Flogging Molly Swaggers Through Sacramento
Photo: Kevin Graft
What do you get when you take a punk rock band and add an accordion, a banjo, a mandolin, a fiddle, and a tin whistle? What do you get when you take a traditional Irish folk band and add loud guitars and pounding bass and drums? The answer to both questions is Flogging Molly, and Sacramento was very lucky to be one of the few stops on the band’s current mini-tour.
Flogging Molly is probably one of the busiest working bands in the country, usually spending about 75 percent of each year on tour. In fact, they were just here during the summer, traveling with the Vans Warped Tour. Somehow, in the midst of their busy lives, they managed to sneak off to Ireland to record a brand new CD, due to hit your favorite local music shop on March 4, 2008.
Bob Schmidt, Flogging Molly’s mandolin/banjo player, was gracious enough to spend some time with Fringe before the big show at Sacramento’s Empire nightclub. I asked him about the new CD.
“The new CD is called Float,” Bob explained. “It’s pretty much in line with what we’ve always done.”
And what they’ve always done is purely magical and full of passion. Dave King writes his lyrics straight from the heart, and the music speaks to just about everybody. Bridget Regan plays the fiddle and tin-whistle with fingers like lightning. Dennis Casey plays the guitar, Matt Hensley rocks the accordion, George Schwindt pounds the drums, and Nathen Maxwell jams the bass (and slams the Guinness faster than anybody I’ve ever seen!) That’s seven band members sharing the stage, pouring 100 percent of their hearts into every single performance.
Photo: Kevin Graft
One quick glance at the huge crowd will show just how widespread their fan base is. There were punks, rockers, parents, children, folks wearing kilts. This band has an enchanting way of bringing everyone together for a night of pure merriment. Flogging Molly is one of the few bands that can capture that special vibe and put that energy onto tape. Bob, however, disagreed.
“The live show is a total multi-sensing experience, whereas on the disc it’s not. The passion and energy is definitely there though.”
The CD has 11 new songs, which is not as many as their last offering. “We’re kind of a sock-em and leave-em band,” Bob smiled, “we always want to leave them wanting more.”
The disc was recorded in Ireland this time. Was that a different kind of experience?
“Oh, yeah. We wrote it all in Ireland. Dave (King) lives there now. This was special because it was first time he’s been back in 14 years. The new songs give more insight into his life and his experiences.”
Flogging Molly always plays to huge crowds. I wondered if there was ever a period in this band’s history in which they had to struggle.
“We started out as just a bar band, playing Molly Malone’s. We were really lucky in the fact that our first major tour was a Warped tour. We played to thousands of people every day, and our audience stuck with us and it grew from there. However, we did play a show somewhere in Italy once, in front of maybe eight to eleven people.”
Photo: Kevin Graft
How big does Flogging Molly want to get?
“There is a lot of room for us to grow,” Bob said. “We want it to be as big as we can possibly make it, but always give the same experience as a Molly Malone’s gig. We want to continue to touch people’s lives.”
Knowing that the members of the band don’t particular care for American football, I jokingly asked if they would ever consider playing the Super Bowl Half-Time Special.
“I don’t know if we would ever do that,” he laughed.
“There are some limits, after all.”
And just for fun, I asked Bob to humor me and play along to a stupid game in which I spout out a word or phrase (something involving overall Irishness), and he gives me his first thought. Ready? Go!
1. Lucky Charms – (laughs) “Ummm, leprechauns? I don’t know, I don’t eat them. I can’t pound the sugar the way I used to.”
2. Irish Spring – “I just see a bar of soap. And that man cutting into it with a pocket knife.”
3. Soccer – “Manchester United.”
4. Corned beef and cabbage – “Dinner!”
Flogging Molly took the stage in front of a packed house and stormed through a lengthy collection of fan favorites, and included a few new tracks from the upcoming disc as well. For 90 minutes, we danced, we sang, and we cheered. For 90 minutes we were lost in the music, and nothing else mattered. After the band left the stage and the crowd started singing the “Oley Oley” song to bring them back, Dave King returned to the spotlight and gave the crowd a very captivating solo performance of Black Friday Rule. When the band returned to the stage mid-song to join him, three of his mates were wearing giant fairy wings. Dave obviously had no idea this was going to happen, as the look of shock on his face was priceless. Ah, good times, indeed.
As Bob promised earlier, they left us wanting more. Lots more!
What’s Up?!?! In Our Scene: January 2008
This new feature to Fringe is just a little spot to read up on some local scene news. This being our second installment, we’re slowly getting submissions from our readers and local bands. So pull up your sleeves and prepare to get elbow deep in some happenings all around you. If you have some news e-mail it to charlie@fringemag.com
Venue News
• If you didn’t already know R5 Records (formerly Tower) on Broadway in Sacto is letting locals have a voice with in store shows and parties!
• The Kennel Club is having a Battle of the Bands “Dog Fight” Battle Of the Bands starts February 15th. Be Top Dog and win $2,000.00. Entry forms are available at the Kennel club 5821 Auburn Blvd. Sacramento. 1st battle begins February 15th. In & Out of the studio.
• Local Sacramento act Panik is currently in the studio recording a new full-length CD.
• Vacaville artist Marte has released a new album entitled “You And You Alone” available now.
• David Ellefson, former bassist of Megadeth, has a new project based out of Scottsdale, AZ entitled F5. They entered the studio in October and will be releasing their new album soon.
• Bay Area metal veterans Death Angel will release their new album, “Killing Season”, on February 26 in the U.S. and February 29 throughout the rest of the world.
• The Dreaming, the California-based band featuring former Stabbing Westward frontman Christopher Hall, will release its long-awaited debut album, “Etched in Blood”, on January 31, 2008.
• Sacramento band Blame Betty, known for their “riot grrrl” covers of L7, Lunachicks, The Distillers, and other female-fronted rock is busy writing original music! The band is starting to play the new tunes at shows, and is happy to find the crowd liking them. They hope to have a CD out this Spring. The band says they’ll continue to play some covers at shows because their Northern California fans love these songs and they continue to get requests for them.
• Sacramento hardcore band Carry The Torch released their debut album “Dead Weather” on January 4th and will be following with a US tour. Line-Up Changes and Calling It Quits!
• Sacramento Alternative metal band Oculus is currently looking for a bassist.
• Sacramento Alternative band SaveAndContinue is also currently looking for a bassist.
A Single Second
Heavy, Poppy Goodness
By Konrad Kruszewski
I pull around back. Make a quick phone call, and wait at the door. A looming, tree-trunk of a man opens the door and greets me with an unexpected smile. Mogley is the new bassist for Sacramento’s Rock n’ Roll band: A Single Second. I follow him through the maze of corridors leading to his group’s practice room. Through the not-so-sound-proof walls, I drop eaves on the muffled cacophony of Sacramento’s local talent. Disjointed bass lines, guitar riffs, and drum beats echo about in an almost tribal dissonance. We approach room 157. I half expect walls lined with torches and a cauldron of blood and bone at the center of a barbaric alter. But what I find instead are walls lined with posters to the tune of The Beatles, Foo Fighers, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Influences that can be heard on stage by those who’ve never set foot in the practice room. Off to the left, where the cauldron would go, sits guitarist Aaron Holt and vocalist/multi instrumentalist Sean Peter of A Single Second. Though a young band by the trade’s standards, the members of A Single Second are no strangers to the Sacramento music scene. Their resume lists acts such as The Lonely Kings, Bipolar, Logicseed, and even Uncle Harlen’s Amazing Jug Band as past and present projects. Sean has been leading the group and its various line up changes for the last five years. A Single Second originally came through the doors under the name “None of Us Are Real,” with Sean manning rhythm guitar and backing vocals. After recording a two song ep, they played their first show in December of 2002 in the now fabled Espresso Metro on Sacramento’s ailing K street. That following July, A Single Second became what it is today with the addition of drummer Clay Wolery, who, after five years as the only other core member of the group, will depart to pursue other projects. Yes, they are still looking for a drummer. The painful question of describing their sound is answered with a coy, “hard rock, with some metal touches… but not… death metal,” according to Aaron. “We’ve always been kind of heavy pop,” adds Sean, “and with Aaron being in the band, we definitely picked up a metal edge or a more hard rock edge. But definitely very melodic. With a lot more harmonies. You can hear our influences in our music, but we don’t sound like our influences, if you know what I mean. We’ve definitely kind of niched our own sound in the last couple of years. And we’re trying to push that.” And that they do, as one of the many hard working bands from Sacramento. They’ve hit the road up and down the California coast, playing either self -booked shows, or tagging onto the bills of fellow touring bands. “We try to get out as much as possible,” says Sean. “Stretch the circle. Go out with another band, drive together, share equipment. And we can split the shows 50/50 with the other band.” Although driven to work as hard as necessary, these guys aren’t in it for the dollar signs. “You don’t make money when you go on the road,” admits Sean. “We make enough money to pay for gas. Usually we break even. Just selling CD’s and getting your name out there is what it’s about. It’s nothing glamorous. Its four stinky guys in a beat up van, coasting in on fumes half the time, you know? For those 30-45 minutes you’re playing to some new people, hopefully, it’s always worth it.” They’re not in it for the money, and they have no misconceptions about the fame, nor any illusions about the state of the music industry today. “For me, just playing live and getting my music out there,” says Sean. “As far as mainstream music, they can keep it. Once a band works its way up to mainstream, and they keep going, that’s awesome. I’m not gonna dog them when they get to that level. But you have companies that own record labels. They don’t look at the artist, they don’t look at longevity. They’re just looking for the next quick buck. The next hot single. Those bands with that hot singer, they just drop off after six months. I think longevity with a lot of bands just doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just not real anymore.” That’s not to say they have lost all faith in the future. “You can do it. Bands start off indie, then they get to the major label, do a couple records, and go back to being on their own. They just use the major label for distribution. And they make their money back playing shows.” “Would I sign to a major label? Of course I would. We all wanna make a living off of what we’re doing. But as far as major record companies, CDs, that’s out the window. The best thing you can do now is iTunes and stuff like that. In the next 10 years we probably won’t even have record stores anymore. The way online sales are going. I mean, look at Radiohead. They just released their last LP, and you didn’t even have to pay for it if you didn’t want to. You just left a donation if you wanted to, or you didn’t leave anything at all. I strive to be on an indie label to help with distribution and touring and get our name out there.” So, with such realistic yet bleak outlook, why do they continue practicing and playing week after week? “I just really enjoy coming up with something creative,” admits Aaron. “I’ve been playing music so long, I don’t really have an answer for that so much. It’s just kinda what I do.” “Music is the one thing that’s made sense to me my whole life,” says Sean. “Getting together with your friends and writing music together. What’s cooler than that? Nothing, really. We just happen to write music together.” “The rush you get from doing a live show,” breathes Mogley, “The adrenaline rush. You can’t beat it. People who don’t do music don’t understand it. It’s almost addicting. ” “Yeah,” adds Sean, “it’s the best drug in the world. Seriously. The rush you get whether you play in front of five people or a hundred people, it’s the same. I mean, my art… that I’ve written with my three closest friends… and we’re on stage playing its… it’s like an athlete running a marathon. Or winning a championship basketball game. Maybe that’s the best way to describe it. For me, I get the same rush every time.” That rush can certainly be felt in A Single Second’s energetic live shows, which usually start with the slowly building drone of the instrumental epic Buddha, and dropkick you right into 5th gear with such energetic pieces as Moments, which was just pressed into the band’s latest single. January 11th rang the bell as their last show with current drummer Clay, but that won’t stop these guys from doing the work they do. It’s back to the practice room, hopefully with a swift replacement in the rhythm section, and a new full length LP in the works for this year. You can expect A Single Second to wave the DIY banner high and proud until the winds die.
An Evening With Himsa
By Josh Pierson
Himsa is an unrenowned band, who, in my opinion, should not be ignored. Their most recent signing with Century Media Records should definitely bring them the recognition they deserve. After their recent release on Century Media “Summon In Thunder” they were asked to join long time metall’ers Amon Amarth for a full U.S. tour. Hailing from Seattle, the band has played a few shows throughout Northern California. They are a band that goes out on stage and gives their absolute 110 percent every night, and on Dec. 17, 2007 at the Boardwalk in Orangevale, that was no different. I’ve always had issue with the acoustics at this venue, but my issues were pushed aside on this occasion. The club was packed with fans and I believe there was no better venue in the Sacramento area that could have handled such an onslaught of metal. Prior to the show I was able to catch up with long- time Himsa bass player Derek Harn and talk some music, music politics, and some of the latest with the band. FRINGE: The last album, “Hail Horror” was considered by many a ground breaking album for the metal community, but now the newest release ‘Summon in Thunder’ is being hailed as even better. How do you keep it fresh and new time and time again? DEREK: “Hail Horror” was the predecessor to “Courting Tragedy and Disaster”, which is where our sound really came from, and launched our career. We worked our asses off and touring, we toured for about two years straight on that. With “”Hail Horror”", it didn’t get a lot of support from the label because it was the last album that we put out on Prosthetic and Prosthetic didn’t want to support it. We had a lot of problems with member changes around that album, too, that was really kind of hard thing. But now having Sammi [Curr] come back for “Summon In Thunder” and having his kind of rock & roll influence was really great, he’s really great at arrangements for songs, also having Century Media behind us for this first album has been really good for us, we kind of have a fresh outlook on it. FRINGE: How does it feel having a larger label such as Century Media backing you now compared to a smaller label such as Prosthetic? DEREK: There’s only so much a label can do to back you and get behind you so for us Century Media’s perfect. When we were looking for labels that we could grow with, at the time Prosthetic was a perfect choice for us and we talked with Century Media at the time, but it just didn’t feel right. I don’t have any regrets going with Prosthetic, I mean things could have been a lot different at this point if we hadn’t. It’s already come a lot further than any of us had really ever expected or even thought we could do. When I was a kid watching Headbangers Ball I would have never thought in a million years that my punk band that I started in some garage would end up at the point that I’ve got videos on the TV. And doing interviews just like this, and not only have we earned, but we’ve been lucky to get this far. FRINGE: Tue Madsen produced “”Hail Horror”" was he there on the new album? DEREK: Yeah, he did all of “Hail Horror”, and actually he mixed and mastered “Summon In Thunder.” We kind of stumbled across him through a reference for “Hail Horror”, we planned on recording that album in L.A., but the guy that was going to do it, he actually ended up becoming kind of Ill and couldn’t do it. He recommended Tue. We ended up flying over to Denmark for a month and hung out with him and his family. He put us up in his house and we recorded in his garage. He was a great dude. He just pushed us every day, we had to walk like a mile every day to like go to the store. We really liked what he had done with “Hail Horror”, one of his strengths is mixing, he’s done like The Haunted, and a bunch of Soilwork stuff. We wanted to use him on this next album, but having him come over here didn’t quite work out as we were hoping it would. We ended up going to Steve Carter, he had worked on all the previous albums before “Hail Horror”, he’s actually come a long way in his production, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind to us, he’ll just tell us straight how it really is, and really push us. FRINGE: I heard that Devin Townsend was used on the new record. How was the experience of working with him? DEREK: Devin Townsend and [John] Pettibone did all the vocal instruction together. Pettibone drove up to Vancouver and did like a week with him, stayed at a hotel, and every day would get up to work on the next song. They actually got along really well. I’ve never seen Pettibone smiling in the studio or anything like that, he’s usually pretty miserable in the studio when it comes to recording. But having that one-on-one connection and having Devin really pushing him to pronounce and sing the words clearly . Having him hold out different screams and yells, the amount of layering and the fact that we used something totally different for this album, is all because of Devin. FRINGE: The video for “Big Timber” was one of the more odd videos I’ve ever seen, and then on the last album, the video for “Unleash Carnage” where you guys are playing tennis was just as odd. Do the ideas come from you guys or from the director? DEREK: “Unleash Carnage” was all our idea. Our guitar player Cirby plays tennis, and then we were in the car and my girlfriend suggested that we should do a tennis video, and we all thought it was a good idea, we just put a lot of effort into it one day and shot it all in one day. The “Big Timber” video with all the puppets and the monsters, all the director, I’ve actually known the guy since I was a teenager, we re-connected, and we just kind of handed everything over to him. He came up with the whole idea, and we were talking about Sasquatch and how we always wanted to do a Bigfoot video, and we just let him run with it and he took it in a totally different direction, so we’re really happy with the work that he did, and that video is actually nominated for like Headbangers Ball video of the year, so we’re hoping we can get to work with him again in the future. FRINGE: Matt Wicklund left the band before “Hail Horror” and he claims that he did do some of the recording and some of the writing on it, but didn’t get credit for it. DEREK: Matt’s name is not on the album, he definitely does get credit for writing it, a lot of the publishing’s in his name. The way that that whole thing was handled was just gross, and still makes us sick today because we wanted to handle things with him personally and we couldn’t do that. We had to go through all these legal means to get things settled. We never tell people he didn’t write on the album, he did do some writing on the album but he gets credited for the songs that he helped with, and actually some songs he didn’t help with but it just seems like this weird trail of crappiness that follows us with him and it just seems like it never stops, so we really just try to stay away from that because we’ve gotten in trouble with it before, just try and put it behind us and keep moving. FRINGE: The tour started a few weeks ago, how has the response been so far? DEREK: It’s funny, I was a little nervous about going on this tour at first, because these guys are like a legitimate metal band and I didn’t know how our thrasher style was going to go over with these people. With the exception of one show in New York City, every show’s been amazing, people come to see Among Earth and only Among Earth and you can tell they’re only here to see them because they’re chanting Amon Amarth before we even go on. But by the time we’re done playing everyone’s giving us horns in the air and you can see how we’re winning fans over and that feels really good as a band that we know no one came here to see. FRINGE: What were some of your guys’ influences going into this band, more specifically for this sound? DEREK: Our sound really comes from Sammi and Cirby’s influences, Sammi definitely really has more of a rock background, and Cirby has that early thrash going for him like Slayer and Testament, they both cross over, I really credit those two for the sound we have now. It’s very guitar driven, lots of harmonies between the guitars and lots of solos, almost every song. Pettibone’s definitely comes from a hardcore background, he’s just a growler and singer and he’s really come a long way with that, he’s really been able to push it and turn it into something that really fits this band well. FRINGE: Besides your new album, any new albums that you guys are really stoked on. DEREK: I’ve been listening to a lot of the new Agony Scene, and it’s not because we’re going on tour with them after this. I really like the new A Life Once Lost, there’s a band on Metal Blade called Aeon that’s super thrashy and awesome, total throwback to the early 90’s so I’m really into it. Derek was great to chat with and hopefully this will turn some of my readers on to Himsa, so go get out there, download, burn, buy or whatever it is you do and listen to these guys. Get out to see a show next time they come around, guaranteed they will blow your little metal mind.
Faux Show
As the year comes to an end, the days grow colder and winter begins to settle in. Nothing protects better against that icy bite than big fluffy coats, cozy hats, and warm boots. However, this season there’s something a bit different with the run of the mill frost-fighting fabrics; fur trim! It’s everywhere! From Beyonce’s boots to Snoop Dogg’s chinchilla coats and even JLo’s mink lashes. This ugly little fashion trend has once again resurfaced.
Sadly, many people in western culture feel that wearing fur is stylish and represents a high status symbol in society. While we as humans pride ourselves on being a civilized species, many of us feel it is necessary to drape our bodies in the pelts of dead animal flesh. Hundreds of years of evolution and technological development seem to have no impact on the material trends for today’s chic hipsters. Many people seem to forget they are wearing the skin of a dead animal. Some like to think that the animal lived a nice full life and died of natural causes, which is far from true.
Not only are these animals sought out and slaughtered, but they are also being bred at fur farms. Minks, rabbits and foxes are just a small few of the animals who are killed for their fur. In some countries, dogs and cats have also become part of the billion dollar fur industry. The methods used to obtain the pelts from these creatures is most inhumane. The animals are caught in steel traps, beaten, drowned, electrocuted, and even skinned alive. In fur farms, the animals are kept in small cages. There is so little room for them to move that it often causes psychological breakdowns. An animal caught in a steel trap can suffer for days before death. Some even gnaw their limbs off in desperation. Chinchillas in factory farms are killed by genital or anal electrocution.
The majority of fur-wearing fans seem to ignore or be completely oblivious to the suffering that these creatures endure. Most mink-adorned celebrities would likely be traumatized after witnessing a mere 30 seconds or less of the malignance acted out on these helpless life forms. Many would even be shocked to find that their supposed rabbit parka is actually dog hair imported from China. A growing number of famous clothing lines have banned fur from their designs and have stopped supporting the cruelty of this murderous industry. Unfortunately, there are still many companies that choose to kill rather than to create outfits using some of the visually realistic faux fur available today.
Before you buy the “boots with the fur” to go with your “apple bottom jeans.” Take a few minutes to visit one of the following sites for further reading and viewing of just some of the horrors that the fur trade has to offer. You just might realize that making a fashion statement pales in comparison to the sanctity of innocent lives. Until next time, take care, and VEG OUT!
– The Vegans. Please send all correspondence to HereComeTheVegans@yahoo.com.
Project Barnabas: At A Tender Age
You’re only young once. I know all the clich\és, that you can be young at heart, forever young. But you can only fall in love for the first time, once. You can challenge authority for the first time, once. Discover the joy of discovering things on your own and believe in something for the first time, once. The power and freedom of youth is what I hear in the music of Sacramento’s Project Barnabas. Londell Earls, 22, lead vocal and guitar; Daniela Rose, 20, background vocals dj loops and beats; and Kyle Wallace, 18, drummer, are still young enough to believe in the sheer power and magic of music. That the things that some of us don’t think are important anymore, (i.e. falling in love, challenging authority, believing in something) still are. You can hear optimism woven into their otherwise dark and ominous beats and sounds. (Think trip hop meets the monster under your bed.) The sum of Project Barnabas’ parts comes together to create an emotional abstract flow of strategic melody. Music can still change the world, and this band knows that. The trio is currently working on their debut release EP, “the beautiful EP” due out in the earlier part of 2008. Their debut CD, titled “unlike music we never heard” due for release 08/08/08. I got a chance to talk with singer Londell Earls and ask him a few questions.
FRINGE: A lot of bands that are young, like yours is, are a merge of many musical genres. Why do you think that is?
EARLS: It may sound weird but I think that music has a way of trying to save itself. We’re people born after the 80s but we know what music was like in the 60s. I think that music does that for its own sake so it can be reborn into something new. So it starts off as a merge (seemingly). But ends up being a brand new music
FRINGE: Why did you pick 08/08/08 as the release date of your album? Why not release it sooner?
EARLS: Had to go with a chance to hit all three of the same numbers. No particular reason outside of that. There are no holidays in August so that gives our folks something to look forward to.
FRINGE: What’s going on in music that has you excited right now?
EARLS: Music in general is reformatting itself. Even top stars and bands are changing their images to fit in. I’m excited to see how band and performers who have been around for a while are going to adjust. Every so often the music world will open itself for something new. I’m excited because there has never been a better time than now to be a new young band with a never-before-heard-of-sound. FRINGE: What has the live audience response to the Project Barnabas been like so far? Are the people getting it?
EARLS: Our folks dig us. But I think it’s going to take a little longer for them to get us. To see that music is at stake. Different music can be a system shock. We’ve only just really talked about the something new in our music so far. It’s a two part. The more they pull, the more we will step up and show. The more we show, they more they will get it.
FRINGE: What is the aim of the band? To just make great music, is there more to Project Barnabas than that? Is there a message behind the music, or is there a message in the music it’s self?
EARLS: We really aim to be a voice for this generation. We are smarter than any other generation that has come before us. More creative. The Project Barnabas is way past just music. We are all about expectation. We hope that our music is a reminder that we set our own standards. Don’t wait for a label to be given to us. A voice in a confused generation. We are important. We do mean something. That is the Project Barnabas.
Six Degrees of Sacramento, Part 1
Sacramento is really connected and our music scene history can tell a lot about the present, so I think it’s important to look at where we’ve been and how it’s brought us to where we are now. From bands that broke up and formed new bands and where those new bands have gone or are currently going, does history repeat itself? Decide for yourself:
BAND: SIMPLISTIC
Bands they are directly connected to: Self Against City, Broken Iris Who they were: Simplistic was a local band from Sacramento that landed a production deal with Mike Shinoda’s (from Linkin Park) independent label. The band disbanded after spending almost a year writing songs but never doing anything with them. How they are connected: When Simplistic broke up, after a long hiatus; guitarist Danny Cocke joined Broken Iris. Drummer Justin Barnes played drums for a few different artists before linking up with Self Against City. Simplistic singer Ivan has been seen wandering about the house of hits but no confirmation as to if he is committed to a new project yet.
BAND: BROKEN IRIS
Bands they are directly connected to: Die Trying, Turning Point Who they are: A local Sacramento band building their fan base, recently released their first CD, “The Eyes of Tomorrow.” They play shows around town and their bass player and guitar player Steve Avery and Danny Cocke record CDs for other bands. They are planning to tour in 2008. How they are connected: When Die Trying disbanded, Steve Avery began building his studio and joined Broken Iris close to around the same time as Danny Cocke. Turning Point was another now defunct Sacramento band that featured now Broken Iris vocalist Adam Roth.
BAND: TURNING POINT
Bands they are directly connected to: Broken Iris, Blindfire, Automatic Static Who they were: Turning Point wasn’t around Sacramento very long, but in a short period of time, sold out their CD release show at the boardwalk. The band broke up shortly after. How they are connected: When Turning Point broke up, bass player Orlando moved on to join Blindfire and drummer Kevin joined Automatic Static. Tony and Adam still work with Broken Iris.
BAND: AUTOMATIC STATIC
Bands they are directly connected to: Simon Says, Key to Arson, Turning Point Who they are: Automatic Static is the brainchild of musical whiz Zac Diebels who wrote and recorded all of the instruments on his newest record, “Co-Depressant.” Automatic Static took a short hiatus while finishing the CD, but is now back out into the scene. How they are connected: Zac Diebels has a long history of bands and musical experience, and his past bands have been decently successful, Simon Says and Key to Arson. Drummer Kevin came from Turning Point after Zac put the band back together after finishing the record.
BAND: SIMON SAYS
Bands they are directly connected to: Headrush, Hero’s Last Mission, Key to Arson, Automatic Static, Cleanse Who they were: Signed to Hollywood records, Simon Says had a few radio hits, sold a good amount of records and had the opportunity to tour and live the rock star life for a few years. The fame fizzled out, but the music has stayed strong, influencing more than a few bands throughout the years. How they are connected: Simon Says drummer Mike Johnston has more ties than I can really list here; he has played drums on countless band’s CD’s and runs The Drum Lab (a school for drummers). He recently played with Headrush for a while and is now currently playing with Hero’s Last Mission. Guitarist Zac Diebels, bass player Mike and vocalist Matt started up Key to Arson, which also fizzled out. Mike then continued to jam with a band called Cleanse that broke up later. Matt has now come full circle and plays bass with Zac Diebels in his project Automatic Static.
BAND: HERO’S LAST MISSION
Band’s they are directly connected to: Simon Says, Headrush, Die Trying, BurnHealScar Who they are: Coming from Jackson, CA, this pop/rock band has quickly grown in the Sacramento music scene and continues to move up, writing new songs faster than they can put them out. How they are connected: Hero’s Last Mission’s main members have not really been in that many other bands. Only drummer Mike Johnston is connected to Simon Says and Headrush. They recently lost their bass player and tentatively have new bass player Q playing a show with them who has played with Die Trying and metal band BurnHealScar.
I Hate All Your Favorite Bands: The Best Albums of 2007
Well, 2008 is finally upon us. You haven’t heard from me in a while because I’ve been racking my brain and reviewing my record collection to put together this list. Now, it’s time I prove how cool I am because of my obscure tastes in music.
This is my list of the best albums of 2007. This list can’t be whittled down to just 10 or 20 since I acquire far too many records each year to limit myself.
Granted, I didn’t hear EVERY album that came out this year, but I highly doubt the “High School Musical 2″ soundtrack, the Sean Kingston album, or any recording “featuring T-Pain” would have made my list anyway.
The first three albums listed are the three best albums of 2007, hands down. The rest of have been listed in alphabetical order because it’d be impossible to determine which record landed in which position. I will list the label on which each record was released in case you feel the need to go buy it. Please, PLEASE try to purchase these records at an independent record store.
And please, keep music evil.
TOP THREE ALBUMS OF 2007
Darkest Hour “Deliver Us” Victory Records
Les Savy Fav “Let’s Stay Friends” French Kiss Records
Smoke or Fire “The Sinking Ship” Fat Wreck Chords
THE REST OF THE BEST OF 2007 (In Alphabetical Order)
Bad Religion “New Maps of Hell” Epitaph
Band of Horses “Cease To Begin” Sub Pop
Biffy Clyro “Puzzle” Roadrunner
Dethklok “The Dethalbum” Adult Swim/Williams St
Dinosaur Jr. “Beyond” Fat Possum
Sage Francis “Human the Death Dance” Anti/Epitaph
Interpol “Our Love To Admire” Matador/Capitol
Kings of Leon “Because of the Times “RCA
Love Me Destroyer “The Things Around Us Burn” Suburban Home
Modest Mouse “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank” Columbia Records
Pinback “Autumn of the Seraphs” Touch and Go
Scott Reynolds “Livin’ The Dream” Boss Tunage
The Shins “Wincing the Night Away” Sub Pop
Terra Diablo “Deluge Songs” Nocturnal
Trans Am “Sex Change” Thrill Jockey
Tub Ring “The Great Filter” The End
Watson “Killing Momentum” A.D.D.
Your Codename is Milo “They Came From The Sun” V2
Overall, this was an exceptional year for music. There were a few disappointments (Against Me! and Puscifer, I’m talking to you), but the good certainly outweighed the bad. I’m already super excited for a couple of records in 2008. Suburban Home Records will finally release Scott Reynolds and the Steaming Beast’s “Adventure Boy” this month, as well as Drag the River’s posthumous final record. And hopefully we’ll finally get Hinder’s sophomore effort. Keep your fingers crossed for that. Ugh. Happy New Year to all.
Pinback @ The Empire, Sacramento
Thanks for coming…. I mean… thanks for staying,” said a sheepish Rob Crow to his audience. An audience that showed up mostly for Louis XIV, and was quite vocal about it. An audience that would soon come to realize just exactly why Pinback was the headliner that night. Though that’s a point probably further confused by the fact that the rag-tag crew setting up the instruments actually turned out to be the ones playing them for us 20 minutes later. Not a common occurrence for radio-sponsored shows these days.
The realization would be slow. The requisite awkward banter between songs fell flat to an unreceptive crowd bent on one thing. “Just play your guitars!” The fans yelled.
And so they did.
With an almost infectious innocence, Zach Smith began wailing into his bass. The expression on his face would lead one to think he was just as curious about what sound the instrument hanging from his shoulders would make as we were. The rest of his body told a different story. In a deceptively effortless execution, his hands danced on the bass strings with a technical precision for which I have no worthy point of reference.
“Syracuse!” the fans yelled in the short space between songs. “Penelope!” But requests for old favorites fell on deaf ears. While the rest of the mostly radio-friendly audience kept their chatter to a low murmur, a slowly building wave of sound began to rise up on stage. It crept up to the edge, until it burst forth and flooded the crowd with a rush of beautiful, all encompassing rhythmn and hypnotic melody. You could only stop to think and ask yourself, were you drowning, or breathing for the first time? Rob and Zach’s vulnerable vocal harmonies danced in and out of unison with the subtle guitar tones, complementing one another where they weren’t building on each other’s tempo and volume. My words go blind when attempting to relay the rendition of their emotional epic, “Walters.” What starts in an afterthought of a bittersweet farewell melody, leaving you on the side of the road to watch it walk away, builds such thundering power that you can’t help but be pulled in as it blasts off into the horizon, taking everyone and everything with it. Llike all good things, the time you have with it is brief, and only leaves you coiled on the ground, wishing for more.
This is what live music is about. This is why we stand in line in the cold with strangers.
As each song quietly crept into your ears, and proceeded to pound you senseless with an unexpected rush of melody, the voices in the audience dropped off one by one. The house went from Rogue Wave’s sugary pop ballads, to the surge of Louis XIV’s arena-grade glamrock energy, to an almost uncomfortably intimate performance with Pinback. A performance that commanded silence. While their openers were intent on wowing the audience with polished production and stage theatrics, Pinback seemed more concerned with playing their instruments on stage for us. They came off uniquely genuine and honest. Perhaps a little too honest, toward the climax of the show. True music geeks at heart, Zach and Rob raised their guitars up vertically and shouted out “STAR POWER!!” before breaking into the final stretch of their show stopper. They may be Guitar Heroes playing to a virtual audience in their own heads, but they sure as hell weren’t playing their songs on medium.
Claudia’s Ashes: A Violent Metamorphosis
Photo: Kevin Graft
Galt, California. It’s not the first town you think of when you have dark, electronic gothic music on your mind, is it? In fact, it’s probably not even the 20th place you would think of. Ah, but alas, your closed mind would cause you to miss out on something pretty special, for that is the lovely little burg that Claudia’s Ashes calls home.
Claudia’s Ashes was started about six years ago, when lead singer Stephanie Michelle was only 15 years old. Over the years she had put her heart and soul into creating something she could she proud of; a music project that sounds a little bit dark, a little bit dancy, and perhaps a little bit aggressive. Something that combines the elements of all of the music she likes to hear. I caught up with Stephanie to get more information.
The band’s name is a reference to one of Stephanie’s favorite characters in Anne Rice’s novel, “Interview with the Vampire.” In this story, Claudia was a five-year old girl when she was turned into a vampire. While she grew older, her body did not. She eventually experienced a rather gruesome end. Let’s just say the weather was rather hot that day, and no amount of sunscreen would have saved her. What is the story behind the band’s name?
 Photo: Kevin Graft |
“It’s kind of how I felt, like a woman trapped in a little girl’s body,” Stephanie explained. “I kind of see this band the same way, as something much bigger than it is.”
I wondered if fans automatically assume her name is Claudia. “Yeah, I do get that sometimes. People come up and call me Claudia.” The music has a dark vibe to it. Why darkness?
“It’s what appeals to me. Without darkness, there can’t be light. Darkness is not safe. It’s what grabs peoples’ attention,” she explained.
While Claudia’s Ashes started out as Stephanie and her own talents and creativity, she now has a complete band. Kerry Fisher (insert your favorite Star Wars joke here) plays the bass and David Wright plays the drums. On guitar is Bug, Stephanie’s younger brother. Where did the name “Bug” come from?
“When he was little, he was really annoying,” Stephanie laughed. “He’ll kill me for saying that. Also, there was this one time when he had an ant in his ear, and Mom freaked out.”
Claudia’s Ashes has finished recording a brand new CD that will be available to the masses sometime in January. The disc will be called “A Violent Metamorphosis,” which is symbolic of Stephanie’s last few years. It’s also a fitting description of the difference between the CD and the live performances.
 Photo: Kevin Graft |
“The songs on the CD sound more electronic, and there’s practically no screaming on it. When we play live, you can hear more of a metal element to it. It’s different, more aggressive.”
Outside of writing and performing music with Claudia’s Ashes, Stephanie works in the animal field as a nutritional consultant.
“I love animals. I can watch Animal Planet all day and not be bored.”
Any other favorite TV shows? What does a darkling watch on TV these days?
“Aside from ‘Animal Planet’, I like to watch those medical shows, and I’ve never missed an episode of ‘The Simpsons’,” she said. And did you know that Stephanie started her illustrious musical career at the ripe old age of 3?
“I started playing with the piano when I was very young. Music is my life, and I don’t know where I would be without it,” she explained.
In addition to singing, which apparently is not her favorite thing to do, she has also handled guitar, bass, drums, and just about everything else in the past.
“I learned piano first,” she said. “I was once told that once you learn piano, the rest of the instruments come easier.”
Check out www.myspace.com/claudiasashesmusic for information on how you can grab your very own copy of “A Violent Metamorphosis.”
If you are a fan of Switchblade Symphony’s “Serpentine Gallery,” you’ll love it. If your taste buds crave something a little heavier, catch Claudia’s Ashes live. Don’t forget your sunscreen though. You just never know how serious a band may take their influences.
