Gaelynn Lea: Defying Labels and Crossing Borders

Unanimous winner of NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk Contest,” Gaelynn Lea brings her unique style all the way from her home town of Duluth, Minnesota, to Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday, October 21 at AS220.

Gaelynn’s music can be described as “experimental traditional folk” with instrumental and vocal influences in Celtic and Irish music combined with a love of Scandinavian fiddle tunes. Her mesmerizing original instrumental harmonies and vocals are anything but traditional in their personal improvisational-inspired interpretations. Gaelynn’s stirring melodic original “Someday We’ll Linger In the Sun” was selected from the 6,000-plus entries and chosen by all six judges in NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert.” With more than 20 years of experience, she also teaches the instrument and performs with Alan Sparhawk in the band Murder Of Crows. Their different styles weave together an atmospheric tapestry of sound.

Gaelynn’s life is as extraordinary as her music. Born with the congenital disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta (also referred to as Brittle Bones Disease) her delicate bones were broken multiple times at birth. This resulted in a twisting and shortened formation of limbs. At the young age of only 2 she was already learning to get around with an electric wheelchair.

Her musical journey started when Gaelynn fell in love with the sounds of the cello and strings together after hearing the orchestra play in the 4th grade. When her music instructor Mrs. Sommerfeld administered a school music listening test, she received a perfect score. Knowing that she wanted to be involved in the orchestra, her instructor encouraged her to play the violin as the cello was just too large for her small frame. With some adaptations in positioning and technique, she now plays violin up and down like a cello while bowed like an upright stringed bass. Hand positions were re-adjusted to reach the necessary notes on the fingerboard. Despite the extra hours of practice time this required, for Gaelynn, music itself always came naturally and freely, seemingly as a natural extension of her own body and expression of her spirit.

Gaelynn’s early musical influences were quite diverse — from big band and swing music to the lilting harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel. In her college years, bands such as The Decemberists and Neutral Milk Hotel were some of her influences.

Her first written songs “Let It Go” and “Bird Song” were recorded in 2012 and its easy to get lost in the multi-textured maze of sound created in part by a looping pedal gifted to her by Alan Sparhawk in 2011. The pedal allowed her to build on and weave the violin parts around one another, creating multi-tiered layers of harmony to give a fuller sound to solo performances. Her honest vocals are starkly soulful, for Gaelynn is a woman whose rare authenticity shines through in her performance and poetic songwriting. Following her own creative path with the love and support of her husband, there is the gift of artistic freedom as she finds the delicate balance between being a musician/songwriter and public speaker for those with disabilities whose voices are all too often unsung and unheard. She finds ways to empower those who are handicapped to find their own artistic voices.

As far back as college, Gaelynn was outspoken and involved with organizations supporting the rights of those with disabilities. She speaks about the need for venues to be accessible to everyone, starting with the basics such as building larger restrooms, adding ramps to stages, paying special needs support staff and encouraging venues to hire and represent more artists with disabilities. Knowing that making these changes is not always easy and often hindered by lack of financial priority or limitations, by getting word out there, change can be set into motion. She notes it’s not always comfortable or easy to rely on the kindness of strangers when performing, such as just getting herself and her wheelchair up onto the stage. The upside is that those moments can be a valuable experience for those who partake. She encourages others needing assistance to not be afraid to seek out those willing to help and support them.

Gaelynn is also an advocate for music being more than just about performing well. It’s about doing it because you simply love it, even if just for yourself. She sees that music connects people and should be accessible to all, regardless of ability or physical limitations. When asked about meaning in her music, she states it’s about processing the human experience — how we cannot control things in the end and that we should make something beautiful now.

A woman of small stature but big goals, Gaelynn plans on more travel and touring as well as the release of her new Christmas by November 1. She aims to learn more about digital looping pedal technologies, looks forward to more public speaking engagements and plans to run a future music festival.

Catch her live solo performance on Friday, October 21, at AS220, appearing with Alec K Redfearn and the Eye Sores, Jess Klein and Haunt the House. The show starts at 9pm, all ages. To learn about Gaelynn Lea and listen to her music, visit violinscratches.com For more information on AS220 visit: as220.org

Queen Boudicca: A Metal Opera to Rock Your Socks Off

On October 29, RISD will host Queen Boudicca: A Metal Opera, an epic performance that tells the story of an ancient Celtic queen. Don’t think you’ll have to sit through a bunch of high-pitched Italian singing and all those ridiculous wigs. It’s an opera in the sense that it uses music and lyrics to tell a story, and judging by the few tracks I’ve heard, it’s exactly the kind of double bass drum, blazing riffs and screaming that metal fans would want.

This ambitious project sprang from the mind of Bob Schlink, a native Rhode Islander and Associate Professor of Music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It’s a labor of love for Schlink, who spent six years developing it before he even heard a note of it.

“My son Rob is actually a bit of Celtic myth and history buff, and we were working on a Celtic-flavored metal project,” said Schlink. “It didn’t end up materializing, but soon after I saw a documentary about Queen Boudicca on the History channel. It really stuck in my mind, and I thought ‘I have to turn this into something.’”

The play’s tagline is “Everyone would know the courage of Boudicca if she had been a man,” which, judging by the story, is probably true. Most of what we know comes from the Roman historian Tacitus, but the CliffsNotes are that Boudicca’s husband Prasutagus ruled the Iceni, a tribe in eastern Britain. He was an ally of Rome, but when he died, his will was ignored and the Romans moved in on their turf.

The play follows Boudicca as she takes up the leadership mantle and leads her people in a savage revolt against the Romans, in which an estimated 80,000 people were killed! If that’s not a plot barbarous enough for a metal opera, I invite you to leave a better one in the comments section. “Most people don’t know this story, in part because Romans wrote the history books, and their opinion of women may have been even worse than Donald Trump’s,” said Schlink.

Playing the title role is Ava Gaudet, a Providence native best known for appearing in RENT on Broadway and the TV show Ugly Betty. Adrienne Cowan, who fronts the Boston-based metal band Seven Spires, will take on the role of the warrior Asceawa, Boudicca’s second in command.

The piece premiered last spring at the Berklee Performance Center and drew a respectable 500-plus crowd, but Schlink is excited to see the progress the show has made. “The first time around, we didn’t have a lot of time for technical rehearsal, and pretty much had to wing things like lighting. This time, we’ve hired a sound crew and have had more time to prep the technical elements, so I’m really excited to show it off.”

Schlink went as far as adapting ancient instruments, including the warrior’s lyre, the war carnyx and war horns. “I discovered that the warrior’s lyre fits perfectly with the metal. That thing sounds way more like than some dude playing guitar at a cocktail party!” The six-foot-high war trumpets are something you won’t be seeing at most rock concerts, either.

Nothing will get you in the spirit of Halloween like costumes, metal and good old-fashioned violence, so be sure to check out Queen Boudicca: A Metal Opera on October 29.

QUEEN BOUDICCA a Metal Opera will be presented at Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium, 7 Canal Walk, Providence River Greenway, Providence, on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 8pm. Tickets can be purchased at levelexchange.ticketleap.com/qbamo/dates/Oct-29-2016_at_0800PM

For other upcoming dates and other info, visit queenboudiccametalopera.com

Halloween Highlight: Luigi’s Haunted Mansion

All zombie-d up with somewhere to haunt this Halloween? Fear not, creative and brave readers!

Among other great (albeit, non-EDM) spooky spectacles happening this month, one that’s certain to bring you all the right tricks is Luigi’s Haunted Mansion. This 6pm – 1am dance party is hosted by Tight Crew, the event throwers who’ve brought us fantastically freaky events like Creatures of the Night and The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Crew is shaking things up for Halloween this year, and in this case, change is awesome! If you aren’t familiar with Tight Crew events, here’s some background: For about 10 years, the Providence-based production company has made a habit of creating extremely memorable experiences featuring the best of the best — music, themes/deco/lights and sound, activities, and vibe — to the Northeast EDM/rave scene.

On Saturday, October 29, the Crew will outdo themselves by hosting a three-venue (yes, three) Luigi’s Haunted Mansion-themed party. Even more interestingly, this time, the locale is Pawtucket. The Met, Hope Artiste Village and Breaktime Bowl (yes, you can bowl!) will be the settings for this Halloween “Massive.”

And massive it will be! More than 20 DJs from all over the world are scheduled to spin this spooktacular celebration. One thing that isn’t changing, though, is Tight Crew’s love of attendees joining in on the fun with creative costumes to match the Halloween and video game-themed deco. For more info or to purchase tickets, visit TightCrew.net.

Alt-Nation: Shows that Will Prepare You for Halloween

The Callouts – Check Your Friends (75orLess Records)

It has been a few years since the demise of local pop-punk stalwarts The Jesse Minute. From those ashes we now have The Callouts with Missa Hills on vocals and guitarists Drew Safs and Mike Grillo from The Jesse Minute joining forces with local master beat master Dan Ulmschneider and Drew on bass. The Callouts’ debut, Check Your Friends comes firing out of the cannon with a blast of pop-punk with cuts like “Blue Letter” and the anthemic “Go All Out.” The combination of Hills’ sugary vocals and the loud guitars over a fast backbeat make comparisons to The Jesse Minute inevitable as Check Your Friends does start out like the band’s lost album. The more one dives into Check Your Friends the more The Callouts start to break free from the sound of their former band. Cuts like “Cannonball” and my favorite cut “Nothing Left” remind me more of a lost Letter to Cleo track than The Jesse Minute. The Callouts really start to drop the hammer on tracks like “Partly Not” and “We Were Kids,” which have a heavier rock ‘n’ roll thump, almost in the in the vein of Foo Fighters hooks. On Check Your Friends, The Callouts succeed in avoiding the trappings of being The Jesse Minute part 2 to expand into the future.

The Callouts’ CD release show for Check Your Friends with The Scandals Zero Holds, and Ask The Dead rocks Dusk in Providence on October 21. Freaqshow: A Fashion and Art Spooktacular!

It has become a Halloween tradition — for the third year in a row The Viennagram are having a Halloween party at the Columbus Theatre. Of course also for the third year in a row I interviewed the singer/drummer AV Vienna to find out what is in store. This is part one of the interview with the extended interview coming out next week online at motifri.com.

Marc Clarkin: This is your third year having a Halloween party at the Columbus; does that count as a residency?

AV Vienna: I’m awful at math and I can only count to 24 (3, 10, 11. Eyes, fingers, toes!). True, the Columbus has been our Halloween home and this is the Return of the Jedi. Extra special thanks to Tom, Jeff and crew in giving us the ultimate show and tell spot!

MC: Each year you debut something new; what have you got for us this year?

AV: My BIG dream of presenting my BIG ideas on a BIG SCREEN and playing the BIG stage; it’s ALL coming true! The process and point of The Viennagram has always been the merging of the transformative power of sound, the transcendent vehicle of performance and the transmutative language of imagery for transversal of idea energy. Originally I had intended our album, [LEARN TO TAME THE PATTERNS:] (2014) to come included with a companion book with illustrated lyrics, illuminated manuscript and secret code in a kind of pop-up comic book format. Over time, my inner universe and overall concepts of where I wanted to take a listener/viewer knew no bounds. I realized the concepts I was trying to convey didn’t translate to page anymore. This year I am presenting a brand new and interactive experience. An experiment in exploring the patterns of perception and the perception of patterns. Unlocked from my imagination, beaming straight to your third eye it’s [U VIEW: VIENNAGRAM:]

MC: What other types of acts will be performing on the 28th?

AV: Expect the unexpected; it’s the kind of environment where anything can happen! Don’t forget there’s a COSTUME CONTEST! And a real GHOST!

Freaqshow: A Fashion and Art Spooktacular! – featuring performances by Skull& Glossbones, Beta Motel, and The Viennagram as well as Nathalia JMag (of “Project Runway!”) Jeanette Converse Melanoir, special guest DJ Oscar Champagne, and a host of other surprises goes down at the Columbus Theatre on October 28.

Odds & Sods:

Shellac

Shellac are a post-hardcore legend that burst on the scene in the mid-90s. Front man Steve Albini is better known as a producer (who hates the term “producer”) of seminal like Nirvana’s In Utero and Pixies’ Surfa Rosa. I’ve never caught Shellac live so I’m not sitting on this opportunity. I suggest you don’t either.

Shellac, Shannon Wright, and Minibeast will give the night a black eye at The Met Café on October 21.

School of Rock Seekonk Halloween Party

I think it is great to see high school students playing out in venues, but I’d normally never write recommendations to see them. As great as it is, I cover things that I want to see and don’t really have time for high school talent shows. School of Rock Seekonk is different; under the sage tutelage of Shawn Garrity they are a real treat live. They do justice to both classic rock and alternative covers and as added hoot I don’t really need a lot of coaxing to go to a Halloween party.

School of Rock Seekonk is having a Halloween Party at Fete, featuring performances by their various bands. It goes down at Fete on October 21. This is an early show with doors at 5pm.

Tales of Rocky Point Park

I’ve been excited to see this movie ever since I heard about it. This isn’t a documentary of Rocky Point Park like You Must Be This Tall was a few years ago, but rather a collection of urban legends about the legendary amusement park. From what I’ve read it even has a bit of a horror slant, which is perfect for this time of year. I’ve gone running in Rocky Point Park imagining the ghosts of the old park from the few remaining remnants standing. If they ever do a second installment, they should get in touch and I’ll tell them about the time I hitchhiked home from a show from Rocky Point in the back of a hearse.

Tales of Rocky Point Park plays at the Columbus Theatre on October 22. Doors are at 6:30pm with the movie starting at 7:30pm.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats was one of my favorites from this year’s Newport Folk Festival. They combine ’60s soul and old school rock ‘n’ roll that invokes the memory of artists like Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett. You may know their hit, “S.O.B.,” but their whole set in Newport had me grinning ear to ear. Happy Birthday to 95.5 WBRU and bring your dancing shoes for the party.

95.5 WBRU Birthday Bash featuring performance by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Weathers and Le Roxy Pro goes down at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on October 23.

The Dickies There are not many legendary first wave punk bands known for covers of “Nights in White Satin” and “Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)” but The Dickies have built a legacy on this. The Dickies also foretold our country’s current clown crisis with “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” as far back as 1988. I’ve caught The Dickies live and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. This is the show to catch for old school punk done right with plenty of tongue in cheek humor.

The Dickies, Neutral Nation, and Atlantic Thrills will rock the Café at Parlor Newport so hard on October 25 that Aquidneck Island might sink.

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Roots Report: Help Animals Musically

Okee dokee folks… You may already know that I am a HUGE animal person. A couple of years ago I wrote about the fledgling that I found and had to babysit through the night to keep it alive. The happy ending of that story is it survived the night and in the morning I turned that little chick over to a volunteer from Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island (WRARI). Those folks help thousands of critters annually. They are a mostly volunteer organization that relies on public support to operate. The number of animals that they care for each year has been steadily rising. The increase reflects a greater demand for their services and shows that Rhode Islanders are more sensitive than ever to the needs of native wildlife. WRARI is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that provides professional care for injured, orphaned or sick wildlife in Rhode Island and is the only organization licensed to rehabilitate the state’s wildlife.

So, besides personal reasons, you may wonder why I am including this in my column. Well, every year I attend an event called Wildstock at Jacky’s Galaxy in Bristol. I look forward to this show not only because it is fundraiser for Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island, but also because it is a fun event with great MUSIC. See, you knew there had to be a musical connection! This year the Thirteenth Annual Halloween Wildstock Benefit Concert will again take place at Jacky’s Galaxie on Saturday, October 29. Musical entertainment will be provided by Trinity, Rendition, Repercussions, Band of Brothers and Crushed Velvet. The music is primarily cover tunes, but these bands do a wonderful job with the music. Band of Brothers and the Repercussions play mostly ’60s and ’70s rock and pop, Crushed Velvet leans more toward the heavier rock side of ’70s rock, and Trinty and Rendition perform more of the acoustic music from the ’60s. There is a lot of cross membership in these bands and some of the musicians will be doing double duty for the cause. Besides the music, there will be an Asian food buffet as well as desserts! If that isn’t enough, there will be a raffle with prizes. To purchase advance tickets, call Kristin Fletcher at 401-465-2460 or e-mail [email protected]. Did I mention that dressing in a Halloween costume is optional but encouraged? For more info, squirrel on over to RIWildlifeRehab.org

OK, I know that included a bit about this venue in the last issue, but I want to again as I am really hoping that this venue gets off the ground and keeps going. It is just a stone’s throw from me! There isn’t much music up here in Northern RI! On Friday, October 28, The Purple Cat presents Downtown Live. This time around it features award- winning songwriter and vocalist Ryan Montbleau. As a touring bandleader and solo act, Montbleau has developed a deep bond to a fan-base that stretches from coast to coast. His latest release, Stages: Volume III, celebrates 18 career-spanning Montbleau tunes recorded live and solo, acoustic over a three-night run at Club Passim in Cambridge. He has found a home in the jam band world as much as the folk world throughout his career, able to draw the listener in as well as he can shake a room. The Purple Cat Vineyard & Winery is located at 11 Money Hill Road in Chepachet — just past the blinking light where Route 44 turns and Route 102 begins. The venue is an intimate performance space with seating arrangements that include theater style, cabaret style and standing room settings. Beer and wine will be available throughout the night and food is available prior to the show at Philanthropy Tea & Coffee Co. on the premises of The Purple Cat. For more, cork over to PurpleCatWinery.com

Back when I was in college, I was an art student and spent a lot of time painting. Often the music of choice to accompany my painting was the instrumental music from the Windham Hill catalog. William Ackerman, Michael Hedges and George Winston were my favorites. The instrumental music was peaceful and was a great soundtrack to lay paint on canvas. When I graduated, I stopped painting and pretty much stopped listening to instrumental music. That doesn’t mean that I like it any less. It is beautiful to sit and listen to. It is still peaceful. One of the artists that used to play on that old, paint- stained cassette player will be performing at the Narrows Center for the Arts on Tuesday, October 25. George Winston is one of the most recognized solo pianists in the world and since 1972 has released 13 solo piano albums including the Grammy Award-winning Forest. Other titles include: Autumn, the beloved December; Winter Into Spring, Summer; Linus & Lucy — The Music of Vince Guaraldi; and Plains, which was inspired by his Eastern Montana upbringing. He also recorded the solo piano soundtrack for the children’s story The Velveteen Rabbit, narrated by Meryl Streep. He is currently putting the finishing touches on two new full-length recordings, Bay Of Gold — The Music of Vince Guaraldi and Spring Carousel. Winston’s appearance in Fall River will feature his WINTER SHOW, which will include melodic fall and winter type songs, some of Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts pieces, pieces inspired by the New Orleans piano and the stride piano traditions, and songs from his upcoming releases. George primarily performs three styles of music: melodic folk piano, New Orleans R&B piano and stride piano. He also incorporates a few pieces on solo guitar and solo harmonica into his live performances. Since 1986, Winston has been raising money for food banks and service organizations and will continue to do so by working with a local food bank in every tour market to hold a canned food drive at the show and also by donating 100% of proceeds from the sale of his merchandise to the organization. The food bank for this show is The Greater Fall River Food Pantry. Please bring canned goods to donate. For more, etude to NarrowsCenter.org

Down at Sandywoods in Tiverton, Alan Reid of the Battlefield Band and Rob Van Sante will present a show rooted in the music of Scotland on Friday, October 28. Tight harmonies accompanied by arrangements on piano, guitars and accordion are topped by an engaging delivery peppered with dry humor and pithy anecdotes. Their latest album, Rough Diamonds, is currently what they are showcasing. The duo also has a special multimedia show based on their third CD, The Adventures of John Paul Jones, which is a blend of song, narration and slides. A musical drama version was premiered at the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival in 2012 and performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2013. Alan Reid was a vital member of celebrated Scottish folk group Battlefield Band from 1969 till 2010. He helped cement the band’s international reputation with his story-style songwriting and sensitive renditions of traditional song. Reid has gained a reputation for songs strong in melody and historical content. Rob Van Sante has been steeped in music from an early age — his mother was a piano playing child prodigy. Guitar has always been Van Sante’s favored instrument. He was initially attracted to rock and blues as a teenager, but it was in England that he discovered a love of folk music. Rob is well known in the English folk scene, playing with a host of folk luminaries and recording many of them in his home studio. For more, Och over to: SandywoodsMusic.com

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com

Rob’s Album Of The Week: Kevin Devine’s Instigator

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Kevin Devine is never afraid to speak his mind through his music. Whether it’s something personal, political or even from social observation, he has a knack for getting a point across with a song. His ninth studio album, Instigator, is due out on October 21 and it examines the world in 2016 on numerous levels. Devine’s brand of electric power pop is evident throughout the album and energy flows within each track. It shows an artist keeping things consistent while pushing envelopes.

Devine worked with producer John Agnello on the album, whose resume consists of bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. Instigator‘s structure is reminiscent of the 2013 release Bubblegum that was done with The Goddamn Band, one half of a double release with the other album being the acoustic- driven Bulldozer. There’s that unique , subtle fuzzy tone that always knowing when to increase its presence. What makes Devine’s music so great is his ability to put the right amount of intensity in certain spots while staying true to his style. Like many of his previous albums, Instigator serves as a prime example of this.

What sets the album apart from a lot of others in 2016 is how Devine sings about a lot of issues. The Black Lives Matter movement is a prominent theme in a few tracks on Instigator. Another issue that’s examined is the imperialistic way The handles their foreign policy in certain parts of the world. It makes for an eye-opening listening experience, courtesy of a musician’s awareness of what’s happening. For an in-depth look at whatis being exemplified, check out my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week.

Going back to Devine’s acoustic roots is “Freddie Gray Blues,” a song that talks about the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray while in the custody of police in Baltimore. While singing about police brutality, he examines the history of police officers in his family and how he’ll never know what it’s truly like to be a black man in America due to his white privilege. “Both Ways” is a fuzzy number about the institutional ignorance of how America treats other parts of the world. The song title pretty much goes along with how Americans have their freedom at the expense of others. A thrashing track that is a love song is “Magic Magnet;” it shows the other side of Devine’s songwriting that alternates between personal and political.

Kevin Devine will be heading back stateside after a few shows in , starting with an in-store performance at Looney Tunes in West Babylon, New York, on October 22. In December he’ll be rolling through New England for a couple of shows at The Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden, Connecticut, on the 9th and the following night at the Royale in Boston. There are two chances to see a stellar songwriter live that nobody should miss out on. After that run he’ll be heading back to Europe in early 2017, but whether you hit up a show or your local record store, make sure you pick up a copy of Instigator. It’s another installment from one of the most consistent artists of the century and you’re going to enjoy it.

Pre-order Instigator here: devinylrecordsny.bandcamp.com/album/instigator; Kevin Devine’s website: kevindevine.net

Interview with Steve Albini from Shellac

Over the past 20 years, chances are that Chicago musician Steve Albini has produced one of your favorite albums at his recording studio Electrical Audio. There’s also a chance that one of your favorite bands has been influenced by Albini’s work in either the ‘80s punk act Big Black or the current noise rock band Shellac. There’s a case to be made that Albini could very well be the most important living musician today when it comes to the impact he has had on independent music. Whether it’s the work he’s put into various albums or the material of the bands that he’s in, very few can match his resume. At The Met in Pawtucket this Friday, Shellac will be sharing the stage with indie rock artist Shannon Wright and Providence synth-noise makers Minibeast.

Ahead of the show, I had a chat with Albini about his opinion on today’s music industry, working on someone else’s album versus Shellac’s, his preference for recording with analog equipment, the bands and musicians he has worked with over the years and what his plans are for the future.

Rob Duguay: Over the years you’ve had an interesting outlook on music. You’ve been critical of the ways that major labels treat artists and you’ve taken a very anti-corporate stance on the music industry as a whole. Recently you’ve championed the internet for providing a way for bands and musicians to take out the middle man. Another topic that’s been discussed within the music community is streaming platforms like Spotify offering free listening to the consumer while the artist makes hardly anything off of the streams. What, in your opinion, is the most logical way to solve the problem that these platforms are causing?

Steve Albini: I think platforms like Spotify are a short-term bridge to a potential direct interface between bands and their audiences. At the moment, these services require a library of material, hosted by them, which they parcel out to their listeners. This has a number of inefficiencies that the internet, an engine that makes efficiency, will eventually iron out. If you had a means to play anything that’s currently resident on the internet, at any time on any device, then all you would need to make use of it would be a logic system that sorted the options for you. I believe both those developments are inevitable.

So my response to the inequities of the current streaming and download platforms is that I don’t worry about them because they’re like the minidisc. They won’t be here long because they’re nobody’s idea of perfect. I didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about the economics of the minidisc either.

RD: Being both a producer and a musician, do you ever find a contrast between the two? Would you manage a Shellac album differently than another band’s album or are you fairly methodical with all your projects?

SA: They are as different as running a restaurant kitchen and eating a nice meal. I enjoy Shellac for its own experiences, but what I do in the studio for another band is work. I’m trying to satisfy them and make a great record for them. In Shellac, we’re playing our own music to suit ourselves, and it’s a pure pleasure. The technical part of the recording would be similar, but that’s about it.

RD: It has been said that you hate using digital recording software. A lot of bands have been using analog to record lately. Do you think there will always be a place for analog recording equipment as more digital devices become available?

SA: I have written and spoken extensively about why I remain committed to analog recording, and it would take a lot of time to reiterate all of that here so I’m not going to. The short version is that digital recording leaves no permanent master for the historical future, and analog recording does. I have been informed by music made a long time ago, and I want my clients to have the potential to reach an audience far in the future, since lord knows they aren’t likely to make it big on their first attempt.

RD: Shellac describes themselves as a minimalist rock trio. What initially inspired this musical approach following what you did as part of Big Black? SA: We are committed to a small set of core ideas, among them self-sufficiency, support of an independent community of musicians and minimalism. We are interested in seeing what we can wring out of the basic elements of our band, three people, three instruments and the time to use them. Given the range of sound and expression possible with each instrument, it should take the rest of our lives to exhaust the possibilities.

RD: You’ve worked with Nirvana on their final album In Utero, the Pixies on Surfer Rosa, Gogol Bordello with Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, The Breeders on numerous albums and even Iggy & The Stooges for their last album, The Weirdness, just to name a few. Out of everyone you’ve made a record with, are there any that stick out in your mind? If so, who? What was the experience like?

SA: I have developed long-term relationships and fast friendships with some of the people I’ve worked with and those relationships are much more important to me than the records we make along the way. I’ve worked on many recordings by Neurosis, Nina Nastasia, Silkworm, the Breeders and Will Oldham, and I treasure them all as friends.

RD: After the show at The Met on October 21, what do you have planned for the rest of the year? Are there any new projects that you’ll be working on?

SA: Shellac is working on new material, as always at a glacial pace. We have a tour of Europe planned for the spring. I’ll be working making records the rest of the time. Not much else to report. No cancer. No jail. Still got my teeth.

Buy tickets to Shellac, Shannon Wright & Minibeast @ The Met on October 21 here: etix.com/ticket/p/8651601/shellacshannon-wrightminibeast-pawtucket-the- met?cobrand=themetri; Electrical Audio’s website: electricalaudio.com; Shellac on Touch and Go Records’ Website: touchandgorecords.com/bands/band.php?id=22

The Providence Garage Fest Bring Cosmonauts To Dusk

There is so much going on during a weekend in Providence, it leaves people wishing for an out-of-body experience to catch everything. The city is always buzzing with live music and on Friday, October 14 at Dusk it’ll be no different. The Providence Garage Fest is putting on a real cool time featuring local room shakers Gymshorts, Atlantic Thrills and Eric & The Nothing along with Boston fuzz masters Future Spa. Headlining the night will be Fullerton, California, psychedelic space cadets Cosmonauts who promise to take 301 Harris Avenue to another galaxy. To put it lightly, it’s a show you don’t want to miss.

Ahead of the extravaganza, I had a chat with Derek Cowart from the band about the origins of his musical connection with co-founder Alexander Ahmadi, not being put in a box genre-wise, Cosmonauts’ latest album A-OK! and what’s next after the upcoming show.

Rob Duguay: Cosmonauts started when you and Alexander Ahmadi bonded over your mutual love for The Velvet Underground and Brian Jonestown Massacre. When did you two start getting into each band?

Derek Cowart: I think for me it was in high school probably. I saw what the other kinds were listening to and I thought, “Screw that!” and I decided to listen to bands like those two.

RD: It has been said that Cosmonauts are too psychedelic to be punk and too punk to be psychedelic. Did the band ever feel like they were having an identity crisis at the beginning when you guys were trying to form your own sound?

DC: I think it was pretty natural. There wasn’t really an identity crisis for us. It was kind of funny getting into different types of music along with listening to psychedelic stuff. When the band started, Burger Records kind of started too so it was kind of like a home for us. For a while we did kind of feel out of place on the label; the bands on the label used to be more poignant. Usually we just listen to whatever we want so we’re influenced by all sorts of stuff.

RD: The same day A-OK! was released, Cosmonauts put out a music video for the title track. Whose idea was it for the music video to include all of these fluorescent colors?

DC: My roommate Eric Fisher directed the video and he sort of helped make that decision. I think with a lot of artwork that we’ve been doing in some recent photo shoots, we all would stand as different colors so he sort of ran with that idea.

RD: On the album, what was it like working with Mark Rains at Station House Studio in the Echo Park neighborhood of ? He has a pretty wild resume from producing Alice Bag, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Shooter Jennings and even porn star Ron Jeremy.

DC: He was awesome, it was really nice to have it so local and he was really cool. Some mutual friends of ours brought Mark to our attention and we liked what we heard. He was great to work with and we had a good relationship by the end, too.

RD: After the show at Dusk, what do Cosmonauts have planned next?

DC: We’re playing a European tour in February, but I think mostly when we get home after this current tour, we’re going to be finishing up writing and recording demos for the next release. We’ll probably be fairly busy with that, but we might have some weird surprises coming too.

Check out the music video for “A-OK!” via Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=swMDKL4F1kA; Listen to and buy A-OK! via Cosmonauts’ Bandcamp: cosmonautstheband.bandcamp.com/album/a-ok-2

Album Of The Week: Big Jesus’ Oneiric

The post-Cobain era of the mid-90s was a weird time for . Fans were still recovering from the death of the Nirvana frontman, and there were a bunch of bands full of pretenders who the industry was using to replace the iconic Seattle band while contemporaries like The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and Weezer were putting out some of their best material. That particular time period’s influence is often overlooked. Looks like Atlanta rock act Big Jesus didn’t get the memo. Their latest album Oneiric shines with sonically induced sounds and powerful tones.

For anyone who’s a fan of emphatic bands like Hum and Failure, Big Jesus is bound to strum a few heartstrings. They blend melody and dynamic structure together to create music that oozes poignancy. C.J. Ridings and Thomas Gonzalez’s guitar skills inject electricity that shoots through the ears. Spencer Ussery on bass combines stellar rhythms with drummer Joe Sweat to serve as the engine that drives the band. Ussery’s atmospheric vocals are a soothing contrast to the loudness that encompasses Big Jesus.

What makes Oneiric truly brilliant is the edge that flows throughout the album and makes the band’s sound wide-ranging. Big Jesus possess this psych-shoegaze vibe that hits hard. This foursome from Atlanta could be one of the few bands sniffling indie kids and raging metalheads can agree on. To get a notion of how this could be, once again dive into my top tracks off the Album Of The Week.

A shredder that is definitely a brain melter is “Shards.” The energy that resonates from beginning to end is incredible and the nerves will get a distinct shock while listening. “Always” is another shredtastic track that hits like a wrecking ball through a brick building. It never lets up on the energy and rhythms. With an ambient start, “Lost Dog” starts off in a somber way but when the drums hit, everything changes. In support of Oneiric, Big Jesus will be touring all over The United States starting at Gasa Gasa in New Orleans on October 14 with fellow Atlantians Whores. They’ll be rolling through New England for a couple shows opening for Good Charlotte, The Story So Far and Four Year Strong at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence on November 11 and the House Of Blues in Boston on November 13. It’s kind of odd that they’re playing with a noise rock act one night and a bunch of pop punk bands on a bunch of other nights, but it does show how wide ranging the band’s sound is. If you’re going to either show or another show that Big Jesus will be playing at, make sure to grab a copy of their new album. It’s a fantastic release by an up-and-coming act with a lot of promise.

Stream “Shards” via Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=dmaKIt6m6Wc; Big Jesus’ Website: bigjesus.net

Hip-Hop: An Interview with DJ John Gotem

When working on events you meet tons of people. Some people you will see over and over and others come and go. When people mention artists, they’re often referring to the rappers or singers. I personally believe anyone who is part of the show is a artist in some way shape or form. There are many people who come into play and a talented DJ is very important when it comes to a show. After all they are spinning all of the music and also have to play close attention to detail to help make sure everything runs smoothly. Over the past year there has been one name that stuck out to me throughout the music scene day in and out: DJ John Gotem.

This past week I had a talk with Gotem over the phone about music in general and possible collaborations on future shows. He always has a positive attitude, he is reliable and very easy to work with on shows.

Spocka Summa: Where are you from?

John Gotem: I was born and raised in Woonsocket.

SS: When did you start DJing ?

JG: I started getting into it around ’95 and really got my hands on equipment in ’96 and ’97.

SS: What is your role as a DJ? JG: The DJ is the backbone. I feel I’m in control of the crowd when I’m on stage. I can take the crowd anywhere I want. I can make them dance or I can make them head nod. I can break new tracks. I can create music with scratching.

SS: How do you set yourself apart from other DJs ?

JG: I have put in many years of hard work and dedication. I can battle DJs, I can make mixes, I can scratch, make beats, do clubs and private events. I can play almost any genre. I’m very well-rounded. Being well-rounded is huge because it gives you more opportunities and makes you a better DJ, musician and person.

SS: What inspired you to become a DJ?

JG: What first inspired me was hip-hop, then I saw the movie Juice and “Q” was killing it in the movie and it blew my mind. I started buying Funk Master Flex and DJ Scribble mix tapes, and I would play them over and over again. My mom in ’96 bought me the ’95 DMC world finals. That was the year Roc Raida won (RIP). He blew my mind how he took songs that I liked and made new beats out of them by going back and forth. Qbert and Mix Master Mike did a showcase on that VHS tape and it just blew my mind and from that point on I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So I had to practice 8 hours a day for years to get to where I wanted to be skill wise.

SS: If you could be on tour with anyone who would it be?

JG: Tough question because there are so many. For DJs, Invisible Skratch Piklz, X-Ecutioners, Beat Junkies, For Endless, Rakim, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Ludacris. I would love to travel with a jazz band and incorporate DJing and a band.

SS: What are your future plans to expand your brand?

JG: I plan on entering the DMC DJ battles again. I wanna win so bad! I also want to get back into more production. I would like to start traveling the world, rocking parties and doing routines in the very near future. I also work behind the scenes with inmusic brand-testing gear, doing demos and giving feedback. It’s an honor and very humbling that people like what I do enough to ask my feedback. So to the Numark team — Fred Da Great and Othello — those guys believe in me enough to make me a part of their extended family over there at inmusic. I also want to work with a few major artists in the near future .

SS: Any advice for someone starting off?

JG: Practice, practice, practice is the only way. Never stop, no matter how bad it sounds in the beginning. It can be frustrating, but the only way to succeed is to practice. When I was growing up, I didn’t have YouTube and DJ schools that are now everywhere. They make affordable gear. If you don’t have the funds you can always buy a portable set-up. Numark is dropping the pt01 scratch next week for $130. Get a blue tooth speaker a few 7-inch scratch records and you’re scratching for 250 bucks. Make sure you stay inspired and learn but NEVER be a biter. Put your own personality to your skills and you will succeed.

SS: Where can people find you? JG: All my social media links are @djjohngotem. My website is coming soon at johngotem.com.

Being a artist is not all about the rapper or singer. Art can come in many different forms and be presented through various platforms. Keep an eye out for art on a daily basis and always support your locals. One of DJ John Gotem’s upcoming shows is November 18 @ The Met in Pawtucket with upcoming artist Azizi Gibson and me.

For updates follow me on Twitter / Instagram: @iSpocka; Concert updates: SummerEightyEight.com