STUCK

Hardly Sound: The Gary

2012-02-28T07:35:00.000-06:00

photo by Chris Kim

The Gary are masons, building solid ass walls of sound with nothing but voice, guitar, bass, and drums as their stone, mortar and trowel. Together, Dave, Trey and Paul, are bridging an important gap between the past and the future of the American Underground...one brick at a time.

STUCK proudly presents Hardly Sound #4 with The Gary

part 1

part 2

The session is also available to download as a FREE EP

find out more about The Gary and their related projects at: www.cedarfeverrecords.com

STUCK Interview: El Cento

2012-02-25T07:42:00.003-06:00

During Austin Free Week 2012, I walked into Hole in the Wall and was introduced to the "massively spartan" sounds of the trio known as El Cento. El Cento is lead singer/songwriter/guitarist, Don Cento, Dave Prez on bass and backing vocals, and Earl Darling on drums and backing vocals. After only a few songs, I was hooked by their intelligent, catchy tunes and bought their self titled CD immediately after their set. Since then, I haven't been able to resist asking Don about his approach to songwriting, band tribute nights and cover songs, and what's next for El Cento.

STUCK: How do you define "massively spartan rock n' roll" ? / what does that mean to you/the band ?

DC: My goal when starting this band was to play as a trio and create the sort of sonic impression that bands with more players and instrumentation do. And do that without overplaying or resorting to histrionics. Keep it simple and spartan (as a synonym for austere: "severely simple; without ornament"), and bring the intensity in other ways...But it's rock 'n' roll so it's gotta be loud and have that good ol, jumped-up spirit. Make the peoples wanna move.

STUCK: I first saw you perform at a Crowded House/Neil Finn tribute night. What makes a good tribute show ? How do you decide on choosing which songs to cover ?

DC: I suppose the first and foremost thing has to be an artist with a repertoire of good songs. Then a good roster of performers. For me, I look for songs that are a little less "traditional" or outside the artist's more well-known repertoire. Something that's a little more oblique lyrically, or more quirky or angular rhythmically seems to fit how I sing and play as well.

STUCK: With you now living in Austin and your bandmates in Dallas - how do you keep the band going ? Pros/cons of living in different cities ? What are some of your impressions of the Austin scene now as a local resident ?

DC: I try to keep the band going by doing something for the band every day: writing, emailing, certainly practicing. We still rehearse or have a show about every other week so that keeps us connected and musically fresh. The only real con is not seeing the guys more regularly. And the skyrocketing cost of gas. Maybe Bio-Willie is on to something.

I love Austin. Generally it's a lot like the (underrated) DFW music scene only bigger. There are great players and writers in both areas and a similar diversity, but there are certainly more opportunities to play in Austin. My initial impression is that the audience seems a bit more attuned to seeing live music they might not be familiar with. Additionally Austin has a larger original music industry (different than a "scene") meaning there's more paying work to be found being involved in music outside of playing in a cover band.

STUCK: I finally saw the full band for the first time in early Jan at Hole in the Wall. I hadn't heard your songs before that night. I only caught the last few songs but I was impressed enough to buy a CD on the spot. On that note, so to speak, what makes a song catchy enough to make a good first impression ?

DC: First of all, thanks for buying a CD....That's the $64,000 dollar question, isn't it? I like things that are simple and direct. Unique without being too clever or self-aware. Good sounds and believing what you're saying/playing go a long way as well. I like songs that have a bit of wink to them. Something sly. And if you happen upon a good hook, play the damn thing without too much ornament.

Basically do what Nick Lowe does.

STUCK: It's been almost a year since since the self titled album release. Have you been working on new songs ? What's next for El Cento?

DC:This summer, the standard procedure: play shows, connect to new listeners and write. We'll be making our way back to San Antonio, Houston, Little Rock, Memphis etc...and I've got a couple handfuls of new songs that we're working through. I'm working on finding the thread to pull - something that's common to the songs, be that an approach to the guitar, to singing, to lyrics, to the rhythm section. Not sure what I'm after yet, but I feel like there's something brewing in there somewhere. Basically trying to grow as a writer and a player. We'll probably start demoing this summer and maybe recording... end of this year? Early next year? We've added a couple of new songs to the live set the past few shows as well which keeps it interesting for us. And hopefully the audience.

find more about El Cento at: elcento.com

Interview by Jen Leduc

STUCK Exclusive: Bobby Jealousy - Take My Eyes

2012-02-18T07:47:00.000-06:00

photo by Chris Kim

If you're like us, you can't wait to get a hold of Bobby Jealousy's upcoming album, 'A Little Death'. If you haven't already, you should RSVP here for their release show at The 29th Street Ballroom on Feb. 18th.

To help tide you over, we have an exclusive track from Bobby Jealousy called 'Take My Eyes' for you to download and listen to everyday without guilt.

The band has also posted their first single from 'A Little Death' called, Earthquake (Ballad to Jon and Mitra). check it out

and if you haven't watched it yet, here is STUCK's Hardly Sound session with
Bobby Jealousy

See you at the show!

Native Session: Waldo & The Naturals

2012-02-14T10:48:00.003-06:00

Waldo & The Naturals are the last great pop band. Their music is smart, tender, hopeful and timeless. The solid rhythm section of Ben Eisenberg and Jordan Cook paired with Waldo's classic Rhodes riffs and touched vocals is just RAD.

There is endless hype in re-creating the sounds of the past. What isn't hyped? Heart and Soul. Waldo and the Naturals have got that in spades.

go to waldowittenmyer.bandcamp.com for music and info

photo by Chris Kim

Hardly Sound: Bobby Jealousy

2012-01-23T09:44:00.000-06:00

There is something special about Bobby Jealousy. It's probably the way they merge glam with soul Then again, it could be their incomparable harmonies. Or maybe, it's their combination of undeniable hooks with potty-mouthed poetry. Whatever you think, you can go see them and buy their new LP, 'A Little Death", on Feb 18th at the 29th Street Ballroom! RSVP Here

STUCK's co-creator and Director, Chris Kim, said it best:

"I knew that I was witnessing and documenting a special band. I knew it because every time they played "Take You On," I had to choke back a few tears. Granted, this may have been a reaction unique to me but there is no doubt in my mind that Bobby Jealousy is my new favorite band."

We here at STUCK proudly present Hardly Sound #3

Bobby Jealousy

Also for your listening pleasure, DOWNLOAD the session as a FREE EP

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href="http://apartofstuck.bandcamp.com/album/stuck-presents-hardly-sound-bobby-jealousy"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;STUCK presents...Hardly Sound: Bobby Jealousy by 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find more about Booby Jealousy at:

facebook.com/bobbyjealousy

photo by Chris Kim

STUCK Interview + Native Session: Frank Smith

2012-01-11T07:50:00.000-06:00

Aaron Sinclair is the songwriter and lone constant conspirator behind the band Frank Smith. Sinclair also happens to be one of Austin’s finest songwriters. Unlike most writers, he seems most comfortable playing the role of the bleak optimist. The role suits him well, whether on cynical rock songs or tunefully dark ballads, Sinclair always finds that pocket between a smile and a blank stare. After a move across the country and the loss of several crucial collaborators, Sinclair finds himself in his 10th year with Frank Smith. He continues to push the name forward with an infinite amount of heavyweight songs and plans to release Frank Smith’s 6th studio record, ‘Before You Were Born’ on Janaury 19th, 2012.

STUCK: Can you describe the writing and recording process for ‘Before You Were Born’? How did you write this particular album and who contributed to that process?

AS: Most of the songs were written in the back of my house late at night. I just worked on songs and had a lot of Garageband demos in their beginning stages and then brought them to the space to work on with the whole band. After everyone else got their hands on the songs they would take a little more shape. Everyone in the band always has good ideas and contributes something different. As far as recording goes we recorded at The Bubble with Alex Lyon and we had talked to him about really trying to get a new sound out of this record and we wanted a much different feel than our last record. We wanted this one to feel a lot more live and have more reverb and have an old timey vibe to it, and I think the record is a lot less country than the last two records and a lot more indie rock. Alex really pulled it off and I think it is the most different sounding record we’ve done. It definitely still sounds like a Frank Smith record but it has a new spin to it, and half the line up changed so it’s a lot of new guys playing on this one. We have a new drummer (Jud Johnson), and we have a new guitar player (James Pallone) who contributed a lot to the harmonies. We also have a different keyboard player (Benjamin Houtman) so it was quite a different experience all the way through.

STUCK: This record IS a very different sound for the band. What was it that made you want to take Frank Smith in this direction?

AS: I tried consciously to make a different sound, but I always kind of forget about that. You just go in there and once you start recording you sort of just let it turn into what it IS because part of me thinks that’s cool…just go in there let the process just naturally evolve. Let it turn into something more organic instead of manipulating the sound into what it is that you really want. I think it came out good and I think we got what we were aiming for. I just really wanted something different. Sometimes you get bored with things and you want to try something new, and then you might get bored with the new things and then try something old again.

STUCK: Frank Smith has been through many departures and sea changes. How do these changes and people leaving the band influence your writing?

AS: I think it influences it to a certain extent. I’ve probably written songs about some of those experiences in the past, but outside of that I dunno if it effects the song writing as much as it does the sound of the band because there are different people who are playing and they all have different styles. I think that lends itself to more of the songwriting. I am always going to be writing songs and the people I play with are always going to shape it with their own feelings and vibes.

STUCK: How do you feel about the band now as far as where it’s going and where its’ been?

AS: I feel great about it, but James will be leaving the band and that is certainly a loss. He has been a pleasure to play with because he can sing really great harmonies and comes up with great guitar parts. He is really easy to work with so he will really be missed, but I’m very optimistic though. Our friend Lance is going to start playing guitar with us and he has his own style too so I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens. This is a band that has been constantly evolving with new people and we are all trying to keep our heads above water and roll with the punches and keep moving forward.

STUCK: What do you find motivates you and influences you the most in writing new music?

AS: I wish I had written more to be honest. I just wrote a whole new batch of songs. Sometimes I go through holes where I cant write anything ya’know?

STUCK: Like writers block?

AS: Yeah, where the songs will just kind of be boring and then if you just keep writing hopefully a new batch of songs will come out of that which are hopefully more interesting. This record has been done for a while and I honestly wish we had another one done by now, but we a lot of new material that I’m really looking forward to working on with these guys.

STUCK: What other bands, books or movies influence your writing?

AS: I dunno…I always go back to Drive Like Jehu just because it was a band I loved when I was a kid and I still love them. That was probably the first band that really turned me on and it completely fucked my world, but there’s not a whole lot of new music out there I listen too.

STUCK: How did you come up with the name Frank Smith?

AS: When I started a really long time ago it was called “LaGuardia”, and we weren’t really a band that would rehearse. We would just go in the studio and make stuff. The music was pretty cool but the singing is just horrible. It’s all out of key and I got this weird British accent thing going on. I was still figuring out how to sing or how I wanted to sound back then. A year later I figured out that there was this band on Capitol Records called LaGuardia and had seen that they had some reviews from major publications and I figured that we should probably change our name. At that point I decided to come up with a name that I figured nobody could ever make me change, and if there is a dude named Frank Smith I don’t think he could say, “That’s my name, you can’t use it”. I guess you can’t copyright your name, and I still don’t know if that’s true or not. So that was my idea. I’m just going to name this band the most pedestrian name I can think of so that no one could ever make me change it, because if there is a guy named Frank Smith…well, fuck you. You can’t copyright your name dude. That’s not fair. You didn’t even make that name up. Your parents gave it to you. If you go on iTunes there is another guy named Frank Smith…or two. One guy is in the mountains or the woods or something making weird new age music. I think my friend Michael actually bought the wrong Frank Smith record once. He called me up and said, “Hey, I just bought a Frank Smith record and I’m pretty sure its not you. Its like this new age-weird-guitar-cabin shit.” Anyways, that was my idea for coming up with the name and it has been with us ever since.

STUCK: What are the plans for Frank Smith once the record comes out?

AS: We are gonna do a little tour in January for a couple weeks in the south east. We will be heading up through Nashville, Florida, Alabama and head back down I-10 to come home.

STUCK: Are there any places you are excited about playing?

AS: I’m really excited about playing Nashville. Our friend Jess who used to play in the band is gonna help us do a little PR and our friend James Taylor’s booking it so I am very excited about that. This will be the first time we’ve actually taken the band out on the road before and in the spring I would like to take the band up the east coast to Boston for a short two week tour. January 19th our record comes out and we will be doing a show at the Mohawk that night and then leaving for Dallas the next day to start our tour and then we get back February.

Franks Smith’s new album, “Before You Were Born”, will be out January 19th on vinyl that comes with a digital download. You can catch Frank Smith’s record release show on January 19th at the Mohawk on Red River.

2 songs from their upcoming release 'Before You Were Born' are available from the band's website.

Download 'It's been four months, but it feels like five'

Download 'A Decline'

find out more about Frank Smith at:
franksmithmusic.com

Interview by Jeffrey Lynn King

photo by Chris Kim

Jude/Ross - Stolen Day: Selected Recordings & Rarities (FREE Download)

2011-12-20T10:04:00.000-06:00

Jude/Ross was Texas' self proclaimed Protopop band. They were an anomaly to the scene. Pulling from such influences as Jonathan Richman and Lou Reed, their brand of pop minimalism had no chance of competing with the overproduction and bombast of popular indie recordings.

Thankfully they never tried to compete. The band decided to challenge their own music instead. That challenge was met inexorably on their eponymous Self Titled LP, where more was retired to the cutting room floor than was left on tape.

Our love for this band and it's first album caused us to undergo a study of their short career. What they left behind was far more than we expected and with the help of the band themselves and their exhaustive archives, we have put together a rarities collection of Jude/Ross material.for all to enjoy as a FREE download.

Jude/Ross - Stolen Day: Selected Recordings & Rarities

Click album cover for FREE Download

1. Evelynn (from self released album '9')

2. Girl You Got The Movement (rehearsal tape)

3. Shame The Devil (early take of 'Delmar Lanes' from 'Jude/Ross' LP)

4. Give It To Me (Live 11/29/08) originally by The Troggs

5. I Can't Stand It (Live 10/30/08) originally by The Velvet Underground

6. Dead Everyday (Live 1/5/09)

7. Stolen Day (home demo)

8. Nighttime/Horn (Live 4/21/08) originally by Big Star/Nick Drake

9. I'll Be Your Mirror (home recording) originally by The Velvet Underground

10. Bells (Rosas Demos 8/6/09)

11. Clarity (Rosas Demos 8/6/09)

12. It's All Part Of It Babe (self released single)

13. To You (home demo)

We'd like to thank Michael Ross, Drew Emmons, Geoff Dupree, and Kyle Ponder for their music and their help in making this STUCK release possible.

for more info on Jude/Ross:

facebook.com/juderossmusic

BUY their Self-Titled LP: Amazon iTunes

Native Session: Mike Harmeier

2011-12-17T09:06:00.003-06:00

Mike Harmeier of Mike & The Moonpies fame, came by STUCK HQ this December to sing a few songs in front of the Christmas tree. We also managed to make a trip in the Astrovan to our local Toy Store, Toy Joy, to get a few gifts. Shop Local and Support Texas music this holiday season.

Hardly Sound: Mike Nicolai

2011-11-29T10:35:00.001-06:00

Mike Nicolai is a songwriter, a very good songwriter. He was once in a Minnesota band called The Draghounds, he's worked with The Gourds and Damnantions TX, and he sings in a band called The Bremen Riot, but who cares right? What we're here to do is to talk about the NOW. NOW looks pretty damn awesome for Mike and his band the Sensations. If you don't believe us, watch our second installment of our series HARDLY SOUND and decide for yourself.

The session is also available as a FREE EP!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://apartofstuck.bandcamp.com/album/stuck-presents-hardly-sound-mike-nicolai"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;STUCK presents...Hardly Sound: Mike Nicolai by STUCK&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Find more about Mike Nicolai at:

www.mikenicolai.com

STUCK T-Shirts!

2011-11-26T10:56:00.001-06:00

We have STUCK T-shirts!
All participants of STUCK will get one!

photo by Dena DeLaPaz

STUCK Interview: The Blurries

2011-11-15T09:38:00.001-06:00

In a world of indie rock culture dominated by hipper-than-thou outlets more concernedwith being tastemakers rather than music lovers, a record like the Blurries’ Paper Cuts seemingly modestly presented and performed – is easy to overlook. But make no mistake:the Dallas-based quintet’s debut is a serious contender for album of the year. Boasting aset of impossibly memorable tunes so beautifully written and enthusiastically performedthat they should make their peers glow green with envy, Paper Cuts sets a new standardfor indie guitar rock. Bandleader Joey Shanks writes songs so good, to paraphrase XTC’sAndy Partridge, they nearly hurt to listen to.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Shanks toggled back and forth between hishometown and Dallas for years, logging time in the Limes and Slider Pines beforeforming the Blurries. “I had a really good friend who played in the Limes and yanked meout and said, ‘Quit being Mr. 4-Track and play in a band.’ I played with him for a while,then moved back to Memphis after I got married and tried to get something going there.

“But I always missed the people I knew in Dallas that played. When I moved back, Ihooked up with Andy [Lester, bass] and we found Bill Spellman [drums] and we were athree-piece for a long time. Then we all started to want something specific, so we startedadding pieces [guitarist Matt Shasteen and keyboardist Kevin Howard].”

That specific something means a distinctive resonance derived from the golden age ofunderground guitar rock, when pop jangled and postpunk was painted in psychedelichues. “We wanted to sound like grandchildren of Nuggets,” elaborates Shanks, alludingto Rhino’s seminal psych rock series. “And that means paisley underground stuff, earlyAthens – Minneapolis too, for that matter. All that stuff is into Brit pop and Memphisstuff, Big Star.” A timeless sound, in other words. “It’s still good. That Rain Paradealbum [Emergency Third Rail Power Trip] is still good, just cover to cover. I think Let’sActive records sound great. Cypress is amazing.”

Great tracks like “Pretty Knife,” “Little Marie” (a prime candidate for song of the year)and the title track make no bones about the 80s guitar pop influence. But the Blurriesare no retro act – the paisley underground is just the stock of their rock & roll soup, notthe sole ingredient. “I really like Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Motown guys,” Shanksexplains further. “I really like how they set up a song, their form. We all love Bowie, welove Low. We all locked specifically into that Rain Parade record – it was something wejust listened to over and over.”

It’s not all just old classics that inspire Blurrieness, either. “One band we could alwaysagree on was the New Pornographers,” Shanks says. “We like AC Newman, Neko Case.We admire the thought they put into their records.”

It’s no coincidence that Shanks cites albums in which a great deal of careful effort wasput – a high degree of craft permeates Paper Cuts as well. Craft is something the bandstrives for, a quality to which not all of their indie rock peers pay much mind. “[Thesongs] certainly stick around longer than you think they do,” notes Shanks, “so you besttake some care in what you’re doing. We spent a year making the record and we wouldget parts and rework [them]. The producer [Casey DiIorio] was really involved, telling usthat part is good, that part is not. In that way, we made an old record.”

The LP is driven by Shanks’ electric 12-string guitar, an axe most often used these daysas an accent or an occasional twist on an artist’s norm. Here it is the norm – the band’ssonic signature. “I committed to the 12-string about four years ago,” explains Shanks. “Ihad tinkered with them in the past, but never fully committed – playing one exclusively isa real commitment. Since then, it's all I play. I write with one, gig – everything's done ona 12-string. While I'm no virtuoso, I think the 12-string rhythm is a big part of the band.As far as I'm concerned, it's an element that won't change, album to album.”

Another reason why Paper Cuts works so wonderfully well is that the songs are socarefully chosen and sequenced. “There were lots of songs that didn’t make it andsome songs that just didn’t work,” Shanks says. “We set out to make a different record,probably. We wanted to hint at jangle, but we wanted it to be a little creepier and wedidn’t nail that. We like the record, but we wanted a record that didn’t get any happierthan “Little Marie,” and because we didn’t, we’ll try next time.”

Though the thought of outtakes is tantalizing, don’t expect to hear those tunes anytimesoon. “Nah, those songs are dead,” declares Shanks. “’Wintertime Blues’ and ‘PaperCuts’ were the last tunes we put on. We had others that we had to trash.”

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Paper Cuts is the product of a band who understandsthat making timeless, lasting music means actual work. “We do it too much, if anything,”says Shanks. “Getting in a room and bashing things out and letting things happen – thereis a truth in that. We dream of being that capable, to screw things in as tight as possible.”
The Blurries work toward their creative goals in the independent realm, as do so manyof the better artists in these ever-changing pop culture times. “I’m not sure what majorlabels do anymore, other than connect you to old media,” Shanks muses. “If somethingcame along, we would be interested, but I just don’t think we could make anybodymoney. We were too busy working on the record to think about how it was gonna bereleased. I don’t know how to make money.”

Not that fame and fortune are the driving force behind Shanks’ music anyway. “It’scheaper than a shrink!” he laughs. “Chase your heroes and all that stuff. I had oldersiblings, so at a young age I was a music lover. Start chasing those records!” But notmimicking them, however. “Yeah, we can’t cover songs,” Shanks notes. “We’d be theworld’s worst cover band.”

photo by Christopher Kim

interview/article by Michael Toland

find more by Toland at:

The Big Takeover

Blurt

Austin Chronicle

find more info about the Blurries:

gettheblurries.com

STUCK Interview + Native Session: Graham Weber

2011-11-10T09:42:00.000-06:00

One of Austin’s finest singersongwriters Graham Weber is releasing a 12 track LP entitled “Women” thisFriday on November 11. You cancatch Graham Weber and a band of local all stars playing the entire album thisFriday at the Hyde Park Theater. This is one of Austin’s finest lyricistscoming through with a powerful and sincere record that is both honest and touching andworks much like a score to a film. Here are just a few things that Graham hasto say about the story behind the album and his future in writing music.

STUCK: How did this album form andwhat were you trying to say with it?

GW: This album was a long timein the making. Over the past 10 years I have met and been able to play with andbefriend a bunch of great female vocalists/musicians. I have wanted to do analbum where I had duets or harmonies with some of them, but the opportunityhadn't presented itself. Then over the past few years, which included 2009 (mywife of 6 years at the time and I split up for most of the year), I wrote whathas become this album and thought that this material would lend itself to theearlier idea and what came out it is the "Women" album. I'm nottrying to say anything, like an agenda or something, but this album is a storyabout a relationship... influenced and loosely based on my relationship. Andfor me it was a very selfish way of getting some of my favorite artists to playand sing on songs that I wrote.

STUCK: How doesa song come to you as an idea? Does it begin as something you want to say, doesthe music come first or do you already have the vocal melody?

GW: I writesongs in different ways. Sometimes I will hum some melody or come up with aline and try to work off the rhythm of the words... sometimes I come up withsome little guitar thing and work off of that and play it repeatedly and singand see what comes out... it's always a big discovery when a song isfinished.

STUCK: Whatother artist (not necessarily musicians) inspire you and what helps you sharesuch personal subject matter in music?

GW: I am a big fan ofsongwriters, John Prine, Tom Waits, Randy Newman. Very Inspiring. Great words,great characters, great melodies. I'm also a movie nerd. Thisalbum, for example, in my mind is my movie... or my book. I don't have the wherewithalto write an entire novel or make a feature film, but I do like it when there isan honest story with honest characters, where the listener (in my case) gets tosee/hear things that maybe you don't get to see a character do all the time,sort of the darker side of a person’s life in this case. But everyone canidentify with that character in one way or another. It's also a love story, andI'm a sentimental guy, but I also like it when a movie ends or the last page ofa book leaves things open-ended and you form your own opinion on what happensto the characters.

STUCK: Do youthink an artist you have to experience devastating loss or witness some kind ofsuffering to in order to create great art?

GW: I don'tknow about having to... I don't know an artist who hasn't been throughsomething. And I don't know any artist who doesn’t draw from their personalexperiences in some way. I do think that experiences good or bad dounconsciously seem to make things more, for lack of a better word,real. But that's the funny thing about creating something. Everyonehas their own thing and own way of doing their thing. I've had plenty ofexperiences to draw from. Someday I will write an autobiography and I'll listthem. It will be called "The Trouble With Cars". I'm very lucky forhaving been able to do what I do, and continue enjoy doing it.

STUCK: The CDrelease show for "Women" will be on November 11th and then will therebe a tour or do you have other future plans?

GW: We willdo a release show with some of the studio guys and some other friends. Randy"Leatherbag" Reynolds will be playing guitar, Rob Sanchez (Monahans)who played drums on the album will be there. Bonnie Whitmore will be singingand playing Bass. It will be a 8 piece band that night at Hyde Park Theatre. Wewill play the album from start to finish. It's cool for me to do in a theatreand present it the way I want it to be heard. Then the after party will be atSwan Dive where the band I'm in So Long, Problems will do a rock and rollset and Warm Guns will be joining us there as well as some surprise specialguests. It's gonna be fun. After the release SL,P will be playing and Ithink I'll be doing a couple of things in Austin around the holidays. I'll goplay a couple shows in Wisconsin in December, and then I hope to tour the albumnext year. I'll be going back in the studio for a solo EP and the SL,Palbum in January or February.

Interview/Article by Jeffrey Lynn King

photo by Randy Reynolds

find out more about Graham Weber at:

grahamweber.com

Native Session: Past Prayers

2011-10-24T12:21:00.001-05:00

Last week, Past Prayers swung by STUCK HQ for a cup of coffee and a couple of songs. Here is our third installment of Native Sessions. Yes, that is Alex Livingstone and yes, we did steal the name of our documentary series Hardly Sound from the wonderful song below.

find more about Past Prayers at:

pastprayers.com

Hardly Sound: Leatherbag

2011-10-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

HARDLY SOUND #1 is here!!! Our first in a series of day-in-the-life videos of Texas underground bands starts first with Austin's own, Leatherbag. They recorded 4 previously unreleased songs LIVE and filmed the process. What else? How's about some commentary, live footage, and tomfoolery.

The session can also be downloaded as a FREE EP!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://apartofstuck.bandcamp.com/album/stuck-presents-hardly-sound-leatherbag"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;STUCK presents...Hardly Sound: Leatherbag by STUCK&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

photo by Turbo Becker

for more info about Leatherbag:

leatherbagmusic.blogspot.com

STUCK Interview + Native Session: RTB2

2011-10-06T13:03:00.001-05:00

This summer, I was introduced to the sounds of RTB2 at Leatherbag's album and EP release show in Austin. RTB2 are Ryan Thomas Becker and Grady Don Sandlin. This Denton TX based duo showcases an amazingly full sound and their love for rock, soul, and everything in between. In advance of their new studio recording (currently untitled and has no release date), Ryan kindly answered my questions in this interview conducted by email.

STUCK: If you had to describe your music in one sentence what would you say?

RTB2: RTB2 is rooted in blues, punk, and soul with M.G.'s-like backbeats, raw and throaty guitar work, and soulfully sweet vocals.

STUCK: What are the inspirations behind your music? (not necessarily musical influences)

RTB2: In general, my inspirations usually come from listening to records, watching movies, reading books, or a thought of something from my childhood that my brain won't let go of. Specifically with RTB2, it's from the records that Grady (drummer of RTB2) and I listen to and share with one another - usually soul music, late 60's/early 70's country rock, or something that is Beefheart-related. I also consider most any little thing I come across during the day potentially inspiring. I could be walking down the sidewalk on my way to work, look up at a blooming redbud tree, notice how the 8:02AM sun is peaking through the purple-ish blooms, think about my father, wonder if there's a chance of his cancer coming back, think about how it'll feel when my folks will pass away, notice my grape-flavored popsicle is melting onto my fingers, start whistling a tune that reminds me of my childhood, come up with a line or two, and then start writing a song that encompasses all of these things metaphorically, literally, cryptically...

STUCK: Who would you like to collaborate with? What bands/artists would you like to cover? Do you think possible to make covers your own? I was pretty impressed with the performances of "Gloria" and "Tom Petty Summer" at Skinny's Ballroom, btw.

RTB2: I'm glad you enjoyed the covers at the Skinny's show, Jennifer. I will never be able to shake "Gloria" off of my Top Five Favorite Songs list, and Randy (of Leatherbag) has a tendency to write a "hit" song at the moment of conception. "Tom Petty Summer" was an instant jam for me. I think it's pretty difficult NOT to make covers your own. These songs are up for performer-specific interpretation and reevaluation while keeping the songs backbone/integrity in tact (most of the time....). I'd like to and have collaborated with friends in other markets of artistry (film, painting, dancing, etc). As far as other musicians, Leatherbag and RTB2 have talked of collaborating. I'm a regular guest on many of my friend's albums and sit-in on other shows when I can. I don't have any new bands/artists "on deck" that I'd like to cover, but I'm currently covering a handful of local acts and friends.

STUCK: What are the origins for The Last Joke band and album? And can you tell us more about the inspiration behind another side project, Hares on the Mountain? How do you juggle/balance multiple project?

RTB2: Last Joke was formed when I released my last solo record Neighborhoof (http://ryanthomasbecker.com/). I had Grady play drums and our friend Andy Rogers play bass to better represent the tunes at the release show. I was pleased with the results and then brought in guitarist Tony Ferraro to further elevate the sound. We were playing more material from my solo records and slowly building up a repertoire of local/friend covers. When the idea of recording an album came about, we were all in agreement about putting out a record made up of our friend's songs. That record will be out next month.Hares on the Mountain was formed with my friend George Neal (ex-Little Grizzly, The Slow Burners) and I in his garage at the start of last winter (2010). He had a batch of traditional folk tunes he was performing regularly at solo gigs, and I wanted to record his arrangements on my 4-track tape recorder. As we were recording these old songs, George would throw in an original every now and then. We compiled an album of lo-fi, experimental folk and released it at the beginning of 2011 (http://haresonthemountain.bandcamp.com/). Since then, we put a six-piece band together to perform these songs and write new ones. We've had a weekly residency at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton and have built a nice following up here. We just recently recorded our second album, and it should be out later this year / early next year.

I try not to think about how busy I've become with all of the projects. It's just go go go. I'll worry about it when my candle burns out. It DOES take some planning and comprimising. I just really love doing this and don't mind the busy schedule.

STUCK: How would you describe your live performance style? What inspires you to put on a good live performance?

RTB2: I guess I would call it dynamic. There's a certain sense of urgency when I'm playing with any act. There's also a need/want to break down whatever fourth wall between an audience and myself. I like a good self-aware show. It kind of brings everybody to the same level of play. A chance to play music with my friends is always inspiring. I also like a responsive (positive OR negative) audience.

STUCK: What is the biggest challenge of getting known and heard outside of your hometown? In your hometown?

RTB2: Knowing the most effecient ways to get known/heard can be a real challenge. I've been DIY-ing ever since I started playing in bands. I learn a little bit each day.

Interview by Jennifer Leduc

find more on RTB2 at bandcamp