Ryan Gillmor and 1,500 California Summers
The uphill struggle that a musician goes through on the path to so called "success" isn’t exactly just uphill. It’s more like an 80 percent gradient on slippery mud in a jungle with mosquitoes the size of your face, with boulders falling after you a la Indiana Jones style, wild elephants trying to stomp on you, while wearing no shoes and, well.. you get the picture. It’s hard. Someone who would know what this struggle is all about is Ryan Gillmor. He has been pressing through the music industry for many years. He had been in a few bands until going solo, hand-selling close to 2,000 CDs of his solo CD, "California Summer" in 2006, and then writing another new CD in 2007 called "Counting the Days." All his hard work has also accrued him quite a bit of debt. His history is long and treacherous, so let’s look toward the future. It’s much more bright and sunny.
Last week I went to see Ryan play an acoustic set at a Rivercats game. It was a beautiful afternoon with a nice light breeze and cheap beer. Ryan played to about 80 people spread out in the bar and around 15 or 20 under-aged kids that stood behind the fence to the bar. Afterward, once Ryan had run around and had all his stuff put away, I had a chance to talk to him a little bit about what he has going on lately. Ryan plays in a band that has essentially been built around him, and is named after him, called Gillmor. His band is managed by BK Entertainment, which is run by Bennett Kaufman and Jenny Price out of Southern California. BK Entertainment manages some bigger producers and, according to Ryan, is really pulling their weight spreading the music in the industry.
Besides playing in his band, Ryan is also a songwriter. He told me that as long as he can keep the rights to what he writes as a songwriter – as in songs he writes for other people – he will be happy. Along those lines, his song, "In This Moment" recently was in the top 20 for the American Idol songwriters contest. If he wins, then his song will be the first single of the next American Idol. His song, "Hey!" is also the opening song for the new FOX sitcom, Unhitched. So Ryan is definitely getting exposure.
He has always made sure that he has control over his career as much as possible. I would relate that closeness to the satisfaction that Ryan has received recently from his accomplishments. As with a lot of musicians, however, he is hardly ever really satisfied. He continues to push himself vocally and with his songwriting. As far as "making it" goes, he wants to be able to tour and put out records as his main job. He says that with the experience he has gained as his career has progressed he has become much more realistic about his goals. He recalls making smarter decisions, and says he does what is better for himself in the long run. He is also looking forward to more things that he will be learning in the future.
Mark Gilmore, host of 98 Rock’s "Local Licks" told me that Ryan "is one of the best male vocals to come out of Sacramento." He also said "He has more talent in his little finger than most singer/songwriters out there." Ryan has felt the pressure and the stress of trying to be a full-time musician, and when I asked him how he kept himself going when he felt like throwing in the towel, he said that listening to other people’s songs like Queen’s, "Somebody to Love," No Doubt, Billy Joel and many others that it’s just inspiring to keep going.
I am very glad to hear that Ryan has things to keep him moving and keep him striving forward (beside his passion for music, of course), because I can see a very brilliant future ahead. For more information on Ryan visit his web site at www.ryangillmor.com .
Matinee Idols: A Little Something Grand
Sacramento’s "Matinee Idols" are a band that projects a sound as unusual as it is particular. They are making songs that are special and one of a kind. But, at the same time, hum along like common music for the common people. Unless you are familiar with popular American music from early 1900s jazz, 1930s waltzes, and 1960s AM radio gold, The Idols may sound otherworldly to you. And they are. This band is mixture of our collective American musical history, crossing over decades and cultures to redefine what is musically relevant. If Scott Joplin, the Beach Boys, poetry, and a bunch of pool hall hustlers stayed up all night in a speak-easy, drinking, laughing, and conversing the night away, the matinee idols would be the soundtrack. Members Ari Fernandez (Piano, Vocals), Josh Hunt-Guitar, (Lap Steel, Vocals), Steve Robinson-Bass, (Vocals), Aaron Antoon (Drums) are onto something grand. We talked with ari about what’s up with them these days.
Fringe: You guys are a very unique band. There are a lot of different styles and influences going on in your music. What is the writing process like for you?
Ari: Josh Hunt and I are the primary songwriters. As a pianist, I grew up with classical and jazz music. I especially gravitate toward jazz of the 1930s. I also am hugely influenced by The Beatles, and Josh is into the Beach Boys. Josh’s guitar playing is decidedly rock and punk based, although he can play jazz trumpet pretty well, which often shows up in the songs. Usually, we write separately, but when we get writer’s block we help each other by taking a chord progression or riff and turn into a song. Josh is really good at taking a melody I wrote and putting words to it because sometimes I have this fear that I will ruin a perfectly good melody by adding lyrics. Josh is an excellent lyricist and likes to tell a story through his songs. My lyrics usually originate from the melody and they are more vague.
In the end, the band as a whole is definitely involved in the final arrangements and that is also where the varied styles come into play. Aaron Antoon and Steve Robinson are a solid and versatile rhythm section that can take pretty much any song and play it in pretty much any style. But we all like similar bands, which are too numerous to name.
F: Having so many influences, do you ever come to an impasse with a song, where you’re not sure where you want it to go?
A: Sure, there are impasses with so many styles to pull from, but we tend to choose whatever is best for the song and it keeps things interesting, for sure. Half the fun is trying new things out.
F: You are recording now. So, what’s the plan? An E.P.? A full album? What has the process of doing this recording been like as a whole?
A: Well, we actually finished our demo in May of last year. It was the first time I recorded, so it was a learning experience. I’ve definitely grown as a vocalist since then, which is a good thing! I can’t wait to go back into the studio and do it all over. I have so many more ideas of what I want the songs to sound like.
F: The band seems like it’s taking a rest from shows are now. Are you concentrating on recording right now or is there some other reason?
A: Well, right now, we’re just trying to tighten up our set and get ourselves ready for more shows. We may have an all ages show on the books at Club Retro soon, which should be cool. We’re also writing new material and rearranging some older songs.
F: The name of the band, "Matinee Idols," is such a great one. I try not to ask this question, but in your case I have to know. What’s the story behind the name?
A: Actually, our original bass player suggested the name. Matinee Idols were the movie stars of the silent film era and I thought, Rufus Wainwright has a song called The Matinee Idol and he’s one of my favorites. I also love the 1930s era music so I really dug the name initially. We tried the name out and the funny thing is it stuck even though our original bass player didn’t.
Brutality Encompassed
An Interview with As I Lay Dying’s Guitarist Phil Sgrosso
When I think of one word to describe As I Lay Dying, it would be "brutal," but how many times have you heard me say that? Plus, I don’t think "brutal" is what this Christian metal band had in mind when they began a metal conquest. Read more
Carry The Torch
The toils of band life can wear on a person — your family life, your social life and your financial life. The dreams of "Rock Stardom" can often lead to the sense of feeling you are the only one who really cares. When you find yourself being the only one who really makes an effort. Realizing that you must move on from a band can be extremely difficult. As the members of "Carry The Torch," would tell you, they’re in deep. In fact, they are all previous members of bands that just didn’t seem to want to give it their full dedication, and thus they must continue on and Carry The Torch!!
Carry The Touch’s sound is an intense m\élange of transitions and musicianship. A band that, at first, may confuse the general listener, it all comes together. The transitions are timed and separated with some vast musical knowledge and although at times the lyrics drift, the strength of the instruments seems to hold it all together. So why continue on after being part of failed situations and why, carry the torch? For this I asked lead singer Brian Twigg.
I started off general. "I checked out your site and it looks like you all came from different bands?"
"Yeah that’s pretty much it," Brian said. "It’s people that wanted to be doing it (playing in a band) full time."
"So, you’re all from the Sacramento area?" was my next question. "Well the guitar player is from LA and I’m from Monterey and the rest is from Sac." I was fighting to hear him over the static of his phone; maybe this guy really had been playing in bands forever and his cell was ancient.
So I asked, "Have you just played in the Sacramento scene, or all over?" Brian answered, "Pretty much all over," followed by my long pause. I guess I was hoping for more. Some more depth to the answer. I pressed on and questioned, "So why should people listen to Carry The Torch? What do you have to offer?"
Brian’s response was, after a little laugh, an "ummmm…that’s a weird question, let’s see….ummm."
So I jumped in. "Are you just playing to play? Or is there something more behind it? Personally, music is generally cookie cutter in the mainstream," I added….and continued, "I know you are on an indie label (Detonate Records ). But bands are put out there just to make money. Do you think you’re offering more or different?"
Firmly Brian answered, "I mean I guess there are different things. Like when it comes to myself writing lyric. I come from a different angle. I try and come from an honest approach. Not just what people want to hear. But, we’re not doing it to make money, just being real and who we are."
And so I asked, "Lyrically, what do you think you’re saying that’s real?" Brian quickly responded saying, "It’s something that comes from the heard. I’m not writing lyrics for people to sing along with. No slogans. I’m just coming straight from the gut." To that I responded, " Well you read interviews with those "Mainstream Cookie Cutter" bands and they’re saying the same as you." "True," Brian injected.
"How do you feel about that?" I asked. "Well," he said, "I feel some of them aren’t being honest, and some are the real deal. But, for the most part I don’t buy it. I guess you’d have to buy the record to believe me."
Well, at this point I feel like I’m beating on this kid hard. Trying to make him prove himself, but his music seems to do that already. So I move on to just that. "There are a lot of transitions, lots of movement, all good stuff, of course. Do you ever find people getting confused by that? Say at live shows?"
"Actually," Brian answered, " What we find is it’s better for people to buy the album and listen first, then come out and see us."
I added, "Right you’ve been doing this for awhile. You’re all musicians so it’s more, composed." Brian answered, "Yeah so basically what we do to counteract that is flail around on stage." With that I thanked Brian and let him continue on with his day. Carry the Torch is currently on the road. They’re in the States now, but soon will be off to Canada and Europe. Wish them luck and check them out!
It’s All About The Posters
Flatstock is not coming to a town near you, unless you’re lucky enough to live in Seattle, Chicago, Austin or Hamburg, Germany. Just what the hell is Flatstock, you ask?
Posters, it’s all about the posters. Gig posters, specifically. The kind you see on the walls of the cool record store, the tattoo joint, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or on display at the Museum of Modern Art. Except the posters you see at Flatstock aren’t under glass or treated as some high art form. These posters are being presented by the people who created them, the designers and artists that live and breathe to put ink on paper, and to get your ass out to a show.
Established in 2002, Flatstock is the current de facto top-of-the-line gig poster exhibition, sale and convention, presented by the American Poster Institute (API). Four times a year, many of the most popular poster artists meet and gather in an unprecedented display of amazing pop art. The presentation of Flatstock varies depending on the event it’s attached to: In Austin each March during SXSW, over 100 artists and designers set up shop on the main floor of the convention center for three days of sales and meeting the public. There are also live screen printing demos and more DIY chicanery than most other cities could stand. Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival, held Labor Day Weekend, hosts a smaller number of artists, but is an equally vibrant show that has been well received by both the public and the hundreds of musicians in attendance. Hamburg, Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival has hosted the international version of the show, but the next appearance will be July 19 and 20 in Chicago as part of the Pitchfork Music Festival, which has featured an outdoor version of Flatstock since 2006.
Flatstock, and the non-profit American Poster Institute, sprang from an online community of people who were interested in making good on the possibilities that the poster scene held, and in creating an event that would showcase the work of not just elite, well-known artists, but a show for just about anyone creating gig posters. A wide range of artists, designers and poster enthusiasts came together on Gigposters.com, a well known Web site catering to everything having to do with the poster community and, after the course of numerous online conversations, Frank Kozik pulled the trigger, a room was booked, and the first Flatstock was organized.
Jay Ryan, one of underground poster art’s most prolific and talented practitioners, an Flatstock exhibitor and API board member explains it like this: "Flatstock is the single best organized event for giving the poster-making community a place to interact face-to-face with their audience; people who come looking for specific posters, fans of bands, people who have never seen this type of work before and are overwhelmed by it when they accidentally stumble in. Flatstock pulls today’s concert poster makers together into a community."
It’s hard to do justice to the Flatstock experience; it’s equal parts carnival, art show, flea market and lovefest. Nels Jacobson, AKA Jagmo, old school poster designer and API consigliere, describes Flatstock as "…heaven — a riotous celebration of paper and pigment. An opportunity to view some of the most innovative, literate and compelling rock poster art being created today, and to hang out with the crazy, colorful characters who create it."
The smell of the ink is intoxicating – the air literally sizzles with creative energy, and for anyone with more than a passing interest in music and art, Flatstock is a can’t-miss-get-your-ass-in-class event. The opportunity to meet the people creating the posters, the visual link for so many to great bands and shows, the twisted minds that bring something forth from nothing over and over again is amazing.
Flatstock 17 will be held during the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival at Chicago’s Union Park July 19th and 20th, 2008. For more information about Flatstock, click on flatstock.com , americanposterinstitute.com , and for more on gigposters and bacon, check out gigposters.com .
The Dollyrots… Because They’re Awesome
Their web site explains that, although they sound really pop on their latest CD, "Because I’m Awesome," they are really a punk band. The album offers some very catchy songs about hot friends, dangerous crushes, being awesome, and roller skates. Read more
Sac’s Dynamic Hip-Hop Duo Gives Us A Moment Of Clarity
Recently I had a chance to sit down with my friends Max Hernandez (aka Max Bundles) and Carl Grosser (aka Drift, G.A.T.E.) of the local Sacramento conscious hip-hop group, Confused Clarity. They were preparing for a West Coast tour and it seemed like no better time than now to get the word out on one of the most original hip-hop teams here in our city. Read more
Punchdrunk On Ludo
With the recent release of "You’re Awful I Love You," and a current tour with The President’s of The United States, and I don’t mean those jackasses running for president, Island Def Jam recording artist LUDO are on track for some greatness. Their catchy lyrics, intoxicating rhythms, and Broadway musical-like stage show is truly something not to be missed. Their single Love Me Dead is rocking the charts and the video has non-stop play on YouTube. Recently I had a great conversation with Keyboard player Tim Convy, a savvy young fellow, and here’s what he had to say:
Fringe: So you are all based out of Missouri, St. Louis. What’s the scene like there?
Tim: It’s changed a lot. When we were young there were tons of bands. But now there’s just a handful of bands. A lot of the venues are closing down. It seems to be happening a lot through the Midwest. People aren’t going to shows, and bands are sitting around on MySpace instead of getting out and playing shows.
F: Right, they think that’s how they’re going to make it. Just sitting on MySpace and sending messages.
T: It’s weird, but sometimes it works. But, I didn’t want to get into music to sing on the Interner all day. I wanted to play music in front of people, even if it is six or seven people.
F: So you paid your dues in the Scene. How did you get involved with Island?
T: Well, we put our first two records out on our own. And we sold a lot on our own, and toured from the day we started, all over the Midwest. And we put up decent numbers, doing 1,000 people at a show in the city. Finally the industry started to take notice. We played at the South By Southwest Festival and from that we stated doing showcases and felt best about Island. But we had to get there on our own.
F: So you did all the marketing and stuff yourselves and it paid off?
T: Our goal was, is, to kinda prove what we do works. We don’t worry about writing smash hits. We’re a little bit left of center if you know what I mean. So we knew it wasn’t going to be about sending demos off. We knew we had to prove that people responded. Then we took it to the label and said, "Look what we can do with very limited resources."
F: So you weren’t trying to fit a formula? Just, "Hey, this is what LUDO does!" That sort of a thing?
T: Yeah, do whatever the hell we want and create something that people would be involved with and into.
F: How long have you been working on this album?
T: A lot of these songs have been around for years. And then we started recording early last year and finished last May.
F: How does the writing process work for you guys?
T: Andrew writes most of the songs and Tim, the other Tim, does also. Andrew will come to us with early ideas and we’ll shape him and push him in whatever direction and then flush out the songs. But he’s definitely the songwriter.
F: So are key’s your primary instrument?
T: Vocals were. I was thrown into the Moog. I think of it as melodies and try to find the sound that fits. Makes for a different approach to it.
F. Right! Using the vocal talent to make it work. So you guys totally have this "Musical Theatrics" going on?
T: We don’t make huge effort toward it, but as performers and with the music we’re playing it’s hard not to put some drama and showmanship. Changing clothes and backdrops at bigger venues.
F: Do you enjoy the versatility of nothing really being categorized as a metal or punk, or emo band, anything like that?
T: It’s a blessing and a curse. It’s cool to be unique. But it can be hard to get on tours. ‘Cause they’re not really sure what we do. We’re not too weird but we are. Our fans are really loyal and they’re there for us!
Ludo displays a great versatility and uniqueness, not only to their music, but also to their stage show. In an age where it seems as if we are continually being suffocated with the norm in the mainstream, as well as the underground, it’s refreshing to see someone taking a different look at creating music.
www.ludorocks.com
The Breakup
Being in a band with three men is similar to dating three men all at once.
They, the guys, can be as vague and elusive in their band relationship as they are in their dating relationships.
Two nights a week we get together in our practice studio and practice our songs. We work on new song ideas and all throw in our input. On occasion opinions clash, but overall we work it out so everyone is happy with the songs we’ve written.
Getting guys to talk about their feelings, even their feelings about their own music is as arduous as learning Latin.
I’ve become a little bitter, like any scorned woman would after some bad breakups.
My band has had some bad luck with guitar players. They keep quitting.
Every time I feel like they’re saying "It’s not you. It’s me!"
But half the time THEY DON’T SAY ANYTHING, AT ALL!
The first time a guitar player quit on my drummer and I, I was devastated. Much like the first time I was dumped.
We were doing so well. We had just released a CD and were getting interest from a record label in Los Angeles. We had big plans, and then POW! Like a punch to the gut we got a phone call from the management at the rehearsal studios saying we had to come get our gear, because our guitar player was quitting the band and needed us to leave. (We’ll call him Gut Puncher.)
Much like getting a call from a boyfriend’s best friend saying "He’s breaking up with you."
A year later we had formed a new band and were doing well again. We had been nominated for a Sammie and we were getting radio play like crazy. Then POW! Another punch in the gut. Our guitar player left us a breakup note in the practice studio, with no real prior evidence to him being unhappy. (We’ll call him note leaver #1)
We found another guitar player within a few days, and he stuck around for two years.
Then, in the midst of fearing for my return after pregnancy, he too, wrote a breakup note and left it in the studio. (We’ll call him note leaver #2)
Now, note leaver #1 returned, but then had an expansion in the family a year later and actually left amicably, with fair warning. Which was a good breakup.
Then note leaver #2 returned for a few months, then left again, amicably as well.
See, like a girl bent on reconciling with every boyfriend, or seeking closure, we allowed everyone who ever quit to come back.
Then Gut Puncher from the first band returned about six months ago. We wrote some songs, played some shows, and then POW! Again, with no inclination of unhappiness in the relationship, our guitar player quits. But, this time, with nothing in the form of communication other than vacating the practice studio when no one was around.
Really. NO note, no phone call, no voicemail, no text message or e-mail. Nothing.
Imagine how bitter this breakup could make. However now, I’ve gotten numb to the whole thing. I look at it like an insecure, jilted lover, it’s just a matter of time before they leave me!
We found a new guitar player already. This one looks promising. Unfortunately he’s got a lot of my jilted lover baggage to deal with, but he’s pretty amazing so far. And seems to actually appreciates the band.
Wish us luck.
A.R.A.B (Always Rise Above Bullshit)
Having to deal with alcoholic and abusive parents that ended up separating when he was 12, he ended up turning to the streets. He dabbled in criminal activity, while facing some serious charges, A.R.A.B. realized that there was more life had to offer. A.R.A.B. is a lyricist that is able to reflect on what was going on inside of him and around him through his clever yet eyebrow-raising rhymes. With his love and passion for hip-hop as a culture, A.R.A.B. has the potential to make an impact in the hip hop community on and off stage.
