Song: Come Around

Yes!!! All of our prayers have been answered, some new Transplants for that ass coming soon!!!

Check out the songs here.

Here are the dates:

ÅRABROT/RABBITS European Tour [REMAINING DATES]:
5/17/2013 Obluda – Bratislava, Slovakia

5/18/2013 Boro – Brno, Czech Republic
5/19/2013 007 – Praha, Czech Republic
5/20/2013 no club – Budweiss, Czech Republic
5/21/2013 TBA – Germany
5/22/2013 Magasin 4 – Brussels, Belgium

ÅRABROT European Tour w/ Black Cobra, Bison B.C.:

5/31/2013 Glazart – Paris, France

6/01/2013 Saint des Seins – Toulouse, France

6/02/2013 TBA – France

6/03/2013 Borderline – London, UK

6/04/2013 TBA – UK

6/05/2013 Ivory Blacks – Glasgow, UK   

6/06/2013 Exchange – Bristol, UK

6/07/2013 Patronaat – Haarlem, Netherlands

6/08/2013 Magasin 4 – Bruxelles, Belgium

6/09/2013 Festsaal Kreuzberg – Berlin, Germany

6/10/2013 Bastard Club – Osnabrück, Germany

6/11/2013 Chemiefabrik – Dresden, Germany

6/12/2013 Juha West – Stuttgart, Germany

6/13/2013 L’Usine – Geneve, Switzerland

6/14/2013 Les caves du Manoir – Martigny, Switzerland

6/15/2013 Freakout Club – Bologna, Italy

6/16/2013 Lo-Fi Club – Milano, Italy

6/17/2013 Arena – Wien, Austria

6/18/2013 Feierwerk – München, Germany

6/19/2013 Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, Germany

6/20/2013 L’Entrepôt – Arlon, Belgium

6/21/2013 Hellfest – Clisson, France

With Shai Hulud, Thy Will Be Done and White Widows:

07/12 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
07/13 Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon
07/14 New York, NY – Santos Party House

With Lionheart and Harness:

08/15 Tempe, AZ – Pubrock/Chasers
08/16 Tijuana, MEX – You Revolucion
08/17 Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction
08/18 Berkeley, CA – 924 Gilman St.

See Zavalaz’s upcoming U.S. tour dates below.

Tour dates:

6/15 Las Vegas, NV – Artifice *
?6/16 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriets *
?6/19 Santa Barbara, CA – Soho Club *
?6/20 San Luis Obispo, CA – Slow Brewing Company ^
?6/21 San Francisco, CA – Cafe Dunord ^
?6/22 Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades *
?6/24 San Jose, CA – The Blank Club *
?6/25 Fresno, CA – The New Starline *
?6/26 Bakersfield, CA – Elements Venue *
?6/28 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory *
?6/29 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
?6/30 San Diego, CA – Casbah *

* with Dot Hacker

Mover

On May 21, one of the Midwest’s most formidable alt-rock bands releases their new third album, Mover.  Taking cues from REM, Pavement and Guided By Voices, Hospital Garden write big, noisy and catchy songs.  Is there anything better than a ballsy band playing big, noisy, catchy songs?  

Ghettoblaster caught up with Lucas Hollow as the band prepared for their record release show at Quenchers in Chicago (May 18) and at Blind Bob’s in Dayton (May 26) at to discuss the record, which will be released by Forge Again Records.  This is what he said about it…

When did you begin writing the material for your most recent LP?  

The writing for Mover began right after our second full-length, Haunter, came out, which was late in 2011. Technically, though, I don’t write specifically for an album. I find that the songs I write over the period of a year or so usually come nicely together for a release.

What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing?  Why was it so troublesome?

I honestly don’t feel like one song sticks out as a troublesome process. We practiced the songs a lot before recording them and our stuff is not particularly difficult. We had a great time making the album and are able to do so without a great deal of pressure, since, Erik, our drummer, has a studio.

Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?

The lead-off track, “Half of It,” was brought to the table in a bare bones fashion. Erik’s displacing beat was purely his invention and added a lot to the song, while Sarah’s backing vocals on the chorus really drove the hook home. The ultra-noisy guitars made the song heavier than I anticipated, along with the little lick I added to the second chorus. It’s surprising how it turned out, but I think we are pretty happy with it.

Did you have any guest musicians play or sing on the record?

For the last song on the album, “Untitled III,” two friends from the Chicago band The Paver, Brendan Finucane and Billie Howard, helped out on strings. They wrote their own parts, which flow nicely throughout the song, but also added some horror movie-like sounds to the end, making it eerie and noisy.

Who produced the record?  What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?

Our own drummer, Erik Rasmussen, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered the album at his studio Observatory here in Chicago. He does amazing shit and makes bands sound great. Erik has great ideas about vocal harmonies, other arrangements, and helps keep us in check when it comes to notes being on key and what not.

Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together?

Musically, I’d say the record is big, noisy, and catchy, and that the songs flow nicely into each other. As a whole, I’d say that the song writing is more compact. They are big, heavy pop tunes that are tighter than our previous releases. Lyrically speaking, it’s harder to say. To put it vaguely, our lyrics aren’t extremely cheerful, but don’t stray into whining or cliche. For this album, I’d say that the lyrics present uneasiness and instability that all people feel at some point.

Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?

We have been playing some of these songs for as long as a year, and others for only a few months. “Super Empty” elicits a good crowd response, possibly because of a repeating, squealing guitar riff, or perhaps because of a key change at the end. Fortunately, we’ve received kind words about a lot of these new songs, though.

(The album is available here: http://forgeagainrecords.bandcamp.com/ . Vinyl is limited to 100 copies and they are on blue marble.)

Pleased To Meet Me

As a veteran of the respected punk scene of Chicago, Illinois, Mike Felumlee knows how to turn a three minute pop structure into something more than the sum of its parts. Perhaps best known for his seven year stint drumming for The Smoking Popes from 1991-1998, Mike also drummed for Alkaline Trio between 2000 and 2001, playing on their critically acclaimed, breakthrough album, From Here To Infirmary.

Mike launched his solo career soon afterwards, with his debut LP, 2001’s 64 Hours. This was swiftly followed by a fan-favorite split EP with Alkaline Trio bandmate Dan Andriano in 2002, which saw a vinyl re-release in 2012.

After spells with Duvall and This Is Me Smiling, Mike took an extended break from music to spend more time with his family, having spent over a decade as a working drummer. Changes to his personal circumstances led him to return to music in 2008, performing only a handful of times over the subsequent years, but playing and writing every day.

Mike reports to have written over 80 songs in the past five years, and while he remains modest in his aspirations, he’s also confident in the quality of his material, and is keen to share it with listeners old and new. With that aim in mind, he’ll be putting out an EP, and subsequent full length, through Stay Posi Records later in 2013.

Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Felumlee to discuss another band that knows pop song structure – The Replacements.  This is what he had to say about Pleased To Meet Me…

What is your favorite album?

I have many favorite albums so it’s hard to pick just one. Let’s go with Pleased To Meet Me by The Replacements for now.

Do you remember when you received or purchased the album? 

I remember being in sixth or seventh grade and seeing an ad for the record in Thrasher Magazine. I thought the cover and the band name were cool so I saved up a few bucks and went to the record store to pick it up on cassette.

What is your favorite song on the album?

That’s a tough call. I’d say “Alex Chilton” or “Skyway.”

What is it about the song that resonates with you?

“Alex Chilton” is one of the songs that inspired me to play rock music. I’m not exactly sure why. The melody and groove are just so awesome that it makes me think “I want to do this!”. I think “Skyway” is just an amazing ballad. The vocal performance is very soulful. I’m feeling melancholy just thinking about that one.

Have you ever covered a song from the album?

Never. I can’t do any of those songs any justice. They are perfect as they are.

What is it about the album that makes it stand out against the band’s other output?

 I think the Replacements had a few albums that were just as good. Pleased to Meet Me just happened to be the first one I bought. I think Let It Be, Tim and Don’t Tell A Soul are probably all just as good but Pleased to Meet Me means the most to me personally.

Have you ever given a copy of this record to anyone?

I’ve never given a copy to anyone, but I’ve used several songs from it on mixtapes (yes actual cassette mixtapes).

What were the circumstances?

I made tons of mixtapes for friends and girlfriends in high school. I doubt I ever made one that didn’t have a song from this record on it.

Which of the records that you’ve performed on is your favorite?

I’m pretty proud of most of the records I’ve played on (excluding some early Smoking Popes stuff when I didn’t understand that a song should be the same tempo from start to finish). I think my favorite though is the self-titled album by This is Me Smiling. It was definitely the most challenging! The songs all have so many parts and different time signatures that I had to really practice hard and study them. The record came out in 2005 and I still really enjoy listening to those songs.

What is your favorite song on the album and why?

“Prettier” is my favorite song on the record. The drum beat to that song is probably the most fun beat to play out of any of the songs I’ve played on. I also love the vocal melody, and bass line. It’s just a fun song to play and listen to.

The band will release their Melt The Sky EP on August 27.  The record, which was recorded at In The Red Studios in Dayton, includes a cover of Gang Green’s “Alcohol.” 

Catch the band live at one of the following dates:

July 6 – Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn
Aug 21 – live performance/interview on WYSO
Aug 24 – Cincinnati, OH – Mainstay Rockbar
Aug 30 – Dayton, OH – Blind Bobs
Sept 6,7,8 Cincinnati Comic Con (will have issue 2 of RHR comic book)
Sept 14 – Columbus, OH – Ace Of Cups

Listen to “Blue Baby” HERE

The band head out on tour today.  Catch them at one of these locations:

May 16th – Hamden, CT – The Space
May 17th – Boston, MA
May 18th – Lowell, MA – Wilder Genecraft
May 19th – Ithaca, NY – The Chapter House
May 20th – Cleveland, OH – The Locker Room
May 21st – Kalamazoo, MI – The Corner Record Shop
May 22nd – Chicago, IL – Neverland
May 23rd – Saint Paul, MN – The Elephant Graveyard
May 24th – Minneapolis, MN – Hexagon Bar
May 25th – Milwaukee, WI – Quarter’s Roll n’ Roll Palace
May 26th – Chesterton, IN – Sound Cellar
May 27th – Columbus, OH
May 28th – Lafayette, IN – A.N.T. Pharm
May 29th – Pittsburgh, PA – The Shit Brick
May 30th – Philadelphia, PA – Hausu
May 31st – New Brunswick, NJ – The Alamo
June 1st – Brooklyn, NY – Big Snow