With Matthew Savage (vocals), Connor Johnson (bass), Luca Santilli (guitar), Felix-Crawford Legault (guitar) and Chris Will Zulani (drums), comes a post-hardcore sounding hardcoreband. Brand new, from Windsor, Ontario. They recently released their first song on youtube:
Terrible Feelings är ett sverigebaserat band som lirar ett mellanting av garagerock, pop och melodisk punk. De startade 2010 och sedan dess har det bara rullat på. De har hittills släppt två EPs, två 7¨or och en demo CDR. Jag fick tillfället att fråga dom om hur allt startade, vilket deras bästa gig har varit, vart vi kommer se dem i framtiden, deras influenser och mycket mer. Andy och Anton fick agera språkrör för bandet i denna intervju.
Ni började er resa 2010 om man tolkar er hemsida rätt, vad hände just då? Har ni spelat i andra band innan ni valde att starta Terrible Feelings?
Andy: – Vi hade snackat om det ett tag, Manuela och Anton hade dessutom ett band tillsammans innan; Acid Eyes. Helt plötsligt befann vi oss i ett mörkt hörn i en mörk klubb då vi bestämde oss för att köra igång. Då hoppade Willy in och sa att han skulle spela bas, så det körde vi på. Förra månaden hoppade Willy av så nu har vi lite olika basister.
Anton: – Vad som hände just 2010 var väl att Andy fick lite mindre att göra och Terrible Feelings fick lite mer plats på agendan. Sen vet jag inte om det var ungefär då vi kom fram till att vi skulle heta just Terrible Feelings med, det tog i alla fall väldigt lång tid det här med namnsättningen. Men bra blev det!
Sedan dess har ni spelat lite varstans, men vilka gig har varit de bästa?
Andy: – Hamburg och Bremen har alltid vart great att spela i. Umeå var också fett.
Anton: – Getaria i Spanien. En liten fiskeby med 2500 invånare. Det var helt galna och de öppnade stadens enda bar för oss bara för att Manuela fyllde år!
Hur tycker ni att ni utvecklats sedan ni började, både live och studiomässigt?
Andy: – Anton har ju alltid varit wiz kid och bemästrat gitarrens smala hals som en gud, så han har nog utvecklats minst musikaliskt sett. Jag försöker hålla takten men det går åt skogen. Manuelas sång har utvecklats som en påsklilja.
Anton: – Låtskrivarmässigt har vi utvecklats fenomenalt tycker jag. Studiomässigt har vi väl insett att vi har få begränsningar som inte ryms inom bandets ramverk av idéer. De kommer att visa sig.
Vad har varit era främsta influenser rent musikaliskt och estetiskt?
Andy: – Snabb punk, 70-talsreklam, 60-talsteorier, 20-talsfilm och 80-talsteknik.
Vi har ju även Vånna Inget, Uppgång & Fall, är det några ni känner till?
Andy: – Ja, det är ju våra polare! Men känner du till Trubbel från Göteborg?
Anton: – Ja, Malmö har en bra scen, man uppskattar varandra.
Tror ni att vi lär se mer av detta framöver, att punken återfår lite mer av sin forna glans?
Andy: – Kulmen har nog varit men efterskalven kommer eka i några år till.
Anton: – Detta med punkens vara och icke-vara är lite diffust tycker jag. Bra band finns det alltid oavsett punkens konjunktur.
Vad skulle ni vilja säga är den gemensamma tematiken på era släpp, följer det någon särskild ordning eller handlar det bara om hur saker och ting är just då?
Andy: – Vi har alltid ett foto på omslaget.
Anton: – Det är lite ledsamt. Tematiken alltså, inte omslagen. Vi försöker väl nånstans alltid slå an en lätt dystopisk ton i det vi gör. En dekadent och dystopisk ton. Som sista dansen på Titanic ungefär.
Har ni något riktigt roligt minne från när ni har varit ute och spelat, samt något tråkigt som inträffat?
Andy: – Det var kul när en tjej i Köln ville höra en låt som hon inte kunde titeln på så hon började sjunga, mitt under giget. Vi körde den såklart.
Anton: – Det var tråkigt när hjulet på vår van exploderade på Autobahn. Vi missade en spelning och fick köra 23 timmar straight hem till Malmö.
Ni kommer att släppa nytt detta året, har ni något mer att avslöja än det ni avslöjade för SVTs PSL?
Andy: – Det finns en låt på inspelningen som vi aldrig avslutade, ett spöke kan man säga. Den kommer ingen någonsin få höra.
Vad har ni för planer inför den närmsta framtiden?
Andy: – Vi jobbar med en video nu och bokar tre turnéer.
Anton: – Vi kommer spela på lite festivaler i sommar med.
Var någonstans kommer ni att spela nu de närmaste månaderna?
Andy: – Sverige, Tyskland, Frankrike, Finland, USA, Italien, Schweiz, osv.
Har ni några sista visdomsord till de som läser detta?
Andy: – Snacka inte skit. Spela rock.
Structural Disorder reminds me about a calmer, but more distressed, more progressive version of Devin Townsend.
Their first song Rebirth takes you through a mind-boggling and tempo-shifting asylum. They manage to integrate the calmer moments with both an aggressive approach and a more technical one. As we venture further into the first song, we get uncompromising but skillfully handled solos, both from the guitarist but also the drummer.
You’ll need to read the background story for this one, it makes the music more enjoyable. Suddenly, after the last shriek of “at least help me die“, an envisioned and visual utopia embarks ahead in my mind. With an organ playing calmly and a soothing voice, introducing me to the second track, Peace of Mind. Whilst I sit entranced, a spazzy synth engages with a fast-hitting, almost flying snare. A great combination, excellent shift from one mental state to another.
As I find myself missing out on some more heavyness, Structural Disorder manages to deliver it to me, in the next song, titled: Sleep On Aripiprazol. This reminds me a little bit of the Diabolical Masquerade song Haunted by Horror, but without the growl, and with more touches of funkiness.
It’s pretty neat how they manage to incorporate the first two themes with a third, developing, but not excluding the frontmost two songs. In the end, it also reminds me quite a lot about some Final Fantasy boss-battle, very nice and hard-hitting – but at the same time, mellowly sounding.
The last song The Fallen, sets every theme in place, gives it a rest, but also narrows it down and finishes it greatly. At the end of this album I feel like something is missing, but I don’t really know why, maybe it’s because I want more. Right now. This made me feel like I had been listening for hours straight, it really felt like a double-album at least. These guys really have a potential and their sound is unique, I could be dreaming myself away with the great arrangements all day. Deserving a real star, so they can shine, because I really hope they will.
Mushroom Caravan Overdrive är ett leksands-baserat band som varit aktiva sedan 2006, då de började i en källare under namnet Moth. De gjorde då covers på Mercyful Fates låtar, men försökte även att knåpa ihop eget material, utan någon större framgång. Under denna tid har de bytt bandmedlemmar på löpande band, men nu har de sedan ett år tillbaka, äntligen en fast punkt att utgå ifrån. Det har resulterat i att de är på gång att släppa sin debut-EP. Jag fick tillfälle att intervjua dessa grabbar om deras influenser, den nya EPn, om de föredrar större eller mindre publiker, deras fans och mycket mer.
Ni spelar musik vars låtar överstiger åtminstone 6-minutersspärren, kan det vara på grund av att dagens uppmärksamhetssspann inte håller över fyra minuter som är anledningen till varför ni är okända?
– Nej, det är nog inte anledningen till varför vi är okända, vi har inte nått ut till de som uppskattar musiken än. Människor som inte kan lyssna på låtar över 6 minuter borde få hörselnerverna bortopererade, eller bara fortsätta lyssna på schlager. Majoriteten av all bra musik som skapats är långa alster. Ta ett band som Pink Floyd t.ex. dom måste haft en oskriven regel att deras låtar fick låv att vara minst 5-6 minuter långa, och den personen som tycker att Pink Floyd är dåliga borde självmant gå ut i skogen och gå vilse. Vi jammar oftast fram vår musik och då blir det så av sig själv. Haha, man får ju inte med allt man vill annars.
Just nu håller ni på att spela in material till er första EP, kan ni berätta lite mer om det?
– Ja, vi håller på att färdigställa den och hoppas på att den ska bli klar i mitten på mars. Den kommer innehålla sex spår av eget material och kommer som det ser ut nu vara självbetitlad. Vi är väldigt ivriga med att få ut den och kunna börja sprida vår musik. Den har tagit ett bra tag att spela in den, jobb och högskola kommer oftast i vägen. Sen är studion tyvärr väldigt fullbokad.
Föredrar ni att spela inför mindre publik eller större? Vad är fördelarna och nackdelarna med bägge tycker ni?
– Vi har egentligen aldrig spelat inför en “stor” publik. Vi är glada bara vi får komma ut och spela lite. Fördelarna med att spela på ett mindre ställe är att man får en starkare kontakt med folket som lyssnar. Samtidigt är det kul med mycket folk, alltid finns det någon i publiken man lyckas konvertera till stoner-rockare.
Era låtar som man kan höra just nu verkar ha en del referenser till gammaldags Blues, är det en influens som ni tagit tillvara på?
– Vi är alla uppvuxna med någon form av rockmusik. Det finns de kvällar då vi kan fastna med gamla låtar av grabbar som Canned Heat och Cream.
Vad tycker ni att ni har för övriga influenser förutom det? Look: – Personligen lyssnar jag väldigt mycket på Frank Zappa och det har till viss del bidragit till hur jag spelar gitarr. Slarvigt men med känsla. Frick: – Jag lyssnar mycket på gammal thrash och det bästa bandet enligt mig är Motörhead.
Har ni någon artist eller något band ni lyssnar på, som ni inte riktigt kan stå för? Så kallad “guilty pleasure”? Look: – Oj, jag drar mig för att säga att jag lyssnar på allt, då de flesta som säger så vet inte ens vilka Sabbath är. Det skulle väl vara att jag ofta lyssnar på gammal jazz och Dixieland, det kanske inget som återfinns i en stonerrockares skivhylla. Ibland donar Händel och Mozart över kvarteret också. Frick: – Jag har ganska bred musiksmak, det händer väl att man sjunger med när de spelar Abba på radion. Elfgren: – Roland Cedermark.
Hur är Leksand annars, när ni inte spelar?
– Ibland vaknar byn till liv, men det är vad resten av landet kallar midsommar. Under resten av året är det i allmänhet ganska dött, men man får dagarna att gå helt enkelt, kvällsjammningar, samling vid LP-spelaren tillsammans med några 3,5or och så klart vara ute och sladda med bilen, och lyssna på Sator! Haha.
När det kommer till spelningar, var skulle er drömspelning äga rum? Och vilka band skulle ni ha som support?
– Det kvittar egentligen vart vi spelar, så länge vi får komma ut och dela med oss av vår musik. Men visst, en spelning på Truckstop Alaska i Göteborg skulle vara fränt! En drömspelning vore väl i så fall Roadburn Festival i Holland.
Det verkar som att ni åtminstone har några väldigt hängivna fans, eller har jag helt fel?
– Här i Leksandstrakten har vi en ganska hängiven skara, en handfull av dessa brukar också följa med oss på spelningar ute i landet.
Vilka band från Sverige skulle ni vilja rekommendera?
– Listan kan bli bra jävla lång, men för tillfället så lyssnar vi mycket på Horisont, Graveyard, Brutus, Green Leaf, och även Truckfighters
Har ni några sista visdomsord till läsarna?
– Leta musik bland undergroundscenen, du kan hitta riktigt asbra skit med band som bara har några få visningar på youtube. Musik du aldrig skulle höra på TV eller radio. Elfgren: – Dying is easy, rock ‘n roll is hard!
Mushroom Caravan Overdrive med låten “Psychedelic Lady“, live på den lokala puben i Leksand:
Thrill Warriors is a band based in the rockier parts of Sweden. They first started out in 2007, and after numerous changes in their line-up, they’ve managed to have a relatively stable group consisting of Luvan Loud, Linda Lockdown, Fist for Fight, Jenna Jail and Honey Highway. With straight-forward bluesy rock ‘n roll carnage, they’ll continue to plow through the underground scene. Unfortunetly, they haven’t released any debutalbum yet, but in the future they’ll maybe consider it. I got the possibility to interview Luvan Loud, who told me all the great stories I needed to hear. Are you still reading this? Down with your eyes, focus – and see what she had to say!
Hey Thrill Warriors! Could you give me a brief history of your band?
– Thrill Warriors was formed back in the spring of 2007. The previous bass player (Mini Maneater) and Luvan (Loud, drums) knew each other from a previous band and after that band split up Mini suggested they’d start a new one. By Valborg (April 30th, big holiday here in Sweden. Basically just another reason to get shitfaced without feeling guilty about it) there were 4 members – Mini Maneater, Luvan Loud, Jenna Jail & FF Fight – and material was being written. Since then we’ve gone through quite a few line-up changes. Linda Lockdown has been with us on bass for about 2.5 years now.
What made you pick names like “Luvan Loud”, “Linda Lockdown”, “Fist For Fight”, “Jenna Jail” and “Honey Highway”? Are these names representing
different aspects matching the rock’n’roll attitude, or is it merely a reflection of your personal attributes?
– Well, it all started as a joke at some point way back. I can’t even remember now but surely we must have been quite drunk. It’s become a big part of what we are now though and these “characters” are our alter egos. We step into these roles when we hit the stage. Trust me, these alliteration-warriors are not people you’d like to meet in a dark alley at night. They’re violent, nasty and loud, but they put on a hell of a live show, so we’ve kept ’em.
It seems like you’ve drawn a lot of influence from the movie “The Warriors”, was this intentional or not?
– To be honest, we hadn’t even seen that movie when we formed the band and named it “Thrill Warriors” but a year or two ago we started getting alot of those “Oh, were you inspired by ‘The Warriors’?”-questions. We grew into what we are quite unintentionally. What we are and what we play comes from influences all over. It’s taken us 5 years to really understand what music we want to play. Today the whole ‘The Warriors’-influence is not so unintentional though, hehe. We do use a soundclip from the movie as our intro before we go on stage and a lot of our lyrics are influenced by gangs and all that may mean.
When I scoured the internet I didn’t find one single interview with you, how is this even possible when you play such awesome music?
– First off: thank you! We haven’t done a lot of interviews, really. Mainly for local news papers and such, I think.
I also saw that you’ve been played over at FatCat Radio, did they contact you or did you submit your music to them?
– I’m trying to remember how it started… I should mention I have the memory of a gold fish. I think we got contacted by Fat Cat… ‘The Swede’ has always been very supportive and has been playing us on there for years and for that we’re really grateful! Internet-radio is a great way to reach out to a lot of people and I think people (in bands) in general tend to underestimate that medium.
Are you still unsigned or have there been anyone that wants to sign you yet?
– We haven’t felt ready yet, but I guess you never do, haha!
What gig has been the best so far since you’ve started, and which one has been the worst?
– Best one is easy: We did a gig on ‘Alarmscenen’ at Sweden Rock ’09. Most fun gig to date, definitely! Really good crowd. The whole gig just had a very good vibe to it. Worst one is a bit more difficult but for us on stage, there was this one sound tech guy right when we had just started playing. Let’s just say… he was a bit of an ass. Lately we’ve been blessed with really good and kind sound-techs though.
I really dig your band-picture with the moustaches, how and why did you come up with that idea?
– We really dig mustaches. Most of us would probably grow one if we could. Unfortunately none of us were blessed with the genes for it though. There were a few different reasons for the mustaches. The first one being, well, we really dig mustaches. Another big one was we’re incredibly sick of being labeled as a ‘girl-band’ or ‘all-female metal band’ – those labels really say nothing about the music. We see ourselves as a heavy metal band.
What do you think about the current state of music, primarily in Sweden? Could you recommend some lesser known but rocking bands that you listen to yourself?
– Sweden has a really good music life. Always had and hopefully always will. There are so many good bands here just waiting for you to turn up at their gigs! Friends and favourites of ours from our old hometown are the ‘Pikkadolls’. Their singer really has an amazing voice! I usually describe their music as “doom punk”. (make sure to listen to ‘Diminished life expectance’ if you think doom punk sounds interesting) Some other bands we really dig are: Brutus, In Solitude, Bombus and Antichrist.
It’s really a shame that your Holland-tour didn’t go as predicted, you say you’ll be “back with a hell of a summer”, what do you mean by that? Will there be a new tour?
– Oh yeah, jeez. This was last year. A lot of people were really bummed that the tour got cancelled, as were we of course. There are no current tour plans for now.
Is the album “As heard from hell” your debutalbum or have you released material before that?
– ‘As hears from hell’ is actually the intro for ‘Witchin” which is on the ‘Fuel for rage’ cassette. We have yet to release an album.
You’ll be releasing new material this year, could you tell me more about it?
– We hope to! We have a few ideas in mind. Nothing big probably but we do have quite a lot of unreleased material. Best way to hear any of it is to catch us live because we’re always too broke to go into the studio, haha!
Where will you be playing this year and what do you have in mind for the future?
– Well, right now we’re trying out stand-in guitarists for Fight who’s backpacking her way through South America all throughout the summer. As soon as we’ve found the perfect stad-in-warrior we’ll start booking gigs again. Everywhere and anywhere! We love to play.
Do you have any last words of wis(beer)dom?
– You get what you deserve, not what you want. So fight for what you want until you deserve it.
With raving reviews from blogs and poets, comes an all-in-all brighter shining star. Her name is Clara Engel and she is an independent Toronto-based multi-talent and singer. She’s currently signed to the independent label Vox Humana, based in the UK. They released her first EP called Madagascar in November of 2011, which included the three songs: Blind Me, Madagascar and Accompanied By Dreams. She’s currently working on a new album that will be finished in late spring. I took some time to ask her a few questions, about the beginning of her career, up until now and what more she’s got in store for us in the future.
Hello Clara! Tell us more about yourself?
– I am an artist working in the medium of song. I live in Canada. I’ve made seven albums independently. I’ve also had a few releases via independent labels: Vox Humana, Backwards Music, Tapemancy, and the now defunct Corps-Morts Records. Beyond that… I’m a warm blooded human creature who performs and creates. This question is hard for me. I seem to enter a wordless, fractured mental state when I’m put on the spot to describe myself or my work.
What got you into making music and how did you find my blog?
– To answer your second question first: I stumble upon blogs by looking up other artists who I either feel a slight kinship with, or curiosity about. I can’t remember which artist led me to your blog, but I’m glad I stumbled upon it. To answer your first question, I don’t really know. For better or worse I picked up a classical guitar when I was about 12, as if in a trance, and just set about learning to play it, in my own way. I started writing songs a year or two later. I can’t seem to stop. Even when I give up and completely loose faith in my abilities, there’s a deeper and more steel-willed part of me that keeps going. It’s mysterious to me.
I’ve researched a little bit more and found out that you also have an album released called “Secret Beasts”, on cassette, tell me more about the process involved in making that album?
– I first released Secret Beasts myself in 2009, on pressed CDs, then digitally via Bandcamp in 2010. Then, in 2011, I connected with an Italian label, Tapemancy, and they released it on cassette. It was a very limited run, but they did quite a beautiful job. The album was recorded in two days at the very beginning of 2009. I have a very limited budget, so I have very limited chunks of studio-time. I have to go in there and deliver. It is stressful, but I’d say it also brings a certain urgency to all of my recordings.
Where have you been performing since you started and where can we see you in the near future?
– I’m from Toronto, and I only performed here at first, because it’s all I knew. A chance to play my songs for people was a thrill in and of itself. I play fairly often in Montreal, I love playing there. I often tour around the East Coast of the USA. I have another tour there soon, in March, with Valerie Kuehne. I’m really hoping to make it to Europe soon, I’ve been saying that for ages. I just can’t afford airfare at this point.
Why have you been getting more praise from poets rather than music-critics? Could it be because your music is more poetic than most of the music out there today?
– I prefer the company of poets and artists to that of music-critics, so I consider it a good thing. It probably is more poetic. I almost always write words before music, and I wrote poetry before I wrote songs. I read a fair bit of poetry. A lot of music-criticism leans heavily on comparison. I find it boring, reductive, formulaic, and lazy. Writing about music is a very difficult endeavor – the medium defies articulation. It would be better to acknowledge that fact, and then get creative.
– Better to risk being ridiculous or going out on a limb, both are so much more enlivening than being reductive, lazy, and boring. Also, I don’t think what I’m doing is particularly trendy, and contemporary poets are often painted as a dying breed. I relate strongly to that. Much new media I come across favors the byte size, flashy, and ironic, and I’d like to make songs that are more timeless and could move someone from a different era, if they stumbled upon it… because that’s the kind of work I’m most drawn to. I was an isolated kid when I fell in love with music and writing songs, it was a very vital, earnest, no-frills relationship I had to the music I loved. The antithesis of hipster.
Where can we find you in cyberspace?
– You can find me on bandcamp, facebook, twitter, tumblr, myspace (if anyone still uses that one).
Do you have any last words of wisdom?
– I don’t have any wisdom. Actually, my words of wisdom are: withhold your words of wisdom, they make my blood boil. I am getting sick of advice. When people tell me how to go about my life, my ‘career’ and I can’t stand it. My goal is to continue writing and singing, living, loving. Like Otis Redding says: “I can’t do what ten people tell me to do, so I guess I’ll remain the same.” Those are some wise words perhaps. In lieu of wisdom, I would like to let people know I’m working on a new album called Ashes and Tangerines, and they can pre-order a copy if they would like: http://www.kapipal.com/claraengel
Here’s a free sample from her album Secret Beasts, a song called Lick My Fins:
And here’s a clip of Clara performing her song Heaven and Hell:
Juveniles are a french “pop”-band as they’d like to describe themselves. They released their first EP titled “We Are Young” in 2011. They are signed to the label Kitsuné Music which also hold bands like Digitalism, La Roux, Simian Mobile Disco and many, many more. They’re also coming to Sweden in April, where they will be playing on Debaser in Malmö. I got the opportunity to interview them about their past, present and future.
Who are the Juveniles?
– A French Pop band.
Have you been playing in other bands before you formed Juveniles?
– Yes, that’s how we all met.
You’ve just released your EP “We Are Young”, what are you planning on for this year?
– We’re releasing a second EP called «Ambitions» on Feb. 27th on Kitsuné.
What are you planning on for the future?
– A lot of cool gigs, remixes, and we’re working on our first album.
How much have the band improved musically since the EP, both live and in the studio?
– We’ve always been good ! No, we’re working a lot in the studio both for live and recording purposes.
Will it be your first time playing in Sweden at Debaser in April? How do you feel about coming to Sweden?
– Yes, we’re really looking forward to it! We’re really excited, plus we’ve been told the venues were awesome.
How does it feel to have brought back the dirty post-punk bassline?
– You mean since Golden Skans from the Klaxons? Dirty Post-Punk basslines will never go out of the picture, people love’em too much.
Does your music follow any certain theme?
– Youth, obviously.
What would you say are your greatest inspirations musically?
– Great 80’s singers like Morrissey, Robert Smith, Ian Curtis & Mc Culloch. Also in books, movies, themes that inspires us to write.
Do you have any guilty pleasure when it comes to music?
– Not really, I’m not ashamed of anything my iPod contains.
Any last words of wisdom?
– Never get bored, don’t let go on your dreams, stay young.
Last but not least, where can we find you?
– On Facebook, Twitter mostly where we’re very active and post a lot of content, remixes, gigs…etc and on our website juvenilesmusic.com
Here’s the official video for their song “We Are Young“:
With a name taken from the villain Slainé from the 2000 A.D. series, Slough Feg has been around for over twenty years. They are still going strong, releasing a live-CD named “Made In Poland“, with help from the hardcore fan Jacek Lesniewski. Before that they released their newest studio album in 2010, named “The Animal Spirits“. It’s gotten some raving reviews, but also some mediocre ones. I got the opportunity to talk to Mike Scalzi, the singer and guitarist of Slough Feg, about his scepticism of the music industry, the song Free Market Barbarian, his take on the new metal scene, what he’s got in store for the future and much more.
Hey Mike! Could you tell us what you’ve got going on right now and for the near future?
– Right now we’re writing songs for a new album. We’ve just finished negotiating a contract with Metal Blade Records, so this album, when it comes out, probably not in another year, will probably be released by Metal blade. We’re going to play on Keep it True festival in Germany in a couple months as well. Just flying over for that one show.
There’s been a lot of good reviews on your latest album “The Animal Spirits”, but have there been any bad reviews? And what do you guys think about it yourselves?
– Of course there’s been some bad ones, or at least some mediocre ones. I like the album, quite a bit actually, but it came out a bit tame, a bit controlled. I think the next one will have to be a little rougher around the edges. The better you get as a band, the more you run the risk of sounding polished and sterile. I want to avoid that.
What is your take on the music industry, after entering the 21st century? How was it back in the 80s and what do you think about it now?
– I don’t know much about it. It’s a business that has nothing to do with music. It is all advertising and it’s much more important what you represent and what you can do to help sell other than music. The more original you are the worse you will do. Period. It’s all about selling to a pre-established demographic of kids—- the so important part is to look and sound like something that already sells. In the eighties, well, I’m not really sure what the business was like back then, I was just in a band—– I was a teenager. I think once MTV came along a whole other side of the business opened up, based on looks and trends, not music.
What do you think is good about the metal-scene today, and whats really bad?
– Um… it’s pretty terrible. People listen to garbage. Literally. Most metal today literally sounds like a garbage disposal. I suppose if you like that it’s fine, but why not just turn on your appliances and save yourself the money?
Have there been any band recently that you’d really want to do a split-CD with? Or is it out of the question?
– I like Christian Mistress, and Skeletor (both from Northwest), of course our brother in arms Bible of the Devil continue to put out great stuff, despite their lack of recognition for it.
Do you believe that your band lacks any influences? If so, what musical influence would you like to incorporate in the future and what influences have you incorporated recently?
– I don’t think that at all. I think the influences should be pretty obvious. MAIDEN?! If you don’t hear that one you’re deaf. Queen, Lizzy, Sabbath, Saint Vitus… need I go on?! Lately we started to sound almost psychedelic. I’ve been listening to a lot of old underground psych. There’s some fantastic stuff.
You’ve also released the “Made in Poland” live-cd. Will you be releasing a DVD in the near future? Seems like there is a need for that from both fans and enthusiasts?
– If you want to see a DVD just turn on YouTube. I don’t plan to necessarily release one. Maybe someone else will though. Made in Poland turned out pretty good, kind of a rough night for us but I think the spirit is there.
Which new bands have you listened to recently that were just jaw-droppingly good? Or have you found any new band that gave you just that same impression?
– Like I said, I’ve been listening to old psych, like “Pretty Things”, not the greatest name, but a great band. Lots of old Yes, Kinks, stuff like that. Funny how every time I get this question I come up blank, and then later I say—-“oh I should have said that album”. Seems like these days bands are not given the money and support, meaning they really don’t have the time in the studio, or in their life in general, to make great albums. It’s a terrible shame. Good bands seem to always have two other jobs and very little money to go into a studio—–leaving no time in the studio or out to really do what it takes to make a great album.
In the old days a record company had the money to support a band, to give them time to really be artists. Now the bands that get all the money to make records make shit for some reason. I guess because the only people given the big money are making shit in the first place, and the bands wanting to do something good don’t get the big breaks. So they end up rushing a production just to get an album out, and don’t have time to relax and get creative. All of the creativity is gone from big time rock and roll——all we have left is the underground—-but like I said, there’s no time or money.
What would be your favorite destinations to travel to, if you could, right now?
– Probably either Russia or Ireland. I’ve been to Ireland and love it, I’ve never been to Russia but I am fascinated by it.
I’ve always wondered if the song “Free Market Barbarian” was meant to be ironic or if it’s a mirror of a liberal standpoint? – Um, well… it’s supposed to be a funny title, but the song is actually about what I’ve been ranting about during this interview. If you listen to the lyrics they’re about the current state of the music business.. “all the products on the shelf, bland and sterile..” that’s exactly how I feel about modern music. Everything is a third-rate repeat of an old inspired idea. It sounded fresh in 1975, but it doesn’t anymore. People are really fooled by it too — suppose someone in marketing realizes that old Bruce Springsteen albums are really selling well again and have been re-issued multiple times —– then there’s some talentless kid from Orange County who’s brother in law just happens to own stock in Sony, gets a guitar and starts singing about the Jersey shore and belting out lyrics that would have been unoriginal in the seventies, about girls in cut-off jeans and lying on cars smoking grass, greasy haired guys and bla, bla, bla.. and the whole thing sounds about as soulful as an algebra textbook, but represents all of the cultural signifiers of mid-seventies Americana to a level of mathematical perfection for all advertising and marketing purposes, giving the listener a sterile, flavorless synopsis of the cultural icons as represented on TV, Coke commercials, etc. from that period.
So the “musician” has exactly what the business man needs: a bulleted list of selling points—– a product that points at certain pre-established, heavily tread upon ground that has a very low chance of failure, since it’s been tried and tested 1,000 times over on TV, Magazines, Movies, etc., and of course by the Boss himself who made the original back when it was fresh and inspired. So the kid gets the deal and gets and makes the record, and producers make sure it sounds as seventies east coast as possible, but just slick enough not to turn off any of the buying public, and it sells a billion copies. Maybe it’s no one’s favorite album, but people buy it and forget about it a couple of years. The kid ain’t ever gonna be a rock star, but he has a good run of it, and the business profits and goes to the next thing. I believe that’s pretty much the way it works. There isn’t a conspiracy going on, of anything, it’s the way business has always been run—– but that’s my point, it’s no longer a creative art form, it’s simply a business and nothing more. Once an art form becomes a big seller, the artistry is over. That’s true with anything.
Will Keep It True XV-festival be the first pit stop outside the US? I’m also wondering if you’ll ever be visiting the Nordic countries, like Denmark, Finland, Norway or Sweden?
– Not quite—–we’ve been to Europe seven times. Including a trip to Norway in January 2010. Hope to be back in summer this time, so we can actually see some of the country!
Keep on doing what you do, I wish you the best of luck!
– Thanks.
Here’s Slough Feg with the song “Free Market Barbarian” from the album The Animal Spirits:
Unwoman is a San Fransisco-based cellist and multi-talent that have been active since 2001, releasing a wide array of about seven albums and one EP. Her real name is Erica Mulkey and she also frequently plays and visits goth, steampunk and science fiction-events. With praise from Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) and collaborations with various acts such as Voltaire, Abney Park, Rasputina, Jill Tracy and many more – she’s gotten a wide range of perspective, influence and musicianship. Nowadays she also performs solo with the drummer Felix Mcnee as Heavy Sugar Duo. Besides that, she also does guest appearances in other bands. I got the opportunity to ask Erica about her collaborations, how she depicts the “dark cabaret”-genre and what’s in store for the future of Unwoman – and much, much more.
You’ve worked with many known acts within the dark cabaret-scene, if you’d get to choose one ultimate collaboration that you haven’t done yet, what and who would it be with?
– It would be pretty sweet to play with Amanda Palmer. I have seen her live many times but never met her, though we’ve communicated online.
I think it’s pretty cool that you’ve self-produced four full-length albums, could you tell me what goes into that process?
– Writing songs, recording material, polishing mixes (I could talk for days about how I actually produce songs but I suspect this isn’t the right place for that), package design, having material mastered, and communicating with pressing plants. I’ve actually self-produced six full-length albums if you count my remix album Unremembered and my covers album Uncovered – seven if you count Infinitesimal, my very first album which was unreleased until Feb 20, 2012.
Does it give you more artistic freedom if you self-release it?
– I have complete freedom and from what I gather I would not if I were beholden to a label, so yes, of course.
What do you think about the genre dark cabaret in general?
– It’s interesting in its communication style –- it brings back the tradition of songwriters speaking directly to the audience rather than being overwhelmed by intricate musical trickery, yet it’s open to visual glamour and seduction that coffeehouse singer-songwriters don’t generally employ. (For the record I don’t consider myself dark cabaret; my recorded music is too electronic.)
How many projects do you have going at the same time right now, as we speak?
– It depends how you count things. I have my documentary project, which I hope to have to press in March, I have this first album rerelease (Feb 20) for which I scanned a lot of old original lyrics notes, I have my next album (to come out Summer 2012) for which I have 13 songs written… I always have little collaborations happening here and there, too.
What do you think about Siouxsie and the Banshees, more than them influencing you musically?
– Oh yes, they were very influential. I think it was extremely important that post-punk/goth music had a strong female voice and Siouxsie was wonderful for that. I love all of their albums but my favorite may be Juju.
I’ve lately heard something that reminded me a lot about Siouxsie, her name is Zola Jesus, have you heard her music?
– Yes! In fact, her song “Night” is an important one between myself and my boyfriend, as we have to spend a lot of time apart because of my touring schedule. One time at Death Guild (San Francisco goth club, where he does lights and live visuals) we danced to “Night” – not touching, – but our eyes locked through the entire song.
It seems like you have quite dedicated fans, how do you feel about them?
– I seriously love them. They are smart, loyal, forgiving, and supportive, and I do my best to give back what they give me.
Amanda Palmer seems to help you a lot, have you collaborated with her in any shape or form, or do you want to?
– She has helped me a lot – but it was all in one day, when she found my ustream and tweeted about me, and got me at least a hundred new dedicated fans. I know I could double sales of any of my albums if she tweeted about those, but I don’t want to bother her. (Heh, I answered the 2nd question already) I have never actually met her – the last three times she’s performed in San Francisco I’ve had a gig out of town.
Where would you say that you’ve found inspiration for your aesthetics?
– Visual aesthetics: silent films, art nouveau paintings, steampunks, street goths on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, Victorian dolls, post-apocalyptic fashion tumblrs, witches, burlesque performers, tribal fusion bellydancers…
Have you also drawn influences from Lene Lovich and Toyah?
– Not consciously.
You seem to have quite a lot going at the same time, does it ever become tiresome for you?
– I wouldn’t say tiresome, because my life is thrilling and beautiful, but it can be overwhelming. I had recently been saying yes to everything that came my way, and getting lots of people inquiring about shows, and saying yes to all of those, but I think I need to slow that down for a bit so I can make sure my head is above water and I’m not letting too many things fall through the cracks. The main difficulty is rapidly shifting gears between traveling for shows vs being at home editing music or video. I absolutely love both of those things but I need balancing skills that I haven’t fully developed yet – I’ve only been a full-time musician for two years now.
What do you believe that the future holds for you, and will you be releasing something new this year?
– Lots of convention appearances (steampunk, scifi, goth, etc) in the US. I will be releasing my next original album this Summer. Based on what’s been happening over the last two years, my fanbase will continue to grow slowly and steadily; I’ll never be a household name but I’m able to support myself and live by my own rules, so that’s just fine with me.
Will you be touring in Sweden someday or have you done that already?
– I hope someday to have a big enough fanbase globally to justify it, but right now I don’t think I could make it work. I played in the UK a year ago and the shows themselves were really fun, but being in a foreign country, even one where I spoke the language, where I didn’t have any close friends, was really difficult for me – I’ve only just recently gotten comfortable touring in the US and it makes the most sense to focus on playing here.
What would be your last words of wisdom to your Swedish fans?
– I recently expressed this to a young fellow musician but it really applies to every creative person: You will never get permission to rock to your fullest awesomeness. Do it anyway.
Here’s Unwoman covering the song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails:
Silver Devil är ett svenskt band som bildades år 2005 i Söderhamn och spelar främst stoner-rock. År 2010 fick de sin låt “Cactus Killer” inkluderad på en samlingsplatta betitlad “Riot On Sunset Vol. 22“, och en video släpptes till låten “Follow Me Down” år 2011. Låten finns även på deras debutalbum som är självbetitlat. Nu är de aktuella med sitt andra album som släpps någon gång under hösten/vintern 2012. Av någon anledning har detta mäktiga band passerat under radarn för många, men jag tog initiativet och intervjuade grabbarna om hur de utvecklats sedan de först började spela, hur de kan vara så pass okända och vad som sker i framtiden.
Hur ser er bandkonstellation ut?
– Det är jag, Anders Löfstrand på sång. Sen har vi Otto Molin och Jonas Hamqvist på gitarr, Erik Bergkvist på bas och Marcus Ström på trummor.
När ni väl startade år 2005, vad hade ni för ambitioner?
– Ja du, släppa en skiva har väl alltid varit ett mål man haft. Sen var det mest kul att spela så vi försökte göra så mycket låtar vi kunde och spelade bara för att det är kul! Och efter den goda respons vi fick så tänkte vi att vi kör på, och så har det varit sedan dess.
Vad tror ni är anledningen till att ni är så pass okända, trots att ni släppt ett debutalbum som rockar enormt mycket?
– Det har nog att göra med att vi är totalt värdelösa på att marknadsföra oss, men det ska ske en förändring på den fronten framöver.
Hur mycket tycker ni att ni har utvecklats sedan ni började spela, både livemässigt och studiomässigt?
– Livemässigt har det blivit tajtare och bättre, även om det alltid känts bra på den avdelningen så är det klart att man hela tiden utvecklas och blir bättre. Problemet har varit att lyckas fånga samma känsla och intensitet som finns när vi står på scenen, som i studion. Vi spelar in så mycket som möjligt live när vi är i studion för att åtminstone försöka fånga en del av det som vi är på scen.
Var någonstans i Sverige har ni spelat hittills och var kommer ni att spela i framtiden?
– Vi har framförallt spelat i Gävle och Stockholms-området, förhoppningsvis kommer vi att spela överallt i framtiden såklart! Finns planer på Europa till hösten men ingenting spikat ännu. Närmast ligger nog Bryggeriet i Motala den 30:e Mars tillsammans med Skraeckoedlan.
Vilken är den bästa spelningen ni någonsin utfört under den tid ni varit aktiva?
– Club Monster i Gävle 2010 var en riktigt bra spelning tycker jag, men även Krökbacken-festival i Leksand förra året bör även nämnas som en av det roligaste
Hur fick ni med er låt “Cactus Kicker” på en samlingsplatta, blev ni kontaktade eller kontaktade ni upphovsmännen?
– Vi blev kontaktade av bolaget i fråga som undrade om de fick ta med vår låt “Cactus Kicker” och det fick dom. Har ingen direkt koll på om det gett oss något men det är ju en kul grej i alla fall.
Var har ni främst hämtat er inspiration ifrån, och har ni fått några nya influenser till ert uppkommande album?
– Vi inspireras av ganska mycket olika saker och musik tror jag, men främst från band som spelar liknande musik som Kyuss, Fu Manchu, The Sword, Mastodon m.fl. Jag personligen kan inspireras av nästan vad som helst i musikväg, det kan ligga och lura en kanonmelodi, textrad eller känsla vart som helst. Även vinterårstiden är en stor inspiration till vår musik framförallt textmässigt. Vet inte om det inkommit så mycket nya influenser men nästa skiva kommer nog bli tyngre och mörkare än den förra. Mer vinter, haha.
Vad kommer albumet att heta och vad har ni för planer inför släppet?
– Inget namn än. Ser oss om efter samarbetspartners och ska börja inspelningen snart, planerar släppet till hösten/vintern 2012.
Finns det något annat med i beräkningarna, mer än att släppa ett nytt album?
– Spela så mycket som möjligt, se till att Europagrejen blir av och att bli bättre på att synas och marknadsföra oss själva bättre.
Jag hoppas att vi lär se mer av er i framtiden, har ni något att tillägga såhär på slutet?
– Jo, men tack så mycket för att vi fick vara med här och kom och kolla på oss live någon gång!
Terrible Feelings är ett sverigebaserat band som lirar ett mellanting av garagerock, pop och melodisk punk. De startade 2010 och sedan dess har det bara rullat på. De har hittills släppt två EPs, två 7¨or och en demo CDR. Jag fick tillfället att fråga dom om hur allt startade, vilket deras bästa gig har varit, vart vi kommer se dem i framtiden, deras influenser och mycket mer. Andy och Anton fick agera språkrör för bandet i denna intervju.
Thrill Warriors is a band based in the rockier parts of Sweden. They first started out in 2007, and after numerous changes in their line-up, they’ve managed to have a relatively stable group consisting of Luvan Loud, Linda Lockdown, Fist for Fight, Jenna Jail and Honey Highway. With straight-forward bluesy rock ‘n roll carnage, they’ll continue to plow through the underground scene. Unfortunetly, they haven’t released any debutalbum yet, but in the future they’ll maybe consider it. I got the possibility to interview Luvan Loud, who told me all the great stories I needed to hear. Are you still reading this? Down with your eyes, focus – and see what she had to say!
With raving reviews from blogs and poets, comes an all-in-all brighter shining star. Her name is Clara Engel and she is an independent Toronto-based multi-talent and singer. She’s currently signed to the independent label Vox Humana, based in the UK. They released her first EP called Madagascar in November of 2011, which included the three songs: Blind Me, Madagascar and Accompanied By Dreams. She’s currently working on a new album that will be finished in late spring. I took some time to ask her a few questions, about the beginning of her career, up until now and what more she’s got in store for us in the future.
Silver Devil är ett svenskt band som bildades år 2005 i Söderhamn och spelar främst stoner-rock. År 2010 fick de sin låt “Cactus Killer” inkluderad på en samlingsplatta betitlad “Riot On Sunset Vol. 22“, och en video släpptes till låten “Follow Me Down” år 2011. Låten finns även på deras debutalbum som är självbetitlat. Nu är de aktuella med sitt andra album som släpps någon gång under hösten/vintern 2012. Av någon anledning har detta mäktiga band passerat under radarn för många, men jag tog initiativet och intervjuade grabbarna om hur de utvecklats sedan de först började spela, hur de kan vara så pass okända och vad som sker i framtiden.
Repartiseraren 