Interview: Ronald Jean-Gilles of LAE

 

Sometimes it’s the bands that fly under the radar that matter the most. Their performances and records are reverred as legend by those lucky enough to have experienced them while a large percentage of the music buying public are none the wiser. Sometimes a band gets another chance, like Montreal’s LAE. Formerly Lae-Tsue, these guys made an impressionable splash in the 90’s post-punk scene, but without the ripples spreading to further out circles. I’ll admit I was in the dark to their existance until I heard about their reformation through Earsplit PR which of course made the discovery all the more special.

It’s not a far-cry to guess that LAE are influenced by 90’s post-punk like Slint, but with their new LP Break the Clasp they bring something all their own to the table. Abrasive and enlightening all the same, this record has a sort of meticulous yet simple desperation to it that is made even better by producer Steve Austin’s (Today is the Day) vocal contributions. Ronald Jean-Gilles’ bass-work is another strong highlight that keeps the album engaging, and it was a pleasure to talk to him about some things relating to him and his band’s new record.

What lead to the reformation of LAE?

RJ: Our gear had been piling dust for a few years in Marc’s woodshop. Marc, our guitar player, never stopped playing acoustic guitar in his living room, I had been playing the stand-up bass for fun in folk and jazz projects and Stephane, the other guitar player, didn’t even have a guitar anymore. We all missed playing very loud. Every time we saw each other we kept saying that we should play music together again. One day Marc gave us a call and got us together in his woodshop and that was it. Marc had a riff that we work on and became the song ‘Reunion’. After a few jams and a few songs, we really needed a drummer. We knew Serj, a very talented multi-instrumentalist, who we had played with in the past. He’s one of the rare drummers who really understands our music.

What led you guys to record with Steve Austin? What did you think of his idea to contribute vocals to the record?

I have to admit that I didn’t know Steve, nor Today Is The Day. Marc did and made me listen to some of his work and we all agreed that he was a fit and that he could make us sound exactly the way we wanted.

It seems to me like he falls right in the mood of these songs which aren’t exactly like Today is the Day or even most of the bands he produces.

He fell in love with our music. Lack of luck, confidence or talent, I can’t really say which one; we never had a real singer in any of our previous projects. The spark happened when we left Steve alone in the studio for about an hour. That’s all he needed to come up with amazing vocals and an intense melody on the Fender Rhodes for the song ‘Broken Knee’. We all were stunned; we had just found our signer. Steve quickly became a good friend.

It sounds like the recording sessions for this record were really free and held a lot of experimentation with different instruments/effects. Is this a correct assumption or did you guys have a pretty good idea of how you wanted to present these songs?

We knew the basic bass, guitars and drums tracks even though two of the songs have improvised endings: ‘Break The Clasp’ and ‘Cold Dark Drive’. For months after the session, we drove back and forth from Montreal to Steve’s studio in Maine to work on overdubs. Some were planned, like the accordion and some guitar tracks and the rest is total experimentation with the keyboards, the trumpet, the musical saw, the back-up vocals, and even Steve’s vocals. Each song became like a buffet with parts and tracks we could choose from. I have to admit that sometimes the buffet looked more like a puzzle with extra pieces!

I hear post-rock, psychedelia, post-hardcore, and noise-rock blended together on this record. I imagine you probably get tired of people trying to classify you one way or another but would you say that the band’s influences are mutually shared for the most part?

We all pretty much come from the same background, except maybe for Steve. We were all into indie-rock in the 90’s. We always smile whenever we get labelled with a genre because most of the time we don’t necessarily identify to that or worst even know what they mean. We just play the music we’ve always played… but like to think that we’re getting better at it.

What does your rig consist of live?

I play a short scale Ampeg AMB1 bass or a fretless Fender Jazz bass depending on the song. I also have two amps linked by a footswitch. I have a SWR WorkingPro 700 bass amp and a Music Man Seventy-five bass/guitar amp. The SWR plays through an 8×10 Marshall cab, and the Music Man plays through a 4×10 Yorkville cab and another 4×10 Peavey cab. And yes… I sometimes blow all 16 speakers at the same time when I play.

What did you play on the record?

I used everything on the record.

Why?

The fretless Jazz bass is smooth and has a bold sound. I use it in songs like ‘Sexy Sadie’, ‘To Give You The Stars Above’ and ‘New Moon’ where it slides and rolls and feels like my fingers never leave the bass.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Ampeg bass. I love the way it sounds, the touch is amazing. The frets aren’t too far apart, so it almost feels like a guitar, the first instrument I learned being classical guitar, I like that. The other guys laugh at me when I say that the bass plays quick… but it’s true! The issue I have with the Ampeg bass is purely aesthetic; I don’t like its pointy head. There I said it. I wish Ampeg could make a special edition of that bass for me with a head that looks more like a Fender or something like that. Nevertheless, I like its sharpness, precision and reactivity. I use it in songs like ‘Sister’, ‘Break the Clasp’ and ‘Geisha’.

It sounds like the title track could have built off of the bass-line to some extent. Was that actually the case for that or any of the other songs on Break the Clasp?

Most of the songs on the album were written over 10 years ago. Usually, it’s either Marc who shows up with a guitar riff or I have a bass riff and we jam it for hours, weeks, months until it becomes something totally different. At the end we can’t really say who came up with what. I remember playing the first part of ‘Break The Clasp’ repeatedly until Marc found the perfect melody. What I like about this song is that it holds different ways of playing with circular repetitive basslines, straight forward melodies and bass harmonics blended in a sequence. One thing’s for sure though is that the bass is really present in certain songs like ‘Geisha’, ‘New Moon’, ‘Spare Me Logic’ and ‘Sexy Sadie’.

The cover art really stands out, as do all Sonny Kay images. What drew you to him for this record?

Sonny and Marc have been friends for years now. Marc asked him if he was interested to do the artwork for the album and he accepted. He’s a great artist.

What are your plans now that the album is done? Is LAE going to go back to being a touring entity?

We’re already working on our next EP, but yeah, we’re eager to play shows and start touring. Expect more bass and some effects, I just bought new pedals…

I want to thank Ronald for being a great interview Dave at Earsplit for coming through as always. 

You can listen to Break the Clasp in it’s entirety here:

http://thequietus.com/articles/16787-lae-break-the-clasp-album-stream

http://www.thecompoundrecs.com/

Album Review: Boris – Noise

 

With the greater than usual number of genre-spanning releases that this long-running Japanese trio imports, they’re working their way into being one of those rare acts who you love, but you simply can’t be bothered to listen to every new album they put out. Combine roving from doom to J-pop and an affinity for confusion that leads them to do things like giving the name “Heavy Rocks” to two completely different records and you may leave the people wanting an album like Noise that serves as a love letter to both longtime fans and barely-familiars. Noise doesn’t reach for any polar extreme of the band’s sound, but instead utilizes everything in their arsenal to create a focused and satisfying heavy rock album.

Opener “Melody” is the kind of high-energy, fist-pumping rock anthem that may be familiar to those who have kept up with Boris’ non J-pop output in recent years, and “Vanilla” keeps the train moving by hearkening back to their stoner-rock days for a spell. “Heavy Rain” switches gears and sports a wall of distortion and washed-out tremolo picking, all moving at doom pace to wonderfully contrast with Wata’s soft vocals. It’s a great track, and shows off the band’s shoe-gazier side that they’ve been known to occasionally indulge in. But if you think that’s the extent of this album’s moodiness prepare yourself for “Angel”. At an exhausting 18:41 it’s just as much a ballad moving at a glacial pace as it is a good demonstration of Boris’ more cinematic songwriting abilities that they’re finally beginning to show more of. One cannot argue that these songs aren’t thorough listens, even when “Quicksilver” kicks up the RPMs it’s for almost 10 minutes.

The peppy “Taiyo No Baka” would have fit in just fine with the band’s 2011 J-pop leaning releases if it were synthed up just a little more, and the properly titled “Siesta” closes the album. It leaves an odd aftertaste as the track is more of a melancholy post-metal instrumental than it is anything else. As is sometimes the case with Boris the album also serves as a auditory treasure trove for guitar nerds. Even being far more of a bass nerd myself my ears were still perked up by all the different tones flying around, and I could see the guitar guys going track by track and trying to decipher which Gibson, fuzz, and tube head were being used for each lead.

I could agree with the assessment that this is probably Boris’ finest albums to be released in several years, but while it may seem definitive now, it’s hard to tell if Noise will stand up to landmarks like Pink and Smile once we’ve had some years to look back. Either way, it should go without saying by now that whether you’re a fan or you’ve never heard Boris, Noise makes some.

Noise is available through Sargent House Records

http://boris.bandcamp.com/album/noise

T(s)DB at Austin City Limits Festival?

The (slightly) Discerning Bassist at ACL 2014?

Yes indeed, due to a generous invitation from friends I found myself in an unlikely situation the first weekend of October, as one amongst the tens of thousands at Austin City Limits festival 2014. Those of you who are familiar with my site probably know how far away the music I tend to focus on is from “cool” or “hip”, but even though I found myself rather lost at a festival such as this I still saw a rare opportunity to give you ACL coverage as only T(s)DB can. Meaning in this case, disjointed coverage of some of the acts I saw amidst endless seas of people (mostly unpleasant) and the harsh Texas heat. Enjoy some highlights!

Temples

Temples were the first band whose whole set I was present for and fortunately they were on one of the larger stages early Friday before the crowds set in. Getting things started right, Temples actually ended up being my easy choice for most pleasant surprise of ACL award. Temples are a young English band that give the late 60’s psych revival a bit of a shot in the arm. Not only do they have the sonic aspects down as many of their contemporaries already do, but their song-craft is more than competent enough to deepen their impression. After listening to their recent debut LP Sun Structures I’d have to say that their live sound is even better than the hazy psych-pop production on record, of course things tend to have a bit more oomph on a huge stage with walls of monitors and a professional sound guy but even with that said the set was mesmerizing. Unsurprisingly there appears to be some idol worship here; the band’s bassist appeared almost identical to Live in Pompeii era Roger Waters even down to his classic pickup-guarded P-bass and his pick-attack thump. These guys sounded great and I was able to meet my reverb and delay quotient for the day thanks to them.

Jimmy Cliff

Getting to see a reggae legend like Jimmy Cliff perform was a real treat and was one of the performances I was most looking forward to. The guy has energy for his age and his voice held up very well. Of course his band was right on it, and I was a bit surprised to see the tell-tale stomach-rattling sub of a live reggae show was being provided by a Fender Jazz Bass instead of something known for being warmer. Fortunately Jimmy’s set didn’t pull from his 80’s pop-reggae years and instead dealt in stand-bys like “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get it if you Really Want”. The weather was nice, the vibes were good, and the cloud of weed smoke everywhere you looked/smelled was thick, it was a quintessential Jimmy Cliff experience.

OutKast

What can be said about OutKast? Despite not being able to get even remotely close to the stage in any capacity, it was a party through and through. The masses stretched far and wide beyond the Honda stage area, but no matter where you looked people were dancing. People leading drunken, banner-led dance lines through the festival grounds through hits like “So Fresh and So Clean” and “Roses” are the kind of experiences you can’t get anywhere else. By the way, this is unrelated but the banner watching is one of the most fun parts of ACL, I thought I had an original idea until I spotted a house Greyjoy banner during Lakestreet Dive…I should have known the GOT nerds would be a step ahead of me.

the tUnEyArDs

What these folks do on paper sounds like something I’d find pretty awesome, and even though it is a delightfully creative concept to exist in indie pop, I’ve always found Merrill Garbis’ voice to be too grating for me to really become a fan of this group. I knew that witnessing what they do live would be worth it though, it’s just too bad that the Retail Me Not stage was such a nightmare for actually being able to see anything. Thanks to the aid of a big screen stage right, you could indeed make out some of the polyrhythmic interplay between Merrill and her fellow percussionist/vocalist companions and it was impressive. They also alternated singing certain notes of vocal melodies in rapid succession and payed some tribute to both Steve Reich and traditional African music. While one may think they are hearing digital sub with the band’s huge low-end rumble, you’d actually be hearing the P-bass rumble of Nate Brenner, whose lines add both groove and colorful melody to each song.

Trombone Shorty and the New Orleans Avenue

Trombone Shorty and his band appear to be one of those productions thats at it’s best in a live setting, and true it’s not the kind of thing I could see myself spinning at home. As a musician I ventured I’d be impressed and entertained though, and I was right. These guys were on fire and deal in groove of the funk/rock variety, while the music itself may have gotten a tad too jam band in places for my personal tastes, this was definitely the most adept playing I saw at ACL. Trombone Shorty himself displays a level of chops on my former low brass instrument of choice that’s almost tiring to behold, I don’t know how he produces the oxygen to make that thing scream the way he does. The band certainly had a rock backbone, especially with the bassist often times choosing to let distorted chords ring out rather than to simply groove. This wasn’t the kind of thing I could dig all the time but it was worth checking out.

The Avett Brothers

I’ll never apologize for loving the Avett Brothers’ Emotionalism album as much as I did just because they may or may not have helped ring in the horrid indie-folk movement that polluted the beginning of this decade. Besides, I remember when these North Carolina boys were doing fairly small shows around Charlotte and they’ve been at this for ten years, so even though their past two albums haven’t been so great I don’t want to hear it. Their live presentation has certainly upped it’s game but I couldn’t tell if this was for better or worse. The band sounded excellent and most of the time they were entertaining, but I could have done without the hoky electric version of the already annoyingly catchy “Kick Drum Heart”. “Laundry Room” and “Murder in the City” were great though and I was pleased to hear some competent, extended bluegrass jamming early in the set. We also weren’t miles away, it would certainly seem in this day and age that crappy djs are winning out against the kind of band you traditionally picture at being associated with Austin City Limits.

The Gaslight Anthem

I’ve never felt particularly strong one way or the other about the Gaslight Anthem, I just though they’d be a fun live band. Even though they were enjoyable this is obviously the kind of band that demands familiarity in order to be fully appreciated. Their punk by way of Springsteen anthems were good but didn’t arouse the kind of crowd reaction I was imagining, another example of the rock bands of ACL getting the cold shoulder I suppose. I dipped out a little early to head over to where Phantogram was starting.

Phantogram

Perhaps the decision to try and get closer to Phantogram was a bit too ambitious as I was only able to wade through a good portion of the sea of douches before I ended up finding my view blocked by waving banners anyway. Still, hefty attendance and visibility problems aside, their set was one of my most enjoyed of the weekend. The more organic aspects of Phantogram’s sound (live guitar and drums) meld so well with the digital elements that there’s more or less a seemless connect between the two. While I’m not usually a huge fan of dancy music, Phantogram’s melodies are often times dark and moody enough to make a pretty compelling listen for me and I found my head bobbing along pretty hard to songs like “Blackout Days” and “Don’t Move”

Best food of ACL:

I don’t normally include this sort of thing because I’m not a food critic nor would I care to be, but I really liked this festival’s system of having local food trucks supply the food. There was even a craft beer tent, and while it might not have been cheap you may as well pay for something that’s actually worth it instead of the usual outrageously overpriced chain restaurant festival fare.

Torchy’s Tacos, Tamale Addiction, East Side Kings, and whoever it was who had the Nutella Frito pie (which I could eat everyday) all deserve mention. The day before the festival started I got to try a burger from Hopdoddy’s  which was easily the best burger I’ve ever had. Afterward we had a chance to get beef brisket from Franklin’s BBQ, which was every bit as worth the hype as anything could possible be and was life-changing.

Also awesome? Multiple water bottle filling stations (it was really hot the whole time), banners such as GOT house banners and the double eyed and mouthed Steve Buscemi. Best T-shirt goes to “Keep North Korea weird.” I also can’t forget the nearly Biblical seen of watching masses run back to Eminem’s stage after he waited a full five minutes before coming out for an encore.

Not so awesome? The impossibility of navigating through the tens of thousands at the Retail-Me-Not stage while Iggy Azelea was performing. The crowd literally went so far back it was touching another stage and took about a half hour to get away from. I couldn’t even get to a point where I could see a blasted thing when St. Vincent played the same stage.

I also got to go to an awesome arcade that had a perfect selection of classic Midway games and my favorite 90’s (X-Men!) and current arcade games (Street Fighter 4!) to cap the trip off perfectly. Austin, I hope to be back soon.

Album Review: Trioscapes Digital Dream Sequence

 

Dan Brigg’s virtuoso level bass playing isn’t the only testament to how driven he is as a musician. The fact that he managed to put together a group (whose members don’t live in the same state and had never played together before) that exists on such an elevated level in the midst of him being in an internationally touring band is just as much of one. Prog/jazz/fusion band Trioscapes just released their second full-length LP on Metal Blade but I’ll spare you the intro story I’m sure you’ve heard by this point. If you have even a passing interest in this band you already know this isn’t going to be an easy listen, but in the midst of the chaos these guys have a few new tricks up their sleeves.

While I enjoyed “Separate Realities” I also thought that there was alot more that could have been done in the format this band introduced. While the songs were challenging, interesting, and fun to listen to, they sounded like pieces that were composed once these three monsters got together and realized just what they were capable of. In other words, the whole record seemed set to impress with chops rather than leave a significant impression. “Digital Dream Sequence” stretches some tonal legs that I was hoping for: Dan’s bass for one explores different kinds of ear candy and reaches much farther than his work in Btbam. There’s way more distortion and fuzz present, and at times his tone is downright filthy, but he also mutates with the help of phasers, flangers, etc. and get’s plenty of tasty voices out of his instrument. A big missed opportunity before that is remedied here is Walter Fancourt’s  woodwinds, which flaunt more effect processing and a greater tonal range in general. I realize that’s alot of talk about how cool this record sounds but that brings me to my next point.

I’m glad to hear more textural/etherworldly woodwind sounds and more contorted, ear-candy bass but at the end of the day this is still an album that will hold a 80% audience of musicians. I’m not saying that non-players won’t listen, I’m just saying that when an album is composed as structurally and rhythmically unhinged as this one is it’s really only meant for a certain kind of person. Yes there’s some groove and some riffs you can sink your teeth into. And yes this albums’ listening experience can be wild and immersive, which I wish that more people cared about, but the musicianship is still the main focus. Don’t get me wrong though, I thought that the album’s second half gets to stretch out pretty nicely and I still greatly enjoyed it, but I hope this album’s growth shows that next time around there will be even less emphasis on the jaw-dropping. Still, whether it’s to nerd out on in awe with your friends or to throw on for sheer aural escape, “Digital Dream Sequence” delivers where you want it to.

Cross-Posting: My Guest Blog on the Strange District

I may have gotten a bit too comfortable after interviewing one of my favorite musicians of all time and before I knew it I had let a considerable amount of time go by without posting anything. I thought I’d break the silence by posting my first entry on my good friend Daniel Hagerman’s blog/podcast the Strange District. Some of the work I’ll be doing there will have a relevant place here as well and I wanted to make sure that you guys would get to take a gander at what he’s up to. In my first column I share some wisdom that I’ve gained in the 13 years that I’ve humbly been making music. I want to thank the followers and readers I have here and I assure you, there is more content coming shortly.

http://www.thestrangedistrict.com/?p=128

Interview: Jeff Caxide of Palms (ex-ISIS)

 

Courtesy of: http://www.fotolog.com/post_alternativo/

When I first started the (slightly) Discerning Bassist and began thinking of bass players who I would like to speak with, Jeff Caxide was one of the first names that came to mind. Those of you who are familiar with my humble little corner of “progressive” low-end musings know that Jeff is kind of like the embodiment of what this site is all about. He’s been in one of the most important bands of the last decade (ISIS) while lending his talents to various other great groups such as post-metal supergroup Spylacopa and currently, Palms and Crone. Palms had one of the most anticipated (and best according to my year-end list) albums of last year, where he and former bandmates Aaron Harris and Bryant Clifford Meyer got together with Chino Moreno of Deftones fame and made a definitive ambient hard rock album with their debut.

It’s not just his resume of bands that’s impressive though, Jeff leaves distinct sonic marks in his bass playing in every project he’s involved with. While he can occupy different tonal spaces from song to song, he’s still one of the few modern bassists who has an instantly recognizable tone that cannot be confused with anyone else. In ISIS alone he would dig out subterranean lows to match the band’s heavy moments, lead the band with ethereal melodies coated in a unique blend of reverb, flange, and delay, and provide atmospheric textures all of which defined the band’s sound. He applies this approach to Palms, where he somehow manages to play a supporting role, lead the songs, and define the song’s very mood all at once. Jeff’s influence on forward-thinking heavy music is as immeasurable as his influence on mine and many other’s bass playing, so it was a true privilege to get to speak to him in the following interview.

Hello Jeff, where are you right now and what are you up to?

JC: Hi. I’m in my living room in Los Angeles watching “Real Time With Bill Maher”.

Tell me about how Palms formed

Palms formed when Chino and Aaron went on a hike. Chino asked Aaron what he was going to be up to now that ISIS was breaking up. Aaron mentioned that he, Cliff and myself were thinking about playing together.  He seemed interested in singing over it so when we demoed some songs we sent it over to him.  A few hours later he sent it back with some rough ideas he did just off the top of his head. We all met up a little while later and just agreed that we were gonna make some music together

Had Chino ever talked about forming a band with you, Aaron or Bryant before?

Not that I know of.

Did you guys have anything in particular in mind when forming Palms or did you just get together and start writing?

We didn’t have anything particular in mind really. We just started playing together and it sound different enough from what we were doing in ISIS to justify continuing on.

You’re distinct and recognizable bass tone is a significant of Palms’ sound and was always one of favorite sonic aspects of Isis. I’ve also always thought that your playing style shows that bass guitar can be utilized in different contexts than what is normally encouraged. What went into developing the approach and tone that set you apart?

Thanks. I’ve been told by a few people that I approach bass more like a guitar.  It’s not something I do consciously. I never set out to be different I just do what feels natural to me.

Tell about what basses, amps, and pedals that you’re using with Palms.

I use and Aguilar DB750 with and Aguilar 8×10 cab. I have two reverb/delay pedals, two delays, a pitchshifter, two distortions, tremolo and an EQ. There are probably a few I’m forgetting.

Are these the same that you were using in the later Isis years?

Pretty much.

Is there any particular trick that you can share on how you balance  low and high frequencies so easily? It seems to me that your tone always keeps the low end intact while still ringing clearly on higher reverbed/flanged passages. 

Sure.  Whenever I do anything with delay and or reverb I cut all the lows on my Music Man and switch to a pick. I used to play all the other stuff finger style but I found myself playing with a pick more and more over the last few years.

What can you tell me about what Palms has planned for the future?

Not sure yet. We have a handful of new songs and we are in the middle of writing some more. So another album should be out at some point.

Any plans for a US tour?

No plans for a full US tour.

Any good music come out recently that you’re excited about/listening to?

Tons. New albums from Fennesz, Bohren and Der Club of Gore and Swans are all fantastic. My friend just turned me onto Raime and Voices From The Lake. Chino turned us all on to Northcape. I could give long descriptions for all these bands but you should just go and check it all out.

Any other projects that you’re going to be involved in you can tell us about?

I do a solo project called Crone. It’s a drony ambient kind of thing. I put out an album back in 2011 and it’s something I’ve been thinking about doing again. I also have some lose plans to make music with various friends across the country.

 

I want to thank Monica at Speakeasy PR and Jeff for taking the time to work with me! Everyone make sure to check out Palms and Crone.

Pigs Have Flown Again: Why I’m Excited for the New Pink Floyd Album

 

David Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson may have let the cat out of the bag this past Saturday, but the announcement has now been made official that the stars are aligning and there will be a new Pink Floyd album later this year.  The material will consist of ambient instrumental recordings that were done during the Division Bell sessions and will thus contain the now deceased Richard Wright, apparently David and drummer Nick Mason have been going back in to continue to work on the sessions (with Dave adding vocals) with the intent of releasing them as a new Floyd LP.

With as much excitement as this announcement has sparked it’s also brought about no small amount of outrage from fans that long-time bassist and key vocalist/lyricist Roger Waters will not be apart of the new album. The disappointment is understandable, after years of bad blood the three surviving members of Pink Floyd have gone out of their way to let the public know that they’re currently friends and have even gone out of their way to perform together on occasion. Needless to say I have mixed feelings, I still almost don’t even feel like it’s real that we’re actually getting more music from what I believe is the greatest rock band in history, but at the same time I can’t begin to understand why Roger wouldn’t come on board at least for some lyrics/vocals and make this the first true collaboration these guys have done since the late 70’s. Since this is music and the internet, the butt-hurt is running rampant, but while I myself had my misgivings, I’m going to tell you why I believe that this new album will indeed be a proper Pink Floyd record, and why you should care.

First off, Richard Wright never gets enough credit for just how much we contributed to what we know as Pink Floyd. Not only did he have plenty of writer’s credits on the earlier records, his voice was the perfect harmonic accompaniment to Gilmour’s. It’s also a no-brainer that his piano/synth/organ work created many of the band’s defining moments. The chilling piano on the “Great Gig in the Sky”, the haunting synths of “Welcome to the Machine”, etc. My point is the fact that we’re going to get more of him on a record with David and Nick is a gift, it’s a huge blessing that these will be songs that they worked on together that Dave has also had time to improve and add more to over time. I for one like the results of what they came up with for the Division Bell, sure it wasn’t the quintessential Floyd of Live in Pompeii, but it was the best album they had released since The Wall in 1979. Which leads me to my next and assuredly more polarizing point…

As a bassist and musician that sees Roger Waters as one of the true musical geniuses of my lifetime this is a little hard to admit, but give what I’m about to say a chance. Let’s look at the trajectories of David Gilmour and Roger Waters since they stopped working together. Hell, let’s look at it before they stopped. By the time The Final Cut was released it became obvious that Roger was going for different expression on a different scale than what the other members of Pink Floyd wanted. Roger had great ideas and concepts, but these were usually politically motivated and his music continued farther and farther into the realm of big-budgeted rock opera style musicals. Maybe The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking wasn’t too far from Floyd, but all of his solo records after that would have been his own thing regardless of whether Dave, Richard, and Nick played on them or not. I’m not saying an album like Amused to Death was bad, I’m just saying I would not have wanted to see that as a Pink Floyd album.

Now while I may not have been a big fan of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, let’s look at what the other three conjured up for The Division Bell. The Cinematic beauty of “Cluster One”, the biting blues of “What Do you Want from Me?” the delay-driven stadium rock of “Take it Back”, and all the moments of introspective tranquility, like it or not this album was a logical step for what the band that recorded Dark Side of the Moon should have been doing in the 90’s. And no I’m not saying it’s anywhere near as classic, it may not have been as untouchable as Meddle or Animals but it still felt like a Pink Floyd album. Even listening to Gilmour’s 2006 solo album On an Island you get the feeling that you’re hearing Pink Floyd more than on any of Roger’s recent solo outings. Look, I’m not saying that one is better than the other, Roger was the driving force that made Floyd’s classic albums what they are, but if we’re talking right here, right now, we’ve got the 3/4 of the band that I think will give the best representation of what Floyd should be in our current musical climate. If you listen to the post-rock genre you can see just how much of an influence that tDB had on modern music. Could Roger make it better? Without a doubt I’m sure he could help make this a monumental release. His political and socially aware lyrics alone might add depth to the album,  but the sessions were started without him so who’s to say who’s to blame for why he’s not involved.

This is my humble opinion and there is no correct assumption as to what defines Pink Floyd as being themselves. All I know is this: I’m excited for The Endless River, and I think you should be too.

http://pitchfork.com/news/55797-pink-floyd-announce-the-endless-river-their-first-record-in-20-years/

Album Review: BadBadnotGood – 3

Canada’s jazz/hip-hop hybrid trio Badbadnotgood have carved out their own niche in popular music thanks to a number of aspects that may be considered “gimmicks” by some. Their instrumental jazz renditions of popular hip-hop songs may be considered one along with their young age and being discovered by Tyler, the Creator etc. I’m not saying I align myself with this opinion, but any way you look at it these were all things the band couldn’t hold onto forever. Well there’s no time like the present to make a good statement, and BBNG’s third full-length brings in a new era for the trio and may just be their best record yet.

3 Stands apart from this trio’s previous two full-lengths by being their first LP to not feature any covers. BBNG’s improv and composition abilities have never been shoddy, through live recordings and studio tracks they’ve already shown they have the chops and finesse to hang in the jazz world but this record shows us what they can really do. The playing is fantastic of course but it would all be naught without actual good songs, and most of the tracks here hold up well enough that the young’uns don’t need their usual hip-hop renditions to keep things interesting. While still rooted in jazz, many of the tracks carry more approachable structures, catchy riffs, and of course some deep groove to keep the tracks interesting enough for non-jazz fans. Some of the songs unfold downright cinematically, like my personal favorite “Kaleidoscope”.

While BBnG’s electric piano and drums have always commanded attention due to competent and swift performances, Chester Hansen ‘s bass really gets an opportunity to shine on 3. While his more common muted and subdued tone can be clearly heard providing a solid backbone and deftly underlying chord movements on tracks such as “Triangle” and “Confessions” he also plugs in what sounds like a hot P-bass and attacks a two-minute tasteful yet ripping solo on the aforementioned “Kaleidoscope”. The playing is more than impressive, but the album’s ability to move is it’s most surprising attribute. Moments like the gradual unfolding of “Eyes Closed” put BBnG in the more cinematic and emotion realms of my main obsession over the past year; Norway’s Jaga Jazzist. Even Leland Witty’s velvety saxophone on “Confessions” leaves a pinch of lingering sorrow.

Yet even after saying all of that we’re still dealing with an undoubtably great album for all your upcoming summer parties. It’s this dynamic range that comes together to make what I’m beginning to think may be this band’s best yet. BBnG3 may not sound like what fans typically expect from this trio but the experience is all that and more. They’ve given you enough good music for free, buy this one.

Listening To: Tortoise

Two bassists…a no brainer right? Actually a good portion of the music I listen to today wouldn’t exist in the form it does without Tortoise. Most people are content to just call them post-rock, but anyone familiar with their back catalogue know how strong that genres like prog, dub, and jazz hold sway with them. Tortoise are a rarity in that they are an instrumental band that has managed to form a co-existential bridge between the minimal indie/college-rock crowds and prog geeks, and they do it by transcending both. I’ve still yet to get through this band’s whole discography but no time like the present right?

 

Adventures in Pedal-Modding Pt. 1

In my thirteen years of playing bass I’ve never been too knowledgeable about gear, which is something that I’ve found takes a really long time to change. It’s certainly not an overnight process, and it wasn’t until last year that I learned enough about effects pedals that I started to become fascinated with how they work and how I might be able to make modifications to them. I’m as green as they come when it comes to electronics so I took baby steps, first brushing back up on my soldering on some spare boards while I tried to figure out which pedals I might want to mod.

It just so happened that around the time I was beginning to get serious about this idea last year a friend of mine gave me an Ibanez TS-7 that he simply wasn’t using anymore. The TS-7 is one of the tone-lock Tubescreamer pedals that run on the cheaper side than the classic Tubescreamers and 808s.  Late last year I ran across a mod online that was supposed to increase the pedal’s bass response. I like the clear midrange of this pedal when played on both guitar and bass, but I figured that a simple mod to the make the pedal more bass friendly would be a good place to start. My thinking was this it might respond differently to bass so I wouldn’t get as much of the harsh, high-end noise that I was getting when playing my Spector through it, and if I messed anything up, it was free. It was a simple capacitor switch so I was able to do the mod pretty easily and I recorded the results.

I have to apologize for the poor video quality. When getting a Windows phone I didn’t think through the whole not being compatible with a Mac thing, and since I took the videos with my phone I had send the videos to my email in the worst quality. I think I’ve found a way past that for next time, but you can hear a little difference in tone. The next mod I have planned is a good deal more extensive and will require me taking pretty much the whole pedal apart. It’s a stripped down version of the Analogman Silver mod and I’m mostly just doing it for experience and experimentation. I’ve had fun with this so far and I hope any other pedal modders/builders out there (even beginners like me) will share their experiences here. Thanks for reading!