REAX MUSIC Magazine • JUNE 2008 • Page
06 INSIDe:
coNTeNTS ISSUE: 25
creDITS: Publisher Joel Cook jcook@reaxmusic.com
Staff Writers Christian Crider christian@reaxmusic.com
Queen Finnie Cook finniec@reaxmusic.com
MacKenzie Pause kenzie@reaxmusic.com
Editor Scott Harrell scott@reaxmusic.com
Susie Ulrey susieu@gmail.com James Ferreira jamesf@reaxmusic.com
Editor *YOU ARE HERE Michael Spadoni michael@reaxmusic.com
Head Photographer James Kilby kilbyphoto.com
General Manager Marshall Dickson marshall@reaxmusic.com
Photography Jana Miller myspace.com/ janamillerphotography
Art Director Mike Delach delach@cookwaremedia.com
Sales Associates Emily LaDuca emily@reaxmusic.com
Head Writer Michael Rabinowitz miker@reaxmusic.com
Shawn Kyle shawn@reaxmusic.com
Arts Editor Aubrey Bramble aubrey@reaxmusic.com
Interns Molly Hays molly@reaxmusic.com
Illustration noah Deledda noah.deledda@gmail.com
Amy Beeman abeeman@reaxmusic.com
Circulation Manager Scott Jenson scottj@reaxmusic.com
Contributors Jason Ferguson, Jeremy gloff, Keith Ulrey, Sean Kantrowitz, Lance Robson, Justine Griffin, Tony Landa, Joe D’Acunto, Julia Stewart, LJ
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The “dog days” of summer are so named because for much of July and the first half of August, Sirius – the dog star – rises and sets in conjunction with the sun; ancient cultures believed it added its heat to the sun’s, accounting for the season’s hottest weeks. I always thought they were called the dog days because they always seem to just lay there, heavy and immobile, inspiring little more than panting exhaustion. Sure, this issue’s Summer Survival Manual is not-quite-seriously all about keeping away from the heat and out of the sun. But it’s also about keeping busy while you’re at it, about using the time rather than completely succumbing to it. Here in Florida, we often forget (or choose to willfully ignore) that we live in what is at least partially a tourist-driven economy. The summer months are one of those few times a year when the community is really our own, and we should use that time nurturing it. Staying inside doesn’t mean turning your back on your own creativity, or the creativity of others. Building a website that celebrates some element of the scene, organizing an after-dark sale with a few independent shops in a certain neighborhood, hell, just recording some songs or working on a piece of art – every creative act has the potential to strengthen the community, to add to its vitality. Yeah, stay cool this summer. Try not to get that one amazingly painful sunburn that we all almost always do. But don’t lay down in the dirt and just wait for the dog days to pass. Words: Scott Harrell REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 8
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call & reSpoNSe ISSUE: 25 Comment on “Things are going swimmingly ... ,” by Becca Nelson: “The more I listen to it, the more I love it. Thank you so much for the recommendation.” Michael, May 7
From mySpace RE: Dancing About Architecture, “New Local-Band Swag” Totally forgot about The Semis having their own earplugs, dintcha? I think whatever band does this, though, will win the cool-cachet-oldschoolmeets-newschool-mashup contest: http://gizmodo.com/388826/cds-get-into-the-groove-domusic-the-45rpm-way
“I found your magazine at the free table in new college.. what a find! :) congrats on your birthday!” Luzviminda, June 2 “Thanks for the tunes and good times Saturday night, Happy Cake Weekend!” Red Jess, June 2
Lance is not known for making the kind of sense anyone can understand, except when composing 80-word sentence-like word structures. A third of the way through the lifespan of an average male, in a privileged society, he still finds himself asking for assistance from any poor sucker who takes a shine to him. Spoiled as a child and unwilling to accept tutelage or advice, he makes poor life decisions that have, at times, crippled him. Having never felt so defeated that he wasn’t able to continue, Lance has lamely lifted one foot to meet the challenge of being a REAX contributor, while assuring us we have not taken the top spot on his sucker list. glory or insanity awaits …
“reax is for nerds.” Tom, May 25 “wedgepiece is the worst band in the world...and we’re biased!!!” wedgepiece, May 11
From elSeweb Can you imagine releasing your music on old AOL installation CDs from the ‘90s? Priceless! Matt Simmons via e-mail RE: “Little Beirut: A Different Path” Thanks a million for the awesome, well written article. You rock!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edwin via e-mail
From reaXmuSIc.com Comment on “A Brief Timeline of Carlos Mencia: Performance Enhanced,” by Josh Warpenburg: “I would do anything to kick Carlos Mencia in the dick.” Pellegrino, June 1 Comment on “No matter how good you are at Guitar Hero, there is always an 8 year old Japanese phenom who will make you look like a retard,” by Michael Rabinowitz: “no matter how good you are at XXXX, there is always an 8 year old Japanese phenom who will make you look like a retard.” Ryan, May 12
Blogger Alicia DK (aliciadk.wordpress.com) referenced our April Mars Volta feature a couple of months back in an interesting meditation on accessibility vs. free expression in music: “These days, the more “accessible” the music is the less I care about. I really enjoy this statement that Omar Rodriguez Lopez made in an interview with REAX Magazine that is tangentially related to this issue ... “
Born in Kansas and raised in Clearwater, I’m now a sophomore at the University of Central Florida majoring in Journalism (pending) and minoring in International and global Studies. Besides shoes, pets are my biggest impulse buy, and the habit almost resulted in the acquisition of a baby ball python last week. I love haunted houses, St. Anthony, Augusten Burroughs’ memoirs, Anderson Cooper, trash picking, rocket launches and the rule of three (which I’m breaking right now). I hate needles, milk, and any other font besides Times new Roman. The hardest question I’ve ever tried to answer was how I should live my life, no definite answer yet. I made a list of 100 things to do this year; it includes making a trip to Cassadaga, learning to snap and reading Dante’s Inferno. Interning at REAX was number seven.
The Hanks linked our story about ‘em on their blog (thehanks.vox.com), and Rabinowitz’s interview with Nick Rhodes got play on the official Duran Duran blog (duranduran.com/wordpress) as well as Italian fansite Duranasty.com. And last but certainly not least, our May issue garnered more than 150,000 views at online “living library” magazine archive Issuu.com. We suspect new intern Molly’s youthful Myspace savvy had something to do with it ...
correcTIoNS In last month’s Summer Festival guide, the dates for Illinois’ Summer Camp music festival were erroneously listed as June 23 &24. The event actually took place May 23-25. The photo of Yo Majesty! in last month’s issue was uncredited. The photographer is Seth Walker.
Hey kids. I’m Amy Beeman and I always feel awkward talking about myself. On the up note, I think I just spelled “awkward” right without spell check. I’m finishing up my Masters Degree in Journalism at USF St. Pete (the burg, y’all), where I happily reside with my beau and my sassy little pooch, Sweet georgia Brown. I’m off the hooch for a while because my liver hurts, so I’ve taken up ice cream. Other recent events include getting a basket for my Schwinn, trying out the new tube slide at the north Shore Pool, and sewing a button back on some pants I haven’t been able to wear in like 8 months because sewing a button just seemed like too daunting a task. As for local music, I love being surprised by local bands I find in smoky bars by accident. Those guys make me proudest of all.
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 10
11 CREDITS: WORDS: JEREMY GLOFF PHOTO: RYAN PRADO young boys. When it comes to rock and roll boys, dirty jeans are part of the package. If you really want to get even you could stop washing downstairs. next time Mr. Rock and Roll goes in for the kill, you can provide him with a sniff of his own medicine honaaaay!!! Or just love your boyfriend as is, like Stevie nicks did in her 1994 classic “Blue Denim” (“I saw him the other day/ he reminded me of blue denim … “). I wonder how bad Mick Fleetwood’s pants stunk. Dear gloffy. I have a friend that is driving me crazy. He’s cool, but all he does is name drop. It’s starting to grate me and drive me nuts. He talks about how much this person or that person at the club loves him. He brags about being on guest lists. He brags about getting backstage at shows and about his connections. How do you tactfully let someone know how stupid the shit they say sounds? Signed, not Impressed
Dear gloffy, I have a rock and roll boyfriend. I love everything about him … except for his jeans. He wears them every day. He never washes them. They are full of holes. They stink. I tell him how gross his jeans are. He laughs at me. Sometimes in front of his friends he will make me smell them for a laugh. I know he’s just being a guy. But seriously … I want to barf sometimes, they reek so bad. I’m sure if anyone knows how to get a guy out of his favorite pants, it’s Jeremy gloff. So what’s your secret? Signed, grossed Out Dear grossed Out, First of all thanks for your confidence in my skills. I never kiss and tell! Asking a rock and roll boyfriend to disregard his favorite jeans is like asking Liberace to ditch the fur, like asking Whitney to ditch the crack, or like asking Michael Jackson to ditch the
Dear not Impressed, Being a z-list local celebrity myself (also known as a fauxlebrity), there are certain conducts and codes that come with the territory. First, never talk about how much people love you … let your popularity speak for itself. Second, never take advantage of your connections. If you get in the club free, or if you’re granted access behind the scenes … let the photographer’s photos do the talking. A true fauxlebrity never acknowledges how awesome they are. I challenge someone to argue with me that the most fabulous icon to ever grace this earth is the divine miss grace Jones. g-Jo sang her chilly night life anthem “nightclubbing” with the perfect amount of irony and sass. grace Jones never bragged or name dropped. Her fierceness spoke for itself. My advice to you is tell your friend to take a page out of the book of grace Jones. Write to me!!! go to Jeremygloff.com and click the link to DEAR gLOFFY!!!! Look for me on Reax.TV!!!!
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 11
12
See SomeThING Say SomeThING ISSUE: 25
Reason number 947 why I still love rock ‘n’ roll:
No ThorouGhbreDS nobody’s spending millions of dollars on sci-tech research and development in the name of building a better rock musician. There’s not a team of men and women in white coats somewhere trying to figure out how to fit nutrients and an attention-focusing enzyme into a can of Sparks, or designing a cool-looking black wristband that features weights for increased muscle tone and ergonomic support to combat downpicking fatigue. Yes, there are labels out there spending time and money “developing” what they think are rock acts; generally, however, that means getting them to sit in a room with a songwriter, and watch the songwriter write a song that sucks slightly less than theirs do while somebody goes to get them new clothes. Yes, there are the pop Svengalis who steal kids from church choirs and county-fair singing contests, like dingoes with quality dental work and an aura of Drakkar noir. Yes, there are the contemporary-country star mills, and the Show Moms and Dads with their crushing Idol expectations. But none of that really has anything at all to do with the world of rock ‘n’ roll. Sure, there are a few rock ‘n’ roll Show Moms and Dads, but we never have to worry about them, because their kids’ bands never go far. (Listen, I have known some pretty cool “little ‘s’” show moms and dads who were supportive and not the least overbearing. If a kid shows an interest in music, of course it’s important to nurture it. But I’ve said it before and I will say it again: If your dad or mom is managing your rock band, no matter what his or her intentions, you’re already fucked.) And yeah, I’m pretty positive there are at least a couple of bitter guys out there in their late 30s or early 40s, who never “hit the
big time” with Dead Reckoning or Modelfinger or Earl Watts & The Juke Joint Jukers and are totally taking it out on their kids. They shelled out for a vocal coach and bought a little mic stand with tiny bandanas tied to it, and the kid just can’t sing. So they put some drumsticks in those little hands, and it turns out the kid’s got all the rhythmic sense of a car crash. now, there’s a little bass guitar and a metronome on order for Christmas, when all the poor tyke really wants are a book about dinosaurs and the big box of Crayolas. We won’t ever hear any good, real rock ‘n’ roll from those kids. Hell, the celebrity-spawn of Rock The Cradle couldn’t even fake it; some of ‘em had a hard time just looking happy to be there. They took over tennis. They (well, Tiger) took over golf. They’re even taking over skateboarding, the one quote-unquote sport that once seemed impervious to the more sinister sides of athletics and competition. And the thoroughbreds have certainly come to music. A voice with potential can be trained. A body’s muscles can be sculpted to give it stamina and attractiveness, and plastic surgery can correct anything that’s wrong with its exterior. Moves can be studied, trends can be forecast, stylists and songwriters and producers can be brought on board. But again, none of that has anything to do with rock ‘n’ roll. You can’t breed or build or perfect a winner for something so invested in its own image as an asylum for losers. You can’t sing about heartbreak if everybody’s always loved you. You can’t sing about hope if you’ve never feared its absence. You can’t sing about making your own way in the world if the way has always been paved for you. Well, you can, I guess. People often do. But it’s hollow and it’s awful and it’s obviously not rock ‘n’ roll, which is – and, I hope, will always be – about being mutts, about being mutants, about being jackasses rather than thoroughbreds, and finding the joy in that. REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 12
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behindthelens reaX 2ND bIrThDay Show #1
luSh proGreSS ThurSDay, may 29Th, 2008 phoTo: marShall DIckSoN
reaX 2ND bIrThDay Show #2
JaSoN ISbell FrIDay, may 30Th, 2008 phoTo: marShall DIckSoN
reaX 2ND bIrThDay Show #4
reaX 2ND bIrThDay Show #5
DaNGerFlIGhT SaTurDay, may 31ST, 2008 phoTo: marShall DIckSoN
The beauVIlleS SaTurDay, may 31ST, 2008 phoTo: mIchael SpaDoNI
soundbites
the “green rooM” at the orpheuM is sMall and air-conditioning-free. there’s soMe original artwork on the walls, thanks to sharpie Markers, and a couple of haphazardly placed stools, should one tire of standing.
ShearwaTer: TakING wING
listening to the linked theMes and layered soundscapes that Make up any given albuM by teXan outfit shearwater, it’s easy to get the iMpression that the band’s Music is the result of an eXtreMely disciplined, possibly grueling process of conceptualization. according to vocalist and songwriter jonathan Meiburg, however, soMetiMes the ideas just coMe when they’re ready. Even if he’s engaged in something else. Like, say, conducting avian research at the bottom of the planet. “There are videos on YouTube of me in the Falkland Islands, getting chased around by birds,” says the part-time ornithologist with a laugh. “I was there doing a bird survey. That was right about the time I was starting to think about the new album ... I remember hearing one little melodic idea in my head as I was falling asleep in my tent.” That melody eventually snowballed into Rook, the fifth full-length release (and second for uber-hip imprint Matador Records) from an act originally conceived as a one-off collaboration between Meiburg and Okkervil River leader Will Sheff back around the millennial flip. Sheff bowed out after ‘04’s Winged Life, allowing Meiburg – who also plays multiple instruments for Okkervil – to emerge as Shearwater’s driving creative force on the critically
acclaimed 2006 outing Palo Santo. Meiburg has followed the swirling, occasionally dissonant art-rock of Palo Santo with an equally evocative, yet very different, record. While it features some fuzzed-out guitar and bombastic drum work, Rook is filled out largely by acoustic instruments and subtly definitive string and woodwind arrangements, creating a vibe that’s somehow both classically timeless and fantastical. Rook deposits the listener in a storyteller’s universe that’s neither truly past nor present, but contains sounds and sentiments that remain universally resonant. “I wanted to make a record that sounded like you couldn’t really place it in a particular time,” Meiburg says.. “I like that about this record, that it drops you in this world immediately, and stays there. It’s fairly varied too, and it’s pretty short, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome.”
In short, it’s nothing fancy. Leisha Hailey and Camila grey, whose band Uh Huh Her is set to appear before a sold-out Tampa crowd less than 45 minutes from now, seem unfazed by the less-than-posh conditions as they crowd one corner of the box, shoulders hunched and sharing an open bottle of Jack Daniels. Uh Huh Her has been around for just over a year, but is already seeing a substantial amount of success. Currently touring both in support of their July 2007 EP release, I See Red, and in anticipation of their August 2008 full-length, Common Reaction, the duo has been playing to full venues nearly every night. “Our audiences are amazing,” says Leisha. “I feel so grateful that people are coming out to hear us. I never expected this reaction; I thought it would be a really underground thing. It’s completely crazy!” And it’s not only the music that’s still in the growing stages.
the more indie-rock-sounding gush in the early ‘00s. She is also well known for her film and television work, which includes her role as quirky journalist Alice Pieszecki on Showtime’s lesbian drama The L Word. Camila garnered success playing keys and bass in California rock outfit Mellowdrone, in addition to various studio gigs with Kelly Osbourne, Busta Rhymes and Dr. Dre. “[Dre] was actually going to sign me as a solo artist,” Camila says. “I did a lot of session vocal work with him.” The end result of such dissimilar backgrounds is a sound that is almost entirely new; although littered with influences from lo-fi, electro, folk and pop, there’s a distinct originality and freshness to the material. The tracks off of Uh Huh Her’s forthcoming LP exhibit a heightened level of maturity and depth for the duo, both lyrically and dynamically. The new album is “a lot more polished,” explains Camila. “We took it out of the bedroom and into a real studio. I think it sounds pretty awesome.”
“We were strangers when we started this band, so we’ve not only been getting to know each other musically, but as people,” she Agrees Leisha, “it’s definitely not lo-fi says. “We’re both really quiet people! We anymore.” can go hours with no talking.” With a whirlwind tour just wrapping up, a Adds Camila, “I think it’s a beautiful thing, late-summer release to look forward to, though. That’s when you know you’ve found and numerous personal creative projects someone special, when you can share a in the works, the ladies of Uh Huh Her are silence with them.” definitely keeping things moving. Despite the hectic schedule, “it’s difficult in the best Uh Huh Her proves to be a shining example way possible,” stresses Leisha. “I’m doing of the girls’ respective experience. Leisha two things that I absolutely love doing so it’s cut her teeth in the ’90s with neo-folk duo important to me that I keep up with it all.” The Murmurs, which later morphed into
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 15
soundbites
Sparky’S Flaw: Music can be edgy, volatile, enlightening or even destructive. but in an ever-changing industry where indie credibility is getting More and More iMportant, it’s rare to find a band (outside of the disney uMbrella) that just wants to write hooky pop Music and isn’t afraid to adMit it. enter sparky’s flaw, froM charlottesville, virginia and currently signed to the revived Mercury records iMprint. reaX recently spoke with lead singer will anderson about shitty pianos and duct-taped shoes. REAX: So let me ask you, I’m sure you probably hear this a lot, what’s wrong with Sparky? Will Anderson: Sparky had a duct tape shoe. He was an impeccably dressed young man. He was a good friend of ours, he used to wear three-piece suits to school except he wore a duct taped shoe which made no sense. But he loved the shoes and he said they were very comfortable, so that’s his flaw. REAX: I don’t think having comfortable shoes is that much of a flaw. WA: Well, yeah, I can’t blame him but it definitely looked out of place. REAX: So tell me a little bit about your songwriting process. When you guys get together, does someone bring in a riff or do you build off melody? WA: It’s pretty standard ... I take it to the band, they either shoot it down immediately, which is often, or they really like it and they’ll go with it and the song really changes at that point because they add their touch. REAX: How do you write it? Do you use a software program; do you just bang it out
on a keyboard? WA: I have a piano in my room that I sort of inherited from a friend of mine’s family when they moved. An out-of-tune piano and just this old, beat-up acoustic guitar with a hole in it that we got in summer camp before we were a band. I write on that, it’s two crappy instruments and I find it’s good that way because if the song is good on those two instruments then you know it’s going to be good when the whole band plays it. It’s a nice little transition from sounding really crappy to sounding really good all of a sudden. It definitely has to be quality if it’s going to sound good on those instruments. REAX: With 500,000 bands on sites like PureVolume, what would you tell people that have never heard your music to make them want to go out and grab the album? WA: We’re catchy, it’s easy to listen to, and you’ll be singing along by the end of it and I don’t think there’s ever anything wrong with that. If you like pretentious indie stuff like Vampire Weekend, we’re probably not the band for you. But if you just like something that feels good and you can sing along to, it’s definitely worth checking out.
mySpace.com/SparkySFlaw
blue ScholarS: the seattle duo of dj sabzi (saba Mohajerjasbi), and Mc geologic (george Quibuyen) has acted as nurturer and keeper of an eMerging northwest hip-hop scene for over siX years. Sabzi, whose family fled the 1979 Iranian Revolution, looks at his music not within the prism of just hip-hop, but what its purpose is in serving the community, to propel a cause higher than mere grooves. “What truly makes the music is a lot more than how it’s made,” says Sabzi. “My main concern is making music that is relevant. If I had to write country songs, to reach the youth, then I would do that because I still follow in that demographic.” Sabzi’s jazz-piano training and a keen ear for eclectic calypso, funk, blues, ‘70s soul samples fuel the group’s hooks. “I’ll be inspired by a lot of different stuff,” he says. “If I had a list of influences they would be all of the West Coast gangsta artists of the early ‘90s, to Lookout Records, to Queen, or Charles Mingus, maybe Aphex Twins. If you would jumble all of that up, that would represent all of my main influences.” Along with the Chicago’s Rhymefest, the Scholars are part of a cresting movement to take back hip-hop by diligent, thoughtprovoking artists aiming to bring back not just old school morals but the creativity that the genre desperately needs. At the heart of the Scholars’ most recent release, Bayani, is “50k Deep,” a track about the International Money Fund protests in Seattle in 1999. With lyrics like “a hail of rubber bullets hit teens and old men/I admit, had to split when the first gas canisters hit/felt it burn in my eyes, nose, and lips,” the protests might seem a more innocent time, back before 9/11 when, ironically, more young people were politically aware and motivated to change the world than today.
“The thing that really jumped out when that track finished, was that one Sublime song ‘April 29, 1992’ [about the Los Angeles riots], how they went out and got free TV’s and clothes,” Sabzi explains. “They broke it down like it wasn’t about all the things they said on TV. It was about the relationship between police and citizens. I look at it as a song that is supposed to take a key moment and provide some insight to it, from the perspective of someone who was actually there, that people can learn from. It’s one of many things. I don’t think that pre-[9/11] people were more innocent and today they are more scattered.” Yet distractions by today’s youth pile high enough to allow them to forget what power they wield: “There has been a large segment of the population that has always been doing progressive work for change. And there is another segment of the population that works against that. And then there is the majority of the people that are distracted by the things that they own and . . . reality television. “That’s why we make the music we make,” he adds. “Because we are trying to get media to get into those hearts and minds and wake up the people that are asleep. And be a soundtrack to the people that are already on the same page. Those dynamics are going to exist for quite a while until things get so bad that people can no longer hide behind having their basic necessities taken care of. Like once your food is taken away, you are going to have to admit things are messed up. You are going to have to join the rest of the world.”
blueScholarS.com
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 16
soundbites
REAX: What was the local electronic music scene like in Liverpool when you started? Do you think it helped your band in any way to have local support, or was your popularity more international from the beginning? Daniel Hunt: In Liverpool, we stuck out like a sore thumb, we were the antithesis of what was going on there. In not just Liverpool, but Britain as a whole, we spent our first two years trying to justify why we existed at all. I read back through old interviews and I can’t imagine anyone asking anyone the same questions now, it was so retarded. We were questioned constantly about why we used old analog synthesizers. Those things are common currency now. In a way, I feel that we were the sacrificial lamb of analog synthesizers. In the beginning of our career, “Britain’s Official History of Rock” had none of the bands we actually liked in it. Maybe now they are. nowadays if you open up Q Magazine or whatever, you’ll find bands like My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, Stereolab, and others like that, but when we started these were all bands that were not recognized. There was a disconnect that happened after bands like The Stone Roses, the Manchester scene, Acid House, and ecstasy culture came around. Things have since changed there. REAX: How were you received in the U.S.? DH: In America, you had a post-Depeche Mode period, whereas in Britain, it didn’t really exist. At the get go, we were received very warmly, especially in places like new York. REAX: Do you feel that being signed to a larger label helps Ladytron or are you looking forward to the freedom that other bands have now with releasing music on their own? DH: We started independently, so we were never reliant on anybody. With all of our experiences, we have seen every permutation of why the music industry of the past does not work anymore. A major used to be where bands developed an audience over a period of four or five albums and it became a channel of communication. When you partner with a label that understands you, that likes the band and is logical about things, like Nettwerk is and Emperor Norton was, you find symbiosis. It’s not about the death of record labels; it’s just that the major labels are fucked because they’re run by bullshitters. There are so many people who work for those labels that don’t care about music or the bands they work with. That’s why they don’t work and that’s why so many people are losing their jobs. The smaller, driven labels that care about the music that they put out are the ones that are going to survive. It’s really very simple. There are certain things that you have to delegate in order to be creative, and there are people who work for our label who are really good at doing those things. But it’s also important to have a channel of communication with your audience and it’s important that the actual voice of the band is the band, rather than someone just pretending. REAX: Most electronic bands don’t last longer than one good album. What would you attribute your longstanding popularity to? DH: When we started, we had a really awkward attitude and we were a difficult band to work with. We didn’t have a manager and everything we did was completely independent. We were just basically doing our own thing. We had an imprint in the States and they got our shit together for us. A lot of things that bands did were a waste of energy and we weren’t prepared to do them. I think people appreciate the fact that we haven’t played the game in the normal way. We have an audience, but we’ve never had the hype. The shows are sold out, but it’s not like we’re mainstream. When we started, we didn’t want to be a normal band, that was the worst thing we could possibly be. We were right all along.
laDyTroN.com REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 18
with special guests
65 DAYS OF STATIC
JUNE 11
PEARL JAM KINGS OF LEON with special guests
JUNE 12
JULY 21 Tickets are on sale now at the and all Ticketmaster outlets. Charge by phone at 813.287.8844 or 727.898.2100 or visit
BUILD YOUR OWN SUMMER MIX Then listen until you’re sick of it. Then build another one. There’s stuff on your hard drive – and in that full CD rack you moved into the other room, covered with dirty t-shirts and forgot – that you love, and haven’t heard in forever. Do it by genre. Do it by title. Actually burn a CD of one, hand-color some artwork and slide it to the mailman through the slot when your need for human contact becomes insurmountable. Just keep thinking: Every mix you make brings you that much closer to fall’s cool breezes.
Harrell’s “Sugar & Sunshine” Power-Pop Mix
l
ook, we Floridians are aware that it also gets hot in other parts of the country during the summertime. We understand that everyone across the nation has to deal with blazing sunlight and suffocating car interiors and moisty-crotch to some degree or other. It’s not like we think we’ve cornered the market on oppressive summer-months outdoor conditions.
But we’re also totally sure that we’ve got it much, much worse than the rest of you. Seriously, those of you who don’t live here just don’t get it. (Unless you live in new Orleans, in which case you get it perfectly.) We’re, like, ten feet from the sun – planes have to fly over that shit on their way to Atlanta, and if it weren’t for the eight-feet-thick layer of barely vaporized water that coats the entire state, we would all be sporting scales by now. It’s not just hot. It’s gross, wet hot. Plus, most of the folks with brains in their heads seem to disappear right around the middle of May and not show up again until October, leaving the streets, stores and bars full of the crazy, the ignorant, the violent, and the touristy – basically, all those folks that have given Florida such a sterling reputation amongst the other states of the Union. (not to mention its own tag on fark.com.) We can’t run a simple errand without being propositioned by a horny teacher whose temporary lack of fresh student-meat has left her completely befuddled.
Matthew Sweet, “Sick of Myself” (100% Fun, Zoo, 1995)
While Kamran Mir and I agree that the album is at most around 62% fun, this may be the archetypal ‘90s upbeat college-pop track.
Baskervilles, “Smash” (Twilight, Secret Crush, 2008)
A new favorite I just found in the haystack of the REAX incoming-CDs pile.
Superdrag, “Remain Yer Strange”
(Last Call for Vitriol, Arena Rock, 2002) Maybe I should’ve gone with something older, but this rave-up (sung by stand-in bassist Sam Powers) is the most played ‘drag tune in my collection.
Green Day, “Welcome to Paradise” (Dookie, Reprise, 1994)
Punk rock? Whatever, the chord progression and chorus is power-pop straight from the blueprints.
The Pleasantdales, “Coatrack” (Pretty Scars, Rare, 1998)
gators and haters and sharks, oh my.
This gem, from an out-of-print album by the long-gone Atlanta act, features one of the best guitar hooks ever.
So, what we’re saying is, we’re experts when it comes to the heat, and beating it. Over years of trial, error, sunburn and heatstroke, we’ve developed a straightforward plan for dealing with the summer months, one that can be adapted to any stifling climate, and this is it:
Cheap Trick, “Surrender” (Heaven Tonight, Epic, 1978/1998)
STAY THE HELL INSIDE.
Y&T, “Summertime Girls” (Down for the Count, A&M, 1985)
If I can only pick one Cheap Trick song, it’s this one. Or maybe “Up The Creek.”
That’s all. Don’t go to the pool. Don’t go to the store. Don’t agree to pick your buddy up at the airport. Just
The underrated ‘80s hair metal-slash-bar band came up with two remarkable pseudo-power-pop tunes – this cheesy guilty pleasure and ‘84’s more substantial “Don’t Stop Runnin’.”
STAY THE HELL INSIDE.
The Turtles, “Happy Together”
Of course, we don’t want you to literally not leave the house all summer. We fully expect you to patronize your local bars, restaurants and rock-holes as soon as the sun goes down and the temperature drops a few degrees. Just don’t go outside during the daytime for some stupid, aggravating, pointless trip to, say, work. And to help you stave off cabin fever during the daylight hours, we’ve put together a checklist of creative (or not so much) time-wasting options. Welcome to REAX Magazine’s first-ever Summer Survival Manual. And remember, STAY THE HELL INSIDE. In fact, don’t even go near the windows.
(Happy Together, Flo & Eddie, 1967) I don’t care how many shitty commercials it shows up in. This tune encapsulates the ideal summer vibe.
Ramones, “The KKK Took My Baby Away”
(Pleasant Dreams, Sire, 1981) You gotta go at least a couple of notches left of “Blitzkrieg Bop” for any selfrespecting mix, and this is one of my favorites.
Fountains of Wayne, “Mexican Wine” (Welcome Interstate Managers, S-Curve, 2003) The perfect last-sunset-of-summer jam.
Aubrey’s Summer Shoegaze Mix 1. Slowdive. “Blue Skied An’ Clear” (Pygmalion, Creation, 1995)
2. Cranes, “Lilies” (Loved, Arista, 1994)
3. Curve, “Horror Head”
(Doppelganger, Infectious/Charisma, 1992)
4. Jesus and Mary Chain, “You Trip Me Up” (Psychocandy, Warner Bros., 1985)
5. Lush, “Sweetness and Light”
Ray Charles, “I Got A Woman” (single, Atlantic, 1954)
(Gala, 4AD/Reprise, 1990)
This song is so good Kanye sampled it and got a #1 hit. In the original version you hear the foundations of rock and roll.
6. Chapterhouse, “Breather”
Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get It On” (Let’s Get It On, Motown, 1973)
(Whirlpool, Dedicated, 1991)
7. Skywave, “Adore” (Synthstatic, Alison, 2003)
8. Ride, “Chrome Waves”
(Going Blank Again, Sire, 1992)
9. Loveliescrushing, “Sugaredglowing” (Bloweyelashwish, Projekt, 1995)
10. The Vera Violets, “Girl”
(Sunshine Dust, Daydream Delay, 2007)
Some vintage blues, soul and r&b selections from Shawn Kyle for your summer of love. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, “100 Days 100 Nights” (100 Days 100 Nights, Daptone, 2007) Steamy lustful music for sweaty summer nights.
Curtis Mayfield, “Give Me Your Love” (Superfly, Warner Bros., 1972) For midnight jacuzzi get togethers and slamming rum highballs, here are the funky wah-wah guitars.
Booker T. & The MG’s, “Hip Hug-Her” (Hip Hug-Her, Stax, 1967) The house band from Stax Records produced this mid-’67 hit. Damn cool.
Otis Redding, “Loving by the Pound” (Stax, circa 1963-’67)
An ass-shaking example of the finest northern soul, and one of the best basslines ever, courtesy of the legendary Donald “Duck” Dunn – it forces you to dance.
John Coltrane, “Theme for Ernie” (Soultrane, Prestige, 1958)
These five minutes at the end of your night should be enough for you to get your better half in the mood and willing, or you need to work on your game.
John Lee Hooker, “Boom Boom” (Burnin’, Vee-Jay, 1962)
Sometimes the best music is made by people that don’t know any rules except for hot solid rhythm, on a burning street corner in Chicago.
Them, “Baby Please Don’t Go” (Them Again, Deram, 1966)
Van Morrison circa ‘66, young and street-thug-ish, belting out blue-eyed R&B in Belfast. It’s a good song to send someone to try and prevent them from leaving you when you’ve been bad.
Wilson Pickett, “It’s Too Late” (It’s Too Late, Double-L, 1963)
Pickett’s first hit from ‘63; everyone from Aerosmith to Zeppelin ripped off his vocal style in the next several decades.
Originally a political tune, Gaye changed the words and turned it into a song devoted to love.
Cloves Taste Better In A Hurricane: Michael Spadoni’s Summer Goth Mix 1. The Birthday Party, “Mutiny In Heaven” (Mutiny EP, Mute, 1983)
2. Christian Death, “Romeo’s Distress” (Only Theatre of Pain, Frontier, 1982)
3. Fields Of The Nephilim, “Power” (Returning to Gehenna, Supporti, 1986)
4. Corpus Delicti, “Saraband” (Sarabands, Cleopatra, 1996)
5. Human Drama, “Death Of An Angel” (Feel, RCA, 1989)
6. Alien Sex Fiend, “Lips Can’t Go”
(Who’s Been Sleeping in My Brain?, Anagram, 1983)
7. Southern Death Cult, “Fatman” (Southern Death Cult, Beggar’s Banquet, 1983)
8. Specimen, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (Batastrophe, Sire, 1983)
9. Tones On Tail, “Christian Says” (Night Music, PVC, 1987)
10. Virgin Prunes, “Walls Of Jericho” (... If I Die, I Die, Rough Trade, 1982)
11. Love Like Blood, “Walking In Demimondes” (Demimondes, Rebel, 1992)
12. The Sisters Of Mercy, “Black Planet” (First and Last and Always, Elektra, 1985)
13. Death In June, “Rose Clouds Of Holocaust” (Rose Clouds Of Holocaust, NER, 1995)
*Bonus Track:
Psychic TV, “Good Vibrations”
(Hex Sex: The Singles, Pt. 1, Cleopatra, 1994) REAX REAX MUSIC MUSIC Magazine Magazine •• JUNE JUNE 2008 2008 •• Page Page 21 21
READ A DAMN BOOK, YA PHILLISTINE
Nothing passes the lazy summer days like a good book. Of course, nothing brings time to an obstinate standstill like a shitty book, but nobody’s gonna make you finish it and write a report if you’re not down. And your inbox and favorite blogs will be jammed with new stuff for you to waste even more time reading and commenting on when you’re finished. Hang a hammock in the living room and peruse one of the new or classic titles in our list of recommended reads and upcoming literary releases; just ask one of your friends who actually has to do stuff this summer to pick it up for you.
Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
“This scorching tale of one man’s claustrophobic obsession with his doe-eyed stepdaughter proves the perfect complement to the stagnant summer heat.” – Aubrey
The Tao of Physics, by Fritjof Capra
“nothing like a little mindfuck to ruin your summer.” – Jenson
The Terror, by Dan Simmons
“A good mix of true history and supernatural fiction, and the Arctic setting will keep your imagination cool.” – Harrell
The Informers, by Bret Easton Ellis
“A motley crew of hollow, plastic Californians takes the juicy summer read to an unapologetically debauched new low. Those looking to seduce a pool boy or adopt a sinister seasonal alias take note.” – Aubrey
New & Upcoming Releases:
What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception, by Scott McClellan
This tell-all by Bush’s former press secretary already has scandal-mongers humming and White House personnel denying, backtracking and covering their asses. (OUT nOW)
Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks
Faulks assumes the voice of legendary Bond author Ian Fleming for a new James Bond adventure. (OUT nOW)
Snuff, by Chuck Palahniuk
The provocative author of Fight Club and Choke returns with a look inside the minds of people participating in a record-breaking gang-bang. (OUT nOW)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris The latest collection by beloved essayist/humorist Sedaris. (June 3)
The Broken Window, by Jeffrey Deaver
Deaver’s brilliant, quadriplegic crimestopper Lincoln Rhyme is back. (June 10)
The Last Oracle, by James Rollins
Rollins’ SIgMA Force series continues to blend Da Vinci Code-esque historical mystery with tech-action. (June 24)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Rogue, by Danielle Steel
Prometheus Rising, by Robert Anton Wilson
My Sister, My Love: The Intimate Story of Skyler Rampike, by Joyce Carol Oates
“There is something about the summer that incites a desire for adventure ... this story will connote nature, exploration and freedom, which could be a refreshing way to spend some time.” – Amy Beeman
“Form an elitist mentality in just 200 pages.” – Jenson
The Rum Diary, by Hunter S. Thompson
“A perfect sweltering sweaty summertime read, as Thompson delivers a thinly veiled autobiographical piece about a writer in his early 20s on self-imposed exile in 1950s San Juan.” – Shawn Kyle
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
“An undisputed classic, plus it reminds me of all the bored kids doing crazy shit all summer long.” – Harrell
Sex! Drama! Two souls rediscovering who they are, and what they want from life! You know – a Danielle Steel book. (June 24)
The prolific bestselling author takes what’s being billed as a controversial look at the dysfunctional family, in this novel “inspired by an unsolved American true-crime mystery.” (June 24)
The Quickie, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Patterson abandons bad nursery-rhyme titles, but not bad titles in general. Expect plenty of sexy suspense, though. (July 2)
Mr. Sebastian & The Negro Magician, by Daniel Wallace
The celebrated Big Fish author continues his uniquely southern dissection of talespinning and folklore. (July 3)
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DRINK UP UNTIL YOU FALL DOWN Hey, we’re not advocating binge drinking here. But sometimes, when the heat and the mugginess and the waiting for something interesting to happen when you know nothing will become impossible to ignore, you simply have to take the edge off. We recommend a slow, steady sipping process, augmented by plenty of water – in the form of plenty of ice – and long periods of contemplative inactivity. And if margaritas, rum runners, pina coladas or the rest of the usual summer medications don’t do it for you, give one of these recipes a try:
The Alien Booger
Mix 1 oz. melon liqueur, 1 oz. coconut rum, 1 oz. vodka and a splash of pineapple juice in a shaker of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
The Alzheimer’s
Mix 2 oz. Canadian whiskey, 2 oz. citrus-flavored vodka, and .5 oz. Coke in an iced Collins glass.
The St. Petersburg
Mix 2 oz. vodka and .25 tbsp. orange bitters in a shaker of ice. Strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass, and garnish with an orange wedge.
The Cuban Crime of Passion
Mix equal parts spiced rum, white rum, coconut rum, triple sec and pineapple juice in a shaker of ice. Strain into a large glass of ice.
The Belfast Bomber
Mix 1 oz. Guinness, 1 oz. Irish whiskey, 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream, and 1 oz. Kahlua in a shaker of ice. Strain into small cocktail glass with or without ice.
The Seaweed
Mix .5 oz. melon liqueur, .5 oz. coconut rum, .5 oz. Blue Curacao liqueur, .5 oz. sour mix, .5 oz. orange juice, and .5 oz. Sprite in a glass with ice.
The Howler Monkey
Mix 5 oz. red table wine, 1 oz. gin and a splash of orange juice in a large wine glass with ice.
Scott Jenson’s Classic Mojitos
“Muddle mint, 2 lime wedges and a small amount of simple syrup (enough to get a good muck) vigorously while shaking ass and singing in Spanish. Add crushed ice and pour a gratuitous amount of rum. Add more syrup to taste, and top off with club soda. Roll mixture a few times (gently so as not to flatten the soda) and top with a mint sprig. Drink. Dance. Take off clothes. Dance more. Vomit. Pass out.”
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The Love Guru
OK, YOU CAN GO OUT, BUT ONLY TO THE MOVIES It’s the only place cooler and more diverting than most of our homes, unless you happen to work at a restaurant with a walk-in freezer full of beer that also features a wi-fi network. Whether or not you can handle a theater half-full of kids who won’t turn off their cell phones is a decision only you can make, but some of the stuff coming out in the next few months is definitely worth trying to sit through without committing aggravated battery of a minor.
The Majors: Kung Fu Panda
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Stars: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane
June 6
Crazy, animated overweight man plays crazy, animated overweight bear.
You Don’t Mess with The Zohan
Director: Dennis Dugan Stars: Adam Sandler, John Tuturro, Nick Swardson
June 6
Sandler simultaneously mocks and reinforces all manner of stereotypes by playing an Israeli spy turned hairdresser.
The Happening
Director: M. Night Shyamalan Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
June 13
Does leaving disappointed still qualify as a twist ending? Advance word on Shyamalan’s first R-rated thriller, about something that happens, hasn’t been exactly stellar.
The Incredible Hulk
Director: Louis Leterrier Stars: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
June 13
Marvel employs considerable star power in its attempt to blow the memory of Ang Lee’s misguided ‘03 adaptation right out of your head.
Get Smart
Director: Peter Segal Stars: Steve Carell, Ann Hathaway, Alan Arkin
June 20
Carell is pretty much the opposite of Bond in this revision of the comic TV series.
Director: Marco Schnabel Stars: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba
June 20
Myers’ latest character- and facial expression-driven romp.
WALL-E
Director: Andrew Stanton Stars: Kathy Najimy, John Ratzenberger
June 27
Can Pixar make a hit out of an animated feature that features almost no human dialogue at all? going on the robot’s cute factor, we’re thinking yes.
Hancock
Director: Peter Berg Stars: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman
July 4
Will “Mr. July” Smith headlines another holiday-weekend sure thing, this one about a down-and-out superhero finding his place in the world.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army Director: Guillermo Del Toro Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair
July 11
Fantasy’s golden-boy director finally gets around to an even weirder and more visually disturbing second film in this edgy comic-book franchise.
The Midnight Meat Train
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Stars: Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields
July 11
Based on a Clive Barker short story, this slasher’s about a photographer’s run-in with a serial killer lurking in nYC’s subway tunnels.
The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
July 18
nolan follows up his successful reboot of the Batman story with an even darker sequel. R.I.P. Heath Ledger.
Mamma Mia!
Director: Phyllida Lloyd Stars: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth
July 18
Somebody’s getting married, and the music of ABBA helps her find out which one of her mother’s exes is her biological father. no, really. REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 24
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Director: Chris Carter Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly, Xzibit
July 25
I want to believe this film is going to live up to the legacy of the series’ best elements. The plot is a closely guarded secret, but has nothing to do with the music of ABBA.
Pineapple Express
Director: David Gordon Green Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco
August 8
The hotly anticipated stoner-buddy flick is expected to legitimize the pot-movie genre. And the red-band trailer is hilarious.
Tropic Thunder
Director: Ben Stiller Stars: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte
August 15
Stiller’s love-it-or-hate-it mix of shtick and subtle absurdity will doubtless prove as polarizing as Downey Jr.’s donning blackface in this action-flick farce.
The Indies: The Wackness
Director: Jonathan Levine Stars: Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Olivia Thirlby
July3
not unlike an Augusten Burroughs memoir set in 1990s America, The Wackness is just the newest offbeat coming-of-age tragicomedy to join the ranks of such modern classics as Igby goes Down, The Squid and the Whale and Rushmore. All of the comparisons are listed for a reason, but viewers who grew up in the mid-’90s should dig the soundtrack and general nostalgia.
WHEN IN DOUBT, REFER TO THE EXPERTS
Hell Ride
And that’s pretty much anybody who’s called the south home for more than five summers or so. We spent the last month asking staffers, musicians, local weirdos and pretty much everybody with whom we had a coherent conversation how they keep cool, and received responses that varied from the interesting to the clever to the just plain stupid. Use ‘em as a jumping-off point for your own ideas on how to beat the heat. Have fun. Keep boredom at bay. We’ll see you long after dark, or sometime in October.
August 8
“Put your toilet seat in the freezer when you go to bed.”
Towelhead
“YOU’RE GONNA NEED A REALLY GOOD HAT.”
Director: Larry Bishop Stars: Larry Bishop, Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen Hell Ride looks to further resurrect the camp glory of ‘70s biker epics, as originally attempted by 2007 mixed bag grindhouse. veteran bad boys Hopper and Madsen, along with Vinnie Jones and Eric Balfour, are what truly make this “ride” worth even a smidge of your while.
Director: Alan Ball Stars: Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Macdissi
August 8
Towelhead follows the journey of thirteen-year-old Jasira, an Arab-American girl who is sent to Houston to live with her strict father and confront head-on the racism, confusion and curiosity of her community and neighbors. Definitely heavy, but peppered with a good dose of teenage awkwardness and enough humor to keep the story afloat.
Henry Poole Is Here
Director: Mark Pellington Stars: Luke Wilson, Rhada Mitchell, George Lopez
August 15
Luke Wilson portrays an all-too-familiar downtrodden protagonist who, under the belief that his life is about to end, leaves his family and job to live out his last days in solitude. This one is hit or miss, potentially drawing the same divided opinions as indie sleeper Stranger Than Fiction.
Hamlet 2
Director: Andrew Fleming Stars: Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener
August 22
With Steve Coogan and Catherine Keener on board, Hamlet 2 is sure to be a fun ride despite the cheesy original songs and overly predictable story progression. Set in a modern public high school with no glossing over of modern public high school issues like budget cuts and disinterested students, the flick will likely be popular amongst teenagers and college students.
(All release dates subject to change.)
“Wear gigantic sunglasses.”
“Keep those nipples iced down, or up in this case.” “Crash apartment pools at night – I suggest Post Hyde Park or The Quarter.”
“Move.” “I OWN A HOUSE FROM THE ‘50S, AND THE ATTIC FAN SUCKS ALL THE HOT AIR OUT.” “Relocate to Antarctica and make friends with a gaggle of penguins.”
“Ginnie Springs.”
“HIRE A TEAM OF THE HOMELESS TO FOLLOW YOU AROUND WITH PALM FRONDS, CREATING A SUBTLE ISLAND BREEZE.”
“Walk around your house naked, but avoid leather furniture.” “A BOTTLE OF CORONA PULLED FROM A COVER OF MELTING ICE WITH A HEALTHY WEDGE OF LIME.”
“Duct-tape dry ice to your junk. It might sting a little, but at least you’ll be cool.” AND, OF COURSE:
“Stay the hell inside.” REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 25 25
“We’ve all either known one another or been in the same bands together for years now,” Isildak says. “It does seem like all of our previous endeavors slowly dissipated as hallucinogens made their way into our lives. Those same hallucinogens sort of called the members of this band together in a way. It seems now that we were meant to play together, we just didn’t know it then.”
titled “Albert Hoffman Tribute,” Strangers would be the band to lead this revolution.
The members may not have been strangers when the band formed, but they claim that the name naturally describes them.
Psychedelic rock and mind altering drugs seems to be swirling back into the Orlando music scene, but Strangers know just as well as every other band in the area that to keep it alive takes a collaborative, consistent effort with support from local venues and musicians alike.
“The band name Strangers is simple, but really does describe us if you meet us,” explains Isildak. “We’ve spent so much time on tour being those kids in the corner hiding out until we played, disappearing after we played, saying just enough to get us by, really leaving no trace or impression on anyone aside from our set. We never mean to come off as stand-offish, the music just has a life of its own, and we think it should speak for itself.”
“There seems to be an insurgence of psychedelics in Orlando as of late,” Isildak begins. “This has to have affected the scene. There is so much music that doesn’t hold up when you’re tripping, and you can’t help but get drawn to music that is genuine, colorful and alive.”
“There are those of us that are always working on helping the music scene,” Isildak states. “There are a lot of venues and coffee shops in town like Austin’s and Stardust that throw a lot of local and free shows, which helps the scene a lot. We’ve been throwing local house shows for free, inviting a few hundred FeaTure strangers into our home, and having other local bands we respect and admire play. The Strangers take the authenticity of their prices of shows are going up and people music seriously. Some musicians think can’t always afford to go see a good band analog is dead, but Strangers plan to keep play. If more people threw house shows, it alive and record an EP on tape. That we could cut out the middle man. Throw a attitude even inspired their label, Lo-Fi house show!” Records. Morrison also sang that when you’re Words: MacKenzie Pause “Lo-Fi is a label our bassist Scott started strange, no one remembers your name. Photo: Michael Spadoni in order to put out a CD for an amazing The case may differ for Strangers, though, artist we know that goes by Spinnaker,” along with yet another evolutionary step for Isildak says. “There is no paperwork Orlando’s music scene. binding Spinnaker or Strangers to Lo-Fi in any way. We just know that records mySpace.com/ can be released out of a home with some STraNGeSTraNGerS hard work, scissors and glue. And since it’s all distributed out of our home or our appearING: touring van, Scott decided to name it Lo-Fi June 27, 2008 Records. Try to find some of Spinnaker’s Backbooth, Orlando music on the web. It is music worth calling with Summerbirds In The Cellar and folk.” Maserati In the meantime, Strangers are becoming July 4, 2008 known for their spacey shows and Austin’s Coffee, Orlando raised profile amid a local psychedelic Austin’s I-4 Fest resurgence. The scene may be welcoming change, but Isildak thinks enhancements July 5, 2008 are moving the area to a heightened The Atlantic, gainesville enjoyment of the music. With Timothy Leary as a stated influence and a song REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 27
01
02 local album reVIewS
Watson
Chasing .500 ADD
local arTIST SpoTlIGhT
It’s pretty obvious that the funky little bungalow on the south side of funky little Dunedin is home to a musician. There’s an acoustic-guitar mosaic laid into the floor of the front porch. There’s a practice PA set up in the room between the kitchen and the back porch. The cat’s name is Fender, for Christ’s sake. But you don’t need to visit Memphis Train Union frontman Dave Korman’s house to know that for him, classic guitar music is a lifelong passion. It’s in every taste-overflash lead, every bent note, every weary verse and resonant chorus of his band’s new album, Out On The Road. The CD is a love letter to tried-and-true blues, rock and Americana archetypes, a collection of songs by a guy who’s spent as many hours just listening to the gritty and the great as he has strumming and writing his own stuff. “Yeah, I’ve got a big CD collection,” deadpans Korman with a smile. Longtime local scenesters who remember Korman as the frontman for the moodier (and often considerably heavier) act Leonard Croon Band might be surprised to hear two-year-old Memphis Train Union’s more traditional, less trendy sound. That twang and whiskey-fired introspection was always in the mix, however; Korman just took a while to find the most satisfying combination of sounds. “I always wanted to [play stuff like this],” he says. “One of the songs on the album, ‘Convenience Store,’ I’ve been playing since I was in my first band.”
Korman credits bassist Jason Angelo and drummer Mike Warmath – “just the best group of guys” – with helping to define the MTU style. Both are versatile players with experience outside the usual local-scene rock genres, able to make things as subtle or as snappy as they need to. “I’ve been really focusing on doing things upbeat, using the rhythm section as the backbone,” Korman says. “We’re actually utilizing those instruments as we’re playing.” That knack for interplay is evident on Out On The Road. Songs that in less intuitive hands might run together into a forgettable glut of white-boy blues instead stretch and flow; the melancholy of “Love Is Hard” stands apart from the anthemic stagger of “Drunk in new Orleans” and the ragged, smiling “Under This Moonlite.” The record is by turns a shuffling blues downer, an alt-country rave-up, an electrified folk singalong. And that’s the way Korman, who could care less about such labels, has always wanted it. “I don’t know,” he says. “I just always called it rock and roll.” Memphis Train Union’s CD release party for Out On The Road is Saturday, June 14 at Dunedin Brewery. Ted Lukas & The Distractions and Rebekah Pulley & The Reluctant Prophets will also play.
The inherent problem with a punk band comprised of members of three other similarsounding punk bands is that the result is usually music that sounds like … well, every other punk band. If that sentence strikes you as repetitive and grating, consider it an apt summary of the contents of Chasing .500, the latest release from Tampa’s own Watson. Consisting of members of Clairmel, Dukes of Hillsborough, and Vagina Sore Jr., the band spews out six punchy, Festfriendly songs here that quickly blend together into one familiar heap of overenthused, agitated PUnK ROCK. The idea that Chasing .500 contributes anything to the genre other than smothering it with pure platitudes is anything but elementary, my dear Watson. – Sean Kantrowitz
Will Quinlan & The Diviners Navasota Ironweed Music
Can anyone remember the last time veteran local singer-songwriter Quinlan put out a fulllength? Christ, it’s been years. And worth the wait; Navasota – an album that serves as both a celebration of Quinlan’s late mother’s life, and a chronicle of his mourning her passing – fleshes out the excellent songs of ‘06’s Falling Sky EP with a bunch of equally compelling tunes that embrace Americana’s traditions while making them The Diviners’ own. naysayers may quibble that he’s been writing the same song for years, but tunes like the galvanizing highlight “South San Pedro” and a Texas-swing version of old Pagan Saints staple “Promise (Walk on Water)” belie such claims, and this material is more lush, dynamic and instrumentally tasty than anything that’s come before. Besides, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? – Scott Harrell
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 28
03
Show reVIew
VINTAGE CLOTHING & ANTIQUES ...WHERE VINTAGE STILL MEANS ONE OF A KIND!
Some people spend their life trying to find a purpose. Others just know why they are here from the get-go. Kevin Steele always knew that his calling in life was rock and roll music. His first major-label success was in the ‘80s with his group Roxx gang, during the big-hair-and-leather era. Much like other bands of the time, Roxx gang had obvious blues-rock influences, despite their image. “That’s what you do when you are young ... you put on girls’ clothes, and make it,” says Steele. “To me it was strange though, I looked up to David Johansen and the new York Dolls. They were always kind of bluesy, and later on in his career, he returned to the older styles.” now Steele is with the Mojo gurus, writing new songs, releasing new records, and making every show into a roadhouse-style party. gone are the leather gloves and neon guitars, but the swagger is still there, and it makes sense with this band’s new music. The Mojo gurus perform a style of truly American rock and roll, a blend of rhythm and blues, old rocking country, and a bit of ‘60s surf that’s still rooted in the entertainment of the audience and a good time for all.
school and putting in some music and it’s party time ... it’s the weekend.” Their third full-length, Let’s Get Lit with the Mojo Gurus, is a party-time album of southern-influenced rock. with all the stories of boozing and hard-fast living you can handle. As the name would lead you to believe, the making of the record was a laid-back affair.
TUES - SAT: 11AM TO 6PM SUNDAY: 12 NOON TO 6PM 5207 North Florida Avenue • Tampa, FL 33603 813-231-2020 • www.yesterdazevintage.com • yesterdaze@verizon.net
“It has been the most comfortable-to-make album I have ever made in my life,” Steele says. “I am very comfortable on stage, but not so in the studio. It’s hard to reproduce the live feel in the studio. We produced it ourselves with our live sound guy Jody grey, and it was all family. If you’re making a rock album and you’re not having fun, you are doing something wrong.” The record sounds like it was a good time in the making. The track “(Just a) Couple of Kicks” sounds like something The Black Crowes would be warming up with at soundcheck, and the garage/surf-inspired “Stingray” is a must-have download to drink liquor shots to.
When asked about recent press stories about his troubled youth and the credibility that comes with that as a songwriter, Steele During our interview Kevin Steele speaks excitedly about his band, like a man reborn. is quick to give a constructive perspective on his experiences. “Before I could play and knew I could write, “Because of what has happened to me, I was just a dreamer, I knew that it was something that could draw people together rock and roll has always been an escape for me ... I want my music to be an escape for and make them move,” he says. “I want other people,” he says. “Whenever I have to make people dance, and smile. I have always been proud that my band connected been depressed or feeling down, I realize that I am the singer in a rock and roll band. with the working class, and that’s who I Life could be so much worse than that.” am aiming my music at. Rock and roll is synonymous with good times, getting out of REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 29
04 Tampa bay All Pro Percussion 10101 E. Adamo Dr. Tampa, FL 33619 813-341-DRUM
Independent Bar 29 3rd St. n. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-820-9514
Atomic Tattoos Multiple Locations www.atomictattoos.com
Kelly’s Pub 206 n. Morgan St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-228-0870
AOE Art Supply 12908 n. 56th St. Tampa, FL 33617 813 989-0302 ARTpool 919 1st Ave. n. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 www.artpoolrules.com Bananas Music 2226 16th Ave. n. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 727-327-4616 Café Bohemia 937 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 895-4495 Café Hey 1540 n. Franklin St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-221-5150 The Castle 2004 n. 16th St. Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-7547 The Cider House 1752 Central Ave. St Petersburg, FL 33712 727-822-7400 Crowbar 1812 n. 17th St. Tampa, FL 33605 813-241-8600 Daddy Kool Records 538 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-822-5665 The Garage 662 Central Ave Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 823-2244 The Hub 719 n. Franklin St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-229-1553
Local Coffee + Tea 330 1st Ave. S. Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 727-551-0201 Mabuhay Hair Salon 10022 n. 30th St. Tampa, FL 33612 813-972-0880 Mean Machine Tattoo Co. 3415 S. Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33629 813-831-1106 Mema’s Alaskan Tacos 1724 E. 8th Ave. Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-TACO Mojo Books and Music 2558 E. Fowler Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 813-971-9717 Nova Art Lounge 535 Dr ML King Jr. St. n. St. Petersburg, FL 727-821-6682 The Orpheum 1902 n. Avenida Republica De Cuba Ybor City, FL 33605 813-248-9500 Pegasus Lounge 10008 n. 30th St. Tampa, FL 33612 813-971-1679 PUSH Ultra Lounge 128 3rd. St. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-895-6400 RedLetter1 1510 E. 8th Ave. Tampa, FL 33605 813-241-2435
Revolve Clothing Exchange 1510 E. 8th Ave. Ybor City, FL 33605 813-241-2435
SouTh FlorIDa
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Studio A 60 nE. 11th St. Miami, FL 33132 305-358-7625
AKA Lounge 68 E. Pine St. Orlando, FL 32801 407-839-3707
Uncle Sam’s Music 1141 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-532-0973
BackBooth 37 W Pine St Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 999-2570
Respectable Street 518 Clematis St. West Palm Beach, FL 33410 561-832-9999
Club Firestone 578 n. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801 Drums2Go 204 South Semoran Blvd Orlando FL 32807 407-306-0611
Culture Room 3045 n Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954-564-1074 Revolution 300 Himmarshee St # 2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312 954-356-8149
FL Institute of Recording, Sound and Technology 3315 Maggie Blvd., Suite 100 Orlando, FL 407.316.8310
Sweat Records / Churchill’s Pub 5505 nE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33137 305-342-0953
Hard Rock Live 6050 Universal Blvd. Orlando, FL 32819 407-351-7625
Sherry’s Yesterdaze Vintage 5207 n. Florida Ave. Tampa, FL 33603 813-231-2020
Uncle Sam’s Music 4580 n. University Drive Lauderhill, FL 33351 954-742-2466
House of Blues Orlando 1490 E. Buena Vista Dr. Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407-934-BLUE
NorTh FlorIDa
Park Avenue CDs 2916 Corrine Dr. Orlando, FL 32803 407.447.PARK
Skatepark of Tampa 4215 E. Columbus Dr. Tampa, FL 33605 813-621-6793
American Apparel 15 S.W. 1st Ave. gainesville, FL 32601 352-372-2262
Park Avenue CDs Jr. UCF Student Union #102A Orlando, FL 32816 407.282.1616
Skipper’s Smokehouse 910 Skipper Road Tampa, FL 33613
The Atlantic 15 n. Main St. gainesville, FL 32601 352-264-9866
Red Light, Red Light 535 W. new England Rd. Winter Park, FL 32789 407-539-1711
Beta Bar 809 Railroad Ave Tallahassee, FL 32310 850-425-2697
Redefine Urban Art Gallery 213 n. Magnolia Ave Orlando, FL 32801
Café Eleven 501 A1A Beach Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-460-9311
Rock ’N’ Roll Heaven 1814 n. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32804 407-896-1952
Common Grounds 210 SW 2nd Ave., Ste. A gainesville, FL 32601 352-372-7320
Stardust Video and Coffee 1842 Winter Park Rd Winter Park, FL 32789 407-623-3393
Club TSI 333 East Bay St. Jacksonville, FL 32290 904-424-3531
Taste 717 W. Smith Street Orlando, FL 32804 407-835-0646
Freebird Live 200 north 1st Street Jacksonville, FL 32250 904-246-BIRD
Will’s Pub 1040 n. Mills Ave Orlando, FL 32803 (407) 898-5070
Seminole Music & Sound 10720 74th Ave. n., Ste. F Seminole, FL 33772 727-391-3892 Sharp Hair Design 3701 SR580 Suite g Oldsmar, FL 34677 813-855-2422
State Theatre 687 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-895-3045 Stevie B’s Total Guitar Multiple Locations www.steviebs.com St Pete Times Forum 401 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602 813-301-6600 Tampa Guitar School 15349 Amberly Dr. Tampa, FL 33647 813.558.nOTE Tampa Theatre 711 n Franklin St # A Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 274-8981 Tribeca Salon 920 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606 813-250-0208
Store 101 4647 nW 6th St. gainesville, FL 32609 941-321-7205
Vinyl Fever 4110 Henderson Blvd. Tampa, FL 33629 813-289-8399
St Augustine Amphitheatre 1340 A1A S St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-461-0825 REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 30
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REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 31
06 FRI
June
06
Dive Bar Stalkers, Sarge And The Aeromen Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm Supervillains, Junkie Rush, The Goods The Social, Orlando Cost: $12/$14 Time: 9pm Tampa Noise Fest 2 Transitions Art gallery, Tampa Cost: FREE! Time: 6pm
SAT
June
07
Oh Fortuna, Michael Claytor & Friends, Doombot, Savages Market Street Pub, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
Animal Hospital, Arbol Transmissions, Lime Juice Sluggo’s, Pensacola Time: 8pm
Via Audio, Jukebox The Ghost new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm
TUE
The Subliminator, Culture Of Greed, Welcome, The Power Of The Lion Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
+Rookie Of The Year, Cori Yarckin, Dang We’re On Fire! House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $13.25 Time: 7pm
Bogus Pomp The Ritz Theater, Ybor City Time: 9pm
Kaleigh Baker Band, Aristocracy, Unit Shifters BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $5 Time: 8pm
Ten 13 Concept, Sweet City Action, StatesAndStereos, The Downtown Bonanza, Fight Or Flight 1982, gainesville Cost: $6/$8 Time: 9pm
Vampire Weekend (Instore Performance) Park Ave. CDs, Orlando Cost: FREE! Time: 4:30pm Dukes Of Hillsborough, The Horror, The Blacklist Royals, Anchor Arms, Suburban Lockdown 1982, gainesville Cost: $5/$6 Time: 9pm
Dopamean, Trial By Torment, Dead Mens Dreams, Blacksnake Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Oh Sanders, The Woods, Manatella, The Northerness The Atlantic, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm
Souldium Brass Mug, Tampa Time: 9pm
JR DR (CD Release), Karrigan, Hail Coda BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7/$10 Time: 7pm
Joon Caffe De Vinci, Deland Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
The Underwater, Billy Vickery Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Tyger Beat Club TSI, Jacksonville Time: 9pm
Select Start, Vega Under Fire, They’re Liars Brass Mug, Tampa Time: 7pm
Ars Phoenix, Genre Baptiste, Oddknock, [CTRL-Space] Surveillance System, The Subliminator george’s Meet & Produce, gainesville Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm Broken Center, Nilmorta,Gorillafight, Broken Image, Traverser The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm Earth Bombs Mars Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm We Shot The Moon, Howlies, Mogul Street Reserve, Everybody Else The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $8 Time: 7pm Via Segovia, Enerise, Green Light Express Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
Soft Rock Renegades Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm
Tampa Noise Fest 2 Transitions Art gallery, Tampa Cost: FREE! Time: 6pm
The Righteous Kind, Dr. Chrome And The Soulbones, Tel Aviv Bats The Atlantic, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm
Little Brother, Laws, Motown Pride, Dynasty, Deacon, DJ Sandman Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $20 Time: 8pm
Demise All Reason, Fatal, 7 Kingdoms, Detoura, From The Throne Brass Mug, Tampa Time: 7pm
Supervillains, Junkie Rush, The Goods The Social, Orlando Cost: $12/$14 Time: 9pm
vaMpire weekend
Algarhythm, A_Scissors Caffe Davinci, Deland Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm Vampire Weekend, Harlem Shakes Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 9pm Egress, The Howlies, Mogul Street Reserve Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 8pm Remynder, Weszt, St. Ceilia’s Tears, Nemesis The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm Scott Wozniak, Jask Hyde Park Café, Tampa Time: 10pm Gaelic Adventure Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm Hat Trick Heroes, Male Order Brides Lowry Park Bandshell, Tampa Cost: FREE! Time: 3pm
Ladytron, Datarock Czar, Ybor City Cost: $15/$18 Time: 9pm
Bigga Baphomet, Dino Felipe, Masik, Public Service Announcement, Ken Rei, Sidecar Racer, Tele & The Big Tie Models Wayward Council, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
SUN
June
08
We Shot The Moon, Everybody Else, Waves On Waves, The Starlight Getaway BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm
6th St. Rhythm And Blues Review napolatanos, gainesville Cost: FREE! Time: 6pm
Mammothgrinder, Brainstorm Wayward Council, gainesville Time: 8pm
June
11
This Condition, Tha Hatus, Last Will Illuminate Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
The Duhks, Cherrry Weasel Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 5pm
Positive Response Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm
Tampa Noise Fest 2 Transitions Art gallery, Tampa Cost: FREE! Time: 6pm
09
Bleeding Inc., Dead By Dawn, Me Against The Mirror The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm Ingrid Michaelson (Instore Performance) Park Ave. CDs, Orlando Cost: FREE! Time: 7:00pm Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Laswell The Social, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 8pm
Via Audio, Jukebox The Ghost BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 6pm Dang We’re On Fire!, And Then There Was You, Oh Romeo, Skyblind The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $7/$10 Time: 7pm Eric Hutchinson, Marie Digby, Justin Nozuka The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm
Sparky’s Flaw Studio A, Miami Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm
Trial By Torment, Seven Kingdoms, Demise Of All Reason, From The Throne 1982, gainesville Cost: $8/$9 Time: 9pm
Colour Revolt, History, Mouse Fire The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $8 Time: 7pm
June
The Fight At The Show, First Crush Kid, Stalling Dawn, Hotspur, And Then There Was You, CSRaverage Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:30pm
WED
DJ Blenda Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm
MON
10
We Shot The Moon, Everybody Else, Ashes In Arlington, Waves On Waves, Sewards Folly 1982, gainesville Cost: $6/$7 Time: 7pm
DJ Five PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 10pm
Darrell Nulisch, Charlie Morris Band Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $12/$15 Time: 8pm
between the trees
June
The Cure, 65daysofstatic St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Cost: $43.25/$63.25 Time: 7pm Matt Costa, Delta Spirit, Sparky’s Flaw State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $16/$18 Time: 7pm Ladytron, Datarock Studio A, Miami Cost: $22/$25 Time: 9pm
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 32
THU
June
12
07 Dead Songwriters, With Hatchet Pike And Gun, History, Stephen Brown 1982, gainesville Cost: $6/$7 Time: 9pm The Takers, Lauris Vidal, Matt Butcher & The Revolvers, Heather Lee & Jordan Wynn And The Faithful Sinners The Atlantic, gainesville Time: 10pm Moodhosa, The Kung Fu Girls, The Sex Slaves Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm The Cure, 65daysofstatic Bank Atlantic Center, Sunrise Cost: $47.25/$57.25 Time: 7pm
INGRID MICHAELSON +Greg Laswell State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $15 Time: 7pm
Friday The 13 Slash and Bash Crowbar, Ybor City Time: 9pm
Crashby, Sparkys Flaw, Blue Caimens, Clayton, Jeremy Richard 1982, gainesville Cost: $6/$7 Time: 9pm Adam Lee & The Dead Horse Sound Co., Three Legged Dawg, The Takers Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
Tracy LaBarbera, Gale Trippsmith, Alias Julius Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm
Under White Lights, Riverele, The Downtown Bonanza, Stricca, It’s Alive The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm Business Casual new World Brewery, Ybor City Time: 9pm
June
Sybris, Unwed Sailor, Red Room Cinema The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $9/$10 Time: 7pm Money Shot, For All The Unheard, New Violation, Full Fight Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm Bonerama Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $12/$15 Time: 8pm
SAT
Pearl Jam, Kings Of Leon St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Cost: $67 Time: 6:30pm
FRI
Three Legged Dawg Lightnin’ Salvage, gainesville Cost: FREE! Time: 6pm
June
13
Diecast, Lost In Chaos, Ring Of Scars, Soulswitch, Fields Of Glass The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $10/$12 Time: 9pm
Mudhoney, Birds Of Avalon, The Ludes BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 7pm
14
My Anomaly, 20WT, Banny Cannon, Paint Me Irrational Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
THE ART OF FIGHTING
+Alexander, Grapes new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
Mudhoney Sluggo’s, Pensacola Time: 8pm Unwed Sailor, Sybris, Max Green & The Great Deceivers The Social, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 8pm
Rebekah Pulley And The Reluctant Prophets Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin Time: 9pm The Dropa Stone (CD Release), Traverser, Between The Lines, Mansions Of Thought The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm
MON
Sean Q6, Una Slim Hyde Park Café, Tampa Time: 10pm
Interior Motives gallery displays gladiator: The Art of Fighting with new works by brothers Robert and Thomas Phelps. A visual exploration of the world of professional fighters, the show will illustrate the parallels between the principles of fighting and art: balance, precision, spontaneity, intuition, logic, design and dedication. With political discourse imitating professional fighting, the artists felt it was in the air. The show also portrays the facets of the fighter: the calm, the storm and everything in between. www.interiormotivesstpete.com www.paintedpoetryhome.com
June
Adam Lee & The Dead Horse Sound Company, The Lost Weekend The Kickstand, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Unwed Sailor, Sybris, Powerplant, The Gypsy Hymns The Beta Bar, Tallahassee Time: 8pm
The Pull Out, Diocious, Ampersand, Kellen Malloy Market Street Pub, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
Gogol Bordello, Dusty Rhodes And The River Band State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $19/$21 Time: 7pm
TUE
Will Quinlan And The Diviners (CD Release), Have Gun Will Travel, Matt Butcher new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
June
Matt Costa, Delta Spirit Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $12/$14 Time: 9pm
Cope, Christie Leneé And The Funkgrass Groove Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7/$10 Time: 8pm
Soft Rock Renegades Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm
Matt Costa, Delta Spirit The Social, Orlando Cost: $16/$18 Time: 9pm
Gogol Bordello, Dusty Rhodes And The River Band Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $19.99 Time: 8pm
Retard-O-Bot, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Downtown Brown State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $9 Time: 7pm
June
Mumpsy (as The Misfits), Tigerstyle, She Rides Time To Die, Fight Pretty, Sex Slaves BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $5 Time: 7pm
17
Monroes Overdose, 25 Ta Life, Big City Bombers, Liberty!, The Products BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7/$9 Time: 7pm
Azalea, Frog March, Amongst The Plague, In Violent Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
SUN
16
Mustard Plug, Chupaskabra, The Sense Offenders, Shotgun Diplomacy 1982, gainesville Cost: $10 Time: 7pm
John Q, Edison Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm
Interior Motives gallery, St. Petersburg
AND THE DEAD HORSE SOUND CO.
Sean Carney Band Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 5pm
Una Slim Silver Meteor gallery, St. Petersburg Time: 9pm
GLADIATOR:
ADAM LEE
The Radiance Effect, Chasing Ghost, The Signal, Lush Progress Jack Rabbit’s, Jacksonville Time: 8pm
Shattered Glass Playground The Metro, Melbourne Time: 9pm
AZ, Major League, Apakalypse Studio A, Miami Cost: $13 Time: 7pm
65daysofstatic, Poison The Well, Gwen Stacy, Duck Duck Goose The Social, Orlando Cost: $12/$14 Time: 8pm
65daysofstatic, Oh Fortuna, Hydrogen Arm The Atlantic, gainesville Time: 10pm
Ruffah Ras Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Retard-O-Bot, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Appabolz Infinity The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7:30pm
Mudhoney, Birds Of Avalon, Cutman Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $15 Time: 9pm
DJ Blenda Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm
MSTRKRFT Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $12/$15 Time: 10pm
th
Matt Costa, Delta Spirit Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $14.99 Time: 8pm
Ladytron, Datarock Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $17/$20 Time: 8pm
Squeaky, Nervous Systems, Two Finger Suicide 1982, gainesville Cost: $5/$6 Time: 9pm
15
Shapes And Stars, Triangle Shirt Factory The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $7 Time: 9pm Citizen Cope House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $22.50 Time: 7pm Less Than Jake, Mustard Plug, Suburban Legends Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $18.50/$20 Time: 6:30pm Melissa Etheridge Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca Raton Cost: $38/$58/$78/$103 Time: 7:30pm
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 33
08 WED
June
18
Voodoo Glow Skulls, Knock Out, Shortfuse, Assassinate The Scientist, No More 1982, gainesville Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm Shapes & Stars, Triangle Shirt Factory, Among Them Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
Voodoo Glow Skulls, Knockout The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 7pm
Ben & Bruno, Woven Bones The Kickstand, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Boats!, Laserhead, Grabbag The Kickstand, gainesville Cost: $5 Time 10pm
Rancid, Guajiro, The Clockouts Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $22 Time: 7pm
The Whoarmoans, Scars & Stripes, Blood For Lube Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
The Damn Wrights, Big Oil, Truckstop Coffee Market Street Pub, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
FRI
June
20
Positive Response Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm
Exzact, Debonaire, Ghosts In The Machine, Danny Bled, Shade Of ABH, DJ Jana Voodoo Room, Ft. Lauderdale Time: 9pm
Rancid, Whole Wheat Bread, The Scurvy Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $19.99/$20 Time: 6:30pm Toubab Krewe, Breakaway Republic Market Street Pub, gainesville Cost: $7 Time: 9pm
THE SUGAR OAKS
Enigma Dance Kru Presents Bboy Battles PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Time: 10pm Less Than Jake, Mustard Plug, Suburban Legends Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $18.50 Time: 6pm
THU
19
JAH ROOTS +Tribal Style, Badda Skat, Ras Kana PUSH Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg Cost: $7 Time: 9pm
Retard-O-Bot, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Vincent Valentine, Sarcastic 1982, gainesville Cost: $6/$7 Time: 9pm Abra Cadaver, Harvest The Deceased, If The Accident Will Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Makeout Party, Fillmore East, The Year Ends In Arson, Here For The Fight, Buried Past Recall The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm
The Tim Version, Waterdigger Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 8pm
SAT
June
The Sugar Oaks (EP Release), Win Win Winter, KG And The Band, The Alvarez Quartet new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm Orlando’s Sugar Oaks have become a Tampa favorite over the years and continue to treat us as one of their own, including this special night where the band unveils a new 3-song single entitled No One Can Love You Like Me. Listening to the new songs with their jangly grooves and tight vocal harmonies will certainly get the foot tapping. Tampa heroes Win Win Winter bring their Wilco/Racontuers-fused indierock in full force, strong on the heels of their recently released EP, ...a Brief History Of. From Orlando comes self-desribed “Afro-Urban Music” outfit KG and the Band. Kg himself is originally from East Africa and his heritage reflects directly on the stlyings of the band, mixing in with classic elements of funk and soul. The Alvarez Quartet is a new side project featuring members of The Sugar Oaks.
Isabella, Look Mexico, Crash Boom Bang 1982, gainesville Cost: $7/$8 Time: 8pm
Less Than Jake, Mustard Plug, Suburban Legends, 69 Fingers House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $17 Time: 7pm
Spam Allstars, The Savi Fernandez Band The Social, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 9pm Roger Palmer: In Dog Light, Rauschenberg: USF, Teras [DJ Set] USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa Cost: FREE! Time: 7pm
Citizen Cope Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $24.99 Time: 8pm
June
Eight Fingered Larry, Autotrain, DSC Project Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
Enter The Haggis, Odon Soterias Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 8pm
Fall Of Envy BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 7pm Ars Phoenix, Earth Empire, The Future Process Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm Stages And Stereos, Select Start The Beta Bar, Tallahassee Time: 8pm Zechs Marquise (Members of The Mars Volta), Our Name Is Legion Club TSI, Jacksonville Time: 9pm Burn Theory, Pushmower, Suicide Clubs, Perfect Flaw Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $8 Time: 8pm Nilmorta, Bleeding Inc., Splintered Soul The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm Rancid House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $19.99 Time: 7pm Venus In Furs Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm
21
Dawn Of Ashes, Vicious Alliance, Cyanide Regime Respectable Street, West Palm Beach Cost: $12 Time: 8pm
SUN
June
22
The Hottness, Sever Your Ties 1982, gainesville Time: 5pm Matt And Kim, The Death Set, Monotonix, Team Robespierre, Jonah Ray The Atlantic, gainesville Cost: $10 Time: 5pm The Scenic, Go Radio, Lannen Falls, A New Addiction BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 7pm DJ Blenda, Last November Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm
SUMMER JAM 4 South Rakkas Crew, Bird Street Players, The Basiqs, Petrograd in Transit, Dish, Tides Of Man, X.O.X.O., Juice City, JINX, King of Spain, Dynasty, DJ Sandman, Soft Rock Renegades, DJ Colonic, Positive Response, Scott Imrich, Deacon, DJ Teras & Jolay, + more TBA Crowbar & new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 / $10 advance / $12 dos Time: 5pm
Owl Of Minerva, Three Legged Dawg 2nd Street Bakery, gainesville Cost: FREE! Time: 3pm Spam Allstars, MayDay The Atlantic, gainesville Cost: $8 Time: 10pm The Sugar Oaks (EP Release), Look Mexico, The Alvarez Quartet BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $5 Time: 7pm
Inside Joke napolatanos, gainesville Cost: FREE! Time: 5:30pm Flowers For Dorian The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 7pm Cory Garcia, WOIT, CSRaverage, Shades Of Twilight, The Crimson Terror Ensemble Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 6:15pm Reckless Kelly, Urbane Cowboys Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $13/$16 Time: 6pm
MON
June
23
Modest Mouse, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Fillmore, Miami Cost: $36.50 Time: 8pm
9th Evolution, The Ludovico Technique, Mind Static Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
Amsden, Immoral Fixation The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm
Kaleigh Baker, Peter Baldwin Central Station Rock Bar, Orlando Cost: $TBA Time: 9pm
Matt And Kim, The Death Set, Monotonix, Team Robespierre, Reggie Watts Transitions Art gallery, Tampa Cost: $8 Time: 7pm
Baby Anne, Deekline Club Firestone, Orlando Cost: $3/$10 Time: 10pm The Seven Sisters, Anyone’s Guess, Keltic Fire, Alaric The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm DJ Meme, Jask Hyde Park Café, Tampa Time: 10pm
TUE
June
24
Monotonix, The Future Of Films In Space, Slippery Slopes BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8/$10 Time: 8pm
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10 TUE
June
24
THU
June
26
Neil Hamburger Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $8 Time: 9pm
Dead Bird, Black Tusk The Haven, Winter Park Time: 9pm
Modest Mouse, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $35 Time: 7pm
Men As Trees, Mans, Owl Of Minerva The Kickstand, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Rooney, Locksley, The Bridges Jack Rabbit’s, Jacksonville Time: 8pm
Eager Beaver Lillian’s Music Store, gainesville Time: 9:30pm
The Morning Of, The White Tie Affair, Holiday Parade, Tides Of Man The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $10 Time: 7pm
Soulphonics with Ruby Velle, Soft Rock Renegades new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm
MUMPSY
The Burnin Smyrnins Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $7 Time: 8pm
Mumpsy (CD Release), Baron Von Bear, XOXO The Social, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 9pm
The Death Set, Totally Michael, Team Robespierre Sluggo’s, Pensacola Time: 8pm
June
25
Ivy League, Flowers For Dorian, Egress Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm Birds And Batteries, Gettysburg, Thank You Kindly The Beta Bar, Tallahassee Time: 8pm Maserati, Summerbirds In The Cellar, Building The State Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 9pm Neil Hamburger, Flexxehawk Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 9pm The Aristocracy The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $5/$7 Time: 9pm
London After Midnight, Ars Phoenix, Decomatize Respectable Street, West Palm Beach Time: 8pm
Sleeping Giant, Impending Doom, Blessed By A Broken Heart, A Kiss For Jersey, My Children My Bride, Agraceful, War Of Ages, Before Their Eyes, With Blood Comes Cleansing, Soul Embraced, Here I Come Falling, Imperial, Castaway, Black Regiment The Haven, Winter Park Cost: $20 Time: 2pm Rooney, Locksley, The Bridges House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $12.25 Time: 6:30pm
FRI
June
Rooney, Locksley, The Bridges Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $12 Time: 6pm Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Victor Wainright Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 8pm
SAT
Tailgunner Joe And The Earls Of Slander, The Blackpools new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm
June
28
27 MEWITHOUTYOU +Maps And Atlases, Gasoline Heart The Orpheum, Ybor City Cost: $12 Time: 6:30pm
El Ten Eleven The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 7pm
Joshua James, Will Dailey, Lex Land Studio A, Miami Cost: $10 Time: 6:30pm
Apocalyptic, Prophecy, Grim Reality, Must Not Kill, Arbalest, Arm The Poor Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
Maserati, Summerbirds In The Cellar, Red Room Cinema, Clock Hands Strangle Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $9 Time: 9pm
The Ones To Blame, Long Gone Daddy’s, Wishful Drinking Market Street Pub, gainesville Time: 9pm
Modest Mouse, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine Cost: $26 Time: 7:30pm
See You Next Tuesday, Elisya , Knights Of The Abyss, The Banner, A Girl A Gun A Ghost The Orpheum, Ybor City Time: 6pm
CreepINthinGE, Ueberschall, The Viirus, DollhouseX Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
Monotonix, After The Bomb Vs. Biowolf Jack Rabbit’s, Jacksonville Time: 8pm
Rooney, Locksley, The Bridges State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $13/$15 Time: 6pm
Moneyshot, Broken Center, Alive Inside Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $7 Time: 8pm The Shoddy Beatles, Morningbell, King Of Spain Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
Gentleman Action House, Mants Crowbar, Ybor City Time: 9pm
WED
El Ten Eleven Club TSI, Jacksonville Time: 9pm
MASERATI +Summerbirds In The Cellar, Strangers BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 8pm Blacksmithz, Bryan Malpass Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
ARTpool Film Festival ARTpool, St. Petersburg Time: 8pm By The Horns, Impurity, Fatal The Atlantic, gainesville Cost: $6 Time: 10pm Mike Dunn And The Kings Of New England, XOXO, Elevation, Dish BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $7 Time: 7pm
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11 Dethklok, Chimaira, Soilent Green Hard Rock Live, Orlando Cost: $25 Time: 7:30pm
Tuff Sons The garage, St. Petersburg Cost: $TBA Time: 8pm Holes And Hearts, Rescue 22, Her Revenge, Anareta Crowbar, Ybor City Time: 8pm Demon Hunter, Living Sacrifice, Oh Sleeper, The Famine, Advent House of Blues, Orlando Cost: $15.50 Time: 6:15pm King Britt, Three Hyde Park Café, Tampa Time: 10pm
01
Lower Class Brats, Wednesday Night Heroes, The Heart Attacks, Big City Bombers BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm
Dethklok, Chimaira, Soilent Green Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Cost: $22/$24 Time: 7pm
Decomatize, Earth Empire, Harréy Marion Street Café, Lake City Time: 9pm
DJ DRM, Kidgusto, Tiny Violin The Social, Orlando Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
DJ DRM new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm Double Bind, 4 Souls Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
WED
Anthony Gomes Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Cost: $10/$13 Time: 8pm
Deadbird, Blacktusk, Dark Castle, Society Distort, Flying Snakes, Piles Sufferers Transitions Art gallery, Tampa Cost: $8 Time: 7pm
June
29
Irrational, Backrive, Souls Harbour, The Giving End BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $8 Time: 7pm MeWithoutYou, Maps & Atlases, Gasoline Heart Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $12 Time: 6pm DJ Blenda Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 8pm
02
Laura Reed The Beta Bar, Tallahassee Time: 8pm
THU
July
03
Hot Dog Show II Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: TBA Time: TBA Teddy Geiger, Hilary McRae, Scott Harris BackBooth, Orlando Cost: $15 Time: 7:30pm Harry And The Potters, Math The Band, Common grounds, gainesville Cost: $10/$12 Time: 7pm Boris, Torche, Clouds The Social, Orlando Cost: $13/$15 Time: 8pm
Geoff, Barghetto The Kickstand, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 10pm
Peter Murphy Tampa Theatre, Tampa Cost: $33.50/$38.50 Time: 8pm
Pickford Sundries new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 4pm
FRI
Johnny G. Lyon Band Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Time: 5pm Demon Hunter, Living Sacrifice, Oh Sleeper, The Famine, Advent State Theatre, St. Petersburg Cost: $15.50/$18 Time: 6:30pm
June
July
Eyes On The Prize, Alert The Media, Evolution Heart Backstage Lounge, gainesville Cost: $5 Time: 9pm
Milka, Junkie Rush, Gargamel The Social, Orlando Cost: $10 Time: 9pm
MON
July
Soft Rock Renegades Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: FREE! Time: 9pm
Business Casual Kelly’s Pub, Tampa Time: 9pm
SUN
TUE
30
Brokencyde, Karate High School, Thoreau, Spinlight, The Fight At The Show Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $5/7 Time: 8pm
July
04
Harry And The Potters, Math The Band, Uncle Monsterface Crowbar, Ybor City Cost: $10/12 Time: 7pm The Radiators, Hagus Magagus Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale Cost: $19.99 Time: 8pm Guiltmaker, Savio new World Brewery, Ybor City Cost: $6 Time: 9pm Til My Rival Dies Pegasus Lounge, Tampa Cost: $5/$7 Time: 8:30pm
Four years into its creation, the Florida Institute of Recording, Sound and Technology, or the F.I.R.S.T. School, is staying small while making big changes in the lives of its students. C.E.O and School Director Alan Kay Forbes worked as an engineer/producer before opening the school. He realized a need for qualified engineers and producers after trying to hire people to work in the new studio he’d opened. He encountered many people with proficiency in some areas, like production demos; those same people, however, were lacking the skills and experience necessary to work in a professional studio environment. Rather than letting the fact that he had a hard time finding competent help get him down, he decided to start a school where people could be educated to meet the demands of the industry. Forbes cites small class sizes, of five or six students per class, as a reason for the program’s success. Students get 95 percent hands-on experience, and 80 percent of students find jobs in the industry within six months of graduating. “We graduate about 100 students a year and we really get a chance to work with them on a one-on-one basis,” he says. “We care about them. It’s not like your typical school where you’re just a number there, and it’s like you get it or you don’t get it. We really provide the best experience possible and we care about our students, and that’s why they get to go out there and be as successful as they are.” According to Forbes, that’s a vital difference between the F.I.R.S.T. School and some of the other production schools in Orlando. Recent graduate Erik Velez, 30, said that after eight years working as a producer for Cox Radio, and 13 years as a DJ in Orlando and Miami, he decided to attend the school in order to become more
polished at his craft, which he essentially taught himself. “Really I’ve learned everything I know by pressing buttons and things like that,” says Velez. “I didn’t know the technicality of things. I wanted to learn more in detail what exactly I had been doing for a living for the longest time, so basically I would sound like I knew what I was doing.” Velez adds that it was important to him to be able to “use real terminology, really using the right words and right terms in order to be able to express myself better when talking with somebody [in the industry].” After looking at various schools in Orlando and Miami, he chose the F.I.R.S.T School because it seemed to be the most hands-on, and he wanted to be in a small classroom setting so that he could be sure he got individual attention. And even given his years of experience, Velez has learned some valuable lessons. “I thought I knew about most everything from just my experience, and really, I learned a lot,” he says. “It also connected a lot of dots together for me ... I just figured things out along the way and didn’t know exactly why things did the things they did on certain software, and going to the F.I.R.S.T. School, all these dots were connected.” Another student, 20-year-old Shawn Martz, is nearly halfway through the eight-month program. He moved to Orlando from Ohio after a couple of years of college taught him that college wasn’t for him. Martz chose the F.I.R.S.T School because it seemed to have good networking opportunities, and the price was right. Martz is enrolled in the film and video program and plans to pursue a career as a director of photography. “I love it,” he says. “They help you out a lot. The networking is good.” Visit the F.I.R.S.T. School online at firstaudiocareers.com.
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12 Of course, you can’t have a gay-pride festival, or a decent party for that matter, without music and dancing. Pettiette says local music acts are “very supportive and excited” to be part of the event, and national acts like Betty, Josh zuckerman and nancy Rancourt have been brought in to entertain as St. Pete Pride continues to expand “The Largest Pride Celebration in Florida.” There will be two stages on Central Avenue on Saturday: Miller Lite 25th Street Acoustic Stage Una Voche: 10:00 to 10:30 Patti B.: 10:50 – 11:20 Julie Schurr: 1:40 – 12:10 Lorna Bracewell: 12:30 – 1:00 Lexi Pierson: 1:20 – 1:50 Phil garris: 2:10 – 2:40 STP Twirling group: 3:00 – 3:20 Drag Kings and Queens will emcee and perform between acts.
St. Pete Pride will host its sixth annual gay pride celebration with a weekend of festivities including local and, for the first time, national musical acts. St. Pete Pride Board Member and Coordinator of Events Monica Pettiette says they expect more than 80,000 people from all over to attend, and there will be something for everyone, from country to rock to choral to electronica. And what would a pride celebration be without those belles of the ball, the fabulous drag queens and kings? They’ll emcee and perform between acts.
Thursday, June 26
Taste of Pride 7-10 p.m @ Nova 535 The party will offer live jazz, wine sampling, and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $30 and proceeds will benefit the Metro Charities.
Friday, June 27
Laughter in Paradise Comedy Festival 6 p.m. @ Nova 535 Featuring comedians Christine O’leary and Ant. Immediately following the show from 10 until last call is The After Party, featuring DJ/Producer DJ Pride. The cost to attend the comedy show is $50 in advance or $55 at the door, and includes dinner, wine and a meet-and-greet with the performers as well as admission to The After Party. Proceeds will benefit ASAP. Admission to just the After Party is $10.
Saturday, June 28
The Georgie’s Alibi Promenade/St. Pete Pride Street Festival 10 a.m. @ Historic Kenwood The promenade kicks off the day with a parade starting down Central Avenue through the grand Central District. It ends at noon, making way for the Street Festival, which hosts over 250 vendors. The usual watering holes along Central Avenue will cater to the sweaty revelers.
WAMU 21st Street Stage Ron Morris: 10:30 – 11:00 Someday Souvenir: 11:30 – 12:00 Halcyon: 12:30 – 1:00 BETTY: 1:30 – 1:45 Josh zuckerman: 2:00 – 2:30 nancy Rancourt: 3:00 – 4:00 Drag Kings and Queens will emcee and perform between acts. One notable change in this year’s festivities will be Saturday night’s parties. The men’s party, Return of Babylon, will be hosted by The Krewe of Babylon at nova 535. This dance party will feature DJ Brianna, Michael Lucas’ “Boys from Lucas,” and recording artist Sean Ensign. The party starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The women’s party, Rock Loud, Rock Proud, is presented by Twirl girl Promotions and East Coast Sports and Social, and will be held at The Coliseum. Some Day Souvenir will open at 8 p.m.; Betty plays at 9. Tickets (available at Ticketmaster) are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Proceeds will benefit St. Pete Pride, Metro Charities, and Ribbons in the Sky. Paméla Palumbo, founder of Twirl girl Promotions, says she’s excited about the self- described rock/alt/power/pop group, Some Day Souvenir. The female-fronted five-piece has been on hiatus for a while, but Palumbo says they’re back and going strong. “I kind of got them out of the closet again and shook the dust off … and I sort of started the buzz for them again,” Palumbo says. “They’re a really, really cool local band.” Finally, on Sunday the festivities end with the ironically named party D-Tox, which begins at 2 p.m at nova 535 and goes until midnight. DJ/Producer Hex Hector, DJ Pride, DJ Mikel and nancy (naan) Rancourt will entertain. It should be worth drinking through the hangover. Entry is $15. Pride Passes are available for $99, and include entry into Taste of Pride, Laughter in Paradise, the After Party and D-Tox. Plus, you get a free St. Pete Pride T-shirt. For more information on the Pride Pass and St. Pete Pride 2008, visit stpetepride.
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BLOODY GOOD TIME
REAX MUSIC Magazine • JUNE 2008 • Page 40
dethklok
is the fictional death metal band at the center of the warped reality set in the world of metalocalypse – the hit animated series on cartoon network’s adult swim. now, show creator brendon small is in the midst of a summer tour bringing dethklok to the stage, and to audiences considerably more real than the band. “Our live show is simple,” says Small. “My initial thought was, ‘I want to make this feel like a big, stupid Disney ride, but with murder.’ And that’s what I’m going for. I want to tell a little bit of story. I want to get the audience involved. I want it to be fun for guys who like their metal, and are very excited about metal, and I want it to be something that people who don’t know anything about metal, or in fact may be scared by metal, will still enjoy. So it should be a fun ride. And it’s basically a gigantic movie screen playing above [Dethklok], I’m in this band with three other musicians and we’re supposed to be a pit orchestra to the show that is above us, which is the animation.” Bringing the doom of Dethklok to the stage presents huge challenges rarely faced by musical acts (aside from gorillaz). When asked what difficulties he has encountered in taking Detklok on tour, Small was meek yet confident. “For me, it’s just been rehearsing guitar parts and playing and singing at the same time,” he says. “I had an idea for a little bit of a story – just enough story to hang your hat on. And then I talked to a couple of the directors who work on this show and I said, ‘Hey, let’s start putting videos together for these songs. What would “Murmaider” look like? What would be the continuation of “Thunderhorse?”’ And we just sat together and started thinking about these things, and the guys just storyboarded stuff, and we checked in every day. All this stuff is really fun to do – it’s just that at some point you have to make sure you have enough budget and time. I guess that’s the most difficult thing. This isn’t the kind of band that can go out and start playing at a local club, you have to have a presentation, so you have to talk a lot of people into giving you lots of money. That’s been my forte with the whole Dethklok thing, talking people into opening up their purses so I can take money and be creative with it. And, again, playing guitar
live. I feel comfortable with that now, but I’ve been rehearsing for, like, a year for this.” Small has enlisted a crack team of musicians to bring Dethklok to the masses. Metal drummer gene Hoglan (Dark Angel/ Unearth), guitarist Mike Keneally (Frank zappa) and bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai) have joined the lineup, each bringing his own vast array of experience to the table. Small is quick to sing the praises of these musicians and their contributions to the live experiences, but emphasizes the true direction of the band. “My whole M.O. was: Let’s not make it about us,” says the ringleader. “Let’s make it about [Dethklok]. Let’s not embarrass people by trying to dress up like the band. I’m just not interested in that. Wait for the Icecapades show, when I really sell out. In the meantime, I want to make sure these guys are just solid. My prerequisites for anyone I want to work with is that they have to be incredibly talented, incredibly relaxed, and have a good sense of humor. And that’s what all these guys have. Plus it turns out that they’re all virtuoso musicians.” Metalocalypse is the product of a collection of tastes Small has acquired over the years. Whether shredding on his guitar in college, or rediscovering his roots years later, he has proven himself a competent and creative musician.
years off, and getting excited about it again. Meanwhile, as I was doing Home Movies I was rediscovering metal, and kind of getting back into this stuff that was a guilty pleasure. I always wanted to do a project that was just a music project, and the time was right for Dethklok. I had never really written death metal stuff before – I had been into Metallica and Slayer and all that stuff. While I was in music school, we were doing everything but metal. I grew up playing metal, so it was fun to reacquaint myself with that stuff and develop what Dethklok was going to sound like. That was part of the development process for me. I spent three months off trying to figure out what the band was going to sound like.” In their cartoon forms, Dethklok preside over a dark and dangerous world where sudden and often gory deaths are commonplace. While on the surface their behavior may seem rash, hedonistic, or – one might suggest – nihilistic, Small insists there is a deeper satirical meaning behind the chaos that is Dethklok. “Our show is about celebrityism and what we try to do is reflect what’s going on in the world of celebrities,” he reasons. “The last decade of TV and entertainment has kind of devolved into, ‘What is the celebrity doing? How does that affect me?’ All that stuff – and that’s basically what we’re trying to do. If that ends up being nihilism … we’re not necessarily trying to go for that. We’re showing that this particular band and/or the celebrities we’re choosing to showcase and satirize are narcissistic, self-obsessed people, which I think contradicts nihilism in some ways.”
“I like rock guitar, I like shred guitar. I’m in it for the grandiosity of it … playing the kind of guitar I wanted to play was desperately uncool around the time I got good at playing,” he says. “I was working at Dethklok plays Orlando’s Hard Rock Live June 30, and St. Petersburg’s Jannus a movie theater and all I cared about was Landing July 1. movies and plot structure and character. I started doing stand-up and put my guitar away for a while. And then in [Small’s dethklok.org previous animated series] Home Movies I was rediscovering my guitar after a few
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 41
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LESS THAN JAKE
M
ustaches, police uniforms and the distribution of 20 dozen doughnuts; it’s not in the least bit a bad way to embark on the summer. In fact, it’s exactly how gainesville’s own Less Than Jake celebrated the beginning of the sweltering season on the fifth of May at Bamboozle 2008. Instead of celebrating Cinco De Mayo, LTJ celebrate Cinco De Mustache, a holiday in which they grow their facial hair for that one day. During this year’s prime growing season, however, the band was scheduled to perform in front of thousands of festival attendants. So, instead of forsaking their hard work with a razor, they decided to add to the ridiculousness of the situation by dressing like police and throwing out the stereotypical 5-0 snack. “I think everyone in the band has a story of someone mistaking them for a real cop, or at least a security guard,” says drummer and lyricist Vinnie Fiorello, with whom a Manhattan officer once attempted to establish camaraderie. He backed away quickly, though. “You’ve got to realize in new Jersey and new York people still are freaky about 9/11 and terrorist attacks and things like that so I think that people would mistake us dressed like cops and walking around in public as something weird and unscripted and criminal when it was just a bunch of rednecks from Florida who are growing their mustaches for a holiday.” now mustache-free, the band is ready to kick off the Shout It Loud Tour in St. Pete on June 17. Coinciding with the release of their new
album, GNV FLA, the tour features rotating accompanying acts that include Goldfinger, Suburban Legends, Mustard Plug and Big D and the Kids Table.
It’s no surprise that from the creative minds of the guys who have a collection of over 800 Pez dispensers would flow a circus of a live show. no shoegazing here, but what’s in store for the summer will surely be a surprise, as they refuse to pull the sheet off of it just yet. GNV FLA marks a new era for LTJ. not only is the album a return to the band’s original sound; the CD also places power back in the hands of the ones holding the instruments. “Warner Brothers was cool enough to understand that Less Than Jake no longer fit into the machine that is a major label,” says Fiorello. “We didn’t want to go into teen pop, we don’t fit in that mold of teen pop, and we don’t fit in the mold of indie rock or pop music. To Warner Brothers’ credit, after explaining that to them, they were cool enough and logical enough to let us out of that one last record.” The album’s title references the state of Florida’s official mail abbreviation prior to the two-letter switch, and the gainesville Airport Code, which also changed. It’s a metaphor for Fiorello’s shiny penny theory – the chasing of something physical and emotional, something new as opposed to being happy in the present. Though new Jersey, where Fiorello is originally from, shaped him through his teenage years, it was gainesville that led him into adulthood, and earned the dedication.
now LTJ has started their own record label, Sleep It Off, which has already re-released Pezcore; Goodbye, Blue and White; Losers, Kings and Things We Don’t Understand and The People’s History of Less Than Jake and will continue to re-release LTJ records as the ownership rights to each become available. Fiorello has helped found three labels, Fueled By Ramen, Paper + Plastick and now Sleep It Off. Although he left Fueled by Ramen in 2006, he says the main difference between that imprint and Sleep It Off is that the latter is primarily Less Than Jake. That doesn’t mean Sleep It Off will never release another band’s work, but for right now, Fiorello can rely on Paper + Plastick for that. The main goal of Sleep It Off is to take control of the visual and aural history of Less Than Jake, and preserve that timeline. Major emphasis is placed on packaging; all re-releases include new artwork and a DVD of bonus material because, as Fiorello puts it, “You have to do that,” not only for business purposes to differentiate the two releases, or as an incentive to the fans, but also because packaging is all the more important in a time when music is being obtained through visually lacking formats. “Maybe you’ll get the cover that you downloaded off of iTunes, maybe you’ll get a digital booklet in a pdf file, but that happens once in a while now,” he says. “I think that Less Than Jake has always prided itself on packaging because we want it to be an entire package. We want it to be a record experience, a whole experience not just a single off of iTunes, not just a 99-cent [purchase] of a song. We want people to hear the whole record because the whole
idea is that when you have that you need this packaging to go along with it that ties everything together.” Since 2006’s In With The Out Crowd, the members of LTJ have kept busy with various side projects. The crests and troughs of the wave that is Less Than Jake allow the members this freedom to create elsewhere. Buddy Schaub has been working the Coffee Project; Roger Manganelli with Rehasher; Pete “JR” Wasilewski has delved into managing bands and Chris Demakes has been dancing professionally. As for Fiorello, he’s been releasing toys with Wunderland War, managing The AKAs and Houston Calls and releasing records on Paper + Plastick. As the wave builds back toward a crest, LTJ has to reflect on how they have changed since the last record. “How would I portray the band?” Fiorello asks. “That’s a tough thing without people actually hearing the record and I don’t really want to make commentary on describing the record because I hate to do that and color people’s perceptions of it. But I think that the picture would show a band that’s a bit more urgent than records past. It would show a band that’s sort of learned its lesson from the previous record also. “Less Than Jake is Less Than Jake, man. now I think we’re more aware then we ever have been of who we are and that’s a cool way to feel.”
MYSPACE.COM/LESSTHANJAKE
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reaxinterviews
THE ORB U
pon first listen, I was certain The Orb’s new CD The Dream wasn’t “my” Orb, although it is The Orb, through and through. Surprisingly, The Dream is growing on me in much the same way Massive Attack’s Blue Lines did when it was first released in the States, slowly and surely. Unsampled vocals have been missing from The Orb’s records for at least a decade, with perhaps a few obscure exceptions; with this release, mellow toasters and measured, soulful sirens replace the heady textures MIA Orbsman Thomas Fehlmann normally contributes. Over the past two decades, the music produced by Dr. Alex Paterson and his vast array of friends has inspired thoughts and dreams of creative movement: you choose the plain, or plane, to dance on or get comfortable in. There is a notable lack of over-the-top humor in this current incarnation, but make no mistake – Paterson and his cohorts abhor predictability, and doubtlessly are in the throes of forging new amalgams of future music whether as DJs, producers or players. now, on to The Dream… REAX: Was there any specific idea behind
The Dream? Alex Paterson: It’s basically just going back to our roots, really, maybe too far to our roots, but no, it’s fine. It’s kind of a reflection of our first two albums. I think the next album needs to be totally revolutionary from that, kind of where we left off with [2005’s] Okie Dokie ... what I think it really is, is a mash of the two as opposed to having this kind of one or two-sided Orb. I think over time that will develop ... and it may not. [Laughs] It’s down to the people I’m working with. With The Dream it’s really a British pop element, even though it comes from The Orb of Okie Dokie, it’s quite actually a European disco, kind of disco feel, which, quite honestly I prefer, because at the end of the day you can only take so much of vocals. If it’s a good tune it can stand the test of time, like Autobahn By Kraftwerk or Oxygene by Jean Michel Jarre! [Laughs] REAX: How much of The Dream was an actual collaboration and how much of it was developed in separate parts and then brought to the table? AP: Most of it was done in that fractured way, like you said it. Some of it was put
together, some of it was put together apart, and some of it was mixed by other people. Andy Hughes mixed a couple, trying to get back to that old Orb style. greg Hunter is on there too. In a lot of respects Thomas Fehlmann should have been doing stuff, as well. The new dynamics were Tim Bram and David nock coming in; Youth coming in and playing some bass lines. I had him playing everything four or five times instead of just once. ‘I like that, but do it again, a bit lower.’ [Laughs] I mean, after 25 years of DJing I must have some kind of ear for drums and bass. I’m actually on tour right now, DJing around Europe. REAX: How did it turn out that Thomas Fehlmann wasn’t part of The Dream? AP: I never wanted it to be that way, but Thomas and Youth are kind of, like, alteregos, as far as Youth is concerned. It was primarily me and Thomas who did Okie Dokie, but when me and Youth began work on The Dream it wasn’t really just me and him. A lot of people got involved and it became like the first two Orb records, and to be quite honest, I’ve already done a new album with Thomas. It’s a film soundtrack for a film called Plastic Planet, which is
made by one of the directors of March of the Penguins. I’m actually quite proud because it’s that European eclectic, but kind of experimental sounds that are fresh and very very trippy. It’s soundtrack music; it’s not like a twelve-inch mix off an album. Thomas and I have also been working on music for a video game. The makers of that game will be getting back to us shortly. As far as Youth goes, he’s going on tour with Killing Joke. We won’t be working together again until he’s off tour. REAX: As far as remixes from The Dream go, who might we see working their magic on the singles? AP: We’ve got some happening with the ‘DDD (Dirty Disco Dub)’ tune right now. We’ve got a remix by Belkin Stelker, and by Thomas Fehlmann, and this other band Tripswitch, which I’ve been playing out at DJ gigs. The Thomas one is being couriered over at the moment. ‘Beautiful Day’ will (also) be remixed in the next month. The Orb’s new album, The Dream, is out now on Six Degrees. For the full interview, go to reaxmusic.com.
REAX MUSIC Magazine • JUNE 2008 • Page 45
reaxinterviews
T
he story of Ingrid Michaelson merits as much mention as the singersongwriter’s music. The quickwitted redhead from Staten Island paved a new road for independent artists, proving the definition of music-industry success has evolved. And while her story inspires, her music casts irresistible bait that hooks everything in its path; musical comparisons range from Norah Jones to Lisa Loeb (probably because she has that “hot librarian” look), but Michaelson’s songs seem to take on their own personality through pop and folk melodies along with vulnerable, honest lyrics that anyone can relate to. The business model she has became known for catapulted her career through commercial placements. If you want to know more details of how this former children’s theater teacher made it big through Myspace, placements on Grey’s Anatomy and an Old Navy Commercial, Google her name and I promise you a plethora of information will be available to you. Michaelson’s song “The Way I Am” flooded people’s homes with a contagious melody and identifiable lyrics that quickly
warmed more viewers than the Old Navy sweaters it was used to hawk, inspiring over 650,000 digital downloads of the song. The story is unique, but the most impressive twist to her auspicious career is that it all happened without the aid of a label. While Michaelson works very hard with a trusted team, her success unfolds in an unconventional way that seems to receive more attention than the actual music. “It’s a weird sort of existence for a musician, to be so recognized for her business model and not for her music,” Michaelson says. “I’m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, I mean most of my press in the Times and Billboard and Rolling Stone, it’s all been not about my music really, but the story of me kind of going about things in a different way, which I’m totally proud of, but my music is taking a back seat to that. It’s just a displaced feeling, but I wouldn’t be selling records if the music wasn’t speaking to people in a way that is positive.” If she is worried about true appreciation of her music, selling 210,000 copies of her
sophomore album Girls and Boys without a label should dispel any doubt, and prove the fans want more of Michaelson’s music than just what Grey’s Anatomy reveals to them. The label-less tale of commercial success makes Michaelson’s story stand out amongst other new artists, but it’s her soft, sincere voice, haunting piano melodies and painstakingly personal lyrics, however, that captivate listeners’ hearts, creating deep connections with her music. “I write the way I think and the way I want to speak,” she says. “I feel like I can say things that people think and feel, but in a way that they never would have voiced it themselves. I don’t write anything enigmatic and confusing. I use the essence of what I’m feeling. I feel connected to it, and it’s so tangible.” While the media wades into the story of how her success came to be, the fans dive in head first, completely immersing themselves in everything Ingrid, anxiously awaiting the release of her follow-up album. “It’s going to be different,” says Michaelson of the next album. “It’s a little further
off kilter and a little darker ... I like dark sentiment with sort of happy, upbeat music because it throws off people.” Whether following her own path leads to the indies or the majors, Michaelson has no plans to lose creative control. “I’ve never said that I would never sign,” she says. “I’ve just always wondered how far I could go without signing. Now I’m touted as the indie darling, so if I ever sign to a label, the heavens will crash down on me.” Witty, sarcastic, sincere, humble and humorous could all describe Michaelson’s highly audience-interactive live performances. Allie Moss, Bess Rogers, Chris Kuffner and Elliot Jacobson, all talented players in their own right, complete the band accompanying Michaelson on her headlining U.S. summer tour. Greg Laswell, who played Michaelson’s “clown boyfriend” in the video for “The Way I Am” and is one of her “favorite artists ever,” provides support.
Ingridmichaelson.com
REAX MUSIC Magazine • JUNE 2008 • Page 46
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REAX MUSIC Magazine • JUNE 2008 • Page 47
Words: Michael Rabinowitz If I were to describe a UK band that were just released from their major label contract, who now intend to go out it alone, to record and distribute their album themselves, I’d be talking about Radiohead, right? Only a band with creative muscle to pull off OK Computer could do this, right? Wrong. Thom Yorke isn’t the only one taking advantage of the digital age. The Futureheads, of Sunderland, England are the latest act to eschew the very system that crowned them conquerors only four years ago. After their eponymous LP on the Warner Bros. imprint 679 Records, which mixed a capella choruses into post-punk revival anthems, The Futureheads were hailed for connecting pop machinations with wry social commentary a la The Clash, and celebrated as having more substance than the Killers and Braverys of the major-label universe. Yet when their follow-up, the uneven News And Tributes, wasn’t greeted with the same fanfare (and market tastes shifted from bass-heavy minimalism to the baroque pop of Arcade Fire and The Shins), Warner Bros. unceremoniously dumped The Futureheads. The band used the rejection as an opportunity, launching
their own label nul Records to release their newest album, This Is Not The World – a fitting title. considering their biography. Lead singer Barry Hyde, who views The Futureheads as “music industry vigilantes,” admits that, had the band stayed with Warner Bros., the boys would likely have split up from the pressures of being under a major contract. “Right now, [the industry] is ground to a halt and people are getting stressed out,” he says. “I feel like we were in one of the cars in the traffic jam, and then along comes a helicopter to throw us down some ropes and we grabbed onto the ropes and we’re looking at the traffic jam from above and it doesn’t seem so stressful anymore.” But with freedom comes responsibility, like recording overhead, scheduling tour support, and picking the first single. This Is Not A World is a rapid-fire effort – anger at Warner Bros., ironically, serving as fuel – with coming-out single “Beginning Of The Twist” reflective of the excitement and creative freedom The Futureheads found themselves enjoying. For Hyde, “Twist” is the “massive size 11 boot to your face” the
group needs to reintroduce themselves. “The reason why we chose ‘Twist’ first is because we are trying to break into the castle of the music business,” says Hyde, adding in pure Braveheart manner, “and the best way to start off your campaign is to use a battering ram, smash the door in.” Smashing down the door includes giving control back to The Futureheads’ audience, a premise the labels have to yet to embrace. There is a reason for the uptick in vinyl’s popularity, and it’s not just among audiophiles. Hyde recognizes that offering more than digital downloads is the key to success. “There is nothing more gratifying than getting your album out on vinyl,” he admits. “We’re still very much into making physical albums, but we completely appreciate that most people buy music through downloads. But there is no reason why we can’t please both sides of the market. We are in it for everyone’s needs, and our own.” This artist- and consumer-centric mentality at nul Records is sure to attract other bands seeking more independence. This
is what Detroit garage rockers The Von Bondies thought when they approached Hyde. But being someone else’s slave master wasn’t what nul Records was about. “That would go against what we are trying to do,” Hyde says. “We are trying to prove that you don’t need the record label, that you can be the record label. That would make us hypocrites. [It] would make us into what we are trying to get away from.” The fact remains that the reason for Warner Brother’s abandonment of The Futureheads was the shifting of listeners’ tastes toward more layered pop arrangements. It’s only natural to question whether these market preferences seep into Hyde’s mind when writing music. “I am always a believer in that a good song is a good song, no matter the style or the arrangement,” he counters. “We’ve got our own path now, so we need to spend more time about where we’re going than what’s around us.”
THEFUTUREHEADS.CO.UK
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 48
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The first time I heard the Smoking Popes was in the mid-’90s, right around the time they toured with Jawbreaker. It was prefaced with the statement, “Yeah, the singer sounds like Morrissey.” And they even received this famed quote from the Moz himself (about their debut release): “I bought the album, and I just thought it was extraordinary — the most lovable thing I’d heard for years.” With that kind of an endorsement, I expected to hear a swaggering, tortured Brit whining about his existence in catchy pop songs. Instead I heard tight, punchy pop-punk as the backdrop to an American whining about his love life with a uniquely tongue-in-cheek sensibility. The bright, infectious song structures hooked me immediately, and Josh Caterer’s defeatist lyrics made me feel sorry for him while at the same time admiring him for his vulnerability. Caterer doesn’t have a swagger, and he’s less like Morrissey and more reminiscent of the crooner set – Frank Sinatra, to be specific. When I watched the Popes at The State Theatre, I half-expected him to swing his guitar to the back, grab the microphone, lean into the audience and make the girls swoon. He delivers his vocals with a deftness that obscures the band’s punk
beginnings (read: verse-chorus-verse /threechord-riff-with-an-eight-measure-guitar-solo song structure). As I was in the early stages of my neverending search for great music around the time I first heard them, I can credit this band for helping me move past my K Records jangle-pop obsession. Though I can still appreciate the sweetness of bands like Tiger Trap, SP put some bitter with that sweet and pushed me forward in discovering what I loved about music with some of the best breakup/broken heart songs ever, like “Pretty Pathetic,” “no More Smiles” and “Let’s Hear It For Love,” all from 1997’s Destination Failure. Smoking Popes was formed in 1991 by the Caterer and his two brothers, Matt and Eli, and was originally called Speedstick. After a name change and a line-up shift, they released a couple of EPs and an album. In 1994 they signed to Capitol Records, releasing two albums, Born To Quit and Destination Failure, for the label and touring with the likes of Morrissey, Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World. By 1998, however, things had started to change. Josh converted to Christianity and his new lifestyle wasn’t a fit
with the band anymore; he quit in early 1999. These days, the band is back together, releasing a new album and touring this summer. I had the opportunity to speak briefly to bassist Matt Caterer about the reunion. REAX: What prompted the band to reunite and record a new album? Matt Caterer: In november of 2005 I was hanging out with Josh, and he mentioned he was thinking about getting the Popes back together. At the time I never thought it would happen – reunions are never the same as the first time around. I thought about the Pixies and how the reunion just wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. Around this time we were asked to play a benefit. We had a couple of months to prepare, and 5 or 6 rehearsals. The tickets sold out in 36 minutes. There was such an amazing response and we had so much fun that night. REAX: I remember reading that when Josh became a Christian, he had objections to singing some Smoking Popes songs due to their subject matter. What changed his mind? MC: We talked about it and Josh felt more comfortable playing Popes songs now, as
opposed to a few years ago, because his faith has matured and gotten stronger REAX: What do you see in the future for the band? MC: I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be permanent. There are bands from Chicago like naked Raygun that have reunion shows all the time. Also, I’m looking into having Born to Quit re-issued. REAX: How has Josh’s faith changed the dynamic of the band? MC: It doesn’t seem to me that the subjects are too dramatically different now. The songs are still about chicks –[they’re] just his wife and daughter [now]. REAX: In what ways has the band grown since forming in 1991? MC: Our sound has gotten, hopefully, a little more sophisticated and cohesive. There’s a real energy and charm to the first 7-inches. But now the sound is more muscular. Smoking Popes’ first album in 11 years, Stay Down, will be out June 7 on Appeal Records.
MYSPACE.COM/SMOKINGPOPES
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ARTIST
NEW RELEASES
ALBUM
LABEL
ARTIST
ALBUM
LABEL
06/17/08
06/10/08 FLYING LOTUS LOS ANGELES WARP Bjork Black Lips The Cool Kids Jakob Dylan Jean Grae Joan as Police Woman John Henrys Karen Dalton Lexie Mountain Boys Lil’ Wayne My Morning Jacket N.E.R.D. Rank Deluxe Sloan Supergrass The Twilight Sad
Innocence S/T (LP) The Bake Sale Seeing Things The Orchestral Files To Survive Sweet As The Grain Green Rocky Road Sacred Vacation Tha Carter III Evil Urges Seething Sounds You Decide Parallel Play Diamond Hoo Ha Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did
THE NOTWIST THE DEVIL, YOU + ME DOMINO One Little Indian Bomp/Alive Chocolate Ind. Sony Babygrande PIAS True north Megaphone Carpark Cash Money AKO Star Trak FatCat Yep Roc Astralwerks
The Offspring Pelt Plastique De Reve Ponytail Reggie and the Full Effect Sally Shapiro Sebadoh Sian Alice Group Silver Jews SJ Esau The Subways Tilly And The Wall Twine Valient Thorr War on Drugs
Fat Cat
06/24/08
06/17/08
The Anniversary
Current 93 Gridlink Head Like a Kite IAMX The Impossible Shapes The Interiors James Blackshaw Jay Reatard Jeremy Jay Judas Priest King Khan and the Shrines Liquid Liquid Low Lows M’s Mogwai My Brightest Diamond Nomo
Sony VHF Death From Abroad We Are Free Vagrant Paper Bag Domino The Social Registry Drag City Anticon Warner Bros. Team Love ghostly International Volcom Secretly Canadian
HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR S/T MUTE
WOLF PARADE AT MOUNT ZOOMER SUB POP
Adem Benjamin Wetherill Bowerbirds Butter 08 Children of the Sixth Root Race Chromeo Clouds Coldplay
Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace Dauphin Elegies Lost in the City 12” Ice Cream Spiritual Last Stop: Crappy Town Remix Romance Vol. 2 Bubble and Scrape The Dusk Line EP Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea Small Vessel All Or Nothing O Violets Immortalizer Wagonwheel Blues
Takes Laura Hymns for a Dark Horse Butter 08
Domino Ba Da Bing Dead Oceans gR2 Classics
Songs From the Source Fancy Footwork (Deluxe Edition) We Are Above You Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends Black Ships Heat The Dancefloor Amber Gray There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere Kiss + Swallow The Impossible Shapes The Interiors Litany of Echoes Singles 06-07 Alpharhythm 7” Nostradamus The Supreme Genius of King Khan Liquid Liquid Shining Violence Real Close Ones Young Team (Deluxe Edition) A Thousand Shark’s Teeth Ghost Rock
Drag City Vice Hydra Head EMI Durtro/ Jnana Hydra Head Mush Metropolis Secretly Canadian 54-40 Or Fight! Tompkins Square In The Red K Records Sony Vice gR2 Classics Misra Polyvinyl Chemikal Und. Asthmatic Kitty Ubiquity
AU Babyshambles BBQ Be Your Own Pet The Black Lips Buffalo Killers Coffins Fanatix Forward Russia Liz Phair Lou Lou & Guitarfish Love As Laughter Mötley Crüe Mugison Paul Weller Saturday Knights Saul Williams Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 The Watson Twins The Wombats
Devil On Our Side: B-Sides and Rarities Verbs Oh What A Lovely Tour (Live DVD and CD) Tie Your Noose (Vinyl) Get Damaged EP We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit (Ltd. Edition LP) S/T (Vinyl) Buried Death This Thing Of Ours Life Processes Exile In Guyville (Reissue) Lou Lou & Guitarfish Holy Saints Of Los Angeles Mugiboogie 22 Dreams Mingle The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust Disorient Records Fire Songs A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation
Vagrant Aagoo Astralwerks Bomp/Alive XL Recordings Bomp/Alive Bomp/Alive Southern Lord !K7 Mute ATO Birdman glacial Pace/Epic Eleven Seven Music Ipecac Bomp/Alive Light in the Attic Red Ink/One Label Bomp/Alive Vanguard Roadrunner
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SOAPBOX
PRODUCT
REVIEW
WITH SHAWN KYLE
Movie: Who Killed the Electric Car? Sony Pictures Classics, 2006 The technology has existed for us to never need gas for our cars … in fact, there are now engineering shops that will convert just about any car to electric (just plug it in at night when you get home) for $15,000 and up. These cars can have a top speed over 180 mph, can go up to 200 miles per charge of their lithium batteries, and charge almost fully in only 45 minutes. Some people are buying new Porsches and having them converted, as they are faster when electric. Question: So, why the heck do car companies keep making gasoline engine cars? Answers: Because our government is run by murderous Big Oil crooks. Because most people don’t know that these cars are available to the public. Because not enough of us have seen this movie and gotten furiously angry. gas is going to hit $10 a gallon. It’s time to get educated on the options. whokilledtheelectriccar.com
It seems those of us that are always on the way to the show or the club go with either the expensive ‘70s-looking racing sneakers or the classic vintage leather boots. While I am not sober enough at present to wax philosophical about the obvious psychological overtones that this may imply, I can say that boots are the way to go. How is it possible to be more badass than when wearing leather kicks that make you look like you mean business? OK, I know you’re saying “Bruce Lee looked badass in those Tiger sneakers.” But that’s not enough to overcome the evidence for the boots. Electric Bob Dylan, the Doors, and Beatnicks: Black Ankle Boots. Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds: Cowboy Boots. Ironman: Rocket Boots… I mean, the list goes on. Also, a girl can go from next-door sweetheart to international spy chick just by putting on some riding boots. Have you ever seen a girl wearing riding boots actually riding a motorcycle or horse? The sheer beauty of it almost killed me dead on the spot.
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This piece of music and noisemaking gear is not a new item, but it keeps getting rediscovered by all different sorts of sound makers so I figured I’d give it another spin. The MicroKORg is very inexpensive and has a ton of vintage sounds including beats, synths, and assorted craziness. It has so much in its compact 37-mini-key chassis that it can be overwhelming. If you give up on trying to figure it out, just wing it (my suggestion), put in a Peter Bjorn and John record, and jam along. It also includes a vocoder for that DJ robot voice stuff, and runs on batteries, so you can play your versions of Human League songs anywhere. Tip for indie rockers: Run this thing through a fuzz box and it sounds like the end of the world! korg.com Available at Seminole Music: seminolemusic.com
Ever wanted to drink liquor at a place or situation that just doesn’t allow liquor, like a wedding, or during your boring college-level advanced physics class? Portashots has an answer for you: singleserving one-ounce shots in convenient plastic baggies that you can sneak past security by stashing anywhere on your body. It’s not highend booze by any means, but if you just can’t stand being sober somewhere (like a football game, church, or at work at the REAX office) these rum, vodka, or whiskey shots are for you. Also, be careful with this stuff, the whiskey can make you feel like you have a head full of rocks the next morning. Since my hip flask of 18 year single malt can’t make it past metal detectors, however, I will be taking these to the next stadium concert I attend. Product tested at the REAX Office
portashots.com
This affordable import version of Beatle Paul McCartney’s famous Hofner bass is sturdier than the $2000 original version. It sounds great, and has that vintage round, thumping tone that you hear on all the recordings from bands in the 60’s that had a “the” in front of their name. A real spruce top and beautiful flamed maple back and sides, along with a fast-as-heck neck make this one of the most fun, and easiest to play, basses I have ever tried. For a street price of $349 it is very cool, and so cheap that I may join a band on bass as an excuse to own one. Product tested at Stevie B’s Total guitar. StevieBs.com
Sherry’s Yesterdaze Vintage: yesterdazevintage.com Revolve Clothing Exchange: revolvewear.com
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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 25
SHOW REVIEW:
THE SWELL SEASON MAY 13, 2008 • COBB THEATRE, ATLANTA glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have earned themselves a spot in my revered Rock Couple Hall O’ Fame. They’ve joined ranks with the likes of Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan and georgia Hubley, and Ida’s Dan Littleton and Elizabeth Mitchell. Since starring in the melancholy singer-songwriter’s film Once, they have wormed their way into the consciousness of pseudointellectual closeted Woody Allen fans and supporters of community radio worldwide. So it was with twitterpated heart in hand that I made the seven-hour trek to Atlanta to see them, in the form of The Swell Season. The lights went down at 8 pm on the dot. As I clapped my hands together and giggled like a kindergartener, I craned my neck to see a figure coming out of the shadows … that was neither Hansard nor Irglova. Who it was it? That’s an excellent question, but I can’t say, exactly. She wasn’t listed on the ticket stub or introduced, but she played instrumental piano for half an hour. Finally, Hansard came out around 9:15 and stood at the very end of the stage sans microphone to play “Say It To Me now.” He delivered it like it was the last song he’d ever sing – with all of the heartbreak and vulnerability that emo whiners like Chris Carraba will never be able to convey. That was the benchmark for the evening and The Swell Season did not disappoint.
Before playing the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly,” he compared writing a song to kicking a soccer ball in your back yard and hitting the goal – only with “Falling Slowly” the ball flew over the fence, across the ocean and into another country. Engaging and funny, Hansard bookended each and every song with stories. Even in an auditorium of 2,500plus attendees he managed to make it personal, leading the audience in sing-alongs and interacting in ways that belied the large crowd. Backed up by members of his band The Frames, The Swell Season was a finely tuned machine. Everyone on stage appeared to have as much fun as the audience did. Hansard was a gracious host, interacting with the crowd and even responding to a good-natured heckle from my husband, “YOU gUYS ARE BADASS!”, with a laugh. not a shout-out you would expect from someone in a crowd of folkies, but it was true. The set was rounded out with songs from the Once soundtrack, the eponymous Swell Season full-length, some Frames tunes and a surprising cover of The Pixies’ “Levitate Me.” After a two-minute standing ovation they returned and played some more, including the Frames’ standout “Star Star” and ending the night with a stirring rendition of Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic.” This evening was worth the drive. It was exhilarating and memorable, speeding by in a rush of color and sound, and it was all over too soon.
REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 54
SOAPBOX
55 LESS THAN JAKE GNV FLA SLEEP IT OFF
MY MORNING JACKET EVIL URGES RED
If you want to display emotive sexual tension in a song, then the best voice to imitate is Prince. Well, its not that simple, but the effect is (somewhat) successful for pop-jam band My Morning Jacket on Evil Urges, an uneven album, yet one that showcases Jim James and Co’s ability to expand their multi-genre skills once again beyond everyone’s Allman Brothers expectations. After the dub reggaeinfluenced Z, and the live Springsteen bombast extravaganza that was Okonos, the natural progression may not seem discofunk, but James’ falsetto does the diminutive Prince as proud as he does Barry gibb on “Thank You Too,” which could be a Bee gees boy/girl skate ballad circa 1976. But Evil isn’t all dance-club Donna Summer licks. The southern hippie rock shines on in the organs and vocal harmonizing of “I’m Amazed” and “Sec Walkin” is a dreamy pastoral affair, albeit with Moog organ blips. Kraftwerk-style touches adorn the album’s conclusion with the dance track “Touch Me I’m going To Scream (Part 2),” but it’s “Highly Suspicious” that is highly contagious, where James professes his own evil urges for “peanut butter pudding,” proof that lust not be solely the focus of just carnal objects. – Michael Rabinowitz
GLASS AND ASHES GLASS AND ASHES NO IDEA RECORDS
SoCal hardcore outfit Glass and Ashes come screaming out of the gate on their explosive second album, defying the sophomore curse that plagues oh-so-many punk bands. The ten songs on this self-titled disc keep close to the formula the group laid down nearly four (!) years ago on Aesthetic Arrest, but unsurprisingly, the lengthy interim between albums has seen the group become both smarter and stronger. Blistering tracks like “To the Point of Paralysis” and “Exit Wound” still recall an unhinged attack that’s similar to Planes Mistaken for Stars, but g&A is wound far tighter, with an advanced sense of complexity. Those math-y tendencies get a great airing on longer, more structured cuts like “We Will Hang for This” and the sevenand-a-half minute track “The Rebuttal” that closes out the album. But although g&A have grown wiser, they’re still possessed of the same riotous energy that’s helped garner them a considerable live reputation over the years. – Jason Ferguson
Less Than Jake’s first release from their new self-owned label serves as a tribute to the state and city for which it’s named. GNV FLA highlights the small-town life and politics of gainesville, but is applicable to small towns all over the U.S. The lyrics tackle issues that befall single mothers, drug dealers, and the common person; however, despite the darker subject matter, the album itself is in no way dreary. It actually takes a few listens to sort through the horns and thumping ska to realize and decipher the social commentary. The band’s last album was viewed as a departure from their traditional sound. While GNV FLA makes a return flight home to what people have come to know and expect LTJ, drummer and lyricist Vinnie Fiorello is hesitant to say the band have returned to their “tradition sound” for fear of GNV FLA being perceived as a throwback. “I think that, if anything, GNV FLA is what Less Than Jake is, but it’s over amplified,” he says. “There’s ska, there’s sassy punk rock, there’s melodic punk rock, there’s some metal influences in there. I mean, it’s what people have come to think of when people say Less Than Jake, that’s what the new record is. So, it’s not really necessarily a step backwards to what it was, it’s more so a step to who we are.” – Molly Hays
REGGIE & THE FULL EFFECT
LAST STOP: CRAPPY TOWN
VAGRANT
Don’t expect the return of the Loch ness Monster or light-hearted dance songs – this time around, James Dewees (aka Reggie) attacks darker, heavier material with seriousness instead of silliness. Last Stop is a concept album about the subways in Brooklyn, with appropriately named songs; or rather, appropriately lettered, as eight of the 12 tracks have a single-letter title. Dewees even states that on this record, “… there was nothing remotely reminiscent of the Reggie the fans were expecting.” Listen to “J,” “R” and “Smith & 9th.” The slower, scream-deficient “Smith & 9th” contains a chorus that includes the lines, “It’s a major complication/ How’d you do this to the nation?”and finishes with an encouraging thought: “Hope hold on to hope/ and hope it lets you breathe.” “J” is a clappy song about being out on tour and the accompanying drama; “R” deals with escaping and proving oneself, but has an acoustically eerie ending. Dewees’ fifth Reggie release has a refreshingly honest characteristic to it that might otherwise be lost, had Dewees himself not decided to take a different direction this time around. – Molly Hays
ISSUE 21
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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 25
FLEET FOXES FLEET FOXES SUB POP
It starts with an off-key chorus, revealing its innocence, reminiscent of “Barbara Ann” by The Regents. Then the five-piece pushes back the curtain, revealing its stage to be much more expansive than a five-piece arrangement could ever muster. Mountains, countrysides, and deep river valleys are revealed that any listener will get lost in. Ragged Wood, the first LP from Seattle’s Fleet Foxes, evokes pastoral strings and three-part harmonies of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as if Crosby, Stills and nash produced a movie soundtrack with Ennio Marcone. As the most anticipated indie act of last year, and with Sub Pop winning the bid war, the Pacific Northwest label proves to be a good home for Fleet Foxes and their vocal comparisons to My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The group’s purpose came into being when friends Robin Pecknold and Skye Skjelset committed to writing music beyond the standard verse-chorus-verse formula. Combining two songs into one, melding two different rhythms, even using overlaid a capella voices, as with “White Winter Hymnal” and its “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” opening that dances in your head for at least a week. This is a daring album from a young group of musicians that ends up as a celestial composition of exquisite music. A sincere effort to take folk into a pop realm, and pop into an intellectual realm. Bliss. – Michael Rabinowitz
SCORCH TRO BROLT RUNE GRAMOFON
In 1969, after leaving Miles Davis’ group, Tony Williams took up the acid-soaked rock/ jazz fusion gauntlet laid down by Miles and debuted his own group, the Tony Williams Lifetime, a power trio featuring Williams on drums, Larry Young on organ and John McLaughlin on guitar. The group’s first album was Emergency!, a smoking slab of rough-edged and rocking psychedelic funk that connected itself to jazz only through the players’ pedigrees and the improvisational flair they displayed. Oslo-based Scorch Trio – headed up by guitarist/composer Raoul Björkenheim – evokes, more than any of the other artists frequently namechecked in reference to the band (zappa, Band of gypsies), the powerful, free-form sound of Williams’ Emergency! album. This is primarily because the group is, like Lifetime, clearly immersed in the jazz tradition, but also moving decisively away from it in favor of sprawling, rockist jams that allow the players to freely fly off their respective handles. In keeping with Scorch’s analog fetishism (like their other releases, this one was recorded and mixed on analog tape), the 2-LP vinyl version of Brolt contains four extra tracks – Jason Ferguson
MUSIC REVIEWS P.O.D. WHEN ANGELS & SERPENTS DANCE INO/COLUMBIA REC.
In a musical climate where metal, punk, and hardcore are sharing increased sales, nü-metal giants like Slipknot and Disturbed find themselves reaching deeper into metal’s roots to stay both current and vibrant within the industry. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for P.O.D.’s latest effort, When Angels & Serpents Dance. The 13-track disc is well produced by sonic standards, but otherwise seems both uninspired and stagnant. The little touches--unusual arrangements, technical proficiency–that their contemporaries have embraced are noticeably absent. While hardcore fans may find themselves enjoying a watereddown but otherwise expected effort from the band, others will most likely note the decided lack of balls present even in their earlier works. Subtle attempts at street cred via the appearances of vocalists Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendencies) and Paige Hamilton (Helmet) are at best embarrassing to the aforementioned guests, though Hamilton does amusingly school singer Sonny Sandoval in a screaming match. One even wonders if the band was paying tribute to or ripping off fellow bands,with track titles like “Rise Against” and “God Forbid.” Suffice it to say those seeking greater musical insight with their preaching may want to pass. – Mike DeLancett
SWITCHES LAY DOWN THE LAW INTERSCOPE
Switches’ Lay Down the Law is snotty, abrasive and unrepentant. Those are the album’s best qualities, and I say this without even a hint of irony. The majority of what I’d heard about Switches tended to focus on the vocal harmonies and some pap about “bouncy guitars” but after repeated spins, the most identifying feature of this album is the band’s ability to channel rock swagger like nothing I’ve heard in years. The Switches sound isn’t necessarily new; I’m sure that in their future there will be countless references to Britpop contemporaries and more than a few throwbacks to ‘70s English rockers, but they do it well and in their own way. Built on a base of some interesting chord progressions (conveniently listed along with the album lyrics in the CD jacket, just in case you feel the need to jam along) and some jagged but somehow lush guitar beds, pretty much every song on Lay Down the Law has at least one sing-able hook. Matt Bishop’s lead vocals are perfectly suited to this type of music, unique and inventive. The aforementioned (and beautiful) vocal harmonies are used frequently, but never to the point of annoyance. But back to the swagger. I get the impression from listening to Switches that the guys in the band are arrogant and brash young men
and thank god for that. Rock music that leans toward the indie side has for some time been the arena of a bunch of castrated ninnies, and it’s good to hear a debut album that comes out swinging its cock, even if it is covered in some pretty singing. – Scott Jenson
VAGABOND LAND OF MISFIT TOYS JOHN GALT ENT.
Dear Vagabond, Thank you for giving me carte blanche to laugh out loud when no one else was in the room with me. Your CD is unintentionally hilarious. Oh, a little tip from me to you about public relations: you confuse us narrow minded “critics” with a copyright of 2005 while listing Land of Misfit Toys with a release year of 2007. Extra points for the Insane Clown Posse-ish artwork and metal font. Speaking of metal, I guess that’s what this might be called. You get half a point for getting the “legendary” Michael Barbiero (gnR, Madonna) to mix and master your CD – he’s a legend in my mind for fading out your last song. – Susie Ulrey
THOSE LAVENDER WHALES LET’S BE FRIENDS! I’M SORRY I’M SO SLEEPY FORK AND SPOON Columbia, South Carolina-based Fork and Spoon Recordings decided to release Those Lavender Whales’ CD, with its obnoxiously long-winded title, as its first product. Perhaps Let’s Be Friends! was picked simply because of the welcoming overtones, but ironically, the second sentence of its name seems a more appropriate description of the record. The five-song EP flows more like a Mother goose lullaby tape and less like a one-man band that wants to be taken seriously. It’s filled with sounds that mimic kazoos and whistles and chimes; close your eyes and you’ll feel like you’re back in kindergarten music class. Writer, performer and recorder Aaron graves credits Jessica Maloan and Jessi Menish for apparently saying “ouch” and “oops” on the album, but more importantly thanks David Lanza for the microphones and putting up with the noise. And noise it is – unpleasant, at times inaudible and 13 minutes too many. With song names like “When you think about space and realize how big it is and it gives you that strange feeling,” “Stop throwing things at me you big jerk!”, and “treetreetree” (the latter being about the life of a tree), I can’t help but feel sorry for graves, but at the same time laugh. Dear Those Lavender Whales, I’m sorry I’m so sleepy. If you can’t stay awake for your own record, neither can I. Maybe next time we can be friends. no hard feelings, surely you understand. – Molly Hays
SOAPBOX SPARK IS A DIAMOND TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE PLUTO
Philly act Spark rose from the ashes of metalcore unit Fall River with the intent to head in a more experimental, electronictinged direction. Unfortunately, the two sides of the group’s personality never really merge; if you get past the wholly unnecessary 29second cheese-beat intro, you’ll find an uneven collection of posthardcore songs and electroclash songs, but not really any posthardcore-electroclash songs. They’re at their best when they’re just ripping out gnarly, Refused-esque pummel (“Try This on for Size,” “Destination: Awesome,” “Oh, Captain!”), and at their worst when covering Salt n’ Pepa, or leaning too heavily on familiar ambient sounds. It’ll be interesting when the band finally finds its own balanced sound, but for now, the heavy rules. – Scott Harrell
VENOMOUS CONCEPT POISONED APPLE CENTURY MEDIA
Seventeen songs in 34 minutes. That alone is almost more impressive than the fact that this crustcore supergroup has lasted long enough to make a second album. With Danny Lilker (Anthrax, S.O.D., nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth) having replaced Buzz Osborne on bass, Shane Embury (napalm Death, guitar), Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth, vocals) and Dan Herrera (napalm Death, drums) continue their mission to inject Poison Idea-inspired punk rock brutality back into metal. The result here, is a whipsaw blast of crunchy, rustbucket heaviness that’s basically D-beat with a different rhythm. Which means it’s fast, relentless and both more “metal” and “core” than that faux-hawked band you wasted 15 bucks on last night. – Jason Ferguson
BASKERVILLES TWILIGHT SECRET CRUSH
Harlem singer-songwriter (and former Tampa scene guy) Rob Keith’s Baskervilles have become something of an attraction in underground power-pop circles. It’s easy to see why; second proper full-length Twilight – produced by pop legend Mitch Easter – is a solid, well-crafted collection of tunes, equal parts shadowy old wave and timeless, summery pop. There’s no arguing with covocalist Stephanie Finucane’s irresistible melody hooks in “Smash,” or the hornsoftened goth urgency of “Everybody Looks not Everybody Finds,” or anything here, really. Supremely confident in its own shoes, this group has found its own wholly wrought and nicely balanced sound, and a vibe that’s both fun without being too shticky and familiar without coming off as hackneyed. – Scott Harrell
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JULIE OCEAN LONG GONE AND NEARLY THERE TRANSIT OF VENUS Julie Ocean is an indie super-group of sorts featuring members of Velocity girl, gloWorm, Swiz and Severin. Long Gone and Nearly There gets a running start out of the gate on opening track “Ten Lonely Words” with a popping snare and a lead guitar line that serves as nice accompaniment to the sing-song melody. Think Fountains of Wayne, zumpano, The Rosebuds or a less sloppy version of Tiger Trap, former K-Records labelmates of guitarist/singer Terry Banks. This full-length is straight-up bubblegum pop, full of oohs, aahs and verse-chorus-verse song structure. This band gets to the point with the whole album totaling only 25 minutes of sugary goodness; any longer and you might get a cavity. – Susie Ulrey
STRAY FROM THE PATH VILLAINS SUMERIAN
Villains is Stray From the Path’s second album, but it has all the feel of a first outing for a young band. Sonically dry and suffering from a lack of life, the album’s production values scream that it was recorded by a young band just eager to get their first one out of the way. The material, however, is really good. The music on Villains is brutal without treading too far into metalcore clichés, and the band comes across as equal parts pissed off and rocking out. During an especially haywire breakdown in “Villain,” vocalist Drew York appropriately screams “Right now I feel so god damn Rock and Roll” as if anger and revenge have replaced debauchery as a rock star’s true calling. For this album, they have. The lyrical content, railing against mediocre lifestyles lived in a corporate-dominated working-class world, goes really well with the dissonant and frantic instrumentation. When listening to this album, it’s easy to picture musicians as saviors (or destroyers) of middle class America. Taken as a whole, SFTP’s first full length has something to say and a good way to say it. Unfortunately, the album suffers from a bad choice of producer because it fails to live up to its full potential. – Scott Jenson
www.mojotampa.com | 813.971.9717 Thirteenth Floor Elevators: The Psychedelic Sounds of… (mono)
2558 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa Sundazed Records
Located next toa the in the Sure, there’s been coloredUniversity vinyl version and aMall, stereo edition readily available same plaza asdecade, Chipotle Grill Quiznos for the last but for theMexican first time since its original& pressing 40 years ago, a mono release finally captures in incandescent quality the timeless angst myspace.com/mojobooksandmusic of the most famous Texas psych act ever. Brian Jonestown Massacre: My Bloody Underground A Records It’s been a long four years since And This Is Our Music. At first listen, it sounds as if it has more in common with sluggish shoegazing and early 80s drone experimentation. Anton and pals have not abandoned twang and folk roots, while they embrace a more obscure and gregarious psychedelia; mixing monstrous walls of sound with 60s Welsh rock and kraut drunk prog. Make Believe: Going to the Bone Church Flameshovel Records Schizophrenic guitar riffs climb and twirl and descend, accenting a surprisingly danceable bouncy bass groove. Deranged growls, yelps, and vociferous bellows swirl against wurlitzer chaos. The cure for the common headache.
Battles: Mirrored Warp Records A favorite of 2007 is finally back in print. Be warned, if you go on eBay and pay 40 bucks you are a sucker. It might even sound better at half the price.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! Mute Records Australia’s greatest contribution to rock n roll returns and expands upon the garage heaviness of last year’s side project grinderman, albeit with the core group of musicians which performed on 2004’s Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus.
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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 25
MUSIC REVIEWS CHARLUS TRAGIC ACCIDENT
THE LITTLE ONES terry tales & fallen gates branches
I think this line from the Connecticut-based band’s online bio says it all: “Seasons fly past a feverish young poet and the lessons scorched and seared into his poet heart enable him to emerge out of the shadows and reveal himself with triumphant pageantry.” I know, right? From the b-scifi-romance-flick electro-rock and postured, overwrought vocal presence to the photos of the topless chick with the metallic tire tracks across her breasts on the back cover, Charlus – and ringleader Daniel Opalach in particular – has raised self-consciously arty pomposity to heretofore unimagined heights. Tragic Accident gets half a star for the fairly decent guitar riffs on the title track and (seriously) “The Witch Wanders In,” for the excellent production values that almost always seem to accompany this sort of endeavor, and for being perhaps the most aptly titled album of all time. – Scott Harrell
TESTAMENT THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION NUCLEAR BLAST REAX: It was such a pleasant surprise to hear the opening notes of “Cha Cha Cha” as I squeezed into your packed afternoon set at Red Eyed Fly during SXSW. How did the festival and all its chaotic glory benefit you in setting up the new ep? Ed Reyes: It was really great and we had a lot of fun this year. Last year we played seven times, even playing three times in one day! It’s stressful to play South By Southwest, as you don’t get soundchecks and even though it’s very compact and the venues are close, the logistics of playing gigs in such a hectic environment can be maddening. There’s also press and interviews to be done, and you try to sneak in watching a few shows too. When it’s all said and done the whole experience is very rewarding. So this time having just a few shows allowed us to enjoy ourselves more and talk to more people about the new records. REAX: You’ve recently changed labels from Astralwerks in the US and Heavenly in the UK to your own Branches Recording Collective label worldwide. What instigated this transition, and how does this affect the band’s future plans? ER: With the economy the way it is, there was some rearranging at the major label we were with, a restructuring process, and we were let go. In the changing face of the
music business, small bands do get affected. In the end it worked out in our favor as when we were let go, we got to take our finished masters. The album, Morning Time, is ready to go and will come out in the summer. In the meantime, we wanted to get new music out to people so we’ve decided to release another EP, Terry Tales and Fallen Gates. When you are on your own you can act quicker than when you are with a major label. REAX: Your songs are chock full of dancing rhythms and butt-wiggling melodies. The Sing Song EP has been my “Get out of bed and face the day” soundtrack for many months. How do you craft songs that generate such blissful physical reactions? ER: HA! That’s great. Our approach to songwriting is we go into the studio and work on a bunch of tracks, play the songs either for ourselves or at a show, and watch to see people’s heads bobbing or their feet moving. That’s how we know it’s a keeper! It’s the best and most honest way to song write. When you enjoy it yourself and playing it live, you get genuine feedback and real interaction. The Little Ones’ Terry Tales and Fallen gates EP is out now.
WEARETHELITTLEONES.COM
I gotta admit, I’ve always had a thing for the underdog, and norCal’s Testament was my favorite thrash group back when we all had favorite thrash groups. So it’s pretty cool to hear what is at least a partial return to form from the band, which has almost reverted to its complete glory-days lineup. (Ex-Forbidden/Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph currently occupies Louie Clemente’s drum stool.) After short intro “For The glory of ...” and proper opener “More Than Meets The Eye” – both of which recall Ride The Lightning-era Metallica, and that’s by no means a bad thing – Damnation reaches and maintains something very close to the classic Testament sound: plenty of hyperkinetic passages; mosh bits that don’t kowtow to groovecore or nu metal; solos that get all tech without sounding wanky; vocalist Chuck Billy sometimes stalking right up to the line that separates thrash from death metal, but never crossing it. granted, this ain’t no New Order. It is, however, one of the best oldschool thrash CDs to come down the pike in a while, and that’s no mean feat. – Scott Harrell
THE BOTTICELLIS OLD HOME MOVIES ANTENNA FARM REC.
Two founding members of The Botticellis, Alexi glickman and zack Erlich, have played music together since kindergarten. That familiarity is a solid foundation for this CD of distinctly sunny California rock. The band’s debut, Old Home Movies, is full of
lovely layers of pop that will roll out of your speakers like a happy memory. The guitars are wet with reverb and anchored by strong, bittersweet, slightly sentimental melodies. glickman’s vocal delivery screams of postBeatles george Harrison, so much so that most of the album could’ve been lifted from the Dark Horse archives. Listening to him sing creates a soothing buzz in the pit of my stomach – like I was sucked into an aural wormhole. Old Home Movies is a fitting introduction to the band: ten carefully crafted mini-suites of retro devotion coming in at just under 29 minutes. – Susie Ulrey
mr. gnome deliver this creature el marko
It’s hard, given the clanging, rockist aesthetic at work in Mr. gnome’s music, to not compare this Cleveland duo to another Rust Belt yin-yang couple like the White Stripes. It’s hard, given the tendency of vocalist nicole Barille to engage in breathy incantations atop Sam Meister’s occasional digital beats, to not compare Mr. gnome to, say, Portishead. It’s hard, given Mr. gnome’s delightfully thudding guitar work and propensity for diametrically opposed sonic elements – beauty vs. heaviness, oppressive volume vs. delicate dynamics – to not compare them to Jucifer. It’s hard, in other words, to wrap a band like Mr. gnome up in a neat, reference-ready package for consumption. But that seems to be precisely the point. By jamming a suitcase full of oftencontrasting elements into their sound, these two have gone and made an album that’s as quirky and individualistic as it is visceral and engaging. – Jason Ferguson
FRENCH KICKS SWIMMING VAGRANT RECORDS
There are albums that enter your life at the precise moment to become the perfect soundtrack to your present existence. French Kick’s newest offering proved just that. Swimming, the latest full-length from the aforementioned 4-piece, opens with a beguiling and bittersweet guitar melody, the kind that grabs the listener from across the room, and instant seduction follows. The first vocal line, plaintively honest and perfectly reverbed, sneaks in as a tease leading to a perfectly balanced rock song; a dreamlike chorus grounded by driving drums and insistent string melodies. Is the rest of the album live up to such poetics? Well, yeah. The tone is sad, but wistfully so; this is blissgaze, I’d like to call it… dreamy and self-involved, but staring at the sky rather than studying one’s shoes. It is rock-driven enough to please a bar crowd, it’s also beautiful enough to fall asleep to. This is music that makes you genuinely smile when you attempted a casual smirk. It’s as if the French Kicks went on the platonic ideal of a summer vacation and then wrote about it as the chill of winter faded the glow of their collective tan. – Becca nelson
SOAPBOX GRAND THEFT AUTO IV ROCKSTAR GAMES
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VIDEO GAME
REVIEW Words: Christian Crider
RATING: HOTTER THAN HOT COFFEE, COOLER THAN SPRUNK The controversy surrounding this game astounds me. Why? Well, the “reasoning” of most folks goes that violent video games are desensitizing our youth to violence and thus creating a more brutal culture. And, as we all know, Earth was once a lovely place in which weapons were used to plow the land and war was a nonexistent fairy tale. Sarcasm aside, our culture glorifies violence. Children are raised to play out their fantasies of war and violence – even our dolls come with plastic guns. Service in the military is seen as honorable (no argument there) and semi-automatic assault rifles are considered an innate right protected by our constitution. Therefore, how anyone can blame video games for the violence in our culture is beyond reason. Video games are a product of our culture, rather than the progenitors of some new trend in violence. If parents don’t want their kids playing violent video games, perhaps they should stick it to their sniffling brat the next time he/she starts crying because Mommy/ Daddy won’t buy them the cool new game. Since I too am a product of the American experience (and old enough to play), I rather enjoyed the newest iteration of Rockstar games’ interactive opus. When not driving into crowds of rowdy, gun-carrying pedestrians, or accelerating feverishly away from the police, Grand Theft Auto IV offers up the sordid tale of Eastern European transplant niko Bellic. Fresh off the boat, Niko finds himself disillusioned as he comes face to face with the American Dream, or nightmare, in the case of Liberty City. Throughout the incredibly rich story of GTA IV, we become inexorably immersed in niko’s journey through the criminal underbelly of the metropolis and his emotional, sometimes puzzling interactions with it. Liberty City has seen a significant upgrade since its previous iterations. The enormous map is divided into the three main islands, each with its own distinct charms and social classes. There are few gaming experiences to match a casual walk through the seizure-inducing Liberty Square
– Liberty City’s stunning equivalent to Times Sqare But of course, there’s no need to walk. GTA IV’s vehicles are as varied as you might expect in a clusterfucked real-world cityscape. The cars, SUVs, motorcycles, helicopters and boats come fully destructible in all shapes, styles and sizes. The revamped physics engine of gTA IV may make the driving feel clunky at first, but a few hours behind the wheel and you’ll be driving like a pro – unless you take niko out for a few drinks at the local bar, in which case you’ll be driving like an intoxicated twelve-year-old. Combat has been refurbished from the clunky system of the past games, though the auto-lock aiming feature can be quite annoying at times and certainly doesn’t stack up to a first-class FPS. That said, the game is still very playable. The weapons are expensive but plentiful, and you’ll find numerous hidden arms dealers throughout Liberty City whose favorite slogan is “Stay safe, stay Second Amendment.” Other new features (aside from the incredible graphics and lifelike cityscape) include the use of cell phones and text messaging; a hilarious incarnation of the Internet; annoying girlfriends; equally annoying friends whose benefits outweigh the urge to ignore them; and a hell-raising online multiplayer. The soundtrack, as ever, is nothing short of spectacular. Everything from ultra-conservative talk-radio to hardcore punk can be found on Liberty City’s plethora of radio stations. Songs cover a vast terrain of musical tastes, and it’s hard to fathom anyone who would feel left out (unless you listen exclusively to Scandinavian death metal). If you consider yourself a well-adjusted individual, you may still enjoy Grand Theft Auto IV. While this game certainly isn’t made for children, you can rest assure that the “Mature” rating on the box will turn the mischievous punks into pillars of stone if they dare to gaze upon its glory. ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/IV REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 59
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SOAPBOX ISSUE: 25
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LIMITED EDITION ETCHED VINYL 12”
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REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE REAX MUSIC MAgAzInE • JUnE 2008 • PAgE 60 60
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TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Tickets: 813.229.STAR â&#x20AC;˘ TBPAC.ORG Outside Tampa Bay: 800.955.1045 Contains adult language, material and subject matter Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.