Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Judgment Day: An Introduction to "String Metal"

Hello Friends,

How many of you are familiar with "string metal"? If the answer is "not many", I wasn't either until I was introduced to a band called Judgment Day. The band consists of a drummer, violinist, and cello player; and despite these typically soft spoken instruments the music is so hard it has been coined "string metal". I first saw the band about a year ago and was blown away. When I heard the band was rolling into New York again, I set up an interview with violinist Anton Patzner and attended the show yesterday at Union Pool. Now, for your literary pleasure, here is the transcript from my discussion with Anton and a review of last night's concert. First, the interview:

Me: I am here with Anton, the violinist for the band Judgment Day. Anton, how and when did you guys all start playing together?

Anton: Well… Lewis (our cello player) and I are brothers but we didn’t really start playing together, other than at Christmas parties and stuff, until 2002. Then we started playing together on the street of Berkeley, and basically one thing led to another. We started off playing on the street, didn’t have any songs, just played loud and fast and people would give us money. People kept coming up to us asking if they could listen to our band so we thought “Oh! We should make this into a real band”. So we got John to play drums, basically he was like… the toughest drummer in Santa Cruz, where I was living at the time. We thought it would be a good contrast to have really heavy drums with violin and cello and… that’s how Judgment Day was born.

Me: So when did the idea to play “metal”, to start a string metal band, come to fruition?

Anton: Well the truth is we didn’t really plan for it to be metal, we just played loud and fast and that was kinda what made us tips on the street. We started writing songs like that and I was like, “Alright, well I guess this kind of sounds like metal”. So we just called it metal.

Me: I assume as string players you and Lewis have some classical training?

Anton: Yeah, that’s right. Both our parents are classical musicians and they were really good about getting us private lessons growing up, and making sure we practiced every day. And making sure we did it right. We definitely had really good classical training.

Me: Did either of you study at a conservatory?

Anton: Lewis did. Between when our first record came out and our new record (coming out this year), Lewis completed a four-year degree at the Peabody Conservatory.

Me: Ah, very cool. I’ve never really heard anybody who plays the way you guys do on violin and cello. Had you ever heard anybody like that in the past or was this style pretty much your idea?

Anton: There’s actually a really big alternative string movement happening right now, and we’re just one part of it. The first band that really did it was Apocalyptica, a cello group who cover Metallica songs. And Rasputina. And now there are lots of other bands out there; we were out at South by Southwest and we had a giant cello jam with a member of Rasputina and another kind of cello metal band called Break of Reality. So there definitely are quite a few bands that do it but I like to think that we're taking it in a different direction, maybe more of an experimental direction, and maybe more of a rock direction then a lot of the alternative strings bands. I think that alot of the alternative string bands from that scene play with more of the classical style. I think our style is way more raw and you know... imperfect. It's rock... I wouldn't say that our style is very classical.

Me: No, I wouldn't say so either. So when you first formed this band and started playing out, how were you originally received?

Anton: We were received well! I mean people were definitely always impressed. I can't remember a time when people were not impressed by us. Even when, in my opinion now looking back at us, I think we kinda sucked in the beginning. But people always really dug the violin and the cello playing metalish stuff so no matter what people have been impressed. But I think we've gotten so much better, and we continue to impress, so now I feel that more than just being an impressive act, we're something that people find musically interesting.

Me: Very cool. Want to tell us a bit about the musical themes for the new album?

Anton: Sure. The record is called Peacocks/Pink Monsters; the title is taken from a painting, which is the album cover. The painting is an improvised collaboration by three different artists. We just had them paint for two hours and then whatever it was at the ending, that's what we ended up using. It kind of ties into a lot of the themes of the record, there's a lot of improvisation on this record. We wrote about half of it, and then went in the studio and improvised and experimented and it kind of took its own direction, took its own life. There's a lot of spontaneity on the record. Actually, one track is completely improvised. At the end of every day in the studio we would just hit record and jam together; this one track came out so good we didn't even edit it, just mixed it, put it on the record. Yeah so, I think that's one of the big things here; it ties in with the artwork. There's actually a video of the artwork being done on the website; we videotaped the whole thing, an improvised collaboration of over two hours.

Me: Awesome. So what groups do you guys listen to?

Anton: Well, we kind of have a variety of tastes in our band. Personally, my favorite rock band is Radiohead. I love Led Zeppelin and alot of that 20th century rock music. Our drummer listens to a lot more metal than I do, but I can get into the metal stuff too. We have a drum tech on tour with us right now, and he has 500 hours of metal on his ipod. We've been given an education about metal on this trip.

Me: Any last things you want people to know about Judgment Day?

Anton: Yeah, one thing I would have to say is it's not just about music for us. We're also really into making videos, putting out videos. I write a lot on our blog at stringmetal.com . And people should check that out too... in addition to the music and the live shows, check out the videos and the website. We work hard on that also.

... And there you have it. Late last night I trekked out to Williamsburg with my roommate Andrew to see the band perform at Union Pool. The crowd of 30-40 people fit perfectly around the small stage, an ideal venue for a band with a small but loyal New York following. For an 11 PM show on a weeknight, it was an impressive crowd. The show itself was short but very sweet. The band had clearly matured since I had last seen them; the first time the experience was in large part visceral and "in your face". This show the band maintained that hard edge but the musicianship was what shined, as they produced a sound that combined art with violence. The forty minute concert was packed with numerous time and mood changes, and songs of astonishing complexity.

Some aspects of the show were imperfect, as the instrumental mix was not ideal. The drums were too pronounced, while the volume of the strings could have been louder. The sound was very crisp though, so these weren't major issues. The drummer was probably the weak link of the band, excelling in songs that required multiple tempo changes, but his beats were fairly boring and predictable when the tempo remained constant. However, the connection between the two brothers made up for any of the bands' minor shortcomings. The brothers' Patzner seemed to have a psychic ability to know what the other would play next, even during improvised sections. Lewis's cello playing oscillated from mournful to menacing, setting the mood at each turn, while Anton coerced the violin into producing sounds its creators could never have imagined, performing with fervor and passion. There was a brooding, tenuous darkness within each song, which sooner or later inevitably exploded into frantic, hard rock. Overall, it was a really enjoyable show by a truly unique, talented band. I'm excited to see how they continue to progress musically, and hope you decide check them out yourselves.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Backdoor Slam: A Comparison

Hello Friends,

Several years ago I randomly discovered a fantastic blues rock group called Back Door Slam (or as they're now called, "Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam"). I'm very discerning when it comes to blues based rock (I find typical blues music repetitive and yawn inducing), but immediately fell in love with this trio. In the last few years the band underwent a dramatic line up change, with a brand new backing band and only lead singer and guitarist Davy Knowles remaining. The bands' sound has changed greatly since the new lineup was introduced, and it is my duty to provide an answer to the great debate of 2010: Was Back Door Slam Better Then or Now? Luckily for the two to three of you readers who have any interest in this whatsoever, I am very familiar with the original group and the new lineup, both on record and in concert. After you finish reading this article, you will finally be able to sleep at night without the constant, haunting whisper in your ear, saying "Back Door Slam... Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam... who I ask WHO IS BETTER!". The caps lock is where I imagine the whisper turns into a blood curdling scream, awaking both your roommates and your neighbors. Um, anyway...

A brief history of the band: Hailing from the Isle of Man (an island between Great Britain and Ireland), Back Door Slam began as a four piece blues rock band in 2003. They later reformed as a trio after the bands' rhythm guitarist died in a car accident. From 2004 until early 2009 the band remained a guitar, bass, and drum trio; releasing the album "Roll Away" and touring extensively. In January 2009, the original lineup split up and Knowles recorded his most recently album "Coming up for Air" with his new group; consisting of a drummer, bassist and keyboard player, with Knowles remaining on guitar and vocals.

I first heard the band at the Montreal jazz festival in 2007 (I think). Every night at the festival there were numerous free outdoor concerts, including three nightly shows on a "blues stage". Back Door Slam was one of these groups, and the show they put on was... fucking incredible. High energy and intense, Knowles booming voice and searing guitar was backed by a rhythm section that was both catchy and forceful. The music demanded your attention; the raw power of the music pulled you in and wouldn't let go until the very last note was played. Knowles' proficiency on guitar was stunning, inciting the crowd with his riffs, then setting them into a frenzy with well placed, frenetic guitar solos. I left the show on a high, ecstatic about the future of a band whose front man was merely 20 years old.

The first album "Roll Away" is much of the same, although obviously without the same energy level as a live show. The songs flow very nicely from one to the other, the musicianship is very tight, the solos retain their torrid live sound even on record, and Knowles deep bluesy voice suits the music perfectly. The band mixes a few slower, softer tracks in with its usual brand of loud blues rock, and in general do this very well. I enjoy nearly every song on this album, and a few of them even have that rare "man I can't stop listening to this song" quality.

Now, the new lineup. This time I listened to the album "Coming Up for Air" before seeing them live. The results were... uneven. I enjoyed the album for the most part, but that's a testament to how good Knowles is, as the backing band does virtually nothing beyond playing vanilla rhythms behind Knowles vocal and musical leadership. I can't recall one song where I found anything besides the singing and guitar work interesting. He throws a few solo acoustic tracks onto this album, which are very pretty and fit in nicely. However, there was no individual song on the album, with the possible exception of Country Girl, that drew me in, or I'd be especially excited to hear when it came on. I wondered if it was a conscious choice by either Knowles or the band's label (Blix Street Records) to move the band into a format that further highlighted the bandleader (at the expense of the overall quality of the music). Upon seeing them perform, I'm almost positive this is the case.

This time around was a totally different story. Gone was any semblance of balance; Knowles guitar drowned out nearly everything else, played at an ear splitting volume ill suited for the small performance space at Highline Ballroom. When the other instruments were audible, they were boring and the group was sloppy. It seemed as though the other members only attended the show to play as a backdrop to the "Davy Knowles Show", a lesson in musical masturbation. The solos went on for too long and with only stock beats behind them, made the entire concert seem like a tired, poorly directed one man improv act.

In conclusion, Back Door Slam were awesome. Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam... not so much. The group sorely needs a new backing band and a movement towards collaboration as opposed to self promotion to get back to the level they reached with "Roll Away". Will Sir Knowles make the necessary changes, or will album number one be the height of his musical prowess? I hope you enjoyed today's unsolved mystery with your host, Daniel Schwartz.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Bruce Peninsula Concert Review



Hello Friends,

Bruce Peninsula are a six-piece (or they were on Friday) band from Canada, with a style pulling influences from gospel, rock, folk, African, and almost any other genre you can imagine. Ultimately a stylistic definition is unnecessary; the music transcends a clear genre. Having been familiar with the band for over a year now, I was psyched upon hearing they were playing in New York and had very high expectations.

During their 45 minute set in a (sadly) nearly empty room at Pianos, Bruce Peninsula played with a fervor and passion exceeding my already grand expectations. Led by the intoxicating voice of lead singer Neil Haverty, the band performed with joy and precision. Haverty's voice, both unique and oddly beautiful, evoked memories of a soulful Joe Cocker and reminded my ear a bit of Tom Waits. His energetic vocals were complimented by the rest of the band, all of whom also sang. The "chorus" of the band consisted of three female vocalists, who provided stunning harmonies that were interwoven within each song. The harmonies were the only aspect of the music that stayed constant, as the band took the audience on an adventure through a plethora of musical styles during the show. All the members contributed to the percussive backbone of the songs as clapping, tambourines, and stomping shook the stage throughout the concert. Far from an acapella group, the instrumentation behind the songs was remarkable, as the two guitarists used a variety of effects to set the tone of each tune, while the keyboard/bass player and drummer provided an ever interesting backdrop to the music. Words cannot do this band justice, my recommendation: buy the album and see them ASAP!