No Use For A Name

Drivers,

Almost a decade ago I attended my first Warped Tour. The event that year was spectacular, boasting a lineup including Shai Hulud, Thursday (who were touring in support of Full Collapse), Taking Back Sunday (who were touring in support of Tell All Your Friends), Hot Water Music, and a slew of other artists. One of my personal highlights of the day was after frying all day in the sun, cooling off in the sun shower while watching No Use For A Name perform in the early afternoon. The punk band from San Jose, California played an excellent set and even had a small meet and greet following the performance. The group was extremely gracious and friendly taking pictures and signing autographs for everyone.

Fast forward to this year and the band was still going strong and in the midst of a tour until July 31st. It was on this unfortunate day that Tony Sly, the vocalist-guitarist of No Use For A Name was found dead from undisclosed causes. The punk-rock hero from the Bay Area punk scene was only 41 years old. He will be best remembered for leading No Use For A Name. The San Jose resident was also working an his solo endeavors including an upcoming tour with Joey Cape of Lagwagon. The news of Sly's passing was made public through the San Francisco label Fat Wreck Chords that had handled No Use For A Name's catalog since the early 1990s. Sly's last performance with No Use For A Name was in June in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. His last solo gig was in Gainesville, Florida on July 29th - just two days before he died.

It's unknown whether No Use For A Name will attempt to con tune on without Sly. Tony's brother Mike has set up a memorial fund which you can check it out here to find out how to donate and help.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

Suis La Lune

Drivers,

In the summer of 2010 I had the pleasure of booking and performing with a band called Suis La Lune. At the time, the band was touring across the United States with Pala and my good friends Fair Root. The show took place on June 27th at one of Miami's most iconic venues Churchill's Pub. The concert featured performances by all the touring bands as well as Capsule, Baboons, and Montgomery Drive. To this day it continues to be one of my favorite concerts I've ever been a part of in terms of booking, coordinating, organizing, and performing.

Check out one of the videos from the 2010 Churchill's Pub show below:

Fast forward two years and the emotional hardcore heroes from Sweden are back with a brand new album available through Topshelf Records. The new album titled Riala is by far one of the strongest, most melodic, infectious, and catchy emotional hardcore albums of 2012. From start to finish the album flows beautifully begging for another listen. Furthermore, Riala has been the album I consistently find playing in my head and hence has been stuck in my stereo since its May release.

Check out video of the Riala Release Show below.

-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive

Tomahawk

Drivers,

After a 5 year hiatus the experimental metal/alternative rock super group Tomahawk will be returning this fall with the album "Oddfellows". Tomahawk, the band comprised of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas ), Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard), John Stainer (Helmet, Battles) and now Trevor Dunn, also of Mr. Bungle and Fantômas, will be releasing the highly anticipated album through Ipecac Recordings. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Ipecac Records please refer to my previous entry Ipecac Recordings & Fontana Distribution for some background on the label and their current distribution deal. Formed in 2000, Tomahawk released their first album, the self-titled Tomahawk in 2001. Prior to their hiatus the super group released Mit Gras (2003) and Anonymous (2007). Tomahawk toured extensively playing in numerous countries including the United States, Australia, Europe, and Japan. They generally headline shows but have been the supporting act for bands such as Tool. In July 2011, Mike Patton announced to Rolling Stone magazine that the fourth Tomahawk album was in the works. While working on the new album they released the Box Set titled “Eponymous to Anonymous”. All of these albums including the Box Set were released through the label Ipecac Recordings.

Click Below to Watch The 40 Second Teaser From Ipecac Recordings

Oddfellows was recorded at Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville and co-produced by Tomahawk and Collin Dupuis (The Black Keys, The Nocturnals). According to the guitarist Duane Denison, the LP is “dark and claustrophobic here, light and spacious there”. Tomahawk is scheduled to perform their first show in nearly a decade this October taking a part in the 2012 New Orleans Voodoo Music and Arts Experience. Additional dates will be announced soon. In the teaser it notes that Oddfellows will be available in Fall 2012 however it has since been announced that the album is in fact slated for a January 2013 release.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

The Telephone Guitar

Drivers,

As many of you already know I am always actively searching for new and different instruments to mess with and utilize in order to expand and shape my music and sound capabilities. In my years traveling and hunting I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see and play all sorts of different instruments both near and far but I had never seen anything like my latest acquisition from Rainy Day Instruments. While surfing the net hoping to find something to grab my attention I found myself coming across the site Etsy. Etsy is a social commerce website that is focused on handmade and/or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. After scrolling through numerous pages in the music section of the website I found what would later become my newest and most prized instrument. It was a Handmade Epiphone Telephone Acoustic/Electric Guitar and the only one in existence. 

The instrument itself is an Antique Playschool Phone (from the 1950s), which is securely attached to a new Epiphone Gibson Special neck. In addition, the instrument has a Piezo pick-up installed inside allowing the guitar to resonate through an amplifier. The "Telitar" as I've been affectionately calling her has an excellent sound and great playable action. The tone is slightly tinny but extremely warm and sounds very smooth acoustic and even better through an amplifier or PA. Rainy Day Instrument’s Marc Potter built the instrument. As per my request he was kind enough to also install strap buttons onto the instrument before shipping it. 

Aside from my "Telitar" being the only instrument of its kind in existence it is a priceless piece of art. Not only is the “Telitar” art that can be visually enjoyed and admired, it is a fully functional guitar with a unique and vintage look that makes it special. 

Many have understandably questioned whether or not the “Telitar” is in fact real. Doubt no longer. The "Telitar" is real and included here are pictures from the initial Etsy listing and a picture or myself with it as added proof. However, if that’s still not enough you’ll just have to make sure to come out and catch me on tour to see/hear it for yourself. Until next time…

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

Mayday! Mayday! Records: Sixteen

Drivers,

In 2006 I formed Clocks Are Devils with friends from my previous band The Great God War. After vigorously practicing and writing quality songs we were collectively happy with we began recording our first release (Split with 8085). Not shortly after we began the recording processes I can into contact with Mayday! Mayday! Records. The Kentucky based non profit label run by a small group of friends focused on producing  good quality packaging for good bands. They have released albums and cassettes for bands including Bears, Demeanor, Leaving Songs, and Sohns. Mayday! Mayday! Records ended up putting out the split release Clocks was working on with 8085 and following our eventual breakup released the first ever Montgomery Drive cassette release The Elephant Never Forgets.

 After being pushed to the side for a while Mayday! Mayday! Records has begun revamping their logo and site while simultaneously planning to release new material in the next few months from Sixteen and Best Summer. For Sixteen, Mayday! Mayday! Records is in the middle of putting together packaging for the cassette version of "Now It's Gone". In addition to containing the recordings from their CDR release, the cassette will also feature an additional cover track.  To begin promoting, marketing, and creating an initial buzz for the release Mayday! Mayday! Records released a video teaser on YouTube (check it out below).


The video was done by Matt Barnes (of Mayday! Mayday! Records) and in the credits it notes that the release will be coming out on cassette via Mayday! Mayday! Records. Utilizing social media and web 2.0 Mayday! Mayday! Records and Sixteen are promoting for the release and building awareness of the cassette version and the distribution channels in which this excellent release will be available for purchase. In using this efficient and cost effective marketing the label and bands have been generating lots of attention. These DIY (do it yourself) ethics only strengthen the brands involved and the actual power behind the release. 

In terms of the genre and networks the release is aimed at, this tactic is one of the best and overall effective means of doing this. The limited run being made will certainly sell out and become one of the gems for tape traders, collectors, and cassette lovers everywhere. Following its release and what happens, perhaps Mayday! Mayday! Records will do another run of the long awaited cassette sooner than later provided all goes according to plan. For those not aware, Sixteen are a  two piece that started in the summer of 2009. According to their Bandcamp page they currently reside in Bowling Green Kentucky, wallowing in the murky depths of depression and self pity. They have an excellent blend of sounds that's definitely worth checking out and has become very popular over the last few years with bands like 1994!, Grown Ups, and Algernon Cadwallader.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

Ipecac Recordings & Fontana Distribution

Drivers,

Ipeac Recordings is an independent label based in California. Founded in April of 1999 by Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom,  Fantômas, and Mondo Cane) and Greg Wreckman (Mike Patton's manager). The label was initially created to release the first Fantômas album after shopping the release to some bigger labels and being unhappy with the offers. Currently the label releases and distributes other artists as well as Mike Patton's plethora or musical projects and collaborations. One of the most interesting things about Ipecac Recordings is their policy of signing bands to only one-album contracts. Wreckman was quoted as saying, "when starting our label we decided that it did not feel right to "own" the artists on our label. Instead we would rent or license records from artists that we liked". With this philosophy Ipecac Recordings has found them in a unique position of being able to release the music they enjoy and create on their own terms which leave both the artists and label both happy.

In August of 2006 Ipecac Recordings signed an exclusive distribution deal with Fontana. Fontana is the independent distribution sector of UMG (Universal Music Group - the world's leading music company). Fontana provides unparalleled sales and marketing support as well as back office services. They distribute for over 60 labels in addition to distributing certain projects from UMG labels worldwide. Due to this agreement Fontana will work directly and closely with Ipecac Recordings on expanding the label's reach in the marketplace, building and extending its brand and helping them to capitalize on the many new and emerging opportunities across all retail and new media platforms and formats. Since the agreement Ipecac has released multiple releases that have found success and support from fans and critics alike. Mike Patton's project Peeping Tom's first single "Mojo" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart in addition to becoming one of the most added songs eat Modern Rock radio. Furthermore, Mike Patton's "Mondo Cane" debuted as #2 on the Billboard Classical charts and #7 on the Top New Artist Album (Heatseekers) chart. With releases ranging from the heaviness of Fantômas to the smooth stylings of Peeping Tom to the classical sounds of Mondo Cane Ipecac Recordings is quickly become a force to be reckoned with. Now with this deal with Fontana the end seems nowhere in sight for the very unique label founded by Patton and Wreckman.

-Marshal

 Montgomery Drive

Chris Lord-Alge

Drivers,

Earlier this month I had the privilege and pleasure of attending a Q&A Session with the one and only Chris Lord-Alge. As one of the most in-demand mixers in the music industry since the 1980s, his discography is simply astonishing. Working with names ranging from James Brown to Green Day, Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression. In his time working in the industry he has accumulated well over 750 credits including The Rolling Stones' "Too Much Blood", Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA", and The Smashing Pumpkins "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope" album. All in all the session was extremely informative touching on multiple aspects of Mr. Lord-Alge's career from his work at Unique Recording Studios in New York City all the way up to his position now at his studio in Miami Beach, FL.

The mixing work of Chris Lord-Alge has been so influential that in early 2010, Waves Audio released the Chris Lord-Alge Artist Signature Collection of audio plug-ins, a collection of 6 application-specific audio plug-ins for Bass, Drums, Effects, Vocals, Guitars, and Unplugged. The session was very interesting and insightful. For those of you who think you haven't heard any of Chris Lord-Alge's work, your most likely just unaware you were listening to his work or you've been living under a rock the last 35 years. It takes merely a glance at his discography to realize the amount of masterpieces Chris Lord-Alge has been a part of. It was awesome to take part in and attend the session and I strongly recommend any of you reading to take the initiative consciously check out his work.

-Marshal
 Montgomery Drive