Revolt of the Apes

ZIA McCABE/ DJ RESCUE

“Standing Right In Front of Me, Speaking Words of Wisdom … Let It Zi(a)”

Zia McCabe rules, ok? Fifteen years and counting after joining The Dandy Warhols, she continues to tour, write and record with the Portland-based odditorium rockers. That would seen to be just plenty of activity for most of us schlubs – but most of us schlubs are not Zia McCabe.

Ms. McCabe, then, fills her free time -and isn’t it all free time? – with gigs at various bars, parties and festivals, as DJ Rescue – that is, when she’s not working with her country band, Brush Prairie … which, of course, happens only when she’s not otherwise occupied as a wife and a mother.

We cannot confirm nor deny the rumor that Zia has not slept more than an hour or two each day for the past few years (and not because of the relentless tour schedules – you can bet on sleeping more as a musician on tour than you can as the parent of an infant). Maybe she sleeps, maybe she doesn’t. But she keeps on moving, certainly keeps on grooving and without question keeps on ruling.

The annoying cultural wisdom, at times from both an “outsider” [read: square] perspective and the “insider” [read: real deal] perspective, seems to always imply that parenthood coincides with a death – or slow decay – of the ability to “really rock, maaaan.” History – and evolution – says otherwise. Where do you think this attitude comes from? How did becoming a parent alter not your lifestyle, necessarily, but your relationship with music in general? To your relationship with your own music?

Providing for ones child can be quite time consuming. I am lucky enough to make enough money doing what I love: to “really rock, maaaan,” which affords me the best of both worlds and prevents me from having to make the ultimate sacrifice of family over art. Being a rock n’ roll mom has inspired me to really dig into music, to expand my talents and take it all a bit more seriously. I don’t want to ever have to give up my art or put it on the “back burner.” Plus, Matilda really digs our rock n’ roll lifestyle. Sharing music with her has been the coolest. I love hearing her in the back of the car singing along to Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton and CCR (some of her favorites).

Original Photo by Fred Holston

If we were to contend that being a parent opens doorways in your mind which could not be opened otherwise, can you point out any particular music you listened to in your childhood that you hadn’t really considered for many years? Is there music that connects with you deeply today, equally to the way it did when you were a child? If the answer is yes, is one of those songs “Puff, the Magic Dragon?”

Ah, yes of course, while “Puff …” is very special, it doesn’t bring up the intense emotions and childhood memories that say Willie Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger” or “Stardust” does.  Those will always be two of my very favorite albums. We listened to those albums a lot when I was little (I grew up in a cool log cabin and this music fit it perfect). I listened to a lot of my parents records (mostly 60’s and 70’s) when I was home alone after school. It’s a huge part of why I’m into music today. I discovered sooooo much good music that way, i.e., The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Janis Joplin, Juice Newton, and Gordon Lightfoot, to name a few.

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If you happen to be in the Richmond, Virginia, area on Thursday or Friday night of this week – perhaps rolling fast down I-95, supersonic, overdrive – you deserve to treat yourself to one or two killer shows.

BAND OF THE WEEK: WHITE NOISE SOUND

Spawn of Swansea, Wales, the self-titled album from WHITE NOISE SOUND plays like the antithesis of a swansong – rather, it’s an introduction, an overture, an origin tale born of fuzz, grace and drums that pound with the gravity of Jupiter … and Saturn … Oberon, Miranda and Titania … Neptune, Titan … stars can frighten …

Whoops. The mind went into space there – it’s an activity that the music of White Noise Sound provides for, which is not to indicate that your attention span will be challenged. Rather, there is space in this White Noise Sound, built in by design. Indeed, the official creation story has it that, after forming in 2006, the band “immediately made the conscious decision to shut themselves off from all around them in favour of conjuring their own particular wall-of-sound – at once relentlessly pulsating and blissed-out.”

Mission accomplished. The conjuring is the successful result of focused study on a variety of textbooks, with titles like “The Curious Science of Spacemen 3,” “Stable Isotope Techniques of the Velvet Underground,” and “Ethoexperimental Approaches to the Study of Really Killer Feedback-Fueled Doomy Love Songs.”

Study hard.

Download “(In Both) Dreams and Ecstasies” by WHITE NOISE SOUND

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. ‘Higher Purpose’ is a pretty vague term, and you can imagine it being imparted by something quite different than a god as gods are traditionally conceived.

… On balance, notwithstanding bursts of backsliding, human conceptions of the divine do get morally richer – that ‘god’ tends tends to grow morally because humankind is itself growing morally. And the reason, I’ll argue, is that circumstances conducive to moral growth – the breadth and density of non-zero-sum dynamics – intensify as time goes by. Technological evolution (wheels, roads, cuneiform, alphabets, trains, microscopes) puts more and more people in non-zero-sum relationship with more and more other people at greater and greater distances, often across ethnic, national or religious bounds. That doesn’t guarantee moral progress, but it shifts the odds in that direction, and in the long run, the odds tend to win out.”
– Robert Wright, “The Evolution of God”

Just a quick update to note the concern that we here at Revolt of the Apes headquarters have about all the unnecessary typing you have to do to find us. Yuck! We prefer telekinesis …

But until that day comes, you can now find us at our easy-to-remember web address:

revoltoftheapes.com

Certainly, you’ll need a moment to come down from the rush of this monumental announcement. We suggest this sampling of killer videos from Revolt of the Apes friends old, new and non-existent to get you through your Friday with maximum grace. Enjoy!

A spectacular song by the lovely and talented Ms. Rachel Goldstar (All in the Golden Afternoon, Experimental Aircraft), coupled with the absolutely gorgeous visuals provided courtesy of Rachel Staggs (with assistance from Carlos Jackson, Sarah Schindler and Chris Catalena), is guaranteed to have you dreaming of escaping … or returning to the fold. The choice is yours.

The three rock ‘n roll radio witches that are the three-headed beast known as Purple Rhinestone Eagle are here to deliver what is, arguably, the greatest artistic achievement of the 21st century. Arguably. Pretty much the reason to live, right here.

Original Saint Vitus drummer Armando Acosta passed away sadly and suddenly on Thanksgiving day. Let’s give thanks for the thunder he brought to this world, with this classic clip from Saint Vitus, circa 1986.

The incomparable Naam give you eleven minutes of fuzzed out bliss, amplified through the afterlife.

Meanwhile, on another planet entirely, Os Ovni see “Something In the Sky,” with an able assist from the loopy VidKidz crew.

And taking us on through the night … no, not Def Leppard, but Amon Duul II. Remember: the stars have you surrounded. Give in!

C’mon out, have fun and boogie, won’t you?

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010 – STRANGE MATTER – RICHMOND, VA – 9:00 P.M.

The Diamond Center (RVA)
The Flying Eyes (Baltimore, MD)
Hume (DC)
White Laces (RVA)

Soundtrack provided by REVOLT OF THE APES (who?)
https://revoltoftheapes.wordpress.com/

http://www.diamondcentermusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theflyingeyes
http://www.myspace.com/humesongs
http://whitelacesmusic.com/

Last Diamond Center show for 2010!

BAND OF THE WEEK: JANINA ANGEL BATH

Let us turn our attention today to the concept of balance – the alpha and the omega, the yin and the yang, the peanut butter and the jelly.

Let our guide for this metaphysical journey be the inestimable JANINA ANGEL BATH, the titular “Gypsy Woman” that stands at the center of her astounding debut album that bears the same name.

Like with so much of the music that moves us, it’s difficult to find the words that adequately articulate the awesomeness of sound contained in the music of Ms. Angel Bath – though it perhaps moves us one step closer to the goal of description to note that the any idea of a “containment” of sound on “Gypsy Woman” is somewhat of a misnomer. This album contains sounds the same way the sun contains light.

And the connection with balance? You may see that as a misnomer as well. Certainly “Gypsy Woman” is an album unconcerned with many things – traditional Western pop song structure, and the importance of getting your dance party hoppin’ on the good foot being just two non-concerns. There is a purity of vision in the music of Janina Angel Bath – it is what it is, and it is that so forcefully that it exists (for this listener) to serve as an invaluable counterbalance to nearly everything apart from itself.

But what does that MEAN?

“The virtue embodied in the doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people.”

– Confucius

“Don’t ask me – I don’t know.”

– Ozzy

Listen: I discovered long ago that I like Black Sabbath and Donovan, that I enjoy Venom and The Incredible String Band. By extension, I like bands that are so heavy that they make Black Sabbath sound like Donovan, and bands that are tripping in their skies to such a degree that they make The Incredible String Band sound like Venom.

So … balance. So … Janina Angel Bath.

Download the song “Gypsy Woman” by Janina Angel Bath

“No matter how often Houdini disavowed supernatural claims and celebrated his own ability, audiences were always ready to suspend disbelief when confronted with his powers. He did little to discourage this. Usually working behind a curtain, he concealed his struggles to escape handcuffs, straightjackets, chains and padlocked containers. When he did allow himself to be seen – as in the aerial escape in Kansas City – he flailed about more than was necessary, to make the escape look harder than it was. The first approach preserved the possibility that unseen forces were at work; the second revealed the mystery as an awesome personal achievement. He was at once a Faustian hero for a claustrophobic age and a reluctant emblem of the supernatural in an age of religious doubt.

Houdini’s performances epitomized popular longings for escape from the constraints of routine and normality but also from a subtler dis-ease, a feeling that one had somehow lost contact with ‘real life.’ In turn-of-the-century American culture, cravings for intense experience animated everything from the vogue of romantic adventure novels to the spreading popularity of wilderness recreation. American yearned to reconnect with some pulsating primal vitality – vicariously, reading on a couch in Hartford, or directly, hiking on a trail in Yosemite. Often the intense experience had no larger purpose beyond a renewed sense of well-being. The reverence for ‘life’ as a value in itself could be traced to romantic origins, in the writings of Wordworth, Emerson and Thoreau. But never before had life-acquired such a wide following. Never before had so many people thought that reality was throbbing with vitality, pulsating with excitement, and always just out of reach.”

– Jackson Lears, “Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920”

PETE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

“Man, I Had A Dreadful Flight”

We have no specific knowledge of Mr. Peter Holmstrom’s abilities as a pilot, given his background is in aural-hysterics, rather than aeronautics. True, as a guitarist, he has been a co-pilot on the long, strange flight of The Dandy Warhols for years, though lately we’ve seen him entering an entirely new cruising altitude, with Pete International Airport.

With a recently released album by Custom Made Music, it’s a good time to land at Pete International Airport – a name which represents the dream, the band, the album and (one can assume) the headspace of Mr. Holmstrom. Eleven different flight patterns – with air traffic control assistance from members of The Warlocks, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Jsun Adams of The Upsidedown – fill the sky with supersonic rock and roll, the kind that makes your stomach drop every now and again, but knowing without question that you’ll enjoy a smooth landing.

Peter took a moment away from being the most happening man in the Admiral’s Club to welcome us aboard.

Have you ever been formally diagnosed with what Doctor Ross once called, “The Boogie Disease”? Will you, in fact, boogie right up until they throw you in the hearse?

I will play music as long as I’m able. Probably longer than I should.

The opening one-two punch of “Sweetheart Tattoo” and “21 Days” certainly a killer attention grabber, moving from mellow yellow to an almost funeral-circus like beat on “21 Days.” It’s radical rock candy – how important was track order for you in putting this album together?

I think track order is extremely important.  The order effects the way you hear the next song and how you feel about the previous one.

What’s one of your favorite album opening’s one-two punch? Can you think of a surprising one-two punch that ever thrilled you when seeing a band live? Does anyone actually refer to the combination of a pairof rock songs as a “one-two punch”?

“Love Burns” into “Red Eyes and Tears” off of B.R.M.C.  Live, The Strokes opening with “Clampdown” into one of their tracks was mind blowing.

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BAND OF THE WEEK: THE RUNAWAY SUNS

What are you running away from, suns? Perhaps they read the news today. Oh, boy!

“Heart Attacks, up two and three quarters.
Mental Illness, split three for one.
Ulcers, up one.
General Chaos – that’s General Chaos – is up one quarter.
The Great Society, unfortunately, is down five points.”

That was the news report that interrupted the gorgeous sing-song-nervous-breakdown that is “Run Run Run” by The Third Rail. Electric, that third rail is, from what we hear. Not being from New York, the city that made the third rail famously dangerous, and the city that houses The Runaway Suns, who now threaten to become dangerously famous, on the strength of their second album, “The Emerald Door.”

The Runaway Suns, to these ears, carry that same sense of woe and distress, wrapped always in songs that can’t help but make you smile, tap your foot and let out a satisfied sigh. If that’s not nice, I don’t know what is, and we can’t really ask for more than that.

The sun may swallow us whole, but there’s no sense in running away. Stick around and see how beautiful the fire can be.

THE RUNAWAY SUNS – “Forty Years”

SPINDRIFT

“Everyone Smiles As You (Spin) Drift Past the Flowers”

For years, Spindrift – the band that arose in the East and settled in the West – has been a unique and omnipresent force for those who worship at the altar of psychedelic sounds.

Touring relentlessly has added to their legend, not only on their own but also joining brothers in arms like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Mountain, The Black Angels, and even a few bands that don’t have the word “black” in their name. The open road – with both the danger and promise it provides – suits the band well, as cosmic explorers with a particular interest in the dust, dirt and drama tied to the American West.

We won’t be the first to describe the sounds produced by Spindrift as “cinematic” – though worth noting that the band resides in the rarified class of bands that have translated their songs to the full moving pictures experience (via their film, “The Legend of God’s Gun”). Spindrift, however, is much more than pictures, light and sound. They are stardust, they are golden, they are billion year old carbon … or something.

What we’re trying to say is that Spindrift are every bit the live band as they are spaghetti western mystics, and to miss your opportunity to see them live would be criminal.

Henry Evans, gunslinger extraordinaire of the bass and baritone guitar, was kind enough to shoot straight with “Revolt of the Apes,” in advance of this weekend’s tour stop in our hometown, along with The Diamond Center, The Young Sinclairs and Boney Loner.

Where does the fascination with the American West spawn from for Spindrift as a band? For you personally?

The band started playing this music when our singer, Kirpatrick, moved from Delaware to Los Angeles. He spent the whole drive across country listening to western soundtracks and visiting the landscapes where they were filmed, but we’ve all been interested in The West and the mythology of America since we were young. I think that for children of the seventies, the cowboy was more of an icon than he is today. Same with astronauts and truckers. For me these are images to hold onto, especially since a lot of the history of America over the last few decades has been focused on mistakes, greed, and disillusionment.

One of the things so compelling about the music of Spindrift is the convergence of different influences – the band certainly has no hesitation in exploring sounds outside of the standard rock (for lack of a better term) template. How does each band member contribute to this sonic exploration? Can you think of a band or genre that you love, the introduction to which came from another Spindrift member?

I agree. Our sound is tough to pigeonhole, and I always have a really tough time when people unfamiliar with our music ask me to describe it. I usually tell them it’s psychedelic spaghetti western soundtrack music, but that’s really just a starting point. With The West, we really began to explore a lot of different influences, and our next album will continue to do that. It’s tough to remember who brings in what music sometimes, but Kirpatrick is definitely the one who introduced me to Johnny Western, Joe Meek, Bruce Haack, and a lot of the more “out there” music. As the bass player, I try to maintain stability, and a lot of the influence that I try to bring to the band is more standard rock stuff.

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LA OTRACINA is unquestionably the band of the week.

What is the criteria for this doubtlessly dubious distinction? Ill-defined at best. It’s tempting to simply capture the words of the promotional sticker on the band’s “Blood Moon Riders” album, which states the following:

“Inverted progressive surf rock, liberated from psychedelic epithets.”

It’s tempting to say any band willing to lay down that kind of mission statement – to invoke the spirit of liberation, progression, inversion and an alternate dimension wherein The Ventures crash-landed on Venus the same night Buddy Holly joined the choir invisible – should be the band of the week.

Why resist the temptation? No reason at all – beyond the fact that La Otracina is not just any band, and this point cannot be stressed strongly enough. Liberated from psychedelic epithets, Brooklyn’s La Otracina wins the space race the old-fashioned way: by turning the Orange amps up to twelve and proceeding to split your brain clean in half, moving seamlessly through an entire galaxy of riff-tactic solar flares and a backbeat you can really dance (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Power-trio? Yes. Massive walls of guitar heroics spread perfectly across an incalcuable hooks-per-minute ratio? Yes, yes. Killers of reality, or bringers of the new dawn? Doesn’t matter. Define your own reality. Alan Watts says reality is just a Rorshach inkblot. La Otracina is the band of the week, and they say reality has got to die.

Download: LA OTRACINA – “Beyond the Smoke” (from the “Beyond the Smoke” August ’09 Tour CD-R)

“No one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve in quality as it goes along, or that the whole object of playing it is to reach the finale. The point of music is discovered in every moment of playing and listening to it. It is the same, I feel, with the greater part of our lives, and if we are unduly absorbed in improving them we may forget altogether to live them.” – Alan Watts