So anyone who knows me well knows I am a Tom Waits freak.
I love him. I love the 70's "bourbon drinkin' lounge lizard" Tom Waits, I love the 80's "angry pirate dwarf" Tom Waits and the 90's/00's "mid west manic preacher" Tom Waits. I have every record he's made on CD, a bunch on vinyl, and every b-side, hard to find, movie soundtrack cut I could download (legally of course).
So imagine my surprise when I found out last year that silver screen starlet of the hour Scarlett Johansson was recording a Tom Waits record! What? MY Tom Waits? This couldn't be. I mean the only music made by movie stars these days is, well crap of course. I have no beef with Johansson, I like her even! The Bill Murray movie was good enough, but most everything with Bill Murray is (I'm a BIG Ghostbusters guy). I had heard her sing "Summertime" on a download (legal!) and it wasn't half bad. However I was intrigued that she would choose to do this project over anything else to choose from. Tom Waits is MY savior, but I have a large contingent of friends (almost ALL actually) who not only don't care for Waits, but REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate him. So the "mass appeal" of such an undertaking had to be a gamble at best.
So after months of speculation and waiting, the record "Anywhere I Lay My Head" has been released. I heard the first single "Falling Down" right here on myspace a few weeks before the record came out and......frankly i didn't like it.
I won't say I hated it. I just didn't care much for it. Too echoey (is that how you spell echoey?) and monotone. So I didn't really hold out much hope. The single, "Falling Down" (off the Waits record Big Time) is one of my all-time favorites.......in fact I'm going to my itunes quick to play it..........there.......gooood........oh, where was I?
Oh yeah, it's one of my favs, so maybe I'm just a little biased. But it seems that when you hear a "cover" of a song you love it's never as good. I was also pretty surprised that of the 10 Waits tracks she covers (there's one original as well) there were only three that I counted among my favorites! And not a single "standard" Tom Waits tune that's already been covered. Ya know, "Ol '55" by the Eagles or "Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart (who oddly enough is a big Waits fan) or "Heartattack and Vine" by Screamin Jay Hawkins (probably lesser known). I actually had to go back and make a mix of the Tom Waits versions of the songs before the record came out so I could really familiarize myself with the material and make an honest judgement when this certain rotten egg of a record by a know nothing movie brat was laid on the public!
So here, after a week of listening is my most precious opinion......it's really good.
Yup. There it is. I kid you not, I like it as much as any other record I've purchased this year (though I haven't gotten my hands on the new Cure record yet) and more than most! Now let me be clear, Johansson's voice is not a power. She has been surrounded with a who's who of indie darlings from various unsuccessful indie bands (save the guitarist from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the kooky hair) and they are good, but she gets a little lost. And I know she CAN sing, I've heard it, but she doesn't really do it on this record. But despite all this it is solid record (my wife hates it when I call things "solid" or "tight" it's kinda funny to watch her squirm). The tracks are intrestingly arranged and her voice at times is simply hypnotic. I even like the dance version of "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" (last done by the Ramones in the late 90's)! The clincher is that I've CHOSEN to listen to it at least once a day for a week! weird.
So, my respect goes out to Scarlett. She did what not many could do in my book. She did Waits a bit of justice, maybe it will even expand his audience!!!!
No, probably not. But maybe it will give her that first push of "indie cred" she was certainly trying to obtain by releasing this rather than some crappy pop song.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Interview w/ The World Class Defects
Think Forward: So you guys are from Greensboro right? What exactly is a Greensboro for those of us keeping score at home?
World Class Defects: The scoreboard should read something like Greensboro equals garbage. Just walking around on a nice day I close my eyes and hope everything is on fire when I open them again. So a Greensboro would be something that should be set a blaze. I'm sure there are a lot of towns like it, 20 years in the past.
TF: If there was a list of main exports from Greensboro where do you think a punk rock band would fall on that chart?
WCD: The main exports would be shit and the smell of shit. There's a 'BJ distributing company'. I'm not kidding, but I don't really know what their product is. I guess if the said punk band was ground up and used for fertilizer that would be the main export or the smell would be actually.
TF: What's going on with this new album? Is this going to be stylistically similar to the first one, or should we be expecting any changes?
WCD: The new album is talking a bit longer than we thought. We're doing everything our selves this time and we procrastinate, a lot. We thought we'd try something different and records track by track doing individual parts instead of a one take deal which was the case with the last CD. There are a few new songs and the old ones have been altered a bit. Some of the songs are slower because of the new process but hey, the live set is where the speed is. So far we've gotten really positive feedback from those who have given it a listen.
TF: When I listen to the WCD there are certain bands that come to mind, but are there any influences that maybe people wouldn't expect you guys to take into account when you write songs?
WCD: All of us have different influences that we draw on. Most of them are probably expected, old school punk, alternative, etc. It's like a mash and clash of genres between us. Chris really digs electronic and Goth tunes. Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, stuff like that. For me I started off playing old surf songs like pipeline and walk don't run. The Ventures and, completely unrelated, the Cramps have a permanent impact on the writing process. Queens of the Stone Age, the Bled, and the Blood Brothers float Jesse's boat. Cameron enjoys industrial I think.
TF: What's the most fun you've had at a WCD show?
WCD: Anytime we go some place new it's great. Meeting cool people and hanging out. Those are always the best shows and the most fun.
TF: To what degree do you think people are a product of their environment?
WCD: When people start making pants out of curtains and sofa cushions that could be a good indication of interior camouflage and a great example of conditioning towards becoming a product of their environment.
TF: What is a Jimmy Haha?
WCD: A broken condom
TF: What would your ideal date with Brett Michaels be like?
WCD: Starting with handsies and ultimately ending with him apologizing for everything he's ever done. Poison sucks.
TF: If you could see any band do a reunion tour who would it be and why?
WCD: Jello Biafra with DK. I saw Agent Orange do a cover of police truck and ever since then I’ve been subjugated to the idea that it'll never happen. They're not getting any younger.
TF: Are these the most boring interview questions of all time?
WCD: Don't you want to hear about the time we almost got beat up by skin heads?
World Class Defects: The scoreboard should read something like Greensboro equals garbage. Just walking around on a nice day I close my eyes and hope everything is on fire when I open them again. So a Greensboro would be something that should be set a blaze. I'm sure there are a lot of towns like it, 20 years in the past.
TF: If there was a list of main exports from Greensboro where do you think a punk rock band would fall on that chart?
WCD: The main exports would be shit and the smell of shit. There's a 'BJ distributing company'. I'm not kidding, but I don't really know what their product is. I guess if the said punk band was ground up and used for fertilizer that would be the main export or the smell would be actually.
TF: What's going on with this new album? Is this going to be stylistically similar to the first one, or should we be expecting any changes?
WCD: The new album is talking a bit longer than we thought. We're doing everything our selves this time and we procrastinate, a lot. We thought we'd try something different and records track by track doing individual parts instead of a one take deal which was the case with the last CD. There are a few new songs and the old ones have been altered a bit. Some of the songs are slower because of the new process but hey, the live set is where the speed is. So far we've gotten really positive feedback from those who have given it a listen.
TF: When I listen to the WCD there are certain bands that come to mind, but are there any influences that maybe people wouldn't expect you guys to take into account when you write songs?
WCD: All of us have different influences that we draw on. Most of them are probably expected, old school punk, alternative, etc. It's like a mash and clash of genres between us. Chris really digs electronic and Goth tunes. Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, stuff like that. For me I started off playing old surf songs like pipeline and walk don't run. The Ventures and, completely unrelated, the Cramps have a permanent impact on the writing process. Queens of the Stone Age, the Bled, and the Blood Brothers float Jesse's boat. Cameron enjoys industrial I think.
TF: What's the most fun you've had at a WCD show?
WCD: Anytime we go some place new it's great. Meeting cool people and hanging out. Those are always the best shows and the most fun.
TF: To what degree do you think people are a product of their environment?
WCD: When people start making pants out of curtains and sofa cushions that could be a good indication of interior camouflage and a great example of conditioning towards becoming a product of their environment.
TF: What is a Jimmy Haha?
WCD: A broken condom
TF: What would your ideal date with Brett Michaels be like?
WCD: Starting with handsies and ultimately ending with him apologizing for everything he's ever done. Poison sucks.
TF: If you could see any band do a reunion tour who would it be and why?
WCD: Jello Biafra with DK. I saw Agent Orange do a cover of police truck and ever since then I’ve been subjugated to the idea that it'll never happen. They're not getting any younger.
TF: Are these the most boring interview questions of all time?
WCD: Don't you want to hear about the time we almost got beat up by skin heads?
interview w/ Press Black
“Press Black doesn't care how you'd like it........"
TF: Band members / instruments?
Willis: There is me, Willis, and I play drums. Then there’s Cody and Ben and they plays guitars and sings...sometimes together, sometimes separately..
TF: History of the band?
W: After my last band broke up I tooled around for awhile, ya know playing with me. Ben and Cody had already gotten this shit started with some other people but they got rid of them and went on in a sort of local h or white stripes fashion. They recorded a two song CD splitting drum duties and I really dug it. So I was like you guys need a DRUMMER and they made me audition and after one practice they were like...."oh my god you’re so awesome, please come play drums for us" and I was like "I guess that would be...fine" ha-ha
TF: Your influences?
W: I’m not the kind of musician that likes a band and knows the name of the drummer or their birthday or where they live and so on. I don’t go to great lengths to be a fucking music nerd like Cody ha-ha. I mean no offense to anyone; I just simply like what I like. Two favorite bands, Choking Victim and the Dillinger Escape Plan...hands down
TF: Other bands / scenes you’ve been involved with?
W: Scenes? One time we played at a redneck bar...needless to say it was pretty uh strange. I’ve been in a few bands though. It started with Knife Your Neighbor which became Postictal. That was fun but we all just came to a fork in the road and took different paths. I was in red eyed five for like a week but aside from Shea (butter) they were all douche queefs so I split on them. And then, yeah....Press Black (for life)
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
W: The first show Press Black played at the Sidebar was the best! At least to me it was. even though I had been in bands playing shows for awhile, I still got nervous before shows and had stage fright and shit. We kicked into our first song, “Back to the Rathole”, and within the first ten seconds, i just let loose and ever since then shits been different. best show I’ve ever seen? GWAR twice. hands down the best show ever
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
W: oh god that fucking show at the shitty tap in pap smear Delaware. That fucking place is the asshole of America. Fuck Delaware, and especially fuck the fucking odd squad. They were the worst show experience I had in viewing. they were fucking trash, musically and socially, and i hope they all have heart attacks....cause they’re old.
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
W:
calculating infinity - The Dillinger Escape Plan
no gods, no managers - Choking Victim
the decline - NOFX
Milo goes to college - The Descendents
and uhhh…”the very good years” - Frank Sinatra
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
W: uhh…The World Class Defects are cool ...nice guys too. uhh The Living Wrecks are good too. Cool guys, except for Shane… just kidding. uhh Betty Sue Aside are fucking fast crust punk death metal.. The Ripovs are cool...really really LOUD!! and uhh the International Jet Set Conspiracy ha-ha they’re cool but there guitarist...Cody I think is his name....he’s a fucking rock star! Don’t try talking to that mother fucker cause he'll remind you of what your place is ha-ha
In two years we’ll be…?
We as in me and you, you and me? or we as in press black? Us
? Or the human race as a whole? ha-ha I don’t know man that’s a tough one. we as a race will be two years closer to death and press black will still be making awesome music...hopefully cause this is the most awesome musical uhhhh syndicate that I’ve ever been involved with.
TF: Band members / instruments?
Willis: There is me, Willis, and I play drums. Then there’s Cody and Ben and they plays guitars and sings...sometimes together, sometimes separately..
TF: History of the band?
W: After my last band broke up I tooled around for awhile, ya know playing with me. Ben and Cody had already gotten this shit started with some other people but they got rid of them and went on in a sort of local h or white stripes fashion. They recorded a two song CD splitting drum duties and I really dug it. So I was like you guys need a DRUMMER and they made me audition and after one practice they were like...."oh my god you’re so awesome, please come play drums for us" and I was like "I guess that would be...fine" ha-ha
TF: Your influences?
W: I’m not the kind of musician that likes a band and knows the name of the drummer or their birthday or where they live and so on. I don’t go to great lengths to be a fucking music nerd like Cody ha-ha. I mean no offense to anyone; I just simply like what I like. Two favorite bands, Choking Victim and the Dillinger Escape Plan...hands down
TF: Other bands / scenes you’ve been involved with?
W: Scenes? One time we played at a redneck bar...needless to say it was pretty uh strange. I’ve been in a few bands though. It started with Knife Your Neighbor which became Postictal. That was fun but we all just came to a fork in the road and took different paths. I was in red eyed five for like a week but aside from Shea (butter) they were all douche queefs so I split on them. And then, yeah....Press Black (for life)
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
W: The first show Press Black played at the Sidebar was the best! At least to me it was. even though I had been in bands playing shows for awhile, I still got nervous before shows and had stage fright and shit. We kicked into our first song, “Back to the Rathole”, and within the first ten seconds, i just let loose and ever since then shits been different. best show I’ve ever seen? GWAR twice. hands down the best show ever
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
W: oh god that fucking show at the shitty tap in pap smear Delaware. That fucking place is the asshole of America. Fuck Delaware, and especially fuck the fucking odd squad. They were the worst show experience I had in viewing. they were fucking trash, musically and socially, and i hope they all have heart attacks....cause they’re old.
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
W:
calculating infinity - The Dillinger Escape Plan
no gods, no managers - Choking Victim
the decline - NOFX
Milo goes to college - The Descendents
and uhhh…”the very good years” - Frank Sinatra
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
W: uhh…The World Class Defects are cool ...nice guys too. uhh The Living Wrecks are good too. Cool guys, except for Shane… just kidding. uhh Betty Sue Aside are fucking fast crust punk death metal.. The Ripovs are cool...really really LOUD!! and uhh the International Jet Set Conspiracy ha-ha they’re cool but there guitarist...Cody I think is his name....he’s a fucking rock star! Don’t try talking to that mother fucker cause he'll remind you of what your place is ha-ha
In two years we’ll be…?
We as in me and you, you and me? or we as in press black? Us
? Or the human race as a whole? ha-ha I don’t know man that’s a tough one. we as a race will be two years closer to death and press black will still be making awesome music...hopefully cause this is the most awesome musical uhhhh syndicate that I’ve ever been involved with.
interview w/ The International Jet Set
Formed in the Spring of 2008, Ska super group former members of The John Hardy Boys, The Smizokes, and Downbound Train, as well as a present member of Press Black. International Jet Set is a ska band based out of Easton, MD.
TF: Band members / instruments?
Chris: Cody – Guitar; Dan – Bass, Jon – Sax, Mike – Trumpet, Amanda – Trombone, Nick – sax, myself (Chris) – Drums. Jon, Cody and Dan share vocals.
TF: History of the band?
C: The International Jet Set includes former members of Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Spandau Ballet, Deep Blue Something and The Chi-Lites
Your influences?
C: Well, let's see.....ummm........whatcha got? Mostly,…Bell Biv Devoe. (ed. Note: it’s Fishbone…EVERYONE knows this.)
TF: How you were turned on to this style of music?
C: By hearing it and enjoying what we heard.
TF: Other bands / scenes you’ve been involved with?
C: Press Black, The John Hardy Boys, Downbound Train, The Venkmans, The Smizokes. That's the big 5 anyway.
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
C: Personally. My best show:- The Smizokes opening for the Bosstones at the 9:30 was quite cool.
Worst show: The Smizokes, Laurel, DE, talent show… kids singing Celine Dion songs, strep throat, drunk frontman, beer can in face, hick cops. Do the math.
TF: How is Baltimore compared to other cities you’ve played?
C: I heart Baltimore and Baltimore hearts us.
TF: Best local venue?
C: The best- The Ottobar, My favorite has to be The Sidebar though.
TF: How do you feel about pirating (downloading) music?
C: Currenty indifferant. After playing music for almost 12 years and having only made about $43 so far. I couldn't care less if people want to steal my music. Honestly I'd be kinda into it. At least I'd know people are interested in what we have to say.
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
C: With this particular band you'd need a top 35.
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
C: We gotta a website AND a myspace. All you'll ever need to know is right at your fingertips, so don't just sit there, go get it. Thrive for omnipotence! The interweb is the key to unlocking your true potential. Dammit it's magical!
TF: Band members / instruments?
Chris: Cody – Guitar; Dan – Bass, Jon – Sax, Mike – Trumpet, Amanda – Trombone, Nick – sax, myself (Chris) – Drums. Jon, Cody and Dan share vocals.
TF: History of the band?
C: The International Jet Set includes former members of Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Spandau Ballet, Deep Blue Something and The Chi-Lites
Your influences?
C: Well, let's see.....ummm........whatcha got? Mostly,…Bell Biv Devoe. (ed. Note: it’s Fishbone…EVERYONE knows this.)
TF: How you were turned on to this style of music?
C: By hearing it and enjoying what we heard.
TF: Other bands / scenes you’ve been involved with?
C: Press Black, The John Hardy Boys, Downbound Train, The Venkmans, The Smizokes. That's the big 5 anyway.
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
C: Personally. My best show:- The Smizokes opening for the Bosstones at the 9:30 was quite cool.
Worst show: The Smizokes, Laurel, DE, talent show… kids singing Celine Dion songs, strep throat, drunk frontman, beer can in face, hick cops. Do the math.
TF: How is Baltimore compared to other cities you’ve played?
C: I heart Baltimore and Baltimore hearts us.
TF: Best local venue?
C: The best- The Ottobar, My favorite has to be The Sidebar though.
TF: How do you feel about pirating (downloading) music?
C: Currenty indifferant. After playing music for almost 12 years and having only made about $43 so far. I couldn't care less if people want to steal my music. Honestly I'd be kinda into it. At least I'd know people are interested in what we have to say.
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
C: With this particular band you'd need a top 35.
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
C: We gotta a website AND a myspace. All you'll ever need to know is right at your fingertips, so don't just sit there, go get it. Thrive for omnipotence! The interweb is the key to unlocking your true potential. Dammit it's magical!
interview w/ Somediva
"Like Joe Montana throwing a baby in a wood chipper"
TF: Band members / instruments?
S: “Jared Davis: Drums, Edward Eason : Bass, John Perry: Guitar, Allan Blessing: Vocal”
TF: History of the band?
S: “You could go back to High School with the history, 3 out of the 4 members have been playing together since then on and off and under numerous different names. It’s a long one but having that history has its benefits.”
TF: What age(s) did you start playing (creating)?
S: “We all played some wicked pots and pans when we were like 2”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
S: “Stink bombs, Fireworks”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
S: “Stink bombs, Fireworks”
TF: How is Baltimore compared to other cities you’ve played?
S: “Baltimore… last time we played in Baltimore (venue to remain nameless) we were banded. A time before that people showed up to see a band called Skin Deep only to find out that we weren’t the band that they had came to see and bounced, so we figured its time for a name change. We haven’t had much luck in Baltimore; I’m guessing they don’t like the redneck’ish kind, so I’ll quote DMX “you don't know you slow like Baltimore, If you ain't tryin' ta go ya blow”
TF: Best local venue?
S: “First Stab would be The Monkey Barrel in Salisbury, we frequent there and it’s sort of like a small family reunion each time we play. Always a good time.”
TF: How do you feel about recording nowadays? (Home vs. Studio)?
S: “I’m going to say still vote for studio, even after the fact that you have to pay it’s always nice to have an outside ear. After writing songs and playing and playing them you begin to hear things differently, and it’s almost like you begin to hear them the way that you want to hear them, even if it’s not how it really sounds. That’s why that outside ear and voice is important. Given we haven’t any home recordings”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
S:
DMX “Its Dark and Hell is Hot”
Beck “Mellow Gold”
Hank Williams III “Straight to Hell”
Mindless Self Indulgence “Frankenstein Girls will Seem Strangely Sexy”
Iron Horse “Fade To Bluegrass”
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
S: “Falling From Failure, Goatbag, HardSell, Saint Theory (FL)”
TF: Band members / instruments?
S: “Jared Davis: Drums, Edward Eason : Bass, John Perry: Guitar, Allan Blessing: Vocal”
TF: History of the band?
S: “You could go back to High School with the history, 3 out of the 4 members have been playing together since then on and off and under numerous different names. It’s a long one but having that history has its benefits.”
TF: What age(s) did you start playing (creating)?
S: “We all played some wicked pots and pans when we were like 2”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
S: “Stink bombs, Fireworks”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
S: “Stink bombs, Fireworks”
TF: How is Baltimore compared to other cities you’ve played?
S: “Baltimore… last time we played in Baltimore (venue to remain nameless) we were banded. A time before that people showed up to see a band called Skin Deep only to find out that we weren’t the band that they had came to see and bounced, so we figured its time for a name change. We haven’t had much luck in Baltimore; I’m guessing they don’t like the redneck’ish kind, so I’ll quote DMX “you don't know you slow like Baltimore, If you ain't tryin' ta go ya blow”
TF: Best local venue?
S: “First Stab would be The Monkey Barrel in Salisbury, we frequent there and it’s sort of like a small family reunion each time we play. Always a good time.”
TF: How do you feel about recording nowadays? (Home vs. Studio)?
S: “I’m going to say still vote for studio, even after the fact that you have to pay it’s always nice to have an outside ear. After writing songs and playing and playing them you begin to hear things differently, and it’s almost like you begin to hear them the way that you want to hear them, even if it’s not how it really sounds. That’s why that outside ear and voice is important. Given we haven’t any home recordings”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
S:
DMX “Its Dark and Hell is Hot”
Beck “Mellow Gold”
Hank Williams III “Straight to Hell”
Mindless Self Indulgence “Frankenstein Girls will Seem Strangely Sexy”
Iron Horse “Fade To Bluegrass”
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
S: “Falling From Failure, Goatbag, HardSell, Saint Theory (FL)”
Interview w/ Perfekt Khaos
“Perfekt Khaos is the result of 10 years of writing and collaborations, finally mixed together and premiering for everyone to know and love/hate.”
TF: Band members / instruments?
PK: “Well, we've had band members come and go, but in the end, it's always been me and my keyboards/computer programs”
TF: History of the band?
PK: “Perfekt Khaos is a project I've been working on for years. It was originally started by me and Rob McDonald back in 2002 (i think). I kept writing things on and off for several years, people came and went, and finally, this past year, I decided to get real serious about releasing my work, with or without other people.”
TF: What age(s) did you start playing (creating)?
PK: “11 years old, on the Casio keyboard my parents bought for me for Christmas.”
TF: Your influences?
PK: “Depeche Mode, Linkin Park, Rammstein, My Chemical Romance, Disturbed, Freezepop”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
PK: “This is my first show, and I think it's gonna be great. The best concert I've ever been to was when I went to see Johnny Maths live at the Meyerhoff a long time ago. Awesome concert.”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
PK: “Watching Hinder live at Merriweather. Never again.”
TF: How do you feel about pirating (downloading) music?
PK: “Now that I'm a recording artist, I understand what pirating takes away from us as artists. So now I just buy from iTunes.”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
PK:
Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
10,000 Fists - Disturbed
Violator - Depeche Mode
The Rising Tied - Fort Minor
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
PK: “Used to know a really good band called The Mayo, but I don't know if they're still around.”
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
PK: “We want to do a benefit concert in Idewild Park (Easton, MD) for Cancer Research soon, but we don't have a concrete date yet.”
TF: Band members / instruments?
PK: “Well, we've had band members come and go, but in the end, it's always been me and my keyboards/computer programs”
TF: History of the band?
PK: “Perfekt Khaos is a project I've been working on for years. It was originally started by me and Rob McDonald back in 2002 (i think). I kept writing things on and off for several years, people came and went, and finally, this past year, I decided to get real serious about releasing my work, with or without other people.”
TF: What age(s) did you start playing (creating)?
PK: “11 years old, on the Casio keyboard my parents bought for me for Christmas.”
TF: Your influences?
PK: “Depeche Mode, Linkin Park, Rammstein, My Chemical Romance, Disturbed, Freezepop”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
PK: “This is my first show, and I think it's gonna be great. The best concert I've ever been to was when I went to see Johnny Maths live at the Meyerhoff a long time ago. Awesome concert.”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
PK: “Watching Hinder live at Merriweather. Never again.”
TF: How do you feel about pirating (downloading) music?
PK: “Now that I'm a recording artist, I understand what pirating takes away from us as artists. So now I just buy from iTunes.”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
PK:
Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
10,000 Fists - Disturbed
Violator - Depeche Mode
The Rising Tied - Fort Minor
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
PK: “Used to know a really good band called The Mayo, but I don't know if they're still around.”
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
PK: “We want to do a benefit concert in Idewild Park (Easton, MD) for Cancer Research soon, but we don't have a concrete date yet.”
Interview w/ The Traumas
The Traumas
“In the beginning there was light and it came from a note,
a power so strong earth moves on its axis…”
TF: Band members / instruments?
TT: “Don /guitar; Richard /drums; Vinnie /vocals-guitars; Joey /bass”
TF: History of the band?
TT: “In 2007, Remaslum (ed: their old band) and Wasted City played a show together, that’s where they all met. Months later wasted city broke up and Don joined up and The Traumas were formed”
TF: Your influences?
TT: “The Velvet Underground, The Libertines, The Ramones, Throbbing Gristle, Sonic Youth, Jaco Pastorious, Bad Brains”
TF: How you were turned on to this style of music?
TT: “We're number 300 of 300 of the bands that started because they heard The V.U.'s (ed: Velvet Underground)”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
TT: “In a band: Our Ottobar show with The Points, Kid Tiger and Harlot had everything... great music, lots of drunks, some drugs, and a fight.”
Viewing: “Probably Sonic Youth live in New York”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
TT: “In a band: so far we've had enough fun playing every time, or at least gotten drunk enough to where it didn’t matter.”
Viewing: Richard and Vinnie went to see Wasted City play @ the Victory Lounge in pasadena, Wasted City got cut to a 15 minute set. Plus Richard got jumped by the bouncers, and Don got heat stroke and vomited for 45minutes.
TF: Indies vs. Majors, etc. Are majors obsolete?
TT: “All labels are Obsolete... DIY MF'ers!”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
TT:
The Doors - L.A. Woman
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Velvet Underground & Nico
White Light White Heat -The Velvet Undergound
Dr. Alimantado - The Best dressed chicken in town
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
TT:
The Points
Dorsal Fink
The Revelevens
Blinding Eye Dog
Thee Lexington Arrows
The Octopus Machine
Lungfish / Dan Higgs
TF: In two years we’ll be…?
TT: “In a cult in Rural California... Joey's goin’ to check it out next month... if it's cool we're all gonna go over there.”
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
TT:
6/29 Harrison Street Benefit
8/23 Southern Maryland Punk Fest
“In the beginning there was light and it came from a note,
a power so strong earth moves on its axis…”
TF: Band members / instruments?
TT: “Don /guitar; Richard /drums; Vinnie /vocals-guitars; Joey /bass”
TF: History of the band?
TT: “In 2007, Remaslum (ed: their old band) and Wasted City played a show together, that’s where they all met. Months later wasted city broke up and Don joined up and The Traumas were formed”
TF: Your influences?
TT: “The Velvet Underground, The Libertines, The Ramones, Throbbing Gristle, Sonic Youth, Jaco Pastorious, Bad Brains”
TF: How you were turned on to this style of music?
TT: “We're number 300 of 300 of the bands that started because they heard The V.U.'s (ed: Velvet Underground)”
TF: Best show experience (in a band & viewing)?
TT: “In a band: Our Ottobar show with The Points, Kid Tiger and Harlot had everything... great music, lots of drunks, some drugs, and a fight.”
Viewing: “Probably Sonic Youth live in New York”
TF: Worst show experience (in a band & viewing)?
TT: “In a band: so far we've had enough fun playing every time, or at least gotten drunk enough to where it didn’t matter.”
Viewing: Richard and Vinnie went to see Wasted City play @ the Victory Lounge in pasadena, Wasted City got cut to a 15 minute set. Plus Richard got jumped by the bouncers, and Don got heat stroke and vomited for 45minutes.
TF: Indies vs. Majors, etc. Are majors obsolete?
TT: “All labels are Obsolete... DIY MF'ers!”
TF: Top 5 records (any style)?
TT:
The Doors - L.A. Woman
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Velvet Underground & Nico
White Light White Heat -The Velvet Undergound
Dr. Alimantado - The Best dressed chicken in town
TF: Favorite local bands you’d recommend?
TT:
The Points
Dorsal Fink
The Revelevens
Blinding Eye Dog
Thee Lexington Arrows
The Octopus Machine
Lungfish / Dan Higgs
TF: In two years we’ll be…?
TT: “In a cult in Rural California... Joey's goin’ to check it out next month... if it's cool we're all gonna go over there.”
TF: Upcoming Shows to promote?
TT:
6/29 Harrison Street Benefit
8/23 Southern Maryland Punk Fest
CD Review: Old 97’s – Blame it on Gravity - D. Van Skiver
The Old 97’s are back – sort of. In the sense that they released their first
album of new material in four years last month, they’re back. In the sense
that front man Rhett Miller seems to have, at least temporarily, gotten the
solo pretty-boy pop star thing out of his system, they’re back. In the sense that
their last CD left something to be desired, they’re sort of back.
Miller and his band mates spent the 90’s crawling their way up the indie
ladder one solid, amazing record at a time. It didn’t hurt that they quickly
ascended to the top of the alt. country ladder and were often mentioned in
the same breath, and seen on the same stage, as Wilco and Whiskeytown. By
the time of 2001’s Satellite Rides, they’d largely left the country part behind,
and it really looked like they could conceivably be the next big thing. But then
came a three-year hiatus between albums, during which Miller put out a mediocre
solo record, followed by Drag It Up, a collection of three or four stellar songs
amidst a sea of filler. Another Miller solo record followed, along with two
97’s releases – a hits package and a double live CD, neither of which featured a note of new music.
Miller’s songwriting sounds more like the Old 97’s these days and less
like the frosted-haired crooner he’s been impersonating for the last few
years. His lyrics are, as always, witty and clever, and his vocals sound as
good as ever, especially on "Early Morning" and "The Fool”. Speaking of
getting things out of their system, those who scratched their
heads at Drag It Up’s “Coahuila” will be happy to know that guitarist Ken Bethea
isn’t singing lead on Blame it on Gravity.
Bassist Murray Hammond delivers only one lead vocal here, breaking the two-song
tradition they’ve followed for years, and the record suffers a bit for it. Hammond
has a knack for writing songs that sound as though they were written decades ago
without sounding like he’s trying to be hip and retro. His offering here, “This Beautiful Thing”,
isn’t as memorable as “Up the Devil’s Pay” or “West Texas Teardrops”, but it’s still Murray, and
that’s never a bad thing.
Blame it on Gravity finds the band sounding much more like Satellite Rides, with
just enough poppy hooks to rope you in without overdoing it. There are, unfortunately,
no “Time bombs” or “Barrier Reefs” here, but there are 13 solid songs and the band sounds
fresher than they did four years ago. There are even a few, such as “Dance With Me”,
the first single, that call back to their late 90’s sound, and that’s also never a bad thing.
album of new material in four years last month, they’re back. In the sense
that front man Rhett Miller seems to have, at least temporarily, gotten the
solo pretty-boy pop star thing out of his system, they’re back. In the sense that
their last CD left something to be desired, they’re sort of back.
Miller and his band mates spent the 90’s crawling their way up the indie
ladder one solid, amazing record at a time. It didn’t hurt that they quickly
ascended to the top of the alt. country ladder and were often mentioned in
the same breath, and seen on the same stage, as Wilco and Whiskeytown. By
the time of 2001’s Satellite Rides, they’d largely left the country part behind,
and it really looked like they could conceivably be the next big thing. But then
came a three-year hiatus between albums, during which Miller put out a mediocre
solo record, followed by Drag It Up, a collection of three or four stellar songs
amidst a sea of filler. Another Miller solo record followed, along with two
97’s releases – a hits package and a double live CD, neither of which featured a note of new music.
Miller’s songwriting sounds more like the Old 97’s these days and less
like the frosted-haired crooner he’s been impersonating for the last few
years. His lyrics are, as always, witty and clever, and his vocals sound as
good as ever, especially on "Early Morning" and "The Fool”. Speaking of
getting things out of their system, those who scratched their
heads at Drag It Up’s “Coahuila” will be happy to know that guitarist Ken Bethea
isn’t singing lead on Blame it on Gravity.
Bassist Murray Hammond delivers only one lead vocal here, breaking the two-song
tradition they’ve followed for years, and the record suffers a bit for it. Hammond
has a knack for writing songs that sound as though they were written decades ago
without sounding like he’s trying to be hip and retro. His offering here, “This Beautiful Thing”,
isn’t as memorable as “Up the Devil’s Pay” or “West Texas Teardrops”, but it’s still Murray, and
that’s never a bad thing.
Blame it on Gravity finds the band sounding much more like Satellite Rides, with
just enough poppy hooks to rope you in without overdoing it. There are, unfortunately,
no “Time bombs” or “Barrier Reefs” here, but there are 13 solid songs and the band sounds
fresher than they did four years ago. There are even a few, such as “Dance With Me”,
the first single, that call back to their late 90’s sound, and that’s also never a bad thing.
Show Review: Battles @ 9:30 club 6/14/08 - C.Beaz
I used to like Battles. My roommate got me into them. Their debut record "Mirrored" was my top record of last year. So naturally I was excited to see them live. On June fourteenth they came to the 9:30 Club in D.C. Now I love Battles. I believe that they are one of the best things happening in music right now. They, in one and one half hours, managed to change the way I see and appreciate music and musicians. They opened my eyes a little wider. Unfortunately, some artists I used to see as visionary and brilliant just aren't anymore. It doesn't matter who those people are. I'm telling you this because that's how good they were. They did things with their instruments that were incredible. That's it. They were incredible. They played with total abandon and absolute precision at the same time. They made me love music even more.
Their set was a blur, honestly. I stood paralyzed for the entire thing. Stunned by what I saw and heard.
It was perfect.
It's been a long time since I've seen a show that gave me that feeling. It made want to be better at what I do.
It was an honor to be there, Thank you Battles.
Their set was a blur, honestly. I stood paralyzed for the entire thing. Stunned by what I saw and heard.
It was perfect.
It's been a long time since I've seen a show that gave me that feeling. It made want to be better at what I do.
It was an honor to be there, Thank you Battles.
Selling out - D. Van Skiver
Sooner or later it happens. I don’t care what your favorite band is, or how cool they were when they started, or how cool they still are even though they’re such-and-such number of years into their career. Sooner or later, they will disappoint you.
Say what you will about not caring what people think, but no one makes records to have them ignored, and everyone, no matter how individualistic or antisocial they pretend to be, feels good when people like their music. A good artist makes music for himself and no one else, but he also, without trying, makes music that others understand, relate to, and most importantly, feel.
It’s a tough seesaw for a popular band to keep balanced; to change their sound invites cries of “sellout” and accusations of no longer having that certain something that attracted fans in the first place. The other choice is to keep treading over and over again across the same ground for years until most serious fans outgrow it. And so every artist has to try to maintain that balance between keeping the fans happy and playing the kind of music that they want to play. You might be excited to hear your favorite song fifteen years into your favorite band’s career, but they’ve played it every night for fifteen years and they’re not excited about playing it again.
The average run for a successful band, or at least one that is widely considered to have integrity, seems to be about a decade. After that seventh album, tenth year, or third line-up change, people usually begin to turn on them. The reasons are almost always identical, regardless of genre: “Their new stuff just doesn’t sound the same”, “I liked the stuff they did with the first guitarist better”, or simply, “I’m tired of that kind of music.” And every one of us is guilty of saying it at some point.
What eventually happens, in the best of cases, is that you stop listening for a few years. Maybe you didn’t buy the last two records they did… and then one day you rediscover what it was that made you love them in the first place. Or perhaps you just come to a different level of appreciation that doesn’t require burning yourself out on their records by constant listening.
In the worst of cases, you rediscover them a decade later, only to be embarrassed that you were so heavily into them ten years ago. The lyrics sound corny to you now, the music doesn’t have that urgent sense of currency like it did when it actually was current. The production makes it sound dated.
And so here is a recommendation from someone who has been in love with music for a long time… when your favorite band pisses you off by changing their sound and/or “selling out”, stop and be reasonable about it. They’re entitled to make the kind of music that they want to play. Nothing says you have to like everything they do, and nothing says that you have to hate everything they do. Take what still appeals to you and love it. Take what you think was contrived to appeal to the masses and discard it. But don’t let a change in their sound take away what was so personal and important to you.
Say what you will about not caring what people think, but no one makes records to have them ignored, and everyone, no matter how individualistic or antisocial they pretend to be, feels good when people like their music. A good artist makes music for himself and no one else, but he also, without trying, makes music that others understand, relate to, and most importantly, feel.
It’s a tough seesaw for a popular band to keep balanced; to change their sound invites cries of “sellout” and accusations of no longer having that certain something that attracted fans in the first place. The other choice is to keep treading over and over again across the same ground for years until most serious fans outgrow it. And so every artist has to try to maintain that balance between keeping the fans happy and playing the kind of music that they want to play. You might be excited to hear your favorite song fifteen years into your favorite band’s career, but they’ve played it every night for fifteen years and they’re not excited about playing it again.
The average run for a successful band, or at least one that is widely considered to have integrity, seems to be about a decade. After that seventh album, tenth year, or third line-up change, people usually begin to turn on them. The reasons are almost always identical, regardless of genre: “Their new stuff just doesn’t sound the same”, “I liked the stuff they did with the first guitarist better”, or simply, “I’m tired of that kind of music.” And every one of us is guilty of saying it at some point.
What eventually happens, in the best of cases, is that you stop listening for a few years. Maybe you didn’t buy the last two records they did… and then one day you rediscover what it was that made you love them in the first place. Or perhaps you just come to a different level of appreciation that doesn’t require burning yourself out on their records by constant listening.
In the worst of cases, you rediscover them a decade later, only to be embarrassed that you were so heavily into them ten years ago. The lyrics sound corny to you now, the music doesn’t have that urgent sense of currency like it did when it actually was current. The production makes it sound dated.
And so here is a recommendation from someone who has been in love with music for a long time… when your favorite band pisses you off by changing their sound and/or “selling out”, stop and be reasonable about it. They’re entitled to make the kind of music that they want to play. Nothing says you have to like everything they do, and nothing says that you have to hate everything they do. Take what still appeals to you and love it. Take what you think was contrived to appeal to the masses and discard it. But don’t let a change in their sound take away what was so personal and important to you.
“The longest minute…” Jon Beasley
It was January 2001…wait, back up a second….I was in The Smizokes and we had just gotten back together after a short “hiatus”. This was a break that came at the worst possible time, when we were about to release our second record “X-tinction Agenda”. A few members had left, most notably our drummer, which left us unable to play. So we took a few months off to contemplate our existence and figure out what to do with 1,000 CDs that had been newly minted. But, lucky for us our drummer came back and the remaining members reconvened to start preparations for CD release shows, and returning things back to normal.
Right off the bat we were lucky enough to score an opening slot for one of the biggest bands in the worl…er…our particular genre…The Mighty Mighty Bosstones!
Pretty sweet! One of my favorite bands of all time (no really…) and we were playing at the 9:30 Club, a great D.C. venue where all the great bands that don’t pack arenas play. So we practiced and practiced, trying to get back to full speed. This was gonna big our big chance to play to our target “ska scene” audience, and for more than 50 or so people!
The night of the show was upon us. We got there early to hear the Bosstones sound check and to be sure we were prepared. The opener was another local band we were good friends with, The Players. The Players were/are a great, tight as shit ska/reggae/soul band. They came out with a ton of energy and really got the crowd going (this is pretty rare in most cases, as the opener is usually all but ignored); I think this was because the “ska scene” was pretty much comprised of the die-hards by 2001. We knew or were acquainted with practically everybody in the room. So The Players do their thing and we were up.
We went to the stage really hyped up; we knew this was our chance to show what we could do. Not just to the audience but to The Bosstones and the 9:30 (who we knew would hook us up with more shows if we did well). We had already played there twice at this point, both were gigs opening for “small time” acts (No disrespect intended to Skavoovie or Mary Prankster) with practically no one there…but we SOUNDED great. Anyway, back to the lesson at hand…
We took the stage and blasted into one of our signature songs “Sportin’ My Wifebeater” (NOT a song about domestic violence) and the crowd again responded very well! It was a great feeling. All my nerves melted away and we settled into the swagger we would have at say a VFW hall or The Sidebar. We hammered through 3 more songs, riding the wave, feeling good….UNTIL….
Our “leader” (I will change names here to protect the innocent, we’ll just call him “Spleejay” ) broke a string! Now, for those of you that have played or play in bands will verify, this can go one of two ways.
1.) The band plays it off; hopefully the “string-less” one will have a back-up guitar ready to go. Tuned up good and proper and you can just jump back into the set without loss of time or momentum. At the very least the band should jam on something or tell a joke to keep the crowd occupied while the “string-less” one re-strings his guitar.
2.) The numb-nuts member of your band (formerly the “string-less” one) hasn’t planned ahead that far, and rather than having a guitar ready to go, decides to take 2 minutes on stage to re-string his instrument…in front of 800 people…while the rest of the band stands there stupefied and awkwardly silent waiting for him to finish….as 800 people begin to chant “MI-GHTY MI-GHTY BOSS-TONES” in unison at the top of their lungs…..
You can guess which one of these scenarios we dealt with…the longest minute indeed.
Needless to say, we never recovered. What were once the beginnings of a coming out party was now a nightmare for our band. We completely lost the crowd. We became piss break time. We had come through so much in those last few months only to find ourselves exactly where we wanted to be, but blowing the whole thing. We limped through the rest of the set and scurried off stage to a smattering of applause.
Of course everyone we brought with us that night said we did great. That’s their job as friends. But we knew the truth. As the years have gone by I’ve relayed this story here and there over a beer with an old acquaintance from Smizokes days or to a band full of kids who have yet to experience that kind of humiliation, like I’m preaching about safe sex.
To say I never really recovered from this experience would be being too dramatic. I’ve played in four different bands since. We even had a great 10 year Smizokes reunion show in February of 2007! But I WILL say it took awhile to come to terms with that kind of let down. We really thought this show was the stepping stone we needed to accomplish some of the dreams we had. Warped Tour, sign to an “indie”, maybe make a living making music? I just couldn’t help but wonder if it was one of those moments where if I went back in time and saved the day, I’d come Back to the Future and find I was on tour with Social Distortion or something.
But that’s not the way of it, and there it is.
Right off the bat we were lucky enough to score an opening slot for one of the biggest bands in the worl…er…our particular genre…The Mighty Mighty Bosstones!
Pretty sweet! One of my favorite bands of all time (no really…) and we were playing at the 9:30 Club, a great D.C. venue where all the great bands that don’t pack arenas play. So we practiced and practiced, trying to get back to full speed. This was gonna big our big chance to play to our target “ska scene” audience, and for more than 50 or so people!
The night of the show was upon us. We got there early to hear the Bosstones sound check and to be sure we were prepared. The opener was another local band we were good friends with, The Players. The Players were/are a great, tight as shit ska/reggae/soul band. They came out with a ton of energy and really got the crowd going (this is pretty rare in most cases, as the opener is usually all but ignored); I think this was because the “ska scene” was pretty much comprised of the die-hards by 2001. We knew or were acquainted with practically everybody in the room. So The Players do their thing and we were up.
We went to the stage really hyped up; we knew this was our chance to show what we could do. Not just to the audience but to The Bosstones and the 9:30 (who we knew would hook us up with more shows if we did well). We had already played there twice at this point, both were gigs opening for “small time” acts (No disrespect intended to Skavoovie or Mary Prankster) with practically no one there…but we SOUNDED great. Anyway, back to the lesson at hand…
We took the stage and blasted into one of our signature songs “Sportin’ My Wifebeater” (NOT a song about domestic violence) and the crowd again responded very well! It was a great feeling. All my nerves melted away and we settled into the swagger we would have at say a VFW hall or The Sidebar. We hammered through 3 more songs, riding the wave, feeling good….UNTIL….
Our “leader” (I will change names here to protect the innocent, we’ll just call him “Spleejay” ) broke a string! Now, for those of you that have played or play in bands will verify, this can go one of two ways.
1.) The band plays it off; hopefully the “string-less” one will have a back-up guitar ready to go. Tuned up good and proper and you can just jump back into the set without loss of time or momentum. At the very least the band should jam on something or tell a joke to keep the crowd occupied while the “string-less” one re-strings his guitar.
2.) The numb-nuts member of your band (formerly the “string-less” one) hasn’t planned ahead that far, and rather than having a guitar ready to go, decides to take 2 minutes on stage to re-string his instrument…in front of 800 people…while the rest of the band stands there stupefied and awkwardly silent waiting for him to finish….as 800 people begin to chant “MI-GHTY MI-GHTY BOSS-TONES” in unison at the top of their lungs…..
You can guess which one of these scenarios we dealt with…the longest minute indeed.
Needless to say, we never recovered. What were once the beginnings of a coming out party was now a nightmare for our band. We completely lost the crowd. We became piss break time. We had come through so much in those last few months only to find ourselves exactly where we wanted to be, but blowing the whole thing. We limped through the rest of the set and scurried off stage to a smattering of applause.
Of course everyone we brought with us that night said we did great. That’s their job as friends. But we knew the truth. As the years have gone by I’ve relayed this story here and there over a beer with an old acquaintance from Smizokes days or to a band full of kids who have yet to experience that kind of humiliation, like I’m preaching about safe sex.
To say I never really recovered from this experience would be being too dramatic. I’ve played in four different bands since. We even had a great 10 year Smizokes reunion show in February of 2007! But I WILL say it took awhile to come to terms with that kind of let down. We really thought this show was the stepping stone we needed to accomplish some of the dreams we had. Warped Tour, sign to an “indie”, maybe make a living making music? I just couldn’t help but wonder if it was one of those moments where if I went back in time and saved the day, I’d come Back to the Future and find I was on tour with Social Distortion or something.
But that’s not the way of it, and there it is.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
"think forward" debuts today!
the "think forward" magazine debuts today...local bands, cd reviews, comics, all kindsa shit...first months issue is free next month might be a dollar or something, but anyway we should have them at the skate shop on goldsborough st., in coffee east, retrospective, and you can get one from me if you want...get one!
cody & jon
cody & jon
Welcome!
Welcome to our new site to compliment the lauch of our 'zine! Give us some time as we work out the kinks.
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