Raw underground fuzzy guitar rock/pop with balls... girl band SASSY!

Sassy - Diggin' Deep (Independently released CD-R, Pop/rock)

Raw underground fuzzy guitar rock/pop with balls. Sassy is the duo comprised
of Lynda Mandolyn and Christa Dibiase. These ladies write and record loud
ballsy pop that recalls many classic underground artists from the United
States in the 1990s. The promo sticker appropriate compares the duo's music
to The Muffs, The Gossip, and The Kills. None of that phony processed cheese
slop/pop here...these girls make loud rock music that's genuine and real.
Super loud guitars combine with driving rhythms and nifty dual vocals to
create a musical universe that's impossible to ignore. Thirteen kickass cuts
including "Honey Bee," "Wild Summer" (an exceptional track), "She's A Liar,"
and "Blink Once." Totally cool loud stuff with GUTS.

http://www.babysue.com/2011-April-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor295822

overall happy and rollicking

w.h. Walker, Suds (Boogie Creek Records)
Every once in awhile, I get a disc that is just a fun listen, through and through. That’s what this Portland, Oregon, based band is delivering with Suds—pure fun. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Devin Clark (of The Soda Pop Kids, a band I adored), the music is reminiscent of Atlanta’s Gentleman Jesse & His Men but with a soul tinge, while the vocals veer from Paul Westerberg to Jack White, two of my favorites.

The title track “Suds” is a song about getting clean, and is power pop at it's finest. Love the handclaps, shouting and full chorus, with a refrain like: “I cut rug like a rubber duckie / I get squeaky clean, yeah!” More straight-ahead rock, “As the Night Goes” is a track from an upcoming single with the Clorox Girls. It has good “whoa-oohs,” distorted vocals, and plenty of interesting beats. Really like the vocal treatment here—the seemingly easy and melodic screams.
“Saying Every Secret” is a bit jazzy, with erratic beats. This is the track where the vocals remind me so much of The Replacements. A super amped up vintage crooner, “Watch Your Step” is sure to put an instant spring in your own. “The Untold Death of Grady Jones” has a bit of a Latin flavor, with castanets, and what sounds like a Hammond B-3. It really gives a 70’s Styx or Led Zeppelin feel, but for just under a minute.

Another power pop-esque number, “Don't Let Me Go” is sassy and has good handclaps, cute lyrics and disjointed (but in a good way) beats. It reminds me of The Knack. Last tune “Second Hand Store” recalls a lighter version of Iggy’s “Lust for Life” or even Jet’s rip off song, and is an overall happy and rollicking number. You can check out the tunes here.

—RZO
http://hardcorenorfolk.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=200%3Awh-walker&Itemid=82

Gunslinger = Infected Mushroom + Juno Reactor + Tiesto

 

 

Gunslinger
Early Volumes 1
Last Gang Labels
Gunslinger = Infected Mushroom + Juno Reactor + Tiesto
Psychedelic Trance (or Psytrance), the modifier-heavy version of house that is nearly impossible to distinguish from the thousands of similar modifier-heavy versions of house, is the genre where LA beatmaker Gunslinger most often gets pigeonholed. His high BPM, repetitive rhythms and association with Infected Mushroom make a case for this; however, Gunslinger’s background playing in rock bands is clearly his most distinguishing feature. Instead of letting his psytrance beats play on ad nauseam, he channels them nicely into actual songs with verse-chorus arrangements. Early Volumes 1 features the stadium-packing hooks of an electronic Muse for the Ibeza crowd and enough hypertrance breaks for the hardcore techno fan. –Ryan Hall

 

http://www.slugmag.com/article.php?id=2542&page=3

Wish people would change their influences these days to reflect the sounds of Jodi Miller

Complete Epic Hits - Jodi Miller

All my 35 and under readers take note this was what was going on before you were born! This is REAL pioneering country-pop crossover. Not what you are all use to in Taylor Swift. I would like to thank Real Gone Music, a reissue label for bringing back the hits we all missed. A forgotten singer songwriter that I am now a huge fan of. There is something about listening to "love songs" that I hate and often turn off BUT Jodi's love songs I play over and over again! Check out "If You Think I Love You Now". The songs you do know... check out "Be My Baby" yes from Dirty Dancing but Jodi sings it better than the The Ronettes and  who doesn’t love "The House of the Rising Sun".

This album has 25 songs that have never appeared on CD before. Other stand out tracks "Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home", the harmonies are beautifully done. Well worth the $13.98. I want this on vinyl to play at dinner parties! Right after I play Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray and Linda Ronstadt. I sincerely wish people would change their influences these days to reflect the sounds of Jodi Miller.

Record Label: Real Gone Music www.realgonemusic.com

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Genres: Country, Folk, Rock, Pop

BLACK PUSSY live show review @ doug fir

January 21, 2012
http://www.yearoftheshow.com/concertreviews/the-pack-a-d-the-doug-fir-lounge-portland-or/

pics by ChrisT

Our aural fixation with the The Pack a.d. took a brief hiatus last year. If they hit PDX in support of 2010′s we kill computers, we missed it. This year’s recorded release, Unpersons, is straight up heat. The kind of hook laden garage-blues-punk-blahblah hybrid that one listen through made me jones for the live show. Glad we made it.

The Doug Fir. Always a quality hang. Set times are posted. Always nice. 10:30 for The Pack a.d. And the opening act is a band called Black Pussy. With that kid of name it has to be hot or flat out gong show. Anything in between would be a waste.
Frankly, the name Black Pussy combined with the appropriate amount of liquor and immaturity is a conversational goldmine.

“You ready to go down for Black Pussy?”
“I’m just here for Black Pussy”
And on it goes. You can imagine.
So. Black Pussy. Let’s get into it.

This band was hella fun. 6 band members that at first glance look like the smartest kid in my high school physics class, or the kids who dealt that kid weed. Songs like “Marijuana” don’t dissuade my initial impressions. All in all, I was pretty taken by Black Pussy (see, it never gets old for me). They were loud enough to pin my eyes in their sockets and left me telling ChrisT he can stay up front all he wants, I was going to hide in the back. Wicked fun. I’d go see them again. Hell, I’ve paid alot more for alot worse.
The Pack a.d. Here’s the deal. 3/4th’s of their recorded output get me crazy. I’m not sitting through this show with a notepad or hitting a set list into my phone like some kind of wanker. These are they type of shows I use to go back 20 years in age and shave a couple more years off of proper liver function.

As usual, Maya (drums) is engaging, funny, and just plain rock n roll. Becky Black (guitar/vocals) is always on it. I’d like to see her unwound on stage and getting violent. One can dream. In the end, my memories are mainly of my vision shaking and grainy as I enjoyed the show with the rest of the cool kids (cause if you were there, you are). I pretty much know what Boris Yeltsin felt like at vodka tasting, state dinners, and well after breakfast. But, here are some highlights from the new album
“Positronic”
“Haunt You”
“Sirens”
“Lights”
“Rid Of Me”
Totally hope The Pack a.d. catches a little heat. They make my life better.
The woman screaming for “Blackout” during the encore should run for mayor. As usual, that song live is fire. Soundtrack for bad decision making and failed drug tests.

Great. Two bands and a venue that brought it. Thanks.

Bradley Wik: "impressive for a new artist"

http://reportermag.com/article/01-20-2012/album-review-burn-what-you-can-bury-the-rest-by-bradley-wik-and-the-charlatans

Not Unknown Anymore:: INTERVIEW with THE GREAT UNKNOWNS

Was greatly surprised to find this DC band in my inbox last week. This never happens… my first impressions sent me searching and googling this band known as The Great Unknowns. Why is it that brilliant albums comes from such heartache and sorrow? Read below this wonderful interview with the lovely Becky Warren. And yes a band can pick up where they left off The Great Unknowns proved this!

xo kaytea

Would love to start by getting all your personal influences?

Genres: Americana - "alt-country, AAA, rock"

Most Telling Tracks - Lexington, Homefront, I Wish I Was The Girl I Was

For Fans Of - Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards, Amy Ray

If I made a list of all the great artists that have influenced me it would go on for pages, but the artists I listened to most often for inspiration when I was writing this album include Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Kathleen Edwards, and Steve Earle.

Thinking back to early childhood, what was your first experience with music for the first time like? What song do you remember most as a child?

I remember singing from the time I was very small, and the earliest songs I remember writing were inspired by the dog I got when I was nine years old. The first songs I remember are the ones my mom sang to me when I was really small, especially “Love Potion Number Nine”.

What made you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?

In high school, I began to realize that listening to and playing and writing music felt so much better to me than anything else, so I looked for a college in a good music town. That’s how I ended up in Boston. I was really lucky to meet a lot of incredibly talented musicians in Boston, including the other Great Unknowns, and the fun of playing with them made me want to continue to pursue music after college.

I notice you took a long break? Tell me about what you all did in this “break” time. And who pushed the first let’s do this again…..

I moved from Boston to south Georgia and then again to Washington, DC. I got married and then my marriage fell apart. Altay (bass) moved out to San Francisco and got involved in the startup world. Andy (drums) finished a PhD, got married, and moved to London for a great job. When my marriage ended, I started writing again, and I started talking to Altay and Andy about whether they’d want to try to get together and record another album if I wrote an album-worth of new songs.

Many would say you all had success as a band and yet you were able to walk away. Would love to hear from you on what defines SUCCESS.

Yes, I definitely have some regrets about walking away! Music really occupies an important place in my life; there are a lot of songs that have been really good friends to me at difficult times in my life. Success to me would be writing some songs of my own that can do that for me and for other people.

Why Washington DC how did you all end up there?

Actually, we didn’t all end up here; we’re still a little spread out. I moved up to DC because I liked the city and it had a lot of good jobs for my then-husband. As I was writing songs for the record, it became clear that Mike, who played guitar on our first record, wouldn’t have time to play with us on a second record (he was working on Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison documentary). So our friend Avril was the obvious choice to join the band on guitar, both because she’s a phenomenal musician and someone we already loved spending time with, but also because she lived in DC too, which had the benefit of putting half the band in the same town, finally. Andy is still in London and Altay is still in San Francisco. We’ll have to find a new drummer soon (unfortunately!) and we’re looking for someone local to DC.

How did you settle on the album name “Homefront”?

I mentioned earlier that my marriage fell apart during the band’s “break”—this was because my husband returned from Iraq with PTSD and it put an enormous strain on our relationship. A lot of the album is about that experience. And the thing is, what happened to us is unfortunately not at all unusual. It’s happening to thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan vets and their families. So I knew I wanted to write a song that wasn’t about my personal experience, but about the experience of a solider I don’t know returning from Iraq and struggling with reintegrating into a country that often doesn’t feel like it’s at war. In that song, the veteran realizes that there’s no real homefront for him, and asks his wife to be the homefront that he needs. I don’t think it’s fair that we’re often leaving it to families to play that role for our country. That’s where the title comes from.

Did you get to record with all the equipment you wanted? Any wish lists on gear?

We had a fantastic recording experience. We recorded at Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia (http://www.biasstudios.com/). I guess if we had the money to afford it we might have recorded on tape instead of digitally but I really don’t have many regrets about the recording process. Except that I wish we had more accordion. I always wish we had more accordion and I always get outvoted by the other guys in the band.

Any tour plans? If so what can people expect to see at your live performance?

We’d really love to tour and I hope we’re able to. We’re a totally DIY band right now and the process of getting the record out the door and to radio stations and bloggers and other people has been really time-consuming and expensive. So we can’t afford to tour right now in a way that loses money and unfortunately, it’s hard to string together a tour that makes money if you’re a band the size we are! Hopefully we can hook up with a larger band or get enough interest off of radio play to book some dates in venues that will cover our touring expenses.

Who would be your dream tour co-headliner? Dream tour vehicle? Dream tour rider?

Hm. I guess because of the subject matter of the album, a dream gig would be a USO tour of Afghanistan so the dream tour vehicle would be a C-130. But I’m not sure how easy it would be to talk the rest of the guys into this.

What is the wildest story with the group?

Maybe this is going to ruin our street rep but we’re not that wild. For sure the most surreal and amazing thing that’s ever happened to us was getting to tour with the Indigo Girls. Their fans are phenomenal and so supportive and we got to play in some ridiculously great venues.

upcoming shows:

Fri Jan 27th

The Great Unknowns in Rockville, MD

The Mansion at Strathmore

Fri Mar 9th

The Great Unknowns in Alexandria, VA

Telegraph Station

United States

 

http://www.facebook.com/greatunknowns

http://www.youtube.com/user/unknownbecky

https://twitter.com/greatunknowns

http://www.greatunknowns.com/

http://www.daemonrecords.com/

Buy music:

http://greatunknowns.com/store/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006V5CHAY/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/homefront/id485353009

Bradley Wik (like Ryan Adams and once upon a time Paul Westerberg)

http://www.campuscircle.com/review.cfm?r=14555

Bradley Wik (like Ryan Adams and once upon a time Paul Westerberg) finds comfort and familiarity with the working-class Americana and rock typified by Bob Seger, Springsteen, Tom Petty and John (Cougar) Mellencamp.
Wik was born and raised where Chevy’s still rule and anthemic rock fills jukeboxes and ear buds. It is obvious Wik shares the introspective and world-weary sentiments of the aforementioned influences on Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest… , the self-released debut from Wik and his backing band, the Charlatans. His gravelly, raw and countrified voice works well on slowly-searing character sketches like “This Old House” and the slice-of-life, Mellencamp-esque “Midwest Winters,” as well as mid-tempo heartland rockers such as “Friday Night Is for the Drinkers.”
Wik saves the best for last on epic closer “Just like Jon Fickes,” about a woman searching for someone else’s song to sing: the track is a showcase for Wik’s storytelling and narrative talents (which evoke Dylan circa 1979) as well as the Charlatans’ Soul Asylum-like prowess.

Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest... is now available.

Grade: B

Influences are front and center for stoner rockers Black Pussy

Black Pussy: On Blonde

(Made in China)

By Doug Simpson

 

Influences are front and center for stoner rockers Black Pussy. The band’s half-hour, debut long-player, On Blonde, is dedicated to Brant Bjork (Kyuss and Fu Manchu), and it’s clear Dustin Hill (who also plays in likeminded White Orange) and his cohorts worship the ‘90s hard-rock template Bjork helped to create.
Post-Sabbath riffs with psychedelic overtones abound from openly anthemic “Marijuana,” (with appropriate bong hit sound affects), to the four-on-the-floor beats and fuzzy guitar, which populate “When All the Indians Are Gone Who Will Bury the Chiefs?.”
The prerequisite wah-wah that wafts through the weaving “Swim,” and the pedal-to-the-metal drive of “Blow Some Steam Off” evokes Queens of the Stone Age’s first album. Not everything is golden as special brownies, though, as the overly-baked but undercooked “Indiana” goes on far too long: more hedonism and less meditative groove might have been an improvement (the Bevis Frond never sounded this lethargic, for instance).
On Blonde is currently available.

Grade: B

Meet the Cheesemakers Night in downtown Winters! (Turkovich Family Wines)

Turkovich Family Wines, Berryessa Gap Winery and Rootstock Tasting Room will be having a Meet the Cheesemakers event on Friday 1/27 from 4pm to 7pm. Come into the tasting room to meet with Danny and Sacha, sample cheeses, and ask any cheese making questions you have!

Danny in the Cheese Cave

Then continue on down the street to Berryessa Gap where they will have Tim Pedrozo, from Pedrozo Dairy and Rootstock Tasting Room that will be featuring Spring Hill Jersey Cheese.

Hope to see you next Friday night!

Turkovich Family

http://turkovichwines.com/

Rags & Ribbons on KINK fm

specialize heartland rock and roll

BRADLEY WIK AND THE CHARLATANS | BURN WHAT YOU CAN, BURY THE REST

SELF-RELEASED

Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest is the debut of Bradley Wik and The Charlatans, the Portland, OR based quintet who specialize heartland rock and roll. Frontman Wik – a native son of the Midwest – is a songwriter who has extensively toured across the country for the past four years, laying down an acoustic set of alt-country strings wherever crowds welcome him. Wik’s knack for compelling storytelling and realistically rendered blue collar characters along the lines of Bruce Springsteen make for a great rock record. Standouts among the eight tracks include “This Old House” with Brianne Kathleen on backing vocals and the 8+ minute album closer about Wik’s close friend and bandmember, “Just Like Jon Fickes.” – Written by JFelton

SIMILAR | Beneath Wind and Waves, The Janks, Brianne Kathleen, Pictures of Then, Jessie Torrisi

Portland’s Rags & Ribbons will celebrate the release of their latest album with performances at Music Millennium Jan. 19 and Doug Fir Lounge Jan. 20.

http://portlandtribune.com/features/story.php?story_id=132692795642347700

Live Music!
By Rob Cullivan
The Portland Tribune,

Jan. 19, 20
Mellow dramatic
Some rock bands like to play with a smirk, others a sneer and then some play with their hearts not only on their sleeves, but also ripped open and beating for everyone to see. Portland’s Rags & Ribbons (formerly Galaxy Farm) is decidedly in the third category, performing classically based art rock that would make anybody who’s ever been in a school choir or a tumultuous relationship with an unrepentant drunk quite happy. Pianist Jon Hicks, guitarist Ben Weyerhaeuser and drummer Chris Neff are masters of their respective instruments and still believe in the power of rock music to move an audience, even one not old enough to remember over-the-top bands like Queen or ELP but curious enough to surf the Web to find out who they were. Rags & Ribbons is releasing its newest CD “The Glass Masses” this month, and you have two chances to hear them this week.

Rags & Ribbons, 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Music Millennium, 3158 E. Burnside St. Free. All ages. Info: 503-231-8926, http://www.musicmillennium.com/; Rags & Ribbons, Water & Bodies, Fox And the Law, 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E. Burnside St. $8 advance, $10 day of show. Info: 503-231-WOOD, http://www.dougfirlounge.com/.

Viveca from THE MEMORIALS

http://luvaffrwthxos.com/post/15555998214/viveca-hawkins-interview

I feel it appropriate to preface this glorious Q&A with the ever lovely Ms. Viveca Hawkins that I recently scored (score!) with this clip rather than the actual music video for The Memorials smash single “West Coast” because, well wow, the whole band is just so charismatic you can’t help but crave seeing them perform this tune live. Here’s to hoping 2012 brings big things for the band, as they enter the adventure of recording a second album, and that they also wash up on Australian shores some time REAL soon to promote it. Woot woot!
CH: The video for “West Coast” is pretty notorious! Seems like you guys really enjoy a good night rage or two. How’s the life of a rockstart treating you?
VH: Lol indeed! We like to party! We work hard though. That vid was cut from one rockin party/rehearsal and a few gigs we did! All were big fun and meticulously planned. I’m still workin on my rock star status. Life is good though. I’m constantly working on being a better me.
CH: Is there a climate for creativity in the music scene in Cali at the moment? What other scenes on your tour circuit really set you on fire?
VH: Home is where the heart is… I put it all into the music. I can write just about anywhere though. There is inspiration everywhere. I love Texas! We always have great shows there!!
CH: How are the kids responding to your live performances? Which songs have really been setting them off?
VH: The crowd really varies from place to place. Many people show up looking for the Mars volta and, or have no idea what they are about to witness. They often stand there in awe and then burst into applause at the end of the song. Others come and know all my lyrics and sing along! I’ve started a mosh or two even! Lol GTFOMF, Why Me, and Fluorescence get the party Crackin! ;)
CH: What’s your favorite song to perform live and why?
VH: I love singing GTFOMF because it has such brilliant range. The ups and downs take me on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Depending on my mood it can even bring a tear to my eye.
CH: You say you did a stint at Berklee School of Music with not much else but a few suitcases and handful of cash… What was that experience like and how did it shape you as a musician?
VH: Yea, when I went to Berklee I was totally winging it. I had never really studied music outside of voice classes and that didn’t require much theory or anything. It made 8 classes that much more difficult in my freshman year. I found out so much more about myself than anything else. My musical education brought me closer to Thomas and I think that’s the most valuable thing I took from it. Networking is key.
CH: When Thomas approached you to form The Memorials, what was his sales pitch? How well had you guys known each other before then and had you already built up some trust?
VH: When TP hit me up about the band I was working at a pretty awesome job living in the matrix. He offered me the pills… I swallowed… (pause) lol. He asked if I wanted to take a shot at Rock? He told me it would be a chance for me to get away from all the stereotypes of R&B artists and be myself. He told me I could be as weird as I wanted to be and that made me feel comfy! We absolutely had built up a fair amount of trust by then. We had known each other for over 10 years by then. We met in church and as I see it there has always been some sort of divine connection between us. Blessed to find…
CH: Thomas tends to play some pretty funky time signatures. As the bands singer, what has the writing process been like for you?
VH: Thomas is surely one of the most complex drummers on the planet. I have really had to take my time with these songs. He’s always complaining about how long it takes me to write our records, but it’s really hard!!! I feel like I first have to really internalize the rhythms. I have to feel the music because I can’t begin to count it. Then I like to listen for what the song is saying to me because the music speaks to me. I always try and go where it takes me. There is a lot of writing and rewriting… Sometimes I will take direction and sometimes I have to stick to my guns, but I always try and ask for input from the rest of the band. I want all of us to be able to be proud of these songs.

CH: What’s the inspiration behind your solo album, CHIPS? Are you a gamblin’ type of women yourself?
VH: I titled Chips after my song “Chips” because I love that song and I was really taking a gamble putting the record out the way I did… It was super guerilla style and I wasn’t sure how it would all work out. I have never been one to gamble much. Never had the $$$ to waste. As TP says “I like to keep my $$ in my pocket.”
CH: What bands did you grow up listening to? Who’s been your biggest influence?
VH: I began singing in church when I was a little girl. Gospel music was a huge part of my vocal development. I’ve been told that I am a child of New Jack Swing. I was jamming out to bands like “Tony, Toni, Tone” and “Mint Condition”! I also always loved bands like “Foo Fighters” “No Doubt” and “Greenday”. Then there was my soulful Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone. Or Funky Sly and his fam. Then who can leave out my divas like Whitney, Chaka, Tina, Aretha and Mariah! I could go on and on…
CH: Who are you listening to now?
VH: I had a gig the other day and I was listening to Cage the Elephant in the car on the way. I like them. I find myself often listening to Fela. I also have been listening to a crap load of The Memorials because we are in the process of mixing our second album!!!
CH: See any bands live recently who gave you the chills?
VH: A few months back I went to see Jordan Ferreira at Elixir on Mute show with some friends and Jon Reshard was playing bass with him! They were going nuts on stage and all I could think about was the fact that I was soon gonna be on stage with them!! It was sooooo exciting! Totally gave me the willies J
CH: And lastly, what’s next for you? With your fingers in all sorts of fun projects, including your own, how will your time be divided?
VH: Our second record is well in the works and we are hoping to get back on the road by 4/20/2012! I am getting into my conditioning mode because when we make these songs I don’t really know them. I have to learn them all over again after we finish and I have to be able to run around the stage while I’m singing them! I’ll be working out, shopping for new gear for the road, singing a lot, and preparing our merch for the road! Yea that’s right!! I’m making T shirts Kids!!! How many artists really make their own merch!!? Weeeeeeeeeeee!!
CH: How’s a trip to Australia sound, if we can manage it??
VH: I have been to Australia twice now. Both times I loved it!! I came on tour with Blackalicious in like 08/09!!  I can’t wait to get back out there!!!  As soon as you all can manage WE ARE THERE!!!! Can’t wait to see you!!!  Thanks for hitting me up!!

NO Depression interview w/ bradley wik

Bradley Wik and the Charlatans / Burn What You Can And Bury The Rest

• Posted by Hal Bogerd  View Blog

Bradley Wik and the Charlatans' Burn What You Can And Bury The Rest (1/17/12)  proves that rock and roll is not dead but it is in fact alive and well.  Bucking the recent trend of popular bands that don't rock Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, etc.  Wik saw the (his) future of rock and roll and yes,  as Jon Landau predicted, it was Bruce Springsteen. Wik delivers eight straightforward, somewhere between Born to Run and Nebraska era, Bruce influenced and inspired tracks. Bradley paints moody rural scenes of snowplows, cars, girls, beers and dreams.  No cowboy hats, pickups or whiskey, Burn What You Can, doesn't pretend to be anything it is not. Yeah, there is a touch of alt-country/Americana but  a better description might be blue-collar rock.  Wik is a talented songwriter mining the same thematic workingman's highway as Springsteen and Tom Petty (and before that the Stones and Chuck Berry) .  If this disc was available on eight-track these eight tracks of guitar, bass, organ and drums would sound just right blasting out of the speakers of your " '66 Chevelle" on your drive home from the factory on a Friday night. Follow the links and you can stream "The Old House"  with Brianne Kathleen and you can download "Midwest Winters" (courtesy of XO publicity).  Although it is only January, I'll predict Burn What You Can and Bury The Rest will be my pick for debut disc of  the year and it should be a contender for a Top Ten Discs of 2012 when December rolls around. The album is currently available at CDBaby.
____________________________________________________________________________
HB-Congratulations on a great disc Bradley! It almost made my Top Ten of 2011 until I realized it won't be officially released until January 17, 2012. It look at it as you've got a running start towards my NoDepression best of 2012 list!
BW-Thank you...

HB-You can't write "You can hear the plows at 2:30 in the morning" without having experiencing it. What was your experience with snowplows and "Midwest Winters"?
BW-Yeah, I wrote this song while I was living in New York but the song comes from when I was eighteen, still in High School and working at the factory. The place almost exclusively manufactured chrome accessories for Harley Davidson, so needless to say, I thought it was such a cool place to work. Except very soon I realized what hard work really was. It was a great learning experience for me. And even though I was only supposed to work a certain number of hours since I was still in school, they didn't care at all. They just paid me cash for any time I worked over the legal limit, so I worked there a lot.
That whole first verse is just me talking about working those days (some of which I skipped school to do) in the winter when we started at six in the morning and ended at five at night. Those plow companies must have made a fortune cause they were always working, and all night if need be. But it only took an hour or two and everything was immaculately white once again, so needless to say they had their work cut out for them. But I wasted so many days driving in the snow only to catch a glimpse of the sun before getting to work and, like the song says, it was gone by the time we were done. I remember those days as a big turning point in my life. I exclusively worked and hung out and lived in a world so much older than my days. I lost touch with my High School peers as they seemed so immature and naive as far as I saw it. Some of those mornings, heading out, I felt torn. I knew, on one hand, that I was still in school and mostly still a child so I shouldn't be sweating such a tough job. But I also knew I was on the cusp of adulthood and very quickly moving towards it. I wanted to be carefree and irresponsible but there were other people(co-workers) who depended on me to show up and do my thing. It was a ball-busting work but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We had a lot of good times too though, as those guys liked to party hard and brought me along to a lot of things I, in retrospect, probably shouldn't have been doing. Well, so it goes...

HB-I've never heard of your guest vocalist Brianne Kathleen? She adds a nice touch to the two tracks she sings on.
BW-That actually came about quite randomly, as it were. She had recently moved back to the west coast, as I had, and was singing in my guitar players’ band, Jettison Bend. He had invited her out to one of my shows and she obliged. Needless to say, she liked the show, since they are always a fun, rockin' affair.
Well, fast forward to a few months later, I was in the middle of recording my album and I had always wanted to have a girl sing on "I am not Afraid" sort of a duet type deal. She happened to be free that day and she came in and sang. I have to say I was so blown away by her performance, as she had never heard the song before, that I had her sing on "This Old House" as well. If I can say so, and I can since it’s my interview, she is just as beautiful as her voice, and I'm still in awe of both her performance and her. Brianne also just recently released her debut album entitled "Blue Heron Grey" and I had the pleasure of being a part of it, both in singing and mixing the record.

HB-Could you name a few albums/artists that have inspired you? Obviously Springsteen but maybe a few surprises?
BW-Well, AC/DC(Bon Scott era) is a huge influence on me, though you may not always be able to hear it. "Love at First Feel" "Big Balls" the whole High Voltage album I mean, come on. "Rock 'N' Roll Singer" is my anthem, my whole inspiration for rocking practically. Led Zep, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, CCR, Christ I could talk music all day. I am huge Hold Steady fan. I've seen them so many times, especially since I used to live in Brooklyn. Mountain Goats, Neutral Milk Hotel. Possibly surprising is Linda Ronstadt. Her album Heart Like a Wheel is so well produced, the sounds on it are amazing. And the song selection, I love it, Little Feat, hell yeah. She was the first Lady of Rock N' Roll, touring stadiums and whatnot but that album is by far her best..
One of the biggest influences on me, most of my favorite music, is old R&B. I'm talking Motown, Smokey Robinson, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye and Martha Reeves topping that list, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, I could go on. I love all of it. But by far the first and biggest influence on my was Michael Jackson. He was the first musician/performer I really loved. I used to go up and down the aisles at the Piggly Wiggly singing "Bad" and embarrassing my mom when I was six and seven years old and have never lost interest in that amazing record or Michael. If it weren't for him I don't know where I would be, probably still working in that factory...

HB- Weirdest gig?
BW-This would definitely have to be a show I played whilst I was living up in Seattle. I worked with this guy who was well connected in the music scene of Seattle. He was kind of a hipster right when hipsters were gaining strength as a people. He was the kind of guy who on his company insurance questionnaire said he drank at least 12 alcoholic drinks a week. So he wasn't very smart but he liked to party so thats what appealed to me. Anyways, he invited me out to this music venue which was new and cool but I couldn't go for whatever reason. But I figured I'd book a show there because back then I was a folk singer and played anywhere they'd let me bring my harmonicas and play a few tunes. So I got a show there, without ever seeing it, and was quite excited about it to boot.
So the day of the show I set out to the venue and I can't find it. It has an address which doesn't seem to exist. Finally I knock on the door of what looks to be an abandoned building which is within the street address of where I'm supposed to be. After a few minutes of knocking, someone comes to the door and says "Who are you?" I say "I'm Bradley Wik I'm supposed to play tonight but I'm not sure where" I explain what's going on and he says I'm at the right place. I walked in and it looked like, no was, an abandoned warehouse. There was shelving full of shit and debris everywhere. I again told him I was scheduled to perform that night and he directed me to the "backstage area" which was outside behind the warehouse. All there was out there was a couch, which looked like it had been found on the curb, and a fridge, outside mind you. The fridge was full of beer so I didn't complain. Even weirder was the fact that the guy I was playing with was from Wisconsin as well. Somehow we had both found the shittiest venue with a fully stocked beer fridge. It almost seemed fitting. The stage was a piece of concrete that had fallen off the wall and there were speakers somehow, and very precariously, hanging from the ceiling. We got hammered and played the show. There was a surprising amount of people who were there just hanging out and drinking. It ended up not being too bad. I sold some cd's and got drunk... Can't ask for much more.

HB-Wik's recs: You really need to check out ________ if you haven't heard them.
BW-I love talking about music but I'll keep it fairly short. One, the Joy Formidable. Their debut record is awesome, full of hard rocking and noise and wonderful pop melodies. The aforementioned AC/DC record High Voltage which is unbelievable in its awesomeness. Ryan Adams new record Ashes and Fire is so amazing, the production of that record rivals anything he's ever done. Also, his voice just continues to get better and better. I just saw him live and its even better than the album. Brianne Kathleen's debut record Blue Heron Grey is phenomenal, and not just cause I got a chance to work on it. It was always amazing and I am lucky she let me help her with it. If somehow you haven't heard Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, get a clue and make it happen. His version of "Way Over There" is one of my favorite songs ever.

HB-Thank you and best of luck in 2012 with Burn What You Can, Bury The Rest!
BW-Thanks again...

Bradley Wik and the Charlatans

(Left to right) Nick Kostenborder:Drums, Brian Bergstrom:Lead Guitar, Bradley Wik:Lead Vocals, Guitar and Sasha Shybut:  Bass

RAGS & RIBBONS cd release this friday!!! @ DOUG FIR

Rags & Ribbons interview w/kzme dj jason

Eastern Surf Magazine on Poor Boy's Soul

Listen if you like: Raw blues, Appalachian folk, punked-up bluegrass, Bloodshot Bill, Devil Makes Three, Hillstomp, an acoustic, stripped-down The Black Keys.

First impressions: A one-man band fronted by Portland, OR, native Trevor Jones, Poor Boy’s Soul kicks out some of the meanest, grittiest blues and folk jams known to man. The music is simple, but the simmering power of the opening title track quickly gives way to the raucous, throat-shredding insanity of “Movin’ To The City.” Inspired by Jones’ time spent hopping trains around the United States, the song delivers a unique vision of America that could have been made in 1931 or 2011.

The nitty-gritty: Since I’ve never seen him live, I can’t speculate how Poor Boy’s Soul would measure up with Canadian one-man band phenom Bloodshot Bill, who I caught in Orlando back in November. But suffice to say that the intensity of one man shredding a slide guitar while stomping out beats on a rudimentary drum kit is best enjoyed in person. Take “Nails In The Pine,” for instance; the enormous skill required to play a song that fast while playing two instruments and singing sounds impressive on record. But the sweat and spit and hellfire doesn’t come flying at you from computer speakers. In addition, that short track, along with the brief but swaying “Throwing Stones,” are nice contrasts to the five-minute-plus openers.

Other recommended tracks: “Ain’t Comin’ Back Any More” creeps and crawls like a snake in the grass, while “54 Ways” injects a bit of down-home melody into Burn Down’s otherwise gaunt, sparse 30-minute running time. Yet the seven-minute “Annalisa” is the most impressive and the most confounding offering from Poor Boy’s Soul: a slow-moving, fingerpicked ballad that lacks most of Burn Down’s early energy while still proving that Trevor Jones has more than just roughshod blues chop up his sleeve.

East Coast tour dates? None as of yet; stay tuned to www.PoorBoysSoul.com for updates on when Trevor Jones is riding the rails to the Rightside. –NM

http://www.easternsurf.com/vitalreverb/010512/

slightly drunken Ryan Adams

Shawn Lawson Freeman, Non-etre (Self-released)

http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/reviews-yukon-blonde-touch-people-people-get-ready

For Shawn Lawson Freeman, the most obvious, prominent immediate, visceral comparison that emerges on his album is found on “Loop Me In,” which is like a Lou Barlow/Sebadoh/Sentridoh side project of some kind, and that’s something to proud of, for sure, but the other, slightly less prominent, comparison is Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas on “To Be Special,” and that drags this down a few notches. The rest of the album strikes a balance. “Angry Love” is good, with piano and vocals by guest Amy Seeley, and the echoey piano and bass are effective “I Am You” introduces more flexibility. “God Said” is strong, and captures more of what I gather he’s after, which in this instance appears to be a slightly drunken Ryan Adams.

Non-etre­ is an interesting creation torn between two personalities.

http://targetaudiencemagazine.com/2011/12/beneath-wind-and-waves-non-etre-cd-review/

Beneath Wind and Waves: Non-etre CD Review

by ellen 

 Non-etre­ is an interesting creation torn between two personalities. The folk-pop mix is a difficult endeavor that when done well can be quite enjoyable, but it is much harder to achieve than most realize. Beneath Wind and Waves certainly strives for this balance, succeeding at times, yet falling short more often. Lyrically, the album expresses a search for self during and after a serious, identity-defining relationship. So it fits that its musical counterpart seems to also be searching for an identity, caught between the rhythms and harmonies of folk and the melodies of pop –a battle which finds neither an ultimate victor nor armistice. There are moments of musical creativity and lyrical depth, however these are sparse, and their simultaneous existence is fleeting. Shawn Lawson Freeman, lyricist, digs for truth and clarity in the chaos of self-searching, and reaches for insightful introspection, opening up to the audience in the third track, “To Be Special,” with lines such as “you’re not much, but you’re all you think about; the eyes see, but they never see themselves,” but then immediately takes away from its poignancy and hides behind walls of clichés with lines like “the ears hear, but they never hear themselves.” Freeman is grasping for clever poetry and poignancy but only manages to scratch the surface. This album has its strong moments, but is overall a struggle for inventiveness and ingenuity, obscured by familiarity and clichés.

Review by Caroline Wuertz

FEATURING :: Mr. Hands bring on the vintage equipment!

Want to introduce you to someone I stumbled upon that I greatly enjoyed... Mr. Hands. For me they channeled a Beach Boy's meets The Strokes. Thinking some surfers here on the west coast would be into this album weird hands and all!

 

Hometown: New York

Genres: Rock - "melancholie pop"

Who are your biggest influences?

Clemens: Sibylle Baier, The Band, George Harrison, Os Mutantes
Dan Stern: NRBQ, George Harrison, Todd Rundgren
Josh Hahn: Harry Nilsson, Skip Spence, Juergen Knieper, Mississippi John Hurt, The Band
Aaron Green: Steely Dan, Elliott Smith, Radiohead, Wilco, of Montreal


Being you speak German on track 3 “Du Wirst Schon Seh'n” does the rest of the band even know what you are singing about?  How do you write melodies and parts for a song that you don’t know what the lyrics are.... FOR EXAMPLE (you could be saying super super pop uplifting things and writing riffs and guitar parts for a dark slow gloomy song....)

Clemens: We briefly talked about what the song is about, but I never translated it for them. My father wrote this song back in the 60’s with his friend Michael Baier, and for some reason it never needed an explanation. I grew up speaking German and was surrounded by songs in English, but me not understanding any of the words never kept me from “getting” the music. I suppose I trust that music itself can portrait a mood and feeling. I think that this recording solidified that idea since both my dad and I agree with the reflected feeling of the “new” version Mr. Hands made.

Mr. Hands - Hands' EP - 03 Du Wirst Schon Seh'n by xopublicity

Josh: When Clemens sings in German I hear it as a kind of texture in the music. Clemens is a very expressive singer, and as he performs, no matter what language he is singing in, he sets the tone of the music. It really tickles me to hear what is known to be a very rough and brutish tongue, as something that is actually quite sweet and musical. I like it so much, that upon hearing a new demo Clemens recorded, I suggested that he should sing some of the verses in German.

Aaron:  Writing a part involves focusing in on what fits the song and the musical mood we want to convey.   As far as striking a discord with lyrics, I’m all for it.  A song or arrangement that seems to “not fit” with its lyrical content can work brilliantly.   There are many examples.  Gram Parson’s “Still Feeling Blue.”  The Smiths?  The Magnetic Fields’ “I Don’t Want To Get Over You” is a catchy pop song about struggling with a breakup.  Why not?  The tension works.  For the record, I still have no idea what “Du Wirst Schon Seh'n” is about.

Dan: I enjoy good lyrics, but when I start figuring a song out with Clemens or anyone, one of the last things I think about is sticking to what the words would suggest. In the case of Clemens’ father’s song we had advantage of a recording to work from, giving us a really clear framework. Normally, one of us comes in with a vague concept and we play until it makes sense to everyone. Most of these songs have been played in totally different and unrecognizable ways and could change still. You can make anything work.


What is the biggest difference as a musician in Germany versus America?

I didn’t really start playing or writing songs until I left Berlin in 2004. I come from a very musical family and that somehow distanced me from making music for a long time. When I came to Massachusetts to live with Sibylle Baier, I realized that I am very much missing that ingredient in my life, so I asked her to teach me some guitar and we started writing songs together. Her lightness and wisdom have been the key to my music. When I go back to Germany, i don’t feel as distant from music as i used to.

 

What is the story with your band name Mr. Hands

collective response:  we plead the fifth... but also, clemens has scary alien hands.


This album being recorded w/ vintage equipment... Do you have a dream piece you would love to record with for next record?

We didn’t expect to be able to geek out in this interview. Our dream pieces are probably a Fairchild 670 compressor and a Studer 8-track Reel-To-Reel. Those would be nice things to have and use.


Who would be your dream tour co-headliner? Dream tour vehicle? Dream tour rider?

If this is a full on dream tour then we would probably be travelling with the Beatles, our live-engineer would be Geoff Emerick (we d’ trust him to drive too), and the vehicle would be an intergalactic spaceship that would allow us to travel at the speed of light. It’d be nice to hear what things sound like on other planets, we ‘re all just stardust after all. An alternative would be to tour with The Minutemen FEAT. Robert Johnson through South America. Our vehicle is roller blades and birds would carry our gear.

Biggest compliment a fan ever gave you? Biggest insult?

When we opened for the band She Keeps Bees, Jessica Larrabee said that our music was strangely familiar yet unexpected... it made her feel at home. That was certainly the biggest compliment we have gotten. Though, some people have told us that we are just another band that loves the Beatles, which we do.

What do you want listeners to feel when they hear your record?

Well everyone should have their own relationship with the Hands’ EP, so let’s not list any adjectives here...

Can you remember first album that you ever got (purchased or received as a gift)?  Do you still listen to the band or music like it?

Clemens: I remember buying Happy Nation by Ace of Base when it came out, but I haven’t put it on in years.

Dan: I was given Let it Be with a CD player when I was four, I think, but I certainly wouldn’t have bought that myself. I bought Dookie and a Spice Girls album at a Staples at some point. That’s far more significant.

Josh: When I was a toddler we used to have a box of cassettes in the car. One of the cassettes was Bob Marley’s Legends, a greatest hits album. Our car was broken into, and all of our tapes were stolen. I begged my father to replace that tape, and he bought it for me for Channukka. I was about four or five.

Aaron:  I grew up with Steely Dan, who are still my favorite. A lot of Steely Dan and Sting and Bonnie Raitt and stuff.  The first music I wanted that wasn’t my parents’ was soundtrack to Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet. This was around the third grade. I wanted it mostly because Everclear’s “Local God” had some cursing in it. Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host” is on the same soundtrack. I really liked that song. Coincidentally, it also has some profanity. Later that year I made my grandpa buy me Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I love Radiohead, and I still think that “Local God” is a pretty good song.

What can my readers expect from you in 2012 (any touring, music videos, new records?) 

We have a decent collection of demos that we ‘re currently fooling around with, so you can expect another record soon. Also, we are currently working on a music video for one of the songs on the EP and we will be playing a few shows on the east coast this summer.

Find more on this band here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Hands/328213580531593

Even better news their album is FREE!  http://mrhands.bandcamp.com/

Portland, Oregon's Black Pussy is comically titled On Blonde

http://www.rockstarweekly.com/cd-review-black-pussy-on-blonde.html

CD Review: Black Pussy - On Blonde

Written by Dan Savoie

The debut CD from Portland, Oregon's Black Pussy is comically titled On Blonde, but that’s pretty much where the humour ends. The punchy six-track release is heavily influenced by several 70s hard rockers and sounds a bit like the Ace Frehley KISS solo album mixed with The Ramones Rocket To Russia, but with a bit of extra crunch along the lines of Nirvana Nevermind. The band went through some changes in 2010, including a new musical direction, which has resulted in an authentic and daring album.
The first track, Marijuana, kicks off the album much like Rip It Out leads off the KISS guitarist's first LP, with a big beat, distorted guitar and familiar sounding chorus. The repetitive track is a tribute to the mysterious plant that seems to influence the band and most of the rock music coming out in the 70s. Further down on the album is the standout track Swim, which sounds more Nirvana-like. Driven by a relentless cowbell, Swim gives the retro album a more grungy feel, dipping into Kurt Cobainish songwriting structures.
For lack of a better description, Ain’t Talkin’ About Love is a dinosaur rocker. The song is big and sluggish, but very tuned into the retro sound the band is trying to re-create, while the album closer Indiana, is a slow guitar-driven jam that seems like it could have fit on Nirvana’s Unplugged album.
Black Pussy reminds me of Buckcherry without the glam, gimmicks and party-rock - basically Black Pussy is Buckcherry, had Buckcherry had the balls to create something less commercial. The band is very rooted, full of attitude and extremely indie, making them an exciting band to watch out for in the future. On Blonde is a great first effort.




Read more: CD Review: Black Pussy - On Blonde | RockStar Weekly http://www.rockstarweekly.com/cd-review-black-pussy-on-blonde.html#ixzz1iWgOwOJB

Just remember to snuff those butts out; basements can burn up.

White Orange — White Orange

http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/contentcdreview/2011jul/white-orange

{8.3}

buy it!

{Made In China Records}

It's no surprise that Portland, OR band's White Orange is fronted/fully finessed by a hands-on studio owner and full-time acid-axe victim. Adam Pike sits in the corner of Pac NW's rock dungeon basement, egg-shell sheets all over the incense-drenched walls, orange crates of the most lysergic-infused hallucination-crunch hard psyche LPs near his feet, as he plays with some gimmicks box and weird tuning and drops long cigarette ashes into the denim cuff of his greasy jeans.
His self-titled nine track White Orange album easily shows why his Toadhouse Recording House skills are in such frenetic demand: Any raunch riff-based band (for example, Red Fang, Norska, Rabbits) would crave to sound this futurist and primitive-brutal all at once. Pike is a Sinatra of the dummy-headed bad-trip existential vocal, spinning turgid journeys through The Sword and Nebula style virtual reality doom stomp. Contemporary artists of this style often have the licks, but don't have the bottom end; White Orange cranks and throbs deep inside the crust of the lurch-groove ("Middle Of The Riddle"), then sprightly trills into pure cosmic pop pleasuring ("Dinosaur Bones").
The tempo from box-cutter opening "Where" to drain-dirge "Sigourney Weaver" features changes which aren't break neck, and often the layering of simple rhythms with basic chords beneath it all shows Pike knows his "rock" as much as his "art." Every element is clever, like with Queens Of The Stone Age, but sounding more 19 and life to go than mass-expressive vets. That's the thing: It's somehow both post-grunge, with a more innocent transgressive vocal style (almost but not quite 1970), and pre-pomp irony. It evades those excesses by glorying in its own.
A confession: The album's gorgeous/grotesque cover at first kept me from examining the sounds within -- I wanted to frame it more than play it. That was a big mistake, as this isn't the sort of experimental psyche-outs better left out to freak out the non-heads, and much more the kind of incredibly catchy showcase for a real songwriter set lose with self-created playfulness. This isn't an album to own to feel cool -- it just looks like it. It's more an album to play over and over again, before passing out on that filthy couch alongside your also-tripping heavy rocking comrade. Just remember to snuff those butts out; basements can burn up.

BLACK PUSSY: a six pack of poppy mixture of hard rock and punk

Black Pussy: On Blonde
http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=11927

Upon reading on the slipcase that: "If Hendrix had lived, he probably would have ended up recording Black Pussy's On Blonde", I found this band pretentious and overly self-confident. I mean, Jimi Hendrix, the man recently voted the best guitar player, doing this type of music is more than unlikely. Besides, any band with the pussy in it is not what I would call a very serious act in my book.

Anyways, here on this 31 minutes album, the Black Pussy has written a six pack of poppy mixture of hard rock and punk. If you look at these guys, you know they would come up with something down and dirty. In general, their compositions are made of distorted riffs, clean vocals, moderate tempos, loud basses and repetitiveness. They have thrown in bits and pieces of variation in the shape of electronics, female backing vocals, bike samplings as well as psychedelic tones. I found their best track being on position # 5, "Aint Talkin About Love". Although still repetitive, they have incorporated more sound experimentation in their writing by using keyboards, fuzzy guitar solo and a cool psychedelic edge.
On Blonde is not bad as such, but this is far from being an essential piece for your collection. Something Hendrix would have done... please!!!
Track listing:
1- Marijuana
2- Cant Take Anymore (Who buries the chiefs when all the Indians are gone)
3- Swim (~A~)
4- Blow Some Steam Off
5- Aint Talking About Love
6- Indiana

Added: December 4th 2011
Reviewer: Denis Brunelle
Score:
Related Link: More Information
Hits: 211
Language: english

MAGNUSON interview

http://www.sugarbuzzmagazine.com/bands/magnuson/magnuson.html 

Magnuson

Interview with……

By Christopher Duda
(Sugarbuzzin' Bear Country)

SugarBuzz Magazine

Hello Brothers and Sisters .Come down from the mountain and settle in with the real folk. Roll Dem Bones and scrape the shit off your shoes. Relax and settle in with the space age jet set sounds of Magnuson….and remember we heard of them before you did………………
Introductions are boring.. Listen to the music-discover for yourself. First and only clue-they are a two piece...
1. What are your backgrounds musically? - We both grew up in musical households and had a love of learning how to play different instruments. Greg’s mother was an opera singer, Kyrsten’s mother played keyboard in cover bands. Music was always around and it just felt natural to start playing as well.
2. Seems that because you are a two piece people like to compare you to The White Stripes although your music is quite different. How do you feel about the comparison? - We get this comparison frequently, but it is definitely a compliment. Jack White is a brilliant writer & musician and Meg’s almost childlike approach to the drums just fits in perfectly. They had something different and special and they’ve definitely changed the way people perceive a two piece band in general, not to mention the fact that it was a guy/girl two piece!
3. Was there ever consideration to have more people in the band? - We actually started as a 5 piece and played for many years as a 3 piece. While we enjoyed those configurations, it was time for something new. We both love playing drums and guitar and always dreamt of playing in a band where we could switch off, so we decided to give it a try. We have so much fun and get such a great response as a 2 piece; I don't think we'll ever add more members. Plus now we only have to take one car!
4. Who are some people that have influenced you musically? - Muse, Porcupine Tree, Death From Above 1979, Dead Kennedys, The Smiths, Kent, Opeth, Meshuggah, Radiohead, The Beach Boys
5. Another frequent comparison is to Black Sabbath. Do you think this comparison is accurate? - I see what people mean, but we only nod our hats to them on a few songs. Other influences come through in other songs, but we appreciate the comparison! Sabbath was a game changing band.
6. How has the band evolved over the years? - Initially, Greg started this project as a solo acoustic act. Then, other members were added to fill out the songs. Kyrsten joined as rhythm guitar initially and then made herself indispensible with her vocal skills. After experimenting with different lineups (including about 8 different drummers), we finally decided less was more and stuck with the duo.
7. What are the next steps for Magnuson both in the recorded sense and touring? - Well, the first step is the official release of our debut duo album "Crash of Cassini" on July 16th. After that, we'll be touring locally with a focus of expanding our territory. Greg has been in Sweden for a month working on a reality show that will air in September and the album has gotten some amazing feedback there. Depending on how things go, a Swedish/European tour will follow next spring. Then, we'll hopefully begin recording the next album!
8. A question that seems to come up often. Are you related? - Or is this one of those world secrets guarded my evil midget minions? Well, it’s kind of funny because that's another one of those White Stripes things. For the record, we are not brother and sister, we're married. But that won't stop people from their speculating. ;)
9. Are you familiar with other two piece bands from the past –The Flat Duo Jets or The Leather Uppers? - We haven’t heard of those bands, but we’ll have to check them out! Our current favorite duos are Death From Above 1979, Blood Red Shoes, The Black Keys and Middle Class Rut. They all have such a great full sound for only having two people and we definitely look up to them.
10. What have been your most memorable shows? - The Troubadour in West Hollywood is definitely our favorite show thus far. So much history and energy...it was magical. Besides that, Payette, Idaho was the best tour show. We played our set twice because the crowd couldn't get enough and a lady started stripping on the dance floor. So crazy!
11. Do you have groupies and do you exploit them for alcohol, drugs and sex? - We are each other’s groupies…but we make excellent wingmen for our friends & fans!
12. Are there any current bands you would like to share the stage with? - Opeth, Muse, Dirty Projectors, Givers, Passion Pit, DFA1979, Foo Fighters...
13. Would you consider doing a Sonny and Cher type variety show if offered? - This would be the best thing ever. We'd do it in a heartbeat.
14. Where do you see Magnuson in ten years? - Hopefully enjoying the success of several world tours as well as having a catalogue of numerous film soundtracks and possibly an art film based on our music. I'd also guess we'd be starting to add the next generation of little Magnusons to the band at that point…Partridge Family style.
15. What guitars/amps/gear do you use? - Randall 50 guitar amps and Eden bass gear. We play Brian Moore guitars which we run through a Roland guitar synth and various other pedals. For drums, we have a prized 2 piece DW kit with a custom snare, DW hardware, Zildjian and Paiste cymbals. Mics are Sure beta 58s.
16. Would there be anything about the current release you would like to change? - This album was particularly a challenge because it was our first duo album. We wanted to make sure everything sounded the same on the album as we play it live, so lots of changing little parts here and there to make sure it sounded nice and full. We also cut a few songs for the sake of the "album", but maybe those will resurface as bonus tracks one day. As it is though, we’re really happy with what we were able to put out on such a limited budget and can’t wait to record the next one!

www.magnusonband.comwww.myspace.com/magnuson