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Interview with Fate Under Fire

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.

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Fate Under Fire’s 1st EP “The Simple Things”

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.

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Marcy Playground’s New Album “Leaving Wonderland…In a Fit of Rage”

May 21, 2009 by Jackie

Those of us who were around in 1997 (or the 90s in general) will likely remember a little song called “Sex and Candy” that hit the radio waves with a force. I’m sure my mom was none too happy that I used to turn the radio up every time the song came on since I was only in middle school at the time.

So when I got the chance to review the latest release from John Wozniak (vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums) – also known as Marcy Playground– I was more than excited after years of wondering what had happened to them. Not even an episode of “Where Are They Now?” would tell me.

Most people may not be aware that the band actually released two other albums (Shapeshifter in 1999 and MP3 in 2004) after their debut. And after 5 years of composition, their new release Leaving Wonderland…In a Fit of Rage makes that three.

At the immediate start of the album, with “Blackbird,” I could tell that this was definitely going to be a departure from what I knew from Marcy Playground. Songs like “Memphis,” “Devil Woman,” and “Irene” are almost pure country. Not Big ‘N Rich or Shania Twain country but Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, down-home, bluegrass, Southern country. It’s impossible not to hear the piercing echo of the banjo and the autoharp in the background. I could almost picture myself walking down a dusty road in the middle of rural Alabama as I was listening. It’s awesomely ironic coming from a band who came together not in the South, but in New York, and who lists Nirvana as one of their greatest influences.

Not all the songs on the album channel such an old-school country, though most songs do contain a folksy aspect of some kind. If you pick up this album expecting to here “Sex and Candy, Part II,” you will be sorely disappointed. Instead, this album is an innovative mixture of alternative rock, country, folk and even some pop. The edgy rock/alternative feel present on their past three albums is barely even discernable, present only in moderation in “I Burned the Bed” and somewhat in “Emperor” as well. “Star Baby” is positively positive; not a sinister note can be found in it anywhere. It will make you drive up PCH in a red convertible with the top down and the song blasting out of the stereo.

Marcy Playground has really broken the mold with this one, especially their own mold. Will they have another hit as big as “Sex and Candy?” Maybe not. But they’ve definitely pushed their own artistic and musical boundaries and dared to step into something completely new. Lead singer John Wozniak says this album is “by far, the best thing I’ve done. This is the most personal record I’ve ever made.” And for that, they deserve major recognition and self-pride; something no Billboard Top 40 can touch.

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Odis’s new album Feel

April 30, 2009 by Jackie

Named for famed soul singer Otis Redding, Odis hails from Dallas, Texas (and made sure to remove a “t” and insert a “d” into their name specifically for their hometown).

Odis members Larry Gayao (vocals), Rob Bastien (guitar), Bristen Phillips (Bass), and Mike Peters (drums) had already established a local following from their live performances when they released their debut album, Feel in March 2008.

The songs on Feel are reminiscent of an older style of rock, with a heavy focus on guitar riffs.

Gayao may not have the best vocals ever laid down on an album, but his voice is certainly unique, with its gruff mix of rock edge and a little bit of country twang mixed in. He literally sounds “a little bit country, and a little bit rock n’ roll.” If Dallas’s dual personalities could be represented by a vocalist’s singing style, Gayao would be it.

The lyrics themselves are fairly simple and straightforward, with a lot of chorus repetition throughout the album in songs like “The Hardest Part.” “The hardest part of losing you girl is knowing that I’m going to need you” is repeated at the beginning, the middle, and the end.

“I’m Not Coming” offers a refreshing detour from the other songs on the album, choosing to focus less on guitar and instead adding in some heavy drums, tambourine, and a seasoning of funk. “Troubled Soul” also makes a departure and takes a much more sinister and soulful approach, showcasing Gayao’s ability to do a different style of singing and making their band’s namesake seem more fitting than any other song on the album.

Unfortunately, most of Odis’s songs are not terribly original in their arrangements or style. Songs like “Feel” feel more like a bar anthem rather than a rock anthem.

There’s one thing that cannot be denied about Odis’s debut album though: it’s catchy as hell. Even after only one listen of the album, you’ll find yourself humming “Lie to Me” and “It’s a Shame” (I know cause I did). There is no doubt that Odis’s music is “fun” in the truest sense of the word and can inspire even the shyest of concert or bar goers to stand up and dance for a song or two (with or without the influence of alcohol).

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Falling Up’s new album, Fangs!

April 6, 2009 by Jackie

Hailing from Albany, Oregon the trio that makes up Falling Up–Josh Shroy (drums), Jeremy Miller (bass, keys) and Jess Ribordy (vocals, guitar and keys)–is anything but mundane and ordinary.

There is no real musical “genre” you could classify these three guys in. Part rock, part ballad, part science fiction and part everything else, their classification of themselves on MySpace as “experimental” is very fitting.

With their sixth album Fangs!, released on March 24th, the spiritual band further pushes the boundaries of time and sound with their “experimental” music. From the get-go, Fangs! sounds like something few listeners have probably ever heard before. Ribordy’s voice is at the very least, haunting, with just the right amount of near-creepy thrown in. The sound becomes almost spaceage-esque when Ribordy’s voice combines with the electronic effects the band has laid over tracks like “Lotus And The Languorous.”

Many of the songs are chock full of sheer ominousness, making them feel like the supporting soundtrack to an intense battle scene from Star Trek or a J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy novel. Other tracks, like “Goddess of the Dayspring, Am I,” are more upbeat and even ethereal in their musical style.

On the title of the album, Ribordy says, “Fangs sums up a very reactive type of scenario. We often think of Fangs relating to snakes or poison, which represent the idea of biting and damage. It’s a very reaction-based record where something is always happening. Whether it be good or bad, it’s always significant.”

And significant this album is. From its out-of-this-world-infused songs, all the way down to the song titles; most of which are quite complex and sound like they were taken directly from a chapter in a sci-fi novel, with names like “Streams of Woe at Acheron” and “The King’s Garden.”

If Falling Up’s goal is to push musical boundaries, they have definitely done so with Fangs!.

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The Bigger Light’s debut album Fiction Fever

March 26, 2009 by Jackie

Named from a line in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” The Bigger Lights is made up of J.K. Royston (guitar/vocals), Dan Mineart (bass/vocals) and singer Topher Talley and they charge at listeners full-speed with their brand of upbeat, adrenaline-pumped rock.

Hailing from Fairfax, Virginia, the band will celebrate the release of their debut album, The Fiction Fever, on April 7.

With an energetic mix of pop and rock, songs like “Closer (Time Stops Breathing)” and “Apocalypse!” use enthusiastic vocals and harmonies mixed with heart-pounding guitar background and solos to pump the music through the stereo and straight into the listener’s ears.

Their song titles reflect the band’s enthusiasm and energy with names like “Revved and Ready” and “Goldmine Valentine,” the latter undoubtedly being the stand-out song on the album with Topher Talley’s voice shifting to an almost haunting whisper at the opening of the song with the band noticeably relying heavier on minor keys.

Even “When Did We Lose Ourselves,” which most people would probably expect to be a somber ballad based on the song title, is a fantastic pop/rock anthem highlighting Royston’s guitar skills and is likely to inspire any audience to stand up and sing along.

With the infectious choruses and vocals on The Fiction Fever, it’s safe to say that listeners will be left humming and singing “if this is it, we’re dead set and ready for it” for a long, long time.

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