June 29, 2009 by A2S
Interview with Paul J. McGuire (the writer, producer, mastermind, and frontman) of Karate High School
Listen to the interview on our podcast: Listen to this episode
You can also check out the Addicted to Shows podcast on iTunes and subscribe to be updated with new interviews and audio content!
Category Interviews | Tags: Karate High School | No Comments
June 4, 2009 by Jackie
May 25, 2009
[To hear acoustic session and the audio for this interview, check out
the Addicted to Shows podcast on itunes or at www.myspace.com/addictedtoshows].
-Jackie
This interview was done with David James, Rob Pierce, Chris O’Keefe and Alvaro Gonzalez of the band Fate
Under Fire. Having just started out on their first tour, I asked them some questions about themselves and being out on the road.
Jackie: So where did you guys come up with the name, Fate Under Fire?
Rob: Well our perception of fate is sort of like a dead fish floating
downstream and we don’t really believe in that. We believe you kind of have to be motivated by yourself and accomplish things on your own. So Fate under Fire means we’re kind of putting fate in second place, under fire. And anytime you put fire under anything, it moves and fire is what’s under our butts and moving us.
Jackie: You guys are currently out on the road touring for the first time, how has that been so far?
David: It’s been cool. We’re only on our second show, I think.
Rob: You can tell it’s good when you don’t even remember how many days you’ve been doing it.
Jackie: Ok, this question may not work so well, but what’s the best venue you guys have played so far?
Chris: I liked Club Retro in Sac
Jackie: Do you guys have a dream venue you would play at if you could?
David: Staples Center. Actually, I like amphitheaters a lot. Playing
out during sunset or something
Chris: I think the Fillmore in San Francisco would be cool. It’s good size but it’s still personal and not too big.
Rob: I don’t know, Friar Tucks [in Pomona] was pretty awesome.
Jackie: You guys just celebrated the release of your EP this past Friday. How was that?
David: It’s good. It was really stressful getting it out on time, but I’m really proud and happy and all those good feelings.
Jackie: In a recent interview you mentioned recording the drums separately on your album like bands such as The Beatles used to do. How do you think that worked out?
David: Yeah we did that for some tracks, not all. We did it on “The Simple Things.” We would do just the drums snare kick and lay down that take. Then we would go back and go over it with the cymbals. Lots of bands do that: Queens of the Stone Age, Jimmy Eat World. It’s just something to play around with.
Jackie: “The Simple Things” is probably my favorite song. It’s very energetic. What inspired you to write it?
[band laughs]
David: It’s kind of a funny story actually. I had a warrant out for my arrest and had never had one of those before. And I know that’s the way the state does things to kind of convince you to do what they want you to do. But I had gotten a ticket on my car and one of my buddies was an officer so I had him sign off on it. Then I realized I could be getting my buddy in trouble by
bringing him into the situation and I didn’t want to be dragging him down with my own life so the song is basically about dragging someone else down with you.
Rob: The song evolved like crazy. It started out really simple and it
kind of turned into what it is now over a few months.
Jackie: Do you guys have a favorite song on the EP?
Rob: I like “Not Like You,” because I got to be extra creative on [the drum] parts. When I get to come up with stuff, it’s always really fun.
Chris: I like “Remember,” it’s just new and fresh.
David: I don’t know what mine is. I hate ‘em all. I’m tired of ‘em all from hearing them so often when we were mixing the album.
Jackie: Is there one person that does all the writing or do you guys share it?
Rob: Dave does the bulk of it. We all collaborate on hooks and pauses and starts and stops and all that stuff but, for the most part, the base of the songs are Dave’s idea. We do the typical band thing where we’ll start off with a riff and kind of branch off of that. After that, it’ll turn into a beautiful creation that millions of people can enjoy.
David: Yes millions of people, immediately.
Jackie: Ok, one more question: You’re on a deserted island with one record, a record player and one other person. What’s the record and who is the person?
Rob: Alvie hasn’t said crap so he gets to answer this one.
Alivaro: Record like right now of all time?
Jackie: It can be of all time.
Alvaro: I’m just gonna go with what I’ve been listening to lately. As for all time, there’s just no way I could pick. I’d take with me the new record by The Gallows because it’s just an awesome CD. The one person I’d take, since he’s the one that introduced me to The Gallows would be my buddy Andy. He’s a good friend and I always wanted to be surrounded by good company and by good friends. Kind of like I am right now.
[everyone lets out a simultaneous “Aww”]
Jackie: Alright, well thanks guys. I think we are
going to try out a little acoustic session here.
Category Interviews | Tags: Fate Under Fire | No Comments
June 3, 2009 by Jackie
Released on May 22, 2009, Fate Under Fire is celebrating the release of their first EP The Simple Things.
Formed in Sacramento, California, Fate Under Fire members Dave James (lead vocals, guitar ) Chris O’Keefe (guitar ), Rob Pierce (drums), and Alvaro Gonzalez (bass , backing vox) have burst onto the rock music scene. With an incredibly polished and sophisticated sound that rivals that of any big name arena act out there today, the four songs on The Simple Things are both diverse and immensely energetic.
The EP’s namesake “The Simple Things,” is an emotional and instrumentally riveting track that starts off slow and switches into fast-paced guitar and hauntingly powerful vocals. It’s not hard to picture this song being pumped on the radio waves 24/7. You can hear what the inspiration for the song was on the interview on the Addicted to Shows podcast here.
“Not Like You” brings one word to mind: crescendo. Around the 3:20 mark, the song builds to a great vocal and instrumental “climax” that carries all the way to the end of the song.
“You Kill Me,” though the name may sound slightly sinister, is actually a beautifully composed and executed ballad-esque rock tune. James‘s vocals are nothing but strong and on this song he manages to combine that strength with a great softness that comes across the best in the lyrics “cold
hands and bloodshot eyes.”
If you’re looking for some real, honest-to-goodness rock with vocals that are just as good as the music itself, then look no further than the guys of Fate Under Fire and their new EP.
Category Albums | Tags: Fate Under Fire | No Comments
June 2, 2009 by A2S
Relient K, Owl City & Runner Runner
It was a clear evening in Pomona at The Glass House on May 26th and after wandering around the Art District for a couple of hours browsing graffiti art, trying on vintage hats, and discussing the set with some Relient K crew in a book store, we managed to duck into the venue and prepare for a great set.
The first band up was a band called Runner Runner, a band from Huntington Beach, CA. The name sounded familiar, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. This Yellowcard-esque pop rock band entertained the crowd with young energy and it was rewarded with a fair number of kids in the crowd singing along. Among the five on stage were four mics, two guitars, a bass, and a drum kit. They jammed to songs like “See You Around” which was a poppy slow jam and “Dedicated,” an electro pop melody. The set closed with a catchy summer pop tune the band described as, “song about breaking up,” which would have been easy to guess with the opening line of, “Feels like we’re breakin’ up.” Scoring a “meh” in originality, the band was entertaining, fun, great to dance to, and easy to sing along to. You can’t knock that.
The middle band of the night, Owl City, impressed me far beyond my expectations. The Relient K crew we chatted with in the book store described them as “like the Postal Service, but better.” I don’t know if I’d go that far, but they were almost that good, and that says a lot. The set opened with music playing to a dark, cartoon cityscape that exactly predicted the mood of the music. Their music was catchy electro pop with synth break downs and sweet falsetto/tenor vocals. The songs were intermingled with pre-recorded auto-tune and carnival-like synth. The stage was crowded with a lot of equipment for only three musicians (Adam Young backed by Matt and Austin)—among the wires were two Macbooks, two synthesizers, a drum machine, a guitar, and a drum set. They played a new song “Stronger” along with “Dear Vienna,” crowd sing-along “Rainbow Veins,” and closed with them playing their intro cityscape song “Hello Seattle.” Definitely loved by the crowd, Owl City was an all-around success.
Relient K’s energy was turned all the way up from the moment they hit the stage and never let up. This band is old school power pop full of
fun crowd sing-alongs and sincere ballads. They talked a bit about their upcoming release, which Matthew Thiessen (lead guitarist/vocalist) was bold enough to call his favorite yet even before the recording of the vocals. Also, he announced that Adam from Owl City produced one of the songs, which got me pretty excited. From the upcoming release they played “Prove It” and “I Don’t Need a Soul.” They also graced the crowd with a set within a set of old songs including “Mood Rings” and “Chapstick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry,” the highlights of 2003’s Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do, and “Sadie Hawkins Dance” (with a reggae-like breakdown) to “take us back to 2001.” The band interspersed some random songs throughout the set like the “five dollar foot long” Subway jingle, The Office theme song, and “Happy Birthday” for Tommy Jr.’s (from Back to the Future and Freaks and Geeks) 13th birthday. Other songs were full of emotion and sincerity like “There Was No Theif,” “Be My Escape,” and the 11 minute encore of “Deathbed” where Matt played the intro solo on the piano and the music swelled for the addition of accordion, trumpets, xylophone and eventually a second pair of hands on the piano. Matt told us that this crowd was the best in a “really really really long time. That must mean you like us.” I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, that’s true. Fun and filled with emotion and energy, this set was a night to remember.
More photos can be found in our myspace photo album
Category Live | Tags: Owl City,Relient K,Runner Runner | No Comments
