Indie film seeks indie bands for soundtrack

Producers of The Graduates, an award-winning independent film, are seeking bands for inclusion on the soundtrack.

Bands can submit their tracks via links to music@graduates.com. The deadline is Sept. 15. MP3s and WAVs will not be accepted. Twenty-five artists will be posted on the movie’s website and the public will vote for the winners. Winners will be included on the soundtrack and promoted around the nation as The Graduates embarks on a year-long, coast-to-coast college tour.

For more information, visit www.thegraduatesmovie.com/bands.

Live Review

Thrasher | Whisky a Go-Go | Los Angeles, CA | Aug. 8, 2009

It’s nearing midnight, and guitarist Brett Bakman is unleashing a guitar solo in the truest sense: center-stage, without any accompaniment from his band. Bakman is wailing. And, to be honest, it’s just a little bit weird.

Weird? I guess I just wasn’t expecting a guitar solo at a rap show.

But then again, this isn’t exactly your mama’s rap, either. Bakman plays for Thrasher, an up-and-coming rapper in his early 20s who has begun to make a name for himself by combining the feel-good vibes of Sublime-inspired sunshine rock with hip-hop. Whereas most cross-over hip-hop/rock bands so far have focused on the angry elements of both (think Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and Linkin Park, for starters), Thrasher’s sound is, for the most part, danceable and upbeat, belonging more to the chill hip-hop that spawned it than the rock scene which has adopted and refined it.

Tonight, Thrasher brings his crew to the Whisky a Go-Go on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Thrasher opens with a recent single, “Red Lipstick Girl,” a catchy love song about a girl and her trademark makeup which, understandably, “leaves the traces of her kisses.” Cautious for the first few bars, new drummer Greg Lewis quickly falls in step with the rest of the band, especially longtime friend and bassist Thomas Hurwitz. The two lay down a solid foundation for Thrasher, Bakman and co-vocalist Addison Doby, which carries the group through the show.

Moving forward, the band launches into one of its trademark numbers, “Good Ol’ Days,” a song made for singalongs that has Thrasher waxing nostalgic about a time when “school was the only thing that worried me.” Thrasher and Doby hit their stride as close friends and cooperative rappers, just as Lewis has happily and deftly settled into his role as the group’s new rhythmic base (if the big, honest smile on his face is any indication). For now, Thrasher and his crew revel in the summertime vibe they have reinvented with “Good Ol’ Days” and the love song “Summer Can Last Forever.”

As the show moves into its latter half, Thrasher pays tribute to the band and artists who inspired him and his sound with “If I Had a Million Dollars,” an adaptation of Sublime’s “Santeria” which features original verses (rapped, of course) over the familiar chords (not to mention Hurwitz’s lovely falsetto harmony and a capella introduction). Although Thrasher and crew seem accustomed to more intimate venues than the Whisky (“You ain’t dancing enough in here,” he says after the first song), the crowd has a predicable soft spot for Sublime and, before you know it, they’re all singing along, prompting Doby to joke afterward, “Y’all like us just a little bit? Just a tad?”

After the aforementioned guitar solo, the band closes its short set with “Ray Banz,” an explosive blend of Rage Against the Machine riffs, slick fuzz bass and dance-floor beats that’s a bit harder than Thrasher’s usual fare but works nicely (“I got my Ray-Bans on, and I’m ready for fame,” he sings). If anything, “Ray Banz” shows the inventiveness and successes of Thrasher’s sound: he’s paying tribute to Sublime one minute and to Rage Against the Machine the next, both in the context of rap and without any incongruity.

-Dean Schaffer

www.myspace.com/OCThrasher

Run Dan Run
27 Coming St.

Charleston, SC
Mixed and mastered by Ash Hopkins

Sometimes there is music where it is just necessary to sit back, sigh and relax to the songs in the stereo. Right from the beginning track of Run Dan Run’s latest release, it’s evident this album isn’t meant for those looking to pump their fists in the air and headbang along. The opening track, “Wasted Love,” is an ambient affair of soft guitars with mesmerizing drums and a wailing violin-piano combination that inhabits the back of the mind and makes its way through until you can’t help but bob your head along to the soft croons.

Although each and every track seems to follow the same formula of soft instrumentation with melancholy lyrics, on 27 Coming St. it makes for a cohesive effort that blends together and focuses fully on the power of the lyrics (“Happiness To Be”).

Near the end of the closing track, “Points Of Departure,” Run Dan Run is able to pick up the speed a little bit and wail their way through, leaving the listener with a questionable impression of what they just heard. This ending is probably the most appropriate in order to sum up what 27 Coming St. is – an album that may feel like the same thing over and over, but is something more beautiful and unexpected after further listening, making it more enjoyable then what might have been preconceived. (self-released)
-Max Specht

myspace.com/rundanrun

Reed KD
In Case the Comet Comes

Santa Cruz, CA
Recorded, produced and mixed by Reed
Dahlmeier in various closets, garages,
bedrooms and living rooms of friends and family

If toe tapping and knee slapping back-porch music is your bag, then you’ll love Reed KD’s sophomore album In Case the Comet Comes. Reed and his band The Armchair Aviators deliver a fun-loving, pop-infused bluegrass sound that is bound to put him on the radar.

In Case the Comet Comes is a solid album, featuring Reed’s playful acoustic guitar accentuated by a palatable mix of mandolin, banjo, microrgan, bass trombone, fabulous fiddling and even water glasses, which make it a delectable bit of ear candy from start to finish.

“If the Tide Swings” has relatable lyrics and just enough twang to stay true to the folk roots that drive the record. Like this one, each track is masterfully punctuated by Reed’s fresh vocals and innovative instrumentation.

Reed KD lets listeners in on his life experiences in “Winding Roads,” as he dropped everything to live out of a VW Vanagon to pursue a music career full time. “Hippie Chicks” boldly dabbles with an electronic underscore set to simplistic lyrics. It is experimental in all the right ways and pays homage to the simple things. Reed KD quickly returns to his signature bluegrassy pop with “Cactus Garden,” a boisterous tune with plenty of banjo and frisky fiddle.

“Space Vacuums” starts off with prominent and low acoustic guitar, which elegantly gives way to eerie steel guitar over classic bass lines – all three punctuating the uncertainty of “space” and the uncertainty of life. The instrumentation and lyrics compliment each other flawlessly, making for a classic, unforgettable waltz.

Reed KD has outdone himself with In Case the Comet Comes. “Sleepless Nights In Bed” and “Splinters in the Evening” finish off the record with the same visionary composition that underlines the entire album. (self-released)
-Tara Lacey

myspace.com/reedkd

Freddy Lap$: Pushing Intelligent Ignorance

Words by Amanda Macchia; Photo by John Doc

We’ve all heard the expression that rappers are a dime a dozen. When you’ve immersed yourself into an artist’s career, the competition becomes that much more obvious. If you open your eyes wide enough, talent is everywhere. Popular culture is a constantly evolving, breathing and reacting life form, and it takes an active mind to have the capacity to grow with it. Not only do you have to breath and react in sync, but you also have to feel the pulsing rhythms and reflect them in a direction that promotes success. But this is often mistaken for conformity. The talented dime in that dozen is the artist that uses careful observation and the history of their craft in order to create new rhythms, and to expand on these long-trekked paths that form the spider web that is pop culture.

Boston’s Freddy Lap$ found his way to hip-hop coolly and innocently, by way of his cousin’s CD collections. By age 13, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Big L records had rocked the young rapper into a world of beats and rhyming. “It’s time to get serious about this rapping thing,” he said, and that is exactly what Lap$ did. That moment was like introducing a new species of birds to an ecosystem. Slowly, the new birds make the environment theirs, and after about 10 years you can’t go outside without hearing their distinct call. At 26, with over a decade of chirping, Lap$ is starting to cement his mark in hip-hop.

Today, he has developed into one of New England’s most incredible lyricists. His smooth, yet raw voice has an indelible way of weaving witty remarks together and painting fantastic, funny and serious images for your ears to catch and your mouth to repeat. This visual, diverse form of hip-hop is what Freddy Lap$ calls “intelligence mixed with raw realness” or “intelligent ignorance.” Lap$ continually projects an air of authority, while remaining relatable to his audience. “I’m one of the nicest rappers out,” he says with confidence. After all, you can’t be in this business if you don’t appreciate and love what you’ve got. So far, Freddy Lap$ has put out three projects, a self-titled EP, his crew The FaQulty’s The Higher Learning mixtape and his most recent record, The Starting Lap. These albums speak for themselves in that they emanate a flexible, real sound that can be played in clubs, cars and headphones.

For the past 13 years, the young MC has developed a sound that is an infallible representation of the eclectic and experimental artistry of today’s popular culture. “I studied my books and used my life for real as subject matter,” Lap$ says, commenting on The Starting Lap. “So the combination came out a classic.” He’s got a point, because it’s one of those records that gets stuck in your head after one or two listens.

Freddy Lap$ is always performing and collaborating with Boston’s finest up-and-coming talent, and has opened up for bigger artists like GZA, Canibus, Akrobatik and KrumbSnatcha. In addition to being a regular guest freestyling and rhyming live on WUML’s 91.5 FM, his song “5 Minutes” was featured on JAM’N 94.5 FM’s Launch Pad nine weeks in a row. Hip-hop and poetry are his life, and Lap$ never stops thinking, acting and reacting in dedication to his music. Already working on a fourth project titled The Co-Lap$, he is ready to show the world what he is all about. Follow him to see if he can become a genuine part of what he likes to call “the re-birth of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop.”

myspace.com/freddylaps

Pterodactyl
Worldwild

Brooklyn, NY
Recorded and mixed by Jeremy Scott at
the Civil Defense in Brooklyn, NY |
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering

On Easter Sunday in a motel room in rural Pennsylvania, Pterodactyl found the inspiration for its sophomore LP, Worldwild. Like most children conceived during drunken nights in backwoods motels, Worldwild’s origins are shrouded in haze. The band won’t say exactly what transpired on that fateful night, building a mystery that manifests in the album’s muddy guitar layers and unintelligible vocals.

Befitting its conception on Easter, Worldwild is regarded not just as a birth, but a rebirth for the Brooklyn-based band. The album’s more sophisticated theme and structure mark the band’s coming of age under the tutelage of Jagjaguwar/Brah labelmates, Oneida.

Driven by drumming, much of Worldwild feels like riding backseat in a runaway truck through a bumpy cornfield, the driver collapsed over the wheel with all his weight on the gas pedal. There are a few moments of quiet reflection – as in “Easy Pieces“ and “Alex,” when a shamisen-sounding guitar and hypnotic vocals conjure images of a tranquil koi pond, or on the musical palate cleanser “Ghost Facts” – but the overall tone is raw, unbridled noise rock.

The album’s highlight, “December,” makes the band’s much-resented comparisons to early Modest Mouse all too apparent. The clear, spirited lines set the scene of driving on an open road (our driver has momentarily come to his senses), much like The Moon and Antarctica’s“Gravity Rides Everything.” However, it’s only a brief glimmer, as the song ends too quickly, leaving the listener wanting more – as all good pop songs should.

For the final act, “One With Everyone,” Pterodactyl returns to muddied guitars, drugged-up Matthew Wilder vocals and shot-from-a-cannon drumming. Whatever ails our driver has returned, leaving him out cold, foaming at the mouth, while we hold on for dear life. (Jagjaguwar/Brah)
-Amanda Nyren

myspace.com/pterodactyl

Pictures of Then
And The Wicked Sea

Minneapolis, MN
Recorded at Shangri La in Lexington, KY
Produced, engineered and mixed by Duane Lundy

Pictures of Then will take you right back through your own pictures of when. And the Wicked Sea will have listeners setting sail with these up-and-comers in no time flat as they take listeners on a reflective journey through true-to-life and simple lyrics pieced together with unpredictable but excellently crafted tunes. The album title is fitting, as it takes musical twists and turns reminiscent of the ever changing sea.

“The Big Sell” is a fun neo-punk rock ditty sprinkled with electronic sounds over playful guitars. This song could single-handedly sell the album, but Pictures of Then has so much more packed into their sophomore release. As “The Big Sell” ends, the album transitions into a sweet and thoughtful ballad, “Nowhere is Somewhere,” which starts off with soft and nostalgic piano and picks up with beautiful vocal harmonies and wistful synth, before steadily evolving into a winsome ode to going “nowhere” with someone special. It’s a sweet song that isn’t overtly sappy. Another breakout song with similarly catchy hooks is “Questions Anyone.”

Pictures of Then takes another unexpected, but smooth turn flirting with electronica on “One Day.” With carefully executed choral-like vocal harmonies and wicked guitar effects, this song is a fantastic rock hymnal. The band then takes yet another turn, proving that they are well adept at composing music that speaks to a diverse crowd with the folk-inspired “Stuck” and the following track, “Ahead.”

“7th Street” is the song that puts the wicked in And the Wicked Sea with its mean hooks and entertaining splices of sound effects over steady guitars and piano. Pictures of Then’s masterful mash-up of folk and rock will no doubt have listeners on board for a voyage. (self-released)
-Tara Lacey

myspace.com/picturesofthen