alt rock

Song of the Week: "Let Go of the Gun (Year of the Tiger)"

Dusty Wright — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:33:16 +0000

Song of the Week: "Let Go of the Gun (Year of the Tiger)" Dusty Wright September 16, 2022 - 16:33

Topics

Tags

Scottish singer-songwriter Daniel Wylie -- formerly of Cosmic Rough Riders & mastermind of the stone cold classic folk-rock album Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine -- has done it again. He's released the "must-hear song of the week" -- "Let Go Of The Gun (Year of the Tiger)." Co-written with his friend Ian M Bailey, this mid-tempo rocker has the best elements of The Byrds circa Notorious Byrds Brothers, Arthur Lee's Love, lush Beatle harmonies, a searing '60s psych-jangle guitar solo, and smart lyrics.

"Trips to the sun

Let go of the gun

Explosions that you fear

Are love bombs that you hear

Don't be deceived

By strange things that you see

Nothing is real

Not even what you feel

I hear her calling my name

I don't wanna go there again

I feel like I'm going insane

It's the year of the Tiger again, oh yeah

Trips to the moon

Luna in full bloom

She's closer than the sun

So let go of the gun

I hear her calling my name

I don't wanna go there again

I feel like I'm going insane

It's the year of the Tiger again, oh yeah"

Add new comment

Album of the Week: Be Here Now - 25th Anniversary

Jackson Diianni — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 19:05:42 +0000

Album of the Week: Be Here Now - 25th Anniversary Jackson Diianni July 20, 2022 - 15:05

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

Oasis: Be Here Now (25th Anniversary)

3.5 out of 5 stars

The hype surrounding Oasis' third studio album, Be Here Now, was nothing short of historic. After the back-to-back successes of Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, they were (arguably) the biggest band in the world and nationwide anticipation for their follow-up resulted in a fanatic media circus rivaling anything we’ve seen before or since. There were repeated stories of authoritation radio-play restrictions, journalists signing gag orders, a drug bust in London, tabloids mobbing the Gallaghers and endless binges of cocaine and guitar overdubs. To date, it's the only album I know of that had a "making of" documentary before it was released. In 1997, it was the fastest-selling album in British history, topped charts in 15 countries, and sold 1.47 million units in its first year. It has since been certified 6x platinum. But more interesting than the buildup (to my mind) has been the aftermath. Though well-received at the time, nearly every contemporary retrospective has been negative, and today, it's seen as either a misunderstood debacle, or a bloated, overproduced, irredeemable, coke-fueled ego trip.

Reasons vary: most reviewers cite the song lengths, cluttered mix and perceived decline in songwriting quality. Lead guitarist Noel Gallagher has disowned it. Lead singer Liam Gallagher says it's his favorite Oasis record. Some say it ended Britpop. Listening today, I find it to be a basically pleasant, inoffensive if overlong collection of mid-tempo rockers about being "all alone at dawn" and having "nothing to lose but [your] mind," and even though the overall mood is a little sullen, there's no half-realized songwriting anywhere on the project (if anything, certain ideas are explored TOO much). At 12 songs and 71 minutes long, it's cohesive, tuneful and well-written.

Yes, there are too many guitars. But it doesn't exactly smack of over-arrangement, because the guitars aren't playing 100 different melodies. They're not doing long, directionless prog-rock solos, or Rolling Stones-style "weaving". Rather they seem to be layering different pedal points to create a more full-bodied sound, and the overall effect is a dense morass of tight guitars mashed together into one great, sustained note, the low end rumbling, the high end buzzing. But aside from the guitars, every instrument is clearly defined, and somehow the huge, electric storm sits comfortably behind the vocals and every syllable is clearly-enunciated and discernible. You can only really hear an excess of sonic material if you're consciously looking for it.

"D'You Know What I Mean?" is my favorite. Gallagher's hook of "d'you know what I mean / yeah yeah" is nonsense, but it's still the catchiest song on the album, and he sells it with the same conviction he used for the even more nonsensical "Wonderwall," intoning in a flat, nasal mewl:

"I ain't good-looking, but I'm someone's child"

The 100-guitar orchestra approaches a Phil Spector-style "Wall of Sound", or maybe even shoegaze (the last 30 seconds -– a warm backwards-guitar feedback loop -– resembles the last 30 seconds of My Bloody Valentine's "To Here Knows When"), and like most songs on the album, it's written in the first-person, addressed to an individual whom the speaker holds in contempt, not quite mapping out the details of an epic romance a la Joni Mitchell, but painting a hazy picture through tossed-off snippets.

A few negatives: Every song sounds a little same-y. After listening to it twice, I can only hum one from memory ("D’You Know What I Mean?"). None of the songs has any reason to be longer than two minutes, and a good number of them veer well past the seven-minute mark without really building in energy or intensity. They mostly plod and repeat. The constant Beatles references inspire head-scratching more than anything else (“the fool on the hill” on D’ You Know What I Mean or “the long and winding road” on My Big Mouth). I have NEVER agreed with the (by now) compulsory Oasis-Beatles comparisons. Oasis sounds nothing like the Beatles. They barely sound like they’re from England. I’d have pegged them for SoCal, if anything. In fact, Blur, their contemporaries and (sometimes) rivals, sound a helluva lot more Beatles-ish (Beetlebum). Gallagher’s delivery (anthemic rock in a jaded, deadpan voice) occasionally verges into an obnoxious whine; “make me shyyiiiiiiine” on All Around the World or “nobody knyyooooowwws” on Stand By Me, and the choruses of the latter and Don’t Go Away get a little irritating. One overall problem with the presentation is that it feels impersonal. The video for "D'You Know What I Mean?" features Gallagher sulking behind dark sunglasses in an oversized windbreaker and singing with both hands in his pockets, and the cover artwork consists of a random photo of the group behind an 18th century mansion surrounded by a collection of props (including a Rolls Royce in the pool), a bizarrely materialistic counterpoint to the album’s zen koan title.

But hey, who cares if every song sounds the same? I couldn't tell the songs apart the first time I heard Exile on Main Street either. Be Here Now doesn't exactly live up to its reputation as a colossal failure. Yes, it's a little self-serious. Gone are the throwaways of "I know a girl named Elsa / she's into Alka-Seltzer" ("Supersonic"). It's more of a piece of product than an album, but it's not empty gloss. It's a highly-accessible set of indie/pop sides which presupposes not to be overthought.

Add new comment

A Song In Every Port

Robert Cochrane — Wed, 05 May 2021 14:44:36 +0000

A Song In Every Port Robert Cochrane May 5, 2021 - 10:44

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

Storm Weather Shanty Choir: "Hog-Eye" (BandCamp)

If you wanted to create an unlikely scenario, they don't arrive in any more an improbable form than Storm Weather Shanty Choir. Formed two decades ago by Haakon Vatle, their lead singer, a sailboat shipmate on a three-masted vessel, they used to introduce themselves as "the roughest toughest and youngest boy band in Norway singing 150 years old cover songs." A statement which aptly summarizes their repertoire.

Vatle has more than a passing likeness to the ruggedness of Jason Statham, and makes a dynamic focal point to their often raucous and rowdy concerts. After twenty years in existence, and seven albums, they now find themselves in the position of being "on trend," clocking up three million streams in the year of lockdown. They've had sell-out tours of Japan, the US, UK and Europe. Their genre a collision of folk, rock and a hefty smattering of choral harmony. They also are gloriously up-lifting.

When Vatle returned to the breath taking western coastline of Stord in Norway, he gathered together musicians and singers from a more rock-based background. Their sound is strong, authentic and strangely commercial.

"Hog Eye" is a shanty from America with a bawdy and largely obscenity laced history. It is also reputed to be the longest sea shanty in the genre. Their take shortens it to something akin to a country dance hoe-down with a latent suggestiveness. The song's title refers to a derogatory term used by seamen for those who only sail on inland waterways. It has an up-tempo vibe, a full bodied catchiness that is strangely modern whilst losing none of its antiquity, one that would lend itself well to a high octane remix. "Shanty Disco," being a niche that has yet to carved out.

This single is their slightly delayed anniversary release, now effectively their 21st birthday celebration. They are proof perfect that you cannot keep a good band with a good tune down. I was initially skeptical of their stance but have been won over, their enthusiasm disarming my innate reservations of a field I feared might be too folky. The line-up also includes Gisle Ostrem - lyrical tenor and bass accordion, Roald Kaldestad - lyrical tenor, mandolin and guitar, Ronny Saetre - baritone, Rune Nesse - bass and percussion and Vidar Veda - bass.

"Hog Eye" is a perfect introduction to their breezy, salt-edged back catalogue.

Raucous, with gusto, but in perfect swagger, they promise a wonderful night out, after too many nights in.

Add new comment

Stephen Take A Bow

Robert Cochrane — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 20:40:25 +0000

Stephen Take A Bow Robert Cochrane June 4, 2019 - 16:40

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

Morrissey California Son (BMG)

Morrissey's new opus is effectively his Pin-Ups album with a twist, twelve covers, all American, Joni Mitchell being the Canadian exception who we'll naturalize for the sake of a good conceit. It hopefully means he will pay a further lip service with another album of well-chosen English delights. This is a rare confection and something of an audio treat. He is in excellent voice, a sympathetic interpreter of the work of others and the selection bears evidence of the wide variety of his taste and personal listenings. Understated when necessary, but never lacking in dynamism, he saunters along with some well known old friends whilst introducing the odd obscurity along the way.

The opening track is a blistering take on Jobriath's "Morning Starship" a song whose dramatic impact betrays with utter certainty the inherent song-craft of the sole American contender to '70s Bowie's and his glittering crown. Sadly the much maligned leper boy of glam is not above ground for his belated close-up, he died from AIDS related complications in the Chelsea Hotel in 1983. Unfettered homophobia was an accepted stance amongst the bearded music scribes of the time, Jobriath was mocked, but Morrissey rids the song of his shrillness and it packs an assured punch as an introduction to both Jobriath's talent, and Morrissey's recent endeavors. It is also an act of genuine creative kindness to someone who saw little of that attribute in his time. It weaves all power chords and harpsichord into an anthem for a alien

There is a haunting element to Joni Mitchell's "Don't Interrupt The Sorrow" as though Miss Mitchell is the spectre in the studio, the ghost in the machine, It slinks and shimmers with guitars, sax and light percussive licks, all coated via a tastefully flowing vocal. There is sunshine aplenty in this rendition, just as there is a strangely 'Game Of Thrones' dirge-like melancholy to Dylan's "Only A Pawn In The Game" that suggests the late Kirsty MaColl without ever descending to the cartoon Irish-ness of The Pogues. A dark but driven rendition that neatly slides into an almost laconic version of Buffy Saint Marie's "Suffer The Little Children," but with an undercurrent of jolly menace that you could line dance to if such a mood hit you.

"Days Of Decision" breathes a spectral life into the words of Phil Ochs. I'd never noticed before, but there is a real similarity in timbre to Morrissey's more pathos-laced vocals to the the late protest singer's delivery. It is a song that still has tremendous relevance in the modern age, and stands supreme as a timely retelling. There is a total Chris Isaak fluidity on Roy Orbison's "It's Over" that reveals just how fine a crooner Morrissey can be with something of a David Lynchian gloominess that steers well clear of Orbison's gothic drama. "Wedding Bell Blues" ups the tempo once more with a vocal shared with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. It veers dangerously closely to cabaret rendition that could do with some of the strident oomph of Laura Nyro's original, or the 5th Dimensions's, who effectively made it their own.

"Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets" redresses the balance to a pace of greater sure-footedness. A fab vocal that should be on repeat play on the juke-box in some lost beatnik dive, it is a Dionne Warwick original, a revelation and a wonderful song. The same sadly can't be said of "Lady Willpower." Stripped of the overwhelming drama of Gary Puckett's almost histrionic original it sounds rather plodding and resides as an unusual inclusion when there was so much else to choose from. A Nico song perhaps? Carly Simon's "When You Close Your Eyes" picks up the gothic threads that run through the album's eclectic proceedings, a lilting melancholy ballad effortlessly delivered.

The utter jaw dropping chill factor on the album is the taken up Tim Hardin's "Lenny's Tune" that gathers all the wistful sadness and longing implicit in the lyric and lays it, almost forensically, bare. Piano driven this lament to Lenny Bruce smoulders and flows in and out like a dying tide. One junkie's sorrow for a fellow addict, "I have lost a friend and I don't know why / But never again will we get together to die." Hardin himself later overdosed aged 39, his death eclipsed by the shooting of John Lennon.

"And why after every last shot was there always another?"

Morrissey's voice is heart-felt and ghosts the pathos and wrings out all the sadness implicit in the song. A sterling effort that alone would justify the price on the cover.

Proceedings close with an sweep of dynamic genius. Melanie's piece of outsider folk whimsy "Some Say I Got Devil" long entombed on the B side of "Brand New Key" it is turned into an industrial goth opera. Think Scott Walker in tandem with Ministry. If you are going to cover a song this how it ought to be done. Take it elsewhere and re-chisel it to within an inch of it's life. The perfect take and an inspiring conclusion

Reviews of this album have been somewhat muted in response to Morrissey's recent continued contrarian posturing, which is a tremendous shame. Quentin Crisp, that other great English contradiction once advised "Neither confirm nor deny" and Morrissey was for years an artful exponent of that edict. Ambiguity was part of his armour of attractiveness. These days he seems to have confirmed a little more than he ought and in the process has quite needlessly offended and alienated many of his fans. He states it is about freedom of speech and by all means say what you wish and believe what you will, but remember it is a two way street. Disagreement means dialogue, though certain of his aired opinions rest with little grace in the sentiments implicit in the collective sensibilities he has gathered together here.

And therein lies a contradiction of actuality and good grace that momentarily clouds the reception of an illuminating and rewarding achievement.

Add new comment

Shiny and Oh So Billy

C. Jefferson Thom — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:53:29 +0000

Shiny and Oh So Billy C. Jefferson Thom August 30, 2018 - 17:53

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

I am, and have been for multiple decades now, a fairly ardent fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. For years they maintained a constant home in my CD player and I listened to their catalog religiously throughout my twenties, ruining their music for one of my college roommates by overplaying his initial affinity into irritation. I finally got to catch The Pumpkins live back in 2000 on the tour for Machina, and the very next day they announced on the radio that they were breaking up. I thought I would never get to see The Smashing Pumpkins again and, though I have been to two of their concerts since... I was correct.

The Smashing Pumpkins have toured a number of times since their initial break-up, each time presenting a rotating cast of band members with Corgan as the only constant. One of those times I caught them at Terminal 5 in NYC with Billy Corgan as the only original member. That show wasn't worth talking about, but this current tour is.

Shiny and Oh So Bright is a serious endeavor of impressive production quality: multiple costume changes, sharply coordinated light shows, original videos displayed on towering, moving screens. Corgan even brought back original bandmates Jimmy Chamberlin (drums) and James Iha (guitar), though bassist D'arcy Wretzky wasn't included (there are stories that she was initially invited and then had her invitation rescinded; Billy's version differs). Both Chamberlin and Iha were excellent as always; Jimmy remains one of the best drummers I have ever had the privilege of seeing perform live. However, even with all these pieces in place, something didn't match up to that first Pumpkins concert I vividly remember. I would have much preferred to have seen Wretzky on bass, but she had already left the band by the Machina tour when I saw them, so that wasn't it...

While it isn't uncommon for a band to pull from a consistent selection of songs on a tour with only moderate variations in order and tunes played, it is unusual for them to play a three-hour set of the same songs in the same basic order night after night. The latter is the case with this tour, making it feel more like following the song list in a program for a musical than the set list for a band. Not a real complaint, but it was odd to be able to know with almost 100% certainty which song was coming next. These Pumpkins work their way through an extensive list of fan favorites, from their debut release Gish to the final release of their original manifestation, Machina. They played each song with conviction and intensity and their musicianship was tight, so no complaints there. They are not going through the motions on this tour but rather giving the music its due respect, and if you're eager to engage in some legitimate '90s nostalgia and want to hear the songs on their recurring set list, then buy a ticket and go -- but there was still something strange about the experience. It didn't hit me at first, but slowly the thought occurred to me. Underneath the very professional surface of a finely tuned and smoothly running performance was the nagging realization that this feels less like seeing a band in concert and more like catching a Vegas revue of a once popular act, starring Billy Corgan.

While it is undeniable that Billy was always the key and most contributing figure of The Smashing Pumpkins, there was a time when they were much more of a genuine band. In some ways D'arcy isn't the only band member who has been left behind -- while Jimmy and James were certainly present on stage, it felt as though they were relegated to the role of guest artists rather than fellow band members. Sure, James got to sing his well-known Pumpkins love song, "Blew Away," but even this seemed like a bit of a concession, as Billy left the stage for this moment ,then returned to get back to playing his music. If there's any question about this being a frontman's vanity project, just look to the new video content created for this show and you will notice that it is extremely Billy-centric. There are brief moments where Jimmy and James appear in clips from old videos (again, absolutely no D'arcy), but all the new material is pure Billy: childhood Billy pictures, Billy-like cartoons, current-day Billy in videos with attractive younger women -- the one unifying component is always Billy.

Finding a balance between accepting Billy for who he is as a person and the amazing music he has created is something that long-term Pumpkins fans have to make their own peace with at some point. While there are few songs penned by Corgan from his 1991-2000 releases that don't betray the touch of his musical brilliance, I have almost never heard anything but negative and horrifying stories about him otherwise. These dark tales would have one believe that he is a self-absorbed, difficult prick, and the underlying impression from this present tour doesn't contradict the theme that it's all about him.

Without a doubt the weirdest and most off-putting moments of the evening were the videoed guest appearances made by Mark McGarth as vaudeville-styled interludes, leaving audience members to ponder "Is that 'Sugar Ray' and what the hell is he doing here?!" Aside from the overlap of both artists performing in the early '90s, these interjections seem random at best. Either way, these clips drag on with an obnoxious energy, only working to conjure memories of songs better left forgotten.

All this raises the question: What is the purpose of this tour? Was it really for us, the fans, to take a moonlit stroll together down memory lane and revisit a time when Rock was still king? Was Billy feeling lonely, is he looking to revitalize his performance career and pave the way for a new album, or is it just about the money? I actually in some ways hope it's the latter; at least that would be relatively honest. All that being said, it was an enjoyable experience, just not nearly as meaningful as the one from my younger years. Maybe I'm just getting old. Maybe Billy's getting even older. Or maybe, like an enraged rodent in captivity once said, "time is never time at all, you can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth"...or significant parts of the band that once meant so much to you.

The nightmare rides on with tour dates in the U.S. through September 5th, then moves on to Canada and Europe, wrapping up in Bologna, Italy on October 18th. For more information visit: http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

Set list from the Seattle, Key Arena performance (virtually identical to all other set lists I've seen from this tour): https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-smashing-pumpkins/2018/keyarena-seattle-wa-73e8cafd.html

Add new comment

Fuck That Shit, I Was Right!

C. Jefferson Thom — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 07:14:07 +0000

Fuck That Shit, I Was Right! C. Jefferson Thom August 30, 2016 - 03:14

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

Photo credit: Iron Mike Savoia

'...Johndus's response to being told that Masturbational is spelt with an O."

It seems so often these days that all I want to do is burn things to the ground... This is not the confession of a pyromaniac but rather the resignation of a former believer who is convinced that, in so many aspects of life, it'd better if we just started over. However, occasionally something will come along that breathes life into my ever-dwindling hope. Bernie certainly did that for me in the realm of politics, Banksy has long since revitalized my belief in the possibilities of the visual arts, and, in the world of rock, I recently discovered a local secret here in Seattle which, if there's anything right with the music scene, won't remain a secret for much longer.   In a time where rock seems to be sliding on to the popularity back-burner I am happy to report that the scene remains alive and well in Seattle, and at the core of this local rock scene resides the super group Ten Miles Wide. Ten Miles Wide has inspired me. After suffering through eight musically, bleak years of hipster drudge in NYC rock venues where true talent so often takes a back seat to hype, it’s refreshing to hear sincere, non-ironic music played for audiences who are there to listen rather than be seen.  Ten Miles Wide seems like a natural progression of the Grunge movement, as if it had continued to grow and change over the last two decades, morphing into a new sound rooted in familiar soil. Raw and sincere but also accessible, their most recent album, The Gross (released July 16th to packed house of over five hundred eager fans), is catchy without being guilty of pandering. While possessing the power of a primal rage it is also clean and composed. To quote a lyric from Woodhead, my favorite local band back in NYC, "You don’t know the difference between a symphony or a song"… Ten Miles Wide does, crafting compositions with multiple moving parts and engaging time signature changes that challenge the ear, avoiding the redundancy that so frequently plagues our pop stations.

The Gross has a spectacular breadth of styles, reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, as one track will be pure, heavy-hitting, all-encompassing metal while the next will pare down to just a guitar and vocals. The title track, "The Gross," even has elements of shoegazer rock at play with a waltzy time signature and bittersweet vocals that could inspire one to look down to the ground and sway back and forth with the dark dream the melody invokes.

Front man, John Beckman (a.k.a. Johndus, a clever nickname he acquired due to a yellowing on his fingers from smoking rolled cigarettes), has a vocal range that compliments and helps establish this wide array, possessing a legitimate growl that carries a righteous anger with an undertow of vulnerability. It is the guttural howl of one aware of dark realities that still possesses the sensitivity that yearns for something better, closer to the promised ideal. Like a wounded animal, Johndus thrashes between moments of tearful pain and threatened violence. Will Andrews provides the backbone and ribcage for Johndus's throbbing heart, finding an amazing balance between the accessible way his drum lines strike the ear and their actual complexity. Will is the one responsible for the band’s penchant for unusual time signatures and their frequent changes, working in tandem with bassist Ryan Thornes to reign a clear love for prog rock into the tighter perimeters of the album's style. Jake Carden joins the band as its most recent member providing precision guitar riffs and a background of more formal training, which promises to provide the band with an even wider array of musical weapons in their arsenal.

The Gross is the first album released under the name Ten Miles Wide as the band was previously known as The Mothership, a name which they hesitantly abandoned after a group with a similar name appeared and confusion ensued. Taking the higher road, The Mothership decided to take the name of their first album as their new moniker, and so was born Ten Miles Wide. The band’s previous manifestation also included founding member Paul Fraser, who has since moved on to other projects, and while all remain good friends, with the loss of Paul and addition of Jake, it seems a new name was in order. Prior even to The Mothership the remaining founding members were all in other projects with their own passionate followings before they began to engage in poaching one another to form their future super group.

While researching the history of this musical force of nature, I encountered numerous fans and friends who were eager to share with me their thoughts about Ten Miles Wide. Mandy Varona is a court reporter who discovered The Mothership through her son, Martin. She began our interview by dictating her son’s thoughts when we met, "…Instrumentally flawless, carrying that raw rock -- that rock ’n’ roll sound that riles up the crowd while also paying attention to the subtleties and details that define their unique sound as a band. A band that carries the soundtrack of Seattle… Johndus’s vocals are both melodic and fierce on the mic… Will is on fire, playing like a demon but he’s able to listen to everyone around him and keep a tight sound."

Mandy first caught a TMW performance at Tractor Tavern and recalls an out-of-body experience, after which she proceeded to listen to their first album (titled Ten Miles Wide… oh yes, the confusion is rich) non-stop for the next six months… this is an experience common among their fans as I have since learned. Commenting on the band’s inter-generational appeal, Mandy mused, "One thing that's awesome about this band is… my son really loves them too, so it's something that we share. Like a serious, intense love and appreciation for this band… makes it really personal for me."

Intisaar Jubran, local musician and front woman of the up and coming alternative rock trio Intisaar says, "It's promising to me that someone like Ten Miles Wide can drum up so much of a stir using a form of music that some would say is archaic or some people have said ‘Rock is dead’… they’re revitalizing it in a way that is fresh and relevant. People care whether they make it or not. Whether they’re trying to be relevant or not, people care." Intisaar recently returned from a tour where Johndus joined them, playing a solo set as their opening act.

The boys from TMW not only reveal in creating inspiring music, but also actively promote acts which have inspired them, as I learned from friend and fellow musician Drew Shreve who related, "They’re very musician’s musicians... John relentlessly promotes bands he finds and loves and will make a point of having them open and getting them exposure to a larger audience." Drew shed light on their central love for music as he fondly recalled the years he was a part of The Mothership House in Shoreline, where roommates and friends of roommates continually cycled through, jamming in the band room and engaging in other Bacchanalian rites, "…when you’re roommates you’re around each other every day and one thing we would do, almost on a daily basis, was turn the TV off and just… somebody’d start puttin’ on music. Like music discovery mode… We’d go buy a twelve pack, we’d sit around, everyone’s drinking a couple beers and we’re just listening to a record as a group, hanging out... They’re always looking to find something new -- especially underground and local stuff." Drew is also in a side project with Johndus and having been an intimate part of their working process offered these insights, "Ryan is so good at studying [Will’s] accents and really digging in so that Will can come through and act like this land scape over it… and then John is very minimalistic with his guitar playing, but he uses effects in a way that most people don’t. He’s one of the few effect-based guitar players that I really appreciate… very simple, elegant effects… its just so refreshing to see people -- guitarists in particular, who just give a song what it needs." He rounded up our interview by saying, "They are one hundred percent unapologetically themselves, as people and as musicians and I really feel like if more artists and more people were that way we would solve our decaying art that we have in this world."

Photo credit: Iron Mike Savoia

I finally caught up with Johndus and Will in the green room at Barboza as the muffled sounds of Intisaar’s set reverberated from the stage. Johndus drifted in and out of the room grabbing beers and playing with his stage make-up as I interviewed Will first,

"We’re making music for us. We wanna make music we want to hear and it might be born from our formative years a little bit… We grew up listening to really good music I think. When we were teenagers we were listening to Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and Nirvana… heavy stuff and not-so-heavy stuff. John listens to a lot of bluesy rock and I listen to a lot of King Crimson and prog stuff and ambient stuff…" Will originally hails from a suburb outside of Boston and was raised in a household of great musicians. He received basic training in his youth but also bares elements of the self-taught, "I would come home from school and put on my favorite record -- it wasn’t a record, it was a cassette tape, I just call it a record… I would try to learn the album start to finish and every day I’d try to get better at it and try to really match all the hits and make sure that I was playing the exact the same stuff that that drummer was playing. The same feel. The same inconsistencies… verbatim." He then studied at Berklee College of Music, mentoring under Mike Mangini, who he swears by as a master of creating a step-by-step system that taught him how to execute drumming techniques, which had previously seemed impossible. However, before finishing his studies at Berklee, Will was lured to Seattle by fellow classmate Chris Cullman with whom he would eventually join to form the popular local Seattle band OMNI. It was during this time that he met both Ryan and Johndus. Johndus was the front man in another local institution, Future Fossils, and Will was quickly drawn to his voice, thus beginning the band member poaching which would eventually result in the formation of The Mothership. The union is a happy one and Will remains excited about the band’s future prospects, "The Gross has been getting some really positive reception and that makes us pretty stoked… we want to try to get outside of Seattle with it…. At least do some out of town shows at first and then maybe get our feet wet with an I-5 tour, go down to California, come back up to Seattle…".

After talking with Will, interviewing Johndus was a very different experience and the dynamic juxtaposition of these two band mates was both fascinating and explained some of the elements of their music, with Will acting as the solid, structure-providing frame of the engine and Johndus being the combustible explosion taking place inside,

"I heard 'Teen Spirit' - I’m one of those kids, man, like I heard 'Teen Spirit' and I immediately stopped in my tracks and fucking couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was like the calling, it was just like this thing. I don’t know what it is about his voice, I don’t know what it is about his music. I still can’t explain it, it changed my -- from the fucking moment, man, hearing that shit, it changed my life." He professed his love for how Kurt could scream in tune, a quality that he has in common, and embraces his own lack of formal training and the dysfunctional qualities of his singing voice, which he playfully referred to as his “Nar.” He also deeply appreciates lead Tool singer Maynard’s voice saying, “I was always obsessed with Tool and Maynard’s power and how he can be so rage full but then… take that, and be fragile,” another influence that clearly shines through in his own vocals.

Johndus reluctantly noted that he was born in San Diego and that his first home was Camp Pendleton, where his father was a drill sergeant, but he was happier to add that he moved to the Pacific Northwest when he was one year old, so he isn’t "part of the problem" since he moved out here before he was sixteen.

Though you could never tell it by looking at him, Johndus has a sixteen-year-old daughter, and even more surprisingly, he says that he didn’t play his first show until December 15th, 2005, though the seeds of all of his subsequent creations were planted around the time of that first performance,

Photo credit: Iron Mike Savoia

"Most of the shit that I play in the band now is all riffs and all ideas from that stage. When it was like the collection stage. Like the fucking hungry, hungry hippo of melodies and riffs and stuff… but yeah, I had never even been to a bar… ever, before my first show in 2005. It was really weird. I remember… yeah, I started thinking like it was going to be this huge thing, like we already have fans… it was such a huge slap in the face. Like how dare I even think that, but that’s just the way I thought it worked."

He didn't think of himself as a singer until his band mates encouraged him to step to the microphone, though he did confess that he would sing really quietly in his apartment into a microphone when he was alone. Today you would have no idea that this front man, with such a commanding presence, was so reserved about his voice and he celebrates his good fortune, "I'm in a band with fucking three dudes who are amazing at what they do." When asked about the future of Ten Miles Wide's music, Johndus replied, "It’s going to be way more musical and way more like -- like open tunings and weird -- but not trying to be weird, just fucking weird, man… it's gonna be the record we should have made from the fucking very beginning because we already are that."

Though the current mainstream music scene doesn't seem to have much of a market for anything genuinely weird or non-factory produced, perhaps Ten Miles Wide could be the one to bridge that gap, acting as a voice calling out in the wilderness of auto-tuned pop and corporatized hip hop. And though the odds do seem stacked against such hopes, looking back we can see that after a decade laden with glam rock nobody knew there was a market for Nirvana until they made one for themselves practically overnight.

For tour dates and more information on Ten Miles Wide, go to:

Tenmileswide.bandcamp.com

Facebook.com/tenmileswideband

Tenmileswideband.com

Video of the Week: "Endure"

Dusty Wright — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 15:18:46 +0000

Video of the Week: "Endure" Dusty Wright July 15, 2015 - 11:18

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

NSFW. So simple that it will hypnotize, but that's always been the case with many of NY-based Chris Rael's Church of Betty tunes. His new single "Endure" (from longplayer Swirled World) channels the raga spirit of George Harrison. The video directed by filmmaker/photograhper Jasmine Hirst has an edgy, East Village experimental quality that perfectly exploits the overall tone and texture. 25 years in and Church of Betty can still thrill.

Video of the Week: “Leaf Off/The Cave”

Dusty Wright — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 23:06:39 +0000

Video of the Week: “Leaf Off/The Cave” Dusty Wright January 31, 2015 - 18:06

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

“Leaf Off/The Cave” is the brilliant second single from the new José González album Vestiges & Claws to be released on February 17th, 2015. Play it often and share it, too, and, pay for it, of course.

Fall Harvest

Dusty Wright — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 12:03:09 +0000

Fall Harvest Dusty Wright November 5, 2014 - 07:03

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

A rash of some cool new music to share with y'all. First up is the NOLA-based Luke Winslow-King's live take on his bluesy train chugger "Travelin' Myself" from his album Everlasting Arms. Roots-rockin' Americana that is authentic, passionate, poignant, infectious snapshots of life in this big ol' country. One of my favorite albums of the year. Out now on Bloodshot Records.

José González is easily one of my favorite folk artists of the past several decades. His simple yet evocative songs resonate with me long after the songs have faded. His latest is no different. "Every Age," the Swede's first single from his first album in seven years, Vestiges & Claws (Mute) [to be released February 17th, 2015], is available for purchase from your favorite digital music provider. The amazing aerial video was directed by Simon Morris and Chris Higham for global collective Eyes In Space, "whose aim is to mesh artistic experiment with scientific innovation to open new worlds."

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://all-my-friends.bandcamp.com/album/be-water-my-friend-just&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; _cke_saved_href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://all-my-friends.bandcamp.com/album/be-water-my-friend-just&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Be Water My Friend / Just by All My Friends&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

A twofer 7" vinyl/digital release from the U.K. label All My Friends Records offers up some Trip Hop-meets-Acid Jazz earwax from Seth B.'s outfit Fold with their new track "Be Water My Friend," re-orchestrating and recording their new demo in a studio. Love how they dropped in Bruce Lee's pearls-of-wisdom vocal samples, as they complement all the live instruments. Well played, lads. And the Leeds-based anthem rockers Invisible Hands drop their four-on-the-floor single "Just," invigorating my faith in fist-pumping, cigarette-lighters-held-aloft rock 'n' roll!

"Fool's Gold" is a slice of pop-rock convection from the L.A.-based pop-meister Fitz of The Tantrums. Sure, he's Daryl Hall's bastard son, but who cares when he sings so effortlessly and the chorus is so infectious. From their most recent album More Than Just a Dream.

And speaking of the Velvet Underground, "Ten Street," from Ultimate Painting's new self-titled debut album Ultimate Painting (Trouble In Mind Records), is a simple but charming underground rock guitar tune that borrows mightily from Lou Reed's canon of riffs and killer tone. Even the simple drum pattern seems vaguely familiar in a Mo Tucker kind of way.

It only took a way smart label (Now-Again Records) 44 years to release this album. James Brown got Bootsy Collins and his band in the studio to record some tracks in 1970. Those tracks would be known as These Are The J.B.’s, a title given to a King Records test-press LP that was never released, and only rumored to exist. It's funky, funky music, it's still funky fresh, and it's got Brown’s funky innovation all over it. Mastered for vinyl by Elysian Master’s Dave Cooley from the original two-track stereo master that Brown and his engineer Ron Lenhoff delivered four decades ago. Out on "Black Friday," November 28, 2014. Get on your good foot, peeps, and pre-order the limited edition vinyl here.

"Brother" is some edgy, dark indie rock from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Selena Garcia. Love the piano, swirling organ, and nasty guitar licks throughout. Fiona Apple meets PJ Harvey meets retro '60s rock. Download this single for free and then grab her self-titled EP Selena Garcia today.

Jason Isbell has quickly become one of my favorite Americana artists. Loved him in the Drive-By Truckers but even more so as a solo artist. Here's my favorite track from the Springsteen tribute album Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A. Believe it or not, October 30th marked the 30th anniversary of the release of Springsteen's single "Born in the U.S.A." This take is more in keeping with The Boss's stripped down acoustic-driven Nebraska, with just Isbell on acoustic guitar and vocals along with Amanda Shires on fiddle. Out now on Lightning Rod Records.

I discovered Morgan Delt's psychedelic rock nugget "Barbarian Kings" from his self-titled album quite by accident, but boy I'm happy I did. Even the band name is retro. Apparently Mr. Delt was the protagonist of an obscure 1966 Vanessa Redgrave film called Morgan -- A Suitable Case of Treatment. Perfect for taking a trip down Arnold's memory lane and back again. But be careful you don't float away.

Song of the Week: "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)"

Dusty Wright — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:51:22 +0000

Song of the Week: "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)" Dusty Wright October 14, 2014 - 09:51

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

As David Bowie and Tony Visconti continue work on a new album, the enigmatic rocker will release a career-spanning greatest hits package entitled Nothing Has Changed due out before Christmas featuring two new songs, the one above and "Tis A Pity She's A Whore," both recorded this past summer. Is "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)," a collaboration with jazz arranger Maria Schneider's big band, the track were Bowie finally gets his Anthony Newley meets Gil Evans meets drum-n-bass on? You decide...