The Hi Fi Stereo

Army of Me

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:43:00 +0000

In the months since Army of Me’s Citizen was released, the band has enjoyed nationwide airplay of their hit single, “Going through Changes,” has been featured on MTV, and has toured the country.

But the local rockers, whose sound would fit perfectly alongside Bono and Chris Martin aren’t quite satisfied quite yet.

“It’s like there’s this big mountain we’re trying to climb, and when you’re far away from the mountain, it doesn’t look that big,” lead singer Vince Scheurman said. “It’s like Mount Everest. There’s ‘false summits.’ When you get to one peak, there’s always another one. We still have a ways to go.”

The band’s constant touring has kept them away from home, and Scheurman said the band’s show at the Rock and Roll Hotel Friday will be their first in D.C. in about a year, besides an opening spot at the Shamrock Festival at RFK Stadium in March.

“There’s something special about playing at home. I love playing D.C.,” he said. “Being out on the road, you feel like you’re pushing against a wall and it’s not moving. It’s been tough.”

But the band has stuck together, unlike many of their local peers.
“It’s been interesting to see the scene change,” he said. “A lot of the bands we started with aren’t playing anymore.”

Scheurman said a lot of the material on Citizen comes from dealing with this adversity.

“The record comes from a time in my life where I was going through significant life changes,” he said. “It’s about life, asking bigger questions, trying to get below the surface. It’s about pain, healing, hope. It comes from love. It’s about love. Not romantic love, but a bigger concept of love.”

Scheurman said writing the album’s songs, which often sound like a cross between U2 and Coldplay, was almost surreal.

“I don’t feel like I wrote the songs, but they came from some sort of mysterious grace,” he said. “I feel really good about them. It’s beautiful.”

Just What the Doctor Ordered

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:07:00 +0000

Local hipster hero Ted Leo is back with his newest album, Living with the Living, and, fortunately for indie-pop fans, the prognosis looks promising, as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists seem to have found the prescription for success.

A resident of Washington since 1990, Leo seems to have found a niche by delivering eclectic albums with scathing political lyrics and catchy guitar hooks while ultimately staying true to his rock and punk roots. Living with the Living is no exception. The album features everything from reggae to Celtic-influenced rock to unashamed anti-war ballads.

Leo even dabbles in hardcore with "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.," perhaps homage to the district's now-defunct underground hardcore scene (the album was produced by Brendan Canty, drummer of the legendary Washington hardcore band Fugazi), and a clear commentary on the war in Iraq. While Leo makes a noble effort with the song, it is hard to take it seriously, because his usually gentle and airy voice makes for terrible screaming. Still, the song is not a weak point to the album; somehow, it manages to become endearing with its catchy, simple chorus of "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb. Repeat. Bomb."

The band is at its best, however, when sticking to what it knows best: poppy punk-rock songs with fast beats and catchy melodies. After the intro, "Fourth World War," a 35-second clip of various languages, the album gets started with the power-pop song "The Sons of Cain," perhaps the strongest song of the album.

Near the album's close, Leo tests listeners' patience with three songs each clocking in at more than six minutes, including the seven-and-a-half-minute epic, "The Lost Brigade." Fortunately, the song stays diverse enough to not become boring and ends up being the climax of the album.

Another strong point of the album is "Coleen," a song that features Leo over an acoustic guitar but also uses a slick electric solo. If anyone else were singing it, the song would feel thin, but Leo's strong vocals make the song feel just right. "A Bottle Of Buckie" is also an album highlight, as it features an obvious Irish influence and a piccolo solo that seems straight out of a Celtic dance number.

Definitely worth the price of admission, Living with the Living features plenty of indie power-pop goodness. While it may not be as strong as some of the band's previous offerings, particularly the classic Hearts of Oak, the album features enough diversity and plenty of content (a whopping 15 songs) to satisfy any Ted Leo fan.

For those who still can't get enough, the band is releasing a five-song bonus disc, Mo' Livin, to people who pre-order the album. Mo Livin' will include a cover of the classic Chumbawumba song "Rappaport's Testament: I Never Gave Up." Good enough for any Leo-lover.

Shake Your Pepper Shaker

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:45:00 +0000

Pepper is OK with the Sublime comparisons. Many people consider the band to be a blatant Sublime rip off, but drummer Yesod Williams says the band doesn't mind.

"It's an honor to be compared to such a great band like that," Williams said. "I don't know how you could take it badly. A few years ago, there were those die-hard [Sublime] fans that would hate on us for it. That gets irritating, but to be compared to a band like that is nothing but good."

Indeed, there are many similarities between the two bands. Both Pepper and the now legendary Sublime blend elements of reggae, ska and punk, along with smooth vocals, into fun and easygoing songs. Currently, Pepper is on a nationwide tour with ska acts Mad Caddies and label mates The Supervillians and Splinta.

Pepper was originally based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, but relocated to Southern California to tour the country more easily.

"In the mainland, we can just hop in a van and tour the country," Williams said. "In Hawaii, you are kind of landlocked and there's only so many places to play."

Each year, the band organizes and hosts an event, the Kona Town Music Festival, in their home town.

"It's our way of trying to expand the music scene over there, of getting kids to see music they wouldn't normally get to see," Williams said. While the band does not get to play concerts in Hawaii as often as it would like, it did recently play concerts in Oahu and Maui with Bob Fest 2007, an event that also featured Lauryn Hill.

In addition to throwing a music festival each year, Pepper also owns its own record label, called LAW Records. The label was started by Williams' father in the early '80s before eventually folding. Pepper decided to restart the label in 2000, when they re-released their first demo, Give'n It. The label's lineup features four bands, including both The Supervillians and Splinta.

The band recently released its most successful album, No Shame, on Volcom Entertainment, an offshoot of the popular clothing brand Volcom. Some of the tracks featured production by Nick Hexum of 311, who has gone on to become close friends with the band. The rest are produced by Tony Kanal of No Doubt and Paul Leary, who produced many tracks for Sublime. "No control," the single off that album, reached No. 19 on the U.S. Modern Rock Countdown, according to Williams.

After releasing four full-length albums, the band is releasing a rarities album called To Da Max on March 20, which features "everything the band has ever recorded but not released," Williams explained.

This past summer, the band capitalized on its friendship with Hexum and toured with 311 and The Wailers. But touring with 311 was not Pepper's first brush with famous musicians. The band also played a concert with Snoop Dogg in the notoriously dangerous area of Bakersfield, Calif., yet did not get a chance to meet him.

"We were pretty far out of our element. We didn't know if we were going to play a good show or get knifed," Williams said. "Luckily, we escaped unscathed."

After their current tour, the band has a busy summer ahead. Pepper is planning a European tour for May, and after that, the band will be playing the main stage on every date of the Vans Warped Tour, one of the biggest traveling tours in America.

"This is the first time we're playing on the main stage, so it's kind of coming full circle for us," Williams said.

Despite its solid touring fan base, the band does not expect to achieve mainstream success from the experience.

"You definitely hope to achieve as much as you can, to push the music forward, but we're not counting on it," Williams said.

Still, Pepper is content with what it has achieved so far. "Being out on the road is what we do. It's the heartbeat of this band," he said.

Pepper is playing at the 9:30 Club in Washington on Wednesday, March 7. Tickets are still available and cost $15.

Selling Punk, but Not Selling Out

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:52:00 +0000

Sorry to break it to the underground punk world, but Against Me! has sold out again - at least, that's what many of the band's oldest fans would say.

But fear not, Against Me! fans who don't care about the band signing to a major label. (The band first "sold out" by signing to indie label Fat Wreck Records, and has now done the unthinkable by signing to Sire, Madonna's former label and Hot Hot Heat and Regina Spektor's current one). The band will perform at the Recher Theatre in Towson tonight, and regardless of your opinion on the ethics of punk rock, Against Me! is going to play - and enjoy its new place at Sire - anyway.

The band is clearly aware of its angry fans who feel betrayed by Against Me!'s switch to Sire, but bassist Andrew "Raw Dog" Seward told Diversions the band doesn't take any of it to heart.

"We are just a band who loves playing music together," Seward said. "You can't listen to people - you have to play for yourselves."

Seward believes a lot of the reason for the trash-talking is the anonymity of the Internet.

"It's really easy for people to talk on the Internet," he said. "Everyone has a right to their opinion, but people say things on the Internet that they wouldn't say to my face."

To poke fun at those angry fans, Against Me! penned the song "Mediocrity Gets You Pears (The Shaker)" off its latest release, Searching for a Former Clarity. On the song, lead singer Tom Gabel sings, "Vampires! We're only in it for the money/Diluted! We took the movement to the market/So f--- us! We totally sold out the scene."

Gabel formed Against Me! in 1997 in Gainesville, Fla. Initially the "band" was only Gabel on his acoustic guitar, but after two self-released demos, the band expanded to include guitars, bass and drums. The band released its first full-length - and most widely admired - album, Reinventing Axl Rose, on No Idea Records in 2002.

Against Me! cultivated its close following by playing concerts in youth community centers and fans' basements, but eventually, Against Me! became popular enough to upgrade to more traditional concert venues.

With the increase in fame came an opening spot for Green Day, and, in 2005, the band played its single "Don't Lose Touch" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, something Seward described as an "amazing life experience."

After countless major label offers, including one from Universal that was hilariously chronicled in the band's 2004 DVD, We're Never Going Home, the band decided to sign with Sire, which was a simple decision, Seward said.

"Some of my favorite bands were on that label," he said. "It is a rock-friendly label."

Fans who are worried about the band changing its sound to fit the mainstream on the upcoming release New Wave need not worry: Seward said the label gave the band "absolute full creative freedom." Seward was also excited about "recording in an awesome studio with as much time as we needed to finish the record."

Seward may have reason to be excited, as the record is being produced by Butch Vig, the man who helped push Nirvana into the mainstream by producing the grunge masterpiece Nevermind. Against Me! spent two months recording New Wave and said Vig was "extremely easy to work with and never once yelled at us."

But having as much time to finish the record may be a double-edged sword for Against Me! fans, who expected it in early spring. Seward said some mixing issues have pushed the record's release back to an early summer release.

"It is being mixed in New York as we speak," he said, adding that the band was supposed to be in the studio for the mixing process but is currently on tour with fellow punk acts Riverboat Gamblers and Fake Problems instead.

Although Against Me!'s rise into the mainstream is somewhat unexpected - Gabel's harsh vocals and the band's strong political beliefs don't necessarily seem like a formula for success - the band's strong cult following obviously shows that something is working for them.

Against Me! is playing at the Recher Theatre in Towson tonight. Tickets are still available and cost $13.

Caught by Cupid's Chokehold

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:39:00 +0000

Gym Class Heroes is known to many as the indie rap group that has been grabbed by "Cupid's Chokehold," but what many may not know is the band's hit single - and the band itself - have been around for years, though it is just now getting mainstream attention.

That single, "Cupid's Chokehold," features Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on the chorus and was recorded for the band's second full-length album, The Papercut Chronicles, released February 2005. But since the song was re-recorded for the band's latest album, As Cruel as School Children, it has soared to the top of the pop charts. Last week it held the No. 7 spot on the Hot 100 Countdown, and its popularity has helped sell out Gym Class Heroes' show tonight at the 9:30 Club in Washington.

But when drummer Matt McGinley chatted with Diversions, he admitted that, although the newer version of the song has gained attention for the band, it is not his favorite.

"I am more nostalgic for the older version; it is more stripped-down and organic," he said. McGinley added the band re-recorded "Cupid's Chokehold" because "the first one was made on the budget of whatever money we could borrow from a rich friend. We wanted to polish the song before it was released with our new album."

Regardless of all the notice from the pop-music world, "Cupid's Chokehold" isn't the band's first well-known song. "Taxi Driver," a song featuring the band incorporating the names of many indie bands into a story, was an underground hit that led many to fall in love with the band's clever lyrics and flow.

In the song, vocalist Travis McCoy raps, "I took cutie for a ride in my death cab/ She tipped me with a kiss, I dropped her off at the meth lab/ Before she left, she made a dashboard confessional/ And spilled her guts in cursive." Overall, the song features the names of more than 20 bands.

In fact, it was "Taxi Driver" that helped create the band's first big break. After hearing the song, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy became interested in the band and eventually signed them to his label, Decaydance, an imprint of the label Fueled by Ramen.

Since then, Gym Class Heroes has made great use of its labelmates, McGinley said. He likened the label to a big family and added since Fall Out Boy has also blown up in popularity during the past two years, Wentz and Co. were able to tell Gym Class Heroes what to expect.

"There are lots of bands going through the same things at the same time, so we can help each other," McGinley explained.

After releasing The Papercut Chronicles for Decaydance, Gym Class Heroes was picked up by Atlantic Records - an important step for the band as it provided more exposure on MTV and the radio.

That exposure has since come in various forms: For example, last summer McCoy rapped a verse on the track "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)," which was featured in the cult hit Snakes on a Plane. And appearing in some of Fall Out Boy's videos - as well as having a track featuring the now ubiquitous Stump - certainly didn't hurt the band's rise to fame.

In order to stand out from other rap groups, Gym Class Heroes has to continually keep its sound unique. One way they accomplish this, McGinley said, is by using real instruments in place of the typical, programmed beats employed by other rappers.

"We aren't just pinned into hip hop; we have other styles of music in our sound, like '80s funk," McGinley said. While he insisted he is a huge fan of other instrument-using rap groups, like Jurassic 5 and The Roots, McGinley said Gym Class Heroes is also unique for its incorporation of rock elements, as evidenced by the guest appearances from Stump and William Beckett from The Academy is ..., who is featured on the song "Seven Weeks."

Despite Gym Class Heroes' recent fame, McGinley insists the band members won't let it get to their heads -or, more importantly, their music. While he said the band will progress musically, and its sound may change, don't expect the band to sell out.

"If we make a change musically, it will be for us, not because we want to sell more records," McGinley said.

So far, its efforts have been appreciated by fans, as the band sold out a tour in the United Kingdom and has sold out several dates on its current tour, including the show tonight at the 9:30 Club in Washington, which is an "always very lively" venue to play, McGinley said.

"We are interested in putting together a whole show," he added. "A lot of our songs will be off our last two albums, but we also play songs off of old albums that I'm sure many of our fans haven't ever heard."

Gym Class Heroes' show tonight is sold out.

Gym Class Heroes Story Coming Tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:11:00 +0000

Tomorrow night I will post my story about Gym Class Heroes. The story is complete, I just have to wait until it is published in the Diamondback before I put it online here. So check back late tomorrow night, since the story is being run Wednesday morning!

Still Kickin

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:38:00 +0000

Hey guys, sorry for my extreme lack of updates. I hadn't really been interviewing anyone and I got a job over winter break so I didn't have time to do updates. Now I am back in school and I'm going to be doing a lot more pieces. Tomorrow night I am going to see Lifetime and World/Inferno Friendship Society, and then next week sometime I should be interviewing Gym Class Heroes. Look out for a few reviews and interviews coming soon!

Sorry for the Lack of Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:03:00 +0000

Hey guys - just wanted to keep you updated on what's going on. I've been doing finals all week so I haven't had time to do any updates. Tomorrow is my last final then I should have a lot of free time, so stay tuned. Promise to have a few cool new things up very soon.

Interview with Thievery Corporation's Eric

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:33:00 +0000

I spoke with Eric of Thievery Corporation on Friday about the duo's upcoming four dates at the 9:30 club. I should have a write up summary of the interview in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Alright, finally got it hosted correctly. Sorry about the delay - you can listen to the interview here.

New web address!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 19:06:00 +0000

Hey everyone, I just bought the domain www.thehifistereo.com, so you can access this site from there. This morning I spoke with Eric from Thievery Corporation, and as soon as I get webhosting I will upload the audio of that. Stay tuned guys.

Some News

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:30:00 +0000

Some news as for what's up next - it seems like the interview with Gogol Bordello has fallen through, so I don't think that is going to happen. On a better note, tomorrow I am interviewing Thievery Corporation about their four sold out dates at the 9:30 club in late December, and yesterday I had a conference call with Chris Brown and Ne-Yo about their upcoming movie Stomp the Yard, set to release in early January. Some notes from that will probably be up tomorrow or Saturday. I am also going to be writing a few stories in the coming days. Keep checking back for new stuff!

Last Martyrs of a Lost Cause Release Debut EP

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:40:00 +0000

Last Martyrs of a Lost Cause have just released their debut EP for free on Absolute Punk. The band is made up of members from defunct Pennsylvania ska acts, including front man Chris Irons from Long Shot Hero. The EP sounds great and the highlight is clearly "Don't Take it Personal," which features an awesome guitar solo and amazing gang vocals. Download the EP for free from Absolute Punk.

Ciara: The Evolution Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:00:00 +0000

Well I'm usually not one to review or listen to rap CDs, but I just did this for the Diamondback.

A little more than two years after her double platinum debut Goodies, Ciara has set out to reinvent herself for her follow-up Ciara: The Evolution, but is at her best when she sticks to the formula that made “Oh” and “Goodies” such smash hits.

Much of The Evolution was written and produced by the singer herself, and features fifteen songs plus three short interludes. The CD opens with the high-energy track “That’s Right,” featuring crunk king Lil’ Jon. The song, a feminist dance track about women making time for themselves, could easily be a future hit. The song features Ciara’s flowing vocals over Lil’ Jon’s ever present chants of “Let’s Go.”

As with Ciara’s past hits, she is at her best when her soulful voice is supported by a high-energy rapper that speeds up the flow of her songs. The standout tracks on The Evolution are “Get Up,” featuring Chamillionaire, of “Ridin’ Dirty” fame, “Can’t Leave ‘em Alone,” featuring 50 Cent, and the aforementioned “That’s Right.”

“Get Up” was a huge hit this summer, and recently “Promise,” her ballad about finding the perfect man has been climbing the pop charts. “Promise” features some impressive R&B vocals, and is a nice change of pace from her other hits, but its slow tempo won’t get many dancing. Another possible hit sung without the help of any featured artists is “C.R.U.S.H.,” a Lil’ Jon produced track about having a schoolgirl crush on a guy. “Make it Last Forever” samples the Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock classic “It Takes Two,” and shows off Ciara’s rapping talent.

While most of the album contains Ciara’s trademark club-ready hits, the last third slows the tempo on tracks like “So Hard,” “I’m Just Me,” and the Pharrell produced “I Found Myself.” The last two tracks are about Ciara’s evolution as a singer and songwriter, and about becoming comfortable in her own skin. It is during these that the album falters, and becomes something less than the club banger it should be.

While every song is not a hit, there is plenty of material on this CD to satisfy any Ciara fan for the time being, and enough stellar tracks to make this a great album. While the title promises an evolution, listeners will be glad to hear that on most tracks, she has not changed her recipe for success too much.

Ciara: The Evolution comes out December 5 on LaFace and Jive Records.

Here is a link to the article on the Diamondback's site.

A Response to Negative Hinder Comments ...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 23:32:00 +0000

This is (hopefully) the last I'll ever have to talk about my Hinder review. First of all, this is a personal blog, not The Washington Post. Although I am a journalism student, I never said this blog would be unbiased or that I would do my blog entries as though it were for a newspaper. I am entitled to my opinion of a concert, or an album, or whatever I want. The fact that I left early from the Hinder show does not mean I am not entitled to review it for MY WEBSITE. If I left early, then sure, I shouldn't review it for a real publication - that would be irresponsible. At the Hinder concert, I saw enough of it to see that it was absolutely terrible and not worth spending another second there. My brother, who likes Hinder, was begging me to leave the entire time. Middle aged women dressed as prostitutes and overweight men with no clothes on is not my idea of a fun time. Neither are boring, generic bands with horrible lyrics and a generally terrible attitude toward bands who are different than them and are incredibly cocky for no good reason. I stand by my review, even if it was not a "journalistic" review, and am tired of people thinking I haven't done my homework on the band. I spent hours of my life researching the band, speaking with the band, and listening to the band, and off of this I have come to the conclusion that they have little to offer the music community, and society as a whole. I am done wasting my life on one of the worst bands I have ever heard with some of the most misguided fans I've ever seen.

New Bomb the Music Industry! Demos

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:10:00 +0000

Earlier today, Jeff Rosenstock posted a new blog on the Bomb the Music Industry! myspace about the people who have helped him along the way, including the fans. To show his gratitude, he posted four new demos to be recorded with a full band (a BTMI! first) and released in July. The songs are called "Jobs Schmobs," "493 Ruth," "Bikerophone Test 1 2 3," and "25 Hour Goddamn Telethon." The songs demoed are to be part of an album tentatively called Get Warmer. Rosenstock had been recording an EP called NO NO NEW YORK, but it sounds like plans for that EP have been scrapped. Rosenstock has just released his second album, To Leave or Die on Long Island on vinyl through Asbestos Records. It is available on Interpunk.com.

Bouncers, Crowd ruin Hinder Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 19:05:00 +0000

First off, let me tell you that I am not a fan of Hinder. That being said, I went to the last night's conclusion of the Extreme Behavior Tour with an open mind. I expected to have some fun, expecting a rock concert with at least some dancing or moving or pushing or excitement. The show last night ended up being so boring that I left after five songs of Hinder's set. Part of the reason were the ridiculous bouncers, but a huge part was the horrendous crowd. The bands themselves played alright, nothing to write home about.

First up was Lynam, a rock trio out of Alabama. They played a nice set, including a cover of Journey's "Midnight Train." They had a very talented guitarist, but he was underutilized, playing standard chords for most of the bands' songs. It was nice when he broke into a few solos at the end of their set. Halfway through the set, an extremely large man dressed in an executioners mask, and not much else came out with a whip and started dancing. It was very bizarre and not a sight i really wanted to see. Lynam also played the first 30 seconds or so of Backstreet Boys' "I Want it That Way." For me, that was the highlight of the concert.

Next up was Eighteen Visions, out of Orange County, California. The five-piece played slightly heavier music. I did not enjoy it at all and went to the balcony and sat down. There isn't much to say about Eighteen Visions - I was thoroughly unimpressed.

Finally, Hinder came on to a roaring audience. This is when I expected the crowd to go insane and start pushing towards the front of the stage. Nothing happened. Everyone stayed in place, singing at the top of their lungs, but standing in place with their cigarettes and their alcoholic beverages. The crowd consisted mainly of middle aged women dressed in revealing outfits looking to be Hinder's groupies. The crowd was incredibly boring and completely ruined the concert for me. Hinder clearly put on a much better show than the other bands, opening up with their new single "How Long." I don't want to comment too much on their performance, because as I said I am not a fan at all and it seemed like they played their generic rock music as well as it sounds on the record, not adding much more or making it sound any worse. Austin, the lead singer was good at getting the crowd vocal, but not as successful at getting the crowd to move.

Halfway through Eighteen Visions's set, I went up to the front to take pictures, using my photo pass. The first bouncer let me through, but then the next one said "this is only for Hinder, come back when Hinder comes on." I was only mildly disappointed, so I came back during the third song of Hinder's set. After fighting through the immovable objects that made up the crowd, I showed my photo pass to the bouncer, who then said "you can't go backstage." I told her I did not want to go backstage, that I merely wanted to take photos, as my pass allows me to. She said "no you can't take pictures with that pass." I asked her what the hell the purpose of this pass was and that the other bouncer told me I could come up. She didn't care, and didn't let me take pictures. After another heated discussion with her and another bouncer, I stormed out of the club with my brother, who was attending his first concert. We were both extremely disappointed at the time we had wasted at this dreary concert.

The picture shown is of Lynam's guitarist, the only band I was able to go in front of the barricade to take pictures of.

My piece on Hinder came out today as well.
Here is the full transcript of my interview with Hinder's bassist, Mike Rodden.

Fall of Ska Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:33:00 +0000

Last night I saw the Fall of Ska tour play at the 9:30 club. It was a pretty good show - I got there a little bit late because of the extremely long line to get in. The show was sold out and the crowd was really into it. I only caught a few songs of Westbound Train, a ska/reggae group out of Boston. They played exceptionally well from what I saw, and I was really disappointed to have missed most of their set.

Next up was Suburban Legends, and the most bizarre set I have ever seen a band play. The band recently released an EP, Dance Like Nobody's Watching, and most of the songs came off of that. Their set could only be described as Backstreet Boys with instruments. The band featured energetic horns, poppy hooks, and dance routines. Yes, dance routines. It was very weird, but enjoyable. The band clearly did not have as much musical talent as the other acts, but they did put on a good show. They closed their set with a ska cover of Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid.

Streetlight Manifesto took the stage next, and the crowd instantly became ferocious. The crowd seemed more pumped for them than for Reel Big Fish, the headliners, and with good reason. Tomas Kalnoky and his bandmates opened the set with "A Moment of Violence," then went on to play a fairly standard setlist. It was my fifth time seeing the band in concert, and it is a shame they still haven't gotten around to releasing their next album. The band promises this is their last tour before a new record, but they have said that time and time again. Since they got a little more time this show as opposed to the summer tour with Reel Big Fish and MxPx, they played a few more songs that have rarely been played since they began touring as support instead of headlining. I was especially surprised they played "We Are the Few" and "Better Place, Better Time." For me, those two songs were the highlights of the show.

Finally, Reel Big Fish started to play. They opened up with "Trendy" and finished their encore with "Sellout." Their set was very standard, it seems they play almost the same songs every time. Still, they put on a good show, and everyone should see them once. A nice surprise was "Boss DJ" as the first song of their encore, which I have not seen them play before. Other highlights included the new song "So Much for Rock and Roll," and fan favorites "Beer" and "Take on Me." The band occasionally got annoying with their shtick in between songs that seemed to go on forever, and were at their best when playing the songs, not when talking to the audience.

Overall, the concert was a great time, and if you haven't seen Reel Big Fish or Streetlight Manifesto before, you might want to catch the tour before it is done. You won't be disappointed by the opening acts, either.

For more photos of the concert, check out this album

A Few Quick Things

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 18:46:00 +0000

A few exciting things are coming up - first, I am going to see Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, Suburban Legends and Westbound Train tonight. I have a photo pass, so I will be taking some pictures and maybe a video or two. I'll also be posting a review of the show for those catching them later in the tour.

Next up, I am going to review a couple albums soon - I got a copy of Youngblood Brass Band's new CD, Is That a Riot?, and Incubus's new album, Light Grenades.

Then, I am going to see Hinder on Thursday. I'll be reviewing that show too, and have a photo pass to that concert as well, so expect some pictures and stuff from that. My article about them will be coming either Wednesday or Thursday, and I will fully transcribe my interview with them probably tonight or tomorrow morning, so that will be up soon too.

In the next few weeks I will be interviewing Gogol Bordello and World/Inferno Friendship Society, and am very excited about that. Those will be up in the first couple weeks of December.

If anyone has any suggestions or anything they want to see here, feel free to contact me through aim at aggro5288 or comment here. If you want to contribute any articles or reviews or anything, let me know!

Interview with Hinder bassist Mike Rodden

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 03:27:00 +0000

Last week I talked with Hinder bassist Mike Rodden about their upcoming gig at the 9:30 club in Washington DC on November 30. Most of their tour is sold out and "Lips of an Angel" is topping the rock charts. These Oklahoma City rockers are living the high life and don't care about pissing people off. Just don't compare them to Nickelback.

Again, I did this for my school's newspaper. The article should be out Wednesday or Thursday. I will post a link to it when it is out, and when I finish transcribing the interview I will post that as well. Enjoy!

Download the audio here (21:02)

Interview with Reel Big Fish trumpeter John Christianson

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:48:00 +0000

I recently got the chance to talk to Reel Big Fish trumpeter John Christianson for an article in my school's newspaper, The University of Maryland Diamondback. The article is set to run tomorrow, in anticipation of the band's show Sunday at the 9:30 club. Once the article comes out, I will post a link to it, but here is audio of my conversation. Sorry about the weird breathing - it was the first time I had done something like this.

Get the interview here
Shortened transcript of the interview here

Interview with Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb the Music Industry!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:22:00 +0000

I recently talked to Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb the Music Industry! about his move to Georgia and the future of the group. The interview was the basis for an article to appear in Unwind! magazine, an entertainment publication at the University of Maryland. The next issue should be coming out sometime in the next week.

1.) Why did you decide to move to Georgia? You've said it costs less there, but why did you specifically choose Athens?

I've been to a lot of places on tour, and when it came down to me not being able to afford to live in New York anymore, Athens Georgia seemed like the only other logical choice for place to move. I've been friends with We Versus the Shark and Cinemechanica for a really long time, so I already knew some friends down here who were in good bands.

But I guess the most important thing was that I knew a few people down here and it's always better to move somewhere where you have some friends.

2.) What has it been like living with and around musicians? Are you able to practice and record more easily?

It's pretty much the same, actually. We've got a pretty good set up in our house as far as there being a room designated specifically for instruments and amps and stuff, and being able to play after 7 PM 'cause I'm not in an apartment is also pretty nice. All my old roommates were always pretty nice about me recording songs and turning my guitar loud though, so it's not that big a change.

3.) How DO you make money, since you don't make any money off your music - how has Media Frenzy Designs been going?

I make money just like anyone I know makes money, whether they be in bands or just people. I work as much as I can. For the last six months, I worked at a book publishing company, scanning in old books and touching them up to make them look nice. Other than that, I've been taking whatever odd jobs I could get. Media Frenzy Design is really important to me 'cause I get to be creative, and it has been bringing in a little bit of money - enough to pay rent and eat cheap - but if I don't have something else that forces me to get out of the house, I have nothing to write about and I go a little stir crazy.

4.) How does being in a different project like BTMI compare to being in ASOB? Do promoters and venues take you as seriously when you try to book shows?

A big deal is that this is the first time I've REALLY been booking full tours and stuff like that. Dave Dickerman was the king of that during the ASOB days. However, I've found that 95% of the people I've dealt with are more than happy to throw us gas money, and usually a bit more 'cause the shows have been doing surprisingly well in some circumstances. There are some people who have been really shitty with us, treated us like we weren't a real band due to how I approach things, and those are people I just won't work with anymore. For the most part, everyone involved with Bomb the Music Industry! shows have been really nice and really supportive.

5.) Now that you live in Georgia, do you see yourself playing in the northeast often or will you probably stick down there more?

The reason it didn't flip me out too much to move out of New York as far as a "career move" because Bomb the Music Industry! hasn't really played too much in the northeast unless it's at the beginning of a tour or at the end of a tour. So now the northeast will just be in the middle of tours. The funny thing is that I've already played New York City once since moving to Athens, and I've got one more show planned at the end of the year - that's more New York City shows than we had played during all of 2005 (which was zero!)

6.) Have you recorded or written a lot of bomb songs that just never got finished or weren't up to the quality of the released songs?

There's only one song that's been recorded that hasn't been released - it was done with a live drummer and it just didn't feel right, but I really like the song so it'll come out somehow soon. It usually takes SUCH a long time, with writing, rewriting, arranging and blah blah blah that once it's finally time to lay down instruments, so much work has gone into it that there's no way I wouldn't release it. Of course parts get scrapped here and there and become parts of other songs, and it keeps going on like that. Then again, there are songs that have been written and recorded in one multi-hour blast and I really like those songs. The only thing I've ever done that I've really hated how it came out and wanted to go back and fix was the Harvey Danger cover on the first album, and that was the first thing I had really done.

But it's still released - bad punches, weird guitar sounds, shitty mix and all. 'Cause it was a lot of work.

7.) I saw you wanted to do something with a big band - were you thinking touring or playing one or two shows with that, or just recording some songs with a big band?

I REALLY hope the next record happens with a band, hopefully with everyone I meet down here. I'd really like to tour with a big band, but I also don't wanna compromise the open-membership policy I've got going on now so we'll see if it happens. I should also clarify that by "big band" I don't mean big band like how jazz people say it. I mean big band like how people who can't think of a better adjective than "big" say it.

8.) Has it been hard to get musicians to release their music for free on Quote Unquote, or did they come looking for you just wanting some exposure?

All the artists on Quote Unquote are good friends and are really excited about the label. They're always out looking for people to get involved with it, and I really feel everyone on the label is an important part of how it's run, how we do things and everything else.

There have been some bands who clearly overstate the amount of exposure Quote Unquote will bring, and I usually just suggest that they do it themselves 'cause it's the same thing. There was also a band that asked us for a lot of money to record, promote and release their record. I don't think that band got it.

9.) If we could get you a show in the basement of a dorm at the University, will you come?

As long as there's gas money and food. Actually, fuck it. It's a college show? Make them pay us a thousand bucks, I gotta buy Christmas presents somehow.

Transcript of Interview with Hinder Bassist Mike Rodden

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:29:00 +0000

Can you give me your name and what you do in the band?

My name is Mike, and I play the bass.

It seems like your band blew up pretty fast – can you give a brief history of the band?

The core of the band has been together for five years. Cody and Blower met in college, their first or second year. They became friends and they had thrown a big dorm party and hired some cover bands to play the party and Austin was the singer for one of those bands, and they thought his voice was really unique and different from whatever else was going on right then, so they ran into him a few other times at different parties. Someway or another they found out that each of them were into music and they play different instruments – so they got together, it was Austin, Blower and Cody and they had a different bass player at the time, and they were playing gigs for a while and decided to go up to Canada and record an independent album with a known producer, so they went up there and did that, and the producer went up there and started shopping it around and when they came back to Oklahoma City after the demo was made, they picked up Mark and myself and we played a few showcase shows, and Universal ended up sharing the same vision as us, we went with them and we’ve been playing shows ever since.

So it started as a cover band?

Well they weren’t a cover band, but Austin was in a cover band. Once Austin joined with Cody and Blower, they started writing original material.

How does it feel to have sold out most of your tour so far?

It’s awesome – every other tour that we’ve been on to date hasn’t really sold out except for the bigger ones like the Nickelback tour and stuff like that. Every tour that we’ve been on that we’ve headlined hasn’t ever really sold out the whole tour and I think the fact that Lips of an Angel has crossed over to multi formats on radio has really helped out a lot. It’s pretty badass that every show is full before we even get there, so it’s a good thing.

Both of the shows in this area are sold out – do you know when you’re coming back?

We’ll get a little time off for Christmas and New Years, like a week or two, and then we hit the road again in mid January, and then we’ll tour for the rest of spring and the summer, and I’m sure we’ll be back in that area around late January, February – something like that.

What can fans expect out of you this tour?

This tour we play the entire CD, and then we play a song that didn’t make the album that for one reason or another, the record company and ourselves thought that it didn’t really mesh with the rest of the songs so we’re playing that one now and we might have another new one that we’ve been writing by the time we get there, and we also play a cover or two, so there’s about twelve to thirteen songs.

Are you guys excited to be playing with Aerosmith next month?

Yeah – they are one of our biggest influences musically and you know, we all grew up listening to them, and our parents listened to them, so they all introduced us to them. The fact that we get to share the stage with them is pretty ridiculous. It’s a pretty monumental step for us I think.

You put three singles out off your album – what song is next and what’s your favorite track off the album?

“How Long” is the current single right now and before too long we’re going to release “Better Than Me” and that’s going to hit the radio. A few top 40 and pop stations are playing and testing it out seeing how it’s going to do. That should be our next one. We’re thinking about maybe doing a fifth if it comes down to it, but we’re not sure about that one. My personal favorite on the album is probably “By the Way” or “Shoulda.” Nobody else in the band really has that one as their favorite, but that’s mine.

Where did the name of the album come from?

Well it kinda describes how we were living like whenever we all got together in the band, started playing shows, and the labels were coming out and whenever they came out they tried to get them to sign with them, they spend a lot of money on you – they take you out to eat, and we totally took advantage of that and got hammered every time they came, have them take us to strip clubs, and got tore up. When it came time for an album title, this kind of fit the way we were going at the whole process and so we decided to go with that for the album title.

Did you ever expect the CD to do this well?

We didn’t expect it to be at the level that it is right now. We always hoped that it would get to that point sooner or later, but I don’t think you ever really, really, really believe that it’s going to do as well as it does. You can always hope it gets better but I don’t know – I think it can still get better from here even though we’re at the level we’re at now.

I read somewhere that Lips of an Angel was not supposed to be on the album – it was supposed to be a B-Side … why wasn’t it going to be on the album?

That’s because of the label. During pre-production we wrote a bunch of songs, we recorded them in a studio back at home, and then we’d send them to them as we got them done – rough versions recorded. Whenever our A&R guy got that song, he was like “well you know, it’s a pretty good song, but it sounds like a b-side to me. I don’t know if it belongs on the album.” We were like “kiss our ass,” it’s going on the album, that’s all there is to it. Now that it’s doing well, he is a big supporter of it.

What was the inspiration behind that song? Is there any truth to it?

It’s actually an exact experience that Austin had while we were writing the album. The night before we wrote this song, pretty much the song spells it out. He was at home with his girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend called to do a few things and I don’t know – he had to keep it down in the other room and both of these chicks are gone now, but he came to practice and pre-production the next day and kind of presented the idea and it went along with something that Cody was doodling around with on the guitar and it just kind of wrote itself very easily just because it was the exact experience that happened the night before.

Have you heard that country singer Jack Ingram has released a cover of that song to country radio?

Yeah we have – we’ve been having friends around the country call us or text us and say “uhh I just heard a country version of Lips.” Yeah, we’ve heard it – someone sent us a copy of it or something. I guess you don’t need permission to do it these days and I guess you don’t because we didn’t okay it. I thought myself that it would have to be like someone would send you a version and be like “hey is this okay, can you give me the go-ahead to release it?” but that’s not the way things work so it was released and it’s getting some airplay on radio. I’m not 100% happy with it, I myself don’t like it, I thought it could be a lot better. It sounds like he’s reading it off a piece of paper – there’s no emotion in it at all. I guess people dig it because it’s getting played on radio – for how long I don’t know, but yeah we’ve heard about it. We’re not strong supporters.

Are you flattered?

Yeah, we really wanted somebody to do it so it would be a country song – some well known country artist would do it and do it well. We were actually looking into that option whenever we found out that he had covered it, so I don’t know – it just kind of came out and now it’s out there.

So you guys didn’t know that he was doing it until it was actually out?

Right. Yeah, we got sent a copy over the internet from someone after it was already done, recorded and started going out to radio.

Do you guys know what’s up next for your band – when the next album is coming out? Do you have any songs recorded or written for that?

We’re touring our asses off right now, and then we have down time where we mess around and search for ideas for songs. We’ve got a few, like four or five that are in the works and we’re planning on staying on the road though until the end of July next year. We’re possibly going overseas to Europe or Japan or something during the summertime of next year, but we’re planning on getting off the road sometime in the beginning of August and take a couple of weeks off and then hit the studio. Start pushing the pre-production and then have the album out and ready to go January, February of ’08 – something like that is our goal.

Someone said that your band was generic rock, like Nickelback and you guys agreed with that – why doesn’t that bother you?

You read that we agreed with it?

Yeah.

No – they must have misquoted us because we actually hate the fact that people compare us to Nickelback. I mean Nickelback is a great band, you know they write great songs, I think we sound absolutely nothing like Nickelback. I think people just want us to compare us to them because we’re a straightforward rock band and we’re doing well. We aren’t like some of those artsy shit bands like Franz Ferdinand and stuff like that. It seems like they get a lot more respect than the straightforward rock bands. I don’t know – I don’t see the comparison. I don’t think we sound anything like Nickelback at all. I think we resemble late 80’s bands like Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue, and that’s the way I see it. Of course, there’s always going to be people that say “you’re a Nickelback clone band” and all that shit, but if they actually came to a show or listened to our album they would probably have a different outlook.

So some of your inspiration comes from Guns N’ Roses?

Yeah – Motley Crue, Def Leopard, Bon Jovi – whenever rock was cool and fun and wasn’t dark and depressing and trying to be all artsy and weird like the trend seems to be today. That’s when I feel like rock was rock and it was fun, you know.

So you’re just in the business of playing straightforward rock songs.

Yeah – just songs that make you feel good and make you have a good time. If you think back whenever you saw videos like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Girls Girls Girls” and all those videos like that, when you watch them, they put a smile on your face – you want to have some fun – go and party and do whatever it is you like to do. You watch videos now and it’s all depressing and dark and you watch it and you just kinda feel bummed. Like you want to go kill yourself or something. It seems like that music is kind of on its way out in my opinion and that’s kinda what we’re trying to steer clear of – that whole gray cloud over our band thing, you know?

Do you think you’ll inspire any people to play more straightforward songs then?

I hope so. We’re out with a couple of bands right now – Lynam is our opening act, and they’re from Alabama and they are really really good – just straight up rock music. Their guitar player is one of the best guitar players I’ve seen in a long, long time. Eighteen Visions is out with us as well – they are a little heavier than we are at times, but still – their new album is really straightforward, it’s a rockin’ album. I think there’s a bunch of bands that are going to start emerging – just straight up, they want to kick your ass and that’s it. They want to have a good time and that’s it.

Did all of you grow up in Oklahoma City?

Yeah most of us yeah – the surrounding areas. Most of us were close by. Mark grew up a couple hours away in the panhandle of Oklahoma.

So a lot of the music from around that area is usually country – did you guys listen to that at all or use any of that as your inspiration or did you want to stay away from that image?

Cody is a big country music fan. He likes the music – he doesn’t want to sound like a country band, he doesn’t want to have the image of a country band … I myself was force fed it by my parents and I kind of grew to not like it, you know what I mean? I don’t really like listening to country music anymore. Like you said, there are a bunch of country artists that have come out of Oklahoma, but you’d be surprised in the Oklahoma City area how many more rock bands there are than country bands. It might just be the same reason why I don’t like it, why there are a bunch of rock bands. All the kids are sick of the country bands in that area and they’re rock fans and they want to start rock bands. There’s a ton of good rock bands in Oklahoma – it’s just no one looks to Oklahoma for rock.

Can you suggest any bands out of Oklahoma?

We haven’t been there in a long time, but I remember when we were there – many of them are the emo rock bands … but there are a few, Minutes too Far, Chasing Paris, a few bands – I can’t really think of any other current ones because we haven’t been there in so long. Little League Hero – that’s a really good one. I don’t know – there’s a bunch of bands out there that should definitely be looked at.

How does your songwriting process work?

The way our songwriting process goes is usually Cody and Austin will kinda come up with a basic idea, like a skeleton if you will and maybe a melody. We’ll all get together, because it’s much easier to get two people together than the whole band. Because when we do have free time and we’re at home, somebody’s visiting their parents or whatever. But for whatever reason that’s how it works. Then we all kinda put our touch to it and hammer it out as a five piece and eventually come up with some lyrics and some harmonies and then that’s that. We take it to our producer and that’s it. And then he gives us suggestions and we either take them or we tell him to stick it.

Did you have any songs before your album came out or was that your first batch?

Before Mark and myself got in the band, the other four guys had a little EP that they had recorded themselves at home in Oklahoma City and that’s kinda been put on the shelf. We didn’t use any of those songs for the album – we basically wrote half of the album in pre-production and in the studio. The six demos that they recorded up in Vancouver before the labels had any interest in us, those six songs are in the album. We have the other four and then the one we didn’t put on the album written in pre-production and during recording.

Has that B-Side been released in any way?

I don’t know if it is available on our site or anywhere else. We have a couple of different versions of it, we have a piano version of it and an acoustic version of it and it got recorded. I really don’t know what happened to it. We’re saving it for hopefully the Spiderman 3 soundtrack, whenever that movie comes out. It might be available on that. We’re hoping that we can submit it to that movie and they’ll eat it up and throw it on the soundtrack.

Is there anything you wanted to add or anything?

Just thanks to everybody that’s coming out to the shows and all the fans that have bought our album in that area – we appreciate it.