Alzi la mano chi conosce ed apprezza l’art-rock della band S.Francisco. Alzi la mano chi desidera scaricare tre brani acustici eseguiti la scorsa settimana dal gruppo, insieme al noto e perseguitato scrittore Salman Rushdie, in un evento benefico tenutosi a NY dove musica e letteratura si fondevano e confondevano.

I Dredg ha eseguito, oltre all’accompagnamento sonoro per lo scrittore, molti brani tratti dall’ultimo album “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion” più una b-side mai fatta dal vivo.

Ok potete abbassare la mano, altrimenti come fate a cliccare qui?

In no particular order…

Chuck Ragan – Country Gold 2009

Label:       SideOneDummy

Genre:       Acoustic

Website:   www.myspace.com/chuckragan

Very impressive “country” album from the Hot Water Music vocalist/song writer Chuck! I’ve been listening to this guy sing and scream for over 10 years and he has never failed to impress. The first few solo acoustic songs that he put out a few years ago were very good but I never expected a full album of well written and interesting songs, not to even mention the switch from electric rock to country/folk. Chuck really showed that he can write timeless songs in whatever way he wants, if there is anyone in the “alternative music” scene that can claim better song writing credentials I have no idea who it is.

Strung Out – Agents of the Underground 2009

Label:     Fat Wreak Chords

Genre:    Punk

Website:   www.strungout.com/

7th album from another band I’ve been listening to for over 10 years and I’m still impressed. Strung out has continued to put out high quality albums year after year. When many of their contemporaries either quit or only put out a few songs every 4 years, Strung Out is still producing the goods, and when the slew of new teenage “punks” put out their myspace “albums”, Strung Out is giving us matured and crafted melodic punk with clever lyrics and interesting arrangements. They have evolved and gotten better like a fine wine, but they are still the same Strung Out I fell in love with in the mid-90s.

Propaghandi - Supporting Caste 2009

Label:     Smallman Records

Genre:    punkrock

Website:   http://www.myspace.com/propagandhi

Another high quality punkrock album from some oldschool punkrockers that are still doing it better then anyone else. Intelligent lyrics covering a vast array of social and political issues, they support activist organizations through their album sales and benefit shows for children in the middle east and dvd’s for Canada’s native peoples. True Punk. Capital T capital P.

Lyrics to Supporting Caste :
When the credits finally roll
for this, the worst story ever told,
don’t bother sifting through the names
for yours or anyone you know.
Unless they were by chance a shepherd king,
a virgin birth, a resurrection, a messianic prince
or some such childish thing.
You can storm the edit suite
or move to block its theatrical release,
but I think we can safely guarantee
that there will be no revisions to the script
made on behalf of a supporting cast(e).

The Dangerous Summer – Reach for the Sun 2009

Label:    Hopeless Records

Genre:     Rock

Website: www.myspace.com/dangeroussummer

I probably listened to this album a few thousand times this year. It doesn’t even have those catchy sing-along chorus lines, it’s just good stuff.

Dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion 2009

Label:   ILG

Genre:   Progressive Rock

Website:    www.dredg.com

I first became aware of this band with their 2005 album Catch Without Arms and I’m definitely hooked now, they have a very unique style of groovy and also oddly sparse rock that makes me think they must “jam” for long hours to find the interesting little passages that they work into the standard rock format. These guys also paint, and raffle their paintings off at shows! how cool is that. Also I worked with a guy this year that had a series of tattoos down his right arm from the art on the 2005 album.

It Prevails – Capture and Embrace 2009

Label:   Rain City Records

Genre:    Melodic metal?

Website:      www.myspace.com/itprevails

Straight foreword melodic metalcore, listened to this lots o times, does a good job of combining the heavy and the catchy.

A Death In The Family – Small Town Stories 2009

Label:     Resist/Poison City

Genre:     Indie Rock

Website:   www.myspace.com/adeathinthefamily

Second album from this aussie indie rock band, they have an interesting style, kind of quirky and I dig it!

Those Who Lie Beneath – An Awakening 2009

Label:    Rise Records

Genre:   Metal

Website: www.myspace.com/thosewholiebeneath

Extremely heavy and chaotic metal from Oregon very impressive for a debut album. Technique-wise these guys prove they can pull off just about anything, I’ll be looking forward to seeing them carve out a style all their own with the next album.

HORSE the band – Desperate Living 2009

Label:  Vagrant Records

Genre:   Nintendo-core

Website:  www.horsetheband.com/

My favorite band photo ever. If you ever think the “scene” is getting stale, check out HORSE the band, funny, creative, and just plain great. I’ve liked this band since R. Borlax but I think this latest album covers some new ground  and shows that they can do more then just write whacky songs about whatever, this is darker and more focused I think. Plus they use clips from the Adult Swim show “Xavier: Renedage Angel”.

Converge – Axe to Fall 2009

Label: Epitaph

Genre:   Hardcore Gods?

Website:  www.convergecult.com/

Well it’s Converge. What else is there to say? I’m sure I’ll always think Jane Doe is the greatest album ever but this is probably my favorite Converge album since then.

I had a hard time picking out only 10 this year, and I couldn’t number them 1,2,3  either, too hard, and they are all great, but here are some honorable mentions:

Pelican-What_We_All_Come_To_Need-2009
Isis_-_Wavering_Radiant_2009
Emery_-_In_Shallow_Seas_We_Sail
Polar_Bear_Club-Chasing_Hamburg-2009
Sigur_R0s_-_We_Play_Endlessly

Io partirei proprio dalla coda del titolo perchè l’ultimo album dei Dredg è stato un pò deludente. L’album è sempre una spanna sopra la media perchè il gruppo possiede quella sensibilità musicale data in dono a pochi altri gruppi: “El Cielo” ha fatto gridare al capolavoro e “Catch without arms” gli è andato dietro, mentre ora sembra quasi che la band abbia deciso di essere più “fruibile”, di poter essere avvicinata da un pubblico maggiore e meno esigente. Non è peccato fare ciò, se non sminuisci quello che ti ha portato in alto ma il gruppo in poco meno di un ora snocciola 18 brani (di cui 5 “percorsi” brevi tra le varie canzoni) con dentro un bignami della musica fatta in passato ed il risultato è altalenante.
Si ascoltano sempre con molto piacere ed interesse, ma El Cielo è stato già toccato e forse non saranno più capaci di arrivare così in alto.

Well, thanks to a certain bigwig, I got off of my duff to make a mix CD for his round robin dealio.  No major theme this time like prior mixes… the only rule I placed before myself was that everything is current (i.e.- released in 2009).

{If you aren’t part of the round robin and want a CD, contact me.  If you’re local, even better. I’ll get ‘em out around Thanksgiving.}

The following songs were put on the mix CD from lossless sources for promotional purposes only (read: free direct market advertising to people who decidedly love music).  Most of the artists on this compilation are independent (put out the music themselves) or signed to smaller, independent labels.  If you like what you hear, check out their music / support them with your wallet if you are able.  The artists’ Webpage, MyFace & Spacebook (whether official or not), and Amazon links are available for each song below.  I’ve also included concert review links if I’ve seen the artist recently.

PDF front liner is available HERE (designed to print double-sided).

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01 Nellie McKay “Do Do Do” from Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day
Well, the person who got this round robin going (Brad) was a direct influence in me getting into Nellie McKay back when Get Away From Me came out.  I’ve been a fan ever since.  I think GAFM is my favorite of hers, but she’s still quite consistently entertaining to me.  Her latest album is a tribute to the late great Doris Day.  It’s missing some of Nellie’s sly wit, but is definitely fitting in her “I wish I was born in another era” wishes.  The album art is 135% fitting for Nellie, too.  Perfect choice!

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02 John Zorn “Miller’s Crake” from O’o
I could have put on some more skwoky Zorn, but I opted for a more accessible number.  John Zorn is prolific, but this was actually a slow year – I only count six Zorn-related releases.  O’o is twelve lyrical and adventurous instrumentals combining world music, surf, exotica, soundtracks, easy listening, and minimalism dedicated to twelve different birds (Chippy’s artwork is amazing).  “Miller’s Crake” is a delightful Guaraldi-esque jaunt from the band that came out of the Electric Masada / The Gift / The Dreamers sessions: Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista.

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03 Extra Golden “Gimakiny Akia” from Thank You Very Quickly Vol 3
I was planning on going to Eugene Celebration anyway, but I got a call from a friend who suggested that we meet and definitely go to see Extra Golden.  Um, OK, sure.  Then I saw them, and wow… fuuuuun.  I love African music, but sometimes it’s gets all too similar unless you do something fun (a la Fela Kuti, Antibalas, etc).  Well, Extra Golden are half Kenyan and half American (which I guess is the “something fun” part?  I don’t know).  They fuse some great jam-rock with Kenyan beats* and singing… great stuff.  Fantastic live show, too. *-Though, coincidentally, not so much Kenyan beats on this track.  Yeah, sorry.

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04 Ember Swift “Hollowed Bones 空骨” from Lentic :: 子玉
Ember Swift (yes, her real name) is finally starting to head in a new direction.  I mean, I dig her a lot, but her past albums have been slightly derivative of Ani DiFranco (with maybe a little more adventurism).  She’s from Canada, but has spent time living in China recently.  In fact, I think she’s still living there (don’t quote me on that)… that culture has definitely had an impact on her music.

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05 Works Progress Administration / Glen Phillips “Rise Up” from Works Progress Administration
This song first showed up on the Concert to End Slavery compilation as a Glen Phillips solo song.  It’s my favorite from WPA, but it’s not very representative of the album.  The album is more folky / americana via the heavy influence of Sean & Sara Watkins from Nickelcreek and Luke Bulla (from Lyle Lovett’s band).

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06 Madeleine Peyroux “Damn the Circumstances” from Bare Bones
I am usually not a fan of vocal jazz… it’s usually too full of schlock, if you ask me.  Well, Madeleine’s smoky voice overrides that generalism for me.  She’s a fantastic vocalist, a throwback to the golden era of jazz vocalists.  This album is her first of non-covers.  All original, either written solo or co-written, Bare Bones moves her from a “fantastic standards” singer to bringing vocal jazz back into fresh territory.

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07 dredg “Gathering Pebbles” from The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
dredg is one of my favorite bands now.  2005’s Catch Without Arms floored me, and I was eagerly awaiting the follow-up.  It took too long (4 years), but it was well worth it.  The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion is by far my favorite album this year.  It was inspired by Salmon Rushdie’s essay “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the Sixth Billionth Citizen.”  In fact, this past fall, dredg and Salmon did a joint show that was captured by Spin magazine.

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08 Porcupine Tree “Flicker” from The Incident
The best progressive rock band around, Porcupine Tree’s The Incident is a 55-minute epic concept album/song.  “Flicker” is actually a session b-side from the 2nd disc from the collection.  I got a chance to see Porcupine Tree this September, and Steven Wilson & Co delivered the impeccable studio sound to the stage.  It’s almost magic.

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09 O.S.I. “Terminal” from Blood
I really like this 3rd record by O.S.I. (formerly know as the Office of Strategic Influence).  O.S.I. is a joint collaboration of Chroma Key’s Kevin Moore and Fates Warning’s Jim Matheos.  Most of Blood is heavier progressive rock, but I tend to like the more Chroma Key-esque tracks like “Terminal.”  The album has guests Gavin Harrison (of Porcupine Tree) on drums, Mikael Åkerfeldt (of Opeth) on vocals for one track, and Tim Bowness (or No-Man) on vocals for one track as well. The 2nd disc also features a Kevin Moore-sung, rockin’ tribute to Elliott Smith (“Christian Brothers”).

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10 900X “The Black Beach” from Library Catalog Music Series: Music For Lubbock, 1980
Sufjan Steven’s label Asthmatic Kitty is really becoming a favorite.  They host music by Sufjan, My Brightest Diamond, Fol Chen, Osso, and now the excellent experimentation from the various Library Catalog Music Series artists.  The 900X release is my favorite of the six releases so far.  I received the high quality mp3s from the record label for free, and I loved it so much that I bought it on vinyl.

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11 Chali 2Na featuring Talib Kweli “Lock Sh*t Down” from Fish Outta Water
I’m still sad that Jurassic 5 broke up, but now we get albums from Portable Payback (Marc7 & Soup), Cut Chemist, DJ Nu Mark, Akil the MC, and, of course, Chali 2Na (my favorite from the group).  Chali’s got that deep booming voice that makes you pay attention.  This song’s lyrics (and video) are kinda cheesy, IMO, but it still features some nice flow from the “lyrical manphibian.”

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12 Peter Mulvey “Vlad the Astrophysicist” from Letters From a Flying Machine
Storytelling has always been a fantastic part of Peter’s live shows.  Nine years ago, when his first niece was born, Peter got into the habit of writing physical letters to his nieces and nephews (now 17 kids in total).  This album is interspersed with spoken word letters and new music.  I think it’s his strongest album since 2000’s The Trouble With Poets.  I like a lot of different music, but with that being said, I think Peter is by far my favorite singer-songwriter.  Support indie music!

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13 David Bazan “Curse Your Branches” from Curse Your Branches
I wanted to put on “Hard to Be,” but due to space limitations, I went for a shorter song.  This is David’s first full-length solo album since disbanding the indie rock band Pedro the Lion.  PTL was really David’s thing anyway; so him disbanding the band isn’t that big of a deal, if you ask me.  This album also marks his first decided move away from the “religious guy” things into the “heavily agnostic thing” (kudos to him, from me at least).  This album is peppered with his thoughts and doubts of his religious upbringing – even moreso than in his prior Pedro days.  It very well called a “breakup letter to God” by some.

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14 John Zorn “Novato” from Alhambra Love Songs
Alhambra Love Songs is a set of 11 songs that are an eclectic homage to San Francisco Bay area musicians.  This particular song is dedicated to Mike Patton (and, no, that’s not why I picked it).  The album is played by pianist Rob Burger, bassist Greg Cohen, and drummer Ben Perowsky – and also falls into the “more accessible” John Zorn camp.

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15 Wussy “Little Paper Birds” from Wussy
This little band that could from Cincinnati is getting some good buzz in major publications (I know Spin has featured them several times).  I went to college with their female lead singer, Lisa Walker, and remember when she did a more folky thing.  I think Wussy’s sound suits her well (and vice versa).  Anyway, this is their third record, and features some great songs from both Lisa and Ass Ponys’ Chuck Cleaver.

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16 The Dead Kenny G’s “Birther Blues” from Bewildered Herd
Prior to moving to the PacNW, I had heard of saxophonist Skerik via John Zorn and other avant-garde connections.  I never got to hear him until I moved here and saw him at Sam Bond’s.  He seems to be down here in Eugene every other month or so, in different band incarnations.  The Dead Kenny G’s features Skerik on tenor sax & pianos, Mike Dillon on drums (who I recently saw drum with Ani DiFranco), and Brad Houser on bass & baritone sax.

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17 Ikue Mori “Redeye Skimmer” from Class Insecta
Ikue Mori is an interesting instrumentalist.  She mostly utilizes a laptop, and I saw her play live with Ellery Eskelin & Jim Black in NYC in 2007 and was wowed by the improvisational nature of her craft.  Most of her albums are more avant-garde.  She has one album that I’d consider to be much more accessible (1995’s Painted Desert on Japan’s DIY/Avant label).  Class Insecta is also more accessible than most of her work.  I suppose if you like well composed, electronic music dedicated to insect species, it’s for you!

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Let me know what you think…

unfortunately missing (due to space or flow limitations, or that I simply didn’t get them in the mail yet): pop from Regina Spektor, Zero 7 & the Swell Season; jazz from Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy and A Single Sky, Masada Quintet + Lovano, and The Fantastic Terrific Munkle; comedy from Flight of the Conchords; and some metal Ahleuchatistas, Megadeth, Isis, Dream Theater, Puscifer, Tides From Nebula & Alice in Chains.  Oh well, those may make it on my “favorite albums” of 2009 list.

~Dan – np: Puscifer – C is For…

there are no torrents, free mp3 or other downloads available

Successful lake management requires an understanding of composition, depth and volume of your lake.  Greg Grimes, President of Aquatic  Environmental  Services, Inc (Ball Ground, Georgia), had a client request an updated lake map to note current depths and mark sediment depths.  Information gathered during the lake mapping process helped Mr. Grimes’ client better comprehend the level of sedimentation building up over time in this fishing lake.  The resulting map provided the baseline depth profile needed for long-term sedimentation monitoring.  Plus, the property owners had several large format wall maps printed to show friends and family where to catch the big ones!

More information on Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc visit their website:  www.lakework.com

Bathymetric Lake Map: 3D Color-shaded depths and contour map with locations of sediment measurements

The Mapping Network:  www.TheMappingNetwork.com

A Nationwide Network of GPS Mapping Professionals

Andare ad un concerto é sempre un piacere.Scoprire che il gruppo spalla,prima a noi completamente sconosciuto,é di quelli che vale la pena ascoltare,é come il dolce profumo della cassoeula che si spande nella mia casa in questi giorni.

Per i Dredg,giovedì sera a Milano,hanno aperto i Judgement Day,terzetto composto da violino,violoncello e batteria.I tre ragazzi viaggiano sulla falsariga degli Apocalyptica,quartetto di violoncelli finlandesi che da anni porta avanti un heavy metal del tutto particolare eseguito con strumenti appartenenti alla tradizione classica.

I Judgement day nascono nel 2002 in California grazie ai fratelli Anton e Lewis Patzner che suonano i loro pezzi per le strade di Berkeley.Nel 2004,trovato il batterista,si autoproducono quello che a tutt’oggi é anche la loro unica release musicale,”Dark opus”.

Un grande disco,intriso di atmosfere oscure dai rimandi apocalittici ma anche di una grande potenza sonora,cosa che lascia a bocca aperta pensando al fatto che sia un terzetto composto in quel modo.Anton vola sul suo violino regalando grandi prestazioni,soprattutto assoli al fulmicotone che con la distorsione applicata al violino fanno venire i brividi.

Dal vivo la band é veramente fantastica ed ha un grande impatto sonoro.Vi invito all’ascolto di “Dark opus”,aspettando il loro nuovo album che dovrebbe arrivare presto.E sperando che i tre vengano presto contattati da un’etichetta,visto che ancora non l’hanno.

“DARK OPUS”-JUDGEMENT DAY

Tracklist

dredg-leitmotif_(re-release)-2001-pms_int

a varázslat.  a progresszív rock modern csodája címkét talán senki sem vitathatja el a dredgtől, hiszen innovatív, ötletes, de mégsem öncélú zenéjük egészen elképesztő: “dalszerű” dalokból áll, de mégis egy el nem készült film zenéjére emlékeztet, elringat, de nem untat el, és utána nem csak az élmény katartikus ereje marad meg, hanem konkrét dallamok, szóval néhol még slágeres is (bár ez főleg a későbbi kiadványaikra igaz). változatosságban talán csak a szintén zseniális kaddisfly veheti fel velük a versenyt.

wah! its been a while. school has been taking up all my time and MONEY. (thank you college.)

anyway…here’s a couple great songs by great people.

1. The Arcade Fire – Wake Up

i’ve been listening to the arcade fire a lot lately. this is one of my favorite songs from them, next to neon bible.

2. Landon Pigg – High Times

this song is just great. it’s fun. and i love landon pigg. i couldn’t believe that he was on late night with jimmy fallon last month! i remember a couple years ago when he was just getting started! so proud of that boy!

in other news, check out what my friends of Judgement Day have in store for you!

read their latest blog HERE!

also, they have an AMAZING opportunity to tour with Dredg in Europe!! they leave like…soon! so for all my friends in europe, check ‘em out! you won’t regret it!

Oct. 16th
@ Razzmatzz
Barcelona, Spain

Oct. 18th
@La Boule Noire
Paris, France

Oct 19th
@ Trix Club
Antwerp, Belgium

Oct 20th
@ Melkweg
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oct 21st
@ Den Atelier
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Oct 23rd
@ Klub Stodola
Warsaw, Poland

Oct 24th
@ PPC
Graz, Austria

Oct 25th
@ Rockhouse
Salzburg, Austria

Oct 26th
@ Arena Wien
Wien, Austria

Oct 28th
@ Blackout Club
Roma, Italy

Oct 29th
@ Zoe Club
Milano, Italy

Oct 30th
@ Kaufleuten
Zürich, Switzerland

Nov. 1st
@ Konzerthaus
Dortmund, Germany

Nov. 2nd
@ E-Werk
Köln, Germany

Nov. 3rd
@ Schlachthof
Wiesbaden, Germany

Nov. 4th
@ Theaterfabrik
München, Germany

Nov. 6th
@ Huxley’s
Berlin, Germany

Nov. 7th
@ Grosse Freiheit 36
Hamburg, Germany

Nov. 9th
@ Vega
Copenhagen, Denmark

Nov. 11th
@ Scala
London, United Kingdom

get more information at www.stringmetal.com

hope you all are doing well!

peace&love always.

keep in touch with me:

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youtube

One of my favorite rock bands around right now is dredg.  I’ve seen them twice this year, and their 2009 album The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion is at this time the easiest pick for album of the year for me.  Easiest.  It’s fantastic.  The aforementioned album is a concept album inspired by Salmon Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the Sixth Billionth Citizen.”

Well, SPIN just put out an article with a review, live videos, and music downloads from a joint performance by dredg & Salmon Rushdie at Manhattan’s Housing Works’ Bookstore Café (click the picture below).

The videos included are Salmon reading his essay and then dredg performing “The Pariah,” “The Ornament,” and”Information.”  Also available for download on the site are mp3’s of three dredg songs:

DOWNLOAD (free music):

• “The Pariah”
• “Lightswitch”
• “Information”

~Dan – np: Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters

Salman Rushdie & Dredg Collaborate for Spin Magazine's the "Liner Note" Series in NYC

Salman Rushdie sat between the members of Dredg sharing the spotlight of an unprecedented event hosted by Spin Magazine at Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe in New York City.  “Liner Notes” was created to bring various artists from different mediums of art together in a showcase presenting one artist whose art has influenced another artist who shares an equal yet unique perspective of that art piece.  The event Spin Magazine created allows a in-depth look at how one artist can express and manipulate another artist’s creation.  In tonight’s round, Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” was the feature of the evening which influenced the Band Dredg to write their best recorded album to date “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”

The guests sat in anticipation with no idea of what to expect and not fully understanding how two totally different voices could be combined in agreeable terms.  Would these two artists put their views to the side and get through an hour long session together without the threat of artistic differences was a burning question in my mind which was answered and quickly subdued when Mr. Rushdie took center stage to read an except from his book “The Ground Beneath Her Feet.”  The book explores time and space in a conventional manner between two parallel universes.  The journey spans over forty years of pop culture and focuses on a gifted musician (Ormus Cama) and his soul’s mate, Vina Aspara, whose amber voice sings, lures, and traps her listeners instantly through a vocal canvas of color notes.  Despite earthquakes, heartbreaks, and a tare through a continuum of both time and space, the story happens to be Mr. Rushdie’s most optimistic book written yet.  The versus read this night pierced me deeply but the pain was soothing as I was able to find with in me a way to connect with my own soul’s mate who sits more then 1200 miles away from me.  If she could only know how I feel and how much experiencing this night would impact her own personal perceptions I know our 1200 plus miles apart would vanish to inches apart.

With my own idea of a book in the making I have written my love of loves one letter for each day since we met and the messages behind Mr. Rushdie’s writings have personally opened my eyes and made valid my theory of true love or what she has beautifully expressed to me my “soul’s mate.”  Salman Rushdie has inspired millions, perhaps billions across the world and now he can add one more to that list.  Thanks to the idea of synchronicity or that everything happens for a reason I have experienced my own personal light and understand with a new clarity as to the tests that have been put before me.  I understand why life has traveled up some of the highest mountains I ever had to climb and why I had to start in the lowest of valleys to reach this new insight as I perceive it today.  I understand now why I met Dredg and came to this latest event in my life and to witness this collaboration of artists goes well beyond the beauty of an album cover or chapters written by one man’s brilliant pen.

Dredg joined Rushdie on stage after the his reading to confirm their own claim as true music artists.  Dredg paints their shows with minimal glitz or glamour.  Going to a Dredg performance is allowing you to open up and listen to the roots of music without being distracted by flashy stage works.  The music is enough to draw the audience in and tonight I was even more impressed to listen to this particular performance by Dredg toned down to acoustic and electric instrumentation minus the percussion.  Loud music can deafen you when played at a lower level and being loud isn’t always best.  The blend of the music highlighted by Gavin Hayes’ vocals was tremendous.  The impression the band made was unholier than thou, if I may borrow the term, and it stole the air out of the old bookstore where the guests leaned forward in their chairs, drawn in tightly to the music Dredg exuded.  The set was a short and very sweet five song list.  “Pariah,” “Lightswitch,” “The Ornament,” “Information,” and “Cartoon Showroom.”

The night embraced the love of music with the importance of expression, but leave it to the last person you would think of in this story to break the serious tone of the evening with dark humor.  Rushdie managed to gather everyone in the room together with such amazing stories of his life and the collaboration attempt by Alex James of the acclaimed band “Blur.”  The eccentric Rushdie sat in his chair and impersonated a slob, alcohol driven, filthy mouthed Londoner ranting about a collaboration idea.  Another highlight came when one guest asked Rushdie if he meant for his controversial book “Satantic Verses” to be so affective to the believers that hunted him for a decade.  Rushdie sat back with a smile and said, “Being sentenced to death by the Ayatollah Khomeini really ruins your weekend.”

It’s 2009 and with so much energy going into two very impressionable pieces of written works, Salman Rushdie’s essay and Dredg’s latest album both surround a beautiful concept and view at humanity.  So how is it that the world we live in still finds the written word and the freedom of expression through music and books a threat to power?  Why do artists continue to create verbal and written ammunition knowing that odds are against them?  It is conceivable that the 6 billionth citizen could be in a country where he will never learn or hear about either Dredg or Salman Rushide and their life changing messages.

” This 6 billionth child could be in a country where such messages are censored which is sad.  A lot of the world now is like that now.  I don’t truthfully know the answer.  All I can do is put the message out there and hope that the message will reach this child somehow.  Another great thing about this musical collaboration is that it takes the message to another place where different people will hear it in different ways and it multiplies the message.  All you can do as an artist is put it out there.  None of us in this age can control the powers that say what we can listen to or what we can say.  All we can do is disregard them and do our work.  Maybe at the end it will find its audience.”

Orlando, Florida.  Vacation destination. Disney controlled and infiltrated with some of today’s most questionable members of society.  Not this night.  Downtown Orlando became the epicenter for American progressive and alternative rock band, “Dredg” to unleash the music from their latest album “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”  This is the band’s fourth full album release and the first to be released completely independent from a label’s backing.  Dredg, like many bands today, is seeing the value of being independent from the labels in order to properly express their message as they see fit and to keep better control over their creative expression and what a message this album has is nothing less than intense and truly brilliant.  “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion” is an aspiring anecdotal album aroused by the brilliance of author Salman Rushdie, whose book “The Satanic Verses” brought on controversy that sent the author into hiding for a decade.  The author also wrote and essay titled “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” which became the backdrop to this latest Dredg album.

Dredg has been through a four album transmogrification in which has adapted a spectrum of sound and reclamation of artistry through music expression.  The detail of the production in this album is very conscientious and Dredg executed the recordings straightforward with their heart and soul.  The band has come a long way, but the effects of the economy and downfall to the music industry has put the band in a position to fend for itself.  Gavin Hayes (Lead Vocalist & Guitarist) and I sat off to the side stage and discussed his view of the bands approach to recording music in the state that our economy has fallen onto and the current pattern to music sales because with eighteen tracks to absorb off the latest album tracks need to be carefully written in order to attract dedicated fans and new fans to make their purchase online rather then in store like the “old days.”

“We haven’t really changed our approach so much from a writing stand point.  We are still focused when we are creating a record.  Our goal is still from the packaging to the songs to having a complete record under lined with theme and identity.  That’s always going to be important to us no matter which way the business turns.  We never think of the records as a song by song compilation.  We try to create something that is cohesive.  The only difference on this record is that we are independent now and partnered with ILG (Independent Label Group) which is mainly promotion and distribution.  I felt like a little weight was lifted and I feel we went more back to our roots on this record.”

The third release “Catch Without Arms” was viewed by Gavin as an album that was created on a song to song manner.  It was a record based on opposites and conflicting opinions.  The rebellious take on the record was emphasized instrumentally and felt a little more cohesive.  Dredg didn’t want to regurgitate the same record this time and it was a direct reaction to the touring of that album that brought them to dig deeper within their recordings.  They toured with a lot of rock bands over the years and at that time felt like their shows were coming off a little passive.  “We didn’t really write that record with touring live in mind.  Our last record was kind of how we wanted to write songs that better translated in our lives and I think this new record is a combination of the first two.  There are a lot of elements that could be on LCO and even on our first record with instrumental pieces.”

Leaving Interscope to become an independent music group wasn’t a surprise to anyone.  The business has completely changed over these last nine years and it were at the tail end of people buying CDs.  From there the business flipped itself upside down and Dredg really didn’t fit the label’s model anymore because the label had to adjust their business model so they could make money.  There were bands around Dredg who were selling more albums then they were at the time and those bands were getting dropped.  To go independent made sense

“Our manager approached us about working with ILG after ILG approached him.  It just felt like the right step to take because to distribute an album takes a lot of capital and we needed the backing to release our new album.  It was important to us to see the records on the shelves and to build a small budget to promote that record is now available.   Technically we are part owner of DCI on that level and we can be viewed as running our own label even though it’s just us on that label.  It’s not like we are going to be out there signing bands but it feels good and I feel more in charge.  It’s kind of similar to a distribution deal where we are running our label with them.  It just felt right and together we are going to increase our fan base.  If this was ten years ago it wouldn’t have been the right decision for us, but for where we are at in our career it’s like a perfect marriage.”

Once Dredg is about to recoup expenses from this last album they will be able to see gain unlike what they saw with Interscope.  As an true independent band they are supporting themselves on costs and anyway to save a dollar is money they need to invest back into the group.  This is what it means to be a struggling artist.  Their tours are increasing and it has taken them around the world.  It allows them to network with other bands and to create new tours with bands they have co-headlined with in the past.  Dredg submits the bands they have worked with to their booking agent and management and create the tour around what they want and not what a label wants.  One of those creative controls the band has as an independent is artistic control.  If you are a fan you understand what I mean just by viewing their album covers and colorful lyrics.  Gavin painted me a picture between the art and the music as it is created for Dredg.

“The arts are a big influence for the group.  Drew (bassist) and I met in art class where we were drawing and painting long before we were playing music and the other members add to our appreciation for art through cinema and even books.  This last album Drew and I painted a picture for each song and we created them to connect with our fans by adding images that evolved into a treasure hunt which allowed us to connect with our fans on a much deeper level.  Fans end up purchasing the paintings as well as the albums.  The clues to the treasure hunt go up on our website and the fans get really involved with the hunt.  Cinema became an avenue for me as well as Mark in which we separately scored different movies.  Film scoring is something we want to get into even on an Independent Film level.  There something behind that format that is cool because it’s behind the scenes.  I think aspects of our music blend in well and can transition over well to cinema.  The one movie that really stood out to me as the score of scores was Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey.  It’s visually stimulating and with minimal dialog supported by incredible music.  Overall it just works flawlessly.  I have read something that the creators were using some of the music just for screening and it worked out really well so I don’t know if it was a mistake that the music became the emphasis of the movie but what a great mistake if it was.”

Art has been a heavy influence to people on all levels and it is no surprise to see how a man’s essay such as Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” would influence a band receptive to artistic expression to write an album influenced by another man’s written imagery.  Gavin views progress as an event that has always relied on strong efforts and courageous acts by individuals who are willing to chance themselves by drawing outside the lines so to speak.  To get away for the old traditions and to break away from old beliefs in order to make a better tomorrow.  Salman Rushdie is a beautiful representation of such courage and a major reason why the band chose to use his essay as the foundation of “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”

This Thursday Dredg will be sharing the stage with the renowned author and believe me it’s not very often that an internationally acclaimed author will share a spotlight with a band from San Francisco, but the rockers have shown their sincerity and their dedication to writing music for the love of music.  Together Salman Rushdie and Dredg will come together at New York City’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe for SPIN Magazine’s third installment of Liner Notes.  The event brings together musicians and authors as part of a continuous event to raise funds for the Housing Works non-profit group which was created to provide homeless and low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families with adequate housing, food, social support, drug treatment, health care, and employment.  Liner Notes has been a success thus far and I am truly excited to see what comes from the uniting of Salman Rushdie and Dredg.  The band is extremely excited and flattered to share an evening with such a talent.

Dredg did not disappoint last night. But, I knew that coming in. I didn’t mind paying more than twice the face value of the ticket.

To be honest, I wasn’t too familiar with the songs from their new album. Just two or three songs. Shouldn’t be a problem now that I got their new album. Listening to it this morning brought me back to last night’s epic performance.

They played my song Same Ol’ Road off the album El Cielo, which was crazy because I was about to shout it out when they started to play it. It was strange seeing a fifth member (second guitarist) for the first time, maybe he was one of their studio guitarists.

At the end of the night Dino threw a bunch of drumsticks and me and a couple friends were able to nab ‘em. This is why I like small venues. Musicians don’t go off stage and high five or shake hands with their fans at Oracle Arena or Shoreline Amphitheater.

I can’t wait for Friday. Why? One of my favorite bands of all time is playing at the Blank Club. dredg. Sucwiddables!
Shaping up to be a grand September my friends.

Tornano a suonare nel nostro paese due band statunitensi per cui vale la pena uscire di casa e spendere i soldi del biglietto. Poison The Well, alfieri del post-hardcore, e Dredg, esponenti del rock alternativo di qualità, hanno in programma alcune date in Italia nel mese di ottobre.

No, i due gruppi non sono in tour insieme ma sarà l’occasione perfetta per vederli all’opera da vicino, date le location che sono state segnalate.

Poison The Well
29 ottobre – Roma, Black Out Rock Club
30 ottobre – Vicenza, Sabotage Bar
31 ottobre – Livorno, King Club (ex-The Cage)

Dredg
28 ottobre – Roma, Black Out Rock Club
29 ottbre – Milano, Zoe Club

Per informazioni:
www.myspace.com/hellfirebookingagency
www.myspace.com/ghostagency

Nelle orecchie
Santogold – Santogold

Die ursprüngliche, grau marmorierte, amerikanische Erstauflage der Vinyl-Version des neuen dredg Albums wurde zurückgerufen, da sich ein Produktionsfehler bei „Saviour“ eingeschlichen hatte, der die Nadel springen oder festhaken ließ. Da ich erst beim deutschen Amazon orderte, wusste ich davon nichts, denn von denen bekam ich schnödes, schwarzes Standard-Vinyl. Meh. Gut aber, dass nach Austausch der defekten USA-Exemplare noch einige Ersatzpressungen übrig waren (und bisher auch noch sind), die man jetzt im Online-Shop der Band international ordern kann. Die neue Pressung ist deutlich heller und hat eine sehr feine, aderige, hellblaue Marmorierung, die man auf den Fotos kaum erkennen kann. Schönes Ding! [12. September 2009]

Band: dredg
Album: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
Format: 180 Gramm Doppel-LP auf weiß/grauem Vinyl mit hellblauer Marmorierung
Limitiert: ? – Wahrscheinlich wird nur die amerikanische Erstauflage koloriert sein, die deutsche Ausgabe ist auf normalem, schwarzem Vinyl.
Label: Universal/Ohlone
Veröffentlichung: 9. Juni 2009 (amerikanischer Release)
Preis: $26,48 (~ 18 Euro, inkl. Versand nach Deutschland)
Shop: http://new.merchnow.com/catalogs/dredg

Here are some reviews for all of you, some of the releases aren’t so new, so I’m sorry for my lag. Enjoy.

Mars Volta – Octahedron 5/10
This is my biggest disappointment of 2009 so far. Bedlam in Goliath was an excellent record full of energy and creativity and while many may argue that the group’s creativity has only been heightened on Octahedron, it just comes out sounding painfully boring. The structure of the album is unorganized and comes off feeling very unnatural. There are a few songs however which I really enjoyed including Teflon and Cotopaxi. I still love this band, I just hope that this record isn’t a foreshadowing of things to come.

Dredg- The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion 8/10
Dredg is a band that seems to be a hit or miss with everyone. They grabbed my attention quick on this album with all types of weird sounds accompanying their music, and somehow still manage to be unbearably catchy. Whether it be their interludes, original vocals, or tasteful musicianship, there is something about Dredg that truly separates them from similar acts, and I would love to see more bands trying to do what they’re doing. The album does feel somewhat lengthy, but is a rewarding listen nonetheless. I would especially recommend it for driving!

La Dispute – Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Attair 9/10
I hate hate hate album titles like this. Seriously? How is anyone supposed to remember that? I did my best to listen to this album with an open mind, and I think I didn’t even need to, this band is outstanding. The release date of Somewhere was some time ago so I’m highly disappointed in myself for not listening earlier but words cannot how refreshing La Dispute was to my ears. Combining the sounds of screamo, prog rock, indie, all kinds of good stuff, this band brings some real originality to the table. Somewhere tells a tragic love story from beginning to end with lyrics that feel uncomfortably real and music that supports them gracefully.

Dysrhythmia – Psychic Maps 7/10
Dysrhythmia demands a very specific audience with their awkward instrumental style in playing metal that isn’t particularly heavy, fast, or anything really but that of which Dysrhythmia is. What is Dysrhythmia exactly? They’re definitely a band that needs repeated listens to even begin to understand, and they make original music, but is still definitely affiliated with the math metal genre. Psychic maps goes off in many directions but their one consistency is their integrity to pushing boundaries. Definitely not a band for everyone, but please listen if you feel so inclined.

Thrice – Beggars 9/10
Thrice really is a band that gets better on every release, and it’s because they continue to stray further and further from their original material, which was great for it’s time, but would no longer survive in today’s music scene. Beggar’s is full of variety and very well thought out material, focusing on subtlety and maturity. This isn’t an album that takes a while to get into, but one that grabs you immediately and only gets better with every listen as you begin to realize just what this band is actually accomplishing. Thrice has yet let me down, but they do continue to surprise. While some of influences on this album may feel obvious, there is some real originality within each and every track.

I did a “Most Anticipated Music of 2009″ a while back and so far I have been pleased with most of the releases that I had been looking forward to. P.O.S.’s Never Better came out early in 09 and didn’t disappoint. Well, it disappointed me a little, it is his weakest release, but still has some great songs. Other release lived up to my expectations as well. Isis and dredg both had very strong releases. Then some disappointed, The new Prodigy was pretty terrible, don’t know why I get excited about their releases anymore, but I think that’s over with Invaders must die. So now we are almost into the fall (my favorite time of year) and there are tons of releases that have yet to surface. This is going to be a wonderful few months leading up to the end of the year. Here is what I cannot wait for:

Brand New - Daisy: Yes, I know they titled the album Daisy. I don’t care. Brand New has been a rare band in my opinion. They have gotten better and better with each release. 2006’s The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me is my favorite album of the decade, hands down. For some reason people still love to label these guys “Emo” but they are the furthest thing from it. They are American rock to it’s fullest. They just happen to have an emotional front man (one of the best in the biz) in Jesse Lacey. I will always have high expectations for Brand New releases, they have never let me down. Releases 9/22/09 (it has recently leaked as well).

Katatonia - Night Is the New Day: This is a group that I randomly came across as 08 came to a close. I tried out The Great Cold Distance and was blown away. One of the best metal releases I have heard in forever. I’m not quite as enamored with their past work, but the song writing during TGCD was so fantastic, I cannot wait for new stuff. With this one I am slightly worried that expectations are too high as I just really can’t get into any of their early work. I’ll find out when this releases on 10/19/2009.

Thrice - Beggars: This one already leaked, which is way to early and might hurt (or help) with the final release. The same thing happened to Brand New with The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me and they scrapped almost everything they had and started over. Because of that experience I refuse to check this out early. I am going to wait for the release date and purchase it, because I want to support the bands I love. With the Brand New leak in 06 it kind of killed my excitement for the album because the leaked demos didn’t sound that good. Well, that’s because they were demos. From what I understand the Thrice leak might be more finalized than it’s Brand New counterpart, I don’t care. I’m getting this the day it comes out, in an actual store, which is 9/15/09. It is currently out on ITunes, but I feel like if I wait for the physical release I will be rewarded with something. Plus I want DRM free music.

Some honorable mentions to go over.

-A Wilhelm Scream is easily one of my favorite bands and I was really looking forward to their release this year. I’ve since found out that is a EP (5 songs I believe) so while I am still stoked for it, I want a full album.

-AFI are releasing their follow up to Decemberunderground this year and I am looking forward to it. I have cooled off on AFI the last few years and I’m not sure why. I think their last two releases have been their strongest (regardless of what others think) but I feel like I might be growing out of them. We shall see once Crash Love hits 9/29/09.

-30 Seconds to Mars is a guilty pleasure for me. They are kind of overly pretentious (seriously, that video for From Yesterday makes me want to gag) but I still enjoy listening to them. I’m not super stoked for this, but they are a decent band and always have 3 to 4 songs on each album that I think are great.  This Is War comes out in late October.

-CunninLynguists are set to release their second LP this year in the form of Strange Jourey Volume 2. The first one was better than I expected. It only had a handful of new songs and there are a few songs that weren’t even their own, but it was still a great listen. Hoping for more of the same.