The Toy Trumpet

Transitions Art Gallery

2006-08-14T08:44:00.000-04:00

My hunch is when you think of cities with passionate, thriving DIY arts communities, Tampa, Florida isn't the first town that crops up in most people's minds. The coastal city is probably more renowned for its bay and sports teams than for its dedicated noise scene but in the last couple of years, local promoter Matt Welch and his Transitions Art Gallery have been slowly but surely turning things around.

After spending his formative years at countless hardcore shows, Welch left Tampa to see and experience the rest of the country. A trip which concluded with a year-long stint in DC, Welch explained that his travels greatly influenced his work with the gallery: "What I do at Transitions is a reflection of what I've seen work in other places. A DIY venue can happen anywhere."

Inspired to implement what he experienced on a national level to the brutally honest Tampa scene, Welch started putting on shows at the gallery in 2004 as a means to rejuvenate an art-starved city. Welch explains, "Tampa, for some reason, is a lazy town. People tend to wait for something to come to them instead of making it happen themselves. I knew it could work in Tampa if someone stepped up."

Attached to the world-famous Skate Park of Tampa, to which skaters from around the globe flock for competitions in the early months of the year, the Transitions Art Gallery has been offering a much-needed forum for both local and out-of-town musicians. Despite the fact that Tampa's art scene might be more under the radar than say, New York or LA, Welch suggests that the local artists that call the city home are often more legit than the folks who inhabit cities twice Tampa's size: "In my mind there's no question that their motives are 100% sincere." As a result, Welch often affords Tampa's local bands the opportunity to play with established bands like Torche, The Evens, and Xiu Xiu because, in his words, "I never forgot that everything starts locally."

The idea was to create a venue with an atmosphere free of the elitism Welch encountered at hardcore shows, where artists and musicians could feel free to cut loose. The shows started to attract younger crowds from the Skate Park, whom Welch believes are much more interested in something fresh and creative than you might think: "I encourage kids to take a chance on a band that they might not otherwise have checked out. A great example of this was when I invited some of the local "thrash punx," out to see Xiu Xiu. Not all of them were stoked, but a few were interested, and that's killer."

While other Tampa promoters like Aesthecized may snag some of the bigger bands that venture into the area, there's no doubt in my mind that Transitions will continue to thrive because of its severe lack of pretense and staunch dedication to creative people. Welch thinks this is only the tip of the iceberg: "While I'm not a religious person, I do feel blessed with my current situation. The local community didn't just pop up; we've had to work for what we've got and plenty of local artists are continuing to work towards building Tampa bigger and better."

Upcoming Shows:

8/14- Tides, Giant, Casket Architects
8/18- Dry County, Liquidlimbs [Presented by Vinyl Fever]
8/20- aaronzarzutzki, NASA, Orphan, Philip Pietri, Darlings
8/26- Light Yourself on Fire, 7 Generations, Gather
9/01- The Woodwork, Scarlet Undercover, Too Late the Hero, more TBA
9/02- Filthy Nomads, Degenerate Elite, Arm the Poor, Bomb Rockets
9/03- Devices, Capsule, Furnace, More TBA
9/09- Upper Hand, Ninth Dying, More TBA
9/12- Torche, More TBA
10/06- Control de Estado, Degenerate Elite, The Filthy Nomads, Hessian, Arm the Poor

Official Site
Myspace

De Kift

2006-08-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

Busting straight out of the same scene as legendary Dutch punks The Ex, Koog aan de Zaan, Netherlands' De Kift are no spring chickens; with 6 records and 2 DVD's to their credit, De Kift have been perfecting their maniacal blend of punk, cabaret jazz, traditional Dutch folk music, and spoken word since 1988.

Although De Kift's initial goal was to "make music using text in one’s own language, with an accent on intelligibility," I imagine the majority of listeners won't be able to decipher a single word either vocalist is spewing out, rapid fire-style (the lyrics are entirely in Dutch). No matter, because the music is varied and interesting enough to carry even the most off-key rendition of the Reading Rainbow theme; luscious harmonies, searing brass melodies, and a jumble of found percussion brew up one delectable musical stew.

It often comes off sounding like two soused colonels lecturing a gang of unruly soldiers in a hollowed-out World War II bunker...and the soldiers just happened to pick up instruments and form a band that resembles Tom Waits' more wild-eyed moments.

De Kift have a new album coming out this fall on Maine-based label North East Indie (also home to Cereberus Shoal, among others) and are currently touring out and about their native Netherlands.

Official Site
Myspace

Mp3s:

De Maan
Nauwe Mijter
Guldentje Maar

Brazilian Beat Brooklyn Presents: Baile Funk 2 - Agora E Moda

2006-08-08T05:23:00.000-04:00

I grabbed this gem off of Soulseek the other night and even though I'm only about half-way through this incredible record, I'm fairly certain Baile Funk 2 will soon make its way up the ranks to become, alongside Souljazz's Miami Sound compilation, the record I reach for whenever the party rolls through. Forget that CSS hipster clap-trap and peep this!

It's 5:40 in the morning so I'm feeling a tad incoherent so here's the jist of the mix, taken from a brief press release-type deal that was lurking on KSDMUSIC:

"Baile Funk 2: Agora E Moda" is the newest mix CD from the team behind the long-running weekly Brazilian party at Black Betty in Brooklyn. DJs Greg Caz and Sean Marquand have responded to the continued popularity of the first "Baile Funk" mix by spending extra time on its followup, a process that also resulted in Greg Caz's "Viva O Samba!" solo mix CD.

"Baile Funk 2" is above all a labor of love, a product of many years spent listening, learning about and collecting Brazil's finest popular music. This time around, rare tracks by folks like Silvio Cesar, Marcio Lott, Chico Batera, Achados & Perdidos (pictured on the CD's back cover), Azymuth, Os Incriveis, Rosa Maria, Serginho Meriti and 23 others come with a set of liner notes (including title translations) that attempt to shed some light on these deep Brazilian grooves. The result makes for a worthy companion piece to the "City Of God" soundtrack. Despite the title, this CD is virtually all original 70s tracks that appeal to all taste groups and stands worlds apart from what the term "baile funk" has come to denote.

For a more in-depth review of Baile Funk 2, check out this post on The Brazilian Muse blog.

Brazilian Beat Brooklyn
Baile Funk 2 Ordering Information

Lords

2006-08-08T01:51:00.000-04:00

Both. Guns. Blazing. There's simply no other way to describe Louisville, KY trio Lords. The group's frenetic tunes, which rarely top the two minute mark, can only be compared to three Wild West bandits riding atop a horde of stampeding buffalo, throwing molotov cocktails into a crowded subway station...and that's only what they sound like on wax!

Combining the punkier moments of the Melvins with the bone-rattling riffage of a cracked-out Thin Lizzy, the intense self-loathing of My War-era Black Flag, the compositional ambition of Webern, and that local Louisville flavor that's all the rage these days (Black Cross, Breather Resist, Coliseum, etc.) to create a sound so densely packed, Lords sound like they're constantly about to burst at the seams.

Singer/guitarist Chris Owens belts out incomprehensible diatribes like someone just dropped a cinderblock on his foot while knocking out riffs faster than the natural forces of gravity should allow. Bassist Tony Bailey and drummer Stan Doll are locked in so tightly you couldn't-- to paraphrase Joe Strummer-- put a cigarette paper in between 'em.

True, some of the songs on Swords (Jade Tree) tend to sound a bit samey at first but the subtleties shine upon repeated listens. And at 13 songs in 20 minutes, you'll need to reach for that 'repeat' button to digest the sheer amount of information crammed into these microscopic spaces.

"Stigmata Rites" is a great example of the patented Lords approach: skewed Foghat riffs collide head-on with lightning fast hardcore tempos while some nifty, subtle time changes keep you slightly off-balance. Naturally, it's all over in about 87 seconds.

Official Site
Myspace Page
Lambgoat Interview

Mp3s:

Stigmata Rites
More Mp3s here

Barnacled

2006-08-04T22:54:00.000-04:00

Although Lawrence from Hi Red Center turned me on to Providence, RI's Barnacled about three months ago, I've had their record sitting idly on my hard drive ever since. This morning I had the sudden urge to check out the record ol' Lolo sent me (their unreleased 2nd full length, Hints, Notes, and Touches) and boy, was I kicking myself for not checking out this band sooner!

Featuring Alec K. Redfearn as well as members of V Majestic, Octopandoganal Duo, and Nicotina and The Flower Gang, Barnacled specialize in a kind of deranged chamber music informed by avant jazz, Eastern European folk melodies, spastic tempos, and shards of molten noise; or as their bio states, something "between the jazz noir of the Lounge Lizards and the punk deconstructionism of the Flying Lizards."

You might find parallels between Barnacled and Zs, Tim Berne's Bloodcount, or even the Degenerate Art Ensemble, whom I recently covered. But whereas bands like Zs and the D.A.E. are generally tighter than Catholic schoolgirls on the sabbath, Barnacled aren't afraid to let loose and kick out some inspired chaos.

Barnacled have kept a relatively low profile over the years, especially since their members are involved with so many different projects. Although the band's road experience consists mostly of local shows (and one reportedly disastrous tour) the group's been relatively prolific, releasing a slew of fantastic records on local Providence label Corleone, as well as Allentown, PA imprint White Denim (also home to records by Pissed Jeans, Pearls and Brass, and Nice Nice, among others).

At any rate, check out the tracks below for examples of some damn fine, inspired chaos!

Myspace
E-Mail

Mp3s:

Crisply Ambiguous
Cloud Pump
Garbage and (Garbage and Fire)

Tyondai Braxton Interview (2004)

2006-07-31T08:54:00.000-04:00

(This interview initially ran June 28, 2004 on Mundane Sounds)

Connecticut native Tyondai Braxton (pronounced TIE-ON-DAY, for the record) has, for the past decade, been actively performing and composing, developing his own artistic vision inside a multitude of contexts from his roots in the Middletown, CT new music scene. His solo music consists of building “orchestrated loops” with voice, guitar and found objects in real time and manipulating them with guitar pedals, in essence creating a self-contained ensemble.

Braxton has shared the stage with the likes of Prefuse 73, Thurston Moore, Jim O’Rourke, DJ Trio (Christian Marclay, DJ Olive, Toshio Kajiwara), Oval, Lightning Bolt, Les Savy Fav, and Ween. Braxton is also a member of the super-group Battles, with whom he is currently touring Europe.

Braxton's 2nd solo release is expected to drop this fall on Warp.

How did you first get into music?

I was playing in a band in high school and I kind of came out of the whole mainstream grunge movement, you could say. I was infatuated with Nirvana when they first came out-- that was when I got the bug. From that sort of time in mainstream rock in the early 90’s, I started a band in high school and was enthralled with it. Totally in love with it. And then it ended. It was devastating, so I started to take that method of playing in band and try to apply it to playing by myself.

What did you play with your high school band--mainstream, grunge-y kind of stuff?

Oh, yeah. It was early high school. It was like...Yes meets Nirvana. We were trying to be complex and raw at the same time.

How did you come up with your approach? Was it something that you developed over a long period of time?

It was a slow process. First, I had a simple, 2-second delay pedal [imitates a guitar playing through delay] and I would sort of develop counterpoint to it-- just totally fucking around in my room. Then, when the band ended, I was messing around with it and started taking it a little more seriously- “Oh, this is kind of fun. Blah blah blah I got another pedal.” You know, a distortion pedal or something. I started to kind of come around with it until it started to turn into something where I could kind of say, “Hey, maybe I could really develop something here”. As I needed new sounds and more options, I would get new pedals and just try different things out until I got my rig set up.

Do you mind if I ask you something about your father [pioneering multi-reedist and jazz composer, Anthony Braxton]?

No problem.

How much of an effect did he have on you, musically speaking?

As a kid, when your father is someone who- in general, I mean you’re inspired by your folks, but he was always very encouraging as far as approaching music. And I saw how much fun he was having with it and how dedicated and serious he was with it and how amazing he was. I was already playing music for a while when I was a kid and I was enthralled with it and it was cool, but I had to find my own way, you know? Which is why, as far as the rock band stuff goes, that’s what really touched me ‘cause that’s more of my generation as opposed to his. So, that’s kind of what took me in, but of course he was the foundation as far as my influences go.

Have you thought about collaborating with him at some point?

Maybe in the future. We’ll see what happens, you know what I mean? At this point, we’re kind of both separate entities. Further down the road in our careers- or my career, at least- we’ll see.

Tell me a bit about some of the projects you’re involved with.

Right now I’m in a band called Battles with Ian Williams [former guitarist with Don Caballero and Storm & Stress], John Stanier [former drummer with Helmet and currently in Tomahawk], and Dave Konopka [of the Boston/Chicago phenomenon Lynx] and it’s a great band. It’s allowing me to...it’s kind of cool, actually. I kind of wrote off being in band after early experiences, wanting to concentrate on emulating what it means to be in a band solo. Now taking that philosophy and going backwards- back into a band- is interesting.

So, Battles is great for me and they’re amazing players, so with that project I’m having a good time. Pretty much it’s that and I just finished a poetry book that’s coming out maybe in a month or so with this fella- Matthew Wascovich from Cleveland. We’re doing a split book. So, that’s coming out. I just finished a project for a large rock band- guitar, choir, strings and stuff. Just so I’m not only doing the loop thing. Even though the loop compositions are kind of my home base, I’m trying to keep it varied, trying to do different things. But mainly, to be honest, it’s my solo stuff and Battles.

Are you classically trained?

Yeah, I studied composition at the Hartt School of Music, which is part of the University of Hartford in Connecticut, and I also took classes at Wesleyan with my father.

What have been some sources of inspiration?

Well, coming from the mainstream rock world, which was kind of my gateway drug into the indie rock, underground kind of stuff. And, ironically enough, back into modern composition, which is, as far as what was played a lot around the house when I was younger, I went my own way only to come right back into that world, which is interesting- I think it’s funny. A couple of guys influencing me heavily these days- well, first of all, I love the Brooklyn scene. The whole vibe in Brooklyn is really enthralling to me, a lot of great bands down there- everyone from Animal Collective to Black Dice to Parts & Labor, Zs, a lot of interesting music is coming out of that scene right now and it’s all definitely great to play off of. One guy who’s always been a big influence- two guys actually- is Christian Marclay, who’s a visual artist as well as- he works with turntables...

You worked with him at one point, too, right?

Yeah. We played a show together- I opened for him- but I actually worked with him before, too. Glenn Branca’s another huge influence. Huge guitar compositions. I had the pleasure of playing with him at the World Trade Center right before it collapsed. Sonic Youth...all the usual suspects.

What about things outside of music?

Actually, it’s funny, man. Just kind of being in the scene in New York right now- for better or for worse- for better in the sense that there’s a great scene, lots of different people, lots of different things happening- I just went to the Whitney for the Whitney Biennial, which is kind of a yearly thing where they showcase new artists and some people are doing some fucking amazing things. So, that always kills me- people working in a specific craft that’s not necessarily what I’m doing that I could draw from. So, as great as it is to be able to kind of get lost in the place that you’re in- like, I’m in New York so I’m around all these New York people- but as far as visual art in general, unfortunately I’m naive to a lot of it. I need to get out there and see what else is going on. That and reading. I like reading a lot. I’m going to go finish my copy of “My Life”, Bill Clinton’s autobiography.

How is that?

It’s...it’s good. [Both laugh]

How does working with different types of media (paintings, dance,
video, etc.) affect the way you construct or perform a song?

It’s great in the sense that, kind of like I said, just being exposed to different media you kind of take away something different. It was actually Chris Cornell from Soundgarden- I remember him saying this when I was younger- he said, “the worst rock music I’ve ever heard was rock music inspired by rock music”. So, you’ve got to have your own kind of palette. You have to kind of expand and explore what else is going on out there. My point is exposing yourself to different forms of art, you take away different things you wouldn’t have ordinarily thought of. It’s like getting a fresh perspective. Even though you might know a little of it on the surface, if you don’t know much of it you kind put yourself in a position where you have to work with this media that’s foreign to you. It could produce different results from your own work. It’s a great catalyst to work with things you’re not used to.

Your site says that you worked with a few visual artists on some projects. Did you perform your own material or did you work with these other artists to create something entirely new?

Well, as far as the dance troupe stuff, those were all my compositions. But with- I played with Alan Sparhawk from Low and we did Low songs- but with Ian and Battles and myself, it’s a co-op, so we all collaborate.

How do your compositions usually come together?

Through the painful, painful suffering of bashing my head against the wall.

[Both laugh]

I would not consider myself a prolific person by any means. I’m very meticulous. I hate everything I make except for one nugget of something that I’ll just try to draw out. I mean, I really take my time with loops and sometimes if I have an idea, I’ll record it on to a four-track right off of my amp. I’ll sit with it and if it stands the test of time, I’ll try to develop it. I’ll listen to the development; if the development stands the test of time, then I’ll go on to the next thing. If not, I’ll scrap it and go back to the drawing board.

Your bio states that your roots lie in the “Middletown, CT new music scene”. Could you describe the scene and explain its impact on your music?

Well, again, I had to go off and go to college and find my own route from Middletown because the Middletown scene is influenced heavily by my father and also from other composers in Wesleyan. Wesleyan has a great program-- Alvin Lucier and such so. After going to school, I came back into that scene and started working with my dad’s students. It’s a small scene, but it’s definitely very vital over there. It definitely influenced me, to see other people my age trying to put something together.

How apt are you to embracing new technology when it comes to your music?

I’m all for it. Unfortunately, I’m not a rich guy. I’d love to get whole bunch of stuff together. Aesthetically, as far as computers and stuff are concerned, in my solo stuff I tend to stay away from that- at least in the solo loop context. I mean, I’m not opposed to doing computer music in a different way. Yeah, I think technology’s great. There are pluses to limitations- like there’s a plus to banging your head against a wall because you can’t afford a drum machine, so you have to find a different way to do things. Having said that, there are also advantages to having technology, which can broaden your spectrum of compositional ideas.

What’s going through your head as you perform?

It’s a mix of process and trying to be expressive through the technique. As you see, I’m playing something, then I’ll twist some knobs, then I’ll do this and that. It’s all very composed, so it’s all very process-oriented. The key is to find a way of being expressive inside of the process and trying to draw emotion as opposed to having it be cold, like “I’ll twist some knobs, then I’ll play guitar, etc.” Within my compositions, there’s an emotion I want to express within it and I try to put myself there. After a while, with rehearsing and stuff, you get comfortable enough with your set-up that it’s second nature, so you have the liberty of being able to be more expressive and putting yourself in that frame of mind to take the pieces where you need to take them.

One last question: I noticed a strong, almost hip-hop quality in some of the newer songs you played tonight and I was just curious if you ever considered going down the avenue of hip-hop production?

Hell yeah. I’d love to. More than the other records I’ve worked on- like I said, a lot of the stuff is newer and there are some tracks I didn’t get to play- I’m definitely going for more of a hip-hop vibe on this next CD than some of the ones in the past. It’s going to be like modern composition rock meets more of a hip-hop kind of element. I would really love to do some production at some point.

Official Site
Battles Official Site
Battles on Myspace

Mp3s:

Great Mass
The Violent Light Through Falling Shards

Shudder To Think on YouTube!

2006-07-31T06:12:00.000-04:00

"X-French T-Shirt" Live on 120 Minutes

"Hit Liquor" Music Video

Learn more about Shudder To Think here.

The Weird Weeds

2006-07-28T18:56:00.000-04:00

Aside from admitting that I unfairly compared elements of Austin, TX's Weird Weeds to the so-called "freak folk" movement in my review of their 2005 debut, Hold Me (and what was I thinking with that "flying in the face of musical convention" line?!?), I more or less said everything I wanted to say about this fantastic band in an interview I did with the English site Diskant. So...I'm going to go ahead and plagiarize myself:

Bands like Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, and Smog have been singing the praises of Austin, TX's Weird Weeds for some time but I imagine the hipster sheep that flock to those bands' shows only get confused and uncomfortable during a Weird Weeds performance. Songs start and stop in awkward places, one guitarist makes crazy noises with pieces of chalk, the other guitarist often plays riffs on a purposely out-of-tune guitar, and the drummer plays in and out of time like he keeps getting distracted by a squirrel. Although I'm highlighting the Weird Weeds' 'weirder' elements, they're at heart very much a song-oriented band. Their new record, Weird Feelings absolutely destroys, so make sure you pick it up when it comes out in August.

If you're on the eastern half of the U.S., be sure to check out the Weird Weeds when they swing through your town this September:

9/06- Austin, TX @ Emo's w/ The Theater Fire
9/07- Baton Rouge, LA @ Red Star w/ Wilderness Pangs
9/08- Nashville, TN @ Dino’s w/ The CJ Boyd Sexxxtet, Peter and the Wolf, Arizona Drains
9/09- Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light w/ Peter and the Wolf
9/10- Chapel Hill, NC @ Bickett Gallery
9/11- Baltimore, MD @ Floristree Space w/ Lexie Mountain Boys
9/12- Kutztown, PA @ GoodVibes w/ We Have Heaven
9/13- Gettysburg, PA @ Emmaus
9/14- Brooklyn, NY @ Uncle Paulie's w/ Bear In Heaven, The Shivers
9/15- New York, NY @ The Cake Shop w/ The Dirty Projectors, Nat Baldwin, Swan Island
9/16- Portland, ME @ The Space Gallery
9/17- Amherst, MA @ Hampshire College Dining Commons w/ The Laudable Pus, Fat Worm of Error
9/18- Wallingford, CT @ Wallingford American Legion w/ Landing, Quark, Mouth to Mouth
9/19- Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar w/ XL Tie Rack
9/20- Toronto, ON @ Cameron House w/ The Silt, Alex Lukashevsky
9/21- Oberlin, OH @ The Cat in the Cream
9/22- Chicago, IL @ The Note
9/23- Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Music Festival

Official Site
Myspace

Mp3s:

One-Eyed Cloud
For You To See Me
Paratrooper Seed

Degenerate Art Ensemble

2006-07-28T17:08:00.000-04:00

I discovered the Degenerate Art Ensemble through an interview key member Joshua Kohl conducted with Prefix Magazine earlier in the year (check the link below). The headline accompanying the feature-- "Hungry for something different"-- had me hooked on the group before I even read the article. Eventually, I read the piece, heard the music and, naturally, fell in love. Now the question of how to tell you about this little group...

I feel like I'm wasting your precious time by attempting to distill what the Degenerate Art Ensemble, a Seattle-based music, art, and dance collective founded in 1993, are about in a few carefully chosen paragraphs. As their bio states, the collective is "constantly in a state of invention and re-invention" and as such they've been everything to everyone in the last 13 years-- a theater troupe, a 45-piece orchestra, a raging anarchist punk band, a studied free jazz group, a dance company, you name it.

Although reference points are clear at times (I hear Zorn and the Boredoms but those are cheap comparisons), one can hear elements of free improv, avant-jazz, classical composition, hardcore ferocity, and even traditional Japanese folk music on any one of the 7 records they've released (all but 2 on their own label, Degenerate Recordings).

Regardless of what the nitpickers might hear in the group's chaotic stew, it's hard to deny that the Degenerate Art Ensemble are on to something truly fresh.

Be sure to check out DAE on their west coast tour with Stolen Babies this October.

Official Site
Myspace
Interview with Prefix Magazine

Mp3s:

Oni Gorishi
Dreams From Wounded Mouth
Smoking Car

The Fantastic Wonderfuls (formerly known as Suppression)

2006-07-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

The first time I was privy to the awe-inspiring madness of the Fantastic Wonderfuls (formerly known as Suppression) was on the bill of a March 2003 show in Philly with Mannequin, The Minor Times, and my friend’s emo-core band. While the other bands on the bill carefully sought to play it strictly paint-by-numbers in both their music and presentation, Suppression obliterated any and all preconceptions about what a performance could be. These guys were rude, confrontational, obnoxious, psychedelic, and completely exhilarating.

The bassist, Jason Hodges (member of the Amoeba Men and head of CNP Records) contorted his engorged, sweaty body into jagged shapes and approached audience members at uncomfortable, point blank distances, looking them in the eye and forcing them to come to terms with their fears and insecurities. All the while, the drummer, Ryan Parrish (also of the Darkest Hour) would periodically crack non-sequiturs from behind his kit, like some deranged stand-up comedy routine gone horribly awry.

It was hard to tell if this was some ridiculous, over-the-top joke band or if the audience itself was being rendered the joke. After listening to the frenzied groove the Fantastic Wonderfuls plug into on "Release The Piranha", it’s plain as day that this is no joke band...or maybe I’m just incredibly gullible.

The Fantastic Wonderfuls are a band that needs to seen live to be truly understood but hopefully the mp3s below will give you some insight into the brute force (not to mention deliciously off-kilter sense of humor) behind this band. In short, Jason and Ryan are national treasures.

Official Site
CNP Records Myspace

Mp3s/Videos:

Rape Myself
Release The Piranha
Release The Piranha (Music Video)

Pattern Is Movement

2006-07-28T15:28:00.000-04:00

A trio of unusual depth and vision, Philadelphia's Pattern Is Movement merge pop hooks with dense counterpoint into something so irresistible I'm not even sure it should be legal; you'll seriously need a crowbar to get songs like "Maple," the lead-off track to last year's Stowaway (NFI) out of your head.

Angular, interlocking guitar and keyboard riffs weave a tangled web of melody as deceptively complex drum patterns and unnervingly catchy vocals provide the anchor to the wayward ship. In short, picture the most potent aspects of Pony Express Record-era Shudder to Think, Steve Reich, Blonde Redhead, and, hell, the Sound of Music and you're still a subway stop or two away.

You can spend months dissecting the arrangements on their records but live, they're a site to behold: drummer Chris Ward hits his drums so hard you wonder if someone's going to step in and try to break up the skermish; singer/bassist Andrew Thilobodeaux belts out perverse sea chanties ("Get your hand off my knee," "I love it when you come near/standing naked in the door") while manipulating those gloriously weepy synth strings; all the while 6'6" guitarist Corey Duncan stands to the side with his sparkling clean Fender Jaguar, swaying his hips to the jagged tempos of the tunes.

PiM will most likely be hitting your town on a massive 3-month fall tour in support of their Scott Solter-helmed remix record Canonic (Hometapes). So, be on the lookout!

Website
Myspace

Mp3s:

Talk Back To Me
Never Liked This Time of Day
Julius

Inside/Outside Gallery

2006-02-26T18:01:00.000-05:00

As one of the last remaining bastions of creativity left in the Cleveland area, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that the Inside-Outside Gallery carries quite a burden on its shoulders. While Cleveland spots like the Tower, the Underground 8, Blacklist Gallery and Moe’s may claim to offer venues for experimental artists and musicians, the Inside-Outside Gallery seems to be the only one out of the bunch completely dedicated to fostering outsider art and nothing else.

Initially opened in December 2004 as a simple art gallery, the space has since expanded to include film screenings and poetry readings, as well as live music. The gallery’s major concern has always been, as gallery curator Erin Kray said, “giving the city of Cleveland exposure to art that isn’t boring.” Suffice to say, for visiting artists, touring bands, or their local Cleveland brethren — especially for those who work a little bit on the fringe side of things — Kray and the Inside-Outside Gallery seem to be doing their jobs.

“I am trying to put together shows that are not stale,” Kray said. In the past few months, the gallery has played host to eclectic concerts from bands like Psychic Ills, Grizzly Bear, and Toby Driver from Kayo Dot, as well as local Cleveland noise troupes 9-Volt Haunted House and To Be A High-Powered Executive.

Creative ideas for shows include this month’s “Noise Pandemonium Pancake Breakfast Summit Extravaganza,” which includes performances from four Ohio noise groups (three from Cleveland and one from Columbus), along with “pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, orange juice and hash browns.”

Keeping things local is also a priority.

“We’ve shown art from people that live down the street and we’ve also shown art from people in Sweden, Paris, New York [and] Barcelona,” Kray said.

The inclusive, community aspect of the gallery allows for people to be exposed to different kinds of art, whether or not they are prepared for it. As Kray explained, “a lot of kids come for bands that wouldn’t normally go to an art gallery.”

Kray grew up going to Cleveland shows at alternative venues like the Speak-N-Tongues art space where performances involving “couches being thrown, white paint by the gallon, a few dildos, wigs, and of course fireworks” weren’t uncommon. She recounted that at one particularly memorable show at Speak-N-Tongues, she was hit with some shrapnel that burned a hole in her shirt.

It was this kind of unpredictable spirit that left a lasting impression on Kray and, in turn, influenced the nature and character of the gallery. As she said, “After Speak-N-Tongues closed, I think a lot of people went into mourning. There wasn’t a D.I.Y. place in Cleveland for a while, so we were starting to be skipped on tours, and there wasn’t really a place for punk shows or experimental stuff...that sort of music/art doesn’t do so hot in the Beachland or the Grog Shop.”

While the abovementioned venues may allow fringe artists a site to showcase their work, Kray believes Inside-Outside is much more than simply a venue — it is rather an extension of Cleveland itself as well as the hotbed of creativity bubbling beneath the city’s surface.

“Inside-Outside is a state of mind,” Kray said.

When asked if the gallery would be able to flourish in any other city, Kray said, “I can’t imagine doing what we do and how we do it anywhere but in Cleveland. We need Cleveland as much as Cleveland needs us.”

The Trunk Space

2005-12-16T23:34:00.000-05:00

Could you tell me a little about yourselves and how you got involved in the Phoenix music scene?

Stephanie & I got involved w/ the Phoenix music scene thru our work with the Fine Art (art gallery & coffee house) Community. In Phoenix many of the art galleries also host live music events, it is part of the way we are working to integrate and make strong the full spectrum of the arts in our town. Also, many of the musicians are also fine artists & vise-versa. It seems silly to have a building that we would only use ½ of the time, and to decide that only some forms of art & expression are valid.

Do you feel like the Trunk Space could exist anywhere outside of Phoenix? In other words, is the venue more a state of mind than a place of business?

That is a difficult question. We see The Trunk Space as a community resource, and an extension of our love for the arts. We have worked hard to connect with people in Phoenix, and create an extended family of like-minded people here. So, in one sense The Trunk Space--as it is--could only exist in Phoenix, but because of our love of art & music we would still be doing the same sort of work where ever we went.

How did the concept for the Trunk Space come about? How long has the space been around?

The Trunk Space has been around almost 2 years! As a concept we wanted to be a place for all forms of art. Formally, we are still discovering who we are, our love of experimental music & live entertainment has only begun to mature in the past 12 months or so. As an art space, we are realizing an affinity for folk art, and the work of ‘non-artists.’ The name came about because of our love for Vaudeville and early 1900s American entertainment. It is also meant to allude to the act of discovering an old trunk, you open it never knowing what you’ll find inside.

I know the Trunk Space caters to more experimental musicians so I wanted to know how you've managed to thrive catering to such a specific segment of the population.

We have grown to really love our place as a destination for the edgy and non-traditional arts in Phoenix. Personally, I have always loved Performance Art, and been a performer on and off for about 5 years--this think this has informed my understanding of the need for such a place, as well as the special requirements (be they aesthetic, practical, or conceptual) encountered by live performers who don’t necessarily fit the 2 guitar, drums and singer standard.

As a place, we believe The Trunk Space creates a “frame” for performance so that when people come see a show here, they sub-consciously understand they aren’t just seeing a music act, but an art, that takes the shape of a music show, or puppet act, or burlesque night, etc...

What makes Phoenix's arts scene special to you?

The thing that is most unique and exciting about Phoenix right now, is that everyone is still interested in helping everyone else out, we all have an interest in helping the whole grow. We’re ‘small’ in the sense that we all know one another, and are willing to help out when the need comes up.

Who's the most memorable live act you've ever booked?

There have been a lot...Quem Quaeritis comes to mind, who play non-string instruments from inside a pop-tent. Count Smokula, the 300-year old “Smoksilvanian Vampire” folk singer is another, Nathan Brown “The Texas Cheerleader” plays keyboards in a 70s FM lite-rock style, also deserves mention.

Some of our most memorable nights feature all-local lineups, bands like Father’s Day, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and The Rev. Dr. Steve D.F. Strange are all very memorable performers who perform at our place semi-regularly and we are proud to have worked with.

Most memorable moments in general from over the years?

Opening The Trunk Space with less then 30 days to do it still sticks as one of the most memorable. But, beyond any other, the most memorable night was not long after we first opened (before we knew what we were doing at all) when the touring folk musician Jason Webley asked to be added to a punk show last minute. These were ‘old school’ punks with mohawks and leather jackets and more spikes then a cactus. We did it begrudgingly not knowing what to expect. The show started late, and I was having trouble getting any of the acts to start or even listen to me.

Eventually after 2 heavy punk bands Jason came on stage wearing a pig mask, playing the accordion, stomping his foot loudly and barking a song over all the other racket. The crowd was...stunned into paying attention. Jason isn’t a big or assuming guys, he’s wiry and bearded in a ‘mountain man’ sort of way, but slowly, after another couple of songs and reading a fairy tail to the crowd, he had them eating out of his hand.

For his last song everyone formed a circle arm in arm and swayed back and forth singing along to a sea shanty as he stood in the middle of it all. The last band decided not to even play, because they “couldn’t top that, and would ruin the night if they tried.” It was without a doubt, the most impressive displays of showmanship, communication, and brotherhood I’ve ever seen.

Who are some local Phoenix musicians or groups you think are doing something unique and vital these days?

There so many we could mention. theshizz.org has a great community of bands, musicians and just folks who like to go to shows and it is doing great things for Phoenix. We’d also will say the same thing about the gang over at thegoodshows.com who really have there finger of the best underground music in the country, and artish.org which caters too all the arts. As far as music acts go, I’d say all the
ones we’ve mentioned plus lots and lots more.

Finally, what do you do outside of booking the Trunk Space?

Aside from The Trunk Space, Stephanie and I are also buying and restoring a house built 1926. We’re pretty involved with historic preservation and arts advocacy in Phoenix. We are also still creating art of our own: Stephanie is a professional photographer. She not only creates art pieces, but has also done a fair amount of band photography, and portraiture. I perform in an improvisational theater troupe called Catorce. Really though, most of what we do in one way or another relates back to The Trunk Space, and our goal to turn Phoenix into an arts/music destination.

Trunk Space Contact Info:

Official Site
Myspace

The Cocker Spaniels

2005-12-09T18:28:00.000-05:00

The Cocker Spaniels is the brainchild of musical wunderkind Sean Padilla, a multi-faceted songwriter with a knack for killer hooks, weird chord changes, abrupt rhythmic shifts, and perceptive lyrics that cut right to the heart of us all.

The Austin-via-Brooklyn-based Padilla brings it all together with a wide-eyed experimental edge and a wonderfully skewed pop sensibility. It's that tug of war between these two extremes that gives violent, delicious birth to the Cocker Spaniels sound.

“Manhattan Skyline” is just one of many standout tracks from 2004’s Withstand The Whatnot, the 7th release under the Cocker Spaniels moniker. Describing in vivid detail how the events of 9/11 affected Padilla as a New York expatriate, “Manhattan Skyline” acts as both a love letter to the Big Apple and a farewell to the city so many native New Yorkers (myself included) once knew. The personability and ease with which Padilla describes the domino effect of the attacks make it all the more resonant with that irresistible hook in the chorus. September 11th may have signaled the end of an era and the dawning of a frightening new one, but at least it precipitated one hell of a great pop song.

Official Website
Myspace

Mp3s:

Manhattan Skyline (from Withstand The Whatnot)
The Only Black Guy At The Indie Rock Show (from Withstand The Whatnot
Finals Season (from Withstand The Whatnot)

Immaginarium Noveau

2005-11-29T05:28:00.000-05:00

The Immaginarium Noveau, a makeshift concert venue/artspace out of Columbia, SC is currently making it safe for Southern experimental music folks to come out at night. I had a chance to interview the Immaginarium’s enigmatic supervisor Jefferson Mayday Mayday via Myspace:

Could you tell me a little about yourself and how you got involved in the Columbia music scene?

I spend a lot of time trying to understanding why music is relevant and its relationship to pop culture. Why it does certain things to people at certain times. How it gets taken up and how music industries are always experimenting. Gaps between interests invoked by politics, nature versus promotional investments, labels versus independent funding. How noise is infiltrating America, and how it could become acceptable on a mass level. I've had success studying sun/solar cycles in pinpointing dates of new waves down to their season.

I know you mentioned that Immaginarium is more of a state of mind than a place of business (I think you described it as "how we party"), so do you feel like the Immaginarium could exist anywhere outside of Columbia? What makes the Immaginarium unique to Columbia? In addition, how did the concept for Immaginarium come about? How long has the space been around? Can you give me a brief history?

We've always been interested in word evolution and that was a great term. It looks good in writing in that it has lots of vertical lines. When it was first used, it was referred to a home study/circuit-bending laboratory. At that time, computer studios had just become a household concept. Meanwhile, our town's recording studio was busy making all these reel-you-in package deals targeted at young punk and hardcore garage acts. It may have been that their sound engineer had partial hearing loss, but everything that was coming out of there was sounding terrible. Kids were trapped in a mentality that spending a month’s pay to get four songs down, and then another month’s pay mixing down was how the music business worked. We were all electronic experimentalists who had an extreme love for analog manipulation and general music alchemy. You can't do that if you’re going by someone else’s book.

Questions of future millennium D.I.Y. come in. Meanwhile, our band started playing shows and sound guys hated us because they didn't know how to mic CD players, theremins, and samplers. These where icing too, so sound checks for our conventional set took up so much time that we never got sound checks [to begin with]. There was also always trouble about wanting to play on their floor. After everything, it sounded terrible either because it was our local club's soundman was so used to booking straightforward, non-contorted sound frequencies, or that he was deaf in one ear.

Can Immaginarium exist outside of Columbia? If there is a problem of people in a town accepting what's imprisoning their imaginations, there exists a reason for a solution and in 2005, it is doubtful there is a place in America that doesn't scream for such a change. We had been throwing really strange freak-out parties for quite some time, and once we realized that having music acts in our town could be possible, we had to create situations where it was viable.

Immaginarium became an official "place" where we held our public dilemmas. But it’s been several places already, and when we play other venues or rented-out spaces, there is so much time invested in setting up and changing atmosphere around that it might as well be a different town you’re in.

To cap it off, I'll say what it has become before it morphs into something else. Seeing a form of entertainment in a light that you wouldn't be able to on a regular basis; an environment that connects to better interpret sound. We are told by so many that Immaginarium has "the best sound in town", but its merely a constant struggle to understand where it is taking us, like a puzzle. Our original "Czha*Baing!" as these events are called was in spring of 2000 but since then there have been a very long list.

I know the Immaginarium caters to more experimental musicians so I wanted to know how you've managed to thrive catering to such a specific segment of the population.

It is really difficult to think up ways to convince people to come to events that feature groups that kids in town don't always grasp. Refusing to pile on tons of local acts to draw bigger crowds makes it even harder-- we've done that before and it’s irrelevant. It seems that it’s all in what stage our moon is in that makes for larger crowds. Overall, people tend to come to see what we're gonna do and how Immaginarium is going to look. Its rearranged completely, cleaned, sometimes repainted before each show, which takes days. It also helps to have press, and there are people who collect our flyers that take hours to make. But word of mouth is where it’s at. But still, I have no idea how we book an act that's kinda making it, and 20 people come, while others will have cars from four different states show up.

What makes Columbia's arts scene special to you?

We are South Carolina's capital and things are really bad off in our joining forces of church and state. There is no way to explain how much Christ-core there is. Not long ago there were book burnings, and there's a lot of forcing kids into Christ. Also, there is a terrible problem of racism. Lots of things we do are in a name of "outer darkness", a concept everybody from Sun Ra to David Lynch have tackled. A basic awareness of an "unknown," a "void," a "myth.” Addressing a random factor as opposed to being so sure of everything. It’s okay to be wrong and admit you know nothing. We use imagery of things like "The Discoverers," people who have taken it upon themselves to venture beyond what's going on and stumble upon phenomena. It’s here in Columbia, and if you peel a layer away you will find something more than judges and police force raping teenage girls in trailers out in BFE to get them out of some traffic violations and planted drug charges.

Who's the most memorable live act you've ever booked?

Hard to say: Books On Tape, Kites, Blame Game, or Meneguar. I really don't know. For me, I get to hang out with these cats and they’re always so cool. I load them up with all my graphic art trash books, posters, and old flyers. They're always kinda confused but have a blast. Over 80% say it was their favorite stop on tour.

Most memorable moments in general from over the years?

“Deformance art” act "Run Jesus Run" getting in a giant see-through container they made (15 feet in diameter) & having a well-executed food fight.

Who are some local Columbia musicians or groups you think are doing something unique and vital these days?

DJ Sheild, DJ Metatron, Anakrid, XMo, and Orgone Accumulator.

Finally, what do you do outside of booking the Immaginarium?

I go to school as an interdisciplinary student where my major basically states that I'm trying to learn how to write really well so I can write up some grant applications to get funding for painting murals on walls to create entrance door ways to parallel dimensions to allow a Pandora’s box to cleanse our world of its problems. How they let me in? I have no idea.

Immaginarium Noveau Contact Info:

Official Website
Myspace

Micose and the Mau Mau's

2005-11-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

First, picture a Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang jam session being broadcast from a television spewing white noise. Now process that thought through a symphony of malfunctioning tone generators, a less unhinged Caroliner, and all your vintage Os Mutantes and Caetano Veloso records and you might end up somewhere in the neighborhood of what San Francisco-based (by way of Brazil and South Korea) Miguel Serra’s Micose And The Mau Mau’s project is all about.

Micose (pronounced Mee-Coh-Zeh) and the Mau Mau's is an eclectic musical concoction through which Serra is allowed to exist in a selfish universe constructed from the remnants of 6-string banjo, cavaquinho (4-string Brazilian samba instrument), samplers, guitar and bass (sometimes heavily processed), effects pedals, junk percussion (pans, metal parts, bottles, etc), more percussion (including more samba stuff as well as tribal Korean drums), field recordings, treated voice, tape recorders, etc.

“Calaberezza” is what I’d imagine insanity in the tropics of the Amazon might sound like: dense, colorful, and as if the birds, insects, and wildlife are laughing at you as you slowly lose your mind. It’s deranged, unsettling...and completely irresistible.

According to the Cococonk site (Micose's label), all the out-of-print early recordings are going to be re-released at some point in the near future by Seattle-based Debacle Records with some help from Enterruption. All the tracks from the first Micose CD-R will be on it plus a few outtakes.

Official Website
Myspace Page

Mp3s:

Calabarezza (from the self-titled CD-R)
Line In Track 01 (from the self-titled CD-R)
More Mp3s

Iron Lung

2005-11-22T05:18:00.000-05:00

Iron Lung's evolution from an above-average Crossed Out and Infest-inspired power violence outfit into a snarling, uncontainable beast of a band is nothing short of stunning. A duo comprised of guitarist Jon Kortland and drummer Jensen Ward, Iron Lung have an undeniable chemistry honed by countless years of roadwork.

The hallmarks of Iron Lung's style are an overwhelming, often claustrophobic intensity, a pervasive obsession with either death or medical imagery, and a powerful sense of economy; most Iron Lung tunes are over within a minute and a half (the title track from the group's debut album, Life. Death. Iron Lung. clocks in at 17 seconds).

While the band's roots are firmly planted in the west coast power violence explosion of the early 90's, Iron Lung's methodical arrangements and brutal assault will appease fans of so-called "technically accomplished" metalcore bands (e.g. early DEP, Converge, Botch, etc.) while putting all those groups to shame.

Before Capillary Action played with Iron Lung in Missoula, MT on the summer 2005 tour, I had heard scattered things about the group from various sources (websites, mostly, but an Australian friend of mine saw them in Melbourne and said they were the loudest band he'd ever experienced) but I had no luck finding any mp3's. For some reason, I knew there was something special about this band.

Even before Iron Lung played a note, the mood in the air was like that of lambs lined up outside a slaughterhouse being led to their impending doom. The two quickly set up, then drummer Jensen Ward announced firmly, "We're Iron Lung from Seattle, Washington." Before you knew what hit you, the duo exacted a nihilistic 20 minute set on the unsuspecting crowd.

Song after song, it felt like a tsunami of amorphous, invisible violence was battering my senses. Not a single moment of silence was afforded to the gathered throng (unsettling samples occupied the breaks in between songs) and the force of these two individuals could be compared to a pack of wolverines ripping apart an unsuspecting hunter's flesh and devouring him whole.

Out of nowhere Ward sasys "bye" into the microphone, as if he had no knowledge of the damage he just inflicted, and it was all over. In one fell swoop, Iron Lung made all the other bands on the bill- not to mention almost any other band in existence- look like total amateurs.

Label Website
Myspace Page

Mp3s available on Iron Lung's Myspace page