PAGE F-4 ✩✩✩ SUNDAY APRIL 28 2013 THE ARTS Pierce The Veil on career high, curates ‘mini block party’ otes from the music The trek catches PTV up every now and then an album, which is very beat ... at a career highpoint, too. Pierce the Veil when I stick my name in frustrating. ‘Talking to the Despite this The group’s third album Google,” says Bragg, 55, Taxman About Poetry’ was year’s late-arriving “Collide With the Sky,” who’s touring to promote clearly my post-miner’s warm weather, San which came out last July, “Tooth & Nail,” his first strike (in Britain) album, DiegoN hard rockers Pierce scored its highest chart new album in five years. “I but it wasn’t out until 1986 The Veil are feeling the positions so far — No. 12 on think that’s great. I’m hop- when the strike ended in heat, and the love, for its the Billboard 200 and No. ing it’s a very fast, metal ’95. Now I’ve put five new Spring Fever Tour 1 on Alternative version.” songs for download on my package with All Rock Albums Well, not quite. web site, which of course Time Low, Mayday — and led to “Damn! Well, maybe we are all very topical. Parade and You nine wins in can get Ted Nugent to do “For topical songwriting Me At Six. Alternative Press ‘Way Over Yonder in the you can’t argue with that “It’s been magazine’s annu- Minor Key’.” opportunity. So I may have fantastic, pretty al reader’s poll, Bragg, meanwhile, is found a new template for much the most including Album happy to have “re-engaged future albums that makes awesome tour of the Year and the biggest small step we Time Low, Mayday with the music business” them less dependent on the we’ve been on to Artist of the Year. could have taken. It’s just Parade and You Me At with “Tooth & Nail.” Pro- moment in which they’re date,” says bassist And Preciado been unreal. On the other Six perform Wednesday duced by Rochester Adams made — and therefore Jaime Preciado. says the success at the Fillmore Detroit, graduate Joe Henry, the 13- much more satisfying. It GARY GRAFF records the response has And he says that’s only confirms been insane, but from kids 2115 Woodward Ave. track album is one of makes me much more com- no accident, what the group getting the lyrics tattooed Doors open at 6 p.m. Bragg’s most personal — it fortable with re-engaging either. SOUND CHECK felt about the on their bodies to just sing- Tickets are $35 and $25. was done as a balm after with the record industry.” “We actually album as it was ing their lungs out at these Call 313-961-5450 or visit the death of his mother in Billy Bragg and Kim got to pick all being recorded. shows, it’s been REALLY www.livenation.com. 2011 — and in releasing it Churchill perform at 8 these bands,” Preciado, 26, “We all felt like this insane this time.” he believes he’s found a way p.m. Wednesday at The says. “When we started was going to be the best PTV will continue tour- to use the immediacy of the Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann planning there wasn’t any record we could’ve done ing to support “Collide Billy Bragg Internet for his more topi- Arbor. Tickets are $40. management coming to say, at that moment in time,” With the Sky” during It has not escaped Billy cal material while building Call 734-761-1451 or visit ‘Hey, you guys should tour he acknowledges. “We felt the balance of 2013, but Bragg’s attention that Bob more standard album www.theark.org. together’ or anything like strongly about it, but the Preciado says the group has Seger has recorded and is releases around songs that that. We curated this tour response blew us away. We already started working on performing a version of have “a deeper hue, a more Gary Graff is also found at while we were on the (2012) had no idea it would be like new material for its fourth “California Stars,” one of emotional hue.” www.goanddomichigan.com, Warped Tour together. that. It really launched us album with producer Tom the songs he and Wilco cre- “I think it’s more effec- www.twitter.com/Graffon We’re all friends, so it’s to the next level. Denney, with hopes of ated from Woody Guthrie tive and makes a lot of Music and in Facebook group pretty much like a mini “Our band has always returning to the studio in lyrics for their 1998 album sense,” Bragg notes. Gary Graff on Music. His block party/Warped Tour tried to progress in small the not-too-distant future. “Mermaid Avenue.” “Before, I had to hold Classic Rock Insider reports all day long.” steps, and I think this was Pierce The Veil, All “Yeah, of course; it pops my anger before I made appear at www.wcsx.com.

me clear out a spider nest, run out of trees to chop The Barrettes STARVE the spider meat they ate down if you don’t replant FROM PAGE D-1 eventually turned them regularly. Monsters will into murderous Were-Pigs. even come after you if you Never a dull moment. overtax the wilderness. It’ll Willow, the Firestarter, is Beyond just surviving, be difficult to get firewood immune to fire damage there is an adventure mode once a pine tree rises on and starts her own fires at with specific goals, but hon- bipedal trunks and chases night, which can help or estly I was too busy with you through the forest. hinder. the not-starving part to Bottom Line: Don’t Don’t Starve never ceased attempt a new venture. Starve is an excellent, to surprise me. In my first Don’t Starve is as addic- engrossing point-and-click run, I tried snatching a bird tive as it is deep. I repeated- survival game for PC, Mac, egg for food, only to be pur- ly bargain to play “just one and Linux. Your first few sued by an enormous cyc- more day” when I ought attempts will be trial by lopic ostrich. As I thought I to be sleeping. Even dying fire, but players who put in had settled and built camp isn’t discouraging; instead at least an hour or two will at a nice fishing spot, win- I’ll immediately start a new be hooked. Updates are ter froze my main food game with a fresh strategy. promised, so expect more source. My first attempt at There is also an envi- characters and scenarios gathering reeds was ended ronmentalist message; later. by a purple tentacle mon- the game encourages you ster living in the swamp. to live in harmony with Klei Entertainment pro- FYI And when I befriended a nature, because resources vided a review code for this The Oakland Press is village of pigmen to help are finite. You’ll eventually review. The Upbeat: looking for Oakland County bands and musicians to spotlight in The Upbeat each week. To be considered, The Barrettes send information to By GARY GRAFF is the music director at [email protected]. Of The Oakland Press Sacred Heart and is also part of Sunshine Doray, Formed: 2009 in Ferndale faces of the crowd when Sound: Barbershop-style and Johnston is co-owner of the Ferndale restaurants they take that journey and vocal quartet the lightbulb goes (on).” Woodward Avenue Brewers, Members: Kristin Von Favorite Gig: Johnston The Emory and The Loving Bernthal, Korin Visocchi, lists the Barrettes’ show at Touch. Kate Feeny and Krista the 2010 DIY Street Fair in Johnston What’s in a name?: Johnston says the Barrettes Ferndale: “A small stage, Influences: Von comes from “the classic just big enough to hold the Bernthal’s and Visocchi’s music group names of the four gals and (microphones) mothers were members of ’50s, then add in that we are was brought out in the the Sweet Adelines. The most comfortable perform- middle of the huge crowd. Barrettes put their own spin ing in bars for rock gigs. Everyone had the best view on the genre by performing Plus it has a feminine ring in the house — including barbershop versions of rock to it.” us!” and rap songs, mostly by Charmingly disarm- See ’Em: The Barrettes Detroit-area artists. ing: Apt to fuse the perform at 10:50 p.m. Day Jobs: Von Bernthal Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman” Saturday, May 4, at the Go is an independent web with Metallica’s “Enter Comedy! Improv Theater, designer and a singer and Sandman” along with other 261 E. Nine Mile Road, songwriter who also per- creative approaches to their Ferndale, as part of the forms with Betty Cooper repertoire, Johnston notes 16th Annual Metro Times and Sunshine Doray. that the group “is tongue- Blowout. Ticket informa- Visocchi is a history teacher in-cheek, and it has a lot of tion can be found at www. at the Academy of the elements of humor. We pay blowout.metrotimes.com. Sacred Heart in Bloomfield homage to music we like Surf ’Em: www.face Hills as well as a member and have a lot of fun doing book.com/thebarrettes of the Hard Lessons. Feeny it. It’s so fun watching the detroit