Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Rockin' out with MABEL !!!

I recently got the chance to talk to the awesome vocalist Khris Teague from the Kansas metal band MABEL ( https://www.facebook.com/MABEL67156 ) . These dudes kick some serious ass and are at the top of my "Gotta see live before I die" bucket list. Let's jump in and see what MABEL is all about !!!

1. Please give a brief history of the band / current line up 

KT :  We're all old childhood friends. Everyone has been in several previous projects, with me (Teague) being the exception. This is my first band. Mabel formed in 2010 in Winfield KS. We make unlistenable noise for poor unfortunate souls to beat each other up to! Lineup: Khris Teague(Frontman), Tony Gulick(Drums), Matt Finney(Guitar), Jeremy Mount(Also Guitar), and Sean Hare(Bass).

2. What's ur fave song to perform live ?

KT :  While I can't speak for the rest of the guys, I'd have to say my personal favorite is F.M.L. That shit gets me fired up every time!  

3. What are yalls musical influences // what bands are yall listening to alot of lately ?

KT :  That is tough because we all have fairly different musical tastes. But I'd say we take a lot from hardcore, punk, and power groove. Bands we've been listening to a lot lately are: Hatebreed, Earth Crisis, Machine Head. And locals. Lots of locals, like: John Woodson's Leg, KingShifter, and Odds Against.

4.  What does the future have in store for MABEL ?

KT :  We're currently starting work on a new album. It's pretty heavy so far. Won't say much about it but we have slowed way down on playing live so we can devote more energy into getting these new songs worked out. We just finished our first shirts(available Sept. 12th. contact me for details on how to get one!) When this album is finished we are gonna concentrate on a lot more regional shows.

5.  Any little known MABEL facts you'd like to share with us ?

KT :  We named the band after a cranky old lady that lived next to Matt. She used to call the cops all the time for noise complaints. She has passed on now(R.I.P.). But we decided as a big FU to everyone who told us to turn it down, we'd name the band MABEL. 

6. Anything you'd like to add / say to the readers ?

KT :  SUPPORT LOCAL METAL ARTISTS! SEE YOU IN THE PIT! thanks for the interview Alison! 


Thank YOU Khris and the rest of MABEL for making face melting music !!! Keep an eye out for MABEL's new album and check them out on Facebook and ReverbNation for music, videos and more info http://www.reverbnation.com/mabelmetal \m/ keep it brutal \m/

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Reincarnated ( straight outta Karachi !!! )

 When you think of Pakistan , you don't think of heavy metal. When you think of heavy metal , honestly does Pakistan even cross your mind ? Probably not, right ??? Let me help change that. I was recently introduced to an incredible group of guys from Karachi that make up the band Reincarnated ( https://www.facebook.com/ReincarnatedMetal ) The brothers Joshua and Moses were nice enough to answer a few questions , which was awesome of them considering a 12 hour time difference and a few technical difficulties :)

A : Tell me again about the music scene over there ?

R : The Music Scene over here is not that great to be honest, there is a lot of talent out here and we got a lot of good musicians but since there is no platform for them, so they give up. Metal is Dead out here. No one really listens to metal, its pretty much noise to everyone, or the first thing they think is that we are cussing in our songs or talking about satan (haha) which we for one find very amusing. There are band out in different cities of Pakistan who are functioning but then again they're only functioning for Gigs no one is interested in making an album, even if they are there is no audience here. We are the only Metal band alive in our City (Karachi). We are struggling and we are trying to make it happen through the power of our music. We've always wanted to do this and we won't give up that easy and if not for anyone we'll do it for ourselves and be proud of what we do. (Joshua/Moses Joseph).

A : Names / instruments of the members ?

R : This one is easy HA HA.
We got Moses on Lead Guitars/Composer
Then there's (ME) Joshua on Vocals/Lyrics/Manager
Rodney Joseph on Drums
Hamza Haider on Bass Guitar
Daniyal Raffat on Rhythm Guitar.

A : Tell me about the history of the band ?

R : The band was originally formed in 2009 under the name Prophecy, initially intended to be an alternative rock band. The members at this time included Sohail Farooqui (Bass), Raza Khan (Lead Guitars), Moses Joseph (Rhythm Guitars) and Joshua Joseph on (Vocals). However, the band members soon parted ways due to musical differences and difficulties in finding a drummer. Unsullied by this minor setback, the brothers continued to work and make music at their own pace, their musical style undergoing much evolution before arriving at its final destination: the relentless genre of Death Metal. In their endeavour to create quality death metal music the brothers were influenced by bands such as Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Carcass,Trivium, Sepultura, Death, Etc. The duo recorded their first demo track in the summer of 2011 titled “End of Nightmare”. The song was an instant success and brought the two members much needed positive response and attention from the crowd. Thus “Reincarnated” was born, and though their band was still only partially developed, lacking more than two members, the duo then went on and started working on their next demo track titled “Lilith”. Upon receiving positive responses upon releasing a teaser of the track, Josh and Moses set out to complete what would soon be known as one of their finest songs. The duo faced a lot of difficulty while recording the song at their home studio, and it took them 4 months to complete the track. “Lilith” remains to this day a fan favourite, their loyal followers loving the dark momentum of the song from a scary beginning to a furious demon roar at the end, the song has been loved and appreciated by all those who have heard it. Soon after the, the duo recorded their third track titled “Wake Up”. The duo experimented with several styles, from melodic death metal to doom and each experiment gained them more and more acclaim.

Soon after the release of their fourth track “My Enemy” the band was approached by drummer Waqas Kayani (Xarar) who told the duo that he was interested in joining the band. Having successfully found a drummer, the brothers began to search for a Bassist and a 2nd Lead Guitarist to complete their lineup. They found a bassist in their good friend Hamza Haider, who had approached the band during the Lilith Sessions. The band then recruited Daniyal Raffat, who was familiar with the bands work, as their second guitarist.

The line up was now complete. Joshua on vocals, Moses and Daniyal on lead guitars, Hamza on bass and Waqas on drums, the line up seemed perfect. However, despite the complete line up, the band rarely jammed, and recorded only one track during this period. Upset with the progress of their band, the brothers decided to have a meeting with their bandmates to resolve the issue of delay that was stopping Reincarnated from progressing. After the meeting, drummer (Waqas Kayani) announced that he didn’t want to be a part of the band and left due to personal reasons.

This brought the band back on the same road that they had started from setting them back again. The Search for a new drummer began and the four members looked desperately for a drummer, Joshua then contacted one of his friends back from school Ronald Joseph ( Vocalist , D.H.A “Dark Horse Association”.) who had recently put his band on a hold as he left for the United States and asked if his brother Rodney Joseph (Drums, D.H.A “Dark Horse Association”.) was available. He then contacted Rodney and a Meeting was set up, Rodney liked what he saw and the band liked what he had to offer

and the rest is history. The band officially recruited Rodney Joseph as the band’s new drummer. Reincarnated found the missing piece of their puzzle, the formation was complete and soon after the band went on and performed their very first Gig and people loved what they saw. Reincarnated went public and the response they got, gave them a well needed pat on the back. The band recently recorded their 6th track titled “Grey”.

Among the bands recent endeavors have been a highly acclaimed performance at the metal festival Hellfest held in Islamabad in April. Following the huge increase in fans following this performance, the band has now begun working on their debut studio album.

A : Who are your musical influences ?

R : Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Carcass, Trivium, Sepultura, Death, Bloodbath, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage. Etc.

A : What does the future hold for the band?

R : Music is all we've wanted to do and that's what we intend to do. We are in the process of searching for a label, an audience and a platform where we could be heard and show what we have and we want to show what we're capable off.

A : Anything else you guys want to add / share with the world ?

R : All we would like to say to the readers, listeners, fans is that "Thank you for the Appreciation, the support and the love that we get every now and then. It gives us the Motivation to do and explore more sides of music and bring you the best of us. Each song has been created with dedication and passion and heart". We also urge everyone to listen and share us around, let us be heard. We are just like you, we work, we strive and we are the same. Its our dream to make music and we want to live it. and we wil do anything to make it happen, no matter what, no matter where we are.

Music is universal yall \m/ I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as it was to do :) Check out Reincarnated on facebook https://www.facebook.com/ReincarnatedMetal and on their ReverbNation page at http://www.reverbnation.com/reincarnatedmetalband

Thursday, August 15, 2013

turning the tables on music journalist Bradley Dillon from thenewfury.com

I met Bradley Dillon a few months ago while i was trying to help promote some bands on facebook. He is based out of Florida and gets to interview bands from all over. Thought it would be a cool idea to interview the interviewer ( muahahahaaa !!! )

ALIE : what is your favorite music related memory ?

BRADLEY : probably getting to meet all my favorite bands. The ones I'm most proud of are the interviews I did with POD and Periphery - the former a band I grew up with, and the latter being one of my favorite bands today.

ALIE : what gets you excited / grabs your attention for a certain band ?

BRADLEY : What grabs my attention from certain bands depends on the genre. For hardcore, off-time breakdowns and witty but meaningful lyrics get me. For alternative rock, a cynical/sarcastic sense of humor appeals to me. I like bands that aren't afraid to dive into influences not necessarily in the genre you play, like when Deftones implement electronica into their music, or when bands like A Hope For Home incorporate post-metal influences.

ALIE : who would you want to have a conversation with  ( living or dead ) and why ?

BRADLEY : I'll say Johnny Cash, Mike Patton (Faith No More), and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. Johnny, because he was a man who went through hell and back multiple times - and lived to tell. Mike Patton, because he's one of the most versatile vocalists ever and he has interesting views about the music industry, and Stevie Nicks because I believe she has the best vocals of any female musician. EVER. A bold statement, but that's how I feel.

ALIE :  what made you want to interview / write about music ?

BRADLEY : It's weird. I've always been interested in music and have always loved writing. But it took an epiphany to connect the two together. It came one day in 2011 while I was brainstorming - and went from there. I'm extremely knowledgeable about music to begin with, and I love talking. It just came naturally to me. I think I wanted to do it because I saw too many mediocre journalists asking mediocre questions. I saw a void that needed to be filled. And people like me, my friends Stephanie Jensen and Jordan Mohler, and many others are a part of the new breed of journalists looking to ask bold and thought-provoking questions. I want to be the journalist who is looked up to and praised. Not because I need to feel important, but because I want to be one of the best and make a difference with the abilities I've been given. 

ALIE : tell us please, some little known Bradley Dillon trivia :) 


BRADLEY : Bradley trivia, hmmmm. I'll give out a few interesting facts about me - and some confessions.
- I'm typing out this interview on my iPod touch.
- I have god-tier peripheral vision.
- I'm sometimes afraid I'm not making a differences with the abilities I've been given.
- I love granola bars. I'm hungry, please give me some.
- I'm friendly and I'm really an average guy. I would t say I hate when people call me a "rock star" - but realize that I just happen to be a normal guy who experiences not-so-normal things.
- My top 5 favorite bands are Deftones, Thrice, Funeral For a Friend, Linkin Park, and Porcupine Tree.
- I really like prog-metal. Progressive ANYTHING, please.
- I've been listening to a lot of Run For Cover Recs stuff lately, like Daylight and Turnover.
- I can't grow a beard.
- I look a lot younger than I really am.
- I probably listen to classic rock more than any other genre.
- I can't play any instruments, but I do sing. If you're special, I might let you hear.
- Most people perceive me as being very nice and innocent. However, extremely perceptive people like my girlfriend know this is not always the case. I am a complete DICK sometimes, and really sarcastic. I know how to make words heal or harm - depending on how you make me feel. I like using this power for good, though.

ALIE :  what does the future hold for you ?

BRADLEY :  My future will involve me being a music journalist - whether that's continuing on with my company Thenewfury, or latching on with someone who will pay me the money I deserve for my unique talents. There's a lot of things I'm not skilled at. But it would be great to be doing the things I am good at. I want to be the person who interviews a band and have them remember me 6 months later - much like post-hardcore band Hands Like Houses did.

ALIE : anything else you would like to add ?

BRADLEY : Check out my friends in Kill The Music and Rise Above the Anchor ( https://www.facebook.com/riseabovetheanchor ) Follow me on Twitter at @NewFuryMedia (I run it all myself) and check out  http://thenewfury.com/  where I interview a ridiculous number of bands and other cool things.
Oh, and thanks for asking these questions! Alison has been one of my biggest supporters EVER and I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much Bradley for making this fun and having some great answers !!! This guy is doing great things in the music scene and i cant wait to see more from him :)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Purple Lotus Patient Center ( san jose, ca )

OMG bumblebee !!! the purple lotus patient center is one of my FAVE dispensaries in the 408. not only do they have the best selection of medicinals , they also have superb customer service !!! everyone who works there, from the guys pulling traffic duty in the parking lot , to the fabulous receptionists , to the knowledgeable and patient ( i ask alot of questions lol ) "budtenders" , everyone there is beyond nice :) . open from 10am to 10pm every day , purple lotus always has daily specials going on  and they even have a text in option if youre in a hurry and dont want to wait in line. located at 903 commercial rd, suite 50 in good ol' san jose , definitely swing by and they will take care of all your mmj needs !!! https://www.facebook.com/plpcsj 

Thursday, August 8, 2013

the first band i would like to introduce to yall is ......

INIMICAL DRIVE !!!  https://www.facebook.com/InimicalDrive
i have been a huge fan of theirs since 2006 (( i found them on myspace lol )) and they are just ahhhmazing !!! hard rock/metal with some screaming ( done very well by vocalist joel ) in fact each member of inimical drive brings the thunder in their own way. the drums are sick !!! i dont know how long mark the drummer has been playin' but he is nothing short of incredible. melting faces on guitar is nick, he is seriously a virtuoso !!! dan, the bassist , brings it all together ferociously <3 they are from st.louis , mo and are pretty much legends in the stl music scene and have a loyal fan base :) oh yeah , they are so awesome that they recently won an opportunity to play at the vans warped tour just a few weeks ago when it passed through the st.louis area , that right there tell you they are doin' big things !!! i love them and i know you will too :) definitely worth checking out <3 http://inimicaldrive.com/

i love all kinds of music and i'm a medical marijuana patient and advocate

hey yall !!! my name is alison but my friends call me alie :) 2 of my loves in life are music and cannabis , so i decided to start a little adventure , errr , i mean blog lol i've never done this before , so please be gentle ;) i live in beautiful california ( texas native ) and have several health issues , some of which include : chronic pain from a back injury (severe , debilitating pain ) , anxiety , ptsd , and bipolar disorder. the combination of which had prevented me from living a productive life. Until i got a medical marijuana card :) MIRACLE MEDICINE !!! seriously, i have gotten so much of my life and happiness back since using medical grade cannabis :) not to mention its healthier than filling my body full of pills lol
the second part of this blog will be about music and bands i think should be gettin' more exposure. i'm almost 36, i grew up on 70s rock thanks to my wonderful dad  <3  and i honestly believe that set the foundation for my love of music. my interests range from zeppelin to matisyahu to deftones to wu-tang clan (& maybe a lil texas third coast music thrown in for good measure lol ) enough about me , lets get this party started !!!