EVIL SAVAGE VOODOO is the sophomore album by the EVIL FUZZHEADS. The band is led by Eric St John, Guitar and vocals (The Vice Barons, The Mighty Gordinis, The Ratboys, to name a few). His daughter Iris St John is playing the bass.
This time around, Magic Nico (Mighty Gordinis, The Moon Invaders,The Caroloregians and to many other bands to mention) has joined behind the drum kit and on Hammond Organ.
The result is stellar: the sound is crisp and The Hammond and the fuzz are battling on every track. The tempo is steady and the groove is tight. The songs are fierce yet catchy as hell and are soon to be classics of 60's influenced garage.
This is an album by a brilliant Parisian duo that was released early this year but the band took so long to answer the questions for the interview that it is only published now. Great stuff anyway, give it a listen! It's really worth it.
1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about Gasoline to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band? Who is playing what instrument in the band? What are your various individual backgrounds?
Gasoline is a french duo composed by Théo Gosselin on the drums and Thomas Baignères on guitar and vocals. Théo Gosselin is a french photographer, famous for his road trips and rock'n'roll pictures. Thomas Baignères, before joining Gasoline, played in several bands, including "leSpark", "Flare Voyant" and "Les Darlings". Both of them united by some common friends created "Gasoline" a powerful rock'n'roll duo inspired by the sixties, seventies, Swinging London, Woodstock, with a great combination of Thomas iconic voice, guitar riffs and Th?o's heavy drum . We formed the duo in 2019.
2) About the full length record "The Orange Album", can you explain the choice of this title? What can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs?
Theo chose the orange as the color of this first album. The second one will be "The Green Album". This choice is more esthetic than anything else. About the recording process, we have been recording really quickly, three days for the takes and three days for the mixing! That was a live recording but we added afterwards some overdubs.
3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?
We have been using both! First we managed to do a digital recording, but then the final result was on a tape.
4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?
We both compose music and write songs! Even if Theo is the drummer, he has a lot of ideas of guitar riffs and lyrics!
5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write the lyrics to a new song?
Rock'n'roll is obviously the main subject, we would say that there are a lot of topics related to rock'n'roll: not only sex and drugs, but it is a whole universe that we love to talk about.
6) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers and does it still influence your today work? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
Thomas : For me that would definitely be the Rolling Stones, and all the blues men that inspired them: John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf. This music still inspires my work today of course!
Théo : As a teenager I listened a lot of grunge and then punk rock and hardcore.They influenced a lot my way of drumming and the gear I used. I’m loud, very loud And I need really strong gear. I basically learned to play drums watching Dave grohl. He is powerful and simple and visually extremely interesting That’s why it’s so important for me to move a lot and show to the audience I’m having fun!I hate lazy drummers ! If you play rock roll you have to push yourself and give 100% !
Here are 3 bands that changed my life ! They are obvious but so important: Nirvana, Graveyard, Comeback kid 3 styles but they are my childhood. Now I listen more to rock roll music, Old and independent rock and folk music
7) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the full length?
8) What can concert goers expect at a gig of Gasoline? Are you playing any famous cover songs during the gig?
We used to play "Gloria" but we don't play it anymore. Anyone coming to Gasoline gig can expect a good and strong rock'n'roll vibe!
9) Are there any bands in France you consider yourself close to, musically speaking?
Most of the band we like would be in the USA or UK! But we love and feel really close to the bands from our label "Celebration Days Records" such as "Cheap Wine" for example!
10) How would You describe the music you're playing? Is this Garage Rock or do you consider there is way more than that?
Garage rock of course mixed with blues and a little bit of punk rock, but at the end it's only rock'n'roll!
11) What are the plans for 2022 as far as Gasoline are concerned?
Now that the album is released, we will keep playing live and work on the record of next album!
In the woods of West Virginia, in an isolated hollow, a young boy thought he was a peacock. When he realized, much to his dismay, that he was not a peacock, he picked up a guitar. "Pronounced Jah-See" is his official debut full length released on Alive Records And it's brilliant. Gyasi is the new face of Glam Rock.
1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about you and your musical background to introduce yourself? Can you also introduce the other guys who participated on the recordings? Are they going to be part of your "live" backing band?
Well I grew up in a holler in rural West Virginia with parents that were part of the "back to the land" movement who had moved there to live close to the land and learn old ways of farming and living primitively. They had an amazing record collection of early blues, jazz, world music, and rock and roll records so I was exposed to a lot of music that most people my age were not at that time. I got a guitar at age 6 and began playing along with records and learning everything I could. I started playing shows at age 12 with my first band and writing songs. After high school I went to the Berklee College of Music to study music further, playing mainly hot jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt. As I began writing more I decided to combine all my interests into one project which led to the recordings on this record.
The recordings and live band differ a bit. Most of the sessions were done by just me and a drummer named Ammed Solomon. Some tunes are me playing all the instruments, and some are my full touring lineup. It all depends on the circumstances of the writing/recording of the song. About half were recorded at my home studio and the other half were done at Blackbird Studio in Nashville. The current lineup is Cole Bearden on bass, Sam Skorik on drums, and Ricky Dover Jr. guitar.
2) About your new released full length album "Pronounced Jah-See", what can you tell about the 5 tracks that were already on your self released CD "ANDROGYNE" from 2019? Were these 5 tracks re-recorded for the new release or are they the same recordings than the one on the previous CD?
They are the same recordings but they were remastered. These were songs that the label really liked and wanted to give them a vinyl release. This album’s overall goal was to serve as an introduction. That’s why I called it “Pronounced Jah-See” because the first thing people ask when they discover me is how to pronounce the name. Both Alive Records and I thought those songs were important to include as a good introduction to my music.
3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios?
I basically use an analog/digital hybrid setup now where I will record to tape and then transfer to digital for overdubs and mixing. Some songs have been all tape and some all digital. Just depends on what suits the song at the time. Generally I prefer tape, or at least working in a similar workflow to recording to tape. I find it usually yields performances and recordings with a certain energy that seems harder to get with digital for some reason.
4) Would you agree to say that the cover pictures (and even the title) of the self released CD were more sexually orientated, almost like a statement. The pictures of the new CD/LP - although really great, specially the back picture- are a step away from this statement. Is this an attempt to avoid shocking the larger masses?
Mmmm no I don't think there was any conscious thinking that way. I’m not afraid of shocking the masses. It’s just a different collection of songs. In this case it's more of an introduction so that was how I packaged it. It's not as much of a conceptual album per day. "Androgyne" is more provocative because that was more of what those collection of songs was about.
5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write the lyrics to a new song?
I tend to write about characters who are searching for identity and reinvention. I grew up in a very narrow minded environment (in public school) and had to break out of that and find my identity so that seems to come pretty easily as subject matter. Also sexuality, desire, love tend to be common topics. But my hope is that I can write about anything. Working on branching out my lyrical topics on some of the new tunes I’m working on.
6) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the new CD/LP??
I don't have any new music videos at the moment. Just some recent live videos. That’s something in the works now so stay tuned for some new music videos in the near future.
7) What can concert goers expect at a Gyasi gig? Are you playin' any famous cover songs during the gig?
I want my shows to be transportive. I try to create a world in my music and performance. I think of it very much like theatre. To cast a spell beyond just the performance of the tunes but to take the audience somewhere they may not have been expecting. The best shows I ever saw were like that so I’m always trying to achieve that magic. There really is nothing better than the power of live performance. That is where I feel most at home. Sometimes I'll throw covers in. Usually they tend to be blues songs that we’ll put in the middle of some tunes. Sometimes we’ll do “Waiting For the Man" by Velvet Underground or “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex.
8) Are there any bands in The USA today you consider yourself close to musically speaking?
Hmm not too many these days. In the US at least. I really like the band Starcrawler. They rule. They're a bit different from what I do but it's great theatrical rock and roll.
9) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today.
As a teenager I listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin. I was obsessed with that music. It took hold of me and I wanted to learn every note of it. Also the White Stripes were a huge influence, and the only contemporary band I listened to at that time. T Rex was another favorite band of mine at that time that still is a big influence.
10) What are the plans for the rest of 2022 as far as you're concerned? Are you going to tour Europe in support of this new record?
We’re currently working on a new record as well as playing a weekly residency in Nashville. We’ll be touring in the states a fair bit. European dates are in the works! No specific dates to announce yet but it’s looking like a fall tour, which is very exciting as I’ve wanted to come to Europe for a long time.
11) Anything you wanna add?
Thanks so much for the interview and I hope to see you at a show in Europe!
Excellent tribute to the seminal SUNNYBOYS by 18 Australian bands delivering recordings from the powerpop smarts of Melbourne's Even & Brisbane's Shifter to the all girl garage action of Melbourne's The Shimmys to the straight out rock n roll attack of the Naked Eye and Cherry Smash.
Michael Giblin put together a rock'n'roll supergroup and "Another Cinderella" is their sophomore album. They play what they call "Big Dumb Rock". Check it out, this blog loves it and you gonna love it too!
1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about The SPLIT SQUAD to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band? Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays? What are your various individual backgrounds? How did you manage to gather this "super-group" of musicians?
The Split Squad is composed of myself, Michael Giblin, (bass, vocals, guitar, keys), guitarist Eddie Munoz (The Plimsouls), guitarist/vocalist Keith Streng (The Fleshtones), drummer Clem Burke (Blondie), and keyboardist Josh Kantor (The Baseball Project). We all knew each other, through various musical projects, and decided to make a record together in 2013. We had so much fun, we turned ourselves into a real band, and have been playing together a few times a year, ever since.
2) About the new full length record "Another Cinderella", can you explain the choice of this title in regard of the cover artwork?
In American sports, the term "Cinderella" is used to describe a person or team that is succeeding where they aren't expected to. In boxing, it's referred to as someone who is holding his own against a much stronger opponent. Given the current fractured state of the music business, we thought it was a good metaphor for releasing an album independently these days.
3) What can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs?
Our process is that generally myself, Clem, and at least one of our guitarists will record the basic rhythm track, and then the rest will overdub their parts and vocals. We like to record like a "real" rock band as much as we possibly can. We did the first album that way, essentially completing it all in about 3 sessions. The new album, however, was a bit different, due to the restrictions of the pandemic, and the fact that no one could travel for almost an entire year.
4) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?
All of the actual recordings are digital, but, depending on where we are working, there will be a number of analog components involved, with regard to preamps, signal processors, eq's, etc. I have my own studio (Red Chuck), where most of the new album was done, but we have also done a lot of tracking and mixing at a wonderful old school studio near Boston called Woolly Mammoth Sound.
5) Are you the main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?I mean do you arrive at the rehearsal with a full demoed song where the other guys play what you tell them to play or do you only give the global direction and everybody plays what he wants?
Keith and I write the majority of the songs, but everyone is most definitely involved when it comes to arrangements and such. I like to demo my songs (because with my studio, I CAN), but Keith will generally just have an idea and show it to us to learn. I'm not fussy about my demos. If the band comes up with something different (and usually better!) it's always a good thing.
6) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write the lyrics to a new song?
When I write for The Split Squad, I try to keep the subject matter "not too serious". In fact, I often refer to our sound as "Big Dumb Rock". But there are a handful of our songs that have deeper, more personal meanings, such as I Can't Remember, which was inspired after the death of my wife.
7) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers and does it still influence your today work? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
I was a teenager in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and the music that inspired me the most was all of the great cutting edge New Wave and Punk music of the time. The three bands that continue to influence me, are also the bands that were my favorites at the time: The Who, The Clash, and Elvis Costello. They have always stuck with me.
8) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the latest full length?
Yes, we do! For our first single, "Hey DJ"
9) What can concert goers expect at a gig of The SPLIT SQUAD? Are you playing any famous cover songs during the gig?
As a live band, we are very high energy and kinetic. We take that from The Fleshtones, as Keith is a non-stop, perpetual motion machine. Our set consists of an equal sampling from both our albums, as well as some fun covers from The Heartbreakers, The Small Faces, AC/DC, and a few surprises!
10) Are there any bands in the USA today that you consider yourself close to musically speaking?
We take a little bit from a lot of different styles and genres, so it's tough to say we are close to any ONE band, but we are never very far away from The Fleshtones and The Plimsouls.
11) How would You describe the music you're playing? Is this POWERPOP, is it Garage rock or do you consider there is way more than that?
As I said before, we call it "Big Dumb Rock"! Musically, it's some 60's-inspired Mod rock, some Power Pop, some Garage, some Soul, etc. Everyone in the band is so musically adept, that we feel confident trying just about anything, and making it sound like us. There's even an unreleased instrumental track from the album, where Keith said "let's play it like The Meters!", so that's what we did!
12) What are the plans for 2022 as far as The SPLIT SQUAD is concerned?
Now that "Another Cinderella" is out in the EU (on FOLC Records), we have plans to play over there a few times this year. We will be in France in June, The UK in July, and then Spain in the fall.
13) Anything you wanna add?
It's been a rough couple of years for musicians, so we are excited to get back out in front of some people with our rock and roll circus!
When I first heard the single "Hot Cold Fever" I must admit that I was a bit confused -to say the least. As a musician myself, I totally understand that, at one point, every band is entitled to make a change in its musical style. But in this case the change was RADICAL.
What the hell happened to FAZ WALTZ that everybody loved for their take on BOVVER rock? It was almost like, in the early seventies, SLADE had morphed overnight into Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers.
Nevertheless, now that the full length "On the Ball" is out everything seems to make more sense. After all, it's only rock'n'roll and as long as the songs are good everything is fine. And Faz knows how to write great songs! So why complain?
1) This radical change in sound and in look, is this something that happened during the pandemic or is it something you had in mind since a long time.
Faz La Rocca: It's something that came naturally, always loved the roots of Rock'N'Roll and it shows in many other songs during the years: "Shakin' Like An Hooligan", "Millionaire", "Last Train To Nowhere" and others.
2) Aren't you afraid to lose the old FAZ WALTZ fans? Why have you not tried this new musical style under a different band name?
Faz: No, I'm not afraid of losing old fans... I've never wrote my music to please somebody else, I write for my pleasure and for what I feel. I think fans should follow the musical evolution of the artist, not the opposite. In eight albums I see a progression in many ways, but basically it's always been Rock'N'Roll. Why should I play my music under a different name? This is me.
3) what can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs? Did you overdub the piano parts yourself?
Faz: We recorded the rhythm section first (drums / bass) playing all together, then I've added guitars, piano, vocals and percussions. Yes I've played all the piano parts on this album.
4) For this new album did you use the nowadays recording technology or did you only work with analog machines to reproduce the 50's sound?
Faz: We used both technologies, old and new. Anyway we love working in studio, not at home like many do today. Thanks to Brown Bracella, who always produce the records with me, we can use 50s/60s microphones and preamps, of course going through a real vintage mixer.
5) During concerts are you going to keep playing old numbers and mix them in the set with the new ones or will it be a total new set focused on the new album?
Faz: Yes, we're playing many songs of the new album but we always add some from the old repertoire.
6) When it comes the rock'n'roll pioneers of the 50's who are your main heros? I, for one, hear a lot of Eddie Cochran and Little Richard influences in this new record.
Faz: Well, I've always been a big fan of 50s Rock'N'Roll, I think my favourite are Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Buddy HOlly and... John Lennon. Yes, I consider him one of them, a real rocker.
7) On every FAZ WALTZ there is a John Lennon's tribute. On this one, it's "Shining Teeth". Can we expect a full "Lennon" album one day ?
Faz: No, just expect a new full "Faz Waltz" album as always.
8) Do you have a video on youtube featuring a track from the latest release?
Faz: Yes, the first single, "Hot Cold Fever".
9) What are the plans for the rest of 2022 as far as FAZ WALTZ is concerned? Are you guys planning to tour Europe to promote the album?
Faz: Yes, we're on tour and playing in Italy now, Germany in July, Spain in October, we're working on a new U.S. Tour in 2023.
