Consequence of Sound » Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:37:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Interview: Michael Galaboff (of Blood of the Tyrant) http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/interview-michael-galaboff-of-blood-of-the-tyrant/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/interview-michael-galaboff-of-blood-of-the-tyrant/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Banner_BOTT_sizedDwn_3.jpg Sun, 09 May 2010 17:00:36 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=25084 Within the last couple of years, the wonderful city of Chicago, IL has become a reigning capital for heavy metal. Brutal bands spawned from its streets such as Lair of the Minotaur and Raise the Red Lantern have progressed to acceptable levels of respect, all-out heaviness, and larger-than-life live shows. Hell, there’s arguably the best place in Chicago (let alone Illinois) for burgers as well. Yep, you guessed it, Kuma’s Corner.

Amazing burger joint aside, I recently caught up with Chicago native and all out awesome heavy metal sergeant, Michael Galaboff, lead guitarist and singer of the Chicago quartet Blood of the Tyrant. From love at first listen, Blood of the Tyrant meshes the early days of Mastodon, the epic wonders of Isis, and the overall great attitudes of four guys hanging out with (good) beers and watching ‘Da Bears on any given Sunday. After a whopping show back at The Empty Bottle to cap off 2009, Mr. Galaboff and I exchanged a few words of wisdom, and what I got was a whole lot more than I ever imagined possible. Behold, Chicago’s best up-and-coming heavy metal band, Blood of the Tyrant:

How do you go about composing your songs?

A new song will usually arise from just a few melody lines or guitar parts. If these initial bits of music are strong enough, they will suggest or imply to us the soul of a new song with its own personality, and we can then begin crafting additional bits of music which match the vibe and atmosphere of the first pieces. We spend the most time in the arranging stage, trying to make sure each section of the song flows perfectly into the next.  And since each band member usually has his own definition of “perfect,” the time that we spend writing songs together can often be very tense and grueling.

That early step in the process of being able to hear a song’s unique identity emerge is very important to us, because we strive to make sure that each one of our songs creates its own world and has a definite reason to exist, while still maintaining some form of stylistic cohesion with our other compositions. We never want the listener to get one song confused with another or feel that our record is merely comprised of an indistinguishable series of guitar riffs. One of my biggest pet peeves in rock music is when bands fail to make each song memorable, and Blood of the Tyrant does everything in its power to avoid falling into that trap.

Are you guys strictly DIY or are you looking for a label?

We are looking for a label. While we are proud of what we have accomplished thus far on our own, and while we can certainly see why some artists might find the DIY aesthetic of not having to answer to anyone for their work very appealing, we do not currently have the budget we need to make records. Our EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered in six days and was completely self-financed. We pooled our money and resources to spend a few days recording with Sanford Parker and had the album mastered by Collin Jordan.  While we are very pleased with the final product and the treatment given our material by both of those very talented gentlemen, we currently can’t afford to go back to the studio on our own, and we have tons of new material ready to be recorded. In fact, our current live set consists mainly of new music written after the EP was made. We would like to join forces with a label that could help us bring our new compositions to life in the studio, and we would like our next recording situation to be a bit more relaxed and leisurely.

What is the best beer ever?

I’m a very big fan of Hobgoblin, which is a medium-to-dark beer from the U.K. If you find a place that has it on tap, the handle on the tappper will sometimes be a really cool wood carving of a Hobgoblin with glowing eyes.

Where did you all meet? Are you all from Chicago?

We grew up together in Chicago’s northern suburbs and have known each other since we were very young. Chris [Avgerin, drummer], Kevin [Emmons, bassist], and I used to play together in a band called Under the Sun during high school and college.  Under the Sun eventually disbanded a few years ago, at which time Kevin started writing music with Josh [Primack, lead guitar], who was Kevin’s best friend since birth and who the rest of us knew well. Blood of the Tyrant was the result of those initial jam sessions between Kevin and Josh. Before long, Chris and I were on board and we started a new band.  We spent about a year writing and rehearsing together before playing our first gig in the summer of ’07.

Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat?

Mortal Kombat, because there is a character in the game named Raiden who is based on “Lightning” from the John Carpenter movie Big Trouble in Little China. We’re big John Carpenter fans. Who else could direct such awesome movies and compose amazing soundtracks for them?

Who are your main influences?

We tend to be most enamored with really atmospheric and progressive bands that have some doom tendencies in their sound. We certainly have our more obvious heavy influences, chief among them being Black Sabbath, but we also like a lot of rock and progressive music from the 70s, stuff like Genesis and King Crimson. We’re also influenced by a lot of things that people might not expect. For example, my all-time favorite recording artist is Prince, and lately I’ve been really getting into Neil Young.  Chris is a fan of jazz music, and his drumming is heavily influenced by Art Blakey. One of Josh’s favorite albums is “Songs From the Big Chair” by Tears for Fears, and he really digs Burt Bacharach. All of those things work their way into the music we make.

Any new material or a tour in the works?

Both, actually.  There are several new songs in the works, and we’ve been performing some of them at our recent shows. And we’re definitely going to tour.

What’s the craziest gig you’ve ever played?

We once traveled from Chicago to play a gig in Oshkosh, WI, which is about three and a half hours away from us, only for me to slice open my left hand with scissors minutes before show time. I couldn’t play my guitar, so the other dudes performed a two-song set as a trio. At one point during their set, I just grabbed the microphone, stood up on top of two giant PA monitors at the front of the stage and started belting out my vocal parts. The audience actually seemed to dig it, even though it was in no way an accurate representation of our band.  The good news is that my hand made a full recovery after some help from four stitches, and I can play guitar again. That makes me happy.

If Blood of the Tyrant were a NES game, which one would it be and why?

We would be Battletoads, because we are too difficult to play and spend way too much time building up to the ending, only to have a lackluster and unsatisfying climax.

Where did the name Blood of the Tyrant come from?

Josh and I were hanging out at a bar one night when a Kung Fu movie called Blood of the Dragon was being played on the TVs. Josh suggested substituting “tyrant” in place of “dragon” to form the name of the group. The word “tyrant” is a tip of the hat to the song “Tyrant” by Judas Priest, who we are big fans of.

Who has the best beard in all of music?

Frank Beard. Definitely Frank Beard.

]]> How do you go about composing your songs? A new song will usually arise from just a few melody lines or guitar parts. If these initial bits of music are strong enough, they will suggest or imply to us the soul of a new song with its own personality, and we can then begin crafting additional bits of music which match the vibe and atmosphere of the first pieces. We spend the most time in the arranging stage, trying to make sure each section of the song flows perfectly into the next.  And since each band member usually has his own definition of “perfect,” the time that we spend writing songs together can often be very tense and grueling. That early step in the process of being able to hear a song’s unique identity emerge is very important to us, because we strive to make sure that each one of our songs creates its own world and has a definite reason to exist, while still maintaining some form of stylistic cohesion with our other compositions. We never want the listener to get one song confused with another or feel that our record is merely comprised of an indistinguishable series of guitar riffs. One of my biggest pet peeves in rock music is when bands fail to make each song memorable, and Blood of the Tyrant does everything in its power to avoid falling into that trap. Are you guys strictly DIY or are you looking for a label? We are looking for a label. While we are proud of what we have accomplished thus far on our own, and while we can certainly see why some artists might find the DIY aesthetic of not having to answer to anyone for their work very appealing, we do not currently have the budget we need to make records. Our EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered in six days and was completely self-financed. We pooled our money and resources to spend a few days recording with Sanford Parker and had the album mastered by Collin Jordan.  While we are very pleased with the final product and the treatment given our material by both of those very talented gentlemen, we currently can’t afford to go back to the studio on our own, and we have tons of new material ready to be recorded. In fact, our current live set consists mainly of new music written after the EP was made. We would like to join forces with a label that could help us bring our new compositions to life in the studio, and we would like our next recording situation to be a bit more relaxed and leisurely. What is the best beer ever? I’m a very big fan of Hobgoblin, which is a medium-to-dark beer from the U.K. If you find a place that has it on tap, the handle on the tappper will sometimes be a really cool wood carving of a Hobgoblin with glowing eyes. Where did you all meet? Are you all from Chicago? We grew up together in Chicago’s northern suburbs and have known each other since we were very young. Chris [Avgerin, drummer], Kevin [Emmons, bassist], and I used to play together in a band called Under the Sun during high school and college.  Under the Sun eventually disbanded a few years ago, at which time Kevin started writing music with Josh [Primack, lead guitar], who was Kevin’s best friend since birth and who the rest of us knew well. Blood of the Tyrant was the result of those initial jam sessions between Kevin and Josh. Before long, Chris and I were on board and we started a new band.  We spent about a year writing and rehearsing together before playing our first gig in the summer of '07. Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat? Mortal Kombat, because there is a character in the game named Raiden who is based on “Lightning” from the John Carpenter movie Big Trouble in Little China. We’re big John Carpenter fans. Who else could direct such awesome movies and compose amazing soundtracks for them? Who are your main influences? We tend to be most enamored with really atmospheric and progressive bands that have some doom tendencies in their sound. We certainly have our more obvious heavy influences, chief among them being Black Sabbath, but we also like a lot of rock and progressive music from the 70s, stuff like Genesis and King Crimson. We’re also influenced by a lot of things that people might not expect. For example, my all-time favorite recording artist is Prince, and lately I’ve been really getting into Neil Young.  Chris is a fan of jazz music, and his drumming is heavily influenced by Art Blakey. One of Josh’s favorite albums is “Songs From the Big Chair” by Tears for Fears, and he really digs Burt Bacharach. All of those things work their way into the music we make. [youtube 9RLdMs5H2aU] Any new material or a tour in the works? Both, actually.  There are several new songs in the works, and we’ve been performing some of them at our recent shows. And we’re definitely going to tour. What's the craziest gig you've ever played? We once traveled from Chicago to play a gig in Oshkosh, WI, which is about three and a half hours away from us, only for me to slice open my left hand with scissors minutes before show time. I couldn’t play my guitar, so the other dudes performed a two-song set as a trio. At one point during their set, I just grabbed the microphone, stood up on top of two giant PA monitors at the front of the stage and started belting out my vocal parts. The audience actually seemed to dig it, even though it was in no way an accurate representation of our band.  The good news is that my hand made a full recovery after some help from four stitches, and I can play guitar again. That makes me happy. If Blood of the Tyrant were a NES game, which one would it be and why? We would be Battletoads, because we are too difficult to play and spend way too much time building up to the ending, only to have a lackluster and unsatisfying climax. Where did the name Blood of the Tyrant come from? Josh and I were hanging out at a bar one night when a Kung Fu movie called Blood of the Dragon was being played on the TVs. Josh suggested substituting “tyrant” in place of “dragon” to form the name of the group. The word “tyrant” is a tip of the hat to the song “Tyrant” by Judas Priest, who we are big fans of. Who has the best beard in all of music? Frank Beard. Definitely Frank Beard.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/interview-michael-galaboff-of-blood-of-the-tyrant/feed/ 0 Album Review: The New Loud – Can’t Stop Not Knowing [EP] http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-the-new-loud-cant-stop-not-knowing-ep/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-the-new-loud-cant-stop-not-knowing-ep/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:00:07 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=24098 It’s been tried, true, and said dozens of times before: Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. Creeping into the new decade of the 21st Century, Milwaukee still keeps those visitation flames alive. While it’s home to the Miller Brewing company and the lovable Harvey’s Wallbangers baseball squad that is the Milwaukee Brewers, there’s also a little Midwestern magic to behold in its music scene, as well. Yes, you guessed it, Milwaukee’s very own destructive dance rock trio The New Loud, is one of those magical bands you can’t help but root for.

After a recent exploding concert in New York, The New Loud click alive on the heels of its debut EP Can’t Stop Not Knowing. Led by guitarist/singer Shane Olivo, the band’s mesmerizing sonic twists and turns defy musical trends and prove to be truly solid songs, well-written and well-executed. Kicking off this six song jaunt is the band’s debut single “Don’t Dance”. With Olivo’s jangly guitar cutting in between keyboardist Jessi Nakles’ electric mastery of the keys, “Don’t Dance” is a delicious slice of Euro-pop, New York dance and snotty punk rock all thrown into one. With their battle cries of “You don’t dance me, but I dance you!”, The New Loud amp up the aggression on the dance floor. For this power trio, loudness goes with the territory and these three amigos certainly know how to manipulate walls of sound without coming off too harsh or hacked. Olivo’s vocals sound of a cross between The Cars’ Ric Ocasek meets XTC’s Andy Patrtidge, but for the 21st Century, they’re all in a class of their own.

After the blistering deliverance of “Don’t Dance”, the band follow it up with an amped up cover of Radiohead’s “2+2=5″. This is a case where the cover is better than the original, hands down. While the Radiohead version is excellent, The New Loud’s take on it is pretty stellar. Fast punk rock beats meshing with sonic jaunts of guitar waves, the trio take the British quintet’s musical offering and crank it to 11. I could go on, but you’d have to hear it for yourself; it’s totally worth it.

The EP then follows with the final tracks “Heaven (single mix)”, “The Short Way To Get You” a demo of “Every Girl I See” and an extended version of “Heaven”. Drummer Radish Beet proves to be a great percussionist with the band, keeping up with the aggressive paces of Olivo and Nakles. Combining early New Wave and dashes of minimalism with punk rock mentality, The New Loud are looking to 2010 with a hungry set of eyes. While their full length debut is expected to arrive sometime this spring, Can’t Stop Not Knowing proves to be a welcome introduction to the band’s already spoken of charismatic live shows and intricate musicianship. Do these guys know how to party or what? Don’t ask me, the answer’s right here.

Check Out:

Buy:
Can’t Stop Not Knowing [EP]

]]> Harvey's Wallbangers baseball squad that is the Milwaukee Brewers, there's also a little Midwestern magic to behold in its music scene, as well. Yes, you guessed it, Milwaukee's very own destructive dance rock trio The New Loud, is one of those magical bands you can't help but root for. After a recent exploding concert in New York, The New Loud click alive on the heels of its debut EP Can't Stop Not Knowing. Led by guitarist/singer Shane Olivo, the band's mesmerizing sonic twists and turns defy musical trends and prove to be truly solid songs, well-written and well-executed. Kicking off this six song jaunt is the band's debut single "Don't Dance". With Olivo's jangly guitar cutting in between keyboardist Jessi Nakles' electric mastery of the keys, "Don't Dance" is a delicious slice of Euro-pop, New York dance and snotty punk rock all thrown into one. With their battle cries of "You don't dance me, but I dance you!", The New Loud amp up the aggression on the dance floor. For this power trio, loudness goes with the territory and these three amigos certainly know how to manipulate walls of sound without coming off too harsh or hacked. Olivo's vocals sound of a cross between The Cars' Ric Ocasek meets XTC's Andy Patrtidge, but for the 21st Century, they're all in a class of their own. After the blistering deliverance of "Don't Dance", the band follow it up with an amped up cover of Radiohead's "2+2=5". This is a case where the cover is better than the original, hands down. While the Radiohead version is excellent, The New Loud's take on it is pretty stellar. Fast punk rock beats meshing with sonic jaunts of guitar waves, the trio take the British quintet's musical offering and crank it to 11. I could go on, but you'd have to hear it for yourself; it's totally worth it. The EP then follows with the final tracks "Heaven (single mix)", "The Short Way To Get You" a demo of "Every Girl I See" and an extended version of "Heaven". Drummer Radish Beet proves to be a great percussionist with the band, keeping up with the aggressive paces of Olivo and Nakles. Combining early New Wave and dashes of minimalism with punk rock mentality, The New Loud are looking to 2010 with a hungry set of eyes. While their full length debut is expected to arrive sometime this spring, Can't Stop Not Knowing proves to be a welcome introduction to the band's already spoken of charismatic live shows and intricate musicianship. Do these guys know how to party or what? Don't ask me, the answer's right here. Check Out: [youtube YIf-qN04tLA] Buy: Can't Stop Not Knowing [EP]]]> 80 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-the-new-loud-cant-stop-not-knowing-ep/feed/ 0 Album Review: Ringo Starr – Y Not http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-ringo-starr-y-not/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-ringo-starr-y-not/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:30:53 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=24099 Oh Ringo, we meet again two years later.

For those of you that have followed Consequence of Sound since its inception over two years ago, you may have recalled the Bar Rock 101 review of his previous album Liverpool 8. Specifically on that record, Mr. Starr and his lovely lads dealt all of the subject matter related directly to his glory days in The Beatles, as far as singing about the once great Shea Stadium and his tenure with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Flashing forward to two years later, Starr and Co. bask and explore on his fifteenth release, Y Not. While not much has changed, Starr and the gang offer a nice batch of new tunes with some old friends around the campfire. Oh, and Ringo is still talking about his days with The Beatles…does that ever get old?

Y Not kicks off with a little bar rock number dubbed “Fill In The Blanks”, which sees the former Beatle and former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh with friends casually jam on some lazy Sunday barbecue blues. While it’s nothing completely awe-inspiring, Starr seems to be at his happiest in years, jaunting away with the band and having a good time (especially with this year’s Super Bowl just a mere few days away). Following the blues rocker are the John Lennon tribute “Peace Dream” (featuring Sir Paul McCartney on bass), “The Other Side Of Liverpool”, which talks about The Beatles’ early days, and the violin-drenched duet with McCartney “Walk With You.” Ringo is Ringo, after all, and on all of these cuts, he sounds great with what he does. The tunes themselves are average at best, but the soul exists in each little piece, much like slivers for the taking. “Walk With You” is a good choice for the lead-off single, as it reunites the two surviving Beatles for a truly beautiful ballad.

The rest of the album trades off with silly rockers and somber ballads, just like its recent counterpart Liverpool 8 did. However, the album’s best songs are “Everybody Wins” (a re-recording of a 1992 B-Side) and the hypnotic Richard Marx co-written “Mystery Of The Night”. Starr’s vocals shine well here, and with a little technological production from the Beatle himself (his first self-produced record), the songs are brilliantly mixed with enough sophistication to please any music lover.

While the album ends with the goofy “Who’s Your Daddy”, Starr calls it a day with his jam-along friends. It’s a good record to put on during this year’s game without a doubt. Fun, nostalgic, and never taking itself too seriously, Y Not is one of the former Beatles’ stronger outputs in recent years. Starr’s uncanny ability to craft lovable pop music and bar rock boogies is unmatched. “Why not?” the former Beatles asks. Watch and learn, or rather… listen and learn.

Buy
Y Not

]]> Consequence of Sound since its inception over two years ago, you may have recalled the Bar Rock 101 review of his previous album Liverpool 8. Specifically on that record, Mr. Starr and his lovely lads dealt all of the subject matter related directly to his glory days in The Beatles, as far as singing about the once great Shea Stadium and his tenure with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Flashing forward to two years later, Starr and Co. bask and explore on his fifteenth release, Y Not. While not much has changed, Starr and the gang offer a nice batch of new tunes with some old friends around the campfire. Oh, and Ringo is still talking about his days with The Beatles...does that ever get old? Y Not kicks off with a little bar rock number dubbed "Fill In The Blanks", which sees the former Beatle and former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh with friends casually jam on some lazy Sunday barbecue blues. While it's nothing completely awe-inspiring, Starr seems to be at his happiest in years, jaunting away with the band and having a good time (especially with this year's Super Bowl just a mere few days away). Following the blues rocker are the John Lennon tribute "Peace Dream" (featuring Sir Paul McCartney on bass), "The Other Side Of Liverpool", which talks about The Beatles' early days, and the violin-drenched duet with McCartney "Walk With You." Ringo is Ringo, after all, and on all of these cuts, he sounds great with what he does. The tunes themselves are average at best, but the soul exists in each little piece, much like slivers for the taking. "Walk With You" is a good choice for the lead-off single, as it reunites the two surviving Beatles for a truly beautiful ballad. The rest of the album trades off with silly rockers and somber ballads, just like its recent counterpart Liverpool 8 did. However, the album's best songs are "Everybody Wins" (a re-recording of a 1992 B-Side) and the hypnotic Richard Marx co-written "Mystery Of The Night". Starr's vocals shine well here, and with a little technological production from the Beatle himself (his first self-produced record), the songs are brilliantly mixed with enough sophistication to please any music lover. While the album ends with the goofy "Who's Your Daddy", Starr calls it a day with his jam-along friends. It's a good record to put on during this year's game without a doubt. Fun, nostalgic, and never taking itself too seriously, Y Not is one of the former Beatles' stronger outputs in recent years. Starr's uncanny ability to craft lovable pop music and bar rock boogies is unmatched. "Why not?" the former Beatles asks. Watch and learn, or rather... listen and learn. Buy Y Not]]> 60 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/album-review-ringo-starr-y-not/feed/ 5 Drink Up Buttercup prepares Born and Thrown On A Hook http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/drink-up-buttercup-prepares-born-and-thrown-on-a-hook/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/drink-up-buttercup-prepares-born-and-thrown-on-a-hook/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:00:38 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=23887 If there’s any indication so far that 2010 is going to be a stellar year for indie rock, look no further than the City of Brotherly Love to shine some light in that direction. Hailing from The Land of the Libery Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, supernatural jangle pop indie rock quartet Drink Up Buttercup is one of these new-found bands to keep your eyes peeled for.

The band have been busy the past few months picking up critical acclaim and preparing to release its debut record, titled Born and Thrown On A Hook through Yep Roc Records. Earning praise for its eclectic stage shows at both CMJ and SXSW, Drink Up Buttercup began their sonic journey with their first 7″ Sosey & Dosey via Brooklyn’s Kanine Records (Grizzly Bear & Chairlift). Word on the street is that these cats swing pretty hard live, with their song content containing subjects varying from star-crossed lovers to bad trips and fairy tales. Got your attention much? Sound like a jangly Tom Waits? Definitely.

With the band actively compared to the likes of The Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, and Arcade Fire, Drink Up Buttercup certainly has quite a bit of legendary labeling to live up to. Already gaining high ground opening for big acts such as Marnie Stern, Stellastarr, Fiery Furnaces, and Bishop Allen, Drink Up Buttercup has certainly paid their due and are looking towards the future. Hook will see a release on March 23rd and yeah, it looks to be a solid one, without a doubt.

Born and Thrown On A Hook Tracklist:
01. Seasickness Pills
02. Animate The Hangtime
03. Young Ladies
04. Doggy Head
05. Even Think
06. Gods and Gentlemen
07. Lovers Play Dead
08. Who Spilled The Beaker
09. Heavy Hand
10. Pink Sunshine
11. Vietnam Waltz
12. Sosey and Dosey
13. Mr. Pie Eyes
14. Maestro Monsignor

]]> Born and Thrown On A Hook through Yep Roc Records. Earning praise for its eclectic stage shows at both CMJ and SXSW, Drink Up Buttercup began their sonic journey with their first 7" Sosey & Dosey via Brooklyn's Kanine Records (Grizzly Bear & Chairlift). Word on the street is that these cats swing pretty hard live, with their song content containing subjects varying from star-crossed lovers to bad trips and fairy tales. Got your attention much? Sound like a jangly Tom Waits? Definitely. With the band actively compared to the likes of The Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, and Arcade Fire, Drink Up Buttercup certainly has quite a bit of legendary labeling to live up to. Already gaining high ground opening for big acts such as Marnie Stern, Stellastarr, Fiery Furnaces, and Bishop Allen, Drink Up Buttercup has certainly paid their due and are looking towards the future. Hook will see a release on March 23rd and yeah, it looks to be a solid one, without a doubt. Born and Thrown On A Hook Tracklist: 01. Seasickness Pills 02. Animate The Hangtime 03. Young Ladies 04. Doggy Head 05. Even Think 06. Gods and Gentlemen 07. Lovers Play Dead 08. Who Spilled The Beaker 09. Heavy Hand 10. Pink Sunshine 11. Vietnam Waltz 12. Sosey and Dosey 13. Mr. Pie Eyes 14. Maestro Monsignor]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/drink-up-buttercup-prepares-born-and-thrown-on-a-hook/feed/ 0 Verona Red sends up a heat wave at Subterranean (1/9) http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/verona-red-send-up-a-heat-wave-at-subterranean-19/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/verona-red-send-up-a-heat-wave-at-subterranean-19/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:00:42 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=23891 For those of you in the Midwest, the past ten days that have kicked off 2010 have been no laughing matter. The snow’s been incredibly thick and slushy, while the windchill factor alone has made this winter already completely unbearable. Mother Nature has a way of being cruel this certain time of the year by altering people’s ways of life and what not. That being said, however, it’s a great feeling once in a while when her ego’s slightly bruised from the aftermath following a great concert. Last night, deep in the heart of Chicago’s Wicker Park at Subterranean, revved up rockers Verona Red made damn sure to keep Mother Nature at bay and give these local Chicagoans something to already remember 2010 by.

Kicking off the sonic jaunt within the bellows of Subterranean, Chicago female power trio The Locals wasted no time getting the crowd going. Frontwoman Yvonne Doll rollicked around stage with her mighty Gibson SG and banged out fuzzy guitar chords with great precision. Drips of power pop and early grunge oozed from the floorboards of these girls, and images of PJ Harvey and Cheap Trick immediately came to mind. “Elo’ kiddies” is right, and these rockettes felt right at home. Bassist Christy Nunes thrashed around onstage and carried the thunder on her back, right in sync with Doll’s elegant guitar work. It’s a known fact that the Midwest is full of pop-laden bands and much like their Chicago contemporaries The Smoking Popes, The Locals brought a great pop-grunge icebreaker to a heartwarming show and told everyone to stick around for Verona Red.

After the 20 minute break in between bands, Chicago dance rock outfit The Glide took the stage and revved up the intensity just a bit more. Coming off as a great hybrid of both Nick Cave and Jack Black (both in appearance and in vocal intensity), lead singer/guitarist Darius Lafkas wailed and waddled onstage like a wolf barking at the moon. Offering one part croon and the other half snarl, Lafkas and the gang punched Subterranean into galactic overdrive with their spacey style of dance rock. Epic dueling lead guitar battles with lead guitarist Hector Segura proved to be one of the band’s highlights amidst a sea of fog and the band’s stellar live show. With bassist Nick Lazas literally tearing his bass apart, The Glide came out on fire with a killer intensity and a penchant for larger-than-life sounds. If Nick Cave ever met Nebraska dance rockers The Faint in a boozed up tavern, The Glide would’ve been born right on top of the bar. Echo laden guitars dripped from the speakers and gave all three floors of Subterranean a great way to warm up against the winter chills that batted down the doors. It didn’t matter what went on that night, The Glide made sure to keep the rollicking party going nonstop. Keyboardist Jason Little got in on the action too, using his keytar as a musical battle axe against the thunderous beats of drummer T. Warren. Lafkas joked with the crowd that “we really do have a drummer up here, sorry for the fog!” and the crowd ate it up. As mentioned before, Mother Nature did her best, but just couldn’t keep this block party from stopping.

After much deliberation and preparation, the evening’s headliners Verona Red took the stage. With subtle smiles, the band launched into their heavy handed number “Marjorie” and got the crowd frenzied up in no time. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Balzer lit the place on fire with his searing vocals and impressive showmanship, while lead guitarist Tony Focht let his fingers do the talking. For a guy that can play like Ace Frehley, Focht’s lead-work was incredible to say the least, and lead guitarists in his field are certainly hard to find. Balzer’s toppled guitar work and demure-but-playful demeanor guaranteed a great night out with these wild cats. Something about their overall sound struck me in a way I’d never felt before until I came home: They happened to hone in on a specific time period without sounding stale. The entire time watching the fearsome quartet, I felt the year 1991 came back to life with a good amount of the 21st century thrown in for good measure. Bands such as Fishbone, Teenage Fanclub, early Pearl Jam, later David Bowie, and others seemed to mash up all at once and come out flawlessly through Balzer’s pipes and the band’s guitar work.

The band then proceeded to thank the audience for coming out amidst the snow and cold. For their first show in 2010 (after missing a chance to perform a Christmas gig), Verona Red celebrated St. Nicholas proud with rounds of gifts. Guitarist Balzer tossed condoms into the audience (one landing right in my hand), small tambourines for percussive helpings, and even an old jock strap. Their sense of humor couldn’t be mistaken, and for the first time in a while, it was a breath of fresh air to see a band so jolly and happy, ego-free and friendly, but who could also play some fantastic music. Verona Red then launched into an incendiary version of “Warm Body Syndrome” to keep the block party alive. Bassist John Bottrell towered on top of drummer Mike Panagakis’ bass drums like a colossal beast, thumping and grinding all the way home. The band were joined by equally great backup singer Bethany Thomas, and man, this woman could wail. Thomas’ and Balzer’s vocal harmonies really sealed the deal on this Chicago quartet. Bluesy, sultry, rocking, and overall awesome, Verona Red made a statement for the masses and included a great cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” in the process (with Focht’s leads channeling the great Stevie Ray Vaughan), in honor of the English legend’s recent 63rd birthday. The band closed out their colossal dance rock blues jaunt with an impressive encore jam where both Balzer and Focht exchanged impressively scorching leads. You just had to be there.

Mother Nature blew and tried to batten down the hatches of the Subterranean, but she failed miserably. No one on this particular Saturday night was going home unhappy, and Verona Red made sure of that. The Locals offered a poppy grunge assault, The Glide offered a trip into space to shake some booties, but Verona Red put the “rock” back into the rock show. Stars are shining bright for this eclectic quartet, and I honestly can’t wait to see them again. Is this writer biased? When it comes to bands kicking ass, only the truth comes out, and yeah, Verona Red is the best Chicago band you must hear, Faithful Reader, hands down.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/verona-red-send-up-a-heat-wave-at-subterranean-19/feed/ 0 On Second Listen: Slow Claw – Grandfather Clocks http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/on-second-listen-slow-claw-grandfather-clocks/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/on-second-listen-slow-claw-grandfather-clocks/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:30:42 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=19087 In the bustling sorta-kinda-not-really-Midwestern-but-rubs-shoulders-anyway city of Nashville, Tennessee, music always lives for the life of the party. From the dusky old dance halls that graze their prized country music to the cellar dweller punk rock bands that inhibit the subterranean subculture, Nashville seems to breed nothing but excellent craftsmanship all year round. Put it to you this way, if Nashville were an acoustic guitar manufacturer, Taylor would be head of the class in terms of overall quality and pristine excellence. Taking into consideration here with Nashville’s own Slow Claw, this up and coming trio blend the waves of chaotic garage rock with the gab and gift of soulful indie rock without sounding like a bunch of clowns. Sure these cats know how to put on a great show (they performed this past summer here at Ronny’s in Chicago), but the nitty-gritty of it comes down to their run-of-the-mill songwriting.

Rock trios are nothing new in the music world, but these guys pack a wallop of a sound albeit with a knifetip of minimalism and a bunch of sloppy garage flavor; you can literally see the oiled rags flying to-and-fro during their sets. From subtle whispers to clanged guitar battles, Slow Claw find that rare essence of stylistic difference meshing with substantial musical integrity. Grandfather Clocks represents an interesting journey taken by the band where it begins low and quiet until it eventually reaches their heaviest peaks within the last two tracks. The album resembles one gigantic crescendo of sonic assaults while keeping the blueprints of indie rock intact, complete with handlebar mustaches and broken down guitars.

Grandfather Clocks starts off with the creamy and intricate rocker, “Miss Lady Lately”. The bass alone dominates with its resonating tension and ability to jump in front of the drums. The guitars begin quiet and subtle, but eventually work their way to the top, especially during the chorus. With that classic garage rock sound morphed through Brooklyn-indie filters, “Miss Lady Lately” is a delightful send-up of straight rock with country fixings (the mean banjo during the chorus makes it just that much better).

What quickly starts off as a rollicking-in-the-hay hard rock album quickly dissolves into a dreary collection of mid-tempo soft rock songs “Colorado” and “Hamilton Hotel”. Don’t get me wrong, Slow Claw know how to harmonize vocally well, but it seems to be a slight departure from the promise showing from the beginning. A bit bleak and anemic at times, Slow Claw do offer shining moments as mentioned in their vocal harmonies, as well as some complicated guitar progressions that weave in and of the Nashville trio’s elegant time together. If the first tune offered a blistering ride on the back of the truck, the next few offerings have you walking down those country roads instead.

Slow Claw get it right however on the next offerings “Everybody” and the albums best one-two punch “Jackie O” and “Live FIre Exercise”. The bustling trio play back to their hard rock roots after much time down in the depths of their more elegant softer side. While the band chants “Everybody know everybody else” in “Everybody”, the guitars take the reigns and offer some subtle tensions to mount. The drumming is flawless and remains consistent with the group’s aims for musical plains. There’s even strong hints of Afro-beat influence that makes up this sound as well.

Rounding out Slow Claw’s fairly impressive debut are the crescendo-laden rockers “Jackie O” (complete with scorching guitar) and a blistering, if not truly magnificent “Live Fire Exercise.” With the steady and building of the guitars attracting the main focus, Slow Claw offer a great ending to the band’s debut with “Sprinkle Sprinke” and the finale “Self Erased”. These four songs and virtually second half of the record show true promise for a band out of Nashville willing to straddle the fine line of post-grunge indie rock meets country-tinged soul. There are a few sore spots along the way but what debut record doesn’t? Either way you cut it, Slow Claw’s Grandfather Clocks lets you wind the clock back a few notches and rock out to a handful of indie scorchers. There’s hope for this bustling trio, but for now they’re just getting started.

Check Out:
“Hamilton Hotel”

Buy:
Grandfather Clocks

]]> Grandfather Clocks represents an interesting journey taken by the band where it begins low and quiet until it eventually reaches their heaviest peaks within the last two tracks. The album resembles one gigantic crescendo of sonic assaults while keeping the blueprints of indie rock intact, complete with handlebar mustaches and broken down guitars. Grandfather Clocks starts off with the creamy and intricate rocker, "Miss Lady Lately". The bass alone dominates with its resonating tension and ability to jump in front of the drums. The guitars begin quiet and subtle, but eventually work their way to the top, especially during the chorus. With that classic garage rock sound morphed through Brooklyn-indie filters, "Miss Lady Lately" is a delightful send-up of straight rock with country fixings (the mean banjo during the chorus makes it just that much better). What quickly starts off as a rollicking-in-the-hay hard rock album quickly dissolves into a dreary collection of mid-tempo soft rock songs "Colorado" and "Hamilton Hotel". Don't get me wrong, Slow Claw know how to harmonize vocally well, but it seems to be a slight departure from the promise showing from the beginning. A bit bleak and anemic at times, Slow Claw do offer shining moments as mentioned in their vocal harmonies, as well as some complicated guitar progressions that weave in and of the Nashville trio's elegant time together. If the first tune offered a blistering ride on the back of the truck, the next few offerings have you walking down those country roads instead. Slow Claw get it right however on the next offerings "Everybody" and the albums best one-two punch "Jackie O" and "Live FIre Exercise". The bustling trio play back to their hard rock roots after much time down in the depths of their more elegant softer side. While the band chants "Everybody know everybody else" in "Everybody", the guitars take the reigns and offer some subtle tensions to mount. The drumming is flawless and remains consistent with the group's aims for musical plains. There's even strong hints of Afro-beat influence that makes up this sound as well. Rounding out Slow Claw's fairly impressive debut are the crescendo-laden rockers "Jackie O" (complete with scorching guitar) and a blistering, if not truly magnificent "Live Fire Exercise." With the steady and building of the guitars attracting the main focus, Slow Claw offer a great ending to the band's debut with "Sprinkle Sprinke" and the finale "Self Erased". These four songs and virtually second half of the record show true promise for a band out of Nashville willing to straddle the fine line of post-grunge indie rock meets country-tinged soul. There are a few sore spots along the way but what debut record doesn't? Either way you cut it, Slow Claw's Grandfather Clocks lets you wind the clock back a few notches and rock out to a handful of indie scorchers. There's hope for this bustling trio, but for now they're just getting started. Check Out: "Hamilton Hotel" Buy: Grandfather Clocks]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/on-second-listen-slow-claw-grandfather-clocks/feed/ 0 Nada Surf “hang ten” with new covers record and spring tour http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/nada-surf-hang-ten-with-new-covers-record-and-spring-tour/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/nada-surf-hang-ten-with-new-covers-record-and-spring-tour/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:00:14 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=23771 Hi-Fi!]]> Only six days into 2010, New York indie sensations Nada Surf waste virtually no time at all. After wrapping up a worldwide tour of the band’s most recent record, 2008′s Lucky, New York rockers Nada Surf recently announced that they’ve prepared a brand new record of cover songs, deftly titled If I Had A Hi-Fi, due out this Spring. With the content ranging from contemporaries of the band to virtually unknown lesser groups, Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws had this to say in regards to the newest harmonic record:

“We really just wanted to do it organically, whatever we felt like covering in the moment, rather than trying to sum up our influences or something. It’s whatever we were excited about in the months before making it. And I think we got to everything we wanted to.”

Hi-Fi was recorded last September in Austin, TX in a three week span with longtime collaborator Louie Lino. While the formal setlist hasn’t been officially released yet, the band has teased with a few tunes that will be included on the record, including renditions of The Moody Blues’ “Question”, The Soft Pack’s “Bright Side”, and Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence”. As for the the basis for the title? Well, according to the band, it’s both a hearkening back to the band’s early days, as well as a musical palindrome. The plot thickens…

In support of the release, Nada Surf has also announced an extensive world tour. Kicking off this excellent jaunt in late March, Nada Surf will perform three nights in New York, with each featuring the band performing all of its most recent albums in their entirety: Let Go, The Weight Is A Gift and Lucky, whilst performing songs from the upcoming Hi-Fi as well. Start the spring off right this year, wash away those winter flakes and crank up those marvelous melodies. Surf’s up indeed, and it’s gonna be a blast.

Fan pre-sale tickets can be found here. A public onsale begins Friday, January 8th via Ticketmaster.com.

Nada Surf Spring 2010 Tour Dates:
03/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (“Let Go”)
03/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House (“The Weight Is A Gift”)
03/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (“Lucky”)
03/29 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
03/30 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour
03/31 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
04/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
04/02 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/03 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
04/13 – London, UK @ ICA
04/15 – Bourges, FR @ Printemps de Bourges Festival
04/17 – Strasbourg, FR @ Strasbourg Artefact Festival
04/18 – Utrect, NL @ Tivoli De Helling
04/19 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
04/20 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria
04/21 – Lausanne, CH @ D! Club
04/23 – Zurich, CH @ Abart
04/24 – Vienna, AT @ WUK
04/25 – Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Music Bar
04/26 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
04/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust
04/28 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
04/29 – Madrid, ES @ Joy Eslava
04/30 – Murcia, ES @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8 Festival
05/01 – Galicia, ES @ Villagarcia de Arosa
05/15 – Longirod, SZ @ Long’l'rock Festival
05/24 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
05/25 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
05/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
05/29 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

]]> Lucky, New York rockers Nada Surf recently announced that they've prepared a brand new record of cover songs, deftly titled If I Had A Hi-Fi, due out this Spring. With the content ranging from contemporaries of the band to virtually unknown lesser groups, Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws had this to say in regards to the newest harmonic record: "We really just wanted to do it organically, whatever we felt like covering in the moment, rather than trying to sum up our influences or something. It's whatever we were excited about in the months before making it. And I think we got to everything we wanted to." Hi-Fi was recorded last September in Austin, TX in a three week span with longtime collaborator Louie Lino. While the formal setlist hasn't been officially released yet, the band has teased with a few tunes that will be included on the record, including renditions of The Moody Blues' "Question", The Soft Pack's "Bright Side", and Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence". As for the the basis for the title? Well, according to the band, it's both a hearkening back to the band's early days, as well as a musical palindrome. The plot thickens... In support of the release, Nada Surf has also announced an extensive world tour. Kicking off this excellent jaunt in late March, Nada Surf will perform three nights in New York, with each featuring the band performing all of its most recent albums in their entirety: Let Go, The Weight Is A Gift and Lucky, whilst performing songs from the upcoming Hi-Fi as well. Start the spring off right this year, wash away those winter flakes and crank up those marvelous melodies. Surf's up indeed, and it's gonna be a blast. Fan pre-sale tickets can be found here. A public onsale begins Friday, January 8th via Ticketmaster.com. Nada Surf Spring 2010 Tour Dates: 03/25 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ("Let Go") 03/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House ("The Weight Is A Gift") 03/27 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ("Lucky") 03/29 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace 03/30 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour 03/31 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street 04/01 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church 04/02 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 04/03 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club 04/13 - London, UK @ ICA 04/15 - Bourges, FR @ Printemps de Bourges Festival 04/17 - Strasbourg, FR @ Strasbourg Artefact Festival 04/18 - Utrect, NL @ Tivoli De Helling 04/19 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique 04/20 - Cologne, DE @ Gloria 04/21 - Lausanne, CH @ D! Club 04/23 - Zurich, CH @ Abart 04/24 - Vienna, AT @ WUK 04/25 - Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Music Bar 04/26 - Berlin, DE @ Lido 04/27 - Hamburg, DE @ Knust 04/28 - Paris, FR @ Trabendo 04/29 - Madrid, ES @ Joy Eslava 04/30 - Murcia, ES @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8 Festival 05/01 - Galicia, ES @ Villagarcia de Arosa 05/15 - Longirod, SZ @ Long'l'rock Festival 05/24 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern 05/25 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour 05/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall 05/29 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/nada-surf-hang-ten-with-new-covers-record-and-spring-tour/feed/ 0 Album Review: Dragon Turtle – Almanac http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/album-review-dragon-turtle-almanac/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/album-review-dragon-turtle-almanac/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:00:34 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=22972 Violence in the real world is an old testament of nature that has existed before the dawn of Man. The very thought of violence and the world that surrounds it at first seems like a scary way of life. With willful destruction comes the aftermath of these horrible actions, and that aftermath lies in the faithful belief of hope. Hope is what drives humans and the rest of the world alike into preserving the resistance of violence. On the Brooklyn, New York psychedelic/acoustic/indie folkers debut record, Almanac, Dragon Turtle attempt to paint a vivid portrait of the beauty of hope that follows the grittiness of violence. On this two-sided coin, the duo offer one of this 2009s’s best morose soundtracks, even if it’s comes a little late.

Composed of musicians Tom Asselin and Brian Lightbody, Dragon Turtle’s aim to create the perfect mood-setting musical journey began almost three years ago. Splitting their time in between the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and the city of Brooklyn, New York, the dynamic duo released two self-release EPs while garnering a small buzz in the indie rock community. Flashing forward to Almanac, Dragon Turtle use the darkness of post-9/11 America as the canvas on which to paint their debut record. Mixing one part post-Syd Barret Pink Floyd, a dash of Kraftwerk and Wilco, and possibly even a moodier, sinister Simon & Garfunkel (complete with droning vocals), Dragon Turtle perform well on the wings of its release to close out 2009.

Kicking off this somber acoustic jaunt into the subconscious is the seven-and-a-half minute opener “Causality”. With whispering vocals and dynamically climbing guitar work, “Causality” weaves layers upon intricate musical passages that surprise and lull the subconscious. Dragon Turtle’s immense instrumentation works wonders here in terms of preparing the listener for a great musical journey. While longer tinged tunes can make or break a band, Dragon Turtle pull off the rare feat of literally making you forget time. It’s clear from the band’s use of time that they are more concerned about the buildup of the music than the time-frame. This is highly evident on the band’s musical journey in cuts “Belt Of Venus” and the masterpiece of the album, “Moon Fallout”.

The themes of war, violence and the ominous doom that impends upon Man come to life through the guitars and other instruments leading the way. With the elegant buildup “Causality” provides, “Belt of Venus” offers more of that gentle, sophisticated musical pathway which lulls the listener into senses of hope, as well as the sense of impending violence. Subtle percussion over shoegaze-like swirls provide the intermission from the gentle to the grotesque as the album’s third and overtly powerful composition “Moon Fallout” takes command. The song, according to the band, follows the dream of a young child waking in the crisis of Israeli strikes in the country of Lebanon. If this is the case, then Dragon Turtle are on their way of crafting their own musical version of CNN. This is a heavy record, no doubt, but not in the traditional sense (i.e. attitude, tone, technicality, etc). It’s heavy because of the underlying messages and manipulation of human moods; those elements alone are hard facets to master.

Daunting guitars, sirens, pan flutes… they’re all here, and they’re all building the musical castle Dragon Turtle wants to perch atop of. “Moon Fallout” succeeds as a great musical painting and provides as said before a multitude of emotions. The best parts come in around 5:24 where the band loses it and kicks it into high gear, and this is a nine minute epic, mind you!

With the conclusion comes more waves of Man’s fascination with post-war living (“Organ Fallout”), the intensity of violence between nature and man (“Island Of Broken Glass”) and the natural progression of history, literature, myths, and society (“Hometime, “Hourglass”, and “Burn The Leaves”). On “Island Of Broken Glass”, the lyrics for the song influenced the album’s cover: a double helix of burning books. There’s not a seemingly more perfect image to represent the music this duo have composed. All that remains is for the masses to listen to it.

This record is for the psychedelic elite and for those who want to try something left of the dial, so to speak. By far one of 2009′s best-kept late releases, Almanac certainly fares well in its cohesiveness as a work, as well as probing the conscious mind of Man. For the Pennsylvania/Brooklyn duo, they’re certainly making Prometheus proud in their pursuit of fire. Flip this on and feel the burn; you won’t regret it… especially for this winter season? You bet.

Check Out:
“Island of Broken Glass”

Buy:
Almanac

]]> Almanac, Dragon Turtle attempt to paint a vivid portrait of the beauty of hope that follows the grittiness of violence. On this two-sided coin, the duo offer one of this 2009s's best morose soundtracks, even if it's comes a little late. Composed of musicians Tom Asselin and Brian Lightbody, Dragon Turtle's aim to create the perfect mood-setting musical journey began almost three years ago. Splitting their time in between the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and the city of Brooklyn, New York, the dynamic duo released two self-release EPs while garnering a small buzz in the indie rock community. Flashing forward to Almanac, Dragon Turtle use the darkness of post-9/11 America as the canvas on which to paint their debut record. Mixing one part post-Syd Barret Pink Floyd, a dash of Kraftwerk and Wilco, and possibly even a moodier, sinister Simon & Garfunkel (complete with droning vocals), Dragon Turtle perform well on the wings of its release to close out 2009. Kicking off this somber acoustic jaunt into the subconscious is the seven-and-a-half minute opener "Causality". With whispering vocals and dynamically climbing guitar work, "Causality" weaves layers upon intricate musical passages that surprise and lull the subconscious. Dragon Turtle's immense instrumentation works wonders here in terms of preparing the listener for a great musical journey. While longer tinged tunes can make or break a band, Dragon Turtle pull off the rare feat of literally making you forget time. It's clear from the band's use of time that they are more concerned about the buildup of the music than the time-frame. This is highly evident on the band's musical journey in cuts "Belt Of Venus" and the masterpiece of the album, "Moon Fallout". The themes of war, violence and the ominous doom that impends upon Man come to life through the guitars and other instruments leading the way. With the elegant buildup "Causality" provides, "Belt of Venus" offers more of that gentle, sophisticated musical pathway which lulls the listener into senses of hope, as well as the sense of impending violence. Subtle percussion over shoegaze-like swirls provide the intermission from the gentle to the grotesque as the album's third and overtly powerful composition "Moon Fallout" takes command. The song, according to the band, follows the dream of a young child waking in the crisis of Israeli strikes in the country of Lebanon. If this is the case, then Dragon Turtle are on their way of crafting their own musical version of CNN. This is a heavy record, no doubt, but not in the traditional sense (i.e. attitude, tone, technicality, etc). It's heavy because of the underlying messages and manipulation of human moods; those elements alone are hard facets to master. Daunting guitars, sirens, pan flutes... they're all here, and they're all building the musical castle Dragon Turtle wants to perch atop of. "Moon Fallout" succeeds as a great musical painting and provides as said before a multitude of emotions. The best parts come in around 5:24 where the band loses it and kicks it into high gear, and this is a nine minute epic, mind you! With the conclusion comes more waves of Man's fascination with post-war living ("Organ Fallout"), the intensity of violence between nature and man ("Island Of Broken Glass") and the natural progression of history, literature, myths, and society ("Hometime, "Hourglass", and "Burn The Leaves"). On "Island Of Broken Glass", the lyrics for the song influenced the album's cover: a double helix of burning books. There's not a seemingly more perfect image to represent the music this duo have composed. All that remains is for the masses to listen to it. This record is for the psychedelic elite and for those who want to try something left of the dial, so to speak. By far one of 2009's best-kept late releases, Almanac certainly fares well in its cohesiveness as a work, as well as probing the conscious mind of Man. For the Pennsylvania/Brooklyn duo, they're certainly making Prometheus proud in their pursuit of fire. Flip this on and feel the burn; you won't regret it... especially for this winter season? You bet. Check Out: "Island of Broken Glass" Buy: Almanac]]> 80 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/01/album-review-dragon-turtle-almanac/feed/ 0 KROQ make Almost Acoustic Christmas 2009 benefit record available on iTunes http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/kroq-make-almost-acoustic-christmas-2009-benefit-record-available-on-itunes/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/kroq-make-almost-acoustic-christmas-2009-benefit-record-available-on-itunes/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:00:46 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=23514 Well folks, Christmas is just hours away and St. Nicholas is gearing up for his lengthy trip around the world. Dinners are in the process of being prepared, cases of beer are on ice and the kids are in the yard carving out snow angels. The Yuletide season has descended upon us without a doubt and all those cheerful Christmas feelings are in the air. To celebrate these joyous meanderings, legendary Los Angeles rock radio station KROQ hosted their yearly Almost Acoustic Christmas concert recently back on December 12th & 13th which featured some of the hottest acts in rock. Bands such as 311, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Rise Against and a whole bunch of others performed the station’s long-running Christmas special.

While the concert has certainly passed its time, KROQ has put together cuts from all these artists for 2009′s installment and is now available on iTunes through mid-February. All proceeds from the album will go to both charities Para Los Ninos and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. The entire album is for sale at $7.99 while the album’s 12 individual tracks are available for $.99 a pop. What more could Kris Kringle want this holiday season? He just might be blaring this on that stereo of his on that gigantic sled he’s oh so well-known for. Even ol’ Rudolph can get behind it too. Happy holidays everyone!

The Almost Acoustic Christmas 2009 Tracklist:
01. Rise Against – “Savior”
02. Phoenix – “1901″
03. 311 – “India Ink”
04. Metric – “Help I’m Alive”
05. Anberlin – “Feel Good Drag”
06. Vampire Weekend – “Oxford Comma”
07. Three Days Grace – “Never Too Late”
08. Cage The Elephant – “In One Ear”
09. Dead By Sunrise – “Let Down”
10. White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”
11. The Bravery – “Hatefuck”
12. Slightly Stoopid – “Comb 4 My Dome”

]]> Almost Acoustic Christmas concert recently back on December 12th & 13th which featured some of the hottest acts in rock. Bands such as 311, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Rise Against and a whole bunch of others performed the station's long-running Christmas special. While the concert has certainly passed its time, KROQ has put together cuts from all these artists for 2009's installment and is now available on iTunes through mid-February. All proceeds from the album will go to both charities Para Los Ninos and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. The entire album is for sale at $7.99 while the album's 12 individual tracks are available for $.99 a pop. What more could Kris Kringle want this holiday season? He just might be blaring this on that stereo of his on that gigantic sled he's oh so well-known for. Even ol' Rudolph can get behind it too. Happy holidays everyone! The Almost Acoustic Christmas 2009 Tracklist: 01. Rise Against - "Savior" 02. Phoenix - "1901" 03. 311 - "India Ink" 04. Metric - "Help I'm Alive" 05. Anberlin - "Feel Good Drag" 06. Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma" 07. Three Days Grace - "Never Too Late" 08. Cage The Elephant - "In One Ear" 09. Dead By Sunrise - "Let Down" 10. White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun" 11. The Bravery - "Hatefuck" 12. Slightly Stoopid - "Comb 4 My Dome"]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/kroq-make-almost-acoustic-christmas-2009-benefit-record-available-on-itunes/feed/ 2 On Second Listen: The Screaming Blue Messiahs – Live At The BBC http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/on-second-listen-the-screaming-blue-messiahs-live-at-the-bbc/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/on-second-listen-the-screaming-blue-messiahs-live-at-the-bbc/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:00:34 +0000 Jay Ziegler http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=22451 If you really sit down and think about it, over the course of rock music stemming from the mid 50′s to the present day, can you think of a rock trio that doesn’t sound incredibly awesome? What bands come to mind? Nirvana, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Jam, Silverchair, Rush, ZZ Top, The Didjits, The Presidents Of The USA, Morphine, and countless others spring up as prime examples. While the trio is certainly not a new concept, there’s something extraordinarily magical about three musicians coming together and belting out waves of excellent craftsmanship. How three humans can create a fiery musical force to be reckoned with is clearly something conventional science probably can’t explain, but who cares, right? The rock trio sounds great in its prime form and without any more explanation, London’s legendary colossal blues-rock trio The Screaming Blue Messiahs find themselves squarely at home with all these sonically scientific methods intact.

The Messiahs haven’t performed a live gig since June 5th, 1990 and have never given any reason as to why they vanished from the earth without a trace. What results for those who have heard of this band is a long and fruitful journey in collecting this lost band’s entire catalog as well as submerging days on end into the band’s heavily-traded bootlegs. Led by bald-headed guitarist and songwriter Bill Carter, The Screaming Blue Messiahs were certainly a revolutionary band that for some odd reason never truly came to the forefront of the late 80′s musical confusion-riddled period. While the band hasn’t performed live in almost 20 years, the band “reunited” somewhat in regards to release their newest musical slice, Live At The BBC. Pulling no punches whatsoever, Carter, bassist Chris Thompson, and drummer Kenny Harris pummel everything in sight and prove why they’re one of the greatest bands to grace this wind-swept earth.

The album is broken into three separate sessions, which all showcase how great the band seriously were in their heyday. From the get-go, the first 12 tracks accumulate the band’s performance at the Paris Theater in London on March 30th, 1985 (also this writer’s birthday). The Andy Kershaw sessions compromise the next three songs from June of ’85 and also the Janice Long sessions rounding out the final three tracks from November of ’87. These separate distinctions mark the growth and overall evolving musicianship these three awesome musicians would share together, and to have all of them back to back in a set of 17 tracks is beyond awesome. Keep in mind that these tracks haven’t seen the light of day for roughly 20+ years, so it certainly is something nice to come home to after a long day of work.

Kicking off BBC, The Messiahs hit the ground running with the slap-happy cosmic “Good And Gone” which Carter manically wails like a frightened banshee. Drummer Harris provides thunderous drumming throughout and keeps the balls-intense mood up to par. Afterward, the band divulge into never-released numbers “Vision And Blues” and “Growing For Gold”, which showcase the sultry and disgusting grooves this powerhouse trio were highly capable of. With Carter barking “You’re a hot piece of merchandise!” in “Vision and Blues”, his guitar takes the reigns, and you can hear his Telecaster twang and crash with each chord. The remastering of this concert takes strong liberties in providing excellent sound quality to the band’s high octane sound, as well as dabbling with updating the overall tonality of the original recording. Not even three songs in, the hooks fly left and right without an end in sight.

What follows next includes an incendiary and darkly humored version of “Tracking The Dog”, as well as a completely different version of “Let’s Go Down To The Woods” (drastically different than the version found on the band’s debut record Gun Shy). Bassist Thompson’s bass chugs away like a speeding steam train, endlessly pursuing the Unknown West. Because of this, the contrapuntal lines supplied here by Thompson clash and coincide well with Carter’s manic over-the-top guitar prowess, especially on the post-punk bitter love tale “Happy Home”. Fast, aggressive tempos cling to this band like bees on honeycombs and make themselves the trademark watershed this band craves so much. With rowdy, torn-to-shreds versions of “Holiday Head”, the ode to our 35th Commander In Chief “President Kennedy’s Mile”, and “Destroyer” (another unreleased song), the Messiahs end their colossal jaunt with a country-twanged variation of “Wild Blue Yonder” and a blistering version of “Twin Cadillac Valentine”. Drummer Harris absolutely kills it here and proves to be one of the best rock drummers of the past 30 years. Solidarity, durability, and overall badass grooves: These last few tunes are Harris’ highlights with the band, hands down.

On the Andy Kershaw sessions, The Messiahs offer a three song rouse of honest to goodness British hard blues. Taking it away once more, The Messiahs crush into “Good And Gone” with just as much ferocity as shown during their Paris Theater performance. Essentially the perfect opener for these guys, “Good And Gone” epitomizes everything great about this trio: loud, exuberant, and sardonic. Carter’s barking, drill sergeant-like demeanor cuts through the speakers with such incredible velocity that it almost becomes a second guitar of sorts. This follows on the second and glorious tour of “Tracking The Dog”. Chock-full of bizarre imagery, sophisticated violence, and a sick chicken picking guitar riff, Carter’s immense lyrical mastery is what sets this tune apart from the others. The pseudo-ballad rocker (and I use the world “ballad” very loosely) “Talking Doll” rounds out the set, and while not as powerful as the other two songs, “Doll” offers a different side to the band’s creative force and also showcases more of Carter’s brilliant guitar work.

Rounding out the end of BBC are the Janice Long sessions and these are easily the strongest tracks on the record. Not ones to waste any time whatsoever, The Messiahs offer a three punch haymaker with a helpful handle of tunes off their second record, Bikini Red. Arguably the best song the band has ever written, “Sweet Water Pools” opens the sessions and proves to be a masterful piece of storytelling and guitar riff central. Carter’s frantic wailing meets the thumping and crash of the other members rhythm in the middle of a musical inferno. These guys barely do anything, and within ten seconds, they’re already on fire. What follows next is possibly the greatest version of their “novelty hit” “I Wanna Be A Flintstone”. Drastically altered from their single version, “Flintstone” sees Carter transforming the mere pop rock song into a throw-down punk-blues jam with elegant guitar solos, fantastic word play, and Carter pulling off awesome imitations of Fred Flintstone, his wife Wilma, and their pet dinosaur Dino. Clearly tongue-in-cheek, these guys scorch it and surprisingly make the tune much more badass than possibly imagined before. With that said, the album ends with a wound-up version of “Big Brother Muscle”, complete with Chris Thompson’s epic rumbling bass killing the song.

While it may seem The Messiahs may never come back, this is definitely the closest thing that has surfaced in recent years in regards to any word on the group. It’s a shame, really, that this band never received the recognition it deserved, but oddly enough, and after extensive research, there’s a group of quixotic music searchers and Messiahs fans out there waiting for answers from this band. Only time will tell what will happen, but for now, this album flat out rocks and serves as a great reminder that good music truly never dies. To think this unbelievably powerful music came from a trio, too…now that’s science.

Check Out:
Live At The BBC

]]> doesn't sound incredibly awesome? What bands come to mind? Nirvana, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Jam, Silverchair, Rush, ZZ Top, The Didjits, The Presidents Of The USA, Morphine, and countless others spring up as prime examples. While the trio is certainly not a new concept, there's something extraordinarily magical about three musicians coming together and belting out waves of excellent craftsmanship. How three humans can create a fiery musical force to be reckoned with is clearly something conventional science probably can't explain, but who cares, right? The rock trio sounds great in its prime form and without any more explanation, London's legendary colossal blues-rock trio The Screaming Blue Messiahs find themselves squarely at home with all these sonically scientific methods intact. The Messiahs haven't performed a live gig since June 5th, 1990 and have never given any reason as to why they vanished from the earth without a trace. What results for those who have heard of this band is a long and fruitful journey in collecting this lost band's entire catalog as well as submerging days on end into the band's heavily-traded bootlegs. Led by bald-headed guitarist and songwriter Bill Carter, The Screaming Blue Messiahs were certainly a revolutionary band that for some odd reason never truly came to the forefront of the late 80's musical confusion-riddled period. While the band hasn't performed live in almost 20 years, the band "reunited" somewhat in regards to release their newest musical slice, Live At The BBC. Pulling no punches whatsoever, Carter, bassist Chris Thompson, and drummer Kenny Harris pummel everything in sight and prove why they're one of the greatest bands to grace this wind-swept earth. The album is broken into three separate sessions, which all showcase how great the band seriously were in their heyday. From the get-go, the first 12 tracks accumulate the band's performance at the Paris Theater in London on March 30th, 1985 (also this writer's birthday). The Andy Kershaw sessions compromise the next three songs from June of '85 and also the Janice Long sessions rounding out the final three tracks from November of '87. These separate distinctions mark the growth and overall evolving musicianship these three awesome musicians would share together, and to have all of them back to back in a set of 17 tracks is beyond awesome. Keep in mind that these tracks haven't seen the light of day for roughly 20+ years, so it certainly is something nice to come home to after a long day of work. Kicking off BBC, The Messiahs hit the ground running with the slap-happy cosmic "Good And Gone" which Carter manically wails like a frightened banshee. Drummer Harris provides thunderous drumming throughout and keeps the balls-intense mood up to par. Afterward, the band divulge into never-released numbers "Vision And Blues" and "Growing For Gold", which showcase the sultry and disgusting grooves this powerhouse trio were highly capable of. With Carter barking "You're a hot piece of merchandise!" in "Vision and Blues", his guitar takes the reigns, and you can hear his Telecaster twang and crash with each chord. The remastering of this concert takes strong liberties in providing excellent sound quality to the band's high octane sound, as well as dabbling with updating the overall tonality of the original recording. Not even three songs in, the hooks fly left and right without an end in sight. What follows next includes an incendiary and darkly humored version of "Tracking The Dog", as well as a completely different version of "Let's Go Down To The Woods" (drastically different than the version found on the band's debut record Gun Shy). Bassist Thompson's bass chugs away like a speeding steam train, endlessly pursuing the Unknown West. Because of this, the contrapuntal lines supplied here by Thompson clash and coincide well with Carter's manic over-the-top guitar prowess, especially on the post-punk bitter love tale "Happy Home". Fast, aggressive tempos cling to this band like bees on honeycombs and make themselves the trademark watershed this band craves so much. With rowdy, torn-to-shreds versions of "Holiday Head", the ode to our 35th Commander In Chief "President Kennedy's Mile", and "Destroyer" (another unreleased song), the Messiahs end their colossal jaunt with a country-twanged variation of "Wild Blue Yonder" and a blistering version of "Twin Cadillac Valentine". Drummer Harris absolutely kills it here and proves to be one of the best rock drummers of the past 30 years. Solidarity, durability, and overall badass grooves: These last few tunes are Harris' highlights with the band, hands down. On the Andy Kershaw sessions, The Messiahs offer a three song rouse of honest to goodness British hard blues. Taking it away once more, The Messiahs crush into "Good And Gone" with just as much ferocity as shown during their Paris Theater performance. Essentially the perfect opener for these guys, "Good And Gone" epitomizes everything great about this trio: loud, exuberant, and sardonic. Carter's barking, drill sergeant-like demeanor cuts through the speakers with such incredible velocity that it almost becomes a second guitar of sorts. This follows on the second and glorious tour of "Tracking The Dog". Chock-full of bizarre imagery, sophisticated violence, and a sick chicken picking guitar riff, Carter's immense lyrical mastery is what sets this tune apart from the others. The pseudo-ballad rocker (and I use the world "ballad" very loosely) "Talking Doll" rounds out the set, and while not as powerful as the other two songs, "Doll" offers a different side to the band's creative force and also showcases more of Carter's brilliant guitar work. Rounding out the end of BBC are the Janice Long sessions and these are easily the strongest tracks on the record. Not ones to waste any time whatsoever, The Messiahs offer a three punch haymaker with a helpful handle of tunes off their second record, Bikini Red. Arguably the best song the band has ever written, "Sweet Water Pools" opens the sessions and proves to be a masterful piece of storytelling and guitar riff central. Carter's frantic wailing meets the thumping and crash of the other members rhythm in the middle of a musical inferno. These guys barely do anything, and within ten seconds, they're already on fire. What follows next is possibly the greatest version of their "novelty hit" "I Wanna Be A Flintstone". Drastically altered from their single version, "Flintstone" sees Carter transforming the mere pop rock song into a throw-down punk-blues jam with elegant guitar solos, fantastic word play, and Carter pulling off awesome imitations of Fred Flintstone, his wife Wilma, and their pet dinosaur Dino. Clearly tongue-in-cheek, these guys scorch it and surprisingly make the tune much more badass than possibly imagined before. With that said, the album ends with a wound-up version of "Big Brother Muscle", complete with Chris Thompson's epic rumbling bass killing the song. While it may seem The Messiahs may never come back, this is definitely the closest thing that has surfaced in recent years in regards to any word on the group. It's a shame, really, that this band never received the recognition it deserved, but oddly enough, and after extensive research, there's a group of quixotic music searchers and Messiahs fans out there waiting for answers from this band. Only time will tell what will happen, but for now, this album flat out rocks and serves as a great reminder that good music truly never dies. To think this unbelievably powerful music came from a trio, too...now that's science. Check Out: Live At The BBC]]> 90 http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/12/on-second-listen-the-screaming-blue-messiahs-live-at-the-bbc/feed/ 2