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UGLY BUNNY INside: - Check out two new columns from UP staff writers - See what’s happening with Troubled Minds - Haverford overcomes hurdles recording “Spirit Bear” - Giant Puppet Theatre takes the stage - The Wild recounts the lessons learned while recording
Letter from the staff:
Why can’t we be friends?
I
’ve had a number of discussions recently about the crowds at shows and how strangers packed into a dark, loud room coexist as their own sort of community. When a band and the fans are both getting loud and clearly enjoying themselves, everyone leaves the venue smiling and exhausted and sometimes with a new friend (or two or three). In my case, these bonds were usually built after someone bumped into me or I bumped into them and quick apologies were exchanged, followed by something like “Hey, I love the band on your shirt, here’s my friend so-and-so.” I’ve been sheltered for a number of years now from terrible crowds because the bands I love usually seem to have great fans. It’s a bummer when that’s not the case for everyone. For example, my cousin told me about a Hoodie Allen show she went to. When a girl fell over (because she was wearing high heels to a concert, which is a pet peeve of mine but neither here nor there), instead of helping her up or even just ignoring her, girls went and started stepping on her. There wasn’t a fire to escape from. David Bowie hadn’t entered the building. They weren’t recreating the scene from “The Lion King” where – spoiler alert – Mufasa dies. Why are they acting like they’re part of a stampede? I’ve never been to a Hoodie Allen show, but stories like that certainly don’t make me want to go to one. To me, it’s one thing to get kicked by a crowd surfer or hit if you’re too close to the pit. That’s an accident. It’s another to see that someone is down and not help them up. Thankfully, it’s been more commonplace at the shows I attend to see people not be terrible to one another. To see people run into each other, smile and nod, and go right back to screaming along to the song. That helps make for a better show. It demonstrates that maybe there’s some sort of community that has been built where people treat one another with some respect. That community is built by both the bands and their fans; how bands interact with their fans and vice versa, both in person and over social media. I guess the long story short here is simply: Don’t be dicks guys; I’m sure we can all get along for a few hours.
Sincerely,
Alisha Kirby
Top 5 Albums On Repeat “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” You Blew It!
One
“Gospel” Fireworks
two
“First Contact”
three
The Speed of Sound In Seawater “This Couch Is Long & Full Of Friendship”
Four
Tiny Moving Parts
“Twelve Towns” Into It. Over It.
Five
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Drop the needle again
PG
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Listen A** Hole
PG
07
haverford
PG
08
through the eyes of ashli jade
PG
09
Q&A: Troubled Minds
PG
10
My Scene, My Music
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11
PG
15 Giant puppet theatere
PG
16
The wild
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I Knew Josh Before He Got Famous
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Album reviews
staff picks
mag
Up
PG
Editors in chief
Steven Condemarin alisha kirby
Writers
Jorden Hales Ashli jade Josh Jurss Elmer Martinez daniel Romandia
Copy editors
Robert Aguilar Megan Houchin
Photographers Carlos Almanza Allen Dubnikov
Contributors Kendra beltran Eric Delgado
Contact us Feel free to head over to our website (sacunplugged.com) for more information on advertising, contributing and submissions.
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From the magazine you’re reading now, to our online content, we’re expanding! @sacunplugged fb.com/sacunplugged
Go follow our Facebook and twitter to discover new music! Visit our website for daily updates on new releases! sacunplugged.com If you have any questions or comments, email us at sac.unplugged@gmail.com. ask us how to be featured in our next issue or how to advertise in our next issue!
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C
ompilation records can either be fantastic or terrible and there is no in between. Either they’ll open some doors and introduce you to some of your future favorite bands, or they’ll be “Now That’s What I Call Music” -whatever number that mess is up to. The two records below are examples of some of the better compilation albums to come out of the last few years.
Drop The Needle Again
by Alisha Kirby
"Mixed Signals" : Sea Blue and Black/300 “Mixed Signals” was Run For Cover’s 50th release as a label. When it was released in September 2011 it included new, unreleased and exclusive songs (some of which have now shown up on later albums in different forms – this version of “The ‘M’ Word” is actually a bit slower and is the version I prefer). The packaging is sturdy and it comes with a nice book of black and white photos and lyrics to each song.
&
(For full tracklists visit SacUnplugged.com)
"Invisible Children" : "Tony" (Purple)/99 Invisible Children is an organization that brings awareness to the going ons of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Central Africa. Robbed The Bank records donated 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this compilation to Invisible Children. This compilation, which features rare and unreleased tracks from artists including The Forecast and Jonah Matranga, boasts one of the best, most diverse track lists. The packaging is flimsy but the record sounds great. It’ll just take a little more to keep it safe.
Feb.2014.unplugged.05
HOLE Debates about music we love and songs we hate are common place within our group of friends. Sometimes they’re lighthearted and amusing. Other times arms will flail in frustration and the volume of everyone’s voices will rise.
Are ‘icons’ dead? T
his month’s Listen Asshole is more of a hypothetical discussion than an argument based on fact, which essentially makes it no different than half of the arguments you read on message boards (except we like to think we’re more polite than all of that). This month we asked ourselves if in this day and age we would ever see another true “icon” in music. Stay up-to-date on releases, shows and more on our website!
06.unplugged.Feb.2014
Daniel Romandia: You probably remember
Scottish John, he’s now gone from this publication.
Alisha Kirby: Sadly. God rest his soul. D: Ha. Well, with his farewell article he wrote
about how he believes that there will no longer be any huge artists or groups that will be generally loved by the mass population.
A: Like our generation’s Beatles. D: Exactly. There isn’t that anymore. The last one people could probably think of would be Nirvana. I think that’s kind of wrong.
A: He didn’t say either way, he just posed the question, “Could there be an act like that?”
D: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, then I honestly think that
could totally happen again. There just needs to be the right kind of group that does it. People need to stop being so negative towards certain things because, if you think about it, The Beatles were mainly popular among young girls. They were able to get the notoriety from the older crowd but it was still the whole “teen scene.” Teenagers were being interviewed by the news about how much they love them and the same sort of thing is happening with One Direction. I’m not necessarily condoning their music…
Daniel
A**
Alisha
LISTEN LISTEN
D: I don’t think that means you would have to be
stuck in that. I just think that means you need to find someone who can be universal in that sense. Just because someone listens to these really esoteric genres like 8-bit grindcore doesn’t mean that’s all they listen to. I feel like, with the internet especially, people are willing to branch out more.
A: I don’t know about “willing to.” D: They try. Hopefully they try. Either way, people are beginning to have a more varied taste in music and if there’s an artist that can transcend into certain things that everyone can find pleasing and become a universally-liked artist, or at least respected in some way, then I don’t see that as being completely farfetched.
A: That’s not something that brings people
together. One of the bands Scottish John came up with, bands like Zeppelin and bands like that, where everyone was just so about it...
D: Well, not everyone. A: That was his point. That’s what he brought up. D: [Incoherent comment about the ‘70s] and not everyone’s Zeppelin.
A: Not everyone’s Beyoncé either and we throw
A: You can condone whatever you want.
her around like “Oooh. Everyone. Everyone likes Beyoncé.”
D: Some of their music isn’t actually terrible. I’m
D: A vast majority, let’s go with that.
not going to lie about that. It’s catchy.
A: OK, I think the difference, though, is back
then you were being fed the same bands. There was the radio; that was it. You had to hear the same things, so eventually you’re going to like it or you’re not but you’re stuck with it regardless. Now, you can find exactly what you like. You can like the weirdest sub-sub-sub-genre and there’s something for that. You can find it online. So you don’t have to be stuck with listening to what’s popular with everyone else.
D: 8-bit grindcore! A: Ha, you could listen to 8-bit grindcore. You
could listen to 8-bit grindcore all day. The point is that you’re not stuck with what everyone else likes.
A: I think she’s the closest thing you’re going to
get, recently. And I wouldn’t have even said that until this new album. Which, well, I don’t care for the album.
D: It’s not bad. A: She’s going to find me. She knows, she hears these things. I like her, she’s nice and cool. Anyway, I think that’s about as close as you’re going to get, but it’s not her music. At the end of the day, I’m still going to go listen to what I want to listen to. It’s just easier now to tune out the stuff you don’t want.
D: Well, now it is. A: Right, which is why I think that you won’t have that one universal person.
A stream of consciousness, a stream of songs
Head over to Haverford’s facebook to listen to “Spirit Bear” Long Island’s hidden treasure Haverford is constantly writing, recording and touring to bring their music to every city Story by Alisha Kirby
L
ong Island seems to pump out talented bands at the same rate “Bob’s Burgers” releases a hilarious new episode (which is every week). In the last year and a half, one of its latest up-and-comers, Haverford, released an EP, contributed to a number of splits with bands including Dowsing, State Lines and Captain, We’re Sinking, and released their debut LP “Spirit Bear.” If you hadn’t heard of the band until now, it was only a matter of time. “This is really the first serious band any of us have been in so we are all still sort of figuring out how things work,” said vocalist Connor Ramert. “It’s been a ton of fun so far just writing and releasing music as often as possible and playing shows constantly, so we’re just going to keep that up.” Most of the members had played in a slew of bands together throughout high school, but it wasn’t until drummer Aaron Masih became a full-time member in between the releases of the band’s EP “Wisdom Lost” and “Spirit Bear” that the
band was able to solidify their own writing style. “‘Wisdom Lost’ was sort of a more focused effort in that we all had this one specific thing in mind that was plaguing us at that point in our lives,” said Ramert. “We thought the band was going to be over and ‘Wisdom Lost’ would be the last thing we released but we were able to get over that hurdle, that one looming, direct problem bringing us down.” All of the material on “Spirit Bear” was written after the EP, when the band began to pull from outside influences. “We began writing the songs for ‘Spirit Bear’ in the days directly following Hurricane Sandy,” Ramert said. “We write our songs in a sort of stream-of-consciousness, introspective way ... I guess you could say we are pretty introverted people.” “We’re not hermits or anything,” he said with a laugh, “but we all definitely have a lot on our minds at all times. There are a couple of hypochondriacs in this band who can certainly attest to us getting in our
own heads, but I think we all balance each other out so we are able to be functioning people and a functioning band.” They certainly don’t hide within themselves too much, as you can almost always find them touring and playing shows with other Long Island acts such as Tomahawk Chop, Scout, Kwijybo, Riverside and Sunning, despite sounding almost nothing like most of the bands with which they play. “We just like to play shows with our friends – people we don’t mind hanging out with for 12 hours a day,” explained Ramert. “We just went on tour with Sunning because they’re awesome guys and we think they’re a cool band (that) we like. Music is so accessible I think people are probably listening to a wider variety nowadays, so we think it’s cool to mix things up.” Now that they’re back from tour the band has plans to record even more material that they wrote before leaving, which will be released in increments on splits and the like throughout the year.
Feb.2014.unplugged.07
Put Your Phone Down “W
hoa! This is a totally awesome video of last night’s show! I can’t believe someone took the time to record the band’s set! You can really hear the song too; it’s like I was there!” Said no one ever. And yet I counted a grand total of 22 cell phones and cameras while A Lot Like Birds was playing at Luigi’s Fungarden last week. Not everyone was recording the set; some people were checking their social networking sites while others were texting their friends. The room was packed with people who had paid $12 to see the band, but the crowd was littered with a bunch of bright screens. At some point, you have to wonder why this is acceptable, right? You don’t pull your phone out at a movie or check Twitter at a play, or at least know that you shouldn’t. So why is it OK to watch a band perform through the screen of your smart device and/or camera? It seems like more and more of us are becoming preoccupied with a compulsion to document live shows rather than experience and enjoy them in the moment. “It’s not as annoying to other people as pulling your phone out at a movie theater,” one may think to themselves, but try telling that to the person behind you who has to try to look at the stage through an ocean of glaring, bright screens. Better yet, try
through the eyes of ashli jade telling that to the band who got on stage and put on a great show for an audience that was more concerned with proving that they were there rather than actually being present (bands and artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Lumineers and Jack White have expressed their annoyance and I’m sure they’re not alone). The kicker is that most people are never going to watch that pixelated junk with unbearable sound quality. It’s just going to sit in their phones for an indefinite amount of time. And the pictures they took of their favorite band member probably aren’t great either. “What do you mean I wasn’t present? I have proof that I was there,” says the kind of person I’m writing about. Let me put it to you this way: The opening band at this particular show, The Venetia Fair, was phenomenal. It’s not often that we’re graced with an opening act worth being on time for, but I was so glad that we didn’t miss them. The music was great, the band was as charismatic as they were engaging and they weren’t painful to look at. They had the whole package! However, as fantastic as their set was, so many missed it completely. From where I was standing in the back I saw at least ten people watching through the screens of their iPhones, making the deliberate decision to actually have a worse visual experience. Another ten people were busy checking Facebook and texting. They weren’t experiencing the show – they were just in a loud room playing Candy Crush. Is a subpar picture or video really worth the $12 you paid to get in? Did you get dressed and drive to Midtown so you could stand in a hot, crowded, loud room and
text your friend the whole show? Believe it or not, it is absolutely possible to thoroughly enjoy a band’s performance without having to archive it. Not every moment of every concert needs be immortalized via blurry pictures posted to your Twitter feed. Your friends can wait until the set is over for your opinion about Johnny Quarterback’s new girlfriend. Concerts were meant to be experienced in the moment, so sit back and enjoy yourself. I know I can’t expect everyone to adopt a cell phone-free policy when it comes to shows, so if you absolutely have to be “that guy,” might I suggest changing your device’s brightness to the lowest possible setting prior to the show and putting it on vibrate. Don’t invade other people’s space or view, if you want to record or take pictures head to the back of the venue so the short girl behind you doesn’t have to pull acrobatic stunts to see the band. Don’t talk on your phone during the show, even if it’s crowded and there’s no way you’ll get that spot back; if it’s that important, take it outside. The bottom line here is that using your smart phone or camera during a show is every bit as annoying as it would be if you were to do that in a movie theater. Just because it’s more socially acceptable doesn’t make it any less bothersome. There’s no shame in putting off that status update or text message and there’s no reason to record the performance of a song that you’ll never watch again. Do everyone a favor and leave your devices in your pocket or purse. You’ll be glad that you did.
Sincerely, Ashli
Q&A: Troubled Minds
check out the full interview at sacunpluged.com
Troubled Minds has been making their name known through Tumblr reblogs for just under a year. As of now, they only have two original songs released and a cover of Title Fight’s “27” that has been getting them some recognition. They’re still young as a band, having only played a few shows before and never having been on an official tour. So we decided to talk to them now, before they get too busy being on the road all the time.
Story by Daniel romandia Could you state your full name and what you do in the band? Matt Aldawood - vocals/guitar Andrew Hredzak - guitar/vocals Brent Huddleston - bass Zak Koehnlein - drums How did you guys meet? What made you decide to start Troubled Minds? Hredzak: Well, I (Andrew) met Brent around when Lincoln was assassinated way back in kindergarten. We played music together in grade and middle school, and in a band during high school called Hear Me Out with Zak. Like all good relationships, I met Zak through MySpace. Brent and I were sophomores back then and I was looking through comments for some shitty local pop punk band. His picture had his kick drum covered in Atticus and Boxcar Racer stickers. This made my fifteen year old self harder than any porn I would have been into at the time. We all met Matt through a couple of shows we played with our old bands. Eventually both of our bands broke up – ultimately the fate of any high school band. Tip: If you’re in a band in high school, cut the fat early and move on. Just accept that your drummer can’t play on time and your guitar player is never going to buy an American-made guitar. Matt and Zak hooked up soon after that and wrote a couple songs, then Brent and I joined shortly after. We decided to make this band for a couple of reasons. First, we wanted to be in a group that strived to be better musicians as opposed to people who were comfortable with where they’re at. The other reason is we wanted to be able to write whatever we wanted. Our other bands tried to focus on one type of sound without much variation. Although our two songs we have out now are similar, the ones we have been writing have been considerably diverse. We can’t wait to get these songs out the door. What do you guys do outside of the band? Hredzak: Matt works at Guitar Center and goes to school for audio production. I went to school for business and work at a local brewery. Zak works at Guitar Center too, but at a different location. Brent’s coming to join me at the brewery and going to school at Arizona State University.
You guys say that you’re a part of the twinkle/emo scene right now, but I feel like I can hear influences from much more than that. What bands or artists would you say influence you that people wouldn’t expect? Hredzak: We do say that a lot, don’t we? We love being a part of it, but we all want to have our feet in different genres. No one wants to be a one-trick pony. Just think of us as a pentacorn who juggles, bakes cookies and fills in for Santa’s reindeer when they have better shit to do. Influences that people wouldn’t expect; good question. Comeback Kid, John Mayer, Weezer, Bayside, Every Time I Die, The Fall of Troy, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Glass Jaw, Bob Dylan, At the Drive-In, Andy Mckee, OutKast, Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, The Mars Volta, The Postal Service, Foo Fighters, The Smoking Popes, Superchunk, Tenacious D, Thrice, Chuck Berry, Move Forward and shit, I think every musician is obligated to say the Beatles. I saw that you guys said you’d be recording in the winter of this year. Can you tell us more about the upcoming EP? Hredzak: We think that if we write a ton of songs some of them would have to be good, right? So right now we’re up to about 15. We might top off around 18. We’ll then cut about half and end up with hopefully eight gems and throw those on a record. We are particularly proud of what we have so far and we can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks. Have you guys been talking with any labels for that EP? Hredzak: The plan is to shop around after we’re done recording. Right now all we have is our word that we sound fucking awesome. Not a lot of people buy that. What are your live shows like? Hredzak: So far we have only played two shows, but both of them have been fantastic. It’s been great to see such a response even though we are so new. As for our performance, we always try to give the kids their money’s worth. I don’t understand bands who aren’t energetic on stage. What the fuck is the point of going to see live music if it’s not entertaining, right?
Feb.2014.unplugged.09
My Scene, My Music
Kendra Beltran Los Angeles, CA Founder of Golden Mixtape goldenmixtape.com
Josh Jurss Chicago, IL Unplugged Mag. Staff Writer
@JoshJurss
Eric Delgado Abbeville, SC Contributing Writer blessyerheart.com
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What’s the most efficient way for a band to promote shows in your area and where should locals go to keep an eye out for upcoming shows? There are three ways I want to touch on; the magic of the World Wide Web, kicking it old school and something special I noticed on the West Coast. I think everyone is going to say you need to really get in on this thing called the internet, heard of it? It still shocks me when a band doesn’t have a Twitter. We’re a lazy generation, so I advise bands take advantage of it. How hard is it to tweet and update a status? Now it might sound crazy, but not being lazy and standing outside shows and passing those flyers out is still something I appreciate. I’d only suggest you ask before you shove it in someone’s face or else they’ll end up blanketing the venue lot and we want to be as green as possible out
here. Speaking of, I’ve noticed when you make the effort to really get to know fans, they eat that up – especially in California because some have it in their heads that they’re the shit and if you bullshit that, they’ll buy it up and buy you up, too. Trust, fans who get a little extra attention almost always have a little extra to spend and are willing to promote for you – be it flooding their own feeds with info about you or constantly wearing your merch around town. So don’t be afraid of the Web (I’m aware I sound 45), ask before you hand things over and fan interaction goes a long way.
Chicago is massive. Because of this, promoting shows can become extremely difficult. How do you spread the word about your show to other people? On top of that, how do you convince people to go to your show rather than the trendy indie band that’s playing in the more convenient and cool venue with some touring act nobody’s ever heard of? Well, honestly, I have no surefire way to convince them. Flyers aren’t looked at. Facebook invites are ignored and full of empty promises. You’re essentially relying on your friends to bring their other friends who, in turn, bring their other group of friends to not feel awkward because they don’t know anybody else. But hey, at least they might show up. As Frank Turner puts it in an old song he
no longer sings: “So I’m going through my phonebook/ Texting everyone I know/ And quite a few I don’t/ Whose numbers found their way into my phone/ But they might come along anyway/ You never really know.” That’s essentially what show promotion is now, especially if you’re the local band playing a show without known touring acts. It’s all about getting word of the show out in any way you can to as many people as possible, even if you don’t know them, and relying on word of mouth to spread the news around. There are so many digital invites, posters, and emails now that many just get tossed into the realm of glance-and-discard. It’s your friends and acquaintances who are going to show up. If you’re good, maybe, just maybe, they’ll convince another group of friends to come out to the next gig.
In the Southeast the most effective way for musicians to promote their upcoming shows is through the creation of Facebook events and word of mouth. The days of hanging up posters or flyers around cities ended a few years ago due to the introduction of stricter city ordinances against littering. In some Southeastern cities it is even illegal to post flyers or posters in the storefront of consenting businesses. In practical terms this correlates into venue owners not being able to promote the events they are hosting in the storefront of their own buildings. This leaves Facebook events as the most promising, free way for Southeastern artists and venues to promote their upcoming shows. When utilized correctly, Facebook events can draw a decent crowd. I often see Facebook events used incorrectly in the following
ways: Creating the event on Facebook the day of the show (you need time to promote!), creating the event but not promoting through shares and tags and creating too many events in a timeframe that is too close together (confusing your audience/overexposure). As far as paid advertising is concerned, Facebook is the best place venues and artists can advertise, period. Newspapers, websites and event calendars may have large readerships but there are no tools in place to ensure that your demographic is reached. Facebook ads offer sponsored stories (your ad) tailored to the demographic you set. For example, you could target all women who are 18 to 20 in your city who have liked similar artists as yourself, or venues, if you so desired. I find myself clicking on sponsored stories all the time in my News Feed simply out of curiosity!
What did YOU say? This is where we grab our favorite answers from Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr!
Gwendolyn Giles (Ugly Bunny guitarist) @gwendolyngiles Sacramento, CA
A combination of posting flyers, getting local newspapers and magazines to promote the show (or at least list), and Facebook invites brings the best draw. As just doing one of the above tends to not be as effective.
To see more from Gwen in Ugly Bunny, head over to page 12.
NEXT MONTH: If bands started creating new types of merch, what would be a top seller and why?
Top 5
Staff picks
Songs: should have been singles
E
very artist has their legacy tracks, the ones etched into memories of a specific time or clique. Whether via the old school radio and MTV methods, or a modern Pandora and Vevo app use, labels and musicians attempt to put their best foot forward in previewing what’s on the final product. In many cases, however, the best intent is buried in the heart of an album and never gets air play. These five should-have-been singles are the ones I remember most fondly.
by Jorden Hales
5. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - “Jimmy Lovine” featured on “The Heist” in 2012 A wildly successful unsigned rapper bringing light to one of the most poignant issues in hip hop. This should have been front-and-center.
4. Linkin Park - “Nobody’s Listening” featured on “Meteora” in 2003 The most lyrically rich content from a band known for its sentiment and vulnerability.
3. Fitz and the Tantrums - “News 4 You” featured on “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” in 2010
Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #myscenemymusic and we’ll publish our favorite answers in next month’s issue! @sacunplugged fb.com/sacunplugged
mag
Up
Stay up-to-date on releases, shows and more on our website!
sacunplugged.com
A beautiful song with a pretty heart-wrenching tone. These fighting words make “Somebody That I Used To Know” sound like a love ballad.
2. The Civil Wars - “Eavesdrop” featured on their self-titled album in 2013 I have heard few love songs as deep and touching as this one. It’s definitely the best of such songs that I have heard in several years.
1. Fabolous - “In My Hood” featured on “Real Talk” in 2004 This is one of the best rap songs of all time -- seriously. The story of poverty and inequality is told time and time again in hip hop, but this is a first-person recount of such experiences to rival “The Diary of Anne Frank.” If released and promoted as a single, this could have been an all-time classic, especially in its genre.
UGLY BUNNY I have this theory that no matter what it is you’re best at – be it a sport, playing an instrument or recreating scenes from the classic 2005 film “Roll Bounce” – there is a 10-year-old somewhere in the world who is better. In the case of Sacramento’s electronic pop duo Ugly Bunny, the 10-year-olds took a few years to hone their skills and experiment with what they enjoy. With the founding members, Camryn Nichols, age 16, and Gwen Giles, 17, coming from punk and classic rock backgrounds, the sound they’ve adopted with Ugly Bunny is quite a departure from what they’ve done before. Yet the two are no strangers to dedicating time and mileage to their music. Giles, who is also in the two-piece punk outfit Dog Party with her younger sister, has toured as far as Europe. In fact, it wasn’t until Giles returned from that tour in 2012 that Ugly Bunny was formed. Now, with the upcoming release of the band’s debut album “Tokyo,” the band is on the fast track to everyone’s speakers. By Alisha Kirby // Photos by Allen Dubnikov
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Can you go ahead and say your name and what you do in Ugly Bunny?
signed and announced the deal the day after the album’s initial release date.
Camryn Nichols: I play the synth and produce for Ugly Bunny. Gwen Giles: I play the synth and guitar for Ugly Bunny.
What are the plans for the album now? Does it look like it will be out sooner rather than later?
What’s the quick SparkNotes version of how you two met and started the band?
Giles: We are working with the label right now trying to confirm an official release date. We’re looking at an early/mid-February date. We released the official first single, “Street Wars,” on Jan. 7.
Giles: Haha! We both played in punk rock bands when we met. After a series of collaborations, we decided to start an electronic band. Let’s get into the new album, “Tokyo.” You were originally going to release it in December before you signed with Premier Records. How did they come into the picture? Nichols: We originally planned on releasing the album independently, but in the month leading up to the release our manager was able to work with Premier on getting us signed. We
There’s definitely a Depeche Mode influence, and I’d swear a bit of Ace of Base and Tears For Fears. Of all the variations of pop, what lead you to stick with the more electronic sound? Nichols: Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears and Ace of Base are some of our favorite bands! (They’re) definitely huge influences for us. For this record, we kept with a more electronic, synthdriven sound because at the time we listened to a lot of music like that. And since it was only the two of us ... recreating the music seemed easier (while performing live). However, now we have a
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full live band and would love to take our music into a more “bandy” direction. What’s been the most challenging part of this experiment in pop? And what song on the album are you the most proud to have finished? Giles: The hardest part has probably been recreating the music live, but now we have a full band so it sounds so full and great when we are performing. The song we’re most proud of is probably “Just Another” because it’s modern but still provokes this feeling of nostalgia. It also sounds great with a full band. “Tokyo” was partially funded by an IndieGoGo campaign. Why the decision to go the crowdsourcing route for a debut album? Is there anything you’d try differently? Nichols: At the time we had no money, but we were so proud of the album that we wanted to release it (as soon as we could). Our fans were really great and supportive in helping us. We wouldn’t change a thing. You’ve been playing a number of shows leading up to the release of the album. Have you found your age a hurdle when booking shows? Especially since a number of the smaller venues are 21+? Giles: It can definitely be hard booking shows for those exact reasons but we’ve figured it out for the most part. Do you plan on touring once summer break rolls around? If so, where would you like to go? Nichols: We are actually working on putting together a run in August. There’s not much we can say about it at this point but it’s going to be really fun! You’ve been playing with a consistent live drummer. Do you plan on adding him as a full-time member down the road? Nichols: Our drummer Ricky Valentine is amazing! We’d love to have him on our next record. We’ll see where things end up. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/uglybunny. Also, our Tumblr is pretty cool (www. uglybunnyband.tumblr.com).
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Ugly bunny’s debut will be available 2/26! Stay tuned to their facebook for more news!
Artist spotlight
etting serious about making music is always a tough decision to make. With that decision comes incredibly hard work, a healthy dose of rejection and just as much self doubt. For the Oakland hip hop duo Giant Puppet Theatre, that’s a small price to pay for the satisfaction they hope to get from releasing music to the public. GPT is made up of Nam Vo and Najee Amaranth, who met while in high school in Tracy, Calif. Their name is inspired by a dream that Vo had in 2010. After being in a larger music group that eventually dissolved, the two decided to start their current project. They then released their self-titled debut in June of 2012 and have been at it ever since. “We need exposure, so for 2014 we’ll do all it takes to get [our] name out,” said Vo. “The music – the product – it’s here, but it would be pointless if no one’s heard of it.” While working on their third album, “Arcanum,” GPT is doing everything they can to get the exposure that they need. They host “The Open Mind,” an open mic night held every third Friday of the month at the Stork Club in Oakland. Social media is also important to the guys, as they have a presence on almost every platform. Even with all the focus on exposure, the music will always be top priority. “If anything, I’m looking to perfect our overall product to give our music the attention it deserves,” said Vo. “We really like to make good music and we let our projects grow naturally,” said Amaranth. “As we develop as artists, what it means to be melodic [in] hip hop and even Giant Puppet Theatre will progress and evolve into something new.” Like most hip hop artists, where they’re from is important to GPT. “For a while I wanted to move down to Los Angeles because I felt like it was a good scene to get into,” said Amaranth. “Then I realized the wave of creative energy that’s being developed here in Oakland. I’d rather be a part of the creation of something new than join a movement that’s already developed.” GPT intend on sticking around to see their local scene grow. “Oakland doesn’t seem like the place to blow up right now,” said Vo, “but there definitely is some untapped potential within its highly overlooked, rich and artistic community.” Many people don’t realize how hard it is for underground musicians to get noticed. Making music can take up a lot of time on its own, but if artists are trying to make their craft into something more than a hobby, then much more work comes into play. Vo and Amaranth know all about this. They are almost always doing some sort of work to get their music and their names out to the public. With big plans this year, it’s only a matter of time until we see if it all works out. Story by Daniel Romandia
Go to GPT’s facebook to stay up-to-date on shows and releases
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Escaping the doldrums
Check out the wild’s facebook to stay posted on upcoming shows and releases
Atlanta’s The Wild take their music and turn it into a learning experience
Go to sacunplugged. com to read more from our interview with The wild
Story by Alisha Kirby
W
e’ve heard the old saying, “You don’t know a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” That’s one of the ways Atlanta’s folk-punk act The Wild is putting a spin on a welldefined genre. “You have a lineage of traditional folk musicians that do the narrative song without putting much of themselves or their opinion or perspective in it, which is a totally valid, cool art form,” said Witt Wisebram (vocals, guitar, harmonica). “But I think for us it’s more about placing ourselves within the context. And a lot of times it’s trying to make sense and process these things that are just terrifying or really hard to understand.” Wisebram had been playing political acoustic-folk music when he went through the same thing many acoustic musicians go through; he’d be on stage playing to unresponsive crowds talking amongst themselves. And that’s how the notion of building a full band came to be. It was around that time Wisebram began surrounding
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himself with like-minded musicians. “I started a nonprofit arts organization in Atlanta and we opened up a community art center where we had a DIY music venue,” he said. “I was booking and running the shows for a couple of years and got to meet a lot of really cool bands. And the really cool thing about the punk world that we come from is that there’s this amazing network of people from all over the country, so when we wanted to go on tour people were willing to put us up and book a show for us and kind of return the favor, and it’s something really amazing that it can work like that.” It was a learning experience that the band members have kept with them through their career, but it isn’t the only one. “I think that the most recent (album) we put out was a really good learning experience,” said Dianna Settles (vocals, tambourine). The band’s latest album, their second full-length “Dreams are Maps,” was recorded with Laura Jane Grace of Against
Me! and released in May of last year. “With everything else that we’ve recorded we were sort of in a hurry by lack of funds and time. It was like, ‘We have two days to record all of these songs and start mixing,’” said Settles. “Even then (Grace) was really insistent that we spend the full week just tracking, and she was like, ‘I’ll put in whatever time is necessary to mix it,’ which was really cool.” It’s that sort of good nature that’s spilled into the band’s latest tour with You Blew It! and The Front Bottoms. “It really makes a difference in the overall energy of everything,” said Wisebram. “We had never met You Blew It! before and had done some shows with The Front Bottoms and knew that they were really good guys ... But a tour like this we all hang out and have meals and it really adds a lot to this rolling circus. I think that what we’ve learned from being a DIY band most of our career is that what’s most important are the connections you’re making.”
II Knew Knew Josh Josh Before Before He He Got Got Famous Famous Your band’s laundry list Let me be clear: I’m a big fan of supporting your local music scene, but there are certain things that many local bands do that don’t do them any favors whatsoever. All of these are things I’ve seen first-hand from my time playing in bands, promoting shows, being a live sound engineer and hanging out in the audience. It’s these sorts of things that give local bands bad reputations and can slowly kill a scene along with the bands themselves. I’m not trying to be preachy or tell you how to run your band. In fact, I’ve been guilty of several of these myself and there are always exceptions to the rule. All I’m saying is that avoiding some bad habits early can gain your band and your scene a lot of respect. 1. Don’t show up late. Likewise, don’t show up too early if a specific load-in time is set. Showing up late to a show you’re playing as a local band is essentially signing your own death warrant for the show. Load-in is organized for a reason. It allows the musicians to have their gear in the venue well ahead of doors and allows the first band to get set up and have their sound checked. Showing up late, especially if you’re the first band, makes you look bad to everybody else and limits the possibility of being asked to play that venue again. 2. Don’t overuse/take advantage of the guest list. One or two people are fine for local acts. Don’t put your brother, his best friend, his girlfriend, her cousin and their designated driver all on the list, especially if you’re asking for gas money. Do you know where that gas money is coming from? Yeah, those tickets they didn’t get to sell because of your guest list. Anyway, that group was coming and drinking. They could pay the $5 cover charge too. 3. Be nice to the sound guy and treat him with respect. I’ve thanked every sound guy I’ve ever had mic up my band. Some were awful, some excellent. Some didn’t care that I was talking to them and
most didn’t care for my music, but I’m sure at some level they appreciated my genuine, sincere thanks. Being a sound guy is really tough, especially when you’re polishing the turds of the terrible bands that come through every week. These unsung heroes make shows run smoothly and are a major part of how your performance sounds. If you do what they say, help where needed and show a little appreciation, they might just go above and beyond for you. 4. Have your equipment ready to go before you’re supposed to set up. That means drummers, have your kit assembled and ready for placement on stage during the set before yours. Guitarists, have your guitars tuned and strung and have your amps ready. Singers, help your bandmates and have your voice warmed up. It’s a massive waste of time and it cuts into your own set if you’re not ready to put your gear on stage. While you’re at it, help the band before you clear their stuff. When your own set is finished, get your gear off stage. Don’t start talking to your legions of loyal fans who want to talk about how that was the best set you’ve ever played until the next band can take the stage. 5. Be aware of your set length. If you have a 30-minute set, don’t put 33 minutes of music on your set list. “You guys have time for one more” really means you have five minutes or less left. That doesn’t mean you should jump into your 10-minute metal cover of “Backstreet’s Back,” complete with four-part harmonies, sweep-picking guitar solos, and a drum break. In fact, you should start with that. It’ll probably get the crowd’s attention. 6. Promote the show! No band wants to play to an empty room. Do your part and bring some people. Hopefully they’ll do their part and stay for some bands as well.
7. Don’t spend too much time in between songs. Nobody in the audience truly cares about your intellectual opinions on current pop radio trends, the government or your stories from the last show you played on tour. They came because they wanted to hear you play music. This doesn’t mean avoid talking completely, just don’t overdo it. Thank the other bands (by name!) and tell people to check out your merch. Maybe you can give a little info about what the song is about but don’t tell inside jokes with your bandmates on stage and try to be funny when you’re not. Which brings me to my next point... 8. Don’t be a comedian. If it comes naturally then it works, but don’t try and force jokes down the throats of your audience. Lest I remind you, you’re in a band, not an improv group. 9. Stick around for the other bands. This goes a little with the My Scene, My Music response I wrote last month. Essentially, the best way to get shows is to become friends with other bands in the scene. The best way to make friends with other bands is to stick around, check them out and promote their music as well. It doesn’t matter if the other band plays the worst music I’ve ever heard. As long as they’re cool people and have some cool friends and fans, I’ll play shows with them. We’re all in this together. Essentially, my wish of every band being awesome is a pipe dream. There are so many bands today that it’s become impossible to take note of any worthwhile piece of music without wading through the sewage ocean of mediocre bands that plague every town. Maybe somebody will read my opinions and take some to heart. With some patience and a little practice we’ll soon have you disco dancing with the best.
Cheers, Josh Jurss
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Album Reviews
Visit SacUnplugged.com for frequen
Adventures & Run, Forever
Of Us Giants
Seahaven
“Nova Scotia”
“Silhouette 7”
Split records always make me feel a little guilty. No matter what, I always find the side I prefer and end up listening to that side much more. The same thing happened with the new split EP from Adventures and Run, Forever. While Run, Forever brought their brand of Pennsylvania punk-esque indie rock to the latter half of the split, Adventures’ contribution was definitely the more enjoyable part of this shared space. The vocals on this record are highlights for both bands. Personally, I’ve always loved the nasally voice of Reba Meyers from Adventures. Something about the way she moans and screams over the music from the rest of the band is just infectious. And speaking of the rest of the band, their raw, modern take on what could be described as mid-’90s college rock is a pleasure to hear. Anthony Heubel from Run, Forever almost sounds like the male version of Meyers. His voice can also have that nasally quality that works so well for these bands. Check out the beginning of the song “Headlights” for that. As for the rest of the second half, it’s all very expected. Something about Run, Forever makes it easy to just mull over. In no way is it bad, it’s just something that can be pushed into the background. If there is anything that can be taken from this split, it’s that Adventures really needs to release a full-length album and that Run, Forever isn’t bad, they’ve just done better than this split before.
There’s no build up to Of Us Giants’ “Nova Scotia.” As the opening track’s first moments kick in, the drums are in your face and the song feels as though it can only get bigger. That’s when it pulls back. “Liar” is the first taste of what you’ll experience throughout the 11 tracks and it’s one of the catchiest aggressive openers I’ve heard in some time. This becomes more apparent as the much smoother “Sycamore Tomb” reaches its chorus for the first time. The album takes another turn for the cheery with “Iron Boat,” which features “The Voice” contestant Lindsey Pavao, then returns to the intensity of the opening track before slowing down to a quiet build in “Dying,” which ends in a spoken word verse. Within the first half of the album the band reinvents itself multiple times while retaining that certain something that keeps each song flowing into the next. This album could have become a jumbled mess of weird singles and Bsides, but instead comes off as a lasting body of work that will remain fresh with every repeat listen. “Nova Scotia” gets better as you go thanks to a mix of vocalist/guitarist Dustin Andrews’ varied vocal style, his harmonies, back-and-forths between him and bassist/vocalist Jonathan Jennings, and Sam Battista’s creative drumming throughout. This album finding its way to my inbox was a pleasant surprise and if I had a seal of approval, Of Us Giants would have received it long before my fifth listen through this album.
There is a huge transition in sound from Seahaven’s past releases to what you will hear in late March on “Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only.” What Seahaven did here with this EP was take what worked (vocalist/guitarist Kyle Soto’s bluesy vocal style and the band’s style of lyrical storytelling) and emphasized them, typically by slowing down their overall tempo. This is immediately apparent on the title track, “Silhouette (Latin Skin),” in which Soto’s drawling vocals sound more at home with the pace of the track, which clocks in at almost six minutes, giving the band time to build it up from a single guitar with Soto crooning over the top to a swell of strings and harmonies. It’s the first taste of the band’s experimentation with different textures, and it sounds as though they figured it all out perfectly. “Sleep Alone” takes on a much happier front than how it ends. Its upbeat nature shouldn’t fit the lyrics and yet somehow it does – or it tricks you into believing it does – until it all mellows out about a third of the way in before building itself back up in a slightly new direction, only to drop the floor out once more. “Phantom Family” is the more ‘90s-directed version of the previous two tracks, except with a bigger bass line and stressed chorus. Only the first track on this EP found its way onto the band’s upcoming fulllength but that’s not to say the other two aren’t worth a serious listen as well. Overall, this is a good teaser for what’s to come.
By Daniel Romandia
By Alisha Kirby
By Alisha Kirby
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nt reviews throughout the month!
The Hundred Acre Woods
You Blew it!
“Cold In The Morning”
“Keep Doing What You’re Doing”
When checking out bands you’ve never heard of, go for their EP. It’s short and sweet and usually less intimidating than looking at a full album when you’re strapped for time. In The Hundred Acre Woods’ case, it’s also extremely accessible. Even to those who doubt anything good can come from a band labeled as “folk-punk.” Yet “Whiskey Thieves,” with its a cappella harmonies and fingerpicked banjo later joined by the most fitting drums, is exactly that. A perfect blend of two very different genres. If you reach the end of this song and are still in doubt, that’s weird, but “City Lights” should be able to squeeze any remnants of doubt from your mind. It’s something of an acoustic gem. The rhythms from both the guitars are drums come together and then pull apart as the track moves from verse to chorus, and while both rhythms are equally impressive and stand out in their own way, it never feels like the cacophony of one instrument trying to outshine the other. “Loose Parts” is my personal favorite (saving the best for last as they say). It starts slow but as each instrument enters the picture it makes for the fullest track on the album. It also boasts the strongest lyrics of the three, with lines like “You’ll never find it / ‘Til you stop looking / And when you find it / Promise to tell me.” It’s the saddest of the three on the surface, but give it a serious listen and tell me it’s not also a little uplifting.
If you’re new to this whole emorevival, ‘90s-tinged punk scene then it’s possible you’ve only heard the name You Blew It! a couple times without really giving them a chance. That’s totally OK, considering the band’s second album, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing,” is more accessible to the average listener and an all-around better release than their previous release. In no way am I saying their debut fulllength is bad. However the vast improvements in production (handled by Evan Weiss of Into it. Over it.), songwriting and organization show that YBI! has been working hard to polish their sound and to mature as a band. One thing to notice is the balance this record has. Not at any point do the guitars sound like they’re spilling into the bassline or the drums sound like they’re muddying up the rest of the song. A good example of this comes in the track “Regional Dialect.” The first verse is initially bass-driven until these tiny, playful guitar riffs come in to lighten up the track and complete the sound while everything is still completely audible. If I have any problems with the album, they are minor. The vocals, while very well executed, do sound just a little generic, but that’s not a big issue at all, really. They are still a pleasure to hear. YBI! is a different band with this release. They’ve grown up and it shows through their music. To put it simply, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” is a great album. The band should be very proud about this release.
By Alisha Kirby
By Daniel Romandia
Album Reviews
Young The Giant “mind over matter” My first thought on this one was a frank “job well done.” “Mind Over Matter” is smooth, well put together and an enjoyable piece of work. You could pick any song from this album at random and probably enjoy what you find. This is a classic case of what I call a “Pandora album,” because it contains such an eclectic blend of sound that does not leave a lasting impression as far as the band’s character but you’re sure to find an ear-worm or two that you’ll want to add to your collection, as if you came by it listening to a similar band’s Pandora station and bookmarked it. Young the Giant draws qualities from a few different sounds very familiar to alternative listeners. Those new to the group may may be reminded of some psychedelic or downtempo music. MGMT, Foster the People and Moby come to mind. The only true critique of the album: it’s a bit repetitive and seems to blend together. While none of these tracks will disappoint in a shuffle, it all begins to sound like the same song while listening all the way through. Riffs and chords of striking similarity are found throughout. More critical listeners, however, may not find such issues. The album’s rich lyrical content provides some diversity in that regard. Playful fun, touching sentiment and thought-provoking rhetoric will keep even the most critical of lyricists engaged. The album’s natural (albeit repetitive) progression and steady pace make it an easy listen without boring you to death. Whether you’re interested in it as a whole or just looking for individual tracks to pull from iTunes, it’s quality music that will surely suit your needs. By Jorden Hales
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Feature Photos By Allen Dubnikov of Allen Daniel Photography Go check out his work!