Larissa Maestro is a musical treat of pure natural sound. As a singer/songwriter, she expresses her creativity with a rock/pop feel, backed with a mainly acoustic sound of guitar & piano with traces of classical and country styles. I found myself hooked on the track, “Sink Me”. A beautiful song full of expressive tones, vocally and musically. Need to chill out? Then listen to this track in particular. Her vocals are strong & positive & wonderfully expressive.

A Filipino American from Boston, educated at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music, is well suited to having the surname “Maestro”. A multi instrumentalist on Cello, Piano & Guitar, which has enabled Larissa to show off her many musical talents which are not just limited to her vocal expression.

The production of the instrumentation really allows her talent to shine through, with the subtle & very effective light and shade you can hear within the music. Check this out with the track, “I Won’t Make A Sound”, another wonderful song from the debut album “Maybe Later”, which Larissa released in 2007. Creativity at it’s best, bringing out the beauty of the art of songwriting, Larissa style. In fact, Larissa has a real talent for expression; her songs are very well produced.

Larissa has a passion for songwriting influenced by great songwriters like, Lennon & McCartney, Emmylou Harris, Aimee Man, to name a few, plus she also enjoys Shania Twain & Kelly Clarkson. At times I could even hear a little influence of Sheryl Crow.

On listening to the overall feel of the songs, I noticed that they have that cross over sound between Rock & Pop with a touch of country. A musical cocktail of sheer pleasure & vocally, Larissa is a delight to listen to.

“Blowing Out The Smoke” is another favorite that will appeal with its catchy chorus, and a beat that you just have to tap your foot too.

Larissa produces songs with a mixture of great musical influences & genres & that’s what makes her an interesting performing artist. Larissa performs a nice blend of soft sounding tones with each song that she sings and she is seriously too good to miss.

Go purchase her album from iTunes or Amazon.com & treat yourself to an album that is certainly worth a top listening spot in your media player.

The Pipettes, pronounced “the pi’ pets”, hail from the United Kingdom are a mix of the Supremes and the Shangri-Las with a touch of the vocal timbre and style of post-riot grrl acts such as Sahara Hotnights and The Donnas.

Much like the girl groups of the 1950s and 60s, The Pipettes were basically manufactured by someone else. They were a brainchild experiment by singer-songwriter and promoter Monster Bobby. The big difference here is that the Pipettes write their own lyrics to most of their songs, where as most of the songs of the girl groups in the past were written by the men who manufactured them. So this is a modern twist on the classic girl group formula.

The group consists of three women: Gwenno, Rosay and RiotBecki. Gwenno and Rosay sing and play keyboards where RiotBecki just sings. On stage, in videos, but never ever in photographs, the Pipettes are backed up by an all-male backing band collectively known as the Cassette. The Cassette currently consists of (according to Wikipedia) Monster Bobby on guitar, Jon Falcone on bass, Seb Falcone on keyboards and Jason Adelinia on drums.

With several EPs, singles, and a full length album called “We are the Pipettes” under their belt, The Pipettes take something very old and make it all their own. Songs such as “Your Kisses are Wasted on Me” and “Judy” are almost a humorous but add a bit of girl power and feminism to this girl group, which is a refreshing counteraction to the idea of them being a manufactured group. They have taken control of their own destiny and are on a full steam course ahead with a promise of new music in the coming months.

The Pipettes are a guaranteed interesting listen for people who remember the old girl groups of the past and a refreshing new sound for post punk/post-riot grrl fans who want something different to add to their music collection. So if you want something a little retro, a little new wave, and all feel good give The Pipettes a spin!

BAW: What made you want to become a Tattoo Artist?

Artist: I’ve always drawn since childhood, which led to tattoos, which led to tattooing.

BAW: Who are your influences?

Artist: I’m influenced by everything. Life, all arts, everything. I try to be inspired by other tattooers, but not so much “influenced”. My main inspirations are my staff- Rich Depue, has a tremendous sense of color- Tray Kamprath, is a solid technical tattooer- Outside our shop, I like Dustin Golden, Mike Rubendall, Martin Lacass, and Robert Hernandez. Everything you see influences you in someway.

BAW: What is your favorite style of work?

Artist: Large anything. I just like to work. Japanese or Fantasy, if I had to choose. I’m just happy to work.

BAW: Tell us about your first Tattoo experience?

Artist: I got a crappy tribal dragon, the guy did a crappy job, and also he made it a pretty bad experience. To top it off, after that, I got a crappy cover-up on it, and now it’s getting removed.

BAW: What is your favorite piece you own?

Artist: Rib panel from Mike Rubendall. He is very professional, friendly and has excellent technical skills. Great experience.

BAW: What is your most memorable Tattoo given and why?

Artist: Tattooing my Uncle Matt. He was my first one I did. The best part about being a tattooer, is tattooing people your close to.

BAW: Is there a part of the body you won’t Tattoo and why?

Artist: Nothing that’s not healable.

BAW: How do you feel about female Tattoo Artists?

Artist: I feel the same about anyone trying to make a positive contribution to our community- man, or woman has nothing to do with it.

BAW: Do you support supply co. that sells to the public?

Artist: Being 20 miles from “Spalding,” I hate the concept because it breeds scratchers. But a lot of the artists who have changed the face of tattooing today started like that. Tattooing people is a moral responsibility; I think people are as responsible as the companies.

BAW: Do you feel there now should be mandatory schooling for soon to be tattoo artists?

Artist: Organized Schools? NO, I believe tattooing is a tradition, taught to only people who deserve to know. Not some college that any asshole can attend. We need to try and maintain some semblance of integrity in our business.

BAW: Do you feel Tattooing has changed over the years, and if so why?

Artist: The internet has connected everyone, all this shared art and information is amazing. Tattooing is getting better every year.

BAW: Do you think it is important to do as many conventions and shows as

possible?

Artist: NO, but if done correctly, it promotes tattooing to the public eye, which is good. Some conventions are asking for portfolios before you got a spot now- Awesome.

BAW: What advise can you give to someone who is starting or looking to get into the tattoo business?

Artist: Take a formal apprenticeship, do it for the right reasons, and you get what you put in.

BAW: What could you say to someone who has had a bad first experience?

Artist: Do more research. I love it when people come in and say “A crack head did this for $20″. What was the first indication that this was a good idea?

BAW: Since you have started what changes have you seen in the industry?

Artist: Better information and equipment. Eikon Device, and Pulse have made some great innovations. The industry standard for everything is much higher

BAW: How do you feel about apprenticeships?

Artist: If the right person is giving them, they are a great tradition, and a great way to pass down our art.

BAW: Where do you think the Tattoo Industry is going today? Do you think it is getting better or worse?

Artist: Better tattoos, better equipment, more information available. I’d have to say better.

BAW: Please share any other comments or views or questions to the public you might have.

Artist: I’d just like to thank all of the people who have shared the information that has helped me become a better tattooer. Also, my clients, nothing is possible without canvas that has faith in your ability. Lastly, that I respect the tattooers who aren’t afraid to contribute. Taking the time to share information is important for the productive growth of the tattoo community. I’m thankful to be a working successful tattooer, and I try to give as much as I take.

ANTHONY LAWTON GALLERY
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After that, it’s a whole barrage of things that hit you in the face. He’s catchy. He can carry a tune, he can write a song, and he can make it all interesting. Sneyd, in fact, carries a pop tune with him wherever he goes; the trick is, he wraps it in indie sensibility, so he never risks selling out. He just remains painfully catchy and easy to listen to no matter what mood you’re in, judging by his 2007 debut All of Us Cities.

Upon first listen, it’s easy to say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Sneyd is better off when in the higher register of his vocal range. Songs like “The Prisoner” lose something as he tries to sing low notes he can barely reach, while others like title track “All of Us Cities” hang on to a hopeful imagery that make them worth listening to. Imagine Bono singing bass parts in a choir. Not as moving, right?

But even a few vocal shortcomings don’t make Sneyd a bad musician. After a stint with now defunct Mountain Mama (Sneyd’s bio describes Mountain Mama’s sound as “chicken-fried synth-rock”, whatever that means), Sneyd is still working on figuring out who he is as a solo musician. Combining the emo tinges of Sunny Day Real Estate with the endearing feeling of Coldplay’s rockin’ songs, Sneyd is well on his way to that discovery. Definitely not a guy to miss out on.

Take four guys who decide the best way to write their next album is to confine themselves to their small living room rehearsal space in Indianapolis, Indiana—the goal: a song a day for five weeks. Add past due rent and the heat shut off in the dead of winter. What do you expect to get?

Aside from the obvious fallout—annoyed neighbors and a landlord who might not rent to a band again—you’d probably get 30 rushed and mediocre songs jet out by an equally desperate quartet who are destined to crash under the turbulence of enormous creative pressure. At least, that was my guess. But as my story goes, Kids in the Way proved me wrong.

Some fans might say their third full length album, A Love Hate Masquerade, has abandoned KITW’s hardcore sensibilities now that lead man Dave Pelsue is spending less time shrieking his heart shattering cries. Personally, I’d call it throwback evolution. Kids in the Way has evolved in their art enough to simultaneously pull from their roots of punk, hardcore, and pop rock with a genuine presence.

Many avid, singularly minded fanatical followers of the current new school curriculum might call them sell-outs. Many self-respecting rockers might turn a deaf ear to KITW simply because of their Christian label, Flicker Records of Provident Music. But if you listen to this band with a non-partisan, non-denominational musical bias, you’ll hear evidence of time invested sincerely in the hardcore extremes and the compositional bloodline of rock and roll history. The result—an accessible balance between decipherable melody and meaningful screams of desperation. A Love Hate Masquerade invites the mainstream rock listener to indulge in some of the raging emotion so pivotal to the hard core punk sound, without going overboard into awkward fits of frenzy or presenting a watered down sound with smarmy pop mindlessness.

From the bands inception in 1997, Dave, guitarist Nathan Ehman, and drummer Eric Carter have seen a few members come and go—each new member contributing in their own way to the evolution of the KITW sound. The original members give special credit to their newest member (since 2005), bassist Willie Bostic, for inspiring A Love Hate Masquerade to be what they call a “straight up the middle pop-rock and roll” sound.

Though often lyrically simply stated, there is nothing obvious about this album’s message. These guys show duplicity in emotion, presenting stories from both sides of their nature—soulful optimism and dark defeat. At first glance, the lyrics seem ridden with romantic angst, even possibly the sexual frustration of a fruitless struggle for abstinence, but after careful observation listeners are left with a sense that there is more to the story than your everyday “Just Say No” campaign. The pain of drugs, death, broken relationships, insecurity, hopelessness, abuse, and political unrest are all themes these good guys convey eerily well. With underlying tones of self admitted destruction and reoccurring doses of idealistic morality, KITW blend contradicting emotions to create a cocktail that is easy to swallow regardless of your moral bend. A Love Hate Masquerade does poetic justice to the laws of humanity—pessimism and hope.

In case you just want me to get to the point here, The CD is a good listen from beginning to end, some songs naturally standing out more than others. The single “Fiction,” which was also featured on their last album Apparitions of Melody: The Dead Letters Edition, is one of their strong could-be hits. “Your Demon,” “Sugar” and “My Little Nightmare” are catchy enough to get even Lindsay Lohan to sing along, as she bounces off of trees and curbs between Hollywood parties in her pretty black Benz. Other songs provide a good backdrop for my relentlessly wandering mind, but overall when I tune back in there is something interesting to be experienced in each cut.

The band’s bio quotes Pelsue’s description of the journey to the final product: “It’s like you’re in a relationship and you know it’s not gonna work out for either of you, but you’re at a point where you don’t want to start over so you’re just kind of hanging onto whatever emotions are still existing.” The irony of this statement gains relevance as recent rumor has it as of Jan 2008, just a few short months after the September ‘07 CD release, the band has dispersed to concentrate on other projects. Though no official announcement has been made, Nate Ehman is reportedly playing with Christian rock band Disciple while Pelsue is a full time leader in the music ministry at his church in Indianapolis.

Who knows if the Kids will be locking themselves in their living room again to write 30 more songs next year, but if they do, my take on it is that they have a decent chance of taking the “Best Almost Hardcore Alternative Punk Pop-Rock Drug and Demon Referencing Christian Album of the Year” award, or at least they have a chance to open the minds of true rock and roll fans that such a concept can even exist.

Pets In Trees core is the musical partnership between Joel Case and Dan Siddique, who have been writing songs for almost a decade now, even if they weren’t always in a band together. Now they are, and together with the help of drummer Ayal Nistor, the first results are very promising. Although Pets In Trees as a band is very young, formed in 2004, but they already have a 7-song self-titled EP out through Evil Orange, and that EP shows a band burgeoning with creativity. San Francisco is an ideal place for a developing band that wants to be different, with a couple of very interesting scenes, and it has helped Joel and Dan sculpt the band’s identity while never stopping the exploring of different things.

Among their influences they list both The Who and Elliott Smith, and this combination of two sorts of intensity, both sonic and emotional, is a good indication of what they sound like. Combining the garage rock energy with a supreme melodic sensibility, and with the great experience of that EP, Pets In Trees (in case you’re wondering, it’s an anagram for “Pine Street”, where they first started writing the songs) are currently preparing their debut full length, which, if it evolves in proportion to the talent available in the band, should be quite special.

Baltimore’s The Crawdaddies includes Kraig Greff on accordion; Chris Huntington on guitar and vocals; Rick Oleguer on vocals, acoustic guitar and washboard; Tim Steele on drums and vocals; and Darryl Matarozza on bass and vocals. The band regularly plays national college and festival circuits, sharing the stage with a wide diversity of artists from Etta James to Joan Jett to Reel Big Fish. The Crawdaddies have received several honors since their start in 1997. Their CD Keep Lookin’ Up was nominated for a 2006 Wammie (Washington Area Music Association) award. The band recorded its live performance at WC Handy Blues Festival in Henderson, KY, which is being played nationwide on PBS. AOL Citiguide spotlighted the band for entertainment in Baltimore in August 2006. The band has also played the main stage at the National Association of Campus Activities National Conference along with three regional N.A.C.A. conferences. Songs from all of the band’s CDs have received airplay on college and AAA radio stations world-wide.

The Crawdaddies can’t be contained to just one genre. Their music includes influences from Cajun and Zydeco music, as well as funk, swing, soul, reggae, roots and rock. “Louise”, “Jive Time Farmer”, and “Swamp Music” are influenced by Cajun and Zydeco music with their use of accordion. On “Gimme Some”, the Crawdaddies flex their reggae muscle. “Got Nothin’” and “Spice It Up” show the band’s rock and funk influence. The band’s songs would appeal to fans of “roots” and “folk” music, including Cajun and Zydeco.

The band’s releases include singles, EPs, and full-length CDs. The Crawdaddies made their debut in 1997 with Accordions are Cool. This CD received radio play on college stations throughout the Northeastern region of the US. They followed up their debut CD with the single “Cajun Christmas”. Released in 2003, this song also received airplay in the Northeastern regions of the US. In 2004, the band released the EP More Happy Songs for Hard Times, receiving airplay on many college and AAA stations throughout the US. In 2005, the band released a re-mastered version of 2001’s Spice it Up. The CD was met with radio play on over 300 stations throughout the US and Europe. The band also won two 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards to reward their efforts. “Gimme Some” was featured on Drop Hits 2006, a best of compilation CD of various artists that was given to college radio stations and A&R reps as well as being used for other promotional events. The band’s most recent release is Keep Lookin’ Up. “Life of Riley” is the theme song for a children’s audio book. “My Old Heart” was a finalist in the Mountain Stage new song contest.

24E
From Stagger To Wind
(Jupiter Records)

Brandishing an odd, ear-sticky brew of Van Morrison jangle, Maroon 5 cool-breeze and a crypto-ethnic vocalist, Travis Tingley, whose voice falls in the middle of the two BoDeans guys, 24E took full advantage of their southwest California locale for this record, recruiting Cristina Aguilera/Jacko producer Rob Hoffman to capture their low-key bar-band sound. “She Moves Me” kicks off the album with the hardest edge they want to run with, a little Van Morrison duking it out with a lot of New Radicals. “Deeper” is pure BoDeans in mid-tempo strum-mode, down to the Bon Jovi inflections, but Tingley isn’t done morphing at that point, proceeding to whip out a husky Aaron Neville-gone-wild nick for “Love Is,” accompanied, appropriately, in Linda Rondstadt fashion by Heather Holly.

Michael Schenker Group
In the Midst of Beauty
(Inakustik Music)

Comedy of errors on the Amazon.com listing for this one – release date and, until recently, the track list are/were incorrect. Lack of attention to detail aside, this is a good example of Schenker’s way with “commercial” metal, with plenty of axe-burning runs and one or two bombastic minor-chord tearjerkers. A can’t-miss album for completists of this type of stuff, the keyboards are handled by Ozzy conversation-piece Don Airey and the bass by Whitesnake guy Neil Murray. Gary Barden’s chalky, low-end Bruce Dickinson vocals are of average timbre but fit the setting (it’s all about the Flying V) as well as one could ask for. Opener “City Lights” is the most “On and On”-like stomper since, well, “On and On,” but the guitar sound is, thankfully, a leap forward, possessed of a trancelike rapture that indicates Schenker is still into tweaking his sound after all those years. “I Want You” befits “Perfect Strangers”-era Deep Purple.

Crash Romeo
Gave Me the Clap
(Trustkill Records)

Yeah, Crash Romeo, you WISH you gave someone the clap. But that’s what’s good about these guys – the irrepressibility of not just their somehow-innocent youthfulness or their big hooky been-there-done-that emo tunes, but their geekiness. Where the guys in Bowling For Soup are the very essence of lardy, hopeless mama’s boys, this Crash Romeo are Revenge of the Nerds, a power-trio-plus-frontgeek bunch you want to see get the chick someday, harmless misfits damned to a suburban purgatory.

The subtext, if you want to see it that way, is clever marketing, but these hapless Romeos play the part so well that you almost want to send over your sister to teach them how to French kiss. Nothing new whatsoever in the music department if you’ve ever heard Hoobastank or Good Charlotte, ad infinitum, but if it’s originality you crave, go download Deaf Pedestrians and leave this crew alone – God knows they’ve had enough dope-slaps and whatnot in life.

The Breeders
Mountain Battles
(4AD Records)

Ignoring the resumes of the band members – Kim Deal from Pixies alongside Throwing Muse Tanya Donelly, who isn’t in this lineup – we’re left pondering what would become of such an album. After all, to the 20somethings of today, the late 80s – Pixies’ heyday – may as well have been when Abraham Nixon or whoever was president, or am I right?

“Overglazed” rolls out the album in the now-boring alt-rock equivalent of intro-skit fashion, Cool Record Store bombast coming from patented Cool Record Store toilet-guitars, cardboard-box drums and Deal’s voice lost in a cyclone of reverb while singing the line “I can feel it” as if to convince herself – they may as well have titled this “Say Hello to Another Rad Alt-Rock Album.”

Same dilly with “Bang On,” dolled up in stale vocal effects, dissonant no-wave chants, etc., and “Night of Joy,” in which Yoko Ono meets Nancy Sinatra fronting Figurine, and finally “We’re Gonna Rise” (ditto).

Note that by now I’m supposed to have gone grand-mal over the devilish coolness of it all, but I seemed to still have had a few synapses available to take in the Pixies-esque “German Studies,” which isn’t bad.

Clinic
Do It!
(Domino Records)

An opening slot for Arcade Fire’s recent Euro-tour didn’t sway Clinic from their irresistible eccentricities but instead put a bigger, more cartoonish voodoo-bug in their ear (they must have fantasized long and hard about sticking it to those Roquefort-nibbling AF fans, really). The new depths of dissonance are to this album’s detriment only if you were rooting for the band’s finally going from bridesmaid to bride, but they’re devoutly indie to the end, a Black Sabbath to Arcade Fire’s Zep.

Clinic is now well-settled into working out of their own studio, where their bizarre collection of antique keyboards is unpacked, all pieces ready to use. If you’ve been missing Iron Butterfly, “High Coin” feeds the need, and the blaring Titanic steamer-horn in “Mary and Eddie” adds brilliant drabness to the band’s hippy-beach-bonfire guitars, the Jesus & Mary Chain vibe they aspired to and surpassed long ago.

Unfortunately, no amount of wizzer organic hocus-pocus can cover up the band’s lack of melodic growth, exemplified most dramatically by “Winged Wheel,” a phoned-in copycat of “Gideon” from last year’s Visitations LP. All know-it-alling aside, however, fans of Raveonettes, BRMC and all their fuzzy brethren will get a lot out of any Clinic record, even this one.

A New Revolution
Rise
(Koch Records)

Please kids, don’t scare me. The revolution will not be texted in from your iPhones – those are the things you’ll be smashing first.

And it won’t comply to standards, as this nu-metal record does every chance it gets. No subtlety save for the invisible synth lines that raise goosebumps on the easily impressed; essentially you could play a Papa Roach album backward and get the same bang for your buck.

Chinstraps, flavor-savers, a Mohawk, and one misfit guy who looks like he got roped into the band after getting fired from 7-11 – you know they’ve got checkerboard slip-ons on their feet and their moms cover their couches in plastic. And of course the singer, who wants to sound evil and ragged and bloodthirsty, but he listens to Slipknot and doesn’t own any Ministry albums.

“Cool guitars,” you say? You mean those digitally compressed, docile little Pekinese-doggy wave-forms tuned down low to spread total f33r o’er the land?

Note to self: Build a bunker!

Whitesnake
Good to be Bad
(SPV Records)

Times have changed for the most Freudian-named band of all time. Tawny Kitaen is nowadays more famous for her psychobitch mug shot on SmokingGun.com than her soft-core slithering over David Coverdale on MTV, and Coverdale’s lower vocal range had a tough time in the studio for this first outing in 10 years.

Ravaged by time though the band is, this record is in many ways one of their best, revisiting the days leading up to all the cumbersome 80s-hair nonsense, ie this is a flashback to 1984’s Slide It In, again with all due respect to Sigmund. (One endearing aspect to this new release is Coverdale’s disclaimer to us hateful press jerks, saying in incalculably measured words that even if we maul this album with our keyboards he’s proud to go down with this ship.)

Thing is, there’s nothing to hate if you’re gunning for slow-poke hair-metal ballads sung over millions of layers of guitar and mile-wide snare-drums. The slickest song – “Best Years,” a very nifty rewiring of the 12-bar blues idea – is put out front as the opener, a sign that Coverdale assumed the position of a nobody-newbie fighting for his artistic life. This accomplished, he indulges in a few familiar Zeppelin nicks (”Lay Down Your Love” is a modified “Black Dog”) and “Love Ain’t No Stranger”-like ballads, ending the record with tasteful strings and barely-there drums in “Til the End of Time.”

Dub Syndicate
Overdubbed
(Groove Attack Records)

With the weather starting to turn in the other crummy direction toward the usual sweltering, soul-baking hell, it’s time to summer-ize your car’s available cubbyholes with CDs apropos for the season. One economical choice is Overdubbed, which is simply the first disk of Dub Syndicate’s Rasta Far I 2-disk set, a tour-de-force of all that’s good and modern in dub reggae. This is old Syndicate territory remixed by former drum n bass guy/Massive Attack producer Rob Smith, who’s possessed of a disciplined but itchy trigger finger for blowing up the sounds of busted-cymbal-rattles, trance-inducing samples and spoken-word stoner-rants with mega-cheesed reverb and the like. Wouldn’t have mattered much if he’d gone completely mental at the mixing board (and it’s close), as even the most casual reggae aficionado will be left a melted pool of ice cream behind the wheel on the way to the beach before the halfway point of the record. Highlights include Yasus Afari’s ghetto-kiddie rhyme flow in “Jamaican Proverb” and U Brown’s righteous bellowing in the straight-ahead stomper “Lion King.”

Phantom Planet
Raise the Dead
(Atlantic Records)

A single brush with commercial relevance (the song “California,” which became the theme for TV’s The O.C.) remains Phantom Planet’s sole claim to fame, that and drummer Jason Schwartzman’s cartoon-oval head, which co-starred in I Heart Huckabees.

Being that Schwartzman is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, one would have expected them to have broken a little bigger than their current position by now, but this generation of rock critics isn’t as fond of oligarchies as previous ones have pretended to be, so, after more than a decade of making ennui-drowned Strokes-inspired surf-rock, they’ve decided to cast their lot with style over substance: the music is still a slop-pile of soul-less Strokes leftovers, but now with new and improved skronk, Pavement monkeyshines and various Brian Johnstown distractions. Their corporate handlers will be shoving “Leader” into your ear pretty soon, not that it’s all that interesting but because it has little kids singing on it – hopefully your finger is at its ideal weight for quick-changing the radio station this summer.

The Duke Spirit
Neptune
(Artist First Records)

As chick singers go, Liela Moss is a breath of fresh Turkish-cigarette-scented air for middle-road rock fans fed up with lonely bug-eyed waifs and faux-butch leather-jacketed yellers. Mature but jaded in all the right ways, very akin to Feist doing hard, genuinely edgy alt-rock, Moss has been around the block enough times, but many of those trips were chauffer-driven with Bjork and My Bloody Valentine in the CD player. Unlike MBV, however, the faster tunes aren’t like staring at an approaching swarm of flying monkeys through a rain-spattered window; tonally innovative shoegazing is present but playing a secondary role to organic guitar rock, all of which conjures a natural grooviness often remindful of The Cult’s first album. “This Ship Was Built to Last” testifies to that – picture Raveonettes jamming with George Thorogood on an 80s hair-band anthem. Perhaps the most captivating effort, though, is “The Step and the Walk,” where Moss redlines the mixing board in identical fashion to Grace Slick. Later, “Send a Little Love” translates to Billy Idol on estrogen.

–

Outraged ranting, indie label release news and spaghetti sauce recipes are always welcome. Email esaeger@cyberontix.com

When I formed my very first band, back when I was 15, I was psyched to be pursuing my dream of becoming a rockstar with my three best friends alongside.
To make a long story short, I will never a) be in an all girl band again or b) work with people with whom I’ve established long-term friendships. My reasoning behind both decisions; too much drama.

As with any successful business venture, one person within the group must have a take-charge attitude that naturally places them within the leadership role. Most often in bands, I’ve found that the leaders (those in charge of management, bookings, promotion, scheduling) are usually the front person of the group as they have a naturally inclination to direct others. As well, when taking on the leadership role, one must realize that along with the good comes the bad.
You will be the center of attention, but you will also be the one at which all of the criticism is directed. It is not an easy role, and I do not recommend it for those who are thin-skinned.

The reason as to why this kind of setup is in conflict with having friends in your band is fairly self-explanatory. Although there is respect among friends, it is difficult to think of someone within your clique as being “the boss”, as people form friendships with those whom they feel are at the same level as them. As well, friendships are usually quite casual, and easygoing in terms of interaction, whereas business settings demand an authoritative leader/compliant worker-type relationship in order to function most productively. I’m sure you can understand then why conflicts easily arise in this scenario, and why I don’t recommend it.

So now you’re probably thinking, forming a band with complete strangers, that’s going to be odd and uncomfortable as musical expression is a very intimate personal thing? I agree. Initially, things will be a little sketchy until everyone gets a feel for each other. Ground rules will need to be established, a leader must be elected, and you will need to figure out everyone’s capabilities and how each member works the best.
However, once you get past the initial stage of awkwardness, working together will be a breeze.

I’m sure your next question is, “How do I find the right people?” With the advent of the Internet, there are tons of valuable resources for musicians such as
http://www.overhear.com/,
http://www.kijiji.ca/, and http://www.bandmix.com/
which allow free classified ad posting for that very purpose. For those of you who do not have regular access to the Internet, posting ads in local music stores remains a popular means of networking, along with mingling at concerts. On the same note, with the popularity of programs such as Music Industry Arts offered by several universities and colleges across the globe including London’s very own Fanshawe College, finding musicians is easier than you can imagine. This does not necessarily mean you will find the right man or woman for the job right away, however, London, (and even more so in larger metropolises), is buzzing with local talent, you just need to look in the right places.

So what do you look for in a potential band member? Most importantly, your goals need to be in check.
Everyone in your band needs to be on the same page, at similar talent levels and willing to make a huge commitment.
Another quality, which is often overlooked, is image. You need to have a look, a style, something that will work for you as a trademark in terms of marketing your act (but I will get into that more at another time.)

Lastly, I recommend that finding people at the same age and maturity level would be in your best interest. Younger musicians tend to have more extracurricular activities in their lives, and often their parents are not thrilled about the idea of them forming a band. Also, in the future, when you are ready to book shows, having an underager in your act could pose some problems. Working with musicians that have ten years on you, has its downsides as well.

Older “seasoned” musicians usually expect monetary compensation for their time, have little tolerance for bands that are still trying to get their act together, and from my experience, seem to have a preference for playing in cover/tribute bands.

I believe the key to success in this industry is finding the right people that you can work well with. There are tons of musicians out there, but not a lot of good ones (and by good I am not referring to musical abilities).

It cannot be debated that every band definitely requires a strong leader. However, even with a strong leader, if the other members are not just as focused, and determined to make it, it’s not going to happen. Respect, professionalism, and teamwork are essential, and if you can achieve this kind of relationship among your best friends, all the power to you, but remember this, money changes everything. The moment your band obtains even the slightest degree of success, your friendships will be put to their greatest test.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21^st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, “Unpretty” is available worldwide for purchase.

For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band’s accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Anton Tsygankov is a guitarist from Russia. He has won several rock guitar competitions around the world. Anton feels that his greatest accomplishments were winning second place at the North American Rock Guitar Competition 2007 in Buffalo NY and first place at the Wind Rose contest in Europe. To support his guitar playing, Anton formed the band ANTI. The band’s style covers funk, alternative, and modern rock. In addition to playing originals during their live show, they also play covers of songs by artists that range in style from Jamiroquai to Aerosmith. Joining Anton (guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter) in the band are Sergei Zamkov on vocals, Fedor Kandinsky on bass, and Anton Poluduk on drums. Charles Register handles vocals for the band’s songs that are in English.

ANTI released its debut CD in Russian in February 2006 with the English version debuting a month later. Based on the fact that Anton is an award-winning guitarist, it is obvious that most of ANTI’s songs are centered on his guitar playing. The instrumental “Dancing Colors” is the best example of this with Anton’s funky guitar licks taking center stage throughout the track. However, some of ANTI’s songs also feature vocals in Russian and English. “Heat Up the Fire” is in Russian and sounds like a mainstream rock track from the 90s with its crunchy guitars and funky bass line. “Lose My Mind” is in English and is a heavier track that features crunching guitars and turntable scratches to color the instrumental bed.

ANTI’s songs would appeal to fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers (particularly their funkier tracks) and Incubus with its use of turntables. ANTI has performed throughout Russia and on Russian television shows and are looking to expand their horizons and their popularity by performing abroad.