Rock Fist Reviews

Review of Mondays Are Various’ “Racecar Anna” Album
~Kris Melton

Sample if you like: The Smiths, Silversun Pickups, Sick Puppies, Nirvana
Location: Atlanta, GA

It’s obvious that songwriters, like Morrisey, have influenced Mondays Are Various. They seem to appreciate deeper, more out of the box styled lyrics, as well as instrumentals that keep it light with an easy going flow. “Angeline” opens the album with verses that are airy and light and lead into a chorus reminiscent of early 90’s alternative. The repetitive chorus, vocals that seem to whine or cry out, and guitar with a slight dark side come together for a sound that could very well be a lost Nirvana track. The strumming guitar that opens “Cracks in the Sidewalk” takes you back to the 60’s with its ambient and hippie inspired vibes. This is one of the band’s best tracks, and its classic rock base will appeal to a bigger audience than others off the album. A fun, upbeat song that leaves you thinking, “What the..?” is “Racecar Anna”. Most of the vocals are more talking than singing and seem to be random thoughts to a soundtrack. “Rectangular Chair” screams west coast influence, and sets the mood for a day at the beach while Ken sings, “Hang Fire”. Probably one of their best tracks is “You”, a bittersweet love song with a slight twang in its guitar and delicate instrumentals. You can hear the range in Ken’s vocals without them overpowering the song. Although the guys have only been a band for about a year, Ed Encinias and Ken Gambill have been writing music together since 2003. Their album “Racecar Anna” is available for purchase now, but the band has already begun writing new material with hopes to release a second album next year.

RFR Rating:
Rock Fist Up
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Mondays Are Various is:
Lead Vocals- Ken Gambill
Lead & Rythym Guitar/ Bass- Ed Encinias
Drums- Scotty Bryan

www.myspace.com/mondaysarevarious

Future Birds
~Celeste Watwood

Location: Athens, GA
Sounds like: Early Modest Mouse mixed with a Sleepy Neil Young, very unique sound

One thing is for sure, these guys have a style all of their own! And I’m not just talking about the music, I mean these guys have a great look. Put them on the cover of a magazine, they are ready to go! Even the stage set up is unique with this group. All the members are lined up, right there in front of you. They don’t have the drummer, Payton Bradford, in the bac;, nope, they bring him right up front for you! You have to watch Payton, if you aren’t looking he will put the sticks down and pick up a mandolin for a song or two! They all do that though, swapping from guitar to banjo to mandolin like it was nothing. It was a great dynamic, just the right mix of Bluegrass, Country and Rock. Songs sound like sleepy drinking songs, but with optomistic undertones. It sounds like these guys got a few drinks in, sat on the front porch and started playing. The band is out of Athens, and has only been playing together for 6 months. But you would never know, everything is super tight, minus a vocal harmony here or there, but hey, it comes with time right?? There are some great reviews written about their first EP and I encourage you to read them, but as always, my purpose here is to get you out to a show to see what these guys do live!!! So put this band on your radar and be on the look out for them coming to your area!

Future Birds is:
Rev. Cleophus James
Dr. Payton Bradford
Sir D. HeeHaw Womack
C.W. King, V.P. Sales
Professor Scott
J. Holt, President and CEO
2nd Commander Thomas Johnson
also featuring Senator Dennis McLawhorn Love

www.myspace.com/thefuturebirds
www.futurebirds.bandcamp.com

Reigning Mother~ My First Encounter with High-Voltage Progressive-Blues
By Gunnar Ohberg

Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Sample: The Doors, Mars Volta, Stray Cats

Sounds of the Rolling Stones’ “Shattered” glided through the PA as I walked into the dark, cluttered rock ‘n roll melting pot known as the Starbar. The venue is tiny; there’s a small bar on your right, a smaller bar on your left, and an even smaller bar downstairs. In front of you is the “stage”, a square block raised a foot or two from the ground with barely enough room for four people to practice. In the back of the bar there are bathrooms. I wouldn’t recommend them.

As a trained professional, I immediately set out to observe my surroundings. Aside from the few supportive parents sprinkled around the bars, the inhabitants of the Starbar this particular Saturday were fairly intimidating. There was a weird mix of older ex-metalheads, rockabilly enthusiasts, and jaded punk rockers strolling lazily around each other. One kid looked like a cookie-cut of the kind of fan one would see on a Vans Warped Tour poster. My girlfriend and another close friend had joined me for the show, and the three of us stuck out like convicts at a daycare.

Reigning Mother was first on the bill, their name written humbly in chalk on a dusty blackboard hung behind the “stage”. Fearing a riot, I prayed they wouldn’t suck.

They didn’t. With no introduction, no warm up, and no sound check, the band immediately ripped into their first song, the straightforward “Rest Easy”. As guitar riffs exploded across the room, the Starbar suddenly seemed more alive, awakened by this awesome new sound bellowing like a freight-train throughout it. Even though the lead singer, Tyler, wasn’t bothering to play a note on his guitar (thank you, Tim Armstrong), the song was ferocious, an inspiring hybrid of blues, rock, metal, and punk (or at least some light shade of it). The lead singer belted out all kinds of crazy jibberish, and while he couldn’t quite channel the late Jim Morrison, he was getting interestingly closer with each oddball lyric. Not that it mattered; the other guitarist was shredding like a frantic Keith Richards, the bassist looked like Entwhistle on chrystal meth, and as for the drummer… well, his set was bouncing. Literally bouncing! I was impressed.

The lead singer started playing on the next song, during which the lead guitarist, Jared, broke one of his strings. After the song, the band quietly apologized as they watched their lead guitarist start to pull out a new string. An awkward silence fell across the room as the band simply looked on, almost disinterested, until one of the hardened bar patron’s yelled for them to freestyle something. Anything!

The band shrugged, the guitarist played a couple chords, and then… kaboom. As everyone looked on pleasantly stunned, the three of them started tearing the room apart with riffs, completely synchronized and serious as their singer finally showed why he looked so comfortable holding a guitar in this amazing band. Solidly together, the band played on for three more minutes before their lead joined in for a minute, and then with one deft count on the snare they flew like a fireball into their next song, the catchy and technically stunning “Wash Your Brain”. With a fevered passion they ripped through their set, laying down one impressive performance after another. No long break. No shout outs. No silly explanation of a song’s stupid message. Just rock.

After the show, I interviewed the band, standing in front of them utterly amazed as they lounged against a wall, calm and unassuming, completely drenched in sweat. I learned that they played because “that’s all we like to do”, as their lead singer put it. I learned about their outlook on the music industry as a whole (“ridiculous”), their day jobs (“a waste of time”), and where they would love to play (“every major ruin in the world”). They were straightforward, honest, and focused: becoming wealthy or famous would be nice, but completely secondary. Music was meant to be played because it was awesome and it was what they loved, and that’s how they played it.

I gathered my little entourage and left the Starbar that night feeling excited, knowing that if more bands like Reigning Mother could be found in Atlanta, then this rock journalist would more than love to find them.

Rock Fist Rating:
Both Rock Fists Up!
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Reigning Mother Is:
Tyler Tollison: Lead Vocals and Guitar
Jared Pepper: Lead Guitar, Keyboards, and Vocals
Derek Bozaich: Bass, Harp, and Vocals
Nick Gleave: Drums and Vocals

I like what you guys are sayin’!!!
Michael Bereznoff
Gulfport, FL

Kurt Baldyga (aka “SIX”, aka “Chicago”)

Profession: Tattoo Artist/ Owner
Location: Tampa, FL

Contact:
Chicago Custom Tattoo
9701 66th Street N
Pinellas Park, Fl 33782
(727) 544-2470
chicagocustomtattoo@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/chicagocustomtattoo

Shop Hours:
Mon – Thurs: 2:30p – 10:30p
Fri & Sat: 2:30p – Midnight
Sunday: by appointment

Why he rocks: Chicago Custom Tattoo is owned and operated by Kurt (aka “SIX”, aka “Chicago”) Baldyga. Kurt is an award-winning tattoo artist from Chicago who specializes in everything from PORTRAITS to COVER-UPS. C.C.T. is the only true CUSTOM tattoo studio this side of Tampa Bay. Each and every tattoo is designed and drawn specifically for the individual client based on heavy client input. Kurt does mostly appointment work, since each tattoo is drawn from scratch after client consultation, but also take walk-ins. So…if you’re looking for a piece of unique body art and not a “pick & stick” tattoo from a street shop, check out Kurt (aka “SIX”) and Chicago Custom Tattoo.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER

Review of The Tips at Vinyl 5.15.09

Location: Atlanta, GA
Sample if you like: Rolling Stones, Waylon Jennings, Toots & The Maytals, Allman Brothers

The recently formed Atlanta locals, The Tips, have only been around since January 2009 and have already begun making a name for themselves across the Southeast, specifically Atlanta and Knoxville. They claim to be a genreless band with influences ranging from 30 years ago to the early 90’s, incorporating blues, country, jam, and classic rock appeal. Hearing what they sound like and actually hearing them are two extremes however. With a Mastodon show going on next door at Center Stage, The Tips received an overflow of new audience, mostly metal fans, all of whom took to their sound. Even at 9pm for the start of their set, Vinyl was packed, and from the first song to the last their crowd was hyped. More than once was I approached and relayed the message that this better be a good review.

Joe Marlow, vocals and guitar, has his own unique stage presence. His soulful voice radiates as his body does the “jiggle shakies” with a little dance. Although songs like “Baby’s Got Your Eyes” and “Country Boy” have a distinctive country flare, his voice is not whiny but foot tappin’ inspiring. Infact, all of their songs are very easy to dance to, as proven by a majority of the front row crowd. “The War” featured less country and more of a classic rock taste, not overly produced, but with appropriate accents and soulful keys courtesy of Brent Sandel. One of their new songs, “Gotta Have More” has a bluesier vibe put picks up the pace during the chorus with a perfectly placed guitar and harmonizing back up vocals.

There were several personal favorites and crowd pleasers that night. “Dagmar” received a great response thanks to the racing keys and jamming tunes. “Country Boy” encouraged whistles and mass dancing across the pit. The twangy meets groovy feel of this song makes it near impossible to stand still. By far “My Girl” was truly their best foot forward. The country-pop guitar jams out during the bridge, while the catchy chorus, “My girl, left me…” is instantly memorable. Matt Cahill, drummer, whipped out his harmonica for a musical breakdown that induced whistles and cheers.

Their crisp, tight sound is further complimented by their onstage appearance. Each member was dressed in suit and tie, fine tuning their image. If a mistake was made that night it was unclear to myself or the rest of the venue. The Tips are currently touring here and there across the Southeast, and have plans to release an album in mid-June. The album which is almost complete will be called “Indigent”. While several indie labels have shown interest, they are currently unsigned. For a show with great jams and a guaranteed good time, check out The Tips when they visit your town next.

~Kris Melton

RFR Rating:
Both Rock Fists Up
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The Tips are:
Guitar/ Vocals- Joe Marlow
Drums/ Harmonica/ Vocals- Matt Cahill
Keyboards/ Vocals- Brent Sandel

www.myspace.com/thetipsmusic
thetipsmusic@gmail.com

Rock Fist talks with Atlanta locals, The Bastard Suns, on their new album “Here Come The Suns”, being a reggae/ punk band from Georgia, and midget burritos. Get a taste of who the guys are behind this humorous and talented quintet.

RFR: “Here Come The Suns” is the name of your new album. How was that decided upon and why?

Clay: It’s been a saying and a running joke for a long time. I mean when we started the band we used to this little intro that mocked The Beatles line (starts singing) ‘Here come the suns”, so its just one of those things that’s been with us the whole time.

Jay Tea: I named this house The House of The Rising Suns, but it hasn’t really caught on yet. That’s a really awesome name for this house, right? The House of The Rising Suns.

Levon: And I also think ‘Here Come The Suns’ helps with the declaration of this being our first full length. It really states the fact that this is something were about.

Clay: We threw around a couple, but we felt this was the best one.

Jay Tea: For the record, what were some of the other ideas that we had? ‘Cause there were some funny ones, like ‘Lets Get Ready to Stumble’, was one?

Clay: My favorite was the one that was going to have a big fat lady covered in baking flour and the title was ‘Vulgar Display of Flower’. That’s brilliant man.

RFR: Do you have any favorites off the album?

Levon: I think we all have our own.

RFR: How about we go around the group. I’d like to get a taste of everyone’s personality.

Levon: I like Celina, and it’s not me just being biased because I helped create it. It turned into a really good song.

Wes: I honestly like ‘Go For Broke’ that’s one of my favorites, because it’s actually one of the songs off the album that the band collectively wrote. So when I listen to it, I just think about how it’s the first time the entire band actually… that everybody had input on the song and we just started with a rift and built up from there. So when I listen to it I’m like… sweet.

Kevin: I like ‘What Have We Won’

Jay Tea: Yeah that’s my second favorite for sure.

Clay: I like the diversity in the band in that song.

Jay Tea: ‘Never Say Die’ that’s a good one.

Levon: And I gotta say my favorite part of the CD is the guitar solo in ‘Never Say Die’.

Jay Tea: I knew it was gold right when we first started writing it.

Clay: I think the biggest surprise off the album is ‘Sweet Leaf’, I think a lot of people are going to be like… wait, what do we call it? SBMT?

Jay Tea: I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

RFR: What made you decide to use older songs like ‘R.I.P.’ and covers like ‘Walk of Life’?

Clay: I can tackle this one. Without stepping on anyone’s toes or hurting anyone’s feelings, we thought that ‘Blood Sweat & Beers’ was a little sub-par and that’s the album the songs originally came from. We thought those were good songs that we all still love and just play, but we never really thought they got their time in the sun. Like, good recording that they deserved. Not to mention…

Jay Tea: Two-thirds of the band aren’t on there or whatever.

Clay: Two-fifths. I’m not good with fractions but…

Wes: No, but we were a six piece at the time.

Jay Tea: Do the math now buddy!

Clay: Whatever. And I don’t know that ‘Blood Sweat & Beers’ is going to be put out anymore. It’s kind of been put to bed. So we took the ones we felt really deserved a second chance.

Levon: And as for the covers, those are songs that we play anyway. We did them live and they had such a good response live that we figured, hey which two get the best response?

Jay Tea: Are we making no bones that there’s a hidden song?

Clay: Well if we’re saying that then I have to say that Queen’s my favorite probably.

Wes: I’ll just to say when you get done with the CD if you have an extra three minutes it will be much appreciated.

RFR: In the past Clay has done the writing of the lyrics and a good portion of the songs. Were other members more involved creatively on the new album compared to the past?

Jay Tea: Of course.

Levon: Absolutely.

Clay: I’m still the lyric guy. You gotta give me that. And there was a time in my life where I wanted to be a writer and that’s what I loved to do.

Wes: Well it’s just like anything you know, when you come into a band that’s pre-existing… I mean when I came into the band, most of ‘Blood Sweat & Beers’ was already written, except for ‘R.I.P.’ and that was the first one I collaborated on with Clay. When you come into a band, you just have to accept that songs are already written, and already there.

Levon: Yeah, it takes time to put your stamp on it.

Clay: And what’s popular is popular. If you say ‘oh well we’re not going to play this specific song because the whole band wasn’t around or didn’t write it’… I mean you do what the crowd likes and what you like. If you don’t you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. And that’s what some are kept around and some of them are new.

Jay Tea: I love you grandmother clichés.

Clay: You like that?

Jay Tea: It’s like I’ll give a piss to a squirrel at a fair ground. It’s like what does that mean?

RFR: I haven’t heard that one.

Clay: I haven’t either.

RFR: You’ve been labeled a drinking band in the past. How do you feel about that label?

Clay: It depends on if you’re looking at it as that’s all we are or… I mean when you cook a dish and you use pepper, does that mean the whole dish is pepper? No, we’re a bunch of different things, and that’s definitely one of the ingredients.

Levon: I think also with that title, I guess you could put it back when bars were the standard place to play. It was at an earlier time in the career of the band.

Clay: I mean, would you call Rancid or Dropkick Murphys drinking bands? No. Do people love to get f’d up? Yes. I mean, are we always going to have a good following on St. Patty’s? Probably. Cinco de Mayo? Definitely.

Jay Tea: Actually we’ve pretty much moved on, we’re more like a crack cocaine band now.

Clay: We’re a meth band. Actually we’re in recovery.

Wes: Next we’ll get into psychedelics.

Clay: Yeah for our Beatles days.

RFR: Kevin you’re awfully quiet over there, is that because you’re the worst with the drinking, and the crack?

Kevin: I’m pretty much just Kevin.

Jay Tea: When you’re that attractive you don’t have to say much.

RFR: You have a unique sound in the Atlanta area and the Southeast in general. Do you think this helps you or hurts you?

Clay: Define helping or hurting?

RFR: The general sound you guys play has more of a west coast vibe compared to what is usually found in the Southeast.

Levon: We’re definitely alone in Atlanta. You may find things similar in Florida. It’s a tough thing to do, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Jay Tea: I think people would rather hear our type of music than that recycled bullsh*t. Can I say bullsh*t, is that allowed? It might be harder for us to be in a market but people are like ‘Man, I’d much rather hear your fresh take on music than the same ole cry metal’.

Clay: The way I look at it is we write what makes us happy, what comes naturally, what we feel like listening to. And all of those factors, if you keep those as your major motivators when writing music, then you can’t lose. I don’t care if we’re all totally stoked on polka. Then write some good polka songs. It’s not about what’s big right now.

RFR: Your ages range from 26 to 32. If this album doesn’t create the buzz you hope it will The Bastard Suns continue pushing forward or do you perceive at some point moving on to other ventures?

Jay Tea: Hey, we’d go for broke but we’re already there so…

Clay: I think anybody in music who doesn’t perceive at some point moving on to other ventures is fooling themselves. There’s only one Mick Jagger, and that’s not a real likely outcome, it’s pretty lucky. But you can hope to see the world and do a good bit of touring and have a great run. So the answer to the question is when we’re not happy anymore we’ll stop.

Jay Tea: You don’t have to be Mick Jagger famous to make a living at doing this either.

Clay: That’s the thing, if we can make a living and stay out of the poor house that’s a win win.

Jay Tea: But since we are going to make it the question doesn’t matter really.

RFR: The Bastard Suns have established a very loyal fan base that continues to grow. What do you think it is about your band that has captivated the hearts of Atlanta locals and beyond?

Wes: Humility.

Clay: We try to help the whole scene. I think a lot of people pick up on the fact that we’re not all about The Bastard Suns. A lot of bands are all about, insert name here, whatever their band is. We want to build a scene.

Jay Tea: We stay for bands even if they don’t stay for us.

Levon: And the fans, we have something where they can relate. We’re just like most of our fans. We grew up like them, they’re our friends, and they see that on stage.

Clay: So one thing is humility, we treat everybody how we’d want to be treated. And the second thing is we literally have one show that we play. We go out there and I’m not leaving the stage until I vomit or something along those lines. And I think people identify with that. We’re not, ‘oh this is a five person show so we’re going to play crappy’. We go out there and we kill it every time we play our very best.

Jay Tea: And it doesn’t hurt that we’re like sinfully hot.

RFR: Any stories from the road you care to share?

Clay: First let me say, check our blogs on our MySpace. I write repeatedly about funny things on the road and there’s some gems that I don’t really think I could retell as well as I wrote them.

Jay Tea: Should we tell them about the burrito midget incident?

Clay: That’s personal, leave it on the road. I think we’d violate FCC or a regulation of some sort. But you know I want to do that song, “We can dance if you want to” as a punk song. And I want to get that f-ing midget and put him on my shoulders. Have you ever seen the video?

Jay Tea: Listen midgets live a lot less longer than other people so he’s probably dead.

Clay: You’re a f@#%!

Jay Tea: Tell the folks at home about the game that we play where we eat a hand full of sleeping pills and a handful of laxatives and see what happens.

Clay: Either way you’re a winner, you know what I mean? That’s a good road game. Or the one where you rub your hand or your toe under someone’s nose and they try to tell you which one it is.

Jay Tea: Oh yeah that’s a good one too. Or you can do it with cocks.

Clay: Yeah it’s called hand or toe or cock.

Review of UltraDrive

Sample if you like: Disturbed, Staind, Chevelle, Shinedown
Location: Atlanta, GA

UltraDrive has been a part of the Atlanta music scene for the better part of the last decade. In that time they have been featured on Project 9-6-1’s HomeGrown show as well as opening for Saving Abel last year and Chevelle this past April. Their familiar southern rock appeal and lack of it straying into uncharted territory will appeal to those who go for that typical sound. The four songs off their current untitled EP, while relatively monotone, stuck to the band’s true colors and what has previously drawn their fan base. “Crush” has an alternative backbone with a catchy chorus. “I Don’t Know” reflects a softer, slower side with an acoustic guitar. “Fairer Side” picks up the pace with heavier instrumentals. “From the Outside” opens with a heavy rift on guitar and positive lyrics. Having caught a live performance of theirs in the past, what you hear recorded is what you’ll hear at their show. A point of suggestion would be for the guys to try something new. While remaining true to the sound that originally captured your audience can be important, equally so is branching out to get noticed. When it’s been tried and yet to achieve its ultimate goal, its time to adjust the game plan. If the traditional alternative, southern rock is what you love then these guys are worth checking out.

~Kris Melton

RFR Rating:
Rock Fist Up
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UltraDrive is:
Lead Vocals/ Acoustic Guitar- Jay Henderson
Lead Guitar/ Vocals- Tommy Thompson
Bass/ Vocals- Allen “Whisky” Milligan
Drums/ Keys- Derrick Dickey

www.myspace.com/ultradrive
www.UltraDriveMusic.com

Our 4.18.09 Interview can be found all over the place (including, of course, on our Interviews page)! Both RevolverBlips’ Daily Radar, BraveWords.com and Blabbermouth.net have posted the interview with the legendary bassist of Megadeth. This is simply proof that Rock Fist and its fans are being heard and celebrated! You know where you saw it first! Keep checking in with Rock Fist for the latest and greatest in new music and exclusive interviews!

~Kris Melton
Editor in Chief

“Your site kicks ass! Much love for supporting local and regional independent bands!”

~Dear Enemy