1. Midwest Music Explosion
2. Madonna
3. The Darkness
4. Sevendust
5. Flyleaf
6. Five Iron Frenzy
7. Calico System
8. F (as in Frank)
9.Sputterdoll
10. Low Twelve
Interviews with: Psycotron, Nerve Damage
and She’s the Car
In my first year of doing The Audio Nut I have tried to bring a wide variety
of music to you the readers and music consumers. I hope that I have covered
bands and artists that you like and I also hope that I have brought many more to
your attention that you may not have heard of otherwise. I personally am truly
impressed with how the first year has gone, and I honestly look forward to
bringing you an even better product in 2006. There will be one more issue coming
out at the end of the year, which will contain a best of list as decided by you
and me and it will also contain some new material as well. If you haven’t signed
up for the email updates yet, I strongly urge you to do so. Who knows, you might
even win a prize by doing so.
So, this is the first release by Big Star in
almost thirty years. I could be showing my age here,
but I had never heard of them until I got this disc
in the mail. I will say that this release is a very
lively and entertaining effort from Big Star. Songs
like, “Dony”, Turn My Back on the Sun”, “Love
Revolution”, and “Mine Exclusively” are all solid
and unforgettable songs by the group. Imagine the
Beatles, Wilco, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale
meeting up on Beale Street for a impromptu jam
session and you’ll have an idea of what is gyrating
out of your speakers once you take a listen to this
effort. Fans of the ‘jam band’ movement will
delightfully kick up their heels and get down to the
tunes that Big Star dish out on In Space.
Various Artists
Hoodwinked (Soundtrack)
2005 Rykodisc
I honestly didn’t know where to start when it
came to reviewing a soundtrack from a movie. I have
never taken on such a task and honestly hadn’t
planned on doing so either; but when I was offered
the disc for a review I quickly agreed, because,
well I like a challenge. Luckily for me this wasn’t
some soundtrack that features songs that have been
overplayed by TV and radio over the past fifty
years. Instead, it is a refreshing and attractive
release, featuring songs by Ben Folds, Andy Dick,
Benjy Gaither, and the movies Co-director and
songwriter Todd Edwards to name a few.
Edwards has included notes in the CD cover to
explain to listeners a little bit about the songs
and how they fit into the movie. I am wondering why
I haven’t ever heard of Todd Edwards at this point,
because this guy has an impeccable talent for
penning some pretty catchy and very diverse songs.
Imagine any style of music and it is covered on this
disc. Often times various styles have been meshed
together so attractive and uniquely that you’ll find
yourself skipping back to listen to a song over and
over again revealing layers of musical mastery. I
know the ‘average’ listener doesn’t sit there and
rewind songs to hear what they didn’t hear the time
before, but I find myself doing that a lot. I will
be shocked if this effort isn’t nominated for
various awards, when it comes time for those yearly
nominations.
The movie Hoodwinked comes out in January and I
will find my way to the nearest movie theatre, if
for nothing else, to see how these songs are laid
out in the film.
Korn
See You on the Other Side
(Parental Advisory)
2005 Virgin Records
Good thing Brian “Head” Welch got of this sinking
ship when he did. For those of you not familiar with
this group, Welch was an original and contributing
member of Korn; he left the group last year under
strong conviction that the group conflicted with his
newfound religious beliefs. I think that maybe this
new material might have ran Welch off as well. Korn
is attempting to evolve musically and hopes to
expand their shrinking fan base. There are some
varied styles added to the bands songwriting
approaches, which end up making them sound like a
crappy Nine Inch Nails cover band mixed in with an
atrocious and mellow metal band as well. Bottom line
is, pass on the Korn and find something with a
little meatier substance.
This recording had got some nice beats and Talib
has some serious skills when it comes to rhyming. It
seems hard to find good rap or hip-hop records
nowadays, but Kweli delivers strong with these 10
tracks. “Drugs, Basketball and Rap”, “Fly That
Knot”, and “Beast” are some of the best songs to be
dropped in 2005. I tend to get bored with the same
old looped beats that tend to drag down a song and
its mood when it comes to the hip-hop genre, but
Talib has a knack for keeping the listeners
interested throughout the whole song. If you have
taken a liking to artists like Kanye West, Black
Eyed Peas, or Common then you should check out Talib
Kweli right about now, because this guy truly has it
going on.
In 1989 there were groups like Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Nine Inch Nails.
Ministry had easy taken the underground industrial music scene with their The
Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste release and fellow industrial pioneers
Skinny Puppy was building an ever-growing fan base with their release, Rabies.
One day MTV started showing the video for “Head Like A Hole” and all of a sudden
Trent Reznor, and his brainchild ‘Nine Inch Nails’ became the “in-thing”.
Pretty Hate Machine, was the breakout release that led the commercial buying
audience into the dark, gloomy underworld and introduced them to the
industrial/metal genre.
Fast forward to 2005; with Rykodisc getting their hands on this disc the CD
is readily available again to the US market without having to pay the inflated
‘Import’ price for the disc brand new. True there aren’t any extra or ‘hidden’
tracks and the recording hasn’t even been re-mastered. But none the less fans of
NIN can sink their teeth into one of Reznor’s finer pieces of work. If you are a
fan of Nine Inch Nails and don’t have this disc then I’m not sure you can
consider yourself a ‘true fan’, because this IS a must have.
I got this CD in the mail months ago and it got buried under a pile of stuff.
So, needless to say that when I found this disc I felt bad. I felt bad because I
had told the guys from Swandive that I would review their CD months ago, and
after hearing this disc I felt bad for myself, because I could have been
enjoying this project for a while. Well, I will say it was worth the wait;
Swandive has a smooth and delicate approach to their songwriting and every song
on this disc is stellar. Swandive has a nice little blend of jazz influenced
music and folk type lyrics. “And You Are”, “You’ll Never Know”, and “Mercy
Begins” are all standout songs that might remind listeners of such artists as
Ryan Adams, Chris Issak, or John Mayer. This effort by Swandive is well worth
checking out.
It’s not everyday that you hear a band that has a viola player. Think Thank
Thunk, are one of only a few that I have heard to feature one. I was told that
these for songs are ‘the older songs’ so I am honestly not to sure what the
‘new’ stuff sounds like. Hopefully it will be similar to what I have just
listened to. The group doesn’t have any vocals and that is where the guitars and
viola work well together, because honestly you really don’t miss the vocals with
the way the melodies are laid out. I think this is a very impressive concept
that these guys are working on and I am interested in hearing what they will
come up with next. Be sure to check them out if you like bands like…and you will
know us by the trail of dead, Ween, or Kronos Quartet.
I truly admire solo artists, well the ones that start out as such. Not so
much the ones who are in big time bands and decide to go solo to help feed the
ego or to bank some extra cash during their bands downtime. I truly admire
someone like Skye, who at the age of 18, has put out her own CD; containing
songs that she has written and composed herself. “Left Of This“, “Paper Days”
and “Someday” are great songs that show this young artist’s potential for future
musical ventures. Fans of Liz Phair, Tracy Bonham and Michelle Branch will enjoy
Skye.
Q. Brad Wilcox, tell us a little about Gravity Engine and
yourself.
A. Gravity Engine is what has risen from the ashes of the dead bands that have
gone before. I’ve been in a couple bands before this which I naively thought
would be life-time love affairs, only to have them collapse for one reason or
another, egos, impatience, that sort of thing. So this one is about change,
about mutability. There is no permanent line up. Musicians may come and go, but
they will not bring the ship down with them if they do go. This way they are
free to do other things and I am free to orchestrate how I want. About myself, I
grew up in a tiny mountain town in Colorado, but I’ve been in L.A. long enough
now to call it home. I’m a bit of a dork. I like to read and I’m trying to curb
my video game addiction. I have a vegetable garden and too many ants in my
kitchen.
Q. How did you come up with and decide on the name Gravity Engine?
A. The idea originally came from a 2000 presidential candidate, that I’m pretty
sure only got one vote, who claimed to have invented one. But basically I like
the duality of the name. It’s a real thing that exists scientifically, sort of.
There’s not a perfect one, but an engine that runs solely on the principals of
gravity is the idea. I like to think of my music that way, being propelled by
all the heavy $h!t that happens in life. All the break-ups and break downs. All
the questions of religion and death. It’s mainly what fuels my music and that in
turn gets plugged back into the engine. A cycle of gravity. But there’s a good
dose of levity in there too. You just have to look a little harder.
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. There are so many. I couldn’t possibly choose just one, but one of my early
song-writing deities would certainly be Paul Westerberg with the Replacements.
The way he put words together, and still does, is so powerful and poetic, yet
still simple. Songs like Skyway can just break your heart, but it’s such a
simple concept of missed love, bad timing, you know, but it’s beautiful. The way
he tells that story is so original and visual.
Q. What are some of your goals for yourself and/or the band?
A. Honestly, this time around, I just want to enjoy it. I want to record my
songs and play shows and hopefully touch some people with the music. With
previous bands I wanted to conquer the world and all I did was stub my toe and
scream about it. Of course I would love to support myself with my music. That
would be a dream come true. But, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy
making other plans“, to quote Lennon. So I have no illusions anymore. I’m just
enjoying the journey.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be and why?
A. I would be Viggo Mortensen! Or anyone in the cast of Lord of the Rings,
because that just looks like it would be the most fun thing in the world to be a
part of. Maybe I should pick Mother Theresa or someone, but no. The Lord of the
Rings is damn inspiring. Tolkien was a genius. Maybe I should pick him.
Q. What are you listening to these days?
A. I have an iPod now, so it is constant shuffle. I am hearing things that I
haven’t heard in ages that were buried deep in my CD collection. Like Patsy
Cline, The Police and De La Soul. Some buried treasures that are still great. As
for newer stuff, I love the latest album from The Delgados, Universal Audio, and
Grant Lee Phillips & Virginia Creeper. I haven’t bought it yet, but I’m looking
forward to the new Elbow record.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
A. Have a great holiday season, whatever you celebrate. Call your Mom. You know
she misses you.
Note: Check out a review for the Gravity Engine CD in
Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Reagan Roeder - guitar/vocals
Q. How did you decide on the name the Ointments?
A. Ointments are soothing and healing and that's what writing songs does for me,
and hopefully others
Q. What can we expect from the band by years end?
A. We are recording a new album right now and hope to tour when it’s finished
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. Lou Reed
Q. If you could be anyone in world history, beside yourself, who would you, be?
Why?
A. Miles Davis because he was the coolest guy ever.
Q. What are you listening to in your car/home stereo?
A. The Walkmen
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about the Ointments?
A. It might be of interest to know that all three members are songwriters and
front their own band. Kyle Harvey (bass) plays with the Great Dissapearing Act
and Landon Hedges (drums) fronts Little Brazil. Landon has also played with
Decaparacidos and The Good Life.
Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Pete Altieri - I play bass and scream. I also handle all the business stuff
with the band.
Q. How did you come up with and decide on the name Low Twelve?
A. That's a good question. I was involved several years ago with Freemasonry and
I read the words Low Twelve in a book. It means midnight or the end of
something. I thought it had a good sound to it, and thought it would make a cool
metal band name. It had a HEAVY sound to me.
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. Musically I have had many influences over the years. From a bass playing
standpoint, I'd have to say Steve Harris of Iron Maiden and Geezer Butler of
Black Sabbath. I really like both of their styles. For vocals, I'd say a mix of
Tom Araya of Slayer and Chuck Billy of Testament were singers that got me
interested in doing it. As for non-musical stuff, like the business stuff, I'd
say Jim Matheos of Fates Warning. Back when I lived in CT, and played in another
band, he showed me how to promote my band and how to use various tools like the
CMJ report to get my music out there.
Q. What are some of your goals for the band?
A. We'd like to keep playing and having a good time. We're a bit older than some
of the area bands and our "rock star dreams" are gone - we understand reality.
Sure we'd love to do this for a living, but we understand that actually seeing
that happen is pretty remote. If it did happen, that would be the $h!t!
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be and why?
A. Hell I don't know. Maybe Adolf Hitler. I could have killed myself at an early
age and spared everyone a lot of bull$h!t.
Q. What are you listening to these days?
A. Lots of German thrash like Destruction and Kreator. The new Destruction CD
"Inventor of Evil" is just incredible. I dig it big time. Also the new Exodus CD
"Shovel Headed Kill Machine" rips.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about Low Twelve?
A. Check us out online at
http://www.lowtwelve.com
- we've got a new CD coming out in early 2006 called "This Side Toward Enemy"
and I'm sure any fan of heavy stuff will enjoy it. Go to our site to hear some
sounds and even video clips for the single "Kill Everything". Also - support
Heavycore at http://www.heavycore.net
Note: Check out a review for some of Low Twelve’s music in
Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. I'm Corey; I play lead guitar and all vocal attempts.
Q. How did you decide on TriggerFist as the name of the band?
A. Honestly, I put up our Myspace page one day and had to enter a band name ion
the spot. Well, we had never discussed that seriously before, so I entered
TriggerFist, which was the name of a song of ours. I guess everyone else likes
it all right. I got the idea for that name one day when a guy gave me the finger
going down the road after I presumably cut him off.
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musical and
non-musically?
A. Tool and the Deftones are huge influences, as well as Failure, for me. But
Taproot and Alice in Chains are there too. As far as "non-musically" goes...I'd
have to say peanut M&Ms and David Fincher flicks.
Q. What are some of your goals for Trigger Fist?
A. Just to get our music heard and to hear the feedback. Having someone tell us
that they really enjoyed a set, or a certain song would probably mean more to me
than anything else... at least until we started getting paid or something. You
know how that is.
Q. What are you listening to these days in your car/home stereo?
A. The new Taproot CD, 'Blue Sky Research' is really good. I listen to Failure a
lot. I'm really getting into Fair to Midland, which is a local band from Dallas.
Anyone who comes across their CD should buy it. Team Sleep, Deftones
'Adrenaline', and Year of the Rabbit get some playing time too right now.
Q. If you could be anyone in history, beside yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. In history… no one comes to mind. Maybe Mark Cuban or Kurt Cobain. Can you
imagine if Cobain had actually sat down one day and learned how to play the
guitar? Or lifted weights or something? Or followed the NFL?
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about Trigger Fist?
A. Well, we're from a relatively small east Texas town, whose only local bands
are very heavy metal, and all somewhat similar. Because of that, I think
building an audience somewhere else would be a lot easier. But here we are
nonetheless. We really love the music we've put together, and we just hope we
don't bore anyone to tears. And if we do, we'll just have to try harder next
time.
CureSearch unites the world's largest childhood
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Childhood Cancer Foundation through our shared mission to cure childhood cancer.
Research is the key to cure.
Parental Advisory Note:
Artists and/or their record companies place Parental
Advisory and Explicit Lyrics stickers on the recordings.
I will note it next to the title of the recording when
it is posted on the recording or album artwork its self.
Some of the recordings received by The Audio Nut are not
in the original packaging and therefore may not include
the Parental Advisory warning next to the title. Please
take this into consideration when purchasing a disc that
has been reviewed on this page.
Disclaimer:
The opinions stated above are that of J Sohn and The
Audio Nut. They are not the opinions of NutzWorld,
EntertainmentNutz or any of the above listed
bands/artists; their record labels or associates unless
other wise noted. J Sohn, The Audio Nut, NutzWorld and
EntertainmentNutz are not responsible in any way for the
actions or business practices of the above listed
bands/artists etc.
Grade:
A
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