Interview with Burger

 

Friend, roommate, and long time off and on band mate Burger puts down the barbells to answers a few questions for the blog.

Keep an eye on the "interviews" tab off to the right for what will hopefully turn into a plethora of various musical styles and personalities. 

What was the last band that came out within the last few years that blew you away?
I would have to go with Blind Justice from New Jersey. They're not "new" new, but new enough to an aging hardcore dude like myself. They capture elements of anger mixed with hilarity. Super abrasive, locked-in tunes with the best of the old school riffs while still not negating heavy parts for the kids. Just a bunch of filthy Jersey dudes that like to skate and be assholes. Nothing not to love.


What's a band you listen to regularly most people wouldn't expect you to?
I actually really like The Temptations. I will go days and days of listening to their greatest hits on repeat without interruption. They flawlessly translate a message in every song. And they really force the listener to believe what they're saying.


What was the last album that really let you down?
In 2014 Crowbar released "symmetry in black"... And it sounded like the band collectively decided to get their nuts removed. That same full sound was there... Slow and steady. But the aggression seemed to be traded in for sappy, sorrowful bullshit. Album sucked.

 Who is your favorite bassist?
Dave Johnson. He played bass for Cleveland metal legends, Ascension. His style of play gives you the chills. That band flipped the "usual" roles of guitar and bass and it worked amazingly. Crazy leads, fills and tones. That dude fuckin rules.


What's the most important ingredient for playing in a band with someone?  

Without a doubt... Being able/willing to put yourself in the other members' shoes. Don't be a tyrant and don't be a bump on a log. Collective contribution is key.


Do you have a format you prefer when listening to your favorite music?
I prefer Spotify. The fact that it's only available on shuffle keeps me from getting too stuck in a rut of listening to the same 3 songs over and over. I also like CDs... So I can listen to the same 3 songs over and over.


Do you have a go to album to calm you down?
Absolutely. Monolord - "empress rising". I'm new to this band, but something about them takes you to a place way deeper inside yourself. For example, on the surface I'll be gritting my teeth over finances. Put on Monolord and my point of view just flips itself. I get entranced by the layers and repetitive nature of this band.


What is the next show you're looking forward to?  

United Blood Fest in Richmond, VA. Two full days of heavy hitters. Both old and new. So pumped.

Plenty more interviews coming. Now buy me food and call me pretty.

-Novak

Interview with Mat Colwell

Mat Colwell

Mat and I have been friends for quite some time. We've played in a few bands and had some genuinely amazing conversations as friends. He's one of the most talented song writers, lyricists, and guitar players I've ever had the luxury of even being in the same room with.

What was the last album you listened to?

 Coheed & Cambria's In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. I was just reflecting on the fact that I only have one band tattoo, and it's the key-work symbol from Coheed and I realized how proud I am to have them on me forever because I genuinely enjoy their entire catalog. In Keeping Secrets was a really important record for me in high school that helped me fall in love with progressive music, and listening to it today is still just as good as back then.

How often do you read this blog?
Oh fuck off.

What makes for an interesting interview to read or watch?
I want the questions to be well-thought-out and the interviewee to want to engage in a dialogue about whatever is being asked. It should feel natural. Like peering in on two friends discussing creativity or life philosophies and how those things are reflected in their work. I want to feel like there is a larger insight about the world and the interviewee being presented.

I know for a while there you were pretty unmotivated with music. What lights that fire again for you?
Tragic life events or huge swings in my emotions. I need to be feeling something deeply to get writing. When I'm numbed up from an experience or feeling like a sloth because nothing is grabbing my attention in the rest of my life, I can't translate that into music. I need my own life experiences to push me to want to create. I'm a gear slut, too, so sometimes new gear or software makes me want to put something together, too.

How important are lights and production to a live show?
Also fuck off here, too.

What's the last book you re-read?
Re-read? Catch-22. That's the only book I ever really re-read. I'm currently reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Nick Bostrom's Superintelligence. The former being a novel that touches on the mythos of American culture and our ancient past while the latter is an exploration on computer intelligence and the, in my opinion, inevitable coming of the singularity.

Do you have a favorite album artwork artist?
I'm not huge on album art, but I'm a big fan of Esao Andrews, the guy who does the Circa Survive artwork.

What song best defines where you were at in 2016 lyrically?
Pinegrove's "Old Friends." I've spent a lot of the last few years neglecting the people I care about because of my own insecurities and ego and "Old Friends" has been a big part in helping me heal and remember to make time for those people.

What's a band you LOVE the music to, but you cannot stand the lyrics/singer?
 I don't really have an answer for this one. I'm pretty sensitive to singers, so if I don't like the singer, I normally can't get into the band. I like a lot of rap with crappy lyrics (Lookin' at you, Young Thug), but that's about it.



-Novak

Interview with Eric Olschlager

Ah fuck. Who let this guy on the blog?

You may know this wild animal as "Stainfart" on social media. He's always chiming in with the humor that's always too soon, offensive, and never even actually funny. Well it turns out this lunatic has more than just name calling and duck calls in his head. 

Who knows, he may even turn up on the podcast soon...

Do you listen to music when you hunt? 

I never listen to music when I hunt, not because I don't want to but because I usually hear deer, ducks and especially geese long before I see them. You can hear geese honking a mile away and it's more subtle but you can hear ducks wings making a whistling sound as they approach your location. Deer are loud as hell against the quiet backdrop of the woods, I'll be zoning out or near sleeping then I hear a stick crack or leaves rustling and I know a deer is wandering in.


What was your favorite record to play to when you played drums? 

My favorite drumming album is easily "Destroy the Opposition" by Dying Fetus. There are and were far more technical drum tracks to listen to but the precision and power Kevin Talley channeled on that album is unmatched. Many drummers will agree that there are 2 types of drummers, those who tap their drum heads like a virgin nervously searching for his first girlfriend's clit and the absolute animal who pounds his drums like a 48 year old factory worker plowing his old lady. Kevin Talley was the latter, absolute power and chaos but at the same time technically proficient.

I strived to play my drums just like that and it was undoubtedly the biggest influence on my drumming.


What's the most annoying thing about friends who play in bands?

 The most annoying thing about friends in bands is their anger and lack of understanding when I have some other shit going on preventing me from seeing their band play. Listen, I wish I could watch your band and get drunk at a bar every night, but sometimes I have to go to bed early so I don't wake up in an absolute rage from a lack of sleep on a work night.


If you had to guess, how many times have you picked on Joe Reed?

 I've picked on Joe Reed easily 30-40,000 times in my life. I used to try to trick him into touching my penis just so I could call him a fag. What a gaywad. I remember one time me and Andy took his brand new pair of "lugz" and threw them in the woods because he laced them up so tight they looked like footballs.


What's stopping you from playing drums again? 

The only thing stopping me from playing the drums right now is the fact that I live in a condo and there's no room. One day when I buy a house I'll buy a set instantly. Believe that.


What's the last album you listened to? 

The last album I listened to was "Sexual Intercorpse" by Goratory.


Favorite guitarist? 

Dave Mustaine is hands down my favorite guitarist. Nothing too technically mind blowing but he had a long career of heavy and catchy thrash riffs. Metallica took a big hit when they kicked him out.


Any bands you were super into in High School you're still into? 

I'd say most of the bands I really loved in high school I'm still into. I still listen to death metal all the time so I really haven't grown up or changed at all.

Ok. Now go glue a frog on a small child and suck an egg.

-Novak

New Drab Majesty Album

Drab Majesty- Demonstration (2017)
For anyone brand new to this man, your ears are in for in a real treat. I'm still somewhat new to this material. The minute I heard about them I posted this blog about them. I forget where I originally heard him first, but I haven't stopped adoring it since. The character fronting this band is Deb Demure, portrayed by the mastermind behind this solo project, Andrew Clinco.

Everything about this project is refreshing and inspiring. There are plenty of "throw back" type sounds these days. To really nail it, there's a longer checklist so to speak than most bands fully grasp. It's more than just tossing a drum machine underneath some "retro" synth presets from your laptop. For some foolish reason, people seem to want to make things from more than a few decades ago sound like shit. The best part of the music originally making this music in the 70's and 80's was the analog equipment always had so much low end. Early synthesizers and drum machines had a throbbing low end you couldn't achieve elsewhere.

The attention to detail in not just the tones of these instruments, but the delivery is perfect. All too often there's too much reverb, not enough bass, or just in general something missing when people try this. It's the perfect nod to the hat of an older style, with an intelligent appreciation to modern music technology.

Anyways, technicalities aside, it's a fucking incredible record. You'll be dancing and wiggling the entire time. You're immediately immersed in his world. The drums, the synths, the guitars.. it's all perfect! There was just the right amount of time and fun put into these songs and this band.

In this interview, he sites many reasons why I was hooked not only on his sounds, but his approach and personality. From his influences, reasons for the characters and live visuals..

I know you're super glued to your Instagram feed right now and you're real busy collecting dust, watching Netflix, but you really should stop all that stupid shit and give this album a listen.


-Novak

Short Interview with an Even Shorter Friend

In case you're head is full of lincoln logs, Joe is one of the original writers of this blog. We both work together now, so there will probably post a bunch of shit on here. We have dramatically different musical tastes, but we both really like mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

What makes for an interesting interview for you personally?

I think an interesting interview has interesting and thought provoking questions. So, basically the opposite of what’s happening right now. 

Why can’t you get into Dinosaur JR? 

I can’t get into Dinosaur Jr. because I just think it’s melatonin. I want to like It, they seem appealing and interesting, but every time I put them on I just slip into a coma.

Any interest in starting your own podcast? 

Funny you mention that, I was just talking to Emma White about hosting a Black Market Podcast at her store once a week and was going to ask you for help.

What ever happened to you playing keyboards?

I still want to play keyboards, I plan on buying a KORG this Spring.

How important is production when you’re listening to albums?

I think it depends on the music and the style. All I look for in production, like vocals, is that it compliments and fits the music. If I’m listening to Anti-Cimex or a raw 80s punk band, I won’t criticize the production quality. Although, I have to say, there is an art to raw production and a fine line between raw sound and your band just sounding like your record was mixed by a deaf person.

I know you’ve never picked up an instrument yourself, but does “gear talk” ever appeal to you? 

I played bass as a kid and in the first incarnation of Severed Remains. No, gear talk irritates me. Bleed on the guitar if you want to impress me.

Do you have a go-to album to listen to when you’re bummed out?

That’s tough. If I’m depressed I or self-loathing I’ll go to Dopesick by Eyehategod but I really don’t recommend that lol. To be honest, while my mom was sick and dying I listened to “Secrets of the World” by Trapped Under Ice. That album is probably the most personal album ever to me and it always brings me out of a dark place.

 

Also, much cooler news than this bullshit interview:

Joe's band Grave Plague just released a demo. Check them out here! 

-Novak

New Sounds

Just to keep the ball rolling on the blog (and mainly to avoid responsibility on a busy Monday at work) here are a few albums I have either just heard or am excited to hear. 

You Slut! - Critical Meat

 I'm not sure how this band slipped my crack.. I mean the cracks. Playing with Mat those few years in Doxa, you would think this band would be a given to me. It never quite crosses the line of "too much" of any genre, but seems to hop around a lot. It's technical but catchy, heavy but never meathead-ish, and it always surprises you. A perfect example of a band that takes constantly jerks the wheel in different, but cool directions. 

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Patriots Day Soundtrack 

The most recent installment of ambient work from Trent and Atticus. I have nothing but positive things to say about every single soundtrack they have put out. They always instantly turn off the world around me and engulf me in their world. I'm just as confident with this release. I have yet to hear it, but I have a routine with these pieces of work. I have to be at home, with the lights off, phone off, and listen to it twice all the way through. I've done that since I was a kid when anything Trent has put out. 

- Novak

A Gift From The Dead

It wouldn't be a proper David Bowie birthday without a handful of secret releases. Even though he is no longer with us, his 70th birthday yields the same inspiring results.

No Plan EP

Tracklist: 

1. Lazarus (as previously released on Blackstar)
2. No Plan
3. Killing A Little Time
4. When I Met You

Immediately following the premiere of the BBC's "The Last Five Years" comes brand new music by the ever secretive and surprising David Bowie. Keeping the jazz combo backing band, let by New York saxophonist Donny Mccaslin, the songs seem to breathe an entirely new eerie feel to them after Bowie's death. 

The first new track on the EP, No Plan, immediately hits you with a sense of sorrow. The lyrics made my eyes wet within seconds. This track sounds like he wrote it from the grave. We may never know (aside from tacky internet rumors) when these were exactly written, but it sounds like he wrote this song after being specifically to be heard after his death.

Killing A Little Time hits a lot harder than anything off this EP or his previous release, Blackstar. The impeccable tightness of the drum and bass on this track creates a general sense of tension and aggression. It's really refreshing hearing a song be heavy without relying on a guitar or any distortion to do so. It's at moments a complete mess of notes and rhythms, but never loses you. Bowie himself really seemed to take a backseat as the band fully took over this song in their own experimental way. 

When I Met You has old Bowie tendencies, with an overwhelming feeling of saying goodbye. The chorus of this song takes the "old Bowie tendencies" I explained and kicks them out the window. It's a clutter of two vocal takes with completely different lyrics being played at once. It almost sounds like he couldn't decide on which vocal patterns and lyrics to keep, so he smashed them together, creating a dissonant collage. 

BBC Two Documentary: The Last Five Years

This documentary is a must see for any curious on Bowie's career, fans from all generations, and definitely has a few treats for the die hard fans. From interviews with band members and collaborators to unreleased interviews from Bowie himself. This is a truly beautiful and interesting glimpse into an immensely inspiring last few years of his life. 

Of all the things that will continuously stand out in a cool for me is his off beat but hysterical humor. Band members don't reflect as him being some snobby, egotistical prick - but a genuinely good human being. You spend all this time in the studio and on the road with people, even the coolest people become hard to be around. That never seemed to be the case with Bowie. 

The parts that made me choke up were the behind the scenes tour footage of Bowie being hilarious at truck stops, random jokes he'd play before he'd go on stage, and just the general sense of not taking shit so seriously.  I think it's easy to be entertained by someone to sit back and watch the legacy a music legend unravel, but it's a completely different thing watching videos of someone that looks like he'd be a total fucking blast to be around. 

and the third part of today's birthday releases.... 

No Plan - directed by Tom Hingston 

If you don't get goosebumps at the end of this, you may want to check if you even have a pulse, because this video should give you all kinds of feels. The first thing I noticed was the street sign to a previous London residence for Bowie, Foxgrove Road in London. This was the start of it all. It's where he lived when he wrote his very first Bowie album. 

The TV's broadcast the lyrics to this melancholy track line by line while a small crowd of people collect to watch this strange, ghost-like display. Just like I mentioned in the short review of the EP itself, this track seems to only logically come from a view from the grave. 

I don't want anything beyond that stain your interpretation of the video. 

Bowie would have been 70 today. I know damn well he didn't want to go. He seemed to have an endless palette of music, plays, art, and life to live. A seemingly forever restless mind. That's something I will forever relate far too well with. No matter what age I die and regardless of what I accomplish, my last thoughts will always be "but wait, I'm not done!"

-Novak