"Fuck missing home, we love tour, being home drives us nuts"
ALTSOUNDS - How did the Edgar Allen Poe story published over 170 years ago become the inspiration for the band?
KEITH - Ha, not really inspiring or anything, we were just looking for a band name at the time and we felt it might fit with the lyrical matter of our earlier material. Later to find out, it fits more for a female fronted black metal band.
When you're going on tour, do you have any input into the bands that support you? If you do, what helps you to make those decision?
Only until recently have we had the chance to pick and choose support bands. This has been nice because it gives an oppotunity to tour with different types of bands. We have been touring non stop with moshcore, deathcore, and hardcore bands since we started so its a nice change to be able to tour with bands outside those genres.
Do you have any rituals that you carry out before you go on stage? 
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(Featuring Members of Boys Night Out, Grade, Jersey, and the Video Dead)
Q: Who are you? What do you do in the band?
A: Hey this is Greg Taylor. I sing and play guitar in the band.
Q: Your lineup consists of members from some pretty influential bands – Boys Night Out, Grade, Jersey, Video Dead. How did your lineup come about? How did you decide on the style you were to play, all coming from very different bands?
A: Rob and I had spoken non shalantly about writing and recording some songs together while we still in our respective bands. it wasn't until our time in those bands ended that we actually brought the project to light. It started off in my basement with some beer and cigarettes, a drum machine and few other instruments. After recording about 4 songs, we started to lay vocals down and we thought Ben we be a great addition to the project, especially because he and I had also spoken about doing a project together. 5 or 6 songs later, we knew we had something, we knew we had to form a band to play these songs, and play them live. That w
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"Depends what mood you catch us in. Today we are men. "
In 2006 your single 'World at War' was named as Gigwise's single of the week, and is described as "A tale of yearning for that elusive loved one". Are any of you currently yearning for that elusive loved one at the moment? Does that inspire your songwriting?
Dan: We are always yearning, and yes – that does inspire. We also seem to revisit themes of escaping, finding and losing. It was pointed out to us by our producer, Dave Allen, that many of the songs are actually about closure – such as ‘Goodnight Vienna’ ‘Last Dance’ and ‘Not So Laughable Now’. They have an abrupt finality about them. So yeah – not sure what that says about us – we try not to over-analyze what we do too much.
A lot of new bands are using the internet and their own individual marketing styles to promote their music, rather than looking for a label to sign them (Hamfatter just raised £75K via Dragon's Den!). Do you think this is a positive thing for the music industry?
Dan: Yeah – in t
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"My ideal date would be in a car park somewhere…"
You started working in the music industry as an engineer. What were the most unexpected differences about being on different sides of the booth?
Not much. Now it’s different, in the way that people treat me I guess.
When you first started doing music with the intention of it being a career, what was your benchmark of having ‘made it’?
Never. I never do it for the fame. I know it sounds like a cliché but…there will be no benchmark. It’s like with my songs – Coloured Souls was a benchmark, after that I was more in touch with myself.
‘Coming outta London’ on your mixtape seems to really showcase your love and respect for London and the UK, and its music scene. What are your thoughts on the tendency of British artists to sing/rap with a US accent?
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"...like they want to shake a baby at you."
Q&A (mostly A) with Leigh Kakaty from Pop Evil. Their new album Lipstick On The Mirror is in stores now!
So you guys seem to have been around for a while but are just now releasing a full length album. Give me the low down.
We got started in 2001. We started out like most garage bands, playing for anyone who would listen. We knew we wouldn't be able to just go out and play Pop Evil music. 'Everyone is gonna wanna listen to us!' News flash: No one cares. So we decided we had to play covers or whatever if we wanted to make about a thousand a night. No one cares about your original songs when you start out. So, we spent time working on writing better music while we went out and played covers.
garble garble phone dead
Oh man, this sucks. I wonder how long I was talking after the phone died. Sorry about that. I got a Next
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"Phil can tell you about the super efficient and powerful hot sauce he purchased in Japan on our first trip"
What's the story behind the formation of the band?
Me, Isaac, and Christopher have been friends forever. Chris and Isaac had a sweet band called Guiltripp in high school, and a couple years after they broke up, we decided we needed to do a band. We had always wanted to do a melodic hardcore band, so we got with our pal joel, who had been listening to a lot of carry on, rented a practice room, covered a Kid Dynamite song, and the jams started flowing like wine.
You played Japan as part of your follow up to the 'In Place Apart' release. Tell us about that trip.
Japan is wonderful. I can't say enough good things about that country or the people that live there. They are just so welcoming and hospitable, and really make you feel like they appreciate that you're there, when really it should be the other way around. We all feel incredibly lucky that we have been able to go there twice.
Our buddy Phil can tell you about the super efficient and powerful hot sauce he purchased the
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"The digital age is well and truly here, and I think that’s where future music sales lie"
How did you discover music?
Our parents have all got big record collections, so we each individually got into all different kinds of music that way!
What do you think the future holds for bands, labels and the music industry?
It’s interesting seeing how the industry is coping in such troubled times, but at the same time it’s exciting and opening up new avenues for music to get to fans. The digital age is well and truly here, and I think that’s where future music sales lie; the decline in physical sales is proof of that. I think the digital age will be exciting and once it’s fully understood I think the music industry will once again be an extremely prosperous industry.
Any great stories or distinct memories from the studio?
Drinking beer. Carling o’clock every 6pm, without fail.
Growing up, how was the music scene?
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"Ritualistic drinking of alcohol in order to transcend your thoughts onto another plane"
You shattered your leg and spent 18 months in recovery, at which point you turned to your guitar and began writing. What is your most vivid memory of that time in your life? Was it simply boredom that inspired you to write?
That’s when I started writing. That’s when I just, I don’t know, I just decided to start writing songs. I think it was just one of those things – I’d always played music and I borrowed a 4 track recorder from my friend. I’d always used a tape before, just one track. I’d never really played guitar with anyone so when I could record myself and actually play to that, that’s when I started discovering things and putting words and melodies on top of it. Then every night I would start escaping into this zone, you know, and when I came out of it, it would be like 4am, and I just got addicted to it and it became an itch that I couldn’t stop scratching.
What do you think are the main similarities (if any) between skateboarding and music?
I guess t
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"I was pronounced dead."
Like with so many people I interview, I have no idea who they are before being asked for press time. More often than not, I am pleasantly surprised by who ends up being on the other end of the phone. Whether or not I fall in love with their music, I've talked to a lot of interesting people. Now, Jet Black Stare is up. Their first single, Ready to Roll is instantly familiar. The song reminded me of the album Uppers and Downers, a Sub Pop release in 2000 from UK Rockabilly Pop band, The Yo-Yos. The voice and the overall vibe of the music had me double checking to see if they shared any members. While The Yo-Yos only really had that one release, it's an album I still listen to today. Eh, c'est la vie. Sometimes things just don't work out, even when the music is good. The rest of the songs featured on Jet Black Stare's MySpace page sound quite different, but are still familiar. I found it curious. Every song reminded me of at least 2 or 3 other bands, but...I didn't mind it. I actual
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"There are infinite combinations of time signatures / poly-meters / poly-rhythm’s and infinite ways of arranging them."
The Arusha Accord – Holla at me. Who are you and what noise do you make in the band?
Haha, ‘holla’ at you? .. in England we say ‘good morning’! .. I’m Luke, and I play bass in The Arusha Accord.
Congratulations on releasing the EP 'Nightmares Of The Ocean', it sounds pretty awesome and I'm not even just being polite to make conversation.
Thank you .. appreciate that
Track one is 'The New Face Of Revenge'; paint me a photo-fit picture like on Crimewatch with but mere words of her majesty's English of what said face looks like.
You mean describe the song? lol ... well ... musically, it was written well over a year ago. It was one of our first songs to be completely finalised after a good 18 months of scrapping almost everything, and so, as gay as it sounds, theres a huge amount of senitment attached to it, for me anyway. Like most of arusha's songs, it's a bit of a rollercoaster, in which the time signatures are liquid and the music ranges from sheer brutality to pure bliss .
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"You can feel the hate and anger when you listen to the music"
1.Hey who's this and what brick are you in the wall of noise that is Whitechapel?
This is Alex Wade and I am one of the three guitar bricks haha.
2.To be honest I've never heard your music before but it's awesome! There are a million bands like you though so why don't I love them too? What are your extra toppings?
There are alot of bands out there doing what we do but I feel like we have a certain intensity that sets us apart from the rest. Like almost you can feel the hate and anger when you listen to the music. We also incorporate alot of unique effects to our music and alot of melodic epic parts. Alot of bands focus on just trying to be so heavy and I think thats when it gets monotonous, you've got to have interesting
sections incorporated into the music that breaks up the heavy parts.
3.Listening to your music makes me feel a bit narcistic, angry and egotistical all at the same time… is this normal?
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"I would say recording the album was the biggest chapter of my life"
1. Who are you and what do you do?
Mauro: vocals and 12 string guitar
2. On a Scale of 1 to 10 how vain would you say you are?
6.5 on sundays 7.8 from monday to thur 8.5 friday morning and then from that moment on 5.2 (on Halloween 10.10)
3. Which member of the band is a favorite with the ladies?
Me. I'm like Elvis. They come to me and say "you are my favourite".
4. Who is the worst band member to share a tour bus with and what's their biggest crime?
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"Everything was going fairly smoothly, until at the end, chaos broke loose."
Broken macbooks, lift entrapments, partying with your new label and everything else inbetween. Man Without Wax tell us all.
Altsounds - How did the band get together?
Man Without Wax - The band came together in the fall of 2006. We all knew each other from the local scene, playing together in numerous local acts. Jaded with the current music climate, we came together on the common ground of creating a unique accessible sound that was not bound by an allegiance to any one specific style or genre. Our intention was to forge our own path and craft sincere songs without preconceived limitations. The first song we ever wrote together was Kansas City Shuffle, shortly followed by "Ones & Zeroes Everywhere...".
What did you do after signing your contract with Eyeball? Did you run out and get drunk, party etc.?
We signed it at the infamous Whammy Bar and proceeded to celebrate within it's womb. Indulging ourselves in the warmhearted company of friendly comrades and consumi
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"Nothing is more fun that playing live"
With the release of their 2nd full length album Hungover, But Dead Sober, we caught up with the Real Deal’s “Ants” for a quick Q&A to ask him about his band and the release.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this interview. Please state your name and what your role is in the Real Deal.
Thanks for soliciting me! My name is Ants, reporting for duty. I try to play guitar and sing as best as I can.
What made you want to play your instrument?
My mother forced me to pick up an instrument when I was 11 years old, and now she bugs me for being in a touring band haha. That’s the definition of irony mother!
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The Lyricists All Truth No Lies?
By Fridae Mattas
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/lipon/LPIC.jpg
From L to R DJ Haus Diesel, Illtone, Rym-(B)enda
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"Freddy Mercury was a cool looking cat with sweet pipes."
With a brand new EP ready and waiting for you to hear, we caught up with The Feelings Mutual bassist Brandon to ask him about his band, his life and anything else we could think of.
Altsounds - For people out there who (foolishly) don't know enough about you, can you describe your sound.
Brandon - It's hard for me to say what I think we sound like, I feel like that makes me sound like a total douche. I know that the band shares a lot of similar influences and I know that those tend to come out from time to time. Some of our favorites include The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Nirvana and The Smashing Pumkins…We were kids in the 90's, I guess we never really got over those first few bands that got us off.
I found it almost impossible to find any biographical information about the band. Tell the readers what you think they ought to know about you.
I answered a "male seeking male" ad on craigslist in Sep. '07. Apparently it was Jordan looking for a male who played bass. We have be
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"Anytime you are working with 5-14 years olds you should just expect the unexpected"
So, Nobody Famous, what's it like in Flowery Branch?
It is small county with not a thing to do. I suppose that is a good thing as well b/c all I did was sit in my parents basement and make music all the time, which eventually landed me in LA, so I can't complain.
Describe your music to us in three words.
Damn, that's refreshing!
What do you think meant more to you - giving your CD to Kanye West and having him speak to you as a real person, or URB magazine naming you in their top 1,000 to watch?
URB for sure because I ended up going from the Next 1000 online, to the Next 100 in the actual magazine to being on of the 4 artist on the NEXT 100 channel on Flow TV which was On Demand nationwide.
How did your strong musical connection with Athens begin?
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"Sometimes naked, sometimes on the floor, mostly intoxicated and always sweaty."
ALTSOUNDS - Hello Dividing The Line! Who am I speaking to?
DTL - Andy (Alan)
You remind me of a younger Funeral For A Friend but with bigger balls and therefore baggier jeans, is that a compliment? I think that it is.
Baggy jeans are always a compliment as we are all greebos at heart. Big thrive on keeping it slack. As for the FFAF thing, anything prior to the last album is a compliment. Toddy has huge balls so that is definatley true although i can't speak for any members of FFAF about the size of their baby makers.
So you have just released your debut E.P a few months ago 'Foundations', are you happy with it?
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"Watch The Lion King"
Lead vocalist and chief moustache wearer Nathan Winneke had a few words to say to Altsounds about himself, Horse The Band and the new album "A Natural Death".
ALTSOUNDS - Hey there. Hows things?
Nathan - Things are capital! Thanks for asking!
ALT - Who are you and why would Horse The Band not be able to function without you?
My name is Nathan. I am the General Baron and it is my burning soul of regret and woe that is at Horse The Bands emotional center.
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"They may feel somewhat left out at times but there is a curtain bond you can't break when you've taken baths together and shared a room for 16 y
The Briggs vocalist and guitarist Joey LaRocca took some time out from promoting the new album "Come All You Madmen" out now on SideOneDummy Records to answer a few questions thrown at him by us.
ALTSOUNDS - Your label describe your latest album as your "most honest and compelling yet". What experiences have the band had that support that quote?
JOEY - It cuts straight to the point, there's no use in ignoring the fact the music industry is collapsing and we as civilization are in an interesting time of turmoil and chaos but also change. On another side, it's also much more personal. It address our personal issues of touring and what toll it has taken on relationships and our lives. We just drew from whatever felt the most meaning full to us and wrote about it.
ALT - The lyrics to your song, 3rd World War, are very poignant, and suggest that you totally support war and its purpose. Is this the case? Do you have family or friends serving currently?
Well, first of all that is
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