Rock Fist Reviews

Review of Chris Unck’s “Turning Knives Into Steam” Music Video
~ Kris Melton

Director/ Producer: Tim Daust (Reelmind Studios)
Label: Lower 40 Records
Location: Atlanta, GA

Music videos can be very expensive. This is especially true for local bands that already have enough financial woes to worry about, like merch and gas to get to shows. However, Reel Mind Studios proves that you don’t need to roll out the high dollars to get good film quality and a video you can take pride in. Director and producer, Tim Daust, managed to capture the essence of who Chris Unck is and of the song’s meaning. The clips on the street and in the tattoo parlor give it a rustic, indie vibe that the everyday Joe can relate to, which also meshes well with the lyrics. As the video opens, we see Chris getting tattooed at local Atlanta parlor, 13 Roses Tattoos. Throughout the duration of the song we see him walking through the East Atlanta bar district and Krog Street, where local graffetti makes for excellent back drops. Joined by a blonde beauty, we see simple romantic interactions from teasing to walking side by side illustrating a connection and connecting with viewers as well. The video is simple and thus accents the song.

NEW Album “Ridiculous Ridiculous” available now on iTunes.

Chris Unck MySpace: www.myspace.com/chrisunck
Lower 40 Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=chris+unck+%26+The+black+roses&init=quick#/group.php?gid=55070663965
Lower 40 MySpace: www.myspace.com/lower40

Review of Sweden Rock Festival: June 3-6, 2009
~Mikey Reardon

Location: Sölvesborg, Sweden
If you like: Any rock or metal music at all!!

Each year, I make a pilgrimage to a conglomerate music fest. Last year was Virgin Mobile, prior year was Lollapalooza, etc. Little did I know in all of my fest seeking ventures that I was missing the Mack Daddy of all music fests – Sweden Rock.

Volbeat

I found out about Sweden Rock last fall; four days of some of the best Rock and Metal on the planet. Ahhhhhhh. Tossed together with a little ubiquitous cheese (Journey, Uriah Heep), and an I-don’t-really-get-it-but-what-the-hell slogan of “Fill your head with Rock”, the OMFG lineup promised to be a Rock Fest like no other You can check out the 2009 Festival bands here: http://www.swedenrock.com/index.cfm?pg=17&pr=1

Sevendust

On Wednesday night a must catch for me was Sevendust. Sure we share the same hometown, but I hadn’t seen them live yet. They gave an awesome show and though it was the lowest attendance day for the Festival (statistically), there were still thousands there to cheer them on. All of this was concurrent with and followed by lots of drinking.

Thursday was a busy, busy day. Lots of bands and not enough hours to catch them all: Pain, Volbeat, Candlemass, Flogging Molly, Ground Mower, Tyketto, ZZ Top and Twisted Sister. Whew. Volbeat and Ground Mower are two must hear (and see if you can) bands recommended to me by a number of Swedish die-hard metal heads and long time SRF attendees. Good call!

Flogging Molly

Both gave great shows and left their packed crowds chanting “En gång till !!”…and for those of you who don’t speak Swedish (like me, I had to ask) it means: One More Time. ZZ and Sister are always universal crowd pleasers, and thousands of people crowding together to see both bands in the misting rain and freezing temps just goes to show the Rock power both bands still command. All of this was concurrent with and followed by lots of drinking.

Ground Mower

Friday was another busy, busy day!! THOR, Unleashed, UFO, Motörhead and In Flames. If you love a good stage show, Thor did a lot of theatrics and not so much music. That evening saw the peak attendance at SRF, to the tune of about 36,000 people – which I will break down for you: The majority of those attending SRF are the Swedish (obviously), followed closely by neighbors in Denmark and Norway. You’re not going to run into native English speakers while you’re there (though everyone there does speak English). You’re also not going to run into many women. About 34,000 of the attendees are men. The 2,000 women attending are the girlfriend/significant other/fiancée/wife of the attending dudes (someone might have mentioned that to me before). So ixnay on thinking SRF is easy hook-up time.

In Flames

The weather gave a repeat and grander performance than the night before, giving up torrential downpours along with the freezing temps. Best I can tell, it didn’t keep a single person from coming out for Motörhead, including me and the couple making out. There was no such thing as elbow room at this show. Motörhead brought the bombardier with them, giving an all-out shagged up, rock out, performance!! By the end, the crowd was a bit crazed moving to the next stage where In Flames was up next. In Flames brought the axe licks and killer sound, plus the pyrotechnics (which were awesome even in the rain), that whipped up the already crazed audience into a foam at the mouth frenzy. All of this was once again concurrent with and followed by lots of drinking.

Motorhead

Saturday: Ok, I remember waking up what seemed very early and turned out was very early, with no chance of going back to sleep since the sun made it look like noon already, spending some quiet time in my hotel room, stumbling out later for breakfast and managing to make it to the Festival grounds, the rest of the day was a bust. I had every intention of seeing Soilwork, Immortal and Heaven & Hell that day, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Did I mention the constant drinking? I just now am recuperated from it which is why this review is so late. I don’t care who you are or what your cultural background happens to be (my family is Irish) – If you are a native English speaker, you can’t hold a candle to the Swedes when it comes to drinking. Period. But do not make the mistake of thinking the Swedes are alcoholics, because they are absolutely not. I just spent 4 days with 36,000 people crowded together and drinking without even one altercation,

fist fight, or brawl. Americans can’t say the same under any circumstances, with maybe the sole exception being the original Woodstock. The whole thing is a testament to Sweden as a people and a culture…..and as professional drinkers. My hat’s off to the entire country (and one particular blonde haired, blue eyed resident).

I have already RSVP’d for next year.

Rock Fist Rating:
Both rock fists up, fist pumping, waving in the air and screaming!!
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Review of Bury Me Breathing’s “Through Eyes Not Your Own” EP
~ Kris Melton

Sample if you like: Cannibal Corpse, Zoroaster, Mastodon
Location: Atlanta, GA

Although they’re just beginning to explode on the scene, Bury Me Breathing packs a punch and is sure to knock the wind out of you the first time you catch them live. I had that privilege about a month ago at Winston’s in Marietta, GA while attending a farewell show for a fellow Rock Fister. I was blown away to say the least, as were my friends. The dual guitars are phenomenal players and the drummer does more than compliment. Although they do not yet have an album, they were giving away free copies of their EP, “Through Eyes Not Your Own”. Considering the fact that one of my friends that heard them that night generally prefers jam/ funk/ indie over metal, and SHE loved them, I felt it only necessary to review the EP and share this hidden gem with the masses.

Photo from band's myspace

The aspect of this group that might deter listeners who generally aren’t metal heads, would probably be the vocals. However, for the sound they’re going for John Paul Burns certainly gets the job done. The mixture of squealing and screaming provides the edge they’re looking for when combined with some of their more ambient melodies. The band as a whole is good about changing up tempos and direction both song to song as well as within a song.

The EP includes four songs. The first is “Out of Your Depth” and opens dramatically and with a deep bellow of vocals. The guitars seem to race on different octaves with speed and fury. This 7+ minute song goes back and forth between heavy and hard hitting to slower and calmer. “Aborted” follows next and proves to be a song they can push for a following. The high energy comes at you like a tornado and would be fit for any mosh pitter’s dream. “Lulladie” has a distinctive bass and ambient opening, a far cry from the previous song’s delivery. Along with the throaty vocals, are back-ups singing. When paired with the instrumentals, this song proves to be catchy and a taste of the dynamics that Bury Me Breathing can provide. “Shadows of Conception” closes the EP. Half way through the song, true to form, they change things up with ambient guitars and an urging bass line. The majority, however is pure head bangin’ metal.

Photo from band's myspace

The EP provides a taste of what this band has to offer, but does no justice to what they can accomplish live. I highly recommend doing so, and would be surprised if you were disappointed. Their next upcoming show is August 7th at Swayze’s in Marietta, GA, but keep an eye on their myspace page for future shows. You won’t regret it.

RFR Rating:
Both Rock Fists Up and Head Bangin’
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Bury Me Breathing is:
Vocals- John Paul Burns
Guitar- Dustin Cox
Guitar- JP Brooks
Bass- Chris Owens
Drums- Art Hall

www.myspace.com/burymebreathingmusic
burymebreathingmusic@gmail.com

Name: Wes Driscoll
Company Name: Rising Sun Guitar Lessons
Profession: Guitar Instructor & Lead Guitarist for The Bastard Suns
Location: Alpharetta and North Atlanta, GA
Contact info: www.myspace.com/risingsunguitar

 
Bio & Goals:
I’ve been playing guitar for almost 20 years. I have found that it is easier to teach and more encouraging for the student to learn the basics as well as some of their favorite songs at the same time! Thru this method the student will want to practice more, learn more, and of course enjoy their new found talent. Playing guitar is supposed to be fun, so why not make the lessons fun and work at the students pace not the teachers. Great for beginnners to intermediate players. Lessons are 30 or 45 minutes long, once a week, four times a month. My rates are very competitive to any music store or personal teacher’s prices and you can come to me or I can travel to you. For more info and prices contact me!
Why he rocks:
Not only can the man shred a guitar, but he can teach you how too! The basic idea around his business is learn to play instrument by having fun. He teaches you the basics while also teaching your favorite songs, and is a world of information for those looking to start their own band.

Name: Brent Walker
Company Name: Lucky Pinup
Profession: Photographer
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact Info:
info@luckypinup.com
www.luckypinup.com
678.478.3732

Bio & Goals:
This journey started for me years ago. I was the Creative Director for a Fortune 500 company burning out fast. “Creative” was my title but working within the confines of a conservative company felt anything but creative.
So, it was move on or suffocate.

Basically I turned a hobby into a career. With my background as an art director on commercial photo shoots it was an easier transition for me than for most.

I was asked recently why I choose to devote so much time to pin-up photography. I had to think about it for a second to give a completely honest answer. What came to me was this: I love photographing the female form. However, much of the modern day photography of women I see lacks a certain creativity, sexual honesty and humor that the artist’s of old seemed to be able to capture. So, it’s really not as much about the wardrobe or the hair and makeup looking “period”, as it is about capturing the essence behind every concept. I’ve worked with celebrities, pro sports, high end portraiture… nothing is more gratifying than creatively photographing the beauty in women.

Why he rocks:
In a nutshell he photographs beautiful women daily in a creative atmosphere, all while doing what he loves most. Brent does both classic and contemporary pinup shoots all for a comparable price. Check out www.luckypinup.com and discover your inner pinup!

Examples of work:

http://luckypinup.com/images/lifestyle_edge/IMG_4140.jpg
http://luckypinup.com/images/lifestyle_edge/sarah.jpg
http://luckypinup.com/images/lifestyle_edge/IMG_8126.jpg
http://luckypinup.com/images/lifestyle_edge/IMG_4023.jpg
http://luckypinup.com/images/classic/IMG_0058.jpg
http://luckypinup.com/images/classic/IMG_1367c.jpg

Review of Super Hooligan at Smith’s Olde Bar 8-2-2009
~Benjamin King

Location: Atlanta GA
Sample if you like: The Doors, Iggy & The Stooges, The Smiths, Danzig, The Ramones
Records: Super Hooligan, and Peacemaker

Lee Sebastian (photo from band's myspace page)

 

This has been one of the strangest reviews for me to do. It starts out when I hear this band just ripping it at a show in Duluth GA. I think they were on a bill with the Black Headz. I was digging this opening band and I had to find out more about them. So I went and checked out when they would be playing, and set up a time to do a live show review. This was originally supposed to be done back on 7-3-09. Rock and roll can do some strange things to a band. For some reasons unknown, the bass player didn’t show up, and they had a relatively new guitar player. The “band” decided to try and hash it out, since people had come out to see them. We will just say it didn’t turn out so well on that night. I truly dug the music so much; I wrote the band and said I wanted to come out again if they had it back on track for a future show at Smith’s Olde Bar. We agreed to this future show review. In my opinion all of Super Hooligan’s chips would be riding on it as a band. Forward one month and one day exactly and I’m standing right by the sound board in my favorite venue, of its size, Smith’s Olde Bar. I started thinking about how many great bands I had heard in that room. I had great expectations that this night would be a good show. As the sound guy is running through the mic checks and running from back of house sound to front of house sound, I knew what I was in for. This was going to be some loud rock and roll!

People: May I say good, old fashion, loud, rock & roll is living and still well. “Hey you, come get some”! What a perfect way to start of a show. The song “Get Some” had me saying this is what I need right now. I felt like po-going around and kicking the air. Tino Martino, is punk rock solid. This is very apparent throughout his eclectic array of rock and roll drumming. A little bit later in the show, they ripped into a song called “Space Girl”. I was feeling the new bassist from this point on; this girl (yes a lady) laying down the low end like it should be done. Allison Shockley is a new addition after the previous show’s let down. She is amazing! To step up and know the songs in that short of a time period was God given. One of the original reasons I liked Super Hooligan was because of the previous bass player, but she was hitting it… I could tell she was in a groove at this point, as she must have gotten more comfortable in her new band. Lee, guitar player/vox/songwriter, started to sound a bit like a crosses between Jim Morrison, Glen Danzig and Steven Morrissey. I think it was after that song when Lee asked the crowd “Is it loud enough yet?” I thought to myself how I could answer that question… Rock can always be just a bit louder! I should also mention Jimmy Demer truly adds to this band. It is very apparent in the song “Peace Maker”. Super Hooligan is a guitar band and the guitar arrangements in this song are pure classic rock. I knew right then, that this band is a punk rock, classic band. “Little Sister” is my favorite song that they do! It’s a guitar song and a dig the soul riff. I think this song was also Lee’s best singing wise of the night. The show ended with what I think every band should do. They played a super familiar song for the crowd. “20th Century Boy”, had people dancing and rocking out. You all have to get that it wasn’t done the same old way we have heard over. We all love that T Rex classic, but it truly shows when a band can put their style to a known song. I wanted to dance to one of my favorite songs of all time.

Super Hooligan is a plainly a good rock band. It comes down to them just playing more shows as a band. I can see them going on without much more stumbling. I would hope that no one is offended by me saying Allison Shockley has a nice half sleeve. I dig her bass playing; by the next show I bet a beast will come out. Atlanta has something steam rolling at it and we can’t get out of the way. I am confident Super Hooligan is headed for future success.

Rock Fist Rating:
Rock Hands in the Air
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Super Hooligan is:
Lee Sebastian- Guitar & Vox
Jimmy Demer- Guitar
Allison Shockley- Bass
Tino Martino- Drums

www.myspace.com/superhooliganamerica

BPM has a new album out and tons of shows across the Southeast. See when BPM is coming to a town near you!

BPM is a reggae/rock quartet based out of Montgomery, AL. The band has been together nearly 10 years, and in that time has played over a thousand live shows from coast to coast. The band has released 6 independent studio albums and has spent the last several years touring the southeast, southwest, and west coast of the United States. BPM brings a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, ska, and rock, infused with socially conscious lyrics, and infectious beats. If you wish to purchase any of the BPM catalogue, visit us at www.CDbaby.com or iTunes.com or email us at Bulletproofmm@aol.com

Upcoming shows:

Jul 30 2009 9:00P
Santa Barbara (acoustic)
Montgomery, Alabama
Jul 31 2009 10:00P
The Strutting Duck (unplugged!)
Auburn, Alabama
Aug 1 2009 7:00P
Marble City Grill
Sylacauga, Alabama
Aug 6 2009 10:00P
Santa Barbara (acoustic)
Montgomery, Alabama
Aug 8 2009 9:00P
The Double Branch
Troy, Alabama
Aug 12 2009 9:00P
The Pour House w/ Groove Stain
Raleigh, North Carolina

Aug 14 2009 9:00P
McHales w/ Josh Carter and The Practice
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Aug 15 2009 9:00P
Private Party w/ Josh Carter & the practice
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Aug 20 2009 10:00P
Santa Barbara (acoustic)
Montgomery, Alabama
Aug 21 2009 9:00P
The Lazy Peach
LaGrange, Georgia
Aug 22 2009 10:00P
Santa Barbara w/ Daytime Television
Montgomery, Alabama
Aug 27 2009 10:00P
Santa Barbara (acoustic)
Montgomery, Alabama
Aug 28 2009 8:00P
Reggae Fest @ The Ravenite w/ Vibe Irie, 6 pack deep and moreTBA!!!
Fairhope, Alabama
Aug 29 2009 9:00P
Old Auburn Ale House
Auburn, Alabama
Sep 4 2009 10:00P
Head on the Door
Montgomery, Alabama
Sep 5 2009 10:00P
SOHO Bar and Grill
Columbus, Georgia
Sep 6 2009 3:00P
The Hangout
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Sep 11 2009 6:00P
Paradise Bar and Grill
Pensacola Beach, Florida
Sep 12 2009 8:00P
TBA
Destin, Florida
Sep 13 2009 3:00P
Paradise Bar and Grill
Pensacola Beach, Florida

Sep 25 2009 9:00P
The Double Branch
Troy, Alabama
Sep 26 2009 10:00P
The Independent w/ Liquid Cheese
Auburn, Alabama
Oct 2 2009 10:00P
Old Auburn Ale House
Auburn, Alabama
Oct 14 2009 9:00P
The Pour House
Raleigh, North Carolina
Oct 16 2009 9:00P
Green Mountain College
Poultney, Vermont
Oct 23 2009 10:00P
SOHO Bar and Grill w/ The Holy Liars
Columbus, Georgia
Oct 30 2009 9:00P
The Lazy Peach – 13 days of Halloween
LaGrange, Georgia
Nov 7 2009 10:00P
Old Auburn Ale House
Auburn, Alabama
Links:
www.myspace.com/bpmband
www.bpmband.com