Archive for May, 2011

Review: Matt Black’s “We Buy Gold”

Published by Alan Shugars on May 31st, 2011 - in Album reviews, Featured



Kalamazoo rapper Matt Black’s latest album, released in May of 2011, couldn’t have been titled any better. “We Buy Gold” is named after the growing phenomenon of upstart businesses collecting used or broken gold to turn a profit. Black splashes this played out, mainstream sentiment across an album that is anything but mainstream to the rap game.

Black’s return to the rap fray is a triumphant one, with “We Buy Gold” immediately setting itself apart from most other hip-hop albums, complimenting his signature style with the aid of underground MCs and producers. “We Buy Gold” runs the spectrum of influences, whether that’s the groovy guitar of “Money Hungry”, the intergalactic vibe of “Exile” or heavy doses of piano throughout, Black’s 17-track portfolio is a lot more musical than the average album.

Even some of the more cookie-cutter tracks trump the average MCs like with the high energy and quick lyrical pace of “Child’s Play” or the tricky word play of “Double Negative”.

Black’s forte is when he lets his voice drop to his signature low growl to spit his flow at a patient pace. This is what makes one of the most pivotal tracks of the album — “SwagCore” — so memorable and effective. Like the track’s guest rapper, Wulf, proclaims, they aren’t just rapping, they’re “spitting sonnets”. Wulf and Black take turns rapping a verse in this 3:30 slow jam.

Just recently, Black released a video for “SwagCore”.

A lot of rappers are barking about nothing, but Black has plenty of demons to exercise, which makes those slower, more intimate moments the highlights of the album.

I was drawn to “The Summer Has Ended”, with an eerie, falsetto and auto-tuned singing pattern laid between Black rapping against a beat with the sound of a storm in the background. He raps:

“I write these letters to my mother that I know she’ll never read // But I know inside my mind she’ll never die inside my memory // I don’t want to take you down the hallways of my head space // Have you judge, thinking that I’m just another head case.”

The disc doesn’t just weigh heavily on a listener’s soul, Black keeping plenty of party themes in the mix, staying relevant among fans of college rap. Like he spits in “Into The Wild (Freddy Todd remix)”

“I’m starting to think for real that I like stress // Honey in the tight dress looking a hot mess // I just want to get deep like the Loch Ness // It’s too bad that this party is a cock fest // There is six dudes for like every one lady // Nine out of 10 of these guys is looking shady // Plus I think two of these chicks are having babies…”

There isn’t a ton to gripe about on this album, outside of “Into The Wild (Freddy Todd remix)” pounds listeners over the head with huge levels of synth and “Inner-city Rain Dance” uses samples from the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Pretty Little Ditty”. The only problem is the sample is better identified by people as the tune from Crazy Town’s “Butterfly”, aka the most ridiculous rap rock song ever created.

Regardless, if you’re a local (or national) rap fan, Matt Black’s “We Buy Gold” is a must-have.

ALBUM RATING (0-10)
9.0

Roll Call: Another October

Published by NOISE! Staff on May 30th, 2011 - in Featured, Roll Call



The West Michigan NOISE! Roll Call is a feature where we highlight a diverse sampling of bands who are mixing it up in the local music scene. To be considered for Roll Call, e-mail us at westmichigannoise@gmail.com with information on your favorite band.

ANOTHER OCTOBER
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Members: Alex Schaub (keyboards/vocals); Chen Flakes (vocals/guitar); Chris Campbell (bass/vocals); Cody Wray (lead guitar); Trevor Williams (drums/programming).

Sounds like: Hit The Lights, Sparks the Rescue

Web site: http://facebook.com/AnotherOctober; http://twitter/anotheroctober

Upcoming shows: June 17 at MXTP in Grand Rapids with The Millionares and Breathe Electric

The skinny: Loaded with five ultra-dedicated young chaps, Another October is another band in a surging pop rock scene in West Michigan. What sets them apart from their powerpop and happycore brethren is the elements of keyboard and programming. Serving as key local support at MXTP for national touring bands, including June 17′s show with The Millionares, Another October’s stock is on the rise in some circles.

The Break Room in Grand Rapids holds final show tonight with punk/ska bands

Published by NOISE! Staff on May 28th, 2011 - in Concert Calendar

What was carving out a niche as the dive bar hot bed for rock, metal and punk will holding one last show tonight.

The Break Room in Grand Rapids — 1359 Planfield N.E. — will be discontinuing shows in their front room, which is connected to a larger bar area and pool hall. The final bows will be taken by The Jub-Jubs, The Hex Bombs, 40 oz of Spite and The Mushmen tonight beginning at 9 p.m. for a punk/ska lineup.

Admission is $5.

In The Hits Factory: Panel Productions (Kalamazoo)

Published by NOISE! Staff on May 27th, 2011 - in Studios



PANEL PRODUCTIONS
Kalamazoo, Mich.

Address: 612 Mabel Ave.
Contact: 269-719-6633 // whimperwarrior@gmail.com
Web site: Search Panel Productions in Facebook or visit panelproductions.bandcamp.com for samples
Engineers: Eli Kroes — four-year certificate in the recording arts, former WIDR production director, Coma Nova guitarist/singer; Joe Varchola — current WIDR FM Production Director and currently pursuing a certificate in the recording arts from WMU.
Rates: $15/hour plus $27 for each reel of 1/4″ tape used (each reel holds about 20 minutes). Also can negotiate on projects.

Artists they’re worked with: The Shutters, Inflatable Best Friend, Coma Nova. Recorded touring bands at WIDR such as Pile, Lonely H, Julie Doiron, Casiotone for the Painfull Alone, The Royal Chord.

Favorite/featured equipment: Fostex 8-track reel-to-reel machine, multiple Tascam 4-track cassette recorders, loads of guitar pedals and some compression/reverb units from WIDR.

What kind of approach do you take to recording bands/artists?
Eli: I’ve always been a fan of getting a take with a lot of feeling in it, rather than a perfect take. I like to use recording like most people would think of guitar tone. Odds are, we will never record two groups in exactly the same way, because every group is different. I also use a lot of very unorthodox and experimental techniques, just because it’s fun. Our studio is for people who are sick of ‘perfect’ sounding records where everything has been tweaked to the point that it’s almost robotic. Come here if you would rather your record had some balls, and if you’re into the idea of trying experimental things. We love doing stuff like recording vocals inside the trunk of a car or putting your guitar amp in a big empty field and mic’ing it.

Joe: I like to be open-minded, making sure the band is comfortable and that they get the sound they’re looking for.

Any interesting stories or unique recording techniques arise?
Eli: I’ve done everything from having people sing into cardboard tubes, to recording outside, to running an entire drum kit through a bass distortion pedal. Basically, we will try any idea you have. For a humorous example, I recorded a nasty, sloppy, awesome punk band called Bottom Shelf Whiskey, and ran everything through a broken PA head to get a dirty, basement-demo sound. They loved it. It sounded like a GG Allin record. Also, something we can do that other studios might not be able to is produce hip hop tracks. I’ve been doing this for fun for quite some time, and I’ve had at least a few local MCs show interest in the beats I’ve made.

Joe: Unfortunately, I haven’t encountered anything too bizarre while doing this sorta work. I’ve been able to get some nice room sounds with a weird mic technique that I’ve been fooling with.

What prompted you to open up what is a personal studio to the public?
Eli: I want a place where bands can come and get a semi-professional recording for cheap. I know that I would have loved this back when I was in high school and couldn’t afford 50/hr to cut my band’s demo. We had some guy charge us 25/hr to use his mom’s basement and a digital 16-track, and it sounded like shit. I went home and figured out how to do a better recording on my 4-track in like two hours after that.

Joe: Eli and I were shooting the shit and the idea somehow came up. It’s something that we both sincerely enjoy doing and we thought this was something that would work out well. Everything started to fall into place and we decided to roll with it.

Pontiac’s Virginia Wolf heading into the studio to record “Hunt Stalk Kill Bury Regret”

Published by NOISE! Staff on May 26th, 2011 - in Band Features, Featured



Popular east side metal project Virginia Wolf is breaking down what would make one hell of a horror movie into audio format and heading in the studio to lay it down.

The band has just wrapped up writing and will start the recording process on their upcoming EP “Hunt Stalk Kill Bury Regret”.

“It follows the story of a serial killer through the process of hunting for the right victim, stalking them, killing them, burying them and then finally the feeling of remorse and guilt setting in,” the band’s vocalist Alan Field said. “As the title states, there are five tracks (Hunt, Stalk, Kill, Bury and Regret). We thought about several ways to end the story but we feel that the ending we’ve decided on will be unexpected and catch people off guard.”

Mainstays over here on the west side of the Mitten, Virginia Wolf will appear at Elks Lodge in Grand Haven on June 3 along with hitting Fest Fest 3 on July 23.

Even though the EP has five separate tracks, it will be treated as one, continuous body of work with musical transitions between each song along with some voice overs, spoken lines and complex soundscapes.

“We have put a lot of passion into the songwriting and we’ve taken influences from many genres,” Field said. “Many of our songs would be considered melodic metalcore, but we strongly prefer to just go by Michigan Metal [laughs]. We feel that the overall feeling that you get from our music would remind someone of the creepy swamplands and foggy forests and hills of Michigan and that’s the feeling we tried very hard to convey.”

Virginia Wolf will be recording in Muskegon with Nick Scott, who also did work for area bands Lakeland and Mickey Lane.

“We will be in the studio for most of June and the EP should be released on iTunes, CD and digipacks for our online merch store and at all of our shows by late August.”

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