Ripple Scribes Sing: featuring Deadweight and Cover of Afternoon

Now, before you get all snarky on me and start screaming nepotism or hanging chads or illegal voting machines in urban Pennsylvania, let me explain.  Yes, this is a column devoted to two of the bands of our wondrous Ripple scribes.  But this isn't about pumping them up or hyping them cause they happen to work at my beck and call.   In fact, their music is being reviewed completely independently of any Ripple association.  Let me explain.

I first discovered Deadweight earlier this year, before the boys had put an album together.  Ripple ran a joint promotion with ReverbNation to give exposure to some artists with Reverb profiles, and Deadweight was one of the bands that submitted.  Their killer cut, "Cosmic Lunch" was so much in my wheelhouse that I wrote the boys, skipped right over reviewing the music, and put their song on our The Ripple Effect Presents:Volume One - Head Music Sampler.  That sampler (which is still free, go get your copy right now!) was a huge hit with thousands upon thousands of plays, and Deadweight was one of the surprise hits off the album, turning the ears of such luminaries as Bill from Soda Shop.  It was only through interacting with the band that Headshot, the drummer, asked if he could come on board to write for us.  So music came first.  That's about as unbiased an intro as I can get.

Cover of Afternoon is the lofty lovechild of our learned educator on all things musically groovy, The Professor.  In this case, he did come to Ripple first as a writer, but included a link to his ReverbNation page.  One day in the middle of a Ripple meeting with Pope (who was rambling on and on about something Pope-ish) I hit the Reverb link.  As the music started, Pope shut his mouth immediately, his eyes widening.  "Who's this?   That's damn good."   I unveiled who COA were and Pope smiled, vowing to review the EP someday.  But I beat him to it.

So, unbiased reviews.  Just music that we dig.

Deadweight - The Red Sun God EP

I still can't hear "Cosmic Lunch" without getting excited.   After a brief cymbal intro, that guitar simply sears across the mix like a hot poker driving through a block of ice, steam belching in it's wake.  Hot and fiery, it introduced me to the fact that this band is the real deal.  But more than that, they back it up with a rocking and decidedly funky party of classic rock.  Coming from Oklahoma, these cats infuse their retro-seventies-fried sound with the earthiness of some of the best of the Midwestern classic bands, and come on like a souped up Allman Brothers, Head East, Black Oak Arkansas backyard stew.  You wanna throw some Blackfoot into the mix, go ahead.  Spice it with some Black Crowes, a touch of Clutch or Orange Goblin and let you palette run wild . 

"Lady" is an epic rocking ballad for the ages, one that a band like Black Oak would've taken to the bank. Gentle guitar picking over a nice organ sound lead us in gently, until that big guitar chord kicks in and launches us off into a soaring world of psychedelic blues rock.  The melody here is big, I mean arena-sized big, and this song would've brought the lighters out in full force during a big 70's rock festival -- alternating with huge dudes rocking out to air guitar.  Lead singer Seth Copeland reveals a classic, soulful voice, aged and perfectly weathered in the time tunnel of the Midwestern classic bands that preceded.  Dustin Ray (Headshot) on drums and Brandon Gibson keep the song tight through the rocking passages and the slower, blusier moments.   Meanwhile, Ryan McGowan and Bentley Smith tear it up on guitar, laying the foundation for what will be recognized as the classic Deadweight sound; combating layers of that searing guitar.  Perhaps the Black Crowes could've come up with a song like this in their prime, but I think not.  This is something better. 

I've already gushed about "Cosmic Lunch" so won't go on again.  But damn can that song light a fire!  Keep a copy handy for the the coming apocalypse and you can use it to rekindle the power plants.  Those guitars simple explode in swords of electric infernos.  "Stone Frog" is a heavy, stomping number, while "Silver" brings in an unexpected Doors-y vibe.  "Astro Cannibalism" attacks full front and in your face, tossing a more modern stoner a la Clutch guitar/vocal assault ito the mix while "Grannymead" wraps things up with another grooveriffic stoner fest with a beat that just won't stop.

Rocking from start to finish.  A touch modern stoner/groove rock with a solid background in the the heart of the country classic rock.  Psychedelic.  Stoner.  Whatever.  It simply rocks, baby.   Deadweight are still a new band, and it'll be fun to see which way their sound develops.  Personally, I hope they gravitate towards the more retro-psych end of their spectrum like "Lady" and "Cosmic Lunch" because that guitar sound is destined to become their signature calling card.

Get your copy at bandcamp. 


http://thebanddeadweight.bandcamp.com/album/the-red-sun-god-ep

Cover of Afternoon - S/T EP

As hard as it is to place a definitive label on Deadweight's brand of retro-fried seventies stoner rock, Cover of Afternoon is nigh impossible.  Combining elements of prog, post-hardcore, rock, metal, acoustic, and even some emo, there's just damn not enough adjectives to describe their unique brand of rock.  Other than to say . . . it rocks.

Searching, I think a band like Sound&Shape, who I've reviewed many times on Ripple would be about the best fit I can think of.  Punk enough at moments to be at home on a label like Engineer, this simply isn't punk music.  It's prog, in all the best senses of the word, and wouldn't sound uncomfortable jamming on stage with Ripple's own Fen.  But they ain't prog, not in the traditional sense anyways.  The band lists Thrice and Anberlin as influences.  Sure.

Acoustic-y, metal-y rock-y.  Yeah, that's what it is.  And it's all good.

Cover of Afternoon is a three piece that sounds a helluva lot bigger than that.  Ripple's own, Alex Roberts (the Professor) leads the crew on bass, guitar, piano and vocals. Allen Bishop also sings, plays bass and guitar and Reid Mewborne plays anything that you smash with fist or stick.

And let me tell you, when the boys get their groove on, it's something special.  I'm gonna preface this by saying I don't have a copy of the finished EP yet.  What I have are some early mixes of songs that I got off that original ReverbNation page, so things may sound different in final mixes.  But if these are just roughs . . . then Oh My God!

"Not Afraid" is about as near perfect a prog/emo/post-hardcore song can be.  Starting off with a few tentative yet melodic piano notes, at about the 30 second mark, the real beauty of the melody kicks in with a gorgeous piano passage growing to a full-on guitar-led prog rocker.  As the guitar chimes and rings, that stunning piano can still be heard in the background, layering on a veil of atmosphere that is undeniable.  After a moments break, the guitar kicks into a stuttering riff with the vocals lending a touch of neurosis.  It all builds to a cresendo of flying guitar and melodic chorus that stands right up there with something Steven Wilson may have come up with for Porcupine Tree.  At only 3:47, it's hard to call this song an epic, but it is.  It simply is.

"Drop Your Weapons" is a more recognizable post-hardcore/emo/prog stunt in the Sound&Shape vein, with killer melodies and ringing guitars, time changes, musical drop outs, and cool vocal hooks.  "Harlot" may be my favorite cut, a tragic, spiteful tale of brothers stabbing brothers and infidelity.  The pain of the betrayal hangs like a funeral pall over the delicate melody that explodes into moments of pure rage and release.  Stunningly gorgeous, evocative and melodic, until it's a disintegration of violence and hardcore cries for vengence.  Truly, a stunningly realized composition, that sums up every man's feelings after his bitch cheated on him "You both belong together/ the liar and the whore/I can't wait to see the thing that karma's got in store/for Judas and the Harlot /there's a special place in hell/for people just like you."  What a catharsis!

There's six songs here in total and not even the slightest let up in quality.  Big guitar riffs come out of left field, emotive vocals rip through moments of silence, sing-along harmonies lift melodic chorus to cherished heights.

Yeah, I don't know what to call it.

It's Cover of Afternoon and it's unlike any thing else I know.



http://www.reverbnation.com/coverofafternoon

A Sunday Conversation with Pile

How’d you come up with the name Pile?

The band started just as a solo thing and none of the songs were really congruent with each other so they just seemed like a pile of songs. It also lent itself to being referenced as a pile of shit, which tickled me.

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.

What have been your musical epiphany moments?

It’s hard to say. I don’t remember any that changed the way I listened to music. I do remember when I was about fourteen and I listened to NOFX’s ‘So Long and Thanks For All The Shoes.’ I had never heard them, but people that I thought were cool wore their t-shirts. I bought that CD and put it in my boombox and with my face five inches away from the thing and listened to ‘It’s my job to keep punk rock elite’ and it just made me excited about music. I hadn’t really heard stuff that fast before. That’s the most vivid one that I can remember right now. Ah, and Bob Dylan. The first time I heard Freewheelin I lost my shit.

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?

Any or all of those things could be the start of it. I like it not being all that methodical.

Who has influenced you the most?

I don’t know. That’s a tough thing to quantify. Probably my friends.

Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?

Shit changes all the time. Sometimes it’s frustrating to not have any inspiration, motivation or ideas, but if I force it, then it feels contrived. I’ve just been trying to relax these days.

Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?

I’m pretty close to it so my opinions or my labels don’t really matter. When people ask, I usually just say ‘loud rock & roll’ these days, and then they laugh, and then they don’t ask anymore.

Where’d the title “Magic Isn’t Real” come from?

Becker came up with it. I forget what we were talking about, but it came up as a joke in conversation.

What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?

My current musical intention is to quit my job, and get better at whatever it may be I’m trying to communicate.
As far as what other people get out of it, I can’t control that, and I’ll do my best to never start to try. But I do hope they get something out of it.

Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?

I’ve actually only seen bits and pieces of Spinal Tap. And I’ve never seen the Blues Brothers. I’m not proud of it, it’s just something I have to accept about myself.

What makes a great song?

I’ve been trying to figure that shit out for years.

So you're recently signed to Exploding in Sound Record Label, how's that going for you?

Seems to be going pretty well. Dan's working really hard already which is encouraging. We (the band) haven’t done anything yet, though. We still have to record the album.

What piece of your music are particularly proud of?

The Beach tape. I listened to it recently and I like more about it then I remembered. I recorded some very partially finished songs at a beach with a tape recorder a few years back.

Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?

Sean from Fat History Month, Sean from Ugh God, Ryan Davis from State Champion, Frank Hurricane from Hurricanes of Love. I can’t say why. That’s your job isn’t it?

Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

Eh, any of em are fine. All of them avail themselves in different ways for certain moods.

You guys have played a ton of house shows around the country; do you prefer DIY venues to legit clubs/bars?

Sorry for being so aloof and circumlocuitous in each question but...it depends. Some clubs are sweet and they treat bands really well. But if I had to give an absolute answer I would say houses and galleries and whatever are more fun because there’s no overhead bullshit (most of the time).

Any upcoming touring plans?

We’re going out for two weeks on the east coast after Thanksgiving. Then we’re gonna hit the road for bout a week with the aforementioned Fat History Month out to Chicago and back. Hopefully Europe in the fall.

Whiskey or beer?  And defend your choice

Red wine. Drinking it now. And it’s 11AM. And I’m at work. Wearing a wig.

We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?

Ballston, Massivetwoshits is where we hail from and I don’t know about record stores. I use the internet or borrow my friends’ records. However, you could lose yourself in some shows if you check out bostoncccompass.com. They keep pretty good taps on what’s happening around town in terms of where good bands are playing.

Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?

Listen to Kool Keith

Brett Detar – Bird In The Triangle

As I mentioned last week in my Nick 13 write up, I was previlaged to see a man by the name of Brett Detar open up the show I saw. Some of you may remember Brett Detar for being in some of the coolest Indy and Hardcore bands of the 90's and early 2000's. Most notably as the lead singer for the band The Julian Theory, few may also remember him being in an early incarnation of metalcore icons, Zao. Brett Detar shows us his Country side in his debut solo album, Bird In The Triangle.


The album opens with “Empty House on a Famous Hill” This is a great opening track. It has an alternative country feel infused with the traditional slide and guitar sounds you would you would be more accustom to hearing on an old country western album. Detar's vocals and lyrical content give this music a more present day feel.

"The Santa Anna wind won’t stop blowing
hot and hard like it’s pushing me aside.
She’s too hot not to burn you but you’ll pay for her time
so just take a swig and let her say goodbye.

In a dark empty house on a famous old hill
if they don’t love you now they never will.
Cause if you sell your heart to their empty souls
you’ll be vacant like this house upon the hill.

The city in the smog leaves you broken like her faded landmarks get built up to fall.
You get tossed along the freeway when her new thing comes along
but she can never let your heart forget at all.

In a dark empty house on a famous old hill
if they don’t love you now they never will.
Cause if you sell your heart to their empty souls you’ll be vacant like this house upon the hill.

lonely in the spotlight
spit out like the salt
washed up on the coastline
that’s leaves a bittersweet taste in your dirty mouth.
I don’t wanna’ leave this way
but as sure as the sun on the 101 you won’t remember my name.
I don’t wanna leave this way
but I can’t go on giving all of my love to town that don’t feel the same."


"Cocaine, Whiskey And Heroin" is by far my favorite track on this album. It is also one of his standout songs to witness live. It is very much a sing along type song. You can almost hear a drunken bar sing along if this came on the jukebox. 

"Cocaine. Whiskey. Heroin.
I got the cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine, whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Ain’t nothing left to lose

There’s blood in the sink.
I hear death on the prowl.
Pawned all that I own.
God knows where I’m bound.
No food on my plate.
No love left to save.
Gonna’ dig an early grave

I got the cocaine, whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
I got nothing left to lose.

I’ve been up on the ridge.
Shone proud like the sun.
But I gave it all up for what I’ve become.
So hear this lament for all that I’ve spent.
I never meant to hurt no one.

I got the cocaine, whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
I got nothing left to lose.

I got them cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine, whiskey and heroin blues.
Cocaine and whiskey and heroin blues.
Ain’t nothing left to lose.
I got nothing left to lose."


Brett Detar give a present day spin to a dying breed of classic sounding Country music. Bird I The Triangle is a very gritty and real album. Something that can not be said about the current state of this "New Country" music the masses are being fed. This is a very inspiring album and will hopefully open the ears and eyes of people to look towards other avenues in musical exploration.


Brett Detar goes good with: The Julian Theory, Old 97s, City and Colour, Brett Detar, Hank 3 (1 and 2), Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, Sleepercar


-Cicatriz

Buy this album here: http://brettdetar.bandcamp.com/album/bird-in-the-tangle

War Dogs of the Pacific - Publish or Perish

It had been two years.  Two long years since the forces of good, those souls making interesting and vital music, had been forced to evacuate the Philippine Islands.  The evacuation had been necessary in the face of the unrelenting onslaught brought down upon the islands by the invaders, those evil entities creating mindless drivel in the form of music subsidized by Unclear Channel and Nonvitalcom.  Before I was forced to leave I made a promise to the loyal listeners in the Philippines.  I promised to return and liberate their ears, and I keep my promises.

Right now I’m standing in the rear of an amphibious landing craft making its way towards Leyte.  Outside of the crewmen steering and monitoring the LCP the only other passengers are the three young men who make up War Dogs of the Pacific.  Although they may look inexperienced, these men are grizzled veterans of their own island basement hopping campaign.  When I heard their music, I knew immediately that they were just the band I needed.  At the conclusion of their show, I approached and recruited them into my sonic warrior brigade.

For three days prior to the planned landing my air forces had been dropping thousands of musical care packages into every populated area of the island.  Inside these packages were copies of War Dogs of the Pacific’s new album Publish or Perish.  My strategy was to expose as many people as possible to the sounds of this band.  This in turn would break the populace out of their musical stupor and lead to mass discontent.  To channel those feelings I included one other item inside those care packages, a flyer announcing the band would be playing a free concert on the beach near the town of Palo on this date and time.

In an unbelievable bit of logistical magic, all of my landing craft hit the beach at exactly the same time.  I could see the seething mass of humanity expectantly waiting for us on the beach.  The front ramps on all the craft were lowered into the waiting surf, and with a determined battle cry my men sprung into action.  Five minutes was all it took to assemble an elevated stage and get the band’s equipment up and in working order.  My main engineer gave me the thumbs up, and I let the band know it was show time.  They each gave me a feral grin and went to work.

War Dogs of the Pacific refer to themselves as a pop punk/post-hardcore band, and who am I to argue?  Due to my unfamiliarity with the bands name dropped as important influences to their sound, I’m just going to jump right into the things I like about this group.  I certainly love the fact that their album begins with some serious musical subterfuge.  The first song, “People Are Gonna Get Hurt”, begins with a plaintive bass line that is joined by a rather delicate guitar melody.  It’s very disarming and guarantees the casual listener will be caught completely off guard when the drums and distortion effects explode into the song around the thirty second mark.  From that point on the song transitions into a full blown rocker until the entire band’s ammunition is spent.

Another aspect that I particularly like about War Dogs of the Pacific is that they sound like a bigger band than they are in reality.  Now don’t misunderstand, I’m not referring to studio trickery employed to confuse the listener.  Not at all.  The guitar, bass, and drums are easily delineated upon an even remotely close inspection.  No, some bands just produce a sound that can only be described as massive when played back.  War Dogs of the Pacific, in my opinion, is one of those bands.  Trust me when I say these three men know how to make quite a ruckus!

Vocal duties are split between the bass player and guitarist.  While the bass player (Joshua Charles Boardman) takes more of the burden than the guitarist (Martin Erroll Slomka), both are important to the overall sound.  This is where the post-hardcore influences appear easily in my mind.  Several times across the album I get a definite Fugazi vibe from the dual vocals, and that is certainly not a bad thing!  Honestly however, I can see someone listening to this music and not caring for the vocals due to their gruff nature.  Respectfully, I think this type of person is an idiot as it is that very gruff nature which makes the vocals so ingratiating to me in the first place.  The tonality fits perfectly with the music, and there is no lack of memorable vocal lines all throughout the album.

Outside of the tremendous first track there are a couple of other standout songs, although in truth not one of the eight compositions on offer fails to impress.  “Playing to a Click” features non-stop furious riffing and a fantastic chorus that keep the heads bobbing and weaving and the fans singing along.  “Anchors Away” blasts out of the gate, but then gradually devolves into near silence before rapidly building back up to a distortion filled eruption.  The finale of the album, “Bridgeburner”, is epic.  That’s all I can really say.  It is an epic, wonderful ride!

After the band had finished their set, I took the stage myself to deliver a few words I had prepared for the occasion.  “People of the Philippines: I have returned.  By the grace of the Almighty Ripple Effect quality artists are heard again on Philippine soil – soil consecrated in the good taste of our two peoples.  We have come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily listening habits, and of restoring upon a foundation of indescribable strength, the musical liberties of your people.”

Exit, stage left, to roars of applause.

--Penfold

The Band has made the entire album posted at www.wardogsofthepacific.bandcamp.com for free digital download

Black Elk - Always A Six, Never A Nine

Since Racer and I have been doing this whole Ripple Effect blog thing and reviewing all of this great music that we’ve been discovering, there’s been this weird phenomenon going on where we’ll both receive a piece of music that we listen to once . . . twice . . . three hundred times and we know somehow, in some whacky way, said piece of music is one of the most important pieces of music that we’ve stumbled on. The problem is . . . we just don’t know what to say about it.

Sure, we could throw together a bunch of clever words that highlight our faux intelligence and have the reader reaching for a dictionary (faux means not real,) but that doesn’t necessarily tell you what the music is all about. We want you, oh dear reader, to go out and pick up these albums that we write about coz’ we want to share the excitement that we still find in music. So . . . enter Black Elk.

Black Elk’s album Always A Six, Never A Nine has been in and out of my player for something like two years. I feel a little bad because I’ve wanted to write this thing up all this time, but I knew that whatever I wrote wouldn’t be quite correct, wouldn’t be adequate enough. Always A Six, Never A Nine is an album that takes time to understand, even though I’m still not totally sure I do. But, I do finally feel that I’m in a place where I can at least throw together the right combination of words that best describes the music contained within to give you the best possible understanding of what you’re gonna get into when you buy this beasty-beast.

This album is defies categorization, however, it has elements of post-hardcore, noise, drone, doom, and several avant elements to boot. If you can imagine, Always A Six, Never A Nine would fall somewhere in the no man’s land between the primordial droning sludge riffery of Neurosis and the wildly eclectic avant garde sounds of We Insist! Black Elk has this way of lulling the listener into a state of complacency, carving out our existence and leaving a hollowed out husk, devoid of emotion and then . . . suddenly shoving all of the human elements and emotions into that mesmerized form, shocking our systems into a overly heightened sensitivity, and bringing us back to the immediate futility of our reality. The music has these great metallic moments, but is far from any metal I’ve ever heard. The music also has this great anti-everything attitude to it, but it’s not like any punk music I’ve ever heard. The music has a free form ambience and emotion to it, but it’s unlike any jazz that I’ve laid ears upon. Black Elk simply defy any standard musical categorization.

There are a few songs that I gravitate towards more than others, but the album as a whole is still a stunning experience. “Hospital” is downright killer! The songs opens with a bizarre guitar intro that is quickly accompanied by vocals that sound like they belong to someone strapped to a table with a leather strap shoved in their mouth. Maniacal and laced with paranoia, the vocals have an edge of all sorts of creepy . . . and the way they burst from dude’s mouth in time with the power and aggression of the music is a thing of cryptic beauty. The song has a deranged quality to it, but it’s not out of control. As the songs roils through a chaotic frenzy of heaviness, note the subtle bass lines juke and the warden of inmates. There’s an underlying melody that stands in striking contrast to the darkened lunatic outbursts. By the time the song fades into unconsciousness, odds are you’ll be a little winded and wondering what the hell just happened.

“Pig Crazy” follows along the same lines as “Hospital,” driven by throbbing and pulsating rhythms and highlighted by layers of feedback that creates an eerie texture to the overall sound. The vocals are tortured and frightening, almost like having a conversation with a schizophrenic . . . never knowing if this person is going to turn on us and use violence as some means to an end. The music on this one shifts between heavily distorted guitar riffing to quasi-psychedelic soundscapes, lending an even eerier element to the paranoid visions of the vocalist. This is one of those songs that acts like a sharpened instrument to carve out our being and quickly replaces everything for maximum emotional shock. I love the breakdown towards the end of the track when the guitars completely drop out of the mix and we’re left rumbling along with the bass and drums. That bass tone is thunderous and imposing, giving the listener the impression that something terrifying was lurking around the corner of the next time change. And, for certain, you want to walk down that darkened hallway with both eyes wide open!

“She Pulled Machete” is a drunken narrative about a chick with a machete. Plain and simple. But only Black Elk could pull off a song like this. I love the imagery in this one . . . it doesn’t take much to imagine a guy at some desert truck stop in New Mexico or Arizona, sitting in a Dodge Dart with a fifth of whiskey, sober enough to question what’s going on, but just drunk enough to sit in the dark trying to piece together the puzzle . . . and this all may not be how it plays out, but in my mind, dude’s gonna get chopped up into itsy-bitsy bits and left as coyote chum. Gotta’ love music that let’s your imagination run crazy like that! And damn . . . she sure is sexy!

Always A Six, Never A Nine is the hairy chest on a super model. It’s bizarre and beautiful, it’s unreal and fascinating . . . it’s art! Black Elk have created a monstrous epic of an album that’s haunting and horrifying, a mind fuck in so many ways . . . kind of like David Lynch at his freaky best. It defies logic, it defies reality, yet . . . at the same time, it captures reality in all of its imperfection. It’s an album of serene madness and chaotic elegance, a contrast in every conventional thought. It’s a nightmare choreographed to sound and custom made for each individual listener. I can’t listen to it at night in fear that it will awaken some ancient evil buried deep within my psyche. I must have more!  -  Pope  

buy here:  Always a Six, Never a Nine
Always A Six, Never A Nine (mp3)

www.blackelk.net

www.crucialblast.net/blackelk_alwaysasix.html

A Sunday Conversation with The Atlas Moth

Catapulting itself into the number 2 spot on Pope’s year end best of list, the Candlelight Records debut from The Atlas Moth, A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, became so revered that two copies of the blue vinyl disc have made their way into the Ripple collection. But the real question becomes, why is it so revered? Is it really that good? The short answer is yes. For more details, we lured Stavros (guitarist/vocalist) to spend a few minutes on the red leather interview couch. Sit back and find out what The Atlas Moth tick.

The music on A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky is equally brutal as it is beautiful, as song writers, how did you know where to incorporate more brutality or to add a line of melody to create such elegant texture? Is it just a feeling, or is there a loose formulaic structure that you use?


Our writing process is very organic. Usually one of us has a riff and brings it into rehearsal and we just jam from there. Very little is predetermined, and we all pretty much write all our own parts, that is just what happens when all of us get into a room and play.


When you write a piece of music, do you consciously write from the mind set of being different than what's out there now?


We don't ever set out to sound like anything. Like I said, everything is very organic and felt out through repetition during rehearsals. There is not much thought put into what we are going to sound like although, there is a lot of scrutiny over an end product. We tear apart songs and start over and rewrite sometimes until we are happy with them but there isn't a constant thought of trying to be different, this is just what we sound like.

When I reviewed A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, I described your music as the best horror movie that I’ve ever listened to. Was I supposed to be scared or was simply jumping at shadows? What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?


We want the listener to feel something. We would rather have someone absolutely hate us than not feel anything when listening to us. Andrew was the guy who did all the interludes and locked himself in the studio during mixing and brought all of that to life for us. This record encapsulates a period of time for each of us personally and as well as a band and I think that comes across and what you're feeling is just what we were going through making that record. How each of us was feeling throughout.



Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?


At the risk of sounding cheesy, life in general. I get inspired but reading a book, watching a movie, hearing something said...it doesn't matter.

What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?

"...Leads To A Lifetime on Mercury." That was the last song written and is by far my favorite. I feel that song currently sums up what The Atlas Moth is.

The business of music can be brutal. 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?


Well we are still sorta in a transition stage as a band. I have been touring for so long, even before this band, that being broke and on the road isn't really anything new. We are just gonna keep doing what we have always done. We have a pretty busy 2010 touring schedule planned and we're gonna keep busy writing a new record. We love playing in this band and we are all such close friends. As long as this is fun, it’s really easy to remain motivated regardless of people downloading your music. I download music but I also buy stuff that strikes a particular chord and that's what I hope we do for people.



Who are some of the more obscure artists that may have influenced your sound?


I don't really know how to judge obscure as there are a lot of bands I think everyone knows about but I then find out it's not the case. I will say Envy and The Angelic Process.

Anyone who has spent more than a couple of minutes in the music business has had a Spinal Tap moment or two. What’s one of your great Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?


We were given an address of a punk house on tour that we could crash at. These, although appreciated and awfully convenient, are usually some of the nastiest places on earth to crash but it’s always welcomed. We pull up to the address, see a dude that was at the show outside and decide to park. Andrew, Tony, our tour manager Joe, and myself walk into this house and it’s not gross at all. Totally shocked, we all started getting comfortable, people are using washrooms and looking through fridges. I go as far as to get ready to pass out on the couch. At this point, Andrew felt as though he should go out to the bonfire in the back and let the people who supposedly live there know we are crashing in the living room. Next thing I know, Andrew is busting through the front door yelling "WRONG HOUSE! LET'S GO!" Apparently the address we had was a number off and we were supposed to be staying in the rat infested shit hole next door. Duh.


Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?


Vinyl hands down. I dig actively listening to music.



We, at The Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to visit?


Well as far as metal goes, Metal Haven is the way to go. Vinyl, CDs, Shirts...they have every obscure metal band you have never heard of. As far as everything else goes, Reckless Records has a few different locations that are all excellent.



Any words of wisdom for the Waveriders (our readers?)


"If your bitch is in my shit, then its your bitch you check" - Dr. Dre....Words to live by, friends.

Requiem for a Band (The Death of Talent) - Nakatomi Plaza - Ghosts

             What will you steal when there is nothing left of any value?

On September 12th, 2009, post-hardcore, indy rockers, Nakatomi Plaza, finished a sweat-soaked performance at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium, thanked their fans, put down their instruments, and walked away from a career that spanned 10 years, four albums, a handful of EP's and a pocketful of singles.  In leaving, the band held their collective heads high, choosing to walk away from the band they loved, rather than continue to watch the industry idolize the talentless, posers around them while supposed "fans" found it always justifiable to download -- "not steal" -- Nakatomi's music without paying for it.

To be honest, I'd never heard of Nakatomi Plaza before their final disc, Ghosts, arrived at my doorstep.  And let's be more honest.  I'm not a punk rocker.  I'm not "hip to the underground." I'm not some infinitely cool music-insider scratching out a living while I suck up all the marrow that the punk rock world has to offer.  Many of you would be repulsed, others would laugh, if you knew what my day job was.  The point is, I'm not a part of the scene that spawned and then slowly and silently killed the spirit of Nakatomi Plaza.

But I feel their pain.


               What will you steal, when there is nothing left of any value?


Nakatomi Plaza drove their beat-up van thousands of miles, on their own dime, over hundreds of allnighters, just to play a gig.  They reached out to the "music industry" only to be courted, lied to, spat upon, and promise-broken, while they sat by and watched some mercilessly untalented collection of mascara-wearing posers gobble up the media and the money.  Nakatomi Plaza wasn't hoping to make it rich, but a living would've been nice.  Some exposure by the industry that supposedly supported them would've been nice.  But did Nakatomi Plaza ever appear on the cover of AP or was that space reserved only for the pretty ones?  Was it the fact that Nakatomi Plaza was a trio consisting of a short lead-singing/guitar wielding Asian guy, a chick singer/bassist and a Latino drummer, that made the band so seemingly "unmarketable" to the mainstream/alternative press?  To the record labels?

In the end, does it really matter?  New bands come and go every day, new songs are always available to steal from a myriad of download sites.  Any shithead with a blog can link up a rapidshare or megaupload of a band's hard-created music, and shield himself from any guilt by placing a disclaimer, "this music is for illustrative purposes only. If you object to your copyright being violated in this way, please contact the blog author."

Well, you know what, I object.


                 What will you steal, when there is nothing left of any value?


I've heard the crap that the mainstream media continues to ram down our throats, like a Nazi thought reconditioning camp, trying to mold our minds into what's good and what's commercial.  At the Ripple, we tend to only write about the bands we love, but when I was writing for another site, I was told to be brutally honest about everything I heard.  One Band I heard, was so horrible, so pathetically, blindly, vacantly untalented, that I had no choice but to write the most scathing review of my career.  (you can read that here.) That Crappy Band, boosted by a big budget, is continuing to pump out gorgeously packaged, horribly vacuous music, counting their sponsorship agreements like poker winnings, and arguing about which eyeliner looks best at which photoshoot.  That Crappy Band has another new album out, a merchandise store, a couple of new endorsements, and a US and UK tour on the books.

Nakatomi Plaza have called it quits.

This wouldn't chafe me so much, if Nakatomi Plaza weren't so fucking good.  Take the time, really take the time, to listen to Ghosts.  Lose yourself in the passion and the infinite groove of "Bomb Shelter."   Punk rock?  Maybe.  Punky rocky that's for sure.  Dynamic and energetic, fricking explosive, sung with real, convincing passion, played with sensitivity and aggression.  "The Ghost Intrigue," blows everything off that Crappy Band's album away.  And I mean hurricane force devastating winds, blown away.   How can that Crappy Band get a moment's recognition when real talent is hanging there, withering on the vine, slowly dying from starvation and lack of attention?  Listen to the vocal interplay of Oscar and the female tones of Al.  Let your heart quicken to the thundering drums.  Allow the more ambient, spacey passages to wrap around you, engulf you.  Don't miss that chance!

"Artificial Light," is pissed and angry, from the first moment of throat-wrenching vocals to the dissonance of the guitar rampage that follows.  Music for mass consumption?  Hell no, but that's not the point.  It's the music that the Alternative Press is supposed to champion, if they cared about the principles of their craft, not the dollars fed to them by the advertising.   "It Came From Outside," champions post-punk ethic, bridling with vim and vigor, bass heavy-breakdowns, chattering drums, darkness in themes.  While "Words," hints at the subtlety and beauty of their songwriting craft and sensitivity. 

In the CD's liner notes, Nakatomi Plaza say goodbye to their fans and followers, closing the book on their career.  They speak of the frustration of being an oil slick on the music industry highway.  They speak to the prejudice that smacked them in the face as a band that dared to be fronted by an Asian and featuring a woman and a Hispanic, instead of pretty, perfectly-combed white boys.  And they speak of the hypocrisy of the underground that smirks with a self-satisfied smile as it pats itself on the back for being so "inclusive" while it remains completely blind to the multitude of "-isms" that still fester in its ranks.

I don't know about all that.  Again, I'm not part of any underground.  I'm not cool.   I just run a fun little website with my like-minded brethren, writing about the music I love, trying to shine one tiny photon of light on the bands that are going criminally unnoticed.

But there is one thing I do know.  If you like a band, support them.  Buy their albums, the product of their labor, don't steal them.  Don't pay to download one track, buy them all.  See them play.  Pick up the t-shirt.  Tell your friends, your family.  Write about em on your facebook or myspace or whatever.  Just don't take it for granted that they will always be there, slaving away, creating the music you love.  The music that has become the soundtrack to your own, individual life

Because I know one more thing.  Unless you do support the bands you love, and buy (not steal) their product, then one day they too will put down their instruments and walk away, and Crappy Corporate Bands will be all that you have left.   Don't let that happen.  Don't let the passing of Nakatomi Plaza not raise an alarm in your mid-brain.  Buy Ghosts, it really is good.  It may be too late to save the band, but they can still earn some gas money from it.  Maybe rent.  Isn't your ten bucks worth that?

Otherwise, one after the next, they will all just fade away.


              What will you steal when there is nothing left of any value?

--Racer

Buy here: Ghosts

www.nakatomiplaza.com/