Best Tracks: "Butterfly in Right Helicoid," "Veritas"
Heaven in Her Arms brings a heavy and epic screamo album. The Converge influence runs strong, with songs the longest songs on the album reminding one of Converge's greatest song, "Jane Doe." The reminder isn't a bad thing, as they take the influence and use it quite to their advantage. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Japandroids - No Singles
Best Tracks: "Sexual Aerosol," "Lucifer's Symphony," "Couture Suicide"
A compilation of the early EPs by Japandroids, it shows them in much rawer form. They still had amazing potential though and it's almost more enjoyable as you can hear them take risks. They're hungry here and it shows. You get the feeling they don't know or care whether this will appeal to anyone, they just want to kick ass. (Original Grade: B+)
Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl
Best Tracks: "The Circulatory System," "Death of the Sheep," "No Friend of Mine"
The Fall of Troy had gotten increasingly technical, pretentious, and undesirable to listen to. Shortly after the release of their fourth full-length album, the band called it quits and singer/guitarist/main songwriter Thomas Erak set out on his own with a new band. Just Like Vinyl is getting mixed reviews, but it's the best thing Erak has done in years, in my opinion. The bloated wankfests of the last Fall of Troy releases and uncomfortable indulgences are stripped away, giving Just Like Vinyl the feel of the classic version of Fall of Troy on their self-titled release and the subsequent Doppelganger. The songs are still technical, but far more accessible and they have great hooks to draw the listener in. Breaking up the Fall of Troy and forming this band turned out to be the best move Erak could possibly make. (Original Grade: B)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Best Tracks: "Mourning in America," "Bottled in Cork," "Bartolomeo and the Buzzing of Bees," "Last Days"
Ted Leo's latest release trades in unpretentious rock music, leaning heavily on classic punk and classic rock. It's heavier and harder than his last one, 2007's Living with the Living. That album was overly ambitious, but The Brutalist Bricks is stripped down the basics of his sound. It's purely the essence of Ted Leo's music and it's one of his greatest albums yet for it. (Original Grade: A+)
LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
Best Tracks: "Dance Yrself Clean," "You Wanted a Hit," "Pow Pow"
Another epic indie dance pop album from the master of it, LCD Soundsystem. While This is Happening isn't James Murphy's greatest work, it may have the greatest depth of any of his albums yet and it preserves the catchy intelligent danceability of previous releases. (Original Grade: A)
listenlisten - "dog"
Best Tracks: "Ears Are Hearing," "I Will Be Mean," "The Time We Almost Died"
The best work yet from listenlisten, it strips their sound down a little bit and is a great country folk album. The re-recordings of previous songs drag it down a bit, as they aren't quite as strong as the original recordings, having worse production, but the album as a whole is an excellent slice of acoustic music. (Original Grade: B)
Lizards Have Personalities - Snow of Kilimanjaro
Best Tracks: "In the Wake of a Dying Kite," "Upon a Scarlet Sunset," "For Once, Then, Something"
The latest EP from Lizards Have Personalities removes their second vocalist and goes harder and heavier than their first one. Their sound just keeps getting better and this is easily one of the best screamo releases this year. (Original Grade: B+)
Make Do and Mend - End Measured Mile
Best Tracks: "Ghostal," "Firewater"
Make Do and Mend's brand of post-hardcore is refreshing to hear, a throwback to older bands that played that style. They're not too heavy, but not too light. Their screamer is the old school punk style of screamer, yelling his ass off but clearly and with a little bit of melody to it. It also features a fantastic guest appearance from La Dispute's Jordan Dreyer. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Merchant Ships - For Cameron
Best Tracks: "Things Left in Last Year," "Sleep Patterns"
Just before breaking up, Merchant Ships put out their best and deepest EP yet. "Sleep Patterns" is their best song, a nearly acoustic spoken word track that has possibly the most depressing lyrics of all time. The rest of the EP rocks hard, but has superior and tighter songwriting than previous EPs. It's a shame they won't be refining their sound even more. (Original Grade: A)
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Best Tracks: "Cold War," "Tightrope," "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)"
Janelle Monae's wonderful debut is a mix of about a dozen different styles and the continuation of the perfection of pop music by OutKast. It's only right that she was discovered by OutKast's Big Boi because her brand of music is a direct sequel to their last release, encompassing just as many styles and doing them just as well as OutKast did on Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She's one of the few promising new artists to come out recently. The ArchAndroid isn't perfect, it runs on a little bit too long, but it is one of the greatest pop albums in years and Monae's voice just soars. An excellent new talent. I'm going to admit a mistake here, I should have given this album an A upon release. My bad. (Original Grade: B)
Deerhunter return with their greatest album yet. I will admit, I've never been a fan of Bradford Cox. I don't like Atlas Sound and I only like a few prior Deerhunter songs. But I will begrudgingly admit that Halcyon Digest is a great album. For once, Cox knocked it out of the park and you have to hand it to him. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Devo - Something for Everybody
Best Tracks: "Fresh," "What We Do," "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)"
Twenty years after their last album and around thirty years since they were a great band, Devo return with an album as strong as any they've ever done. It's simultaneously old school and modern, incorporating the sounds they've used since the 80's but without sounding dated in the slightest. The lead single is called "Fresh" and with good reason. If Devo were just debuting today, this album would no doubt have been a hit the likes of any of their previous ones. A truly fresh new start for Devo that was well received by most. (Original Grade: A-)
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Best Tracks: "Farewell, Mona Lisa," "Gold Teeth on a Bum," "Parasitic Twins"
The Dillinger Escape Plan just keep going, churning out great music year after year. They've changed a fair bit, but it's safe to say they're not getting any worse for the wear. I had the pleasure of seeing them do some of this live at Warped Tour this past year and they were easily the best band at the entire show. They took the stage by storm and promptly destroyed it and the new material held up just as well as the old. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Best Tracks: "2 Forms of Anger," "Slow Ice, Old Moon"
Aside from the little joke in my first post, I do like Eno's music. I just enjoy pop music more than atmospheric music. That being said, Eno can do pop like nobody's business when he feels like it (see David Bowie's Berlin albums and the Talking Heads). This is the atmospheric, electronic soundscape stuff he's more known for these days though. I can live with that. It's a very good album, highly enjoyable, easy to relax to and easy to get absorbed into. I don't like this genre much, but Eno is easily the best of all time at it. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Envy - Recitation
Best Tracks: "Pieces of the Moon I Weaved," "Light and Solitude," "0 and 1"
Envy's newest album isn't their strongest by my estimation, I still miss their harder edged sound of years past, but they continue to be a strong and influential band. Their current sound is much lighter and happier, but they can still get dark and heavy when they want and they prove that in certain areas of Recitation. While I don't consider it one of their best, Recitation is still a great album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Fat Tony - RABDARGAB
Best Tracks: "Luv It Mayne (Featuring Murs and Bo. P)," "My Babe"
I personally feel like some of Fat Tony's prior mixtapes were superior, but that's just my personal opinion. RABDARGAB features a somewhat different sound, utilizing stranger beats, but Tony is still the best rapper in the Houston underground today and his debut album should by all rights be a hit. Go out and make it one, Houston. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009
Best Tracks: "I Hate Summer," "Teenage Problems"
Fucked Up is a singles band to me. Their albums don't hold together so well, but they consistently release great singles, so this compilation is one of their strongest works to date. It's not exactly cohesive, but it does feature a lot of their best songs all in one place. A definite must-have for hardcore fans. (Original Grade: B)
Girls - Broken Dreams Club
Best Tracks: "Alright," "Carolina"
The songs on Broken Dreams Club are decidedly less catchy and fun than those on Girls' debut Album, but they have superior songwriting. Depending on your personal taste, you will find this EP to be a step up from their debut or a step down. Personally, I view it as a step down, being a pop fan, but the two are neck and neck. They both feature talented song craft and they show two sides of the same coin. Girls is one of the best new bands going right now and this really just goes to prove that even further. (Original Grade: B)
I have long maintained that the only good pop superstars today are Kanye West and Cee Lo Green and I stand by that. With his latest solo effort, and the first away from Gnarls Barkley in a little while, Cee Lo simply proves his effortless pop perfection. I can't name a single bad song on this album and it is easily one of my favorites of the year. His voice is in magnificent form and all these songs are amazing pop, soul, and R&B throwbacks. (Original Grade: A)
Grinderman - Grinderman 2
Best Tracks: "Heathen Child," "When My Baby Comes," "Evil"
Nick Cave is still kicking out the blues rock jams with Grinderman and we're all the better for it. The dark, fuzzed out, pub music is a treat for all, revealing the seedy, shady underbelly of rock music that's been drowned it in recent years for pop sheen. Grinderman essentially holds the same appeal as blues rock bands in the 70's did: they're dirty, dark, mysterious, perverted, dangerous, and captivating. (Original Grade: B)
[Ed. Note: I hate ranking, don't you? You always feel as though things should be higher and it's so hard to rank music objectively. I like Phil Collins more than Brian Eno, but objectively Eno makes superior music. How can I possibly rank the two of them against each other? So in lieu of ranking this year or my planned award show format, I'm simply going to list fifty great albums you should have heard and should still listen to if you haven't. No order, no ranking, no judging which is superior to the other. They're all great and need to be heard. Following is the first ten, which will be followed by ten more each day until we get to fifty.]
After the Burial - In Dreams
Best Tracks: "Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You," "Pendulum," "Bread Crumbs and White Stones," "To Carry You Away"
A new standard for the progressive death metal/djent genre coming in the form of the third album from Minnesota's After the Burial. (Original Grade: A)
Alexisonfire - iTunes Originals
Best Tracks: "You Burn First," "Waterwings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)," "This Could Be Anywhere in the World," "No Transitory"
Alexisonfire has never released an official live album, but this come close. A compilation of new live-in-the-studio records of old songs mixed with new songs from their Old Crows/Young Cardinals album, this is a must-hear for fans of the post-hardcore band looking for revitalizing of their classics. (Original Grade: C)
Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood
Best Tracks: "Dog's Blood," "Grey," "Vex"
The latest EP from Alexisonfire, seeing them turn to a more experimental side. It consists of four tracks, all killer, no filler, and a return to styles they haven't dabbled in for nearly ten years. A surprising and welcome return to form. (Original Grade: A+)
Astronautalis - DANCEHALLHORNSOUND!!!!
Best Tracks: "Do You Believe in Life After Thugs?," "Voicemail Freestyle: Mike Wiebe"
This new mixtape sees Astronautalis deconstructing indie hip-hop as a whole and turning it upside down. It's his strongest work in a while and the remixes seen here are sometimes even better than the originals. (Original Grade: B)
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
Best Tracks: "Closer," "Paper Dolls"
Corinne Bailey Rae's soft and sweet R&B can be extremely powerful and that's shown on her strong new album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits
Best Tracks: "Assimilate All Bastards," "Do the Dohnk," "Piss on the Precedent"
On his first solo release, Say Anything frontman Max Bemis strips things down and writes some basic but highly enjoyable acoustic songs that leave nothing, including his immense songwriting talent, hidden from the listener. (Original Grade: A)
Black Francis - NonStopErotik
Best Tracks: "Lake of Sin," "Dead Man's Curve," "When I Go Down on You
The prolific Pixies frontman's latest album is a fun though slightly perverted diversion, proving his ability to write short catchy songs hasn't faded away after all these years. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
Burzum - Belus
Best Tracks: "Belus' død," "Morgenrøde"
Varg Vikernes returns after a lengthy prison sentence with a new Burzum in the black metal style fans know and love from their early albums. It shows some growth and maturity while never betraying the Burzum sound. (Original Grade: B)
Calculator - These Roots Grow Deep...
Best Tracks: "Our Homes, Our Graves," "2012"
Fantastic compilation of previously released, previously unreleased, and brand new material from the California screamo band. Normally a release like this would come after a band's break-up, but thankfully Calculator are still around and kicking ass. This compilation proves it. (Original Grade: not reviewed)
City and Colour - Live at the Orange Lounge
Best Tracks: "What Makes a Man?," "Comin' Home," "Save Your Scissors"
A live album from Dallas Green of Alexisonfire's solo project featuring songs from his previous albums. Though there's nothing really new here, these are fantastic performances, with almost more of a haunting quality to them than the originals. Green's voice and guitar playing are beautiful and it features some of his best songs. (Original Grade: B)
One of my musical heroes has passed today. Pictured above is Don Van Vliet AKA Captain Beefheart's classic album, Trout Mask Replica, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums ever made. The influence of that album cannot be understated. You can hear it in so much music that came out after it, despite no one even quite attempting to replicate the eccentric brilliance of it. Van Vliet quit music in 1982 and had been struggling with MS for many years. Despite it, he continued to paint and became a very renowned artist. He finally lost his battle with it today. It's a sad day indeed. Below is a short film made about Van Vliet in 1994, entitled Some Yoyo Stuff and featuring David Lynch and Van Vliet himself. As you can see, he was already suffering from MS but it's still a fun avant garde short film.
[Ed. Note: This is something I wrote a long time ago for use on this blog, but never really finished or ever published. I found it on my computer while organizing some files and decided to put it up here today.]
Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog
When this album came out, nobody noticed or cared. Then Soundgarden and Pearl Jam both exploded and suddenly a collaboration between Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and all of Pearl Jam was a profitable prospect. It quickly spawned some radio hits that still get airplay today and it's a pretty well regarded album. So saying it's underrated doesn't really apply at any time since 1992 or thereabouts, but I say it is underrated for this reason: I believe that it is the best thing anybody involved has ever done. I find Soundgarden's work pretty inconsistent. They were good, but I can't really listen to any of their albums the whole way through. For Cornell, the only thing he's ever done that comes close is his first solo album, Euphoria Morning. An argument could be made for that album being better than Temple of the Dog, but I still give the edge to Temple of the Dog because Cornell was in better vocal shape (being eight years younger) and the album just being made up of stronger songs. On the Pearl Jam side, their debut, Ten, is pretty much equal to it as well, but Eddie Vedder isn't quite the singer that Chris Cornell is, meaning Ten doesn't have the same amazing vocal moments, and at no point does the band stretch out like on the epic length track "Reach Down." For those reasons, I'd still give it to Temple of the Dog. Really, I'm just trying to make a point as it's hard to find flaws with Euphoria Morning or Ten. Those albums are basically equals to this one. But the point is, I think Temple of the Dog often falls by the wayside as just something really great that those guys did, few really recognize just how good it was and realize that it is pretty much one of the best things anybody involved ever did.
Black Sabbath - Born Again
Collaboration time again. In the grunge era, Temple of the Dog was a fan's wet dream. In the metal era, this one was too, it just didn't have quite the same commercial viability by 1983 that it would have had in the mid-1970's. On Born Again, Black Sabbath found themselves once again without a singer so they picked up former Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan and put out a sort of bizarre combination of both bands' sounds but really something completely different in a way as well. The production was shit, but given the time period that's almost a comfort, considering the slick 80's hair metal veneer every album following would experience. The dirty rawness of it all is charming in its way, sort of like punk around that time. As for the music itself, it's classic. Gillan is in amazing vocal shape, belting out screams like he never even did in Deep Purple, "Child in Time" notwithstanding. Iommi cuts some of his greatest solos. Butler and Ward are just as great a rhythm section as ever. These days everything with Sabbath's name that doesn't have Ozzy or Dio singing on it is pretty much forgotten, but honestly Born Again stands, to me, as one of the great Sabbath albums, along with the first six Ozzy albums and the first three Dio albums.
David Bowie - Buddha of Suburbia
I know I talk of this album a lot, but it really is one of the greats in Bowie's discography. When it was released it was completely ignored because it was the soundtrack for a shitty TV movie. It took forever for the soundtrack to even make it to the US and it was just quietly forgotten. But among hardcore Bowie fans, we realize that he was really onto some brilliant stuff around this time. It combines the instrumental experimentation of the following album, Outside, that itself harkens back to his experimentation with Brian Eno back in the 70's Berlin trilogy, with the upbeat 90's dance pop of the preceding Black Tie White Noise and ends up being a vastly superior album to either of those. To this day, no one but real Bowie fans really know this exists, which is a true shame. Bowie himself has described it as one of his favorites that he's ever made and there's good reason for that.
GZA/Genius - Legend of the Liquid Sword
When this one hit the scene in 2002, it wasn't really "cool" anymore (at the time) to like Wu-Tang. This was after the disappointment a lot of people felt over The W and Iron Flag and it just wasn't really a good time for the group. But in reality, this was nowhere near as bad as everybody thought. Actually, it's a really good album. GZA is in fine form lyrically and it has some of the better beats of his solo career. Wu members Ghostface, RZA, Inspectah Deck, and frequent Wu collaborator Streetlife show up for strong guest verses and it even features a very early appearance from someone then known as "Santi White" now universally known and famous as Santogold. If the lyrics are to be believed, part of the reason this album was a failure was just the record label dropping the ball (as usual). Sure, it's nowhere near as good as Liquid Swords, but what is? It's still a worthwhile entry in the Wu-Tang legacy and probably the best thing not called Liquid Swords in GZA's own discography.
The Mars Volta - Amputechture
This album was pretty successful, all things considered, but when it came out it was pretty much universally loathed by fans of the band. As At the Drive-In fans felt betrayed when that band broke up and the Mars Volta first appeared, fans of the first two albums the Mars Volta released felt betrayed by the new turn of Amputechture. It's gone so far that Cedric and Omar have even called this their "autistic child." Nowadays, it seems more and more fans are catching up and warming to the album, but it still stands out like a sore thumb in their discography as that one album that left everyone pretty much scratching their head when it came out. Not to mention, the band itself was a mess around that time. They barely toured, the few shows they played were made up of 40 minute free form jams, Cedric had surgery, they went through several drummers, and their follow-up, the Bedlam in Goliath, had some severe birth pains that led to it being labeled a cursed album. With all the negativity surrounding it, Amputechture is a black sheep but actually listen to it and you'll realize that it's easily just as good as the first two Mars Volta albums.
Prince - Come
Come was a casualty of the woes Prince had around the time of its release with Warner Bros. You know, the shit that eventually led to him giving up his name and calling himself an unpronouncable symbol. With all that going on, people were far less interested in Prince's music and more in his personal drama. That meant that despite the success he had in the early 90's with his hip hop experiments, Come was largely ignored when it was released. Prince climbed back on the charts shortly after with the Gold Experience, but what of Come? It's an odd little album, representing a brief transitional period of smooth R&B that was featured in few and far between instances of the preceding and following albums, but it's personally one of my favorites of his. It has a wide range of styles in the context of that R&B, catchy should've-been-hits, and some experimentation that proved Prince wasn't slipping into any sort of rut.
In October of 2009, drummer Thomas Pridgen exited Grammy Award winning band the Mars Volta. With nowhere else to go, he turned to two friends from his days at Berklee College of Music, guitarist Nick Brewer and vocalist Viveca Hawkins. By December, Thomas had his new band formed, calling themselves the Memorials. I recently got to conduct an interview with them about their upcoming self-titled record, their creative process, side-projects, and future touring plans.
1. Hi, how is everyone doing? I'd like to start off by saying that the songs you have up are great so far and they show a lot of varied influences. I wanted to ask what you've all been listening to lately and how that affects the writing process? Where are you all drawing inspiration from for the Memorials?
Nick - I've recently been listening to some David Bowie (Changes, Ziggy). I just love his writing. It's all very dramatic. I guess I like to write from the same perspective whereas the music is exciting with hills and valleys. I tend to gravitate towards music that sounds like a soundtrack. It enhances my everyday experiences.
Viveca - I listened to a lot of Lamb of God, Marylin Manson, Led Zeppelin, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Betty Davis, the Foo Fighters, Foxy Shazam, etc. I drew mostly from within. I tried my best to stay as original as possible.
Thomas - I’ve been listening to afro beat music like Fela Kuti, people like the Venetian Snares and Squarepusher, but I also listen to lots of funk stuff and some early prog rock stuff, metal stuff. I kinda listen to anything good anything with live music right now, not much rap in my iPod at this point.
We honestly drew inspiration from all the things that we affect us at the time of making this record. I just parted ways with The Mars Volta, it was totally a fucked up situation. I also had a girl that I was with for three years leave me in the middle of making this record. I was pissed, happy, sad, drunk, excited, confused, crying at times, tired, stressed, bummed about being owed money... I was a wreck. A musician that we all loved also died while making this record so it was a total crazy time for us. I would've lost it if I didn't make this record.
2. What do you suppose each member brings to the creative process and how is it different than working with other bands, specifically for Thomas coming from the sort of dictatorship of The Mars Volta?
Nick - Well I believe each of us brings a totally different influence. Thomas brings a lot of raw energy, heart, and rhythm. Viveca brings soul and a lot of blues to each song, and I bring a chordal balance and visuals to the sound. We work collectively on the music so that the finished product is pretty much all of our influences, feel, and thoughts.
Viveca - Working for someone else is always work. I have worked with a lot of different artists over the years and finally having my own thing makes me feel really free and strong willed at the same time. Thomas is an amazing producer and never having worked with him or Nick before made it like one surprise after another. They made such a beautiful palate for me to paint with. Nick once told me, "I sing the notes he wants to hear." And he absolutely plays the notes I want to hear! Thomas is the only drummer I ever really wanted to play with. He told me he would play for me before Keyshia [Cole] and The Mars Volta... so I waited. I’m so glad I did. I am the voice. I am the face. I am the heart. They are the brains.
Thomas - Well, I was the dictator this time. I totally learned a lot from The Mars Volta. Nick came in open to my wild ideas which was great. He had a ton of stuff that was also super wild that he threw at me. Also we really work in a seamless type of way where we're almost as one in the studio. And Viv, I just enjoyed watching her open up. She's never sung this type of stuff much less over beats that are odd time signatures. I thought it was great seeing her write about things that I threw at her and watching her yell. It was kinda cool. I felt like she threw herself into a sound and a vibe that's totally unique and honest. We're watching each other grow daily.
3. Speaking of the Volta, Thomas, could you elaborate a little bit on your exit from that band? It seems that the full story has never quite come out as to what happened on the actual day you left the band before the show in Raleigh, North Carolina. What happened on that day?
Thomas - My dad's from North Carolina and he was coming to the show. I totally wanted to play that day, my drums were set up and everything. I'm honestly not trying to speak on those dudes, but Omar's cool. I still talk to him, I got a lot of love for that dude, he showed me a lot and he's not responsible for the actions of his partner Cedric. He knows where I'm from and who my homies are. He knows he owes me a shit load of bread so he filed a restraining order on me instead of just paying me and giving me the credits that I deserve. It's fucking sad. I thought The Mars Volta was a family, but I guess when the smoke cleared it was a two member duo... I chalked it up though. I treated that band like money didn't matter so I'm sticking to that and just doing my own thing. They can't stop me at all.
4. Back to the Memorials, the first song to come out was a cover of Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, followed by a cover of 1979 by the Smashing Pumpkins. Those are somewhat odd choices of songs to cover, but I think you do them very well. When did you decide to do those covers and why those songs specifically?
(Video for "Black Hole Sun")
Nick - I'm a huge Soundgarden fan. I've always wanted to be Kim Thayill so it was natural to me to cover Black Hole Sun. Haven't heard anyone try to do it before, and sonically and lyrically that song captures the excitement I have for music. 1979 was one of the first riffs I learned on the guitar so it was fun to play it with Thomas and Viv.
Viveca - Thomas picked Black Hole Sun. He said it would be cool. I didn’t even know the tune actually... and Nick always wanted to play 1979! He was born that year.
Thomas - We did those because I knew that people really wanted to hear the album and we didn't yet know how we were releasing the record, so those covers were more to hold over the fans and people who knew I was working on something. I've been very meticulous about how I've done things concerning this band. Videos, songs, release dates.
5. Nick and Thomas, you've worked together before on a band called Sabai. Could you both tell me a little bit about that band and what it was like then versus now?
Nick - Sabai was a lot of fun writing and recording. Only thing is we never played a show. The guy who fronted for the band didn't want to play a show. Whatever. I got to write some cool jams with Thomas, and we immediately developed a chemistry writing and hanging out. Which is pretty much the same for The Memorials now, except we murder live!
Thomas - Sabai was an all black metal band Nick and I had with a couple guys, BJ [Edwards] and Rory [Jackson]. We recorded a bunch, but never did a show and after a while I just left Boston, so we never really made anything of it. Now I'm super serious about this, Nick is too. I guess we got older and we know what we have together. I'mma marry you, Nick. (laughing)
6. Thomas, you've done a lot of work with a lot of bands. Could you elaborate on working with them, especially Christian Scott and Elixir On Mute? I'd also like to ask, are you still planning on touring with Elixir On Mute?
Thomas - Yeah, we're trying to plan some stuff. It's real hard because I'm so focused on the Memorials project. Everyone sees it and kinda just lets me do my thing.
Now Christian, that's my boy. We talked about putting together a crazy all-star band so you'll totally see us working together again. I'd still be on the road with him if I could, I totally enjoyed playing with him.
7. Thomas, I also heard a rumor that you are working with Thomas Erak from The Fall of Troy. Any truth to that?
Thomas - Me and Erak are boys. We may do something in the future. He also has a new project, we might just go on tour together as bands. We've totally been talking about it, going out guerilla style.
8. Nick, I really admire the funky, somewhat vintage 1970's but still modern style of guitar you bring to the band. How did you come to develop that sound?
Nick - Thank you. The beginning of my love for music started with the 60's and 70's guitar players. I love Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Physical Graffiti, Electric Lady, and Inner Mounting Flame changed my life. However Dean Deleo, Stef Carpenter, Kim Thayil, Ryan Primack, and Adam Dutkiewicz also destroyed my face. Ha. I also have a huge love of jazz. I pull a lot from theory and harmony. I guess those influences together with a drive to create meaningful art and chaos mixed with a little whiskey, or a lot of whiskey, creates a basis for my sound.
9. Viveca, your voice is a beautiful addition to the band and I think what will hook a lot of people on the Memorials. How do you approach the Memorials vocally? It's a bit of a different sound than lot of bands and it seems like it might be hard to find ways to fit in so perfectly as you do.
Viveca - Thanks, Corey. Vocally it was a bit challenging having come from a mostly R&B/ soul background. I had to really step out. Stretch out mentally and try and forget about my fears of singing too hard. A voice teacher of mine once told me, "think less, sing more." So that was my approach. As far as me fitting into this equation, I feel like it was my destiny. I didn’t have to try really. I just wrote down and sang the songs like I heard them in my head with an occasional push from TP. "Come harder here, be darker with this, etc." Having recorded numerous songs with heavy background vocals in the past, he asked that I keep it to a minimum, but I may have gotten a little carried away at times. (laughing) I love vocal harmony. I love hearing my voice in layers. Thank God, or whoever the nerd is that made pro tools!
10. Finally, since this is for a Houston based website, I have to ask, will the Memorials be making it out to Texas any time soon?
Nick - Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso can't wait to be on the hang with yall! Love the dirty! Thanks Corey.
Viveca - We have high hopes for a trip to Texas in the near future! Hopefully this article will help! Thanks for your time. Bless.
Thomas - Fuck yeah, I love Tejas. If I ever move from the Bay, I'm moving to Austin. Print that! I love the people out there and the bars. (laughing) Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Corpus... I'm trying to hit everywhere this next year so be on the look out.
Ok, I didn't post this "tomorrow" like I said, but here it is. The second part of my collection of my favorite concert moments.
Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" and "I Do Not Want This" (May 12, 2009)
This was the second time I saw Nine Inch Nails and this time it was in Austin on their apparent last tour ever. For this show, they busted out some deep cuts like "The Fragile" and, my personal favorite, "I Do Not Want This," a song that I feel pretty privileged to have experienced live.
Animal Collective - "Fireworks" and "What Would I Want? Sky" (June 4, 2009)
This was in Dallas and I post it mainly for "Fireworks" even though it's only the ending and doesn't capture the part of why I'm posting this. The part in question is unfortunately not on YouTube. "Fireworks" was performed at epic length and in the middle Panda Bear got on drums. Animal Collective then proceeded to perform one of the most mind-blowing jams I've ever had the pleasure to witness. Truly amazing.
The Mars Volta - "Eunuch Provocateur" (September 17, 2009)
For this tour, the Mars Volta dug deep in their catalog and pulled out one of my favorite songs of theirs (and one of the oldest), "Eunuch Provocateur." They also brought back "Inertiatic ESP" for this tour and that was stunning too. A big treat for their biggest fans.
Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" (October 31, 2009)
Brand New is one of my favorite bands and this was a special show since it was on Halloween. This is my favorite song by them and it was rewarding because I had been waiting for so long to see them.
Say Anything - "Admit It!!!" (November 16, 2009)
I love Say Anything, especially their album ...Is a Real Boy. They closed out their set with the last song off of that album, "Admit It!!!" and they went all out with it.
Cursive - "21st Century Schizoid Man" (November 30, 2009)
Cursive did this badass King Crimson cover when they played Walter's On Washington last year. It was a fantastic set because they were headlining and got to play all of my favorite songs. Yes, I recorded this, apologies for the shitty sound.
Girls - "Lust for Life" (January 31, 2010)
Album by Girls was one of my favorites last year and this was the big hit from it. They had an awesome show here. I ditched my girlfriend to go to it, so essentially I ditched my girlfriend to see Girls, which is amusing to me. I'm so lame.
Ted Leo - "A Bottle of Buckie" (March 31, 2010)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Timorous Me" (March 31, 2010)
On March 31st, I finally got to see Ted Leo after waiting forever. Not only that, but I got to see him twice in one day. First, playing an acoustic set by himself at End of an Ear, a record store in Austin, then second, playing with the Pharmacists at Emo's. Ted is one of my favorite musicians so this was a dream come true for me. I also got to meet him at the record store and got an awesome picture with him. You can also see me in the front row with the plaid shirt in the video at Emo's.
Buxton - "Down in the Valley" (April 17, 2010)
Buxton are personal friends of mine and this was an awesome performance. I took this video and it actually turned out pretty decent.
Alexisonfire - "No Transitory" (May 3, 2010)
Alexisonfire playing my favorite song by them. They did more of their new album than I'd prefer, but they still busted out classics like this.
Converge - "Hanging Moon" and "No Heroes" (May 21, 2010)
"Hanging Moon" is my favorite Converge song, besides "Jane Doe" which they sadly didn't play at this show. Still, it was pretty awesome that they played "Hanging Moon" considering it's not one of their more popular songs.
The Flaming Lips - "The Fear" and "Worm Mountain" (June 5, 2010)
I never thought I would see the day that the Flaming Lips would play in Houston, nor did I ever think I'd meet Wayne Coyne. This was easily one of the highlights of my life. It's the biggest festival I've ever seen held in Houston and the Lips played an amazing set.
Janelle Monae - "Cold War" (June 13, 2010)
I'm a big fan of Janelle Monae but I couldn't afford to see her open up for Erykah Badu. Luckily for me, she held a free instore at the best record store in Houston, Cactus Music. It was a short acoustic set, but it was mind-blowing and it showcased how truly breathtaking her voice is.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Panasonic Youth" (July 2, 2010)
This one was fucking crazy. Dillinger is ridiculous live. Greg Puciato is maybe the greatest screamer I've ever seen live.
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group - "Miel del Ojo"
Pretty much the best thing I've ever done was flying to New York City and seeing Omar's solo group perform. It was the greatest moment of my life. This is one of the pro-shot videos from it, apparently it's going to be on a DVD. You can see me in the front row in certain shots, bobbing my head to the jam.
