At the end of the Fall semester, Cake had to say goodbye from its foundera Ryan Bryant. Fortunately, every end paves the way to a new beginning: Our new editor, Keith Hadad, and his assistant, Meghan Dailey, are proud to present an evolved music zine. We are cutting down on interviews and reviews, to incorporate a more diverse range of music entertainment. You’ll be informed, reading about multiple feature artists and local concerts. The liberal attitude with which we are approaching the “new cake”

presents will intrigue you, as our writers are given the opportunity to write about any topic pertaining to music. The new cake gives you music for what it is, rather then selling you ideas of what it isn’t. While most music zines focus on top 40 artists, our writers dig deep for topics that will intrigue you and heighten your taste in music. To enrich all of your senses, look forward to our multimedia site. Incorporated on the page will be video interviews, feature artists, and downloadable songs. Readers don’t usually have a voice, but you

guys shape the music scene, so we are stoked for the message board that will finally allow you to be heard.

-Meghan Dailey

Advisor: Louise Mygatte-mail: cakezine@gmail.com

Check us out online at:cakezine.blogspot.com

Table of Contents

Editor’s Note:

Love Music? Love Cake?Cake is always looking for new

voices and talent. For more information about meetings and

getting involved, email us!

Editor’s Note............................................................1Downloads................................................................2Concerts..................................................................14

Featured ArtistsDan Smalls.................................................................3Black Angels...........................................................7-8Dawes....................................................................9-10

ReviewsPraxis.........................................................................4True Grit (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)...................5Ryan Adams & the Cardinals..................................5Bardo Pond................................................................6Black Swan (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)...............6The Sea-ders............................................................12

Remix and Mash-Ups: The new genre?

10 Songs You Must Download

By Kari Beal Whether it is on the radio, YouTube, television, or at some event, mash-ups are dominating the music scene for the young generation. Artists across the genre spectrum are joining forces to make popular songs. Rappers like Jay-Z are mashing it up with alternative rockers like Linkin

Park and Coldplay; Hip-hop artists like the Black Eyed Peas are combining with house artists like David Guetta; even opera has been mixed in the with Biggie’s song “Can I Get Witcha.” And the popularity of these songs is skyrocketing. Justin Bieber’s fourth most watched music video on YouTube was a remix of

“Somebody to Love.” Remix.vg, a website which streams mashups, covers, and remixes created by individuals, took only two years to become $13,000 franchise. It takes most websites years and years to reach the $10,000 mark. With such popularity should we consider making remix or mashups their own genre?

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1. “The Robin’s Jar” - My Brightest Diamond One beautiful voice married with some sweet strings on top of a luscious pop beat.

2. “When My Time Comes (Single Version)” - Dawes A rockier new version released as a single that surpasses the already roots-stomping original.

3. “Back to December” - Taylor Swift Miss Swift released another pretty little number that’s stuffed so full of soul that it barely can

be contained in its four and a half minutes. 4. “Just Once” - Bardo Pond

Cacophonic brash vibrations build and quiver and comes off as both beautiful & damaged.5. “Come Together (Omega Remix)” - Omegadubstep & The Beatles

One hell of a great way to add a new spin to an old classic. 6. “Just Another Rider” - Gregg Allman

Still grooving with a bluesy swagger after all these years, ‘Just Another Rider’ provesthat Greg Allman can still entertain as he belts it better than ever.

7. “In My Time” - Kurt Vile Jangly warm Californian singer-songwriter style with tinges of 90s underground psych with

hints of Mark Lanegan that shine through like the sun reflecting in a mud puddle. 8. “Me Me Me” - Middle Brother

A fun Leon Russell-like piano rocker with high energy and harmonies mixed tastefully with a driving tempo.

9. “Blow It Up” - The Vaccines 80s Euro pop with a catchy hook in the chorus. What’s not to like?

10. “Light of The Light” - Six Organs of Admittance Just one of the expertly played acoustic-esoteric folk songs off of Ben Chasny’s latest

Offering. The sound is so hazy with summer heat; you can almost see dust devils swirling in front of you.

By Keith Hadad Dan Smalls has been the Bill Graham oh Western New York for the last few years. Producing varied and top quality shows is his trademark, and nearly everyone in this region of New York State involved with music has been in some sort of contact with the man and his highly successful company. Some artists that was produced through Dan Smalls Presents include Arlo Guthrie, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Ben Kweller, Joan Baez, Dinosaur Jr. and many more. With such a varied list of artists behind him, Keith Hadad pries deeper into just who Dan Smalls is and what he listens to.

Cake: When push comes to shove, if you were stranded on a desert island, what five albums would you absolutely have with you?

Dan Smalls: The Beatles-Rubber Soul, Radiohead-OK Computer (toss up with The Bends), Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Pavement-Slanted and Enchanted

C: What was the first and last album that you bought?

DS: I have no idea…sorry. Probably something bad. Recently I’m on too many lists so I don’t buy that many. I try to support acts I care about by buying their record even if I can get on gratis.

C: Did a singular concert

experience help convince you to become a promoter? If so, what was it?

DS: I guess the first big one I presented as a sophomore at Cornell in 1991 with Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors in Bailey Hall. It was a segue show where the music never stopped, they just jammed out and changed musicians without much notice until all of a sudden it was the other band playing. The moment the show started and the crowd roared was when I knew that feeling would motivate me. Profit or loss on a show, there’s nothing like that five seconds.

C: Do you have a favorite concert that you’ve presented?

DS: Tough to pick one. The Positive Jam festival was pretty fun with The Hold Steady, Deer Tick, Felice Bros etc. The Phish festivals were amazing in their own ways. Not my favorite music but the spectacle of it all was huge - 100000 people is a ton - we built cities for them each year. Emmy and Joan always make me feel special, as does Lyle. When talent

b e c o m e s friends it adds to the feeling. But I remember some big losers too - that’s what makes me a better buyer today.

C: Are there any artists that you haven’t tried booking yet but have always wanted to?

DS: Plenty and they change all the time. Fleet Foxes, Cake, Wilco. Actually I have tried and the routing hasn’t worked. I could go on and on here...

C: You’ve got a day-long road trip ahead of you in the morning, the car you, have to use only has a tape deck and you only have one sixty minute blank tape. What songs would you squeeze into those sixty minutes?

DS: This is tough and would depend on the mood that morning... but some faves off the top of my head: Paranoid Android – Radiohead, Heal -Catherine Wheel, Couldn’t Stand the Weather- Stevie ray Vaughan Outtasighte/I’m always in Love-Wilco 16 days -Whiskeytown Car Wheels on a Gravel Road-Lucinda because of me - Robert Cray too Many Dirty Dishes...

In Your Neighborhood:Dan Smalls3

Album Review

By: Dave Cushing Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness), with its myriad contributors including Iggy Pop, Serj Tankian, Mike Patton, Killah Priest and Rammellzee, is an album that only a “supergroup” such as Praxis could create. Praxis’ core members are bassist/producer Bill Laswell, avant-garde guitar virtuoso Buckethead, Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell and ex-Primus drummer Brian “Brain” Montia. With such an extremely versatile foursome at the helm, one might think the extra collaborations on Profanation might weight the group down, like having too many cooks in the kitchen. Not so. What makes this album so entertaining and addicting to listen to is the way the foundation of Praxis emerges and recedes behind the personalities of the guest contributors. Every track has a different feel, from the aggressive, turntable-infused metal of tracks like “Ancient World” and “Garbage God’s” to the outer-space-themed hip-hop/funk fusion of “Galaxies” and “Revelations Part 2” to the swirling dub of “Babylon Blackout.” Profanation is abrasive, comical, confusing, saddening, and more, yet it all coalesces into that uniquely Praxis sound because the musicians involved all seem to share the same passion

for making jokes out genres and never pigeonholing themselves creatively. For Buckethead fans, especially, Profanation is a must-hear, showcasing the guitarist’s many talents without the indulgence that occasionally bogs down his solo releases. While Profanation has its share of shredding high-pitched guitar solos (which is not a drawback), it’s nice to hear Buckethead making more thoughtful, articulate

contributions, too, like the catchy staccato melody he plays during the chorus of “Galaxies,” or the delicate chords and textural overdubs of the closing ballad “Endtime.” While Profanation will most

definitely be ignored by music media, it’s the kind of rare album that sounds like it could yield hit singles - if only there were a greater passion for weirdness a m o n g consumers of contemporary “a l te rna t ive” music. “Worship” is undeniably

catchy, as is “Galaxies,” yet the album’s best track has to be “Revelations Part 2,” which finds Rammelzee making hilarious prophecies about the coming “True Order” atop the rhythm section of Praxis supplying some hearty funk grooves and Buckehead’s searing wah-wah solo. This song, and indeed most of Profanation, is Praxis at their best: heavy, playful, and highly original. “Oh, and by the way… Don’t crash land on my planet!”

“Profanation is abrasive, comical, confusing, saddening,

and more.”

Praxis - Profanation4

By JD Blank Recorded back in 2006 during the same sessions that produced the solid, accessible Easy Tiger, III/IV further demonstrates Adams’ songwriting proficiency and prolificacy. Taking sonic cues from both Easy Tiger and 2003’s Rock n Roll, Adams balances pop and rock songs agreeably, without the album becoming terribly saccharine or chaotic. There are no real country songs on this album—quite a departure from previous alt-country-exclusive releases with the Cardinals Cold Roses (2005) and Jacksonville City Nights (also 2005).

The songs (for the most part) seem to appear in no particular order, making the two-disc affair

somewhat reflective of Adams’ personality as a manic recovering addict. On that note, III/IV most likely wouldn’t exist without a sober Adams, focusing his energy on songwriting instead of whiskey. A number of songs feel like they could be found on Weezer’s Green Album, REM’s Reckoning or [sic] Lifes Rich Pageant, or even Adams’ own Love is Hell. From

the bubblegum “Stop Playing With My Heart” to the rocking closer “Kill the Lights,” some songs work better than others, but there isn’t a bad song on the album. Tracks like “Lovely and Blue,” “Death and Rats,” and the synth-tinged “Happy Birthday” are some of Adams’ better songs, period. Ultimately,

Adams’ twelfth studio album in ten years is a solid effort, leaving the listener wanting more, and with his madman work ethic, we’ll probably get more in eight to twelve months. III/IV is by no means his best album, but good with moments of greatness.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - III/IVAlbum Review

“Adams balances pop and rock songs agree-ably, without...becom-ing terribly saccharine

or chaotic.”

5

By Nick Ljubicich “The Wicked Flee,” the opening track to Carter Burwell’s score to the Coen brothers’

r e m a k e of the c l a s s i c Western T r u e Grit, is the entire film and

entire score in two and a half minutes. A cautiously cheerful piano melody opens the piece and evokes the film’s emotional journey. It swells into an orchestra giving the feel of adventure. All the while being light-hearted but still retaining a sting of sadness. The songs on the album very fittingly sound like a jaded piano man in a saloon was playing them while telling a story over

a century ago. In a time where movie scores are dominated by John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and their cheap clones, to have a score to a Western that doesn’t even borrow from Morricone is a welcome treat.

Carter Burwell - True Grit

By Kate Wenger Bardo Pond’s self-titled album underscores the band’s ability to compose music dripping with acid-washed, melancholic beauty. Though more rootsy than their previous releases, Bardo Pond features the exact same sound but tastefully toned down. For a group that completely embodies the term “acid rock,” Bardo Pond do an expert job of making their music engaging in a human way and not just a drugged-out space cadet way, like other inhabitants of the genre. Bardo Pond manages to maintain a sense of groundedness in its more conventional use of instruments like guitar, flute and harmonica. It does this without compromising any of the ethereal elements that make you feel like you’re pushing dimensional boundaries. The opening track, entitled “Just Once,” features classic hallucinogen-inspired lines like “Oh, I’m about to turn deep blue” and “Oh, what time is it anyway,”

yet the album can be enjoyed as so much more than a psychedelic novelty. The lead singer, Isobel Sollenberger, usually croons in a voice as airy and thin as tissue paper but flexes her muscles a little more in Bardo Pond, sounding gorgeous and strong. The album even contains what is probably the closest thing to a love song the band has ever made: the fabulously beautiful “The Stars Behind,” whose execution flows so naturally

with the rest of the album. Bardo Pond’s one drawback is the second song “Don’t Know About You,” which is where the album seems to fumble in maintaining its natural sound. A problem many bands that have been around for decades faces is sounding too forced, which Bardo Pond managed to avoid perfectly everywhere but here. The song just sounds like Sollenberger needed to reach her Christian-reference quota for the album, yelling, “Jesus is

coming / Well I’m willing to wait.” Bardo Pond proves with this album that even after toning down and stripping away

the superfluous stereotypes from their sound, they can still produce the same warm and sweetly spacey music they always have. Psychedelia flows through their veins.

Album ReviewBardo Pond - Bardo Pond

“...the album can be enjoyed as so much more than a psychedelic

novelty”

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By Nick LjubicichIn many w a y s , C l i n t Mansell’s m u s i c a l score for B l a c k S w a n

shares many similarities with Nina, the film’s protagonist. Tracks like “Mother Me” and “A Room of Her Own” have slower tempos, less intricate melodies, and abstract, striking percussive bursts peppered in. But as Nina’s mind becomes more fear-wrought in the film, the score

begins to phase in the ultra-bold Tchaikovksy-inspired melodies. The later pieces like “Stumbled Beginnings” and “A Swan is Born” are terrifying, chilling, and evocative. Black Swan’s score is both beautiful and foreboding.

Clint Mansell - Black Swan

By Keith Hadad Rumbling out of the live music scene of Austin, Texas, The Black Angels are seven years deep and they’re still offering fresh yet classically retro sounds. Being equally mind expansive and aurally explosive, The Black Angels have been hammering out intensive live performances constantly between their three highly acclaimed albums. Recently they’ve been featured on a trailer for Fable III, and the band has gained notoriety for founding the critically praised Austin Psychedelic Music Festival and for backing the legendary founder of psychedelic rock himself, Roky Erickson of The 13th Floor Elevators. Now with a new album just released and with a new concert DVD on the way, Christian Bland, one of the groups’ guitarists, sheds some light into the group’s inner workings.

Cake: There seems to be a discernable influence on your sound, albeit, translated and modified into something unique to the band.

Who or what originally sparked the interest to play rock music? Christian Bland:Growing up in Houston, my dad used to always have the radio on Oldies 94.5. I remember hearing ‘Peggy Sue’ for the first time and being transfixed. Buddy’s voice and guitar drew me in. When I was 10 I discovered my Dads record collection and found Bob Dylans ‘the times are a changin’ and the Beatles ‘Sgt. Peppers. I’d listen to them over and over and over. For me, Buddy Holly and John Lennon are where it’s at.

C: There are several songs that are written with a seemingly political tone especially concerning war. Would you consider yourselves a political group? CB: We are The Black Angel Party. We encourage you to rethink your preconceived notions, question authority, and create other methods for survival. This world has a problem, and we try to provide solutions.

C: How important is experimentation to your music? CB: Experimentation is at the core of what we do. We’re always trying new effects pedals and mixing them with old equipment from the 50’s and 60’s, which in my opinion is when the best gear was made. Each of us individually can sit for hours trying to create new sounds. It’s what we

love to do the most.

C: As I understand it, you are a force behind Austin¹s Psych Fest, which had its third consecutive event last April. How did you become involved with that and what are the plans for Austin Psych Fest 4? CB: One of the reasons I moved to Austin was because it’s the birthplace of psychedelic

The Black Angels 7

rock n roll. After touring since 2005, we’ve meet hundreds of like-minded bands. So we decided to start Austin Psych Fest so that we could invite all of our friends’ bands to Austin to celebrate our cities psychedelic heritage. We’re in the process of booking APF 4 right now. It’ll be April 29, 30, & May 1.

C: Speaking of Austin, Roky Erickson is not only one of Austin¹s living

legends, but also the godfather to psychedelic and acid rock as we know it. What was it like being his backing band in 2008? Are the rumors of a future recorded collaboration true? CB: It was a surreal experience to play with Roky. The 13th Floor Elevators are a huge inspiration to The Black Angels; so to play with one of

our heroes was pretty unreal. We recorded our performance with him on Halloween 2008 at the El Rey, which will be out later this month on DVD. We also recorded 10 Roky rarities in 2008, which at this point are collecting dust at Cacophony studios in Austin. We’re hoping to revisit those someday.

C: Your latest work, Phosophene Dream, hit stores a few months ago and before even listening to the songs, the titles alone are intriguing and thought provoking, such as “Haunting at 1300 McKinley” and “River of Blood”. Are there any specific muses

or inspirations for these new songs? CB: Our life in Austin and touring from 2007-2009 is documented on ‘Phosphene Dream’. Haunting at 1300 McKinley is a song about the first house we

all lived in together. Bad Vibrations is our song for The Beach Boys. Entrance Song is about our countries Interstate Highway system and time travel.

C: What sort of images or scenes get conjured up for you in your minds or that you¹d want to be conjured up by the listeners in their heads when the new record is being played? CB: Pickett’s charge on the last day at The Battle of Gettysburg, the plane wreckage in Clear Lake, Iowa on Feb. 3, 1959, kaleidoscopic visions, the intro to ‘The Twilight Zone’, Dick Fosbury

winning the gold medal in Mexico 1968, Hover-boards & Power-jackets.

C: Earlier I mentioned Roky Erickson, who of course was the main man behind The 13th Floor Elevators, and like any CONT. 12

“Experimentaation is at the core of what we do. W’re always tring new ef-fects pedals and mixing them with old equipment from the 50s’s and 60’s”

Featured Artist 8

By Nick Ljubicich Dawes’ “North Hills”, L.A. on a disc, was released in August 2009. They’re folk, they’re soul, and they’re rock and roll. And they’re gaining momentum fast. Hot off the heels of the band’s first tour, Cake got a chance to have a chat with singer/songwriter Taylor Goldsmith about the year passed and the years to come.

Cake: First of all, congratulations. You guys have had a great year so far. Rolling Stone magazine had “That Western Skyline” on the Top 25 songs of 2009. You toured around with many different bands like Deer Tick, Vetiver, Delta Spirit, Jenny Lewis. Looking back on it, how do you feel about where you are now?

Taylor Goldsmith: We couldn’t be happier. It’d be very easy to say, “Well, you know, it’s good, but we want to just be the biggest band”. In reality, I feel like the way that things are unfolding here, our music is for people we enjoy playing to and it’s moving at the right pace for us. If it were to all end tomorrow, we would be able to say, “Wow, that was really fun”, and it was all the way we wanted it to be. So that means a lot to us. But then, on top of that, there are a lot of bands out there that are great and they do kind of blow up overnight. That ends up backfiring in some cases, not all

cases. Sometimes the fans that’ll sign on board the fastest will also head out the fastest. The fact that things aren’t going that way for us is, in a certain way, comforting. Yeah, so this year…we couldn’t be happier about it.

C: What was your favorite moment from the tour? Any crazy stories?

T: I don’t know if there are any wild stories or anything but playing at some of these venues and in some of these cities and seeing how things have changed.

To play at 1st Avenue in front of 1,400 people and playing El Rey in our own hometown, bigger venues that I used to go see bands play in as a kid. Like that. That was pretty special.

C: How about the Newport Folk Festival in specific? How did that feel?

T: That was maybe the most fun festival. Not only the history that goes along with that place but also that particular bunch of people were really open and willing to have a good time. So by the end of it, we got to do an encore and it was cool because my dad was there and he jumped up to sing. It was fun.

C: How do you guys fit in with the American folk music scene?

T: I know that people will throw us into that genre and we’ll probably accept that. But there are a lot of things that we’re into that I know a lot of these American folk groups don’t really do. It’s not like that makes us cool or anything. It actually makes me nervous. I hope people like those qualities of our band because we like to open it up and take some solos and we like to do that whole thing. We’re big fans of Little Feat and the Grateful Dead and bands

that like to get into that sort of thing and I don’t

know if that’s as much of a current quality of American folk but I hope people will accept that. So I think that, like any band would want to think about themselves, there’s some stuff about us that’s not necessarily of the trend right now but I’m hoping that that’ll be something that people enjoy rather than push away.

C: In March, Middle Brother, a collaboration between Dawes, Deer Tick, and Delta Spirit, is set to debut their self-titled debut album. How did that all come together?

T: When I was on tour with Deer Tick. John [McCauley] and I really hit it off and he said we should make a record together.

“If it were to all end tomorrow, we would be able to say, ‘Wow, that was really fun,’ and it was all the way we wanted it to be.”

Dawes9

I didn’t think that was actually going to happen because most of the times people say that and it doesn’t happen. I wanted it to happen but was cool with the fact that it probably wasn’t going to. I said, “Yeah, totally, man”, and one day he called me and he said, “I have this one thought, you have this one thought. Let’s do this. Let’s go to Nashville and record it”. I said, “Ok, I’m ready. Let’s do

the thing”. I went down there and Matt [Vasquez], who’s my buddy from Delta Spirit and has been an old friend for a while now, called me and he said, “Dude, I’m not doing anything this month. I hear about what you’re doing. If you want another dude to come down there I’m totally willing”. I asked John if he’d want to involve Matt and he said, “Yeah, get him down here”. So he came down and we

just recorded and wrote songs. And it was a really fun process. It was kind of a quick one too. We were only there for a month. We got the record ready for the first two weeks and recorded for the second two weeks. There’s definitely a recklessness to the album that I’m really excited about.

C: Speaking of brothers, describe the dynamic of being in Dawes with your brother Griffin.

T: It’s great. We even live together in a house in L.A. for the time that we’re home. We get along really well and we don’t fight at all. I know a lot of those stories where brothers are in bands are ugly ones but I don’t treat him like a younger brother. We’re just good friends.

C: How about the general band dynamic? Has it changed since going on tour?

T: I don’t think it’s changed. It’s cool because living in a city there’s going to be a lot of local bands that are good or bad and we notice that a lot of our friends’ bands in L.A., they’ll get home and then go their separate ways. They’re ready to have their time apart. For us, we were all hanging out last night. It was just us at the bar. We set out to hang out even though we just got home from a month together. We just have a real good understanding of one CONT. 12

Photo By Keith Hadad

Featured Artist 10

By Keith Hadad Reissues of near-forgotten rarities from the sixties and seventies come and go constantly these days without anyone outside of the serious music collector being the wiser. This is mostly because the re-releases are specifically aimed at the collector and therefore inaccessible to anyone else. This is usually due to the fact that the music or genre can only be liked by the cult followings only. However, the recent (incredibly tardy) reissue of The Sea-ders complete collection of songs has awoken to great acclaim by collectors and the loose music fan alike. The Sea-ders (aka The Cedars) started off as a band in Beirut, Lebanon as The Top 5 in the mid 1960s. Then they moved to London and released a few singles and an E.P. between 1966 and 1968. After some very mild success, The Sea-ders faded from the English limelight. In the time between their prime and today, The Sea-ders have only appeared on various “lost-gem” compilations and uber-rare semi-bootleg re-releases. When the opening track begins, their Middle Eastern background clearly shines through. Their native instrumentation starts off the track in an acoustic array of completely non-Western sounds that one might hear on one of those Putumayo world music

albums. Quickly, the song becomes catchy and pleasing as an electric bass and a sweet drum kit bounces it into a likable pop-rock track (that I dare say is even danceable!) All of the songs have a sunny psychedelic tinge to them without a single hint of sadness (this is most evident on For Your Information, Hide if You Want to Hide and Thanks a Lot). The combination of Beatles-esque pop and traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation and rhythms somehow work and comes off as sounding both timelessly vintage and deliciously fresh. Easy comparisons of their sound could be made to Revolver and Rubber Soul-era Beatles, the early Who records, and (certainly)

The Kinks. The Sea-ders feature a sixties English rock sound with Middle Eastern acoustic string i n s t r u m e n t s (such as the Oud) all s w i m m i n g and chopping through easily a c c e s s i b l e pop melodies. If The Kinks made singles to belly dance to,

they would surely be these songs. The only complaint I can dig into this

record is that the playtime is roughly just twenty minutes. This is forgivable however, since this self-titled compilation album is a round up of literally, every recording that the band made during their stay in England. They honestly just did not have anything more to add. The Sea-ders, 40 years later, still offer a shot of luminously pleasing pop rock with a unique twist that could simultaneously fit into the worlds of rare music collectors, ethnic music fans, and just about anyone who appreciates a crisp danceable rhythm.

Album Review

The Sea-ders - The Sea-ders (reissue)

“If the Kinks made singles to belly dance to, they would surely be

these songs.”

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Featured Artists

60¹s garage psychedelic rock fan, I couldn¹t help but notice the few moments that sounded like references to Roky¹s band, such as the ever recognizable ‘dubadubadubaduba’ of the ‘electric jug’ in some of the songs on your new record, which is also heard all over The

13th Floor Elevators’ material. Was this a nice tip of the hat to Roky or just something fun to try out in a Black Angels song? .CB: It was just experimentation with the electric jug. The idea on ‘Sunday Afternoon’ was to 13th Floor Elevate a British invasion

inspired song.

C: What format would you prefer to have your new album, Phosophene Dream, to be heard on?

CB: LP l

another and I definitely feel very fortunate. Yea, we get along great.

C: I want to discuss a little about your onstage mannerisms and energy. You have a lot of it and it elevates the show to another level. Where does that come from and how important is it to your performance?

T: It’s funny. I don’t mean to make dumb faces. I kind of wish I didn’t but it just happens. But if I’m having a good time and I’m just running around, to me that just means that I’m enjoying myself. I don’t say to myself, “Oh, this will be cool if I start jumping around”. I’m just clearly enjoying myself. It’s funny because I feel like a lot of bands might be having the best night but they maintain their composure. When people start singing along or when we’re doing a good job, I start smiling because I can’t help it.

C: What have you been listening

to on the road lately.

T: Different stuff. I got that Darkness on the Edge of Town box set, which is really cool. I’ve been listening to Allman Brothers at Fillmore East, which is great. Michael Hurley, who is a great songwriter. I’ve been listening to Benji Hughes a lot. One of the best newer songwriters, I think. I’ve been going back to “All Things Must Pass”. I know everyone’s familiar with it, but going back to it, it’s as close to perfect I’ve ever heard.

C: What is your favorite spot to grab a bite to eat in Los Angeles?

T: One thing you have to make sure you do is go to the right taco truck. I know that sounds kind of gnarly, but it’s some of the best Mexican food you can get even though it’s from a tiny truck. Otherwise, you can go to Bay Cities in Santa Monica. It’s the best Italian deli you can go to.

C: So where are you guys with the new album?

T: It’s all mixed. We just have to master it and wait ‘til “Middle Brother”. Once that’s all over with, we’ll put out the new Dawes [album].

C: What can we expect from it coming from North Hills?

T: It’s a little livelier. The songwriter is clearly the same, but after being on tour for almost two years, you can definitely hear a lot more live energy. A lot of guitars, quicker tempo, stuff like that.

Dawes’ first album “North Hills” is available and comes very highly recommended. Before their follow-up album drops (expected in May), pick up Taylor’s side project “Middle Brother” in stores on March 1st.

Black Angels

Dawes

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Must See in February

SKRILLEX: Sunday 2/27 @8 pm; The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY (1hr. 10min. drive) $20SKRILLEX, aka Sonny Moore, is the former frontman of metal band From First to Last. Fortunate for us, he shot his voice screaming, leading to his solo dubstep career as SKRILLEX. To get a flavor for this artist try his single “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” the “Lady GaGa Alejandro Remix” or the “La Roux in for the Kill Remix.”

Jimkata: Saturday 2/19 @9pm; The Haunt in Ithaca, NY; $10 ticketsThis four man electro-pop band hails from our very own Ithaca, NY. If you haven’t heard of them, listen to “One

to Ten.”

Two Fresh with Mux Mool and Body Language: Sunday 2/20 @7pm; The Haunt in Ithaca, NY; $13This hip-hop electric duo has an innovative sound. Check out www.myspace.com/twofreshbeats to be impressed.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad: Saturday 2/5 @9pm; Castaways in Ithaca, NY; tix at doorHaving Played with Artists like Umphrey’s McGee, this afro-beat/indie/Reggae band is killer live. If you don’t

want to take my word for it check out their recording of “Burkina Faso.”

Trey Anastasio Band: Saturday 2/19 @7:30; at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY (3hr. drive); $50Phish’s main man, Trey, knows how to get a crowd moving --simply look at the crowd in live performances on

Youtube!

Galactic w. High and Mighty Brass Band, Corey Henry, and Cyril Neville Wednesday 2/22 @7; The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY; $20

Galactic is clearly immersed in the New Orleans culture from which they hail, fusing together eclectic sounds ranging from Rock to Funk to Gospel. Check out their new album Ya-Ka-May

GWAR w. Mobile Deathcamp: Monday 2/21@6:30pm; The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY; $25The metal band GWAR never lets a crowd down due to entertaining raunchy lyrics and sci-fi/horror - inspired

costumes in which they perform.

Iration: Tuesday 2/4 @; Mohawk Place in Buffalo, NY; $10Since the release of their first album only three years ago, Iration has pleased Rock, Pop, Reggae, and Synthetic

Music fans. Check out Falling, the song that turned me onto them.

Tea Leaf Green w. The Bridge: Wednesday 2/9 @7:30; The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY; $15If you’re a grateful dead fan you’ll love Tea Leaf Green’s recent Album Rise up the Tent. Get on your tye dye and

head down to Syracuse for a great time.

Joe Driscoll: Wednesday 2/16 @9; Castawys, Ithaca, NYA lone act, Driscoll can rap and play folk music to produce the sound of a full range band. Hear the locally raised

artist at www.mypsace.com/joedriscoll.

Flogging Molly w. Money Brother and The Drowning Man:Thursday 2/24 @6:30; The Main Street Armory in Rochester; $34

On a stage, the seven members of Flogging Molly emulate their Irish roots and funk spirit. Put on the song “Drunken Lullabies”, and a partying atmosphere will inevitable.