Touching the surface and brimming with the joy of youth that only a new band can exude, Los Angeles’ Touching Ice are so badass, they can barely be found on the Internet. Read my full feature story for The Line of Best Fit – the first I’ve written for the biggest independent online music magazine in the UK – here.
In his first-ever interview with an English-speaking music journalist, Pamplemousse’s Nico Magi speaks transparently (with a capital T) about how his noise-rock band’s fresh sound is the result of his fear of not being able to play music “properly,” the enormous pressure he puts on himself and those with whom he collaborates, and his belief that whatever he creates is never good enough. Even more than providing insights into his French band’s recently released album, Porcelain, Magi provides us with a clear assessment of the life of a true artist who creates some of the most innovative, unconventional and compelling music put on record anywhere in the world.
Veil of Sound has the full interview.
British metalcore thrill-seekers Heriot eked out their first song, “Cleansed Existence,” five years ago – and, after very long last, they’re winding their way through the U.S. in style with like-minded metal legends Trivium. In addition to introducing itself to America, Heriot is supporting its new album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, which came out in September 2024 via Century Media.
Guitarist and vocalist Debbie Gough answered a handful of questions we tossed the band’s way a few weeks before the gig. Here’s our exchange:
Hiya, Debbie. Did you decide to come here simply because of routing, or were there other reasons why you’re choosing to grace this city for the first time?
Hey! This is our first time over to the States, so it’s also our first time playing Boise! We’re really pleased the routing allowed us to visit here.
Aside from integrating new material, is your set on this tour gonna be different in any other ways than in tours past?
For this tour, there is definitely an element of seriously having something to prove since we’re on tour with such a huge band! Not that we ever don’t play with the intention of delivering our best, but there is a lot of weight behind playing with a band like Trivium, who have such an important legacy in metal.
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Two months in, we’re still savoring the delicious drivel dealt by death-metal band Dying Remains via Merciless Suffering following its mid-September release. We’re also grateful to have recently connected with the Maggot Stomp band and chatted up vocalist/guitarist/bassist Damon MacDonald about its debut LP.
While we had MacDonald on the horn – or the Zoom, or the whatchamacallit – we picked his brain about movies, as we were armed with the knowledge ahead of time that he’s a fan of horror movies. Here are his choice picks:
1. The Thing (1982)
“The first movie that comes to mind is John Carpenter’s The Thing,” MacDonald said. “That was one of the first couple of horror movies I saw when I was young. I think I was 7, and my old man showed it to me, and I was like, ‘This is so cool.’ [My love of horror movies] started there.”
When asked whether he believes in the notion publicly proffered by notably untrustworthy director John Carpenter that there’s a way to determine whether the two guys at the end, MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David), had become The Thing, he replied:
“There was a game that came out tied to The Thing on PS2 and Xbox in 2002 – and it’s been stated that it’s canon – and Carpenter made a jab by having MacReady alive at the end of the game. But it’s still just one of those things that are open to interpretation. You’re never going to figure it out. [There’s also the theory that] the whiskey [the characters drink at the end of the movie] was actually gasoline, but it’s like I don’t know if I buy it.”
When asked to identify his favorite scene in the film, MacDonald said: “The defibrillator scene when [a] stomach opens up and rips [the] hands off [another character is] so sick. It’s gnarlier than the [first] Alien scene with the [chest burst].”
Joey Santiago no es de Santiago, Chile – su tierra nativo es las Filipinas. Pero con canciones como “Isla de Encanta” y “Vamos,” siempre hemos ponderado cuál es la conexión entre los Pixies y la lengua español. Esperamos que tenemos tanta confianza con la idioma para compartir con ustedes una entrevista española con el guitarrista.
Aqui son las consecuencias del experimento:
Muchísimas gracias para la entrevista, señor Santiago. ¿Por qué a veces hablan en español los Pixies si tú y Charles no sabe como hablarlo?
Joey Santiago: Charles estudió en Puerto Rico para un semestre y se hagó muy fluido en español. Podría decir que su experiencia en Puerto Rico tuvo una influencia fuerte para [la banda] cantar en español. Otra razón fuerte es que simplemente que oye bien.
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rom the Jesus Lizard to Shellac to Local H to Rod Blagojevich, Chicago has produced some of the fiercest bands of the past 30 years. On fire right now is Something Is Waiting, who released a thoroughly raucous live record, Livelick, roughly a year ago via Learning Curve Records, which appears stronger than ever in its 25th year as a label.
As we’ve come to discover over the 13 months since The Bad Penny launched Pet Sounds, the most seemingly intimidating musicians tend to have the biggest hearts, especially toward cats (and dogs too, but it appears that cats have the edge). The latest example we’ve come across is Something Is Waiting guitarist/bassist William T. Fay, who has three cats: Sega (16 years old), Ripley (8) and Newt (7).
All three cats are domestic shorthairs; Sega is a calico, Ripley a quarter-trash-bag/ raccoon and Newt a tortoiseshell. We recently clawed at Fay for more info on his beloved buddies, and here’s how our conversation went.
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SPRINTS vocalist/guitarist Karla Chubb discusses the Dublin garage-punks’ new lineup, shares advice for dealing with bigots, recounts a chance encounter with Greta Thunberg and more. Read my FLOOD interview with Chubb.
As more than 8,000 families in Idaho have kids with special healthcare needs, the nonprofit organization Clemy’s Crew is rallying the citizens of the state to provide much-needed assistance by staging a benefit concert at Treefort Music Hall on Saturday.
Dubbed the “Concert for Compassion,” the inaugural event will support families of Idaho pediatric patients going through medical crises. It will run from 5 to 9 p.m. and feature performances by local bands, a silent auction, raffle prizes, pizza and a full bar.
Clemy’s Crew has helped more than 30 families of pediatric patients during medical crises in its first year. President and founder [editor’s note: and all-around great guy] Scott Thompson recently told us that Clemy’s Crew aims to help far more families next year – but will need substantial community support to accomplish that goal.
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The Bad Penny (beta) 