Altsounds - Features

The Lowdown: Jeremy of The Very Most

jack s — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:24:44 GMT

[Altsounds.com] What does Christmas mean to you?

[Jeremy] To me, Christmas means some time off to spend more time with family. For me, it's also a time to reflect on the role that Jesus Christ plays in my life.

Are you buying your band mates presents this year?

Probably not. I don't really buy Christmas presents for anyone outside my family. That's bad, isn't it?

So a Spring EP, Summer EP, Autumn EP and now a Christmas one, what now?

Well, we're combining all the EPs onto one disc along with a bonus track. That's being released in late January. Then we'll begin work on our next release on Indiecater.

You could title your album "Seasons", that sound good? I want credit for that.

That's a good title. The CD will be called "A Year With The Very Most" though. That name was decided on months ago.

Jeremy what equipment did you have when you had your home studio? Was it fully pimped out?

I'd say it's mildly pimped out. I have some decent mics, guitars, amps, a Fender Rhodes, some awesome soft synths. It's hard for me to complain at this point. I have everything I need and then some. I'm especially fond these days of my Fender Baja Tele guitar. So sweet! I'm also pretty enamored with the Native Instruments stuff like the B4 organ plugin and Guitar Rig guitar processing plugin.

You have had quite a few line-up changes, has this disrupted the progression of The Very Most, or made it stronger?

Well, our current line-up is definitely the strongest line-up. We're really gelling live. More so than any other band I've been a part of. So, while there is an initial time investment in getting new members up to speed, it's more than worth it.

Was it easy to find new members?

It wasn't too rough. Things happened pretty organically.

"The Very Most" - how has this band name come about?

Hmmm. To tell you the truth, I just had a brainstorming session and picked the least dumb name on the list. I needed a band name quick because our first record was coming out soon.

Did you always want to become a musician and release records?

I'd say since the time I was 10 or so. I'd draw pictures of me in a band, though I think the name of my imaginary band in 1986 was "Bad Dudes" or something equally horrible.

What's the worst job you have had?

Washing dishes and putting food on the trays at a hospital. I'd have to be to work at 5:30 in the morning, work as fast as possible, and dodge the occasional syringe on the trays coming back from the rooms. Not fun. Coincidentally enough, my wife had the exact same job that I did three years before I did and she hated it too.

You released a remixes of the spring EP, will you be doing it for the other EP's?

There's no plans to do any more remixes. The Spring ones were fun, but it gets to be a little costly to pay remixers for every EP.

How do you choose them? Just your favourite ones?

I think for the most part the remixers choose the tracks they'd like to do.

Anything you would like to say?

I hope you enjoy our records! We had a lot of fun making them. If you're anywhere near Dublin in December, come see us on the 12th!

Indiecater Records � The Very Most � Winter ~ Quality Indie Music Downloads ~

A Tale Of Junk Culture Part 3

Andrew_Culture — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:56:31 GMT

In previous episodes of this historical tale we�ve talked about Junk Culture the �early days,� in fact the days were so early they were before Junk Culture formed. We examined the motivation behind a young lad with the world ahead of him, a head of fluffy blonde hair and a keen interest in female anatomy (studied in mail order catalogues) throwing his life away playing in bands. So now we�re going to look into why I made it further than 99% of bedroom dreamers and actually played a show, and why I made it further than 80% of the 1% remainder from the above statistic and actually went on to play a second show, and ultimately we shall get an insight into why I am still dumb enough to still be one of the 0.1% of the aforementioned 1% still playing shows so many summers later. That is it for the math in this part, you can put down your pens and pencils; there will be no test afterwards (although the prose may be testing in itself).

Having spent what was probably more than a year practising several times a week in the vicarage, a first gig still eluded the members of NICE. Matt, Dan, Tom and I had tried everything we could to step up to the musical mantel, step onto the first rung of the ladder of fame and step out into the wide world of rock and roll. Our metaphors were getting thin and our desperation for stardom only grew stronger, along with a growing fascination with steps. I was buoyed up by the fact I now knew the fat string at the top of the guitar was referred to as the bottom string, and the recent purchase of an electronic tuner and a plectrum brought a certain professionalism to my performances during practices in the dinning room of the vicarage. But baring the chance a world famous record producer walking his dog down the muddy footpath behind our �rehearsal rooms� would discover us we knew we had little chance of bothering the charts unless we got proactive, and maybe bought a step ladder.

We considered ourselves musically ready; we had a collection of ten or 11 songs together. Titles were taken from the contents of a book case in the dinning room where we rehearsed, themes were inspired by burgeoning teenage crushes. With song titles like �Making clothes for children� and �Journey� (probably more a homage to Jules Verne than an ode to psychedelic drugs) we felt sure we were on the right tracks. We even had a lament to languid lustful longings and teenage temptresses called �Caroline� (bare in mind we were teenagers ourselves at the time and you will realise that is nowhere as creepy as it sounds). We were EMO before EMO existed, but with some loose fitting trousers and without the lank hair. I have no idea where our lyrical inspiration came from; none of us had so much as snogged a girl, let alone suffered the hellish machinations of a heart crushed by the disinterest of the opposite sex. We hadn�t even playfully cupped a breast in jest. Tom had bought the aforementioned Caroline an Easter egg and with no concept of the true meaning of the record had played her �Come Together� by Primal Scream down the telephone line. Possibly slightly confused and concerned by a 13 year old (Tom was Matt�s younger brother) being so suggestive she hung up the phone and Tom decided to eat the egg himself. Such is the complexity of the heart and soul - we all yearn and suffer the torments of desire; the surety that the only way our burning soul can be saved is by the tender affections of those we try to assert our ardour on, but more often than not said fevered feelings can be quelled by eating half of a kilo of reasonably priced chocolate. Watching that delightful 80�s slice of Antipodean oddness �Round the Twist� also helps, although results may vary according to the age of the viewer, and the decade in which the heart is wounded.

After several more aimless crushes the distractions of trying to �get off� with girls appeared to abate briefly, and as if revealed through a clearing in patchy fog we reset our sights on our goal. We decided that if promoters refused to ring and offer us a support slot at Wembley Stadium we would have to take matters into our own hands. Being south of 16 years old - and not having the first idea of the complexities of live music promotion - we went with the only idea our intuition offered us and cobbled together a series of hand made felt tip decorated posters declaring our imminent appearance at Otley village hall.

If you�re reading this and haven�t enjoyed an upbringing in rural England then I�d best briefly explain what a village hall is. It�s a hall in a village. To be more precise it�s a small (usually wooden) hut built around one or other of the Queen�s jubilees, or at the time of her coronation. Often the construction involves a more than advisable amount of asbestos (I.E. �some�). For some reasons I�ve never figured out they almost always seem to be perched perilously on many small piles of bricks, giving them the appearance that they used to be great land ships until some bugger nicked their wheels, forever stranding them by a B road. Village Halls are usually used as the village cr�che for young mums and as a meeting place for the old folk of the village to congregate, play cards and complain about the young mums of today. These two disparate user groups give each village hall a unique smell that you can�t find anywhere else - and heaven only knows why you would seek to � of nappies and stale baked goods, augmented with the tang of fusty air and rotting woodwork. They are truly unique and wonderful places and should be celebrated by all, albeit with a raised eyebrow and a peg to the nose.

I still don�t know why Matt chose a village about ten miles from our own homes in Wickham Market. I have no idea why he chose a parish where we knew nobody and had no way of getting ourselves to, but he seemed sure of his choice in a sort of �build it and they will come� way. We didn�t include a date on the poster, or details of door charges and concession rates. The poster featured as its focal point just our band name and the location of the happening. Underneath we made the bold claim that we were �as good as they say they are,� and offered the opening time for the event as �dusk� (an obscure homage to the recent Stone Roses gig at Spike Island). None of us thought to actually contact the caretakers of Otley Village Hall, book a PA system or even tell our parents about the gig. It wasn�t that we considered these mere details below the radar of our rock god status; we just didn�t consider them at all. We felt much the same way I did when I tried to find a doorway to Narnia in the back of my wardrobe a few years previously; we had a goal in our sights and were more blinkered than a pervert at a peep show.

With exuberant enthusiasm and an unshakeable belief that a life of stadium rock and solid gold toilets would be ours if we just put in a little graft we filled out pockets with drawing pins, hopped on our bikes and set forth to decorate the church notice boards and telegraph poles of the surrounding villages. By the time we reached Ufford (about a mile away) we realised what a mistake we had made in trying to cycle burdened with home made bill posters and pockets full of drawing pins. Wishing to avoid further perforations to our still developing genitalia we elected to put all the posters up outside Ufford Church and headed home confident in the knowledge we had done a good job.

You may have guessed already, but having decided on a gig miles from home, neglecting to actually book the venue and running a poster campaign within the confines of a single church notice board in a village with less than a hundred residents didn�t result in instant stardom. I�d love to be able to give you a fairytale ending to this part of the story whereby a kindly well wisher took us under their wing and pulled a few strings here and there but it just didn�t happen. Damned cruel world this can be sometimes, a boy makes misguided minimal effort and what happens? Nothing. Cruel and bastard-harsh world.

The non existent gig at Otley Village Hall didn�t so much pass by as drift from our collective consciousness, a bit like when you try not to think of a drunken mistake you�ve made, or try to ignore a large crack appearing in your bedroom ceiling above your pillow. Sure the plaster might come crashing down on your face while you sleep permanently scarring you so badly even your mother would struggle to love you, but on the other hand it might not.

Our dreams of world tours were replaced with a simple desire just to play anywhere, to anyone anyway we could. We wanted exposure with a greater swiftness and intensity than a flasher in a black leather raincoat outside a fast food restaurant during an unbearably hot day in August. A brief performance sonically violating the bemused local Christian youth group in the church hall realigned our desires, and we aimed just a little higher. I took it upon myself to book us a proper gig, with a crowd that actually wanted to be present rather than one that (based purely on the sounds they were being exposed to) were starting to question their faith.

With linear logic and an attention to detail that has probably never graced me since I took it on myself to organise our first concert. I chose Hatcheston Village Hall as the venue; it had the advantage of being about a mile away from our home Village and was therefore less likely to attract the local undesirables. These undesirables being the large gang of youths that spent their time outside the men�s public conveniences in the centre of the village yelling homophobic abuse at passers by. Many years later one of these delightful fellows gave me the opportunity to use the best comeback I have ever offered up to such abuse; when one particularly low fore headed boz-eyed specimen bellowed the accusation that I enjoyed partaking in fellatio in front of a large group of onlookers I retorted that he still owed me a tenner for performance of said pole polishing duties!

I contacted the caretaker of Hatcheston Village Hall who seemed to have no problem with a child hiring a building she was responsible for, it was either that or she was trying to get fired or get revenge on a fellow member of the parish council. The cost of hire was ten pounds a night and however many fifty pence pieces we needed for the electric meter.

I chose a date, photocopied some tickets and posters, and began the hard sell. As it turned out a great number of kids at my comprehensive school in Framlingham and the private school my band mates attended in Woodbridge were more than willing to part with a quid in exchange for a badly drawn paper ticket that promised them a night of entertainment from a band that were �as good as they say they are.� At the time I was amazed that our fame had spread so fast. In retrospect I assume these kids relished the idea of spending a night without adult supervision at an event that looked just about passable as a properly organised concert. By the night of the gig we had sold a staggering one hundred tickets and about another fifty kids would show up on the door chancing their arm that they�d get into what was looking like the social event of the decade, and at that age we only had one and a half decades worth of experience to go on.

I was feeling like quite the successful business man, I had even booked a support band in the shape of our friend�s punk band �Ken Liver� to kick off proceedings and to offer the punters more bang for their buck. Ken Liver told me they were a punk band, a phrase that meant nothing to me at all; I think I assumed it was some sort of dance routine.

For reasons I still don�t understand, a music shop in Ipswich called Sounds Plus offered me the use of a rudimentary PA rig for free, and in exchange we offered them advertising in the form of a plastic bag pinned to the wall of the small foyer of the venue. On the morning of the gig we fetched the PA from Ipswich (over an hour away on the bus) and somehow talked a parent into helping us lug it to Hatcheston.

Ever the voice of reason and calm logic my dad pointed out the night before the big gig that we could probably do with some insurance in the shape of someone who had already passed through puberty wandering around to make sure the place didn�t get destroyed. While my dad may have boyish looks he also has an enormous soup strainer moustache that makes it clear to all he finished his �special journey� several decades ago. His concerns weren�t as mad as they may sound, my dad has been heavily involved in youth work for as long as I�ve been alive and was all to aware of what unruly teenagers are capable of. Unconvinced that my burly school friend Leighton (who offered to work the door in exchange for a box of penny chews) would be the only necessary muscle ying to my dad�s security yang. He roped in the Terry the Loss Adjustor (who lived next door) to help out, probably hoping his skills as a Insurance Loss Adjustor wouldn�t become a large part of his role for the night. Kindly Terry�s daughter Clare-Marie and her mate Lucy offered to run the merchandise stall, the merchandise consisting entirely of peppermint cr�mes with our band name NICE etched onto the surface. Naturally they sold out in minutes, I had deliberately chosen a village with no pub so the kids had nowhere else to go, and those not old or wise enough to bring booze needed some kid of mild altering hit.

By the time we were putting this gig on we had been to a few �proper� gigs at the students union at the UEA (the University in Norwich) and at Colchester Uni (where I saw Damon Albarn throwing up behind a bus) and felt sure we knew how to create a realistic and electrifying rock concert. Our plan was a simple one; we shut all the curtains and borrowed a four bulb row of disco lights and a strobe light large enough to take down light aircraft. The rest of the stage effects would be covered by our mate Tim blowing cigar smoke into an empty pop bottle and squeezing it back out from stage left in the vague direction of our feet. The University gigs we had been to were stiflingly hot and sweaty, to mirror this at our own concert we turned all the blow heaters on full blast for the entire afternoon before the doors opened. Everyone must have been wilting as they crammed into the hall around PM, not that we could see them, we had turned the lights off because gigs are always, yer know, kinda dark and hot.

We felt a little deflated by the fact the stage at Hatcheston Village Hall was only ten centimetres high so we formed a barricade in front of the stage by placing the huge fold out trestle tables (of the type you only find in Village Halls) on their sides with the tops facing the audience. The drum riser was made by piling up folded up tables and precariously placing Tom�s drum kit on the top.

As Ken Liver played through a set of what in retrospect were pretty decent punk covers � augmented only by my dad yelling at them for swearing on stage � and we hid away in the kitchen waiting for our big moment. The kitchen was behind the stage and a heavy red velvet curtain gave us the perfect opportunity to make a grand entrance when Tim played the intro music that would signal that our time had come. There were two other doors leading from the kitchen; one led to the outside world where (and I kid you not) screaming girls banged their fists on the door, wanting a piece of our singer Dan. This not entirely unwanted attention forced him to use the cupboard behind the other door as a makeshift toilet and he was forced to use a gossamer thin plastic cup as a makeshift urinal. His emergence from the aforementioned call of nature avec cup is quite wonderfully captured on the video Dan�s dad made of the evening. Nothing would make those baying girls go away; we tried everything, by which I mean we tried opening the door and frisbeeing a surprising number of plastic trays at them.

Ken Liver finished their set and our roadie/ stage manager/ provider of teenage smoke Tim prepared the stage by walking around it and pretending to play Matt�s guitar, we know he did this because not only were we peeping through the curtain but it�s also captured on the video of the night. We went on to bewilderingly rapturous applause considering nobody in the room had ever seen or heard us before, and most of those present had quite probably never even been to a gig before. Maybe we created such a magnificent scene of pure throbbing sexiness on that stage the girls just lost control? Perhaps everyone in the room was dangerously dehydrated from the sweltering heat? Just maybe they screamed due to the fact that half the fuse board had blown out when we took to the stage, meaning the only light in the room was a pulsating strobe light so piercing in its brightness you could see the thoughts of the person in front of you each time it flashed? I�m pretty sure it was the sexy thing though.

We hammered through our set and much to my hormonal joy my performance had the complete attention of a very attractive girl in the front row. I learnt an important lesson on stage that night in Hatcheston; it�s always more important to look like you know what you�re doing with a bass guitar then it is to actually know what you�re doing with a bass guitar. Considering I hadn�t gone to the trouble of actually learning a couple of the songs we played that night and played the remainder with a cavalier attitude to key, tempo and putting the notes in the right places I still managed to earn the fluttering eyelids of a handful of girls. I peered out from behind my stupid floppy fringe (it looked like a comb-over that had been turned ninety degrees and blown dried in a candyfloss machine) at the swooning girls as they turned their attention equally to each band member and I knew with a grave certainty that this lark of being in a band was something I wanted to do a whole lot more of.

It wasn�t like we knew nothing about girls, I had a plethora of girls who claimed taking things further would �ruin our friendship� and we had a particularly special friend called Hester who demystified the opposite sex in the most innocent ways possible. I greatly preferred her explanations of the ways birds and bees have sex with each other than I did the wolf skull diagrams employed by our school RE teacher during sex education. Like most internal organs the ovaries look pretty terrifying out of context, and �out of context� is a way of viewing our organs none of us wish to experience � preferring them to remain safely tucked away actually inside our bodies.

So while the fleeting affections of several girls was great and all, it was the focussed attention of one particular girl called Laura (who had made her way to stand right in front of me) that really caught my attention. In fact on the video of the night you can see me trying to wave to her whilst playing; I may have found out that playing in a band can go some way to attracting female attention, I was yet to figure out how to make the next romantic move. As it turns out Laura took care of that aspect a week later when she kicked shut her bedroom door, pinned me to it and proceeded to carefully examine every aspect of my dental hygiene with her talented tongue. Oh yes, being in a band had got me my first proper snog, and it was with a groupie. There are certain things in life you only get to do once, and the memory and anecdotal armoury of such events stay with you for life. I will always be eternally grateful to Laura for giving me the coolest first kiss of anyone I know. It�s just a shame I made a noise like a pantomime dame when she surprised me with her affections in the way she did. She dumped me a few weeks later because I told her I thought Guns and Roses were shit.

Musically my first ever gig ended in the coolest way possible � we were back stage (by which I mean the kitchen) when my dad bounded through the curtain holding a smashed vodka bottle as evidence that the crowd wanted more. I don�t think anything I�ll experience for as long as I live will be as rock and roll as that moment right there.

NICE continued to play the occasional gig, make the occasional short film (seriously) and build an underground base (no kidding) for the next few years. We changed our name periodically (Morris 1000, The Benaults, The Listeners and probably more) and sadly it would be many years before I played another show to so many people. My cut of the profit that night was �15, it would also be many more years before I would make as much money as that from playing a gig. As my bandmates started to take school seriously and knuckled down to the prospect of having "careers," band practices (or �bandies� as we called them) became less frequent and musical directions more bizarre and challenging. Had it not been for a chance meeting with an extremely drunk young punk in the smoking area of Suffolk College around the same time I dare say NICE may have been my last musical adventure.

The Lowdown - Belladonna

Cristina M — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:11:40 GMT

There are so many bands out there nowadays: good and bad bands, underground and commercial bands, one hit wonders and evergreens, classic and trendy. But how many do you know who actually INVENTED a new genre?

Belladonna, the �pyromantic� creators of what is now known as Rock Noir, did just that. Actually, not �just� that. They promoted themselves, released their own albums, became the biggest Italian rock phenomenon in recent years next to Lacuna Coil, played festivals and legendary venues in the States and shared a stage with the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Duff McKagan, and still, they always find time for their fans, the so-called �Belladonna family.�

Refreshingly down to earth, although conscious of their value and proud of their achievements, Dani and Luana enthusiastically answer our questions and invite us all to experience their �mysterotique� live show upstairs at the Garage, London, on November 26th. Here�s a bit more about Belladonna in their own words for you, and remember, tickets are going fast so don�t miss out!

Altsounds: When asking a band to define their music, the most common answer is that they don�t sound like anything else, nobody wants to be labelled. But Belladonna did more than that. They created a label, �Rock Noir,� which now has its own page on Wikipedia mentioning you as the creators and several international bands following suit! Would you like to explain to our readers what Rock Noir is and how it was born?

Belladonna: When writing songs me and Luana have always consciously refrained from writing anything that even remotely reminded us of anybody, so a while after we had put the band together we found ourselves with this whole catalogue of songs that sounded pretty unique to whoever heard them. They were definitely rock songs, and the noir aspect in the vibe and lyrics was so strong that we thought that �rock noir� aptly described it. We would have never in a billion years imagined that one day it would have become a bona fide musical genre!

Altsounds: Born on MySpace and quickly become the most played Italian band with Lacuna Coil and N.1 unsigned band on the popular networking site, you are the internet tale come true. But I know for a fact that it wasn�t just a matter of creating a profile, you guys have worked hard for this. Would you like to tell any young aspiring musicians online what it really takes?

Belladonna: Well, first of all, almost all of our time is devoted to perfecting our craft. Writing, performing and recording our music. Then of course if anyone contacts us through the web we always answer them personally � we always have and always will. We receive literally tons of e-mails so it does take time but it�s an awesome joy, not a chore at all.

If you love music you are bound to spend all your time making it better and better and connecting with anyone that loves it. It�s only natural so I�d say that if you really love music you just need to act naturally. If you don�t love music and you are in it only to satisfy some sad hunger for notoriety than it�s a totally different story, and for these people I would truly have no advice to give.

Altsounds: Luana, when I saw you guys at Erotica 2007 you seemed a bit intimidated at first, but soon you were owning the stage, playing with the models and having a hell of a time like you had been doing that your whole life. Still, it was I think your first time facing such a huge audience. How useful was that experience for your stage presence?

Belladonna: Well it�s like anything, inevitably the more you do it the better you become. Again, it�s only natural and it�s what I meant when I was talking about perfecting your chosen craft. We just hope we�ll forever be learning new things about our music and therefore about ourselves, that�s what we think that life should actually be all about.

Altsounds: You�ve been recording material in the States with Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of A Down, Skunk Anansie, Johnny Cash). How did that feel, and what happened to that material?

Belladonna: Sylvia is an awesome producer and her studio in Northern California is unbelievable. We had a great time there and made some great music. Most of it ended up on our second CD �The Noir Album�.

Altsounds: Two tracks from your first album �Metaphysical Attraction� were nominated in the ballot for the 2008 Grammy Awards as Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a duo or group with vocals. How many bottles of champagne did you open that day?

Belladonna: Well it was more like cheap spumante, actually! We were truly amazed when we heard the news, and we did not believe it until we actually downloaded the ballot pdf from the Grammy website � and even then it took a few days for it to sink in.
It was an incredible honour for us, one we�ll always treasure.

Altsounds: This year you played some landmark US venues like the Key Club and SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. What was most fun, California or Texas?

Belladonna: Hey, during that one trip we managed to see Steel Panther live in both LA (where we opened for them) and Austin (where they had Tori Amos, of all people, opening for them!) so we can safely say that we had equally awesome fun in both cities! Playing live in the USA is a real thrill for us and as clich�d as it sounds we truly cannot wait to go back.

Altsounds: You also played with some big names like Guns�n�Roses Duff McKagan (Loaded) and Nine Inch Nails. When did you feel most star struck?
Belladonna: We would not feel star struck when meeting any fellow musician - unless it was Jimmy Page! We all love music but we do not idolize the people that create it, and we think it�s the last thing they�d want, anyway. But I must say that to have Duff welcoming us, when we returned backstage right after finishing our opening slot, clapping his hands and telling us many awesome things about our music was a true honour. He�s a diamond guy, a true bona fide rock�n�roller. We love him.

Altsounds: There�s a new album out, �The Noir Album,� published in the UK last month. This is your space to sell it out! It shouldn�t be too hard selling something noir on this rainy foggy island...

Belladonna: Well, we are only musicians, and we are not really in the business of selling records. We put the album out and we know from experience that whoever sees us live or finds us online eventually downloads it from somewhere like e-Mule or Rapidshare, and we have no problem with that. We let our fans download our songs very often from our official websites so to us it�s only normal. The only thing I�d love to say is this. If you like our music get in touch, drop us a line on MySpace, Facebook or Twitter and let us know. That always means a lot to us!

Altsounds: You had offers from several labels but decided to produce �The Noir Album� yourself, can you explain why?

Belladonna: Let�s just say that we treasure our freedom, and we�d rather stay single until we find our perfect match � then we�d happily get married!

Altsounds: Where can we find �The Noir Album� here in the UK?
Belladonna: In most record stores: it�s distributed by Code7 and if you cannot find it you can easily order it from your favourite store. It�s also on iTunes, of course.

Altsounds: This month you�re playing at the Garage, is this your first headlining show in London, and do you have any more planned?

Belladonna: We are planning to come back in April for a full UK club tour � that will be a true thrill!

Altsounds: You and Lacuna Coil finally put Italy back on the international rock map. What made the difference between you two and all the others who tried and got no joy?

Belladonna: We don�t know them personally that well � even though we of course know their music very well. We hold them in the highest regard and have nothing but total admiration for them � but from the little we know about them personally we can safely say that we both share a deep love for music and for doing music. A love so deep that it makes the sacrifice of having to deal with the grim realities of the music business in order to keep on doing music totally worthwhile.

Altsounds: Rather than just doing video clips, in 2005 you produced short movie �Black Swan� including three songs from your first album. Can you tell us the reasons for this choice?

Belladonna: We had a story to tell and we choose to tell it through a short film. We loved the experience and we are totally looking forward to repeating it one day.

Altsounds: Can we expect a similar video production for �The Noir Album�?

Belladonna: We have already shot a video for �Till Death Do Us Part,� the first single off �The Noir Album,� a little noir thing that features Luana at her most sensual, noir self.

Altsounds: You have a very tight relationship with your fan base and loyal followers who travel to see you. Do you keep a personal line with them as much as you can?

Belladonna: Yes, absolutely. We are proud to have become close personal friends with many of them; we call ourselves The Belladonna Family since that�s exactly how it feels like to us, a family-like awesome feeling of togetherness� something we treasure very dearly.

Altsounds: What will you remember 2009 for?

Belladonna: �The Noir Album� entering the iTunes charts here in Italy and our USA shows.

Altsounds: What�s in the pipeline for 2010?

Belladonna: We are right now writing new songs for our next album which we plan to record in the summer. They are sounding truly amazing, and quite different from what we�ve done so far, even though they are still totally rock noir. They are actually more rock and more noir, if anything! And in 2010 we plan to do as many live shows as we can.

Altsounds: How does it feel to be able to make a living out of rock�n�roll?

Belladonna: We feel privileged and honoured of being able to live for our music full time, it truly makes our life totally intense, insane and colourful. When you follow your star, your life becomes an extraordinary experience, regardless of whether you eventually reach it or not.

Altsounds: Anything else you would like to tell our readers? This is your free Altsounds space, you can talk about global warming, your next album or propose to your girlfriend/boyfriend...

Belladonna: We are still searching for those angels with unbroken wings�

Thanks guys, and see you at the Garage!

Find out more about Belladonna here:

MySpace:

Belladonna on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

Facebook:

BELLADONNA | Facebook

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/belladonnaband

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belladonna_(band)

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The Lowdown: Middleman

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:09:59 GMT

I approached Middleman as they've built themselves an impressive fan base in Leeds, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently it's about raving, turning 30 and waking up in trees.

Altsounds: Let's do some introductions.
Slurpy: Hello I�m Slurpy and its my 30th birthday today.

Altsounds: Oh happy birthday, do you want some gum?
Slurpy: Er, no I�m quite happy with the cider.

Altsounds: And your name?
Andy: My name's Andy.

Altsounds: Do you want some gum?
Andy: Well, its not my birthday but if I�m still entitled to some birthday gum then yeah.

Altsounds: Ok, you can have a piece. What�s your name?
Lee: Ruddigah...

Altsounds: Ruddiga? That�s not you're real name, I just looked it up in the brochure.
Lee: [Laughing] I know I just wish my name was Ruddigah. My real name is Lee.
Krish: Hi I�m Krish, I�m nowhere near 30.
[All laugh]

Altsounds: Ok, so I hear you guys entered competitions and you won yourself this spot...
Andy: Yeah yeah, we won the future sound competition in Leeds which, basically, you send a couple of MP3's and they pick 30 bands to play in a live battle of the bands type thing and from all those bands five got to go play Leeds and Reading and we won it so we got to play on the festival republic stage.

Altsounds: So you�ve done both now?
Andy: Yeah we did Reading on the Friday and Leeds just now.

Altsounds: And you're from Leeds?
Lee: The bands from Leeds. Yeah.
Krish: But were all Midlanders.

Altsounds: Ok, so if I wanted to go to the Midlands where would I go to rock out?
ALL: Nowhere, don�t go there!
Andy: No no no!! Don�t go there.
Krish: That�s why we moved here, you'll never come back alive.
Krish: Maybe hire yourself a motel for the weekend and a stereo.
Andy: If you're looking for some anger, frustration and violence then yeah, get down there, have a few scraps.
Andy: The thing that Northerners and Southerners don�t understand is that without the Midlands there would be a massive civil war, we're kind of like a buffer in the middle.

Altsounds: I agree with that.
Andy: And we suffer the arrogance of the Southerners against the Northerners and the displeasure of the Northerners against the Southerners. We're just outcasts.
Slurpy: Constantly on the fence!
Krish: We're not outcasts, we're Middleman!

Altsounds: I like it!
Slurpy: I don�t! It's shit! Ha ha ha!

Altsounds: So, what's your favourite joke?
Krish: What�s the difference between a bottle and carpet...They�re just really different.
All: Ha ha ha!
Lee: Why did the toddler die?
All: You can't do that one you cant!
Lee: Stoned to death by hornets!
All: Ha ha ha!
Slurpy: I was just saying we can't do any bad ones.
Lee: Ok ok, I got another one, why did the monkey fall out the tree?

Altsounds: Cos it was dead?
Lee: Gas leak.
All: Ha ha ha!
Andy: Ok I'll do another one that we can say. There�s two fish in a tank, one goes, "OK, I�m driving, you do the guns." And another one, "Errrr, I�ve been struggling a bit with my sexual performance, so I decided I'd get some viagra, but because I�m really hardcore I put it in my eye cos I wanted to get it in my bloodstream as quickly as possible. It didn�t help with the sex, but I looked real hard."

Altsounds: Oh god....
[silence]
Andy: We're better with the offensive ones aint we?
Lee: Why did the lion fall out the tree...Parkinsons.
All: Ha ha ha
Andy: I'll give you one, what�s the difference between an egg and a wank?

Altsounds: I don�t know.
Andy: You can beat an egg.
All: Ha ha ha!
Andy: Can you use that one?

Altsounds: Yep, I can use them all, that�s the pleasure of being with Altsounds.
Lee: There�s more but they just get darker from here on in.
Andy: We�ve got this new game called 'say really bad things and then laugh at them'

Altsounds: Oh dear, I think we should move on! What was the turning point when you thought, this is it, this is what I want to do?
Krish: Right....
[Silence...then all laugh]

Altsounds: You�ve still got my gum!
Andy: You fucking gave me this!!
[All laugh]

Altsounds: I Meant a piece!
Andy: Where I�m from if someone goes, 'Oi do you want this?' and they give it you and then they go 'Oi I want it back' ...Anyway I haven�t had any yet!

Altsounds: Ok ok!
Lee: Anyway! I think within about two weeks of starting the band to be honest, we got together and we'd all been in other bands for years and quite enjoyed ourselves but then when we all got together it was instantly like...oh! This is easy!
Andy: These two, Slurpy and Lee, got me round and interviewed me I guess. Working interview I guess. Lee�s just wet himself there!
Lee: Don�t film my crotch!!!
Krish: Oooo sex wee!

At this point a festival organiser asked if they could cover another slot as a band couldn't play, so they ran off, but met back up with me later.

Altsounds: So, you got whisked away to do an emergency gig how was it?
Krish: Amazing.
Slurpy: Really good.
Lee: Fucking brilliant.

Altsounds: Was it! Bigger crowd?
Slurpy: No no.

Altsounds: No?
Slurpy: They were up for it and we just played a hell of a lot better, we just played all our raucous ones and it was just ace, got banging through them, was slightly too comfortable!
Krish: Sounds good though doesn�t it, it was like an adhesive.

Altsounds: So Reading or Leeds?
All: Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, Yorkshire! Leeds Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, Yorkshire!

Altsounds: Ok, so if I were a princess...[eager mumbling] wait for it! and I was trapped in a tower...
Lee: What would we do to you?
All: Easy, easy!

Altsounds: How would you RESCUE me!?
Andy: Err, dunno, how long's your hair? Oh, that long...well it's not going to be a Rapunzel type job is it? To be honest its not the most ideal way of rescue anyway.
Slurpy: Maybe if I look up you could climb down my massive nose?
All: Ha ha ha!
Lee: I'd just take these [shows biceps] and knock the bricks out... just punch them all out like Tetris style. I'd knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down, knock 'em down...
Slurpy: You're stuck in a loop man!
Lee: ...and when I get there, you�d probably be too pretty and be like [shakes head with eyes closed and pretends to cry] then just burst into flames.
All: Whoa! Ha ha ha!
Slurpy: I like that. I�m proud of you!
Andy: I would lay these three down in a row and shout jump and you could use them as a cushion.

Altsounds: How about you?
Krish: I'd call the police, they�d probably do it by the book to be honest. I'd probably get the fire ambulance.
Slurpy: What the hell's one of them?
Krish: Yeah I'd make sure the ambulance was on fire so it was going pretty fast. Then I'd get the fire brigade to put a ladder up, maybe check out the structural stability of the building.

Altsounds: Fantastic! If you were on death row what would be your last meal?
Slurpy: X-large bacon double cheese burger and a chicken royal with cheese.
Krish: A salad just so I could die healthy.
Lee: I�m a steak man, I'd go for a rare steak with chips, but not like crap chips, home-made chips with salad, vinaigrette on the side.
Andy: Ohh! You�d well get your steak from a famous cow.
Lee: You�re not listening to what I�m saying are you, you don�t care what I have to say! I�m, I�m gonna fuck you up!

[All laugh]

Andy: I would have really massive massive bag of quality skag.

[All laugh]

Andy: Cos, Cos... nah I wouldn�t really but I'd want to go out with a bang, they�d have to do it anyway, law goes out of the window at that point, I�d eat the needles glass first as well. I mean, I�ve never had it but I�ve heard its quite more-ish and if you�re gong to die anyway, why not have a bit of fun with it? It's better than getting electrocuted, that doesn�t strike me as the most fun way to die.

Lee: You know how skag is brown? You could have what I�m talking about and then maybe make a skag gravy.
Slurpy: Or maybe some smack cakes?
Krish: I've got a really good idea, you could swallow loads of bulbs and then when you die you glow up.

Altsounds: Tell me something crazy you've got up to.
Lee: Like in the past day or so WHEN THE FIRE ENGINE CAME!
Andy: Nah we�ve done that one.
Andy: Most involve like passing out, whether its passing out stood up at a urinal at a festival...
Slurpy: There�s nothing quite as impressive as waking up in a cowboy position...
Andy: Yeah like pistols at dawn kind of thing, with a phone in one hand, that was a bit crazy.
Slurpy: I�ve woken up in a tree over a river.
Lee: OH but I nearly nearly poo'ed myself at a wedding.
Slurpy: What what? Sorry that got my attention, like what the hell happened yesterday?
Lee: Shut up this is serious [Slaps Slurpy]. I went to a wedding when doing the festivals and just had an awkward moment. I thought it was a fart!
Andy: Did you fart with too much confidence?
Lee: I was like, no ones around me right now, I�m gonna heave this baby out and just at the last minute I was like...NO!!! - Withhold information!
Andy: In case you missed it the whole pistol whip thing at dawn and falling asleep over a river was pretty awesome.
Lee: Basically we went to a rave, did loads of drugs and he [Slurpy] woke up in a tree.
Slurpy: Literally I was hanging there with my arms up and my legs dangling down, like a bear.
Lee: Like Bagheera! Bagheeraaaaaaa!
Slurpy: There was no clear path on how I got there, just loads and loads of nettles, it was terrifying!
Andy: You're so rock n roll, like Keith Harris or something.
Slurpy: Keith Harris - He thinks he�s Rod Stewart.
[All laugh]

You can buy vinyl / CDs / downloads of latest Middleman singles from the following: 7digital MP3 Music Downloads – The Home of MP3 Downloads

The Lowdown: A Place To Bury Strangers

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:45:49 GMT

It was tipping it down on Sunday so I offered shelter to wandering bands in exchange for a quick interview. I grabbed a very wet Jay, Jonno and Oliver of A Place to Bury Strangers.

Altsounds: So you guys are from New York, if I were to go to New York, where would I go to rock out?
Oliver: Brooklyn is fantastic. You should pick up a show paper and they'll have listings of all the underground shows in Brooklyn and there'll be tons of them every single night. They�re kind of picky, so if you go to stuff that�s in there you'll only go to good shows.

Jay: Besides that, go to Motor City on Ludlow Street, it's the most rock and roll bar in New York.

Jonno: Go to the Mars Bar, don�t go out on Friday or Saturday, go out all the rest of the week.

Oliver: Just avoid the Friday and Saturday nights.

Altsounds: So who are you gutted you haven�t seen or psyched that you have seen?
Oliver: Well we played the same time as The Horrors and were kinda bummed about that.

Jay: Amazing Baby were pretty damn good, Black Lips were good.

Altsounds: So you've played Reading and Leeds now, which do you prefer?
Oliver: The weather at Reading was a little bit nicer... But I like the set up here at Leeds better.

Altsounds: Ok, what�s your favourite joke? ON THE SPOT!
Jay: What�s the difference between Jam and Jelly? ... I cant jelly my dick up your ass.

Altsounds:Hmmmn, not sure I approve!
Jonno: I can't remember the last time I told a joke, I just freestyle, I don�t have jokes.

Oliver: I cant even remember my joke. Erm...where did the juggling? No. Where was the show of the juggling Sheikh... In tents.

Altsounds: Altsounds is by the people for the people. Do you have a message for anyone who hasn�t heard of you or a message for fans looking for something new?
Jonno: Get our album, you don�t even need to buy it.

Altsounds: Are you on Spotify?
Oliver: Err...what�s that? (off camera) Are we on Spotify?
Off camera: Yes.
Oliver: In that case, yeah we love it, we love Spotify!

Altsounds: So if I were a princess trapped in a tower surrounded by fields of thorns and dragons how would you rescue me?
Jay: I'd go full force to the front door and kill every motherfucker in my path.
Oliver: I'd climb up the wall, jump down and hopefully we'd be safe.
Jonno: I would make a rope out of vines then I�d climb up and grab you and then we'd swing out buccaneer style.

Altsounds: So tell me something crazy that�s happened to the band recently.
Jay: Our van blew up last year. It caught on fire while we were driving it through the desert. So we were trapped in the desert for like 4 hours waiting for someone to pick us up. And when someone did pick us up it was like 1 1/2 hour ride in the back of a pick up truck.

Altsounds: If you were on death row what would your last meal be?
Jay: Probably...kittens
Oliver: Shit....Acid
Jonno: Mine would be rare steak with blue cheese and mashed potatoes from Knicker Bocker on 9th street in the village.

Altsounds: Awesome, cheers guys.

A Place to Bury Strangers new album 'Exploding Heads' is out now via Mute.

The Lowdown: A Place To Bury Strangers

altsounds — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:42:34 GMT

The Lowdown: Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:23:05 GMT

I just walked into the room when someone grabbed me and plonked me down next to Andy from Manchester Orchestra. My hearing had taken a bit of a beating throughout the weekend and I didn't hear who they said it was. A bit flustered, I started recording as I was told I�d only have a few minutes.
I apologised for the rocky start and the fact that I�d just shoved my camcorder under his face, while explaining that I was only allowed to use it as a Dictaphone.

Andy: No worries, I was like, oh my god, I thought you were looking at my teeth for a second.

Altsounds: So you�re from Atlanta Georgia�
Andy: Is this like the Blair Witch Project? [Grabbing the camcorder] 'I�m so scared!'

Altsounds: Ha ha ha.
Andy: Ha ha. Nah go ahead.

Altsounds: So If I were to go to Atlanta Georgia, where would I go to rock out?
Andy: I dunno, I kinda play it low. I play a lot of shows all the time, so I don�t go rocking out that much, I just kind of chill with my wife, play with the dog a little, relax. I�m probably going on tour the next day. It's kinda non-stop.

Altsounds: Manchester Orchestra is a bit of an odd name, how did you come up with that?
Andy: That�s the first time anyone�s asked me that...only joking, ha! Because I liked The Smiths when I started the band, and I still like them. It was a sort of Morrissey summer for me so I thought it would be cool to have a band that all my friends could play in and as it went on it actually formed into a kind of band.

Altsounds: Sorry for the unoriginal question, I�ll confess that I had to ask so I knew who you were when I got home.
Andy: Ha ha! [Slowly] Exactly...Manchester...Orchest ra.

Altsounds: So what�s your favourite joke?
Andy: How do you make a baby float?

Altsounds: I don�t know.
Andy: Take your foot off of it.

Altsounds: Oh my god...that�s fucking awful.
Andy: One of the worst!

Altsounds: Do you know anything about Altsounds?
Andy: Yeah, I�ve read Altsounds before. I�ve read your review of us. Don�t know whether it was good or bad, but I�ve read it. [Incidentally, Manchester Orchestra got 90% and was recommended by altsounds].

Altsounds: So Altsounds is by the people, for the people. Do you have a message for them? I like how your [yellow framed] glasses match your [yellow trimmed] hat by the way.
Andy: Thanks, it�s a coincidence. Well, I spent 15 years with a Maharishi and he taught me something that I knew I would never forget. And he said, never�. no, always...I�m just joking.

Altsounds: Ha ha ha! I thought you were serious!
Andy: Are you going to have to transcribe this?

Altsounds: Yeah.
Andy: Then FUCK YOU ALTSOUNDS! [falls back laughing in chair]

Altsounds: So if I was a princess trapped in a tower how would you rescue me?
Andy: What kind of tower, are there dragons, thorns?

Altsounds: Yeah all of that.
Andy: I�m more concerned by the dragons than the thorns, y�know? A fire breathing dinosaur, not quite as scary as the briar patch, but please, carry on!

Altsounds: So how would you do it?
Andy: Ha ha ha, I�d PAY someone to do that. I�d ask whether I could do it on Xbox instead. How would I do it...erm, valiantly and like a gentleman!

Altsounds: So Reading or Leeds?
Andy: I�ve always liked Leeds more, it�s just a fun place to be at, awesome casinos too and I always have fun. I mean the crowd at Reading was just enormous. We played more technical things today at Leeds, but knew it�d be alright.

Altsounds: What�s your recommended hang over cure?
Andy: Throw up, just vomit it all up. Get it out. There is no cure! Everyone says they have a cure but it just makes you feel like shit. On the second Streets album - they�re brilliant - there�s a track where he�s on the flight back and he spent it all in the toilet praying away all his sins telling God "I�d never drink again." That�s what everyone does if they�ve got a BAD hangover. That�s how I was yesterday actually.

Altsounds: And now you�re just drunk�
Andy: Nah, I�ve been taking it cool, very easy, I was hangover yesterday because I raged really hard Friday and then it's just fallen. I've just been taking it easy. [Takes drink from cup] Water.

Altsounds: OK tell me a crazy story of something that�s happened in the band, where is the rest of the band anyway?
Andy: I dunno, there�s two of them around here somewhere, I was just grabbed in here and now I don�t think ill ever get out! Ok I sing in the band, [leans to camera] in Manchester Orchestra, Atlanta Georgia.

Altsounds: Ha ha ha
Andy: Ok, so something crazy that happened...Our bass player discovered he could control and create fire in the palm of his hand.

Altsounds: Err, So what would your last meal be?
Andy: I don�t think I could eat before I died, know what I mean. I can�t eat before I play a show, I don�t think I could eat before I died. If you knew what was coming do you think you could scarf something down?

Altsounds: Yeah man, definitely! I think Id have a Sunday roast.
Andy: Ok, well maybe an English breakfast. I�m a sucker for that meal

Altsounds: Ok great, thank you!

Manchester Orchestra are currently touring the UK from the 28th October - 28th November.

The Lowdown: Fake Problems

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:04:20 GMT

I waited around for a good couple of hours, until Fake Problems arrived. Apologising, more than fashionably late, and a little drunk. They were pretty funny and sweet though, so it wasn�t all bad.

Altsounds: OK so Fake Problems are�
Sean: Sean.
Casey Lee: Casey Lee.
Derrick: And I'm Derrick Perry. Are you just Sean? I know like a million Sean�s. Did you know Sean is the most popular name from 1972 through to 1997?

Altsounds: Is that a proven fact?
Casey Lee: I think that�s a lie.
Derrick: Its a true worldwide fact.
Casey Lee: World lie.

Altsounds: So who have you seen at Reading or Leeds or who would you like to see?
Derrick: Saw Manchester Orchestra�
Casey Lee: They were terrific.
Sean: We hung out with Anti-Flag and The Bouncing Souls, The Flatliners are here...
Casey Lee: Yeh they were good.

Altsounds: If you were on death row what would be your last meal?
Sean: Cuban chicken with yellow rice and peas, its so good, my mom makes it. Only if my mom made it.
Casey Lee: Florida lobster.
Derrick: Well, like and unlike Casey I would like surf n turf but Maine lobster.
Casey Lee: Maine lobster???
Derrick: Instead of Florida lobster.
Casey Lee: Sell out.
Derrickk: Maine is the greatest, it�s big and red and giant, while the Florida Lobster is this weak little cockroach in pink.

Altsounds: You got a comment on that?
Casey Lee: Yeah, we are gonna kick him outta the state that�s what I say.
Derrick: I mean the Maine lovster is black and it boils this deep red, its beautiful.
Casey Lee: It makes me sick to hear him say that.
Derrick: The claws are the size of hands.

Altsounds: Ok so where are you all from? Lets see what the internet has to say�
Casey Lee: Yeah, let�s see what the internet has to say about us.

Altsounds: Ok, Indie rock from Naples Florida?
All: Yeah we are from Naples.

Altsounds: So if I were to go to Naples, where would I go to rock out?
Casey Lee: Derrick�s house.
Derrick: Yeah my house, its called the Perry house. Frank Turner has played at my house, Paul Barbour has played at my house, Tom Gable and Jordan Freeman just frequent by there every now and then.

Altsounds: So if I couldn�t go to your house where would I go?
Derrick: Why else would you go to Naples?
All: Ha ha ha
Derrick: Just keep going to Miami or Tampa.

Altsounds: So you guys are all drinking, have you got a recommended hangover cure?
Casey Lee: More booze!
Sean: A Big Mac.
Casey Lee: If your really poisoned, there is nothing you can do beside sleep and smoke weed.
All: Weed, weed, weed is the best thing.
Derek: Fast food, pain killers, coffee.
Casey Lee: Weed, beer and gas station hot dogs.

Altsounds: Have you guys got a crazy story that�s happened to your band lately?
Casey Lee: Sean threw up on the plane, four times on the way here.
Sean: Almost had a chance to get into the mile high club.
Casey Lee: But then he started throwing up everywhere.
Derrick: Sean went to the bathroom and this beautiful young woman followed him there and he was just throwing up and she said 'uhh gross face.' Who knows what would�ve happened if they had gone in the stall together?
Sean: Nah man I mean nothing was happening we were just hanging out.
All: Ha ha ha!!
Sean: It was just chance!
Derrick: Everyone�s dream.

Altsounds: [To Casey Lee] So what does that mean? [on the wrist band] WWHD?
Casey Lee: What would Hondo do?

Altsounds: Nice!
Casey Lee: John Wayne

Altsounds: Do you have a message for our readers who maybe haven�t heard of you before or want to hear something new?
Derrickk: Live long and prosper.
Casey Lee: Legalise marijuana.
Sean: I second that.

Altsounds: Now if I were a princess stuck in a tower how would you save me?
Derrick: I would tell you to grow your hair long so I could climb up it.

Altsounds: That would take years.
Casey Lee: I'd call the cops and be like 'someone�s holding this girl hostage. We need some help!'
Sean: Seems logical but its terrible. You�d have to get SWAT or something.
Casey Lee: Yeah I cant do anything!
Sean: You�re supposed to come in with a horse or on a dragon.
Casey Lee: Oh yeah, I�d go to the police station on a horse.
Sean: No, you get the horse FROM the police station.
Casey Lee: A ladder climbing horse.
Sean: Yeah.
Casey Lee: There�s only a few ladder climbing horses in our country, I don�t know how many you guys have.

Altsounds: Oh we have quite a lot actually.
Casey Lee: Well, just go down the street to the horse store, grab one of those, go get a giant ladder and you�re out of there.

Altsounds: So what�s your favourite joke?
Sean: Casey�s side project is to write jokes for comedians

Altsounds: You�re gonna have to beat **** Billy Talent's joke he made up earlier.
Casey Lee: Ok, so how did the writer kill himself? He dropped 20 stories on to the concrete.
Sean: Do the triangle one�
Casey Lee: Ok, What do you call an angel with 3 legs? A tri-angel

Altsounds: That one was bad.
Sean: That�s my favourite.
Casey Lee: Baby seal walks into a club...

Altsounds: ...oh god that s awful!
Casey Lee: [rolls on floor laughing] Ha ha ha!

Altsounds: Ok so do you have a parting message for....Hey you! What�re you doing, you can�t go on your phone in an interview!
Derrick: Oh I�m sorry.
Casey Lee: That�s fucked up.

Altsounds: First you�re late, now you�re on your phone! In fact, I think you should read it out�
Derrick: Ok, it says "Where are you dudes, my phone battery is nearly dead so we should meet up soon." That�s from a guy called Rich Murphy from Hall or Nothing and we�re going to go back to his place in Birmingham to stay at his sweet pad. It�s imperative that I locate him.
Casey Lee: He�s addicted to it [the phone]
Sean: The whole fest has Wi-Fi so it�s a really big deal.

Altsounds: Ok, well I think were done now any way.
Derrick: No, no, we should go out with a bang.
[Much dithering]
Derrickk: Ok errr...
All: errrrr BAAAAAANG!

The Lowdown: Bejamin Kowalewicz and Jonathan Gallant from Billy Talent

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:45:22 GMT

Whilst crouching down packing my camcorder away, I saw a luminious sticker with Billy Talent scrawled across it stuck on the leg on of their tour manager. Heart pumping, I approached him to persuade - or beg - for five minutes of their time. So I began talking like an excitable, star-struck school girl to lead screamer Bejamin Kowalewicz and beautiful bassist Jonathan Gallant.
Altsounds: I cant believe I got Billy Talent!
B: Are you a fan then?

Altsounds: I loved your first album, it�s awesome.
B: What about the others?

Altsounds: Well, I bought the second one a few weeks ago, but I haven�t had time to listen to it properly, and it didn�t grab me on first listen�. erm�sorry.

Altsounds: Have you guys heard of Altsounds?
B: Nope.

J: I listened to your first website but I didn�t get into the second one. [Laughing]

Altsounds: [Blushing] Basically we are an online publication and we�re by the people for the people. So we are basically like a massive fanzine. Do you have a message for any people who haven�t heard of you before or fans looking for something new from you guys?
B: Well if they haven�t heard of us then they don�t care where the message is coming from.
J: Check us out.
B: Yeah check us out.

Altsounds: Please could you tell me your favourite joke?
B: I have got some good Michael Jackson jokes?

Altsounds: Aw man, You wanna risk it so soon?
B: Oh, yeah I�m evil. They found out that MJ actually died of food poisoning� they found a ten year old wiener in his stomach.
J: That�s a good one.

Altsounds: I haven�t heard that one before.
J: I made up a joke� You ever watch the Flintstones?

Altsounds: Yeah.
J: You know how they drive the cars then right?

Altsounds: Yeah.
J: Why did Fred Flintstone stop his car. Because he stepped on pebbles.

Altsounds: Ha ha ha! I like it, did you really make that up?
J: Yeah I made that up, I swear to god.
B: Put it online, oh wait, now it is online!

Altsounds: So if I were a princess...
B: I'd have a crush on you and sweep you away to a far away land.

Altsounds: Awesome!
B: And we'd live happily ever after by a brook and have lots of little animals running around and children chasing the animals.

Altsounds: Awesome, not quite my dream though. Brooks and animals?
J: That is awesome for like a 2 minute meeting though.

Altsounds: Love at first sight then?
B: It is.

Altsounds: But if I were stuck in a tower how would you rescue me?
B: I would probably get a helicopter and dangle a ladder down so you could climb up the ladder and then we'd go to our brook.
J: Hmm, I guess I would just have to build some sort of scaffolding.

Altsounds: So you�ve played Reading and you�re closing the Lock Up Stage, bit of an honour. Which do you prefer Reading or Leeds?
B: It really is an honour yeah. Reading was awesome though, it�s going to be hard for Leeds to beat it. [Smacks bottle against hand]

Altsounds: Have you played IN Leeds before�
Both: Yes, yes, many times.
J: We are veterans of the cockpit.

Altsounds: So are you guy�s straight edge?
Both: Nah we both drink alcohol.

Altsounds: Any recommended hangover cures?
B: Barroca, Iron Bru and one apple and I�m fine.
J: I used to do the Gatorade thing but now I�m like a good catholic boy and just suffer through the agony. As punishment.

Altsounds: So any crazy stories from the band recently?
J: Last night Noodles from The Offspring told Aaron (Solowoniuk) that he looked like Kevin Bacon�

Altsounds: OK, my time�s up, thanks so much [scary stalker voice]: I love you! [Joke]
B: No problem and good luck to Altsounds!

When they�re walking away, I calm myself down by drinking energy drinks and cooling my red face with the can.

Billy Talent will be in the UK from October 19th to November 1st before dashing off to Germany [November 16th � November 27th], Austria [November 29th - 1st December], Italy [3rd December] and Switzerland [4th December].

The Lowdown: Barrie from Milk White Teeth

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:34:38 GMT

Barrie from Milk White White Teeth was relaxing on the sofa interviewing with the BBC until I dragged him onto the floor for a rock and roll interview [the BBC had claimed the sofa for most of the day]. Barrie, who plays keyboard, glockenspiel, electric guitar, harmonica and adds some vocals to the textured sound of his eight piece band, was utterly charming and may well be the nicest rock star in Leeds.

Altsounds: Ok...So! Milk White White Teeth, there�s many of you, what�s your name?
Barrie: Barrie.

Altsounds: Barrie or Marry?
Barrie: I think I�m going to go with Barrie today.

Altsounds: Sorry I'm pretty deaf now. [Sunday interviews were troublesome to say the least].
Barrie: No, I'm awful. People try to talk to me and I do the thing where I am listening but my mind just goes, I can�t quite hear so my mind just gives up.

Altsounds: Yeah, I'm the same � but obviously not while I'm interviewing because I'm very professional.
Barrie: Obviously, and I am the same when I am being interviewed.
Both: Ha ha!

Altsounds: Could you tell me your favourite joke please?
Barrie: No, no I can't because I�m really bad at jokes. I'm more of a situation man, I'm all about the comedy that�s happening right now.

Altsounds: Good with the one-liners?
Barrie: I'm just good with a number of things as it happens. I am really funny you know! But actual jokes I can�t do. My dads good though!

Altsounds: So the situation thing, is that why you carry a cow bell around with you?
Barrie: Ha, well there was this band on after us, and the band was really distressed because they�d lost their cow bell and they noticed that we had a cow bell. So they asked for it and I took it up to the stage for them. I went all the way to the car and came back and they said 'we've found ours' and I was like... [angry face]. They were quite apologetic, but I was still quite downhearted about the whole thing.

Altsounds: I think I would have just lied to you and said �thank you very much.�
Barrie: Yeah, but then I�d have watched them on stage and been like 'that�s not my cow bell!'

Altsounds: True. What was the turning point when you realised this is it, this is what I want to do?
Barrie: When I was 12 or 13 I just decided that writing songs was a lot of fun and that maybe I could do that as a career. I gave up on education, which people think is most important and proceeded to do very badly from then on. I got Cs but I just coasted it, that�s all. Then I went to Music College.

Altsounds: Where was that?
Barrie: I went to Music College in Leicester. It turned out to be one of the best colleges there is. It has some of the best access to music, its free, I like free.

Altsounds: You can�t look at your phone!
Barrie: Hang on, he�s sent me a joke

Altsounds: Who?
Barrie: The man heard [previous interviewer] and sent me one� it�s just updating cos its 2 messages long. Have you seen my phone?

Altsounds: Oh, have you seen mine?
Barrie: Actually, yeah, yours is slightly older as well. Every time I turn this one on it says 2005. Here we go...

A guy walks to a pharmacy to find a man leaning against a wall. He asks the shop assistant, "What�s with the guy over there by the wall?" The shop assistant answers "He was complaining of a cough, I couldn�t find cough syrup so I gave him a whole bottle of laxatives." The guy replies "You idiot, you can�t treat a cough with laxatives." The shop assistant replies "Of course you can, look at him, he's shit scared to cough now!'

Altsounds: That was good!
Barrie: I enjoyed it...

Altsounds: You were disappointed?
Barrie: No I just think I didn�t communicate my joy properly.
Both: Ha ha!

Altsounds: If I was a princess locked in a tower, how would you rescue me?
Barrie: Well, me personally, I can fly through the power of music. As soon as I sing I take off. Didn�t you see us?

Altsounds: No, I live in the press area.
Barrie: Oh, well I was the one that was up in the air. So I would just sing my way up to the tower, grab you by the hair and pull you out by it. Then I'd gradually get quieter as I got closer to the ground. Is that the worst answer you�ve had?

Altsounds: No that�s pretty good! So...Do you like marmite?
Barrie: No I hate it.

Altsounds: So if you were on death row, what would be your last meal?
Barrie: Erm, some sort of pizza. Vegetarian pizza, one of them.

Altsounds: Do you know what, I interviewed a vegetarian earlier and he also said pizza.

Barrie: It is such a good food. I stopped eating meat when I was 4 and the only meat I can remember is ham and corned beef.
Altsounds: Jesus! No wonder you turned vegetarian!

Barrie: My dad is an old man.
Altsounds: Old man!?

Barrie: Nah, he is old. He was 50 when I was born, and I've got a little brother.
Altsounds: Christ I thought my dad was old; he was 40 when I was born.

Barrie: Not as old as mine then.
Altsounds: No.

Barrie: So instead of saying, my dads harder than your dad I can say, my dads older than your dad.
Altsounds: Ha ha ha!

Barrie: I actually used to get people at school to guess how old my dad was, cos y�know, you�re proud of your dad for certain things. I�m proud of him because he remembers the war. He was born in 1935. So anyway my dad used to give me corned beef. I just thought I�d best bring it round [to the question] cos otherwise it would make no sense� because the rest of the dialogue is quite sensible.

Altsounds: So have you heard of Altsounds before?
Barrie: Can I be polite?

Altsounds: Just be honest.
Barrie: No, no I haven�t.

Altsounds: Altsounds is independent music journalism, and our readers come to us because we review everything we can showcasing what music is good out there and what is awful. So bearing that in mind do you have a message for our readers?
Barrie: Michelle, who�s in the band as well - She�s the one at the front, I'm the one in the middle with the big face, there�s eight of us in the band. [Pointing at the photo in the programme]. The BBC were hassling us saying if you don�t get a photo now you wont have one and we were like...ok. Well anyway, she�s a nurse as well, she works as a nurse in St. James' hospital in Leeds. She�s trying to get a thing called �A Spoon Full of Sugar� organised which is basically live music in the hospital because there�s nothing there really. They�ve got Artwork but that�s just pictures, it would be great to have live performances going on. It will get sorted at some point from our website and myspace. John from the band has designed all the leaflets. While I'm just helping with the morale. So check that out Altsounds readers.

Altsounds: That�s such a brilliant idea. And the photo�s not nearly as bad as you make out� Don�t worry about the BBC.
Barrie: Yeah, well they�re not very big anyway.

Altsounds: Yeah, not in Yorkshire.
Barrie: Yeah, I only watch Yorkshire telly.

Altsounds: And go on Altsounds...
Barrie: Yes, GO ON ALTSOUNDS!

Altsounds: Thank you!

Milk White White Teeth are currently unsigned and only gigging in local Leeds. milk white white teeth on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

The Lowdown: Andy Blyth from The Ghost Of a Thousand

LBee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:55:20 GMT

On Sunday, the weather turned nasty, so I stood at the press tent door and offered shelter to passing musicans, a very damp guitarist from Brighton based Ghost of A Thousand traipsed in from the cold in exchange for a two minute interview.

Andy: Hi I�m Andy from Ghost of A Thousand.

Altsounds: So, who've you seen at Reading or Leeds that you love or that you wanted to see?

Andy: Well on the lock up stage we got a few of our friends bands. Anti flag, we�ve been doing a few shows with them. Alexisonfire, we toured with them in 2007 and were touring with them again in October/November. So I�m gonna hang out with those guys, check those guys out. Erm, Faith No More, saw them the other day in Belgium, gonna watch them again this weekend. New Found Glory...

Altsounds: Eh???
Andy: Yeh New Found Glory!

Altsounds: Fuck New Found Glory.
Andy: Ha! That�s about it so far to be honest.

Altsounds: If you were on death row what would be your last meal?
Andy: Probably some sort of sushi platter.

Altsounds: Any recommended hangover cures?
Andy: I�m straight edge so I don�t know.

Altsounds: Oh, wow. Is the whole band straight edge?
Andy: No, no just me.

Altsounds: So tell me something crazy or strange that�s happened to the band.
Andy: Ha ha. OK. So we played a gig in Oslo the other day. And me and Tom went round all the tourist shops and he bought these girls boxer shorts with the Norwegian flag on. So in the last song of our set he whipped off his trousers and shoes off and just dived into the crowd with just these tiny girl boxers on him and I thought, "Oh I'll dive in after him." And my hand managed to find it�s way into the boxers and that wasn�t pleasant but erm...we got through it. There were awkward moments afterwards but it was alright.

Altsounds: Have you heard of Altsounds before?
Andy: Yes, I think so. Have I? Yeah yeah I think so. I�m pretty media savvy, I�m not, but yeah.

Altsounds: We're basically an independent music resource for the people, by the people. Have you got a message for people who haven�t heard of you before or fans who are desperate to hear something new?
Andy: To the people who do come watch us, thank you very much. To the people who haven�t. If your looking for something that isn�t watered down or over stylised music then check us out.

Altsounds: Brilliant! So, if I were a princess trapped in a tower how would you rescue me?
Andy: Get big ladder .

Altsounds: Ok. And what�s your favourite joke?
Andy: How do you find...oh no, its gone wrong!

Altsounds: Oh no!
Andy: What�s his name errrr....How do you find Will Smith in the snow? Look for the fresh prints.

Altsounds: Yeh I heard that one. Ok, do you have another?
Andy: No, I�m not very funny, I don�t have a sense of humour.

Altsounds: Ok, ha ha. So are you guys quite active on stage?
Andy: Yeah yeah, I'd say so.

Altsounds: Have you ever considered doing a workout video?
Andy: Erm, no, but maybe I could? Maybe when I�m all washed up and bitter.

Altsounds: Like Carmen Electra.
Andy: Ha ha, yeh never say never.

Altsounds: Brilliant thank you!
Andy: Thanks

Ghost of a Thousand's album 'New Hopes, New Demonstations' is out now on Epitaph records. They will be touring the UK with Eastpak Antidote, Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire, Ghost of a Thousand and Fall of Troy from 7th Oct through to 21st October.

The Lowdown: Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional

GlockMeAmadeus — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:16:23 GMT

Altsounds: For a few years there, you guys dominated the airwaves. You were all over radio and television and Dashboard was unavoidable. You've been rather low key more recently. Have you been taking some time off?

Chris Carrabba: We've been doing stuff. I never take time off of the music. It took just over 2 years to make this record properly. We decided to just focus and concentrate on that. I would hope that we're more famous. I wouldn't say we were 'dominating' the way other people were. I don't think we were terribly overplayed at the time. We were a popular group, and the fans we picked up at the time were ok with us being popular... just not TOO popular.

Once upon a time, emo was an emerging mainstream genre of music, and you were more or less the posterchild. At that point in time where it seemed like everyone had something to say about your band and your style, did you ever feel pressured to make a certain kind of music?

We made the songs we cared to make and we tried to be sort of unwavered by it all. We wanted to be distanced from that pressure. There will always be pressure when you're a professional musician, but we stayed out of the 'emo' discussion. There was no pressure at all when the songs on the first 2 albums were written. Those songs were written in complete anonymity, with no prospects of being heard. We became popular through those songs and they were embraced by the fans. Some people said that since we were popular, we needed to change. Others said we better not change. It was a slippery slope. We had to stop and clarify- This is what we like. This is how we feel we're growing. It would have been short-sighted to veer in a different direction. It may have paid dividends, but it wouldn't have felt honest.

This new album comes out on November 10, called Alter the Ending. What motivated you to make this record?

There were several motivations. Obviously I never feel like I can be 'overly motivated' to make one. I am constantly making records. What motivated us to do this one the way we did- we felt like we had the opportunity to finally fulfill this commitment we made to each other as bandmates. A couple of the guys, well all of the guys, really, came into this a little later. It was just me on the first record. It took me a long while, a couple more records, before we were able to marry these two camps. There was the songwriting before the band and the songwriting after. We wanted to make a record that represented what we really are as a band, different from those two clearly defined worlds.

Wait... so would you say this is the first real genuine Dashboard Confessional album?

I think that's an overstatement. The first ones were defining of what we were. We aren't that anymore. This is the first record of who we really are now. After Dusk and Summer, which was complicated to make, we were discussing a lot on an intellectual level about the band. We were trying to discern why those first 2 albums struck a chord with the audience the way they did. The guys in the band joined because they were fans of my music. They felt the way other people did, so they were more aware of things than I was. I wondered if they had ever felt that way again. That's why we made The Shade of Poison Trees. It was revisiting that original style of songwriting. Maybe it was like 'Let's look back through the lens, but let's all do it together.'

It was a unique experience to be able to share with them. There was a total lack of fanfare. It let the band become a part of that chapter of what Dashboard was. I didn't realize that they hadn't really been invested in this. After we made that record, my band was on fire in a way I had never seen them before. It was the first time maybe we all had a feeling like we were starting on the same starting line. It was OUR record instead of mine.

I was reading through your fan reviews on your MySpace profile. There's some really interesting stuff in there! Your fans aren't stupid. There was one word/idea that kept popping up- nostalgia...

Wow! That's really interesting. That's exactly how I feel about this record. I don't feel like I wrote it from a place of nostalgia, really, but it has that feeling. The only time I can react objectively, like with a pure outlook of what something is, is when I play it for someone I care about and respect for the first time. You can hear it the way they hear it and get an appreciation for it in a totally new way. There was something I was finding... I could sense this instant familiarity with the tone of the stories, or maybe the tone of the songs. I felt like there was nostalgia to it. The people I have played it for- I don't think they're feeling nostalgic for Dashboard specifically. It seems like the songs themselves are evoking memories of feelings or a certain time in their lives. It's interesting that the fans are picking up on that up so clearly...

There is definitely something familiar about it. At no point does it feel like you're trying to recapture the past.. it's more like you exist as a fixed point in time and space. You sound like 2003, no matter what year it is.

Is it the way the songs are written? What sounds like 2003?

It's hard to explain. Yeah, how the songs are written and recorded, I guess. It doesn't sound 'dated' by any means... just very familiar.

Well, I like that. I like when I put on a record for the first time and it feels like we already know each other. [laughs]

This is a question I ask of many artists- Do you believe in fate/destiny?

I like to believe in fate, but I like more to believe that you can steer your own ship. Fate sounds great when things are going awesome. You want to believe that it was all meant to be. You don't feel that way when things are going poorly. I think there's more power in that one- when you're against the tide and things aren't working, you know you can right the ship. That's a feeling I prefer.

You're known for writing romantic songs...in your opinion, what is the most romantic song ever written?

"Every Breath You Take." What makes it great is that it's so creepy. It's obsessive and it's weird and it's so incredible. It sounds beautiful and romantic, but you get down to the lyrics and you're made to wonder. I like that kind of romance... when you feel ok being creeped out a little.

Is this something we need to talk about, Chris? Are you driving past girls houses late at night? Calling and hanging up? Hacking them up in the shower?

[laughs] I don't like DOING that, but I like songs about that, for some reason.

Do you think people need to hold a physical copy of the music in their hands to really connect to it?

No, I don't. I do think I am the kind of person that needs to, but I'm of the last generation, probably, where part of embracing a new record is holding it while you listen, reading the lyrics. There are so many mysteries to a physical album. Like in the lyrics it says 'A' but they sing 'The.' Why did they make that decision while recording? Or seeing the image of the band or the art they feel represents what the band is all about. The first time you hear the music it's through all of these filters the band puts out there.

I've finally accepted that physical albums are no longer popular. People want instant gratification. They get the song they want to hear without the other songs the band wants them to hear. 'Maybe I'll listen to the preview and pick up one or two more songs.' That's not the vision of the band. That's not how it was intended. I think having the physical copy enhances the listening experience.

Now that I finally think I have a record cover that I think tells the story, most people will see it in a little inch and a half digital image. You see the band and they look like they enjoy being in a band. That's what our new album is. I just got the box of CDs yesterday and as I'm holding one of them up to look at it, it occurs to me that not many people will really see it like this.

Do you have any unfinished business?

I have ONLY unfinished business. I'm being so honest with you right now. That's all I've got in my life is unfinished business. In all things, I like to keep a back door creaked open a little as a way to get in or a way to escape.

ALTER THE ENDING available everywhere November 10.

Altsounds
Dashboard Confessional on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

The Lowdown: John "Slo" Maggard from Unearth

Marcymarc — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:06:57 GMT

Altsounds were lucky enough to catch a quick chat with Uearth bassist John �Slo� Maggard before their recent show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. Here�s how it went down.

Altsounds: So, tell us about the tour so far?

John Unearth: Well it�s almost done. It�s the last show here tonight in London. We toured a lot of new countries over the course of this one. It was our first time being in Latvia and Finland, Estonia and then back to Sweden, which we�ve been to before and is always awesome. Yeah, so it was cool to see some new places this time round and all that stuff. The tours gone smooth, all the guys in all the bands [Chimaira, Throwdown and Daarth] are really cool and we�re having a really good time. It�s good to go home tomorrow and go see my family.

When you visit new places like Latvia and Estonia it must help to have bands like Chimaira and Throwdown on the line up as well?

Oh yeah of course.

So you can drop in and nail a place collectively.

Absolutely.

So you guys dropped The March last year and it�s done pretty good.

Yeah I guess so. I don�t even know, to be honest with you. I know how it�s done in the states but I never see any numbers for anywhere else. I just tend to let the other guys look at that and I just play the bass.

So you just play bass and do your bit and leave the business side to someone else?

JS: Well, it doesn�t really affect my life if we sell more or less. I see it at the shows, when there�s more people coming out, which is good but a don�t know how many albums we�ve sold, to be honest with you. I know it�s not doing bad.

Well, The March has done over 100,000 units worldwide.

Oh wow, cool, that�s awesome, that�s good news. I didn�t expect that.

[b]So when can we see a new album, because you�ve got a big tour of the US coming up? [B/]

Yeah we�ve got a big tour with Hatebreed coming up soon. It looks like we�re going to start working on it probably over the winter. But we won�t sit down and put together seriously until the end of next summer. So you�ll probably see it by the end of next year.

So you�ll start post-festival season?

Exactly.

Do you write a lot whilst on tour?

We do a little of everything. Sometimes we write on the road, sometimes it�s at home, sometimes one guy writes a whole song and he brings it in and we fill in the gaps. We write any way you can think of writing, because you know we�re older now and we all have families, so we do whatever we can whenever we can.

So you don�t get much time to sit down together?

We do jam and we do get together but it�s not as often as we would like sometimes.

How does it feel to be on Guitar Hero?

I always had a funny joke about Guitar Hero, that it turned all my friends in to Neanderthals because no one go out to the bar and have a beer anymore because they were at home playing guitar hero. But hey, it�s a great way of getting music out there and having kids get excited about your music because they think they�re playing the damn thing. So it�s pretty cool, I�m not apposed to it at all. It�s better than the video games I had when I was growing up.

What tracks are on there?

I know Grave Of Opportunity is. I think Crow Killer is and I think We Are Not Anonymous is, but I�m not sure.

Travelling all around Europe, it must be quite strenuous. Do you guys still try and party along the way?

I party everyday. As a matter of fact our tour laminate says I Party with a shitty dog with a birthday hat on it.

That�s cool.

Yeah, we drink everyday. I can feel it after a month of it. It�s not even a hangover anymore; it�s some other thing.

Then you have to do it everyday just to keep it rolling.

Just keep going.

What do you drink?

I drink Jim Beam and beer. Any kind of beer and lots of it, and Jager.

Gotta have Jager.

Playing metal and drinking Jager goes hand in hand these days.

Do you guys always try to get one up on your last record? Like the technical stuff, because there�s always these little fills and riffs here and there?

Yeah, we like to make it more interesting each time. So yeah I would say that we try to be a little bit more technical sometimes, sometimes try to branch out in a new direction. We�re Unearth, we do what we do, but we try to branch it out in different directions whenever we can, just to do something more and more fun, something that�s a little more interesting for us. We don�t want to just play the same stuff over and over.

You guys started off quite heavy and you�ve pretty much stuck to that. You haven�t changed tuning at all?

Nope

So I guess you could say that you�ve just tightened up the sound and honed it?

That�s it.

Because it sucks when bands go one-way or the other. Becoming softer or heavier and ruining what they originally had.

I don�t think that�s even necessary to do. You can experiment without changing your sound and that�s what we do. That�s what makes songs different, just change it up a little bit but you don�t have to change who you are. Just express it in a different way.

What�s nice about your sound is that when you started you fitted in to a sound where you didn�t have to prove yourself as being fashionable. Where you don�t need to progress as you�ve found your sound pretty early on.

Yep, we just do what we do and that�s it.

Because you write stuff individually, do you sometimes find yourself having to call someone out and say no, don�t like that?

Well yeah, we�ve done that a few times.

So it�s a democracy then?

Oh yes.

Do you ever lose?

I usually have great ideas so I�m fine. What�s funny is I usually have the right idea and then someone will say no no no but then we end up doing my ideas in the end anyway because the other ideas are shot. But because I play bass they don�t want to listen to me.

I�ve been there.

It�s the bass player complex.

So are you in a nicer tour bus than you were a few years back?

We got a tour bus but unfortunately we couldn�t bring it to the venue today.

Well that�s London for you.

We had to take a cab here.

I hope it�s there when you get back. You don�t want the same thing happening to you as Poison the Well.

How awful was that?

Have you seen the t-shirt? The t-shirt (this is a charity shirt to raise money for poison the well for new gear. Buy it, it rocks!) has a list of all their gear that was stolen, printed on the back. You read it and it breaks your heart. It�s all vintage stuff.

It�s terrible. I definitely felt so bad for them. It�s not the first time it�s happened to them. We did a tour with them, I think, in 2001 and we were in Montreal and we had all gone out to eat and when we got back to the vans, our van was fine and was untouched, but someone had broken in to their trailer and taken all their gear. All their nice guitars and stuff. We were like, are you kidding me?

They must have it insured now.

Oh yeah I�m sure. They gotta. If they don�t then, I don�t know what they�re thinking. I wouldn�t even bring gear that�s that nice, out on the road. I wouldn�t want to break it.

Did you bring your own gear over or hire some stuff?

I rented my gear from John Henry.

John Henry? John Henry from Darkest Hour?

It�s a rental company here in London and I have an endorsement through Ampeg now.

As I can see by the logo on your shirt.

So I just get my rental gear from here as it�s too expensive to ship stuff over.

So are you guys all playing Ibanez�?

Yes. We all rock Ibanez�. I was with Warwick but they don�t want to call me back any more. Just kidding. I haven�t really been in touch for a while. I really like the Ibanez bass�s that I�m playing so I�m stocked on that.

Any new material being played tonight?

We�re playing an hour set so there will probably be some stuff in there that we�ve never played before.

So where have you played in London before, I remember seeing you in the Meanfiddler or the Astoria a few years back?

yeah we�ve done a few shows there. It�s gone now isn�t it?

Basically the lease ran out and London wanted to buy it and were offering more money than the venue would offer so it went. So now bands have to play other places now.

Like the Electric Ballroom.

Bit smaller but it�s all right.

Dressing rooms are nicer. The Astoria was terrible. Very Dirty.

So you�ll be drinking after the show?

Definitely.

Well I hope to catch you for a beer later. Enjoy the show.

Thanks.

The Lowdown: Carl Verheyen

GlockMeAmadeus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:37:12 GMT

Everyone has heard Carl Verheyen, whether they're aware of it or not. Through music and television soundtracks, a long list of studio session credits, as a member of Supertramp and leading his own group, Carl Verheyen makes regular appearances in our lives. Now with his 10th studio album, Trading 8's, Carl teams up with other musical masters to capture improvised conversations between guitars through inspired 8 bar exchanges. Dedicated to exploring the limits of instrumental possibilities, Carl Verheyen raises the standards for what it means to be 'just a guitarist.'

Altsounds: What's the most challenging project you've worked on?

Carl: I do a lot of movie and TV projects here in L.A.. In terms of sight reading, Michael Giacchino writes some complicated pieces. I've worked on Star Trek, LOST, Ratatouille, but there was a movie that came out last year, Speed Racer... the music on that movie was so hard for me to read. It was written in odd time signatures and jumped around all over the place. That was very challenging.

I've talked to a couple of virtuosos that also briefly attended music school. It seems they go in and learn a couple of classical songs and then go on to be the most creative musicians of our time. What did you get out of attending music school and do you think it's a necessary step for aspiring guitar masters?

I went to Berkley College of Music for 3 months in 1975. I believe you can learn everything on your own with various mentoring. Through instructors, lots of practice, going to gigs, transcribing songs, you can learn it all. What music school is good for is the mentoring and networking opportunities. There were 2 or 3 guys I went to school with that could really play. I've kept their numbers and we have sent each other work over the years. I think it's good for the early stages of your networking. To certain people, I would really recommend it. I teach in L.A. and a few places. I taught this one class that was called Advanced Electric Guitar in the Style of Carl Verheyen. [laughs] There was a guy in the class that asked, "Why do I need to play this? I just want to play like Slash." You can play like Slash by just listening to Slash. You don't need to go to school for that. Just listen to Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver. It's not rocket surgery. [laughs]

Do you enjoy being a frontman?

Yeah, I do. I enjoy it because when I lead my own band, it is definitely my musical vision. So much I have done has been with other people. Supertramp and then the studio work- you're supporting someone else's musical vision. In the case of Supertramp, the vision is really deep. They draw on these influences that I wasn't really familiar with. I really respect their vision. Like "Breakfast in America" has this English dancehall sound. It's so great, but that's somebody else's musical vision. When I do my own music, it's my vision. I can make the music that I feel needs to be made, the way I think it should be done.

You've said before that if someone wants to master the guitar, they need to be an expert on the instrument as well as their musical history. If you were ever stranded on a desert island, do you think you'd be able to make your own guitar out of whatever happened to be lying about?

That would be tough- to make strings that sound right. It depends on what I crashed there with. I never travel without a guitar, so I would probably have at least the pieces with me.

Let's say you had absolutely nothing with you. You know a lot about guitars, I think you could put something together.

I'd start with a turtle shell and try to add a neck onto that somehow. There is this instrument called the turango. It's an 8-string South American instrument. I got a call one day asking me, "Can you play the turango?" I asked, "How many strings does it have? 8? Yes, I can play it." [laughs] I played it on a session for the movie Stand and Deliver. It's a giant turtle shell with a hole in one side. Obviously you take the turtle out of it first. Then they add a neck and some strings. I could try to make that.

Who do you admire?

I really admire some of these guys on my record. Steve Morris is one of my favorite players. Let's see... Paul McCartney. I love Joe Zawinul, he formed the band Weather Report, he played with Miles Davis... I love everything he ever did. Eric Clapton back in the Cream days. Hendrix. Jimmy Page. Jeff Beck. Mike Bloomfield was a big hero of a mine. Ry Cooder. Derek Trucks. Eric Johnson. David Gilmour. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Muddy Waters... the list goes on and on. I could be here all day naming people I look up to.

I read that you don't have your own recording studio. Why not?

My idea, so far anyway, has been to spend all my time playing the guitar and practicing the guitar. I want to be the best I can possibly be. When you get into recording, it's all about setting up the mics and mixing. I would rather spend my time playing and rely on the experts to record. My feeling has always been that if it's worthwhile, then do it right.

To me, recording is reading a lot of manuals and spending time working on those techniques. I do have some recording gear here so I can put ideas down. Maybe in the future I'll ramp it up to a studio and just hire an engineer to come over here. I did the album at Sunset Sound... the hallowed halls of recording. So many great albums have come out of there.

You're about to start the tour for the new album, Trading 8's...

I just got back yesterday from 2 and a half weeks in Italy, Spain and England doing a solo electric and acoustic tour. Now I'm home for 10 days, then we start out in Seattle and go down to San Diego. So, basically a tour of the West Coast. Europe was great. I played these neat little theaters in Italy. I played in Soho. I played this athletic club in the South of England, near Brighton on Saturday night. We had a lot of sold out shows. It's so nice being in England because they speak English. [laughs] They're just so delightfully polite. If you grew up with your parents stressing good manners, you get to England and it's like, "Oh, now I see why." Having good manners is good for traveling. [laughs]

Is there anything you haven't done yet that you're looking forward to?

My little band, the Carl Verheyen Band, we have scaled some wonderful heights in Europe. What I'm trying to do, with your help, AJ, is get to the same level in the States. They seem to really appreciate improvisers over there. They appreciate people who can paint a different watercolor every night. We have people who follow us around like we're the Dead. They'll come out to 4 or 5 shows and you see some of the same faces night after night. One of the things I really want to do is get to the same level over here.

Every day, somebody emails me from a far flung part of the US asking why we don't come out to South Dakota or Texas or wherever. To put together a tour that makes money or at least breaks even is easier said than done. Part of that is having a good agent. Self-promoting gigs where you don't bother with a club owner or a community theater agent is the best way to do it. Just find a place you can rent and then take care of it all yourself. Hire someone to promote it. That's the wave of the future. Do it yourself. On my next tour, I'm doing this in 3 places and I have street teams working it, bringing in as many people as they can. 200-300 seat venues are already selling out.

You should be playing high schools...

You know, we do a lot of workshops. We want ot make sure we're bringing along another generation. We don't want them to be "typers"- meaning we don't want them just living through the computer, piecing together solos instead of actually playing them.

I meant like you should show up at a bunch of high schools, pose as a student and win their talent shows. Just blow people away. [laughs]

[laughs] That's not a bad idea! You know, when I was in 7th grade, the school went up to 8th grade and they were having a talent show. I entered, but then I broke my right hand ring finger playing basketball. So, I had the doctor set this giant guitar pick into the cast on my hand. I played that Van Morrison song "Gloria" and I won!

[laughs] That's great! Well that's about all I had for you. Anything else you want to put out there?

The new CD is called Trading 8's. Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Steve Morse, Rick Vito, Albert Lee and Scott Henderson all playing with a bunch of my friends. For guitar players, it's a really wonderful album to hear all those guys in one place.

Carl Verheyen - The Official Website

The Lowdown: Ryan Waste from Municipal Waste

GlockMeAmadeus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:19:38 GMT

Trash Metal/Hardcore Punk band Municipal Waste has been crawling out from the underground in recent years and now with their 4th studio album, Massive Aggressive, they are demanding the attention of the mainstream. I spoke with Municipal Waste guitarist, Ryan Waste, recently to discuss black face, retard icons, magic little people and putting their fan's lives in danger for the sake of being totally fucking metal. Enjoy!

Altsounds: Your new album debuted at #10 on Billboard Heatseekers... were you surprised to find yourselves on Billboard considering all of the mainstream competition?

Ryan Waste: Yeah I was. I don't even know what the Heatseekers chart is. It's a good thing though, can't go wrong.

Do you ever listen to the radio?

Old classic rock stations sometimes when I'm over records. I look for songs that I grew up with; the things I listened to as a kid. I get a little nostalgic sometimes. I seek that stuff out and make my own playlists, mostly with songs from late 70s and early 80s radio. Nothing new at all. I'm open to new stuff though... blow my mind.

Even with the internet and file sharing and band profiles and all that, it is still surprisingly difficult to reach a dedicated audience. Which avenues have proven the most successful for you? How do people hear about Municipal Waste?

I think going to shows is the coolest way to hear about new bands. I like to catch something live that captures my interest. I tell people to go to shows early and watch the openers. I think that's how people found out about us- as support on bigger shows. The die hard fans have the internet and all that, but going to shows is the best way to discover new music. You never know when something will surprise you. Opening bands are hungry. They really want it! It's exciting when you're up and coming and you're putting it all out there.

You guys are known for sort of blending metal and punk sub-genres. Do you ever find it challenging to be creative or come up with original ideas in a genre with such a deeeep catalog?

It's easy writing songs, that's never really been a problem. That's actually my favorite part of being in a band- creating the music. I play in a band that's all out heavy metal. If I wanted to take the Waste all metal, I could, but I choose to go with different bands. We keep punk elements in there and that's what makes the band what it is. I think if you try to sound too much like something, you'll fail. It's been done and it gets monotonous. If you just do different projects, you can be creative in different ways and keep it genuine.

Ok, a classic 'chicken or the egg' scenario- Do you think albums should attract people to the shows or the shows should make people want to buy the album?

You gotta go to a show to see a band, but I really think albums attract people to the shows. What I think is cool is artwork. There are so many bands I found just because the artwork looked cool, and it's on vinyl, so it's big. The problem I have now is I find a great album and the band has been broken up for 20 years! [laughs] I'll give this one to the record... and contradict myself. [laughs]

You guys do a lot of touring in the States and in Europe- where would you like to play but haven't yet had the opportunity?

Lately we've been in Europe constantly. We've been over there 4 times this year. I'm glad we're finally doing the US on a headlining tour. We haven't been to Japan yet, but we have 3 shows booked in May. We haven't been to South America, but we have shows booked there in the Spring. I have plans to go to the places I really want to go to and we'll accomplish that in 2010... so then I can say I've been there!

If you have to choose to play one kind of venue exclusively, what would it be? Small club, big outdoor festival show, arena?

A burned down house. The way the Waste used to be, we were crazy. We played in a burned down house one time... the ceiling was caving in and we had all this dry ice and creepy lighting. We ciphoned off electricity from other houses. People were really scared to come in. That's how you know who the die hard fans are- the ones that will see you play in a burned down house that's falling apart.

How many bands are you in at the moment?

Right now, just the Waste and I do a band called Volture, which is straight metal. It's really heavy. I played bass in that. We're going to record our first record this winter.

How will you juggle being in the studio and being on the road with a completely different band?

It's hard. I want to get some stuff on vinyl. I may even release it myself. It's something I'm passionate about. I have always wanted a heavy metal band and put the record out on vinyl. It's a second attempt at something I've really wanted to do for a long time.

Have you ever had a "normal" job?

Oh yeah, I've been a cook so many times. I've worked in restaurants. It's a cool job, but it makes you want to drink more than being in a band does! There are some real dangerous party atmospheres with cooks.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

That I'm a really good cook! My nickname is "Dr. Food." Also, I did a rap group called Dirty Wordz. In 6 or 7 years, we have a total of 3 songs. It's really childish and not much of a group, but I don't think people would expect that. I'm not the rapping type.

It's almost Halloween, are you excited?

Yes, I always come up with my costume like the day before. I'm very last minute. We're not playing Halloween this year, which means I can just go to parties and watch the shows. The best Halloween show we ever played was when we were on tour with Gwar in like 2006. We were in Milwaukee and our friend made custom costumes for us. Tony was the Kool-Aid Man. Dave was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I can't believe he didn't pass out from heat exhaustion, drumming in that costume. Our bass player, Phil, was King Diamond from Mercyful Fate. He talked like King Diamond.

Mine was kind of dated... I was Handiman. Black face AND handicapped. I was playing a character! I'm kind of known to do black face, actually. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It's pretty extreme. The kids didn't get it though. They thought I was 'Captain Retard.' I just looked like a freak up there, but I stayed in character all night. Oh, and the coolest thing was Gwar came out in their costumes and killed us in our last song.

Which classic horror monster would you consider your favorite?

The Leprechaun. I know it's not a classic one really, but if you caught me 5 years ago, this is all I would be talking about. Warwick Davis- he's the world's richest little person. He's my favorite horror character. He can do ANYTHING. The Leprechaun has magic on his side, so he can make anything happen. He smokes bong hits. He went to the hood and he's in the fridge smoking bong hits. He can shoot lasers out of his eyes. The guy has ultimate powers! I don't think anyone could take him out. It's not very classic, but that's my guy. If I could dress up like him and pull it off, I would do it. I could be that character all night. It's a tough one to pull off, though.

Well that's all I had for you. Thanks for talking with me!

Hey, thank YOU!

Municipal Waste's new album Massive Aggressive in stores now!

Municipal Waste -- Official Website (www.facethewaste.com)
Municipal Waste on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

CANADA's Summer Of '09 Band Wrap Up

FRIDAE — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:07:28 GMT

This summer showcased so many bands, the music was never ending and that was the sunshine amongst the rain - literally. It rained almost every day! I am not friends with the rain myself but we get along better than snow. If it�s warm outside I don�t mind rain. Enough about the rain and the drama it brings, let�s talk about the most important thing, the music.

The first band I'm going to talk about is Ill Scarlett, they have been playing every single festival that Canada had to offer this summer spreading the word about their new album �1UP� that dropped in September. Never in my life had I seen Ill Scarlett live.

I got my chance to hear and see what the hype of Ill Scarlett was at Trudeau Park for the first ever Rock �N The Park.

ILL SCARLETT

Rock �N The Park was a big weekend jam out in the boons (Tweed, Ontario), people could camp out, party and catch some bands. The headliner for the weekend was Finger Eleven and My Darkest Days as direct support, all the other bands played prior.

A few bands blew ass, some tore it up and there was a new discovery. We arrived just in time to catch the last track �Hail The Villain� performed! I thought I would be able to get to Trudeau on time to see a full set but Hail The Villain are another band that remain on the missed list, one track does not count! If people only knew the adventure we had just to get to Tweed, it was hilarious!

Ill Scarlett hit the stage, first impressions do make you or break you. Yes, there are second chances but that all depends on the first impression, always. The bands musicianship is pretty decent, Will Marr on Guitar has this laid back vibe and isn�t afraid to feel the music. Bassist Jonny D seemed a little lost at times but was jamming out when it counted. Drummer Swav Pior kept that beat tight, playing nothing too complicated, but he kept the flow. Ill Scarlet has a chill Ska Pop Reggae sound a lot mellower than the other bands on the bill. For a signed band about to release their sophomore record they came off as a band that is still in development.

Alex Norman�s guitar skills are better than his main requirement - Vocals. They were not good, he missed many of the notes, was pitchy and talked more than he sang. It was hard to keep my attention focused as I couldn�t handle his singing anymore. I would rather listen to the instrumental version. All of the guitar solos were truly music to my ears with this band. Norman can�t blame it on the mic levels because they had the best levels of all the performances that day and night. They played a few new tracks - none of which seemed like they would catch on as radio singles.

The crowd did not like the band, only a few people made some noise, I guess III Scarlett�s music was not what they were into. At that point in time I thought this was the worst performance from a signed band that I had yet to witness but as I write this now, I lied. There are so many asstastic bands out there with major recording contracts. Most recently Creed has earned the �Lifetime Ass Award�. As for Ill Scarlett they didn�t blow me away, far from it. They barely passed the test, Ill Scarlett needs to �1 Up� their game, tenfold!

The only thing I didn�t like about the whole set up at Rock �N The Park was the stage and the placement of the speakers. A band I have never seen or heard in my life was about to hit the stage, they are called Grace Over Diamonds - a four piece out of Ottawa Ontario. Anything with a harmonious fusion of guitars and good vocals make my ears pay attention. A completely different sound from Ill Scarlett, this band was more alternative popera rock. The drums were on beat but sometimes when stick handler Jarrod Stroeder was backing lead vox it was pitchy. The mic levels for lead singer/guitarist Nate Snook were far too low, the band drowned him out and there were moments he looked confused with his axe.

I moved to the wings of the stage where I could actually hear the vocals on the stage. It was driving me crazy not being able to hear vocals from the pit. I know I�m not going deaf yet! The majority of the time I was flying up and down the stage trying to get good angles at the same time trying to hear the actual vocals. Grace Over Diamonds put on an excellent set, even with the sound issues, they actually kept my A.D.D self focused on them.

Any band that manages to keep my ears tuned to their music gets double high fives. Everyone must check out Grace Over Diamonds. They are much better live than on record but either way a brightly lit future is very possible for these ones. The rest of the band is Mikey Dall on guitar and Chris Lee on bass. A little slow getting into the groove was guitarist Mikey Dall but mid set he relaxed more looking less nervous.

Grace Over Diamonds

Wandering around exploring the surroundings was a must, especially when the ghastly bands were performing. Trudeau Park is a pretty good size, they have a lake, space for camping and a few hotel rooms. Eventually we migrated back to the stage area and this horrid band was still playing, so of course to the bar it was!

The sunset on the lake was so pretty and when it got darker it was a nice change to chill in the wilderness and see all the stars in the night sky. Trudeau Park is a great spot to hit up for a weekend of partying or chilling out.

My Darkest Days

My Darkest Days were scheduled to hit the stage right before Finger Eleven. I first saw the band at the Rivoli during North By Northeast 2009. For the longest time I kept missing this band but this summer I made up for a few missed shows! Since NXNE they managed to accomplish a record deal with Island Def Jam/Mercury/604/Universal, scored some gigs opening for Finger Eleven and Default who I will talk about later in this piece and had a few member changes Sal Costa of Three Star Seed is now on the Axe (Paulo is no longer in the band but was still with the band for the summer shows).

Clearly this band is hungry, currently working on their debut record dropping early next year. To make it in any industry you need to have the drive and commitment. With these guys, it�s blatantly apparent that they bust their balls just to hold their dreams in their hand, even if it lasts just a minute. Hearing and seeing their growth in such a short period of time is remarkable, they were far more tranquil resulting in a much better performance.

Brendan on the bass - he knows what to do, floating all over the place working the apparatus and the crowd at the same time, the bass lines sounded sick. In particular the opening line of the last track which was a medley cover of �Stutter / Apologize / Heartless.� The guitars were fierce, Walst and Neta were in unison bringing the beautiful sounds of the guitar to everyone�s ears. Doug had those drums poppin� the beat always sinuously thumpin�. Oliver also lends his vocals as back up to lead vocals as every member in the band does and every newbie band should take note of. Matt�s vocals have a lot of power and versatility, I�m sure if he explores his instrument a little more he can tap into the potential that�s waiting to be unleashed. Like any instrument you have to fiddle with the chords to find out what works. If you don�t try by taking that risk, you will never know the outcome and that detriments impending development.

This performance, vocals were commendable, a definite improvement from the first time. The sound was steadier, his enunciation was better and the head voice was not over used. Besides singing Walst rocked the axe for most of the set as he does every show and it makes me curious to see what other talents he may possess. After checking them live a few times now, I have come to the conclusion that My Darkest Days has many a hater. All the people that have a negative opinion regarding this band are definitely haters and will probably hop on the band wagon when they explode. Guaranteed they are the next Canadian band to dominate the globe, the haters will always be there, just ignore the nonconstructive and keep doing what you do. My Darkest Days float in a league of their own with cigar in hand, all they have to do now is find that fire to light it with.

Finger Eleven - where do I even begin? They were one of the first few bands I actually liked that came out of Canada; Burlington, Ontario to be exact. Their brand of hard edged multiple guitars with brawny melodious vocals is now mimicked by many bands, Finger Eleven (Rainbow Butt Monkeys) are the originals. I was excited to finally see them live. When I was younger I was underage and working or going to school the majority of the time so there was no chance of checking them live. They were a favorite for a while, until their sound started to soften but I still love the tunes!

The vocal levels were almost nonexistent and you could see Anderson�s struggle to understand what was going on. It also sounded as if he was sick, I do give him credit for persisting and eventually managing to pull off a half decent set when the levels eventually evened out. It was like every time there was a changeover they just couldn�t get the sound right at the beginning of each set. My Darkest Days had a few sound issues during their set but by far sounded superior than most of the other bands. Sad to say Finger Eleven, the newbs have stepped up their game it�s time for the oldies to try and reclaim the throne or they�ll end up with �Reversal Syndrome.� �Reversal Syndrome� is when a once headlining band becomes the supporting act and the bands that opened become the headliners.

Finger Eleven

The �One Thing� Finger Eleven has that no other band has is their secret weapon - Rick Jackett the Axe Fairy! This dude felt the music he was playing to the core, the guitar molded into his hands while he danced around like it was the Axe Ballet. I was in awe watching Jackett float across the stage swinging the guitar up over his head not missing a chord. James Black is also a phenomenal guitarist, he and Jackett have a side project together called �Blackie Jackett Jr.�

The band overall is awesome! Bassist Sean Anderson needs to liven up a little as he looked bored during a few tunes. Near the end of Finger Eleven�s set the levels were finally up to par, just in time for me to enjoy. They played many tunes I liked 'Absent Elements,' 'Above' and 'Paralyzer' being some examples.

The last band of this feature I will mention had completely flown out of my mind. It has been a while since their last record, now all of a sudden they are back with their new single spinning in rotation and about to drop a new LP �Comes and Goes� released September 29th 2009.

Default was the Erie Lakefest headliner with My Darkest Days and The Ryde as supporting acts. Both bands put on great sets, props to all. I wasn�t even planning on covering Lakefest but my friend had tickets to go check this band �Aberdeen� and asked if I wanted to come along. Adventures!! I love them, being a very spontaneous character I thrive on living for today and tomorrow. Any escapade is welcome, adding music to the mix is even better! Off we went on a boon dock mission. This time it was a trek to the corn fields of Port Burwell, Ontario.

Default

Default was a band I liked when they first popped out with �The Fallout.� I will always remember certain tunes from that record 'Wasting My Time' being one of them because it still relates to many situations today. I haven�t listened to Default for a while and surprisingly I remembered most of their songs. They dropped a few fresh tunes from the new record including the first single 'All Over Me.' Totally loving the new Default tunes, especially 'Turn It On' which is a great track.

Most of the set was pleasing but during one of the songs the vocals cracked, it was a cringe worthy moment to my ears. Minus that brief malfunction everything else was good, all except the technical difficulties but that whole day was a technical difficulty! Smith brought out the acoustic for the current single 'Little Too Late' and a few others but the majority of the time he was migrating with the mic stand. I don�t know why there are no harmonies because it would sound a lot better with a few backup vocals here and there adding some flavour of life to the sound.

Guitarist Jeremy Hora looks like he�s on another planet when he�s rocking out, it�s too funny and exactly what I want to see and hear, the love for the sounds emanating from the instruments. Bassist Dave Benedict was meticulously entertaining the crowd, he was using the large stage to his advantage.

I loved this stage it was the perfect height, the speakers didn�t block the view and the lighting was wicked, occasionally blinding me but overall a great stage! Something that bothered me was why Default drummer Danny Craig was placed so far away? The other band members and his drum kit blocked him most of the time. It�s hard enough as it is to get pictures of the drummer and this set up was almost impossible to accomplish a good shot.

A little more team work could be present as there were a few discomfited moments where the chemistry amongst the four felt a little shattered. Defaults� performance was better than expected, they did their thang! Would I recommend checking Default live? Yes, Default has been approved!

Next summer will rock harder!

LINKS:

8 Pints In | Issue #41 - Halloween is Dead

jack s — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:35:47 GMT

Well, that's another years Halloween festivities over. I'm not sure about you, but I did absolutely sweet F.A. to celebrate it. Halloween isn't a scary occasion anymore but the Christmas adverts are the freakiest. I mean come on, it's only just November! We know what you are all buying each other for this Christmas. ALTSOUNDS OFFICIAL T-SHIRTS! BUY HERE

That's quite enough rambling for now, right this weeks 8 pints is full of the usual exclusive content to Altsounds.com. We have an X-Box competition, Black Stone Cherry and Frank Turner live reviews and a whole bunch of over amazing things! Enjoy.

Our top rated Album, Single & EP of the week

Angel Brothers - Angel Brothers [Album]

91%

"�The "Angel Brothers" are Dave and Keith Angel, Dave the man on guitars and mandolin with Keith on percussion and drums, together with vocalists Sandhya Sanjana and Mick Humphrey, Becki Driscoll on fiddle, Nick Wyke on fiddle, viola and cello, Jim Lockey on electric bass, Andy Seward (bass player with Kate Rusby, Eddi Reader and Martin Simpson) on double bass and electric bass and Dave Formula (of Magazine and Visage) on keyboards.�"

The Raveonettes - Bang! / The Last Dance [Single]

93%

"Whilst �Bang� may be the more commercial, radio friendly number, it�s �The Last Dance� that is the stronger of the two tunes on offer here. Initially it appears to be an innocent song laced with melancholia dealing with traditional Spector-esque prom night gone wrong style heartbreak, but closer scrutiny reveals there are darker themes at play. This isn�t just any old last dance this is the final dance in the true �God putting Patrick Swayze in the corner� sense. Thematically it�s almost like a Ronettes influenced relative of �Girlfriend In A Coma� as Wagner and Foo sing �And every time you overdose I rush to intensive care / Another sad eye stare before you disappear / If this is the last dance, if this is the last dance / Then save it for me baby.� It�s classic Raveonettes, hauntingly dark lyrics drenched in a gorgeous melody infused with a sense of bruised nobility and doomed grandeur."

Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer [EP]

86%

"Listening to �Black River Killer,� I hear Jacob Dylan, Grant Lee Phillips, and Wilco � not enough that I would call this Blitzen Trapper derivative, it�s just what I�m reminded of. There is a Beatles-esque quality running under the songs as well. Most of "Black River Killer" features bright, appealing Pop songs ('Preachers Sisters Boy,' 'Silver Moon') that make it clear why Wilco invited Blitzen Trapper out on tour with them. The sound is similar to Wilco�s release �Summerteeth� and would appeal to the same audience.

Blitzen Trapper definitely have their own voice, though. The title track, for example, is dark folky song about an Old West desperado / serial killer. A couple of sleepy ballads, 'Shoulder Full of You' and 'Black Rock,' aren�t boring, but rather display Blitzen Trapper�s depth and range."

This week our Altsounds Editor Heron, even reviewed a film....with popcorn and evryfink...

All Tomorrow's Parties [Film]

94%
"Rockumentaries � they�re a laugh aren�t they? - especially when they involve a heavy rock band who take themselves a little too seriously (hello Metallica). Rarely though do they move you to anything other than laughter, unless there is a sense of tragedy as with �The Devil and Daniel Johnson.� Over the course of its 85 minutes running time, �All Tomorrow�s Parties� (thank god they resisted the urge to stick �: The Movie� on the end of that) took me from sheer bloody excitement, through complete and utter awe, wistful reminiscence and sporadic laughter before ending in the feeling of sadness when it ended. Never have I come away from a film with my eyes so sore from contact lenses because I barely blinked the whole time (mainly because I usually wear glasses when watching films, but I digress); even raising my bottle to my mouth seemed too much of a distraction from the wonders I was witnessing on screen."

An advisory �listen at your own risk� comes attached to these releases. Altsounds is not afraid to speak it�s mind.

Nosound - A Sense Of Loss [Album]

27%

"Truth be told, listening to �A Sense Of Loss� was pure drudgery. Musically most of the songs meander through what seem like endless progressions and painstakingly dull melodies. Lyrically I had a very difficult time even understanding the words to the songs. The Italian accent of front man Giancarlo Erra is partly to blame but it�s mostly due to the intentionally subtle and distorted production of the vocals on every track.

Overall �A Sense Of Loss� is filled with six songs that last way too long. They never really seem to make a point. �Winter Will Come� has a running time of 15:39, it seems like it's never going to end for fucks sake! And even though the rest of the tracks are short by comparison, they would benefit from being a lot shorter too. These tracks seem like they would be more fitting in a live show, not a studio album. They lack organization and direction and are more suited as background music."

We listen to pretty much everything under the sun @ Altsounds. Read the latest 10 reviews below.

Massive Attack - Splitting the Atom [EP]
LYU - The Sky Is Yours [EP]
Awol One & Factor - Owl Hours [Album]
Morrissey - London Royal Albert Hall, October 27th 2009 [LIVE]
Isis - London Koko, October 21st 2009 [LIVE]
Therapy? - London Relentless Garage, October 19th 2009 [LIVE]
All Hail The Ruin - Vultures [EP]
The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control [Album]
The Rikters - The Rikters [Album]
The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo [Single]

Get the latest low-down, or down-low, whatever it is called in music land. Here is the latest 10.

the Swimmers: People Are Soft out now
BRING ME THE HORIZON'S 'FOOTBALL SEASON IS OVER' (AFTER THE NIGHT REMIX) NOW ONLINE
Dear Jack Available Today, Jack's Mannequin Announce Headlining Tour
THE WAY WE GET BY A Film Soundtrack/Score from Zack Martin Released November 3rd
PRETTY LIGHTS OFFERS FREE DOWNLOAD OF "CITY OF ONE"
The Weezer Snuggie and Raditude
Dragonette East Coast Dates This Week
HELLFIRE SET TIMES ANNOUNCED!!!
Them Crooked Vultures Offer Up Mind Eraser, Launch iTunes Pre-Order
ROADRUNNER EUROPE SIGNS SLASH

Speaking with some of the finest artists of today about their work, goings on and private matters you all want to know about.

Jon Anderson from YES

"I really don't miss anything. I feel like what they go through is exactly what we went through back then. We had to struggle just to get to the shows and play. I did that for 5 years, you know? I was very fortunate to get together with Chris and start YES. But, we didn't have any money. You have to trust that the music will guide you in the right direction. So, you rehearse your music. You know you survive only because of your music. When the breaks start to happen, they happen in such an incredible way that you know something big is going on."

Andy Cairns, Michael McKeegan and Neil Cooper from Therapy

"We didn�t have it easy when we started, and then we had a few lucky breaks... I think what we went through is what most long term bands go through; unless you�re the size of U2 or the Chilli Peppers, most bands kind of our size go through this, for ten, fifteen, twenty years, and it�s all part of it, it�s not probably as bad as it seems. Being in a band for a living when things are bad is not as bad as being out of work and not being able to feed your family if you work on a nine to five job. It�s all relative really."

Nick Vallepiano from The Parlor Mob

"I didn�t really decide, which is what is kind of cool about it. I grew up with music, my father is a musical genius, he went to Juilliard in the States, he had a degree in classical composition and all that kind of stuff, so I�ve been around music and had a good musical education my whole life, but never really knew what I wanted to do, I always thought I�d do something with computers or math, something like that, then I ran into Paul our one guitarist in high school, we started a band together and I discovered that playing music was fun. Then I graduated at school and like many people I didn�t know what I wanted to do with my life. We started playing again, we both got much better and we just kept on going with it and now we can afford the opportunity to... live the dream if you like."

Covering the latest bands and artists playing at a venue near you.

Frank Turner - Leeds Metropolitan University, 22/10/09 [Live]

"Five minutes later and Frank Turner (minus a shirt) and his band are back and 'The Ballad Of Me And Friends' is the first on the list. Gaining the biggest and loudest cheer of the night, it also ensures the biggest amount of singing from the crowd and when Frank sings �and we�re definitely going to hell,� this is promptly bellowed, ten times as loud back at him. Next up is 'Reasons Not To Be An Idiot,' which again ups the ante for most horse voices in the morning and then its time for the best and last song of the night, 'Photosynthesis.' Arms waving, everyone screaming every word and random strangers hugging their fellow fans, the stage is invaded by Frank�s friends and his voice is over powered by that of the masses. He introduces his band and then says goodbye, to a room full of sweating, shrieking fans. Everyone in the room could of stayed for another two hours and still been awake and ready to take crowd participation to the next level. "

Black Stone Cherry - London Hammersmith Apollo, October 15 2009

"Yes, obviously there�s going to be a proper Guns�n�Roses cover, one big hit to take the oldest part of the audience back in time, and show the youngest what rock�n�roll really means. The choice falls on classic anthem �It�s so easy,� but there�s a treat for the London audience tonight: a special guest. Manic Street Preachers� James Dean Bradfield �magically� appears on stage, and joins Loaded for the last chapter of this brilliant performance! So there, we had two rock legends to bless this gig. Can headliners Black Stone Cherry measure up to the occasion? Can they follow up two pieces of music history and keep their heads high?"

What!?! Free stuff! Yes please. Get your mitts on the coolest stuff. Remember to sign up for an Altsounds account to get full access to all our competitions!

Hollywood Undead CD/DVD Giveaway!

A&M/Octone recording group Hollywood Undead will give their fans something brand new to talk about on October 27th, when they release a two-disc CD/DVD consisting of 6 new studio recordings, 6 live recordings and a full 60 minute live performance on DVD. The new package dubbed Desperate Measures : CD/DVD is an eclectic mix of new studio recordings produced by Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails) and live recordings of fan favorites. In its 60th week on the Billboard 200 album chart, the debut album Swan Songs remains inside the Top 200, with total sales of more than 500,000 and average sales of 5-6,000 per week - testament to the band's explosive headline performances and online marketing.

Adelitas Way / SickPuppies Xbox Giveaway

To celebrate all things rock 'n gaming Adelitas Way and Sick Puppies are tag-teaming up with Altsounds.com to give one lucky fan a chance to win the ULTIMATE price pack!

That's right, one lucky winner will receive an Xbox 360 pro, Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 for the 360 and a copy of not just Sick puppies' new album 'Tri-polar' but also Adelitas way's album!

JOIN OUR GROWING COMMUNITY NOW!

The Lowdown: Jon Anderson from YES

GlockMeAmadeus — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:46:57 GMT

Note to readers: Jon Anderson has a great accent. I tried to copy this down as he said it and edit as little as possible so you can read it in his voice. Enjoy!

Altsounds: It's always so hard for new bands. They're broke and they have to work their asses off to get ahead. That was a long time ago for you, but what do you miss most about those early days when you had nothing but the music?

Jon Anderson: I really don't miss anything. I feel like what they go through is exactly what we went through back then. We had to struggle just to get to the shows and play. I did that for 5 years, you know? I was very fortunate to get together with Chris and start YES. But, we didn't have any money. You have to trust that the music will guide you in the right direction. So, you rehearse your music. You know you survive only because of your music. When the breaks start to happen, they happen in such an incredible way that you know something big is going on.

Is there anything you would have done differently if you could go back and do it all again?

I think there was this blond girl in Florida... I was married. I didn't fool around on tour at all. But when I think about that blond girl... mmm. You know. 1972. They were throwing themselves at me. I was a big rock star! [laughs]

You know, there are so many mistakes you make in your life, or mistakes you wish you made. [laughs] Every day you put the film in the camera and there you go, you go for it. You can't rewind. You can't make edits. It's what it is. You just live with it and try to be a better person because of it.

Which YES album is your favorite and why?

That's very tough. It is tough because I love Close to the Edge. I love Awaken. I think 90125 is very very funky. The last one we did I loved very much. We finished it and the record company went bankrupt. That's life, you know? That's the end of the story. There are a lot of songs through the time with YES that I do in my one man show on my acoustic guitar. I play all the songs I love. There are some songs with Vangelis and some new ones. I'm always writing, you know.

Which of your releases do you think is the most underrated?

The last one. Nobody has heard of it! Magnification. It's a really really good album. Quite wonderful, really. But there was no company to promote it and no money to promote it. Nobody was interested except the band. We toured with orchestras all over Europe and America. It was a wonderful experience. There is a song called "Give Love Each Day". Beautiful song.

Do you believe in fate/destiny?

I believe in God. Destiny, yes. When I was 9 I used to sing in a band called Little John's Skiffle group. What was I doing with a washboard playing American folk songs, very noisily and very bad? But I did it. I used to deliver milk. I used to work on a farm. Who thought I would have been here? I have an incredible and adventurous life. I tour the world and I have a beautiful American wife and I live in California. Who thought I would have this? Doors kept opening and I kept running. I wasn't running away, I was running forward. I was very excited about everything.

Do you believe music can literally change the world?

Oh yeah, for sure! Remember The Wall? Pink Floyd. They performed The Wall at the Wall. All You Need is Love... love is everything. The songs change the world because they touch people.

What song makes you cry, without fail, every time you hear it?

There are quite a few, really. I love 'Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong. Sarah McLachlan, that song when the cats and dogs are on TV. What is it called? 'Angel'. That makes me cry.

How do you stay in control of your music when, as an artist, you're often at the mercy of a heartless industry?

It gets lost in the quagmire. I always say, the music is easy, the business is crap. People will rip you off and turn you over like there's no tomorrow and I'm an open book! What's meant to be is meant to be and la de da.

Is it hard to see YES tour without you?

In some ways, yeah. I think about it every couple days. The guy who is singing me and being me 20 years younger is a nice guy. A lovely guy. The other 3 are in their own world and that's what we want to be, sort of thing. My concern is simple- be honest and put your names on the poster and make sure they know who is in the band. A lot of people will go along, maybe 30-40% go thinking I am there singing. I get messages from people saying they are excited to see me at this show or that show. I won't be there! There's no question that the show will be good. They are all very talented. The show celebrates YES music, but be clear and explain who is in the band you know. That's all I will say.

Your children are all musicians, yes?

Yeah! They are very very talented! My daughter, Deborah is a brilliant photographer and musician. My son just went into the studio for the first time. He's been writing good songs forever, but he's never gone in to record correct. He's always in with a band, he wants to be in a band, you know. They are making a lot of noise. Now he's figured it out and is doing it right. My youngest, Jade, she's just an angel. She sings like there's no tomorrow. I'm so blessed.

Are you able to give them criticism?

They don't listen to me AT ALL! "Dad, just stay out of it! Dad, forget about it!" [laughs] They won't listen to me.

So for most of November, you will be at Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp! Why did you decide to participate and have you done this before?

I did the first one. I knew David (Fishof) before and I was on tour with him in Brazil with Alice Cooper and James Taylor. I was there performing with some musicians. We talked about it and I said it sounded like a great idea. I wanted to do a YES camp before where we could do seminars and an acoustic show and I could do a barbecue. I'm serious! [laughs]

I told the guys that it makes it into a family and a community, and you'll make money, as well. The band didn't really get it, but I was up for it. I did the camp in New York. I did a camp in LA. I was going to do last year, but I got sick. It's a lot of fun. You're with people who are just so excited to meet you and they can play good music. You just watch over them and tell the bass player to turn it down for gods sake! [laughs] This is always a problem with bass players. I had 40 years of that! That's life, you know? He's an amazing bass player though!

You coordinate them and try to get the singer to be more adventurous. There is 3 or 4 hours of cajoling, each person has a band they look after, you give your band a name... mine was Fredex. You know, like Fedex. Use the artwork, but put an R in there. They didn't like it. I think they went with... The Screaming Coyotes. You try to help people! [laughs] I was thinking of marketing. You see Fedex everywhere!

What are you most looking forward to in your life right now?

I just finished a dozen songs that I want to get produced next year. Then I got my favorite piece of music of all time- I wrote this musical 20 years ago, all about the life of Mark Chagall. We have been moving forward with getting it to the stage, so you can soon see Mark Chagall: The Musical. [laughs] Amongst that, I have a violin concerto with my friend, Bill. It's a wonderful story about a street violin player who finds a big case in a dumpster when he was looking for food. Inside it has a crystal violin and when he plays it, it transports him to a different place and time in the world. I have a few things I'm going to finish up in the next year. One is an opera about The Alchemist. Wonderful book.

You're a busy man!

What else am I going to do? I'm a musician, I've got stuff to do!

Jon Anderson Online

The Lowdown - Ricky Warwick

Cristina M — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:44:51 GMT

Ricky Warwick, ex leader of glorious punk rock outfit Almighty, shows up seconds after my sms. Smiling, easygoing and down to earth and was all I expected and more, the re-born Irish country-folk songwriter leads me backstage for a friendly chat. We talk about Johnny Cash, the Ramones, Irish farms and sunny LA, football and reality TV, there�s even time for an Irish joke... and... oh yeah, obviously... music!

Altsounds: Hi Ricky!So, what�s this love affair between punk bands� singers and acoustic folk/country music?

Ricky: Yeah, there�s quite a few doing it... I think there�s a connection between folk music and the story telling in punk songs, being direct, the telling of tales and the angst, there�s a lot about angst in folk music as well, and country music, real country music. I think that�s the connection, I think that Johnny Cash was one of the first real kind of rebel rockstars that there was, to me he�s as much of a rebel as Sid Vicious was.

Altsounds: Your lyrics are more than often about Northern Ireland; do you still live there?

Ricky: No, I don�t, I live in Los Angeles.

Altsounds: Do you miss it?

Ricky: Yeah, sometimes I do, but I get to go back quite a lot so it�s not too bad.

Altsounds: There�s a big difference between Northern Ireland and LA...

Ricky: A huge difference, but I feel home in both places. I grew up in Northern Ireland, and I lived in Los Angeles for five years now and I like it.

Altsounds: Most of your songs autobiographic, right?

Ricky: They�re all based on true experiences; I don�t really like to write about anything I haven�t experienced, or at least someone I know has experienced. If someone tells me a story I like to put myself in that character. The song �Born fighting� on the new album is based on a young Irish immigrant who goes to America and ends up fighting the English in the War of Independence; obviously I never did that �cause it was two hundred years ago, but what was in my head was what he must have been thinking living his country to go to America, obviously is different but I try to get into the character, it�s a subject I know all about so I try and write as close to the truth as I can.

Altsounds: Are all the anecdotes you come up with on stage also true?

Ricky: Yes, I�ve been doing this for over twenty years now and I�m lucky that I travelled the world and I have many many fantastic experiences and unfunny stories, Therapy?s fans hopefully will find some fun in it too.

Altsounds: Did you ever think of a career as a stand up comedian if this should go wrong?

Ricky: I like playing guitar and singing too much! But there are shows where I end up talking more than I play the guitar because people sometimes want to hear the stories, some other times they just want you to shut up and play. I�m happy to do both.

Altsounds: You had your first guitar at 14 and it changed your life. Who would you be today without music?

Ricky: I�d be a farmer. I�m a farmer son, so I�d be a farmer. That�s what I did when I left school.

Altsounds: �Belfast Confetti� is one of my favourite albums this year...

Ricky: Thank you!

Altsounds: You�re welcome! How would you describe it to someone who�s not familiar with your work?

Ricky: I�d say it�s a very honest acoustic folk rock punk album, and if you like good straight ahead rock�n�roll and a vein of John Cougar, Springsteen, Steve Earle or stuff like that hopefully you will find some of those influences in there as well, but mainly they�re honest songs about a childhood spent in Northern Ireland.

Altsounds: Last time I saw you live it was at the Underworld with Eddie Spaghetti and was such a warm intimate gig! Tonight you�re playing for a bigger audience at the Garage. What kind of venue/show do you enjoy the most?

Ricky: I�m happy doing either, I really am. I enjoy both for different reasons. They�re a different kind of approach, if it�s a bigger venue you obviously project yourself more and you don�t have that kind of one to one that you have with a smaller crowd, but that�s ok, I�m happy anyway.

Altsounds: You recently played in the Middle East, how was that?

Ricky: Yeah, I just got back from Israel. It was unbelievable, amazing, I�ve never been out there before, I was treated really really well, and I�ve got to play five shows and meet some amazing musicians and people, had a really really good time, was really good.

Altsounds: Did they know your music?

Ricky: No they didn�t, I was actually playing with an Israeli singer songwriter called Izhar Ashdot, which is huge in Israel, has been since the Eighties, and he�s a big fan of Irish music; he has a band of Israeli musicians who play Irish music as if they had been in Northern Ireland their whole life. He heard some of my stuff and really liked it and offered me a chance to go over and play with him and his band; we played a couple of his songs, and we played a couple of mine together, and we did a couple of Irish classics, we did Whiskey in the Jar and that kind of stuff, and it was fantastic, it was brilliant, really good fun!

Altsounds: You played and collaborated with many big names throughout your career. Which one left you more starstruck?

Ricky: Errr... Wow. I think when we started with the Almighty, going back that far �cause we were kids, I think when you get older you don�t get so starstruck as you used to... When we supported the Ramones, I think it was our second major tour, we were such big fans we were scared to talk to them for a week, �cause we were so starstruck, we just couldn�t believe it was happening, the buzz of sharing the same stage with a legend like the Ramones every night was just amazing, I remember being ill starstruck for like a week before we got over it!

Altsounds: Quite understandable, we�re talking about The Ramones!
You had a go at English football fans the night of the Eddie Spaghetti gig... (Ricky laughs), fancy a prognostic on their World Cup hopes? No worries, I�m not English... I�m Italian and not a Capello fan!

Ricky: I think they�re going to do really well, and I hope they do �cause my country didn�t qualify. I�m from Northern Ireland but I hope they do ok, I think he�s a good manager and he got them playing really well. You know, Northern Ireland is such a small country with limited resources and for us when we turned over a big time like England it was fun. I was being ironic, just trying to wind people up a little bit and I think some people took offense, but I was having a joke! I think they�ll do really good, I really do, I think they�ll be ok.

Altsounds: What are your plans after this tour, any new records in the pipeline?

Ricky: I�ll take some time off �cause I will have done over 150 shows by the time the year is finished, so I�m going to take a break for a couple of weeks and then I think the plan is to start a new record and plan some touring in America next year �cause I haven�t tour there for about a year and a half I think, so that will probably be the first thing I�ll have to do.

Altsounds: What�s the current situation with the Almighty?

Ricky: To be honest I don�t really know, we discuss the possibility of doing some shows at some point, when and if, but I�m just so busy! Everybody is busy doing their own thing, and it�s just finding the time to do it, and do it for the right reasons, do it �cause we want to do it, not just doing it for the sake of doing it, you know?

Altsounds: No, it never works when it�s done like that.
As far as I know, you have the habit to reply personally to messages and you�re known as a very down to earth kind of guy. How important is your relationship with your fan base?

Ricky: Very! If people don�t come to the shows and buy the records I don�t have a job, it�s as simple as that. I like to hear their feedback, what they think, their ideas and opinions, as much as I can. It�s hard to reply to everybody and I�m sure I miss some �cause it�s impossible, but I like to try and answer as much as I can, talk to as many people as I can, I make myself accessible more, I�m happy to hang out after the gigs and talk to people,

Altsounds: Social networking, the best thing after sliced bread or a necessary evil?

Ricky: Don�t know, it�s just the way of the world unfortunately, or fortunately, depends how you look at it. I think it�s great that you can find people that you�ve lost touch with and bring them back into your life, or maybe may not be so good as well, it depends. It�s a tool that is here, you either use it or you don�t, but it�s going to grow more and fast as time goes on, so if you�re a musician right now you�ve got to use the internet and I think you�re full of shit if you don�t, �cause it�s a great way to get your music out there and making people aware of your stuff.

Altsounds: Reality shows, discovering new talents or creating talentless z-list celebrities?

Ricky: Hate them! Hate them!! Hate them, never watched them, I think entertainment is entertainment, if someone is good at doing something, being a clown and making people laugh, whatever, he�s worked hard at it, but just watching people doing everyday shit and calling it entertainment, you know, I don�t get it, I still don�t get it! I think it�s sad we live in a society where people are idolised and become stars for basically doing fuck all, you know?

Altsounds: So, it�s two of us in this world who never watched an episode of X Factor?

Ricky: I hardly ever watched it in my life, and I�m sure there are people who work hard to go on there, but I think you�re kind of sealing your own fate if you go on one of those shows.

Altsounds: You have a good sense of humour... Any good joke you would like to share with us?

Ricky: A joke, a joke... Errr... Did you ever hear the story about the Irish boomerang?

Altsounds: No...
Ricky: It never comes back; it just sings songs about how much it wants to.

Altsounds: (Laughs)This interview is reaching a very large number of people all over the world, and this is your space to reach them all: say whatever you like, be it about �Belfast Confetti� or climate change...

Ricky: Please check out the record, �Belfast Confetti�, if you still haven�t got it, and thanks for the support, be nice to each other, and have a bit of peace, love and understanding.

�Belfast Confetti� is out now, find it at your nearest record store and while you�re there, why not to check out the Almighty back catalogue? You will be surprised at how differently angst can be expressed in the multicoloured world of rock�n�roll...

The Lowdown - Therapy?

Cristina M — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:08:14 GMT

It�s been all very last minute, London Underground wasn�t on my side today, but I�m finally here, on a tour bus with Andy Cairns, Michael McKeegan and Neil Cooper from Therapy?

Last time I saw these guys was 2004 at Hammersmith Palais (RIP), McCarrick had just left the band and Therapy? were left as a three piece. After five years, they�re still a threesome and now seem to have found perfect harmony and long needed stability... And here they are all smiling and ready for our questions, so let�s go ahead and ask them!!

Altsounds: Welcome back, guys!

Therapy?: Thank you!

Altsounds: You guys didn�t have it easy through the years, did you? Ups and downs, label issues...

Therapy?: We didn�t have it easy when we started, and then we had a few lucky breaks... I think what we went through is what most long term bands go through; unless you�re the size of U2 or the Chilli Peppers, most bands kind of our size go through this, for ten, fifteen, twenty years, and it�s all part of it, it�s not probably as bad as it seems. Being in a band for a living when things are bad is not as bad as being out of work and not being able to feed your family if you work on a nine to five job. It�s all relative really.

Altsounds: Lots of your troubles were caused by label problems; would you have taken a different path back then if you had the choices available today, for example bands having the option to promote themselves via the internet?

Therapy?: If I was starting today and I was eighteen, twenty years old I think I would do what most bands do: they don�t really look for labels, labels tend to come to bands nowadays, because they check how many MySpace hits you might have... I think when we started with our band we did it the way that was best for us then, and that�s what everybody else tends to do. What we did was we realised if we released our single on our own label we�d get attention, and that is, I think what we would do now, set up a very clever website and get all the PR... It�s a conjecture, but I think that�s what we would do.

Altsounds: How are things with Demolition Records at the moment?

Therapy?: Very good, thank you!

Altsounds: Can we count on more Therapy? releases in the future?

Therapy?: Yes! We signed a deal a couple of years ago, and they were actually quite cool, �cause we said �look, we�re not going to get into the studio next week, we�re going to take some time and make a record we�re really happy with� and they were really, really cool with that, so that was a good sign.

Altsounds: You�re back as a three piece, are you happy with the current line up?

Therapy?: Definitely yeah! It�s good, it�s got a good energy to it and I think with just the three of us in the band everyone�s role is very well defined, and that�s really great �cause I think everyone can really concentrate on what we�re doing and what they all bring to the overall sound of the band.

Altsounds: What�s your current relationship like with ex band mates, were they mostly amicable or nasty break-ups?

Therapy?: Well, not really nasty break ups, no, but on a personal level we don�t really have much in common with them anymore, if we see them we�ll obviously have a chat and a drink with them, but I wouldn�t go out of my way... There�s no Christmas cards on the go!

Altsounds: Therapy?�s music has been maturing and changing throughout the years; for those familiar with your work but have yet to hear 2009's release �Crooked Timber�, what should they expect?

Therapy?: I think what we�ve got with �Crooked Timber� comes off the three piece thing as well. Sonically the guitars, the drums, the bass, the vocals, everything sounds exactly like the three of us wanted it to sound. About the song writing, we just signed this new deal and told the management and label �Can we just have a bit of time to get the songs together?�, a bit of breathing space really. They gave it to us and just left us to it, and we came up with a record that the three of us are very happy with. It kind of sums up where we are now, it may sound lame but it�s just as simple as that. And when we play them live they just feel great to play. Sometimes you can record some songs, but when you take them on the road they don�t translate as well as you�d imagine; with this record we�ve been playing most of the album live at the shows and it feels good at the minute.

Altsounds: If you had to describe this album to someone who is not familiar with Therapy? how would you sell it? What do you sound like?

Therapy?: It�s obviously rock music, and... I think different people take different things from it: some people listen to the band and think we�re very extreme, very dark, some people listen to it and think we�re quite uplifting and see some real positive in our music... I don�t know, I can�t really answer that!

I�d say just fuckin�... google it and just bloody listen to it! (laughs). You spend weeks recording an album and then you have to try and sum it all up in a sentence, that�s actually a funny question...

With all due respect, journalists ask this question but also say �what�s the point releasing a record, �cause people can hear your music any time they want,� ergo, if anyone can hear our music any time they want why would they need to know what we sound like? It�s on the internet.

Altsounds: I can see your point, but Altsounds has a very diverse range of readers, and some of them might not be familiar the band I�m interviewing. The idea is to get people who don�t know you to want to listen to you, and they will want to know what you sound like.

Therapy?: Yes, but if they�re already on the internet, couldn�t they just type the name of the band on YouTube for example?

Altsounds: We cover all sorts, from punk to R&B, from metal to hip hop, from indie to blues and so on. Now, if I listen to punk for example, and I read a record sounds punk rather than hip hop, I will think �yeah, this may be my cup of tea� and will want to at least type it in on YouTube, but I won�t do that for every band I see reviewed on a site...

Therapy?: Oh ok, good point there!

Altsounds: Do you reckon your live shows are as good as they used to be?

Therapy?: I think they�re better at the moment! I think that our live shows started really good but they were shambolic, then around the mid nineties they became quite good �cause there was so much money put into the show, we had so many technicians, so many pieces of equipment, and then it got I think more kind of ordinary.

Then when Neil joined in 2002 we took a little bit of time and I think over the last few years it�s the best we�ve ever been live, I honestly do. I think it just makes a lot more sense, we found the stability. Therapy?�s music is heavy and it�s aggressive but it�s not like Slayer, there�s bits in them that are drum & bass, there�s jazz and dubstep, you can dance to them, it�s not all about grief and aggression, and there�s melody underneath all the riffs and the heavy bass lines, there�s melody in there as well. I think what we learned to do that because it�s constantly just the three of us again, everyone has a place to play, and everyone has stepped up to their place and taken that challenge, whereas I think as a four piece we were not as successful as we could have been. When we were young we were trying too much, it was all over the fuckin� shop!

Altsounds: You�re playing the Garage tonight which is a big enough venue but not huge, and you also played Festivals. Do you prefer intimate shows or arenas?

Therapy?: They�re both the same amount of enjoyment, only under different pretences. You play a Festival, and a Festival is about everybody else other than you; you turn up and you play thirty, forty-five minutes, sometimes longer if you�re higher in the bill, but there�s plenty of bands on the bill, thousands of people and it�s fun.

You play your own show and it�s all Therapy? fans, and they want to hear stuff from all twelve albums, and you�re never going to please everyone, there�s more pressure in gigs like this, but having the audience this close is more exciting. Playing at a Festival is like a day out. To me personally, if I turn up at Download it is like a fun day for me as well, while this is a bit more professional.

Altsounds: About Festivals... I�m getting on with age and I find the idea of sharing a tour bus and be covered in mud and beer at a Festival a lot less attractive... Is that happening to you as well?

Therapy?: The tour bus is brilliant! I wouldn�t camp at a Festival now, I�m too old for that, but to go over to Belgium, Germany or wherever for the weekend doing two or three shows we have a great time, it�s brilliant.

Altsounds: So yes to the tour bus but no camping?

Therapy?: No, I�m not camping. No no, I�m not!! (laughs) Leave that to the kids! I think it�s good to find the funny side, it�s what you make of it. I think sometimes you can panic a bit and think �There are so many people here, the pressure, the pressure...,� but it�s more what you make of it, you can make it as good or as bad as you want.

Altsounds: You have collaborated with so many big names throughout your career, which one do you have the fondest memory of? Any particular story?

Therapy?: Well, we did stuff with Ozzy when we were in a studio in LA with him and that was all very professional. He�s a very nice guy, but he turned up with his minder and his record producer... we didn�t really hang out with him. It�s hard to say really because we weren�t really around. Page played guitar on a track but he was in America. I think my most fond memory isn�t in recent years, but if we look back in history at all the celebrities, we did a tour with Henry Rollins, and that was amazing because I was a massive Black Flag fan and Henry Rollins fan, and Jesus Lizard and we liked them, we did a tour with them, we did a tour with Courtney Love and Hole which was good. To be honest, sometimes when you get celebrity people involved it is funny because it is very awkward; you think that it�s us and Ozzy, high fiving each other, having a laugh, and it�s all like in slow motion with lots of nice music... It�s not, you don�t see the cunt!

(Big laughs).

We talked for ten minutes when he was doing the vocals for �Iron Man,� we had Page playing guitar, we had Lesley from Silverfish singing on the album, she turned up on the Tube in Camden, sang and went home, unfortunately there�s no story of me and Elton hanging out at the city crosslights...

Altsounds: I remember you using samples pulled from cult movies and obscure documentaries; is there any movie in the past five years iconic enough that would be worth sampling?

Therapy?: Yeah, we sampled some for �Crooked Timber� and initially we didn�t put the samples on �cause we were scared, but the record is being re-released before the end of the year with samples on the album again, samples from �El Topo,� an Alejandro Jodorowsky movie, there�s something from Werner Herzog�s �The Enigma of Kaspar Houser,� there�s samples from �Dead Man�s Shoes� with Paddy Considine, a brilliant film by Shane Meadows, which is my right kind of English director...

What stitches everyone up with samples is that if you get found you get fined hundreds of thousands of pounds, but a lot has changed now because of downloading; people can�t really stop it, so they realized that a few samples is actually advertising for them and people don�t really care about them any more, so we started sampling stuff again.

Altsounds: Since you like movies so much, which director would make your day asking you to feature one of your songs in his next creation?

Therapy?: David Lynch!David Lynch!

Altsounds: Everyone agrees?

Therapy?: I�ll take Shane Meadows actually! Keeping it local.. (laughs)

Altsounds: Looking back at your life and career, is there anything you would do differently if you could go back in time?

Therapy?: I don�t think so, no. There is no one I really want to hunt down and have revenge on, or anything like that, I don�t think anyone has done incredibly negative to me either, so no...

I think things happen for a reason, good and bad, and I think I�m here and I�m healthy and I�ve got a family, and my best years with the band, and friends, I wouldn�t change any of this; everything happens for a reason, to get to this point.

Altsounds: What�s your position about the whole file sharing issue?

Therapy?: It�s part of the business... What I will say is, apart from what it costs to me personally, which it does cost to all of us personally in the band, ask to yourself: if I was seventeen or sixteen years of age, and the new Metallica album came out, or the new Jesus Lizard, and I couldn�t wait to get it in the shops and there was a promo copy for download, would I download it? Yes, I fucking would!

How many tapes have I got at home, albums someone has taped for me? I was in love with music since I was thirteen or fourteen onwards. I loved the Buzzcocks and Joy Division, and if someone would have said to me when I was fourteen �the second Joy Division album, is not out for two months, but I�ve got a copy� I would want it!

You have to think like the kids who buy music and this is what the internet is doing. I know someone who never pays for any of his music, he loves music, goes to gigs, but does he buy any records? Does he fuck. People my age buy records now.

He might download the record but then he goes to the gig, buys the t-shirt, there is money going towards the band. A lot of bands moan we�re all going bankrupt, and that�s bollocks. If you�re pinning everything on a single, on an album, then yeah, because people will download that single and that�s it, but even if someone downloads the tune, or even the whole album, if someone is really into the band and you�re a band of worth, and you�re going to go out on tour, and do decent merchandise, and make it worthwhile for people to come to the shows, these people I imagine are going to want the album, they�re going to want the information, they want to know who�s the bass player, who�s doing what, who writes the lyrics... You can download the tune but you�ll want the rest.

They will buy the hard copy at some point, and not only people my age. We will adapt, everyone will adapt.

Altsounds: We�re an online independent music journalism website with a higher ranking than Kerrang! and we have readers all over the world; since we like Therapy?, this is your space to get your message across: say whatever you like, be it about global warming or your latest album...

Therapy?: What do we want to say to them?
Err... Go and buy the fucking album!! (Big laughs) Yeah, we�re socially aware and all that, but yeah...

We all agree, buy the fucking album! It�s a great album, go and fucking buy it, and come and see the gig, you�ll love it!

Altsounds: Well said, that�s what we�re here for... Your honesty and directness is refreshing! Thanks for your time guys, this was fun!

A quick shot with the band, courtesy of their excellent tour manager turned photographer, and I leave Therapy?�s tour bus, still laughing and looking forward to the show.

�Crooked Timber� is out now on Demolition Records, available everywhere, be it hard copy or download, legal or illegal... One listen and you will want the real thing anyway!

Remember to Youtube Therapy? ;)

A Tale Of Junk Culture Part 2

Andrew_Culture — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:42:21 GMT

Looking back I knew in my heart of hearts that I was making a shoddy stab at an important task. Sometimes even if you know more attention should be paid to the task in hand it�s hard to invest ones self in it entirely if you�re riding the arc of ambivalence. I knew I should have sanded down and applied an undercoat before using gloss paint; a fact made quite clear by the Readers Digest guide I had chosen to consult, and decided to ignore. Why should some snooty author that I�ve never met know better than I when it comes to painting my own front door? Why should his years of experience dictate with such grave gravity that I should sacrifice a large chuck of my day to putting on a layer of undercoat paint that would be invisible to the eye when the job was complete? Did Rembrandt paint a �practice painting� on his canvas before slapping on the oils of his masterpiece? Actually he may have done, I�m getting a little out of my depth here and wandering from the path, stumbling like a toddler full of party punch into the herbaceous border of obscurity and confusing metaphor.

It would be cruel after encouraging you to invest your interest in the tale of my front door not to give you some closure on it. No, that pun was not intended, although is not wholly unwelcome. Were I not the kind of man that approaches each DIY task with only two goals in mind � getting the job done in the quickest possible time, and using power tools that are slightly too powerful for me to handle � I would have taken the advice of the editors and staff of the �Readers Digest guide to destroying ones home (in a rustic and artistic fashion)� and set the foundations of a long lasting coat of gloss by rallying my lacksidasical nature into a frenzy of undercoating activity. But I didn�t. To give you an idea of how poor in quality the completed article was I need only impart one further related fact; when someone took it upon themselves to write on my front door using a permanent marker it greatly improved its appearance.

Hopefully by now you will be as convinced as a certain Mr William Walker was in 1906 of the importance of good foundations to a well done task and an enduring legacy. Or in Mr William Walker�s case the importance of foundations to the structural stability of a Cathedral. I wouldn�t expect you to appreciate that obscure light comic reference so risking the loss of your attention once again I shall furnish you with the enlightening details. Mr Walker was a daring and experimental diver who spent his working hours between 1906 and 1911 submersed in the water logged bowels of Winchester Cathedral repairing the foundations. Should this mention of the fascinating work of William Walker pique your interest might I suggest you acquire a copy of �The Winchester Diver� by Ian T. Henderson and John Crook. However, if you are still interested in the history of Junk Culture I suggest you stay right where you are and struggle on with my pondering, wandering prose.

At this point in the tale you are either convinced of the importance of foundations, or you have wandered off to find out if there�s anything more distracting or entertaining to be found on television. As I hear no echoes while I speak I�ll assume the room hasn�t emptied, and I shall continue.

To give you the complete picture regarding the history of Junk Culture I think it�s important to travel back farther than the formation of the band and take a peek at my musical past, the foundations of the story of Junk Culture if you will (now do you see where I was going with that introduction?)

My musical career started in much the same vein as everyone else�s; in my bedroom. Too young to be distracted by the underwear section in the Littlewoods catalogue and too old to be amused by forcing household objects down the toilet to ascertain their flushabiltiy I dwelled in the first of the many hundreds of awkward margins that define �growing up.� I was born in 1976 which made me the perfect age to be captivated and inspired by Live Aid in 1985, and to be excited in a confused and bewildered way by Freddie Mercury�s costumes during the �Queen Live at Wembley� a year later. Mr Mercury (real name Farrokh Bulsara) also taught me that is was okay to swear in front of your parents on two conditions; firstly that they were Queen fans, and secondly that you timed the swear (the word shitty if you must know) to coincide in perfect union with the moment Mr Bulsara was explaining why he felt his guitar was only capable of playing three chords. Once the initial heady excitement of finding a way to swear in front of the olds had past, and the communication contained within the profanity was revealed, I would be confused for years by Freddie�s claim that his shitty guitar could only play three chords. It instilled a general bewilderment in the ways of guitar playing that still dogs me today. Thanks Mr. Mercury, if it wasn�t for you I could have been the next Brian Adams or Chesney Hawkes!

Some guitarists are born to be great, but most are born to be passable. It was the �that�ll do� end of the scale that I aspired to as I stood in front of the full length mirror (that formed the most solid part of my MFI flat pack wardrobe) and shredded my heart out to such hits as �Total Eclipse of the Heart� by Bonnie Tyler.

This was before the days of tape to tape systems so copying this pompous ode to heart disease from my dad�s tape required sitting inside my wardrobe with the aforementioned master tape playing from a tape deck on one side of the wardrobe, and recording what spewed forth on the tiny microphone of a second tape deck the other side of my polyester/ corduroy mix trousers at the other side of the wardrobe. Any recordings undertaken in this fashion were augmented by the �vrip vrip� of a dozen pairs of corduroy trousers coming into contact with each other as I danced to Mrs Tyler�s bouffanted lament.

As an aside, at the same time that I was nurturing the start of a life long passion for below par musical expression I was already an avid reader. Having consumed the entire Narnia series in the proceeding weeks I quivered with excitement when during a tape bootlegging session in my wardrobe I felt the rear panel give way to the weight of my tiny pre-teen body. I shouldn�t have been surprised as the back of the wardrobe consisted only of wafer thin hardboard, and was only attached to the rest of the wardrobe by a handful of tiny staples. When a young gentleman is disorientated in the dark confines of a closet by man made fibres and Bonnie Tyler we shouldn�t judge too harshly if he starts to believe he has discovered the portal to another world. Imagine my excitement as I gently pushed at the back wall of my wardrobe, anticipating a world of snow, Turkish delight and Centaurs. Kids under ten are not known for being in command of a great knowledge of engineering, so I had no way of knowing the importance of that hardboard and it�s somewhat optimistically employed use for the purpose of structural integrity. I didn�t discover a brave new world, but I did learn (a few moments after the collapse of my �studio�) that my parents might not always appreciate my more creative and explorative side, especially if while I indulged in it chucks of plaster were hewn from my bedroom wall and reasonably priced furniture was destroyed.

Like most kids my age I didn�t have a budget for musical instruments, and no amount of creative accounting could stretch my ten pence a week pocket money to afford a real guitar. In fact most weeks had I �put my parts on� (been a dick) funds would be considerably lower. So a badminton racket was my mighty axe, and I tell thee, I could play that badminton racket with phenomenal musical dexterity and found it a most versatile instrument. It was certainly better as a pretend guitar than it was as a tennis racket. And sadly yes, I did mean to write �as a tennis racket�. After agreeing to a gentlemanly tennis match with some neighbourhood peers we each retired to our homes to collect equipment. Upon returning to our agreed arena (and after a set or two) I made the discovery that using a badminton racket for the repelling of heavy tennis balls has the tendency to mess about with the form and shape of the thing. Always being one to look for the best in every situation subsequent fantasy guitar sessions focussed on my lofty status in the world of stadium rock, a level and fame and wealth buoyed by the fact I was the only guitarist in the world with a bendy guitar. It was my signature, proof of my unique ability and led to me inventing a handful of new notes.

I continued in much the same vein for the next few years, although things did improve. I eventually upgraded my imaginary guitar - after the head fell off my trusty badminton racket I commandeered my sister�s discarded hockey stick. Thinking back I�m wondering if the superior weight and balance of the new instrument eventually led to me playing bass?

By the age of thirteen or fourteen - and with the musical dissuasion of the aural nightmare of compulsory recorder lessons at primary school a fading memory - my interest in music was growing at a similar speed to my interest in female breasts, both alarmingly fast and all consuming. For many years I had been friends with the sons of the village vicar begat, even at that tender age Matt and Tom were both classically trained musicians, and both fancied roughing it for a bit by forming a band. Admittedly this wasn�t the first band they had formed, that was a Pet Shop Boys inspired duo utilising the little 30cm wide monophonic keyboards they had each received for Christmas. This first incarnation was never destined for greatness and at what may have been their only concert (with me and their dog Charlie forming the audience) within seconds of the introduction the dog howled briefly before turning his attention to making sure his testicles were as clean as they should be. Before long the dog had wandered off in search of relief from the high pitched bleating of the mini-keyboards, and I was making excuses to leave, eager as I was to continue my scientific investigation of the Littlewoods Catalogue. The band split due to musical indifference leaving both brothers to explore solo projects.

A few months passed and Tom acquired the rudimentary basics of a drum kit, and Matt had started taking guitar lessons, it was time to form a band and take over the world. For want of anything better to do one Saturday I was drafted in on vocal duties and so �The Remedial Class� was formed.

Oddly this was taken just before my art teacher at school told me to give up on art.

After just one and a half practices we decided to ask our friend Joe to make a music video for us as he had a state of the art camcorder, state of the art at the time meaning it was of a sufficient size and weight to carry on ones shoulder with only minimal contortion of the spine. The half band practice happened when play had to be abandoned early on in proceedings after a band member nearly choked following an attempt to fit one hundred fizzy cola bottle chews in my, err, I mean somebody�s mouth. The concept for the video was not a radical one, but had one element that many years later would be paid homage to by Irish ponce rock pioneers U2. Matt and Tom stood on the vicarage driveway playing our �hit� while I sung into a microphone that was attached directly to the camcorder on Joe�s shoulder. Each time Joe moved around (possibly to try and free up the nerves in his neck that were trapped by the weight of his equipment) the microphone would be nearly jerked out of my hand. Keen as I was to cease the sin against nature that was my singing I was also reluctant to let the microphone fall to its demise on the tarmac, so each time Joe pulled the lead tight I would give it a stern tug back in my direction, this created the same affect that U2 used in one of their allegedly ground breaking videos about ten years later. After a few takes it became painfully clear that my talents lay somewhere other than in singing - somewhere far far away - and we called it a day and pooled our funds in order to buy another hundred cola bottles.

During the brief band meeting that followed, an ill advised second experiment in oral capacity, cola bottles and cherryade, Matt informed me that if I wished to stay in the band I needed to buy a bass; in order to fill a musical hole I had been utterly ignorant of in the band. Without stopping to think for a moment on the gravity of this decision - not pausing to consider how it might ruin the rest of my life - I readily agreed to become the bassist. In a surprisingly short amount of time I was the proud and slightly confused owner of a Sunn Mustang precision copy bass. It was phenomenally heavy, and the fact I had to use a camera strap to support it (I couldn�t afford a real strap) my face wore the same appearance of the victim of a mild stroke that Joe�s did when he was creating his visual masterpieces.

My Sunn Mustang, a balsa wood guitar with what I assume was a lump of lead inside.

The months passed and we practiced several times a week, and eventually I realised if I played with my fingers instead of my thumb I could avoid earning a painful blister each time I made a valiant attempt to play bass. I asked my school for bass lessons, but apparently being the first person in the history of the music department to actually start on bass (rather than try guitar, shrug at the intricacies and demote to bass) they couldn�t help me.

Eventually with the A-team being cancelled and MacGyver becoming all too predictable Saturday television no long held its dark spell over us and we asked our friend Dan Foden to be our singer so that we could conquer the world as a real, fully fledged, proper band. We even decided on a new name, we could be called �Nice� on account of the fact that one of Matt and Tom�s sisters had a tee shirt with a drawing of a Nice biscuit on it. Of course only one of us could wear the band tee shirt at a time, but impressively for such a young band we proved we had an understanding of merchandise. With a singer maybe we could shift some �units�?

With much the same level of bewilderment (and for want of any solid excuses) Dan joined the band and we prepared for our first gig. A gig that would change our young lives forever, a gig with cider, a gig with sweat and violence and most importantly for the teenager in me, a gig with groupies.

I was a lot taller than other boys my age, I'm probably stood a good metre back from everyone else. Note obvious Stone Roses influences in the Reni hat and the Spike Island tee shirt. Two of these people are now doctors, while the other two still play in bands, can you guess who?

A TALK OF JUNK CULTURE PART 3 COMING SOON.....

Bizarre Ball 2009 - London SEOne Club, October 17 2009

Cristina M — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:27:41 GMT

On my way to London Bridge, challenging the capital�s coldest night so far this year, I look forward to what will be no doubt a special night out. Just as the blazoned magazine organising and sponsoring the event, the second Bizarre Ball is an occasion to celebrate everything that is �different�: from appearance, to music, to shows, to people and their weirdest fetishes, tonight everything is not only allowed, but proudly displayed and widely appreciated. What a night for me and my greedy camera!

The smoking area outside generates a preview of what�s on offer past that door. From pirates to rubber and pvc, from animals to superheroes, pin ups and courtesans, cross-dressed and un-dressed, clowns and horror villains, Bizarre has them all. Inside, this large ground floor venue opens up in several rooms, all with different shows and music.

There are merchandise stands, a mask stall which wouldn�t look bad at Venice Carnival, free books from alternative publishers Headpress and obviously a bar. There�s also �interactive entertainment.� The �Domination Corner� in the Steampunk area, where you can spank and be spanked, whip and be whipped, or just watch if you�re not a big fan of S&M (or at least not in public), and a couple of improvised photographic studios where you can have your picture taken with a bleeding chainsaw, buy it and send it to your mum. I had to try that one, although I will spare my mum this time.

There are several shows going on at the same time, it�s hard to catch everything and even harder get to the front for decent pictures, and I end up running from one stage to another stopping by to immortalize clubber�s outfits. In the Lucha Britannia Stage, the attraction is Mexican Wrestling in a freaky version; on the Main Stage, host Des O�Connor introduces the Circus of Horrors entertaining this original crowd with new gory tricks; Bizarre cover girls make sure we see something more gracious and attractive, just to get shocked and sinisterly horrified again with the next act; performances from the likes of Johnny Woo and Frank Sidebottom show the weirdest side of cabaret.

Music wise, the highlight of the night is the outstanding exhibition from Japanese crazy rockers Electric Eel Shock. Can Japanese do metal? Well, not in a traditional way I guess, and calling their music and live show �bizarre� is surely an understatement. Electric Eel Shock have been around since the late 1990, are signed to Universal in Japan and famous across the world for their live antics, their exuberant music and the special support they get from their fans. They are promoting recent album �Sugoi Indeed,� but it�s clear that their main mission tonight is to entertain. What I�m about to witness is hard to describe to say the least. As soon as Electric Eel Shock start, it�s like they pull you on a rollercoaster, the bar blocks you on your seat and you can�t really go anywhere, so you might as well enjoy the ride. It ends too early, and you find your head spinning wildly while trying to understand what the hell happened. When I finally come back to my senses with way too many pictures on my memory card, I run to the merchandise stand for a picture with frontman Aki and an EP to review on Altsounds.

And then I keep wondering around, glancing at what�s still going on around the various stages, but mainly observing these people, their smiles and their willingness and enthusiasm to be photographed. What makes this a special night is not the huge venue, not the cover girls, not Johnny Woo or even Electric Eel Shock; what makes Bizarre Ball a one-of-a-kind night is not the opportunity to experiment with S&M or satisfy your goriest taste with weird horror shows; what really makes Bizarre Ball one of the most memorable events of this year is the people. Proud to be different, dressed not only to impress but to let out what your so-called �normal� neighbours would look at funnily or even disgusted.

Being Wonder Woman or Freddy Krueger for one day: this the priceless present from Bizarre which is worth more than any of the fantastic acts populating SEOne tonight. Cinderella�s fairy couldn�t have done any better.

The Lowdown - Nick Vallepiano from The Parlor Mob

Cristina M — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:50:21 GMT

In true rock�n�roll fashion, my visit to Hammersmith Apollo for a double interview with Black Stone Cherry and new Roadrunner jewels The Parlor Mob turns into a true Spinal Tap afternoon. Schedule clashes allow me to assist to The Parlor Mob�s sound check, which is enough to totally blow me away. And if that�s not enough, bassist Nick Villapiano, who I�m interviewing in a crowded corridor near the dressing rooms, is one of the funniest most down to Earth lads I�ve met (even if he wouldn�t mind playing Madison Square Garden).

They�re rumoured to be phenomenal live (and so far I would agree) and they have a new album out to promote before going back to New Jersey: can Nick and his cheeky smile sell us �And You Were a Crow�? Let�s see...

Altsounds: We�re here with Nick from the Parlor Mob!
Hello!

Altsounds: Welcome to London!
Thank you!

Altsounds: Is this your first gig here?
It�s actually our third gig here!

Altsounds: Your third?
A couple of months ago we came here and it was our first time overseas, and really we hadn�t been anywhere apart from the States, and we were lucky enough to play twice in London.

Altsounds: Where about, do you remember?
The Water Rats and an acoustic thing at the Hard Rock.

Altsounds: Did you like the London crowd?
Yeah, London is sweet because it feels like our people, we�re very close to New York City (we�re from New Jersey), it feels like being back at home, being in the New York of the UK.

Altsounds: When did you first say �I�m going to be a musician when I grow old�?
I didn�t really decide, which is what is kind of cool about it. I grew up with music, my father is a musical genius, he went to Juilliard in the States, he had a degree in classical composition and all that kind of stuff, so I�ve been around music and had a good musical education my whole life, but never really knew what I wanted to do, I always thought I�d do something with computers or math, something like that, then I ran into Paul our one guitarist in high school, we started a band together and I discovered that playing music was fun. Then I graduated at school and like many people I didn�t know what I wanted to do with my life. We started playing again, we both got much better and we just kept on going with it and now we can afford the opportunity to... live the dream if you like.

Altsounds: For those who still don�t know The Parlor Mob, what do you sound like? I�ve known now for about twenty minutes, but I�ll let you do the honours...
A lot of people would say we have a kind of classic rock sound, quite kind of a bluesy thing, but I see things from a completely different prospective. I feel we�re more like a mix between a metal band and a soul band, and we kind of found that happy medium somewhere in between.

Altsounds: There are so many bands out there nowadays, the internet made it easy for everyone, every idiot can make up a band from their bedroom and put it on MySpace... So, why should we pick you, what is so special about The Parlor Mob?
We�re outstanding! We write excellent songs and we execute them to a very high standard. We pride ourselves on our ability to play our instruments, play our songs extremely well and entertainingly live. If you like good tunes, having a nice time, maybe throwing back some beers when going out to a show then we�re the ticket!

Altsounds: You have a full length album out on Roadrunner, �And you were a crow�: why should I buy it? Convince me!
Because it�s the best release this year? That album spans a very long time of our career, we wrote those songs across a two year period and it�s really the culmination of our work at this point. I personally feel like every song in there is a nice well written song that any track could be your favourite one, and if you�re a fan of rock�n�roll or want to be one, it�s a must have!

Altsounds: If you should pick one song out of "And you were a crow" to be on a blockbuster movie, say you�re asked for the next James Bond song, which one would you pick?
I would say �When I was an orphan�, it�s that kind of acoustic, mellow and it has deeps and swells throughout, it�s a very dynamic song with a kind of crescendo at the end, and I think it captures the whole album in one song. Probably the strongest track on the record.

Altsounds: I�ve heard great things about your live show which I�ve actually kind of witnessed earlier on... But let�s pretend I haven�t: are you really that good live?
I think so, I mean, you have to ask around to find out about that one, but we definitely pride ourselves on our live shows, we expend tons of energy, we�re extremely loud, we take a lot of pride in being very tight and we try to entertain, no b***s***, no pandering to the crowd or anything like that but solid musicianship and a lot of fervour goes into our playing.

Altsounds: Could you describe with one word yourself and your bandmates? They�re not here, so everything is allowed...
One word ah? Chilled. We�re all chilled dudes, trying to get by.

Altsounds: There�s a sixth member I�ve heard about, producer Jacquire King, can you tell us about him and his special relationship with The Parlor Mob?
Sure! He�s not a proper sixth member obviously, but he became very close with us while we were making our record. He helped us with years worth of ideas, and really taught us how to make ourselves better during the recording process. He was always open to ideas and really wanted us to explore everything we could do sonically to make the songs better and that�s a credo that really formed us as a band, where none of us is as important as the band itself and the song itself and he helped us bring that out on our record.

Altsounds: You were dropped by Capitol with an EP in the pipeline in 2007 and you ended up releasing it online for free, right?
Yes, Capitol signed us to a small deal, was the first label interest we ever really had, we did a four songs EP with them and then they merged with Virgin Records and during that whole struggle we got kind of pushed up to the side and they wouldn�t release our album so we thought �Screw it, anyone who wants it, come and get it!� and we�ll give it out for free, put it on the internet, put it on MySpace, you send us an email we�ll send you an MP3s...

Altsounds: Do you think that helped in any way?
I think so, it definitely didn�t hurt. It was cool to be able to have quality recordings to give people for free. Who doesn�t like free stuff. Anytime we can hook up people we�re trying to.

Altsounds: So there is a good side in downloading?
Oh yeah, for sure, absolutely! You know, this all internet thing, people boo-hoo it, �it�s ruining careers�, whatever, but how many bands are out there that wouldn�t have a deal if they hadn�t been discovered on the internet?

Altsounds: How did you catch Roadrunner�s attention?
A few years ago we were playing the SXSW Festival in Austin, we had just been dropped by Capitol, our manager got in touch with some Roadrunner people, they saw us there, and actually the A&R man was a friend of ours, he saw us a bunch of times in New York City, we started doing a few more gigs for them in New York and the rest is history, I guess they liked what they heard.

Altsounds: What would be ideally the highest dream moment in your career (I mean like playing for Obama, opening the Superbowl, headlining Download Festival, something like that)?
Playing for the President would always be amazing, especially for a calibre of President we have now, a couple of years ago it might have not been so cool, but you know, the benchmark changes. When I was young the benchmark was being signed, that was the ultimate, then it was putting out a record, and we did that one, then it was going on tour, overseas, but we�ve done all that now, so I think the next big one would be playing at Madison Square Garden, that would be really cool!

Altsounds: Back to Earth, while we wait for Madison Square Garden... what�s next for The Parlor Mob?
Finish off this tour, we�re doing a bit of Holland, Germany, France, coming back here for a little while, then we�re going to take a break for our holidays, see our families that we miss dearly, all our loved ones, and then it�s back to work on a new record, so expect a new release for next year!

Altsounds: Altsounds is an online music magazine with a higher ranking than Kerrang!: do you think online press is on its way to replace traditional journalism?
It would make sense. There�s Twitter and all that stuff going on now that are a strong claim that internet journalism is the way of the future and I can�t see why it wouldn�t be, it just makes sense, you can�t stop the march of progress. I�m sure there�ll always be a place for press journalism, tv and other forms of media, but the internet consumes our daily habits as it is, so why not with music.

Altsounds: So, you�re reaching a lot of people today all over the world, and we�re giving you some free Altsounds space... Say whatever you want to our readers!
Hi! (laughs) Keep a look out for us, hopefully we�re going to have some new songs on the internet in the next couple of months, we just wrote some real cool, epic new tunes, so please keep us in mind!

And let me tell you, after the live performance I�m about to witness, I surely won�t forget about The Parlor Mob anytime soon...

The Lowdown: Ben Wells from Black Stone Cherry

Cristina M — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:19:35 GMT

Ben Wells, 23 years old, guitar player in Black Stone Cherry, also known as �the looks of the band,� appears behind the PR ready to be grilled by Altsounds. His charismatic stage personality, so dominant and explosive, lies with his guitar in its case, waiting to be unleashed in all its power. What sits next to me now is an exquisite young lad, pleasantly shy, looking forward to get over and done with this to get out there and say it all in the language he knows and loves better: music.

Altsounds: Hello Ben, welcome to Altsounds!

Ben Wells: Thank you!

Altsounds: Our aim is to spread the word when we hear something good! So, if we want to reach all those who still haven�t heard Black Stone Cherry, how would you describe your music?

Ben Wells: It�s one of the hardest questions as we don�t really want to put a signature on our sound, although it is a signature sound, we wouldn�t really classify it as anything in particular. We�re definitely rock, we�re definitely southern, we�re blues and metal, a little country..... I think we were influenced by so many different sounds growing up, Motown, bluegrass, classic rock. I loved Elvis, fifties music, forties music, we put all of that together and made up our own sound I guess, but if I had to describe it any way it would be just real, you know what I mean? It comes from the heart and it is what it is.

Altsounds: What would you say are your main influences?

Ben Wells: My main personal influence is Elvis, and then Aerosmith, CCR, Allman Brothers, Stray Cats, I like all kind of sets to listen to and as a band collectively our influences are different but they�re all the same in some respect.

Altsounds: Reading your biography I was struck by your sensational Kentuckian beginnings, particularly that gig in your hometown gym after recording your first songs that attracted 1,500 people... Is that true, and how did you attract such a crowd? Free booze?

Ben Wells: It was hot that night! That was one of my first home-town shows since we had a record deal and it was incredible, since then every year we try to do home-town shows. We don�t do them in a gym anymore though! We do them in a big convention centre. That means a lot to us and the people back home, for us to go home and put on a big concert, and we always do it for charity, it�s good to give back to our community.

Altsounds: You�re still very close to your community then?

Ben Wells: Oh, absolutely! We still live in the same place we did when we first started.

Altsounds: How did you get noticed by Roadrunner?

Ben Wells: We first signed a management deal, we had a demo and Roadrunner heard it, we went to New York and played a show for them and we hit it off.

Altsounds: Your self-titled debut album was welcomed by a unanimous standing ovation from the public and the critics; did you expect it to go that well? I mean, I couldn�t find a single bad review about that album...

Ben Wells: You never know what to expect. We knew we thought it was great and we wanted everyone to think it was great, so I think the fact it had good reviews means that people understood every word and that was something we were afraid of, that maybe the new music world wouldn�t really accept it because it was totally different from what may have been popular at the time. But we never let that get in the way, we just wanted to be who we are and whoever liked us would like it.

Altsounds: Not long after that you released your first live record. Why so early?

Ben Wells: Well, it wasn�t actually a proper live record, we did a show in London the first time we toured the UK, at the Astoria, and a company I can�t remember the name of came to the show and they had like a truck, and they recorded the show and made a thousand copies and then they sold them at the end of the night.

Altsounds: So it was more like a limited edition collector�s item?

Ben Wells: Yes, just a thousand copies, it wasn�t like an official live album.

Altsounds: Your second full length release, �Folklore and superstition�, focuses on history and heritage rather than stereotypical sex, drugs, rock�n�roll and broken hearts, but you�re all quite young. How come you�re so passionate about these topics?

Ben Wells: I think our interests are more than the whole clich� rock�n�roll thing, you know, sex drugs and rock�n�roll. You may take off the drugs and everything else is all right, but we�re more about history, our local history, where we�re from in Kentucky, and I think the fans appreciate that too, because there are enough bands already that sing about girls, girlfriends... We sing about something else.

Altsounds: How important are lyrics for you?

Ben Wells: Very important. Obviously people connect with our music, but if you don�t have lyrics that mean something what�s the point in writing a song? We had some lyrics on this album that really touched people and that means a lot to us, it�s the ultimate pay off.

Altsounds: What come first, the lyrics or the music?

Ben Wells: Usually it is the music that comes first, but sometimes someone has an idea for the lyrics and then you have to kind of write around it. Definitely you want the two to match.

Altsounds: Compared to �Black Stone Cherry�, �Folklore and superstition� had a mixed welcome: some said it was amazing, some dismissed it as �gone soft.� What were you trying to achieve when writing it, and do you think you succeeded?

Oh yeah, definitely we succeeded. We weren�t trying to re-create the first album, we were trying to take a different step and show progression, show growth and I think the songs �Things my father said� and �Peace is free� got us enough attention from fans and that�s what the album was written for.

Altsounds: You're happy with that then!

Ben Wells: Absolutely!

Altsounds: You recently re-released �Folklore and superstition� with some new tracks and some acoustic versions of out-takes from the first album. Why did you go down this path rather than keeping those songs for your next full length?

Ben Wells: Well, those extra tracks, we wanted them to be on the original album, but for whatever reason they were not put there. When the time came to do a special edition, we had some unreleased songs and some acoustic tracks, so I think the cool thing to do was to put them back in.

Altsounds: So they were already written for that album really...

Ben Wells: Yeah, we could have saved them for another album but they were kind of songs written for this album, I think they fit right there.

Altsounds: This is your Altsounds free advertising space: why should anyone buy �Folklore and superstition� rather than a couple of JDs at the pub?

Ben Wells: Well, hopefully you can take something away out of �Folklore and superstition,� then if you want to have a drink at the pub that�s fine. But I think there�s going to be at least one song in there everybody is going to connect with, music is a powerful thing so I think there are some songs on this album that may really help people. It�s an album I�m proud of and I think you may enjoy it.

Altsounds: I�ve read wonders about your live shows and I�m about to verify. Do you think I�m going to be disappointed or join your street team afterwards?

Ben Wells: Hopefully join the street team! We try to put on a good live show, this is what it�s all about for us, our live shows, we take a lot of pride and respect for people who pay to get in, so we tend to entertain.

Altsounds: Is it fair to say you were born as a live band?

Ben Wells: Absolutely, hands down!

Altsounds: How important is your relationship with your fan base, and how do communicate with them?

Ben Wells: The internet and personally, every night after the show we do meet & greets. We go out and meet the fans and it means a lot to us, �cause these are the people who give us the possibility to do this, do you know what I mean? They buy our music, wear our t-shirts, buy our concert tickets. The least we can do is go out, shake their hands and say thank you.

Altsounds: Altsounds is an online music website with a higher ranking than Kerrang! and growing fast...

Ben Wells: Awesome!

Altsounds: Do you think online journalism is on its way to replace traditional press?

Ben Wells: I hope not in some respect, as there are some great hard press magazines out there, but then there are some garbage magazines out there as well, so I think hard press and visual press, whether it be on the internet or not, are both great things and maybe they can find a way to work together. But I would say without internet technology this world would be lost, especially bands �cause they rely a lot on it.

Altsounds: If you were to organise your own festival and headline it, what would be your dream line up?

Ben Wells: Hard question...

Altsounds: Dead or alive!

Ben Wells: Ah, ok! Definitely Elvis. Then Allman Brothers, original Creedance Clearwater Revival, The Beatles...

Altsounds: If �Folklore & Superstition� was the soundtrack to a movie, what movie would it be?

Ben Wells: That�s a great question, I never thought about it... I guess it would have to be the band�s autobiographic movie, because it�s very personal music.

Altsounds: Year 2009 is about to end. What has been your favourite new album this year?

Ben Wells: I thought John Fogerty�s new album was fantastic...

Altsounds: Any old classic you re-discovered or listened to more than others?

Ben Wells: I always listen to a lot of classics, from Aerosmith to Muddy Waters to Killswitch Engage, all kinds of different stuff.

Altsounds: This is your free Altsounds space, say whatever you like and remember the whole world is listening!

Ben Wells: I appreciate everyone who listens to our band, and if you haven�t yet I urge you to go check us out on MySpace, our website or come to the show. We�re just four normal guys playing music, we play it for the people and play it for ourselves and I think people understand that. We�re not rockstars, just four normal guys!

Altsounds: Thanks Ben, we�re done!

Ben Wells: Thank you and hope you enjoy the show!

A few quick pictures and it�s time to set Ben free. Watching him later on stage, looking like a seven foot tall Viking God ruling Hammersmith Apollo will be a positively traumatic experience. The power of music really has no limits.

The Lowdown: Kyle from Incura

FRIDAE — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:23:07 GMT

When I first blabbered about Incura, it was fresh from Canadian Music Week. Lead singer Kyle Gruninger took some time out to answer a few questions. For those who do not know of Incura yet, go read Canadian Music Week �09 part two right here on Altsounds.com, the article is full of information or hit up any of the links at the end!

Altsounds: Please give everyone a breakdown of who is currently in the band and their function!

Kyle: Jim - Keys, Kyle - Vox, Gatlin - Guitar, Jono - Bass and Phil on Drums.

Altsounds: Where did the name INCURA come from and does it have any meaning?

INCURA is the collective name of the group that creates and separates itself from the rest by pushing the musical envelope. So no, it doesn�t come from anything but the minds of the five of us when we hit the stage. Collective�Together...Powerful �

Altsounds: How did the band come into formation?

The band met in Lethbridge, Alberta and was in many different musical acts within the community. Gatlin and Jono grew up and played in a hard punk rock band in the city. I, Kyle, went from a metal band to Theater and then Opera. I met up with Jono and Gatlin to try and mash up a style they all could agree on. Jim and I met in a professional theatre company and decided we needed a change and left theatre for the group. Phil was a drummer in some of the best bands in the city... He was the missing link in the Incura formula.

Altsounds: Recently you guys released �The Lost � EP� please do jibber a bit about the record.

The record was recorded in some of the best studios in Vancouver with the best producers and song writers. Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter, State of Shock), Brian Howes (Hinder, Daughtry), Mike Fraser ( AC/DC, Metallica). Also on the record is Evan Morgan (SEEDS winning track �Here to Blame�), the youngest up and coming producer in Vancouver.

The music on the record is a showcase of what�s about to happen to Incura in the next year. It is seven songs of pure insanity, just a taste of what�s to come. We have now completed five new tracks written with Greig Norri and others, we are excited to play them all live.

Altsounds: Currently what is on the agenda for Incura?

We�re about to hit the road across Canada and show this country that INCURA�s live show exceeds all expectations of what live music should be. After this we�ll demo up all the new songs and give the fans another full length record.

Altsounds: What is your intention? There are so many bands trying to make a name and stay in the game, what separates Incura from the rest?

It all comes down to music. Today, bands tour, promote, market and put everything into getting to the top. Though we have a focus on what we need to do for the band to get us �out there� MUSIC is what separates INCURA. Our Main focus is our music and we take much pride in creating something original, accessible and that leaves people with a feeling that they have seen/heard something that makes them think, love, laugh and hate.

Altsounds: You guys are from Alberta, why did you migrate to Vancouver?

Lethbridge was just a place where we all grew up. It stood as the corner stone that created this monster. But to build higher we had to move to a bigger city. There is no better place to move higher then Vancouver [laughs]!

Kyle got it twisted! Toronto�s where it�s at!! Vancouver�s weather is nicer occasionally. For some reason most other Canadian cities hate Toronto. I remember watching this documentary about how much they hated Toronto. The haters say Torontonians think their city is like New York City and just as cold. Truth is, tourists tell us Toronto is like a �Mini NYC� we don�t think that way, they do. Not everyone is so frigid! Toronto has a personality of its own, there�s nothing like wandering the streets at the crack of dawn after a great live show or a night out dancing, no city compares.

Altsounds: If music never existed what would life be like for you?

Music as in INCURA? I�m sure I (Kyle) would be doing anything within the arts. I like creating and pushing myself artistically�. If Music in general didn�t exist? Please don�t make me think such horrible things.

Altsounds: What is the difference between the new record and �Swords.Souls.Secrets�?

Swords.Souls.Secrets was an album written when I was 16, 17 and
18� it�s a younger more inventive record. I wrote almost all those songs for myself� Now growing up and touring I�ve found a great feeling in writing music with others in mind and not being so selfish. I�m now in a place in my life where I feel I can start to look outside my head for inspiration and that�s just what the lost EP is.

Altsounds: When composing a tune do the lyrics come first or the music and melody?

It�s different every time, depending on the song.. it�s ALWAYS different!

Altsounds: If you could choose to work with anyone in the music biz, who would it be and why that person?

Andrew Lloyd Webber. He�s the one classical composer who has taken dark themes and made them very famous for people that might have never heard that kind of music before. Yes, yes, Phantom of the Opera is very clich� BUT!! It�s the one musical, that even your older brother who hates it can sing the main theme. ;)

Altsounds: Anything you want to pimp out? Say it now or forever hold your peace!

ALWAYS QUESTION WHY�.!!! ALWAYS!

Altsounds: Thank you so much Kyle for dropping a few words! Best of luck!

The Lowdown - Charlotte Hatherley Interview

Andy Von Pip — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:02:05 GMT

It was obvious that Charlotte Hatherley was never going to be happy plodding along as merely the rhythm guitarist in a band full of blokes ad infinitum, she seemed to have a bit of what people loosely term �star quality� about her. I don�t mean in the sense of being one of those ruthless careerist musicians who Luke Haines once famously described as �greedy hobgoblins, knocking down small children in their path ... and anyone they perceive as a possible threat to their rise to the top." You just sensed that Charlotte�s ambition lay more in a desire to be her own boss and spread her creative wings. Since leaving Irish rockers Ash her career has been as impressive as it has been varied. She was released two critically acclaimed albums, �Fade To Grey� and �Into The Blue� and is set to unleash her third and without doubt, her finest solo album yet, "New Worlds." It�s an album from a real bona fide musician who doesn�t rely on PR gurus or ludicrous disproportionate hyperbole to bring instant success- Charlotte, does it the old fashioned way, believing that music has always been more important than the image or the hype. Although I�m sure it�s not always been easy, she has reaped the rewards of this approach gaining a loyal fan base and critical acclaim whilst achieving a longevity that last months absurdly puffed up NME �band of the decade� can only dream of. We had a chat with the enigmatic Ms Hatherley to find out what sort of year 2009 had been.

Altsounds: Hello Charlotte, your album �New Worlds� is released on 19th October, the title itself hints at a sense of discovery, renewal and revelation, for example latest single 'Alexander' talks about taking off layers. Would you say this is a theme that runs throughout the album? Peeling away layers to get to some sort of truth?

Charlotte: I was writing about searching for the truth. There�s so much information being thrown at us it�s hard to see through the bullshit. I wanted to strip away the layers and make something simple and honest. I was influenced by painters and colours, and wanted to create a vibrant and visceral world.

Altsounds: The album initially had the title "Cinnabar City" did the decision to change the title happen kind of organically as the album progressed?

Charlotte: I was toying with the idea of making it the third record to have a colour in the title, and I loved the exoticness of �Cinnabar� mixed with the hardness and modernity of �city'. But I changed the title after the album was mastered because I thought the title shouldn�t be something that has to be explained, it should be more like the music which is immediate and very direct. "New Worlds" seemed less abstract and more of a statement. Also, I kept getting asked about Cinnabar Island in Pokemon, which I knew nothing about!

Altsounds: Given that you are a member of the touring set up for Bat For Lashes and Client in conjunction with your solo career when do you actually get the time to write songs?!! How long would you say it took from formulating a rough sketch of the new album to actually getting it done, dusted and out there?

Charlotte: I write sketches and ideas on the road, and can only really concentrate on fleshing them out when I�m at home in one place. So, at the moment I�m itching to start writing but won�t be able to until December. Touring makes your brain shrink. I always try to make it a productive time, I take a load of books and DVDs but inevitably don�t manage to get through half of them. For this new album it really didn�t take very long to get it together, I wrote it in a month, and then spent a week recording it mostly live, and then mixed and mastered straight away. Usually I take a lot longer, but I wanted to take a less methodical approach and make the recording much more spontaneous. It took a little longer to release as I put it back 6 months so I could tour with Bat For Lashes.

Altsounds: You also have your own label �Little Sister Records�- what with all your other projects you must be a highly organised, well oiled machine, do you ever find it a daunting proposition covering all the bases? Ever feel like you�re spinning too many plates ;) ?

Charlotte: I wish I WAS a well oiled machine! I do my best, and have found a new sobriety the last 2 years as I simply couldn�t tour, record and run the label if I continued to be as fried as I was when I was in Ash. It took me a while to get my shit together and understand the industry and my place in it but now that I�ve hit 30 I know exactly what I�m doing. I don�t find it daunting, it�s incredibly exciting playing with different people and having my own projects as well.

Altsounds: You�ve said in the past you found it hard touring for years in a band full of blokes. Do you feel women in the music industry still have a tough time, are they still pigeonholed and patronised meaning they have to shout a little louder and work a little harder than their male counterparts?

Charlotte: I think this is a good year for innovative and interesting female songwriters. Instead of the incredibly boring staple diet of the Duffy�s and Adele�s, artists like Bat For Lashes, Florence, La Roux, St Vincent, Marnie Stern, Fever Ray etc have taken over and it seems like women are thriving. I do think that we must be careful that it doesn�t seem like a passing �fad�, already I�ve heard that labels won�t be signing female artists of that ilk because it�s out of fashion. I think the UK has always produced amazing female songwriters, Kate Bush and PJ Harvey being the most obvious influence for me, but it is true that you have to work much harder for the attention.

Altsounds: There�s only a few months of 2009 left, I�ve seen Christmas decorations and mince pies in the shops already! So how�s 2009 been for Charlotte Hatherley ?

Charlotte: It�s been incredible really. I�ve been touring non stop with Bat For Lashes whilst doing what I can to tour and promote my own record that comes out in a couple of weeks. It�s been exhausting but really exciting. I also turned 30 which is supposed to be a big deal isn�t it?

Altsounds: What sort of music have you been listening to this year?

Charlotte: Mostly Fever Ray, St Vincent, Yeasayer and Ladyhawke.

Altsounds: Have you paid much heed to the furore over the file sharing debate which Lily Allen waded into recently over reducing file sharers internet access/download speeds? How do you think musicians, fans and labels can find a system which is acceptable to all involved?

Charlotte: I think music is going through a very troubled time. Music has been de-valued and is becoming an outlet for only people who can afford it which is very worrying. It is becoming impossible to make any money, and I largely agree with Lily Allen though I think that restricting people�s broadband access would be unenforceable. Kids need to learn the real value of music, and learn that it�s not just the labels they are screwing, but the musicians too.

Altsounds: And talking of the net, you use Facebook and Myspace, but do you ever feel an uncontrollable urge to �tweet�?

Charlotte: No, Twitter is a step too far for me.

Altsounds: Tell us an amazing fact about yourself that has thus far never been revealed?

Charlotte: I�ve got a scaly back!

The Lowdown: Malcolm Middleton

the_archivist — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:02:46 GMT

Malcolm Middleton has recorded five albums under his own name since 2002, initially as a side project to Arab Strap, now fully solo.

Altsounds: Last year you toured Australia, New Zealand and Japan and you regularly tour Northern and central Europe. Where HAVEN�T your travelling socks taken you and why not?

China, South America, Africa, The Middle East�.lots of places still to be wakened to the power of my music. I�m working on it though. I veer between �grand plans� and �giving up� most of the time though, which can be a slight hindrance.

Altsounds: What do international audiences make of the Malcolm Middleton outlook on life? Which countries don�t get it?

I�m not sure. And I don�t want to think about it. This is the kind of question that can raise too many negative thoughts about my life and the way in which I have wasted it!

Altsounds: Humour, morbid or otherwise, in music is difficult to pull off. Who else do you think does this well?

Humour is easy. The problem is when people with no humour try to be funny. Sincerity is over-rated, and humour in music is all about how you tackle you own ego. Kick it in the face and laugh at yourself. I�m not really sure who does this well in music. Lady Gaga?

Altsounds: �Waxing Gibbous� came out in June. Do you go back to listen to your music or once its recorded do you put it behind you? How has your opinion of this record changed since then?

I put it behind me as quick as I can. I like the album, but I can see right through it. The flaws shine brighter than the strengths and this to me is unbearable. I�m not distancing myself from it, I just move on from things quickly. It�s definitely not my best album, but it was the best I could do at that time.

Altsounds: You list on your website the snippets from bad or lukewarm reviews � or even the bad bits from otherwise good reviews. Self-deprecation or a lack of respect for reviewers?! And whose opinion of your music REALLY matters?

It�s a bit of both I suppose. If I spend 6 months making an album I really can�t respect someone�s opinion because a free cd has landed on their desk with 20 others, which they quickly skim over so that they can get paid and save enough money for a bottle of cheap cider that evening to glug upon while they consider themselves �art�.

Ouch, that sounded bitter! Reviews mean nothing to me though, I don�t read any about other peoples� records or my own. I know it sounds ugly, but the only opinion that matters about my own music is mine. People have proven to me in the past that they can�t be trusted, because they�ve said they like things I�ve done that I know are shit.

Altsounds: This year you collaborated with Mira Calix for Radio 3. How was this? Will this session be released or lead to any other collaborations? And which other musician(s) would you like to write music with?

Hopefully it will lead onto other things, we both really enjoyed working together. I don�t really think about collaborations much though, I like working alone.

Altsounds:Last December you performed at the �Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People� concert, the December before you released �We�re All Going To Die� as a Christmas single? What does this December hold?

This December holds my �Long, Dark Night� solo acoustic UK tour, which will see me embrace one side of my musical coin, that which is sheer misery and cringing depression. Should be a laugh!

Altsounds:You�ve hinted that after five solo albums you might be ready to try something new. Will that stay as a hint? Or�?

Who knows. I certainly don�t, yet. I need some perspective on things. I think I may be too cynical these days� And I don�t want to be.

Altsounds: Who or what has had the most influence on your music?

Boredom and depression.

Altsounds: Other than music what makes you happy?

Other than? Who said music makes me happy? Erm. Being outside in Autumn. Inside in winter. Dunno. I feel too shit to answer this right now.

Altsounds: If you had to recommend just one of your songs to a first-time listener which would it be and why?

Maybe �Fuck It, I Love You�. It has a nice tune and I like the words. I think if people hear this they will get a good idea of who I am. Or who I can be sometimes when I�m feeling more positive.

Altsounds: Good recommendation! Thank you for your time.

Thanks!

The Long Dark Night tour runs 24 Nov � 10 December. �Waxing Gibbous� is out now on Full Time Hobby

The Lowdown: Brian Fair of Shadows Fall

GlockMeAmadeus — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:32:05 GMT

Altsounds: Retribution is the 6th studio album from Shadows Fall. It's the newest, so I assume it's your favorite... but if you can lend an objective opinion- do you think it is your best?

Brian Fair: Yeah, I really do. I think sonically, every studio record you make, you learn to use the tools better. After 10 years in the band, everyone is solid in their role and can focus on their strengths. Every record is a step forward and you improve in every regard. It's an evolution and I think it's the best, so every record is a step up from the last.

So are you guys like a well-oiled machine now, just cranking out album after album, or is each recording experience completely different?

Every single one is totally different. Some records are done quickly and they're really raw. We didn't understand the studio as much as a young band and we just wanted to get the live feel. Then you want to try layering and some new techniques. When you change the environment you write and record in, it's gonna change the whole vibe of the record. You can't help but bring those influences to the music.

What was your favorite part of making Retribution?

Recording the vocals down in Virginia with Michael �Elvis� Baskette. He's an amazing musician and producer, and he was able to get us out of our comfort zone. He makes you find new things inside yourself. It was very cool for me. I am sure the other guys would say their favorite was recording their parts, too. [laughs]

You guys have come full circle in this industry, releasing this album on your own label, Everblack Industries, after bouncing around between majors and indies... what are the differences in how business is being done now and do you prefer it?

I totally prefer it. It's a perfect situation. We are able to use the power of a label for distribution, but we control the day to day and final decisions in how money is spent. The bottom line is finally in the best interest of the band. Labels have their own stuff to worry about. We make the decisions for our own career in mind and our own longevity. Also, the royalty distrubution- we get the biggest chunk now. In a traditional label deal, you get paid last. You get the scraps after everyone else has picked it clean. Now we're at the top of the pyramid.

What about the music industry was most shocking to you when you first discovered it?

I think the overwhelming buck-passing style. Any little question has to go across a million desks before you get an answer. By the time we got decisions on things, it was too late to do anything about it.

Your video for "Still I Rise" is shot in the Affliction warehouse and features a lot of Affliction MMA fighting, just as the company is going out of business! Are you guys going to work a deal with the UFC to reshoot the video?

[laughs] Nah, nah. We've known those people for a while through the clothing company and all that. We didn't have it tied in with any Affliction thing. It was just cool that they let us use their location. The fact that they had a ring and people to hook us up with was cool. It's a bummer how things happened for them.

I've read that The Smiths album Meat is Murder convinced you to become a vegetarian??

[laughs] Well that's kind of oversimplifying things. That quick quote has been taken out of context and used over and over. I was listening to a lot of hardcore back then, so the information was already out there. In the early hardcore and punk scene, activism was more prevalent than it is today. Causes and even religions... I was learning that stuff as a kid and when I did my own research on it, if I was ever in that situation where it was a survival thing, I don't think I would have a problem with it. But we have so many choices today, it doesn't really make sense to me to eat animals.

Well, that's still a really strong testament to the power of music. Would you consider your band to be more influential or entertaining?

I think we try to strike a balance with both. We take it seriously on the albums, but in the live show it's all about having fun. We can talk about the heavy stuff and deal with the negatives in the world, but on stage I want the joy of the music experience.

I'm always interested to find out what metal artists listen to. Their tastes are usually more eclectic than pop artists. What have you been listening to lately?

I'm schizophrenic. I like old school metal and hardcore. I like ambient music, like Spiritualized, Spaceman3. I like old reggae and old jazz. I followed the Dead for a while. I just love music, in general.

You guys keep getting passed up for Grammys... do you care about that stuff at all and what do you think it takes to win?

[laughs] We never expect to win anything. Getting nominated was a real surprise. You can usually tell on the sheet who is going to win. They'll go with whoever has a long legacy. Being mentioned in the same category with like Slayer, Motorhead and Ministry... that's crazy. But we got to see McCartney perform live. We saw the reunion of Morris Day and the Time. That was sick! Grammys aren't even in the furthest of the back thoughts.

Ok, Brian. I hate to do this, but we need to take things down a notch and get super serious. If you don't want to answer this, I totally understand. Take your time answering. Asha Mandela, a woman from Florida, holds the world record for longest dreadlocks- 8feet 9inches long. Think you can beat it?

[laughs] If it was a goal, I think it would be reachable. They're close to 5 feet right now and I've been growing them for 16 years. I had to start wrapping the ends around to keep them from dragging on the ground. I was rolling over them on a skateboard. That's uncomfortable. [laughs] The locks, for me, represent a history of important times in my life. Expanding my mind philosophically and spiritually, everywhere I've been and all of my mistakes... it's a part of me. I may move on someday, but we're going full steam in this direction right now, so they stay. If I take down the world record along the way, that's a cool photo op, but really nothing more.

With metal bands, it's kind of assumed that every day is like Halloween... but what gets you in the mood for the holiday?

It used to be getting those little candy corns in the shape of pumpkins. I don't eat gelatin anymore, so I can't get them. But those were good. The weather changing gets me excited for it, too.

Do you like playing Halloween shows, and what has been the best one so far?

Oh yeah, I love the Halloween shows. We've only dressed up a few times. On the road it's hard to put something together, but we usually go the glam metal route and come out doing Motley Crue covers. It's always more interesting to see what the crown comes as. There's a lot of Michael Myers and sexy devils. [laughs]

What has been your 'go to' Halloween costume off the road?

KISS or Dee Snider.

Best Halloween memory from any point in your life?

This is a terrible memory, but it is more powerful than any other. When I was really young, I was running full steam from house to house, gathering candy. I was dressed up like Batman and just couldn't go fast enough. You know those telephone poles with the wire anchors that go into the ground? Well I go barreling down the street and ended up getting clotheslined on one of those wires. I nearly decapitated myself! My mom wanted to drag me home, but I COULDN'T LEAVE CANDY BEHIND! BANDAGE ME UP, MOM, WE'RE MOVING ON! [laughs]

Metalocalypse � an introduction to brutality, Hanna-Barbera style.

Andrew_Culture — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:56 GMT

I�ve never been the worlds hugest death metal fan, in fact I�ve always thought it was all a bit silly, all that face paint and posturing seems a bit pantomime to me;

CROWD � �He�s behind you,�
LAD IN LEATHER AND SPIKES � �Oh no he isn�t,�
CROWD � �Oh yes he is,�
LAD IN LEATHER AND SPIKES � �So he is, and he�s soaked in the blood of a virgin, which is why his matches are damp and he can�t get a decent flame going on the corner of that Carpathian Church.�

So when a friend was idly skipping through their two million cable channels and stumbled across an episode of Metalocalypse I was filled with literally micrograms of excitement.

I�ve never had anything against death metal - in fact some of my best friends have been in black metal bands � but have always reviewed the black metal albums I�ve been sent as being part of a great joke nobody has let me in on. Well thanks to Metalocalypse now I get the joke. Apart from the truly deranged disciples of death metal (who actually take it seriously) I�m now of the firm belief that all fans adore the grunting vocals and obscenely fast guitar solos in a slightly ironic way. Metalocalypse has captured this perfectly.

Metalocalypse is an animated show vaguely in the visual style of Hanna-Barbera; imagine Captain Caveman but with a death metal soundtrack and surprisingly graphic and with bloody cartoon violence. The show centres around a band called �Dethklok� who just happen to be the biggest band in the world, by an unfathomably wide margin. Dethklok aren�t just big enough to fill arenas, they�re so huge they play entire Islands, own a fleet of space helicopters and record albums in giant submarines a mile under the surface of the ocean! The band have an army of black hooded roadies as big as, well, as big as an army. In fact Dethklok are so super massive they rank as the seventh largest economy on earth.

Wherever Dethklok play legions of their fans die, whole swathes of their roadie army are wiped out (it�s okay, they have many spares) and an alarming amount of apocalyptic devastation ensues. Of course you might assume that as this is a cartoon we�re talking about there are no consequences to deal with. Were you to make such an assumption you�d be totally wrong. In one episode bassist �William Murderface� nearly kills a fan by head butting him for interrupting his penis bass solo, and that victim of dark death metal brutality turns out to be a prince, and returns with his royal family to demand Murderface signs his plaster-cast. Now how�s that for cause and effect, totally lifelike I�d say.

None of the members of Dethklok (William Murderface, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Nathan Explosion, Pickles, and Toki Wartooth) are particularly likable - although the childlike Scandinavian guitarists certainly have their endearing moments � but just like when passing a motorway accident one cannot look away.

One of the aspects of Metalocalypse that surprised me the most was the music � rather than being a tired necessity to augment proceedings it�s actually pretty damned good. Most of the lyrics are unintelligible to me, but the few that shine through stick in my head with all the staying power of a kebab stain. After watching one episode (much to the delight of those who dwell around me) I spent the next few days mimicking Floridian Nathan Explosion�s gruff vocals from a coffee advert Dethklok perform;

Quote:

"Do you folks like coffee?
Real coffee, from the hills of Columbia?

The Duncan Hills will wake you
From a thousand depths
A cup of blackened blood
Die, die
You're dying for a cup."

So does Metalocalypse offer insightful comment on this crazy modern world we live in? Does it offer up cruel (but right on) satire in the vein of South Park? Nah, to paraphrase Homer Simpson �it�s just about a bunch of stuff that happens.�

I�m still unsure as to whether Metalocalypse has mass appeal in the same way as the Simpsons, but it certainly steps beyond the necessity to needlessly shock in a Family Guy style, but much like �This is Spinal Tap� it does depend on a certain level of existing knowledge on the theme.

I couldn�t possibly condone the use of Bit Torrents or anything illegal like that, but if you were a naughty sort who uses such badness I would recommend finding the episode �Murderface�s Birthday,� it�s a great starting point for your black adventure.

The Lowdown: Beau Burchell from Saosin

psiruslatimer7 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:32:52 GMT

Anthony Green, the former vocalist, had initially suggested the name "Saosin" (pronounced as "say-o-shin") for the band. After he quit, Saosin changed the pronunciation to "say-o-sin." What does it actually mean? Saosin means �small heart� as well as "be careful" in Chinese (xiao xin). The word comes from a 15th century proverb about fathers telling their sons who are being married off for money not to get emotionally involved with their wives, (who could die at any time). The meaning behind this with regards to the use as a band name was a reference to the fact that nothing is eternal, and that it is a mistake to become overly attached to any one thing, because that thing will eventually be lost. Xiao xin is generally used in Chinese as a means to express caution.

Altsounds.com was lucky enough to sit down with Beau Burchell of Saosin to talk to him about all things music. The guys have just released their new album "In Search Of Solid Ground" and are readying themselves to tour this across the world.

Altsounds: How are you guys doing today?
Beau Burchell: Excellent, we just played here in Canada MTV live. It was awesome.

Altsounds: The main focus for you guys right now is the release of your latest album �In Search of Solid Ground, released this month. A very exciting time for any band I�m sure. How do you feel about the final result?
Beau Burchell: We are all really proud of the record. It's a great sign of growth as people and musicians. Chris and I produced a handful of songs on the record and I mixed the entire record.

Altsounds: So you guys have worked with two world-class and legendary producers on this album, Butch Walker and John Feldman, Both of who have worked on some of the best albums of modern times. Why did you decide on working with these guys? What were they like to work with?
Beau Burchell: John Feldman has been a fan of our band ever since the beginning, so it just made sense to work with him. Butch Walker had worked with some friends of mine called The Bronx, so he came highly recommended by them. And as soon as I met him we clicked right away. We both look at music very similarly.

Altsounds: You guys have got a number of releases under your belts to date, and I imagine that most have a message or a general theme to them. What was the theme or message you were aiming for with �In Search Of Solid Ground�?
Beau Burchell: I think the one constant theme in all of our songs is hope. A lot of bands just talk about how crappy things are. We try to ensure the theme of hope is always there.

Altsounds: Fans have had a taste of the new album with the release of the 1st single �Changing�. Can fans expect more of the same from the other songs on the album?
Beau Burchell: The record has lots of different types of songs. I really think it has something for everyone. It's nice that a lot of people all have different favorite songs on the record.

Altsounds: To promote the release, you guys got a tour lined up in November and January. I imagine you�re pretty excited about this?
Beau Burchell: Yes we are excited about the tour. It's us, Innerpartysystem, POS, Eye Alaska. We are getting ready to start rehearsals soon.

Altsounds: As with most bands, when it comes to new albums fans and occasional listeners tend to be kind of sceptical and un-open to new songs and ideas, often criticizing them. How do you think your latest album has gone down with the fans?
Beau Burchell: So far people seem to be pretty stoked on it. We keep getting emails about how much people are loving the record. People are saying that the more you listen to it the more it grows on you.

Altsounds: When bands premier their new work at a show, it can go either way in terms of how it is received. Do you think the songs off the new album have been received well at the shows?
Beau Burchell: So far we have only played 3 new songs at Warped tour. So we are looking forward to playing more on our upcoming tours.

Altsounds: To promote the release of the album you have also teamed up with the brand PacSun. What brought this about?
Beau Burchell: They sponsor a tour called the PAC sun tour. And we were lucky enough that they asked us to be the head-liners. We are all really excited about the tour.

Altsounds: In a recent Blog on your website, you posted that one lucky store would be getting a secret acoustic show from you guys. This must have been a great treat for both your fans and yourselves? This was all set to go down on Sept 7th. How did it turn out?
Beau Burchell: All of the in-store performances have been going very well. It's a really different and cool experience for everyone.

Altsounds: As mentioned, you guys have got a tour lined up and you seem to be sticking to the US for the meantime. Any plans to hit Europe and the rest of the world at some point next year?
Beau Burchell: Oh ya. We are already planning a world tour. We are really looking to get back overseas.

Altsounds: Over the years you have accomplished so much as a band, I�m sure there must be something that each of you (or the band in general) has wanted to do. What do you hope to accomplish next?
Beau Burchell: I'd like to break through in the UK. We haven't really broken through over there yet.

Altsounds: One final question. I always find it great when artists who have had great success offer advice for the next generation when it comes to starting bands. Seeing as you guys have had a number of line up changes in the past, and you have definitely had an influence on your performers, what advice would you give them that you feel would help them start a musical career?Beau Burchell: Be true to yourself. Don't copy other bands.

Altsounds: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, really appreciate it. Have you got any thing you may wish to add to say to the fans and readers out there?
Beau Burchell: Thanks again to everyone for their support and go get the new record if you haven't yet.

The Lowdown: Owen Thomas of The Elms

GlockMeAmadeus — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:27:06 GMT

Altsounds: How would you categorize The Elms? Pop? Americana? Rock?

Owen Thomas: I guess it's pretty much a stripped down rock combo. We try to keep things as sparse as possible. We never let it get too complicated. A genre-specific name... I guess I would say rock and roll band. The stuff that we sort of chase as it pertains to musical heritage- Tom Petty, Springsteen, Neil Young. They all made records that were labored over in the studio, so maybe there was a refined element to the recording. But then when it's on stage, it's pretty rambunctious. We do things a similar way.

How did you approach making this new album?

Well, we initially approached it by writing about 200 songs. Usually when we get done doing a typical album promotion cycle, I start to write again. We spend about a year on the road and I write very little. As soon as we come off the road, I'm writing 3 or 4 songs a day. As I was writing the music, it became more apparent that Middle America, the workforce and the families, in 2009 are becoming the theme. The lyrics exist against this very humble backdrop. The Great American Midrange is a metaphor for middle class and just a great description of what our music is like.

We had to narrow it down to about 20 songs. We spent months rehearsing them to figure out which ones are really great. They also needed to fit the aesthetic- it's tough times for most Americans right now. We had to let go of songs we felt good about, but we recorded the 20 songs in Nashville. From there we narrowed it down to the best 12 by the time we got to Seattle to mix the record.

What do you think the biggest difference is between this album and the last?

I think in my mind, I was captivated by melodies on this album. Maybe you're asking for a couple of different angles on this question, but really it's just more melodic. The last one was more about the band and the feel of the band playing live captured in the studio. It was loose lyrically and I did this scat talking kind of thing... almost like rapping. [laughs] I'm not a rapper at all. I feel like it was raw. This one is much more melodic and manicured than the last one but still has that underlying rock essence that I think is ingrained in our band. Lyrically, I felt like getting better at songwriting is something we needed to be doing as a band. Line A leads to Line B... no random one-liners coming off like the last record. Everything has a purpose and I like that feeling a lot.

You shot video of the whole recording process, right?

What we did was we streamed the entire recording process online on our website. While we were recording, we had live video going to the site 24/7. One camera was in the control room and one in the tracking room with a single audio feed going to both cameras. It just seemed like a very... I love the mystique of rock bands and I love the 'shrouded in secrecy' part of this endeavor, but I thought it would be cool to let people see what it is actually like... unadorn the whole process. I'd say when you're working in the studio, 90% is working your ass off and eating sandwiches. Only about 10% is really inspired. Fans got a chance to look in at any time of the day or night. They could see us fighting, or they could see us ordering food... but if they came in at the right time, they could see something magical happen. And you just don't know when it's going to happen. People have come up to us saying they felt like they had a rapport with the music because they watched the streams. They talked about how interesting it was to hear the final product after going with us through the process. It's a lot of work, a lot of waiting, a lot of discussing and a little bit of rocking. It was fun to take our fans with us through that.

"This is How The World Will End" was a single released last year... was that for a particular project, or just a random one off?

We did a digital single of that song last year, but then we remixed it and remastered it for the record. I could give you a long answer on why we did it, but I will try to keep it concise. We released it as a reaction. A demo of the song had begun to circulate online... this acoustic demo we did. We got a call from an NBC station in the Midwest that wanted to make use of the song in a promotional piece for the Olympics. We went into the studio to record it and they started using it. We got a lot of inquiries about the song so we just wanted to make it available. We had the luxury of making it available on a days notice. So we did an acoustic version and a full version, included a b-side and put it online.

We really only released it through out website. That was the genesis of an idea that became a deluxe version of this new album. You can acquire the whole album plus acoustic version of every song for the same price. We found the mechanism really worked with "This Is How the World Will End". That was the final, galvanizing element to the new mechanism of getting more music out there for less money. We like the idea of putting music out at will and as much of it as we want. Being able to give people 24 or 25 new songs is a really wonderful opportunity for us.

You talk a lot about being from the Midwest, which I can definitely appreciate. What do you think is the biggest misconception about the Midwest, and what do you think people often miss?

For us, personally, my observation is that there isn't the creative contentions in the Midwest like there is in LA or NY or Nashville or Austin. There are a lot of very wonderfully talented people. People making music, people doing visual design, people making films. It's not that those people don't exist, it's that their causes aren't nurtured the way they are in other areas of the country. It's considered more of a vapid place to live for artists. If you REALLY wanna make it, you have to go to LA! [laughs] I would like for people to start supporting each other in this part of the country and begin to grow a creative contingency. I would to see all of these small towns working together. The misconception is that it's a dryer, less fertile creative atmosphere. That's not true at all. The people who have those gifts and skills may find themselves in a place where they're not being nurtured the way they would if they were in an industry city. I would like to see that change.

I hear that you're always keeping your eyes peeled for new talent. What's your favorite new act at the moment?

Funnily enough, there's this kid from the northern part of our state, Indiana. LD Miller. He's probably the greatest harmonica player I've ever heard in my life. He's got a family band with a couple of his brothers. One of the most talented kids I've ever seen. I personally listen to mostly rhythmic music, though.

The Elms: "The Great American Midrange" OUT NOW.
THE ELMS on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

The Lowdown: Tyler Mane (Michael Myers, Sabretooth)

GlockMeAmadeus — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:36:51 GMT

Altsounds: When I saw Halloween, my friends and I were talking about how the role of Michael Myers has to be the sweetest job in the movie business. You have zero lines, you're wearing a mask most of the time... and you're the star of the film! Is it really an easy role, or do you just make it look easy?

Tyler Mane: I like to think I just made it look easy. To give the character the depth that he deserves, it took quite a bit of preparation. I wanted to make sure that his expression came through my body movement. All I really had were my eyes. It's so much easier when you get lines because you express yourself through words. Without having words it's just the physicality of the character. The research that I did, I went back and watched all of the Halloween movies, except the third one. I wanted to take it up a notch and give him depth and humanity. It's what the story called for.

How did you get the role?

It was interesting. I was in Canada, getting ready to talk to producers about another project. Rob called and said, "Hey, I want you to play Michael Myers in my next movie." I thought, why would I want to go behind a mask? Rob said he didn't want it to be a one dimensional character and thought I would be good to bring something different to the role. We talked about what he wanted from the character and next thing you know, we were shooting.

Would you say that you're up for anything when it comes to making a movie happen? Is there anything you refuse to do?

It depends, really. I would love to do a cheesy romantic comedy, but that would be putting me with a midget or something, so I don't think that's ever gonna happen! If it's a real character and the character is important to the story, I would definitely consider just about anything. It would have to make sense. It couldn't just be something like, 'Let's throw this giant guy in there and see what happens." It would have to be something that moves the storyline along.

Whose bio-pic would you most love to star in? Or what kind of movie would you most like to make?

Danny DeVito! [laughs] I have no idea. I am kind of limited with my size on that question.

If size wasn't a factor?

Hmmmm... wow. John Wayne is pretty cool. The Duke.

What has been the highlight of your career up to this point?

Oh boy... you know everything I do tops the last. You know, I have been very lucky. I played Sabretooth, an iconic character. I played King Ajax in Troy. And now I am playing a horror icon like Michael Myers. I'm lucky to be able to keep talking, so I would really have to say them all. It's hard to pick just one thing.

What's your fondest memory of your time as a wrestler?

Definitely when you walk through the curtain and you walk out into the arena and it's full of people yelling at you. For that 10 minutes or whatever you are out there, your job is to whip them into a frenzy. And the lowest time is when you go back through that curtain and you feel all of those aches and pains. You have 23 hours and 50 minutes of pain and boredom until your next show.

There are a lot of similarities between the music industry and the film industry and we face many of the same problems when it comes to the little guy getting attention. You have recently launched your own Production company with a very 'indie rock' mentality. What are your goals for this new production company and what can you tell me about your first project Penance Lane?

My goal for Mayne Entertainment is to put out the highest quality production possible on the most reasonable budget to get the biggest possible return for the investors. I've been involved in some big budget productions and it's like they take a big pile of money, put it in the street and light it on fire. The goal is to get as much in your pockets as possible before it all burns up.

It's supposed to be show BUSINESS. You want to make money and get a return on what you're putting into it. That's basically what we're trying to do. Our first project is Penance Lane and it's a horror/thriller. An ex-con gets out of prison and gets a second chance at life. But first he is sent on a mission and it's on Penance Lane. He goes to a dilapidated house and what he finds behind the walls is more than what he bargained for.

I've been involved in this industry for quite a few years and made good connections, so I want to bring the highest quality people to the projects to make the highest quality film possible and put out a good product for our investors.

Halloween is coming up- are you a fan of the holiday and all things spooky?

Oh yeah, definitely.

Are you dressing up as Michael Myers for Halloween?

That would be too easy! I haven't decided what I'm gonna do this year. Probably what I usually do- not dress up at all and just scare people with my own looks. That's more frightening that anything I could dress up as.

Give me some of your favorite scary movies:

The Shining- That movie when he goes up to the bar and starts drinking in the empty place, it's like ohhh my god. We did research in CT and stayed in a place that reminded me of the hotel from The Shining. It was creepy.

Of course Halloween 1 and 2. The ones I was in.

The Ring- The whole TV thing and all of that... pretty scary.

I saw a good one last night called Mirrors, with Keifer Sutherland. Very, very entertaining. I'm not gonna say it scared me! It was... interesting.

8 Pints | Issue 40 - Let Them Eat Cake

jack s — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:38:06 GMT

It's been a few weeks, but the Altsounds Concentrate is back. We've missed you "like a fat kid misses cake"*. In this weeks 8 pints, we feature the lowest ever review rating for a band, some exclusive live reviews, interviews and competitions. You will want to check out the Pearl Jam giveaway, that one is a cream cracker. You will also notice the new navigational bar, and Altrandomizer.

Screamadelica Studios has been mixing it up with design layouts and come-up with an absolute spanker. We are now the best looking music site on the planet (yes we are and you know it).

Our Altsounds studio arm is always looking for new bands, artist's DJ's etc to enhance their clientele. Check out Screamadelica Studios for our full portfolio. Alternatively contact Jack or Chris for details.

Our top rated Album, Single & EP of the week

Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down [Album]
96%

"�Forget and Not Slow Down,� the album�s opening track and lead single, starts the theme of the album off in the right way. Lines like, �I�d rather forget and not slow down than gather regret for the things that I can�t change now� and �I could spend my life trying to sift through what I could have done better but what good do what-ifs do?� offer the optimism most of us often need to overcome our regrets. �Therapy� puts the listener in the passenger seat of Thiessen�s emotional ride as he sorts through the personal angst of a break-up with a loved one. �Candlelight� is a pure unabashed love song in which Thiessen employs his classic �pun driven� lyric writing in a chorus that proclaims, �She outshines anyone whoever might date to bask in the same candlelight.� �Part Of It� shows us the peace of mind that eventually comes with a break-up, �It�s not the end of the world, just you and me�perspective is a lovely hand to hold.�"

Marina And The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road [Single]
97%

"�Mowgli�s Road� deserves to set Marina on the road to stardom, she�s just the sort of talented, vivacious character the pop arena is crying out for at the moment. Full of life, bursting with ideas and striving to make music of value on her own terms. She manages to appear esoteric, yet honest and open, fiesty, yet vulnerable. And it is these kind of contradictions that make her such a compelling individual�. I make no apologies for the unrelenting enthusiastic tone of this review (you should have seen the first draft:worship:) but I haven�t been this excited about a new artist for quite some time."

Kaiowas - Kaiowas [EP]
90%

"Atmospheric and dark, Kaiowas has crafted an excellent chunk of metal with their "Kaiowas" debut EP. These five tracks run through heavy, melodic grooves with an emphasis on naturalistic song structuring. Casting an insightful eye on metal tropes, Kaiowas still manages to remain user-friendly to even the most amateur of metal heads, while keeping the interest of long time veterans."

An advisory �listen at your own risk� comes attached to these releases. Altsounds is not afraid to speak it�s mind.

Pink Punk - Rockstars [Single]
7%

"The next surprise is the second song 'Calling Time.' At first I thought it was a different band - all Damien Rice balladry with strings and piano. Is this a mis-press I�m listening to? Or is it the same band and their first song is �satirical�? A deliberately poor �comic� take on rap as a one-off? No. For the third song 'End Times' (final surprise - but by now these �surprises� are wearing thin) it is back to the lame rapping. "

We listen to pretty much everything under the sun @ Altsounds. Read the latest 10 reviews below.

Foreign Beggars - United Colours Of Beggatron [Album]

The Swimmers - People Are Soft [Album]

The Hickey Underworld - Blonde Fire [Single]

Three Trapped Tigers - EP2 [EP]

Sufjan Stevens / Osso - Run Rabbit Run [Album]

Takoma Star - Till The Fall [Album]

Castrovalva - Thug Poetry [Single]

Bugz In The Attic - Got The Bug 2 [Compilation Album]

Goodbye, Gadget - Because, I'm Not Myself You See [Album]

Portico Quartet - Isla [Album]

Get the latest low-down, or down-low, whatever it is called in music land. Here is the latest 10.

Donations On The Up As Oxjam Prepares For Takeover Weekend

The Bay State To Play CMJ Showcase In NYC This Saturday!

OMEGA CROM CONQUER ALBERTA FOR METAL SUPREMACY

GIVE THE Ultimate Death Row Fan Something TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Final Hellfire Line Up!

DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL - sign to Century Media Records, One off London headline show

Sleep Bellum Sonno Release New LP

Star Fucking Hipsters (SFH) Announce Record Release Show Details!

Oxbow Announce New Album and European Tour * Debut Novel From Eugene S. Robinson!

Native Premiere New Music from Debut Album, "Wrestling Moves," out January 26th!

Speaking with some of the finest artists of today about their work, goings on and private matters you all want to know about.

Ben Wells from Black Stone Cherry

"It�s one of the hardest questions as we don�t really want to put a signature on our sound, although it is a signature sound, we wouldn�t really classify it as anything in particular. We�re definitely rock, we�re definitely southern, we�re blues and metal, a little country..... I think we were influenced by so many different sounds growing up, Motown, bluegrass, classic rock. I loved Elvis, fifties music, forties music, we put all of that together and made up our own sound I guess, but if I had to describe it any way it would be just real, you know what I mean? It comes from the heart and it is what it is."

Beau Burchell from Saosin

"We are all really proud of the record. It's a great sign of growth as people and musicians. Chris and I produced a handful of songs on the record and I mixed the entire record."

Covering the latest bands and artists playing at a venue near you.

Bat For Lashes, Manchester 14th Oct 2009 [Live]

"The material is always going to be eclectic, never mainstream, a point poignantly made by the cover of Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody' included on the special edition of the "Two Suns" album. Their most mainstream pop song to date is 'Daniel,' and it really is strong enough to be included on the album 3 times. It only got played once tonight unlike a few months ago when it was getting two airings a night in the live set. "

Red Fang @ The Palace - Missoula, MT [Live]

"It is striking how such a huge sound can come from such a small set-up. For three axe men, there was maybe two, three guitar pedals. No one boasting a full stack. Red Fang believes in a viciousness that comes from the right equipment, not more equipment. A minimalist approach with strong effect. Red Fang brings a strong, groove based Stoner Metal sound. Somewhere between Entombed and Sleep. It�s a style of metal coming to be thought of as �The Northwest Heavy.� Bands like Helms Alee, Big Business, Black Elk, Kylesa, and Red Fang have become the forerunners of the genre."

What!?! Free stuff! Yes please. Get your mitts on the coolest stuff. Remember to sign up for an Altsounds account to get full access to all our competitions!

Pearl Jam Vinyl Giveaway

Courtesy of our friends at Universal we have one copy on vinyl of the new Pearl Jam album 'Backspacer' to give away!

Converse & Journeys Present 2nd Annual "Get Out of the Garage" Music Contest

Win a trip to Austin, TX in March to perform with the Flying Machines
at one of the largest music festivals in the United States!

Converse and Journeys have teamed up to bring you the second annual "Get Out of the Garage" music contest - a contest for up-and-coming bands that does just what it says.

* Reference to 50 Cent Lyrics.

JOIN OUR GROWING COMMUNITY NOW!

The Lowdown: Keith Nelson of Buckcherry

Cristina M — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:16:14 GMT

Londoners have been lucky enough to see Buckcherry live twice this summer and their show is surely not an easy one to forget. For all those who need their unique energy kick once in a while, the band is now promoting their long awaited first live album "Live and Loud 2009." Lead guitarist and founding member Keith Nelson is here today with Altsounds to tell us more, and let us discover that not only he�s a great musician, but has a brilliant sense of humour!

Stay with us to find out more about "Live and Loud 2009," an unmissable "discover Buckcherry if you haven�t yet" offer and the invaluable music industry lessons only Kiss can teach...

Altsounds: Hello Keith and welcome to Altsounds!
Keith Nelson: Hello!

Altsounds: For all those readers who don�t know Buckcherry yet, what do you sound like?
Keith Nelson: What do we sound like? We sound like two cars colliding on a firey bridge. How�s that?

Altsounds: That sounds pretty good!
Keith Nelson: Thank you!

Altsounds: Can you tell us your main influences, as a guitar player and as a band?
Keith Nelson: As a band, all the obvious rock�n�roll influences such as Aerosmith, ACDC, Guns�n�Roses, Sex Pistols; as a guitar player, Keith Richards, Joe Perry, Billy Givens from ZZ Top, Ronnie Wood.

Altsounds: Your first album came out in 1999, and it wasn�t really the best year for that kind of music...
Keith Nelson: Doesn�t sound like there�s ever been a best year for straight up rock�n�roll, does it?

Altsounds: I guess not.
Keith Nelson: But we don�t give a fuck, we�ll do whatever we want!

Altsounds: I like that attitude! You split up a while ago...
Keith Nelson: We did... But then we aren�t split! We split up for a couple of years, and it was really necessary I think in the big picture of the band and everything that was going on with us. I think a couple of years off actually did us really good. We realised what was important to us and what wasn�t and that goes a long way towards making better music; so we reformed the band in 2005, and we went on to enjoy far more success than we did the first time around.

Altsounds: That�s true, you are enjoying way more success than the first time... Back then you were more like a �niche� band, while this time you�re getting slots at Download and plenty of mainstream press coverage. What do you think has changed, you or the music scene?
Keith Nelson: I think if you listen to what we�ve been doing since the middle to late 90s that hasn�t changed all that much. I think that our persistence has paid off, and I think that our live show has a reputation that precedes us, so that coupled with the fact that I think we�re just becoming better songwriters, we make better records and we�re a better band. I think the whole thing coming together has been a convergence of rock�n�roll superiority otherwise unknown to us.

Altsounds: Do you write your songs together?
Keith Nelson: For the most part yes, lot of times Josh (the singer) and I will come up with the genesis of the song, but it�s not really a Buckcherry song until everyone in the band is involved.

Altsounds: Let�s talk about your live shows. I saw you back in June...
Keith Nelson: Where?

Altsounds: London, Islington Academy, sold out!
Keith Nelson: That was a good show!

Altsounds: I agree, there�s lot of energy there, and you�re promoting right now a live album...
Keith Nelson: Yes, "Live and loud 2009," which was recorded in May 2009 on a Canadian tour that we did. We recorded 5 or 6 shows, we picked the best of that and put it out, and you get a really accurate representation of what this band does.

Altsounds: How much of that energy I felt live do you reckon I will find on the album?
Keith Nelson: I think you�ll feel lots of it. It�s very interesting to listen back to the music without having the visual aspect, it�s just the audio, it�s not a DVD and surprisingly, as reckless and fun as it is to play it, I think it comes across in the recording as well.

Altsounds: A step back now: not long before this live album you released a studio album, "Black Butterfly." Some of our readers haven�t got their copy yet. "ould you like to say something to get them to run to the record store? Let�s do some selling!
Keith Nelson: (Laughing) I think that �Black Butterfly� is our best record yet, and I�m the most proud of it. �15� and �Black Butterfly� have been released together in the UK and Europe, firstly because we had some issues with getting the record released; but we thought it was a great way to introduce ourselves to our European audience by putting those two records together and putting the price low. I think if you like good old rock�n�roll music, and if honest rock�n�roll is something that you�re missing in your life, you need to absolutely run out and get �Black Butterfly.�

Altsounds: You�re touring the US with Kiss at the moment, not simply a huge band, but a rock�n�roll icon I would say...
Keith Nelson: It�s a travelling circus, it�s phenomenal, it really is one of the best... THE best rock�n�roll shows I�ve ever seen!

Altsounds: More fun or more stress for you?
Keith Nelson: Oh, way more fun, there�s not lots of stress, I mean, it was stressful touring with them in 1999 when nobody knew who we were and we actually played the UK for the first time; we played... Where did we play? We played... Don�t know, we played in London...

Altsounds: Wembley?
Keith Nelson: Wembley Arena! And when you�re touring with Kiss and no one knows who you are, that�s very stressful! It was actually almost comical the way we were treated by the fans, you know, and I don�t blame them.

Altsounds: They just wanted Kiss...
Keith Nelson: They wanted Kiss and they wanted Kiss now. Who the fuck are these guys up here, get them away... Now that we�ve got a few records out and a couple of songs that people know, they�re much more inviting to us and it�s been a complete blast. I can't say enough about the way the guys in Kiss have welcomed us and accommodated us on the tour.

Altsounds: Did you learn anything new?
Keith Nelson: Yes, absolutely. Always wear tight trousers, get the highest shoes that you can possibly get, the highest platforms (I show my shoes)and I see you�re right on spot there! And when you�re spitting fire make sure you spit all of the fire out, you don�t want to swallow any of it! That�s all I�ve learned.

Altsounds: Good stuff! So, when are we going to see you live again?
Keith Nelson: You�re going to see us in early 2010, we will be back!

Altsounds: Headlining?
Keith Nelson: Somewhere, I hope so, if not headlining opening for a really cool band, and we�ll make for a great package and an undeniable night of rock�n�roll!

Altsounds: How was Download
Keith Nelson: Download was great. There were a lot of great bands. Seeing Def Leppard was a complete joy, Whitesnake was fun, Journey was awesome, ZZ Top was there, was really a good day of rock�n�roll.

Altsounds: Which one was your favourite show on the bill?
Keith Nelson: I have to say, you know, I�m a big big big ZZ Top fan, huge fan! Billy is one of my all time favourite guitar players, he�s a very kind, generous man. He�s got a great beard, he always has good sunglasses and what can you say about that? And he has the world�s best guitar sound ever. So, there!

Altsounds: How was the crowd with you at Download?
Keith Nelson: You know, to go and play a big festival like that and not get bottles of piss thrown at you is good, so it was a win for us!

Altsounds: Which songs got better feedback?
Keith Nelson: Everyone loves �Crazy bitch� because everyone knows a crazy bitch, and of course �Lit Up� is always a crowd favourite.

Altsounds: What are your thoughts about the whole illegal downloading/ file sharing issue?
Keith Nelson: It�s unfortunate that right now in the business of making music it seems like the record as we know it, the compact disc, whatever you want to call it, the recorded body of work, seems to mean less and less to people on a business side, because the big companies are having a hard time profiting off of it like they used to; so all that is really left is the live show. I think that illegal downloading is unfortunate and is a bit of a rip off to the artist and the record company, and what it�s done is created an environment that has made the live concert experience that much more valuable. I�m lucky enough to be in a band that excels at the live concert experience, so it�s a double edge sword.

Altsounds: Do you think the good ones will survive?
Keith Nelson: I think so. I think that there�s always going to be a place for good music, you may just not make any money from selling records anymore.

Altsounds: Social networking: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter... Good or bad for music? There�s a lot more around, but is it too much?
Keith Nelson: Oh, wow. You know, I�ve got to say, being on MySpace really helped rejuvenate my band. Honestly, in 2005, when we were trying to get things back together, MySpace was an invaluable tool for us. It allowed us to reach an audience that prior to that we would have had to spend lot of money to get to, and in 2005 we had no money, so it really was a great vehicle for us. I don�t know, there�s so much information at your fingertips that I think what it�s done its made it really a lot harder to get noticed, because the playing field is so levelled. We used to have to rely on record companies to back you with such a huge marketing fund that allowed you to do advertising, and now, because of where people are getting their information from and how they�re getting their input, I think that social networking sites have further levelled the playing field. It�s taking the money out of the equation.

Altsounds: Which is not a bad thing after all...
Keith Nelson: I think it�s great, I think bands have a chance to get noticed, otherwise they wouldn�t have the opportunity. But at the same time there�s so much information out there, you really got to have something special to get someone�s attention and keep it. Getting their attention isn�t hard, keeping it is the hard part.

Altsounds: Altsounds is an online magazine which recently topped Kerrang on ranking (which we�re quite proud of.) Do you think internet journalism is going to replace traditional magazines?
Keith Nelson: Internet journalism has the same responsibility that traditional magazines had. It used to be that a magazine or newspaper really had to get their facts straight before they could publish something. As long as internet journalism adheres to the same kind of standards, I think it�s a phenomenal thing. The problem with it is, for instance I went to Wikipedia this morning and I read some stuff about my band that wasn�t true; so, there is stuff that�s published out there that is presented as fact that is not true, and that�s unfortunate because a lot of people are getting misinformation. I think it is important for all mediums of communication to kind of be forced to adhere to be accountable for what they put out there.

Altsounds: What's on your IPod right now?
Keith Nelson: I�ve been listening to a lot of old blues stuff lately. Howlin� Wolf, T-Bone Walker, that�s kind of what I�ve been listening to lately, that and E.L.O actually. Lots of E.L.O.

Altsounds: Anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Keith Nelson: We have �Live and Loud 2009� which we�re really proud of, I think it is a true live record, in the sense that we didn�t go dubbing crowd noise and fixing mistakes; I think you�ll hear the imperfections of a rock�n�roll band, but you�ll also catch the swagger and the vibe of a real rock�n�roll band doing what we do. And I�m very excited about the way �15� and �Black Butterfly� have been packaged together for the European release, that�s very exciting to us that we�re able to come forward with a product that is really a great value for the price, considering what�s going on internationally with the general state of the economy.

So, I think that 2009 was a great year for us, and I�m really looking forward to 2010 and getting back to Europe and play more shows!

The Lowdown: Steve Aiello from Monty Are I

Mitch de Faria — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:19:15 GMT

Take an American band from out-of-the-way Rhode Island. A band with alternative, indie roots. A hard-working, touring band who got together more than a decade ago, have 4 album releases to date and over a million visitor hits on their MySpace page alone. Then sign them to Island Records.

There's a lot riding on the success of "Break Through The Silence," the first album by Monty Are I since they signed to the major label. The band are launching the album at a gig in Rhode Island on 9 October in advance of an extensive US tour.

Altsounds.com caught up with lead singer, Steve Aiello, as he was preparing for the upcoming event;

Altsounds: Greetings men from Monty! You've a big home gig & new album launch coming up in a couple of days, so no pressure then! If you have any worries about the Rhode Island launch gig what might they be?

Steve Aiello: We have a couple of really fun surprises for the audience that involve guest musicians on stage, an insane light show, and some other extras. I hope that everything we've worked so hard on goes as planned and is really well received by our home town crowd. We always put so much effort and thought into what the audience might want for a special occasion such as this. We are going to have a lot of fun and we hope the crowd does too - they never disappoint us.

Altsounds: Congratulations on the new album. I've only recently come to your music and much as I appreciate what I've heard of your earlier work it seems to me that "Break Through the Silence" has a more multi-layered, finished sound; I personally love the big brass and strings sound you've added to the mix. How much are these developments due to your new relationship with Island?

Steve Aiello: This aspect of our music and Island are pretty much disconnected. I would attribute this multi-layered and polished sound to the goals that we, as a band, wanted to achieve during the recording process. Of course the sound also has something to do with our producers and engineers, but we are always really involved in the recording process and have always had a strong vision for what we want our band to sound like on record. We scrutinize every tone, part, drum beat, panning of vocal effects, etc. Island only encouraged us more to push the sonic limit.

Altsounds: Do you primarily consider yourselves musicians or performers?

Steve Aiello: What a great question! First and foremost, we do think of ourselves as musicians considering we are really "band geeks" at heart. Everyone in Monty Are I was in a marching band in high school. Me and Ryan were even band presidents and Andrew was first chair trombone for our All State Band. So, yes, I would consider ourselves musicians. And some bands would prefer to stop just there. For Monty Are I, our live show has been an important part of our band - I think we have turned a large portion of our fan base onto our band through our live show. It is and always has been a huge asset. This is why we do consider ourselves performers as well. For example, when we play this Friday night for our Record Release show, we are not just going to go on stage and play our songs - we are going to give the audience a show they will never forget. That is the goal every night whether we are playing in front of 1 person or 10,000 people - We try to always perform as if we were playing to a stadium full of Monty Are I fans.

Altsounds: You started out as independent indie rockers, self promoting and releasing. So much must have changed as a result of signing to a big, well known label; what's that meant to you?

Steve Aiello: Many times I look back at what we have done as a group of 5 guys from little Rhode Island. I understand it is not much at all compared to many bands out there in the industry - every step we have taken has been a small step, but a step forward nonetheless. And this something that I am extremely proud of. Although it seems like things may come easy now, it's actually not true. We have not abandoned our "indie rocker, self promoting" ideals - we still approach our band the same way we did 5 years ago - it is up to us to put the work in and make people join the Monty Are I army. Of course, to be able to finally get to this point where we have resources to create and release a record that we love has been a dream come true and is not taken for granted. This experience has taught us a lot about work ethic, music, determination, etc. These are invaluable things that we appreciate and will take with us for the rest of our lives.

Altsounds: There's a degree of sniggering that goes on in the UK about Battle of the Bands-type competitions. Monty has entered and won a few so clearly you feel positively. But what's the general attitude in the US to those types of competitions?

Steve Aiello: I'm not quite sure there is a stigma attached to the Battle Of The Bands competitions. Maybe because they mostly have not grown a band to instant fame like let's say American Idol does for pop singers. I think if that were to happen more often in the Battle Of The Bands competitions, then maybe more people would be against it. For the most part what these competitions did for us, and what they seem to do for other bands, is to create more opportunities, more stories to add to the bands line of work. If it means more going on for a band, then people will start to really pay attention.

Altsounds: Following your Rhode Island gig you'll be heading out on a big US tour and you've done plenty of touring in the past. What are the best / worst aspects of the tour experience?

Steve Aiello: Probably the worst thing about touring is the inconsistency of great food! Hah. Being from Rhode Island (largely Italian families!) we have some fantastic cuisine. It's tough to get a nice prosciutto "sangwich" at 2AM in Lawrence, Kansas. But 2AM in Rhody - hell, just open up your fridge and there it is. Of course we can't forget about missing the families, girlfriends, beautiful New England landscapes etc. Being on the road has great benefits too. We have played some of the best shows of our lives and amassed an insane fan base that would die for us - we are truly grateful for this! We have also been able to visit some amazing parts of this country and Canada - landmarks, national parks, beaches - you name it. And we've got the chance to meet some incredible people along the way that have turned from fan to friend. Touring has been an important experience for our band and for our personal lives.

Altsounds: Vans Warped Tours are more or less unheard of in the UK. Maybe you'd like to tell us a bit about them and what being involved in that experience meant to Monty?

Steve Aiello: Warped Tour has been one of the best tours we have ever done. It's really just a summer camp for bands -- it's a lot of fun. In our eyes, we've had much success because of the fact that the tour has between 15,000 and 20,000 possible Monty Are I fans. Those are pretty good numbers for a band like us. We have used this to our advantage and really turned it on every year to gain as many fans as possible by promoting our live show. I believe it has led to a lot of great things and opportunities - we have done the tour about 5 times.

Altsounds: What happens on tour stays on tour, or so it's said. But go on, tell us a tour secret ...!

Steve Aiello: When Mike, our bass player, gets really really drunk he turns into Sledge - the guy you want to hang around the whole night.

Altsounds: By now you must be used to playing to huge audiences but do you also enjoy the intimacy of smaller gigs?

Steve Aiello: Big audiences are always great for the ego, but the small shows are exciting because they are unpredictable! You never know you is going to get hit on stage with a guitar or who is going to get hit from a crowd surfer. The crowds at small shows are so much louder too - they can really feed off of our energy because we aren't separated by a huge stage. We are right there, together, in that moment - in an amazing moment connecting music and people.

Atsounds: For rockers Monty also delivers witty, intelligent lyrics, which definitely make your work more accessible to a wider audience (I'm pretty sure that as well as REALLY liking your sound I wouldn't still be listening if it wasn't for your lyrics). Who's responsible for the words and which comes first, words or music?

Steve Aiello: Thank you! I write almost all of the lyrics for Monty Are I. Usually vocal melodies and music come first and then lyrics. Sometimes the lyrics, vocal melody, and music all come at once. Those are usually the best parts of songs for me - when it happens instantaneously without premeditated thought. 'Break Through The Silence,' 'One in A Million,' and 'Convoy Of Angels' are examples of these creations on our newest record.

Altsounds: In the band, who has to have the last word?!

Steve Aiello: Ryan. Except this time - I have the last word. mwahahhaha!

Altsounds: And who has a habit the rest of you really can't stand..?!

Steve Aiello: Well, Andrew is sometimes forgetful, but it's more funny to us than anything else. Last week he locked me inside of our rehearsal space after saying goodbye to me, walking out, and then putting the pad lock on the door. He did it unintentionally of course. It was pretty funny.

Altsounds: We're all getting older. What effect do you feel that aging, having families, gaining wider life experience and so on, brings to your music?

Steve Aiello: I think it brings a whole new set of inspirational experiences - ones that do effect our music, but ones that maybe we didn't ever think would effect our music. None of us are married or have children, but I know from personal experience that ageing has definitely inspired some of the songs on our new record - 'Patriarch' and 'Making Sounds' for example. My grandfather and my two great uncles, people that meant a great deal to me, all passed away three years ago - 'Patriarch' is part inner thoughts of my family life now and part conversational with these men. They passed away 3 years ago, but I don't think I was able to write this song at that time. Even though only 2 years had passed since the song was written, I needed those 2 years of experience to be able to write everything I wanted to write - I did not want to force it. 'Making Sounds' is about our struggle over the many years and how our determination and our unity will bring us to success. Again, something that could not have been written until I was able to get to a certain point in my life where I could do the lyrics and themes justice. Although ageing isn't something that is really embraced by many people, it has definitely helped create better art. I guess the more we have experienced, the more we learn, which hopefully leads to greater music.

Altsounds: With the creativity demonstrated on "Break Through the Silence" and Island behind you, Monty Are I have the potential to become global. What difference would becoming international artists make to the way you live your lives and create your music?

Steve Aiello: If we reached huge global success, I believe that it would only help the art making process. I would personally love to travel the world and learn more about indigenous music. I think we would also love to learn how to play more instruments. That's the one thing that Monty Are I has always been really excited about - instrumentation. How do we incorporate interesting instrumentation into our music tastefully. Hopefully we have done that on this record, and hopefully, if we see much success, we can push this idea further. It would be great if we could also travel the world and maybe record somewhere else besides the states. I know a band like Muse has recorded in some beautiful places - I bet that's really inspiring and I'm sure it does nothing but aid in the process.

Altsounds: Any plans to come to the UK? Please ask your PR people to make sure AltSounds is kept informed!

Steve Aiello: We have been dying to come to the UK forever! We've heard great things about the shows and the crowds across the pond and it's something we would love to be a part of. We do have fans there, but we want to grow a lot over the next year in the UK. We can't wait to come say hi!

Monty Are I, formerly Monty's Fan Club, was named after the band leader at Cranston High School West, Rhode Island. Now, as the group stands poised on the brink of international stardom, Arthur Montanaro must surely be very proud of his marching boys.

The Lowdown: Stuart Ross of Misery Signals

Marcymarc — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:05:48 GMT

Misery Signals have been touring around Europe over the past month or so and Alt Sounds were lucky enough to catch up with guitarist Stuart Ross at their London date at the Camden Underworld.

Altsounds: How�s the tour going so far?
Stuart Ross: Yeah, it�s been good. It�s been really long. It�s been 5 weeks so far and we�ve still got another week of dates left. Europe went really well and the UK�s been great, so can�t complain.

Altsounds: Where are heading to next on the tour?
Stuart Ross: Tomorrow we fly to Athens in Greece and then from there we go to Helsinki and then St Petersberg and Moscow.

Altsounds: So your going to places you haven�t been to before?
Stuart Ross: Yeah, we haven�t been to any of those places before.

Altsounds: What�s the reception been like so far?
Stuart Ross: Pretty good. Europe has never been a place that necessarily pops for us, so it�s been a gradual build for us there. It�s definitely been noticeable that things have been getting better. The UK�s been great, it�s always been good over here.

Altsounds: What are you listening to at the moment?
Stuart Ross: I like the new Strike Anywhere record (Iron Front). I�ve got the new Baroness record (The Blue Album), which I really like. There are some riffs on that album that are super sick. The New Polar Bear Club record (Chasing Hamburg). I�m waiting for the new Converge, I want to hear that record so bad.

Altsounds: How do you see the Metalcore scene, from when you first started in 2002 and to what the scene is like now?
Stuart Ross: It�s definitely different than what it was when we started, especially in North America. There�s changes in direction in the scene with what�s necessarily hip or cool. Hardcore for what it is now is far removed from what it�s supposed to be and in that sense it�s kind of fucked. Even when we started it wasn�t like hardcore and punk was anything like it was 20 years before that. It�s a little bit more commercialised now and a little bit more mainstream. But what can you do? It�s cool that lots of kids come out, it�s just that the ideas and the ethics that come with punk or hardcore, or even a scene are kind of lost now.

I think to a lot of people it was a place to go where it was open minded and people could just come out and hang out, and listen to music and create music. And now a sort of free environment has become this box, cookie cutter kind of situation. It�s hard for me to say because a band wants to be successful and a band wants to make money, but at the same time it�s sucks to be selling t-shirts because it�s got a cool exploded cat on it or something like that, instead of the message you're sending with your music.

So it�s sort of a weird take because I got into punk and hardcore because it was pissed of, aggressive and different, you know, something that I could identify with to separate myself from the people who have a normal kind of life, something that I don�t want to subscribe to. It�s strange though to see things come around and almost become what is considered normal. It�s sort of weird.

Altsounds: Following on from you last album "Controller" what sort of direction are you moving in?
Stuart Ross: It�s hard to say what will happen with the next record. We�ve gotten to the point where we don�t really care if we don�t become a big band. With that said we don�t want to cater to anybodies tastes, you know following the trends and movements in the music scene. So we�re going to continue along the lines of the stuff that we�ve written over the past 6 and a half years and if people give a shit then cool and if they don�t, whatever.

Altsounds: Devin Townsend produced the last record, will you be working with him again?
Stuart Ross: I�d love to go back to Devin. I just don�t know if it will work out time frame wise. He�s really busy, he�s writing 4 albums and I think he plans to tour those albums as well. So he�s going to have a very busy year. And I don�t think we�ll be ready to hit the studio until spring or summer next year anyway. If he�s available I�d love to work with him again. He really understands what we want to do and I feel like he contributed so much to the way our sound developed that it kind of sucks to not work with him. I wouldn�t really want to have to settle for anything less.

Altsounds: What do you think of you�re your touring companions, The Number Twelve Looks Like You?
Stuart Ross: Yeah they�re cool guys. We�ve toured with them in the US before. It�s nice when you can go on tour with people who you are already comfortable with.

Altsounds: Thanks so much and enjoy the rest of the tour and thanks for chatting with us.

The Lowdown: Lulu And The Lampshades

Andy Von Pip — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:53:09 GMT

A girl called Lulu and her friends the dancing lampshades?? Good grief! It sounds like something that might have been commissioned for kids TV during the 60�s and early 70�s, a time when the counter-culture and consumerism collided and bizarrely kids TV seemed to be laced with none too subtle drug references. There was the visual equivalent of the �Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test �in the disturbing somewhat freaky form of �HR Pufnstuff':

We had �The Magic Roundabout,� replete with hallucinogenic imagery and moral corruption which introduced a generation of youngsters to some rather dubious characters including a tripped out rabbit called Dylan who, one suspects, was germinating something rather more powerful than carrots in his �vegetable patch!� And what of �Ludwug?':

�

This terrifying cartoon had �bad acid� written largely throughout and actually led to many children needing psychiatric help. I kid you not! However I digress. Lulu And The Lampshades, aside from their name, have little in common with any of the above. They are in point of fact a musical collective best described as quirky folk rockers with a whimsical sense of playfulness and an ear for a great tune. A word of caution however, their live shows really do contain scenes of dancing lampshades which some people may find disturbing. Hallucinogenic drugs are not recommended!

The free spirited ethos of Lulu And The Lampshades is apparent on their debut single 'Feet To the Sky.' A beautiful ode to escapism, �For too long emotional extremities have been uncharted territories� sings Luisa as she seeks to shake herself from �the things I think that make me whole.� It�s a call to arms, challenging people to look at things from a different perspective, to shake things up, to do something out of the ordinary and to put as little trust as possible in tomorrow and seize the moment. "Feet To the Sky� is a fabulous introduction to the bands clever word play and sense of fun and will no doubt delight fans of Emmy the Great, Peggy Sue, Laura Marling et all. They are also a band who quite literally, get the furniture dancing!

Lulu And The Lampshades share a deep love for their namesake, the humble lampshade, they nurse a deeply held belief that it is a vastly unappreciated item of furniture and should be celebrated. Thus intrigued I decided to have a chat with Luisa about the moral implications of fusing music with soft furnishings and attempted to shed some light on what made the band tick. The results were somewhat illuminating.

Altsounds: Hello there, how did the band come about? Who is Lulu and how did she meet her Lampshades??

Lulu: Hi, hey, hello. Lampshade past? Well I wanted to be in a band for ages, but I didn�t know anyone to be in a band with, so I made one up, and called it Helouisa (mine and Heloise�s names combined, clever no?) We went to school together and it was the name we gave to all our entrepreneurial failures: t-shirts, cakes, hoodies with cushions inside the hood (another good idea I think.)

After a while it occurred to us to try singing together, but everyone said the name was rubbish and they were right. Jemma agreed to play with us one night and we convinced her to stay and Dan, who we found at a furniture convention where we bonded over our love for lampshades and decided we would strive to see their appreciation in modern day society. That's it, more or less.

Altsounds: I know it�s difficult to describe your own music, but who said this was going to be an easy interview ;)...

Lulu: Well I really like harmonies and I really like percussion, so, erm, harcussion music? Or Parmony music?

Altsounds: You're about to release a single 'Feet to the Sky,' which was written apparently whilst cycling to Paris on a whim. At 4am. On New Year�s Eve. As you do

Lulu: Kiiiind of, a few details to be remedied. It was whimsical in as much as we decided to do it the day of departure, a few days earlier so that we�d get there in time for New Years Eve. We left at four because we thought we�d miss our ferry, but that was the dumbest thing ever because it doesn�t get light for ages and we were suddenly on a dual carriageway in the pitch black with lorries whizzing by. Very scary! We had to sit in a bush on the hard shoulder and wait for sunrise, we played ping to stay warm. Aside from that it was completely magical, a perfect bit of escapism in cold winter.

Altsounds: What are you doing to celebrate its release?

Lulu: We�re having party! 26th of October at Passing Clouds just off Kingsland Road. Details coming, Melodica, Melody and Me are playing, who I love so I�m very happy about that, and some others confirming. You should come, it�ll be grand.

Altsounds: Aside from recording your debut single what have you been up to musically in 2009?

Lulu: Forming a band. This time last year it was still just me, garage band, and any boy I could get to strum a guitar with me on open mic�s. Now there are permanent members, new songs, lots more gigs and the like. We spent the last few days making a video which we�re very excited about, Dan is dressed as a Duracell Bunny, Heloise is Little Bo Peep, and Jemma is Marie from the Sound of Music. I wish they could dress like that all the time.

Altsounds: What has been your most memorable gig so far?

Lulu: Maybe one of our first for first times sakes. The Lock Tavern earlier this year, it was the first one with Dan and the first one where two of my friends agreed to dress as lampshades and dance for us. We were so nervous and excited and we inevitably messed up loads, but it was so much fun. When we got an encore we just had to sing Elastic Limbs again because we didn�t have any more songs.

Altsounds: Who are your musical heroes and why?

Lulu: It�s mostly just been a series of female solo singers, starting with Billie Holiday who I was massively obsessed with [when I should have been into much cooler music]. The other biggest one I reckon is Lauryn Hill. Apparently I�ve never been so excitable as when I saw her play at Exit (which was otherwise horrible.) I made sure I was at the front and was reduced to the screaming fan I never thought I�d be. She came on an hour and a half late, and shouted her songs over a ska beat. She was rubbish, but I didn�t care in the slightest.

Atsounds: What�s your poison, Facebook, Myspace? Twitter? Or do you get out occasionally?

Lulu: If we�re referring to interspace vices then I�ll be specific and say Facebook threads. When I was writing my dissertation we started a Facebook message to plan summer whilst we were stuck in libraries, but then everyone got a bit hooked and it became my salvation. It was literally my life for about two months. So dependable, somebody was always there! We started referring to it as a real person and christened him Malcolm, Dear Malcolm, today I � and so on. Now he is embodied in a little red caravan. Malcolm is my poison.

Altsounds: If the government could appoint a minister for cool, who�d get your vote?

Lulu: As a testament to how cool Brazilians are, they�re minister of culture is world-renowned musician Gilberto Gil, basically a minister of cool if ever one did exist. We compare thinly.

Altsounds: What are the five most important words in Lulu And The Lampshades dictionary?

Lulu: I�ve*drawn*a*blank*sorry!

Feet To The Sky�

7� Released 26th October 2009 (Voga Parochia)

Digital Release 18th October 2009 (Voga Parochia)

Lulu and the Lampshades on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

The Lowdown: Bobby Alt of Street Drum Corps

GlockMeAmadeus — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:49:53 GMT

AltSounds: So your debut album on Interscope is in the works and it's a double! Tell me about the record.

Bobby Alt: We did one CD of all traditional drums with special guests. The other side is actual songs we worked on with Howard Benson. Frank played some piano on the drum album. We recorded it at Dave Grohl's studio, which was cool. We went to East West studios to record the other half of the drum CD.

Do you like being a frontman?

I'm having a blast! I feel like a kid again. It's like learning something new. The last year and a half I've spent singing and songwriting and becoming more of a singer. It's really fun.

How did it come about?

Natural progression at the time, I'd say. I've been drumming for 20 years or so. I thought I would try something new. It came out of nowhere and it adds another side to SDC. We're also having a fun time producing.

I know you all started as street performers, but this has obviously grown into something huge! You even have your own line of products... first question on that- did you ever even dream that you would become so famous?

I think as a kid, yes. I dreamt of playing music and traveling around the world and spreading the love... playing shows with my friends. It is what I have always wanted.

Second question on that- what are drum shoes?

We like to have a comfortable shoe when we're drumming. We started working on this idea... I don't want to give too much away, but it's kind of like a wrestling shoe and a converse. And we're working on using just vegan products to make these shoes.

Your performances are very elaborate and there are a lot of moving parts. How much time do you spend rehearsing before you hit the road?

Because we have so many different productions going, we like to get in a studio for a few weeks and bang out the ideas, for lack of a better word. For a show like Bang! we're always coming up with new performances for the street side. We're working on Man or Machine right now. It's going to take about a year of rehearsals before it's ready to go live.

So, when are you guys going to set up shop in Vegas for a year-long residency, putting on some kind of Cirque du Soliel/Criss Angel drumming extravaganza?

Actually, we're getting really close to that. That's one of our immediate goals. We want to have the big shows in big cities. We want to get it all out there. The Vegas show is maybe 5 years away. Oh yeah, we wrote a Vegas show called Frantic about 2 years ago. We put it together and it's ready to go, so it's definitely coming.

In your opinion, who is the greatest drummer of all time?

John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Favorite all time. Greatest that ever lived.

What is your favorite sound?

Right now it's a dirty synth... as dirty as you can make it.

How do you make a synth sound dirty?

You gotta put your back into it.

I'm going to write that song. Hey Nick, you want to work on that after this?

'Dirty synth...you gotta put your back into it...unh.'

[laughs] We're going to make that happen.

[laughs] Do it! What is your earliest musical memory?

When I was 6 or 7, my grandparents and mom took me to see Tammy Wynette. I remember being so small... I still have the hat that I got there. I remember seeing the tour buses and the excitement and everyone sitting out on this big lawn in New Jersey... that's what I first remember.

My buddy, Nick from S.T.U.N. is here. Hey Nick, what is your first musical memory? He said KISS in Madison Square Garden.

You're a known activist and have taken on many causes. If you had to pick ONE issue everyone should know about, what would it be and why?

You can live a happy, healthy life without eating animal products. I try very hard not to. That's something that has been on my mind lately. At the moment, I am not a vegan. A couple of pieces of cheese have slid in there somewhere. It's delicious, sure, but there are good alternatives to it. I am definitely interested in working with animals and the food industry.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Meeting the friends that have helped me and I have made my career with. I've been able to keep doing this with my friends since I was 13 years old. The most amazing show I ever saw was Jane's Addiction. The first Lollapalooza- I was there. It has nothing to do with my success, but that's a definite musical highlight for me.

Well, that's my time. Thanks so much for talking with me and good luck with the new album!

Thank you! Hope to see you at a show.

Street Drum Corps : Media
Street Drum Corps on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

A Tale Of Junk Culture Part 1

Andrew_Culture — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:45:12 GMT

It can�t have escaped your notice that once a band achieves some sort of recognition everyone forever more wants to read about them. We all relish the dirt that band biographies unearth; we adore tales of excellent excess and languidly licentious lows. These biographies offer us a voyeur�s glimpse into a world we will never know, a glimmer of glamour far beyond our reach.

To me these insalubrious incitements to imagine the hedonistic highs of heroes often seem vapid and lacking in what I consider a crucial ingredient; the meat behind the meteoric rise to fame. Upon completing the absorption of a rock biography I find myself casting down the book both physically and in my opinions. I want to know how these eagles of excess rose to mount their cultural pedestals; a mere detail glossed over by all band biographies. The authors and editors of such books assume us content and grateful to be placated with a paragraph detailing the salient facts, they hold back their arsenal of salacious details, only allowing us to gorge upon them later in their tall told tales.

It�s probably because I�ve played in bands since I first upgraded from the imaginary strumming of a tennis racket to the imagined intricacies of the bass guitar that I so want only and unashamedly crave the minute details of a band�s early existence. As a teen I absorbed all tales of tattered triumph in these tracts as if they were more instructional manuals than unit shifting journalistic palliatives. It�s a clich� well trodden and retold by every musician to offer up themselves to the altar of creative altercation that is the stage, but ever since I was young enough to remember considering girls were stinky I wanted to be a rock star.

But how? Answering the school careers officer�s career questioning with the firm and unyielding reply that I wished to make my way in the world through the pursuit of loudly performed rock perfection earned me only raised eyebrows and slow sighs that told tales of the considered fruitless feckless nature of such a path. When I was at school there was no pamphlet prescribed for the pursuit of a place in the Pantheon of rock godliness. Sure, if you were a classical (aka real) musician there was a sliver of hope in your aspirations to pay the bills with a life of concerts and creativity, but if you desired to develop as a professional electrical musician the advice of the careers officer was entirely absent. And so after my perennial persistence of being in a band I found myself on what my careers officer considered a comparable compromise; I was enrolled on a nursing course. I was destined to forgo the baying of the hungry crowd for the bedpan of strangers aching bowels.

So you�ll perhaps understand that in finding regular sources absent in their knowledge of how I might climb the ladder of rock I turned to these band biographies. I was in search of tangible titbits of advice that might launch me toward where I wished to be. Time after time my search was in vain; no advice was gifted to me from these pages. There was no three step plan to greatness, there were no hints at how to crack the scene, there was no practical pointers to aid me in my quest.

As I mentioned earlier most books on bands cover the early days as if they were an unfortunate ailment that should not be discussed in polite company. They will briefly mention that after three years of gigging the band was spotted and propelled skyward towards their place in the rock and roll hall of fame. Surely that seems simplistic, even to those of us who don�t indulge in the fruitlessly damaging drug that is dreaming of stardom? Would the biography of a great political leader mention only briefly a day or two of the subject�s youth before leaping forward to the day their achievements were rewarded in the Queen�s new years honours?

The early careers of all those who achieve greatness have a remarkable and definite bearing on making them who they are at the moment they achieve said greatness. For a chap like Winston Churchill it was the grotesque failure of campaigns in his charge (like the bloodbath that was Gallipoli in World War One) that became a jigsaw piece in the complex puzzle that formed the man that helped steer allied victory in World War Two. Should an eager young history degree student gloss over Churchill�s pre-WW2 life in a dissertation then I�m sure he�d achieve something less than worthy of his time in the hallowed halls of academia.

So why when it comes to great bands do we turn our attention away from the years they spend slogging their glorious guts out before they ascend into our collective consciousness? It�s these early years of disappointment and obscurity that crushes and manipulates bands into those beat driven beasts we love. There�s some truth to the fact that often a band�s first album is more impassioned than those that follow it. The first album a band releases could well take two or three years to write, years of rewriting, polishing and perfecting, all done in punishing poverty and the constant belittling nonchalance of the world at large. Should a band be propelled into stratospheric stardom with their first major release their second album will most likely be written without the benefit of self doubt and the fears of failure that fuelled their first fantastic foray. The logic follows that a second album written during drug and champagne fuelled orgies in five star hotels may lack the grit and urgency of its predecessor. And prescribed clich� calls this the difficult second album.

The hard lessons learned before a band breaks through entirely dictate the type of band they will be, it also cements or sullies the relationships between band members that develop during these awkward early years. During their first few years bands develop the awesome siege spirit that protects and envelops them both creatively and practically.

Not all bands make it past awkward obscurity; in fact the vast majority of bands never make it. Succeeding in a band is less likely than succeeding in a lottery, and at least playing the lottery is considerably cheaper and undeniably less hassle than playing in a band. For every million selling band there are a million bands that will never sell. I believe the torrid tales of the terminally tenebrous are no less fascinating and entertaining than those of their breakthrough brethren. Here I will tell you the tale of a band that never made it, a band that never troubled the charts or nibbled the elbow of awesomeness. I will divulge the details of a band that existed for over a decade and utterly consumed the lives of those involved; both the players and the supporting cast. What follows is the tale of Junk Culture � a band that owned my soul for most of my adult young life. A band that I left my job for, a job I faced brutal violence for, a true band of brothers. Junk Culture was a band untroubled by the pressures and expectations of fans (for we had none). We were unhindered by the obstacle of creativity that is the symbiant of success. A band with a cavalier attitude to talent, and only a nodding familiarity with striving for success. You�ll laugh, you�ll pity us, but most of all hopefully you�ll empathise and enjoy this tale, whether you are involved in a band of your own or not. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, a tale of Junk Culture.

The Lowdown: Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth

heron — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:57:53 GMT

Altsounds: You've been together for 16 years now. How do you think metal has changed in that time?
Johan Hegg: Well for one it�s become more �main-stream�, but it�s hard to put the finger on any specific change. I think metal is under constant evolution, and maybe the reason it�s become more �main-stream� isn�t that the music itself has changed dramatically, but rather the attitude towards metal as an music form.

Altsounds: You guys are full time professional musicians now, is that right? How much did that help with writing and recording your new album, �Twilight Of The Thunder God�?
Johan Hegg: That is right. We�ve been full time musicians for almost four years now. I think the new album definitely helped us continue living off music, but it started already with writing our previous album �With Oden On Our Side.� That�s when we all quit our jobs to live off the band full time.

Altsounds: Of course you had your god to help you too right? Is this album your Valhalla then, that Oden has taken you to?
Johan Hegg: Hahaha. Yeah maybe.

Altsounds: I hear you guys are pretty popular with the ladies, and there are more women at your gigs than you usually find a metal concerts. Why do you think that is?
Johan Hegg: I have no idea. It�s not like we�re all that good looking. Maybe it�s because we have a lot of low end vibrations coming out of the PA when we play!

Altsounds: Well the Vikings liked to travel, and discover new lands. How do you guys find touring, and where in particular have you enjoyed visiting?
Johan Hegg: We love touring, although it�s sometimes hard to be away from families and girlfriends, but to count all the places we�ve enjoyed visiting would take way too long, there�s just so many great places to play in the world.

Altsounds: Anywhere new that you would like to conquer?
Johan Hegg: To go to Japan and China would be really cool since we haven�t had the opportunity to do so yet. With any luck we�ll also be able to go to India this fall, but that�s not settled yet.

Altsounds: Who are some of your favourite acts you have toured with? I imagine Slayer must be up there?
Johan Hegg: Slayer of course, but it�s hard to pick any specific favourites among the bands we�ve toured with since we�ve always had a really good time with who ever we went on the road with. To name a few I would say Deicide, Children Of Bodom, Mastodon, Obitiuary, Kreator, Goatwhore, Gwar, Brutal Truth, Marduk, Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir. I could go on.

Altsounds: You guys have had some pretty cool merch in the past, such a bobbleheads and your own comic. Anything special to accompany your new album?
Johan Hegg: The bobbleheads and the Comic book weren�t merch, it was bonus stuff that accompanied the box set of �Twilight Of The Thunder God� and they were never for sale separately. We�ll see what we come up with for the next album, but hopefully we can come up with something interesting.

Altsounds: Do you ever think to yourself, "thank god we changed our name from Scum"? Amon Amarth, especially with it's origin, is so much better.
Johan Hegg: Never. I don�t really see it as a name change as such anyways. It was more like we became another band as we changed members, and also found a new lyrical theme with the Viking history and mythology.

Altsounds: If you could choose one band to play at your wedding, who would it be and why?
Johan Hegg: Corvus Corax, �cause my fianc� and I are having a medieval style wedding, but I doubt we could afford it though.

Altsounds: How about your funeral?
Johan Hegg: Well, it wouldn�t be possible to get Bathory to play, but I would like to have the song 'Song To Hall Up High' played at my funeral.

Altsounds: Anything you would like to add or promote then please do so here.
Johan Hegg: Not that I can think of right now, but to all our fans out there; keep an eye out �cause you never know when the Vikings will be raiding your shores!

8 Pints In | Issue #39 - Get your T-shirts on

jack s — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:11:23 GMT

Screamadelica.co.uk has once again made Altsounds.com look officially the sexiest music webzine on the planet. We have a new header with links to all the amazing sections Altsounds.com provides. The footer has a stunning new shape with all our Altsounds Artists featuring their music.

You can sign up for an account for your band here. We also have a stunning new background that just looks smashing. Remember Altsounds.com is For The People, By The People, so we want you to give us feedback on the site. Sign Up HERE

ALTSOUNDS MERCHANDISE

Get your Altsounds Official merch T-shirts FOR SALE NOW!

Choose from four different designs and a huge range of colours. There are sizes to fit all and we all know how great you will look in them. Go here to have a look at the shop. We want to see you to send in photos to us of you wearing your Tee's and getting into mischief.

Altsounds Official T-shirt Shop | Buy HERE!

You like good music yes? Well Altsounds sorts the men from the boys. Here are the best releases to get your ears all moist, also known as CREAM OF THE CROP.

Giant Jr - Wherever You Are In The World Here Are The Directions Home [Album]
Try and Make Me
94%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

Looptroop Rockers - Good Things [Album]
Bad Taste Records
84%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

Black Sabbath - Sabotage [Album]
Universal Music Group
84%

[READ REVIEW HERE]

Alberta Cross - Broken Side Of Time [Album]
Ark Recordings
80%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

The Longcut - Open Hearts [Album]
Melodic
80%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

Grassmarket - Port City [Album]
Self Released
80%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

An advisory �do not listen� comes attached to these releases. Altsounds is not afraid to speak it�s mind.

Crown Of Thorns - Faith [Album]
Lost Cathedral
16%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

A Wolf Like Me - We�ve Seen His Lair [EP]
Self-released
23%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

Cinders Fall - The Reckoning [EP]
Transcend
27%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

Andrew W.K - 55 Cadillac [Album]
Skyscraper Music Maker
30%
[READ REVIEW HERE]

We listen to pretty much everything under the sun @ Altsounds. Read the latest 10 reviews below.

Deaf Havana - Meet Me Half Way [Album]
Various Artists - Birmingham Sound Matter [Album]
Fat Freddy's Drop - Dr Boondigga And The Big BW [Album]
Pearl Jam - Backspacer [Album]
Gabby Young & Other Animals - We�re All In This Together [Album]
Andrew W.K - 55 Cadillac [Album]
Screaming Lights - Hello Tomorrow [Single]
KOF - Famous [Single]
Del the Funky Homosapien & Tame One - Parallel Uni-Verses [Album]
The Joy Formidable @ The Relentless Garage [Live]

READ MORE HERE

Get the latest low-down, or down-low, whatever it is called in music land. Heres the latest 10.

ACRYLICS REVEAL DETAILS OF EP RELEASE WITH TERRIBLE RECORDS AND MORE!
Raveonettes announce big night out!
Introducing Dan Black...
MYSPACE MUSIC AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES WITHOUT LEADING LOCAL & GLOBAL INDEPENDENT CONTENT
Helms Alee Announce Dates w/ Russian Circles and Young Widows * Harkonen Reunion Show
Star Fucking Hipsters Announce New Album, "Never Rest in Peace," Out October 20th on
Wishbone Ash announce live dates and new album!
From First To Last Sign To Rise Records
The Bouncing Souls Announce New Song for October
El Dog - emotional post rock cinematic in scope

FOR MORE EXCLUSIVE NEWS CLICK HERE!

Speaking with the bestest artists of today about their goings on and private matters you all want to know about.

Chris Wyse of OWL

"Ummm... by worshiping Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. [laughs] Then I got into Black Sabbath. "

Pete of EXLOVERS

"Horrible apart from a few people who came to the front and seemed genuinely interested. "

Jesse Dayton of Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures

"I played guitar with Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Johnny Bush..."

Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth

"That is right. We�ve been full time musicians for almost four years now. "

Covering the latest bands and artists playing at a venue near you.

FestEvol - O2 Academy Liverpool

11 bands in one night - 25th Sept 2009

"This one nighter was put together by the people that normally run Evol club nights at Korova in Liverpool. Evol have got a pretty decent history of getting the right up-and-coming bands and this mini-festival looked pretty ambitious with an eventual lineup of eleven bands."

[READ MORE HERE]

JET @ HMV Forum, London
83%

"'Look What You�ve Done' is also on �Get Born� but it�s surely a more interesting and powerful ballad, and the audience shows its approval with plenty of screaming and sing along."

[READ FULL REVIEW HERE]

Alberta Cross Secret Gig @ South Of The Border, London
76%

"Creative songwriters and talented musicians (although I�m not 100% convinced about the drummer), judging from this cosy appetiser Alberta Cross are set for big things to come."

[READ FULL REVIEW HERE]

The Joy Formidable @ The Relentless Garage
69%

"The ending was a little contrived but the set as a whole was thoroughly convincing. Problem is, bands these days are so well schooled we always know what to expect, even if it is for a live CD."

[READ FULL REVIEW HERE]

What!?! Free stuff! Yes please. Get your mits on the coolest stuff. Remember to sign up for an Altsounds account to get full access to all our competitions!

BYO GIVEAWAY - 'Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records'

DAVID GRAY NEW ALBUM - DRAW THE LINE COMPETITION

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The Lowdown: Jesse Dayton of Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures

GlockMeAmadeus — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:52:20 GMT

Altsounds: This Captain Clegg persona is great and you seem to have really gone all out with it. Can you explain some of the back story?

Jesse Dayton: The way that it was all introduced to me was Rob called me in LA out of nowhere and said, "Hey, you're playing with Social Distortion tonight." I said, "Yeah, I am." He said, "Well, me and Sheri are in town and we're gonna come down." We already did that Banjo and Sullivan thing for The Devil's Rejects. It was a fluke that did really well. We were all shocked. So he comes down and everyone's kind of geeked out because it's Rob Zombie and Sheri Moon! We were hanging out in the backstage area, about 30 minutes from going out to play a sold out show. Right before I go on stage, Rob says, "I want you to play a horror bandleader for Halloween 2." I went from being like my usual bad ass self to walking out like a little 8 year old with a big smile on his face.

I grew up on the Halloween franchise and Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre... all of those. This was a really big deal. He came down to watch the show and that's where he got the idea for the Phantom Jam. We're playing rockabilly, honky tonk and all this stuff. The kids are freaking out and that became the inspiration behind the Phantom Jam, which is a big scene in the movie. He started emailing me and texting me song ideas. Literally that night he started with it. We talked a bunch about what we're gonna do. He sits down and writes this whole biography for Clegg. I'm a closet film geek, but the difference between Rob and other directors is he's not really interested in making a film. He wants to create a whole world that goes along with it. He said, "You're gonna be gravediggers from Sherman, Texas and you're gonna play honky tonk." It was fucking crazy. The whole process with Rob has been insane. Not in a bad way... in a really fucking fun way. So, we get all of these song ideas together and he's like, "Just write them out and you can make the record in your own studio." He was totally hands off.

I got in my car and I drove to New Orleans. I checked into Suite #2... write this down. It's important. At the Lamothe House. I stayed there for 3 nights and wrote the whole thing. The room is haunted. I had to book it in advance. The last was like, "That's the haunted one!" I said, "Yeah, I know." She said the latest thing reported was that the ghost doesn't like the clothes being put in the armoire. You make hear some rattling coat hangers. And I sure as shit did. I heard those rattling coat hangers.

So I wrote all of the songs there and called Rob when I was done. He said let's don't wait on anybody. He would send whatever money we needed to start on the record, he just wanted us to start right away. Little did I know this whole thing would be a much bigger deal than what Rob had said. I thought it would be this little thing in a movie. Little did I know he had this whole tour planned and wanted to put out an album.

Is Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures a real band, or was it just for the movie?

The thing is, we're creating a demand right now. Let's face it, having a psychobilly band in a horror movie is waaaay overdue. Where the fuck has that been? Considering most horror movies are filmed in ome bumfuck country town, psychobilly makes sense. I started listening to all of this stuff, but the majority of bands in that genre are total shit. They have no musicality. The songs are unoriginal. So it was pretty easy for us to make the coolest fuckin' psychobilly songs ever written. Plus, the Captain sings like Elvis and Danzig on steroids. Oh, I forgot. Danzig is already on steroids. [laughs]

To answer your question though, we're doing a behind the scenes documentary film that we're hoping to have out around Christmas. It's going to be very cool.

Oh, nice. Are you generally a fan of horror films?

I love the old school shit. I'm 40 years old now and I grew up in a small town on the Texas/Louisiana border. We only got 3 channels, but on the weekends one of those channels would have a horror night. Black Sunday... old Italian horror movies with Barbara Steele. I don't know if I loved those movies because they were great, or I just had a boner for Barbara Steele. [laughs]

Would you be interested in doing another conceptual project like this someday, or is that kind of up to Rob Zombie? [laughs]

[laughs] It is, really! We're talking about doing a Clegg movie. Not with Rob, but with some filmmaker friends of mine. We're thinking of going to New Orleans and doing a movie all about Clegg. He's such a cool character. I don't take any credit for it. Rob came up with all of it. Some of Rob's younger fans were like, "waaaah you're ripping off The Ghastly Ones!" Ummmm you might want to tell them about this little band called The Damned. Lord Such... he was the big horror guy before Alice Cooper. The Ghastly Ones are like a California surf band with some instrumentals. Give me a fucking break.

Let's talk about your music AS Jesse Dayton. Your music already appeals to a wide variety of people, and the Captain Clegg project is expanding that fanbase even further. How would you classify your sound?

Kind of hard to classify. If you say country, then people stick me in with all of that total bullshit coming out of Nashville. If I say rockabilly, that kind of paints me into a corner. I was doing an interview with this guy one time and he asked me this same question. I looked out the window of the bus and we were passing by a hotel, so I just told him 'Best Western.' [laughs]

I played guitar with Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Johnny Bush... if your readers go to youtube and look me up, they'll see footage of me playing with them in the studio when I was really young. I got introduced to that scene like that in a really cool way. That was weird is right after that, I played on Musta Been High by The Supersuckers. In '95, way before Hank III, Jesse Dayton was out playing white trash honky tonk music opening for all of these punk rock bands.

People are often confused about what the Texas music scene is all about. In your opinion, what's the difference between the Nashville sound and what Texas is putting out there?

The difference is that Rascall Flatts makes The Monkees sound like the fucking Rolling Stones and Jesse Dayton is a goddamn certified Texas outlaw musician.

[laughs] What was the first band or artist you discovered completely on your own, without suggestion from family or friends?

The Clash. I was force fed large helpings of George Jones and Buck Owens by my country ass parents. When I was about 15 or 16, I saw an interview with Joe Strummer on MTV. I went and got my hair cut like his. In a duck tail. I didn't know that was a rockabilly thing, not punk rock. I was the only kid from my little redneck shit town that would go over to Houston and see punk bands. Punk kind of led me into other things like reggae and rockabilly and roots and all that. But, I grew up with country, so of course that was in my blood. Joe Strummer saved me from going to Foghat concerts.

[laughs] You have a strong cult following all around the world... do you want to be a household name, or do you enjoy being a 'secret genius'?

My deal is, I come from a super blue collar, oil field worker type people. My idea of success as opposed to a record executives idea of success are totally different things. If I can do my art exactly like I want to without having to change and still pay for everything I need, then I feel like I'm successful. It would be great if I could do something honestly with my music that would open me up to the whole world, but if that doesn't happen, it's gonna be ok.

I'll tell ya one thing, I sure do like this acting shit. I had a fake fire place in my trailer and a bottle of Jim Beam that Bob Weinstein bought me. I heard that Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson both wrote great songs in the trailers of movie sets, and I wrote a bunch of songs on the set of Halloween 2. I'm gonna do more acting. I am gonna start working on a film at the start of the year that is gonna be cool.

What's the film?

I can't talk about it yet. Ask me again in a few months.

I will. So, who is your favorite 'secret genius' artist?

There is this really great songwriter named Jim Lauderdale that is like this crazy songwriter. He's a cross between George Jones and Gram Parsons. He's a great writer but the mainstream public doesn't know who he is. He's always been a secret inspiration to me.

Do you believe in destiny?

Yeah, I do, because I'm a hopeless romantic. It's hard for me to be an atheist because I'm a romantic at heart. I like to believe in things bigger than myself, even though I don't know if they exist. The night that I played with Social Distortion and Rob came out... I think that was supposed to happen.

http://www.jessedayton.com/
Captain Clegg

FestEvol - O2 Academy Liverpool

catshoe — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:12:06 GMT

This one nighter was put together by the people that normally run Evol club nights at Korova in Liverpool. Evol have got a pretty decent history of getting the right up-and-coming bands and this mini-festival looked pretty ambitious with an eventual lineup of eleven bands. The venue was Liverpool Academy, which has got a bigger stage upstairs (for tonight, Room 1) and something resembling a bunker downstairs. They don't sell it as Academy 1 and 2 - I've not seen them running both rooms at the same time before. For years I'd only ever been downstairs, believing that's all there was there. It was only recently that I went to see Animal Collective, went in the usual entrance and emerged inside into somewhere completely different. Talk about disoriented, it felt like a sci-fi movie. From previous experience the sound quality is great in that downstairs bunker, one of the best in the North West. There was one last-minute substitution - we lost Indica Ritual but gained Balloons, more of that later.

Organiser Revo Ziganda (actually I suspect that might be a made up name, despite Facebook's rules about that sort of thing) had cunningly arranged the running times so that if you madly ran up and down stairs, you could theoretically see a bit of every single band. In the event I actually saw ten out of the eleven. And improved my running fitness.

The way they had entry to the place set up, it was like a labyrinth. To get downstairs, you had to first climb up stairs like a cliff face to the top of the building then find another set of stairs to descend once more into the bowels. I got lost, found myself wandering backstage, with security thinking I was just blagging it for a laugh.

Upstairs first then, I saw one number by Lightsgoblue. Despite it only being 7.25pm, this thrashy would-be Klaxons two-piece were playing to an already packed crowd of overhyped teenagers with Day-glo wristbands. Forgive me for only staying for one number, they were loud, enthusiastic but not memorable enough to keep me.

Downstairs to room 2. Wow, almost nobody had found downstairs yet, perhaps they were all lost in the backstage breeze block corridors. In comparison to upstairs, there were only a few people, no ADHD teenagers, and my first impression was - this is the arty room. The band already on were Picture Book and they were much more interesting than the two thrashy lads upstairs.

Picture Book are (so they say) Lady Aya, Master ToKo and Lord highOwl. Actually Her Ladyship is aka Greta Svabo Bech and she really is from the Faroe Islands.

Their own Myspace blurb says enough. "Last summer, bored musicians Master ToKo and Lord highOwl decided to embark upon a voyage across Scandinavia in search of something new and exciting! One morning whilst out searching for firewood, they encountered a frail, angelic creature clutching an enchanted book. Silently she showed them the mystical images within, rendering Master ToKo and Lord highOwl instantly under her spell. They named the girl Aya 'The Goddess of the Forest'. She followed them for 3 days and 3 nights, communicating only through song in a language unknown to them. Finding this the most beautiful sound they'd ever witnessed, they agreed to return to their former occupations as music makers and accompany her voice with their creations"

They were completely and utterly fabulous, Aya in some sort of home-made garb, laying dreamy vocals over serious dancey synths and some right pounding percussion, two lots of drums going together at times. Get the violin in there as well interspersed with something that sounds like it comes from the Copacabana - I loved it. Why are we strangers?

I stayed downstairs. In between bands there was a slight invasion into the bar alongside the music space - wandering herds of kids in Hadouken tee-shirts. I got the feeling it might be messy in parts, and referring to my little printout schedule, wrote a note on my hand 'Golden Filter 9.30'. God, I'm organised. You say OCD like it's a bad thing?

Next up were another local band - Hallo I Love You. Thanks for the half price list guys. I've seen them before, at Korova.

That was a very early gig for them and that time around they were full of apologies for some technical issues which, to be honest I had hardly noticed. I felt for them tonight. Everyone that had been in the auditorium for the first band had wandered into the bar area off to one side, so the band were setting up to a completely empty room. Unnerving, I wouldn't have liked it. Anyway they got going and, fair dos, their happy noise dragged people back, pretty quickly conjuring a decent sized crowd out of nothing. There was some sort of philosophical moment when lead singer Robert asked from the stage "What does it mean?" Other more prosaic comments included "Has anyone got a tambourine?" (genuinely, they had forgotten theirs) and "Can you just improvise?" while they had some very slight technical hitch on keyboards. Not that I was making notes or anything. Check them out on MySpace:

Hallo...I Love You! on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

There you will find them sounding all nursery rhyme. Trust me - live they are a lot more rock 'n' roll. They've still got a cheesy organ thing going on sounding at times like the Blackpool Tower ballroom. It's not quite show tunes - maybe house music done on a Wurlitzer might come close? They are pretty aware of this, introducing 'To The Moon And Back' as "possibly the twee-est bit of music you will ever hear in your life". By the time they got to closing number 'Walk Me To The Sea' it was all coming together pretty damn nicely. They've had some decent live experience in the past couple of months and that was showing. I'll certainly check them out again.

9pm, upstairs, Cassette Jam, the rave continues. So many kids with their hands in the air. Still not grabbing me, so back once more into the depths. Room two appears to be my spiritual home for the evening.

Balloons were up next, starting off with the wondrously titled 'I'd Trade It All In For A Hawk'. These were the replacements for Indica Ritual, and whilst they were apparently not that band in disguise, curiously I noted that they were using Indica's keyboards. Balloons keep themselves all mysterious on the interweb, identities hidden as BBC 1 - BBC 2 - ITV - CHANNEL 4 - CHANNEL 5 with T-shirts to match in case they forget their, err, names. They were somewhere between Rolo Tomassi, free-form jazz and good old-fashioned Oi! (No, I'm not just basing that on the haircuts). I wasn't that impressed, and having listened again since, I'm still not.

Just in time to dash back up the stairs, on first name terms now with the security staff. I burst out into the upstairs room to find The Golden Filter in full flow. Yeah! Immediate knock-out. I've had these listed on MySpace for a while but had somehow lost them in amongst the Golden Animals, Golden Silvers, Silver Jews et al. Anyway I've got to tell you that MySpace samples just do not do them justice. There were just two of them on stage, Penelope and Stephen. At least that's what I thought, I eventually spotted a drummer working there as well. Penelope has got huge stage presence. I'm not making comparisons, but if you love the Go!Team and CSS, then there's a good chance that you will get these as well, especially.

The crowd were ripping for them, although half these 14 year-olds with painted faces might have been up for more or less anything. I loved Golden Filter. Penelope's got some sort of magic treacly breathy sound coming out of her and Stephen is, with all due respect, the stage gimp he needs to be for this moment of nu-rave excellence. I watched them till the end of their set and headed back down. The security crew invited me to join their tea kitty, as they were seeing so much of me.

In the downstairs space we now had Screaming Lights. They had some lovely 60s reverb coming off the guitar. I am normally bored pretty quickly by indie-lad vocals but lead singer Jay has an impassioned, engaging delivery, halfway to falsetto at times.

I liked them for the same reason I like Kyte, that same interest in the voice. Unlike Kyte though, these were pretty driving rock music. Definitely one of the best bands of the night, totally arresting onstage.
Which made it all the more of an anti-climax when I yet again climbed the stairs to what was now clearly the rave room. Kissy Sell Out, ever heard of them? I'll tell you all you need to know. Two guys, one playing a key-tar (yes really) and producing some bastard child of Rave and Bounce. Ouch.

They also put me in mind of some German poodle pop 80s thing. I had actually been pretty keen to see them and had wormed my way up to the front. I lasted about 30 seconds, then went and stood near the mixing desk for a couple of songs. I hated them. Unlike this great crowd of kids, some of whom looked maybe 11 or 12, and who were having a whale of a time. Oh well.

Back down the stairs. This time Security invited me to their Christmas do. Headliners for room 2 were Wave Machines. I've only just discovered them before this, and I have liked what I have heard.

Tonight they were good enough, maybe 80%. I might have just been getting jaundiced by now but with the Funk cowbell thing going on, the paper face masks with pictures of their own faces(!), the falsetto as well, I'm afraid they were only just the right side of novelty act. The sound was probably post-ironic, but was actually a bit like a lot of 80s chart bands.

One more band, that being Hadouken. These were pretty damn decent, but seeing as they were headlining the rave formerly known as Academy One, I just had to accept they were not the right band in the right place for me tonight, despite the insane brilliance of M.A.D. I'll gladly and willingly try them again.

Okay so this wasn't a battle of the bands, but I inevitably made comparisons. Complete and utter band of the night for me were The Golden Filter, out of New York and on their first trip to Liverpool. The other big discovery was local band Picture Book (local if you include a girl from the Faroes, but I think Liverpool University might be some sort of connection). These really have got enough going on to maintain more than a passing interest. I think it's called talent. And an honourable mention as well for Hallo I Love You, if only I could stop my other half spending all day singing their signature tune, funnily enough called 'Hallo I Love You'. It sounds all school-choir-chorus and I'm humming that damn twee song of theirs, to the point of distraction. Once again with feeling - 'To The Moon And Back'. I don't know whether to buy your records or give you a kicking, damn you!

Themes of the night? Having two drummers and made up names. What's that? Of course Catshoe is my real name! A huge well done to Revo and the Evol team for getting this together. Some of it I hated, some of it I loved. Some of that which I loved, I had never heard before. That's kind of the point of it. Cheers guys.

The Lowdown: Pete of EXLOVERS

jack s — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:00:41 GMT

Altsounds: So what is the easiest thing to forget?

Pete: To sign your passport application form

In October you are doing dates in France. Do you have a following there?

We've had a few people message us from France since we put the dates up on our site so I guess there must be a small following. Hopefully we'll be building on that when we go over there.

How was the V festival?

Horrible apart from a few people who came to the front and seemed genuinely interested. Mostly it was a tent full of rowdy lads on tour who weren�t interested in what was happening on the stage.

Was Farmfest or Secret Garden party better?

Much better, I think Farmfest was my favorite, it was an unexpected pleasure. Secret Garden Party was a really good festival but it was raining when we played so people were sheltering under a tent which was quite far away from the stage.

Is keeping up a twittering a pain or a pleasure?

I don't do it myself so it's neither, I find the concept of doing it a bit of a pain. I should start doing a blog or something though because it keeps people interested in what you're doing.

Photobooth had had most play on Myspace. Is this a favourite of yours too?

It's not my favourite but I usually find that the last song I've written is always my favourite.

The 10 inch vinyl with the new EP. Do you think that vinyl is still alive then?

It seems to be, I think that because a lot of people choose to download music as opposed to buying a CD vinyl has become relevant again. It's a nice thing for people to own and more satisfying than a CD.

Did you get along with Pete Doherty?

We didn't really spend any time with him.

You are getting plays on Radio 2. Is this your target audience?

Not being a radio listener myself I'm not aware of what kind of audience certain radio stations attract. If I did listen to radio, I might listen to radio 2 over radio 1 though I can't say for certain. It's quite flattering to be played on radio at all.

As an unsigned band how do you fund everything?

We really struggle.

Are My Bloody Valentine an influence?

Yeah, 'Loveless' has always been one of my favourite records.

Recording or live. Which is best?

They're two different things, both of which I enjoy.

Altsounds TV Video

The Lowdown: Chris Wyse of OWL

GlockMeAmadeus — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:44:01 GMT

Altsounds: How did you learn how to play the bass?

Chris Wyse: Ummm... by worshiping Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. [laughs] Then I got into Black Sabbath. But really it was all about Steve Harris. I only met him once, actually, just a couple of years ago.

So did you teach yourself?

Yeah, I taught myself, but later on I went to school for music. I just did community college in upstate NY. I was already teaching before I started in school so I was way deep into theory. School was a good experience for me. It made me get into the upright a little heavier and playing classical pieces. I thought about going into teaching, but I was already teaching and already playing live. So, I just did a 2 year thing. It was great.

So you've been experimenting with your instrument and creating new sounds for many years. The work you've done with The Cult is great, but the new work you're doing in OWL is in another orbit. How do you determine what is appropriate for what project?

Well, thank you for recognizing the difference. It really is it's own orbit. In my own project, it's whatever feels good between me and Dan [Dinsmore] and Jason [Mezilis]. The fortunate thing for the group I got is, I just put it out there and they're with it. Nobody says to pull it back in. There are many sections where we just let it fly like Zeppelin or Pink Floyd.

Was there ever a time in The Cult where they DID tell you to pull it back?

Oh yeah! When I was first working with them, I was kind of just thrown into the situation. I made all kinds of suggestions. I brought in my upright and was like, "Check it out!" If you go out on a limb sometimes, it's gonna break sometimes. I learned a lot in those 10 years. It's kind of like being an actor, I think. You play the part. You don't start writing all of your lines and making up a new part unless you're asked. And to their credit though, my sound is well documented on their work. The Cult has quite a bit of range so I've been able to put my stamp on it. They did let me play upright bass on one of the ballads. They gave me some freedom. I think if you check the last two records, you'll hear distinctive bass parts. The Cult is always growing and always changing. They're always open, so it's a great group to be in. We're actually about to head to Europe again.

It seems like you started OWL with a clear vision, and then brought in some very talented musicians with their own voices. Did you ever have to communicate to them what it is you're looking for, or were you all already on the same page?

Dan was having problems in his band Clay People, and I was kind of dealing with similar problems... different kinds of energy, really. Our lineups weren't working, so we said, "Hey, let's work together!" He owns the production company that we put the Owl records on. Jason had been to a ton of my shows and I just knew he fit right in. I asked if he wanted to record with us. I just wanted to do an album and I didn't even know who the lineup was going to be, but BAM! it just happened. It's the genuine article now. It's interesting the way it worked out. I am going all the way back to my roots and early friendships with Dan, someone I have known for a very long time and used to compete with in school. We were always pushing each other to be bigger or better. And then Jason is from a totally different chapter of my life. We're all really good friends, so this it's great being able to do this with them.

You also produced this album for Owl... I know you've spent a lot of time in studios, but have you ever produced a record before?

I've produced stuff before, yeah. There was this Nine Inch Nails tribute record. I produced a version of "March of The Pigs" that was so tweaked out it almost sounded like a different song. I did a thing with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then Owl. Then Behind The Sun. I produced a couple little things when I was still getting started. I've worked with a lot of great producers- the best of the best. I knew what I wanted and I didn't want anyone to pull me along on their schedule or push their vision on me. I didn't want anyone telling me how I was going to sound. I didn't want to ASK anyone what I should look like or sound like. I want to tell people what's going on. If they're into it, they can follow.

That's how it's supposed to be, you know? It's all supposed to happen around the artist. The industry side should come in later. Now it's the other way. Everything is backwards. It should be all about the artist. It was a big task to produce the Owl record and be in The Cult and write songs. I really spun myself out hard. When you're producing, you just have to know when it's done. It doesn't matter if you can play it cleaner or better. It just has to be right. You have to feel the vibe and you have to be able to call it right there and then. I'm really psyched with the way it came out. I was a little unnerved there for a while. By the time it was all done and all put together, I really think it was worth all of the work. A year and a half of touring and recording and finishing up songs... it's nice to hold the actual product in my hands.

There are a lot of layers to your songs, but you perform live as a trio. What do you think the biggest difference is between the album and the live performance?

It's funny that you ask that. There are some layers on the record, but like where I am drawing the bow, I'm not JUST drawing the bow. I'm using a wah wah and a delay or some other effect, so some of those things are there live. Sometimes there will be a 2 part harmony with me and Jason, but it's a 3 part harmony on the record. The audience forgives us. I believe it's all about the energy and the intent behind the parts. Like if a song can be stripped down to acoustic and still sound great, then that's a real song. We tweak and we do things live. If you ever see Dan play it's like bombs going off. He's really like no other drummer I've ever played with. Our sound is really raw live, but I think that's better. We're already thinking about doing a live record. The melodies are good and you can really hear the songwriting. Some of it may be even better live. There are little things that obviously we can't do on stage with just the 3 of us, but as long as we bring the energy, people will forget about it. They're looking for a crazy sled ride down a hill where they don't know if it's going to break or not. The live show is a ride because it's a totally different energy.

Your music has a very dark cinematic scope. Are you a fan of film?

Yeah, naturally so. I was very attracted to comic books and art as a kid. I'll be honest, I love superhero movies. I know it's cliche. Like when I hear they're working on a new Batman, I get so excited. I loved Watchmen. Just the way things look in those films, it's like an immediate attraction. I think about those things when I'm writing... the colors and the visions. But I keep the lyrics vague enough that you can make up your own story. The songs have strong visual content. Like 'Violent Center' really takes the listener on a journey using the music. I love when a great producer makes things sound right or when a film director makes it look right, and that's what I am trying to do.

When I went to school for marketing, I learned something like 80% of what grabs people is the visual aspect. Looking good is important. That's why we got into the video... well 'looking good' like looking interesting. The video has great coloring. It's kind of a modern comic, animated vibe. You'll see it in the live performance too.

Have you ever considered composing for film?

Being a string player, definitely. I see the Owl music as being perfect for film or games. I think the strings at the end of 'Alive' could be a beautiful intro or outro to any movie. I am already kind of there, mentally, so hopefully these things will come along in my future. I may want to do that later on in life when I'm tired and don't want to travel so much. I would love being a part of bringing a movie to life.

So, I'm a fan of ghost stories and I heard that you've had some experiences...

I have a love for the metaphysical and supernatural. Look at the record- there is definitely a belied in more. 'Ghost in the Starlight' gets into eastern concepts and music and is based on a supernatural experience. I live in a house in the Hollywood Hills and I was doing this development stuff for Owl. While we were there working on the songs, you could hear someone muttering and the lights kept flashing. I was seeing lots of weird things. A lot of people experienced this presence there. When we had women in the studio, they would comment. Women, I think, are more in tune with that side of things, but really everyone picked up on it. We don't really know WHO she is, we just know she's there. I felt so bad for her when we were in the studio, which is what inspired the song. It's about feeling empathy and compassion for someone you don't know and can't touch. It's a very fleeting thing.

She reacted to the music all the time, knocking on the door or just making sounds. Maybe it was the pitch or the key that would make her react. It was very wild. She seemed sad and we speculated about these different Hollywood actresses that might be haunting the building. There are a lot of stories about her up on Wonderland Avenue and you can't help but feel bad for her. I just wanted to give her a hug and ask what's wrong. 'Ghost in the Starlight' ended up being one of those songs where every time you play it, it's different. Oh, when I wrote 'War on Drugs' I was working on the demo. I was alone with the engineer and we were working on the song and then out of nowhere there was this pounding on the door. Like loud pounding on the inside door. Meaning someone would have to be in the building to knock on it and we were literally the only ones there. I told the engineer about the ghost while we were on the road, so he got to witness it first hand. It really scared him, so I felt validated.

OWL - Chris Wyse | Dan Dinsmore | Jason Mezilis on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads