Review: Deftones - Self-Titled

artist: deftones album: self-titled label: maverick records released: 5/20/2003 by: eduardo moutinho Alright folks, I think it is only fair to let you all know that next to hopesfall, the Deftones are my favorite band. Yes, the Deftones. These guys are the reason that a blood.sweat.tears even exists, as they converted me from my gangsta rap lovin' shizzle fo dizzle stage to a rock obsessed one. Not to say that I dislike rap now, I'm just not engulfed by it as I used to be. You can attribute the sudden shift of musical tastes to the song "Be Quiet and Drive," a track from Around the Fur, the Deftones' second album. Hearing that song sparked something inside that started the snowball rolling down the hill that is the musical chamber of my mind. To this day, that song is tied with "The End of an Era" by hopesfall as my favorite song. Anyway, it's a real shame that the Deftones are put in the same vein as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Mudvayne, and the lot. They're on a completely different plane, always reinventing themselves, and actually showing musical prowess as they do it. From Adrenaline to the album that I'm reviewing as you read, Deftones, you can see an impressive evolution of sound. Plain and simple, the music on Deftones is not nu-metal, not in the least. It's atmospheric, and dare I say, spiritual. The music exhibited on this release is deep, heavy, and uncharacteristically slow-tempo. Not to say that the Deftones haven't penned these types of songs before, but the stuff on this album has "epic" written all over it. Chino Moreno's vocals are more haunting than ever. It's almost like he's narrating some viciously fascinating dark opera. Songs like "Hexagram," "Minerva," and "Moana" are such narratives, alluring and captivating. While there are songs that seem to stem from the Deftones' chaotic beginnings, like "Good Morning Beautiful" and "Bloody Cape," that are relatively heavy and more upbeat through and through, the overlying theme of the record shines through on every single track. This is truly an outcry by the Deftones, to reaffirm their foothold as leaders of the first generation nu-metal bands. What makes me laugh though, is that they're doing it by not playing nu-metal. In fact, maybe they're trying to establish a foothold in the experimental rock genre. This is more new Cave In than it is Saliva. And that my friends, is a good thing. As far as the musicality of this record goes, it's top notch. Considering the history of the Deftones, how they went from a group of friends that got some free instruments because a certain band member got an unexpected amount of cash from his father to a world famous group that managed to author the music on this record, is really amazing. Along with Moreno's unique and well executed vocals, Stephen Carpenter's guitar is as atmospheric as ever, evident on songs such as "Needles and Pins" and "Hexagram." Chi Cheng and Abe Cunningham follow suit on both bass and drums respectively. Also, DJ Frank Delgado finally comes into his own as the forgotten fifth member of the band, as his compliments are actually integral parts of the music, unlike his ghost-like debut on the last record, White Pony. He's not the kind of pseudo hip hop DJ type that has been plaguing many bands of the genre, rather, he adds an even higher level of atmosphere and mood to the music. You won't hear any scratching by this guy. The song "Lucky You" is all Delgado, as it's basically a techno rock ballad, accompanied by exceptionally hollow-sounding vocals by Moreno. It's a complete departure for the band, even by the standards set forth by the pure rock tracks on this album. In conclusion, this is by far the most experimental collage of tracks that the Deftones have ever put out. This is the kind of album that might disillusion a large portion of the band's fan base, as its slower, more involved tracks may leave certain listeners uninterested. Yet, in the end, I commend the band for doing this and not taking the Durst route, by following the MTV horde. I'm still proud to be a devoted fan of the Deftones, and that's a lot to say, because I loved the other bands I mentioned in the second paragraph, but now I find them to be quite the joke. favorite song: “hexagram” rating: 93%/100% listen to deftones

Review: Limitpoint - We Call This Life

artist: limitpoint album: we call this life label: aggrevated music released: by: rob tatum Well, if you are a fan of punk, you might dig this EP. As for me, I can’t get over the fact that Limitpoint sounds like a cross between the Bouncing Souls and a Drive-Thru Records band. When I first put this in, I seriously thought I was back in 1999 listening to the Bouncing Souls at Warped Tour. As the album continues, it becomes a little more poppy. There are of course the typical “oh, oh, oh’s” thrown in and sappy lyrics here and there. I guess that the most irritating aspect of this release is that the band appears to be pretty decent musicians, but with the intertwining of the genres, they lose base with what they have to work with. The guitar work is pretty good, but nothing extravagant. I don’t necessarily hate this band, but I wish they would pick one genre and go with it. Maybe it’s the singer, maybe it’s the drum beats, but I can’t help but think late 90’s punk even in the most melodic pop parts. I guess that they could actually be just playing what they want to play, and maybe they aren’t trying to mix anything, but if that’s the case, then they have a long way to go before I would want to hear anything else from them. Unless you are in love with pop punk or the Bouncing Souls (hehe), you probably won’t like this much more than me. As with any disappointing release, I try and look for positives, and with Limitpoint, there are a few. They have musically ability, but they need to lose either the simplistic punk beats, or the poppy sing alongs. favorite song: "Simple" rating: 69%/100% listen to limitpoint

Review: Point Line Plane - Self-Titled

artist: point line plane album: self-titled label: xeroid records released: by: rob tatum I really have a hard time only focusing on the negatives of an album, but there is no way around it with this. It is flat out balls awful. I never thought I could sum up a review with just two words, and well, now I have. Point Line Plane is two members, one on drums, and the other on keyboards, singing some of the most irritating garbage I have ever heard. Musically, there is nothing but a drum beat with some random ass keyboards, one part sounds like an organ, while the next like a bass guitar. For the most part it’s blistering fast and the vocals are incomprehensible. There are some slower songs, but they are just as irritating. The music almost takes a dancy feel to it at times, which is an improvement over the grindcore that occurs in some of the songs. The short instrumental interludes make it even worse. If you happen to be a fan of the Blood Brothers, Mogwai, grindcore, techno, and keyboards, then you might actually like this. If you are a fan of all of that, then you need your head checked. Listening to this was a complete waste of my time. I repeat my conclusion: Balls awful. favorite song: none rating: 25%/100% (for the couple drum fills that were decent) listen to point line plane

Review: Malicious Intent - Demo

artist: malicious intent album: demo label: none released: by: rob tatum Can you say metal? I think these guys can. I don’t know if it’s the name that gives it away, or maybe it’s the brutal intro of "Welcome to the Revolution" and crazy metal frenzy that follows. This band is probably best described by comparisons to Slayer or Hatebreed. The music is heavy, intense metal with a touch of hardcore and hard rock. The vocals are deep, hoarse screams similar to Slayer. The demo didn’t come with lyrics, and I can’t really comprehend much of it. There are some parts that I like, especially the riff in "Shadows Grip", but I just can’t get over the vocals. They are just terrible. Maybe I need to warm myself up with some Slayer before listening to this, but it does nothing for me. I’m not a fan of death metal. Bottom line. I guess if I was, I would venture out to Jersey and check these guys out. I like some metal, but this is not that metal. favorite song: "Shadows Grip" rating: 56%/100% listen to malicious intent

Review #2: Shai Huld - That Within Blood Ill-Tempered

artist: shai hulud album: that within blood ill-tempered label: revelation records released: 5/20/2003 by: eduardo moutinho Shai Hulud is an interesting band to say the least. Named after a strange, worm-like creature, from the novel Dune, with a former singer now playing guitar for New Found Glory, and with band members who wield Bert and Ernie sticker-clad guitars and prosthetic limbs, this band sure has its quirks. But I can, at least, say one sure thing about them, they sure know how to melodicore. Although Shai Hulud has been around the block for a while now, they’re still coming into their own when regarding the scene. Amazingly, their first show in Denver was as recent as the summer of 2002. Fortunately, for the band, they can now call themselves well traveled when it comes to the continental United States. With this newfound fame on the west coast and mid west, they couldn’t have selected a better time to drop their latest CD, That Within Blood Ill-Tempered, for us all to enjoy. Granted, much has happened for the group during the uncomfortably lengthy time period between this release and the last. As mentioned above, the first singer of the band left to devote all his time to playing guitar for pop punk princes, New Found Glory. This left Shai Hulud with a difficult task on their hands, to find a new singer capable of replicating the distinct vocal styling of their former singer. Thankfully, this task was completed with impeccable results. The new, Abercrombie-esque, pretty boy singer, validates the term “looks can be deceiving” as he sounds completely identical to the now MTV-friendly former vocalist. This record acts as the debut for the newly recharged Shai Hulud, and it delivers. That Within Blood Ill-Tempered doesn’t really follow the path of reinvention. Rather, the overall sound of the music on the album is more of the same, which in my opinion isn’t bad at all. Shai Hulud helped popularize melodicore, and they do it better than almost anyone. With clearly defined and crisp vocals, along with harmonic and solid string work, the group takes their much-emulated sound and runs with it. If you’ve heard Shai Hulud’s releases, you already know what to expect. There is a lot of melody in the music. This isn’t Unearth. It’s heavy music, but it doesn’t leave you gasping for air after listening to it. It’s almost uplifting to hear the music that this band plays, as the melody is so prevalent. The singing is inspired, and the lyrics are somewhat understandable, an almost impossible thing to say about hardcore vocals. The short punk-influenced intervals make their appearance known during a few songs, as the drums go into double time and the rest of the music follows. This is Shai Hulud to the tee. I wanted this all along, and I’m happy it’s here. The recording quality, which was my biggest concern coming into this record, is good. The vocals do come across a tad strangely. I’m not sure, but they seem a tad muffled and not at that optimal level that they could be at. But it’s a minor concern, as it’s something that I have become used to already. Other than that, this is the best-sounding Shai Hulud release I have heard. As far as noteworthy songs go, I plan on going away from that with my reviews, as I think people should listen to the record and find their own favorites. But I would definitely say that my favorite songs are “This Song: For the True and Passionate Lovers of Music,” “Two and Twenty Misfortunes,” and “Given Flight by Demon's Wings.” They’re well-done pieces, that are the type that I can listen to repeatedly without getting bored. As far as gripes go, I don’t have many, but I guess I do want to mention that there are a few corny intros to some of the songs. These intros consist of silly movie quotes, to make the song seem more epic, or even badass. I don’t like it; in fact, I find it to be stupid and cliché. Also, a couple of songs seem rushed as they have very few transitions, and seem to be a bunch of random parts thrown together to fill up disc space. Overall, this is a very solid record, and I thank Revelation for sending it to us for evaluation. Shai Hulud is one of those bands that have managed to establish themselves as one of the leaders in the hardcore scene. They’re not a band that is out to advance music in general. They write what I guess I can call “feel-good hardcore.” This release was highly anticipated by the greater hardcore community, and I think it’s safe to say that it will be received with open arms. favorite song: “this song: for the true and passionate lovers of music” overall rating: 88%/100% listen to shai hulud

Review #1: Shai Huld - That Within Blood Ill-Tempered

artist: shai hulud album: that within blood ill-tempered label: revelation records released: 5/20/2003 by: rob tatum With roughly three years between releases, Shai Hulud had a lot of expectations to meet with the release of That Within Blood Ill-Tempered. I am sure that I wasn’t the only one who got sick of hearing that it was being pushed back further and further. Well, finally, it has arrived, and let me say that there is little disappointment. I had feared that it wouldn’t be worth the wait, but this is by far their best release. The first thing I noticed when I got the album was the packaging. It has one of those irritating sleeves (i.e. hopesfall, Snapcase, etc.), but inside the artwork is amazing. The booklet is a really different styled foldout/book combination. Another thing I enjoyed was how the key parts of the lyrics are emphasized in the booklet. It may not seem like a big deal, but it makes the book just that much better. On to the music… it is very apparent that Shai Hulud made sure that everything was done the way they wanted. No cutting corners. Each song has so much detail and emphasis on perfection. There are amazing overlays and harmonies all over the place. The vocals sound much better than any of their previous releases. They were finally able to capture all the energy and passion into the recording. For those of you unfortunate people who haven’t heard Shai Hulud, they are one of the most intense hardcore/metal bands there is. The guitar work on this album is almost indescribable. There are so many great riffs and harmonies that I can’t really pick a favorite. The typical passionate lyrics that beg you to sing along are back. My favorite quote from this album is in the song "Whether to Cry or Destroy" and goes as follows, “Dare me to breathe, when I can’t catch my breath. Sway my temper’s balance. Only thunder gives me rest.” I could really go on and on about how great I think this album is. I just can’t stop listening to it. My only complaint is the sound clips, they aren’t really necessary and they seem a little out of place. Sure, it took forever for them to release another full length, but Shai Hulud has definitely reasserted themselves as one of the best bands in hardcore. I don’t want to have to wait three or four years for the next release, but if it comes out anything like this album, I would be willing to wait. favorite song: "Whether to Cry or Destroy" rating: 96%/100% listen to shai hulud

Review: Life As Is - Apparitions of Resent

artist: life as is album: apparitions of resent label: none released: spring 2003 by: rob tatum One of the greatest things about music is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be groundbreaking to be good. The Denver/Boulder hardcore scene has been sort of stagnant for the last couple years, with exceptions here and there (i.e. Shogun, One Dying Wish, As We Speak, etc.), so when I first heard Life As Is, I was really happy to see a band that knew exactly what they were good at: straight forward, energetic hardcore. Apparitions of Resent is the first full length from the Northglenn, CO five piece. The album clocks in with nine songs right around half an hour in length. Musically, LAI is similar to older Snapcase (Steps, Lookinglasself era)mixed with a bit of a metal twist. Most of the songs are simple in structure, but the thing that I enjoy most is the energy harnessed within each one. I am impressed that they were able to carry over the energy from their live show into the recording. The guitar work is the most impressive aspect of the music, as they combine melody, metal, and everything in between. It really enhances the flow of the songs. Vocally, LAI attempts to combine heavy screaming with occasional melodies. The screaming is accomplished really well, but some of the melodies are a little off key. Outside of that, there is little need for improvement. Lyrically the album is somewhat angry, with most songs encompassing a general attack at ignorance, selfishness, and revenge. There are also parts about personal struggle, for example, from "The Impossible Becomes Possible while Floating in the Red Sea", “in that one fatal moment I bask in its newfound paralyzation, struggling to get to the surface, the sea wishes to keep its hold.” I also liked the Boondock Saints monologue at the end of "Saintly Presentation." After listening to this quite a few times, and analyzing almost every note and word, I really do like the direction this band is headed. I can definitely see the difference between the older material and the newer stuff. Sure, I really like some of the older songs, but the newer songs are much more complex and melodic. If this band stays together, I envision only good things for them. favorite song: "The Impossible Becomes Possible while Floating in the Red Sea" rating: 81%/100% listen to life as is

Review: Various Artists - Broadcast International

artist: various artists album: broadcast international label: point five limey records released: by: eduardo moutinho Compilations… There’s something about them that I have to talk about before moving on with this review. There are three types of compilations, for the most part. One type is the straight up, block of similar bands putting out similar-sounding songs on one single record, which usually accounts to a fairly easy to follow listen. The second type is the “bands that are in the same ballpark but different areas of the field” kind of effort, that gives the listener a taste of all sorts of different sounds. Then, there is the “bands coming together for a common cause” kind of compilation, exemplified by recent Weezer and Ramones tribute records. While I think the idea of a compilation is a great one, I just can’t seem to really get into them for one simple reason: I’m very picky. I like a band for a specific set of reasons that are particular to that group. So I tend to prefer to search and pick out a band myself instead of having it served to me on a platter. To summarize, many times, I tend to walk away unsatisfied by compilations because only a certain percentage of the music hits my ear right. This is the problem with Broadcast International for me. While I’m happy and excited about seeing another upstart Colorado record label like Point Five Limey Records, I can’t let that cloud my judgment when reviewing this record. I’d like to emphasize the fact that a compilation is a collage of songs by a group of bands. Therefore, I will dispense ratings on a band-by-band basis, just like a show review. a perfect kiss: I must say, that the strongest band on the record also happens to be the leadoff hitter for this effort. Why I have had two baseball metaphors so far in this review, while hating baseball, I don’t know. Anyway, this band is trying to tackle the uncomfortably saturated emocore scene, and seems to have a sound that can give them some much-desired isolation. This ensemble has two songs on the effort, “In Spite of My Angel” and “Angels.” Hopefully, those tracks aren’t back-to-back on the band’s actual album to prevent redundancy. Anyway, both tracks showcase A Perfect Kiss’ strong points. The vocalist has one of those emotional and non-monotonous screaming voices, combined with strong singing. The vocals fit the music quite nicely. The music itself is straightforward, yet effective. The musical timing of the band is well done. Interludes, changing of drum times, and a few other things are rightfully placed, making the music flow well. Both of the songs displayed are a good selection, as one is slow and building (“In Spite of My Angel”), and the other fast and driving (“Angels”). Overall, this is a great start to the compilation. rating: 90%/100% maria blonde: Here’s where Broadcast International starts to wane a bit. This band has a really slow and somewhat boring sound. This is the kind of band that a Mineral fan would like to listen to. For me, it’s just not my cup of tea. Another gripe I have is with the singer. His vocals are somewhat low and on the brink of being raspy. There really isn’t one thing about this band that really interests me. There’s an overemphasis on attempting to establish atmosphere, along with an incredibly slow tempo to the songs. This is music you can play at a retirement home. Some people will dig this, and I can see talent. Yet I just can’t seem to understand how someone could become a devoted fan of this band. Good elevator music is still elevator music. Both songs here are somewhat similar too, which doesn’t help too much. rating: 70%100% alien 101: This band is pop punk to the core, following almost every convention in the genre, from the “cool word plus number” name format to the simplistic lyrics. I give props to Point Five Limey, for throwing something in like this, even though it’s not the most original sounding stuff on the block. This band was probably put in here to give the album an almost universal appeal, not in its entirety, but in its variety of music. I don’t really want to go much into this band, since I’ll just repeat my somewhat cliché gripes with pop punk. To be brief, the music is excessively poppy, simplistic, and like I said before, there’s no actual meat to the lyrics. Just like with A Perfect Kiss, the song selection is good though, as both songs exhibited are somewhat different from each other. One is fast paced and very traditional pop punk (“Fire Spread”) and the other is slower and a more sincere effort (“Believe”) that still lacks any real worth. Overall, you’ve heard these songs before, in some form or another. rating: 65%/100% may sixteen: I really wanted to like this band as I heard them. They are another emocore band that’s trying to come out and make something interesting. Yet, unlike A Perfect Kiss, they just don’t seem to have the elements that catch me. I really don’t like the vocals. The screaming is forced, and the singing is quite mediocre, having an almost gloomy drawl to it. It’s a shame really, since I did enjoy some of the music. I especially liked the guitar and drum work on “September’s Calling.” There are some decent moments here and there. Unfortunately, the bad vocals are quite evident, and hard to ignore. This puts the somewhat decent musical accompaniment on the backburner, making the experience less than satisfactory. rating: 73%/100% [the] k word: These guys probably saw what (the) kindercide did with their name and dug the parentheses idea. Anyway, this is the kind of band that you listen to, get your hopes up for, hear the vocals which then bring you back to earth. Yet, the vocals aren’t as disheartening as the ones from May Sixteen. Unfortunately, this is another band that while listening I kept wondering: “If this band had a good vocalist…” Nevertheless, they have a good indie rock sound that many of you will appreciate. It’s a little groovy, and a little catchy. It’s not bad at all. I enjoyed both of the songs provided. “Grindin’ On Some Flavor” had a nice bass line that you could nod your head to, yet it maintained a constant subtlety that is normal with these kind of bands. Overall, this is definitely a positive segment of the record. rating: 80%/100% to what end: I guess James at Point Five Limey realized that Broadcast International needs to start and end with a bang. Thankfully, he accomplished just that. To What End is the only other band on this album that I had quite a bit of enjoyment listening to. This is another emocore band, slightly harder than the others. The sound isn’t groundbreaking, and it’s more simplistic than A Perfect Kiss. The music is solid though, and enjoyable. Both of the songs are similar sounding, yet both are strong. The guitar work is good, and the other aspects of the music are solid. The vocals are strong as well, with the singer belting out his lyrics with repeated success, and the screaming is also quite good. Honestly, there’s not much else to say about this band’s showing on the record. To continue with the baseball references, this band is like a slightly overweight closer, that’s reliable to get that save on almost every occasion. rating: 85%/100% It is also worth noting that the artwork for Broadcast International is quite well done. The insert, while being simple, has its text displayed diagonally, which is a nice touch. This is a solid first release for Point Five Limey Records. I believe that with the lineup here it was all a one-time kind of deal, so I don’t expect to see any of these bands releasing records on Point Five Limey. But I can’t say I’m sure either. For a first release, something a lot worse could have been done. This is an interesting compilation, with something that will probably satisfy almost anyone. While this is the album’s greatest strength, it is also its greatest shortcoming. Yet, as they say, you can’t satisfy everyone. And I am an annoying person to satisfy. Also, it’s nice to see James trying to find some bands outside of the USA. Maria Blonde, May Sixteen, and Alien 101 are all European bands. Granted, if you’re reading this James, send me an e-mail and I could give you the names of some Brazilian bands that have that slugging potential… Damn I hate baseball. listen to broadcast international

Interview: Ash From Sweat Records

bst interviews ash from sweat records. by eduardo moutinho It's a typical scenario: guy/gal sits around and wishes they could get their small-time garage/basement band a development deal with a local record label. In most instances, this particular person's band ends up with no deal, and becomes part of music purgatory. Well, in the case Dan Phelps, a prominent member of the Colorado music scene, he decided to literally take matters into his own hands by forming his own label, Ash From Sweat Records. Shortly after the label was formed, he recruited his brother Dennis, along with mutual friend Ryan Nee, to get the project up and running. Nowadays, the label is home to a select number of bands that encompass the scenes of Lakewood, Boulder, and Golden, Colorado. The label sets forth a simple philosophy of sticking to its DIY, or "do it yourself," roots and keeping a strong bond of friendship amongst everyone involved. Dan, Dennis, and Ryan are members of many Ash From Sweat bands. This interview is meant to show how a typical "grass roots" record label functions and survives, as this is not a profitable or fame-inducing hobby. So without further ado, here is a transcript of the interview I conducted with Dan, Dennis, and Ryan at a recent basement show, after the boys downed a significant number of Pabst Blue Ribbons... This interview took place on Saturday, April 19th, 2003 in person with Dan Phelps, Dennis Phelps, and Ryan Nee. bst: To start things off, could you go over what you guys basically do with Ash From Sweat Records? What is your aim? dennis: I do mail order, what else do I do? I help assemble all the packaging. Let’s see… I’ve dealt with pressing vinyl too. dan: I’m Dan. Uh, with the label, I started it, and these two (Dennis and Ryan) have helped immensely. These fellas help out a lot. I do a lot of what Dennis said, working on packaging concepts. I do a lot of the grunt work, a lot of the construction of the packaging and stuff. I put a lot of it together. ryan: Well, basically I also handle packaging and I do the website. I do all the design, well a lot of the design, of the artwork of the records. Usually, Dan and I get together to work on all the packaging and putting all the pieces together into one unit, to make sure it’s ready to go. dennis: I dunno, I guess the goal of Ash From Sweat is to make music that’s from people that we care a lot, our friends. Just to make it available to pretty much everybody, to keep it at a low price. We want to make the effort show through in the final product. And we want to have a lot of fun, that’s it. bst: What are the most enjoyable parts of running a grass-roots record label like this? dennis: I would say getting a chance to work with your friends. You always get to hang out with them and talk to them. dan: Having your collection of records grow as you put more and more of your friends’ records in there is great. dennis: Being able to put out our friends’ records causes them to put out better and better material, so that’s a real plus. ryan: I think hearing the progression that happens with your friends, and seeing them grow, is a big aspect of why I enjoy it so much. Like with The Green Fuse’s “Nemo” song, they recorded it three times, and the song gets better and better as they keep reworking it. It’s awesome to see them constantly evolving the material and making it better. Just the fact that they do it is really nice. bst: What are the least enjoyable parts? dan: The cost. The cost is considerable at times and we try to do everything, like, as thrifty as possible I guess. But, we’re just three guys who don’t work too much. I mean, some of us go to school. Funding everything is difficult. And making fucking 50 copies of the Giant Eyeball tape, having to hear it 50 times… dennis: I heard (the) kindercide tape like 100 fucking times… ryan: Uh… This is the least enjoyable parts? I would say it’s frustrating to want to put out everything you get from people. You want to put out the records, but you can’t invest $500 into something easily. But you know, if the band is breaking up and stuff, like Rivers Run Dry, it’s hard to do that. Because you know that they’re not going to be playing those songs anymore and stuff. bst: What made you guys take on this project? dennis: The first thing was to put out our own stuff. It grew from there. dan: I think one of the big things is to have an outlet for music that wouldn’t normally get attention. I think my friends’ bands deserve attention, so I’m doing this. ryan: Okay, um. I know I started doing this because I sort of felt like I could contribute what I know about design and packaging into something that is more productive than doing like, graphic design for corporate stuff. It’s an outlet where I can use what I enjoy doing and apply it to something I really love, like this. It ties together two of my biggest interests. bst: What is the criteria for an Ash from Sweat band? dan: They have to be our friends. Um, criteria… You have to be our friends and committed to helping out and pulling your weight. It’s a 50/50 thing, it’s not like you just go and give a label your songs and that’s it. You have to get your side of it done. Friendship and commitment. dennis: You have to play music that we like to listen to. You need to be willing to work as hard as we do, because it’s a lot of hard work. dan: Creativity. bst: Why do you guys prefer to keep things at this level instead of dealing with larger local labels and so forth? dennis: Well, I mean, a lot of larger local labels tend to only put out their friends’ stuff. So we put out our friends’ stuff too. It’s just the same. We keep it at this level so we can keep things non-corporate and do-it-yourself. We all deal with enough corporations everyday, and that’s why we need to keep it out of what we do. ryan: I think we’re at a place where we don’t have to worry about moving units and selling records to the point where it affects our incomes. I think once it gets to that point, you’ve sort of lost what the purpose was in the first place. It’s about having fun with your friends and making music, sort of enjoying yourself. bst: How easy is it to bypass the middleman like you guys are trying to do? How do you go about recording, printing, and distributing records? dennis: We do as much as we can for free, leave it at that. dan: Surprisingly, a lot of it can be done for free. dennis: We are resourceful, not everything needs to be done at Kinko’s. dan: Not everything needs to be glossy and colorful. dennis: You think of ideas and churn them out yourself. ryan: Well, I’d say that mostly we distribute through shows and mail order through the website. Um, and bands pretty much pay for their own recordings. They don’t even need to pay for them necessarily, if they did it themselves. We don’t care that much about the quality. It’s better to put out a good record that was badly recorded than a bad record that was recorded well. dennis: You can find some stuff at Wax Trax actually. dan: A few copies were sold there too. dennis: Whoever’s interested in carrying any Ash From Sweat stuff, we’ll think about it. dan: We haven’t gotten to a point where we think we need a larger distribution. We’re still getting off the ground. We’re just hoping that in the future we can get to more shops in town and some cool distros around the region and country, eventually. bst: What do you think about the Colorado music scene in general? dan: The Colorado music scene that is more prevalent and known, to be honest, I think it’s kind of a disgrace. Like, um, I just believe that the bands that get the attention… dennis: They’re not as deserving as some other bands. ryan: They just market themselves correctly. Some bands just want to be famous and know how to get there, so they do it. The great thing about the Colorado scene is that there’s a whole group of people that have rejected that mentality, like the people at Monkey Mania and Double Entendre, and you know, bands like Zombie Zombie, Cost of an Arm, and Bailer. dennis: I’d say Planes (Mistaken for Stars) most of the time. ryan: Alright, so, I think bands like Planes show that you can play big shows, shows at the Ogden, with bigger bands, without compromising your ethics. dennis: While still having shows at your house, and making sure your records are cheap and well-done. Planes is huge, and I think they handle it really great. dan: Underneath, what isn’t known yet in the Colorado scene, is really thriving. I see everyone getting exposed to that really soon. ryan: I think that the biggest problem with the Colorado music scene is that when people, uh, when people think of Colorado music they think of The Gamits, The Fairlanes, Qualm, and you know there’s a lot more going on here than pop punk. There are so many genres represented in Colorado that don’t get any attention. Labels and promoters feel like that’s what’s gonna sell records and tickets. That’s not true. They’re underestimating the people in Colorado, I think. bst: What are your opinions regarding the Internet, and sites like blood.sweat.tears? dennis: I think that it’s really great. I’ve always loved music zines, and I think the ability to put them online makes them much more cost-effective and interesting. dan: Doesn’t even waste the trees… dennis: If blood.sweat.tears was a print zine, you guys would reach one-eighth of the people you are trying to reach. The idea of online zines is a great one. I still love print zines, and having them in your hands. Putting them online though, makes them so much more available. dan: Um, I think Dennis answered it pretty well. ryan: Um, I think zines like bst allow people to communicate with each other and tell each other which records are good and which records are bad, new bands, and what’s going on in the scene. And it allows people to create better friendships. It allows people to communicate outside of the show environment, creating a link that wasn’t there before. dan: Not to interrupt, people open up differently at shows or when chilling at someone’s house. It’s a different medium. At shows you’re there already and you’ll go outside during bands and go inside when the band starts. There’s only so much communicating that can be done in the crowd, when everyone’s yelling, and you can’t hear shit. On the Internet, it’s just a different medium I suppose. ryan: I’m gonna finish what I was talking about then. For example, I talked to Brian from Shogun online on the bst community, and without sites like bst, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity before. You get the opportunity to meet new people that ordinarily you wouldn’t have talked to at a show for one reason or another, but the Internet gives you that opportunity. bst: What do you think about mp3s, in particular, and how it's really easy to get free music that way? dennis: Awesome (raises fist), I think it’s one of the greatest things to happen to the distribution of music. If bands really care about what they’re doing, then they should care about getting the most people to hear their music. dan: It just doesn’t matter if a band sells their record, or anything like that. If you like your band and you’re confident about your band, you should be able to show off your music for free. dennis: I think the other thing that people tend to overlook with mp3s is the idea that the more people that hear it, the more people will come to the show. And there, they may buy the record. If they didn’t hear the mp3, then maybe they wouldn’t want to see the band. It’s for the benefit of everyone to hear mp3s. We have them on the (Ash From Sweat) site and we plan on changing them around so people can hear everything. And if we only sold 50 copies of a record, instead of 100, because people downloaded mp3s, we don’t really care. dan: I think the trick, when people complain about mp3s and people not buying CDs, is that there’s got to be something wrong. What we try to do, with a record, is have every part of it be outstanding. Instead of having just a CD-R and a jewel case or something, we go way beyond. We want to make sure that there are a lot of parts to a record, so if you just get the mp3s, you’re still missing out on like half of the record and experience. ryan: Uh, yeah. I think we strive to make releases that people want to buy. We try to make our packaging and lyrics and artwork as good as possible to give people a reason to buy the records instead of downloading them on mp3. I think if major labels had that same mentality people wouldn’t even download mp3s, they’d see the value in buying the release in the first place. bst: What are your opinions about bigger local labels, and the major underground labels in general? dennis: Uh, I think that they are still independent, and that’s admirable. They do some great stuff, but I think there’s a lot going on that’s being left out. They only release stuff that they know they can sell. When they have the chance to challenge someone with something new and interesting, they usually don’t. By no means they’re as bad as they can be. But, there’s also many better things they can be doing for Denver music and music in general, in the position that they’re in. (Regarding national labels) I think anyone that’s independent is good. Most of the big independent labels that people know around the country release really interesting stuff. Labels like Level Plane and Dischord are great. dan: Really, I think Dennis just nailed that one. ryan: Well, I think bigger underground labels like Victory and Trustkill are shooting for what’s the flavor of the week. I mean like, putting out an emocore record is not that challenging, it doesn’t break people’s conceptions of what’s possible with music. It’s taking what’s been done before and recycling it into a more marketable form that happens to be popular at the time and exploiting the fact that people are into that. bst: I already have an idea of what you guys are jamming to, but for the record, what are your favorite all-time bands? dan: What are my favorite all-time bands? Uh… As far as national bands go: Coalesce, Reversal of Man, Twelve Hour Turn, Joe Bologna and the Meat Cutters, and many others. As far as local bands go: The Facet, Still Left Standing, No Cash Value, Planes. ryan: National bands, I’d say The Honor System is one of my favorite bands. Although they didn’t gain much popularity, even in their own scene, they are one of my favorites. I think Single File really influenced me musically and lyrically. As far as the label goes, I’m influenced by bands like Hot Water Music, who put out records that documented what they were thinking of at the time, which I really admire. I admire the “DC sound” the most, like Q and Not U, Beauty Pill, Smart Went Crazy, Black Eyes, Sin Desires Marie, and stuff like that. dennis: Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of what was called “emo” in the nineties, a lot of the Ebullition bands. I’ve been listening to a lot of screamo from that time. I don’t really want to do all-time favorite bands, it’s really hard to do that. bst: What about up-and-coming bands? dennis: Hella! Dude, Hella. Who else is up and coming? Light the Fuse and Run, and I would also say Hot Cross. dan: What other up and coming bands? Too bad Rivers Run Dry broke up, I would say them. ryan: I guess I need to answer this too. I think there’s a big local scene that’s up and coming and gaining popularity, like Zombie Zombie and Cost of an Arm. You know, all the Ash From Sweat bands. I don’t want to promote my label or anything. I’m not in any of the bands. The stuff we’re releasing is really good, worth listening to, and from the heart. Those are the bands that I think are gonna be up and coming, or at least deserving of being listened to. dan: Uh… ryan: We should definitely say rickyFitts. dan: Yeah, rickyFitts and iCollide. What are some other bands that we played with on tour that are the shit? Um… Claire De Lune. We should say where these bands are from. ryan: rickyFitts is from Wichita, right? dan: Yes. iCollide and Claire De Lune are from Minneapolis. bst: Ash From Sweat seems to still be in its early stages, what are the long term plans for the label? dennis: I would say, just having more people hear the same stuff we’ve been doing in the same way we’ve been doing it, you know? We plan on keeping it as a means of friendship, and keeping it DIY forever. So I guess the only thing we can hope for is for people to check it out. dan: I say the long term goals for the label, Dennis really answered it. ryan: Okay, yeah, I would say that we probably will end up expanding a little bit from our “friend” group and going a bit more into other local bands that have the same mentality as we do. dan: And putting out a rickyFitts record… bst: Any final thoughts? dan: Thanks for the interview, and do not support D.O.R.K. That’s my two cents. dennis: DIY, or your face will fall off… ryan: Christ, I don’t have any final thoughts… ash from sweat records official site

Review: Somehow Hollow - Busted Wings and Broken Halos

artist: somehow hollow album: busted wings and broken halos label: victory records by: rob tatum If there is one thing I can’t stand about bands on Victory, it’s all the hype the label makes about their bands. Busted Wings and Rusted Halos is the second full length from Ontario’s Somehow Hollow. Now don’t get me wrong, being that all four members played in Grade at one point or another, I was really excited to hear what they had to offer, but I would’ve thought this album would’ve blown away anything Grade ever did from the publicity. Welcome to reality. I had never heard their first album, so I really wasn’t sure what I was going to hear and, unfortunately for me, I expected something similar to Grade. It’s nothing like Grade. Maybe a poppy version of Under the Radar era Grade, but not the Grade most people had come to know. The music is probably best described as melodic punk or possibly poppy emo, somewhat similar to Knapsack or Samiam. Driving guitars, upbeat melodies, and poppy vocals. The lyrics are emotional songs about girls and heartbreak. “I’ll never let you go, I sit back and I watch you smile. You make everything ok and I’ll miss you whenever you’re away.” Aside from my expectations, the album has grown on me. It flows extremely well and makes a good sing-along album. I can’t say that the band is overly talented or complex, but they have managed to create a very enjoyable sound. Although this album is on Victory and the band came out of the ashes of Grade, this album won’t appeal to the hardcore community. This will bode well with pop-punk and emo crowds. I could easily see this band touring with the like of Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, or New Found Glory in the near future as they seem to be picking similar bands as supporting acts recently. favorite song: "never let you go" rating: 81%/100% listen to somehow hollow