Follow the Roof Dogs as their live music journey takes them through Cincinnati, Lexington, Nashville, St. Louis, Bloomington, Chicago, Toledo, and all the in-betweens on their most recent autumn tour!
Cincinnati, Sean and his bass on the drive. Touring in a Toyota Corolla can be difficult. While The Bascinets’ vehicle held most of the gear for tour, on the way to Cinci we had to travel with Walker’s drum hardware and Sean’s bass in the backseat.
Pre-show R&R at the Airbnb
Found a lighter with some flare.
Nick Wellman of The Bascinets fishing for Pigs at Northside Yacht Club.
Tristan (Bascinets) before he lost his glasses. Tristan would continue to lose several other items before the tour was done.
Andrew with Bourbon (neat). Andrew played NSYC’s “$4 Whiskey Wheel of Wonder,” he landed on Jim Beam.
Dinge. Was the first time we played with them for about three years. They rock.
The Bascinets
Ezra (Dinge)
Trevor (The Bascinets)
Tired after day one…
Our friend Nick (left) let us hangout on his rooftop in Northside after the show. He also let us play his harmonium and theremin. Great fun was had by all.
“Please, no pictures” – Zlata
Eden Park, Cincinnati
Lexington, KY. Game day. The show didn’t start until 11:30 because the Wildcats were “stomping ass.”
Andrew strings up
There was a lot of time to kill, but luckily the door guy charged the folks who came for the game. Many hung around when the show started, too.
Setlist debate
The Bascinets, feat. Mannequin
Abandoned motel shoot between Lexington and Nashville.
Twinning. It seems that almost all of the Midwest claims ownership of Lincoln. The same cannot be said for Andrew.
Nashville: Trevor insisted on $5 cups of coffee at his favorite spot. (They were actually amazing though so it’s okay). Jesse pictured here writing nursery rhymes.
Alberto & Friends in their delightful basement.
The Bascinets
Matt of Superstarfamus1day. He was closely supervised by the doll. They played an impressive impromptu set when their drummer George got very sick right before and couldn’t play.
Our performance did not meet Alberto’s expectations. He locked us up by the doghouses.
Shew (left) and Alberto (right). Post-show hangs in the backyard. His house was an old doctor’s office from way way back in the day (the 40’s?) so his backyard was actually a parking lot that was converted into a giant driveway. They have the perfect band house and we are jealous.
Triple Jesse
We loved the wallpaper.
Sleepy bois. The Bascinets brought along portable cots.
Wellman in the haunted basement.
“No pictures in here, honey. Some people aren’t here with the people they’re supposed to be with.” Hermitage Cafe in Nashville. Great country-fried steak.
St. Louis: At the Arch
Bright bois, where’s Walker?
Farmer Nick
Andrew with the cigarette machine at CBGB.
The Snapchettes, they typically perform as a seven piece.
Frankie Valet. Jack (at microphone) hosted us and took us to a good breakfast spot the next morning. Incidentally, he and Jesse share a birthday on September 14.
Outside CBGB
Felix at the board.
Sean relaxes at Jack’s. He managed to cranked out The Silmarillion on tour. Jack’s excellent cat can be seen in the background.
Jack, our host in St. Louis
Tristan after breakfast. There are more cash-only diners in this country than I ever knew.
Forest Park, St. Louis
En route to Chicago. It was somewhere around this point that Sean and Jesse began to argue over the fortitude of their respective bladders. Sean would soon prevail.
Walker driving
Chicago. We had two days off here with a show in the middle. There was a lot of relaxing but we didn’t get as many pictures here, but had a great time exploring the city. On our last night we rode the train to a 107 year old jazz club, the Green Mill in Uptown where they were broadcasting live on AM radio.
But first a visit to the lake.
Beers on the pier
Tristan and the great beyond
Curious old maintenance man tinkers at the venue.
Wallpaper
Fahrenheit 808, who was, sadly, not allowed by the venue to play due to dumb age restrictions. They were gracious about it.
Oxford, OH. Captain Redbeard and the S.S. Friendship. We played at our friends house, The Secret Garden. It’s a beautiful home.
Trevor, some light leak, and a stray vine. After the show we all went to Bagel & Deli and waded through an ocean of college students to the counter. Every five minutes or so, one worker at the shop would get iced (Smirnoff) by customers and proceeded to jump on the counter and chug to the applause of everyone. I’m pretty sure we waited in “line” for like half an hour. Someone stole my bagel once and I had to order again. Ultimately the wait was worth it. -Andrew
Hot sauce with salt at Hometown Eatery. College Corner, IN. Tristan apparently eats this to curb his appetite. He chose to spend his diner money on a candy apple red Jaguar.
Propane rodeo star, Andrew Marczak.
At Joe’s house in Oxford.
“Joe, where are the forks?”
Wellman with spork.
Toledo, OH. Ottawa Tavern, our last stop, with bangin’ sign.
Watching the game. “Pizza Cat,” the attached restaurant, was delicious and had good deals for performers. We were all satisfied.
Teamonade ripping it right up.
Trevor the angel
Wavves
“It Can Happen to YOU”
One shot of the Roof Dogs playing.
Family photo. We then parted ways and ventured back to Columbus for a day off before we all went back to our day jobs at NASA.
Dance Gavin Dance has just released their new track, “Son of Robot”, the second single from their upcoming record, Artificial Selection. The Sacramento based quintet is made up of drummer Matt Mingus, bassist Tim Feerick, guitarist/vocalist Will Swan, and vocalists Tilian Pearson and Jon Mess. The rock band has now dropped “Son of Robot”, a second taste of what’s to come, following the release of “Midnight Crusade”.
“Son of Robot” is an explosive track, showcasing Pearson and Mess’ powerful vocals, as well as the strong synchronization of the band. With a thoroughly punk chorus of “How could we forget about you?”, “Son of Robot” is a sure sign that Dance Gavin Dance has a great album in store for their fans.
Watch for Artificial Selection, to be released June 8 via Rise Records.
Tour Dates
5.09.18 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theatre *
5.12.18 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Rapids Theater *
5.13.18 – Somerset, WI – Somerset Amphiteater
5.14.18 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s *
5.15.18 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s *
5.16.18 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s *
5.18.18 – Columbus, OH – Mapfre Stadium
5.19.18 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall *
5.20.18 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre *
5.22.18 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Amphitheater *
5.23.18 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall *
5.24.18 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory *
5.25.18 – Little Rock, AR – The Metroplex *
5.26.18 – San Antonio, TX – Alamo City Music Hall
5.27.18 – Lubbock, TX – Jake’s Sports Cafe
5.29.18 – Memphis, TN – Growlers
5.31.18 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
6.02.18 – Pointe Verda Beach, FL – Pointe Verda Concert Hall
6.03.18 – Richmond, VA – The National
6.05.18 – Westbury, NY – The Space @ Westbury
6.06.18 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
6.07.18 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
6.08.18 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
6.09.18 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
6.10.18 – Rochester, NY – Anthology
6.11.18 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
6.13.18 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
6.14.18 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
6.15.18 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
6.16.18 – Louisville, KY – The Mercury Ballroom
6.17.18 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman
6.18.18 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
6.20.18 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
6.21.18 -Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
6.22.18 – Sacramento, CA – Concerts In The Park
Black Moon Tape has just dropped their new video for “Reset”. Since 2016, the Belgian duo, made up of Will Z. and drummer Pierre Vancraenenbroeck, has been piecing together years of unfinished projects and unreleased concepts that Will Z. worked on as a teenager in the 90’s. The result was The Salvation of Morgane, the band’s debut album, which dropped in 2017, re-released in 2018 with more tracks, and an EP, Reset. Will Z. has previously been a part of Cosmic Trip Machine, as well as working as a solo artist, and is now joined by drummer Vancraenenbroeck to create Black Moon Tape. Though a Belgian band, Will Z. sings in English, and draws from a variety of genres to create Black Moon Tape’s own melding of psychedelic rock.
The pair now drops the video for “Reset”, created out of pixel art, taking the viewer on a psychedelic journey that explores the stress and pressure put on music to put out numbers in today’s world.
Pierre Marie-Maulini is a man for all seasons. His previous musical experience includes post-rock project A Red Season Change and touring with M83, but he formed STAL in 2011. STAL has put out We Are Two EP and Young Hearts LP. Their upcoming new EP, Fresh Blood, will be released this summer, and follows Maulini’s 2017 decision to move to Los Angeles from his native France. Maulini is not always a one man show; Renaud Rodier has been playing drums for STAL since its formation and Jeff Di Rienzo brings his guitar skills to form the trio. While previous records were full of spontaneity, Fresh Blood is the result of meticulous production (thanks to producer Eric Palmquist) and is Maulini’s creativity at its finest.
Today, STAL has just come off of an exciting time at SXSW, and are thrilled for their forthcoming EP. Their brand new single, “Magic”, is just a taste of what is to come. Lucky for us, STAL was able to answer a few of our questions about music, must-haves, and their upcoming EP.
Sum up your new single, “Magic ”? Magic is about what we can do for each other as human beings. You can count on me, I can count on you. Be yourself, there’s no judge here.
What’s the best part of being a musical artist today?
Thanks to the internet, you can easily share your music with millions of people. The other great part is touring. Touring has become more and more important. STAL is definitely a “stage” band, so I love that!
Biggest influence for your upcoming EP? My life these past 3 years.
What is a must-have when recording? An amazing producer, some great guitars and a brain that works.
Dream collaboration? The National
What do you want new listeners to know about your music? I want them to feel that STAL is true and sincere and hopefully this EP makes htem wanna come to our shows.
Biggest takeaway from your time at SXSW? The Paradigm showcase with Pale Waves was great. Otherwise, we totally fell in love with Austin and this Salt Lick BBQ!
The indie-rock duo Flagship showcases their new song “The Ladder.” The North Carolina natives share a gripping message on their pleading track. Listening to “The Ladder” for the first time was very relatable to me. It talks of how as members of a society, we just are expected to climb that ladder. So many of us do, and yet we end up in the same place.
The lyric “I’ve been working overtime,” really resonates with me as a young person, because I try to work as much as possible while balancing school and my personal life, which at times can be rough. The message I ultimately took away is that you can climb your ladder, but go at your own pace…or don’t at all. It’s your life and it’s up to you.
Tour Dates with Blue October
4/18 Little Rock, AR – Metroplex
4/19 Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
4/20 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
4/21 Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s
4/22 Flint, MI – Machine Stop
4/25 Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theater
4/26 Toronto, ONT – Opera House
4/27 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
4/29 Wilmington, DE – World Café Live at the Queen
5/2 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
5/3 Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
5/4 Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
5/5 Orlando, FL – House of Blues
5/9 Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
5/10 Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theater
5/13 Springfield, MO – Gillian Theatre
5/16 Colombus, OH – Athenaeum
5/17 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
5/18 Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
5/19 Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
5/20 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore So
Just last month, Massachusetts-based indie pop/punk rock four piece Kindling released a particularly impressive and instrumentally heavy 10-track album titled Hush. Though the intro to a lot of the tracks starts in a different soundscape, eventually the meat of most of the songs hits with multiple guitars that create an almost cacophonous ambiance around the chorus of vocals. It’s quite the experience, and while we certainly suggest showing off your dance moves while enjoying the album, we also kind of hope you have access to a starry night sky, dope lawn chairs, and string lights to enjoy “Rain”.
We got the chance to catch up with vocalists/guitarists Stephen Pierce and Gretchen Williams shortly after the release of Hush.
What was the first album or song you remember ever listening to, and who introduced it to you?
Stephen Pierce: I don’t know exactly the record, but my parents were always listening to a lot of British Invasion stuff — Yardbirds, The Animals, The Kinks.. My dad liked the Stones and my mom liked The Beatles. There’s in particular this one tape my dad had of The Yardbirds’ BBC sessions that is seared into my consciousness, right down to the hammy BBC announcer’s voice.
Gretchen Williams: When I was about seven or so, I had a camp counselor that had my troop perform the Shangri-Las‘ “Leader of the Pack” in a talent show. Naturally, I was assigned to be part of the motorcycle gang and made a construction paper leather jacket to wear. I really loved the sound and doomed-love-story subject matter as a kid, and played my cassette of the recording a lot at home.
What is the Kindling origin story?
Gretchen: In the winter of 2014, Stephen and I formed Kindling after he asked me to contribute to a few songs he’d written. Initially, we didn’t really have a sense of where we might be headed; we just wanted to write a bunch of catchy songs quickly. Our demo was just the two of us, and we subsequently self-recorded a 7″ before recruiting others to the band.
How would you say you’ve developed your sound and your relationship with each other since your first EP?
Stephen: I think Hush is definitely bigger and more ambitious than the previous stuff, which was probably bigger than the stuff that preceded that… Each recording we’re one step closer to being a fucking prog band or something. But seriously, the more ya work at anything, I guess the more comfortable it’ll feel, and I feel pretty comfortable these days with the band, from our process to our songs to how I communicate with my bandmates – communication hasn’t always been an easy thing for me. But, like: You figure out what works best for everyone, and try to do things that way.
Gretchen: Despite a lot of the lyrical content of Hush focusing on uncertainty, I think we’ve found a little more confidence on this record. We reached for a bigger, more complex sound and integrated some new instruments (mellotron and sitar appear on a few tracks throughout the album).
What is your writing process like? Do you start with a melody, start with concept, brain dump lyrics? Take us inside it all!
Stephen: I usually sit with a guitar on the couch and just, like, watch tv and if something good appears, I’ll hit mute on the tv and record it on my phone, then revisit it at the practice space, or sometimes maybe just, like, loop it and vibe it out. Lyrics come afterwards, usually I’ll demo the instrumental stuff with Andy, our drummer, and spend a lot of time listening to the instrumentals while, like, riding my bike or something. Then Gretchen and I will work on vocal phrasing and words. Or we’ll have ideas and throw them back and forth between each other, usually what we come up with is pretty similar.
How do you imagine people listening to this album?
Gretchen: Late at night when you can’t sleep; or on a long bus trip; or walking through the woods; or just trying to get through the day — basically any time you might feel a little bit wistful and restless.
Stephen: I like the thought of Hush playing annoyingly loud while quitting yer shitty job, or something. Tell off the boss in a giant spectacle with the assistance of Hush.
Who is your favorite superhero? Substantiate your claim.
Gretchen: The only comic I ever read growing up was Archie, so I guess my favorite superhero is Jughead? He always seemed pretty impervious to the stresses of modern life in Riverdale–a trait I admire.
Stephen: Spider-Man, because he was such a loser and I find that highly relatable.
What is your favorite word?
Gretchen: Probably a toss up between “somnambulance” and “goblin.”
Stephen: Mine is “Goblinambulance”
Perfection. Anything else you’d like to add?
Stephen: Thanks so much!
___
Hush is available now. Keep up with Kindling here.
