The Ill Opinion #2: The Thin Line Between Truth & Hate

With the power of the internet and shortened attention spans, I have noticed a rather disturbing trend in music and the stating of opinions...

There is no in-between between "love" and "hate". Either you're down or you hate it.

It's a bad sign when you read interviews over the internet and people who know that something or someone isn't that good at what they do, that no one can actually say "I don't like this because..." without getting mouth-breathers coming online saying "OMG, F U hater! You're just jealous of what they did!"

This is a lot quicker write than the last one, because I'd rather not waste time with this point, but the fact is, if we can't come out and say "I don't like [so and so]", then the ability to critique and help people grow with their skills and talents via a fresh set of eyes and ears is dead.

And so is music. So in closing, there's a fine line between truth and hate, a middle ground. It's called "constructive criticism", don't be afraid to hear it, share it and who knows, maybe you can get something out of it, other than a reason to rage.

This was the Ill Opinion. Stay gold.

Exclusive Interview: Bobby, Spies Like Us

Basslines and Screams chatted with Bobby Fitzgerald, vocalist of the popular post hardcore band Spies Like Us, in an exclusive interview. See what Fitzgerald had to say in this one on one.

What inspired you personally to get into music?

Fitzgerald: I started playing piano at the age of 9. Since then I have clearly changed genres of music. I was essentially forced into screaming [laughs]. But I got into the genre I play when I was about 16 I'd say. Starting with Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold (when they were good :)), then listening to a lot of Whitechapel and Miss May I which is where my main influence comes from.

Who do you listen to most?

Fitzgerald: I'd say the bands I listen to most now would be Whitechapel, Miss May I, Memphis May Fire, Winds of Plague, Within The Ruins, and DevilDriver to be honest. A lot of different styles of the same music. I feel that having a variety in interests expands what I can do for my own band. I practice to those bands most and try to use all of the good things they do in my own music.

What are your thoughts on the music industry today?

Fitzgerald: My thoughts on the industry now a days are that it is not that same as it was and not how it should be. To everyone it's all about the money. Well, I shouldn't say everyone but to most. I just wish local shows weren't so expensive. The price to go see your favorite bands is ridiculous. Most kids' way to escape daily anxiety, depression, and overall problems is music, and I know from personal experience that seeing my favorite bands perform great live is so amazing; it's such a happy, uplifting feeling. There are a lot of changes that need to be made but most likely won't. But in the end without the industry no one would have the oppurtunity to do what we're doing and for that we all have to stay grateful for what we get. Life is very rarely fair, so make the best of what you have and always stay true to yourself. You come first. Thats how it should be.

Where will we see Spies Like Us five years from now?

Fitzgerald: I hope to see Spies doing the same but more in 5 years. I would do anything to be touring 8-10 months out of the year. A lot of great things are happening for us now and I have no one else to thank but all the people that have supported us from the start, having faith in us as a band. Everyone has to start somewhere and seeing from where we started I am very satisfied to the level we have come.

If you could show every music fan in the world one song of yours, what would it be?

Fitzgerald: I would show everyone "Happy Endings Only Happen In Movies." I feel that's the most progressive song we have. The lyrics, music, and everything in between have a lot to do with the direction we're heading and the inspiration we have. It shows that we're not looking to sell out. I want to always stay the way we are and honestly grow heavier as we go but, keep our melodic choruses to showcase Joe's voice and our harmonies live. The lyrics I wrote for that song came straight from the heart. This world is filled with a lot of corruption and lies and it takes yourself and no one else to overcome all of that and really take things into your own hands and do what's best for yourself because you are the only one that matters in the end. Thats the basic plot of the song and I love that song truly.

Anything in closing?

Fitzgerald: In closing I would just love to thank everyone that has been there for us, coming to most shows we play. The support means the world to me. To see people singing and dancing to all of our songs is the greatest feeling I have ever felt. I can make this promise and keep this promise that I will never become big headed, cocky, or conceded in anyway. It's all about the music, play what you enjoy, do what you love and do whatever it takes to keep you happy. Playing shows has become a part of my life I feel I could never lose. It's a dream come true to be at the level we are and I can't stress enough how grateful we all are to have the fans and amazing support we've been granted. I wish I could name off everyone to thank but, if you have ever supported us in anyway from buying merch, getting our song on Itunes, or just telling your friends about us, we are forever grateful and it's people like that that keep our dream going. We love you dearly and will continue to stay true to our fans and play shows strictly for the love of it and the fans we have.

Exclusive Interview: Austin AcYd

Basslines and Screams caught up with talented Kentucky-based nerdcore rapper Austin AcYd in a candid interview. Check out what AcYd has to say in this BLS exclusive.

Q) What inspired you personally to get into music?

A) I would have to say that the movie, "Pursuit of Happyness", inspired me to get into music. I had always had the dream of making rap music, but I just never thought I was good enough. People kept telling me that it was just some stupid dream I'd never accomplish. I watched that movie, and it just inspired me to keep working toward my dreams no matter what anyone says. "The wise man doesn't pursue happiness, he grows it from under his own two feet."

Q) Who do you listen to most?

A) I listen to a lot of rap artists. Some of my favorites are Eyedea & Abilities, Brother Ali, Wiz Khalifa, Wu Tang Clan, DMX, etc, but I'd have to say that the person I listen to most is myself. I just want to clarify that I'm not on a "high horse" by any means because of this. I listen to my music all of the time to see where I need to improve my lyricism and flow. I don't think I'm perfect by any means, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my music.

Q) What are your thoughts on the music industry today?

A) I don't really listen to the radio much anymore, but I believe that mainstream music tries to change a lot of artists to become something they're not. Major labels like to cater a little too much to insure the artist's fame, and that can in turn make the artists a bit lazy. I believe in working on your music, putting as much passion into it, being real in your music, and it can be appreciated more. As far as the underground, it seems there is a lot of ''beef'' going on in underground rap and underground crunkcore. I believe that everyone should just get along, collaborate on songs together, respect each other, and build each genre to the fullest extent.

Q) Where will we see Austin Acyd five years from now?

A) Hopefully married to my girlfriend (I love you Kelsey), touring with my music, and just living life to the fullest. No drugs or alcohol, though. Real talk.

Q) Discuss the crunkcore movement in music today. Are the brokenCYDEs and Dot Dot Curves of the world good for music?

A) I respect every artist in every genre of music. I must stress this. I used to be a crunkcore artist, but I've changed my genre to just rap. A bit more nerdcore, I guess you could say. I suck at screaming. lol

They advocate drugs and alcohol, but who doesn't nowadays unless it's Christian music. As long as they don't bash God or Christianity (I am a dedicated Christian), I support them fully. I'm part of the "Crunk Fucking Core" group on Facebook. I talk to every one of the artists on there. They're all nice guys. I'm collabing with Jayreck and N!tro on a song for my album. I mean, I dislike country music, but I respect the artists to the fullest extent. Crunkcore just isn't me, I guess you could say. Crunkcore seems to be dwindling a bit, there's a lot of beefing going on, but all it needs is an evolution of some sort. That's what I believe. I feel like I may get some hate for these comments on this question, but I still stand by what I said.

Q) If you could show every music fan in the world one song of yours, what would it be?

A) One song of mine. Wow. I've never thought of this at all.
Uhmmm....I would have to say "No Matter What". That song has a very good meaning. It's about a musical artist that goes on tour all the time, and he misses his girlfriend/fiancee/wife. When he gets back, she has left him. He says that he'll wait for her until the day he dies, so it has a bit of "undying love" in the story told as well. I feel a lot of people can relate to it, not just artists.

Q) Talk about your record label, Stellar Squad Entertainment.

A) Stellar Squad Entertainment was started a couple years ago by my best friend/brother from another mother, Casper The Prodigy (AKA Aric Patterson), and myself. We started as a music group, and just evolved it into a record label. We are a universal record label, meaning that we sign every artist from every genre (except country). We currently record, mix, and master everything ourselves. I personally do everything in my bedroom. Casper does everything out of a room in his house. Rondo does everything out of his bedroom. Sonic does everything out of his bedroom. We're hoping to buy a building and transition our equipment into that. Actually have a place of business, ya feel me? We dedicate our lives to what we do. We put a ton of passion and hard work into what we do.
Our members include the following:

Austin AcYd: Rapper/CEO
Casper The Prodigy: Rapper/CEO
Rondo: Rapper
Sonic: Rapper/Producer
Raisi K. Mobele: Producer

Jake Nalley: Vocalist

Shadillac VG Firestyle: Vocalist/Screamo

I'm truly blessed to have these guys as partners/friends and they have done everything to truly help out our label. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. God has truly blessed me, fam.


Q) Anything in closing?
A) My debut album, "The Arcade", will be available for free download sometime this summer, so be on the lookout for that. It features a LOT of awesome artists including Dutch Vega, Madd Illz, Phranchyze, Logic, godAwful, Casper The Prodigy, Merkules, Jayreck, N!tro, Sonic, Aak, etc.

All of the beats sample either old school video games, old school cartoons, or anime. Shoutouts to Raisi K. Mobele for producing most of the beats for the album. He's a monster.

I urge you guys to check out Sonic's music, Rondo's music, Casper The Prodigy's music, and my music. I'll provide the links to each artist below. I'd also like to thank my grandmother, my girlfriend, and God for helping me throughout all of the hard times I've endured and the obstacles in my path. Shoutouts to Connecticut Battle League and family! Thanks for taking the time to interview me!

Austin AcYd's Music
www.reverbnation.com/austinacyd

Casper The Prodigy's Music
www.reverbnation.com/caspertheprodigy

Rondo's Music
www.reverbnation.com/imrondo

Neil from Rituals Interview

1. How did your band come to be?

Rituals came about when Julian sent me some demos he had been working on that were missing vocals. When I heard the tracks I asked him if I could lay some down and it kinda just went from there. We were only a two piece for a couple shows or a couple months. We knew we wanted to add a drummer pretty soon after to give us more of an edge, live feel, etc. We somehow managed to convince my good friend Pablo to come back from Australia to play drums in Rituals. Julian and Pablo were then acquainted at a seedy Japanese sake bar in Little Tokyo called "Bar C." It's where we like to go when we have business to discuss. They have a drink there called "The Galvatron." It's 1/3 Tequila, 1/3 Whisky and 1/3 Hate - it tastes like pure gasoline. I made both Julian and Pablo each do a shot with me and at that moment Rituals was born.

2. What was the first time getting the band together like?

Very Drunk. Also very exciting. You could feel the energy at the table.

3. What was the moment that made you think "this is it right here", the defining moment that convinced you this was for real?

The first time we used our signature light show at Club Moscow in LA, when we hit the down beat of "Red Moon" and I turned on the giant fluorescent triangle light around me. It gave me goosebumps.

4. What's your end goal for music? As in, what do you envision yourself getting out of music when all is said and done?

I personally see myself becoming a music producer and or manger in the future, although I don't ever see myself NOT creating music. I've been playing in bands since I was five years old. Music has always been the one and only thing that makes sense to me. As far as Rituals goes, I think we have a very bright future and have only begun to scratch the surface of our creativity. Our best work is ahead of us. The goal at the moment is to open people’s minds and break ground for a new direction in dance/pop music. We'd also like to be the first band that openly admits to hating indie rock... Hahaha

5. Dream tour: who would you love to share a stage with?

Depeche Mode, no doubt. But we also really want to play Live Earth too.

6. What are your 3 main influences on your sound?

Trench coats, blacked out sunglasses, and Gimps.

7. What does the future hold for your band?

Lots and lots of touring... extensively on the international side of things. We don't want to stay in America for too long. Our music will have it's time in the US soon enough but right now we need to be playing in Germany or the UK. It's a matter of time hopefully. Until then we will be in the lab creating the darkest, danciest music to the best of our ability. All the while continuing to explore other textures and sonic fibers that we can stitch into our sound. We are a young band, but all three of us are very creative and talented people. We won't stop until our music is as three-dimensional as our personalities.


8. Word association: when I say [insert word here], you think....

MTV - real world
File-sharing - napster
Radio - death
Touring - booze
Twitter - lady gaga
Fans - Gimps
Special thanks to Neil from RITUALS. check them out http://ritualsla.com/

My Five Favorite Metal Vocalists

By Cash Manfredo

I've always loved metal. Ever since I heard "The Sickness" by Disturbed in 2000, everything from doom metal to thrash has been blaring in my house, my car, and anywhere else I can raise my horns.

I recently put together a list of my five favorite metal vocalists. I feel these vocalists cover a wide range of metal and really reflect my taste in the genre. Enjoy.

5. Cam Pipes - Three Inches of Blood: Is there anyone with a better falsetto in the game today? I don't think so. Take one listen to "Silent Killer" and you'll see the talent this Canadian has.

4. David Draiman - Disturbed: Draiman is the man responsible for getting me into metal. He has so much range in his powerful voice - I haven't been able to get enough the past eleven years. "The Animal," though one of Distubred's most mainstream songs, showcases Draiman's voice and everything he's capable of.

3. Tony Foresta - Municipal Waste: He may not have as much talent as the latter two vocalists, but Foresta always brings it. His vocals are thrashy, powerful, and so fun to mosh to. Maybe the best singer in the thrash game today.

2. Liam Cormier - Cancer Bats: Cormier's voice wasn't always as good as it is now - on Cancer Bats' first album, "Birthing the Giant," Liam's screams, though powerful, lacked the substance they have now. But ever since Cancer Bats put out their single "Hail Destroyer," no one has gotten me fired up like Cormier. His voice is pure electricity.

1. Kenny Hickey - Seventh Void: Hickey, famous for his spot in Type O Negative, is now the frontman for Seventh Void. To me, no one sings like this guy. He's the best doom metal singer I've ever heard.

Press Release: Mr.Kitty Talks About "D E A T H"; Link to Free Download

For years, Arlington, Texas-based electronic musician Forrest Carney, better known by his stage name of Mr.Kitty, put out fun, energetic dance albums. From chaotic 8-bit beats to advanced IDM, Carney kept his fans moving time and time again, releasing over 25 albums of grooving tunes.
So in March when Carney released “D E A T H” — 15 haunting tracks of dark, electronic music — many of his fans were taken by surprise. The CD, Carney’s 32nd official release, featured Carney’s robust vocals prominently for the first time and swapped his cheery beats for nefarious ones. But the album has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response, garnering over 270 Facebook “likes” on the CD’s Bandcamp page (http://mrkittydm.bandcamp.com/album/d-e-t-h) and receiving praise from the online electronic music community. The hype around the album has many thinking Carney will continue in the darker direction.

“I wanted to take a step away from the whole ‘dance til I die’ mindset and do something real,” said Carney. “The album’s lyrics and the story may be unrelated, but I wanted to give people something to think about.”

The story, a fifteen-part voyage that follows two characters who fall in love, die, and eventually reunite, was inspired by Carney’s own personal struggles in life and love.
“The idea of this album came into play when a guy I was dating left me after three years,” said Carney. “We were about to be engaged and he left me for someone else. That is the moment when I ‘died.’”

But for Carney, who has shared the stage with Crystal Castles and been featured in The Dallas Observer, a metaphoric death meant a rebirth in his music. Citing a loss of trust in many people close to him, Carney began isolating himself from the world and experimenting with new sounds. The result was the new Mr.Kitty — a deeper, more sophisticated artist who drew upon touching subjects to make moving songs.

“Everything I began working on started to sound very dark,” said Carney. “I’ve experienced a lot of encounters with death in my life, whether it be family members, pets, or strangers. But I’ve never seen death as a negative thing. I wanted to find a way to express my sadness and anger without committing suicide. I wanted to take the album into a direction that would make the darkest of times feel comfortable.”

“D E A T H” can be streamed and downloaded for free at Mr.Kitty’s Bandcamp page, http://mrkittydm.bandcamp.com/album/d-e-t-h.

The Ill Opinion #1: Genre Bender

For years, the use of genres has been considered a necessity to organize different musical acts and albums for shelf spacing and purchasing at the stores.You could consider it to be a commercial innovation, something that caught fire with others and stayed around in music for years, an unquestionable part of the game, much like chords and the general structure of an average pop song.

For better or worse, genres have been an institution. However, a gradual effort to break the walls down and mix other genres with each other has slowly caught steam in the modern scene of music and what was considered an act of insanity bound for failure, is now seen as normal.

Exclusive Interview: Yesterday's Heroes

Bass Lines and Screams recently caught up with Kevin Gallant, guitarist and backup vocalist for Boston-based punk band Yesterday's Heroes. Hear what Gallant had to say in this BLS exclusive.

What inspired you personally to get into music?

Gallant: Personally, I started out playing violin at about age 6. I grew up in Dracut, MA and they had an awesome music program in the public schools. The violin teacher would come into the first and second grade class rooms and do a presentation. In first grade I really wanted to do it, but my mother said that if the next year I was still into it I could. And that started me on this. In about 5th grade I heard Pearl Jam for the first time, and that made me want to pick up a guitar. I started my first band my first year of high school. Granted we sucked something awful, but it was a ton of fun. At the time the scene in Lowell and Dracut was booming. There were shows every weekend, and the bands were fantastic. Going to these church halls and basements when I was 13 and 14 really made me want to get involved.

Who do you listen to most?

Gallant: The band with the most plays on my iTunes is Against Me. Really one of my favorite current bands. I tend to be all over the board. Everything from Springsteen to Lucero to The Fake Boys to Blood for Blood.

What are your thoughts on the music industry today?

Gallant: I haven't listened to the radio in god knows how long. Frankly I think 98% of it is absolute shit. With the advent of social media and the internet bands don't really need the "industry" any more. It's so easy to self release things these days, anybody can do it. But it's also a double edged blade. The market is so saturated and labels just aren't making the money, so a lot of bands that should be getting the financial support now just aren't. Wither it's labels unwillingness to take a risk unless someone is a sure money maker I'm not sure. As someone who puts most of his paycheck into his band and trying to make things happen it's a bit discouraging. Maybe I'm just a cynic.

Talk about the Boston punk scene. Do you see the scene growing or shrinking in the future?

Gallant: As far as I'm concerned, Boston and punk rock are synonymous. It's always been one of the strongest scenes I've seen anywhere and I'm positive it will be for a long time. There is always something going on and always awesome people to hang with. It can be tough to get people out to your show sometimes with the sheer volume of bands and shows going on, but too much of a good thing isn't a bad thing in this case.

Where will we see Yesterday's Heroes five years from now?

Gallant: Five years? Shit, we'll all be 30, broken down, and ready for the grave. Seriously though, who knows? Hopefully we'll still be recording, touring, and having the time of our lives. It's all about having fun, isn't it? We'll all probably have a little less hair, and we'll all be a little bit fatter.

If you could show every music fan in the world one song of yours, what would it be?

Gallant: It would definitely be one of our new songs called "Lost in Translation". We're headed down to Norfolk, VA to record an EP in July and it's going to be on it. It's really probably one of the most heartfelt and relatable songs we've ever written. I get so jacked up every time we play it.

Anything in closing?

Gallant: Get out from behind the computers and cell phones. Come to shows. Hang out. Buy us beer.

Exclusive Interview: Mongrel

Bass Lines and Screams recently chatted with Adam Savage, guitarist of Massachusetts-based hard rockers Mongrel, to talk about the band's latest EP release as well as what the future holds for the quartet. Check out what Adam had to say in this exclusive interview.

What inspired you personally to get into music?

Adam: I was inspired to start playing guitar watching the videos for (Guns N' Roses) "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine" - watching Slash play was that defining moment of "I NEED to do that!"

Who do you listen to most?

Adam: My cd changer in the car almost always has at least one album from The Bronx and Slipknot (self-titled) in it. Also in regular rotation lately is Trashlight Vision, The Pretty Reckless, NIN, the upcoming Mongrel fulll length cd , Hate Gallery, Dead Boys, Amen, Ministry, Rolling Stones, Mindless Self Indulgence "Tight", etc...

What are your thoughts on the music industry today?

Adam: I'm kind of mixed on it, in some ways its amazing how much stuff you can do as an independent artist that previously you could never do without a bigger label backing you, however in some ways its almost harder to stand out from the pack and get noticed, and to finance the things you want to do since there aren't the labels picking up developing bands like they used to and with the rising price of gas, etc. it does make for challenging but exciting times.

Talk about your latest release, "Declamation." What's your favorite song on the EP?

Adam: We originally went in to the studio expecting just to do a new full length and things were going so well we ended up recording a couple of bonus tracks and decided to split it up into a 12 song album and the "Declamation" EP. My favorite track on the EP is probably "Fucked It All Away" - this was originally on our prior full length cd with our old singer and we did not intend to record it again but since we were doing so well time-wise and I loved how the song took on a new life and sounded so amazing with Jess singing it so we decided to re-do it. I'm really glad we did as I love how it sounds now and there's really just something about a female singer doing the line "I had it all and I fucked it all away" they way Jess does it that you just can't deny.

Why choose to cover a Misfits song on the new EP?

Adam: We'd intended to record this from the get go. This is a song we'd been covering for a while now that the crowd always loves and when Jess joined the band it was another one of those "we have to get her in the studio doing this one" kind of things. Dr Chud, who wrote the song when he was with the Misfits said we did a great job with it so obviously we made a good choice with this and when we split things up into the EP and album, putting it on the EP made the most sense.

When can we see the next Mongrel full length?

Adam: We are expecting the new full length "Reclamation" to come out in early July actually.

Where will we see Mongrel five years from now?

Adam: Hopefully in the midst of one of many successful US or international tours!

If you could show every music fan in the world one song of yours, what would it be?

Adam: Probably something off the upcoming full length album, there's a bunch of songs on there I think are the best stuff we've done to date... Zombies of War, Revisionist, Tarnished Halo, Wake Up...I'm not sure which ONE song it would be.

Anything in closing?

Adam: If anyone wants to get out our ep "Decalamation" you can get it on itunes, amazon, or http://mongrel.bandcamp.com/. Please visit us out at www.mongrelband.com where you can find links to all our sites (facebook, twitter, myspace, etc) and please keep in touch with us online or hang out at a show if you like what you hear - we're very big on talking to and keeping in touch with the people who support us!