the Estranged - Singles

Through the technological wonder and infinite time-sink that is Facebook, I’ve had the fun of reconnecting with gobs of old friends from college, high school, heck, even grade school; and part of that fun is seeing how many of my friends still maintain their youthful passion for music, no matter what kind. Jeff is off and running to see King Khan in the City, Diana is posting early morning videos of Alan Parsons, Dave has a Kiwi-American hybrid playlist. It’s all good. More recently, I’d learned that an old middle-school friend and I developed into musical soul mates, both deriving an insane amount of musical orgasmatronation from the dark and deadly post punk movement of the early 80’s.

And to satisfy that urge, Steve, have I got one for you.

A while back, I described the latest single from The Estranged, a trio of former Remains of the Day, Hellshock, From Ashes Rise and Warcry members, as "a two-song blast of agitated post-punk. Brimming with energy and dynamics, mean, aggressive, discordant and utterly captivating." I noted that "comparisons to Joy Division, Mission of Burma, and The Wipers will flow over these guys like rain from the critics, but I also hear some of the best of the rockier side of post-punk, like New Model Army, T.S.O.L. and even the Gang of Four."

Naturally, being a freak for the band, I did everything in my power to cajole and prod Black Water Records into tossing a few more tidbits my way. And man, did they ever. The Estranged Singles is a charging, full on assault of primal post punk and roll, loading with intensely dark and driving bass lines, bursts of spastic, near-epileptic guitar, throaty, determinedly passionate vocals, and machine-gun pulse drumming. This isn’t droney and mopey, shoegaving postpunk. The Estranged put the “punk” firmly back into post punk. This is spiky, punchy, dark and deranged, madness, and, oh my God, is it good.

Even the singles that I loved earlier sound so much better now. I don’t know if it’s because my earlier listen was from a crappy CD-R burned from the original vinyl single and sent to me by another webzine, or if my ears have just fully matured to their sound. Regardless, I don’t have the superlatives to bring to these tracks. “Fast Trains,” begins with as dark and ominous a bass line as you’ll ever find, rumbling out of the speakers full of dark mystery and malevolence. Guitars and drums kick in simultaneously, the guitars slicing through the mix like some acidic Andy Gill offspring, the drums locking onto a mutated polyrhythmic battle stomp. The whole affair picks up energy in the first 30 seconds until it is positively exploding with tension and dark drama. By the time the vocals drop in, thick and throaty, perfectly intonated for the nastiness of the piece, I’m in heaven. Seriously. We’ve played this song at least four times on Ripple Radio and I still can’t get enough of it. Insanely dark, driving, pure punk in attitude, if not sound. Be sure to check out the mid-song breakdown, with its stuttering verse, rotating bass and absolutely histrionic guitar spasms. Breathless, I’m actually breathless.

“The Masses,” also lives up to my prior billing, blending a new level of guitar complexity into the pure post punk proceedings. Impassioned, intense, damn dark, and absolutely compelling. I hear a little of the choppy, Stoogey punk of Get Smart here, but really, The Estranged are tearing off into their territory on menacing nightmares. Brooding, the song seems to circle around me like a starving lioness hunting her prey. Then in moments of sheer frenzy the attack comes, bass flying, drums pounding, guitar flying through huge, heavily distorted runs. Stunning.

As a collection of the 7” singles from the band’s history, it’s just as refreshing to hear that their other material is just as strong. “Sacred Decay,” bristles with rough intensity like a nerve freshly dissected and left raw and exposed. More melody finds its way here, of such craft that, if it wasn’t so intense and disturbing, it’d actually be beautiful. To my ears, this is what Nirvana should’ve sounded like. And other than Dave Grohl, The Estranged are probably better musicians. Just listen to that bass, and its high run up the neck, then back into its plodding riff. Listen to that guitar tone, sounding as close to a frayed neuron as you’ll ever hear. The drumming is complex and relentless. “Thru The Night,” follows the same path, mining a similar agit-punk vibe as “Sacred Decay,” tossing another huge, sing-able melody your way.

I don’t really know the chronology of these songs, but my impression is that it’s kind of a reverse order, with the newer stuff being first, then the earlier stuff following. I may be wrong, but it would make sense as the last four songs, representing two A and B sides, seem rawer, more intense, and more directly punk than the preceding. That is in no way a criticism. In fact, it’s amazing to hear the band developing their sound, and being just as convincing with the more plowing “Statue in the Room,” or the hardcore, 80’s punk of “Nothing to Say,” as they were on “Fast Trains.”

It’s rare that a band comes along that so perfectly capture a moment of my musical zeitgeist, but The Estranged has. True to their name, The Estranged play it harsh and cold, agitated and dark. It’s a lonely world view they hold, but not one they hold alone. Count me along for the ride.

--Racer

www.myspace.com/theestrangedpdxhotmailcom

Anvil – Past & Present Live

Originally released in 1989 on Metal Blade, it’s good to have Anvil’s kick ass live album back in print. This came out after their minor brush with North American success thanks to the video for “Mad Dog” from the 1987 album Strenth of Steel and right before their decline into obscurity. We all know that Anvil is now bigger than ever thanks to the excellent film Anvil! The Story of Anvil but a lot of people are unaware about how great Anvil was (and still is) as a live band.

Recorded at The Waters Club in Long Beach, California the set is mainly classics from 1982’s Metal On Metal and 1983’s Forged In Fire albums. Oddly, the album starts off with “Concrete Jungle” from Strength of Steel, a slower song from the band before kicking into the bizarre speed metal square dance of “Toe Jam” from 1988’s Pound For Pound.

“Motormount” is the first of the old classics on the album and it’s even faster than the recorded version. This is pure Nugent meets Motorhead gonzo boogie that no one else has dared to attempt. The band slow down for their personal pounding metal anthem “Forged In Fire” - a true neck wrecker this is a staple in their live set to this day.

Lips is clearly excited to introduce the hockey influenced song “Blood On The Ice” because he loves it when the players “beat the fuck out of each other.” It sounds kinda like that’s what they’re doing to their instruments, too. After that they launch into their classic Iron Maiden meets UFO instrumental “March of the Crabs.” This song has had an obvious influence on Metallica with the twin guitar crunch of Lips and Dave Allison. It leads into Robb Reiner’s killer drum solo before he brings the band back in for the ultra speedy “Jackhammer.”

“Metal On Metal” gets all the fists shaking, heads banging and voices screaming the title at full volume. Barely pausing for breath, they go right into the all time classic “Winged Assasins.” Robb and bassist Ian Dickson set up a frantic double bass groove before the song lifts off and soars.

The highlight of the entire album comes with an awesome medley of the Slayer-esque “666” and “Mothra.” In the early 1980’s, “666” was up there with “Fast As A Shark” as the fastest metal song of all time. Robb’s drumming is unreal on this. “Mothra” is also a showstopper. The band really stretch out on this one and give Lips plenty of room to go nuts on the guitar. A highlight of any Anvil show is when Lips sings through the pickup of his Flying V on this song. The only thing that would improve this album would be some bonus tracks. I was lucky enough to catch Anvil live around the time this was recorded and they were playing “Mad Dog” (including Lips bringing out his bulldog Beast on stage to show off the dog’s testicles) and the vibrator masterpiece “Bondage.”

Anvil is touring North America at the beginning of 2010. If you’ve never caught them live, this will give you a good indication of what to expect. The band is a 3 piece now with the awesome G5 on bass and has lost none of its power. On a side note, if you liked the movie check out the Anvil autobiography that just came out, too. It has a lot of great stories from the early days and more behind the scenes stuff from the making of the movie. HEAVY!

--Woody

www.anvilmetal.com/

Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire

I often find myself in a place of reverie, contemplating what my life would be like without heavy metal. From the time that I first heard the distorted notes of “Detroit Rock City” at the tender age of six, to the more poppy, yet still fairly aggressive riffs of Def Leppard’s Pyromania, to the ultimate epiphany of Metallica’s Ride the Lightening or Slayer’s Haunting the Chapel, the music has always been that something special that I’ve been able to rely on. My metal never let me down. It was always there when I needed it the most. Even recently with my discovery of such oppressively dark and extreme metal as Opeth, Katatonia, or Byzantine, I’ve found myself turning to it for, oddly enough, comfort. There’s just something about the distorted and detuned notes blasting from a stack of Marshall or Mesa Boogie amps. It gets me right in the soul when I hear the double bass drums hammering away while the low end drone of the bass guitars coat the music in a sheet of warmth. And then, the usual apocalyptic and doom laden lyrics screeched away by vocals that have more in common with stone grinders than a choir of angels, well . . . that’s the stuff that makes me forget about my real world problems. For those brief moments in time, those few minutes of aggressive splendor unleashed upon my aural senses, I realize that there is no other music that has as much power over me as does heavy metal.

Upon my desk rests the new album from Skeletonwitch, a band that was introduced to me a little over a year ago and who blew me away with their proficient playing and aggressive energy. Beyond the Permafrost was a solid album and one that has made its way into my player on many occasions when I needed to release some steam. Where Permafrost was a strong and solid album, this new disc, Breathing the Fire is a fucking throw down with bear sized men wielding blunt instruments of destruction in a dark alley on a cold and rainy night. Breathing the Fire is that perfect blend of thrash metal mixed with NWOBHM twin guitar harmonies mashed up with the blackest forms of extreme metal. When I first heard Haunting the Chapel, I thought, “My God. What is this dark and evil sound that pierces the sheer fabric of my reality?” and the moment I heard this opening burst of metal delivered by Skeletonwitch, I was taken back to my first youthful experience with the dark side.

There’s no epic build up or creepy instrumental intro to this album. “Submit to the Suffering” blasts out of the speakers without warning, double bass drums pounding away, guitars providing a distorted flurry of notes, all coming at high octane speed. It only takes a few seconds to recognize that Skeletonwitch have one thing in mind and that’s leveling any obstacle in their path. This song is comprised of one great riff after another. Once the vocals engage in the melee, listen to the guitar licks. That’s just a cool fucking riff! And I love how these guys change things up within a piece of music. Quick starts and stops give the songs room to move, and then there are the massive shifts of tempo and emotion as seen at the midpoint of “Submit the Suffering.” That’s the kind of break that snaps necks! Gotta’ love the vocal change as vocalist Chance Garnett goes from the higher pitch, screeching vocals to the deep down, guttural vomitous vocal style. This song makes me want to throw something heavy at someone light.

“Where the Light Has Failed” is made up of another fantastic riff that gallops along with a high speed rhythm. The thing that comes to mind while listening to this track is that this band has come together as musicians since Beyond the Permafrost. The musical growth is phenomenal! The composition to this track is complex, especially as it weaves from the main body of the song across the bridge and into a technically snazzy break. Then, rather than continue pummeling us with massive amounts of notes, the guitars begin to sustain a bit more and a fairly melodic guitar solo creeps out of the darkness. One doesn’t usually associate the word classy with music of such extremes, but I’m far from usual and classy is the word that I like for this particular condition. Y’all know how I love dynamics in my metal, and at a mere two minutes and seventeen seconds in length, I’m further impressed with the bands capability to add so much music in such a short amount of time. It’s almost like when one sees a painting close up and there are all of the vibrant colors and textural details, images all swirled upon one another, and then . . . a couple steps are taken away from the painting and it becomes apparent that the initial work of art is merely a small portion making up a greater detailed masterpiece. Skeletonwitch have incorporated detailed pieces of music in condensed spaces of time, but in listening to the whole thing, it becomes this elaborate and complex sonic being. Truly amazing work!

Skeletonwitch reach into a deep bag of old school thrash for inspiration, but what I dig about these guys is that they don’t go full on retro with the sound. They utilize enough elements of modern metal to make it sound relevant for today while mixing in great moments of thrash energy and technical proficiency. As mentioned, the musicianship of this band has definitely grown, particularly in the approach of guitarists Nate Garnett and Scott Hedrick. But let’s not overlook the immense talents of the rhythm section of drummer Derrick Nau and bassist Evan Linger. “Release From the Catacombs” highlights the rhythm section like none other. Nau’s blastbeats open the songs and he then propels the song with a healthy dose of double bass drum work and outstanding fills, and Linger’s contribution to the song will become that of legend in due time. He’s running his fingers all over the neck of his bass like he’s massaging the knots out of a boulder. Man . . . it’s a beautiful, virtuosic performance without being noodle-y. I want to go out and break my finger as punishment, for they fail me and deserve worse.

I could go on for days about the details of Breathing the Fire and I fear that no matter how much I praise this album, my words will not be doing enough of a service. Maybe it’s the fact that I need the full on aggressive metal in my life right now. Maybe it’s the state of the world affairs that makes me turn to the comforting sounds of destruction. Maybe it’s all the hype about the inevitable end of the world in 2012 that has me looking at today’s modern metal like it’s a survivor’s guide for the apocalypse. I don’t have the answers. But I do know that I love heavy metal and when it’s played with as much intensity, integrity, and fuck all tenacity as Skeletonwitch have displayed on this new disc, then I know that all is once again right in the world. Dig deep into this one, Waveriders. Breathing the Fire has layers to it with high level technical complexity, all the way to primal savagery, and the more you listen to it, the more detailed the music becomes. And the more detailed that the music becomes, the more and more you’ll become fascinated with the swirling patterns of notes as they bounce around your soul.

One last item of note. The label, Prosthetic Records, is taking pre-orders for the album in separate orange and white vinyl editions. I’m thinking I’m going for the orange. Of course, there’s always the black . . . decisions . . . decisions . . . - Pope JTE

www.myspace.com/skeletonwitch

http://store.prostheticrecords.com/index.php/bands/skeletonwitch

Extended Play Tuesday: Puscifer and Loomis and the Lust

Puscifer – C is for (Please Insert Sophmoric Genitalia Reference Here) EP

Once upon a time Maynard James Keenan applied his unique vocal stylings to Tool, and Tool alone. Then, he signed on with A Perfect Circle and we all got to hear his voice do something that we weren’t quite used to. Now, our hero is fronting a band called Puscifer and showing even further range to those plaintive pipes, hitting us with a whole new set of emotions that will require us to check ourselves for the nervous breakdown that’s bound the ensue. Put together as a project to quell the chaos in Keenan’s skull, Puscifer is an individual and collaborative quest for greater musical discovery. The sounds, as we’ve come to expect, build with ever mounting tension, but then for the unexpected, the music has a dance floor groove . . . an underlying swing to the whole thing. Industrial jazz with alt-rock moments, perhaps?

Opening track, “Polar Bear,” has a swagger to it, but rather than imagining a 1920’s jazz club, all smoky, sweaty, and sultry, the setting for this track would be a dilapidated warehouse with bare light bulbs flickering in the darkness and pools of water settled across the floor. Wickedly dark, but sexy. The feel carries on with “The Mission,” as the low end groove powers the tune along. The powerful female vocals provided by Milla Jovovich (?) compliment Keenan’s more laid back and passive performance, and the creeped out, goth-y dark imagery continues, almost like we’ve entered some post apocalyptic piano lounge. C is for . . . is a great collection of tunes and doesn’t lack in intensity, even as the music slows down to a more ambient entity on “The Humbling River” and the live version of “Momma Sed.” It’s almost as if the music becomes even heavier and more intense as the tempo and textures shift to the atmospheric. Absolutely addicting and a disc that I’m thrilled beyond belief to have stumbled on, it’s a fantastic “door opener” to the rest of the bands catalog.

www.puscifer.com


Loomis and The Lust – Nagasha

Loomis and The Lust came out of nowhere to grab my attention with this disc. It’s called Nagasha (as I’m sure you can read in the title) and it flat out moves! These guys play a brand of rock that I’ve never been comfortable categorizing; simply because there’s so much going on and that any categorization would unjustly pigeon hole their sound. Let’s just call it rock n’ roll, for that’s where all of this started. The music is packed with a great mixture of distorted and clean toned guitars, solid drum work and in-the-pocket bass groove, and melodic vocals that steer clear of the whining, sniveling sound that seems to assail the senses from most of the current pop rock bands assailing our senses. They travel a poppy road with a touch of harder edged rock, but by no means veering into the lanes of oncoming metal. Addictively catchy melodies swirl with a light hearted and fun-time attitude while incorporating a variety of musical styles, making Nagasha come across like the soundtrack for summer fun. It’s a sound that we’ve all heard before, the only difference is . . . these guys do really frickin’ well!

“Bright Red Chords” is just fun! As lead vocalist / guitarist, Will Loomis, states that the music is primal and hits his hips before his mind, it immediately becomes apparent that there’s no hidden socio-political message buried in the lyrics. It’s a song all about having fun with music . . . just the way it used to be when we would all gather around the turntable to enjoy the magic of recorded sound. Well . . . us older folk, that is. “Break on Love” suddenly shifts in mood and style, spilling out a fairly ballsy blues-y Stones-esque riff. This tune has some fantastic vocal harmonies, but what gets me with every listen is the break at the midpoint. The song goes from barroom blues to city funk, pushed into movement by some beautiful guitar work. Then there’s “Sweetness.” Man . . . talk about gum on the bottom of your shoe! The song is heavy in melody, has great dynamics, and is a well composed piece. Five songs long, Nagasha is a quick listen, but one that you’ll find yourself coming back to time after time. - Pope JTE

www.myspace.com/loomisandthelust

A Ripple Road Trip - Jams to Beat the Traffic Jam

I love driving on the open road. Convertible top down. Wind blowing through my hair . . .er . . . scalp. Whatever. Wind blowing against me, chilling my skin, making me feel alive.

With that in mind, I think you can agree that the antithesis of the joyful, freedom abandon of the open road, is being stuck in traffic. And I mean, bumper-to-bumper, flipping-off-the-jerk-who-just-cut-me-off, traffic.

So with that thought, today in the Ripple player, I'm only spinning discs that can make anytime on the road a little more joyful and fun. No agro metal or discordant punk this time. Just sunshiney, smiling, happy times to make the road ahead fade away to a memory.



Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Susquehanna and Skaboy JFK: The Skankin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies

It seems like only yesterday, but it was way back in 1998 that the Cherry Poppin' Daddies took the nation by surprise and by storm with the release of Zoot Suit Riot, and it's beyond-infectious title track. Then, ushering in the sensation that became the New Swing Movement, it seemed the CPD's could do no wrong. But in truth, all was not what it seemed. You see, CPD never really were a swing band like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, or my personal favorites, The Alien Fashion Show. In their hearts, they were a punk band, loaded up with lots of ska, a hint of jazz, a smattering of swing, and a good shot glass full of rock and roll. Never completely comfortable with the New Swing tag, on this, their first new album in years, the CPD's abandon most of the swing sound (with the exception of "Wingtips") instead favoring a blast of Latin-tinged, ska punk and roll.

If you're a fan of the CPD's earlier efforts like Ferociously Stoned, you'll find lots to love here. "Bust Out," throws in big Spanish horns and flamenco guitar to their south-of-the-border ska rave-up. "Hi and Lo," is a pure Mighty Mighty Bosstones retro-blast of ska punk, with more accent on the melodies than the punk. Toss in a winner of a chorus and this one's a brain-sticker. "White Trash Toodle oo," heaps a pile of big time swing tom tom drums, spiky horns, and scatting guitar into it's nitro-fueled attack. Meanwhile, the previously mentioned "Wingtips," dips back into the straight from the past, swing catalog for a mid-tempo tour through a moment of bop. Also don't miss the smooth and sultry, slinky and slightly dangerous, underground brothel, jazz blitz that is "The Mongoose and The Snake," with a dynamite gangland group choral bit. Nothing serious and heavy, just a fun time had by all.

"Hi and Lo," and another ska skanker "Hammerblow," also make the transisition to JFK, which, as the name says, is a collection of some of CPD's more ska flavored tunes, with four new one's tossed in. "Skaboy JFK" starts off like some long lost Specials outtake, all skanky and horns-a-tooty. The rest of the collection varies from the mellower, cool-as-nails, mid-tempo, quasi-reggae groove of "Soul Cadillac", to the amps-turned-up-to 11 punk piano pounding of "Sockable Face Club." The one that caught my ear the most (besides "Hi and Lo") was the bursting at the seams amped up ska of "Don Quixote." In truth, not every song between these two discs works to perfection, it's hard not so smile while that baby's blasting out of the speakers and the Ghia's bouncing down the street.

www.daddies.com/



Baby Woodrose - Baby Woodrose

Any one who knows me, knows that one way to get me happy in the midst of a monster of a traffic jam is to drop some thing raw and garagey into the player, crank up the volume and watch me become one with the fuzz. That's exactly what Baby Woodrose does on this retro-psychedelic, leaked-from-underneath-the-oil-can, blast of pure garage pop bliss. Baby Woodrose is the creation of Lorenzo Woodrose, a cat who played and recorded all the instruments himself over a six month period locked away in the studio. And let me tell you, if you're a fan of fuzzed-up, psyched-out, garagepunk from the sixties, you may have just found your new messiah.

"Fortune Teller," leads us off with a moment of pure retro-garage-thrash pop perfection, like some wild Blue Magoos tune filtered through the Seeds. Bringing on a crazy guitar tone, especially for the maximally-fuzzed solo, soulful and deliciously raw singing, and some juicy female backing vocals filling out the stick-in-your-head-like-bubblegum chorus, and we've got ourselves some pure garage-psych nirvana. "Take it," channels all the best of the early-Kinks
riffs and brings them screaming back to the modern day. Literally. The screams starting the song add the perfect hint of pure juvenile abandon to the affair. Again, what makes the song is the melody and the massive fish hook of a chorus. Lorenzo Woodrose really knows his way around a melody and his craft as the hauntingly beautiful ballad "Open Up Your Heart," and the neo-epic "Countdown to a Breakdown," show. Combining some somber reflections of the early-sixties harmony masters, like the Mamas and the Papas, "Countdown to Breakdown," is just about as glorious and mysteriously gorgeous a garage ballad as you'll ever hear.

I don't have enough accolades for this album. So here's the bottom line: if you love retro-sixties, psychedelic-boiled garage rock, go find this one. You'll thank me later.


www.myspace.com/babywoodrose



Light in August - Places

Forget the band's name, this disc really should be called Light in November, or rather Light at Anytime You Might Need It. Truthfully, it's rare that I come across a disc that is so full of hope and musical smiles without being sappy or overly pollyanna. Light in August record gentle, spiritually-hopeful pop music that is literally like a huge dollop of aural sunshine. Each song lilts and shines like the newly born morning sun, brimming with joy and the promise of the new day.

"Krishna Consciousness," follows the gentle strains of sitars into a near, stream of consciousness, melody to spiritual birth. If all that sounds heavy, trust me, it's not. It's as light and bountiful as the sunlight that filters through each delicate note. For no good reason, the song reminds me of Dream Academy, and their long-lost hit "Life in a Northern Town." Not that they really sound that much alike, but the lightness of both, the gentle vision of both is similar. "Out of Reach," brings on some beautiful acoustic guitar and some glorious female harmony vocals to create a sugary confection of floating, levitating pop. An absolutely gorgeous song. "Pacific Coast" adds just enough hardness to the intro guitar tone to avoid the album from becoming repetitive, before it launches off into it's own kaleidoscopic world of shimmering pop.

Places is an album of ethereal, incense-laced beauty and harmony. From now on, I'm going to call it "shimmering hippy pop." Forget this album being the antidote to a bad day in traffic, if the entire world listened to this album, all at the same time, we just might reach the state of bliss. I guarantee you, wars would stop, the hungry would be fed. Nirvana couldn't be far behind.

--Racer

www.lightinaugustmusic.com/

A Sunday Conversation with Oscape

Knocking our heads for a spin with his straight-out-of-the-desert brand of stoner/doom rock, Oscape made a big impression on the Ripple office when their first EP The Growing Ground fell into our laps. Needless to say, we couldn't wait til we had a chance to chat with Oscape's main man, Scott Heller, and dig deep into his fertile mind.

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkle, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears. What have been your musical epiphany moments?

I have had a lot of musical epiphanies and still have a lot of them. My first concert was AC/DC. I was 12 yrs. old and I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. The power and volume was that was running through my body was mesmerizing. I was addicted to that feeling from that time on. Years later, I was at the NAMM show in Ca. And sitting on a barstool in front of me, no more than 2 feet away was Dimebag Darrel. He was endorsing his guitar and just shredding away with ease. On top of that, he was cracking jokes the whole time and very down to earth. His unbelievable talent made me want to play more and more. Lastly, I saw an acoustic set of Springsteen. Just Bruce and his guitar. Clear, incredible, personal and inspiring


Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?

When I sit down with the notion of writing a new song, a lot of times nothing will come to me. When I am jamming with the guys with a free and open mind, the riffs and ideas will start coming and we will build off of those. A lot of times, riffs and ideas come to me when I am working or driving. If I really like it and it sticks for a while, I will call my answering machine and sing it on there, so I don’t forget it. It goes the same with the lyrics. If it doesn’t feel right for me, it usually gets dropped at the riff stage but once I have something I feel really good about, it will loop in my head over and over until I complete it.


Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?

Live shows give me tons of inspiration. The band Calexico play around Tucson quite a bit. When I see them jam, it makes me want to run home and play. Good performances really inspire me. I can be inspired out of depression or anger as well. The news, people’s interactions, people in power…all of it affects me and gets my brain in writing mode so that I can regurgitate my thoughts through music and lyrics.

Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?

Labels are kind of funny. Especially the rock genres. Space rock, stoner rock, ambient rock and on and on. I would say most musicians could classify their own music with a new label that they see it as. We ride a fine line between hard rock and heavy metal or so I have been told. I have also heard stoner rock, psychedelic, alternative, etc. I kind of leave it to the people that listen to us to label our music but if I had to I would say we are dark, angry,hard rock with a few psychedelic touches. We have some chunky rhythms but our vocals are not metal. I leave it to the ear of the beholder.


What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?

I just want people to give our music a chance and listen to it with an open ear. Whatever emotions our music evokes and however the lyrics and stories are interpreted are up to each individual. If our music actually brings out some sort of emotion or line of thinking, great, mission accomplished. Now, don’t get me wrong. If I knew that people were humming and whistling our songs and suddenly there was world peace because of Oscape, I could live with that.


In songwriting, how do you bring the song together? What do you look for in terms of complexity? Simplicity? Time changes?

I like jamming with the band to see what feels right. When we get a riff going and the drummer and bassist are tight, man, it can go anywhere. If it feels right, we expand upon that. At this stage, I really go for catchy hooks. If you can hum my song after listening to it just a few times, I am happy.


The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?

It is very tough and often, discouraging. Promoters can be quite unpredictable. We keep writing, playing and recording. When we put together a song that we are proud of, that is enough of a dangling carrot to keep us motivated. It helps tremendously that we love playing music, whether it is to others or just by ourselves. It also doesn’t hurt to get a little positive praise once in a while.

Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?

Let’s see….where do we start. There was one time, on stage, we were really getting into it. During the first song, I was headbanging a bit and smashed my face into the mic stand, chipping my tooth. I outdid myself a few songs later when I banged my head into my own guitar, putting a gash into my forehead. That was not stage blood. There was another time that we were playing inside during a huge rainstorm. Something happened to the roof and our drummer was soaked with rain. The rain was coming through that one space over his set. Reminded me of Charlie Brown’s black cloud. Lastly, there was the homeless lady who was flashing us the full frontal over and over again. Playing while dry heaving was quite challenging. And then this onetime, at band camp ……..


Where do you see you and your music going in ten years?

I would love to be playing music and supporting my family doing so while keeping true to myself. I have no desire to rehash someone else’s music. I want to play what I create. Now if I were able to tour the world, I could probably be okay with that as well.


What makes a great song?

My opinion of what makes up a great song is one that leaves me thinking about it or singing it long after I have listened to it. Great hooks, a good story and bringing something new to the table are what draw me in. If it evokes a strong emotion, that is a great start.

Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?

The first song I ever wrote was a fast, metal song called "Into The Void." It lasted quite a while and had little changes made to it throughout the years. I haven’t played it in a long time but I love revisiting old tapes and recordings. I actually get a lot of new ideas from old songs.

What piece of your music are particularly proud of?

I am really proud of our new E.P., The Growing Ground. It has the attitude and emotion that I was looking for. I also feel it brings out something new and unique.


Who today, writes great songs? Why?

I think there are a lot of great songwriters out there spanning all genres. Personally, I like System of a Down, Tool, Alice in Chains, New Model Army, Springsteen, Hayden, Mike Patton, Michael Franti, Fiona Apple and on and on. I like those who create their own style, have catchy melodies, and tell good stories. However, I think Roger Waters and David Gilmour are some of the best songwriters of our time. Talk about unique and bringing something new to the table.


Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

I have quite a few albums from the past and I loved them but I am a cd man now. I like the packaging of both of them, the covers, lyric sheets, the visual stimulation, etc. It all helps in relating to the artist that you are listening to.

We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?

Zia Record Exchange has a great selection, both used and new. A lot of hard to get stuff as well including picture discs, videos, etc. There was a bar that my wife and I used to go to right next to one of their locations. Sometimes, after throwing down a few, we would go shopping at the record store with impaired judgement. Credit cards, booze and a record shop don’t mix so well. We would come out of there with hundreds of dollars worth of music. Much of it we didn’t like or want. I never thought that I would buy a Brittany Fox cd. We are thankful that they buy used cds as well. Toxic Ranch is another store that caters to the more obscure and local music so if you are in town stop by and see what they got but I would definitely refrain from the cocktails beforehand.