#and the la la las build with the babes and the bass drum coming in???? YOWZA

[moonchild-in-blue]

Hi, Don’t Fear The Reaper has been looping stuck in my head for the past two hours and I’m not sure why but. God. Her low register?! Miss Birdsong. Maam. We are unworthy of your vocal ability

That’s all ok love you bye

Number 26 on my Summer Recap. That cover is insane and her voice makes me genuinely pissed off. How unfair.

[frawleyonmusic]

Band Room; My Sanctuary of Sounds

Walking out into the cool and calm night air after studying for five straight hours makes me feel alive. Having finished the work that was daunting me all week, I check the time to find it's 10:30 p.m. So what do I do from here? I won’t head back to my off-campus apartment, not yet. I don’t try to find a party to go to. No. I head to the VPAC (Visual and Performing Arts Center). When approaching the VPAC the White panels reflect against the street lights outside of the building. The third floor lights up like a beacon, glowing through the glass wall. Canvas paintings loom behind the glass in various stages of completion. I watch the third floor as I approach but once I get under the building I make a beeline for the band room. While swiping my card to get in, I pause to listen for any signs of company behind the heavy wooden door. Nobody’s here. That’s okay. I like playing alone, too. Flipping the light switches on to reveal a row of big, beautiful amplifiers which sit on chairs. The knobs and brand designs shine despite being well-worn. Complementing the amps, rows of guitars hanging above on wall-mounts. Electric and acoustic guitars. On the opposing wall, the drum kit sits sturdily facing the amplifiers with the keyboard to the right. Setting down my bag on the floor I pick out my guitar case from the dozen or so cases that sit on the far sidewall. 

Every time I open my guitar case I get a feel of satisfaction. The blonde and tannish maple-flame top of my SC 77 never gets old. The body is solid mahogany. The back of the guitar is beautifully polished, to show off the warm-brown wooden body. Mother of pearl binding and fret inlays smile up at me, with blue, green, and silver shine. The neck is rosewood and has a black satin finish, which contrasts the mother of pearl inlays. The pickguard that rests against the pickups (the metal magnets that pick up sound on electric guitars) matches the black neck and tone knobs. The hardware (including the pickups, bridge, and tuners) is gold. I’m not one to name my guitars, but I’ve found that I do get attached to them. I found my guitar online, which is typically a bad idea for purchasing an instrument. Although, I can’t say I didn’t do my homework. A little shop in LA called AIO specializes in making beautiful affordable instruments. Like I’ve done a few hundred times before; I “pick up my guitar and play. Just like yesterday.��� (Pete Townsend, The Who). 

Until this year there had never been a place that rivaled my own room in terms of finding tranquility. The band room has lots of people who seek its serenity, or its chaos, depending on who else is there. Part of the fun for me is not knowing exactly what, or who, I will find. There are plenty of times that I have to leave and come back later, but just as often I find musicians to jam with. I love stumbling across a fellow guitarist who is practicing with a backing track, (pre-recorded music to improvise over), it’s pretty much an invitation. *Come make music with me.* Just earlier today, I got out of class and headed to the band room spontaneously. What did I find? Joe and Cat getting ready to practice one of our songs. Cat and I started the jam trading guitar solos over a song she wrote. Within twenty minutes Will joined us, and then we really had a garage band. Drums, bass, and two guitars, that's heaven right there. A lot of the time we won’t have any song in mind whatsoever. We will mess around until one player inspires the others to chime in. I will be sitting there with my guitar, thinking of that song that was stuck in my head from that morning. I’ll try to use a piece of it to make something happen. When I start getting a rhythm going I’ll notice that I am not alone. The hodgepodge of screwing around has stopped. The players are listening. Will has stopped what he was doing and is adding accents to my rhythm. Joe is laying down a bass line that makes my foot tap along. Cat is laying into the beat with catchy hi-hats and snare. That’s how it happens. At least that’s one of the ways it happens.

The band room has a lot of toys. It's a playground to explore. As a guitarist, I’d say I have the most options. There are about five guitars in the room, but the greatest source of possibility comes from all the amps. You can really shake the place with a Fender Champion, and let me tell you, I really do. Switching between tones of metal, blues, jazz, rock, and southern twang is liberating. You can create so many sounds. There are also plenty of crazy effects to throw on top of all that. From crushing-crunchy gain that you hear in rock and metal to the psychedelic-spacial phaser, to punchy flanger which is like a slap of sound. Bow!

Being alone in the band room is totally different from a jam. Back when I couldn’t play very well, I used to get bored quickly. That is no longer the case. There are nights where I will leave the band room at 1 a.m. after spending five hours in the room. Sometimes I just want to see how long I can keep playing. There is just so much to do. I can recreate my favorite songs, spin them in new ways, or make music that is entirely my own. Typically, if I have the patience, I begin by practicing scales with my metronome. For many, scales are a chore, but I get satisfaction from perfectly timing each note with the beat. Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do, Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. Coordinating both hands to have the string pressed, with my left-hand fingers, and plucked with the right. It is really satisfying to me. When you get it down, it is almost as if you become an observer watching your fingers dance up and down the strings, doing the work for you while you keep the beat. Moving on from scales is typically mood-dependent, but I always have songs that I am working on. Usually, I will practice a song that I am learning. Babe I am going to leave you by Led Zeppelin is one of my current projects. I play rock, folk, blues, and all kinds of stuff in between. I love playing Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and lots of other tunes. As I expand my versatility I can adapt to different styles. Having so many options for sounds with the amps of the band room is a blessing. Someday I will be able to switch from rock to funk, to jazz with ease. Maybe I'll be able to play a fusion of all three.

I try to practice one particular thing for as long as I can focus. When I get bored, I pivot. A lot of the time I pivot from practicing set songs and exercises to improvisation. Now, soloing is a hard concept to wrap your brain around when you are getting started. Every note can sound good or bad depending on where you came from, and where you are going. There are limitless ways to phrase your playing. In soloing you create a sound and see where you can take it... or where it can take you. Most of the time for me personally (as a less experienced guitar player), I am concentrating to hit the notes compellingly. However, sometimes, when I am really feeling the groove of the music, it becomes effortless. Like a journey of exploration rather than a search. Playing alone can be liberating for me as I am less concerned with messing up in front of others and I can concentrate on experimenting. Sometimes I really feel like I'm performing at a concert. The room reverberates according to the touches of my fingertips. I get lost in my own world for a time. That’s real magic.

Whether I'm in a bad mood, a good mood, or just miss my guitar, the band room is there, full of possibility. There will be times in my life where I don’t have a space available to play as I do now… as loud and often as I want. I’ll always miss the band room in that way. A new standard for music space has been set for me. I know now that I will have to build a studio space of my own, someday.

[wtburadio]

REVIEW: Allah-Las @ Brighton Music Hall 03/25

The Los Angeles-based surf rock band, Allah-Las, took the stage of Brighton Music Hall with their vintage look, instruments, and sound on March 25.

Since the release of their first few singles in 2011, the quartet has been compared to bands like The Zombies and The Animals. They achieve this retro sound while still infusing contemporary aspects to create music that makes a listener long for the ‘60’s and a California beach.

The band is comprised of Miles Michaud on vocals and guitar, Matthew Correia on drums, Pedrum Siadatian as lead guitar, and Spencer Dunham on bass, with all members taking turns with vocals and backup vocals.

Three out of the four members met working at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles, California. They went from coworkers, to friends, to bandmates playing backyard shows at friends’ houses. Now the band is releasing and touring their third album, Calico Review.

In this album, the songwriting duties were equally distributed amongst the bandmates. This cooperation and unison clearly shows in their live performance; all members took turns singing lead on certain songs.

Opening for them was The Babe Rainbow from Byron Bay, Australia. The psychedelic retro band got the crowd moving. Their whimsical and lively energy seemed reminiscent of early Rolling Stones. Like the headliners, The Babe Rainbow has a ‘60’s revival sound.

The band came out to perform a diverse set list comprised of many tracks off the new album along with hits from their prior albums. Lead singer Michaud sleepily and charmingly sang out the tunes and would take short breaks to sip tea from his mug while the others would sip from their Coronas.

The classic ‘60’s rock sound of the Allah-Las drew in a diverse crowd Saturday night. The sold out crowd was a mix of college students, 30 year olds, and older adults all ready to be transported by the Allah-Las’ sound.

The stage presence of the band was subtly captivating and humble. No wild presence on stage, just a group of people playing honest music. The rowdy crowd appreciated it shouting “I love you” every chance they could.

Many tracks from their self-titled album were interwoven into the set and generated a lot of commotion from the crowd. The laidback tunes “Don’t You Forget It” and “501-415” had the crowd swaying around. The crowd also sang along in unison to “Could be You,” the single off the new record. Michaud was clearly thrilled with the popularity and thanked the crowd for their support.  

The band filled their set list with a couple of instrumental songs like “Ferus Gallery” that got the crowd just as energetic. With the laid-back rhythmic percussion of Correia and screeching guitar solos of Siadatian, it was difficult for the crowd to be still.

Towards the end, the band had an epic and dramatic build up to one of their most famous songs, “Tell Me What’s on Your Mind.” The band was almost teasing the audience with the beginning interlude. Allah-Las shifted the melody ever so slightly so the audience could not yet sing along, but still know what was coming.

The Allah-Las ended their set with an encore where they played an extended version of “Catamaran,” the first track off their debut album. At this point, the crowd was at their peak, jumping across the room and belting the scratchy tunes.

The nostalgia of their music resonates not only with the audience, but with the members of the Allah-Las themselves. Their presence on stage mimics their laid-back sound, but it is clear they are passionate and committed to the music they make.  

-Emily Pintor