Album Review: Hospital Ships ‘The Past Is Not A Flood’

Posted on by Camren Skelton

hospitalships

In his fourth album under the Hospital Ships moniker, Jordan Geiger takes listeners on a meditative journey that explores some heavy themes. The Past Is Not A Flood features production from John Congleton (St. Vincent, Modest Mouse, Chelsea Wolfe) and is a collab with Swans percussionist, Thor Harris.

Although it is only a six-song record, almost every track spans beyond the five-minute mark, giving you plenty of time to reflect on the nature of depression, anxiety, loneliness and obsession that each song explores so openly. Atmospheric keyboards, layered synths, and wispy, fragile vocals are the foundation of the album, and serve as a stark contrast to the mournful and confessional nature of the lyrics.

Despite the heavy themes, however, Geiger finds a way to string in little doses of optimism throughout. While most of the songs trudge along at a leisurely pace, the tempo picks up with the livelier beats of “All In Time.” Although the song ends in a chant of “we’re all going to die,” one can’t help but appreciate the reality that Geiger meditates on in his lyrics. The acoustic piano of “Little Flower” also stands out as a bright spot in the album. While the majority of the tracks are a blend of acoustic and electric sounds, “Little Flower” is the most stripped-down of them all, and is successful in accentuating the delicate nature of Geiger’s vocals. As the album comes to a close, the dense instrumental layers pick up once again, making for a robust and memorable finale.

The Past Is Not A Flood is the record you want to play on repeat on those rainy days spent in bed. While there are brighter moments, the underlying theme is that sadness is a part of life—a necessary part of everyone’s life—that you have to learn to face. Sometimes it feels good to hurt, sometimes it feels good to cry. And that is just the reality that Geiger explores in this record.

SXSW 2016: Lewis Del Mar X Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero

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A couple of years ago you would have found Rockaway Beach’s Lewis Del Mar busking on Austin’s street corners and playing in some guy’s backyard during SXSW. But that was then. Now, you will find this duo in great demand and performing in packed out venues such as Hype Hotel.

We met up with Danny Miller and Max Harwood, found a stoop (because that’s where cool SXSW interviews take place), and had a late afternoon chat about the sonic collage that is Lewis Del Mar’s music, best eats of SXSW 2016, and we tried, unsuccessfully, to get the release date of their upcoming album.

Vinyl Mag: Let’s talk about the EP that you guys just released… Describe the EP in three words for someone who’s never listened to your music before.

Danny Miller & Max Harwood: Bedroom, I think should be one. City. And, I guess we’ll say beach. Yeah, I guess ocean. Yeah, ocean is better. Bedroom, city, and ocean. Which I think are sort of the locales and time of the record.

DM: We recorded it in Max’s bedroom. And we live in Rockaway Beach. We actually recorded it in this bungalow. And I think Rockaway is sort of the coming together of these two disparate worlds.

MH: And it’s like city meets ocean.

DM: So we’re trying to convey that in what we do creatively.

VM: Absolutely, cause I know you guys made the move from D.C. to Rockaway, so what prompted that?

DM&MH: Such a long story.

VM: How’d you pick Rockaway?

DM: I think we came to pick Rockaway because we felt like it sort of embodied what we were already  trying to do creatively with the project. So we moved from D.C. because we had an old group and it disbanded, and it was sort of Max and I at the home of it and we wanted to do something else creatively. We’re from D.C. so we could have moved anywhere in the world and I think it would have been more interesting. It was just sort of an idea of getting away from home. We moved to New York. We moved to a Spanish- speaking area in Brooklyn. And that sort of… it sort of started a lot. My father’s Nicaraguan… Max’s parents live in Panama now and we lived in Chile for a while we had very strong ties to South America, Central America. And it just sort to began to influence the music in a way we weren’t really expecting. And we started to tap into a lot of those things and I think that while I was tapping in to that part of my heritage personally and those influences musically, Max was sort of tapping into something else in moving into New York.

MH: Just sort of like the intensity of the city. In the old band I was basically just the drummer and it was just sort of like a regular rock-n-roll type of band, and we started this project and I got into production and sampling and hip- hop and all these different things. Now it’s just amplified like a thousand times when we moved to the city. You know there’s just so much humanity and you come face to face  with so many experiences and cultures that I just started bringing in different sounds into what we were doing and starting sampling; sampling from vinyl, picking up sounds around the city with just a voice memo recorder.

DM: I think that sort of when we started to fuse those two worlds together we were kind of going out to Rockaway to surf, hang out with some friends there. It just sort of began to us to manifest itself into the more physical and locational properties of the music. So we just moved there. We sort of had to live in to make it come to life. And that was sort of the goal.

CH: If this sounds like a crazy collage of things, its because that’s exactly what it is.

VM: That’s great, that’s what helps make an album I think. All these things coming together to make one.

DM: Right, I think when we finished the other band we were looking for something different we were curious about other sounds so we just opened ourselves up to any and all influences and all these different things flooded in.

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VM: So we are anxiously waiting on the new album. Do we have a date?

DM: Nothing we can say…This year.

VM: Can we expect the album during beach weather months?

DM: We can’t say. We’re finishing it right when we get back. All the songs are written. Everything’s been recorded. We’re just kind of fine-tuning it. We have sort of an excess amount of time on our hands so we’re just sort of taking our time with it and making sure it’s something that were really proud of as a first statement for our band. It’s been such a process of love and nurturing and learning for us because this is our first time making a full length album so it’s been really cool.

VM: Awesome, looking forward to it! So you guys have a tour coming up, some international dates. Any cities in particular you’re looking forward to playing?

MH: We’re excited to go to Paris.

DM: Really excited to go to Paris for the first time.

MH: Honestly excited to go anywhere in Europe. I feel like our minds were kind of blown when our manager started talking about sending us to Europe. We’re like oh my God, that’s going to be amazing.

VM: What are some things you guys like to eat on the road?

DM&MH: I just like Caribbean food I love lie coconut rice, and fried fish. On the road I feel like…We try to eat healthy but it’s not so easy. We like Thai. Mutual love for Thai food.

DM&MH: Yeah, Thai food is amazing.

VM: What’s the best food you have eaten at SX so far?

DM: I had really delicious Caribbean food. It was like sautéed pork over some… like oh it was crazy it was coconut curry bacon fried rice.

VM: Oh man! Where did you find this?

MH: It was like right around the corner.

DM: It was this taco truck.

VM: So is there anything else you guys want to share?

DM: I just want to say that this has been the most amazing thing, and as two kids that have known each other our entire lives…we’ve been making music together our entire lives. Like before this Max and I were traveling around in a station wagon and sleeping on floors and shit so to have anybody care about our music and to come here, and this sounds so stupid but to get a wristband to play at these showcases, like we were here two years ago and we were busking on street corners so…

MH: We literally played in some dude’s backyard two years ago.

DM: And there’s just not a second of it that’s just the most amazing experience and to be able to do it with your best friend is the greatest thing.

MH: Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were 9.

VM: I think remembering where you came from keeps you humble.

MH: And it gives you perspective. Its so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and just like, when we have to make decisions that are sort of heavy, there’s someone there that you also feels like knows you sort of as well as you know yourself.

 

SXSW 2016: Rooney X Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero

rooney1

It’s been a couple of years since we last heard from Rooney, but with the hit single “My Heart Beats 4 U,” an absolutely memorable SXSW performance, and a new album, Washed Away, due to be released this May, Rooney is certainly back in our lives – and we couldn’t be happier.

We caught up with the face of Rooney, Robert Schwartzman, down in Austin and chatted about the creative process behind Washed Away and how he wrote, produced, engineered, mixed and performed all of the songs on the album.

Vinyl Mag: You guys have a new album coming out in May and we are really excited.

Robert Schwartzman: I’m excited for you guys to hear it. I’ve been waiting so long. I’ve been sitting on this stuff so long and I’m so happy to put it out finally.

VM: If you could describe the album in three words…

RS: Dangerous, Scandalous…..I don’t know how to describe it in three words…I hate to classify my own music as something but I feel like it’s rockin’, I feel like its energetic but also ill say mid-tempo.

VM: How long have you been working on it?

RS: I’ve been working on it well, it depends, a lot of these songs I’ve kind of had waiting to do something with for a while, but I kind of buckled down really last year and put the final touches on this record. I had some of these songs before that, I just wasn’t sure what I was gonna do with it. Like if it was gonna be a Rooney record or something else. But I like to spend a lot of time on the sonic quality of the album. I get really obsessive about the quality of it, so I’ll remix it a lot and I’ll master it like ten times. I get really obsessive. So I recorded it by myself. Produced it. And I mixed it with another friend of mine.

VM: What’s that creative process like?

RS: It’s cool, I feel like it’s kind of part of the process for me. I kind of mix as I record and I kind of write as I record so it all happens at one time. I don’t like just sit down, write ten songs and then go record them. I write and record like all at one time.

VM: So when you’re writing…I feel like there are two different kinds of people who are like I have to sit down, have set hours and write or some people are like it just came to me…

RS: I don’t know, I mean I try to make time for it. I go through phases where I record a lot and then I stop. Usually when I’m in this phase right now, like bringing a record out, I don’t really write a lot. But when I’m ready, when it’s been a little bit of time and the dust settles I’ll go back in the studio and just start writing. But I used to write more, like every day I was writing something but lately that’s sort of changed a little bit because I’ve become more hands on with other aspects of this process. Which I find equally as gratifying and creative as making music. Like I think marketing your album and coming up with your release plan and your artwork and music video…to me they’re all like part of the same process. Because it shapes who you are and what you’re trying to say. Because you could have a really good song but it could be misrepresented with how you bring it to people and then it changes the perception of that song, so to me every little piece really matters and you have to be careful with all of it.

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VM: How do you balance your time with doing so many things going on such as working on movies as well…how do you balance all of that with your songwriting and the creation of an album?

RS: Well lately now I’ve been moving more into the movie stuff. For a while it was just full time Rooney but now I really want to be, I kind of want to diversify the thing that I like to do and be more hands on with all of it but it can be really hard because  you really just have to carve out time where you can fully devote all your attention to this one thing, for this period of time. They will overlap, like right now they’re overlapping. Things I’ve been doing thus far over the hiatus and now with the return of the Rooney record, they’re all hitting at one time and it’s becoming a little bit challenging but if I want to live this life, I have to just do it. I just have to figure out a way, basically. That’s my solution.

VM: So what do you have going on with the movie aspect?

RS: The movie, I directed a feature film that I co-wrote and it’s a feature length film that will be at the Tribeca film festival in April. And we’re just gearing up with prepping the movie for Tribeca. But what’s cool is I got to write the score for it so music was a part of it. And then I wrote a song for the movie that’s in the movie. It’s on the Rooney record. So they go together.

VM: It all collides and right now your worlds are colliding. Do you have any involvement with the new Princess Diaries?

RS: Oh the third one? I heard about that. It’s interesting, it’s been so many years since that movie but it hasn’t really gone away because it plays all the time. I never knew I would be in that movie. I didn’t know I was gonna be in a movie that would be just like, this long-lasting, movie. I’m happy to have been a part of it. I think its cool. I love that people love it. Whatever gets people excited, is all that matters.

VM: Just like people are excited for your record!

RS: That’s true, That’s true.

VM: and we are excited!

RS: You can pre-order it. People should know they can order vinyl and CDs now. On the Rooney website. Rooneymusic.com!

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VM: I know you have been sending new songs off the album to your fan club over email, how did you go about choosing those songs that you want those dedicated fans to hear first?

RS: Well, I think that when people give you their email address, I think its very cool, very personal. There’s a nice email list and it’s not technically a fan club right now but id like to turn it into a fan club. But I find sort of the people who are on our email list sort of get first dibs on new stuff. There was a free song sent only to email list people so it’s a way to reward people for just being apart of it. But I picked the song “Come on Baby” because I feel like it’s a new song, but it sort of to me sounds like Rooney. Like it sounds like what people know Rooney to sound like. And I think its good after all these years to give people a touch of familiarity before all this other new music comes out. And I want people to know that even tough it’s a new time for this band, it’s still the band everyone has liked for all these years. It’s still the same.

VM: So, SX really quick. You just got in, you probably haven’t seen much. What’s your SXSW plan?

RS: I don’t know, I don’t even know how to find shows. When it comes to SXSW, its always great to be here but I’m always here to do a show and I’m never in the mindset of seeing other bands.

VM: Finding shows is a full time job, I literally had a spreadsheet I had to make so I completely understand.

RS: Well I really just want to just chill out and enjoy being in Austin cause I really like being here. So I just want to have a little bit of down time. Maybe if there’s a good show. I’ve gotta get my badge.  I don’t have a pass yet, I gotta pick it up.

VM: Do you have any favorite restaurants in Austin? Or food you’re looking to enjoy?

RS: The Salt Lick, I’d like to try to go. I went there once and I was like this place is awesome. I couldn’t believe it.

VM: The Salt Lick is like a cultural experience.

RS: It really is, there’s nothing like it.

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***5% of all purchases of Rooney’s Washed Away made through the preorder page are being donated to The Pablove Foundation in support of their mission of helping kids with cancer live***

 

SXSW 2016: The Chainsmokers X Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero

The Chainsmokers

You may have first heard of this American EDM duo in 2014 with their chart topping hit “#Selfie,” but the Chainsmokers did not stop there. Over the past two years The Chainsmokers have released hit after hit and an EP titled Bouquet in 2015. If the EDM community wasn’t talking about Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall’s after all of that, the duo’s past two hits, “Roses” and “Don’t Let Me Down” have brought The Chainsmokers to a whole new level. Taggart and Pall are sitting on top of the world and ruling the music kingdom.

The Chainsmokers were down in Austin, TX, for SXSW to perform at this year’s MTV Woodies/10 for 16. The night before the Woodies, Taggart and Pall took some time after their soundcheck to talk to Vinyl Mag about everything from their music, to Fireball shots, to what they eat on the road and everything else in-between.

Vinyl Mag: Let’s talk about your music first. You have hit after hit and I’d like to call them very infectious. You could play them over and over again, and they just translate so well. Where does the inspiration come for these tracks? What does the creative process look like?

The Chainsmokers: Every song is different. We really don’t hold back on letting whatever we’re currently inspired by make it’s way into what we’re creating ourselves. We’re always listening to new music, and old music. I think whenever you hear a song from us it’s like a modge podge of what we were into that day. We make a ton of tracks, and only put out the best ones.

VM: The songs you are putting out are definitely the good ones. And you’re collabs and the vocals all work on these tracks. Is there any person/artist in particular that you have a dream to collaborate with? 

TC: So many. It changes weekly. We’re relatively new, speaking, to the music community, we just moved to LA. Everyone lives there, it seems like, so we’re really pumped to be there and set up time to get together and meet with these people that inspired us. It’s so cool to be a part of the Woodies. Being on the stage with a lot of these artists that are on our Spotify playlists. There isn’t one person, there’s so many. 

VM: If you could pick one right now.

C: We’d love to do work with Lukas Graham. And I want to work with Harry Styles, not One Direction just Harry Styles, cause I think he’s low-key, I really do.  I’d also love to work with Bon Iver, that’s one of my dreams. And I’d love to work with Phoenix cause they’re my favorite band. That’s a good list.

VM: Yeah, that’s a great list. Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?

TC: Drink Fireball.

VM: Shots? Full glasses?

TC: Shots. I don’t think you sip fireball.

VM: Ok, so about how many shots?

TC: Uh, about three or four? But then we switch to something else. 

VM: In a row?

TC: More or less, within the span of 10-15 min.

VM: Just to warm everything up?

TC: Yeah, exactly.

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VM: What do you guys like to eat on the road?

TC: That’s the best part about this, is that we get to travel all over the world and try all these different cuisines. Sometimes its sad because we don’t have the time to go do these places, so you like go to a place and you only have airport options, but in Barcelona we finally had some really good bomb ass food there but we’ve been there like 10 times and only had like terrible food. So it really just depends.

VM: What exactly did you eat that was incredible, what did you have?

TC: Tapas. But we had like octopus, mussels, foie gras and steak and there was like this egg and potato thing that was so bomb. Yeah it was awesome.

VM: What’ s the best thing you’ve eaten while touring at a festival?

TC: There’s this barbeque chicken that I had at this restaurant in North Carolina that was like, I’m thinking about it right now and …Carbone in Las Vegas. It’s at the Aria hotel, but they also have one in NYC. Spicy rigatoni is a fuckin must. It will change your life.

VM: Change my life, that’s what I like to hear! Are you guys going to catch any artists while you’re in Austin?

TC: We’re going to the Disruptor showcase and Xylo is playing with Jocelyn Alice and they’re really dope so I’m psyched to see them play even though we’ve seen them before and obviously I mean every performer on the Woodies, but particulary Lukas Graham. Excited to see Travis Scott always … There are so many bands unfortunately we’re not really here long enough to see them but we’re lucky that we get to see the ones we do.

VM: Is this your first SXSW?

TC: Yeah.

VM: Well welcome to Austin and I hope it treats you well! Also, I really have to share that I’m a big fan of all of your tracks. I just came back from a girl’s weekend and my friends had them on repeat the entire time.

TC: Which one?

VM: All of them. Especially “Roses” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”

TC: What’s your favorite?

VM: I absolutely love the new one.

TC: “Don’t let me down?”

VM: Yes…that drop… it just hits you in all the right places.

TC: It’s the first track drop I’ve ever made and I made it on a plane. I didn’t think it was good enough but then I played it for my friend Emily and Scott who I wrote the song with and they were like fuck yeah bro. It’s funny, like a lot of producers overproduce their shit but I think what we’ve learned is that if it gets the point across, it’s good. Less is more.

VM: I love electronic music, but I think with many electronic tracks you can play it and you love it and then you play it over and over again and get sick of it. Honestly speaking, I just think there is something about your songs, and you can just not get sick of them.

TC: That’s so nice!

VM: And with “Roses,” it just hit me like a ton of bricks….In a really good way.

TC: Hell yea!

VM: It’s just so fresh to the electronic scene.

TC: I can’t wait until you hear our new record

VM: I can’t wait either…when can we hear it?

TC: I expect April 1st.

VM: Yea? April 1st?

TC: I just got pumped up!

The Chainsmokers x Vinyl Mag

Festival Foodie: SXSW 2016 Eats

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero
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There’s no other place in the world like Austin, TX, especially during SXSW. And there’s definitely no other place to get your eat on than Austin during SXSW. We ate our way through SXSW 2016 and here’s what we chowed down on!

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Topo Chico Mineral Water
Festival Foodie Rating: forkforkforkforkfork

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Move over coconut water, we have a new obsession to help kickstart our day. Bottled in Monterrey, Mexico, Topo Chico is legendary. It is said that this sparkling mineral water saved the life of an Aztec princess and for the past 121 years it has been making it into the hands of the public. If you couldn’t make it down to SXSW or find Topo Chico at a retailer near you, there is always Amazon!
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Show Review: Ra Ra Riot, Sun Club, and PWR BTTM at Aisle 5 in Atlanta

Posted on by Chris Hunkele
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R A R A R I O T // photo by Nikki Greene
R A // R A // R I O T  .  photo by Nikki Greene

When Ra Ra Riot announced they were hitting the road to promote Need Your Light, I was anxious to see how the new material would translate to the stage. When I heard they’d be bringing Sun Club AND PWR BTTM with them, I was ecstatic. Then I found out these three would be playing steps away from my humble abode, so it only made sense that it quickly became the hottest ticket in town…Safe to say the ATL was in for a treat.

PWR BTTM

Mission to shred.

P W R // B T T M . Photo by Chris Hunkele
P W R // B T T M . Photo by Chris Hunkele

With all the press this band has received over the past six months, I was prepared for a letdown. The hype machine is a monster and has the ability to create novelties out of anyone with a hint of talent and quickly reduce them to a fading trend. I was worried I’d see into the eyes of the beast, but PWR BTTM put that notion to bed in about a minute and thirty seconds. They’re playing their first round of SXSW showcases this week and they’ll be one of the hardest acts to see. Usually I’d say you should never wait in line longer than ten or fifteen minutes to see a band at South by, but they’re different. Fresh. Dramatic. Unapologetic about their in your face queer agenda. And I like it.

Ugly Cherries is the best song I heard last year. The finger tapped riffs are replicated with ease under the lights and the drums are even heavier in person. Their song 1994 has been following me everywhere over the last few weeks, so I was happy to belt out a few ooooh woo oooh oohs as they tore through that track. I haven’t seen a band shred like this since my last Diarrhea Planet show – but Liv and Ben do it with one guitar. I was most impressed with their ability to flawlessly harmonize through complex rhythm changes throughout the set and put together the right amount of peaks and valleys present on their full length record. The makeup and gowns were on point too: A+ in the wardrobe department.

What I really enjoy about PWR BTTM is they sing about the same things all bands do: love and heartbreak, loneliness, having fun and wasting time. The only difference is they tell it from a perspective that few people want to have a conversation about. The true power of their music is that they’re getting to the bottom of how society views gender and homosexuality. It’s just a bonus that it happens to be really great rock & roll.

SUN CLUB

You gotta eat the pops…

S U N//C L U B . photo by Nikki Greene
S U N // C L U B . photo by Nikki Greene

Sun Club stepped on stage looking mismatched and a little confused. In setup, they appeared to struggle with where everything was supposed to go, and it took at least a song before all the cables were assigned to their respective 1/4” jacks. Even during their set which includes two drummers, loads of vintage gear, an ironing board, and a collection of antique dolls, they look more like a yard sale than a band. If any of the thrifty Ra Ra Riot fans who sold out the two hundred plus capacity venue were looking for a bargain, they came away with a steal in Sun Club.

The Baltimore five piece played through their debut full length, The Dongo Durango with a maelstrom of energy. When the house lights lowered, it was as if these guys became conduits possessed by some supernatural presence and the audience was treated to a live exorcism. Bassist Adam attempts to shake the demons loose from his head while drummers Devin and Kory beat them into submission. Shane almost speaks in tongues over psych-surf guitar licks while Mikey bounces around the stage, crying out heavily delayed chants from his soul. The whole show is an experiment in chaos. It makes sense that they recorded most of their album live, because I can’t imagine these dudes sitting still for longer than ten or fifteen minutes.

In the end it all comes together for Sun Club. Amidst the room rattling drum beats and driving bass lines, their punchy guitar tones pierce through the walls of reverb to provide sophisticated melodic support for the sometimes spastic vocal rhythms. For a band with little apparent structure, they are able to corral all the moving parts just long enough to produce a cohesive musical experience that can only be described as fun.

Thanks guys – I had a damn ball.

RA RA RIOT

All the feels.

R A // R A // R I O T . photo by Nikki Greene

The night closed out with the seasoned headliners providing professional level entertainment to the sold out venue. Fixtures of the indie music scene for over ten years, Ra Ra Riot have become a polished collection of musicians. Their unique brand of classical infused dance-rock almost sounded too big for the room – like we were part of an intimate listening party. Rarely do I leave a show in awe of the musical talent of a band, but they seriously impressed me. Something about violins and cellos inserted into a rock band changes everything – it sounds complete, composed, and purposeful. This band pays attention to the details.

The set list was heavy on recently released Need Your Light, which translated nicely to the stage, but included hits like Dance With Me and Beta Love to the delight of all. It was Ghost Under Rocks however that got everyone moving and put arms in the air.

Over the years, Ra Ra Riot has put together a catalog of songs for any emotion. They hit on all of them tonight.

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R A // R A // R I O T . photo by Nikki Greene
R A // R A // R I O T . photo by Nikki Greene
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Festival Foodie SXSW 2016 | Two Words: Kimchi Fries

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero

Chi'Lantro Kimchi Fries

We associate many things with Austin’s annual SXSW festival: music, technology, media, education, tacos, BBQ, day parties… While the list of affiliated foods, drinks, and entertainment goes on and on, it’s undeniable that there is one delectable treat that stands out. Over the past six years, SXSW attendees have come to crave Chi’Lantro’s acclaimed Kimchi Fries. This creation from Jae Kim has become a SXSW, as well as an Austin, staple.

This reinvention and fusion of Korean and Mexican cuisines is unlike anything you have ever tasted and no line is ever too long to wait in for Chi’Lantro’s fare. After years of indulging on Chi’Lantro’s menu, we just had to chat with Kim about one of our most favorite eats of SXSW.

Festival Foodie: Chi’Lantro is reinventing traditional Korean and Mexican cuisine, where did the idea/inspiration for your food truck and restaurants originate?

Jae Kim: I started the business with 30k in savings and by maxing out a credit card to 30k. I didn’t have the resources, or an experience to start a restaurant, so, leasing the food truck provided an opportunity to serve Korean BBQ inspired menu. We grew organically and took out a loan to open a restaurant.

FF: It’s easy to associate Austin, and Texas as a whole, with traditional BBQ- Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork, the works. Over the years, Chi’Lantro has made its own distinctive mark on Austin’s BBQ and food scene with elements of Korean BBQ. Can you explain what makes Korean BBQ different and how are Chi’Lantro’s rib-eye and pork Bulgogi prepared?

Kim: I heard Aaron Franklin of Franklin’s BBQ talking recently and he said making Franklin’s BBQ is a like a science because timing, temperature, and quality has to be perfect. I think Korean BBQ isn’t as time consuming as Texas BBQ because weather doesn’t play into the factor, but we use over 20 ingredients to mix our thinly sliced meat, marinate them for over 24 hours, and cooked on a hot flat top grill.

FF: As a vegetarian option, Tofu is offered as a protein menu item. Is your tofu prepared in any particular manner? 

Kim: It’s very simple, yet very good. It’s cubed and fried lightly to give it a slightly crunchy texture on the outside, then pour in our house made tofu sauce for taste.

FF: Where can attendees find Chi’Lantro at this year’s SXSW? Will you be partnering with any specific brands this year?

Kim: We are at Southbites, Austin Convention Center, Palmer Center, 823 Congress, 1509 South Lamar, and East 6th Street. We’ve partnered with multiple brands to give away food during Interactive and Music portion of SXSW. It will be exciting.

Chi'Lantro Map
1. Austin Convention Center: 500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 2. Palmer Events Center: 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 3. 823 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 4. 1509 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX – Also find Chi’Lantro on East 6th Street!

 

FF: How would you describe those famous Kimchi Fries in one word? 

Kim: Winning

FF: How did these fries become such a staple to SXSW? 

Kim: Word of mouth. We do our best to give our customers quality and consistent food and service and it’s been recognized by our fans and customers at SXSW. We are humbled and thankful.

FF: In addition to your Kimchi Fries, what other menu items would you suggest to someone who has never had Chi’Lantro? 

Kim: Our bowl is 2nd most popular item on our menu and we won’t disappoint you!

Eureka California: Versus

Posted on by Nikki Smith

Eureka California is a hidden gem of Athens, Georgia. While the music scene in The Classic City presents a plethora of dreamy sounds and echo effects, the indie rock duo exudes a sound that samples from the 90’s rock style and references classic authors and musicians alike. With lyrical spin-offs of Simon & Garfunkel and Martha & The Vandellas, Eureka offers a refreshing sound. The duo consists of guitarist, Jake Ward and drummer, Marie A. Uhler. While they’ve been playing together for five years and may be a relatively new band in the Athens music scene, there is no doubt that this pair is comfortable in their own skin.

Eureka drops their new album, Versus (HHBTM Records), on March 25th, but they’ve been kind enough to give Vinyl Mag an early preview. Versus was recorded at Suburban Home Studios with MJ of Hookworms. The album opens with “Eureka California’s Night In.” The music video features Ward and Uhler walking to Athens’ own Little Italy for a slice a pizza and ends with a night on the couch watching what can only be an endless vortex of cat videos. Stylistically, Eureka is energetic with a hint of cynicism. Ward’s powerful vocals and stark guitar melodies are amplified by Uhler’s merciless drumbeats.

Lyrically, Versus embodies the isolation that comes with the uniformity and calamity of living in a cityscape. Eureka cleverly combines lively melodies with lyrics about passing up a night on the town for a quiet night in the house. Ward sings about the pageant that is Athens nightlife, although this can be applied to any city with a string of bars dedicated to millennial past-times, “I’m much too slow for a social animal.” In a city where 2 a.m. beckons the “final call”, you ask yourself, “Where did my time and money go?” Consequentially, you believe your night would’ve been better spent indoors, as Ward explains, “When I turn on the TV it makes me feel like someone’s home.” How often do we feel a strong sense of closeness to the voices coming through our televisions? There’s a strange comfort that comes with the mindless drone of advertisements in a city where nightlife conversations consist of platitudes about college majors and an uncertain future; it certainly can make you feel like “the only living boy in Athens, Georgia. However, it would be unjustified to deem Eureka as “recluse,” in fact, it seems that they also know how to have a good time, as Ward explains a typical night on the town, “Wearing clothes that I found at the bar, and I’m sobering up in the back of your car…Summer’s here and the time is right for getting black out drunk in the street.”

While the city harbors a sense of romance and unity from an outsider’s perspective, Eureka California seems to transport their listeners through the shenanigans that come with warm weather to the underlying loneliness that comes with being in a large crowd. Eureka can hang, but they also know the importance of solitude and self-awareness. Versus is dance inducing, fun and cohesive, but Eureka’s identity comes out in the lyrics. A smart listener should appreciate the modern rock group’s energy and be able to peel back the layers of their upbeat sound to find Eureka’s ability to reference reality in a subtle stream of lyrics.

4/5