vinyl mag – Page 2

Lucy Dacus: ‘Historian’

Posted on March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 by Emma Korstanje

After her 2016 debut, No Burden, Lucy Dacus was hailed as one of rock’s most promising new players. With her sophomore release, Historian on March 2, Dacus fulfills that promise—and then some.

Dacus’ delicate—but not in any way frail—vocals lead the way through the album, which almost feels like a rambling stroll through a narrative carefully sculpted with tattoo-worthy one-liners. The album screams maturity, carrying a sense of depth and knowledge that many decades-older veteran musicians at times struggle to grasp. In Historian, Dacus asks the big questions and allows herself vulnerable realizations while simultaneously staking her ground and declaring her space in rock music anyway.

The album opens with “Night Shift,” a track that’s equally heartbreaking and beautiful. Opening slowly, the track grows, seeming as if it’s never going to end but in a way that’s entirely positive. Though not one of the biggest stand-outs on the album, its a nice opener to the lineup.

The first real kicker in the album is the third track, “The Shell.” Upon opening, the song almost feels like being drunk at a party, a great party, but nevertheless still trapped in one’s own head. With lines like “I am busy doing nothing and you’re rudely interrupting/ It’s a myth but now I see it clearly / You don’t have to be sad to make something worth hearing,” the lines feel like a stream-of-consciousness, but somehow still entirely relatable.

The real shining moment of the track is towards its end—a trend that will come up again as the album progresses. The last third of the track almost evolves outside of this stream-of-consciousness to something wholly other, with the instrumental taking front in a way that builds similarly to that of great psychedelic ballads, entirely unexpected but definitely nice.

Next, to look at “Yours and Mine,” another standout in the lineup. She amps up the vocals on this track, bringing in some heavier, but still simple, harmonies to round out the lead—proving that Dacus doesn’t need to do crazy things with her vocals for her vocals to be crazy good. The best moment on this track, however, is the guitar solo rounding out the end. It’s fuzzy, it doesn’t feel overdone, and it seems to perfectly compliment the rest of the song in a nice juxtaposition.

“Body to Flame,” the sixth track, is practically cinematic in its greatness. It’s fairly calm, ambling, before Dacus belts, “Laughing aloud at the spinning stars” and the track explodes. It’s fuzzy, it’s a sensory-overload, it’s fazing in-and-out and it’s exactly what the album needs. With lines like “I see you holding your breath with your arms outstretched/ Waiting for someone to come rip open your chest,” the track almost feels like a Joan Didion essay, giving you all of the details you didn’t know you wanted—but somehow Dacus did.

Finally, the funkiest track on the album, “Timefighter.” This particular song feels self-assured, as if written by someone confident enough to walk away from a love and be able survive the fallout. It’s groovy and definitely a track you can lay back into and get comfortable with, just swaying to the beat as she spells out the story. This track, again, shines in guitar solos, but this time they’re particularly gritty, rough, and harsh on the edges. Further, the almost staccato stop-and-go towards the middle of the song shows her own self-restraint as an artist, her own maturity to know when to pull back. It fits, so well, in the overall narrative—proving her own badness in the best way possible.

On her sophomore album, Lucy Dacus confidently strode into the world of rock—showing that though it’s just her second album, she already has the chops to be a mainstay in the industry.

9/10

Review: Judah & the Lion: Going to Mars Tour

Posted on March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 by Emma Korstanje

Tall Heights :

Colony House:

Judah:

The first of Judah & the Lion’s two-night sold-out stint at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA, started strong and ended with a bang. The “folk hop n’ roller’s” constructed a show as equally meaningful as it was exciting, and easily kept fans on their toes for the entirety of the night.

The show opened with Tall Heights, an electrofolk duo out of Boston, MA. At this point, the theatre was already quite full and the musicians played to that pressure well. While they crooned, they found incredibly interesting ways to engage the audience—at one point pulling off one of the coolest in-show magic tricks I’ve ever seen. The group asked the entire audience to pull out their various phones, to call another in the room, and then put the call on speaker. These calls echoed throughout the theatre and really brought the performance to another level.

Next up was Colony House, a group out of Nashville, TN. These modern-day Beach Boy rockers had a strong following in the audience and definitely played to that strength. The group was upbeat, incredibly high energy, and carried the confidence of experience. Though considerably louder (think: drums-shaking-ribcage-loud) the band managed to keep a clean sound to show off their technical prowess.

Both openers were met with really strong reactions from the crowd. Then there was Judah. The crowd erupted.

Understandably so, as the Nashville-based headliners opened the set with a dance-party rendition of “Booty Wurk (One Cheek At a Time).” The group held this vivacity through the entirety of the set, intertwining hip hop and folk seamlessly throughout.

The band played much of it’s Folk Hop N’ Roll album, out in 2017. However, the show was far from the average, sit-and-watch-for-two-hours, set. Just as the bands that preceded, Judah & the Lion kept the show interactive.

With moments like a dance-off during the song “Reputation,” a surprise cover of “Mr. Brightside” featuring all three bands, and the crowd singing competition during “Green Eyes”—which later determined which side of the stage members would dive off of—the band kept the show accessible and genuinely fun. Just a really good time. The crowd continuously had no clue what was coming next, but surely it was going to be great.

Through the fun, there was some sentimental, deeper-meaning to the show. Frontman Judah Akers told the story of the bands first show outside of Nashville, which happened to be at a smaller venue in the Athens area. The show seemed to carry a lot of meaning for the group, as Akers grew a bit emotional before launching into the inspirational “Going to Mars.”

The show “ended” with a two-minute dance party during one of the band’s biggest hits, “Take It All Back,” before an encore was demanded. Once again, they brought out the other two bands for an incredibly sweet, stripped down rendition of “Lean on Me,” before ending the set with “Water,” a track from the bands 2014 album Kids These Days. I’m fairly certain that the general sentiment of the crowd was of a “One more song!” mentality, but with a band like Judah & the Lion that certainly doesn’t come as a surprise.

10/10

Vinyl Mag’s Holiday Playlist

Posted on December 1, 2015January 7, 2015 by Vinyl Mag

Black Lips at the 40 Watt

Posted on September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 by Nikki Smith

The line to the 40 Watt curved down Pulaski Street as people waited for the doors to open. Those who RSVP’d ahead of time were sent to a Red Bull Sound Select representative and given free chocolate chips cookies and foam black lips. Once inside, Muuy Biien performed an enthusiastic show and set the hardcore, punk mood for the rest of the night. Front man, Josh Evans brought the energy and the fun with his animated dance moves. After Muuy Biien, people migrated to the bar or outside for a cigarette. Even the boys of Muuy Biien made their way to ground level as fellow Black Lips fans. We weren’t outside for more than 30 minutes before my friend points out Black Lips’ singer, Cole, and the band’s female saxophonist walking by. It was an occurrence that seemed so surreal at the time, to be that close to performers dressed in their punk garb and makeup. Shaky Knees was a completely different experience; fans leaned over metal gates and bodyguards in order to reach for the Black Lips. The 40 Watt is much more intimate, eliminating the barrier between the audience and the performers. It’s not uncommon to see band members mingling among the audience with a PBR in hand or partaking in the chaos that is the mosh pit.

Finally, the seemingly misplaced 50’s standby music abruptly transitions to the rough and raw guitar sounds of Black Lips. Opening with “Family Tree,” the band wastes no time in amping up the energy. Cole gracefully trust falls onto a tightly packed group of audience members, and is just as gracefully placed back on stage. I vigorously nodded my head and bounced in the back of the crowd. The band recently included a female saxophonist that brings a new layer to the band’s sound. Although she is only present for a few songs, her power gives the songs new life. Its no secret that punk-rock shows can be overwhelming; one doesn’t come to a punk-rock show to sit in the back and not get pushed around. I think the genre is successful in generating an energetic crowd; as long as the performers are screaming into the mic and jumping around on stage, the audience is bound to follow. The genre gets back what it puts in. Have you ever been to a rock concert and not been able to dance? It’s hard. I think the same concept goes for any genre, but the punk-rock genre is all about creating chaos and instilling a rebellious mindset in its listeners.

It wasn’t long before I saw my girlfriend crowd surfing a few bodies in front of me. She was so close to the stage that I think Cole looked her square in the face. A few girls gabbed back in forth in front of me, a few even checking updates from Instagram as the band played “Boys in the Woods.” I couldn’t go to a Black Lips show at the 40 Watt and remain in the safe section. People started to filter out of the crowd, making their way to the calmness of the bar. The aggressive moshing and flying toilet paper rolls were too much to handle, but I grabbed my friend by the hand and pushed our way closer, eventually reuniting with my crowd surfing friend. I knew the concert was coming to an end, and I also knew I would regret it if I didn’t enter the ominous mosh pit. I asked my crowd surfing friend to come with me, which she agreed to without hesitation. As we pushed our way into the pit, the temperature immediately climbed 10 degrees and the humidity was enough to stifle my breath. Once in the center of the pit, my legs and arms became pinned to my body. It took all the power I had to pull an arm up for defense. I finally got my head up enough to see Jared’s sweaty, red face and the veins popping out of his neck as he belted out “Bad Kids.” In a blur, I see a guy jumping off the stage, and it’s my job to catch him. Immediately the impact takes my friend and I to the floor. I was surprised to feel people reaching for me, helping me up. It wasn’t long before the weight of so many bodies took its toll, and just as I felt a crushing sensation in my chest and a tingling in my face, I moshed my way out of the pit.

Just as Black Lips ended, the crowd chanted for an encore, and the band willingly obliged. I discovered I’m not much of a mosher, but I was proud of myself for taking a chance. Their recorded songs definitely have a cleaner quality, but there’s something about the rawness of a blood-curdling scream and the feedback of a guitar that gets to the heart of the audience member, physically. If you’re heart isn’t racing at a Black Lips concert, you’re either in the bathroom or passed out.

Beach House: Depression Cherry

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Nikki Smith

Beach House is best described as a dream. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand form this indie duo. Since their first self-titled album in 2006, Beach House has become an obscure gem among the indie-rock scene, often likened to the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and Grizzly Bear, among others.

Beach House’s newest release, Depression Cherry, stays true to their ethereal style. You begin the album, and the notion of time seems to fade; before you know it, you’re sitting in a dark room, and the afternoon has turned into night. How appropriate that the album should embody the nighttime, but not at all depressing like the title implies. The tracks are dreamy and sensual. 80’s synthetic overlays give the album a dark-techno sound, but the album is not eerie. In fact, it is very sublime and relaxing with its languid melodies.

The album opens with “Levitation,” a dramatic first track with 80’s synthesizer tones and Legrand’s lofty vocals. A soft tambourine transitions to a rhythmic beat and subtle rock guitar riffs. “Sparks” follows with a raw guitar opening accompanied with a techno backdrop, giving the track an industrial style, softened by airy vocals. “Space Song” takes on a different sound with a surfer vibe, while “PPP,” one of the more popular tracks, takes on the style of a love song, reflecting a 50’s melody.

The album seems to be a combination of love songs and lullabies, all of which are enrapturing and comforting in their gentle vocals. Although the band name might imply a sound best suited for the west coast, Beach House captivates their listeners by taking the indie genre, which is normally associated to sounds similar to punk and rock, and combines it with a sound less harsh than the industrial genre and an 80’s techno style to create complex and beautiful melodies.

4/5

Vinyl Mag’s Best of 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014January 8, 2015 by Vinyl Mag

Best Albums

Strange Desire by Bleachers and The Outsiders by Eric Church (Hannah Smith)
A Toothpaste Suburb by Milo and Salad Days by Mac DeMarco (Trey Moss)
The Pinkprint by Nicki Minaj, Broke With Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks, and 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole (DeShonna Johnson)
The Balcony by Catfish and the Bottlemen (Jackie Citero)
This Is All Yours by Alt-J (Nikki Smith and Emily McBride)
Also St. Vincent by St. Vincent and 1989 by Taylor Swift (Emily McBride)

Best Film

Gone Girl (Hannah Smith)
Godzilla or The Imitation Game (Trey Moss)
“The Lego Movie. Chris Pratt. Legos. Duh.” (DeShonna Johnson)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (Jackie Citero)
Annabelle. “Wow, I think that’s the only movie I saw in theaters this year.” (Nikki Smith)
Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Trip to Italy (Emily McBride)

Best Concert/Show/Festival

Eric Church (Hannah Smith)
Tall Tall Trees at the rooftop of the Georgia Theatre (Trey Moss)
“Does Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On The Run HBO special count?” (DeShonna Johnson)
“Hands down Lockn’. It just keeps getting better and better every year!” (Jackie Citero)
Roky Erickson with Black Angels at Terminal West (Nikki Smith)
Cabaret on Broadway, Rave of Thrones with Kristian Nairn (Hodor), and The Gaslight Anthem at Shaky Knees (actually, pretty much all of Shaky Knees).” (Emily McBride)

Best Beauty/Fashion Moment

“Sarah Jessica Parker’s ode to Oscar de la Renta at the Met Gala.” (Hannah Smith)
Erykah Badu’s short hairstyle (Trey Moss)
The delicate jewelry trend (Jackie Citero)
“The Chanel feminist protest, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne’s Burberry campaign, and Alexander Wang’s collaboration with H&M. And, course, our first fashion shoot for Vinyl Mag!” (Emily McBride)

Best New Gadget

“I just got the iPhone 5, so I’m still fascinated by that. Yes, I do realize the iPhone 6 has been released. Yes, I’m behind the times.” (Hannah Smith)
“Amazon Echo is pretty neat, but it’s still in beta testing.” (Trey Moss)
“My new fridge so that I can rely on more than just Ramen for sustenance.” (DeShonna Johnson)
“Recently received a Kindle, and it has changed my world!” (Jackie Citero)
“Portable phone charger for South by Southwest. Life-changing.” (Emily McBride)

Best Book Read

“This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. The movie is great, but I highly recommend reading the book if you have the time.” (Hannah Smith)
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick (Trey Moss)
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (DeShonna Johnson)
The Defining Decade – it’s a book I would recommend to anyone 18-29! It gives you such a different perspective on how you should be viewing your 20s. Wish I had read the book sooner!” (Jackie Citero)
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Nikki Smith)
Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (Emily McBride)

Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday Purchase

“The only thing I bought for Black Friday was one of those bulk packages of Maruchan Ramen.” (Trey Moss)
“A black pencil skirt from Target for only like 12 bucks.” (DeShonna Johnson)
“Topshop ear cuff for 30 percent off!” (Emily McBride)

Best Thing Learned from Pinterest

“I learned how to make healthy ice cream sandwiches using graham crackers, peanut butter, and bananas. Don’t knock it till you try it.” (Hannah Smith)
“Let me ask my mom.” (Trey Moss)
“Despite the exercise moves that I’ll probably never do, I found a pretty good infographic on preparing for and acing job interviews. Welcome to adulthood, kiddos.” (DeShonna Johnson)
“How to make really cute heart cutout cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.” (Jackie Citero)
“Tumeric mask and any natural remedies.” (Nikki Smith)
“So many crock pot recipes.” (Emily McBride)

Best Trip Taken

“Nashville, Tn. I’d never been before this year.” (Hannah Smith)
“A train ride to the Adirondacks with my buddy Mark.” (Trey Moss)
Shreveport, Louisiana. (DeShonna Johnson)
“A trip to Bald Head Island in North Carolina for my best friend’s wedding. SUCH an amazing island!” (Jackie Citero)
Lobsterfest in Maine (Nikki Smith)
“This has been the year of trips for me – it’s been fantastic! The Hamptons this summer. New Orleans to see a friend. Austin for South by Southwest. Chicago to see a friend. Monterey, Ca. to see a friend. Nashville to go see Hodor at Rave of Thrones. Favorite must have been New York City this Christmas to see Cabaret – that was a perfect trip.” (Emily McBride)

Best Moment at Vinyl Mag

“Being able to share my opinions through different reviews.” (Hannah Smith)
“Consistently missing deadlines and forgetting what day it is.” (Trey Moss)
“Becoming an intern and falling in love with Cara Delevingne!” (DeShonna Johnson)
“Every single moment of covering Electric Forest for Vinyl!” (Jackie Citero)
“Interview with King Buzzo of The Melvins.” (Nikki Smith)
“Getting to put together our first fashion spread.” (Emily McBride)

Resolutions

“I’ll decide in 2015.” (Hannah Smith)
“Acceptance to Indiana University’s graduate school program.” (Trey Moss)
“Worry less.” (DeShonna Johnson)
“To try something new or go someplace I’ve never been before every month!” (Jackie Citero)
“Plant a garden, and keep it alive.” (Nikki Smith)
“Just keep it up.” (Emily McBride)

Most Excited For in 2014

“Spending the summer in Athens for the first time.” (Hannah Smith)
“Pokemon League Champion. Graduating from UGA is a contender, I guess.” (Trey Moss)
“My 21st birthday!” (DeShonna Johnson)
“New music and bigger and better music festivals…Governor’s Ball, I’m looking at you! Oh! And we can’t forget about Better Call Saul coming next year!” (Jackie Citero)
“Becoming a senior at UGA.” (Nikki Smith)
“Better Call Saul for sure, and more exciting Vinyl stuff!” (Emily McBride)

Vinyl Mag’s New Year Playlist

Posted on December 31, 2014March 11, 2015 by Vinyl Mag

Happy New Year! 2014 was quite a year – pop the champagne, and let’s review.

Melvins x Vinyl Mag

Posted on November 19, 2014January 8, 2015 by Nikki Smith

Pinkus recorded the vast majority of that song while he was stoned on LSD. Listen to it with that in mind, and it will all make sense.

The Melvins have been very busy in 2014 making three volumes of This Machine Kills Artists and two full-length albums. All the while, they’ve have gathered a large following over the years with their indefinable style. It is part punk, a little grunge, a handful of metal, but mostly a genre all its own, Melvin. Since the 80’s, the Melvins have joined forces with various artists. For their latest album, Hold It In, Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers join the Melvins pot. Vinyl Mag talked with King Buzzo himself, about the collabs, music style, and hairstyle.

Vinyl Mag: Since the 80’s, how do you think the hard rock/grunge genre has changed?

Buzz Osborne: Oh God, Jesus, and Holy Mother of Pearl, I have no idea. Have things changed at all? I suppose they have, but it’s hard to see it really. I’ve hated everything since I was 15. That hasn’t changed.

VM: How have (the) Melvins’ sound changed – and stayed the same – over the years to adapt to your modern listeners?

BO: I’ve never in my life had any idea what young people want. I’ve hated children since I was a child. I’ve fortunately never concerned myself with what young people like or want. This is a good thing.

VM: Can you tell us about the process of writing and producing Hold It In?

BO: Well, lets see… Pinkus, Paul, and I each wrote a batch of songs over the course of about a year. We then gathered ourselves into studios in Austin and Los Angeles and hammered out the basics. Once we had those basics the way we wanted them, we began doing the overdubs, which took a lot of emailing and name calling. Then came mixing and mastering. The rest was easy!

VM: What is the concept of the album?

BO: There’s no concept.

VM: How has Butthole Surfers’ JD and Paul’s style contributed to your new album, Hold It In? How has the collaboration meshed with the typical Melvins sound?

BO: Both Paul and Pinkus are great players and good songwriters, so it was nice to be able to have them be involved. I let them do whatever they wanted.

VM: You seem to do quite a few collaborations; how does a collab come together, specifically this one with the Butthole Surfers?

BO: Pinkus was in Los Angeles, so Dale and I decided to jam a bit with him. One thing led to another, and a year and a half later, we have a record! We’re not afraid of such things. When you have no fear, it’s difficult to mess things up.

VM: Do you have anyone else you’d love to collaborate with?

BO: Yes indeed, but no one who’s willing to do something of that nature with us.

VM: “You Can Make Me Wait” has a different sound than the rest of the tracks on the album, kind of spacey. Can you explain the experimental addition?

BO: Spacey? I wouldn’t have thought spacey, but okay. It has a bit of a commercial vibe to it, but it’s still pretty weird.

VM: “Barcelonian Horseshoe Pit” also has that experimental sound. What was the process for making this particular track?

BO: Pinkus recorded the vast majority of that song while he was stoned on LSD. Listen to it with that in mind, and it will all make sense.

VM: Obviously, you’re very experienced in the music world. There are so many people trying to create bands, keep bands afloat, and get to the next level. What is one piece of advice you wish you had known going into your music career?

BO: Be as weird as is possible.

VM: How has the industry changed since you started?

BO: It’s a lot harder to sell records, but other than that, not much has changed. There’s a lot of argument now about how great tape sounds compared to digital. Listen to our first 7 inch. It sounds like shit. Recording it to tape didn’t help one bit.

VM: What is your favorite part of making music?

BO: 50-50 split between recording and playing live.

VM: Do you listen to your own music recreationally?

BO: Not really, it’s not fun for me.

VM: You and Jared Warren seem to share the same taste in hair style – is there some competition going on? What’s your best hair care advice?

BO: Shave your head.

AthFest 2014: Stokeswood x Vinyl Mag

Posted on July 2, 2014July 2, 2014 by Miranda Feneberger

Imagine a group like Young The Giant on 80’s dance steroids. That’s kind of what comes to mind when I try to describe the incredible and unique sound of five-piece Atlanta rock group Stokeswood.

I had the opportunity to sit down with the guys before their set this weekend at AthFest, and let me tell you – they’re awesome. Sometimes speaking with bands makes you realize that the people you thought were cool aren’t actually that cool.

But man, these guys are cool. After a long buffalo wing and World Cup filled discussion, we got down to business discussing their newest single, their killer logo, and of course, Smashmouth.

VM: So, how did you guys meet?
Jon Joiner: A couple of us went to school together, you know, college years.

Justin Mullinix: Adam, Jon, and Mark went to college together, and technically Mike, too. So I’m the only one. I did go to elementary school with Adam, though.

VM: So you guys have a new single out – “Our Streets” – and a video. Tell me about the song.

Mike Roman: We were just writing songs one night. We’d just get together and say, ‘cool, we’re going to write songs on Wednesdays.’ We’d just clown out chords, hum along, and have our Pro Tools rig open. The song actually came together pretty naturally in one night.

VM: That must be super convenient when something just comes together like that.

MR: Yeah, the best songs always do.

Mark Godwin: They don’t always happen that way.

VM: So is this single leading up to a new Stokeswood album, perhaps?

MR: It is. But no official, ‘hey, we’re putting out an album’ or anything. We’re just writing and recording.

MG: We have enough songs for a new EP definitely, but we’re still working and writing. We also had the opportunity to go film the music video [for “Our Streets”] out in LA with Eli Berg, which was great timing.

MR: This single was just ready, and we hadn’t put anything out in a long time. We actually did the whole song as a ruse to get us to California.

VM: Will the new album sound a lot like the old one, or are you all moving in a new direction?

MR: I mean, how much do you miss Smashmouth?

VM: I mean, I miss Smashmouth everyday.

MR: More like Sugar Ray and Smashmouth.

MG: It’s definitely like the next evolution of the last album. It’s going to have the same soundscape that the new single does.

JJ: The first album was more rock-y, but it had some leanings into dance music, and we’re now even more on the dance side.

MR: We’re all 80’s kids, so I feel like it’s always going to have that 80’s retro vibe.

VM: Random technical question, but where did your logo come from? Because it’s awesome.

MG: We did that on a night we got together and decided to come up with a logo.

Adam Patterson: Show her your tattoos.

MG: On the first album, we had this song called “The Extraordinary Mr. Hit,” and this is back when Justin wasn’t in the band, and the song was written by Adam before we went into the studio. Justin had produced some hip hop tracks and was showing us some production techniques, and the sound wave image ended up resembling this guy which I tattooed on my forearm.

AP: The images are vocals, so it’s technically our sound waves.

MG: It wasn’t completely planned, but it turned out nicely and worked well.

MR: [Stoner voice] We all got together and-

MG: [Sarcastically] Oh yeah, we were all on meth!

VM: Oh, great! [Laughs] A lot of artists outsource that kind of thing, so it’s cool that it’s something you all came up with organically!

MR: Sean Kaminsky, he actually goes to UGA [University of Georgia], came up with the final draft of the one we use now though.

VM: So you all played Party in the Park, and now you’re playing AthFest. What’s your favorite part about playing festivals?

MG: I think the fans. Festivals are unique, because people save up money, they plan around it, and they’re there for one reason, and that’s to see live music. That’s the best part for me anyway, because you really get a group of people who are there for the same reason as you.

AP: Yeah, the campout festivals versus the one-day festivals are really awesome, because people are there to really let loose for two to three days in a row. We were lucky enough to play Aura Fest the last couple years in North Florida; we played the inaugural CounterPoint Festival, and the campout vibe is awesome.

VM: So this is a question I love to ask everyone, but if you could plan your ideal musical fest with any artists, dead or alive, who would play?

MG: Smashmouth and Sugar Ray!

MR: We were playing a show with Papadosio, and our third show with them, there was a guy who was very clearly on substances, and he wanted to bring a festival to Brazil, and he wanted it to be ‘avant garde and retarded,’ and he was going to call it ‘Avantarded.’ He was onto something, I think. He wanted us, Paul McCartney, Daft Punk, Papadosio, and U2, and I’m just going to go with him, because I think he is a visionary. Avantarded 2020, we’ll see you in Brazil.

MG: I think on my festy of the dead people I’d say Mozart, Whitest Boy Alive, Talking Heads in their heyday.

MR: Bernie Worrell.

MG: Just dueling pianos Mozart vs. Bernie.

JJ: Talk about Avantarded…

MR: Avantarded! Oh, Kilo Ali!

All: Kilo Ali!

MG: Kilo Ali, Mozart, and the Talking Heads.

JM: And DJ Khaled.

[Whole table laughs for about 10 minutes talking about Stokeswood’s hypothetical new side project, MethMouth]

VM: To wrap up, what’s in store for you guys in the future? Obviously, you’re working on an album.

MR: We want to expand our touring to get over to the west coast. But at least for now is making sure we can just put together the best album we can.

VM: What’s the number one west coast city you guys want to play?

MR: LA.

MG: Portland.

AP: Oh, Portland [laughs].

JM: Seattle!

MG: All of them – ‘City of the West Coast.’

Stokeswood on Tour!

Jul 06 PARK TAVERN   w/ Radio Birds   Atlanta, GA
Jul 17 River Jam Concert Series Charlotte, NC
Jul 18 New Mountain Theatre Asheville, NC
Jul 19 Play it Forward Music Festival Atlanta, GA
Jan 24 The Rock Boat XV   w/ Michael Franti &…   Cozumel, Mexico
Jan 25 The Rock Boat XV   w/ Barenaked Ladies   Cozumel, Mexico
Jan 26 The Rock Boat XV   w/ Scars On 45   Cozumel, Mexico
Jan 27 The Rock Boat XV   w/ Sister Hazel   Cozumel, Mexico
Jan 28 The Rock Boat XV   w/ The Mowgli’s   Cozumel, Mexico

Athfest 2014: Wieuca x Vinyl Mag

Posted on June 24, 2014June 25, 2014 by Miranda Feneberger

Four piece “characteristically noisy” (their words, not mine) southern rock group, Wieuca, was founded in 2011 by frontman and guitarist Will Ingram and drummer Robert Smith. Three years, two new members and one full length album later, Wieuca takes the main stage at AthFest and kills it.

The chemistry onstage is incredible, and the group works a hot and sweaty 1 p.m. crowd with ease. The four shred through their performance and earn themselves a place in my ranks as one of the best groups in Athens to see live. These guys come from all around Atlanta and are somewhat new to the Athens area, so I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re glad they’re here.

We grabbed an interview with the boys before their set and asked them a little about how it feels to be performing on the main stage this year, and what plans Wieuca has for the future.

VM: I read that you guys describe yourselves as having a “characteristically noisy approach to the southern sound.” With such a unique sound, what kind of artists influence you as a group??

Will: When we started playing together, we were heavily influenced by 90’s college rock and midwestern alt-country, but we’ve started incorporating a little bit of everything. It’s fun to combine different styles in an unexpected way.

Robert: I think it’s always hard to pinpoint exactly who or what is influencing us at any point in time. Consciously trying to emulate any particular artist isn’t something we really do. Our everyday lives, our relationships, are really our biggest influences. But if I had to name an artist, I’ve spent the past couple of months listening to a lot of Todd Rundgren. And War on Drugs. They’re pretty tight, too.

VM: I saw you play at Rowdy Dowdy a few weeks back, and I was thoroughly impressed with your dynamic as a band. You have great chemistry and just all around good stuff going on on stage. You’ve had a few lineup changes in the past; do you finally feel really good about the group?

Robert: Yeah, the lineup seems pretty solid at the moment.

Will: The band is more collaborative and fun than it ever has been, but we’re open to adding more members to expand the potential of our live show.

VM: There Is No Balance, your most recent record, was released in 2013. Do you guys have plans for a new album in the works?

Will: The last album came out seven months ago, and since then we’ve been recording our next one. We haven’t decided whether to release it soon or to make it a double-length and record a few more tracks first.

VM: First of all, congratulations on earning yourselves a main stage performance at AthFest this year! Who are you all most excited to see?

Will: Elf Power. And DEGA was great last night.

Robert: Futurebirds are one of my favorite bands, and seeing them in Athens is always pretty radical, so them of course. And one of their openers, Woodfangs, are another one of our favorite local bands.

VM: You guys clearly have a sense of humor, from the fantastic Jesus Christ critique on your website to the name of your band, Wieuca. Tell us a little about why you finally decided on Wieuca as a band name to represent you all as artists.

Will: Wieuca is straight, so we wanted it to represent us.

VM: What is your favorite song from the record to play live?

Will: We usually play our new songs at shows and try them in front of a crowd before recording them.

VM: Who came up with the idea behind the music video for “Low Probability”?

Robert: Will.

Will: The video stars a handsome young man with a mustache.

VM: What’s your favorite activity, besides playing music, to do together as a band?

Robert: Scoping out new and exciting ethnic cuisines. Which goes pretty well with our other favorite activity of teaching O’Reilly how to correctly pronounce certain words.

VM: What’s in the pipeline for Wieuca? Do you have any exciting plans in the future?

Will: We’re looking forward to releasing our new songs.

VM: I have to ask you my signature question as well: If you could choose the headliners (dead or alive) for a new music festival, who would play?

Will: It would be really cool to see Bill Doss with OTC. Or Vic Chesnutt.

Robert: You could make a pretty awesome festival solely with Athens musicians who have passed away…