Author: Crossfire

Categories
Heavy Shit

November 2005

The Heavy Shit Show

Playlist

1. High on Fire – Devilution – Relapse Records
2. Capricorns – Exit Wargasmatron – Rise Above Records
3. Ringworm – Justice Replaced By Revenge – Victory Records
4. Slayer: Aggressive Protector – Def American Records
5. U.S.S.R – Doomtomb (demo)
6. Black Sabbath: Sweat Leaf – Sanctuary Records
7. Monster Magnet: Spine of God Glitterhouse Records
8. Taint: Zealots & Whores – Rise Above Records
9. Circle of Dead Children: Chemical Goat – Earache
10. Black mountain: Don’t run our hearts around – JagJaguwar Records
11. Soulfly: Babylon – Roadrunner Records
12. Motorhead: Bomber – Sanctuary
13. Queens of the Stoneage: Tension Head – Interscope

Categories
Hangover Sessions

November Show

The Hangover Sessions

Playlist

1. First Rate – Intro Featuring MC Wrec – Scenario Records
2. Le Peuple de L’Herbe – El Paso (feat. Puppetmastaz) – PIAS Records
3. CH3VY – Praize the Nord – Catskills Records
4. Tony Joe White – High Sheriff of Calhoun Parish – Casual Records
5. Bobby Gentry – Fancy – Curb Records
6. Air – All I need – Virgin Records
7. DJ Shadow – What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) – Mo’Wax Records
8. Plaid – Kortisin – Warp Records
9. Boards of Canada – Aquarius – Warp Records

Categories
None More Punk

November 2005

The None More Punk Show

Playlist

1. Gay For Johnny Depp – Hey Sailor – Captains Of Industry Records
2. Career Suicide – Quarantined – Deranged Records
3. The Observers – Short Day
4. Dead Kennedys – Chemical Warfare – Alternative Tentacles
5. Die Hunns – Time Has Come Today – Disaster Records
6. Walk The Plank – Walk The Plank – Dead and Gone Records
7. Easy Action – I’m waiting – Reptilian Records
8. Annihilation Time – Bigger Problems – Manic Ride Records
9. The Damned – Noise Noise Noise – Big Beat Uk
10. Das Oath – Awesome Rape – Coalition Records
11. The Explosion – I Know – Virgin/ Tarantulas Records
12. The Ruts – West One Shine On Me – Virgin Records
13. Minor Threat – Look Back and Laugh – Dischord Records
14. ATV – Action Time Vision – Abstract Records

Categories
Indie Show

November 2005

The Indie Show

Playlist

1. Franz Ferdinand – Do You Want To – Domino Records
2. Morning Runner – Gone Up In Flames – Parlophone Records
3. The Shins – So Says I – Sub Pop Records
4. Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot – B-Unique Records
5. The Paddingtons – 50 to a £ – Poptones Records
6. We Are Scientists – The Great Escape – Virgin Records
7. Clor – Outlines – Regal Records
8. King Biscuit Time – C I AM 15 feat Topcat – No Style Records
9. Spoon – Sister Jack – Matador Records
10. Interpol – Slow Hands – Matador Records
11. Ambulance LTD – Heavy Lifting – TVT Records
12. Twisted Charm – London Scene – 1234 Records
13. Dead Meadow – Such Hawks Such Hounds – Matador Records

Categories
Specialist

November 2005

The Radio Russell Show…where anything goes.

Playlist

1. John Zorn – Batman – Nonesuch Records (USA)
2. Butthole Surfers – Human Cannonball – TouchAndGo Records
3. King Missile – Detachable Penis – Atlantic records
4. Butter 08 – Degobrah – Grand Royal Records
5. Ween – Tried and True – Sanctuary Records
6. Beach Boys – When A Man Needs A Woman – Capitol Records
7. Devo – Whip It – Virgin Records
8. Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire – CBS Records
9. Son Of Dave – Goddam – Husky Records
10. STP – Hey Bastard – Rough Trade Records
11. Wayne Carson – Soul Deep – Casual Records

Categories
Live Reviews

The Magic Numbers

Shepherds Bush Empire
19th October 2005

What a difference a year can make. A year ago The Magic Numbers were just entering the studio to record their debut album, enjoying an ever growing cult following playing low key shows. Fast forward 12 months and the band have played every major festival, supported Brian Wilson, played a sold out tour of the UK and had their eponymous debut album nominated for the Mercury Music Award. Not bad for two sets of siblings from West London. Fronted by Romeo Stoddard, flanked by his sister Michele on bass, Sean Gannon on drums and his sister Angela (melodica and vocals), the ‘Numbers have been described as the feel good band of the year, combining a laid back west coast Mamas and Papas vibe (by the by the Mamas and Papas were once known as ‘The Magic Circle), and beautifully penned songs of love, heartache and loss.

As the lights drop in the Empire and the backdrop lights up the crowd seems to swell in anticipation, the roar that greet the band is deafening, and the band seem genuinely taken back by their reception. Tracks like ‘Love Me Like You‘, forthcoming single ‘Love’s a Game‘, and ‘Don’t Give Up The Fight‘ are sung back word perfect, album tracks have new life breathed into them on stage, Romeo’s one line quips to his sister and the genuine warmth you can feel rolling off the stage is enough to raise a smile of even the most sceptical audience members. Angela’s vocals on ‘I See You, You See Me’ brings goosebumps to your arms, clear lines sung back to Romeo. “I never wanted to love you, but that’s ok. I always knew that you’d leave me anyway..”..The songs border on melancholy, a great love lost but not forgotten, but it’s the upbeat turns and twists, that make the crowd’s spirits soar. The lyrics might be of heartbreak, but the hooks and chorus tell a different story.

A live version of their track recorded with The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Close Your Eyes‘ adds another string to their bow, ‘Gone are the Days‘ which was recorded for the Warchild album is a stunningly simple arrangement, whilst ‘Forever Lost’ has the crowd dancing, and looking around the packed venue, there are grins on every face in there, not least of the face of Romeo and Michelle’s father, standing proudly in the middle of the crowd, watching his children.

Their take on Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love‘ is nothing short of genius, ‘Mornings Eleven‘ introduces Anne Harrie on violin and her brother of harpsichord, bringing moments of poignancy and tenderness to the set, girls in the crowd appear misty eyed, but just as the tempo drops The Webb Brothers lope out on stage for a deafening rendition of ‘Wheels on Fire’, the harmonies soaring off the stage and under your skin.

As the last track ‘ The Beard Song‘ soars onwards and upwards, faster and faster, you can’t help but get lost in the music, the guitars soaring higher and higher, pounding off the stage and washing over you. All too often bands are hyped as the best new band, , sold to you as your new favourite band, and all too often, one foot out of the studio, the initial buzz wears off and it’s clear they’re not all that. But for The Magic Numbers, everything they say..well it’s true. Try as you might, there is simply no denying that these gracious, humble West London kids have really got something special, and with the nights drawing in and the cold winter upon us, they are the perfect ray of warmth, who needs Prozac when we’re got The Magic Numbers?

For further info check out www.themagicnumbers.net

Dee Massey

Categories
Live Reviews

Municipal Waste

The Horror
The Dome, London
20/10/05

‘The eighties are over, get over it,’ someone shouts from the front as Municipal Waste steam into yet another slab of prime thrash metal from an era before things were Nu and metal was metal and metal was fast. Yes, the eighties are over but the crimes that have been committed against metal over the last few years by bozos like Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Alien Ant Farm means that it’s time to start looking back to a time when metal was at it’s most vital and start drawing on the energy and enthusiasm and injecting it back into the music today. Municipal Waste draw their inspiration from a period in heavy music when the extremes of metal, hardcore and punk merged to create a genre then described as Crossover. By fusing the raw attitude of punk with the speed and simplicity of hardcore and power of metal, bands like Agnostic Front, Corrosion Of Conformity, Crumbsuckers, D.R.I. and Nuclear Assault created a whirlwind of energy as the bands played faster and faster. Combine this with the influence of speed/thrash metal like Exodus, Megadeth, Slayer and the like and you had a scene that rivalled the first wave of punk in the energy and attitude stakes.

But first, the incredible Horror lay waste to the entire venue tonight, showing us all exactly how this hardcore thing should be, and used to be done before somehow lame chugga-chugga metalcore started getting passed off as hardcore. From the moment they hit the stage they are lightning fast, stupidly tight and just so fucking powerful it makes you want to grab every other two bit hardcore band in the UK roughly round the back of the neck, shove their faces in it and scream ‘look, this is how it should be done!’ One minute they’re so fast you think they’re going to become air-born, then the next they kick into a comparatively more mid-paced stinging riff that just makes you wanna go wild and break stuff. The Horror are as good as any band from the golden age of eighties UK hardcore (Ripcord, Heresy, The Stupids) and their next album will peel your skin off. You have been warned.

Municipal Waste’s sense of fun is utterly addictive. They hit the stage amongst a barrage of flying bodies, lager and sweat. At one point someone surfboards off the stage before trying to surf across peoples heads as the band bombard us with crisps from their rider saying we all look too skinny and need fattening up. And all around everyone is thrashing and smiling and just getting off on the fun and energy of it all. This is how metal gigs should be. This is how metal gigs used to be. A riot. Thank you Municipal Waste for bringing the feeling back.

James Sherry

Categories
Draft Events

The EASTPAK Antidote Tour

Featuring…

MILLENCOLIN
FLOGGING MOLLY
RANDY
THE UNSEEN

TOUR DATES:

31-Oct UK Glasgow Academy
01-Nov UK Leeds University
02-Nov UK London Astoria
03- November at Norwich UEA
04-Nov UK Birmingham Academy
05-Nov UK Manchester Academy

Info and updates on www.antidotetour.com or www.eastpak.com

GET THE CD!

Side One Dummy Records is producing the official EASTPAK ANTIDOTE TOUR CD which will be available in stores 1st week of October…check it out.

Categories
Interviews

Diamond Nights

NYC has had its fair share of cool bands over the years and there is always room for one more. We welcome Diamond Nights to the zine as their debut album Popsicle is a taster of some very classic rock albums to come.

They take influences from bands such as Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Reo Speedwagon and even Billy Idol creating a wonderfully warm retro pop rock sound that will take you back to the 70’s and 80’s but propel you into the future of rock and roll at the same time.

Singer/Guitarist/songwriter Morgan Phalen got up and spoke to Zac as soon as he emerged from his bed..

Full name please mister:

Morgan Lewis Phalen sir…

Where are you at right now?

I’m in NYC right now. We just got off tour for 6 weeks around the US and are trying to detox a little bit! Haha!

Aha, so you like to get a little saucy when you are on the road then or is it force of habit?

Well, actually it’s an actual tool of the trade!

So what’s your poison then?

Anything that is put in front of me really, I’m not that picky! I guess I have my limits but I have to watch out for anything that is gonna wreck my vocal chords but other than worrying about the next show. I don’t worry about the big picture that much…as long as we have a good time, that’s all we care about. On this tour we have played in front of varied crowds. Sometimes a few hundred people, others a handful, but as long as we are all happy then that is all that counts.

How long have Diamond Nights been together?

This line up has been together for about a year and a half. The project itself and the songs have been about 3 years. I started off with just a drummer and we played together for a while. We used to play out with just the two of us all the time.

Like the White Stripes set up?

Yeah. They seem to pull it off; but we were never really able to get it off the ground. We recorded stuff but nobody was really interested until we had a full line up, it didn’t really gel until we got a lead guitarist and the bass player we have now. We were just called Diamonds back then, but there was a doo-wop band from the 50’s called The Diamonds that had that song “Little Darling”? Morgan starts singing this track …and we needed to change it because of that.

So why Diamonds?

Well, Diamonds are cool, night time is cool, so there you go, no really deep meaning, it just stuck.

Where did you all meet?

The drummer and I went to high school together in Massachusetts. We had nothing to do in a small town and we played music there. He moved to NYC and then I moved there to, Rob in the band was also from Massachusetts and I knew him from back in the day and the lead guitarist we knew through friends of friends of friends in NYC.

What is the average age of the band?

Mid to late 20’s

Explain your sound?

Well, if you took rock radio from the past 30 years and kinda mushed it together into some kind of alien transmission from another dimension….it’s kind of like lost rock for another era. We try to make music that reflects our collections as we are record nerds I guess, so we pick up on stuff from Thrift stores and do our own thing around what we pick up. We have an appetite for music, getting it for free or on the cheap, we pick up all the cheapest old stuff no one wants!

Aha, you sound like the kind of guys who love turning up to a party with a bag of 7″s in a bag and playing a selection of different stuff…

Well, yeah, our drummer is a DJ. Personally, I’m the kind of guy that I think most people would not really be satisfied with hearing my tastes! I’m a closet DJ, I like to DJ in private haha!

What bands influenced you growing up?

Well, let’s start with Moondog. He was a blind street musician from New York who was classically trained at a blind school and would dress up as a Viking and perform with shakers and bells. He has made a bunch of orchestral pieces in his life and one of his songs was sampled recently by Mr Scruff on Ninja Tune. To me, he wrote perfect little pop songs, one line of vocals repeated over and over again etc…another fave record is from Steve Reich “Music for 18 Musicians” and these records have influenced me along the way.

What about new bands?

Well, I prefer old bands and tunes if I’m honest but we mentioned the White Stripes back then so I like those guys and also Interpol…

Your debut album is a corker. How did the production on this record come about because it’s very warm sounding but crisp when it wants to be?

Well, the record label (Kemado) we are signed to here in the US have a recording studio set up much like Motown used to have and we recorded the album there with a producer/engineer in house and we all did it together. We used 2 inch tape so that is where the warmth comes from, I’m glad you noticed that as that is exactly what we wanted to get across in the sound. We used a lot of old fashioned gear; we love the romance of recording and I think we got what we set out to do.

What is the oldest tune and the newest tune on the album?

Destination Diamonds, the track the album kicks off with is the oldest and the track Kiss and Tell nearer the back of the album is the newest. The label puts the records together and we like to make sure we give them as much as possible and write a lot of tunes so we have loads of stuff backed up ready for future recording sessions.

Another classic track from your debut album is Dirty Thief; did you have your top off and a medallion on when you sang it in the studio?

Haha! Nah, but the vocal on that tune is different to the others, I guess it’s a big track and to be honest it has been picked up by people in the UK much more than here in the US.

Who do people say you look like Morgan?

Well, it’s funny you asked. I was out the other day and someone said I looked like Tony Hawk which was strange! It’s the long hair I guess.

Do you guys skate at all?

We always have a skateboard in the back of the van, our drummer’s board in fact and we have all had skateboards at some point in our lives. My brother is a good skater, he lives in California but he is not a pro yet.

What was your first board?

Er….it was a Tony Alva set up, really nice to cruise around on.

So, i hear a European tour is imminent?

I think we will be touring the UK throughout October and November,; it’s great to travel so we are looking forward to it.

Lastly, do you believe that pain is invisible?

Well, yeah, i guess it is in some ways. We all have to go through that barrier at some point in our lives if we are skating or being in a band full time i suppose that if you don’t go through it at some point, you are doing something wrong. Generally though, the best always get through the other side and that is what makes us all tick.

Wanna say thanks to anyone?

Yep, Mom and Dad!

Check out Diamond Nights debut album Popsicle released on Kemado Records on September 5th. Check www.diamond-nights.com for all info and more.

Categories
Buzz Chart

Regulations

When old school punk rock US style hits the speakers here, it takes us back to the good old days of Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, Adolescents and JFA which can only be described as the golden days especially as the word punk rock is so over used thesedays in the pop world. So it was refreshing to slam this CD into the wookie box here and find a gem explode through the speakers.

Regulations are a 4-piece from Sweden featuring ex-members (and some current members) of E.T.A., Dead Ones, and The Vectors and bring snotty, charging, old school hardcore that will leave you wanting to smash the place up and go skating after one listen. Stand out tracks span all across the record but one i particularly find myself singing more than often is “Police Siren” that you camn hear on this page, but you can’t go wrong with any of these 12 tracks as they all individually creep into one another to create an album full of the sort of punk you wanna hear every day. End It Now has Minor Threat written all over it, Fashion Girl has the Dead Boys, I Don’t Need has to go on a skate video or else, I Feel Sick has the same attitude as the Circle Jerks, 1945 is on the same tip and so on….you get the message.

If you like hardcore, you know that this shit gets you up in the morning, it also can save your arse if you are on a down about somehting or other, so think yourself lucky that people still make this stuff…right, i’m off to slash up a curb…go buy one today!

Zac