The Chameleons - 'Dreams in Celluloid' CD Review (Blue Apple Music)

Ten years after Manchester’s The Chameleons broke up for the second time, a posthumous disc, Dreams in Celluloid, has been released in the UK. This disc is a bit of an odd release as I can’t quite figure out the audience it is targeting.

Disc one of this 2CD set is comprised of thirteen demos and early recording, many of which pre-date The Chameleons’ 1983 debut disc, Script of the Bridge. Before any Chameleons’ fans get too excited – the “bad news” is that these tracks are a compilation of tracks from two previously releases, The Fan and the Bellows (1986) and Dali's Picture (1993). The Fan and the Bellows contains four tracks from a 1981 session with Steve Lillywhite, five tracks from 1981 which are probably demos (as the liner notes state these tracks were produced by the band) along with a non-lp b-side (“Prisoners of the Sun”) and a 7” edit of “Nostalgia”. As the disc was reissued a few times, it isn’t that hard to find and is available from Amazon.com for $22 (used) or from Amazon.co.uk for £15.00 new.

Dali’s Picture originally came out on Mark Burgess’ Imaginary label and is a bit harder to find (though it seems to be around if you are willing to pay $30+ for a used copy). The Chameleons’ website describes this ten track disc as: “Dali's Picture is the original demo album the band cut and sent out to various labels. "Dreams In Celluloid" is an early version of "Second Skin". Most of the material is lyrically different than later versions..” Sadly, the disc doesn’t come with any liner notes on the session date(s) or the band members at that time. There is some overlap though between the 1981 session tracks produced by the band on The Fan and the Bellows and the tracks on Dali’s Picture so it seems safe to assume that all of Dali’s Picture came from these 1981 demos sessions.



Below is a breakdown of how the tracks on Dreams in Celluloid map to Dali’s Picture and The Fan and the Bellows.

01. The Fan and the Bellows – recorded in 1981 with Steve Lillywhite
02. Dali's Picture - originally on Dali's Picture
03. Every Day I'm Crucified – recorded in 1981 (self-produced - demo?)
04. Looking Inwardly - originally on Dali's Picture
05. Nostalgia – recorded in 1981 with Steve Lillywhite
06. Turn to the Vices – recorded in 1981 (self-produced - demo?)
07. Love Is – recorded in 1981 (self-produced - demo?)
08. Nathan's Phase – recorded in 1981 (self-produced - demo?)
09. Dreams in Celluloid – originally on Dali's Picture
10. Things I Wish I'd Said – originally on Dali's Picture
11. Less Than Human – recorded in 1981 with Steve Lillywhite
12. In Shreds – recorded in 1981 with Steve Lillywhite
13. Prisoners of the Sun – b-side of 1983’s "Up the Down Escalator" 7”

The “Tony Fletcher Walks on Water” EP used to be the ‘holy grail’ for Chameleons fans but it too has gotten relatively easy to come by. The four tracks on this disc are from the band’s 1987 session for their forth studio album and the sound and lyrical outlook follow in the same vein as 1986’s Strange Times. This EP was originally released in 1990 on Burgess’ Glass Pyramid label but the release was ultimately blocked by guitarist Dave Fielding. This EP later re-surfaced as a bonus disc on the commonly available greatest hits compilation Return of the Roughnecks (1999) which is available from Amazon.co.uk for £7.50.



Given Burgess’ comment in an interview with [sic] Magazine about working again with Dave Fielding: “What stops the two of us from working together is Dave Fielding. I have no idea why.” – Dreams in Celluloid may be as good as it gets in terms of any ‘new’ material from The Chameleons.

Getting back to where I started this review – I’m having trouble figuring out the audience that this disc is targeted to. Die-hard Chameleons’ fans will already have all these tracks and those that don’t will likely be frustrated with the number of tracks from Dali’s Picture and The Fan and the Bellows that weren’t included on this release. Casual fans are generally not that interested in demos and session takes and may be better served picking up the “Tony Fletcher” EP as part of the Return of the Roughnecks set.

Links:
The Chameleons

The Mystic Underground : Electro-Pop Duo Play EP Release Show at Grand Victory Tonight, Aug. 27th

”We write pop songs for the disenchanted, disillusioned and disenfranchised. they are songs for the broken-hearted and desperate. songs that celebrate life, love, death and everything in between.” -- The Mystic Underground

Electro-pop duo The Mystic Underground released their third EP, "Gender Rules", on Aug. 20th and are playing a CD release show at Grand Victory later  tonight.  Cover is $8 and doors are at 7:30PM.  Also on the bill is The Deep Pink, The Dossier and Daniel Kasshu (front man from Dialogue From A Silent Film).

Consisting of four tracks, this "Gender Rules" EP addresses various gender issues in our society today. With Benedetto Socci on synthesizers and Vladimir Valette on vocals, this EP displays the duo’s signature intelligent lyrics and driving dance rhythms, drawing comparisons to iconic bands Erasure and Depeche Mode.

From the very first day that Socci and Valette were introduced through a mutual friend in 2003, the pair were writing songs together non-stop. After Socci produces the musical foundation on synthesizer, Valette adds the lyrics and overarching melodies like icing on a cake. Says Valette, “We pride ourselves on being songwriters in the classic sense where the paramount objective is to write songs that are accessible, danceable and most importantly, memorable.”

Valette also likes to write “clever lyrics that explore all aspects of the human condition with a twist of melancholy and a dash of unadulterated wit.” With most of their songs around the theme of gender politics, their single “Fanfare for the Modern Man” makes the statement about how “gender rules are passed but they're never made to last”.



Socci and Valette attribute their musical tastes to a variety of influences, including David Bowie, The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys, Prince, Joy Division, and Massive Attack. While performing throughout NYC over the past 5 years at popular music venues such as Mercury Lounge, The Grand Victory, and Public Assembly, Socci and Valette focus on really engaging their audiences by putting on an exciting, hi-energy performance.

Links:
The Mystic Underground

Hostage Calm Release Pay-What-You-Want Digital Compilation / Show at MHOW in Brooklyn on 9-26 with Saves The Day and Into It. Over It.

Hostage Calm have announced the release of Tonight, They Won't Take Me Alive, a digital collection that charts a course through the band's storied career. Featuring various live and acoustic performances, the compilation also includes all of the group's non-album tracks and some highlights from each of their three critically acclaimed LPs and debut Demo 7”. Tonight, They Won't Take Me Alive is more than an outline from a varied back-catalog, it's the manifestation of Hostage Calm's 6-year narrative of challenging the status quo at each junction they cross.

The band is offering the collection for 'Pay What You Want' download on their band camp page, with all proceeds are going towards helping to pay for their new tour van (http://hostagecalm.bandcamp.com/album/tonight-they-wont-take-me-alive). "Whether this release serves as an introduction to the band or a chance to explore new and different material, we hope you enjoy listening to the music as much as we have enjoyed creating and living it." - Tom Chiari, guitar

Tonight, They Won't Take Me Alive Tracklist:
1. Brokenheartland (Live @ Audiotree)
2. The 'M' Word (Nervous Energies Session feat. Jon Simmons of Balance and Composure)
3. Olly Olly Oxen Free (from Split 7" w/Anti-Flag, 2013)
4. Don't Die On Me Now (Live @ Warped Tour, 2012)
5. Affidavit (Acoustic, Alternativ News Session Live in Paris, 2011)
6. The 'M' Word (Mixed Signals Compilation, 2011) from Please Remain Calm (2012)
7. Woke Up Next To A Body
8. Patriot from Hostage Calm (2010)
9. War On A Feeling
10. Young Professionals
11. Donna Lee (from War On A Feeling 7" Single, 2011)
from Lens (2008)

12. Interchangeable Parts
13. Gaslighting
from Demo (2007)
14. Grayscale
15. One Face



Hostage Calm Tour Dates:

Hostage Calm only
08/29 Keyser, WV @ Clancy's


w/Into It. Over It.

08/30 Indianapolis, IN @ Hoosier Dome

08/31 Kalamazoo, MI @ Audiotree Music Festival (early set)

08/31 Toledo, OH @ Frankie's *Citizen Record Release* (No IIOI)

09/03 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress


w/Saves The Day, Into It. Over It.

09/04 Pomona, CA @ Glass House

09/05 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

09/06 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater (Music Fest Northwest)

09/07 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore

09/08 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

09/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound

09/11 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre

09/12 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre

09/13 Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights

09/14 Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose

09/15 Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest

09/17 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

09/18 Columbus, OH @ Skully's

09/19 Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar

09/20 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop

09/21 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon

09/22 Toronto, ON @ The Hoxton

09/24 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

09/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
*Show Sold-Out

09/27 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

09/28 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

09/29 Washington, DC @ Black Cat

09/30 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle

10/02 Jacksonville, FL @ Roc Bar

10/03 St. Petersburg, FL @ The State Theatre

10/04 Orlando, FL @ The Social

10/05 Atlanta, GA @ The Loft

10/06 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

10/08 Austin, TX @ The Belmont

10/09 Dallas, TX @ Trees

10/11 Scottsdale, AZ @ Martini Ranch

10/12 West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour

10/13 San Diego, CA @ The Irenic

Links:
Hostage Calm

Golden Suits (Fred Nicolaus) - Self-TItled CD Review (Yep Rec Records)

Golden Suits is the “nom de rock” of Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Fred Nicolaus, who is best known for being one-half of the band Department of Eagles (along with Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen). Department of Eagles’ last disc, In Ear Park (2008), was awarded ‘Best New Music by Pitchfork and made The New York Times’ year-end top ten lists but Nicolaus seems to have kept a low profile over the last few years. Earlier this year, he announced his first solo disc, under the name Golden Suits, which comes out today on Yep Roc Records. The music on Golden Suits’ self-titled debut is thinking man’s indie-rock (with just slight hints of cinematic chamber-pop) as the disc’s ten songs combines multi-layered instrumentation with lyrics that touch on nostalgia, skewed references to a John Cheever book about suburban marriage in the 1950s, personal confessions and sentimentality.

This new disc was written and recorded over the last two years and Nicolaus plays almost all the instruments himself. The songs on Golden Suits were the outgrowth of a strange year that saw Nicolaus get chased out of an apartment by a rat infestation, go through a painful breakup, travel to Germany to learn about his grandfather’s death in WWII, go broke, and lose forty pounds. Throughout that chaotic time, he became obsessed with a book of short stories by the fiction writer John Cheever, and started writing songs that blended his own experiences with fragments from the book. Cheever’s short story, “The Country Husband”, which is where the reference to ‘golden suits’ comes from, ‘reveals suburbia's darker side -- the side which traps its residents in a web of conformity’ (from storybites.com). A similar outlook on the fallacies of the ‘American dream’ is found in Nicolaus’ lyrics but this darkness is almost completely buried beneath the even-keeled precision of the disc’s shimmering pop.

The disc starts on a strong note with the catchy “Swimming in 99”, which is an swirling, upbeat number with driving percussion, handclaps and twisting guitar lines. Some of the other notable numbers on the disc include “Restaurant Song”, which is a mournful piano ballad, and “Find A Way”, which is a “John Lennonish” pop song with some great melodies and hooks. The disc goes out with “Dearly Beloved”, which is memorable for its orchestral instrumentation, angular guitar lines, cinematic backing vocals and accompanying female harmonies on the song’s chorus (presumably sung by Becca Kauffman and Felicia Douglass from Ava Luna). Other guests on the record include Chris Bear and Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear; Fraser McCulloch from Milagres (who engineered the album); Kris Nolte and Ian Davis from Mason Jar Music (who arranged strings); and Daniel Rossen (who sang harmonies and was an all-around supportive spirit).



Golden Suits is more than just a studio project as they are playing a show in London on August 28th at The Slaughtered Lamb (…I’m trying very hard not to make “An American Werewolf in London” joke).

Links:
Golden Suits

Herzog (Cleveland Slacker Rock) Plays Shea Stadium on August 22nd Along with Clarence, Pup, and Soda Bomb

DOWNLOAD: Herzog - "Fuck This Year" (from Cartoon Violence)

Herzog has spent the last few months camped out at Kevin McMahon’s Marcata Recording in New Paltz (The Walkmen, Widowspeak, etc), working on their follow up LP to 2012's Cartoon Violence (Exit Stencil) and are now venturing out to play some shows.

Herzog's last disc, Cartoon Violence, earned the band positive reviews from the likes of NME, Pitchfork, and NPR’s All Songs Considered as this disc found the band expounding and improving upon the aesthetic and themes that deservedly earned them comparisons to iconic bands in the pantheon of ‘90’s “slacker-rock.” NME said: "This isn’t bullshit slacker rock. It’s the real fucking McCoy".



On the band's Cartoon Violence disc, the songs continue to explore the fringes of many genres ranging from 1970s FM radio Americana balladeering ("Dreaming Man II"), McCartney-esque pop stylings ("Feedback"), and straightforward power-pop ("Alexander the Great"). The melodies remain soaring and elegant, the arrangements beautifully complex and catchy, and the instrumentation ideally and intelligently complimenting the lyrics of each song. But don’t be mistaken---the loving nods to the 90’s are still present with songs like “You Clean Up Nice,” which is reminiscent of Jawbreaker at their poppiest but infused with a more flippant attitude towards the weight of the world. "The Ballad of Rich People" conjures up images of Keep it like a Secret-era Built to Spill, with its wild guitar-work---both slide and solo.

Herzog is playing Shea Stadium in Brooklyn on August 22nd, along with Clarence (form. Savages), PUP, & Soda Bomb. Cover is $8 and doors are at 8PM.

Links:
Herzog

Analog Birds - 'No-Knock' CD EP Review (Brooklyn Psych-Pop)

Earlier this year, Analog Birds, a three piece psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn, released their first new music since 2007’s Music Concrete. As the “psychedelic rock” tag could be applied to everything from early Pink Floyd to The Dwarves, to give a bit more of a description - Analog Bird sounds like a bunch of multi-instrumentalist Berklee types, with Beach Boys-like harmonies, tripping on acid. The band’s brand of psych-pop is full of twists and turns which take repeated listens to reveal the multiple layers and subtle complexities of each of their songs.

“No-Knock” is the debut single from the forthcoming 2013 Analog Birds album The First One Follows. This three track EP contains “No-Knock (single mix)”, “Infidel$$$” (from Music Concrete) and “No-Knock (Master Breacher Mix)”. “No-Knock (single mix)” is a brilliantly twisted, eclectic psych-pop number with soaring guitar lines and a shuffling beat that is complemented by an organic sound and multi-part (including falsetto) vocal harmonies. Almost completely switching gears, “Infidel$$$” starts with a minimalist, electronica sound before kicking into a lo-fi pop gem which adds horns, handclaps and more. “No-Knock (Master Breacher Mix)” sounds nothing like the (similarly named) first track. This last track is a 90 second, instrumental romp through 70’s bass-funk before finishing up with a formal chamber outro.



There are a number of free download from both Analog Birds and its member’s solo projects posted on the band’s website (link below).

Links:
Analog Birds

Slim Wray (Brooklyn Garage Rock Duo) Play Thursday Night Residency During August at Trash Bar

I've been listening to garage rock duo Slim Wray's forthcoming debut CD, Sack Lunch (out Nov. 2nd), and am wildly impressed. While it is easy to compare every garage rock duo to The White Stripes, what I've heard of the new disc so far sounds like the bombast of bands like Gas Huffer and Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion crossed with fuzzed-out guitar hooks of bands like The Sonics and Flat Duo Jets.

Slim Wray is playing a series of Thursday night residencies at Trash Bar in Williamsburg during the month of August. Shows are August 15, 22nd and 29th and cover is $7 (which includes the well/PBR open bar 8PM happy hour). This Thursday (Aug. 15th), Slim Wray is playing at 9PM and other bands on the bill are The Outros (Midnight), No Small Children (11PM), Black Bear Tribe (10PM) and Isaac and Michael (8PM).



Slim Wray is a party of two that isn’t afraid to get dirty. A brotherhood based on an extensive history together in the New York City music scene, Chris Moran (drums/backing vocals) and Ryan Houser, aka “Howzr” (vocals/ guitar) have not only developed a tight musical chemistry, but have fine-tuned the art of bombastic, irreverent rock 'n roll. Running on thunderous drums and gritty, fuzz-fueled guitar riffs, Brooklyn’s Slim Wray welcomes their single “Bear” off their forthcoming album Sack Lunch. The single attacks with a rousing introduction and swiftly transforms into a plain good time, featuring slamming guitar chords, growling vocals, and infectious “woo hoo’s!”

Links:
Slim Wray

Bugs in the Dark Play All-Ages Show on Thursday (8/15) at Aputumpu's party at Muchmore's in Williamsburg

I can't believe that Bugs in the Dark haven't yet broken big...the band has more-than-enough musical chops, hooks and loads of indie-punk credibility. I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this as New York Music Daily called one of the songs on the band's last disc as: "the bastard child of Siouxsie Sioux, peak-era Throwing Muses and late-period Sleater-Kinney."

Bugs in the Dark are headlining an all-ages show at Muchmore's in Williamsburg this Thursday night, August 15th. Tickets are $5 and Invisible Days (9PM set time) and Veda Rays (10PM set time) are also on the bill. Death and Taxes magazine called the Veda Rays ""...at once ghostly and western, lacquered in melancholy".

Muchmore's is located at 2 Havemeyer Street (between N 8th and N 9th).







Links:
Bugs in the Dark

The Rolling Stones - 'Hyde Park Live' CD Review (iTunes Only Release)

Earlier this month, The Rolling Stones released Hyde Park Live as an exclusive digital download through iTunes. This release also marks the first time that I’ve seen a ‘limited edition’ digital-only release as this download is available for four weeks only (which would mean that this is the last week to pick this up). This 19-track, almost two hour show, is compiled from the final dates on the Stones’ 50 and Counting Tour and was recorded at Hyde Park, London on July 6 and 13, 2013.

I think the key question regarding this release is whether the world needs yet another live release from The Rolling Stones (this is the band’s 17th live release). The answer to this depends on your perspective on the Stones. I was reading an AllMusic review of a quasi-bootleg by the band Death and the reviewer’s comments sums up my view of the Stones new release: “[S]ome hardcore collectors are so obsessive that they want to hear anything and everything that the artist ever did. There are the Rolling Stones' fans who will happily pay $65 or more for a three-CD bootleg of the band rehearsing, there are No Doubt fans who are thrilled to have 25 or 30 live performances of "Don't Speak" in their collections“.

The challenge with this release is that the set list doesn’t differ substantially from what the Stones have been playing for more than a decade. With tickets for the two Hyde Park shows ranging from £100 to £300, it isn’t surprising that, aside for the new cut “Doom and Gloom”, the Stones take no risks and the setlist doesn’t venture any more current than “Start Me Up” from 1981’s Tattoo You. This is a greatest hits set for aging boomers with discretionary cash.

There was a time (many years ago) when bands like The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith were ‘dangerous’ and this was music that your parents were afraid of...now, the Stones and Aerosmith are your parent’s music. Bill Wyman summed it up best in a quote he gave last year to Mirror: “I don’t hear the Stones the same way now as when I was in the band, because in those days, it was all sort of dangerous and loose. Now, it’s like a machine.”

Mick, Keef and the band perform like a well-oiled machine and they even trot Mick Taylor out for an extended version of “Midnight Rambler” and the encore “Satisfaction”. I think my biggest complaint is that the grit that made the Stones great in the 70’s is gone. All of the songs are slightly slower in tempos and, looking specifically at a couple of the songs, there is no menace to “Street Fighting Man” and the ‘mysticism’ is missing from “Paint it Black”. This isn’t to say this is a bad show – Jagger is the ultimate showman and does a great job of revving up the enthusiastic crowd with comments like “How many of you were here in 1969?” (Note: the 1969 Hyde Park show was Mick Taylor’s debut with the Stones). Keith’s riffs sound great and he, thankfully, hasn’t lost his grit on songs like “Before They Make Me Run” and “We Got the Silver”. Long-time backing vocalist Lisa Fisher is also a standout (though I would have liked to have heard her contributions higher in the mix). As side note, Fisher recently co-starred in the brilliant documentary “20 Feet from Stardom “ which Jagger references during the show with the comment “Come on out from 20 feet from what’s it”. The problem/challenge with this being a “good show” and not a great one is there is no reason to buy/play the show versus any of the Stones’ other live albums. Outside of this set containing the first officially released live version of “Doom and Gloom”, there is just nothing that stands out as a “must have”. On the other hand, if you are a collector, why not have another live version of “Satisfaction”?



In closing, I’m a bit cynical about the ‘limited’ nature of this release... there already are physical promos floating around on eBay and the Stones haven’t yet released a physical live album from this tour (as they seem to have done after every other tour). It seems likely that it will be a short period of time before this show ends up as either a mass-produced European/Asian bootleg or folded into a ‘deluxe box set’.

Links:
Rolling Stones

Elephant Stone Play Mercury Lounge Tonight / The Horrors' Remix of "A Silent Moment" Posted As A Free Download

(Note: Track is a free download from Elephant Stone's website - link is below)

Yesterday, Elephant Stone commemorated the launch of their Eastern US tour by releasing The Horrors' Tom Furse Remix of "A Silent Moment". The transcontinental collaboration was born of a chance meeting at Coachella that quickly developed into Elephant Stone's Rishi Dhir and Furse's frequent work on one another's projects.

Recently, Elephant Stone premiered the third video from their self-titled sophomore record, "Love The Sinner, Hate The Sin" which was followed quickly by Dhir's appearance with Beck at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, before the band began their US tour earlier this week in Burlington, VT and continue to support the powerful self-titled sophomore record, released earlier this year via Hidden Pony and The Reverberation Appreciation Society.



Tonight's show is an early show with doors at 6:30PM and Elephant Stone is going on first (at 6:30PM, according to Mercury Lounge's website). Also on the bill are jangle-rockers Desert Noises (set time at 7:30PM) and psych-rocker Morning Teleportation (8:30PM set time). Tickets are $10.

ELEPHANT STONE US TOUR DATES:
08 August - Burlington VT - Signal Kitchen
09 August - Philadelphia PA - Kung Fu Necktie
10 August - New York NY - The Mercury Lounge
11 August - Washington DC - Black Cat Backstage
13 August - Asheville NC - Broadways
14 August - Nashville TN - High Watt
15 August - Louisville KY - RYE on Market
16 August - Chicago IL - Beat Kitchen
17 August - Detroit MI - The Pike Room at the Crofoot

Links:
Elephant Stone

Michale Graves - 'The Lost Skeleton Returns' CD Review (x-Misfits)

Michale Graves’ newest disc, The Lost Skeleton Return, was released last month and this is the second disc that Graves funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. This new disc is also Graves’ second release this year as he released the “rock/folk/pop” disc, Vagabond, in late February. I found Vagabond to be a mixed bag, as much of Graves’ recent output has been, but The Lost Skeleton Returns is a nice return to the sound of The Misfits, Gotham Road and Graves’ early solo work.

The Lost Skeleton Returns is being billed as Graves’ “first anthology Monster Rock CD” and the disc contains new recordings of seven Misfits songs and three songs from Punk Rock is Dead (Graves’ last disc before going off to the Marine Corps) along with 6 brand new songs. A video for “Lost Skeleton” was included as a Kickstarter reward for certain pledge levels and the video was described as a “mini movie spectacle...shot in old school black and white...[with] a ‘low budget’ look and feel”. Videos have also been posted for "Zombie" and “Night of the Living Dead”, both of which feature horror hostess Skel-pira.





The Lost Skeleton Returns Track List
· Lost Skeleton (new)
· American Psycho (originally recorded for The Misfits’ American Psycho)
· Forbidden Planet (new - featuring Chris Motionless, from Motionless in White)
· Dig up Her Bones (originally recorded for The Misfits’ American Psycho)
· Dawn of The Dead (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Scream (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Crying on Saturday Night (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Die Monster Die (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Fiend Without A Face (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Cuts from the Crypt)
· Godzilla (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Fiend Club (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Earth Vs. Spider (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Zombie (new )
· Night of the Living Dead (new)
· Last Man on Earth (new)
· Something Wicked (new)

Graves’ new cuts are all stylistically similar to his work with The Misfits – all of the songs have big hooks, anthemic, sing-along chorus and Graves’ distinctive vocals are a centerpiece. While the songs on The Misfits’ discs with Graves are credited to all members, it seems pretty obvious that Graves had a major role in the songwriting. As a (sad) point of comparison, Jerry Only butchers a handful of songs from this disc on The Misfits’ Dead Alive! disc so one can quickly hear how much Michale’s vocals are an integral part of these songs.

Michale has been playing a few one-off shows over the last few months but has posted to Facebook that “the lost skeleton returns on tour...in October!”. At a show earlier this year, Michale’s touring band was Johnny B. Morbid on bass, Tony “Bones” Baptist on drums and Emilio Menze on guitar.



Links:
Michale Graves

Cold Blood Club - Live Photos / Review from 7-23-13 Show at Bowery Ballroom / Next Show at Mercury Lounge on August 29th

It has been a little while since I’ve been to a show and been wowed by a band as, most of the time, the band will deliver a perfunctory and enjoyable set but there is no “wow” factor. I’ve seen too many bands over the years that can’t keep the energy levels high for the whole show, overstay their welcome by playing too long a set and/or (god forbid) attempt an acoustic / ‘unplugged’ mini-set in the middle of the show.

Brooklyn seven-piece band Cold Blood Club had that “wow” factor during their nine song set at Bowery Ballroom last month, where they were opening for Future Bible Heroes. Over the past year, I’ve heard great things about Cold Blood Club’s live set and it says a lot that, while the band was playing an opening/early slot, the main floor at Bowery Ballroom filled up quickly. (I still remember one show where the out of town opening band played to three people in the audience). It was riveting to watch the seamless interplay between three vocalists - founder/guitarist Tom Stuart and vocalists Brad Peterson and Kendra Jones. The high intensity of the band’s set left Stuart a shirtless, sweaty mess by the end of the night.



Cold Blood Club plays high-energy dance rock and, while the band get compared to acts like New Order (don’t hear it – Cold Blood Club has more of an organic sound) and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (maybe?), I thought they were more comparable to the B-52’s (without the camp) or Apes and Androids (without the Freddie Mercury meets Ziggy Stardust fetishes). It is with good reason that Deli Magazine called the band “almost too catchy for their own good”.

Cold Blood Club has a full-length disc coming out later this year entitled Tear Down the Maps, which was produced by produced by Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, Future Bible Heroes). The band premiered the first song/video from this forthcoming disc, "Goodbye to All That", last month and this song also served as the closing number to the band’s set at Bowery Ballroom.



Cold Blood Club is playing a late show at Mercury Lounge on August 29th along with garage rockers Blue & Gold. Cold Blood Club goes on at 9:30PM and Blue & Gold take the stage at 10:30PM. Doors are at 9:30PM and tickets are $10.



Links:
Cold Blood Club

Whitesnake Skips NYC Area on Current US Tour / 'Made in Japan' CD Review

Whitesnake tours the US and skips NYC. Well, what else is new? It seems like too many bands are skipping the City these days…

I’ve got the latest (6th) Whitesnake live album, Made in Britain/World Record, in my review queue but, before getting into this disc, thought I’d back up and finally review the band’s previous live album. Whitesnake released Made in Japan (wonder where David thought of that title?) earlier this spring and Disc One of this 2CD set was recorded on October 15, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during the Loud Park Festival. The second disc contains eight tracks which were recorded during sound checks on the band’s Japanese tour.

The 12-song/74 minute main show is exactly what you would expect from a live Whitesnake album. The band’s set list goes back as far as 1984’s Slide It In and most of the tracks are pulled from the band's self-titled 1987 album, their 2008’s ‘comeback’ disc Good to be Bad and the band’s then current disc, Fovermore. Coverdale sounds in good form as the more recent material doesn’t require the vocal histrionics of his early days. Of course, Coverdale is backed by a pair of guitar heroes and this role is an obligatory part of every Whitesnake lineup.  The lineups gels well as current guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich have the longest tenure of any of Whitesnake’s guitar slingers. The rhythm section of Brian Tichy (drums) and Michael Devin (bass) I can take or leave as I don’t think anyone can compete with the 80’s rhythm section of Neil Murray, Rudy Sarzo, Cozy Powell and Tommy Aldridge (who is now back in the band).

The set list starts out strong with Good to be Bad’s “Best Years” and then the band pulls the audience deep into the fold by playing cuts from Slide It In, 1987’s self-titled album and Slip of the Tongue before moving over to the new material from Forevermore. As to be expected at a Whitesnake show in Japan, there are plenty of audience sing-along moments on the classic songs from the 80’s. The songs from Forevermore are split up by a wild guitar duel between Beach and Aldrich and a overtly long drum solo from Brian Tichy (who appears to have seen Keith Emerson’s California Jam performance too many times). The band ends the show with a trio of hits – “Fool For Your Loving”, “Here I Go Again” and a 10+ minute version of “Still of the Night”.





The 8 song / 42 minute bonus disc is a real gem as it shows a loose and relaxed ‘snake playing a mix of electric and acoustic tracks which includes some tracks that weren’t part of the main concert. The electric versions of ”Love Will Set You Free” and “Steal Your Heart Away” almost sound better than the versions on the main concert, primarily because the guitars sound cleaner and there is more separation in sound between the two guitars. “Lay Down Your Love” and “Evil Ways” are both great hard rockers that easily could have been part of the main set and the four acoustic numbers show that the ‘snake is due for a follow-up to Starkers in Tokyo. In addition to solid playing, there is also a lot of amusing banter between the band members (which includes a few dirty words) as they work the live version of these songs. All-in-all, this is a great set so I’m now very curious how Made in Britain/World Record compares.

Whitesnake – US Tour Dates
06 August 2013 Tucson, AZ @ AVA Amphitheatre
07 August 2013 Scottsdale, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort
09 August 2013 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10 August 2013 Roseburg, OR @ Douglas County Fair
12 August 2013 Aberdeen, WA @ D and R Theater
14 August 2013 Coquitlam, BC @ Red Robinson Theater
15 August 2013 Snoqualmie, WA @ Snoqualmie Casino
17 August 2013 Wendover, NV @ Peppermill Casino
18 August 2013 Jackpot, NV @ Cactus Petes
21 August 2013 Lancaster, CA @ Antelope Valley Fair
23 August 2013 Kennewick, WA@ Benton-Franklin County Fair

Links:
Whitesnake

Wild Cub (Keegan DeWitt) Plays Bowery Ballroom on August 9th / Natalie Prass and SACCO (Andy & John from Guards' Touring Band) are Opening

DOWNLOAD: Wild Cub - "Black Tide" (hosted on http://blog.kexp.org)



(Photo: Will Morgan Holland)

I love this quote from KEXP (and am envious that I didn't write this): Wild Cub's "brand of darkly-tinged new wave recalls elements of the youthful abandon of John Hughes soundtracks, the baleful allure of Greg Dulli, and the clockwork electronics of New Order’s middle period."

Formed in early 2012 by songwriter-composer Keegan DeWitt and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock, Wild Cub’s debut LP, Youth, was released last August in the US, and showcases the now five-piece band’s dexterity in seamless transitions between infectious electro-pop, tropical rhythms, and quiet washes of cinematic reflection.

Wild Cub is headlining a show at Bowery Ballroom on August 9th and is supported by Natalie Prass and SACCO.   The show starts at 9PM (doors at 8PM) and tickets are $13 in advance and $15 DOS.




Wild Cub is: Keegan DeWitt (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Bullock (guitar/synths), Dabney Morris (drums), Harry West (bass), and Eric Wilson (keys/synths).

Links:
Wild Cub

Simple Minds - 'Celebrate' CD Review / Show at Roseland Ballroom on October

DOWNLOAD: Simple Minds – “The American” Live at Sands Centre Carlisle, 5/29/13
{Note: RIAA wackjobs – link is posted on SimpleMinds.Com – no bootlegging/piracy here so...move along}

Simple Minds was last in NYC for a show at Beacon Theatre (with INXS) in June of 2002 so it is a pretty big deal that the band is returning to the US for the first time in over a decade. This is probably the longest that Simple Minds has had a consistent line-up as, 4/5 of the 2002 lineup are still in the band - Jim Kerr (Vocals), Charlie Burchill (Guitar), Mel Gaynor (Drums) and Andy Gillespie (Keyboards) are joined by newcomer Ged Grimes (bass).

The band is playing a seven-date mini-tour in October and which includes stops at Roseland Ballroom on October 24th (ticket prices range from $59.50 - $79.75 and Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey on October 17th.

Simple Minds are touring behind a new 3CD / 50-song greatest hits collection, Celebrate, and had been playing 25 of these songs (with no variations) each night during the UK leg of the Celebrate tour which took place earlier in the spring.

Simple Minds – Celebrate Tour - Spring 2013 Set List

Set One:
Broken Glass Park
Waterfront
Once Upon A Time
Up On The Catwalk
Let There Be Love
All The Things She Said
War Babies
Glittering Prize
I Travel

Set Two:
Book Of Brilliant Things
Neon Lights (Kraftwerk cover)
Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)
She's A River
This Is Your Land
Blood Diamonds
The American
Love Song
See The Lights
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Promised You A Miracle

Encore:
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
Sanctify Yourself
Space
Alive And Kicking

Celebrate is an interesting and enjoyable listen as the thress discs trace the band’s evolution from the jittery ‘art school’ punk of the band’s first recording to the experimental, minimalistic post-punk sounds of the following albums to a brief sojourn through New Romantic, finally breaking big in the US with bombastic stadium rock.  This evolution of the band's sound is full captured on Disc One this disc ends with the band shaking off the last bits of new wave.

In an interview last year with The Guardian UK, Jim Kerr talked about the band's move to stadium rock:

Does he regret that? "Regret is a strong word because it implies that you carry it around, and I wouldn't say I do. I'd hate to seem begrudging of success, but at the same time I'd like to be honest enough to say maybe we shouldn't have cashed in all the chips. It's a bit overwhelming when your band is no longer your own, you become an industry within an industry, but I'm very wary of going 'poor us'. C'mon, it's what you dream of. We wanted to be a great band and take it around the world, that's still what we work for."

Disc Two starts with “Don’t You Forget About Me” and, after getting past the radio hits of Once Upon a Time, the band seemingly tries to follow Bono, Mike Peters (The Alarm) and others down a path of bombastic activism. Simple Minds lost their mojo with Street Fighting Years (along with long-time keyboardist Mick MacNeil) and Disc Two ends with two tracks from 1991’s snooze fest Real Life.

Disc Three is a great compilation as it pulls out the best tracks from Simple Minds’ somewhat hit and miss early 90’s – mid 00’s releases. This disc ends on a strong note as Simple Minds seemed to hit a second wind with albums like 2005’s Black and White 050505 and 2009’s Graffiti Soul. [Q Magazine said that Graffiti Soul “…might be the best album Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill have put together since 1984's "Sparkle In The Rain."] The final two tracks on the disc, “Blood Diamonds” and “Broken Glass Park”, are new and follow in the spirit and sound of Graffiti Soul.





Given the recent flood of Simple Minds’ box sets and compilations, I think the real question with this release is whether the world needs yet another ‘best of’ compilation as the two new tracks can be purchased individually from iTunes. As points of comparison: this CD is available for $22.82 on Amazon, last year’s X5 release (the first five [best] Simple Minds albums + some non-LP singles] is on Amazon for $33.99, Live 5x5 documents the band’s 2012 tour with five songs from each of the band’s first five albums (essentially a live greatest hits compilation). This 2CD set is available on Amazon for $17.21. Lastly, there is the 2CD + DVD set, The Best of Simple Minds, which is available from Amazon.UK for £8.43 (which shouldn’t be more than $16, with shipping). The DVD included with this set is the “Live in Verona” show, which include 13 songs recorded in Paris in 1989 and 6 songs recorded in Newcastle in 1982.

Links:
Simple Minds

At The Gates, Taake, Solstafir, and MGLA will be making exclusive US appearances at the 2014 Maryland Deathfest

The first bands to confirm for Maryland Deathfest XII were posted to the festival's Facebook page earlier today:

The following bands have already confirmed for MDF XII:

AT THE GATES (Sweden)
GORGUTS (Canada)
TAAKE (Norway)
SOLSTAFIR (Iceland)
MGLA (Poland)
EXCRUCIATING TERROR
BONGRIPPER
HEMDALE
DIOCLETIAN (New Zealand)

We thought there would be more to announce today, including a band that will definitely headline one of the days, but that will take another week or two to finalize. Expect the next announcement in about 2 weeks.

Notes: At the Gates, Taake, Solstafir, and MGLA will be making exclusive US appearances at MDF.

We have a feeling many of you will ask what's going on with Carpathian Forest, so here's what's going on. We had preliminary discussion with them right after MDF XI and all parties understand what needs to be done for them to come to the US next year, but since our contact person for the band has been on vacation with no access to e-mail, we have to wait until he's back before confirming that officially. So, as of now, they are NOT confirmed, but chances are likely that they will confirm sometime soon.

Links:
Maryland Deathfest

HUFF THIS! (Alison Clancy) Play Show Tomorrow Night, July 28th, at Highline Ballroom

HUFF THIS! has returned to its roots with a new, all-girl line up. It's a performance that lives in the worlds of of both music and dance, born in the basement of The Metropolitan Opera where Alison Clancy and Allison Jones dance together. In the past year, during breaks between opera acts, they started jamming and singing in the ballet studios, and recruiting other Met girls to dance. They recently joined up with impish drummer Erica Mancini and producer Benjamin Ickies and are ready to crash the Highline Ballroom on Sunday.

Clancy, notorious as the wild and emotive front woman for a few bands, leaves you no choice but to get involved in her shows. Her electric singing and dancing shakes the room with feline energy and her crew of seductive creatures weaves back and forth between the stage and crowd, literally consuming the audience. Echoing the raw energy of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, HUFF THIS! delivers visceral performances of adoration and murderous vengeance.

HUFF THIS! at Highline Ballroom - Sunday July 28th
band: Alison Clancy, Erica Mancini, Allison Jones
dancers: Erin Moore, Lucy Struever, Ali Castro, Kyla Erst-Apler
produced by: Benjamin Ickies
tickets: $10 in advance and $12 DOS
Also on the bill: Strip Darling, Eric Dash, The Candy Apples and Colin McShane



Links:
HUFF THIS!

The Ocean (Metal Blade) Unveil New Video for 'Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams' / Show Aug. 7th at Best Buy Theater (Summer Slaughter Tour 2013)

The Ocean has launched a brand new video for "Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams" from their most recent album, Pelagial. The band's first official music video, not counting previous videos composed of live footage, was directed by Alexander Kraudelt and Lukas Hambach and produced by Frameshock, with additional visuals by Craig Murray.

Founding guitarist Robin Staps comments: "This clip is blending performance footage with excerpts from Craig Murray's Pelagial movie, which was released along with the limited edition CD and vinyl boxset versions of the album. We've never really done a clip like that before, but it was great fun making this."

Pelagial, the latest album from The Ocean, has been received with open arms and ears across the globe. RockARolla, bastions of taste at the experimental end of heavy music, emphasized how revered The Ocean currently are: "With Isis gone, no one has yet taken their place as intelligent and sensitive masters of post‐metal but, with this, there's no doubt that The Ocean are shoe‐ins for the title."

The Ocean play New York City on August 7th as part of the Summer Slaughter Tour. This show is at Best Buy Theater and doors are at 3:30PM (obviously they aren't expecting anyone who has a job to get there for the first few bands). Tickets are $29.50 in advance and $35 DOS. Other bands on the bill include: Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, Cattle Decapitation, The Ocean, Revocation, AEON, Rings of Saturn, Thy Art Is Murder and Dillinger Escape Plan is headlining.



The Ocean on The Summer Slaughter Tour [remaining dates]:
7/24/2013 - Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
7/25/2013 - The Scott Inn – Austin, TX
7/26/2013 - House of Blues – Dallas, TX
7/27/2013 - House of Blues – Houston, TX
7/29/2013 - House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista, FL
7/30/2013 - The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
7/31/2013 - Old City Courtyard – Knoxville, TN
8/01/2013 - House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
8/02/2013 - The Filmore Silver Springs – Silver Springs, MD
8/03/2013 - The Palladium – Worcester, MA
8/04/2013 - The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
8/07/2013 - Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
8/08/2013 - Sound Academy – Toronto, ON
8/09/2013 - Metropolis – Montreal, QC
8/10/2013 - Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
8/11/2013 - The Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
8/12/2013 - House of Blues – Chicago, IL
8/13/2013 - The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
8/14/2013 - The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN
8/15/2013 - Club Antares – Omaha, NE ***
8/16/2013 - Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
8/17/2013 - The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
8/19/2013 - Snowbox Sodo – Seattle, WA
8/20/2013 - Roseland Ballroom – Portland, OR
8/21/2013 - Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC ***
8/24/2013 - Circo Volador – Mexico City, MX ***
9/01/2013 - The Wall – Taipeh, TWN ***
9/04/2013 - Hidden Agenda – Hong Kong, HKN ***
9/05/2013 - B10 – Shenzhen, CHN ***
9/06/2013 - SD – Guangzhou, CHN ***
9/07/2013 - Vox – Wuhan, CHN ***
9/08/2013 - 46 House – Changsha, CHN ***
9/11/2013 - Yuylntang – Shanghai, CHN ***
9/12/2013 - Nuts – Chongqing, CHN ***
9/13/2013 - Little Bar – Chengdu, CHN ***
9/14/2013 - Mao – Beijing CHN ***
9/15/2013 - 13 Club – Tianjin, CHN ***
9/19/2013 - Megapolis – Irkutsk, RUS ***
9/21/2013 - Era – Krasnoyarsk, RUS ***
9/22/2013 - Mayak – Tomsk, RUS ***
9/23/2013 - Rock City – Novosibirsk, RUS ***
9/25/2013 - Plan-K.Tone – Tyumen, RUS ***
9/26/2013 - Nirvana – Yekaterinburg, RUS ***
9/28/2013 - Plan B – Moscow, RUS ***
9/29/2013 - Arktika – Saint-Petersburg, RUS ***
***THE OCEAN headlining shows

Links:
The Ocean

Jon Oliva: 'Raise The Curtain' Interview with BrooklynRocks, July 14, 2013

Three years ago, I reviewed Jon Oliva’s last outing, Festival, (released as Jon Oliva’s Pain) and compared the disc to Alice Cooper’s mid-70’s work. That same comparison still stands with the follow-up to that disc, Raise the Curtain, which was released earlier this month on AFM Records. This time out, in addition to the Alice Cooper influences, Raise the Curtain touches on 70’s prog rock (Yes comes immediately to mind), jazz/fusion and roots-rock of John Lennon. This is an eclectic disc but fans of Jon Oliva’s past work will surely enjoy it.

I had the pleasure of talking with Jon about the making of his debut solo disc, his recording plans with Jon Oliva's Pain and Trans-Siberian Orchestra and his upcoming 'storytellers' tour.

Check out the interview - the link is posted above.

Links:
Jon Oliva's Pain

Orange Goblin Returns to North America for Fall Tour / Show at Saint Vitus Bar on Nov. 2nd

Britain's premier stoner metal band Orange Goblin will return to perform at venues throughout North America this Autumn.

Following the band’s huge success earlier this year as main support for Clutch on their Earth Rocker North American tour, the Brits return for a full headlining run. Kicking off in New Orleans on September 27, the band will visit 38 cities around the United States and Canada before concluding in Nashville on November 9. Support on the tour will come from Holy Grail and Lazer/Wulf.

The trek finds Orange Goblin continuing a year-long commitment to performances in support of their latest studio album, A Eulogy For the Damned (2012), and first live CD/DVD released earlier this year. This rigorous schedule has seen them perform in over 25 countries across the globe, ensuring that the band is firing on all cylinders and maintaining their reputation as one of the fiercest and most exciting live acts on the planet! In fact, Clutch's own Neil Fallon was recently seen on That Metal Show wearing an Orange Goblin shirt and proclaiming them to be one of his favorite bands!

Released March 12, A Eulogy For The Fans/Orange Goblin Live 2012 includes Orange Goblin’s complete performances from England’s Bloodstock Open Air and France’s Hellfest. The package’s DVD includes the official Tom Cronin directed videos for “Red Tide Rising” and “Acid Trial,” the latter courtesy of Scion A/V. It further includes the Matt Chance directed “Red Tide Rising” documentary and Gaetan Chataigner directed “Highway to Hellfest” documentary. Art and design was provided by Jimbob Isaac under the direction of vocalist Ben Ward. The live album follows the release of A Eulogy For The Damned, now Orange Goblin’s highest selling album in North America. Produced by Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated engineer Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd), the album entered the UK charts at position 96 and for the US landed on Billboard Magazine’s Heat Seekers chart at position 38.





Orange Goblin - Fall 2013 Tour w/ Holy Grail, Lazer/Wulf

09/27/2013 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA

09/28/2013 - Red 7 – Austin, TX

09/29/2013 - Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX

09/30/2013 - Club Dada – Dallas, TX

10/01/2013 - Sister Bar – Albuquerque, NM

10/02/2013 - Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ

10/04/2013 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA

10/05/2013 - The Satellite - Los Angeles, CA

10/06/2013 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA

10/08/2013 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA

10/09/2013 - Oakland Opera House – Oakland, CA

10/10/2013 - Oak Street Speakeasy – Eugene, OR

10/11/2013 - Fall Into Darkness Festival – Portland, OR

10/12/2013 - The Highline – Seattle, WA

10/13/2013 - Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC

10/15/2013 - The Palomino – Calgary, AB

10/17/2013 - The Pawn Shop – Edmonton, AB

10/18/2013 - Amigos – Saskatoon, SK

10/19/2013 - Windsor Hotel – Winnipeg, MB

10/20/2013 - The Aquarium – Fargo, ND

10/21/2013 - Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN

10/22/2013 - Reggie’s – Chicago, IL

10/23/2013 - Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI

10/24/2013 - Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH

10/25/2013 - Rockstar Arena – Dayton, OH

10/26/2013 - Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA

10/27/2013 - London Music Hall – London, ON

10/28/2013 - The Opera House – Toronto, ON

10/29/2013 - Mavericks – Ottawa, ON

10/30/2013 - Foufounes Electriques – Montrea, QC

11/01/2013 - Empire – Springfield, VA

11/02/2013 - Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY

11/03/2013 - The Note - West Chester, PA

11/05/2013 - Strange Matter – Richmond, VA

11/06/2013 - Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC

11/07/2013 - Broadway’s – Asheville, NC

11/08/2013 - The Earl – Atlanta, GA

11/09/2013 - Exit/In – Nashville, TN

Links:
Orange Goblin

Havok - 'Unnatural Selection' CD Review / Show at St. Vitus Bar on August 7th (Candlelight Records)

Denver thrash metallers Havok are back with their third full-length disc, Unnatural Selection (released last month on Candlelight Records) and their first headlining tour of North America, which kicked off this week at Launchpad in Albuquerque, NM. The local tour stop is at St. Vitus Bar on August 7th and Havock is playing with TBA (let’s spread a ‘stupid’ rumor – TBA = Municipal Waste). Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 DOS.

Unnatural Selection has everything that you would expect in a thrash album: political themed lyrics, winding, chugging guitar riffs and screaming solos, aggressive sneering vocals and rapid fire drumming. What is refreshing is there is a mix of old school metal in the band’s sound – the disc’s lead-off single, “Give Me Liberty…Or Give Me Death” has some blistering riffs and a nice bass/drum groove that could easily be compared to bands like Megadeth and Exodus. Immediately shifting gears, this is followed by “It is True”, which comes across somewhat like an 80’s arena-rocker, though with some funky bass grooves and off-kilter, winding guitar lines intermixed with the crunchy hard-rock riffs. The band’s sound starts moving toward doom toward the back-end of the disc, with the down-tuned “Worse Than War” and this track is a perfect lead-in to the band’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave”. The band ends the disc on a “thrashy” note with the aggressive and galloping title track “Unnatural Selection”.



On the majority of the songs, in addition to the chugging thrash riffs, there is some great guitar interplay between David Sanchez and Reece Scruggs whose playing ranges from technical shredding to AC/DC meets Iron Maiden hard-rock riffs. Sanchez’s vocals also spans the range from a clean “punkish” sneer to Dave Mustaine style throat shredding rasps and most of the song choruses are shout-along gang vocals. Pete Webber pounds the drums unmercifully (there is a nice, but brief drum solo on disc opener “I Am the State”) and does a nice job of locking into a groove with newcomer, bassist Mike Leon.

The new disc has a really clean sound and was produced by vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez and mixed by Terry Date (Pantera, Overkill, Deftones). The album also features original artwork from Polish illustrator Rafal Wechterowicz (Slayer, Mastodon) and was mastered by James Murphy (Aborted, World Under Blood, Abigail Williams).

Havok – Summer 2013 North American Headline Tour
7/22/2013 - Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
7/24/2013 - Chameleon Room – Oklahoma City, OK
7/25/2013 - Three Links – Dallas, TX
7/26/2013 - Dirty Dog – Austin, TX
7/27/2013 - Zero’s – Corpus Christi, TX
7/28/2013 - Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
7/29/2013 - Siberia – New Orleans, LA
7/31/2013 - Talent Farm – Pembroke Pines, FL
8/01/2013 - Orpheum Theater – Tampa, FL
8/02/2013 - Back Booth – Orlando, FL
8/03/2013 - Ground Zero – Spartanburg, SC
8/04/2013 - Blue Fox – Winchester, VA
8/05/2013 - Empire – Springfield, VA
8/06/2013 - Mojo 13 – Wilmington, DE
8/07/2013 - Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY
8/08/2013 - Church of Boston – Boston, MA
8/09/2013 - Backstage at Champs – Trenton, NJ
8/10/2013 - JJ’s Tavern – Florence, MA
8/11/2013 - Heavy Mtl – Montreal, QC
8/12/2013 - Opera House – Toronto, ON w/Finntroll
8/13/2013 - Token Lounge – Westland, MI
8/14/2013 - Peabody’s, Cleveland, OH
8/15/2013 - Ultra Lounge – Chicago, IL
8/16/2013 - Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
8/17/2013 - Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
8/18/2013 - Fubar – St Louis, MO
8/21/2013 - The Shrunken Head – Columbus, OH
8/23/2013 - The Brass Rail – Peoria, IL
8/24/2013 - Blue Pig – Cudahy, WI
8/25/2013 - The Garage – Burnsville, MN
8/26/2013 - The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
8/28/2013 - The Railyard – Billings, MT
8/29/2013 - The Center – Spokane, WA
8/30/2013 - Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
8/31/2013 - Branx – Portland, OR
9/01/2013 - Red House Live – Walnut Creek, CA
9/05/2013 - The Atrium – Santa Cruz, CA
9/06/2013 - Whiskey – West Hollywood, CA
9/07/2013 - Constellation Room – Santa Ana, CA
9/08/2013 - Royal Dive – San Diego, CA
9/09/2013 - Rocky Point Cantina – Tempe, AZ
9/10/2013 - Orpheum Theater – Flagstaff, AZ
9/13/2013 - Burt’s Tiki Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT

Links:
Havok

Cold Blood Club (Indie Dance Rock) Plays Bowery Ballroom on July 23rd Alongside Future Bible Heroes (Stephin Merritt)

Seven member indie dance-rock collective Cold Blood Club are playing Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, July 23rd, opening for Future Bible Heroes.  Cold Blood Club premiered the song/video "Goodbye to All That" earlier this month which is the first track from this band's forthcoming disc Tear Down The Maps. In a recent interview with Violent Success, guitarist/songwriter Tom Stuart had the following to say about the band's new disc and this first track: "I think almost every song on the record is about a decision and ‘Goodbye to All That’ is like the canary in the cave."

Tuesday night's show starts at 8PM (doors at 7PM) and tickets are $15. Cold Blood Club goes on first and are followed by Luxury Liners (Canter Tanton's latest project), with Future Bible Heroes headlining the show.



Brooklyn-based Cold Blood Club is a gang of musicians, 7-members-strong, who have been conquering the New York Indie dance scene one packed venue at a time since they debuted their edgy blend of soul, rock, and pop in the summer of 2011. Now, Cold Blood Club, who has been hailed as “almost too catchy for their own good” (The Deli Magazine), offers a taste of their forthcoming LP with new single/video, "Goodbye to All That." The New Wave delight, featuring catchy dance grooves, electro-beats and pop sensibilities was produced by Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, Future Bible Heroes), and mixes in dark overtones to create a bittersweet atmosphere that reflects the nostalgic nature of the lyrics.

Self described as “an open love letter to New York, friendship, heartbreak and making peace with the past,” the follow-up to 2012’s Headlines and Firefights was penned by the band’s creator and songwriter Tom Stuart, as he struggled with balancing the aimlessness of finding a place to live, a thriving nightlife and a tumultuous personal life, themes most young New Yorkers can relate to.

As free-spirited as the group itself and the town that inspires them, the video directed by Kris Merc (De la Soul) depicts the band against a vibrant backdrop of slick city streets, moody dive bars and rowdy karaoke clubs, wrapping us up in a feeling of timelessness that lingers in our hair and clothes like cigarette smoke the next day. It’s the party that lasts all night, and a glimpse into the friendship, reinforced by a shared love of the city, that holds the band together.

Inspired by acts like LCD Soundsystem, Metric and New Order, Cold Blood Club originated as a studio project with Stuart and former Radio America bandmate Jesse Reno (bass) along with newcomer Kendra Jones and Bradley Peterson (Earlymay) on joint lead vocals. After only a handful of shows, Cold Blood Club quickly evolved into the well-matched 7-piece showstopper they are today, joined by agile drummer Shin Kamei (Angela Jane), flame-haired violinist Hilary Davis (Bella Koshka) and classically trained pianist Adina Benno on synth. Their “infectious melodies, not to mention boundless energy” (Sound Dessert) have cemented them as a band to watch in 2013.

Links:
Cold Blood Club

Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants - 'All Hat and No Cattle' (SideOneDummy Records)

Foo Fighter guitarist Chris Shiflett’s solo project Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants has found its mark with band’s forthcoming second disc, All Hat and No Cattle (due out July 30th on SideOneDummy Records). This new disc is a logical follow-up to The Dead Peasants’ 2010 self-titled debut and Shiflett continues to mine his longtime appreciation of classic country artists (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams) and rockabilly (Gene Vincent, Elvis, Eddie Cochran).

On The Dead Peasants’ debut disc, Shiflett wrote all the songs aside for a Joe Strummer cover. This time out, there is just one original and the other nine songs are classic honky-tonk covers. The band attacks these covers with an enthusiasm and barnstorming swagger that gives these reinterpretations an authenticity that other alt-country/root-rock bands have lacked.

Shiflett was inspired with the idea to learn an abundance of old school honky-tonk songs, and then hit the road as a cover band, while touring with Foo Fighters around their last album. After arriving back home, the Dead Peasants reconvened and spent months rehearsing before playing shows all through spring and summer 2012. Wanting to capture the spirit of these performances, the band headed into Studio 606 in Los Angeles to track a selection of Shiflett’s favorites from their live set. The band recorded All Hat and No Cattle live and all together in one room, with only vocals overdubbed.

The disc starts with country-rocker “Guitar Pickin’ Man” and moves from there to the Carl Perkins-style honky-tonk of “Good Time Charlie’s". Shiflett slows things toward the middle of the disc with bluesy torch song “Happy Part Of Town” but this number is just a brief respite before he cranks the tempo back up. The disc ends with two of the bigger “rock” numbers: the original track “A Woman Like You” is a power-pop number is the vein of Rockpile or The Plimsouls and the disc closer, “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?” is a boot-stomping Waylon Jennings cover.






All Hat and No Cattle track listing:
1. Guitar Pickin’ Man (Don Rich and the Buckaroos)
2. Good Time Charlie’s (Del Reeves)
3. Pop A Top (Jim Ed Brown)
4. Happy Part Of Town (Wynn Stewart)
5. Skid Row (Merle Haggard)
6. Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young (Faron Young)
7. Playboy (Wynn Stewart)
8. King Of Fools (Buck Owens)
9. A Woman Like You (ORIGINAL)
10. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (Waylon Jennings)

Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants will take these songs back on the road for more shows this summer, having recently performed at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA and at SXSW in Austin, TX. Currently, there are a small handful of California shows scheduled for early next month.

Aug 6 - San Diego at The Casbah
Aug 7 - Fresno at Strummers
Aug 8 - San Francisco at Thee Parkside
Aug 10 - San Luis Obispo at SLO Brew Co
Aug 11 - Long Beach at Alex’s Bar
*Rod Melancon supporting on all dates.

Links:
Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants

The Bellicose Minds: Portland Post-Punk / Death-Rock Trio Signs With A389 Recordings

The debut disc from The Bellicose Minds, Spine, hits a 'sweet spot' as it brings back memories of the death/goth-rock sounds (the Rozz Williams-fronted lineup of Christian Death and Bauhaus) of my youth so I'd love to see the band hit the East Coast. The Bellicose Minds did an interview last year with CvltNation which goes a long way toward describing the band's sound, outlook and influences.

Oliver (CvltNation): Who came up with the name “Bellicose Minds” and what is it supposed to mean? In other words, is there any particular story behind the name?

Nick Bellicose: Finding band names is hard with so many good, obvious ones taken. You can either spam the button on the name generator web site or draw words from a hat. We didn’t want that. It feels heartless and cheesy. We really wanted a name that had a meaning, and said something about the band. There were some ideas thrown around, but I ended up coming up with The Bellicose Minds. The rest of the band liked it. It reflects our attitudes towards life and society, to be in a state of agression and warfare. Non-complacent, driving forward through the sea of shit we live in.

Oliver: I really like the vocals – they have a classic sound but also don’t really sound like many vocals you actually ever hear bands having any more these days. They remind me a little of Vex (the UK postpunk band) or later-era The Dark after they got gothier (“Shattered Glass”). Are those conscious influences on your vocals’ sound, or the band’s sound as a whole? If not, what is?

Nick: It’s easiest for me to sing in a lower register. I always liked the way Jim Morrisson and David Bowie sang when I was a kid. That was music I heard from my parents as a very young child. I started finding my own music to listen to at the age of 9 or 10, and always looked for extremes. I love extremes. I listen to a lot of hardcore punk and anarcho-punk from the late 70′s and 80′s. I draw from the aggression and provocation in many of the lyrics from those styles of music. Darker punk/post punk bands definitely have a big influence on how I forge the lyrics and sound in our songs. Singers such as Mark Burgess, Adrian Borland (RIP), and Mic Jowger (Pink Turns Blue) are huge influences because they all had their own style, and felt their words. At the end of the day I always try to come up with my own style and ideas — my own voice. Influences are important, yet it’s important to respect them for what they are and not become a rip off.



The Bellicose Minds likes to keep the music dark, and sinister, always throwing cynical thought to the foreground. Flowing with a dark, early-‘80s Gothic rock edge citing influences from The Chameleons, The Sound, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and Danse Society, and of course the rain the Northwest continually brings, The Bellicose Minds has toured in the US and played at key underground punk festivals in Canada since their incarnation in 2008. While the band has sustained multiple lineup changes, it has always at its core been AJ on drums and Nick on lead guitar and vocals, and the current lineup sees bassist Mira joining the founding pair.

The Bellicose Minds have exposed the rock underworld to a variety of self-released demos and independent releases over the years including two tapes, a self-titled 7” EP, and most recently their first LP, The Spine, released earlier in 2013 via Blackwater Records. One of the act’s seminal releases is 2009’s The Buzz Or Howl Sessions, initially self-released only as a 500 copy run on dubbed cassettes. A389 will now officially re-release the long out-of-print The Buzz Or Howl Sessions for the first time ever on vinyl, the initial masters completely remastered by Audiosiege and artwork and layout to feature a full redesign. It’s coming together to see release late this Fall with a confirmed street date to be announced shortly.

Additionally, The Bellicose Minds is currently in the writing process for their next LP which will also see release through A389 later in the year alongside the band’s first European tour this Fall and additional regional and stateside touring.

Links:
The Bellicose Minds