CWG Magazine

The Big Pink, A Place to Bury Strangers, Active Child @ El Rey Theatre

Andy Sweat — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:46:52 +0000

Photos By: Jeremy Ross

(3.9.2010) – The Clifford Balch art deco designed building stood before me with its bottled up nervous energy and sweeping curves. The once single-screen movie theater that ran for 50 years has turned into a host spot for talented music acts of various genres. But on this cold, windy Tuesday night in LA, the El Rey was (again) selling admission for only one screening: The Big Pink.

Before the feature…

The pre-warm up act, Active Child, played a nice, short and sweet set. The catchy, soft, minimal beat driven “When Your Love Was Safe” was a standout. Active Child creates music from a philosophy of keeping the beats minimal, sharp, and not overly meticulous in order to allow the high pitched, sweet vocals of Pat Grossi to shine. A pleasant band that played for just about the right amount of time before annoyance could set in. I expect to see good things from Grossi and his harp in the future.

When I first heard A Place to Bury Stranger a few years back, I instantly became a fan. Not so much because they do anything wildly original, but because they remind me of a past I longed to be a part of: the nose driven, drug infused, hazy dream like barbed wire songs of the shoegaze 80’s/early 90’s. The charm comes from the band’s sound harnessing the complete recklessness of Suicide mixed with the sweet, jagged pop guitar sounds of Psychocandy. Full of stimulated slices of suspicion-industrial guitar noise and dying pop grain, the group plays loud and full of wild energy that has a certain ecstasy-like quality.

Back in ’07 when the debut came out, the joys of Strangers was about basking in the dissonance and emerging out with bucketsful of pleasurable sludge. But today, the band has eradicated some of the callous textures in favor of more polished, hook driven rock tunes; songs that use to haunt are now replaced with digestible, yet mediocre food that’s gravely (at times) uncomfortable.

On Tuesday night, Strangers didn’t so much hit on those blissful screeching guitar sounds, they just hit on the straight screech. There’s a difference between blissful noise and just uncoordinated, chalkboard scratching noise (the later is what Place to Bury Strangers unfortunately sounded like). If you could somehow bare the noise, the songs sounded like they’re really good, but everyone looked uncomfortable due to the sheer pressure of their eardrums. If it weren’t for the “no in and out privileges”, I would’ve made a killing on ear plugs.

Still, this is no indication to rule out this band. They are most certainly still one of the best bands bringing shoegaze into the 21st century. A Place to Bury Strangers might be best served with the volume knob close by.

This leads us to the feature presentation. The Big Pink came rolling out with jagged, loud guitars and a cool, swagger to them. This band knows they are one of the hottest pieces of UK ass around in the indie world and they don’t hide from this one bit.

The Big Pink is undoubtedly a sum of their influences: the raw energy of the Verve, the jangly rhythms of the Stone Roses, the sonic structure and landscape of Spacemen 3, the prog-rock overindulgence of the Catherine Wheel, and the drum loops and dance essentials of Chapterhouse… truthfully, when talking about The Big Pink, listing their influences might be the best way to describe them because they so blatantly take from all those groups.

What makes this band standout is the sheer fact that not only do they take from all of these influential bands style, but they combine all those elements to make something sound fresh, and similar without being too complicated at the same time. This might be Pink’s greatest feat: to take these influences and not fuck it up into some jumble crap box.

Playing stuff from their 2009 hit record, “A Brief History of Love”, Robbie Furze comes wailing out with both guitar and vocals while fellow London mate, Milo Cordell, mixing hip sounding beats on the keyboard. The band played their popular gems such as the hypnotic “Velvet” (an enormous sounding song that still sounds personal) and the uber-catchy “Dominoes”.

Another standout was “Too Young to Love” which dashes by on energy and thrust more than anything else. The sweet build up of “Crystal Visions” to an all out sonic explosion was nirvana. “At War with the Sun” feels like a nice, 80’s nostalgic pop/rock driven New Order ballad. When played live, you can really hear that the song nicks Stone Roses’ jangle with more vicious distortion pedals, while “Frisk” feels more like a straight nod to Blur’s early funk days.

Tuesday night was a fine example of what good indie pop/rock music can do: make you have a fucking swell time. Pink left it all out on the table and allowed us to hop on the wild ball of energy-ridden ride. That all makes for a damn fun evening, but nothing really “wow-ed” me or had me saying “damn, I’m glad I saw these guys before they decay into shit.” And maybe that’s my fault for putting too much pressure or building too high of a pedestal for a band to climb in order to actually make me really care. But, with the Big Pink, I thoroughly enjoy their music and 10 years from now I can foresee me spinning one of their dance beat tracks of theirs to bring ironic nostalgia to my “Bring back the ‘09’s” hipster party; but I don’t think Pink will be anything that will hold up as truly inventive down the road.

Sometimes their sound comes together and it reminds you of those influences while still maintaining innovation. Sometimes it sounds a bit outdated and copied. Sometimes it’s a question of constraint and whether they use too much of their sonic tools at their disposal all at once.

Overall, The Big Pink is damn exciting and seem to be using their influences as a sheer launching pad for something bigger, stronger, and all their own.

Random notes:
- Sticking with the movie theme, is it just me or does “The Big Pink” make you think dirty, B-horror 1940’s smut film with a small town being invaded by a large, vagina-like monster that looks more like a poorly constructed eye lid than anything else.

- I think “A Brief History of Love” is equivalent to Catherine Wheel’s “Ferment.” Here’s hoping for “Chrome.” My gut feeling is, it goes carbon copy or backwards from here.

- Harp’s are all the rave today, and for good reasons. They’re pretty. I said it.

- The Big Pink have such a swagger to them. Robbie reminds me of Blur’s Damon Albarn went through or what Jarvis Cocker goes through on a daily basis.

- I couldn’t fucking believe me eyes when I saw hipsters actually dancing.

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The Black Dahlia Murder @ The Roxy

Veronica Vasquez — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:31:41 +0000

Photos By: Phil Reed

The Black Dahlia Murder play within the genres of metalcore, melodic death metal and deathcore – Whatever that means! All I know is that I was stoked to see one of the heaviest bands in the world rock the intimate stage at The Roxy on Sunset. After moshing my way through opening acts, Obscura, Augury and Hatesphere, I was more than ready to see the headliners.

Almost on cue, the curtain rose for the final time to reveal the evening’s main attraction — The Black Dahlia Murder. Having rocked the same room for free two months earlier, the five-piece band returned to a hero’s welcome as they opened their headlining set with the song “Funeral Thirst.”

Vocalist Trevor Strnad alternated between deep, throaty “death metal growls,” and high-pitched shrieking that damn near melted my orange ear plug, and as he paced back and forth across the front of the stage, screaming like an insane banshee, the rest of the band erupted into metalocalypse of monstrous proportions. Throughout the next hour, The Black Dahlia Murder played a hellfire fierce set of metal that spanned their entire catalog.

Some highlights were “Everything Went Black,” “Closed Casket Requiem,” and “What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse.” – Some may say it’s hard to differentiate one song from the next, but I disagree, as the double bass heavy songs like “Miasma” are seemingly worlds apart from guitar-driven rockers like “Statutory Ape.” Although, Trevor doesn’t sing as sweetly as what they play on the radio nowadays, his stage presence is nothing to mess with, not to mention his lyrics are dark enough to scare the daylights out of any non-metal head.

Overall, I have to say that The Black Dahlia Murder is a band that any real metal fan should see live at least once – this band’s intense stage presence, loud-as-fuck guitars, and ear-splitting vocals satisfy the killer instinct one develops living in Los Angeles.

NoisePop Part 1 – Rogue Wave

Andy Sweat — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:11:23 +0000

Photos By: Brian Wong

When Zach Rogue, singer/songwriter of Oakland-band-with-national-following Rogue Wave, announced onstage at Bottom of the Hill, “Everyone sells out to dance music in the end… We sold out,” we thought we were in for a different kind of Rogue Wave show. When they opened with six decidedly more raucous versions of songs off their latest release, Permalight, we still weren’t sure. But when they launched into new single “Good Morning (The Future),” and people actually started, well, dancing – there had already been a bout of enthused handclapping during our new favorite, “Solitary Gun” – we knew it.

After three opening bands that failed to get the blood bubbling – despite some sexy vocals from Sacramento-based Two Sheds, occasional groovy 60’s garage sounds from Oaklanders Man/Miracle, and a couple memorable surfin’ tunes from otherwise synth-saturated Santa Monica band, Princeton – Rogue Wave still, and this is not a cliché often used for this band, set the crowd on fire. If you’ve followed them at all over the years, you know their catalogue is marked by sweet, buoyant melodies, often acoustic, and while you might sway in the car to “Lake Michigan” or secretly rock the fuck out to “10:1” (Descended Like Vultures), you’ve probably yet to turn Rogue Wave on at a party to entice guests to stop acting like awkward scenesters and jus’ shake it. But the capacity crowd at Bottom of the Hill tonight, a little uptight at the start, was reduced to a grinning, sweating, rhythmically-lurching punchbowl by Rogue Wave’s new danceable sounds, in combination with the band’s standard warmth and subtle stage charisma.

The band’s new rocker, “We Will Make a Song Destroy,” is a rocker without irony, and a pleasant surprise in the midst of a run of old favorites including “Publish My Love.” “Good Morning (The Future),” was perhaps the most un-Rogue Wave of the new school tunes, and while on record it’s – really, most of Permalight’s – use of electronics could throw off an anticipant fan, live, the band’s good musicianship melded it seamlessly into the set, and it was definitely the melody to be whistled on the way home.

The generous encore closed with Permalight’s titular track, and, since it’s a “celebration,” the freshly loosened-up crowd was invited to get up right next to the amps and dance. Once the tiny B.0.T.H. stage was packed with revelers, many of whom just a couple hours earlier had been drink-clutching, nervous Bay Area music nerds, it seemed that when Zach Rogue suggested that everyone can sell out to dance music, he really meant everyone.

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An evening with Beth Thornley

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal Editor) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:35:47 +0000

With a charming smile and the voice of an angel, Beth Thornley can own you in many ways. She is so sweet and caring in her demeanor. She has just a hint of her Alabama background in her accent. She is beautiful. She maintains a low profile, which just draws you in that much more. She is talented enough to do much bigger things, but she is happy where she is. She is a charmer. She is everything I think of when I think of a singer/songwriter. I was already her fan, but in talking to her, she won me over even more. I’d like to think of her as a friend.

Saturday night, March 6^th I had the honor and privilege of meeting her and seeing her perform at Luna’s cafe in Sacramento, Ca. A couple of hours before the show I met her and her Husband Rob at their hotel, just a few minutes from where she would be playing that night.

Follow along below and listen to Beth talk about her music in her own words:

00:15: So, CWG?

1:30: “Music, art, lifestyle.”

1:40: How we came to be here.

2:00: “Did the CED just come out”?

2:45: Where to find Beth’s music.

3:20: “It makes sense to me.”

3:45: A discussion of record sales and the mediums we use to get music.

5:00: Record stores and music ownership: the artist’s perspective.

6:00: “You can stream all of my music.”

7:15: “I know that it can get stolen… and that’s a drag.”

8:30: CD Baby as an example.

9:30: The ‘Hotel Cafe’ show.

11:10: About tonight’s show…

12:00: Envying guitar players.

12:45: How many instruments are actually used on this record?

14:00: “The important things… you do live.”

14:30: Some of Rob’s duties…

15:15: The amazing musicians Beth gets to play with.

16:30: “Wash you clean.”

18:10: The two songs that are different from the rest.

19:10: Some variety and some fun.

21:00: The artist’ perspective on what her fans like.

23:40: Are the most popular songs the best songs?

26:00: Something that people are drawn to…

26:45: More on the creation of the album.

28:30: “There’s nothing about being a songwriter that moves quickly.”

30:00: More songs in your mind?

31:00: What’s next?

32:50: “An idea comes in its’ own time.”

33:15: The end of the tour.

34:30: A Redwoods concert?

35:20: The ‘Hotel Cafe’ group of artists.

36:15: More mini- tours.

With that, we wrapped up the interview. My friend and I went to dinner to kill a couple of hours. When 8:00pm came, we were at Luna’s Cafe to see Beth perform.

She played a casual set of her songs, running just shy of an hour. She played most of my favorite songs of hers, including, “Pony,” “Wash U Clean,” and “Still Can’t Hide.” She was amazing. It was a wonderful night, made so because of Beth. So to Beth, cheers!

Find more from Beth Thornley at: http://www.myspace.com/beththornley

Stay tuned for more on Beth Thornley, here as always, in the Continuum.

Serena Ryder Announces Spring Tour

cwgmagazine — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:21:03 +0000

Photo By: Mary Rozzi

Atlantic recording artist Serena Ryder has announced details of her eagerly anticipated first ever US headline tour with a full band. Ryder will also be joined by Atlantic recording artist Ryan Star and fellow Canadians Cuff The Duke on her journey across the States. The dates begin on April 11th at San Francisco’s Café du Nord and then continue through mid-May (see attached itinerary).

The headline tour – which follows Ryder’s just-concluded trek alongside Howie Day – will be preceded by a series of dates supporting Stephen Kellogg, slated for later this month. What’s more, the acclaimed singer/songwriter is also set to accompany her Canadian countrymen, Barenaked Ladies, on their upcoming US headline tour. That itinerary kicks off on May 16th at Davenport, Iowa’s Adler Theatre and then travels the US through mid-June.

As if all that weren’t enough, Ryder is set to appear on this summer’s much anticipated 2010 Lilith Tour, joining a star-studded array of female artists that includes Sarah MacLachlan, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Loretta Lynn, Tegan & Sara, Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, and many others. Full tour details will be unveiled shortly.

Recently named “Artist of the Week” by Paste, Ryder made a stunning chart entrance last November with her full-length label debut, “is it o.k.” The highly praised album – which includes the hit singles, “Little Bit of Red” and “All For Love” – premiered at #1 on Billboard’s “Heatseekers Albums” chart, marking the week’s top-selling album by a new or developing artist.

“is it o.k.,” has already received gold certification from the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association) in Ryder’s native Canada, where it has earned reams of critical acclaim as well as the 2009 Juno Award for “Adult Alternative Album of the Year.” In the US, “Little Bit of Red” proved a Top 10 sensation at Triple A radio, placing Ryder alongside Grammy Award-nominees Adele and Duffy as one of only three female artists to chart Top 10 at the format in the past year.

“All For Love,” the latest single from “is it o.k.,” is currently lighting up Hot AC radio outlets nationwide. The track was recently featured as a “Discovery Download” on the iTunes main page and became one of the highest non-holiday download promotions of the year with over 160,000 giveaways.

In addition, the “All For Love” companion video has proven a hugely popular clip, with total plays now exceeding 130,000. In addition, Serena’s official MySpace Video channel features a wide array of original webisodes, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive live performances, such as her stirring cover rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Racing In The Street.”

Produced by Grammy Award-winner John Alagia (Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band), “is it o.k.” has earned vociferous critical acclaim from all corners. The Washington Post hailed the album, noting that “what sets Ryder’s songs apart are the emotionally charged, intelligent lyrics sung with the passion of a woman who knows the emotional intimacies about which she sings.” “is it o.k.” “exemplifies Ryder’s love for eclecticism,” decreed Paste, “highlighting her passionate pipes against a myriad of instrumental backdrops.” “(She) attacks a lyric like a young Melissa Etheridge,” affirmed O, The Oprah Magazine, while USA Today celebrated “Little Bit of Red” for its “driving urgency” and Ryder’s “fervid singing.” Phillyist.com praised Ryder’s music “gritty, honest voice,” adding that “her songs are raw and personal, easy to connect with, and most of all, well constructed. It’s no wonder we’re hooked – if you give her a listen, we think you will be, too.”

A charismatic and tireless live performer, Ryder has spent much of the past year on the road, including 2009 tours alongside the Wallflowers and her Atlantic Records labelmates NEEDTOBREATHE. With countless tours in her native Canada, as well as the US, France, and Australia, Serena has shared stages with such artists as Eric Hutchinson, Paolo Nutini, Marc Broussard, and Xavier Rudd, not to mention performances at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Denver’s Mile High Music Festival.

For up-to-the-minute news and information, visit www.serenaryder.com or www.myspace.com/serenaryder.

SERENA RYDER – ON TOUR 2010:

3/30-4/1 w/Stephen Kellogg – 4/11-5/11 Headline Tour w/ Ryan Star and Cuff The Duke – 5/16-6/5 w/Barenaked Ladies

* Cuff The Duke will not be opening ** Solo show without full band

MARCH
30 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theater
31 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theatre

APRIL
1 Somerville, MA Somerville Theater
11 San Francisco, CA Café du Nord*
12 San Diego, CA Casbah
13 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
15 Albuquerque, NM Low Spirits
17 Denver, CO The Walnut Room
19 Omaha, NE Waiting Room
20 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
22 Dallas, TX House of Blues – Cambridge Room
23 Houston, TX House of Blues – Bronze Peacock
26 Nashville, TN The Basement
27 Atlanta, GA Smith’s Olde Bar
29 Greenville, SC Handlebar**
30 North Augusta, SC Downstairs Live**

MAY
1 Easton, MD NightCat
2 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Café
3 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
5 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
7 Toledo, OH Frankie’s
8 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
10 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
11 Chicago IL TBA
16 Davenport, IA Adler Theatre
17 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
21 Boise, ID Idaho Botanical Gardens
22 Spokane, WA Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
23 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium
25 Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center
28 Reno, NV Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort
31 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall

JUNE
1 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
3 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
4 Richmond, VA Innsbrook After Hours
5 Charleston, SC N. Charleston Performing Arts Center

Boyz II Men @ Club Nokia

Shaun McNally — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:10:31 +0000

Photos By: Abigail Miller

Boyz II Men is celebrating twenty years in the music industry. The Philadelphia-based group is the most successful R&B vocal group of all time, based on sales. Having signed with Motown Records in 1990, the group started on a path that lead to five number one R&B singles, and that exceeded records for the longest period of time a single remained on the Billboard top 100. These singles included, “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love To You,” and “One Sweet Day,” with Mariah Carey. During this time, the four-man group, also won four grammys. After 2000, the “heydey” of Boyz II Men had ended, and they signed with a slew of different record companies. Still, they most recently signed with Motown producer Randy Jackson, and in November of 2009 released Love. This album includes covers hits by Bonnie Raitt, The Spinners, Sam Cooke, and many other artists.

After twenty years, they’ve kept it together better than the Temptations!

March 6, Boyz II Men played @ Club Nokia at L.A. Live, as part of their twentieth anniversary celebration. The crowd slowy filtered in the venue for two hours before “the Boyz” were to take the stage. The energy was fun and light-hearted. It seemed that most in attendance probably had a high school prom between 1992 and 1997, although there were a few exceptions. The first half of the main level at Club Nokia, was reserved for seating, which is logical, considering not everyone would be slow dancing (even though I was). The guys flew out onto the stage with an unmistakeable energy, ready to deliver to the crowd, in dapper looking suits. Then I noticed something strange… The group was down to three. I didn’t have time to be dismayed, as the ‘Boyz’ kicked-off the show with the unmistakable “Motownphilly,” sending the packed club into a frenzy; this was the most “upbeat” song played all night, and still a personal favorite.

Having read through the Boyz II Men website, it was noted, and seemingly in a cordial and disappointed way, that bass singer Mike McCary” left due to a nagging back ailment (as well as many other reasons).” Despite the missing person, the other three members, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris, and Shawn Stockman, delivered with those unmistakable gospel voices that never fail to make women melt. After segueing with “Motownphilly,” the group performed slow song, after slow song, which is to be expected, and Stockman at least twice, told sentimental, and long anecdotes about the group’s hard times over the past seven years.

This seminal return-to-form seems to be Boyz II Men’s attempt at standing on two feet again. Fortunatley Boyz II Men, still have their harmonic voices, which is after all, pure talent and the key to their success. The show was beautiful to listen to, a little less eventful to watch, but still an homage to a group that really has after twenty years, kept it together better than the Temptations!

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Simon & Garfield to Reunite for One Last Tour

Kevin Egan (Editor, theumpteenthtimes.com) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:10:04 +0000

Written By: Ursula Christophersen

NEW YORK—Announcements came this morning, exciting everyone in the music industry, that singing duo, Simon & Garfield, will be touring for one last go around, before calling it a day and retiring to warmer climates and other dreams yet fulfilled.

“I always have a good time when I get together with Garfield,” said singer, Carly Simon. “We’re old friends. You can even call us bookends. We’re that close. True, we may have had our squabbles in the past, but we’re at an age now in which we can forget how I completely left him out in the cold to pursue my solo career. We’re much more mature these days. Now we sing purely for the fun of it.”

In response, Garfield, the lasagna-loving cat, says he has let bygones be bygones, though in the back of his mind, he still can’t help but feel a little jilted by his longtime friend.

Read the rest of this article @ The Umpteenth Times

Young & Divine

Quinn Allan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:43:32 +0000

One of the interesting things about the Rock/Pop genre is the room for the resurgence of certain styles of Rock/Pop throughout the ages. One band starts a movement, coining a particular sound, and suddenly it’s the next big thing. The movement soon dies down, only to resurface some years later. Blink 182 and New Found Glory paved the way for a fusion of pop and heavier rock in bands like Panic at the Disco and Fall Out Boy. Mixing in another rising genre, the creation of post-hardcore bands brought us My Chemical Romance and The Used. Now, years after most of these bands capsized, the effects of what their individual, and collective, sounds had on popular music can still be heard in bands like Young & Divine, a New York-based trio who are carrying the torch in their genre.

Quinn Allan: Your success story is one everyone wants to hear. You put in all the hard work and money to release your own record, book your own tour, and suddenly RCA is putting out your record. What were your reactions when you first found out you were going to be signed?

JP Clark: It’s like that ‘dream come true’ kind-of-feeling, something you never think is going to happen. I think we’re all still kind of pinching ourselves from time to time. The biggest relief was finding out RCA wanted to put out a record that we had done all on our own. They didn’t try to change us or turn us into something we weren’t. It has definitely made this whole experience that much more enjoyable.

QA: Your debut album is a re-issue of the album you self released. Are you building buzz with your older material before you reveal your latest and greatest, or do you feel your first album was such a triumph you’d rather give it another chance?

JP Clark: One of the downsides to re-releasing this record is that we’ve been playing these songs since 2007. To us they’re “old,” but everyday a new fan is hearing them for the first time. We try to keep that in mind, and that’s why we’re giving this album the big shot that we believe it deserves. Good news is we have a couple dozen “new” songs ready for a rainy day, and I feel it’s our best material to date.

QA: Listening to the tracks on your MySpace, I hear a lot of different sounds influencing your music. There’s a strong presence of the sound made popular by Fall Out Boy, but also some electronic/techno tints to it. How did you develop your style?

JP Clark: Although, I was listening to a ton of music, I never spent time learning covers or playing other people’s songs when I was younger and starting out. Even before I technically knew how to play guitar, I was plucking any strings that sounded good to my ear and singing over them. I think my personal writing style, and as a result, Y&D’s style, is derived from all the different bands I listened to growing up and the individual writers that I looked up to in each group. I think every writer’s goal should be to develop a unique style of their own that sets them apart from the rest… otherwise what’s the point?

QA: Your sound is big for a three piece band. How do you re-create the fuller, synth-laden sounds of your album at live shows?

JP Clark: As backing tracks have become more acceptable and common for live acts these days, we have definitely not been shy in putting a lot of effort into ours. Our live show has been the focus since the signing. Between Jake and myself, we’ve easily spent 200+ hours a piece programming lights and tracks. Every aspect of our live show production is done 100% by the band, and we’ve treated it as another outlet of our creativity. Technology has given us the ability to create a show by ourselves that would have once taken a full light and sound crew to achieve. Maybe one day we’ll make enough money to hire touring musicians for all the parts we have (smiles).

QA: A question for Jake: After conversing over MySpace, you quit your job and moved from your home in Texas to New York to join this band. What did they say to get you to make such a commitment?

Jake Mai: It wasn’t necessarily what the band said, there were only a few conversations between us before I took ‘the leap.’ To tell you the truth, the music was my motivation. When they sent me the songs, I was absolutely blown away, and it was very easy for me to put a lot of faith in these guys. It wasn’t easy to do, and it’s still hard being so far from home all the time. But it was hands-down one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

QA: What are some of your aspirations as a, now, professional musician?

JP Clark: Short and simple, I want to be able to fully support myself with music. Not a day goes by where I don’t progress, one way or another, on a musical idea I’m working on. Whether it’s production, writing or performing, I’m determined to figure out a way to do “the music thing” til the day I die.

Young and Divine are now on tour with Secret Secret Dino Club, and their debut, self-titled, album is due to be released this month. Check Young & Divine out online – Website – Myspace

Skillet – Headlining Tour

cwgmagazine — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:45:10 +0000

Photo By: David Molnar

Atlantic recording group Skillet has announced details of their upcoming headline tour. The “Awake & Alive Tour” begins April 15th at Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Scranton Cultural Center and then continues through late May (see attached itinerary). Joining the Grammy-nominated rock outfit on the trek will be RED, a Nashville-based group, whose most recent effort, “Innocence & Instinct,” climbed its way to the Top 5 on iTunes Top Albums chart. Also joining the tour will be hard rock outfit, The Letter Black.

One of America’s hardest working live acts, Skillet – who spent the first part of 2010 touring alongside Atlantic labelmates Shinedown – will also be appearing at a number of upcoming summer rock festivals – full details will be announced shortly.

The “Awake & Alive Tour” celebrates the continuing success of Skillet’s acclaimed new album, “Awake,” which reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Store’s “Top Albums” chart within 24 hours of its release last summer. The album also made a blockbuster debut on the SoundScan/Billboard 200, entering the chart at #2. The album continues to reign as a favorite, ascending the upper half of the Billboard 200.

Produced by Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, Daughtry, Flyleaf), “Awake” is highlighted by the electrifying single, “Monster.” The track is currently a top 5 smash at Active Rock outlets nationwide, while also scoring top 20 airplay at Mainstream Rock.

What’s more, “Hero” – the second single from “Awake” – has been featured in an array of high-profile promotional campaigns, including WWE’s annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view and is set to arrive at Active Rock outlets this week.

In addition to cumulative album sales in excess of 1.6 million, Skillet has racked up a wide range of honors throughout their extraordinary career. Frontman John Cooper and producer Brian Howes recently collected two BMI Music Awards for “The Last Night” and “The Older I Get,” both featured on 2006’s Grammy Award-nominated “Comatose.” That album proved Skillet’s most popular work to date, achieving RIAA gold certification. “Comatose” followed the band’s 2003 label debut, “Collide,” which launched Skillet into the mainstream while also garnering their first Grammy Award nomination.

For up-to-the-minute news and information, visit www.skillet.com or www.myspace.com/skilletmusic.

4/15 – 5/21 AWAKE & ALIVE TOUR w/ RED and The Letter Black

APRIL
15 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center
18 Charlotte, NC Bojangles Coliseum
22 Raleigh, NC TBA
23 Savannah, GA TBA
24 Aiken, SC USC Aiken Convocation Center
25 Pensacola, FL Saenger Theater
29 Lafayette, LA Cajundome Convention Center

MAY
2 Jonesboro, AR ASU Convocation Center
4 Ft. Smith, AR Ft. Smith Convention Center
6 Park City, KS Hartman Arena
7 Dodge City, KS Dodge City Civic Center
9 Topeka, KS Kansas Expocentre
11 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center
13 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
15 Fargo, ND Urban Plains Center
20 Saginaw, MI Dow Event Center (Theater)
21 East Lansing, MI Michigan State Univ. Concert Auditorium

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

Joe Cardenas — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:31:21 +0000

Whenever a band attempts a return to their roots, it often ends in failure resulting in an album that is trying to be something it’s not. Rather than trying to emulate their earlier material Black Rebel Motorcycle Club integrated everything that made all their last albums so great and mixed it into a solid piece of art. This an album that is worth hearing and shows the innovation and creativity that is expected from the band.

The album kicks of the with the single “Beat The Devil.” The song has a catchy folk-blues riff and is quite upbeat for the apathetic mood set by the vocals. The vocals are dense with effects but create an interesting sound resembling a choir of chanting zombies. The song is catchy and is a good lead-in to the strongest track of the whole album: “Conscience Killer.” It resembles the upbeat pop sound from Baby 81, Specifically “Weapon of Choice,” and is just a song BRMC nails with utter skill. The drums are very powerful and the bass lines are so smooth. The guitar and vocals are nice and scratchy and just all comes together so well.

The tempo really starts to slow down and begins to transition into tracks that much resemble other previous albums (B.R.M.C., Take Them on You Own, and even Howl). If you’re a BRMC fan then you’re really going to enjoy everything about this album. The guitar and bass are always in sync with each other and the dark vocals of Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been always make things interesting.

This album really made me appreciate the versatility of the band and styles that are mixed in this album. Styles such as blues, folk, industrial rock, funk, and psychedelic rock keep their songs from getting dull. BRMC has always had a strong blues rock influence and “River Styx” proves it. I have never heard slide guitar sound so menacing like this, I really could listen to it all day.

The album stays strong and ends with a phenomenal track, “Half-State.” Over ten minutes long, it is filled with such passionate music and personal lyrics it ends before you even know it. After listening to it, you can see why BRMC is still around and appreciate what they do. It really could be the perfect ending for the band, a good note to end on but let’s hope that it isn’t!

Beat The Devi’s Tattoo really feels like it was created using the best material from previous albums and then some. This album really highlights how creative the band can be and shows that there is no wear in the band’s abilities to make good music. For BRMC fans, this a must. And for everyone else, you must hear it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Label: Vagrant/Abstract Dragon – Rating:

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Like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club? Check out: The Black Keys, The Dandy Warhols