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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

IN THIS ISSUE 4

Editor’s Letter

Rebecca Loebe

Steep Canyon Rangers

Old Crow Medicine Show

Rebirth Brass Band

Shemika Copeland

Hollystock Festival

13 Yelle 14

Angel Vivaldi

15 J57 16

Roaring Girl Records

Nick Perri

Stolen Rhodes

Jason Isbell

22 Yacht 24

Liberty Music Fest

Jessica Hernandex and the Deltas

The Hundred Acre Woods

Strand of Oaks

Art in the Age

Cultures Clothing

Get Lucid

Shovels and Rope

In the Presence of Wolves

Survay Says

Miniature Tigers

Thee Idea Men

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STAFF: Brenda Hillegas, Editor-In-Chief Kristen Brennan, Art Director Angel Espindola, Cover Design Jodie Saueraker, Operations Manager Brian Cronin, Managing Editor Janelle Engle, Sales and Marketing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Andi Bricklin, Ari Roth, Brittney Corridean, Donte Kirby, Erinn Fortson, Holli Stephens, Jane Roser, Jaz Bowens, Joe Jamnitzky, Kathleen Larrick, Matt Kelchner, Meaghan Paulosky, Melissa Komar, Mely Duong, Michele Zipkin, Michelle Singer, Rebecca Robinson PHOTOGRAPHY: Cover Photo by Michael Wilson, Tim Branscum, Jen Hellow, David McClister, Andrea Behrends, Ian Frank, Sandrine Lee, Reji B., Jules Faure, Brian Fijal, 7eleventhltt, Randy Gerston, Deb Hill, Austin M. Bauman, Break the Glass Photography, Michael Wilson, Eric England, Greg Styer, Shervin Lainez, Shan Cerrone, Dusdin Condren, Alloyius McIlwaine, Chris K. Photography, Leslie-Ryan-McKellar, Molly Hayes, Stephanie Bargas, Clark Terrell, Tim Passarella INTERNS: Ari Roth, Michelle Singer, Donte Kirby PUBLISHER: Brian Cronin CONTACT: www.ThatMusicMag.com THAT MAG 1341 N. Delaware Avenue, Suite 208, Philadelphia, PA 19125 QUESTIONS & COMMENTS: E-Mail Brenda at editor@thatmusicmag.com DISTRIBUTION: Mirror Image Media Ardmore, PA 19003 ADVERTISING: janelle@thatmusicmag.com THAT MAG AUGUST • 3

VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

Note from the Editor BRENDA HILLEGAS This is my favorite of all the print issues we’ve done so far. Though it was decided early on that we wouldn’t devote the entire issue to bands performing at the Philadelphia Folk Fest this year, it was hard to stop at just a few. It’s no surprise that folk/roots/ Americana music are my favorite genres. This year’s Folk Fest has an amazing line up. You’ll see the pages of this issue filled with Grammy winners, hard working bands, and local bands who are trying to get their foot in the door. In one way or another, all of them deserve to be on the pages of That Mag this quarter. We interviewed Strand of Oaks in this issue who says that his favorite bands are the ones that really work their asses off. Then we spoke with Rebirth Brass Band and Steep Canyon Rangers who both talked about their style of music and how it’s slowly blending in with the mainstream radio hits these days. It’s true, you’ll hear their sounds creep up in a lot of different genres now.

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Local band, Stolen Rhodes, says in their interview that seeing bands like them “gave us a lot of hope when you see a band similar to yourself that’s doing so well. With the type of music we play, we have to earn fans the old-fashioned way and go out and play…” They’re doing it right. Similar to these musicians, I was also recently asked why I do what I do. Why do I spend hours each day and night editing stories, finding the next great musician to cover, encouraging my writers to go review a show for a band they’ve never heard of before? It’s simply because I want people to know about not just the music I love, but the music you may love, too. I want to give my writers an outlet to highlight who has been playing on their iPod non-stop, whether you’ve heard of that band or not. When you’re done paging through this issue, do me a favor. Pick one artists you’ve read about and listen to his or her station on Spotify, Pandora, etc. Spend just 30 minutes listening to that station and then explore

Photo by: Tim Branscum

the other bands and musicians who pop up. Then see if any of them are playing in Philadelphia soon. Tell your friends about one of those bands. Performing, word of mouth, sharing music...that’s how the bands you’ll read about were able to make it into our magazine. There are still plenty of days filled with warm, beautiful weather before the dreaded winter hits again. Go check out one of the festivals we mention in this issue, too and add to your music collection before it’s time to hibernate!

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

“I’ve got a batch of songs that I think are really strong [. . .] they express who I am and where I’m at right now in a way that I feel is honest.”

Photo by: Jen Hellow Portrait

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By Ari Roth

Rebecca Loebe talks about building a fanbase and connecting with her audience.

ebecca Loebe just spent a long night on the road, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to her speak. A supremely gifted singer-songwriter, Loebe’s sound is rooted in folk, country, and pop classicism, but she has taken her influences and carved a niche that is wholly her own. Like her music, Loebe is warm and engaging in conversation. This committed and communicative attitude is also reflected in her career path. She is extremely dedicated, connecting directly with her steadily growing fanbase through an intensive tour schedule, culminating in the crowd-funding of her 2012 album, Circus Heart. Loebe regards this touring lifestyle as the center of her career, and she treasures the exchange of energy that takes place in a live environment. She vividly describes how “when you perform live for someone, [. . .] you’re taking it from your heart, and filtering it through your own life and experiences, and delivering it to them, to be immediately filtered through their life and experiences. I love the dance that goes on between the song interpreter and the song receivers.” In addition, Loebe reveals that a live recording has just been completed, to be released soon. Three Nights Live is compiled of highlights from a tour with singer-songwriters Smokey and the Mirror and Raina Rose. They played on each others’ songs and even performed a few new ones together, which fans will get to hear on the releases and their accompanying EPs. With this release on the horizon, I asked whether this means a future studio record as well. Loebe is still in the writing process, but she says that “I’ve got a batch of songs that I think are really strong, and I don’t know objectively how strong they are as creative entities, but [. . .] they express who

I am and where I’m at right now in a way that I feel is honest.” Clarity and honest self-expression are rare and considerable feats in songwriting, and such statements are enough to generate excitement over her future music. Loebe may still be best-known as a competitor on The Voice in 2011. She says that, although it broadened her fanbase, the most significant impact was psychological. The experience of performing on the show was, as Loebe puts it, “gladiatorial,” and since then she has “come to a new place with performing where it’s all about joy.” Still, she affirms that, when it came time to crowd-fund Circus Heart, she drew primarily from the fanbase that she had built as she toured relentlessly for years playing small shows. Soon, Loebe will play a much bigger show at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and she tells me that she has always wanted to play there. “I can’t believe that it’s finally happening!” Although it will certainly be one of her biggest shows, it is also simply another step on a long, steady road. Rebecca Loebe’s music is built to last, and it is reassuring to know that every year more and more people will come to enjoy her rich body of work.

“I have come to a new place with performing where it’s all about joy.” THAT MAG AUGUST • 5

North Carolina’s Hometown Boys VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

« Photo by Bill Sitzmann

The Steep Canyon Rangers

By Andi Bricklin

he Steep Canyon Rangers are hard to keep track of these days; touring all over the country from New York to Oregon then back home to North Carolina then back west out to Colorado. The Rangers are on the move spreading their infectious bluegrass songs to the listening delight of their fans everywhere. The band is gearing up for their first appearance at the legendary Philadelphia Folk Festival on Sunday, August 17th, and we sat down with lead vocalist and guitarist Woody Platt to talk about all of the exciting happenings that have surrounded the band. It’s a tremendous time to be a bluegrass performer; with bluegrass albums from acts like Nickel Creek, Alan Jackson, Steven Curtis Chapman, and of course Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, bluegrass is riding high with so much crossover potential that it’s starting to bleed into pop culture. The Steep Canyon Rangers are one of the acts that bridge the gap between the bluegrass crowd and wider audiences. “Our fan base is quite diverse and we’re lucky to have them,” says Platt. “Touring is starting to pay off, and the album is starting to gain momentum. We can play to 3000 fans or 500 in a club setting and we enjoy it either way.” And the album is doing great. As of June 28th, Tell the Ones I Love spent 31 weeks on the bluegrass charts, peaking at number one. We’re knee deep into festival season, and the Rangers have got a few up their sleeve for this summer. In addition to the Philadelphia Folk Fest, the Steep Canyon Rangers will perform at The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival on 8/15 in Gettysburg, PA, and The Southern Ground Music and Food Festival on 10/12 in Charleston, SC. “And we have our own festival, The Mountain Song Festival right in my hometown of Brevard, NC,” says Platt. 6 • THAT MAG AUGUST

Photo by: David McClister

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

“Touring is starting to pay off, and the album is starting to gain momentum.” «

The Steep Canyon Rangers have been hosting the Mountain Song Festival since 2006, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County. This year, the festival will be on 9/12 & 9/13 and features some of bluegrass music’s hottest acts. Bluegrass beauties Della Mae will perform along with Chatham County Line, the Kruger Brothers, Shannon Whitworth, Seldom Scene and the Milk Carton Kids. “It’s a great time to sit down with friends and enjoy the music,” says Platt. The Steep Canyon Rangers are never shy to show off their home town pride so when they were asked to contribute their music to help the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in their fundraising efforts they were more than willing to help. “Graveyard Fields is a special place to all of us, I would come here as a kid for picnics and blueberries. I also fish for trout in the creek, so we were happy to use our music to help out.” According to the promotional video, the Blue Ridge Parkway has more visitors than Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon combined. Platt continues, “They’re fundraising to rebuild the trailway head to handle the cars, also to build bathroom facilities.” The efforts of the Blue Ridge Parkway aim to protect Graveyard Fields so that generations of families can enjoy the park for years to come. On the topic of helping out, The Steep Canyon Rangers were commissioned by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to perform a special version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” in honor of the song’s 200th anniversary. The band’s not ready to add the patriotic theme to the set list quite yet, but “we’ll be playing it at Dodger Stadium in August” when the band is in town for a performance at the Roxy Theater and the Dodgers’ game. WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

Photo by: David McClister

Don’t think for one second that the band is going to leave you without bluegrass when the summer’s over. “We are aggressively working on the new material and are hoping to have a new album set for release in the late fall/early winter.” I tried to get

the inside scoop on the details like guest musicians, recording studios, or producers, but Platt’s lips were seals. Until then we’ll keep an eye on Tell the Ones I Love which is still my Grammy pick for Bluegrass Album of the Year.

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THAT MAG AUGUST • 7

VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

Old Crow Medicine Show

Keep On Rockin’ That South Bound Train Old Crow Medicine Show’s Critter talks about Doc Watson, Bob Dylan and their new smash album Remedy « By Jane Roser

Photo by: Andrea Behrends

8 • THAT MAG AUGUST

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

“Y

ou saw Bob Dylan at King’s Dominion?” Old Crow Medicine Show’s Critter Fuqua (guitar, banjo) is amused by my sheepish confession and tells me that one of the first big shows he ever attended was a Bob Dylan concert in Roanoke, VA. Fuqua was really inspired by the punk rock bands he’d catch in Richmond and in his hometown of Harrisonburg, VA. “We’d go see them at parties; they’d come to The Little Grill in Harrisonburg and play and we’d break the gumball machine and it was the best thing ever. That’s what I was really into- electric guitars and drums, Jimi Hendrix and AC/DC.” Fuqua met Ketch Secor (fiddle, harmonica, banjo) in the seventh grade and they started playing music together soon after. “Ketch was really into old-time music,” says Fuqua. “He went to Elkins, West Virginia; you’d go for a week and stay in a dorm and learn the music. Ketch started playing the banjo and I started playing acoustic guitar. Starting a band wasn’t really even a conscious decision, we were just led to it.” Out of curiosity, I ask about the inspiration behind the band’s name and Fuqua admits he’s not really sure. “I remember we were renting a place above a nursery in upstate New York and Ketch came up with it. I think it was just rattling around in his brain and we all thought it was a pretty cool name.” Fast forward sixteen years later and Old Crow Medicine Show (also comprised of Kevin Hayes on guitjo and vocals, Cory Younts on mandolin, keys and drums, Chance McCoy on guitar, fiddle and banjo, Gill Landry on guitar and banjo, and Morgan Jahnig on upright bass) has successfully managed to mainstream old-time bluegrass/ folk music. They have received the immense honor of being inducted into The Grand Ole Opry, won a Grammy for “Best Long Form Music Video”, sold over 800,000 albums and continue their wild ride of fabulousness with the release of their latest studio album Remedy. Already debuting at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 (their highest so far in

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their career), as of early July the album currently holds the #4 position on the Top Country Album Chart and is #1 on the Folk Albums Chart. “We started making this album in the winter and spring of 2013,” explains Fuqua. “We had a backlog of songs that we brought out of the closet, just stuff that hadn’t been used on the last album that I really wasn’t a part of.” Fuqua took a five year hiatus from the band and recently returned. “We wrote tons of new songs and ended up with 35 or 40 songs.” The band kicked around the idea of making a double album, but decided not to go that route since you need to be very

“Bob Dylan sent it to us to finish and “Sweet Amarillo” was born.” intentional when creating a double album. They were able to whittle it down to 13 songs they felt made sense for this record. “We wrote a lot in the spring and toured that summer, then spent all of October in the studio. We don’t have a real structure as to how the writing goes down,” says Fuqua. “Ketch, me and Chance co-wrote a lot of the songs for this album. We’ll all have ideas and bring them to the table. It’s an organic, creative process and a lot of fun.” The track “Doc’s Day” is a tribute to the late, legendary Doc Watson who famously discovered the band busking on a street corner in Boone, NC. He invited them to play Merlefest, his annual folk music fest which started the wagon wheels rolling and show no signs of slowing down. “It just made sense for us to write that song because Doc had just passed away. We

patterned it after our story a bit, taking some liberties; like in the song we never played on the street with electric guitars. It came out when Ketch and I were sitting around writing and it was one of those things where you don’t know what’s going to come out and the muse just visits and says okay, you’re going to write a song about Doc Watson.” Just like their viral hit “Wagon Wheel”, the track “Sweet Amarillo” was an unfinished Bob Dylan song from his 1973 album Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid that Ketch completed. “It was intentional. Bob Dylan sent it to us to finish and “Sweet Amarillo” was born.” Fuqua then jokes, “we’re looking forward to playing “Sweet Amarillo” in Amarillo (TX). I think it’s about time they had a song.” If you’ve ever gone into a bar, open mic or coffee house to listen to live music, at some point or another you will hear “Wagon Wheel” being played, that’s just a given. I tell Fuqua about the time I was riding the DC metro late one night and a teenage boy was sitting there strumming a ukulele. Two bleach-blonde tipsy girls wearing ridiculously short dresses sat down next to him and asked if he’d play them a song. Without missing a beat they both said in unison, “do you know ‘Wagon Wheel?” “Yeah, that song has really taken on a life of it’s own,” says Fuqua. “It’s so simple, too. One of the beautiful things about that song is the whole structure is just the first four chords that anybody ever learns on the guitar.” Old Crow Medicine Show will be performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival August 15th and Fuqua is looking forward to it. “I enjoy playing festivals because you get to see other people play and see what they do. I don’t often look at the line-up, I just go and see who’s there.” If you head over to Schwenksville for the fest, be sure to catch Old Crow Medicine Show. With their fiery style of amped up old-time music, dirty blues and revamped classic prison tales, what they do is a pure adrenaline rush.

THAT MAG AUGUST • 9

Photo by: Ian Frank

REBIRTH IS GAME

n the streets of New Orleans, a tradition was born out of celebration, in memoriam and through adversity. Military marches, holidays and jazz funerals in The Crescent City haven’t lacked these masters of ceremony in well over 100 years. We’re talking about the brass band. Steeped in the history of NOLA’s unique culture, these musicians preserve the city’s West African roots, acknowledge their French/Spanish Creole heritage and pay homage to their ancestors. By celebrating the melting pot of religions that have shaped New Orleans culture, brass bands have also become the keepers of rituals who perpetuate the city’s most sacred traditions. Heavy stuff. Despite all these responsibilities, pomp and circumstance certainly don’t flavor the sounds of Rebirth Brass Band. Since the 1980s, these guys have upheld tradition while attracting youthful audiences by infusing their groove with funk and hiphop. Founding member, Keith “Bass Drum Shorty” Frazier explains that bands like The Dirty Dozen and Pinstripes Brass inspired the Tremé-raised Frazier brothers to take their high school marching band buddies to “branch out and try to incorporate other genres of music.”

10 • THAT MAG AUGUST

After all, it’s just music.

Sousaphone player, Philip Frazier and trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins originally formed the ensemble in 1983, among other players from the old neighborhood. Since those days, French Quarter noise ordinances have strived (unsuccessfully) to remove this music from its birthplace on the streets. Rallies, social media campaigns and protests played a role in the revocation of the ordinance at the eleventh hour, but the muzzling of street music is still a huge concern in the Quarter. “The situation on Frenchmen Street is very similar to what we experienced when we were playing on Bourbon Street in the late 80s. We don’t do that anymore for various reasons, but I would rather see young guys playing music than standing around not doing anything.” This fusion of old and new not only exposes a new generation to brass band music, it has also earned Rebirth the kind of longevity afforded only to those with truly signature styles that can transcend genres. Just last month, jazz sax great Lou Donaldson made a pretty public purist statement at the Blue Note 75th Anniversary Concert at Kennedy Center, “No fusion, no confusion.” Frazier concedes that mentality still exists in pockets, but he thinks Rebirth’s predecessors might have a different take on things.

By Kathleen Larrick

“If Buddy Bolden or Bunk Johnson could hear Rebirth, I think they would be pleasantly surprised by how we have carried on the tradition by always going back and adding to the music that they played - while still maintaining the essence of the music with a modern take on it.” Their extensive international tour dates have certainly exposed the Grammy award-winning band to new influences. From West Africa to Amsterdam, musical styles have woven their way into Rebirth’s evolving groove. When it comes to touring, Frazier’s all ears. “We are unconsciously and unknowingly affected. In other words, whatever we hear, we try to use in our music - while at the same time keeping or playing it New Orleans.” Rebirth Brass Band will be performing at this year’s Philadelphia Folk Festival. A new trend in The States has been the incorporation of New Orleans jazz, brass and Cajun music in the roots and Americana scenes. The Del McCoury Band toured with Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 2013, not only sharing the biggest festival stages, but trading licks and collaborating on both bluegrass and brass standards. Rebirth is game. “We always look forward to collaboration with musicians of all genres of music. After all, it’s just music.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

The Queen of the Blues How one artist makes the genre her own.

hen one hears of Harlem, NY, the city’s historical Renaissance period is commonly brought up and images of the Cotton Club, Apollo Theater and Savoy Ballroom can be associated. Throughout the 1920s it was a place of innovation for music and dance. Harlem is also the birthplace of Shemekia Copeland, “The Queen of the Blues” as stated by Chicago and the state of Illinois. Copeland’s upbringing was fully immersed in music. Her father, Johnny Copeland, was a blues guitar legend and

By Holli Stephens

If you’re still not convinced, listen to Copeland’s cover of “I Sing The Blues”. The song starts off with a simple drumbeat and a few chords of electric guitar. In booms Copeland’s soulful in-your-face voice with the lyrics, “I’ll do anything that you want me to do.” Contrary to the song’s title, a rock vibe is prevalent throughout, from the growling guitar solos to the steady pulse of the bass guitar. Her voice is hearty and pleasant and she is quick to verify that she does the style of blues and jazz differently than other artists.

“I do my own thing. And that’s what I’ve always done.” the first person to act upon Copeland’s musical talents. “My father was exceptional, being able to get up in front of people and perform. I never thought I would be able to do it.” She was a shy and reserved young adult, but after opening for her father at one of his shows, Copeland gained the courage to dedicate her life to music. After receiving two Grammy nominations, releasing her seventh studio album 33 1/3 in 2012 and performing with everyone from Mick Jagger to Eric Clapton, Copeland is at ease and feels these experiences have taught her unforgettable life lessons. “If you’re a smart and diligent person you would watch these people and try to learn from them to become successful and have such long careers. And that’s what I do. I watch and I listen and I learn. And I’ve learned a lot.”

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“I do my own thing. And that’s what I’ve always done.” Copeland sees each album as an extension of her growth as an artist. She feels that her music has gotten more serious over the years which has only added to her originality. She reflects back and says the commentary is always different. “You become a better artist with age. In this record, I’m talking about religious hypocrites, the haves and the have-nots. A whole bunch of things.” Copeland has toured extensively and is no stranger to Philadelphia’s annual Folk Fest, where she will be performing at again this August. She laughs before saying that there are no places on her schedule that she hasn’t already been. Fans make up for the lack of shock in performing in a new space and act as a source of energy for Copeland’s performances. “I think the biggest reward that I get is when people come up to me and tell me that I’ve helped them in some kind of way through my music—there’s no bigger reward than that.”

Photo by: Sandrine Lee

THAT MAG AUGUST • 11

VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

Photo by: Reji B. Photography

Music Saves The Soul How the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival is set to save Mount Holly, NJ.

or the past three years, thousands of people have flocked to the small New Jersey township of Mount Holly on the second Saturday of August for the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival. Some come to escape the stifling heat of Philadelphia, others are lured by the quaint charm toted on the Mount Holly tourist brochures, but most come for one reason: the music. Conceived by the local musicians who lived through the music festival heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival began as a social media conversation about playing “a show in a field.” One of these musicians, Bob Wills, decided to make Hollystock happen by teaming up with two local businesses, the Hebe Music venue and the Blue Light Digital Sound music studio, who had already been considering a music festival of their own. In 2012, having worked together in the past on events such as the annual Witches Ball with Main Street Mount Holly, a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting local businesses, the groups felt that they’d garnered enough experience and community support to launch the first Hollystock Music and Arts Festival. Even in a community as event-friendly as Mount Holly, without solid logistics the

12 • THAT MAG AUGUST

response to the first festival could easily have been overwhelming. A large number of bands replied to the request for acts. With thousands of new people arriving in town ready for music, food, and a good time, parking could have become an issue that threatened to hinder the ultimate goal of promoting Mount Holly businesses. Money for this free event was, and is, scarce. The entire festival is funded by sponsorships, program ads, shirt sales, and the goodwill of the local food and beverage businesses that have opened their establishments as stages and provided portable refreshment stands for the outdoor stages. The true genius of the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival logistics emerges in the layout of the festival. While it is obvious to anyone glancing at a map that the three indoor and three outdoor stages are positioned to draw visitors through the town itself and encourages patronizing nearby businesses, it becomes evident once the concerts begin that the outdoor stages are also staggered in a way that prevents the sound of the performances bleeding across each other. Although the festival spans almost a 1/4 mile across the town of Mount Holly, stretching along High Street from Rancocas Road to Mill Street, there simply isn’t room

By Rebecca Robinson

to showcase all of the bands interested in participating in Hollystock. This year alone, the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival Committee, in conjunction with Reverbnation, received 1600 applications for the slots to play on the six stages of Hollystock. With the goal of providing music that will appeal to the greatest number of people, each year the committee sifts through the applicants for artists and bands that have had some local radio play and a decent sized following, emerging with a line-up that is roughly 40 bands strong. Each stage is then booked with bands that compliment each other in the hope that fans coming to see a specific band may discover their next favorite group without needing to move their lawn chair. As with any successful endeavor, there is talk of expansion. Suggestions for future Hollystock festivals include a ticketed area to attract more well known bands and adding an opening concert the night before the main festival begins. Although moving the Hollystock Music and Arts Festival to the community fairgrounds would provide ample room for additional acts and the proceeds from tickets would help offset the festival costs, the organizers wish to keep Hollystock where it benefits the community and local artists the most, downtown. WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

French group Yelle goes completely crazy in America with Dr. Luke. «

rench electropop troupe Yelle have broken international borders with their addictive dance rhythms and biting lyrics all while sticking to their native language. Breaking into America can be a challenge on its own, and without English lyrics some might call it near impossible. However, Yelle have experienced amazing success around the States and have built quite the loyal fan base. Lead singer, lyricist, and femme fatale Julie Budet chats us up about their new album, Completement Fou. “Completement fou” means completely crazy. As the title of the album and opening track, it describes the story of the making of the album itself. It all began when Yelle created a remix for Katy Perry’s song “Hot N Cold”. They continued to open for her on her 2011 California Dreams tour while renowned producer Dr. Luke (Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus) heard the remix and immediately wanted to work with them. Budet laughs,”We didn’t know who he was. We had been introduced by someone else and we just started chatting and one day he asked us if we wanted to come to LA and work together. We already had a good feeling and a good connection with him,but it wasn’t until later that we realized he was actually a huge producer!” Working with Luke turned out to be a great collaboration for the group. He challenged them sonically and the album consists of many multilayered synths creating an ethereal feel to the record. “It was totally freedom and exploration and we like that. We don’t like being worked under pressure.” «

Yelle consists of Budet and producers GrandMarnier (Jean-Francois Perrier) and Tepr (Tanguy Destable). Their album is set to be released September 30th on Dr. Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records. The group also just released a music video for their song “Bouquet Final” which means grand finale and is the last track on the album. The themes of the record center around deeper

“Last time, in 2011, was the first time we came to Philadelphia... and the crowd was insane.”

By Michelle Singer

subjects than touched upon in their previous two albums. Budet explains, “It’s talking about relations and love connections between people, but in a deeper way than we already did. It’s more intimate because we really use our real life stories to talk about love and different feelings and emotions. But of course we also continue to talk about parties and having fun!” Yelle had their first hit come out on Myspace called “Je Veux Te Voir”. Check out the translation of the risqué lyrics online for her humorous assassination of Cuizinier (French rapper) and his “manhood”. The band, although evolving emotionally and sonically deeper, will never lose their wild live shows. After all, the name of the band itself stands for “You Enjoy Life”. This tour will feature more of an electronic adaptation of a mix of an array of their songs, two drums onstage, amazing outfits, and a crazy lightshow. Budet can’t wait to come back to the States and perform. “Last time, in 2011, was the first time we came to Philadelphia and we really had a great surprise when we played Union Transfer. The venue is great and the crowd was insane. It was so good for the first time in a city and for so many people to come! So I hope people are going to be here in October and I hope they like the new shows and new songs.” Bring your glitter and crazy outfits for the orgasmic dance party that is Yelle’s live show to Union Transfer October 12th.

Photo by: JULES FAURE

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

Screaming

Guitar «

By Melissa Komar

Angel Vivaldi sings metal through the strings of his Ibanez.

he word ‘metal’ in music has become synonymous with aggressive, guttural and growling vocals, yet Angel Vivaldi utters not a single syllable during his songs. Vivaldi’s Ibanez does the singing for him. The self-taught 29-year-old heavy metal guitarist picked up the craft as a young teenager, but has felt the sparks flying in regards to music since childhood. “I’ve always been drawn to art,” Vivaldi says. “Anytime I’d walk around as a kid and see the words ‘art’ or ‘music’, my adrenaline would cause my heart to beat out from my chest. I always knew that was my destiny whether it was behind a paint brush or behind a musical.” Unlike today’s generation of aspiring artists, Vivaldi was hard-pressed to find DIY internet videos. “I didn’t have the immense amount of online resources like kids do with YouTube these days. A lot of players in my generation were left to our own ways of interpreting and deciphering music,” Vivaldi reveals. But learning the art himself provided plenty of benefits including improving his ear training. Fast forward to over a decade later and Vivaldi is just as passionate about playing as he was when he first picked up the guitar. Over the years, Vivaldi has gone from solo artist, to playing with three different bands (Black Market Hero, Epicurean, Vext) to solo artist again. As a solo artist, he has released four projects, the latest developed as a two-part album, with part two being tentatively scheduled for a Spring 2015 release. 14 • THAT MAG AUGUST

I feel it’s impossible to convey meaning in instrumental music.” New to the completely ‘instrumental’ world, Vivaldi plays metal sans vocals. He’s got quite an eclectic catalog, ranging from uplifting ballads to extremely, technical metal, but Vivaldi handpicked “A Martian Winter” as a must-listen for those who want to become familiar with his music. “I feel it’s impossible to convey meaning in instrumental music,” Vivaldi says. “You can certainly convey a dynamic or mood, but meaning is solely on the person listening and how they interpret that dynamic. The only other way an instrumental artist is able to convey an idea is through song titles.” “._ _ _ _” is a track from his latest record Away With Words. Vivaldi used Morse Code to represent each song, giving people a

blank canvas to create their own meanin Looking to hear Vivaldi play some of his highly open-ended tracks? On Saturday, August 9th, Vivaldi will stream a live playthrough performance via UStream. You can also check him out at the upcoming Liberty Music Festival here in Philadelphia. Vivaldi’s got some other things up his sleeve (currently top secret, but keep your eyes and ears open), but making music his full-time job might be one of them. “Music can certainly be a full-time gig. However, I do supplement my income with guitar lessons as well as a day job. I am toying with the idea of immersing myself completely into my music career. I believe a YOLO might be in order!” «

Photo by: Brian Fijal

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

By Michele Zipkin

J57 makes beats, spits 16, and follows his heart when it comes to the genre.

rooklyn hip-hop artist J57 wears many musical hats. He raps, makes beats and has engineered for a wealth of artists, including Joell Ortiz, Denitia and Sene, and Nitty Scott MC. He is part of indie hiphop outfit Brown Bag Allstars, and works primarily behind the mixing board for the bands Tigereye and Antcs. He does not play instruments, but his style is versatile, and his music, whether manifest in verse or a killer drum groove, is an amalgam of his favorite genres. “Some tracks of Tigereye sound like Radiohead, some sound like a Coachella festival song where everybody is jumping,” he says. “And then some Antcs songs sound like Gorillaz and some sound like Black Keys.” But it was his passion for graffiti that got him interested in hip-hop in the first place. Doing graffiti as a teenager allowed him to write verses with a specific focus. He would sit in class, bored, and write lines about his friends and the street art in which they had engaged. “The first verses I ever wrote were stories about tagging up train trestles, and running from cops that spotted us,” he says. His initial attention to detail gave him a bit of a leg up compared to other amateur

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rappers his age. “A lot of people…when they start writing lyrics, they’re just writing words that rhyme and it’s very nonsensical. Mine was amateur, but at least I had a focus, which was the story.” One of the things that makes J’s music unique is his production style, which runs the gamut- from sample-heavy, hard-hitting beats to more lush, pop-driven and ambient electronica. But he takes particular interest in percussion, which he believes can make or break a song. “I’m a real drum perfectionist. I think the reason I can make pop records as well as hip-hop records is because I study the drums so much,” he says. “I usually start with the drums when I make a beat. I really layer them and make them hit as hard as possible.” Establishing a root in hip-hop early on has served J57 well in his career, but it has also proven to be a slight hurdle for him as he continues to delve into creating different styles of music. He found that many of his fellow musicians were taken aback when he played them one of his latest records that he made with his collaborator Koncept- Flight. Their very lush and layered songs, with Koncept on the mic and J57 on the beats,

Photo by: 7eleventhltt

deviated from J’s usual rap-rooted way of producing and rapping. J and Koncept were lucky enough to make this record at LA’s Red Bull Studios. They were confident in the songs they had cut, but considered them to fit in with the underground hip-hop vein as opposed to the mainstream scene. However, a meeting with the Artists and Repertoire department at Interscope Records made them realize the album’s potential, and they were soon shopping it around to major labels like Atlantic and EMI. Every label they had approached told them that their tunes were worthy of radio-play. Despite having pitched Flight to big league record companies, they also shared it with musicians and labels who already know them. “When I try to explain to people that I’m on some pop and indie beats and love it, they’re still expecting the old style,” J says. As is sometimes the plight of any artist, J has found it something of a challenge to convince his friends, producers, songwriters and rap artists alike that he can make music that belongs to virtually any genre. “I change up my style, but it’s still me.”

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Girls Who

Roar «

By Brittney Corridean

Photo by: Randy Gerston

This Canadian duo knows the importance of doing things their own way in the music industry. “Where there is a strong network of musician friends/collaborators, interesting and progressive things happen and are given the support to grow.”

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Photo by: Deb Hill

“T

he label grew out of our mutual respect for one another and realizing that we have complementary skills,” VanDenBrock states about developing the label. She has about 12 years of experience in the Canadian music industry and knows when she sees a good opportunity. The two realized they had similar passions and determination in both business and music. Initially a lot of it was to get Mulholland’s solo album released. Realizing they would be doing a lot of the legwork with other labels anyway, they decided to just take it on themselves and call their own shots. Mulholland calls the creating of Roaring Girl Records a very natural and organic move. “Last summer, I started promoting shows in my neighborhood and I really enjoyed the challenge,” she explains. “We were searching for a label home for my solo album and the deals were more like distribution deals. It seemed like a reasonable step to start the label, secure a distribution deal and then have an umbrella company from which to release records, promote shows, and organize showcases.” “Getting the attention of an established indie is very tough as there is a ton of competition,” explains VanDenBrock. “If you start your own label you will be better equipped in your career and be more in touch with what a label can and can’t offer and what is fair should you start to get the attention of someone at an established label or a major.” “I also love that side of the music business and I am loving the challenge of learning the ropes,” Mulholland says about what stands out to her while starting this new venture. WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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“...you can have all the talent in the world, but unless you can get yourself to gig, record a demo or album, tour, and get information out there, it is really tough.”

After the release of the label’s first record (and Mulholland’s solo debut), Whipping Boy, the girls began work on the solo release of Sean Watkins. Mulholland says Watkins was a perfect follow-up as he also produced her record. Being fans of his and the work he did with Nickel Creek, it seemed like a good fit. Mulholland spent a good amount of time with him in the LA music scene and had thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent making music together. Though the label won’t be genre exclusive, Mulholland says they have three important points when deciding who to work with. “We are interested in musicians who have devoted a great amount of time to mastering their instrument, have collaboration with other musicians, and mixing genres as is determined by the collaborations.” Like any producer, though, Mulholland has her dream list. “I would love to have some kind of collaboration like the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant album Raising Sand. Maybe Glen Hansard and someone equally kickass, but different. Glen? What do you say?!” On top of running a record label, the girls do have other projects that they are working on. “I love being on the road,” says Mulholland. “I love the adventure of a new city every day. I expect to be quite busy, just what I like!” Mulholland certainly is busy. She’s a member of Great Lake Swimmers and the band is working on a new record. Her other band, Belle Starr, is also currently writing for their next record and Mulholland is making time to write for herself as well. As for VanDenBrock, she takes on various production gigs and helps other musicians

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apply for grants. Unlike the US, Canada’s granting system provides funding for artists to pursue their careers. “I can’t stress this enough, you can have all the talent in the world, but unless you can get yourself to gig, record a demo or album, tour, and get information out there, it is really tough,” says VanDenBrock. “There is help for every aspect of an album and band if you know how to access it. Canada helps bands attend SXSW, MIDEM and The Great Escape, to name just a few. This creates exposure and leads to opportunities for our artists. We are incredibly fortunate for this system. Canadian artists are very lucky to have options when it comes to applying for grants.” No one ever said that starting your own label would be easy, so it’s normal that the girls might hit some trials and tribulations in the beginning. Some things they’ve come across are the importance of grabbing attention from indie artists and maintaining a steady infrastructure. It may be true that they are in competition with other labels, but on the contrary, the Canadian music scene is like a family. “We have a strong sense of community,” VanDenBrock states. “Though technically we are all in competition with each other, labels help out other labels, bands help other bands...producers, engineers, touring staff, managers... we all help each other out.” Mulholland also feels it’s important to be communicative with others in the biz. “Where there is a strong network of musician friends/collaborators, interesting and progressive things happen and are given the support to grow.”

VanDenBrock continues, “we have a lot of talent [in Canada]. We are a huge country with so many different influences and scenes and communities that people really can find their voice or sound and really dig in. Having a winter to entertain yourself also helps talent!” And colder seasons, unfortunately, will be here before we know it. For Mulholland and VanDenBrock, though, it’s a good time to prep for next year. VanDenBrock says “we are looking at some new projects, hopefully Sean will have a fall solo tour and Miranda will do the same. We will be gearing up for the showcasing season of 2015 and getting ready for the 2015 festival season.” Even though Roaring Girl Records exists to release the albums of hard-working musicians, the girls stress the importance of seeing your favorite artists live. “I feel that with the massive availability of online content, live music is becoming more and more a necessity,” explains Mulholland. “It is such a different experience and while the internet can connect us, it is also isolating. For music fans, and for the bands themselves, to go to a venue and be amongst people who have a similar passion is very energizing and thrilling.” With the ever growing music scene here in Philadelphia and the various ways local artists can get their music out on the streets, it’s important, as an artist, to keep in mind the ability to do things your own way. “Dream big,” says Mulholland. “Take the time to set it up. Design a criteria you are passionate about. Be realistic about your audience and go for it!”

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Pure Talent and Passion Nick Perri is Philadelphia’s living rock legend.

lues rock guitarist Nick Perri has had quite the career. He picked up the guitar as a child and before long, his raw home-grown talents, ambition, and determination began taking him places. Far beyond the town of Bensalem that he once called home, he continues on a life journey some can only dream about. “I started playing guitar at the age of 12, right after my Aunt Dode gave me my 1st dose of rock and roll via two cassette tapes, AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Pearl Jam’s Ten.” Perri says. “It was a game changer for me and I knew right away this is what I was going to dedicate my life to.” Life as a teen was much like many other until he was signed to a major label at the age of 16. “It was such a whirlwind time and I don’t think anyone could have prepared for it,” he says. “…Especially at that age. It was an awesome and intense experience, but one

“For a songwriter, there is no greater feeling than playing your own songs to people.” 18 • THAT MAG AUGUST

« «

that I would not recommend for most kids. I don’t regret a thing, but I do think leaving home and joining the rock and roll circus at 16 years old is not for everyone.” In 2001 Perri co-founded Silvertide and the band released their first full length album, Show and Tell, in 2004. Once recording and production was done they hit the road with legends like Mötley Crüe and Van Halen. “[We] left Sony BMG in 2006 and, as most people know, took a very long hiatus...one that we just came out of in 2013.” During Silvertide’s hiatus, Perri explored his solo career. “When Silvertide took a break I moved back to LA (from Philadelphia) and there was talk of me being a free agent,” Perri explains.“So I ended up taking two really solid gigs. One with Perry Farrell and the other with Shinedown. They were both great experiences, but I ultimately left them to pursue my own projects. There is only so long you can play other people’s music before you start to go crazy. ” His own projects allow him to continue to do what he loves on his own terms. “For a songwriter, there is no greater feeling than playing your own songs to people,” says Perri. “I always come back to it because it’s the most rewarding, creatively. I still go out and play with other artists occasionally, but I won’t be committing myself to a long project of someone else’s music. I have too much fun playing my own stuff.” One project in particular that has taken on a life of its own is Perri Ink. Perri Ink, located on Melrose Ave in LA, creates custom guitars, equipment, and merchandise. “I

Photo by: Austin M Bauman

By Jaz Bowens

first started messing with guitars literally the same week I started playing them. It came natural to me, and I enjoyed the chase of finding my own sounds, and still do!” Perri says. “My wife, Misi, convinced me that perhaps other people would like what I do and so I started to offer custom guitars to people in 2009. I build as many as I can in-between playing and writing music. It’s a paid hobby, labor of love, and a business all in one.” Currently, Perri is back on the road and continuing to write and record. “Just [recently] I finished going through 423 song ideas, no joke. I narrowed them down to 30, and will narrow them down further to five, if I decide to do an EP, or 10 if it turns into an album,” Perri says. “The coolest thing for me is that this time around I’m doing this under own name, and playing and writing the blues rock music that really excites me the most.” Perri is looking forward to creating new music and has no expectations other than to put good music into the universe. He hopes to be back in the studio this month and have something to share by October. “I was able to play in over 40 countries so far in my life, and I really enjoy traveling and sharing bluesy rock and roll with people,” he says. “I hope to be able to do it for a long time. I’m only 30 years old, and for a lot of artists my age that is a starting point. I feel blessed to already have the experiences I do, and I’m ready to take them to the next level and beyond. I’m just getting started in a lot of ways, and I know my best is yet to come.”

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VOL. 4 Summer « August « 2014

STOLEN RHODES: Philly Rockers on a Roll «

By Jane Roser

Performing with Lynyrd Skynyrd and winning a spot on The Simple Man Cruise, their lives have never been finer.

first met Stolen Rhodes when they were playing a show at the Celebrate Fairfax fair in Virginia this summer. Drummer Eric Skye was wearing a Cold Roses t-shirt (a band featured in our last print issue), so I approached him complimenting his clothing choice and discovered that they’re also from Philly, by way of New Jersey. Stolen Rhodes closed out the evening with an energetic live show that was so much fun, I immediately purchased their 2011 debut album, Falling Off The Edge, and played it non-stop for the next few days. Now, with a new EP on the way and winning a spot on the Simple Man Cruise where they’ll be performing alongside the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd and hot Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke, Stolen Rhodes is riding the golden highway. In June, the band opened for Skynryd at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, as well as playing a sold out show there with Blackberry Smoke the month before. “We’re huge Blackberry Smoke fans,” says guitarist Kevin Cunningham, “they’re really on the rise which gave us a lot of hope when you see a band similar to yourself that’s doing so well. With the type of music we play, we have to earn fans the old-fashioned way and go out and play. There’s not going to be a YouTube video of us doing “Call Me Maybe” that’ll be our golden ticket, you have to earn that respect, but that’s they way we prefer it because that’s how you’re going to get lasting fans.” Taking their name from a literally stolen 1970’s style keyboard, the band came together soon after Cunningham met bassist Dan Haase while both were attending Berklee College Of Music. “I met Dan and the band’s original drummer at Berklee and they had gone to high school with Matt Pillion (vocals, multi-instrumentalist),” explains Cunningham. “When everyone moved home from college, they started up their old band. I was living out in LA at the

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time, but when I moved back Matt called me, asking me to come on as lead guitarist. Matt and Dave grew up near Asbury Park and we’re all giant Bruce and E Street Band fans. It may not really reflect in our sound so much, although maybe lyrically it does, but the intensity they bring to their live shows is what we strive to do. We want to make it an entertaining and engaging experience.” The band recently released their new hit single “Gone”, a magnificently exhilarating tune with a true classic rock feel, and worked with legendary Philly producer David Ivory (Halestorm, The Roots, Silvertide) to create their latest EP, Slow Horse. “His name kept coming up when we were looking for a producer,” says Cunningham, “people kept recommending him. It’s been about two years since our last album, so we had a lot of material, over twenty songs. We made Falling Off the Edge in three or four days and everything was really squeezed in, so with this album we wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves enough time. We started pre-production in October/ November and recorded all throughout the winter, then finished it up at the end of January. All the songs have different elements of what we play. We were going

for a hard rock/country feel and one track is acoustic with a stand up bass.” Stolen Rhodes plan to release the songs a little bit at a time so their fans can continue to have new music as the band preps for their next album. Writing mainly as a group, the band members will bring a riff, a chorus or a full song to the table and they work on it together until they can call it their own. They call this process “Stolen Rhodeifying” it. “Life Was Never Finer” is an older, blues style song that the band plays live often, but they never really considered recording it until Ivory suggested it and “Keeps Me Alive” was mostly written by Pillion in response to Hurricane Sandy. “We played The Stone Pony the night before Sandy hit and when everything came to, the shore was a wreck. We went and volunteered at some of the shelters, playing music for people and talking to them, then Matt wrote this song out of that experience,” explains Cunningham. You can catch Stolen Rhodes at The Grape Room on September 6th or if you’re feeling adventurous, there are still some spots available on the Simple Man Cruise in November.

“There’s not going to be a YouTube video of us doing “Call Me Maybe” that’ll be our golden ticket, you have to earn that respect.” «

Photo by: Break the Glass Photography

THAT MAG AUGUST • 19

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Burning Down the Road «

Erinn Fortson

Jason Isbell takes on Springsteen and spends more time away from home.

ince being released 30 years ago, “Born in the U.S.A.” has unofficially become America’s second national anthem. The Boss evokes that patriotic pride we feel for this country and the title track from his seventh album usually sits at the helm. Somewhere in between the Independence Day picnics and repetitive shouts of “I was born in the U.S.A!” the song’s true meaning got lost. Springsteen covers some pretty heavy stuff. He sings about a Vietnam vet, struggling to find a place in the world, after coming home from a brutal war. Most listeners don’t get passed the chorus, though. Because of that, “Born in the U.S.A.” has been packaged as this nationalistic, celebratory hymn people play when they’re feeling like proud Americans. Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires paint a completely different picture when covering the Springsteen classic. Their version isn’t your average rendition because it is an entirely different song. Forget about the snare drums and synthesizer. Isbell and Shires open up with an acoustic guitar, accompanied by the haunting sounds of Shires’ violin. It’s stripped down and dark,

« 20 • THAT MAG AUGUST

Photo by: Michael Wilson

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which helps to translate what Bruce was really trying to tell us. “[Springsteen] wrote the song about one thing and everybody else thought it was about another thing, which is pretty incredible. And that happens a lot in popular music. But I don’t think there’s ever been a bigger, more obvious example of it. It’s a protest song and it was received exactly as the opposite. I think it means that a huge number of people didn’t pay any attention to what the man was saying. “It’s partially genius on [Springsteen’s] part and on Landau’s part, also, for the production of that song. It’s kind of disappointing that people really weren’t listening. They just heard the chorus. But, you know, there’s a lesson to be learned in there I think,” laughs Isbell. Isbell and his wife, Shires, take on the song as part of a Born in the U.S.A. tribute album that will be released in September. Dead Man’s Town has an impressive roster of musicians contributing to the album, which includes Nicole Atkins, Joe Pug, Trampled By Turtles, Holly Williams and more. Logan Rogers of Lightning Rod Records is a co-producer of Dead Man’s Town, which is how Isbell and Shires became involved with the project. Rogers worked with both artists in the past, on their previous records. “I think [Dead Man’s Town] initially came about because Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars [said to Logan] that the songs on [Born in the U.S.A.] would sound just as powerful and carry just as much weight if they were all performed in a stripped down, more acoustic fashion. So, that was the initial plan for the album.”

Dead Man’s Town is just one of the many projects Isbell has been involved with this past year. Since the release of Southeastern last summer, his fourth solo record, the musician has been charging full speed ahead. And Southeastern hasn’t fell off the radar since. It’s an intense album, with talks of cancer, addiction, and loneliness. The record’s subject matter isn’t what makes it powerful. Isbell’s honesty is why the album exerts so much passion. Creating Southeastern was more than just an experience; it was a journey for Isbell. He is newly sober and looking at life through a different lens. To capture this through song, Isbell took himself out of the equation and looked for production in someone else, which is also something unfamiliar to him. “[Southeastern] is the first time that I didn’t either produce or co-produce in my entire career; it’s the first time I ever just turned the reigns of that over to someone else. And I think that turned out to be a really good idea,” says Isbell. Dave Cobb did the work and he’s had a great run. He’s made a lot of really good records in last couple of years.” Isbell and Cobb shared a vision, “for lack of a better term,” he says. “We came from the same roots, musically, and understood a lot of the same things and why they work. I didn’t want to keep making the same record. A lot of people do that, you know? They make a record that sounds like they held on to it too tightly. I understand that with the songs, the substance, with the writing, [and] with the composition of a record. But when it comes down to production, I think it’s a

mistake to be so possessive of that angle. You wind up repeating yourself. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to bring in another set of ears and someone that was technical and proficient enough to get interesting sounds, but still come from a different angle. And [doing that] helped a lot and made for a better record.” Isbell released Southeastern on June 11th of last year and by the fall of 2013, praise for the album was overflowing. He was on the road, for the better part of the next few months and continues with his travels this summer, in and out of the States. One of his many stops includes the Philadelphia Folk Festival next month. “I’d like to have a little bit more of a balance to it. It’d be nice to be home more often,” says Isbell about his touring schedule. “But you know, you gotta strike while the iron is hot.” The stage has been different for Isbell since becoming sober. There’s no longer that buffer between him and an audience, which left him feeling exposed two years ago, the very first time he performed without a drink. Sharing the rawness of Southeastern with crowds across the globe has added to that nakedness. Despite this, Isbell has accepted the challenge, making him an even stronger and talented artist. “Yeah, [I definitely felt vulnerable],” Isbell says about debuting Southeastern to the world. “But I think that’s my responsibility. If I don’t feel vulnerable, I’m not giving enough and I’m not trying hard enough.”

Photo by: Eric England

“But I think that’s my responsibility. If I don’t feel vulnerable, I’m not giving enough and I’m not trying hard enough.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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MUSIC, TECHNOLOGY

By Jaz Bowens

ACHT is an entity. The artist, producers, writers, and innovators have been making music, graphics, videos, and most recently, apps, for many years. On the road from a solo act, to a twosome, to a full blown band, YACHT has been able to transform, reinvent, and evolve as their talents speak for themselves in this ever changing technology based world. “[Jona and I] met in 2004, when my noise band played with an early iteration of YACHT at an art gallery in Los Angeles,” explains Claire Evans. “We’ve been collaborators basically every since. Jeff and Rob are old friends; Jeff used to book shows at Bard College, and booked YACHT, as well as Bobby Birdman.” The band has a professional and personal connection that cannot be denied. “Jona and I have been creative collaborators for almost a decade, since before I was a fullfledged member of the band,” she says. “Our skill sets complement one another— we bring very different things to the work. Work without him feels incomplete.” Before Jeffrey Brodsky and Bobby Birdman joined in 2010, Evans and Jona Bechtolt had been touring all over the 22 • THAT MAG AUGUST

Photo courtesty of: YACHT

YACHT is a new generation of musicians creating music on their own terms. world, but it was initially Bechtolt who started YACHT and took his performances on the road in 2002. Throughout the phases of the band’s reconstruction, one thing that remained the same was YACHT’s ever evolving brand. “YACHT has existed in many forms for a long time, partially because we have been willing to blow everything up and start over so many times,” Evans says. “The important thing is to stay interested, and not to grow complacent. There’s no easier way to dispatch with complacency than to bring new people into the creative working relationship. It helps you to question everything.” That ever evolving spirit and determination stayed with YACHT and the self-sufficient band has continued to do things like they always have.“We both grew up in the DIY and punk scenes of the Pacific Northwest, where “brand” was a bad word and if you wanted anything done properly,

you had to just do it yourself,” says Evans. “Jona booked his own shows, built his own website, toured perpetually, worked, collaborated, designed his own t-shirts, CDs, and LPs. We have never stopped with this energy, only refined it.” Their most recent album, Shangri La, was released in 2011. “Shangri-La was recorded over the span of a few months in 2011, mostly at the Marfa Recording Company in Marfa, Texas,” Evans says. “It was just the two of us in the studio. We wrote all the songs on the spot, working laterally. We’re making new music now, in much the same way.” Technology has influenced the way in which YACHT creates, deliver, and displays their music. “We wouldn’t be artists without tools,” Evans says. “The computer is the nexus of both our recording and our design process. It’s also our primary instrument for communication and evangelism. Our philosophy is that most everyone receives WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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“YACHT HAS EXISTED IN MANY FORMS FOR A LONG TIME, PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO BLOW EVERYTHING UP AND START OVER SO MANY TIMES.” culture now through the medium of a flat plane of LED, be it a phone, a computer, or a television screen. What is behind that flat plane doesn’t matter—only that it renders well. It doesn’t matter if there is a marketing team, professional graphic designers, advertising money, or even a record label behind that screen. It just has to look good and sound good. We have the same tools as anyone else. It’s democratizing.” One way in which YACHT has combined all mediums of art and technology is by creating their “5 Everyday App” which allows people to find out five interesting things happening a day in LA. “Like everything we make, we created 5 Every Day because we wanted it to exist. There are plenty of event calendars in Los Angeles, but they are bewilderingly dense and overwhelming,” Evans explains. “It’s hard to separate the good from the bad. When we moved back to Los Angeles, we wanted a clear, minimal, and tasteful suggestion engine that would alert us to the interesting things happening in the city— as well as clue us in on local favorites, hidden places, and history. Once we got our bearings, we built it.” On September 21st, 2014, YACHT will be at the First Unitarian Church in Philly, where they played one of their most memorable shows a few years ago. “One of our favorite shows in the history of YACHT was at the First Unitarian Church in Philly in 2010,” Evans says. “At the last minute, the promoter merged our show with a competing gig across town— Lightning Bolt, a band we have been obsessed with for years. The pairing was extreme. It was pure chaos. An indefinable energy.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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THAT MAG AUGUST • 23

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By Greg Styer

Lighters Up for Liber ty Music Fest

By Brittney Corridean

ith the end of summer 2014 approaching, there’s no better way to keep the heat going than to attend a five-day long music festival with over 100 artists, networking opportunities and educational events about the industry. For those who are familiar with SXSW, this is a more intimate Philly version that continues to grow every year. The idea for Liberty Music Fest came about six years ago when founders Jim Thorpe and Brian Cronin joked about booking showcases. They spoke about having an event that would be entirely focused on music; not just something where artists could perform, but a place where people could network, educate themselves and meet with other artists, promoters and managers. “We wanted to have something where we could bring bands together from all over the country,” says Thorpe, “and just make something that would grow.” This will be the third year for the festival and will take place at Finnegans Wake (537 North 3rd St.). In the past, the event was held at The Legendary Dobbs, but changing venues this year opens the space for the opportunity to quadruple the amount of attendees. Artists who will be performing at Liberty Music Festival have been selected by a diverse panel of industry professionals. The bands come from all over and range in all different genres. There is literally something for everyone at this

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Philadelphia’s 3rd annual Liberty Music Festival is the biggest one yet with workshops, networking events and more.

festival. Now that the event is being held at Finnegans Wake, there are four stages for band performances. “This is so viewers can enjoy the music and always have something going on when stages are in between performers,” Thorpe says. “There will consistently be music playing, whether it’s on one stage or another, no breaks.” Cronin backs up Thorpe’s statement. “All the while we will have workshops, guest speakers, mentoring, vendors...just so much going on.” For example, if you’re an aspiring musician, there will be one-on-one mentoring available where someone from the industry will sample your music and give you their professional insight. A Q&A panel will also be available where anyone can ask questions specifically pertaining to the music industry and get detailed answers. This could also be a great way for a band looking for their next move to just meet that one person who can give them the right opportunity. For those who are looking to just have a good time and enjoy the diversification of music, there will also be stellar specials on beer and a VIP section that entails a free beer party! So, if you are a spectator that is coming to enjoy the tunes, check out the various vendors that will be on the scene or someone looking to sign the next big thing, this is going to be an event from which everyone can gain.

“Really, we just want people to walk away with something. Whether it’s discovering a new band, getting exposure or just meeting someone they bond with, it’s all about bringing people together and having a good time,” Cronin states. The event will be just off of Spring Garden and easy to reach via public transportation. Or walk! If you’re an out of towner, the location is perfect for exploring all Philly has to offer while you’re waiting for a favorite band to play. The Holiday Inn Express on 100 N. Columbus Blvd. is offering a discount room prices and complimentary breakfast. Don’t forget to use UBER if you live nearby and need a ride home. The code LIBERTYFEST14 will get new users a free ride (up to $30). Play it safe, play it loud and discover some new music.

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Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas Speak About Their Secret Evil «

essica Hernandez and the Deltas has been the Motor City’s little secret and it will finally be revealed on Aug. 19th with the release of the band’s debut album, Secret Evil. Front woman, Jessica Hernandez, started on her musical journey back in 2009. “I was going to school for fashion [at Columbia College] in Chicago. Something equally unrealistic so I decided to take my chances in music. Dropped out, used my student loans to buy a guitar and started doing open mics in Chicago. Eventually things got rough and I had to move back home to Detroit.” “Detroit brought us together,” says drummer of the Deltas, Stephen Stetson.

“With all the trials and tribulations that Detroit has been through, the arts scene has really banded together.” The band would come together in bits and pieces through various connections of the close knit music scene. Hernandez would often open up as a solo acoustic set for the band Bear Lake that Stetson was a part of; John Raleeh, the trombone player, knew Hernandez even before the acoustic sets. Bassist Steve Lehane was a sound engineer at Rust Belt studios where members would record. “The Detroit music scene is small so I would always see them around,” says Hernandez. “When the time came to start touring full time I interview a lot of

By Shervin Lainez

“With all the trials and tribulations that Detroit has been through, the arts scene has really banded together.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

By Donte Kirby

musicians and it came down to them in the end. They wanted to live the same lifestyle I did.” Secret Evil has been a long time coming for the band. It was recorded years ago at the Sonic Ranch in Texas. Stetson remembers the smell of cookies wafting up to the loft where they practiced above Hernandez’s dad’s shop, the Mexican Town Bakery. “Remembering the preproduction in the loft, it’s a celebration, a culmination of our highs and lows,” recalls Stetson. Back in 2012 Hernandez was signed to the label Blue Note Records. They were in the process of mixing the album when Don Was, president of Blue Note at the time, gave Hernandez the heads up they were about to be bought out by Universal. At that point, Hernandez had two choices- stay and see if Universal would release the album, or leave knowing she had the rights and could shop it around to other labels. Not wanting the album to end up in limbo, Hernandez chose the latter. She found her current label, Instant Records, and is now releasing an album that she says, “a lot of people had a hand in making come together. Friends from Mexico City, Detroit, Columbia, different sides of me colliding.” For Hernandez, music has always been something to help her through the hard times and the lyrical content has always been the most important part. “Lyrics were a form of connection, like reading a book. To feel something or a connection. That’s like a huge gift for me,” says Hernandez. It’s a gift she hopes to give to those who listen to Secret Evil. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas are currently on tour, but will continue this fall alongside St Paul & The Broken Bones for a four-week tour of the US beginning October 14th. THAT MAG AUGUST • 25

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ACRES OF GOOD TUNES AND TIMES How A DIY band is making its mark.

ack Reinhardt sits in his third floor bedroom stroking the chin of his 10-month old pitbull puppy, Nails. Two acoustic guitars lay on opposite sides of the room and a collection of VHS tapes and records are neatly tucked away in various bins. Winthrop Stevens has found a comfortable spot on Reinhardt’s mattress and dangles his feet over the edge. The duo are roommates and also the founders of The Hundred Acre Woods, a Philadelphia band that draws influence from punk, indie, and folk music. Stevens adjusts his black-rimmed glasses before explaining the band’s origin. Though he and Reinhardt started playing together back in high school, only in the more recent years has it solidified. The band now includes Stevens and Reinhardt on guitar and vocals, Pat Loundas on bass, Will Davis on banjo and Brandon Harrison on drums. “Since, like, 2012 we got Brandon on and became more of a solid five-piece band and not so much a collective. We’ve had, like,

30 different members.” Reinhardt jokes that he’s made a tree of all the people who they’ve played with and holds out his hands to show the immensity. Since the formation, the band has toured immensely in the East and Midwest and has had some quite unorthodox experiences like getting drunk with a wedding party, experiencing -5 degree weather, and almost getting rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. Reinhardt laughs before concluding that “the whole tour was pretty nuts, but it was a blast.” Reinhardt ushers Nails out of the room as she has begun chewing on my audio recorder. He’s thinking about lessons he’s learned from all the studio hours, shows, and touring that has happened so far. “Playing music in a band, being in a band with all your best friends, is simultaneously the hardest thing and the most rewarding thing that a person can do.” Stevens adds in, “Don’t sell yourself short and don’t think that you’re not going

By Holli Stephens

to play shows for people or that you’re not going to get your music out. For a while we were just releasing things very DIY, maybe just on Bandcamp. And we still have gotten a ton of exposure.” A week later I’m at Drexel’s studio A, a spacious recording room of top notch equipment hidden amongst offices in the basement of MacAlister Hall. Reinhardt strings his guitar as Loundas lays back in an office chair, cracking jokes about “sticking it right through” (for the new album of course). The band is currently in the process of recording a 12-inch set to release sometime later this year. Loundas casually remarks, “It’s going to be 10 tracks, but I know Winthrop has a couple more up his sleeve.” Reinhardt begins to play guitar riffs over his bandmates’ already recorded parts to a song that they are in the process of finishing. As he finishes his last chord he adds, “Everything has been evolving in a really great way and we’ve been writing all these songs like a…” Loundas chimes in “...band!”

“Don’t sell yourself short and don’t think that you’re not going to play shows for people.”

Photo by: Shan Cerrone

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t’s only fitting that on the darkest nights is when you can see the shiniest of stars. Strand Of Oaks is Timothy Showalter and his fourth full-length album, HEAL, is a raw, honest therapy session. One of the recurring themes can best be illustrated by the track “Plymouth” which laments that “comfort doesn’t mean you’re better off.” Surviving a car crash and domestic troubles, Showalter poured his suffering into this record that Paste Magazine lists as one of the best albums of the year (so far) and writer Jeff Milo describes as being “the happiest scar I’ve ever heard”. “If you don’t acknowledge and confront the problems in your life because you’re comfortable, then they fester and get infected,” Showalter says. “You have this routine that you get lost in, but then you lose yourself and become completely alone and then you make a fucking crazy record with ten songs about it.” Showalter was touring for two years straight when he arrived home from his last tour and “the faucet just turned on. I wrote about 30 songs in less than a month and recorded them in my house. I had a specific

A PHOENIX RISES: Strand Of Oaks

« By Jane Roser

Photo by Dusdin Condren

Timothy Showalter’s HEAL, is visceral, cathartic and completely relatable. vision for this record and picked the best of the groups of songs that I was writing.” The opening track, “Goshen ‘97”, even features Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis on lead guitar. Wanting to get out of small mid-western town life, Showalter sucked in every type of music he could. “I think that has a lot to do with the kind of music I make now. I just listen to everything. I bought techno equipment and wanted to be a rave DJ. I wasn’t successful at it, but it gave me the passion for creating music.” Now based in Philly, Showalter doesn’t have many opportunities to play locally, but gets excited when he does. “I’ll be in tour mode and I’m like, hey, I live here! I can just drive home!” Playing a sold out show at the Boot & Saddle on September 19th, with a second show added for September 20, Showalter is pumped to play his first gig there. “It’s such a nice, intimate room and the sound is amazing.”

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With such a large catalog of music, Showalter pays attention to the mood of the audience when selecting a set list for his live shows. “If you’re playing in a place where people are drinking and having a good time, you think, let’s not bring the mood down, but keep climbing the mountain together. I have the ability to gauge an audience and if it’s a mellow night, people are not going to be in the mood for a seven minute guitar solo, but there’s enough music to pull from that I can choreograph the night.” Showalter says that HEAL is the first record in which the live show and the record are paired well. “I always envision that I’m playing a stadium somewhere. It’s much more cathartic and visceral live. I want people to walk away with their fists in the air shouting ‘fuck yeah!’ I want people to be entertained, we didn’t build an audience based on hype, but on hard work and a blue-

collar approach. It was a slow build and I think that, especially with a lot of younger bands, they think success is going to happen right away and that one Bandcamp single will catapult them into stardom, but my favorite bands are the ones that really work their asses off.” Speaking often about hope and healing, Showalter looks at his bio and, although he thinks it’s a great read, wishes all the turmoil hadn’t happened to him. “But you can appreciate the better times because of the dark times; there’s always hope that it’s going to cycle back.” Emily Dickinson once said that “hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.” For Tim Showalter, hope is a phoenix rising from the ashes and with strife comes clarity and eventually, rebirth.

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Building a New Aura With Art in the Age The crew behind some of the area’s most innovative spirits look north for their next expansion. « By Matt Kelchner

Photo courtesy of: Quaker City Mercantile

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“E

verything’s tied back to personal experiences of things that I know.” That’s how former ad guy and current head honcho of Art in the Age, Steve Grasse, explains the way each of his finely crafted line of earthy spirits are connected. Grasse is a master at coming up with unusual spirits that have become wildly popular. His current line has four different concoctions, each one truly unique from anything else you’ve ever tried. Root, Snap, Rhuby and Sage. Judging by each’s name, it’s easy to figure out what the tastes will be. Root, the eldest in the line, was introduced several years ago and ever since, Grasse and company has released a new flavor every couple of years. Now Grasse is aiming to take things to the next level. Grasse and his family recently purchased a plot of land in upstate New Hampshire and have created what he has dubbed the Tamworth Lyceum. “My mom’s family is from New Hampshire going back to the 1630s and I spent every summer of my life up there, so we bought a whole farm up there,” he says, “...and then we bought the general store and then we bought the old inn.” The next addition will come later this year as he plans to open a small batch distillery yards from the other buildings. The site will serve as his mad laboratory to come up with new and exciting batches of booze. “I want to take everything from tree bark to wildflowers to even moose crap,” Grasse tells me as we go over the possibilities of new ingredients he is just waiting to get his hands on. He continues, “there is a whole botanical kitchen at the distillery that’s really dedicated to pushing to new places to where we can go with botanical extractions.” And if Grasse’s history in the world of fine spirits shows any indication, then Tamworth Distillery will be nothing short of amazing. Grasse’s first foray into the world of liquor was in creating two brands that are now household names, Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendricks Gin. After selling off Sailor Jerry Rum, Grasse began looking for his next move and he didn’t want to take the easy route. “We wanted to create a new brand and I purposely wanted to make it as challenging as possible”. “I also wanted to explore recipes from my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. So we came out with Root,” Grasse explains to me. He goes on, diving into the history behind the recipe. “Root is the historical recipe for root tea, which became root beer.” It’s this link to Grasse’s personal roots that became a staple in each of the subsequent releases. “The recipes came from my bizarre, strange Pennsylvania Dutch heritage.” Along with all of the internal connections, there are just as many historical references. For example, the WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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story behind Rhuby, one of the newer spirits. “My mom used to make rhubarb tea and I asked her where she got the recipe,” Grasse says. “She said it was an old Shaker recipe, but then I did some research and rhubarb was brought to America by Benjamin Franklin in 1778. He brought the seeds to America for his friend John Bartram, who was the king’s botanist.” While Grasse kept the curtains closed on just exactly what these experiments might consist of, he was able to give some information on what we can expect. For starters, the intertwining of Grasse’s family hertiage along with very local, historical influences will remain. “So the things we do up there will be New England based, the way the things down here are sort of Pennsylvania/ Philadelphia based.” There will also be a focus on the level of detail that will be throughout the entire process, from the ingredients to the final bottling and packaging. “We’re taking the farm to bottle thing almost to an extreme where it’s going to be single crop vodkas, single crop whiskeys,” Grasse details. “When I say single crop, it’s like this acre of corn from this farmer down the road was turned into this bottle of vodka.” Grasse plans to share all of the information behind the process that gave them their bottle of alcohol with each person that picks one up. He explains, “The labels will say who the farmer was, when it was cultivated, when it was milled, when it was turned into liquor, etc.” Displaying these kind of small facts not only pushes each batch into a new level of exclusivity, but it also adds a more personal side that is not typically found in the distilling world. With all of this comes a new level of availability as well. When using this single crop style, one can imagine that only so many bottles can come from it. Tamworth Distillery not only acknowledges this fact, but they plan on embracing it. “What we’re going to do is try a lot of things. Mostly you’ll have to come up there and buy it on site. So if we have 200 bottles of very rare whiskey, first come, first serve. Come and get it,” Grasse describes. While some bottles may make their way down to the Philadelphia area, it’s not a guaranteed thing. “I feel like what we’re trying to do here is to say ‘No, you need to come see us. You can’t buy this everywhere. You need to come experience this’.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

In a world where so many things around us are produced to a level where they can be found anywhere, Steven Grasse, Art in the Age and now the Tamworth Lyceum, are helping to show what it really means to be proud of something you make and sell. The Art in the Age brand has always been about

the idea that “the more things are produced, the more they lose their aura” and the desire for the products to be handcrafted. Come this winter, the distillery plans to be up and running, offering another shining example of what it truly means to be American made.

Nadira Norjahan Congratul ates Liberty Music Fest on their 3rd Annual Event...

Featuring New Single

Soul On Fire

www.nadiranorjahan.com

Management/Booking:(601) 389-7507

SammieBeatz! Music Production

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Creating with

CULTURES CLOTHING « By Mely Duong

Moving across cultures by uniting them through art.

ultures Clothing Company is the successful brainchild of Philadelphia artist Alloyius McIlwaine. His love for art began at a young age and his talent for drawing began by looking at comic books and trying to duplicate the art. As McIlwaine got older, he began to study various different forms of art by taking classes at Moore College of Art, and at his high school, Friends Select School. The idea for Cultures Clothing originated back to high school, but didn’t manifest itself until he enrolled at Neumann College when he began to create custom t-shirts for

extra income. Once he realized his passion, he pursued a business administration major in order to be able to successfully run his own company. His designs weren’t just for aesthetic value, rather they had real meaning behind them. “The goal of the line was (and still is) to show that all cultures have something beautiful or interesting about them...and I wanted to use my designs to bring us all together.” The concept and objective of his apparel has been successful as his clothing is sold in various stores such as Impact Boutique on South Street and internationally «

Photo by: Alloyius McIlwaine

in countries ranging from Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, and Serbia. Both his cohesive business plan and his clever use of social networking has garnered him attention from international trendsetters. “I’ve used social networking as a platform to get the company out there, and I try to make everyone feel like they are a part of the movement.” That is the heartwarming mindset that allows fans of the clothing to bond over acceptance of diversity and to acknowledge that despite these differences we are united all as humans on this earth. Furthermore, McIlwaine has found social networking to be an invaluable asset as he markets the products through various contests and giveaways. It’s all a very innovative and creative way of being an entrepreneur in this coming day and age. McIlwaine fulfills the role perfectly as an entrepreneur, artist, and philanthropist. Philadelphia itself is inspirational to the artist. Everywhere, there are murals, graffiti, and a beautiful hip hop movement facilitating the transfer of thought to art. As an artist, McIlwaine has brought his creative vision to life through not only his apparel, but also his own bright, energetic artwork which is a mixture of urban/ street art, comic book art, and abstract art. “You can really gain inspiration from just about anything if you keep an open mind.” Again, this truly enforces McIlwaine’s philosophy on educating others about tolerance for and acceptance of differing cultures through his talent. Learn more about the philosophy, lifestyle, and creation process at www.culturesclothing.com.

Photos Courtesy of: Governors Ball

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Keep Dreaming ...because if you stand for nothing you’ll fall for anything. « By Jaz Bowens

he Philadelphia based grass roots organization Get Lucid has been growing strong since its creation two years ago by young visionaries Peter Milos and Miguel Huerta. The City of Brotherly Love doesn’t get the credit it deserves for the enormous amount of non-profit programs, passionate social activists, and underground movements. Get Lucid was made for just that reason. Get Lucid’s dance party is where activist are acknowledged for their work, artist of all mediums and genres congregate, and money is raised for the celebrated group. “Miguel is a poet and I’m a musician [in a band called Galvanize]. We were both looking for a place where we could gather Philly artists, express our own art and do it with the kind of activist community we discovered when we moved to Philly,” Milos explains. “That’s how it came up. Even activists need to party. We decided to throw a party that incorporated each of our passions as well as encapsulates the activist community.” Get Lucid is a close family of 12-15 people that regularly contribute to the organization along with a network of about 50 who represent, perform, and promote. So far, Get Lucid has thrown eight events in Philly and one in DC, raising over $5,000 for social justice/community

Photo courtesy of: Chris K Photography

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based non-profit organizations. Some of the organizations they’ve gathered for are Women Against Abuse, Prometheus Radio Project, Decarcerate Pennsylvania, Dream Activist, and The Philadelphia Urban Creators. Both Milos and Huerta moved to Philly two years ago to attend U Penn’s social work school. They immediately fell in love with the city. “We quickly realized that Philly is a really special place because people are willing to collaborate and are really passionate about issues that they’re fighting for in this city,” Huerta says. “Through school we met a lot of people involved in the community. While in a student group we had money to use by the end of the semester so we used it to put together our first Get Lucid. We charged at the door and the money we made we gave to Dream Activist. We knew people from school and just from around the way who were willing to play music or perform. We got a DJ and the rest is history.” Huerta continues, “The idea was blending different communities, different artists, and activists in various social movements, We wanted to bring people together.” They each have their own story as to why social work is important to them and why Get Lucid members support others in their efforts. Though, gaining recognition isn’t important to them. “Recognition isn’t the point,” Milos says. “It’s about having fun. It’s about the experience.” Through Get Lucid many organizations, artists, and performers have gained exposure and met like-minded people. Get Lucid creates an open space where people from all walks of life can gather to express themselves artistically, all the while doing so for a great cause.

“It’s about having fun. It’s about the experience." «

Photo by: Chris K Photography

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SHOVELS & ROPE: True Grit and a Whole Lotta Southern

« By Jane Roser

Get ready to rattle & roll as this sizzling duo shakes up Union Transfer.

elding a delicious blend of country, punk, blues and gritty rock and roll, husband and wife duo Shovels & Rope are shaking up the music scene and gathering well-deserved accolades in their wake. Winning Song of the Year (for “Birmingham” off their O’Be Joyful album) and Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 American Music Association Awards, Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent sound like, as one fan put it, ‘a combination of grit and lilies in a sea of miraculous.’ Meeting on the road over a decade ago, Hearst and Trent found a common kinship in passionate music. “Michael was in a band called the Films,” explains Hearst. “They made a move from Colorado to Charleston and our bands became friends and toured together.” Both released solo albums before working on the duo’s 2008 eponymous collaboration. “That’s the brown record that no one really knows what to call it,” jokes Trent. “It’s called Shovels & Rope, but it says “Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent” on it. That was the first time we’d ever played together and we made that record really for fun.” The duo started gigging in local bars around Charleston four or five nights a week, still planning on having their own separate careers, but the audiences loved their harmonic sound and that planted the first seeds of what would eventually become Shovels & Rope. Accumulating die-hard fans who have touted their live shows to be hotter than a fire ant in a lava lamp, Shovels & Rope is one of the rare bands whose records translate well into live performances. “The audience gets that we’re not really sweating it,” says

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Photo by: Molly Hayes

Trent. “We’re pretty easy-going about the whole thing and are just trying to connect with the audience; our shows have heart, but are unexpected. Every show is different, we thrive walking on the high wire.” Shovels & Rope will release their next album, Swimmin’ Time, on August 26th. Featuring 13 new songs that follow a subtle aquatic theme and deftly weave together witty, cheeky tales with grim murder ballads. Hearst was inspired to write the apocalyptic sounding title track when the couple moved to South Carolina’s largest island, Johns Island- “The mud in your eyes has led you blind, you’ll be the ones drowning when it’s swimmin’ time.” “It’s a coastal area with lots of climate change, but we live in a community where

“Every show is different, we thrive walking on the high wire.”

a lot of people don’t believe in climate change and a lot of those people dictate the way that area is developed. I had that song bubbling around in my mind for a while and it came out because of all the anxiety we had about choosing to be coastal people and what we stood to lose, so the community kind of drove the lyrics to that song.” Recording Swimmin’ Time at home, this album is stripped of the fiddles and banjos found on O’ Be Joyful as the duo played every instrument themselves, except for horns, played by their friend Nathan Koci. “He was on our last record and also my solo album,” says Trent. “He’s the ‘and’ in Shovels & Rope,” laughs Hearst. “We sort of stretched our legs on the sound,” says Trent. “Some of the songs are the heaviest we’ve ever put out and some are the most delicate.” “We want the chorus to be exciting and the bridge to make you feel something,” says Hearst. “There’s so many good, common chord progressions that run through all kinds of music that work in many different ways, but if you can turn them on their ass in a song it gives the melody a freshness and a new life; it’s just part of our writing style.” As huge music fans themselves, Hearst gushes when I ask who they’re listening to right now. “Can we just talk about the new Sturgill Simpson record for a second? That record is just so good, that’s what I’ve been listening to.” Trent caught Nick Cave at Bonnaroo and was blown away. “I’ve been a fan of his records for a long time, but I had no idea that THAT was gonna happen.” Both then start singing praises for a Portland band called Denver, “something magical happens when

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“I had that song bubbling around in my mind for a while and it came out because of all the anxiety we had about choosing to be coastal people and what we stood to lose.”

they sing together,” says Trent. “Cary says they’re like the hound dogs you see in cartoons, kinda howling in harmony.” Shovels & Rope will be setting fire to Union Transfer on September 24th and the pair are excited to be back in Philly.”It’s one of the first cities we played shows at early in our career,” says Hearst. “It’s a great city- rugged and rusty and passionate. We played a venue down by the river; it was a big, cool, creepy ol’ bar and for whatever reason, the audiences there really embrace us, which is a trip. We’re Southern people, but they always give us a pass!”

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Adam Travis & The Soul ‘These graduates of Berklee College Of Music came together in Boston during the Fall of 2012. Their debut album, "City Life", was released during the summer of 2013 and the band has been busy playing shows along the east coast ever since. Adam Travis & The Soul combines uplifting lyrics with styles of reggae, rock, soul and blues to bring the listener a new, positive state of mind and the audience a wild, fun night.”

www.adamtravismusic.com

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“Since the end of its run

in the 70s, prog has always been a bit of a dirty word.”

Photo by: Stephanie Bargas

In The Presence Of Wolves Look to Bring Prog-Rock Back to the Masses

« By Joe Jamnitzky

The South Jersey quartet celebrates year two with some big shows and a full-length album.

“S

ince the end of its run in the 70s, prog has always been a bit of a dirty word,” guitarist Chris Capitanio states. “However, it seems to be having a bit of a resurgence, especially amongst young people.” In The Presence Of Wolves looks to be part of that resurgence. Aside from the obvious influence of early progressive rock acts such as Rush, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Yes, they also work in the influences of more modern prog-rock acts, such as Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Tool, and Mastodon, while adding a bit of variety to top it off. “It’s very important for us to take influence from music outside of prog,” Capitanio continues. “To me, any music influenced entirely by its own genre can be really boring. Incubus, The Police, and a lot of jazz definitely creep into our music.” The seeds of ITPOW were planted almost eight years ago, while Capitanio and bassist/lead vocalist Vini Stamato were still in high school. “Vini and I started playing music together around 2006. In 2012, we

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met our other guitarist, Justin Alexander, at a jam session where we hit it off really well. He brought in Mason Ingling on drums, who had coincidentally filled in on bass for my previous band. Once we solidified the lineup, we hit the ground running.” This past July marked the band’s second anniversary, and in that time they have played places such as the TLA, Kung Fu Necktie, and The Legendary Dobbs, a venue they recently returned to for a performance of Pink Floyd’s Echoes in its entirety. Now, the band is preparing their first full-length album, titled Thalassas. The recording process, while not always easy, has been a rewarding one. “Writing with four people is both exciting and frustrating. We have yet to find a method that works without a hitch and I doubt we ever will. You have all these great minds that are capable of coming up with awesome ideas, but each person has their own idea of where the song should go. While it led to many disagreements, we can’t complain with the results.”

As far as plans for the summer, while the majority of it has been focused on finishing up the album, there will be some live dates. These dates include the 3rd Annual Liberty Music Fest as well as being one of the headliners at the End of Summer Music Festival at Dave and Buster’s Dockside in Philly on September 6th. Ultimately, the band hopes to make people see that prog no longer has to be a dirty word, while simultaneously standing out from the crowd. “We pride ourselves on being energetic on stage and try to eschew the negative connotations of prog rock. Many bands seem to get stuck in prog as a ‘genre’ and don’t really follow the spirit of the music, which is to grow and progress. We’re very excited to see where the future will take us.” In The Presence Of Wolves’ debut album, Thalassas, is currently being finished up for a 2014 release. In the meantime, catch them at Liberty Music Fest in August, and the End of Summer Music Festival this September. WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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Survay Says...it’s about time for a ska revival! « By Donte Kirby

urvay Says! headlines the Ska Revival Tour along with The Last Slice and the bands are currently making their way across the country. The tour hits Philadelphia on Aug. 16th at the Trocadero Theatre, and Survay Says! hopes to bring ska back to the ears of the masses. “The idea of The Ska Revival Tour is to let your everyday music enthusiast know that there are in fact still many talented, driven, and active ska bands in the United States. In my opinion, if my band is capable of finding a fan base while touring independently 200 days out of the year, then ska is not dead,” explains Henry Menzel, guitarist and lead vocalist for the pop-punk/ska band from New Jersey. Ska is a precursor to reggae, combining elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and R&B. Today’s ska in America is heavily influenced by the 1970s 2 Tone revival in the UK that saw the combination of reggae and rocksteady with elements of punk rock and new wave. Ska in America would reach its peak in the 90s with the albums from ska bands like The

“I’m hoping by the end of

Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish going platinum. Popularity for ska has since waned. “I’m hoping by the end of this campaign, the bands involved will be able to stake their claim as legitimate bands instead of being written off because of any ska association,” says Menzell. “It’s happened to us a lot. We’ll get tossed aside simply because of some kind of negative connotation that ska has developed in recent years. It took/takes a lot of work for most of the underground music community to take us seriously. So not only is the music getting ‘revived’, but the idea of ska music as a legitimate and universally enjoyable form of music is getting ‘revived.’” Survay Says! has recently released its fourth full-length album, Observation of the Human Condition. Menzell calls the album “the most personal record we’ve done to date and I hope what we sing connects with people.” Menzell recalls the humble beginnings of the ska band from Blairstown, N.J. back in 2008. “Originally, Survay Says! was «

nothing more than a name we gave the group of us while we were writing silly ska songs, several of which we still play today, in my bedroom. The first incarnation of the band were my friends from high school who happened to play instruments. Over time, we’ve had a lot of member changes due to the ambitions of the band. “The origin of the name is simple. There wasn’t a Survay Says! on MySpace spelled with an A. So we spelled it that way. Meaning-wise, there isn’t any. It’s not like we’re huge Family Feud enthusiasts.” In the next year Survay Says! intends to tour extensively. “There are a couple new tours that I’m excited to announce very soon that I think people are going to enjoy. One of them might surprise some people,” says Menzel. “We also have some new recording projects in the works, but it’s too early in the game to talk about that.” Along with the Ska Revival Tour stop at the Trocadero, Philadelphia fans can catch the band again at Liberty Music Fest on August 20th.

Photo by: Clark Terrell

this campaign, the bands involved will be able to stake their claim as legitimate bands instead of being written off because of any ska association.” WWW.THATMUSICMAG.COM

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Miniature Tigers Take Cruel Runnings for a Mainstream Test Drive « By Meaghan Paulosky

Photo courtesy of: Tell All Your Friends PR

“That is my worst nightmare. If we aren’t growing and evolving, there’s no point in going on.”

efore there was Facebook, Instagram, or Spotify, before social media officially ruled the world, there was Myspace. For those who don’t remember what “Top 8” means, Myspace was a pioneer in enabling perfect strangers to become friends, sometimes even band mates. Or at least that’s what it did for musicians Charlie Brand and Rick Schaier. As Brand explains, “[Rick and I] had become mutual admirers of each other’s work [on Myspace]. We were AIM buddies for years before actually meeting.” But when they did meet in Los Angeles, it was with the intent to start a band. Now, three EPs, four full-length albums, and more than eight years later, the instant messaging duo “slowly [filled] in the rest of the band members” to become a dynamic, collaborative, and proliferative four-piece known as Miniature Tigers. With Algernon Quashie on guitar, Brandon Lee on bass, and Brand and Schaier on guitar and keyboard respectively, the group has

successfully established their own iteration of the indie/pop sound. Though, defining their sound through the years might not do them justice. As Brand further shares, “I think [our style] changed a lot, but to me still feels like part of the same narrative. I’m too restless to commit to one sound and stick to it for an entire career. That is my worst nightmare. If we aren’t growing and evolving, there’s no point in going on.” And it is just this mindset that inspired their most recent album Cruel Runnings, released June 17th of this year. Initial public and online responses to the album have called it a mainstream diversion from Miniature Tigers’ previous indie and synth work. At first, second, third, all listens, that might be true, but if mainstream is the case, Brand says okay. “I love top 40 hiphop and pop so I’m thrilled if my music is considered part of that. I have no desire to be a small indie band.”

Though he admits, “Sometimes that’s hard for certain fans because they will be attached to a certain album.” But for the ones that can come along for Miniature Tigers’ evolution, they can expect the same fun, relaxing experience at the shows as the band had while recording it in Jamaica. “There aren’t any shows I’m not looking forward to,” says Brand. “I’m excited to…feel people’s reactions to the record in person.” Soon enough, they will be stopping by Philadelphia’s Union Transfer with The Griswolds and Finish Ticket. This August 15th show will mark Miniature Tigers’ second stop in Philly just this last year, following their March show at Boot & Saddle with Bear Hands. And, not to worry, these two shows certainly haven’t been/ won’t be their only. “We’ve played Philly a lot. We love Philly and always have really fun shows.” The feeling’s mutual, guys. Before rounding out the rest of the Cruel Runnings promotion, they’ll stop at First

“I’ve started writing again just for the joy of it and I’m not sure it’s for Miniature Tigers or something else entirely." 36 • THAT MAG AUGUST

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“Initial public and online responses to the album have called it a mainstream diversion from Miniature Tigers’ previous indie and synth work.” City Festival, alongside Beck, the National, and many others for the two-day outdoor concert at the Monterey, CA County Fair. Soon after, they’ll travel to the Monterrey City Fest for their very first, and highly anticipated, show in Mexico. Finally, Miniature Tigers will pause at the vastly intriguing Pygmalion Festival in Illinois. The end of September will be the tenth year for the Festival, and show how much it’s grown with musicians, authors and a literary festival, crafters/visual artists, and restaurateurs (and potentially even a Tech Conference in 2015?!). In what could very well be a Midwestern SXSW, Miniature Tigers will certainly be closing out their scheduled touring season with a bang, and maybe some more relaxation. According to Brand, an energetic and unforgettable tour is the primary focus. As for future plans and songs, not right now. “I’m not really thinking that far ahead. I’ve started writing again just for the joy of it and [I’m] not sure it’s for Miniature Tigers or something else entirely.”

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Thee Idea Men «

Photo by: Tim Passarella

Living with a person can reveal a lot about them – when they go to bed, how often they shower, etc., and this can sometimes make lofted beds a little close for comfort. Every once in a while, though, two friends come along and manage to rise above the odor. Matt Jurasek and Tyler March lived together as freshmen at Drexel University. Musically-bound friends from New Jersey, they played in high school and decided to keep the momentum going as Music Industry majors. Fortunately, their friendship didn’t succumb to their dorm and Jurasek and March reached senior year with an idea. As they both describe, Thee, Idea Men started as a senior project because “recording an album seemed like it would be a fun thing do.” And it just so happened they were pretty good at it. They recruited Kris Pirnat from their high school days and found themselves with a strong rock/blues sound that outlived the project. Sure, they “got an A, [but more importantly] they kept getting booked for shows.” Before long, Matt Raspanti joined on rhythm guitar and with Jurasek on lead guitar/vocals, March on drums, and Pirnat on bass, Thee, Idea Men were ready. The next few months were spent getting their name around at places like North Star Bar, Milkboy, and Boot & Saddle, always finding “the Philly music scene [to be] really good to [them].” With this local success, it was time to hit the road. For the last two years they’ve done the CMJ Music Marathon, no matter what it took to get there. Come hell or high water or a hasty arrest, Thee, Idea Men came prepared to play. Last year, “Matt got

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A damn good idea!

arrested because he forgot to pay seatbelt tickets so he sat in jail for 23 hours - we went on without a lead guitarist/vocalist,” shares the forgiving band. Never underestimate the power of an idle court system nor the dedication (and absurdity) of Thee, dea Men. It’s this charm that also got them to SXSW 2013. Who needs a showcase to play good, live music? “We played five shows on the way down, three were last minute… when we got there we played in a grocery store,” they explain. That’s not to say they don’t know how to work. Like true professionals, they transitioned from produce aisle to Milkboy’s showcase effortlessly. There, they met Tommy Joyner, Milkboy cofounder, and set their second album in motion. The album, New Level Shoes, was recorded at Milkboy’s Studio and released in May. Since then, they’ve released a “very homemade” music video for “All the While” and started planning a packed next few months.

« By Meaghan Paulosky Following their July 24 show at North Star, they will “focus on playing….shows spread out over Philly and NY,” including a third year at CMJ (sans law enforcement) and a recently announced show on December 20th at Boot & Saddle. Over coming weeks, they’re especially excited to share their June recording session with Illinois’ Daytrotter which will undoubtedly lead to more national attention, as it typically does for well-deserving up-andcoming musicians. As a band that started in close quarters, they maintain that they’re “really collaborative when writing songs…all four of [them] write in the same room and blend [their] backgrounds in punk, jazz, and blues to meet in the middle and land on something.” And because of this highly unique group effort, they “already have two new songs and are in the process of a few others” for us to look forward to. Recently and officially comma-free, Thee Idea Men are ready for a busy close to 2014.

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