The Violet Burning at the Balzer Theater (11/1/11)
Catching the Violet Burning in concert is something like capturing a few fireflies in a jar on a dark night: magical, rare, illuminating. The first time I saw them was at a large church and I remember realizing I was onto something special not only because of the music (Michael Pritzl’s beautiful piano rendition of “Silver” hooked me) , but by the fact that fans had driven from states away for the chance to see the beloved band. In the years that have followed, I have caught them in smaller night club venues, coffeehouses, and chapels– All jars of their sort, housing something bright from the night sky for a moment.
My recent venture to hear songs from their latest release, the three disc Story of Our Lives, involved a jaunt to the Balzer Theater in downtown Atlanta. Hosted by Bezalel Church, the Violets soared thru at least fifteen tunes on a red curtained stage. A slideshow of the album’s compelling artwork depicting concepts from “Story” ran throughout.
I arrived a little late, breathless from trying to find the joint, and things were already getting rowdy with “Machine beat sabbatha”:
I’m a son of thunder, baby – I’m the son of thunder and rain
We won’t be coming – no, we won’t be running back
We won’t be coming back no more
We’re not your kind – we are not your kind
Thundering indeed were the drums played by the impressive Lenny Beh who doubled as violinist. Daryl Dawson’s steady presence as the bassist with the most is always delightful. Michael’s vocals and intricate guitar work thrill, ranging in mood and octave as unpredictable as the wind, making the “story” showcase a page turner for sure.
Ripping relentlessly through “Rock is Dead” (live is the only way to experience this one), “Imminent Collapse” and “Sung”, the sound transitioned to the moody, thumping “Low”, and personal favorites “As I Am” and “Underwater”(the more I live the less I know) whose drums pounded right into my soul, its guitar gently lapping against your heart’s shoreline. Vibes settled as Michael picked up the acoustic guitar and did a heart rending “Light poured down on me”. The band returned with the beautiful “In ruin” and the insta-classics “Mon Desir” and “Made for You”.
As an encore, Pritzl returned with the standout “Gorgeous” then asked the crowd “Are there any songs you‘d actually like to hear?”. Many were shouted out: the staple “Song of the harlot” the tune that put the band on the map and still moves, the exultant “40 weight” and “Invitacion Fountain“, the more recent and touching “Hmm”(all my life looking for love I cannot find, hold me now, I think I’m breaking) . He then quickly composed a montage and one song bled into another. Hearts and voices were lifted in unison, sometimes just the men, sometimes the women, and then together. Many eyes were closed and faces hungry for connection seemed met in that place.
Personally, I walked back to my car that evening with a cup of grace kinda overflowing. I have found in my music listening years, identifying songs with varying emotions and experiences, the ones that mean the most move me to a hopeful place and heal along the way (and involve a little head banging). The Violet Burning does this successfully- each song is a story unto itself, alive; my frozen heart, at least, recovers listening to them.
Catch ‘em when they fly thru your town. Invite them to come.
(originally published by Holly Etchison on November 14, 2011 at The Blue Indian)
Pospolite Ruszenie – Swiebodnosc
The thing that is so amazing about music is that it transcends religion, sex, race, color and language. It is universal in its appeal because of the sounds that are created, not just because of words that are spoken or sung. There are some bands that sing in a language other than English that I absolutely love; Einsturzende Neubauten is one of my favorite bands, and Rammstein are another solid act that sings in their native German language – which also is perfect for the type of music they play. Sigor Ros and Cocteau Twins are also bands that are amazingly beautiful but don’t need the hindrance of a language to translate their craft. That being said, this was a first for me…Pospolite Ruszenie is a band that Matt sent me the link to and recommended I check out. I went to the website and found out these guys are Polish! I don’t think I have ever even heard Polish music before, but this is a great introduction.
These guys are a six piece band from Poland; their name translates to a pre-13th century Polish term describing the mobilization of armed forces. These guys play a really incredible fusion of folk, metal, renaissance and classic rock; there is a dose of the death metal growl that pops up in just the right places. These guys also play on replicas of period instruments which is unique and cool. Their lyrics are drawn from Polish poetry and scripture. This EP is free as a download and a welcome addition to a new act that is professional all the way around. The production is clean and the music is crisp, you need to check this out!
[2011 Independent | Download: pospolite.ruszenie.pl]The Bloody Strummers – Return of the Halcyon Days
Joshua Lory and Matt Biggers are no strangers to Down the Line readers. Both guys play on the latest LS Underground record and Josh is also one of the members of the upcoming Lifesavers project. In addition to Knott’s bands, both guys played in Soul Device. Josh has his project Western Grace; Matt has The Dark Reactions. The Bloody Strummers is another project that these guys have been working on for quite some time, and it is an absolute gem of a record! Return of the Halcyon Days is definitely one of my favorite albums that I heard back in 2011. This record has it all: elements of pure tripped out bluesy Americana, dense garage rocked out psychedelic and a hazy, shoe gaze-y essence that totally molds the better parts of so many genres. It really comes out as a clean, excellently produced album that is just long enough, but really leaves me wanting just a little more. My favorite song is “Old Scratch Hangs His Hat.” It reminds me of Ian Astbury vocals powered through a smoky clang of cymbals and sludgy chugging bass line, topped off by guitar work that rings, winds and wraps the entire track in a glistening shimmer of sonic vibration. Biggers sings “Welcome to the party, welcome to the endless night”. “Old Scratch” has been my favorite from day one, but the runner up would have to be “Theme 2012” which starts out like this shoegaze spaced-out fuzz rock tune that continuously reenergizes itself into an almost hypnotic track of instrumental grandeur…yep, I think it really is that good! “Pirate Radio” is another favorite that sounds like Brian Jonestown Massacre channeling the Rolling Stones. I totally recommend listening to this through headphones so you can really hear the layers of sound and energy that pervade each track individually. This release was mixed and mastered by Masaki Liu who is an absolutely amazing at what he does. Stop by the bandcamp site and check this out, support great music and tell your friends.
Insomniac Folklore – A Place Where Runaways are not Alone
Matt introduced me to this band, so I checked them out and was immediately pleased with the sound. These folks hail from Portland, OR and have developed a hodge podge style that mixes folk, rock, elements of punk and an overall sense of good times and sideshow antics. Led by Dr. Folklore (Rev. Tyler Hentschel), the bands bio is a tale told by a storyteller that weaves a yarn and leaves you guessing. The music is fun, Hentschel’s voice is deep and uneven which is quite perfect for the band. There are definite elements of bands like Wovenhand, maybe even Tom Waits is conjured up, but I wouldn’t say that Insomniac Folklore is of the caliber of those acts. That isn’t a dig either – I like Insomniac Folklore. It is steam punk-y and a good time with plenty of staying power. I’m going to check out their back catalog, and I look forward to what comes next.
The Sea Wolf Mutiny – The Last Season
I need to check around and see if members of The Sea Wolf Mutiny have some connection with any Velvet Blue Music artists. I could easily see this band fitting in perfectly with the current bands on the VBM roster. The Mutiny is led by indie, artistic, swirling music capped off by some slightly unique vocals. Bobby Hatfield’s voice is unique enough that he doesn’t sound like everyone else, but not so out there as to become an acquired taste. I see the words ‘indie’ ‘folk’ and ‘post’ throw about a lot with this band. Indie and post I get – but I’m not seeing the folk as much. Not that this is a bad thing – just more of an FYI IMO. Many of the songs on here even remind me slightly of some of the songs off of the new Coldplay album… even though I believe The Last Season came out first. I also appreciate that the guitars and keyboards are well mixed into the overall sound in most songs. Some bands with the same list of influences as The Sea Wolf Mutiny tend to lean heavily on one instrument at the expense of the other. They also have a new three song Christmas ep worth checking out. You can find their music through most of the usual digital channels, but on Bandcamp you can name your price and format.
Bill Mason Band – No Sham!
“Most Christian Music was 6 years behind secular music, the Bill Mason Band were only 6 months!” While many debate who the first true Christian punk rock band was, some point to the Bill Mason Band and their fairly obscure No Sham! album. Even though punk definitely got heavier in the 80s and 90s, BMB was exactly what punk rock sounded like in 1979: loud, gritty, authentic, snarly and full of attitude. You can hear The Ramones and The Clash all over Mason and company, sprinkled in with a healthy dose of pre-80s new wave. There is even a bit of reggae and funk here and there. Of course, No Sham! Quickly went out of print and became hard to find. Now it is finally seeing the light of digital day as part of Born Twice Record’s “Legends Remastered” series. Born Twice went all out bringing this lost classic back to life. The packaging and re-mastering are all stellar. The songs sound crisp and full, almost as if they were recorded last year in a modern studio. You even get a great write up of the band’s history by Mason himself and some rare live photos. If you are a fan of late 1970’s-era punk or even classic rock, this album is a must have for you.
Omar Domkus – Shades of a Shadow
Omar Domkus has crafted a completely unique album that is what I would describe as world music influenced ambience with slight touches of jazz influenced percussion and fretless bass driven goodness. The entire album is relaxing and restful. Domkus sounds as if he’s just having fun and really putting his heart and his soul into Shades of a Shadow. Most of you know Omar as the bassist for the punk-driven, genre-shattering band Scaterd Few that kicked in the doors years ago with his brother Allan Aguirre. This is a far move away from the sounds of Scaterd Few, but it is also a unique view into the artist’s journey of progression as a musician. We can also see where many of these ideas and tunes played a vital role in Scaterd Few’s reggae based punk rock songs that in and of themselves really broke down the rules and roles of which music defined what sound. Allan also pops up on here having written the track “Tiananmen Square” with Omar. This is a great album, honest in its approach and content, and unique to the stuff that we hear in the music world today. If you live in or around the Phoenix area, you should jump at the chance to catch Omar playing live. It is a unique opportunity to catch a soloist who plays exclusively on a fretless bass!
The Beckoning – Demystifying the Oracle
This was a welcomed release as well as a nice surprise to the ears! I am a huge fan of metal, but I really like the more extreme genres of the spectrum. The Beckoning is a Canadian band that I can best describe as symphonic doom metal with some definite melodic death metal mixed in with a very ethereal backdrop. It works great and is a fun ride from start to end! Meghann and Roy Turple are the masterminds behind the music. They bring together a formula that is unique, nicely layered and very well assembled. I don’t know a whole lot about these two – not sure if they are married or siblings or how they are related. But they have put out a great release that is very reminiscent of the better points of bands like Dimmu Borgir or My Silent Wake. This is diversity of the metal genre at some of its finest! Oh, and the download is free!
James and Evander – Constellating EP + 2
James and Evander are one of the latest groups to join the roster over at Velvet Blue Music – which is a great thing for a new band. Velvet Blue continues to stretch and redefine the story of solid output from an indie label that really cares about the artist and the music they offer. James and Evander dropped this little EP called Constellating + 2 several months back and I snapped it up right away. I was immediately drawn to the lush notes and the relaxed atmosphere and vibe that came through the speakers. It is definite electronic pop music, but more dreamy and ethereal than dance pop. These guys could fit well on a bill with the likes of M83. There are three songs here and 2 extras that are remixes (the title track “Constellating” and the second track “Slap Bracelets”). The third track is titled “Really Real” and makes for a short, but genuine, first EP with Velvet Blue. If you get this through iTunes it is a mere $3.99! You can purchase in FLAC format through their bandcamp site, and you can get a hard copy for only $5.00! The hardcopy also comes with an immediate download which is cool. These are great sounds that will please your ears!
Blood Red by Low and Behold
I was pretty excited when I saw the announcement for this release. Low & Behold is Jason Martin from SF59 and Ryan Clark most notably from Demon Hunter… but I am more of fan of his work in Focal Point and Training for Utopia. I think Clark has huge talent and I was actually glad to see him do something outside of Demon Hunter, which has become pretty formulaic at this point. Martin is pretty solid at anything he puts his hands on and it is always a treat to hear him branch out with something new. The packaging on this LP is top notch! This is a 12” vinyl single with the title track “Blood Red,” and the b-side “Violent Sound.” The music has a heavy Depeche Mode vibe to it, but definitely has a unique twist that plays from both artists strengths. The record is dark red in color and comes in a gatefold cover with double sided artwork. Definitely impressive artwork and music, bring on the full length!