OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – “Tennessee Pusher” CD ’08 (Nettwerk , US) – It’s a funny thing, this music writing gig. One of the things that always gets me, surprises me every time is when it brings me up short. What I mean is, just when I start getting cocky, think I know a little something, I get hit with a great band and find out they’re already on their 3rd album. Yeah, I guess Ray was sleeping for the first 2. One of the reasons, I like to tell myself, is that I’m into a myriad styles: metal, hard rock, punk, Celtic, bluegrass, prog…. Who could keep up with all that, right? Fact is, nobody can catch everything, even with the Internet. While that may be an occasional blow to my ego (aw, poor Ray!) it’s also great to find out about a band I had no idea existed. Enter OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, from Nashville TN. Yes, “Tennessee Pusher” is their 3rd album and while it may be the first of their’s I’ve heard, it won’t be the last. Referred to by their own producer as “The Clash of bluegrass,” they actually live up to that name on this release. Coming straight out of the gate with “Alabama High-Test,” these guys rev up as much (if not more) energy with guitar, banjo & fiddle than many a punk band has done with a banged-up Tele and Hi-Watt. By turn, OCMS can also send things down dark and solemn roads, as the title cut and “Highway Halo” prove, all laced with black, dusty hats and veiled references to rusty railroad lines. Yes, much as The Clash were at their best when fueling the raw fire of punk with the verve of reggae, so OCMS deftly brings together that same rebellious spirit with the musical spark of bluegrass and the lyrical wit of The Boss. Nice. BOSS-LEVEL GRASS
http://www.crowmedicine.com/
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – “The ’59 Sound” CD ’08 (Side One Dummy, US) – And, for Part Two of this edition of “Something-Way-Cool-Sneaking-Up-On-Know-It-All-Ray-And-Biting-Him-On-The-Ass,” we come to the 3rd release (and 2nd full-length one) by New Jersey’s scintillating GASLIGHT ANTHEM. Hailing from New Brunswick NJ, this quartet could slip mid-genre into something between indie rock and the Asbury Park sound, with Classic Rock’s description as a cross between Bruce S. and The Replacements as apt as any…and yet…. There is something more, much more, to these guys, something that makes me keep spinning this sucker more and more and that something is songs with hooks as sharp as a newly-stropped blade. Just listen to opener “Great Expectations” and see if you can get that chorus out of your head. When singer/guitarist Brian Fallon belts out “And I saw tail lights, last night, in a dream about my first wife,” I’m pounding the dashboard as visions of Seven Nations’ Kirk McLeod and songwriting on that very high level flash through my head. Simply put, THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM can sing about anything from old white Lincolns to Miles Davis to cowgirls and the results are the same: pure gold. KICK-ASS GAS
http://www.gaslightanthem.com/
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sit back, tune in and rawk!
THE CHAIR – “The Chair” (Transubstans, Swe) – On and on, the stoner rock cloning goes, but where it stops seems to be Sweden’s Transubstans label. Reason being, over the last year, while I’ve gotten a lot of stuff supposedy all “Kyuss-ed out” and all “Fu-Manchu-ed up” from various sources, this imprint seems to have a handle on what makes things rawk…differently. Right from the get-go, I find myself drawn to this quintet, as opening cut “House” reminds me of something Trouble might have done on either the self-titled Geffen disc or “Manic Frustration.” Yeah, pretty freakin’ cool and these guys let it rip from there on out. The 2 guitarists don’t head for Thin Lizzy double harmony territory as much as they remind me of a kind of heavy-blues pairing of a young Clapton and maybe Koss from Free. Their over-driven leads match nicely in cuts like “Slither” (no, not the mediocre Velvet Revolver tune, this is much better) and “September.” Vocalist Chris Lee Smith (who is American) has 3 names and a voice & a half, not in terms of multi-octaves but in a strength that hits me as nearly a cross between early Chris Cornell & Jack Bruce. Another thing that wins me way over about these guys is that they also have the patience to let some tunes build and explore, with enough of a hint of psych (think the German Elektrohasch label) painting and shading corners to allow for some real colour to emerge. Then, they’ll turn around and invoke an absolutely delicious hook, like the one in “Shamrock City” that’ll have you thinking of ‘70’s hard rockers Starz. Whatever the reasons, and they are multi-fold, THE CHAIR is nothing to take sitting down as they really stand out! Ouch! Ok, so I’m not a comedian but this is one serious rawk band, so buy their disc now! 8.5
www.myspace.com/thechair1
THE GATES OF SLUMBER – “Conqueror” CD ’08 (I Hate, US) – Things used to be so simple. You had doom metal and it was Trouble & Saint Vitus and a poor boy like me could understand it all. Then, somebody came along, maybe one night while I was sleeping to my dusty cassette of “Hallows Victim” and decided there would be sub-genres: doom-death, melodic doom, sludge-doom, funeral doom…hell, maybe there’s even wedding doom. Graduation doom? Well, with all that in mind it is such a breath of fresh air to these grizzled ears to hear a band who are unabashedly and simply…DOOM. In case you’ve been behind a door for the last few years, or at least have not been to one of the many doom fests around the country, THE GATES OF SLUMBER are doom. Oops, that’s DOOM. They are from Indianapolis and, even though I’m from Baltimore I won’t hold that against them (a little NFL history there). See, they’re great at what they do. …SLUMBER, fronted by Karl Simon (guitar/vox) don’t pull any punches. They’re not trying to re-invent the wheel, they’re only trying to crush your skull as the 8 tracks on offer here prove. This band have simply gotten better with each release, honing their deliberate to mid-paced plundering by sharpening the melodies each time and this time, getting their best, most leveling production job from current hot-hand, Sanford Parker. But the description of the impressive consistency of this trio (rounded out by Jason McCash – bass & Bob Fouts –drums) is not meant to imply the songs are unidentifiable. Opener “Trapped In A Web” gets on enough of a high-horse speed wise to remind you of the faster Manilla Road stuff and the 16 ½ minute “Dark Valley Suite” is an impressive smorgasbord of tastes and textures. Never doubt for a moment, however, that this is doom all the way and anyone in love with all albums from “Born Again” to “Nightfall” will lap it up like a cold beer on a hot day. Is it icing on the cake that Karl Simon actually looks like a Viking? Oh yeah, and he’s a hella nice dude, too. 8.5
www.thegatesofslumber.com
www.myspace.com/thegatesofslumber
www.ihate.se
IRONWEED – “Indian Ladder” CD ’08 (Small Stone, US) – GREATDAYFORUP were a band from Albany, the capital of New York. Why am I mentioning Albany’s “capital-hood?” Is that a word? Well, I’m trying to do anything I can, you see, to make this review somewhat interesting. The fact is, GREATDAYFORUP (what a weird band name!) disbanded and guitarist Mike Vitali has re-emerged with IRONWEED. The more obvious fact however, when listening to this disc, is that it has precious little to offer that hasn’t come before. IRONWEED can play, they can lay down the thick stoner riffs and are pretty damn tight as a band. Singer Jeff Andrews roars gruffly with a kind of southern flair but the songs just don’t stick to your ribs, ‘least not like Aunt Bee’s mashed potatoes. See, this is just one of those records that despite being on a good label and having killer cover artwork just doesn’t have anything you can latch onto song wise and that’s Boredom City. 4.5
www.smallstone.com
ROADSAW – “See You In Hell” CD ’08 (Small Stone, US) – Damn, I wish this one had the cover art of the Ironweed disc. See, the front of this one is about as un-interesting-looking as you can get and yet it’s a pretty cool listen. First off, ROADSAW is a seriously “rawk”-sounding name. I’m thinking of one of those things you see when you’re stuck in a back-up due to construction and some huge, hairy dude is cutting up a piece of the asphalt with a big, sharp-looking circular device that’s also noisy as all get-out. Anyway, to be honest, “See You In Hell” doesn’t come off quite that lethal or nasty but, for this band’s first effort in a number of years, it’s gotta be a cool listen for their fans, as I was buying in and I’m not all that familiar. Basically, ROADSAW mine the classic rock terrain of the 1970’s for their riffsman ideas and then let enough stoner-ooze drip over it to please the heavy rock fan of today with ideas from Deep Purple to Mountain showing up here & there among the Sab-4 nods. The songs, especially “Leavin’” and “Receive,” are a bit surprising in their melody and the whole record, while no classic, is still a butt-kicking listen. 7.0
www.smallstone.com
www.myspace.com/thechair1
THE GATES OF SLUMBER – “Conqueror” CD ’08 (I Hate, US) – Things used to be so simple. You had doom metal and it was Trouble & Saint Vitus and a poor boy like me could understand it all. Then, somebody came along, maybe one night while I was sleeping to my dusty cassette of “Hallows Victim” and decided there would be sub-genres: doom-death, melodic doom, sludge-doom, funeral doom…hell, maybe there’s even wedding doom. Graduation doom? Well, with all that in mind it is such a breath of fresh air to these grizzled ears to hear a band who are unabashedly and simply…DOOM. In case you’ve been behind a door for the last few years, or at least have not been to one of the many doom fests around the country, THE GATES OF SLUMBER are doom. Oops, that’s DOOM. They are from Indianapolis and, even though I’m from Baltimore I won’t hold that against them (a little NFL history there). See, they’re great at what they do. …SLUMBER, fronted by Karl Simon (guitar/vox) don’t pull any punches. They’re not trying to re-invent the wheel, they’re only trying to crush your skull as the 8 tracks on offer here prove. This band have simply gotten better with each release, honing their deliberate to mid-paced plundering by sharpening the melodies each time and this time, getting their best, most leveling production job from current hot-hand, Sanford Parker. But the description of the impressive consistency of this trio (rounded out by Jason McCash – bass & Bob Fouts –drums) is not meant to imply the songs are unidentifiable. Opener “Trapped In A Web” gets on enough of a high-horse speed wise to remind you of the faster Manilla Road stuff and the 16 ½ minute “Dark Valley Suite” is an impressive smorgasbord of tastes and textures. Never doubt for a moment, however, that this is doom all the way and anyone in love with all albums from “Born Again” to “Nightfall” will lap it up like a cold beer on a hot day. Is it icing on the cake that Karl Simon actually looks like a Viking? Oh yeah, and he’s a hella nice dude, too. 8.5
www.thegatesofslumber.com
www.myspace.com/thegatesofslumber
www.ihate.se
IRONWEED – “Indian Ladder” CD ’08 (Small Stone, US) – GREATDAYFORUP were a band from Albany, the capital of New York. Why am I mentioning Albany’s “capital-hood?” Is that a word? Well, I’m trying to do anything I can, you see, to make this review somewhat interesting. The fact is, GREATDAYFORUP (what a weird band name!) disbanded and guitarist Mike Vitali has re-emerged with IRONWEED. The more obvious fact however, when listening to this disc, is that it has precious little to offer that hasn’t come before. IRONWEED can play, they can lay down the thick stoner riffs and are pretty damn tight as a band. Singer Jeff Andrews roars gruffly with a kind of southern flair but the songs just don’t stick to your ribs, ‘least not like Aunt Bee’s mashed potatoes. See, this is just one of those records that despite being on a good label and having killer cover artwork just doesn’t have anything you can latch onto song wise and that’s Boredom City. 4.5
www.smallstone.com
ROADSAW – “See You In Hell” CD ’08 (Small Stone, US) – Damn, I wish this one had the cover art of the Ironweed disc. See, the front of this one is about as un-interesting-looking as you can get and yet it’s a pretty cool listen. First off, ROADSAW is a seriously “rawk”-sounding name. I’m thinking of one of those things you see when you’re stuck in a back-up due to construction and some huge, hairy dude is cutting up a piece of the asphalt with a big, sharp-looking circular device that’s also noisy as all get-out. Anyway, to be honest, “See You In Hell” doesn’t come off quite that lethal or nasty but, for this band’s first effort in a number of years, it’s gotta be a cool listen for their fans, as I was buying in and I’m not all that familiar. Basically, ROADSAW mine the classic rock terrain of the 1970’s for their riffsman ideas and then let enough stoner-ooze drip over it to please the heavy rock fan of today with ideas from Deep Purple to Mountain showing up here & there among the Sab-4 nods. The songs, especially “Leavin’” and “Receive,” are a bit surprising in their melody and the whole record, while no classic, is still a butt-kicking listen. 7.0
www.smallstone.com
Friday, November 7, 2008
A Tale Of Two Ancestors
TK WEBB & THE VISIONS – “Ancestor” CD ’08 (Kemado, US) – Man, here I go with the sports references again. But, sheezus, it works so well for me, you know? Anyway, I was just listening to “The Herd” on ESPN Radio and he was talking about “cool” in football. That is, the jokers these days like T.O., Randy Moss, The Player Formerly Known As Chad Johnson, etc. and they way they “think” they’re cool by staging elaborate self-serving touchdown celebrations and the like. He then went on to reference the people who he thinks are really cool, who act(ed) like they’ve been there before, like McNabb, Emmitt Smith, etc. who just ooze cool through classiness. I myself remember one instance that defines it for me….and, Baltimore fans, it doesn’t mean I like the Colts but just listen. Couple years ago, Indy was playing somebody, laying a hurting on them. They were in the red zone, somebody blew a coverage & there’s Dallas Clark standing in the end zone…completely by himself. I mean BY HIMSELF! There wasn’t a solitary person in either colour jersey in the entire county besides him. Manning fired him the ball and Clark didn’t even jump, flex his legs or move. He caught the ball, standing flat-footed, as simply as if a kid lobbed it to him from the front porch, walked over to the official and handed it to him. Six points and one of the coolest God damned looking things I’ve ever seen. Anyway, that’s what this album by New Yorkers TK WEBB & THE VISIONS reminds me of: Just flat-out, relaxed and well-within-themselves cool psychedelic rock. This isn’t some bunch of smart-asses who just left home for the first time and are cruising the streets trying to prove they’re men they’ll never be. Nah, this is a crew who are street-smart, way in tune with music from the ‘60’s right up through now and apply it with a confidence that’s mesmerizing. TK WEBB himself apparently had made himself quite a name around the East Village in NYC as a blues slinger and the idea occurred to him to put a full band together to do this here sort of heavy psych rendering. Good idea. Damn good idea. Maybe even a frickin’ great idea, when you listen to something like “God Bless The Little Angels.” In the space of 8 minutes, this bunch (TK Webb – guitar, vocals, Brian Hale – guitar, Ben McConnell – drums, Jordan Gable – bass) make stops in places that range from The Beatles in “Within You Without You” to Sir Lord Baltimore on “Kingdom Come” and you’re left wondering how…and glad they did. This kind of amazing dichotomy goes on throughout the album, from the ‘60’s psych leanings of “Year 33” to the Pike-ish sludge riffs in “Dreen Drone Death,” and within each, aspects of the other…and many more thoughts and feelings rise up from the ether like a rich, aromatic mist. In particular, WEBB himself is a real find for me as a listener. His voice, sometimes direct and others laced with a cavern effect often comes across as a very early Steven Tyler, of all things, and his guitar work is at once un-busy and yet deeply commanding. What a cool album, as each time I hit “play,” new doors open up and I’m swept into the magic. TIMELESS
ANCESTORS – “Neptune With Fire” CD ’08 (North Atlantic Sound, US) – A review I saw of this disc on Amazon oozed with rapt enthusiasm, saying something to the effect of: This album sounds just like Monster Magnet circa. 1999. Yes, it does…at points. At other points, it sounds just like Sleep circa. “Dopesmoker.” Yes, it does. At other points, it sounds just like Pink Floyd circa. “Meddle.” And, so on it goes. In fact, so disturbingly close to each of these other artists (and a few others) does “Neptune With Fire” sound that at times I was convinced I’d loaded up somebody’s compilation CD into my changer rather than ANCESTORS’ disc. Perhaps this is a phenomenon others have noticed as well, of recent years, and if I’m not alone maybe someone can give me a shout-out to help me rest assured I’m not crazy. It just seems like there have been a plethora of albums released that receive reviews, heaping them with dollops of gushing praise…all for sounding exactly like other bands! Is this recorded well? Yes. Is it well played? Yes! But for all that, what we have here are 2 extremely long songs (nearly 17 and 22 minutes) that virtually re-create sonic artifacts left to us by other bands before them. Is there a point to this? And, as a final thought, if you’d like to hear a truly awesome record composed of two very long (and interesting!) songs, try AGAINST NATURE’s “Anxiety Of Influence.” SAME OLD THING
ANCESTORS – “Neptune With Fire” CD ’08 (North Atlantic Sound, US) – A review I saw of this disc on Amazon oozed with rapt enthusiasm, saying something to the effect of: This album sounds just like Monster Magnet circa. 1999. Yes, it does…at points. At other points, it sounds just like Sleep circa. “Dopesmoker.” Yes, it does. At other points, it sounds just like Pink Floyd circa. “Meddle.” And, so on it goes. In fact, so disturbingly close to each of these other artists (and a few others) does “Neptune With Fire” sound that at times I was convinced I’d loaded up somebody’s compilation CD into my changer rather than ANCESTORS’ disc. Perhaps this is a phenomenon others have noticed as well, of recent years, and if I’m not alone maybe someone can give me a shout-out to help me rest assured I’m not crazy. It just seems like there have been a plethora of albums released that receive reviews, heaping them with dollops of gushing praise…all for sounding exactly like other bands! Is this recorded well? Yes. Is it well played? Yes! But for all that, what we have here are 2 extremely long songs (nearly 17 and 22 minutes) that virtually re-create sonic artifacts left to us by other bands before them. Is there a point to this? And, as a final thought, if you’d like to hear a truly awesome record composed of two very long (and interesting!) songs, try AGAINST NATURE’s “Anxiety Of Influence.” SAME OLD THING
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Natural High
AGAINST NATURE – “Natural Blue” CD ’08 (Bland Hand, US) – I’m a sports fan besides being this irritating guy who keeps reminding you that “The Raysrealm site has been updated!” When I say “a sports fan,” I mean it. I’m not talking about people like my dad, who for 70-odd years has liked ‘dem O’s and Johnny U. No, I’m the kind who can sit up till 1:00 AM watching the Dolphins play the Raiders. That being so, one of my favourite radio shows is “Mike & Mike In The Morning” on ESPN. On that show, when either of the protagonists has had a certain affinity for a particular player, they are raked over the embarrassment coals by getting a special “love song” played every time they mention said player. For instance, Mike Greenberg used to have to suffer through Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” every time he made a mention of ex-Jets QB Chad Pennington. (Hmm…Whitney Houston, wasn’t she found in the woods behind a rehab clinic being raised by wolves or something?) Any way, I’m beginning to wonder if someone isn’t going to start playing some cringe-inducing ditty every time I mention AGAINST NATURE, REVELATION or the names John Brenner, Bert Hall, Jr. or Steve Branagan. See I know that they’ve been getting some of the absolute most top-notch reviews around these parts over the last year or so but, God damn it…well, just play me some Celine Dion and be done with it, ‘cause you see where this is headed, ya know?! Quickly, for the uninitiated, at this point in their histories, AGAINST NATURE and REVELATION are the same 3 cats (mentioned above). While ‘08’s earlier REVELATION release “Release” (not a typo!) was simply the flat-out best doom metal disc in quite awhile, AGAINST NATURE is a horse of a different colour (but not before the cart…sorry John!). See, with AN these three architects of sonic delight work on a much wider palette. The band’s “Anxiety Of Influence” (my top album of 2007, by the way) saw them explore the possibilities of the extended song format. Including 2 tracks topping 20 minutes each, what it brought to the table was a world-class study in how to put together a very long song without it seeming such. Simply put, I have to really stretch for the last time I heard a record comprised of two 20 minute songs that I wanted to hear again & again, so rich was the songwriting and playing versatility. On “Natural Blue,” AGAINST NATURE have once again re-invented themselves and the results are scintillating. This time the boys have opted to construct a series of much shorter songs that veer in many directions but do so without making the listener’s head flop back & forth like he/she was watching a tennis match. Ironically, the variety here serves to draw the album together into a spectacular whole. Opener “Sonic Tonic” stresses doomy riffs and would actually not feel out of place on a REVELATION record. “Moonshine And Mead” rocks along on a mid-paced upbeat hard rock riff, not unlike Bang, complete with a nasty early solo by John that could make Leslie West blanch in it’s Gibson bite. Suddenly just after mid-song, the tune morphs into a momentary jazzy interlude before AN throw the throttle down and race headlong to the conclusion, John soloing like a madman over top and the entire band cooking like your best friend Ollie’s grill at a Raven’s tailgate. And, it goes on all throughout this muthafucka of an album, each song bringing something new. Amazingly, it all fits together just perfectly. The pastoral and bluesy plaintiveness of “Bottom Of The Hill,” the back-porch country vibe of “Natchel Blue” (complete with additional vocals by Vickie Walters that would could make Patsy Cline take notice), the riff-monger (and album’s longest cut) “Lemongrass” with it’s jazzy Santana-like coda. Of special note (I know I’ve harped on this before in previous reviews, but it bears repeating) is John Brenner’s ever-widening guitar prowess. Seriously, John is rapidly turning into one of the most inventive tone-masters I’ve heard, constantly experimenting and getting more different and aurally stimulating lead & rhythm sounds out of his axes than anybody around. Kudos go as well to Bert Hall (bass) & Steve Branagan (drums) for their emergence as “organic” personified. You can put them right up there with Butler/Ward & Jones/Bonham in that category and I’m quite serious. I’m also quite serious about this album being simply as good as one can get in the heavy rock genre. So go ahead and cue up some Toni Braxton song for me, why don’t’cha, cause AGAINST NATURE are godly! 10.0
NOTE: As an added “cool thing,” the 90-edition printing of this disc features some breathtaking cover art by John Brenner.
http://www.againstnature.us/
NOTE: As an added “cool thing,” the 90-edition printing of this disc features some breathtaking cover art by John Brenner.
http://www.againstnature.us/
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Stone Free!
BLINDSTONE – “Freedom’s Calling” CD ’08 / “Manifesto” ‘03(Grooveyard, Swe) – Denmark. That country used to really mean something when it came to guitarists, Jack. C’mon, you know what I’m talking about, Mercyful Fate. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner were the names that used to set this amateur axe slinger’s dreams alight when it came to devastating, brain-melting riffs, scalding leads and a kick-ass attitude that meant you couldn’t imagine how heavy the next song was going to be. Sure, King Diamond was the front man and the larger-than-life figure everybody talked about, but to me it was those Danish guitar Gods. With that in mind, it sure was nice to receive these 2 BLINDSTONE discs from Grooveyard Records featuring the formidable Danish talents of one Martin J. Andersen. I’m not going to mince words, this guy is a motherfucker. First off, boy’s got a voice on him. Check out “Waste A Little Time On Me” (“Freedom’s Calling”) for one: smooth and bluesy, yet still powerful. I’m reminded a bit of Grand Magus’ JB, if he had a few more vocal lessons and maybe a couple more bourbons. Secondly, and surely not least, this guy is one helluva player. You can basically let laser hit disc anywhere you want on either disc and this notion will slap you in the face harder than a dump truck full of rolled-up quarters. “Hang On To My Love,” from “Freedom’s Calling” will have you pulling out “Rio Grande Mud” to make sure this isn’t something The Reverend Billy G. laid to wax in the early ‘70’s. Just a luscious guitar tone, all thick, raw & in your face but that’s not all: the guy is good! Everywhere there are riffs on top of riffs and smoking leads that just say “kick ass.” Another thing about both of these albums is the way the rhythm section locks in organically with Mr. Andersen’s fretsman fireworks and brings the funk-i-fied git-down to the forefront. Jesper Bunk (bass) & Anders Hvidfeldt (drums…along with Benjamin Hove on the first album) fuse to Martin’s riffing and damn if I don’t hear the spirit of Funkadelic rising through tracks like “Unifunk (It’s Time)” and (yes!) the bonus track “Funkadelic Medley” (“Manifesto”), not to mention “Freedom’s” blistering “Sugar Room.” Still, my favourite comes near the end of “Freedom’s Calling,” a massive cover of Frank Marino’s “Had Enough.” Talk about something that will get every Hendrix, Trower, Randy Hansen & Eddie Hazel fan foaming at the mouth, this is it. Joined on dual leads by another bluesy maestro, Lance Lopez, Martin Andersen really opens up the jets on this one and pays tribute, not only to the Canadian six slinger but to everyone who’s ever fired up an electric guitar. What a cool couple of discs and high points in the Grooveyard legacy. And, no songs about Satan (sorry, Hank & Michael!).
“Freedom’s Calling”9.5
“Manifesto” 9.0
http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/
ISTHMUS – “Land Bridge – 41:06” CD ’08 (Private, US) – Post-metal is one of those terms that always seems funny to me. I mean, I understand it, being thought of as a form of music derived from metal and so-called post-rock, but there you are again: the post thing. I know, I know, metal involving rock instruments but not necessarily using the same kinds of technical aspects traditionally associated with rock. I guess it’s just that the “post” thing makes me think somebody is saying “this is what comes after metal.” So you would be telling me then, that Pelican’s “Australasia” is not metal, after all, but something that came after it. Anyway, my issues with a genre name are my issues, I guess, and that brings us to ISTHMUS. A band I’m happy to report hails from my neck of the woods (Baltimore), ISTHMUS is surely one that falls into the broad musical brushstroke as the aforementioned Pelican, Isis, etc. There are a couple things that make “Land Bridge” stand out, however. One is the fact that for a young band’s first foray into the waters, this is a surprisingly mature and well-arranged record. The pacing of the songs is varied and even the 3-part “Perihelion” and 2-part “Red Shift” never wear out their welcome. Think superbly-produced (another high point here), layers of heaviness that still find melody seeping out from memorable corners. The other factor that puts “Land Bridge” on the map here is the math-like, fusion-y (is that a word?) elements, at times calling to mind some of the more exploratory moments of Sieges Even. In all, ISTHMUS has impressed very much with this record and any fan of the…ahem…post-metal genre would be well to check them out now. 8.0
www.myspace.com/isthmusband
ALKALINE TRIO – “Agony & Irony” CD ’08 (Sony, US) – Every now and then I have an interesting surprise. A major label actually sends me a disc to review. What typically happens then is that the skies open up, it snows a shitload in July, The Orioles win a World Series and the IRS sends me a check for $ 100,000 saying “Sorry, I think we owe you this.” Well anyway…it isn’t often and for whatever reason, Sony decided to send me this latest outing by ALKALINE TRIO. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been living behind the door when it comes to these guys. Truth be known, I didn’t even know how many albums they had out (6, apparently, including this one, beginning with 1998’s “Goddamnit”) until I did a little research. The bottom line is that it really doesn’t matter to me, because unless the earlier ones are a helluva lot better than this, I couldn’t care less. From what I read, ALKALINE TRIO is a punk band who started out snotty and raw, then polished up their sound in the process of shopping for a major and now, by golly, they really are polished up! Sound like Green Day to anybody? You betcha, as that’s seriously the vibe I got from this ash tray, with only the song “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” doing anything to keep me from drooling in my Jello. Such a pity to see a band like the Koffin Kats unknown to so many people while watered-down pablum like this lives in the name of “punk.” 1.5
http://www.alkalinetrio.com/
BLIZARO – “Blue Tape” CD ’08 (Private, US) – There were a couple things about John Brenner’s Declaration of Doom Festival this past July that didn’t surprise me at all. One was the massive generosity shown by everyone involved, in terms of the contributions to our son Nathan’s service dog cause. I’ve always known the people of the metal/doom scene were great individuals, simply wonderful & nice people and this only confirmed that belief. I also was not surprised at the level of musical quality rendered by each of the bands involved. John knows top-notch, innovative & heavy music and assembled a cast that was 2nd to none. I was a bit stunned, however, by the sounds emanating from the club during BLIZARO’s set. Now, I’ve known for a long time that John Gallo & Mike Puleo are absolute doom masters. They’re main band, Orodruin is about as right-on a trad-doom band as you can get, easily right up there with masters like The Gates Of Slumber & Revelation. Still, those sounds and now, these that escape my disc changer as “Blue Tape” plays show me these cats on a whole other level. The comparison game is often a dangerous one, but in this case, I think the easiest way I can describe the music on “Blue Tape” is to say that Gallo & Puleo, here, are the American Paul Chain. They take the foundation of crushing, doom-inflected metal, the old Iommi-an plunder and somehow fold it into a lush, dark Italian horror soundtrack mode to create some truly scary and impressive stuff. Naming individual tracks here would probably be silly but to make a long story short, I’d have to say this: If you know who Paul Chain is and love him, this is your ticket. If you aren’t aware of Mr. P.C., but find things like Goblin occupying your music library along with Sabbath, get to ordering right now. 8.5
www.myspace.com/jgblizaro
DR. HASBEEN – “Signs” 2CD ’08 (Black Widow, Eng) – My heavens, this is some kind of package: 2 CD’s, a tri-fold digipak, a detailed booklet with killer artwork. You really have to hand it to Mass & the people at Black Widow. When they get behind an artist, they do things up first class, spending time & taking care…a joy to see. And, for fans of the British legends Hawkwind, this mammoth set by DR. HASBEEN should be a joy to hear. I’ll be the first to admit that the Hawkwind style of driving space rock is surely an acquired taste. I’ll also admit that, while I can give it a listen at certain times, it’s not always my cup of tea. But there’s no question in the world that DR HASBEEN play plenty of homage to their heroes here and then some. Through a marathon session comprising studio and live cuts, these guys offer a bevy of numbers like “The Time Watcher,” “Apollo 13” and “Axis Of Evil” rife with driving guitar rhythms, pulsing electronics and enough sci-fi overtones to fill a whole bookstore. Making appearances as well, are nods to HW in the form of renditions of such classics as “Sonic Attack,” “Silver Machine” and “Master Of The Universe.” Truly a trip worth taking at least a few times. 7.0
http://www.blackwidow.it/
UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA – “The Magus” CD ’08 (Black Widow, It) – Occupying a landscape far into the outer reaches of what is known as rock are Italy’s UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA. If you’re thinking these outer reaches include things like early Yes, Radiohead or Dream Theater, you really had better run…very hard and far and duck because, in that case, you truly have no idea how far into the realms of “different” UTO forge. On the other hand, if you realize that the expression “RIO” does not necessarily mean a warm southern destination and names like Present and Magma are not something you get for Christmas or that which spews out of a volcano, maybe you’re ready for this. Simply put, UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA remind me of what would happen if someone were to take the greatest chamber music players in the world, give ‘em electric rock instruments, bring in a host of top operatic vocalists and then yell “Fire!” And that’s no put-down at all, brothers and sisters. I’m just trying to give you the low-down on how intense and eyebrow-raisingly over-the-top “The Magus” is. Could I listen to this album all the time? Definitely not, but there are moments in my week that this could be a real kick in the ass and those very open to experimentation and something quite different should take note! 8.0
http://www.blackwidow.it/
“Freedom’s Calling”9.5
“Manifesto” 9.0
http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/
ISTHMUS – “Land Bridge – 41:06” CD ’08 (Private, US) – Post-metal is one of those terms that always seems funny to me. I mean, I understand it, being thought of as a form of music derived from metal and so-called post-rock, but there you are again: the post thing. I know, I know, metal involving rock instruments but not necessarily using the same kinds of technical aspects traditionally associated with rock. I guess it’s just that the “post” thing makes me think somebody is saying “this is what comes after metal.” So you would be telling me then, that Pelican’s “Australasia” is not metal, after all, but something that came after it. Anyway, my issues with a genre name are my issues, I guess, and that brings us to ISTHMUS. A band I’m happy to report hails from my neck of the woods (Baltimore), ISTHMUS is surely one that falls into the broad musical brushstroke as the aforementioned Pelican, Isis, etc. There are a couple things that make “Land Bridge” stand out, however. One is the fact that for a young band’s first foray into the waters, this is a surprisingly mature and well-arranged record. The pacing of the songs is varied and even the 3-part “Perihelion” and 2-part “Red Shift” never wear out their welcome. Think superbly-produced (another high point here), layers of heaviness that still find melody seeping out from memorable corners. The other factor that puts “Land Bridge” on the map here is the math-like, fusion-y (is that a word?) elements, at times calling to mind some of the more exploratory moments of Sieges Even. In all, ISTHMUS has impressed very much with this record and any fan of the…ahem…post-metal genre would be well to check them out now. 8.0
www.myspace.com/isthmusband
ALKALINE TRIO – “Agony & Irony” CD ’08 (Sony, US) – Every now and then I have an interesting surprise. A major label actually sends me a disc to review. What typically happens then is that the skies open up, it snows a shitload in July, The Orioles win a World Series and the IRS sends me a check for $ 100,000 saying “Sorry, I think we owe you this.” Well anyway…it isn’t often and for whatever reason, Sony decided to send me this latest outing by ALKALINE TRIO. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been living behind the door when it comes to these guys. Truth be known, I didn’t even know how many albums they had out (6, apparently, including this one, beginning with 1998’s “Goddamnit”) until I did a little research. The bottom line is that it really doesn’t matter to me, because unless the earlier ones are a helluva lot better than this, I couldn’t care less. From what I read, ALKALINE TRIO is a punk band who started out snotty and raw, then polished up their sound in the process of shopping for a major and now, by golly, they really are polished up! Sound like Green Day to anybody? You betcha, as that’s seriously the vibe I got from this ash tray, with only the song “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” doing anything to keep me from drooling in my Jello. Such a pity to see a band like the Koffin Kats unknown to so many people while watered-down pablum like this lives in the name of “punk.” 1.5
http://www.alkalinetrio.com/
BLIZARO – “Blue Tape” CD ’08 (Private, US) – There were a couple things about John Brenner’s Declaration of Doom Festival this past July that didn’t surprise me at all. One was the massive generosity shown by everyone involved, in terms of the contributions to our son Nathan’s service dog cause. I’ve always known the people of the metal/doom scene were great individuals, simply wonderful & nice people and this only confirmed that belief. I also was not surprised at the level of musical quality rendered by each of the bands involved. John knows top-notch, innovative & heavy music and assembled a cast that was 2nd to none. I was a bit stunned, however, by the sounds emanating from the club during BLIZARO’s set. Now, I’ve known for a long time that John Gallo & Mike Puleo are absolute doom masters. They’re main band, Orodruin is about as right-on a trad-doom band as you can get, easily right up there with masters like The Gates Of Slumber & Revelation. Still, those sounds and now, these that escape my disc changer as “Blue Tape” plays show me these cats on a whole other level. The comparison game is often a dangerous one, but in this case, I think the easiest way I can describe the music on “Blue Tape” is to say that Gallo & Puleo, here, are the American Paul Chain. They take the foundation of crushing, doom-inflected metal, the old Iommi-an plunder and somehow fold it into a lush, dark Italian horror soundtrack mode to create some truly scary and impressive stuff. Naming individual tracks here would probably be silly but to make a long story short, I’d have to say this: If you know who Paul Chain is and love him, this is your ticket. If you aren’t aware of Mr. P.C., but find things like Goblin occupying your music library along with Sabbath, get to ordering right now. 8.5
www.myspace.com/jgblizaro
DR. HASBEEN – “Signs” 2CD ’08 (Black Widow, Eng) – My heavens, this is some kind of package: 2 CD’s, a tri-fold digipak, a detailed booklet with killer artwork. You really have to hand it to Mass & the people at Black Widow. When they get behind an artist, they do things up first class, spending time & taking care…a joy to see. And, for fans of the British legends Hawkwind, this mammoth set by DR. HASBEEN should be a joy to hear. I’ll be the first to admit that the Hawkwind style of driving space rock is surely an acquired taste. I’ll also admit that, while I can give it a listen at certain times, it’s not always my cup of tea. But there’s no question in the world that DR HASBEEN play plenty of homage to their heroes here and then some. Through a marathon session comprising studio and live cuts, these guys offer a bevy of numbers like “The Time Watcher,” “Apollo 13” and “Axis Of Evil” rife with driving guitar rhythms, pulsing electronics and enough sci-fi overtones to fill a whole bookstore. Making appearances as well, are nods to HW in the form of renditions of such classics as “Sonic Attack,” “Silver Machine” and “Master Of The Universe.” Truly a trip worth taking at least a few times. 7.0
http://www.blackwidow.it/
UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA – “The Magus” CD ’08 (Black Widow, It) – Occupying a landscape far into the outer reaches of what is known as rock are Italy’s UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA. If you’re thinking these outer reaches include things like early Yes, Radiohead or Dream Theater, you really had better run…very hard and far and duck because, in that case, you truly have no idea how far into the realms of “different” UTO forge. On the other hand, if you realize that the expression “RIO” does not necessarily mean a warm southern destination and names like Present and Magma are not something you get for Christmas or that which spews out of a volcano, maybe you’re ready for this. Simply put, UNIVERSAL TOTEM ORCHESTRA remind me of what would happen if someone were to take the greatest chamber music players in the world, give ‘em electric rock instruments, bring in a host of top operatic vocalists and then yell “Fire!” And that’s no put-down at all, brothers and sisters. I’m just trying to give you the low-down on how intense and eyebrow-raisingly over-the-top “The Magus” is. Could I listen to this album all the time? Definitely not, but there are moments in my week that this could be a real kick in the ass and those very open to experimentation and something quite different should take note! 8.0
http://www.blackwidow.it/
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
GRAND HALLS 11
JOSH CLAYTON-FELT – “Spirit Touches Ground” CD ’02 (DreamWorks, US) – I love thrift stores. Why? Well, to begin with, I like t-shirts. Anybody who knows me, knows that any time they see me I’m liable to be wearing a t-shirt they’ve never seen me in before. Some are band shirts but even more are sports stuff or things even further afield. You come face-to-face with me, chances are you’re going to be looking at something like “Wisconsin Football” or “CRAM: Wacky Packages” on my chest. It’s a Ray Thing, you wouldn’t understand. Deal is, I love thrift stores and on my t-shirt forays I also never hesitate to thumb through what’s usually a dusty bin of useless, half-destroyed CD’s while I’m there. The funnier thing is that I also generally come away with at least one decent disc. Such was a couple Saturdays ago, a brisk autumn day with the leaves swirling around Perry Hall MD, and my haul included a new “Saw” shirt and this little piece of plastic by JOSH CLAYTON-FELT. The cover of said disc looked cool, the back showed the dude playing guitar and it was a buck. Why not? Turns out it was a nice pick with a very interesting history. Seems JOSH was a founding member of alt-rock band SCHOOL OF FISH back in the late ‘80’s/early ‘90’s. They scored a couple college hits and then, after breaking up, CLAYTON-FELT got to work on a solo career. He released “Beautiful Nowhere” on his own in 1994, then got hooked up with A&M Records with whom he issued “Inarticulate Nature Boy” in ’96. Apparently that one got a good buzz going on college radio and landed him an opening spot on the Tori Amos tour of the time. Only problem? The damn album didn’t sell and A&M was sold to Universal, who decided to show their grace & sportsmanship by not allowing the guy to do anything with his own previously-released stuff. Some banging on doors did at least buy CLAYTON-FELT the rights to put out a live album himself. All the while he had started working on a new record and had just about finished it up in December 1999 when he had to take time to go into the hospital to have a growth checked out. On January 19, 2000 he died of testicular cancer at 32. How fucked up is that? But, in the wake of a tragedy, there can be a nice turn and that began when Universal Records found out that JOSH had died. At that point they decided to put the brakes on the strong-arm tactics and turn over the man’s material to his family. Long story short is that JOSH’s family then proceeded to mount a mammoth effort to get his new material out there. After putting up a website and spending countless hours, they finally got DreamWorks to release “Spirit Touches Ground.” So, after all this, it would certainly be a shame if this record weren’t any good, now wouldn’t it? Well, I can say without hesitation that “Spirit Touches Ground” is as nice a slice of alt-pop-rock as you might like to hear. Alternating back & forth between jaunty hook-laden pop gems like “Bull Ding Atlantis” and the more mellow stuff such as “Kid On The Train,” the record achieves a sweet dynamic that makes for an easy yet provocative listen. Then, it’s the cuts like the funked-up “Invisible Tree” and the sweeping title song that elevate it to something more special. Through the entire record, CLAYTON-FELT’s voice can be lilting but never lacking in command and his guitar work is sterling. Not one to solo much, it’s the fills and the way he embellishes the vocal lines with his sure-handed Fender tone that’s so impressive. Of course, the story of JOSH CLAYTON-FELT is a sad one: no one should shuffle off this mortal coil at such a young age. And yet, it’s a tale I feel glad to have stumbled upon in that thrift store. Maybe I paid a buck for this disc but it’s worth a helluva lot more in terms of inspiration and pure pop genius. 9.5
NOTE: Aside from the JOSH CLAYTON-FELT CD’s that were released before this one, there is another, “Center Of Six” that was released in 2003 and, from everything I read is just as good. Needless to say, I’ve got that one on the way!
www.joshclayton.com
NOTE: Aside from the JOSH CLAYTON-FELT CD’s that were released before this one, there is another, “Center Of Six” that was released in 2003 and, from everything I read is just as good. Needless to say, I’ve got that one on the way!
www.joshclayton.com
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Rawk In A Place Called Richmond! The RPG interview!
RPG is a kick-ass rawk band from Richmond, VA. That may sound pretty simple, but you know what? It’s a pretty high compliment. Their new disc, “Worth The Weight” doesn’t give you one minute to take cover. Much like “Kick Out The Jams”-era MC5 or the real Acca Dacca with Bon, this record impressed me with it’s ability to simply beat me senseless with raw, no frills hard rock, front-to-back. Nary a ballad in sight and short on apologies to the mainstream, this is the sonic equivalent of a punch to the gut…with melody! Read my interview with lead guitarist/vocalist Matt Conner below to find out more about what makes this musical grenade explode.
RAY - You guys are from Richmond, VA. I can honestly say I don’t know a whole lot about Richmond. I went through it a couple times on my way south and what I could see from I-95 hit me as looking something like Baltimore. Christ, for your sake, I hope it’s better than that, as Baltimore has never been a great music city (a few good bands over the years). Tell us something about Richmond?
MATT - Richmond is home to lots of great bands, great people, great food, great drugs, great booze, etc. Basically the polar opposite of Baltimore. You can get anywhere in the city from anywhere in the city in twenty minutes or less, which is great if you deliver pizzas.
RAY - What on earth possessed you to all come together into the current RPG format with what seems to be the express purpose of creating an unholy racket like “Worth The Weight?” Hey, you know, it’s the old “influences” question in sheep’s clothing! Hell, even go back to your childhood. Might work as some sort of therapy, never know.
MATT - As a collective band we like music such as Silverhead, 45 Grave, Fear, Grand Funk, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, The Frogs, Pocket Fishermen, Spirit, The Wipers, The Saints, James Gang, Feederz and many others that we will keep in the holds of secrecy.
RAY - Does the name RPG mean something I should know about?
MATT - The name RPG stands for Rocket Propelled Grenade. It might also stand for truth, justice and the american way.
RAY - Is “Worth The Weight” your 2nd disc? I haven’t heard the previous one(s). Tell me what your impressions are of the differences, progressions, etc. from the last one to this one.
MATT - "Worth the Weight" is our second official release. The first one is titled "Full Time" and was released by Arclight Records in 2003. WTW is a little more involved as far as songwriting is concerned, but considering that it took us almost two entire years to complete as opposed to "Full Time", which was done in a week, we got a lot more critical of making sure that everything was the exact way we thought it should be. We really wanted to take our time and make a record that we wouldn't listen to later and think "Man, I wish that was different" or "I wish that wasn't there" or what have you. I think we met our goal. We may have lost our minds a few times when we were making it, but sometimes that's what you have to go through to get what you want.
RAY - Did you know that Canadian metal band ANVIL had an album called “Worth The Weight?” They had this whole thing going with alliteration, like “Forged In Fire,” “Metal On Metal,” etc. Think you might adopt this with something like “Richmond Is Radical” the next time?
MATT - Never really got into ANVIL, but love the homoerotic tribute band MANVIL. If we adopt anything, it will be children from foreign lands. These dishes aren't washing themselves.
RAY - I dig the whole vibe of “Worth…” but the thing that struck me the most is the absolute relentlessness of it. It just goes from one song to the next, without hardly any break, no time to think, no loss of energy. It’s kinda like a couple times when I was a kid, watching Muhammed Ali and he hit a guy, and as he was falling to the mat he actually hit him like 2 or 3 more times on the way down, he was swinging so fast. Obviously I have such pleasant childhood memories. Any comments on this or just relentlessness in general?
MATT - The name Rocket Propelled Grenade is no coincidence. It would be unfortunate to have a band named after a weapon that can blow up a tank making music that was anything less than relentless. Also keep in mind that this music is one hundred percent based on hate.
RAY - I saw a quote in some review about “Worth The Weight” online that cracked me up. It said something to the effect that they lyrics were surprising for a bunch of southern hair farmers. What say you on that one?
MATT - I'm glad the man that wrote that review was smart enough to figure that out. I've always been of the opinion that it's better to be smarter than you look. It's much better than being less intelligent than you look, which unfortunately is much more common.
RAY - In line with the last one, do you consider yourselves as having any connection to southern rock? Do you think southern rock is ever stereotyped unfairly? I’ve seen it connected with terms like racism, bigotry, old-boy ideologies, etc.
MATT - We are southern rock to the extent that we are a rock band that lives in the southern portion of the United States. Ever been to a Skynyrd show? Take a look at the crowd and you'll see why those terms are thrown around. Of course, those terms don't apply to every fan or member of every Capricorn Records release, but it's much easier to focus on the negative. People love blanket statements. They keep them warm.
RAY - Speaking of lyrics, could you take a couple of your songs and give us a little insight into them? If you don’t want to, that is understandable, I know some writers don’t like to do this. One I was wondering about in particular is “Joanne & Joshua.” The Soviet Union-Afghanistan reference is interesting.
MATT - "Joanne and Joshua" is an analogy. Joanne is to Joshua as Afghanistan is to the former Soviet Union. It's also quite similar to the myth of Sisyphus. Joshua would really like Joanne to accept his numerous advances, and even though he is a bigger, stronger entity, he just can't seem to make it come to fruition. He gets close, but the stone just rolls back down the hill. Not presenting anything new here, just putting it in an 80's context so kids with tight pants will like it. I hear the 80's are popular now.
RAY - RED LIGHT CHALLENGE: Choice here. RPG is playing a kick-ass set at some dive and in walks A) Angelina Jolie and B) The President of Budweiser. A) Angelina Jolie says, “Matt, I’m done with Brad Pitt and I worship RPG. I want to go home with you after the set.” B) The P of B says “If you come with me after the set, I’m going to drive you to my office and give you a voucher for a lifetime of free Bud.” Which one do you choose?
MATT - Beer trumps all. Exept vodka.
RAY - The internet has made a serious impact on the music scene, according to a lot of people. What do you make of all this? What do you think of all the downloading, mp3’s, all that as opposed to CD’s, vinyl, etc. Is the physical musical medium as we know it in jeopardy?
MATT - The internet makes this whole music thing a lot easier. I think downloads are great because it levels the field tremendously. If you can get our record for free somewhere, do it. If you can get a major label release for free, absolutely do it. I honestly hope it brings the music industry to its knees. CD's will soon be souveniers you get from going to shows. Vinyl will always be the best way to listen to and visually delight yourself musically.
RAY - On a related note, what are your plans for the next project RPG undertakes? Are you going to go full-force into another self-released disc or are you going to shop anything to a label? Do you think that the “self-release” route is more attractive these days than several years back?
MATT - Most likely it will be self-released, but anything is possible. We all have a pretty hearty disdain for record labels and all they entail, although if the right situation came along we'd be willing to negotiate I'd imagine. We make music that we like to make; if there are people out there that enjoy it and like hearing it that is great. If not, the songs will still get made. If they don't, they'll get all wadded up in our heads and we'll end up killing people.
RAY - RED LIGHT CHALLENGE: Do they still have these restaurants called AUNT SARAHS along I-95 when you head down into the south? If so, do they still have those games on the tables where you try to jump the golf tees and end up with just one left? Name a comical alternate use for the game board and golf tees?
MATT - Yes, Aunt Sarah's still exists, complete with those golf tee games. I'm pretty sure those games could be made into some type of marijuana smoking utensil without much effort.
RAY - What’s on the agenda for live work by RPG? Have you been to the Baltimore area? Please?
MATT - We play as many live shows as we can. Turn us on to somewhere worthwhile to play in Baltimore and we'll be there. Our efforts thus far have been unfruitful. We played the Ottobar with Ironboss years ago. It was less than successful.
RAY - Here’s one I always laugh about. They then usually put me in my “room” for awhile to calm down. Grace us with one of the most funny, revolting, hideous or just plain hilarious things that has ever happened to you guys, either on the road, in the studio, at a 7-11, whatever.
MATT - On tour in Albequreque, NM a few years back. We pull up to the bar with zero dollars. They said that we couldn't come in until they remodeled the bathroom. Being the resourceful, handsome young men that we are, we offered to do it for them for the paltry sum of two pizzas and two cases of beer. We demoed all the walls of the men's room and hung new walls just in time for the club to open and have a stunning rock show. Then the cops shot some guy out front later in the evening. There was also the time when we were on our way from Oakland to Salt Lake City on Easter Sunday and we got pulled over in Carlin, NV under the suspicion of being meth mules. It did not help that our drummer didn't have the registration for our van, but for a truck he no longer owned. We told the DEA guys that we liked Grand Funk and that was essentially our ticket to freedom. Happy Easter, Carlin.
RAY - Any final comments?
MATT - Don't Fuck With Us.
Sounds like a warning to me! But I think what you all better do, that is if you claim to be real bona fide readers of this here RAYSREALM site is to go to RPG’s site and hit it hard! Order “Worth The Weight” and crank it to 11 ½ because a finer slab of in-your-face, unadulterated rawk is pretty damn hard to find! And don’t fuck with me, either!
http://www.rpgva.com/
www.myspace.com/rpgva
RAY - You guys are from Richmond, VA. I can honestly say I don’t know a whole lot about Richmond. I went through it a couple times on my way south and what I could see from I-95 hit me as looking something like Baltimore. Christ, for your sake, I hope it’s better than that, as Baltimore has never been a great music city (a few good bands over the years). Tell us something about Richmond?
MATT - Richmond is home to lots of great bands, great people, great food, great drugs, great booze, etc. Basically the polar opposite of Baltimore. You can get anywhere in the city from anywhere in the city in twenty minutes or less, which is great if you deliver pizzas.
RAY - What on earth possessed you to all come together into the current RPG format with what seems to be the express purpose of creating an unholy racket like “Worth The Weight?” Hey, you know, it’s the old “influences” question in sheep’s clothing! Hell, even go back to your childhood. Might work as some sort of therapy, never know.
MATT - As a collective band we like music such as Silverhead, 45 Grave, Fear, Grand Funk, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, The Frogs, Pocket Fishermen, Spirit, The Wipers, The Saints, James Gang, Feederz and many others that we will keep in the holds of secrecy.
RAY - Does the name RPG mean something I should know about?
MATT - The name RPG stands for Rocket Propelled Grenade. It might also stand for truth, justice and the american way.
RAY - Is “Worth The Weight” your 2nd disc? I haven’t heard the previous one(s). Tell me what your impressions are of the differences, progressions, etc. from the last one to this one.
MATT - "Worth the Weight" is our second official release. The first one is titled "Full Time" and was released by Arclight Records in 2003. WTW is a little more involved as far as songwriting is concerned, but considering that it took us almost two entire years to complete as opposed to "Full Time", which was done in a week, we got a lot more critical of making sure that everything was the exact way we thought it should be. We really wanted to take our time and make a record that we wouldn't listen to later and think "Man, I wish that was different" or "I wish that wasn't there" or what have you. I think we met our goal. We may have lost our minds a few times when we were making it, but sometimes that's what you have to go through to get what you want.
RAY - Did you know that Canadian metal band ANVIL had an album called “Worth The Weight?” They had this whole thing going with alliteration, like “Forged In Fire,” “Metal On Metal,” etc. Think you might adopt this with something like “Richmond Is Radical” the next time?
MATT - Never really got into ANVIL, but love the homoerotic tribute band MANVIL. If we adopt anything, it will be children from foreign lands. These dishes aren't washing themselves.
RAY - I dig the whole vibe of “Worth…” but the thing that struck me the most is the absolute relentlessness of it. It just goes from one song to the next, without hardly any break, no time to think, no loss of energy. It’s kinda like a couple times when I was a kid, watching Muhammed Ali and he hit a guy, and as he was falling to the mat he actually hit him like 2 or 3 more times on the way down, he was swinging so fast. Obviously I have such pleasant childhood memories. Any comments on this or just relentlessness in general?
MATT - The name Rocket Propelled Grenade is no coincidence. It would be unfortunate to have a band named after a weapon that can blow up a tank making music that was anything less than relentless. Also keep in mind that this music is one hundred percent based on hate.
RAY - I saw a quote in some review about “Worth The Weight” online that cracked me up. It said something to the effect that they lyrics were surprising for a bunch of southern hair farmers. What say you on that one?
MATT - I'm glad the man that wrote that review was smart enough to figure that out. I've always been of the opinion that it's better to be smarter than you look. It's much better than being less intelligent than you look, which unfortunately is much more common.
RAY - In line with the last one, do you consider yourselves as having any connection to southern rock? Do you think southern rock is ever stereotyped unfairly? I’ve seen it connected with terms like racism, bigotry, old-boy ideologies, etc.
MATT - We are southern rock to the extent that we are a rock band that lives in the southern portion of the United States. Ever been to a Skynyrd show? Take a look at the crowd and you'll see why those terms are thrown around. Of course, those terms don't apply to every fan or member of every Capricorn Records release, but it's much easier to focus on the negative. People love blanket statements. They keep them warm.
RAY - Speaking of lyrics, could you take a couple of your songs and give us a little insight into them? If you don’t want to, that is understandable, I know some writers don’t like to do this. One I was wondering about in particular is “Joanne & Joshua.” The Soviet Union-Afghanistan reference is interesting.
MATT - "Joanne and Joshua" is an analogy. Joanne is to Joshua as Afghanistan is to the former Soviet Union. It's also quite similar to the myth of Sisyphus. Joshua would really like Joanne to accept his numerous advances, and even though he is a bigger, stronger entity, he just can't seem to make it come to fruition. He gets close, but the stone just rolls back down the hill. Not presenting anything new here, just putting it in an 80's context so kids with tight pants will like it. I hear the 80's are popular now.
RAY - RED LIGHT CHALLENGE: Choice here. RPG is playing a kick-ass set at some dive and in walks A) Angelina Jolie and B) The President of Budweiser. A) Angelina Jolie says, “Matt, I’m done with Brad Pitt and I worship RPG. I want to go home with you after the set.” B) The P of B says “If you come with me after the set, I’m going to drive you to my office and give you a voucher for a lifetime of free Bud.” Which one do you choose?
MATT - Beer trumps all. Exept vodka.
RAY - The internet has made a serious impact on the music scene, according to a lot of people. What do you make of all this? What do you think of all the downloading, mp3’s, all that as opposed to CD’s, vinyl, etc. Is the physical musical medium as we know it in jeopardy?
MATT - The internet makes this whole music thing a lot easier. I think downloads are great because it levels the field tremendously. If you can get our record for free somewhere, do it. If you can get a major label release for free, absolutely do it. I honestly hope it brings the music industry to its knees. CD's will soon be souveniers you get from going to shows. Vinyl will always be the best way to listen to and visually delight yourself musically.
RAY - On a related note, what are your plans for the next project RPG undertakes? Are you going to go full-force into another self-released disc or are you going to shop anything to a label? Do you think that the “self-release” route is more attractive these days than several years back?
MATT - Most likely it will be self-released, but anything is possible. We all have a pretty hearty disdain for record labels and all they entail, although if the right situation came along we'd be willing to negotiate I'd imagine. We make music that we like to make; if there are people out there that enjoy it and like hearing it that is great. If not, the songs will still get made. If they don't, they'll get all wadded up in our heads and we'll end up killing people.
RAY - RED LIGHT CHALLENGE: Do they still have these restaurants called AUNT SARAHS along I-95 when you head down into the south? If so, do they still have those games on the tables where you try to jump the golf tees and end up with just one left? Name a comical alternate use for the game board and golf tees?
MATT - Yes, Aunt Sarah's still exists, complete with those golf tee games. I'm pretty sure those games could be made into some type of marijuana smoking utensil without much effort.
RAY - What’s on the agenda for live work by RPG? Have you been to the Baltimore area? Please?
MATT - We play as many live shows as we can. Turn us on to somewhere worthwhile to play in Baltimore and we'll be there. Our efforts thus far have been unfruitful. We played the Ottobar with Ironboss years ago. It was less than successful.
RAY - Here’s one I always laugh about. They then usually put me in my “room” for awhile to calm down. Grace us with one of the most funny, revolting, hideous or just plain hilarious things that has ever happened to you guys, either on the road, in the studio, at a 7-11, whatever.
MATT - On tour in Albequreque, NM a few years back. We pull up to the bar with zero dollars. They said that we couldn't come in until they remodeled the bathroom. Being the resourceful, handsome young men that we are, we offered to do it for them for the paltry sum of two pizzas and two cases of beer. We demoed all the walls of the men's room and hung new walls just in time for the club to open and have a stunning rock show. Then the cops shot some guy out front later in the evening. There was also the time when we were on our way from Oakland to Salt Lake City on Easter Sunday and we got pulled over in Carlin, NV under the suspicion of being meth mules. It did not help that our drummer didn't have the registration for our van, but for a truck he no longer owned. We told the DEA guys that we liked Grand Funk and that was essentially our ticket to freedom. Happy Easter, Carlin.
RAY - Any final comments?
MATT - Don't Fuck With Us.
Sounds like a warning to me! But I think what you all better do, that is if you claim to be real bona fide readers of this here RAYSREALM site is to go to RPG’s site and hit it hard! Order “Worth The Weight” and crank it to 11 ½ because a finer slab of in-your-face, unadulterated rawk is pretty damn hard to find! And don’t fuck with me, either!
http://www.rpgva.com/
www.myspace.com/rpgva
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