cd reviews - Target Audience Magazine

Table of Contents
The Best Bathroom Book Ever.................................................................................... 5
Letter from the Editor
C
Editorial
Board
Ellen Eldridge
Russell Eldridge
Editor in Chief
Operations
Victor Schwartzman
Poetry Editor
Michael Bradley
Design Editor
Danielle Boise
Leah Bishop
Music Editor
Copy Editor
reating anything is a job, and we all know that when
you love your job and you feel passionately about it, your
job is more of a passion. However, as entrepreneurs in
the arts, we often find outselves tasked with taking the
D.I.Y attitude more deeply into our business than we’d
like. My own perspective with Target Audience Magazine has led me to fully realize the difficulty in being
both a struggling artist as well as one who takes pride
in doing it on my own. At a certain point, for quality to
exist, one cannot do everything on one’s own.
So, I’ve take a few months off designing the monthly issues to develop a plan to offer services for makers who
want to make the most of their business. I believe that
for a band to make the best pitch to a publicist, professional photos and a press kit are crucial. A writer releasing a self-published work should invest in the work of an
illustrator or designer to create the best cover. We can
cultivate a community where we help each other succeed. Target Audience Magazine will start offering services from a media strategy perspective.
Social Media for Artist Promotion............................................................................ 8
How I Got Into THAT Band: Van Halen.....................................................................10
Advice on Independent Publishing and Marketing............................................. 12
What Should Musicians Blog About........................................................................14
CD Reviews.....................................................................................................................16
On the Cover: Karen Briggs at Suite Food Lounge.............................................18
Live review: Revolver’s Hottest Chicks In Rock Tour..............................................19
Live review: Amon Amarth, Enslaved, Skeletonwitch.........................................20
Country music sweetheart speaks from the heart of ‘Music City”....................21
“Wild Girl Waltz” Review and Interview with Mark Lewis..................................23
Included in the services we offer will be marketing analysis and strategy. So, read the magazine as a resource. If
you decide you need help with one aspect of your art,
let our community help. We’ll call you in return.
ii
iii
FEATURE
The Best Bathroom Book Ever
A Girl Goes Into The Woods, Lyn Lifshin
by Victor Schwartzmann, Poetry Editor
A Girl Goes into the Woods (NYQ Books, www.nyqbooks.
org) is the best bathroom poetry book ever. Buy it
and, when ready, take it into the bathroom. You will be
surprised.
There is nothing new to write about Lyn Lifshin, the
“Queen of the Literary Magazines.” She has over one
hundred books published--and counting, has edited
anthologies and taught. She is blonde, thin and long into
ballet, despite periodic injuries. When it comes to writing
poetry she is beyond active.
She has been around, well, a long time. Over many decades
she continued to write, get published and maintain her
reputation. That is some trick. Most writers consider
themselves fortunate to get a single book published.
So Lifshin is a rare bird. But why the bathroom stuff? Is
it an ill-conceived compliment or no compliment at all?
Why is A Girl Goes into the Woods perfect bathroom
poetry? In case you run out of paper?
Hardly! [Disclaimer: due to eyesight problems, reading print
for this reviewer has difficulties. Most of his reading
is on the internet, where he can blow
up the type size. Over the past few
years, your Poetry Editor discovered
he did much of his print reading in the
washroom. He began putting books
there, experimenting. In the end, he
realized he did some of his finest reading
of poetry in the washroom. This review is
the result of his knowledge.]
Her poems feature short lines and
no rhymes. They are quick reads, but
although simple at first rapidly grow
complex as you think about them. There
is also amazing variety: the poems in this
large collection include family history,
sexuality, the bombing of Hiroshima, high
heeled boots, tragedy, men and women lusting, the
Holocaust.
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A lot of ground is covered. Suitable for every possible
mood (380 pages.)
Most poems are not great washroom reads. They are too
long, pretentious, have nothing worth saying or are selfinvolved. Yes, okay, it’s important there
are plenty of poems out there, something
for everyone, and it’s all good. But you
are not everyone. You do not want to
read something in the washroom that
is annoying. You do not want to end up
wishing you had never gone into the
washroom to begin with. The poems
must be special.
To continue to define our terms, the
poem should be short enough to allow
you to read it at least twice. It must also
give you something to think about
after you read it (reading only takes a
minute or two.) This last part is the
most important—what you do after
reading the poem. If you are in any other
place, you go on to something else. In the washroom,
you have the time to read it again.
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The poem must be
direct on the surface
but convoluted
underneath. The
writing should reach
out to the reader
and pose previously
unconsidered
questions. The whole
process should set
you up for leaving the
washroom relieved
yet thoughtful,
looking at life around
you, at familiar things
perhaps, differently.
You could even have some kind of realization. Some
of those realizations come through reading:
BARBIE HUNTS THRU MEDICAL BOOKS
LOOKING FOR WHAT IS WRONG WITH
HER WHEN SHE SEES HER BIRTH DATE IN
A BOOK, KNOWS SHE IS OVER 50
and feels so
hollow inside,
unfulfilled,
as if all she’s
done is change
her clothes
She wonders about the women’s
movement, maybe
she frowns it’s
the change and
she hasn’t even
had a baby, had a
period, a
hair that was
not in place.
perfection that
can be shelved,
one yank and I’d
be bald, naked.
She flips thru
chapters on neurosis, wonders
If it’s hormones
she lacks. Where
she’s been, hardly
seems to matter:
the beach, Sun
Valley, Spain.
It’s all façade,
going thru the
motions. What
did a wedding
get me she groans
I never was freemoving, as they
said in 1975
but empty, full
of holes—something just for
someone else
The selected poems in this collection are divided into sections. “Black Velvet Girl” is
“autobiographical,” for example. “I Don’t Know What Your Eyes Have Done To Me” has
poems on “relationships.” “In The Darkness Of Night” has “war” poems.
NOT QUITE SPRING
The following Lifshin poem is a perfect example of what
this column has been about, and a fitting end, and after
Baby, you know I get high
which nothing needs to be written:
on you, come back with me
whispering in her ear.
it was all she could do to say
no, spring leaves budding,
his hand on her breast,
crocus smell and
everything unfolding.
he gasping I want, I
would but instead hurrying
back to the windowless room
where she locks the heavy door.
lemons are rotting on her pillow,
she studies her nipples,
nyloned crotch in the mirror
then hugs her huge body to sleep
WHO HELD THE CAMERA SO STEADILY
AND WHY?
Photographs
at the Holocaust Museum:
In black and white
a naked girl,
maybe six,
gripped by the neck
in the hands of a woman
with huge biceps.
A mentally disturbed girl
shortly before her murder.
Near the dangling girl
is a photo in summer—
trees are fully leafed,
What a terrific little tale of yearning. A “huge” woman.
A man comes onto her. She denies herself, perhaps for
good reason, but perhaps not many men show interest.
What do we know about this guy? Sounds as if he is
feeding her a line so he can sleep with her (does “sleep
with” someone make sense? don’t you want to be awake?) A
lothario perhaps, but she really wants him or perhaps the
attention. Sometimes a creep has his uses.
dark smoke pours
out of one building.
Down the hall
a young woman with glasses
takes aim at a man
kneeling
in front of a pit of bodies:
But she is a strong woman who decides to pull herself
away, only to “hug her huge body to sleep.” Not a happy
end at all. The more you think about it, the more harrowing
the poem becomes. It may not be healthy to read it more
than three times in one sitting.
the pistol points at the neck
so no shattered bone
will fly his way
to collect or abuse
The life of a woman, and objectification, and of men using
women, runs through Lifshin’s poetry.
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FEATURE
Social Media for Artist Promotion
by Jack Varnell
In thinking about writing this post, I
wondered if doing promotion or social
media for an artist, writer or musician
was truly different than it might be for any
other entity looking to spread its gospel.
The truth is that it is. And it isn’t.
T
here are universal truths, always in flux, that guide
the world of social media. Stats, analytics, page
views, downloads and user data. There are techniques,
methodologies and constantly changing adaptations
to newer technologies. These necessary evils do a lot to
suck our time and creativity. If you are like me, the risk is
always there of being led down a side road of information,
seeking information on the web. After hours pass, you
realize you haven’t written one word, bothered to open
Photoshop or compose a single measure of your next
song—your work lives on in your head.
Unless we have sponsors, commissions, record or book
deals--or a silver spoon level inheritance, we have to work
promoting as well as spend time creating. Dreamy-eyed
passion is great until the landlord knocks on the door. I
live in a hybrid world. I write for a living and manage social
media for clients, so I spend an inordinate amount of time
switching from a creative to career mindset while never
leaving either. The sad reality is my creative endeavors
tend to get shafted in the process. That said, how are
we to balance the requirements to feed our muse,
while meeting the demands necessary to actively build
platform, or an audience with the fervor the digital age
requires?
“When things get tough, this is what
you should do: Make good art.”
– Neil Gaiman
Image Credit: “Technicolor Promotion” by Jack Varnell – The Emotional Orphan
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The most important concept here is one of sharing. In my
business and in my artistic endeavors, relationships are
developed through mutual admiration and respect. If you
are on social media, you should be talking proportionately
more about the work that inspires you, the books that
mark you, or the bands that read your soul better, than
you should self-promoting. I’m a big proponent of selfpromotion, but if all I ever see is buy this, watch that, look
how great I am today, the chances are I become immune
to your talents. Steff Metal said in her piece “Going Local: 5
Ways to Market Your Art in Your Community,” for my friend
Drew at The Skinny Artist : “Hold Local Exhibits” (readings,
concerts) “Network with the Local Arts Community,”
“Schmooze with the Press,” (backstage passes for Target
Audience Magazine for example) and to “Team Up with a
Local Charity.”These are all valid and well-proven methods,
and they translate well into the digital neighborhood as
well.
Here’s how: Find your niche community online and
participate. Give and take. Give and receive feedback
and encouragement. Many artistic communities online
have competitions, exhibits, calls for submissions and the
likes to encourage engagement. Share other artists work,
and call attention to the other things in your life that are
important to you and those in your community. Help
spread the message for others and the things they care
about. I can assure you that in doing so, you will amplify
your own message and art infinitely.
As a person who does social media management, and
who both personally and in support of my art, has
followed specific methodologies that seem to work, allow
me to share a bit of what I might tell a client. There is, after
all, a science to what works and what doesn’t whether it is
artistic, or business related. One of the things I personally
have struggled with is promoting my art in environments
full of other starving artists who aren’t inclined, nor have
the resources to actually pay for my art. The communities
are great for sharing and learning. No so much for actually
selling the work. I am learning to use an old school set of
principles, loosely based on the work of Peter F. Drucker
management that brings the client, customer, or the
audience to the forefront. It looks a little like this, again, as
presented by The Skinny Artist:
Who is your ideal customer?
Are they local, regional, or world-wide?
How exactly is your artistic product or service
going to improve their life?
What are their alternatives to hiring or
purchasing from you?
What do you think may be the best of connecting
directly with this customer?
How can you set yourself apart from your
competition?
What can you do today to build your online
“brand” awareness with this customer?
By mastering this process, or allocating resources to
have a professional work with you in formulating and
executing this plan you can devote your time and energy
to actually creating your art, and collaborating with your
artistic community to grow in your craft, not social media,
promotion or marketing which so easily can take you
away from where your passions lie.
Jack Varnell is a social media enthusiast, visual artist, contemporary prose poet,
and writer living in the suburbs of Atlanta, Ga. Most artistic endeavors can be
found under the pseudonym “The Emotional Orphan” Find out more at vizify.
com/jack-varnell . To contact him about social media contract projects please
tweet @jackvarnell or through the contact page at emotionalorphan.net
9
hide his mind-blowing technique and how their singer,
FEATURE
How I Got Into THAT Band: Van Halen
A Story About AM Radio, Unique Marketing and Volume
by Michael Bradley
I
grew
up
in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania in the ‘70s, and
during that time I shared a
bedroom with my older brother.
Between our beds sat our clockradio which was tuned to our
favorite radio station at the time,
a local station called 13Q. The
unique thing about 13Q was
that it was an AM station, not
FM. Traditionally, AM stations
broadcast news and talk radio,
but 13Q was essentially a Top
40 radio station with an FM /
rock radio format, which was
revolutionary for its time. DJs had
their own personalized shows
and they would play the songs that they wanted
to play. I was exposed to all of the popular artists of
the day which included Elton John, Stevie Wonder,
The Steve Miller Band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive,
and my two favorite groups at the time: Kiss and
Grand Funk (Railroad). On one particular night, 13Q
played Grand Funk’s cover of the 1962 Little Eva hit
song “The Loco-Motion” twenty-five times in a row
because listeners kept calling in to request it. Van Halen did “rock band” the way
that I thought a rock band should
be done. The music, the stage show,
the personalities - it was absolute
perfection.
13Q employed many revolutionary tactics to increase
listenership. The station would randomly telephone
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listeners, and if you answered your phone with “I
listen to the new sound of 13Q” instead of “Hello,” you
would win a cash prize. They also ran a Bingo game,
handing out small cards with a grid of songs on it
and if you heard the right five songs in a row then
by golly, you were a winner! My favorite of all though
was something called a “13Q Card.” The card was a trifold brochure that had a photo of one of the DJs on
the front, and it included song lyrics, top album and
singles lists and lots of funky cartoons around the
edges. My brother and I would hound our parents
to stop at the local G.C. Murphy’s department store
every Sunday so we could run inside to grab some
copies, which were kept on the counter in the record
section of the store.
Dave Roth (the “Lee” had yet to be added) would do
splits off of the drum riser. I can remember walking up
the stairs at school one day and a bunch of the stoner
kids were trying to replicate Roth’s split-legged jump
from six or so steps - not too successfully I might add. With my interest
peaked,
I
again
turned to the radio to
find WDVE, a station
with a harder-edged
playlist and within
weeks I completely
fell in love with
Van Halen’s “Dance
The Night Away.”
The band’s second
album had just
been released and
”Dance The Night
Away” was their first Top 20 hit. That song began my
life-long, well, obsession with this band. I bought and
listened to all of their albums, I drew the Van Halen
logo all over my school books, made custom-mix
tapes of my favorite songs, wall-papered my school
locker with pictures from Creem and Hit Parader
magazines and constantly discussed with my friends
the more weighty topics of the day, such as: “which
do you like more: Eddie’s jump suit from Women And
Children First or the “elf pants” and striped sox from
the Fair Warning Tour?”
In 1982 I finally got the chance to see Van Halen live
at The Civic Arena in Pittsburgh during their Diver
Down tour. To this day, and after hundreds of shows
and concerts, I honestly believe it was the loudest
concert that I ever attended. I will even go as far as
attributing the slight ringing that I currently have in
my ears to that night. It was loud, it was memorable
and oh-my-freaking God
was it magnificent.
Van Halen did
“rock band” the
way that I thought
a rock band should
be done. The music,
the stage show, the
personalities - it was
absolute perfection.
Without the help
of local radio, I still
probably would have
found Van Halen, but
in my 10-year old mind, 13Q represented another
world, and I escaped as often as I could. The fun,
unique marketing ideas that they brought to the
masses and the broad range of music that they
played help fuel my hunger for music. What’s the 13Q
for the impressionable, music-hungry 10 year-olds of
today? Internet radio? Pandora? Spotify? I guess time
will tell. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do a little “Dancin’...”
Check out Jeff Roteman’s 13Q Tribute page.
In or around 1978, after several years of listening to
13Q, the station changed formats and I moved over
to 94 FM WPEZ to listen to what I considered to be
more “rock” and less “pop.” It was during that time that
there was a lot of “buzz” going around at my school
about this great new band from Los Angeles. I had heard
all types of outrageous stories about how their hot-shot
guitar player performed with his back to the audience to
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I’ll admit, I was a snob initially. But here she was with a
contract and book deal and I was fumbling around trying
make my writing good enough for a ‘real’ publisher.
Eventually she told me I should attend digicon, an free
online writers conference being hosted by Savvy Authors.
FEATURE
Indie Publishing and Marketing
by Amy McCorkle
The two most dreaded words in the small
press/independent author’s language:
self-marketing
and
self-promotion.
Though for some people these come
naturally, others struggle mightily with
these tasks.
N
othing is harder than being an indie filmmaker.
NOTHING—except maybe running your own small
press. I’m convinced of it. As an indie filmmaker I had to
write my own scripts (I’ll cop to having a partner in crime,
Melissa Goodman, God bless her she is the yin to my yang),
find funding in a town with two intersections, (asking
someone to read your script in Mount Washington, KY
and asking for money in a down economy is not easy),
is no walk in the park. Then finding actors and actresses
the caliber that you want. But if you dig hard enough and
long enough you will find them.
With a background in independent film there was virtually
no one to light the way when I came up. There were
breakthroughs like Pulp Fiction and Slacker and Before
Sunrise. An entire movement was born grandfathered by
the likes of the great John Sayles. All of these films inspired
me. But the director who inspires me most is Kevin Smith.
Having broken through with Clerks and followed up with
award winning Chasing Amy. He’s written books. He’s
done speaking tours. He’s helped his friends and gone to
the mat for them and then some. Now that’s Indie at its
best.
It’s amazing what you will hear come out of an auditioner’s
mouth. One actress told us once she realized she couldn’t
get by on her looks in the Navy she opted to become an
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actress. Another one, who after he got the job, told us
he was so nervous he drank a beer like John Goodman
did before his audition for Rosanne. This guy had talent
and raw charisma and charm. But we would learn, you
shouldn’t always befriend your actors.
Then there are the amazeballs of talent you stumble upon
that you just consider yourself to be working with. Like
Vicki Jones, Paul Reynolds, James Tackett, Stacey Gillespie,
and Jennifer Boeringer. These actors may not have been
given the best of conditions to work under or the benefit
of a final dvd of their film but they all had a work ethic
Hollywood would be proud of. And in the end your actors
only work as hard as you do.
So when I was burnt out a bit from the directing and the
producing I realized, after 3 short films that never saw
the light of day and good money thrown into film festival
entries never to be chosen to be screened, that biggest joy
I got from the whole experience was the writing portion.
In 2006 I turned my eye back to a world I’d been struggling
through into since I was 18 years old. The publishing
world. In the time I had focused on film and screenwriting,
a curious thing was happening. A revolution of sorts.
Small presses had started going epublisher and POD,
print on demand.
And I’ll admit I got caught up in some of the scams, Publish
America anyone? But as with anything indie publishing
is about relationships. And mine started very simply
with one person. And I met her when she auditioned for
a role in one of those short films. She ended up being
our cinematographer on Too Far From Texas. Her name
is Pamela Turner, and she’s a brilliant author in her own
right. She mentioned she was published with a small
press (an epublisher) Lyrical Press, which more recently
merged with Kensington to become their digital first
imprint. (Lucky her, she’s now NY author). And to open my
closed mind to it.
At this point I had written a short novel, and had submitted
it Lyrical only to get an R & R (revise and resubmit). I was
actively building my brand via Twitter, FB, a blog, and a
website. I had friended the likes of Julie Butcher and
Christine Bell on twitter. Julie
at the time had the time and
kindly read Another Way to
Die. She told me to comb
through the manuscript
keep make notes on what I
wanted to keep then write it
all over from the beginning.
So I did. It landed me offers
from 4 different small presses.
I chose to go with MuseItUp
Publishing.
As I edited, I regularly posted
to Creative Chatter, a now
defunct award winning blog.
It built twitter followers up. And my Facebook friends up.
Then Pamela offered me a second bite of wisdom. She
was going to be a guest Fandom Fest on their literary
panel and gave me the director’s name, Stephen Zimmer.
He got me on 4 panels. There I met Bertena Varney who
showed me the ropes of doing a Con. And I also met the
then owner of Hydra Publication, Frank Hall. I did a signing
at his store That Book Place which led to me becoming a
Hydra Author with my first print book Bounty Hunter.
I went to Fandom Fest this past summer. There Melissa
and I were finalist with a screenplay adaptation of my
bestselling book Bounty Hunter. We eventually won and
while we were there we saw Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes
in person, met Adrian Paul of Highlander, and made a
valuable contact in the Ghost Hunter’s Grant Wilson.
Which led to me being asked by Delilah K. Stephans to
be the Marketing Director for the home of my 8 book
series Bella Morte. I also met GL Giles through the Fandom
Fest Literary Track which led
me to TAM for my books
being reviewed. Which led
to articles for TAM. Which
led to me approaching Ellen
Eldridge for a spot in their
marketing and promotion
section not just for myself,
but for ALL Hekate authors
as well.
Promotion and marketing is
about building relationships
to further your book or
backlist’s success. It’s about
employing every resource at
your command to further your career. None of this would
have happened had it not been for the morning Pamela
Turner, author of Deathsword, Family Tradition, and
several short stories included in Rayne Hall’s anthologies,
walked into the auditions for You’re the Reason. A project
that never got off the ground. At least not yet.
I also met Dave Mattingly of Blackwyrm Publishing there,
they would eventually become home to my Gemini Rising
Trilogy and my co-written effort with Melissa Goodman,
When Doves Cry.
13
FEATURE
What Should Musicians Blog About?
by Sara Crawford
It’s important to connect with your fans
Engage With Your Readers
and followers, and keeping a blog is a great
Don’t just share a bunch of content without
responding to comments, engaging readers in
conversations, asking questions, and giving your
fans and followers a chance to speak back. If you
are posting about your favorite hip hop albums, you
might want to end the post with a question asking
your readers what their favorite hip hop albums are.
Keep discussions going, and let your readers know
that you care about what they have to say.
way to do that. Posting about your music
and your events is a wonderful thing to
do on your blog, but writing about other
topics is an effective way to get more people
involved with your blog. For example, if
you are posting your take on the new Beck
album, people who are looking for blogs
about Beck are more likely to visit your
Photo credit: Flickr
website. This can be an excellent way to
introduce your website (and therefore your
music) to new people. So what else can you
blog about aside from your music? Here are
a few ideas and tips.
Blog about Music You Like
What is it about music that speaks to you? What are
the songs and albums that have made you who you
are as a person? What artists have influenced you
or your band’s music? These are all fantastic topics
to explore. Chances are, your followers are all music
lovers, and they will relate to stories about the songs
that have touched you, inspired you, and made you
who you are today. I know I am always interested
in the music that has inspired the musicians I love.
Discuss your influences and connect with fans of
other bands.
14
you and your bandmates were on the road? Do you
have some interesting musings on your city’s music
scene? Do you have something totally unrelated to
talk about? You want to be engaging, interesting,
and sincere. Your readers and fans will appreciate
and connect with these stories and anecdotes.
Post Interesting Videos on Your Blog
Official music videos to your songs are awesome,
but for most of us indie musicians, we don’t get to
produce them very often. There are a lot of videos
you can create less expensively and more frequently.
Videos of live performances and rehearsals are
always interesting, and they aren’t very difficult to
produce. Unique covers of popular songs will bring
a number of viewers and readers to your blog. All
of the acoustic covers I have posted have gotten a
ton of traffic, and many people who watch my cover
videos take an interest in my original music.
Share Funny and Interesting Stories about Your
Life as a Musician
Using a genuine voice and sharing remarkable
personal stories is a great way to connect with your
readers. Did something really funny happen when
It’s also nice if you can get your fans involved in your
music, and a blog is an excellent way to do that. For
example, post a blog that asks fans to give you some
possible song titles and then pick the best one and
write a new song using that title. Similarly, my singer/
songwriter friend, Juliana Finch, writes a new song
every time she gets 100 more Facebook likes on her
fan page. This makes people want to check out your
website and see what you’re up to. Get creative with
Does your
business
provide services
to artists?
the ways you connect with your fans and readers on
your blog.
Link to Other Bands and Blogs about Music
Is there a great article about indie music you recently
read? Is there an awesome new alternative band that
played before you at a gig last week? Share these
things with your readers and link to their websites.
Your readers will appreciate being exposed to new
music and other interesting posts, and the musicians
or music blogs will appreciate being linked to. Maybe
they will link to you in their next blog as well. Spread
the link love around and support your fellow artists.
These are just a few suggestions for musicians who
want to beef up their blogging skills. There are tons
of other things you can do to make your blog more
interesting and engaging. The most important thing
to do is to use your unique voice in a genuine way
and be creative about creating new content.
Sara Crawford is a musician and an author from Marietta,
Georgia. She was voted Best Local Songwriter in 2010 in
Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta issue, and she is the author of an upcoming young adult novel series, The Muses.
Visit SaraCrawford.net for more information.
Advertise
with us
here!
[email protected]
15
CD REVIEWS
CD REVIEWS
Mastodon
Live At Brixton
Indian
From All Purity
Review by Alex Moore
Review by David Feltman
A
I
tlanta-based progressive metal quartet Mastodon
have seen a meteoric rise within the last five or so
years, with multiple Grammy Award nominations and
two brilliant studio albums launching the group into the
spotlight. As any fan of the metal behemoth can tell you,
though, the real heart of Mastodon lies within the group’s
stunning live performances, which balance masterful
musicianship with raw, heavy power. The new digital-only
audio/video release, Mastodon: Live at Brixton, documents
the band’s performance in London, England last year at
the height of their tour in support of 2011’s The Hunter.
Let’s get one thing out of the way immediately: Live at
Brixton is infinitely more polished than Mastodon’s 2011
live release, Live at the Aragon. Traditionally, Mastodon
have been associated with notoriously poor live vocals,
but fans will be happy to know that the group’s abilities
have increased substantially and are on full display,
particularly on the two and three part harmonies in The
Hunter selections. Even the two tracks from Crack the Skye
sound better on Brixton than the Skye-centric Live at the
Aragon. Improvements over Brixton’s predecessor aren’t
confined to vocals, however. The mastering in general
is impeccable. The cracks from Brann Dailor’s drums on
the introduction to the Blood Mountain track “Crystal
Skull” have never sounded better, and you can hear the
excitement in the crowd’s voices whenever a fan-favorite
track is performed.
Where Brixton really stands out, however, is its track
diversity. The album features multiple cuts from each of
Mastodon’s five albums, and it’s nice to hear some deeper
selections such as “Where Strides the Behemoth” and the
dizzyingly psychedelic “Circle of Cysquatch.” While the
ndian is so abrasive
that it’s cleansing, like
scrubbing your inner
ear with steel wool. The
band may bill itself as
“blackened doom,” but
neither the doom nor
black metal labels are a
snug fit. Sure it captures
the guttural harshness
of black metal, but its gruelingly slothful drone makes it a
closer cousin to the likes of High on Fire and Harvey Milk.
The effect is devastatingly heavy. This is music to hate to.
tour was, in fact, in support of The Hunter, Live at Brixton
doesn’t feel bogged down by new material. In fact, out of
the album’s 23 tracks, only nine come from The Hunter, so
the record never feels overrepresented and offers some
nice variety.
The ultimate question, then, becomes is Mastodon: Live
at Brixton worth the digital purchase? Absolutely. The
diversity in the setlist makes Brixton an excellent gateway
record for those curious about the hype surrounding
Mastodon, and longtime fans will no doubt love having
live renditions of the Remission and Leviathan cuts. In
addition, the record clocks in at just over an hour and a
half, so fans are getting a lot for their money. Ultimately,
Live at Brixton will satisfy even the most jaded fans, and
easily warrants the $15 asking price.
Mastodon: Live at Brixton is available for purchase now at
your digital retailer of choice.
From All Purity marks the Chicago natives fifth release
and the tenure shows. Every painfully delayed beat and
gut-grindingly detuned chord is well wielded. Slow is
often more technically taxing than fast when it comes
to extreme tempos, and Indian manages it expertly with
Black Cobra levels of psychic synchronicity. Every growl,
every fed back squeal falls perfectly in place.
The album is skillfully crafted, sporting a scant six songs.
But an average track time of seven minutes makes up for
the short set list. The new release hits so hard and unfurls
so gradually that it never feels skimpy. And just when you
think Indian couldn’t get any more punishing, the band
winds up so tightly with the discordant static and screams
of “Clarify” that the opening melodic refrains of the closing
track, “Disambiguation,” come across as a small mercy.
This, admittedly, isn’t an album approved for all metal
fans. Indian falls far on the extreme side of the metal
spectrum, but gloriously so. If you like shouts and chords
so loud and lengthy that they devolve into nihilistic noise
before the next note hits, then this is your band.
The Unsemble
The Unsemble
Review by Daniel del Ben
The Unsemble trio
consists of the Jesus
Lizard’s
Duane
Dennison on guitar
and
keyboards,
Einsturzende
Neubaten’s Alexander
Hacke on bass and
electronics, and Silver
Jews’ Brian Kotzur on
drums and keyboards.
Their self-titled debut seems a bit like a one-off project,
but I guess we’ll have to wait to find out. This album
was written and recorded over a two-week period. Not
surprisingly, a lot of this album feels a little unfinished.
There are 15 tracks that clock in at just over half an hour,
and it seems like some of the songs don’t develop as
much as they could.
That’s not to say that the album is bad, though. There’s
some really cool stuff on it. Since he’s spent a good deal
of his career playing in bands with David Yow and Mike
Patton, it is nice to see Dennison’s guitar get a large lot
of focus. The guitar on this album is very classic Jesus
Lizard or Tomahawk sounding, but also mixing in some
experimental electronic and keyboard parts. I mentioned
that a lot of this felt improved, although there are times
that the tracks labeled as improvs are some of the mosr
diverse and interesting tracks on the album.
Overall it’s a pretty solid album but in no ways a must have.
It’s got a cool ambient feel, and fans of these musicians
should find it enjoyable. The Unsemble will be released by
Ipecac Records on March 4, 2014.
You can find more about Indian on Facebook and on its
official website.
16
17
LIVE REVIEWS
Karen Briggs
Suite Food Lounge
Photography by Bonnie Morét
LIVE REVIEWS
Revolver’s Hottest Chicks In
Rock Tour, featuring Sick Puppies, Lacuna Coil, Eyes Set To Kill
and Cilver
The Tabernacle
Review by Jenna Hughes
Photography by Ken Lackner
R
evolver’s Hottest Chicks in Rock Tour rolled through
Atlanta on Friday, February 21 at The Masquerade.
The line-up featured the best of today’s hardcore scene,
including Sick Puppies, Lacuna Coil, Eyes Set To Kill and
Cilver.
Cilver, a rock quintet out of New York, took the stage first,
riling up the crowd with their infectious energy. The hard
hitting single “In My Head,” featuring Bumblefoot of Guns
N’ Roses, was the highlight of the short but sweet set. The
band’s debut EP In My Head recently dropped on February
20.
Eyes Set To Kill was up next as the crowd continued to
grow and push closer to the stage. This female-driven post
hardcore trio out of Phoenix, Arizona recently released its
fifth studio album, 2013’s Masks, which is something of a
revelation in the band’s career. Vocalist Alexia Rodriguez
has said, “I felt like we were wearing a bunch of masks to
impress people. We have gone through so many changes
over the years, but it wasn’t about anybody else. It was
about us and we’ve really found the band’s face at this
point. We aren’t wearing masks anymore.” The album’s title
track opened the band’s set, followed by “Killing In Your
Name,” also from Masks. The rest of the set was primarily
new material, with the exception of “Where I Want To Be,”
from 2011’s White Lotus.
K
aren Briggs plays with a focused sound and a fast, continuous vibrato. There
was a delicious variety in the instrument’s tones, all of them unfailingly
lovely, coupled with Karen’s understanding of style, and a her daringness in
letting the moods be shaped by individual artistic rendering.
Follow Karen Briggs on Facebook
18
The crowd was
pumped and ready
for Lacuna Coil as
they hit the stage
next,
launching
into “Trip the
Darkness,”
from
2012’s
critically
acclaimed
Dark
Adrenaline. Co-vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea
Ferro worked the crowd effortlessly as
they continued with “Kill the Light” and
“Intoxicated” from the same
album. The band recently
completed its seventh studio
album, Broken Crown Halo, set
to drop on April 1st. The band
said of the new material, “We set
the bar pretty high with Dark
Adrenaline and it hasn’t been easy bringing our sound
to the next level; but we have lived, learned and grown
through a year full of personal issues and changes. We
learned to be strong and get stronger. And we felt an
inner vibe in this band that we haven’t felt before.” The
new songs seem to return to Lacuna Coil’s roots; they’re
raw and emotional while still bringing the hard hitting
rock the band is known for. New song and current radio
single “Die and Rise” features both vocalists playing off
one another in a way only they can and “Nothing Stands
In Our Way” has the potential to be one of the greatest
rock songs of 2014.
Sick Puppies was the final act of the night, launching into
“Die To Save You,” from 2013’s Connect. Front man Shim
Moore was a nonstop energy, keeping the crowd on their
feet and fist pumping through every song. “Cancer” and
“Pitiful” from 2007’s Dressed Up As Life satisfied the band’s
old school fans and new songs “There’s No Going Back” and
current single “Gunfight” kept the set going. Bassist Emma
Anzai, the band’s resident “hot chick,” is featured on vocals
in many of the new songs and her vocal compatibility
with Moore brings a new element to the live show, best
done in the song “Walking Away.” The set also featured
plenty of songs from 2009’s Tri-Polar (arguably the band’s
best effort to date) such as “Riptide,” “Maybe” and “War.”
Fan favorite and massive radio hit “You’re Going Down”
closed out a great night of hard hitting rock
at The Masquerade.
19
LIVE REVIEWS
Amon Amarth, Enslaved,
Skeletonwitch
Center Stage
Review by Alex Moore
Photography by Ann Bodan
The last few years
have seen a dramatic
increase of interest in
the metal community. With more and
more audiences flocking to shows, metal, it seems,
has never been more popular. Each of the evening’s three
acts: Amon Amarth, Enslaved and Skeletonwitch, has
enjoyed an increase in popularity as of late, and for welldeserved reasons.
Though drastically different stylistically, openers Enslaved
and Skeletonwitch each put on excellent performances.
After releasing Beyond the Permafrost (Prosthetic
Records) seven years ago, Skeletonwitch has made a
name for itself as one of metal’s most persistent groups.
The band maintains a seemingly never-ending touring
schedule, with a string of solid records. The thrash/black
metal combo effectively riled up the crowd, as everything
from shoes to shirts were ejected from the rapidly
expanding mosh pit.
After the chaos of Skeletonwitch’s set, an admittedly
hungover Enslaved took the stage. The past few years have
seen Enslaved gradually shift from a die-hard black metal
band to a progressive band with black metal undertones,
and judging by the latest offering, RIITIIR (Nuclear
Blast Records), change is good. Enslaved’s traditionally
existentialist lyrics and black metal drumming patterns
combined with softer sections. Clean vocals made a
20
INTERVIEW
surreal set that is truly worth witnessing. Though the
performance was excellent, 45 minutes seemed entirely
too short for a group like Enslaved, whose compositions
typically last for a minimum of six or seven minutes.
Brynn Marie
Occasionally, a group will construct a set that is so wellbalanced and crafted that it becomes almost as impressive
and memorable as the performance itself. Amon Amarth
did precisely that. By the time Odin’s favorite sons finished
their 17-song, 90-plus-minute set, the crowd was left
awestruck by the Swedish quintet. In an era where a
headlining performance typically lasts anywhere from 5070 minutes, other acts should take note: this is how you
properly construct a headlining set and ensure your fans
get their money’s worth. No song sounded out of place,
and filler tunes simply weren’t present. Even the eightminute ballad “Warriors of the North” never dragged on
in the slightest.
Brynn Marie decided that life, either out
Opening with new single “Father of the Wolf” (see
the recently released 10-minute short film here), the
performers erupted into a dizzying cyclone of hair during
most of the set. With a thematic emphasis on camaraderie,
pagan mythology and standing your ground until the
bitter end, lyrical tales took new life as the audience raised
fist and beer can alike, creating a triumphant tavern-like
vibe throughout Center Stage. Fans of Amon Amarth’s
latest series of records should rejoice, as 13 of the 17 tracks
played came from the group’s latest three records; though
since the material is regarded as the group’s strongest, it
seems doubtful that even longtime fans will have qualms.
While the group
was playful and
interacted with the
crowd frequently,
it never once felt
like
pandering.
“It’s
pretty
motherfucking cold
here,”
frontman
Johan Hegg quipped, with a smile on his face and his
trusty war horn strapped to his side. “Not for us…we’re
from Sweden! But for you guys.” Amon Amarth is a group
that know its audience well, yet have the ability to keep
newcomers interested. By the time the final chorus of
“The Pursuit of Vikings” kicked in, even admitted novices
were in on the fist-pounding fun. If Deceiver of the Gods
(Metal Blade Records) is any indication of the future,
Amon Amarth has a trajectory ahead of them that is as
bright as their beloved Thor’s lightning hammer.
Interview by Danielle Boise
Photography by Chuck Holloway
on the road or in the recording studio
would be the life for her, which didn’t
surprise her considering she grew up in a
musical family. Brynn Marie took a little
time out of her hectic schedule to talk with
Target Audience Magazine about her
musical aspirations, life on the road and
what it means to be an independent artist
in the mecca of country, Nashville or
“Music City.”
What inspired you to enter the music industry?
My love for music and performing. I was raised in a
musical family. I started playing the violin at a very
young age and by the time I was 18, I was playing in a
band all around my hometown. A few years later, with
words of advice from my Gram, I decided to move to
Nashville to pursue my dreams.
There is a bit of grit and no-nonsense in your
music, like with “Just Like That,” the sass of
“Bandaid on a Bullet Hole, while “Hung on the
Line” (with Ford Thurston) has such a sexy, earthy
quality to the song – it shows the diversity in your
work. Can you in your own words describe the
sound of your music and where you
want to go with it?
I connect to songs and write songs that I can relate
to first and foremost. I love incorporating the rock-ish
grit of a guitar, but I do love the traditional country
elements like a banjo, steel and fiddle in my music.
That truly defines me. It takes a piece of everything
that I grew to love and turns it into my own.
How is it working in Nashville while being an
independent artist?
It can be tough. There are many talented people that
have moved to Nashville to reach for the same goals.
It’s great to be surrounded by all kinds of talented
musicians, it pushes you harder, but you do need to
stand out, be true to yourself and be original.
How is it being an independent artist and trying
to get your music out to the masses? What have
you found to be the platform that works best for
you to connect with your fans and have your voice
heard?
I think it’s somewhat easier to get your music out
there as an independent artist. There are so many
ways to do it, the only problem to that is everyone
is doing the same thing. I’ve been lucky enough to
tour a lot and travel. I feel like you can only go so far
pushing your music online. It’s being on the road that
21
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
my mind. I get so focused in on that song vocally and
emotionally and it shows in my performance.
When will you head into studio to work on new
material?
I’ve been writing a ton of new songs. I’ve been lucky
enough to start writing with some of the great writers
in Nashville. There have been a few songs I’ve been
playing out live for over a year that hasn’t been
recorded yet. I love testing new material on a crowd
first, before I record it. I wanna make sure the fans
connect with the music and lyric.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned
so far?
Stay true to yourself and always work hard.
has helped me a ton. I’ve been able to travel all over
the country and meet the fans, talk with the fans and
play my music for them.
You’ve already have logged an impressive amount
of live performances; how was it being on tour
with the likes of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo?
What did you take away from that experience?
2013 really was a fun year. I traveled everywhere!
I think it was almost 90 shows, which is a lot for an
independent artist. Touring with Pat & Neil was a
learning experience that I will never forget. It was an
education that you can’t buy. I mean I got to watch Pat
& Neil do their thing every night from the side of the
stage after my performance and I learned so much by
just watching them connect with the fans through
their live show. It taught me how fans become
dedicated to an artist and how important it is for an
artist to embrace that.
What do you foresee for 2014?
“Wild Girl Waltz” Review and Interview with Mark Lewis
By David Feltman
W
hile Hollywood scripts are, for better or worse,
rewritten and touched up on average by six to
seven different people, ambitious indie auteurs, like
Mark Lewis, write, direct, produce and edit everything
by themselves. Such low budget, single credit indie
films trade the collaborative polish for freedom and a
more singular vision. Lewis’ sophomore effort, “Wild Girl
Waltz,” may lack the wild stunts and grand set pieces of
one of“The Hangover”movies but, for a film shot in eight
days on a $10,000 budget, Lewis manages to create an
engaging and personal female centric counterpart to
the typical Hollywood bromance.
The simplistic story is really more premise than plot:
two friends (Christina Shipp and Samantha Steinmetz)
down recreational pills to pass the afternoon and hijack
a cranky boyfriend (Jason Sterns) to play designated dad
for their cross-town trip. Lewis wisely takes advantage
of his surroundings, using petting zoos and community
centers to imbue the film with local color.
“It was filmed in West Massachusetts,” says Lewis. “I’m
not from the south, but I’ve grown up in what I call
the ‘Yankee Redneck’ society. Small town life in the
north is very similar to the south. There’s really only
two differences: the accents [and] the headgear. Down
south it’s the cowboy hat. Up north, it’s the baseball
cap.”
“Wild Girl Waltz” feels like it could have been shot in
any small rural town and its relaxed pace reinforces that
impression. Indie stalwarts like Kevin Smith and Richard
Linklater have popularized the dialogue driven, slice
of life indie film and Lewis cribs from their playbooks.
A lot of touring and traveling. I wanna do more than
last year. I’d love to get new music out to the fans this
year as well. It’s an open road ahead and I’m excited
for it.
http://www.brynnmarie.com
“Bandaid On A Bullet Hole” - Official Video
What is your favorite song to sing live?
22
M
y favorite song to sing live is “I’m Sorry.” I
get lost when I sing that song. It’s a moment in my
show where it seems everything just goes away in
“Hung n The Line” - Official Video
23
Nothing really ever happens in the action of the film, but
the relationships between the three principal characters
successfully pulls the weight of the movie, with pop
culture minutia and shit shooting dialogue peppered in
for laughs.
is refreshing even with its warts. Lewis’ ability to create
something fun and entertaining with so few resources is
admirable and makes him a filmmaker worth watching.
“I really think there’s a difference between a movie about
women and a ‘chick flick,’” says Lewis. “I don’t think a guy
Working on a micro budget and an ultra tight shooting would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to this
window, Lewis makes the production look effortless movie.”
despite all of the planning and work it required. It’s the
sort of film that makes you want to pick up a camera too. Read more about “Wild Girl Waltz” and Mark Lewis at the
official website.
“When you have such a low budget, you need to give
yourself a lot of time to balance it out,” says Lewis. “I gave
myself about five months to prep, schedule and cast.
Especially casting. Bad acting is the most damaging
factor in most low budget films.”
“I didn’t have a chance to rehearse with the actors
beforehand, [but] I had a solid script to start with. It turns
out that the cast [was] great at improvising, so while we
didn’t invent new scenes, they did take a lot of the rough
edges off the dialogue.”
“I can’t believe I’m this desperate to
hold onto my buzz.”
The film suffers from the expected drawbacks of small
budget productions, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.
Lines are sometimes overwritten and delivered stiffly, but
the scenes and the actors casted feel natural in the local
setting. But for a film named “Wild Girl Waltz,” one that
presents itself as a small town girl-power reimagining
of the bromance genre, its biggest weakness lies in the
strange, misogynistic currents that flow through Stern’s
dialogue. Referring to the girls as “yammering hens”
and “annoying skanks” may have been meant as playful
but come across hateful. And after an altercation with
a woman attempting to rob him, Stern editorializes,
“Women are always squawking about wanting equality.
You’re never gonna get full equality until you can do
two things: outlaw alimony and learn to take a punch
without calling the cops.” It’s the sort of thing that pulls
you out of an otherwise charming film.
With so many lackluster and generally soulless movies
out there, a small homemade film like “Wild Girl Waltz”