The Independent...

Everyone's dumb but... HOTT MT!

2012-03-14T18:41:00.004-07:00

The Majesty 12, X files fans will know what I'm talking about, and if your not an X files fan then you will soon, but for very different reasons. The majesty 12 in reference here happens to be new group of southern Californian natives known as HOTT MT (Hour of the time, majesty twelve) who recently released their debut ep called I Made This, a strong electronica pop album with a very heavy eastern influence. The sound, which the band has called Thai gaze is an eclectic mix of nineties show gaze and modern electronica.

Upon the official release of the album the band hit the road, traveling east to Oklahoma to visit Wayne Coyne, lead singer of the Flaming Lips, on his birthday. The band showed up, unannounced on his porch that day and knocked on the door. Upon answering the door Coyne, who at first was on the phone but promptly finished the conversation and asked the group in to find out what they wanted. The Band, who had come, simply to give him a specially packaged, one of a kind cassette edition of the new ep had no ideas when asked by Coyne what they planned to do next, "Head back to L.A." Nick Logie AKA spooky says was all they knew. Apparently Coyne liked the response (or hated it, depending on how you look at it) cause he asked them to stay the night. That "night" ended up being four or five and the chance to help Coyne and the Lips out with some songs they were working on for other artists and a new original single and video he recorded with band, which has since gainied some good youtube play and the band a bit of a reputation with out even having played a single show up to that point.

By the time the band had returned from the great Oklahoma Voyage, barly one week out of the ep release the name HOTT MT had already began to be circulated and the buzz over the band and the collaboration with Wayne was blowing up. Spin magazine, MTV and the OC weekly all reported on the trip and the band who is gearing up for their first shows are as pumped as they are anxious and possibly nervous. "We've been really busy trying to get the live show looking and sounding awesome. It has been difficult to feel prepared with how quickly things have happened. we are realizing that good intuition is much more important for this project right now." Ashleigh Allard AKA Ashi, lead singer of the band says of the their preparation and feelings about the coming shows.

To prep for their debut show on march twelfth (MT) a few close friends and family were gathered in downtown fullerton two weeks before, for the band to try the new songs out on, and the experience was magical. With a full band backing the duo to round out the sound and allow the group to recreate the expansivness Of the album, Ashi and spooky destroyed a short set that included every song on the album. Ashi steels the spot light, with her bleach blond hair and golden formal esque dress, her energy never dies and, like the band its self their is a certain amount of Irony there, the tiny, white, bleach blonde, southern Californian calls her home Bangkok, (city of angels in Thai) California and has spent time around the globe including an artist residency in Beijing and has the vocal and physical energy along with stage personality of a much bigger person.

"We are used to immersing ourselves into art, so we find that we are able to trust ourselves and work well quickly." she says when talking of the bands discipline and approach to their music. "The song we wrote with Wayne had a different approach as it was based entirely on our experiences those few days in OK city. A lot of the songs on I Made This came from focusing on a specific location, such as mountain, or beach. A few of the songs were approached like making tom kha gai soup, or some curry - adding layers till it felt just right. Conspiracy theories, myth, science fiction, fiction in general, global economics, family, spirituality, social status, and all of the emotions that go with those ideas. There's a lot of things and ideas we're interested in and appreciate, in this project we try to address them all" but regardless of the concept it seems that this band is more about the sound and feel than it is about simply playing songs.

There is a special feeling you get when you see something unique and one of a kind. HOTT MT bring that feeling and the bands pop sensibilities lend its self to a what can only become a larger and larger audience. While the bands sound and image are unique and well crafted, the undertones of the songs are simple and catchy. One quick listen to I Made This and phrases such as You Know When Your Right and Every ones dumb but me seem destined to be trapped in your mind for days.

The band may be new and may have only played a few select shows at this point but the vision is big and brave. With Flaming Lips in their corner and with such a mesmerizing show to see, this band seems destined for big thing.

for more info on the band head over to
HOTT MT's face book page
thanks to HOTT MT and our great photographer at
Allison Milene Photography
please check out both of these artists

relocation can be good

2012-03-11T18:59:00.007-07:00

"I grew up on Long Island, moved to Florida when I was 16, my parents told me we were going on vacation but we just never came back." That's the way Louis DeFabrizio tells it when talking about his childhood. " I moved (back to New York) to Brooklyn about two years ago.... This new record we just finished making is about starting over. So I guess the move has affected me a little bit" not that any one who has ever heard Gasoline heart would ever want anything about this band to really change all that much, but like the title of the bands last album suggests, Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to be, so change is bound to come. "I think the only thing that has changed, songwriting wise is I am trying to keep it a little bit more simple." He says of the changes that come with new scenery and time. And much like those lyrical changes sometimes it's the simplest of changes that can lead to the greatest of creations.
It was that change of scenery that led to the newest of Gasoline Heart's lines ups and it's a Line up that may be the most special one to date for fans and for DeFabrizio. The guys in Gasoline heart's current line up have only been playing together for a few years as Gasoline heart but have been in and out of each others lives musically and personally for years. "Dave & I used to be roomies years ago in Florida, he really pushed me to start writing songs. He actually started The Kick with me (My old band) Then Squad Five O lost their drummer and they asked him to join and I got ditched. Now its kinda come back full circle, us playing together...and Casey McBride played bass on the record, he used to play in The Kick (as well)... this is the first time recording with Adam & Dave, those guys are a trip." he says of his band mates.
Chemistry is everything and this Line up is chalk full of it. Adam and Dave who first began playing together when they both joined the late Squad Five O in the late nineties have been playing ever since as the duo aptly known as Adam and Dave's bloodline. With all this musical inbreeding and friendship one can only hope to hear what the band has up sleeve for this next release.
The band just finished a new album and are gearing up for shows and the release with art work being worked on at the moment. The "new record was recorded in New York City at a place called Singing Serpent. We did it all live and it sounds pretty bad ass...Got a few slow numbers with some jammy parts. A few 2 minute songs and a few 8 minute songs. Its gonna be wild" he says of the album. Wild happens to be a good term to use when talking about this band. Louis has been very out spoken for his love of "wild" bands like pearl jam and Soul Asylum and much like his heroes, DeFabrizio has also never been afraid to speak his mind and be himself. "Last year I played Cornerstone Christian festival out in Illinois and I got kicked off stage after one song. I said f*#k on the mic and all hell broke loose. That festival is really the only connection we have to the Christian Scene if that even still exists."
That incident made some headlines on a collection of blogs and christian news letters last year but it seems that Gasoline heart could really care less and seem only focused on heading forward."I hope people like [the new record], its very uptempo and straight to the point." and as was sung on the last album, You can't keep a good kid down.
Gasoline Heart are a refreshingly organic and real band in a world of over produced pop hit machines. Here is a song writer who writes from his heart for his own ears and not some one else. with a new album in the works keep coming back for more info on when.
for more info on the band check out http://www.facebook.com/#!/gasheart

new video from Tumbledown

2012-02-21T17:49:00.002-08:00

here is a brand new video from Tumbledown, a catchy anthem of life on the road. Like the true country singer here's a song about the rambling life. "It's a great big world and I'm roaming around." front man, Mike Herrera sings "we come to party in your town." the song is comes country complete with chicken picking guitar, cross harp harmonica, and just enough city's named to know they been on the road.

Fort Union

2012-02-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Jace Krause has been around, his band Friday Mile had gained a good reputation in the northwest, played some good venues and gotten some radio play, but when the band disbanded in 2010 he and his fellow band mate Jake Rohr started Fort Union. "we wanted to work out with Ryan Lynch. He agreed to help us flesh out the songs, and ended up taking them to new places. We decided to use that momentum and make these songs have a spacey/folky feel." The "messy and Lo-fi" feel of what has so far been two released songs by this band truly sound spacey. Ethereal and raw, Fort Union's songs drift, like a trip though time and space, a little 90's pop, a little 60's folk and a lot of the future. the floating vocals sound comfortable and the bubbling bass lines make your feet helpless but to tap. the band sounds Happy with where they are and that communicates well in the music. "The Northwest is an inspiring place to live. I love the natural beauty of the landscape, but I also love the brand of people here." Jace says about living in the northwest. There is some great music coming from Seattle and Portland these days and Fort union is definitely part of that. Fitting in nicely with Portland's laid back environment and hospitality, Fort union have found everything they need to thrive and write. "I get inspired just as much from the landscape as I do the people that I know. And I know some really amazing people. The Northwest is an inspiring place to live"
Much like many artists coming up these days in the midst of economic turmoil, the DIY approach to life, music and art is booming and Fort union are attempting to release a vinal in the coming months. "We just finished mixing this record with Gary Mula in Seattle. We are going to press vinyl with the help of a Kickstarter." the website dedicated to helping raise money for bands and organizations that need the help. The album should be out soon, with the help of friends, family, and fans so
check out fort union on facebook to stay up to date with how thats going, and keep coming back for more great news, here at the Independent...
http://www.facebook.com/#!/fortunion?sk=info
Photo by Dylan Priest
http://dylanpriest.com/

Video of the day: Bryan John Appleby

2012-02-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a great Live video of one of the northwest's most brilliant songwriters. Appleby is the pride and joy of Seattle right now. And with songs like this it makes sense. His songs are well crafted, and with his delicately placed sorrowful wailing, the song's true emotion is in no way hidden.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/bryanjohnappleby

I don't believe in a normal world

2012-02-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

She has been playing in and around some of LA's most important musicians and trend setters for close to ten years, but ask most people who Morgan Nagler is and you will most likely get blank stares. this is a problem. More people should know about Morgan, who goes by the stage name Whispertown (previously known as whispertown 2000, the whispertown 2000 and at one point vagtown). Her relaxed vocals and playful melody's are catchy as anything playing on the radio, and her approach to music as pure as anything on NPR. After experimenting with a variety of line up's Nagler simplified the process and worked with a select few on this album and the selection shines through on the dancy first single Open The Other Eye, with harmony's from the likes of Maria Taylor and Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova) and co produced by Bellows and Andy LeMaster (Bright Eyes).

"So Jake and I went to Athens, Georgia, with bag full of songs and an open mind. I have a psychic connection with Andy" She muses "so we turned the songs into dreams."
not that that is a new thing for her, whispertown has always had a sort of dreamy quality but the difference is this time the dream seems possibly more modern, where as her past work has always seemed to have a sort of honky tonk nostalgia, this album seems to have deluded that quality and added a little more electricity.
"The songs have all come from the same place they always have. I wanted to experiment with removing my jingle jangle acoustic strum that normally serves as the bed, in which the songs lay." Nagler says, and I for one love it.
Whispertown has always been in great company, from her close friendship with Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennet early on to touring frequently with Maria Taylor and/or Taylor's band Azure Ray to signing as the first outside artist on Gillian Welch's Acony records and this album seems to have encapsulated that.
"we really are all one and United" Nagler say's when talking about the new song, and thats what you feel when listening to Open the Other Eye. A sense of community and connection.
Whispertown have two video's in the works and plan to tour a ton behind this release so keep an eye open for them, you need to see this band, you need to hear these songs, Morgan Nagler needs to be known by more people, she deserves to be known by more people.
keep on coming back for more new music.
http://www.whispertown.com/

Video of the day: briertone

2012-02-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a great acoustic version of I am Jacob by Briertone. Briertone are a dark folk rock band from the central coast. After taking a break to play some less dark solo stuff, Adam Pasion and the gang are back with a new EP and renewed sense of purpose. doing what they do best, the Tone deliver on this boot stomping anthems of hope and life. the music video(below) is a great representation of what this band is all about, dark and sorrowful epics of mankind with wild west back drop.

Video of the day: pithy sweet

2012-02-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

The Pithy sweet are that band I wish more people cared about. What the pithy Sweet have going for them is great song writing, great players, and a really cool groove. this is live session they day a year ago, playing on the beach in, lead singer Ben Kent's beloved Big Sur. The band lays down one great originals and then Cranks out an incredible cover of Coconut by Harry Nilsson, who like the Pithy Sweet was under rated and never appreciated the way r should have been in his time. Here's an great band playing great music with a great back drop. In short I really enjoy these videos and this band.

The Backdoor Preachers

2012-02-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Backdoor preachers are great old time rock and roll band, reminiscent of 1970's MC5, Iggy pop, or the Rolling Stones. Mike Castellano has been part of the LA and Orange County music scene for over 25 years, most notably playing bass in Hellbound Hayride for over 15 years. Along with Friend and fellow bass player Preston Peck and fellow Hayride guitarist Louis Ramos, the Backdoor Preachers were born out of a desire to just play some good music, the way they wanted to.the band has found a bit of a home down in Long Beach, Ca at Di Piazzas and has played there on decently regular basis, including a few slots with punk legend Mike Watt of the Minute Men and stooges fame. The Backdoor Preachers sound like a rock and roll band playing rock and roll music at a rock and roll bar, and that's just what they are.
the band swings from heavy and hard hitting pre punk sounds of VooDoo Love and Can't Find the Good times all the way to the almost classic country rock sounds of Texas all the way to the ethereal and dark Strange Days Like These. These are simple songs, played by musicians that are anything but simple, the genius guitar playing and slight vocal harmony's push these songs past the simple and nice into the classic and powerful.
For anyone who longs for the days when you could go see a good rock and roll band with out having to pay atleast 30$, this is the band for you.
Backdoor Preachers will be playing at Di Piazzas in Long Beach Sat. Feb. 18th at 10:00pm.
for more info check out
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Backdoor-Preachers/10150134129345226?sk=info
http://www.reverbnation.com/backdoorpreachers
Photography by Allisonmilenephotography.com

Flaming Lips have a new friend HOTT MT

2012-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the story. HOTT MT recorded an album, they made a special edition of it, packaged it up in an amazing box designed by lead singer Ashleigh Allard, drove across the country to the home Of Flaming lips front man Wayne Coyne and gave it to him on his birthday, he asked them to stay, They recorded a song with him, then a video for the song, then they came home. Here's the video,I'll let you know when I know more... a full feature on the band(exclusive photo's and interview) coming soon. so pay attention.

Bonnie dune

2012-01-30T18:47:00.001-08:00

Bonnie dune is everything you love about southern California. Dreamy pop tunes about the ocean, love, and summer fun. Bonnie dune may seem like an off kilter super group, given that three of the members are all involved in the entertainment business in some way (lead singer Justin Wilczinski is an actor/model, Seth Roberts has seen his fair share of the stage with his bands watashi wa and lakes and on tour with MXPX, and then there is the drummer; some guy from a show called Glee.). But there is a lot more to this band than just fame and stardom. These boys actually know how to write a good pop song. The band's sound floats in and out of pumping dance numbers like the rocking Endless Summer or soaring number Sea Sick and the hushed beauty of songs like Haunting or Better View. The boys in Bonnie dune are currently working on a debut album and the mass army of Bonnie Dune fans wait anxiously. In theory it would Make complete sense that a band, who's major pull is the fame of their drummer would in all actuality be over rated if not down right awful, but thanks to years and years of songwriting and waiting between Roberts and Wylczinski this band is not just tolerable but quit good. So if you have not checked out this pop thunderstorm then you should. Head on over to Facebook.com/Bonniedune to check out some tunes and get the latest info and keep following us here at the Independent... For more up and coming music.

The Traveling Man

2012-01-27T13:19:00.001-08:00

Last time we heard from Luke messimer, the singer songwriter had just broken up his southern California pop rock band Mississippi Man and had begun working on an untitled solo project. Weeks after talking to me, Luke changed directions, the solo project was put on hold and Luke threaded north. "A strong need to get out of all that smog." Luke told me when I emailed him last year about his change. Years before a close friend of his, Josiah Johnson had done the same and had done quite well starting a little band called The Head and The Heart and So Luke did the same, packed up and left for the great Northwest and Seattle's legendary music scene.
Within weeks of arriving Luke began to get sucked up into the musical land scape and quickly began playing a variety of instruments with just as much a variety of Artists. But still Luke wanted to play his songs, his way.
So Months after leaving southern. California Luke returned, as part of the Bryan John Appleby band, the newest singer songwriter to emerge from the great northwest. Upon arriving in LA they met up with the head and the heart, also on tour and spent some
Time together. " they told me that thy
Missed my solo stuff and wished I was still making my own stuff. I took that to heart.".
Luke has yet to return to Seattle since leaving that tour. Being Leon Russell to appleby's Joe Cocker, however great that would have been, was not what Luke had in mind.
For years Luke has used his family's cabin in Northern Arizona as an escape, a place to go and write and rethink things. So as he had done before he settled down in Williams a town his family has been a part of for 90 years and started to do what he loves and what he has wanted to for quite some time, record that solo album.
With a lot arcade fire, M83 and Simon and Garfunkle on the radio. Luke got to work crafting a highly textured sound that floats in and out of arcade fire grandiose and Elliot smith like emotion.
Northern Youth is what Luke is calling this project, and it's his reflections on what he learned in the place he now calls home, Seattle that inspired the name. Reminiscent of the opening scene of Portlandia Luke says "The idea of being an office-job adult doesn't exist there. In Seattle people are doing what they love and being young." Northern youth.
Luke says that no matter where it is he is playing music Seattle will forever be his home. He likes to quote his friends in the head and the heart when dealing with this "your already home where you feel loved."he says. So no matter where it is he travels and no matter who he is playing with Luke messimer knows that he loves the northwest and he loves music. So the traveling man will always have a home.
Northern Youth have a double single out currently that you can find by going to Facebook.com/youthmusicband.
Northen youth plan to release a full ep by around may and a full length after that.

A drop of hope

2011-12-04T00:18:00.001-08:00

On wednesday I saw something beautiful, people coming cingular and together to help. Drop in a bucket is an organization that brings hope to people across Sudan and Uganda. In the words of Henry Rollins, the nights host "hope of life." water for the thirsty, drop in the bucket's main goal is wells. In a region where water is scarce the walk to find streams, rivers, or lakes can take hours or days. The problem is one that has recently become more of a trend and has been picking up steam in the quest to help with hundreds of new groups taking up the mission, but before it was popular Henry Rollins was interested, and when John and Stacy Travis first began drop in the bucket he was a fan. On wends day He hosted the biggest fundraiser the originization has ever held. With an
evening of wonderful music and great personality 1500 people came together to help find a way.
The evening began with a small set from boots electric, the dance friendly rock and roll group blew the night open and the night just kept going from there. Mile watt of the legendary minutemen and stooges was joined by punk rock goddess Kira rosseler, to perform as the free jazz experiment known as DOS. Dj craddy and slayer drummer Dave lomordo battled out and finally Corey Taylor of slipknot was joined by Lomordo and a slew of metal gods, Scott Ian of Anthrax, john five of rob Ron zombi , and last but not least Dave Naverro of Janes addiction. Dubbed as Corey Taylor and Friends the group spent the evening covering songs from sabbath and ozzy to the foo fighters. The evening was not only a great night of music but an inspiration. Change is possible and I believe I have seen it. A drop in the bucket, check it out.

The revolution of Gil Scott-Heron

2011-06-08T15:34:00.000-07:00


"The Revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.the revolution will be live"



with those words Gil Scot-Heron entered the American Lexicon.
There is not much to say about the man that has not been said
before so I would like to just keep it simple in remembering Gil
Scot-Heron.  As a Poet His words spoke true to what he knew and
the pain that millions of Americans were dealing with.  poverty
and the hard life of New york city and others like it.  as a musician
his regard for a groove was perfect.  as a revolutionary there will
never be another quite the same. and as a symbol and cultural
figure, he has changed the face of music forever, from R and B, jazz,
and blues, even rock and roll all the way to Hip Hop you will find
his influence.  Gil Scot- heron.  names such as 
"the godfather of rap" and "the black Bob Dylan"
were thrown on him  but he was more than any thing himself,
a wondering poet of pain and truth.

Keith Morris is ready to Blast OFF!

2011-01-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

"an astronaut once was overheard at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral telling another astronaut ""I'M READY TO BLAST OFF!""." Thats how Keith Morris and his new Hard Core punk super group, OFF! is feeling these days. Keith Morris may be more well known as the Singer of Punk legendary bands black Flag and the Circle Jerks, but what hes most pumped about is his new band OFF!, formed by Morris with Demetri Coats (Burning Bridges), Steven McDonald (REDD KROSS) and Mario Rubalcaba (ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT and EARTHLESS). OFF! is simply a punk band that wants to play fast, hard, and angry songs... What could really be more punk than that.
"OFF! is about Being the life of the party! Being the angry, aggressive, volatile, handsome, well coiffed, in love with the world, uptight, loud and fun loving Boy band/group of nuts that we are!" and thats exactly what the band is. A fun loving but angry and volatile band that could care less what it is that you think of them or anything for that matter.
"playing in the Circle Jerks makes great money playing live and I could pay my bills" Morris say's but its the unending pursuit of music that led him to start a new band. "things are happening in OFF! that would've never happened for the Circle Jerks." the singer says. if you don't believe him listen to the band your self, and you'll understand what hes saying.
As far as Morriss is concerned, the music he plays is not so much punk as it is honest. " Before i'm any label, catagory or whatever anybody sez or thinks I belong to a gang called the HUMAN RACE!" the singer say, " I don't consider myself a punk or hardcore Founding father." he only thinks of himself, as an angry man, who cares too much to shut up.
OFF!'s first album, a collection of four EPs has appropriately been titles "First Four EPs" with original artwork by Raymond Pettibon and was originally released this last month on vinyl by Vice Records and a limited run of cassette releases by Burger Records., but as of February 15th will be available available on CD through Vice. go pick a copy up and treat your self to some real, honest music. a change of pace from the everyday sound on the radio.

Holding Onto Hope's Hopefull rise

2011-01-04T14:21:00.001-08:00

Last year, holding onto hope were coming off of a huge tour of Europe, they had 50,000 plus fans on myspace, and were getting their name put on numerous "up and coming" lists when they found out that they were with out a singer. Former front man Corey O'keefe was leaving to do other things and the sudden news of this left the rest the band to fend for them selves, find their own way.
That way would lead them to a new singer, a new sound, and a revolutionized spirit and purpose. "we scream because we have to and it comes out with a heavy feeling rather than an angry beatdown" guitarist Matt Black explains when I talked to him this last week. Black maybe more than any of member wishes to not be compared to other hard core acts and dreams of a day when his band sounds nothing like anything else.
"my influence comes from the bands i listened to early on such as The Get Up Kids, 238, Pedro the Lion, Thursday, Saves the Day and Sunny Day Real Estate. bands like that." Not much a hard core enthusiast himself, his attraction to pop hooks and smooth and flowing leads is part of what sets the band apart from the rest of modern day hard core scene.
this last month, the band entered the studio with engineer and producer Jeff shneewies(Number One Gun) in Chico California to work on their next album. the album was recorded over three weeks and was fully funded by fan donations via kickstarter.com. "we had a nice relaxed attitude and things just flowed." Black said of the process. if everything goes accordingly this album should be a huge step forward not just for the band but hopefully for hard core music. "musically i think we differ because of our diverse individual musical backgrounds. we've all played a number of different styles ranging from thrash to country to indie pop." With this in mind, look forward to a great, ear opening sound from the California natives. The album drops later this year, so keep your ear to the ground and hear the rumbling, cause the stampede is on it's way.

One More Cup of Coffee by the white stripes

2011-01-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

So the Votes are in, The White Stripes cover Bob Dylan the best. at least thats what you guys are telling me according to last months poll. keep an eye open for a new poll, coming this week. this is a video I saw that some one had made of the winning song and I just had to share it.

Best Commercial ever...

2010-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is just one of those things you have to share with the everyone you know. Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson.

coming soon to a stereo near you...

2010-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

Luke Messimer to record solo album

Luke Messimer likes music, that's one thing you need to know about the singer/songwriter before anything else, he likes his music. The man has been a fan since he was born and it was a first listen to the blue album by Weezer that hooked him on songwriting and years later it was Luke's love of the White Stripes that would cause him to fall in love with the guitar. And when you hear Luke talk about music, you can tell he cares.
Asking about the state of modern music, where it's going, where it's been, and what is right and wrong with it Luke emediatly knows his answer, cause these are the things that keep him up at night.
"I honestly think music is getting better lately. Maybe not mainstream music. Maybe not what you hear on the radio, but there are some absolutely incredible new bands out there today." Bands like the Band Luke Messimer has been threatening to put together for three years now. Before he joined his last band, Mississippi Man, Luke was at an in between stage, having just broke up The American Gypsy's. His first reaction was to put together a folk rock group that would be more suited to play the songs he heard in his head. Big drums, big harmonies, something different. Instead he joined Mississippi Man and for the last three years it was working. but There was always that sound.
So, about a year ago Luke started Writing and recording demo's of songs that were in no way Mississippi Man songs. the result was originally going to be simply a recording project on the side, but when Mississippi Man decided to part ways Luke knew immediately what was happening next for him.
Luke's plan is it record an album of songs that sound like nothing else. I've heard him compare it to the Gorillaz playing really big versions of Bob Dylan songs, and when asked what the future of music is and who's doing it right Luke always points to "The Arcade Fire", Modern music is a good thing in Luke's eye's "It seems that we're no longer repeating the past. A lot of musicians have finally figured out what music from the "two-thousands" really is." and Luke is one of them.
Luke hits the studio this month, with 12 songs in tow. Plan's are to record a 6 song EP, with Luke playing all the instruments him self, then move to Seattle, put together a backing band and fully integrating him self into the rich musical history of the great north west. Good luck Luke, can't wait to hear the album.

Head on over to http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/lukemessimermusic to check out more.
Photo by Benjamin Walter Milczewsky

is there stilll a blank generation

2010-12-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

In 1977 a movement was unleashed on the world and it was called punk. The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, and a slew of other like minded rebel rockers came out swinging at the cultural norm. capturing the hearts and minds of a generation of misfits, vagrants, and street kids. Taking their ambitious new sound, that was at once a beautifully stripped sound and a destructive ideology of anarchy and chaos, to the masses the youth of the the late 70's found themselves with a new anthem and the anthem was Anarchy. Songs like "Anarchy in the UK" by Sex Pistols, "Rise Above" by Black Flag, and "Blank Generation" By Richard Hell spoke to absence of identity that was that of punk rock. Like that of Beatniks and the Hippies before, punk came at a time when movement was needed, when art needed to say something, the stale air of humanity needs a good wind to come through and kick up the dust every now and then and punk did just that, in a big way. Reassessing what fashion, philosophy, religion, and even music were. Bands like the Ramones took to it by playing simple accessible bubblegum pop but singing about anything but bubblegum, Communism, death, drugs, anthing went. The Clash, brought to the table their reggae infused brand highly political protest, and artists like Ian Durry sounded almost more like the offspring of Frank Zappa than they did Iggy Pop or the MC5. But it was all punk, it was all new and fresh, and none of them cared about your opinion of them. But like most good things, the system, that is the modern organization and assembly line has its own way of dealing with the rise of individualism. Whether its turning the beat generation's disgust with conformity and love of freedom of speech into a fad bongo drums and black turtle necks or just dumming down society, it ruins everything it touches, and thus the legacy of punk would eventually do the same.
After the initial release of punk on the world, punk would go back under ground, in the 80's punk got harder and harder, starting with bands like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and the Dead Kennedys. The Harder it got the further it seemed to stray from the original mainstream boom that had happened in the late 70's. Things got serious. Issues were being talked about, Politics, race, religion, these things were happening and punk didn't take any of it lightly. Punk was getting real.
And out of this realism punk's started listening to other real music, things like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, even Jazz, they started reading books, they started to care about what it was they werer singing about and out of this new education punk began to see a change, bands like social distortion started to sound more folky, X started play country songs sped up by a billion, Henry Rollins and Black Flag started doing spoken word and punk began to get artsy again. All of a sudden punk was back to a loose definition, was punk a sound, a look, or was punk simply an evolution of free thought, the child of Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsburg, and Lou Reed.
Coming into the 90's with out a strict definition of punk, save for the fact that punk was a rebellion. bands like nirvana, who were labeled grunge but came out of the same punk clubs as the Melvins, and Mudhoney led the way for a second and bigger coming punk in the mainstream. Greenday, the Offspring, and Bad Religion, all bands that had once been the pride and joy of their own local, dirty, punk clubs began to explode with a sound that, similar to that of the ramones and the buzzcocks, was at once catchy and incredibly hard to resist. the sound was infectious. the care free attitude, the dingy clothes and hair, and the complete recklessness was the perfect example of how punk could work in the mainstream.
but with the success of these bands, came an onslaught of copy cat, fakes with no identity in the punk rock heritage. knowing only what MTV told them was punk, Hot Topic and other like minded stores and media fixations would give way to the rise to the sub cultures of Emo and Pop Punk. wearing pre ripped jeans and make up to appear deathly and street tough, these "Fakes" or "Posers" would eventually lead to what some have called the finally death of punk, a sad, slow and disgusting fade into oblivian.
Or has it been... in 1998 swedish hard core group The Refused released their final album, the prophetic "Shape of Punk to Come" the albums sound was a new blast of energy and its title brought to mind the idea that punk was a constantly changing form, much like jazz that's only roots were that of individualism and honesty. following the release of the album he band would break up but the album has gone on to be called "One of the best examples of rebirth." by one rock critic. Bands that had at one time been more of the sound of "Emo" or "Pop Punk" like My Chemical Romance have recently shown a dynamic change as well, shifting away from the weak and angsty sound of their past towards more stripped and bare, dare I say Iggy Pop sound and other bands who it seemed found too much of their own identity in terms like "Anarchy" and "Chaos" like against me have found away to traverse the ledge between traditional rock n roll and modern punk and then their are the artists, the unique and new blend of world punk, Gogol Bordello and Flogging Molly leading the charge. the sound of modern punk is new, just as The Ramones sounded vastly different from their proto punk for fathers, and the hard core punk of the 80's fled the poppy undertones that had been heard before, the modern punk must find his own way. And perhaps that way will come with a change in names, much like punk becoming grunge or hard core. The Idea and feel of punk can and will never die, cause if you think you've seen the death of it, it wasn't really punk to begin with. so is there still a Blank Generation as Richard Hell described it, who's to say. Blank is blank, unobservable and with out shape, impossible to define and endlessly moving in and out of genres and contexts. Blank.... is blank.... is....

Some more Rock n roll

2010-12-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

The Gaslight Anthem play music from an other time. That 70's grit and grim that made Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty the men they are today is the coming back around as professed in any given song by the young Brian Fallon, Lead singer of The Gaslight Anthem. Here with an acoustic take on his band's new single "American Slang" you can hear the heart beat of America and it's an arduous journey but one that needs to be taken every five or ten years.

Captain, oh my Captain

2010-12-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Beefheart

Don Van Vliet, born Donald Glen Vliet, January 15, 1941 who would go onto be known as the singer, painter, and general Visionary Captain beefheart was declared dead december 17th, 2010.

Beefheart and his "Magic Band" were known for their

unique and bizarre way of tackling

music, going at it with everything they could, Critically acclaimed as Beefheart magnum opus, Trout Mask Replica was released in June 1969 by His good friend and fellow artist Frank Zappa's new Straight Records label. During these recordings Beefheart was said to have spent much time studying texts on brainwashing and hypnosis at the local public library, the knowladge of this has led many to believe that Beefheart, in just one of his many new and out side of the box ways of thinking of music, attempted some of these tactics, such as sleep deprivation, food deprivation, constant negative reinforcement, and rewarding band members when they attacked each other or competed with each other to help int he artistic process. This is just one of many examples of The Beefheart way of making art.

According to Van Vliet, the 28 songs on the album were written in a single 8 1/2 hour session at the piano, an instrument in which he had no skill in playing, in order to help stretch his creative possibility's. after completing the writing of the record, The band rehearsed the songs so thoroughly that the instrumental tracks for 21 of the songs were recorded in a four and a half-hour recording session. Letting the vocals would be recorded over the last 4 days of recording. In 2003, the album was ranked fifty-eighth by Rolling Stone in their list ofThe 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Lick My Decals Off, Baby, His next album, recorded in 1970, continued his bizzarre and experimental fashion. it was Van Vliet's most commercially successful in the United Kingdom, spending twenty weeks on the UK Albums Chart and peaking at number 20. The album, as successful as it was has since gone out of print due to legal issues, making it one of the most sought after pieces in musical history. It was ranked second in Uncut magazine's May 2010 list of "The 50 Greatest Lost Albums"

The next two records, The Spotlight Kid (listed as a solo effort) and Clear Spot (listed as "Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band") were both released in 1972, and were both more conventional but remained rooted in experimentalism.

In 1982 Beefheart would record his last album, Ice Cream For Crow.

After finish his official career as a recording artists, Vilet would go onto spend his life working as a painter, retiring with his wife Janet, near Trinidade California. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in early 1990's.

He will forever be know as a formative figure in modern music. great artists, from Tom Waits to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers have listed him as a premier source of influence and he will forever hold a special place in music history as one of the most original recording artists of all time,. Not just a blues singer, not just a rock n roll band leader, or a genius lyricist but an artist for the ages. The world of Rock n roll owes you big time Captain, Thank you.

some more great music for 2010

2010-12-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons

Marucs Mumford and his fellow band mates are one of my favorite new bands too come out of the english folk scene which has birthed many great bands in recent years (Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn, and Laura Marling to name a few). The band's debut album "Sigh no More" is a great work of modern folk tunes, wreaking of literary prowess and amazing harmonies. the albums name comes from the Shakespearian play "Much Ado About Nothing" quoting lines such as "One foot in the sea and one on shore". Other songs on the album lean heavily on the language and topics of John Steinbeck western america. With a great ear for harmony and an amazing ability to craft songs that are not only accessible but thick with style and technique in a debut album one can only anticipate the years to come from the sons.

Lungs by Florence and the machine

Florence Welch and her band the machine

(taken from Welches Keyboard player Isabella "Machine" Summers make music that is an amazing combination of soul, rock n roll, and pop. With souring vocals and very st

ripped down simple music, each song differs in its attac

k on music weather it's the bluesy big guitar's of "Kiss with a Fist" or the pouding drums of "Dog Days are Over" , Florence comes at music with a prospective rarely found in such a young singer. With a soulful voice and great team of session musicians, Florence an the Machine are an amazing new sound that is a fresh breeze blowing in through music town bring with it the feel of change, a change that really has been needed.

God Willin' and The Creek Don't Rise By Ray laMontagne

LaMontagne's fourth studio Album "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise" is just the most recent Album of wonderfully soulful Folk music from LaMontagne. His song's rise from start to finish and glide from the speakers incapsulating you in a blanket of warm noise. the album begins with the big, bluesy, and electrified "Repo Man" and ends with soulful blues number "Devils in the Juke Box" . The soft and subtle "Rock n Roll and Radio" is the singers ode to the music that captured his soul and it's long standing absence from the modern media. Songs like "New York city's KIlling me" and The Albums title track both are great additions to already great catalogue of music from the singer. the world can always use another great folk singer and Ray Deffiniatly fits the bill.

Le Noise by Neil Young

One man and One guitar and you got "Le Noise", another amazing album of classic Neil Young Tunes. this time around Neil Young has done two thing that he has always done wonderfully, made an album of electric music and a great solo album. The only difference between this album an his past solo albums and his past electric albums is that this time around he's done both together. The album started as most of his recent albums have, with an acoustic guitar ended by being an album that literally consists of just the man and his guitar. The name of the album is a reference to Daniel Lanois, the albums producer and it is thanks to him that album was recorded the way that it was and it is that that makes this album as important as it is. splitting the guitar tones in half and sending the lower of the signals through one amp and the rest through a second amp the album sounds much larger than one would ever think possible by one man. Neil Young has always pushed the limit of what is possible in the recording studio but with Le Noise he has completely re created himself and made an album that speaks to who that is.

this is rock n roll

2010-12-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

Gasoline heart is a band that I came across a few years ago. Lead singer Louis DeFabrizio writes songs that sound out side of what is happening today. Gasoline heart is to Pearl Jam what they were to the who, an amazing offspring and carrier of the great legacy that is Rock n roll. if you have never heard of this band before please, do your self a favor and go check them out, buy an album, see them live, do something, cause something should be done.

my favorite music of the last year

2010-12-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

these are my thoughts on some of my favorite albums of the last year. some great music was relased this year. Here's what I liked.

The Agreement by Lakes
Soaring dream like tunes of love, loss, and life. This seams to be Seth Roberts forte and with his band, Lakes first full length, the independent release, The Agreement he has continued to write some of the best songs about these topics. The album, which moves like one big 14 song love story transitions from one song to the next seamlessly but with out feeling like one never ending song. Instrumentally the album is beautiful and perhaps one of the best indie releases of the year. With lines like “run away, run where you can, Ill get back in your head.” You feel the fight. Feel the pain. But life is like a song and lakes make sure you know that. Seth makes you fall back in love with life, even through the trials and pains of it all. Key Tracks: The Feeling, Oh lovely, The Agreement Song

Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots
Modern music has become a very shiny thing. Auto tune and computers have made it hard to not sound perfect. What has been missing from music as of late has been thrown back in the mix with the release of "Wake Up!". Something The Roots and John Legend have both been known for in both of their respective careers is the timeless nature of the song writing. glimpsing back to the great soul singers of yesteryear, this album takes these classic songs to a new place, making them sounding modern but still as soulful and timless as ever. it would be a great thing if more bands made albums this important and interesting like this in the coming years. Real and uninhibited. Key traks: Wake Up Everybody, I Can't Write Left Handed, Compared to What

White Crosses by Against Me!
When we're young, so often we think that we know whats up. With White crosses, Tom Gabel, lead singer and founder of the band seems to have discovered his place in the story that is, American music. Following in the
foot steps of Bruce Springsteen and Mike Ness, he has found a way to
balance between punk attitude and rock n roll sensibility. With "I Was A Teenage anarchist", the first single from the album, he acknowledges that he has grown up and changes. The Story here is that once you stop caring about knowing whats up, the songs start to speak volumes. a truly great American rock n roll album. Key Tracks: Because of the Shame, Bamboo Bones, Because of the Shame

Sea of Cowards by The Dead Weather

Much like the rest of the Jack White catalog, Sea of Cowards is a wonderful example of what music can be. Like The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin, The Dead Weather traverse a line that straddles the rootsy and timeless nature of the blues and the heavy, dark, and deep sounding rock n roll of the late 60's and early 70's. The album, which was recorded in Nashville at White's third man studio, is exactly what independent music should be. Honest and Brutal. Hitting you in the face with every hit of the kick drum. Its a beating that the modern music could use a little more of. Key Tracks: Blue Blood Blues, Die by the Drop, Old Mary

Flamingo by Brandon Flowers

"You woke up in the rusted frame of a Burned out old Deville, Your legs are shot and they're flushed with pain, But you can't keep them still", and just like that "Welcome to Fabulous Los Vegas" and for the next 40 minutes Flowers takes you through a great tour of the city that gave us the killers. Going through subjects as vast as those of religion, America and rock n roll. Flowers has shown that he can not only be a great pop performer but a great songwriter as well. Key tracks: Only the Young, Hard Enough, Swallow it, Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts

Plastic Beach by the Gorillaz
The Gorillaz have always had great cameos on their albums but with the release of Plastic Beach they have taken it to a new level, Snoop Dog, Lou Reed, Half of the Clash(Mic Jones and Paul Simonon), Mos def and a slew of others stopped by to help Damian Albarn in creating his newest album of cartoon hip hop. The album, which sort of reads like a story, is the most straight up pop oriented albums to be released by the band but should nto be taken lightly. The Eco conscientious album boasts some of Albarn's best writing in a very well written career. Key Tracks: Melancholy Hill, Some Kind Of Nature, Stylo,

Distant Relatives by Nas and Damian Marley
Nas and Damian Marley, two of the most politically charged musicians have teamed up to talk about war, poverty, and Africa. the title is a reference to the two's shared African ancestry and it is that Ancestry that becomes the foundation of all other topics ont he album. with some great guest spots from Lil' Wayne, K'naan, and Joss Stone the album has nearly no slow points and every song speaks on so many levels. And while the album seeks to do good by getting people thinking the proceeds of the album have been doing equally as much good going to fund a school program in the Congo hat the two have created. This is an album of 13 heavy songs of education and great music.
Key tracks: As We Enter, Nah Mean, My Generation

Brothers by Black Keys
The black Keys may be the biggest blues band since the Jimmy Hendrix Experience. What the black keys do is make music that is so hard to not listen to that you forget that you hearing one of the greatest guitarist around today and some of the most innovative music of the last 20 years. with equal parts soul and rock n roll, the black keys take music seriously and Brothers shows that off. Great song writing and great chemistry, this is an album for the ages, an album people should keep listening to for years to come.
Key tracks: Tighten Up, Everlasting Light, Howlin For You, Black Mud

The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
The Arcade Fire have done something with this album that they have been threatening to do since Funeral, they've taken over everything and have shown that they can play what ever kind of music they want better than any one else. whether they are pounding out punky sounding songs like Month of May or the smooth and somber balled Wasted Hours or just playing good pop tunes such as Ready to Start or The Modern Man this album is solid. 16 songs of modern brilliance and great song writing. Key Tracks: Modern Man, City With No Children in it, Month of May

American Slang by Gaslight Anthem
Brian Fallon has for a few years now been stuck with the "next Bruce Springsteen" title due to the two's common stomping ground in New Jersey, But with American Slang Fallon and his band have stepped out side of what was expected of them and have succeed in creating an album that reeks of a great American band. what separates The Gaslight Anthem from the rest of the modern punk scene is their outspoken love of the rhythm and blues, not shying away from wearing these influences on their sleeves they ahve crafted a group of songs that are at once clean and simple yet still sound as gritty as any band playing music today. Key Tracks: American Slang, Bring It On, The Queen of Lower Chelsea