BALL-BOUND / The Ball-Buster Hard Showcase!! Brought to you by Your
Cyber-World Bang Bible!! www.BallBusterHardMUSIC.com in association with
SouthBoundBeat.com 
(The Southern Rock Authority)
===================
Featured Review: DRAGONFORCE
-
Guitarist Profile: CORBIN KING
-
Featured Interview: Ball-Bound Exclusive!
FINGER ELEVEN
-
Banger Pick: SOiL
-
HardVision: Ball-Bound Exclusive!
EERIE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW
-
Voice Of The Underground: BRALALALALA

Talkin Shit: Blue Taxi
====================

---------------------------------
REVIEWS:

Dragon Force
"Valley Of The Damned"
Noise/Sanctuary
by Jonathan Mariante
-
Hailing from merry old England, Dragon Force (formerly known as Dragon
Heart) unleash their debut album onto the world of metal Although from
the UK, this band sound like they could be from a Continental nation.
Their style is power metal of the more Euro flavor, along the lines of
Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica, Freedom Call, etc.
Dragon Force have made a fine debut here, playing quality power metal
that should appeal to fans of the genre. While they may not be breaking
any new ground here, they sure do give it their best, and are quite
talented. All the songs are full speed ahead gallopers, played in the
classic power metal style, except for one, the ballad "Starfire" (seems
power metal bands of this ilk are always putting at least one ballad
on their albums there days). Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman crank
out a blazing dual axe attack, going full throttle all the way, while
vocalist ZP Theart has a strong, attention getting voice. His singing is
the typical power metal style, a clear voice with soaring, upbeat vocal
harmonies, but he does it well. Keyboards are used, played by Vadim
Pruzhanov, but sparingly so that the don't over saturate the music and
drown out the guitars, as sometimes happens when keys are used in metal.
The guitars are given full frontal here! A full time bassist has not
been found (at the time of this writing) but session man Disson Harper
did a good job, and drummer Didier Almouzni plays full tilt, with some
lighting quick double bassing. Dragon Force are a fine power metal band
who should have a promising future ahead of them, and could put England
on the map as a power metal hotbed.
http://www.dragonforce.com
==================
GUITARIST PROFILE: CORBIN KING

PLAYING (YEARS):
17
-
STYLE:
-Metal, Neo Classical, Rock, Blues
-
GEAR:
5 Custom Strats
Marshall JMP1 rack preamp
2 Marshall 9100 power amps
Digital Music Corp. Audio Switcher
Ground Control Midi Controller
Crybaby Wah
Overdrive 250
NS2 Noise Supressor
CH1 Super Chorus
DL4 Delay
4 Marshall 1960 Cabs
George L's Cables
D'Addario XL 10-52
Custom Dunlop Picks
-
ENDORSEMENTS:
I have some minor endorsement deals with some major companies but
nothing full throttle.
Still looking for some cool companies to work with...just haven't found
them yet.
-
PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Vainglory '2050'
'Diginet Music's Guitar Masters Series 2001' 'Diginet Music's Guitar
Masters Series 2002'
-
CURRENT & UPCOMING PROJECTS:
'Destination' ( remixed and remastered with new art work, 2002 Guitar
Masters CD )
Upcoming Heavy project with Stephen Fredricks Upcoming Vainglory CD
Upcoming Super Heavy Band with myself on vocals and guitar, tentatively
titled 'Southern Pride'
Wrote the music to the song 'Signs' on Joacim Cans' soon to be released
CD 'Beyond The Gates'
-
FAVORITE GUITARIST:
-Used to be Yngwie Malmsteen
Zakk Wylde
George Bellas
Jason Becker
Joe Stump
-
MOST UNDERATED PLAYERS:
Myself
Joe Stump
George Bellas
-
BEST MUSICIAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN:
Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart have been long gone... Still waiting for
someone to top them.
In regards to performance...
Malmsteen
SRV
Zakk
-
FOUR WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHAT YOU WANT TO GET ACROSS IN YOUR
PLAYING:
-Passion
Emotion
Fire
Doom
-
YOUR HERO:
-My Father
-
ULTIMATE GOAL:
-Family
To write, record, and release the absolute best music I can.
-
CONTACT:
Corbin King
PO Box 2578
Lilburn, GA 30048
corbin@corbinking.com
-
WEBSITE: www.corbinking.com <http://www.corbinking.com>
www.leviathanrecords.com <http://www.leviathanrecords.com>
==================
INTERVIEW: Ball-Bound Exclusive!
FINGER ELEVEN
by Travis Bain
-
Canadian band Finger Eleven is from a small town in Ontario. While still
in high school and while their peers were off going to colleges they
were off recording and becoming road warriors. Now after two albums
under their belt and
spending two years locked away in an old castle in the Canadian country
side, the band wrote and recorded material that would become their
follow up self-titled album, which included their mellower hit song "One
Thing." & hitting platinum in their native Canada.
====================
Ball-Bound: How's the tour been going so far?
-
Rick: It's going good. The shows have been really
good. The response from the fans has been incredible.
===
BB: So, you guys went to school in Canada together.
What inspired you to form a band in the first place?
-
R: We all just had a love of music from when we were kids. We played one
show together and it went really well and we became really comfortable
together and got a long fine. We were like 'we got to keep on doing
this.' We were friends and then became bands mates after that. We never
really had any expectations and we never stopped. And now we are here 12
years later.
===
BB: I know that is must be very hard in this industry
for a band to make it. Were there any people that deterred you or said
that you couldn't succeed in a band?
-
R: Yeah, our friends and family were really supportive
of the band but some people weren't. I remember the last day of high
school and almost all of the teachers laughed at me because most of the
other students were going to university or college and I was going to
join a band. Only one of my teachers actually encouraged me and said
that I should do it and don't regret this when I'm older. For the most
part, you tend not to listen to them anyway even if they say to you that
you can or can't make it in a band.
===
BB: I am always curious to ask bands how they actually
broke into the music industry. So, how did you guys get signed?
-
R: In Canada we won a radio contest when we were in
high school. We were signed in Canada for four years and then dropped.
So, we shop the record in the States and we knew someone that worked at
Wind-Up Records and they liked it & signed us.
===
BB:How did you feel when people were aware of your music and your songs
were being played everywhere?
-
R: It was an amazing feeling and still is. Especially coming from
Canada, we come from a small town and having people from the States
buying our records and knowing the words to our songs is such an
incredible feeling. Just recently we got to go over to Europe and
Australia and there were people that knew the words to the songs and
we've never played over there before. It's cool. It's flattering and
makes you feel like you're doing something right.
===
BB: After the record cycle of The Greyest of Blue Skies
was finished, did you feel a great deal of pressure to come up with
another record that was the same as or better than the last? And if so,
then is that why it took about 2 years to record the current album?
-
R: I would say that there was pressure from us. We always try to make
the next record better than the last. We try to naturally progress and
grow as musicians. There wasn't any pressure from the label and we were
happy with the album, The Greyest of Blue Skies, but we didn't want to
duplicate that same record. We wanted to do something new. So, it took a
couple of years just to write a bunch of songs. We just kept writing and
recording in different ways and different styles. We started
experimenting.
===
BB: So, let's talk about the new record. You mainly
recorded it in a castle in Canada. Why?
-
R: It was a place that we jammed in the past. It's not
like a really big castle, it's still massive compared to any other
house, it has three wings to it, but it's not like a typical old castle
that everyone pictures. We had one wing to it that we rented out and we
set up a little studio. We had no neighbors and just stayed there
everyday and wrote. It was really nice because it was out in the middle
of the country and no one was there and there were no distractions. You
couldn't even take off on a Friday or Saturday night and have fun
because there was no where to go. It was pretty far away from
civilization.
===
BB: Since that most Canadians knew about your music
because you are from there, do you think that with the success of your
current single "One Thing," that more Americans are becoming more aware
of the band?
-
R: Definitely. There are more people in both Canada and America that are
starting to know us now just from this one song. That's great for us.
It's good to get people into the band. But here in the States we are a
little bit bigger than we were before, which is nice. I think that
people are finding that once they get into the band, even though that
"One Thing," is a slow and mellower song that the rest of the album is
pretty rocking. I think they like it even though it's not what they
would expect from us. That's nice. We're also seeing at the shows people
are paying more attention and getting more interested in what we are
about now.
===
BB: I know that through your website you become very
in-touch and personal with your fans. You have the fans vote online
which song they want to be the next single. So, what are the other
singles off of this record?
-
R: We don't know yet. When we make a record we try to
make it as good as we can so that the label can pick whatever song they
want to be a single. So, right now the problem is everyone has their
favorite song and which one should be a single. I think that's a good
thing.
===
BB: What's your favorite track?
-
R: It varies from day to day. Right now I really enjoy
"Good Times."
===
BB: Since this record is really being pushed by
Wind-Up Records with the current single "One Thing," do you guys want to
be mega super stars and be a powerful influence in the rock world and
music industry, or are just trying to focus on the creative aspect and
the music and aren't really concern about the business side?
-
R: We have always focused on the music and creative
approach. We never really thought about it that way. We always wanted to
make the best music and want as many people as possible to hear the
music. I would like to have all of the success and power and have the
band be able to do whatever we wanted with no financial limitations. It
would be cool to sell out arenas and coliseums and just be super famous.
But I wouldn't enjoy the fame and hate to be stuck with this enclosed
lifestyle. You can be a big popular band and still be relatively
unknown. As long as you're friendly than no one is going to bother you,
it's when you're a dick then everyone wants to chase after you. If you
go to a pub and someone might recognize you and that's okay but it's a
lot different than trying to hide in a room away from everyone. So,
hopefully the band does well and as long as we make another record then
we'll be happy.
===
BB: Do you think or feel different from
when you guys were starting out and unsigned to now, and if so, then
why?
-
R: Yeah, I would say so. I think the reason why is for
the last 10 years the majority of our lives we have been on the road.
And that seems to change and harden you. You don't really have a home
and you depend on yourself. You start to miss your family and friends
and that's the hardest thing. It sucks when you miss home. When you get
to play a half hour a day, then it sort of makes sense to be away from
home.
===
BB: So, what's next after this tour?
-
R: A headline tour of Canada and over to Europe for summer festivals.
Then back to the States for a headlining a tour.
====================

Where do Soil fit amidst the modern age of superficial hard rock heroes
and fleeting, nu-metal fancies? They don't-And that's the beauty of
the Chicago five-piece. Unlike many of their contemporaries-who have
more piercings than they do hooks, and louder hair than their
music-frontman Ryan McCombs, guitarists Adam Zadel and Shaun Glass,
bassist Tim King and drummer Tom Schofield have honed their skills
through the more traditional avenues of musical success, namely,
independent releases that chart their growth, show after show of live
conditioning, and a chemistry that is rooted in years of development and
experience.
-
The power of their independent efforts El Chupacabra (1998) and Throttle
Junkies (1999) on MIA Records led to their signing with J Records, who
released Scars in the fall of 2001. The major-label debut spawned the
hard rock anthem "Halo," which exploded at Active Rock across the
country, triggering more than a year on the road, tours ranging from
sold-out arenas with Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and Mudvayne, to large
clubs with Static-X and Sevendust, and a summer on OZZfest, where Soil
sparked Second Stage mayhem on a daily basis. But it wasn't just the
throngs of fans who were impressed, as Soil even won the respect of the
oft-cynical mainstream press.
Radio & Records called the band, "the steroid-injected slab of rock
you've been waiting for." On every level, Scars was an unadulterated
success, but it was just the beginning. With new release Redefine, Soil
do just that, taking everything we came to expect with Scars, and
turning it up a notch. "We were on the road for thirteen months, and we
learned a lot about ourselves," says King of the creative process that
led to their new release. "When we sat down to do the new record, we
wanted to stay true to our sound. We took that energy and passion and
brought it into the music."
-
Soil's energy and passion immediately resonated through the hard rock
community this summer upon release of the Pride EP, selling-out wherever
the band played on this fall's Static X tour. The EP's title track, also
found on Redefine, is a riveting joyride through driving guitars, a
bombastic bottom end, vocal hooks, and meatier melodies than any metal
bands this side of the millennium, was included on the soundtrack to The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the M2 Headbangers Ball compilation.
-
If one needed further convincing, on Redefine the proof is unmistakable.
The authoritative slam of lead single and title track has a similar
punch and live appeal, "We like songs that grab you, hook you, and don't
fuck around, but at the same time, we love melody," sums Glass of their
sophomore effort, every bit as potent as their debut, but all the more
convincing in its delivery. If Scars was a monster truck revving its
engine, Redefine is the same monster truck bulldozing through any
opposition in its path.
-
For every bit of punk rock bravado that rips "Redefine" and "Pride,"
there's a darkness haunting "Something Real" that delivers an eerie
foreboding. The darkness thickens with "Can You Heal Me," elements of
Alice In Chains rising to the surface as McComb's vocals flip from a
Layne Staley-esque growl to a skyscraping pitch that screams with
agitation and attitude. "Love/Hate/Game" is a belligerent blast of
aggression that punches through the speakers like a sonic blow to the
head, while "Cross My Heart" spits piss and vinegar in the fan for a
sound that could saddle side-by-side with Metallica.
-
"It's important for every band to have their own identity, and I'm a big
culprit of saying, 'This sounds like something I've heard before.' But
it's better to be like that, than be an ostrich with your head in the
sand," says Zadel, unafraid of comparisons, because Soil are proud of
their influences. "You can't just rehash other people's crap and then
play dumb when you're asked about it-Our influences show, but we love
what we do, and we've got something special when we all get together.
It's all our different influences that keep the band interesting." -
"One of the hidden gems on the album is 'Obsession," adds Glass, "and
that's a perfect example of our influences. That was a riff I wrote, and
all of a sudden it fell into place as part of a big, epic Tool-like
song. A well-concealed epic, actually-It's not a twelve-minute epic
like Iron Maiden's 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner,' because we don't have
the attention span for a twelve-minute song." What they do have, is an
attention to detail. From the Middle Eastern flavor that adds spice to
"Deny Me," to the lush abundance of vocal harmonies that elevate the
likes of "Pride," Redefine takes on a three-dimensional scope that makes
listening to the album as much of an adventure as experiencing the band
live. "I really love some of the things Adam's done vocally on this
record," says McCombs. "When we recorded this, I was home in Indiana and
the band was in Chicago. I was getting songs and having to come up
with different lyrical ideas, but I wasn't there in the room when the
riff was written, to feel it pop-They built the arms and legs, and I
had to put the ideas into their brains.
-
"Lyrically, these songs are our children, and they've all got their
special places to us," the frontman continues, proud of the effort that
went into each, but unwilling to offer specific lyrical inspirations.
"No matter what your position in life-whether you're married or not, a
dad or not, or what you do for a living-you keep having trials and
tribulations, moral dilemmas, and confrontations you need to face, and
whether it was on the road, or at home with my family, I've had my eyes
opened up to a whole new realm of experiences. A lot of people have
their 'Halos,' it doesn't matter what mine was when I wrote the song."
====================
HARD-VISION: (DVD Review)
-
Ball-Bound Exclusive!
EERIE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW
By: The Obnoxious IP
If you enjoy old (70's) foreign horror flicks, then pay attention. This
is an Italian movie that goes by another name, "The Sexorcist." Although
I don't care much for the latter name, it does give you a good idea of
what this movie is about, yet cheapens it. It follows much of the plot
of "The Exorcist," yet not necessarily a rip off. A young girl becomes
posessed by a demon and must be exorcised. Sound familiar? Despite some
manufacturing flaws (my copy seemed to cut in and out of the audio a
lot) this was a good presentation. The "Sexorcist" title would have you
think that this is cheesier than it is, but actually, the acting was
good, the effects were great for its time and itkept my interest. What
made this interesting was its depiction of the inner struggle between
the posesser/posessee, the orign of the demond and why the victim was
suceptible to posession, all subjects untouched by "The Exorcist."
I did enjoy this film and will watch it more, but most people will not
be enticed by this as our cultures attention spans require more and more
cg. This film is a reflection of its time when audiences were captivated
by films with their roots in the mystique of Catholicism ("The
Exorcist," "The Omen," remember?). Don't be afraid to give this film a
chance because of its title or date of production. Turn on your DVD
players, grab your sweetie and let this film twist your nerves for a
while.
http://www.eclecticdvd.com
====================
VOICE OF THE UNDERGROUND
(Unsigned Bands Speak Out!)
-
BRALALALALA
A MUSICIAN WITH A LOT TO SAY
by Freddy Metal
1. How long has the Bralalalala group been in existence?
-
Since 1995, I wrote 2 albums, and released the second one with the
superior tracks.
==
2. In your own words describe your band's sound & influences?
-
- Bralalalala music has a very bombastic up front, open, loud style
without being brutal, choosing rather to be stimulating and articulate.
There are a lot of odd time signatures and jazzy elements. These
descriptions are very limiting however. They really don't offer much.
The sound is diverse.
==
3.Name some bands in which you've shared the stage & opened?
-
Over in Europe, Bralalalala played gigs with band names you may
recognize Hammerfall and Vader. The band was paid to play with
Hammerfall, and never was asked to pay to play with Vader. So, the
politics are a little more music motivated out there than in L.A. It
shows also, in the sort of media the band has received in Europe, with
the largest rock magazines making no reservations interviewing this band
based on the integrity of music journalism, even though we have not
agreed to a contract with a proper distributor there. Fans who have
sought out our album have had trouble, but it can be found on the net,
for those who use it.
==
4.What's the band's long & short term goals as far as touring,
recording,
writing, etc ?
-
In 2004, Bralalalala will absolutely record and
release a new album. The touring part is tricky and political however.
On the first tour, for "Well Come to the Galaxy," right off the bat
touring was a problem here in the U.S. in particular. That is why we
went to Europe. When we came back, a disk jockey from an extremely large
audience talk/entertainment radio station 97.1 here in Los Angeles for
some odd reason wanted the band to pay to play clubs like the Troubadour
and Key Club here on the sunset strip, even though she was able to
advertise them to hundreds of thousands over the radio. It seems evident
to me that, whether it is a bar band or a top notch world class band,
any band offering entertainment in a place of public business to lure
customers, should be able to take a piece of the money pie for the
evening. I am not sure what sort of assholes run these clubs, or what
sort of jackasses make a living on "selling the dream of fame" as an
excuse not to pay musicians for playing, but they are total losers as
far as I am concerned and I won't support that crap. Anybody can sell
bullshit. It doesn't make it right. Obviously, what this band sells is
passion, realness, love for music, not bullshit, and that is what the
Los Angeles music scene stands for right now. I have no problem paying
for band ads here and there, or work done on the band's behalf, when
done in the faithful supportive manner. At some point, people need to
separate themselves from paid advertisements, which are noted as such,
and talent which gets coverage regardless of what the band itself will
pay to a promoter, otherwise this whole scene is just payolla and who
has a well enough paying professional occupation OUTSIDE of music to
support their music career, becomes what makes them rich enough to play
the game. Also, there is a principle at stake her, which spills over
into all business dealings later on. For example, a journalist from Spin
and Rolling Stone wanted the band to play to an audience which would
include major label a&r reps. The guy asked for $15. Well, we went on to
discuss it for awhile. This band's potential investors want me to pay
$15 to play for them? Oh, but it is such a small amount of money for
what you get in "potentially" get in return they will say. Yes, this was
much smaller than most bills I have been solicited. They say they need
it to create the show. Well, they charge admission don't they? Then they
argue, "oh but people don't want to pay to see new bands." That is not
true, especially if they are ever possibly going to be publicly
interesting enough to be signed to a major. They bicker endlessly for
their fraudulent dollar. These are definitely not people I will sign
this band over to. People will leech and figuratively suck blood. There
are infinite examples of crap like this, and it is business as usual for
many "big name" promoters, producers, etcetera within the "business." As
it is, as a band, there are a lot of bills to pay to play any given
shows, let alone more added by those who should appreciate the
performance with some level of gratuity. I know people need to keep
their music businesses alive. I think it must be done with talent as a
factor, since that is what the music buying public wants. It is what the
labels should want, rather than a short sighted massage of their egos
and pocketbooks by the people who THEY are working for, the musicians,
the real people, who bring money to the music business.
Meanwhile, up in San Francisco, although the
band got a major push from the key rock radio station "107.7. The Bone"
up there on Billy Steel's metal show, and rightfully so, the amateurish
clubs who do metal shows seemed frightened by Bralalalala, or anything
"out of the ordinary" according o a voice message from one of the clubs
soliciting bands I rang. I bet it is the look or the name or what,
combined with the loud and assertive playing style that does it. Then,
as it became later and later, and the station in S.F. was working up a
date to open for Testament and other things for new bands, touring with
the same band I had been in Europe, and had tried to take through
California a number of times against the political landscape, became
something I did not want to do any longer for new reasons pertaining to
the band itself.
I'd go even further to say that if the band is
going to set up a real tour this time, particularly in the U.S., it will
be even more complex, as it will require a band management or
association that knows its authority limits on this band and wants to
work around that to support good vibes and good tunes. Since so many in
that business are too cool for musicians who play much better tunes than
they do, since most promoters aren't professional musicians themselves,
since I need really to just get an autograph of every publicist and
solicitor in town, well then, let's just say fuck it to the tour and
this wanna be band called Bralalalala..yeah ok..what the f-ck? So, I
can't promise a nationwide tour still. I was thinking of throwing some
independant warehouse type performances rather than playing the politco
garbage club scene. It would start in California. I'll see how that goes
once the album is out.
==
5. Has there been any label interest ?
-
Oh, yeah, that, TONS, of that, but who cares in these cases. Major label
solicitors, minor labels, managers, radio promoters, you name it, have
confronted this band, because they know the music is great and it will
sell. Of course, yet, everything has to be on their terms, how they will
present you as an artist, what you will spend on their behalf, what you
will be allowed to say, what you will be allowed to wear, what level of
health and prosperity you are willing to donate to become famous. It
makes me wonder what the point of being a public musician is. It
obviously has not to do with promoting freedom of expression in these
cases. I tend to think the bands who have good deals relative to what I
would appreciate, are a small minority. One day, perhaps this will be a
music industry that is run by talented musicians, not by pathetic a&r
wannabes who control their expression for the advancement of their own.
They just don't get it, do they? Music is expression. It is not an
objective field, where you can just command objectively as in finances
where you will profit, et blah blah. Too bad they lose so much money not
knowing what the scene is really about and go off signing the wrong
bands or pushing one sided terms too far. Anybody ever read that
magazine, "Music Connection?" Then maybe you know some of what I am
talking about. Now, if that isn't the most condescending piece of trash
read I've ever seen toward the real music scene and the real musicians
in it, and since they won't allow me to post my opinions on their
"reader" "opinion forum" on their lame ass website, I'll just say it
right here. I think, "Music Connection" is a misnomer and I think the
magazine sucks. Wow! Isn't that amazing? Of course, they aren't alone.
There is always "MTV," which everyone knows sucks. This is America. This
is the MUSIC scene, made up by real musicians, not pop clones,
stereotype victims and free enterprise capitalists, musicians, full of
opinions and beliefs much unlike yours conglomerate wannabe fellas! Say
hello to Bralalalala.
==
6. What type of image would you say the band projects? I think the image
-
Bralalalala projects is that of a
genuine understanding of political reality as it affects the individual,
rather than the conformist sell out clique, which is often
misinterpreted as anger or hate. Conglomerates who are such by means of
limiting free expression are the adversaries of this band. The band
stands against such short sighted greed, superficiality and oppression
in the world. A lot of people waste their time over questions about
androgynous or feminine looks, or sexuality with regard to me as an
artist as well, and they really don't know what this band is all about,
which is great music. Obviously, looks have no meaning without
connecting them to something tangible anyways. That is a philosophy a
sex addict would find disturbing, one that comes in strong contrast with
the mainstream. You'd be amazed what happens when this band is
introduced on music message boards. The topic is deleted as irrelevant
and all sorts of sexual innuendos pop up in people's heads. I just don't
get it. I guess they are lonely or something. Obviously, anti sexism,
anti racism, anti homophobia/transphobia are prerequisite to completely
grasping what is going on here. I think musically Bralalalala represents
nuance, expanse and flash.
==
7. Do all members contribute to the writing & arrangements of your
original
tunes?
-
The members of the band do whatever they can pull off. If the drummer
says to me, "I want to bring out this section by doing a, b, c, d, e , f
and g, I say great, awesome, let's hear it. I also am willing to listen
to anyone else's parts of songs. If I am asked to sabotage what I think
the essence of a section is I obviously won't comply. So, the better the
band is, the more they can contribute. In the case of the band who
recorded and toured with me on the first album, they did not go so far
as to alter the writing arrangements. They did do what was required of
them however, in that they complimented what I had started with quality
parts of their own, in harmonizing fashion.
==
8. How did the band name come about?
-
- Sometimes you just have to keep your head clear..
==
9.Are you happy with where the band stands today in the Int'l
underground
Hard music scene?
-
Musically, I am very satisfied with the band's sound, which is the most
important thing, of course. I don't know what I would do to assess where
the band "stands in the international underground hard music scene" as
you refer to it, other than have that great sound. I suppose it would be
more interesting to hear from other bands in the scene more often in a
supportive fashion rather than in a competitive one. Obviously, the band
is unique in the sense it does not exist within any sub genres or trends
per se and doesn't cater to the backward style this business operates
under financially, so there a problems that come with that contrast
promotionally speaking.
==
10. What do you feel sets your band apart from other Metal Acts?
-
Actually, I'm still trying to figure out what brings us together, lol.
Describing music broadly with words is among my least favorite things to
do, so I'll just leave this with a couple hints. This band mixes
commonly perceived elements of thrash and glam together without fear of
controversy, and yet really is neither a glam nor thrash band. In
general, music is something that comes along with personal perception.
There really is so much that makes this band's sound different from the
acts in the scene, it is really just too difficult to cover in a
sweeping cliché explanation. Perhaps I will fare better just
describing each song at a time.
==
11. What does each member bring into the band?
-
Each member needs to know to use the distinct sound of their instrument
to their advantage when playing the instruments together with the band.
In addition they need to offer creative parts to harmonize the rhythm
which catches the essence. Obviously, this area bridges off into an
elaborate dialogue about various pieces of music, which I could better
address when discussing directly the songs in question.
==
12. So what does the band do when they're not making music?
-
The relationship I had with the band that accompanied me on the first
tour and album was strictly professional. Music affects everything for
me, though of course I do "other" things. I don't really have any
interest in religion, antichrist or other common pass times. I think
travel and opulence are cool, though who doesn't. It seems I have become
an investor and a lawyer of sorts as of late. Well, I guess those are
enough things to keep me stimulated "on the side," and of course there
are many more sides, but usually too many to think of all at once.
==
13.As far as fans go, how would you describe them?
-
Oh, I wouldn't want to do that. I would leave that to them, as they can
be very diverse. Some are totally cool. Some are complete bastards.
==
14.Can you tell us a bit about your current release?
-
Primal Bend-as with the title this track just rolls together blunt
riffing in a blunt manner. It is just a blunt song. Music
Skirt-This is the most complex musical track on the album since there is
such a variety in the songs, especially with the intro and outro
contrasting with the body of the song and the mid song section as well.
This song has to be heard to be believed, and you still won't.
Black Hole State-This is the most unusual track on the
album, with a really happening chorus and verse that is are clever to
guess with such odd note selections compounded by a pounding mideval
sounding bridge and capped at the end by a jazzy variation on the
mideval theme and a soothing outro.
They Can Not Own This World-an intro/outro with a sound that
makes you wonder what world you are really in followed by a frantic
chorus riff, then a strong strong rhythm bridge. The mid section of the
song offers a huge break from anything previously discovered and we
forget that, wow, suddenly we are back into the song again..
Present is the Mean-I think this is the best overall song on
the album. It was the last written for it. It would be the single,
though it is over 8 minutes long. A three part whirl winding intro
eventually lays into some super catchy verse chorus riffage. Then, there
is another one of those "time out, let's take a break" sort of parts to
the song, before going back into it again. Finally, the outro is an
elongated pounding repetition that, well, I don't know what you would
call it, but it rocks.
Clown Rights-This track is the most jazzy, moreso even than
Music Skirt. The track has that vibe of really calmly stating itself.
In to the Fast-This is the heaviest and oldest track on the
album. If there is anything resembling a thrash song on the album, this
would be it.
Abandon the Ego-This is a quickie. I don't have any clue
what to say to describe this fascinating piece of work. The
release was rehearsed in San Francisco, Denmark and France, then
recorded in Britain and California. The sound quality is awesome. I
think it will be even better this time since I will do it all in
California, where I think the best commercial studios exist.
==
15. What is the most outrageous thing that ever happened to you on stage
during a performance or rehearsal?
..leaving my guitar at home.
==
16. Your musical influences and why?
-
I just enjoy the best things about various acts. I've listened to
anything rock from Ratt to Iron Maiden to Judas Priest, to early Def
Leppard or early Van Halen, to Nirvana to Ministry to Scorpions, and
have found good things about them. A lot of people think this band is
into heavily into Anthrax, or we are thrash, and that is not really the
case. Others think we are punk. I guess it depends what that means,
since I know this doesn't "sound" instrumentally at all like a punk
band. Bralalalala's music is fast and heavy, but it is essentially
melodic and has hook, not the other way around. >
==
17.What can fans expect to see at a live show?
-
pay to play...a picture of the band handing out cash to the
fans..haha..a joke..yes..well, once that problem is overcome they can
expect to see and feel something very unpredictable, and amazing.
==
18. Where do you see the band in 5 years?
-
Playing interesting music as always, probably incorporating more
instruments as well. I think independent investment and promotion is the
most likely avenue for this band to reach the public properly, which is
why there has been such a delay since the debut album on getting the
follow up released. I think there will be a clear picture of what this
band is capable of publicly within 3 years, and with hopefully a lot
accomplished this year.
==
19. Who would you like to tour with and why?
-
That is hard to answer because live music is, well, a live thing. I
think based on the challenging nature of Judas Priest's or Iron Maiden's
music, they could be interesting. My previous publicist had one of his
client bands, one of a 14 year old guitarist, which is much inferior to
this one, opening for the likes of Judas Priest, though he and I ran
into a little turmoil over my skirts, which you can see in the band
update that, this publicist is in court with Bralalalala as we speak..
==
20. When can we expect to see you on the road?
-
Second half of 2004
==
22.parting Shot?
-
I have taken to Los Angles Music Awards to court. I hope the results
will raise money for the band to be promoted independently if necessary,
given the problems within the industry. The following outlines some
details on the case filed Decmber 12, 2003 in Los Angeles County:
Bralalalala has filed a lawsuit against the annual celebrity attended
event LA music awards for breach of contract, intentional infliction of
emotional distress, negligence, false imprisonment, libel and fraud. The
event claims Bralalalala, who is a transgender rock guitarist and
musician, won an award for "image," in 2000, while the artist claims the
contract cites "national act" as the award event's original interest in
the artist. Bralalalala denies being offered any award at the time. The
artist says, she was coerced by the event founder publicist to appear on
"Moral Court" television to discuss the morality of wearing dresses
while being a biological male, rather than to promote the CD album of
the band Bralalalala. The ABC program aired fall and Christmas 2000,
noting that, essentially, "one can not expect honest deals in the music
business when wearing dresses during the day." The founder is being
charged with libel for quoting Bralalalala in underground Hollywood
print as encouraging people to call her a "freak," when so such
conversation occurred, and the opposite sentiment was stated repeatedly
to the publicist in person. The event founder is being charged with
false imprisonment on the artist for threatening to locate and
incarcerate the artist in e mails, for wearing "women's clothing." The
artist argues, that fame and fortune have evaded her thus far in the
music business due to these bigoted publicity practices.
http://stage.vitaminic.com/bralalalala downloads ====================
TALKIN SHIT : BB Exclusive!
Talkin Shit with Blue Taxie
By: The Troll
-
I look at it this way...any band that's been around for almost ten years
must be doing something right. Since I happen to admire a lengthy life
span, I thought I should give credit where credit is due and offer Blue
Taxi an interview. Well, that and I heard that guitarist and vocalist
Bill Capuano could be obnoxious when he's in the mood. What more could I
possibly ask for...maybe longer answers to my questions, but, that's
another story.
-
THE TROLL: First of all, a taxi is
YELLOW!!!! Is everybody in the band color blind or something? BILL
CAPUANO: Gee, that's a new one. I NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE!!
-
THE TROLL: Okay, let's see, there's four people in the band and three
of you have the same last name. What's up with that? You trying to be
The Partridge Family or something? Why does one guy in the band NOT have
your name? Couldn't you find one more member in your family who could
play an instrument???
BILL CAPUANO: While we were HEAVILY influenced by The Partridge
Family...Susan Dey in particular...we couldn't find that fourth family
member to join. Three of us is plenty...just ask Kurt!!
-
THE TROLL: I'm not really into the whole drug scene. But, wouldn't it be
cool if we could mix some of George Harrison's ashes in some cocaine and
snort him up??? That would give a whole new meaning to the term under
the influence, wouldn't it? I'm sure he'd make one hell of a cut!!! BILL
CAPUANO: His ashes are already in the sea in India...I would have
rather burned one WITH him!!
-
THE TROLL: Well, it's a bit early in the interview to get to this
question. But, I don't care. I'm the one asking the questions. Besides,
you'll probably just give me another SHORT answer anyway. Okay, well, I
never went to see a band and came home sober because I'm rather fond of
getting drunk and having a good time. So, what kind of ALCOHOL does the
band drink???
BILL CAPUANO: We all are partial to FREE DRINKS!! Beer, Vodka, beer,
Jack & Coke, Beer.
-
THE TROLL: You should drink Pepsi. They have a BLUE can!!! Michael
Jackson drank Pepsi back when he wasn't touching little boys. While
we're on the subject...you should see if Michael would let you spend the
night at his house. It would be a rather TOUCHING experience!!! BILL
CAPUANO: Just the fact that Michael Jackson drank Pepsi is why I
wouldn't. I would go for the LABATT'S BLUE!!
-
THE TROLL: Did you ever have BLUE balls??? BILL CAPUANO: No, Fez, I
haven't!!
-
THE TROLL: Fez? Okay...people complain that I don't address anything too
serious in my column. So, what do you think about the real reason
President Bush went to war with Iraq??? In case you don't know what the
real reason was, I'll tell you...he wanted to capture Saddam so he could
fondle his wee wee. That's why The Dixie Chicks were ASHAMED of him,
especially the fat one with the big mouth!!! BILL CAPUANO: Are you sure
you never did drugs?!?!?!?
-
THE TROLL: I would have done drugs in the 60's. But, I wasn't born yet.
Anyway, since I mentioned The Dixie Chicks, wasn't one of them
pregnant??? I think it was the fat one. Now, that's a disgusting
thought!!! Someone would actually have sex with that. UGH!!! That's
almost as bad as knowing that CELINE DION is naked under her clothes.
BLAH!!! Oh, God...I don't think my heart will go on. Time to change the
subject before I throw up...and it won't be BLUE either! BILL CAPUANO:
That IS a scary thought!!!
-
THE TROLL: Oh, wait, my last question made me think of a totally
different question that I wasn't planning on asking you. Funny how my
mind works, huh? Anyway...have you ever threw up in a TAXI??? BILL
CAPUANO: Not a taxi.
-
THE TROLL: I just thought of something else...if you were gonna name
your band after a color, why didn't you name the band "BLUE STREAK,"
after the Martin Lawrence movie??? What's wrong with you??? You'd get
more respect by showing some love to Martin Lawrence. He's a comic
genuis...much like myself. I think you need to write a song about him
for your next album.
BILL CAPUANO: I'll leave that up to Snoop Dogg for his next album.
-
THE TROLL: George Carlin mentioned this once and since you're the BLUE
expert, maybe you can explain this to me...and to George. How come
there's no BLUE FOOD??? Every now and then you get a piece of hard candy
that's blue or maybe some bad prison jello. But, that's about it. Where
the hell is the BLUE FOOD??? Our readers...and George...wanna know!!!
BILL CAPUANO: George Carlin...now THAT'S A COMEDIAN!! I have been trying
to find the BLUE FOOD for years. I'm glad they have blue M&M's now!!
-
THE TROLL: I know you have a woman in the band...why don't you let her
sing more??? You know, the guys in the band can't sing...even I know
that. The only reason I actually like BLUE TAXI is because there's a
woman in the band. Okay, sure, she's not a midget, which is what I
really like. But, she's good lookin' for a tall woman. I'll bet she has
cute toes too...can I have a picture of her feet??? BILL CAPUANO: So,
you like midgets...do you also like dwarf tossing?!?!? Is that popular
where you live?!?!?
-
THE TROLL: I don't know...I never tossed a dwarf. Anyway, I know I
shouldn't do this because it's been done in a previous interview. But, I
know you have an opinion on Rosie O'Donnell that you'd like to share
with people and, even though I'm beating a dead horse by allowing this,
let's hear what you have to say about her. Go on...get it out of your
system.
BILL CAPUANO: In the words of Austin Powers, "That's a man, baby!"
-
THE TROLL: While we're on the subject of gay people...here's a thought.
If a man and a woman are getting married, we usually throw rice, right?
But, if a man is getting married to another man, would it be in bad
taste to whip out your thing and give 'em a GOLDEN SHOWER??? BILL
CAPUANO: I set up a therapy session for you on Wendnesday at
11a.m.....my treat!!!
-
THE TROLL: Don't you think Martha Stewart is kind of sexy for an old
lady??? She better not go to jail. I'd hate to see her turn into Rosie
O'Donnell. OUCH...I just had to mention her AGAIN!!! Ah, it doesn't
matter...I'd lick the sweat off her saggy bottom any day....Martha, NOT
Rosie. Yeah, I know...that was something you didn't need to know, right?
BILL CAPUANO: I bet you like Barbra Bush, Joan Rivers and Barbra Walters
too!!! I better make that a double session...and not with Martha and her
sweaty, saggy bottom!!
-
THE TROLL: Joan Rivers...YEAH!!! Can we talk??? Hey...you should have
some love for John Belushi...after all, he was a BLUES BROTHER!!! I like
that scene where the nun is beating the shit out of him. You know,
here's a little fun fact...I was forced to go to a nun school when I was
a kid and I had something like that happen to me. Only thing is...I HIT
HER BACK! Yeah, I'm going to hell for that one. NOT!!! I like telling
that story though...it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. BILL CAPUANO: You
may be going to hell. But, NOT for that!!
-
THE TROLL: Well, I know this will make you feel BLUE. But, I've gotta
wrap this up. It's late and I'm in the mood to check out some online
porn...gotta love it. Anyway, before I go, I guess the decent thing to
do would be to let you say something to the people who will eventually
be reading this. I know I have some readers out there that I didn't
offend yet. So, maybe you'll be able to sell an album or two. BILL
CAPUANO: It's done already?!?!?!?
-
Well, if anyone wants to read reviews of our CD's, plus, everything else
about a TAXI that's BLUE, be sure to check out our website. Thanks
Troll...I think?!?!?!?!
This interview was faster than a Britney Spears wedding. I'll tell
you...sometimes I even impress myself.
Since I didn't talk to much about the music of Blue Taxi, I guess I
should mention the fact that they have three, full length releases
available. "The Meter's Running" (1995), "Ridin' Shotgun" (1998) and
"Step Aside" (2002). I'd say we're about due for a new album, huh?
Anyway, Bill once described the Blue Taxi sound as a combination of
straight ahead rock and roll, blues and rockabilly with a little country
and jazz thrown in. They're influenced by a lot of different styles of
music and they try to put that across in their music. I'd say they're
pretty good at what they do and I think a lot of you...the people who
are still reading my interviews...would probably get into what they have
to offer. So, be sure to check 'em out and maybe I can score some more
free therapy sessions. That would be nice.
http://www.gruppeb.com/bluetaxi
-=-=-=-=-=-
Want Advice? Got Questions
ANYTHING...music, love, sex, politics, whatever you metal heads feel you
need an answer's to. Send your questions to The_Troll_Rocks@hotmail.com
=-=-=-=-=-
====================
For even more Hard Read go to:
http://www.BallBusterHardMusic.com
Without Prejudice, 100% Lead For Your Head!! And Then Some...
====================
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