Tweak Bird Grows Undercover Crops

The Bird brothers, Caleb and Ashton, have been pounding out tunes and sometimes each other for the better part of five years. Their newest addition to the Tweak Bird lineup is no exception. Undercover Crops is an instantly satisfying 15 minutes of sludgy hypnotic rock and roll.

That's all there is to it. Although closer to an EP than an LP, the only real criticism of Undercover Crops is that it ends too soon, leaving listeners wanting more. And yet, no one can really fault the Bird brothers for putting out something so tight and efficient that setting the tracks on a continuous loop is probably the best answer.

Undercover Crops is perfectly balanced psychedelic rock. 

Easily their most ambitious set list, Undercover Crops find Tweak Bird continuing to add more energy to each album much like they've done with every show over the last few years. It's almost impossible to listen to them without hearing it. They are always looking for ways to push each other much like brothers will do with a punch, shove or dare.

The only constant is their signature sound, with Caleb playing a deep-throated and fuzzy guitar to make up for the want of a bass. Some years ago, Ashton played bass until he had to take a seat behind the kit and pick up sticks. The twosome made the decision then that they didn't need another member.

Along with their simple but magically-patented grooves is the Bird brothers' cloud high vocals that bring up the treble in their sometimes sarcastic songs. The second track, following the effect laden "everyone is paranoid" rinse and repeat of Moans, coveys a straightforward satirical sentiment: "So many people in the world ... I don't want to be one."

Weight, which was recently released as a video to help promote the album, readily dazzles in its carefree attitude and throbbing percussions. Lyrically, the Bird brothers manage to present bigger meaning with one or two sentences of verse, edited down into as few words as possible.



The seemingly unrestrained meaning of the song is a well-crafted paradox, wondering if we can find a way not to be so serious in world hellbent on being serious. It's a rare talent to shrug something off with intent, leaving everything a little more relaxed and upbeat.

Bunch O' Brains is similarly conflicted about a smart guy short on thinking. Like the others, it's both serious and not to be taken seriously. Too much effort put into over thinking defeats the restlessness of youth and spoils the hazy effect.

Tweak Bird is largely consistent across Undercover Crops, with subtle variations found on the pounding Psychorain or weary and woozily dreamy Pigeons. But the entire album ends before you can really take it all in, on Know It All.

Know It All chugs into itself like a car turning over until it hits its vocal chorus. Like many of their songs in the studio, there is plenty of room left over to embellish on the live stage and add an extra minute to a track that only runs two and a half minutes in the studio.

Throughout the album, Tweak Bird continues to give a substantive nod to the sixties and seventies while keeping the music fresh with pop-savvy sonic accents. Like many of the past albums, expect a few people to note that Tweak Bird doesn't produce many standout tracks, singles that are immediately recognizable. It's partly true, but only so far as the Bird brothers tend to deliver an entire experience.

Undercover Crops By Tweak Bird Climbs 7.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Tweak Bird likes to play with plenty of energy and aggression, offset with a trudging heaviness and lofty vocals. It's a winning combination. Add in their free-spirited sense of composition in the studio (this album took about a weekend) and jam-packed onstage performances, and it becomes pretty clear these two brothers from the southern tip of Illinois will be lighting up music for a long time to come.

Undercover Crops by Tweak Bird can be ordered from Barnes & Noble or downloaded from iTunes. You can also look for Undercover Crops on Amazon. For some more samplings and last-minute show scheduling and tour information, find them on Facebook. They played Las Vegas a few nights ago, presumably on their way back to Los Angeles.

Torche Goes Melodic With Harmonicraft

It never pays to pigeonhole Torche. They’ve been called everything from stoner metal and pop-sludge to sludge metal and doom music. Their newest release, Harmonicraft, makes any guesses off the mark. Torche purposefully defies being associated with any genre.

"I think the problem with subgenres is that sometimes people don't see us for what we really are," said singer/guitarist Steve Brooks. "We're just a rock band, but we get labeled all these different things that I don't even understand; I just want to play with the bands we respect and that could be anyone. It's cool we can play with a band like Mogwai and then play with High On Fire, I like the freedom to be able to play with all types of bands and not feel out of place."

Much of the labeling is partly due to the Miami-based band being best known for their second true full-length release, Meanderthal (2008). It carried all the heavy riffs and drew plenty of critical acclaim, including Album of the Year by Decibel magazine.

Meanderthal laid the groundwork for a shakeup in their lineup.

The success of Meanderthal didn't do as much good for the band as anyone hoped. In the years that followed, they had minimal output. They produced a handful of EPs and split releases, unless you also count Songs For Singles (2010) which was essentially recorded as a trio after the reportedly bitter departure of guitarist Juan Montoya.

Songs For Singles was a solid effort despite missing some spacious guitar work. The band filled the gap by recruiting guitarist Andrew Elstner. He gave the band a shot of adrenaline. Everybody felt better about the future: Brooks, bassist Jonathan Nunez, and drummer Rick Smith.

Harmonicraft adds an edge that could be Torche’s finest work to date.

Put out by Volcom Entertainment, the album is bursting with thunderous riffs, perfectly timed percussion, catchy hooks, and hard rock melodies. The best of the cuts is easily Walk It Off. It includes a killer guitar solo by Elstner right off the bat. But there are others like Letting Go, which showcases Smith’s perfect percussion work. And the absolutely furious Kicking could be the band’s anthem.



The clip, which was performed live at the Volcom Free Beer Party 2012, gives a hint as to how much Volcom is working to give the band ample exposure. You can also see unity among the members.

The new album was recorded and produced by Nunez in Miami and mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge guitarist) in Salem, Mass.

“Having Kurt involved definitely streamlined the process of recording this album in a positive way," says Elstner. "He gave it a really unifying feel from start to finish so the final album is really cohesive and never feels disjointed or thrown together.”

In other words, the work is melodic and progressive without for a second becoming predictable. This is specially obvious on the atmospheric Reverse Inverted. Even with a fan captured clip, Reverse Inverted and Skin Moth make you want to be there.



What exactly is a skin moth? One might wonder. But what no one will wonder about is how their progressive sound was translated into an album cover by Santos (Eye Bleed Ink). It's kind of cool to know that Santos credits the cover art concept to an idea Brooks suggested — something inspired by the landscapes of Roger Dean for bands like Yes and Asia.

It's a complete fantasy, with floating islands paying tribute to where each of the four band members are from (Miami, Gainesville, and Atlanta). And along with that, it infuses their love of all things sweet and even includes creatures breathing rainbows.

"I know that every band always says that their latest album is their best disc to date, but there really is a new energy to the band and I think you can really hear that in the music," said Brooks. "We get along better than we ever have in the past; it's like a rebirth for Torche in many ways."

Harmonicraft By Torche Rolls In With 5.5 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While Harmonicraft easily propels the band forward in realizing its heavy yet melodic sound, there is one flaw in the production. Anyone listening more than once will hear the bass getting lost in the shuffle. That is a real shame too, because Nunez has talent.

Torche is currently on tour with Corrosion Of Conformity in the United States and Canada through June and into the beginning of July. You can pick up Harmonicraft by Torche via iTunes. Check out Barnes & Noble for a better look at the cover art. You can also find Harmonicraft on Amazon. The band's touring schedule is listed on their Facebook page.

Reinventing The V-Shirt With Affliction

There has always been a love-hate relationship with T-shirts. Everybody wears them, but few people consider them fashion. Not really, even if one of them happens to be your favorite.

It might have something to do with how they started. Around the Great Depression, it was the default garment worn by farmers and ranch hands. That didn't change so much until Marlon Brando wore one in A Streetcar Named Desire as a precursor to their popularity in the 1960s. Two decades later, the 1980s heat-transfer look made them uncool. It took the 1990s to rescue them again.

What to watch for this summer is a return to the retro styling of V-neck T-shirts. While it was common as a work shirt in the 1940s, the V-neck became more popularized for its sports applications. This time around, it's one of several detailing features that help take T-shirts up a notch.

Neckline cuts from split crew to V makes tees more interesting.

While designers have always wanted to make better tees, it has been the greater emphasis on the neckline helping some people appreciate the tee again. Affliction has known it for some time. It's how the clothing designer originally made its mark.

Their new summer line has some interesting twists, but many of the designs look better with a V neck. The Cedar SS V-Neck Tee (above) is just one example with silver foil on black and the design offset from the center. But when you look at the greater body of work being done at Affliction, you'll see plenty of other elements in the mix.

When you browse the various designs, you'll note that some include black yarn stitching around the sleeves. Others include a seam down the front like the Warbird Squadron SS V-Neck Tee, creating the illusion of a button down. But all of them, even if the traditional scooped crew still carries the top tab, work with the V-neck stylings.

Of course, Affliction isn't the only one increasing its selection of V-neck tees. I spotted a Volcom V-Stain Tee sporting a regular fit V-neck to its line with allover stain pattern this weekend. And Ben Sherman had added an SS Henley T with 4-button placket with allover heathered detailing. Sure, the Henley is a design unto itself, but this shirt relies on the V-neck as much as the placket.

All of the T-shirts are 100 percent cotton. However, Affliction's blend tends to feel lighter and fit tighter than other brands. But once you know how the shirts fit, it's easy enough to order them any time, online or off.

A quick flashback to how every Affliction design gets its start.

While not everyone appreciates the designs, Affliction tends to fit because many of its T-shirt designs originally grew out of a concept based on tattoos and biker art. All of the designs start out as hand drawn black and white illustrations before coloring, layers, and dyes are mixed for the final designs. Their team has insane talent, often setting trends to watch for.



Originally opened in 2005, the company started with simple skull and crossbones designs before branching off into other Xtreme-related genres, including mixed martial arts. It was by sponsoring several UFC fighters that the small clothing line grew into the multi-brand company it is today.

The V-Shirt By Affliction Draws A Line At 7.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Affliction Clothing recently opened its 2,500-square-foot flagship store near its corporate home in Seal Beach on June 4. The opening was attended by dozens of tattoo artists, metal artists, and leathersmiths. Live music was provided by The Black Cloud Collective. While I missed the opening, I visited the store last week. It's smartly industrial and spacious.

The Cedar SS V-Neck Tee is available from Affliction Clothing direct for about $54. So is the Elevated Truth SS Tee ($58) and Warbird Squadron SS V-Neck Tee ($58). You can also find the SS Henley T ($59) at Ben Sherman and the Volcom V-Stain Tee ($22) from Becker Surf.