(update: Jon’s last show of his residency was quite good. here are some pics from the show)

There is one criticism that is impossible to levy at Birmingham’s Jon Black- that you just don’t hear from him that often. Now in the middle of  making 5 EPs, a podcast, and a series of free live shows, Jon is putting his music out there. It is jarringly different than clicking on a band’s myspace page and hearing some songs. Jon is doing interesting, innovative things, so after his first free show at Bottletree, I asked him about it:

CHRIS:  You  have some interesting ideas about how to create and distribute your music. Tell me about Up from the Ground…

JON: Last summer the label I was on shut down and I realized that was completely in charge of what happened next.  So, I decided I wanted release a steady stream of content instead of just an album and I named it the Up From The Ground Project because I felt like I was really starting over with my career.  The whole project will take over a year to complete (5-EPs) and by the time the next EP releases, the one prior to that will be free.  My biggest fear is not having my music heard and I’m eliminating the biggest barrier (cost to the listener) in order to have it heard.  The second barrier for listeners is time and that’s nothing I have control over.  We’re sitting in a interesting point in the entertainment and art world because of the internet and I can now write a song, record it, and the distribute it across the world within 24 hours (and that’s being generous… you could do it in an hour if you wanted).  This project could totally fail but I figure it’s better to try something different than to keep beating a dead horse.

CHRIS: You are about to play your last of 4 free shows at Bottletree. Discuss how you decided to try this, and how you structured the shows- did you have specific goals in mind for this, or was it more of a “let’s see what happens” attitude?

JON:  I got the idea for the series of free shows from other artists and music scenes.  It’s not uncommon for bigger music markets to have a summer residency with new and familiar artists (ex. Wilco did a 5-night residency in Chicago, Patterson Hood did a 3-night residency in Athens, etc.).  It’s really a great thing for everyone when it’s executed right.  The artist/band gets to play in front of people and the club gets to make money on alcohol/food sales.  Some residencies aren’t free but when it’s someone in my place, still developing a live show and a fanbase in Birmingham, it’s not uncommon to see free residencies.  Bottletree has been really cool about trying this experiment and I think it’s been successful.  I’d love to see the idea live on in the future (whether it’s with me or another great local band).

CHRIS:  I discovered, quite by surprise, that your song Gravity (Don’t Let Me Go) opens the Joystiq Podcast- a popular video game focused podcast. Talk about how you ended up on it, and in what ways has this helped or possibly hurt your music.

JON:  The Joystiq guys are great! I’ve been a fan of their stuff for a while and Justin McElroy reached out to me when he found out I loved the site and was a musician.  He asked if I had something they could use for the intro to the podcast and I happily gave them some music and it’s been really great for me and as a fan of the site and of video games it’s cool to somehow contribute.  I’ve seen a lot of folks check out my songs and download them because of it.  I wouldn’t say it’s hurt me or limited my audience at all.  There are a lot of people out there that play games and love great music and I really want them hear my songs.  If they don’t like it because it’s not “angry” or “gamer” enough then that’s fine.  There are plenty of bands out there that appeal more to that niche market (DJ Chris, I Fight Dragons, and so on).  Any help I can get I’m thankful for and the joystiq crew have been more than helpful.  I think it’s pretty clear after hearing my music that I’m not trying to focus on that nerdcore audience and I think that some gamers might feel tricked or disappointed but that’s okay.  That being said, if I WERE going after a nerdcore/geek rock audience then I would have struck gold with the Joystiq podcast Intro.  There are other artists out there that would benefit more than me and I think that’s great.  I don’t think my song will be the intro forever and I’m really happy and thankful they’ve used it for so long.  It’s been great exposure.

CHRIS:  A byproduct of being on a popular video game podcast is that Gravity is available to download in Rock Band. How did it end up there and have you tried playing your own song? In general terms, can you tell us how popular it is/if you’re now rich?

JON: The guys at Joystiq connected me with the RockBand folks and that was an amazing experience.  The team at Harmonix are all in local and regional bands around Boston and they speak “musician” so it’s easy to work with them.  It’s been a cool to be on RockBand and fun to see people play the game and then go check out my songs and as a result of the RockBand game I am now a millionaire… and by millionaire I mean: I haven’t seen a paycheck from it yet but I’m not expecting much.  It’s more of a promotional thing in my mind.

CHRIS:  After your 5 EP plan, are you even considering what’s next? Or are you focused solely on the present?

JON:  I’m always trying to think of the next step and I have some ideas but nothing set in the stone.  I do want the next project after the EP series to be a full length record but we’ll see… I really love the idea of interacting with other musicians and fans around the world and seeing if we could create something together.

CHRIS:  Why the “Who is”? and what did you do to the Winter Hearts between EP1 and EP2?

JON: The “Who Is” came from my old label as a clever marketing thing we attempted.  The marketing thing didn’t grow legs but we all really liked how “Who Is Jon Black” sounded and decided to use that as the website and such.  We felt it sounded mysterious and invited people to discover who I am.  Also, jonblack.com was taken.  The Winter Hearts will make a return for the third EP and the fourth and fifth will just be Jon Black.  The idea is that when you see “The Winter Hearts” on the art you’ll know it’s supposed to be a rock project.  When it’s just my name it tends to lean more folky, acoustic, alt-country, whatever.  The line between the “Jon Black” EPs and the “Jon Black & The Winter Hearts” EPs is blurry because I do all the writing and control all the details but I do think it’s different enough though.  It all works really well in a live setting.
CHRIS: What are you listening to these days?

JON:I’m listening to some great mid-90′s stuff.  I’ve been revisiting some of the stuff I listened to in high school and college to see if any of it stands the test of time.  Some of it did not stand the test of time.  However, these did: Sunny Day Real Estate: LP2, Robert Deeble: Earthside Down, Pavement: Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, Bad Religion: Stranger Than Fiction, Pixies: Doolittle.  There are other’s that are still amazing but those are the ones that come to mind.

CHRIS: What’s a great local band you’ve heard that you think people should check out?

JON: One of my favorite local bands is The Great Book of John.  I love them.  Such a great band.  I also think The Green Leaves and War Jacket have a really special thing happening.  Birmingham has so many great bands and the world really needs to know what’s happening here.  What I love about the local scene here in Birmingham is that we actually have a local scene unlike some of our large-city neighbors.  Getting people to pay attention is a different battle…

CHRIS: Where are your favorite places to play? (besides Bottletree, of course…)

JON: My five favorite places I’ve played (in no specific order): Bottletree, Workplay, Schuba’s (Chicago), Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta), the Basement (Nashville).  Each of those rooms offer something completely different for the artist and the listener.  The one thing that sticks out to me for each of those room is that they’re all small(ish) and they create a great intimacy (yes, even for loud rock shows).

*****

After asking Jon these questions, I listened to 3 of his podcasts. If I had done that first, this interview would have been much shorter:  “Should we listen to your podcast to learn everything that’s going on with you, and be entertained?” and Jon would have said “yes”.  I highly suggest that you listen to a couple of them to find out more of Jon.  Don’t forget you have one more chance to see Jon live at Bottletree Tuesday, August 10 for FREE. Do it!

The simplest answer to that question is, of course, 461. But when I asked Ronnie Moore, his answer was “Winparty!” Okay, so math isn’t really his bag, but he has a valid point; as manager of the Church of the Performing Arts–known colloquially to the Huntsville/Decatur/Madison area (thus 256) as “the Church”, he is ready to see more integration between the local music scenes of the 256 area and Birmingham (205). Ronnie has spent some time living in Birmingham, just long enough to see the loss of The Boiler Room and the emergence of Cave 9, but after moving back home and seeing closings of rental venues–much like here in Birmingham–he set a new goal, which he hopes will ultimately be culminated in the opening of the Church.

Here’s an interview I conducted with him about the new venue, which is located at the old St. Ann’s Catholic Church (established 1906!) on Johnston Street in Decatur:

- Tell us about your relationship to the venue: Are you solely responsible for booking the shows, or do you have any booking agents working with you?

My place is really as a manager with the goal of revitalizing local music and performing arts, and though I do a lot of local booking myself, I have always worked as a cog in the machine with numerous local booking agents to help people connect with each other for years. The idea being that there’s no monopoly in the local community and no undue stress on any one manager, band, or agent.

- Describe the process of opening the venue; what was your motivation? Were there any major roadblocks/obstacles in getting the doors open?

Well, I had kept my eyes open for a few years as locales came and went, similar to what happened in Birmingham with numerous venues, Huntsville found and lost numerous rental venues but nothing permanent. It had really weighed on me for quite a long time. When I moved from Birmingham in 2002 it was already in the back of my head with the closing of the Boiler Room; once I made it to the Huntsville area found the problem was the same. The difficulty has always been in a lack of community and no real locations. Which meant I had to broaden the scope of my goal. We couldn’t successfully get JUST any DIY venue open; instead it would have to function on a broader level to hold itself up with music but also with theater and other performing arts. The greatest obstacle for the longest time was simply LOCATION. With that part out of the way, even if for just a few years, we hope that we can move on to something more stable.

- We’ve witnessed the loss of DIY venues like Unity 1605, Big Dan’s Fantastic Planet, The Boiler Room, Cave 9, etc. here in Birmingham to a few common causes; what are you hoping to do differently or have done to keep your venue open, even in tough times?

Well, we’re working from day one with other venues including the Flying Monkey Arts Center (a non-profit arts center) and the Carnegie Visual Arts Center (an arts gallery), Vertical House (a record store) Kenny Mango’s (a coffee shop) and other local establishments to develop a non-profit organization that can qualify for arts grants. Also we’re tying in to the local community theater groups and hoping to spread in to Birmingham to develop larger networking capabilities. The idea is to be so big, so loud (and simultaneously accepted by the arts community) that we won’t have the typical stagnation in the local community.

- Tell us about the local talent offerings in the area that we Birminghamians may not be familiar with (and why we should be).

Well, I’m really excited about what’s happening in local DIY music to be honest, everything from folk to rock to pop to metal. On the lighter side of music, there are great young artists like Or the Children’s Crusade (which is an indie folk in the vein of David Bazan), Jon Gray, Colin Bugbee, or Helen Keller’s Ukulele (which is Rita Burkholder’s jazz-influenced single ukulele project). There is also a current movement of pop and pop punk which would include Carridale, Rookies at Best, Heroes for Tonight which all span from the post-hardcore to the poppiest summer songs. Not to mention my own project Barnstormers which has called this area home for years.

[Editor's note: Ronnie was modest enough to mention his own act at the end without trumping himself up too much, so I'll embellish for him: LISTEN TO BARNSTORMERS! They are a fantastic dark alt-country--"doom country" if you will--group.]

- The Huntsville/Decatur/Madison area enjoys venues like the Flying Monkey Arts Center and Vertical House; what distinguishes your new venue from these? Do you hope to bring their artists and events to your place and support a bigger 256-area community?

The idea is really in networking. The more that is going on, the more awareness it raises. I spoke to Andy Vaughn (owner of Vertical House) about the very possibility and he, like many others in the area, are simply turning artists away because they either don’t have the space or the time. Another venue with larger capacity and a greater focus on DIY bands should help to alleviate some of that weight. I know a lot of booking agents and bands who’ve never really been able to synch up with those venues and hopefully this will help tie them in as well.

- What are your aspirations for bringing Birmingham north to your shows? Do you hope for a sort of scene exchange, in which 256- and 205-area musicians can count on easy access to shows at each other’s venues?

Absolutely. Because Huntsville has always suffered for some good booking of larger, current bands, the locals have grown very accustomed to taking a longer drive, whether it was to Nashville, Birmingham, or Atlanta. I would love to bring some of that home to them and in turn work with those venues so their home bands get an extra date on their circuit and hopefully in return help springboard some of our bands out in their direction. We’re really hoping to develop a relationship that will encourage and welcome Birmingham scenesters up our way while continuing to support what they do. It goes without saying that over the years so many Birmingham people (from Aaron [Cave 9] to Will Butler and Renee [Sacred Heart Productions], Walker Grooms to Mike Parsons [Best of Times]) have done great things for us up North, so we don’t want to create competition but also to help their endeavors by putting in some work of our own.

- Finally, a math question: 256+205 = ?

Winparty! And a great idea. I hope that everyone in Birmingham feels welcome in everything we do and that together we can really make a home for DIY music and encourage the DIY ethos in Alabama.

Kudos, Ronnie. I hope the Church–which seems an interesting mash-up of Birmingham’s Boiler Room (in that it was also once a church) and Cave 9 (also an art co-op, not just a music venue)–fares better than our previous DIY venues. Perhaps our closed venues are learning experiences, and in the process of working together, Birmingham can learn a thing or two from this new venture.

For more information on shows at the Church and other venues in the North Alabama area, check out North Alabama Music on MySpace.

Torche is an anomaly. Though the band formed in the underground drone and doom metal scene, they have forged their own unique and interesting path ever since. Many of their contemporaries choose to concentrate on the dark and depressing sides of existence – you know the drill: death, destruction and despair. Listen to just one Torche song, and it’s easy to see what sets them apart.

First of all, the band sounds downright happy. The drums and bass form a bouncy foundation for guitar hooks that somehow make listeners cheerful. No matter how heavy the riffs get (and they get pretty damn heavy), the vocals manage to rise and soar above it all. And what’s even stranger, all three members of the band are always smiling when they play live.

Torche will bring their grinning asses to Bottletree on Monday night. Openers for the show are doomsters Harvey Milk of Athens, Georgia and Birmingham’s metal titans Arclight.

Thanks again to vocalist/guitarist Steve Brooks for taking time out to answer my email questions earlier this week.

Phil: You guys just got back from a European tour with Kylesa. How did that tour go? Did you play any massive festivals of note?

Steve: We had a blast and the tour went great. Played Hellfest, Fusion Fest, Furia Fest, etc…and did shows with Voivod, Coalesce and many more. Went to Athens, Greece for the 1st time. Pretty amazing and I can’t wait to go back.

Phil: Would you say you prefer playing clubs in America or festivals in Europe?

Steve: I prefer to play Europe. Not necessarily festivals, but we tend to get treated better overseas.

Phil: Torche has been a three piece for a while now. Did you think of adding another guitar player?

Steve: We thought about it, but we’re really enjoying the 3 piece. It’s a different vibe and still powerful as fuck.

Phil: When you play live with only one guitar, it seems to give the band a more “punky” feel. How will it affect the studio process for the next record? Do you see yourself doing double the guitar work?

Steve: I double guitars in all our recordings. It just beefs up the production, since recordings never sound the same as live. As for the “punky” feel? It does feel more punk rock to us as well. We’re all about high energy and having a blast!

Phil: Are any new songs written? If so, are you playing any on tour and what direction do they seem to be taking?

Steve: We’ve been playing a new song called “King Beef” which will appear on our side of a split 10″ w/Boris later this year. We’ve also been playing an instrumental version of a new song we wrote before the last U.S. tour. It’s still a work in process, but we love playing it. I can’t really tell what direction the new material is going, just because it sounds like us to me.

Phil: On stage it seems you guys are all smiles. That’s definitely unique in the underground scene. What keeps you guys so happy?

Steve: We don’t take ourselves seriously at all, and we all just want to have a good time with the crowd. Good vibes bring on more good vibes.

Phil: When I think of Torche, I think of heavy, catchy guitar hooks. Do these hooks generally just appear magically out of the cosmos, or is it more of a slow, painful birthing process?

Steve: It’s magic, of course.

Phil: You’re also known for sung vocals. You don’t attempt to sing like most bands; you actually sing. Was the sung vocal a conscious decision to kind of put it all out there, or was it a progression as Torche formed?

Steve: I think the generation of music that inspired me is a bit different from what’s the “norm” today. I grew up listening to bands that sang, even if they didn’t have a good voice. I don’t have a good voice, but I’ve learned to use it the way I want to. I don’t limit myself. It’s always been a conscious decision to sing in this band or any other band I’m in.

Phil: You have a strangely accessible sound that could cross over commercially. Could you ever see Torche on a major label?

Steve: Probably not. I have no desire to be a commercial band. I’m not fond of mainstream music fans, and as much as I’d like to make a good living playing music, I prefer to keep a low profile and do things our way.

Phil: Would you ever consider opening a tour for a major label band you weren’t necessarily a fan of?

Steve: Sure, I’ve played with tons of bands I’m not a fan of.

Phil: Have you thought of enforcing an on-stage dress code for Rick? It’s weird to have two snappy dressers in the front and a sweating maniac in his underpants on drums.

Steve: Jon and I are snappy dressers? That’s news to me. Rick can go out naked for all I care, as long as he keeps the beat.

Phil: Your MySpace puffy hair/thrash shirt pics are mildly infamous. What was your most played thrash album back in the day and why?

Steve: Slayer’s “Reign In Blood” or Dark Angel’s “Darkness Descends” are my 2 top played thrash albums. They’re both just brutal as hell.

Phil: Could you have possibly had any other technical problems during your set at the Scion Rock Fest?

Steve: We could’ve. I’m so used to that shit happening though. I’m just glad we still got to finish our set.

Phil: Overall, was playing Scion enjoyable?

Steve: Scion Fest was a blast!
http://www.myspace.com/torche

FINAL broadcast producer, Brian Ratigan

This week, the final episode of FINAL BROADCAST (lolz), for this season anyway, is airing on the Brighthouse Channel and is gonna feature LOADS of local musicians and their videos.

We sat down with friend and incredibly talented animation artist, Brian Ratigan, to get the scoop.

BHAM.FM: What is FINAL BROADCAST and what is the show’s primary focus?

BRIAN: FINAL BROADCAST is an open format public access show featuring animation, music, short films, ambience, art and video installation. It is centered around promoting local artists and experimental art & cinema. Expect a new episode each month, /every/ *Friday @ 6pm* on *Channel 04*, Bright House Networks. For those without Bright House cable I will be putting as much content online as I can. The main purpose is to showcase local talent and expose our audience to what experimental television is capable of.

BHAM.FM: What cool things have you featured on the program so far?

BRIAN: Since premiering in April, we have shown the latest animated projection set from The Electric Kidneys, an Animated Shorts Block and a Music Video Compilation. In the future we will show more blocks of shorts and music videos as well as original mind-blowing animation made specifically for FINAL BROADCAST. Anyone is invited to submit content as well, just drop me an email at: ratigangonemad[at]yahoo[dot]com.

K. Taylor, everyone’s fav lil’ local siren, made a welcome appearance on CBS42′s Wake Up Alabama Friday morning!

Check out her charming self talking about her new band DEAD FINGERS and our show at Bottletree tomorrow night.

Abram & Sarah, one of the ALL GIRL REVUE openers were on Wake Up Alabama too this morning if you were up early enough to catch it. :]

Buy your tix in advance now that all these girls are some TV stars!

My friend Zack works for City Stages. I figured it was a good a time as any to find out what it’s like to work in the music business and (theoretically) get paid!

Being an Intern for City Stages, as told by Zackery Moore

Landing an internship that hooked-me up working on projects for City Stages was a combination of preparation, opportunity and whim.

Finally, I have a confession: I’ve never been.

I hate to break it to you Birmingham, but Isis is not a metal band. Sure, metal fans around the world love them, they get tons of coverage in the metal media and they have shared stages with some of metal’s biggest bands. But, Isis’ sound is so unique, experimental and atmospheric; I don’t see it as being a part of any genre. And I think that’s a good thing.

Avant-garde doom metal, post metal, art metal – it seems a new genre description is created for Isis on a weekly basis. Every attempt to describe and define Isis will ultimately fail…and that’s the way the band likes it. Bassist Jeff Caxide said Isis’ philosophy from the beginning has always been to never repeat themselves and to always move forward.

That commitment to growth and development is definitely visible on the band’s newest album, ‘Wavering Radiant’. In preparation for the band’s show on Saturday, May 23rd, I spoke with Jeff by phone earlier this week. I learned how the fans have reacted to Isis’ constantly evolving sound, and I unearthed the band’s Alabama connection.

(Thanks again to Jeff for taking the time to talk with me.)

Phil Lawless: The new album, ‘Wavering Radiant’, came out May 5. With each album it seems like Isis has gotten a little more experimental, a little more melodic. What influences or experiences as a band have led Isis down this path?

Jeff Caxide: I don’t know. I would just say, not wanting to repeat ourselves on every record. You know, just kind of keep moving forward. I can’t tell you anything specifically influenced us other than just, like I said, the need to move on and try other things. That’s kind of been our philosophy from the beginning.

Phil: As the sound has developed over the years, have you guys gotten any significant feedback from your fans? Is there a general feeling that you get from them about the development, changes and experimentation?

Jeff: Sure. I mean some of it’s on the negative side; some of it’s on the positive side. I think we’ve always been a band that elicits very extreme reactions from people. You know what I mean? Like, I don’t know, we generally lose some fans and then we gain some. So it kind of always evens out. I think if we’re getting such extreme reactions on both ends of the spectrum, I feel like we’re doing something right.

Phil: I’m interested, specifically the new album, how the song writing duties breakdown in the group. Is it a group thing, or are there individuals who bring different songs in? How does it breakdown?

Jeff: It always starts with the individual and becomes a group thing. Everyone brings their parts that they’ve written to practice. Then it becomes, you filter it through the other four members, and it becomes its own thing. It’s very rare that somebody writes a song from beginning to end to begin with. But maybe the parts that they bring in themselves become much different once they’re brought to the band. But, to answer your question, it’s very much a group effort.

Phil: I’m not sure if you remember, but this is, from what I can tell, Isis’ third time to play Birmingham. I think you played Furnace Fest and the Bottletree once before. I was wondering if there were any memories or experiences that stand out in your mind as far as playing in Birmingham.

Jeff: Not necessarily. Well, I have family there. My wife is from Cullman, Alabama. Yeah, I got married there. So I definitely know some people there. It’s always good to see old friends, familiar faces and things like that. But as far as playing down there goes, I really enjoyed the Bottletree. It’s a really cool DIY club. They’re gonna treat you real nice, and I always look forward to going back there.

Phil: Any family coming down for the show?

Jeff: Yeah, actually, yes. I do have some family members coming down. Some in-laws.

Phil: This tour is made up of three great bands; it’s a really strong lineup. I was interested in how it came together. Obviously Pelican is on Aaron’s label. But do you know Tombs? And what did it take to put these three bands together?

Jeff: You know…we’ve known Mike Hill from Tombs for a long time now. He’s from Boston as well, originally. He was living there when we were living there, and, you know, we just really like them. And we’re just happy to have the opportunity to tour with Mike. You know Pelican, of course, they’re old friends, and we’ve never really done any extensive touring with them. And they were available so it just made sense. Just bring our friends along and have a good time.

Phil: On the touring front, the most high profile tour you’ve done was opening for TOOL in 2006. What was it like going from clubs to playing megadomes, arenas and amphitheaters? What was the culture shock like on that tour?

Jeff: It was a little nerve-wracking at first…for sure. It was weird to me to just get up and be staring into a sea of, you know, thousands of people. But, you know, it was really weird; it became this kind of impersonal thing after like a few shows. You were just kind of getting up there and playing, and at times it kind of felt like I was playing to no one, you know? It was just so big and endless. But, I mean, it was exciting. It was a lot of fun. That was a great experience. It definitely will go down as one of the highlights of this band.

Phil: Do you think your time on the road with TOOL changed Isis at all, business wise or sound wise? Was there any really strong effect that the tour had?

Jeff: No. I mean we were realistic about what that tour was going to do for us. We didn’t think we were going to catapult into rock stardom. I think we definitely gained some new fans, for sure. But I mean, like I say, we’re just a very…we’re an underground, cultish kind of band, and that’s kind of what we’ll always be. I think that tour maybe just opened up a few eyes, a few more eyes.

Phil: Isis is a part of Ipecac Recordings. They have an amazing, eclectic roster, and they seem to straddle a lot of creative worlds. How would you describe your relationship with the label, is it a good home for Isis?

Jeff: Yeah, it’s great. I mean, we bounced around for a while in the beginning, and we never really had a label to call home. But right away, Ipecac felt like it was going to be home for a while. They’re just very artist friendly, you know? A lot of labels cling to their sort of DIY ethic, and they really just end up being kind of full of shit…like really only looking out for themselves. But Ipecac, they’re very artist friendly, and they want you to succeed. So, yeah, we have nothing but good…we have a great relationship with them. And at this point I can’t really imagine working with anyone else.

Phil: That leads to the obvious question: have you met Mike Patton and what is he like?

Jeff: Yeah, I’ve met him a bunch. He’s a good guy, you know? Like when I first met him, it was a little intimidating, I guess. I was a Faith No More fan when I was a teenager. But he’s just a regular guy, you know? We had drinks with him. He’s a cool guy.

Phil: I was interested, every member of the band moved from Boston to Los Angeles. What was the motivation to move out there and how has the transition been with those two extremes…living in those two different places?

Jeff: The motivation was, I think, some people were very unhappy living on the east coast. And people just kind of wanted a change from everything. So that was what spawned the move, I would say. For me personally – I can’t speak for everyone else – but the transition was really rough. I’m not really an L.A. type of person. I’m definitely more of an east coast, city kind of guy. So I lived in L.A. for a little while, then I moved back east, but now I’m back in L.A. Again, I still try to like to deal with it. It’s a very different city than what I’m used to. So yeah, the transition was a little rough. But you know, at this point, I guess I can say I’m used to it.

Phil: Do you think the move helped Isis at all, being in L.A. instead of Boston?

Jeff: You know, it’s hard to tell. You have those weird experiences that can only happen to you in Los Angeles. But, I don’t know. We definitely became pretty good friends with the TOOL guys. Which, like us touring with them, I mean, I can’t say…I don’t know that that would have happened had we not moved to L.A. But, you know…yeah, I can’t say for sure. Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. I don’t know.

Phil: Finally, you don’t have to give away the whole set list, but can we expect a lot of songs off ‘Wavering Radiant’ in the set on Saturday night?

Jeff: Yes. Yeah, we’ll be playing…I think we’ll probably be playing most of the record. I mean, it’s only six songs, so we’ll probably be playing about five. And a couple of old ones thrown in there for sure. Probably about nine songs – eight or nine songs total.

www.isistheband.com
www.myspace.com/isis

Since today is Record Store Day all over this great land, we decided to hand the mic over to someone with a very big hand in the nationwide effort, our friend (and Teen Getaway frontman) Jim Fahy.  

Birmingham is lucky enough to be home base for two music industry (quite literally) heavy hitters, Scott Register & James Fahy. Each do their part by working for CIMS, the Coalition of Independent Music Stores.  

This is a MUST read for any and ALL music lovers of any kind, in Birmingham and anywhere else in the world. I really mean that. This is an honest and heartfelt take on Record Store Day and the industry itself, from someone who works and breathes music every day.

Recently I was taking a look at the super-deluxe re-issue of Pearl Jam’s Ten. This luxe package not only contains the original album and a slew of requisite extras on both CD and Vinyl, but a composition notebook (like Vedder would write lyrics in) filled with essays and liner notes, and — the coup de grace – a complete replication of the cassette that featured the music that was sent to Vedder for him to try out lyrics and melodies (right down to it’s photocopied artwork). Vedder recorded his stuff, sent it back to the boys in the band and, pretty much right then and there, Pearl Jam was born.

Now let’s get something straight: this album is not my jam. In fact, I’ve held a longstanding grudge against it due to the fact that it caused me and my former best friend to battle over the tape deck of my ’68 Beetle. Our deep friendship was soon severed — he hung out with guys that wanted to play acoustic version of Pearl Jam songs at parties while I wanted to dress up like a beatnik / college professor / Athens, GA scenester circa 1985. I really miss that car…

Why bring this up? All this comes flowing back by just picking up the object — and simultaneously I was in awe of the record’s sense of history (a real treat for fans) and what the fucker meant for me way back in 1992. It was a feeling that, I dare say, was profound.

I’m a lifelong lover of music. I spent some time working in record stores. I loved it. Eventually I got a job in the music business doing marketing work for Independent Record stores. What’s interesting about the gig is that it puts you on the periphery of both how labels and distributors work and the guys on the front lines — the record stores… The places where I spent so much of my youth (and the little money I had) discovering everything I could.

I don’t have to tell you about how the digital landscape is changing what’s happening at Brick and Mortar stores. You know. You probably participate. If you’re living in Birmingham, you have few other options. And that sucks.

Part of what makes music such a glorious experience is its communal effect. It makes friends, it makes babies, it causes you to dance, to sing… To start your own band. Or make T-shirts. Or buttons. Or zines. Or blogs. It probably changed the way you voted, your eating habits, your tastes in movies and books. It kept you up late talking with friends, debating passions. It got you though a break-up or a death. If it wasn’t for my car and my tape deck, blasting R.E.M., The Pixies, Fugazi, The Boo Radleys, etc, I don’t where I’d be today. That shit saved my life. I bet it saved yours. All that from black and silver shiny circles.

The whole point of Record Store Day is to remind people of this vibrancy. Of what it is to scrutinize the art and lyrics, to score a hidden treasure, to debate the merits of a scene — to be alive with others and share something grand. To walk into one of these places is to throw yourself in an ecstatic sense of synesthesia — your entire body and mind react instantly. It’s a single stop that can inspire an adventure for which you can go alone or take a friend. Or friends. It’s one stop that can change the entire course of your week. It’s drugs and church rolled into one — and better than both.

These shops, big and small, are the cornerstones of freak communities all around the world. And they need people like you to keep ‘em alive. So step away from the screen and give back some of the life that they gave to you. 

A@#$ C%^& really needs no introduction, but I’ll be a dumbass and write one anyway. Since 1988, the band has blasted out super short grind songs and stretched the First Amendment to its absolute breaking point. Got a cause or political stance you feel strongly about? I’ll go ahead and let you know: AxCx probably thinks it’s gay.

Musically, the band is strictly anti-music. Lyrically, the band attempts to offend the largest amount of listeners in the shortest amount of time. A list of their least offensive song titles includes: ‘Rancid Sucks (And the Clash Sucked Too)’, ‘I Ate Your Horse’, ‘All Our Fans Are Gay’, ‘I Pushed Your Wife In Front of the Subway’, ‘Foreplay with a Tree Shredder’, ‘Everyone in A— C— is Dumb’, ‘I Hope You Get Deported’ and ‘The Word Homophobic is Gay’.

It’s pretty obvious, AxCx is one of those bands you’ll either love or hate. And even if you decide to hate them, you’ve got to admit their leader, Seth Putnam, is a survivor. In 2004, Putnam (the man who wrote the song ‘You’re in a Coma’) overdosed and was in a coma for almost a month. He had to relearn how to walk after sustaining serious nerve damage. Yet five years later, he has started his own record label, and he is on the road with AxCx again.

Over the years, the band has been through more members than Menudo and Napalm Death combined. For the 2009 ‘Wearing Out Our Welcome’ tour, the lineup includes Putnam and veteran AxCx members Tim Morse on drums and Josh Martin on guitar.

You can catch them in Birmingham next Tuesday (4/21) when they play Green Cup Books with Strong Intention and three local openers, including Arclight. Thanks again to Seth for taking time out to answer my dumbass questions.

Phil Lawless: You stared your own record label, Wicked Sick Records. Did you create this label mainly to release your own projects, or are you interested in seeking out other bands to join the roster?

Seth Putnam: it was started to put out my own bands’ stuff. i’d be into putting out other bands stuff if there was anyone who is any good that would want me to.

Phil: A—- C@#$% is working on a new album entitled ‘Wearing Out Our Welcome’. When can we expect it to be released?

Seth: hopefully some time this year.

Phil: I’m estimating AxCx has recorded over 1,000 songs. Is there anything really left to hate, or are you recycling ideas for your new material?

Seth: there will always be something around to hate. the newer songs are half like the older stuff musically, and half a cross between motley crue and buckcherry. we have 5 new songs down that we are doing on this tour.

Phil: In Birmingham, you will be playing in a bookstore. Is this the first time that you guys has played a show in a bookstore?

Seth: no, we played at a bookstore run by retards in new orleans in 1993. [Ed. Note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA]

Phil: If Green Cup Books offered you a free book, what book would you look for?

Seth: i don’t know?!

Phil: Where’s the strangest place Anal Cunt ever played a set?

Seth: we did a picnic of love set at some wedding in ohio. the broad (who was getting married) flew us out there to do the show.

Phil: Now that AxCx is recording and touring again, have you noticed any new bands that may be worthy of your hate?

Seth: i don’t really pay attention to any newer bands that are around. my guitarist really hates nickelback and said we should do an anti-nickelback song, but i have never heard them.

Phil: Seriously, what do you have against mustaches?

Seth: they are totally gay, and lots of gays have mustaches, who are also gay, as well as homosexual.

Phil: In the past, you’ve gotten into a few altercations with other bands. Is there one band that you absolutely would not want to fight?

Seth: the boston symphony orchestra

Phil: Has any member of the band every hooked up with a transsexual groupie? If so, tell us how hot the groupie was on a scale of one to 10?

Seth: no.

Phil: You performed some vocals on Pantera’s ‘The Great Southern Trend Kill’. Who approached you about performing on the album, and what were the recording sessions like?

Seth: phil from pantera invited me to come down to his place for mardi gras. he said if i wanted to stay, i could do vocals on the pantera record. after mardi gras was over, he started doing the vocals for the pantera record. we did the vocals at trent reznor’s studio in new orleans. all of the fags from marilyn manson were staying there then. when i got introduced to “marilyn”, phil started whistling the music to the anal cunt song, “i just saw the gayest guy on earth”. the studio was a big room, and all the music had been recorded already in texas by the band. no one from the band was there, just phil. so, the engineer played the music, and phil and i did the vocals over it.  reznor had this cool room in his place that was filled with early 1980′s video arcade games. so, i would hang around there until i heard him yelling “putnam!!”. he would only do one song a day, i actually sang on 4 songs, but they only credited me for 3 of them. he must’ve forgotten about one of them or something.

Phil: In 1989, you told G.G. Allin that AxCx would be his backing band. Do you think AxCx would have lasted backing up G.G., or would you guys have disappeared the first time he threw a beer bottle at a hooker (like Dee Dee Ramone)?

Seth: no, we wouldn’t have disappeared on him. it probably would have been a lot of fun. too bad it never happened. it’s only because he was living in chicago then, and we were in boston (about 1,000 miles away).

Phil: You were on Earache Record’s roster when the label was at the height of its popularity. What was it like being signed to Earache during that time period?

Seth: it was gay. they always fucked us around whenever they could. they sucked. they tried to re-sign us a couple of years after they dropped us (we were trying to get dropped. we told them the new record was gonna be called “petition for the legalization of rape” just so they would drop us, and it worked), but we didn’t like the contract.

www.wickedsickrecords.com
www.myspace.com/axcx

As Casey the Web Guy would say, “You’re one of the good ones; I’ve read about you in the papers”.

Hopefully I’m a good one. I was featured in both the March and April issues of Birmingham Magazine, talkin’ bout ‘the music’.

Also, good friend and fellow music blogger Carla Jean says the March issue is sold out, so if you come across it… gank a copy by any means necessary. How else would you sleep at night not knowing    what I’m listening to this very moment?

The April issue features a fairly lengthy write up about BHAM.FM, how we came about and our take on Birmingham (and it’s music as a whole) in the Currents section.

Buy it, buy it, buy it!

P.S. I will never let my family live it down that I (of all slacker, never cleaner uppers) was featured prominently in the Home Design issue of any magazine! HAAA! Swing by my new place and check out all the thrift store vases and Target rope lights any old time, Ladies’ Home Journal.