What a year it's been for JPT Scare Band! After plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the world is waking up to JPT Scare Band's brand of acidified blues and the love and accolades keep pouring in. Classic Rock Magazine, featured JPT Scare Band on their November edition cover-mounted CD, Rhapsody declared JPT Scare Band one of the "10 Essential Proto-Metal bands", and their debut Ripple Music release, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden soared up the charts at CDBaby.com to the #2 in the Extended Jams Category where it has continued to hold that position for nearly a full year!
As the world wakes up to the masterful acid jamming that is JPT Scare Band, the boys are readying to unleash a new treat for their legions of fans, young and old: their first live performance in over 35 years! Without a doubt, JPT Scare Band forged their reputation with their incendiary live performances and now's your chance to witness the band doing what it does best. JPT Scare Band is blasting it out live at Crosstown Station with Granmax and the New Lost Souls, July 22nd in their hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.
Don't miss this night of psychedelic madness as Kansas City welcomes back their wayward sons and opens their minds and doors for a night of searing acid blues. Expect some JPT Scare Band classics to blitz the audience, and if rumors are correct, keep your ears open for two brand new songs!
It seems the world is waking up to the terror that is JPT Scare Band. The Rock and Roll Report proclaimed Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, “sizzles with fuzzy guitars, gritty vocals, and extended jam sessions that instantly transport you to what feels like a Hendrix concert. Terry Swope has got to be one of the world's most underrated guitarists! If you miss the glory days of Cream, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix, you have to check out these uncovered gems from JPT Scare Band.” Here Comes the Flood decrees that Acid Blues “holds its own against famous niche sharers, such as Cream, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher and the mighty Led Zeppelin!” and Sonic Abuse gushes that Acid Blues is simply a “gem to treasure.”
Don't miss your chance to catch them live! Details and tickets at: Crosstown Station.
Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com and all fine music sites like iTunes, Digstation, Amazon, CD Baby, and eBay.
Click here for the full CD Baby.com rankings: CDBaby
After more than 3 solid months of Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, holding down a top 5 spot in CD Baby.com’s Extended Jam Category, legendary acid rockers, JPT Scare Band come roaring back with a blitzing assault on their newest single, “Long Day.” Featuring the sizzling guitar work of Terry Swope, “Long Day,” tears through more than 7 minutes of searing guitar leads, massive bass riffs, and mammoth drum jamming, all in the definitive JPT Scare Band style.
To make things even more appropriate, JPT Scare Band and Ripple Music will release the single and world-premiere of the psychedelic video on April 20, 2011, National Weed Day. The term 420 originated from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in California in 1971. The teens met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke out at the Louis Pasteur statue. Since then, the date has become legendary in the Stoner Rock community. An ethos JPT Scare Band embraces whole heartedly.
After years of plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the love and accolades keep pouring in for JPT Scare Band. Classic Rock Magazine honored JPT by including their last single “Not My Fault” on their November cover-mounted CD. After previously naming JPT Scare Band one of the “lost pioneers of heavy metal,” Classic Rock continued the love fest proclaiming that “JPT Scare Band plied a terrifying form of ear-bludgeoning hard rock that was so far ahead of its time, people are still trying to catch up.”
The world premiere of the hard-rocking, definitively heavy psych video for “Long Day,” will make its debut April 20th exclusively at The Obelisk, one of stoner rock’s premiere websites and the home of The Obelisk Forum, a watering hole for thousands of fans of hard, heavy, stoner and doom rock. You can find the video here: The Obeliskhttp://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/04/19/jptvid/
“Long Day” will be available as a digital single from CD Baby and all fine digital music emporiums. Meanwhile, Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is still available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com
After years of plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the love and accolades keep pouring in for JPT Scare Band. Classic Rock Magazine, one of the world’s leading magazines for good ‘ol rock and roll, honored JPT Scare Band by including their single “Not My Fault” – from the Ripple Music released Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden -- on their November edition cover-mounted CD. After previously naming JPT Scare Band one of the “lost pioneers of heavy metal,” Classic Rock continued the love fest proclaiming that “JPT Scare Band plied a terrifying form of ear-bludgeoning hard rock that was so far ahead of its time, people are still trying to catch up.”
And it keeps getting better. A quick peruse over at CD Baby.com, the leading seller of independent CD’s, finds JPT Scare Band’s Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, holding down the #2 chart position in the Extended Jams Category. And extended jamming is what the band does best, as found on the monstrous acidified blues freakouts “Amy's Blue Day,” “Stone House Blues,” and the title cut “Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden.” And with the boys back in the studio, recording songs for the follow up to "Acid Blues," you can expect more extended jam, stunning guitar work, and frightening heaviness to be unleashed soon.
It seems the world is waking up to the terror that is JPT Scare Band and the masterful, mind-boggling guitar work of Terry Swope. The Rock and Roll Report has proclaimed that Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, “sizzles with fuzzy guitars, gritty vocals, and extended jam sessions that instantly transports you to what feels like a Hendrix concert. Terry Swope has got to be one of the world's most underrated guitarists! If you miss the glory days of Cream, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix, you have to check out these uncovered gems from JPT Scare Band.” Here Comes the Flood decrees that Acid Blues “holds its own against famous niche sharers, such as Cream, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher and the mighty Led Zeppelin!” and Sonic Abuse gushes that Acid Blues is simply a “gem to treasure.”
Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com and all fine music sites like iTunes, Digstation, Amazon, CD Baby, and eBay.
Don’t miss out on the revival of classic acid Proto-metal and the album that the infamous Roadburn Festival has hailed as the “Album of the Day!”
In the early 1990’s a small record label broke out of San Antonio, Monster Records, specializing in limited release/collector’s vinyl from underground 1970’s hard rock bands. For several years, Monster churned out an impressive array of steaming protometal, adding such bands as Poobah, JPT Scare Band, Truth and Janey, Hawkwind, and Manilla Road to their roster. But as so often happens in the music business, time passed, tastes changed and Monster Records ceased to exist.
Fast forward 20 years, and the sands of the hourglass churn backwards in time. Suddenly metal legends, Youngstown Ohio’s Poobah, and Kansas City’s JPT Scare Band, find themselves as popular as ever and stunningly, back on the same record label. This time it’s Ripple Music filling the void, providing the world with the tasty underground protometal that they crave.
Within a span of two months, both JPT Scare Band and Poobah released classic works with Ripple Music, JPT Scare Band’sAcid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, and Poobah’s 1972 seminal debut, Let Me In. Both releases hit the world in eye-opening, two-tone double LP packages with gatefold covers as well as CD formats. Both packed with rare pictures, notes, and bonus tracks.
Jim Gustafson, the mastermind behind Poobah, sums it up. “It’s cool that Poobah ended up with JPT again on the same label, only better this time. I saved these tapes for decades, looking for the right time and place to do this, and now it has happened.”
And 40 years after originally forming, both bands find themselves cranking out their music to a legion of fans new and old. WFMU in New York has both bands on frequent rotation, spreading the protometal, acid rock gospel to hungry, waiting ears.
“It’s a wonderful bit of synchronicity,” says JPT Scare Band drummer, Jeff Littrell, “that when we finally get back on a label again, the moguls at Ripple Music have also signed our old label mates, Poobah. Déjà vu all over again! JPT Scare Band and Poobah ripping faces off on the same label in the 21st Century.”
Ripple Music plans to keep bringing on the ballsy retro-metal with future releases by Scottish protometal icons, Iron Claw, as well as modern purveyors following the raw, sonic blueprint, Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Grifter, Mighty High, and Venomin James.
As Ripple founders Todd Severin and John Rancik say, “Ripple Music exists to bring the guts back to rock and roll!”
Hot on the heels of their blistering new release "Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden," JPT Scare Band have been tearing through vinyl sales with abandon. Perhaps it's that glorious two-tone, psychedelic vinyl? Perhaps it's the gatefold cover and trippy artwork? Nah, it's the intense, legendary guitar-work of Terry Swope and the crushing rhythm section of Paul Grigsby and Jeff Litrell.
But rather than have us toot the band's horn, we thought we'd let others lead the JPT parade.
JPT Scare Band "Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden."
"Each track sizzles with nostalgia, with fuzzy guitars, gritty vocals, and extended jam sessions that instantly transport you to what feels like a Hendrix concert. Everything grooves in its own right. . . will undoubtedly dazzle fans of classic blues rock. Terry Swope has got to be one of the world's most underrated guitarists!
If you miss the glory days of Cream, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix, you have to check out these uncovered gems from JPT Scare Band." -- Bill's Music Forum and the Rock and Roll Report.
"The trio veers between Cream and Grand Funk Railroad." -- Tom Harrison, Quick Spins, The Province Newspaper
"Acid Blues Is the White Man's Burden, seven lengthy psychedelic bluesy rock stompers (nine of the vinyl version) that come howling out of the speakers. This is Classic Rock from the Golden Age! Holds its own against their famous niche sharers, such as Cream, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher and the mighty Led Zeppelin. Singer Swope has the swagger and the chops, and the rhythm tandem of Jeff Littrel and Grigsby are solid and smooth. It just goes to show that it's never too late to be recognized as an interesting chapter in the Big Book of Rawk." -- Here Comes the Flood
"A Gem to treasure. Let the hypnotic music swirl around you. For anyone who wishes to delve into the heritage of the current crop of stoner bands, this is an unmissible compilation. Terry Swope rivals some of the day's greats including Clapton and Hendrix. JPT Scare band are the unsung heroes of the cult rock scene and now they have decided to remind the world of their phenomenal abilities. "Long Day," is fresh, a great introduction to the band. Centerpiece "Stone House Blues" recalls the excellent Led Zeppelin at the BBC disc with it's loose and thundering bass. "I've Been Waiting" has a riff so heavy it could be encased in lead. Sits comfortably along side Black Sabbath." -- Sonic Abuse
"Album of the Day!" - Roadburn.com
"Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is without question one of the most natural sounding and charismatic records I’ve heard this year. At once celebrating what they were and what they are in a way few bands can actually pull off convincingly. Littrell, Grigsby and Swope show remarkable chemistry. Swope’s leads are not to be understated. The soul in what he does is so up front it’ll bring a tear to your eye. JPT Scare Band are able to harness what made heavy ‘70s rock so influential without sounding like they’re ripping anyone off, including themselves. If you’re not moved by the way these three players work together in the jammed-out last minutes of “I’ve Been Waiting,” you’re just not getting the point. Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden might be a sleeper, but for those who discover it, it’s treasure." -- The Obelisk
"Compiled from studio outtakes spanning over 35 years, that this album hangs together so coherently and is wall to wall with the highest quality tuneage is a testament to just how incredible this band really is. An orgasmic display of sonic abuse from guitarist Terry Swope. Fuck me, this guy is a lost gem!!! Blazing with a technique that would make most big haired 80's shredders shit their pants but grooving with a feel that would make Billy Gibbons weep, Swope lays on note after note of pure class. This is certainly no one man band though, bassist Paul Grigsby lays down such a filthy groove that you want to take a shower afterwards and drummer Jeff Litrell swings like an aging virgin's nut sack!!! The charm of JPT Scare Band...it's passion that is both seductive and enthralling and a passion that seems unabated by years in the undergrowth." -- Sleeping Shaman
With his guitar heroics on full display on the latest JPT Scare Band album, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, we thought that is would be a good idea to catch up with legendary guitarist/vocalist Terry Swope. Throughout the album, Swope's plays the guitar like normal people use their voices in conversation. One minute, subdued and docile, laced with melancholy, then that voice becomes more impassioned, a little louder, as if Swope is becoming more animated and excited about the topic of discussion. One thing is for certain, Terry Swope is a six string talent that has been lurking in the shadows for far too long. Jamming with JPT Scare Band since the early '70's, Terry has been hailed as one of the most unheralded guitarists in the world, Swope is often compared to Hendrix, Page, and Clapton in terms of his fret fireworks.
Take a look at what he has to say.
What made you decide to pursue playing guitar?
Feelings of pleasure and belonging. Music in general and the guitar in particular felt good to me. It felt good to hold the instrument, to feel connected to something. It felt good to slowly gain knowledge and get some positive attention for the effort. Socially it was satisfying to literally have a group of peers to share and learn with.
How quickly did you pick up playing the guitar? Did guitar playing come naturally, or was there a struggle involved? I picked up the basic chords and strumming techniques fairly quickly. I loved to play and it was not uncommon to spend five to six hours every day practicing. Some days I'd play seven to nine hours. Playing came naturally to me. I found I could pick out parts to songs and learn them. It was also a struggle. I would become frustrated by my inability to get my hands to reproduce what I heard in my head. That struggle continues to this day.
What was the first guitar you owned?
It was an F-hole acoustic guitar that I bought in the record department of the Katz drugstore for $12. I don't remember the brand. Moments after this photo was taken I smashed the guitar against a telephone pole in the backyard.
Who are your primary influences? Guitarists, musicians?
There's a lot stars in the skies aren't there? Let me just name a few of my faves. Larry Carlton, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, Albert King, Joe Pass, Jimi Hendrix, Scotty Anderson, the Beatles, Bela Bartok, Charles Ives and XTC. Locally there's Walt Chambers, Andy DeWitt, Janet Jameson, James Albright, Ken Lovern, Danny Embry and Joe Clyne.
What kind of gear do you use? Guitar? Amp? Effects?
Guitars: Taylor T-5, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Grosh Custom Carve, Eastman T185MX, J. Blackaster . . . Amps: Fender Deluxe, Vox AC50CPH, Bogner Alchemist, Bogner Metropolis, Carvin XV212, Egnater Rebel 20 . . . Effects: Boss GT8, Xotic AC Plus, TC Electronics Nova Modulator
Do you play in standard tuning or do you use an alternate tuning? If so, why?
I'm in standard tuning 99.9% of the time. I experimented early on with a variety of tunings but never stuck with them.
What piece of gear can't you live without? What''s your "secret" weapon?
If I could only have one effect it would be delay. An Echoplex would be the favored type. You can create spaces, rhythms, layers and even harmonies. Truly the most versatile effect. If I told you what my secret weapon was it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Seriously I don't like to think of weapons when I think of music. But I will say this - a great compressor gives every guitar a chance to get lucky.
When performing solos, are you aware of where you're going or are you playing purely by mood and feel?
That depends on many different factors. If I'm working on somebody's project I'm going to be looking to please them. If I'm out gigging and covering other people's tunes I want to be in the same ballpark stylistically.
Left to my own devices anything is bound to happen. Music, and specifically the guitar, lends itself to all forms of mood and their communication. Or as Dr Karl Paulnack puts it, "Music allows us to move around those big invisible pieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can express what we feel even when we can't talk about it."
How has working with Paul (bass) and Jeff (drums) helped your playing? What effect has their abilities as musicians helped your development as a guitarist?
Probably the best thing about the Scareband is its lack of expectation. Throughout my career I've been involved in bands that were focused outward, on making money and being something customers wanted to hear. JPT is pretty much the opposite of that. It's all about what we want. Working with Paul & Jeff is really not work. We're just great friends into banging out whatever pops into our heads. The vibe is pretty informal and open-ended when the tape starts rolling. In other words I'm free to play anything I want. Jeff & Paul are very supportive, generous musicians who just happen to love playing in the same cosmic sludge pit as me.
What words of wisdom do you have for young (and old) guitar players who are just getting started?
Number one - enjoy yourself. If you can do that then you're a success. Beyond that learn as much as you can and create as much as you can. As far as the instrument goes get something you can play. It does not matter early on what your guitar might look like or might sound like. All that really matters is that you can put your hands on it and it feels good.
You can hear the magic of Terry's guitar playing on the latest JPT Scare Band album, "Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden."
After Taking on BP Oil with their Video, "Not My Fault", JPT Scare Band Auction Rare, Original Test Pressing to Benefit Families Affected by the Gulf Disaster
Legendary rockers, JPT Scare Band, have opened ears and turned critics heads with their dynamic new album, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden. Hailed by The Obelisk as "one of the most natural and charismatic records this year", JPT Scare Band have put together an album that celebrates the band's history and their present. Now, after the success of their world-wide video premiere, "Not My Fault," and their sarcastic attack of BP's denial of responsibility for the Gulf Coast Disaster, JPT are making the ultimate record collectible available to the public--with all proceeds going to benefit those families affected by the Oil Spill.
Starting Monday, July 12th, JPT Scare Band and Ripple Music will be auctioning off the only available original test pressing of Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden. This is the only copy that will ever be made available to the public, and it is only being done to benefit Gulf Coast Relief. Follow the link below to take part in the auction for this rarest-of-rare-piece of JPT Scare Band history, help out a worthwhile cause and help the band stick it to BP Oil one more time. And while you're at it, check out the video for "Not My Fault" leave your thoughts, and pass it on to your friends.
With Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, JPT Scare Band have created a sound equally heavy in hard rocking blues as it was tripped out in psychedelia.Hailed as one of the "lost pioneers of Heavy Metal” by Classic Rock Magazine, JPT Scare Band has seen a resurgence of interest by fans of 1970’s heavy fuzzed out rock.
The auction for the rare "Acid Blues" test pressing will last for one week only. Once it's gone, it's gone! Don't miss out on this chance to win this part of rock and roll history. The rarest JPT collectible you will ever find! www.ripple-music.com
"Each track sizzles with nostalgia, with fuzzy guitars, gritty vocals, and extended jam sessions. Everything grooves in its own right. Terry Swope has got to be one of the world's most underrated guitarists! If you miss the glory days of Cream, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix, you have to check out these uncovered gems from JPT Scare Band." -- Bill's Music Forum and the Rock and Roll Report.
"Acid Blues Is the White Man's Burden is Classic Rock from the Golden Age! Holds its own against their famous niche sharers, such as Cream, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher and the mighty Led Zeppelin." -- Here Comes the Flood
"A Gem to treasure! This is an unmissable compilation. JPT Scare band are the unsung heroes of the cult rock scene and now they have decided to remind the world of their phenomenal abilities." -- Sonic Abuse
"Album of the Day!" - Roadburn.com
"Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is without question one of the most natural sounding and charismatic records I’ve heard this year. Littrell, Grigsby and Swope show remarkable chemistry. Swope’s leads are not to be understated, the soul in what he does is so up front it’ll bring a tear to your eye. Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden might be a sleeper, but for those who discover it, it’s treasure." -- The Obelisk
This is the first release on The Ripple Effect’s home grown label, Ripple Music, but before you start yelling about nepotism let me set the record straight. I have nothing to do with the label. Racer and Pope are in California and I’m over here in Brooklyn, NY. We’ve never met. What brought us all together is a mutual love of kick ass heavy rock, especially obscure stuff from the 1970’s and it doesn’t get more obscure than the JPT Scare Band. Truth (and Janey) be told, I’d be drooling all over this even if I wasn’t lucky enough to be associated with the Ripple crew.
With that public service announcement out of the way, let’s get down to business of talking about Acid Blues Is The White Man's Burden, a collection of unreleased gem’s from these acid rock freaks. If you’ve never heard the JPT Scare Band before, you’re in for a treat. This is the stuff that weirdos who like the Tommy Bolin-era of The James Gang (like Pope) cream over. Guys who own over 100 hours of UFO bootlegs, including the Paul Chapman years (like Racer). Losers who wish that Fuzzy Duck made a 2nd album (yours truly). This album will sit proudly next to your worn out Leaf Hound, Dust, Budgie and Ram Jam albums.
“Long Day” is the first song and has a more commercial feel than some of their other material, but at 7 minutes and with a typically blistering guitar solo from Terry Swope, there was no chance this song was ever gonna get on the radio. “Not My Fault” is a catchy mid-tempo ditty with a laid back Blind Faith groove and some “Hey Jude” inspired background vocals at the end.
If those 2 songs aren’t your cup of tea, then chances are the rest of it will be. “Death Letter 2001” is a raunchy take on the old Son House classic. This is pure power trio blues rock. Terry lays down some furious licks over a powerful rhythm section featuring some truly filthy bass playing. “Stone House Blues” and “Amy’s Blue Day” are slow ones captured live and dirty in the garage. “I’ve Been Waiting” is almost 10 minutes of guitar orgy ecstasy that sounds like Tommy Bolin sitting in with Budgie.
The title track is the official anthem of JPT Scare Band. Acid Blues has been this bands burden since the early 70’s. Their toil is our reward.
--Woody
Buy here on CD or double colored LP, gatefold vinyl: JPT Scare Band
News that just warms our Ripple hearts. From the Telegraph, the British Newspaper. Vinyl sales continue to rise as music fans appreciate the portability of the download, but love the feel, look, and sound of vinyl.
At the Ripple, we're firmly committed to this point of view. With new double LP, gatefold vinyl releases of JPT Scare Band'sAcid Blues is the White Man's Burden, and the grand re-release of Poobah's classic 1972, protometal masterpiece, Let Me In. Both albums coming this summer, not to mention some nifty split 7" coming from Stone Axe and Mighty High and another from Ripple favorites Grand Atlantic and Sky Parade.
Long live the vinyl resurrection!
From the Telegraph: Sales of old-fashioned albums rose by more than five per cent last year, figures from the Official UK Charts Company showed.
CD sales have fallen by a fifth over the same period, leading to some manufacturers threatening to halt their production.
Despite accounting for less than one per cent of music purchases, American sales of vinyl topped almost three million, an increase of a million records. Music website Amazon.co.uk said it had more than 250,000 vinyl albums in stock to meet the growing demand. Internet search engine Yahoo meanwhile, has reported a 210 per cent increase in searches of the phrase "blank cassette tapes" and a 110 per cent rise in users seeking “music cassette tapes”.
The new trend is believed to have originated from New York teenagers, leading to a boom in record player and turntable sales. Most vinyl records bought over the past 10 years were by DJs and dance music fans, but recently more rock and country music albums have been sold.
Some of the most popular records include music from Florence and the Machine and The Courteeners and re-released Jimi Hendrix and The Red Hot Chili Pepper albums.
Music experts said that vinyl sales figures could be even higher because official British statistics do not include sales from smaller record shops and albums sold at concerts. British sales of seven-inch records peaked in 1979, with 89 million copies sold, but as CDs became more popular they slumped to less than 180,000 in 2001. Last year sales rose to 223,000.
Some vintage blank tapes are reportedly selling for more than £20 on auction websites.
"Downloads are quick and easy but nothing beats the joy of holding a heavy piece of vinyl,” Steve Clancey, a Brixton rare records and vinyl dealer told The Sun. "Vinyl sounds richer and there's something special about the cover art and sleeve notes which you cannot get with digital tunes."
Latest figures show that digital music sales accounted for more than a quarter of the music industry's global income in 2009 for the first time. Almost 30 per cent of global music revenues were generated via digital downloads last year, generating a total of £2.6billion.
Welcome to May and Spring is in full swing, flowers are bloomin' like crazy and the happy little elves at Ripple Music are preparing for a summer full of releases!
We'll be seeing our first official release hitting the streets on June 22nd, 2010 in the form of JPT Scare Band's Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden. The heavily fuzzed out blues-based rock outfit has worked hand in hand with Ripple Music in the song selection and the album art to fully encapsulate the bands (in)glorious history as the unsung heroes of proto-metal. Coming on the heals of the widely acclaimed self-released album Rumdum Daddy, Acid Blues will be available in deluxe CD digipak, digital download, and multi-colored double 12" vinyl formats. The vinyl edition will also include two bonus tracks for your listening pleasure! Follow the link to hear more from this painfully obscure classic rock outfit! http://www.reverbnation.com/user/login#/jptscareband
Vancouver's beloved alienists on the path of self discovery, Fen, are preparing for the release of their fourth album, Trails Out of Gloom. The epic album of brooding and hauntingly beautiful songs will hit the streets on July 13th with the band working the road in support of the disc. Initially, Trails will be available in deluxe CD digipak and digital download formats, but plans are underway for a follow up 12" vinyl release. To hear some advanced tracks, please follow this link . . . http://www.reverbnation.com/user/login#/fen
Bay Area singer/songwriter, Kevin Beadles, also has an album available for the masses of happy and hungry music listeners. You Can't Argue With Water will officially hit the streets through Ripple Music on July 13th, 2010, featuring well crafted songs that are highlighted by thought provoking lyrics. The album will be available in CD digipak and digital download formats. For some samples of Kevin's work, follow the link . . .http://www.reverbnation.com/user/login#/kevinbeadles
Ripple Music is also proud to announce the release of the 1972 lost classic, Let Me In, from Poobah. Featuring the guitar wizardry of Jim Gustafson, Poobah has milled about in the same circles as classic rock icons Hawkwind, Blue Cheer, and Iron Butterfly. This deluxe re-issue will be available in jewel case CD, digital download, and multi-colored double 12" vinyl formats . . . and all will include bonus tracks from "lost tapes" of the Let Me In recording sessions. Look for the album this summer, and in the meantime, feel free to listen to some of the music that you have missed over the years . . . http://www.reverbnation.com/user/login#/poobah
Finally, Modern Day Moonshine has submitted the cover art and the album title for their long-awaited follow up to their self-titled EP from last year. Refuge follows the same big sky, open land path that this trio has walked for the past five years . . . but with a fresh burst of energy and a focused approach. Refuge will initially be available in CD digipak and digital download formats, but we're not ruling out a vinyl edition in the near future.
Ripple Music has also come to agreements with the Santa Barbara modern rock outfit, Tripdavon, to re-release their latest album, Sketches From Silence, in a deluxe format filled with unreleased tracks and bonus material. And, as of this writing, the label has also come to a verbal handshake with classic proto-metallers, Iron Claw, from the UK to release their first collection of studio material since their classic self-titled 70's release.
2010 promises to be an exciting year with a ton of great music, so tune in frequently, or simply sign up to our mailing list and get the 411 before anyone else!
That's all for now . . . and remember, if you're not listening to it loud, you're not listening to it right!
With a new album coming soon, the inagural album for our very own label, Ripple Music, we couldn't pass up the chance to have the JPT gents come on by the office and chat with us about their amazing music that has made them legends. Joining us for some afternoon sun, a few cool ones, and some great conversation about the acid guitar rock that turns our heads, were guitar legend Terry Swope and bassist extraordinare, Paul Grigsby.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Paul: The first time I heard "Please Please Me," by the Beatles, and I heard that bass line when they sing, "I know you never even tried girl". Paul plays something like an AA-DD-A or maybe it's a DD GGD but it sounded so cool I thought I need to learn to play the bass immediately. I was 11 and borrowed a bass from my friend Dennis Giangreco immediately. His mom was pissed since she bought it for him to play and it wound up at my house.
Terry: The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - This music altered my reality. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? - This music created a new reality. Return To Forever - Hymn To The Seventh Galaxy - Bill Connors on guitar truly scared me. Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow - Simply beautiful guitar playing. Allan Holdsworth - Road Games - OH MY GOD! Bela Bartok - String Quartet #5 - Where the brave dare not go!
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
P: Usually it's just a mood or a mind set that moves in like a weather front or something and then I tend to follow it. Lots of experimenting or hammering tends to clean things up after I get the basics figured out.
T. Anything can bring on a song. Most often something comes when I'm sitting with an instrument and simply playing around. After something sticks I'll usually let it gestate and return to it from time to time until I'm satisfied.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
P: Living things tend to help, people, natural phenomenon, morepeople, animals and plants and thunderstorms, maybe a conversationor something overheard. It's pretty random for me.
T. Fighting with my spouse and children is always fertile ground. Also politics and religion seem to provoke me into expressing myself.
Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?
P: Mainly just fun music to play, for me that is. I guess I have always got stuck on the concept of "melt music". I have always wanted to do music that would melt and flow, sometimes in front of those fours and sometimes behind but always melting. There used to be a whole lotta melting going on, if you know what I mean. I used to rant to Terry and Jeff about melt music. I really love Felix Papalardi's stuff. He is one of the real melt gods and Jack Cassidy! That guy is way into those levels.
T: It's pretty self-indulgent.
What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?
P: Well, I just like to get it out of me and my gut and when I can get it out in a loud way with my buddies, well that's my intention. At least that's kind of how it is when we do play. We mainly have been recording with very little audience interaction so maybe it would be different if we played to a room full.
T: For starters see my answer above. I'm not sure it's any of my business what people feel.
The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business? P: We'll just keep plugging along just like we have been, no big> > deal and no big deals. No big headaches either. We are actually in the black, (sounds dark doesn't it?) and the plastic is paying for itself. That's pretty motivating. We aren't trying to make it in the normal sense of the word. We just figure we have made it and every time we get together and make up more of this stuff we are continuing to "make it" in the business. There are probably a lot of famous people out there who have made it in many people's eyes but in their own minds and hearts have not. We, on the other hand,feel we have made what we set out to make and will go on doing that as long as we keep enjoying playing together.
T: Paying for food and shelter is a great motivator. As for brutality you gotta be kidding - There are several billion people suffering through wars, famine, repression and reruns of Happy Days.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
P: I remember playing a loud smokey gig and noticing a small round table in front of the stage with two guys and two girls sitting there having drinks. We were slamming away at something and I wanted a better look at that bunch so I jumped off the stage, onto their table. It was a bit messy when all the drinks went flying but I kept playing and for some reason was able to do it without hurting anybody, including myself. They let me finish the song and didn't try to kick my ass so I guess it went well.
Another time I found myself at odds with my Hofner bass copy so I> took it to the gig and in the middle of an exceptionally raucous number I threw it on the concrete floor, (no stage at the gig) and proceeded to chop it into pieces with a big axe. It was a crowd pleaser and I enjoyed the hell out of it too. I forgot about all the foam I shoved into the f-hole until it was flying all over the room with every swing of the axe.
P: We drove all night to play the next day in Hobbs, NM. The trailer they gave us had been trashed by the previous occupants. I especially liked the footprints on the ceiling of the kitchen; footprints made from human waste.
Another time on an isolated stretch of Kansas highway we ran out of gas during a blizzard. I walked to the Interstate and hitchhiked to a gas station and got back in time to save my buddies from freezing to death. And I kissed a girl on break once. At least I think she was a girl.
What makes a great song?
P: Good question. There are so many and you know it when it hits you but how do you get to that point, I guess that's the question right? I don't really know. I have to leave that to the really great song writers.
T: Its ability to make an instant connection with the listener.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
P: There are a few things I like, there's "Jerry's Blues," "Burn in Hell" is probably my all time favorite but a lot of that has to do with how Terry and I wrote the first parts of it before he and Jeff finished up the lyrics. It was a very sober and honest moment in music for me, at the risk of being a corn ball. I really like "I've Been Waiting" too (on the forth coming Ripple release Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden). That sounds a lot like a song you might hear and what the heck, we actually wrote it!!!! But "Ramona" is a blast to play and I like floating around on the bass. I don't know, we have a bunch of stuff like" Theme From the Monsters Holiday." That is one tune that scares the shit out of me sometimes. I like that one a lot.
T: A couple of my personal favorites are "King Rat" and "Don't Count Me Out".
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
P: I don't care really. It's not like our stuff requires some exceptional recording setup. We could have a truck falling crashing into a glass store during one of our songs and you might not even notice it. Our music breathes but not in an airy way, more like somebody running for their life from some huge dark, shadowy beast, 666 feet tall, gaining on you every step. We like the Spinal Tap 11 bit. We'd turn it up to 12 if it went to 12. I am more concerned about what system I use to play the plastic, vinyl or mp3.
T: I like them all.
Check out JPT's last album, Rumdum Daddy and don't miss the deluxe double-colored, gatefold LP, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, coming soon from Ripple Music. www.ripple-music.com
and don't miss the deluxe double-colored, gatefold LP, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, coming soon from Ripple Music.