performer magazine, april 2010

T-MODEL FORD

VEIL VEIL VANISH

XIU XIU

THE WHISKEY GENTRY

SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE

PEARL HARBOR

THE MUSICIAN’S RESOURCE MAGAZINE // APRIL 2010 performermag.com

STEVIE CROOKS

THE SHILLSChallenging audiences

DAMON MOON AND THE WHISPERING DRIFTERSChange the dynamic, render the art

7 orange abcThe thinking man’s band

PREPPING YOUR VOCALS FOR THE STUDIO // CLAUDE KELLY: SONG MASTER

++Putting DSP to workPutting DSP to work

58 APRIL 2010 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

The ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO puts you face to face with some of the world’s most successful songwriters, composers and producers who willingly share their knowledge and expertise to give you the know-how to take your music to the next level.

MASTEr YOur CrAfT

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Celebrity Q & A’s • Master Classes Songwriting & Composing WorkshopsAttendee Song Feedback Panels • Networking OpportunitiesState-of-the-Art Tech Demos Leading Music Industry ExhibitorsPublisher & Business Panels • DIY Career Building WorkshopsShowcases and Performances • One-on-One Sessions

APRIL 22-24, 2010 • LOS ANGELES, CA

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Follow ASCAPEXPO on Twitter and find out about panelists,programming, news and connect with other attendees,participants and EXPO fans: twitter.com/ascapexpo

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APRIL 2010 PERFORMER MAGAZINE 3

Features8 7 Orange ABC

Rose Fellom-MorrisGuitarist Mateo Lugo employs a home-built oscillator to create deliberately unpredictable sounds. That’s a good intro-duction to this experimental Bay Area band that takes the best of vintage rock and incorporates it into a truly modern, cerebral sound.

12 The Shills Kara MearsThe Shills, from Boston, basically fear

being safe. They recently released a challenging concept album, Ganymede, and can take their progressive pop-rock into Queen-like bombast in between melodic, beautiful passages. And it’s all done in the name of energizing you, the listener.

16 Damon Moon and the

Whispering Drifters Nadia LelutiuSliding guitars, heavy tremolo and reverb, acoustic strumming – you’ve got the sounds of the range here. But then there’s some spacey keys and some psychedelic guitar licks and you know there’s more. Georgia’s Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters are pushing past their ‘genre’ and any limitations that might imply.

Spotlights23 Pearl Harbor

25 Veil Veil Vanish

26 The Whiskey Gentry

Departments6 Soundbites

20 Studio Diary:Leopold and his Fiction

29 Reviews

41 Obituaries

42 DIY

46 Gear Up

49 Tour Stop

cover photo by Rosalyn Lee

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VOLUME 20, ISSUE 4


I WAS BROWSING MY ON DEMAND the other day through a treasure chest of concert videos. There was some amazing, ridiculous stuff in there – a fantastical Culture Club

show from Australia; a mind-numbing, Steve Vai shredfest – but what really grabbed me was this 2007 Les Savy Fav show. Aside from bald and bearded belly-man Tim Harrington’s tractor beam antics, the New York post-hardcore band brought a special guest on stage for their opener – a baby.

Syd Butler strapped on a baby carrier along with his bass and proceeded to chug through “The Equestrian,” and the baby bounced along with both hands up in the air like it was flying down a roller coaster. Granted, the baby had on huge, airport-style earphones, but the look on its face was impossible to decipher. Playing music for children in utero is supposed to stimulate brain development, and I’m sure it does, but rocking it out on stage? Not sure what I think of that. I was waiting for some child protective service agents to rush up there and abscond with the baby to foster care, crowd surfing it to safety.

My dog Lovely Rita used to come up on stage with my old band Myoclonic Jerk (I know, shameless) when we played outdoors. Not sure what I thought about that, either. And she didn’t have headphones. Was she into the music or did she just want to chill with her family? I’m going to go with being into the tunes. We, as humans, have been able to channel the natural vibrations of the world into pleasing (and intentionally unpleasing) sounds and progressions. It’s all there, just waiting to be organized. To claim other animals can’t pick up on this is unfair. While they may not be able to completely comprehend its complexities, I’m deducing that harmonic tonalities create a dose of feeling in all. What were those notes in Close Encounters of the Third Kind? G - A - F - (octave lower) F - C?

Nate LeskovicEditor

ABOUT USPerformer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESWe listen to everything that comes into the office. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, we are not able to review everything. If you do not see your record in the mag in the months following your submission, we were unable to feature it. We prefer physical CDs over downloads. If you do not have a CD, send download links to [email protected]. Send CDs to Performer Magazine, 24 Dane St., Somerville, MA 02143.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE24 Dane St., Suite 3Somerville, MA 02143Ph. 617-627-9200Fax. 617-627-9930

PUBLISHERWilliam House

EDITORNate [email protected]

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTIONEmily Tate

DESIGNERSElliot Erwin, Isaac Mitchell

MARKETING & PROMOTIONS INTERNRurik [email protected]

EDITORIAL INTERNSJohn Barrett, Max Blau, Stephanie Dotto, Garrett Frierson, Sasha Geffen, Chrisanne Grise, Wilhelmina Wang Hayward, Amy Ishii, Abby Johnston, Michelle McNickle, John Mills, Madeline Reddington, Zachary D. Rymer, Ariana Samuels, Lee Stepien

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Andy Barrett, Ryan Burleson, Will Cady, Kat Coffin, Julia Cooper, Kate Davenport, Morgan Davis, C.D. Di Guardia, Ellen Eldridge, Dan Evon, Ryan Faughnder, Rose Fellom-Morris, Chrisse Feros, Andrew Fersch, Gail Fountain, Tanya Fuller, Michael Garfield, Jenna Glass, Lizbeth Gonzalez, Clint Goulden, Shawn M. Haney, Robbie Hilson, Patrick Hurley, Scott Jones, Tara Lacey, Joe Lang, Charley Lee, Nadia Lelutiu, Keane Li, Marisa Lopez, Amanda Macchia, Lulu McAllister, Meghan McNeer, Warren McQuiston, Kara Mears, Jackie Miehls, Judas Moon, Tiffany Morris, Amanda Nyren, Albert Opraseuth, Isaac Paris, Christopher Petro, Damion Sanchez, Billy Seidel, Ai-mee Shea, Sherry Sly, Max Specht, Michael St. James, Ashley Thomas, Brian Tucker, Meredith Turits, Dan Weber, Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, Christopher Wilkey

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBryan Bruchman, Kristin Cofer, Gail Fountain, Dave Greer, Sam Heller, Jesse Hoff, Lara Keshishian, Rosa-lyn Lee, Matt Odom, Paul A. Rosales, Ashley Thomas, Philip Wages, Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, Woody Wolfe

ADVERTISING & MARKETINGWilliam [email protected]

Volume 20, Issue 4© 2009 by Performer Publications, Inc.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whats ever without the written permission of the publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE.

Annual Subscription Rate is $30 inthe U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.

////// from the top ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Note: We’d like to apologize to last month’s cover photographer of Grandchildren, Diana Lee Zadlo, for misspelling her name. We also ran the wrong album cover image for Boston reggae band iLa Mawana’s self-titled record, which was actually done by one of our designers, Elliot Erwin. To (feebly) make up for it, here are some bonus pics...


TFacebook launches band feature with iTunes

Similar to the evolution of MySpace, Facebook recently launched an entirely new section that allows bands to create their own profiles and make promotional content available to Facebook users. Tracks will be streamed on the page and will be linked to iTunes, so fans can purchase music directly.

NRadio revenue down to record lows

2009 may have been the worst year in history for radio, according to figures recently released by the Radio Advertising Bureau. The data shows that total revenue, including on-air, off-air and digital, decreased by 18 percent, making just over $16 billion. The advertising drop was even more astonishing at 20 percent, only pulling in $13.2 billion. Digital radio revenues did increase 13 percent to $480 million, making it a small ray of hope for the industry.

NGuvera launches free downloading site

Guvera, a search website for “free but paid for” music and digital content downloads, recently launched in the U.S. after a successful beta launch in Australia. The service uses a system where advertisers pay for the downloads. Consumers select the brand that will pay for each piece of music they search for, so the advertising displayed for each person is more relevant to their interests. Guvera’s mission is “Make music free for the people, prosecute no-one, pay the artists full price, share the love.” Xwww.guvera.com

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NGet your music on Rock Band

Among the thousands of unsigned artists floating in the sea of MySpace accounts and open-mic nights is an innovative new tool for fans and gamers alike to play your music right along with you and your bandmates: the new Rock Band Network from Harmonix.

To get your music in the game, there are essentially three steps: using a set of authoring tools for coding; a submission process built around the Xbox 360; and selling your tracks in an upcoming online store. Membership to the Rock Band Network is free, but users need a $99 per year XNA Creators’ Club premium account to submit tracks.

After signing up, members can peer review other artists’ music without limitation, in exchange for feedback on their own. Once uploaded, bands can set their own pricing for their tracks and receive 30 percent in royalties on everything they sell.

John Drake, Harmonix communications manager and Rock Band Network program manager, believes the Rock Band Network could become an essential promotional tool for up-and-coming artists. “Any band passionate about what they do, already has the tools for this,” says Drake. Not only has he been a part of developing the service, Drake has also been on the receiving end of its benefits. Drake is the drum-mer for Boston-based band, the Main Drag, who has already put their music on the site. The band released their third album, You Are Underwater, this January and in March uploaded its entirety onto the network.

Despite the short amount of time their music has been featured, the Main Drag is quickly gaining fans due to the exposure. “It is early still, but we’ve already had downloads as a result,” says Drake. “The program is new, it’s experimental, and it will allow fans and bands to network and share their music.” XMichelle McNickle Xcreators.rockband.com


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TBrown Paper Tickets takes on the ticketing monopoly

You’re in a band. You want to get your tickets to your fans so they can see you’re show. Simple, right? With online ticketing, for the past year or so you’ve basically had two options: Ticketmaster or Live Nation.

With these conglomerated ticketing corporations, fans will often sit in front of a computer, refreshing the page since an hour before the ticket sale time, only to find that not even 10 seconds after they’re released, they’re sold out. Ticketmaster and Live Nation have long been suspected of payola, essentially meaning that tickets are given out to everyone and anyone they see fit in exchange for promotion or payment, ensuring that the general ticket-consuming public does not get their tickets. If by the grace of the ticketing deities a fan does somehow make it to the payment page, they then have to face a slew of charges including venue fees, ticketing fees and even charity fees (which defies the meaning of “charity”). In addition to these issues, most contractually obligated bands selling through these companies are barred from playing any venues that aren’t hosted by the ticketing agencies.

It’s about to get more complicated.

With the musical landscape changing and becoming more and more fragmented due to digital mediums, fewer bands can fill up entire stadiums. As a result, Ticketmaster and Live Nation are merging. If you’re worried about it being more monopolistic than it already is, the Department of Justice has your back. They’ve allowed the merger, but on the condition that they license their ticket-selling software and sell a division of Ticketmaster, essentially creating two competitors, AEG and Comcast-Spectator. The latter will deal mostly with college sports. Because smaller venues and shows have smaller fees, the new company, called Live Nation Entertainment, is focusing on large arena concerts, which will most likely leave those smaller acts and venues behind.

But what are you going to do? Do you have other options?

An interesting alternative to this system might a Seattle-based company called Brown Paper Tickets. They call themselves “the first and only fair trade ticketing company” and profess that they are a “not-just-for-profit” group. Any artist or venue can sell tickets through the website for free and buyers will always pay a flat fee. Under 10 bucks is $.99 and over 10 bucks is $1.99. And they donate 5 percent of their profits to charity. The tickets are secure, complete with holographic foils, black-light imaging and bar codes, and they even have a print-at-home option. There’s no con-tract, so you’re not bound to anything. The company will even print you extra tickets if you decide you want to sell them through your website or another medium. There’s also a bunch of services available to artists and promoters, including marketing.

If more bands and venues start working with Brown Paper, the ticketing world could have its first fair trade rival. XLee Stepien Xwww.brownpapertickets.com

N Weathervane Music: nonprofit artist support

As technology shakes up the music industry, many musicians these days find themselves without label support and with limited means to promote themselves. Producer and recording engineer Brian McTear wanted to lend a hand to these artists. The idea first struck in 2002, but it wasn’t until 2009 when McTear and a handful of other music lovers launched Weathervane Music, a nonprofit organization that strives to promote independent musicians through a series of recording projects. Weathervane’s staff all genuinely care about the music they promote, and hope their business strategy will change the industry.

Most of Weathervane’s work is based around its program Shaking Through, in which independent artists and bands are invited to the Miner Street Recordings studio in Philadelphia. Only 10 acts per year are selected. The musicians spend two to three days in the studio, recording an original new song while a production crew films. Afterwards, videos profiling the artist as well as discussing the technical aspects of recording the song are released online. The program collaborates with WXPN, a non-commercial radio station at the University of Pennsylvania, which promotes the Shaking Through artists as well.

McTear believes Weathervane’s model of promotion will make a big difference, both for the Shaking Through artists and in the music industry. “If nothing else, we are demonstrating a model for developing new artists’ careers that other organizations can adopt,” he says. “I am not saying this will change the entire way things are done, but to my knowledge there is no nonprofit business strategy in the popular music industry that has taken up this very necessary cause. If we are successful, even at our own very small scale, I believe Weathervane will open the thought process for many others to follow.”

Ultimately, Weathervane relies on other music fans to spread the word about their favorite Shaking Through artists. “We hope that by bringing the general music-listen-ing public into the artistic process of music, the artist’s vision and all the surrounding details, we’ll start to build a population of music fans that will actively support musicians they love,” McTear says. XChrisanne Grise Xwww.weathervanemusic.org

Orange

ABC7 By Rose Fellom-Morris

Photos by Rosalyn Lee


Vintage Rock Explores the New Millennium7 ORANGE ABC WENT THROUGH A GRUELING DEBATE before

agreeing on a band name. After months of deliberation and posting a list in their shared kitchen with the top 30 picks, they finally decided on a cynical prediction of the future. “I thought about how many bands there are and how many bands there will be,” says drummer/vocalist Daniel Wright. “It seems like all the decades had their patterns when it came to band names.” What happens when all the choices run out? Will bands just have to be classified with numbers letters and colors?

All five members of 7 Orange ABC are songwriters, hailing from different parts of the globe with extensive musical backgrounds. They became friends while studying music in Boston. Beginning as a 12-piece ensemble called Yes-Theory, each week members would bring material to work with. Slowly they found and pushed limits: how dirty, how pretty, how loud, etc. Twelve became five and they mutually decided to move from Boston to the Bay Area. In Berkeley since May 2009, they have already established themselves locally with a solid amount of gigs includ-ing Red Devil Lounge and the legendary Hotel Utah in San Francisco.

Experimenting with sound is what Wright had in mind years ago when he started his music, poetry and storytelling collective workshop in Boston in the form of a band. For example, Wright’s own “special hi-hat” that he created himself is a Wuhan China cymbal on the bottom, “the cheapest, nastiest-sounding cymbal you can buy,” and a Paiste Signature splash on top. “Individually they sound amazing and together they sound more like a snare than hi-hats usually do,” he says.

Many of their songs feature polyrhythmic passages and vocal harmo-nies that slowly build up to a heavy climax followed by a break down. It’s minimalist rock, where the space or air between sounds is integral to song construction and tempo.

7 Orange ABC layers vocal harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Like Young’s Harvest Moon, the writing style – matched with the raw folkiness of Ethan Glazer’s acoustic guitar strumming – create a feeling of nostalgia and introspection.

“Directions,” off their self-titled EP, presents eerily mystical acoustic tones morphing into choral background harmonies comparable to early

post-Syd Barrett Pink Floyd, pre-Dark Side of the Moon. “This is Not the End” sounds like the Beatles meets early Radiohead.

In addition to Wright and Glazer, Trevor Bahnson plays guitar and sings and Mateo Lugo plays guitar. Haggai Cohen-Milo – who was born and lived in Israel, playing jazz there until he was 20 – plays some electric, but mostly upright bass. “There is a cultural background to the music I’m bringing,” he says, considering his role. “Israeli jazz grows out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s music that results from being in an emergency situation since birth.”

7 Orange ABC are a solid unit. “Living together and practicing every day isn’t easy, but the prevailing feeling is we’re doing something special,” Bahnson says. Raised in New Mexico, he discovered Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan as a teenager. He only listened to those two artists and nothing else for a whole year while learning how to play. Bahnson doesn’t particularly like new guitars, because they “don’t feel played enough.” He brings a classic guitar sound to the band with his 1971 Gibson SG.

At this point, 7 Orange ABC has released two EPs, each with four tracks. Bahnson says the band won’t perform anything unless it’s true to them on a deep level. “Deliver it and mean it,” he says. “Better to blow one person away and piss off the rest than to half-ass the thing and let people feel nothing.”

The last EP was recorded on two-inch tape and transferred to digital at Ex’pression College in Emeryville. The band mixed it themselves at home using Logic. Now they’re moving toward recording their first full-length in the studio.

“Recording is its own beast,” Wright says. “There’s recording, and then there’s music, and there’s how they react. Performing right now is the most important thing for this band.” Considering how recently they moved to the Bay Area, the quintet has done a solid amount of gigging, converting Bay Area indie-aficionados into a blossoming fanbase. Show-goers have dubbed them “the thinking man’s band,” with their attention to minute details of their music and a tendency to get involved in intense debates concerning aspects from dynamics and time signatures to tex-tures and soundscapes.


Glazer, who grew up in Thousand Oaks, Calif., says he has always had an enthusiasm for crafting music. “My approach to songwriting has always been very focused on lyrics and vocals, whereas Haggai and Mateo approach writing from a more compositional standpoint – creating a sym-biotic relationship,” he says. Wright adds, “Mateo is doing things on guitar that are beyond my instincts, and I do the same for him with lyrics and melodies. Together we create something bigger than both of us.”

Guitarist Mateo Lugo grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and plays a Gibson ES-335 and a Dobro 1976 resonator, using a slide on each. Lugo brings a spacey, experimental, futuristic sound to 7 Orange ABC, compli-menting the classic sound of Bahnson’s guitar. Last summer, after reading books on everything from circuit bending to soldering, Lugo built his own square wave oscillator. “I’ve been discovering that sound and sound combi-nations have a will of their own, they travel in a certain way,” he says. “Like a sculpture or building, things fall together because we’re on earth in this way. What I’ve been doing is catching those things and trying to be aware of what these sounds want to be and how to express that.” The oscillator he built, named “The ABC Box,” has three oscillators, one stutter, one starve button and a chip that takes all the frequencies and divides them – creating unpredictable sound. “It has this whole indeterminate quality which has become an important part of my music,” he says. “It’s all about chance – always different – which I find remarkable.”

7 Orange ABC’s plan for the long run involves making music together, music that will continue to evolve. Wright says it’s similar to a relation-ship, in that you find new ways to work and be within it. “The music has to change or it ends, as do all things in the world,” he says. Xwww.myspace.com/7orangeabc

“Better to blow one person away and piss off the rest than to half-ass the thing and let people feel nothing.”

-Trevor Bahnson


THE SHILLSArena rock behind an indie facade

IT’S A RAINY WEDNESDAY NIGHT when I arrive at All Asia on Mass Ave. in Cambridge

to meet the Shills. Bryan Murphy, lead singer and guitarist of the Boston band, is on stage moving efficiently in faded black jeans, a black waffle shirt and zip-up sweatshirt. He’s the seven-years-running open mic host.

Eric Ryrie (guitar), James Zaner (drums) and David Sicilian (bass) arrive. Murphy finishes on stage and comes over to greet his bandmates. He checks the time on his iPhone. It’s just after 9 p.m.

“The list is so short tonight,” he says. The guys order beers. We head where it’s a little quieter for a chat about the Shills, down to the dimly lit, makeshift living room in the basement. We talk about them putting their necks on the line in returning to the nearly forgotten concept album with their last record, Ganymede, upcoming plans and their take on Lady

Gaga. “Can she not be in this article?” Murphy pleads (obviously to no avail). “She is already everywhere!”

Ryrie sits in an old armchair in dark skinny jeans, a black down vest from Target (“I have a personal stylist,” he jokes), a brown fleece sweatshirt and blue New Balance sneakers. His dark hair is a little shaggy and he has a thin beard. On his wrist is an abandoned Halloween costume piece; a gold and diamond watch you’d swear wasn’t plastic. Sicilian takes the middle seat on the futon, keeping his tan wool coat on and mostly buttoned. Zaner – in jeans, a plaid zip-up hoodie and with dark hair – is the youngest member at 25 and finds a seat on the floor.

Ryrie, Sicilian and Zaner started off in a band with a female singer under the name Gallery. Ryrie and Sicilian had been playing together since second grade soccer; music started in middle school. Zaner and Ryrie met at a WBCN high school battle of

By Kara MearsPhotos by Lara Keshishian


the bands where Ryrie and Sicilian’s band came in second place (“The first time we ever had a packed house screaming for us,” Ryrie remembers). When Gallery wasn’t working, their vocalist left and through Craigslist the guys found Murphy. That was 2004. Since then, the band has put out three records: The Shills, Ganymede and an EP, Push.

The Shills sound is something like progressive pop rock, “a mix of modern rock and pop sounds/feels/instrumentation – an intentional effort to be relevant and not follow trends in those worlds,” Murphy explains. Sometimes it comes off as a guitar riff that is more hard edge and almost metal. Here, Murphy will sing in falsetto or scream to match that instrumental intensity. Then sometimes the focus is on a bass line and groove that is more dance oriented. And there are a few ‘70s straight rockers as well. Overall, the Shills are melodic and very vocal driven.

Murphy was a great fit for the band. He studied composition and jazz trumpet (heard on the records) at the Eastman School of Music. Sicilian and Zaner gradu-ated with audio engineering and music production degrees from Berklee. Ryrie has no formal training aside from pointers from his father, but who can tell? With such a fluid sound it’s almost unbelievable these guys haven’t caught a real break yet.

“Our goal is to make music that’s challenging to the ear without the audience knowing it’s happening; to be ourselves and grow,” Murphy says. “There’s a safe-ness to other bands that we can’t even think about. We had to figure out who we were so we could then go explore.”

And that they did. Ganymede is a concept album built with pure and thorough attention to detail about a misanthropic guy who crashes his boat on an island and kills himself accidentally. Each song is a nod to what’s to come next. It’s a decided detour from the trend of the single that marks today’s music scene, as songs on Ganymede are vague and almost lost (deserted might be the proper word here – see the album cover) when listened to out of sequence, though they each certainly stand on their own musically.

“Ganymede is the floral arrangement on top of the first record (The Shills, 2007), our foundation,” says Ryrie. “Our first album was the basement of the Shills sound and Ganymede is like the grown-up version of what we did on that album.”

“The most difficult musical thing I’ve ever done is to piece this together,”

Murphy says of the album. “We went out on a limb and surprised ourselves.” The album was recorded at Blue Jay, where Zaner is a sound engineer, one to two songs at a time. Then they’d spend one or two weeks, or even a month after focus-ing on each track. Many of the songs on Ganymede came from pieces of songs not used on The Shills.

Last November, the band toured from Boston to Nashville, where they played two shows to healthy crowds of friends and a respectable number of new fans. But, as they know, they need to break out beyond Boston and New York City, their Northeast comfort zone for the last six years, if living off their art is to become a reality.

In 2010, the Shills aim to play 6 to 10 cities regularly. They just finished a month-long residency in January at O’Brien’s Pub in Allston. Admission earned fans a card to download their new single, “Chasing the Aftermath.” Along with this, they’re working on 11 new songs and are putting together a compilation of live tracks – the best of the best from the residency.

The band members’ personal taste in music hugs close to home and stretches far beyond, matching their eclectic sound. Murphy notes Queen as his favorite rock band; but yes, Frank Zappa, Spacehog and Animal Collective are other likes. Sicilian names Pedro the Lion and funk music in general. Zaner likes pop rock, punk and fast beats. They’re also quick to give props to fellow local bands who they also count among friends. Ryrie and Murphy name bands such as Left Hand Does and Shoney Lamar & the Equal Rights almost simultaneously. “Musically they’re perfect,” Murphy says. “They’re like getting the star on Mario Brothers.”

Someone pipes in with Lady Gaga as Zaner names Them Crooked Vultures, Josh Holmes and John Paul Jones. “I listen to Lady Gaga for research,” Zaner says matter-of-factly, a sly grin on his face. Some of the other guys grumble.

One thing no one can argue is that Lady Gaga has a label. Currently label-less, the Shills hold high hope of being signed to their dream label: one that will let them make the music they want to make. “We’ve built a good trust among ourselves, so we can trust what we think is the right idea is the right idea,” Murphy says – and the guys concur. Xwww.myspace.com/theshills

“There’s a safeness to other bands that we can’t even think about.”

-Bryan Murphy

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Damon Moon v the whispering drifters

Hitting the trail with true space cowboys

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STUMBLING UPON Georgia’s Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters was akin to stepping out of the realm of consciousness

and becoming briefly captured within a mesmerizing altered state of reality, where stunning melody above an amalgamation of noise-infused, psychedelic folk rock has its way with you. Like a drug, it’s addictive and powerful – never provoking the same experi-ence twice.

This listening experience was inspired by Moon’s vivid dreams, the fulfilling yet taxing

time spent in various places on the road and the Atlanta-based band’s dynamic lineup, which has “haphazardly” switched-up on mul-tiple occasions. Currently, the band includes Damon Moon on electric and acoustic guitar, Jacob Smith playing lap steel and bass, Charlie Bennett on bass and keys, Chris Cooke han-dling electric guitar duties and Shawn Jacoby on drums. According to Moon, “The different lineups have definitely translated a bit into the tunes. Some of the things we’re doing now, I can’t see ever being able to do with older line-ups. I’m definitely not afraid of change.”

By Nadia Lelutiu E Photos by Dave Greer


Moon puts emphasis on art and creativity in his performances and record-ings, one of the reasons he doesn’t fear an overhaul of his lineup. He interprets change as an opportunity “to let the songs kind of reinvent themselves, letting the songs breathe a little and evolve – or devolve for that matter.” Moon’s phi-losophy on songwriting also helps to instill magic in the music. “I just think it’s selfish, as an artist, to ‘finish’ a song and place those limitations around it,” he says. “After all, who am I to say when something is in its final form of creativ-ity? Ultimately, I just want to respect the song and let it use me as a form of expression, rather than the other way around. I know that I’ve definitely had lineups and done tours where ‘tightness’ was the goal. That’s fine, but after doing it night after night, it gets to be an act and eventually I think you become a bit more of a performer than an artist. It’s all about finding balance between the two, and that’s different for everyone.”

DMATWD’s first album – the self-produced Meridian Road – was recorded in a home studio in Flowery Branch, Ga, mastered by the illustri-ous Rodney Mills and released in 2009. Tracking began soon after Moon’s departure from Atlanta band Ocha La Rocha and much of it was recorded as the songs were being written, or conversely, written as the recording ensued.

Moon recently licensed the sludgy, melancholy “Dream Forty-One” to a movie called Person of Interest, which has been through a few rounds of film festivals this year, but as of now it’s unclear when it will hit the big screen. Success like this again proves the exquisite intensity and kaleidoscopic atmosphere in the band’s folk-inspired rock, along with its melodic vocal

drones, is working. The group is currently busy on their sophomore effort, which Moon describes as a departure from Meridian Road, though the new content is still in its infancy. The band is taking the new songs on tour this spring.

The road has become a familiar friend and foe to DMATWD, as this will be their third completely DIY U.S. tour. Their first proved to be a valuable learning experience, in terms of triumphs and failures. Though the tour ended midway through, “due to a blowout, some shows falling through in middle-America and all around financial woes,” Moon views the entire experience as a success – especially considering it was his first shot at booking a tour, for which he admittedly didn’t know whether what he was doing was right or wrong until they were out there in the thick of it. He sums up his adventures as, “liberating, frustrating, dirty and taxing” and believes the most fulfilling aspect is “definitely the 30-45 minutes I spend every night just creating.” He continues, “On tour, there’s so much to think about throughout the day, like wondering when will be the next time you’ll have a warm shower, a clean pair of socks or the Holy Grail – a bed! But for those 30 minutes, it’s amazingly fulfilling to let all of that go, stop thinking and just do what you’re there to do. Also, being on the road with a band, some serious bonds get made and you figure a lot out about yourself.”

Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters is an example of a band beauti-fully functioning independent of the support of management, agents or a label.

“Honestly, I’ve been completely DIY thus far for a few reasons,”


he says. “Mostly, I like being in control of my art and how it’s represented. Also, the actual work that goes into something like booking a tour, though it gets extremely taxing, is quite rewarding when you try and fail a time or two, and then get better and succeed. A lot of bands pay big money for someone to book them a tour. That’s awesome, and those agents are definitely worth their weight in gold, but anything they can do, you can do as well. You’ll be really bad at it for a time, and that can cost a lot of money over time, but a completely DIY band like mine doesn’t have the money upfront to pay some-one like that, so really it’s the only option right now. It’s starting to pay off and it’s really rewarding.”

Moon doesn’t knock the music industry that exists, though he does observe an indefinable shift occurring. “The model for a successful band these days is all messed up,” he says. “The industry is in shambles, but I think anyone can tell you that. The truth is that no one knows what to do right now. Everyone is kind of shrugging their shoulders, waiting to see who’s going to make the next big move. I’m not at all opposed to signing to a label or contracts in general, but whoever is on the other end of that contract is going to need a pretty convincing argument that they know a path to higher grounds – one that I couldn’t reach on my own. Until someone approaches me with some-thing I can’t do on my own, I feel like I need to keep recording, keep releasing and keep touring as much as possible on my own. I don’t see that model ever not paying off, at least on a personal level, and ultimately, if I’m not in it for that reason, what am I really doing?” Xwww.myspace.com/dmatwd

“I just think it’s selfish, as an artist, to ‘finish’ a song and place those limitations around it. After all, who am I to say when something is in its final form of creativity?” -Damon Moon


//////// studio diary //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Leopold and his Fiction

San Francisco storytellers lock themselves up for two weeks to record Golden FriendsProduced by Thom Monahan & Daniel James // Engineered & mixed by Monahan Mastered by Steve Hoffman // Diary by Daniel James (guitar/vocals)

Recording schedule: The recording was spread out into various sections. As a band we spent the second two weeks of this past August at the Hangar in Sacramento, recording live band takes and various instrumental over-dubs to tape. We were recording from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for two weeks. The recordings were converted to Pro Tools and made mobile to further track instrumentals and vocals at my folks’ house in Los Angeles and in my apartment in San Francisco. From September through November, a good deal of time was spent making sure every song grew into its own character. And after touring in December, the songs were once again combed-through one last time to make sure there were no cracks in their armor. We also recorded some vocal parts at producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Little Joy)’s studio in the valley of Los Angeles.

Notable instruments/gear used: The gear at the Hangar – owned by John Baccigaluppi, creator of TapeOp magazine – is of the best quality. Every piece of vintage gear you can imagine is implemented while recording there. We used 16-track, 2-inch tape, and in the mixing process we used the BX 10, 20 and a reverb plate. We used mostly the same gear we use on stage to track the instruments. Thom brought his ancient P-Bass, flooding the album with a Motown pride and an array of foot pedals he has acquired over years of touring and making albums all over the world. Micayla (Grace) also played a ‘73 Guild JS, throwing in a lovely Fender Twin with an appropriate amount of dialed-in reverb.

I used a wall of amps we switched around depending on the currents of the songs and where their tides were leading us: a Fender ‘71 Bassman and a ‘65 Bandmaster head through one or two 12-inch cabs, a ‘59 Gibson Falcon and of course all the junkyard cabinets and parallel-to-none-in-tone mechanisms-turned-amp-heads Bryce Gonzales of the Hangar has equipped the place with. Other gear I used included a Leslie cab, a Les Paul, a generic ‘58 Kay guitar, a ‘67 Gibson Country Western acoustic and a mid-’70s red label Yamaha acoustic. For keys we used a creepy, old upright piano, a Wurlitzer, a Rhodes and a Hammond A-100 at my folks’ house.

Jon (Sortland) plays drums and a Farfisa MiniCompact organ simulta-neously. The kit he used was a transparent orange Fibes and from time to time an old Rogers kit.

The story behind the album: This album is a further search into the kind of storytelling Leopold and his Fiction albums are accustomed to. There were a few attempts to record parts of this album prior to getting together with Thom Monahan, who took into consideration previous works and common interests and inspirations while meeting with the band at the Hangar. The songs were mostly intact and carefully defined before entering the studio. Some were developed in the studio.

How does it compare to your last album? With the addition of new band members, the writing and recording process changed significantly, with new ideas brought to an ever-evolving storycraft. There were new charac-teristics of each member and very different needs as humans to consider as we were in a two-week studio lock-in – as opposed to going home every night after a full day of work. Some things did stay the same, though. I was able to record on my own time outside of a formal studio to really feel out the characters in each song. Each protagonist got their undivided attention vocally and sonically, and specific tones and cinematic re-occurrences are felt throughout. Songs on this album tend to venture out a little farther from the blues structures of the past. But the grit is intact, as well as the familiar start-to-finish theatrics and entertainment of voyage.

Any lessons learned from the last album that you wanted to change? The last album I recorded and edited almost entirely on my own. I learned I defi-nitely wanted help, a guide who knows the path well. With the band lineup being what it is, I thought we really needed to go into a formal studio and close off the outside and get down to it. Thom knew exactly what we needed to add to our already trusted methods and he provided a wonderful platform for our ideas to flourish.

What’s your philosophy on full-band takes versus individual tracking? Every thing we can do live we captured as best it could be captured. There is a lot we can do live, but each song offers so much versatility we did not limit our-selves to one way or the other. I feel an album is made to express songs in the best possible way. If something is called for, go ahead and do just that, don’t hold back because it can’t be played live. There are a lot of techniques in the studio that magnify the brilliance of the signal and the take.

Special guests? Three-fourths of the Dolanc string quartet.

Any obstacles in recording? Everything was rather seamless. Preparation and vision is a good portion of the process of making an album, as is sponta-neity and going with that flow you create for yourself with proper planning.Xwww.myspace.com/leopoldandhisfiction


//////// studio diary //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


//////// spotlight //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

GROWING UP, Piper Caplan wanted to be the singer of a band like Jem and the Holograms, that “maniacal, glittery, iridescent fantasy”

cartoon band from the ‘80s. “They encapsulate my childhood perspective on what a cool band was,” she says with a laugh. “Now I’m actually getting to live that dream, albeit on a very small scale.”

Caplan first picked up the bass about a year ago to play with her younger sister, Skyler. Skyler was only 15, but had already been playing guitar for a number of years. Somewhere in the mix, Caplan also taught herself how to play keys and program songs. With no familial hang-ups to speak of, the two breezily combined forces. Skyler’s ambling guitar riffs complement Caplan’s charmingly honest vocal delivery. Their exploratory lo-fi pop melodies are a dreamy throwback to another time and place, inspired by things like colorful fictional bands and, more recently, by a few of Caplan’s treasured crate-digging excavations.

Normally, the self-proclaimed “Beverly Hillbilly” is a busy DJ around hometown L.A., pulling from a robust collection of about 500 records a little over a half a decade in the making. “I’ve got this insatiable appetite for music, so I’m always trolling for records,” Caplan says. Her most recent purchase was a Panorama album by “this really cool ‘70s, blissed-out, pop-fantasy dude Chris Rainbow,” who worked with the Alan Parsons Project. “It’s pretty killer,” she says, beaming. Reviewing some more favorites, Caplan lists the likes of Forever Amber and Martin Newell. Her encyclo-pedic knowledge of music, especially in reference to obscure classic rock, is very impressive for someone who has only been alive for about two decades herself.

“I wanted to call our band America, but there are some guys who beat me to it,” Caplan jokes. She and her sister chose the name Pearl Harbor because they wanted to “shine a light” on a place that they felt represented, “that kind of all-American, working class aesthetic.” She continues, “‘Muckrakers of the New Millennium’: I guess that’s what our full-length is going to be called.”

The group has already perfected a handful of songs, but Pearl Harbor is not in any rush to set a date for their debut. Plus, Caplan likes the idea of releasing singles. “I think that’s better than putting out something with six good tracks and a bunch of scrap tracks,” she says. “[Producing an album] is not about flooding the market with product for no reason other than to just do it; there’s nothing worse than plagu-ing the world with more bad music. I want to wait and put 100 percent into every song.”

The girls find it tricky coordinating practice time between Skyler’s demanding art-school curriculum and Caplan’s college classes, but the two are rehearsing as much as possible to get their live show together. Caplan says, “Obviously there’s only so much you can do with one instrument, but we try to put our own twist on it stylistically. If our song’s going to have a throwback [element], I want it to be our own take.”

This year the girls will open their stage to some new members, including friend Jessie Clavin, former member of recently dissolved L.A. punk group Mika Miko. “She’s so solid on everything,” Caplan says.

In terms of self-promotion, Caplan is “pretty stoked” on the Internet. “I like any form of self-promotion that doesn’t actually involve me having to do anything,” she says. “We don’t have a publicist, so everything that’s come our way has, essentially, come from us initially uploading songs onto MySpace and us just letting everything happen as it happened. You can’t beat that.” So far this has got them smaller gigs, but Caplan says she prefers the intimacy. “At this point, at the level we’re at – haven’t quite hit the big leagues yet – we’re still playing kind of dive-y spots that have a roof, but not necessarily the greatest sound system,” she says. But this could begin to change soon, as Pearl Harbor took their dream-pop beyond the Hollywood Hills last month to the SXSW music festival. Jem would be proud.XLulu McAllister Xwww.myspace.com/pearlescentharbour

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ONE LATE THURSDAY EVENING, the members of Veil Veil Vanish sat down on my living room couch in San

Francisco. The dark-pop quintet consists of Amy Rosenhoff (bass), Keven Tecon (vocals, guitars), Cameron Ray (guitars), Robert Marzio (drums) and Justin Anastasi (keys). They released their latest effort, Change In The Neon Light, this February on Metropolis Records.

The new album is layered with electronic and synth overtones, as well as intense vocals from Tecon. He says writing on different instruments, including bass and keyboard, inspired the sound. Tecon also searched for tools of the trade in rather unconventional places. “I ended up getting a few keyboards that produced a bunch of different sounds at garage sales for free or cheap,” he says. A couple of them actually ended up on the record.

To get the kinds of sounds vVv wanted for a somewhat shoegaze-like quality, Ray reveals they used different pedals. “I don’t want to get into too many specifics, but there’s this cool (Electro-Harmonix) Little Big Muff pedal that Amy uses that can get pretty fuzzy if you tweak it just right,” he says.

When it came time to write lyrics, there were noticeable shifts and threads within the ethos of each song as they developed. Tecon

believes it was a combination of things that led him to approach writ-ing Change as an organic evolution, rather that any forced notion. “On the surface, the lyrics come across as being more romantic or glorifying,” he says. “When you listen further, there is a sense of inward disillusionment. From the frustration of living in a big city like San Francisco, to everything that is happening on an even larger scale in the world, the album reflects the times that we are living in.” Although the band stresses that the lyrics aren’t deeply personal, Anastasi believes they are unlike anything they’ve ever worked with before. “The lyrics are definitely more introspective,” he says. “The attention to detail is almost meticulous.”

Veil Veil Vanish has evolved steadily over the course of its three-year existence, having performed in cities such as L.A, New York and Austin. The new album is atypical of many records being released by American bands. It is stylistically more European, with songs like “Anthem for a Doomed Youth” that could easily be a staple in a London dancehall or underground club in Paris. The band’s sound has been called goth, but they prefer not to be pigeonholed. “I think that our music is a bit catchier and accessible to a wider audience,” says Tecon, who prefers a pop designation in the best and broadest sense of the word. XMarisa Lopez Xwww.myspace.com/veilveilvanish

Veil Veil Vanish

A darker side of pop

Kristin Cofer

//////// spotlight //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


The Whiskey GentryBluegrass that’s not afraid to rock

//////// spotlight //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I recently had an opportunity to meet with the Whiskey Gentry backstage before their hometown show at Smith’s Olde Bar in

Atlanta to find out what stimulates the primary auditory cortex of this eclectic group of talented musicians.

The bluegrass band brought me into their world of Southern hos-pitality, giving me the stage to indulge my curiosities. These guys were very relaxed, yet they still maintained a sense of determined ambition that spoke volumes on just how serious they are about telling a story with the gift of music. They all come from diverse backgrounds both musically and geographically. Lauren Staley, the main vocalist and lyricist, was in England for some time, which led me to wonder if the band’s name might have been spawned from her travels abroad. But, I was surprised to find out that a Hunter S. Thompson quote describ-ing the 1970 Kentucky Derby inspired her and surprisingly, these bluegrass gypsies are not fans of whiskey at all. Their preferred poison is Jägermeister.

As we talked, I realized just how multi-faceted they are as artists. Staley and Jason Morrow (lead guitarist) are the eyes of the band’s creative vision, but the others are just as instrumental in the writing process. I found their subtle incorporation of other genres very fascinat-ing, to say the least. Both Morrow and Sam Griffin, the bassist, tap the spine of punk rock – Social Distortion being one of many influences. The song “Pirate” is a good example. Their inspiration also pulls unex-pectedly from rockers like Slayer and old Rod Stewart.

Without taking away from the others, percussionist Price Cannon was quite the token of charisma. He kept me entertained with his celebrity impersonations, while I went through my round of questions. Cannon’s influences go all the way back to songs like “Love Bites” and “Rocket” by Def Leppard, and it showed in his performance.

Which mainstream band or musician would be the Whiskey Gentry’s dream collaboration? The sometimes-reserved Staley grace-fully inserted that it would probably be Loretta Lynn, if anyone. I should mention that Staley used to practice singing in her closet as a child.

So what are some of their favorite cities to play? Of course, Atlanta is the first, but others include Tampa and Gainesville.

Speaking of which, it was finally time to see Gentry in action. We parted ways briefly, while I made my entrance into the upper room, which was packed so tightly I could barely fit between a trash can and one of the security guys. This is always a good sign, though. I could feel the energy and anticipation of the crowd as they waited for the curtains to open.

Suddenly, I heard the voice of Christopher Walken coming from none other than the Gentry’s comical drummer, Cannon. Then Staley opened up the first song (“Dime Short of a Dollar Bill”) while strumming her Blueridge acoustic, singing the words, “I see you here most every Wednesday when I’m drunk right off my ass.” Chesley Lowe danced his fingers on a five-string Nechville Aurora Borealis Banjo and Morrow ushered in the rest of the band with a bluegrass bang, as he electrified this country tune with his Tele. Griffin rumbled in with his Fender Hot Rod P Bass, as Cannon charged with hard-kicking rock beats. The newest addition to the band, Dan Emmett, described as “the holy grail of fiddle playing,” melted his harmonies with the others as the Whiskey Gentry’s songs began to take on a life of their own. As I was enjoying the show, I couldn’t help but think how they would’ve made the perfect soundtrack for the ‘80s classic, Urban Cowboy. After a few songs, Staley and Lowe (Lowe switching to a vintage accordion) dominated the stage with one of my favorites, “Four Horsemen,” a sad and deeply personal ballad that Staley had written to Morrow during difficult times in their relationship.

The Whiskey Gentry plays with an elegantly tight design, filled with power and calculated instrumentation that keeps your pulse from slowing down. They are a perfect combo of hard rock beats, bluesy guitar riffs and punk-inspired bass lines, accompanied by the sweet and soft hallowing voice of a gospel singer. They’ll have their CD release party at the Star Bar in Atlanta on April 3. XJudas Moon Xwww.myspace.com/thewhiskeygentry

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THE KINDNESS KINDSunset Tavern // Seattle, WA // March 4, 2010

THE KINDNESS KIND CUT A SLEEK SILHOUETTE on the Sunset Tavern stage, five members in black under a single red

light. The Moog/keys set up with an array of pedals under it gave the impression that keyboardist Nicolas Danielson was the man behind the curtain for the band’s expansive sound. Promoting their opening slot at the upcoming Moore Theatre tribute to David Bowie by the Seattle Rock Orchestra, the Kindness Kind loaded their already packed set with a cover of “Life on Mars.” The lyrics sounded just right coming from singer Alessandra Rose.

The band held nothing back and by the third song, “Suckerpunch,” the Kindness Kind seemed choreographed and completely in tune with each other. It was a feat considering drummer Adrian Vanbatenburg and bassist Scott Teske just joined the band last summer. The band’s understated stature allowed the audience to pick up on the cadence of their intricately structured sound; a cadence dictated by syllables sung by the captivating Rose.

“The Lusk Letter,” off their self-titled sophomore album, embodied the way their sound creeps up you. As it began, Rose kicked her leg backward like a horse at the bit, ready to burst free. This stallion of a song seemed unassuming, but sped up, pounding like so many hooves, until Rose sang, “help me, help me, God,” and careened through the ending with a canter of cymbals. The drummer managed to combine dance beats and sparse, crashing, unapologetic rock.

The Kindness Kind’s set of warped pop songs included new mate-rial. One song, tentatively titled “Castlevania,” did what they do best: contrast the high-pitched cracks in Rose’s voice with the sultry warble of her words over reverb packed, Blonde Redhead-esque keys. The song seemed likely to fall apart, splintering between sudden switches in time signature, but the vocals and keys wrapped around the other instru-ments, lending cohesion.XChelsea Werner-Jatzke Xwww.myspace.com/thekindnesskind

LIVE REVIEW

///////////// REVIEWS ///////////Chelsea W

erner-Jatzke


“Definitely not medium”

ITtheverbHappy MediumsWhitman/Marsh-field, MAProduced by Nolan Sullivan & Mark Hylander

Nolan Sullivan and Mark Hylander make up the brilliant duo from Massachusetts called ITtheverb. Somewhere between the Mars Volta, Yes, John Scofield and King Crimson, an incredible recorded fusion called Happy Mediums was born in the minds of two very progressive young men. “Chinese Takeout” is an inventive, modern, hard-driving symphony, which takes you through an obstacle course of sonic texture. “2AM, New York” begins with a simple, strumming guitar leading into complex runs intertwined with drums. It’s not overplayed, but busy enough to excite any listener.

The Fugazi-like “Sushi” once again shows a brilliant relationship between the guitar and drums in this fantastic puzzle of sound. Its arrangement is a master class of drum technique. “Simple Machines”

////// Reviews /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// intelligently brings sparkling guitars, thick chords and

complex drum beats into a mold of nice, experimental distortion. The smart and creative arrangement takes you on a wild ride but stays in control throughout the piece. The warm, jazzy swing of “Rob’s Window” shows the versatility and broad influences of this band clearly, and Scofield and Abercrombie would become easily addicted to this one as the bottom end flows like lava while the song moves through time.

“About Love” is a sweet arrangement with finely placed notes mixed with powerful drums. The bril-liant drum conclusion shows yet again the pure talent of Hylander beyond the shadow of a doubt. The con-cluding track, “Contagious Faces,” is a sharp, hooky romp through another forest of changes and chemis-try. This duo proves that the mediocre and predictable is not what music is all about. (self-released) XBryon Turcotte Xwww.myspace.com/ittheverb

“Proof that side projects can be gold”

Old CanesFeral HarmonicLawrence, KSRecorded in pieces between 2005 & 2009 on Pro Tools in Chris Crisci’s basement

Appleseed Cast front-man Chris Crisci is back with his side project Old Canes. Their sophomore album, Feral Harmonic, is impressive to say the least. Crisci steers away

from the post-rock, shoegazey sound of Appleseed Cast and ventures back to the basics with some good old-fashioned acoustic guitars and plenty of drums. Over three years in the making, Feral Harmonic began with drum tracks in Crisci’s basement and evolved with the help of his friends (members of White Whale, the Casket Lottery and Minus Story to name a few) who assisted in layering the plethora of instrumentals that makes these songs shine.

Feral Harmonic is an album that is easy to listen to on repeat, especially if you’re a fan of the stripped-down folk that Saddle Creek is known for. It’s a testament to the fact that not all side projects suck. In fact, they can be damn good. The driving drums and acoustics paired with the twinkling toy piano and Crisci’s lyrics on opener “Little Bird Courage” will have you hooked. “When I’m thirsty / You are the


////// Reviews ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

T-MODEL FORD // TEN FOOT POLE CATS // ERIN HARPEP.A.’s Lounge // Somerville, MA // Feb. 25, 2010

T-MODEL FORD, LEGENDARY ASS-STOMPIN’ blues man from Greenville, Miss, kicked off his national tour right here in

Somerville. With his 90th birthday coming up, T-Model may be the oldest man to do this.

In spite of the stormy weather, fans came rushing in from everywhere and before long, P.A.’s was packed to the limit. Erin Harpe opened up the night with a sweet Delta blues set, captivating the audience with her nostalgic Southern twang. Next, Ten Foot Pole Cats exploded onto the stage with stripped down blues punk that got everybody in the mood for whiskey. Scratchy vocals, dirty harp, a driving beat and reckless strum-ming emanated in all directions, compelling even T-Model to get up and dance, playing his cane like a guitar. Then came the moment everybody had been waiting for, and you could sure as hell taste the anticipation in the sweat of the guy next to me.

Marty Reinsel, drummer for GravelRoad, pounded infectious rhythms as T-Model coolly reeled out song after song, many from his brand new album, The Ladies Man. This recent release is truly reflective of T-Model’s swagger; recorded in one casual take with snippets of conversa-tion like, “It’s Jack Daniels time!” Beginning his songwriting career in the

LIVE REVIEW

late ‘90s, T-Model Ford was in the loop at the Southern-based Fat Possum Records along with blues masters R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. T-Model played for over a good hour, proving that a man of his age can still stomp some ass and keep the crowd going. After the crowd cheered for an encore, the duo finished up strong with one last number. The announcer promised that T-Model Ford would be in the back to sign merchandise, but all I wanted to do was thank the blues boss and shake his hand, which I did. Thoroughly satisfied, I left laughing at the quote, “T-Model Ford is going to remember you sorry fuckers how it’s done.” XRurik Schtaklef

fountain / In the face of danger / I’m not afraid,” he sings. The track “Sweet” will become a fast favorite for anyone who likes a good build-up and some occa-sional jamming. It also doesn’t hurt that it includes glockenspiel and trumpet. While the drums and guitars are the show-stealers in the sea of instrumen-tation found on this folk album, it’s Crici’s sincere vocals and heartfelt lyrics that make these songs complete. Feral Harmonic marks the triumphant return of Old Canes and proves to be well worth the wait. (Saddle Creek Records) XJackie Miehls Xwww.myspace.com/oldcanes

“Medieval, punk rock rapscallions”

The CruxNow, FermentSanta Rosa, CAProduced, engineering & mixed by Ross Harris

Punk rock can be pretty passé these days so it’s nice to hear that someone is trying something new, like mixing punk sensibilities (and lyrics) with banjos, harmonicas, violins and classical (not classic) guitar riffs. What happens when you bring these things together? Well, for most of this album you end up with something pretty pleasant to the ears and quite entertaining.

“Louis XIV Loved His Legs” would get even

the most pretentious Ivy Leaguer smiling and the drunken “Every Crooked Finger” would make Shane MacGowan dizzy with envy. Although novel, they aren’t novelty. “Clown and Bard” shows off their musical prowess and on “131st Floor” they show their penchants for politics.

It’s the Eastern European-tinged “The House Of The Clinging And The House Of The Gentle” and even more so “Don’t Need No Man” that are the highlights of the album. The Crux sounds most at home when they are bringing down the house or bringing out the tears. And they sound like they are having an awful lot of fun no matter what they are doing. It’s no wonder that they were voted a top 10 live band in their local North Bay, Calif., rag.

Although they might wind up on tour with Tom Waits, they would appeal to anyone from Rusted Root fans to the dirtiest Crass fan. Not an album for everyone, and very clearly they are comfortable with not trying to be as well, since there is no pre-set audience for music this unique. (Bite The Hand Records) XAndrew Fersch Xwww.myspace.com/thecruxandfriends

“A folkloric renaissance folk bard”

Spitzer Space TelescopeSpitzer Space TelescopeBoston, MA

Recorded by Dave Suchanek in East Lansing, MI // Mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering in Chicago

Gather round the crackle of the fire and listen to Dan MacDonald tell stories from a time

long ago, about incredible voyages to the edge of the world and deep into the Netherworld; tales of unicorns, phoenixes and a slew of other fantastic creatures like Graknils, Gerkins and Mynocks. This modern-day minstrel masquerades under the name Spitzer Space Telescope and he’s released a full-length, self-titled vinyl LP.

The music has a fresh sound for the present folk resurgence. It’s part old world acoustics, part sea shanty and episodic folklore, all with a slight Irish flare. Folk is a pretty traditional format for war protest songs. However, when MacDonald sings of battles in “House of Seven Sisters,” you know it’s got to be a completely different kind of war – the kind where sol-diers have to march for days over foggy, lush hillsides and fight with antique weaponry. Then there are tunes that are so strangely upbeat and erratically silly like “Song of Voyage” and “Graknils and Gerkins” that you may be compelled to laugh or get up and do a jig while listening to them.

Performing live, MacDonald is a sight to be seen.

Rurik Schtaklef


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XIU XIUThe Drunken Unicorn // Atlanta, GA // March 6, 2010

WITH THEIR LATEST ALBUM, God, I Hate Myself, having been released only a week and a half earlier, Xiu Xiu opened their latest

U.S. tour at the Drunken Unicorn to a crowded, enthusiastic audience who surrounded the stage as close as possible, much unlike many Atlanta shows, where bands actually have to ask the crowd to come closer. It was clear that they commanded attention.

This is Xiu Xiu’s seventh album, but Jamie Stewart and Angelo Seo were selling their own merchandise, setting up, breaking down and pack-ing their own equipment like they were touting their debut. When asked for a setlist, Stewart wrote one by hand because the songs were memorized and not copied by a computer – right after operating the hot pot that pro-vided water for the herbal remedy or hot toddy from which he drank before each song.

After mic checking “Meow” and thanking the opening bands, Xiu Xiu began a sonic assault that ranged from tenderness and almost absolute quiet to extreme crescendos. There was a wide range of instrumentation, from Stewart’s raw, emotional singing and electric guitar, to the percussion instruments that he and Seo both wielded, to various whistles, flutes, Seo’s wonderful Korg R3 keyboard, effects machines including a Korg Kaoss Pad and a Nintendo DS played as an instrument using the Korg DS game.

By the second song, “Apistat Commander,” the audience had begun to dance. By the fifth song, “Muppet Face,” Stewart began stomping and building excitement in the crowd. Seo held strong, providing steady beats on her keyboard, keeping the drum machine running, playing the Nintendo DS and hitting the cymbals wildly at times. Other audience favorites included “This Too Shall Pass” and “Chocolate Makes You Happy,” both from the new release. Usually referred to as art pop, Xiu Xiu gave an excellent performance of heartfelt emotion and sonic excitement that had goth and experimental musical elements that intrigued and satis-fied the audience. The evening ended after Stewart hit the merch booth once again, chatted happily with the customers and posed for a few fan photos. XGail Fountain Xwww.myspace.com/xiuxiuforlife

LIVE REVIEW

With a guitar strapped on and maybe a harmonica around his neck, he has an otherworldly energy. He strums erratically, making goofy facial expressions, running all around the stage and occasionally raises his guitar neck high into the air as if it were a cannon out of which he fires dangerous sounds.

Spitzer Space Telescope’s first release is an archaic journey with an unmatched talent for creating expansive mythic places with a few words and chords. (Good People) XLee Stepien Xwww.myspace.com/spitzerspacetelescope

“Gloomy, driving guitar rock”

Retribution Gospel Choir2Duluth, MNRecorded by Eric Swanson at Sacred Heart Studio in Duluth //

Mixed by Matt Beckley at Faux Rock in Sherman Oaks, CA

For the better part of the 15 years leading up to 2007, slow-moving and crawling have been the pre-dominant characteristics describing Alan Sparhawk’s work, particularly in regards to his pioneering slowcore band, Low. What remains mostly unnoticed, however, is that Sparhawk’s career has been more or less described through his use of atmospheric

earnestness and tense, looming dynamics. Yet many were surprised when he formed Retribution Gospel Choir – a group defined not only to the likes of an increased tempo, but also a louder sound!

However, this is not a complete sea change for Sparhawk. What most have overlooked in his endeavors with this project is that the groundwork from Low – delivery and dynamics – remains intact. Retribution Gospel Choir does lean away from Low’s minimalist style, though, falling closer to the likes of Black Mountain, Queens of the Stone Age and other stoner-rock contemporaries.

Retribution Gospel Choir’s sophomore release, 2, opens with a resolved purpose previously unreached by the group. “Hide It Away” pounds with a deter-mined mid-tempo, angst-ridden rock, as Sparhawk’s repeatedly cries “You’re running away / You hide it away child.” Their resolved loudness (relative to that of Low) continues throughout most of 2, particu-larly through the efforts of Sparhawk’s full-bodied, psychedelic-laced guitar, as well as drummer Eric Pollard’s thumping work.

Between the gloomy haze of “Your Bird” and the accessible focus on “Working Hard,” Retribution Gospel Choir have appeared to hit their stride with these tightly crafted tracks. The remainder of 2, however, stretches towards the experimental, and

at times overreaches the group’s capabilities. “Poor Man’s Daughter” builds up into a borderline psyche-delic-thrashing, while “Electric Guitar” features a sprawling six-string attack that drudges towards a noisy climax, before effortlessly collapsing into a fade away. While there are some exciting moments here, these two lengthy numbers are rather hit or miss.

Retribution Gospel Choir’s 2 endures as a progression of Alan Sparhawk’s slow ascent towards the faster and louder. It stands in a timely place in Sparhawk’s career, as it still bears resonance to his past, yet offers plenty for those unfamiliar with his prior work. (Sub Pop) XMax Blau Xwww.myspace.com/retributiongospelchoir

“Listen to a dream come true”

The Mary DreamThis Kind of LifeNashville, TNProduced by Elise Bellew & Blake Ryan Dayton // Mixed & Mastered by Richie Biggs, F. Reid

Shippen & Greg Calbi at the Art House in Nashville

The latest from Nashville’s the Mary Dream is not your average indie recording. This Kind of Life paints a beautiful portrait of overwhelming honesty. Elise Bellew and Blake Ryan Dayton have

Gail Fountain


////// Reviews ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////taken truth and emotion to a magnificent level.

“Deeper” starts with moody vocals drifting over a steady, driving beat. “Sing” has a nice groove riding along on a distant piano. The sound is reminiscent of bands like Madder Rose who with grooves, vocal effects and hooky drums delivered a very memorable sound. This Kind of Life hits with a waltz-like mood, thick bottom and wash of guitar and leads you down a path of intelligently written poetry. “Wrong Every Time” grooves innocently through Bellew’s vocals. “Below Zero” softly caresses after successfully pulling your heartstrings. “The Best of Me” takes your ears on a nice lyrical journey filled with warm chorus arrangements and wide, flowing bridges. “Home” starts with distant piano slowly pushing through subtle accents of cello and guitar, making this a masterpiece of devotion. “Lighten Up” is very similar in color, but dances effortlessly over the guitar’s background. “Best Thing” comes crashing like a huge wave of sound washing around you with soft, subtle ambience. “Burning Bridges” holds the momentum with sweet piano and warmth, but as the recording concludes, we are given “Save You,” a beautiful ending to a masterpiece of musicianship and songwriting.

This recording will make any listener crave a warm embrace from Bellew far before the music is over. Excellent chord progressions, intelligent dynamics and wonderful production fuel this piece masterfully. (Super Universe Records)XBryon Turcotte Xwww.myspace.com/themarydream

“Bob Seger, by way of Ryan Adams, traveling along Route 66”

The Reverend John DeloreOde to an American UrnBrooklyn, NY

Produced by John DeLore, Bryan Pugh & Steve Lewis // Recorded & mixed by Pugh at Gödel String in Brooklyn // Mastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound

Wisconsin native and Brooklyn transplant John DeLore maintains the rural textures of home, blending them elegantly with life amongst concrete, steel and strangers. Ode to an American Urn plays out like a Midwestern man warmed and scratched up by the big city and is meaningful like a heavy handshake with an old timer. DeLore writes catchy songs with easy melodies and his gravelly, soulful voice echoes Dr. John and Patrick

Sweaney. It’s Americana mixed with traditional rock and the sentiments are tangible like dirty hands, while a fair amount of restraint leads to ambiance and warmth. DeLore never boils over, making sure to simmer like butter on a hot plate.

“Don’t Fall Asleep at the Wheel” is fun yet tempered, a love song as much as a road song. The narrator says to someone making their way home to “turn up the radio, just sing along to whatever comes on, make up words.” “Jerusalem” bears a ‘50s swagger matched with Muscle Shoals flavor-ing. “Slow Down” digs deep with simple tribal beats and sparse piano playing and DeLore sings as if in the distance, his voice reaching from the past. For the Izzy Stradlin-flavored “In’Shallah,” the steady backbeat stomps with driving piano funk. DeLore paints imagery with lyrics, such as “I cut my tooth in a city where there is no orchard on a hill / where the undertaker kicks a stone down the street / I guess even death has lost its thrill.”

With Ode to an American Urn, DeLore crafts music and literature, topography rich in American scenery and weary hearts. (self-released) XBrian Tucker Xwww.myspace.com/reverendjohndelore

DAVE GREERPHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN

[email protected]


////// Reviews /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “Lyrically John

Mayer, musically Del McCoury and altogether something pleasantly familiar”

Joy Kills SorrowDarkness Sure Becomes This City

Engineered by Eric Merrill // Produced by Merrill & Joy Kills Sorrow // Mastered by Dave Sinko

It may come as no surprise that 2006 John Lennon Songwriter contest winner Bridget Kearney wrote most of the highlights of this album. Kearney also wrote some of the most lyrically cliché songs, here, rivaling the literary qualities of John Mayer at his best. Singer Emma Beaton soothingly carries you through several of the more country compositions on the record.

“Books” is a slow-moving pleasantry that, although enjoyable, doesn’t hold a candle to the beauty of a song like “Thinking of You and Such.” But on “All the Buildings,” it’s easy to lose sight of that beauty with lyrics such as, “Why don’t we stay in my room / waste away the afternoon…all our favorite songs / we can prolong.” Not everything needs to be a lyrical mas-terpiece, but one can not rely on music alone (unless you are the most talented group of musicians alive).

As far as that goes, this should be one of the most talented groups of musicians out there with Berklee flatpicking-champion mandolin player Jacob Jolliff, guitarist Matthew Arcara and Canadian Folk Singer of the Year, Emma Beaton. At the same time, while listening, you wish their skills were showcased little more. The highlight of the album actually happens to be “New Shoes,” a Caleb Klauder cover. It just goes to show that even the best singers and songwrit-ers sometimes need a little help from their friends. (Signature Sounds)XAndrew Fersch Xwww.joykillssor-row.com

“Hip-shaking, stabbing, fuzz-rock”

Thick ShakesOoh MommyBoston, MARecorded & mixed by Jerry MacDonald

I usually don’t pay much attention to band names. They seem to come from happenstance and rarely have much to do with a band’s sound. Not the case with Thick Shakes. Yeah, it’s a reference to milkshakes, but it’s also a refer-ence to dancing. Thick Shakes conjures up images of dancing in a crowd as thick as a Dairy Queen Blizzard and the Ooh Mommy EP, Thick Shakes’ first official release, provides the perfect soundtrack for such an

occasion. There are surface layer punk and surf-rock influences that make you want to move here, but there is also a slow, sinister drive beneath this surface that deliberately drags and then pops.

This layering is most successful in the opening track “Starfish” and the Magnetic Field’s cover of “Underwear.” The melody in “Starfish” sounds like a cross between Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra and the Ventures. It’s catchy and punky, but also has the same finger-shaking girl power that appears on the songs of Nancy and Lee. Also, comparing their cover to the Magnetic Field’s original version uncovers a lot of what is at work here. While the original is sparse and ominous, Thick Shakes’ version both speeds it up and intensifies the melody by adding a fierce drumbeat and some fierce vocals.

The entire EP was recorded through telephone microphones and give the EP a sound similar to Thee Oh See’s recordings. This also makes the lyrics indiscernible at times, but who cares? The important ones come through and the unclear ones come off as a delightful outburst. (Snuggle Hound Records) XAshley Thomas Xmyspace.com/thickshakesmusic

“The best dance-in-your-chair ‘60s throw-back pop Jersey has to offer”

Status GreenCheap SunglassesAsbury Park, NJRecorded & mixed by Ron Haney

Bart Schoudel of NEAR Studios, Joe Dell’Aquilla of Exeter Recording Studio & Jay Agel & Rob Kinowski at Sony NYC // Mastered by Tom Ruff at Asbury Media

From the very first track, “Room To Play,” you feel like you’re walking into a modern-day version of a beach movie – only darker. It’s a dance tune just beg-ging for someone to step up to the plate as the modern Frankie and Annette. This song is a great way for the Jersey band to introduce themselves, as something about it just feels epic. In fact, everything about Status Green’s latest album reminds you of everything that was ever fabled to be good about the ‘60s.

An undefinable part of this band elicits remi-niscences of the Killers, even though the songs are nothing like Killers songs. They’re far too upbeat and straightforward for comparison to the oft-ambiguous, alt-rock band, yet the semblance is there. Some of the songs on the Cheap Sunglasses release are darker than others, but even the edgier ones are still pretty sing-along. One obvious parallel to the Killers’ Hot Fuss: you can listen to every track on the album without hitting a bad song.

There are weaker tracks, namely “Guessing Games” and “What I Need.” If listeners get through

this slight hiccup right in the middle of the album, they will be rewarded with a gratifying finish as the final six songs are a buried treasure of chair-dancing, pop gold. The strongest songs on the album are “Circles” and “Diana” (buried as track 11), which are as catchy and alluring as any out today. (self-released) XKate Davenport Xwww.status-green.com

“Hip-hop that’s gritty, witty and delicious at once”

Stevie CrooksDiamonds and GunsLos Angeles, CAMixed & mastered by RJ at Fullrange

Stevie Crooks is a striking individual to say the least. At nearly 7-feet tall, it doesn’t take much more than a ski mask to clue you into his swagger – oh, and he does wear one. He’s a crook after all; the L.A. native once held up his own listening party as a way of introducing himself.

According to his MySpace, Stevie’s mask is representative of a Robin Hood-esque view of the hip-hop game: the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, the “kingdom” has been over-run by greedy tyrants and standards have fallen abysmally. Mr. Crooks is here to steal the game back and bring into it the essence of love, passion and pure soul that it was founded on in the first place.

And he he doesn’t mince his words. In “Gnarly,” he has this to say: “Somebody do me a favor / buy me that Wayne CD so I can take a dump on it later.”

Stevie’s second mixtape, Diamonds and Guns, brings the same raw quality he came with on his first, CTSC, and both are worth a good listen. His flow is catchy and witty as usual, though some-times dips into some more personal and poetic thoughts. He’s equally strong lyrically as he is with the aesthetic of his voice – even lines that would sound forgettable from someone else will echo in your head. One particular track that stands out lyrically and conceptually is “Seeds of Change,” in which Stevie revisits the story of two parents having an unexpected child (possibly based on his own past). The child tells the story from inside the mother’s womb, watching the interaction of the parents and hoping they make the right decision for him.

Diamonds and Guns seems as if it might lack some of the diversity of CTSC and feels a bit more poppy – but it’s a smooth ride nonetheless.XMadeline Reddington Xwww.myspace.com/pvjf


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HIROMI UEHARADakota Jazz Club // Minneapolis, MN // March 9, 2010

HIROMI UEHARA IS STILL THE BEST thing jazz has going. Her work with legends including Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Anthony

Jackson, Lenny White and her own chops-busting Sonic Bloom band is tearing right into the image of jazz as a stiff, old white man’s medium and injecting a healthy dose of bubbly, sexy charisma back into it without sacrificing one iota of musicality.

For her second set at Minneapolis’ Dakota Jazz Club, a venue the artist has called “one of the best,” it was troubling to see her slink into a stereotype of Japanese musicians, which she has previously system-atically obliterated. Sure, the execution was next to flawless, but the delivery was a little cold and some of the cheap parlor tricks weren’t helping. Uehara opened with a road-burned “Tom and Jerry Show,” a blis-tering boogie woogie-inspired tune that has gotten untold mileage since her 2003 debut. The highlight of the evening followed, “If,” off of 2004’s Brain. But after the majestic dynamic cascading contour of the piece died down, technique and gimmicks began to take hold.

“BQE” followed before Hiromi jumped into “Somewhere,” a tribute to Oscar Peterson. Between songs Uehara would talk in her moderately conversant “aww shucks” colloquialisms about each song that had nearly

every patron lapping up every drop. The second highlight of the night came again from Hiromi’s Brain album, Desert on the Moon. “Pachelbel’s Canon” followed, with muted strings to emulate a clavichord (aforemen-tioned parlor trick) and then “Bern Baby Bern,” “Cream Puff ” and the encore “Place to Be.” In all, it appears (and feels) cynical judging harshly such a technically virtuosic performance that seems so outwardly earnest, but in this case, to quote Flea, it felt like there was a lot of flash and not enough crash. XJoe Lang Xwww.myspace.com/hiromimusic

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MAUS HAUSThe Mezzanine // San Francisco, CA // Feb. 27, 2010

I WAS HAVING ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS where nothing seemed to run smoothly. The bus left without my friend and I just as we

arrived at the station, a woman berated us as we sipped whiskey from a flask and after arriving at our stop, we got horribly lost trying to find the Mezzanine, which is tucked away inconspicuously in an alley. Seemingly by kismet however, the band I came to see, San Francisco’s Maus Haus, started playing the moment I walked through the door. I felt like they were waiting just for me. The place, a mix between an underground warehouse venue and a trendy dance club, was packed and the whole crowd had their eyes glued to the stage. People cheered after their opening chords in anticipation of the song to follow.

Maus Haus put on an inspiring show. They don’t sound like anyone else, and yet also sound completely familiar and accessible. I told this to singer/keyboard player Josh Rampage after the show and his reply was, “That’s ridiculous! We steal from all sorts of people.” It’s true, they do “steal” from other artists, but their music is greater than the sum of its parts. Maus Haus has a way of making sketches of songs and weaving them together that is perfect for our generation. Akin to a modern novel’s way of communicating stream of consciousness, the structure of Maus Haus’s songs relate to the sublime experience of everyday life.

The truly impressive part about their music is that they do all of this heady stuff and maintain the fun. That night, the crowd was danc-ing and jumping up and down in excitement (definitely not the reaction most people have to reading Joyce or Faulkner). The band pulls this off because, like Animal Collective or Olivia Tremor Control, they use pop and go beyond it, leaving us with sincere yet transcendent music. XAshley Thomas Xwww.myspace.com/maushausmusic

LIVE REVIEW

Jesse Hoff

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“Seattle art-punk dream team”

Past LivesTapestry of WebsSeattle, WAProduced, engineered & mixed by Steve Fisk at Avast Studios in Greenwood

For all their flaws, Seattle’s still-relevant Blood Brothers have managed to spawn at least two notable bands into the pool of the Pacific Northwest in the past two years. With Past Lives’ Tapestry of Webs, they thicken the gene pool.

Tapestry of Webs was recorded between the summer and fall of 2009 with legendary Northwest producer Steve Fisk (Unwound, Beat Happening, Low) pressing buttons for local favorite Suicide Squeeze Records at the also legendary studio Avast. The record finds the band trying a little harder to figure themselves out and perhaps also the audience with whom they want to share their sentiments. They certainly make some interesting pledges, such as “Aerosol Bouquet” where they use beautiful little gui-tar schisms alongside some nearly muted synthesizer parts that balances between peppering the record and blanketing between tracks.

Similar to the band’s first effort, the Strange Symmetry EP, there is still plenty of haunting, lyrical

and building guitar circles. And yet again, drummer Mark Gadjahar fails to disappoint with another round of percussion loops that leaves you wondering if he’ll ever run out of ideas.

Past Lives retain the basic elements that made the Blood Brothers a desirable mess, transitioning between tumbling and fuzzy guitar lines that are meant to be enjoyed live, but subtly straddle that line and suitably impress on record, too. It’s toned down. In fact, you can understand what Billie sings half of the time. “If you’ve got something to say, say it at the top of your lungs” he sings on “Hospital White.”

This is a go-between record; it finds the former Blood Brothers immersed happily in the next element of their careers. They are as uncertain as we are. There is no law against a record that segues to the next one, in fact, it can make for a compelling trip. Like any book worth reading, it makes you anxious for the next chapter. (Suicide Squeeze Records) XClint Goulden Xwww.myspace.com/pastlivesmusic

“Poetic folk without the cliches”

The Wooden BirdsMontague StreetAustin, TXSelf-recorded & produced

The Wooden Birds’ Andrew Kenny has long been a champion of the homespun sound. The former American Analog Set frontman has collaborated with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie for a purely acoustic EP as part of the “Home” series, giving it a natural, untouched feel. The Wooden Birds’ other members, including another former AAS member, Leslie Sisson, and Matt Pond of Matt Pond PA, are also well-versed in stripped, acoustic performances. Before the band’s debut album Magnolia’s creation, and before his migration to Austin, Kenny worked diligently from his home studio in Brooklyn to define the group’s sound. Named after the location where it was recorded, the newly released Montague Street EP features four pre-Magnolia recordings selected from Kenny’s home workshop sessions. Guided by an obviously careful hand, the organic cuts are filled with serenity and gentleness.

Kenny’s rich tenor glides easily over acoustic guitar lines that drip with a warmth and resonance. There is an atmosphere of some rare and quiet equilibrium that makes it hard to believe that the album was recorded anywhere but in a log cabin, much less New York. Kenny’s typical poetic prose fits in perfectly with the acoustic songs, and titles such as “Believe in Love” and “The Other One” instantly give their romanticized content away, but manage to avoid


////// Reviews ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////a kitschy doom. Kenny’s crooning isn’t all innocent,

however. The malicious lyrics of “Choke” sound almost comical against the sweetly strummed guitar that accompanies them. It’s the sleepy and quietly moving “Bad” that sustains the EP, though. The soft strums have a clarity and truth about them, and are both heavy with purpose and light on the ears at once. Overall, Montague Street was a successful road map for the future of Wooden Birds, laying the foundation for unabashedly honest folk album. (self-released)XAbby Johnston Xwww.myspace.com/thewoodenbirds

“Electronic funk mired in mysticism”

RafterAnimal FeelingsSan Diego, CAProduced, mixed & recorded by Rafter Roberts

Rafter Roberts brings a kind of joy to the art of mixing and remixing songs in addition to putting out his own records. He comes across as a guy having fun, doing what he feels is best. Animal Feelings introduces fans to a hybrid of electronic funk, dance-pop and rock rhythms. From the opening track, “No Fucking Around” to the close, “Beauty Beauty,” listeners can expect the unexpected in themes and styles. The vocals are pleasing to the ear and mesh well with the instrumentation.

Happy choruses like, “I’d know that you love me if you share your fruit with me” make for danceable tunes in songs like “Fruit,” which carries a bouncy rhythm through the sound of clapping hands. The title track, “Animal Feelings,” swoons with crescendo in harmonized vocals. Inspired by punk, it packs a punch, but it conforms to pop standards: easy to play on most major radio stations and trendy enough for dance clubs. The electronic movement through all the songs makes the whole album feel fun.

Rafter’s projects remain entirely the work of Rafter Roberts, a man who acquired his name from a joke made to his pregnant mother about being conceived in a loft. His roots in punk music encourage the spirit of independence, which he tempers with more palpable pop beats. (Asthmatic Kitty) XEllen Eldridge Xwww.myspace.com/rafterroberts

“An education on ‘90s indie-rock”

Mass Solo RevoltBend in TimeAthens, GAProduced by Martin Brummeler // Recorded in Athens at M. Ca-det & the Bakery by Brummeler,

Joel Hatstat & Russ Sherman // Mixed & mastered by Brummeler

Martin Brummeler’s Mass Solo Revolt started as a project to channel his dissatisfaction and angst, but has since burst into a full-fledged education on the indie-rock roots that the college town of Athens has since transitioned and developed from. Although highly reminiscent of landmark bands such as Pavement and Built to Spill, the band takes these solid indie building blocks and crafts songs that are nostalgic yet incredibly fresh.

“It’s All Circles,” begins the record with what becomes some of the album’s indispensable fun-damentals: a solid cadence in the form of drummer Russ Sherman’s precise beats and bassist James Frye’s steady yet intricate bass lines. The guitars bellow and build with tremolo, delay and various other effects – providing color to all the tracks – while Brummler’s honest and earnest vocals provide sooth-ing and revealing words. The post-rock build on “Let’s Pretend” showcases Mass Solo Revolt’s ability to be dramatic and appropriate to the song’s subject matter, while the bands assembly of an infectious hook on “Swallow” will have you pressing the repeat button more than a few times.

The paramount track on the album, “You in 100 Words,” incorporates a post-punk climax and a truth-ful mix of self-reflective lyrics. The arpeggio peak toward the end of the song is one of the best resolves to a song I’ve heard this year. With a revamped lineup, Mass Solo Revolt is poised to take on 2010 in impres-sive ways and bring back a sound to a city teeming with young fans eager to hear something accessible and just plain good. (Hop-Skip Records) XAlbert Opraseuth Xwww.myspace.com/masssolorevolt

“ADHD shred by Nintendo”

stOrkstOrkLos Angeles, CAProduced by Shane Gibson & Thomas Lang // Recorded by Nick D’Virgilio at Guitar Ogre

Studio & the Garage in L.A. // Mixed by Jeremy S.H. Griffith // Mastered by Maor Appelbaum Mastering

If you’ve seen Korn lately, then you may have noticed one of today’s premier “shred” guitarists tucked in the corner of the stage, quietly waiting for the spotlight. His name is Shane Gibson and he is out to set your minds and fingers afire with his lat-est release, stOrk. For those of you unfamiliar with the “shred” genre, its stars include Steve Vai and Buckethead (the guy with the KFC bucket on his head that makes you wish you had 15 fingers on Guitar Hero II). For aspiring guitarists unfamiliar with these two names, just think of anything that you cannot

play. It’s on this album. Shane is a guitarist’s guitarist, a graduate of Berklee with unique ideas to spare and better sweeping technique than your grandparents. stOrk also features the excellent bass chops of Eloy Palacios and a Costco, bulk-size heaping of uber-complicated drumming from Thomas Lang.

Standing out are the groovy “Moonrock,” the frenetic “Changing Lanes” and “Loki,” which may take a year to decipher the accent patterns. By the time you do, you should resemble the guy that stared at the Ark of the Covenant. “Prelude in the Key of Shut the Hell Up” will please classical purists, while “Metal Fatigue” sounds inhuman.

If you’re looking for great metal and a good time, avoid the bathroom stalls at your local truck stop and pick up a copy of this. (self-released) XDamion Sanchez Xwww.myspace.com/officialstOrk

“Electronically-in-fused, pumped-up rock ‘n’ roll”

We Are WolvesInvisible ViolenceMontreal, QuebecProduced by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & We Are Wolves //

Engineered by Arlen Thompson // Recorded by Moumneh at Thee Mighty Hotel2Tango // Mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering

Upon first listen to We Are Wolves’ new album, Invisible Violence, I found myself in a zone of recognition. The sound was so familiar, yet the idiosyncrasies that stood out within the music make it difficult to place. The opening track, “Paloma,” is a guitar-driven, high-energy compilation of catchy riffs, exploding drum beats and flawlessly placed synth accents. The music brings to mind the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, as easily as it does Black Sabbath and INXS.

The vocals of Alexander Ortiz, reminiscent of the powerful emissions of Ozzy Osbourne, soar above the electronic creations mingling with a post-punk-influenced rock soundscape. “Reaching for the Sky” is another highlight track that starts out with a fluttering keyboard and crescendos into an all-out whirlwind of danceable, discotechque-worthy rhythms, interspersed with strong guitar licks and an ethereal melody. The album closes out with an exquisite track, “The Spectacle of Night,” which oozes with fun, punk-inspired vocals that run on top of contagious rhythm and bouncy keyboard riffs, similar to what we got from Devo, without the ‘80s tinge.

The entire album maintains the energy


////// Reviews ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////found at the start, making it an indulgent listen

the whole way through. The Quebec-based group even includes lyrics sung in French on several tracks, such as “La Rue Oblique” and “Paloma.” Invisible Violence is neither invis-ible nor violent, but rather distinctly rapturous. (Dare To Care) XNadia Lelutiu Xwww.myspace.com/wearewolvesnoussommesloups

“Deep, dark, haunting, ethereal and gloriously orchestrated classic rock”

ArcanumSleepwalking on the HighwireAtlanta, GA

Produced, engineered & mastered by Brett Schieber, Tree & Profes-sor Ace in Atlanta // Mixed by Dave Desbordes // Mastered by Rodney Mills

The riveting statement “We don’t know what it truly means to be free” echoes near the chorus of “Let Me Go,” a stirring epic ballad and a tune that encapsulates the entire rich-ness of sound and atmosphere in this new EP by Arcanum. It’s an album of dark, ethereal colors

and textures, and much creativity and sweat must have gone into its making. The first two songs, “Sleepwalking on the Highwire” and “Scar,” epitomize a fully orchestrated epic brewing with strings, morose and dark vocals and punching drums – bringing out deeply hidden emotions. Perhaps that was the reason Arcanum had for initially getting together and writing the record.

More haunting music pops up in the lush acous-tic guitars and gorgeous baritone vocals on track five, “President.” The vocals are powerful and gripping, showing the group’s vulnerability and versatility. The majority of the album is further experimentation, as they continue to reinvent “Scar” in various versions. It should be noted the remixes give the record its meat and weight, a project taken on by ICON71, Aerochord and Professor Ace.

Probably not considered a mainstream album, Highwire won’t likely be featured on a commercial radio station, but look out film and TV industry! Arcanum have a true stronghold on the mood and feel they wish to capture, and these songs fit the bill for a perfect match with visual mediums. (self-released) XShawn M. Haney Xwww.myspace.com/arcanummusic

“Hazy, ethereal shoegaze-punk”

BambaraDog Ear DaysRecorded & mixed by Joel Hat-stat & David Barbe // Mastered by Hatstat

With Dog Ear Days, Bambara’s follow-up to their self-titled debut, the trio dials down the conventional song structure and augments tex-ture and atmosphere. Each of the EP’s six tracks focuses around slowly evolving guitar effects, sudden explosive shifts in dynamics and muddy, obscured vocal melodies.

At the forefront of the band’s sound is gui-tarist/singer Reid Bateh. His guitar technique retains some melodies of his earlier work, but has expanded to incorporate larger doses of ethereal, reverb-soaked pedal textures and cha-otic, disquieting shards of noise. “Stay Gray” in particular showcases this more abrasive side.

Twin brother Blaze Bateh’s drums, always a pummeling force, have assumed a more tribal bent; many of the drum passages comprise mostly toms and snares (“Feed the Pigs”), while

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////// Reviews /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// songs such as “Swim with the Trees” sport a

muted, jazzy shuffle that slinks underneath Reid’s pools of guitar textures. Bassist William Brookshire’s playing never takes a prominent role in the music, but is consistent and effective, tastefully supplementing the otherworldly gui-tars and frenetic drums (it’s no coincidence that Brookshire produced the EP single-handedly).

There were clues of Bambara’s new, experimental direction scattered across their debut album, but now the transition is much more apparent. Melding elements of punk rock, shoegaze and throwing in passages of noise and dark ambience, Bambara has touched upon an almost psychedelic musical blueprint that defies an easy label. (self-released) XJohn Barrett Xwww.myspace.com/bambaraband

“A hootenanny captured on vinyl”

The Whitehaus Family RecordThe Whitehaus Family Record Family RecordJamaica Plain, MA

Produced by The Whitehaus Family Record

The artists of Jamaica Plain collective, the Whitehaus Family Record, present an onslaught of the best tracks from labelmates and friends on this sampler. The record reflects their shows, called “Hootenannies,” which feature a wide spectrum of audible enjoyables from slam poetry to acoustics to psychedelics. It’s a little “hoot” captured in the grooves of this vinyl-only double LP.

Brian S. Ellis kicks the compilation off with a feedback infiltrated poem, setting an open-minded tone with lines like, “I can be more than a planet / My body was made of music and river.” As the record progresses, each track holds something unexpected and infinitely intriguing. Playful pop tunes bubble straight into digital experiments. The fidelity of the songs range from lo to hi. Charming demos capture space and mood like seeing the musicians sitting on the carpet right in front of you. Live tracks distill the band’s energy and personality in a way that only a performance could. Then there are crisp, fully mastered, fully orchestrated professional recordings.

For those involved in the collective, the compilation is sort of a milestone and documen-tation; hard evidence of the experience they’ve been having and sharing around town. As an

album description, Ellis wrote a short narrative poem on their website. It’s from the perspec-tive of a girl, tracing her time at the Whitehaus from her first awkward steps up the dark porch. Ellis tells her, “Now under your skin, a record is written of the electric stutterspit heartbeat of a place, made of movement and songs, made of history and fiction, and yes, it was written by everyone.”

The release coincides with last month’s third-annual Blastfest. They’re an appropri-ate pair, as Blastfest is an all-day talent show pastiche of the artists that have formed a family of sound. (The Whitehaus Family Record) XLee Stepien Xwww.whitehausfamilyrecord.com

“Your silent heart’s story”

LiLALiLALos Angeles, CAProduced by Eddie Deering, Danny Klein & Griffin Guess // Engineered by Deering // Mixed

by Richard Reitz // Mastered by Gene Grimaldi // Recorded at Lost in Los Angeles Studios, Studio Elephonik & Ameraycan Studios

If you know what it’s like to be floating through a world of thought so real it feels almost tangible, you’ll easily succumb to the spell that is LiLA. Short for Lost in Los Angeles, LiLA sculpts each track on this album to play like its own hit single, crafted with the goal of being a cinematic masterpiece. Imagine hav-ing the visualizer effect from an iTunes music player turned on inside your brain and you’ll have an idea of what it’s like listening to this CD.

Using extremely lush and at times phantasmal sounds, Danny Klein’s vocals effortlessly soar over a background of strings rich in texture. The program-ming, keys and guitar work of Eddie Deering make this album shine. Listen to his gentle arpeggios com-plimenting the vocals in “Million Stars”; pronounced yet never overpowering, he helps build the entire atmosphere of a well-kept story that can never be forgotten.

And the reason this ephemeral sound works so well is due to the combination of bassist Jeremy Webster and drummer Bryan Walker. Their light touch and constant groove in tracks such as “Reach for Me the Sky,” “Fields of Green,” and “Back to the Heart” solidify the emotional exploration that is LiLA. Webster’s walking bass line just invites you to travel along with him, while Walker heightens and accentu-ates the entire experience with his fills and pulse.

But perhaps the most defining trait of this album is the pure, genuine feel of LiLA. This band

wears their heart on their sleeve and bears it all for the world to see. To say their debut album paints this story accurately is an understate-ment; LiLA manages to take the feeling of being completely engulfed in all the personal reflection – the heartfelt images of the soul you’d rather not bring to light – and translate it into an extraordi-nary 14-track reverie. (Cartel Records) XHutch Mills Xwww.myspace.com/lostinlosangeles

“British power trio continues recontextu-alization of blues rock”

Davy Knowles & Back Door SlamComing Up For AirIsle of Man, UK Recorded at Sage and Sound Studios by Ian Charbonneau

Time and time again I find myself asking “What ever happened to rock ‘n’ roll?” I’m not talking about wishy-washy indie rock, alt-country or some other derivative. I’m talking about a dude wailing over some blistering riffs in front of a British amplifier on the brink of explosion, backed by some bong-rattling bass (to quote Homer Simpson) and a crash cymbal that threatens to knock your goddamn head off. If that’s what you’re longing for as well, look no further than Davy Knowles.

On Coming Up For Air, we’re treated to a hard-hitting riff fest. From the opening, listeners are treated to the tube-saturated, one-two punch of the title track and “Riverbed,” followed by a gorgeous melancholy groove reprieve of “Mistakes,” where Knowles crafts his tone exquisitely to interact with the textural Wurlitzer. Then, the steam picks up again, fol-lowed by the Brit one-uping George Harrison with an even better version of “Hear Me Lord.”

When was the last time someone improved on a Beatles tune? Knowles perfectly paces the album with the acoustic, finger-style ballad reminiscent of Bert Jansch or John Renbourn, but with better vocals. Kicking back into high gear, Knowles treats us to “Tear Down the Walls,” followed by the darker “You Can’t Take This Back” and the ass-kicking “Country Girl.” The album concludes with the Delta dirge throwback “Saving Myself.” Coming Up for Air offers taste, tone and amazing playing and songwriting. That’s what it’s about, right? Rock ‘n’ roll. (Blix Street Records) XJoe Lang Xwww.myspace.com/davyknowlesbackdoorslam


////// Reviews ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////SPECIAL LIVE REVIEW

Noise PopFestival magic out west

SAN FRANCISCO’S NOISE POP FESTIVAL is a locally grown ver-sion of CMJ or SXSW that showcases up-and-coming area talent in

an eclectic program that ranges widely in mood and style. Party-hopping, industry hob-nobbing, film screenings and endless hours of rock ‘n’ roll awaited me in a weeklong marathon of music. Fourth World party pop from Rainbow Arabia and Foreign Born fell into a groove side by side with irony-free Thin Lizzy throwback bands like Citay. Four Tet and Scout Niblett challenged listeners while Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros just wanted us all to have a big singalong. As one of the most inclusive fes-tivals around, the tie that bound was a willingness to go all-out – dancing, screaming and shouting into the night.

The first evening, local garage rock gazers the Fresh and Onlys were paired up with L.A.’s Foreign Born. After seeing Foreign Born’s other project, Fool’s Gold, I was curious to see how this iteration would trans-late their far-and-wide global influences. They were much more dynamic live than on record, instigating some serious hippie dancing in the front row. Like many other sprawling L.A. bands, half the fun is in the scale of things. With seven members on stage, their sound was densely layered. Matt Popieluch crooned over highlife guitar riffs, while tropical percus-sion smashed up with fuzzy synth, resulting in a sunny SoCal sound that recalls the Walkmen, but with a tan.

The next night, Brit grunge songstress Scout Niblett proved herself as the heir to Kurt Cobain and P.J. Harvey’s angst. Rough and minimalist, her blistering guitar and raw vocals cut to the core, only heightened by the drummer’s primal pummeling. Citay broke the somber mood with psych ‘70s jams complete with Fleetwood Mac-style vocals and Southern rock guitar harmonies. Between Citay and other likeminded bands, it seems there’s an undeniable wave of optimism emerging in indie rock. Snarky cerebral types may balk at the shameless, sunny nostalgia, but the audi-ence was having a damn good time. XJenna Glass

ART, FILM, INDUSTRY SCHMOOZING, happy hours and concerts galore, Noise Pop is a festival that covers all its bases. Since 1993,

the festival has created an environment where the best local bands can be playing on the same bill as, or next door to, indie rock legends. Or, they become the next indie rock legends soon after.

Though it was much anticipated, Sean Lennon’s the Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger was a snooze fest. A young band that was the opposite of boring was the show-stealer Philly band, Free Energy. There is a reason the word energy is in this band’s name. Tight musicianship paired with electrifying stage presence, their set was a personal favorite of the entire festival. Whether you like Thin Lizzy or not, sometimes you can’t resist infectious power-pop rock.

One of the more hyped up and sold-out shows of the festival was the one-man dance pop band known as Memory Tapes (aka Dayve Hawk). The line outside of Bottom of the Hill was one of the longest I’ve seen as people patiently waited to see if any tickets would become available at the last minute. While Memory Tapes has contagious beats and layered textures, Hawk’s voice was noticeably flat throughout his short 20-minute set, resulting in people ducking out early.

Closing out the festival was indie rock’s favorite gypsy band, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. The amount of band members and instru-ments onstage is a feast for the senses. Frontman Alex Ebert cast his free-spirit spell on the crowd leading dance circles and improv moments that make an Edward Sharpe show far from forgettable. Highlights included an audience member crowd surfing to the stage with violin in hand to join the band in performing their hit song, “Home.” Another involved a lucky girl who was personally picked by Ebert to come join the band on stage during their song “Om Nashi Me.” Watching this star-struck fan fulfill her fantasy brought a smile to even the most jaded and un-phased audience member. Not wanting to leave anyone out, Ebert went on to invite whoever wanted to join them on stage for the last song. For the 650 of us who didn’t make it up, we were content sitting on the ground pow-wow style. XJackie Miehls

For full text of reviews and more photos, visit www.performermag.com.

Sam H

eller

Sugar and Gold

Free Energy

Foreign Born

!!!

The Watson Twins


Richard Delvy, 67Drummer, Composer, ProducerRichard Delvy, drummer of early surf-rock band the Bel-Airs, died Feb. 6 in California after a long illness. The Bel-Airs first found success in 1962 with “Mr. Moto.” Delvy was involved with music business as well and happened to secure the rights to the Surfaris’ “Wipe Out,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963 and reached No. 16 in re-release three years later. He also worked at several record labels and his own publishing company, Miraleste Music.

Iain Burgess, 46ProducerPunk rock record producer Iain Burgess died Feb. 11 of a pulmonary embolism, a compli-cation of pancreatic and liver cancer. The British-born Burgess was a prominent and prolific producer and engineer of the early punk era. His work with bands like Big Black, Naked Raygun and the Effigies in the ‘80s helped define the raw Chicago punk sound. In the early ‘90s, Burgess moved to France where he operated a studio called Black Box.

Jake Hanna, 78DrummerJazz drummer Jake Hanna died Feb. 12 in Los Angeles of complications from a bone marrow disease. Hanna was a longtime member of Merv Griffin’s television show band. The versatile musician was known for playing with both big bands and small groups, and performed with the likes of Woody Herman, Duke Ellington and Maynard Ferguson. He also worked regularly with the group Supersax.

Dale Hawkins, 73Singer, Record ProducerRockabilly legend Dale Hawkins died Feb. 13 at a hospital in Little Rock after a long battle with colon cancer. Hawkins was best known for writing “Susie Q,” which ranks among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was covered by both the Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Hawkins is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In addition, he produced Hot 100 hits like John Fred & His Playboy Band’s “Judy in Disguise.”

Lee Freeman, 60GuitaristLee Freeman, founding guitarist and co-lead singer of ‘60s psychedelic rock group Strawberry Alarm Clock, died Feb. 14 of cancer. The band scored several charting hits including “Incense and Peppermints,” the title track off their debut album that reached No. 11 on the Billboard charts. Strawberry Alarm Clock disbanded in 1971, but reunited in 1982 and had recently been working on new material.

Douglas Fieger, 57Singer, GuitaristThe lead singer and guitarist for the Knack, Douglas Fieger, died in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 14 after a six-year battle with lung cancer. The Knack is the pop-rock band responsible for the 1979 No. 1 hit “My Sharona,” which Fieger co-wrote. Before forming the Knack, Fieger played bass and sang in the group Sky, and he briefly played bass in the German progressive rock band Triumvirat as well.

Art Van Damme, 89AccordionistArt Van Damme, often called the “Father of Jazz Accordion,” died of pneumonia in Roseville, Calif., on Feb. 15. Throughout his life, Van Damme cut almost 50 jazz records, went on almost as many world tours and recorded 130 episodes of the “Art Van Damme Show” for NBC Radio. He also played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald.

Robert “Chilly B” Crafton, 47MCCrafton, better known as Chilly B, co-founder of the electro-rap group Newcleus, died on Feb. 23 after suffering a stroke. Crafton sang, rapped and played bass and keyboards. Newcleus is best known for the 1984 hit “Jam On It,” along with “Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song)” and “Computer Age.”

David Soyer, 87CellistThe founding cellist of the Guarneri String Quartet, one of the world’s best-known quartets, died Feb. 25 in his Manhattan home. The Guarneri String Quartet played together for 37 years, an unusually long amount of time for most string quartets. They were known for their warm and impassioned style. Soyer died the day after his 87th birthday.

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Get Your Vocals HappeningTips for a smooth session

YOU’VE BOOKED YOUR DATES, got your engineer, got your musi-cians, got just about everything ready, even paid your studio fees and

you are about to record with your producer in 24 hours time, but you’re feeling nervous about cutting the vocals in the time you’ve allocated. Let me help you get the equation right so you get optimum results.

As a recording artist vocal coach and music producer, I’m very aware and understanding of the anxieties and panic of the singers on day one of the studio recording. To get this right we need to attack the vocal prepara-tion some months before, so here we go.

Go into training- At least six months before you come into the studio, allow sufficient budget to get yourself a vocal coach and choose your coach carefully. The coach should be well-qualified with expertise in the stylistic nuances that relate to your tracks. They should have studio experience and be able to make a vocal assessment of your voice, in order to give you direc-tion on technique.

Do your tracks show you off or scare us off ?- Are you unsteady with the range of your voice in relation to how you’ve written your tracks? Are there areas that are so difficult in your range that they do nothing for you? It’s essential to sit in the pocket with it vocally so you own it.

If you’re singing a song that a band has written for you, what knowledge do they have of your range? Once again, don’t try to sing in places on the scale that your voice just can’t manage. Rearrange and change the melody around to suit you. Breathe where you should breathe and if you don’t know, get expert advice.

Help us help you- The Scouts’ motto of “Always be prepared” works very well in a vocalist’s career. Charts for your producer and engineer should include key, time signature, BPM, arrangements, intros, outros, who comes in where and perhaps even highlight where you think you would like back-ing vocals. The charts may be handwritten or computer typed, it doesn’t matter, but it’s a great guide for everyone and saves huge amounts of ses-sion time. When an engineer and producer are working blindly it takes up precious studio time, believe me, so double check everything.

Producer’s appraisal- Prior to performing on day one, you may consider several pre-production sessions with your producer so that the songs to be recorded can be sung acoustically. Your producer will be able to give you an appraisal of how to improve any areas – after all, you are a team now.

Day one- So the day has arrived, everyone is edgy and equally excited, and guess what – so are we. Today you should have no milk products, keep mints and peppermints away and forget the icy cold drinks. Food intake for a singer should be in tiny amounts so as not to overfill the stomach and change the breathing form.

You should start with some humming scales and vocal slides. Try gentle breathing exercises and don’t overdo it. Keep general talking at bay and issue a code of conduct for everyone in the studio. On vocal days I prefer to have no one there but the artist and engineer. It takes the pressure level down. Running commentaries from listeners and negative head-nods accompanied by excited behavior all takes its toll. The recording time of a vocalist is an intimate experience between the singer, the engineer and the producer. Don’t let it become a circus.

First track- Nerves on day one often wreak havoc with singers and remember that’s OK. As you settle in you may notice a positive difference in tonality and pitch, which is great. If the nerves continue to mess with you, try singing your verses with your hands on your head so that the dia-phragm has to do its work and not the upper chest. Your producer should always check your cans as your best performance can only come with confidence in your surroundings.

Ask for comfort- Ask for everything that will make you feel comfortable in your surroundings and in your cans. I often add a very minimal amount of delay and even more minimal amounts of reverb to the vocal, so that the singer doesn’t try to vocally compensate to find these effects, causing strain. However, every singer is different and thus we have appropriate mics and effects to suit. Drums or bass too loud? Speak up, we can’t know if you don’t tell us and we care about your comfort.

Remember- We can only work with the performance given. We can’t change a performance and we can’t do the performance for you. Take all of the information I’ve listed here for you and have a great experience.

Chrisse Feros is a producer and founding director of BadBubba Records in Brisbane, Australia. She can be reached at [email protected].

RECORDING


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Claude Kelly: the Studio BeastThe hit-writing songsmith tells his story

CLAUDE KELLY IS A SINGER, songwriter and vocal arranger who has written songs across many genres. He’s been nicknamed “the Studio Beast”

because of his ability to walk into a studio, get into the mind of the artist he’s working with, then pen a hit song for them without ever using an actual pen. Some of the best-selling artists he’s worked with include Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, the Backstreet Boys, Akon, Leona Lewis and Michael Jackson.

Performer Magazine: How long have you been writing songs?Claude Kelly: I’ve been writing songs professionally for about five years. But I’ve been doing music my whole life. I grew up playing the piano and singing and performing. So it was just a gradual step into songwriting.

PM: Did you just wake up one morning and say I want to be a writer? CK: Believe it or not, that’s actually kind of how it happened. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I studied performance and music business and came back to New York, where I’m from, and realized I needed to figure out a way to make it. Because being an artist wasn’t secure enough for me to pay the bills. So I literally woke up one day and said, “you know I’m just going to try my hand in songwriting and see how this goes.” I just kind of finagled my way into a few studio sessions with a few friends of mine and had never written a song before and it kind of clicked. I mean, I certainly wasn’t amazing at the beginning, but I definitely felt like I had a knack for it.

PM: It’s mind blowing because you’re in your late 20s and you have a pretty impres-sive resume. I heard you even worked for Michael Jackson.CK: It’s actually a song I wrote called “Hold My Hand” that was produced by Akon during a series of sessions I was doing with him, working on his album as well as records for Leona Lewis and Whitney Houston. It was a song I wrote halfway out of the door to the airport, hoping it would either go to Whitney Houston or Akon. He heard it when he came back, loved it and decided that he wanted to record it. Then on a trip to Las Vegas, he worked with Michael Jackson, played it for him and he loved it and decided to get on it. It was like a dream come true because he’s my favorite artist.

PM: Tell us about some of your other work as a pro writer.CK: It’s been kind of crazy because I’ve worked with a lot of diverse artists. With Brittney Spears I wrote “Circus,” which was the first major single for me. Then that went right into Kelly Clarkson where I wrote “My Life Would Suck Without You” for her album. Since then I’ve had three songs on Whitney Houston’s album, five songs for Chrisette Michelle and recently I’ve been in the studio working with Christina Aguilera and Fantasia. I kind of learn a little from each artist that I work with. The biggest single for me has been “Party in the USA” on Miley Cyrus’ album.

PM: Where did the title “Studio Beast” come from?CK: The meaning is based on the fact that I don’t write anything down. I go behind the mic and I make the songs up by my feelings. So I write my songs completely behind the mic. I’m also a singer first, so I demo all of my songs and I can pretty much imitate anybody, so I demo songs for Whitney Houston as well as Kelly Clarkson.

PM: What philosophies and strategies did you use to get where you are today?CK: The general approach for me was diversity. I got a sense that the music industry was changing in a way where you had to be kind of good at everything because it’s really a melting pot now. So I just did my homework. You never know, they may want you to write for Kelly Clarkson so you might want to know how to write that type of song. They might want you to write for R. Kelly, which I’ve also done. So I’m constantly learning and growing and doing my homework and studying all styles of music. I’m a fan of music first, so I listen to everything from country to classical to jazz. So I’m ready to go whenever I’m called for any type of artist.

PM: What advice would you give to writers interested in getting a song placed?CK: My advice would be not to take no for an answer, because there’s going to be a lot of no’s before you hear a yes. If one genre or avenue doesn’t open up their doors to you, get familiar in a couple. What will happen is R&B might not be willing to listen to you right now, but pop might. And after enough pop records come out, R&B might come back knocking. So make sure you are as versatile as possible. In the end, the no’s become yes’s.

PM: What other advice can you share with us as far as getting your music placed?CK: A lot of times there is no formula to how a record gets placed or how it becomes a hit. There’s never been a time where I just knew a song was a hit. It’s always unexpected, so I really couldn’t give a formula. I would say that the best way to get songs placed and to get hit records is to make sure that you nurture relationships with people – everybody you know – and don’t burn bridges because you never ever know where the job is going to come from. By nurturing relationships and connections I mean try to be as forthcoming, honest and as fair as possible because that’s what people look at in the end. It’s really not about how amazing a song is. It’s do people want to work with you, can they trust you with their artist, and can they trust you to deliver things on time, to be on time, to put your best foot forward and to make sure you’re putting out the best quality work? A lot of the times the people out there are the reason why they are not where they should be. XTiffany Morris


PRODUCTION

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Know Your Tools, Part IIIPutting DSP to work

IN THIS FINAL INSTALLMENT of our three-part look into the world of native vs. external processor-based digital signal processing

(DSP), we’re going to talk about arguably the most important aspect of the discussion: how to utilize this technology to improve your music and mixes. After all, the most groundbreaking advances in audio hardware or software technology ultimately mean nothing if they don’t improve on their predecessors and more importantly, help you improve your music. So what specifically are some tips and techniques you can use to get the most out of the plug-ins and platforms we’ve discussed? One way is to take advantage of emulations that seek to impart that mythical “analog warmth” and character upon otherwise digital recordings and signal paths.

Take Softube, for example. Regarding their software emulations of heralded analog hardware, including the Tube Tech CL-1B, the infamous 1176 (via their FET Compressor) and now the newly released Trident A-Range EQ, engineer Torsten Gatu from Softube explains that their soft-ware modeling aims to be completely faithful to the hardware original.

“If the hardware impart a sound even when it’s ‘not supposed to,’ our plug-ins do too,” he explains. That is, if the input sound is affected even when the signal is untouched by the hardware’s processing circuits (even when not actually compressing), then this behavior is included in the modeling. Torsten confirms, “If the hardware distorts or saturates the signal when driving the inputs/outputs, our plug-ins do that as well. What the hardware does, our plug-ins do.”

Softube is hardly alone in this respect. This concept has become integral to many of the new plug-in models available. Companies like Universal Audio Digital (UAD), Waves, PSP and URS now have the model-ing capabilities to take into account every aspect of a hardware device and include it in their DSP, whether native or card-based. And this, perhaps more than any other recent technological development, can help you add real “analog feel” to your entirely in-the-box digital recordings and mixes.

One way of doing this is to place a plug-in that emulates an analog input or channel strip, like Waves’ SSL G-Channel or URS’ Console Strip Pro, on the first insert slot of every track in your mix. Sure, it will take up a portion of your processor’s attention right off the bat, but it does two things for you. First, it allows you to emulate the ear-pleasing input and output distortions of a classic analog console, which are often what lead people to say that songs mixed on a console have a certain “gelled” or cohesive sound that otherwise in-the-box mixes do not have. Second, you also benefit from the workflow of a real console, meaning you immediately have an EQ, gate and compressor on every channel, allow-ing for quick and easy sculpting of each sound. If you follow that up with another processor designed to impart a certain sound to the input signal, perhaps Softube’s CL-1B or PSP’s Vintage Warmer, you are now starting to accurately emulate the amount of circuitry through which most all pre-2000 recordings passed. Of course, the general rule is and will always be “use your ears” above all else. Test everything you use over a reasonable period of time on a variety of source material to really understand what it’s adding to your signal. This all may sound obvious, but it’s amazing how impatient one can get with gear when it’s not immediately yielding the “expected” results.

To touch upon our initial discussion of native vs. external-based computer DSP (see part I of the series), the question of “which is right for me?” can be answered by asking another question: what will you be using it for? If your computer is older and unable to handle significant playback with native plug-ins, offloading some of the computations on to a hard-ware DSP card will free up your native CPU. On the other hand, even if your computer is cutting edge, you might simply want to allow the native processors to focus solely on essential functions like playback, editing and recording. Or maybe you simply don’t want to (or can’t afford to) invest the money in a card-based option.

As we wrap up the final installment of our look into DSP, it’s pretty obvious that the subject is endlessly deep and will require a fair amount of investigation on your part to fully understand. Fortunately for you, it’s now easier to experiment with things like signal flow and gain staging than ever before in music production history, and the results often yield sounds never before heard, or possibly, sounds heard on hundreds of hit records. XAndy Barrett

To read the first two parts in this series, visit www.performermag.com.


FESTIVAL DATE LOCATIONAPPLICATION

DEADLINEWEBSITE

Bar Harbor Jazz Festival Aug. 18-22 Bar Harbor, ME April www.barharborjazzfest.com

Fremont Fair June 19-20 Seattle, WA May 1 www.fremontfair.com

Hillside Festival July 23-25 Guelph, Ontario April 9 www.hillside.on.ca

Hoop City Jazz & Art Festival July Springfield, MA May www.hoopcityjazz.org

Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival July 9-11 Temecula, CA April www.temeculajazzfest.com

Gathering of the Vibes July 29-Aug. 1 Bridgeport, CT April 8 www.gatheringofthevibes.com

X-Fest Aug. 7 Modesto, CA April 5 www.xfestmodesto.com

Hip Hop Mile June 12 Detroit, MI April 30 www.hiphopmile.com

Food Lion Speed Street May Concord, NC April 1 www.600festival.com

Bayfest October Mobile, AL June 12 www.bayfest.com

NorCal NoiseFest October Sacramento. CA June www.norcalnoisefest.com

Midpoint Music Festival September Cincinatti, OH End of May www.mpmf.com

Musicfest NW September Portland, OR June 26 www.musicfestnw.com

Watermelon Park Fest September Berryville, VA April 1 www.watermelonparkfest.com

Sautee Jamboree Sept. 24-25 Sautee Nacoochee, GA May 1 www.snca.org

Celtic Festival Oct. 2-3 Grass Valley, CA May 1 www.kvmr.org/celticfestival

MusicFest January Steamboat, CO April www.themusicfest.com

The FEST October Gainesville, FL Start applying in May www.thefestfl.com

Humboldt Hills Hoedown September Redway, CA June www.mateel.org/humhoedown.php

Midpoint Music Festival Sept. 23-25 Cincinatti, OH May 14 www.mpmf.com

//////// DIY ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////////////////////////////// FESTIVAL TRACKER /////////////////////////////////

TOURING


//////// gear up //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

SONiVOX // Playa Hip-Hop Strings$149

String theory

This latest release from the award-winning sound design team at SONiVOX is the most expansive and intuitive string collection ever assembled for hip-hop producers. Some 8.3 gigs of audio loops and samples of the finest musicians in the world are organized into different keys and tempos that are easily mapped to any MIDI or MPC controller and adjustable through a host of parameters.

KMI // SoftStep footpad$NA

Hands free

The SoftStep is designed to be the last footpad you’ll ever need. It’s small, fits in most laptop cases and weighs about 1 pound, but packs massive features. Each of its 10 foot pads are programmable and respond to multiple foot motions in multiple ways. A diamond-shaped navigation pad makes choosing presets a breeze, and it can function away from a computer to save you space and energy.

Stanton // RM.416 rackmount mixer$495

Hit mix

Stanton brings the heat with their latest rackmount mixer. In addition to a vast array of traditional connectivity, the RM features a USB connection for either playing music from your favorite DJ application or recording your mix in real time. A rugged design will protect all the great features that come in the package, like a subwoofer output with built-in crossover control and a myriad of microphone and stereo switchable inputs.

Skullcandy // Riot Ear Bud headphones$19.99

Lookin’ good

Rock your tunes and your looks with Skullcandy’s Riot Ear Buds. With an unbeatable sound for an unbeatable price these little headphones pack a wallop, as the 11-mm diameter speakers deliver your full 20hz-20khz frequency range with an emphasis on the bass. Available in a variety of designs and colors that will surely get the guy on the train to finally comment on something other than your rat-nasty tattoos.

Simple Songwriter app$1.99

iWrite

Simple Songwriter is an app for iPhone and iPod Touch that allows you to try and record song ideas on the go. Simply choose a chord to see how it sounds, then try out different modifiers. When you’re ready, record a progression and save it for later. Instantly transpose your idea for fresh inspiration or discover the progressions from your favorite songs without weeding through nasty tablature websites. Ew.


//////// gear up //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

New product announcements by Garrett Frierson

IK Multimedia // AmpliTube 3$349.99

Tone master

Want every guitar sound you’ve ever heard without having to buy a warehouse to store your mountains of gear? Let the rocking begin. AmpliTube 3 is a software that replicates the sounds of vintage and modern guitar gear and with over 160 precisely modeled amps, effects, cabinets and mics, the only limitation is your imagination. The search for the perfect tone begins, and ends, here.

Roland // HandSonic 15 trigger pad$999

World at your fingers

The folks at Roland can’t stop finding new and amaz-ing ways to use their incredible V-drum technology. The HandSonic has a trigger pad split into 15 sections that respond to the amount of pressure used and where they’re hit. Drummers can customize their 15 pads with over 600 acoustic and electric drums sounds that all respond with the sensitivity the V-drum is famous for.

Behringer // EPQ power amplifiers$300+

Cool running

Forget the rule about power amps needing to be big and heavy – the EPQ Power Amp series will save your back and your budget. Using rail tracking, the power amp responds only to peaks in input signal instead of running continuously and the higher efficiency means less heat, which is why there are no big heat syncs here. Behringer made sure these bad boys respond crisp no matter how deep your sound gets, so feel free to bass away.

Audio-Technica // MCB4 antenna combiner$799

Free space

Wireless in-ear monitoring systems are great, but each one you get is another transmitter to add to your rack clutter. Audio-Technica easily bypasses this hassle by housing up to four transmitters in one antenna with the MCB4. It works with the AT M3 or any other wireless systems with BNC antenna connections. The MCB4 has four antenna inputs with 12v, 500mA power and one output. It has all metal construction and guarantees clean signals.

Neumann // TLM 102 microphone$1,020

Mic up

The TLM 103 has long been regarded as one of the best mics around, but its size and price have made it an unattain-able goal for many a poor musician. Luckily, Neumann heard the distress cries and has responded with a smaller mic that sacrifices nothing in quality. The TLM 102 is large diaphragm transducer with a rugged design ideal for travel and includes a foamed line grill, eliminating the need for a pop filter. This will be your go-to mic in every situation.


Drums DissectedKeith Carlock: The Big Picture

WHEN NEIL PEART WENT to meet Peter Erskine for drum lessons in 2008 he adeptly pointed out their differing styles by quipping, “As far as

I’m concerned, I’m a butcher and you’re a surgeon.” Taking the analogy to the next level, Keith Carlock’s The Big Picture is like the scholarly treatise on the anatomy of the pocket. As evidenced from his work with legendary artists including Steely Dan and Sting, Carlock wields his sticks and pedals like forceps and scalpel to grab the groove and slice some of the sickest beats the world over.

On this new double-disc DVD package that features nearly four hours of footage and an accompanying pdf e-book, musicians get inside the phrases and thinking that has established Carlock as one of the most in-demand drummers in the world. The first disc of the DVD set features demonstrations and explanations of topics including hand and foot fill combinations, phrasing over the bar line, hand and foot technique, how to develop musicality, understanding the eight-bar phrase, gear and kit setup. Throughout the demonstrations, Carlock speaks about his approach when playing with some of the biggest artists with which he has worked.

But the real treat comes from the second disc: an in-depth master class with Wayne Krantz and Tim Lefebvre. As opposed to just drum geekery, musicians of all kinds will benefit from a dissected discussion and explanation of one of the most iconoclastic ensembles in modern jazz. For musicians jonesing for inspiration or ways to take their own improvisations to new levels, Carlock’s The Big Picture is a damn fine place to look. (Hudson Music) XJoe Lang

INSTRUCTIONAL DVD REVIEW

All Mail Direct 1-866-242-9939 or 860-801-6040Fax orders to 860-223-7770E mail: [email protected]

* Based on camera-ready copy and credit card processing

for independent musicians

•All 4 color high quality digital printing•Variable data mailing also available •Next day turn around

POSTERS AND POSTCARDS


///////////// TOUR STOP //////////

Santa Cruz Rehearsal StudiosAffordable and soundproof

LOCAL BAY AREA MUSICIANS need not fear having a space to perfect their music now that affordable rehearsal studios are becom-

ing more and more common. In this fashion of providing resources for the ever-so-starving musician, Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios has opened, offering high-quality rooms with state-of-the-art equipment that doesn’t break into your savings.

Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios is a custom-designed facility built for musicians, by musicians, guaranteeing that anyone looking for a quiet, professional rehearsal space will be utterly satisfied. We all know how hard when you’re trying to perfect your music without the tools to properly concentrate. Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios provides rooms with double-wall construction, soundproofing insulation, layers of sheetrock with acoustic sealant and sound-absorbing adhesive to ensure minimal sound

interference. Imagine hearing nothing but your own music, being able to jam without the added background of noisy neighbors or busy street traffic.

The rooms range from $13 (15’ x 10’ space) to $17 per hour (23’ x 13’) for a minimum of three hours, which includes a half hour of free assistance loading your equipment in our out. And as a special treat, bands touring through Santa Cruz have the option to reserve a room for free. The rooms are fully stocked with all the necessary equipment, including a Yamaha EMX 512 SC mixer with two BR 15 speakers and four mics with booms. Sessions can be scheduled via the online reservation form, emailing [email protected] or calling 832-425-7277. To find out more, check out their website and blog that has loads of information on bands that have practiced there before and reports of positive experiences. XStephanie Dotto Xwww.santacruzrehearsalstudios.com

SANTA CRUZ


////// ATLANTA ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

South

The Atlanta duo Night Driving in Small Towns – Andrea Rogers and Colby Right – are set to release their debut album Serial Killer on April 20. Having performed together for over a decade, they have a “sometimes gutsy, sometimes reserved, but always pre-meditated” sound. Xwww.myspace.com/nightdrivinginsmalltowns

South Texas’ Hacienda will release their second album, Big Red & Barbacoa, on April 6. Like their first record, it was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The band is adding more Tex-Mex roots and heavier retro-pop and R&B grooves to their sound. Xwww.myspace.com/haciendaspace

IN THE NEWS

national acts as well as the finest local artists in the Atlanta area. Hosting bands such as Voxtrot, Gogol Bordello and Grizzly Bear, the venue brings in a diverse range of genres including indie rock, electronic, punk, metal and more. With a no-frills, no-leaning toward any style of music, the Drunken Unicorn remains a hidden gem within the Atlanta community catering to a wide array of concertgoers. XMax Blau

The Drunken UnicornHidden treasure

THE FIRST TIME I saw a show at the Drunken Unicorn, I was covering local

punk rock band Gentleman Jesse and His Men as part of a feature story for Performer. I already knew where the venue was located prior to this show, but I looked up directions to the club anyway just to be sure that I didn’t get lost. When I arrived, however, I had to double and triple check where the venue was before I found the phoneless, signless bar whose front entrance looks like the back door of a restaurant kitchen.

Upon entry, however, the Drunken Unicorn unveils itself as not only a concealed concert venue, but an underground room that exists as one part of a multiple-venue entertainment complex. Despite the inherent dirtiness that is apparent from the moment one enters the club, the room has a particular allure to it. With walls adorned by a multitude of unicorns and air filled with an excess of smoke, the venues’s unassum-ing, authentic atmosphere fittingly suits both their artists and fans alike.

While the venue is a small one, sporting a modest 250 person capacity, the Drunken Unicorn manages to reel-in up-and-coming

VENUE PROFILE

VENUE STATS

736 Ponce de Leon Ave. // Atlanta, GA 30306 www.thedrunkenunicorn.net

CAPACITY

EQUPMENTPROVIDED

BOOKING

250

24-channel mixer and monitors

Gavin at [email protected]

Hijacking MusicCollective offers promo, recording and biz support

ATLANTA is a city where the

musicians probably outnumber concert-goers, and the fans – bombarded with bands coming out of the woodwork – have a hard time figuring out who is actually worth checking out. Therefore, it becomes almost

necessary to create a filter of sorts to help artists that are worth a damn stand out, as well as point fans in the right direction. Hijacking Music, a collective of musicians and artists in Atlanta, attempts to act as this filter, as well as create a community of talented people

dedicated to the support, growth and success of each. Hijacking Music takes a grassroots approach to fulfilling the goals of the collective, such as presenting shows, art showcases, house parties and a festival is in the works for May.

The group moves beyond just sharing music and art with the community to offering services to the musicians involved. Ozone Lair is a recording facility available to members of Hijacking Music and the founder, Bret Phillips, offers bands various valuable services such as PR, marketing, CD duplication, booking support, web development, as well as photo and video shoots in order to help artists reach their full potential.

“One of the great things about bringing together a group of talented people, regardless of industry, is the natural growth that occurs from bonding and being pushed to reach higher,” says Phillips. Currently, Hijacking Music is supporting new releases from Jungol, Odist and Arablak, with new albums from 13 Day Mission and Miles from Pangaea in the works. XNadia Lelutiu Xwww.hijackingmusic.com

Ozone Lair

736 Ponce de Leon AveAtlanta, GA 30306

presents

SATURDAY, APRIL 17

$8 FOR 18+

ATTENTION SYSTEMSLOW EARTH

SONEN

THE DRUNKEN UNICORN


////// AUSTIN ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

South

Experimental rock band Jungol, from Atlanta, will release their sophomore record, Over the Sun and Under the Radar, on April 23. Expect a “renewed vision of more concise songs with prominent vocals.” Xwww.myspace.com/jungolband

Austin-based Woven Bones will release their debut album May 18 on Hozac Records, titled In and Out and Back Again. The album includes nine tracks of their “their seedy and insidiously slithered drawl.” Xwww.myspace.com/wovenbones

North Carolina-based Schooner recently released their new EP, Duck Kee Sessions. The record is featured exclusively on Cytunes.org, where 100 percent of all the pro-ceeds go toward cancer research. Xwww.myspace.com/schooner

Texarkana natives Pocket Full of Rocks recently returned to their hometown to celebrate the release of their new record, More Than Noise. The show was held at the Trinity Baptist Church and featured the Trinity Baptist Church Choir. Xwww.myspace.com/pocketfullofrocks

Atlanta-based band the Steel Wheels recently released their new album Red Wing. An Americana/neo-traditional band, the Steel Wheels played seven shows in seven days in the mountains of Virginia last year, traveling exclusively on bicycles. Xwww.myspace.com/steelwheelsband

IN THE NEWSAustin Vintage GuitarsYou can trust a store that has its own line of amps

IN THIS TINY, UNASSUMING SHOP is the key to any guitar geek’s heart. Austin Vintage

Guitars has been serving Austinites for over 10 years, offering a stunning selection of vintage guitars and amps, skilled guitar repairs and restorations. Located in quintessentially quirky South Austin, the store has become a local and national legend for its beautiful collection and stellar gear service.

Austin Vintage Guitars is, quite literally, brimming with guitars. They are mounted on the ceiling, in several rows lining every inch of the walls, behind the counter and arranged on racks

in the middle of the store. The rich brown tones of classic acoustic styles are interrupted by custom-painted guitars, sea-foam green electrics and even a bright-pink acoustic. Two enclosed playing rooms provide the perfect place to test out a prospective buy, eliminating the infamous guitar store rookie playing “Freebird” for patrons.

Owner Steve Fulton is also the co-creator of Fulton-Webb amps. Fulton and partner Bill Webb collaborate on their British-style prototypes, using the vintage guitars in the shop for testing. Fulton stocks his brand in the shop, along with Matchless, Fender, Ampeg and Orange vintage amps. His careful study of the inner workings of gear makes his repair services the most reputable in Austin. Available for guitar, bass and amps, repair ranges from cleaning and string changes to neck repair and complete restoration. The shop also boasts that “no amp is beyond repair.”

Austin Vintage Guitars buys, sells and trades vintage guitars, basses, amps and other stringed instruments – including ukuleles and cellos – stocking instruments running from the hundreds up into the thousands. XAbby Johnston X1112 South Lamar Blvd. // Austin, TX 78704 // 512-428-9100 // www.austinvin-tageguitars.com

or light show bands bring. Parish does not have any sort of outdoor stage, which gives shows a certain brand of intimacy. The crowds, here, are attracted by quality and artists can expect to play for an audience completely focused on the music and the sound, rather those who flock to a venue for a certain kind of atmosphere. XAbby Johnston

The Parish

THE PARISH HAS LONG BEEN hailed as the best indoor music venue in Austin

– and arguably the entire state of Texas. The mid-size place is known for its unparalleled sound quality and their showcasing of talented indepen-dent artists. From legends like Pete Townshend to indie superstars like Grizzly Bear, the Parish has a constantly full calendar. While it continu-ally attracts established bands, the venue still takes submissions from budding local artists of all genres, offering the chance to perform on a repu-table stage that has helped birth many careers.

The secret behind the Parish’s success is largely due to their killer sound staff. Head sound engineer Chris “Sound Girl” Payeur has been at the helm since 2000, when she brought her exper-tise from Emo’s. Payeur is so valued that she is frequently flown around the country to mix shows for acts like Spoon, Sebadoh and Tortoise.

In the interest of artists, the Parish has recently removed their iconic venue sign from behind the stage and can utilize the venue’s high ceilings for an unobstructed view of any banners

VENUE PROFILE

VENUE STATS

214-C East 6th St. // Austin, TX 78701 // 512-473-8381 www.theparishaustin.com

CAPACITY

STAGE SIZE

EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

BOOKING

450

26’ x26’

PA, monitors and mics

[email protected]

Christine Chun


Bay Area

San Francisco producers, the Rondo Brothers, recently launched a weekly “jam-out” session called LASTNIGHTRULED at Coda in the Mission. Every Wednesday the brothers spin a variety of records from their 45 collections, as well as trip-hop Hawaiian music and crate-dug novelty records.Xwww.myspace.com/rondobrothers

San Francisco’s the Fresh & Onlys recently released their new album, Diamond in the Dark. This is the first release for the band on Captured Tracks and is their seventh official release in less than two years as a band.Xwww.myspace.com/thefreshonlys

LovelikeFire recently released their EP, Tear Ourselves Away. The San Francisco four-piece blends their shoe-gazey, indie rock influences with alt-pop undertones. The album was produced by Bill Racine (Mates of State, Rogue Wave) and was recorded in John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone studio. Xwww.myspace.com/lovelikefire

The Midnight Strangers have a record release party April 17 at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco. The retro, new wave group is releasing Days of Decadence, a contemplation of “modern society’s ability to basically acquire anything we desire instantly,” based on lead singer Chris Swimley’s experience with the L.A. lifestyle.Xwww.myspace.com/midnightstrangers

Known primarily as the keyboardist for Chuck Prophet’s backing band, Stephanie Finch recently released her debut album, Cry Tomorrow. Finch had help from long-time friend Prophet, who produced the album and helped write several tracks. Xwww.myspace.com/stephaniefinchmusic

IN THE NEWS

////// BAY AREA ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

San Francisco PsychedeliaNot just history

THANKS TO THE ‘60S, the shared history of psychedelic music and San Francisco is one

that casts places like the Haight as far-out, pastoral utopias. Surely, San Francisco is thought of as a place where hippies and heads still load up on acid and frolic up and down the streets to the sound of “White Rabbit.”

And some of the city’s current psych bands, like acid rock trio Carlton Melton, prefer to keep this notion of history squarely on their shoulder. “There is definitely a feeling of keeping the fire lit when living in San Francisco and playing psychedelic music,” says CM’s drummer, Andy Duvall. “And a definite pride, knowing you are living and breathing in the same environment as the great bands.”

Indeed, and they are also just one of many bands who claim that the passage of four decades has done little to dampen the area’s musical and cultural relevance. “San Francisco is still one of those nerve centers that informs the world,” says Sasha Papadin of the punk-psych trio High Noon Sons. And where out-siders may think of the city’s music scene in strictly historical terms, Papadin insists the natives are as hip as ever. “There’s a reason so much good music has come out of here, and I think it’s because its citizens are used to the new.”

And as far as Papadin is concerned, the “psy-chedelic” label should not be exempt from the city’s affinity for all things new. “‘Psychedelic’ is a label, and labels should be recycled every four to six weeks,” he says. “As soon as you name something it loses its power. Naming the demon is an important part in

exorcism rituals.” And Papadin’s opinion is typical among his contemporaries, who feel that the negative connotations of the word “psychedelic” (i.e. the ones implied in this article’s introduction) represent a demon. One of these is Greg Ashley, who plays with and records numerous psychedelic bands at his Oakland studio. “Most of the psychedelic music from around here is stuff that I think of as hippie music,” he quips. “People think that everybody involved with it has some sort of mental problem or uses a lot of drugs.”

Indeed. And there are some, like the surf-pop trio Grass Widow, who feel they’ve been victimized by the assumed companionship between drugs and the psy-chedelic genre. “I think one of us made a joke about smokin’ doobies in an interview and now we’re offi-cially a stoner band,” says guitarist Raven Maholm. “Just because we’re based in San Francisco and our local musical heritage is heavy on the psychedelia, doesn’t mean we’re predisposed to creating it.”

Nevertheless, even Maholm’s bandmate, drum-mer Lillian Maring, gave a recipe for psych music that fairly confirms the infamous partnership: “Shred acid over seasoned guitar and add pedal of wah.” And purists like Carlton Melton maintain that the relationship is unshakeable. “Psychedelic music has stayed the same through the years thanks to psychedelic drugs,” says Duvall. “One hand washes the other.”

But stereotypes aside, there are some, like the trance duo Barn Owl, who stress that creating psy-chedelic music is no longer a decadent, drug-addled process. “Psychedelic music has evolved,” insists Jon Porras. “Instead of taking drugs to make music, people are making music to induce a drug-like experi-ence in listeners. There is more of an emphasis on the psychedelic atmosphere that a band can create, and a de-emphasis on the mental state of the performer.”

Yes sir, there’s clearly a Darwinian thing going on here. Check back in a hundred years, where LSD-fueled guitar-bots will undoubtedly be the honchos of the genre. XZachary D. Rymer

Barn Owl

High Noon Sons


Music Go RoundA story for every instrument

AFTER 27 YEARS as a consulting environmen-tal engineer, Phil Chernin decided it was time

for a change. He thought back to his teenage years when he was an avid drummer and decided to start a new business that would combine his love for music with his passion for recycling. After three years of preparation, Chernin’s Music Go Round store in Natick, Mass., opened its doors in February.

Music Go Round is a franchise dedicated to recy-cling and reselling musical instruments at an honest price. Customers can sell old instruments, buy used ones often for less than the cost of renting, get repairs done and take lessons. Music Go Round is the largest used musical instrument retail chain in the U.S., but each store is independently owned, so there are no corporate obligations.

Almost three decades went by as Chernin worked as an environmental consultant. But since his transition to Music Go Round began, he’s been busy preparing for the big opening. For the past year, he

spent virtually every free hour collecting instruments. “I had a vision to open this store and have everyone walk in and just be blown away by the variety of musi-cal instruments and the price points and the sort-of sparkle and the mojo of the store,” Chernin says.

All the hard work paid off on opening weekend. “It was really exciting and exactly what I envisioned in terms of the energy in the store and the diversity,” Chernin says. The store was jam-packed with everyone from families to experienced musicians to vintage deal-ers. Chernin is looking forward to getting to know this community. “I’ve got a story for every instrument on the wall,” he says. XChrisanne Grise X843 Worcester Road // Natick, MA 01760 // 508-647-6874 // www.musicgoroundboston.com

////// BOSTON ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

New EnglandBoston-based the Kings of Nuthin’ are set to release their first all-original album since 2002 on May 11. The album, titled Old Habits Die Hard, is “laced with pounding cadences of wild R&B and the punk rock that inspired it.” Xwww.myspace.com/thekingsofnuthinboston

Massachusetts-based folk singer Meg Hutchinson recently released her album The Living Side. She’s in the midst of a tour that will take her to Ireland.Xwww.myspace.com/meghutchinson

IN THE NEWS

open every day with food, drinks and big screen TVs for all the games, but on weekends the music begins. Friday nights are home to the Red Rose Soul Club, with a DJ spinning ‘60s soul and R&B. On Saturdays, local bands play. The music always starts at 10 p.m. and the cover is only $5. XChrisanne Grise

The Rosebud BarBet you didn’t know they had bands

JUST ABOUT EVERYONE in the Davis Square area knows about the retro

Rosebud Diner, but few realize there is actually a bar and music venue hidden behind it. Follow the path on the right side of the dining car around to the back and discover what you’ve been missing out on.

While the space in the bar is limited, it only lends to creating an intimate atmosphere with a speakeasy vibe. “We have a lot of musicians among our regulars and I think it’s because it feels like a clubhouse, a little off the main drag, where the bartenders know your name and your drink when you walk in the door,” says co-booker of the club, Jordan Valentine. The small size of the venue doesn’t inhibit the music in any way; the performance area has hosted an eight-piece band and acts usually share gear whenever possible to free up some space.

The Rosebud is mostly a secret right now, but the staff wouldn’t mind if the word got out to the general public. “We always want it to feel like a clubhouse, but one where everybody’s always welcome,” Valentine says. The bar is

VENUE PROFILE

VENUE STATS

381 Summer St. // Somerville MA 02144 rosebudbardavis.com

CAPACITY

STAGE SIZE

EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

BOOKING

100

none

PA

[email protected]

345 Somerville Ave.Somerville, MA

presents

P.A.’S LOUNGESATURDAY, APRIL 3

$10 FOR 21+

JOHN THE SAVAGELEOPOLD & HIS FICTION

PAPA SPRANSY


////// LOS ANGELES ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles’s Daedelus recently released his new album Righteous Fists of Harmony on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. The record is more melodic and mellow than his previous work. Xwww.myspace.com/daedelusdarling

Los Angeles quintet Red Sparowes will release their third album early this month via Sargent House. Titled The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer, it’s more song-centered than their past work.Xwww.myspace.com/redsparowes

Los Angeles’ Wires in the Walls will release their Call Signs EP early this month. The band is as a blend of indie rock, that incorporates a diverse array of instruments such as accordion, banjo, trumpet and euphonium.Xwww.myspace.com/wiresinthewallsmusic

IN THE NEWS Fat BeatsThe last stop for hip-hop

WALKING DOWN Melrose Avenue on a quiet Wednesday night, an enticing beat by the likes of J Dilla or Jake One

can be heard wafting down from the second story of the building on the corner of Melrose & N. Curson.

It’s Fat Beats LA, a hip-hop record store where a DJ is spinning on the tables with his amp outside the door. Up the stairs and tucked around the corner, Fat Beats almost feels like a secret clubhouse. And in a way, it is. “This is like home, you know,” says assistant manager Johnny “Juice” Hamberson. “I’ve been here

nine years now, and I’ve seen a lot of the same faces for that whole nine years. Like, wow, this is crazy, we’re all just growing old together.”

Fat Beats LA, “the last stop for hip-hop,” has been providing a premium selection of vinyl and CDs to hi-hop connoisseurs and dabblers alike since its first store opened in the Los Feliz area in 1996. Now it’s located on Melrose and Hamberson says it’s still a trip to see someone wander in off the street and find themselves sucked into the scene. “You can sorta say we turn people out,” Hamberson says. “You know, they walk in knowing nothing, they walk out with one CD, and all of the sudden you kinda notice they’re back the next week or two for something new…and now they’re requesting certain people.”

The original Fat Beats is in New York and started in 1994 as an all-vinyl store mostly catering to DJs and hip-hop heads. Now there’s an online store and there was even a location in Amsterdam. Fat Beats LA hosts performances on occasion, which are usu-ally posted on their MySpace. XMadeline Reddington X7600 Melrose Ave. // Los Angeles, CA 90046 // www.myspace.com/fatbeatsla

just that; the Echo helped stimulate surrounding businesses. And as Garo points out, it’s “not elitist by any means.” With all-ages shows, no dress code, a stocked bar, a pizza kitchen and a relaxed vibe, this truly is a place for everyone. On any given night you’ll find all walks of life – from the kid to the adult, the classic hipster to the hip-hop MC, the jazz cat to the goth. The Echo is like a second home to an extremely eclectic and accepting community, proving stereotypes aren’t always as they seem. XHutch Mills

The EchoA gem in the melting pot of L.A.

WHEN YOU THINK of spending a night out in Los Angeles, the Echo Park area

doesn’t exactly scream safety. At least, it didn’t before. Let’s face it, certain areas around L.A. have the stereotype of being “sketchy” and “dangerous” after dark.

That didn’t stop the Echo from opening up its doors in 2001 (though they still haven’t removed the old signs from the building). Originally a club for dance, hip-hop and DJ nights two to three times a week, over the course of a year it quickly grew to include all kinds of music, art and design. It’s now booked seven nights a week and not only has live performances, but also festivals, fashion shows, movie screenings and even wine tasting. For new artists, this place is like a gateway; a sold-out show at the Echo usually leads to the next step: the larger, “graduated” club located below known as the Echoplex.

But just as there were stereotypes with Echo Park, the community surrounding the club was not originally thrilled to see the Echo move in. “We had to prove we were there for them,” says Liz Garo, talent buyer for the club. And they did

VENUE PROFILE

VENUE STATS

1822 W. Sunset Blvd. // Los Angeles, CA 90026213-413-8200 // www.attheecho.com

CAPACITY

STAGE SIZE

EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

BOOKING

350

15’ X 12’

PA and monitors

[email protected]

163 Massachusetts Ave.(across from Berklee,

next door to Daddy’s Music)


pride themselves on the venue’s “part club-house, part secret society” atmosphere. The 3,000-foot space is, in fact, the perfect size for mingling or having intimate conversations. Rosy pink lighting, art deco chandeliers and earth paint tones help create a casual, classy, yet unpretentious ambiance. XAriana Samuels

The WoodsLovely and intimate, with a peculiar history

THE WOODS, one of Portland’s newest music venues, is unusual in two ways.

First, the building is a converted funeral parlor and small touches like deep-burgundy armchairs hint at its peculiar history. Second, it’s situated in Sellwood – a small and charming outlet of Southeast – but not exactly the typical music haunt. But to dwell on these details is to miss the point: the Woods is a lovely, vibrant venue and a much-welcomed addition to the Portland music scene.

The venue serves as a crossroads for all kinds of music and all kinds of patrons. Performances take place nearly every night, featuring bands ranging in renown and style. In February alone, the Woods devoted its stage to folk master Dan Bern, Portland’s beloved Y La Bamba and the neo-traditional jazz Midnight Serenaders. The fantastic, dark-wood acoustics secure its deserved place as one of Portland’s best music venues. The founders of the Woods

VENUE PROFILE

////// PORTLAND, OR ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////‘Into The Woods’

A voyeuristic Portland music documentary

OUT IN THE middle of the

mountains, on a dark snowy night in November, Wampire is rocking out to an audience of friends and fellow musicians. And you’re invited.

It’s the first install-ment of the episodic music documentary, Into the Woods, which takes local Northwest bands and their friends out into the woods for an intimate concert. Intimate indeed, as this first installment of the documentary captures not only the performance itself, but their entire journey to the cabin and back.

“I feel like so much has happened in just one minute,” one partygoer remarks, and it’s true. The film is a perpetual montage, indulging its audience in a truly voyeuristic experience. It’s in this respect

that Into the Woods distinguishes itself from the typi-cal concert flick, because not only are you watching the band’s performance, you’re also out in the snow hauling a sled packed with PBR up the hill; you’re out in the sauna lighting up with Portland hipsters; and you’re out on the dance floor grinding your hips to Wampire’s sultry beats. It’s a reminder that music is really about people for the people – both the music makers and the music lovers.

As the first featured band of the documentary series, Wampire’s performance shines here, with a fantastically catchy sound reminiscent of MGMT, but with a more mature, more mystical bent. The film pro-vides amazing exposure for the Portland-based band, as their music plays in the background for the entirety of the 17-minute long segment.

We can be grateful this is only the first install-ment, for Into The Woods masterfully captures the power that the best music possesses: the power to provide us with solace and unite us in solidarity, even on the bitterest of November nights. The documen-tary premiered live at Holocene in Southeast Portland in January, followed by a solid Wampire performance. All installments can be streamed online. XAriana Samuels Xintothewoods.tv

Northwest

Portland’s A Weather recently released their sophomore album via Team Love Records. Titled Everyday Balloons, the album is described as both atmospheric and intimate. Xwww.myspace.com/aweathermusic

Seattle’s the Hollowpoints will release their album Old Haunts on the Horizon on May 11. The band is described as “purveyors of fine, hook-based punk rock ‘n’ roll.” Xwww.myspace.com/thehollowpointswa

Ambient, Portland-based band Eluvium recently released their album Similes. This eight-song compilation on Temporary Residence Limited features percussion, a verse-chorus song structure and singing – all new to the group.Xwww.myspace.com/eluviumtaken

IN THE NEWS

VENUE STATS

6637 Milwaukie Ave. // Portland, OR 97202 503-890-0408 // www.thewoodsportland.com

CAPACITY

STAGE SIZE

EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

BOOKING

100

14’ x 14’

PA and monitors

Caroline Buchalter at [email protected]

call: 800-356-1155 www: powderfingerpromo.com

PUBLICITY AND TOUR SUPPORT(print press and viral)

Dresden Dolls Bad Plus

Girls Guns & Glory

String Cheese Incident

Esperanza Spalding

Medeski Martin & Wood

Steve Winwood

Gov't Mule 311

Janis Ian Jim's Big Ego

Stanley Clarke

Umphrey's McGee

Gretchen Parlato Miss Tess

Mike Stern Soulive

Maceo Parker

RADIO PROMOTION(terrestrial, satellite, internet)


WHILE THE NORTHWEST’S Portland gets tons of (deserved) attention in the music world, the other

corner of the country’s Portland can’t be dismissed. Just two hours up from Boston, there are plenty of venues waiting to be filled and the city was named No. 7 in the 100 Best Art Towns book. With its unique style of a tight-knit urbanism, it’s safe to say that Portland doesn’t need to try too hard to fit in with the cool kids at the lunch table. The music coming out of the Forest City is quite diverse, with different artists playing together to create a community of hometown musicians. The steel guitar, Delta blues style of Samuel James can often be heard bouncing off cobblestones. Indie hip-hop artists Sole and Alias got their start in Portland, but most, such as Phantom Buffalo or female-fronted punk band the Rattlesnakes, stick around to support local sounds and embrace the idea of making the scene their own.

////// PORTLAND, ME ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Venues

The Asylum 121 Center St.Portland, ME 04101207-772-8274www.portlandasylum.comFeatures three bars, including a 21+ venue, that can accommodate vastly different crowds. Maine’s only goth/industrial night is each Friday.

Port City Music Hall 504 Congress St.Portland, ME 04101207-899-4990www.portcitymusichall.comThe once movie theater and sports bar has since been completely renovated to a 550-person capacity, multipurpose music hall with a top-of-the-line sound system. They feature both national bands as well as the best of the local scene.

Geno’s Rock Club 625 Congress St.Portland, ME 04109207-221-2382www.myspace.com/genosrockclubA gritty rock club that’s been around for 25 years. Each Friday and Saturday there’s a headliner with at least two or three opening bands.

The Station 272 St. John St.Portland, ME 04102www.myspace.com/thestationliveA dive basement venue with pool and cheap beer.

Big Easy Blues 55 Market St.Portland, ME 04101207-775-2266www.bigeasyportland.comBig Easy Blues features a mix of local and “beyond” artists including reggae , rock and special acoustic-only nights.

Space Gallery 538 Congress St.Portland, ME 04101207-828-5600 www.space538.orgA nonprofit art gallery and performance space with a lot of volunteer support. They focus on presenting regional or national art and music that might not otherwise be seen in Maine.

Blue 650A Congress St.Portland, ME 04101207-74-4111www.portcityblue.comPortland’s “most intimate” venue, this little place is all-ages and showcases Celtic, Middle Eastern, blues, jazz and folk. They’re known for offering a large selection of wines from around the world and Maine microbrews.

North Star Music Café 225 Congress St.Portland, ME 04101207-699-2994www.northstarmusiccafe.comThe mom-and-pop fair trade coffee shop venue has nightly acoustic music.

Gear/Repairs

Buckdancer’s Choice 248 St. John St.Portland, ME 04102207-774-2219www.buckdancers.comAn instrument shop that even offers their own custom line of electric upright basses, hammered and Appalachian mountain dulcimers and mandolins.

Portland Percussion 803 Forest Ave.Portland, ME 04103207-775-2230www.portlandpercussion.comMaine’s largest percussion superstore.

The Drum Shop 262 St. John St.Portland, ME 04102207-874-6630www.drumsforless.comA five-star drum dealer, offering high quality gear.

Promote

Portland Press-Herald www.pressherald.comPortland’s news source in print and online with an extensive arts section.

Portland Phoenix thephoenix.com/portlandFree weekly arts and entertainment paper.

The Bollard www.thebollard.comMonthly magazine about independent arts and entertainment.

FEBRUARY 2010 PERFORMER MAGAZINE 57

////// PORTLAND, ME ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Some thingS Shouldn’t be in

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performer magazine, april 2010

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