"At Home With Satan's Pilgrims" re-issued on Green Cookie Records

Originally released on eMpTy Records in 1994, "At Home With Satan's Pilgrims" was re-issued a couple of months ago on Green Cookie Records. The Album was specially remastered and comes in a beautiful red vinyl. This record has become a classic of surf music and includes such famous renditions as "Mr. Moto", "Squad Car", "Movin'" or "Music To Watch Girls By".  

So it was time for this blog to have a very interesting conversion with drummer extraordinaire TED that tells us everything we always wanted to know about this band featuring no less than three guitars.

1) For the viewers of this blog and in particular for the younger generations who might not be well aware of instrumentals bands, What would you tell about The Satan's Pilgrims to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays? Are these all the same guys as when you started out in 1992?

Hello, we are Satan's Pilgrims! We started in 1992 so we are in our 27th year as a band-though there was a time where we didn't play or record between 2000-2004, and since then we play a limited number of times per year, and have been making new records again since 2009.  We are very lucky and proud that we have the same original members that we started with: Bobby and Scott on guitar, Dave on guitar and keys, John on bass, and me, Ted, on drums.

2) About Your first full-length album, "At Home With Satan's Pilgrims", originally released in 1994 and recently re-issued on Green Cookie Records 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? 

I remember that we recorded and mixed it very quickly, in just a couple of days. We had practiced all of the songs and couldn't afford a lot of time to fool around. We recorded it the same way we have done it since, which is to record it live, or at least the bass, drums, and rhythm guitars live and overdub any leads, percussion or keyboards if the song calls for them.

3) When you look back on how tracks were recorder back then and how most of the music is recorded today, do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys still work with analog machines in analog studios?

No, not at all. We prefer analog, when we can, but have had to use digital sometimes because the circumstances require it. When we do use digital, we work hard to make it sound as analog as possible and often run the tracks to tape to "warm them up".

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

Everyone is involved one way or another. Often one of us has the original idea. We may ask for input from one or more of the other guys to help co-write, but many times they might finish the main idea. Either way, it is presented to the rest of the band, and we all come up with our respective parts. Because we have always worked this way, we have always credited the entire band with the writing credits and have shared all of the royalties equally.

5) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.

For me, personally, it kind of depends on which years you are talking about. As a young teenager, it was a combination of lots of 60s stuff (oldies-pop, soul, British Invasion etc),whatever punk, new wave, and "college rock", as they used to call it, and because I was in jazz band and my uncle gifted me a bunch of classic bebop records, I was into a lot of that too.
Because I probably listened and played along to them the most, I would say The Who (especially 60's era) were my favorite band.
It's really hard to pick 3 bands that still have an influence on me, but I will say The Beach Boys, The Ramones and The Who. I still listen to those three all the time.

6) The Satan's Pilgrims started out more as a "Surf band" but in 2009 you recorded the 60's psychedelic/garage influenced instrumentals "Psychsploitation". Lately, it seems you guys went back to your Surf roots? Do you agree with this? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that? 

We are very proud of "Psychsploitation" and it was a side of us that we wanted to do a full album of, even though we had dabbled in it here and there throughout our releases. We always just thought of it as a standalone record, not as a "new direction". We went back to surf and ended up making our most trad surf album, "Siniestro", since "Around the World With Satan's Pilgrims" back in 1996.


7) Do you have a new video on youtube  featuring a track from the newly re-issued LP/CD?? 

Not that feature the remastered versions. Everything on YouTube is older.



8) What can concert goers expect at a Satan's Pilgrims gig? Are you playing any famous cover tunes? Are you playing any vocal tunes?

I hope they can expect a lot of fun and some dancing! We don't play very may cover tunes, and usually the ones we do play are not very famous. We don't play vocal tunes either, except on a very rare occasion, for just one song.

9) Are there any bands in Portland, Oregon  today you consider yourself close to?

We are still close to some bands in the Northwest, but they are friends of ours from back in the 90's, not new bands. The bands that come to mind are The Boss Martians from Seattle and Girl Trouble from Tacoma. So, from the same region, but not from Portland specifically.

10) Anything you wanna add?

Just that we are really grateful to be have people still interested in our music for over 25 years. We really appreciate being able to play when we can and meet fans who saw us back in the 90's alongside younger fans who are seeing us for the very first time.

This is the third time that a label like Green Cookie has reissued one of our older albums. Back when we were originally recording these, especially "At Home With Satan's Pilgrims", we were hoping to maybe sell some copies regionally and have something to sell at our shows.

We never expected that we would make as much music as we have been able to make with the original 5 members and have people interested in it enough to have reissues made. Thank you to all of our friends and fans!



PURCHASE IT HERE: https://greencookierecords.bandcamp.com/album/new-at-home-with-cd-lp

Special thanks to Mike

Valley Lodge - Fog Machine

The latest Valley Lodge Album, "Fog Machine", was released a couple of months ago on Tee Pee Records. So the time was right for this blog to have a conversation with comedian / guitar shredder Dave Hill. 

And if you ask yourself is this the guy from SLADE, the answer is no, though he clearly could have been. In another life. 

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about Valley Lodge to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays? 

Valley Lodge is a rock band from New York City. I formed the band with my friend John Kimbrough (Walt Mink, Teen Judge) in 2004 and we made the first, self-titled Valley Lodge album together shortly after with our friend Zach Danziger playing drums. The band has evolved over time from there. John moved to Los Angeles and formed a great new band called Teen Judge. And now Valley Lodge is me, Phil Costello (Tragedy, Satanicide, Witch Taint) on guitar, Eddie Eyeball (2 Skinnee J’s) on bass, and Rob Pfeiffer (Sense Field) on drums.

2) About the latest full length record "Fog Machine",  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? 

We recorded the album very gradually over the course of a year and a half or so with Tom Beaujour in Hoboken, New Jersey. We tend to record everything track-by-track. Because of everyone’s schedules, it’s hard to get us all in a room very often, so it’s kind of out of necessity. It would be fun to do it live though as that’s when we’re at our best in terms of overall rockability.

3) Do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?

We love analog recording but it’s hard to even find a place where you can do that now. Plus, with
digital recording, you can send files around very easily and record in several different locations at once if necessary.

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

The first album, John and I each wrote a bunch of songs that put them together for the album. The second album was mostly me with John and Phil contributing a couple songs. And then the last two albums were written by me, usually at home in my underwear. But when it comes to playing and recording the songs, everyone puts their own spin on it. We don’t really tell each other what to do, so it’s exciting to see what everybody comes up with. In the end, the sound is definitely all four of us and not just the songwriter’s vision or anything.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

I tend to just go with whatever comes to mind. I don’t really have preconceived notions too much. On the new album, Fog Machine, there weirdly ended up being a few songs with maritime themes. Go figure.

6) Valley Lodge is sometimes described as a "Power Pop" band. Do you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that? 

Yeah, I think that makes sense. The band is really inspired by Cheap Trick and Big Star and all that. And we’re really celebrating that kind of music. But there’s also glam rock and indie rock and metal and whatever else thrown in there. We just try to make music we would like to hear.

7) Do you have a new video on youtube  featuring a track from the new LP?? 

We’re making a few videos now that aren’t quite done yet, but the other day someone sent me this video a fan made, which I thought was pretty cool:



8) What can concert goers expect at a Valley Lodge gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? 

It’s a fun show. We rock out and wear tight pants and everyone in the crowd is making out to the point where it’s actually kind of distracting. We have played “Sentimental Lady” by Bob Welch a few times live, but that’s the only cover we know.

9) Are there any bands in New York today you consider yourself close to?

Yeah, we love Windbreaker, Tigers and Monkeys, Bird Streets, Happy Chichester, Falling Stars, and a whole bunch of others.

10) Anything you wanna add?

It’s important to stay hydrated. Everyone could stand to drink a little more water than usual each day. Also, be nice to each other!




PURCHASE A DIGITAL COPY HERE

https://valleylodge.bandcamp.com/

PURCHASE A PHYSICAL COPY HERE:
https://teepeerecords.com/products/valley-lodge-fog-machine-cd-our-october-19

The Revox - In Mono

Hailing from Switzerland, The Revox is a 60's garage trio featuring Billy Hill (vocals, guitar), Buzz Fuzz (drum, back vocals) and Bernie Wildish (bass, organ, back vocals). Their third full length album was recently released on Soundflat records and contains 10 slices of raw and stomping Rock & Roll. Except for the cover of "Hey Joe", all the other tracks were penned by the band itself. 

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about The Revox to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays?

The Revox is a garage punk band from Switzerland, together since 2011. We already recorded 1 demo, 2 LPs (Lazy Sunshine as an autoproduction and In Mono on Soundflat Records), and one 7" (Talk About Her / Sick of You - Voodoo Rhythm Records). We played around 200 shows in Switzerland, France, Germany and England.
We are the same line-up since the beginning, Billy Hill - vocals and guitar ; Buzz Fuzz - drum and back vocals ; Bernie Wildish - bass, organ, back vocals.

2) About the debut full length record "In Mono",  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? 

We recorded at the cool analogic Shirts Off Studio in Bern, with engineer Sebastian Zwahlen and producer Rob Butler, who used to play in the Miracle Workers and The Untold Fables to name a few. We recorded all the instrument live on tape and overdubbed the vocals, few guitar part and organ. It seems to be the best way to keep the band's energy. We couldn't imagine recording track by track, it would not be very rock'n'roll!!!!

3) On the back cover of "In Mono" it is mentioned that it was recorded in an all-analog studio in Bern but do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology in the future or do you guys decided to only work with analog machines in analog studios?

As we try to obtain the warmth of the 60's sound, it's logical for us to record on tape. We will continue to work like that in the future. Modern technology are great tools for many kind of music but maybe not the best for rock'n'roll and old school sounds. In garage punk there is a real feeling of emergency and the limitations of tape recording help us to keep it hot!

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

Billy Hill often come with a riff idea and we built the song together from there. Sometimes ideas come out of a jam in the rehearsal room or Bernie Wildish find inspiration behind the organ. Most of the time we can say that the final result is a band effort.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

Girls!!!!

6) The Revox is generally described as a being a "60's garage" band. Do you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that? 

100% ok with this label. We never tried to invent new kind of sound, we are just playing a music we all love.

7) Do you have a new video on YouTube featuring a track from the new LP?? 



8) What can concert goers expect at a The Revox gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? 

We try to be as raw as possible and to always have fun. Rock'n'roll is about intensity and passion. We play mostly guitar - bass- drum and have a few song with organ. Always playing 3 or 4 covers, sometimes from obscure 60's garage bands, or sometimes more famous as The Kinks - All the Day and all of the Night, Hey Joe that you find on In Mono or more recently Kick out the Jam from MC5.

9) Are there any bands in Switzerland  today you consider yourself close to?

The Jackets, The Monsters, The Giant Robots, The Lovers or Brocken Bridge are doing well on the garage scene. There is too many for us to name everyone. We share the rehearsal room with great bands too, but not specifically from the garage scene. We can certainly argue that the Swiss scene has never been as rich and dynamic as nowadays.

10) Is any of you guys working in a pizzeria as a day job? (The record came ....in a pizza package😛)

No but would be a dream job for pizza addict like us :)

11) Anything you wanna add?

Many thanks for your interest and FUZZ ON!!!

Purchase a digital copy HERE:

https://therevox.bandcamp.com/album/in-mono

Order the vinyl HERE: www.soundflat.de/shop/shop.cfm?artnr=25222&start=0&ba=all&CFID=8d0a3b9d-0c1d-482a-9e44-3b503dee975c&CFTOKEN=0 

The ODD NUMBERS - About Time re-issued on BEER CITY Records

"About time" was originally released in 1990 on cassette. In 2000 the band secured a CD deal with Cold Front records and now for the first time it will come out on vinyl on BEER CITY Records and has been restored and remastered to sound even better. 

The ODD NUMBERS are the first band ever to be interviewed twice on this blog but the re-issued of one of the best Mod/Powerpop debut albums of all times was certainly a good reason to have another enlightening chat with singer and guitar player Dave Baisa.

1) How did you guys come together and decided to start a band?  Were you all attending the same school or living in the same neighborhood?

Myself and Miller have known each other since kindergarden. We met Cummings When we were freshmen in high school. Yep all from the same hood. The music we liked is what brought us together.

2) Who was playing what instrument in the band way back in the days? Had you already some experience on your instruments or were these difficult beginnings?

I had some guitar lessons when I was 12 and got to a point where I knew all the cords and could play a bit. I would jam with some other guys from high school once in a while. One time Cummings came with me and the drummer wasn't there so he jumped on the kit. He just started ripping on them instinctively! It was pretty cool, we locked in that day and knew we had something! Originally we had a guy named Stan playing Bass but he was really highly strung and didn't last long. When he left we handed the bass to Miller and said start practicing dude cause your in the band! He started from scratch.

Cover of the original cassette release of 1990

3) About the full-length album, "About time", do you recall the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs?

Recording About Time was a big deal for us. It was the first time in a real recording studio and we had a producer (Ray Stevens II) who had done a lot of pre-production with us which helped a lot. We did this one pretty much track by track. Drums and scratch guitar first then start layering it up. I think we did this one on 1 inch tape.

4) When you look back on how tracks were recorder back then and how the music is recorded today, do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys still work with analog machines in analog studios to this day?

The last record we made ("The Oddyssey") was done on pro tools but through a analog board and I think it sounds great. I think there's a million ways to make great recordings these days but you still need to mic the drum kit in a good live room and record it that way. We have been pretty loyal to tape up until the last record though.

5) Was the newly re-issued CD/LP remixed or remastered?

It was remastered for vinyl but no remixing. As much as I'd like to remix some of that stuff I can't mess with the way those songs sound.

6) The bonus track "Between the two of us", was it recorded during the same studio sessions as the other tracks of the album? Was this a finished song or just a demo by you alone?

"Between the Two of us" was recorded in Minneapolis from that same time period. We did a full band version and a guitar and vocal version. We liked the starker vision, we were really into Billy Bragg at the time!

7) How did you secure the original deal with COLD FRONT?

It was the end of the 90's and we didn't have a record label but we wanted to make a new record so I started calling people and putting out feelers. Brett from Coldfront heard about it and jumped on us. He had been a fan since the first record and I guess he'd put us up on the road when he lived in Salt lake City.

8) How was a ODD NUMBERS gig way back then? Were you playing any famous cover tunes? Are you you still playing some of those songs today?

The Shows in the early days were great! We still have great shows but when your young and doing things for the first time the energy is crazy! The last time we played NYC it felt like the old days. In general playing live is still a big buzz for us. We always put a cover or two in our set but we've been together for so long there's to many to mention.

9) Were there any bands in San Jose back then you considered yourself close to?

In the early days of the SJ scene we were all tight. None of us sounded like each other but we all hung out together. There was Crash Course, The Spit muffins, The Diesel Queens, Hemi, the Kingpins.

10) Anything you wanna add?

Thanks for listening to us over the last 28 years and if you like this one check out our latest release 'The Oddyssey' and see where our rock n roll journey has taken us!

Purchase it here: 

https://www.beercity.com/releases/the-odd-numbers-about-time-cd-lp/

Happy New Year

Happy New Year 2019 to all of you.

In Wav - Scans are included.

A1 You Be The Judge
A2 Girl You're Out Of Time
A3 I Don't Know What To Do
A4 I Want To Be With You
A5 Without You
B1 Shame On You
B2 Why Can't You Make Up Your Mind
B3 Spring
B4 The Woods
B5 Ain't Gonna Let You Stay
B6 Hallucination Generation

https://www.mediafire.com/file/6tr986dpl56abrp/The_Creation_Factory.rar/file

The Cherry Drops - Good to the Last Drop

"Good to the Last Drop" is the third full length by Vern Shank and his pals. The album also features legendary musicians like Ron Dante of The Archies, Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams' fame, Steve Boone of The Lovin' Spoonful, Mark Dawson of The Grass Roots, and the late Gary DeCarlo of Steam. The moods on this record range from soft Beach Boys ballads like "Feels like summer love" to a Bowie medley including "Hang on to Yourself","The Jean Genie" and "Rebel Rebel". Super brilliant album. This is a must buy.

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about The Cherry Drops to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays?  

The Cherry Drops were formed in the Summer of 2012, and led by principle songwriter and lead vocalist Vern Shank. As lead singer and songwriter of the Florida-based band, he fuses an amalgamation of all he's absorbed within the bubblegum, garage rock, and power pop genre of the 60's and 70's musical mosaic and spits it back at us with a visceral, magnetic passion. Our band members are: Vern Shank, lead vocals, various instruments ie: rhythm guitar, percussion; Josh Cobb, backing vocals, guitars, bass, various instruments; Jamie Markowski, bass guitar, backing vocals; Jimmy Mason, backing vocals, drums

2) About the latest full length record "Good to the Last Drop",  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?

It was recorded over the course of 3 years starting in 2015 and was completed around the fall of 2018. It was done in a track by track basis. A lot of vocal harmonies were put into it with a number of overdubs. This album took awhile to complete because we had 5 legendary musicians on it. Including, Ron Dante of The Archies, Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams' fame, Steve Boone of The Lovin' Spoonful, Mark Dawson of The Grass Roots, and the late Gary DeCarlo of Steam who actually passed away during the making of this album. It took a while to get this all put together especially because of all the different mega stars on it and the different studios in different places we had to record parts in.

3) Do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?

No we used all the latest technology at our disposal. However we did our very best to make it sound retro and vintage as if we were recording in an analog studio. We are of course a "throwback" band with a classic sound with a modern twist. 

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another? 

Vern Shank (myself) and Josh Cobb share writing credits to our originals. Sometimes one of us will come up with the melody and I usually come up with most of the lyrical content and Josh fills in if I am having a "writer's block" kind of a day.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song? 

Love, struggle, the chance to make it and at times happiness and sunshine. Sounds like a strange combination, however I can sum it up as saying I am always trying to find a glimmer of hope and the happiest of days through moments of sadness and uncertainty. Most of our songs project searching for those feel good moments that we all try so hard to attain. Even though it is a struggle and sometimes we feel we can't get there,the songs take us to a place where everything is okay and
perhaps we can actually make it.

6) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.

Oldies from the 60's and 70's as well as Rock bands and some New Wave bands of the 80's. We also have a great love for the crooners like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin. etc. My favorite and as a teenager was the Beach Boys. Some of the bands that influence our music today are: The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Queen.

7) Do you have a new video on YouTube  featuring a track from the new LP? 

This is our lead off music video from Good To The Last Drop. It is a cover of The Lovin' Spoonful's You Didn't Have To Be So Nice. However what makes this more significant than just a cover is the fact that Steve Boone of The Lovin' Spoonful actually plays with us on this release. He is also the co-songwriter of this song along with John Sebastian. He is a great musical friend, loved the idea of doing it with us and we are honored to bring this new take on his classic song to life with him. 



8) What can concert goers expect at a Cherry Drops gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? 

The Cherry Drops excel at our originals, however when we do a cover, we do our very best to have at least one member of the original and with us when we do a cover. An example: we just played the Hard Rock in Daytona Beach and we brought along Tony Valentino of The Standells and Steve Boone of The Lovin' Spoonful with us. When we did do some covers live, we did The Standells "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" and "Dirty Water" and then we did The Lovin' Spoonfuls "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" as well as a song we wrote with Steve that he performed with us on our last album called "Sweet Lovin". We also throw in a few covers that we are influenced by from time to time from The Monkees, The Easybeats, The Beatles, The Sweet, The Raspberries and Bad Finger to name a few. But I must stress for the most part we are an original band and only sprinkle in a few covers from time to time.


9) Are there any bands in the USA today you consider yourself close to? 

Besides the legendary classic 60's and 70's bands (some of the aforementioned bands) If you are talking more modern bands perhaps: The Lemon Twigs, the 90's band Jellyfish, Cheap Trick, B-52's, Matthew Sweet, The Pooh Sticks, The Apples In Stereo, Los Strait Jackets



10) Anything you wanna add? 

My advice is to not to be afraid to dig deep and find something that can resurface again. Always be willing to try something new in your entertainment field no matter what it may be. Flexibility to change gives you new experiences. New experiences makes you a well rounded artist. Never forget you can re-invent yourself just like the industry does. Remember though, you’ll never know until you give it a shot and be willing to learn. Lastly, the entertainment world is definitely a business for sure, but for me it is more of a feeling, an emotion and a personal expression of yourself. Live your dream!

Just want to say thank you for your time.

PURCHASE THE GOODIES HERE: https://www.thecherrydrops.com/

The DIRTY SIDEWALKS - Bring Down the House Lights

Earlier this year, No-Count Records released "BRING DOWN THE HOUSE LIGHTS", the debut full-length record of Seattle based The DIRTY SIDEWALKS. The band was formed in 2010 by Erik Foster, his older brother -and founder of surf/garage outfit The Boss Martians- Evan Foster and longtime friend Evan O’Neil. 

If you dig ‘80’s college rock, ‘90’s Brit pop and ‘60’s harmonies you really gonna love these guys! Time for this blog to have a great and instructive chat with Erik.

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about The DIRTY SIDEWALKS to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays? 

The DIRTY SIDEWALKS is the last great American guitar rock band. As Dirty Sidewalks is known today, we’ve been around since roughly 2010. The core of the band is myself (Erik Foster), our bass player Evan O’Neil, and my brother, Evan Foster, who plays lead guitar and sings with me. The newest addition to the band is our drummer, Mike Fritz who joined us in the later part of 2018.

2) About the full length record "Bring Down The House Lights",  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? 

Bring Down the House Lights was recorded mostly in the kitchen and laundry room of a house my brother was renting in south Seattle. Evan (Foster) engineered the record. The majority of the songs were built track by track with a fair amount of overdubs. The recording process was integral to the sound of the album, as we were able to work at our own pace, meaning that if we wanted to spend a whole night auditioning gated reverb options for a snare drum on one song, we could.

3) Do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?

I don’t think any form of recording or technology is foolish per se, if you’re using it to do something cool. I’m a firm believer that If you can use any format to better suit your idea, do it. Bring Down the House Lights is a fully hybrid record in the sense that we blended lots of old and new technology, alongside using cassette 4-tracks and primitive digital recording methods. Like any piece of art, you have to step back once in a while and check that the sum of all the parts is still working together.

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

With Bring Down the House Lights I wrote the bulk of the material. However, O’Neil wrote a riff here and there which I was able to use as the foundation of a song, and my brother and I did some co-writing. As we’ve been moving forward, we’re co-writing a lot more frequently which I’m super into. My brother and I have very similar writing styles, but he will always come through with some kind of idea or change, no matter how small, that I didn’t (or wouldn’t) think of, that will make a huge difference/improvement.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

Hard to say. I don’t ever sit down and say to myself “ I’m going to write a song about this specific topic today”. I’m a fan of more abstract lyrics, and I think it’s cool when people can apply their own interpretations easily. I’ll almost always start with music and try to let the lyrics flow naturally from that. However, there are times where a lyric pops into my head, and I’ll think, “shit, that’s pretty cool” and I’ll try to grow something out of it.

6)  To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.

When I was I teenager, I mostly listened to punk rock and indie rock. Most of the SST Records catalog was highly influential to me. Certain aspects of that music and ethos absolutely still influence me. For example, Black Flag had one of the strongest work ethics of any band, ever and I find that highly inspirational. On the other side of that, I’ve liked Oasis since I was in elementary school. My 3 favorite bands when I was a teenager were probably Oasis, The Descendents, and Sonic Youth? Narrowing it to 3 is tough. I still love those bands, and still consider myself to be influenced by them. The only difference now is that I love more bands/artists and I have a much wider spectrum of music I truly appreciate.

7) Do you have a new video on YouTube featuring a track from the LP?? 

There’s a video for the first single from Bring Down the House Lights, “Rock and Roll (save my soul)” on YouTube right now. We’ll be releasing the next single / video in early 2019.



8) What can concert goers expect at a The DIRTY SIDEWALKS gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? 

At a Dirty Sidewalks gig you can expect all the fuzz, reverb and lush vocal harmonies you can shake a stick at... as far as covers, I always like to throw in some less-than-obvious covers that wouldn’t be expected. We’ve been known to whip out a version of “Hit me Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears once in a while, and we have a few more bangers up our sleeves.

9) Are there any bands in Seattle today you consider yourself close to?

There’s a lot of great bands and artists in Seattle right now, which is cool because the city is changing so rapidly. Having a solid music scene is one of the last things that makes it still feel like home. As far as bands that we’re “close to” locally would be Jupe Jupe, Vibragun, Nostalgist, Downtown, Joe Waine...the list goes on.

10) A question for Evan in particular: are the Boss Martians on an indefinite hiatus or can a new release be expected soon?

Evan is busy mixing a record right now, but I can field this one. In terms of a “hiatus” of any kind, the answer is NO. I actually play bass in the Boss Martians. We’re busy as fuck, constantly. There’s at least 3 new martians releases coming out in the very near future. This summer we’ll be playing some shows in Europe and various parts of America. Evan is actually co-owner of a recording studio here in Seattle now, called No-Count Studios, so we’re in constant production. Stay tuned.

11) Anything you wanna add?

New Sidewalks material coming in 2019. Fuck Donald Trump. Stay high. Blessed Be. Sidewalks Rule, OK.

Purchase the goodies here: https://dirtysidewalks.bandcamp.com/album/bring-down-the-house-lights

GRANDE ROYALE - Captured Live released on The Sign records

Grande Royale is a rock'n'roll band from Jönköping, Sweden, rooted in the early 70's rock scene of Detroit and the 90's rock scene in Scandinavia, mixed up with some vintage pop. The Sign records released some weeks ago the aptly titled "captured live" by GRANDE ROYALE. 

After last year's highly praised "Breaking news" produced by Nicke Andersson (Imperial State Electric, The Hellacopters), this is the band's second album for this great label. And it is highly recommended if you dig "high energy" rock'n'roll. So this blog had a little chat with ANDY.

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about GRANDE ROYALE to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays?

We started as a garage/punk band with Andy and Gustav on guitars, Hampus on bass and lead vocals and Anton on drums. Anton dropped after the first record and now he lives in LA as a producer. Hampus wanted to only do the vocals so we took in Calle on bass and then we had a new drummer in Marcus Kveldstat. After Breaking News album Marcus left the band and we took in a new Marcus on drums but that only lasted for a month so we asked Johan if he could fill he´s place. Hampus and Calle said goodbye this summer to do other things in life. So here, we are with Andy on guitar Johan on drums our new bass player Samuel and Gustav on guitar and lead vocals. We never sounded better and never played better then now so the feeling is good as hell.

2) About the latest full length record "Captured live",  what can you tell about the recording process? Was this the full concert recorded just as it happened (same order of the songs? were some songs left over?) Were some parts rerecorded afterwards in the studio to correct any possible mistakes, etc....?

Last year we had been on a tour for 20 days. We had our last gig in Flensburg Germany and the venue recorded our gig. Before we went on tour the band and our label The Sign records had talked about doing a live album so the timing was perfect.We took contact with Ola Esfjord on Cuervo Recordings and asked if he could mix the album. Ola kept everything except the guitars. He wanted to have fuzz on them. We have songs left over from the show and it´s not in the same order of the songs.

3) 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 can only speak for myself and the first band that I liked was Kiss like many other kids who were born on the 70's. When I was a teenager, I was first into thrash and death and when I was like 17 I was more into punk. The Rolling Stones, Kiss and John Fogerty and many others have an influence on me today.

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

For Breaking News and the new album that´s in the making, Gustav is the main songwriter. Before that, Andy and Gustav did a lot together. However, Gustav is a riff machine so he comes up with many songs and then we put it together as a band in the studio.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?
Things that I believe  are wrong in our society, or in life. I think it´s easier to write about things that are wrong in my opinion. I do not know why it is so but that´s just me I guess.

6) GRANDE ROYALE are described by some people as an "High Energy" band in the vein of the great MC5. Do you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that?
Yeah we are described as “High Energy” but here in Sweden people compare us more to The Hellacopters than MC5. But that is a good thing! right? Both of them are great bands. We are going in to the studio together with Ola Esfjord next week. This album will sound a lot different from Breaking News. I think this one in not so “High Energy”.So if we take it from the start. Cygne Noir was punk, No fuss was more melodic but to fast. Like to much “High Energy”. Then we did Breaking News with Nicke the master of “High Energy”. He took it down a bit so we became a true high energy band. However, this one will be more soul/blues I think. It will do us good to change something so we don´t do the same record over and over again. And Grande Royale will sound different now when Gustav sings.

7) Do you have a new video on youtube  featuring a track from the new LP??
No but we will make at least 3 to 5 videos on the next studio album.



8) What can concert goers expect at a GRANDE ROYALE gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs that are not present on this album?

We have never played a cover song live with Grande Royale but we talked about do a cover several
times but we could not agree what song we should play. People attending our gigs can expect energy on stage. The people who saw us previously believe that we have more chemistry now that Gustav is singing.

9) Are there any bands in Sweden today you consider yourself close to?

I think there are many. From our hometown, we have Beat City Tubeworks. Look them up if you haven’t heard them. They kick ass.

10) Anything you wanna add?

Thank you so much for supporting us it means a lot

PURCHASE THE GOODIES HERE: https://freighttrain.se/sv/the-sign-record/grande-royale/

The Speedways - Just Another Regular Summer

Since the digital release of "Just Another Regular Summer" everybody with the ears in the right place knew that the songs  written by Matt Julian were instant classics. Being the old school type, yours truly was convinced since day one that a physical release was also requested. The wait has been long but is now finally rewarded since the Canadian label God's Candy Records put out some beautiful colored vinyls. Needless to say you should purchase multiple copies of it!

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about The Speedways to introduce yourself? What have you been up to since the demise of The Breakdowns? 

The Speedways are a guitar based pop group from England. The debut album 'Just Another Regular Summer' will be released this month on Gods Candy Records (Canada). It will also be available on Ghost Highway (spain) Beluga (sweden) Crocodile (UK) and Get Hip (USA/worldwide)

With zero contacts and zero effort The Speedways have been played on the radio the world over.
Legendary American DJs Rodney Bingenheimer at Sirius FM and Todd-O-Phonic-Todd at WFMU have lent their support to the band. Mike Rogers has spun The Speedways on InterFM in Tokyo & power-pop Legend Paco Pepe of PlasticoElastico in Madrid has played us many times on his show.
Celebrity fans from the world of Rock n Roll include Protex, The Baby Shakes, Nikki Corvette and Teengenerate to name just a few. There has also been national UK magazine coverage in Vive Le Rock as well as further online radio play across Europe. The songs have only been on bandcamp for 6 months and we've only played 2 gigs, so it's done relatively ok.


2) Why choose a "band" name since this record is mostly you?  Did you not want to release the record under the Matt Julian moniker? Who is playing what instrument in the "live" band?

I felt it would work better if I put it out under a band name. That's all. All the songs are connected - the girl with glitter in her hair is represented by the imagery of Diana Dors and Brigitte Bardot, I'm represented by 'The Speedways' ..that way nobody gets hurt, apart from me. The band name is taken from the Morrissey song 'Speedway'

As luck would have it, 3 of my best pals down in London also happen to be 3 of the best musicians I know. They all liked the Speedways songs so it came together really well. Kris is on drums, Mauro on lead guitar & Adrian on bass. We've had 3 rehearsals and 2 gigs up to this point & are already the best band in England.


3) About the full length record "Just Another Regular Summer",  what can you tell about the recording process? 

I played everything apart from the drums. I double tracked my voice and then harmonized on top of that. It took a few months to get the finished album out for people to hear but the actual recording time was only around 3 days. All the rhythm guitars were recorded first take, every bass guitar part was a full first take. All the keys & percussion were done in a couple of hours.
It was as economical as possible in terms of time & money because there wasn't a full band to share the costs around. I recorded at my mate Tony's studio in Nottingham. He's a lovely chap & we'd usually sit around drinking coffee for the first 2 hours & talk about The Beatles before we actually did any work.


4) Do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios?

The album was recorded digitally. Fully modern on a laptop and everything. I love the idea of recording to analog but it wouldn't have been practical with what I was doing on this album. I couldn't afford it for a start.


5) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today?

I went through 3 teenage music stages - early teens would be Pop/Chart music + whatever I liked in my parents collection, mid teens was the Heavy Metal phase, late teens was when I started to get into some punk & that kinda thing. The one constant from early to late teens was & still is Rock n Roll from 1955 to 65. My favorite band as a teenager probably changed every couple of years, but pound for pound I'd have to say The Ramones. Three bands that still influence my songs today would be The Ramones, The Smiths and The Ronettes.


6) What are your favorite topics to write about or the topics that come "easily" when you write a new song?

I write songs about disappointment & love. They both come very easily. I actually have very strong political & social views but they don't ever inspire me when I pick up my guitar. In another life I reckon I was a Brill Building song writer with Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Gerry Goffin and Carole King etc.. I just feel that love songs are timeless & universal. The Ramones wrote fantastic love songs lest we forget.


7) The Speedways is described as a power pop band. Do you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that?  

I think it's a convenient term of reference & it's probably just about right. The Paul Collins Beat, The Nerves, The Shivvers, Teenage Fanclub, Squeeze, The Exploding Hearts, Phil Seymour, Elvis Costello etc.. were all a big influence on what I was trying to do with The Speedways. I don't have a problem with being called Power Pop at all! ..but I think there's a melancholy & pessimism to The Speedways that makes it a little bit different to a lot of power pop maybe.


 8) Do you have a new video on youtube  featuring a track from the newly released LP?? 

Yes, yes I do! Here's 'Tonight You'll Find Love'



I'm very fond of this video. Those kids had a ball filming it.


9) What can concert goers expect at a The Speedways gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? Will you play some Breakdowns tunes or is this totally out of the question?

They can expect to have a dance & to have a melody stuck in their head as they walk home later that evening with their faith in love still devout. We've already played 'Back Of My Hand' by The Jags and we've also done 'They Don't Know' by Kirsty MacColl, which is one of my favorite ever songs. It'll only be Speedways stuff + one cover per-show! That's the deal!


10) Are there any bands in the UK today you consider yourself close to?

Lucy and The Rats work to the same premise as me that your records should be well crafted & 'radio friendly' ..and then when you get on stage you can turn it up - which is what The Ramones did too of course. That's not an exact science & doesn't apply to all bands, it's just what I like personally.
My other favorite bands in the UK right now are The Cavemen, Thee Dagger Debs and TV Crime - who are all outstanding.


11) 1 album - 1 gig - The End. Is that for real or are you reconsidering this statement now that the record is out?

Well yeah, I made that statement to add extra mystery to the band! ..but I've tweaked it a little bit since. The Speedways have some pretty cool stuff lined up for 2019 and there are also 2 more gigs to play later this year. I also wanna put out a 7" single or EP.  A companion piece for the album.
After that, I'm not sure.


12) Anything you wanna add?

Yeah! Please buy the record when it comes out! and if you've already bought it on bandcamp or pre-ordered the LP or been to one of the gigs - you're a star, Thank-you!

Up the Brigitte Bardot Punks!


PURCHASE A DIGITAL COPY HERE: https://thespeedways.bandcamp.com/releases

PHYSICAL COPIES CAN BE PURCHASED HERE: 
https://www.godscandyrecords.com/product/the-speedways-just-another-regular-summer-lp

SMASH FASHION - ROMPUS POMPOUS

Los Angeles dandy rockers SMASH FASHION recently released their fourth full length, ROMPUS POMPOUS. Once more the band delivers everything you ever wanted from a rock'n'roll band: great vocals, brilliant guitar playing and a rock steady rhythm section.

The songwriting of Roger Deering is at its finest and what you get here is instant Powerpop, Glitter and boogie classics.

Time to talk to the man himself. 

Among other very interesting things, he reveals that the band has a full box of cover songs already recorded. So damn it boys, do NOT hesitate any longer, the next record MUST be this all covers album!!!

1) For of the viewers of this blog who would not know you, what would you tell about smash fashion to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band? Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays?

Smash fashion is a high energy rock ‘n’ roll band out of Los Angeles California. Purveyors of decadent psychedelia and atomic power pop with the feather boa!..The beginnings of smash fashion go back to 2004 -2005..With quite a few starts,stops,heartbreaks and broken bones. There’s been a few lineup changes over the years. However the concept and direction remains the same, to be a multi dimensional rock ‘n’ roll band that incorporates 50 years of rock ‘n’ roll into our sound.Classic rock ‘n’ roll with the rocket up its ass!

The lineup on our latest LP “Rompus Pompous “ is myself -lead vocals/rhythm guitars...Lloyd Stuart Casson-Lead /rhythm guitars...Repo Kauppila-Drums/percussion and Scarlet Rowe-Bass

2)About the latest full length record, Rompus Pompous, 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 over dubs?

It’s actually A little of both. All basic rhythm and drum tracks were recorded live... with a scratch vocal, which we sometimes kept ,well as some lead guitar which we sometimes kept,depending if it caught the vibe of the song. Some songs we put a lot of overdubs on and others we didn’t. Each song was treated differently, as most of the songs on the record have their own vibe and identity...Some went through different incarnations in the overdubbing process to reach their final destination.In other words,some were more torturous and some were as easy and as smooth as a gravy sandwich to track!

3) Do you consider it should be foolish not to use the nowadays recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analogue Studios?

Well there’s a couple of realistic factors that come into play here...1) tape is very hard and expensive to come by now...2) Analog tape machines and studios are getting more and more scarce... 3) it’s much more practical, convenient , and economically feasible to finish tracking using the digital format.There are plenty of plug-ins, so you can strive for a more analog sounding result. Our record is a little bit of both -some analog and digital on top. I believe we achieved our goal, in not having a over compressed ProTools digital sounding record. I personally can’t even listen to a lot of modern records, as the compression takes away any dynamic in the sound. A lot of modern records all sound like they’ve been recorded the same exact way. I think the” Rompus Pompous “ record sounds warm and lush, and it breathes... and no auto tune anywhere in sight! Now, if we had the money, space and time, I’m sure we’d love to make complete analog recordings and records... now if some smart label would put us up in a mansion in the English country side.... hint hint

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved one way or another?

I’ve always been the primary songwriter... yet I’m well aware that it's guys individual talents that really help the songs shine. That’s why chemistry and playing with people whose company you enjoy is so important in a band format. We all have respect for each other’s talent and what we’re each capable of bringing to the table. Being in a band is like being married to three other women! It’s a lot of give-and-take and patience from everybody... it’s not always easy, but having 3 other people having your back is nice... as sometimes it really feels like us against the world!

5) About the new record” Rompus Pompous” can you explain the title? And what’s the connection with the artwork on the front cover? 

“ROMPUS POMPOUS “... is a song I had for a bit... it was originally inspired by a story I once read about Michael Jackson attending a party of Freddy Mercury’s and how outrageous it was... and how fame and power can disconnect one from reality and perception... but with the political climate being as such here in the States, it morphed lyrically somewhat into the present. About narcissism and selfie culture...we are in strange times and it’s gonna get even more weird.

The cover has symbols and references to outrageousness hence the bold graphics that just scream-Loud!....

6) Smash fashion as been described by some people as a glam or glitter band. Do you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there was way more than that?

This seems to be a never ending dilemma concerning us... it seems nowadays people need to put a tag
on you for marketing reasons.In actuality were just a high-energy rock ‘n’ roll band. Of course glam and glitter are component of what we do. But it certainly doesn’t define who we are sound wise.

Because of the simple reason that glam and glitter mean different things to different people...The stuff that does influence my songwriting comes more from 70's glitter not 80's glam...Bowie, Queen, 
T. Rex, The Sweet , Roxy Music, etc.... in the 80's ,while hair glam was popular, I (and Stuart and Repo) were more involved in the punk scene... I didn’t pay attention to it... I didn’t connect with that scene as I found most of the music too one dimensional... it didn’t swing and wasn’t weird... I found it boring ,a bit too dumbed down... so, are we glitter/glam? Kinda... in the sense that we like dressing cool... but our influences and sound cover a bigger spectrum... and I do feel the tag hurts us at times... it stops some from investigating into us further... they see the “glam” tag and skip over us... glam is not a dirty word goddamn it!!SMASH FASHION IS A ROCK'N'ROLL BAND

7) Do you have a new video on YouTube featuring a Track from the new CD?

We do... “Runs In The Family”... a dity that concerns murder, mayhem and dying bloody....watch loud!



8) What can concert goers expect at a Smash fashion gig? Are you playing any famous covers songs?

First and foremost ,I would hope that anybody attending a gig of ours is there to have a good time... Because that ultimately is what we are about... We’re at the point where we have a pretty deep catalog.. so we can pick and choose from a lot of really good songs...Lots of guitar heroics from Stuart...lots of hats ,scarves and cool guitars!

As far as covers, they come and go out of our set... we’ve covered songs by ABBA, Elton John, The Saints, Dramarama, The Dictators, Rolling Stones, Golden Earring, Nazareth and many others over the years... as a matter of fact... we have a lot of those tracked and in the can for a possible all covers LP... we shall see if we ever decide to put it... and by the way... we do have a new 7 inch single ready to go for record store day 2019... so drop into our Facebook page to stay tuned... and if you dig it , buy our records!

9)Anything you would like to add?

Remember, rock'n'roll is a vicious game... but we like it!Cheers!!!!

Here's the band's homepage : http://www.smashfashionmusic.com/news

And the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/smashfashion