Tony Peck's (The Forecast) Tops Of 2007

Top Album Of 2007-
duran duran - red carpet massacre

Top Concert Of 2007-
muse @ bamboozle

Top Movie of 2007 -
aqua teen hunger force colon movie film for theaters

Favorite Moment Of 2007-
seeing the spice girls arrive at the victoria's secret fashion show from across the street in west hollywood. i had no idea baby spice is so short!

Least Favorite Moment Of 2007-
having a 13 year old kid tell me my band sucks and that they hate me at bamboozle when i asked them if they'd be interested in buying a cd.

(photo credit myspace.com/theforecast)

Ryan's (Throw The Fight) Tops Of 2007

Top Album of 2007-
"The new Saosin record is pretty much amazing. I haven't taken it out of my car in a long time."

Favorite Moment Of 2007-
"Wrapping up on our debut album, 'In Pursuit of Tomorrow.' Be on the lookout for it in February!"

Top Concert Of 2007-
"As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, and Haste the Day at the Cabooze. My ears are still ringing from that one!"

(photo credit myspace.com/throwthefight)

Johnny's (The Men Who Control The Weather) Tops Of 2007

Top Album of 2007-
"Idigaragua" by Fort Wilson Riot. The most imaginative Minneapolis band out there right now.

Top Movie of 2007-
So far, "No Country For Old Men", but "There Will Be Blood" comes out next week.

Favorite Moment of 2007?
Getting to go on tour out east this past summer.

Least Favorite Moment of 2007?
While we were touring out east, we played a show that we were told was going to be in Rochester, New York. It turned out to be in the garage of some kids parents garage in a suburb of Rochester, New York. The only people there were the kids that lived there and a couple of their friends. We didn't get paid and the cops showed up halfway through our set. This retelling really doesn't do justice just how bad that day was. Two weeks later we discovered one of the kids left his glasses in our merch tub for some reason, and we felt kind of bad.

(photo credit myspace.com/theweathermachine)

My Tops Of 2007

Casie
Top Albums of 2007 –
Against Me! – White People for Peacee
Limbeck – Limbeck
Fall of Troy – Manipulator
Chiodos – Bone Palace Ballet
Thrice – The Alchemy Index : Volume 1. Fire and Water
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice

Top Movies of 2007 –
No Country for Old Men
Juno
Grindhouse
I’m Not There
Superbad
We Own the Night

Top Concerts of 2007-
Limbeck at The Whole
Dillinger Four at Jillians (las vegas)
William Elliot Whitmore at The Triple Rock
Against Me! at The Fillmore
The Format, Steel Train, Limbeck at Station 4

Limbeck: the interview, part 3

Welcome to the last part of this interview. I think this is my favorite part. We started talking about their craziest experience on the road and it turned out to be quite a story.

Y!M! – Ummm, what else…OH! What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on the road?
Patrick – Crazy Cliff. Do you know that story?
Y!M! – I don’t know that one
Patrick – Really? We haven’t told you that one? Well our van broke in S.C, but we were able to drive it to a shop. We had to drive like, 20 miles an hour. We got to this place and it’s the middle of nowhere small town.
Y!M! – Creepy, like chainsaw massacre?
Patrick – Pretty much. I don’t wanna say inbred, but..
Y!M! – But, inbred? I’ll say it haha
Patrick – Haha, kinda racist, ya know, pretty bad. So we pull in and they’re like, “Ahh yeaaaah, we can fix it” and we had a Johnny Cash sticker and Willie Nelson sticker so that was kinda like, points for us. They were like “Yeah man, we can fix it. You guys are in a band!”
Robb- They started blasting our record out of one of their pickup trucks
Patrick – They had it on repeat. They fixed our van, whatever. A year later we’re back in S.C playing a bigger city, Charleston.
Robb – And it was with a bigger band so it was advertised on the radio.
Patrick – We never talked to that mechanic, but he made it out to the show. The reason we found out he was there was because Jon Cheese (tour manager) saw this lady in the back with a big camera, like huge, one of those with the VHS tapes, taping us with a flood light and he had to go ask her to turn it off cuz the light was so obnoxious to everybody around her. That mechanic was with her. Later he shows up at our merch booth, just wasted spilling beer on everything and tipping stuff over. We go back there and we’re like “Hey Crazy Cliff!” well, we didn’t call him Crazy Cliff, but that’s how we have him in our phone. He’s like “Hey guys!! I brought my girlfriend, I left the wife at home! This is Shanda, yeeah! This is my son” then some girl walked by him and he was like, “Heeeey, hottest ass in Charleston!” while he was taking a photo with his phone. Girls would come up to our merch booth and he would be like, “Hey what do you want to get? I know these guys!” and pulled out a wad of cash. At the end of the shows he says, “I just wanna get a picture before I go” we’re like, cool. So we go outside and while we’re posing for a picture with him he’s trying to sell us Xanax and Vicodin. We’re like nooo that’s ok, we’re cool. Then he’s like “Hey guess what!?!” and we’re like “What?” and he said, “I won the lottery for 16 million dollars. I just bought this new convertible Mustang. I parked in handicap spot so no one would fuck with my car! But hey, I have this camper at my shop and I want you guys to have it. I have the pink slips and I want to sign it over to you guys.” We’re like…crazy. But we couldn’t go to his house because we had to go to Florida then Atlanta and then head out west so we couldn’t make it. One day we were really trying and we called him and he was like “Ah, I’m busy buying houses”
Jon – Then he changed all of his numbers cuz he was like “Man, everyone is coming out of the woodwork now. My mom and my sister keep asking for money.”
Y!M! – Haha, his mom is coming out of the woodwork?
Jon – Exactly
Patrick – Another good part, we were sitting around while we were waiting for the van to get fixed and he was like, “Hey, you guys wanna come over and like, eat dinner and jam? I got 20 acres of land you can play as loud as you want.”
Justin – “My wife can cook steaks for all you”
Patrick –He calls his wife and says “Hey baby, fix up 8 steaks” We were like, noooo it’s cool we don’t wanna come over.
Justin – He was like, “I grow my own weed, it’s cool”
Robb – I’ve got 20 acres you guys can jam as loud as you want, haha.
Patrick – It was just crazy enough that he fixed our van, but then he shows up and he like…
Justin – “Hey I’m crazy and I won the lottery”
Y!M! – There with his girlfriend, leaving the wife at home.
Patrick – Dude won 16 million dollars and he’s still like, hocking Xanax.
Justin – He brought his son there, who was like, 15. Poor guy.
Y!M! – That’s a good story, definitely a keeper.
Justin – It sounds unbelievable, but it happened.
Jon – And that was the fourth day that I was in the band.
Justin – Oh yeah!
Y!M! – Haha, good introduction. Welcome to Limbeck!
Patrick – Which sucked cuz we’ve had our van for so long and there’s so many miles on it then Jon joins the band, and we were pumped, we were on tour with Lucero. We’d never broken down before that and then and it was just like, aw man, the start of troubles. Welcome to our band. The good thing was, I just remembered this, that night in the hotel Easy Rider was on and then we got fireworks and lit them off in the parking lot of the hotel. It was an awesome night.
Jon- We lit them off behind Waffle House.
Patrick – Yeah! Good night.
Justin – Good night.
Robb – It was a lot of fun.
Patrick – That was one of the first time we cancelled a show too.
Y!M! – Cuz you were lighting off fireworks?
Patrick – Haha, no cuz of the van.
Robb – It was an instore.
Patrick – But we were super bummed, cuz it was N.C
Robb – Then we broke down in Brooklyn right after that and not much later we broke down in Fort Collins and had to get a new engine.
Patrick – That was cool too. Our van broke down as we pulled into the show. We thought it was totally, totally gone. After the show, we just had to get to Jon’s friend’s house to stay the night. Then something happened where everybody was running and jumping onto the hood, and it started! So we started driving it down the street and then it totally died for good.
Robb – I dunno if that had anything to with it, but I think it kinda did
Patrick – It wasn’t starting and then when people started pounding on the hood, all of a sudden it worked. I don’t think that fixed anything
Robb – Definitely not. I think it got worse after that. The oil was filling into the gas tank
Patrick – Crazy smoke
Y!M! – That’s a good entrance though, your van emerging from a cloud of smoke.
Patrick – It was actually when we were leaving, it was more like, that’s sad. They’re a sad story.
Jon – I can’t believe we pulled up, to the show and it died in the parking lot.
Robb – It almost died again in the middle of nowhere Wyoming at the rest stop. That would have made us miss the show for sure, and we would have been stuck in nowhere Wyoming.
Patrick – Some credit to us, for our strength in a band, we did not miss a show. We got a rental van and we also borrowed Drag the River’s stuff for a couple shows –
Justin – For a week.
Robb – They drove us from one show to the next.
Patrick – Then we got a rental van and we drove that around for a whole leg of the tour, came back and picked up our van that was fixed and continued on.
Y!M! - Dang, you guys are troopers.
Robb – And that’s one time when our label really came through us. They gave us money right away to fix the van.
Y!M! – Was that Doghouse?
Robb – Yeah. Well not give us money, but loaned us money.
Y!M! – But that’s still a big deal.
Robb – It was very cool.
Y!M! – well is there anything else you’d like to end this with? One last line?
Justin - HEYO!
Fin

So, I hope you had as much fun reading this interview as I had doing it. Seriously though, if you ever get a chance to see Limbeck, you better take advantage of that opportunity! This is a band that I can see over and over again and I’ll never get sick of them. And if you do take my very wise advice to see them, be sure to stop by their merch booth and say hi (and buy something, they had some rad stuff, including a very sweet vinyl released on Suburban Home Records) so you can see, first hand, how cool and friendly they really are. Rock on.

Limbeck: the interview, part 2

My favorite kind of interviews are the kind that don’t feel like interviews at all. That’s basically how it went with Limbeck. I had a couple questions in mind to get started, but after a while we just started talking. This part of the “interview” we mainly talk about basements and the lack of them in California. It might not be extremely informational, but it’s definitely entertaining.

Y!M! – I know on your albums you make a lot of geographical references. You’re from California and make a lot of mention of it in your music. What do you think you would sound like if you were from Minnesota?
Patrick – (singing) I’ve been kinda drunk, cuz it’s so cold….But I think if we lived in MN, we’d sound the same.
Robb – I think we’d be a little more punk.
Justin – A lot of people don’t know where we’re from and they’ll ask us, “So, where in the Midwest are you from?” They have no idea we’re from California.
Y!M! – You could sing about how slow the traffic is on I-94
Patrick – (singing again) I’m drinking a can….
Jon – That’s awesome to hear you (robb) say “I think we’d be a little more punk”. He’s all serious about it.
Y!M! – You’d probably practice in basements a lot more.
Jon – Yeah, there are literally no basements in California.
Y!M! – Seriously?
Justin – Robb had a basement.
Robb – Ah yeah kinda. We had this plan “Let’s dig this hole in the ground!” It was like a dirt floor basement. One of the only basements I’ve ever seen in California at a house that I lived at.
Patrick – It was an old school style house built a long time ago.
Robb – It was a dirt floor basement, but you had to kinda duck when you were in there, cuz it wasn’t really tall enough to practice in. And the floor boards were simply boards-
Patrick - Right above your head.
Robb - It didn’t really block the sound at all from getting out into the house and into the neighborhood.
Patrick – We still had this grand scheme that that would be our practice space
Robb – We were gonna dig a hole in it, deep enough so that we could stand up and we would have a practice space.
Justin – Basically trying to dig a room in a basement
Patrick – And we were gonna have shows, and we would practice there and make it a studio and make it a badass thing. Then we get down there and we’re digging and we were like, ah man. We had a wheel barrow going up a wood ramp, up the steps and after we did about 2 x 2 foot sized area –
Robb – No, it was probably 3 x 5…at least
Patrick – Well, we did that much digging and we did it maybe another 4 inches deep-
Robb – Ahh, it was probably a good foot down.
Justin – Haha but the reason why we stopped mostly was cuz the house was supported by these beams, and if we kept digging, the structure of the house probably would have caved in on itself.
Y!M! – Yeah once you hit the bottom of those beams…game over.
Robb – Yeah it was basically wooden beams going into cement blocks
Justin – So it was just a bad idea
Jon – I never knew that story.
Justin – There’s your story.
Patrick – We actually used it during the “Hi, Everything’s Great” demo’s, we recorded the guitar amps down there.
Robb – We used that hole. We put old carpet down and did what we could. We just didn’t like the mic cord going down through the floors….I don’t remember how we got the mic cord down there.
Patrick – And then we screen printed down there.
Robb – Yeah that was a terrible idea too, we should have just done it in the backyard.
Patrick – We got super high off of the fumes.
Robb – Our hands were peeling…our throats were bleeding
Patrick – Our eyes fell out of our heads…
Y!M! – That makes for good music though, if your throat is bleeding
Patrick –Totally, we’re also fans of Hot Water Music
Y!M! – And Avail.
Patrick – They have bleeding throats…that’s what I was getting at
Jon – So good..
Y!M! – Haha yeah, I figured that. That was a good reference.

It was hard to make a conversational piece easy to read, but hopefully you’re starting to understand how rad Limbeck is. The 3rd and final part of the interview is probably my favorite part of the interview. They tell me about the craziest thing that happened to them on the road. I’ll tell you this much; it deals with the lottery, beer and a camper. Trust me, it’ll definitely be worth your time.

Limbeck: the interview, part 1

Every Limbeck show I’ve been to has been better than the last one and the show they played at The Whole at U of M was no exception. They always amaze me with their willingness to hang out afterwards and meet with people. It doesn’t seem like Limbeck will never be one of those bands that doesn’t sell their own merch or a band that runs into the bus right after a show and totally ignores their fans in the process. Even after playing for over an hour and a half, the guys went straight to their merch table and sold sweatshirts, tees and albums for another 30 minutes. After helping them carry some gear out to the sidewalk and waiting for Patrick to pull their rented mini van up (they were flown out to MN for 2 shows. One at Duluth and one in Minneapolis) we were finally able to get this interview underway.
Limbeck’s most recent video “Big Drag” was shot in Minneapolis and they came all the way out to this snowy abyss for 2 shows. In fact, I’ve seen them in Minnesota twice now in the span of 3 months. It makes me wonder, “Do they really like Minnesota that much, or is it just coincidence?”

Robb – We love MN and also our friend Shane Nelson, who directed the video (Big Drag), lives in St.Paul.
Patrick – We made our first record here too and people were saying, “You sound like the Replacements a little bit” and we were like, “Who are the Replacements?”
Robb – We knew who they were, but we never really knew anything about them.
Patrick – We never really gave them the time of day, but then we went out and bought all these Replacement records and freaked out. That’s when we got into the Jayhawks too. Well Jon’s known all these bands forever, I shouldn’t include him in that statement, cuz he’d be embarrassed to say that. But anyways, it’s cool because I think that somewhat lead us here. That kinda music is out here and that lead us to make out second record out here and spend a month here, and that was awesome.
Y!M! – Where did you record?
Patrick – At Flowers Studio, which Ed Ackerson works out of. And Gary Louris, who we’re about to go see-
Robb – At a bowling alley
Y!M! – Haha, oh really?
Patrick – He’s actually like a statue in Bryant Lake Bowl. No, literally
Y!M! - Well, almost literally
Robb – Haha, yeah. He’s the one you’ll see every night at Bryant Lake Bowl after midnight.
Patrick – Hey we should go meet up with him. Let’s go to BLB.
Justin – Should we call him? Nah, just go to BLB.
Patrick – Let’s call BLB. It’s more reliable.
Y!M! – So that first record you recorded was in 2000. Is that the one you’re talking about, “This Chapter is Called Titles”?
Patrick – Oh Whoa, that one is a long time ago. No we were talking “Hi, Everything’s Great”
Y!M! – Yeah, I was wondering because that one sounds completely different from the rest.
Robb – We kinda forget about that one just cuz it went out of print.
Y!M! – I saw on Amazon that a copy of it was going for, like, 65 bucks.
Patrick – It’s not worth it.
Jon – That’s actually my copy.
Y!M! – Haha, it’s been up there since 2001.
Patrick – I’ve been looking for one to sell. Shit, get 60 bucks for that? I need the money.
Y!M! – So there is a different sound between that album and the other albums. Was there anything that made you guys change your sound?
Patrick – Too many bands sounded the same. We were also going for a sound that we were not good at. We didn’t feel solid, we were still feeling it out.
Robb - We were still kinda testing things out. We were a young band and we just made this record.
Y!M! – It’s still a good record. It’s a good first record.
Patrick – You know why it’s somewhat okay, is because of Ed Rose. He was the producer on it. If we didn’t have Ed Rose, it would have been such a pile of shit.
Y!M! – That’s cool that you were able to work with him on your first record.
Patrick – Yeah, it started a good relationship. He helped us get some direction and gave us lot of good input on trying different things.
Robb - And then from there we took a lot of ideas we learned from that first record in the studio and used it when we were working towards “Hi, Everything’s Great” which was 3 years later. We went back with Ed and we made the first record we were really proud of.
Patrick – It felt good.
Y!M! - That’s an awesome opportunity for a band that’s recording their first album to work with Ed Rose. How did you swing that?
Patrick – We had money.
Y!M! – You had money? How?
Robb – We had a lucky thing happen to us where we had money. Kinda like winning the lottery, but it wasn’t winning the lottery.
Patrick – We wanted to work with Ed Rose because we’re fans of the Get Up Kids. His thing is cool though, because we like the Get Up Kids and as much as we don’t wanna say it, I’m sure we wanted to sound a little bit like them, have a little bit of a Get Up Kids sound. He’s an awesome producer in his ability to take our ideas and what we like and still make us sound unique and help us hone our own sound. He definitely helped us figure stuff out, which is how he came into play on “Hi, Everything’s Great”.

When I started to write this interview up, I was going to try to take what we talked about and just write about it, but I feel like you wouldn’t have gotten the full affect of what Limbeck is about and what they were saying. These are some genuine guys, having a good time playing the music they obviously love and are proud of. Keep checking back, because in the next few days I’ll be putting up the second portion of this interview that deals with basements in California, their first practice space and what they might sound like if they were from Minnesota.

Thrice "The Alchemy Index: Volume I & II. Fire & Water" 2007, Vagrant.. a review

Thrice is back with the first installment of the Alchemy Index, which is their interpretation of Fire and Water. It’s great to hear Thrice experimenting and creating a new sound. At first I felt a little underwhelmed when I listened to this album. I thought it sounded like they had got a little too caught up in the conceptual ideas of the albums, but after really paying attention to what was going on, I started to appreciate it more and more for what they were trying to achieve. I don’t feel like they have completely reached the top of what could be done, but there is also another installment to come. I’m really looking forward to Earth and Air after listening to this album. I think it’s gonna pull the whole idea of the elements together and lift the Alchemy Index up to a level that Thrice hasn’t achieved before.

Fire-
YOU NEED TO HEAR–
-Burn the Fleet (#5) Right when you hear the first chords of this song you know it’s gonna be one that you’ll listen to over and over. It starts of very crunchy, heavy and it melts into this dreamy guitar sound and peaceful vocals. The vocals were interesting because even though it had a dreamy sound, I could hear a firey undertone, seriously, not just because it’s the “Fire” album. Then it kicks back into that crunchy heavy guitar and harder vocals. It’s really an intricate song that will take you a few listens to appreciate every part of it, but you’ll realize the talent after 1 listen.

-Firebreather (#1) The beginning of this song is so creepy. It sounds like a tornado warning and it just makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a disaster. It’s a surprisingly catchy song, not catchy in a POP kinda way. It’s much more subtle. After listening to it, I kept finding myself thinking of this song. It really stuck with me and I don’t find that happening to me much.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME YOU CAN SKIP –
-The Flame Deluge (#6) it’s a shame because Dustin Kensrue’s voice is so full of passion. You can basically hear his voice ripping out of his throat, but it seems to take a back seat to the music in the mix.

Water-
YOU NEED TO HEAR –
-Open Water (#2) Even though this song has some of those computerized, overproduced elements, they seem to work together a lot more and there are more organic elements brough into the mix. It’s a very emotional song and every part is able to portray that.

-Night Diving (#4) – This is the first time on Water that we hear some straight guitar and drums, no synths or computer tracks. There are no vocals, but it’s nice to see that they can conceptualize the element of Water without being watered down or over produced, which seemed to happen sometimes on the other songs.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME YOU CAN SKIP –
-Digital Sea (#1) Again, this is a shame because Kensrue’s voice sounds so amazing. This sound is completely different than the one you hear on The Flame Deluge. It’s so serene and peaceful, but the music can get a little repetitive. It sounded like a lot of computerized over produced parts, which was probably what they were going for, but it’s nice to have all components of the song work together.

(photo credit www.alchemyindex.com)

Limbeck Interview

Hey guys, so I had a rad interview with Limbeck after their show at the U of M on Friday (the 7th). I'm sure you don't just want to read the transcript of the interview cuz that can get long, so I've come up with a plan! I'm breaking the interview up into 3 sections. The first one deals with recording “Hi Everythings Great”, working with Ed Rose and the Bryant Lake Bowl. It will be up on Tuesday, maybe Wednesday if I sleep in. Maybe Monday if I skip class. At the end of that section I'll let you know what the next part of the interview will be up and what it's about. So keep checking back, it's gonna be fun.

Concerts You Need to See in December

Don Decker Benefit show with Iron Maidens – December 1st @ Station 4
Now don’t get this mixed up with Iron Maiden. This is “the world’s only” female Iron Maiden tribute act. They’re coming all the way from L.A, I don’t know what this benefit is for, but you can’t go wrong with a female Iron Maiden.

Panoramic Blue – December 1st @ Red Carpet (st.cloud) (21+)

Iron Maidens – December 2nd @ Station 4

Write This Down, Tomorrow’s Forgotten – December 6th @ The Quarry (SCSU, FREE)
Free shows are good for your health.

McKinley Place – December 7th @ Red Carpet (21+)

Limbeck – December 7th @ The Whole (U of M)
It’s Limbeck, you know I’m there.

Annex, Three Pill Morning – December 8th @ Red Carpet (21+)
I did a review about Annex a few months ago. For a bar band, they put on a pretty sweet show. They play a mix of pop and punk covers. Their shows promise to be filled with plenty of energy and songs that we can all sing along too. If you can’t make it to this show, try and check out their new years eve show at the Carpet.

Get Young (cd release show), Small Towns Burn a Little Slower, City of Sound – December 8th @ Triple Rock

Lemonheads – December 10th @ Varsity Theater
Love the Lemonheads. Even though Juliana Hatfield is no longer with them, he still rocks it. I saw them once in Denver and I remember it being a rad time. I had a few too many Red Stripes to remember the end of the show, but they had a really pulled together sound that really is a great compliment to their albums.

Dillinger Escape Plan – December 11th @ Station 4 (tickets from original show will be honored)

Hydrophonics – December 15th @ Red Carpet (21+)

Comeback Kid – December 16th @ Triple Rock

Wu-Tang Clan – December 16th @ First Ave (18+)

Van Morrison – December 20th @ Northrop Auditorium

Building Better Bombs – December 21st @ The Turf Club

Soul Asylum, The Evening Rig, Mayda – December 21st @ First Ave (18+)
Remember Runaway Train? Somebody to Shove? Promises Broken? Yeah, I didn’t think you would need anymore persuasion.

Four Letter Lie – December 22nd @ Varsity Theater

Mason Jennings – December 27th @ First Ave (18+)

White Light Riot – December 28th @ Varsity Theater
These guys have kind of dancey Ted Leo kind of sound. It’s hard to describe past that. I’ve never seen these guys live, but I really hope I can make it down to Minneapolis to catch this show. If you don’t wanna make the investment to buy their album, just check out the 30 second clips on i-Tunes and that will be enough to draw you in.

Fred Savage and the Unbeatables – December 29th @ Red Carpet (21+)
One of the best bands to come out of Minnesota. They had their final show in August… or September, but luckily for us, they’re getting back together for this winter break show! I’m so freakin excited for this. They have a sound that resembles a ska Weezer, and they play the perfect combination of original songs and covers. This is one of the few bar bands who’s original songs are just as well received as the covers they play.

New Years Eve with Brother Ali – December 31st @ First Ave (21+)
Minnesota’s most prominent albino rapper. Very cool stuff. I saw him on Conan. He has a sweet mix of melodies along with rapping, it makes for a good time for everyone.

VH1’s Rock of Love New Years Eve with Bret Michaels – December 31st @ The Myth
Yeah, if you like The Bret Michaels Band and want to spend 104 bucks on a ticket then you’re set for New Years…and you’re kind of a tool. Sorry, but come on. And why is The Bret Michaels Band on Guitar Hero III? He says rock of love, like, 37 times.

Chuck Klosterman, "IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas" Scribner 2006/2007

Apparently I have been unconsciously and in turn inactively wanting to read another book by Chuck Klosterman ever since I finished "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" during a short-lived hosting job in Denver.
I walked up to the checkout at the bookstore and was ready to spend only 20 bucks on 5 books. It was a good day, all the semi-intellectual books were on sale, because this bookstore was on the St.Cloud State University Campus, and come on, no one reads books at SCSU. Hell, I still haven't read those books I bought there. I'd hate to think I bought them purely for aesthetic purposes only. Fuck. Now I have to read them. Anyways, on my way towards the checkout I saw this black book with large white lettering. "Chuck Klosterman. IV" I didn't know what it was about, but two factors made me buy it; 1 being Chuck Klosterman and 2 being it had a 30% off sticker.
I just finished this book at my current job as a hotel desk clerk. I have a good feeling this one will last longer than that hosting job. This book is a collection of Klosterman's work as a contributing writer for Spin, Esquire, Page 2 and the Akron Beacon Journal. The first section of the book is labeled as, "Things That Are True" which isn't just a clever name. It's comprised of interviews he did with people that range from Britney Spears to Steve Nash to Robert Plant. It's especially entertaining to read the Spears interview, which is from 2003. While I was reading it, I couldn't help and think about the current day Britney and how during this interview, Klosterman seemed to have a Nostradomic like sense of what was to come in the future for Ms. Spears.
The second part of the book is entitled, "Things That Might Be True" which is a collection of "opinions and theories". Basically it was a bunch of short stories based on factual things that spun out of control like a wicked acid trip. Not that I would know about that personally, but I've heard things. Even though it was a collection of articles he had already written and published (mainly for Esquire, it seems) he updated the stories by prefacing them with hypothetical situations accompanied by questions about what you would do. I really wish I could hear his answers for them. After reading those questions I got a feeling in my stomach like there are correct answers, but I will never find out what those answers are. Along with the hypothetical questions, he also added footnotes to the story, updating the information or changing his opinions on certain things (like writing about Jason Bateman before Arrested Development, before it was “cliché”).
The last section of this book was, "Something That Isn't True At All", which is a novella "loosely" based on his life. And when I say "loosely" I mean the character has pretty much the same job, same appearance and same demeanor (from what I can tell, for I have never meet Klosterman and will never meet his fictional character). The main differences between the two is that Klosterman is not addicted to angel dust and the events in the story never actually happened to him...yet.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were a few stories that didn't really capture my interest. One of them had a footnote on the second page that said this was a mediocre piece that he mainly just wrote because he had to, so if he's saying it's mediocre, that can't be good. The other piece was about Barry Bonds. This book was a very easy read, especially for an ADHD kid like me. The short interviews and stories kept it interesting and made it possible to read page after page. I would definitely read this one again, after I finish those other books I bought at the SCSU bookstore.
* * * * out of * * * * *

or * * out of * * * * (read the book, you'll get it)

(photo credit a2.vox.com)

Rookie of the Year!!!

Incase you were wondering what you could do on Thursday night (the 15th) you should go see Rookie of the Year, The Casual Lean, Paper Street Takeover and Practically Single live at the Quarry in the Atwood Center on the SCSU Campus. The show starts at 8 and will rock hard into the night. It is completely free and will be totally rad! Seeya there sucka.
(myspace.com/thequarryvenue)

Upcoming Releases You Should Probably Buy

I'm not extremely excited for this month's releases, it seems like slim pickins. Have no fear, there are still some quality albums coming out. Be sure to check out A Dream Too Late, Cursive, NOFX and the Weakerthans. This will get you through til December, where I fear it might be overran by pop albums looking for Christmas sales, but we'll see.

November 6th
- Sigur Ros “Hvarf/Heim” XL
- A Dream Too Late “Intermission to the Moon” Tooth and Nail
- Subhumans “Internal Riot” Bluurg
- The Receiving End of Sirens “Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi” Triple Crown
- Cursive “Bad Sects” Saddle Creek
- Agnostic Front “Warriors” Nuclear Blast

November 13th
- Hives “The Black and White Album” A&M
- Armor For Sleep “Smile For Them” Sire
- PJ Harvey “White Chalk” Control Group
- Killers “Sawdust” Island
- Dillinger Escape Plan “Ire Works” Relapse
- AFI “I Heard a Voice; Live From Long Beach Arena” Interscope

November 20th
- Sky Eats Airplane “Everything Perfect on the Wrong Day” Tragic Hero
- Taking Back Sunday “Louder Now: Part Two”
- NOFX “They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live (double w/a bonus disc)” Fat Wreck Chords
- Copeland “Dressed Up and In Line” Militia Group
- Weakerthans “Reunion Tour” Epitaph

Concerts You Need to See in November

This seems to be the month filled with days that have multiple shows. First The Hold Steady and Gogol Bordello on the 1st, and then Lucero and Atmosphere on the 10th and VHS or Beta, Motion City and Leo Kottke on the 24th. So many decisions! Be sure to keep Triple Rocks double day shows. On a few occasions they host a band at 5:00 (which is all ages) and another band at 10:00pm (21+).

The Hold Steady – November 1st @ The State Theater

Gogol Bordello - November 1st @ First Ave
This is probably the hardest decision of the month. I know I said previously that if Gogol Bordello came through MN, I would definitely go see them, but I didn’t think I would have to choose between them and the Hold Steady. I think when it comes down to it….I have to choose the Hold Steady. I’ve never seen them before and Boys and Girls in America is one of my favorite albums right now, but Gogol Bordeloo is so entertaining! And I do love First Ave…No I choose the Hold Steady, but I can’t tell you which to choose. My advice would be to flip a coin.

Paramore - November 2nd @ The Myth

The Fall of Troy, The Crinn, Lost in Prague – November 3rd @ Triple Rock
I wish I could see this show! I already promised my roommate I would go to a Wild hockey game with her, but I’m bummed. I love the Fall of Troy. The last time they were in town they played with the Deftones, but the tickets were $30, and I’m poor, so that was a no go. If I was able to go to this, I would be a little bit apprehensive though. When I bought their last CD, Manipulator, they included a CD with 4 live songs….and they weren’t that good. I don’t know if it was the recording or the band, but half the time I could barely tell what song is was. Either way, I’m sure it’s gonna be a fun show.

Small Towns Burn a Little Slower, Weaver at the Loom – November 4th (5:00) @ Triple Rock

The Unbookables featuring Andy Andrist, Stnng, Matt Kirshin (last comic standing) - November 4th (10:00)@ The Triple Rock

Tori Amos - November 7th @ Northrop Auditorium

Lucero, Bobby Bare Jr. Whiskey & Co. – November 10th @ Fine Line Music Cafe

Atmosphere, Grayskul, Mac Lethal, Luckyiam - November 10th @ First Ave

Dropkick Murphys - November 11th @ The Myth

Band of Horses, The Drones - November 14th @ First Ave

Planes Mistaken for Stars, The Life and Times - November 15th @ The Triple Rock

Menomena, Illinois - November 17th @ The Varsity Theater

Lawrence Arms, American Steel, The Falcon – November 17th (5:00) @ Triple Rock

Busdriver, Daedelus, Antimc - November 17th (10:00)@ The Triple Rock
Good for fans of atmosphere, grayskul

Juliette and the Licks, Scissors for Lefty, Sufrajett – November 18th (5:00) @ Triple Rock
Juliette Lewis is CRAZY!!! This will definitely make for a good show.

As I Lay Dying - November 20th @ The Cabooze

M.I.A, The Cool Kids – November 20th @ First Ave

Circa Survive, Ours, The Dear Hunter, Fear Before the March of Flames – November 21st @ Station 4

Big Wu (Thanksgiving Party) – November 22nd @ The Cabooze

Against Me! Sage Francis, World Inferno Friendship Society & Cobra Skulls - November 23rd @ First Ave
Um, yes please.

VHS or Beta, Moving Units - November 24th @ First Ave

Motion City Soundtrack - November 24th @ The Myth

Leo Kottke - November 24th @ The State Theater

Bayside, The Sleeping, A Day to Remember, Driverside Impact – November 27th @ Station 4

Big D and the Kids Table – November 28th @ The Varsity Theater

Tegan and Sara, Northern State - November 30th @ Pantages Theater

So you call yourself a Christian…rock band?

Before I saw this show, I have to admit I was one of those people that thought Christian music was all preachy and churchy, but these 5 bands proved me wrong, in a big way.

For All Those Sleeping – These guys are from St.Cloud and I think that this was their first show. They have a hardcore screaming style and they caught my attention right away with their energy. I could have used a little more singing than screaming but I really enjoyed the actual music. They impressed me, and if they tighten up the vocals I think they might get something going. (myspace.com/forallthosesleeping)

sosaveme – These guys were rad. They’re a 4 piece band from Michigan. The drummer, Jon, and one of the guitar players, Nick, sing. At first the timing seemed a little bit off, but I think that might have been the venue’s fault. It’s a new venue and they’re still working with the sound, but tonight they had their stuff together, it sounded great. They had a good balance of upbeat punk songs and heavier songs with a little more raw energy. I really appreciated the way they used a lot of different ideas to bring a new sound to their show. In one song Justin, the other guitar player, used a violin bow to play his guitar. It gave off this sweet dreamy sound. The bassist, Rhett, used his foot to play a tambourine and it always impresses me when someone can play 2 instruments at once. Rhett and Justin didn’t have mics, but still sang along during parts and it sounded like an extra chorus. It made the songs sound bigger. I really like their style and I hope to see more of them in the future. If you’re a label, look at these guys, because whoever gets the chance to sign them is gonna have something good in their hands. (myspace.com/sosaveme)

A Dream Too Late – They had a really put together sound. At times it reminded me of The Early November (whom I love, love love). It was a surprisingly big sound for a band with only 2 guitars and no bass. It’s too bad the stage was so small, because the lead singer is a TALL guy. It seemed like he was afraid to really get into it because he might bust through the ceiling, but they still had an awesome amount of stage presence. They obviously knew what they were doing, and knew how to get the crowd into it. Their soon to be released album’s title track, Intermission to the Moon, is definitely one to check out. Another song that caught my attention was Trendsetter. It was so freakin catchy! I started singing along even though I had never heard it before. They’re album drops November 6th on Tooth and Nail, and I really think I’m gonna get it. My interest has been sparked and I wanna hear more. (myspace.com/adreamtoolate)

The Send – This guy has an amazing voice with an equally amazing quality to it that made people stop and listen. It was just him, a drummer and a keyboardist. The drums were a little bit too loud, but the venue is so small that I don’t think you can avoid that. It still sounded good, it was such a clear crisp sound and I could hear every word he was singing. It had a little bit of a Rocket Summer feel, but deeper. The sound cut out in the middle of a song, but the crowd started clapping and the bass drum kept a beat, and they came back just as strong as they were at the beginning. He didn’t seem to let the technical difficulty faze him. He prefaced the last song with a little information about it. He talked about life getting monotonous, no matter if you’re going to school or work or to another city, and how we have to have something to live for which is love. Love for each other, love for God, love for yourself. It was a preachy moment, but it was sincere and it made the song really personal. OH! Also, I got his vinyl for 5 bucks! And it’s super rad, check him out, it’ll be worth your time. (myspace.com/thesend)

Run Kid Run – These guys came out and rocked my face off. The style is pretty punky, but with a little more edge, there’s more to hold on to. The songs were super catchy, but not in a shallow way that would get annoying over time. It was catchy in a way where you could start singing along without ever hearing the songs before. The sound cut out again, but they were able to power through it too. The guitars still had sound, so they kept going and singing and the crowd joined in. Sometime I heard a little bit of Offspring melodies (like off of Americana) and sometimes there was some New Found Glory spunk, they were able to pull everything off really well. I really liked their sound, if I hadn’t spent my money on sosaveme’s album and the Send vinyl, I would have bought this CD, no doubt. It’s an awesome show, and the lyrics held more depth that some bands just don’t give us anymore. (myspace.com/runkidrun)

I was so surprised by this show, because I never would have expected a venue of this size to hold a show so huge. The crowd started dwindling at the end (the show went well past 11) but it's quality over quantity. If you’re ever able to check out The Quarry in St.Cloud, do it. They’ve got a good lineup in the next few months, and I don’t doubt that the spring will be full of awesome shows as well. (myspace.com/thequarryvenue)

Derrick Frost...an interview

When I got in touch with Derrick Frost from Chiodos about an interview, I knew it wasn’t going to be a traditional interview. I thought maybe we would meet up and talk outside the venue or maybe even on the bus, but I didn’t think we’d be meeting up after the show at the bar next door, well into our night of having a few drinks.
I was supposed to meet Derrick by the busses before their show, but he never showed up. I was a little disappointed, but still stoked to see the show. I don’t want to get too much into that show because that’s an entirely different story (real quick though, it was rad). After the concert my friend and I went over to The Joint, which is connected to The Cabooze, to have a drink because the show was over by 10:00.
After a couple beers I saw a bunch of the guys from Emery and Chiodos, jokingly I shouted out “Hey that Derrick owes me and interview!” and at first I thought I scared him away, but he came over and said he could do the interview right there. So we ended up at a picnic table in the outside bar. I’m sure this interview could have been more professional, but we were both having a good time, and like they say, “A drunk mind speaks the sober soul”. I don’t know who said that first, but I do know that I’ve said it enough times to make it legit.

YO! MUSIC! – While listening to this album I couldn’t stop myself from noticing the musicality of it and all the different layers. I can tell you guys know what you’re doing. What’s your musical background?

Derrick – My dad played acoustic guitar in church when he was younger, my mom didn’t really do anything like that. I just got interested in music when I was younger and I played various instruments. I played the saxophone, the trumpet and the clarinet, but I got tired of carrying an instrument home so I started playing drums in marching band and orchestra. The other guys were classically trained, except for Pat and Jason.

Y!M! - Can you remember your first musical experience?

D – My first memory was being in middle school at a talent show, playing a show in front of a ton of kids. It wasn’t even a band but I played the drums on a keyboard to Lean On Me, just like, do do cha, do do cha. That was my first experience playing in front of people, other than band concerts where you have to get all dressed up in the suits.

Y!M! - How do you guys get together when you’re ready to write a new album? Because when you’re not on tour, you live in Texas and most of the other guys live in Michigan, right?

D - Yeah, I just recently moved back to Texas, that’s where Jason and I are both from. I go there when I have time off. I own my own house in Texas so I go there and hang out in my home and just chill, whatever, do my thing. When it’s time to go on tour or record an album, obviously I’m gonna fly back up to Michigan and I stay with Pat’s mom. Pat doesn’t even live with Pat’s mom. She’s lives there by herself, she’s retired and I just stay with her and hang out and go to practice. It’s not bad, it’s an easy situation.

Y!M! - There seems to be a concept that carries throughout the whole album. What were you guys doing or watching or listening to when you recorded this? Did anything influence you?

D - It’s been 3 years since we’ve written new music as a band, and so we’re writing this record and we’re like dude, we’re not into this or this or that. Honestly when you’re on tour so much you don’t really listen to a lot of music, well I do, but I don’t listen to anything that’s new. A lot of my dudes listen to weird kinda stuff, like Craig is into this weird indie shit that I’ve never heard about, but it’s awesome. Like Radiohead and this European band he showed me I forgot the name it’s like me… something,

Y!M! - Mew?

D – No, not Mew. Actually, yes it’s Mew. He’s got the high voice?

Y!M! – Yeah.

D – Yeah, he showed me a youtube video of them live and I was like, dude this is fucking incredible. What is this? And he’s like this is Mew. He’s got a t-shirt of theirs too. He’s in total support of the band. I think they’re rad. I think they’re fucking awesome. They’re definitely insanely inspirational for sure, but I think everybody pulls inspiration from different things so that’s what’s good about our band. We don’t really all like the same things we just get along very well.

Y!M! - You all have your own ideas that you bring to the table.

D - Yeah. Jason is more of a metal screaming kid and I don’t listen to any screaming music at all.

Y!M! - What do you listen to?

D - I listen to a lot of old shit, I like classic rock and blues and folk.

Y!M! - Do you have an i-Pod?

D - No. I have a record player, I have quite a bit on vinyl. It just sounds so much better. It’s just so raw, it’s a good feeling.

Y!M! - It’s cool because now a lot of bands are putting out their records on vinyl, and also offering mp3’s of the whole album with it.

D - What we did with our vinyl on this tour, we were like yeah we kinda wanna make this option available for whatever, for the fan or two that are record junkies like I am. Our vinyl is for sale on this tour for 20 bucks, and the vinyl, it’s a full fledged vinyl disc and the cover, and you get the mp3 album and the album booklet. So you pretty much get everything for 20 bucks, which is pretty rare.

Y!M! - Have you ever thought about what might happen to music in the future?

D - Not really. I think obviously with technology taking over whatever, it’s gonna come to a point where you don’t ever buy a CD. You’re just gonna walk into Best Buy and say, “I want this CD” and you stick your i-Pod into a thing and upload it. If there's even a Best Buy around.

Y!M! - How do you think the changing record industry is going to affect you, if at all. Don’t let anything else influence you, what do you think right now?

D - Mind state right now… to be honest, I think the music industry is gonna roll me up a huge ass blunt and I’m gonna smoke it until its ass is on fire. That’s what I think the music industry is gonna do for me.

fin

I gotta say, I was nervous I wasn’t going to get this interview. I haven’t had the best luck in the past with these things, but Derrick was rad and I’m so glad I got the chance to meet him. Hopefully if I ever get the chance to interview him again, it will be before the show.
(photo credit www.pearldrummersforum.com)

a little taste

i'm too busy right now to write the review of the chiodos, emery, scary kids scaring kids and the devil wears prada, but i will tell you this; it was an all ages show, sold out, smelled like feet and i've never seen so many stupid haircuts in one place in my entire life. but the show was awesome, i'll have more details later along with an interview with derrick from chiodos. here's some pics to tide you over.

Bad Religion.... a review, by my buddy Tom

So, my friend from highschool, Tom, wrote this review because I had too much homework and not enough funds to attend this concert. I'm a smidge bit jealous, but not just because he went to the concert, but because I think he reviews better than me! I've got a bar to reach up to now! Anyways, he does a rad job, you'll feel like you're there if you play a BR album and read this review. Enjoy mon frère.


So my first ever show at First Ave. I was way excited just to finally see a show there, minus the fact that Bad Religion was going to be there. Gallows and The Briggs were also playing, so I figured I should at least check them out. Logged onto my iTunes, looked them up. Gallows, screaming band, not really my jams. The Briggs on the other hand, a mess of Dropkick Murphys, The Clash, and at time Rancid... my kind of band. I only listened to the first 4 songs and said, fuck it! and I downloaded 2 albums right there. If you haven't checked them out yet, you should at least look up their latest, "Back to Higher Ground", it's worth it. Also, Dropkick Murphys latest, "The Meanest of Times", this is one of my recent favorites. A powerhouse, all for one and one for all, beers and cheers punk rock album.

Anyway, back to the show. A friend Tim and I get there about half way into Gallows set, we stopped at the Irish pub across the street for a Guinness. Needless to say, we didn't miss much. The croud wasn't really into them, which the lead singer wasn't taking kindly too. After many "fuck yous!", they played their last song. About half way through, the leader just gets fed up throws the mic down and walks off, leaving the band to finish the song.

Up next is The Briggs, which after just listening to them the day before, I was ready for a killer show from them. They came out pretty quickly, which I've always liked about small venues and punk shows; they never take their sweet ass time setting up. They played a great set, the only real drag was the crowd reaction. They were into the Briggs, but they just didn't show it much, a small pit, good applause, but that's about it. The Briggs is one of those bands that I love seeing live, because they rock so much harder than on the record. Don't get me wrong, the albums sound great, but nothing like the explosive guitar of a live show. They played a killer set, just as expected.

Another 15 mins for the almighty Bad Religion to come on. While we wait, we head up to the bar for a beer. I notice a poster for the upcoming Against Me! show, which happens to be on my golden birthday. I point it out to Tim, he says "dude, let me know when you get tickets, i want to go!" He's never heard them before, but he doesn't care. This was his first punk concert, and he's hooked. Another one taken by punk, welcome buddy!
The lights go out, bassist Jay walks out, plugs in and begins to play a few notes. It's Fuck Armageddon, one of my favorites, the show is already off to a great start. Bad Religion rocks out many of the classics; 21st Century Digital Boy, American Jesus, You, Suffer, Generator, Kyoto Now, Atomic Garden... They also played a few very old AND newer ones I didn't think they ever would play; God's Song and one of my all time favorites from Process of Belief, The Defense. I never thought they would ever play that song live. Fuck, this is a great night! If you've never seen a BR show, they like to do a lot of rockin and a lot of talkin. Always bringing up facts about they city they are in, about past shows in that state, etc. They talked a little bit about how the Quest sucked and began to play an improv song about Prince and how he started 1st Ave. Always a good time with BR. They play a few from the new record, not as many as I thought they would though. They finished it all off with Infected, where Jay played the entire song using a crab claw that was tossed on stage. "This is the best guitar pick ever! go crab claw!", Jay.

In the end, they rocked everyone's faces clear off, no one seemed to mind. This was my first review of a concert, I hope after reading it you all become super jealous of me, because you missed such a bad ass show that next time you see me on the street, you have the urge to punch my face. I think i'd be ok with it though, because I went to the show.

i think i might be one of those to punch him in the face... haha. thanks tom!

and now for something completely different

Alright, so this isn’t the kind of music I usually write about, but it’s a big deal, so I’m writing. The new Britney Spears video, it’s not horrible. When I signed onto the i-Tunes store today to spend more money that I don’t have, the first thing I saw was BRITNEY SPEARS WORLD PREMIRE, GIMME MORE! And I said to myself, “I should probably check it out, for research purposes, eh”.
I wish I knew the timeline of this video in relation to the rest of her incidents, because Britney doesn’t look drunk, or drugged or unfit. She actually looks really good and in the moment. Was this before or after the infamous VMA performance (featured right)? Even though she looks amazing in the video and only one of her 2 characters has a bad wig, it’s still an unusual video. The beginning starts with Brit in a bad blonde wig with 2 others girls in equally faux hair. Totally normal and innocent, BUT WAIT! cut to the stripper that just came on stage, it’s Britney! The whole video is basically Britney, dancing around a stripper pole, but not like teen pop choreographed dancing. It looks like some girl you would see at a bar, dancing with a pole for the attention of the drunk Chads and Brads around her, hoping for a free drink. It had no plot, even though there were a few obvious characters. My guess is that they started with a plot, but then Britney saw the pole dancing scenes and decided to just keep those, because who really needs a plot these days?
So to sum this review up, Britney looks good, the video is shot very well, somehow this single is a hit, one bad wig, no plot, just Britney.
(photo credit www.eonline.com)

Concerts You Need to See in October

-Voxtrot, The Little One’s on October 3rd @ The Triple Rock.

-A Prairie Home Companion on October 5th @ Fitzgerald’s
If you haven’t been to Fitzgerald’s in St.Paul to witness A Prairie Home Companion, you should really do yourself a favor and check it out. Garisson Kieller, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, Tom Keith, and the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band put on shows that are heard by over 4 million people on over 580 public radio stations. This show is full of musical guests, commercials for made-up products and plenty of jokes and stories. It has cemented Garisson Kieller’s place in Minnesota history. The night of the 5th is a preview of the live show that will take place on the 6th. The preview is about half the price of the live show.

-Bad Religion, The Briggs and Gallows on October 6th @ First Ave.

-Dillinger Escape Plan on October 7th @ Station 4

-The Draft (ex-members of Hot Water Music), Dead To Me and Gaslight Anthem on October 11th @ The Triple Rock.

-Spoon on October 10th AND October 11th @ First Ave.

-Jim Gaffigan on Octber 12th @ The Orpheum
Alright, so it’s not music, but he’s freakin funny. hotpocket…..

-Misery Signals, Emmure, Sky Eats Airplane, Born of Osiris, The Agony Scene on October 12th @ Station 4.
Check out Sky Eats Airplane. They sound like harcore screamo with a dancy synth in the background, if you’re into that.

-Blue October, Yellowcard, Shiny Toy Guns, Lovedrug on October 13th @ The Myth

-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, A-Sides and His Mischief on October 13th @ First Ave.
Another night with two shows. My personal choice would be Ted Leo. I haven’t had the chance to see him live and from listening to his albums, I think it’ll be sweeeet. Also, I’m not the biggest fan of Blue October or the size of the Myth. If you are planning to go to the Myth on the 13th, be sure to get there in time to see Shiny Toy Guns. I saw them on tour with The Sounds and it blew me away. They’ve got spunk.

-Henry Rollins on October 15th @ First Ave.

-Drive By Truckers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses on October 19th @ First Ave.

-Street Dogs, Static Age and Tiger Army on October 21st @ Station 4.
Tiger Army, wooo!! They’re helping bring back rockabilly in a psychobilly way. Check it.

-Chiodos, Emery, Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Devil Wears Prada on October 22nd @ Cabooze.

(myspace.com/chiodos)
I’m stoked for this show. Chiodos is coming off of an amazing album that, I think, will put them into the spotlight. It sounds like the Used mixed with Tim Burton with a sprinkle of Saosin. The musicality of this album is awesome and it makes it apparent that this is a group of musicians, not a group of buddies who drew names for instruments. I also saw Scary Kids Scaring Kids a few years ago and from what I can remember, their energy was awesome and their sound was even better.

-Brand New, mewithoutyou and Thrice on October 23rd @ The Myth.

-Shooter Jennings on October 26th at Cabooze.

-The Forecast, Blackpool Lights and Edison Glass on October 26th @ The Triple Rock.

(myspace.com/theforecast)
I love the Forecast. I love em. They’ve been a supporting act on tours with the likes of Motion City Soundtrack, Limbeck, The Higher and Hot Rod Circuit. I’m really excited to see them in a headliner position. If you haven’t heard their latest release “In the Shadow of Two Gunman” be sure to check it out, because you’ll want to sing along when they play “And We All Return to Our Roots” and sway to “Somethings Never Change”. They have lyrics we can all relate to and melodies that we can all appreciate.

-Minus the Bear, Helio Sequence and Grand Archives on October 27th @ First Ave.

-Wookiefoot’s Annual Halloween Show on October 27th @ Cabooze

-Hallo-Wanka-Ween Party with God Johnson and Fancy Bastard on October 31st @ Cabooze

-The Subdudes on October 31st @ Fine Line Music Café

Upcoming Releases You Should Probably Buy

October 2nd
-Maritime, “Heresy And The Hotel Chair” Flameshovel (colored vinyl)
-Spill Canvas “No Really, I’m Fine” Sire
-Emery, “I’m Only a Man” Tooth and Nail
-Rollins Band, “Do It” 2.13.61
-Matt Pond PA, “Nature of Maps” Polyvinyl
-Dashboard Confessional, “The Shade of Poison Trees” Vagrant
It’s everybody’s favorite emo icon. We’ve all come to love (or some may hate) Chris Carrabba’s alternative/acoustic songs full of relationships, heartbreak, make-ups and break-ups. Try to make it out to his concert at SCSU’s Halenbeck Hall on Sunday Oct. 28. Augustana and John Ralston will also be playing.

October 16th
-Thrice, “The Alchemy Index: Vol. I & II: Fire & Water (double)” Vagrant
-Jimmy Eat World, “Chase This Light” Interscope
-Dan Wilson “Free Life” American/Reprise
Dan Wilson was the front man of the band worthy-of-having-more-than-one-hit, Semisonic. Wilson has also won a Grammy for co-writing the Dixie Chicks hit song, “Not Ready to Make Nice”. He’s finally coming out with another solo album. From what I’ve heard so far, it sounds like he hasn’t strayed from his very personal lyrics and mellow, peaceful piano parts.

October 23rd
-Coheed and Cambria “No World For Tomorrow” Columbia
-Say Anything “In Defense Of The Genre (double)” J Records

(myspace.com/sayanything)
I've been waiting for a new Say Anything release ever since I heard the re-issue of "...Is a Real Boy" with the new cd "...Was a Real Boy". The title makes me think that they won't be changing their pop-punk-emo style, which is awesome because I was really pleased with their last release. Max Bemis' well known idiosyncratic personality (to put it nicely) has always made for some great lyrics that are still commercially acceptable while still tackling dark subjects. Trust me, it's gonna be worth your money

October 30th
-Taking Back Sunday, “Notes From The Past” Victory
-Saves The Day “Under The Boards” cd/dvd
-Avenged Sevenfold, “Avenged Sevenfold” Hopeless
I’ve always defended my liking of Avenged Sevenfold, and I will continue to do so when I get this album. They might be mainstream sleaze rock or whatever and have alternate rockstar personalities, but these guys also have a lot of talent. Synyster gates is one of the most amazing guitars players I’ve ever seen live and the Rev can create and play beats I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around.

Albums You Should Already Own

- Every Time I Die, “The Big Dirty” Ferret (September, 2007) * * * ½ out of * * * * *
This album is awesome. It’s full of face melting guitars and head banging beats. The vocals are not as melodic as “Gutter Phenomenon” but they’re still catchy in their own way. The album has a tendency to get a little bit repetitive, but it’s definitely worth having a hard copy of. If you get it on i-Tunes it comes with a digital booklet and a video clip of “Every Time I Die does Disney” it’s not gonna change your life, but it’s a funny and entertaining way to kill 5 minutes. Listen to “Buffalo Girls” first (#11).

- Tracks you should listen to – Buffalo Girls (11), Werewolf (4), Rebel Without Applause (5), Rendez Voodoo (7), Inrihab (9)
- Tracks you could live without – No Son of Mine (1), Pig is Pigs (2), A Gentleman's Sport (8)


- Motion City Sountrack, “Even If It Kills Me” Epitaph (September, 2007) * * * ¾ out of * * * * *

(myspace.com/motioncitysoundtrack)
It’s a good one to purchase online. The album stayed true to MCS’s poppy synth sing along style, but for some reason this album seemed to lack a spark. One thing that really let me down was the track, "Point of Extinction". When I heard that Max Bemis (Say Anything), Shawn Harris (The Matches) and Rachel Minton (Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer) were doing guest vocals, I was expecting a really memorable song. Point of Extinction was nothing special and the guest vocals were barely distinguishable. I wouldn't even call them guest vocals, they were more like background shouters.At some points, it just sounded as if they were bored. It’s still worth listening to, but if someone hadn’t heard motion city before, this wouldn’t be the album I would show them first. It has definitely grown on me, if you get it, be sure to check out “Can’t Finish What You Started” (#6).

- Tracks you should listen to - Can't Finish What You Started (6), This is For Real (2), It Had to Be You (3), Broken Heart (8), Antonia (12)
- Tracks you could live without – Point of Extinction (11), Calling All Cops (5), Hello Helicopter (9), Where I Belong (10)

Concert You Should Have Seen - Illegitimate Sons at the Rox on 9/19/07

This show was waaaay better than I thought it would be. It’s a local group comprised of a drummer, acoustic guitar, hand drums and 2 male singers. They started off the night with 2 great cover choices, but the singer sometimes seemed lost. Even though the lead singer was sometimes off in tone and timing, they all made up for it in stage presence and hilarious original songs. Some of their original songs covered serious topics such as, amputation, watching cartoons, biking to the bar and a fairy tale tongue and cheek bit called “Chasing Fairy Tail”. Illegitimate Sons also made sure cover the typical Irish jig, “Hats Off to Beer” and a ballad, “Masters of Disaster”. The group had props for almost every song like helmets, capes, umbrellas, sparkly shirts and they even gave out hats so everyone could take their "Hats Off to Beer".
This show had a surprisingly good sound. The acoustic guitar was miked and the drums didn’t overpower the other instruments. It was an interesting combination of instruments, but it worked out and the hand drums seemed to take the place of a bass. Even though the vocals weren’t the strongest, this was one of the best times I’ve had at a local show. Illegitimate Sons reminds us that music doesn’t have to be so serious and emotional all the time, it can be fun and entertaining!

William Elliot Whitmore, Tim Barry and Josh Smalls...a review

I pulled up to the Triple Rock in Minneapolis at around 6 pm on Monday night. The show didn't start until 9, but I had never been in this area before so I thought I’d get there early, hang around and soak it all in. After walking around for a little bit, I decided it was time to go to the Triple Rock and get some food. I made it in time for their happy hour, which is a choice of a burger, veggie burger, hot dog or a veggie hotdog, fries and a pint for 6 bucks. I got the veggie hotdog and a Stella. Good stuff I tell ya. To add to the awesomeness of this meal deal, my bartender was Billy from Dillinger Four! I told him I saw him play in Vegas and we talked about how rad Punk Rock Bowling was. I also tried to convince him that I would kick his butt in the upcoming tournament, which he laughed at because Triple Rock has won that thing more times than I’ve even been there (which means more than once, but still). I asked him if he was going to the show after his shift, but he had to leave for band practice in preparation for their upcoming show. After a few more drinks I meet up with my buddy Kyle from Suburban Home Records and his fiancé Jamie, and we head over to the stage side.
Once we went over to the stage side I finally got in touch with Tim Barry about our interview. I headed to the back and saw him sitting in the back room with Josh Small (or as I like to say, Josh Schmall) and William Elliot Whitmore. I said hey to they guys, we talked a little bit about Suburban Home Records (Tim and Josh’s label, I first met them at SubHome’s 11th anniversary show in Denver) and had a few PBR’s. Josh was pacing back and forth, worried about his performance. He doesn’t know why, but for some reason he’s just nervous about the show that night. I asked Tim if he’s ready for an interview, but he is distraught at this moment. He just got off the phone with a friend back home who had bad news about his cat’s health. His mind was somewhere else so we decided to just hang out and put the interview off for tonight. Around 10 it was time for Josh to get on stage.
Josh and Tim’s sister, Caitlin Barry, got on stage and started playing songs from Josh’s album, “Tall by Josh Small”. Josh is a little smaller than the average guy, but one would not be able to guess this by the sound of his voice. His voice can fill up a whole room, which it did on that Monday night. No matter what part of the room you were in, you could feel every note, every emotion and every tone that Josh sang out. He truly knows what he is doing and he knows how to make a folk song that will stick with you for a long time.
Tim Barry’s set was next and he was joined by Josh Small and Caitlin Barry. It’s a really intimate experience to see someone go straight from talking to you in the back room to playing a set on stage. It reminded me of friends playing at parties and it brought a personal connection to the live performance. I’ve never been disappointed at a Tim Barry show and this night was no different. Along with playing plenty of songs from his “Rivanna Junction” release, he also played a few new songs, which made me even more excited for a new album. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see or hear Tim Barry, I really suggest that you help yourself out and check it, as soon as possible. You can check out Tim’s myspace at www.myspace.com/timbarryrva, or for streaming audio of his album you can go to www.suburbanhomerecords.com.
This was my first time seeing William Elliot Whitmore and if I had it my way, I would be able to catch his live performance every single night. After listening to “The Song of the Blackbird” I was already impressed with Whitmore, but I was interested to see how he would be able to pull this amazing sound off during a live show. His concert was even more impressive than his album. When I met him backstage I didn’t even recognize him. He looks like an innocent late-20-something-year-old guy, definitely not the man you would expect this soulful, bluesy voice to come out of. On stage it was just him, his guitar (or banjo) and his foot, which was miked to keep a beat. I seriously almost shed a tear when he played, “Porchlight”. It was just one of the most sincere, heart-hitting performances I’ve seen in a really long time, if not in my whole lifetime.

Moral of the story, if you can’t get an interview, be sure to pay attention to the reason why you’re there. For the live performance. Josh Small, Tim Barry and William Elliot Whitmore definitely brought the perfect folk performance to the Triple Rock that Monday night.

update on tim barry interview

so i saw tim on monday, but he wasn't really feeling the interview. so i just hung out with him and saw a very rad concert. there won't be an interview posted, but i will be posting a concert review and just an overall review of the whole day. here's a visual tasting of what's to come

be vaywe vaywe quiet...

...and pay attention to Limbeck. This September 2nd show was probably the best performance i've seen out of Limbeck. It took place at Station 4 in St.Paul, MN. I had never been to this venue before and at first it was a little awkward. The stage is in a garage-like room and the bar is separated from the stage by a wall with two windows cut out to see the show. I was mainly bummed I couldn't drink and watch, but I just waited until the breaks to go to the bar and it was fine. It was definitely the hottest show I've ever been to. Everyone was sweating and glistening, the room was filled with body heat, but it was ok cuz everyone was there to rock. Back to the music, it was awesome. I was nervous about this place not sounding well because of its size and shape I would have assumed the sound would bounce around, but it was one of the best sounding venues I've been to in quite a while. It seemed like the sold out crowd soaked up a lot of reverberations. Rueben's Accomplice, Steel Train, Piebald and The Format also played and everyone was spot on. There was just so much energy at this show. I think we all got lucky because this show took place close to the end of the tour and sometimes it’s easy for bands to fall into a rut and lack excitement, but it truly seemed like all the bands were having a good time and happy to be in MN. This might not be the best description I’ve ever written about a show, I think, because I’m still recovering from the night. So I've brought you some pictures cuz they’re worth….words n stuff.

ps. watch out for shark boy, he'll bite your leg off.