We’ve been lauding one of our favorite UK hardcore acts Rolo Tomassi for quite some time now, so we’re incredibly excited to offer up an exclusive interview with the group right here on Cannibal Cheerleader.
CC: Tell us about how the band formed and how you came into your unique sound. What are your biggest influences? RT:We formed out of a neccessity to have fun. We were aged between 14 and 16 and enjoyed making music together. As our tastes had changed we wanted to reflect that in musical output so we formed Rolo Tomassi. I think the sound just came about from listening to all sorts of different hardcore. Bands like Dillinger Escape Plan and At The Drive In have always been hugely influential to our sound but more recently everyone has gone off in their own directions and tangents musically.
This interview also coincides with an exciting announcement: Cannibal Cheerleader will be issuing our third zine edition this March to coincide with SXSW! You’ll be able to read the full spread in the zine, as well as interviews with other exciting acts and independent articles on a variety of subjects. What, don’t have issues #1 or #2 yet? Email me at cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com and I’ll try and mail you one (fair warning, in exchange you’ll have to send me an article I can stick on the site)! Until then, check out more of our Rolo Tomassi interview below and be prepared to check this band out when they step across the pond for SXSW ‘09.
******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: BALMORHEA’S ALL IS WILD, ALL IS SILENT
With the official release of their third LP creeping closer, Austin act Balmorhea’sAll Is Wild, All Is Silent quietly found its way onto popular mp3 sites, instantly lighting up download clients the world over and becoming one of the most wildly popular music torrents literally overnight. For a group basing their sound on delicate layering and hushed melodies, the fervor surrounding this release might come as quite the shock – even given their status as a cult-favorite the remains a neo-classical post-rock band. However, the hype is more than warranted, as the material presented on All Is Wild eclipses Balmorhea’s previous work to such a degree as to argue past releases were only building momentum to this monumental awakening. The album conjures images of the haunting glow of a dying campfire, shining in the reverent blackness of a nighttime forest as the world envelopes you from all around. Never ones to rely on repetition for effect, the band conjures tunes that flit wildly in different directions, sometimes within the span of a single song, darting from terse violin strains to soulful vocal refrains to lilting piano chords then back again. The album’s title describes its content perfectly, a wonderful dichotomy between chaotic instrumental strains and intense minimalism, both of which speak to the sincerity of the music and make for a fantastic headphone listen. Captain of the cheerleading squad for 2009 thus far.
On another note, be sure and check out our All Is Wild, All Is Silent preview video, featured below, which shows off the energy that these songs capture live.
Also of interest to Balmorhea fans will be the fact that this song recorded below and originally “Untitled” has been since renamed “Remembrance” and recorded officially for this album. Watch it again below.
Here’s more of our Rolo Tomassi interview – you can check out the entire interview in our new edition of the Cannibal Cheerleader Magazine, out during SXSW here in Austin.
CC: How would you describe your music to the uninitiated? Have you ever heard descriptions of your music that seemed way off base? RT: We all recently decided that the term we’re happiest with is ‘progressive hardcore’. I think we’ll always have our hardcore roots but the sound has evolved from there and in that sense become progressive. I think a lot of current bands would be keen to shy away from ‘prog’ as a label but we like it. I can’t stand being called spazzcore.
CC: What’s it like being in a band whose popularity seems to be growing everyday? Is all the press exciting or daunting? Is it hard to stay focused on the music amongst the image politics of today’s music press? RT: It’s really exciting. We’re just incredibly happy that we can keep touring more and more extensively and have the opportunity to come over and play events like SXSW. Whilst sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the press side of things it never detracts from us making music or staying focused on the fact that we are a band!
CC: Which scene does Rolo Tomassi belong to? Metal? Punk? Some crossover or none of the above? Do music classifications help or hinder a band like yours? RT: We belong in a community of bands who tour hard and help each other out. Its more about the people than bands sounding similar. I believe any band can be seriously hindered but specific classification musically. As soon as you say we’re ‘X’ kind of band, you immediately exclude people who don’t like that kind of music.
CC: What is it to ‘make it’ as a band? When can you say you’ve achieved your goals? RT: It completely depends what you want out of it. I long surpassed any goals I had for this band and we’re on a constant bonus round right now. As long as we can keep touring at the frequency we do and visit more new countries I’ll be happy.
Quick update today – check out our favorite dance-rockers The Action Design’s Pure Volume page as the band has just uploaded some pretty rad live tracks that are free to download. Head over immediately! In other exciting news the Action Design will be playing this year’s SXSW! Sweetness! We keep getting great updates from this ever-growing act, so be sure and check them out before they blow up!
Love her or hate her (we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are definitely in the former category) Scarlett Johansson is back again, only this time instead of the great Tom Waits, she’s covering Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye” for the soundtrack to her newest film, He’s Just Not That Into You. It’s lacking the effervescent David Sitek production but the sparseness of Johansson’s smoky croon over a simple piano line is a refreshing change of pace. Give it a listen over here.
We are eagerly awaiting the release of Static Tensions, the newest release from Atlanta metal-gods Kylessa, and from the sounds of the newest track on the band’s Myspace “Said and Done” this will be the band’s magnum opus. The track is reminscient of the leap forward Mastodon took with Blood Mountain, so here’s hoping for big things from these guys. Head on over and check it.
Our favorite New York-based dream poppers Asobi Seksu, fresh off the release of the excellent Hush, have released their new video for single “Me & Mary”. As whimsical and esper-filled as the music itself, the video depicts the band’s two chief members dancing through a shapeshifting cartoon wonderland. Check it out below!
Our favorite band of dance-rock stalwarts the Action Design blazed through a searing set last night in Austin at Emo’s downtown. While the band’s last Austin performance left us winded, M and the gang had us gasping for air this night, with a rampaging set that reminded old schoolers of the group’s hardcore roots and excited new fans with whip-crack post-punk instrumentation. Serving up entrancing performances of deep-cuts like “Lounge in Formation” and “City Committee”, complete with the group’s signature tight sound and M’s passionate croon, the band brought a level of bombast and pure-energy on rockers like “Landmines” and “Scissor Game”. The group even noodled wistfully through the Justin Timberlake (!?) interlude “Think That She Knows”, proving their ability to bring a punk edge to even the danciest of tracks. Surely the Action Design are the bastard child of Bloc Party and Blondie, a sight to behold live and a passionate group that’s in love with their music and in touch with their fans. A five-star performance from a great group, more pics below and a rare track entitled “Move On” from the group’s first, self-titled EP, limited to 1000 copies. Check it out!
Speaking of bastards, Dayton, Ohio’s favorite sons, garage-rockers the Heartless Bastards are back with the Mountain, a hearty dosage of blues and carnage that relies more heavily on the soaring vocals of lead Erika Wennerstrom than ever before. Not satisfied to rest on the laurels of their breakthrough sophomore LP All This Time, Wennerstrom and company rip and tear through 11 tracks of blues-rock blood and guts, sounding equal parts classic with a degree of modernity that makes the tunes immediately relatable and captivating. This group makes it look easy, and Wennerstrom is at her best here, steering the Heartless ship towards a woozy, dusty-road sound that evokes hard-living and harder landscapes. This is the Bastards Attack & Release, a startling achievement that calls into question the validity of their earlier work. We didn’t know you had it in you kids! Definitely makes the team but will probably get kicked off for cussing and spitting – our kind of girl!
Our favorite arena-packing synth-rockers the Killers have put together a mind-blowing new video for Day & Age standout “Spaceman”, complete with psychedelic staircases and red tights. Check it out below – do you think Brandon Flowers will play some backyard football with us in that costume?
Details are somewhat sketchy at the moment, but if all sources are true metal masters and sludge signors Isis will be delivering their fifth offering of pure drone-metal goodness this very May 5th. Entitled Wavering Radiant, several songs are purported to feature guitarwork from Tool shredder Adam Jones. Stay tuned for more info from this metal juggernaut.
We here at Cannibal Cheerleader are a little overwhelmed ourselves with the myriad developments going on in the life of Jemina Pearl this week. After Be Your Own Pet broke up we didn’t hear from the fiery frontwoman for months, and now there’s a news update everyday about her! Today on her Myspace Jemina announced that she is beginning her own blog entitled ‘puke till you punk‘, which will feature updates from her recording process in Northampton along with other goings-on. Definitely worth checking out. We assure you the next JP update will include some new content, promise! But hey, check out that sweet picture of JP and Thurston Moore – wouldn’t you like to go record-diving with him too?
okay. i’m kicking it in the ecstatic peace headquarters right now! northampton is covered in snow. gross! i really need some some boots….we’re living like vampires only recording at night and sleeping during the day. when we’re not recording we’re busy watching television practice tapes. when richard hell was still in the band! it’s so good!!!! and trying to go to as many thrift stores as possible. you can never give up on the hunt. we’ve got about ten songs recorded right now. john is a machine. i’ve been really sick the last two weeks, so hopefully my voice will hold up and we can get everything done. pizza party tonight at kesin’s house. i’m crossing my fingers lulu will perform some more righteous dance moves like she did last time i came over. punk till you puke. puke till you punk. later!
Ten songs already recorded for Jemina Pearl and the Somethings? That is fast work from this foursome.
In other JP news, check out Rare Form, a new band straight outta’ Brooklyn featuring Jemina Pearl on guitar and claiming a sound reminiscient of Austin heroines Finally Punk. Definitely worth checking out, if only for the fact that the band might be swinging through Austin for SXSW – one can only hope!
Stay tuned for further updates and send us any demoes if you got any Miss Pearl!
Glitter guns, heart-shaped vinyl, unicorn buttons, and pink balaclavas – that’s what you can expect from the wildly imaginative (not to mention intensely bizarre) webstore of the one and only Heartsrevolution. They’ve recently revamped the whole site so grab some goodies while you can. Personally, we’re thinking of nabbing that rare Switchblade EP 12”. Tasty stuff.
Anticipation for the new album Middle Cyclone (out March 3rd on Anti-) from Canadian crooner Neko Case is reaching a fever pitch after the release of her first single “People Got A Lotta Nerve”, a barnburning two-and-a-half minute track about killer whales, maneaters, and all sorts of cannibalistic goodies. Definitely our type of song. Give it a listen below and stay-tuned for when the full album drops any day now!
According to a short post on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs website today, the band revealed their third LP will be released sometime this spring and will be called It’s Blitz! That’s all the information we’ve got right now, but this album can’t come soon enough!
Late last week the latest round of South By Southwest lineup announcements inspired a lot of talk across the blogosphere. From world-renowned rockers like Primal Scream, to indie superstars like Ra Ra Riot, to little-known but still-fantastic bands like Fight Bite, the lineup is pretty stellar, albeit overwhelming. How is a SXSW attendee supposed to take in the 1000+ bands that will be descending on Austin in Mid-March? And how can we as a small Austin-based music blog hope to capture the fire and the fury that is this one week when our awesome little town becomes the center of the entire globe’s media frenzy? Some of the bigger music blogs will undoubtedly be sending droves of correspondents in order to cover every aspect of the proceedings, but we here at Cannibal Cheerleader have neither the desire nor the workforce to attempt such an undertaking. Instead, we feel its our responsibility as a small blog to talk about the acts that no one else will be talking about. That’s why we’ve chosen our top five, ‘must-see’, underground, and sinister acts for SXSW ‘09. We’ll add more as the big event approaches, but right now we feel that these are the bands not too many blogs will be talking about (but should be!) and that absolutely need to be seen. Without further ado…
1. ROLO TOMASSI
Ripping and snarling out of the UK with a hybrid shriek-meets-prog sound, Rolo Tomassi make their American debut this March in Austin when the quintet crash down in an explosion of Mars Volta-inspired riffs and Eva Spence’s signature howl. The band’s debut LP Hysterics deliver on the promise of some excellent LPs and their live show is much touted by UK rags like NME. If there’s one act we have to see at SXSW ‘09, it’s Rolo Tomassi, no question. Check out the video for their single “I Love Turbulence” below.
Rolo Tomassi – “I Love Turbulence”
Rolo Tomassi – “Fofteen” ******************************************************************** 2. THE GRATES
The closest thing the rest of the world has to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Australia’s the Grates pour on the same art-rock glaze as the New York spaz-masters with a little bit of their own unique pop flair to create a punky confection that’s as wild to watch as it is to listen to. With the release of their sophomore LP Teeth Lost, Hearts Won the Grates have ramped up their audio assault with an arsenal of rock-ready barn burners that swing between ultra-cutesy to fiery bloodshed, and with their much touted live show garnering praise worldwide, one can only imagine what they’re going to bring to the table for SXSW ‘09. Definitely a necessity to check this trio out.
******************************************************************** 3. TAT
After the quiet release of their debut album Soho Lights last year, which delivered on the promise of innumerable EPs, singles, and relentless touring, Tat have kept the volume knob firmly placed on ‘12′, continuing their takeover of the auditory sense with a slew of excellent tracks and a live show that’s as electric as it is engaging. Tat reel you in with Distillers comparisons and keep you interested with impressive hooks and stellar pop-punk leanings. Definitely one of the most underrated touring groups today, check out Tat if for nothing more than their excellent single “I Don’t Want To Love You” at SXSW ‘09.
******************************************************************** 4. KILLOLA We had our Killola cherry popped (more like ripped to shreds) when we saw these guys open for the Action Design back in September. Since then we’ve been racking our brains thinking of the right time to ‘New Band Cheer’ this excellent foursome, but now that they’ve been announced as a SXSW ‘09 showcase band, we can’t help but champion this fantastic act. With alt-rock licks and the most rabid frontwoman to ever rip off all her clothes onstage, Killola bring the goods live, pounding through dancey barn-burners and clearing the floor with dazzling pop heroics. Sounding like a cross between Paramore and Be Your Own Pet, Killola deserve to be filling stadiums so get a close look while you still can at SXSW.
******************************************************************** 5. THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES Hardcore heavyweights from way back when, These Arms are Snakes have been touring relentlessly since before your average screamo kid was born, and they show no sign of slowing down now, as the release of their newest LP Tail, Swallower, and Dove revealed they have a few more tricks up their sleeve. With a live show that features maddening most pits and acrobatic stage-diving, a sound that pulls from equal parts rudimentary punk and mathcore metal, and a lead singer whose distinctive wail puts him at the top of the scene’s crooner list, TAAS have proven time and time again to be a live band worth reckoning with, and they definitely should be added to your SXSW ‘09 itinerary.
While not an official SXSW ‘09 showcased artist (or at least not announced as such!) Heartsrevolution will be bringing their Heartschallenger ice cream truck down to Austin anyway, delivering fresh electro-clash beats and tasty treats/funky toys to all the sweaty downtown Austinites all week. Be on the lookout for a pink truck racing up and down sixth street, because our friends Ben and Lo will undoubtedly be driving this bad boy all around the city. Be on the lookout friends!
According to allthereports, the return of ex-Be Your Own Pet lead singer Jemina Pearl to the world of music was nothing but a triumph, albeit perhaps an awkward one for the pint-sized crooner. You can check out a video below that sounds every bit as ramshackle as a BYOP b-side with perhaps a little more Jemina-focused flair. Also, apparently John Eatherly, drummer of the duo’s former act, is now the guitarist, in what Pearl is calling an act akin to ‘Iggy Pop and the Stooges’, ie, ‘Jemina Pearl and the Somethings’. Check out the rest of the interview with Pearl here and watch out for more recordings from this group soon. They’re supposed to start committing songs to tape in March and have moved to NY to be near Mr. Thurston Moore, so we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the weeks to come.
Jemina Pearl Setlist:
Band On The Run No Good I Hate People After Hours Nashville Shores So Sick! Heart Beats
Comments? The interview features Pearl stating, “Actually, me and John were the two main songwriters on “Becky”. Maybe that’s closer to what some of the newer stuff is going to be like.” Oh we could only be so lucky! Also, SXSW update tomorrow – get awkward/excited!
Thanks to another friend from the UK (we apparently have a lot of overseas readers here at Cannibal Cheerleader!) we’ve managed to come across some really astounding Action Design videos that feature the band performing as of yet unrecorded material, including the first video (below) entitled “Expert (Now I Know You)” (although there is some debate about whether this track might actually be titled “Chamber of Hellos”) and the following video, our personal fave “Northern Lights”. Check them out and the rest of the ‘Atticus Show‘ videos here.
According to sources the Killers massive US tour in support of their excellent LP Day & Age will be swinging through Austin on Feb. 3rd and the Frank Erwin Center. Grab your tickets here and revel in excitement about opening act the inimitable M83. Definitely a show not to be missed.
