Zig At The Gig podcast

From Coma To Catharsis is the second full exploratory mission in the current five-piece
incarnation of NYC/NJ-based instrumental ensemble, The Royal Arctic Institute. It’s the sequel
to last year's From Catnap To Coma, and like its predecessor, the new mini-album was recorded
and produced by James McNew (Yo La Tengo) in the historic Neumann Leather Factory in
Hoboken, New Jersey. From Coma To Catharsis is being released February 4th, 2023 by
Already Dead Tapes and Records and will be available on cassette (duh!), as a paid download,
and on streaming platforms. Later in the year, the band hopes to release both titles on vinyl.
At present, The Royal Arctic Institute comprises five musicians who have played extensively
with other groups and/or as backing/session musicians:  drummer Lyle Hysen (Das Damen,
Arthur Lee, The Misguided), guitarists John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra
Moore) and Lynn Wright (And The Wiremen, Bee And Flower, Shilpa Ray), bassist David
Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt), and keyboardist
Carl Baggaley (Headbrain, Gramercy Arms). 
What are the first things you would feel coming out of a coma? Would it be cathartic, a full
release of all your emotions? What would that sound like? From Coma To Catharsis tries to
capture that auditory experience replacing the steadfast emotions expressed on From Catnap to
Coma with the sounds of dreaming, then awakenings.
All the pieces were created communally, deconstructing then reconstructing material mainly
composed by guitarist John Leon with a couple written by other band members. McNew
recorded the band in a live setting with no digital magic and minimal overdubs except for pedal
steel work by John. 
This record also highlights the band's musical development after a further year of playing
together. This includes songwriting contributions by Dave (“Angleman’s Lament”), and Lynn
(“The Elated World”) as well as more input from Carl. “This is the third record I've played on,”
explains Baggaley, “and on this one we really broke the songs down to the bones. I was able to
bring in new influences like King Crimson-style mellotron and electric piano inspired by the late
Billy Preston performances during the recording of the Beatles’ Let It Be album.” Besotted by
2021’s Beatles documentary series stemming from those sessions, Lyle draped his drums in tea-
towels ala Ringo for the song “Passover Bucket.”
Regarding that same title, John says, “During the COVID lockdown, everyone’s kids were home
and parents were scrambling and grasping at straws to entertain them. A Jewish friend of mine
decided to celebrate Easter with her children to give them something to do. They were fascinated
by the concept of Easter baskets. The following year, instead of Easter baskets, the children were
given Passover Buckets to keep them quiet.” 
From Coma To Catharsis is, sadly, guitarist Lynn Wright’s last work with the band as a full
member as he’s recently relocated to Berlin to further his career in music and fine dining. The
band will continue to play shows and record with Lynn when possible, but perhaps as the past
two years have shown us, who knows if everything will be cathartic, or just a return to a coma.

 

 

 

 

John's Info

https://www.theroyalarctic.com/new-page-2

 

 

Ivan Julian has been one of music's most celebrated players and most in-demand collaborators for more than four decades.  

Indeed, Ivan Julian has spent his life soaking up a wealth of experiences, musical and otherwise. The son of a Navy officer, he grew up in such exotic locales as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, nurturing a sensitive, creative streak that quickly manifested itself musically. At the age of 13, while living in Washington, D.C., he became the singer in a Led Zeppelin  cover band; the following year, he began playing guitar. Having already studied bassoon and saxophone, Julian spent his high school years studying music theory as  a part-time student in a college program. At 19, his wanderlust led him to London, where he joined U.K. R&B hitmakers The Foundations, (Build Me Up Buttercup) with whom he toured throughout Great Britain and Europe. It was during one of these tours that he decided to stay on in Macedonia to absorb and study the musical scales and rhythms that would have a major influence on his playing.    

Then Julian returned to the U.S. and settled in New York, just in time to become part of the emerging punk rock movement. A founding member of the seminal Richard Hell and the Voidoids, he was now playing alongside trend-setting punk poet Hell, fabled guitarist Robert Quine and drummer Marc Bell (a.k.a. Marky  Ramone). Julian’s instrumental and songwriting contributions to the band’s classic  album Blank Generation established him as one of the scene’s most acclaimed and influential axemen. 

After the Voidoids disbanded, Julian stepped out to form the Outsets as a vehicle for his own vocal and songwriting efforts. Combining rock, funk and  African rhythms, the Outsets became a beloved fixture on New York’s burgeoning  club scene, winning considerable critical acclaim for such releases as the debut single  “I’m Searchin’ for You”/”Fever,” a self-titled EP produced by Garland Jeffreys and  the posthumously released The Punk/Funk Voodoo Collection. Teaming up with Bush  Tetras singer Cynthia Sley Julian’s next band, the Lovelies, won substantial  attention with the release of the Mad Orphan LP. Also, during this time he regrouped with former bandmate Richard Hell to do an extensive tour of Japan. 

By this point, Julian’s abilities as a collaborator had become sought after by a wide array of acts. He plays on “The Call Up” and “Ivan Meets GI Joe” with The Clash (on their Sandinista album), collaborated with Afrika Bambaataa and Bernie  Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic. He also joined England’s Shriekback for two  tours of North America and Europe. Julian spent much of the 1990s touring and recording with Matthew Sweet.  

In recent years, Ivan has concentrated mainly on studio work, producing and/or recording artist such as Sean Lennon and producing three albums by The  Fleshtones. He’s also developed his recording studio, SuperGiraffeSound into one of New York’s hottest new recording facilities, working with numerous local, national and international bands. 

His solo LP, The Naked Flame was named one of the best records of the year by several trade magazines in Europe and the states including Trouser Press. Soon after came The Fauntleroys EP, Below the Pink Pony, a collaboration with Alejandro Escovedo, Nick Tremulis and Linda Pittman.    

His newest album ‘Swing Your Lanterns’ is available on PRAVDA Records. The songs encompass his experiences of the past five years and more; Some of which, we have all lived through. 

Ivan's Info

Web site

home

Spotify 

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Armored Dawn is, without a doubt, one of the revelations of Brazilian Power Metal. Formed in 2014 in Sao Paulo, today, they have three albums released worldwide. Over these few years, Armored Dawn has been gaining fans wherever they go

Timo Kaarkoski

Born in Finland many, many years ago, Timo started his musical adventures at the age of 7 playing the violin. When he was 14, he gave up the violin and decided to play a much louder six-string instrument…

Influenced by the names like Ritchie Blackmore, Frank Marino, David Gilmour, and Gary Moore, Timo surrendered to his passion for rock n’ roll and the guitar. Around 2000, Timo decided to change his life, left his frozen country in search of some sun and moved to Brazil. A few years later, he joined the band União, with whom he released only one album in 2003, and toured South America. Then, he joined another band, called Temple of Sin, which released an album and toured Brazil.

Today, Timo is a great Gibson collector, has a house full of guitars and cats, in addition to being part of one of the biggest metal bands in Brazil on the rise, Armored Dawn. He has been part of the band since its beginning in 2014. With Armored Dawn, he has recorded three albums “Power of Warrior”, “Barbarians in Black” and “Viking Zombie”. He also accumulates film productions of video clips and several presentations throughout Brazil and Europe. He shared the stages with big names like Fates Warning, Saxon and Megadeth, in addition to having played on “Motörhead’s Motörboat”, the Motörhead Cruise.

 

 

Armored Dawn's Info 

http://armoreddawn.com/2018

 

Vanillaphase are a four piece electronic band from Cleveland, Ohio who believe in the cross pollination of musical ideas from diverse genres. Harnessing the power of bone-shaking beats welded with catchy melodies, lush harmonies, and spacey atmospherics, Vanillaphase are tour-de-force in musical surrealism and have been described as “a musical portal to a blissed out galaxy”.

Formed in the quarantine days of late 2020, Nico Denaldo, Taylor Ripley and Rick Taggert quickly released their sultry debut EP, “One Trick Pony”, as well as the uptempo, full-throttle single, “Almost Supernova” in early 2021.  They further showcased their unique vibe with a string of livestream performances during the pandemic, the latest of which was highlighted by the late-summer addition of their new female vocal powerhouse, Generic Goth Girl.

Their heavy, yet polished electronic sound is a satisfying, seamless mix of trip hop and post-industrial, touching on elements of their collective influences, ranging from Thrill Kill Kult and Meat Beat Manifesto to Aphex Twin and The Orb.  They released their new album Magic Suitcase on August 12th, 2022.

https://www.facebook.com/Vanillaphase

https://twitter.com/_mr_jackpots

https://www.tiktok.com/@vanillaphase

https://soundcloud.com/vanillaphase

https://www.youtube.com/channel/@vanillaphase

https://vanillaphase.com/press-kit/

 

Interview with singer-songwriter/guitarist Jake Burns of Rockstead OH based rock reggae band 

About Rockstead

The feeling of love. The power of unity. The essence of happiness. The strength of togetherness and positive vibrations. The highs of living life and the lows of dealing with its obstacles. All of these things encapsulate the music of Cincinnati, OH-based Rockstead, a five-piece, passion driven rock/reggae group. 

With roots leading as far back as middle school, Rockstead combines a lifetime full of influences ranging from rock, punk, reggae, jam and metal. In their early days Rockstead ruled the college party scene in Ohio with a schedule full of impromptu house shows that led to packed basements of DIY venues and later, massive crowds attending college fests such as Ohio University’s infamous spring festivals. This early success catalyzed the debut of their first album “Wake Up and Live” (2013) shortly followed by their popular self-recorded “Rise” EP (2014). These releases ignited their inner road warrior leading to a plethora of plays at music festivals and concert venues across the Midwest. Since then, Rockstead continues to widen their reach touring throughout the Eastern U.S. and down into Florida.

Though member changes have occurred over the years, front man singer/guitarist Jake Burns continues to drive the group forward as they have shared stages with international acts such as The Wailers (Jamaica) and Sticky Fingers (Australia) as well as many staple East coast reggae acts like Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Badfish, Tropidelic, Bumpin’ Uglies and Ballyhoo!. The band has now grown to include Nate Anuci (drums), Jacob Riley (lead guitar), and Alex Kessis (bass). With a healthy gap since their last full release (Homegrown, 2016) Rockstead dropped their first studio album “You’re In Control” in September 2020 which scored them multiple features in blogs and podcasts across the scene. By using their relentless high-energy performances and genre-bending set lists, while aligning their unwavering dedication to the do-it-yourself work ethic, Rockstead shows no sign of slowing down their mission of bringing people together through music.

 

Rockstead's info

https://rocksteadband.com

Feb 10th

John Wayne and the Payne, with Rockstead, and Ziggy D of C-Level at the Beachland ballroom 

Tickets

https://www.beachlandballroom.com/e/12802825/jon-wayne-and-the-pain-rockstead-ziggy-d-of-c-level

 

 

C-Level album release show March 4 at the Grog Shop with Joint Operation, The Cat's Meow, and The Frans

Tickets 

https://grogshop.gs/event-details/12836645/c-level-think-4-yourself-album-release-party

 

 

 

 

Interview with KB Boyce Singer-Song writer Bassist, Drummer, and activist

 

Queer Rebel Productions: our mission is to showcase queer and trans artists of color, connect generations, and honor our histories with art for the future. www.queerrebels.org

Music https://thehomobiles.com

https://www.leftfordeadrecords.com/nasty-facts

Nasty Facts

Nastyfacts were fronted by bassist/lead singer/songwriter Cherl Boyze, an 18 year oldQueer POC with the rest of the band being in their mid-teens or younger in 1981 when their three-song, 7-inch debut, Drive My Car, was released on the independent Jimboco label. The record was a word-of-mouth hit and sold strongly in the U.S. despite group members being too young to tour. John Peel played it repeatedly on his legendary indie- centric BBC show and helped get it released in the UK. Over 40 years after their release these songs still capture the imaginations of music lovers the world over, showing up on OG punk compilations like Killed By Death while rabid collectors pay $300 for original copies,and counterfeiters regularly sell out bootleg pressings. The reason for the EP’s continued appeal is nicely captured in Steve Gardner’s (editor of Noise For Heroes / Another Tuneless Racket fanzines) description of the music contained here in this re-release’s liner notes: “The drums were crazed and hammering, as wild and primal in their own way as Rat Scabies on “New Rose”. The bass motored up and down, laying out a great melody but reinforcing the rhythm as well. The guitar was power-chording nirvana, and when the lead break came it was perfect. The vocals weren’t the hyper-aggro thing that was the stock-in-trade most of the furious punks of the day; the lead was handled deftly by Cherl Boyze, who, I wrote in NFH #9, was ‘black, female, and at 18 the oldest member of the band”. She didn’t snarl, but she didn’t croon, either, and when her male bandmates added backing vocals the result was pop/punk magic. And finally, the production had all kinds of wild bad driving sound effects that just elevated everything.’” Nastyfacts were part of a Brooklyn teen-punk scene that included the Speedies and The Stimulators. Their core line-up consisted of Cherl Boyze on bass and lead vocals, guitarists Brad Craig and Jeff ;Range Tischler with Genji Searizak & Siraisi on drum; these last three also sang back-up. They began playing music together while attending St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn and after a year of playing covers locally began building a following in Manhattan playing amateur nights at CBGBs and then regular slots at Max’s Kansas City and other venues that’d host all-ages shows. They soon accumulated a full album’s worth of solid original material, but unfortunately only made studio recordings of the three amazing songs that make up Drive My Car.

The Senders are the great lost band of New York Punk. Begun in 1976, they were peers of all the early legends – Ramones, Blondie, Heartbreakers, etc. Their brand of dangerous sidewinder r&b, with a twist of rockabilly, shook the rafters at CBGB and Max's Kansas City, yet barely registered beyond the boroughs.

The Senders Info

https://www.facebook.com/The-Senders-121826447862324

https://www.leftfordeadrecords.com/the-senders

 

Interview with Singer-songwriter Richard X Heyman (2022) on Zig At The Gig Part 2 After debuting his DIY EP Actual Size and the full-length album Living Room!!, RXH was signed to Cypress/A&M who re-released Living Room!! His second major label album, Hey Man!, came out on Sire/Warner Bros. Next was his third album Cornerstone on Permanent Press Recordings. All subsequent releases have been on RXH's own Turn-Up Records - Basic Glee, Heyman Hoosier & Herman, Rightovers, Actual Sighs, Intakes, Tiers, And Other Stories, X, Y, Incognito and Pop Circles. For those of you unfamiliar with RXH's music, it might help to list his influences. One can hear traces of early rock'n'roll, 60's British Invasion groups, American folk rock, west coast pop, Motown; even some Broadway and classical baroque find their way into the mix, but it all ends up bearing his singular sound. He has not only played with The Doughboys, but has also lent his drumming chops to Link Wray, Brian Wilson, Mark Lindsay, The Left Banke's Michael Brown and Steve Martin Caro, and Jonathan Richman, among others. As a guitarist, he performed with Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las, and played keyboards with Ben E. King. Copious Notes will be released on Turn-Up Records on June 18, 2021. Richard's Info

 

https://www.richardxheyman.com/

 

Capital Theatre's Adam Stevenson interviewed on Zig At The Gig

CAPITAL THEATRE is a New Zealand Rock Band.

Their debut album ‘A Hero’s Journey’ is out now. Listen on Spotify

Capital Theatre's Info https://www.capital-theatre.com

 

Julian Shah-Tayler, Aka The Singularity

Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Julian Shah-Tayler (formerly of the band Whitey) childlike fascination with science, space and the big questions that trouble the human condition has fueled the creative output of his electronic rock and roll. “Everything burst out of the center of a supermassive black hole,” remarks Julian, “and we are going back there one day, so let’s just enjoy it.” A Londoner relocated to LA, Julian’s prolific catalog of music exceeds 300 songs, many of which have been featured in films and hit TV shows including Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and The Newsroom, while also turning up on broadcasts ranging from UK television’s Popstar to NBC Sports. In 2014, Shah-Tayler won the “Golden Trailer” award for his work with Lana Del Ray on Disney’s Maleficent trailer. He also performed one of his songs in front of Bill Clinton, Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese for the Unite For Humanity charity at the Oscars. Three of his songs were the “hits” for the focus band in the music movie Plush, directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Lords Of Dogtown). Shah-Tayler did all this while co-founding an LA charity called Art Angeles, teaching music to underprivileged kids in Watts.

 

Julian's Info

https://linktr.ee/julianshahtayler

https://www.julianshahtayler.com