Cool Moon. Photo: Jay Littleton
If you were planning on starting an indie rock band in Houston, you’d have to really go above and beyond to stand out these days. The growing landscape of indie rock acts that are blooming like springtime flowers is pretty grand. Of course, for Houston’s Cool Moon, they’ve never really had to fight for space as they’re easily one of the more intriguing indie rock groups to call Houston home. Originally containing Mercy Harper from Football, etc., the trio has always done things in a way that was a little different. On their new full-length album, Postparty Depression, they prove that doing things your own way can ultimately pay off. In eleven tracks they forge their own path with subtle reminders of ’90s indie rock and emo acts while never biting from anyone. Now, with a new lineup and a full-length set to drop this Friday, they prepare for the album release party to take place upstairs at White Oak Music Hall.
Opening with the light intro to the album, “Pretty Sure Everything’s Fine,” the band plays into a build up that rolls into the second track, “Holy Hell,” where it’s obvious Cool Moon isn’t playing around. Coming off like a mix of Husker Du and Jawbox, the female lead vocals from Andrea Lisi offer a strong beginning to the album. Closest to a mix of the endearing vocals of Letters To Cleo’s Kay Hanley and the timbre of Anna Waronker of That Dog, the vocals play an important role in the shape of this bands songs, but not to deter from the strength of their songwriting. The bridge used here is emblematic of how the trio writes and performs their songs, complete with a complexity often gone unnoticed in the indie rock genre. The pauses before the storm these three create from a sound that you probably won’t be used to, but one that you should champion. This is followed up by the heavier sound of “Solitary Confinement,” before the verse kicks in to draw you nearer. There’s a subtle beauty that Cool Moon brings to their tracks where they lie somewhere between bedroom pop and indie rock to craft a sound that’s hard to pin down, but one that you should find yourself falling for with each listen.
The fourth track, “Standing,” slows things down a bit, but doesn’t alter the band’s sound. Those indie rock touches, so prominent on the opening tracks, are all over this song as well. The drum work from Anthony Schillaci are upfront in the mix, but not overly drawn out, creating a nice sound where they can be their own without deterring from the song’s initial intent. By the fifth song, “Count Down,” the fuzzy riffs and Lisi’s endearingly honest vocals should have you counting the days until the album’s release. One of the many standouts of the eleven songs, the hook heavy stride of the song that hits like you want a song to hit gets mixed with heartfelt vocals that stick in your head. The chorus will definitely meander in your head days after you first hear it, like any well written song should. Falling closer to an early Superchunk sound on the sixth track, “Massive,” there’s really nothing lifted here. Cool Moon places themselves ahead of the Carolina band in their catchy song structure on yet another song you’ll bop your head to while you repeat the song for multiple listens.
The same can be said of the opening riffs of “Splitting Hairs,” where the guitar reminds you of the catchy notes of bands like Ex-Hex and Joan Jett. However unlike those groups, Cool Moon keeps your attention with their blend of driving drums and snappy bass lines that keep the song speeding alongside the guitar. The band goes a little slower on the Pixies sounding “Abandonment Issues” before offering up a more anthemic sound on “Camping.” The opening drums coupled with the engaging guitar offer a sound that makes you almost want to chant along before the band takes you into another bridge that pulls you in. Two songs later, the three-piece closes the album off with the slow and meandering opening of “Election.” Making good use of the group’s dynamic, the sound of Lisi’s vocals and guitar with Schillaci’s drums create a vacuum of sound that sucks you in before the chorus hits with a precision that you won’t see coming. One of the more complex tracks of the album, the break down after is intense and full of angst, without seeming like that of an angered person, but that of a band that can go just as hard as they can go catchy.
You don’t have to be a music writer to enjoy what Cool Moon is doing here. By writing songs that you can’t unhear and keeping the vocals at the front of the mix, they’ve created a sound that you shouldn’t forget anytime soon, nor would you want to forget them either. You can grab a copy of “Postparty Depression” when Cool Moon plays their album release party upstairs at White Oak Music Hall on June 30. The all ages show has sets from Get A Life, Hypoluxo, Rose Ette, and a DJ set from Jazz Radio, with a $10 cover and doors at 8 pm. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/cool-moon-doesnt-disappoint-on-debut-full-length/
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Live your truth. It’s enticing to live according to adages and calendar slogans, but very rarely do we think of what that truly means; truth is subjective, but always real. James Baldwin once wrote, “There are too many things we do not wish to know about ourselves,” and in those “things,” there is the truth. Jessie Reyez is living and singing her truth, she presents and stands by it, in its trial and its glory. In the song “Figures” she says to a lover, “I gave it all and you gave me shit.” It’s a thing people feel, at the end, but Reyes doesn’t judge the entirety by the end: “Figures I am willing to stay cause I’m sick for your love.”
“I don’t think I did it intentionally,” says Reyez of her truthful style. “I feel like my objective is always to be honest, and I feel like life isn’t really black and white. So if you’re stuck in a relationship or if you’re hurt, you can’t help but ignore that at one point before that hurt starts to happen. There were good times, you know? It’s kind of like a ying and yang that I feel like has been depicted by nature of being honest.”
Honesty is a word that one could easily associate with Reyez’s EP, Kiddo. A look at life, perhaps her life, but life in a place of discovery in its various forms, a search for meaning in the living while still believing in the life. Relationships are part of that life, but there is also a song like “Gatekeeper,” a cautionary tale of the music industry from its patriarchal sexist hierarchies. “Thirty million people want a shot, How much would it take for you to spread those legs apart?”
A sobering but true tale — with a killer video — that depicts the idea of fame being connected to “one hand washing the other.” But that is the truth, the tarnish of the dream, but not the destruction of that dream, and in talking with Reyez, it’s never lost that even in darkness we should focus on the light. Reyez is in, but not beholden to, “the industry” — she’s in touch with the fact that definition is not the goal, that there is still the journey, there is still more to do and say.
“It’s not my prerogative for me to peg who I think I am. It goes back to the question of being honest, and if being honest means four or five different sounding songs are gonna come outta me, that’s just what’s gonna come out. I feel like the theme in a lot of my music is not genre, it’s something else; I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s human, I don’t know because I feel like there are so many other dope artists out there who have it, too, that can jump between genres and jump between what other people feel they need to define them as and it’s just a creation and hoping people resonate with it.”
So yes, you may get a gut wrenching ballad like “Figures,” you may get a kiss off banger like “Shutter Island,” you may get a dancefloor/trap romp like “Blue Ribbon,” or you may get something aspirational and inspirational like “Great Ones.” No matter what, you will always get Jessie Reyez, and that is that the main ingredient; style accentuated, not style defined. Still, it is easy to get caught up, it’s easy to become jaded, but you will not kill the vibe. Reyes is overwhelmingly and refreshingly appreciative of what she has been given. But also, Reyez is aware of the long game.
“It’s a nonstop thing you know. It’s like if you are painter and you’re good at painting, you can only sit there and look at it for a few seconds, and then, okay, what’s next? If it’s in your nature to make, if it’s your nature to express,” notes Reyez. “It’s interesting in this climate where sometimes projects go overlooked and it’s more strategic to drop select songs, one at a time as singles, and I feel like it’s important to remember content versus context, and what the climate calls for, but also how I want to deliver the next message I put out. So it’s a matter of stepping back and taking those two things into account and working with the same compass in regards to making it as honest and as potent as possible and as real to who I am.”
Reyez will have you stuck in the realness, but the reality is ever changing and evolving, and that is what she hopes to do: to become and express, progression and all the beauty that accompanies that, not to rest on her laurels, but also to remember treasures in the travails.
“I pray before shows with my team and I thank the positive energy and the blessing received, and speaking of songs or singing the songs, those emotions are still potent, those emotions still affect me. It’s interesting because people respond to it and they respond with love. I am singing about something that messed up my heart and brought me to pieces, but I see someone singing it back to me, but they’re singing with love and it’s such a contrast. That contrast creates energy, and after shows when people come up to me and tell me how the music’s affected them, or how their kids liked the music and it’s helped in raising their kids, things like that, that warms my heart. It’s almost like purpose. It’s like who cares if you’re tired, if you’re able to do this, who cares that you’re tired, you’re blessed. It doesn’t fucking matter if I’m tired. Someone quoted it, I don’t who quoted it, but it’s like, ‘You can’t be sad and grateful at the same time.’ It’s impossible to feel those two emotions [simultaneously], so if ever you find yourself in darkness and you find things to be grateful for it wards off negativity.” Jessie Reyez performs 6/23 at House Of Blues from http://www.freepresshouston.com/being-honest-an-interview-with-jessie-reyez/ Cool Moon. Photo: Jay Littleton
If you were planning on starting an indie rock band in Houston, you’d have to really go above and beyond to stand out these days. The growing landscape of indie rock acts that are blooming like springtime flowers is pretty grand. Of course, for Houston’s Cool Moon, they’ve never really had to fight for space as they’re easily one of the more intriguing indie rock groups to call Houston home. Originally containing Mercy Harper from Football, etc., the trio has always done things in a way that was a little different. On their new full-length album, Postparty Depression, they prove that doing things your own way can ultimately pay off. In eleven tracks they forge their own path with subtle reminders of ’90s indie rock and emo acts while never biting from anyone. Now, with a new lineup and a full-length set to drop this Friday, they prepare for the album release party to take place upstairs at White Oak Music Hall.
Opening with the light intro to the album, “Pretty Sure Everything’s Fine,” the band plays into a build up that rolls into the second track, “Holy Hell,” where it’s obvious Cool Moon isn’t playing around. Coming off like a mix of Husker Du and Jawbox, the female lead vocals from Andrea Lisi offer a strong beginning to the album. Closest to a mix of the endearing vocals of Letters To Cleo’s Kay Hanley and the timbre of Anna Waronker of That Dog, the vocals play an important role in the shape of this bands songs, but not to deter from the strength of their songwriting. The bridge used here is emblematic of how the trio writes and performs their songs, complete with a complexity often gone unnoticed in the indie rock genre. The pauses before the storm these three create from a sound that you probably won’t be used to, but one that you should champion. This is followed up by the heavier sound of “Solitary Confinement,” before the verse kicks in to draw you nearer. There’s a subtle beauty that Cool Moon brings to their tracks where they lie somewhere between bedroom pop and indie rock to craft a sound that’s hard to pin down, but one that you should find yourself falling for with each listen.
The fourth track, “Standing,” slows things down a bit, but doesn’t alter the band’s sound. Those indie rock touches, so prominent on the opening tracks, are all over this song as well. The drum work from Anthony Schillaci are upfront in the mix, but not overly drawn out, creating a nice sound where they can be their own without deterring from the song’s initial intent. By the fifth song, “Count Down,” the fuzzy riffs and Lisi’s endearingly honest vocals should have you counting the days until the album’s release. One of the many standouts of the eleven songs, the hook heavy stride of the song that hits like you want a song to hit gets mixed with heartfelt vocals that stick in your head. The chorus will definitely meander in your head days after you first hear it, like any well written song should. Falling closer to an early Superchunk sound on the sixth track, “Massive,” there’s really nothing lifted here. Cool Moon places themselves ahead of the Carolina band in their catchy song structure on yet another song you’ll bop your head to while you repeat the song for multiple listens.
The same can be said of the opening riffs of “Splitting Hairs,” where the guitar reminds you of the catchy notes of bands like Ex-Hex and Joan Jett. However unlike those groups, Cool Moon keeps your attention with their blend of driving drums and snappy bass lines that keep the song speeding alongside the guitar. The band goes a little slower on the Pixies sounding “Abandonment Issues” before offering up a more anthemic sound on “Camping.” The opening drums coupled with the engaging guitar offer a sound that makes you almost want to chant along before the band takes you into another bridge that pulls you in. Two songs later, the three-piece closes the album off with the slow and meandering opening of “Election.” Making good use of the group’s dynamic, the sound of Lisi’s vocals and guitar with Schillaci’s drums create a vacuum of sound that sucks you in before the chorus hits with a precision that you won’t see coming. One of the more complex tracks of the album, the break down after is intense and full of angst, without seeming like that of an angered person, but that of a band that can go just as hard as they can go catchy.
You don’t have to be a music writer to enjoy what Cool Moon is doing here. By writing songs that you can’t unhear and keeping the vocals at the front of the mix, they’ve created a sound that you shouldn’t forget anytime soon, nor would you want to forget them either. You can grab a copy of “Postparty Depression” when Cool Moon plays their album release party upstairs at White Oak Music Hall on June 30. The all ages show has sets from Get A Life, Hypoluxo, Rose Ette, and a DJ set from Jazz Radio, with a $10 cover and doors at 8 pm. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/cool-moon-doesnt-disappoint-on-debut-full-length/
Last week, I broke delicious cheese stuffed bread with some of my favorite food grammers in town at a media tasting at Andiamo Italiano. Andiamo has been serving authentic Italian fare in Austin from an unassuming strip mall brick and mortar for 15 years. I’ve lived in Austin for 16 and am so sad it took me this long to visit. Every single bite I had of this meal was pleasurable. Every. Single. Bite. Each dish was so photogenic that I thought why not walk you through our entire meal?
We started with a salad and some caprese pops. I gobbled the watermelon and arugula salad down. Both the salad and the caprese pops manifested summer happiness.
These sea scallops tartare on watermelon radish were delectable and bright bites. We folded the slices of radish like mini tacos and happily tucked into them. Risotto (feeds 6), $45 There are family sized entrees available every Thursday nights. We tried the risotto and the ribeye steak from the family menus. For an idea of scale, refer back to the first photo on this post to see how big the risotto is. I wanted to nuzzle my face into that bowl! (Lucky for my eating mates, I refrained.) Ribeye Steak (feeds 5), $70 The ribeye steak was wonderful. I often take polite bites of the steak when it’s offered to me and very rarely (pun intended) order it on my own. I have lockjaw and ordering steak feels like lockjaw roulette. My apprehension was thwarted with perfectly seared and tender steak. The port wine reduction sauce was tasty but the steak didn’t need it! Speaking of special menus, there’s a seasonal lobster offering available only for the summer. Linguine Pasta with Lobster Tail and a glass of white wine; $35 I love lobster and pasta, so this entree (tied with the squid ink pasta) would be my default order. Succulent lobster meat with saucy garlicky pasta? If you close your eyes while chewing, you might be able to forget you’re in Austin and not somewhere in Italy without a care in the world.
And the same sentiment applies to the squid ink and clam spaghetti. If squid ink anything is on the menu, I always order it. Top this pasta dish with uni to add a few more happiness bonus points. Polipo Arrosto; oven roasted octopus with red potatoes, While enjoying the refreshing octopus with my friends, we googled the nutritional benefits of octopus. Octopus is a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. The more you know!
And we finally move into dessert! We shared two desserts, the fruit tart and fried ravioli.
Don’t worry. I googled for you. Zabaglione is an Italian dessert or sometimes a beverage, made with egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine. A creamy and light creation. So that concludes my photographic experience of Andiamo. As I mentioned earlier, I am only sad that it took me this long to discover Andiamo. Google Translate tells me Andiamo means “Let’s go” in Italian. How aptly named. Call your friends and partners in joy and tell them, “Let’s go to Andiamo!” Andiamo Italiano The post Andiamo Italiano Woos with Authentic Italian Fare appeared first on Girl Eats World.
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/andiamo-italiano-woos-with-authentic-italian-fare/
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/kolache-shoppe-expands-to-the-heights/ 4th of July is exactly one week away, and thankfully in Houston there is not a shortage of places to go or things to do! Check out our comprehensive list of Houston’s 4th of July fireworks and festivities, and make a plan for this year’s celebrations to be the best one yet!! >> INNER LOOP / […] The post Houston’s 4th of July Fireworks & Festivities {2017} appeared first on Houston Moms Blog. from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HoustonMomsBlog/~3/FwOIo-aAJrI/
It only takes a Moment to Make a Difference Founded by brothers Jon and Adam Schlegel, Snooze was born on April 2, 2006 in Denver, Colorado seeking to evolve the A.M. dining experience through culinary innovation, an eclectic and energetic atmosphere and comfortable and friendly service. Breakfast marks the beginning of a new day. At Snooze, we believe life is for living and each person and each day is worth celebrating. Our mantra: it only takes a moment to make a difference. From the day we were born, our people – Snoozers – have led the way serving creative twists on America’s favorite breakfast classics in a casual, friendly and vibrant atmosphere. The passion of our Snoozers is contagious. Over the past 8+ years it has inspired Snooze fans of all ages across the country. We embrace our roots in the Denver Ballpark neighborhood and aspire to be an integral part of every community in which we’re lucky to live. At Snooze, we’re connected by a common desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We believe we’re all one, big family – Snoozers, partners, guests, neighbors, planet – and we strive to be a part of the communities where we live. One percent of sales from each Snooze makes its way back into the local community through the donation of in-kind goods (A.K.A. pancakes!) and services. You’ll see us passing out pancakes, maintaining school gardens, volunteering at food banks and cleaning up beaches. We’re focused on supporting local causes and issues related to the neighborhoods where we live and organizations focused on education and sustainability.At Snooze we believe that it only takes a moment to make a difference. If you are holding an event or auction please visit your nearest Snooze and introduce yourself to a manager. Tell us about your cause, organization, clean-up or pet rescue and we will do our best to help! We love using pancakes to help good people raise money and awareness for causes that are near and dear to the communities in which we live. We invite you to join us, make up a new pancake and dance to the music. Wake up to the potential of your day. Wake up to Snooze!Milk Pitcher and Can Coffee, Espresso and Creamer cupsSounds like a Philosophy worth embracing. On this Father's day, we packed up and headed to Town & Country Village, ready to try what was in store for us. The menu is a nice mix of breakfast/brunch/lunch standards, many of which have a cool twist on them. They also ENCOURAGE your customization to anything on the menu, rather than be grouchy about it. A Breakfast Pot Pie--something I never heard of before--is on the menu. Pineapple Upside down pancakes? Done and done. Want a shot of espresso in your coffee? No problemo. And their Texas menu includes breakfast tacos, a breakfast burrito and Huevos Rancheros as well. On Father's Day they also had a bunch of funny, sticky fake moustaches for the kiddos and the ladies to put on just to get into the spirit of things too! On this particular day, the family ordered a couple of plates of pancakes (chocolate chip for Jason and Pineapple upside down for Helena). The chocolate chip pancakes were full of semi-sweet, melty chocolate chips throughout the short stack of two large, almost 1 cm thick and very fluffy pancakes. Diners can tell that real eggs and butter are used in this cooking due to the slight yellowish tint of the batter and the rich flavour and fluffy texture therein. Jason, despite being a typically hungry almost 13 year old boy, could only finish one pancake. The pineapple upside down pancakes look like typical griddle cakes, until you turn them over and find a nice, sweet layer of pineapple compote. There was also an essence of coconut in there somewhere, evoking the structure and flavour profile of grandma's pineapple upside down cake. I will also add the pancakes were served with warm maple syrup, which proved unnecessary given the sweet fruit/chocolate goodness included in both stacks. Grades: A and A+ The adults ordered: Juan’s Breakfast Tacos (Three fresh corn or flour tortillas topped with scrambled eggs, shredded hash browns, jack cheese, green chile hollandaise & pico de gallo--with an inside tip: better yet with veggie/meat toppings). I went with bacon topping on mine because (sorry Bad Piggies), like garlic Bacon don't need a reason! The eggs, potatoes, cheese and meat were properly cooked--nothing cold nor runny. The corn tortillas were a little crumbly and though I ate the tacos with a knife and a fork, they were still delicious: spicy, cheesy, and the green chile hollandaise sauce is superb. Next time, I will ask them to either double up on the corn tortillas so they hold together better or will ask for flour tortillas instead. The Snooze Classic (three Farm fresh cage free eggs cooked any style and your choice of ham, bacon, sausage, chorizo, pulled pork, chicken sausage or soyrizo. Includes hash browns, choice of toast). On this we went with 3 poached eggs, that were done perfectly on medium (solid whites, oozy but not runny yolk) and with chorizo. I was expecting chorizo debris, but this was formed into a nice round patty much like traditional breakfast sausage. However, one taste and you knew it was chorizo. While we went with wheat toast this time, next time may do an English Muffin instead. Grades: A and A respectively. I would be remiss if I did not mention the charity they were working for on June 18th: Project C.U.R.E. Project C.U.R.E. identifies, solicits, collects, sorts and distributes medical supplies and services according to the imperative needs of the world. Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) was founded in 1987 by James Jackson, who was working as an international economic consultant in developing countries when his work put him face to face with the needs of the sick and dying. During a trip to Brazil, Dr. Jackson visited a small clinic near Rio de Janeiro, where he learned that patients were often turned away due to a lack of basic medical supplies. Jackson was moved to action, making a promise to the clinic doctor that he would help provide relief to the people there. Dr. Jackson returned to his home in Evergreen, Colorado, and with the assistance of friends in the medical industry collected $250,000 of medical supplies in his garage in just 30 days time. By personally paying the shipping expenses, Jackson was able to send an ocean-going cargo container carrying the donated supplies to Brazil. In 1997 James Jackson's son, Dr. Douglas Jackson, became President & CEO of Project C.U.R.E.. From its humble beginnings in Colorado, Project C.U.R.E. has expanded to many other cities across the United States. Currently, Project C.U.R.E. maintains large distribution warehouses in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In addition, Project C.U.R.E. has established smaller collection centers several other states where donated items are gathered and then delivered to its warehouses. Project C.U.R.E. now collects medical donations in many U.S. cities. Project C.U.R.E. has been an industry leader in developing new ways to allow the organization to provide the highest quality donated medical supplies and equipment possible to resource-limited communities across the globe, including efficient and accurate inventory systems, supply chain management, expert management of logistics and strong in-country relationships. Project C.U.R.E. also offers numerous domestic and international volunteer opportunities. Since its founding, Project C.U.R.E. has reached patients, families and children in 130 countries. Their Houston office is located off of Kempwood Drive, less than 10 minutes from Snooze Town & Country. My son Jason has helped pack supplies for them with the Wesley Academy National Junior Honor Society and it is a very helpful organization. Snooze Town & Country is located at: 600 West Sam Houston Pkwy N #500 Houston, TX 77024 713-470-4586 Hours: 7 Days a Week 6:30am - 2:30pm I want to thank the Staff and Management at Snooze for a great Father's Day breakfast and for the help they are offering Project C.U.R.E. Eat Happy, Y'all!!! 吃得开心!!! Hank
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/a-first-look-at-snooze-an-am-eatery-at-town-country-village/ Enchanted Florist - Your Houston Flower Shop Pasadena Remarkable 5 Star Review by Marie H. - https://youtu.be/p7mnnnTLSIU from https://enchantedfloristpasadena.tumblr.com/post/162306370112 Body of Light. Photo: Kaleb Marshall
In recent years, when Arizona’s experimental music realm rears it’s head, you are met with an entirely new world of talented individuals creating something enviable that artists are tracing their lines around. In steps Body of Light, a synth duo comprised of Alex and Andrew Jarson, two brothers that helped solidify the emerging Arizona music scene. Body of Light exhibits style and power, with swelling synths, the throb and peal of electronic drums surrounding hungry, searching vocals, further showcasing tracks that could surely be a staple of dancehall nights for years to come. Free Press Houston exchanged words with the Jarson brothers prior to their performance at The Secret Group on Friday.
FPH: Last time you were in town was a bit over a year ago with High Functioning Flesh. That was a fun show, and seemed like a promising tour with label-mates. This time around, you are visiting with Black Marble and DRAA, two bands I personally have been enjoying very much recently. Incredibly solid tours back to back. How has the tour been so far? Andrew: It’s been a blast. Every show has had great crowds. They always seem to be very energetic, and we’re a pretty energetic band so that helps the shows in the long run. Black Marble had already been on tour for I think 20 something days before we met up with them in NYC, and it can be awkward starting a tour like that, but we had an amazing sold out show in NYC and that really set off the whole tour. Chris and Oliver from Black Marble are truly great guys and we’re blessed to tour with people we get along so well with. Alex: We’ve been having the best time in the world. Nearly every show has been packed with people and the crowds have been very responsive to both bands. That’s all you can really ask for. We love touring with Black Marble. They’re amazing people and I’m kind of bummed we only have like 9 days left.
FPH: Alex, we met in 2013 and you gave me a few Body of Light (or Bodi of Light) cassettes, as well of other written works of yours. Older tracks like “Wayside City,” which were catchy dirge-pop hits, could have remained a lifelong direction, but then the LP Let Me Go comes around and seems to have realized a clear path for the band. Was this a natural evolution, or is this something you eventually wanted to work towards? Andrew: I’d say it was certainly a natural evolution, we actually wrote Let Me Go not too long after we put out the Limits of Reason tape in 2014. I’d say the biggest difference between the two is that we had the intention of having the LMG tracks mixed professionally, and the songs did go through some gradual changes during the time between it’s released. Once we got Ben Greenberg on board to mix the record, the songs really took shape into something we had wanted them to be from the start. We had already envisioned Let Me Go as our first real LP, so he brought it to a level, to a platform that we felt we could build on as a band from here on out. Alex: I’m very conscious of when I’m writing the same thing over and over again. We’ve never been that kind of a band. So when we went into writing this album, I wanted it to be different. We wanted high energy tracks that came off in a powerful way, especially live. But I also wanted it to feel hollow, yet emotional to the listener. Ben really helped push us to mold these tracks and I’m really grateful for his input.
FPH: Mentioning earlier your written works, you are both heavily involved and helped create Ascetic House, an incredibly influential creative collective that has produced some of the most noteworthy music of the past few years. How did it all begin, and do you still have the same creative input as you did before? Alex: It starts much earlier than the name, you know? We were all going to shows, like anyone else involved in underground music. Eventually, people moved and things felt like it needed a bit of a push. We all got a bit older and wanted to have some influence with our output. We came up with the name, I think, in 2011. We released music we enjoyed and really pushed ourselves to grow and learn. The creative input is still the same. If anything, we have more control now as it expands. Andrew: I moved to Tempe in 2009 and lived on Alex’s couch. I was making music constantly at the time on my Akai 16 track recorder, usually in the corner of the room that I had made into my little makeshift room, if you could really even call it that. I was pretty socially awkward at the time — I was 18 and I had gone to punk and hardcore shows with my brother for a while before then, but hardcore was never my thing at all, and I never really met anyone or anything like that. So I felt maybe like a bit an outsider. But moving to Tempe, I got the chance to see these amazing punk and indie shows at these great DIY spots like The Manor, Yobs, Eastside Records, etc. and I met all these great people like Danny Pupillo, Nick and Steve Nappa, JS Aurelius, JR Nelson, and way too many others to reference. We all realized we lived within blocks from each other, and as we started forming all of these bands with each other, and seeing so many amazing acts, that was really how Ascetic House naturally began.
FPH: Translating from being a part of the punk community, Body of Light puts on a very entertaining live performance, and utilizes an intriguing aesthetic. I know Alex used to carry a leg bone with him on stage while performing, which is great in my book. Tell me a bit about that. Andrew: The bone era was about right when I joined the band. So I had seen him perform as Body of Light and understood what the performance was supposed to be. I never wanted to distract from that, I found my way to provide support and let him do his thing. His performance evolved from there on out, and at the same time so did my stage setup and the structure of the set. Alex: I found this bone in a field and for some reason, I thought it would be fun to perform with. I would hold it in the air as if it was an instrument of its own, or a wand. I was experimenting a lot with my surroundings then. The idea of mortality was becoming ingrained in my mind. I think that idea terrified me and having that with me gave me a sense of peace. It didn’t matter. On stage, we were the ones who had control. When I felt like it was the right time, I threw it off the stage at a show in New York. It shattered into a million pieces. I still have a small fragment in a box somewhere.
FPH: Both of you are involved in solo experimental electronic projects (Memorymann, Blue Krishna, etc) and seem equally capable behind the gear. Has there ever been a shimmer of an idea to try performing a track with your positions swapped? Andrew: Body of Light is a collaborative project, It’s not like I’m the songwriter and he’s the singer/lyricist. Sometimes he will write the basis of a song and I will give musical input, and sometimes I’ll help out with lyrics or vocal melodies. Just because we have roles on stage doesn’t mean we need to follow them in the long run. Not sure if I would ever do lead vocals at this point, but I wouldn’t rule anything out. I’d love to do some backing vocals sometime, which we’re working on in practice. It’s that natural blood harmony, you know? Alex: Yeah, roles are always changing. We have plans for him to get on vocals, perhaps on the next record. I’d like to play more live, if I ever stop running around on stage.
FPH: Besides the musical influences that stick out almost immediately from listening to your tracks new and old, what else in the creative world influences you for songwriting, performance, recording, etc. Alex: There’s just too many bands and artists to name. I’m mainly influenced by the people that are close to me. Sometimes it has nothing to do with sound at all. Someone could do something and it produces a thought. The sound just comes from the emotion behind it. I’ve found that touring and traveling in general influences my music the most. Andrew: Some of my biggest influences in terms of production from the past come from the Modern Soul and Funk world, like Terry Lewis & Jimmy Jam, Prince, etc., but I also love the pop productions of Scott, Aitken, & Waterman, Bobby Orlando, and Freestyle bands of the past. Stuff I love to listen to on the radio. As far as modern influence I really like the recent releases from Danny Wolfers/Legowelt, especially the Smackos stuff. I’m also a huge fan of some of our friends work, such as Glochids, High Functioning Flesh, and SURVIVE.
FPH: The LP from Dais made it’s way across quite a few 2016 Best Of The Year lists. I’ve seen great tours and shows showcasing you as well. What is next for the band? Alex: I love our last record a lot and it’s really exciting to see how much it’s been listened to. We got to go play in Japan, tour the US twice, and meet so many amazing people. I never expected anyone to care, so it’s a huge blessing to be able to do this with my life. We’re going to finish this tour and jump into writing a new record. I think it’s time. Andrew: I’m really excited to write when we get home from this tour. We have both got a lot more gear and production equipment since the last record, and I spent a lot of time building up my studio to work in a very hybrid ITB/OTB way. We’re also planning on some tours and have even bounced around the idea of adding another live member to the band. So there’s a lot on the table and we’ll see where it takes us.
Catch Body of Light at The Secret Group on Friday, June 23. The night will include Brooklyn’s Black Marble headlining, with DRAA from Tempe supporting. Pick up a copy of Body Of Light’s LP “Let Me Go” on Dais Records from the band, label, or local vendors Deep End, Wired Up, or Vinal Edge. Also, catch up with the sonic innovations of Ascetic House at www.ascetic.house from http://www.freepresshouston.com/acid-angels-in-arizona-an-interview-with-body-of-light/ Live your truth. It’s enticing to live according to adages and calendar slogans, but very rarely do we think of what that truly means; truth is subjective, but always real. James Baldwin once wrote, “There are too many things we do not wish to know about ourselves,” and in those “things,” there is the truth. Jessie Reyez is living and singing her truth, she presents and stands by it, in its trial and its glory. In the song “Figures” she says to a lover, “I gave it all and you gave me shit.” It’s a thing people feel, at the end, but Reyes doesn’t judge the entirety by the end: “Figures I am willing to stay cause I’m sick for your love.”
“I don’t think I did it intentionally,” says Reyez of her truthful style. “I feel like my objective is always to be honest, and I feel like life isn’t really black and white. So if you’re stuck in a relationship or if you’re hurt, you can’t help but ignore that at one point before that hurt starts to happen. There were good times, you know? It’s kind of like a ying and yang that I feel like has been depicted by nature of being honest.”
Honesty is a word that one could easily associate with Reyez’s EP, Kiddo. A look at life, perhaps her life, but life in a place of discovery in its various forms, a search for meaning in the living while still believing in the life. Relationships are part of that life, but there is also a song like “Gatekeeper,” a cautionary tale of the music industry from its patriarchal sexist hierarchies. “Thirty million people want a shot, How much would it take for you to spread those legs apart?”
A sobering but true tale — with a killer video — that depicts the idea of fame being connected to “one hand washing the other.” But that is the truth, the tarnish of the dream, but not the destruction of that dream, and in talking with Reyez, it’s never lost that even in darkness we should focus on the light. Reyez is in, but not beholden to, “the industry” — she’s in touch with the fact that definition is not the goal, that there is still the journey, there is still more to do and say.
“It’s not my prerogative for me to peg who I think I am. It goes back to the question of being honest, and if being honest means four or five different sounding songs are gonna come outta me, that’s just what’s gonna come out. I feel like the theme in a lot of my music is not genre, it’s something else; I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s human, I don’t know because I feel like there are so many other dope artists out there who have it, too, that can jump between genres and jump between what other people feel they need to define them as and it’s just a creation and hoping people resonate with it.”
So yes, you may get a gut wrenching ballad like “Figures,” you may get a kiss off banger like “Shutter Island,” you may get a dancefloor/trap romp like “Blue Ribbon,” or you may get something aspirational and inspirational like “Great Ones.” No matter what, you will always get Jessie Reyez, and that is that the main ingredient; style accentuated, not style defined. Still, it is easy to get caught up, it’s easy to become jaded, but you will not kill the vibe. Reyes is overwhelmingly and refreshingly appreciative of what she has been given. But also, Reyez is aware of the long game.
“It’s a nonstop thing you know. It’s like if you are painter and you’re good at painting, you can only sit there and look at it for a few seconds, and then, okay, what’s next? If it’s in your nature to make, if it’s your nature to express,” notes Reyez. “It’s interesting in this climate where sometimes projects go overlooked and it’s more strategic to drop select songs, one at a time as singles, and I feel like it’s important to remember content versus context, and what the climate calls for, but also how I want to deliver the next message I put out. So it’s a matter of stepping back and taking those two things into account and working with the same compass in regards to making it as honest and as potent as possible and as real to who I am.”
Reyez will have you stuck in the realness, but the reality is ever changing and evolving, and that is what she hopes to do: to become and express, progression and all the beauty that accompanies that, not to rest on her laurels, but also to remember treasures in the travails.
“I pray before shows with my team and I thank the positive energy and the blessing received, and speaking of songs or singing the songs, those emotions are still potent, those emotions still affect me. It’s interesting because people respond to it and they respond with love. I am singing about something that messed up my heart and brought me to pieces, but I see someone singing it back to me, but they’re singing with love and it’s such a contrast. That contrast creates energy, and after shows when people come up to me and tell me how the music’s affected them, or how their kids liked the music and it’s helped in raising their kids, things like that, that warms my heart. It’s almost like purpose. It’s like who cares if you’re tired, if you’re able to do this, who cares that you’re tired, you’re blessed. It doesn’t fucking matter if I’m tired. Someone quoted it, I don’t who quoted it, but it’s like, ‘You can’t be sad and grateful at the same time.’ It’s impossible to feel those two emotions [simultaneously], so if ever you find yourself in darkness and you find things to be grateful for it wards off negativity.” Jessie Reyez performs 6/23 at House Of Blues from http://www.freepresshouston.com/being-honest-an-interview-with-jessie-reyez/ |
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April 2019
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