Click here to view the embedded video.

Though I arrived at Bottletree too late to score an autographed poster, and the free tickets never materialized, I managed to walk out of there with a bunch of stickers and a free cd with some remixes on it. If anyone wants a sticker leave a comment on this post, and we’ll throw one your way.

The response to the album seemed positive, though the Bottletree staff was pretty grumbly about it. Personaly I like it , though the use of Auto Tuner on “California English” is forced and obnoxious. Cousins is a great single, and there are 3 or 4 other stand out tracks.

Oh, and by the way, I’m the Candyland king!!

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

You can find it here.

The NY Times documented the news here and had this to say:

Barry Beckett, an Alabama-born keyboardist who helped create the distinctly Southern amalgamation of rhythm and blues, soul and country that became known as the Muscle Shoals sound, and who as a producer recorded a wide range of music with Bob Dylan, Kenny Chesney, Bob Seger, Dire Straits and others, died on Wednesday at his home in Hendersonville, Tenn., north of Nashville. He was 66.

UPDATE: The bailout just passed city council by a margin of 4-2-1.

Also, the Weekly reminds us that “Man, Sloss Furnaces is getting screwed today. City Stages bailout came from their appropriation, as did funds for new community info flyers.”

Wow.

What do you guys think? Sound off in the comments.

In the words of David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), “If it isn’t making dollars, then it isn’t making sense. If you aren’t moving units, then you’re not worth the expense.”

The allegory on life as an independent musician dealing with a major label is not lost on me, but when George McMillan begs the city for 250k due to “loss of corporate sales”… we have a problem.

One ray of light for Birmingham though. You’ll notice the Birmingham News is writing this. They are a major sponsor of the event and so it’s nice to see some attempted accountability/transparency that’s becoming of a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper.

Without further ado, here is the story itself and here are a few highlights:

• About 15 companies that traditionally buy tickets didn’t buy them this year.
• In return for a financial boost from the city, City Stages would give free admission to all people age 60 and older, McMillan said. That’s in addition to free admission the festival already gives children ages 12 and younger.
• The city budgeted $300,000 for City Stages this year, and the new funding request would be in addition to that amount.
• Organizers say the money is needed to make up for soft corporate ticket sales. But the council is divided on the request, with some saying the city already supports the festival and should not give any more.

And as always (I don’t have to tell you guys), take some time to read the “interesting” comments under the article on al.com. Alot of them are PURE gold. I’m not saying I’ve seen someone threaten a dog’s life, accuse Jesus of tax fraud or call for a revolt ala the French Revolution… I’m just saying I’ve totally seen all of that.

Also, look at this picture of the Doobie Brothers. ISN’T THAT A TREASURE?!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hate to tell you this Birmingham, but Isis is a metal band. They’re hellishly heavy and dark as a month of midnights. And their show at the Bottletree last weekend was a thing of beauty…a delirious vision of delightful slaughter. As they pounded out doom tune after doom tune, I couldn’t help but think my Isis interview intro was off base. Sure, their albums present artful, shifting and experimental sounds. But live, the band is a five-headed killing machine. It’s the same music, but the live presentation really stripped it down and gave listeners a primal, pounding high.

Openers Tombs and Pelican were just as intoxicating. Tombs, a trio from New York City, were up first. Their short, lethal set veered recklessly from noise-metal to drone to doom. Instrumentalists Pelican proved (to me) that a metal band doesn’t need a damn fool screaming his head off to be good. In my eyes, instrumental bands are in a tough spot. Their songwriting is forced to stand on its own without the distraction of a vocalist. Fortunately for Pelican, they have a not-so-secret weapon that is seldom seen today…the guitar duo. The two guitarists reminded me of an underground Tipton/Downing. As Pelican played, the two worked together, and the band piled memorable riff on top of memorable riff. Pelican’s spot-on rhythm section didn’t hurt either. The drumming was so precise, I found myself looking to make sure it wasn’t a drum machine…or Ted Parsons.

Another amazing show brought to Birmingham by the Bottletree. I went into this show a little green, but I look forward to spending more time with all of these bands. Maybe next time I can be in the front row swilling beers with the rest of you freaks. And, I’ve got to say, now is a great time to be a heavy music fan in Birmingham. We’ve got ‘thinking man’s’ heaviness at the Bottletree, mid-week metal shows at the Nick and a few choice shows coming up at Greencup Books. Now if only we could get Slayer lined up for a show Sloss Furnace. (I won’t hold my breath, but a guy can dream can’t he?)

<Chris here. Below are the two halfway decent pics that came out of the night. Apparently nothing says metal like one red light pointed at half the stage. Or Bottletree was going “green” for the show and just leaving on the lights they use to develop photographs. I don’t know. >

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

No cameras allowed. Blurry iPhone pic

Man. I’m trying to write this without just repeating “IT WAS EFFING AMAZING” over and over. But it was.

TV on the Radio is not a band I can easily describe or classify. I heard “Return to Cookie Mountain a couple of years ago and used it mainly as background music at work. It was good- but nothing  stood out to me. It soon would show up on random but I never went out of my way to listen to it. That changed with “Dear Science”. As my wife and roomate can attest, I’ve been wearing it out. I listen to it at work. I listen to it in the car. I listen to it while playing Fallout 3. It’s been my default album for months now. So I knew I’d enjoy the show. What I didn’t expect was how much. I am prepared, in typical hyperbolic Mitchellian fashion, to declare that show the best show I’ll see this year, and in my top 10 of all time. I got to see a band I’d been obsessing over for months in a tiny venue, with Abita Restoration Ales being handed to me all night.

I’m not really sure how that could have been a more perfect show.  The crowd, while full, was not a bother to me. Bottletree smartly had a bar outside so getting a drink wasn’t a thirty minute endeavor.

I don’t know what Teasley did to secure TV on the Radio- nor do I want to know the horrific cost they require. All I know is that once again Bottletree lived up to its promise and that I was very happy to be there.

That’s all I got. It was effing amazing.