Pass the Mic is a Scene Point Blank tradition dating back to 2006 in which we turn the tables, sending a set of questions to bands, artists, and labels to get their opinions and memories of the past year in music. This year we've broken it into two pieces. Instead of one massive piece, Pass the Mic will be published in two entries reflecting on 2013 and examining the idea of royalties in an era of digital streaming.
Here is part one, featuring artists such as Stephen Brodsky, Nick 13, and members of Pelican, Night Birds, Flatliners, Gehenna, Enabler, Woe, Martyrdöd, Horseback, and more. Like everything SPB, we believe a variety in style and voice is important. Stay tuned for part two: labels and musical figures. There's bound to be some overlap between the two self-imposed categories, but we've asked the artists their preferred "label" to minimize conflict.
Aki (Worthwhile Way/ Eager Beaver Records)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Sunnyside - Welcome to San Diego
Rumspringer - Stay Afloat
Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band - Promises to Deliver
Gateway District - Old Wild Hearts
Madison Bloodbath / Worthwhile Way - Split
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Onetimers!
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I was racing against time for everything. But It was totally great year for my band and label.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
A new Worthwhile Way split with Dan Padilla. We'll be touring the Japan with RVIVR in April. Also we're getting over to US for sure, hopefully coming back to The Fest or UK!
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
International Dipshit full-length and Tim Version full-length.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I have no idea.
Alex (Autistic Youth)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Big Eyes - Almost Famous LP. They lent us their van for a tour but that has nothing to do with the FACT that they are at the top of the heap. We all love this band. All their records are great and they seem to be getting better.
Radioactivity - S/T LP. It’s great to have some new jams out of Denton, TX. We got to play with Marked Men at a Dirtnap Fest thing here in Portland and I was stoked to finally see them. Hopefully Radioactivity will hit the road sometime and give all the Marked Men fans something to do.
Audacity - Butter Knife LP. We jumped on their show in Fullerton, CA and they killed it in a very big way. They are touring like crazy right now so see them if you get a chance. The record is great. There are some really funny moments, in a good way, and some really killer riffs.
Rough Kids - The State I'm In. We played with them in LA last month. There were maybe four people besides the bands at this show but they still played an awesome set during which Crazy Lionel and I had a really great time. These guys played even after their guitar amp blew up and it took them 2 minutes to get going again.
Kanye West - Yeezus LP. Say what you will about this psychopath, this record could not have come from anyone less crazy. It makes me want to smack the next rich white dude I meet, even if Kanye acts like he might be that rich white dude sometimes. He has a really direct and brutal approach to racial issues and I think he is pissing people off in a really productive way sometimes, which is always good.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I got very into Elton Montello this year, which may be a gimme but I don’t care. It’s great. He is just great and subversive and poppy at the same time and that's the creepiest most perfect mix to me. He also became a gateway into a bunch of related stuff: Plastic Berterand and Hubble Bubble and etc.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
This was a good year for us musically: recording and getting an LP out always feels good. We also got a chance to tour with Freedom Club which was a major highlight of the year. Portland had a rough year though, the tragedy was spread around quite thoroughly. Houses burned and loved ones were lost and shit just happened to a lot of people in the punk scene. Everyone seems to be coming out the other side with more passion and drive and appreciation of loved ones so that's good to see. It was a year of highs and lows though, for sure.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
We are going to be in Europe late January and all of February and we hope to have a 7" single to accompany that tour, likely out on Sabotage and Taken By Surprise Records in Europe. Seve and Nick (drum and bass) are in another band (Wild Ones) that will be very busy this year so Adam and I might try to throw some ideas around and see what happens.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Last time I was at Blackwater Records shop I heard unmixed tracks from The Estranged. I have been listening to them obsessively since then in anticipation of this new one. The songs are their best to date. We will be in Europe at the same time and will have the chance to play a couple shows with them so I'm hoping to hear some of the new jams.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Luckily we have a great dude in Ken from Dirtnap. We don't have to deal with these big weird alien business things. All I know is the bastards will always try to get you but I have full faith that Ken is doing all he can to not let anyone get ripped off for their art. I think the idea of streaming is really good for the sake of widely distributing music of all kinds. It’s great to increase access as long as bands are not getting fucked in the process. I don't think these royalty issues are as serious in the punk scene but I could be wrong. I like the way Bandcamp is set up to give the artists full control over pricing and everything like that. They take a small percentage of sales and their emails have some weird jargon I don’t understand but it seems like a reasonably legit setup. Again, it’s just great to be able to distribute music so widely so easily. The whole piracy scare is over and now these sites are working on ways to re-monetize recorded music and I guess that’s cool if you need to eat or pay rent, but it’s not a perfect system.
Alex Estrada (Silver Snakes)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
True Widow - Circumambulation
O'brother - Disillusion
Sainthood Reps - Headswell
Third Seven - Cascadia
Defeater - Letters Home
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Third Seven stands out to me. We were playing a show in Albuquerque, NM and this awesome song was playing in the venue while we were loading in. The sound guy told me it was a record called "Cascadia" by a one man band called Third Seven. I looked him up as soon as we got home and was sure to see when he played in LA. His passion was inspiring. Just one man on stage with a cello and a loop pedal.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Well the first half of the year was spent writing our full-length, And the second half has been the anticipation of its release. We spent a lot of time on the road and got to experience night after night of live sets from bands that we really enjoy. I feel as though this year was just prep for what we want to do in 2014.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
A new record early in the year, full US tour, hopefully some time in Europe.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
The new Wovenhand record. David Eugene Edwards has been a huge influence on me, musically for many years now. Always excited to hear he's going to do next.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I'm a huge fan of Spotify. We've had a lot of kids come up to us at shows that first heard about us on a Spotify radio station. We obviously haven't received any huge checks from the company, but I could care less. If you stream it and like it, buy it from us on tour or buy it from our label. Supporting artists directly and those that enable them to function is what's important.
André Foisy (Locrian/ Kwaidan/Ablution Media)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Volcano Choir - Repave (Jagjaguwar)
True Widow - Circumambulation (Relapse)
Insect Ark - Long Arms (Geweih Ritual Documents)
Agarttha - A Water Which Does Not Wet Hands (King of the Monsters)
BLOODYMINDED - Within The Walls (BloodLust!)
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I just watched the A Band Called Death documentary and that was really touching. It was really inspiring that these guys from Detroit in the ‘70s had a dream and it didn’t come to fruition immediately, but it finally did years later.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I’ve had more fun playing music this year than I have in years or possibly ever. There are lots of things that I don’t like about being a musician, but this is the year that I’ve been able to let those go most effectively.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Locrian will be playing at Roadburn in April. I’m not going to promise anything else, but I have some releases in the pipeline.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Marissa Nadler’s new album on Sacred Bones. I’m not sure what else is coming out.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don’t have a preferred streaming site. Honestly, I don’t think about the policies of streaming services much.
Ben Crew (In Defence - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
TOXIC HOLOCAUST - Chemistry of Consciousness (Relapse)
IRON REAGAN - Worse Than Dead (Tank Crimes)
DIRTY KID DISCOUNT - Sharpen Your Knives As Evil Threatens The Land (Profane Existence Records)
BODDICKER / KATA SARKA - The David Lee Gorgoroth split (Profane Existence Records)
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
DIRTY KID DISCOUNT is a gypsy punk band from Portland, OR. It's like Golgol Bordello but better. They are both more Eastern European folk and more punk. It's amazing. I've seen them play street corners and I've seen them play big festivals. They are such free spirits. It's very inspiring.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 is the year that IN DEFENCE toured the entire US with some very big bands that we grew up listening to or are currently big fans of. As I write this we are on our way to meet up with TOXIC HOLOCAUST. We also partied with GWAR... FLAG (the Keith Morris fronted Black Flag) used our practice space for a week before their tour... We got to play a festival with DEVO... This year has been fun!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
That's top secret! We'll let you know when the time is right.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
We're in the process of writing a new record. It's not finished so I don't want to make any promises yet but hopefully that will be out in 2014.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
What's a royalty??! I say get your music out there any way you can.
BJ Rochinich (Ancient Shores/ Keep - guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
NAAM -Vow
Rosetta -The Anaesthete
Cult of Luna -Vertikal
True Widow - Circumambulation
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Hawkwind.
I tried over the years to listen to them but was far from a dedicated listener or anything. The track "Seven by Seven" on Space Ritual Vol. 2 is specifically the song that pulled me further in Hawkwind's direction. A live album that presented most of their Doremi Fasol Latido record and some new material, it's a wild listen given the idea behind not only the live production but the use of the aforementioned record. Incorporating new songs into such a set is pretty interesting considering how critical the Doremi Fasol Latido material and idea was to their live presentation at the time. I think when a band like Hawkind throws new material into a set where they are playing an entire other record, the listener is going to see, hear, and feel something great. I like the feel of "Seven by Seven;" it captures a lot of what makes that record unique in the live sense as translated from a studio record.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Satisfying/educational.
I enjoyed the new Queens of the Stone Age record, and saw them for the first time which was great. I saw Young Widows for the first time, who also played a great set. What I enjoyed about both shows was the set list. Both bands put a lot of effort into the set list and getting it to the point where it felt good to them, grooved well, and created a mood of its own apart from any record.
I enjoyed getting into the side work from some of my favorite artists.
Ryan (Coliseum) and Evan (Young Wids) Patterson host separate shows on ARTxFM, for example.
Rollins continues to have many things going on but I especially enjoy his show on KCRW. Listening to him goes back to the "Harmony in my Head" days. Every episode is solid and it seems like I pick up a new band every week.
Scott Evans, who plays guitar in Kowloon Walled City, is an engineer at Anti Sleep, and writes for Tape Op which my best friend Jeff King (who is now an up-and-coming audio engineer) introduced me to years ago. The bass player in Kowloon, Ian Miller, co-hosts a baseball podcast with Riley Breck of Thrice, and writes as well.
Ancient Shores was fortunate enough to play with KWC and Zozobra in April 2013. We played with KWC in Pittsburgh a few years ago. Playing shows with that groupe of dudes was AMAZING. We did not want it to end. Ever. Two bands we all listen to and 8 personable, caring people. Often times when those of us in Ancient Shores talk to someone who says something complimentary about us (Joel and I are the worst about this), we just want to thank them, give them free merch, and tell them to go listen to Cursed/Black Flag/Botch/a ton of other bands we feel like we owe one hundred references when someone compliments us! So when we get to play with Kowloon and Zozobra, whom we consider bands in that echelon, it's fuckin overdrive for us.
This year in music made me happy to be growing up/getting older. I would not appreciate the experiences without some years logged dealing with difficult people or working hard to get to points where we can play shows with great bands. Seeing bands release their third, fourth, fifth,etc record is exciting!. I am sincerely stoked when bands are able to do that because I know how satisfying it is and how much work goes into writing records later in a band existence. The effort people put in touring a lot or releasing another record is great. Becoming aware of projects outside of a band that artists are involved in just pushes me stay up a little later or get up earlier and keep working myself.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Ancient Shores has a digital release due out with artwork by Ryan Patterson (Coliseum) featuring 2 new songs that were mixed by Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations and mixed by James Plotkin.
Keep will continue to write and see what happens after that.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Definitely the next Trap Them record
Maybe a new Ufomammut record if they are doing that
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I use spotify and I pay the premium monthly rate.
Artists seem to benefit but could probably benefit more if only a part of an album was offered. For vinyl collectors this would mean buying the full record at a show, from a band website, or from the label. At the same time, if we independently offer those missing songs on our bandcamp for sale, then maybe only digital sales go up but not sales of hard copies.
In terms of royalties, the exposure is enough for a band in our position. I think for bands that rely on their income from playing music, then offering parts of a record is the best thing to do. Providing some kind of motivation (ticket discounts if you can reach agreements with venues or exclusive content in the future) for listeners to buy individual digital releases or tracks (this is where income could but certainly is not guaranteed add up), or for fans to buy vinyls or other hard copies should be a goal, even if you fall short.
Dom (A389) absolutely works as hard as any person can. He promotes, organizes shows, takes the time to put people in touch with each other, updates websites, manages his inventory, operates his mailing system, takes on new distribution, etc and manages to do so consistently. He is amazing. He never complains, he just keeps working.
For large operations, if the marketing or ideas departments don't want to do their jobs then cut back on them. Bands write records and play shows. There is only so much a band can do. There are people specialized in fields of marketing, promoting, tour packaging, etc who every day who want to make money and further their careers. Let's utilize that ambition. If there are people in those positions who are blocking the ascension of more capable individuals, then changes need made. Ultimately, where there is one problem with economic successes of being in a band or running a label, there are likely problems elsewhere as well. Let's work together to fix that and come up with a good model.
Bobby Hussy (The Hussy/ Fire Retarded/ Kind Turkey Records)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin
Destruction Unit - Deep Trip
TV Ghost - Disconnect
Ex-Cult - S/T
Blind Shake - Key To A False Door
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I really fell in love with Digital Leather. I've always loved ‘em, but getting to play a lot of shows with them and see them live so many times has really made me respect them even more.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
The Hussy played a lot of great shows, met up with a lot of great people. Europe was amazing! I saw so many good bands this year through touring with the Hussy and Fire Retarded and by going down to Gonerfest 10 (as well as the slew of shows I saw in Madison during the lull times). It was a great year!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
A split 12" with Digital Leather, a brand new LP that's more pop focused than ever - both on Southpaw Records; a 7" on Windian Records. The first two Hussy LPs are gonna be repressed by Southpaw. And the debut LP from a band I'm playing guitar in and recording called Fire Retarded, which Big Neck is going to be putting out. I'll probably be recording some other band's records while I'm doing that as well. Gotta stay busy! Expect a lot of touring, both coasts of the US and Europe.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
More Oh Sees records (which I'm almost certain is the same response I had last year!)
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I have no idea. In 2013, do people still actually expect to make money playing music?
Brian Gorsegner (Night Birds - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Vacation - Candy Waves (Don Giovanni)
Rough Kids - The State I'm In 12" (Sorry State)
Big Eyes - Almost Famous 12" (Grave Mistake)
Nuclear Santa Claust - Order of the New Age 12" (Don Giovanni)
Nervosas - s/t 12" (LET'S PRETEND)
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I had never heard of DEATH before, as in the 3 brothers from Detroit whom had the documentary made about them. I suppose the impact being the fact that after 30 years there can still be incredible hidden gems out there, even in the age of downloading and blogs and stuff...Never stop digging through those record boxes!
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
For one thing, 2013 had the most new music that I purchased and enjoyed in I don't even know how long. Putting together a top 5 this year is near impossible with so many killer records.
Great stuff from Steve Adamyk Band, California X, LIVIDS, The Novice, Culo, Neighborhood Brats, Kurt Vile, Criminal Damage, Iron Reagan...the list goes on. I had like 4 records I liked in 2012!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Night Birds put out two records in 2013 and my wife and I had a baby, both of which kept Night Birds from touring as much as we usually would, so 2014 will be about hitting the road for us.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
A new album from Washington DC's GIVE and two new albums from Wisconsin's TENEMENT.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don't care, download away. I work 9-5 to pay my bills. Music is what I do for fun. I guess if it's what I did for a living it might get my knickers in a knot, but it's not, so steal away! I don't have a preference, I did however use iTunes for the first time this year to purchase the Dwarves' Are Young and Good Looking so that was pretty cool.
Charles Miller (Better Off - drums)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Braveyoung - Will The Dust Praise You
Courtesy Drop - Songs To Drive To; Cry, And Make Love To
Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
Nails - Abandon All Life
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I saw Waxahatchee open for Pity Sex here in Nashville, and I was immediately stoked on her music. Her songs are simple and straightforward--unlike most popular releases as of late. Her simplicity is refreshing and has become a “go-to” listen for me.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 = The year of newer, young bands releasing great records with nostalgic sounds: (i.e. Citizen, Daylight, Balance & Composure, etc.)
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Better Off will be on the road most of 2014. We've also begun writing for the next record and will probably be recording again sometime in the summer.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Off the top of my head, I'm especially excited to (hopefully) hear new music from these bands in 2014: Brand New, Souvenirs, Tycho & Night Beds
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Digital music is awesome, and I think streaming services are great, especially for providing a platform to find new music and exposing younger artists. If a band's record isn't on Spotify, “streaming” listeners will still likely get a hold of it, probably illegally. Money is money and art is art. I'll be happy with whatever as long as I get to jam.
Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners - vocals/guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
A Wilhelm Scream - Partycrasher
The Night Marchers - Allez Allez
The Bronx - IV
Pup - self-titled
Sights & Sounds - Silver Door
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I discovered Dikembe (Gainesville, FL) this year while on tour in Europe. A friend of the band's, Flo, was driving us on tour in the spring, and because he was always behind the wheel, he ended up being the unofficial tour DJ as well. The first couple times he played Dikembe I was floored, but didn't want to ask who it was, because I felt slightly embarrassed that I didn't know who it was already. A foolish thought really, but I was so happy once I mustered up the courage to ask. Such a powerful sounding band, and very unique.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Relentless. Making my top 5 took a long, long time.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Myself and the guys in The Flatliners will spend the first few months catching our breath, sleeping off the busiest year of our lives (2013), and then hit the road in the Spring. Keep the train rolling, and hopefully see everyone and visit everywhere on our checklist.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Really can't wait to hear the new Lawrence Arms album. If the grumblings of new Descendents and Rocket From the Crypt LPs are true, then 2014 will be incredible...
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don't believe Spotify exists in Canada, so I can't comment with much authority on that particularly. But the thing is, upon the internet's initial conception, band's were ripped off from piracy, etc. Slowly but surely, certain roadblocks and regulations were put in place to ensure artists were earning off their music again. The landscape was forever changed, yes. But things shifted back into the artist's favour in a way. This is just a ripple of that, and I'm sure that in the few years to come, there will be more solutions to things like this.
Chris Grigg (Woe)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
These are such different albums with such varied places in my year and life that ranking them is kind of useless. Here they are, alphabetically.
Carcass - Surgical Steel
Chelsea Wolfe - Pain is Beauty
Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus
Kanye West - Yeezus
Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork
Gorguts, Inter Arma, Batillus, and Deafheaven are all on this list in spirit.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I think Sisters of Mercy would be the one. My girlfriend turned me onto Floodland and nothing has really been the same since. They hit me at the right time… I had just finished Withdrawal, I was burnt out on black metal, both sonically and culturally, and needed something that was still dark and intense.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 will forever by my Year of Pop, or at least my Year of Unmetal. I bought a synth a few months ago and have started working on a new project that is a real departure from everything I've ever done. It's refreshing but also a little intimidating to consider that I am basically starting over, working with a different sonic palette, a stranger in a new land.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Hopefully a new Infiltrator recording, possibly a release from my new pop project. I have something in the works that is related to music but not music creation that is taking up most of my time… With any luck, it will be my focus in 2014 and our next conversation will be about that.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Tombs. I think they are head and shoulders above almost every other band in metal right now and I am so excited to hear how this new album comes out.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Working as an artist on a label, I'm a bit disconnected from the payouts offered by Spotify and sites like it to have much of an opinion on it. I have a big issue with the entire music industry and the way it positions artists to fail and facilitators (the labels, the studios, the distributors, the press) to succeed, but that's another story. As a listener, I live by Spotify and credit it with altering my perspective in profound ways. Take Kanye West, for example. If I had to buy Yeezus, I never would have listened to it but because it was available online, I spent hours and hours with it, then moved onto the rest of his catalog, and I'm considering paying an unreasonable amount of money to see him in NYC the end of the month. The ~$50 I would have spent buying the albums in his discography I like will instead be (maybe) $200-$300 per ticket on seeing him live.
My preference? Every band should spend as little time and money on their recording as possible, put it on Spotify, and sell it directly through Bandcamp. Minimize investment, cut out middlemen, focus on strong material and performing live. We can't expect the industry or listeners to value our output the way we do. Instead of setting ourselves up for failure, we should adjust our expectations to match reality.
Chris Moore (Coke Bust/ Sick Fix/ D.O.C. - drums)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
In no particular order:
Culo - My Life Sucks And I Could Care Less
Lemuria - The Distance is So Big
Radioactivity - Radioactivity
No Sir, I Won't - The Door
Tenement/Screaming Females Split 7"
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I didn't discover her this year but seeing Neko Case live was a game changer. Holy shit...
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I will remember 2013 by the amount of awesome music D.C. churned out. Especially some of the younger kids: Protester, Misled Youth, Pure Disgust, Vile Faith, Thick Skin, Public Suicide, Dudes, etc.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Damaged City Fest 2014, new records hopefully by D.O.C., Coke Bust, Sick Fix, and a ton more shows in D.C.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don't really follow that stuff. Free music is cool.
Dave Drobach (The Careeners fka Grabass Charlestons)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Future Virgins - Late Republic. The best record released the internet doesn't know about.
Sugar Stems - Can't Wait
Crusades - Perhaps You Deliver This Judgement With More Fear Than I Receive It
Nato Coles And The Blue Diamond Band - Promises to Deliver
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Sugar Stems. Sonically they are basic sugar pop. Lyrically that are as dark as a tooth getting removed by an unlicensed dental student in exchange for drugs. Happy songs that make my skin crawl. Love it. More please.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I found myself listening to a lot of classic bands my parents listened to: Cat Stevens, Pete Seeger, Sade. In 2013 I did trade in a Charles Bronson 7" for a Paul Simon 12". My infant daughter smiles, no regrets.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Careeners may put out some songs as Careeners. They are recorded! WGOT-94.7 FM, Gainesville's low-power FM station carries on boldly into our 6th year!
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
The Tim Version has been sitting on an album I am dying to spin. Pretty sure it was on my list last year.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I wish that when I was discovering music I had access to sites like Spotify and Grooveshark. I have friends that work for streaming sites that claim to work for the best interest of the bands. The day any No Idea band sees a check from any site that streams our music, I'll let you know. It hasn't happened yet. If you want to support a band, get in touch with the band. We are easy to find.
Drew (Brain Tumors - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
I haven't been keeping up on shit because 2013 was fucked. But here are five releases that I thought were great - in no particular order:
Yadokai - Final 7"
Negative Degree EP
Sickoids - No Home
Wild Child - Viral Load EP
Pisswalker - Demo
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Marilyn Manson. I'm not fucking around - I interviewed him earlier this year so I finally delved into his entire catalog and was pleasantly surprised. I was already into like, Entombed and shit like that back when he was popular so I had always ignored him. By no means has he created some sort of phenomenal output, but for me, finding mainstream music that I can connect over with "the average joe" is an achievement for me. Other than that, I reconnected with Type O Negative pretty hard this last year. Nomad, vagabond, poser - call me what you will. Oh! And fucking AC/DC - but only the Bon Scott years. AC/DC is by far the dumbest band to ever achieve commercial success and they're brilliant for it. Boring riffs, boring drumming, intolerable vocals - and yet, it fucking rules.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I will remember 2013 as the year I was too busy dealing with real bullshit to delve into the white luxury of rock genres separated by largely indistinguishable minutia. And the year I started getting paid to make fun of music on the internet like a shitty white bald guy.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Brain Tumors have a split with Pisswalker from Omaha coming out on Lagerville Records. We have an eternal love for those guys and it's one of those rare times where people you already think are amazing form a band and it happens to fucking rip. Their guitarist, J.D. has booked awesome shows for us and probably hundreds of shows for other bands and he's like, fucking 21 or something. Places We Slept, Sister Kisser, Feral Hands, and Relentless Approach are also worthwhile bands from Omaha worth your time.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I have no idea. These days, I don't find out shit until it's already been out for months.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
First, I'd like to say I value streaming services for the sheer reason that I'm in favor of anything that takes Aerosmith and other mediocre radio trash out of manual labor professions. Second, I'm hungover so this is going to be a bunch of tangential nonsense coming up.
I think I can speak for the rest of the guys in Brain Tumors by saying we don't make hardcore punk to make money so we don't care about shit like this -- I can't relate to someone that thinks the world owes them money because of the "work" they've put in to their "art." People work hard every day and get fucked out of money while lazy pieces of shit have a Scrooge McDuck chamber of money to swim through. Welcome to another unfortunate representation of our society.
Spotify lost 77 million dollars in 2012, apparently due to licensing fees. As the financial model of "make Chinese slaves create cheap goods we can mark-up 1000%" deteriorates in music, the bloated shit-heads at the top struggle to retain the money and the standard of living they're accustomed to. The money is hoarded. Less money leaves the top. Jobs in the music industry hardly exist and if they do, they're so low paying that no one lasts. Holding on is pointless as there's no ladder to climb -- no one's leaving the money. So the industry's finally fucked, which is probably the way it always should've been because heavily profiting off the brokerage of art is absurd.
The only people who "deserve" to make a living off of art are the people who were conned into it years back when it was profitable and now, at the age of 40, 50, 60, had the fairly modest money-rug yanked out from under them.
There's this David Byrne article about how these services are going to destroy creative culture, precipitated by artists being unable to make a living through their work and having to turn to more traditional employment. I have a lot of conflicting thoughts on that, not just because it's what we're personally forced to do as a band.
I'm a firm believer that struggle lends itself to the creation of good and meaningful art. Would you trust a rich man or woman playing the blues? Would you trust a comfortable and satisfied punk band? Would Vincent van Gogh have been capable of creating "Starry Night" had he received adequate care for his physical and mental health?
Also, our ability to creatively express ourselves is such a gift and a luxury that people in other societies don't have because they're too busy walking five miles to get barely drinkable water. How can we dwell on the injustice done to our artists when there are much bigger injustices to view even in our own society? Does it matter that some asshole had to go get a "real job" when our homeless shelters are overflowing?
So then I'm left at a cross-roads: What if David Byrne had to quit music 35 years ago and all of the money he made went to solve homelessness and provide lawyers for minor drug offenders? Would the world be a safer and more peaceful place?
Or would it suck just as hard because people are garbage, only we wouldn't have "Girlfriend is Better" to listen to?
And what about the artists that have altered our culture by bringing awareness to issues, or those who broke artistic barriers for the rest of us? What if fucking Chuck Berry had to quit before "Roll Over Beethoven"?
Maybe someday we'll have reasonable government-issued subsidies to assist artists. But probably not. In the meantime, work your fucking job and make your fucking art. If even ten percent of your income comes from doing what you love, congratulations - your life is officially rules harder than almost everyone else's.
Eddy Marflak (Harvey Pekar - guitar/vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Foxfires - The Golden Age. Fast, angry, honest; everything a punk record should be. Listen to “Good Fences” and tell me you don’t feel like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. Happy to call these guys friends and labelmates.
Oathbreaker - Eros/Anteros. Perfect blend of atmospheric and chaotic. I slept on this band for far too long, I think it won’t get the praise it deserves because of the colossal success of Deafhaven’s Sunbather, but this record is wonderful. If you like black metal-influenced hardcore, give this a listen.
Mornings - Guilty. My internet friend Mathew Clarke plays drums for this band. There is a very interesting group of bands coming out of his town (Canberra, Australia). Check out Cinnamon Records.
Shannon and The Clams - Dreams in the Rat House. I have a tiny bit of a crush on Shannon Shaw and a weird obsession with 1950s and '60s pop music. Hunx and His Punx might be funner, but Shannon really shines on this album.
Lorde - Pure Heroine. Do I even need to talk about why this album is good? There are millions of other people who have reviewed this album better than I could. When I was her age I was playing Leftover Crack rip-offs to promiscuous scene girls and smelly crust kids. I am jealous of a teenage girl.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
That would definitely have to be Oathbreaker. I had heard the name before, but honestly thought they would sound like a Judge rip-off so I never bothered checking them out (sorry to any Judge fans out there). It wasn’t until someone in Pekar urged me to check out Eros/Anteros that I decided to give them a listen. The riffs, the production, the lyrics, the cohesiveness, the sadness, the anger, the artwork…Everything about this album connects with me. I was drawn to it like fire to a gas can.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
As of 2013, I can tell people that I have a record out. Like a real, 12-inch vinyl record! I’ve been waiting to say that since I was 13 years-old. There were some amazing records that came out this year, but nothing can top that accomplishment.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Harvey Pekar is writing some new material and plan on doing a lot of baby tours to keep our bosses, teachers, and girlfriends happy. Elliott and I are in another band called Dead Words (not the one from Texas). We just recorded a 5 song EP that should be coming out in the spring. I’m sure that band will also tour to some degree. I just started fronting a hardcore/screamo band called Wolf Teeth--don’t know what’ll come of it yet.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
That Sunn O)))/Ulver collaboration, Warpaint’s self-titled, Azealia Banks’s Broke with Expensive Taste, whatever Empty Vessels is recording at Godcity right now, the new CityCop EP.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Would it be nice if Spotify shelled out more than .6 cents a play? Yes. But we are living in a world where music is free if you want it. People will spend 5 dollars on a coffee without batting an eye, but complain about the price of their favorite band’s new album.
I do it too, that Oathbreaker album I ranted and raved about a few lines above, I stole it off of the internet. I will buy a copy eventually, but I don’t have to if I don’t want to. Spotify is a company, and companies are started to make money. Bands that start to make money are comprised of stupid, delusional people. At the end of the day, if kids hear about one of my bands because of a service like Spotify and a few more come to shows, or buy a t-shirt, I’ll gladly take the .6 cents.
James Hofer (Burn Your World - guitar, Extract - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Incendiary - Cost Of Living
Cold Cave - Oceans With No End
Down To Nothing - Life On The James
Pity Sex - Feast Of Love
Downpresser - Don't Need A Reason
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I can't choose just one, this has been a year where I've grown and discovered a lot musically. Notably My Bloody Valentine, Cold Cave, and Territory. MBV has pretty much driven me to love a completely new genre (to me). Territory is inspiringly hard and heavy and as for Cold Cave, Wes Eisold as an artist in general is very inspiring.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I think it's been a great year for hardcore and music in general. I'm not sure what I'll remember specifically but I know I'll remember this year fondly in terms of music.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Both Burn Your World and Extract are recording in early 2014 so material will be released by both bands in some way. Not sure about the details of either yet. I'm also working on a darker electronic project on my own called Will To Power. I will be throwing up music from that in February 2014.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Code Orange Kids, Withdrawal, and Fire & Ice are all putting out records in 2014 I'm pretty sure. Can't wait for any of those!
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I'm not up to date on the economic policies behind current streaming services, so I'm hesitant to comment. Generally I think the work of artists is becoming increasingly undervalued but I don't know enough about specific policies to weigh in on the debate.
Jason Hall (Western Addiction)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Camera Obscura – Desire Lines
True Widow - Circumambulation
Pixies – EP1
Neko Case – The Worse Things Get…
Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
Honorable mentions: Motorhead – Aftershock, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – Unvarnished, ToyGuitar – ToyGuitar, Alkaline Trio – My Shame is True, Surfer Blood – Pythons, Swingin’ Utters – Poorly Formed, The Bronx - IV
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
In terms of bands that are new to me, I think the new True Widow record is excellent. I think it’s rare when a record is good from start to finish. The album is so heavy (but not in a loud way), ominous, beautifully simple and intelligently restrained. It’s like a macabre landscape with a beat. So good! I tend to rediscover bands every year as well. Last year it was Sam Cooke, this year it’s the Pixies. I saw them on Fallon and it reminded me how good and interesting they are. I heard the song “Indie Cindy” and I could tell instantly how good the song is and how powerful the band is. I’ve seen a lot of singers who scream their heads off but no one can howl like Black Francis. It is a band from my youth that I share with my wife and therefore it’s special. So many good songs. I want you to listen to “Indie Cindy” and then try “Cactus” again. I also never stop listening to Camera Obscura. The singer’s voice is truly magic and she can replicate it live. I can honestly say I like almost every song they write. Little pop gems.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I will remember it as the year our band started playing again but that is a selfish answer and somewhat shameful. I’ve also become re-fascinated with punk in a way as well. I never stop liking it but now that we are playing again, I get exposed to more bands and all the nuances that come with it. It’s the coolest, funniest, truest, contradictory, hypocritical, rule-driven, weirdest, powerful genre. I love metal and people think metal and black metal is heavy, and it is, sonically, but when people ask me the heaviest band of all time, I always say Black Flag. Eating dog food and putting up flyers in the hot sun or drinking black coffee and staring at a wall. Come on! I also went to Sun Records in Memphis this year and that felt special. Johnny Cash is my favorite singer of all time and we share a birthday.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Hopefully, more songs. We wrote a duet and we just need to finish the vocals. We found a female singer to sing on the track. That should be weird. We want to go to Europe as well. We’ve been to Japan and that was pretty awesome.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
The two that I know are coming out that I’m really looking forward to are the new Against Me! and OFF! records. I’m as excited as their exclamation points. Laura Jane Grace has a gift. Few songwriters and bands, for that matter, do. Stuart from Belle & Sebastian has it. Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes has it. The Beatles have it. It’s the ability to create this special feeling with a vocal melody. It gives you the shivers. I can identify this special moment and I think I “could” hit it from time to time but, sadly, ironically and tragically, I can’t sing and that is one of the requirements. It’s sad when the thing you love most, your body isn’t engineered to do it. I also hope that Morrissey, Black Breath, and Turbonegro make new records. Euroboy from Turbonegro is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. He’s the perfect mix of punk, rock, glam, etc. He’s highly, highly underrated.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I, of course, wish the bands could make more money per spin but I also don’t know the intricacies and economics of keeping a site like that afloat. For example, I keep hearing that Twitter, one of the most popular sites in the world has yet to earn one dime.
I prefer Spotify. I actually love it but it has changed my buying habits. For example, I now only buy records that I consider “good.” In the past I might have purchased a record based on 2-3 songs I heard and in hopes the rest are good. Now, if there are ONLY 2-3 good songs, I won’t buy it. The flip side, though, is that I check out more music and I end up buying records from bands I normally wouldn’t. I also feel like the best records get my dollars so there is some reward in writing a good record. I wish the Spotify interface and search capabilities were a bit more intuitive and I’m upset that they took away the “New” feature where they highlight new releases and replaced it with “Discover” which ends up telling me about bands I already know about. If I’m so heavily into music that I pay for the premium version of Spotify, chances are I don’t need an algorithm telling me that if I like The Clash then I should check out a band called the Sex Pistols. I also think the radio feature is underdeveloped and off. I would love to consult them and I could program it like nobody’s business. I still love the service though and I’m not complaining. So far, Pandora is the only service that does a decent job of guessing my tastes but, then again, they don’t play enough deep tracks. I love Black Sabbath but I’d rather hear “Fairies Wear Boots” once in a while versus four different versions of War Pigs. Ok, that’s more than anybody wants to know. Sorry.
Thanks so much for covering our band. I really appreciate it. Our new 7”, Pines, is out now.
Jeff Lohrber (Enabler)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Carcass – Surgical Steel
Gorguts – Colored Sands
Pissed Jeans – Honeys
Misery Signals – Absent Light
Northless – World Keeps Sinking
There really are so many to pick from this year, great records from Watain, Inquisition, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Portal, Ulcerate, Nails, Hail of Bullets, Agrimonia, etc. And fuck it, I listened to the shit out of the new Black Sabbath and Fall Out Boy records as well.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I discovered the self-titled Metal Church record. I’d never heard it before, and holy shit, it’s gotta be one of the most metal records I’ve ever heard.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Insanity. We’ve released two EPs this year, toured in Europe and Australia, in addition to US and Canadian touring this year. We’ve had 3 drummers, I feel like we took a major blow when our second guitarist left earlier this year and we’ve totally overcome that at this point and the band is sounding tighter than ever. So many highs, so many lows, but I’ve done things I’ve never thought I would do in my life this year so it’s been amazing. And the year isn’t even finished, Enabler will be recording our new record, and I rejoined a band that I used to be in and we are recording a new full length as well, which will both be finished by the end of the year!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
New LP and as many shows as we can humanly handle.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
The Entombed record that got pushed back!
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Not really. I just want people to be able to listen to and explore new music. If there happens to be money involved, awesome. So if you’ve never heard Enabler, go download the record for free, I don’t care. If you dig it, order a record online, come to a show and see us play, whatever… I think that it’s ok to take advantage of free music in whatever form as long as you give back when you’re able to. Before people were streaming music, or downloading shit, I was borrowing my friends tape collections and dubbing myself copies of everything good that I could get my hands on.
Jenks Miller (Horseback/ Mount Moriah)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Marginal Consort - INSTAL. Glasgow 2008
The Stranger - Watching Dead Empires in Decay
Arckanum - Fenris Kindir
James Plotkin & Paal Nilssen - Love: Death Rattle
True Widow - Circumambulation
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I'm not sure Marginal Consort is actually a band; from what I can gather, it's a loose association of improvisers that meets occasionally for epic live performances. PAN released one of these live sets, recorded in 2008, as a four-LP set. Eight tracks, each in excess of twenty minutes. This is totally free music, made without a single concession to rhythm or melody; some wouldn't even call it music and that's fine too. But the experience of listening to this set is what I want when I listen to music: it's immersive, absorbing, and alters the reality of a moment, if only slightly slightly. I had heard music these guys have been involved in -- a couple members of the collective also play in Fushitsusha -- but this is the most monumental and overwhelming release I encountered in 2013. I'll be finding new avenues through these sounds for years to come.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Mount Moriah toured a lot in support of Miracle Temple. We were on the road for much of the spring and summer. There are a lot of great memories from those tours, and I saw more of the American Midwest this spring than I ever have before in my life. Being on the road slowed down the pace of my recording work, so I didn't make as many new records as I made in recent years. Relapse released a Horseback retrospective called A Plague of Knowing. That was great because it allowed me to sift through previous work and get a wide-angle view of that project's history to this point. 2013 was also the first year I had a release under my own name get label support (Northern Spy) and distribution across the country. That record, Spirit Signal, was more spontaneously constructed than either Horseback or Mount Moriah's records are, which was a breath of fresh air and helped revitalize my creative drive.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
With luck, at least one new Horseback record, a new Mount Moriah, and a couple solo records.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Honestly, I'm not sure! I'm not up to date on what's in the queue. I know there's an Order from Chaos box set that Nuclear War Now has been promising forever. I'm definitely looking forward to that.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
It probably goes without saying that streaming platforms do not provide most artists with any income at all. My projects' returns from Spotify are just insulting; we're talking fractions of a cent. My own preference is for physical formats and I don't use Spotify myself so I have little use for Spotify as it's currently configured, as either as an artist or as a consumer. Ever since Spotify launched, I have wondered why artists and labels didn't use it purely as a promotional tool: make sure your releases are represented on streaming services around their release, then pull them after that. I could understand the platform as a promotional tool in that respect. But as a source of revenue it's a joke -- I mean it's literally a punchline. "Got your check from Spotify yet? Hahahahaha!"
Josh Lyford (Foxfires - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Power Trip - Manifest Decimation
Roky Erickson - The Evil One (technically recorded in 1981, but reissued in 2013)
A Wilhelm Scream - Party Crasher
Rotting Out - The Wrong Way
Alkaline Trio - My Shame is True
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Roky Erickson. It was late at night and one of my friends put him on when we were stumbling around on my porch and I was instantly hooked. I don't think I've stopped listening since that night. Roky's entire life story is unbelievable: part sad and part incredible. I think anyone who isn't immune to music should be able to enjoy his tunes.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I'll remember it well, more for shows in our area of Massachusetts than just straight albums, though. There have been so many awesome shows Worcester this year and I am looking forward to more next year.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Foxfires is working on a new album that will hopefully be out at some point during the year, a lot more shows and hopefully do some touring beyond our normal zone.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Not one specific record, I am just looking forward to see what the next crop of hardcore bands comes up with.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I am of the mindset that music is there to be enjoyed and, with our band at least, I would rather people hear it one way or the other. I also understand that if you are at a level where you are trying to make a living as a musician it can be discouraging to know that you're losing out on potential income. I prefer not to think of music like that; to me it isn't an income source, it's a passion. With that being said, if a corporation is profiting off of the music that you are making and you aren't really seeing anything from that then that is total bullshit. I do find it strange that major labels are crying foul at this practice as much as they are, when they have basically been profiteering off the bands since the dawn of time. I suppose they are just pissed that someone else is getting a piece of the pie. Either way, it's never the bands that make out.
If it gets people interested in new music, then I'm all for it.
KayCee Townsend Tarricone (Convul)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Dead Meadow - Warble Womb
Self Defense Family - Try Me
Torche - Leather Feather
A punk record
A metal record
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Billy Cobham: "Heather" just made me so happy.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Ghost and other poorly constructed stage gimmicks.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Not sure yet. If we get some money to record we will put something out. Maybe play a Halloween show...
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I haven't heard of anything yet. Boris will probably release an album that I'll love.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Spotify allows kids to listen to your band, who are normally to lazy and broke to do so by buying a record. If you don't give said kids an easy way to listen to your music, (bandcamp/spotify/YouTube) they probably wouldn't check you out anyways. If your band doesn't suck it won’t affect your record sales too much. It's just another Napster-limewire situation.
I listen to records I own and records I don't own on Spotify. Convenient for tour but really racks up data plan overages.
Leo Atreides (Plagues - vocals/ Fissure - guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Comadre - Comadre LP
Seizures - The Sanity Universal
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Weekend Nachos - Still
Deafheaven - Sunbather
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Earlier this year, someone had sent me a youtube link of the now disbanded Baader Brains from the East Bay's final EP, New Era Hope Colony. Although their style wasn't necessarily new, it was a spin on something from the roots of '80s style hardcore mixed with the psychedelic aura that is the San Francisco/East Bay culture that I've grown up in and loved since I was a kid. Not only that, but I found the name of the band itself enticing since it was an obscure, twisted and almost satirical shot at Bad Brains. This EP was definitely a breath of fresh air from all the dark hardcore and powerviolence being revived right now. It proved to me that Punk Rock and gnarly skater-thrashin rock and roll that was alive and kicking back in the day is still making a splash today and that people are doing it well.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013, to me, has been a year of bands coming into their own sound and releasing phenomenal EP's and LP's that demonstrate not only some incredible musical achievements that make me proud to be part of the music community, but also shows their potential to exponentially grow as musicians and accept different styles of music as an influence to their own.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Plagues has just begun writing songs for a future release which we expect to be out sometime next year. More details will be announced when we are ready. A lot of new songs and plenty of tours are in the works for Plagues as well as with Fissure. I had a blast this year creating and performing for everyone and I plan on continuing well into next year with the same ferocity.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I haven't really looked into too much of what everyone is doing. I did see Dangers post some kind of teaser up on their website several months ago that I can only assume will be released next year, in which I wait for their arrival with bated breath.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I've learned to accept that, as of right now, Punk Rock can't pay the bills. It isn't the time to capitalize on digital sales or try to accept royalties from some college radio station. If you've got Spotify then by all means abuse it. I'd rather you listen to my music online and then buy the record later than never listen to my record and simply forget about me.
I've taken a shining to Bandcamp.com. High quality streaming, a "name your own price" option an artist can apply for downloading albums and a very simple business plan of a "for the people, for the artist" way of thinking.
Lesbian
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Lesbian - Foreselevision
La Luz - Its Alive
Vhol - Vhol
Gorguts - Colored Sands
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Robin Trower - for subtle sleaze
tons of African music - for rhythms and child vocals
Anecdoten - for questionable vocals and their heavy grooves
Agitation Free - for their absolute, complete freedom....it sounds like Amon Duul II one minute and then like Steely Dan the next.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
We will remember disco.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
We will usher in the New Wave of American Necro Disco. Disco is back. Necro disco never died.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Our new necro disco record.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
All that shit sucks.
Mikael Kjellman (Martyrdöd)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Darkthrone - Underground Resistance and I also have to mention Doomriders which are very impressive but I have to listen to it more. It was difficult answering this one because all the "new" records I discovered were recorded in 2012. 2013 was bleak or I have missed out.
Oh, I forgot to mention album of the year for me would be Agrimonia - Rites of Separation, but forgot because it’s such a close band to me. Anyway, this record and the title kinda sums up 2013 for myself, and I think Pontus Redig has outdone himself once again with this one.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Pontus turned me on to Crystal Castles this year with the song “The Plague.” Other than that, I haven't made so many discoveries this year. Perhaps it’s just me or has this year been very bleak ?
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Personally this year has been challenging in many ways and much effort has been put in the recording of Vrak - all the way album [recorded by Pontus Redig (Martyrdöd, Agrimonia, Miasmal at the Helm engineering and featuring members of At the Gates, Burning Kitchen, and many more to say the least hehe)]
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Great news! Martyrdöd will return to Studio Fredman in March to record our fifth album Elddop and right now I’m really absorbed in the writing process--lots of late nights but I actually think winter is the best period of year to be creative and finish therapy hehe.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I have to say that next Martyrdöd will be something passionate and exciting for me, also I hope that we manage to bring Skitsystem to the studio next year as well. Right now my dear friends in Enabler and Miasmal are both recording albums I’m super excited to hear, Jeff (Enabler) played me some of his demos when we toured with them last time and it sounded really promising and intense and Miasmal will be a blast to hear too..
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Not sure. I guess it's for availability but it could best be considered a tip I guess when it comes to digital formats. I think it’s great that people listen to Martyrdöd at last.fm and the likes but I’m not sure at all how it works. [I] haven’t heard anything about it really, but if kids can discover our music its great!
Mike (Gehenna)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Psychic Limb - Jamaica LP
Fog Specter - Freezing Lair Of The Spider Queen Cassette
Zola Jesus - Versions LP
The Hunt - The Hunt Begins LP
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels CD
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Somehow I missed Stevie B the first time around in 1988. I have no idea how, but I missed him. While I was watching youtube videos one day I came across "Spring Love." I was drawn to it immediately but it wasn't the Roland TR303 conga drums that start the song off. It wasn't the instrumentation that sounded familiar and seemed like it was possibly produced by Pretty Tony Butler (a.k.a. the greatest freestyle producer of all time). It wasn't even the pain filled crooning of Stevie B that touched my heart. It was this video.
It was the rented 1982 Monte Carlo convertible with the $60 Zebra stripe seat covers. It was the majestic and beautiful jheri curled mane blowing in the Fort Lauderdale breeze. It was the gold-like stud to chain earring dangling and the red 3/4 sleeve blazer with no shirt. It was the classiest video I've ever seen that was shot on a budget of $86. Stevie B made my life better.
DIY or DIE!
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 is the year that I learned the self-serving nature of most people involved in music.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Records, tapes, DVDs, shows, and a lot less stress.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
New Perish - Demo
New music from Egyptian Lover
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
It's hard enough as is for bands to get royalties from labels. But Spotify sucks even worse. It's just another corporate entity that wants nothing to do helping musicians. All Spotify wants to do is exploit the labor of musicians. I personally don't like it at all. But what can you do?
Nick 13 (Tiger Army, solo)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
The Mavericks - In Time
Beastmilk - Climax
Best Coast - Fade Away
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
Vince Gill - Bakersfield
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Beastmilk. A lot of the music I’ve listened to in recent years has been roots music, partly because that’s where my head was at and partly because very little “rock” grabbed me. Sometimes I’ll come across a guitar pop band from the UK or something like that, but Beastmilk is the first new band to move me in quite awhile that draws musically on things like punk, post-punk, dark rock… the stuff that’s important to Tiger Army’s musical DNA. It’s nice not to feel jaded, to see that music drawing on those styles can be still be done right – having emotional power instead of being flat or a cartoon.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Music was more internal for me than external this year. I didn’t see or play as many shows as maybe I should’ve, but I did create songs. Most stuff happening in the mainstream leaves a lot to be desired and things seem kind of dismal on the surface, but what else is new? The more things decay, the more opportunity there is for renewal.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
I finished writing my second solo album recently. I’m hoping to enter the studio for that in 2014. I think I’ve also finally figured out the musical direction of the next Tiger Army album, but that’s still a work in progress. Tiger Army will play some shows for Spring Forward 2014, the details will be announced anytime now.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Hopefully one of my own! At least finishing an album if it doesn’t get released. I haven’t released anything since my solo album in 2011. It’s been too long. Speaking of that record, I’m in the process of shooting and directing a video for “In The Orchard.” It’s kind of late in the game, but it’s ultimately for fun so that doesn’t much matter.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don’t really stream music personally. The rates could favor the artist a bit more but it beats the outright theft that was so common for quite awhile.
Ontto (Oranssi Pazuzu - bass)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
My Bloody Valentine – mbv
Primal Scream – More Light
Dark Buddha Rising – Dakhmandal
Inter Arma – Sky Burial
Jucifer – The Russian Album
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
This year I was introduced to Swans, through their album The Seer. I had heard their older stuff a couple of times, but never really gotten into it properly. Actually it was released late previous year, but anyway, it’s the album I have been listening to most this year. The songs have an amazing variety. They go from couple of minute hymns to half-an-hour trips heavy with different atmospheres, but everything holds together. The hypnotic repetitions, the chanting, the beautiful chord changes, it’s all feels very inspiring to me. Also have to give special credit to the soundscapes here. At times the music reminds me of modern classical minimalism, the atmosphere is so thick and the sceneries feel so otherworldly, like the long ambient buildup in "A Piece of the Sky."
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
The finalization of our third album took most of the early year, so it was pretty busy. But I think the year was a good one musically, lots of good releases and interesting new bands. I’m happy that progressive ideas in music are not so out of fashion these days. Musicians should always reach for new artistic hights and this kind of open-minded atmosphere is a good starting point for that.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
We’re going to do some European shows and festivals. Then we’ll probably focus more into writing new material. That will probably take most of the latter half of the year.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Usually when something good comes out, I find about it through friend’s recommendations or from internet blogs, etc. Don’t know what would be in store for 2014, but I’m looking forward to finding about it.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I use Spotify to check out new music. I have a “premium” account that costs something like 10 euros per month. I think it’s small money compared to the amount and quality of music you get. If I really dig something, I also try to buy it on vinyl or cd, because for me the record listening experience is also a ritual of sorts and I like the idea of supporting my favourite bands that way.
I read an analysis by a Finnish pop musician where he stated that a track streamed by a paying Spotify Premium user actually makes the artist about ten times as much money as a track streamed by a free-listener in the advertising version. So probably, if enough people would buy the premium version, us music makers too could get something from it eventually. So far it hasn’t been very promising.
Personally the money I got from Spotify last year was just a bad joke. That said, I don’t believe that completely free sites like YouTube will be the answer from artists’ point of view. The adverts there simply produce money equal to a fart in the Sahara if you compared it to the amount of music in there. You would need a government tax to support that system if you want even a remotely reasonable compensation to the authors. I think Spotify has the right idea fundamentally, but it needs more paying users and through that a proper author’s compensation. That can’t happen if greedy investing corporations cut all the money before it reaches the artist. I hope there still is a possibility for the thing to work out.
Rob Fraser (Utter Failure/ Boar Hunter/ Vinehell Records)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Hmmm... That’s a tough one. I really don't listen to much music these days. Mainly my own bands and the classics or whatever my wife is listening to which is usually some kind of Brit rock! So I'm going to go back to 2012 and start with
Tragedy - Darker Days Ahead
and for this year
Asta Kask - Handen Pa Hjartat
Brutal Youth - Stay Honest
Crusades - Perhaps you Deliver This Judgement...
Utter Failure - Eroding Forces
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
The Blood. How did I overlook this band? Maybe because they were lumped in with skinhead oi bands which I love, but stay away from to avoid listening to some nationalist band by accident. What an amazing band. They have all the woahs and tunes in all the right places with very insightful lyrics about life and class that are still relevant today. “Stark Raving Normal,” listen to that song!! I had their CD on repeat for months. It brought back those feelings of passion and rebellion when I first got into to punk.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 was all about Utter Failure and getting us to where we want to be musically and as a band. 2014 watch out!!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Boar Hunter/Utter Failure split and hopefully some shows out of San Jose, dammit!!
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
anything new from Asta Kask or Tragedy!!
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
When spotify first started popping up in facebook feeds. I was like, “what the fuck is this, some more marketing bullshit?” Anything that appears to be a part of the corporate giant like iTunes, I stay away from. Bandcamp seems cool. That’s the only place I listen and sell music online.
Roo Pescod (Bangers - vocals/guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Lemuria - The Distance Is So Big
Pale Angels - Primal Play
Jimmy Islip and the Ghosts - The Wild West Riding
Caves - Betterment
Worriers - Cruel Optimist
I only just started listening to the new Iron Chic record, so I've left it off the list even though I'm sure I'll be in love with it by year’s end.
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I listened to Nirvana quite a lot recently. I never really liked them when I was a teenager because I got put off by constant overplaying of the songs on Nevermind, but elsewhere they have some pretty cool songs. I guess I feel like I can see the sense in grunge a lot better at the moment (that Pale Angels record really helped too) and I'm quite enjoying discovering that. In general I'm just mellowing out with what I'll give time to. The last three records I bought were two by Elton John and one by Billy Idol and for an embarrassingly long time I only used to listen to Epi/Fat punk and Queen.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Bangers have been fairly quiet this year, so I think I'll mainly remember 2013 as the year I started playing some solo shows. Early in 2013 I went out on tour with Kelly Kemp, El Morgan, Sam Russo, Helen Chambers and Giles Bidder which was billed as an acoustic tour. I didn't want to be the worst acoustic act so I wrote a bunch of songs on the electric piano and the bass and ended up having about three times as much equipment as anyone else. It was really fun to be making such a different noise, especially because I don't think anyone in the audiences expected me to be growling at them from behind a Korg. It's fun to have something entirely separate from Bangers where I don't have to convince anyone that songs are a good idea.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
This year Bangers released our new album Crazy Fucking Dreams but we didn't manage to tour it that much because of work. We're making plans to tour a lot more next year. We're currently booking a few weeks in Europe and planning another few weeks later in the year. Hopefully we're coming over to America for a proper tour, and we've got all sorts of little UK jaunts in the pipeline.
Personally I'm moving to the coast to make conspiracy-themed surfboards under the name Tin Foil Hat, so I'm really excited to feel like I've got a lot of things going on.
I'm also doing another “acoustic” tour around Europe with the names from above, and Bangers have just started casually writing another album, so I would expect to be doing some recording even if the record doesn't get released until 2015. I'm predicting a big year, and why the hell not?
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I'm looking forward to hearing whatever Whoanows release next year. That band is making music that I dig and I'm looking forward to hearing what comes next.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I love Bandcamp but I don't know if it really counts as there are no royalties involved. I use Spotify quite regularly as well while I'm around the house. I think the scope of music available from one source is really cool and, as I've said before, I don't really care that bands aren't being paid for it. The music that I enjoy is going to be created whether or not there are large paychecks involved. I'm as guilty as anyone of getting to the end of a tour and being bummed out that we just broke even, or wasted all the profits on hiring a van, or seeing 4000 downloads of an album and selling 200, but none of that's going to make me stop writing music anytime soon. I'm happy to keep ignoring the bad corporate music and digging out the good shit.
Ryan Encinas (Sworn Vengeance - vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Carcass - Surgical Steel
Early Graves - We the Guillotine (vinyl re-issue)
Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Doomriders - Grand Blood
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Death Ray Vision. I am a huge Overcast fan and we love Shadows Fall (played with them back east a long time ago and have been friends/fans ever since). It's always solid to hear one of Brian's new projects. Plus with people from other bands we love like KSE and Cannae? How can you go wrong with that?!
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I saw a lot of throwback, which was awesome. It is always fun to see newer bands capture some of the classic elements of punk, thrash, hardcore, metal, etc. and then put their own modern spin on it without coming off cheesy or stunted. You just get these awesome hybrid sounds that take the best elements of each genre and combine it into a really great sound. This was just a solid year for heavier music in general.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
We will be releasing our first album in 10 years through Escapist Records at the beginning of 2014. That should be followed with appearances at festivals, as well as shows in Mexico in early summer and some short runs around the West Coast.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Curious to hear the new Earth Crisis. I am hoping to hear something new from High On Fire this year. Not sure if Anthrax is planning on doing something, but with Joey back in the fold I am hoping they drop a new album in 2014.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
The music industry has had significant changes since we first started in 1998. We started right before the appearance of Napster, so we have seen it all when it comes to the advent of digital music and the pros and cons attached. Getting paid allows us to continue doing this, bottom line. It may not be the most punk rock thing to say, but it is a fact. And maybe I am a bit old school, but I just don't hold much weight in garnering pay off of streaming services, it is usually pennies if you're lucky. I'd rather utilize them as a way to introduce our band to potential listeners. If we can convert a streamer into buying and/or downloading one of our albums, buy some merch, come to a show, etc., then I feel we succeeded.
Sam (Lunaire)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
Sigur Ros - Kveikur
Deafheaven - Sunbather
October Falls - The Plague of a Coming Age
Fanisk - Insularum
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I've known about them for a long time, but this year I really got into the band Candlemass for the first time. I listened their first album, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, a few years ago and thought it was alright, but for some reason this year I just fell in love with it. Then I heard Nightfall and Ancient Dreams with Messiah Marcolin on vocals. Boy, that guy can wail!
I sifted through their albums and found the songs that have a sadder sort of feel to them, “Samarathan” being the crowning jewel of this search.
This lead to me searching for other older doom metal bands and eventually just getting into more straight forward ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s heavy metal bands. For whatever reason I just never took the time to listen to these bands. Manilla Road is definitely one band I am very glad I finally found. At the moment I'm really loving Manowar. I guess you could say this was the year I finally got myself together and began to appreciate the classics!
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
For me it was a very good year for music. A lot of bands that were quiet for a while seemed to come back out of nowhere with a new release. Summoning had not had a new album since 2006 and when they announced Old Mornings Dawn I was so happy. I did my best to avoid listening to the leaks that were popping up on Youtube, which proved to be a challenge. Finally it was released and, boy, I was absolutely blown away. For me, 2013 will always remind me of Summoning. It was not only my top album of the year, but easily my most listened to. There were also a lot of bands like Tyr, Amon Amarth, Wolfchant, Red Fang, etc. who released excellent albums. If nothing else it was a year where I was not disappointed by my favourite bands, that is for sure!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
As I am writing this, Lunaire is finishing off a recording we want to release by the end of 2013. I'm not sure how long it goes for just yet, but it's looking to be album length. We wanted to release it earlier but we took some time to redo parts that could have been better and played around with sounds and such. During our summer break we are going to do a lot of recording. We have some ideas for releases and also a number of tracks we want to record that we are not sure what to do with yet.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Time II by Wintersun, definitely. Wintersun was another band who was away for a long time and then came back with a release that blew away my expectations. Time II is supposed to be released in 2014, but the band’s track record for meeting arranged dates is not the best, so we will have to wait and see. After seeing some interviews with Jari it sounds as though everything is on track though. I am also looking forward to the new Behemoth album that will come out in 2014 as well. I saw them live for the second time a few weeks ago and it was easily one of the best concerts for the year.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I'm not too familiar with Spotify, so I'm not sure how people make or lose money from it. From my perspective though, people should just listen to music any way they can to see what they like and then support the bands they choose. Personally I would prefer as many people to hear Lunaire's music as possible. There are more bands recording more music now than ever, so it would be impossible for fans to pay to hear everything they like without spending every last cent they have.
Sean Gray (No Paris/ Fan Death Records)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Lebensfaden – Desnos
Jail Solidarity - Any Space, Whatever
Box Hundreds - S/T
Chain Rank - The Grip (Demo)
Ron Morelli - Spit
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Discovering some Alice Coltrane recordings I never really got to. One of them being the amazing Turiya Sings cassette. Completely beautiful. The Rita box sets from Total Black are great, and extremely intense. Sacher-Pelz was something I skipped over for a long time, finally dove right into the Mutation For A Continuity box set and it was completely worth it. Also, Clean Girls are one of the best bands on the planet right now.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
I didn't listen to a lot of LPs.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
New Terence Hannum cassette, Technicolor Teeth LP, York Factory Complaint LP, Hive Mind Reissue of Sand Beasts Cassette
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Clean Girls LP, Hysterics 7" Bad News record (I think something is coming out next year?), Lust Vessel "Ten-Jin" LP compilation, Hive Bent, and I hope more Longmont Potion Castle.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I support any place that makes it easier for the listener to hear music. I would hope as an artist and/or label you use Spotify as a way to preview your physical releases. If you are relying on the service to make you money, you will be disappointed. You can't rely on any one thing; hard work pays off.
Spencer (Full of Hell - guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
The Body - Master We Parish
Column of Heaven - Holy things are for the Holy 7"
Iron Lung - White Glove Test
Weekend Nachos - Still
Noisem - Agony Defined
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I knew about the Body for a few years now because we played a show with them and Thou in Baltimore, but I wasn't blown away. It wasn't until a few months ago when I realized they were making some of the most unique and challenging music to come out in a while. It’s like a sludgy Jerome’s Dream with electronics and noise, so what isn't there to love?
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
We released a new record and it was a big deal personally for us. So not to sound selfish but that will be my greatest musical memory of 2013.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Some new splits and collaborations and tons of touring as usual.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I honestly have no idea what’s even coming out next year. Hopefully new material from Grimes and Column of Heaven.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I mean we usually put up our music for free after a certain period of time. What I don't like about Spotify is that someone can upload your music from their account and potentially make money off of people streaming your stuff (at least that’s what I've been told, I have no idea how that site works.) If you want to download people’s music for free I don't really care, but don’t take profit for other people’s work.
Stephen Brodsky (Mutoid Man/ Cave In)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Milk Music LP
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
Zozobra - Savage Masters
Doomriders - Grand Blood
Chelsea Wolfe - Pain Is Beauty
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I discovered that I love early Green Day. No shame. I had this ridiculously strong impulse to find a cassette copy of Dookie. No luck in New York on that front. Wasn't ‘til after I drove cross country with Ben Koller in October for tour/vacation, that I found a copy at Amoeba in (surprise!) the Bay Area. I hope Mutoid Man opens for them someday. Honorable mention goes to Iron Maiden for my rediscovery of "The Prisoner" and all its epic glory.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
2013 was wild for me. I got to tour with Old Man Gloom & Converge in NZ/AUS/Japan. Then [I] put out a solo record called Hit or Mystery that seemed to get a better reception than anything I've done on that front in years. Opened shows for Boris and got my mind blown. Let's see...my girlfriend and I saw Neil Young & Crazy Horse do a noise set at MSG and pissed off a lot of geezers in the crowd. Then Adam McGrath came into the city to catch The Congos & Lee Scratch Perry with me. It was my first legit reggae show, both of us in the presence of real legends, and I wasn't even high. In fact I've gone this whole year without smoking pot. All the while my buddy Jay Weinberg was taking me to see a lot of good shows in New York - a whirlwind of ETID, Flag, and Neurosis, to name a few. Feels good to say all that!
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Vacation Vinyl is making a limited cassette run of my set there from October, when I played totally acoustic - no mics, no PA, which is something I don't usually get to do. Then Hydra Head is gonna reissue another Cave In album on vinyl, and also give the same treatment to a solo record of mine that was recorded back in ‘99 but never released in full. Next spring, I'm supposed to fill in on bass again for Old Man Gloom's European tour... oh, and also Jay Weinberg and I are gonna release some music we worked on together. I think that about covers everything in the cards right now, seems like a good start to the year.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I'd love to see that Failure reunion, but actually taking a trip to LA in February is probably just a pipe dream, haha. I did read that they might be working on new music, so here's to hoping for a 2014 release? The new Helms Alee record comes out on Sargent House. I'm sure that's gonna be a banger. Also excited for Marissa Nadler's new record... saw Floor decimate St. Vitus Bar last summer and supposedly they're making a new record, too.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
Well, distribution of recorded music is in the hands of techies. And they're cut from the same cloth as all the great minds that designed the earliest phonograph players, radio transmitters, receivers, and so on. Streaming services are just the next step in line of that chain. And I praise the work that's involved, because there's an art to it. I try not to think too much about money, because the only thing I can control is the ability to make the best work possible. That in itself usually leads to rewards.
Trevor Shelley de Brauw (Pelican)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
It's tough to decide - there was an overabundance of great music this year and I'm still sorting through stuff that I missed as I type this. As it stands I think this is a pretty close reflection of the stuff I was most obsessed with this year:
My Bloody Valentine - mbv (self released)
Deafheaven - Sunbather (Deathwish)
Black Boned Angel - The End (Handmade Birds)
Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came (Avalanche)
Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die (Soul Temple)
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
As much as I don't want to cheat here I think most significant RE-discovery I had this year was Jesus and Mary Chain. I've listened to them a bit in high school, but seemingly out of nowhere became obsessed with them this year, particularly the first three albums. I love how scrappy and noisy they were at first, but that they learned how to hone and control that from one album to the next - they had a keen sense of sugary melody and excellent songcraft that teetered on the brink of pop, but with menace. There's a lot of inspiration to mine there.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
One thing that stood out was that we shared a release month with Russian Circles, Grails, and Earthless. It felt like 2006 all over again when people got confused and thought instrumental music was a "movement." It's still not, but it's nice that so many of the bands from that era have stuck together and are making, arguably, stronger music than ever.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Snarky tweets. Hopefully we'll start writing more music again soon.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Alcest. I rolled my eyes when I read that they'd abandoned their metal elements for a pure shoegaze sound, since I typically think metal bands' attempts to break away from their genre turn out pretty poorly, but the song they just dropped is fucking gorgeous. Very excited to hear more.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
The problem isn't the streaming services, it's an ingrained mentality amongst consumers that music is not worth paying for. I credit the major labels for their years of trying to suppress the tide of change instead of making efforts to roll with the punches and try to monetize digital music earlier. By persecuting people they painted themselves into a corner as villains and consumers gladly stuck it to them. Who knows how we'll dig ourselves out of this mess.
Xavier Godart (The Great Old Ones - guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory And Injury
Vhöl - Vhöl
Year of No Light - Tocsin
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Mouth Of The Architect - Dawning
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
It has been quite a long time since a band had an impact in my life but this year, I've been listening extensively to Aluk Todolo, especially their last album, Occult Rock. I find their music completely hypnotic and intense. I really enjoy to be lost in their sound.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
When I wrote this top 5, much more albums from 2012 were coming to my mind. So I guess I may have missed a lot of stuff this year.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
We're working on a new album with The Great Old Ones, which might be released mid-2014. We'll be touring in Europe and we'll play in some great festivals like Roadburn or Under The Black Sun. 2014 will definitely be great !
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
The only thing I can think of is the Ulver/Sunn O))) collaboration, Terrestrials. I'm very excited about this collaboration.
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I think these sites only benefit major labels. Of course, spotify or deezer provides a certain visibility for your music but at what cost? Music listeners are thinking they're actually equally remunerating artists when they listen music on these services. But anyway, spotify and deezer are losing money, so I guess this economic model will not last for a very long time. Artists have tools like bandcamp or bigcartel to sell their items (tee-shirts, cds, lps...) and every single piece of music is on youtube right now, it's the best streaming and discovery website nowadays. The only thing missing is a platform that mixes youtube and artist marketplaces with some metadata glue, and that would be awesome for everyone. For listeners because they can listen to music for free, and artists because listeners directly buy items directly to artist (or labels) via the same platform.
Pass The Mic: Artists on 2013
Series: Year End 2013
It's the end of 2013, so here's our best-of roundup for the last twelve months.
Pass the Mic is a Scene Point Blank tradition dating back to 2006 in which we turn the tables, sending a set of questions to bands, artists, and labels to get their opinions and memories of the past year in music. This year we've broken it into two pieces. Instead …
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You've seen our best albums of 2013; you've heard what artists think of the last twelve months. Now it's over to our writers to assemble their other top items of 2013: hip-hop, metal, live shows, indie EPs, goth records and more, just like every year. Click below to browse our …
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Another year, another year-end roundup from SPB. This is the tenth year of our existence and it's perhaps fitting that the album we've voted the best of 2013 is by a band which holds lots of significance for SPB. But no spoilers! Read on to see the list of the …
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Hey folks, Toby here, and the SPB team asked me to provide some insights about some stuff from our catalog now that Red Scare is (you gotta be shittin’ me?!) twenty years old. Specifically a “memory or modern take” on some past releases, and they picked some doozies, so let’s …
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How do you sum up a 3-day weekend where you’ve spent approximately 36 hours watching live music and seen nearly 50 bands -- and also missed another 300? The Fest is a wonderful beast where you venue hop to catch up-and-comers, watch headliners outside on the big stage, and stumble …
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We've rolled out an extra-special feature for this year's Fest: that's right, it's FEST LIBS. You've played it before, but not like this – fill in our interactive form here, then sit back and read your customised FEST LIBS. The results may surprise you. But before you go generate your …
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