Review: Teletextile - Care Package

Label: Self-released

Released: 2007



Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Video: Grayceon - Song For You

This one is a little gruesome. It's sad that some people live their lives this way.

Video - Bigelf - Money, It's Pure Evil

Crazy video, crazy song, crazy band. Bigelf's latest is one of the best albums to come out this year.

Review: Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason

Label: Nine Mile Records

Released: July 15, 2008

There is an interesting revival of old-time music afoot. Tapping into vaudeville, string bands and vocal groups of the 30s and 40s, these bands' strengths can also be their limitations, making many strictly revivalists rather a modern look at the past. A few, however, manage to break the bounds of revivalism to make music that is as thoroughly modern as it is old-time.

Mad Tea Party is just one of those bands. Like their peers, both vaudeville and string band music runs throughout, but they aren't satisfied to have Found a Reason limited to just that. Like few of their peers, Mad Tea Party is part of the uke-billy scene, a small but perhaps growing subgenre where the ukulele rocks like never before. Ami Worthen's voice brings the charming, quirky beauty of the days before dull, cookie-cutter perfection to an album that has roots in the past but also stands firmly in more modern times with both social commentary and pop culture (was that a Pac Man reference?). They can follow-up a fun look at adolescent awkwardness in "I Never Was a Cool One" with the quiet sadness of "Waltz of Despair" and no one will blink. They just have that unique ability to move around like that and yet retain their purity in a way that only bands like the Dead and the Violent Femmes can.

Jason Krekel's licks are at times worthy of Chuck Berry as Mad Tea Party rips through some great rock n roll. Yet, they don't even stop there, moving into early 60s AM pop and surf at times as well. Mad Tea Party still manages to package this up into a distinctive homogeneous sound, taking detours that enhance the trip but don't change the destination. Their multi-faceted soul moves in ways that are both serious and fun, sometimes at the same time.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

"Every Way" video

Mad Tea Party - "Every Way" (2008) from Skizz Cyzyk on Vimeo.

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Review: The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

Label: Secretly Canadian

Released: June 17, 2008

Just because an artist has done all that can be expected of him and has earned the right to rest on his laurels, doesn't mean the work he started is done. So it is with Bob Dylan and The War on Drugs has picked up the cause and put their own spin on it with Wagonwheel Blues.

The album doesn't always sound just like Dylan (though the vocals always stick to Dylan's crazy, can't-sing-but-I-can-still-pull-it-off-better-than-anybody style). At times the band sounds like the meeting of the Jayhawks and the Velvet Underground. At others, they lean toward the Smiths (fronted by Dylan and not so mopey) or space rock (also fronted by Dylan). They get big and bombastic like Springsteen (if he had Dylan's voice) at one point. They even deal in noisy guitar pop at times. But whether they're being laid-back and folky or echoey and noisy, the Dylan in them rings true.

It's tempting to assume that it's just Adam Granduciel's voice that draws those comparisons, but the reality is that goes beyond that. The cadence of his voice with the music is off-kilter and the words forced to break the meter and rhyme which really serves to emphasize the lyrics that are rich with imagery and clear pictures of places I've never been, but feel like I now know. Of course, Dylan did that too. Around each corner, the album offers some subtle or not-so-subtle angle, staying both interesting and true to itself. Again, that's Dylan.

It's interesting, because a Dylan rip-off would just be annoying, but that's not what we have here. Wagonwheel Blues is just picking up the unfinished work of a great artist and forging ahead in its own direction with that artist's spirit and with a good bit of his creativity as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Zebrahead - Phoenix

Label: Icon Records

Released: August 5, 2008

There are great albums that are definitive in their genre, essential to their scene or even influential across the full spectrum of rock music. Then, there are (possibly) great albums cultivated on ground made fertile by their more innovative predecessors. Can they really be called great? Who's to say for sure, but there are some at least that knock so heartily on the door of greatness, that it seems unimaginable that they would not be let in. Phoenix is one of those albums.

Zebrahead doesn't do much that hasn't been done before. At their worst moments, their energetic pop punk gets a little bit too close to the Offspring...but in their prime. In their better moments, Zebrahead infuses pop-punk, an increasingly dull and placid genre, with passion and excitement and better hooks to boot (check out "Death By Disco" if you doubt it). Drawing at times on hip-hop and electro-punk, neither of which is a new idea, they incorporate the sounds much more seamlessly than the genre-cut-and-paste games played by many of their peers.

Phoenix is not an album about brave new musical horizons and perhaps that will lead to diminishing critical returns over time. But right now, it's a must hear record for anyone who ever even had an inclination to like pop punk. It's towering energy might just make you forget that it's all been done before, but forgetting might not matter, because new or not, it's seldom been done better.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Video: Left Lane Cruiser - Wash It

Here's some hot Texas boogie...not courtesy of ZZ Top!

Review: Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New

Label: self-released

Released: August 1, 2008

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so the physicists say. You cannot effectively defend your position without understanding the opposition, so the orators say. You cannot know up without down, dark without light, good without evil, so the philosophers say. Ours is in many ways a world defined and understood in terms of opposing forces.

Sharks and Sailors understands this. The very fiber of Builds Brand New is built around this concept. It is these opposites, contrasts if you will, that are the texture of the music: sweet melodies versus grating noise, ambient fluidity versus sharp angles, technical skill versus emotional release. While this is a fine technique, it is hardly unique in and of itself. But there is another wrinkle to Sharks and Sailors: They don't use these opposing forces against each other as a means of creating tension. Instead, they are more like yin and yang, forces spinning around the Taoist center of the overall album.

They have clearly taken a few lessons from the Smashing Pumpkins in their prime, but these songs voice something more cerebral than Gen X brattiness. "Metes and Bounds" stretches out so far that it feels epic as it alternates between sharp art-punk angles and airy prog spaceiness. It manages to compress time almost, concentrating what should be a 20 minute opus into six minutes. It is like the ocean dripping into the dew drop. And that's how this album goes, wide and expansive, yet it would nearly fit onto one side of a 90 minute tape (for those of us who remember those days).

Without getting into the realm of the nearly unlistenable, Builds Brand New manages to find an unturned patch of ground in rock music. What they've sown there is both musically and philosophically compelling.

Ratings:
Satriani 7/10
Zappa 9/10
Dylan 8/10
Aretha 8/10
Overall 8/10

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If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Crazy Henry Rollins Interview fro the Black Flag Days

This is a long time ago, but it still makes me think an interview with Rollins wouldn't be a walk in the park.

Interview: Cory Gray of Carcrashlander

Formerly in the sadly underknown Desert City Soundtrack, Cory Gray's current endeavor is Carcrashlander. This is a band so good that even I can forgive their love of Randy Newman. Their self-titled debut came out earlier this year on Parks and Records. I got the chance to talk with Cory about the past, present and future (and the piano versus the guitar).

RnRnMN: How has the response been to the new album?

CG: People at least usually say thanks when I give them a copy. The campfire stamp seems to delight my fellow camper friends, although it's hardly the kind of music to play around a campfire. Last time I tried to take a piano camping I had to leave it in the woods.


RnRnMN: Do you see Carcrashlander as a progression form what you did in Desert City Soundtrack or as an entirely different part of who you are as an artist?

CG: There's a Chinese proverb that says you can be cautious about the future but not about the past. I just sold el vaño, the DCS Econoline. It was a very sentimental moment, but I needed a new ride.


RnRnMN: How is working on this project different that projects you've done in the past?

CG: The band members I have currently seem to all come from such completely different musical backgrounds that when I bring a song to the group it's like dropping a twig in the gutter during a rainstorm. It's anybody's guess where it will end up.


RnRnMN: If you had to place Carcrashlander in a musical tradition, what would it be?

CG: Myspace says we're healing/easy listening. I would be tempted to doubt the sincerity of that categorization, but that would require me to doubt Myspace, which is getting into some seriously dangerous territory.


RnRnMN: Is the piano really a good substitute for the guitar? I mean, it's rock n roll after all.

CG: Is it? rock and what? And we got a guitar, shit.


RnRnMN: The album strikes me as one that is even better at the right time of day or in the right season. If you had to suggest the right time and place for the album, what would it be?

CG: If and when it grows would probably depend when you planted it, and what the conditions of the soil are like.


RnRnMN: What's coming up for Carcrashlander over the next year?

CG: After some western states shows through October, I think it will be time to make another record.

RnRnMN: Pick your favorite from each pair:
Beatles versus Rolling Stones:
CG: Beatles
Hüsker Dü versus the Pixies:
CG: The Pixies
Randy Newman versus Bruce Springsteen:
CG: Randy Newman singing Nebraska
Mike Patton versus John Zorn:
CG: John Zorn

Myspace

Review: Demolition String Band - Different Kinds of Love

Label: Breaking Records

Released: November 20, 2007

With a name like Demolition String Band, there's bound to be some preconceptions. The mention of "string band" certainly creates an expectation of a 30s/40s pre-electric country and bluegrass revival. "Demolition," on the other hand, implies breaking down barriers or rejecting rules. In the end though, Demolition String Band isn't really what their name implies.

Their brand of alt-country really stems from country's electric era, from 50s rockabilly to the slicker sounds of the 60s and 70s. There's no question that they're a technically capable group and that has them poised to make an amazing record. The part that's missing most of the way through though is that certain sense of self that gives a band its identity. "Wisteria," for instance, is a great tune, but DSB fails to really project it. Boo Reiners' vocals tend to give the music a quirky boost next to the technically superior though often under-powered voice of Elena Skye, but it's not until the last few tracks that things really come alive. Skye really finds herself in the dark melancholy of "Thank You Claudia." Oddly enough, the band really gets into full swing on a garage rocker, "Undone in Sorrow," and then accelerates into the instrumental "Boonanza" (which seems to be in that race with a certain hot rod Lincoln). Different Kinds of Love finishes strong with the psychobilly rumble of "Drinkin' Whiskey," leaving one to wonder what happened over the first two-thirds of the album.

DSB really comes alive over the last four tracks and more than anything, that just makes me wish that same fire had been lit under the earlier tracks, because there are some really strong songs in there that didn't quite get the treatment that they deserve (and that DSB is clearly capable of giving them). The "string band" misnomer is no big deal, but, the last few songs aside, I could use a little more "demolition."

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

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If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Russel Hornbeek of Music Saves Lives

Providing yet another way to do some good while you're catching a Warped Tour stop, Music Saves Lives addresses the dire need for blood and marrow donors. Not only do you get to save a life, but you get to go backstage in the process. Russel Hornbeek took some time to tell me a little bit about the organization's goals and accomplishments.

RnRnMN: What inspired the founding of Music Saves Lives?

RH: It's didn't seem right that in the summer the blood supply dropped so low. I wanted to find the students that normally donated during the school year and get them to donate in the summer.


RnRnMN: In the three years since Music Saves Lives was formed, how many life-saving donations have you accounted for?

RH: With this year almost finished we will hit almost 90,000 blood donations and that does not count the blood drives at all the colleges and high schools in spring between February and May. We have also reached over 12,000 marrow registrations.


RnRnMN: Why do you see rock fans as such a fertile ground for your work?

RH: It's all good ground. You can find anyone to care some, be it at country, rock or rap. I just love Warped bands and what better place then the Warped Tour. (laughs)


RnRnMN: Why do you think it's a demographic that hasn't been tapped until now?

RH: It's the way we go after the donor. I could not see a Red Cross employee running around Warped Tour, could you?


RnRnMN: How has being on the Warped Tour helped?

RH: That's who we reach. It helps that Kevin Lyman lets donors backstage too.


RnRnMN: Have you had a chance to catch any of the music? Who have you enjoyed the most?

RH: Shwayze is great and Gym Class has been off the hook. Love the live show. I have even found a few parking lot bands that I liked.


RnRnMN: How can music fans get involved?

RH: The best way is to donate or run blood drives in your city. We would be glad to help you even start a club at your school.


RnRnMN: Tell me a little bit about the Gibson Guitar Project.

RH: We'll we get young great artists, give them a Gibson with nothing on it and have them create. It's really great to see what they come up with. This year's Gibsons are amazing. We have had signings by Katy Perry, Jack's Mannequin, Bouncing Souls and Reel Big Fish. We then auction them with Unite the United to support our efforts at saving lives.


RnRnMN: How do you see Music Saves Lives growing over the next few years?

RH: If we keep getting the same support, I see us saving thousands more in Canada, and other countries soon. This is a global program and everyone bleeds red.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Johnny Rioux of Street Dogs

This year's Warped Tour may have been a little short on punk quantity, but not quality and Street Dogs were among the best. I caught up with bassist Johnny Rioux to find out how the tour's been going, the reaction to the new album, State of Grace, and what's coming next for the band.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

JR: Warped has been treating us really well. We've made a ton of new friends out here. We've also been able to play for people that generally wouldn't know us, which was the goal, I guess. That isn't to say that it hasn't been hard, long hours, long drives, portapotties, and lack of sleep, but it's been a blast.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

JR: The simple fact that we are putting out a record on a new label that knows how to promote bands on Warped. We were also offered main stage which was a first for us. We've been able to make new fans and set up for our fall tour and a 90 minute set (as opposed to the 30 minute warped set) nicely. A lot of our fans are older and work 9-5 so (they) can't come to Warped Tour. It created a great opportunity to spread the message to new fans. I think it's exceeded expectations.


RnRnMN: That gap between the stage and the barrier on the main stages inhibited a lot of fan/band interaction. You were one of the few bands to breach that gap and really connect. Do you find it difficult that the fans are a good ten feet back from the stage?

JR: You could put Mike on a skyscraper and he'd find a way to connect with fans on the ground. We are a "peoples band", so we will always bring it to the people.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has been known as "punk rock summer camp," but there aren't as many punk bands this year. As one of the few punk bands on the bill, do you think the diversity is good or bad?

JR: I didn't know 90% of the bands before Warped Tour. I've discovered a couple bands that I could listen to, but yeah very few. That said, we've had a posse of people we've been hanging out with every day: Aggrolites, Briggs, Bouncing Souls, Rise Against, Horrorpops, Broadway Calls, Pennywise, GBH and Against Me! (to name a few). We are out here! Kids are into different music nowadays, and Warped tour doesn't have to have bands like us anymore to sell tickets, but the fact that we write real life lyrics with real melody, and the kids have responded so well to it makes the diversity worth while and interesting. I have discovered Ipods and noise cancelling headphones too!


RnRnMN: In the past, there has been tension between punk bands and others (NOFX versus Underoath a few years ago, for instance). Is that true this year or is there a good sense of community?

JR: No direct tension. If we see someone acting like rock stars or assholes we are the type of guys that will confront them ourselves. It's in bad taste to air that stuff to music fans on a stage in front of thousands. No offense to Fat Mike of course! That was pretty funny.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

JR: Hands down, no competition, The Aggrolites are the best and most talented band on Warped Tour.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

JR: Real songs. Every note and lyric at every performance in front of 5 or 5,000 is from the gut and soul and done with 100% conviction.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

JR: I trust Kevin Lyman and Warped that the corporate sponsors they choose are not part of an evil empire and are fair and just companies. Warped Tour is the longest running festival tour in history and has helped give many of my friends a career and made punk rock a house hold name, for better or worse. I honestly hope Kevin Lyman has the biggest house on his block. He deserves it.


RnRnMN: How has the reaction been to your newly released State of Grace album?

JR: So far so good! We have the best fans on the planet. So long as we are sincere they support us and vice versa.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

JR: Headlining tour starting 9/11 in Houston with Time Again and Flatfoot 56. Then its off to Europe with Flogging Molly on the Eastpack tour. Its gonna be a busy year!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Chris Youngblood of To Write Love On Her Arms

One of the many organizations that joined the Warped Tour to spread their message, To Write Love on Her Arms simply reaches out to people in trouble, whether it be addiction, depression, suicide or any other trouble faced in today's world. Chris Youngblood, TWLOHA's representative at their Warped Tour tent, gave me some more info on their goals and achievements.

RnRnMN: Is the focus of your work suicide and addiction or any difficulty that young people face?

CY: The work we do focuses on difficulty any person, young or old, can face. We believe these issues of suicide, addiction, self-injury, or depression can affect anyone. We don't focus on just the issues of suicide and addiction either. One of the most common issues that we get questioned about, that isn't something we address in our "mission statement," is eating disorders. So we're definitely looking into how to address those things in our find help section and educate ourselves on as well, so we can give people somewhere to go when they ask about them.


RnRnMN: In such a plentiful time and place, why do you think it is that so many kids in America suffer?

CY: I think no matter how many advantages a person can have in their life, or how many materials they can be given, it doesn't mean they're immune to feeling alone. We realize it's hard for a lot of people to communicate and trust and have a strong community around themselves. We want to be a voice that encourages those things. To tell your story...to have people you can turn to and trust in.


RnRnMN: Obviously, things have gotten pretty serious by the time you get involved, but what can someone do to help themselves before things get to that point? What can friends do?

CY: It goes back to my previous answer. One of the biggest things we do is communicate and encourage the people that turn to us. We want to encourage and challenge people to have someone they can turn to and trust in. It's an amazing feeling to know you have that in your life. Friends can be a catalyst for this. Be genuine to their friends when they ask, "How are you?" Let them share what's going on in their life and in their head. Paying attention can mean the absolute world to someone who needs their story to be heard.


RnRnMN: You're a Christian organization, but you're very explicit that your services are open to everyone because "Christian" can alienate people. Why do you think that is? Do you see dispelling that notion as part of your mission or is it incidental to your work?

CY: We actually wouldn't even consider ourselves to be a Christian organization. We, as people and staff, have our own beliefs and we think that's where labels should stay. You're right, labeling an organization "Christian" can alienate people. There are many people out there who feel like there's a judgmental stigma that goes along with the word and the people who call themselves Christian will guilt them with everything thing they have done wrong, or tell them the only way to be better is through the lord. We want people to know they have a place to come to and trust, where they won't be judge and they won't get the words from a bible waved in front of their face. We're here for everyone and we feel good about who we've been able to reach by putting ourselves out there like we have.


RnRnMN: Both religion and rock and roll seem to play an important part in how you reach people. Many people on both sides feel the two are at odds with each other. How do you see them working together? Does one lead people to the other?

CY: We saw them work together great at a week-long event we took part in this past July called, Cornerstone. It is known to be a Christian music festival and we were able to connect with many passionate people who felt these issues were important. We heard some great stories from people about how certain band's music and lyrics pulled them through a rough night. I'm sure there are stories out there from people who had no beliefs and heard a band they loved and took a listen to their lyrics and then found out the beliefs of the people in the band, and then from there they were lead to a religious view. And that's a beautiful thing. For someone to find themselves through something like that, and it gives them that light in a room of darkness, then let it be and be encouraging to that person.


RnRnMN: You get a lot of support from bands. Do you approach them or have you found that they come to you? How important is that support and why?

CY: Bands are definitely a huge reason why we are where we are. The response from them coming to us and sharing a little of their story, or how much they appreciate our voice in these issues is something we're very thankful for. I'm currently out on the Vans Warped Tour and the bands out on this tour have been amazing to us. Music can give a voice and words to people who can't figure out what exactly to say. It can make them feel. Bands can make this happen. The fact that the bands out here wear our shirts on stage and that can possibly have a few people in their audience raise their eyebrows and wonder what "To Write Love On Her Arms." is, and then they can find our tent and ask us questions or flip through our information book, is honestly a privilege.


RnRnMN: Two of the organizations you support fight human slavery. How does that tie in to your work fighting depression, addiction and suicide?

CY: In early 2007, Jamie and his sister Emily took a trip to India in an amazing experience where they saw there was a need. There are people there who deal with these issues. That are broken. It's something that makes you realize these issues aren't just something that Americans deal with. People all over the world deal with these issues. Human slavery is a very big issue in that area of the world and that can lead to those people seeing their only outlet being suicide. If they don't turn to that than abuse and depression can be something they will deal with for the rest of their life. We have mentioned how much we like the idea of being a global organization and we're taking the first step in addressing the fact that these are issues that are dealt with not just in our corner of the world.

RnRnMN: If you could give kids a message in a single sentence, what would it be?

CY: Your story is important and we are here to listen.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Street Dogs

Not that it comes as any surprise, but the Street Dogs put on one the day's best performances at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

DVD: James Brown - I Got the Feeling: James Brown in the 60s

Label: Shout Factory

Released: August 5, 2008

There is little doubt that James Brown is an iconic figure in American music. From "Please, Please, Please" to "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," Brown has found a way to resonate not only within the Black community, but also in a broader America. As Al Sharpton says in The Night James Brown Saved Boston, the first of three DVDs in this set, "James Brown made mainstream cross over to Black." Like James Brown, so too did the Civil Rights movement crossover so that today we all reap its benefits.

When you watch The Night James Brown Saved Boston, you will see how one man in one moment made all the difference. There is nothing I can write to prepare you for the power of that moment. The whole documentary, over an hour long, focuses on that moment, but also puts it into the context of the America that led up to it, what happened in other cities that didn't have such a moment or such a man and what followed. It shows how a man changed a moment, how that moment changed the man and how the man went on to change people.

As if the documentary isn't enough, the entire concert is included on the Live at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968 disc. Unlike the documentary, this shows in detail just why James Brown could make a difference: not because he was a profound thinker or a gifted speaker, but because he connected with people on an emotional level. When he asked "Can't I get respect from my own people?" they listened, because they were his people, not because of race, but because of what they shared in his music.

If you still haven't had enough of Soul Brother No. 1, Brown's March 1968 appearance at the Apollo (which also found its way to television as James Brown: Man to Man) is also part of package. While it lacks the historical urgency of the Boston Garden show, it does demonstrate that James Brown didn't need to be in the midst of one of the 20th Century's most poignant moments to raise his intensity to a fever pitch. While it doesn't quite measure up to the Boston Garden show, it's better recorded and better filmed. Among its best moments, one wasn't even musical. When James Brown discusses his vision for Black America, it's clear why he held such sway over the crowd in Boston only a month later and therefore ties the entire package together.

Does anyone question that James Brown was the most intense performer of all-time? If so, they haven't seen these shows. Call him what you want, Mr. Please Please Please, Soul Brother No. 1, Godfather of Soul, but the bottom line is the man performed with an energy, urgency and intensity that puts everyone else to shame.

Rating: 10/10

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Audelio Flores of Set Your Goals

Following their first full-length, Mutiny!, in 2006, Set Your Goals have toured with the likes of Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire and Big D and the Kids Table. They also made an appearance at the Bamboozle earlier this year. Now on the Warped Tour, I had the chance to find out how things are going and what's up next from guitarist Audelio Flores.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

AF: Warped tour has been great, just a really long summer camp with good friends. Kids have been awesome. Can't complain. I got used to showering with my solar bag. (laughs)


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

AF: Well we did 2 weeks in '07 and wished we could have done the whole thing. So when we got offered '08, we couldn't say no. It has lived up to its expectations. We've been able to hang out and party everyday.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

AF: They are some of the bigger crowds we've played. Like Boston was insanely huge for us. It always is. It’s like playing at home. Nothing compares to playing the smaller shows. They are more personal and intimate. But the upside of playing the Warped crowds is that we get to play to new audiences.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

AF: It's hard to real say who's the BEST band. There are so many great bands like Beat Union, Four Year Strong, Farewell, Ludo. There's so many good ones. I really liked Bedouin Soundclash. Also, watching 3OH3 is always fun. The Smart Punk Stage has a lot of great bands.


RnRnMN: There are a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

AF: Because we are here to have a good time and we have nothing to prove. We are just here to do what we love and that's music.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

AF: What does "sell out" mean? If Warped Tour didn't have the "corporate sponsors," Warped Tour will no longer keep going. You need their money to be able to fund bands' guarantees. We need to be able to make some kind of money, at least enough to eat and get to the next date.


RnRnMN: Your brand of hardcore is on the melodic side. Do you find that expands your fan base? Does it help get your message out?

AF: I didn't know we were a specific brand of hardcore. I think our fan base has expanded a lot because we are not scared to tour with different styles of bands. We try to get our music out to every kid possible. What helps you get your message out is touring, touring and touring. That's all we do and we love it and we thank all our fans for all the support you have given us. If it wasn't for you guys coming to our shows we would not be a band. Much LOVE!


RnRnMN: If you could give the kids at the Warped Tour one piece of advice, what would it be?

AF: Do what you love on your own terms and don't let anyone tell you different.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

AF: Work on some new material and get a new record out. But also get back to our families. We are all a bit burned out right now and being able to go home to reality will be good for all of us.



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Label: Sony Legacy

Released: July 8, 2008

Billy Joel is a top-notch songwriter, but there's always been something that I just didn't like. Maybe it's the showtune quality of many of his songs, maybe it's that many are geared toward adults, maybe it's because he often tells the stories of characters I just can't bring myself to care about. Anyway I look at it, I can appreciate him, but I can't get into him.

That being said, I don't think I need to go into the details of The Stranger. If you don't know these songs, you must have spent the last 30 years in a fallout shelter or something. They're practically anthems of the post-60s Baby Boomers who had cut their hair, forgotten their protests and were gearing up to vote for Reagan in a few years. The Stranger is, as it always has been, a great album...if you like that kind of thing.

So, the question with this Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition is, "Does this re-packaging make it worth buying again?" Well, if you have a thing for nice vinyl, this is your opportunity to get The Stranger in all of its 180 gram glory. The LP only includes the original tracks, but it does come with a download code for the album as well as the bonus disc, a show recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1977. It is always nice to get a live recording that comprises a single show, but it's also nice to get one that shows an artist freed from the studio and firing on all cylinders. While the Carnegie Hall show does occasionally find Joel in fine form, it is largely no more spontaneous that his studio records. None of the banter gives any insight into Joel himself or the songs. It's a good bonus for serious Billy Joel fans, but non-essential for the rest of us. The CD version also comes with a live DVD of Joel's 1978 appearance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. Because I have the LP, I can't comment on the DVD, but I suspect the high-quality vinyl is a bigger attraction than his BBC appearance. Either way, Billy Joel fans get something good, but most of us can probably live with our old copy of The Stranger.

Original Album:
Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 5/10
Overall: 7/10

Carnegie Hall Bonus Material:
Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 3/10
Overall: 6/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

My Epic new album and tour info

From Facedown Records:

The soundtrack of a hopeful youth shimmers inside the unassuming three piece that is My Epic; and today marks the release of their Dreamt Music/Facedown Records debut full-length I Am Undone.

My Epic have become the unforeseen antidote to apathy with song after song evoking raw emotion wrapped in a palpable tenderness. Soaring refrains and dynamic vocals breeze in and out of carefully sculpted songs with alternated softness and exuberance.

When inspiration comes from beauty the result is anything but ordinary, and for My Epic the results are unforgettable. You can hear two songs from I Am Undone on the band's myspace profile: "Men In Little Houses" and "The Oil Press."

Myspace

TOUR DATES:
(Aug 20 - Sept 10 (w/ Inked In Blood and Take It Back!)
Aug 20 - Tupelo, MS @ Musicians Playground
Aug 21 - Hot Springs, AR @ The Attic
Aug 22 - Joplin, MO @ The Foundry
Aug 23 - Fayetteville, AR @ The Music Hall
Aug 24 - Burleson, TX @ The Party Barn
Aug 25 - Lubbock, TX @ The Way
Aug 28 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Vertical Venue
Aug 29 - Oceanside, CA @ Generation Church
Aug 30 - Chino, CA @ The Stronghold
Aug 31 - Whittier, CA @ The Green Turtle
Sept 1 - Citrus Heights, CA @ Friend's Church
Sept 4 - Vancouver, WA @ The Pistol
Sept 5 - Richland, WA @ Ray's Golden Lion
Sept 6 - Twin Falls, ID @ River Christian Fellowship
Sept 7 - Hyrum, UT @ The Azteca
Sept 10 - Belton, MO @ Cactus Jacks

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Leader of Oreskaband

There are only a few bands with a trombone player on the Warped Tour this year (unlike the ska heyday a few years back), but only one is from Japan! I got a chance to catch up with Leader of Oreskaband to find out how the tour is going, what's up with their movie, Lock and Roll Forever, and what they have in store for the future.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

L: Great! I feel like time is passing in a flash since the tour started and it’s been a blast! Every single day there are lots of bands playing energetic shows all over the place. Each day is filled with new encounters with good music, good pals and different audience in different cities. We’ve been getting so much inspirations from playing the show, watching other bands playing and just being on tour in general. Unexpected things happen sometimes but we’re just enjoying each day to the fullest!


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Is it all you expected?

L: We played in seven cities at last year’s Warped Tour. Kevin Lyman saw us perform and offered us to play the whole dates this year, after last year’s tour. We were saying to each other that we’d want to play the full tour the next year, so it was a big surprise when we actually got the offer. The tour is a great opportunity for us to get our music out there, so it’s a big honor to be able to participate again this year. Hopefully there will be more people coming to see our own show because of the Warped Tour.


RnRnMN: When you formed Oreskaband back in 2003, you were barely teenagers. Did you think you would be touring the US before you even turned 20?

L: Not at all! We made Oreskaband just because we wanted to play music in a band and had no idea where it was going, but by 2004 when we started playing at local clubs, the band has became our life and started wishing strongly for the band to last as long as possible. We then got signed to Sony Music Japan, but even then we had no idea that we would ever have a chance to tour in America. We get flustered by unpredictable turn of events at times but have fun with whatever that happens...and that’s us.


RnRnMN: What bands got you into ska?

L: The reason we formed a ska band is simply because I wanted to do a band but could only play trombone. I thought a band with horn players is supposed to play ska music...I was ignorant about ska music that much. So that’s how we decided on doing ska, but once we started going to see other ska bands’ shows, we kept being intrigued into the upbeat rhythm of ska music that makes you feel good. Even if you don’t know a song, ska makes you happy and dance. We feel fortunate to have found such music!


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

L: I think so. It is definitely a big-scale event with many bands and various stages and it is our first experience to do a show every day like this. And knowing the number of people who look forward to this festival coming to their cities, I can see how big of a deal this tour is to many music fans. I think the main difference between this tour and club shows is that, with this tour, there is more opportunity for your band to be seen by many people. Also, since this is an outside festival, shows get affected by weather and accidents like storm can happen, but I guess that’s one of the things that makes the festival exciting!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

L: There are so many good bands and it’s hard to find time to check out their shows. To name a few, Reel Big Fish is the band that we’ve been listening to since we started our band and Beat Union is also a super cool band that brings the UK flavor to the Warped Tour. I also love Aggrolites, TAT and Bedouin Sound...their music gives me goose bumps!


RnRnMN: There are a lot of bands to choose from. Why should someone see Oreskaband?

L: Because our music makes you happy. Warped Tour would certainly make your day happy but we make it even happier and more fun. If you’re happy, we’ll make you happier and if you’re feeling down, let’s dance and have a blast together!


RnRnMN: Tell me about the movie, Lock and Roll Forever.

L: We are the lead character and play ourselves, Oreskaband. It was filmed in U.S. and Japan and although it’s based on our experience, the story is a fiction. It’s a story about Oreskaband, a Japanese local band that has no one to believe in them but got a chance to go to America, trying to make it big against all odds with our love of music and through encounter with many people. We also recorded soundtrack to the movie so please look forward to it, too.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

L: We’ll go back to Japan and play some shows and release a new album. We haven’t released an album in 18 months so we want to bring our Japanese fans what we’ve felt and experienced in the past 18 months through the new record. We also got signed by an American label so hopefully the new record will be released in America, too. And of course, we’ll be back to the States to do a tour so please come see us then!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: Broadway Calls

I missed Bedouin Soundclash to see these guys! Here's Broadway Calls at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Review: Ride the Boogie - s/t

Label: Longhair Illuminati

Released: June 17, 2008

Ride the Boogie's self-titled debut is a dark, trippy album. It dabbles in stoner elements, but often avoids that genre's heaviness, giving the music a core, but also the freedom to move around that core and not get stuck in the usual ruts.

From the Baroque pop psych of the opening track, it's clear that Ride the Boogie have a few unexpected tricks up their sleeve. Whether it's the butchered and re-assembled pop of "All Night" or the psychobilly leanings of "Mexico," Ride the Boogie don't settle on a single approach to conveying the central feel of the album. Even on the more stoner-oriented tracks, like their loose, dark bluesiness on "Big Ass Bass" or their nod to Fu Manchu's appreciation for Nugent over Sabbath on "Flat Out First Gear," they manage to be dynamic. The album finds a fitting ending with the dark cabaret of "Catch Phrase" followed by the ambling collision of indie rock and Americana on "Skipped Through a Towne."

The album is enriched by a live sound that furthers its living, breathing experience. That life is really what gets to the point of the album's strength. Ride the Boogie approached the music without any fear of missing expectations. It's alive with the life that the band gave it freely, under no duress to impress. It isn't always on, but even when it misses, it still feels good.

Ratings
Satriani: 5/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

Review: Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows

Label: Custard Records

Released: August 12, 2008

Make a list of all the grandiose artists and albums in rock n roll history and you probably have a map of the influences on Cheat the Gallows. Bigelf manages to seamlessly move from one of rock's big ideas to the next, making an impressive sound for themselves in the process. It's scary territory and in a sense, it's the train wreck that didn't actually wreck.

Take a song like "The Evils of Rock n Roll." Over the course of six and half minutes, it goes from Sabbath to Budgie to the MC5 to Deep Purple to Sweet, not in a haphazard manner, but so smoothly that you'll miss it if you aren't paying attention. The whole album works this way. "Counting Sheep," the album's finalé, is Dark Side-era Pink Floyd and then before you know what happens, it's dabbling in the dark, heavy riffs of Black Sabbath only to finish up like an old vaudeville show. They borrow from several Pink Floyd eras actually, hitting up Syd Barrett on "No Parachute" and then borrowing the grand theatrics of the trial from The Wall on "Blackball." At other times, they help themselves to Aerosmith's early swing, Bowie's outrageous flamboyance and Queen's bombastic showmanship. In short, they aren't shy. In fact, other than a few of the bands they incorporate into their sound, almost no one has been able to go this far over the top and survive. Instead, they thrive on a sense of theatrics and an underlying soul that keeps Cheat the Gallows, with its ironic skepticism about fame and fortune, from being a regurgitation.

Nothing is entirely original. Nothing appears out of thin air. Everything has influences, but there is a popular misconception that if those influences are discernible, the band is not as original as if they're hidden deep under the covers. Bigelf proves that a band can wear its influences on its sleeve and be on its own trip nonetheless. Cheat the Gallows has liberal helpings of everything big and bombastic about rock n roll in its pot, but the stew it cooks up is fresh and new and downright exhilarating.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Website

Myspace

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

For another take on the album, check out the Heavy Metal Time Machine

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Travis of From First to Last

From First to Last is following up the Spring release of their self-titled album on Suretone Records with a summer-long stint on the Warped Tour. On the verge of breaking through to the next level, vocalist/guitarist Travis Richter took a few minutes to tell me what's going on with the band and what's in store for the future.

RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

T: Greeeeat!


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

T: It was a chance to play with a bunch of great bands and hang with good people. It has definitely lived up to my expectations and beyond!


RnRnMN: How does the Warped Tour compare to playing smaller shows?

T: It’s outdoors and you can easily get a bunch of new fans from the people just happening to walk by while you play.


RnRnMN: You seem to finally have yur line-up solidified. How does being on grueling schedule like the Warped Tour affect the dynamics within the band?

T: It makes us come together more and it makes us more on our ‘A’ game since we never know what time we are playing each day.


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

T: Four Year Strong.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

T: Because of my short shorts.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

T: Well due to my current status, ending my long term relationship with Craig Beasley, I don’t mind the AT&T sponsorship. I wouldn’t mind it less if they gave us free phones. (laughs)


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

T: Taking a vacation to Costa Rica, aka my home in Orlando, FL.




Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Pictures: The Color Fred

I was able to catch some of the Color Fred's set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008.



See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.

Warped Tour 2008 Interview: Mike Ruocco of Cinder Road

The Warped Tour, having expanded beyond its punk rock base, brought along hard rock band Cinder Road. The tour stop in Columbia, MD was a bit of a homecoming for the Baltimore band. I got the chance to see how things are going on the tour and what they have coming up.


RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating you?

MR: Warped tour has been a very different experience for us coming from the rock world. It is a great look into the true DIY scene.


RnRnMN: What made you decide to join the Warped Tour this year? Has it lived up to your expectations?

MR: We were given the opp to join Warped from Kevin Lyman. We gladly accepted and looked at his opp as a new challenge for us to conquer. So far is has been a good experience.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has clearly gotten away form being a primarily punk festival this year. As one of the hard rock bands that joined the tour this year, do you feel like it's given you the opportunity to reach a new audience?

MR: Yes definitely. We have had the opp t reach a whole new audience unfamiliar with our music. This is a big goal for us anytime we tour.


RnRnMN: Are these the biggest crowds you've played for? How does it compare to playing smaller shows?

MR: No we recently spent 2 months on the road with KISS playing stadiums and arenas so it is not the biggest crowds we have played to. However your crowd is soley dependent on your advertising abilities and who is competing for a crowd during your time slot.


RnRnMN: How was it coming home to play the Warped Tour stop in Maryland?

MR: It was great to visit home and see some familiar faces. We can't wait to go back!


RnRnMN: Who is the best band you've seen on the Warped Tour this year?

MR: Anberlin or Story of the Year are personal favs for me.


RnRnMN: There's a lot of bands to choose from. It's overwhelming when you get here and look at the schedule. Why should someone see you?

MR: We bring a different musical style and sound to warped. Hopefully the fans are open to new experiences.


RnRnMN: The Warped Tour has corporate sponsors like AT&T. How do you feel about that? Is it a good thing, a necessary evil or a sellout?

MR: I know that I'd like to have a corp sponsor if that answers your question.


RnRnMN: What are your plans after the Warped Tour?

MR: We are scheduled to go out with Alice Cooped for some shows and then its down to writing a new record!



Website

Myspace

See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.