Telefon Tel Aviv, dabrye, Richard divine, knamiprotko, T. Raumschmiere at the Eyedrum
A Concert Review By Mark Y. Goh
September 12, 2002
I trekked downtown to the Eyedrum art gallery (www.eyedrum.org) to see Telefon Tel Aviv. A diverse group of electronic artists performed ranging from local names such as knamiproko and Richard Divine
to Eastern Development’s Dabrye to T. Raumschmiere from Germany. This show was one of the biggest and
largest drawing electronic music shows to hit Atlanta in a while. The growing popularity of this genre (and I
use this term very loosely) in Atlanta coupled with the growth of the number of musicians in Atlanta can partly
be attributed to spaces like the Eyedrum and a relatively new group called the Electronic Arts Alliance
(http://www.electricartsalliance.org/). The EAAA is a group of artists that seek to broaden the concept of electronic music to incorporate other
forms of medium (such as videography, imagery, turntablism) that contribute to the spectacle.
The show, although not an
EAAA event, reflects the same spirit,
in which the artists continued to
challenge and push the concept of
electronic music shows. The diversity of the artists ranged from the
harsher set of the German T. Raumschmiere who played a very dark set
of mashed up beats to experimental
Autechre-influenced laptop music by
Atlanta artist Richard Divine. Glitch
artist, Dabrye, headlined the show
with his down-tempo ‘clicks and
cuts’ set. Also playing the show was
the multi-media knamiproko who
played a more laid back atmospheric
set coupled with a vivid video collage. The combination of the music and the video collage makes them very
exciting as they create a mood from both the visual and audile stimulations.
Along similar lines to knamiproko was Telefon Tel Aviv (www.telefontelaviv.com). Ever since hearing their record a couple months ago, their album has been a staple on my record player, always amazing me
with their lush and highly textured sound that creates a mood in a similar fashion to what knamiproko does live
to a record. Needless to say I was anticipating seeing them live. They did not disappoint. The most striking
thing was their setup, which included an electric guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard, and a couple of laptop computers. This was something that I had not anticipated. They started out with the second song off their album
TTV and continued to play an intense 40 minute set with a one song encore. Throughout the set their highly
coordinated and layered sound fully comes through augmented with the use of their instruments. Creating a
blissed out yet laid back mood throughout their set, Telefon Tel Aviv amazed the audience with their technical
coordination and ambient organic and computer derived sounds. Telefon Tel Aviv ended their set with the
haunting title track from their album, Fahrenheit Fair Enough after a solid set. This ended a night of great music and left me inspired as this might be the future of music and art.
Questions/Comments? [email protected]
WMRE’s BATTLE OF THE BANDS!
You KNOW you’re going to come!
See your favorite Emory bands battle it out for who rocks the hardest. It’s
gonna get personal. Side shows include DJ auction, Giveaways, and other
things that will come back to haunt us.
WHEN? Nov. 7th, 2002.
WHERE? Business School Amphitheatre
WHAT TIME? Sometime around 5 , I don’t know!
BRING HOW MUCH MONEY? Lots! There will be massive fundraising going
on for WMRE’s Jump, Little Children show on Nov. 15th as well as yummy
food and contests you will be dying to enter.
By Jonathan Rhymes
As he did with Winners never Quit, It ís Hard to Find a Friend, and Whole EP
before it, David Bazan has created an intelligent, ironic, and markedly brilliant masterpiece.
With raw emotion and his trademark delivery, Bazan packages candid tales of adultery, rage,
and murder into easy to swallow capsules. In his most recent effort, Control, Bazan shines
with maturity and wisdom, stepping outside his devout Christian roots to conceive of one of
the most highly anticipated albums of the year.
The intricately woven tale of one man’s infidelity turned homicide may not seem
like an enjoyable experience, but it is to the singer/ songwriter’s credit how flawlessly he
carries his audience through the lies and half truths with beautifully fuzzed out guitars, harmonious keyboards, and an upbeat tempo. In only ten songs, Control exposes a seedy underworld of sex, pain, and responsibility that many mainstream
artists could never achieve of in their careers.
In the catchy tune, “Penetration,” Bazan delivers an astounding mix of bitter criticism and hopeless resignation of
corporate society with undeniable talent, clever and introspective lyrics, and incisive originality: “Cause if it isn't making
dollars/ Then it isn't making sense/ If you aren't a moving unit/ Then you're not worth the expense/ If you really want to
make it/ You had best remember this:/ If it isn't penetration/ Then it isn't worth a kiss”
On such tracks as ìRaptureî, “Indian Summer,” “Priests and Paramedics,” and “Second Best,” Control radiates
with unfettered honesty and stunning imagery, developing a simple narrative into a harsh critique of societal values and
moral standards. Think of a Bret Easton Ellis novel put to shrewd melodies, intricate constructs, and poignant lyrics that
once again solidify Bazan as an adept genius and his songs, an understated work of artistry and craftsmanship.
Listen to Control in heavy rotation on WMRE, “The Voice of Emory.”
♪♫ All That Jazz ♫♪
By Edward David
I went to the best concert of my life on Friday. Now I am going
to try as best as I can to show you why.
In the midst of the show, in the dark hall surrounded with lights
and the musicians on stage, you began to sway with the down beats. You
feel the rhythm beat through your blood into your veins and slowly into
your soul. The grooves feel right, so good, so close into your skin that you
can't stop from feeling good. This is the voice of God channeling through
you.
Now I know what you must think: that I am another religious nut
for believing in God. But I have no organized religion. Jazz is my religion
and I know that God exists because he comes through the musician's notes
into our souls. This is what John Coltrane talks about with “Love Supreme”: there is a God, and he is of love, and he is there with us, at all
times.
I closed my eyes and breathed in the electrifying beauty as the musicians jammed on the song "Black Orpheus." I
knew the melody and chord changes well, and yet they played with such striking carefulness, I couldn't stop feeling like I
was experiencing a new sense of bliss. The highlight of the show for me was the last song, “In an Indian Grove.” All the
players left the stage minus the upright bassist. His solo, in which he grooved on a simplistic five note scale in E minor
followed by the same five notes in C major was so simple and yet the most beautiful notes I have ever heard in my life. All
the passion in the world was found in those ten notes--and that was the bass player
Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the height of his shows were
"those few moments when you really felt like the world was alright." And that is the truth behind music: all the flaws of
the world fade away as people come together to hear the music of God. It is raw beauty and gives you unlimited hope in
this insane world.
Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Girl
By Chris Rodriguez
On a rainy, windswept day in early October, I sat down for a chat with
Stephanie Spangler, one of Emory University's rising musical talents.
Armed only with a sleek Yamaha keyboard and a disarmingly agile voice,
Stephanie has staked her claim as a major player in the independent Atlanta music scene with Open Mic competitions at CJ's Landing, Eddie's
Attic, and right here at Emory, where she took home a victory in this past
spring's Battle of the Open Mic Night Winners. As angry-grrrl rocker Ani
DiFranco played softly (as softly as Ani is able to muster, at least) in the
background, Stephanie and I delved into why shy writes music, what her
musical future holds, and more pressing topics, like Prince's boots.
Chris: First question- when and why did you decide to start writing music? What inspired you?
Steph: I think the thing that made me start writing music was the need to
express myself, in the sense of you're just growing up and you're the little
girl in this big world. I think to me, it's a place where I can put all of my
thoughts together, to kind of formulate who I am and try to grow up. I did
do it by myself- I wasn’t the type of child who would go to mommy every
time something was troubling me.And so I was lucky enough to be raised
with this skill on the piano- but I hated it, all the practicing and the
classical music. But I think that after I realized that I could use this stuff
to explore things about myself, about life in general, that’s what made me
start writing. That's what I want to do and that’s what I want to continue
doing. When it comes down to it, the reason I write songs is…<long pause>
C: It transcends words?
S: <laughs> No. The reason I write is to try to fit all the pieces of who I am together. I’m a very disorganized person, and music is
sort of my filing cabinet.
C: Do you tend to draw on your own experiences with songs, or do you sort of live vicariously through other people when you
write?
S: Lately, I've been writing about my own experiences. Most of the time, that's what I do, but every now and then, I'll just say,
'What if this happened?' or 'What does this mean?' For instance, I wrote a song about something I read from a fortune cookie, and I
just took that one line and blew it out of proportion, and thought, 'What if a person said this to someone else? What would that
mean?' But lastly, it comes from personal experience, and what's really funny is that most songs start from something I feel or see,
but by the song's end, it's become something else. You know, it's not about this boy who didn't like me, it's something larger. So I
think it's really interesting how at first the focus is very sharp…
C: But at the end, you're curing cancer or ending world hunger.
S: Yes! And I think I'm President!
C: What advice would you give to someone who's just starting out and writing music and writing songs? You know, since you're
such a professional by now.
S: <laughs> I really don't think they'd ask me! Because I'm really biased and the reason I write songs is for myself, and how that
relates to life, and woo, it's so big! I would say that if a person's motivation is that, you can't mimic anybody or try to be like anyone else. You have to write what the song is like in your heart or in your head, those are your songs. And you can't be shy, just
write it- that's what your art is, that's who you are. And maybe it sucks, but it's yours. And if you write a hundred songs that suck,
and one that works, in this day and time, you can make a million bucks on that one song. Just keep yourself in mind when you're
writing.
C: Are you afraid that people will see “female” and “piano”, and automatically think of someone like Vanessa Carlton? And if you
had a choice about whom you wanted to be compared to, who would it be?
S: This is so weird. I mean it's flattering for someone to come up to me and say, “Yo, you sound like this famous person.” That's a
compliment, you know? I think for a while, I didn't want people to label me as a “girl singer” and…
C: Like flowers and sunshine stuff?
S: Well, some of my songs can be very flowery, but that's not what I stand for. I'm not out there just to be a flower child…
C: But that's who you are! That's your “motivation”!
S: <laughs> But if I had a choice, hmm…
C: Just say Tori, you know you want to.
S: Well, I've had that compliment before, but I guess that's just because we're both girls with pianos. Because I mean there's Tori
Amos, and Vanessa Carlton, and Norah Jones, or whatever, Sarah McLachlan. There's all these boys with guitars- you don't compare Lenny Kravitz with some…folk guy, you know what I'm saying? But when push comes to shove, I'm just basically like,
“Thank you for the compliment.” But to answer your question, yes, Tori Amos is one of my biggest influences, but she is crazy.
As a compliment to my musical ability, maybe. To my psyche? Not really.
[continued on next page]
“Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Girl” [con’t from previous page]
C: So you take the Tori out of the insane asylum, in other words?
S: Exactly. I can be a sane Tori.
C: Okay, dream collaborator- who would it be?
S: I saw Ryan Adams play last week and he was so good. Everyone in the place was going crazy, especially when Elton John
came out and played too, but I think, maybe just because he's on my mind, I'm saying that. He's just an amazing musician, and his
sound of music is different than mine, but it's also on the same level, you know? But what's really fun is just getting together with
friends and making music. It's really exciting, you know, just to work on it with anyone.
C: What would it take for you to sign a record contract? Are there some things that you would…
S: Uh, 5.5 million dollars? That's it! <laughs>
C: <laughs> Well, are there any things that you would definitely not accept in a deal?
S: I don't know, give me an example.
C: What if they said you could only write 25% of your own songs and the rest had to be written by other people, or you had to wear
different clothes, or something like that?
S: I don't think I would like it, but then again, I can't say for sure. Obviously, I would like to stick to everything I want to do, but
when you're going to join a huge record label, I mean, it's all politics, and they only think of themselves and of money. If you're
lucky, you'll work with someone who loves music. So, I'm definitely very wary of that.
C: So you don't want to be a slave to the record company, like Prince? Because then you'd have to change your name to a symbol,
and it would be really confusing for everyone.
S: I think it's just because he's little, he can't help it.
C: And he wears those boots.
S: Do you wear high heels like that?
C: I should, that would rock. I could be like 5'10”.
S: <laughs>
C: Is it a weird feeling when you're playing live, to know that everyone is looking at you and reacting to what you're doing?
S: Hmm, I really don't think about that!
C: That would be weird for me.
S: Well, I think it shows, because when I get nervous, I start smiling and laughing and getting really weird. It feels like they want
me to jump through hoops, and I don't do that.
C: You can save that for your arena and stadium shows. You can have the piano drive through the rings of fire.
S: <laughs> Yeah, and I can have backup dancers and stuff.
C: Alright, final serious question. With a nod to “Almost Famous”- the movie, not the song about the movie title- what is it that
you love about music?
S: I think in the world, on this earth, there are certain truths, and I think one is that we're all here, we're all people. I think music is
the way to express this life. The fact is that it's so complex and people are so complex, and I think music is one way we can interpret all of that. And you know, whether singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Tiny Dancer” or whatever, it encapsulates that
part. It's a translator, a mediator, of understanding. That abstract thing of humanity, whatever it is- and there's all these concepts,
like love, and hate even, and music is the thing that helps keep it all straight. It makes us understand. It can be a teacher, a guide,
so many things that are good.
C: These next questions are just for fun. If you could fight anyone from history, who would it be?
S: Fight anyone from history? Do I get to win? Wow, um, does it have to be real history?
C: The balance of the world is not resting on your answer to this question.
S: I would fight Ursula from “The Little Mermaid”, because she was really evil.
C: Corey Haim or Corey Feldman- who will win an Oscar first?
S: Who are Corey Haim and Corey Feldman?
C: <passes out in shock>
S: I'm sorry, I don't remember them.
C: What do you think about this whole “internet” thing?
S: I give it another ten years or so. It's on its way out.
C: If you could be a member of any '80s hair metal band, which would it be?
S: I don't like that, that's weird! I'm not going to wear hair like that! I was traumatized as a kid when I walked into a Kroger bathroom, and I kid you not, there was a woman, shaking her head so all her hair would fall down. She had a can of aerosol hair spray,
spraying it all over, and I was scarred! I don
C: So you judge people by their looks, then?
S: No, just big hair.
C: So you do want to plug your WMRE show?
S: Sure- it's called “What the Hell?” and there are a lot of DJs. There's Jimin Kim, Mary Nicol, Lauriana Capone, Kate Robb, and
me. And we're going to play everything.
C: Except for hair metal.
Like what you see so far? Well, now imagine seeing your name under one of these fabulous articles. The WMRE Zine always
welcomes contributions, and submitting stuff is as easy as stealing apples from the DUC. Learnlink Laura Ingram, our editorin-chief, for information on how you, yes YOU, can be a part of l i s t e n.
Lessons Learned
Moby at the DeKalb Atlanta Center
A Concert Review By Lauren Job
Moby is a frail man. To see him on the streets would give you the impression that he is a bendable, breakable man. And the general consensus by anyone who
listens to more than the repetitive dribble on the radio (i.e., Moby is Fischer-Price “My
First Techno,” thank you Erica Mitchell) would only further this view. And to be
honest, I walked into the DeKalb Atlanta Center, on the night of Moby’s show in Atlanta, with a holier-than-thou attitude.
At the very least, the lighting at the DAC was spectacular, but there was
more; once on stage, Moby sprang to life. I couldn’t help myself. His energy and
excitement were more than contagious. He sprinted from the mike, to the guitar, to
the hand drums, to the synth. He did it all. It was exhausting to watch, but also inspiring. For that hour, I forgot my lofty opinions and just enjoyed the show.
Perhaps most amazing of all was his variety. Though the same undercurrent
was present in each song, his work reflects an important change in popular techno. Sampling everything from early
gospel and spiritual on Play, to the punk/core influences on Animal Rights, his work reflects an integrated vision as
he swings from hard-house to ambient-trance and back again. Moby may be pop-techno, but he ventures outside the
radio-ready techno of artists such as Fatboy Slim, which may have just been the show’s saving grace, and his own.
Album Review: In the Fishtank, a Konkurrent Records Project
By Ted Brzinski
Konkurrent Records helps to head the drive for musical innovation with their "In the Fishtank" project. This innovative project takes
talented, somewhat famous bands, and gives them full run of a studio for
48 hours straight to produce whatever they can come up with. Most of the
collaborations run about 30 minutes, and range from being fun and playful,
to amazingly intricate and complex, to downright annoying. (For more on
the project, which has featured bands such as Tortoise, check Konkurrent
Record's site [in dutch] at www.konkurrent.nl/labeldex.html) The latest of
these eclectic albums star three bands. First, the alternative cult-heroes
Sonic Youth. Next, The Ex, a Dutch band who describe their style as "Exmusic" (more or less Avant-Punk). And lastly another Dutch group by the
name of I.C.P., who are not the talent-less clowns more often associated
with the name, but rather a jazzy improv group also known as the "Instant
Composers Pool."
I excitedly opened the album, ecstatic that I'd get to review this
rare gem which I'd obtained a week before release, and was so enthused I
nearly snapped it in two shoving it into my cd deck. As I started the album, noises of various instruments came sporadically from my speakers. I
assumed the musicians were simply tuning their instruments, and sat back
to wait for a song to emerge. Three and a half minutes more of this noise
prompted me to reach over to skip to the next track (something I would
almost never do, but I couldn't take any more!!!!), and was shocked to find
I was already listening to track 2. I don't know if I missed something, but
each of the three times I listened to the album I grew really frustrated because the track would build to the verge of being a song, and then just kind
of fade back into chaos. It was as if the bands had gotten together and said
"let's taunt our audience." I thought the album was more or less a big
tease.
Who should buy the album:
• People who like headaches
• SY fans who couldn't live with themselves if they didn't at
least give it a chance (that's me)
Who shouldn't buy the album:
• People who like dynamic music, or even just music
• People who could instead spend the seven bucks on a burrito and a beer
The Many Merits of Supertramp
By Jason Aimone
I love Supertramp. No, no, I’m not talking
about many of our wonderful Emory students
but about the band from the 70s. Most of the
people at Emory have probably never even
heard of much less listened to this band. And
the people who have heard of the band Supertramp will laugh and talk about how lame they
are. These people don’t know what they are
talking about and should actually listen to the
band first.
After a string of moderately successful, decent albums, in 1979 they hit gold with
an incredible album entitled Breakfast in America. This album is loaded with cool songs.
Poppy hang lines make many of them songs
you will sing in the shower. “The Logical
Song” will make you question why you pay
$30,000 for your education while making you
happy and sing-songy at the same time.
Though there are songs with hang lines that
can be played individually, the album works
best as a whole. They fit together like a puzzle
to form a piece of art. It’s a wonderful album
to listen to while driving through Atlanta traffic for an hour or so. Trust me, it’ll make you
feel better.
So if you are in the mood to buy a
CD and don’t know what to get, give the tramp
a try, and you won’t be disappointed. Cohesive yet catchy albums are few and far between. So, take a chance and experience a
wonderful band and a wonderful album.
☺ FOR $ALE ☺
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$350/pair…. (PRICE INCLUDES CARTRIDGES)
•PIONEER DJM-500 ...…… $800
•STANTON SK6F………… $140
•PIONEER CDJ 100S ………. $250/each or $475/pair
•PIONEER CDJ 500 II ……….. $500s
•YORKVILLE MPDX AMP …….. $350
•APHEX 104 AMP ………….. $100
•CROWN 210 AMP ………… $125
•CROWN 810 AMP ………… $175
•ETA PD8L AMP ……………. $200
PRICES ARE NEGOTIABLE *
LISTEN UP!
WMRE is bringing a delightful evening to you
Nov. 15th at the Business School Amphitheatre
(rain location will be announced later),
Headlining the show will be…………
**JUMP, LITTLE CHILDREN!**
Opening will be the winners of WMRE’s
“Battle of the Bands.”
COME ONE COME ALL!
ROCHELLE (678) 591-9297
It Came From The '80s
By Raul Gonzalez
“Imagine an earlier U2 with lusher guitar, better vocals and lyrics, and no pretentiousness. The most criminally
overlooked band on the planet.”
So writes rock critic Ned Raggett about The Chameleons UK, a standout post-punk band that formed in 1981 and
released three brilliant albums in relative obscurity before calling it quits in 1987.
Consisting of Mark Burgess on bass and lead vocals, Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies on guitar, and John Lever
on drums, the band burst out of Manchester, England with their roaring first single, the Steve Lillywhite-produced “In
Shreds.”
Their chemistry already perfected and their unique sound defined, the quartet released their mind-blowing first
album, Script Of The Bridge, in 1983. Few debut albums are this good; in fact, few albums are this good. Featuring everything from the straightforward surge of “Up The Down Escalator” to the introspective “Less Than Human” and the soaring,
epic fan favorite “Second Skin,” the album demands attention from its listeners and rewards them with the music of the
heavens.
Maintaining the sheer brilliance of Script was certainly an almost impossible task, but 1984's What Does Anything
Mean? Basically falters only slightly. More of the songs seem like filler (that is, one or two), but some of the band's best are
on the album as well, including the one-two punch of “Perfume Garden” and “Intrigue In Tangiers” and the stunning “One
Flesh.” Also of note is the scathing political commentary “Singing Rule Britannia (While The Walls Close In).”
Fortunately, lightning does sometimes strike twice, and The Chameleons UK proved it with their second masterpiece, 1986's Strange Times. The songs' beauty is almost tangible, and nearly every one is a classic, from the pulsepounding opener “Mad Jack” to the intense, yearning “Soul In Isolation” to possibly the band's best song and the closest
they ever had to hit, the haunting, powerful “Swamp Thing.”
After embarking on a month-long US tour in 1987, the band again a entered the studio. However, internal tensions and the sudden death of manager Tony Fletcher led to the band's dissolution. Out of the recording sessions' ashes rose
the four-song EP Tony Fletcher Walked On Water, and the tale of The Chameleons UK seemed to end for good.
Miraculously, time healed all wounds, and after more than a decade of playing in other groups, the band reunited
in 2000 and (temporarily sans Lever, who had found a real job) released Strip, which featured acoustic reworkings of old
songs. Gigs packed with rabid fans confirmed that the band still had both a place and a mission in the world, and in 2001
they released their fourth album, Why Call It Anything, which contains the rocking “Shades,” the sly “Dangerous Land,”
and much more. This Never Ending Now, a thematic follow-up to Strip, has recently been released.
This September, the band embarked on their second-ever extensive tour of the United States. They started in Atlanta, where they played two unforgettable shows at the Echo Lounge and proved to their mesmerized audience that they
are undoubtedly the best band that never made it big.
***Catch The Chameleons UK and other post-punk bands every Monday from 8-10 p.m. on WMRE's The Vault***
Forever and Counting;
An Intimate Look at Hot Water Music.
It’s not too often that one gets to meet one of the best and most respected punk bands in the scene, but this past summer, I happened upon the amazing luck of getting to interview Hot Water Music during their tour with Less Than Jake and Bad
Religion.
Being naturally shy, I took fellow admirer of HWM, Mr. Santiago Archila, along to help me conduct the interview.
We arrived at the Tabernacle, and although the interview was all planned out, I still had no clue how to find the band’s manager. Ducking underneath some yellow caution tape, I snuck around the tour bus area, hiding behind random stacks of amps
and equipment to avoid getting kicked out by the grizzly security guards. Oh, the things I go through for this zine!
Unfortunately, my James Bond maneuvers were a little rusty, and a guard spotted me, so I quickly knocked on the
door of a tour bus with one small HWM sticker on the back with the hopes that whoever was inside would deliver me from the
clutches of mean, underpaid security guards. It worked! One of HWM’s singers/guitarists, Chris, ushered me quickly into the
van once I stuttered out a quick explanation of who I was! After retrieving Santiago and declining a cold beer from Chris, we
got started on what ended up being a very long interview. Without further ado, here are some selections from a great conversation with some great guys…
L: So this is a pretty all-star tour…
Chris: Yeah, this tour has had 5 shows so far, 9 days… It’s awesome, it’s been a real treat for us--We get to tour with some
really, really cool bands, and we get to play for a lot people that we never would have played for before. It’s awesome, we get
up there, and we don’t really know what’s gonna happen, the people in the crowd don’t really know what’s gonna happen, but
it’s been working out really good. Everybody’s havin’ fun and everybody’s dancing, so it feels really good to be up there.
L: The first time I saw you, I had listened to some of your music before, but seeing you live was a whole new experience because your fans were so into it… The whole crowd knew all the words and was screaming along with you the entire time. It’s
really an amazing thing to see.
Chris: We’re pretty lucky when it comes to that. It’s, it’s
cool. How cool is it that we can be up there and see everybody singing along?
Chuck: supercool
Chris: supaaaaacool. Hahahaha
Santiago: How is it different to be an opening band when
you are used to headlining your own shows with people just
chanting your songs and paying to see only you?
Chris: Well, it takes a lot of pressure off because nobody is
really expecting anything, but it also adds a lot of pressure
because you’ve got a half an hour to say, “This is what we
do,” you know.
Laura: This is probably a great tour to get your music out to
all of the younger punks.
Chris: Right, if we do what we do the right way—We’re
trying, we’re trying! It’s just a completely different tour than
we’re used to so we’re just trying to enjoy it, and it’s not very
hard, hehe, you know? I mean, it’s an awesome tour. We
knew that they {Bad Religion} were coming out with a new album, so we have been asking for like, a year, “Can we tour with
Bad Religion?” Hehe.
Laura: it’s seriously a punk all-star cast…
Chris: yeah, it’s supaafun.
Santiago: So Less Than Jake is playing with you guys, too. How are they being received?
Chris: They love em! They love ‘em. It’s intense. I remember, I think it might have been their first show, and it was at the
Hardback, with maybe 10 people watching them, just friends. It’s like, I saw them then, and all of a sudden now it’s just a completely different thing—thousands of people freaking out when they play, you know, and they know every single word and
dancing.
Laura: I guess it’s especially weird because you knew each other from Gainesville.
Chris: yeah, yeah.. Chris, the singer of Less than Jake, was one of the first friends we made in Gainesville. They have always
been really cool—they help out a lot of bands in every way they can. They try to help out as much as they can. Yeah, they are
definitely good guys.
Laura: Do you feel that Gainesville affected your music any, or more so than if you had lived somewhere else?
Chris: I’m sure it did. We moved to Gainesville in particular to make music because it’s a really supportive local scene.
[continued on next page]
Forever and Counting [continued from previous page]
Laura: You’re making me want to move there now!
Chris: There’s just a lot of bands and artists, and everybody’s really active, and it definitely affects you. It definitely
says there’s no reason not to be playing, there’s no reason not to do a lot of shows and go on tour… it’s just such a supportive atmosphere, and that definitely affects you. When we would play in Sarasota, or St. Pete’s, we didn’t feel that
support. It was hard to get a show, and it was hard to get anyone to go to the show unless you played with a huge touring
band. But in Gainesville, people come to see local bands.
Laura: It seems like your music is all about being yourself and just cutting out the bs inherent to life, do you feel like
this message that you send out through your music is something that just came naturally to the band, or is it something
you try to do?
Chris: We always have tried to have no message as a band, because we know we don’t have it figured out, you know.
The lyrics, as far as that goes, are just about everything that we go through. It’s from seven years of stories and things that
we are inspired by, and the things that drive us crazy, and the things that piss us off. It’s not really a message you know,
it’s just the story of where we’ve been.
The interview continued for much, much longer, but sadly, the space on our digital recorder did not! Stay tuned for more
interviews with bands Midtown and H20.
Oooh! Celebrity pictures!
We’re so very proud! Look look, it’s our very own Chris Rodriguez with [above right] Matt Nathanson, and [above left]
Norah Jones. You too can show the world your famous musician friends: Just send them in to the WMRE Zine, and we’ll
put you up here so everyone can goggle at how superfly you are.
Happy it’s Over:
Sister Hazel at
Emory
A Concert Review By Jon Rhymes
It’s hard to say what it is people see
in Sister Hazel. What with their jazzy tempos,
their four basic chords, their lyrical
predictability, and their customary breaks for
solos and mentally retarded hand clapping
(sometimes more than once in a single song)
all wrapped up in a 3 1/2 minute bundle of joy.
Led by Ken Block - a raspy, derelict,
former Florida natives blazed a path through
music’s history, becoming another statistic in
the one-hit-wonder column of Rolling Stone.
Luckily, they spawned other pop / folk / rock /
suck bands such as 3 Doors Down and Tonic.
In 1997, their spunky (s)hit release,
“All for You,” was the Preparation H to our
burning assholes, soothing our nation’s need
for another unrequited love song like no other
band could do, except for maybe Elvis Costello
or The Smiths. With their appearance Saturday
on McDonough Field the forgotten but not yet
missed band left many of us asking, “Whatever
happened to them?” Then remembering: “We
don’t care”.
Halfway through their moderate hit,
“Happy”, the “artist” clad in black diatribed his
way into our hearts, pleading to the inebriated
masses in a coarse, grating voice (and I’m
paraphrasing here) ‘Be passionate in life. Love
what you do everyday otherwise it’s not worth
it. If you don’t enjoy what you do, then you’re
missing out.” Thanks, loser.
So what’s next for Sister Hazel?
More than likely another album (cringe), some
more touring (grimace) in successively smaller
venues (smirk) as an opening band (chuckle).
Hopefully they’ll fade away into nothingness
so we won’t have to see them on “Behind the
Music”.
This Month’s Featured DJ’s
You can hear Thomas Stokes’ “Get Low” every Tuesday from 2:oo-4:oo
PM. The show features rap, R&B, reggae and the occasional song from
other genres. The format is primarily music, but there is a call-in portion.
Listeners are urged to call in and discuss the topic brought up at the
begining of the show or anything else they feel they want to discuss. Also,
anyone who wants to call in and kick a rhyme is invited to do so at any
time.
[We would have loved to show you the lovely faces of our DJ’s, but when
they don’t submit pictures, it forces us to get creative!]
In their own words, Heather Brown and Samantha Ketant‘s show “‘F’ What
Ya Heard” is “a radio show giving the hard-ass hip hop world a feminine
twist. From the music to the issues, Sundays from 6 to 8 pm is the time to
tune in for everything from music, reviews and debates to freestyle battles
and poetry to what’s poppin’ for the weekend at all the hot spots in Atlanta.
DJs CandyRainz and BrownSuga will be on the mics and in your ears with
hip hop, r &b, rap and reggae from all around the country as well as news
and issues from all around campus. ”
Only You Can Prevent Festival Fires
By Chris Rodriguez
Jurassic 5
Widespread Panic
Soulive
Released on September 24th, and perhaps lost amongst
the newest releases from artists like Beck, Ryan Adams, Peter
Gabriel, and, yes, even Elvis, Live From Bonnaroo details in rich
sonic depth the three-day jam-band-plus extravaganza from this
past summer. Held in Manchester, Tennessee (about 60 miles
outside of Nashville, y’all), from June 21st-23rd, Bonnaroo signified
the first time in history that all (or at least most- despite repeated
attempts, they were not able to resurrect Jerry) of the major players
in the colorful, borderless world of “jam” music were brought together at the same time. But don’t get the idea that this was like a
patchouli-ized Woodstock 2002, because it wasn’t. There weren’t
any Porta-Potty explosions, wussy crap rock prima donnas
(looking directly at you, Fred Durst), or $37 bottles of water. Nor
were there any artists at Bonnaroo swinging their socks, singing
Hendrix’s “Fire” and urging the crowd to burn the place down.
However, there was one restriction placed on artists desiring to
participate in the festival: they had to be able to play. And play
they did.
Because a collection of every song played during every
set by every musician during the three days would be slightly unrealistic, to say the least (though we can still hope that is in the
works), Live from Bonnaroo takes a sampling of one song from
every performer’s set and melds them all together on a nicely packaged two-CD set. Starting off with a rousing version of “Tallboy”,
Widespread Panic nevertheless provides a somewhat somber moment on the album, as guitarist Michael Houser is heard for one of
the last times live before his death at the hands of stomach cancer
later in the summer. Some highlights of the rest of the first disc:
Bob Weir joining former/current Dead band mate Phil Lesh (and
his “Friends”) for “Tennessee Jed”; DJ Logic scratching along to
Jack Johnson’s trademark subdued vocals on “Rodeo Clowns”;
Jurassic 5 adding a welcomed hip-hop touch to the rock-oriented
scene with “Countdown”; Robert Randolph and the Family Band,
fresh off their opening stint for the Dave Matthews Band, ripping
up “Peekaboo”; and Norah Jones setting the already-steamy Tennessee night on fire with her sultry singing on “Nightingale”.
The second disc of the album is equally as impressive as
the first. Phishy Trey Anastasio jumpstarts the action with “Last
Tube”; Ben Harper, with Innocent Criminal Leon Mobley on percussion, offers a fitting theme song for the festival with “Burn One
Down” leading into “With My Own Two Hands”; Gov’t Mule,
with their proud Southern rock heritage fully on display, lay down
“Banks of the Deep End”; banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and bassist
Edgar Meyer provide an odd, yet entertaining, detour from their
hard-driving musical colleagues with a repeating refrain from
“Baby Bumblebee” serving as a base for a sublimely peaceful
“Bonnaroo Traveler”; the John Butler Trio plays a surprisingly
spry rendition of “Pickapart”; and to fittingly close out the album,
the hauntingly-talented Blind Boys of Alabama deliver the traditional gospel “Amazing Grace”. Other artists on the two discs
include Galactic, Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade, Soulive, The Dirty
Dozen Brass Band, The String Cheese Incident, moe., Ween, North
Mississippi Allstars, and The Del McCoury Band. If I didn’t single out a song of one of these bands and you’re a fan, well, I’m
sorry- life is full of tough decisions, you know? One decision that
won’t be tough, however, is whether or not to go to Bonnaroo
2003. Dude, I’m so there.