Link: MySpace Page

A band name like Loincloth accompanied by an album title such as Iron Balls of Steel, garners medieval images of gristly bearded wild men raping and pillaging to the ire of society. Ironically enough, that may be the inspiration of creation for the band itself. Formerly of Breadwinner (major influence of Lamb of God and others), guitarist Pen Rolling envisioned the band Loincloth with like-minded Southern metal heads who surveyed over their beloved genre and didn’t like what they saw. Growling vocals and extravagant leads were overshadowing the core of their music; The Riff. Loincloth has plenty of those to go around with Iron Balls of Steel.

The energy level is intense on opening track “Underwear Bomb” and never tapers down as the album bulldozes through each track. The production is nearly flawless as each instrument is represented nicely. The mix elaborates the conceptual percussion as the highlight but the treble of guitar and deep bass fuzz illuminates the barren framework. Imagine the sonic complexity of Mastodon and the riff-algebra of Meshuggah, minus vocals of course. Somewhere snuggled between those two pieces of bread, you get the slabs of meat that is Loincloth.

Each track never has a runtime longer than two minutes, as if being self-conscious that each jam would soon become redundant. Nothing differentiates each song from the next, distinction an appropriately placed vocalist and lead guitarist could easily provide. Without watching the tracks switch, you would never know you are listening to “Long Shadows”, “Angel Bait” or even “Stealing Pictures” from anything else. Loincloth are great musicians but reiterate once heralded techniques over and over throughout the sixteen tracks. Eventually and unfortunately, Iron Balls of Steel’s brash dissonance fades into the background.

Instrumentation of metal is a romantic, even if a simply misguided notion of purity for the genre. Never lacking the testicular fortitude its title emphatically boasts, nevertheless Iron Balls of Steel becomes stagnate as the album progresses. I’m all for the daunting instrumental concept of Loincloth but consistent creativity and execution must be paramount to stamp it a successful venture. The desire and passion presented is bold and far from pointless but Loincloth’s Iron Balls of Steel sounds like a promising band cutting their demo. All the while, posting ads on Craigslist and continuing that familiar disappointing search for the complimenting singer.

Link: Mutt’s Website

Chicago is a town well known for its blue-collar mentality with an insistent grit. The three-piece band Mutt exhibits these characteristics and more with their first feature-length LP Pray for Rain. Part blues-punk of QOTSA (Queens of the Stone Age) and part hung-over Joe Cocker, Mutts finds solace in melodic derangement.

“Fool” is nothing short of calculated and fitting start to Pray for Rain. Mike Maimone provides the zany vibe with his organ effect ridden keyboard blurts and sandpaper growl, usually the trademark of journeyman Tom Waits. “Not Ready” blazes right behind with blistering bass lines while drums strikes delivered with mind-boggling precision. Maimone relaxes his Waits impression and intently barks out each verse legibly. While it may slightly awkward to admit, the verse piano-bar pounds of “DOB” gave a slight remembrance to Fiona Apple’s “On the Bound”. The dexterous beat infects far within the depths of your mind before the questionable buzz kill postlude into the droning track “Save Us” dismantles any garnered momentum.

Pray for Rain then takes an outlandish sharp turn. Though not to imply things haven’t been considered already weird at this point but maybe in moderation. Almost like the album production was under the direction of Tim Burton; bizarre if only for the sake of being bizarre. Mutts have built a reputation in the Chicago area as having equally peculiar live shows. There is no true distinction on whether art is imitating life or vice versa in Pray for Rain.

The album almost gets back on the rails with “Done It Again” and its bouncy piano work and implementation of diverse chapters with beautiful sonic suspense. Unfortunately, a standout track for all the wrong reasons as it is surrounded by subpar talent. By the time we reach the end with the circus lullaby “Putting on a Show”, Mutts seem to have lost their vision within the fog of the absurd. Mutt’s Pray for Rain is eclectic in almost every sense which its purest enduring quality. They acknowledged and ultimately accepted to walk a musical tightrope between gonzo and the conventional. Somewhere in the middle, the winds picked up and Mutts couldn’t hold on.

Link: Rob Crow on Temporary Residence Ltd.

Many people may not know of Rob Crow and his overabundant laundry list of projects that his name is associated. I’ll shamelessly admit I hadn’t either before I listened to his new solo album He Thinks He’s People. Very similar to Faith No More front man Mike Patton, Rob Crow embraces a passion for the bizarre and never content in one project or even one genre for long. His unorthodox musical approach is only matched by his gift to mold a fun house mirror of intricate pop.

The intertwined placid keyboard of “Scalped” with Crow’s perceptive voice displays an emotional if not depressing outlook to the album. “Tranked” follows suit using proficient electronic beats to continually forge the somber ambience. Not all tracks are for the cause of being immersed in tranquility. “Sophistructure”, with its clever math-rock layering in post grunge vogue, brings an immediate focus to its catchy rhythm that never gets abandoned from low verse to high chorus. “Locking Seth Putnam in Hot Topic”, a dedication of sorts to late front man of Anal Cunt, gives Crow his driving metal/punk fix that he usually reserves for side project Goblin Cock. The material for He Thinks He’s People is essentially rejects when composing songs for Pinback (Crow’s original and premier project). Rarely does this become too evident as each track is cerebrally crafted.

Whether you enjoy the sonic experience presented with He Thinks He’s People, most would agree Rob Crow unleashes a curious musical mindset. Content-wise, the album can be unbalanced and pompously spastic. Tracks like “Build”, “Pat’s Crabs” and appropriately named “Unstable” seem to lose focus and seem more filler than killer. Overall, He Thinks He’s People may be an impulsive record but beyond enslaving in its hooks and melodies. If these are the rejects, then the forthcoming Pinback album can only be stellar.

Link: Waters Official Site

WATERS is a concoction of internal discovery for lead singer Van Pierszalowski. After the demise of the folksy Port O’Brien, Pierszalowski traveled Norway and everywhere in-between back to the Bay Area to find inspiration. Unintentionally, he discovered his muse was music once again. Port O’Brien aimed for a polished sound, while WATERS is more rugged in production but delicate in its overall context.

Out In The Light begins with the deformed crunch of “For The One”. Van wails with melodic angst throughout the song, sending a paramount message of contrast between WATERS and O’Brien. Tracks like “O’ Holy Break of Day” and “Out In The Light” display the true affliction of Van’s self reflection on his travels. Lyrically, the evidence builds that this personal journey has taken its toll on his already fragile soul.

“I never imagined I could be a free man this soon,
Take my warnings just to find my way back through,
Home isn’t waiting,  Oh Lord I am overdue.”

Van Pierszalowski feels rejuvenated with WATERS and it is apparent. From Port O’Brien to WATERS, Pierszalowski has evolved as a profound song writer. Out In The Light is a selfish album, almost too much in spots. Each tracks leaks of self-importance and intimate reflection but the album stays modest in nature. For those who can relate to the lyrical honesty, WATERS divulge their heart for all to see with unbridled passion.

Link: Tomorrow The Moon on FaceBook

The Chi-Town trio Tomorrow The Moon’s debut album The Dim, Distant Now is bewildering yet fascinating. Self described as “Space Punk”; ‘punk’ is an overstatement but nevertheless I was very intrigued. Though when the fuzz-guitar laced fade into the opening track “French Goodbye” begins, I can’t help but be apprehensive and narrow my eyebrows to decipher each sound of this artificially conceived genre.

It’s not until the standout track “Accounts Deceivable” and its infectious chorus and wailing intergalactic guitar sprawls do I even begin to comprehend Tomorrow The Moon and their unique approach to creating music. “HeSawRed” takes the band a completely different direction and sounds like early Rated R era Queens of the Stone Age. Cohesively, robotic stoner riffs and desert-psychedelic fuse for this tenacious anthem.

The sound production is puzzling at best with abrupt fade in/outs of intermittent instrument tracks throughout songs and a generous arrangement of sci-fi effects. The original intention may have been to be clever but is misconstrued and ultimately a hollow distraction. The album regains its composure after each minor setback but it becomes glaringly obvious at this point of the album.

“Till I No Longer See” ushers in an alternate indisposed identity for the remainder of The Dim, Distant Now. Gone are the upbeat ample riffs as they are unceremoniously replaced by prolonged serenades of introverted reflection and space. “Those Grey Men” is a meticulously brooding track with vocalist/guitarist Steve Gerlach murmuring over each insidious bass thump and timid snare clash; each member forming their own layer of melancholy.

The Dim, Distant Now can be appropriately labeled a top-heavy album in terms of quality with a split personality complex. The conclusion of spacey (some instrumental) jams are enjoyable but borderline lethargic in comparison to the album’s diligent beginning. Amid the album’s unbalance in structure, Tomorrow The Moon showcases their ability to captivate the listener with their catchy mysterious ambience. As unorthodox as this band and album truly are, it’s just relieving to still see bands (successively) challenging normalcy.

RACES (formerly Black Jesus) have caused quite the stir in their home base of Los Angeles. It’s easy to respect a band with a blue-collar reputation constructed primarily by word of mouth by furiously traveling the golden coast. Races is a modern anomaly of sorts by attempting to fuse the grit of 90’s grunge rock with the subservience of indie pop.

The initial throbbing bass on “Big Broom” (the song is part of an upcoming EP of the same name) is deceiving as the song systematically compiles from a sense of dread to a campaign through this enchanted ambient forest. The luminous guitars segment the mysterious dark while the vocals act as an afflicted guide. Gingerly, they lead us through each ambiguous path to our eventual destination. The EP is a precursor to their upcoming full length, Year Of The Witch (Frenchkiss), due out March 2012.

So pack light and press play in The Jukebox already!

Link: http://www.curtainsforyou.net/

Historically, when all hope is lost in the present, people will look towards the past for answers. More than a musical trend, artists are progressively looking for inspiration away from the bleak confines of Top 40 Radio. To simply ignore the recent musical resurgence of the “retro-genres” would be misguided. The White Stripes and The Black Keys have “retro-rock” by the throat but Curtains For You can claim “retro-pop” all to themselves. Well…for the moment anyways.

Seattle based Curtains For You find solace in drawing parallels to 60’s pop such as The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson psychedelia years), The Beatles and The Kinks. These influences are readily apparent on the first track “Daisy.” Soaring drums meshing with subtle Flanger EQ guitar strums, this five-piece achieves far beyond nostalgic jams. “What Good Am I To You Now?” swoops in with ease on the wings of Mike Gervais’ crisp falsetto and crooning rich vocals. There definitely is the signature surging chorus structure of The Beatles but with an individualistic indie power-pop injection. Curtains For All are not merely copycats as each song structure may be vintage but yet it incorporates a modern sound that is oddly refreshing.

“The Wasteland” is the album’s centerpiece, relying heavily on the Fab Four’s designative harmony manipulation (prevalent on Abbey Road – notably “Day in the Life”) and ambitious songwriting. The studio mix is proficiently structured and an orchestra helps romance the lyrically somber undertow; “Keep telling yourself that the concrete beneath you, will just swallow you whole one day.” Gervais is a former winner of a John Lennon Songwriting Contest. After hearing “Wasteland” and its poignant lyrics, that bland fact becomes nearly ironic.

Curtains For You seem out of place in the modern world of mass production with glossy CDs and the hollow technological wonderment that is downloadable digital audio formats. After Nights Without Sleep belongs on vinyl; collecting dust and nestled between The Beatles Rubber Soul and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds in the back of a Goodwill somewhere. Obviously it would be too premature to put them with such legendary company. Brilliant songwriting with cerebral execution was needed to craft a retro-classic such as this and that won’t be overlooked for long. With the proper growing resume; bands thirty years from now, issuing the ultimate form of flattery, may be imitating Curtains For You.

MP3: “Don’t Hesitate”

After hearing the music of Hero Jr. you may begin to wonder; who are these guys and why are they playing a show labeled Punk Rock Night? Well in a sense, you have a point but labels aside, that doesn’t negate the simple fact that Hero Jr. is a gleaming gem submerged within the primordial sludge of Indianapolis’ rock scene.

This trio, with its emerging potential piggybacking on Evan Haughey’s transcending voice, is intent on making a name for themselves with their brand of kinetic alternative rock. So fight through the stagnant heat into the glorious nipple tingling air conditioning at the Melody Inn for Punk Rock Night this Saturday (8/6/2011). I was able to catch up with the co-founder of Hero Jr., guitarist/vocalist Evan Haughey, to let us all in on one of Indianapolis’ best kept secrets.

Link: www.herojr.net

After visiting your website, it’s easy to notice you guys aren’t prototypical Punk Rock. For those who don’t know, how would you describe your music?

Hero Jr. is a very high energy dead ahead rock band with great hooks and melodies. We put a great deal of emphasis on lyrical content and songs that will keep you coming back for more. We have been compared to Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Cage the Elephant and Jet.

You and your brother (Drummer Matthew Haughey) are founders of Hero Jr. but also another former Midwest cult classic, Ether.  From the early success of Ether to now; how did Hero Jr. come together in Indianapolis?
Actually Dave (Bass) and I are the founders of Hero Jr. I was in Ether with my bro while we were in high school together. After I graduated I moved to Bloomington to work on solo stuff and he went to Michigan State to play football. After living in B town for about 4 years, I relocated to Indianapolis where I met Dave. Dave and I played in numerous bands together but nothing too serious. After my bro graduated with a degree in Kinesiology he decided that he missed the music and he wanted to give it another try. So he moved in with me here in Indy and the trio Hero Jr. was born!

Hero Jr. has been called ‘radio ready’ from some sources. Which can have its admirable pros and its resentful cons. Is the ’like-able’ tag something you embrace?
Hell yeah the likeable tag is something we embrace. If anyone who is making music tells you that they are not looking to make something that someone likes or can relate too, they are full of shit.

You guys seem to be ready to put on some serious miles on the upcoming Fall tour traveling around the Midwest. What town/venue are you excited about revisiting or possibly to play for the first time?
Yes, we are very excited for the fall tour. We are playing 32 shows in 25 cities from the beginning of September to Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to many things on the tour. I think one thing we are most excited about is the fact that we have two wonderful musicians from the UK (Mark Morgan and Lora Kirk) joining us on most of the October dates of the tour. As far as venues and cities, we have a blast everywhere we go!
What exactly are the future ambitions from a band like Hero Jr.?

Take Over The World.

The Enders are a hardcore punk fusion, just a tedious drive north of I-65, in Lafayette, Indiana. After becoming local fixtures, they decided to pack up the musical caravan and embark on an 8 city tour of the Midwest/East Coast. Be sure to be at Punk Rock Night to support The Enders as they finish up their tour at the Melody Inn this Saturday (July 23, 2011). After Ben Hagood (Guitars/Vocals) answered some of my questions, they may need a collection plate passed around as well. The Enders, in the spirit of punk itself, is resilient in the face of turmoil; as they vow on their Facebook page, “Fuck you, adversity! We don’t quit!”

Link: http://www.facebook.com/theEnders

How is the tour going? What has been your favorite and least moment so far?

Favorite moment was probably the love fest of a show in NYC’s East Village at Otto’s Shrunken Head. The people there are incredible. Very welcoming and enthusiastic. Not to say that any of the other venues so far haven’t been equally great. Spitfire Saloon in Cleveland is unreal and the people in Baltimore and Albany are great.

The WORST moment was waking up to find out van had been broken into in Brooklyn. My SG, Kyle’s GPS and laptop and Pete’s camera gear had been stolen.

You had to find a replacement bass player in a hurry for this tour. What happened there?

We actually made the change pretty seamlessly. Pete’s a great fit with Kyle and I, so it was pretty painless. As far as how we did it; something like “We’re touring, can you commit to that level of work in the band?” He said yes, so now I’m talking to you from a coffeehouse in Tennessee.

If The Enders could open for any band in all of history at their prime, who would it be and why?

It would be unfair for me to answer that without consensus. But I think for me, I admire a lot of hardcore bands. I’d have to say personally that I would love to have played with The Clash. Kyle would hate it though!

How would you explain the Lafayette music scene? What are the contrasts or similarities to Indianapolis?

It’s smaller, more limited, but there is a lot of talent in that town.

What should we expect from The Enders after this tour wraps up and in the near future?

More shows, more tours, more recordings and surprises…for you AND us.

MP3: Blak – “Staring At The Sky”

Gypsy Blak, vocalist and the creative mastermind behind BLAK, is a motivated fellow to say the least. Starting BLAK in his hometown of Los Angeles; with his move across the country, he refused to let the dream die and started a new version of BLAK here in Indianapolis. The local rendition of BLAK will be playing Punk Rock Night this Saturday (July 23, 2011) at The Melody Inn. Gypsy Blak was kind enough to let me amuse him with some questions. If his answers are any indication on BLAK’s onstage performance, expect the unexpected and prepare to be intrigued.

BLAK now resides in Indianapolis but left its original breeding grounds in Los Angeles. What brought BLAK to Indy?

Honestly. I moved out here due to financial reasons and a temporary living situation to get things together. The job market in Los Angeles in 2009-10 really sucked at the time. Sorry, not a very exciting answer!

How would you describe your style of music? Who are some influences?

Death Rock, with a dark post punk influence and thrash added in to make it heavy. We got a lot of influences: Misfits, Samhain, The Damned, Blitzkid, The Ramones, Christian Death (Rozz Williams), Motorhead, Turbonegro, Joy Division, Black Flag, Dead Boys, Alice Cooper and Gary Numan. Between my influences, Shug and Boomstick’s influences; we’re all over the place!

You’re a writer as well. What inspires your writing?

Depends on what I’m writing, usually frustration! I do an occasional rant article for a friend’s magazine in L.A. called Lost Anarchy. I’m currently working on 3 different things: a black comedy/horror novel, a book of my various poems/writings and a book about growing up in L.A. I hope to be done with at least one of them eventually. That’s my biggest issue with writing, finding the time to do it. When you have a list of crap you gotta do on a daily basis and the drama of life; that and of course writers block….

Since leaving L.A., what is your take on the Indianapolis music scene?

Hmm…well to be honest I have not got to experience as much of the Indy music scene as I would like to. I know you guys have some awesome artists from out here (one of my personal favorites, Harley Poe). But what few shows I have been to out here were not very promising, except for, well, Punk Rock Night. Otherwise, a lot of bands that I have seen out here are metal bands that all try to sound like Pantera. So, Indy, in my opinion is not great for metal (then again, I’m not so much a metal person anymore). But theirs some decent other stuff I’ve heard out here…

What has been your most memorable moment (good or bad) when playing a show?

Every show, in one way or another is always memorable, but it’s tied really. Opening up for Greg Ginn, playing the Whiskey A Go Go for the first time and the last time with my former band (Elegant Bastards). Most recently, playing in Bloomington with BLAK which was my first time playing live in a year. Bad? There’s a few. Any show we played where the place got shut down by the cops (happened to me 3 times!). One of the first shows I ever played we played basically for the bartender and the promoter (E.B.’s 4th show I believe). The one time, while playing, I didn’t see the edge of the stage and fell off, hit the concrete ground with BOTH knees; playing it off, though it hurt like eight bitches on a bitch boat. HOWEVER, one of THE worst moments and memorable, was when me and my old band played Las Vegas for the first time. The promoter that put together the show hooked us up. We had a hotel, tons of beer; probably the closest I’d ever came to the whole “rockstar” thing. It was all fun up until we got to the club. Us and a couple of local bands were actually opening up for a couple of tribute bands. One of them, an all girl AC/DC tribute band, who, we were gonna play after. They played for 30 minutes; broke a snare drum, took 30 minutes to change it, then played for almost an hour. By the time we got on stage it was 2am. The sound guys kept fucking with us and on top of that, one of our friends that we brought with us got drunk and got arrested.

What should we expect from BLAK in the near future?

All kinds of things. I am eventually going to be playing with the Los Angeles version of BLAK in a few months, in the meantime Shug Nutz and Boomstick will be continuing projects. There will be some more recording with them in the future as well. Basically, I have 2 bands on both sides of the country! Until then, we have 1-3 more shows coming up, including Punk Rock Night this Saturday and 2 more shows (hopefully one in Columbus , Ohio as well). Expect to be hearing the name a lot, seeing my face a lot. New and better music coming, bigger and better shows as well; here in Indy, Cali, everywhere!