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SHOW REVIEW: Anna Meredith and Steve Hauschildt at the Pico-Union Project - Tuesday, March 14th, 2017

by Spencer VH

Award-winning Scottish composer and musician Anna Meredith performed her first ever gig in the United States at an unconventional space in downtown Los Angeles, CA. Meredith and her four bandmates were flanked on the bill by acclaimed experimental artists Steve Hauschildt (also performing in Los Angeles for the first time), Earthen Sea and Diamondstein. The Pico-Union Project space is a multi-faith cultural arts center that was a beautiful setting for the music of the night, if not a bit confusing in choice and set-up - the ‘near sold out’ crowd sparsely populating the area in the front of the stage or paired off in quiet conversations amongst the makeshift bar.

The first music of the evening was by Los Angeles native Diamondstein, who set the tone with a visual-heavy performance centered around dark, atmospheric beats. All the sets of the night transitioned seamlessly, with a few songs that could have been confused for one of the performers broadcasting through the PA while the next performer set up their equipment. Earthen Sea performed second with a seamless set of noisy and enveloping ambient music free of rhythm, echoing through the walls of the wide open church-like space. Attendees sat on the floor or haphazardly organized pews alongside the edges of the large hall. 

Cleveland native Steve Hauschildt performed next, a set fully composed of tracks from his late 2016 Kranky release ‘Strands’. The former member of electronic trio Emeralds’ solo work is engrossing, deconstructed ambient that is strategically layered and sonically fully developed. The ‘Strands’ album is a grittier and more distorted version of Hauschildt’s music than released in the past and standing ten feet from the healthy grouping of stage-front speakers with a few other dedicated fans was an experience that leaves you with a different appreciation of the music.

Following a longer break between acts to accommodate for the set-up of Meredith’s band, featuring the unique ensemble of guitar, cello, drums, tuba and Meredith’s station (auxiliary percussion, clarinet and synthesizers). Performing a prime selection of tracks from her award-winning debut album ‘Varmints’, the group was about as cohesive as you could imagine given the difficulty of the music they were performing. Meredith has been a composer and orchestra member for years, but the jump into avant-garde pop rock performance is new for her. In addition to the level of difficulty presented to each member of the group, all members of the ensemble also contributed vocals during the choral segments of songs like “Taken” and “Dowager”. Meredith’s music (which combines elements of pop, experimental, classical and prog-rock) was a major departure of the music previously showcased over the course of the evening. While no one would fault you for describing Meredith’s music as ‘electronic’, this truly was a full band performance and a truly memorable one at that. Set highlights also included the synthesizer/cello duet “Honeyed Words” and warped, danceable dazzling closer ‘Scrimshaw’. 

The lightly attended US debut of the critically-acclaimed Anna Meredith made me feel fortunate to have made the trip to Los Angeles and take advantage of this unconventional experience. Being front and center, given space to move and fully take in what may have been one of the most technically brilliant performances i’ve ever had the chance to see is an experience I won’t soon forget. Just like how Anna Meredith’s melodies find their way stuck in your head long after listening, I will find myself revisiting this performance, trying to mine more thoughts and questions about her music dreamed up, written, composed and performed.

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Anna Meredith (and band) with Steve Hauschildt, Earthen Sea and Diamondstein - Tuesday, March 14th at The Sanctuary at the Pico Union Project. Presented by FineTime. Show attended and reviewed by Spencer VH.

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SHOW REVIEW: MOGWAI at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel - Wednesday, January 18th, 2017

by Spencer vH

Ever-evolving sonically, Scottish band Mogwai have scored three films in addition to releasing eight studio albums. Beginning as a rock-centered band with an atmospheric and enveloping sound, their evolution into soundtrack work is a natural progression for the band. On January 18th, they performed their most recent film collaboration live at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Mogwai collaborated with documentary filmmaker Mark Cousins on his nuclear history documentary ‘Atomic, Living in Dread and Promise’. 

Playing along with a screening of the film, the band covered all ten tracks of their official ‘Atomic’ album release and included variations and alterations of several tracks. Admirably committed to their craft, each member of the band had their own monitor showing the film in addition to the theater-sized projection going on behind them. Gentler tracks like ‘Ether’ and ‘Weak Force’ filled the room with waves of effected guitar and synthesizer while heavy-built tracks like ‘Bitterness Centrifuge’ and ‘U-235′ thunderously accompanied the stark visuals of the film. A personal highlight was a five minute harsh noise interlude accompanying the film’s primary depiction of atomic explosions, music not featured on the film soundtrack or in the film itself. 

Fans of the band may have been disappointed at the lack of any tracks outside of ‘Atomic’, but I felt that the experience of seeing a completely cohesive overall audio/visual is more worth-while than seeing a band with Mogwai’s history go through their well-known tracks from past releases like ‘Rock Action’ and ‘Mr Beast’. As a band most often seen by their fans in a festival setting, seeing Mogwai in a sit-down theater was odd but extremely rewarding, showcasing the intricacies of a band known for their instrumental prowess up close and personal while cutting out their well-known lack of stage presence. I hope to hear Mogwai further pushing their boundaries into more studio releases and film scores and hope to see more musicians touring behind an audio/visual experience as enveloping as ‘Mogwai plays Atomic’.

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INTERVIEW: TERMINATION DUST (Anchorage, AK)

Interview by Spencer vh

KCSB:  The phrase 'termination dust' originated in Alaska and seems to be sort of symbolic for it's residents. What's it like being from Alaska? Is there a wealth of Alaskan pride in the members of Termination Dust?

TD: It's cold, Haha. Not all that bad in Anchorage though, Fairbanks kids are tougher. Alaska has a very tight knit scene that we are lucky and happy to be a part of. I'm not sure if we have "Alaskan Pride" in a super patriotic sense but we are very proud of the music scene we have fostered and there isn't much like it anywhere else.

KCSB: What's the Anchorage music scene like? What are some of the benefits and some of the challenges of being so far removed from the rest of the country?

TD: One of the biggest challenges of our local scene is that its so far away and isolated. The upside of that however is that people really enjoy the shows that we do have and the community is extremely supportive; our friends are our fans and vice versa. We are given opportunities as a local band that might be more difficult to get in a more saturated scene.

KCSB: You've had the opportunity to play with amazing musicians like Modest Mouse and Angel Olsen up in Alaska. Do you have a big respect for musicians that make it a part of their tour? Who are some of the most awesome and inspirational performances you've seen?

TD: It's pretty rare that Alaska gets put on the tour map for most musicians, so we feel extremely fortunate when bands come visit us. We had a pretty great year for visiting bands and we credit the smaller scene in Alaska for part of the reason we had the opportunity to open for Modest Mouse and Angel Olsen. Those shows were amazing and we felt lucky to be a part of them. Some of our favorite touring shows we saw in the past few years were Low, Health, Jack White, Deep Sea Diver, Charles Bradley and the Extraordinaires and Beach House. Some medium sized local venues started bringing up larger names and it has been great. Alaska venues tend to be on the smaller side so we get to experience these bands in a more intimate setting.

KCSB: Where are looking forward most to seeing and playing on your west coast tour? Is it your first trip down here / out of Alaska as a band?

TD: This is our first tour outside of Alaska as a band. We are excited for the whole tour for sure. The Pacific Northwest has a ton of Alaska Transplants so we are excited to see a lot of old friends and make new friends along the way. Southern California is pretty new to us so we are really stoked to see what that brings too.

KCSB: What's next for Termination Dust?

TD: Right before our tour we are recording some songs with Glacial Pace at Ice Cream Studios. The opportunity came about after we opened for Modest Mouse and we can't feel more fortunate that they asked us to come down to Portland and hang for a week. We plan to create some music videos and tour the lower 48 again once our recordings are produced. We're excited to get back home and jump right back into the mix and showcase our new songs.

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Termination Dust will be playing at FUNZONE in Santa Barbara on Sunday, January 22nd with local musicians Habit Trail and Little B!tch. More information about the show can be found at SBDIY.ORG. You can find more information about the band at their Facebook page and their Bandcamp page.

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SHOW REVIEW: SUICIDAL TENDENCIES at Majestic  Ventura Theater 11/19

By Mark Morey

Suicidal Tendencies lit up the Majestic Ventura Theater on November 19th with Good Riddance. After essentially being banned from playing in the LA region for nearly 25 years, they are finally doing shows and sound solid.

This show notably featured the original singer, Mike Muir, but with the addition of Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Fantomas, Dead Cross, Misfits) on drums, of course. I got there on punk time so I missed the opening band. Good Riddance is quite good so I was kicking myself for not being more prompt. The show nearly sold out and was packed with positive energy and a refreshing lack of fights. ST ripped through a massive set of classic and new songs. Naturally, everyone lost their shit when they played their classic "Institutionalized.” Later in the set they played "Possessed to Skate" I believe, and invited a crazy amount of punks up on stage during the song. Mayhem ensued! Support live music by showing up.

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INTERVIEW: THE GARDEN 11/13/16

Despite the disheartening nature of a 2pm time slot on a dusty LA day, twins Fletcher and Wyatt Shears of “constantly evolving” conceptual punk band The Garden were anything but lethargic.

The duo, dressed in dichotomous deep purple and lime green suits brought a palpable and animalistic energy. Although many probably found themselves at The Garden’s set solely by chance, the crowd all bobbed their heads in unspoken acknowledgement of the two’s undeniable energy.

Regardless of the lackluster energy of the majority, choice concert-goers in the front thrashed and sang every word. But even they paled in comparison to that of Camp Flog Gnaw’s founder, Tyler the Creator. With a towel covering his face, eyes wide and mouth agape, Tyler jumped up and down in the press pit, eventually hurling himself out into the crowd. Wyatt soon followed, reaching out directly to those who knew every word.

The band never lost their stamina; somersaulting, climbing up the metal rafters, and jumping with no hesitation from a top high speakers. Although likely out of their element at well-known rapper Tyler the Creator’s hip hop dominated music festival, Camp Flog Gnaw, The Garden’s performance was vibrant, genuine, and effortlessly iconoclastic.

KCSB’s Natalia Arguello sat down with The Garden after their show, where they spoke about touring, the definition of “punk,” Vada Vada, their demographic, and much more.

Interview with the The Garden (Fletcher and Wyatt Shears) at Camp Flog Gnaw November 13th, 2016.

KCSB: How would you define “good” music?

Wyatt: Anything that I can feel and get into. If it has a certain melody that I like then I’m super into it. It really doesn’t matter what kind of music. If I feel it and it flows, then cool. If I”m not feelin’ it and I feel like it’s too ‘try hard’ then…

Fletcher: As long as it grabs my attention in some way, then I can get into it.

KCSB: What’s your definition of an artist?

Fletcher: Someone who makes things that come straight from them. Genuinely from them. Someone who’s extremely original in the way they create. But then again, an artist can be anyone. It can be someone who takes music from other bands and puts it together to make music that’s it’s own thing. It can be really anything, just people who create...

Wyatt: — And people who create things because they want to, not because other people want them to. Because they genuinely love it.

Fletcher: ...Anything that’s based off an idea that grows into something.

KCSB: Alright, a would you rather: Would you rather have no eyebrows, or wear bright orange for the rest of your life?

Fletcher: Well… Some people look alright with no eyebrows…

Wyatt: I’d probably just go bright orange, some people would look good with no eyebrows, but I don’t think I would.

Fletcher: Yeah, bright orange.

KCSB: Let’s talk about your music again. When did first become interested in music?

Wyatt: Interested since I was a kid I suppose. I like melodies of songs, I always liked how they sounded throughout preschool, junior high, high school. I’d listen to music in the car with my mom and dad when I was young, at school, and at home.

Fletcher: Yeah, we started out really young listening to stuff we probably shouldn’t have been listening to at that age.

Wyatt: Like, really hard core punk bands. Not The Ramones, not The Clash. Like, Discharge and Exploited and GBH. Stuff that we probably shouldn’t have been listening to. Fat Boy Slim. The Progidy’s “Smack my Bitch Up.” All when we were little kids.

Fletcher: Yeah, we thought it was saying “snap my picture.”

Wyatt: Its the kinda thing where we grew up right off the bad listening to pretty intense music so I think that was the starting point for us and then from there it kinda just like, went just all over the place I guess. It was at pretty young age. I’d have to say right after diapers or something.

Fletcher: Punk is what we really latched onto. Like hardcore punk was the first thing.

Wyatt: And then it was hardcore punk or nothing.

Fletcher: Pretty much except for a few artists like Electric Light Orchestra, punk was all we liked for a long time.

Wyatt: Cause you know, you grow up listening to it as baby and you start to become defensive over it. You know like, “this is mine.” You become that “that’s not punk, this is,” person, and then you grow out of it.

KCSB: I feel it, we all can get snobby about music we’re attached to. So, what instruments do you both play?

Fletcher: I play piano. Keyboard.

Wyatt: Yeah, I play bass. I can play guitar. I don't choose to but its kinda fun. I can play a little bit of drums, I can play some keyboards here and there as well. But bass is the thing that I’ve crafted the most and am the best at so far. I try to sing as much as I can when there’s not dirt flying in my mouth.

KCSB: Can you tell me about your solo projects? Puzzle and Enjoy, correct?

Wyatt: Yeah, I'm techically Enjoy and he’s Puzzle. Enjoy actually started before The Garden. It was just my thing. I wanted to see how my voice sounded and record, so I just started recording and recording, and putting out little albums. He [Fletcher], eventually down the road, not far behind, started doing the same thing and called it Puzzle. So it was kinda just our little side projects. At the same time, we had The Garden going in the middle. [Fletcher] makes everything for Puzzle and when he wants to play it live he’ll get me and a couple other friends to play the music while he sings live...

Fletcher: — we just help each other out.

Wyatt: Yeah, we help each other out but [Fletcher] solely writes Puzzle and I solely write Enjoy.

Fletcher: … For the most part, we strictly write for the projects or The Garden. Sometimes songs bleed into each other. Like, I wrote a Puzzle song recently and he really liked it, so we agreed to make it a Garden song and it’s gonna be on the next release. So, sometimes it happens but it’s nothing we announce to anyone so nobody ever really knows.

KCSB: In terms of your process in general...you’re twins, so does that affect it? Does one person write some songs and the other write others? 

Fletcher: It’s actually just a free for all. Like, whoever has a good idea they go for and then we start working on something. But whoever starts off with an idea or a recording, they’ll start off with it and then we’ll work on and finish it together. It could really be any way...we’ll start together and then…

Wyatt: — this year we’ve really gotten a lot stronger with it too. We didn’t use to be like this, we weren’t as motivated to compete in that way. But now, its like all the time I’m making things and he’s making things. We’re just throwing ideas together, like songs, and it never used to be that intense. But I like it this way because we’re creating more content.

Fletcher: Yeah, we’ve been going pretty hard lately. Focusing pretty hard. We’re not screwing around right now.

KCSB: How long have you been touring for?

Fletcher: Most people think we’ve been touring nonstop for about three years, because that’s what it seems like.

Wyatt: If I wasn’t in the band I would think that it look likes that honestly.

Fletcher: We’ve had breaks but we also did a world tour. We’ve played Europe probably like seven times. Seven big European tours in the past three years.

Wyatt: Then we did Southeast Asia and Australia for the first time. Then a lot of US tours...Mexico, Canada...but we’ve been touring all those places already before that. But then, we dipped into Southeast Asia. Our manager is from Australia and likes to go hard, so we’re always out there, and we’re always here. We have weeks off sometimes, but otherwise it never stops.

KCSB: Sounds exhausting…

Fletcher: Yeah…

Wyatt: We’re just about to start a pretty large break period from the rest of November, December, January, and then February we kinda get back into the shows. We’re gonna do Toronto this month, but other than that, January is kinda free until the storm hits in February and March.

KCSB: So what are you gonna do during that break?

Fletcher: Uhh…

Wyatt: Make music. Write for the album. Make sure the cover is done for the EP that’s coming out next year.

Fletcher: Travel. Save money.

KCSB: Regarding the album cover, do you two do your own cover art?

Fletcher: Yeah, pretty much every one…One of them we had a buddy draw a long time ago.

Wyatt: The first album we put out was drawn by our friend but the rest of them we figured out on our own.

KCSB: I really liked the Puzzle and Enjoy covers you have up online.

Wyatt: Thanks!

Fletcher: Which ones?

KCSB: The one with the puzzle pieces in the corners.

Fletcher: Oh right! I see what you’re saying.

Wyatt: Yeah- the Enjoy face, the smiley face is just from an old punk flyer on Google images like a long time ago. I just cut it out in high school and have used it ever since. It my main face. I hope that no one ever comes at me one day for it. But then again, I think I’m good with that.

KCSB: Do you make your own beats?

Wyatt: Yeah we do.

KCSB: Puzzle is a bit more electronic than Enjoy, huh?

Fletcher: Yeah, at times. The older stuff is a little more beat based and I guess, more hip hop beats you could say. I have some of that now in my music but its been a little bit more organic drum sounding lately, but then again, on the new album I’m putting out there’s definitely some more electronic beats in there.

KCSB: So, we talked earlier about touring. We went to your Velvet Jones show last weekend in Santa Barbara and were surprised at how young the demographic seemed.

Wyatt: That was a weird show…

Wyatt: Yeah we have a super young crowd. It’s like that everywhere. Even in Southeast Asia. All the same age.

Fletcher: The show in Indonesia was all underage kids going nuts. It was crazy. 

Wyatt: Yup. Same shit.

Fletcher: Sometimes in Europe the crowds are slightly older, but for the most part our crowd is young.

KCSB: How do you feel about that?

Fletcher: I don't care at all. I mean, as long as somebody…

Wyatt: I was talking to someone about this the other day. We appeal to the youth right now. Hopefully soon we can appeal to everyone and not just youth. Because the youth is great but the youth get over things pretty quickly. But, we’ve been around for three years so I think we would’ve already dropped off the map if we had something that was just based off of hype. So that’s good. But, I want to also appeal to older people as well.

Fletcher: I think as our music progresses, and we grow as people, we’ll reach a wider age range.

KCSB: What do you think it is about your music that appeals to youth so much?

Fletcher: The energy of the music. The spontaneity. That’s something that the kids can get into. Like, “Oh this kinda wacky, I’m a teenager, I like wacky stuff.” But then there’s always another side to the music as well that I think kids kinda get into. I also think a lot of adults like the music, but I don’t think it’s an adult based crowd. It’s definitely mostly kids. We don’t play 21+ shows at all anymore, unless its really specific. On this last tour we made sure everything was under 21 so kids could get in. 21+ doesn’t make any sense for us right now.  And the shows are always really good because the kids are always there and always want to come out.

KCSB: It seems like even though maybe it isn’t incredibly widespread in that way, you have a really strong following. Even today at Flog Gnaw, maybe not everyone knew who you were but there were also those few people in the front who knew every single word. 

Wyatt: Yeah, that was really nice.

Fletcher: Yeah! It was cool. We able to go down into the crowd and find kids singing it and give the, you know...So I’m satisfied.

 KCSB: Yeah I saw Tyler [the Creator] jumping around too. He was definitely enjoying it.

Fletcher: Yeah he was stoked on it! So was Jasper. That was cool seeing them get into it. ‘Cause he’s come to some of our shows and it’s always cool seeing him, but like...he went ape shit today.

KCSB: So, do you make music for that particular [younger] crowd? Or any particular crowd?

Wyatt: No, we just make it like it’s our world, it’s our own thing. It on our own way. I think somehow it’s just connected to youth more. Especially when it comes to the EP that we have coming out. It’s a little different but…

Fletcher: I think we’re both on the same page in that we both would really like to make it our own version of world music. So like, anybody around the world could hear it and possibly just get into it you know? ‘Cause its not one thing. It’s not one genre. I feel like it maybe, potentially, has a little something for any kind of person if they choose to accept it.

Wyatt: We wanna make it versatile.

KCSB: What’s your message?

Wyatt: Be yourself. If you’re yourself, that makes you really unique. But if you’re trying to be someone else, you’ll probably just end up blending in.

Fletcher: It’s kinda ironic, you see people who’re themselves...I mean, Tyler is a good example. Look what he’s done for himself. He’s himself, and there’s nothing else. I think for some people it’s hard…

Wyatt: Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. You see things on TV, the internet…

Fletcher: Sometimes even if you wanna be yourself, you don't even know how to be yourself right off the bat. You’re still trying to figure yourself out. But if you’re an artist, people see that. They can tell its legit. They think, “Oh shit. They’re just doing their thing, I appreciate that. I like that. That’s interesting.”

Wyatt: And then when you see someone with unique style it’s inspiring. Style-wise, and personality. The whole pack. It’s pretty corny, because anyone would say this, but it’s damn true. 

KCSB: So, both punk and hip hop have this subversive culture attached to them, that pushes non-conformity, especially to the establishment. How do you think your music, and your personas, fit into the those categories?

Fletcher: I think that’s just it. Punk, to me is not a band that plays three cords and goes really hard and fast. Punk to me is anything that’s breaking any sort of boundaries or pushing any sort of envelope. I think so many hip hop artists right now could be punk.

KCSB: Yeah I know Tyler has said before that he sees Odd Future as punk.

Fletcher: I think a lot of them could be punk, you know. Its their ideas; they’re not just doing the same thing as everyone else. It’s the ideas and what your doing with your music, or with your craft. It doesn’t really matter what genre you’re playing. People have boxed punk into being this “old dad” genre that’s floated away, but in reality punk is still very much alive.

Wyatt: Things grow, it’s been like 40 years the punk music originally started. They expect it to just stay the same, like oh “that’s punk.”

Fletcher: That kind of music, you know...Like if I go to see Black Flag now, I don’t think that’s punk. I think that’s Black Flag. Not punk though. Because they’re not doing anything different. They’re doing exactly what they did in the 70’s and 80’s. It more of a re-enactment — a good memory. Nostalgia. It’s not punk to me at all anymore. But if I was going to see an artist who’s pushing boundaries, but is a hip hop artist, I’d be like, “Yeah, I’m going to a punk show.” It could be a fucking jazz artist. A writer. I don't categorize it to the genre. It’s more about their attitude and what they’re doing.

KCSB: Their mindset?

Fletcher: Yeah, totally. I think that’s what it’s all about and what it’s always been about. It’s obviously a bit convoluted nowadays but that’s how I think of it.

KCSB: So speaking of not being boxed in and conforming to a specific genre, what is Vada Vada?

Wyatt: It’s just our way of being ourselves. When I was young I always wanted a staple word, and that was just one that really rolled of my tongue when we’d play in the garage and stuff like that. I convinced everyone to just use that word for a while, and then it just kinda became our thing and flowed into The Garden. Its meaning has grown since the first time we used it. It represents the ability to do what you want creatively and not worry about copying someone, not wanting to be someone else or wishing “Oh, I wish I was part of that scene.”

Fletcher: Yeah just being genuinely you and putting out what’s not from anyone else, but just you. And watching what you put out be out in the world and seeing how other people react to it.

Like we used to do Vada Vada street stuff all the time. We’d make a character and bring him out into the street, like it’d be a devil mask with two of us inside, and then we’d go in shopping malls and stuff. We never did anything to anyone. And that’s kinda what Vada Vada is – we’d just walk around in an area and see what people’s reactions were. People choose to interact with it, or they don’t. And it’s the same thing with music. 

Wyatt: -- We’re not out here to cause trouble or make a scene. We just want to do what we do and then move on to the next thing. If people want to come with us, the that’s cool.

KCSB: Kinda like performance art?

Wyatt: In a sense, yeah.

KCSB: Your styles are really unique, and are a large part of your personas. In comparison to older punk, the way that artists back in the day interacted with fans was more through their actual music, then maybe concerts and interviews. But now we’re in a time, where we’ve added another level of human perception, social media. As artists, it seems that you’re kind of obligated to engage in that creation of an online persona. You a considerable amount of devoted followers – how does this play into that?

Wyatt: Followers, likes, comments, if you’re interested, cool, if you have something bad to say, I’ll probably see it and delete it. I’m not gonna respond. I’m not into the negativity.

Fletcher: Yeah, it’s not the kind of thing where we’re so big that we’re not gonna see the comment and pretend like we don’t see it. Like, I see it. Fuck you. 

Wyatt: -- we’re normal people. What’s the point of that? We’re not big celebrities you have to write a bad comment on to prove that you don’t like us.

Fletcher: We don’t get that many bad ones. Just every once and awhile. Instagram is cool though, everyone is usually pretty positive vibes. It’s cool to see it flourish, to see the number go up. It’s kinda like the band’s news board. We don’t get shit in the paper, that’s what Instagram is for.  

KCSB: Do you think being twins emboldened you to be non-conformists, to push boundaries?

Fletcher: Well we’ve always been there for each other in the sense that even when there’s no one around, even if no one gives a shit about what we’re doing, we still have each other, but I think honestly we’d be like that individually anyways. Because we still have our solo stuff. Because we “fuck with” our own shit. So for the most part, we do what we like and we make what we like. We’re not ashamed of it. We’re not afraid to listen to it in front of other people. We’re not afraid to do what we like, cause its coming straight from us. It’s not like, “Oh we grabbed this thing that we saw worked for someone else, but now I’m kinda embarrassed to listen to it because its not really me.” No, that’s me. Why would I be embarrassed of myself?

KCSB: You’re on the come up – Is your goal to be famous?

Wyatt: Honestly, the little doses of “can I get a picture with you?” all the time isn’t really my thing. I want to be known for my creativity. Not that guy that you recognize from the band and want to get a picture with. Rather, I want people to be like, “I like that guys music a lot, and the stuff he makes really inspires me.” If that requires me to back off physically and visually from what we do, then maybe I will. We’ll see.

Fletcher: We’re not famous, especially at a festival like this, we’re very not famous. It’s definitely the kind of thing where I don’t think [fame] really does anything for us. It doesn’t stimulate us. It doesn’t add anything productive to the process. [Fame] is maybe some pictures and couple screams…

Wyatt: -- We really do appreciate it, though.

Fletcher: Of course. It just doesn’t move me forward at all as a person. It’s kinda a cheap thing for me as far as…for the soul I guess. If you’re into it, it’s not gonna last long anyways. I don’t base my life or satisfaction off it.

Wyatt: As corny as it sounds, hopefully the music itself has a bigger impact than the pictures and the small doses of…fame, if you will, that we’ve received. It sounds so weird to say that. Hopefully it’s more like, “Damn that album was so good that they put out, that’s why I want to talk to him.”

Fletcher: It wasn’t very long ago that we were playing shows to very small [audiences], if not nobody. We’ve gone through that before. We started so low that at this point we’re not like “Oh fuck yeah I’m the king!” No, I know what it’s like to be in the gutter. So why would I get a big head right now?

Wyatt: And you have to appreciate the kids…They’re the ones who got us here. If it wasn’t for them reacting to it, we wouldn’t be here. So obviously you have to appreciate.

KCSB: Where do you see yourselves in the next 5 years? 10?

Wyatt: Hopefully stable, content, and happy with what I’m doing. Not miserable or stuck in a contract, wishing I wasn’t in the place that I am. I just hope I’m happy and having a good time. Not wishing I hadn’t done something a couple years ago because now I’m screwed. Just content with where I am.

Fletcher: Something stable, a lot more progression from where we are now. So not in the same spot, but I also don’t need anything lavish. I’d like to be somewhere I’m content with, with someone potentially I’m content with. Be in a place that I’m stoked with, and still progressing. We like to progress as people and as artists.

KCSB: Do you watch TV?

Fletcher: I’ve been watching some SHIT TV lately. Just cause I’ve been home and pretty tired…it’s embarrassing. I don’t even want to tell you. I don’t even know how to work the TV controller to be honest…Ghostadventures. Its way better than Ghosthunters…its Ghostadventures. Ghosthunters is way more emotional and boring in my opinion. Ghosthunters get right now into the thick of it. It seems a lot more real. Some people will probably think I’m stupid for saying that.

KCSB: What else do you watch?

Fletcher: Honestly its embarrassing… Its not like I’m choosing it, I just get kinda stuck in it. I watch all the Real Housewives…its addicting. I think they’re hilarious. Not even because I think they’re so wacky and interesting, I just think they’re comedians. I would be surprised if they actually were.  I really wanna be on the show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

You can listen to the audio of the full interview here on KCSB’s Soundcloud.

All photos by Jenna Harkins for KCSB.

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SHOW REVIEW: THE GARDEN/SO PITTED at Velvet Jones on 11/04/16

(words and photographs by spencer vh)

Walking into Velvet Jones around 8:30PM (30 minutes after the flyer door time) is usually met with the slowly forming crowd grabbing their first drinks of night and the high volume 1990′s pop-punk hits blaring over the venue PA. For once, showing up late actually was late, as unannounced opening band Blue Flowers had already gathered a healthy group of head-bobbing teenagers. The four-piece band lacked a drummer but pleased the early crowd with a danceable, upbeat set based around sunny guitar riffs and steady electronic beats pouring from their synthesizer set-up. The band received a much greater response than most openers, let alone one that wasn’t publicized at all as being a part of the show.

Next, South Carolina trio Heyrocco took to the stage. The band, often described as grunge, leaned more towards slow-churching indie rock for the first half of their set. Apathetic musically, lyrically and in their presence on the stage, the band lost the early momentum of the crowd before shifting to some distorted, crunchy instrumentals. These quickly got the crowd shoving amongst themselves, setting the tone for what would be a very active night for those in the small fenced-in dance floor space separating the mostly underage crowd from the venue bar.

Seattle-based Sub Pop signees So Pitted took the stage next. Their blend of off-kilter noise rock alternates between distorted slow chugs and fast-paced punk blasts depending on which members occupy which instruments on the stage. Some songs are succinct blasting pieces that build and boil over in a matter of seconds, barely discernible shouts of frustrating ringing loud and often. Others take a more stylistic turn with spoken word vocals, slower and steadier rhythms and electronic accents. Playing a set comprised mostly of songs from their excellent 2016 full-length “neo”, the crowd went into a frenzy for the entirety of their set with the pushing and shoving near the front of the stage now comprising over a hundred young new fans.

The headlining band and primary draw of the show were Los Angeles-based sibling duo The Garden. The recent Epitaph signees were in complete control of the crowd from their opening songs with many people in the crowd yelling along the words to their angular, bass-driven noise rock. Bassist and vocalist Wyatt Shears hardly remained upright slinking madly back and forth across the stage while his twin brother Fletcher tore into his kit where he also controlled an electronic backing track. Midway through the set, the band’s musical style shifted completely with the brothers leaving their instruments, each grabbing a mic and having the electronic backing track evolve into bass-heavy beats. The twins momentarily lost the grip of half the crowd with this quasi-hip-hop electronic segment of their set while the second half of the crowd was happy to be able to dance for a few minutes rather than continue being subjected to the relentless pushing and shoving. After a few songs, the band returned to their instruments and played an extended run of crowd-pleasing songs which kept kids moving and singing until the show’s final seconds.

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INTERVIEW: CHEW (Atlanta, GA)

Atlanta-based trio CHEW aren’t your ordinary psychedelic rock band. Frantic pacing, technical riffing, bombastic drumming and electronic weirdness encompass their wholly unique take on the genre. 91.9 KCSB-FM’s Spencer VH was able to speak to the band about what it’s like being an instrumental band, must-see destinations in California and their hometown Atlanta music scene.

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KCSB: Who are CHEW? Have any of you played in previous music projects together or are you a product of your music scene?

CHEW: CHEW are three very hungry humans.  Sarah's band and Brandon's band were both slowing down. They wanted to travel around the Earth and were both looking to make something strange and experimental.  They also were really good, so that didn't hurt. KCSB: When people ask you what your band sounds like, do you have any go-to responses? 

CHEW:  Experimental psych.  Black Moth Super Rainbow + Battles x Mars Volta.

KCSB: What are some of the challenges as well as some of the benefits of being a fully instrumental band? 

CHEW:  One challenge of being an instrumental band is constantly getting lead singer auditions.  It's funny.  Maybe, if we could just find the right one, we could hit the big time!  Without a vocalist, you automatically dissolve a big portion of ego.  Also, lyrics are very polarizing.  Music is mailable.  You make it your own.  Can you transcribe the wind?  I find that when I listen to music without vocals, it easily slips into a soundtrack for whatever is happening around me.  What we can't convey instrumentally, we try to say with song titles and visuals.

KCSB: What is your hometown Atlanta music scene like? Does the community embrace many different kinds of spaces as well as many different kinds of bands? Are mixed bills common?

CHEW: The Atlanta music scene is on fire right now.  There's a scene for pretty much whatever you can imagine.  The psychedelic scene is general is really on point right now.  I'm not talking about that watered down garage rock that a lot of people are calling psychedelic.  I'm not talking about some silly electronic beats with a dude spitting some garbage about his third eye.  I'm talking about some grip your spinal cortex and flip your cerebellum upside down kind of psychedelic.  A lot of that scene that comes from the mind of Brannon Boyle, promotor extraordinaire of Speakeasy Promo and Psych Army Intergalactic.

KCSB: What are you looking forward to most on this tour? Any particular destinations you can't wait to visit?

CHEW:  Brandon has never been to California, so that's exciting.  I can't wait to show both of them Lake Tahoe and Santa Barbara and meet my friends.  We're definitely going to check out San Francisco, too,   We're also trying to hit Yosemite and The Grand Canyon.  We're all looking forward to being in Colorado for Halloween.  Also, we'll be with our good friends in Kansas City for Sarah's birthday.  A lot to look forward to.

KCSB: What's next for CHEW?  CHEW: Recording our new EP, A Fine Accoutrement,  a new video coming out for Bianca Vasquez (Trash Hump Island Adventure), finish touring the planet and make our way to the international space station. 

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CHEW will be playing live on 91.9 KCSB-FM’s “today’s active lifestyles” on Thursday, November 9th at 12:00AM (aka midnight on Wednesday night!). You can tune in live via 91.9 KCSB-FM on your radio dial or via live webstream at KCSB.org. Chew out CHEW’s website at this link to hear more of their tunes, check out their tour dates and learn more.

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SHOW REVIEW: HINDS at Velvet Jones on 10/17/16

(Written by Ashlea Vedder)

As the saying goes, girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, right? Now, we all know that women are creatures far exceeding these basic ingredients, but add some cherry-red lipstick, high-tops, an oversized t-shirt, and a cigarette or two, and we might just have something that resembles the essence of Spanish indie rock band, Hinds. Consisting of four female musicians and vocalists from Madrid, Spain, Hinds played at Velvet Jones in downtown Santa Barbara on October 17th, and trust me, it was not your average Monday night.

At 10pm sharp these girls graced the stage with clever lyrics and gamine style, and it was genuinely refreshing to see a band that was very authentically enjoying themselves. Whether they were feeding off the crowd or we were eating out of their hands, there was a synergetic relationship of energy in the room between every person and all four of the alluring gals on stage. Couples canoodled in full embrace, strangers bumped strangers with friendly acceptance, and maybe it was all in my imagination but I swear even the bouncers were giggling a little by the end of the night. As a viewer, I felt like they shared with us an atmosphere as intimate as a slumber party with a few best friends, dancing around in a bedroom to whichever songs suites the mood. Everything was very casual, and they sounded the same live as they do on album. Speaking in the tongue of a lover, their romantic Spanish accent only adding to the irresistible energy of everything that is Hinds. Each girl’s individual personality could be seen, and the way they interacted with one another on stage was heartwarming. All of them gave each other encouraging hugs in between songs, and took individual moments to support one another. 

As the night came to an end, they said their thank you’s and goodbye’s, adios’ and toodaloo’s, before leaving the stage. However, no one in the room was ready to say goodnight. An inevitable encore concluded the night with Hinds playing “Davey Crockett,” carelessly dancing around, and laughing as though they were all sharing some inside joke. And the audience loved every moment of it. Boys in the front were practically jumping on stage, and there wasn’t a face unadorned with a huge smile. After the encore, everyone rushed to the merch table to pick up Hinds-designed, exclusive-to-shows merch (after all, what is a concert if you can’t materialize it in some novelty, 100% cotton way, am I right?), and I too gave into the temptation. The band came over to talk to everyone and anyone who wanted to say hello. We asked two of the members, Carlotta Cosials and Amber Grimbergen, if they would say a station ID, and they were more than willing. Maybe i’m biased, but I do think it’s one of the best ID’s I have heard, and I am happy to have been present in its creation.  

With their playful charm they mystified us all, and their music was ethereal sourcery wrapped up in oversized t-shirt, scrunchies, and sneakers. Pretty much brown-paper-packages-tied-up-with-string sourcery. Like, definitely favorite things status. By the end of the night I basically wanted to date them all, elope to Spain, and start a new life as their eternally dedicated roadie. Sadly, that dream has yet to be fulfilled, but you too can inevitably feel the magnetism of their love spell at their next concert.

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Local Band Spotlight: Pale Hands

Pale Hands is a local band combining elements of punk, hardcore-punk and death metal. Made up of young veterans of the local music scene, they embrace a DIY ethos that has created a lot of opportunities for them in a short time. KCSB spoke with Pale Hands’ drummer Steven Hendricks.

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KCSB: When did the band start? Were there past bands the members played in together or how did you meet?

Pale Hands: We had all known each other from previous bands we had been in and shows we had played together. Jorden was the exception, in that this is his first band.

KCSB: You release the five song "No Hope No Life" in late 2015. You recorded pretty quickly after becoming a band, what was the process like?

Pale Hands: We're a band that handles all of our own processes. We record ourselves, make our own art, our own music, press our own releases etc... Everything moves so quick for us cuz we do everything ourselves for the most part.

KCSB: The band went on a west coast tour last winter, were there any especially memorable moments?

Pale Hands: The amount of support we got was really amazing, considering we had only been a band for like 3 months before we went on tour. We played some rad shows and made some great friends, and thats all we can really ask for. Also we made a pretty decent amount of money and we're fuckin rich now.

KCSB: How does Santa Barbara's music scene differ from the others you've visited?

Pale Hands: Every city is pretty much different from the next. Overall, Santa Barbara has good crowds that actually come out to support local and touring bands, I guess thats all you can really ask for to be honest. No assholes, just good people.

KCSB: What's next for the band? Any upcoming shows or new music plans?

Pale Hands: A whole bunch of stuff. We have a whole bunch of new recordings waiting to be released. We're going on a short tour with stoic from Wyoming this summer. Going in to the studio with Nick Townsend from Infrasonic Studios in summer as well.

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Pale Hands’ debut album ‘No Hope No Life’ is available via their Bandcamp page at this link (click!). 

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Local Band Spotlight: Comedown

Comedown is a music project from Goleta, CA. Primarily based around Caleb Davis, the band has had a revolving line-up but is now recording music and playing shows as a solid four-piece. The band’s low-key presence in the local music scene makes them somewhat mysterious, but those that have checked them out live know they provide solid distorted indie rock in vein of the rock bands of the 1990′s that inspired them.  KCSB’s Spencer vH talked to Davis more about the music and what’s coming up in the future for the band.

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KCSB: This project has been around for a few years with some different people in the line-up. What's the history of the band?

Comedown: The band started with just me (Caleb) and a bunch of songs I had written around 2011.  The first demo I recorded at my dad’ss house, it was me playing everything, then I used that to demo to convince some musically gifted buddies of mine to play with me live.  The first incarnation of “Comedown” was me on guitar and vocals, my friend Miles on bass and my friend Alex on drums.  We eventually got Miles to move to lead guitar and my friend Brandon moved to bass.  I did a second demo shortly before that with Alex on drums and me playing everything else.  We played a handful of shows both downtown Santa Barbara and in Isla Vista.  Eventually Miles moved down south to pursue jazz and Brandon moved back to his homeland, the Bay Area.  This all happened between 2012-2015.  I recently started the band up again when Alex prompted we play the songs live again, we got my buddy Josh to hop on guitar and I moved to bass and vocals.  We played a show at FUNZONE and at that show I met John, who is now on 2nd guitar, making us a four piece for the first time in almost three years.  That’s pretty much the history of the band.

KCSB: You're recording in May. Do you know how many songs you're doing and where? Any concrete plans for releasing them? 

Comedown: We are doing a six song E.P. and are recording with Alex Estrada at The Earth Capitol Studio in Pasadena.  So far our plans are a digital release probably through our Bandcamp.  I would eventually like to have it pressed to vinyl.

KCSB: What's your songwriting process like? What makes these new songs different or similar to your older material? 

Comedown: I usually just riff stuff out at home and will make a demo for the band to learn it for practice.  I tend to listen to lots of 90’s guitar rock, Quicksand, Failure, Soundgarden, Into Another, Jawbox, Knapsack, Jawbreaker and a handful of more hardcore/alt-rock bands and anything that was on the radio during that time, then i’ll sit with my acoustic and just play ‘till something cool comes out.  Practice is probably the most important part of the writing process, it involves everyone giving their suggestions on what would make the song more complete, more heavy or just make more sense to play live.   I would have to say the new songs are a lot better hahaha, mostly cause its not just me demoing stuff by myself.  The songs for the EP are much more collaborative and im super stoked to be getting them documented for the future

KCSB: Any upcoming plans for shows in the near future?

Comedown: We plan on playing a lot more once this recording is done. We plan on doing some small tours through California once all four of our schedules are in synch.

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You can find some of Comedown’s music at this link (click). Their next show is at FUNZONE in Santa Barbara on Thursday, May 26th with Phoenix, Arizona’s Amadoo’s Crew and local punk band Video Duct. 

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Way Back Then: “None So Vile” by Cryptopsy

Thus far in the “Way Back Then” series, we’ve look at some of 1996′s best albums from indie rock mainstays, boundary pushing electronic musicians and some of punk’s underground greats. What happens when you bring together one of the most sponsored and acclaimed drummers in the world, a virtuoso guitarist, a funk-slap bassist and an English teacher named “Lord Worm”? Canadian death metal. More on Cryptopsy’s legendary “None So Vile” below:

Operating in some capacity since 1988, the Montreal band first known as Necrosis released a series of demos from their formation and into the early part of the 1990′s. When a series of line-up changes brought a new series of musicians together whose interests aligned in making relentlessly fast and heavy music, Cryptopsy was formed. 

A band whose membership history literally requires a timeline (link), most fans consider the line-up on the 1996 album None So Vile to have been the most noteworthy - or at least raised the floor so high for the band’s creative spin on hard-hitting death metal. Following the band’s official debut, 1993′s Blasphemy in Flesh, founding members vocalist Dan Greening (later known as Lord Worm) and guitarist Steve Thibault were joined by new members lead guitarist Jon Levasseur, bassist Eric Langlois and drummer Flo Mournier. Having already been regarded highly in the undergrounds of the Canadian metal scene, the injection of talent from the new trio brought the band to a level that people had not heard in metal worldwide. 

Mournier’s prowess in metal drumming has become his career within and outside of Cryptopsy. His combination of technical brilliance and unmatched speed at the time became necessary with the inclusion of Levasseur to the band. The guitarist, a mega fan of progressive metal act Dream Theater, plays riffs at a breakneck pace in violent bursts. Langlois incorporated funk-style slap bass into the sound, which while not unknown to metal was never used in a band that played as fast as Cryptopsy.

With this line-up in place, the band entered the studio with Oblivion guitarist Pierre Remillard and quickly recorded the eight song album which would be released on Sweden’s Wrong Again Records, later reissued by stateside metal giants Century Media ten years later. Unquestionably considered one of the most technically proficient and creative metal records of all time even today, the underlying story of the album could be the indiscernible insanity taking place in the growled lyrics of Lord Worm.

While the casual fan of death metal likely doesn’t pore through the lyrics sheet while listening, diehard fans of the genre have long taken a liking to Greening’s manic and crazed poetry. Making a career as an English teacher and language instructor, Lord Worm’s lyrics draw just as much from classic literature as they do from the horror movie/serial killer themes of the times. Scenes of horror are articulately described in detailed language, most famously with the grisly song ‘Slit Your Guts’ beginning humorously with the lyrics ‘pardon, please!’. 

For a band that has been around for over thirty years and released six studio albums with a constant revolving door of musicians, None So Vile will still remain the jumping on point for most longtime fans of the group and the changes in style of their music has seen them go through many phases since. Lord Worm left the band to focus entirely on academia, hand-picking his replacement Mike DeSalvo despite his almost completely different style of vocals, only to return years later and depart again amidst rumors of him being kicked out of the band. Levasseur reportedly lost interest in heavy metal music and left the group, only to also return for a brief amount of time as well. The band has continued on regardless, featuring Mournier as it’s only constant member since it’s demo stages. Their most recent album, 2012′s Cryptopsy, featured Mournier and Levasseur surrounded with short-tenured members of the band. 

Crytopsy has been an active touring band since the 1980′s and that continues even into today. With over 300,000 records sold, they are one of the most successful death metal bands of all time and set precedents not always thought to be thought possible by bands in extreme music. 

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Local Band Spotlight: LANAYAH

LANAYAH is a three-piece band from Santa Barbara, CA. They’ve developed a fanbase in a short time, likely due to their loud and enveloping live performances. KCSB’s Spencer vH asked the band a few questions.

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KCSB: How long has Lanayah been around and what brought the members together? Do you guys have any major common influences?

LANAYAH: LANAYAH has been around since approximately May of 2015. All three of us were in a previous group in which we realized we could not continue to be a part of with our shifting influences and artistic desires. LANAYAH was formed on a basis of cooperative exploration regarding these influences and desires which when combined with how we approached music personally, would hopefully create something new. In terms of major common influences, modern post-rock and metal bands like Sigur Ros, Russian Circles and Deafheaven are big ones as well as everything from shoegaze, to noise and black metal. Experimentalism in music is a big driving force both in terms of influence and the writing process.

KCSB: You've played quite a few shows around the area. Do any stand out particularly?

LANAYAH: Velvet Jones, on February 22nd was an incredibly memorable experience. It had the biggest attendance of any of our shows to date, and some of our best friends we had made in music were supporting. The energy the crowd threw back at us was amazing and it stands as a recent milestone in our history as a band.

KCSB: Any plans for recording and releasing any music in the near future?

LANAYAH: We are set to enter the studio to record a full-length album in early May. Details regarding release and distribution are mostly unknown at this point and will be ironed out as recording goes on. It's exciting to say the least to be able to record our own music that at this point, everyone has only heard in a live setting with different sounds and results each time.

KCSB: Any upcoming shows in the future people should know about?

LANAYAH: We are returning to Velvet Jones again on May 22nd. Our previous performance at the venue as a band was a standout, so we will be doing everything in our power to outdo ourselves and make this one even more memorable. Tickets will be available Monday, May 2nd.

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You can find more information about LANAYAH at this link (click). They will be playing the GTS ‘Radiate’ event at Velvet Jones on May 22nd.

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Local Band Spotlight: Video Duct

California by-way-of Missouri band Video Duct keeps a low profile. In March 2015 they released their ‘Anti-Human Hate’ cassette and just a little over a year later, another is about to be released. KCSB’s Spencer vH spoke to the band.

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KCSB: When exactly was Video Duct formed? Have you maintained a regular slate of people performing in the band or have things changed around?

Video Duct: The idea for Video Duct was materialized by pure accident. I was 15 and just moved from Missouri to Camarillo and knew no one who wanted to play music beyond mall-friendly punk cheese, which is the most rotten out of the bunch. My friend Shannon and my dad both pitched on four-track while I was visiting Missouri for the winter and when I returned to California I began to record every little stupid thing I felt was appropriate. For awhile, I would record these really shitty one-off projects and label them as actual bands with completely different members, trying to conceal my insecurities. However, living in an apartment meant no drums or any loud stuff (which also includes vocals) so every other weekend my mom and I would drive up to her boyfriends in Goleta who had a kit. This became a problem though because I would only have a limited window to record and make sure the tracks didn't come out too noticeably bad (which was the case for most of the early recordings I made). On a very cross-faded and scooized March night in 2014, my brother had left the apartment to pursue on a beer run. In the course of his absence I recorded more than 12 songs in 18 minutes, all of which were heavily riffed based and gave me the freedom of slacking off when drums and vocals came around, making the music process extremely lazy. And that's how the idiot bastard infant subsequently known as Video Duct was born. Well for awhile the project was only me and existed solely in recordings, but once Anti-Human Belt Buckle came out, my friends in Missouri who played in this band called Pregnancy Test (rip) suggested that Video Duct play their first show in this church outside of Chicago during a brief mini-tour with Animal Teeth (rip) back in June of 2015, with Pregnancy Test being the backing band. And after that there were many attempts to play again while I was visiting Missouri for the summer but every chance fell through and once I got back to California no one seemed interested. I kinda went on hiatus from it for awhile for that reason and also to focus on the Avocado Commissioners (rip). However, after the Commissioners broke-up I decided to give it a second attempt and the first line-up was Zack on drums and me on guitar and vocals, which proved to be both terrible and amazing. And between then and now the line-up has changed tremendously, initially having Nick on guitar, Shayan on noises, Anna on bass and Zack on drums. Zack quit to focus on long-grain experimental farming techniques but dicks around at practice and some shows which left Nick to play drums, Shayan to play guitar and noises (something this boy's gotta calling for tell ya wha't!), Anna on bass and synthesizer, and anyone else who wants to play.  They're all expendable though so if you wanna clean my porta-potty or mash some pickled bulbs please call me asap so I can spread my wings and free myself from these knuckleheads! (805) 966-7416

KCSB: The first tape, 'Anti-Human Hate', was released via High Fashion Industries in Chicago, How did that connection come about?

Video Duct: I released the first Video Duct thing on Bandcamp kinda as joke to my town, hoping that anyone who came across it were immediately offended that it wasn't Rise Against. But the joke backfired when Eric from High Fashion Industries ordered a tape (mind you, the first person outside of my circle of two friends to own such a dog turd, no joke). We corresponded for some months, talking about United Mutations and other 80's hardcore bands and eventually he wanted more of that dog turd joke tape for his distro. Comes the end of summer 2014 and I'm finishing up Anti-Human Station Wagon, due to be released on Pink Polo Records (my really stupid cassette label handjob at the time/rip) when suddenly he asks me if I wanna do tape for his label. I responded, "Yeah, you better make me lots of money or else I'm leaving hardcore, dude". Eric reassured me however.

KCSB:  Video Duct seems committed to releasing material on tape. What do you like about the medium?

Video Duct: Current punk I feel is recorded with the utmost crystal-clear fidelity then dropped down to cassette, hopefully to follow in the footsteps of a niche crowd, and this really burns my tip. I haven't had luck recording digitally and I don't prefer the sound of digital  so I stay away from it entirely to focus on cassette-based recording and mixing, because I really do believe cassettes give off a particular curvature that is unique. Also, thrift shop tapes are ridiculously cheap compared to vinyl or even CDr's for that matter, so it's half a business venture contributing to the Video Duct college fund.

KCSB: What's next for the band? Is there a planned release date for your unreleased tape? Any future shows?

Video Duct: I looked deep into this barrel of ash-soaked lemon water and the future events sparks no visions so unfortunately I cannot comment on that at this time. We recently had this show down in Ventura last Friday at the library and that was suppose to be the tape release show but I didn't make it known so no one was aware. They deserved it though, if those Ventura peeps discard Twinkies like pieces of trash then they don't deserve to handle Expensive Japanese imports ltd. We're playin' this day fest at the library in Ventura again curated by Promblems, one of my more favorite local acts {kiss kiss Lawrence ;)} on the 21st on May, 'nother Funzone show on the 26th and the Midwestern Video Duct Supergroup Burnt Biscuit Lovers Ball on the 30th of July at Acid Kat Fest in St. Louis. I'm just wishin' my lil Hot Ham can at least make it to one of these shows. If you believe in her and believe that a world should disestablish these illegitimate forces of oppression, then please send your encouragement to have my lil Hot Hams free from these chains to the KCSB Community Radio Station™.

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Video Duct’s 2015 tape ‘Anti-Human Hate’ can be found at this link (click!). Their next show in town is on Thursday, May 26th at FUNZONE with Phoenix, AZ’s Amadoo’s Crew and local band Comedown. More info about that show can be found at SBDIY.org

Photos by Lawrence Moody (click!)

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Every week, the dedicated KCSB staffers present you their picks for the top new tracks off the week. Click the track to listen or watch. Here’s our picks for the second week of May:

Chadwyck’s Pick: “Blessings” by Chance the Rapper. “In anticipation of his new album; Chance the Rapper has premiered the gorgeous gospel track ‘Blessings’. Chance combines his vocal talents with Jamila Woods, who he paired with for the hit Sunday Candy, and gospel legend Byron Cage. Enjoy!” -CLM

Spencer’s Pick:  “One Hit Wonder” by Leapling. “A standout even on the impressive Exploding in Sound roster, Leapling’s pop approach on their third single from their upcoming album ‘Suspended Animation’ versus the quiet haziness of their last album, 2014′s excellent ‘Vacant Page” is a welcome change.”  -SVH

Shay’s Pick: “Heart of a Dog” by The Kills. “This is The Kills’ newest release off of their upcoming album “Ash & Ice”. They have just announced a tour and are adding dates. Their set at Coachella was made even more magical by the fact that the wind made lead singer Alison Mosshart look even more fierce than she already is.” -SM

Chadwyck’s Pick: “The Artful Dodger” by Mick Jenkins. “Chicago rising rap star Mick Jenkins blesses fans with a new single from his debut album. [T]he [H]ealing [C]omponent is poised to drop this summer, be on the lookout!” -CLM

Spencer’s Pick: “Tell Me” by Spokenest. “Steady indie rock duo from Los Angeles, CA. “Tell Me” is a track from the bands brand new album “Gone, Gone, Gone”. They are playing at FUNZONE in Santa Barbara on June 20th.” -SVH

Shay’s Pick: “Big Fig Wasp” by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. “This is the silliest track off of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's new album “Nonagon Infinity”. It is chalk full of mosh worthy bangers. Enjoy.” -SM

Chadwyck’s Pick: “Dragon VS. Wolf” by Meyhem Lauren featuring Action Bronson. “Co-star of Action Bronson’s cooking show ‘Fuck That’s Delicious’, Meyhem Lauren releases his new project ‘Piatto D'Oro’. Boasting production from the legendary producer The Alchemist, Meyhem and Action show great chemistry on the track.” -CLM

Spencer’s Pick: “Want It Back” by Microsoft Saint. “The Philadelphia, PA solo artist formerly known as I Tried To Run Away When I Was Six goes minimal rock with their six song “Bubblegum Bubblegum” which goes by just too fast.” -SVH

Shay’s Pick: “Nobody Speak” by DJ Shadow featuring Run The Jewels. “Run The Jewels continues putting out rap you can be proud of. This collaboration with DJ Shadow is everything you expect from the duo and more. Listen and anxiously await “RTJ 3″ with the rest of us.” -SM

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Way Back Then: “The Week Never Starts Round Here” by Arab Strap

by Spencer vH

A key part of a low-key brilliant 1990’s Glasgow, Scotland music scene, lo-fi duo Arab Strap made a name for themselves so much so that their friends would even borrow it from time to time. Perhaps better known for gracing the title of Scottish stars Belle & Sebastian’s third record ‘The Boy With The Arab Strap’, their music leaves a legacy of depressing hits from the mind of frontman Aidan Moffat.

Coming together in a small central Scottish town, vocalist Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton shared an appreciation for similar American east coast indie rock. Middleton, the veteran of many local bands from his younger years met Moffat, a high school dropout who worked at a record store and did home recordings with his brother. Less than a year after first meeting, their debut album ‘The Week Never Starts Round Here’ was released in 1996.

Although it was eventually hailed as an underground classic, ‘The Week Never Starts Round Here’ was actually only considered by one of the many labels the band approached with it. Local indie label Chemikal Underground, home of Scottish bands like Bis, Aerogramme and The Delgados, released the album in November 1996 to critical acclaim. Largely electro-acoustic, swirling and brooding arrangements laid under Moffat’s intensely Scottish and intensely sad lyricism. Album standout “The First Big Weekend” begins as a quasi-spoken word over very minimal arrangements pushed fully to the back. As the backbone of a song slowly emerges from Middleton, suddenly a fast-paced dance beat explodes from the quiet and Moffat’s lyrics describing a binge take a melancholy instrumental and make it a downright tearjerker.

Sadness is a common topic in Arab Strap songs. Sadness in loneliness. Sadness in failure. Sadness in yourself. Moffat really is a tortured soul in that sense. Whatever joy comes from the sometimes uplifting backing track to his sorrows, which instills at least a sense of hope at the core of certain songs. In “Phone Me Tonight”, the brief, muffled and dismissive Moffat gives way to Middleton letting loose a hail a group of strings to bring everything soaring up from where it laid down in the dumps.

Following their debut, Arab Strap followed with a downright impressive five more full-length albums in their remaining nine years as a group. From their discography, standouts include the Billboard charting 1998 album ‘Philophobia’ and rock-leaning final record ‘The Last Romance’, openly influenced by their close friends in Mogwai. Following the release of ‘The Last Romance’, Moffat announced the band had run it’s court. No hard feelings, no farewell tour, just done. They’ve always left the door open for further collaborations, but it’s still never taken any form. The band reunited one time in 2011 and other than that, both members have focused solely on solo efforts or high profile collaborations. Moffat is a frequent guest on Mogwai tracks and has released four albums under his Lucky Pierre solo music moniker. He’s released an additional three albums of collaborations, including two with musician Bill Wells. Middleton has also kept himself busy with eight full length releases under his name and his Human Don’t Be Angry Moniker.

While Arab Strap fandom or at least super fandom never quite reached the Americas, Arab Strap were one of the most prolific indie rocker bands from Northern Britain for much of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Their beginnings as electro-acoustic lo-fi songsmiths and evolution into full on rockstars has cemented their legacy as one of the most overlooked bands of their era.

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Every week, the dedicated KCSB staffers present you their picks for the top new tracks off the week. Click the track to listen or watch. Here’s our picks for the first week of May:

Spencer’s Pick: “Gold” by Patio. “The shortest song on the New York band’s debut EP ‘Luxury’, which was released on April 22nd. The 30-second jammer sees their two vocalists duel over tight and repetitive rhythms.” -SVH

Jake’s Pick: “Wassup Pt. 2″ by Derin Falana. “The Brampton, Ontario native just released a project, and this is one of its more seductive deep cuts. Enjoy.” -JF

Spencer’s Pick: “Fill in the Blank” by Car Seat Headrest. “The debut single from the band’s first album for Matador Records. “Teens of Denial” is due out on May 20th and with Will Toledo’s track record as a songwriter, it will be another album full of incredibly listenable melancholy indie rock.” -SVH

Jake’s Pick: “Still” by Christian Rich featuring Tunji Ige. “Christian Rich is a production duo out of Chicago, and they bring the heat with this newest release. The Tunji Ige vocals marry well with the triumphant horns and overall electronic vibe.” -JF

Spencer’s Pick: “Brash Not Rash” by The Gotobeds. “The second single from their upcoming album (and first for Sub Pop Records) “Blood//Sugar//Secs//Traffic”, “Brash Not Rash” is an upbeat winding garage rock stunner.” -SVH

Jake’s Pick: “Go Fish Volume 2″ by Larry Fisherman featuring Your Old Droog. “Mac Miller's alter ego, Larry Fisherman, teams up with the east coast up-and-comer, Your Old Droog, for an interesting combination of laid back proportions.” -JF

Spencer’s Pick: “Spin” by Elvis Depressedly. “The hazy kind of bedroom rock that’s come to be expected of the strangely named band. Their upcoming album “Holo Pleasures / California Dreamin’” will arrive via Run for Cover Records on June 3rd.” -SVH

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Local Band Spotlight: Easter Teeth

Easter Teeth are long-time Santa Barbara locals. Key holders to The Hard to Find Showspace, players of many shows, veterans of many tours. In a very young DIY music scene, they are kinda dads, but not really. KCSB’s Spencer vH talked to Tim Eymann, 1/2 of Easter Teeth.

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KCSB: What's new in the world of Easter Teeth? Any upcoming shows or recording plans?

Easter Teeth: What’s new in our world is pain. Pain and suffering. Haha. Nah, it’s not that bad, but I had to lay low for a couple months after I had back surgery in early March, so we haven’t been gigging. But we have been mixing 10 new tracks that we hope to release this summer or fall, and we have also been booking our next tour. We’re playing a local show at Whiskey Richards on May 20, then hitting the Western US May 26 through June 4. My back should be good to go by then, God willing. We’re looking forward to revisiting some places, seeing some old friends, and also playing a few new towns – SLC, Boise, maybe Chico…

KCSB: For a band that's been in the local Santa Barbara scene for longer than most, have you seen some significant changes? What for the better and what for the worse?

Easter Teeth: Yes, we’re old. Thanks for bringing that up. Umm, ya, we’ve always thought of the SB scene as very fickle. It’s a transient town. A lot of that has to do with having so many students here. Plus it’s an expensive town, so people move away. That all makes for a constantly changing music scene. I personally kinda feel like the local scene hit a peak around 2009. People were throwing shows in random places, like woodsheds and barns and warehouses and backyards, and hundreds of kids would come out. Good shows in random places is always a sign of a healthy scene. Now that’s not really going on. Or maybe it is and we’re just not invited cuz we’re old. Plus we had Biko, the Hard to Find, and Muddy Waters all doing all-ages shows regularly. But it doesn’t take much for a scene to pick back up. Just one or two people with a bit of zazz can make all the difference.

KCSB: Where are your favorite places to play, whether it's in town or places you've been on tour?

Easter Teeth: Well in town, we pretty much go back and forth between Funzone for all ages shows and Whiskey Richards for 21+. Over the past couple years we’ve tried to limit ourselves to only 4-5 local shows per year. Away from home? Oh man, so many rad places. We had a lot of fun playing in a garage in 12 degree weather in Albuquerque last time out – The Fly Honey Warehouse. We’re heading there again in May, when it hopefully won’t be 12 degrees. We’ve made good friends in Las Vegas over the past couple years. Last time there, we played the legendary Double Down Saloon and had a blast. In Cali, we always love it around Monrovia and the Valley. There seems to be a pretty rad scene going on there right now, and the kids seem to get into it when we play down there. We’re playing a secret warehouse show down there with Jurassic Shark and Pure Muscle on May 26, really looking forward to that. And we always give shout-outs to Bakersfield. We’ve played there more than anywhere else out of town. Always good crowds in Bako!

KCSB: What's your favorite part about being in Easter Teeth? What's the future of the band look like?

Easter Teeth: My favorite part, and Josh would probably agree, is how easy it is. It’s just the two of us, and we’re brothers. We rarely disagree, except when Josh wants Del Taco for the second time in one day. Song writing is easy. If someone offers us a show, saying yes or no is easy to. If we want to skip practice for a week or two or 10, it’s easy. Easy. As for our future, we’ll just keep at it until we’re bored with it or feel too old or more important things take priority. But we won’t run out of grooves, rest assured. We’re really excited about the next batch of songs we’ve recorded. We just have to finish mixing and mastering and decide how we want to release them all. So stay tuned!

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Easter Teeth are playing a local show at Whiskey Richards on May 20, then hitting the Western US May 26 through June 4. Check out their Facebook page (click) for updates on those dates as well as more information about the band. Check out their label Veritas Vinyl (click). Lastly, below check out Easter Teeth’s video for their song “Let Me Get My Worship On”.