The Audio Nut
March 31st, 2005
I’d like to
start off by saying welcome back to the page. I’ve decided to shift the layout a
little for this issue, so The Double Dose and Reader Reviews have been benched in
favor of a more offensive line-up. We have to get a good look at everyone before
opening day. I think the Double Dose tested positive for steroids, but I can’t get
any type of confirmation on that. The interviews are with Calico System, Given and Inkognito and The Underground Spotlight is on Mankind is Obsolete,
roAE and Alterior Motive. If you have any
questions, comments or want to submit a review of a c.d. feel free to e-mail me at
anytime.
theaudionut@nutzworld.net
or
jsohn@nutzworld.net
Message Boards Are Up!
Feel free to take a moment or so
to check out and post stuff on the message boards.
This time around we will be
doing reviews for c.d.’s from:
1. Queens of the
Stone Age
2. He is Legend
3. Shooter Jennings
4. NOMEANSNO
5. Mankind is Obsolete
6.
roAE
7. Alterior Motive
Plus Interviews with:
Calico System, Given and Inkognito
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Reviews |
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Queens of the Stone Age
Lullabies to Paralyze
(Parental Advisory)
2005 Rekords Rekords / Interscope
Grade: A
http://www.qotsa.com
http://www.myspace.com/queensofthestoneage
http://www.rekordsrekords.com
http://www.interscope.com
I have
been waiting with baited breath for this release. It’s
been a couple of long years since Queens of the Stone Age
(QOTSA) released their breakthrough album Songs For the
Deaf. There has been a restructuring of the bands core
with the exit of long time friend and band mate Nick
Oliveri and the permanent additions of Joey Castillo on
drums and Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar and various other
duties. Rumors flew for months that former Screaming Trees
singer, Mark Lanegan had distanced himself from the group
due to Oliveri’s departure, but Lanegan lends his voice
and song-writing talents on a few of the songs and is
believed to be on the road with the band after touring to
promote his solo record Bubblegum. Many people have
tried to discredit and write off the band as has-beens or
one hit wonders since the changes occurred. But the fact
of the matter is that Josh Homme and company may have just
released the best album in the bands history.
Lullabies to Paralyze
starts off with the soothing, “This
Lullaby” and continues to go with the flow until “Long
Slow Goodbye.” “Little Sister,” the lead single has been
getting tons video and radio airplay and the band is
slated to tour this spring, summer and into the fall
playing all over the world. (They just returned from
Europe and are playing tons of US shows.) “Burn the
Witch,” features Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top on guitar and
vocals and is an awesome song. “The Blood is Love,”
“Tangled Up in Plaid” and “‘You Got a Killer Scene There,
Man’ ”, are all phenomenal songs as well. I hope the next
single is “Everybody Knows That You’re Insane,” because it
has been stuck in my head for days.
Every
moment of this album is worth the money and I highly
recommend buying it to anyone that likes music period.
Note: I
heard from someone at MTV that Oliveri has stated he would
re-join the band if needed. I guess we will have to wait
and see what happens with that.
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He
is Legend
I am Hollywood
2004 Solid State Records/ Tooth & Nail Records
Grade: A
http://www.heislegend.com
http://www.solidstaterecords.com
http://www.toothandnail.com
http://www.myspace.com/heislegend
http://www.purevolume.com/heislegend
http://www.tribunalrecords.net
He is
Legend is surely making a name for themselves all across
America. The bands’ live shows are intensely energetic and
they are building a huge following in the music world.
I am Hollywood, is the bands debut release on Tooth &
Nail/ Solid State Records and is by far one of the best
that the label has given us in years. There are ten
melodic and eclectic songs based in four ‘acts’ and a
finale, which create a very impressive effort from this
promising Wilmington, North Carolina quintet.
The
disc starts of with “Act 1, Scene 1: The Seduction” and
tramples you all the way to the title track and finale “I
am Hollywood”. Every song on this record is a bright spot
and nothing seems to be thrown in as filler to get you to
the next song. The only problem that I have is wondering
if the band can duplicate the genius that they have
created; but I’m not going to worry about it and just
enjoy a legend in the making.
He is
Legend is for fans of bands like Norma Jean, Metallica,
Atreyu and Underoath. Also, check out there E.P. 91025,
which was also released in 2004 on Tribunal Records.
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Shooter Jennings
Putting the ‘O’ Back in Country
2005 Universal South
Grade: B+
http://www.shooterjennings.com
http://www.universalsouthrecords.com
Many
people take over the family business at some point in
their lives. Shooter Jennings isn’t necessarily taking
over the business, yet, but he does have some gigantic
shoes to fill and some business to tend to. We get a
chance to see what has spawned from good old Waylon
Jennings in Putting the ‘O’ Back in Country; the
debut release from Shooter and it is aimed straight at
country music with attitude. Jennings shoots from the
heart in a record that tries to bring the ‘Outlaw Country’
style back into the focus of music fans. A lot of people
that like older country music always seem to talk about
how watered down and pop culture aimed the newer country
music is. Putting the ‘O’, is a breathe of fresh, yet old
air with it’s raw roots style of dirty hard working
American blue collar country. Songs like the lead single,
“4th of July”, “Solid Country Gold” and
“Southern Comfort” are all stand out tracks in a pretty
solid recording. Guests on the record include Hank
Williams Jr. and George Jones.
Some of
the songs remind me of the older country music like
Waylon, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash while other parts of
it remind me of the southern rock styles of Steve Earle,
Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers. If you are a fan
of old country, southern rock or like any of the
above-mentioned artists then stop what you are doing and
order this disc.
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The Double Dose |
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The Double
Dose section will be back next issue. It wasn’t included this
time to make more room for the Underground Spotlight and 7
Questions with…
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Blast From The Past |
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This time
we step back and check out the band, NOMEANSNO.
NOMEANSNO
0+2=1 (Parental Advisory)
1991 Alternative Tentacles Records
Grade: A
http://nomeansno.freewebsitehosting.com
http://www.southern.net/southern/band/NOMEA/
http://www.alternativetentacles.com
NOMEANSNO
is one of those bands that a lot of people don’t like or won’t
take serious because they don’t sound like everyone else or
they are ‘strange’. 0+2=1 was the first recording I
heard from this incredible band from Victoria, B.C. and it is
one of my favorite albums of all time. When it was released
there was nothing in the world that I had heard that even came
close to it in sound or style. With a musical style that
abuses the standard 4-4 time signature and ‘standard’ song
writing techniques, NOMEANSNO will have you bouncing off of
the walls with songs like “Now,” “Joyful Reunion,” “Valley of
the Blind” and my personal favorites, “Everyday I Start to
Ooze” and the title track “0+2=1”.
Also check
out these great recordings from the band:
Why Do They Call
Me Mr. Happy (1994),
Wrong (1989) and
The
Worldhood of the World (As Such)(1995). They also
released a ‘best of’ disc entitled
Peoples Choice in
2004. If you like music that’s definitely different from the
normal radio stuff get any music by NOMEANSNO.All of the
above c.d.’s can be bought new or used by going to
http://www.amazon.com,
your local music sellers or at their respective webpages.
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The Underground Spotlight |
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To be
considered for The Underground Spotlight send me an e-mail
with contact information to
jsohn@nutzworld.net
or
theaudionut@nutzworld.net
 Mankind
is Obsolete
Metamorph
2003 Unsigned
Grade: A
http://www.mkio.com
http://www.myspace.com/mankindisobsolete
Haunting
and enchanting are good words to describe how Mankind is
Obsolete (MKIO) come across on this recording. This c.d.
hasn’t left my ‘heavy rotation list’ since I got it and I
think it would be a good soundtrack for a thriller or horror
movie. I really like how MKIO writes and arranges their songs
and I am honestly surprised that they aren’t signed to any
record label. The songs I really like are “Regret,” “Angel
Disease,” and “The Rapture,” but all six songs on Metamorph
are stirring and captivating. If you mixed the
Genitorturers with Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM and a dark, sadistic
version of Blondie you would come up with something close to
MKIO.
The band is
working on a new c.d. that will be out this year. To find out
more about that you’ll have to check back in the next issue
for an interview with the drummer Jon. Also check out the
bands web pages to see a video for “The Rapture”, to find out
how to get a copy of this disc, to see when and where MKIO is
playing live and for free downloads.
roAE
RUT: music by anomaly
2004 Unsigned
 Grade:
A-
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/7/roaemusic.htm
http://www.soundclick.com/roae
http://www.pagodaproductions.com/roae
OK, I
haven’t been smoking anything, but this record makes me feel
like I have. roAE is the brainchild of Nicholas Viltrakis and
is an odyssey into the bizarre aspects of musical recording.
Viltrakis writes, plays and records all of the music himself
and has put out 13 albums to date. “The Riddle,” “s(nail)”
“place to travel” and “the boundary” are all good listens. The
songs are catchy and skillfully written; plus there are a
couple ‘studio tricks’ on this recording like back-masking
(playing recorded tracks backwards) and clever vocal effects
that remind me of groups like the Butthole Surfers and Mr.
Bungle.
Overall I
will say that this recording is very impressive for a one-man
gang and is worth the listen. You can here tons of roAE
(pronounced row A) songs and find information about getting
c.d.’s on the links provided above. I truly look forward to
hearing more music from roAE in the future.
 Alterior
Motive
4-song demo
2005 Unsigned
Grade:
B+
http://jcurry.homestead.com/homepage.html
When I
received this disc I was told to keep in mind that the band
had only been together for a few months and with that in mind
I will say, job well done. This four-song demo shows a
budding, young rock band that seems to have tons of potential.
I truly like all of the songs on here, I only wish I had more
than the four to listen to. If I had to pick a favorite it
would be the first song “Memories”. Hopefully Alterior Motive
will keep the music coming for years to come. If you like
bands like Silverchair, Stedfast and 3 Doors Down or bands
that like to give you some good rock-n-roll, you will like
Alterior Motive. Contact the band for information on how to
get a copy of the disc.
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7 Questions With... |
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 Shawn from
Calico System
Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Shawn Keith. I play guitar.
Q. How did you come up with the
name, Calico System?
A. We wanted something that
represented the band without using cliché names... calico is
for the different types of people that play in the band, and
system is the part where we are working together and playing
in a band together. So...Calico System.
Q. What's one of the funniest
stories you have from playing a show?
A. We were playing a show in
Kansas somewhere. It was on a campus and the venue was like a
college building activities room. They had a bunch of these
huge pillows to lay on. At one point our singer told everyone
to have a pillow fight while we were playing. All you see is
20 or so kids going crazy hitting each other with these huge
stuffed pillows. It was really funny.
Q. Are there any plans for a tour
or any live shows coming up?
A. We just wrapped up about a year
or so worth of touring. We are working on the new album, which
we record at this end of this month. After that are planning
to do a small town tour before the summer. We will be back on
tour all summer.
Q. Who are some of your influences
both musically and non-musical?
A. Vision of Disorder was a huge
influence on this band, as well as Slayer and even R.E.M. We
all listen to a lot of different stuff, that’s a good thing I
think.
Q. If you could be anyone in world
history who would you be? Why?
A. A pirate. I would get to
possibly hang out with a bird and use the aaarrrrrr! a lot.
Q. What are you listening to in
you car/home stereo?
A. Currently
listening to the best of Silverchair. I don’t care what anyone
says, that band was great.
http://www.calicosystem.net
http://www.eulogyrecordings.com
http://www.myspace.com/calicosystem
 Nathanael from Given
Q. Who are you and
what do you do in the band?
A. Nathanael Bazzell, I play rhythm guitar.
Q. How did you come up with the
name, Given?
A. Well, long story short, about three years ago several of
the guys in the band were in a bad car accident on the way to
a show and our drummer almost died from the injuries he
sustained in the wreck. That pretty much was the impetus for
a whole new outlook on who we were and what we were doing as a
band. We chose the name because it symbolized two important
things about us. One, we were given a second chance to do
what we love. Two, we were all given the ability to play and
write music and want to make the most of it.
Q. You guys just recently came out of the studio. What are
your plans for the songs that you recorded and how can we hear
or get a copy of them?
A. We just finished up recording at Dragonfly East with Scott
Spelbring producing. Jeff Juliano is currently mixing the two
songs we recorded. As of now, the plan for the songs is a
demo to shop around the music industry. We should also have
them up on
http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomgiven soon for
people to hear and give us a little feedback on.
Q. Are there any plans for a tour or any live shows coming up?
A. Sure, we have several shows coming up and are currently
seeking a good booking agent to get us on the road even more.
You can check out our show dates at
http://www.givenband.com or on myspace.
Q. Who are some of your influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. As a band our influences are quite different from person to
person. Personally I'm into alt-country and the like while
the other guys listen to a variety of stuff all the way from
country to metal.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be?
Why?
A. I have enough trouble being me, lol.
Q. What are you listening to in you car/home stereo?
A. Old 97's, Son Volt, Wilco, Counting Crows . . .
Note: Be
sure to check out a review for the bands debut c.d. From
the Wreckage That Was…in Issue 3.
http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomgiven
http://www.givenband.com
Randy and Steve from Inkognito
 Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Randy- Randy Mallett/drums &
bongs.
Steve- I'm Steve/I sing & play
rhythm guitar.
Q. How did you come up with the
name, Inkognito?
A. Randy- I think it was '98 or so
when, one night Steve & I were leaving a bar after watching a
local band play. It was like 1:30am or something and we drove
through town (drunk) with our headlights off. I looked over at
Steve and said "incognito!" I think we decided to name the
band Incognito later in my apartment (drunk). We later changed
the 'c' to a 'k' because a famous British band wouldn't share
it.
Steve- Yeah, what he said.
Q. What would you like to tell us
about your c.d. 'Dilate' and where can we get a copy of it?
A. Randy- You should buy it and
Pmac Music (Cape Girardeau, MO) or
randymallett@aol.com
Steve- We actually recorded nine
tracks w/Brandon Drury at Echo Echo
http://www.echoechostudios.com in Scott City, Missouri,
but there are only 5 tracks that we kept on the EP. We used
fan input to decide the final five songs. It's quite an
eclectic mix, some of the songs may even sound like a
different style of band playing, but it's what the fans
wanted. It's all about the fans. The only reason we're still
around doing this is because of them.
Q. Are there any plans for a tour
or any live shows coming up?
A. Randy- No big tours for now.
Being poor is inconvenient. We do have a few shows in our area
coming up, including The Rites of Spring on April 28th at the
Camp (Cape Girardeau, MO), the JP Fest (I think) in May at the
Camp, there might be a few metal/rock fests coming up soon at
the Camp that we might be involved in, and then a Richard's
Nixon/Inkognito gig on June 28th. Oh yeah, that's at THE CAMP.
We're looking to do some good old fashioned 4-hour bar shows
soon also, so we'll be booking several more shows before
summer. Keep posted to
http://www.inkognito.moonfruit.com
Steve- So I guess you could say
we're touring The Camp.
Q. Who are some of your influences
both musically and non-musical?
A. Randy-Musically: The guys in my
band, hard rock bands, I like a lot of different of $h*t like
jazz, blues, even classical, basically any musician that has
any talent whatsoever and the people behind the scenes making
it happen influence me everyday. Non-musically: Ron Jeremy .
Steve-Musically: Seattle circa
1991...who can compete w/Cornell's pipes? I've got a large
taste in music also. STP, Kyuss, many others. Non-musically:
How can I beat Ron Jeremy? He's old, fat, & hairy and still pumpin' the booty!
Q. If you could be anyone in world
history who would you be? Why?
A. Randy- I would say the skinny
Anna Nicole Smith- so I could look at myself naked in the
mirror, and she's rich. But she's dumber than a post, so I'll
have to go with Bill Gates. Hey, he's a nerd but he still gets
the chicks.
Steve- Good question, I've never
really thought about it. But, if I had to choose someone, it
would be Carl Friedrich Gauss because he is considered the
greatest mathematical mind in all of history.
Randy-Who???
Q. What are you listening to in
you car/home stereo?
A. Randy- Chimaira "The
Impossibility of Reason", Bob Marley "Legend", Inkognito "The
Worst of", Slipknot "Iowa", and "Capescene, Vol. I".
Steve- Right now I'm listening to
"Call Me a Dog" by Temple of the Dog. Smashing Pumpkin's
"Siamese Dream" is in my truck right now, and Mad Season's
"Above".
Randy- We’d like to give a shout out to our other guitarist
Mason and our new bass player Brandon.
http://www.inkognito.moonfruit.com
(official site)
http://www.myspace.com/inkognito
http://www.garageband.com/artist/Inkognito
http://www.cafepress.com/inkognito
(merchandise)
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Reader Reviews |
The Readers Reviews section will
be back next issue. It wasn’t included this time to make more
room for the Underground Spotlight and 7 Questions with…
If you have anything that you’d like to share with us feel
free to send it to
theaudionut@nutzworld.net |
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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. |
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The Audio
Nut
Message
Board
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1. Rise Against
2. Ivy
3. (hed) P.E.
4. Grascals
5. Primus
6. Rush
7. Drivin’ Rain
8. Fists of Phoenix
Plus Interviews with:
Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter and Dick Witham from The Curse of Western Culture.
Mars Volta
Jack Johnson
Interpol
Thievery Corporation
Blindside
Deep Purple
Quiver of Jasper
Plus an interview
with the band, This, Is A Virtue.
3 Doors Down
The Zutons
Shadows Fall
Alison Kraus and Union Station
P.J. Harvey
Fugazi
Driven to Her Death
and you
will know us..
Tobymac
Killswitch Engage
Kelly Clarkson
Kenny Chesney
James Gang
Underoath
U2
Green Day
Slipknot
Gwen Stefani
Blake Shelton
Mudhoney
Given
The Audio Nut - Issue 2
- featuring reviews from:
Chevelle
Cake
Ministry
Bad Brains
Byproduct
The Audio Nut - Issue 1
- featuring reviews from:
Muse
Brand New
Demon Hunter
Shellac
Emaciation
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