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vinylspinning · 2 years ago

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Van Halen: Zero Demos (2021) [Recorded 1976]

Vinyl pride week on VinylSpinning continues its rainbow-pattern parade with this bright yellow 2021 bootleg of Van Halen’s legendary Zero Demos, which were famously financed (alleged final tab: $6,500) and produced near the end of 1976 by none other than Kiss’ Gene Simmons!

Here’s how this came to be ...

Not content to gorge himself on the feast of Kiss’ success (and everything that came with it), Simmons started inquiring about promising L.A. bands he might want to produce, and the two names that came up were Van Halen and The Boyz, featuring future Dokken men George Lynch and Mick Brown.

So, on November 2nd, Simmons, Paul Stanley and their respective entourages headed down to Hollywood’s 300-capacity Starwood club to watch both bands, which were conveniently going head-to-head, and by all accounts it was VH who came away the uncontested victors.

Wasting little time with pleasantries, Gene spent the rest of the night in VH’s dressing room, lecturing the wide-eyed young musicians about the endless pitfalls of the music business, before offering to help them land a record deal and, true to his word, promptly meeting them at nearby Village Recorder the very next day.

Gene eventually hand-picked thirteen songs (out of nearly 30) for recording right there and then, after which he and Van Halen packed their bags and flew to New York and Electric Lady Studios for vocal and guitar overdubs, finally mixing ten songs with house engineer Dave Wittman.

Needless to say, such rushed recording conditions yielded imperfect results (Eddie, in particular, was very unhappy with the final sound and his hastily planned overdubs) but for modern-day Van Halen fans, the Zero Demos are filled with fascinating glimpses of what was to follow.

For starters, half of its songs never even made it to the band’s first six, David Lee Roth-fronted Warner Bros. LPs, and others were either cannibalized for spare parts or significantly rearranged and upgraded by the band’s future producing/engineering tandem of Ted Templeman and Don Landee.

Examples of the latter included first album classics like “On Fire” and “Runnin’ with the Devil,” Van Halen II favorite “Somebody Get Me a Doctor,” and a primitive version of “House of Pain,” which of course wouldn’t surface until 1984, some eight years later, and then with largely revamped lyrics.

As for the cast-offs, the slow-grooved “Babe, Don’t Leave Me Alone” probably ranks among the best ‘lost’ Van Halen cuts, and I’d like to point out how it showcases Michael Anthony’s impeccable background vocals AND confident bass playing more clearly than most latter-day VH LPs.

By contrast, the forgettable “Woman in Love” has nothing in common with VH II’s “Women in Love,” and the same goes for this “Big Trouble” and the 1986 Diamond Dave solo tune “Big Trouble,” though this VH demo did ultimately transform into “Big River” on 2012’s comeback A Different Kind of Truth.

And it wasn’t alone ... two other Zero Demos were recycled almost wholesale with fresh sets of lyrics for ADKoT: the trademark bumper ‘n’ grinder “Put Out the Lights” became “Beats Workin’” and the explosive, spectacular juggernaut “Let’s Get Rockin’” became “Outta Space.”

Better late than never, I suppose.

But, for me, the Zero Demos’ biggest “WOAAAAH!” came when the car horn blaring intermittently through “House of Pain” fades into “Runnin’ With the Devil” and reveals that the last song on 1984 brought the first Roth era to an end AND full-circle, back to the first track on their self-titled debut.

Given all of the above, it’s crazy to think that Van Halen were once again faced with dire career prospects once Simmons’ potential involvement was effectively nixed by Stanley and Kiss manager Bill Aucoin, who, not unwisely, saw Gene’s ‘hobby’ as an unwelcome distraction.

As Paul later wrote in his autobiography Face the Music: “We passed [on Van Halen] to protect Kiss, which needed our daily focus to continue building on all fronts.”

The Starchild wasn’t wrong but, neither was the Demon, who rather gallantly tore up his contract with VH (thus freeing them from all future commitments) and then swore to his manager (who instead signed up a Boston band called Piper, featuring a young Billy Squier) that he would soon eat his words and that Van Halen would be the “next big thing.”

Meanwhile, for Eddie, David, Alex, and Michael this was another heartbreaking setback on their long trek to a well-deserved recording contract (“If Gene Fucking Simmons can’t get us a record deal ...,” they surely pondered), which thankfully finally arrived the following year, and the rest is history.

A history so glorious and awe-inspiring that fans like me are still trawling the distant, murky past for every possible scrap of classic Van Halen ephemera in order to satiate our insatiable appetite for the greatest hard rock band (sorry Aerosmith, Guns n’ Roses, et al.) America ever produced.

p.s. -- One question I couldn’t find an answer for was why these are called the Zero Demos ... is it because they represent VH’s ‘Year Zero’ in terms of formal recordings?

More Van Halen: Whisky n’ Gin [Bootleg], Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, “(Oh) Pretty Woman,” Diver Down, 1984, "I'll Wait," 5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

#Van Halen #gene simmons #Kiss #bootleg #demo #rodney bingenheimer #hard rock #classic rock #dokken #legs diamond #alkana #granmax #george lynch #quiet riot #randy rhoads #aerosmith #guns n' roses #cheap trick #metallica

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bananaofswifts · 4 years ago

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By Paul Tingen

From sketches to final mixes, engineer Jonathan Low spent 2020 overseeing Taylor Swift’s hit lockdown albums folklore and evermore.

“I think the theme of a lot of my work nowadays, and especially with these two records, is that everything is getting mixed all the time. I always try to get the songs to sound as finalised as they can be. Obviously that’s hard when you’re not sure yet what all the elements will be. Tracks morph all the time, and yet everything is always moving forwards towards completion in some way. Everything should sound fun and inspiring to listen to all the time.”

Speaking is Jonathan Low, and the two records he refers to are, of course, Taylor Swift’s 2020 albums folklore and evermore, both of which reached number one in the UK and the US. Swift’s main producer and co‑writer on the two albums was the National’s Aaron Dessner, also interviewed in this issue. Low is the engineer, mixer and general right‑hand man at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York, where he and Dessner spent most of 2020 working on folklore and evermore, with Swift in Los Angeles for much of the time.

“In the beginning it did not feel real,” recalls Low. “There was this brand‑new collaboration, and it was amazing how quickly Aaron made these instrumental sketches and Taylor wrote lyrics and melodies to them, which she initially sent to us as iPhone voice memos. During our nightly family dinners in lockdown, Aaron would regularly pull up his phone and say, ‘Listen to this!’ and there would be another voice memo from Taylor with this beautiful song that she had written over a sketch of Aaron’s in a matter of hours. The rate at which it was happening was mind‑blowing. There was constant elevation, inspiration and just wanting to continue the momentum.

“We put her voice memos straight into Pro Tools. They had tons of character, because of the weird phone compression and cutting midrange quality you just would not get when you put someone in front of a pristine recording chain. Plus there was all this bleed. It’s interesting how that dictates the attitude of the vocal and of the song. Even though none of the original voice memos ended up on the albums, they often gave us unexpected hints. These voice memos were such on‑a‑whim things, they were really telling. Taylor had certain phrasings and inflections that we often returned to later on. They became our reference points.”

Sketching Sessions

“The instrumental sketches Aaron makes come into being in different ways,” elaborates Low. “Sometimes they are more fleshed‑out ideas, sometimes they are less formed. But normally Aaron will set himself up in the studio, surrounded by instruments and synths, and he’ll construct a track. Once he feels it makes some kind of sense I’ll come in and take a listen and then we together develop what’s there.

“I don’t call his sketches demos, because while many instruments are added and replaced later on, most of the original parts end up in the final version of the song. We try to get the sketches to a place where they are already very engaging as instrumental tracks. Aaron and I are always obsessively listening, because we constantly want to hear things that feel inspiring and musical, not just a bed of music in the background. It takes longer to create, but in this case also gave Taylor more to latch onto, both emotionally and in terms of musical inspiration. Hearing melodies woven in the music triggered new melodies.”

Not long after Dessner and Low sent each sketch to Swift, they would receive her voice memos in return, and they’d load them into the Pro Tools session of the sketch in question. Dessner and Low then continued to develop the songs, in close collaboration with Swift. “Taylor’s voice memos often came with suggestions for how to edit the sketches: maybe throw in a bridge somewhere, shorten a section, change the chords or arrangement somewhere, and so on. Aaron would have similar ideas, and he then developed the arrangements, often with his brother Bryce, adding or replacing instruments. This happened fast, and became very interactive between us and Taylor, even though we were working remotely. When we added instruments, we were reacting to the way my rough mixes felt at the very beginning. Of course, it was also dictated by how Taylor wrote and sang to the tracks.”

Dessner supplied sketches for nine and produced 10 of folklore’s 16 songs, playing many different types of guitars, keyboards and synths as well as percusion and programmed drums. Instruments that were added later include live strings, drums, trombone, accordion, clarinet, harpsichord and more, with his brother Bryce doing many of the orchestrations. Most overdubs by other musicians were done remotely as well. Throughout, Low was keeping an overview of everything that was going on and mixing the material, so it was as presentable and inspiring as possible.

Mixing folklore

Although Dessner has called folklore an “anti‑pop album”, the world’s number‑one pop mixer Serban Ghenea was drafted in to mix seven tracks, while Low did the remainder.

“It was exciting to have Serban involved,” explains Low, “because he did things I’d never do or be able to do. The way the vocal sits always at the forefront, along with the clarity he gets in his mixes, is remarkable. A great example of this is on the song ‘epiphany’. There is so much beautiful space and the vocal feels effortlessly placed. It was really interesting to hear where he took things, because we were so close to the entire process in every way. Hearing a totally new perspective was eye‑opening and refreshing.

“Throughout the entire process we were trying to maintain the original feel. Sometimes this was hard, because that initial rawness would get lost in large arrangements and additional layering. With revisions of folklore in particular we sometimes were losing the emotional weight from earlier more casual mixes. Because I was always mixing, there was also always the danger of over‑mixing.

“We were trying to get the best of each mix version, and sometimes that meant stepping backwards, and grabbing a piano chain from an earlier mix, or going three versions back to before we added orchestration. There were definitely moments of thinking, ‘Is this going to compete sonically? Is this loud enough?’ We knew we loved the way the songs sounded as we were building them, so we stuck with what we knew. There were times where I tried to keep pushing a mix forward but it didn’t improve the song — ‘cardigan’ is an example of a song where we ended up choosing a very early mix.”

Onward & Upward

folklore was finished and released in July 2020. In a normal world everyone might have gone on to do other things, but without the option of touring, they simply continued writing songs, with Low holding the fort. In September, many of the musicians who played on the album gathered at Long Pond for the shooting of a making‑of documentary, folklore: the long pond studio sessions, which is streamed on Disney+.

The temporary presence of Swift at Long Pond changed the working methods somewhat, as she could work with Dessner in the room, and Low was able record her vocals. After Swift left again, sessions continued until December, when evermore was released, with Dessner producing or co‑producing all tracks, apart from ‘gold rush’ which was co‑written and co‑produced by Swift and Antonoff. Low recorded many of Swift’s vocals for evermore, and mixed the entire album. The lead single ‘willow’ became the biggest hit from the album, reaching number one in the US and number three in the UK.

“Before Taylor came to Long Pond,” remembers Low, “she had always recorded her vocals for folklore remotely in Los Angeles or Nashville. When I recorded, I used a modern Telefunken U47, which is our go‑to vocal mic — we record all the National stuff with that — going straight into the Siemens desk, and then into a Lisson Grove AR‑1 tube compressor, and via a Burl A‑D converter into Pro Tools. Taylor creates and lays down her vocal arrangements very quickly, and it sounds like a finished record in very few takes.”

Devils In The Detail

In his mixes, Low wanted listeners to share his own initial response to these vocal performances. “The element that draws me in is always Taylor’s vocals. The first time I received files with her properly recorded but premixed vocals I was just floored. They sounded great, even with minimal EQ and compression. They were not the way I’m used to hearing her voice in her pop songs, with the vocal soaring and sitting at the very front edge of the soundscape. In these raw performances, I heard so much more intimacy and interaction with the music. It was wonderful to hear her voice with tons of detail and nuances in place: her phrasing, her tonality, her pitch, all very deliberate. We wanted to maintain that. It’s more emotional, and it sounds so much more personal to me. Then there was the music...”

The arrangements on evermore are even more ‘chamber pop’ than on folklore, with instruments like glockenspiel, crotales, flute, French horn, celeste and harmonium in evidence. “As listeners of the National may know, Aaron’s and Bryce’s arrangements can be quite dense. They love lush orchestration, all sorts of percusion, synths and other electronic sounds. The challenge was trying to get them to speak, without getting in the way of the vocals. I want a casual listener to be drawn in by the vocal, but sense that something special is happening in the music as well. At the same time, someone who really is digging in can fully immerse themselves and take in all the beauty deeper in the details of the sound and arrangement. Finding the balance between presenting all the musical elements that were happening in the arrangement and this really beautiful, upfront, real‑sounding vocal was the ticket.

“A particular challenge is that a lot of the detail that Aaron gravitates towards happens in the low mids, which is a very warm part of our hearing spectrum that can quickly become too muddy or too woolly. A lot of the tonal and musical information lives in the low mids, and then the vocal sits more in the midrange and high mids. There’s not too much in the higher frequency range, except the top of the guitars, and some elements like a shaker and the higher buzzy parts of the synths. Maintaining clarity and separation in those often complex arrangements was a major challenge.”

#taylor swift #folklore

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fandensflytrap · 5 years ago

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Number 10 for the super deep character questions! Would like to know how It'd be for Devrim :V

Creativity is how we express ourselves to the world and other people. How does your character show their more creative side? Is it through the arts, like painting, drawing, wood-work, music or writing? Or something less typically thought of as ‘creative,’ like science or engineering? What influences their creative process? Have they ever experienced burn-out? And if so, how did they overcome it? Are they avid in the consumption of other art and creative works? What are their preferences?

((As cliche as it is, he mainly expresses himself through music. Got an instrument? A song he can sing? He’ll go for it. Dance? Sure.

He was tutored by the devil themself, after all! In both dancing and playing music. (He’s not good at dancing, though. )

And a common and frequent social activity back in the day was to sing, play music, and dance! It was inevitable. People were always looking for someone to play a tune for one thing or another.

It was also his greatest coping mechanism through childhood. Devrim had a highly sheltered childhood and had very limited options in terms of what he could do, and was largely encouraged to be codependent to an unhealthy degree, and wasn’t allowed to do general child things... Nor was he allowed to leave the house without supervision. So music was what he turned to. It was what helped him cope with his day to day life. He played for hours each and every day. Practiced what he knew, and tried out some of his own tunes.

Devrim plays a few other instruments as well. The first instrument he was taught to play was the violin. Then as the years went by he managed to learn some drums and the guitar, and the jaw harp (It’s a metal thingy that’s really bad for the teeth. You play it by putting it in your mouth, bit down on it, and flick on a spring to make it vibrate).

He’ll consume anything that sounds pleasant to the ears. He has a vide interest in terms of genre and will sing loudly along with them. It’s one of his favorite stims; to sing.

And while he’s not an eloquent person he really likes how some lyrics can be super deep and fit any mood if you’re good at finding stuff. He wants to make lyrics but, eh, he gives up before he gets to it. He prefers playing around with tunes if he’s going to make something for himself.

And he loves how easily accessible music has become. It’s not like back when he was a kid where if you wanted to listen to something, you had to gather up a small band and some people to sing and play. Today you have it in your pocket. You can play it at any time and you can choose whatever you want to listen to, not just what you’re forced to listen to.

Honestly? His childhood dreams of becoming a famous musician are still going strong. The main thing stopping him is basically him going: Yeah, that’s not possible. And contracts. Boy, he hates contracts. So, so much. Nah, if he wants to do music he’ll take it to youtube or something similar. ( Which, funnily enough, he has done with his adopted sibling on Discord. )

He wanted to become a luthier, but you kind of need eyes to do that. Which he doesn’t have anymore. Shame, but that’s the reality of things. If he could, he’d more than love to make some bitching instruments and woodwork.

I feel he might have taken a few years away from it because of the trauma from losing his sight, it was just... too much? Too much all at once.

Getting jailed in a prison for a long time with abhorrent conditions and nothing to do? Torture? Getting his eyes scooped out? Getting killed? Realizing that WHOOPS, DYING MEANS YOU’RE IMMORTAL NOW? All the while trying to re-adjust to everything and build some semblance of independence?

But he took back the violin as a coping tool once he felt... better...

Music is a large coping tool for him in general.))

#vvolgarov #◼️ Devrim #◼️ OOC meme #◼️ Character meme

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doomedandstoned · 5 years ago

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Nicolas Perrault from Rage of Samedi Taps Deep Emotion in New Solo Effort

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By MelLie

NICOLAS "SCRIOS" PERRAULT -- some of you may have heard this name in the course of the German monster sludgers RAGE OF SAMEDI. German multi-instrumentalist, producer, live audio engineer, creative head in general, and bad-ass bassist of the aforementioned band. Often these artists are mostly referred to us in connection with the bands in which they play and we often know too little about their individual personalities and the solo projects they have to offer. Ashes on our heads!

After six years of walking the path of self-discovery and working on his authenticity as a solo artist, Nicolas has now announced the release of his first full-length album 'Shadows Cast At Dawn' (2020) on May 20th. That's why we should jump at this perfect opportunity to get a foretaste of the new album and take a closer look at Nick Perrault as "singer/songwriter" (a term that somehow doesn't entirely fit him).

With the song "Fires Within," Nick not only offers us a gloomy soul plough, but also a glance into his own soul. It is a gritty absolution punch, with abysmal soundscapes that deal with depression and anxiety. Emotional, melancholic, but in no way melodramatic -- a puristic and minimalistic-looking audio-active encounter with the emotionally frozen world and the breakout of those soul-damaging shackles. Like the Last Judgement runs Nick‘s throaty, heavy, powerful voice through the song and manifests itself like a memorial at the edge of the abyss into which the listener seems to look. This musical work is further underpinned by the impressive video-artwork, which was also created by Nick's own artistic hand.

I hope I have made you a little curious about the excursion into a border area of this heavy genre, which generally receives less attention here, and about the artistic work of Nicolas Perrault. Enjoy the ride through the abyss.

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'Fires Within' music video

An Interview with Nicolas Perrault

By MelLie (Doomed & Stoned & Sunday's Heavy Tunes)

First of all, a warm "welcome", on behalf of Doomed & Stoned and our audience, Nick. It's only been a few months since you answered my questions as part of the gang of Rage Of Samedi! But this time, you are in the spotlight with your solo project! It‘s nice to have you here again!

It's an absolute honor to get to do this twice in a single year, so thanks for having me!

Nick, of course I have created my own impression of you in the process of preparing for this interview - at the latest now you still have the chance to escape! (laughs) How would you describe yourself? Who is this guy Nicolas Perrault?

I'm a multi-instrumentalist, tattooer, live audio engineer and producer and slightly sociophobic. So pretty much your average vegan straightedge dude who refuses to get a real job.

What made you decide to sell your soul to the "Devil Of Music"? In other words, how and when did you realize that you were burning with heart and soul to dedicate your life to music?

I've always played instruments, starting with the recorder, then organ and piano, bass, drums, guitar, bagpipes, and everything else. Way back when I joined my first band (a grunge/punk three-piece) and first picked up a bass, I realized I had a lot to say and music quickly became my outlet of choice. So about 18 years ago, but I didn't think of it in terms of a career yet, that only happened roughly six years ago, so I dropped out of university and started to work on my solo project.

You have left some very manifold and genre crossing footsteps on the pilgrimage through your personal music history: PTAH (doom), MOONSAIL (depressive pop-blues), and THRENODIA (black-metal) in former times are on my mind, current side projects are WILLE ZUR MACHT (avangarde) and you are the bass-riffer of Germany's blackened sludge doom monster RAGE OF SAMEDI! To what extent were these different musical influences and band experiences important for your progress as solo-artist?

I've spent a decade and a half working in bands, which would usually split up after a while, when the band became more serious and the others decided they'd rather pursue "real" jobs. So after a couple of those, I grew tired of waiting on the right people and just started working on my own. But every now and then I'd want to experiment with different genres, so I'd start a new project. The reason I'm now releasing under my actual name is that I didn't want to be stuck in one genre. I don't regret any of it, as they shaped who I am and the music I play now.

At the mention of your solo project, I could see the glint in your eyes. May 20th is the day! Let's light a sparkler for a minute! After three released EPs and six years of working as a solo artist, 'Shadows Cast At Dawn' will sail into the world as your first full-length album, which you even produced under the name of your own label Yew & Holly, right? What thoughts shoot spontaneously through your head right now?

Yup. I'm just incredibly excited to finally release this thing! It's been nearly six years and about eight different entire recordings, several changes to the track listing, heck- there are two tracks on the album that I only wrote this year! It's been a long, tedious journey and I'm glad for everything that happened along the way, because it made the final version of the album so much better!

Nick, let's turn the spotlight on the background information for your new album now. How would you describe your it to someone who has never heard your music before and which instruments play a major role?

A genre defying journey through post-modern life in a capitalist reality, focussing on depression and anxiety. Almost all of the songs are two sets of drums, a minute string section of violin and cello plus baritone guitar and vocals, that together create soundscapes so vast you might mistake them for an assassin's creed map.

Listening a little deeper into your work, one does not miss your natural fondness for philosophical thinking -- correct me if I am wrong with my assumption. Where do you get your inspirations from? And is there a message you want to convey to the listeners?

Well, I did study philosophy way back when. I tend to use naval imagery to paint a lyrical picture of depression and bipolar disorder, as a means of sharing the way I experience the world. It's likely not the most accessible thing you will ever hear, but it's a sincere expression of myself and that's really all I can offer.

"Fires Within," btw. Also one of my personal favorites of your album - is the amuse-gueule for our listeners What is the meaning behind this song and what moved you, writing the lyrics for this song?

"Fires" is all about setting boundaries and tearing down unhealthy relationships. If you have people in your life that hold you back instead of supporting you, ditch their ass! They're not worth the time and will poison any creative endeavor. Everyone knows at least a handful of these negative feckers and so did I. I spent years trying to help them get through their shit, but whenever I needed them they'd be more interested in getting drunk.

It's an unburdening from dead weight we carry, a cleansing, if you will. The chorus says "look not towards time, it brings only decay and destruction " and I think this is key to ridding yourself from negativity. Focus on your ultimate goal, that transcends trends and mood swings, that lives beyond time, and let it guide you. Don't stray too much from the path, or these negative influences will be right there waiting to cut you down.

"Fires Within"

Call upon the wind To wipe the surface clean He brings the rain and with it Absolution To carry with it the dust And bittersweet memories lost

Look not towards time To save your soul from fires It brings only decay and with it Destruction The fires burn from within Feast on the sand and it's running thin

Turn away from everything you hold dear To keep yourself safe from despair Cause all they bring is but loss All that remains is darkness when they are all gone Darkness that stretches like shadows cast from a new dawn

I would like to make a short swerve to the album cover. It is the wonderful artwork of Maryland based illustrator Luke Martin (Suburban Avenger Studios) who counts some famous musicians among his clients (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot Chili Pepper and others). How does the artwork relate to "Shadows Cast To Dawn"?

I've been a huge fan of Luke's work for years and a while ago he posted this picture to his Instagram. I was looking for something very specific to use as an album cover at the time. I needed it to evoke claustrophobia and a feeling of being safe inside whilst at the same time showing an outside, detached from the rest, just out of reach.

So imagine my jaw dropping as I saw this picture for the first time. It just struck me. So I wrote Luke, if he'd sell it. He had never sold a photograph before (plenty of awesome illustrations, though) so needless to say, I was very happy he did. He basically captured exactly what I had conceptualized -- that it's an actual photograph just makes it even better, as the concept is very much abstract but now has an actual physical representation.

The title "Shadows Cast At Dawn" was something that I had floating around in my head for ever. So when I began to work on the album that became the working title. Since I've worked on it for so long, that title has- in a way- effected everything I wrote, so it seemed to fit perfectly by the end.

Is there a special favourite place where you prefer to let your ideas mature? - a kind of soul-flyer place? I know you live in a small, rather idyllic place and not in a vibrant artists' metropolis! Whereby this way of living has advantages as well as disadvantages for an artist, right?

I love forests, oceans and mountains, so I'm pretty much alright with any surroundings, as long as I can escape civilization from time to time. Living out in the countryside allows me to focus, as you pretty much know where to find people, if you're looking for company but at the same time, you know where you are less likely to be found.

Sure, I need to travel a lot more to get anywhere and there aren't as many connections to be made face to face, but digitalization has granted us loners access to that aspect of life from the comfort of our homes, so I'd say it really depends on what you need to stay sane.

With the release of this album, you could now realize one of your dreams. Do we have another sparkler to light? What else do you have in the works? Are there any future plans that float in space? Or do you still carry around another big dream in your head?

I've already started recording for the next album, so fingers crossed that this time it won't take as long. Apart from that, I really want to tour the world, but circumstances aren't exactly ideal for that, at the moment. Apart from the music, I also tattoo and paint and hope to be doing more of that alongside music in the future. So if y'all wanna get some ink, hit me up!

Thanks a lot Nick, for giving us a deeper insight into your solo project and the things that move you! It's been very entertaining having this conversation with you here. We all will keep our eyes upon Nicolas "Scrios" Perrault in anticipation of your success!

Thank you very much, Mel, it's been my pleasure!

Leave Me To The Waves by Nicolas Perrault

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#D&S Debuts #D&S Reviews #D&S Interviews #Nicolas Perrault #Rage of Samedi #Germany #Doom #Sludge #Metal #Mel Lie #Doomed & Stoned

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dustedmagazine · 7 years ago

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Dust Volume 4, Number 10

Underworld and Iggy Pop photo by Rob Ashton Baker

The fall rush of record releases is in full swing, and unopened promos are piling up like leaves on hard drives, kitchen counters and office floors. We’ll never catch up, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying, as Dusted writers crack open the obscure and the celebrated, the familiar and the new to us, the comfortably in our lanes and the way out there. As always this edition of Dust covers a lot of ground, from retro New Orleans R&B to grind to dream pop to some eyebrow raising cross-genre collaborations. There is also a surprising amount of improvised bass music. Contributors this time include Jennifer Kelly, Ian Mathers, Bill Meyer and Jonathan Shaw.

Carlo Ditta — Pass the Hatchet b/w Life in Heaven (Orleans)

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After a lifetime of making other people sound good — as the songwriter for the Mighty Sam McClain, Willie Deville and others and as the long-time proprietor of Orleans records — Carlo Ditta carves out a space in the front for himself in this smoldering R&B single. “Pass the Hatchet” on side A revives a slithery 1966 classic by New Orleans songwriter Earl “Stereo” Stanley Oropeza, with Oropeza himself in tow. The song is a marvel of shimmery swamp guitars, squalling sax and back-slanting swagger, like Andre Williams in a deep ruminative groove. “Life in Heaven” is slower, blearier and more rickety, like a Tom Waits cut lost in the rain. There’s no hurry anywhere in these two sides, no particular urgency in catching your ear, but give it time and a moody magic will take hold, hot, humid and indolent.

Jennifer Kelly

EMA — Outtakes from Exile EP (City Slang)

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As you might expect from an EP of offcuts from a very strong album, only a few of the five tracks on the newest release from Erika M. Anderson are truly essential, but nothing here is really lacking either. And those two tracks are at near opposite ends of the spectrum of EMA’s work; the 20-minute “Breathalyzer Instrumental (EMA Long Cut)” is pretty much what it says on the tin, one-third of an hour worth of the sinister, fuzzed out, gradually shifting drone and clang that underscored one of the highlights of Exile in the Outer Ring. To listeners not into this kind of thing it probably feels indulgent; for the converted, it could easily be doubled or tripled (or just, you know, looped). Whereas “From the Love That We Made,” which Anderson feels strongly enough about to play at recent shows is more distinctly song-like and intensely emotional in a way that links it to everything from Exile opening track “Seven Years” all the way back to Anderson’s “Cherylee” from her years in Gowns. The other three songs here are worthy of being collected (two being fun, darkly electronic tunes and “Anything Good” feeling like a dry run for “Down and Out” from the album with different subject matter) but it’s in those two tracks, one of which it feels like a shame there wasn’t room for on Exile and one which absolutely would not have fit in, that are the best reminders of EMA’s talents.

Ian Mathers

Billy Gomberg — Beginners (Dinzu Artifacts)

Beginners by Billy Gomberg

Billy Gomberg is no beginner. He’s been releasing music of his own and with Fraufraulein, a duo with Anne Guthrie, for nearly a decade. And the sound sources he uses on this tape are familiar ones — electric bass, urban field recordings, synthesizer and hand-manipulated objects. Even so, it feels like something new is happening here. Gomberg’s music has often seemed to stretch away from the listener, luring you to follow it through virtual expanses of space and time. Now it seems closer at hand, the sounds like sunning fish just under a pond’s surface. They’re simultaneously more recognizable and more processed that what he’s played in the past, creating a discreet reality that never quite loses its mystery no matter how often you play it.

Bill Meyer

Brandon Lopez — Quoniam Facta Sum Vilis (Astral Spirits)

quoniam facta sum vilis by Brandon Lopez

One door closes, others open. Barre Phillips, the grand-père of solitary improvised double bass performance, has just closed out a half century of exploration with a final solo CD. In the same year, two musicians young enough to be his grandkids have taken up the gauntlet by releasing albums on Astral Spirits. Luke Stewart’s wasn’t quite solo; he gave his amplifier a co-starring role. But Brandon Lopez’s Quoniam Facta Sum Vilis is full-on mano a contrabass. Each of its eight tracks zeros in on a particular way to attack the instrument. Fittingly, “Vanitas” sounds like it arises from some great sonic depth to ascend to a writing platform. On “Lay,” stark figures blossom and twist like bursts of turbulent cloud erupting from a soon-to-blow volcano. The energy that Lopez expends on each track might give the listener pause. Will he stay in his corner? Will he throw the fight? No, he comes back for another round, and the listener’s the winner.

Bill Meyer

Stefan Neville / Greg Malcolm — A Nuance (Feeding Tube)

A Nuance (2017) by Greg Malcolm + Stefan Neville

Sometimes you can listen to a record and know who engineered or produced it. Steve Albini, Steve Lillywhite, Roy Thomas Baker — these guys have a signature sound or respect for certain kinds of sound that stands out no matter who they’re recording. To that number, add New Zealander Stefan Neville. He’s mostly recorded himself, performing under the name Pumice, and anytime he gets his hands on the two-track he favors a blown-speaker distorted quality that’s unmistakably his own. That sound meets a song selection process that could best be described as “let’s call our favorite tunes and whack ‘em down” on this record, which was mostly recorded live one night in 2015 in Ohope, a surfer’s haven situated on the Bay of Plenty. Research turned up no evidence that Neville, who plays drums, keyboards, and tapes, and Malcolm, a marvelously idiosyncratic guitarist whose aesthetic cherry-picks the best of rock, jazz and the folk musics of the world, caught any waves while making this record. But their treatment of the Klezmer tune “Sirba” evokes mental images of dudes with sidecurls riding their boards right through that hole in your woofer. They aren’t confined to one mode of transportation, though; in their hands “Telstar” becomes an ode to a rocket ship held together by duct tape and the Scottish hornpipe “Banish Misfortune” soundtracks a dogged march through ruins.

Bill Meyer

The Papercuts—Parallel Universe Blues (Slumberland)

Parallel Universe Blues by Papercuts

Jason Quever’s sixth album as Papercuts gets the balance between daydream and muscle right, shoring up his delicate melodies and shimmery guitar textures with drums in a way that much of his work between the stellar Can’t Go Back and now have not. Thus while tremulous organs and feathery fretwork strew glitter dust on tracks like “Mattress on the Floor,” while lush, choral harmonies buttress its wistful wondering, you don’t get lost in the clouds. A swaggering Spector beat punctuates airy “Laughing Man,” underlining the keen ache of its melody and resolutely preventing the cut from evaporating into mist. “Clean Living,” with its strident bowed cello and pounding toms, is even more emphatic, a drifty melancholia anchored to the here and now, and “Walk Backwards” slips a drum-pumping adrenaline into its narcotic haze. Quever’s world maintains its soft, evocative edges—there’s plenty of space for moody contemplation—but runs a through line of rhythmic motion from one end to another of his songs. Always lovely, his songs here are unusually purposeful and gripping.

Jennifer Kelly

Pig Destroyer — Head Cage (Relapse)

Pig Destroyer’s new LP opens with 20 seconds’ worth of Ray Noble and His Orchestra’s “Midnight, Stars and You” (which some listeners will recognize from a certain scene in Kubrick’s The Shining); over the strings, a cultivated English voice, sounding much like Margaret Thatcher, intones, “We will not be held responsible for any hearing impairments or damage caused to you from excessive exposure to this sound.” Then the record proper starts. It’s not a particularly new device, but it’s sort of funny, and it signals something about this record: Pig Destroyer are making music you can enjoy. That’s a big shift. On 2012’s terrific Book Burner, the band distanced themselves from the gratuitous gross-out splatter (and the even grosser misogyny) of earlier records like Terrifyer and Prowler in the Yard. But like that early music, Book Burner was a grindcore record: uncompromising, unrelenting, deeply pissed off. Head Cage varies the sonic palate. There’s still a heavy dose of grind, but there are also hearty portions of death metal, hardcore and even suggestions of slam. That’s not to suggest that the record is incoherent or opportunistic. Pig Destroyer have been at their craft for the better part of two decades, and all that experience shows. Songs this precise and athletic are hard to perform, and harder to compose. In addition to all the pace and volume, Pig Destroyer have discovered a groove: check out the supple bottom end and nigh-danceable riffing of “Army of Cops” and the first minute of “The Adventures of Jason and JR.” There’s even a sort-of love song. Fun may not have been on the agenda when Pig Destroyer were creating these songs, but it’s hard not to have some fun listening to this madly pinballing, energetic album.

Jonathan Shaw

Quietus—Volume Four (Ever/Never)

Volume Four by Quietus

Geoffrey Bankowski makes slow, somnolent, surreal music, employing the usual tools of bedroom recording—hushed voice, lingering tones of guitar and piano, tape hiss—in hypnotic, idiosyncratic patterns. Here, simple melodies course through complex architectures of noise and music. A clarinet soars over clatter and dissonance. Odd, evocative fragments of lyrics drift in and out of focus. It’s a gentle ride, but surreptitiously wild, lulling you into calm, even as it takes you to some very odd places. “Airfield” for instance has a sleepy indie rock surface, all strummy guitar backdrop and whispered fantasies. Still anarchy lurks in the sounds between phrases, muted clashes and hums and booms suggesting a fight in the room down the hall. Likewise “Whisper into Muddy Cloth” slouches into being, a dirty rain of guitar chords pelting slack murmured phrases; it could be home-taped Pavement or nascent Silver Jews. And yet, a scrim of noise obscures whatever’s pop at the core of these songs, grounds them in a lo-fi bank of decomposing organic matter and makes them both realer and harder to grasp than you’d expect.

Jennifer Kelly

Underworld/Iggy Pop — Teatime Dub Encounters EP (Caroline International)

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Other than, er, both appearing on the soundtrack of Trainspotting (the sequel to which was the catalyst to this EP, where soundtrack supervisor Rick Smith met with Iggy Pop and to the latter’s surprise were ready with a portable studio if he was willing to seize the moment…) it’s unclear how much overlap the fan bases of these two titans in their fields actually have, but the unexpectedly winning Teatime Dub Encounters ought to have something for both. “Bells and Circles” immediately establishes the mood, with a clearly whimsical Pop talking about having wings and smoking on airplanes and trying to pick up stewardess while Karl Hyde and opera singer/Smith’s daughter Esme Bronwen-Smith (both in fine voice) coax him into a refrain of “sunlight on my wings” that’s as beatific as anything on Barbara, Barbara We Face a Shining Future. While much of the EP’s material works in that register, with beautifully sculpted productions from Smith given an appealingly ramshackle feel by Pop’s vamping about losing his shirt and being trapped in the suburbs, there’s also the slightly melancholy, surprisingly moving “I’ll See Big,” where Pop reminisces about the nature of friendship and the way life changes relationships. As one element of a more joyous overall work it’s strongly effective, but much of Teatime Dub Encounters suggests neither Underworld nor Iggy Pop need are in any hurry to stop creating.

Ian Mathers

Various Artists — Seed Blunt / AC DC (Gilded Records)

Seed Blunt / AC DC by Vibrating Skull Trio // Packard/Hoogland

When two ensembles share a recording, one hopes to find some shared resonance. You could listen for a while and keep puzzling, but you don’t have to look too far to find the common vibe on this tape. Both sessions were improvised in Chicago, mostly by Chicagoans. Vibrating Skull Trio, which includes drummer Phil Sudderberg, prepared guitar player Eli Namay and clarinetist John McCowen, obtain an electronic-sounding foundation from the latter’s contrabass clarinet. Further pursuing paradox, their music feels patient even when it arises from the collision of agitated actions. Flip the tape and you’ll find a more fractious encounter between Dutch keyboardist Oscar Jan Hoogland and Chicago-based drummer Ryan Packard. Both men bring plenty of electronics into the fray, so that it often sounds like a sound clash between a drum machine and an old radio tuned to somewhere east of Istanbul. Electric sputter gives way to reluctant exchanges of feedback squiggles punctuated by cheap electric key plunks. The two sides of this tape don’t sound like each other, but they jointly make a strong case for not sounding like those who have come before you.

Bill Meyer

Matt Weston—This Is Your Rosemont Horizon (7272 Music)

This Is Your Rosemont Horizon by Matt Weston

Chicagoans of a certain age will get the reference. But for the benefit of everyone else, the Rosemont Horizon was once the name of an arena situated just northeast of O’Hare Airport. Depending on your age and tastes, you might have had your life changed there by Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Taylor Swift or Queen; this writer cherishes memories of a pretty rocking night involving Sonic Youth, Neil Young & Crazy Horse and thousands of pissed-off Neil Young fans. Matt Weston might have been there that night, but this record doesn’t sound like anything you’ve ever heard coming from any stadium PA. People move on, and Weston’s moved into an idiosyncratic extension of INA-GRM electro-acoustic composition filtered through some more contemporary rock and glitch moves. Keyboards dance, needles scratch and bump and monolithic sound walls grow out of the splatter and evaporate in the echoing space of some airport terminal. It’s just the thing for when you don’t want any questions answered.

Bill Meyer

Xylouris White — Mother (Bella Union)

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George Xylouris and Jim White have, for three albums now, shown that their collaboration is among the best places to catch these two supremely talented musicians. Even existing fans of the Xylouris musical dynasty in Greece (George specializing in the lute-like laouto) and White’s drumming with the Dirty Three and Nick Cave’s band might have been surprised at just how much the two have shone together. With Mother, for the first time one of their albums begins with the big bang rather than moving towards it, with the one-two punch of the forbidding “In Media Res” and the incredibly fun “Only Love” beginning things strongly and the album gradually exploring less urgent rhythms until it winds up with a beautiful closing “Lullabye.” About the faintest praise you can damn Mother with is that it’s another excellent, compulsively listenable album from the duo, but whereas 2016’s Black Peak marked a leap forward from their debut, here there’s less of a significant progression than a refinement. And that’s not really a criticism; when you’re as adroit and compelling in conversation as Xylouris White is, it’s hard to hope for much more than many future albums like this.

Ian Mathers

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blackbellband · 3 years ago

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"Destroy Something Beautiful "

Due Credits:

"Every Day is Exactly the Same," "Dancin with the Devil," "Crazy;" Songwriting credit go to Trent Reznor, Demi Lovato, Seal and the rest of their song writing teams.

"The Narrator;" Chuck Palaniuk wrote the story that inspired the song. May we all never be complete, content, or perfect. Once we achieve those, there's nothing else to work towards. We start to die as a human. I wanna live. Not invest my life in meaningless contrivances.

I played drums in addition to the bass, and guitars and vocals.

Mike Loudenback performed guitar duties. His lead playing speaks for itself as it's own voice in our music. I have been incredibly blessed to have had him around as my partner in rhyme for over a decade now. I'm grateful for every opportunity I get to collaborate with one of the finest musicians I've ever known.

Jared Tillford performed the piano, Rhodes, organ and string arrangements. His raw talent with composition pulled influences and colors out of these songs I didn't even know were there. He's incredible as a musician, as my best friend and most importantly, My brother

Thank you both for putting up with my intense levels of anguish and beer drinking, the belches in the mic, and nitpicking and all the other horrible things I did while we were making this.

Mike co-wrote the music with me on our original material. I wrote all lyrics, other than the covers.

He engineered, mixed and mastered the album in its entirety

Jared and Mike collaborated on the album cover

Lastly and most of all, thank you to the listener.

Be strong💪 and love one another ❤

Ash🥷🖖

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rockinmyownboat · 3 years ago

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"DESTROY SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL" album credit;

We always wanna give credit where it's due.

"Every Day is Exactly the Same," "Dancin with the Devil," "Crazy;" Songwriting credits go to Trent Reznor, Demi Lovato and her crew, and Seal. If they ever hear our versions of their songs I hope it does them proud. We arranged and adapted the covers. But we didn't write the music. If you really wanna know who wrote the music for those, Google it.

"The Narrator;" Mike wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics; Chuck Palaniuk wrote the story that inspired the song. May we all never be complete, content, or perfect. Once we achieve those, there's nothing else to work towards. We start to die as a human. I wanna live.

I played drums in addition to the bass, and guitars and vocals. I did a couple lead parts at the beginning of "Destroy Something Beautiful"

Mike Loudenback performed guitar duties. He did half the rhythm guitars and, as always, His lead playing speaks for itself as a voice in our music. I have been incredibly blessed to have had him around as my partner in rhyme for over a decade now. I'm grateful for every opportunity I get to collaborate with one of the finest musicians I've ever known.

Jared Tillford performed the piano, Rhodes and string arrangements. his raw talent with composition pulled influences and colors out of these songs I didn't even know were there. Hes incredible as a musician, as My best friend and most importantly, My bro.

Thank you both for putting up with my intense levels of fuckery and anguish and beer drinking, the belches in the microphone, the puking and canceled sessions, and nitpicking and all the other horrible things I probably did while we were making this. I don't take it for granted that you guys haven't bailed on me yet.

Mike co wrote the music with me on our original material.

Mike engineered, mixed and mastered.

Jared and Mike collaborated on the cover. My concept. Jared took the time to nail the elements into place and Mike completed the last final touches.

Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for helping me get this out.

Lastly and most of all, thank you to our fans, friends and family that continue to listen and support us.

Be strong 💪 and love one another ❤

-ASH 🥷

#BlackBell

#Newalbum22

#DestroySomethingBeautiful

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trevordavies · 4 years ago

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🎧Vanity Press Highlights 1/2🎧 🎉Happy New Year Everyone!🎉 This season is always Memory Lane for me, but in addition today I’m celebrating 10 YEARS since the release of Vanity Press (01/01/2011)! 💍🏁🍾 Hence this made-for-Instagram-audio-post, lol, highlighting some choice moments across the 11 tracks of the album for your swiping pleasure. [Divided in two parts, this is 1min selections from tracks 1-5: 1) Words 2) Nostalgic 3) Vicissitudes 4) (unsubjected) 5) Devil’s Chapter] A decade later, I am thankfully still proud of what we accomplished, and for me the moment also signified many things: stepping out with my own music and name, making things “official” with a first LP, not relying on bands as much/developing my multi-instrumentalism + production, leaving my hometown, etc. I’d like to acknowledge everyone who helped me make the record, because before I left the Island I got to work with some of my favourite people in the area! (In a heavily distorted time) I set out to make an album that was basically super clean, sounded like it was made in the forest and yet didn’t have a lot of acoustic guitar and so avoided the “folk” label so common on the west coast; quiet and personal lyrically but still somehow coming across “rock”... The beautiful, crisp production and natural setting of @woodshoprecordingstudios were a perfect match; @djgreenthumbzz engineered many sessions with me into the night; @malcomowenflood provided much needed assistance; mixing & mastering was performed by @therealzakcohen/@woodshoprecordingstudios; the musicians across the album as a whole included: Dave Klasen 🥁 @abassphill 🎸🎻 @natsponaugle 🎹🎤 @gillysto 🎤 @sarah_deno 🎺🎻 Zak Cohen 🎸; @geeordee designed the cover art and hosted a release show for us. My most sincere thanks goes out to all of you for your focused contributions, as well as everyone else in the Nanaimo music community that supported me at that time. I hope Instagram enjoys listening to my selections, whether it’s memories for you or brand new; and of course the whole thing is available on @bandcamp or your subscription services. Sorry for the chatter... Love you all, here’s to a happy and p https://www.instagram.com/p/CJhbqLMHCcu/?igshid=1tooh7rysxm1j

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whileiamdying · 6 years ago

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Watch Mereba play "Black Truck", "Stay Tru", "Dodging The Devil" and "Kinfolk" at the Tiny Desk. More from NPR Music: Tiny Desk Concerts: https://www.npr.org/tinydesk Twitter: https://twitter.com/nprmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nprmusic Dec 2, 2019 | Rodney Carmichael -- Very few artists get to return to the Tiny Desk, and fewer still return twice in the same year. But after contributing background vocals behind the desk for Dreamville artist Bas in early 2019, we invited Mereba back for a solo set that puts her eclectic, major-label debut The Jungle Is The Only Way Out into sharp focus. "I'm so excited to be here with you guys," she said one song into a set that features the multi-instrumentalist alternating between keys and guitar. "Wow. Dreams coming true." The stripped-down soundscape Mereba achieves live with her four-piece band is equally dreamlike here, drawing from influences as wide-ranging as the many places she's called home (Alabama, Philly, North Carolina, Atlanta, Ethiopia). As she pulls from genres as seemingly disparate as folk, rap and spoken word, her set reflects the years she spent perfecting her craft on live stages in Atlanta cafes and clubs, where she attracted the attention of the indie creative collective Spillage Village (EarthGang, J.I.D, 6lack) before joining them in 2014. But it's under the main spotlight that Mereba shines best, with her gift for lyrical storytelling putting her centerstage where the devil himself couldn't cast doubt on her dreams. SET LIST "Black Truck" "Stay Tru" "Dodging The Devil" "Kinfolk" MUSICIANS Mereba: vocals, guitar; Sam Hoffman: guitar, bass; Chris James: bass; Aisha Gaillard: drums; Olivia Walker: vocals CREDITS Producers: Rodney Carmichael, Bobby Carter, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Tsering Bista, Jack Corbett; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Mhari Shaw/NPR

#IFTTT #YouTube #NPR #in English

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theavengingmusicjournalist · 8 years ago

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Getting Seasoned at The Saint with Avery Mandeville at her EP release show for “Salty”

Photo Credit: Ali Nugent, local photographer upon the Jersey Shore

It was one of those hot summer Thursdays at Inkwell’s open-mic night when I heard a special voice, a familiar face, someone who would become a new friend. The air was cool without the blazing summer sun, and the outdoor patio was sprawled with chairs slouched in by dutch coffee drinkers and music lovers. Stuffing a bus bucket as full as possible, I found myself caught by the thick, beautiful, raspy singing voice behind me. Turning my head to see who was singing, stood 22-year-old folk musician Avery Mandeville, performing her beloved song, “No More D*ck Pix.” My memory proceeds me, but I bet she had on some amazing polka-dot pants, with her red curls, usually swimming uptop her shoulders, tied up in a bun instead.

I remember how stoked I was. Jumping up and down, roaring something like, “Rock n’roll, Avery,” the song stuck to me like my shirt had running from table to table, and in that moment I really saw the musician Mandeville is and the talent she prospers in. I felt so connected and grooved by her musical creation. This feeling came on swimming back as though that night this Fri. Feb. 3 at The Saint in Asbury Park for the talented folk-musician’ s release show for her EP Salty.

“Orgasmic," said Mandeville, explaining how the release show felt, “I’ve been smiling nonstop since 6pm. I don’t think I will ever experience something like this again," continued Mandeville.

Having just watched Mandeville rock an incredibly packed venue for the first time with her full band counterparts called, “The Man Devils,” I was more than happy and confident to tell Mandeville that she will definitely experience more nights like this in her music career.

The Saint, as packed as it was, was overwhelmed with family, friends, friends of friends, and friends of family. The night was a true celebration of Avery Mandeville and her art and that love could not have shined through more. In fact, it was her father, John Mandeville's, birthday—I met him in front of the stage, during his daughter’s set and we shook hands. A father so proud, I don’t think he had stopped smiling all evening either.

Shirts were taken off, wigs were given to the crowd, tads of moshing happened, and Matt Fernicola, who hosts Thursday open-mic nights with Mandeville herself, while also encapsulating quite the musical talent, ripped on the guitar up on stage behind his partner in crime. A gorgeous image of what family looks like in the music community in and around Asbury Park was displayed in one space.

In finale, Mandeville ended the night with “No D*ck Pix,” only to be cheered back on for an encore. Fernicola turning back, looked to 25-year-old Joey Henderson, The Saint’s audio engineer, and the band rocked on for one more song before saying good night.

“I started recording in August,” said Mandeville, “but the songs were written for over six years.”

Isn’t that amazing? Imagine the amount of personal history and heart each one of the five songs from Salty holds? I think it is beautiful that music and lyrics can reflect something, a piece of one’s life, but also be performed and relived in each performance.

Anna Rauso, Mandeville’s best friend, was front row with her sister and one of the two brothers of The Lords of Liechenstein, Noah Rauchwerk. “That’s my best friend,” said Rauso to the singing crowd. In that moment, I wonder what it felt like to hear those songs as the best friends of Mandeville, to feel and know the history behind songs curated and developed over a six year period. It’s just a special sort of thing to note—how human connection inspires creation, ex-partners, and also brings it comfort, Rauso and Rauchwerk.

One of the band members, 28-year-old guitarist, Riley Schiro, said it was truly an honor to play with Mandeville. Schiro says he has always been a fan of Avery and her music, having always had the opportunity to see her at open-mic nights.

“Avery called me up last week and asked if I wanted to play the show,” said Schiro, “She sent me the songs—I listened to them all week and we rocked it!”

Brilliantly enough, Mandeville who normally plays solo, plans continuing performances with the full band, having said, “I want to play with these guys more often now.”

Congratulations, Avery. I am incredibly happy for you.

The night’s acts also included The Lords of Liechenstein, Ashley McKinley, and The Mercury Brothers! Check out all these amazing artists, but be sure to take a good listen to The Lords of Liechenstein’s new record, Downhill Ride to Joyland and of course do not forget to experience Avery Mandeville’s Salty EP today.

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celebritylive · 6 years ago

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One of the most iconic bars in one of the most iconic venues in the country? We can’t think of a better place to sit down and chat with Nashville-based rockers The Cadillac Three. On the tail end of their Country Fuzz tour, PEOPLE caught up with Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray and Neil Mason before their second night at The Troubadour in Los Angeles to discuss touring, writing their upcoming album – and whether or not Garth Brooks lost their phone number.

RELATED GALLERY: On the Road with The Cadillac Three: The Southern Rock Trio Share Their Top Tour Must-Haves

How’s everything going on tour so far? Still having fun?

JJ: It’s good! We took a little bit of time off in October, so we got a little bit of rejuvenation to get us through the end of the tunnel.

What’s a tour trick or ritual that keeps you guys moving?

JJ: Oh man. Keep the wheels greased and the engine clean, baby. Get up, try and try to train.

KR: Sweat out the booze from the night before and then try a little exercise while we work a lot in there.

JJ: We write songs and record most of them on the road on the way in a studio in the back of our bus. And so we kind of get out. We spent a lot of that time downtime being creative. It’s a good way to pass the time. We’re writing the next record.

So you guys think you get most inspired on the road?

JJ: Yeah. Life moments. Most of the songs, if you think about them, are things are about what’s happening to us on the road or what’s happening with us at home or who got drunk last night. It’s probably why there’s so many drinking songs.

You guys have any favorites off the upcoming record?

JJ: “Whiskey and Smoke” is great.

KR: The jam is kind of new and funky for us. It’s a lot of fun to be able to play.

JJ: Yeah, throwing a little bit of that kind of feel into our music now. It’s a lot of fun to play live the funkier stuff, you know? But yeah man, I like it all. S—.

So now that we’re onto the fourth studio album, what’s changed in your writing process? Do you feel a sense of growth?

JJ: We’re throwing a lot of dark, original references and influences. We’ve known each other since we were kids, you know, grew up together, went to high school. And so we’re pulling from a lot of years of doing this on the road. And then a lot of what we grew up learning how to play. We’re constantly challenging each other to be better players and better writers, too. That’s helping a lot as far as us not getting stagnant and not doing the same record over and over again. And this record, we kind of went back to our roots, of how we started recording our records.

It’s a lot of fun to, you know, it’s like f—ing Legos — you’re making a record like that and then you can see what you got and you can see what you need. And so we went back to that mindset of making records and not bringing in a bunch of extra cooks in the kitchen. I think has helped us get back to what we were. And we’re also better at it now, so the records are sounding better too.

RELATED: The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston on the Trio’s Legacy — and Why Keith Urban’s Friendship Is Slightly Terrifying

So fill me in on “country fuzz,” what does that phrase mean?

JJ: Well, we’re not Southern rock. I think we’re a hybrid of that and country and metal. And so the two things that kind of made sense from the beginning of it were like, people would ask us what we sound like and one guy in Germany or something said it sounds like Sabbath and cornbread. We need to come up with a term or saying like that, and country fuzz just kind of made sense. I mean all my pedal boards — it’s just laced with fuzz post expression pedals and then the studio, there’s all that s—. And the songwriting comes from a genuine love of story song — the lyrics. You know, growing up, listening to Garth Brooks and Hank Williams, Jr and s— like that, but also the talent of Skynyrd, you throw all that in a blender and here we are.

KR: That’s country fuzz.

One of the big things I’m noticing now are all the country-hybrid bands and musicians. You’re seeing a lot of rock and punk guys moving into these genres. Even Chris who’s opening you show. Do you think the country genre is more approachable for storytelling?

JJ: Yeah, it’s interesting. That is an interesting thing that you said that. I love bands like Lucero and f—ing, you know, The Devil Makes Three and all these kinds of bands that are doing more along the punk version of the like, Hank 3 version of country. What’s great about talking music is there’s so many different parts of it, you know what I mean?

KR: Oh, it’s always boiled down to the lyrics too, and the storytelling. So I think it’s a natural way for the bands that have gravitated towards that style of music because it really does — when it comes down to it — come down to the storytelling, and you get more than any other genre. They grow, biggest rock and roll motherf—er out there wants to be Hank Williams, Jr., no matter what. He’s a rockstar. And he’s doing it like he wants to do it. It’s that outlaw mentality. There’s part of country that has this outlaw thing that all the rockers can’t even be as badass as, so they want to go that route. You know what I mean? You got f—ing rappers doing it now.

Who’s a dream tour partner for you guys?

JJ: Well, Tom Petty died so I don’t know. I really don’t. He was always the answer for that one. We want to do another tour with ZZ Top before they hang it up, because we love those guys and that’s how we started too, with those guys. I mean I’d love to do like … Foo Fighters is a great example. Like some of our favorite rock bands. It’d be fun to do that kind of thing. We keep waiting on Garth Brooks to call. His phone must have lost my number or something. Not getting that call soon.

The Cadillac Three’s next album, Country Fuzz, will be released Feb. 7, 2020.

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doomedandstoned · 5 years ago

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Oakland Doomy Bluesers Phantom Hound Roar ‘Cross The ‘Mountain Pass’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Album Art by Molly Stetson & Heather Hughes

I live not far from the railroad and there's something very comforting about hearing a train roll in. It's appropriate that the might and roar of that metallic convoy be responsible for opening the new record from PHANTOM HOUND.

We met them some years back, when the Oakland doom and power blues trio dropped, 'Phantom Hound' (2016), their debut EP. Now Jake Navarra (guitar, vox), Stephen Rogers (bass guitar), and Jack Stiles (drums) are back with a full-length: 'Mountain Pass' (2020). The new spin showcases a sound that's genuinely enticing, much like Guns 'n' Roses' Appetite For Destruction was when I first heard it at age 12 (the first cassette I had to buy clandestinely from my parents).

The riffmaking, from leads to solos, is strong with Mountain Pass, driving each track forward like a mighty engine, from the rush of an opener "The Northern Face" to the grinding blueser "Thunder I Am," the chugging pistons of "Irons In The Fire," and the Matt Pike-like filigrees of "The Southern Face."

Jake's powerful pipes fall somewhere in between Chris Cornell's soaring medium range, the raspy grit of Finnish vocalist Olli Suurmunne (Kaiser, Altar of Betelgeuze), and the commanding force of Australia's Chris Fisher (Field, Lamassu).

You ain't gonna bring me down You ain't gonna bleed me out You ain't gonna kill me now You ain't gonna snuff me out

In fact, if you liked Kaiser's '1st Sound' (2018), this would make a very nice companion.

A pleasant acoustic interlude, "Grace of an Angel" gives us a rest stop from the treacherous uphill journey, leading to the album's expansive namesake track and a very overcast second-half. "Devil Blues" is quite effective in conjuring the rough terrain of the California mountains and the sense of aloneness one feels when traveling deep into the wild.

Steady return into the dark Dealing again my hand the card A whisper, a spark, and a flame Has bitten me again Killing me again the same

We've now travelled from "The Northern Face" to meet "The Southern Face," the Mountain Pass closer. It's a doomy one for sure, though the intrepid tempo gives the sense of determination that this journey will be finished.

"Overall this record is about survival and living for every moment," the band told Doomed & Stoned. "A gritty reflection on what is required to actually live your life rather than be a slave to it."

And now, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to bring you the premiere of Mountain Pass by Phantom Hound, ahead of its wide release on Saturday, March 28th (pre-order here).

Give ear...

Mountain Pass by Phantom Hound

Track By Track: A Listener's Guide to Mountain Pass

We asked the guys to give us a walk-through of each number on Phantom Hound's new album. We got more than we expected and are delighted to share this in-depth breakdown with you from frontman Jake Navarra.

The Northern Face

This song started off early writing sessions for the record as a new riff when I bought a new Jazzmaster not long after that Rob Zombie show. The riff was written hours before my first audition in two years as something aggressive and impressive to take to them. The guys I jammed with didn't get the vision and we didn't click in general so I put it in my back pocket. I brought it home and kept working on it though. My love of all things Alice in Chains carved this track out to serve as our "Them Bones" This main riff would later serve me again on a second song "The Southern Face" I used the main riff from "The Northern Face" as a bridge riff after the second chorus outro in "The Southern Face" but since the song is in B-Standard on the Baritone guitar its nearly unnoticeable. The songs became the beginning and the end of the record pretty early on. Lyrically the song serves as a cry of raw life. The idea being that, we are born into this world and its a fight to stay here. Climbing the northern face is a metaphor for the listener to be the train that has set off to see its railroad completed. (Drop D)

Thunder I Am

I grew up watching old westerns with my grandpa and my old man. There's nobody that doesn't relate to Clint Eastwood's characters and this songs a direct tip of the hat to the attitude portrayed in nearly all of his films. Thunder I Am is essentially that sense of justice that will always rain down. The song wrote itself when I first plugged this guitar into my Orange. Heavily inspired by Down and Soudgarden. (B Standard)

Irons in the Fire

This song directly reflects a love for Down & Pantera. Lyrically a direct reflection on how hard our members work on a daily basis and what it takes to make a band happen these days with all the different DIY elements band members have to juggle. We can never loose faith in ourselves or let the idea of a dream die out. We simply have to stoke the fire and keep it burning at all times. We put some southern style groove at the end of this song to pay homage to some dime style breakdown riffing. (B Standard)

You Don't Know Death

This song was written during The Ether era. How it survived is beyond me. It's tough, fast, and sharp as a dagger so maybe that helped. Lyrically a reflection on the overwhelming amount of death worship. I don't feel like a lot of bands really know what they're talking about sometimes but I was also much younger when I wrote it and far more angsty. I was craving diversity from metal at the time. I simply want life to be valued at its core. Perhaps the opposite of how it sounds I guess. (Drop C Standard)

Grace of an Angel

Throughout 2018 my step mother battled liver cirrhosis. She turned 67 on Dec 11th and passed away two days after Christmas on Dec 27th. She was in my life for 20 of my 30 years and was nothing short of an angel. She brought children into this world for over 30 years in the medical industry working as an RN for Kaiser Permanente. She never drank, smoked, or swore. She retired around the age of 64 and almost instantly got sick. She did her part for a transplant but was denied a liver through the waiting list. It was the single most painful experience of my life as I was there through the end holding her hand and looking after my old man as we all watched helplessly on the wayside. During her pain and suffering she never lost her integrity and showed more strength in her final hours than I think anybody could truly understand. People leave this world in many different ways but she did it as gracefully as only an angel could. I wrote this only weeks before the end. Steve is playing a Fender Rhodes and Jack added some light drums on it. I did more takes of this than any other track on the record. (Drop C)

Mountain Pass

This song started off during the years I walked away from music as the only thing I would play on my only instrument which was the acoustic that I kept. Occasionally I thought of a record that could capture the sound I always wanted to make combining heavy influences and trying to really make a grand opus. Something long and stoneresque calling on some Matt Pike meets Jerry Cantrell riffage. As the years went by and the idea for this record started to form it really honestly felt like we were struggling at every turn to see this record through. Life changes, career changes, the economy, the price of living, the music industry. Its been a struggle for many. This song is an anthem to all of the blue collar workers and dream of the builders putting one foot in front of the other to see their journey through. We have to set examples sometimes or nothing will change. (Drop C)

Devil Blues

This song is tip of the hat to The Blues. When I started playing guitar again I decided to play with a fire and make sure above all else that we were having fun in this band and having fun at our shows. Life is incredibly short and that's all there is to it. This song is about giving into The Blues and letting that feeling live inside you and remind you to stay out late, spend the extra money, go look at the stars, and jump into the ocean. (B Standard)

The Southern Face

The journey ends here. We've fought, we've struggled, we've survived the perilous journey of life and you're all the stronger and wiser for it. a reminder that you did it with your own two hands, your wit, and that not everybody made it. It's not a perfect story and it didn't work out well for everybody. We took losses and we made gains. And when you're done its time to reflect and count your blessings. This song is a steep descent into a smooth arrival back at the destination you set out to reach. This song wraps up the story entirely and leaves a sneak peak for what's to come. You can hear Steve's wizardry as his psychedelia morphs into a trance-like sense of closure and clarity until the train drops you off and carries on. (B Standard)

Wrong Turns & Second Chances: Interview with Phantom Hound

Every band has an origin story. Sometimes if you dig a little beyond the surface and get to know the musicians behind the music, their stories become surprisingly relatable. As Doomed & Stoned is all about both the music and the stories of the heavy underground, we were curious to know more about a lesser known band with a huge sound and grand ideas called Phantom Hound. We got the scoop from frontman Jake Navarra.

The Beginning

We formed in 2013 under the name Hound. Keith Hernandez (bass and engineer) and Dominic Torres (drums) did The Ether EP with me but not long after we recorded and started mixing I got into a motorcycle accident at the end of 2014 and decided to walk away from music altogether. I had been playing music for 10 years at this point and in part of the collapse of my previous band Cast Iron Crow and the continued struggle to keep a band going in general felt that my time as a musician was done. I fucked up my right shoulder and tore my ACL in the crash, had to get reconstructive surgery on my knee, and learn how to use my left leg all over again during recovery.

Because of this and the inability to play any instrument at all I sold off all of my gear except for my acoustic guitar in order to help pay my bills and for nearly two years never looked back. It was in summer of 2016 that I found myself with some free tickets for Rob Zombie. I took my older brother out to see him as we grew up listening to White Zombie and Rob Zombie from all the old Twisted Metal video games growing up. There was a brief moment when John 5 came out on stage at the beginning of House of 1000 Corpses.

The stage went dark and a spotlight came down upon him and he had this glow in the dark Telecaster with the TV screen in between the pickups while an old horror movie was playing on it and had the whole arena at his attention with that ominous riff. My brother elbowed me and said "You're telling me you don't wanna do that anymore? That doesn't look fun to you?" a light bulb went off that night and I called Kieth Hernandez a few days later to dust off The Ether mixes and we spent the fall dialing it in and finishing what we started. I ended up getting introduced to Oz Fritz who's worked with Les Claypool in the past and has some ties in the East Bay Area. I released it digitally that Christmas as a present to close friends and family.

The Rebirth

At the start of 2017, I wanted to really get back into playing again and struggled for some time to secure a lineup. I had two line ups of close friends help me get the ball rolling and things were off to a slow start for a while as we only had the EP material which was written on a Fender Jazzmaster. In the early months of 2017 I acquired a guitar that changed everything. The Hagstrom Viking Baritone. As soon as I plugged this guitar into my amp "Thunder I Am" was the first thing that came back out of it. "Devil Blues" was second and "The Southern Face" was the third. These three songs became the basis for what would become Mountain Pass and for a year-and-a-half my renewed interest in guitar and the blues pumped new life into the band. We played two shows this year and survived only by a slow pulse.

Paths Converge

It wasn't until I met Jack Stiles (drums) in March of 2018 through craigslist and that things got serious. He was the first person in 5 years that was as motivated as myself about the project and we set out to overhaul the band immediately. Jack (44) is a business owner of 10+ years, married, and a father of two little ones with more energy than most people my age (30). Jack has been a drummer for less than 5 years and a bass player of 20+. From sheer motivation he's answered the call and taken every challenge I've thrown his way. Jack strictly plays Ludwig classics and has shaped his playing around the hooks and rhythms these songs call for. A general love for all things music he's been one of the single most important musicians to ever share the stage with.

Through Jack we met Steve Rogers (bass) a few months later in June of 2018. Steve is a guy as casual as they come. (43) 100% Irish. Here's a guy who backpacked the John Muir trail in 8 days and shrugs his shoulders over his accomplishment when you bring it up. An established sound engineer with Dolby in San Francisco he's one of the friendliest people I've ever met. At the time he was pretty upset with his previous audition with some other band because they told him he didn't have the right image. Their loss, our gain. Steve's unwavering dedication to his bass tone filled a huge gap in our sound and with his Ampeg SVT and Music Man offers a brutal low end I didn't realize these songs couldn't benefit so much from. During the recording sessions Jack and I marveled at his ability to convey how these songs should expand with our engineer Chris Hughes. His sense of temp and atmosphere is responsible for all of the psychedelia and the keys hidden in 'Mountain Pass" and "Grace of an Angel."

Phantom Hound, Jake Navarra, and Mountain Pass

In late summer of 2018, the three of us went straight to work. At this time the name "Hound" had become convoluted and our music simply couldn't be found. After much deliberation and research we expanded the name to Phantom Hound. Symbolically this further represented the folklore surrounding the concept of why I chose "Hound" in the first place. Everything from Hell Hounds of the south capturing elements of The Blues, Black Shuck 's and Phantom Hounds of the UK and America to the mighty Cerberus going all the way back to Greek mythology. The Phantom Hound is essentially a guide/gatekeeper between worlds of the living and the spiritual underworld. We felt this helped us fully mature into our sound as were a bit of a mutt ourselves in the sense that we don't particularly fit in anywhere but get by everywhere so far.

As the main guitar player, vocalist, and songwriter it is my primary goal to try and compose records with expansive styles highlighting what the guitar can offer a listener. My own personal inspiration comes a lot from the classic rock I grew up on as a kid like so many, Seattle grunge, Mississippi and Chicago Blues, NOLA sludge, Italian and East Coast Jazz, Californian desert and stoner rock, and even the eclectic resurgence of all things metal in the local Oakland scene.

After rebuilding throughout the summer of 2018 on what had now become the 4th lineup of the band and the 1st lineup of Phantom Hound we came back up for air renewed and rebranded. We spent the winter of 2018/2019 performing, writing, shaping, and designing our brand. Our love for westerns, camping, backpacking, and history brought us to the Theme of "Mountain Pass," which is a loose concept record comparing one's personal journey through adulthood and all of the challenges one faces during those years to construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. In its essence: A perilous journey inward and mission for oneself to see through to its completion.

Producing Mountain Pass

2019 was the biggest year for us by far. We went into the studio with my friend Chris Hughes in May. About 10 years earlier I met him through an old friend back in college down in southern California. During that moment in time I was discovering Sleep's Jerusalem and was so stoked on Sleep I gave it to this transplant from Denver who wanted to get his hands on anything heavy and stoner metal related. Life went on and I didn't see him again for 10 years. During that time he continued to date and eventually marry an old friend of mine from High School and pursue audio engineering up here in the Bay Area at Expressions.

Somewhere along his journey, Chris got connected with the boys in the South Bay in KOOK and they hired him to produce their first album "Kook" and again their follow up "Kook II". This time however and the reason I mention this part of the story is that KOOK is well acquainted with Billy Anderson who came down from Oregon as the executive producer on the follow up record. Chris was able to shadow Billy in these sessions and learn and assist with much of the engineering on this record.

So after not seeing Chris or my old friend Heather we bumped into each other at Bevmo here downtown in Oakland to buy some beer. We instantly caught up having one hell of a laugh that after all these years the chance encounter we had over Sleep led him to working alongside Billy Anderson himself. With Chris fresh off the sessions of Kook II and Phantom Hound locked and loaded with Mountain Pass, everything lined up right and we went into the studio together at Airship Laboratories in Richmond, California and recorded nearly everything but the vocals in the same room Metallica recorded S&M and had a blast combining all our knowledge together and reconnecting as friends.

Chris Hughes took our record to extraordinary levels and our songs gave him a solid platform to apply his newly acquired skill sets on. We continued to perform all throughout the year with as many bands around town as possible as we built our relationships and earned a place here in town. In September of 2019 through Chris Hughes we were introduced to Jeff Wilson from Kook, Heavy San Jose, and Glory or Death Records and got on the bill for his annual Beers in Hell event. This was single handedly the most important gig of the year for us last year as we got to play with tons of killer bands and open for Hippie Death Cult, Kook, Disastroid, Holy Grove, and High Tone Son of a Bitch (which included Billy Anderson on Bass that night). We then played again with Hippie Death Cult in Pacifica a few weeks later and hit it off as friends.

Mastering Mountain Pass

After mixing was completed and our shows for September were wrapped up, we took off into Nevada City to reconnect with Oz Fritz at Ancient Wave Studios. This place is located down a long dirt road deep in the woods of Gold Country. A perfect relaxing place to kick back and watch the record come to life. Oz Fritz worked with me on The Ether EP. He's worked on Primus's Antipop, several Tom Waits records, and Miles Davis to name a few. Oz is straight to the point and gets down to business quick. He was stoked on the variety of the songs he was working with and added a great layer of warmth that comes through the best on vinyl as we've heard with our test pressings. There is a photo attached of us at Ancient Wave with him working his magic. He was once asked by Tom Waits "This mix sounds great but...it needs more brown" and so he figured it out.

The Northern Face Music Video Shoot

In October, we took off to Soda Springs and rented a cabin during filming for the music video. As I mentioned above we filmed in a historical landmark. You can see us at the entrance of Tunnel #6. If you look Closely you can see the scars on the granite as if the black powder and dynamite just blew it up yesterday. The town behind me on the cliff is Truckee and the lake below is Donner Lake. It is my goal to bring our listeners into the outdoors and feel the dirt in their hands and the smell of the woods.

Tragedy nearly took place though as after we finished filming all day on Saturday and celebrating all night Saturday night. What we thought were minor electrical issues with the house itself turned out to be a near fatal one when an electrical short in the gas fireplace sparked around 3AM. The fireplace caught fire thus lighting the outside of the house and chimney on fire proceeding to fill the house with smoke while 9 of us were fast asleep.

At 3:30 AM the smoke alarms went off like a symphony and we scrambled to find the source only to quickly determine that the fireplace was the problem. Black smoke poured out everywhere from behind the fireplace and we used two fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the flames. What we didn't know and couldn't see was that the fire crept up all the way through the chimney in between the interior and exterior of the chimney. And just like that, within 10 minutes we started evacuating the house and helping each other clear the place out of our belongings, instruments, film equipment, and vehicles. The Truckee Fire Department came out and went to work and kicked ass on the fire while we assisted with information on how the fire and extending the hoses until reinforcement arrived.

In the end we all got out ok and luckily nobody had to go to the hospital. We all got smoked out pretty bad and were pretty shaken up. It was the real deal 100%. That house was on its way to burning down the house. That's the story behind the home footage at the end. If you look closely the entire house is billowing with smoke. We were all fast asleep about 40 minutes before that was filmed.

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riffrelevant · 6 years ago

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Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor

It is 1993 in El Paso, Texas when a pair of sibling musicians, Eddy and Danny Garcia, seek to form a band that is “loud and aggressive in ferocity, and heavy in punk and metal elements”.

Adopting the name Back Door Cyclops, with Eddy playing guitar and Danny on drums, the pair are soon joined by bassist Mat Lynch and vocalist David “Loco Pelon” McNutt. As the story goes however, after a trip to a brothel in Mexico where McNutt contracts gonorrhea, which he describes feeling as if he were “pissing razors”, the band quickly resettles itself under the inspired name of PISSING RAZORS.

The band are soon playing the local venue circuit in El Paso and the surrounding areas where they hammer it out in the trenches, the proving grounds where bands hone their metal. Around 1995, David McNutt leaves the band and new vocalist Joe Rodriguez comes on board but there are other changes looming for PISSING RAZORS as drummer Danny Garcia decides to move out of Texas altogether. Eddy Garcia takes the opportunity to switch from playing guitar to drums while Mat Lynch, following Eddy’s instrument switching lead, moves from the bass to playing guitar.

These moves allow a former bandmate of Rodriguez’s, guitarist Rick Valles, to join the band in the now open bassist slot (talk about a case of musical chairs). With PISSING RAZORS new line up of Garcia, Lynch, Rodriguez, and Valles in place, the quartet begin working on material that will eventually become the contents of the band’s début album.

It arrives in 1996 when PISSING RAZORS independently release their full-length introduction to the masses, the oh-so appropriately titled ‘Psycho Punko Metal Groove‘. The album captures what the foursome are all about – powerfully delivered, aggressive groove metal with plenty of attitude and unbridled ferocity. Now, with music officially released, the band begins seeking a record label home, sending out the album and other demos to labels all over the place, and in time, they sign with the Germany/U.S.-based Noise Records.

PISSING RAZORS (Mid-90s Era)

PISSING RAZORS would remain with Noise Records for several years, releasing three more studio albums while there: 1998’s self-titled ‘Pissing Razors‘, 1999’s ‘Cast Down The Plague‘, and 2000’s ‘Fields Of Disbelief‘. Prior to their release of the third album in 2000, after the band’s first major tour, guitarist Mat Lynch decides to exit PISSING RAZORS, citing that the band’s financial situation had not improved since joining the Noise Records roster. Lynch’s then-guitar tech, Cesar “Achmex” Soto, steps into the opening left by Matt’s departure, where he then contributes to the songwriting process for the ‘Fields Of Disbelief‘ album.

Not long after that album’s release, Joe Rodriguez would be the next to leave, also citing financial difficulties. Enter vocalist Jason “Dewey” Bragg (Kill Devil Hill, Smoke Hollow, Years Of Cold) at a point where PISSING RAZORS had grown disillusioned with Noise Records, thus further changes were afoot.

However, those changes would not deter PISSING RAZORS and in 2001, the band delivered the phenomenal ‘Where We Come From‘ album via their new label residence, Spitfire Records. Many consider this to be the group’s “breakthrough” recording, the right album at the right time, if you will, yet the band behind it had more alterations in store. Despite his short time there, Jason “Dewey” Bragg is soon leaving as well, after he and the other band members apparently conflicted with one another while out on tour for this release.

Bragg was quickly replaced by Andre Acosta, a local vocalist from El Paso who had not worked with any signed, professional bands nor had any touring experience. Outsiders questioned the move as PISSING RAZORS had become a recognized, established act at that point and could easily attract talent on the same level as themselves. Either way, the band would theoretically “test” Acosta, trying him out by means of a faux “live” recording of their material that arrived as 2002’s Spitfire Records release, ‘Live In The Devil’s Triangle‘. Its’ title inspired by the nickname for the area where Eddy Garcia grew up, the album was actually recorded in the same studio that the band’s first, unsigned release was recorded in, with a few close friends providing the “live crowd” sounds.

It was not long before, once again, a member abruptly quit the band citing financial difficulties, as Cesar “Achmex” Soto was the next to leave. Eddy and Rick were able to recruit guitarist Matt Difabio as Soto’s replacement while the band continued to work on material for their next studio album, all while financial issues continued to plague the musicians. Each of them was working part-time or seasonal jobs when not on tour, but managed to pull things together for a fourth full-length studio record.

‘Evolution‘ was released through Spitfire in 2003, and contained songwriting contributions from Difabio and Acosta both. That year also marked PISSING RAZORS‘ ten year anniversary as a band so, following the album release, they scheduled a short touring run to celebrate both events. Unfortunately, shows at each stop on the tour sold only a fraction of the tickets available, reflecting a drastic drop in attendance for the band. This would be the final straw for PISSING RAZORS who quietly disbanded in 2004.

Over the next decade, various members from differing incarnations of PISSING RAZORS would pursue other band endeavors including Ministry, Snail, Single Bullet Theory, 3 Headed Snake, and Kill Devil Hill, to name a few. In that time, the legacy of PISSING RAZORS only grew as new fans discovered the then-defunct band and old fans pined for their return.

Fast forward to 2014 when founding members Eddy Garcia and Mat Lynch, along with vocalist Joe Rodriguez, began discussing plans to reunite. However, none of the previous bassists for PISSING RAZORS could participate so new blood was brought in, Geo Gomez. Despite social media announcements of the band’s reactivation, not much else occurred… at that time, anyway. But, just this past week, like a bolt out of the blue, PISSING RAZORS declared their return was indeed solid, and they shared new music to substantiate this.

PISSING RAZORS have signed with Art Is War Records (AIW) and will return with a new studio album in 2019. To properly tease this fact, the band have unleashed a brand new single, “Crushing Grip“, accompanied by a lyric video. The song was engineered by Eddy Garcia and PISSING RAZORS, while mixed and mastered by Chris Collier.

Yes, make no mistake… PISSING RAZORS have returned and they are just as aggressive and fiercely caustic as ever before!

Guitarist Mat Lynch and drummer Eddy Garcia jointly released the following statement:

“Pissing Razors is very excited to officially be joining the ranks of the Art Is War Records. We look forward to a long and prosperous musical journey together. AIW is the perfect choice for us to work with in releasing our long awaited new material. The world will see a return to our early heavy groove, punk infused metal roots people know us best for.“

With that, Art Is War Records CEO Lucas Joyner adds:

“Having [Pissing] Razors join the label has been in the works since the start, myself and Steev from Skinlab worked hard to make sure a home for the El Paso, Texas legends was here and nowhere else then at Art is War Records! We will be ready to unleash the beast in 2019.”

Needless to say, excitement about the return of these monstrous groove metal generators is building and Riff Relevant will bring you all further developments as they happen. Here’s to the next phase of these mighty metallic warriors, the unbeatable PISSING RAZORS!

In closing, PISSING RAZORS have confirmed two live shows set for February including a signing event for the new single. These shows are:

Sat. February 2nd @ Bond’s Rock Bar, San Antonio, TX [info] Sat. February 23rd @ Rockhouse Bar & Grill, El Paso, TX – Release/Signing Show [info]

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Oldschool Sunday: PISSING RAZORS [New Music Arrives Via ‘Crushing Grip’] Article By: Pat 'Riot' Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor It is 1993 in El Paso, Texas when a pair of sibling musicians, …

#2019 #Album Art #Art Is War Records #Chris Collier #Groove Metal #Metal #Oldschool Sunday #Pissing Razors #Streaming #Texas #Thrash

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