Origin: Louisville, Kentucky
Style: Noise Rock

Purchase this album at Indie Rocket

Louisville, Kentucky, does not seem a likely city for a band like this to properly exist. You have to drive about 300 miles north to the city of Chicago and engulf yourself with the musical verbage of the Jesus Lizard or Rapeman via 1990 for the concept of the Young Widows to make sense . For Chicagoans, the obliteration of post-punk into a secular chant of jangling guitar noise incorporated with accentuated pounding bass and drum accompaniment gave the windy city a sense of identity.

But then again, 2006 does not seem like a good time for a band like this to exist. Or maybe it was the perfect time for this music to stand out. With indie rock all over the place and bands looking deep into the heart of rock and roll for expression, Young Widows do as best as any to bastardize the style and send it all crashing back down.

Where Big Black created, Young Widows progressed.

Originally the vocalist for the Louisville hardcore act Breather Resist, Steve Sindoni, left the other three members standing around while he went and formed the Jade Tree act Pusher. Wondering what they were going to do with a vocal-less band, it was a decision to continue on the path of Breather Resist and develop a sophomore album sans Sindoni. As they were developing the songs, something happened, their sound was no longer the belligerent hardcore the band had initially created. So instead of keeping the same name to coexist with the new style, they took on an entirely new persona. The change was drastic. Sure there are hints from their hardcore past as in “Glad He Ate Her,” but to even compare this with what Breather Resist did is insane. It’s a monumental shift in sound and style that one could argue sounds a little too close to what The Jesus Lizard did in the past (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=167788) or (http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/8027).

With more of a bass and drum accompaniment, the low end is muddy and the notes are distorted down beyond coherence. And the guitars on this album are like shrapnel. With Breather Resist, their was a distinct direction, with Young Widows the only direction this band gives is the driving force of the rhythms that pound into your skull like ramming your head into the corner of a door frame and pulling the splinters out.

Whatever happened between the gritty hardcore days to the sloppy and oddball time configurations, it’s a choice that was well made and a direction that could be developed well beyond what Breather Resist could do, even if the Young Widows sound too much like they sit around the shrine of David Yow.

If you are or were not dedicated to that unruly sound of late ‘80s/early ‘90s Chicago, you probably won’t find this album as appealing to those who are. Taken as a whole, Settle Down City is an opus of austere angularity, individually, and the songs are hardly distinct to pick out of a lineup with the common ear.

Features ex-members of Breather Resist

Cross-Reference: Big Black, The Jesus Lizard, Rapeman

Link: http://www.freelancewhales.com/

Wake up! Time to get up! You feel the sun beam in your face? The dew being shaken off the blades of grass? The animals stirring about? As refreshing as that first cup of coffee and as strange as if they turned “Farmville” into a musical (let’s not get any ideas people), “Generator First Floor” is slightly bluegrass while being predominately thick-rimmed children’s literate.

And that’s not a bad thing given how incredibly well-versed these songs are. However, when you get to a song like “Hannah,” you are not sure if you mixed up your Death Cab For Cutie CD with Weathervanes or if you accidentally popped in that latest Owl City song when listening to “Starring,” just substitute fireflies for butterflies.

“Broken Horse” is one of the better campfire tales where words whisp around applewood smoke and crickets cheer to the ghostly haunts deep in the forest. The whispering vocals only substantiates the delicacy of the night. It’s when everyone joins in where you feel the strength in this band.

Despite my love for the band’s songwriting, most of this album would work best as an instrumentals, which is where their forte lies. The banjo, the acoustic guitar with its notes dancing with a xylophone to create a tapestry of illustrious soundscapes and overlays the subtle rhythmic pulses and barely make a sound at times. It works to mystical effects in an animated context, but often cannot stand entirely on its own.

Minimal at times, it goes to show that the vocals are used to fill in the spaces and keep the silence from being too loud. It’s unfortunate that theory does not always work to their advantage with only a few songs that really stand out. It’s a band that, even though on their way, need to continue finding their sense of identity and not be afraid to dive deeper into experimentation.

Link: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/artists/index.php?id=278

For the past 10 years, Aloha has been following me around like a stalker. That’s Your Fire sits nestled within the rest of my vinyl collection. Sugar is etched in my head as having the most amazing live photo taken in the history of rock photography. Here Comes Everyone and Some Echoes showed us a maturing band who did not want to be confined to their own stereotypes. All of this floats around my life without me being acutely aware just how important this band is. But they are just that, a great band and Home Acres will make you realize just how great.

It still feels like a few years ago when I purchased their first record, not knowing who the hell they were, but bringing it home to immediately listen intently from front to back. Aloha has a sound that is so immediately familiar but uniquely talented.

It’s hard to imagine a decade has gone by and three years since Light Works was released (although I still consider Some Echoes to be the last full album they recorded due to the brevity of Light Works, making it four years).

And Home Acres shows us that the band feels like they are just getting started. The band has spent years working on a transformation from experimental indie rock transcedentalism to constructive pop purveyors.

And with Home Acres, they never felt more comfortable in their own shoes, focusing on movement while never sacrificing momentum. Strike the album as the essential springtime listening pleasure. “We want what everyone wants, good days and sunshine,”

While the band is spending time maintaining their chops, we are spending time enjoying their open-eyed revelations on life and wide-armed sound stretched as far as we can feel. As for “Moonless March,” just when you reach a level of high with their beautiful pop overture, in comes the power and you then reach an even higher high. Speaking of beautiful “Microviolence” is as catchy as any Del-Fi release while being absolutely sincere in their version of pop music in the angular sense Aloha has maintained.

And as much as we celebrate we can feel an underlying presence of realization as songs like “White Wind” reminds us that while pop music can be a big party, there is a melancholic reality that cannot be ignored. The band longs over it, we sigh in return.

While many of the bands like this has come and gone (June of 44, Promise Ring, Ui), Aloha has survived as the spirit that lies in Home Acres justly rules.

It is a time for the band to understand and realize not only their limitations, but also their potential and what made them an incredible independent band since the beginning.

Photo by Victoria Jacobs.

Bear Hands
We Were Promised Jetpacks
March 14, 2010
Radio Radio, Fountain Square, Indianapolis

Link: Bear Hands: http://www.bearhandsband.com/

All it took was an EP to make Bear Hands seem golden because that EP (titled Golden) gave them several years worth of indie cred, that is until recently. If you thought that EP was chock full of rock goodness, then you just wait, 2010 is the year of the bear.

With a tour, a pit stop at Radio Radio in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 14, with We Were Promised Jetpacks, and a full length album currently being finished up and due out later this year, this is a Bear Hands unlike you have seen or heard before.

“There are lots of programmed drums and sampling on this upcoming album,” said vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Dylan Rau. “We also have a lot of keyboards and me singing in falsetto.”

This is a bold step for the band who initiated their career with a more in-your-face, organic rock approach. This was a result of recorded the Golden EP live to recording. It gave the band an instantaneous view of the studio and Rau a gruffier rock face.

“There were a couple songs on the newer album that were slower numbers,” he said. “It did not require my singing and shouting so we shaped it up and the falsetto naturally took form.”

And if you ask Rau which he likes better, the instantaneous, raw approach or the layered, polished approach, he will favor more time in the studio.

“I prefer the overdubs. I actually want to spend even more time in the studio and will probably be able to do that with the next record that we make.”

And it’s the mechanical feel that sets this yet-to-be titled album apart. While some of the songs were written and worked up in the studio, others Rau wrote years ago. To see them come to life after all this time was an amazing feeling for the songwriter.

People who get a chance to see Bear Hands live will get the opportunity to hear their new material as well as some familiar ones.

“For the tour, we had to incorporate the use of a computer into our lifestyle, but we are getting the bugs ironed out and it seems to flow will with the live show.”

But the band is up for the challenge and is working to be the best band they can possibly be while pushing themselves into new terrain. Who knows what the future will bring them.

Link: http://www.editorsofficial.com/

Editors came out of left field in the U.S. with a sound as cliche to any goth as wearing shear, see-thru black shirts and blacker latex boots. But it’s a band — now on their third album and probably way too familiar to the UK audiences — that is really good at what they do. And I mean, really good. So what if you can chalk it up to them sounding like they are the biggest Joy Division fans on this planet.

I’m sure the second thought that comes out of your mind after perusing In The Light And On This Evening is that Interpol already did this. True, but as cliche as this album sounds, beyond the brooding and the “End of the world” philosophy, the album is done so tastefully well that you cannot help but get trapped in their musical web.

Surrendering to the New New Romantic, “Papillon” is the 21st Century “I Ran” while “Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool” takes the charismatic philosophy of Bauhaus-style songwriting and puts it under a Cabaret Voltaire canopy. As hard as you try not to, you will run these songs in the ground.

But that’s where this album should stay, underground with its bold electronics and darkly lit prose, haunting persona, and wicked danceable beats, even when they decide to take a minimal synth approach (the song “Human,” for example).

As instantaneous as all of this is, and as much as you want to scream and point “Bowie suckup!” I would be the first to admit that any of these songs could have easily gone on any of my ‘80s mix tapes without a blink of an eye.

And for that, I’m proud to enjoy this album like I would a guilty pleasure.

Links: http://www.myspace.com/ortolansong

When you listen to Stephanie Cottingham’s striking voice, you get the sense of something distinct and involved within the paradigm of her own vocal prowess. But as you explore Time On A String, you listen to the expressionistic songs, and you cannot help but get a feeling that the journey is more the story than the output.

Stack Cottingham next to Lucinda Chua of Felix and you have some striking similarities in its context (which go no farther than the two’s unique vocal vision). And that’s a good thing. Conttingham’s way to spin a tale and express fascination is exquisite. Balance that between indie pop constructions and ‘50s/’60s girl pop memoirs and you have the same fascination that drew up to bands like The Ronettes. And the powerful pop metaphorisms this band churns out is what sets the band apart.

The only downfall to Time On A String, and a significant one in my book, is the limitation the group has to create a diversified sense between songs. Spinning the album over and over, you get lost in the presence of the album as tempos remain stagnant and style does not meander much beyond what they are proven good at.

And that journey? It begins with a love affair for a slightly static radio station spinning out Oldies music and then moves to a church coffeehouse where Cottingham was found performing and learning her craft.

Depsite its linear stance, this is an album for dreamers, for those with a social vision beyond the realities of the world, as well as exploring the true essence of life. This is where Cottingham shines best and puts the sparkle in this album’s life. Some songs you cannot help but smile big, while others fall in line behind the ones that stand out.

Link: http://www.aurora-b.com/band_pages/ABX038.php

Climb up in the attic and dig around for a while. I’m sure there is that VHS player stashed somewhere in the back. Got it? Good. Now go get you a dirty copy of Faces Of Death and make sure the slow motion option is on when you watch it.

That is what it feels like when listening to The Hunt. At first you get this cinematic ambient brooding going on. But when you least expect it, a death metal onslaught clocks you upside the head and doesn’t stop beating you in the face for what feels like hours. It’s sheer horror to bear, but let’s attribute that horror more towards the car accident syndrome when driving by, you just cannot seem to look away.

The Hunt is this combination of death doom and gloom covered by spurts of ambient electronic soundscapes that sometimes prowl around your eardrums while other times taunting you to see how long it will take for you to crack.

It’s like Type O Negative covered Burzum but would much rather listen to something like Labradford. Quite confusing, but that’s the essential reason that makes you want to listen to Fauna. After a few listens, I still don’t know what lurks around the corner.

Open the door that leads into the dark depths of the unknown and expect some strobe lights to beat you down along the way. They didn’t say it was easy, but nor did bands like Whitehouse or Zoviet France.

Recently releasing their debut EP The Beating Of The Wings, their conglomeration of deeply-rooted synth and rock decadence and romantic feelings of intrigue dig in to make up an album of five swaying hip shakers.

Solidifying their dreams., this is proof of a band who believes in themselves to make the music that they want to make while joining together and uniting in a movement that is keeping the city that never sleeps wide-eyed.

Featuring vocalist and pianist Johnny Quinlan, guitarist Robert Tahija, Frank Deserto on bass, synth and theremin, and drummer Barrett Hiatt, this is Revel Hotel.

Link: http://revelhotel.net/

Coming from different aspects of the New York City scene, tell me where you came from, how you all met, and what caused the formation of Revel Hotel? What were you looking for as a band?

Frank: The idea for this band essentially stemmed from our singer, Johnny.  As an accomplished singer/songwriter/solo performer, he decided it was best to gather a few like minded individuals to give some songs an extra boost.  At the time, I was still moonlighting in the Funeral Crashers, a NYC deathrock band who split soon after RH’s first show.  Johnny sort of collected us, if you will, but I’ll let him expand on that.

Johnny: Revel Hotel essentially began before it even started-I was a solo artist unsatisfied with the singular dimensions of my music-not to say I don’t love solo piano and voice-however I knew that I wanted to gather a power team and bring back the deeper and more intense energy that only a band can provide. I was also looking for the camaraderie that comes with playing in a group. I knew Frankie from the Funeral Crashers and one night I was at a show and he blew me away with his passion and raw balls-to-the-walls playing so after the gig I approached him.  I had met Barrett through friends and really liked his style so I asked him if he wanted to check out a new project I was putting together. We then played our first gig within 2 weeks at the weekly Wierd party.  We were called Alter Boys, but not for long. Revel Hotel was then born along with the much anticipated arrival of super-talent, guitarist Robert Tahija who I met at his place of work and later over a few beers- he was in.

Barrett: I can tell you that I personally wasn’t even looking to be in a band at the time. I had only been on hiatus from my previous band for less than a year, and to be honest was enjoying the time off. I was working on my remixes under my Halo33 moniker and expanding my skills at making music with the computer. I found that once I started playing with Frank and Johnny, that it was a very natural fit and was too good to pass on. I did not realize how much I missed being on a stage till I found myself sharing one with these guys.

Robert: After fronting numerous bands and years of solo work slumped and tangled in headphones, I realized I missed the collaborative dynamic of being in a band. Johnny and his mischievous ways lulled me into rehearsal and upon meeting Barrett and Frankie it became apparent that their particular chemistry would be right for me.

With music today, and especially the synth/electronic scene, there are many bands out there with clear-cut finger pointing to their influences and style. Yet when I listen to your music, I have a hard time pointing fingers. I get subtle nudges to various bands and styles but nothing concrete making the sound feel unique in a good way. What are your thoughts on that and how do you feel about your compositions?

Frank: My tastes in music run rather deep.  Though I tend to steer more towards the darkwave scene of the 1980s (consisting, of course, of the notorious post-punk and new wave bands as well as more obscure minimal synth and coldwave artists), I tend to also enjoy dusty choral music, 1940’s torch singers, and the melancholy, yet catchy edge of the sixties girl group greats.  Throw in a little knack for noise and experimentation, and that’s where I’m coming from as a musician.  I try to take all of the above influences and meld them into something more palatable, which is a rather refreshing challenge.  If anything, I’m pleased to be in a band where any style is fair game. 
 
As a collective, we’re all pulling from a vast array of influences, and each song we write tends to sound completely different than the last, unified primarily by Johnny’s vocals.

Johnny: I am very proud of two things about us; one being that we are quite unique in a market overrun with copycats of one another, and two, that we as a group have different musical pasts and influences, yet we all are unified in our likes and dislikes. That being said,  I believe we are a new genre band-one that really is trying to write and perform truly original music without losing sight of our sound, subtly evolving as we go.  My taste runs the gamut from classical to 20-30’s jazz, psychedelic surf punk, classic metal and 60’s-70’s rock and early goth/synth 80’s punk and new wave. All in all, I tend to favor older music but at the end of the day I appreciate great music, regardless the genre. Too many to list!

Barrett: Agreed. We all have such a diverse appreciation for all kinds of music, that its only natural for our influences to seep into the music we make. I listen to everything from metal and industrial, to new wave and alternative, to classical and hip-hop. I’ll throw in a few good Country songs just for the hell of it. There really isn’t anything musically that I would be opposed to at least trying out in this band. No limits here. 

Robert: Yeah, I like music and our compositions.

Much like a lead vocal, the piano interestingly takes dominance in most of your songs. Why did you decide to bring that to the forefront of the 
band? How do you treat the other instruments in respect to that?

Frank: This essentially dates back to the roots of the project.  Johnny’s songs were primarily written for piano and vocals, and our earliest compositions were already finished upon joining, leaving the piano as the centerpiece of the track.  The material we’ve been writing as a full-fledged four piece has moved in a different direction.  There’s still piano at times, but there’s more of a collective thought process and an array of instrumentation involved.

Johnny: Being that piano and synth are–beside my vocals—my main tool for writing, the first songs are piano-dominated.  However, we are evolving with less emphasis on the piano and more on guitar and synth. I have always loved the hauntingly beautiful piano when used in a dark glam sensibility, and I think we own that. I have been exploring dynamics and spatial intent within the songs and I am liking where that is taking us. Also I am freeing myself up to front the band and connect even more onstage.

Robert: Being last in the band didn’t leave me much choice. I try to squeeze a note in where I can. But seriously, I adore Johnny’s compositions and both Frankie and Barrett’s contributions. I really enjoy adding to the mix.

Tell me about the new EP, from the creation to the output, what did you encounter?

Frank: There are five songs on the EP, entitled The Beating of the Wings. Four of the five are among our earliest numbers, written by Johnny originally and fleshed out into a full band arrangement just after Robert’s arrival and the recording process.  The fifth, “1,000 Dreams,” stems from a simple keyboard melody I created while jamming.  Everyone else jumped in immediately, and the song was basically finished in one practice session.  We were due in the studio soon after, and we were so pleased with that track, we couldn’t pass it up. We have several other songs, many written as a full band, but they’ll have to wait until the next release. 
 
As for the process, the EP was recorded in pieces, over a long, laborious stretch of time, starting in February/March of ’09.

Johnny: This EP, our first of many albums to come we hope, has been quite labor intensive but has shaped us as a band and as friends along the way. Something interesting happened as we began, and I believe we learned who we really were musically. The Beating of the Wings, in a sense is our calling card and we have so much more to offer in the near future. Personally, I am very proud of this album and I think it is deeply profound and speaks volumes about our intentions. I really hope people love it as we do.

Barrett: We really had no issues deciding which songs would be on the EP. We ran through a few different track orders, but generally speaking we agreed on most things pretty easily. I took upon the task of creating the artwork, which proved to be a little more difficult as the four of us have different artistic aesthetics, but took the time to create something we are all happy with. I generally like cover art to be abstract, or at least make you think a little bit. I doubt you will ever find a Revel Hotel release with just a picture of us on the front. Art is very important to this band but the music should speak louder than the image.

Robert: After we finalized our parts, we recorded at my studio in Brooklyn and brought in my old friend and technical wiz, Kelley Kelley, to help steer the ship. It  proved to be overwhelming at times with four artistically focused individuals and an expansive array of concepts but we’re all proud of the end result.

Do you feel like this is the album you always wanted to make? Is so, what led to that feeling of accomplishment and what was your focus. If not, then tell me what the band hopes to achieve.  Where does this release put you in respects to the future of the band, and how do you foresee that?

Frank: Despite the process, I’m rather pleased with the EP as it stands.  The idea was to cut these five songs, and cut them properly, with no plans to go back and re-record them in the future.  It certainly took a lot longer than we’d have liked, but patience prevails.

Johnny: I believe this is the album we DID want to make-pitfalls, successes and all. As a fairly new group, I think we all had a sense of what we wanted the album to feel like, and the sound kept building as we went, four minds pushing forth. Some of theses songs I had recorded as demos so I had a vision but within the structure there was room for so much more that occurred, like ambience and special surprises you never see coming until they hit you over the head!

Barrett: I am more proud of this EP than anything I have made in any previous endeavor. This is music that I enjoy listening to. I believe it’s timeless. The process may have been a little unorthodox, but the output was well worth it.  I am eager to begin work on new material. Considering what our EP turned out to be, I expect nothing less than epic for our first full length.

Robert: All of the above.

One very pleasing aspect about your music is the live show, its passion and its versatility. Tell me about the live show and things that you have 
done to enhance and liven up your music?

Frank: Naturally, the live show is a little less polished, a little more raw and intense, and that’s how I’d prefer it to be.  So many bands use laptops to perfectly recreate their studio record, and I don’t care much for that.  A record and a live show should be two distinct experiences, as far as I’m concerned.

Johnny: Playing live is one of my guilty and favorite pleasures. We are not at all just a studio band and like Frank said-we don’t try to sound exactly like our record. We bring something new, heavier and more visual to the stage, and we have plans to up that ante in a big way. Fans are everything, especially these days and we give them our all. What I feel we have improved upon is the emotion of the shows. We take people on a journey with the sets, and I love to see cheering and sometimes tears!

Barrett: I prefer a live show to sound different. Why would you want to attend a show and hear songs exactly as played on a record? Live shows are supposed to be about the moment. Living in that moment. It is where you just let the music breathe and use instinct when playing. No overdubs, no retakes. I would say live we are a little more stripped down but much more aggressive. As Frank said. Two distinct experiences. The way it should be.

Robert: Turn up the guitar. Ha!

There seems to be a burgeoning scene blooming in Brooklyn with Wierd at the vortex of that. Having involvement in that scene, how does Revel Hotel fit into that conglomerate because even in the array of artists involved, Revel Hotel’s music feels like the outsiders: nonconformists in a nonconformist environment. Is that the case? How do you see yourself in this?

Frank: Pieter Schoolwerth, who runs Wierd, has always been most supportive of the band, even though we don’t necessarily fit the mold of the label’s mission statement.  We’ve played the weekly party three times over, generally reinventing ourselves with each performance.  While I’m heavily involved and invested in Wierd’s dogma and very much interested in the sounds the label is cultivating on a personal basis, Revel Hotel probably oscillates a bit too much to settle into one particular groove, for better or for worse.

However, that’s not to say we’re without peers, or several artists we find kinship with.  Some names that come to mind: Weep, Automelodi, White Light Lametta, and Cruel Back Dove.  We’ve collaborated with Shirley, the bassist of Cruel Black Dove, who lent vocals to a few live and radio performances.

Johnny: What can I say-we love WIERD and WIERD loves us! Though we are not a prototypical darkwave synth based act, we resonate with those fans and we all love that music as well. Pieter has been very supportive of us and we appreciate the scene that is Wierd. Beyond that, I do believe Brooklyn is the place to watch in this country, and we hope to represent greatly, as many others have.

Barrett: We all love Wierd, that it without question. It brings together great people and great music that you wouldn’t hear elsewhere. But our music doesn’t fit into a textbook genre or even in the confines of Wierd. But that is EXACTLY what makes us fit. It’s not what you expect. It’s something different. It’s the community of music that we subscribe to.

Beyond the music is the lyricism, which it feels that the band pays close attention to. Somewhat reflective while being part Surrealist, and 
being a little Activist at the same time, I get the feeling like I do when reading someone like Philippe Soupault. Can you comment about the writing 
style, what it was you were looking for within the songs and what you are trying to capture?

Johnny: Well thank you for the comparison and compliment–Phillipe Soupault is a breathtaking poet and author. Without delving into all the lyrics from each song on the EP, I feel that the lyrical content comes from non-fictional experiences as well as a vivid, over-active imagination cultivated over my very interesting life. I appreciate poetry, sentiment and mindfulness and try to tell a story not so purposefully subversive but hauntingly beautiful and filled with lush images. That’s not to say I am not political, but I do deliver a message, for certain. Sometimes the words come before the music, sometimes during or after—I have no rules , I just try and remain open to what comes.

In what ways has urbanization affected this band? Is it important to the existence this band has even beyond the practicality a city like New 
York has? How do you see the trends of the city shaping you?

Frank: In the past, I’ve found New York City to be a pretty thankless place to be in a band, as the sheer amount of oversaturation does not lend well to a band’s success.  Far too many of our friends and peers have folded under the intense pressure of a New York lifestyle.  However, over the past year and change, I’ve noticed a bit more camaraderie among bands, something scarcely missing given NYC’s cutthroat nature.  
 
Otherwise, nothing bothers me more than a piecemeal bill, where none of the bands know each other or sound a thing alike.  My personal mission with Revel Hotel has been to play with bands with similar sounds, ethics, or even with familiar faces.  With a recession at hand, it’s certainly a drag to drop $10 on one act, only to be driven away by the band that follows.  I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to put together a bill that makes sense, and I’ve been striving to do that with every gig we play.  For the most part, this has been rather successful.

Johnny: I agree with Frankie on this-too many cooks in a humongous kitchen! However, basing ourselves in Brooklyn and giving ourselves a strong identity has helped. Success shouldn’t be just for rich kids in bands who can afford the best PR,  the best of everything really. Unfortunately, that has happened and is so evident in the NY scene which is why there is not much community or support for good bands who struggle to pay for all it takes to be out there with a serious presence. We have had to make many sacrifices, but we do what we have to and know it will pay off to be strong musicians. If anything, today’s trends have pissed us off and made us work harder and put even more effort in!

Barrett: Frank brings up a great point. The community is a big deal. Its how a movement gets started. We have seen this again and again throughout music history. The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Nirvana. It only takes one band to break down a barrier and there will always be a small army behind them. Whether we are the band to break through or one of the satellites that happens to be in the right vicinity at the right time, the important thing is to get the music heard. That is our primary goal.

Robert: I only drink where my friends work.

Much of your shows revolve in and around New York City. Any plans on reaching out beyond the East Coast? What plans do you have here on out?

Frank: Here’s hoping.  We don’t have any concrete plans to tour just yet, but anything’s possible.

Johnny: We had to get the ball rolling before we could reach out further but now…Hell Yeah! I feel that we are ready to hit some other cities here in the US and abroad. I hope to do the European outdoor festival circuit soon-there is nothing like playing for a crowd outside! Onwards and Upwards we go!!!

Barrett: Anyone wanna put us up in Europe?

Robert: I’d like to visit my aunt in LA.

Link: http://www.sotones.co.uk/order.php?release_id=54

Jackie Paper (not the character from Puff The Magic Dragon or the urban slang term for the paper used to roll marijuana, but the folk singer from Southampton) has teamed up with Lonely Joe Parker to create this split EP.

Jackie Paper is up first with his toy piano and an acoustic guitar. “All The Wine” rolls down the hill with all the ingredients for a great fairy tale and a wonderful folk song. It could be the banjo that makes this song float like a Bad Religion song set to the tone of Blind Pilot streaming from the Ozarks.

Okay, that’s just one song out of the six. Paper beams with confidence for his half of the bargain. Both Paper and Parker collaborate for “Down Among The Dead Men” which sounds like something you would find inside The Haunted Mansion ride only if there was a dirty pub for the ghosts to revel in.

Parker puts on a Billy Bragg snear with the poetic tinge of a mellow Franz Ferdinand song. More of a realist than an urban romantic, Parker’s views of the street is at face value. Dirt is just dirt, but can you blame him as these songs were written while being stranded in the U.S. after all of his possessions were stolen. It may be a stale impression, but Parker presents a degree of charm to the rust that covers his tales of woe.

Both musicians compliment each other in a way that, only through this EP, they can solely do it together.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Desert_Sessions

Remember that part in the movie Vanishing Point where Kowalski (Barry Newman) is in the desert, and he stumbles upon a hippy commune with desert hippies playing music and religiously performing some crazy free-form dance? It felt like an existential mirage generated from the heat of the desert.

If you substitute ‘60s psychedelia with a roving dust storm of gypsy revivalism, then you get the gist of the first song “Don’t Drink Poison” from Desert Sessions.

I always thought that scene in Vanishing Point was a weakness of the movie, as is Volumes 7 and 8 of this collective.

Despite the first number, a watered down original version of “Hanging Tree” that later was re-recorded for Queens Of The Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf, and “Poly Wants A Crack Rock” — being the finest examples in the stoner rock style — this compilation keeps a low profile that doesn’t really do its part to push the envelope like it should.

The Desert Sessions collective has always included the best in alternative performers and these two volumes are no different. Mark Lanegan, Alain Johannes, Joshua Homme and others make up Volumes 7 (Gypsy Marches) and 8 (Can You See Under My Thumb? There You Are).

Trailing towards the end of the collection (the final imprint on this collective was Volumes 9 and 10), and serving as an historical document for Queens of the Stone Age,   unless you are a deep fan of Screaming Trees or a Queens junkie looking for earlier versions of a few songs that make the lifeblood of the band, then you are not going to really want to bother with the rest. Sure Johannes’ Eleven imprint is embedded in here somewhere, but you will have this picked over if you keep that philosophy.