Interview: The Used

So tour manager Charles texted me the day of Warped Tour to interview The Used on their tour bus. Among the smell of dank weed and leather couches, we did the interview. Burt... Clearly wasn't having a good day.

Ridge: So what made The Used, with as high caliber status as you are, want to come back to Warped Tour?

Burt: They asked us to! Haha, the crowds are great, huge and energetic. I can’t help but feed off that energy, it’s awesome.

You guys have done many high profile tours in the past, like Taste Of Chaos, Projekt Revolution, and Ozzfest, how does Warped Tour differ from all of those?

It’s a younger crowd and it’s based on punk rock. It’s more energetic and not so corporate.

You guys just released Vulnerable on Hopeless Records. What’s the reaction been like so far from the fans?

It’s been really good. Hopeless has a great team and it was the first time they offered a band a strict distribution deal, so it was completely ideal for us.

How was it working with John Feldman for the record?

It was good. He’s a hard worker, really knows his shit, and he’s like family to us.

To you personally, how do you feel Vulnerable differs from your other albums?

I feel it’s more similar to the first record. It’s a real positive record about becoming who you really are, daring to dream, and to go for those dreams, no matter what the cost. Being able to accept the fact of life, because the life you live is really all about successes and failures, and it’s what we do with those successes and failures that make us who we are.

What’s the setlist for today?

“Take It Away,” “Bird and The Worm,” “Listening,” “Put Me Out,” “Taste Of Ink,” “All That I’ve Got,” and “Box Full Of Sharp Objects.”

You guys have done an array of acoustic songs over the years. Have you guys ever considered recording a full acoustic album?

No, can’t say that I have.

One album that I really liked on the new album was “Shine.” What is the story behind that song?

It’s about daring to dream, make your choice, and being who you really are. Standing up for yourself and believing in yourself. You know, we only have one life to live.

What are your plans for after Warped Tour?

Doing some tours in South America and Europe, then come back and do a full headline tour in the U.S.

Any last words for the fans and all the people who came out to Warped Tour to see The Used play?

Well I think that The Used, as anyone knows, we have dedicated and hardcore fans. For us it’s just means the world to us and we really wouldn’t be out here at Warped Tour without the fans. This new record is for you guys and I hope you love it and feel inspired and live it like I do.

Review: Crash The Machine- Self-Titled (2007)

Band: Crash The Machine
Release: Crash The Machine
Genre: Pop/Alternative Rock
Members: Brian, Eric, Craig.
Label: Unsigned
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crash-The-Machine/114441685307608

Tracklist:
1. I Want It All
2. Push Me Down (I'm Alive)
3. Spark
4. You Won't Feel
5. Buried
6. Hey There, Cellophane
7. Bite My Tongue
8. I Don't Understand
9. Alice
10. Two Worlds (2007)

Review: 8.4/10

Crash The Machine is a group from Sacramento, CA that released their album back in 2007. They are in the studio right now working on their follow up, so I decided to review this one as my first retro review. To be honest, I’m not too much of a fan of the vocals, but I really like the music here.

“I Want It All” has good lyrics and music, until it gets to the chorus… I have to say that’s it’s hard to say what he really wants. If he is referring to Hollywood, then that would be horrible, as that is very cliché. I really like the music however. I think that with better lyrics and a powerful singer, this band can really excel beyond their own beliefs. So from now on, I am going to completely ignore the vocals and review only the music.

“Push Me Down (I’m Alive)” musically is by far the best song on the album. Like in the case of my last review The Story Changes, this is where they show their worth by becoming radio friendly and pull it off nicely. They even mix it up a little bit and throw some hand drums into the song, which I think is pretty cool. The beginning really gives you some indication on how the rest of the track will turn out. The build up is sure to get fans going in a live setting. It’s very catchy and has influences from a amalgam of other successful radio acts, such as Smile Empty Soul and Barenaked Ladies.

“Buried” is a faster, drum and bass driven song that rivals the previous song review. It kind of reminds me of The Offspring a little bit (not vocally, musically). The bass takes over the verses (which I like) and the guitars overcome the chorus. The switch up between this keeps the track from sounding too stale to the average listener.

Overall, I give this album a higher score, but ONLY for its musical merits. It’s really catchy, has the potential to rule the airwaves, and I could see this being awesome live. However, the lyrics and vocals really bog this album down (which is a shame) but luckily they do NOT have the same vocalist. I really look forward to hearing the next album and I hope it gets some airplay. 

Review: Stiletto Ghetto- First Takes EP (2011)

*NOT ACTUAL ALBUM COVER*

Band: Stiletto Ghetto

Release: First Takes EP

Genre: Funk/Alternative Rock

Members: Nicolas, Louis, Marcus, Safiya

Label: Independently released

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stilettoghetto

Buy Here: *Not available yet*

Tracklist: 

1. Get The Funk

2. Soul On Fire

3. I Must Confess

4. Blessed

5. Get Outta My Head

6. Call On Me

Review: 7.4/10

Standout tracks: Get The Funk, Call On Me, Soul On Fire

This is an EP that took a couple listens all the way through before writing this review. As I'm not really into this type of music, it was hard to not score it below 5 out of 10. After listening to it more and more, I started to notice hints of 90's Alternative metal, 80's glam rock and some soaring guitar solos to throw in the mix.

 To start off, "Get The Funk" is soaked in 90's influence. As a child I remember listening to this kind of stuff on the radio while my mother drove me around doing her errands. Very radio friendly song with a sense of nostalgia. For some reason, "Soul On Fire" gave off a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe, only if Anthony Kiedis had tits and Flea put on some more cowbell. I was not feeling "I Must Confess" though. It lacks any sense of diversity and sounds like I've heard it before (which is not a good thing for a band that formed last year). And the lyrics aren't all too clear on what the song is about. "Blessed" picks the pace back up after the monotonous confession by starting with a... drum roll and... more cowbell on the chorus. The guitar solo is quite awesome however, and it makes listening to this track worthy (I suppose). "Call On Me" should be the first song of this EP. It's a good song on recording, but I suppose it wouldn't be as good as seeing them playing it live. It throws all of their influences I previously mentioned into a single track. Her voice wavers over the strong but simple guitar and bass with thumping drums to give the audience something to jump to. 

Overall, it's a decent album. It sounds like the title of the EP, like it was recorded on the first take. I know they can definitely do better. They are very unique and they just need some time to polish their sound a bit more.

Interview: Miika of Only In Stories

From left to right: Jeremy- guitars, Mary- vocals, Miika- drums, Caleb- bass

Interview @ 4/11/2011

"Like" Only In Stories Here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Only-In-Stories/102831053093469

Follow Only In Stories on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/oistories

When I first hit up Only In Stories, I knew that I was on to something good. With Mary Reeves vocals soaring over the music with uplifting lyrics and faith, there can only be good things coming for this band. I cannot wait till I can review their upcoming EP! I hit them up on Twitter and got a hold of Miika for this interview to find out their influences and a little about the history of Only In Stories.

RB: So how did Only In Stories first come together?

M: We met on eHarmony. The place of all good things. Haha. No, not for real. The three of us; Mary, Jeremy and Miika all played/play together for worship at our churches youth group. Mary knew Caleb from the school she used to go to and asked him if he wanted to play bass in our band. Not knowing Jeremy or Miika and listening to like one song he agreed. It's crazy though because he fits in and completes the band perfectly.

RB: What is the meaning behind the name Only In Stories?

M: The name; Only In Stories is based off of a simple thing that we believe. Us all being Christians, and this band being Christian we believe that the ultimate story is the Bible and the story of our savior Jesus Christ. So based off of that we came up with Only In Stories.

RB: What is the title of the upcoming full length?

M: We don't have a title yet. But it'll be good. haha

RB: What is the overall message you're trying to send out in your music?

M: The overall message that we're trying to send out is one of hope and that you're not alone. We just want everyone to know that no matter what you may be feeling or going through, that God is always there and that he loves you and cares for you no matter what and that He wants to know you and be your friend. It's just up to you whether or not you want the friendship. Also we want people to know that Christians, as a group of people are always here for you and only want to help and be a positive influence on people, through Christ. Basically we just want to be a positive influence on people, there's enough negativity, bitterness, hatred and hurt in the world as it is. We're not here to force anything on anyone. We just want people to know what God has done for us and what he wants to do for you.

RB: What songs do you like to play live? Any cover songs?

M: There's a song that will be on the EP re-release (which is coming up soon, can't say exactly when though, but either at the end of April or beginning of May.) that we've been performing for a bit called Dying to Be Alive that we really like playing.

RB: What are your biggest musical influences?

M: Well we all have pretty different musical influences. It's pretty wild, I don't know how we agree on stuff. Mary's biggest influences are Plumb and her big sister Sarah. Miika's biggest influences are; A Day To Remember, Four Year Strong, The Almost, Underoath, There For Tomorrow.. Jeremy's biggest influences are bands like; Underoath, There For Tomorrow and As Cities Burn. Caleb's influences are; As Cities Burn, and Emery. This question is ALWAYS a tough one to answer because in reality there are SO many different artists and musical styles that influence us individually and as a band. So the ones listed are just scraping the surface. It's safe to say that in reality anything that we hear and we like has influenced us, and continues to influence us musically.

RB: Are there any major tours or shows in the near future?

M: We do have some awesome stuff planned for this summer, but it hasn't been announced yet.

RB: So what comes first? the lyrics or the music?

M: When we're writing we always do the music first and then from the framework of the music we write the lyrics and the melodies. When we're writing the words and coming up with the melodies sometimes we tweak the music to better fit the lyrics. We always leave that option open. We want every song to be the best that it can be.

RB: Any shout outs you want to give?

M: First of all we thank Jesus for everything that He has done for us, and all of the blessings, gifts, talents, and opportunities that He has given us. We are thankful that He brought the four of us together to form this. Also we just want to thank all of our parents and families, because without them none of what we do would be possible. If it weren't for them none of us would probably being playing any instruments and we wouldn't be in this band with our best friends doing what we love. We also want to give a HUGE thank you to Ben Reeves for everything that he does for this band. Without him this band would not run, there would be no recorded music and there wouldn't ever be any shows. Finally, we'd like to thank anybody that has ever bought a cd, gone to any of our shows, listened to any of our music, watched any of our videos, talked to us online, followed our Twitter or liked us on Facebook, or told anyone else about us. We're talking about you guys, the fans, and we thank you. We couldn't do what we do without you guys giving us a chance.

RB: Any last words for your fans and other people who haven't heard your music yet?

M: Thank you again! and if you haven't heard our music yet you should definitely head over to our website, it's super easy; www.onlyinstories.com and from there you can listen to our music, see some pictures, read about the band and the members, you can see what we have for sale at the webstore, see upcoming dates and more. At the bottom left hand corner of our website there are links to all of our social media sites, please feel free to check them out and you should go ahead and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. We would be forever great full! Also if you like our music please tell your friends about us, help spread the word, because without you guys and word of mouth it would be nearly impossible for people to find out about us. Thanks and God bless! :)