Speaking of rock behemoths, Kylesa swings through Austin this week for SXSW hot on the heels of their new record, the unbelievable Static Tensions, and we scored an interview with co-guitarist and co-vocalist Laura Pleasants for an exclusive Cannibal Cheerleader interview. Check it:
CC: What is Kylesa all about? Describe your sound to the uninitiated. What are some of the themes of your music?
LP: We play heavy music rooted in punk, metal and psychedelic rock. Generally we write about personal life experiences.
CC: What went into the making of Static Tensions? Did the songs come quick or slow? What was the recording process like?
LP: Phillip and I wrote everything with Carl behind the drum kit. The three of us got together after our brief European tour last year (Feb. 2008) and buckled down to write the songs. “Said and Done” was written before we went to Europe but everything else was done afterwords. Eric, our other drummer, came up periodically to jam and work on some ideas. We did a tour in May and played some of the songs live to get comfortable with them and work out some of the kinks. We started recording in July 2008. Some songs came rather quickly and others took time to materialize and grow. Recording this time was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had in the studio. Everyone was prepared and more relaxed. The line up was stronger than what we’ve worked with in the past and everyone, for the most part, was on point. Phillip’s producing skills have immensely improved and we had some nicer equipment in the studio to work with. Before going in there, Phillip, Carl, Jay and Steve (of the Jam Room) got together to brainstorm the recording of the drums. The drums were a big concern for us because you couldn’t really hear the two drums that well on the last record. They came up with a good plan and with a little bit a trial and error, i think they nailed the sound. I also had more time in the studio to work on my guitar parts. I’ve never had much time in the past to experiment much so I was extremely pleased to have some time to dedicate to guitar overdubs and solos / atmospheric stuff.
CC: Where do you draw inspiration from? Who are some of your favorite artists both past and present?
LP: Inspiration comes from living life, really. Soaking in the ups and downs. Some of the core favorites among Phillip and mine are: Sabbath, Fugazi, Pink Floyd, Kyuss, Flaming Lips, Neurosis, Black Flag.
CC: Great metal music seems to be in resurgence, especially in the South in the areas around Savannah and Atlanta. What is it about this area that makes bands create such thought-provoking and inventive metal music?
LP: It’s an interesting question, but a hard one to answer. Heavy music has been relevant in the South for a long time but it’s just now getting more attention. There’s something that’s very oppressive and smothering about Savannah. It’s beautiful and great yet depressing in many ways. Additionally, I think the general lower cost of living allows for people / bands to get together and spend more time on music and less time at work. It’s a big reason why Kylesa has been able to do what we do for so long.
CC: What’s it like being a woman in a hardcore metal band? No doubt you rock just as hard if not harder than everyone else, but have you encountered any difficulty on the road? Any episodes of scene misogyny?
LP: There are sometimes episodes and comments like “You play really well for a girl” and that type of thing. The best part about those comments is that they think they’re paying you a compliment! A lot of the more mainstream metal acts with women members are marketed with an overtly sexual image. I guess there’s a lot of media pressure to be that because sex sells and these labels and magazines are selling mainly to young men / teenage boys. I think that’s a horrible way to portray women in music. It’s like you have to be some big titted heavily made up, scantily clad chick, or you can be “one of the guys”. There’s not much middle ground. I feel like I don’t fit in either category. I think the metal scene still has a ways to go in that sense. I don’t think about gender when I play and I want to be considered a guitar player and a song writer. And I can hang with the guys but it’s nice to be able to be a girl, too. But overall, I am treated with respect among the scenes we play.
CC: Where do you think the music industry is going and how is the business model changing? Kylesa have been releasing vinyl and 7″ for years, do you think that wax is making a comeback and that it will soon be the new standard? How does the business side of Kylesa run?
LP: I’m not really gonna go into the business side of things but if we were strickly business minded, we’d have a lot more money and popularity than we do now! We have always been a vinyl band because vinyl means a lot to us as music fans. I love records. I think there are fans of vinyl and that keeps vinyl alive but the whole model is changing. Soon everything will be exchanged digitally but it’s hard to say how the $ will exchange hands. The thing about the digital age is that there is very little soul or tangibility to it all.
CC: What is it for a band to ‘make it’ in today’s music world? Have Kylesa made it?
LP: Haha. Not really sure…we just try to stay a float. A lot of “making it” it is being in the right place at the right time with a lot of luck.
CC: What are your feelings on Static Tensions? From what we’ve heard so far it’s shaping up to be some of your best work, do you think this album will increase your profile? What are your goals for this release?
LP: I do feel that it’s our best record and we want to tour fairly heavily on it.
CC: How do you feel about SXSW? What do you like about Austin and the Texas metal scene? And speaking of festivals, what’s it like to be on the earth-shattering bill for Scion Fest?
LP: SXSW is great. We played it a couple of yeas ago and then last year i flew out to Austin just to attend the shows and hang out with friends. Austin rules. Such a great city and there are some good bands there for sure, Iron Age being one of my current favorites. Scion fest was pretty amazing. There were tons of people there, tons of great bands and the vibe and energy of the whole show was incredible. I just wish I could’ve seen all of the bands!
Check out the rest of the interview available in Issue #3 of the Cannibal Cheerleader zine! You can pick it up at our SXSW Day Party, tomorrow, March 18th 12-6pm, at the Peacock (515 Pedernales) here in Austin. Come out or be torn apart mercilessly!
The Cannibal Cheerleader lineup for this year’s SXSW 09 Blood Bath keeps getting better with the introduction of the Whispertown 2000 to the lineup. We’re also partnering with OverUnder Records to bring you several New York acts including Howlies! Should be a rocking time, so be sure and be at the Peacock (515 Pedernales) on Wed. Mar. 18th at noon!
With the opening riffs of Kylesa’s latest effort Static Tensions the band clearly has chosen to expand their horizons, dwelling on intense buildups, frighteningly intricate drumwork, and searing guitar lines, all as the songs dip, wrap around, go soft, explode and re-explode, all within ten tremendous tracks. Gone is the sameness of past Kylesa records which, while excellent, suffered at times from an unvaried metal formula – no longer! Utilizing Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants’ voices equally and featuring their dueling guitarwork to maximum effect, Static Tensions is a giant leap forward, a slow-burning metal monster that shows off the group’s development and maturity earned from years of touring. Truly the best metal release of 2009 so far, a blazing record and one not to be missed. Check out a few tracks below!
We’ve been huge fans of Neko Case since her Blacklisted days (and we still can’t get over how awesome Fox Confessor was), so we were ecstatic to nab a copy of the Canadian soulstress’ new LP Middle Cyclone, which definitely does not dissapoint. Featuring hushed instrumentation backing Case’s powerful voice, the album is her most organic yet, due in no small part to the recording location of an abandoned farmhouse. With much shorter songs featuring small vignettes about the multitude of wild characters Case has been known for, Middle Cyclone combines experimentalism with alt-country stalwarts to create one of our favorite albums of the year so far. Give it a sample listen below.
We’re still anxiously awaiting the newest release from Giant Drag, the Swan Song EP, and Annie Hardy continues to tease us, this time with a short excerpt from an upcoming music video for standout track “Stuff to Live For”. Apparently the new video is going to feature Annie being covered with a whole variety of disgusting liquids, so be sure and check it below.
Kylesa just conducted an interview with the influential online metal mag Crusher Magazine. Check it out here and stay tuned for the new album Static Tensions which we hope to grab a copy of ASAP!
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!
Delivering a pummeling performance that rivaled hardcore shoegaze stalwarts, Austin’s own Ume celebrated Emo’s free week by brining their searing brand of experimental punk rock to a packed inside stage. Showcasing tracks from their new Sunshower EP, the trio blazed through fiery anthems that soared with guitar heroics one moment and seethed with hushed, noodly undertones the next. With the driving rhythms of drummer Jeff Barrera and Eric Larson creating a captivating underlying layer, lead shredder Lauren Larson snarled through songs old and new, whipping the guitar back and forth, over and her head and down to the stage with incredible virtuosity. Sounding like a lo-fi Sonic Youth, Ume have captured a new, electric sound that’s as fuzz-filled and shimmering as it is bloody and sharp. Pictures below:
Picking up the new UmeSunshower EP at their show last night, we spent the last 18 hours playing the five blazing tracks on repeat. With trembling, hushed vocals giving way to carnage-inducing guitar lines, Sunshowers reveals the incredible power behind the three members local band. Standout tracks include “Sunshower”, “The Means”, and “The Conductor”. Highly recommended, pick it up at the band’s EP release show Saturday Jan. 24th at the Mohawk. Check it out.
One of Cannibal Cheerleader’s favorite metal acts Kylesa have a new album entitled Static Tensions being released this year (March 17th) that promises to deliver the same fiery antics that we’ve come to expect from the Atlanta metal scene over the past few years. Brooklyn Vegan has an excellent story about the album, including the cover art (above), and a link to Laura Pleasants’ Flickr page (which shows some truly classic pictures of new artwork, bonding time with Mastodon, and other metal goodies). Can’t wait for this one!
FOLLOW THAT BIRD! AT BEAUTY BAR Sorry for not updating Wednesday guys – a combination of more moving difficulties and a slow news day meant no time for an update. However, today is a double update, beginning with a show review of one of the best local bands we’ve stumbled upon all year, the punk trioFollow That Bird!.
Stunning an elated Beauty Bar crowd with their massive set, these women pack a sound laden with furious feedback and chugging basslines under the magnificent croon of Corin Tucker incarnate lead singer Lauren Green, whose wail refused to be overpowered even by the crunching notes of her own guitar shredding. The trio stormed through a set comprised half of punk vignettes highlighting Green’s vocals and half of more melodic pieces which challenged with their improvisational fuzz-work and splintered in a million different directions before returning to a poppy whole. All the while bassist Rachel Badger provided a solid base for the action to take place on, whipping through intricate basslines and diving below the lead guitar all with a moment’s notice, and drummer Tiffanie Lanmon railed on her drums and whipped her head about like the most metal of moshpit fanatics. Overall, the band surprised with its larger than life sound that nonetheless managed to hold fast to a punk ethos that kept us engaged and enthralled. We can definitely say without question that this was one of the best shows we’ve been to all year and we hope to see more of these girls soon! Here are some more pictures and another YouTube we found.
******************************************************************** SOUTHERN DRAMA INTERVIEW ONLINE The special interview we did a few weeks ago with our friends inSouthern Dramais now up at the Soundcheck Magazinewebsite. Go check it out hereand be sure and swing by the ladies’Myspacewhen you get a chance as well.
Southern Drama – “Blood Red”
******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES HEADS CMJ LINEUP The NYC equivalent of Austin’s own SXSW madness theCMJ Music Marathonhasannouncedits lineup and up near the top of the list is Cannibal Cheerleader favoriteCrystal Castles, along with other favorites like the Virgins, the Cool Kids, A Place To Bury Strangers, etc. We’ll definitely be looking forward to what these cats pull when their massive music fest isn’t in a town where the weather seems perpetually beautiful and cooperative (most of the time, haha). In other CC news, the duo is currently in Europe on tour and pretty soon they’ll be swinging back into the US for a romp with none other than Trent Reznor and co. We’ll be keeping you up to date on those shows when they happen!
Crystal Castles – “Trash Hologram”
******************************************************************** THE NATIONAL REVEAL NEW TUNE Recently at a show in Copenhagen our favorite brooding indie-rockers the Nationalrevealed a new track entitled “A Thousand Black Cities” which you can view below. A bit jazzier and light than the title might suggest, the song starts slow but then really comes into its own and stands aside some of the band’s strongest work, with a soaring chorus and the same hopeless, inner-city existentialism we’ve come to expect. Maybe not the band to soundtrack your latest frat party, but it’ll do if you can’t find your copy of Unknown Pleasures (lord knows that gets the sorority sisters bouncing!).
******************************************************************** ACL AFTERSHOWS ANNOUNCED According to theAustinistthe lineup of ACL Fest aftershows has been officially released and along with cool Texas acts like Bill Callahan (aka Smog) and the Butthole Surfers, there’s a special show at La Zona Rosa on Sunday night featuring none other than Conor Oberstand special guestJenny Lewis. You know that we’ll be waiting in line all day for that one, screw waiting for Foo Fighters. List of shows below:
Stubb’s BBQ:Thursday Sep 25: (outdoors) An evening with Manu Chao Ticket: $35 adv/ $35 dos Doors 7pm, show 8pm.
Friday Sep 26: (outdoors) Gnarls Barkley w/ CSS
Ticket: $27 adv/ $30 dos
Doors 8pm, Show 9pm
Saturday Sep 27: (very special gospel brunch) Gospel Brunch w/ Mike Farris featuring the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Ticket: $30, $40 (Call for reservations 512-480-8341)
Doors at 11am, Brunch at 11:30am
Saturday Sep 27: (outdoors) Return of the Butthole Surfers w/ The Kills
Ticket: $30 adv/ $33 dos
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm.
Saturday Sep 27: (indoors) Mugison
Ticket: $15 adv/ $15 dos
Doors 11:30pm, show midnight
Sunday Sep 28: (outdoors) The Black Keys w/ The Black Angels & Jessica Lea Mayfield
Ticket: $25 adv/ $25 dos
Doors at 7pm, Show at 7:30pm
LaZona Rosa:
Friday Sep 26 G Love & Special Sauce
Ticket: $25 adv/ $27 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 11pm
Sunday Sep 28 Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band w/ Special Guests Jenny Lewis and M. Ward
Ticket: $30 adv/ $30 dos
Doors at 9pm, Show at 10pm The Parish:
Friday Sep 26 Jamie Lidell w/ Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears
Ticket: $20 adv/ $20 dos
Doors at 10pm, show at 11pm
Paramount Theater:
Thursday Sep 25 David Byrne on Tour – songs from David Byrne and Brian Eno
Ticket: $50, $55
Doors at 7:30pm, Show 8:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 The Swell Season w/ Bill Callahan
Ticket: $35, $42.50 (depends on where seat location is)
Doors at 7:30pm, Show at 8:30pm
Emos:
Friday Sep 26 (outdoors) Drive-By Truckers w/ Shooter Jennings
Ticket: $20 adv/ $22 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
Friday Sep 26 (Emos Jr) Heartless Bastards w/ Dead Confederate & Wax Fang
Ticket: $15 adv/ $17 dos
Doors at 10pm, show at 10:30pm
Friday Sep 26 (Emos Lounge) Car Stereo Wars
Ticket: $8 adv/ $10 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 11pm.
Saturday Sep 27 Emos Outside Okkervil River w/ Man Man & Crooked Fingers
Ticket: $15 adv/ $17 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 10:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 (Emos jr) Jose Gonzalez w/ Neva Dinova & McCarthy Trenching
Ticket: $18 adv/ $20 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 (Emos Lounge) Car Stereo Wars
Ticket: $8 adv/ $10 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 11pm.
Antone’s:
Saturday Sep 27 Jakob Dylan and The Gold Mountain Rebels w/ Back Door Slam
Ticket: $23 adv, $25 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: KYLESA Make no mistake about our indier-than-thou, twee lovin’ credibility over here at Cannibal Cheerleader – heck, we’re a stones-throw from tight-jeans wearing hipsters – but we love ourselves some face-melting fuckin’ metal every once in a while. And while we hate the radio-ready rock of bands like the much maligned Disturbed, we can’t help but be intrigued every time we hear about a band that takes the dynamic elements of metal (it’s penchant for feedback-heavy riffs, it’s air of slow-burning experimentation, etc) and fuses them into a truly unique package. That band is Savannah, Georgia’sKylesa, a beast of a band combining swirly guitar-noodling, teeth-grinding riffs, and a brilliant vocal dichotomy between two lead vocalists, Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants. With a psychedelic tinge and a habit of making loud-quiet-loud seem like doom-hushed oblivion-doom, Kylesa take Southern metal and brand their mark of experimentalism and purebred fury into its dusty hide. Lucky for us Austinites the band will be swinging through on Sept. 20th supporting Pinback, and you know, as always, Cannibal Cheerleader will be there!
Speaking of rock behemoths, Kylesa swings through Austin this week for SXSW hot on the heels of their new record, the unbelievable Static Tensions, and we scored an interview with co-guitarist and co-vocalist Laura Pleasants for an exclusive Cannibal Cheerleader interview. Check it:
