Art By: Manuel Lopez-Iedezma
INTRODUCTION:
1st
issue of 2019!! We’ve got everything you need plus a zine review by Aaron White
and some sketches by Manuel Lopez-Iedezma!! There’s now a playlist up on
Spotify that will be updated every time a new issue comes out with artists
featured in STN if they’re on Spotify so check this shit out: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6QFM5GeQYEoPU3DQ8K5XKI
LISTENING RECOMENDATIONS:
ARTIST: Various
ALBUM: Dead Ant Compilation Vol. 2
LABEL: Dead Ant Records
STYLE: Punk/Garage/Avant Garde
ARTIST: Sonic Ammunition
RELEASE: Vampires
LABEL: N/A
STYLE: Punk
ARTIST: VFMS
RELEASE: Hemthology
LABEL: N/A
STYLE: Punk/Garage
ARTIST: Bleach
Party USA
RELEASE: Get Stokeder
LABEL: N/A
STYLE: Punk
ARTIST: Sects
Tape
RELEASE: Mobile Home
LABEL: Spastic
Fantastic
STYLE: Garage/Punk
LIVE REVIEWS!!!
Happy In Hemet:
Dark, sincere, weird, grungy, punky and
everything in between, Happy In Hemet as fuuuuck!! They got riffs for days in
an intricate entanglement of rhythm and melody accompanied by a drumming style
that fits so well I can’t imagine it any other way. All together you get a
sense of being fed up with a bit of a death rock vibe that helps to give you a
sense of catharsis. You can give them a listen on Spotify and all that but I
highly suggest you go catch them live, definitely one of the best live bands in
SoCal right now.
Sourcage:
This
band is poetic, they’re psychedelic, they’re old school with a modern touch. You
wanna catch a band that takes mad influence from classic rock? What you need is
some fuckin’ Sourcage!! Previously known as Jaguar Cult they’ll put you in a
trance with spoken word poetry backed by a groovy sound and intense ass blues
rock with a bit of jazz. Sometimes you gotta take a step back in order to take
a step forward and this band is showing you how it’s done.
Larkies:
This
is some high energy garage punk fer sure!! Larkies delivers a face ripping lofi
performance with angular sounds and fast energetic rhythm!! You wanna move?
This’ll make you wanna jump and slam!! There’s a lot going in each song and
it’s catchy to boot. They’ve got some stuff posted up on bandcamp but, like
with everything I review, I’d recommend catching a live set.
OGDEN INTERVIEWS!!
Captain Leigha of Inland Empire Pyrate Punx!!
STN: So you're captain of the Inland Empire Pyrate Punx and y'all are really
making it happen for the area right now. How'd you get involved with IEPP?
LEIGHA: Well, I'm a drinker so that's helps. Bwhahahaha!!
STN: Haha drinking and music go hand in hand :p
LEIGHA: I actually joined because I've always wanted to host
shows and help out those bands. I don't play any instrument so me opening up
the void and giving my time and organization skills is how I contribute to a
scene I love.
STN: How did you come into contact with the Pyrates?
LEIGHA: I was originally an enforcer type in the Pyrate Punx and
moved up to captain under duress, go figure it worked out real well in the end.
STN: How well connected are the different Pyrate groups?
LEIGHA: Redlands was an up and coming chapter, I was the 2nd green
patch needed to make a chapter where we live there is a very healthy heavy
music scene. So Cal is real good about helping each other. And worldwide
we keep in contact through pages and messages on Facebook and instragram. IEPP
hosted Sydney Australia Capt. this last summer. It was super fun.
STN: Is it easy to connect touring bands to other chapters?
LEIGHA: Oh yea definitely easy to help get a whole tour booked
just between Pyrate chapters. There's 56 chapters now, and about 40 of them are
active. Everyone helps out and if they can't they know someone who can.
STN: Wow, that's a lot!!
LEIGHA: Worldwide like a motherfucker <3
STN: How has it been being captain? I'd
imagine it can be stressful at times?
LEIGHA: I know I'm a hard ass. I expect a lot from my patch members.
Ruling with an iron fist type. But because of this we are becoming quite a
great chapter doing things and helping the whole community not just our scene
people. I call being Capt. a full time part time job. There are zero breaks,
middle of the night middle of the day it doesn't matter. What does matter is
that those people who contact IEPP get a response even if it's a no.
STN: Tell me about the charity work you do with IEPP.
LEIGHA: IEPP started feeding the homeless November of 2017, we
fell into it actually. After buying food for a Pyrate gathering and not needing
it I made the decision to feed the needy with it instead of hording the food. It's
been now 15 months; we've fed 1233 people and 25 families. We also do a toy
drive each year and have given away 150 toys to kids during the holidays.
STN: Fuuuck that's a lot!!
LEIGHA: We don't work with anyone, we are independent. We, IEPP,
go into the homeless camps and into housing projects to disperse food clothes
and toys.
STN : How often do you guys host shows?
LEIGHA: IEPP last year had 40 shows.
STN: Wow, y'all really are busy!!
LEIGHA: I have my calendar marked out, as a memory box type
thing, its insane looking for sure. But worth it. About 15 of those shows were
benefit shows. From food to toys, clothes to money for hurricane victims and
fire victims.
STN: That's really good. What locations do you typically book at?
LEIGHA: IEPP home base is a house venue called the Void in San
Bernardino. But we also work with brew rebellion San Bernardino, and have for 3
years. They are an independent brewery here in San Bernardino and they donate
to all our benefit shows we have there. Great people really. The owner Brad is
really friendly and has a great heart. IEPP loves heart.
STN: What have you guys got planned for the future?
LEIGHA: Going to Arizona to link up the with the Pyrate out
there. Got shows booked till April, a bunch of benefit shows. Feeding the
homeless each month. Donating time to others. As well as my own private life of
working with elderly and deaf persons in the SoCal area. Tyson is my right hand
man, he's the photographer for IEPP he's at every show. He plans to do more
business photography and I wish him the best. He's a great dude. Tobias is our
youngest member with a heart bigger than mine, he's an overhead lineman in
training and he's the Mosher at our shows keeping the pit in check. Then Dave
is our green patch who is always playing shows, everywhere, spreading the word
of what we do here is IEPP. We always hope he has great shows himself. Without
him going around and doing his band thing IEPP would be missed out for sure.
STN: And is there anything in particular you'd like to promote?
LEIGHA: Please be aware of what you can do for your community.
Even small things do matter. Stop the gate keeping, involve and accept everyone
as long as it's not hate or hurting anyone. IEPP is known for being the hippies
of the Pyrate Punx, but when you need us we are always there. So say what you want
about us we will not stop doing this because we all love it!
Ian Bain of PEST & Dead Ant Records!!
STN: First thing I want to know, how'd you come up with the idea for PEST?
IAN: Well, basically, I got kicked out of a bunch of bands, and I had an idea
for an art project, which sounds hella pompous I know, but that was the thought
process then. I wanted to be the only band/project or whatever to have a
revolving line up where everyone just jumped on for one off shows. I was really
heavily into the stuff Three One G was putting out, and that’s basically how
Head Wound City started, and I figured if they could do it, why not me?
STN: Where'd the name PEST come from?
IAN: I feel like a burden on people, so PEST felt right. The all caps for the
name was derived from Tyler the Creator too, if I’m being honest.
STN: What are your biggest influences as a musician?
IAN: Everything. Books, art, other bands, random little things I see going out,
movies. I’m just a sponge that soaks everything up and grinds it up, and just
like when you squeeze a sponge after cleaning you get this dirty water spewing
out, which I guess would be whatever project I decide needs to be a thing.
STN: What projects are you currently focusing on?
IAN: There’s a few. PEST, The Coil (which has ex members of Voodoo Glow
Skulls and Falling Sickness), Normal People, Sunk, Doctor X, Vincent Gore, and
then I’m working on an album I’m gonna release under my own name. I also manage
Cootie Wootie, own Dead Ant Records, and I’m also affiliated with Abnormal
Broadcasting.
STN: Tell me about Dead Ant Records. What inspired you to start it?
IAN: I saw the success of Abnormal Broadcasting (before I was involved with
it) and I was like damn, I should do that. It took me awhile to come up with a
name for it, because I was stuck between a couple. Next thing you know I got 10
tape releases and a lathe 7”. It’s always changing as I learn more, and get
more money to do bigger things like lathes. Send me your tape and I’ll definitely listen
to it. It’s an open invitation to anyone.
STN: Love that 7" dude.
IAN: Thanks, that song ironically was inspired by The Coil before I ended up
joining that band lol
STN: How do you find musicians for your live shows?
IAN: I watch other bands, and I find people that play cool music, or just
seem like rad people that I could teach everything to easily. I don’t just ask
anyone. It’s also a trust thing. I have to know that (if I “hire” you) that
you’ll do your part in practicing and all that.
STN: What have you got coming up?
IAN: I got a bunch of splits (Brain Fragment, Tv Puppet Pals, Blotchouts, and
maybe another one with Caveman Movies) lined up and a show with CUNTS on the
26th of January at my favorite place to play, The Void. Probably also the
release of my solo album, a Normal People tape, and the second Vincent Gore
release.
STN: And finally, is there anything in particular you'd like to say or
promote?
IAN: I just want everyone to be kind, and support struggling artists of any
medium. Also, people can take everything from you except an education, so keep
learning. That’s it really.
Doki Doki Pory!!
STN: So what prompted you to start your gaming channel?
PORY: I've been wanting to do a gaming related channel for
literally over a decade before I actually started doing it. I've been
collecting games since the early 2000s and I always wanted an outlet to talk
about them even pre-YouTube, but the creation of YT really pushed me to want to
do it badly. I actually attempted a few times but capture software wasn't as
common as it is nowadays and I was a broke kid. The attempts are really bad
pointing a crappy camera at a TV screen while I awkwardly talked about it,
kinda pseudo-lets plays before lets plays exploded. Some of those videos still
exist on YouTube, but thankfully they're under a really weird name that I don't
foresee anyone ever actually finding. Haha.
STN: Haha that's awesome. So the passion for gaming has always been there?
PORY: Yeah, I grew up with Nintendo consoles my whole life and
I didn't have a whole lot of friends growing up outside of random neighbor kids
so my go-to was always the video games. I would have begun collecting old ones
sooner but I was unaware of game stores in my area that sold retro games (even
though they did exist) and was unaware / too young to commute myself to the
flea market scene. I wish I had begun earlier though. I always say if I was
like 5-10 years older and began game collecting as such my collection would
probably be three times as big today. I discovered my first retro gaming source
when I was like 13, a game store inside of Hollywood Video called Game Crazy.
Shortly after that I found other old game stores, including one that was right
next to Game Crazy I was completely unaware of existing, hahaha.
STN: Dude!! I totally remember Game Crazy!! I used to walk a few blocks down
to my local Hollywood Video just for that!! I think it's like an O'Reilly's now
or some shit. Do you have a preference for the types of games you collect or
the systems you collect for?
PORY: First and foremost I go for games that will either be
really good and fun for me to play or games that would make for a funny episode
or stream. I am focused on completing a North American Game Boy and Game Gear
set to start, I'm about halfway for GB and about 2/5 or so with Game Gear.
There's a few lesser known consoles where I'm very close to a full set but just
am waiting to find the games ridiculously cheap for obvious reasons, like I'm 2
games away from a Hyperscan set (only 5 games), 1 game away from Action Max
(also 5 games), and like 3 away from the 20 game Game.Com set. None of them are
particularly desirable consoles so there's really no rush. After I finish those
two I'd like to go for Game Boy Color, Advance, and SNES sets but it'll be a
long time before I even come close to completing any of those.
STN: Ooohhh man, unfortunately I am acquainted with the Game.Com. I
absolutely love the Gameboy though, particularly the GBA. I feel like
Nintendo's always been top notch when it comes to portable gaming.
PORY: Yeah it's just an endless good library; Collecting has
made me realize how many gems are on the GBA. There's gems on the b/w and Color
too but there's a lot of stinkers on those, especially on the Color
STN: Dude, I loved a few games on the GBC but all in all it's got the weakest
library compared to the OG Game Boy and the GBA in my opinion. Off the top of
my head all I can think of is Link's Awakening DX and Pokemon.
PORY: When the games on the Color are good they're very good
but there's a lot of questionable decisions on that handheld like the Animorphs
game and the Little Nicky game. I still have no idea what prompted them to
create the latter.
STN: Hahaha yeah those are hilariously terrible!! How did you get the name
Doki Doki Pory?
PORY: I was having such a hard time coming up with a name, I
originally wanted to call my series the Pory Power Hour to kinda parody those
weird spinoff series' they did in like the 70s for like the Brady Bunch and
stuff, I still might utilize that name for some sort of series down the road.
But basically Kenzo (you'll see him in future videos and streams pretty often)
kept spitballing random names and that one kinda stuck. He proposed the idea
for the name because his favorite Mario game is Mario 2 which is a
Mario-i-fied(?) version of Doki Doki Panic. When I tell random people the name
of the show nowadays though they think I got it from that Doki Doki Literature
Club game that I know literally nothing about.
STN: Hell yeah!! It's a catchy name fer sure. What kind of stuff do you have
planned for the future of Doki Doki Pory?
PORY: I wanna try to do at least 2 episodes a month, if not
more. Pending on the future of my schedule I might be able to wing much more.
If I could do 3 episodes a month at least, I'd be stoked. I'd love to be able
to do weekly episodes, but that all really relies on the YouTube algorithm
which is very much not in favor of <1k sub channels. I get maybe one or two
subs every like three episodes or so and it's usually someone I know already
who forgot to sub when I spammed my stuff on my Facebook for the past year and
a half. Getting to 100 was a huge grind alone. I'd like to do other videos too,
maybe some let’s play videos if they perform well enough and I really wanna do
videos about tokusatsu and robot combat down the line too. also if I could do
more than one or two twitch streams a week, that'd be great but my current job
likes to schedule me really stupid shifts that interfere with that.
STN: Ugh yeah, scheduling and algorithms are a fuckin' bitch!!
PORY: I think when I hit 1k subs, which might take ages, it'll
be a lot easier. At that point is when I can monetize the videos and when I'm
making YouTube money, then they'll suddenly care. The first video on my channel
was a really poorly shot toy review, very dark and shot with a crappy cellphone
unscripted and awkward, but I made it right before they tightened up the
monetization thing due to larger creators doing dumb shit (which they still
continued to get monetized despite that), and that video is close to 2k views.
I had like three subs on my channel at the time of that video.
STN: And finally, is there anything in particular you'd like to say to the
people reading this? Or anything in particular you'd like to promote?
PORY: I just wanna say thanks a ton for reading this and giving
silly ol' me your time. I gotta give a huge shoutout to you (of course) for
always supporting the stuff and for having one of the sickest bands, and the
ppl who smash the memes in Twitch chat. Matt aka noisebird for the memes and
supporting and creating the DDP logo as well as my very first Twitch emote,
Kenzo and Kiyoshi aka ALEG0MAN for meme-ing it up in the chat and always
supporting the endeavors. Evan who I'm probably going to do a podcast with soon
based on tokusatsu, Andy Kong for being better at Mario Kart for me (I watched
the dude scrape the floor at a Mario Kart 64 tournie at TooManyGames, it was
lit), Micah Jordan for creating the amazing chiptune DDP theme song and being a
fab friend. Big shout out to my other pals Chris Bear, Andrew the Moonman,
Summer, Brian of Obsidia, the pork club (Matty Mango aka Gothmosh - check out
that channel; Natty Gray of Cult Love; Robin Gold), Shane of Plastic Warriors,
and anyone else who's been supportive and a pal.
Join this punk rock chick in a dystopian world as she
goes through the same things you and I go through on a daily basis, hangovers,
breakups, Gang shootouts, mutant raider attacks, rogue robotic mayhem and much
more! TrixySparks.thecomicseries.com
SLUGZZZ
What up everyone! My name is Red and I’m from
the Coachella valley. Just a music fan
like you. Mostly punk and garage. I
spend way too much on records & tapes and I really enjoy writing stuff
about bands so here I am in Snail Trail! If you want to send me music to write
about my email is Reverling515@gmail.com. You
can also check out my collection at Bandcamp.com/redshurp69
-Red
Facelift
Thousand
Palms, California
I live in
the desert. Coachella Valley. So far with STN, I’ve covered bands from around
the world, some kinda close, but I really want to write about some cool punk
bands from my own scene. There’s currently only a few but even if there were
tons more, I would want you to meet Facelift.
Some people talk about “the real deal” or being genuine when it comes to
punk bands. I don’t care much about that but I will tell you these dudes are as
genuine as a punk band can be. Facelift has been devouring backyards and stages
alike since their inception years ago at a local house venue called Death
Church. I’ve spent countless drunken nights witnessing their assaults, even
took part in their ‘Faces & Noises’ video and their debut album “Straight
Outta Thousands” has been in rotation since it came out a few years ago. These dudes work super fucking hard on
writing and recording, committed as fuck to what they love. They’re a
five-piece pissed off hardcore punk band from Thousand Palms that know exactly
what they want and take no prisoners getting it. With a couple of the best guitar players in
the valley and arguably the best frontman and lyricist, they shred, they thrash
and they don’t give a fuck. They’re working on a second album as we speak and
we’ll be anticipating that but go listen to “Straight Outta Thousands” right
here http://facelift.bandcamp.com/album/straight-outta-thousands
Follow
Facelift on Instagram https://instagram.com/faceliftpunk?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1dayu8ezhlf9q
And visit
their website http://faceliftpunk.com/?reqp=1&reqr=rF52LJMaoaEyoabhpTW6
Slipping into Darkness
Desert
Hot Springs, Ca
Here’s
another band from my home scene that y’all should know about. Very close friends of mine, Slipping Into
Darkness combines blues, psychedelic and garage rock to create a really unique
heavy blues sound with a punk rock attitude. They call it “shurpedelic,” which
comes from an inside subculture we founded amongst our friends. The band came about when guitarist/ vocalist
Michael Durazo crossed paths with Nigel Dettelbach, local bassist who had
played before with a band called Chatter Chatter. They started jamming with then drummer,
Larry, bringing Michael’s home recordings to vivid life. In the early days, they played small but wild
local shows and quickly a following grew here in the desert. Since then and still today, Michael, Nigel,
and now lead guitarist, Adrian, have been working their asses off writing songs
and playing anywhere they can, including Mexicali, which has grown a strong
affinity for Slipping. This is a super
talented group that lives to jam (Exhibit A: https://youtu.be/lJ3h8DNR-DE). In
my opinion, their sound is a cross between T. Rex and Nirvana, with some
Sabbath thrown in. SID has been able to
land opening slots for bands like Black Lips, The Adicts and even the original
Wailers, proving they belong every time they hit the stage. They released their debut album “Shurpedelic”
in 2014, offering up songs of love, sex, drugs and life in a forsaken place,
teaming up with long-time friend and collaborator Natalie Alyse on DHS Blues.
Soulful, powerful and raw 60s/70s-inspired rock and roll music from start to
finish. They’ve been recording their second
album, “Second Wind For Our Love” with Pete Dee of The Adicts producing half
and Eduardo Arenas of Chicano Batman producing the other half. The album is finished and we should all
eagerly await its arrival very soon!
STN: You guys started playing together in 2007 right? How did you come together and click as
musicians?
SID: Well the beginnings of Slipping Into
Darkness started in 2007 but the full band and sound really began in 2012.
Michael and Nigel met around 2006 and had the same love for music and songs and
they decided to start a band that would later become Slipping Into Darkness.
But the first songs of the band were from Michael's home recordings that was
basically the root or the seed of Slipping Into Darkness. At that time we
played a lot of shows in the desert and in LA and Mexico. We had more of a
blues / punk rock and roll vibe back then but it became a full band when we met
Adrian in Mexico in 2011. He joined the band in 2012 and that's when we turned
into a 4 piece to get the full sound and began to evolve. We just clicked the
way you do when you make a friend, there is this chemistry you just feel and
can't be explained. The fact that we all had the similar music tastes
definitely helped but it was more our musical instincts that fit very well.
STN: What were the earliest shows like for you?
SID: Our first shows we actually had a lot of
luck. We got to play with some of our favorite bands that we respected. Bands
like The Growlers, Ty Segall, Shannon and The Clams and later with Chicano Batman
and The Adicts. We have always had a lot of fun especially on tours. There is
nothing like being on the road with your friends every night playing music with
them. The most difficult part is the organizing, especially with no manager,
booker or promoter or even a label. We have always done everything DIY which
gives us all the freedom but at the same time more stress. Either way we love
playing live especially in front of new crowds. And yes we have been on each
other's bad sides here and there but that's part of being in a band, it's like
your second family. You either deal with it or you don't but we have no
regrets.
STN: Your early stuff was a lot faster. A lot
more punk rock mixed with blues. The
blues seemed to gradually take over along with the heavy riff, songwriting and developing your own unique
sound. Your sound really evolved over
the years and it’s been super fun to watch and hear that naturally happen. What has it been like to really grow up as a
band?
SID: Yes our sound has definitely changed like you
said the early sound was more Blues / Punk influenced. Now we have definitely
matured without a doubt but we still maintain a punk attitude with it. We don't
plan the songs or the sound it just comes out. We enjoy the process very much. We
think it's a natural part of any true artist to constantly change or challenge
your creativity. Frankly, we feel bad for those musicians or bands that turn
into a gimmick or that signed a contract to produce the same songs over and
over again just for a quick buck or fame. We’d rather be proud of our music
than our bank account.
STN: You released Shurpedelic in 2014. How did you feel about it once it
was out and circulating?
SID: We felt very excited to release our debut
album, like every band does. We were curious to see where it would take us
because we had never released anything official prior to that, not even an EP,
just demos. As far as the recording process it was a bit rushed. We were under
a very low budget and the songs were recorded at friends studios basically for
free. So we had very little time to edit the songs to reflect and to polish
them the way we wanted to but any musician feels the same about their first
work especially now when they look back on it after they've become better
composers and musicians. And again, under the circumstances that we were in we
think we made a solid debut album.
STN:
You seem to realize the importance of playing shows and maintaining a
connection with your followers. Playing
out of town was and still is a huge part of what you do. Why do you think that
is?
SID: Yeah we love playing out of town. It's the
best way to get new people to your music. The internet and its streaming
platforms are a huge help for independent bands like us but it isn't enough.
You have to get out there and perform whether it's a small dive bar or a huge
stage people are more impacted with live sound.
STN: Mexico, especially Mexicali, has also been a
hot spot for you guys as well as a big influence. What do you think it is about
Mexico that has had a hold on you?
SID: Yeah Mexico is great especially Mexicali, we always call
it our second home. We think the best part about it is the people. They truly
enjoy and appreciate us, probably because they don't get many bands from
outside their towns and they are huge fans of old-school pure rock and roll.
Aside from performing there, the food,
the culture and the people are amazing. Mexico is a country with a lot to offer
and it's a shame most bands don't give it a try.
STN: You just finished working with Pete Dee of
The Adicts And Eduardo Arenas of Chicano Batman to produce your second album, Second Wind for Our Love. What has
this experience been like?
SID: Honestly working with Eduardo Arenas and Pete
Dee as producers has been the best thing that has happened to us. They are true
professionals and we couldn't have been in better hands. Both of them have
different styles. Eduardo made us feel completely at home and pull things out
of us we didn't even know we had. He has great instincts and knows what works
and what doesn't almost immediately. The fact that he loves the same music and
gear that we do helped the process as well. He is a true artist in every way.
And Pete is like the mad scientist. He loves to experiment and to build up different
ideas but at the same time he knows exactly what he is doing. There were times
that he would freak us out because he hears every single detail of what you
were doing or even trying to do. It's almost as if he is reading your mind.
Even with the smallest mistakes you think only you would know about your own
songs, he would call them out. He is fucking brilliant. He's really witty and a
smart person. He's got the funniest and craziest stories. We hope that he
writes a book about his life one day. Cameron Webb worked as our sound engineer
with the Pete recordings and that was a treat. He has worked with so many
musicians and has produced the last 4 Motorhead records. To know that we were
recording in the same place as legends like Motorhead was insane. He made us
feel super comfortable in his studio and he has every type of gear you can
think of. The whole experience was one of a kind. And it wasn't just what we
did inside the studio. It was also all their advice and knowledge of the music
industry. Contacts, marketing, equipment, management… everything- you name it! These guys know their shit. We
will always be grateful for how they opened their doors to us and helped us
out. We love those guys!
Listen
to “Shurpedelic” here http://slippingintodarkness.bandcamp.com/album/shurpedelic
Follow
Slipping Into Darkness on Instagram https://instagram.com/slippingintodarknessmusic?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=18xnksg96wt8d
New Vogue
Montreal, Canada
New Vogue’s self-titled tape has been in my rotation for months now. The whole thing is high-energy, weird and just plain bad ass as far as garage punk goes. New Vogue creates an atmosphere with modern, futuristic and dark vibes that can start a punk rock dance party at any minute. This is something very unique. Comprised of four Montreal scene vets, their live show is honed to include real drums as well as synth. Take the time to listen to this. The tape’s been making its way around pretty well and more is in the works! New Vogue will be touring in the new year and hopefully we can have them down here in California. Til then, we’ll enjoy this NV fire!
STN- Is New Vogue a solo project or full band?
NV- The EP we released in the Spring of 2018 was a bunch of songs I wrote then recorded with Chance, our bass player. So it was kinda a duo thing at the time. The next recording we do should have the same formula on some songs, while the majority of the album should be with a full band… but we’ll see what songs will end up on it. That all said, live, we’re a 4-piece band with real drums.
STN- Damn, it would be so sick to see you live! Have you played around the Montreal scene for a long time now?
NV- Yeah all four of us involved with New Vogue have been in numerous bands over the last decade or so. So we’ve been around the hood here for a fair bit now.
STN- Do you draw influence from other bands in your area or do you always know exactly what you want to execute?
NV- I never really know exactly what I want to execute when I write. I try to keep an open mind as much as I can with my own creativity and I definitely prefer doing my own thing, exploring my own random ideas.
STN- What kind of synthesizers and/or other instruments do you use on this EP?
NV- For the synth, I used a Novation Bass Station. For the beats, I used a TR-8 drum machine. For the guitar, I mostly used my Ovation Breadwinner going through some effects and straight into my secret weapon board. No amps because amps are overrated. I used a Strat too sometimes because Strats are rad. Chance, our bass player, plays with a Rickenbacker because one day he decided to spend all of his money.
STN- Ricks are super expensive but super rad! Really cool to know what helps you create your sound! What kinds of things influence your lyrics?
NV- About a year ago, I wrote two songs back to back right after I watched Hitchcock’s Psycho. One of the songs is called The Stranger Inside and it’s on the S/T EP. The other one is called Reptile and it’s definitely one of my own favorites (it should be on the next release). So I wanted to write a couple of tunes that fit the vibe of the movie... like a personal soundtrack I imagined right after. That Stranger Inside song is about Bates’ good side trying to keep the killer inside of him from resurfacing. So, long story short, this is an example of the sort of things that would inspire not only my lyrics, when they’re not written purely phonetically, but also the general feel of a song.
STN- Woah, totally unexpected influence there! Hitchcock rules tho, looking forward to hearing Reptile! Who are some musical influences that inspired you to start this band?
NV- What gets me motivated for writing and playing tunes is listening to bands like The Screamers, Talking Heads, Kitchen & The Plastic Spoons, Siouxsie, The Fall, Kaos, Solid Space, Wire, etc. Maybe part of these influences find their way into my own music but it’s hard for me to tell what exactly.
STN- Are you more partial to making the audience move or to making them think?
NV- Move. We all need to give our brains a break. Sometimes it’s good to just say fuck it and let loose.
STN- agreed! You mentioned more music but can we anticipate touring from New Vogue?
NV- Definitely. We’re currently working on new tunes for a full length (or a series of tapes... I don’t know yet). Then, we’re gonna go to Europe and most likely we’ll do a few weekenders in the States in 2019. I also wanna go play a string of shows in South America eventually but that’s for later later.
STN- So rad! I’m crossing my fingers to see you down here In California!
All hypotheticals aside, if you were offered a seat on a trip across the galaxy, would you take it?
NV- Set me and my girlfriend up with a bag of greeneries and a synth in our space cabin and SEE YA.
So stoked to have talked to Max from New Vogue! Lose your mind to their self titled EP and look forward to more!!
New Vogue’s self-titled tape has been in my rotation for months now. The whole thing is high-energy, weird and just plain bad ass as far as garage punk goes. New Vogue creates an atmosphere with modern, futuristic and dark vibes that can start a punk rock dance party at any minute. This is something very unique. Comprised of four Montreal scene vets, their live show is honed to include real drums as well as synth. Take the time to listen to this. The tape’s been making its way around pretty well and more is in the works! New Vogue will be touring in the new year and hopefully we can have them down here in California. Til then, we’ll enjoy this NV fire!
DEVIL’S CLAW ZINE REVIEWS!!
If you’d like your zine reviewed contact
Aaron: Devilsclawdistro@gmail.com
Title| Shit's Fucked #3: FREAK-0-VISION
Press/
Distro| Shit Sux Press (http://shitsuxpress.com)
Author|
Iggy Nicklbottum
Price|
$6 bux
UPCOMMING
EVENTS:
Feb
2 @ Eli’s Mile High Club
Beerman
Fest:
Skin & Bonez, Hemorrage etc..
3629
Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, California 94609
21+
Donations
Feb
5 @ La Cita Bar
Isle
of Misfit Toys 85:
Ritual
Chair, Erika Bell etc..
336
S Hill St, Los Angeles, California 90013
21+
$00
Feb
6 @ Characters
Sonic
Ammunition, Mechanist etc..
276
E 1st St, Pomona, California 91766
21+
$5
Feb
9 @ The Redwood Bar
Dangerously
Sleazy, High Life etc..
316 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
21+
$5
Feb
10 @ Brew Rebellion
Scumbag
Fred & Too Dxpe, Christian Lovers etc...
195
North Del Rosa Drive, San Bernardino, California 92408
All
Ages $5
Feb
24 @ Brew Rebellion
City
Mouse, Hoity Toity etc..
195
North Del Rosa Drive, San Bernardino, California 92408
All
Ages $5
March
9 @ The Airliner Nightclub
Brain
Fragment etc..
2419
North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031
21+
$5
The above listed are
just a few of the shows going on all the fuckin’ time!! Now get out there and
hit up some fucking shows!!
