Interview with Back Alley Riot

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass guys. Can you give us all a little history on Back Alley Riot and how you got your start?

Back Alley Riot: Well, Danny, Matty, and Mike started playing together in a band called Graveyard Ruckus which was shortlived.  Graveyard Ruckus started as a side project of a band called Rosedale and eventually both bands ended and Back Alley Riot was formed after.  A couple bass players came and went due to commitment issues, but we finally found Russ and became a real family after.

CM: The bands latest release, "My Girlfriend's A Serial Killer", is an amazing EP. Just packed with so much attitude and amazing playing. How do you feel this EP compares to the bands first album, "Dead End Wine Mixer"?

BAR: Our first album was a blast to record, but it was before Russ joined the band.   Russ brings so much more to the table and we feel our sophomore release "My Girlfriend's A Serial Killer" is much stronger as a result.  Before the recording of MGASK we started our own studio and really got to take our time to achieve the sound we really wanted with that release.  We are aiming to achieve the same thing when we go back into the studio.

                    B.A.R. L-R Matt Jankiewicz (drums), Russell Katzenmaier (bass/vocals), Mike Nakis (vocals/guitar) and Danny Starks (guitar/vocals)

CM: When I saw you guys play live I was automatically blown away at how much energy and excitement goes into your performance. But once I listened to your CD's I have to admit you guys have a sound all your own. It's got a hint of outlaw country, a splash of rockabilly and plenty of punk rock excitement. So, I have to ask you guys who are some of your personal musical influences?

BAR: We have so many influences when it comes to writing music that it's tough to just pick a few, but the most influential ones probably would have to be Johnny Cash, Mike Ness, Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, and Johnny Ramone.

CM: When it comes to songwriting, is it a group effort or is there a primary songwriter in the band?

BAR: When it comes to writing our songs it is an open door policy and anyone can bring something to the table.  The majority of our songs are written by Mike as a country/rockabilly song, which is then brought to practice and everyone puts their own stamp on it.  The rest have either been written by Danny or co-written by Danny and Mike.  However on the upcoming release there will be songs written by each member and we feel they are some of the best tunes yet.

 

CM: The band has a brand new video for the track "Whiskey Over You". It's a really fun video and a great tune! Can you give us a little insight into the video shoot and how you guys chose this track to become a single?

BAR: Well, we have been approached at many shows by fans new and old stating that Whiskey Over You is their favorite tune and since we are avid whiskey drinkers it just made sense to make a music video for that song.  In fact we even have a fan who comes to shows and buys each band member a shot of whiskey after we play that song.  Now if we just wrote a song about ham sandwiches, we would be all set.

  

The video was a blast to shoot.  We got a bunch of our friends to come out (at 9am on a Saturday mind you), and we pretty much drank all day.  Danny and Matty had quite a few ideas they used for the video along with suggestions from Mike and Russ and a few friends who were at the shoot that day.  All in all it was a great collective effort on the whole bands part.  Both Danny and Matty have more ideas, so expect to see more videos from Back Alley Riot in the near future.

CM: The first 2 releases were independently put out by yourselves and sold at shows. But you recently signed on with my label Infested Records, and we will be re-releasing the first 2 releases in the coming days. Is there any new material in the works for either later this year or early next year that you wanna talk about?

BAR: We have about 6 new, unrecorded tunes or so that we've been alternating through at our recent shows and we have several more up our sleeves.  We are hoping to be back in the studio this summer/early fall to record a full length that we are hoping to release by the end of this year.

CM: The band recently made a trip up to WI for a show. Was this the first time out of town? And will we be seeing anymore out of state gigs in the near future?

BAR: Yes, we recently played Franks Power Plant in Milwaukee with the Wiscoholics and it was our second time playing that venue.  FPP is a great venue, the staff is awesome, and we love playing there.  As far as out of state gigs, we have played a few and we are ramping up to do many, many more.

 

CM: Is there a website that you guys wanna plug where fans can get some merch, news on upcoming releases and show dates?

BAR: Our website is where anyone can get ahold of us, find out about upcoming shows, or hear our most recent music.  We are currently looking into some redesign ideas to offer merch on backalleyriot.com, but we have quite a few items available at our Bandcamp page as well.

CM: Gentlemen, it's been a blast picking your brains and I'm stoked to see you play live again. Thanks again for talking with Critical Mass! I really appreciate it!

BAR: We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and we're looking forward to everything in store for us at Back Alley Riot.

Concert Reviews: Rush live at The First Midwest Bank Amp, June 28, 2013

Rush is one of those bands you either love or hate. There's really no in-between. They've been compared to Led Zeppelin with their debut self titled album before going prog on us with their second album, "Fly By Night". Fast forward a few years, and the band went a little more mainstream with 1980's "Permanent Waves" and '81's "Moving Pictures". All the while they picked up die hard fans, mostly in the form of teenage boys and young men, who have stuck with them through all the highs and lows and highs again! So, it was no surprise to see a rather big turnout for the bands return to the First Midwest Bank Amp in Tinley Park, IL on June 28th on the second leg of the Clockwork Angels tour.

Going into this tour I was a little apprehensive. The band had let it be known that they would be bringing a string section on the road with them to play on select tracks from last years monumental concept album "Clockwork Angels", and I was a little nervous. Anyone remember Metallica's "S&M" album? Yeah...'nuff said. But at the same time I was kinda interested to see what other tracks they would pull out of their vast catalog of nearly 40 years of music, and how the strings would compliment the songs.

As the day grew closer I got more and more excited. Not sure what to expect from the 2 sets and nearly 3 hours of music by one of my all time favorite bands in the world. Let me tell ya, that first set was AMAZING! The band hit the stage at around 7:40 to a short intro film before going into 1982's masterpiece "Subdivisions", and off we were! The bands playing is just as tight and precise as it was 25 years ago. Rush is a band that always said that if they couldn't play at top performance, they would hang it up and call it a day. Glad to see that nearing 60 years in age, these guys still have their witts and chops about them.

This set featured mostly deep cuts and fan faves, which made me grin from ear to ear for the duration of the set. "Grand Designs", "Territories", "The Pass"...all personal faves of mine. But the real show stopper for me was "Analog Kid" from 1982's Signals album. A track that I have loved for as long as I can remember, but never had the chance to see them play it live until that night. The guys knocked it out of the park all the way. Geddy Lee sang and played his bass with a fierce intensity. Alex Lifeson's guitar riffs were spot on as always. And Neil Peart....well, what can you say about Neil. He's a master of his craft and consummate professional from start to finish.

There was a very brief intermission to get ready for the string section and a good chunk of CA in round 2. As the second set started, another short intro film was played to coincide with the CA tracks. After the film the band went right into "Caravan" and the blood started pumping again. The strings were not as bad as I was expecting. They gave a certain beefiness to the tracks, I must admit. And the string section really seemed to be enjoying themselves between songs as well.

"The Anarchist" and "The Wreckers" were stand out tracks for me at first. But once they went into "Headlong Flight" it was like a second wind for everyone involved. The band played with so much heart and passion that it really transcended into the audience and we were feeding on the energy in the place, full throttle!

As if all this manic energy in the room wasn't enough, the band surprised everyone when they brought out The Stanley Cup that the Chicago Blackhawks brought home earlier that day. I'm not a hockey fan, but I really thought that the band taking the time to share that moment with us was super cool! Geddy, Alex and Neil all took pictures with the cup before going into the classic instrumental "YYZ" complete with string section. YouTube footage can be seen HERE!

Closing out the night were 2 stellar encores in the forms of "Tom Sawyer" and "2112: Overture/Temples Of Syrinx/Grand Finale". We left that night with renewed energy and continued belief that Rush are still one of the greatest live bands to ever grace the stage. After nearly 40 years as a recording band, finally being inducted into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year, and releasing possibly one of their greatest conceptual pieces with Clockwork Angels, I am STILL honored to be a fan of this band. And I hope we can keep them around for many more years to come.

Set list 1:
Video Intro (Gearing Up)
Subdivisions
The Big Money
Force 10
Grand Designs
Limelight
Territories
Analog Kid
The Pass
Where's My Thing (with drum solo)
Far Cry

Set list 2:
Video Intro (The Appointment)
Caravan
Clockwork Angels
The Anarchist
Carnies
The Wreckers
Headlong Flight (with drum solo)
Halo Effect (with guitar solo intro)
Wish Them Well
The Garden
Dreamline
The Percussor (drum solo)
Red Sector A
YYZ
(Clockwork Angels String Ensemble exits)
The Spirit of Radio

Encore:
Tom Sawyer
2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Grand Finale
Video Outro (Office Of The Watchmaker)

Music Reviews: H.I.M. - "Tears On Tape"

For over 20 years now Finnish rockers H.I.M. have been unleashing their version of "love metal" onto the masses. Sometimes with extraordinary results. And other times just slightly missing the mark. The bands latest album, "Tears On Tape", is another gothic masterpiece with everything you expect from Ville Valo and the boys. Lots of heavy Sabbath inspired power chords infused with melodic, and sometimes melon collie lyrics about love, loss and death.

"All Lips Go Blue" has the H.I.M. stamp all over it. Complete with layered vocals in the chorus and Linde Lindstrom's wha wha shredding guitar solo. This is everything I love about this band wrapped into just under 4 minutes. When Ville sings "My heart, so violently beats along. Bleeding me to want to end it all." it makes me wonder how a song with such sorrow can rock so hard.

The albums first single and title track just drips with angst and beauty. It's a somewhat sad tune, but at the same time you just can't help but sing along. The wonderful piano playing of Burton really accentuates Ville's vocal approach to the point of perfection on this track. And the band, Linde, Midge (bass) and Gas (drums) never push the music over the edge here. Instead they give the song depth and texture where it's needed the most.

The album also has some major rockers as well in the form of "Hearts At War" with a sound that reminds me of "Wings Of A Butterfly" from the 2005 album Dark Light. It shows how well this band gels together. They never overstep or try to outshine each other. Instead they each bring out the very best in everyone else. The drum beat is powerful and when the bass and guitars collide it's so heavy that it could bring walls down with it's sound and fury.

Now, if I had to take something away from this album, it would have to be the 4 "instrumental" tracks. Where I can see how album opener "Unleash The Red" fits in well going into "All Lips Go Blue", I get lost with "Trapped In Autumn", "Lucifer's Chorale" and especially "Kiss The Void". I'm left wondering what the purpose was for 4 instrumentals that seem somewhat out of place on this collection of songs.

But even with that being said, I think "Tears On Tape" is a great album. It shows that H.I.M. are not ready to slow down just yet. They still have some great songs left in them. And as long as they keep releasing quality albums like this one, I'll keep listening and buying them.

4 / 5 stars

Music Reviews: After The Fact - "Limit Break"

After a short break and some line-up changes, Ft. Myers, FL ska band After The Fact are back with their most ambitious album to date, "Limit Break". The album features 9 tracks of skank inducing awesomeness that will get you on your feet and slamming and singing along within seconds!

The album kicks off with "Sick As A Dog", with it's mellow groove and softy horns before picking up the beat and setting the tone for the rest of the album. This is a tight track with a great chorus about missing your significant other. We can all relate to that, right? I gotta tell ya though, missing someone has never been this much fun!

"Take A Hint" is another big sing along with lots of energy. But it also has a loving feel to it. The guy in the song is stuck on his girl and wants her to know he'll "never ever walk away" from her. The band gel really well together on "Limit Break". Not that they weren't a good band before. But time has been very kind to this band of fun loving goofs. The songs are more mature, but not in a "old timer" way. These guys can still have fun and grow as a unit and write songs from the heart without going sappy. Pretty awesome!

 

The band, Tim Tim (Guitar/Vocals), Big E (Bass/Vocals), Paul Kalugdan (Trumpet/Guitar/Vocals), (Jason Melcher (Drums/Vocals), Bruce Stokes (Trumpet) and Mike Requena (Trombone), have truly made the album of their career with "Limit Break". Solid playing, top notch songwriting and great production have manifested itself in an album that will stand the test of time and sound just as fresh and exciting 20 years from now, as it does today! I can't say enough good about After The Fact. This band has found it's footing in the music world and I can't wait to see how the band evolves with time. Gentlemen, you really made a fantatstic album! Congratulations!
 

5 / 5 stars

Music Reviews: Mug - "Stacked"

 

Mug are a talented band from Enfield, England who's latest album "Stacked" is 12 songs filled with big chords, major sing-along choruses and and lots of heart.

The albums opener "Repeaters" starts out kinda mellow and laid back...but quickly changes direction with rolling drums, thundering bass runs and a mean guitar tone that'll get you up and moving in seconds. Add to that lots of "Whoa oh oh" singing, and you have a monster of a lead off track. Brilliant!

"Riot" is another solid track with it's bass riff with guitar kicking in at just the right times. It's a great tune about citizens rioting in the streets who are "smashing in windows, burning down factories" while playing "pirate'"! From the sound of this tune and the angst lead singer Mat has, I get the feeling these guys may have partaken in the festivities as opposed to just singing about it.

Along with Mat, the band, guitarist Mark, bassist Mikey and drummer Mike play like their lives depend on it. These guys have the chops as players and songwriters to bring the house down when they play. Song like "Le Clench" and "United Kindness" prove that with the power, passion and intensity of a band possessed. You can tell this band believes in what they write about and are not just going through the motions. And that is what's gonna set Mug apart from others.

"Bottled Up" closes out this album with activist style folk acoustics and somber lyrics that remind me of the best Against Me! songs. But make no mistake, this band is it's own entity. With so much rocking on the first 11 tracks, it's a nice way to end the album. It shows range and promise. I am pleasantly surprised at how well this album comes together and holds you until the final strum of the guitar brings it all to an end. I am excited to see what Mug will do next. All in all this is the best album I've heard so far this year.

5 / 5 stars

Music Reviews: Pink Smoke - "No Party"

If you read this blog from time to time, you'll know I'm a sucker for great garage rock. And once again, I got turned onto another amazing band, Pink Smoke, who's latest release is called "No Party" and is out now on Jolly Ronnie Records

The album, actually it's being released on cassette with a download card for all of you who don't have a tape deck, has 12 tracks of fast beats, amazing riffs and plenty of attitude. The album kicks off with "E.T. Boy" with it's sing along chorus and na na na's, it's a fun track and good way to kick off an album. There's even an organ solo to solidify the bands garage rock influence and upbringing.

Other tracks like "King Of The Night", "Kicks" and "Breakdown" keep the momentum going with three chord chugs and enough sass to make you believe in the power of punk rock. When music is done right, it can make you feel like dancing, shaking and getting lost in the moment. And this album brings all of that and more to the table. The energy and excitement really come out on "No Party".

 

 

"Brain Dead Kid" is one of the best tracks on the record...not my favorite, but it's damn close. It reminds me of old '77 style NY punk rock. In your face and to the point, it's pure punk rock that you don't see alot of these days. Sonny Vincent and The Testors could have recorded this tune, it's THAT good! "(No) What I Said", IS the real gem on this record. The opening riff alone is worth the price of admission. This song is as catchy as a case of the clap. Solid playing all across the board. And the guitar solo is one of the best I've heard in a while. Great job guys!

 

 

Despite a crazy name, Pink Smoke bring their A game on "No Party". This truly is a great record. I'm not sure if the band has anymore material out there...but I'm gonna find out and pick it up if there is! But in the meantime, I HIGHLY suggest you all pick up "No Party" and see for yourself how kick ass garage style punk rock should be played!

 

 

4 ½ / 5 stars

Interview With Vatican Assassins

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass gang. For anyone new
to Vatican Assassins, can you give us a little history on the band and how you
got your start?

Joe: I started as a drummer back in Chicago where I’ve played in a handful of
bands since I was a teenager. After having little success with those bands I
decided to pick up guitar and start my own band and write my own songs. Vatican
Assassins is rooted in a band I started in Chicago called Spazz Attack. I moved
to Los Angeles in 2002 with Susie and after about a couple years forced her to
learn the bass so that we could start another band. In 2006 we recruited our
very close friend Scott to play drums for us and we started Pitch Black Murder.
Sadly, Scott passed away in 2008 and we were forced to reevaluate our situation.

Our good friends Sandy and Jason from Las Vegas volunteered to help us get back
on our feet and that is where Vatican Assassins were born. We played with Sandy
on drums and Jason on lead guitar up until 2011 but due to the long distance
relationship we found it best to part ways. In 2012 we found our current drummer

Armando and that is where we are today.

Susie: Well I don’t know if I was “forced” to play bass necessarily, haha! It is
true that I had never played bass before but had some experience on guitar and
piano. It was pretty interesting in the beginning, but I really fell in love
with playing it.

Joe: Susie really has become a solid bass player.

CM: How would you describe the band’s sound as far as musically and lyrically?

Joe: Musically I'd say we have an old school punk sound. It’s pretty simple rock
and roll. Nothing too flashy. Lyrically there is a lot of reference to politics,
life, all the things that piss us off or that we are passionate about.

Susie: I have a hard time coming up with a description of our songs and style
for people. I usually just tell them to have a listen. Joe usually writes about
some pretty serious stuff, I try to squeeze in some silly things sometimes when
I can get away with it.

CM: Who are some your personal musical influences and do you think those
influences come out in the bands songwriting?

Joe: We're influenced by punk rock pre-1990 mostly. Especially bands like Husker
Du, Naked Raygun, The Misfits, The Clash, The Jam, The Buzzcocks... I could go
on but it starts to get complicated. I think you can definitely hear those
influences in our music.

Susie: Well I like a lot of different music it is really hard to make a list.
Some of my favorites are the same as Joe’s and I also love the Subhumans, The
Damned, PIL, Rudimentary Peni, The Smiths, The Briefs, and a million others. I
am sure that what people listen to always influences what they produce.

Armando: Some of my personal influences would have to be such bands as Swingin’
Utters, One Man Army, The Clash and a lot of 77’ punk rock. These bands have
influenced my drumming style greatly.

CM: Speaking of songwriting, when it comes to writing and arranging the songs,
is it a group effort or is there a primary songwriter?

Joe: I'll usually bring a partially worked out song to the band and we will play
around with it as a group for a few weeks at least and work out the structure. I
pretty much handle the lyric writing myself but there's been some solid input
lyrically from the others on various songs.

Susie: I would say Joe always starts things out, I would say he is definitely
not taking enough credit for his input. We contribute, but I think that Joe is
usually the one with the song ideas, then we do our parts. We do all give each
other feedback and discuss the arrangement for sure.

Armando: Joe primarily writes all the songs. As a new member of the band I look
forward to having input in some future song writing.

CM: The bands new self-titled EP is coming out soon on Infested Records. Is this
the band’s first release or is there more material out there?

Joe: Officially this will be our first release but we practically recorded a
whole album with Sandy and Jason that never saw the light of day. Some of those
songs were re-recorded with Armando and some went to the song graveyard. There's
also an abundance of recordings from the Pitch Black Murder days and from my
Spazz Attack days that relate to Vatican Assassins but I doubt any of that will
ever see any form of release. I'm going to keep those to myself and maybe create
a mystique or something.

CM: The name Vatican Assassins is in itself cool. How did you come up with this
name?

Joe: Jason and I were brainstorming on some band names. I wanted to tie in my
Catholic school upbringing, which is where the Vatican part came from and the
Assassins part was pulled out of the dictionary. It just sort of hand a magical
ring to it as far as I was concerned. We also found it intriguing that while
searching the internet to make sure there were no other bands using the name, we
found a conspiratorial book by the same name. Considering Jason and I were
conspiracy nerds, we found the name quite fitting. Then, years later, Charlie
Sheen went crazy and called himself a Vatican Assassin and before you know it we
are getting hits on our Facebook page from people all over the globe. It’s
actually really funny, we've been friended by a monk and someone from Morocco or
something who's a Muslim. The name seems to attract all sorts.

Susie: That was all Jason & Joe.

Joe: Yes, Susie wants to have nothing to do with being credited for our band
name. She dreams of being in a local SoCal band called “Codename Hardhat”.
Hahaha!

CM: Outside of local shows, do you get out and tour much? And are there any
plans for a mini tour in the near future?

Joe: We haven't really played outside the L.A. area except for some trips to Las
Vegas but we would love to start venturing out to nearby states. We've talked
about maybe trying to pull off a mini west coast tour and maybe some weekend
jaunts up to Northern California or something but our families and jobs don't
make it very easy. It’s a goal of mine to head out east and play in Chicago in
front of my family and friends. I've never really performed for any of them and
it would really seem like an accomplishment to me. Maybe we could open up for
Naked Raygun or someone (wink wink)

Armando: I really want to schedule a mini tour in Texas. I don’t know why I just
do.

Joe: Maybe because you secretly want to be a cowboy.

CM: Is there a website you guys would like to plug where fans can get up to date
news on the new EP, get show dates and pick up some merch?

Joe: We have our Facebook site which is where we do most of our interaction

 but we also have a website that we are trying to keep updated. We are pretty diligent

about posting upcoming shows and we will be posting soon about the availability of

the EP and some stickers, t-shirts and other merch.

CM: Thanks again for talking with Critical Mass. I'm really stoked to get the
new EP out there for the world to hear. All the best to you 3 in the future!
Thanks again guys!

Joe: Thanks Chris. We appreciate you taking interest in our band.

Susie: Thanks Chris! Take care.

Armando: Thank you.