It's not often that I get the pleasure of listening to a band that combines a layered experimental sound, judicious use of electronics, and vocals that call to mind the late, great Johnny Thunders. All of this and an awesome shoegaze sound that hits me right in the nostalgia. And if any of this is piquing your interest (and it should), then you will want to pick up Ghost Into The Fog - the latest album from Seattle-based band Red Martian.
Ghost Into The Fog is produced by Gordon Raphael (Strokes, Sky Cries Mary, Regina Spektor), and showcases the great composition and musical diversity that Red Martian has to offer.
You can purchase Ghost Into The Fog over on Red Martian's official site, and for the latest news on show dates and behind the scenes info, you can follow Red Martian on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
I had a chance to ask Red Martian a few questions, and here are their responses:
Tersichore: What moved you to music instead of, say, financial statistics?
Red Martian: We are actually moving from music to financial statistics. In fact, based on my calculations we will never amortize the cost of being a band. Therefore, it is a much wiser choice to go into financial statistics.
T: How long have you been doing this?
RM: Mathematically speaking .. 2015 - 1999 = 16 years .. apparently. But the numbers do not lie. Did you notice I have a degree in financial statistics? Just got it via FTP.
T: I'm not going to ask about your influences (because everyone asks that), but who are you listening to when you're not making music?
RM: BROWNIAN NOISE. And a mix of white noise. And more precisely .. crows and seagulls fighting over pizza humans provided for them. We also listen to the garbage collector making their rounds at 4:30am because apparently that is the best time to collect garbage on Capitol Hill!
T: Plans for the future?
RM: In the future, we will quit financial statistics and move into music making. Statistically speaking, this knights move (of sorts) is sound advice.
T: If you wanted to impress something on your listeners (or the readers of this article) what would it be?
RM: How about depress? this album is about losing, loss and being lost. It is about feeling something and feeling nothing. It is about realizing there are places you can never go to. It is about a giant elephant walrus and about a girl.
It's not often that I get a chance to review punk bands, which is why I've been chomping at the bit to write this article about Suburban Vermin.
For some background: I grew up in New Jersey when Glenn Danzig was in The Misfits and The Ramones were playing public access shows on The Uncle Floyd Show (and let's not forget Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics). In the 90s, I was in Philly and going to see bands like The Fiendz, 7 Seconds, Weston, Face To Face, Blanks '77, and Submachine. Once the 2000s hit, finding decent punk music was very difficult.
After listening to Seattle-based Suburban Vermin, I can say punk is back. Not 3-chord power pop. I'm talking full sneer, padlock n' chain necklace, lace up your boots, you haven't had fun unless you left the show with a few bruises-style punk.
Do you hear that? We NEED more of this!
With their upcoming album, Headless Over Heels, the frenetic pace is non-stop, from the eponymous track to their cover of 4 Non-Blondes' "What's Up." Suburban Vermin don't try to be anything other than what they present, and you can neither deny nor ignore that punk never left, once you hear the fast tempo, crunching chords, and rasping vocals that evoke archetypical street-level punk in all its steel-toed majesty.
You can check out Suburban Vermin over on their official site, and you can keep up with the latest news, show dates, and album info over on their YouTube channel, Facebook Page, Twitter, and Instagram.
I was lucky enough to interview Suburban Vermin - Amanda Gamino (Vocals/Guitar) and Jason Vermin (Vocals/Bass):
AG - Amanda Gamino - Vocals/Guitar JV - Jason Vermin - Vocals/Bass
What moved you to music instead of, say, financial statistics? AG: Well we aren't the traditional musicians with a big heart and a dream who quit their jobs to live in the car until they make it or can't afford gas anymore. Jason and I both have day jobs, because the bills have to get paid, but don't get me wrong.. this isn't just a hobby, we have hopes and dreams to making it big so we can call this our day job! JV: Free beer. Or discounted beer.
How long have you been doing this? AG: Ive been in the band since 2008, so ive spent 7 years of my life dedicated to this band and I enjoy every minute of it. JV: There was a very short period of time before Amanda joined the band. It wasn’t very good.
I'm not going to ask about your influences (because everyone asks that), but who are you listening to when you're not making music? JV: I have a hard time listening to full songs let alone albums so short, fast stuff like the Ramones is always good. My favorite bands are They Might Be Giants, Nerf Herder and The Clash. I also really enjoy everything Buddy Holly ever did, The Mountain Goats, Pulp, Young Fresh Fellows, Alkaline Trio, The Buzzcocks, Cheap Trick, Doug and The Slugs, Pain, Social Distortion and Prince’s Batman soundtrack. AG: I love listening to heavy, loud, screaming music like Lamb of God, Slayer, Asking Alexandria, but I also listen to some Kpop and the classic stuff like GnR, Led Zepplin, Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Plans for the future? AG: LONG TERM GOAL.. GET A RECORD DEAL THAT WILL PAY US ENOUGH TO QUIT WORKING! haha , BUT for short term, go on tour, play more shows, get our name out in the world as far as we can! JV: Long Term, I definitely agree that I’d like to be able to support myself and any future family purely on music. I’m not sure in the future a record label’s gonna be the way to do that, but I’d like to think we’d be able to adapt. I really just want to play in as many basements and enormo-stadiums that’ll have us.
If you wanted to impress something on your listeners (or the readers of this article) what would it be? AG: That we aren't that douchey band who sounds just like all the others on the radio. We are loud, not really punk, but most definitely not pop, and really enjoy making and playing music for people...ALSO we would love to drink with you! JV: This is tough. I guess, always practice safe sex, don’t drive drunk, respect people no matter their gender or sexuality (or lack of), race and religion (or lack of), including yourself and please buy our record/comic book or we will starve.
*******
In closing, you NEED to pick up Headless Over Heels when it comes out. Fantastic bands don't make this stuff for free, and if you want them to continue making stuff (like I do) you should buy their music. If you can't do that, then at least spread the word to your friends so that they can pitch some money their way. Label scouts? If you're reading this (and I know a few of you do), get Suburban Vermin a contract! I want to hear what they can make if they have the time and funds to focus solely on the music!
There's a part of my brain that judges rock music by how many cars I could tolerate on the road while a certain song is playing. Aerosmith songs made after 1987 for instance, I can tolerate in a full-blown traffic jam (usually with the window rolled down so I can hear the traffic, instead). Certain Black Sabbath songs I can listen to in very light traffic, so I can weave in and out of the cars. Billy Joel? The car needs to be parked. In a garage. While I'm in another part of the house digging out my AC/DC albums.
This morning, while I was out driving from place to place, the latest single from Whiskey N' Rye, Sick Soul Summertime, popped up and after listening to it, I have come to a verdict:
One car. From the second the song starts, you want to flip off the vehicle next to you, floor the gas, and take in the big open skies as you move in one direction - forward.
Go ahead. Listen for yourselves:
Whiskey N' Rye is a rising roots-rock band out of Seattle “who seems to be on the fast track to stardom” (Indie Band Guru). The band formed in 2013 and quickly became known for its explosive live show, touring nationally at some of the best clubs and festivals around (House of Blues, Crocodile, Harlows, Tractor Tavern, Secret Society, etc.). The debut album - a fusion of blues, rock, and Americana - has been picked up by over 200 radio stations across the country, as well as widely popular television shows and networks (The Real World, Kardashians, NASCAR, Discovery). Buzz now surrounds the band, whose online following has swelled to over 35,000 people. Independent Music News has described their sound as “honest American rock music with soul. The band is stellar and the songs are phenomenal.”
I had a chance to listen to their upcoming album, also titled Sick Soul Summertime - currently available for pre-order through the official Whiskey N' Rye site - and I can say that this is one of the few new bands that "gets" rock music. From the album's eponymous track to their cover of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long, to the soulful Saving Grace, Whiskey N' Rye shows that they drink deeply from the well of rock and their musicianship shows off a diversity that music has been sorely needed - as they have the tempo going at a million miles a second and then switch to a tender ballad, or a style that would bring a tear to any southern rock fan's eye.
Whiskey N' Rye's members are as follows:
Philip Lindholm: Guitar, Singer/Songwriter, Producer
Carson Dent: Drums
Marco Longo: Keyboards
Greg Pascale: Lead Guitar
Alex Atwood: Bass
Whiskey N' Rye is a touring band, and their live shows are jam packed (the footage in the video for Sick Soul Summertime was taken from live performances). If you want to know more about the band, or find out when they will be playing in your area, you can catch them on Facebook, Twitter, or get updates directly from their own site, and watch their latest videos on YouTube.
I need their new album in my collection. You do, too. One listen will tell you this is going to be marked by music historians as a classic album that the rock landscape has needed for a VERY long time!
Do you need more? Here are some great reviews of Whiskey N' Rye if you don't want to take my word for it:
"Whiskey N' Rye are here to bring a healthy dose of good ol American rock and roll." - Chris Marsh, Cross Radar
"...Seattle-based rock band Whiskey N' Rye are yet another success story bursting to be told. They're eponymous debut album is a soulful effort that is a pleasure to listen to and, like any proud product of the northwest, never forgets its roots...Rock on guys! You can officially count me as a passenger on the 6 a.m. Whiskey N Rye train."- Digi Indie
"Emerging with an allure that has not been seen since the early ages of rock, Seattle band Whiskey N' Rye has unleashed their self-titled album Whiskey N' Rye. As one of the most powerful releases of 2014, the album is an inventive production that bridges the elements of classic rock styles with contemporary American insight and artistic brilliance" - Glitter and Stilettos
"You'll have a hard time not tapping your feet as the album progresses through transitional stages of heavy blues explosion, and rock sensibility, without losing that pop sound at times.The sum of the parts work well, and if you were to take away one element, you would still have a strong alternative record, but when you tie in all the pieces, you get something outstanding, and that's what makes this a must have...If you see their names on the marquee, you better get a ticket, because this will most likely translate well into a live performance."- Sell Out Records
"There is no best way to describe the music of Whiskey N' Rye as they have such a unique and fresh sound that fuses elements of country and rock with some blues and alternative, making it impossible to pin down in one confined musical sphere...I really don't know if this album could be any better." - Rick Jamm, Jamsphere
"You are all phenomenal!!! I'm going to love playing your music!!" -DJ Skys, Indie Showcase Radio
"I love what Whiskey N' Rye is doing style wise. AMAZING stuff!" - Taxi
Graig Markel and the 88th Street Band just released their new single, Borrowed Time. This group with a vintage soul sound hails from Seattle, and has a sound in the vein of early Muscle Shoals, Stax, and the classic Motown era.
Listeners have drawn comparisons to Alabama Shakes, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Charles Bradley.
You can follow Graig Markel on this own site, and get the latest antics, news, and updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Give this guy a listen, because he has a style and sound that could contend with the heavy hitters of Motown!
