IAN: Hi, this is Ian, I'm talking with Alex, the vocalist of New Gods, who's looking over the merch table where I just got a large white shirt with Felix The Cat on it
[FULL DISCLOSURE: I never wore that shirt and it is now in the possession of Evan Coltrane, who still owes me $5]
So, you guys have been down here a couple times, are you on tour right now?
ALEX: Yes
I: What's your next stop from here?
A: We are playing in LA tomorrow
I: Cool
A: Yeah, its on the way home
I: How do you feel about this area down here?
A: We love The Dial. We're glad The Dial is a thing again. The kids down here are always really wild; you got the The Coltranes, you got Half Goon - rest in peace
I: I've seen you guys a couple times, I know you're from Seattle; are you familiar with Health Problems?
A: Yeah
I: What would you say about your scene up there?
A: I think it's the best scene in the U.S. right now, or maybe the world
I: Yeah, every time I talk to somebody from that area, it sounds like it's a great place to be...What would you say is the difference between your scene up there versus other places you go?
A: I don't know, I don't really wanna speak on other scenes because I don't experience them on a day-to-day basis; but for us, there's an incredible amount of camaraderie and there's no weird pretense. Everyone is friends and the bands are all super diverse and we all support each other. Shows are usually lots of fun.
I: Word. Now here's something I've always wondered about; I guess back in the day [up there] there was something called the Teenage Dancing Ordinance?
A: Yeah, that was years ago
I: So, if I were to go to a punk show nowadays, I'm not gonna get kicked out for moshing?
A: No. That pertains to nothing. That has not meant anything for like, 15 years.
I: Word. Alright well it lopoks like the next band is almost done setting up, so I really appreciate your time talking with me...Do you have any upcoming releases?
A: Yeah, we have a single coming out on a record label called Anybody's Flowers. We were able to get the cassette version but the vinyl version is taking awhile to get out, but that should be out relatively soon...although we've been saying that for awhile
I: Understandable
A: We're in the process of recording an LP but that'll be awhile out...so we have a lot of stuff coming up
I: Hell yeah
A: Just trying to get stuff out there
I: Okay so to kinda wrap things up, this is something I ask pretty much everybody when I talk to them: What's your favorite breakfast food?
A: Grits
I: Just grits?
A: Yeah, that's it
I: Alright, I can live with that
A: I'm a simple man. I'm easily pleased.
I: [Laughter] Alright, well again, thanks for talking with me!
https://newgods.bandcamp.com/
Monday, March 14, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
BAND INTERVIEW: Lost Cause, January 11th at the Dial
Lost Cause is a hardcore band from the Badlands, Southern California. Loren is the frontman and main idea guy for the band and the group is filled out by Lily (also from the band Liquid) on guitar, and KP and Shane (both formerly from The Gravitys) on the rhythm section. Shane left before this interview was conducted but this conversation includes all the other members.
IAN: Alright, I'm here talking with Loren and Lily from Lost Cause; where the fuck are Shane and KP?
LOREN: I think [Shane] had to go home and go to sleep
IAN: Bullshit. How did you guys feel about the show tonight?
LOREN: Honestly, I felt really good about it. From other experiences, and with the new line-up and stuff, we're going in a direction that's more individual and creative with what we do and what we like in this music.
IAN: What was the difference between [now] and the old line-up?
LOREN: [One of] the differences is that the old guys were more into, like, going heavy, like Xibalba. They wanted to by like Turnstile and all that. And really, we're more about just being creative and not trying to be somebody else.
IAN: Now Lily, this is your first show with [Lost Cause]; is this like, your first hardcore show as well?
LILY: You mean, like, playing?
IAN: Yeah
LILY: Yeah
IAN: Is this your stuff or what?
LILY: Yeah of course!
IAN: Word
[KP and MILLER show up dancing behind Loren]
IAN: It looks like we've got a dance crew behind us
LOREN: KP is back from the dead
IAN: KP!
MILLER: Let's all go over here
[LILY laughing]
IAN: Now it's become a multi-family affair
KP: Why are you interviewing me?
IAN: Why do you wanna be in this band and not in my band?
[Laughter all around]
KP: Well, that's a broad question. Its because I know Loren won't show up [to a show] hammered
[Laughter]
KP: And I say that out of love
[Noise off to the side]
IAN: Did we break something? What's going on over there? This Lost Cause interview has gone awry. What is this thing?
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Move like sourdough
LOREN AND IAN: Ohhhhh....whoaahhhhh
IAN: Alright, so to sum it up, what are your plans from here?
LOREN: Honestly...
IAN: You guys need bananas and carrots
[LAUGHTER]
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Your diet is all vinegar and salt
LOREN: For real, we're gonna play Standing Hard 2 with a bunch of bands from the Northwest, some bands are reuniting [for the fest]...
IAN: Counterblast is playing that
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: And CoolSide! Bananas!
LOREN: After that, we're just gonna play more shows as they come along, record a new EP with Madison Fury & Response and then try to release that in the springtime. And then there's rumors of Strawberita Weekend with The Coltranes
IAN: And The Gravitys
LOREN: All I gotta say is, you know, rest in peace Tim Butcher, Lemmy, and David Bowie. Lost Cause...we're here.
IAN: (chanting) Cause ! Cause! Cause! Cause! Cause! Cause!
LOREN: 4 more years!
IAN: Thanks man...Hey KP, do you have anything you'd like to add?
KP: No
IAN: Alright.
http://lostcausehxc.bandcamp.com/releases
IAN: Alright, I'm here talking with Loren and Lily from Lost Cause; where the fuck are Shane and KP?
LOREN: I think [Shane] had to go home and go to sleep
IAN: Bullshit. How did you guys feel about the show tonight?
LOREN: Honestly, I felt really good about it. From other experiences, and with the new line-up and stuff, we're going in a direction that's more individual and creative with what we do and what we like in this music.
IAN: What was the difference between [now] and the old line-up?
LOREN: [One of] the differences is that the old guys were more into, like, going heavy, like Xibalba. They wanted to by like Turnstile and all that. And really, we're more about just being creative and not trying to be somebody else.
IAN: Now Lily, this is your first show with [Lost Cause]; is this like, your first hardcore show as well?
LILY: You mean, like, playing?
IAN: Yeah
LILY: Yeah
IAN: Is this your stuff or what?
LILY: Yeah of course!
IAN: Word
[KP and MILLER show up dancing behind Loren]
IAN: It looks like we've got a dance crew behind us
LOREN: KP is back from the dead
IAN: KP!
MILLER: Let's all go over here
[LILY laughing]
IAN: Now it's become a multi-family affair
KP: Why are you interviewing me?
IAN: Why do you wanna be in this band and not in my band?
[Laughter all around]
KP: Well, that's a broad question. Its because I know Loren won't show up [to a show] hammered
[Laughter]
KP: And I say that out of love
[Noise off to the side]
IAN: Did we break something? What's going on over there? This Lost Cause interview has gone awry. What is this thing?
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Move like sourdough
LOREN AND IAN: Ohhhhh....whoaahhhhh
IAN: Alright, so to sum it up, what are your plans from here?
LOREN: Honestly...
IAN: You guys need bananas and carrots
[LAUGHTER]
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Your diet is all vinegar and salt
LOREN: For real, we're gonna play Standing Hard 2 with a bunch of bands from the Northwest, some bands are reuniting [for the fest]...
IAN: Counterblast is playing that
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: And CoolSide! Bananas!
LOREN: After that, we're just gonna play more shows as they come along, record a new EP with Madison Fury & Response and then try to release that in the springtime. And then there's rumors of Strawberita Weekend with The Coltranes
IAN: And The Gravitys
LOREN: All I gotta say is, you know, rest in peace Tim Butcher, Lemmy, and David Bowie. Lost Cause...we're here.
IAN: (chanting) Cause ! Cause! Cause! Cause! Cause! Cause!
LOREN: 4 more years!
IAN: Thanks man...Hey KP, do you have anything you'd like to add?
KP: No
IAN: Alright.
http://lostcausehxc.bandcamp.com/releases
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
INTERVIEW: Kyle Ferguson (aka Misery Ritual), January 11th 2016 at The Dial
IAN: Alright, this is Ian, I'm here interviewing Kyle Ferguson, otherwise by his performance name Misery Ritual...How are you doing, man?
KYLE: Doing pretty good; tired after the set
I: Yeah you had a great set, you played before New Gods and then Lost Cause; I thought you were gonna play like, in between those bands. Do you prefer to play first?
K: No, I think somebody in Lost Cause had work and couldn't be here til later so they had me open, which I don't mind. As long as I'm able to do my thing it doesn't matter when I play. It's all good.
I: So, I gotta say, I'm not that versed in the kind of art that you do...With the kind of music you make, I hesitate to even call it 'music.' How do you feel about that?
K: No that's fair. I mean, I go out of my way to take all the musical aspects out of it. I mean, there are notes hidden, hidden somewhere, but one of the things that I like about the noise genre - I guess you could call it that - is that there's no rules. There's no music theory, there's no 'these notes sound wrong next to these other notes,' it's all free sound. It gives me an appreciation to use anything I find as an instrument.
I: Yeah, I've seen, even tonight, you used a chain or something
K: Mmmhmmm
I: As an artist myself, I'm very lo-fi, I only use an acoustic guitar. I don't really understand all the effects. Do you have any songs that you feel you could play without a bunch of effects, or is that kind-of part of the [instrinsic] part of the way you make your art?
K: That's hard to say; have you listened to the recordings at all?
I: I did, and I'm unsure as to what's instrumental and what's not.
K: Some of the recordings that I've put out and plan to in the future, it kind-of spans everything non-music. There's some dark ambient, there's some harsh noise, some very wall-of-sound soundtrack.
I: Word. What I mean is like, would you ever be able to play like, an acoustic set? Do you play music without machines or is that a [fundamental] part of your art?
K: Yeah, I would definitely say it's a part. I like everything to be as abrasive as possible, you know? To everything, add distortion and reverb. Everything is clashing and dissonant; it's all about trying to get the emotions I feel in my head out of my head. That's why I named it Misery Ritual. It's more of a purge of what's in my mind instead of me writing songs.
I: That's something I noticed while you were playing, the way you perform is obviously very, very passionate, even though you're performing [in a way] that most people won't even understand what you're doing. If you had to explain yourself to like, your grandparents or your family who have never been exposed to this kind of stuff before, what would you say you do?
K: Um...you know, cuz noise is such a foriegn concept to a lot of people, I usually start off saying 'noise' and then elaborate that. There are certain sounds that people like, you know, and [on the opposite end] I feel like a lot of people will a have a [natural] aversion to the sound of glass breaking, or metal-on-metal scraping or something like that. But the thing is, it's all just sound, and everything has importance and beauty, in a way. Even in the aversion to it, it's important to me, that metal-on-metal scraping. To me, it's pleasing to the ear, but to anybody else it might make them cringe. It speaks to each person as an individual. I do waht I like regardless of how it could be interpreted by other people. Like I said, this is [all] to purge my brain of negative emotion.
I: That's what's up. [Now] I'm gonna go backwards in time: You used to have a band called Skinslip; what happened with that?
K: Uh, so basically I did guitar and the majority of the vocals, and that was a major depression/aggression outlet for me, but it go to the point where my own negative feelings came between me and the rest of the band. To them, it was better that they do their own thing with me not in the picture.
I: Are they doing anything right now?
K: Not to my understanding. Actually, no. It was more, with me being as emotional as I am you know, I have ups and downs. During that point it was mainly just downs. I was not the easiest person to be around. So I'll put some of that on myself. There are other circumstances also, you know, that played into it, but that's not my place to talk about. But yeah, of course I'm just glad [it happened]. It's freed me to do things on my own. As far as that had been going, I had been dedicating a lot of my free time to playing quote-unquote "real music," but without that, you throw out music theory, you throw out drum beats, and you get the rawest form of sound and passion. That's what I'm doing now. I feel like I'm better off, even though I do miss playing those with guitar and singing.
I: But you're doing what you are into right now
K: Exactly. This is exactly what I set out to do and, you know, based on how I feel afterwards, and the reactions I've been getting, I feel like I'm doing alright.
I: When I was watching you [I thought], if I were to die an untimely death soon, I would like you to play my funeral because it would explain to my parents and my family something about me that they don't understand. Just in the darkness and the unpredictability of your music, it's something that I want my family to understand. They way you've done it is so dark but so obviously filled with emotion; I see that and I really appreciate that.
K: That's like the most meaningful thing, the best feedback I think I've received so far.
I: So if I die soon, you're playing my funeral [LAUGHTER]. I'm gonna end out this intervuiew; the last thing that I always ask anybody, my favorite question because it shows what people really value: What's your favorite breakfast food?
K: Breakfast food? Hmmm...Of my god, that's....You know what, there's a spot in Corona called Goodfellas and they have a pastrami & swiss omelette and I am all about that
I: That does sound good
K: Pretty bomb
I: Alright well I'm gonna end this out then, do you have anything else that you'd like to say?
K: Well, I'll be here Saturday playing at Insect Worship Fest; [Insect Worship] is like, an online collective that I'm a part of and basically what we do is create noise tracks, upload them, and then each person can download and edit it however they want. We end up putting out CDs that are pretty much compilation CDs, we'll throw 5 people working on a track over time, and it's gonna be a bunch of us playing together at this fest on Saturday the 16th, so it'll be fun.
I: Word. Well, Kyle, thanks again for talking with me!
https://miseryritual.bandcamp.com/
KYLE: Doing pretty good; tired after the set
I: Yeah you had a great set, you played before New Gods and then Lost Cause; I thought you were gonna play like, in between those bands. Do you prefer to play first?
K: No, I think somebody in Lost Cause had work and couldn't be here til later so they had me open, which I don't mind. As long as I'm able to do my thing it doesn't matter when I play. It's all good.
I: So, I gotta say, I'm not that versed in the kind of art that you do...With the kind of music you make, I hesitate to even call it 'music.' How do you feel about that?
K: No that's fair. I mean, I go out of my way to take all the musical aspects out of it. I mean, there are notes hidden, hidden somewhere, but one of the things that I like about the noise genre - I guess you could call it that - is that there's no rules. There's no music theory, there's no 'these notes sound wrong next to these other notes,' it's all free sound. It gives me an appreciation to use anything I find as an instrument.
I: Yeah, I've seen, even tonight, you used a chain or something
K: Mmmhmmm
I: As an artist myself, I'm very lo-fi, I only use an acoustic guitar. I don't really understand all the effects. Do you have any songs that you feel you could play without a bunch of effects, or is that kind-of part of the [instrinsic] part of the way you make your art?
K: That's hard to say; have you listened to the recordings at all?
I: I did, and I'm unsure as to what's instrumental and what's not.
K: Some of the recordings that I've put out and plan to in the future, it kind-of spans everything non-music. There's some dark ambient, there's some harsh noise, some very wall-of-sound soundtrack.
I: Word. What I mean is like, would you ever be able to play like, an acoustic set? Do you play music without machines or is that a [fundamental] part of your art?
K: Yeah, I would definitely say it's a part. I like everything to be as abrasive as possible, you know? To everything, add distortion and reverb. Everything is clashing and dissonant; it's all about trying to get the emotions I feel in my head out of my head. That's why I named it Misery Ritual. It's more of a purge of what's in my mind instead of me writing songs.
I: That's something I noticed while you were playing, the way you perform is obviously very, very passionate, even though you're performing [in a way] that most people won't even understand what you're doing. If you had to explain yourself to like, your grandparents or your family who have never been exposed to this kind of stuff before, what would you say you do?
K: Um...you know, cuz noise is such a foriegn concept to a lot of people, I usually start off saying 'noise' and then elaborate that. There are certain sounds that people like, you know, and [on the opposite end] I feel like a lot of people will a have a [natural] aversion to the sound of glass breaking, or metal-on-metal scraping or something like that. But the thing is, it's all just sound, and everything has importance and beauty, in a way. Even in the aversion to it, it's important to me, that metal-on-metal scraping. To me, it's pleasing to the ear, but to anybody else it might make them cringe. It speaks to each person as an individual. I do waht I like regardless of how it could be interpreted by other people. Like I said, this is [all] to purge my brain of negative emotion.
I: That's what's up. [Now] I'm gonna go backwards in time: You used to have a band called Skinslip; what happened with that?
K: Uh, so basically I did guitar and the majority of the vocals, and that was a major depression/aggression outlet for me, but it go to the point where my own negative feelings came between me and the rest of the band. To them, it was better that they do their own thing with me not in the picture.
I: Are they doing anything right now?
K: Not to my understanding. Actually, no. It was more, with me being as emotional as I am you know, I have ups and downs. During that point it was mainly just downs. I was not the easiest person to be around. So I'll put some of that on myself. There are other circumstances also, you know, that played into it, but that's not my place to talk about. But yeah, of course I'm just glad [it happened]. It's freed me to do things on my own. As far as that had been going, I had been dedicating a lot of my free time to playing quote-unquote "real music," but without that, you throw out music theory, you throw out drum beats, and you get the rawest form of sound and passion. That's what I'm doing now. I feel like I'm better off, even though I do miss playing those with guitar and singing.
I: But you're doing what you are into right now
K: Exactly. This is exactly what I set out to do and, you know, based on how I feel afterwards, and the reactions I've been getting, I feel like I'm doing alright.
I: When I was watching you [I thought], if I were to die an untimely death soon, I would like you to play my funeral because it would explain to my parents and my family something about me that they don't understand. Just in the darkness and the unpredictability of your music, it's something that I want my family to understand. They way you've done it is so dark but so obviously filled with emotion; I see that and I really appreciate that.
K: That's like the most meaningful thing, the best feedback I think I've received so far.
I: So if I die soon, you're playing my funeral [LAUGHTER]. I'm gonna end out this intervuiew; the last thing that I always ask anybody, my favorite question because it shows what people really value: What's your favorite breakfast food?
K: Breakfast food? Hmmm...Of my god, that's....You know what, there's a spot in Corona called Goodfellas and they have a pastrami & swiss omelette and I am all about that
I: That does sound good
K: Pretty bomb
I: Alright well I'm gonna end this out then, do you have anything else that you'd like to say?
K: Well, I'll be here Saturday playing at Insect Worship Fest; [Insect Worship] is like, an online collective that I'm a part of and basically what we do is create noise tracks, upload them, and then each person can download and edit it however they want. We end up putting out CDs that are pretty much compilation CDs, we'll throw 5 people working on a track over time, and it's gonna be a bunch of us playing together at this fest on Saturday the 16th, so it'll be fun.
I: Word. Well, Kyle, thanks again for talking with me!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Playlist for February 2016
This is a list of all the albums, EPs, demos, singles, etc that I listened to in their entirety during the month of February 2016, followed by lists of stuff I watched and read and bands I saw live as well. Notes regarding each follow. Enjoy.
MUSIC
2/1/16
Silverstein - "Discovering The Waterfront"
Quicksand - "Manic Compression"
Lee "Scratch" Perry - "Essential Madness from the Scratch Files"
Slipknot - "All Hope Is Lost"
2/3/16
Amon Amarth - "Once Sent From The Golden Hall"
UB40 - "Greatest Hits"
The Ruins Of Beverast - "Enchanted By Gravemold
2/4/16
Gorgon City ft. ROMANS - "Saving My Life" digital single
Wartorn - "Banzai" EP
Florence and the Machine - "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful"
LCD Soundsystem - "Christmas Will Break Your Heart" digital single
Rebelution - "Courage to Grow"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Master"/S/T EP
Ambersmoke - "Wear Your Love Like Heaven"
Shpongle - "Tales of the Inexpressible"
Sunk - Demo
2/5/16
Behemoth - "The Apostasy"
American Football - S/T
The Grateful Dead - "American Beauty"
Ordinary People - "Nothing New"
Negative Approach - "Tied Down" LP
2/6/16
Jackson Shaw - "Just Met You" digital single
Radiohead - "Spectre" digital single
Anathema - "The Silent Enigma"
Deeds Of Flesh - "Inbreeding the Anthropophagi"
Wiz Khalifa - "Khalifa"
end of the summer/Troy Campbell - "Living Situations" split EP
Shojo Winter - "Somewhere Else" EP
Happy In Hemet - "Hush"
Skate Death - "You Break It, You Buy It"
Mount Eerie - "Wind's Poem"
Count Basie - "The Complete Atomic Basie" Disc 1
R.E.M. - "Chronic Town" EP
Less Than Jake - "Anthem
2/7/16
The Locust - S/T EP
Refused - "Freedom"
The Horrors - "Primary Colours"
Dow Jones & The Industrials - "Let's Go Steady!" EP
Primus - "Rhinoplasty"
Shinobu - "10 Thermidor"
Twenty One Pilots - "Blurryface"
2/8/16
Veil Of Maya - "All Things Set Aside"
Motherboy - "Not Punk Session #8" EP
frnkiero and the cellabration/Lonely The Brave - split EP
Halestorm - "Into the Wild Life"
Candiria - "300% Density"
Woodruff - Practice Demos
Cryptopsy - S/T
Lost Cause - "The World Is Yours" demo
2/9/16
Black Breath - "Slaves Beyond Death"
7 Seconds - "New Wind" demo
Carnifex - "The Diseased and the Poisoned"
Steel Panther - "Feel The Steel"
2/10/16
Billy Kenny & Abby Jane - "I Operate" b/w "The Chord March" digital single
R.E.M. - "Murmur"
Iration - "Hotting Up"
ill.Gates - "Mother Mash" digital single
Uli Jon Roth - "Scorpions Revisited"
2/11/16
John Coltrane - "Ken Burns Jazz"
Radiohead - "Kid A"
Killswitch Engage - "The End of Heartache"
PsyOpus - "Odd Senses"
2/17/16
end of the summer/Troy Campbell - "Living Situations" split EP
Death By Stereo - "If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die"
Death By Stereo - "Day of the Death"
2/19/16
Chvrches - "Every Open Eye"
Stereophonics - "Performance and Cocktails"
Twenty One Pilots - "The LC LP"
The Courteeners - "Winter Wonderland" b/w "Small Bones (acoustic)" digital single
Caribou - "Mars" 12"
KISS - "Lo Mejor de...KISS"
The Maccabees - "Marks To Prove It"
Daz-n-Snoop - "Cuzznz"
Young Thug - "I'm Up" EP
Klubbheads - "Klubbhopping" b/w "Work This Pussy" 12"
Borknagar - "Winter Thrice"
2/20/16
Patti Smith - "Horses"
Depeche Mode - "Violator"
Spiritualized - "Lazer Guided Melodies"
2/21/16
The Coltranes - "Sessions of Terror and Piss" EP
Liquid - "Entropy"
Carl Czeny - "Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 780"
Clark Terry - "The Happy Horns Of..."
Atomic Dilemma - "Take This, Kids" EP
Diamond Rugs - 14-song CD
The Grateful Dead - "Infrared Roses"
2/22/16
Disarm - "Deras Krig" EP
Wilderness - "Sleeping" EP
Gryffin ft. Josef Salvat - "Heading Home" digital single
Darryl Hall & John Oates - "Private Eyes"
Disclosure - "Caracal"
Ellie Goulding - "Delirium"
KONE - "Legend Days" EP
Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Agony"
Brand New - "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Of Me"
Wolfmother - "Victorious"
Digitalism - "Idealism"
2/23/16
Asleep In The Lake/Monological Terrorist - "Cosmic Sorrow In The Underbrush" split
UK Subs - "Yellow Leader"
Young Jesus - "Grow/Decompose"
Slade - "Get Yer Boots On: The Best of Slade"
Carly Rae Jepsen - "Emotion"
Frenzal Rhomb - "Meet The Family"
Killswitch Engage - "Strength of the Mind" digital single
The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely"
Defeater - "Still & True" b/w "Let Me Down" 7"
The Struts - "Everybody Wants"
The Scene Aesthetic - "A Type & A Shadow" EP
Unit Pride - "Live in Berkeley '87"
2/24/16
Judas Priest - "Screaming For Vengeance"
Amber Pacific - "The Possibility and the Promise"
Gorguts - "The Erosion Of Sanity"
Nirvana - "Unplugged in New York"
Suicidal Tendencies - "Lights...Camera...Revolution"
Hatebreed - "Satisfaction is the Death of Desire"
Midewest Moms - "Guilt Trip" EP
Trey The Ruler - "Hell Is Under My Hair" EP
Wu-Tang Clan - "Enter The Wu: 36 Chambers"
Eyedea & Abilities - "First Born"
2/25/16
Job For A Cowboy - "Sun Eater"
Incantation - "Onward to Golgotha"
Dazeac & Carnage - "FNX 338 (2001 version)" digital single
Michael Angelo Batio - "Shred Force 1: The Essential MAB"
Abysmal Dawn - "Leveling the Plane of Existence"
Blaze - "But Nothing Ever Change" EP
Action Bronson & Supplies - "Blue Chips" mixtape
Alien Ant Farm - "Always & Forever"
2/26/16
Kodaline - "In A Perfect World"
RAMBO/Crucial Unit - split EP
Foals - "What Went Down"
Imagine Dragons - "Night Visions"
Courtney Barnett - "Avant Gardener" digital single
State Children - "Bomb Shelter for Moneymaking" EP
Megadeth - "Dystopia"
Muse - "Drones"
ZHU x Bony Thugs n Harmony x Trombone Shorty - "Hold Up, Wait A Minute" digital single
Dragonforce - "Ultra Beatdown"
Tchami & Marshall Jefferson - "Move Your Body (Future House)" digital single
Mark EG vs. Outlaw Brothers- "Injected" digital single
Callejon - "Man Spricht Deutsch"
2/27/16
The Tar Babies - "Honey Bubble"
2/28/16
As Cities Burn - "Come Now Sleep"
John Alden Carpenter - "Diversions (for piano)"
Armando Trovajoli - "Profunda di Donna"
Tomber Lever - "C21H10O5" EP
The Distillers - "Coral Fang"
Gorguts - "From Wisdom To Hate"
2/29/16
Vlad Voorhees' Wallachian Nightmare - "Illegally Alive!"
V/A - "PooPoo Platter" Laramie compilation
Chingalera - "Dose"
Gestaffelstein - "Maryland" OST
DJ Khaled ft. Chris Brown, August Alsina, and Fetty Wap - "Gold Slugs" digital single
Unholy Grave - "Crucified"
Therion - "Lepaca Kliffoth"
MUSIC NOTES
- New albums from Florence and the Machine, Chvrches, Liquid, Young Jesus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Gestaffelstein are all on-point
- LCD Soundsystem sucks
- Favorite "new finds" of the month: Ambersmoke, American Football, Ordinary People, Shinobu, Chvrches, Darryl Hall & John Oates, Young Jesus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Armando Trovajoli, Unholy Grave
- Weird how I know the people in Ambersmoke fairly well and this was the first time I actually listened to them....for shame
- Steely Dan winning Best Album over "Kid A" is probably the most egregious error ever committed by the Grammys, and thats coming from a Smashing Pumpkins fan who got snubbed by Celine Dion AND a Jethro Tull fan who snubbed Metallica
- The Courteeners, The Maccabees, Kodaline, Foals, Imagine Dragons, etc are so bland, it's like I guess I understand why they're popular cuz they're not out-and-out horrible, but they're just so boring how can anyone be excited about this stuff?
- I'm sorry but I have never been able to really get into Brand New...Like, they're alright, but pretty forgettable...
- O my god Wolfmother fucking sucks I thought they stopped doing this hokey shit like a decade ago
- The new Killswitch Engage single and music video is fucking LAME, they're just sitting around the studio but the editing makes it seem all EXTREME lol
- Worst of the month: The Struts
- For whatever reason I though The Scene Aesthetic was gonna be a shitty screamo band but no they're a shitty acoustic band
- That Unit Pride live recording is alright if a bit noisy but things kinda went dark when the singer said he was proud to be straight and this next song is about being straight...at first I heard it as like, straight edge, but then I realized maybe this band is like anti-gay or something, they're from the hardline era after all...IDK
- Isn't it weird that Alien Ant Farm is still like, really popular in Europe? Speaking of which, sometimes I wonder why alot of European metal, punk, and psychobilly is so fucking blatantly silly, and then I remember that Faith No More never really lost popularity there...Hmmm
ZINES/BOOKS/COMICS
2/1/16: FINISHED: "L.A. Record" Issue 120 Fall 2015
2/3/16: FINISHED: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
2/21/16: "This Damned Band" Issue 1
ZINE/BOOK/COMIC NOTES
- Dam-Funk is a fucking genius
MOVIES/SHOWS
2/4/16: "Woodstock '94"
2/6/16: "Heart and Souls"
2/11/16: "Led Zeppelin: Mothership"
2/20/16: "Grumpy Old Men"
"Ace Of Base: The Sign" VHS
2/21/16: "Junior" series
"Faith No More: You Fat Bastards - Live at the Brixton Academy"
"Bullet For My Valentine: The Poison" Deluxe Edition
"Burnt"
2/22/16: "Ted 2"
2/24/16: "Straight Outta Compton"
2/26/16: "Iron Man"
2/27/16: "Neighbors"
"The Town"
2/28/16: FINISHED "Straw Dogs"
MOVIE NOTES
- Dang Faith No More was even more badass than I already thought they were
- "Straight Outta Compton" was good but too long
LIVE
2/18/16: (end of the summer)/Dead Rosemary Blue/Ordinary People/fogof @ The Dial
2/19/16: Happy In Hemet/Lost Cause/Caveman Movies/PEST @ The Dial
2/20/16: Liquid/Happy In Hemet/Ill Com/C.O.T./Fight Like A Girl/Captain Mayhem @ The Happy Haus
LIVE NOTES
- Dead Rosemary Blue fucking sucks, fuck that band. They're everything I hate in music. Rockstars.
- That dude who calls himself PEST played his guitar with a fucking buzzing toothbrush in his frets it was badass...his real name is Ian also so thats cool
- Captain Mayhem closed their set with a Coltranes cover...easy circle-pit material
MUSIC
2/1/16
Silverstein - "Discovering The Waterfront"
Quicksand - "Manic Compression"
Lee "Scratch" Perry - "Essential Madness from the Scratch Files"
Slipknot - "All Hope Is Lost"
2/3/16
Amon Amarth - "Once Sent From The Golden Hall"
UB40 - "Greatest Hits"
The Ruins Of Beverast - "Enchanted By Gravemold
2/4/16
Gorgon City ft. ROMANS - "Saving My Life" digital single
Wartorn - "Banzai" EP
Florence and the Machine - "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful"
LCD Soundsystem - "Christmas Will Break Your Heart" digital single
Rebelution - "Courage to Grow"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Master"/S/T EP
Ambersmoke - "Wear Your Love Like Heaven"
Shpongle - "Tales of the Inexpressible"
Sunk - Demo
2/5/16
Behemoth - "The Apostasy"
American Football - S/T
The Grateful Dead - "American Beauty"
Ordinary People - "Nothing New"
Negative Approach - "Tied Down" LP
2/6/16
Jackson Shaw - "Just Met You" digital single
Radiohead - "Spectre" digital single
Anathema - "The Silent Enigma"
Deeds Of Flesh - "Inbreeding the Anthropophagi"
Wiz Khalifa - "Khalifa"
end of the summer/Troy Campbell - "Living Situations" split EP
Shojo Winter - "Somewhere Else" EP
Happy In Hemet - "Hush"
Skate Death - "You Break It, You Buy It"
Mount Eerie - "Wind's Poem"
Count Basie - "The Complete Atomic Basie" Disc 1
R.E.M. - "Chronic Town" EP
Less Than Jake - "Anthem
2/7/16
The Locust - S/T EP
Refused - "Freedom"
The Horrors - "Primary Colours"
Dow Jones & The Industrials - "Let's Go Steady!" EP
Primus - "Rhinoplasty"
Shinobu - "10 Thermidor"
Twenty One Pilots - "Blurryface"
2/8/16
Veil Of Maya - "All Things Set Aside"
Motherboy - "Not Punk Session #8" EP
frnkiero and the cellabration/Lonely The Brave - split EP
Halestorm - "Into the Wild Life"
Candiria - "300% Density"
Woodruff - Practice Demos
Cryptopsy - S/T
Lost Cause - "The World Is Yours" demo
2/9/16
Black Breath - "Slaves Beyond Death"
7 Seconds - "New Wind" demo
Carnifex - "The Diseased and the Poisoned"
Steel Panther - "Feel The Steel"
2/10/16
Billy Kenny & Abby Jane - "I Operate" b/w "The Chord March" digital single
R.E.M. - "Murmur"
Iration - "Hotting Up"
ill.Gates - "Mother Mash" digital single
Uli Jon Roth - "Scorpions Revisited"
2/11/16
John Coltrane - "Ken Burns Jazz"
Radiohead - "Kid A"
Killswitch Engage - "The End of Heartache"
PsyOpus - "Odd Senses"
2/17/16
end of the summer/Troy Campbell - "Living Situations" split EP
Death By Stereo - "If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die"
Death By Stereo - "Day of the Death"
2/19/16
Chvrches - "Every Open Eye"
Stereophonics - "Performance and Cocktails"
Twenty One Pilots - "The LC LP"
The Courteeners - "Winter Wonderland" b/w "Small Bones (acoustic)" digital single
Caribou - "Mars" 12"
KISS - "Lo Mejor de...KISS"
The Maccabees - "Marks To Prove It"
Daz-n-Snoop - "Cuzznz"
Young Thug - "I'm Up" EP
Klubbheads - "Klubbhopping" b/w "Work This Pussy" 12"
Borknagar - "Winter Thrice"
2/20/16
Patti Smith - "Horses"
Depeche Mode - "Violator"
Spiritualized - "Lazer Guided Melodies"
2/21/16
The Coltranes - "Sessions of Terror and Piss" EP
Liquid - "Entropy"
Carl Czeny - "Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 780"
Clark Terry - "The Happy Horns Of..."
Atomic Dilemma - "Take This, Kids" EP
Diamond Rugs - 14-song CD
The Grateful Dead - "Infrared Roses"
2/22/16
Disarm - "Deras Krig" EP
Wilderness - "Sleeping" EP
Gryffin ft. Josef Salvat - "Heading Home" digital single
Darryl Hall & John Oates - "Private Eyes"
Disclosure - "Caracal"
Ellie Goulding - "Delirium"
KONE - "Legend Days" EP
Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Agony"
Brand New - "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Of Me"
Wolfmother - "Victorious"
Digitalism - "Idealism"
2/23/16
Asleep In The Lake/Monological Terrorist - "Cosmic Sorrow In The Underbrush" split
UK Subs - "Yellow Leader"
Young Jesus - "Grow/Decompose"
Slade - "Get Yer Boots On: The Best of Slade"
Carly Rae Jepsen - "Emotion"
Frenzal Rhomb - "Meet The Family"
Killswitch Engage - "Strength of the Mind" digital single
The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely"
Defeater - "Still & True" b/w "Let Me Down" 7"
The Struts - "Everybody Wants"
The Scene Aesthetic - "A Type & A Shadow" EP
Unit Pride - "Live in Berkeley '87"
2/24/16
Judas Priest - "Screaming For Vengeance"
Amber Pacific - "The Possibility and the Promise"
Gorguts - "The Erosion Of Sanity"
Nirvana - "Unplugged in New York"
Suicidal Tendencies - "Lights...Camera...Revolution"
Hatebreed - "Satisfaction is the Death of Desire"
Midewest Moms - "Guilt Trip" EP
Trey The Ruler - "Hell Is Under My Hair" EP
Wu-Tang Clan - "Enter The Wu: 36 Chambers"
Eyedea & Abilities - "First Born"
2/25/16
Job For A Cowboy - "Sun Eater"
Incantation - "Onward to Golgotha"
Dazeac & Carnage - "FNX 338 (2001 version)" digital single
Michael Angelo Batio - "Shred Force 1: The Essential MAB"
Abysmal Dawn - "Leveling the Plane of Existence"
Blaze - "But Nothing Ever Change" EP
Action Bronson & Supplies - "Blue Chips" mixtape
Alien Ant Farm - "Always & Forever"
2/26/16
Kodaline - "In A Perfect World"
RAMBO/Crucial Unit - split EP
Foals - "What Went Down"
Imagine Dragons - "Night Visions"
Courtney Barnett - "Avant Gardener" digital single
State Children - "Bomb Shelter for Moneymaking" EP
Megadeth - "Dystopia"
Muse - "Drones"
ZHU x Bony Thugs n Harmony x Trombone Shorty - "Hold Up, Wait A Minute" digital single
Dragonforce - "Ultra Beatdown"
Tchami & Marshall Jefferson - "Move Your Body (Future House)" digital single
Mark EG vs. Outlaw Brothers- "Injected" digital single
Callejon - "Man Spricht Deutsch"
2/27/16
The Tar Babies - "Honey Bubble"
2/28/16
As Cities Burn - "Come Now Sleep"
John Alden Carpenter - "Diversions (for piano)"
Armando Trovajoli - "Profunda di Donna"
Tomber Lever - "C21H10O5" EP
The Distillers - "Coral Fang"
Gorguts - "From Wisdom To Hate"
2/29/16
Vlad Voorhees' Wallachian Nightmare - "Illegally Alive!"
V/A - "PooPoo Platter" Laramie compilation
Chingalera - "Dose"
Gestaffelstein - "Maryland" OST
DJ Khaled ft. Chris Brown, August Alsina, and Fetty Wap - "Gold Slugs" digital single
Unholy Grave - "Crucified"
Therion - "Lepaca Kliffoth"
MUSIC NOTES
- New albums from Florence and the Machine, Chvrches, Liquid, Young Jesus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Gestaffelstein are all on-point
- LCD Soundsystem sucks
- Favorite "new finds" of the month: Ambersmoke, American Football, Ordinary People, Shinobu, Chvrches, Darryl Hall & John Oates, Young Jesus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Armando Trovajoli, Unholy Grave
- Weird how I know the people in Ambersmoke fairly well and this was the first time I actually listened to them....for shame
- Steely Dan winning Best Album over "Kid A" is probably the most egregious error ever committed by the Grammys, and thats coming from a Smashing Pumpkins fan who got snubbed by Celine Dion AND a Jethro Tull fan who snubbed Metallica
- The Courteeners, The Maccabees, Kodaline, Foals, Imagine Dragons, etc are so bland, it's like I guess I understand why they're popular cuz they're not out-and-out horrible, but they're just so boring how can anyone be excited about this stuff?
- I'm sorry but I have never been able to really get into Brand New...Like, they're alright, but pretty forgettable...
- O my god Wolfmother fucking sucks I thought they stopped doing this hokey shit like a decade ago
- The new Killswitch Engage single and music video is fucking LAME, they're just sitting around the studio but the editing makes it seem all EXTREME lol
- Worst of the month: The Struts
- For whatever reason I though The Scene Aesthetic was gonna be a shitty screamo band but no they're a shitty acoustic band
- That Unit Pride live recording is alright if a bit noisy but things kinda went dark when the singer said he was proud to be straight and this next song is about being straight...at first I heard it as like, straight edge, but then I realized maybe this band is like anti-gay or something, they're from the hardline era after all...IDK
- Isn't it weird that Alien Ant Farm is still like, really popular in Europe? Speaking of which, sometimes I wonder why alot of European metal, punk, and psychobilly is so fucking blatantly silly, and then I remember that Faith No More never really lost popularity there...Hmmm
ZINES/BOOKS/COMICS
2/1/16: FINISHED: "L.A. Record" Issue 120 Fall 2015
2/3/16: FINISHED: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
2/21/16: "This Damned Band" Issue 1
ZINE/BOOK/COMIC NOTES
- Dam-Funk is a fucking genius
MOVIES/SHOWS
2/4/16: "Woodstock '94"
2/6/16: "Heart and Souls"
2/11/16: "Led Zeppelin: Mothership"
2/20/16: "Grumpy Old Men"
"Ace Of Base: The Sign" VHS
2/21/16: "Junior" series
"Faith No More: You Fat Bastards - Live at the Brixton Academy"
"Bullet For My Valentine: The Poison" Deluxe Edition
"Burnt"
2/22/16: "Ted 2"
2/24/16: "Straight Outta Compton"
2/26/16: "Iron Man"
2/27/16: "Neighbors"
"The Town"
2/28/16: FINISHED "Straw Dogs"
MOVIE NOTES
- Dang Faith No More was even more badass than I already thought they were
- "Straight Outta Compton" was good but too long
LIVE
2/18/16: (end of the summer)/Dead Rosemary Blue/Ordinary People/fogof @ The Dial
2/19/16: Happy In Hemet/Lost Cause/Caveman Movies/PEST @ The Dial
2/20/16: Liquid/Happy In Hemet/Ill Com/C.O.T./Fight Like A Girl/Captain Mayhem @ The Happy Haus
LIVE NOTES
- Dead Rosemary Blue fucking sucks, fuck that band. They're everything I hate in music. Rockstars.
- That dude who calls himself PEST played his guitar with a fucking buzzing toothbrush in his frets it was badass...his real name is Ian also so thats cool
- Captain Mayhem closed their set with a Coltranes cover...easy circle-pit material
Sunday, February 7, 2016
A \_/ Manifesto
Nobody's perfect. No one should even strive to be absolutely flawless because your blemishes make you who you are. They make you unique. Accept your limitations and your imperfections because they provide internal motivation to grow and explore who you can be, what you can maybe change within and around you in order to somehow make things feel better.
Don't be afraid to say what you mean and express yourself in a way that makes sense to you. Art and expression isn't about pleasing everyone or catering to the interests of anyone else; that's just entertainment. Everyone has the potential to be an artist if you believe in yourself and do whatever it is you do honestly to what you mean to do.
Never give up your passions just because your temporal situations fluctuate or things in your life variate from how they used to be. Only stop doing something because you actually stop loving it or when you truly feel that you've achieved whatever you goals were. For many things, neither of those sentiments will ever apply so don't let the world limit your dreams. Just keep being yourself for yourself and the things that you believe inside will stay with you for the rest of your life if you want them to.
With that in mind, this is a short life that we are living and most people spend much of it in a state of Constant Horror. Tell the people you love that you love them because our mortality is real. Biology is real. Rock n roll will never die, but you will.
Family is one of the most important things anyone can have, but you don't always have to be blood to be family. Your true friends and those who make up the parts of your life you cherish beyond words, those people are your family too. Even when things change in circumstances or locations or obligations, these relationships are the real beauty of life.
Once a Gravity, Always a Gravity.
DRIVE SAFELY.
Dedicated to the entire extended \_/ family past, present, and future.
Don't be afraid to say what you mean and express yourself in a way that makes sense to you. Art and expression isn't about pleasing everyone or catering to the interests of anyone else; that's just entertainment. Everyone has the potential to be an artist if you believe in yourself and do whatever it is you do honestly to what you mean to do.
Never give up your passions just because your temporal situations fluctuate or things in your life variate from how they used to be. Only stop doing something because you actually stop loving it or when you truly feel that you've achieved whatever you goals were. For many things, neither of those sentiments will ever apply so don't let the world limit your dreams. Just keep being yourself for yourself and the things that you believe inside will stay with you for the rest of your life if you want them to.
With that in mind, this is a short life that we are living and most people spend much of it in a state of Constant Horror. Tell the people you love that you love them because our mortality is real. Biology is real. Rock n roll will never die, but you will.
Family is one of the most important things anyone can have, but you don't always have to be blood to be family. Your true friends and those who make up the parts of your life you cherish beyond words, those people are your family too. Even when things change in circumstances or locations or obligations, these relationships are the real beauty of life.
Once a Gravity, Always a Gravity.
DRIVE SAFELY.
Dedicated to the entire extended \_/ family past, present, and future.
Friday, February 5, 2016
SATIRE: Band Members Confident Ex-Bassist Will Mention Them As A (Previously From...) Reference For Interviews With His Much More Successful Current Band
(TEMECULA, CA) Sources have indicated that long-running yet completely obscure Southern California band The Fitness are excited to see the new interviews their ex-bassist Kelvin will be doing for many regional newspapers, blogs, and magazines concerning his new, much more relevant and active band of a completely different style. Regarding this recent success, the vocalist for The Fitness, Ivan, said "I'm stoked to see our name out there, I know he'll be throwing it around. I mean, he's got to, right?"
Former members of the band range from thrash-metal kids to emo kids and there has never been a cohesive lineup for The Fitness so when asked about his relationship to the group, Kelvin was at first taken aback. "I thought I was just filling in for a show! That guy just can't keep things together. I was in Suicide Silence for a few shows too. Use that instead."
Ivan closed out his interview by mentioning that he had an upcoming bar show in Corona and the line-up was yet to be announced. Kelvin will be playing with Foster The People at The Palladium on Febuary 5th.
Former members of the band range from thrash-metal kids to emo kids and there has never been a cohesive lineup for The Fitness so when asked about his relationship to the group, Kelvin was at first taken aback. "I thought I was just filling in for a show! That guy just can't keep things together. I was in Suicide Silence for a few shows too. Use that instead."
Ivan closed out his interview by mentioning that he had an upcoming bar show in Corona and the line-up was yet to be announced. Kelvin will be playing with Foster The People at The Palladium on Febuary 5th.
BAND INTERVIEW: Woodruff @ The Dial 12/19/15
NOTE: As is the oftentimes the case when I interview whole bands all at once, sometimes the voices become jumbled together so I apologize in advance if any of the quotes here are mis-attributed. You all sound the same.
IAN: Alright this is Ian, I'm talking with Woodruff; What were your names and what do you do in the band?
JEFF: I'm Jeff Waber, I play guitar and sing
ADAM: I'm Adam Packard and I play the bass
WESTON: Weston Bowers, drums
MARCO: I'm Marco and I play guitar
I: Word so I just saw you here at The Dial and you were talking about, this was your second show...How long have you guys been playing?
M: I think, like, 3 months?
J: We started in what, October? September/October.
I: Cool. I mean, you guys sound real refined for being that new of a band; Have you guys already been in other projects before?
W: Yeah, I play in a post-punk group called Moonpool from San Diego
I: I've heard of you guys, actually
W: Really?
I: Yeah I think I listened to your demo
W: Yeah we play like the Soda Bar and stuff like that down there
I: Yeah, it's that post-punk stuff
W: Yeah, almost like 80s goth-rock, almost new wave
I: Cool, I didn't even realize [the connection]
M: And then, me and Adam, we play in a band called Contradictory Me that's kind-of on hiatus right now
I: Again, I feel like I've heard of that name\
M: We've played a couple times here. And then Jeff and I, we've known each other from like, coffee shops
J: Yeah, we met in like 2008 or so. I have a solo project called Aplombed, I've been doing that for a long time.
I: Cool. Well, as I mentioned [to you guys] after your set, to me you gave off a '90s grunge - but like, soft-grunge - [vibe] like Built To Spill, Pavement, those bands
M: Jets To Brazil
A: Yeah, the '90s punk-pop Bay Area stuff like Jawbreaker
I: I feel like a lot of [that scene] remains kind-of unknown to much of our generation and overly-venerated by another patch like ourselves
J: Yeah, nobody ever knows what I'm talking about
I: So you said this was your second show, where was your first show?
J: We played the Bancroft, it's in Spring Valley. It's a wonderful little place, really. I thought it was gonna be a little dive bar and my expectations weren't high but when we got there, it was a great environment
Others: Yeah, great environment
I: So you guys have a couple songs on SoundCloud, do you have plans to record a new demo or an EP or...?
J: Yeah, I think we're up to 8 songs now, maybe 10 if we polish a couple up, and then we're gonna record. We're planning to record an album.
I: That's what's up. So, places like this, The Dial etc., is this the kind of place you're used to playing [with your past bands]? Like, what are your expectations [for this project]?
J: I mean, I used to do a lot of acoustic stuff in environments like this; I honestly don't have much experience in a full-band environment, but I know Weston certainly does, and Adam and Marco do too.
W: Well, [I appreciate] pretty much any place that gives us a chance to play, you know, get our music out there. Also, the more we play the more we support venues like this...we were here [at The Dial] when it went downhill and it disappeared for awhile, which was a very big change.
M: There's really nowhere between San Diego and L.A., it's all very scattered
J: Finding new places and meeting new bands...
W: I mean,. the next place closest to this is the Che Cafe
I: And that almost got shut down too!
W: But they're starting to have shows again
J: Yeah we're talking to them about doing something
I: Yeah I played a show there right when they were getting shut down and it was like, emotional, you know? But now they're back in business, you know, gotta keep it going strong. But, alright, I'm gonna kinda wrap it up here; you said you've got a new album in the works|
M or A: I think we should definitely have some stuff by March
I: For a second show, you guys were really, really strong. The way I always close out interviews, just to kind-of get people's take on things, [is]: what would you say is your favorite breakfast food? I'm gonna go one-by-one here
J: Juevos Rancheros
A; Just some scrambled eggs
W: Just eggs over-easy and a couple strips of bacon
M: Eggs in a basket
I: Okay, what does that entail?
M: The way I make them, I cook some toast, cut a hole in the middle, pour the egg over that, and then you let it brown.
[Miller Stehle enthusiastically enters the circle because eggs in a basket are his go-to breakfast as well]
I: Alright now we got my buddy Miller here, he's very excited about that
[Laughter all around]
Well thank you for the interview, Woodruff!
J: Thank you!
http://woodruff.bandcamp.com/releases
IAN: Alright this is Ian, I'm talking with Woodruff; What were your names and what do you do in the band?
JEFF: I'm Jeff Waber, I play guitar and sing
ADAM: I'm Adam Packard and I play the bass
WESTON: Weston Bowers, drums
MARCO: I'm Marco and I play guitar
I: Word so I just saw you here at The Dial and you were talking about, this was your second show...How long have you guys been playing?
M: I think, like, 3 months?
J: We started in what, October? September/October.
I: Cool. I mean, you guys sound real refined for being that new of a band; Have you guys already been in other projects before?
W: Yeah, I play in a post-punk group called Moonpool from San Diego
I: I've heard of you guys, actually
W: Really?
I: Yeah I think I listened to your demo
W: Yeah we play like the Soda Bar and stuff like that down there
I: Yeah, it's that post-punk stuff
W: Yeah, almost like 80s goth-rock, almost new wave
I: Cool, I didn't even realize [the connection]
M: And then, me and Adam, we play in a band called Contradictory Me that's kind-of on hiatus right now
I: Again, I feel like I've heard of that name\
M: We've played a couple times here. And then Jeff and I, we've known each other from like, coffee shops
J: Yeah, we met in like 2008 or so. I have a solo project called Aplombed, I've been doing that for a long time.
I: Cool. Well, as I mentioned [to you guys] after your set, to me you gave off a '90s grunge - but like, soft-grunge - [vibe] like Built To Spill, Pavement, those bands
M: Jets To Brazil
A: Yeah, the '90s punk-pop Bay Area stuff like Jawbreaker
I: I feel like a lot of [that scene] remains kind-of unknown to much of our generation and overly-venerated by another patch like ourselves
J: Yeah, nobody ever knows what I'm talking about
I: So you said this was your second show, where was your first show?
J: We played the Bancroft, it's in Spring Valley. It's a wonderful little place, really. I thought it was gonna be a little dive bar and my expectations weren't high but when we got there, it was a great environment
Others: Yeah, great environment
I: So you guys have a couple songs on SoundCloud, do you have plans to record a new demo or an EP or...?
J: Yeah, I think we're up to 8 songs now, maybe 10 if we polish a couple up, and then we're gonna record. We're planning to record an album.
I: That's what's up. So, places like this, The Dial etc., is this the kind of place you're used to playing [with your past bands]? Like, what are your expectations [for this project]?
J: I mean, I used to do a lot of acoustic stuff in environments like this; I honestly don't have much experience in a full-band environment, but I know Weston certainly does, and Adam and Marco do too.
W: Well, [I appreciate] pretty much any place that gives us a chance to play, you know, get our music out there. Also, the more we play the more we support venues like this...we were here [at The Dial] when it went downhill and it disappeared for awhile, which was a very big change.
M: There's really nowhere between San Diego and L.A., it's all very scattered
J: Finding new places and meeting new bands...
W: I mean,. the next place closest to this is the Che Cafe
I: And that almost got shut down too!
W: But they're starting to have shows again
J: Yeah we're talking to them about doing something
I: Yeah I played a show there right when they were getting shut down and it was like, emotional, you know? But now they're back in business, you know, gotta keep it going strong. But, alright, I'm gonna kinda wrap it up here; you said you've got a new album in the works|
M or A: I think we should definitely have some stuff by March
I: For a second show, you guys were really, really strong. The way I always close out interviews, just to kind-of get people's take on things, [is]: what would you say is your favorite breakfast food? I'm gonna go one-by-one here
J: Juevos Rancheros
A; Just some scrambled eggs
W: Just eggs over-easy and a couple strips of bacon
M: Eggs in a basket
I: Okay, what does that entail?
M: The way I make them, I cook some toast, cut a hole in the middle, pour the egg over that, and then you let it brown.
[Miller Stehle enthusiastically enters the circle because eggs in a basket are his go-to breakfast as well]
I: Alright now we got my buddy Miller here, he's very excited about that
[Laughter all around]
Well thank you for the interview, Woodruff!
J: Thank you!
http://woodruff.bandcamp.com/releases
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