If your band is going to be in Austin for that mystical 3rd Week in March, INsite has been made aware of a couple of really cool deals that may help you get your music out.
One is a compilation album that Austin record label Defeat The Squares is collecting songs for, and the other is a studio that Converse (the tennis shoe makers) are going to be offering during SXSW.
The catch? You have to contact them and sign up.... and spaces are limited. The cost? Completely free. Just be sure and thank INsite on your liner notes of your next album... and send us one.
Defeat The Squares Compilation Austin-based record label Defeat The Squares announced recently that they are putting together a compilation CD to be passed out in Austin during March.
Here's the skinny: The CD will be a mixture of rock music with a comedy track in between each song. 1,000 physical copies will be pressed-up and passed out for free. They will also release the album as a digital download via http://defeatthesquares.com.
There is no cost to be included on the compilation, and the deadline to submit your track is February 24, 2012. Follow this link to their Contact Page and indicate interest in the compilation. They will get back to you with details. FYI INsite is on board as a media sponsor for this compilation. Contact:http://defeatthesquares.com/fr_contact.cfm
Converse Rubber Tracks Converse, the athletic shoe company, recently opened a recording studio in Brooklyn, New York that offers free studio time for emerging artists on their state-of-the-art equipment.
They have decided to bring their studio to Austin from March 13 - 17, 2012. They wish to fill up all of the time slots with Texas-based artists. So, if you're a band in Texas, take the carrot and record a song or two. They are genre non-specific and you own all of the rights to the music you record. They will also have a sound engineer on hand to handle that aspect. All you have to do is apply. Seems simple enough.
The catch? They are limiting the sign-up to five bands, so apply NOW.
Setting The Mood With TRES Bringing Latin Jazz to Austin for a Decade
By Sean Claes Over a decade ago, guitarist Kurt David Phillips and bassist Mike Rosch got together in Austin, Texas and decided they would make beautiful music together. They combined their passion for Latin music and decided to perform their brand of Latin Jazz fusion together with a percussionist and bill themselves as TRES.
In 2005 they released their debut album, a self-titled instrumental offering that is both great and timeless. Most of the gigs they play seem to be as background music at restaurants, so if you’ve eaten at places like Z Tejas (they play the 6th Street location this Sunday 2/19/12), there’s a chance that the background music was performed by these amazing musicians. First, some background on these individuals. Rosch plays in six other bands in town (Blind Date, Sonido Sol, Carousel, with Britini Hoover, the Richard Jessee Project, and with Omar Lopez) . he also owns Mary Tubble, LLC which does composition and recording of music beds and sound effects for commercials, indie films, internet videos and more.
Phillips has been playing music well over 20 years and is the owner of the Lone Star School of Music, a local music school that offers individual lessons as well as rock camps, mommy and me, and more.
In 2005, the band parted ways with their percussionist, Shango Dely, when he had to leave the country, and Noah Mosgofian joined the group. Mosgofian has just settled to Austin after touring with the amazing dance troupe STOMP for six years. Like Rosch, he plays with several outfits. I thought the week of Valentine’s Day would be a good time to touch base and talk with the members of TRES. After all…Latin infused jazz IS sheet-dancing music… isn’t it?
Sean Claes: TRES seems to fit the band for two reasons, the fact that there are three in the band plus the Latin jazz music you play. How did the band end up choosing this genre of music? Mike Rosch: Haha, yeah the name was decided based on those two things and at the time, none of the three of us felt like the name was as important as the music. Plenty of bands have weird or silly names. It does make it difficult for us to add a sax player or do duet gigs, however.
The style of music was the reason we got together, really. I was recruited into my college’s salsa band and realized in a hurry that this was my absolute favorite style of music I had heard. When I decided to get back into playing, I wanted to play “salsa” but in a smaller format – or at least as close to real “salsa” as three guys with no horns could sound. Kurt had wanted to do a Latin trio from the get go too, so between my salsa knowledge and his collection of guitar based Latin music, our sound was born, I suppose.
Claes: How have you and Kurt kept it together as a band for a decade? Rosch: It’s no easy feat. But then, sometimes it’s totally effortless. I guess it’s not that different from a good marriage. You realize your partner has quirks, just as everyone does, and you can either deal with them, or not. It always makes me sad when a band can’t get along, so I’m fortunate and very happy to say that the three of us do.
Kurt and I have been like minded enough to keep this going for 10 years, as you mention, and with the addition of Noah a few years back, I think we found a 3rd guy who thinks like we do. And don’t get me wrong, all 3 of us have quirks and occasionally get our feathers ruffled, but we are close enough with each other to realize that at the end of the day it’s about the music first, and we can fight later. Usually later never comes.
Claes: You released your self-titled debut in 2005 containing 13 original songs. The cool thing about your music style is, it’s instantly classic and timeless at the same moment. Do you have plans for a follow up CD? Rosch: That is a very nice compliment, thank you. I’m always glad to know that the current CD is resonating with people.
There are definitely plans for a new one. We’ve done quite a bit of scratch tracking for it already and so far it’s just been a question of scheduling to actually get it done. The new disc will be our own versions of really old Cuban songs, really more of the idea I mentioned earlier about arranging “salsa” into a 3 piece band.
We’ve added vocals since the first CD, and might even add some horns and such to the new one. It’ll be hot, if we can ever get it done.
Claes: When you release a new recording, are you going to release is via a CD or as a digital download? Rosch: It is my opinion that in a world of iPods, mp3 players, and digital downloads that people still do listen to CDs and like to have them in their hands. Since we primarily sell our music at shows, it’s a whole lot cooler to have a physical disc than a card with an iTunes url.
It will be available in both formats, of course... I’m just saying, CDs are not dead.
Claes: On the CD, you’ve got a track entitled "The Last Picture Show (a Theme from an Imaginary Western)" That really has that Desperado feel to it. Was that in your mind when writing it? Kurt David Phillips: The inspiration for “The Last Picture Show” goes a little further back, all the way to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Ennio Morricone, who wrote the soundtrack, has always been one of my favorite composers and has been copied by almost everyone, including myself.
The Desperado influence is on the right track, just envision Clint Eastwood instead of Antonio Banderas strolling into town.
Claes: When you play live, do you tend to favor originals over covers? Rosch: Absolutely not. We still play plenty of our own stuff, but we have way too much fun playing our favorite songs from other composers.
That said, when you come to a TRES show, you don’t have to know some obscure Benny Moré song to enjoy the show, nor do you even have to be familiar with our CD. That’s what I love about this music – it’s just pleasing to hear and fun to dance to, even if you’ve never before heard one note of what we are playing.
Claes: You’re playing Sunday February 19th at Z Tejas on 6th Street. What can the crowd expect? Rosch: Great drinks, half price appetizers, and lots of pretty people. Haha. Z Tejas is a restaurant gig that we currently do once a month.
As a Latin jazz trio we actually do more restaurants than anything else, and in these cases we are just trying to provide an exciting added bonus to an otherwise already enjoyable dining experience, without making it too much about us.
We do play in the “annex” at Z which is more of a bar but still serves the full menu, so I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun night and a great Austin experience to come on out. And again, we are there once a month playing all varieties of Latin music.
Claes: When playing a restaurant gig like Z Tejas, what is the #1 requested song that people ask you to play? Rosch: In TRES, we have a joke... We take requests as long as it’s a Latin jazz song that we know. The thing is, people love what they hear, but they don’t really know the music.
So rather than specific requests, we typically get requests for a particular artist that they might have thought of while listening to us. “Do you guys know any Santana,” for example. Santana’s music isn’t really what we do, but we learned one of his just for this kind of occasion.
Other than Santana, we get Gypsy Kings and Buena Vista Social Club requests, and once in a while a patron who just doesn’t get it will request “Sexual Healing” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” True story.
Claes: Do you have a favorite gig that you’ve played in the last 10 years? Rosch: It’s really hard to think of just one in the last 10 years, but for me I’d say it was our CD release party. We held it at an amazing place called Tambaleo which is closed now, and had just an amazing turnout.
This was before we had even met Noah, and the percussionist who recorded the CD had to go back to his home in Columbia and couldn’t do the event with us. It was of course bad timing and a real bummer, but we turned lemons into lemonade and hired BOTH of our favorite substitute percussionists, one on congas, the other on drumset. It was big and loud and full and tight and I just soaked it up.
Oh, and we sold a ton of CDs which is always nice.
There was also a road show - an event in San Angelo, TX that turned out to be a great gig with an amazing after party. But what happens in San Angelo, stays in San Angelo. Haha.
Claes: You are all very competent and amazing musicians, and this style is not an easy one to emulate. Do you feel the genre gets the respect it deserves in Austin? Noah Mosgofian: Jazz in general doesn't get much respect in Austin. There's only one dedicated Jazz room, and it's often empty. I think people appreciate it, they just don't go out to pay to see it.
Rosch: I don’t want to step on any toes in this town, but he’s not wrong. In general, all the jazzers in town are competing to play at the same 5 restaurants. I’m exaggerating a little, but it’s unfortunate that more places don’t want it. Or the ones that do, don’t have the budget.
So I guess in general the answer is no. But I would take the time to thank Elephant Room and BBA Management and Booking. Elephant for sticking to their jazz club guns, and BBA for keeping the jazzers in this town working.
Claes: Mike, you did a bass-only recording of Steve Vai’s “The Attitude Song” that actually garnered a response from Vai himself. How’d he end up hearing it, and what did he say? Rosch: That’s a silly story. I recorded that totally on a whim and later added it to a demo of mine. I don’t know why I thought anyone would want to hear an all bass version of a “shred” guitar tune, least of all the man himself who wrote and tracked the original, but I somehow got it in his hands and he liked it.
This would have been before MySpace, Facebook, or any of that, so I must have just found somebody’s email address on his website and convinced them to put it on his desk. I got an email back from him a week later. He basically told me that he was very impressed, but equally amused, indicating that he laughed a lot while listening to it (I guess that’s a good thing?), and he praised me for the dedication it took to make it happen. It felt pretty good.
Now if I could just do one gig with Vai before I die, I’ll be complete.
Claes: You have been called “Jaco Reincarnated” by your peers. For those who aren’t familiar with Jaco Pastorius, can you explain? Rosch: This is a tough question. On the one hand, it’s silly again for me to be compared to him, but there’s nothing silly about Jaco’s story. To the contrary, rather tragic.
Jaco was possibly the greatest bass player that ever lived. If he were still alive today, who knows what he’d be doing? He was so innovative. Unfortunately, he was very self-destructive and between drugs and a very real death wish, he ruined his life and burned a lot of bridges before being beaten to death by a club bouncer. He was likely bipolar but never officially diagnosed.
I think the parallel between he and I was drawn only due to the fact that I used to play fretless bass almost exclusively (as did Jaco) and have a tendency to play more “melodic” bass lines with harmonics and such, rather than just basic ones, centered around roots and 5ths – also very Jaco-ish.
Plus I recorded a version of one of his more famous works called “Portrait of Tracy.”
I encourage every living person, musician or not, to at least check out the wiki entry on Jaco. It’s an amazing story, albeit a sad one.
Claes: Noah, you did a 6-year tour playing percussion for STOMP. I saw Stomp when it came through Austin a handful of years ago and it blew me away. What was it like and why did you step away from it? Mosgofian: So far STOMP has been the highlight of my musical career, and the backdrop for some of most memorable experiences of my life. Because we would tour non-stop, the show becomes your life. The cast and crew become your circle of friends, your surrogate family.
Musically and creatively it was very satisfying. I can't imagine any other gig I'd be happy doing 6 shows per week for 6 years and still not be tired of it. That's partly due to the genius of Luke and Steve, (Stomp's creators) and partly due to intensity of the show itself. It's mentally and physically very demanding.
Although it kept me very fit, I sustained injuries that began to get worse and worse as time went on. Spinal injury in my upper back/neck is what eventually made it necessary for me to leave the show. I actually lasted the longest out of the six others who were hired with me. Claes: Who else are you playing with on a regular basis? Mosgofian: I play Cuban/Colombian/Latin American music with several bands and artists around town including Angel Ibañez, Felipe "Tiburon" Borrero, Kiko Villamizar, O+ Positivo, Ritmo 3, and Paul Matthews.
I play drumset with Atash when their main guy Jason is out on the road with Billy Joe Shaver, I’m the musical director and lead djembe player of Lannaya West African Dance company and I play djembe and dunun with Drum Cafe, an interactive team building event that's very popular worldwide. I also play caixa, repinique, tamborim, and timbal with the Austin Samba School, Academicos da Opera. I've also helped arrange, compose, and direct parts of their shows.
Claes: Kurt, you’ve got a degree in classical guitar from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Previous to that you played jazz in Kansas City. How’d you end up landing in Austin a decade ago? Phillips: I’m a native Texan and after I finished my degree in Chicago I wanted to put down roots somewhere. Austin was on my short list and after visiting and meeting some musicians in town it was a no-brainer. Austin has turned out great. It really feels like home.
Claes: You also own Lone Star School of Music. When and how did the idea of starting a music school in the “Live Music Capital of the World” happen? Phillips: Lone Star School of music grew out of me teaching out of my house and at other music schools in town. I wanted to teach at a place that lived up to Austin’s reputation around the country and the world.
This city takes its music very seriously but also has a LOT of fun with it. That’s what we try to do at Lone Star. I take teaching to be a great responsibility but I love it and I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing right now.
Claes: TRES’ music draws obvious comparisons to that of Gypsy Kings and Tito Puente. Who are some artists in Latin jazz that are less known that we should know about? Mosgofian: Arsenio Rodriguez, one of the founding fathers of what eventually became known as "Salsa". Eddie Palmieri, just a great influential Nuyorican pianist. Cesar " Pupy" Pedroso, a Cuban bandleader who has taken old Cuban traditions to the limit. Ibrahim Ferrer, a charismatic Cuban singer who stuck to the "Son" tradition when it wasn't popular, only to find fame and fortune in his 70's thanks to the "Buena Vista Social Club". Michel Camilo, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Bamboleo, Willie Colon, Jesus Alemañy, and the list goes on...
Tres Questions. What three local bands (any genre) do you think everyone should know? Rosch: TRES, TRES, and TRES. Just kidding. People need to hear Karl Morgan, people need to see Roxy Roca, and people need to dance to Wino Vino.
Mosgofian: I’d like to throw a nod to the Austin Samba School.
What are your favorite three venues to play in town? Rosch: I like Saxon Pub, the Parrish, and any place that will hire us. Mosgofian: For sound: Venue 222. For funky vibe, Ruta Maya. For the crowd, Stubb's.
If you could have a dream-gig, which three bands would play on the bill with TRES? Rosch: This is an impossible question. But I’ll try. How about the Beatles, Beethoven, and Motley Crue. No wait... Prince, Willie Nelson, and Celtic Woman. Maybe, Peter Gabriel, The Galactic Cowboys, and 311.
I can’t do this...
Mosgofian: They would have to play something other than Latin Jazz, so we could draw a decent crowd. Since it's a dream, how about a Police reunion tour with Mozart and Bob Marley?
Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.
Alpha Rev Gets back to their Roots Playing four Tuesdays in February at Saxon Pub
By Sean Claes Alpha Rev, formed in 2005, has been high on my personal list of “local bands to interview” for a good number of years. In 2007 I saw them open for Blue October at Stubb's, and they really impressed me musically and lyrically. Lead vocalist Casey McPherson has a fantastic way with words, he truly writes poems set to music.
In 2010, Alpha Rev was signed to a major label and released New Morningand had a modest National hit with the title track, which reached #3 on the Triple A charts.
Since then, they have parted ways with the major label and have come back to their... well… roots. With 2011’s City Farm: Roots, McPherson and company took the reigns back on their career and musical direction, and if the EP proves one things, it’s as long as you love what you’re doing and treat fans right, anything is possible in music.
Alpha Rev includes Casey McPherson (vocals, guitar, piano), Alex Dunlap (bass), Drew Walters (bass) Brian Batch (violin), Dave Wiley (cello), Derek Morris (keyboard, accordion), Zak Loy (guitar), Tabber Millard (drums, vocals)
And, McPherson is the epitome of coming out the good side of bad situations, he has had his share of tragedy happen in his life, from family members deaths to the implosion of his former band, Endochine, to learning to be an indie band again.
I had the chance to interview McPherson, and we talked about the past, his songwriting, and the four week stint Alpha Rev is doing, playing every Tuesday, this month at The Saxon Pub.
Claes: The name Alpha Rev loosely means “beginning something new.” You began the band after his previous project, Endochine, broke up in 2005. Can you tell me more about the name? Casey McPherson: I love Latin and Greek prefixes/suffixes. "Alpha" meaning one, or the beginning, and "rev" which is such a great prefix to so many words like revolve, revolution, revolt. Endochine was an amazing band, but we really self-imploded… mostly because of my self-destructiveness and torment during those days. Ironically enough, the name "Endochine" came from "endo" and "chine" which roughly translates into "to explode from within"
Claes: In between the 2010s New Morning and 2011’s City Farm: Roots Alpha Rev parted ways with Hollywood Records. What’s the story there? McPherson: Ha. Just ask Fastball, Bob Schneider, and the 98% of other bands that sign to major labels. Many of the staff were incredibly great people, but we were not the right fit for them. I remember when the General Manager asked me "you wanna be star don't ya?!?" That's when I knew something had gone terribly wrong.
They did a great job with New Morning, and now we're on to the next release and soon a new label. So many bands go through so many different labels in their lifespan. All in all, it was a great experience. Claes: City Farm Roots is decidedly different from your previous efforts. The songs are scaled back and stripped down. Was this the plan going into the recording process? McPherson: Yes. I needed a "creative recording bath" so to speak. After spending over 180k on a record, making it twice over, 3 months of pre-production and a slew of people telling me what I should or shouldn't do on the past release, I wanted to do a record based around simplicity and sustainability.
Claes: The album was also recorded live, each song having the full band play in a single take. McPherson: Yes. It was important to me to know where we were at as a band. It's a great way to find out if you get rid of auto tuners, edits, and building your tracks. We kept a tally of who screwed up a take, and whoever had the least screw ups, won $100. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had made the most mistakes out of everyone in the band.
Claes: You actually took to the fans for pledges in order to release the new EP. How did this idea arise? McPherson: My friend Michelle (Nehme) was raising money for her film on sex trafficking in America, specifically focused on Texas (www.tradeinhope.com). She asked me to do the score and showed me her pledge page. It made perfect sense. Our fans were amazingly supportive, and it really renewed my faith in one of the simplest, most powerful relationships... the fans and the music. Claes: A portion of the money raised went to Trade in Hope and another charity, Mental Health America of Texas (MHAT). McPherson:Trade In Hope, I mentioned earlier. They are going to be making big waves in the arena of sex trafficking.
MHAT is an amazing mental health organization that I have the honor of serving on the board of. We primarily focus on mental health information and resources in schools, facilitate training programs, and fiercely lobby for Texas laws to cultivate quality mental health for all of us here. They keep me out of trouble.
Claes: Tell me about “Lonely Man” which is a track off the EP. McPherson: " Lonely Man" was originally written by the Texas Ukulele King. I was so moved by the lyrics, and consider the topic so pertinent to relationships in our day and age, that I took his version and rearranged it to fit how I felt the tune. I guess in some ways, this story is always a reminder in the back of my mind when I think about my wife, and my future children.
Claes: I think my favorite track on City Farm Roots is “Stop Tryin.” McPherson: So much about being in a band can be about trying so hard that you feel like you're fighting. Fighting against the odds, fighting to get a deal, fighting to get a gig, and sometimes just fighting to prove yourself to the people around you.
I feel, as of late, that the fighting really isn't that important. Sometimes, just doing the right next thing in front of you is enough. “Stop Tryin” is a kind of poem to that sentiment.
Claes: Do you have a favorite track off the new EP? McPherson: I think “Black Sky” is one of my favorites. I really wasn't sure what the song was about at first, but a filmmaker, Raymond Schlogel, here in town shot a bunch of footage during the Bastrop fires and put it to the song, it's as if that song was written for it before it happened. The band was almost in tears when we saw it.
Claes: Your fans seem to be more personal than average music fans, and you seem cultivate that relationship well. How important is this connection? McPherson: It's extremely important, they support me, and I support them. Mutually inclusive. They've allowed me to make a living at my trade for many years now.
Claes: The lyrics of Alpha Rev songs can actually stand alone as poems. What comes first, the words or the music? McPherson: Usually a melody, and if I'm lucky, words will follow. If they don't, I usually sit and star at a blank page for longer than I'd like to admit.
Claes: You’ve been through some amazing tragedies in your life with the suicides of your father and brother. How did you rise above the demons and channel your tragedy into such amazing music?
McPherson: I have no idea, I feel like I was pulled out of the quick sand by angels. It took a long time, but they got me out before I suffocated.
Tragedy will break us all at some point, but I believe, it's what we do with our brokenness that defines its affect on our lives.
“I’ve taken too much, given up / I am twisted, burning, breaking up / I need to find a way of letting it go / when everything falls apart.” – Phoenix Burn
Claes: You write some pretty personal stories into your music. Do you ever write something that is just too personal to share, or is the sharing part of the therapeutic moving forward. McPherson: Music can be such a healing force if we can look past the trends and dive into the sound and spirit of it. I'm sure I have a few songs that I would never release publicly, but, for the most part, I've always been an open book. Claes: Austin artist William K. Stidham painted you as a part of his “Sacred Heart of Austin” series. What did this mean to you? McPherson: Bill is an incredible human being. He exudes light. It was humbling that he was inspired to include me, and it was more affirmation that whatever was flowing through me was a good thing.
Claes: Back to music… do you have a favorite song that you’ve recorded? McPherson: Yeah, it's called "Arches of Freedom" I've only performed it live once at Riverbend Church here in Austin. They wrote arrangements for a choir, orchestra and band. I think you can find it on the Internet somewhere....
Claes: While on Hollywood Records, in 2010 the track “New Morning” took the band on a heck of a ride, peaking on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown at #7 and cracked the top 100 on Billboard. What’s the story behind that track? McPherson: It's so strange when something catches on. I've spent hours trying to write a hit song, whatever that is, and they pick the one that I wrote in 15 minutes. Go figure.
Claes: I caught you when you played a surprise set at Texas Rockfest in 2010. How’d you end up gracing the stage last year? McPherson: Adam (Brewer), the founder of Rockfest, is the rebel of Austin with a heart of gold. He always keeps an unofficial spot open for me.
Claes: You were tapped to play SXSW again this year. How important is it to continue to represent yourself in your hometown at this festival? McPherson: I don't know. SXSW is a conference, one of the largest music conferences in the world. I think it's great to get everyone potentially on your team (agents, managers, attorneys, publicists, promoters, labels, ect) to hear and hang.
I remember the first time Endochine, applied to SXSW for a showcase, we sent in a 5 min long song called "Fire" with air sirens and cricket sounds for the first two minutes of it, and we couldn't figure out why they wouldn't pick us.
Claes: In February you are playing every Tuesday at Saxon Pub. What can we look forward to hearing? McPherson: New stuff, old stuff, and probably a little more laid back personal show.
Claes:If you could book Alpha Rev to a “dream” line-up of bands, who would you play with? McPherson: Sigur Ros, Willie Nelson, and Pink Floyd.
Who are some of your favorite Austin bands? McPherson: Soldier Thread, Johnny Goudie's band "Liars and Saints," and who can't dance to Asleep at the Wheel?
Claes: Anything to add? McPherson: Yes, as my ole' friend Tuk says, "Don't let reality stand in the way of your dreams." Note: Tuk = “Texas Ukulele King”
Catch Alpha Rev live acoustic tonight (2/7) or the next three Tuesdays in February at The Saxon Pub, or on 2/28 at The Oasis on Lake Travis. Find them online at http://alpharev.com.
Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.
By Sean Claes I’ve known Billy Perkins of Austin metal band Butcherwhite for quite a few years. A few months ago, I attended a benefit for the victims of the wildfires held at Hanover’s in Pflugerville and he was there with a new band, Honeycreeper. I believe it was one of their first gigs out in public, and I really got into the straight up ready-for-arena rock of their sound. I kept up with them over the last few months, and I learned they are about to enter the studio to record their debut album, and they’re continuing to get their footing in the Austin music scene by playing out regularly. In fact, on February 11, 2012, they will be taking the stage at Headhunters. The band is made up of a collective of seasoned Austin musicians… members of the Black Crowe’s tribute band, Sometimes Salvation, the killer Razr 13, and the aforementioned Butcherwhite. Members include Billy Perkins (vocals), Eddie Mendoza (Bass), Chris 'JRAB' Thomas (Drums), and the twin guitar power of Danny Wright and Darrell (Doobie) Daugherty. I talked with a few of the members about the formation of the band, their sound, and the future of Honeycreeper.
Sean Claes: Interesting name. Who came up with it? Billy Perkins: We had tossed around a few names. Some we found out were already taken, and some just didn't stick. Finally one evening right before I left for rehearsal, my girl and I were watching a show on Hawaii's volcanoes. When the land is entirely covered with black volcanic rock, there's a certain kind of plant that is the first life to burst through the rock.
We learned that a bird called a honeycreeper is dependent on that plant, and vice versa. As soon as we heard the word "honeycreeper," we both looked up and thought maybe that was it. About an hour later, I presented it to the band and everyone dug it.
Claes: You’re all members of other local bands (Butcherwhite, Sometimes Salvation, and Razr13). How did you come together? Chris “JRAB” Thomas: Darrell (Daugherty) wrote some songs and was wanting to record a record. We started jamming. I had wanted to jam with Billy for a while. With Danny (Wright) and Eddie (Mendoza) already playing with Darrell in the Black Crowes Tribute, Billy was the final piece...
Darrell “Doobie” Daugherty: I met Eddie and Danny in the Sometimes Salvation (Black Crowes) tribute band. I fell in love with these two guys' ability to play! When I started this band I already had my sights set on these two guys. JRAB came into the picture when he started dating a good friend of mine that plays for Marshall Dylan. After searching for a vocalist for quite a while, JRAB knew a cat named Billy Perkins that played with Butcherwhite. We asked him to come out and jam and I want to say he was hooked at that point. LOL
Claes: You’ve got that old school rock swagger to your sound. This is a departure from the sound of your other projects. Was this one of the reasons Honeycreeper came together? Daugherty: Not really, but we liked the fact that even though Butcherwhite is a metal band, Billy can actually sing and not growl! We made it clear from the start that we were not looking for cookie monster for our vocalist!
Perkins: In the beginning, I had just agreed to fill in for a while until the guys found a permanent singer. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. There were a handful of existing songs that Doobie wrote, plus a couple of fun covers they had been jamming on. It didn't take very long for me to see the potential for something more, and I soon became very interested in writing some songs with these guys.
Whereas Butcherwhite is more primal, Honeycreeper allows me to explore a more visceral side. The guitars are in very capable hands, so since I don't have to play, I can focus on vocal melodies and try to write more poetic lyrics. I'm enjoying a different kind of creative process, while trying to become a better singer and showcase another side of myself vocally.
We're all huge fans of old-school rock bands like UFO, Robin Trower and more - back when bands had twin gunslingers on lead guitar, and singers who actually SANG. Eddie and Doobie are also great at harmony vocals. To get my game face on for Honeycreeper, I listen to a lot of vocalists like Mark Farner (Grand Funk) and James Dewar (Trower). That's how we roll.
Claes: It’s nice to hear a guitar solo again. That is something that is missing from much of today’s music. Daugherty: Dude, when the grunge came into play and all the solo guitar was gone, I was soooo disappointed! I had worked years on my guitar solo playing. Regardless what other bands were doing, I was not going to stop ripping it up! Screw that! And when you hear our record or come to our show you WILL understand.
Perkins: There are times when we're playing that I'm so blown away by what Danny and Doobie are doing, that I just become a fan and stop and listen. We believe in letting a song breathe. If it turns out to be 8 minutes long, so be it.
Claes: How does a Honeycreeper song come into existence? Daugherty: I will usually lay down a scratch track on my recorder with a simple beat on the drum machine, present it to the band to see how everyone jells with it, and then let everyone work their own magic.
Claes: You’ve got some heavy themes in your songs. Tell me about the track “Set Me Free.” Daugherty: It's basically about the decision of war. Starting war for personal gain, money, oil etc. without thinking it through. Think before you strike. As the lyrics say, "Re-trace your thoughts and all these things you can surely avoid!"
Claes: I saw you perform “Day of the Eagle” at Hanovers in Pflugerville when you played Firestock. How’d you choose that cover? Daugherty: I'm not sure who came up with the idea of playing that tune, but when we played it at rehearsal for the very first time, Danny played the ending solo and knocked it slap out of the park! It was an amazing solo! We have kept it in the set ever since then.
Perkins: OK, this is one of those tunes that I was referring to earlier, where the guitars are just so incredible and beautiful that I just have to step back, close my eyes and listen. First of all, it's a Robin Trower tune - one of the best rock guitar players on the planet.
You don't just nonchalantly cover a song like this. It's full of passion. It has to be sung accordingly, with as much soul as I can muster. But mainly, the guitars need to also reflect that passion.
Danny plays "Day Of The Eagle" like he just sold his soul to the devil. And that's pretty much how all of our guitar leads are in this band.
Claes: Your debut album is coming out Spring 2012. Who are you recording with? Thomas: RAZR 13 recorded our record with Paul Soroski and ROCK ARMY RECORDS. I've known Paul since 2000. I drum teched for PODUNK (Pauls band) in 2004 when they were out with TESLA. They gave me the "JRAB" nickname....keeping it in the family!
Claes: Will it be a full-length or EP? Daugherty: We were going to do an EP, but the new material that we were writing was being put together so quick that we decided to do a full length record.
Claes: Tell me about Rock Army Records. Perkins: Rock Army is a local label manned by Podunk bassist Paul Soroski. Paul is gonna record us in his studio next month. Paul and I have been friends for years but have never worked together, so this is going to be fun.
Claes: Billy, It’s hard to interview you without mentioning your day job. For the last 14 years you’ve been owner of Penhead Designs. You’ve done poster art for Cheap Trick, Widespread Panic, Hayes Carll, Alice In Chains, Willie Nelson, BB King, Slayer, and a host of others. Do you have a personal favorite? Perkins: Well, after 20 years of doing rock poster art, I have a few favorites. I also have a few that I'd like to sweep under the rug. Although I've done work for some big name bands, I've found that I can get really attached to posters that I do for my own bands. I put a little more of my heart and personal character into those. I've done Butcherwhite's posters for years, and I'm looking forward to doing more for Honeycreeper, like this one. I share artistic duties in Honeycreeper with JRAB, who does a lot of promotional flyers & posters around town and is a talented artist in his own right.
Claes: Your posters are something that goes past the definition of “gig poster” and more into the realm of artwork. Where can people buy prints? Perkins: I highly encourage poster art fans to visit the coolest poster site on the planet, www.gigposters.com. A lot of the artists, including myself often hang out there & chat about posters. I have some of my work for sale on that site, here's a link.
Claes: Back to Honeycreeper. Where are some of your favorite places to play in Austin? Thomas: The Dirty Dog Bar for one, but....I will play in your kitchen if you wanna hear our music!
Daugherty: We play a lot at Dirty Dog, it has a good stage, lighting and kick ass system. Nice club.
Perkins: We're still pretty new, so there are a lot of places we'd like to play. I could see us ripping it up at the ROT Rally, or putting on a good show for an Antone's crowd. We're equally at home on Red River.
Claes: Do you guys see taking the band on the road at any point? Daugherty: We would love to. It's something we need to talk about and put together, as we all have day jobs as well at this point. So buy this record so we don't have to! LOL
Thomas: I live for the road...fingers crossed!
Claes: You’ve got a show on February 11 at Headhunters (720 Red River) with A Good Rogering, Forever Town, Blarney Street Hooligans and Masikrator. What can you tell me about the bands on the bill? Thomas: Skunk from A Good Rogering is a good friend, we played with them in San Marcos. Daugherty: A Good Rogering is a very good band. They have a heavy funky sound that is very original. Perkins: Masikrator is a great punk/metal instrumental trio. My buddy Ken Kemp, who was Butcherwhite's bassist for 5 years is part of Masikrator.
Claes: OK, if you had the chance to have Honeycreeper play a show and you got to hand pick the bands to play with (any bands in the world), what would the line-up be… and where would you play? Thomas: King's X, Tesla and Shinedown...in Kansas City, MO. That's where I'm from. Perkins: Hmmm. It would need to be a guitar players bill. How about Michael Schenker, Thin Lizzy, Gov't Mule, Honeycreeper and ZZ Top (in no particular order)...at Auditorium Shores.
Claes: Would you like to add anything? Thomas: Check out all the great bands on Rock Army Records. Daugherty: I personally am very blessed to have the caliber musicians in this band that we have. We are kicking ass and we haven't even been together a full year! It will only go up from here! Perkins: This is going to be a fun ride. I think people are gonna dig it.
Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.
JACK INGRAM AND HAYES CARLL TO HEADLINE 2012 BENEFIT CONCERT FOR GROUNDED IN MUSIC FEBRUARY 15 AT GIBSON GUITAR SHOWROOM
(AUSTIN, Texas - January 2012) Country music stars Jack Ingram and Hayes Carll will be co-headlining at this year's Grounded in Music 2012 Benefit Concert to raise funds for the organization's music education program. This year's event will be held at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Austin on Wednesday, February 15 and doors will open at 6:30 p.m., kicking off with a performance by Grounded in Music students. The event is open to the public, and prior to the show, there will be a reception for all sponsors and pre-party ticket holders. Immediately following the concert, an after-party with Jack Ingram and Hayes Carll will be held for event sponsors. General public tickets can be purchased online at www.frontgatetickets.com. Prices for general admission tickets are $35 and $50.
All event proceeds will be used to purchase musical instruments for under-privileged youth, provide education in musicianship, teach music theory, as well as offer music-related opportunities outside of performance.
"Grounded in Music has a very simple mission: to leverage the power of music to transform young lives by creating self-confidence, opportunity and hope. These kids are learning that they can do anything they set their mind to and developing the confidence to push themselves to achieve things they never thought they could," said Joe Stallone, Grounded in Music's Founder. "Some of the kids in the program have a hard shell to crack," remarks Michael Longoria, Grounded in Music's Program Director. "But as we mentor, teach, and share with them, the music dissolves that shell."
This event marks the second time that Ingram, the 2008 Academy of Country Music's "Best New Male Artist," has collaborated with Grounded in Music to raise funds for the program which continues to be a signature program of the Boys and Girls Club of Austin, where Grounded in Music's four-year relationship continues to build each year. Grounded in Music's students are taught a variety of skills in musicianship, which range from writing lyrics, playing instruments and exploring other areas of the music industry. The program has also provided exclusive opportunities for the students to be mentored by participating artists Patty Griffin, Blue October, My Morning Jacket, Suzanna Choffel, Zeale, Vallejo, Broken Teeth and Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. Other artists such as Ray Wylie Hubbard and Cory Morrow have financially supported the program.
The founders of the Austin-based non-profit believe immersion into music at a young age has a positive effect on children's overall well being by boosting confidence. Statistics show that students who are involved in music programs early in life perform better academically in the areas of math and reading. The data also shows that students score higher on the SATs in the areas of math and verbal, regardless of their socio-economic background.
About Grounded in Music
Launched in 2007 in Austin, Texas, Grounded in Music is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation whose sole mission is to leverage the power of music to transform young lives by creating self-confidence, opportunity and hope. Grounded in Music was founded by and continues to be led by Austin music-industry professionals Joe Stallone, Partner at Oaks, Hartline & Daly LLP and Front Gate Tickets Director of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Kreinik. The board and advisory committee currently consist of 3Fingers Founder and CEO Scott Murray, eSession's CEO Gina Fant-Saez, ACC Professor Geoffrey Schulman, DMX's Senior Vice-President Danny Gillespie, Bracewell & Guiliani's Attorney Tom McNutt and Juice Consulting President and Founder, Heather Wagner Reed. For more information about Grounded in Music please visit: www.groundedinmusic.org.
Carrying the Party-Punk Torch Along the I-35 Corridor
By Sean Claes
I attended college in San Marcos at Southwest Texas State University in the late 1990s. It was not, as many are prone to say, a “party school” any more than any other college I’ve visited. But, being in such close proximity to Austin and the Hill Country, San Marcos had its share of great bands come through… and I was a budding music journalist, so I had the chance to interview a few.
I’ve always championed the locals, though. Bands that were ACTUALLY San Marcos based. I’ve always kept up with the scene down the road as well. I’ve never been disappointed as there’s always a great band around the corner at Triple Crown, Cheatham Street Warehouse, and now Texas Music Theater.
I tell you that to introduce the subjects of my interview today. The San Marcos-based Ransom Jack. They are currently carrying on the legacy of the “great local San Marcos Party Band.” And that’s kind of a big deal.
Ransom Jack has that reggae-infused rock band sound akin to that of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They formed in late 2007 and have been slowly working the stages along the I-35 corridor and making fans along the way. In 2011 they released their debut self-titled album with a huge show at San Marcos’ Texas Music Theater.
Zach Taylor (guitar/vox), J.C. Alvarez (Drums/vox) and Jarrod “JRod” Nall (bass/vox) are the members of Ransom Jack and we talked about the origin of the name, their debut CD, Wild Turkey, and some of the charities they feel strongly about.
FYI Their next Austin show is February 25 at Maggie Mae’s, which is the bands favorite local venue.
Sean Claes: Where’d Ransom Jack, the name come from?
JC Alvarez:Funny story. We were throwing around some band names and since we all had grown our beards out at the time, Lumber Jack was joked about.
Jarrod “JRod” Nall: We liked “Jack”, being a combination of our three names, and then someone recommended Handsome Jack. Then the rhyming started. I don’t know how but “Ransom” came up and the concept of “to redeem from captivity” was perfect.
Zach Taylor:I always thought of Ransom Jack being the savior for us, from which our society holds us captive. Institutions teach us from an early age that we should become corporate sheep, lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc… When really, we should find our true passion in life, pursue it with all our might, and never give up no matter how many trials come our way.
Music is Ransom Jack’s means of deliverance from this captivity.
Claes: Zach and JRod, you’ve known each other for a really long time. How long have you played together?
Taylor: Actually, Jrod and I met in middle school… We helped each other on an essay during a test, got caught, and were friends ever since.
Nall: We were 11 or 12. Zach had a new guitar (which is still the same one he uses today) and I had just started playing bass. We’ve been jamming on and off for some 15 years now.
Claes: How did you hone your sound?
Taylor: We locked ourselves in the jam room for over 2 months straight… we would literally practice all day and all night.
Nall: We lived off sandwiches and coffee for those two months and it’s a miracle we weren’t sick of each other by the end. It just happened. There’s just good chemistry between us and we all have different styles to bring to the table.
You can practice for a year straight, but if there’s no chemistry there then it’s just not going to work.
Claes: Having formed in 2007, why did it take until 2011 to cut a debut CD?
Taylor: We needed more stage experience to solidify our originals and create a well-balanced show diet. We did a few recordings in the early years but they were not the quality that we knew we were capable of and consequently had falling-outs with the engineers.
Then in 2010 we hooked up with JC’s old friend Maestro, a hip-hop producer that had formed the production company Atiatsus Entertainment LLC, and the album process just came together. It took a good amount of time to get everything perfect, but in the end we finally had a product we were happy with.
Claes: Who did you record with?
Nall: We recorded at The Looney Bin Studio with engineer Bobby Mercer, had it mastered at Terra Nova by Jerry Tubb and it was Executive Produced by Matthew “Maestro” Sustaita. They did a great job.
Claes: I’m digging the bass line of “Wild Turkey.” The song reminds me of the 1991 song “Apple Pie” by White Trash for some reason.
Nall: Thanks man. Wild Turkey’s one of my personal favorites as you may guess.
Taylor: Ha, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry… Those guys were some funky hipsters. I can’t get enough of those 90s bands because that’s the era we are strongly influenced by. Actually, “Wild Turkey” kind of started as a joke song, but everyone loved it and it ended up becoming one of our more popular ones.
Do you have a favorite track off the album?
Nall: Tough one. I guess I would have to go with the Bonus Track “Jam Song”. We cut that track in one take and you can feel the energy.
Alvarez:We honestly love all the songs, and they all mean something different to each of us. It would be too hard to pick one…But, “Building Blocks.”
Taylor: Three way tie for me, “For Goodness Sakes”, “Interlude” through “Building Blocks” and “Good For Nothing.” Those songs just speak to me.
Claes: Your CD release party was at San Marcos’ Texas Music Theatre on October 5, 2011. Was that an epic night?
Alvarez: TMT was like a dream come true, it was organized so well, the turn out reminded me of our barn parties back in the days. We had G Clef, DANGER!CROSSFIRE!, and Victory March.
Taylor: That crowd and stage was sick! It was surreal thinking back to the beginning playing at Cancun Rob’s for free beer and tacos to playing in such a professional venue.
Nall: Epic would be a good word for it. It was great to see everyone who has jammed our songs over the past 4 years in one place together supporting local music.
Claes: Who are some of the bands you count as influences?
Taylor: A small list includes The Beatles, 311, Victor Wooten, Incubus, Sublime, NOFX, Foo Fighters, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. We grew up going to Warped Tour every year starting in middle school so pretty much the entire punk world.
Claes: Although you’ve got a pretty extensive catalog of originals, you’ve got some great covers as well. What are some of your favorite covers to play?
Taylor: Probably Sublime’s “Caress Me Down”, The Beatles’ “Revolution; Come Together”, and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion”.
We really enjoy turning cover songs into our own style rather than just repeating what has been done. We have a live rendition of MGMT’s “Kids” which always seems to get a lot of attention as well.
Claes: After 5 years of playing out, what was your favorite Ransom Jack show?
Alvarez: A lot of favorite gigs…
Taylor: …but nothing rocked as hard as the barn parties!
Nall: Those were definitely the most fun. That was really what got us momentum in the early days. It was a series of five parties spread out over a little less than a year and we rattled the earth. It’s great to not only play the show, but organize the entire event.
Just say the words “barn party” to anyone who was there and you can tell by the look on their face how much fun those shows were. And we want to thank our friend Mike Wilkinson for making those possible.
Claes: Over the last few years, you’ve played a few charity gigs. In 2010 and 2011 you played for TX State’s Bobcat Build. Why did you choose that organization?
Taylor: It’s a great cause. They actually chose us and there was no way we could turn that down.
Nall: We like helping out, Bobcat Build is a great cause. Whenever we can do something to help the community that has done so much for us we take advantage of the opportunity.
Alvarez: Giving back and helping others is one of the big things that we stand for.
Claes: You also wrote a song for the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) entitled “Together We Care” that became a video by the folks at UTSA. How’d that whole thing come about?
Taylor: Charles Davis, who had been working with UTSA, contacted our publisher and they decided we had the perfect sound. So we got the concept and recorded “Together We Care”.
We had been playing with that riff for a while and when we were asked to do the video we wrote the lyrics pretty much in the studio. It’s a little corny, but it’s for a good cause and we love it.
Claes: Three members live in three cities down the I-35 corridor. Any plans to consolidate Ransom Jack?
Alvarez: We all kind of like where we’re living now. Thanks to our team we are still organized even though we live in different cities.
Nall: It works out well because we have bases all down the I-35 corridor with Zach in San Antonio, J.C. in San Marcos and I in Austin. We’re not going to focus on one particular city. We get a good response everywhere.
However, San Marcos will always be Ransom Jack’s home.
Claes: What’s 2012 going to hold In store for Ransom Jack?
We will be out at every venue pushing our music and rocking shows, festivals, and ear canals! We’ve been adding some new aspects to our live shows and will be incorporating an amazing light spectacle. We’ll be releasing new tracks as well with some other great local musicians. We’ll hopefully be organizing more events as well, and be on the look out for our first professional video to be released, Summer 2012!
Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.
