LESS THAN JAKE – TV/EP

Anyone who takes a look at Less Than Jake’s discography would see that they clearly have a soft spot for doing cover songs. From Slayer’s “Evil Has No Boundaries” to Cheap Trick’s “Surrender,” Less Than Jake have dabbled more than a few times throughout their 18-year career in covering a unique range of tunes.

TV/EP is an 11-minute and 30-second collection of television theme songs and commercial jingles. This would not be the first time LTJ has covered TV theme songs, as they released a vinyl seven-inch back in 1996 covering the theme songs to “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Three’s Company,” “The Jeffersons,” and “Happy Days.” TV/EP doesn’t list the themes/jingles covered, but instead lists them as “Channel One,” “Channel Two,” and so forth. Some of the covered theme songs include “Laverne & Shirley” (a cover they released on Losers, Kings and Things We Don’t Understand back in 1996), “Diff’rent Strokes,” “Animaniacs,” “Married With Children” (which is essentially a quasi-cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage”), and “Spongebob Squarepants.” The jingles covered range from the commercial for Hungry Hungry Hippos to the jingle for Kit-Kat candy bars.

While hardcore LTJ fans will dig this as another one of those odd releases to add to their collection of Pez-influenced LTJ paraphernalia (ever look at their vinyl discography?), others will see the release as a one-shot novelty act worthy of only one listen. I think this release might have done better if it was done on DVD or video rather than an audio format – interestingly, a visual aid version of this can be found on the front page of LTJ’s website (www.lessthanjake.com). The covers themselves are nicely done and quite witty, but I don’t see fair-weather fans of Less Than Jake going apeshit over this release. This is definitely one for the LTJ collector.

(Sleep It Off Records, C/O Paper + Plastick Records, PO Box 12081, Gainesville, FL 32604)

STIMULATORS – Loud Fast Rules!

By the early 1980s, the New York punk scene started to take on a new and more aggressive sound than heard before. The ‘70s brought a mix of New Wave and punk rock (Blondie, Television, The Ramones) through the doors of venues like CBGB’s, but by the 1980s that sound started to evolve. Bands started to up the beats per minute and added more distortion and speed to their guitars, while vocals got more and more aggressive — and so, the New York hardcore/thrash sound came to be.

On the crest of this crossover, the Stimulators were one of the first bands to start to incorporate this new aggressive sound. Loud Fast Rules features the band performing live back in 1980, featuring a 12-year-old Harley Flanagan on drums (Flanagan would go on to play drums and bass for the infamous New York City hardcore outfit Cro-Mags). The original release of Loud Fast Rules was released on cassette, so the audio on this re-release is about as good as you can expect from drawing the masters off of a mono-analog recording. The music itself is raw and driving, especially on the more fast tempo tunes like “M.A.C.H.I.N.E” and “Crazy House Rock.” There are also some more catchy pop-hooked songs featured here like “Dah Dah Dah” and “Blind Ambition,” and a cover of Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Night.” There’s a lot of Ramones and Clash influence in these songs as well (and as expected).

Going back to Harley Flanagan, the fact he was only 12 years old when this was recorded blows me away. His drumming is clearly the highlight of this album, extremely tight. Re-releasing Loud Fast Rules will give the masses a chance to pick up a pivotal piece of New York music history, an album that influenced a generation of underground musicians not just in New York, but the world over.

(ROIR, PO Box 150-460, Van Brunt Station, Brooklyn, NY 11215)

ANARCHY EVOLUTION: FAITH, SCIENCE, AND BAD RELIGION IN A WORLD WITHOUT GOD by Greg Graffin and Steve Olson

It could be said that Greg Graffin shares a lot in common with the fictional character Indiana Jones. Both are professors at universities. Both have a deep desire to study history. Both have battled it out with Nazis — well, okay, maybe not exactly, but Greg did have to deal with the racist skinhead contingent in the LA punk scene in the early ’80s. Nonetheless, the one main bond between the two is a desire to understand the world’s histories through the study of facts and evidence.

Anarchy Evolution explores what is at the root of the inquisitive mind of Dr. Graffin when it comes to the subject of evolutionism versus creationism. The study of evolutionism through the works of people like Charles Darwin fascinated Greg as a child and proved to be a driving force in his life as laid out in this book, and, of course, in the lyrics to Bad Religion’s music.

Anarchy Evolution reads like two books in one. Half of the book is written in an autobiographical sense as Graffin details growing up in Wisconsin, his family, moving out west to LA, and the events leading up to the founding of Bad Religion with Brett Gurewitz. The other half reads like a textbook, with detailed passages that feel like they came right out of his lecture series at UCLA (where he teaches evolution). He ties the personal and educational together by drawing examples of how certain parts of his life (especially his teenage years) echo the natural effects of anarchic evolution — hence the title of the book.
Graffin challenges almost every aspect of religious rule in this book, well beyond evolution. He challenges the claim of an eternal afterlife and spends a good deal of time talking about the falsehood of natural selection. He also tackles the issue of being an atheist. Graffin himself doesn’t really consider himself a so-called atheist, but really a “naturalist” — as in someone who believes solely that no supernatural entities were or are involved in creating what we know as the universe. His naturalist worldview is based upon “observation, experiment, and verification.” He spends a good deal of time in this book detailing many of his adventures observing nature and gathering evidence in collegiate field studies, including an amazing story about a trip to the Amazon while working at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History in 1987. This trip would change Greg’s life forever.

Much of Anarchy Evolution could be considered adequate reading material for an introduction into the history of evolutionary biology. After all, this was written by someone who teaches this material to students at UCLA. So some of this material might be already common knowledge, depending on your educational background. If you’re not up on the subject of evolutionary biology, don’t be surprised if you have to re-read passages as some of this information is quite deep in facts, names, and dates. Luckily, there are nearly 50 pages of cited notes in the back of the book.

For the Bad Religion fans out there, this book will also please your need for random stories about people and places involved in the creation of the band and the making of some of your favorite albums. So while you’re learning about why Greg Graffin was arrested in high school, you’ll also be learning about a certain type of ant that lives in the forests of central Mexico.

Anarchy Evolution is clearly a work of love by a man that loves his work. His views on religion don’t aim to offend, but rather to question the religious status quo. He simply refuses to believe in something that he can’t observe or investigate, as it goes against his naturalist worldview. He studied the evidence and came to the conclusion that there is no supernatural being issuing a hand of assistance (or dominance) in creating the world and universe as we know it today, tomorrow, and in the distant past. He invites you to question the answers and make up your own mind by doing your own investigating and observing. A very insightful and interesting read.

THIEVERY CORPORATION – It Takes a Thief

Eric Hilton and Rob Garza started the DJ’ed dub and lounge sounds of Thievery Corporation nearly 15 years ago with a minimalistic approach on their debut album, Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi. The album featured a mix of mostly DJ’ed dub beats with little live instrumentation, some sampled vocals ,and a couple guest vocalists.

Since then, Garza and Hilton have evolved their sound by encompassing a rotating roster of world music’s who’s who, creating a sound that intertwines the world of down-tempo electrified lounge with the acoustic cultural sounds of planet earth. It Takes a Thief takes 16 of the Corporation’s “best of” tracks and displays them for all to hear. Unfortunately, there is not one track featured from that debut album. What can be found on this album is a collection of tracks mainly from the 2000 release The Mirror Conspiracy all the way to present day, with their newest album Radio Retaliation.

As expected, “Lebanese Blonde” (you know, the one from the movie Garden State), featuring the amazing vocals of Pam Bricker, is on here, along with other great ass-shaking  tracks like “Sound The Alarm,” “The Richest Man in Babylon,” “Warning Shots,” and “Vampires.” There are also some really nice laid-back tracks on here, including “Sweet Tides” and “Until Morning.” The compilation also includes the song “The Passing Stars,” a track that appeared as an instrumental on the album The Cosmic Game under the title of  “A Gentile Dissolve.” This particular version features vocals sung by  Bricker.

In all, It Takes a Thief does a fine job showcasing Thievery Corporation’s style and musical capabilities. A good album for someone who just found out about Thievery Corporation  and aren’t too familiar with their music.

(ESL Music, 1849 Calvert Street, Washington, DC 20009)

Show Review: Megadeth and Slayer at the Long Beach Arena, 8/30/10

Megadeth Front-man Dave Mustaine
 

Getting both Megadeth and Slayer to tour together again wasn’t an easy feat to say the least. It had been nearly 19 years since they shared a stage on the “Clash of the Titans” tour and feuds between Megadeth’s front man Dave Mustaine and Slayer guitarist Kerry King deteriorated much of the respect between the bands over the past two decades. Through the animosity and name-calling, both Mustaine and King have buried the hatchet and moved on within the past year, thus giving birth to the “American Carnage” tour.

The tour was initially slated to kick off in January but was postponed due to Slayer bassist/vocalist Tom Araya’s need for back surgery, as the pain was too intense to tour through. The tour was eventually rescheduled in April.

“We canceled two tours, and I don’t feel great about that, but I couldn’t deal with the pain anymore, and that’s now completely gone,” said Araya in a press release. “I know the fans are excited to see the band — the tour is on, we’re keeping our word, there will be no more cancellations.”

As I pulled into the Long Beach Arena parking lot, it was clear Tom’s words were spot on. The fans were beyond excited to see both Slayer and Megadeth team up again for a tour as a 2010 version of Heavy Metal Parking Lot played out before my eyes. Fans young and old partied it up in the expansive parking lot. Taking in the loud music blasting from car stereos (mainly Megadeth and Slayer) and some brews before converging into the arena. I also couldn’t help but notice two older gentlemen holding signs reading “REPENT OF YOUR WICKED HEART OF UNBELIEF,” “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN,” and “ASK ME WHY YOU DESERVE HELL.” Clearly these men were God-fearing faith-filled individuals who were there to confront the concert-goers of their enjoyment of the evil sounds of heavy metal. As people passed these two men in line, they were randomly flipped off and one young man even dropped his pants and bent over, exposing his bare ass. The consensus was clear: they sold their souls for rock and roll!

Upon entering the arena, I could hear Testament warming up the crowd with their music. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, I missed just about all of Testament’s set.

As Megadeth set up for their performance, I strolled along the arena floor taking in the scene. The crowd was still pouring into the arena, filling in the seats on the upper level and taking up space on the standing room only arena floor. Shouts of “Slayer!” could be heard randomly throughout the arena, all while the PA system cranked out “Walk” by Pantera, causing the crowd to chant out the chorus in unison : “RE...SPECT...WALK!”

Eventually the lights turned off and the stage turned blood red as a heavy fog crept across the entire span of the stage. Behind the drum kit, the artwork for the album Rust in Peace was featured predominantly and Jello Biafra’s spoken word piece “Message From Our Sponsor” played as one by one the members of Megadeth took the stage.

Being the 20th anniversary of Rust in Peace, They proceeded to play the album in its entirety. Mustaine dawned a custom Rust in Peace Flying-V guitar and put that guitar good use through solos during songs like “Hangar 18” and “Rust in Peace…Polaris.” Key interaction and communication between Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson, and guitarist Chris Broderick were noticeable as all three played very tight. At times, the vocals were hard to hear over the guitars but for the most part the acoustics were rather impressive, especially for an arena show. Mustaine’s vocals were mostly on point, but it’s clear he doesn’t have the pipes he had 20 years ago (plus, look at what he did to himself over the years…the man is lucky to be alive).

At one point, during the song “Dawn Patrol,” Ellefson and drummer Shawn Drover were the only two people on the stage. As Ellefson drove out the bass line that served as the base of the song, Megadeth’s “mascot” Vic Rattlehead walked out and acted out the lyrics spoken backstage by Mustaine. Dressed in the business suit as he appears on the cover of Rust in Peace, this definitely added a theatrical feel to the show. They finished off the album set with “Rust in Peace…Polaris” and left the stage, only to come back a few minutes later to perform an encore.

As an encore, They played “Trust,” “Headcrusher” (off of their newest album Endgame), “À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)”, “Symphony of Destruction,” and, lastly, “Peace Sells.” After a rousing cheer from the crowd, Dave and crew left the stage…now it was time for Slayer.

I will say this for the record : Slayer has some of the most loyal and hardcore fans ever. Even while watching Megadeth during their encore, this guy stood next to me — clearly enjoying what he was hearing and shouted “Megadeth!” only to back it up with “…but it’s all about Slayer!” You could feel a difference in the crowd once it was time for Slayer to take the stage. Like a calm before a storm, you knew you were going to be witnessing something special. Once the house lights turned down, the music started and the huge white sheet covering the stage dropped to the ground revealing Slayer and all hell broke loose.

They started out with the title cut off of their newest album World Painted Blood and then went into playing Seasons in the Abyss in its entirety, since it also is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Musically, Slayer is about as fast and as brutal as you are going to get when it comes to thrash metal: lighting fast guitar riffs provided by Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, backed up the driving deep bass lines of Tom Araya and insanely fast drumming of Dave Lombardo. These guys have been on top of their game since the ’80s, and tonight’s performance was no exception. Sporting his usual getup of catcher’s knee-pads and a Raiders jersey, Hanneman was simply unstoppable with his screamin’ solos on songs like “War Ensemble” and “Dead Skin Mask.” A few times during their performance, King and Hanneman had dueling solos, one trying to one-up the other. Araya seemed to be feeling fine as he belted out song after song, even allowing the crowd to fill in for him on “Expendable Youth” and “Dead Skin Mask.” Lombardo’s drumming is something amazing to witness live as he pounded out song after song for a good 80 minutes with amazing accuracy and power.

As they finished up with the album set, they continued on playing a few songs as encores including “South of Heaven,” “Raining Blood,” and ending the show with “Angel of Death.” Throughout the show, the crowd sang along almost louder than Araya’s vocals and many let their long locks fly as they banged their heads to the music.

Much like Megadeth’s set, Slayer played very tight and the guitar solos were nearly flawless, but one thing set Slayer’s performance aside from Megadeth’s was their relentlessness. Slayer’s ability to relentlessly manhandle the crowd with their music and energy proved to be the highlight of the evening. Honestly speaking, Slayer’s set proved to be one of the most energetic musical experience I have witnessed. Don’t get me wrong, Megadeth put on one hell of a show as well, but when you factor in Slayer’s rabid fans and the excitement instilled by Slayer’s music, there’s no doubt about it that Slayer stole the show!

Seeing one half of the “Big Four” in thrash metal was an amazing experience. As I was leaving the arena, some random guy slaps me on the back and says, “That was one hell of a show, wasn’t it?” Yes, my friend, yes it was!

PICTURES - Megadeth at the Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA - 8-30-2010

MAD CADDIES – Consentual Selections

After 15 years, five full length albums, and a rotating roster of musicians, the Mad Caddies are pulling out all the stops and are finally releasing a “best of” album. Consensual Selections features 22 cuts from the Caddies past plus two new tracks. For those unfamiliar to the the Caddies’ sound, their eclectic ska-punk sound is mixed with various musical influences. From polka (“All American Badass”), to Spanish (“Just One More”), and even pirate dirge (“Weird Beard”), the boys from Solvang, California have remained true to their whimsical yet musically impressive roots year after year, album after album — even if the California ska scene has returned to its underground two-toned cave in recent times.

The tracks selected for this album do a really good job representing the essence of the Mad Caddies. Most of the tracks here focus mainly on the Caddies music after their debut album Quality Soft Core, although they did add “The Bell Tower” and “Preppy Girl” to show off their oldest material (where’s “Crew Cut Chuck?”). “Save Us” and “Why Must I Wait” are two previously unreleased songs, both of which don’t disappoint.

Consensual Selections would be fitting for someone new to the Caddies, but for those who have been singing along with these tunes for nearly two decades, this is a fine tribute to one of the best third-wave ska acts to come out of the Golden State.

(Fat Wreck Chords, PO Box 19360, San Francisco, CA 94119)

THE ADICTS – Life Goes On

After 35 years of being a staple of the English punk rock scene, The Adicts are still tearing it up. Amazingly featuring all original members, they’ve released their eight studio record Life Goes On. Being only familiar with their older material (mainly their infamous album Songs of Praise), I have to admit that this new album features a much more matured sound than that of their youth — although, there’s still strong evidence of that silliness and bouncy feeling found in so much of that UK punk from the ’80s.

That bouncy pop sound can be heard through much of the album, especially on songs like “Spank Me Baby” and the title track “Life Goes On.” The song “Gangster” throws an audible wrench in the sound of the album, with a sound that could be described as an electronically twisted acoustical piece likely to be found on a soundtrack to some David Lynch spaghetti western. There is a instrumental cut of “Gangster” featured as a bonus track at the end of Life Goes On. Otherwise, the album stays pretty consistent with The Adicts style of punk, very light hearted and carefree.

Musically, these vets of the UK punk scene still have it. It’s a fun album with a lot of sing-along moments that The Adicts have been bringing to us for over three decades.

(Century Media, 2323 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250)

Show Review: Lebowski Fest LA 2010

James Hoosier, who plays Liam O'Brien Re-Creates the approach to his "Belly Shake" at the Screening Party at The Wiltern Theater in LA

Shortly after winning his Best Actor award at this year’s Academy Awards for his performance in Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges was asked this question by the press:

“As we’ve seen tonight, for a lot of your career you’ve been defined by one movie: The Big Lebowski. Will this put that to rest, and how have you felt about that for the last two years or so?”

“No, I’m diggin’ The Dude. I love him!” proclaimed Bridges with a huge smile and a laugh. “It’s wonderful the success that it had. I was a little disappointed when it first came out and didn’t do much, you know? But now we got Lebowski Fest and all kinds of things.”

The Big Lebowski was released in 1998 as a follow up to Joel and Ethan Coen’s largely successful, award-winning film Fargo. The movie tells the story of Jeffrey Lebowski (AKA, “The Dude”), a laid-back unemployed stoner who enjoys a simple life of white russians and bowling. He takes life very easy: no stress at all, almost Zen-like. One day, he returns to his bachelor pad to find two thugs out to collect a cash payment owed to a loan shark and pornographer Jackie Treehorn. They mistake “The Dude” for another Jeffrey Lebowski, who happens to be a millionaire with a trophy porn-star wife. In the middle of explaining his innocence, Woo (one of the thugs) urinates on The Dude’s rug (it really tied the room together). The movie plays out with The Dude (along with his Vietnam vet bowling partner and best friend Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman) getting involved in a very complicated situation involving a kidnapping, a severed toe, and a marmot among other things.

As mentioned above by Bridges, the movie didn’t do so well in the theaters, but it has become a huge cult favorite since being released to VHS and DVD.
This brings us to the not-so-distant past.

Lebowski Fest: what started in a small Baptist church bowling alley in Louisville, Kentucky back in 2002 has grown exponentially into a behemoth of a celebration of all things Lebowski. Founded by Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, the fest has reached both coasts of the United States and points in between, drawing in thousands of Achievers (the self-applied title given to fans of the movie) over the years. It has even hopped across the pond, spawning the first-ever Lebowski Fest UK event in 2007.

The idea for the fest came when Will and Scott were vendors at a tattoo exposition in Louisville. Being bored out of their minds (attempting to sell t-shirts for Scott’s business), they started reciting lines from The Big Lebowski. Others around them started to chime in with their own favorite pieces of dialogue, the idea was born, and the rest is history.

This year’s event here in The Dude’s hometown of Los Angeles, California would be the fifth time for the Lebowski Fest crew. The first of two days of events took place at The Wiltern Theater in LA with a movie screening and performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band Paddy and the Poor Boys. When arriving at the Wiltern, the line to get in stretched about halfway around a city block. There were a lot of people, although not too many in costumes. Once inside, the bartenders were busy making white russians and film crews and photographers scurried about taking pictures of those who came in costume.

The evening kicked off with Will and Scott onstage welcoming everyone and bringing out the first of many special guests of the evening. Robin Jones, (Ralph’s checkout girl) and Andrea Nunn (Julianne Moore’s body double) joined Will and Scott on stage to talk about the filming of the movie. Peter Exline, whose real life experiences with a rug and stolen car inspired some of the Coen brothers’ plot line for the movie, also came onstage to share stories with the crowd. Joining Peter was Jeff Dowd.

Jeff is essentially the real life Dude and inspiration for the Cohen brother’s character portrayed by Bridges. Dowd can always be found at both nights of the LA Lebowski Fest with a large Caucasian (white russian) in hand, mingling with the crowd and rambling on about, well…anything while onstage with a mic in his hand. Dowd is definitely the life of the Lebowski Fest.

At this point, Paddy and the Poor Boys took to the stage. According to comments made by the band during their performance, they are not normally a cover band and apparently go under a different stage name, but on this particular evening they would be a CCR cover band. Hailing from Berkeley, California (interestingly also the same part of the Bay Area where CCR got their start), the four piece band covered some of CCR’s timeless and Lebowski-inspired tunes like “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Run Through The Jungle.” Instrumentally, these guys are pretty spot-on, but the lead vocalist was quite off-kilter and really didn’t reproduce the vocal styling of John Fogerty, something that’s a tough feat in the first place.

At one point during the set, both Jeff Dowd and Andrea Nunn took the stage to sing backup for the band. Most of the crowd sat in their chairs and watched and listened. Some patrons made their way to the lobby of the theater, where there was a meet-and-greet with some of the stars of the film taking place during the show.

After about an hour of waiting (due to the very long line of fans wanting to get pictures and autographs with the stars of the movie), Will and Scott retained their position on stage to bring out the next round of special guests. They introduced Jim Hoosier (Liam, Jesus’s bowling partner) who performed his signature “belly shake” celebration move for the crowd. Hoosier has been a consistent attendee to the nationwide Lebowski Fest, always humble and beyond appreciative to the support and kindness of the fans.

Jack Kehler (Marty the Landlord) was next up onstage, talking about how he created his “cycle” dance and went on to recreate it for the crowd. It was one of the most crowd-pleasing parts of the night.

Lastly, Peter Stormare (Uli the nihilist/Karl Hungus) strolled on stage. Stormare was also in Fargo and has been seen in many commercials and other feature films. Stormare talked about how he’s recognized by people worldwide as being in The Big Lebowski and how grateful he was to the fans for all the kind words and support.

Then, without any further delay or interruption, it was time for the big screen showing of the movie. The experience of watching The Big Lebowski with a group of extreme Achievers is pretty amusing. Imagine a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show where intoxicated viewers hurl the F-word rather than pieces of toast or toilet paper. The only complaint I had about the screening was that someone cranked up the volume beyond eleven. I mean, it was seriously too loud. Night one was in the books. The next night would be the bowling party at Cal Bowl in Lakewood.

After a little pre-bowling party get-together at my apartment, we caravaned to Cal Bowl for a night of more costumes, more white russians, and unlimited bowling. Once inside, we got a lane and started to bowl it up with fellow Achievers. Bowling is not essential when it comes to getting the Lebowski Fest experience. I find myself having a better time walking around with a white russian in one hand and my camera in the other, taking pictures of people in costume and talking about the movie.

I have to admit, though, that I was a little bit disappointed in the creativity of this year’s costumes. I ran into a guy who attended last year as a carton of half and half (very true to scale) and he too was disappointed in the lack of creative costumes. The costumes that were displayed, however, were excellent: plenty of Dudes, Walters, and Jesuses were represented, as well as a whole slew of Maudes (including a group of male and female Maudes who made up “The Maude Squad”). There were a few Jackie Treehorns and two entries as The Dude’s car (one was awarded “best costume”).

There were also a few nihilists dressed up in the full red jump suit featured in The Dude’s dream sequence. One couple (with whom I bowled last year; they were the Knutsens, Bunny Lebowski’s parents) came as “dead beets” in reference to what Treehorn’s thugs call The Dude. For the first time that I can remember, someone came dressed as Donny (Steve Buscemi’s character, and Walter and The Dude’s bowling partner and friend).

The bowling party also brought out a few stars from the movie. Jim Hoosier and Mike Gomez (the Auto Circus Cop) made it out, as well as Jeff Dowd who did his share of mingling with the crowd.

In all, the 2010 LA Lebowski Fest was a good time for all who attended. Sure, it’s a bit nerdy obsessing over a movie made 12 years ago — but hey, we’re talking about one of the funniest movies ever made! The movie is almost universal in appeal — find yourself reciting lines from The Big Lebowski at any social gathering and you are bound to have someone come up to you and start a conversation. It is truly a film that brings people together. There’s no doubt in my mind that Lebowski Fest will continue to grow as word of mouth spreads. The love people have for this film is deep and it brings people together in droves nationwide.

Don’t be an amateur…grab a white russian, a DVD copy of The Big Lebowski, and enjoy life as The Dude would.


Lebowski Fest will be in Orlando, Florida on May 21st and 22nd; Louisville, Kentucky on July 16th and 17th; Chicago, Illinois on September 17th and 18th; Seattle, Washington on October 15th and 16th; and New York City on November 4th. Find more information at www.lebowskifest.com

UNIVOX – S/T

A little bit of Iggy Pop influenced vocals, some driving garage rock beats, and some prevalent four-part harmonies make up the main ingredients for the debut album from Univox. This four-piece band from Philadelphia gives the listener a sound so intermixed in various musical styles it’s hard to categorize their tone.

The album opens up with the extremely catchy garage rock tune “Pi” and moves on to the driving indie acoustic guitar ditty “Everybody Knows.” The move between electric and acoustic is a constant theme through this album. All though the album, each member contributes a piece of the vocal harmonies that at times echo a doo-wop vibe, especially during the 10^th track “Conan.” Another interesting vocal contribution occurs during the a cappella dirge, “All This Blood Came From My Heart.” I don’t know whether to take the song seriously due to subject matter and the odd and silly sounding intonations. It almost sounds like something created by Monty Python.

The last two songs on the album, “Mind Traveler’s Song” and “Nobody’s That Smart,” return back to that rockin’ vibe that started the album with “Pi.” Technically speaking, the mixing and production quality is well executed. Everything is mixed to accompany each other rather than over powering another. This album has some really upbeat tracks that will get the foot a-tappin’, along with some somber and low-key acoustic pieces that add some emotion to the mix. An interesting album full of ups and downs.

(ROIR, PO Box 150-460, Van Brunt Station, Brooklyn, NY 11215)

V.I.T.A.L. EMCEE – Versus – Verses

I became familiar with Noel Vinson’s (AKA V.I.T.A.L. Emcee) work while checking out the Southern California hip-hop group Seekret Socyetee. The group, which also features Matt Embree of RX Bandits (founder of MDB Records) and Maylay Sage was one of the first hip-hop acts to be featured on MDB’s roster of artists.

V.I.T.A.L. released his debut album, The Secret of the Invisible Man in 2006. Its dark sound and socially conscious subject matter were clearly a continuation of what was started with Seekret Socyetee’s material. Leading up to present day, things in Camp V.I.T.A.L. had been fairly quiet until the release of his sophomore album Versus – Verses. This 16-track album comes off as a total departure from V.I.T.A.L.’s last release. The subject matter isn’t as political or dark, but rather comes off hitting on a much more personal note.

There are a few political tracks that are featured here. “I Don’t Want To Be Right” revolves around the argument here in California around Proposition 8 to legalize gay marriage; the “right” being the evangelical conservatives who are against gay marriage. Lyrically, the song has a scathing message to those who claim to be speaking a message of “love,” yet come off looking very hypocritical. “Against the World” is a beautifully sung song that deals with the high and low points of being in a relationship, clearly touching on some personal experiences. The song features Lauren Colman, who also is featured on the song “Boomerang.” Her amazing voice adds a lot to both of these tracks. I was also impressed with the diversity of the beats that accompany V.I.T.A.L.’s vocals. Many of the tracks in The Secret of the Invisible Man were simplistic in their beat structures. There was very little sampling and scratching on that album, but this new album features a wide range of beats and samples. From a soulful sound with the song “It’s Love” to a very cool sample of Richie Haven’s performance of “Freedom” at Woodstock, the beats featured here make the album extremely diverse in sound. V.I.T.A.L.’s vocals are smooth and are well executed, especially when he flows with quickness (something he attributes to studying Bone Thugs N’ Harmony).

Versus – Verses is a fine example of what hip-hop should consist of. It’s not watered-down, mass marketed dribble found on the radio or television — it’s real music from the heart.

(MDB Records, PO BOX 941, Seal Beach, CA 90740)

THE MORNING BENDERS – Big Echo

In the span of only five years, The Morning Benders have had a total of eight releases.  Their newest effort, Big Echo, reveals a mix of jaunty tunes filled with handclaps, tripped-out guitar effects and forceful drum beats.

The album starts off with the song “Excuses,” an acoustic guitar- and drum-driven tune that has a very carefree feel to it. There is an almost do-wop feel to the song and the orchestral accompaniment reminds me of Etta James’ timeless song of love “At Last.”

Many of the tracks on Big Echo have a very mellow, almost dreamy feel to them. Take the song “Pleasure Sighs,” a very laid back cut that almost creeps along at a snail’s pace in tempo. The vocals are light and airy and whimsical at times. There are a few faster tracks that pop up here and there on the album. “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)” is an upbeat song full of claps and jamming acoustic guitar, and “All Day Daylight” is a heavily drummed tune that features electronic distortion and both electric and acoustic guitars.

The easygoing, smooth-flowing feel of this album makes this a pleasant listen for those who fancy the indie pop sound.

(Rough Trade Records, 66 Golborne Road, London UK  W10 5PS)

Show Review: Bad Religion at the House of Blues, Anaheim 3/18/10

The year was 1980. Motorhead released the iconic album Ace of Spades. The US Olympic ice hockey team defeated the powerhouse Soviet Union squad in the infamous “Miracle on Ice” game.  Ordinary People wins best picture at the Academy Awards, and Americans elect California governor and former movie star Ronald Reagan to be the 40^th president of the United States. In 1980, the state of punk rock in southern California was thriving in the underground scene. Bands like The Circle Jerks, Black Flag, X, Fear, and The Germs dominated the Los Angeles punk underground, while Agent Orange, The Adolescents, and Social Distortion were running the show down in neighboring Orange County. It was at this time that Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz, a couple of high school students in the San Fernando Valley, started a band with fellow classmates Jay Bentley and Jay Ziskrout. This would be the beginning of a 30-plus-year history that would forever change the way punk rock would be perceived by the masses.

Bad Religion took the rough and nihilistic sound of punk and polished it up in a way that some punk puritans might have seen as being practically sacrilegious, utilizing vocalized harmonies in lieu of outlandish vocal stylings used by contemporaries such as Black Flag’s Keith Morris. Bad Religion’s lyrics (and lyrical content) also set them apart from the pack — most of their songs are topically geared towards social ills, religion, politics, and science. Their music makes you think, or, at the very least, makes you pick up a dictionary to find out just exactly what they are talking about (“Is your fecundity a trammel or a treasure?”). No, Bad Religion never tried to dumb it down for their audience.

For 30 years, fans have flocked to their shows to sing along to these anthems of deep intellect, and the scene was no different on March 18th as Bad Religion celebrated their 30th anniversary to a sold out crowd at The House of Blues in Anaheim, California. This performance was one in a string of southern California and Nevada shows celebrating Bad Religion’s milestone; 30 years that have produced 14 studio albums, countless tours, and accolades from fans worldwide.

To the sound of a roaring crowd, the band took the stage. The current lineup includes Greg Graffin on vocals, Jay Bentley on bass guitar, Brett Gurewitz, Brian Baker, and Greg Hetson on guitar, and Brooks Wackerman on drums. They started out the show with “Do What You Want” from their 1988 album Suffer, and that lead into “Overture/Sinister Rouge” from 2004’s The Empire Strikes First. This was the overall theme for the evening — a little bit of the old and a little of the new (no Into The Unknown either. Into The Unknown was a 1983 album that was a total departure from Bad Religion’s punk roots. It was a progressive rock album and has been widely denounced by the band in several interviews). Song after song, they performed a variety of highlights from three decades of making music.

Graffin asked the crowd if this was their first time seeing Bad Religion; approximately 20 to 30 percent of the crowd cheered, definitely a surprising amount. This fact was supported by the large amount of applause and crowd participation during more current selections like “Los Angeles is Burning” and “New Dark Ages,” as well as the lack of crowd participation during older songs like “Best For You” and “Change of Ideas.”

They also played a new track from their upcoming untitled album called “Resist-Stance,” which was well received by the cheering audience. For me, the highlight of the evening occurred during the last seven songs of the regular set: it started with “I Want to Conquer The World,” which led into “We’re Only Gonna Die,” “No Control,” “21^st Century Digital Boy,” “Resist-Stance,” “You,” and, lastly, “Generator.” The crowd responded with terrific enthusiasm, and it seemed as though the band could feel that energy. For the encore, they played “Fuck Armageddon…This is Hell,” “Infected,” and “Sorrow.”

For having been at it for 30 years, Bad Religion still puts on a killer show with a grip of energy. It’s clear that the band feeds off the crowd, and there was no shortage of electricity in the air. Graffin might have packed on a few pounds over the years, and his voice might have dropped an octave or two since the ’80s, but he still can belt out some of the oldest songs in the Bad Religion repertoire — although I noticed that during the song “Germs of Perfection” (a relatively new song), Graffin had some lyric cheat sheets at his disposal taped to the stage. Having Brett Gurewitz there to add that critical third guitar part really captures the full Bad Religion sound (Gurewitz usually only plays with Bad Religion at southern California shows due to his obligations at Epitaph Records). Hetson’s energy level is amazing — not only because he’s going on 49 years old, but also because he can jump around like nothing while belting out some stellar solos and riffs. I’m convinced he’s one of the most underrated punk guitarist of all time. Bentley and Baker dominate the left side of the stage with their own focused intensity. Bentley continues to look like he loves playing for the crowd as he displays a smile on his face through a good majority of the show, all the while bopping and hopping around the stage. Brooks continues to kill the drums with his tight, smooth playing — each time I see Bad Religion perform I’m continually impressed with his amazing drum skills.

Musically, these guys might be considered “old,” but they still can hit the solos, the “oozin’ ahhhs,” and the overall tightness that makes Bad Religion such a memorable band to witness live. I have to admit, there were a few “fuck up moments” throughout the show; I noticed that Hetson biffed it on at least one guitar solo (I noticed he shrugged his shoulders as he ended his solo as if to say to himself, “Eh, that sucked…oh well”). The guitar solo during “Sorrow” by Gurewitz didn’t sound right at all, and they did screw up the beginning of “How Much is Enough,” resulting in a restart.

When all was said and done, Bad Religion performed a total of 30 songs that well-represented their 30-year history. They can still put on an awesome show while achieving a sound that remains consistently solid, year after year. One can only hope they will quit while they are ahead; I don’t think us punk rock fans want Bad Religion to become the joke the Rolling Stones have become. But this night’s show is proof that they are far from being worn out and washed up. Will we see a 50^th anniversary tour in 20 years? Time will tell on that one. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

THE SLACK – The Deep End

Back in 2008, The Dallas Morning News named The Slack as one of the “Next Big Names in Texas Music”. After listening to their sophomore release The Deep End, I would tend to agree. The four piece act from Dallas has a unique sound that touches a wide range of influences in a quirky way . Their music is generally upbeat with catchy lyrics as heard in tracks like “Truth and Fiction” and “The Deep End.” As I mentioned before, obvious influences can be heard throughout the album. The track “Follow On” has a definite Ben Folds Five feel. “Frostbite” has a sound reminiscent of something from Joe Jackson. The album features a wide range of musical styles as well. “The Talk” is the only instrumental cut on the album and features piano, acoustic guitar, flute, and drum. At one point the song takes a very Beatles-esque feel as the flute mimics the opening to “I Am The Walrus.” Overall, the album has a very carefree happy feel to it that makes you tap your toe in approval. Its catchy sound makes this album fun to listen to.

(Idol Records, PO Box 720043, Dallas, TX 75372)

THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD – Skepsis

What good are lyrics when you can’t understand them? Within the genre of metal and hardcore, it’s an all too common problem these days: musically talented groups releasing well-played music that’s fast and furious but spoiling the sound with gut-wrenching vocals that sound like utter crap. This is the case of Through the Eyes of the Dead’s new album, Skepsis. The 10 tracks featured are brutal and hard-hitting but the vocals provided by Danny Rodriguez are a bit too much.

According to their Myspace page, Skepsis is a concept album : “The story is a first-person view through the main character who has a strong, skeptical view on humanity and reality.” Look, if you are going to make a concept album revolving around lyrics, maybe it would be wise to present those lyrics to the listener in way that it is comprehensible. I hate nothing more than having to sit down and go line-by-line, reading the lyrics as I listen to an album. I did enjoy the double-bass drumming of Mike Rame, and the guitar breakdowns and synchronized riffs are impressive but I can’t get with this inaudible vocal nonsense. Then again, I know that many of you out there dig this kind of music, so don’t listen to me…if I was an angry 15 year old kid who hated the world, I might like this…but I’m not. I’m just saying…

(Prosthetic Records, 11664 National Blvd. #413, Los Angeles, CA 90064)

DIE AMONG HEROES – S/T

Die Among Heroes is out to prove that diversity is an appealing element in music. Remember those monster ballad ads on TV proclaiming that “every bad boy has a soft side?” It appears that the boys from Austin have taken that motto to task with this eight-track self-titled album. To be fair to the readers out there, don’t be fooled into believing this is an album full of ballads that would make Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity” sound hard as hell, because it’s not. A majority of the music here is relatively hard but very melodic in execution. Double-bass drums are met with catchy guitar riffs and breakdowns. The diversity comes in the form of Chase Hughes’ vocals. His ability to produce piercing screams is standard protocol for this kind of music, but when a hard-hitting and guitar driven song takes a sudden acoustic turn, those screams turn into melodic soft tones — proving that a hard rock/metal album doesn’t need to be on full blast from start to end.

The interesting mix of acoustic guitar and the very catchy hard rock sound makes this album extremely appealing to a wide range of musical fans. I normally don’t care for polished mainstream rock sounds, but this album is was quite enjoyable. With its blend of soft and hard, I think Die Among Heroes have a bright future ahead of them in the mainstream rock scene.

(Die Among Heroes, C/O Dustin Young, 8111 Wexford Dr., Austin, TX 78759)

THE REVELING – 3D Radio

Driving melodic punk rock is what The Reveling is all about. Hailing from Brooklyn, their sound is filled with a certain working class rawness that fittingly represents their hometown environment.

Within the four songs featured on this EP it’s clear we are hearing the works of a musically tight band. Sean Morris’s vocals sound, at times, a bit like Tim McIlrath from Rise Against. I also dug that Dennis Murphy’s bass riffs were brought out in front during the recording process, especially during the first track, “Breadline.” All too often the bass guitar is thrown in the background while the guitars take the spotlight. Plus it doesn’t hurt to have Max Weinberg’s son (Jay Weinberg) on drums, as his work on this EP is stellar.

Their brand of punk rock falls along the lines of a sound similar to The Loved Ones and Gaslight Anthem. If you are one for good all out rock with no gimmicks, you might want to give this a spin.

(self-released, no address provided)

KAREN PAGE – S/T

Karen Page’s music hits you like a schizophrenic grandparent: one second they are pinching your cheek and telling you how proud they are of you, and minutes later they’re swinging a broom with hate and disgust. A barrage of rapid-fire guitar licks, thunderous beats, and ferocious vocals are met with unusual tempo changes that throw the listener a musical curve ball.

“Out of the Woodwork” and “The Icebox” open this self-titled album with a super-fast tempo and gut-wrenching vocals, gearing the listener for 13 tracks of ear-bleeding hardcore tracks.

Or so I thought.

The third track, “Your Body is a Wasteland,” dumps the hardcore beat in favor for a catchy popped-up rock sound. Interestingly, the song ends on more of a hardcore note, proving that predicting what the rest of the album was going to sound like would be an impossible task. One of the highlights of the album has to be the eighth track, “Bag of Nerves,” a great laid back piece with intervals of musical insanity. Matt Tluchowski’s vocals on this track are truly impressive due to his ability to change his range and style in an instant.

Musically, these guys are on the top of their game. I’m not usually one for “Cookie Monster” vocals, but Tluchowski’s vocals are fitting and enjoyable. The guitar work is stellar and the drumming is on point. On the surface, Karen Page appears to be another young hardcore band in a sea of hardcore bands, but digging past the surface presents a much deeper sound and style. All too often, musicians can fall into predicable modes, but it’s clear that this album will keep listeners on their toes.

(Rotten Records, PO Box 56, Upland, CA 91785)

TOXIC HOLOCAUST – Hell On Earth

With the reissue of their sophomore release Hell on Earth, Toxic Holocaust returns with their brand of fast paced thrash metal. Like on their debut album, Joel Grind and his band of metal misfits jam out 10-plus tracks dealing with dark and morbid subjects like death, war and hell. Reflecting on their debut album Evil Never Dies, it appears the band took on some subtle changes within the confines of this album. There’s a noticeable difference between how a majority of the songs start. Some start with guitars exclusively or even a bass guitar riff at the beginning of “Time to Die,” giving the album a less repetitive feel. There’s also a noticeable attempt to incorporate more guitar solos, especially during the song “Time to Die.” While it’s clear the band is looking to progress musically, lyrically it still feels essentially cliché and overall unbearable. I definitely applaud their attempts to expand their musical boundaries but in the midst of doing so I feel they lost a lot of that raw energy that made Evil Never Dies so fun to listen to. The potential is there…it’s now just a matter of finding what really works.

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)

TOXIC HOLOCAUST – Evil Never Dies

I must make a confession. As I do with most albums I review, I listen to them while doing various things around the house. Maybe do a little cleaning, wash some dishes, or partake in some online poker. I noticed that while taking in the sounds of Evil Never Dies, I would stop what I was doing and sporadically bang my head, play some mean metal air guitar, and throw up the horns in a fit of rage.

This is the beauty Toxic Holocaust’s audio assault of super-fast beats and blistering guitars. Originally released back in 2003, this reissue pays homage to the thrash metal of yesteryear. The speed doesn’t stop through the 12 featured tracks, making it a pretty much nonstop head-banging experience. Unfortunately, not everything here comes up stellar. While the tracks are fast and well played, they all seem to have a repetitive beat and vocal structure. This makes the tracks pretty much run all together, leaving the listener wondering, “Didn’t I just hear this song?” Joel Grind’s vocals are subpar to say the least. Understanding a majority of the lyrics is nearly impossible as he mumbles throughout the effort. I also felt the subject matter for the songs were a bit too cliché of thrash legends like Megadeth and Slayer. Can we get a little deeper than war and death? I understand what they were attempting to do (pay homage while trying to have their own sound) but it felt more of a rip off than an inspiration. What beauty lies in this album lies in its unrelenting attempt to blow the listener away with ripping guitars backed by a lightning-fast beat. It’s not a masterpiece, but it does its job.

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)

V/A – Take Action Volume 9

In 1999, Hopeless/Sub City Records released the first Take Action compilation with a slew of quality musicians lending their support to the cause. Bands like Alkaline Trio, Hot Water Music, TSOL, and Link 80 dominated the 28-track lineup. It was good music for a good cause (to date, $450,000 has been raised for several charities through the sale of these Take Action albums).

A lot has changed over the course of the nine editions of the Take Action series. Musically, the focus has shifted from punk rock to what I can only describe as “whiny, bitchy emo crap.” Looking at all nine compilations, the level of quality has exponentially taken a turn for the worse year after year — or maybe I’m just not down with hearing about teen angst issues at 28 years old. Nonetheless, this double-disc compilation features bands like We The Kings, The Swellers, Cobra Starship, and Taking Back Sunday.

The first disc contains mostly acoustic cuts that pretty much all sound the same. But not all the tracks on the first disc are acoustic: “Fool Everyone” by A Rocket To The Moon is a dance club track which really doesn’t fit on this album. Some of the other non-acoustic tracks represent the over-produced super poppy sounds that dominate what used to be the “independent” music scene. One of the only bright spots on the first disc would have to be Frank Turner’s acoustic track “Rock and Roll Romance,” for the fact it sounded completely different than the other music featured.

Having to listen to the first half of this album was utter torture to the ears. Like being strapped down in a chair and having Paramore and Fall Out Boy blasting away at your eardrums. Drained and weary, I popped in the second disc. Disc two is dominated by “remixes” that remind me why I stay out of dance clubs. Eight tracks into the second disc you will find “Indonesia” by August Burns Red, a hardcore track that wakes me up a bit with its double-bass drumbeat and ear-gouging vocals. “xxBurritoxx” by Eatmewhileimhot follows next with another hardcore track, but unfortunately the album ends with more men singing like girls.

My advice to those who like this new indie sound is if you see some bands on here you like, chances are you will discover more by picking this up and giving it a spin. It’s not my cup of tea, but I dig those who give to those in need, so make the seven-buck purchase and make a change.

(Sub City Records, PO Box 7495, Van Nuys, CA 91409)

PANTHA DU PRINCE – Black Noise

It’s a never ending battle. The battle between nature and technology. The void between mechanical and manual…digital versus analog. In an attempt to try to find a common ground, Hendrik Weber, a.k.a. Pantha du Prince, has released Black Noise. The Berlin- and Paris-based musician, producer, and visual artist has released this collection of 10 tracks that intermix a collage of ambient found sounds with a dominate Euro house beat. All 10 tracks are built around this simple instrumental equation, minus “Stick to my Side,” which features guest vocals by Noah Lennox of Animal Collective. The album provides great background music and that’s about it; that is unless you are a fan of the genre or you live in a rave. Fans of ambient house should check out this release.

(Rough Trade Records, 66 Golborne Road, London, W10 5PS UK)

STYGIAN – Fury Rising

Fury Rising is the second full-length album from these hard rockers from Philadelphia. Playing off a sound that can only be described as a mix of James Hetfield-inspired vocals with Disturbed-like guitar breakdowns, Fury Rising’s 10 tracks play it safe for the most part. The album is well produced and the music is well played, but it lacks heart. Sometimes when an album is over-produced, it loses that rawness that draws the listener in.

As mentioned, Frank Leary’s vocals attempt to mimic Metallica’s James Hetfield, especially noticeable in the slowed down acoustic song “My Regret.” Stygian seems to pull inspiration from all over the rock spectrum. “Last Redemption” and “The Fear” come across with an Alice in Chains sound. One of the bright spots with this album is Patrick Hayden’s guitar work, as he’s featured throughout the album on several solos. The guy can seriously shred! While there’s nothing terrible with Fury Rising, there’s nothing really special here, minus Hayden’s solos. It feels like nothing is original or unique to Stygian’s sound. As I said, musically and lyrically they play it safe. Nothing I can’t find on any ClearChannel radio station.

(Mortal Music Group, PO Box 661, Lake Zurich, IL 60047)

FUCKED UP – Couple Tracks

It could be said that 2008 was a turbulent year for the high-energy act from Toronto, Ontario. Releasing the highly successful album The Chemistry of Common Life and appearing on Canadian MTV — only to have their fans (and even members of the band) all but destroy the studio — Fucked Up now look to the future by taking a look at the past with their newest release, Couple Tracks. This two-disc collection of singles stretching from 2002 to 2009 captures the real essence of this band’s sound and intensity.

Fans of the group will rejoice to the tune of this release. No need to hunt eBay for limited seven- and twelve-inches; it’s all here! Besides the released singles, there are several unreleased gems and demos to thrill the true hardcore fans.  Those new to the punk-driven sound of Father Damian and crew should dig their signature mix of hardcore vocals and catchy pop-punked guitar riffs. Interestingly, Fucked Up are regarded in most circles as a “hardcore” act, but I hear much more than just loud hardcore sounds. If anything, many of their songs have a Ramones-esque sound with a hardcore twist. Nonetheless, those who like their music rowdy and rockin’ will find this collection stimulating.

(Matador Records, 304 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10013)

CALE PARKS – To Swift Mars

Intertwining melodic harmonies with a retro electronic new wave sound, Cale Park’s newest EP combines a wide range of musical influences throughout it’s six tracks.

Each track offers a unique feel and sound that keeps the listener’s attention. “Eyes Won’t Shut” starts off the effort with something reminiscent of a Philip Glass-looped synthesized piece. By the chorus, its sound takes an electronic Depeche Mode turn. “Running Family” is a drum-driven piece accompanied by more synth. Halfway during the track I take in a synthesized sound symbolic of German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream making it a definite highlight.

Park’s vocals are fittingly mellow and often manipulated with echo effects and mild distortion. There’s even a little touch of Bob Dylan in the harmony of the beat during “Knight Conversation.” “Crystal Air” is perhaps the most analog piece of music on this EP, with its driving drum and piano. The track likely to be pushed as the single would be the feel good party sound of “One at a Time.” The vocal distortion along with the funky bass line and beat are very similar to that of a Daft Punk sound.

Cale Parks might be one person making his music but he draws influences from all walks of musical life. Trying to label a sound like this is tough. One thing is for sure: it’s an interesting musical journey.

(Polyvinyl Record Co., PO Box 7140, Champaign, IL 61826-7140)