Tag: vinylmag.org
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REVIEW: Christian Bitto’s “The September Call-Up” EP
Christian Bitto, a self-named musician from Philadelphia, PA, is a new artist to watch in the indie/rock scene.
While mainly acoustic-driven, he is accompanied in his live shows by bandmates Niall Hood on bass and Jesse Gimbel on drums to create an intimate trio that can range from quiet, soft, finger-picked melodies to emotional rock.
After giving Bitto’s EP, The September Call-Up, a listen, his voice instantly reminded me of Oliver Sim from London’s indie band The XX, while the instrumentals made me think of softer Brand New and Jimmy Eat World, as well as the clean reverb affect given by Chris Isaak’s Gretsch 6120.
The opening song, “Next to You”, has great vocals- pure and in its simplest form- guitar with slight distortion and simple chords, and a great bass and drums to back and compliment it. I love songs like these. It reminds me of a great CD I got as a kid called Sweet Lowland by Dodd Ferrelle, so in a way it evokes a bittersweet nostalgia for me. The next is called “Daylight”, and it’s just Bitto himself and a guitar. It’s a lovely, soft fingerpicked acoustic song… “the glimmer of light that shines in the dark, is that your beating heart, your beating heart? “ is saddening in a way. The final song in the EP, “Mickey’s Song”, is another fingerpicked song which seems to be about him traveling and away from a loved one. Beautiful song.
It was a perfect mix in my opinion- very clean, calming, and simple. Listening to this EP for the first time during a docile summer thunderstorm in a local coffee shop made the atmosphere that much more enjoyable and relaxed.
I definitely recommend to VM readers and music lovers to keep up with him and his band and see what these guys have to offer.
To check out the EP right now, visit Bitto’s Bandcamp page. Also be sure to follow him on Facebook!
Chatting it up with Nate Bergman of Lionize
Lionize is a reggae-rock group hailing from Silver Spring, Maryland. In the last year they have released not one, but two full-length albums- Destruction Manual followed by Superczar and the Vulture. Both of these albums evoke influences from rock gods such as Jimi Hendrix, classic chillage like Bob Marley, and some bluesy vocals like Ronnie Wood. Nate Bergman, frontman of the band, graciously agreed to a phone interview to discuss the band and their newest albums, and he also let me in on a little secret! Read on to find out more!
JF: Why did you choose this genre to play? Did you grow up around it?
NB: We didn’t really choose it; it just kind of evolved. We are big fans of jazz of reggae and funk and classic rock, and some border metal stuff. That’s where it comes from, and it’s just how it came out. Yes, absolutely- I grew up around lot of hip hop, reggae, funk, and go-go music. Once that infiltrates your system, it goes with you for sure.
JF: What’s your writing style?
NB: We generally get in a room and jam; not much more to it. We write lyrics and riffs and just jam for a few hours, and usually nothing happens. [Laughs] but sometimes it resonates with us, and we turn it into a song. For us, it’s really about jamming, and if it’s fun to play and if it sounds good.
JF: How difficult was it to write two albums in one year? Why did you do it?
NB: They took 1.5 years to write, but we put them out in a one-year period. We rehearse a lot when we are home: 11-4 Monday-Friday practice. Writing a record to us is about setting a goal for when we want to have it written. Writing both back to back was not specific- we just had the chance to do it, so why not? Why not put out more music? Some bands put out records 6-8 years apart. It’s nice to hear growth, especially if it’s a quick growth.
JF: Are the two albums you wrote back to back connected to each other in any way?
NB: Yes and no. Because they are so close together, there are writing and lyrical styles that are connected, but they were recorded differently; yet they compliment each other well, but are not necessarily paired.
JF: You listed Clutch as a musical influence- how has the tour been with Clutch? (any crazy story from a show?)
NB: It’s awesome. Touring with those guys is the best; we’ve been on seven or eight tours with them. They are probably the best touring rock band in the world, and are really nice guys. People associate them with us, and we’ve had their guitar player, Tim, record with us. It’s like family, and they have the best fans in the world. [Laughs] No, nothing really too crazy. The shows generally go smoothly. We are just there to work, have a few beers, and play music with our friends. We are simple and are more interested in good after-show food and reliving the college days [Laughs]. It’s crazy in general to drive 70mph down the highway for several weeks and go to different places. That’s crazy on it’s own.
JF: How’s fan feedback for the newest album, Superczar and the Vulture?
NB: It’s been awesome and overwhelmingly cool. People are digging the direction we are taking. They are very open-minded about it.
JF: Any other creative outlets besides music?
NB: We are generally interested in art and cinema, and we have our TV shows, but art turns us on as a group. We enjoy shows and comedy- we like stand up, and seeing other bands perform…stuff like that.
JF: What is next for you and the band?
NB: Rest and relaxation! We are taking two weeks off now. We have these shows with The Company Band and Clutch in August, then we are going on another huge two-month tour in November.
Ahhh, but with whom you may ask? Well that’s a tidbit of information that stays sealed behind my lips. You guys will find out soon enough!
Hanging out poolside with Astronautalis
Charles Andrew Bothwell- a.k.a. Astronautalis- is one of the most interesting people in the world (right up there with the Dos Equis guy). He is one of those people that always has something to say, and it is always something you want to listen to and know more about. Really makes interviewing him effortless and downright enjoyable.
Andy was in Athens this past weekend performing and MC-ing for the Team Clermont 15th Anniversary Summer Showcase & Prom. While he was in town, I got the chance to reunite with him for the first time since our first interview.
After meeting up at his hotel and getting hooked watching Olympic women’s archery (really intense stuff, people), we headed over to the pool to chill out and get our interview on.
So here it is! Astronautalis talking about what’s been going on since our last interview, new collaborations, musings on Eastern Europe, getting robbed in Atlanta, and his upcoming tour and album (I also think it’s important to note that this is his first ever shirtless interview. Proud.). Enjoy! I know I did…
Tim Riley from Souvenirs- Exclusive interview!
Souvenirs is a 4-man band from Carpinteria, CA, that are here to kick it old school and flat out raw. Being compared to Braid and Mineral, and I personally related them to Jimmy Eat World and a splash of Brand New, they are musicians on the emotional angsty rollercoaster called life and are here to write about it. Their songs aren’t dressed up and over produced, but they are music in its simplest form: music. It’s refreshing to hear a new band on the rise with their simple, raw studio sound. I was supposed to meet them on their tour, but the Atlanta show at the Wonder Root was canceled unfortunately. However, I was able to snag a pleasant phone interview with vocalist Tim Riley and discuss his journey with the band.
JF: How did you decide on the name “Souvenirs”? How long have you played together?
TR: I thought of it when I was starting off and writing songs for the band. I’d been on two U.S. tours selling merch for Title Fight, and I loved truck stops, and I liked the souvenirs. I liked the name because it was appropriate, since everything we have in life is a collection- emotions and being happy; it means something to us. I thought it was an appropriate name for a band that I’m writing for. After the U.S. tour, I went full on Souvenirs, and we’ve been playing together for about 10 months.
JF: What are the band’s influences?
TR: Everyone’s is different, but collectively it’s 90s emo like Jimmy Eat World, Knapsack, and Braid.
JF: You guys have been compared to a lot of those bands. How does that feel?
TR: It’s really flattering, because we look up to them, because they are our influences. Their music plays a heavy role in the way we write.
JF: Did you play any other type of music before? Have you always known you wanted to be in a band?
TR: Yeah, this is the only thing I would ever be doing. We all dropped everything to do this; everyone quit their jobs, some of us moved in with each other to pay cheap rent. This is the most genuine music we can create, and we play what we want to. We just want to play music everywhere and all the time. I feel like that’s anyone’s goal in a band- to play for as many people as possible. My dad played music when I was growing up and I learned guitar from being around it all the time. When I was in 9th grade, I started getting to punk hardcore stuff and it evolved. I got so deep into it. This the only thing I am comfortable doing at this point in my life, to be in a band that tours.
JF: What’s the journey from start until now been like?
TR: It definitely helped that one of our first real shows was on Set Your Goals West Coast Christmas tour, and it was totally nerve wracking. It was our first show playing in a completely packed room. Someone posted online that the lead singer looked nervous, but they (Set Your Goals & friends) were all so cool to us. It’s gone by so fast; it’s only been 10-11 months. We are working really hard, and are 100% into the band. On this tour, we are just putting in the hours for the experience. We stopped going to school to start touring. If we wanted to do this for real, then we had to tour as much as possible. We put everything on hold, and that included college.
JF: What’s the fan feedback at the shows been like?
TR: The shows have been so awesome, especially the East Coast. There hasn’t been a show where people come don’t come up to us, or they want to shake our hands. Some guy came up to me last night [Chestnut House in Louisville, KY] and said ‘you guys touched me’. I was like ‘which one of us?!’ [Laughs] He was just like ‘dude, your set was touching.’ We try to write songs that are very personal, yet those that a lot of people can relate to. When someone comes up and says that to me, I feel like we are doing it right, and it’s very encouraging. We are driving for 8-12 hours, we play for 20-30 people, we are hundreds of miles from home, and just to hear that… it’s amazing.
JF: How does the writing process go?
TR: Vince or I have a bass riff, bring it to the table, and we work on it collectively. For the record we just put out, we just practiced the songs 3-4 hours a day, 4 days a week for about a month… learning them by heart, changing them, playing them, changing them again, and breaking the songs down. We did that so we could just go in the studio and record the songs live, and just so we didn’t have to think about it, we’d just play. After that, we didn’t want to play them anymore!
JF: Are you the only one that writes the lyrics?
TR: Yes.
JF: Any reasoning behind the name of the EP “Tired of Defending You”?
TR: Yes, definitely. I’m not a fan of arbitrary, pointless titles to just sell records. “Tired of Defending You” is a general theme of the songs on the record. It’s the point in time around writing the songs, any time in life, every relationship you have with anyone- girlfriend, mom, brother, friends- it’s such a rollercoaster. People are just… human. Everyone is going to make mistakes. People are just trying to do what’s for best for themselves. But who doesn’t want that? Yet, sometimes that doesn’t benefit those around you. I’ve been in a few situations where I’ve been on the other end. I’m tired of weird, pseudo-personalities, like asking how I am when they don’t care. It’s just small talk, or hearing a fake laugh- you don’t care what I’m saying so don’t pretend like you do.
JF: Why was the Atlanta GA show at the Wonder Root canceled?
TR: We wanted to play in Atlanta so bad! All the local bands dropped. The guy that organized the show told us ‘You guys would just be playing by yourselves.’ It was like, ‘well you promoted it!’ We are on tour, so it’d be just like practicing. Wonder Root is really cool! It’s grimy little basement, but it’s set up really cool. First show I saw there was Outcrowd- it was them and Disengage; it was such a cool show.
Members:
Tim Riley, 23 – Vocals/Guitar
Vincent Amador, 21 – Guitar/Vocals
Nolan Nunes, 21 – Bass
Travis Turpin ,21 – Drums
Exclusive interview- Joe Michelini from River City Extension
Got to sit down (Indian style) with Joe Michelini (writer/guitarist/vocalist for the band) from River City Extension. Such a nice guy! I love when I am able to talk to people who really have something to say, especially when it is interesting.
River City Extension is an eight-member “lyrical folk” band from Toms River, New Jersey. They recently released their new full-length album, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger, a record inspired by a darker time in Michelini’s life. Check out my exclusive interview with him below! And be sure to catch them on their current tour!
Tour Dates
July 25 — Toronto, ON — The Opera House *
July 26 — Montreal, QC — Corona Theatre *
July 27 — Portland, ME — Port City Music Hall *
July 28 –Cambridge, MA — TT The Bear’s*
July 30 — Buffalo, NY — Tralf Music Hall *
July 31 — Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall *
Aug 1 — Cincinnati, OH — MOTR Pub/FREE SHOW*
Aug 2 — Indianapolis, IN — Deluxe @ Old National Centre *
Aug 3– Chicago, IL — House of Blues
Aug 4 — Milwaukee, WI — The Pabst Theater
Aug 5 — Madison, WI — The Frequency
Aug 7 — Lincoln, NE — Rye Room @ The Bourbon Theatre
Aug 9 — Telluride, CO — Sheridan Opera House
Aug 10 — Denver, CO — Hi-Dive
Aug 11 — Boulder, CO — Chautauqua Auditorium
Aug 12 — Bellvue, CO — Mishawaka Auditorium
Aug 14 — Columbia, Mo — Mojo’s
Aug 22 — Athens, GA — Georgia Theatre Rooftop
Aug 23 — Gainesville, FL — Double Down w/ Manchester Orchestra
Aug 24 — Orlando, FL — The Social w/ Mancheter Orchestra
Aug 25 — St. Petersburg, FL — State Theatre w/ Manchester Orchestra
Aug 26 — Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Culture Room w/ Manchester Orchestra
Aug 28 — West Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
Aug 29 — Richmond, VA — The Camel
Aug 30 — Baltimore, MD — Ottobar
Sep 14 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
Hanging outside the Masquerade with The Drowning Men
Everyone should know who The Drowning Men are. Everyone should listen to the song “Rita” (yes, it’s their most popular, but there is a reason– it’s incredible. Repeat repeat repeat…). And everyone should go see them live.
Got the chance to sit down with James and Nato from the band before their show at the Masquerade in Atlanta. Super awesome, incredibly chill guys. No rock star complexes, despite their outrageous talent.
*About the sound…I KNOW that it is hard to hear. Tragic. I swear to you the next thing I buy will be an external mic so we won’t keep having these problems. Bear with me. Underground magazine = tiny budget.
Exclusive interview- Crystal Fighters
Crystal Fighters are officially in my head. If you haven’t already checked out their recent US release, Star of Love, you should definitely get on it.
While you’re at it, be sure to see my review of their album here.
I got to interview CF (thank you, Atlantic Records!), and you get to read it! So here ya go:
EM: For those who have never heard you, could you describe your sound in five words or less?
CF: Traditional, modern, basque-inflenced, melody, dance.
EM: Give us a brief history of the band– I read that the name came from an opera Laure’s grandfather was writing- can you tell us a little bit about the opera and why you named the band after it?
CF: It was passed down to Laure after her grandfather passed away. He’d been secretly been writing it in his last days. It mentioned all sorts of Basque mythology, instruments and experiences. We started to investigate further and found the culture to be rich and intriguing, and that combined with the personal connection of an unfinished piece led us to make music inspired by these writings. One of the passages was called Crystal Fighters, referring to groups of young people in the opera, which is where we took our name from.
EM: Star of Love came out in the UK in 2010 and is now being released in the US. What has happened in that time for the band? Why the delay?
CF: I guess it takes a long time to get the word out sometimes, particularly having released Star of Love on our own label, Zirkulo, in the UK and licensing it to Europe. Since then we have been doing what we’ve always wanted- play a lot of gigs; we’ve been really lucky to play all over the world, from Poland to Australia, and we really can’t wait to come back to the USA to tour again soon.
EM: What is the theme of Star of Love?
CF: The unfathomable mystery of the universe, the turbulent journey towards being at peace with death, the triumph of love, and the omnipotence of the sun (SOL=Sun). All these themes came from the opera.
EM: What is next for Crystal Fighters?
CF: Now that the album is out in the USA, we can’t wait to come back and play. We are hitting the road May 21 and bringing friends IS Tropical with us. It’s gonna be crazy and can’t wait to hit all the cities we haven’t been to before, as well as our first time in Canada. On top of that, we’re writing our second album now, too.
Crystal Fighters + IS Tropical USA/CAN 2012 Tour
21st May – Philadelphia – Union Transfer
http://ticketf.ly/HCaVWx
22nd May – Washington – Rock and Roll Hotel
http://bit.ly/18BHs6
23rd May – Brooklyn – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
http://bit.ly/I4FJN1
25th May – Montreal – Il Motore
http://bit.ly/HHwBCo
26th May -Toronto – Wrong Bar
http://tktwb.tw/ICl9Vm
27th May – Chicago – Empty Bottle
http://tktwb.tw/Ij79Sv
28th May – Minneapolis – 7th Street Entry
http://bit.ly/JH9DIn
31st May – Vancouver – Fortune Sound Club
http://bit.ly/HCtQAB
1st June – Seattle – Neumos
http://bit.ly/IZXVyc
2nd June – Portland – Wonder Ballroom
http://ticketf.ly/Imd2lv
4th June – San Francisco – The Independent
http://ticketf.ly/ImdhwO
5th June Los Angeles – Echoplex
http://tktwb.tw/Hs1s3C
6th June – San Diego – Porters Pub
Hanging outside The Masquerade with Kevin Devine
Kevin Devine is amazing. He has been one of my favorite artists ever since I saw him open for The Get Up Kids in Tampa three years ago (along with Mansions—see my interview with them!). I have seen him three times, and it is never enough.
Kevin recently released the album Between the Concrete and Clouds in September of last year. If you haven’t already checked it out (come on…), you definitely should. I don’t know how he does it, but he continues to produce music that is exceptional and addictive. I’m still listening to it, and I snatched it up as soon as it was released.
I was just given the chance to interview Kevin at his show at The Masquerade in Atlanta this weekend. This was pretty much a dream come true for me, as Kevin is an artist that I truly admire and feel honored to have featured in Vinyl.
So go ahead! Check out the interview below- we get into his album, tour, inspirations, what’s next, and updates on the new Bad Books release. Enjoy!
Backstage with Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless
Alright. So I just interviewed Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless backstage at The Masquerade. Not gonna lie…I had no idea what to expect when I went into this interview. However, besides the fact that we had to do the interview backstage during the opening act (where is the soundproof room?!), it all went down pretty smoothly.
Based on what I have read about Taylor, the last thing I expected was for her to be friendly (nice, sure…but downright friendly?). She welcomed us (my videographer, Katie, and I) backstage and comfortably chatted with us while we got set up. To put it simply, I really enjoyed myself during this interview.
As for the show…dude. Ok. Everyone talks about what Taylor does and wears onstage. A lot of the buzz seems to be about how scandalous she gets. However, people seem to keep forgetting to talk about the actual music. Which, after having seen them live, I now find absolutely astonishing.
The girl can sing. She gets up there and does whatever moves she does and wears whatever she wears to get the audience going, but the real “wow” moment for me was when she opened her mouth. Undeniable voice. Truly, truly talented. For me, he pure talent of the band and her voice completely overshadowed her stage personality (which, in my opinion, is how it should be).
Go ahead and check out our interview below. I’ve transcribed it as well as uploading the video, so bear with me on the dang sound issues.
EM: First, Hit Me Like a Man– Tell me how you came up with the name.
TM: We tend to title things after songs so we don’t have to think of anything else. So Hit Me Like a Man is the title track of the Hit Me Like a Man EP, so it came from the song. The line is “Hit me like a man, love me like a woman.”
EM: So what about My Medicine? Is that personal experience?
TM: I had my first directorial debut on that video. That was a really fun video to shoot. It’s just a bunch of friends, and we just kind of threw it together very last minute. It’s literally kind of…what you see in the video is what it was with some crazy effects added on the top of it. I try not to talk too much about the songs themselves, because I like to let people interpret them and take them how they want to take them. I think I give enough in the songs themselves, but yes- the songs are very personal.
EM: You’ve been writing songs for a very long time. Are you still pulling songs that you wrote way back then?
TM: No!
EM: What are you doing with those songs?
TM: Leaving them and forgetting that they existed.
EM: You’ve been touring since 2010. Do you prefer being on the road?
TM: I love the road…I love playing every night. It’s awesome. But I love the studio. Right now, we’re in the middle of a headline tour, and then we’re jumping on with Manson for a month, and after that we’re going into the studio to start working on the second record. I’m excited for that. I mean, I love touring, but I love being in the studio, too to take a breather and get back inside of my own head and have some time away from the rest of the world.
EM: Are there going to be any songs from this EP on the record?
TM: Possibly. Possibly all of them, possibly none of them- I don’t know yet. We’re still writing the record, so I think you’ll have to wait and see.
EM: Do you have any idea when that would be coming out?
TM: I don’t. I unfortunately do not control the release of things. I just write the songs and record them and hope it gets released…they’re not all written. You’ll have to wait and see. Believe me, I’m more stressed out about it than you are.
EM: What are you listening to lately?
TM: I heard the new Soundgarden single, which is pretty cool. I’m excited that they’re getting back together. I can’t wait for the new record. That’s what I’ve been listening to- old Soundgarden, new Soundgarden…lots of Soundgarden…Die Antwoord- they’re a rap band from South Africa that is pretty awesome, and they make really cool videos. Check them out. I’m kind of boring. I listen to the same stuff over and over again. You know- Beatles, Zeppelin, Who, Pink Floyd, ACDC, Soundgarden..Audioslave, Soundgarden…
EM: Are you channeling anyone when you go onstage?
TM: No. Me- I’m channeling me. It’s more of a performance aspect of myself, but it is myself. I don’t have some crazy alter ego or anything. It’s very much me. That’s it- I’ve played enough characters.
EM: Speaking of that, are you ever going to act again?
TM: I’m so not even thinking about it. It’s certainly not in my near future. To say what the rest of my life will entail I don’t know, but it’s certainly not even on my radar. I like writing. I like writing records, and I like writing songs, touring, and playing in a band. It’s amazing. It’s awesome, so why would I want to do anything else? Unless Rob Zombie calls, and then we’ll talk about that, because that would be awesome.
EM: Besides your acting and writing, do you have any other creative outlets?
TM: I paint. I play guitar. I sculpt. I sew dolls…I sew rag dolls. Um…I play guitar, write…
EM: What do you miss while you’re on tour?
TM: I miss New York a lot. I love New York, and I definitely miss it.
EM: You seem so nice! Why do you think you have such a harsh reputation?
TM: I think I’m nice! Tabloids spin all that stuff around. But thank you! You’re nice.
In the van with The Front Bottoms
Just got back from interviewing The Front Bottoms at their show with Kevin Devine at The End in Nashville. This was a brilliant show. For those of you who have been with me from the beginning, you will remember I interviewed The Front Bottoms back in November. I also met Kevin Devine a few years ago when he opened (with Mansions– see my interview with them as well!) for The Get Up Kids.
I drove nine hours to see this show. The drive got a little rough, and I started to think it might have been a bad idea. However, as soon as the show started, I knew that it was worth it. Completely.
The Front Bottoms are blowing up. The crowd was full of obsessed fans screaming and dancing along. I was one of them. Front row. Knew all of the words. Fan.
So was Kevin Devine. He spent a great deal of the show standing off-stage, singing along enthusiastically.
They played a new song, Twelve Feet Deep. It was completely true to their style and got me mega-pumped for their new album. They’ve definitely got a lot more to offer, and I’m looking forward to hearing it.
After their set, Kevin Devine came on. My friend, Regan, and I met up with Matt and Brian (The FBs) to set up the interview (after we watched Kevin’s set, of course).
Kevin played pretty much all of my favorites (hard to choose- everything that he does is gold), and the crowd was completely enraptured.
Once the show was over, Matt and Brian went to help load and then came back to bring Regan and I into the van for the interview.
It went great. These two guys are what every band should be- they are mega-talented, they love what they do, and they do not take it or themselves too seriously. They are just thrilled to be sitting in their cramped van talking about music and playing shows with great artists like Kevin Devine every night.
Towards the end of the interview, Matt gave me the scoop on what is next for the band. Touring for the summer and recording a new album. Perfect answer- exactly what I wanted to hear. I will be there, even if I have to drive another nine hours (let’s hope it doesn’t come to that).