James Moore's Blog, page 94

Mothership – The New Kings Of Rock And Roll

We’ve seen a resurgence in rock and roll lately, and it’s something that I’ve had the chance to write about extensively. That being said there are some bands that are really making this new rock and roll revolution work. We live in a world where far too many people are just here for the hootenanny and not for the music, the spirit of it all if you will. If we want to be able to transcend the common darkness of our times then we are going to need grooves, riffs, and a genuine attitude of rebellion to drive this whole thing forward. I have come to believe that not only are Mothership one of the best bands on the scene right now – they are also spearheading the revolution.

What Mothership understand perhaps more than any other band out there, is that rock and roll isn’t just music – it’s a lifestyle. When I talk to the band they emphasize that they want to be as real as possible. The trio, fronted by brothers Kelley and Kyle Juett on guitar and bass respectively, and Judge Smith on skins, likes to talk about wearing their influences on their sleeve – something readily apparent in their diverse records. Kyle perhaps said it best in a recent interview, “The goal of playing any sort of music is to fill your own void.” Mothership understand what makes them special, and by extension why rock and roll matters – which means that they matter. People need an outlet, and Mothership provide it, never alienating, but only loud, powerful and ready to get your booty shaking, or as Kelley likes to say, “We’re just spreading the love brother!”

Last night at the Gramercy Theater I was impressed at the aura around the band. I’ve mentioned in the past that groupie culture is slowly starting to find its way back and in its purest, unadulterated form, the guys all have exclusive relationships with their girlfriends back home, but that doesn’t take away from their earth shaking charisma and sexuality. Like the groupies of old, the women around Mothership aren’t sex symbols, rather they are there to help out the band. They see the movement and want to help grow it, they, like all Mothership fans want to be a part of what can only be called a Happening.

Perhaps that’s why their always seems to be girls in their dressing room and we see that the guys understand what it means to be in a rock band and the bravado it entails. Rather than holing themselves up in some shitty backstage like so many groups on their level do, they go out amongst the people – partying the loudest and the hardest. When Mothership play a show, you fucking know who they are, that’s simply how they roll.

That being said, the band has never been anything less than professional. In the words of Kyle Juett, “There’s something to be said for a band who are regularly an hour and a half early. It shows we’re not here to fuck around.” And they’re not. The band is proud to be self managed and have managed to win spots playing in front of thousands of people and opening for massive bands like Corrosion of Conformity. Mothership do this full time – they’re here to be real. Sure it doesn’t really fund itself yet, but they don’t give a fuck, they go home and immediately start tending bar. There’s a whole lot more to this band than I think anyone realizes.

Here’s the thing – Mothership, more than anything else, represent a movement in a way that very few of their peers ever could. The only two that come to mind might be Satan’s Satyrs and Truckfighters, but both of those are on a totally different plane of existence. Not superior or inferior, just different. Mothership, in their uniquely rock n roll reveling have been able to establish themselves as veritable kings of their genre. Why? Because they are the band for their time and place. Not only do they understand the importance of technology (Something some bands eschew in a desire to be ‘legitimate’) but they seem wholly comfortable in their place in 2015.

Far too many bands in the scene claim that they wish they had come up in the 60s or 70s, creating a weird glut of time displaced rock and rollers. This is not the case with Mothership, the rare rock band that’s glad that it’s 2015 because their whole goal is to create powerful music and have a good time, their generation doesn’t matter, they were born to rock. It doesn’t matter if they’re the best or the most inspired, what matters is the vibe. There is nothing particularly iconoclastic about Mothership – in fact, I get the impression that they would much rather have other folks jump on board, they don’t want to be among the only ones out there doing this.

Of course it would be absolutely remiss to say that they are the only band out there doing this. Asides from the previously mentioned groups, there’s a whole wave of bands out there trying to make this dream a reality, from the mighty Electric Citizen from Cincinnati to the crazed Philadelphians in Ruby The Hatchet. The buzz has gotten so big that the rock and roll revolution might already be here. Kyle Juett said in an interview, “A lot of people try to deny it and say rock and roll is dead, but you can’t deny it when you have a… ton of killer bands who put on a great show and have killer albums. You can’t contain that man. It’s only a matter of time before they’re going to have to yield to the power. Most of these bands tour on their own too, they’re taking initiative. When you have this perfect storm it’s like a freight train.”

And that’s the thing – articulate, exciting, and wonderfully dedicated to their craft, Mothership aren’t here to fuck around, they are here to create rock and roll music that fucking resonates. They don’t want to go down like so many of their peers in a wave of decadence, they want to ring out and prove that rock and roll is here to stay. Full of well deserved swagger and a confidence that reeks of rock and roll, as a pure music fan it’s hard not to be in love with what Mothership are doing. There’s something weirdly noble about the band, they get what it means to want to be a badass motherfucker and to throw your life away in the name of chasing that dream.

Perhaps the magic of Mothership was best summed up in a simple interview question back at the bands Psycho California appearance in May of this year:

“Do you feel like rock and roll is your destiny?”

“Definitely. Growing up you I loved performing, being in front of people and listening to music. It took us a while for the universe to put instruments in our hands and get us on the road, but once that happened it was like a lightning strike. We’ve been together forever, even before we played music. It’s good to know that our previous relationship built towards this.

It’s cosmic and universal. It’s good to know that with something like this you’ve got that behind you. It’s the same whether you’re a doctor, a record store owner or in a rock and roll band, you know deep down inside when something’s right and you don’t have to fake it or put on a front. You are that, you are living it.

That’s something we stand for, being real, hanging out with people and giving people there moneys worth. That to us is what rock and roll is.”

So hop on board motherfuckers, it’s time to take a trip on the ship.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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Niche Markets And You

There’s been a lot of buzz lately around words like ‘subgenrefication’ and ‘niche markets’ lately, but what does that mean for your band? In a world that has an increasingly diverse music scene, we find ourselves increasingly able to listen to only one type of music if we so choose – but we also find that artists are having a harder time than ever in really making any sort of money off the industry. Simply put – when you allow the market to be fragmented you’re setting up so that even if a similar amount of money is coming in to the industry as a whole, everyone will be making less.

That’s not to say that by finding your own niche won’t be successful. If you can effectively start up a scene with your band and maybe a few others then yes, you probably have a decent shot at making a good living off your music. Countless musical movements over the centuries have proven that. It’s more a question of figuring out how to start up a scene like that – it’s a challenge and is the kind of thing that entire generations cultures are based off of. If you can start a movement – color me impressed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, you just need to be aware of how hard it is to actually create your own genre.

We live in a world where the bands who partake in a niche market are by default going to be choked out. The choice paralysis that we all feel is something that new bands are going to need to reckon with if they want to keep pushing forward. Now more than ever there is almost no reason for anyone to listen to your specific unsigned band. Instead you need to look around and figure out what you can do to cross niches and create art that can fall into multiple categories. This doesn’t mean selling out – look at a band like Refused for example, they were able to use their classic record The Shape Of Punk To Come not just to heavily impact the punk world but also to forever change the future of rock music. The question is not ‘What is the exact type of person we want to target?” Nor is it “How can I make my music appeal to the most people possible?” But rather “What general demographic would be interested in what I have to say?”

So what do you need to do in order to survive in this world of niche artistry that appeals to ever more specific consumer bases? Well – the strategy that seems to be working best is transcending all of that bullshit and instead creating music that can speak across those boundaries. Instead of creating an album that is specifically “South American Brutal Thrash Metal” whatever that means (And yes, I’ve seen that as an actual genre tag) then just bill your record as thrash metal. That doesn’t take from the validity of the art, it merely sees you repurposing your creative energies in order to help create something greater.

The band Dreadnought is a perfect example of this. While they play something that could loosely be categorized as ‘doom metal,’ their work also fits into a jazz and classical polemic. Their sound is thus very specific (And perhaps only shared with only two or three other bands in the world, if that) but they are not trying to create a movement. Instead, their distinct sound, which proudly borrows from everything from Dissection to Faith No More and Miles Davis to Bach gives them a massive appeal and huge breakout potential. Dreadnought are just one example of this too – but they prove that you can be a great songwriter and craft truly distinct music that can get to anyone, from jazz nerds to black metal freaks – and that’s really the point of music right? To bring people together.

Of course – you don’t need to have an incredibly diverse sound to break niche barriers either. Part of what makes any band special is how they choose to interact with the music as a whole and how they specifically seek to appeal to people. (Which I’m assuming you’re trying to do since you’re reading this article) Beyond that – there is an undercurrent to an artist like Michael Jackson that makes him universally praised by crust punks to 13 year old Nicki Minaj fans, they speak to the human condition and give us something to relate to in a world where we far too often just feel left out and alone. It provides a sense of guidance in the perpetual struggle that find ourselves wading through, day after day, and night after night.

So what does this mean for you really? Basically – look around you, look at the bands you’re playing with and the scne your associated with and see if you’re finding yourself in too much of a box. If you are – feel free to break it – that’s part of what makes music exciting. When Pig Destroyer put out their Mass & Volume EP it totally revolutionized what we thought the band was capable of. It’s these moments of genre breaking, of pure inspiration, and of proving a willingness to break the rules that get people really excited about music – and once you start to buil that buzz you know that things are only going to improve from there.

The point I’m trying to get at is that there’s a lot left to be said in music – but you already knew that. What you need to do though is figure out what needs to be said and fucking say it. There is a dearth of people in this world who actually care about anything, and if you can be one of those people and use your art to share your passion then people will respond. Niche’s are just a marketing tool and transcending them is simply a mater of figuring out what is TRULY important to the human experience and what really can guide this whole thing forward. And while this is definitely easier said than done, I know that with some hard work and dedication – you too can create that resonates with mankind.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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Why Facebook Will Always Matter

Facebook has gone through a lot of turmoil on the artist front in recent years – and it makes sense that it is. After all – the site has been rapidly growing, to the point that it can boast the presence of almost every established artist in the world. As it creeps ever closer to the two billion user mark, it becomes increasingly difficult to deny the companies supremacy. What does this mean for you and your band though? Essentially – Facebook reigns eternal, and despite what anyone might say, I think it’s important to realize that Facebook is, and will remain, our most reliable, quantifiable and important social network in the years to come.

Now, keep in mind that I, like many others, definitely have my problems with Facebook. The site recently stopped letting new bands use plug ins to let them host their music – a serious bane for bands trying to promote themselves on the service. Beyond that – Facebook has been making a killing off of groups by using their much maligned sponsored post system while simultaneously lowering how many of your fans are going to see your unsponsored posts. This of course is… less than optimal. However, despite what everyone seems to have thought, Facebook has remained the most important social network for your band.

Why is this though? I think that the primary reason is because of the range of services the site provides. Asides from allowing you to advertise your band through sponsored posts it features applications like Bandsintown that allow you to promote your bands gigs for free. Beyond that – event pages in and of themselves are by far the most convenient platform to share information about your upcoming concerts with your fans and friends. It’s fully interactive and part of a program that almost everyone is on – it simply makes sense that Facebook’s event pages are the best.

One of the big arguments that people raise against Facebook is that the average age demographic is shifting upwards and young people are instead investing themselves in services like Snapchat. This is definitely valid, but I think that within the underground music community this is just not the case. In fact, I would argue that my most influential Facebook friends, the people who run magazines, booking agencies and record labels tend to be on Facebook more than the average user, again, it’s simply the most convenient service we have. While there definitely are personal discrepancies the overarching trend is that most people involved in the music industry use Facebook as their main tool for promoting and working with bands – and again – this is largely because of the diversity of the services rendered.

I think that a huge part of why, even in 2015 that Facebook matters is because the strongest tool you can implement on the website is not advertisements, snazzy pages or applications, but the sense of community, and we all know that independent music has always been based around that. Bands like Full of Hell are able to take full advantage of this, offering merchandise giveaways to those who like and share their tour announcements. Other young acts have been able to heavily cross promote with their friends bands and record labels emphasizing nothing more than the crucial sense of community that the independent music world so heavily relies on. I get that for a lot of reasons Facebook is suffering, but I think for the underground community its influence can only grow. If it weren’t for the community then I guarantee you, literally none of this would be possible, it’s how we all work. We need to rely on it, more than anything else, if we want to continue and carry on.

In my mind, at least, Facebook actually fits very nicely into the grand tradition of the independent music world. Remember when Myspace first got popular and everyone said that this was the new generation of tape trading? Well it’s my belief that Facebook is the true successor to that. Facebook is possibly the most inclusive and immersive service known to man. It allows for more flexibility and possibility than Twitter or Instagram (Although both sites are important and should be taken into consideration) and has the potential to push everything forward for both fans and creators.

Despite how I might sound – I swear that I’m not a shill for Facebook – in my five years on the service, I’ve found that it remains the most important for any band. If nothing else it allows you to really quantify how many fans you have. Even if ‘likes’ aren’t the perfect measure of popularity they certainly help establish a barometer of popularity. And if you want to complain about how your posts aren’t being seen by that many people, think about it this way – when is the last time you actually found out about a new record from a random Facebook update? It certainly never happened in the days when Facebook was more helpful to bands and it doesn’t happen now. Their are traditional channels for that kind of stuff and those channels are traditional for a reason. You shouldn’t be expected to check a bands Facebook page every day – that’s why news sites exist – to keep you abreast with the highlights and if your band can’t get promotion for their upcoming release… well then they have other problems.

So go out, rock hard, ride free and figure out what really resonates with your Facebook fans. In most cases it’s not a question of sponsored posts as much as it is not creating engaging enough content, or relying on that content yo guide your band forward. There’s a whole lot more to it than that, from networking to hiring a PR guy you can’t just expect Facebook to take care of all of your problems – but then again you enver could. Sure it’s a little different now, but that’s part of why we love this – every day is a new challenge and we will always be there, with our noses to the grindstone and our fists raised to the sky, fighting to find freedom I a world that seeks to choke out our art. Know what you can take advantage of and when and you’ll be off to a great start and building for your future.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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Why Festivals Matter To Your Career

Traveling to festivals is one of those wonderfully fucked up things that everyone needs to get the hang of if they want to become a regular contributing member of the music industry. After all – this is where the real connections are made and the friendships that can last a lifetime are forged. Going to festivals is a key part of any young music industry wannabe’s experience, and understanding why is fundamental to understanding what it takes to succeed in doing this kind of stuff.

Here’s the thing – going to festivals can lead to even more connections than even living in a hub like New York City ever could. Why? Because in a festival environment it’s almost impossible not to meet people who are like minded and similarly ambitious. Beyond that – you’re essentially stuck on the festival grounds with them for three days. If you can’t network your way to success from there – then you just might not be cut out for this lifestyle.

In my experience – festivals are where a huge amount of the music industries moving and shaking gets done. It’s here that we are able to get together and really talk about the fundamental issues that drive our time. We get a chance to meet people who also have found themselves fully invested in this world who have been through the ringer and sincerely get it. People at festivals aren’t there to mess around – they are there because of a true and passionate love of the music that none of their peers could emulate – after all if they could, wouldn’t they be at the festival too?

I get it though – it’s expensive and it can be hard to get tickets – that’s definitely a crucial part of the struggle. But again – it’s one of those things that allows you to really prove how dedicated you are to the music. And in most cases – the event pays for itself. Even if you see just 10 bands that could normally headline a show for a 150$ ticket you’re probably saving at least 50 dollars – and the added effect of seeing those bands back to back only adds to the magic of it. More importantly – it helps to evidence the unfailing dedication that you need to have for the music if you ever want to get anywhere in this scene. People take note when they see you at four different festivals on three continents and they start to realize that maybe you’re in this for the long run and not just here to mess around.

The larger point I’m trying to make here is that – rock and roll is rock and roll – it’s the kind of thing you need to prove yourself in if you really want to make it anywhere and the number one way to prove yourself is to be everywhere. It’s not so much the actually being there as it is the principle of the thing. The sense that people get when they see that ‘Oh – this person knows what’s up – this person is here for the music, running around and dedicating their life to their art. It creates a sense of admiration, and once you’ve got that – the whole world is at your fingertips. People want to work with people who get it and who clearly give back to the community. By establishing your place in the scene you’re setting yourself up to be able to look deeper and be given more opportunities. If you become ‘that guy’ then folks are going to look up and pay attention.

And even if the struggle continues and you have a hard time networking, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, perhaps the most valuable thing that a festival can give you is the adventure – and this transcends all. I’m sitting here right now at 30,000 feet, totally unsure of what city I am going to get to sleep in tonight, and fairly convinced that I’m just fucked. Some loudmouth Texas guy is telling me drinking stories, and for some reason I am more in love than ever with festival life. Sure you don’t know where you’ll end up, or what bar you may or may not get stabbed in tonight but that’s exactly why I love it. Because if you can survive the day to day madness of this lifestyle then you can survive anything that the industry might try and throw at you. And in this world of broken hearts and fall aparts, and extremely fucking limited funds – perhaps survival is all that we can ask for.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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On Enthusiasm

One thing that a lot of people seem to think has helped to launch my career has been my enthusiasm. Now, I’ve spent a long time thinking about this,pondering what that means. How can enthusiasm turn into paid opportunities and results? It’s a weird thing to think about after all, that a seemingly innate attitude could lead to financial gain. But then the more I thought about it the more I realized that even though I feel like a bitter and jaded old piece of shit most of the time – I still have the fun loving and easy-going magic in my heart that made this whole thing worth it in the first place.

When I consider the most significant opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to get in the past few years I’ve realized that a lot of them are there simply because I have always done my best to be everywhere and always be smiling, meeting people and helping everyone out, not just myself. I had no long term goal with my blog when I was 14 – it just kind of happened. I don’t even view myself as a selfless person either – I just wanted to make sure everybody was getting the most they could out of the circus.

Here’s what I’ve come to realize – everybody wants to feel special, and everybody wants someone to look up to them. That’s just one of those basic things that makes us human. We all have a need to feel special and loved – no ifs, ands or buts about it. If you can show that passion with an unconditional enthusiasm and a desire to keep on driving, then people will start to respond – in some ways they have no choice. After all – the music industry is full of depressed and starving artists – of course they want to get a chance to have someone looking up to them.

But here’s the thing – the enthusiasm, as with everything else in the music industry if you want to be truly successful, has to be genuine. If you’re not showing a real, tangible passion for all of this then people will be able to tell. People know if you’re only in it for your own glory – that’s why not everyone can make it. You have to be there not for yourself, but for the collective. Almost none of us are doing very well and if you’re trying to give yourself the upper hand constantly…. well folks aren’t going to want to work with you – not for any particular reason beyond the fact that they need to look out for themselves too. The popular animated character Rick Sanchez was right “You gotta look out for number one!”

Beyond that though – you also need to be very careful that your enthusiasm doesn’t make you look like a tool. You need to know when to curb it and show that you have a professional side too. If you’re constantly going gaga over whatever new thing is coming your way without ever actually turning it into anything then you’re not being enthusiastic, you’re just being annoying. Nobody likes the person blowing up their Facebook feed with posts about how lucky they are and how they have been “#blessed”. Rather – you need to show that you have what it takes to generate results – but remain enthusiastic, friendly and eager to help no matter what.

So you may be asking – “How can this enthusiasm manifest itself in a positive way then? I want to help the scene but I don’t want folks to think I’m some kind of dingus!” Well – I’m happy to say there are a lot really easy methods that can get you going in he right direction. Again – none of this stuff is hard. People in he industry aren’t smarter than you. They’ve just figured out the right set of personality traits that you need to harbor in order to find their way through the morass.

Back to the point – One of the easiest ways to show your enthusiasm is to help out the touring bands directly. This doesn’t just mean buying them merch, beer or even tipping the merch guy heavily. It can also mean helping with the load out process by carrying out amplifiers, as well as doing stuff like letting bands sleep at your house – or perhaps even bringing the guys food (Vegetarian is always best! Remember, many musicians skew that way) to a venue that you know only provides a buy out. If you’re saving them time and money while being friendly about it you are probably winning a spot in their hearts. It’s things like these that help to provide a concrete piece of evidence for your enthusiasm and dedication.

And these things only build. People remember the enthusiastic and dedicated kid in Tulsa. Maybe they only play Tulsa once every two years, but when they come back, they will make sure to get them on the list. And if they find out that said kid has moved on to managing bands or is now running a label – suddenly there’s room for a conversation. People get into the music industry to escape real life. A lot of the conventional rules of business need to be bent, broken, or circumvented if you really want to get somewhere. But knowing how to win your way into peoples hearts and build for a better tomorrow, not just for you, but for everybody around you too – will almost always lead to music industry success.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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Why You Always Need To Pay People In The Music Industry

No I can’t make you famous. No one can. That’s not how this works. So why do people like me need to explain this to musicians all the time? Fame is a very intangible thing – and in this day and age it’s largely purchased. By hiring a producer, manager or promoter you’re probably not going to get famous right away. In fact, even having rad music and an entire team behind you does not guarantee that you will make it. It’s only one step forward. Here’s the thing – we live in a world where fame is bought – and any one who tells you otherwise, or that it was ‘better back in their day’ is woefully misguided.

Here’s the thing – even bands you love for their underground roots only made it because they dumped tons of money into their art before ever getting big. Black Sabbath never would have made it if they hadn’t all given up their jobs to rehearse full time and lived with their parents. Meanwhile Nirvana couldn’t have released Nevermind if they hadn’t all saved their money by living in shitty apartments and touring all the time to promote their (In my opinion, far superior) debut record Bleach. Maybe you don’t want that kind of fame – but even self sustaining bands require ridiculous personal investment – personal investment that no one can really give you – you have to do it yourself. Music is hard because you need to put in a ton of money to even reach stability – and more bands need to realize this.

In fact, and I can not emphasize this enough, if you’re just in a band you’re probably never going to make any money at this. Even if you tour Europe and Asia – you will probably only end up self sustaining – or maybe making a couple hundred bucks a year. A guy like Chuck Billy, the singer of Testament, a man who has sold hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of records and headlined tons of festivals realizes this and runs his own management company to compensate. That’s just the nature of the beast – and the sooner you accept that the easier your life will become. Can you build your band with the goal of it being a career? Of course – in fact I would even recommend that. It will help you to establish something special. But don’t think that it will ever come true.

Now a lot of this stuff you can do yourself for free – but you have to realize that it requires a diverse range of skills and will require a ton of your own time. So much so, that it probably isn’t humanly possible after a certain point. Just the level of networking required is so high that in most cases it could drive you insane. Again – such is the nature of the beast. Even with the right sort of friends you’ll probably find yourself forced to take buy-ons and end up on incredibly long tours that are simply punishing both physically and mentally – but that’s a huge part of what makes the triumph at the end of the tunnel so great.

I’m sure you’ve had that old lecture a million times. That the music industry requires hard work and rarely pays off. But here’s the thing – even your friends who are professionals in the music industry are probably barely scraping by and can’t bring you up ‘just because’. They are going to need some money too. They can introduce you to people and help get your name out there – but even your manager is not going to be able to invest a grand into you with the hope that one day it will somehow pay off. Getting professional people around you is just the start of your music career. It’s the baseline that everyone else who does this full time has. It doesn’t mean that you’re superior to anyone, outside of perhaps the local bands you originally found yourself competing with.

These things cost money – this industry is a struggle for a reason. And to be honest – people who are willing to do stuff for free probably shouldn’t be trusted. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t occasionally step up and take one for the team, just to get some connections or life experiences – but as a general rule – if it sounds too good to be true (Or too cheap to be true) then it isn’t. The reason that not everyone is an artist is because it’s a lot of fucking work and the people who have the passion, love, and incredible sense of dedication that you need to have are extremely rare. As Tomàs Doncker likes to say “Everyone is full of shit. Until they’re not.” As I’ve written in previous articles the music industry is capitalism in its purest form – and if you’re not ready to embrace that, then you might as well turn around and go home.

So what does this mean for you exactly? Well, really it just means that you need to take the time to really think about the consequences of your actions and remember that the people doing this professionally doing this professionally and need to be paid accordingly. The music industry is no place for coward and it requires a very real sense of ballsiness to make this entire thing work .So be ready o embrace a darker future and one that requires a lot of work to really get going. Be grateful to everyone – they are almost certainly doing the best they can. They are more than just a service though – they are a person too, and they need to be respected, even if they are giving their all for the art. If you conduct yourself with a spirit of maturity, respect and friendliness in this industry then things can only go well – I guarantee it.

Independent Music Promotions’ (www.independentmusicpromotions.com) revolutionary music PR campaigns are the most effective in the industry. Submit your music to us today.

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Housecore Horror Film Festival – Day 3

Every once in a while IMP sends out one of its rogue journalists on a machine to go to a festival, get super drunk, see a bunch of old friends – and hopefully see some bands to write about. Matt Bacon got a chance to attend this years House Horror Film Festival and this is what happened to him. HUGE thank you to Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel) of Blow The Scene for his photography work!

 

The last day of any festival is always brutal. By this point any festival-goer worth their salt is at least a couple dozen drinks in, has had to track down all sorts of illicit substances (Either for themselves or for friends) and then been forced to wander about – utterly lost searching for someplace to eat at some godforsaken hour – crying out as Jesus did on the cross “Eloi, Eloi” Or maybe that’s just me being melodramatic. What can I say? I do this a lot – and veterans know that festivals can be hard sometimes – that’ just how life works.

That being said – I had a bit of a late start to the day, as the early part of the festivities saw me plowing through interviews with a wealth of the bands playing the festival. Of course – I wasn’t going to miss Author & Punisher – Tristan is a mastermind, a genius who breaks all of the rules and has managed to find a sound that is totally his own. His live performance remains incredibly exciting and human – there is an indelible majesty to what he has to bring to the table that makes people like me scrape our jaws from the floor. Author & Punisher is – simply put – among the best of the best. As one friend described it “He sounds like he’s making steel fall from the sky” An apt comparison considering how torturous and destructive this one man band can end up being. Author & Punisher functions at the bleeding edge of musical excellence and his entrancing Housecore set was just another example of that.

And then the hour was nigh for the band I believe to be the best live act in the world right now. The almighty, the one and only, Yob. Mike Scheidt seemed far more comfortable with his vocals then when I had last seen him, a week prior in New York City, his throat issues evidently have cleared up. Beyond that – as any band does – the deeper they get in the tour the more comfortable they become – and this particular set seemed especially vibrant. Slogging their way through tracks primarily taken from Clearing The Path To Ascend and The Unreal Never Lived there was something distinctly fresh about their Housecore performance that made it feel exciting and dynamic. Yob bring the noise and prove that their music is love incarnate. The sense of peace and freedom encapsulated in their set is always refreshing – it shows a new horizon that few can compete with and guided me onto a sonic path of freedom.

Despite the growing fatigue I was in my element. I managed to knock out an interview with a band I had never previously heard of between Yob and Ghoul, making my way back to see the latter perform a wonderfully energetic live show. The thing is – after seeing groups as emotionally heavy as Yob and Author & Punisher are known for it’s always good to take a chance to back off, chill out and do something less potent – Ghoul were exactly that. They feel like GWAR must have twenty years ago when there was still no money behind the band. Their silly stage show, resplendent with monsters, blood and weapons galore was a lot of fun to see play out. Beyond that – Ghoul are incredible musicians, managing to handle surprisingly technical music in between fighting off bad guys from alternate dimensions. I had not gone in with especially high expectations, but by the time they were done I was enamored – rocking out with the best of them.

I didn’t really know what to expect of Zombi. I’d heard their records of course, and I remember thinking that they were tight, but I didn’t really ‘get it’. When I saw the band play live though suddenly something clicked. Zombi have a way of capturing the imagination, weaving intricate soundscapes with a deceptively simple stage set up. Beyond the fact that these guys are extremely talented musicians, the way that they manage to create an overwhelming vibe that can come to dominate a room is very impressive. Their is a very palatable sense of majesty in their distinctly understated art and that’s a huge part of what makes them so interesting to me. You find yourself soaking up vibes that you never even really knew existed and it becomes harder and harder to deny yourself of the surreal magic that the band has been able to invoke. Zombi are pushing a totally unique and exciting brand of music – and in the live arena they manage to invoke things that start to alter the soul.

Incantation where up next and I was left in awe. Like I said earlier – I’m not super into death metal, but these Pennsylvania natives brought down the house like few of their peers ever could. John McEntee’s vocals are absolutely crushing and he has the same kind of stage presence that I imagine someone like Chuck Schuldiner having had. His love for old school death metal is clear in his very vocal desire to kill posers and get the ‘sick fucks’ in the audience moshing. Their is a sort of infectious glee to what Incantation do – you find yourself getting lost in the inherent madness of the music and it is hard to remove yourself from the dark and fucked up magic that is found within. Despite this – there was also a bittersweet element to the set, McEntee dedicated several songs to fallen friends… a sign of where death metal is at these days. Nevertheless, Incantation understand the inherent magic of death metal perhaps better than any other band out there, and they dominated the Aztec’s stage and proved that there is still a place for old school death metal to rule.

At this point I ran over to the Korova to check out Honky, a band that a friend had recommended to me. Featuring members of The Butthole Surfers, The Melvins and Down, Honky are a bizarre sight to see playing gritty southern rock whilst wearing massive cowboy hats and sporting rich beards. At first I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this band – but I could easily see that they are incredibly talented and a lot of fun to watch, moreover, despite the fact that they rarely get to play together, their seems to be a very viable chemistry there. It was funny to see though – Honky are a band who seem like they should be playing on a tiny stage in a shitty bar, not rocking the hundred odd fans at a mid sized venue like the Korova – especially when you know that all three of these guys have had a chance to play to tens of thousands of people all over the world. But perhaps that’s a part of the magic of rock and roll – it certainly added to the glory of what Honky were able to do on that far flung Texas stage.

I made my way back to The Aztec for Goblin then. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this particular set either – and I was honestly let down. Even after the video system had been rebooted (Initially the film had been lagging and jerky – an obvious no-no for a live score) I was left a little frustrated. That being said – I also realize that this wasn’t really for me. And that’s fine. In all honesty – those who had stayed to view this last ritual seemed utterly enamored. Perhaps I’m not deeply enough invested into the world of horror to ‘get it’. In some ways that reflected my general attitude towards this whole thing – it’s amazing – but some of these horror bits left me feeling lost.

As I hung outside the venue, saying goodbye to friends I see far less than I would like, I couldn’t help but smiling. This had been one of the good ones. We had all had the chance to witness some really special things and had a weekend that I don’t think any attendee could easily forget. There was a lot going on – but tha’ts a part of what made it great. The cosmic overload and inherent magic of a festival like Housecore is essential to making it work. It reminds you that while this bizarre and twisted fantasy of festival life is great, we also have to be careful and remember that this isn’t the only way to live. And yet, as we found this beautiful fusion of horror and metal, I got the sense that Housecore is about to tap into something greater, something freer, and it could move the entire genre forward with it.

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Housecore Horror Film Festival – Day 2

Every once in a while IMP sends out one of its rogue journalists on a machine to go to a festival, get super drunk, see a bunch of old friends – and hopefully see some bands to write about. Matt Bacon got a chance to attend this years House Horror Film Festival and this is what happened to him. HUGE thank you to Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel) of Blow The Scene for his photography work!

 

Hung over. The day began with me and my apartment mates (Four of us crammed into a room) groaning and tired – trying to figure out what the hell we were supposed to do before the festival started up for the day. It turns out that the answer was to sleep. Nevertheless – we found ourselves digging in deep to face the second day – Housecore sees a fair amount of walking around, with the Korova a seven minute walk away, and cheap food options scattered around the adjacent blocks, this kind of thing can get tiring fast. Especially if you’re a rogue journalist running around the festival trying to score interviews with anyone you can.

After handling a few earlier interviews I managed to go with a friend to see Gasmiasma – notable for sharing members with Down and Eyehategod – as well as a singer with a massive tattoo of an eagle on his forehead. These guys are essentially a powerviolence act with more than a touch of their beloved New Orleans sound. The sludgy magic of Gasmiasma is wonderfully counterbalanced by the grindcore parts and it helps, for me at least, to prove that these guys are the real deal. Gasmiasma are wonderfully vicious live and it’s hard to deny yourself of the soul searing majesty that this band so easily invokes. Gasmiasma understand what it means to create gut crushing metal with punishing grooves and once you dive in, there is no escape from one of the most wonderfully blasphemous bands in the world.

Nails were up next – and as usual they pretty much destroyed the venue. This is one of those bands who, while excellent on the record, manage to push things to the next level with their live performance. With a singer who looks and acts like a younger and sexier Phil Anselmo the sense of raw fucking anger that these guys exude is utterly stunning – it’s as if there is no escape from the existentially terrifying sense of sublime hate that defines the music. Nails are utterly devastating and if you don’t know what’s coming, then you might as well just crash and burn. This is not a band to be taken lightly but rather one to be feared. They will choke you out and make you suffer – eventually transforming you into a slave to the ear melting desecration that Nails seem to be so bizarrely comfortable with. These guys are one of the most devastating live bands out there, and it is impossible for any fan of the heavy stuff to miss out on their magic.

At this point I had to dart back to the artist lounge to conduct more interviews .Such is the struggle of the journalist – you find yourself writing, working and trying to get interviews pumped out before diving right back into the quasi-apocalyptic destruction of whatever band you happen to see next. That being said – these things are also rather special because they give you a chance to see people you might only bump into once or twice a year. The rat race continued until Phil Anselmo himself pulled me over and told me to go with him to see Poison Idea.

So I did.

Of fucking course I did.

What would you do?

That being said – Poison Idea were truly impressive. Their distinct fusion of punk and 80s metal was perfectly executed and they were a lot of fun to see bring it live. The raw energy unleashed by this band is stunning and it felt strangely triumphant to see an act so used to playing tiny clubs get a chance to tear it up in front of hundreds of fans. Anthemic and bold, Poison Idea have a fundamental understanding of the nature of the beast, and furthermore get exactly what makes this whole thing so special. The guys clearly had a blast on stage – the guitar solos were especially impressive and left me curious what more these old time legends have to offer. This is a band who are only just starting to receive recognition for years of hard work, and their energetic live performances will impress just about anyone.

One of my most anticipated bands of the festival was Cripple Bastards – a group who used Housecore as an opportunity to play their first ever US show. I had honestly never expected to see them live, so this was a rare opportunity that I relished every minute of. They have a wonderfully demented stage presence, defined by vicious energy and a deranged frontman. Despite their relative lack of live experience, this band is very fun to watch – they bring in a diaspora of influences to help craft some of the most abrasive grindcore you will ever hear. There is a vicious cult of desperation and destruction around what this band does too that can’t help but impress. You find yourself left like a raw nerve – every chord grating you into oblivion and forcing you to handle the perpetual sonic trauma that makes Cripple Bastards so special.

The interviews got in the way of seeing bands once more – but that being said – these kind of endurance events also require you to take the time to step away and drink. A heavy alcohol regimen is essential to surviving multi-day festivals. Otherwise you’re left having to face the madness with the incredible pain of sobriety. To push through any sane and rational being knows that they need at least something to help keep them going through the storm. It’s the only real way forward at times – such is the nature of the beast.

Crowbar ended up being – as expected – one of my highlights of the weekend. Their unique brand of Southern sludge has been often imitated but never improved upon. These guys are the best of the best – impossible to fight against and always there to crack your skull. They get the fundamental power of heavy music better than perhaps any other band in the word. Their is a very palatable sense of deranged dissonance to their sound that leaves you questioning your sanity and gasping for breath. Crowbar – in the live setting especially – truly live up to their slogan of “None Heavier”. At the end of the day it’s impossible to combat it – Crowbar slowed down, turned up and then tore our hearts to shreds – after all, that’s what they do best.

I didn’t know much about Negative Approach going into seeing them other than that they are currently on tour with the masterful Child Bite, but that didn’t stop them from impressing me. I had climbed to the upper level of the Aztec to view their live ritual, and soaked in every moment. Sure their guitarist never faced the audience, and sure the mix seemed sub par (A recurring issue throughout the weekend) but this is still a band who know how to rage on stage. And while yes – it probably is a band more suited for a club show (At times the band members looked downright uncomfortable on such a massive stage) they still were an exciting group to watch and who executed their twin vocal assault wonderfully, they couldn’t help but capture the imagination.

Corrosion of Conformity is another band who have unfortunately escaped the breadth of my metal knowledge. Call it a sign of the times, or just general ignorance on my part but I ended up being stunned by their set. The sludgy magic that they invoked with Pepper Keenan – a man who simply reeks of rock and roll – was astounding. This is the kind of band who bring it at a very high level – unleashing an energetic (If slowed down) sound and devastating the listener at every turn. Phil Anselmo came out to do a couple lines here and there and added to the general magic of the performance. After all – how many other fests get have someone as legendary as Phil just wandering around – guesting wherever he pleases? It seems that now more than ever, as thousands of fans howled along to Pepper’s powerful vocals, that Corrosion of Conformity are the metal band for their time and place.

And so the hour was nigh for Agoraphobic Nosebleeds second ever show – hotly anticipated by the gathered masses – even if it was slightly dimmed by the recent announcement that the band would be playing club shows and touring in the next few years. Nevertheless – the show that these guys put on was utterly dominant. After all, Agoraphobic Nosebleed are brutality incarnate. The multi-layered growls are utterly terrifying and the drum machine (Even given its own solo!) sounded absolutely perfect. There is something magical about Agoraphobic Nosebleed – something that transcends the denseness of the music and the face melting insanity that defines some of the riffs. Toss in a horror inspired background film and you start to get a sense for the demented triumph of this band. Agoraphobic Nosebleed have found a way to create sublime and brutal music that speaks to the human spirit and leaves you in physical pain, but still begging for more – this is what grindcore should be all about.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed had done well – extremely well in fact. But I still was incredibly excited for Suffocation. As my tastes change I find myself listening to less and less straight death metal – but Suffocation have always managed to maintain a place in my heart as perennial techdeath favorites. When they took the stage – hair flying and guitars blaring, I felt my body forced into that unholy motion that has helped come to define all of the best death metal bands. The wonderfully fucked up breakdowns, sick almost to a fault, left me headbanging so hard that I still feel the pain in my neck a few days later. But that seems almost aside the point because what really matters is that after twenty five years Suffocation still fucking kill it.

See – despite the crappy mix (A lot of the bands trademark technicality was lost to a bass happy engineer) this is one of the few death metal bands with enough festival experience to make a stage like The Aztec their own. Spread out, and utterly vicious, these legends left us in awe. Frank Mullens New York swagger guided the band through sets and left us all excited for what more was to come. Suffocation drive forward with the infinite passion and danger that makes death metal so great. This confluence of factors managed to invoke the inherent magic of death metal and make the bands set a stunner – despite any sort of engineering limitations they may have faced.

It was at this point that I ran over to the Korova for the first time, the secondary music venue for the festival, to watch my buddies in Disfigured. Now, here is a band that really get what makes death metal great. Mike De Leon (Now a member of Phil Anselmo’s Illegals) is one of the great death metal guitarists of his generation. His distinctive stage presence, and raw energy is always exciting to watch and he simply can’t help but to lay it all on the line and play an absolutely stunning show. As I got shoved to the front, I couldn’t help but feel in absolute awe – witnessing these guys was an honor, especially considering that I doubt I will ever get a chance to seem them play again. I rarely get into a death metal band as much as I did with Disfigured, windmilling the whole set and raising my fist – enthralled with the bands unabashed energy. This is a band who love Texas Death Metal with all of their hearts and souls and watching them rip it up was something I will never forget.

The night came to a close, and I had the chance to walk on my own through San Antonio, which I must say is a truly awesome city – even with the Texans. Filled with great food options (Although for vegetarians like me there was certainly a bit of a struggle) San Antonio feels safe and friendly. It’s a pleasant city to simply wander in – and wander I did. Reveling in the beauty of the night, and fully content with the brief and cleansing escape from reality that this festival represents I couldn’t help but smile. God is good and death metal is great – what more could a boy ask for?

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Housecore Horror Film Festival – Day 1

Every once in a while IMP sends out one of its rogue journalists on a machine to go to a festival, get super drunk, see a bunch of old friends – and hopefully see some bands to write about. Matt Bacon got a chance to attend this years House Horror Film Festival and this is what happened to him. HUGE thank you to Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel) of Blow The Scene for his photography work!

And so the festival began. In the minutes leading up to Child Bite triumphantly kicking off the festival someone from Superjoint Ritual was kind enough to get me backstage and I found a comfortable spot to watch the masters have a go at their craft. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the backstage area too. It was nicely laid out – done in such a way that even a deranged degenerate like myself could find their way through the mysterious twists and turns of the maze that defines backstage life. There is an inherent charm to The Aztec with it’s Meso-American décor and wealth of bars scattered about the venue – even if the drinks are expensive as all get out.

Child Bite unleashed what was perhaps the best set I’ve ever seen from them – and I’ve seen them a lot. These guys can play to say the least and watching them tear it up is always a pleasure. The fact of the matter is that Child Bite understand rock and roll on a fundamental level. They are pushing the boundaries and forcing people to absorb the inherent magic of their music. With their live performance, Child Bite break all the rules and push every boundary – not the kind of stuff for the faint of heart. The bands dynamic frontman, Shawn Knight stomps across the sage, belting out epic odes about anything, everything and nothing at all. The fresh crowd seemed into what the band had to offer, after all, this is not a group to be taken lightly, they understand exactly what they want to do, and moreover, how to do it, and that’s what makes them great.

Up next was Warbeast – a band who seem to cross the death metal generation gap with their distinctly thrashy attack. Featuring members of the death metal old guard alongside upstart drummer Joey Gonzalez and a pair of young and hungry musicians. These guys are pushing their sound to the extreme, with exciting guitar solos and vicious rhythms coming to define the music of a band who seem doomed to destroy and destined to die. Here’s the thing, with their jacked up lead guitar player covered in spikes and leather alongside their singers Giger-esque mic stand, these guys look and feel exactly the way a death metal band should be – and that helps to create a very exciting vibe. Once they get into it, it’s hard to deny the inherent magic and drama of this band. It’s more than enough to capture the imagination of the young and faithful gathered at the Aztec. Suffice to say, Warbeast put together something special at Housecore.

It speaks to the depth of this festival that Eyehategod played on fourth billing. That being said – it was probably for the better that they did. While every other time I’ve seen Eyehategod the band was totally on point and incredibly dangerous, this set was definitely the weakest I’ve ever seen from them. It seemed like there was some sort of drug or alcohol problem fucking up the band. It felt like a dull punk performance – Eyehategod didn’t seem to have their usual edge and the audience seemed largely let down. While I’m not going to say these old masters are fading, I’m certainly left wondering what’s to come next from these sludge icons. Eyehategod are one of the most exciting bands in the world and I pray that their legacy only continues to grow.

The Exodus attack was especially notable. I’d seen these guys earlier this year at Hellfest and had sat in the bus with them earlier in the day in a state of total shock over the terrorist attacks in France. That didn’t seem to slow these thrash masters though. Commanding a swirling circle pit with his trademark enthusiasm, Zetro guided the band through a slew of classics alongside a few newer tracks easily invoking the spirit of the 80s. It speaks to the incredible and enduring legacy of Exodus that Zetro can so easily storm through songs that aren’t even his and make them sound utterly sick. After all, he’s a rock and roll icon who has far too often been cast by the wayside. That being said – I get the impression that Exodus is only going to get better and keep the band pushing into even more exciting territory.

I’ve seen Superjoint Ritual seven times now, and part of what I find charming abut them is how every show seems to be slightly different. There is an intricate balance here, between the unholy energy of their 45 minute long sets on the Danzig tour as opposed to longer headlining sets where Phil takes a moment to ramble and muse to the world at large – much to the disdain of some fans. The latter was the kind of set that Superjoint played on Friday night – and personally I was in love with it. Superjoint Ritual deliver crushing and evil songs of a sort that no other band in the world can compete with. They’re a blast to watch, and extremely funny. So what if Phil likes to get drunk on stage and talk about whatever he wants? Sure the band ended up joking around with Dave Hill towards the end of the set – but how many people get to claim they’ve seen Phil Anselmo perform My Sharona? He’s Phil Anselmo – it’s his fucking festival and his fucking band – get over it.

And so the hour came for one of the headliners of the festival – the almighty, the unholy, and the utterly unfuckwithable King Diamond. Borne to earth from a twisted affair, and fervently dedicated to his own brand of Satanism, King Diamond deserves his place as a metal legend. Within two songs, I turned to my buddy, a man who had brought his fifteen year old daughter to the show, and said “This is already life changing” And it was. Playing a slew of classics before breaking into the classic Abigail album King Diamond left the crowd utterly amazed – this is a band who are impossible to reckon with and who have established their rightful place as kings of metal.

Beyond anything else – King Diamond’s stage show was amazing – with lavish costumes and a badass stage set up there was an aura of majesty around the performance space. As he soared forth with his searing vocals, it became increasingly difficult to reject the burning power that King Diamonds performance can bring. Beyond that – his backing band was on point. Every guitar solo blazed out menacingly, the bass lines remained fresh and exciting, and the drum work dynamic. Notable though was the presence of King’s wife, almost hidden, on the side of stage providing backup on some of the higher vocals. What this says about the masters voice, I don’t know – but it may be something to keep in mind before saying that this great man has another decade or more on the road.

The night came to a close and the crowd was in awe – some fans even going so far as to say that King Diamond would be impossible to top – that he had pushed too far and come out as the best band of the weekend already. In all honesty – he probably was. But considering his years of experience on the road and prodigious talent it was really no surprise. The point being – the first day of Housecore had been truly special, even if was more of an evening. The best band of the festival had already played but we were still left wondering what more madness was to come.

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Housecore Horror Film Festival – An Introduction

Every once in a while IMP sends out one of its rogue journalists on a machine to go to a festival, get super drunk, see a bunch of old friends – and hopefully see some bands to write about. Matt Bacon got a chance to attend this years House Horror Film Festival and this is what happened to him. HUGE thank you to Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel) of Blow The Scene for his photography work!

Housecore Horror Film Festival is one of those weird and sacred moments in the metal festival calendar. It’s an event that see a confluence of the horror and metal communities to create a truly special experience. Even as I sit here at my airport gate, literally twenty feet from Agoraphobic Nosebleed, I can’t help but get the impression that the magic of this festival still has yet to dissipate. Housecore is one of those rare momentous occasions that makes this whole heavy metal thing worth doing – year in and year out.

Though last year was marred by tragedy and the future of the festival was placed into question I think most people would say this years edition was executed with aplomb – leaving us with a heavy metal experience to be reckoned with. Moved from Austin to San Antonio the festival layout was distinctly different than last years, and perhaps a bit too spread out. That being said – given how little time they had to bring this whole thing together I was impressed to see them running the massive event on a profit, even with the over-the-top drink prices..

In retrospect, I realize that I sound a little bit bitter in the previous couple of sentences – and let’s be clear, I’m not. Housecore this year was a distinct and exciting experience in and of itself. The fact that it was so different from last year actually added to the fun – not only were regular attendees given the chance to explore a new city, but the new press set up seemed to make a whole lot more sense as compared to the way that it ran last year. Sure they have their kinks to work out – but it seems like, for now at least, that the festival has found a great new home at the twin venues of the Aztec Theater and The Korova along with the films showing at the convention center at the Holiday Inn just across the street.

Simply put, part of why Housecore is great is because things at this festival make sense – a lesson that a lot of other similar fests could learn from. There is a logical press layout, and an easy to comprehend structure for how the entire thing flows for everyone, from the artists to the fans. In fact, multiple artists commented to me that they enjoyed this festival a lot more than its peers precisely because of the friendly atmosphere and laid back attitude. The ability for the artists (Even headliners!) to easily mix with the people led to some fun times and unique memories that I think will leave in indelible mark on attemdees.

And so – after an extended delay (I got to spend a night in Houston everyone! Guess what – don’t eat at the Hot Biscuit.) my 23 hour voyage came to an end. Despite the nightmare my traveling buddy and I had getting there, their was still a sense of excitement in the air. After all – on our flight to Houston a Texas business mogul decided to get us drunk and shoot the shit with us – clearly things couldn’t end up going that badly!

I think by the end of the journey we were merely sustained by the knowledge that we would see friends we bump into but once every few years, and be amazed by bands we had never before seen. After all – isn’t that what makes these things so special in the first place? We landed in San Antonio six hours before my Exodus interview and the race was on. The hectic madness and the chaotic struggle that would come to define the weekend, and help to make it so fantastic, started to come to fruition. Their was a very palatable sense of magic in the air – as if the sacred memory of Corey Mitchell was sitting there watching over us all.

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