Wyldlife - Year of the Snake

Straight out of New York City, comes  WYLDLIFE, a bright and fierce Rock & Roll outfit that takes its inspiration from 70’s punk, glam and garage rock  but updates it for the modern age.  "Year of the Snake" is their second full length for Wicked Cool Records and it kicks major ass.

In these strange lock down times it's hard for a rock'n'roll band to survive without being able to preach the rock'n'roll gospel on the road. So it was time for this blog to have a nice conversation with lead singer Dave Feldman

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about you and your musical background to introduce yourself? Can you also introduce the other members of WYLDLIFE who participated in the recordings? 

 The foundation of WYLDLIFE was laid back in middle school when myself and Sam Allen (guitar) started playing in bands together. We were 11 years old, mostly doing covers. We started writing more and more stuff in high school and wanted to keep the feeling alive so Sam brought Spencer Alexander (bass) in when we split to college. Stevie Dios (drums) joined the fold after the first two LPs and that’s the lineup you’ve got now. We all have a love for rock n roll.


2) About the newly released full length record, Year of the Snake, what can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs?

Year of the Snake was recorded over the course of 7 or 8 months. It was tracked live to tape in a week and then we kept coming back into the studio in short bursts working with the producer/engineer Geoff Sanoff around his schedule, just adding guitars and tambourines and proper vocals, hand claps and all that.

3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios? 

I don’t really know anything about that, I’m pretty sure we used a blend of the two seeing as this was recorded to tape machine and then ran everything through Pro Tools. There were no MiDi instruments on the record, no auto tune or Melodyne. We never believed in that crap and never will. What you hear on this album is 100% authentic rock n roll music.

4) How would you describe the music you are playing? If I were to call it "Rock'n'Roll à la New York Dolls with a bit of power-pop", would you agree with this description? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that? 

I think that’s a fair introductory description. The truth is we all listen to a lot of different kinds of rock music whether it’s early 70's Detroit stuff, 90's BritPop, ‘77 NYC punk, European Junkshop Glam, French and British Oi, 80's alternative and dark wave, 1950's Rock & Roll, early 00's garage renaissance... I think having more influences keeps your own music more interesting and harder to peg down.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

I dunno if I have a favorite topic when it comes to lyrics, it’s just whatever I’m feeling at the time. A lot of the lyrics revolve around relationships with people and friends, around my inner fears, and just the general chaos of life. We did write a song about zodiac signs and another about a car on this record, so that was fun and different.

6) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the newly released LP?? 

Yes. We made a video for “Kiss and Tell” directed by our friend Randy Slavin. You can see it here:



7) What can concert goers expect at a WYLDLIFE  gig? Are you playin' any famous cover songs during the concert? 

No one leaves a show of ours disappointed, but they should not be afraid of getting some beer spilt/spit on ‘em or getting incredibly sweaty. The hard part is always getting people through the door and showing up to the gig, but once they’re there, they become a believer. As a frontman, I took a lot of cues from Iggy Pop, from Howlin’ Pelle, from Stiv Bators. Sam’s as solid of a guitar player as they come and the same can be said for Spencer and Stevie‘s skills as musicians. It’s not enough to have catchy songs. You have to put on a good show.

They look kinda like this (Photo by @vicious_velma)

At this point we have close to 50 original songs written and recorded so we don’t always do a cover. It depends on how we’re feeling that night. We’ve covered everything from the Dead Boys, The Stones, The Kinks, Les Dogs, The Replacements, Bob Seger, Bowie, Oasis, GG Allin... we’re all over the map. Maybe some day we’ll do a covers record.

8) Are there any bands in The USA today you consider yourself close to, musically speaking?

Sadly a lot of our favorite contemporary bands are no more (Barreracudas, Dirty Few, Star Spangles, Ex Humans, Stalkers, etc.) but Criminal Kids and Flesh Panthers in Chicago are a solid match. Fast Eddy in Denver. Rexxx in Milwaukee. RMBLR in Atlanta, Ravagers in Baltimore... I never met those White Reaper guys or Culture Abuse but I back them quite a bit and I feel like they’re a fair match. There’s plenty of bands coming out today around the globe that, while they may not sound similar to us, I absolutely love.

9) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today in  WYLDLIFE.

Naming only three is fucking hard! But I’d say The Hives, Oasis, and The Dead Boys.

10) What are the plans for the rest of 2020 as far as WYLDLIFE is concerned?

It’s so hard to say right now, this quarantine has already gone on longer than I could have imagined and I don’t see any end in sight so my main goal is to just keep people interested in the new record and the band as humanly possible.

11) Anything you wanna add?

Wash your hands and buy our album. (Note: Guys, that's the best motto of the year! Eric)

PURCHASE IT HERE: https://wyldlife.bandcamp.com/album/year-of-the-snake-4

Lucy and the Rats - Got Lucky

Rock'n'roll / Power pop foursome Lucy and the Rats formed after Lucy Ellis (bass and vocals) moved to London from Melbourne, Australia and joined forces with Joe Tolosa (Guitar), Liam Brody (Guitar) and Manu Santos (Drums)

After several singles and their 2018 debut album which received lots of praise around the world, Lucy and the Rats are back with their sophomore album ‘Got Lucky’.

Some say that the brilliance of Lucy and the Rats lies in the collision between Lucy’s angelic voice and pop sensibility and a barely-tamed bunch of punks. A Frankenstein’s monster of sounds fused together to make something special and unique.

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about Lucy and The Rats to introduce yourselves? How long are you guys together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays? 

We’re a 4 piece band from London. We’ve been playing for about 5 years. I play bass and sing, Liam and Joe on guitar, and Manu on drums.  We’ve all played in a bunch of other bands in the past that were pretty different to to what we're doing now - more garage and punk for the boys, and I played in a girl band - so this is a change for all of us. The guys all still play together in another cool band called Johnny Throttle which is more garage/punk. Check ‘em out!

2) A personal question: do you sometimes miss Australia? and if so, what exactly do you miss the most?

Of course! Yes, I miss Australia. I miss my friends and the bars, and the rock’n’roll over there - but it's still there. It's great to visit and I try to get back there at least once a year. I really love living in London though.. there are great bands here and across Europe, loads of festivals and fun to be had over here too.

3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?

We don’t really mind. Usually studios these days will record digitally, and it’s much easier than recording on tape. Tape is cool and sounds great but I don’t think the difference is that noticeable. I don’t think we really mind either way.
There have been times that I’ve been really happy that we recorded digitally because if I want to change something or add something I can just record at home on my computer and send the stem files back to the mixer.. that’s been really handy!

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?

I’m the main composer and come up with most songs structures.. like the melody, lyrics and chord progression. Then we’ll play it as a band and see what we hear and how everyone wants to play it. Joe and Liam also write songs and it's really fun to break it up. We did a 'Joey and the Rats' single on Stardumb Records with a couple of Joe’s songs and that was great! More punk than our usual stuff but still fitting to who we are.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

The usual ‘love’ stuff. But I tend to write songs about my life and what’s on my mind.. I just stick ‘baby’ and ‘honey’ in there from time to time, and when you do that the song can become about anything. Like a horoscope.

6) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers and does it still influence your today work? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.

I listened to a lot of 50’s and 60’s pop. I have always loved girl groups like Chiffons, Shirelles, Ronettes. Also Beach Boys, Buddy Holly and that stuff. I love that the guys in the band are also into Australian rock’n’roll like Radio Birdman and The Saints.. that that’s where we meet schools. Also Blondie and Buzzcocks where pop meets punk. I think we’re influenced by all of this.

7) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the LP? 
Yeah.. we have a couple! I dig them both.

Here's one for our song “September"



8) What can concert goers expect at a gig of Lucy and The Rats? Are you playing any famous cover songs during the gig? 
Not yet. We only do original songs for now. When we hang out might be listening to music and someone will say ‘hey  - we should cover this song’ .. but we haven’t actually followed through yet.

9) Are there any bands in England today you consider yourself close to musically speaking?

Some really good bands here in London right now are The Speedways and More Kicks. I can’t get enough of those guys. I would compare us to them from a musical perspective where it’s the pop side of the rock’n’roll spectrum but we also all have our differences. Some of our recordings are a little more sweet and mid tempo, and we have girl vocals. Playing live we ditch the girl harmonies and play with some more energy and I’d say we sit in the same school while all having our own differences.

10) How would You describe the music you're playing?

Rock’n’roll!! I wouldn’t call us punk or anything. People love to use the term power pop and I agree with that but I would describe that as more melodic rock’n’roll.

11) What are the plans for the rest of 2020 as far as Lucy and The Rats are concerned?

We originally had a lot of plans for gigs and stuff this year but unfortunately with lock downs and quarantines and all the bullshit this year it’s all been cancelled or put on hold. We are excited about out album coming out in July!!



GET LUCKY is out July 3rd on Stardumb Records & Surfin' Ki (LP) and Dirty Water Records (CD)

https://www.stardumbrecords.com/collections/lps/products/lucy-and-the-rats-got-lucky-lp

https://www.stardumbrecords.com/ 

Special Thanks to Stefan! :-)

Giant Eagles - Second Landing

The Dutch band GIANT EAGLES has recently released its sophomore album, the aptly titled "Second Landing". 

On this latest delivery, the band has come up with a batch of tunes that are pretty much impossible to resist. It’s quite hard to pull out a couple of songs to be favorites since the entire album is so amazing. From "Evil Robot Nation" to "Zombie Apocalypse", these songs will have you singing along all day long. If you dig the Riverdales or the Lillingtons this is going to be right up your alley.

We are only at the end of June but it is safe to say that this flawless record will definitely be in the TOP 3 of the best records of 2020. So it was time for this blog to have a conversation with veteran of the Dutch rock'n'roll scene, guitar player Marien Nicotine

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about you and your musical background to introduce yourself? Can you also introduce the other members of The Giant Eagles who participated in the recordings? what instrument are they playing? 

I am Marien Jonkers, AKA Marien Nicotine. I’m one of the founding members of Dutch punk rock band The Apers, who had (and still has to this day, but without me) a great stretch in the 90's, and ‘00’s, with lots of touring, records and fun until I wanted out in 2007.

Three years after I quit The Apers I started a band called The Windowsill, and a project/studio-thing called Giant Eagles (which was kind of already there since 2003). Both bands don’t play that much live, because that is what drove me out of The Apers after so many years on the road. Giant Eagles never even played a show.

The Windowsill is more or less a continuation of the songwriting I did for The Apers, more personal lyrics. Giant Eagles on the other hand is more a fun project where we take certain subjects like murder, war, wolfs, or whatever is fun to write about, and make it into a song. We started out as the Real Ramoneroonies (myspace!) and changed the name when we recorded the debut album in 2014.

Another reason Giant Eagles came to be was the fact that Simon Speechless, who is the singer and producer, wanted to learn audio engineering and producing, so he needed something to practice on…and that became Giant Eagles.

The first song we (me and Simon) ever did was ‘I Don’t Love Nobody’ which is on the Second Landing LP now. That song is 17 years old! Just because we aren’t really a band doesn’t mean we don’t have band members.

When we record we have Ivo Backbreaker (Apers, Lone Wolf, Windowsill) on drums and Ox Accelerator (Accelerators, Lone Wolf) on bass guitar. I write almost all the songs.

2) About this sophomore full length album "Second Landing",  what can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs? 

We recorded lots of demo’s over the years. Like I said, some songs are very old, and some were written last year. I have a big tape collection (used to be tapes, now it’s on my phone, and just this year I’m using Garageband) of half written songs, or ideas. Sometimes i just go back to those half products and finish them.

Then we usually record the drums in a rehearsal room with a full mic set, and take those drum tracks to our home studio at my place. Here we digitally add guitars and sing. Sometimes we re-amp, but most of the time it’s just easier to use the virtual amps. People might think that is sacrilegious, but we don’t care, it works really good for us.

3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios?

We take full advantage of nowadays digital recording technology. It’s faster, cheaper, it makes us sound better, and in our little style bubble nobody really minds, or notices.

4) How would you describe the music you're playing? 

With all my bands it’s punk rock. Doesn’t matter Giant Eagles is synth heavy, it’s still punk rock.
For Giant Eagles obvious influences are Ramones, Riverdales, Misfits, but on the cover of the first record there was a Duran Duran button on the leather jacket the eagle was wearing, and on the ‘Second Landing’ cover there is little nod to David Bowie, who was one of my favorites.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

I find it easy to write songs about heartbreak, and miserable people, usually girls. I also write a lot of songs about motorbikes. But anything goes. I find it hard to write smart witty political songs, because of the nuances you can’t really put into a language that isn’t your own. So I’m not changing the world unfortunately.

6) Do you have a new video on youtube  featuring a track from the new LP?? 

No, we didn’t really anticipate this buzz around our new album, so we are kind of caught of guard. We did a single for Spotify and such, but that was it. The label told me yesterday that a re-press is already on the way. So, maybe we should do a video, could be a lot of fun! Order some eagle outfits and run through a forest. (Note: I just can't wait to see that! ha ha ha Eric)

7) What can concert goers expect at a The Giant Eagles gig? Are you guys playin' any famous cover songs during the gig? 

This probably comes a disappointment, but Giant Eagles do not play shows, due to the nature of the band, and the busy lives of the band members. We would have done one show this year, our debut show at a festival in Italy called Raduno, to celebrate the release of ‘Second Landing’. Unfortunately it got canceled because of the corona-virus. But we will be there next summer.

8) Are there any bands in Holland today you consider yourself close to musically speaking?

With Giant Eagles not really anyone, I honestly don’t think anybody in Holland knows what we do or who we are apart from a small group of people. This is also because we don’t play shows of course. Most fans are in the USA, Norway and Germany (at least, according to Spotify). With The Windowsill we are good friends with The Real Danger and Lone Wolf. Both bands are from Rotterdam.

9) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today.

Early 90ties, so Nirvana, Screeching Weasel, Weezer, NOFX, REM and a lot of other stuff. Great period for music I think, but everyone says that about their teenage years right? Main influences right now for songwriting are Tom Petty (catchy, but simple) Thin Lizzy (great rhyming, great verses) and Ramones of course… But we also often ask ourselves: ‘What would Rivers do?’

10) What are the plans for the rest of 2020 as far as The Giant Eagles are concerned?

We will be hopefully rehearsing a little for Raduno 2021, and maybe do some demo’s for a new album. This one took 6 years to finish, so we should get a move on. With The Windowsill we will probably release our 4th album end of this year.

11) Anything you wanna add?

Just thank you for the interview, and thanks for liking the record so much!

PURCHASE IT HERE:

https://shieldrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/giant-eagles-second-landing

Faz Waltz - Rebel Kicks

"Rebel Kicks" is a fantastic rock'n'roll album and probably FAZ WALTZ best release so far. The trio can churn out some frantic rockers like the title track or "Born in the wrong time" and at the same time is able come up with a splendid John Lennonesque ballad called "Do you remember".

The band managed to improve the song-writing process with more complex structures and catchier melodies, without losing any of its spontaneity and energy. An absolute must buy!

Rare are the bands which get interviewed twice on this blog. For the release of FAZ WALTZ' latest brilliant album "Rebel Kicks", produced by Brown Barcella and Faz La Rocca at T.U.P. Studio in Brescia, it was worth talking again to main man Faz.

1) A first question about the origins of the band: How did you guys come together and decided to start a band? Were you all attending the same school or living in the same neighborhood?
Have always be a trio including the same 3 guys or were there any changes in the band during all these years?

Faz: Well, in 2007 I had all these songs, I've recorded some by myself under the name Faz Waltz and shared on myspace, so then I decided to find a backing band for live shows and future recordings. I've started with Flav (a friend of mine) on the drums and then put an ad in some rehearsals rooms in my town, looking for a solo guitarist and a bass player. That's how I met Omar and Diego, so we released the first EP in 2008, but after a while Flav quit the band just before the recording sessions of the first LP. Then came Dario on the drums, until him and Omar left after "Life on The Moon"... so Marco joined us for the album "Back On Mondo" in 2012, since then we're 3 in the band.

2) Had you already some musical experience on your instruments when you guys started the band or were these difficult beginnings?

We all had previous bands before and experienced live shows and recording sessions for years.

3) Now About Your latest full-length album, "Rebel Kicks", was it recorded before the corona lock down? You guys are living in the part of Italy which was the most affected by the disease. How did you cope with this situation?

Yes, fortunately we've recorded "Rebel Kicks" just before the lock down. Lombardia, here in the north of Italy, has been hit hard by the virus, now it looks like it's getting better, that's what we all hope now. During the lock down I've worked on the artworks for the album, recorded some live acoustic acts, trained a bit with boxe and painted a lot.

4) Faz Waltz is often described as being a "glam" band. When I listen to this new record, the only real "glam beat" I hear is the one played on "Is it love", a brilliant tribute to the T.Rex song book, by the way. The rest of the album makes me rather think that FAZ WALTZ is a fantastic rock'n'roll/boogie machine but not a glam band. What is your opinion about that?

The sound of Faz Waltz has always been influenced by Rock'N'Roll, Glam Rock, Punk and Pop... every album is quite different but all of these music genres are ever present. I don't like labels too much, but I think we can be easily described as a Rock'n'Roll band or a Glam Rock band too.

5) Why are the 2 latest albums of FAZ WALTZ only released on vinyl and no more on cd, like you used to?

Cause Vinyl had a renewed revival in sales in the business lately, but CDs with all the digital platforms online become a little unnecessary. Anyway, for "Rebel Kicks" we've released the CD version too, cause some Compact Discs enthusiasts were asking for that. You can find it only on our webstore.

6) There is this song on the album called "Do you remember". Every time I listen to it I can't help but think of John Lennon's solo records. Is this a new direction FAZ WALTZ is going to pursue in the future?

I love that song. Well, Lennon has always been a huge influence on my work, so maybe you could be right, but if you listen to all our records there's always been a pop vein in many songs, in most of our albums there's a piano and an acoustic ballad, that's something I can't live without...sorry not sorry.

7) No less that 3 labels joined forces to release this record: Surfin' Ki (Italy), Spaghetty Town Records (USA) and Contra Records (Germany). How does a joint venture like this puts itself together? Do you have to convince personally the 3 labels or is one of the labels contacting the other 2 and putting the joint venture together?

We always used to let the albums to be released from more than one label, I think it can be spread better all around the world. I've personally put the joint venture together between the 3 labels.

8) Do you have a video on youtube featuring a track from the latest release? 



Yes, you can find a video for "Grown Up Guy", released as the first single on 7" and for "Rebel Kicks", with footage from our latest US Tour. On our youtube channel there's also a live piano version of "Do You Remember", recorded during the lock down at my home place.

9) What is the secret of Faz La Rocca's guitar sound? What guitar are you using, what amplifier? And do you use a lot of effects(if so, describe the effects!) or none at all?

My main guitar amp is a 1965 Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve since 2011. The guitars I use the most for recordings and live shows are an Epiphone Casino, a Gibson SG and a Mosrite. I use some simple effects:  MXR Microamp, Delay, Big Muff and Whammy.

10) What are the plans for the rest of 2020 as far as FAZ WALTZ is concerned? Are you guys planning to tour Europe to promote the album?

First plan is to get safe and well out of this period, then we hope to go playing live and promote the new album everywhere it will be possible, Europe, USA etc...



Get the new album here:  https://shop.fazwaltz.com/

Datura4 - West Coast Highway Cosmic released on Alive-Naturalsound

As the viewers of this blog must probably be aware of by now, Datura4 is a psychedelic/heavy-blues band hailing from Fremantle, Western Australia.

The current line-up is Dom Mariani guitar/vocals (previous frontman of legendary Australian garage band The Stems and Power Pop favorites DM3), Warren (Waz) Hall drums, Stu Loasby bass and Bob Patient on keyboards who came in to replace guitarist Greg Hitchcock after the Hairy Mountain album. 

On these new recordings, they are also joined by Howie Smallman – harmonica on Wolfman Woogie, You’re the Only One, You Be the Fool and You Rule My World.

The band has been active from 2011 and since their debut album, "Demon Blues" in 2015, this new offering is already Datura4’s fourth release on Alive-Naturalsound. So that almost one album per year. True workaholics! 

Once again, this new album, the much anticipated “WEST COAST HIGHWAY COSMIC”, is filled with saturated and overdriven guitars but also with groovy keyboards sounds. ("A Darker Shade of Brown").

Of course, on songs like "Get out" or "Rule my world" you will still hear traces of early ’70’s Australian Psych/Blues/Boogie from the likes of Buffalo, Coloured Balls or the latter era Masters Apprentices. 

But the quartet opens more and more to different musical influences and this new album shows there are more to the layers that make Datura4’s sound what it is. As Dom Mariani stated previously, they try to keep things interesting and each song different. ("You're the only one"; "Give").



The beautiful psychedelic cover art, is designed by Robin Gnista and it is a perfect fit to the music.

Once more, DATURA4 delivers a real cosmic masterpiece filled to the rafters with brilliant and ultra catchy songs. You hear them once and they get stuck in your head for days. A must buy!

AMAZING LIMITED EDITION on SPLATTER VINYL. 

https://www.bompstore.com/datura4-west-coast-highway-cosmic-amazing-ltd-ed-splatter-vinyl-70s-style-psych/

NOTE:CD HAS ONE BONUS TRACK

Outtacontroller - "Sure Thing" released on Alien Snatch Records

Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, comes Outtacontroller, a powerpop punk quartet that's been churning out buzz saw guitars melodies for almost ten years now. Their latest vinyl offering, "Sure Thing", is released on the German label Alien Snatch Records and it's filled to the rafters with perfect pop tunes. Just listen to "Glassy eyes", "Operator" or "Flashpoint" and you will be humming these tunes for days in a row. 

Nowadays, the band is featuring Terry A'hearn - Guitars / Vocals; James O'Toole - Guitar / Vocals; Sean Parsons - Drums and AJ Boutilier - Bass. Yours truly had a very interesting conversation with James and Terry. Here it goes:

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about you and your musical background to introduce yourself? Can you also introduce the other members of Outtacontroller who participated in the recordings? Were there any members changes in the band over the course of the years or are these the same guys, right from the start? 

Terry: Me and James met through a mutual friend when I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia from Moncton, New Brunswick in 2011. We started jamming at my apartment on top of a run-down pizza shop/laundromat and quickly got a 3 song EP together.

James: I started out playing drums for the guys but Terry and I would switch between guitar and drums since we could play both. That's how the band evolved into both of us singing and playing guitar. I had made a connection with Peter Eichorn at P Trash through recording Tongan Death Grip's "Chula Vista"  and sent him our first EP "Power Out". He liked what he heard and asked if we could have an LP ready in a few months. We hadn't even played a show yet and I think we only had a handful of finished songs in our catalog. So we got Will Irving on drums and jumped in headfirst with writing material, recording and playing shows.

 Terry: On this newest LP, we have Sean Parsons on drums and AJ Boutilier on bass. Past members of Outtacontroller is a list as long as it is important to what we are/sound like today. Past bass players have been Mike Beliveau, Matty Grace and Jesse Leblanc; on guitar, Tyler Delong; drummers Will Irving, Chris Murdoch, Dexter Outhit, and Jesse Leblanc. We have always been a really close-knit band, and they have all left their mark in Outtacontroller.

2) About the new full length album "Sure Thing", what can you tell about the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs?

All 10 songs were recorded live off the floor with all of four of us playing in the same room. We've always done it that way and feel that it is a major factor in capturing a good take. If you rehearse together and play on a stage together, it only makes sense to us to apply the same principal to the studio. We’re no strangers to overdubs, we do plenty and layer lot's of tracks on top but we try to keep as much of the original take as possible.

3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios? 

We work with both. All of our records have been a combination of recording digitally and to analogue tape. Using tape requires more studio time and more discipline but there's nothing cooler than hearing your stuff play back on a reel to reel.

4) How would you describe the music you are playing? If I were to call it "Powerpop Punk", would you agree with this label? Are you proud of it or do you consider there is way more than that? 

Yeah, “Powerpop Punk” would be a fair assessment, although it has definitely shifted more towards Powerpop over the past couple of years. We’re very happy with the sound of the band at the moment but I think we will always be trying to tweak and shape it to keep it fresh, for both us and the listener, without alienating the original feeling of the band.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

We tend to write mostly about going through a negative situation--such as broken relationships, addictions or frustrations of small town isolation--while trying to keep a positive outlook. Maybe things aren’t going your way right now, but they will someday if you keep moving.

6) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the newly released LP?? 

We do! It was a ton of fun making the video for Glassy Eyes with BA Johnston, past members of the band and our close buds.



7) What can concert goers expect at Outtacontroller gig? Are you playin' any famous cover songs during the concert? 

Most recently, we have been closing our shows with a cover of Bastards of Young by The Replacements, and prior to that it was Ever Fallen in Love by The Buzzcocks. An Outtacontroller gig is a very loud, high energy performance, where we try our hardest to get the audience to have as much of a good time as we are.

8) Are there any bands in Canada today you consider yourself close to, musically speaking?

A) Hard to say, musically speaking. There are so many great Canadian bands who all have their own personal touch of style. Bands we pair well with live, for one reason or another, would be groups like Phone Jerks, NECK, Priors, First Base, School Damage, BA Johnston, Real Sickies, and a bunch more amazing Canadian bands.

9) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today in Outtacontroller.

James: The Misfits, Nirvana and Devo. The video for Jocko Homo blew my mind as a kid.

Terry: I’d say Eric’s Trip, The Replacements and The New York Dolls are bands I loved as a teenager that still resurface, but the heart of Outtacontroller will always be The Ramones and The Buzzcocks.

10) What are the plans for the rest of 2020 as far as Outtacontroller is concerned?

Currently working on a European tour and recording a new EP.

11) Anything you wanna add? 

If you wanna purchase a digital file:
https://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com/album/sure-thing

If you wanna purchase a physical copy of the album:  
https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/outtacontroller-sure-thing

TOMMY RAY - First Hits Free

The CRY!'s frontman and principal songwriter TOMMY RAY! (Nelsen) has launched a solo career with the release, on German label gadm-punk, of his debut full length record "First hits free". So it was high time for this blog to ask the man, among other things about his musical background and if this solo career would jeopardize the future of The CRY. Here it goes and it's quite interesting. 

1) For the readers of this blog who would not know you, what would you like fans to know about you and your musical background to introduce yourself?

My name's TOMMY RAY! and I’m a songwriter, street musician, front man, and producer in Portland OR. I’ve been making music as long as I can remember. Even most my baby pictures I have a guitar (Shit I should be better!). My first band was called “Delinquent Souls” I started in with my middle school mate Johnny Martinez. Johnny also recorded drums on half of The CRY!’s first LP. We were playing in PDX punk bars by the time I was 13.



2) About the newly released full length solo record “FIRST HITS FREE”, what can you tell us about the recording process? Can you also explain the title? What are you referring to?

“FIRST HITS FREE”: It was really an “off the cuff” thought. I shared it with a few friends and they liked it too. It has different meaning to different people. I guess it is a kind of reference too old-school dope peddlers giving the first taste of their product to unsuspecting youth for free in order to create new costumers. Beyond that, it seems like it is kind of the way things seem to work out there in world.

3) Do you use the nowadays digital recording technology or do you only work with analog machines in analog studios?

That’s the cool thing. ALL the TOMMY RAY! Stuff was recorded and mixed on my Mac Book! We have some really cool instruments (https://thecryband.com/rockwood-records%3A-gear) but much of the record was record on Garageband. This should be encouraging for young players who can’t afford expensive studio time. 10-years of experience recording songs and playing a spectrum in axes helps too!

4) Were your songs composed for the specific purpose of this record or have these songs been composed over the years and deemed not fit to make it to a The CRY records?

The tunes have been around in some form for a couple years but here’s the thing, TOMMY RAY songs, are The CRY songs. Any of these tracks could have been recorded by the band. They just were not. The CRY! has inter-personal problems (drugs, no money, jobs, girls… that old chestnut). We have been working on a CRY! record off and on for a couple years. We have 8 tracks ready to go but can’t seem to get Brian (lead guitarist and co-founder) on board to finish it up. In all fairness, a lot has passed between us. I love Brian and hope we can make music together soon. That will be his call. In the meantime, fuck it lets do a TOMMY RAY LP! BTW: my 2nd record “Hindsight’s 2020” will be released in August!

5) What are your favorite subjects or topics that come easily to you when you write a new song?

I just try to keep it real. My songs are snapshots of my daily life. If you want to know about my struggles or about my experiences, just listen to the lyrics. I'm pretty much like most people I know. Same problems. Same stories. My lyrics tend to be off the cuff when I am recording and reflect how I am feeling at the moment. Sometimes the whole arrangement is laid out before I write lyrics….

6) Does your solo album mean that The CRY is on an indefinite hiatus?

NO! The CRY! is going through some changes for sure, but The CRY! will be back (probably this year) with the new record. The CRY! has had great “players” over the years but the core of the band has always been Brian, my pops, and I. Pops and I would really love to patch things up with Brian, finish a record , an hit the road but that is his call. We need to move forward regardless.

7) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the new LP??

Sure! Like the music We make our own vids here with basic gear. We are not above clipping a few scenes either…Good Luv Gone South




8) Are you gonna put a band together and perform this solo album on the road? Are you gonna play any famous cover songs?

This record came out in January. The next Solo Record will be out this summer. I also want to get The CRY! record done this year. I’m pretty slammed with writing, recording and mixing. I think I would like to hit the road in fall 2020 if I can find a couple players that want to do the material. It’s not the priority right now. I always try to have three or four Classic covers ready to go and play a couple for every show. The CRY! was a pretty versatile band and could cover a wide range of material. We had a ton of fun pulling out unexpected gems. Couldn’t see changing that.

9) Are there any bands in The USA today you consider yourself close to musically speaking?

Not really. I guess I am a bit of a throwback to days gone by. Building from the likes of Ramones, Beach boys, Beat, etc.. and I have kind of honed my own brand of punk-pop rock and roll over the last 15 years. Don’t get me wrong, shit, there is so much great new music out there. It is rabbit hole that never ends. So, for me, I’m just trying to do the best I can honestly and affordably. If people dig it, that’s cool.

10) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today.

I STILL listen to Ramones, Beach Boys, and (Portland’s own) Exploding Hearts ALL the time can be easily heard running through songs I write!

11) Anything you wanna add?

Long Live Rock!



Purchase a Physical copy here: https://gadm.bandcamp.com/album/tommy-ray-first-hits-free

Purchase a Digital copy here: https://thecry.bandcamp.com/album/tommy-ray-first-hits-free