An Interview with RizzyBeats (and a premier of "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)")

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, March 6, 2023]

North Carolina based producer recently chose to rework MindsOne's 2006 debut album Time Space Continuum. The chance to talk to RizzyBeats came up, and seeing how much I'm enjoying The Time Space Continuum Redux, I jumped at the chance. I asked about the upcoming album, the North Carolina hip hop scene, and he even was nice enough to put together a monster seventy-eight track playlist featuring NC hip hop! 

MindsOne/RizzyBeats' The Time Space Continuum Redux is due out May 12 via Fort Lowell Records. You can pre-order the vinyl here. The single is due out March 10 digitally, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on RizzyBeats, check out his website. For more on MindsOne, check them out on Instagram. The original version of Time Space Continuum can be found here.

 

The new album (The Space Time Continuum Redux) is a reworking of MindsOne's 2006 debut album. What made you decide to make a new version of the album?

It basically started with some conversations I had with Tronic (of MindsOne) about how there aren’t more remix albums out in the world. Tronic mentioned he still had a lot of his a cappellas from their previous albums and I made sure to take note of that. I had previously remixed Aesop Rock’s “None Shall Pass” album and had a ton of fun with that so the prospect of giving MindsOne that same treatment was super appealing.

About a week later, I was listening to their Time Space Continuum CD and I remembered that conversation we had about the a cappellas, so I hit up Tron and asked if he had those too. He did, sent them to me right away, and I got busy.

What was the process of reworking an existing album? What did you decide to keep?

For me, the process always starts with finding the right BPM so everything matches up correctly. I use FL Studio for producing so I usually layer the original track over the a cappella and make sure things are lined up on the grid before I start adding drums and other samples. Then I go song by song, seeing what inspires me from each record. I always want to give any song I remix a new flavor that I think better serves the artist and highlights them in a way they weren’t in the original. With this project, I wanted to keep it super hip-hop so I intentionally used a lot of famous drum breaks so it would give this project that golden era sound.

Being from the Boston area, I'm hearing a ton of Gang Starr influences in this album. Is that more your style or MindsOne?

I think both myself and MindsOne are big Gang Starr fans. I’m hugely influenced by DJ Premier so I know I’ve subconsciously adopted some of his sample chopping techniques over the years. Preemo is the GOAT.

On the RizzyBeats Loves NC playlist, the tracks are incredibly diverse, but I'm hearing kind of a regional overall vibe that's laid back and embracing classic hip hop without sounding like a throwback. Do you think that's accurate, and what do you think leads to that sound? (If not, what would you say is the regional sound, if any?)

I think that’s very accurate. I think, universally, there is a deep love for hip-hop in North Carolina. Every artist I’ve been a fan of, or even known personally, has been very conscious of their responsibility as a hip-hop artist in North Carolina and has sought to make a meaningful contribution to the NC sound. We’ve got a lot of range here but it seems that most folks respect the history of hip-hop.

In Boston, it was basically impossible to see live hip hop for decades, and it's just recently becoming an established scene for live shows. How's the live scene in NC?

The live hip-hop scene here in Wilmington has been steadily growing for the last decade. There is a great acceptance among fellow hip-hop artists to stick together and work alongside each other so we can all succeed. The shows aren’t as plentiful here as they once were about 20 years ago but myself and a few others like Louis., Sheme OG, MoeSOS DC, and Shuron Maurice are trying to usher in a new generation of live performances to keep things vibrant and thriving. And I have to mention all of the hard work put in by MindsOne, Fuzz Jackson and the whole Monumental Music crew. They welcomed us with open arms and gave us the support we needed to carry on the torch.

What are the best/hottest cities for hip hop in NC right now?

Lots of excellent music coming out of Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Greenville, and Greensboro. 

When I heard you were putting together a North Carolina hip hop playlist, I did not expect it to be 78 tracks and 4 1/2 hours. If someone is short on time and wants to dabble before jumping fully in, what are the key tracks?

That’s incredibly tough to narrow down but a few of my favorites are:

- “Whatever You Say” - Little Brother

- “Gmots” - Miko X

- “Carolina Too” - Louis. ft Rob: Earth-One

- “Legion of Doom” - MindsOne

- “Mah Shiii” - Defacto Thezpian

We're premiering "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" today. Tell us about that particular song.

“Exit Velocity” is the first track I worked on and what gave me the confidence to move forward with the whole project. It features both KON Sci and Tronic and is a really strong opener (in my opinion). I wanted to set the tone for the album and come in guns blazing.

Rizzy Beats; photo by Justin Giles

OUT NOW: JPW "Halfway to Eloy (Live at The Dirty Drummer)" [Digital Single]

“Halfway to Eloy” was the second single released from JPW's debut album Something Happening / Always Happening last year. "Halfway to Eloy (Live at The Dirty Drummer)" Digital Single is a *live recording* of that song from the Record Release Party, which was held at The Dirty Drummer in Phoenix, Arizona on September 10, 2022.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW

OUT NOW: MindsOne / RizzyBeats "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" [Digital Single]

The first single from the brand new album The Time Space Continuum Redux, by MindsOne / RizzyBeats, titled "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" is available now on all music platforms.

The Time Space Continuum Redux is not only RizzyBeats's revival of MindsOne's debut album, but it's his own personal gift for MindsOne to celebrate the two emcees, KON Sci and Tronic, as they both embark on their fourth decade around the sun and embrace the seventeenth anniversary of their first official release. For the Redux, RizzyBeats used the original vocal tracks from 2006's The Time Space Continuum and produced an up-to-date version reflective of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE // PRE-ORDER VINYL ALBUM

Exclusivité “3000 Stories” le nouveau single de Brian Lopez

[Repost from Rolling Stone, France; by Belkacem Bahlouli, March 3, 2023]

Si Brian Lopez, membre fondateur de XIXA, son groupe de cumbia rock, est aussi sideman de luxe à la guitare chez Calexico, il travaille aussi en solo, où il partage une autre vision de son monde musical. Interview.

Trois mille histoires de migrants tentant de traverser la frontière américano mexicaine ne sont jamais arrivés à destination, tel est le sujet de premier single de son album prévu pour le mois de mai prochain. Ces morts ignorés sont inhumés anonymement ou dans le désert de Sonora, qui entoure la ville de Tucson en Arizona, où est installé l’une des figures de la ville, Brian Lopez, guitariste, compositeur et désormais songwriter. “3000 Stories” est un hommage pour rappeler l’existence de ces anonymes sans tombe.

Votre nouvelle chanson n’est pas vraiment habituelle dans votre répertoire, comment vous est venue l’idée de ce titre?

La chanson est un hommage aux 3000 corps non identifiés été découverts dans le sud de l’Arizona, dans le désert de Sonora, depuis l’an 2000. Les restes de ces anonymes – très probablement des migrants qui ont traversé la frontière à la recherche d’une vie meilleure. Des migrants qui n’ont jamais réussi. “3000 Stories” est une chanson inspirée par et écrite pour ces âmes oubliées.

La musique est assez différente de votre travail habituel, que recherchiez-vous avec cette atmosphère douce racontant ces terribles histoires?

Je voulais que les auditeurs entendent la beauté de leurs histoires plutôt que la tragédie de leur mort… les mélodies célèbrent leurs vies. Il est important de se rappeler qu’à un moment donné, ces restes étaient de vraies personnes avec des buts, des rêves et des ambitions… 3000 vies avec 3000 histoires qui ne seront jamais pleinement réalisées.

Vous vivez à Tucson, au milieu du désert de Sonora : je suppose donc que vous entendez souvent ce genre de nouvelles – des personnes qui disparaissent dans le désert?

Non. Au contraire, le public est largement tenu dans l’ignorance. Mais ce genre de tragédie se produit TOUS LES JOURS dans le désert de Sonora. Et il existe des organisations comme No More Deaths et Humane Borders, qui apportent une aide humanitaire à ces migrants – en installant des stations d’eau, en sensibilisant le public et en plaidant pour une politique d’immigration humaine. À l’inverse, il existe des milices anti-immigrants et des groupes d’autodéfense comme les Minutemen ou l’Arizona Border Recon qui patrouillent activement la frontière à la recherche de migrants. Ces milices, largement alimentées par les politiques et la rhétorique de l’administration Trump, ont infligé des dommages, voire la mort, à tous les migrants qu’elles rencontrent. C’est un triste état de fait le long de la frontière entre les États-Unis et le Mexique.

Quand on lit les paroles et qu’on voit la vidéo, quelle a été la partie la plus difficile pour transformer ce drame en poésie?

Dans les paroles, j’ai tendance à être poétique, à peindre à grands traits. Je ne veux jamais révéler où mon esprit s’est fixé. Et 99% du temps, je n’offenserais jamais l’auditeur en lui donnant le sens littéral d’une chanson. Mais avec « 3000 Stories », la compréhension des paroles est fondamentale.

Comment avez-vous l’équipe qui a travaillé avec vous sur la vidéo?

J’ai contacté un jeune artiste que j’avais rencontré au SXSW en 2021, Dorsey Kaufmann. Dorsey crée des installations et des expériences artistiques participatives socialement engagées et était un conférencier invité à l’événement auquel je jouais à Austin. À un moment donné, j’ai remarqué sur sa page IG qu’elle s’était essayée à l’animation en stop-motion, alors je lui ai écrit pour lui demander si elle envisagerait de réaliser un clip pour moi. Je lui ai dit que j’avais un budget de 5 millions de dollars, et je lui ai promis un yacht et la première du clip sur Rolling Stone France. Donc naturellement, Dorsey a dit « oui ». [rires], mais plus sérieusement, nous avons tous les deux tenté notre chance, et ça a marché. Elle a fait un travail incroyable en captivant le sentiment de ces 2 personnages ; ces 2 histoires. Je n’avais littéralement rien à voir avec la présentation visuelle. C’était tout Dorsey.

On retrouve autour de ce projet Gabriel Sullivan qui fait partie de la même équipe avec laquelle vous l’habitude de travailler avec XIXA et Calexico?

Oui, la chanson et l’album ont été produits par mon cher ami et collaborateur de XIXA, Gabriel Sullivan. Nous avons passé de nombreux jours en studio ensemble pendant la fermeture du COVID, pour enregistrer l’album. Il s’agissait d’un « album pandémique » et seules quatre personnes étaient autorisées à se trouver dans le studio en même temps, conformément aux directives du CDC. Il y avait donc Gabriel et moi-même, ainsi que notre ingénieur Frank Bair. Gabriel a joué presque tous les instruments dans le studio. Nous avons envoyé des pistes audio dans le monde entier à nos amis musiciens : John Convertino, de Calexico, a joué de la batterie et du marimba sur l’album, KT Tunstall chante sur un titre, les musiciens nantais Jean-Patrick Cosett et Vassili Caillosse font une apparition. Une douzaine d’amis locaux et étrangers au total sont crédités. Normalement, Si on avait pu bénéficier d’un groupe en studio, on aurait joué de manière cohérente, mais ce n’était pas possible à l’époque. Nous avons donc fait ce que nous avons pu avec ce que nous avions. C’est plus un album Frankenstien. Mais d’une certaine manière, ça fonctionne. Il y a plusieurs façons de faire une omelette.

C’est la même équipe pour votre prochain album qui est prévu pour le 17 mai?

Oui. Gabriel et moi avons produit tous les enregistrements de XIXA. Pour cet album solo, je voulais m’éloigner de cet espace et laisser Gabe prendre les rênes en tant que producteur. Cela m’a vraiment libéré pour que je puisse me concentrer sur mon côté artiste

L’album est terminé d’ailleurs?

Tout à fait et sortira dans le monde entier sur Cosmica Records le 17 mai. 100 vinyles limités seront pressés et vendus aux Etats-Unis par Fort Lowell Records à Wilmington, Caroline du Nord. En France, il y aura des vinyles produits et distribués par Gates Pass Records à Nantes.

Y a-t-il des surprises?

Pour le savoir, il faudra attendre!

OUT NOW: infinitikiss 'ambient music' [12inch LP]

infinitikiss is an ever-evolving musical and visual recording project conceptualized by Nic Jenkins, and ambient music is his latest full length album, as well as first release with Fort Lowell Records. The core material for ambient music came from live improvisations that were recorded to cassette tapes, which originally served as backing tracks for live solo performances and with rotating ensembles (circa 2015-2020), in and around Charleston + Columbia, SC. Since then, the tapes have since become a kind of sample library of colors & shapes that have served a variety of sound collage / design situations, as well as fodder for other strange + beautiful collaborations.  

It was a slow-growing interest in sound healing, vibrational therapy, and learning about Jenkin's own chakra / energy systems that helped him realize (and to illuminate) that this dusty collection of sounds could actually be its own album.  The song titles reflect the moods & colors (aka spectral wave) of the blending and bending of colors in a rainbow (ROYGBIV), as well as to the energy fields of our bodies; corresponding to the “roygbiv” sequence and play with imagery of said colors. 

Considering the nature of tape (magnetic film), Jenkins seized the opportunity to explore a range of microtonal frequencies which ultimately helped him to decide to tune down or up to 432, 440, and 444 hz. The intention was to explore, to enjoy, and to hopefully gain an expanded awareness of shifting frequencies.  The keys & frequencies (or tunings) of each piece / movement are:

track:

1. A major (432)
2. B minor (432)
3. B major (432)
4. C major (432)
5. D major, part 1 (432)
6. D major, part 2 (440)
7. D major, part 3 (444)
8. Eb minor (444)
9. F major (444)
10. G major (444)

For Jenkins, this is just the beginning of an understanding of how energetic vibrations move within and around us.

• CLICK HERE TO ORDER VINYL
  
• CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW

‘ambient music’ by infinitikiss | Album Premiere | Interview

[Repost from It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine; by Klemen Breznikar, February 27, 2023]

Exclusive album premiere of ‘ambient music’ by infinitikiss, out March 3rd, 2023 via Fort Lowell Records.

infinitikiss is an ever-evolving musical and visual recording project conceptualized by Nic Jenkins, featuring a revolving ensemble of curious and experimental artists, musicians, and performers. The core material for this album came from live improvisations that were recorded to cassette tapes, which originally served as backing tracks for live solo performances and with rotating ensembles (circa 2015-2020), in and around Charleston and Columbia, SC.

Since then, the tapes have since become a kind of sample library of colors & shapes that have served a variety of sound collage / design situations, as well as fodder for other strange and beautiful collaborations.

For Jenkins, this is just the beginning of an understanding of how energetic vibrations move within and around us. ambient music is infinitikiss’ first full length release with Fort Lowell Records.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM NOW

“Our bodies are just vessels of ever-shifting frequencies of light”

Would you like to share a bit about your background? How did you first get interested in music? When did you first get involved with conceptual art?

Nic Jenkins: Yes, I would love to! Thanks for asking. I was born in the early 80s; grew up in a town called Walterboro, SC which is near Charleston. I went to church with my family a lot in my youth, and music was always in and around the house. My mom and two siblings are still very active in their community choirs. I started off playing bass guitar for many years within those environments and very spiritually charged spaces. My dad was also a drummer once upon a time. The music of artists like Bob Marley and Sade were always playing in our house. I was fortunate to have elders and mentors in my community and extended family who shared all kinds of jazz, r&b, reggae, gospel, disco, and more with me. A drummer-buddy in middle school named Andrew shared the music of Weezer and Nirvana with me and exploded my mind; also when I truly discovered the drums. Local radio stations, MTV, BET, PBS, and any other musical broadcasting networks can also be to thank for my early appreciation of music. Discovering “alternative music” in the early 90s was a turning point, for sure.

I was active in concert and marching bands throughout grade school, and was able to study jazz in college (in Charleston). Starting indie rock bands with my friends was the next phase that helped me see that a life as a musician was actually possible, which opened me up to a path of exploration and growth. The drum set (in its material configuration and its invisible presence) was the original vehicle for my particular musical journey. I air-drummed a lot.

Thanks to genuine communities of musicians that noticed, welcomed, and encouraged me to consider my musical practice as a living art. Various collaborations with composer, dancers, film makers, and puppeteers all sort of appeared / manifested themselves in very organic ways. Some spaces and entities which immediately come to mind are: Redux Contemporary Art Center, Halsey Gallery, Piccolo / Spoleto Festival, Cumberlands, Bang On A Can, Young Jean Lee Theatre Company, Indie Grits Film Festival, & the Power Company Collaborative.

“infinitikiss was being inspired by elasticity, openness, and constantly changing landscapes”

‘ambient music’ is your latest project that was basically done from live improvisation that was recorded to cassette. What’s the story behind it?

The genesis of ‘ambient music’ begins around 2015 or so. I decided to update my moniker from Mr. Jenkins to infinitikiss. I was traveling a lot; thinking about space/time and the impermanence of things while also tapping into a broader awareness of timelessness, and the acknowledgement of individual sovereignty (in relation to the Universe as a whole). From a visual perspective, infinitikiss was being inspired by elasticity, openness, and constantly changing landscapes. Sonically, the project is fueled by the eternal “om” of the cosmos. Our bodies are just vessels of ever-shifting frequencies of light. It’s awesome!

So, as I began to explore writing and producing (predominantly solo) music to play with elastic ensembles of performers, there was a desire to incorporate static frequencies, ostinato patterns, and sound collage (an approach inspired by mystique concrete). The latter utilizes pre-recorded sound as a variable for manipulation and improvisation. Tapes were an exciting medium to explore b/c there is a physical interaction that is available in a different way than computers are available. I appreciate how fragile tapes are and how reliable they can be. I started to compile backing tracks for live performances to use in a similar way to how DJs use computers and turntables, dissecting samples and blending different layers together.

When the world basically shut down in 2020, I was already in a headspace of personal healing and trying to use sound as a tool for energy work. I’m still learning about this sort of practice (as a beginner). I made an album that year called ‘Pulp’ at that time (released in 2021), which mostly celebrated a sense of well-being and gratitude. When my (very pregnant) partner and I made the move to NM in the Fall of 2021: making music wasn’t so much at the forefront of my mind, but being well was. As we set-up shop to begin a new chapter, our home studio space slowly grew more conducive to a particular workflow, and the tapes were still there, intact. As we settled into a rhythm of rest & contemplation, more experimental, spacious, and ambient works (like Steve Reich, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and even Broadcast) became more of our daily soundtrack. Somewhere around the beginning of 2022 a lightbulb in my brain came on and I realized, “Oh! I can just release these tapes as an album!” They’re actually a pretty decent documentation of peripheral energies that existed in those early years. Initially, the release was scheduled to commemorate our two-year anniversary of becoming NM residents (this passed November). Fort Lowell convinced me to give the album a vinyl release/existence, and the rest is… where we are now!

Would you like to expand on the concept behind the record?

Sure! Conceptually, the intention is: awareness, compassion, mindfulness, nowness, newness, & the process of trying to preserve material that is in a format that will one day disintegrate (much like our bodies). Early on, I had to make some decisions about the tuning of these melodic phrases in order to blend with additional taped elements (guitar & synth), which were collaged/mixed later in the computer with LogicPro. Much of our music in the modern age of popular music is tuned to 440hz [ A ]. When ‘Rona presented us all with an opportunity to re-evaluate our healing practices/priorities, it also presented me with a sort of hypothesis: “What do certain frequencies do to our bodies and chakra systems?” and “What do wi-fi, bluetooth, social media, and other fluctuating radio waves do to us energetically?” That’s why some tracks are tuned down to 432hz and some are at 444hz. It was just an experiment to allow myself to feel those subtle shifts… which I’m still trying to practice in other areas of my life.

What meaning has improvisation in your life?

I haven’t read enough books on music theory or improvisation to make an eloquent statement about this, but: life is improvisation. Universally, I believe this is true for all human beings. Even if a person has no musical interests whatsoever, there is constantly a variable of improvising in our daily lives, in our commutes, in how we interact with strangers (who have the potential to be friends), and even in how we decide what we put in our bodies. It’s a flow thing, I suppose?

Shout out to: DJ FloFader & DJ Desert Disco –– two of our new favs. Dancing has played a huge part in my own discovery and realization of this; especially Ecstatic Dance. In my life, improvisation also means: I’m free to decide.

What are some future plans?

Some future plans, aspirations, hopes, dreams, et cetera that I have are (in no particular order):

• transcend space/time
• learn how to be a better parent, partner, and friend
• to fear less and love more
• work on my “jingle jangle” album
• collaborate with old and new dearies from the home studio
• manifest more abundance of space to accommodate our dreams as well as more ease and flow in creativity
• read more books
• put out some obscure rarities on my small-batch cassette label, Dojo Nowhere: Tapes & Miscellaneous Media
• keep an attitude of gratitude for the many beautiful beings, gifts, and LOVES in my life
• rewatch the documentary “Sisters With Transistors” … a few more times
• find more documentaries on Butoh dancing
• to accept and transmute dense energies with more intention
• to assist and participate in the evolution of our human collective consciousness
• staying present, while…
• applying to arts residences and other collaborative opportunities
• make more stuff with my main squeeze @u.r.magical
• make more of a “living” via freelance commissions like composing, illustration, a/v design, recording sessions, and music production
• figure out how to release an album collab with Seattle pal, Kelsey Mines (And Y Et)
• continue to revisit and revive some vintage musical projects </paging… Morimoto.gif>

Let’s end this interview with some of your favourite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Aloha – ‘Sugar’

Broadcast – ‘The Future Crayon’

Metronomy – ‘The English Riviera’

Tortoise – ‘TNT’

Pram – ‘Museum Of Imaginary Animals’

Some albums I am enjoying currently are:

Field Guides – ‘Ginkgo’

PJ Harvey – ‘Songs From The City, Songs From The Sea’

Stereolab – ‘Fab Four Suture’

Something about the music of French Kicks has been calling to me / resonating with me again. Maybe it’s the drums, but maybe it’s the songs. I recommend ‘Two Thousand’ and ’The Trial Of The Century’ for some fun & bouncy early-aughts indie rock.

I recently finished listening to an inspirational audiobook by Shannon Lee (daughter of Bruce Lee) called ‘Be Water, My Friend’ that I will probably find in the physical realm one day. Simultaneously, I discovered an excellent podcast called “Bandsplain” which is full of great musical critiques, brilliant context, and hilarious content.

Last year the band Warpaint released a gorgeously gorgeous album that I will probably go back to many times this year. It is called ‘Radiate Like This’ and it does just that.

Thank you. Last word is yours.

See the other. Be the other. Free the other. Be gentle with yourself. Thank you very much, Psych Baby!

Meet Wilmington North Carolina Indie Pop Band Kicking Bird

[Repost by Blood Makes Noise; February 16, 2023]

"Everything's a rip off." Kicking Bird states that clearly but without irony or apology on their debut album *Original Motion Picture Soundtrack*. The twist however is that while stolen chords or melodies are an inevitability in all music, it's impossible to not filter the work of those who came first through our own cracked and unique lenses. This is where the *Original Motion Picture Soundtrack* shines. We caught up with the band and have an exclusive premiere of the track "Impermanent Assistant" Today!

PRE-ORDER LINK   

Pre-Order *Kicking Bird **Original Motion Picture Soundtrack* here

How did the band form and what does the band name mean?

The very first incarnation of Kicking Bird played in Chicago Illinois at the Cobra Club. Our first guitar player Dylan Kloska, also Shaylah's brother, came up with the name based on a movie that had moved them both as kids. When Shaun and Shaylah moved to Wilmington we met Robin and started all playing together. Greg came in next on drums, and eventually I was able to move back to guitar when we found Tom playing in a few local bands and he showed interest in joining us on bass. 

Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?

Everyone has different roots but pretty much the same story. From Ohio, London, Chicago, and North Carolina all of us started playing music and performing live in various ways very early on. Shaylah and Shaun met in Chicago while both writing individually until eventually collaborating on the indie rock band Chaperone. Finding the rest of the band in the Wilmington music scene was a blessing and a continuation of the pop rock direction everyone had been moving towards individually. Tom was playing in the Frondeurs when we first met him and I instantly knew he was on the same wavelength. The Wilmington music scene has grown a lot in the past few years, evolving past the punk/metal and alt-country bands that have been a staple for years into a lot of really unique rock bands.  We love Pleasure Island, Narah, Morning News, Sean & Her Dilemma, and a lot of the rock acts that are popping up in town. 

First concert that you ever went to? 

When I was 12 my dad took me to see Neil Young. The next day he bought both    

of us guitars. 

What's your writing process like?

Songwriting normally happens one of three ways. Occasionally one of us writes something from start to finish, music and lyrics. Even then, everyone is left to their own creative style to figure out what they are going to do that fills out the bones. Most often, one of us will come up with a part, a chorus or hook or maybe verse and turn around but still something is missing, and the rest of the band will finish the song. Those are always the best because you'll end up with something unexpected and perfect. Last, there's the rare occasion that a full on warm up jam turns into something we love and can flush out together in the moment. No matter how the main form is acquired, lyrics seem to always be a component that is fine tuned last second. 

What other artists or songs inspire your music?

This record has some pretty direct inspirations and some more roundabout ones as well. Liam Kazar's* Shoes Too Tight* was a song I heard while walking around the neighborhood one morning and I instantly was caught by the jagged guitar. I went home and started just trying to get that same vibe and eventually landed on the main chords for *Impermanent Assistant,* which gets its name as a nod to Robin's least favorite Paul Mccartney song *Temporary Secretary*. When bands started touring again after 2020 one of the first shows that Shaylah and I went to was Kevin Morby and Hamilton Leithauser. It was amazing and both of those artists have been major influences. I've been chasing Hamilton's ability to control a scream my whole life and his sound definitely can be heard on *Hickory River.* When Shaylah was writing the chords for that song we definitely had Morby's album *Oh My God* in heavy rotation. Robin came up for the initial riff part of *Lauren* and we had jammed it a few times at practice but I wasn't able to get lyrics I liked beyond "Lauren" until I was reading the hobbit one day and the phrase "unexpected party" struck me as fun and quirky. It was easy from there. *238* is a song that popped out almost entirely at once. I was at work and my friend Paul was playing a skate video in the shop and one of the parts featured Joel Alme's *The Way We Used To Beg. *I became obsessed with that song and pretty much ripped it off verbatim and turned it into a song about  my beautiful dog. 

What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing? 

Our band is explosive live. It's the most fun and rewarding part of being in a band for me. It's sweaty, we dance, we yell at each other on stage, we crack jokes with the audience. It's communal and I think we've become such a strong family unit that our bond really comes across. We are genuinely blown away when people come out and have a good time and smile at us and we get to meet them. We really just want to have a party with everyone. Mimicking a recording isn't really interesting to me. I want to have it be special every time we play a song. I think that's the hardest part of recording, capturing that same energy. Tom did a great job of getting us recorded in a way that feels really true to that live performance. 

Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?

We have not been on any tours yet. We've had some really fun times at Satellite here in Wilmington. Our halloween show there was such a crazy party and everybody had so much fun. When people really start moving to the music we feed on that. We'd love to get out and do jaunts in other parts of the southeast or maybe get back to Chicago sometime soon. 

What's up next for the band?

We hope to immediately start working on album two. We have a handful of new songs already that we really love and we are super excited to spend some  time on the creative side of things. We love having new jams to play for  everyone. It keeps us interested and that makes the live performances so  much better. 

CLICK HERE to listen to the track "Impermanent Assistant" exclusively on Blood Makes Noise

Signal And Noise - Desario - Fort Lowell Records, 2022

[Repost from Daily Vault; by Tom Haugen, February 22, 2023]

Sacramento residents Desario are back with their first album in five years and fourth overall, where their exciting indie-rock template embraces bits of ominous shoegaze, bright New Wave and post-punk sensibilities from across the pond in the ’90s.

The nine-track listen leads with the thick haze of post-punk coated with a smattering of dream-pop that’s quite exciting on the nostalgic “Lonely Lights.” “Strange Shapes” then follows with hypnotic guitars and a jangly demeanor you'll immediately enjoy, as the crisp drumming really does impress.

Approaching the middle, the throbbing bass of “Throw It Back” segues into a light and airy display, while “Nevergreen” is a bit more firm, featuring a meticulous rhythm section that explores both busy and calmer moments.

Though there isn’t a bad tune present, the best ones are on the back half, and include the atmospheric and very pretty “Things We Left Behind,” as well as the lovely melodies weaving in and out of the reflective song craft that is “Wired Wrong.” “Eraser” exits the listen and carries a hint of melancholy amid the infectious bass lines and skilled drumming that balances tension and tunefulness in flawless ways, much like the entire affair.

Desario is made up of Michael Yoas (guitar, keyboards), John Conley (vocals, guitar), Mike Carr (bass guitar) and Kirklyn Cox (drums, percussion). Together they make music that you will enjoy if you're already a fan of Film School, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Smiths and/or Arctic Monkeys.

An extremely limited LP with just one vinyl copy left as I type this(!), regardless of what medium you prefer, Signal And Noise is an absolute must for fans of the early days of alt-rock, shoegaze-tinted indie-rock and blurry post-punk from any decade.

Rating: A

Fort Lowell Records DJ Set at The Starling Bar in Wilmington NC - Friday, Feb 24, 6-8PM

Brian Lopez - "3000 Stories"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, February 14, 2023]

You might know Brian Lopez best as the guitarist for Calexico, but his solo albums have been released to wide acclaim as well. His latest solo single, "3000 Stories," is a gorgeous and lush cinematic song. It keeps his desert roots intact while being a quietly gigantic song. It's a relatively simple song that seems to keep building and building, adding new elements while just keeping the main root of the song completely together. "3000 Stories" is the kind of song that's going to require multiple listens. You won't realize how much is going on after just the first one, and the more you listen, the more there is to discover here.

You can listen to "3000 Stories" below. Tidal will be due out this summer on Fort Lowell Records. For more on Brian Lopez, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.

Feb 14 Tue - Lodge Room Highland Park - Los Angeles, CA
Feb 15 Wed - Belly Up - Solana Beach, CA
Feb 16 Thu - Pappy & Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA
Feb 17 Fri - Musical Instrument Museum - Phoenix, AZ
Feb 18 Sat - Meow Wolf - Santa Fe, NM

JPW

[Repost from Ecléctico; by Armando Bellmas, February 17, 2023]

Today on Ecléctico you're listening to "Something Happening" by JPW, a musical project led by songwriter, musician, and singer Jason P. Woodbury from Phoenix, Arizona. Released in 2022, today's song is the lead track from the project's debut album. Let the album roll after the tune and you'll find yourself driving through the American west, light and dark dancing above the landscape, your pace fast then slow as you race towards a place that is still a song away from where you want to be.

"Jason Woodbury is a galactic citizen, dialing in from the Sonoran Desert on planet Earth," writes Ben Seretan on the album's digital liner notes. "[The album is] a collection of songs you might hear on the radio after a cosmic camping trip, familiar but far off. Songs for stepping out of the spaceship to crack a goddamn cold one on a blurry summer day, taking a moment to enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass."

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Music
• Listen on YouTube
• Listen on Tidal
• Listen on Amazon Music
• Listen on Soundcloud
• Listen on Deezer
• Listen and buy on Qobuz
• Buy and listen on Bandcamp

Graded on a Curve: Lauds, Imitation Life

[Repost from The Vinyl District; by Joseph Neff, February 9, 2023]

The 5-piece Lauds hail from Wilmington, NC and Imitation Life is their debut album, its ten songs emanating from the indie pop, jangle pop, and ’80s Alt-rock zone, with the playing energetic and lean. It’s unusually strong for a debut, and what it lacks in originality is more than made up for with the focus and drive of the whole. The 135 gram vinyl in a hand numbered limited edition of 100 appears to be sold out, but hopefully Fort Lowell Records will order a repress. In the meantime, the digital is available on Bandcamp.

Lauds consists of Gavin Campbell, Boyce S. Evans, J Holt Evans III, James McKay Glasgow, and Ross Page. Glasgow and Evans III are the songwriters, with the former a guitarist and lead vocalist and the latter serving as multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist on three tracks. Amongst their cited inspirations are The Cure, Slowdive, Ride, Chameleons, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. To the band’s credit, they avoid leaning too heavily on any one influence.

Opener “Parallel” does go heavy on the Anglo jangling, the guitars crisp as the track’s progression is full of swelling beauty, as Glasgow’s vocals deepen the Brit aura without going for a full-on imitative trip. “Somehow” follows, the vocals airy a la dream pop and the playing urgent, giving the Cure-like guitar figures a dose of the ol’ shoegaze.

With Evans taking a turn at the mic, the singing is even breathier in “24,” as a rouge ’80s keyboard gets thrown into the mix, conjuring visions of nursing a fountain soda in a mall food court while perusing a copy of Smash Hits. But Lauds smartly retain their intensity in the song, which keeps the attack focused, as “CeeDee Lamb” grows increasingly raucous, and during the post-punkish guitar soloing, reaches the border of downright heavy.

The guitar at the start of “Don’t Mind” reminds me a bit of The Bats and The Clean from New Zealand, but once the vocal comes in, the sound is pure ’80s UK. The same can be said for “Wasted Hours,” which opens side two, but in Lauds’ favor, the song doesn’t recall any particular band as it unwinds, with the stomping beat in the chorus and the guitar textures late in the track (and how they mingle with the keyboards) quite appealing

“Rust” settles into a jangled-out glide, and then “Distant Images” kicks it back into high gear, with the sturdy gallop of the rhythm another differentiating factor in Lauds overall sound (that is, the music here is tangibly punchier than many of their stated influences). “Wait Forever” delivers more adrenalin rush jangle, while “Misplace a Night” downshifts for the close, injecting a bit of Clientele-like airiness into the beginning before adjusting to a thrust that’s reminiscent of something out of late ’80s Manchester.
As said, Lauds aren’t inventing anything new with Imitation Life, but the album is a series of inspired variations on well-loved styles. It rolls from start to finish, a fully formed debut oozing promise for the future.

GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-

For fans of 9th Wonder, EPMD, and Gang Starr

MindsOne’s first record The Time Space Continuum was released seventeen years ago. This year, hip-hop producer — RizzyBeats — brings you his own up-to-date version of their debut, reflective of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop — The Time Space Continuum Redux — due out on Fort Lowell Records May 12th.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

Southwestern Indie Rocker Brian Lopez Drops "3000 Stories" (Premiere)

[Repost from PopMatters; by Jonathan Frahm, February 6, 2023]

Brian Lopez of XIXA and Calexico fame premieres “3,000 Stories”, the first single from his new album TIDAL that’s releasing this summer.

An influential Southwestern songwriter, Brian Lopez’s name has crossed into circles ranging from indie and art rock to grunge, psychedelia, cumbia, and other musical regalia. Fans of Calexico, XIXA, and Mostly Bears will recognize him for his contributions, and his solo music has found its home with avid alternatives—oft uttered in the same breath as Thom Yorke or Nick Cave. 2023 marks a new movement for Lopez, who has defined desert noir with his music for nearly 20 years. A new album, TIDAL, is dropping this summer and bringing a fresh cinematic cut for the celebrated artist.

Some see it as a return to form, viewed from the vantage point of over 15 years plugging away at his musical endeavors. TIDAL’s debut single, “3000 Stories”, is indie rock and folk this side of Elliott Smith, finding its mellow vibe in subtle, undulating synths, guitar tones, and soft-sung vocals. It’s a gorgeously crafted, unassuming first single that sets the tone for something special from Lopez in the coming months with TIDAL.

Lopez tells PopMatters, “It’s the first song off the album and has particles of the entire album’s DNA woven throughout its sonic thread. It’s also not an overwhelmingly obvious lead single. I’m not going to hit you over the head and say, ‘LISTEN HERE!’ No, to the contrary—I want to cultivate a patient and attentive listening experience. If you like ‘3000 Stories’, you will love the rest of TIDAL. If not, then I’ll hit you over the head with the next single.”

Having recently returned to the stage with a scorching set at Tucson’s Club Congress, Lopez reflects on the performance ahead of an ongoing tour with DeVotchKa.

“It had been about four years since I’d played a solo show with a full band backing me. For the longest bit, I’ve been saying no to gig offers. When you’ve been off the grid for that long, it’s hard to gauge the public’s interest in your craft. The brief hiatus, as it turned out, helped. People were curious to see what I was up to and packed the house. I used the opportunity to revamp the live band and reconceptualize the live look and sound. I put together a four-piece band composed of four multi-instrumentalist producers—a high-risk, high-reward situation. The band was beyond stellar It felt good to get back on stage and hit a new, different stride. Get out of my old patterns.”

Regarding DeVotchKa, “These guys are like family. I’ve been on tour with them before, and it’s always a great time. I’m looking forward to legendary venues like Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown. I’ll be doing this run solo, so I’m going to try and convince some DeVotchka bandmates to jump on stage and sit in during my support set. We’ll see.”

TOUR DATES

2/14 – Los Angles, CA @ Lodge Room Highland Park

2/15 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up

2/16 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s

2/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum

2/18 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf

Wasted Hours: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Lauds

[Repost from A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed; by Glenn Griffith, February 7, 2023]

The debut full-length from North Carolina's Lauds is one of those kinds of records I love to get enthused about. Readers of this site for the last 15 years ought to know that I only write about things I can get a bit enthused about, and, as I've seen, my regular contributors operate from a same POV. Imitation Life from Lauds is the kind of thing that makes me want to rave. It's so expertly crafted and right up the alley of a listener like me, that I'm surprised that I only just now heard about this band.

"Somehow" manages to sound like early R.E.M., if R.E.M. had been intent on copying Cure riffs, while "24" offers a neat juxtaposition of chiming guitars and sleek keyboards. The clash between those styles powers so much of what's great on Imitation Life, but songwriters J. Holt Evans lll and Mckay Glasgow find a way to steer this material into interesting places. "Don't Mind", a moody highlight here, conjures up memories of early Wire Train and a faint hint of the kind of soaring guitar-pop that powered The Wild Swans into the hearts of listeners some decades ago. Lauds make this seem fresh, not just nostalgic, and the cut has a real natural charm.

There's likely going to be an inclination on the part of listeners to Lauds to frame the music on Imitation Life in comparsion to earlier college rock bands from the South. And while "Wasted Hours" nods in the direction of early Connells (and R.E.M.'s "Driver 8"), the sound here is robust enough to stand on its own. Still, I'd be a fool not to name-check the bands I've mentioned above, because by comparing this music to that earlier stuff, I've let you know just how good this Lauds record is. Moody and introspective in tone, this is American jangle-rock of the highest caliber.

Imitation Life by Lauds is out now via Fort Lowell Records.

Kim Ware — of the Good Graces — has a new solo album 'Homely' coming out in March

You can check out the song "Rabbit Tattoo" + pre-order the digital album here, or you can pre-order the vinyl record here.

PICK OF THE DAY: Lauds 'Imitation Life'

[Repost from Small Albums; January 30, 2023]

OUR RVW: “A blanket the size of a skyscraper placed in a bunch like a handful of picked, dark purple raspberries unloaded into a wheelbarrow.”

A cloth drill boring into a soft tooth, cleansing the area, removing decay, hope.

Without pain.

The swirling of the threads, overlapping in excessive speed weaving throughout the rot, and rubble, relief. 

Quiet calm, as the cave in the center of the clay-like bone opens wide to reveal the hollowed cleanliness of a new moment. 

You can hear it in the triumph of the driving drums in “Wasted Hours,” a perfected definition of Lauds sound, in wide-open, hopeful, interlocking parts and places. McKay Glasgow and J Holt Evans, began this project as a songwriting partnership which has morphed into an entirely massive sound, incorporating musicians to help fill and create an atmosphere that settles under and through each song and sound. The congruence in the feel of this album is wholly cohesive, while each of the songs live in their own rooms and apartment numbers, nearby, same building, individual. 

There’s an endlessness to the tangles of electric guitars that sweep and crest and dive and lift, and the sound, the tone feels infinite. Glasgow and Evans share majority of credit for the guitars on this album, and by the sound of it, the two have developed a language within the way the strings and chords mesh together, split apart and walk parallel paths, only to re-cross and peak like spires standing as marble columns up into the heavens, clouds coating the ornate tops, so we can only see momentary glimpses of all the sound actually represents. 

Lauds works in never-ending sound, while sprinkling microscopic details along the way to keep the pace and atmospheric latitudes stretching and growing. 

It’s one of those tiny capsules you place in water, and the shell dissolves to reveal a sponge that expands into a shape of a duck or a dinosaur, but this sponge continues growing until it overtakes the sink, then the room, then the floor, then the house, and out the windows, into the garden and up into the sky. 

Vocally, Glasgow heads up the majority of the singing and delivery, while Evans appears on a handful of tracks, leading and directing. The two work in a catty-corner similarity, delivering their own slice from the same surprise fruit cut from the branches of a shaded tree. Glasgow gleams a little more up front, with a voice sailing over the top of the shifting ships of guitars and bass. See “Somehow,” where Glasgow calls that title out in such a way that a plane could fly through clouds, but the fluffed storm stirrers never touch the sides of the metallic needle threading through. 

Evans, on tracks like “Distant Images” and “Misplace a Night,” buries the vocals a few inches under the soil, about the distance down to place vegetable seeds. The sprouts peek up quickly, but there’s a bit more between the ears and the lyrics. The guitars swirl up and above, drawing the words like a tempest capturing truths and secrets in between spinning haze. 

Musically, Lauds holds to the direction started as “Parallel,” leads in, and never relents all the way through. A sound like this could become monotonous in the wrong hands and fields of vision, but not here. Each musician and piece works in extreme conditions to make sure definitions are recorded and placed in order to never lose a moment to a wash of sound. 

The tiny pecking beak on the piano as an example on, “Ceedee Lamb,” which also features a Small Albums favorite Ross Page, the mastermind behind “Color Temperature.” Page accurately drives the sound of this shallow, lilac colored puddle as the piano and the guitars gently break in a breeze. There’s hints of something else to keep the sound lined like metal edging to hold the lawn together. 

It feels across the entirety of the album like Glasgow and Evans, who hold the majority of instrumental credits on the album, see everything through a specific scope, and direct from that singular vantage point. Other instrumentalists are brought in to provide opportunity for different tracks, but everything is held in the hands of the soundscape sculptors and there is no room for a hint of the directive. 

While the washes of sound really define the backgrounds, and the guitar work prominently leads the whole of this, the melody writing reveals such an expertise, that at times the perfection of guitars and the hooks and vocals are so interesting and well thought out that the songs can divide the brain in two places at once to keep track of everything mapping out. 

Lauds as an entire entity, offers something spacious and easy to immediately get into, while moving the target gently so the focal point is hard to find, but that’s a good thing, because you need every element here to create the mass of an elemental table that Lauds is after, in developing an outer space all their own. 

(Fort Lowell)