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April 26, 2012

Good To Die Records Showcase: A Lecture in Rock and Roll

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[Scene opens in dimly lit lecture hall at a generic university in Anywhere, USA.  Students are already seated at their desks with their backs facing against invisible lens. Notebooks are placed in a subordinate position throughout the lecture hall. In some quarters the faint glow of personal computers and smart-phones shed light on youthful, impressionable faces while simultaneously casting shadows on the walls.]

[In walks a teacher bearing a striking resemblance to William Daniels ("Mr. Feeny" from Boy Meets World). He's carrying a briefcase and a cold cup of black  drip coffee. All business on a Thursday morning.]

Professor: Good morning students. As you know your homework on Tuesday was to research Good To Die Records so that you would have something to contribute to this afternoon’s discussion. As you know they have a showcase happening tonight at the Highline (It’s been moved from Barbosa). First and foremost, what can you tell me about the origins of the name “Good To Die”? What does that mean exactly?

[About four students raise their hands. The professor doesn't like to create suspense so he calls on someone immediately.]

Random student #1:  I believe the record label is named after a Red Fang song. Nik Christofferson made an adept choice in using this Portland band as inspiration for the moniker of his label.

Professor: That is indeed correct. It is also a significant indicator of what one should expect from the label. When you say the words “Good to Die,” you are uttering a three word manifesto that is not for the cardiac impaired. Look at the names of the bands that actively represent this label, Deadkill and Dog Shredder. Even the name Sandrider sounds a bit ominous and intimidating. What can you tell me about Sandrider’s self-titled album?

[I'm pretty sure you're aware of the student calling on teacher process by now....]

Random Student #2: I’m a bit of a sci-fi geek so I can tell you that there name is derived from Dune. Other than that, I can tell you that this band is often classified as “metal” or “stoner rock,” but I’m not sure what “stoner rock” means…

[The professor interrupts.]

Professor: Yes, I agree with you whole-heartedly. I don’t find Sandrider to be stereotypically “psychedelic” enough to be grouped into such a vague genre. Nobody is going to argue with you if you happen to suggest that the introductory bass line to “Paper” isn’t reminiscent of a Tad song. Does anyone in this room think Tad is psychedelic?

[Nobody raises their hand to propose otherwise.]

Professor: My point exactly. This is just straight up, quality rock and roll that reminds you of what the Pacific Northwest used to sound like during a time not too far removed from present day. If you listen to Sandrider’s self-titled release you will notice there are traditional “rock” guitar scales happening all over the album. When I say “guitar scale,” what is the first thing you think?

[Random student shouts out "Jimmy Page masturbation!" and the peanut gallery laughs.]

Professor: That’s pretty close. I’m going to assume you meant “the blues” by that unsatisfactory remark. Listen to the opening of minute or so of “The Judge” and the introductory hot guitar lick on “Children.” Both musical sequences are steeped in the great American tradition of the bluesman. You would be able to include the main riff to “Crysknife,” but the timing of and presentation of the guitar is way more Mudhoney than it is Black Sabbath.

[The professor pauses to take a sip of coffee and precedes to walk over to his white dry erase board. The professor writes the number "360" on the board.]

Professor: Does anyone know what that number means?

[The professor calls on a student.]

Random Student #3: Yes, that is a dunk in basketball or some sort of trick in a plethora of sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, etc.

Professor: You’re right but we’re talking about Sandrider and not Tony Hawk or NBA Jam. Generously speaking, “360″ represents the approximate number of seconds that exist in a Sandrider song. Seven tracks, almost 41 minutes worth of music. I think it’s important to highlight this fact because with the way Sandrider writes songs, they never seem as long as your Itunes counter would indicate. I think that showcases the strength of the band to keep the listener actively engaged without an extreme amount of tempo changes or movements within any given composition. Have any of you witnessed this three piece live?

Random Student #4: Yes, I saw them at Black Lodge a few months back and they were spectacular. Weisnewski, Damm and Roberts perform quite effortlessly. On this given night, when “Scatter” broke into the lyric “Poison apples in the promise land,” cheap champagne was sprayed everywhere by their contemporaries. It was very decadent in a “rock and roll takes over the corner store” kind of way. It’s a live moment permanently etched in my brain.

[The professor strokes his chin and nods his head in agreement.]

Professor: Fascinating. You don’t really see that kind of spontaneous, rowdy behavior at rock shows anymore these days. It saddens me greatly. I would urge the rest of you students to check Sandrider out live. No matter how much you like their self-titled release they are so much better live. That can basically be said for all the Good to Die bands I have personally witnessed. Would anyone care to share their thoughts on Brokaw?

[A few eager hands shoot up.]

Random Student #5: They remind me of a modern version of Killdozer with flashes of the Jesus Lizard thrown in for good measure. You can even throw a little Pave the Rocket in there, although Brokaw lives and dies with distorted stomp boxes.

Professor: Exactly. They are very “Chicago” in their approach. In fact their album Interiors was recorded in Chicago at Electric Audio by Greg Norman (Not to be confused with the golfer Greg Norman). Thick bass lines, frantic drums, noisy, angular guitar work, Brokaw sounds like a band that marauds rather than performs. Not only do they confront the listener with the abrasive sounds they churn out, Brokaw isn’t afraid to make outrageous claims while in the process. What if I told you that, “You Didn’t Invent Sex.” Would you agree or disagree, why?

Random Student #6: I would have to disagree strictly in philosophical terms. How can you tell me what I have not invented sexually, when we have never been together?

Professor: Are you propositioning me in a public, classroom setting?

Random Student #6: It’s possible.

[The professor strokes his chin and nods his head in agreement.]

Professor: Fascinating. What do you think the highlights of the album Interiors are? What are you favorite songs?

Random Student #6:  It’s a close call between “Berlin Heart” and “Politicians By The Pool.” I like the former because at first impression, the guitar is like an abrasive, abrupt, de-tuned take on Led Zep’s “Kashmir” (For the first two chords anyway) and then it becomes a David Yow inspired scream-fest after a brief bass interlude. Where blast beats might normally go, snare rolls appear instead. An unexpected, hair-raising bridge for sure. Not to be outdone by the former, “Politicians By The Pool” takes a threatening, walking bass line and just goes with it. Anyone remember that awful MXPX song “Chick Magnet”?

[No students say anything.]

Random Student #6: Damnit, you lucky motherfuckers. Well, imagine if that song was about school shootings instead of courting women. That’s what the walking bass line sounds like. The guitar lead during the chorus literally sounds like an affluent policy maker ordering a beverage while vacationing on taxpayer’s dime….

Professor: “Actors, buy your leaders.” Is this assertion material or strictly fictional?

[Teachers love to ask rhetorical questions. It only heightens their self-perceived genius.]

Professor: It’s both. When you think about it more, Hollywood isn’t the only entity to have an impact when it comes to fundraising and potentially whispering into the ears of powerful “Beltway Insiders.” If you’re to take the word “actor” in the literal sense, a lobbyist, head of a powerful union or a foreign leader are all “actors” who “buy” the influence of our political leaders. Very insightful lyrical content.

[A student quickly interrupts the professor before he can begin to wax poetic about his ability to understand literary devices.]

Random Student #7: What do you think of Monogamy Party? Their ability to cover Shellac’s “Prayer to God” in particular?

Professor: I think that’s an appropriate cover by this noisy trio. I would not be opposed if they decided to dabble in more Shellac cover songs. Who doesn’t want to hear Shellac? I secretly want them to cover Henry Rollins Band’s “Ghostrider,” because I want to see Kennedy Carda come dangerously close to having an embolism. He’s one of the best front-men in Seattle.

Random Student #7: If they don’t play “Hard Feelings” at the Good to Die Records showcase, I might start a riot.

Random Student #8: They have a couple songs not available on the Pus City EP that I want to hear. I might riot with you!

Professor: Whoa. It looks like we have a legitimate middle-class uprising on our hands. I’ll be sure to alert the correct authorities if need be.

[The professor stops addressing the students for a moment and walks over to his briefcase. He pulls out a copy Dog Shredder's latest release Brass Tactics.]

Professor: Students, class is going to end in a matter of seconds. I didn’t mention it in the opening but tonight is also the celebratory release show for this tremendous collection of three songs. If you weren’t present for last week’s lecture then I suggest you borrow the notes from one of your classmates.

[Time waits for no (wo)man and students begin to lousily file out. The professor begins shouting at the top of his lungs.]

Professor: DON’T FORGET DOORS OPEN AT THE HIGHLINE AT 8PM. THE SHOWCASE WILL START PROMPTLY AT 9PM. TICKETS ARE ONLY $8 IN ADVANCE AND YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!

[/scene]

April 17, 2012

Dog Shredder Brass Tactics

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In the words of hologram Tupac, “Picture me rolling.”

It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon in Seattle and I have no responsibilities  (All my plans have been cancelled. I guess people don’t like me).What’s a dude supposed to do? I plug my Iphone into my Macbook Pro, scan my Itunes for some “hip” songs to listen to as a cruise around in my affordable compact vehicle. What vicious whip am I pushing? An electric blue Saturn Ion with a plethora of key marks, a white streak on the side where I was hit by a woman driving while talking on her cellphone, one rear-view mirror (I backed into my own house while moving in a few years ago) battery acid stains in the backseat and a stereo that doesn’t work. Feeling good, feeling great. Feeling great, feeling good…how are you?

Anyway, before scanning over The Advantage, Asshole Parade, Baroness, Bear vs. Shark, Bucket Full of Teeth and the Dixie Chicks (Yeah, I’ve got some Dixie Chicks songs, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!?!), I finally decide on Dog Shredder’s new album Brass Tactics (Out now on Good to Die Records). I slide the three song release to the music section of my phone, disconnect the device from my computer and head out the door. Once I’m in my car and illegally listening to my Iphone turned Ipod while driving, I decide to unleash the following tweet (while driving, of course):

“Holy Christ. This Dog Shredder jam is so good I literally can’t stop laughing/smiling. ”

I must confess, it’s all true. I couldn’t hide nor contain my gushiness and excitement for this album. I was riding around for almost 15 minutes with the weirdest grin on my face. Bystanders were probably looking at me like, “I know it’s sunny but why is that guy smiling like that? Does he not know the condition of the car he is driving?” Unknown bystander that I just created for the sole purpose of this blog post, I know my car sucks. However, I also know that this album is that fucking good. Let the hyperbole begin.

The initial (and subsequent) descending main riff of “Battle Snake” reminds me of an old Seattle favorite of mine, Rad Touch. Of course Rad Touch wasn’t prone to throwing a few seconds of blistering guitar lead work after each bar. This is merely an indicator that the gates of hell are about to open and depending on your experience with the underworld, you might not be ready for what you find. Suddenly you are made victim to what sounds like is a legion of foot soldiers with the most ill intentions. Their weapon of choice has six strings and it fires hammer-ons at the rate a hummingbird flaps its wings.

Let it be known that this is only a supergroup (a band consisting of three people for all you rookies out there). How is that they create sounds as pulsating and slightly erratic as Mastodon when they were awesome, as hesitatingly thrashy as Converge (during their current post millennial incarnation) performed with the legerity of Capsule (when the Miami hardcore band isn’t in “molasses Melvins” mode)?

There’s an old riddle, perhaps you’ve heard of it before?

How many indie rock multi-instrumentalists does it take to play Noah Burns Dog Shredder drum parts?

The answer is, “at least four.” I did the math in my mind. Trust me on this one.

“Battle Snake” announces itself as the rapture and serpentines until you have nothing left to give. This all takes place within the quickest five and a half minutes you’ve ever had the pleasure of breathing in and out.

“Battle Toads” pays homage to a legendary Nintendo game (and perhaps the greatest Super Nintendo game of all -time “Battle Toads in Battlemaniacs”) and sounds like a rallying war cry for the first 90 seconds. However, once the listener gets to the minute and a half mark, it turns into a classic rock tune gone hyper-drive, complete with pitch-shifting sirens and a bass drum rhythm pattern that any fan of hardcore is familiar with. It continues in this fashion until guitarist Josh Holland decides its time for gleeful round of feedback, leaving bassist Jeff Johnson masterfully toned, predicating bass lines in the center of the stage.

You know something is coming, you’re just not sure what it is.

Suddenly a primal scream.

And then arguably, my favorite minute long sequence comes to fruition. A menacing all out rockfest. It’s consistency is deceiving but the excitement you feel as a listener is unmistakable. It’s as if you put your Black Elk LP on too many revolutions per minute and are just now thinking, “You know what? Maybe life is better this way.”   The joy you feel in your new found discovery is fleeting as what you thought you knew turns into a staccato breakdown that your brain can’t follow. The math is too great. The strings are bent and the guitar squeals. The low end snarls. The snare rings out so loudly you think each single stroke is actually a flam. You keep on thinking it’s over until it actually is. You thank the heavens because you’re not sure you can handle this type of intensity over a prolonged period of time.

“Battle 07″ is a funeral march centered around an organ and blared across the vast space of an empty prison yard using a tinny public announcement system. Indistinguishable words held by the wind and thrust into concrete walls that were built for the purpose of imprisonment. The bell of the ride cymbal and the cleansing wash of the keys tell the soul all they need to know. It’s only fitting that a sullen composition draw the curtains on such a fierce contest.

April 5, 2012

And the Best Local Album Art of the Year (So Far) Goes to … Dog Shredder

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Part Chick Corea album ape, part Mucha and all metal, the cover of Dog Shredder’s Brass Tactics (out April 17th on Good to Die Records) is my favorite album art of 2012 so far, by far.

You can see Dog Shredder along with fellow Good to Die label-mates April 26th at Barboza for a label showcase.

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Mail Bag

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Love makes us do crazy things

It’s the most wonderful marketable consumer-friendly romantic ”holiday” of the year. Happy Valentine’s Day! For those who didn’t want to hear that from me, I’m so sorry. Can I get you a moist toilette to sop up the salty streaks that are cascading down your face? Don’t you hate when your tear ducts don’t know how to behave? Stop being such a sad, bitter troll. Go to Hot Topic and buy yourself some novelty wristbands. I have been informed accessorizing heals all wounds.

Before I get to all my fake totally non-fiction, 100% legit, you-wrote-them-not-me mailbag, I need to ask the following questions. Gentle readers, how does your love life look? If it were one of the following celebrity choices, which one would you choose?

A) Are you Joe Perry during his days as a solo artist? (Hey man, The Joe Perry Project ruled. Don’t ask me to look you in the eyes and say that.) Tired of sharing the limelight with your formerly “awesome” spouse (who may or may not have had serious drug problems), you have decided to head down life’s highway without someone who’s instantly recognizable riding shotgun. Suddenly even your closest friends pretend not to know who you are. You might want to get Linda Perry (unrelated) to pen a song for you in order that your matters of the heart are quickly reconciled (Read – #1 Billboard hit single or a hot date on the town. Whatever works, baby).

B) Are you Al Davis (god rest his soul) the night before the 2007 NFL Draft? Pundits are telling you not to draft JaMarcus Russell just because he can throw a football 60+ yards while sitting down on a grassy field. You tell those talking heads to, “Go fly a fucking kite!” (You’re Al Davis, kite-flying was a joy when you were a small child circa 1821) That’s precisely why you’re investing an ungodly amount of money and your future on his professionalism… because of what Mr. Russell can do while sitting down. You’ve had success in the past (John Madden doesn’t have video games named after him if it weren’t for you), nobody that isn’t committed to excellence should tell you how to live your (love) life. You’re not “delusional” because you don’t remember archiving that word when you wrote the beginnings of the Oxford Dictionary in June of 1857.

C) You are Adele at the Grammys in 2012 and you are killing everything. You decided to take everyone else’s Grammy because you’re Adele and that’s what you do. By music industry standards you are Godzilla and everyone else is Godzuki (meaning their existence is limited to a Hanna-Barbara animated series that took place between 1978-1981). This year, not only are you a six-time Grammy award winner with nuclear breath an astonishing voice, but it has been scientifically confirmed that all women under the age of 30 love you.

D) You are Andy Dick. Nobody really remembers you besides that funny role you had on Just Shoot Me! Oh wait, that was David Spade. You are Andy Dick…and ehh….all you do is get arrested now…?

E) You are Kristen Bell and on the verge of becoming America’s Sweetheart my latest celebrity crush. I don’t even know who you are or what you do. Some might argue you’re an actress but I think you might be the inspiration behind the song “This Little Light of Mine.” One thing is for certain, you like sloths and that’s very ok with me.

To the mailbag!

Dear Phil,

I’m new to the city and I have nothing to do on Valentine’s evening? What should I do besides binge on romantic comedies and an entire season of Swamp People?

- I Love Swamp People

Dear Swamp People,

Normally I would just tell you to go to Earl’s and troll the hell out of unsuspecting undergraduates based on their ability to make questionable decisions. However, you are new to this part of the world. A sterling reputation isn’t something you can regain easily in this small town. Here are four legitimate options for your Valentine’s Day evening. May the trouble you get into never leave the confines of a bedroom or a jail cell.

A Black Lodge Prom – This isn’t a corsage! It’s an anarchistic floral arrangement under the guise of social customs impressed upon me by the powers that be! Duh. Ladies, I expect you to look marvelous as always. Gents, I want you to try and look nicer than the ladies! (As we should because we are less attractive and therefore have to work harder) Let us not forget that there are bands that will create the ambiance to your spiked-punch slow dance. Country Lips and Party Tribe Trolls are among the merrymakers. Your last chance for romance starts at 8:30pm.

Love Songs – This delightful soiree will take place at the Columbia City Theater. What’s going to be happen? Love Songs being performed by Kaylee Cole, Matt Bishop of Hey Marseilles and Tim Wilson of Ivan and Alyosha. What do you think the odds are of all these performers gathering together to close out the evening with Converge’s “The Saddest Day”? I heard the list of tunes is quite eclectic mind-melting. Love is a battlefield. Anything can happen. The potential for crying alone begins again at 7:30pm.

Valentine’s Against Violence – Spread adulation to those who need it most. I promise someone there will be someone impressed with the growth of your grinch heart. Side Saddle and others will be performing at The Sunset in Ballard. All the band’s proceeds will be donated to New Beginnings, a local shelter that provides service to battered women and their children. There will also be a raffle (who doesn’t love a good raffle?) of items from local Ballard shops and stores. Entry is $8. However, if bring one of the items on the New Beginnings wish list (check that out by clicking on the event name), it’s only $5. Are you ready to be altruistic and selfish all at the same time? The show starts at 9pm. 

Valentine’s Day Benefit – The Comet Tavern is hosting this benefit for the Jubilee Women’s Center on Capital Hill. Vox Mod, Lisa Dank , and Zephyrs. Grab a beer. Learn how your admission fee is positively impacting someone else’s life. Get your freak on to the funky tunes. Go home with a smile on your face. The process is set to begin at 9pm.

Read the rest of our love-filled Valentine’s Day Mail Bag (more…)

January 16, 2012

Phil’s 2011 Live Music Awards

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The stuff that dreams are made of…

C’mon, you didn’t actually think I’d publish my 2011 lists during the actual year of 2011…did you? Now that I have the undivided attention of eight people:

Best Show(s) That I Never Saw

Lightning Bolt at Healthy Times Fun Club (RIP) Soundgarden/Queens of the Stone Age/Mastodon etc. at the Gorge Pig Destroyer at El Corazon Musicfest Northwest Reverbfest Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings with Fly Moon Royalty at the Showbox Market Jon Spencer Blues Explosion at Neumos Matsuri at the Black Lodge Portishead at WaMu Scratch Acid at Neumos

The Lightning Bolt, Portishead, Pig Destroyer and Scratch Acid shows are the ones I’m most upset about. Who knows if I’ll ever have a chance to see those bands in the city of Seattle again (and in some instances, anywhere else). I suppose I could hop on a plane for the sake of noise and nostalgia. Who am I kidding? I’m too poor to do that. Being broke is the reason why I missed that Portishead show at WaMu. I made the conscientious decision to avoid the “Dinosaurs of Rock” show at Gorge. I’m not too ashamed (“shame” is a word I am unfamiliar with) to admit that I still listen to Soundgarden and enjoy their music. This is the exact reason why I did not want to see them play the Gorge. I’m one of those people that likes to leave the past in the past. Which is why you’re not going to see me embracing the reunions of At The Drive In or Refused as much as my inner high school spirit would like to. Mastodon has been dead to me for a couple of albums now. When I heard they were coming to SoDo, I immediately assaulted the first human being I saw (some elderly woman with no legs) and yelled, “This is what happens when good bands put out terrible albums!”

Her hearing aid fell out during the attack. I don’t think she heard me.

I was actually at the Matsuri show when they played the Black Lodge. I went to my car for a second and by the time I got back they were done. I picked up their record “Endship.” It’s pretty great.

The Kool Keith “We Do This All The Time” Live Music Award(s) For Excellence.

There are few winners for the most recognizable award in the music community the award that is inspired by Black Elvis himself. First and foremost, I have to give it up to Spurm. They were the best act I saw at Capitol Hill Block Party, but I never published my post out of crippling writer’s block, oh-my-lanta sheer laziness. Here’s what I wrote (consider the “theme” of those write-ups):

“Of course you’re back in the bowels of Bimbo’s Cantina, the shadowy underworld that is known as Cha Cha. Today, there is hope because it is Sunday. For some reason the only time good things happen at Cha Cha is when the calendar day is Sunday or Monday. What brings you to the Cha Cha? One word: Spurm.

You’ve never been a pervert (unless the lights are off, meow) but Spurm feels so good. They are like a demented version of the B-52′s. You realize that you must rephrase your assessment of Spurm. Whoever is reading your thoughts is already aware of the “bananas” behavior of the aforementioned legendary Athens, Ga. based “New Wave” band. Whereas the B-52′s might tuck their kids in with stuffed animals that resemble Brer Rabbit, Spurm play the part of Anansi and spin webs to ensnare those same children and their pathetic limitless dreams.

Don’t get me wrong, Spurm know how to have fun. But there is a darkness in the presentation my friends.

Weird quirky keyboard that is sometimes defiantly noisy. Punk rhythms. Where did that fucking saxophone come from? That guitarist plays like he used to be in The Pretenders but his personality was licks were too vicious so they kicked him out. A charismatic, matter-of-fact lead singer, who dons a white ship captain’s hat and makes gestures to the crowd that are both exciting and flamboyantly menacing. At one point in-between songs Jordan Adams says something to the crowd but you can’t remember his exact words. You just know that he said something about this particular song being his favorite Spurm song. When the lead singer of a band says that before his/her band plays a song, your expectations tend to grow by the second. To no surprise the song exceeds whatever conjecture you have tied around its neck. At one point Mr. Adams enters the heart of the Cha Cha audience and is swallowed be the most eager jazz hands that the world has ever seen. It were as if ten thousand Richard Simmons just finished an exercise routine and had given the lead singer of Spurm a metacarpus cocoon.”

Man, they were so good. Simply outstanding.

Strong Killings at their Record Release Party at the Rendezvous.

If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. If you weren’t, you missed one of the most magical moments in music history. I’m not kidding. People in Seattle think they can get away with murder every once in a while act proactively dickish and think it’s OK.

“What the fuck are you doing to do about it? Passive aggressive, coffee-drinking, Subaru outback driving, yoga-mat carrying, vibram five-finger rocking, mostly neutral color wearing…”

I don’t remember the exact details of the exchange between the heckler and Nathan (the lead singer of Strong Killings) because too many grains of sand have sunk to the bottom of the hourglass. Did Nathan respond to the drunken heckling with a karate chop? Did the heckler leave the venue after he got the volume turned up on his antics? Gentle readers, just remember one thing the next time you go to a Strong Killings concert….

TALK SHIT. GET HIT.

(Cue “Too Cool.”)

To read the rest of Phil’s live music stand-outs and disappointments from 2011 (more…)

May 4, 2011

A Conversation with Carly Henry of Starbird Booking

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In my romanticized view of how bands booked shows before starting Sound on the Sound, bands arrived at venues based on merit and magic, plugged in, rocked out, unplugged, were paid fairly by a kind, considerate venue employee, greeted off-stage by appreciative fans and road off in their pristine vans without having to break a sweat loading gear. That is to say, I had absolutely no fucking clue that countless people and tireless hours go into booking good shows and supporting bands.

People like Carly Henry, head of Starbird Booking, for who the means and ends of working for musicians is largely love. Starbird Booking began six years ago with the persistent begging of members of Black Eyes & Neckties to help book a West Coast Tour. What began with that West Coast Tour in Bellingham has evolved into a passionately run booking agency based out of Portland with a roster full of some of the heaviest names on the West Coast: Lesbian, Dog Shredder, Grayceon (from SF), Black Math Horseman (from LA), Giant Squid, Via Vengance and Jersey’s Fight Amp.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Carly over the years and while her roster is not to my usual listening, she has never once led me astray. I may not love metal, but when Carly sends a band my way, I am always eager to listen and more often than not she gets a reply email saying “Holy Hell Carly! (Insert whatever band name she just sent) is great.” Despite a general focus on heavier and metal bands, there’s a little something different and special about each band Carly chooses to work with whether it’s the theatric ghost-stories of Black Eyes & Neckties, the female fronted and cello shredding of Grayceon, or the break-neck guitar Olympics on display with Dog Shredder’s brutal progressive opuses. The one thing they all have in common is slaying live and Carly has turned me from skeptical listener with delicate ears to full on front-row fan on more than one occasion.

This week, Carly is celebrating six years of booking with showcases of her artists in Portland, Bellingham and this Friday at Chop Suey with Lesbian, Grayceon, Fight Amp and Dog Shredder. Carly was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy booking schedule to answer some questions about Starbird’s history, her philosophy on booking and advice for bands looking for bookers/tours/etc.

What’s your business and booking philosophy?

“What I think sets me apart from many booking agents – or people’s idea of a booking agent – is that I pride myself on being a very honest person. Meaning, I’m honest in my love for my bands, I’m honest in my business dealings and I can get stuff done without being an “asshole”. We agents have a rep of being sleazy and asshole-ish.

The bands on my roster are like my family. I spend alot of time genuinely cultivating interest in my bands and I think it’s evident that I love and respect them all as bands and as people. I don’t work with bands just to make a quick buck. All of the bands I work with, I was a fan first.”

For the rest of my interview with Carly (more…)

April 20, 2011

I Like You OK: Dog Shredder

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Dog Shredder, Tamers of the Cerberus.

[writer's hack's note: Dog Shredder is too special of a band to simply go "Yeah, these dudes rock my socks." They cover Yes. They don't write songs, they write voyages. This is part one of a two part series. Let's get weird.]

[Sometime during Snowmaggedon/Snowpocalypse 2010]

I found myself alone and awake while the sun was still asleep. Through my bedroom window I could see that over the course of night, snow had covered traces of my former self. Frozen in my own house, I struggled to find the right pair of clothes that would pretend to keep me warm. Bitter and gritting my teeth, I stepped out into the empty world outside. It was as if all mankind was huddled by a collective fire somewhere and I was not invited. I saw hints of no one. No cars. No people. Just houses that seemed empty. I look up at the sky, expecting to see alien spaceships ready to abduct me. Instead I see that the sky looks like an Ed Hardy T-shirt. It is purple with streaks of lightning pulsating like veins. I took a second to rub the insanity sleep from my eyes. As I peered back up above, all I could see were a pair of giant talons quickly closing in. “This giant crow thing has gotten out of control,” I thought to myself. Little did I know that what I thought was a crow was actually a Griffin. Yes, that kind of griffin, the kind that terrorized unsuspecting souls in Greek mythology. As I dropped to my knees and shielded my head from a presumptive attack, the griffin touched down upon the ground and spoke.

“I have come to send you on a quest,” he said

“What’s up with the sky?” I replied in a matter of fact tone.

“Ed Hardy is the designer of dreams. I need you to deliver me to Josh Holland, the guitarist/singer of Dog Shredder. He’s currently located at an undisclosed location in Bellingham. You need to get me there before the holiday of immature potheads. Dog Shredder has a show at the Sunset that evening with White Orange and Empty Space Orchestra. The show starts at 9pm. Tickets are $7…”

“What? Joey Lawrence’s birthday isn’t happening for months. You could literally crawl up I-5 and make it there in time. Wouldn’t it make more sense for Jeff, Noah and Josh to pick you up on the way to the Sunset? I don’t live far from Ballard.”

The mythological creature that was suddenly real gave me the most human-like eye roll possible and then spoke.

“Smarmy streetwalker, who are you to tell me how to travel? You’re a hack. What do you know about creating a plotline? Besides, this is an inane blog post that is attempting to be entertaining in an unconventional manner. You will deliver me to Mr. Holland right now. You will ride the Cerberus when it arrives in approximately five minutes…”

Suddenly the griffin turned into a Gibson Flying V Randy Rhodes signature guitar and fell to the ground. Don’t worry, none of the machine-heads on the guitar were damaged. Somehow this transformation and nosedive did not stop “it” from continuing to talk. Now he actually sounded like Randy Rhodes, the guitarist not the guitar, although that would have been pretty weird too.

“The world must know of Dog Shredder and their mind-bending time signatures. Follow the righteous riffage to the center of the earth and live to tell about it. In my day, nobody dared to shred like this. If they did, they somehow died before their time.”

“The ferocity of punk applied with the precision of progressive rock,” I said.

“You don’t have to be a jerk and quote their press release,” the guitar shot back.

“Quoting their press release is the best most people can do when describing the sound of Dog Shredder. Have you ever attempted to design the schematics for building a jet engine that would safely travel through a black hole? Did you witness American Folklore icon John Henry defeat the steam engine? It’s almost an experiment in redefining music. Dog Shredder does things that shouldn’t be allowed. At the very least they make music that you didn’t think was possible…”

I stopped in mid-sentence because I could feel the hot breath of the three-headed Cerberus on the back of my neck. My entire vertebrae turned into a fragile, uncertain structure. If the cold air didn’t cause my sudden collapse the saliva from the beast would have been more than enough. Sensing my panic, the six stringed inanimate object that embodied the spirit of Randy Rhodes spoke once again.

“Don’t you realize that if the mutt ate you our story would end? We’re fucked if the protagonist doesn’t know how this works. Have you heard the new 12” Boss Rhino EP?”

“No, I have not. The needle on my record player is broken.” I said, quaking with fear.

“Stop being so sensitive, you have a computer. Check out Dog Shredder’s band camp page. When I listen to the title track, “Boss Rhino” it reminds of the Hot Cross track “Born on the Cusp,” but if you got the dudes from Mastodon playing it while a small village was crushed by molting lava in the background. I’m talking progressions not structure or sounds, certainly not brevity. There’s an eight-minute difference between the two tracks, mostly a dreamscape of sonic chaos.”

The Cerberus released a delighted howl from its left head, the guitar known as Randy Rhodes continued to speak.

“The mutt really likes that “Boss Rhino.” He feasts on the lost souls of the departed while it blares in the background. The underworld has a sound-system like you wouldn’t believe. Let’s embark…”

The Cerberus, the guitar form of Randy Rhodes and I began to make the 90-mile trek from Seattle to Bellingham. It took longer than you would imagine. You know how curious a dog can be if its left in lying listless in its kennel all day? Now imagine what a three-headed dog that weighs a couple of tons and hasn’t been allowed to leave the underworld for all of eternity must feel like. At one point we were stopping every couple of feet because of one of three heads was picking up a scent. Unbelievable. Did I forget to mention Cerberus breathes fire whenever it is excited or curious? What do you when scorching the earth is synonymous with the act of marking one’s territory? If that was not enough, Mr. Rhodes would not stop telling stories from his glory days. It was cool until we got to Mt. Vernon, but after that I had to turn his volume knobs all the way down.

Eventually we arrived at Exit 253 off I-5. This is when things got really weird…

Dog Shredder plays The Sunset tonight (4/20) and Chop Suey May 6th.

October 6, 2010

Reverb Fest: 2-Bit Saloon Stage Preview

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Hobosexual ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

“Wouldn’t you believe it, it’s just my luck…”

No, I’m not talking about Nirvana’s reference to the Seattle music scene circa 1987. I’m letting you know how unhappy I am that I am going to miss the best music festival that Seattle has to offer this year. Capital Hill Block Party is good place to see all your social network acquaintances running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Bumbershoot is a place where bands go to die. Rumor has it they were going to change the Main Stage name to “The Elephant Graveyard Stage,” but Disney was getting ready to dispatch their legal team. Reverb Fest has got a plethora of good, diverse local acts that you should check out this Saturday in Ballard. If a music festival happens when your 2,300 miles away, do you hear it? For me, the answer to that question is no. However, I’m counting on you to play the role of hedonist on my behalf.  I tend to get carried away so I expect nothing less than absolute shenanigans from you. Party monsters like me would hang out at the 2-Bit Saloon and enjoy the following:

Hobosexual – When I first got the Hobosexual album I was scared to listen to it. The packaging is like a bad acid trip and there’s two grizzly looking dudes on the inside cover that looked like they’d abduct my children if I had any. I closed my eyes and popped it into my car stereo. “This is pretty rocking stuff,” I thought to myself as I drove around Seattle running errands out of boredom. I didn’t understand how good of a band Hobosexual was until I saw them at Columbia City Theater a month ago. Ben Harwood is a guitarist with very few peers in this town. He churns out riffs a young, loin cloth wearing Ted Nugent would be envious of. Though Hobosexual will not be accompanied by Night Train for Reverb Fest, this is a good high energy way to start your evening. (6pm) Throne of Bone - I have only seen Throne of Bone at this year’s Your Village Sucks Fest and they were great. I’m going to give you the link to their myspace page so you can go listen to their music. Don’t be fooled. The quality of the tracks is worse than piss poor. In fact, Throne of Bone if you are reading this, take down those tracks. You are a decent rock and roll act. You’re doing yourself no favors by keeping those tunes up. (7pm)

Vultures 2012 – This is another band I was first exposed to at Your Village Sucks Fest. They sound good and play with a decent amount of energy, I just have one small gripe. What this band does, other bands do it better. If I wanted a solid thrash punk/metal hybrid, I can just go down the street and talk to Black Breath. Every band I use to play shows with growing up sounds like this band. I want to see these guys get more adventurous with their sound and separate themselves from the rest of their peers. We’ll see if that actually happens. (9pm)

Dog Shredder - One of the best kept secrets in Seattle. This is somewhat of a bummer to me. This band is so good, they shouldn’t be much of a secret. I want all of Seattle to be fans of this band. I know most of the city isn’t into metal epics that last longer than seven or eight minutes, but I wholeheartedly think these guys can change your narrow way of thinking. In my opinion, Dog Shredder is one of the top five bands performing during all of Reverb Fest. Chew on that Seattle. (10pm)

October 4, 2010

Reverb Fest: Recommendations

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End your Reverb with Wild Orchid Children ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Just when you though festival season was over … it’s time to gear up for the fall festival season! The newly extended festival season kick’s off with this weekend’s Reverb Fest hosted by the Seattle Weekly. Always one of our favorite days of the year, Reverb Fest celebrates local music by taking over Ballard Avenue (and beyond) and throwing one hell of a party. For just $10 you get access to 60+ local bands, an unbeatable price among local festivals. Plus, we happen to think this is Reverb’s strongest line-up to date. By focusing on up and coming talent, ignoring the mainstage mentality, Reverb has crafted a local line-up which I find more exciting than those of Bumbershoot and Capitol Hill Block Party.

While you’ll probably see something solid whatever you choose, we wanted to share our recommendations and schedule for the Fest. For most times we’ve given you two or three options that you can’t go wrong with.

3:00 – Arrive in Ballard, buy your wristband and plan the easiest shortcuts between venues. Trust us, when you’re darting across Leary Way to get to the Two Bit (which you should be doing multiple times if you love the rock), you’ll appreciate knowing the safest crossing points.

4:00 – Thee Sgt. Major III (Conor Byrne) or Ivan & Alyosha (The Tractor Tavern)

4:30 – Kinski (The Sunset)

5:00 – Kimo Muraki (The Tractor Tavern)

6:00 – Hobosexual (The 2 Bit Saloon)

6:30 – The Absolute Monarchs (The Sunset) or M. Bison (Salmon Bay Eagles 21+)

7:00 – Yuni in Taxco (The Tractor Tavern)

7:30 – My Goodness (The 2 Bit Saloon) or Watch it Sparkle (Salmon Bay Eagles 21+)

8:00 – What What Now (Salmon Bay Eagles) or Massy Ferguson (The Tractor Tavern)

9:00 – Vultures 2012 (The 2 Bit Saloon)

10:00 – Dog Shredder (The 2 Bit Saloon) or The Young Evils (The Tractor Tavern) or Shelby Earl (Hattie’s Hat)

10:30 – Whalebones (The Sunset)

11:00 – Ravenna Woods (The Tractor Tavern) or Kristen Ward (Conor Byrne)

12:00 – Wild Orchid Children (The Tractor Tavern)

You can take a peek at the full schedule for yourself. And you can buy your wristbands HERE.

See you in Ballard!

August 20, 2010

Reverb Fest Announces Initial Line-Up

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The Lonely H at Reverb Fest 2009 ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

October seems light-years away even in the waning Seattle “summer” of 2010, but it really is just right around the corner. Ushering in October will be Seattle Weekly’s always excellent Reverb Fest held October 9th all over Ballard. Yet again, Reverb has brought together one of the most solid and diverse local line-ups of any festival. Name your genre and there’s something at Reverb for you, especially if you like up-and-coming local rock. Reverb reads like a who’s-who of some of our favorite new heavy bands of 2010: Hobosexual, Dog Shredder, My Goodness, The Absolute Monarchs, Wild Orchid Children, Vultures 2012 and What What Now, to name a few. For that, I’m sure we can thank Rocket Queen, Hannah Levin. Even if you don’t like your tunes turned up all the way to 11, Reverb Fest is a celebration of all that is local that you don’t want to miss.

The full line-up as it stands today is below, we’ve bolded the bands we’ll make sure we don’t miss.

Nettle Honey / Thee Sgt. Major III / Imperial Legions Of Rome / Combo Craig / M Bison / The Moonspinners / Massey Ferguson / DJ Dev From Above / Idle Times / Watch It Sparkle / The Chevy Chasers / Dawn Clement / Wild Orchid Children / Gregory Paul / Virgin / Lindsay Fuller & The Cheap Dates / Bernie Jacobs Quartet / Throne Of Bone / Roy Kay Combo / The Drunken Masters / Whalebones / Carrie Clark & The Lonesome Lovers / Kinski / Caspar Babypants / Yuni In Taxco / Post Harbor / Ivan & Alyosha / Vultures 2012 / Feral Children / Eighty 4 Fly / Helladope / Hi-Life Sound System / The Not-Its / Lincoln Barr / Ravenna Woods / Shelby Earl / Lisa Dank / Sol / The Absolute Monarchs / Kristen Ward / Goat / Amateur Radio Operator / My Goodness / Low Land High / Thousands / Sparrow-Bot / What What Now / The Young Evils / He Whose Ox Is Gored / The Fucking Eagles / Kimo Muraki / The Jason Parker Quartet / Erin Jorgensen / Low Hums / Smooth Sailing / Hobosexual / Dog Shredder / Victor Shade / Cady Wire / JFK aka Ninjaface / The Sea Navy / EXOHXO