THE BOOK LA: What’s in a name ?

Alex Maas: Nor hand, nor foot, or any other part belonging to a man. More importantly what does a name say about your parents? In our case it reflects and embodies an archetype of musical culture and religion, crossed with elements of ethnic origin. The Black Angels
are archetypes.
Nate Ryan: The name, taken from one of our favorite Velvet Underground songs, leaves people with a lot of varied first impressions. Some people assume that we're a metal band. Others with religion based prejudices would assume that we were a group of drugged out devil worshippers. Its interesting to see the response.

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What is the true cost of war ob civilian life in the Middle East? In 2004, Michael Franti embarked on a personal journey with his guitar, a few friends armed with camcorders, to meet the man on the street in war torn Bagdad, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The documentary “I know I’m not alone” is pieced together from these encounters, without CNN or Fox logos, unfiltered, unscripted, often naïve but always honest in exposing one truth: people are suffering. There’s no award wining cinematography here, and Franti never positions himself as a protagonist and always remains the observer. He plays his guitar wherever he goes, and scenes of the 6’5” dreadlocked giant walking down Gaza streets followed by bouncing children are joyful, until you see kids on hospital beds having lost their limbs to explosions. Then you choke and forget to breathe. Beyond the despair, all who speak remain hopeful that one day peace will prevail, while soldiers just want to go home. Critics will likely dismiss the documentary as a simplistic view of a very complex issue. It is. And therein lies its power. Michael Franti is a successful musician, not a documentary filmmaker, nor a politician. Stepping out of bounds and potentially putting himself in harm’s way in the name of peace is an act of courage. Out of this journey comes the music of Yell Fire! (Anti), where Michael Franti and Spearhead deliver their most inspired work to date, blending Rock, Hip Hop, Blues and Reggae, each song an anthem, a rally call that could also belong to Marley, Bono or Springsteen, tossing a pebble in an ocean of indifference. A futile exercise, unless it triggers a tsunami.

Keane allegedly came up with their unique chord-less sound after their guitarist lost patience with the band’s stagnating career, or lack thereof. Then came the hugely successful breakthrough debut Hopes and Fear, tour support for U2 and a rocket powered ascension into Coldplay territory. Under the Iron Sea (Interscope Records) escapes the stigma of weak sophomore albums, with soaring pop anthems that already echo the clamor of arena crowds. This BIG sound is even more remarkable in the absence of guitars, and the trio relies once more on Tom Chaplin’s enraptured vocals that will make Bono fans long for the days when he still had a voice. But Keane is also guilty of pandering to basic pop sensibilities, and is more “Oscar worthy chick flick” than “Summer Blockbuster”. Then again, so were the Beatles. All this makes you wonder how hard their then-guitarist is kicking himself now.

If Keane played guitars, they may sound a little like Muse, whose third album Black Holes and Revelations (Warner Bros) will send adrenaline down the bloodstream of Art Rock fans, while Eclecticism-ism aficionados will scream: “Genius!” justifiably so. Every discernable influence behaves like an electron on orbit around its atom, and the album reaches critical mass when Frank Zappa’s guitars kick Prince’s Funky ass while getting a Freddy Mercury make over. While the stunning Sci-Fi themed package opens like a stargate to other worlds, the politically charged lyrics become a metaphor for our earthly drama. Speaking of drama, the video for “Knights of Cedonya” is a hysterical tribute to 70’s movie kitsh with winks to Westworld, A Fistful of Dollars and Logan’s Run. And that’s how Muse do their Musing.

With the release of Eraser (XL Recordings), Radiohead singer Thom Yorke first solo album, the obvious question at hand is: is it the radio or the head? Fans of the band should abandon any comparison and allow Yorke a little room for personal expression. His unfiltered voice performs a balancing act between angst and hope, and rather than taking on the world’s woes, turns his attention inwards to examine his personal demons. The production is a collage of minimal electronic textures assembled by Nigel Godrich, known for his production work with Radiohead, Beck, Travis, Air and Paul McCartney’s latest. Even in his finest hour of gloom, at its most awkward moment of self-depreciation, Yorke exposes all the beauty of his humanity.

Art Brut isn’t yet another UK indie band. Think of it as a comedy act with guitars. Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Downtown) is so funny that the music, as brilliant as it may be, is forced in the backseat. This “Monthy Python as a rock band” tackle the most important issues of our time, namely sex, drugs and Rock and Roll. A massive creampie in the face of any would-be rockstar who has ever taken himself seriously.

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There’s little to no information floating on the web regarding German band Couch, which really leaves the music of Figur 5 (Moor Music) to speak for itself. A refreshing proposition actually. The album is instrumental and if you’re searching for obvious references, you’ll navigate somewhere between Joy Division and Air, with a more progressive industrial flair. Its mood is broody, where amidst the progressive structure and the precision of the arrangements, lies the raging desire to break loose. Is it an intended metaphor for a dehumanized modern world? In the absence of vocals, the music still conveys a powerful sense of story, like an abstract painting inviting its audience to generate a personal experience by projecting their own psyche onto the canvas. Experience Couch.

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Also from Germany, Klee (taking their name from expressionist painter Paul Klee) continues its infatuation with 80’s New Wave, picking up the torch were New Order dropped it. Songs in German and English on Honeysuckle (Minty Fresh) will rouse your teenage soul with catchy melodies and pop hooks. Vocalist super cutie Suzie Kerstgens plays the part of the bold ingénue, sensual and ethereal, whose delivery would have you believe that positive existentialism is the only remedy for all the bleakness in the world. Here’s a teenage daydream you don’t want to wake up from.

The Futureheads may no longer be left out of the British “Neo Post Punk Revision slash Invasion” of the past three years. Their second album News and Tributes (Vagrant) introduces a pop element missing from their debut which favored style over content. The recipe produces sure fire hits that chomp at the heels of Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs. Furious like Punk Rock, jittery like Disco-caine, with a New Romantic swagger reminiscent of Duran Duran’s early days: it’a five course meal served in a power bar. British invasion? With bands like Futureheads, who’s complaining ?

On Wholeness and Separation (Vertebrae), SF based Halou visit the crossroads between 80’s Ethereal Goth (Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil) and 90’s Trip Hop (Portishead, Sneakerpimps) with a vastly improved sound. In addition to the lush production, their passion for creating moods shifts from intimate spaces to cinematic landscapes, from heartbeat to industrial machinery. Not only has Halou found a path on which to expand, but they reinvigorate a genre that has been feeding on the carcass of an old glory. With this new blood, its future holds a bright promise.

In the making of Night Moves (Reincarnate Music), Lisa Papineau sang, played synthesizers, cymbals, saxophone, Fender Rhodes, bells, arranged it, and featured her own (excellent) photography and sleeve design. Almost a one woman show, if you excluded drummer Julien Tekeyan. Positioning herself in the company of chanteuses like Beth Orton, PJ Harvey, Beth Gibbons (Portishead) or Esthero, you can’t pigeon hole her into the Trip Hop genre. Rather, she’s that cool singer you’ll discover unintentionally on the stage of your local watering hole, affected by her lush voice which must be savored like a rich wine or a summer afternoon spent on warm grass. Her cool factor is undeniable, and with her styling far removed from any pretence, she’ll make a believer out of you. From her sleeve to her tunes, Lisa Papineau is a full package.

Sampling the musical flavors of the world over electronic beats is hardly a novelty, but consider that Toby Marks, a.k.a. Banco de Gaia has been at it for 15 years, making him a pioneer of the genre alongside the Future Sound of London and the Orb. Farewell Ferengistan (6º) invites the listener to leap from one continent to the next, following a loose thread based on a political undertone condemning globalization and its threat to local folklore. It’s a double edged sword really, because the sampling process is also one of assimilation. The rhythms shift from Tribal to Techno, and occasionally dissolve into vaporous ambient soundscapes. Vocals are just one more color on a rich palette and never dominate other elements. Even on a lone acapella piece, the voices are clearly used as instruments. Marks’ audio collage is designed for the wandering mind who longs to get lost, for the sake of a trip without destination.

Azam Ali’s Elysium for the Brave (6º) is a testament to the many roads she has walked on. Born in Iran, raised in India, she was introduced to Western musical culture when she arrived in Los Angeles in 85. Her first band Vast made a name for itself on the World Music circuit, and the ethereal purity of her voice has long been thought after, resulting in collaborations with Crystal Method, the Japanese drumming ensemble Kodo, and Tweaker (AKA Chris Vrenna formerly of NIN) to name a few. She more recently formed the band Niyaz, with two time Grammy nominee producer/Remixer Carmen Rizzo, which debuted at number one on I-Tunes’ World Music charts. Rizzo is present also on Elysium, as is Dead Can Dance collaborator Jeff Rona, film composer Tyler Bates, Trey Gunn and Pat Matelotto of King Crimson, and the classical violinist Kiavash Nourai and Loga Ramin Torkian. Comparisons with Lisa Gerard (DCD) will surely abound, as Azam also plays the hammered dulcimer. This culturally hybrid sound that is nothing short of blissful and the arrangements reveal a deep study of both oriental and western musical heritage, meticulously crafted into a multi-faceted jewel. Singing in English for the first time, Azam’s voice is a syren’s call beckoning the soul to leap into realms of infinite beauty. Elysium then becomes more than a record. It is heaven.

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Don’t mistake Nouvelle Vague’s genuine artistry for a marketing gimmick. It is true that founding duo Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux shamelessly plunder their record collection in search of the favorite songs of their teenage years. But the metamorphosis that ensues displaces the post punk era and rewrites history to relocate the songs on a beach in Rio, a Jazz cave in the Parisian Latin Quarters, or a in a hammock in the shade of a Jamaican palm tree. Part deux in this experiment, A Band Apart (Luaka Bop), is clearly emboldened by the success of the first album, not only in the choice of songs (U2, Echo and the Bunnymen, Buzzcocks, Blondie, Yazoo, Billy Idol, New Order, etc…), but also a production taking unexpected detours: the cinematic Bela Lugosi’s Dead transforms Bauhaus’ signature song into a new classic where haunted organs replace jazzy guitars. Visage’s Fade to Gray aches with melancholy through the drone of an accordion is, punctuated by the sparse note of a xylophone. Singers Phoebe Kildeer and Melodie Pain return, with the addition of Silja and Gerald Toto, a newcomer on the French music scene. A brilliant follow for a band who eventually will have to consider writing their own material. Additional tracks are available on I-Tunes and on the Limited Edition release.

Always expect great things from Ubiquity Records. Expect great things from Quantic. Brighton (UK) based Will Holland’s fourth solo album An Announcement to an Answer (Ubiquity) , follows the critically acclaimed Mishaps Happening with an ever broadening world approach to groove. Quantic recorded musical impressions on his laptop while gigging around the world, from Puerto Rico to Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia. The album’s sophisticated blend of Jazz, Funk, Soul and Hip Hop also features Portland based MC Ohmega Watts, Noelle Scaggs of the Rebirth, Tempo (Candella All Stars), alongside Puerto Rican trumpeters Major and Javier Marrero. A beat cool enough for mojito sipping hipsters, and tasty enough for Jazzheads to give it the nod. Everybody around the pool: this the official announcement to a funky summer.

For questions or submissions email mgoldstein@thebookla.com

BKLA: How did the band come together ?

Christian Bland: Alex and I grew up together in Seabrook, TX. My dad is a preacher and his dad owns a world renowned plant nursery, Maas Nursery. We've been making music together since we were kids. I went off to school at Florida St University to study advertising and to do track and field (high jump) and Alex went to Texas State University. In 2002 he and I met back up in Austin where I was going to school at UT to get my masters in Advertising . In May 2004 he and I met Stephanie, who was an English major at UT at the time. Jennifer (from Gun Barrell City, TX) joined us in June 2004 as the dronist. Nate (from Southern California) joined in Nov 2004, and Kyle (Plano, TX) joined us most recently in January 2006.
Nate Ryan: I had been doing different projects with different people and then I caught the Angels at Beerland in Austin. They were only a four piece then (no bass) so the sound was really raw and stripped down. After hearing their set once I had already written parts to several of their songs. I walked up to Christian after the show and asked him if they wanted a bass player. After the first practice we were in the studio the next day recording tracks for Passover.
Jennifer Raines: I actually met Christian on Myspace. They did not have music up yet, and he asked me to be The Black Angels' friend. I responded back with "Are you just trying to get hot girls to be your friend on this thing?" He responded with
„That's rather modest of you, but you just had good taste in music.” So I laughed and we began hanging out, till one day he said, „Hey, if I show you a few things on the keyboard, would you like to play with us?" I was kinda scared but said, "Yeah I’ll try." I think we rehearsed three times and had a show.

BKLA: What sounds or bands have influenced The Black Angels ?

Nate Ryan: We've all been influenced by similar bands like the The Velvet Underground, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, The Doors, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Warlocks, Syd Barrett, early Pink Floyd, the Verve and many others. Also the sound of insects, factories, war, guns firing, explosions, strange sounds in the night that inspire fear for no known reason, trains, buildings falling, the song of the poet who died in the gutter and air raid sirens.

BKLA: Your Texas hometown, due to festivals like Austin City Limits and SXSW seems to have become the epicenter of Indie Rock. Are you integrated to any particular scene. What is Austin like when there isn’t a festival in town ?

Alex Mass: If there aren't festivals going on, it's something else. A marathon, peace rally, biker rally, gay pride walk, animal appreciation day, Willie nelson's birthday bash, Museum openings, tattoo conventions… Dang, the whole town is cultural Mecca. It makes it almost impossible to be apart of one particular scene. Who wants that anyway?
Nate Ryan: Austin is a great place with an amazing heritage of music. The festivals are lots of fun but it's somewhat of a misrepresentation of what life is like here the rest of the time. There are so many different bands functioning in such a small area that it really makes for an eclectic music scene. But that being said, we don't really feel a part of a particular scene at this point. There aren't any other bands in Austin that we relate to musically. It doesn't feel like any one else is coming from the same place.

BKLA: War is a strong theme in many of your songs, often vivid storytelling rather than a message. Does your personal experience inform your lyrics ?
Have you or someone you know been affected by war ?

Alex Mass: Our lyrics are a reflection of our experience. We like to learn from history, and that often comes through. My uncle was in the army, I have friends fighting in Iraq. The Cold war has effected how we were raised by our parents. Know what to do in case of an air strike, never talk on the phone about things you don't want the government to know about. A sense of paranoia and suspicion looms over us like the daily shadow from a Texas Live oak.
Nate Ryan: War affects all of us on a personal level. Members of our generation, friends, cousins, siblings, lovers are the ones dying and acting out the will of a handful of decision makers in power. The tendency is to forget this or to make the situation far removed from everyday life. By putting the situation into a song, the imagination can take over and bring the reality to an immediate and personal level. People, are dying every day for reasons that a majority of the world does not believe in. I guess we feel an obligation, whether conscious or subconscious to shine a light on what makes it personal for everyone.
Christian Blands: We have several friends who have been killed in the American war overseas. It seems we don't learn from our history. We lost the war in Vietnam, and now we are repeating history in Iraq. We spend our time by the shore observing the stupidity of it all.
Jennifer Raines: My cousin was actually a Marine in Desert Storm and I remember a tape he sent to us telling us goodbye in case he did not make it back. It was the scariest thing I have ever heard. He was whispering goodbyes as bombs were going off no more than 10 feet away. As far as what we choose to write about its not something we sit around and think about its just something that is important going on that people need to think about.

BKLA: Live, the band swaps instruments and sometimes vocals around. How do you decide who will play what for each song ?

Nate Ryan: Usually someone will bring a riff or lyrical idea and it will inspire a song. We just listen or follow a gut instinct to tell us which instrument needs to be played. Whoever has the idea for the bass line generally plays the bass and so on with the other instruments. We'll experiment with a song for as long as it takes till it feels right. Sometimes that's ten minutes or sometimes it's a month playing the song to figure out the right instrumentation and structure for the song. We like to keep things fresh so a lot of times we'll play a song live and let it develop there which gives it a cool dynamic.

BKLA: On stage, your songs really seem to take a life of their own. How much room do you leave for improvisation ?

Nate Ryan: It really depends on the night. If we are feeling it we'll let it go as long as we want.
Christian Blands: We improvise more along the lines of Syd Barrett, rather than along the lines of a 'jam band'... that's just boring..

BKLA: Any memorable gigs ?

Christian Blands: SXSW of 2006 was cool. We got to play the Little Radio day show slot for Brian Jonestown Massacre because the members were stuck in an airport. Frontman Anton got up on stage with us and we jammed one of his songs, 'Feel It' for about 15 minutes. It was pretty surreal sharing the stage with one of the people we take so much of our inspiration from.

BKLA: Any interesting anecdotes from your life on the road ?

Christian Blands: Stopping at Fort Sumter when we passed through South Carolina to go to Florida was cool. We're all into history so we always stop at cool historical markers along the way.

BKLA: There are rumors of Ghost stories surrounding the band. Tell us…

Christian Blands: I have heard things in our house at night, gone down to investigate and nothing is there, but a gives me a really eerie feelin..
Jennifer Raines: Apparently someone was murdered here in the 70's. At night you can hear someone walking around downstairs from 3:30 until 4 am. It's pretty strange. Nothing too scary has happened, it seems to be a peaceful spirit..

BKLA: What’s next for the Black Angels ?

Christian Blands: We plan to continue touring the USA through the end of 2006. By early next year we hope to make it overseas to the UK, Australia, and Europe. We also have 7 songs from our new album done. We'd like to have it all recorded by the end of September so that it can be out by early Spring 2007.

Words and photos: Marc Goldstein (www.myspace.com/mar©). Make Up: Jennifer Noodleman. Shot on location at the Troubadour, W.Hollywood. Special thanks to: Chris Estey at Light in the Attic records. The Black Angels and their manager Brian Jones. Francis Ten.

The Black Angels online:
www.theblackangels.com
www.myspace.com/theblackangels

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