream becomes a reality!

Peter: He was in front of our face the whole time and we didn’t even realize it. He played bass in like two other bands, and I’d hang out with him like 3 days a week I just never put the two together.

Stubble: What can people expect from an NME show?

Mike: Fun. Peter: We also have a lot of different sounding songs now, not just punk rock; it has more of a Rock ‘n’ roll feeling too. You can expect a lot more diversity it’s not just gonna be one tempo, one feel or whatever…

Henry: A lot of Elvis kicks you know…

Mike: Lots of twirls…

Stubble: So what’s next? After the money starts rolling in?

Mike: Well, printing the CD, shows at the Avalon, masturbation; guaranteed. Writing other songs, another record; we want to take it to the next level. I want to play in front of hundreds of people, and then thousands; and have a great time doing it Peter: We have a new song called pool party, we recorded it and now we just have to do a video for it.

Stubble: Can you give us a verse out of Pool Party?

Mike: Ok, uh… “A pool party at my house at 8 don’t be late, B.Y.O.B fest, and I can’t wait” There you go, huh?!

Stubble: It’s the next Rock ‘n’ Roll all night!

Anything to add on the sign off?

Peter: Look for another CD soon, I mean we almost have another one in the can. So after Bin Laden Airlines we’ll have another one; and by the time that one’s out we’ll probably have another one. So… we’ll have stuff out. We also have OxHead records.com coming April 15th, 2010 Mike: Lotta stuff on the horizon, lotta cool things.

SKELETONWITCH Photos Jeff Longo 10/09/09 @ The Regency Ballroom San Francisco, California

Chance with Jeff

By Jeff Longo, Alex Guzman & Josh Kutras

The high priests of Midwestern darkness are leading the thrash revival. Preaching year round touring and an explosive stage show SkeletonWitch has caught the eye of the metal masses landing them a coveted spot on the 2010 edition of Ozzfest (featuring Ozzy, Halford, Kataklysm, Kingdom of Sorrow, & many more). Stubble literally bumped into lead screamer Chance Garnette, and drummer Derrick “Mullet Chad” Nau outside of the Regency Ballroom SF after their opening set on the Children of Bodom and The Black Dahlia Murder tour.

Chance: We are from Athens Ohio, a little college town.

Um, it’s a really tiny little college town when there’s no students, there’s no town. It’s a good time. though, lotta fuckin’ weed to smoke, Derrick grew up there his whole life.

Stubble: So you guys are from Athens Ohio, not Georgia…

Derrick: Yes sir.

Chance: We get confused with that a lot sometimes, but no dude you’re right Ohio.

Stubble: Do people get it confused with where REM is from sometimes?

Chance: There like “You’re from where REM is from!” No dude, we’re actually not, there’s no one from Athens Ohio.

Derrick: Sarah Jessica Parker is from real close by…

Chance: Nelsonville?

Derrick: Yup,which is about a stone’s throw from Athens…

Stubble: I’ll bet she was a slut in high school…

Chance: Dude, I don’t know she’s a lot older than me. I was hoping she’d be barking up my tree by now but…No such luck.

Stubble: She’s got a big horse face, but a nice body…

Chance: Dude, I like that ugly hot!

Stubble: Do you do the David Lee Roth thing on tour and grab a shitty old ten speed and check out the towns you’re in after the show?

Derrick: Nahh, I am not good with a bike. I tried to ride…

Chance: I’m not trying to ride a bicycle, I’m 37 years old I’m riding a motorcycle!

Derrick: I rode with some friends of mine and I hated every second of it. I ended up putting the bike in

someone’s car, and got a ride home. I was like fuck this, I’m not riding home.

Stubble: You guys have a new album out?

Chance: Yeah it’s out October 13th.

Stubble: Who did you guys have behind the boards on that?

Chance: We did the album with Jack Endino; he did the new Toxic Holocaust, 3 inches of blood, and things like High on Fire, he did Nirvana- Bleach…

Stubble: What’s the name of the album?

Chance: Breathing the Fire and you know with metal today a lot of it sounds too digital, or just too mechanical, that’s a better term than digital because digital is everything now. We just wanted to go with big drums that sound like drums, guitars that sound big and warm, you know like Rock ‘n’ roll sounding. And with Jack having that background of never doing, as far as I know, a band that is really going to go ahead and blast beat ya, I thought it would be a good match. If he did Nirvana, which is really the most organic thing ever, what would a Nirvana recording guy do with Skeletonwitch material? I was really interested in that, like that’s what I want! Because soon as we smoke weed man we’re not trying to drive machinery, we’re playing instruments! So, uh I think it came out perfect, just what I was looking for, and I think that’s the first time I’ve ever recorded an album that I was stoked when it was done.

Stubble: How long you been doing this?

Chance: Um, you know I’ve definitely been in the bands that you go and play a show and you get stoked on every show, I mean we still get stoked on every show, but every show back then wasn’t so frequent. I’m playing daily now which is my fucking dream come true to play daily, but you know when you first start out you’re like “Man we got two shows in a month!” It’s a big fuckin’ deal! I’ve done that so much it’s just like, ughh got in a fight, we’re done, bands over. You know, I’m 37 I graduated in 1990, so I guess since ‘90ish been in and out of bands that suck. (laughs) Well, yeah! Nobodies in their very first band I believe, I mean maybe somebody. And uh, Big Red, the big redheaded kid in our band stage left; Nathan he’s my brother. So I’ve been in a lot of bands with him, and just to be in our basement as kids and you know I played drums forever, this is the first band I’ve ever been a singer in, Skeletonwitch. Nate’s always been our guitar player and we been in… I don’t even know maybe four bands together, four failed attempts…

Stubble: Who do you count among your influences?

Chance: We love Overkill. Fuck yeah! That was a high five, you guys heard that! Yeah, we love Overkill, I remember Nate being in high school, myself already been graduated and uh, we weren’t touring musicians; he went to school and I worked a stupid job. Every time they would come through we would always be there, I must have seen them like 17ish times.

Stubble: A great stage show, how important is it to bring that element to the live performance?

Chance: I believe the shows need to be something other than dudes shredding their ass off, but not moving a millimeter, just looking at that guitar neck like “Dudes, I’m totally shredding your face off right now!” Yeah but

dude, you haven’t moved a fuckin’ inch! Have fun dude, don’t look so serious, and move your god damn feet! So yeah, I think heavy metal should be larger than life, it should be a show it should be fun, it should be over the top, a release. To me that’s what it is.

CD Reviews ALOUD – Exile (Lemon Merchant Records) This Boston band’s latest is strangely interesting with a deceptive lushness to the – at first – apparent emo sound. Quieter, more subtle and harmonious than their previous 2 efforts. Appealing. – KH

BLACK HELICOPTOR Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse!

(Ecstatic Peace) Somewhere between Captain Beefheart and David Byrne, chaotic but not excessively so. Darkly lyrical alt rock, with a voice like Iggy Pop but different delivery. Curious? Check it out. – KZ

ATROCITY SOLUTION Tomorrows Too Late (Tent City Records) Hard to classify this band. 7 cuts going from metal, ska/punk/metal, ska metal, and “Scales of Injustice” features an acoustic-style intro, segues into ska Reggae, then melds into ska punk. OK and cuts 5 and 6 sound like metal. Then “Requiem” has an acoustic-style intro, blending gradually into a loud punk/metal cacophony. Kind of Sublime-like, but with a more threatening metal sound.

Something for, if not everybody, then a lot of different audiences. If you don’t like “The Protest Song,” push the button and listen to “Change the Channel.” Get it? – KH THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE Pins and Needles (Metropolis Records) “Always” starts with a bold musical cacophony and bangs along behind the vocals. The refrain is the best part but you have to wait for it, making the song seem a bit too long.

Interesting lyrics and percussion; for example in “Sleepwalking” I like the line “I was never here.” Altogether a harder sound than their previous CD, Walking With Strangers. – TDS

BLOODY & THE TRANSFUSIONS (Black & Blue Records) The first and last CD from Bloody Mess and The Transfusions. Bloody made his mark touring and playing with GG Allin in the 80's and with his band Bloody Mess & The Skabs. This has the punk spirit but this band cranks out an album chock full of stoner songs sure to please a college frat party. The other lyrics cover topic like mainstream radio on "FMFU," touring in Texas ("Minds Blown In San Antone”), and Bloody's years of playing in punk clubs in "Dive Bar Superstar." I heard it was written about Bloody and he liked it and recorded it. WTF?- Billy Cobb BOWLING FOR SOUP Sorry For Partyin’ (Jive Records) Like a cross between Sublime and Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees – if you like them you’ll enjoy this! Aside from the rude and funny “My Wena,” “No Habla Ingles” is definitely worth a listen, among others. (Try this too: when people try to sell you stuff on the street simply say “I don’t speak any English.” If they persist follow it up with “Not a God Damn word.”) KH

CASA MENDOZA (Mascot Records) Oooh! Oooh! 3 covers! Stevie Wonder’s “Living For the City” is first and the sound but not the spirit of the song is really reconstructed. I think Stevie would like it. Kind of a Tower of Power-style rendition, but more original than that. “Suzy Q” is a whispered, intimate conversational song that becomes a little reminiscent of James Brown plus George Clinton; again, a nice (re-?) interpretation. Then there’s “You Got A Friend” (written by Carole King but popularized by James Taylor). Quiet, pianissimo intro with spiritual-style vocals. Very nice. Oh yeah - also 10 spirited originals. Highly recommended. – KH CHASER The Big Picture 1st 2 a bit operatic punk pop woman singer. Next 2, fun guy sings “I’m a loser – but you love me.” Cute! – CC

DIVERSITY IS AN OLD WOODEN SHIP 500 Days Of Summer EP Thrash punk with just a tasteful enough splash of horns to be considered ska. It's like nothing you've ever heard before. Think Bad Religion meets Social Distortion meets Less Than Jake. Edgy, lyrical, witty and not afraid to get in your face. Diversity Is An Old Wooden Ship is in a league all of their own. Music world, prepare yourself, because DIAOWS is here to stay. – Joe G.

CHROMATIC BLACK (OK Good! Records) Reminds me of The Fratellis only harder. I like it very much. - TDS COMBICHRIST Making Monsters (Metropolis Records) Floor stompin dance tunes from this band notable for its raw emotion and total lack of poseur attitude. “Never Surrender” is a mooshily-punctuated dance tune that keeps changing back and forth among at least 3 different styles. Cool! – KH

ELECTRIC SIX Zodiac (Metropolis Records) Oh look, a cover of “Rubberband Man.” Anyway, 12 songs, appropriate number for the Zodiac title. They rarely do covers, no reason to with material like “American Cheese” and dissonant, rhythm-infected “Clusterfuck!” Plus they make “druid” rhyme with (Boston) “bruin.” Love those creative near rhymes. Also the song lyric “It ain’t punk rock till the punk rockers say it’s punk rock.” Too true. – CC

MATT FARR (Red Key Entertainment) Mr. Farr has a nice voice, and they shouldn’t compare him to Billy Joel.

Cuz hot funk, cool punk, even if it’s old junk, it’s still Billy Joel to me.

“Crying Sun” is the best cut – more like a cross between Little Feat and sort of a countrified Cat Stevens. Nice piano too. - KH JESSE & THE HOGG BROTHERS White Trash Meth Lab (Black & Blue Records) When I heard the opening track "America" I said oh no another typical pop country act (not that there is anything wrong with that) waving the flag and all that. Then there is a song about robbing trains that is a cross between Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels called "The Ballad Of Brack

Cornett" followed by a cute love song. From there I got a my feet tapping to the colorful story of "Biker Ann" before I totally cracked up listening to the title cut, these guys are nuts! But my favorite off the CD "House Husband" is what every woman really wants, a man to do all the housework, cooking and shopping and still put out! (like all the fellahs expect us to do!) People say country music is about losing your job, your love, your dog but these guys are just plain down to earth funny. Not belly laughs but the lyrics bring a smile and a chuckle and the music is like the classic stars from the 70's not pop music with a twang that we call country music today! I can honestly say this is the best country CD I have heard since Hank III's Straight To Hell. Hell it even has a Christmas

song as the last track that deserves airplay "Everybody Loves When It's Christmas" These boys from Bosque County TX are going straight to my iPod! - LJ LOVESPIRALS Future Past (BMI) Is this album title a Moody Blues album reference? They cite Marvin Gaye and Pink Floyd as influences so that’s the same general time period.

The dynamic songwriting pair strikes again with this well-produced set of harmonious cuts running the gamut of styles and genre, together again.

Try “Rain” for a good example. – CC

PAUL MANOUSOS C’mon, C’mon (Shock&Fall Recordings) Cover of “Wichita Lineman” – the high notes are better than Glenn Campbell’s, but a Tom Petty whininess sneaks in at times. Billy Joel playing acoustic guitar – and I don’t mean that in a nice way, eiher.

If you like Billy Joel you might like this, but I didn’t. – KZ MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO Answers Come In Dreams (Metropolis Records) Even more minimalistic/industrial than their previous work. It’s good for a soundtrack, but not what you’d call easy listening – and if so, Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music would be a better choice. Good music for people who used to work in a factory and miss the noise. - KZ H. E. MILLER Apocalyptic Dreams (self released) How topical, a song about Jesse James. The real one. Not Jesse Jane. #5 a bit o Johnny Winter. “White Lightening” is the best cut. No, #9 is the best. Retro. - TDS

JOHN NORUM – Play Yard Blues (Mascot Records) A Swede! Much heavier than expected. True hard blues a la Johhny Winter (“Let It Shine”) and also (“Red Light Green High”) reminds me of Yes. Nice and heavy. – TDS OUTBREAK (Trustkill Records) 15 cuts, including “The Countdown Begins,” which is on the Saw VI movie soundtrack. But pick any cut, it’s all the harsh rage of Outbreak.

“Too Paranoid for Politics” is a killer example. Check this out! Reminds me of “Breakin’ the Law, Breakin’ the Law..” You can’t keep a metal punk down. – KH

PAPER AEROPLANES The Day We Ran Into The Sea (OK! Good Records) This alt-pop duo from Wales is awesome. Starting with the first cut, “Cliché.” The lyrics and music are heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking. “Newport Beach” makes me wish I could sing like Sarah. Actually my fave is one of the 3 bonus tracks. “My First Love.”

Check it out! - KH RED - Innocence & Instinct (Sony Music) I do like their cover of “Ordinary World” – but I am known for liking covers, especially the hard ones.

Twin brothers Anthony and Randy Armstrong play guitar and bass.

Some nice piano in some cuts, but not credited. Bonus DVD included. – TDS RELIANT K Forget and Not Slow Down (Jive Records) Kind of a punk Beach Boys sound and emotion. The singer sees a car accident and hopes no one’s seriously hurt. Rather sweet actually. It’s known as Christian rock? Well not obnoxiously so – and take it from me, I went to Christian summer camp and owned multiple copies of Good News For Modern Man. But I digress…. TDS THE RUNNING KIND The Girl For All The World (Bossonova Music Records) Twang vocals well done; a great bunch of musicians but I have to say I like the covers better – George Jones, Gram Parsons, Neil Young…

The George Jones cover is really top notch – I listened to it more than twice, tell you what. The Running Kind, BTW, is a Merle Haggard song.

Anyway the rhymes in their original stuff are a little forced, a little too pat. Still, all in all a great listen. - CC

S. G. – Bonafied!

(Southern Stisles Records) S. G. is a fresh gangsta rapper who’s apparently a Louisiana boy – so you know he’s got a knife on him some where. I was not disposed to enjoy this disc but I did. He really is gangsta fresh – creative, confident, original and talkative. Yeah, I liked that some of the cuts were introduced or interspersed with some random talk. Makes it more real. Also that drop a dime reference. My favorite is “So Gangsta” – gee that’s what SG stands for…. BTW I had the non-Parental Advisory version –radio version? – and I appreciate that the (euphemistically named) profanities were silent rather than bleeped. So much less jarring and we all know what’s being omitted anyway. – DB

ERIC SAGE – Redeem My Heart (Global Sonic Records) A very experienced group of musicians – the bassist and guitar have both worked with Don Henley, but still it doesn’t really get into its mellow rocking until the third cut, “She Likes Me Better Than You.” – KH SAVING ABEL (Skiddco Music/Virgin Records) Interestingly the first 2 songs, the thrashy “New Tattoo” and sexy “Addicted,” express opposite points of view. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, and of course not an unusual love you/hate you expression of relationships. I hope they’re about 2 different love interests, not the same person! Worth a listen for sure. – KH

WALTER SCHREIFELS An Open Letter to the Scene Some nice moments and a nice voice. I like “Don’t Gotta Prove It” the best; nice rhymes and a bouncy positivity – “Fuck ‘em, they’re all wrong.” – WG SABBATH ASSEMBLY Restored To One ( Feral House) Not your typical church music at all, with far more twang and percussion than I expected. Religious but direct.

Sound pretty and powerful, too. – KH The SCRAPPERS Let The Punishment Begin (Black & Blue) So what is a Scrapper? Why are they are here to kick my ass! I mean I don't want to get my ass kicked really. Maybe I can kick my ass myself? Ouch! that hurt!

According to the PR kit, singer/guitarist Johnny G-String was a founding member of midwest stoner punk rock favorites Bloody & The Transfusions so I expected a bit of that to be on the album. It really wasn't, instead I got a blast of straight forward rock with great lyrics. Johnny left Bloody right before they began to record the outfits only CD with Johnny stating that he split off on his own to be taken more seriously. Johnny always wanted to do his songs and the resulting CD has songs written over a 3 year span. Ol Johnny plays some nice lead guitar throughout but never strays too far from the song in say, an experimental way that bores you.

From my favorite track "I Want To Kill You, But I'm Afraid To" to the finale "Concrete" it is a fast listen.

The ballad "Dreams" is the cut to check out if you only want to try one, Rockers including "Six Reasons" and "Kenosha"(the song dedicated to the late punk rock legend Beautiful Bert a good friend of Johnny's) then there are songs that provide a blast of metal like the back to back tracks "Prelude To Death" and "All Must Die"... hmmm need to spin this one again. Now I get it. What makes this album is the variety of styles that formulate The Scrappers sound. So pick one up and crank it up because these Scrappers do indeed KICK ASS! - DB

SHREDDING THE ENVELOPE The Call Of The Flames (Standstill and Scream Music) Thrash and shredding, as advertised.

Well done! Thanks to Dave Mustaine for advising Dave Reffett to stay in school – well, it was Berklee College of Music…. – KH THE SKABS Revenge Of The Skabs (Black & Blue Records) Is there a punk rock Hatfields vs McCoys going on in Illinois? I don't really understand all that except that Bloody Mess left The Skabs and these guys seem to be upset about it. The back cover art looks a lot like Bloody & The Transfusions CD Cover. Hmmm you might think it was intentional or something like that. I was frightened by the opening track "Hate" and I'm not exaggerating either I mean I don't think I had such a strange feeling from any song that I got from it. After that the album is old school punk rock with cool tunes like "Junkie," "Dying For You," "Get Up" and "Empty Too." Then there is a song that sounds out of place that is more like a soundtrack for a low budget porn movie called "Skab Style" - it's like disco with no production added, really! A great punk rock album. That said it sure as hell looks like the Bloody Mess & The Skabs reunion is a long way from anytime soon if you catch my new disease. - Billy Cobb

SMIRNOV – Privet Earth (Rock Justice Music) 1st cut, “I’m A Phuken’ Angel,” well let me tell you the alternative spelling of fuck is not going to help with radio play. Too bad cause it’s a good song.

A little falsetto never hurts when you’re calling someone a bitch – just ask James Brown…. Anyway this CD includes a clean version, so maybe that’s OK, and also a bonus video of same. Very interesting! I wonder if he drinks it straight. And boxers or briefs? - CC SPOCK’S BEARD – X (Music Theory Recordings) Six interesting songs. Some skaishness, piano ending on “Edge of the In-Between.” It’s hard for me to tell whether I’m still listening to the same song. So varied is the positive slant on that. “The Emperor’s Clothes” is my favorite. Punk with a Queen-like operatic sound. All the songs are long, though – the shortest being “Kamikaze” at 4:14 and the longest, 17:10, “From the Darkness.” – CC STAR FU#KING HIPSTERS Volume II: Never Rest In Peace (Alternative Tentacles Records) Yes! 2 thumbs up. Wild crazy music and lyrics recorded, produced, and mastered by, as well as performed by, a totally music-biz-incestuous cast of idiots. “Heaven” is my fave just because of how they raspily scream “annihilation” and at the end say “I love you.” Fun stuff. Don’t be afraid to check this out. – KH

THREE DAYS GRACE Life Starts Now (RCA/Jive Label Group) “Break” the new single on this their 3rd album. High energy with dark lyrics, kinda like a Canadian Disturbed. – TDS TOADIES – Feeler (Kirtland Records) The long-awaited follow-up to 1994’s Rubberneck; despite the hit “Possum Kingdom” on that CD, Interscope decided not to put this one out. Now it’s out on Kirtland, and “Dead Boy” is my favorite on this album – note it is not a cover. “Suck Magic,” in contrast, is a more mellow, yet poppy, alt rock number. Pretty rockin stuff from the Fort Worth area. – KH TOPANGA RANCH MOTEL (Silent City Records) A 4-song EP with traditional but exuberant style. LA country music with elegant fiddle runs and guitar licks. Nice vocals too. – DB TWO MILE OK yeah he is an Okie from Muscogie, but ol’ Merle (Haggard, not Allin) is not listed as one of his influences. I was also thinking is 2 Mile numerically/ logistically ¼ of 8 Mile? But Mr. Jeremy Kearns deserves better than that for his heartfelt lyrics and mellow acousticness. The intro of the opening cut “Perfect World” actually reminds me a little of Yes’ “Roundabout”, but then it resolves to

the hope/sadness/acceptance of waiting for test results to tell if his wife has cancer (BTW she didn’t).

Deep. – DB PAUL TURNER - Another World (Turtle Productions) Splendid cello and piano work on this 2nd CD from Mr. Paul Turner, New Zealander and producer of Beijing Punk, a documentary. – Ron Hall

music contests, bar fights, rape, drugs, alcohol, world hunger, violence and unmentionable topics too! My favorite is "This Blood’s For You" where Cap (if I can call him that) explains why he gives his all in the band’s live shows that always end up with him seeing red! As graphic as they are they do it all with a sick and twisted sense of humor. Not for everybody but if you like it fast brutal and raw check them out! - Billy Cobb

JERRY VELONA - Random Emotion (Karunabird Records) “Leave Me Alone” has a country twang guitar with interesting lyrics.

“Talk to the Ossifer” is more bluesy with horns. Nice individualistic music, hard to categorize but well executed.

“Wedding Band Tan,” the bonus track, is a boot scooter with Wanda B Free crooning nicely about a woman who has a tan line where her wedding ring was – a cheater’s ring we used to call it in Texas. A nice tune but it could have faster tempo. - DB WITHOUT MF ORDER Desensitivity Training (Black & Blue Records) Hide the kids it says before the first song starts and I can't argue with that. These self proclaimed scumrockers from St Louis crank out a combination of metal and punk with a high dose of testosterone and angst. Led by vocalist Captain Perverto you can be sure the parental advisory sticker is well earned. They cover a slew of topics from reality TV

VANISH VALLEY (Hard Bark) Psycho folkadelia. Some nice ringing guitar in the first song “Bad Things.”

“Home Fires” is more straight acoustic country and oddly enough it’s my favorite pick. I like the lyric “You’ll be all right, cause you’ve been all right before.” - KH PS – The writing (is it a font?) on this CD case looks like it says “Pfish Valley.” Confusing for Pfish anti-fans, and others as well. Just FYI.

Compilations & Soundtracks

DVD Reviews

DORM SESSIONS 7 (Heavy Rotation Records) Hmmm. When I lived in a dorm “sessions” had nothing to do with playing music – except albums on the stereo. Two songs each by 9 musicians. The first 2 by Ann Driscoll are operatic and profane – a nice combination. I like “I Wanna Be Your Zombie.” But the best pair of songs is by Jordan Tarrant and the best of these 2 is called “I’m a Loser (But You Love Me).” Overall a nice variety of music here. – KH MUSIC TO MAKE YOUR EARS HURT TREY! (Black & Blue Records) I missed the first 2 installments of this label that is proud of making ears hurt and I can't say mine really did listening to this sampler of their artists. There are little interludes of what I guess they think is comedy with the best being a commercial for a meat market. They sure sound like they are having fun! You get songs from Without MF Order, Jesse & The Hogg Brothers, Cedar Street Sluts, Blue Nouveaux, CherryBombs DK, and Bloody & The Transfusions previewing their new albums and other artists like Renegade Sl@ve, Swell Chemistry and Lena Luna. A very diverse collection of music that is certainly not even close to mainstream, with a dark edge.

Underground music for those who want it! You might have to dig deep to find. - Laurie Johnson SAW VI – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Trustkill Records) The lineup on this movie soundtrack is incredible! 18 cuts by 18 killer bands including Kittie, Converge, Shadows Fall, It Dies Today, and more. “Lethal Injection” by The Flood is my personal fave screamo threat on this CD. Scary! – CC

DIRTY: The Official O.D.B. Biography (Zu Films) Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Wu Tang Clan – I thought this was going to be about Old Dime Bag from Pantera. Well, they are both – um, late. Glad I didn’t give it to a Pantera fan friend of mine. He would have clocked me! Anyway beside ODB Method Man is the only one I’d actually heard much about.

So who was ODB, what was he really like, and why did he die? These burning Qs are all answered in this in-depth documentary. – TDS

THE SACRED TRIANGLE – Bowie Iggy & Lou 1971 – 1973 (Sexy Intellectual) Above is the pic on the back cover – I like it more than the cover illustration. Interesting footage, but most of the commentators were Brits. Two points of the triangle are American, and Bowie did meet the other 2 in NYC. However, aside from the group photo I don’t see the triangle as having equal sides. Bowie may well have influenced the others and vice versa, but Lou and Iggy never performed together that I know of. Maybe the connection of these 3 really started with Warhol (who condoned and encouraged Nico’s relationship with Iggy).

Well as you can tell I found this one thought provoking.

Definitely worth a screening. – DB

THE STRANGLERS On Stage, On Screen Norfolk Coast (New Wave Pictures) An interesting DVD in the fact that it is the last DVD with Paul Roberts as lead vocalist for this European favourite band with roots in the 70's punk rock phenomenon. You get an acoustic set of 7 songs including the unreleased "Santie Kuss". The bands first film is up next and it features most notably actress Susannah York in a very bizarre film to say the least. In 2 viewings of it I am still confused by it so do not expect me to "splain it" to you.

Then the "electric" portion of the show begins and what is most interesting is the inclusion of "Summat Outanowt" off the album "Suite XVI where Paul is not included. The show to me is to me a little like the last show with Hugh as like him or not Paul was the bands face since that night. I'll be the first to say I like the Baz Warne 4 man band as much or more and not to take anything away from Paul. THis set is solid with Paul’s renditions of classics like Always The Sun, Peaches, No More Heroes and more 20 songs in all. KC

JOHNNY WINTER – Live Through the ‘80s (MVD Visual) This DVD contains a lot more covers than I remember on his albums. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” “Johnny B Goode,” for example. Interesting to hear those! My fave of the originals is “When You Got A Good Friend,” which has (always had) a bit of old-school Derek and the Dominos type feel to it. There’s great footage of Johnny with his hat and tats, wailing and workin that axe. Filmed all over the world, including Sweden, Italy, and Nashua, NH. I was in Francestown, NH recently at their general store, and there was a poster for a Johnny Winter concert. I said "Hey, Ken, Johnny Winter," and the store proprietor said "I thought he was dead." I said "No, he's Still Alive and Well." True JW aficionados will appreciate the reference. – KH

FRANK ZAPPA - The Freak-Out List (Sexy Intellectual) Incredibly insightful and thoroughly documented look at the various musical genres that influenced Frank's music.

From classical to jazz to rock, Frank drew on an eclectic mix of seeming unrelated artists & styles yet managed to fuse them all into an amalgam of coherent madness rooted in, of all things, a hearty doo-wop base. Even the assortment of pretentious Jicky pricks who weigh in on Frank's genius don't detract from what amounts to a college level musical appreciation class on the Zappa legacy. I give this 88 minute film my highest recommendation. – JV

Book Reviews

REPO MEN - Eric Garcia (Harper, 2009 Eric Garcia’s Repo Men (recently released as a motion picture, and not to be confused with Repo Man). A fascinating (hopefully fantastic) view of the possible directions where medical care and science may be headed; the narrator works for the Credit Union, repossessing artificial organs when the buyers get behind on the payments. I don’t know if I could handle the movie, as it’s sure to be very bloody, but then again I walked out on RoboCop the first time I saw it, so consider the source… but check out some of Garcia’s other books, about dinosaur detectives cleverly disguised as humans.

OK here’s the justifying music link-in: one was originally titled The Repossession Mambo, and the other has a 6degree separation from Madonna’s “Justify (Your Love)”.

Speaking of which, I can’t wait to hear the movie soundtrack CD. Hint hint. – KH

SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS – A Portrait of Sonny Rollins (Abrams Books. 2010) Another beautifully executed book from Abrams. Hard cover large format includes not just John Abbott’s hundreds of photos, but also the commentary by Bob Blumenthal. Sonny Rollins turns 80 this year, and this book is a wonderful tribute to the man, his life and his art.

It would be an insult to call this a coffee table book Even the endpapers are suitably artistic: color pages of sheet music waiting to be written. – KH KILLING JOHNNY FRY – Walter Mosley (Bloomsbury USA, 2006) I just read Walter Mosley’s Killing Johnny Fry. Like Elmore Leonard’s novel about Cuba, this was not what I expected, or wanted, from the author of the Easy Rawlins series and many others. This is too much painful, degrading, cringeinducing (and not only for women) sex, which is either a warning or a recommendation depending on your tastes.

BTW, as Zebbyn noted, I did finish reading it. – KH

AND NOW A MESSAGE FROM BASEMENT STEVE

ULTRAVIOLET – 69 BLACKLIGHT POSTERS FROM THE AQUARIAN AGE AND BEYOND – Dan Donohue (Abrams Books, 2009) A beautifully printed book in day-glo colors, with thumbnails of each on a 2-page spread that provides title and artist. Jesus, boobs, ands bikers figure prominently, as do many depictions of pot leaves and mushrooms. If I had to pick a favorite, it’s Nancy Parker’s Citadel; it’s kind of a mandala. Amazing, trippy, and nostalgic. BTW you owe me $2 for the black light bulb. – KH

Basement Steve regrets that it is simply impossible for him to answer any of the hundreds of questions submitted to him each week. However, he does read every question.

Basement Steve asks, "Is your question urgent?” If you feel you MUST have his help, you can get a personal answer from Basement Steve within two business days by availing yourself of his reasonably-priced private counseling.

Note: STUBBLE MusicZine is not responsible for any consequences to taking this advice. Just remember that Basement Steve’s advice is worth every penny you paid for it! - Editor

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